#twst Familiar AU

[dilatorywriting]

Monster Mayhem: Little Red Rapscallion

Gender Neutral Reader x Jack Howl Word Count: 3.7k

Summary: 'Dear Evil, Overlord, Patron. Please stop sicking your demon guard dog on me. I'm only trying to help. Kind Regards, Little Red Ridinghood'

A/N: Thank you so much to @insideous-beez for the brain rot, which became brain fertilizer, and eventually a functional story; This one is a bit darker than the other installments due to the Warlock/Evil Deity goodness, so there is a bit more horror here!

[PART 1]

Your grandmother had always told you to mind your manners when it came to the creatures who made the forest their home.

Or, well. That was a lie. Many lies, really. If you wanted to be nitpicky.

Firstly, the old crone who lived deep within the borough of the cursed trees wasn’t actually your grandmother. At least, not in the biological sense that seemed to matter most within your little, provincial, town. She was just a kindly, wrinkled, turnip of a woman who found you wandering the mudflats one day and decided she liked your spunk and general lack of self-awareness. She patted your head, served you strange, bubbling, teas laced with sweet magics, and always returned you to your fretful parents by sundown. And so, she was Grandma. Even if calling her that aloud made your parents go nearly green and had the local shopkeepers crossing themselves and spritzing you with Holy Water.

Secondly, Grandma had never told you to keep to your manners. Usually, she encouraged the opposite. (‘Why not curse them, huh?’ she’d complain loudly. ‘They’re thieving bastards, the lot of them.’ ‘Grandma,’ you’d sigh. ‘The street cleaners are just doing their job. They didn’t mean to steal your dead racoons.’) The idea of her demanding you act ‘proper’ and ‘kind’ was damn near laughable. But what she did enforce upon you with all the firmness of a world-weary teacher was the concept of not fucking with that which ought not be fucked with.

And the sprawling, Shaftland Forest was not to be fucked with.

It had always been a great, creeping, thing. The trees would groan and whisper as you passed, and when their sharp branches tangled in your cloak like grasping fingers, it never felt like an accident. The animals that lived beneath those trees were even stranger—wild, large, beasts with glinting eyes and an arcane mysticism about them that left icicles in their tracks even on summer days, or tangled the undergrowth into something that moved.

The people of your village did not enter the Shaftland Forests. They put up signs, and wards, and spun cautionary tales to every traveler who dared step even a single foot into their teeny, terrified, homestead.

You visited regularly. Because you were half-stupid at least, and because Grandma lived in those woods. And while she’d cautioned you about treating her habitat with care, she’d promised ages ago that so long as you were sweet to the forest, it would forever be sweet on you too.

‘There is a great power in these trees,’ she’d hum to you, as she stirred a simmering pot that looked to be filled with the blood of… something you probably shouldn’t think too hard about. ‘You would have been a lovely gift for it, you know.’ She laughed under her breath. It didn’t sound like a joke. ‘But you were too precious to ruin like that. So he decided we ought to keep you.’

You had no idea who ‘he’ was supposed to be, but you always made sure to shower the forest with compliments. As thanks for not using you as whatever being a, uhm, lovely gift entailed. ‘Oh what nice leaves you have,’ you told many a tree. ‘And what large petals have bloomed today,’ to all the flowers. You’d always been safe in these woods—sheltered beneath a bubble of golden affection and the soft scents of the richest perfumes. The forest always welcomed you with open branches and the coo of creaking bark.

Which is why the twisty field of black thorns blocking your usual pathway gave you pause.

You reached out a finger and prodded one of the sharp points. It bit into your skin with the clear intention of drawing blood, before swaying away at the last moment to twine loosely around your wrist.

Huh. How peculiar.

“May I pass?” you asked the thorns.

The shivering web of ebony tightened along the path and you frowned.

“May I pass, please?” you tried again.

The briar patch seemed to heave with a gusty, angry, sigh. You were about to reach forward and try your luck one more time when a deep, rumbling, snarl curled out from the shadows beyond. Out of the sea of roiling darkness and dainty thorns strode a great, white, wolf. It bared its teeth at you in an expression that was entirely unpleasant.

Immediately you held up your hands in placation and took a wide step backwards. The wolf just kept growling at you like you’d murdered its entire family or something else equally egregious. It skulked forward soundlessly, ears pinned flat.

“My apologies,” you said, dipping your chin in a gentle bow. “I didn’t mean to overstep. I’m just trying to use this path to—”

The wolf lunged at you with a near roar, and you just barely managed to roll out of the way with a shriek. The thing landed hard in the dirt where you’d just been not a moment prior, and it swung its great, fanged, maw in your direction.

“Apologies, old one,” you tried again, just as Grandma had taught you. “But I really just—”

The wolf snapped, nearly taking off your fingers, and you folded over like a turtle that had been upended on its back—rolling around helplessly with your limbs flailing wildly as you went. The sharp crack of your head against the ground left your brain rattling around like dried beans in a can, and you could taste the copper sting where you’d bitten down into your tongue. The failed cartwheel had set you back a solid fifteen feet from the wood’s edge, and the wolf huffed at you—a stupidly pointed ‘stay away’ if you’d ever seen one. It glared at you with glowing, golden, eyes for a long moment before melting back into the shadows.

You spat out the cocktail of mud and blood pooling along your tongue, and wiped angrily at your sore chin. The forest had never denied you before. So maybe it wasn’t your lovely, lonely, trees that were sending you away. Maybe it was just this stupid wolf. Maybe the beast was trying to make a stand—to usurp the role of whatever spirit had ruled over this dark land for so long now. You grumbled and made your way back to your feet. It was fine. Your forest was strong. It would never lose to such a stupidly fluffy opponent. You’d just have to try again tomorrow.

The next day you armed yourself with a small arsenal of goodies. Daggers, ropes, armloads of talismans, and kindling, and rations. You hoisted your bow across your back and carefully plucked at the soft fletching of the arrows. The feathers buzzed beneath your fingers, and after a moment of uneasy hesitance, you cautiously replaced the weapon where it hung over your bed. Grandma had never liked the idea of you carrying weapons in the forest (‘it invites troublemakers’ she’d warned), but if something really had gone wrong in her woods, then it was better to worry about asking forgiveness than permission. And surely you could argue for a dagger. The bow… With its weighted arcana and strange, dissonant, strength felt like something dangerous.  

So you apologized to the rippling thorns before cutting them back with swift, precise, strokes of your blade and starting down that familiar path to Grandma’s cottage.

You made it about fifty yards before one of your talismans began to ping worryingly. The tingling thrum along your side was just enough of a warning to keep you from being mauled outright.

The White Wolf lunged from between the trees and you skittered out of the way of its attack. For such a huge creature, it was so silent. And its gleaming, downy, coat should have more than given away its position in the gloom. There must have been some kind of magic to it—something old, and ancient, that let the beast slip through the darkness unseen.

The Wolf situated itself firmly in the center of the path, hackles raised and shoulders hunched like it was readying itself to pounce.

“I need to get through,” you told it, firm, and raised one of the Protective talismans. After a heavy moment you scowled and bit out, “Please.”

The Wolf snarled and propelled itself forward. It latched its overlarge teeth in the fabric of your red cloak and quickly began to drag you to the ground. You frantically flailed about, and just managed to avoid those glinting fangs enough to thrust the talisman up into the beast’s ribs with a heavy smack. The charm lit with a brilliant, amethyst, gleam and sparks shot through the air. You let out a triumphant, ‘ah HA!’ And then all that magic fizzled out like a dying candle. You gaped in horror as the ‘one hundred percent foolproof, don’t you worry about that child’ Protective talisman fluttered to the ground like a discarded bit of newspaper.

“Oh, shit,” you croaked, as your cloak was shredded between the wolf’s canines with a horribly shrill wriiiiiip.

You sprinted like a bat out of Hell, tearing through the undergrowth and only just managing to collapse beyond the border of the tree line before the wolf could snap its jaws around your ankles. You curled your limbs protectively up beneath you, and watched through a veil of cold sweat as it paced along the foliage—leaving no tracks in its wake.

Fine, you thought bitterly. Two can play at this game.

The next morning you walked North, beyond the only safe paths you knew. Carefully, you began to scuttle your way up the nearest, gnarled, tree. The bark groaned and rattled beneath your fingers, as if disquieted. But there were no trails of white fur yet darting about the underbrush, so you offered the tree a hasty apology before climbing higher.

From there, it was only a matter of cautiously hopping from branch to branch. Normally when you’d tried ridiculous feats of stupidity like this in the past, the trees seemed more than eager to help you along—practically reaching out with their branches to catch you in their willowy, wooden, fingers. But they seemed stiff today, testy. The leaves themselves seemed to complain as you went, and you shushed them as politely as you could.  

There was a sharp bark from beneath you, and you looked down to see the Wolf circling your perch in a frantic, pacing, dance.  

“Hello!” you beamed, perfectly, poisonously, pleasant. “Nice to see you too!”

The Wolf sneered, lips curling up into a tight, tense, bow over its fangs.

You leaned forward, keeping a hand securely looped into your roost.

“Aww,” you cooed. “Is it too hard to climb up here with those big, fluffy, paws?” you mocked, wiggling your own fingers contentedly. “Bet someone really wishes they had opposable thumbs, huh?”

And then, like you were being smited by God Himself, the branch beneath your feet cracked clean in half, and you plummeted to the ground bellow with a harrowing screech. Naturally, you landed right at the wolf’s aforementioned stupid, fluffy, paws. Its great head lowered, and you could feel the heat of its breath as it growled into your face.

With a pathetic little ‘eep!’, the talisman tucked into the back of your boot burst into life and you flickered like a janky illusion. You stumbled to your feet a dozen or so yards away, fighting the urge to double over and barf. Slipping through planes was unpleasant at the best of times, let alone when under actual fucking duress.

The Wolf blinked its wide, golden, eyes at the empty space beneath its paws, and then whipped its head in your direction like a blood hound. You pushed yourself upright with the help of the very tree who had betrayed you so thoroughly, and began your hasty retreat.

You crashed through a curtain of thorns and out into the open with a gasp.

You rolled forward like the world’s most inelegant acrobat and came to a skidding halt in the dirt. You sat up with an achy cough, dislodging muck, and rocks, and leaves from your windpipe.

The Wolf prowled behind you—its glare a set of golden pinpricks in the gloom.

“What is your problem?!” you wailed.

The wolf tossed its head, like rolling its eyes wouldn’t have been enough. And snapped at you with another one of those pissy, bitten off, growls.  

“You know what?” you seethed, swinging back onto your knees to jab a finger at it accusatorily. “Fuck you!”

The thing had the absolute gall to snort at you before turning to return to its ceaseless patrol.

By the time you hauled yourself back to your family home, you must have looked an absolute mess. No one bothered to stop you when you practically clawed your way up the stairs and into your small bedroom. Though to be fair, no one really bothered to stop you for anything anymore. Not since an old women with too much spare time and not nearly enough light in her eyes had decided that you were a child to be treasured.

You grabbed your bow off the wall and slung it over your back. The sleek, silvery, wood hummed beneath your fingers. It had been a gift, one whose very existence you stalwartly refused to question. The weapon was finer than anything that could have come from your village’s blacksmith, or honestly probably any human craftsman. It was weightless. It was too heavy. It sang in your hands. It was not a token to be bestowed lightly. But… Well. Whoever it had belonged to before, it was yours now.

And you were going to shoot that goddamn Wolf right in the ass.

On the fourth day of your apparent banishment from the Shaftland Forest, you stormed those woods like a would-be conqueror. The silver bow keened beneath your palms, and you held a thin, spiked, arrow knocked and at the ready. Your nemesis found you in no time at all, and you bared your teeth at the stupid, fucking, mutt before it had the chance.

“One last time,” you said, drawing your bow as tight as you could. “Let me pass, beast. Or I will go through you.”

The wolf’s hackles were raised, but the snarl had slipped off its face. It dug its claws into the dirt, and you watched something like surprise work its way across the thing’s regal features. Its golden glare flickered from you, to the bow, and back again, like it couldn’t quite believe what it was seeing.

“I have business in these woods,” you demanded. And then, petulantly—because you just wanted to know that your stupid, devil worshipping, turnip of a grandmother was okay, and you were so fucking fed up with this garbage—you stomped at the ground and shouted, “And I was here first! So scram, you overgrown Pomeranian!”

The Wolf’s ears drooped, and something like a tremor worked its way down its spine. But then the thing was shaking its giant head like it was surfacing from beneath a pool of water, and it straightened its posture with a rumbling growl.

“Fine,” you snapped, and unleased the first arrow. It whizzed past your fingertips with a thready, shrill, fwoom faster than you could track. The booming force of it shocked you enough to have you shooting wide, and you watched that pin-thin arrow hit a tree trunk and sink all the way through to the other side.

The Wolf rushed forward when you went to reload, fur standing on end like you’d run it through with a bolt of lightning. It tackled you bodily to the ground with a yelp, and you wheezed as the air was knocked out of your lungs in one, fell, swoop. The bow tumbled out of your hands and you scrabbled for it wildly. And then the beast lunged for the bright red of your hood, as it seemed so keen to do in each of your past scuffles. But maybe it was done playing with you. Or maybe it just wasn’t expecting you to flail around so terribly. Because its garish fangs bore down past the soft, billowy, fabric of your cloak and tore straight into the meat of your arm instead.

You gasped and weren’t entirely able to swallow down the sharp shriek of pain that bubbled up and out of your throat. The wolf reared back in shock, its mouth stained red. It immediately ducked back in close, and then away, and then in again. Like it wasn’t sure what to do. The stalwart resolve from earlier was gone—replaced entirely by a bumbling sort of panic that had your head swimming more than the blood loss.

You tucked your arm in close, feeling the tattered remains of shredded fabric curling beneath new, warm, wetness. The Wolf cautiously nosed forward, but when you flinched it reared back like you’d struck it. The beast stepped pointedly away, and then began to pace frantically back and forth. Occasionally it would stop, like it was going to move in close again. But then its pointy ears would press stiff and flat atop its head and it would skulk away all over again.

Whatever, you seethed silently, jerkily ruffling through your bag for some of the Healing talismans you knew were tucked away at the bottom. If the monster felt some kind of weird guilt for taking a chomp out of you when it’d already been doings its damndest to maul you for the past four days straight, that was its problem.

It was taking you longer to unearth the talismans than you would have liked, and your hand was really starting to shake in earnest. The Wolf whined high and miserable in its throat, and you rationally decided that it would be a terrible, petty, idea to waste what little composure you had left just to tell it to fuck right off.

The horrid mess of crimson had begun to seep its way along your skin—dripping down your wrist to plop against the damp, mossy, earth with an echoing plip plip plip that was not unlike the fall of slow, fat, spring rain. The air around you seemed to grow heavier with it—the trees swaying at their roots and the dark, shriveled, flowers straining against their stems to get a taste. The Wolf’s golden gaze flicked around the grove cautiously, and you watched its black nose twitch in obvious discomfort. You swore you could see hands—dozens, hundreds of inky appendages reaching out from the shadows. Fingers twisting up into claws like they meant to grab onto you and dig in, never letting go. The Wolf settled itself at your back like a brick wall, snarling doggedly at the wispy talons. The beast was so large it practically enveloped the entirety of you, and you had to fight the delirious, dizzy, urge to lean back into its impractically soft fur.

“Hey! Are you alright over there?”

Both you and the Wolf jolted in surprise as a group of adventurers plowed their way through the trees. The Wolf’s already distressed expression twisted into something nearly manic and it roared—putting all those ferocious teeth on display.

“Woah!” one of them yelped, crashing to a halt and dragging their friends to a stop beside them. “What the fuck?!”

The others all looked equally startled, hands settling heavily on their weapons. And while right now Mister Wolfy wasn’t outright nomming on you or your limbs, there was a still a steady stream of blood trailing from the wound near your shoulder—a set of very obvious teeth marks sitting stark and red against the rest of you.

“We heard a scream,” another spoke up. Then, pointedly raising the sharp edge of his sword, asked, “Is this your companion, Ranger?”

‘Ranger?’ you blinked, confused, before remembering the bow still sitting in the dirt by your feet. Before you could respond, the Wolf lurched forward over your shoulder. It didn’t leave you—didn’t stray from its steadfast position at your hind—but it pushed its gaping, angry, maw as close to the group as it could. The trio reeled back as the monster snapped, and snarled, and nearly vibrated out of its skin with rage. But… no. Something wasn’t quite right. As viciously angry as all that harsh barking sounded, there was something very, very disquieting about it. Something strained, something afraid.

The one with his sword raised stepped forward, the others moved to follow. And then they were gone.

You blinked, shocked silly. There had been people there—not a second before. You were sure of it. What the fuck was happening?—

And then there was a discordant scream from somewhere deeper in the woods. Distant, but close. Like there were arcane tricks distorting the way of the world. Keeping you separate from the horrible, grinding, shrieking noises while… whatever was happening carried on—not a dozen yards away. Cloaked in shadows and rotten, violet, petals like how a parent might gently close a curtain around a child’s bed at night.  You watched in half-awe, half-horror as seeping, purple, miasma leached from the trees and into the air. It chased the intruders with vicious intent. You could feel the sharp, dark, heat of it prickling along your skin, but when that swirl of near-black enchantments made its way to you, it slipped past you like smoke—leaving only a faint trace of awful, coppery, perfume against your clothes.  

“Why couldn’t you just stay away?” a deep, miserable, voice echoed in your head, and you jerked around in shock to see the Wolf staring at you with heavy, gold eyes.

“Did… Are you…” you trailed off, swallowing. Not sure how to even begin asking what you wanted to ask.

The Wolf sighed, bone deep and weary.

“I tried so hard to keep everyone away,” its voice rumbled in the back of your mind. “Why did you have to be so stubborn?”

“This is my forest, too,” you said after a long moment, fingers digging into the dusty material of your pants. “What’s wrong with it? What happened?”

The Wolf stared at you, quiet and considering. And then it lumbered to its feet with a defeated sort of slouch.

“Come, then, Little Red One,” it huffed, and swished its tail against your back. “I’ll show you.”

.

.

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TAG LIST [CLOSED]

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[yuri-is-online]

Hi Yuri! Have you ever considered the idea of there being an alternate version of the twst boys in Yuu’s world? Since we have no clue if it’s just another planet or an entirely separate universe, it’s theoretically possible. Poor Yuu would think they are going crazy seeing a familiar face or hearing a familiar voice in another world. Perhaps it is even painful to the point Yuu tries to avoid interacting with the boy in question. - 🦐

(Also, I am well aware of how often I’ve been sharing these thoughts. If they’re annoying you or you don’t feel up to it, I don’t want you to feel pressured to respond or anything. I’m just spitballing and posting before I forget. 👉👈)

OH BOY DO I HAVE SOME THOUGHTS ON THIS!!!!! (first and foremost being that you are very much not annoying <3)

An alt version of a twst boy in Yuu's world is just so yummy. There's so much angst potential depending on what the relationship is/was. Did their boy die in some horrible accident? Is he waiting for them, anxious and terrified about where Yuu went? Does this imply that twst also has a version of Yuu somewhere out there in the world? Questions questions. I did sort of write about this idea in the tags of this yan version of the soulbound au, wherein a cursed Yuu driven insane by their curse kills their soulmate before being isekaid to Twisted Wonderland and finding a different version of him, horrified with the realization that they could kill him again... but I want to cook up some dynamics for what the dorm leaders/overblot boys could be up to in Yuu's world first sooo...

I had a hard time thinking about Riddle until I remembered he's a horse girl and cast Yuu in the role of bad boy ranch hand whose dad's got a job at the barn so they're forced to help take care of the horses and warn all the would be YA protags about the "special horse" who doesn't take orders from just anyone. Not that Riddle is the protagonist... he's more the well established rich petty bitch who looks down on the new girls and especially on you because you're never taking care of his horse in accordance with all his stupid rules. And in stereotypical horse movie fashion Riddle has a massive not so secret crush on bad boy ranch hand Yuu who just doesn't get why he keeps trying to talk to them.

There isn't much royalty left in the world, but imagine Leona as the son of some rich business magnate whose older brother got the company and left him with "nothing." Maybe Yuu works at a liquor store part time and Leona comes in to pick stuff up every once in a while. You wouldn't call him a friend, but you guys shoot the shit enough that you have a general feel for each other to the point he joins you on your breaks to keep up the talk and play chess.

I love the idea of student president council Azul. He's made for that trope. Born for it, he'd be such a terror with Jade as his VP and Floyd as well. Floyd. I can't see him really being a part of the student council but I had this idea the other day based off this instagram post I saw about this mom who sews right? Her daughter was running for class president and she made these bracelets with little shrimp on them and attached them to cards that said "Keep it shrimple! Vote for (kid's name)!" And I was struck with this vision of Yuu doing that so like. Yuu running against Azul with that campaign slogan and he's tearing his hair out over it being so popular because people like memes (the original idea had Floyd running as Yuu's vp but they both dropped out at the last minute because neither him or Yuu wanted to do the actual work lol.) I also like student council president Azul and delinquent Yuu... but that's because of Tsuredure Children ha

Kalim and Jamil are hard... but I think the same set up of rich businessman's kid and his bodyguard in training still fits. How Yuu meets them is beyond me, but if you were friends with either of them could you imagine how painful seeing the same tragedy play out in this new world would be? Jamil doomed to always be a servant and Kalim doomed to be betrayed by his best friend... that would be so painful for someone who cared deeply about either of them I could see it motivating Yuu to try and resolve things for twst Jamil and Kalim that much harder.

Ok so hear me out... Vil still wants to be an actor in your world but he doesn't have the connections to his dad and is working as a pharm tech with Yuu at your local drugstore while going to school and hunting for gigs. He mentions being interested in cosmetics and magical pharmacology in game... and he also mentions knowing nothing about his mom so like. Your world Vil ended up with his mom instead of his dad and you get to see him on the cusp of his big break as one of his number one supporters from the very start, only to get isekaid to a world where you get to see what things could have looked like. It's strange how similar and yet not both versions of Vil are...

Idia is the guy who comes in to buy snacks at your convenience store during the night shift who you start talking to when you notice him buying a game time card for something you also play. You're stupid awkward around each other at first, but it's nice to finally have someone to talk about your niche interest with once you've passed each other's sniff tests. You don't actually know him know him though... so getting sent to another world where there's another version of him makes you worried the more you learn about his backstory that maybe you should have been there for your Idia more. Is he doing ok back home? Did he think of you as a friend? You hope he isn't blaming himself for any of this...

Malleus is an old money trust fund baby whose family was absolutely royalty at some point and is still overly attached to it. He likes old buildings, cemeteries, long walks in the fog, you know all those good goth things. He's tall and socially awkward and so grateful for you, his first and best friend who he met one moonlight night he swore was a dream in his favorite abandoned building who spoke at length with him about all sorts of things he liked. So you know. More or less the same. Just without the world ending powers... I think this is another one that would be quite sad. Which version of Malleus needs Yuu more? Which one is the real one? I'd hate the idea of him being destined to always be lonely and lose the ones he loves.

As for Yuu avoiding them... I could see that. It would feel weird seeing someone you love so much only for it not to be them at all. I know that the Lovebrush Chronicles kiiiiind of deals with this??? I wish I had the patience to play through it has an appealing glasses wearing ro but it's a mobile otome :/ but still. It's a concept I promise I am totally normal about.

[qierxing]

Farewell to Thee?

A/N: (checks last post time stamp) Oopsie. (drops this in front of yall like a bag of groceries and fades into the distance)

Yan! Twst Isekai AU

CW/TW: the Mouse is Real™, graphic descriptions of bodily fluids/injuries, assault and kidnapping

◇ Continue

[Loading…]

“..llo?"

"Hello?" 

"Hellooo?”

Out of the wispy fog comes a familiar voice. It echoes on and on, fading into a whisper. The tenure worms into your brain as you struggle back into consciousness. And as your eyes open and focus, your brain finally recognizes who is calling out.

“...Mickey?” You respond quietly in disbelief. “Mickey!”

“[First]!” The reunion, however unexpected, is still relieving. You never thought you would be so happy to see the cartoony mouse again. But…

“It’s been a long time since we’ve seen each other, huh?” He chirps, walking up to your side. “I’ve been trying all sorts of things to get here, even trying to change my pajamas before sleeping too, heh…”

“So…this is a dream?” You ask hesitantly. Mickey smiles up at you, unaware of your inner turmoil. 

“Must be! This is quite unexpected, I usually only see your head and shoulders, not your whole body.” 

That makes sense, in a way. Only white nothingness surrounds you. Although you two are striding forward in a sense of strolling, you can’t make heads or tails on whether you’re actually walking somewhere.

“Normally I’d ask to take your picture but I don’t have my special camera.” You wryly smile in response. Did you succeed with your plan? Interactions with Mickey was usually out of the player’s hands…did you force a connection when you caused a game over?

“That’s a right shame. I was so looking forward to it since you mentioned it last visit.” Mickey sighs with a playful pout. It then changes to something more somber as he gazes up at you.

“[First], I’m glad to have met you again, but be careful.” You stop in your tracks at the warning.

“I sensed some dark aura around you when we first met. It’s gotten even stronger this time.” Mickey explains, worried eyes examining you. “Please be careful.”

“Wh-what do you mean…?” Your mouth runs dry. Something prickles in the back of your head, and to your panic, the vision of Mickey starts fading away, images blurring. 

“M…time….up….watch…” his last words hover in the air as you frantically reach out to him.

“M-Mickey?!” You fumble around, trying to reach out to him, but come up with air. 

“Damn it!” You scream, impatient rage blinding your sight. 

Just when you’re so close to getting an answer out of this damn game! You just wanted to go home! Was that such a sin?

The prickling in your head grows stronger and you grow lightheaded, collapsing in on yourself. You look up to see a bright glowing menu.

[True Ending has not been unlocked]

>⬛⬛⬛⬛ Key has not been obtained. 

>Continue?

–

[Loading…]

Your cheeks feel sticky.

It feels so gross. The smell of iron and rust floods your nose and makes your eyes fly open. Your fingernails scrape the substance as you push yourself off the cold floor. When you hold it up to your bleary eyes, you can see blood and dirt flaking under your nails. Your entire front is also soaked in blood and saliva. The disgusting sight makes you cringe. 

The ground underneath your body shakes. You regard the pool of blood, tears, and snot underneath you with a gaze not fully aware. You’re… in Twisted Wonderland?

Screaming? There’s people yelling somewhere, and it’s making your head hurt. You groan, raising your dirtied hand to steady your forehead.

What happened…?

"Easy, Trickster." A warm voice envelopes your ear. Suddenly, the scent of mint and petrichor overtakes your senses. Verdant green eyes peer down at you with relief.

“R…Rook?” The voice that comes out of you doesn’t feel like you. Someone else speaking in your body, like a ventriloquist. “H-How…?”

“[First]!” Grim flings himself into your face, adding to the pool of snot and mucus. It’s okay though. You hug him tightly, curling in on yourself, trying to absorb the warmth Grim gives. 

The others come and swarm you; trying to check in on you, but you don’t respond to their numerous worried inquiries, drained of all your energy. Something catches your ear though.

“Oh, we were so worried! When Neige told us you got accidentally poisoned, we couldn’t take you to the infirmary right away–thank Seven Rook was there!” Kalim clasps your hands tenderly, not minding the gross slew of fluids getting on his hands. 

Poisoned? How was I poisoned…?

A knife sharp pain slices through your brain when you try to recall what happened. You were with Neige…and then? Everything after that was all coming out as static noise.

“Prefect.”

You know who it is without looking. What a sight. How could Vil Schoenheit look this disheveled? Blonde greasy hair that is out of place, skin hollowed and pale with scratches, and bloodshot lavender eyes. He looks worse than you on death’s door.

"Vil…?" You gaze at him with empty confusion, unsure of why your heart drops at the sight of him. "Did…did something happen?"

Vil's eyes narrow but then close in resignation. Epel takes over, eyes wide in earnest. "Vil had an overblot, so we had to wrangle him back to normal."

Overblot…right…that's what supposed to happen, right?

Why…was that supposed to happen?

"Forgive me, Trickster. If only I had reached there faster with Monsieur Al-Asim…" Rook hums, surprisingly sincere. "Roi du Poison's madness and obsession…even when he had overblotted…how wonderfully beautiful it all was. The ink swirling around him, his stature…"

You shiver as his gaze rakes into yours.

"But, mon amour, you must not do that again, oui?" He leans in, lips ghosting over your ear and your blood freezes. What does he…?

"What a fine mess this is. What are we going to do now?" Ace drawls, eyes scanning behind him. Your eyes follow where he's looking and wince at the now destroyed colosseum. Debris and rocks flung everywhere, banners ripped to shreds, and electronics fried beyond repair.

For some reason, you feel calm despite the scene before you. As if…

"Well, well, if this isn't a sight."

Malleus.

Nothing registers until his gaze falls on you, and you swear his eyes glow for a fraction of a second.

"What have we here?" The question echoes and everyone looks nervously around at each other. “I arrive early to find not a single person and a stage laid to waste.”

You can only muster a sheepish grin in response. That's right. Malleus could fix this all up in a flash, no problem.

“Hornton, thank goodness you’re here!” Dried blood cracks on the edges of your smiling lips. “We could really use some help-”

“HORNTON?” You wince at the cacophonous pitch of everyone yelling. Rook is tactful enough to shield your ears but it only did so much to keep your eardrums from ringing. While Grim realizes who Hornton is, everyone else is flustered, attempting to explain the weight of his identity to the two of you.

You don’t need it though. His magic is enough of a demonstration as he winds back time and repairs the stage in moments. With that, the NRC group’s spirit and morale is renewed and once again, they’re raring to prove themselves to RSA.

The only thing that didn’t change is you.

Malleus gingerly carries you in his arms while Grim worriedly looks up at you. While they were reluctant to continue without you, even they were not foolish enough to let you go without urgent medical treatment.

You managed to stay conscious long enough to hear Malleus talking with the school medics and Grim muttering about stones before the dull ache in your throat and stomach forced you into an uneasy slumber.

–

The vestiges of a strange dream about mice and keys linger in your mind as you blink away the sleep in your eyes. 

Evening has fallen, the only light coming from the dim lanterns the office has set up for patients. As your eyes adjust to the darkness, you can make out silhouettes of curtains and several items on the table near you. 

Snacks from Ace and Deuce, herbal medicine from Vil, and colorful flowers by Kalim (you’re sure Jamil was the reason why it was not mountains of flower bouquets). The gestures are enough to make you weakly smile before it drops into a frown.

You turn to scan the room, and find no signs of life.

Did Grim leave?

An uneasiness begins to settle in your chest and you try to quash it. Maybe he just went to use the bathroom. Or if the staff made him leave, maybe he returned to Ramshackle. Anxiety begins to creep through your mind as the seconds tick by on the clock above the doorway. 

 Screw it.

You slip off the duvet covers and although the feeling of cold tiles on your bare feet is almost enough to make you give up, you push through and leave the room in the direction of Ramshackle. 

Soon, the familiar sight of the Seven’s statues come into the horizon and cobblestones turn into granite tiles underneath your feet. Something makes you pause, however. Like a feeling of deja vu, you wonder why you feel like you’ve been in this situation before.

A growl shakes through the underbrush and you whirl to see the devil tips of a tail thrashing through leaves. Your heart jumps to your throat.

Grim!

The next thing you see is glowing blue eyes and a mouth full of sharp teeth and dripping black saliva. You stumble back partially in disgust at the sight and partially from fear. What happened to your friend?! 

“Grrr…mine…you can’t…” His words are hardly decipherable, making you furrow your eyebrows in concern.

“Grim!” 

He’s already descended into a rabid, feral monster. Your calls only anger him, and his eyes thin into needle thin slits. He bares his teeth again and you steel yourself. 

Letting out a guttural roar, he pounces and you narrowly dodge and avoid getting shredded by jagged claws. 

You will not lose your friend here. You can’t. Not when–

A fleeting vision flashed in your mind: pitch black ink surrounding your feet, before finally flowing away and hardening into a condensed mass. Your head immediately is wracked in red hot spasms, causing you to keel over in pain. What is…

Unfortunately, this leaves you open to Grim’s next strike, and his attack throws both of you off balance. The impact sends you into the grass and it’s only when your back hits a tree trunk that you shriek out loud. Your fragile medical gown is torn through by his claws, leaving bloody gashes upon your midsection. 

The excruciating pain is enough for feverish tears to run down your cheeks and your vision to start blurring as Grim growls again, no doubt readying to finish what he started.

“G-Grim…” 

Your vision darkens, and your world goes silent.

–

A heart wrenching scream rouses you awake.

“[FIRST]!!”

The sound of whistling wind blows in your ears and instinctively you shiver. As your eyes blearily crack open, a gray figure comes into focus.

Grim is hunched over you, shaking your body with tears in his eyes. The both of you seem to be…flying? What?

“Subject F and Y secured. Waiting for other units’ reports.” A cold robotic voice drones above you. You force your head up and see a tall robot donning armor and wielding a formidable looking oar like weapon. As your eyes adjusted against the strong breeze, you realized you and Grim were trapped in a steel cage. 

In the distance, your ears faintly pick up explosions and deep rumbling. 

“[FIRST]?!”

Both you and Grim turn to see Ace and Deuce gaping up at you from the forest floor below. You open your mouth, but your voice doesn’t come out. 

“All targets have been secured. All units fall back and return.”

“No!” Grim yowls. “My henchman, they’re hurt! Someone, help–!!” 

But his screeching goes unheeded by your stoney captors. And although you swear you hear familiar voices calling back, the robots are undeterred and whisk you both away easily. 

The last thing you see is the shattered ruins of a barrier and a school left in burned pieces.

[shiny-jr]

damnation (peek V?)

Warning: Yes, this is a yandere thing. Gender-neutral reader.

Characters: Neige LeBlanche, Epel Felmier, Rook Hunt, Vil Schoenheit.

Summary: When you commit a crime, you receive a punishment. This is especially true in your society. No matter the crime, your punishment is the same: banishment. But to where you will be sent in exile and how miserable will it be? No one knows, because no one has ever returned.

Note: Should I be posting this right now? Probably not. Especially since Scarabia isn’t completed, but I haven’t posted anything in a while and I’ve been more motivated and inspired for Pomefiore lately. Maybe seeing comments and opinions on this might boost my energy and make me write more and complete both Scarabia and Pomefiore. Hopefully. Anyways, I wanted to post this anyways because technically it was part of the first sneak-peek before I edited it out so I could make its own and make it longer too. That, and after seeing fanart by a mutual, I wanted to write even more. I’m finally getting the chance now. So I’ll be writing right after I post this. Go check out the most recent fanart I got for this specific part of the project. Oh, and if you have no idea what this is, you might want to check the first sneak-peek post (the “I” below) and my previous posts under the #damnation twst au tag. One last thing. None of this is edited, I just copy and pasted from the draft I have so yeah, just in case y’all see mistakes it’s because I haven’t gone over it yet. I usually go over everything once it’s completed.

I . . . II . . . III . . . IV . . . V . . . VI . . . VII

THE BEAUTIFUL KING

A dark robe. Wrapped around your shoulders was a black cloak, like wings folded in. Speaking of feathered appendages, there was a single shiny feather tucked behind your ear. You had felt it tickling your earlobe, leading you to pluck it out of your hair to examine it. It was long and black, huge in size, making you imagine it came from a beast of a raven. Slowly you looked up, confused to find yourself at a desk surrounded by books, bottles of odd colorful liquids, and there was even a cauldron in the corner of the stone wall!

Returning your attention back to the feather, you were perplexed but quite liked it so you placed it back behind your ear where you had originally discovered it. Upon standing from the wooden chair, you noticed your change of outfit. A simple white ruffled shirt and black pants, although nearly every inch of you was covered by the black cloak on your back that reached all the way to your ankle and draped around you like a curtain. Lifting up the cloak, you could feel a short sword strapped safely and securely in a hilt on your back hidden away from sight. What was this place…? Why were you dressed like this? Why did you have a sword? What was going on? Was this your punishment?

Just then, your eyes drifted over to a book stand where a heavy leather tome sat open to prying eyes. Your prying eyes, to be exact. Curiously you stepped toward it, your fingers ghosting over the crisp pages of the aged book as you squinted incredulously at the words printed on the surface in a large font, occasionally dotted with red ink. “Poison apple…?” Beside it was the painted image of a ripe red apple, and in its shining reflective skin was the distinct shape of a skull. “One taste of the poisoned apple and the victim’s eyes will close forever in the sleeping death.”

But that… that was from a fairytale! The story of Snow White and the Beautiful Queen! This page about a poisoned apple, the tome, this basement filled with ingredients and suspicious concoctions… So it was true, criminals were often sent to dangerous tales where they would perish. And you... you were a criminal and you were here, but... what role did you play? Lifting your hand up to your ear, you suddenly felt the familiar soft sensation of the black feather accessory and realization dawned on you. Didn’t the queen have a pet raven…? Could that explain why you were here in these strange but fancy clothes? Of all things, why did you have to be the raven?

How did the story go again? The Queen was vain and wicked, she wished to be the most beautiful of all. It was said that she consulted her magic mirror every day and would inquire as to who the fairest of them all was. Should the mirror ever reply with another’s name instead of hers, she would find a way to kill her rival and would only be satisfied once the mirror answered her name. So when her step-daughter, Snow White, grows to become the fairest of them all, the Queen goes mad with jealousy and has a huntsman attempt to kill her. When that fails, the Queen takes matters into her own hands, eventually turning herself ugly as a disguise and even causing her own untimely demise by falling off a cliff and being crushed by a boulder, her remains left as feed for hungry vultures. That was the Queen, but what about the raven? Well, it’s never disclosed as to what happens to the bird, at least to your knowledge. The last the raven is seen, it was being tormented by the wicked Queen as she was creating the poisoned apple. Actually, maybe being the raven wasn’t so bad afterall… At least it didn’t perish or receive some other horrible ending.

Knowing this brought you much relief. At least you didn’t end up as the raven in that other story about a sleeping princess. That raven was turned to stone! You pity any poor sucker that might’ve ended up in that position. This outcome was adequate, for now. Perhaps it was best to venture outside, to attempt to find this beautiful queen. To be honest, it was a little exciting. You had always wondered how beautiful she was, since the novels always claimed they could never do her justice. But that's besides the point. Once meeting her, you then had to decide what your next move would be.

Keeping all that in mind, you climbed the spiraling stone staircases just barely lit by candles. You winced whenever you heard the squeak of a rat or spotted a rotting corpse of a forgotten prisoner still in chains. Quickening your pace until you reached a wooden door, and stepped into the sunlight. It was warm and delightful, the sun’s rays shining on your skin. You felt free. As of now, this was far from punishment. But knowing that you were sent here to be punished or even die, was what kept you from being completely at ease. You could almost just relax here in the calm and beauty of this garden–– key word, almost. Shrieking and many voices shattered your temporary peace, even scaring away the white doves that had flocked in the open courtyard.

Grumbling, you followed the sound of the commotion. It sounded like it was coming from over the high palace walls. There was one portion of the wall that was shorter than the rest, if you climbed onto the smooth edges of the railing by the stone steps, you could successfully scale onto the top of the wall where you decided to lounge about and spectate the action. On the other side of the wall, you could see a young man getting closer and closer, nervously waving at a large group giggling and following him. It was obvious that he was a little uncomfortable, and that he was trying to lose them without hurting their feelings by how he continued to smile even as he picked up the pace.

When his eyes landed on you, he appeared surprised, and as he walked the path he was getting closer and closer. Feeling pity for the lad, you sighed and stretched your arm down, to which he hesitated a moment before finally deciding to place his hand in yours. You heaved him up and slid down to the safe side of the wall, the palace side, just before his apparent fans could catch him. Their whining and complaining was amusing.

“Thank you…! You saved me!”

Oh, right, he was still here. You glanced over at the young man peering happily up at you with the brightest smile on his lips. Your eyebrows furrowed as you slowly began to notice his features. Hair black as ebony, skin white as snow, dressed head-to-toe in rags… No way––

“Ah, I know you!” He exclaimed, delighted as he took a step closer. “You’re my elder brother’s attendant! I’ve seen you around the palace countless times. You are always working so hard that I’ve never gotten a chance to properly meet you! Of course you must already know but my name is Neige, it’s truly so wonderful to finally talk like this with you!” He performed a small but polite bow. Such manners for a prince in rags. “I never knew you were so kind! Is there any way I can repay you?”

“Ah, no, there’s no need for that…” You studied his face, attempting to make sense of it all. If this Neige was Snow White, it did make total sense. His skin was flawless, it looked like a marshmallow, so pristine but soft. He was cherubic. His beauty was more of a one of innocence and cuteness, and it seemed the townsfolk noticed his looks judging by how they focused on his physical features instead of his attire. You force your gaze away. This was the prince who the Queen would try to kill. But there’s a chance it may be King in this version, because you’re fairly certain that Neige had just mentioned something about having an elder brother that you apparently worked for. “It was nothing.”

“Please, don’t be so modest! Your actions were selfless and heroic. Had it not been for you, I’m afraid I would’ve been stuck outside all day with no choice other than to interact with all those that followed me. And I couldn’t have that! I promised my brother that I would do my chores.” A sad frown appeared on his face as his gaze traveled back over to the wall, “Although I do regret having just left them without so much as a goodbye…”

So he was kind… Makes sense. Most princesses, or prince in this case, were kind-hearted souls that were far too naive or trusting and had the strangest ability to communicate with woodland creatures. However that last part worked, you weren’t entirely sure.

“The doves of the courtyard gathered by the well with me this morning! And we all made a wish! I, well… It's a bit embarrassing, but I wished for something truly special. And I believe that my wish may have come true!” A pretty pink blush made his cheeks rosy as he clasped his hands together, looking so truly content as he peered up at you.

“Is that so…?” Well, magical animal talking ability, check that off the list. He really was like the princess from the fairytale. But you didn’t like where this was going. You outgrew fairytales a long time ago, but when you read something so fantastical and magical in your innocent imaginative youth, it sticks with you. Perhaps that was a good thing, because even now you could recall the small details of the story.

In the beginning of the story, Snow White is cleaning the courtyard when she meets the doves at the well where she makes a wish to meet her true love. Not too long after, the prince appears on horseback, hearing the princess’ song that leads him to climb over the palace walls to get to her. When you got older, you quickly realized how creepy that actually was. The prince crept up on her like some sort of stalker, and essentially trespassed on private palace grounds. But that’s besides the point right now. The point is, Snow White made a wish to meet her true love which happened to be the prince. Well, right now, you have yet to see another so-called dashing prince or princess. There was just the courtyard and you were alone with Neige, and he was gazing up at you through his lashes and with a pretty smile that appeared too fondly. The Queen, or King, really needed to stop cooping up Prince Neige within the palace walls. It was dulling his sense towards social cues and common sense.

“Hey! What the hell are you doin’...?!”

Surprised at the sudden presence beside you, you looked to see another stranger. This one you couldn’t automatically connect to a role. It was a short young man with a cuteness that could possibly even rival the prince. He had such wide blue eyes and odd soft lavender curls that framed his face. Unlike you and Prince Neige, his outfit was of much finer detail which consisted of a white tunic and long dark blue sleeves from the shirt he wore underneath. A red cloak was draped over the shoulders of his small frame, the ends brushing against his simple pants and boots. But despite his fine clothing and adorable appearance, he spoke with such brashness, irked for whatever reason.

“Ah, you must be Epel! My brother speaks often about you! He says he sees great potential in you!” Neige interjected, oblivious to this Epel fellow’s irritation. Epel… the name didn’t ring a bell. You could accurately deduce what Neige’s role was based on his appearance and the fact that his name meant snow in French. But you still had no idea who Epel was supposed to be. Again, Neige bowed his head in polite greeting as he exclaimed, “Today must be my lucky day! Not only have I met you now, Epel, but I’ve also met–– Um…” He paused, turning to you and inquiring softly, “I’m sorry, I’m so excited that I’ve forgotten to ask your name.”

The lavender-haired boy quickly snatched your attention away from the prince, grabbing your cloak where your arm would be as he hissed in a whisper so as to not involve Neige. “Are you crazy? Talkin’ to the prince…! Vil is gonna fly off the handle!” Not-so-discreetly gesturing to the window right above them with his eyes darting to it and back to you, but not moving his head, so as to not alert the onlooker behind the glass.

You froze, not moving your head but your eyes moved up to where Epel had been glancing at. Out of the corner of your eyes, you could just barely make out a tall and thin figure in purple standing at the large window, holding the red curtains open with both hands. They were watching, and just as you moved your head the tiniest bit to get a better look, you only caught a glimpse of a deep angered frown before the curtains were abruptly shut, barring you from seeing anymore. That could’ve only been the beautiful royal, the monarch in charge that sees Prince Neige as a rival. When you looked back at Neige, he was still smiling at you with his hands folded in front of him, patiently awaiting an answer. Poor guy doesn’t know what’s coming.

“We gotta go, or Rook is gonna drag us back himself…!” Without even waiting for you to give Neige your name, Epel took your hand and ran like a bat out of hell. Making a beeline straight for an entrance to the palace, you attempted to keep up with him. He was surprisingly strong for someone so small.

Behind you, you heard, “W-Wait, I never got your name…!”

Well, that’s a crying shame. Focusing your attention on where you were heading, you began to lose track of all the twists and turns within these palace walls. Epel led you forward, he certainly knew where he was going. But you? You hadn’t a clue. That is, until after a few minutes, you arrived at a long hall where at the very end there were double doors already opened. The few soldiers standing guard paid no mind to you and the lavender-haired fellow, probably because in their eyes, you belonged here. And yet that couldn’t be further from the truth.

You felt so incredibly out of place as you stood on the lengthy blue carpet that stretched forward toward a small yet intricately designed throne of gold and jewels formed in the shape of a magnificent peacock with its feathered fanned out. But what was more entrancing than the priceless throne, was the person sitting atop it. Oh, how the novels did not lie, they truly could not do the monarch any justice in portraying their beauty. The King, who must’ve been Vil, could’ve been a world-famous model. His face looked like those perfect sculpted marble statues, it was the type of look that would incur the envious wrath of gods and goddesses in mythology. There was not a single blemish or flaw. Not even a single hair of his golden locks fading into lavender was out of place. The long purple robes under the longer black cloak flowing down his body, complimented the color of his amethyst eyes. Those eyes looked even more shiny than the golden crown perched atop his skull. You weren’t a simp but wow.

The King appeared less than pleased, it actually made you incredibly nervous when he bore a frown and silently beckoned you closer with a single curling movement of his index finger.

Walking past Epel who stood by the door, you took a deep breath as you recounted what knowledge you had on etiquette during this time period. Once you were a few feet in front of him, you began to kneel, when he spoke and caused you to freeze.

“Don’t.” Intense gaze glued to your form, he watched you carefully as he instructed, “Come closer.”

You slowly stepped forward, closer to him.

“Closer.”

Hesitating, you took another step so one foot was on the step in front of his throne.

“Closer.”

Pausing, you inched forward, now standing on the same elevation as the throne. Now you were just centimeters away from him, and it was putting you on edge. When he appeared seemingly satisfied, that’s when you finally kneeled in front of him. With a bowed head, a common sign of respect in customs with monarchies, you greeted simply, “Your Majesty.”

The King peered down at you, silent for a moment as you kept your head down and eyes glued to the ends of his purple robes and how his black cloak that matched yours, but his was much longer, pooled around his throne to look like a black void. After a few moments, you felt his hand at your chin, his slim fingers urging you to look up. When you did, he hummed, “Well, my lovely pet, have you had your fun with my little step-brother?” He gave a question, but it became obvious that he didn’t want an answer. At least not yet. This king must not be too fond of the prince. As his thumb stroked your chin and raised it so your head was almost at his knee, he continued slowly while gazing down at you, “You know that I loathe sharing, don’t you? So why would I share you with my step-brother, hm? Have you perhaps… begun to favor him over me?”

It struck you then that the royal must be an extremely envious person. Not only did they want to remain first in standing when it came to beauty, but he also wanted to monopolize people’s attention so that they may focus on him. Replying carefully, you spoke while keeping your eyes glued to his enchanting yet intimidating gaze, “Of course not, Your Majesty. It was merely a coincidence that I encountered him. I cannot be as easily swayed as the masses.” For a moment you hesitated, seeing that he seemed unconvinced as you proceeded, “... My loyalty to you cannot be broken by a prince in rags.”

After a few moments, the tension in the air evaporated as the king graced you with a smile that made your breath hitch. You had said the right thing. Tempted to glance at Epel for a possible clue on what to do next, you refrained and instead remained still as a statue when the king reached forward with his other hand to remove your hood. “Let me see your face, my retainer.” As soon as the hood was removed, he examined your face in the light. It took an incredible amount of calm to keep composed and not squirm in place under his intense scrutinizing gaze. Finally, he frowned and sighed, “I’ve been keeping you confined beneath the castle for far too long. You’re beginning to look ghastly, and I can’t be seen with someone beside me that’s less than appealing to look at.” Removing his hands from your face, he motioned for you to stand, which you did. “You’ve done enough. Getting rid of our guests and covering it up must’ve been challenging, especially for you to do it all on your own. This time, Rook will take over while you will be receiving enough sunlight to revitalize your complexion. Do not overdo it. Rook.”

Guests? Cover up? This wasn’t in the story. There wasn’t any time to fully process what you heard before you detected yet another voice just right beside your ear.

“Good day, petit corbeau!” You felt your soul leave your body for a single second when these words were said beside your ear by a voice, an extremely close and unfamiliar voice. When you jumped, startled, you noticed there was another young man literally only an inch behind you. When did he even get there? You didn’t even notice him until now! When you stepped to the side out of the way, you furrowed your eyebrows at his smile.

The young man was blonde, with hair styled into a ridiculous looking bob-cut but he somehow made it work as he wore a wide-brimmed brown hat with a black feather. Over his shoulders and back he wore a large hunter green cloth that wrapped around his shoulders like a scarf and extended over his back like a small cloak. Underneath, concealed by the cloth, was a dark tunic and black pants with a belt and knife at his hip. However, what unnerved you wasn’t the knife at his hip or the bow and quiver chock full of arrows on his back. It was his eyes.

His forest green eyes were glued to you, and he bore a wide and charming smile. “Ah, to see you without your hood and out of the undercroft, what a rare sight! Marvelous! I must thank you, Your Majesty, for making this possible! It is not everyday we see your dutiful, striking, mysterious little raven. It is truly a spectacle to behold! I will treasure this rare moment where I’ve not only heard you speak, but have seen your visage without being shrouded by shadows and concealed by your hood!”

You did not like this. The way he was looking at you as he spoke so dramatically made a shiver crawl up your spine. Yes, he spoke nothing but praise in such an honest tone and declaration, but there was something in his eyes. Something that placed you on edge as his smile turned slightly ominous and his eyes narrowed at you. There was a twinkle in his green eyes as he tilted his head at you inquisitively, as if sensing your unease without you even saying a word. This had to be the Rook fellow that Epel mentioned offhandedly, and now it made sense as to why he ran back so quickly just to avoid encountering him.

Much to your relief, Vil sighed and interjected without even standing from his throne. Furrowing his eyebrows, he scolded in an irked tone, “I didn’t summon you to pester my little retainer, Rook. Stress from you is not what my retainer needs right now. It causes wrinkles.”

“Apologies, Your Majesty.” Rook chuckled, obediently turning to fully face the royal as you stood stiffly beside him, keeping a safe distance between you two.

Behind you, out of the corner of your eye, you could see Epel quietly closing the doors once Vil gestured for him to do so. It seemed the king wanted privacy, he wished to say something not even the guards outside the thick wooden doors were allowed to hear. The only ones that would be witnesses to his words were you, Epel, and Rook. You had to wonder what was so secretive that he didn’t even want his soldiers stationed outside to hear, and why were you allowed to hear? Was it because you were supposedly in the role of his trusted retainer? Maybe it had something to do with that cover-up he mentioned just a short time ago.

The tension in the room was thick, it disturbed you and you can tell it bothered the short purple-haired young man too if his growing perturbed frown was anything to go by. Despite this, he took up the space beside you. The blonde with the bow, Rook, who you now were assuming to be a huntsman if his attire and weapons were any giveaway, continued to smile without much of a care. Rook was on the left, Epel was on the right, and you were in the center, and still on his throne was King Vil. With luck, you’ll be able to keep up this act. It wouldn’t do for a retainer to fail. It might cost you and be the slip-up that would put an end to this charade of survival.

“I’ve decided. Rook, the duties I normally give to my retainer will be passed onto you today. You’re much more suited for this job. It involves my little step-brother, Neige.” The way he said the prince’s name made it sound like it pained him just to utter it, like it burned his tongue just to mention him. But he continued. “It seems he’s been working hard at completing his chores, hm? He’s been begging for a day out, and he adores flowers so… Rook, you will take him far into the woods, a secluded meadow where he can pick as many wildflowers as his little heart desires.”

Once you processed his words, you froze. It dawned on you that it was happening, this was the moment in the story when the beautiful queen commanded her huntsman to murder the princess in the woods. Vil must’ve already consulted the magic mirror and was told that he was no longer the fairest in all the land. That title now officially belonged to Neige, but it wouldn’t for long if the king had anything to say about it.

The other two loyal and trusted by the king had no idea, as Epel appeared vaguely bored and disinterested while Rook seemed elated. “Of course! I’ll see to it that it is done, Your Majesty––!”

“I’m not finished.” Vil interrupted, frowning tersely as his gaze turned cold. Tapping his well-manicured nails against the armrest of his throne, his eyes narrowed and he leaned an inch forward while instructing, “There, you will kill him.”

The shock was immediately evident on the face of the two beside you. Epel, who had been quiet throughout this entire exchange, finally broke his silence with a small gasp as he moved to cover his mouth with one hand. But it was too late, everyone had already heard him and seen his stunned expression. And yet, no one seemed to really care. Everyone was far too engrossed in what was just said by the king.

Rook appeared just as confounded before disbelief took root, as if he didn’t even wish to believe his own two ears. Removing his hat, he held it to his chest and lowered his head respectfully as he placed a hesitant foot forward. “Your Majesty, our beautiful and lovely Vil, you can’t possibly mean–– our prince Neige…!”

“Silence!” Immediately standing from his seat, he scowled, the prince’s name only making his rage more bitter. And then, he said something unexpected, something off script and never in the story. Gesturing to you, he hissed, “My loyal retainer here could make six souls vanish without a trace, why can’t you do it with one mere prince? Must they do everything? Must I have to dirty my own hands? Hm?”

Lowering his head further, the huntsman replied quietly, somberly, his smile now gone. “Of course not, Your Majesty. Your delicate hands aren’t meant to be soiled…” It’s as you suspected. Rook stayed alive and was one of Vil’s closest servants because he was witty enough to think of something on the spot that was complimentary enough to appease the bitter royal. At least, that’s what it seemed like at the moment. For now, you were grateful you weren’t him. Some people who read the story of Snow White liked to theorize that the huntsman was murdered by the vicious queen for failing to assassinate the princess.

Vil was quiet, not completely calm judging by his sneer but he was composed enough not to say anything more. Standing tall, his gaze honed in on you and Epel, to which he spoke, “My loyal, diligent retainer, escort my successor out. I need to have a word with Rook, privately.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

[pinkie-pop]

"We've Seen The Devil—He Was Hiding In The Mirror."

Part I Part II Part III Part IV

Featuring: Gender-Neutral Reader, Twisted Wonderland Various x Reader, Self-Aware AU, Yandere TWST

Synopsis: A promise as foolish as it is irrevocable. I hope you're happy with yourself. The real oath is made.

Word count: 3.1k

Includes: Drugging, magical branding, possessiveness, obsession, maggots/spider mention (briefly), murderous implications, manipulation

"You are no savior—nor purpose nor God. You are damnation—a phony and fraud."

--------------

You nearly jump out of your skin as your instincts propel you backwards—right into the arms of the one you should be running from. 

"Y-Yuu! What...what's wrong with you?! You scared the life out of me…" Yuu chuckles, breath tickling the skin on your neck. They squeeze you a little tighter in their hold before finally releasing you. You stumble back, holding a hand to your chest as you try to calm your erratic heartbeat. 

"Oh! Sorry, did I frighten you?" Are they seriously trying to feign ignorance right now? Your train of thought is interrupted as they bend down, picking up the books you were reading (when did you drop those?) and examining them closely. They make a show out of turning each over, even going so far as to blow non-existent dust off of the covers. "Didn't I say it was rude to go through another person's things? Really, to read a poor maiden's diary while they're away, how shameless…"

"Your 'diary' is very clearly addressed to me," you retort, unfazed by Yuu's theatrics. Their innocent demeanor melts away, an all-too-familiar smirk popping up in its place. "Why shouldn't I read it?" 

"Aha, [Name] is so smart! You're right, it is addressed to you, and everything that is mine is yours. Even so, I recommend you don't go poking around in here."

"Well, why not?"

"Because…" Yuu looks away, a very uncharacteristic gesture. They mumble something incomprehensible, then snap their head back to you with a smile. "That's why!" 

You stare at them, unimpressed. They stare back at you with such intensity you feel near forced to look away—lest you get swept up in their gaze. You want to ask them to repeat themselves, but you know by now that asking things directly will never yield you answers. You have no choice but to participate in their mind games. 

"Well, if you don't want me to read it, perhaps you should have considered hiding it?" 

"The Wraith doesn't work like that, I'm afraid." You hold your breath, praying for them to continue. To give you any information onthe innerworkings of the bizarre encampment you’ve found yourself in. Yuu flips through one of the books you had been holding and sighs. "You already know about Wraiths, don't you? Fine, I suppose I can indulge your curiosity, just a little. This Wraith—our Wraith—is intrinsically tied to the both of us. If you look for something here, you'll be sure to find it. Many of the books here store memories, and they can't be taken out. Hence why I can't just hide my diary from you." That's…valuable information. Far more valuable than you had been expecting. 

You take a moment to dissect everything that you've just learned. Yuu waits patiently as you comb through the information. Every so often, you catch a glance from them. They never stop smiling, do they?

The place you're in now, the Wraith, is likely to be the second type mentioned in the book you had been reading. It's a place born from death, and it has a connection not just to you, but to Yuu as well. Does that mean that you're dead? What about Yuu? They first came here when they 'shut down', was that death? What about when you took their hand? What was that? Your head was starting to spin.

“Aw, I can see the cogs in your head turning; you must be thinking so hard!” Yuu’s cheerful voice annoys you, but you do your best to ignore them. “Do you want some help, little one? Do you want me to give you the answer?” Hesitantly, you peer back up at them, eyes full of suspicion. 

“What’s the catch?” If there’s one thing you’ve learned about Night Raven, it’s that there’s always a catch.

“All I ask for is your attention,” they say. When you don’t respond, they add: “You don’t have to love me—just promise that you won’t leave. I don’t know what I’d do with myself if you did.” There’s a hint of desperation in their voice, a panic that threatens to spill out of them growing louder with every second you remain silent. You don’t know what to say. What can you say? 

Yuu steps closer to you. 

“Promise me, okay? Promise that you won’t leave.” Their smile is gone, replaced with pure pleading as they press their body against yours. Their embrace used to feel like a python squeezing itself around you, like a spider encasing you in its web, but now, it’s different. Now it feels like the hug of a scared child. Their voice and body is shaking. Only a second ago, they were teasing you as if there was no tomorrow, now, they cling on to you as if you are the only thing left. The power between you two has shifted dramatically, causing you to wonder if their previous bravo was nothing more than a facade—a shield to hide their own feelings. You feel a little sorry for them. 

“Okay. I won’t.” 

“Do you promise?” They pull back to look at you, tears dotting their eyes. Your heart clenches at the sight. “I promise,” you say. In an instant, their tears are gone, replaced by a victorious smile as they drag you into yet another hug. Your heart drops, were they…tricking you? Were they only pretending to cry, just so you would feel pity and take their side? You are so wrapped up in these thoughts that you barely register the way they squeeze you tighter, tangling you in their arms like the tail of a python, like the web of a spider. You are so wrapped up that you do not even notice the prickling sensation on your wrist, as if you are being burned by something. 

“So, what do you want to know?”

“I want to know about you. What…what are you, exactly?” Yuu ponders the question for a minute, then hands you a book, you read the page they’re pointing to. 

Homunculus:

(Editor’s note: the following passage has no scientific backing and should be taken with a grain of salt.)

Literally “Little man”. A theoretical alchemical construct made to mimic human life. Technically biological, they are distinct from the Golem, which is made of non-organic material. This is often considered a moot pont, though, because homunculi are nothing more than fables…or so they say. The truth behind homunculi is far darker than what your textbooks would lead you to believe. In reality, homunculi can be created; they are not just theoretical. In fact, there have already been successful trials in their development. But, “why are you speaking of this in a book meant to be about ghosts?”, I hear you say. Well, my dear reader, that all comes down to how they’re made. As you likely know, alchemy is based upon the principal of equivalent exchange. So, how does one create a human body with alchemy, all while following the rule of exchange? 

Well, my dear reader, it’s rather simple: you just need a human. 

“You’re…a homunculus?” “No, sorry, wrong page.” They take the book back and flip to (presumably) the correct passage. "I was going to keep this from you, but you're just so cute, I can't help but bare my heart to you~" Yuu hands you the book again, then twirls around behind you, peeking at the page from over your shoulder. A bead of sweat runs down your back as you read the correct passage. You’d read it before, but scary stories are always scarier when the monster is standing behind you. 

“Lonesome Ghosts”

“You read this one, right?” You nod, trying not to let your fright show. “Well, this poem is about a face stealer—you already figured that out, though, didn’t you? You also figured out which character is meant to represent me, right?” You can’t see them, but you can feel the grin on their breath. 

“I was always…different from the other three. I don’t remember much from back then, but I do remember the weary glances the others would toss me from time to time. We didn’t get along, I think. Even so, I stuck around. Waiting for my purpose,” Yuu pauses, an unchracteristic tint of solemness in their voice. “I tried a bunch of different things, trying to spark a passion, but nothing ever worked. I was getting desperate, and ended up doing something unforgivable. The three cast me out, and I spent decades wandering the world, looking for my purpose. I never found it, so I thought I’d go back to the house, hoping time had taken the edge off our little squabble. That’s when I found them. A human in a coffin, whose lid was about to be blown off. Yuu.”

“It felt like I was seeing color for the very first time. Like I was alive. I had to have them—no, I had to be them. I had to take their skin and wear it as my own. I had to have what they did. And when I did, that was it. My purpose. What I had been waiting for all along. You.”

“My past washed away the second I entered their body. I became a blank slate with no past or history, but even so, I felt complete. The ghosts didn’t even recognize me when I came back, you know? I didn’t recognize them, either, though. I had forgotten everything. Maybe they did, too. But I didn’t forget forever. When I shut down and created the Wraith, my memories started to resurrface. You ruined me, you know? I lost everything when I met you. But, you know that I’m not angry about it, right? After all, the old me was broken. The old me didn’t have you. It was worthless. You gave me worth. It’s because of you that I’m anything at all.” 

“You took away my entire being, and replaced it with something better. Just like you did with everyone else.”

Yuu’s words start to blur together as your eyes loose focus. It’s hard to tell what’s going on, and even harder to tell what’s causing it. You think, briefly, that you are having a panic attack, but it is hard to tell. Your breathing is rapid and shallow, and you feel as if the whole world has run out of air. You don’t notice yourself stumbling towards the door, but you do notice the way you trip over yourself. You notice the way you are falling to the ground in slow, agonizing motion. You do not react. You can’t. It is over all too soon.

You think you hear someone screaming, but you pay the voice no mind. You get up, not wasting any time to brush off, and begin to run. You do not quite know why you are running, your body is merely in autopilot, but you run, regardless, and you do not stop until you hit something. 

You do not stop until you hit something with a thud! 

It is Ace, you realize, mind finally beginning to clear up. You are on the ground outside of Ramshackle, the dirt is cold and wet beneath your bottom, and the air is sharp against your skin. Ace and others stand before you. They seem surprised. You are the same. Why are they here? To torment you? To catch you, once and for all? 

They are getting closer, you realize with alarm. Azul is crying, but keeping his distance. Jamil is holding Kalim back from lunging at you. Rook is stalking closer to you. They’re all talking, but it is as if you have gone deaf. You cannot hear them. Your ears are ringing, your heart is pounding out of your chest. 

Someone touches you, and the world goes black.

———

You wince at the incoming light as white fluorescents flood your vision. Your head feels as though it has been filled with water, an oddly calm sensation washing over you. You blink up at the white ceiling from your place underneath the white sheets, trying to put the pieces of what brought you here together. 

“You’re awake,” Yuu says. Your body burns cold. That’s right, you remember it now. You had fainted earlier. “How are you feeling?”

“Not great,” you answer. There’s no reason to lie. 

“We didn’t get to finish our conversation from earlier. Let’s talk, now that you’ve been calmed down.” Something about the way they phrased it sets you on edge, but you have no time to question them, as their voice cuts your thoughts short. 

“You know, I was a little hurt when you tried to get rid of me. Sending me to school was just an excuse, wasn’t it?” “How did you…?”

“I’ve known all along. Remember, darling, no one knows you better than I do.” “If you knew it was an excuse then why did you go along with it?” “Because it was a request from you, dearest. How could I ever turn it down when it was you who asked it of me?” Your mind feels cluttered. Have they always been this heavy on the petnames? 

"And the reason you came back?"

Yuu smiles. "I just missed you." You aren't sure whether or not you can believe them. Where do the lies start and end? How can you possibly trust them, when their motives are so unclear? As if there is cotton in your ears and eyes, you are disconnected from what is happening around you. You realize that Yuu is talking, but they sound so far away. 

You are underwater, you try to listen, but bubbles fill your ears. You swim up to the surface, desperate, splashing and fighting against the tide. 

You are on land. You have not left the infirmary, you realize. Yuu is still talking. They sound so far away, but you can hear them just fine.

“My body?” You have no idea what they're talking about. Yuu flashes a grin, seemingly aware of your predicament without you ever having to explain it. “Do you remember how you died, little one?"

What…?

"How I…died?"

"Yes, you've been dead for quite some time, actually. Dying is an unfortunate but necessary part of transmigration—that is, in relocating your soul."

"Then…my body right now is—"

"Artificial, yes. I had wanted to use one of the particularly irksome students as the equivalent for your body, but the system intervened. I could never get an NPC alone, either—the cast was always too jealou. They’d step in before I could so much as say hello.

All those alchemy classes you had me take really paid off in the end, you know? I had to take the long route, unfortunately. That’s alright, though, because I found a workaround. The solution was right beside me all along.”

"The ghosts," You murmur, trying to will yourself to be horrified. Perhaps you are simply tired, but you are far less unnerved about the situation as you should be. 

Almost as if reading your mind, Yuu speaks up, “Sedatives,” they say, “for security.” You wonder what they could possibly mean by ‘security’, but they continue before you get the chance to ask. “I don’t know why I didn’t think of this earlier. You’re so much more compliant with these.” They stroke your cheek while gazing fondly at you. You feel as if maggots are writhing underneath your skin where they have touched you. 

Your hands go numb.

You glance down at them, if only to make sure they’re still attached to your body, when you spot something on your wrist. A glowing symbol—two Triquetras placed together, with a dot in between. 

“Ah, are you looking at our mark now, dear one?” Your blood freezes in your veins. “Our what?” Yuu raises their own arm, revealing the very same symbol on their wrist. 

“It’s called a Serch Bythol, and it represents everlasting love.” There’s a giddiness to their voice that sets you on edge. 

“When did you…?” “You promised yourself to me, don’t you remember? We’re practically married now,” Yuu says, kicking their feet with excitement. “The seal is made with alchemy, so you can’t remove it. That shouldn’t be a problem, though, right? After all, you have no reason to break your promise.” A chill runs up your spine. They marked you? You should be scared, but you feel little more than a vague sense of unease. Damn those drugs. 

“What…what does the mark do?” “Are you sure you want to know that, darling? You aren’t looking so well…” Excuses, excuses. Anger bubbles beneath your sedated state; you can’t quite feel it, but you know it’s there. Every word coming from that wretched mouth is just another excuse. 

“I’m fine,” you say through gritted teeth. “Tell me what it does—and stop calling me that.” Yuu sighs.

“When we made a pact, our souls bound together.”

“Meaning?” “Meaning that we’re now more in-tune with what the other is feeling. We can’t lie to or hurt one another other, either—physically, I mean.If you don’t believe me, then go ahead and try lying. You could attack me, too.” 

You try lying, first, but your mouth stays firmly shut. You try again, but nothing happens. You try saying something that is almost true, but exaggerated. Still, no dice. Finally you decide to try saying something that’s true, but misleading, but Yuu starts talking before you can come up with anything.

“I know that you’re angry, but even so, aren’t you glad?”

“Glad? What could I possibly be glad about right now?” You think the sedatives are starting to wear off, as a freshly lit kind of rage sparks itself into your chest.

“Wouldn’t you rather I be honest with you?” 

“I’d rather you do that without tricking me into it.” Yuu feigns a sigh.

“It could be worse, you know? This is nothing compared to what the others had planned.” Your first instinct is to assume they’re lying, exaggerating, or otherwise, but your tests from earlier prove your instincts wrong. “Do you want to know what they would have done, had the hunt never occurred?” You nod. 

Yuu fills you in on everything. Every plan, every passing musing or idle comment. Everything. The things these people would have done, had the guilt of nearly killing you not gotten in the way…You almost feel grateful for the hunt—no, you do feel grateful. The fates they would have forced upon you, had you not almost died by their hands would have been far worse than death. Demons…They're demons! They cannot possibly be human! But…what does that make you? The ones who demons revere, the one who they worship as if they are God?

There is no longer any hiding from it, you know the answer. An odd sense of peace washes over you at the realization. You stand up, finally ready to confront your wayward worshippers.

You know what you are.

The devil sits upon heaven’s throne, and they are the ones who placed you there.

[parad-ice-lostandfound]

Prompt:

Pairing: Mafia! Octavinelle and MC/Yuu/ Reader

Genre: Hurt/ Comfort ig? Slight crack

TW: Kidnapping, blood, minor character deaths, mc does get a little hurt, mentions of guns, usage of guns, violence (because mafia au), mc also curses at one point, talk of killing people, the prefect wears earrings and has hair (i saw someone use put this in warnings once). Let me know if I should add anything else!

AN: First request for TWST ^^ It's my first time writing for the Octavinelle trio, so please forgive me if they're ooc, I tried my best. This was very fun to work on! Send me asks if you wanna know more about my version of mafia!twst because I had so many thoughts about this entire au but I couldn't fit everything in one post lol. Not really happy with the ending (when am I ever) but I hope you enjoy!

"I'm telling you, you don't wanna do this," You warned your captors for the third time as they checked the cuffs holding you up by your arms. It was an uncomfortable position, kneeling with your arms restrained with metal chains above your head. Your shoulders felt sore, and with how every movement made the skin of your wrists rub against the harsh metal, you just knew that you were going to be sporting some pretty nasty bruises around them.

Vil was going to be furious about that.

You watched as the leader came into your range of vision, a self-satisfied smirk painting his face as he walked over to you. There was quite some distance for him to cross to reach you, and he took his sweet time as he leisurely walked over to you. Probably an intimidation tactic, just like how making you kneel was.

You looked at him, unperturbed. Your eyes roamed over the man, who for all his intimidation tactics, was nothing but a poor little boy way in over his head. A reckless little minnow who didn't know his place, as Floyd would say.

Speaking of Floyd. You grimaced at the monstrosity of an outfit the man was wearing. In all your time as a valued member of the mafia, you had seen many outlandish outfits, courtsey of the more openly unhinged Leech twin and the field of work you were in (power had a way of killing the fashion sense of people and letting it rot inside their head). But this... was on a whole another level.

You mentally lit a candle for everyone who had to witness the... very unique display.

A sharp slap snapped you out of your thoughts. 'Did this man, just backhand me? Well fuck you too bitch', You thought to yourself as you looked back at the still smirking man. You could feel a bit of wetness at the edge of your lip, a slight stinging also being felt at the same spot. Your tongue darted out, recognizing the metallic taste of blood as you gingerly licked at the small wound.

"So this is the little Prefect of Night Raven, hm? How... pathetic. Truly, the mafia organization has fallen if they allow the likes of you to hold any position higher than a discardable pawn," he huffed, and you resisted rolling your eyes. Here comes the villainous monologue, you thought to yourself.

As the man spoke, you took note of the people in the room. Apart from you and the man, there were five other men, all very familiar faces. All of them were earlier members of NRC, who left the organization 'honorably' before your appointment as the consigliere to Dire Crowley, the main boss.

There was nothing honorable about the way they were treating you right now though.

Very reluctantly, you listened to the man's speech about how he was basically aiming to cripple Night Raven Mafia by killing you. You forced back a yawn through the speech that was supposed to strike fear into your heart; unfortunately for him, you dealt with seven very unpredictable and occasionally difficult underbosses on a daily basis. Said underbosses must have already been informed of your forced absence.

Now it was just a matter of waiting and watching to see exactly who would come to your rescue...

The door slammed open as soon as you thought that, and the eyes of every person in the room turned to it. You smiled as a very familiar face entered the room, his mismatched eyes dark and foreboding.

"Hi Floyd," you chirped, unfazed by the frown on his face and the dangerous aura around him. Floyd's eyes met yours for a moment, brightening at seeing you, before turning even harsher when he saw the state you were in; clothes (gifted to you by Riddle) rumpled, carefully styled hair (courtesy of Vil) in a disarray, and a slight swelling on the side of your face you were struck at (which would send nearly everyone into a murderous frenzy).

"Who touched my Shrimpy?" Floyd growled out at the men. "Don'tcha know that I'm the only one allowed to rough them up? You're just begging to be squeezed to death."

At this point, the men, who were earlier frozen in fear, started to fumble with their guns. Before they could even get their weapons out, gunshots rang throughout the room, each man dropping to the floor one by one.

"Ah, pardon me, but I would prefer if you did not aim your weapons at my brother," a familiar voice spoke from behind Floyd to the now dead men in the room.

You grimaced at the blood now flowing out and seeping onto the floor, the puddle growing in size and inching closer to you.

"Jade, get me out of these things," you said, successfully getting his attention as you rattled the chains holding you up.

"Ah, of course dear Prefect," Jade hummed, and you did not need to look at his face to know that he was smiling. Jade walked over to you, stopping only to take the keys to your chains from the pocket of the leader. Placing the key into the lock and turning it released you from your uncomfortable position, and you yelped as you flopped onto the ground unceremoniously.

"Shrimpy~" Floyd's rapid changes in mood was one thing you did not believe you would ever get used to, "did you really get kidnapped by this sad little bunch of minnows?" He asked, pulling you to your feet and slightly spinning you.

"Shrimpy is so helpless~"

"Indeed," Jade smiled, and you felt a shiver run down your spine. You would never get used to the all too malicious upturn of Jade's lips either. He took you from Floyd's arms, ignoring his twin's grumbling as he dusted off your clothes. "Pray tell, how could such... insignificant little men capture you, dear Prefect?"

Before you could answer, a third voice rang through the room. "Jade! Floyd! I told you not to kill any of them!" Azul huffed as he entered your line of vision, glaring at the two men who sandwiched you.

"Ah, pardon me Azul, but they were going to aim their weapons at Floyd. Not to mention how terribly they were treating the Prefect," Jade hummed, not at all repentant of his actions. Azul huffed in frustration, glaring at his consigliere.

You gave him a little wave, and Azul's eyes softened as they met yours. He looked calm and collected as he walked over to you, but the trembling of his hands as he held yours gave his true feelings away. His eyes quickly scanned your body for wounds, narrowing in displeasure at the reddened skin around your wrists and the cut on the corner of your lip.

"Prefect."

"Azul," you said, not missing the way his eyes relaxed considerably as he saw you wearing the seashell earrings he had gifted you. "Ah, so that was how Idia-san found out you were kidnapped almost immediately," he hummed. You raised an eyebrow at his words.

"The earrings have trackers in them," Jade helpfully explained.

"Well, in any case, we must take you back to the Lounge. Everyone else must have assembled there by now."

"Huh? Why?"

"Because, Prefect, we were supposed to bring your kidnappers so that a joint decision could be taken for their punishment," Azul sighed as he pushed his glasses up his nose slightly.

You glanced at your kidnappers, wrinkling your nose as the blood puddle slowly crept closer to your shoes. "They're dead."

"A most unfortunate incident, yes. But, nevertheless, their identities will suffice for now. This just goes to show that we must never leave any loose ties," Azul said ominously. "Perhaps my dear colleagues will learn a lesson from this."

"... Sure. And how did you three manage to make them stay back at the Lounge while you carried out this rescue mission?"

"The heads found it best to send us three since we were most likely to bring your captors back alive," Azul said, glaring at Floyd who just roamed around the room disinterested in the conversation. "Well, that is what Crewel and Trein thought, at least."

You chuckled. "I don't think the outcome would've been any different with the others either so... let's just get to the Lounge."

Azul smiled. "As you wish, Prefect."

[twstowo]

They end up in a universe where the two of you hate each other [Twst]

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗SYNOPSIS: The two of you are happily dating and he couldn’t have asked for anything else, however, one day he finds himself in a strange place only to find that here the two of you are enemies.

♡︎Includes: Vil and Idia

[AU Masterlist]

[Riddle and Leona] ☆[Azul and Jamil] ☆[Here] ☆[Malleus]

⋆⋅☆Vil

The fate of this Vil had been written. Consumed by rage, he would impulsively order Neige's execution, but his plan would unravel, leading to his own downfall and demise.

──── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ────

Vil shivers upon learning of such a fate. He once succumbed to the same temptation, and despite his continued disdain for Neige, he is relieved he didn't harm him that day. As a noble known for his beauty, people from around the world used to travel just to witness his ephemeral charm. However, with Neige's arrival, his admirers slowly vanished, deeming Neige more enchanting.

Attempting to maintain his composure, Vil struggles against the storm raging within his mind. Even in this realm, his spotlight had been taken. Can't he, just once, be the fairest of them all?

One day, an invitation arrives, sent by Neige himself. Vil hesitates before deciding to attend the party. He meticulously prepares himself, aiming to make a lasting impression and prove everyone wrong about Neige being better than him. What he didn't anticipate was finding you there.

Observing you always standing by Neige's side, dressed like a guard, Vil can't help but admire you. You resemble a knight in shining armour, yet he can't ignore the glances you give Neige whenever he interacts with you. They mirror the looks you used to give Vil back in his universe. He struggles to restrain himself before confronting Neige.

"I know you're jealous Neige took your spot," a familiar voice interrupts his thoughts. Vil turns to see you, your eyes cold and your voice distant. In this life, you grew up with Neige, childhood friends who shared a deep bond. You recall the day when someone, envious of Neige, inflicted a grievous injury that left him bedridden. That day, you vowed to be his protector, his knight.

"Oh, please. It isn't that I'm jealous," Vil responds, his mouth speaking freely, cursing himself for letting slip his true feelings. For in his heart, you are still the one he loves. His jealousy now isn't about Neige stealing his beauty spotlight, but about stealing you away from him.

⋆⋅☆Idia

The fate of this Idia had been written. He was a deity seeking revenge from the others who had confined him in this dark land. As he executed his revenge plan, he would fail, only to never see the light of day again.

──── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ────

Idia missed his alone time, for as soon as his eyes opened, he found himself surrounded by people treating him like some god. They would light fires for him, sacrificing lambs in his name. How much he wished Ortho was there to blast these weird people and help him go back home, but alas, he was alone with no Ortho or you in sight. His days were spent hearing people ask him to curse others, wishing death upon them. Even though he knew he had the power to do so, he found himself unable to function properly in front of all these people until the Ortho from this universe showed up.

He watched in disbelief as Ortho looked just like a normal person. Idia ran to hug his brother, tears daring to spill from his eyes, relieved that at least here, his brother had been fine.

Even if it sounded crazy, Ortho believed every word Idia stated. Idia explained that he had come from another universe, and the two of them began thinking of a way to bring him back to his original universe.

Amidst all the chaos of his days, he watched as, once again, his worshippers prepared another ritual. However, his face paled when, instead of a lamb, he saw those people bring you, tied up. He saw the hatred in your eyes as you squirmed, trying to untie your limbs. Everyone kept holding you down, and he couldn't watch anymore. He shouted at them to stop, a feeling of rage consuming him, hair turning red, at seeing you in such a state. They brought you over to him, and even though he had just saved you and kneeled to touch your face with such tenderness, to all of the worshippers' surprise, you kept looking at him with eyes filled with rage.

“You are an excuse for a god.” There was irritation and disgust present in your voice as you looked at him. Idia himself would have never believed he would see such an expression forming on your face, especially directed at him. He gulped, unsure of what to say, as he felt his heart shatter.

“Please, please don’t look at me like that…” His voice had been nothing more than a pleading whisper as he could not stand the thought of you hating him.

[boopshoops]

TWST OC INTRODUCTION - TCOAV

Yuu Shi - First Half of the Whole

Name: Wouldn't you like to know, weather boy?

Alias: Yuu Shi

Nicknames: Shishi, Moonflower, Catfishy, Trickster, Reine du Rock

Gender: Female

Pronouns: Any with she/her preference

Sexuality: Pansexual

Birthday: November 29

Age: 18 in canon TWST age, 20 in TCOAV AU

Height: 5'9 or 176cm

Voice Claim(s): Oktavia and Will Stetson

Twisted from: Wouldn't you like to know, w-

Unique Magic: N/A

Grade: Freshman

Class: 1-A, 3-D, a few others... guys, I think Crowley screwed up.

Hobbies: Singing, acting, playing guitar, playing piano, playing violin, performing covers of songs, dancing.

Likes: Dogs, cats, snow, the color red, gold, alternative rock music (or almost any music, really), fashion.

Dislikes: Caffeine, improper self care, being touched by strangers, Christmas music, children, coffee, alcohol.

Fears: Spiders, bugs, snakes, becoming disconnected with the people she loves.

Summary: The prefect of Ramshackle dorm. Known for being shrouded in gossip and secrecy, she is on a mission to learn all she can about the world outside her home. Why, you ask? So she can maintain just as much power as the other students of Night Raven College.

Filled to the brim with wit and faux charisma, Yuu adores the spotlight. She isn't one to care whether the attention is good or bad, as long as it is on her... That is, if they have less influence than she does. She is fluent in acting, lying, kissing up, and manipulating people to get on their good side. Those who are placed above her on the social ladder will be very familiar with it.

Yuu couldn't give less of a shit about morals. She finds survival, safety, and social standing to be much more important. It doesn't matter who she has to metaphorically stomp on. Her desire for power to obtain safety, though, stems from a long list of insecurities. Don't get me wrong, her vanity isn't just for show, but she is, indeed, capable of feeling guilt.

Character Playlist - Outfit Inspiration

Author's Notes: "Yuu" is a character who has been around as an idea for a long time, approximately just as long as Jocia, but she wasn't anything more than a plot device until around 2018. I finally fully developed her and gave her a set design and personality that was more than just "Jocia's twin." Previously she acted as a goal to work towards in some of my stories, but now she often takes on the role of antagonist or a foil character.

[sanctum-of-ramshackle]

🕷️🕸️The Chaotic Adventures of Spider-Mage✨🌟

[TWST AU]: The MC/Yuu may not be only one who encountered an unexpected turn of events.

[Synopsis]: In this timeline, an unknown stranger gets bitten by a spider that actually gave them spider-based magic to become Twisted Wonderland’s Spider-Hero.

[Gender Neutral!Spider!Reader]

[(A/N)]: Happy New Year! I’m sorry I haven’t been posting much on my TWST blog. Been busy IRL and stuff like that. I hope this makes up for missing out and enjoy reading.

So…about the Arachnohumanoid Polymultiverse- This is a stupid name. I don’t know why O’Hara chose this over the Spiderverse. That name makes more sense and easier for people who can’t decipher scientific names right away…

Anyway…

There are many variants and other dimensions who have their own spider like protectors.

There’s one particular Spider who has an interesting upbringing with their situation.

Maybe it’s better to let them introduce themselves to the people reading this…

[Y/N]: “My name is [Y/N] [L/N]. I’m a Second Year of Night Raven College and part of the Ignihyde Dorm. One day during last year, I get bit by an experimental and magical arachnid which granted me spider-based magic. I became to the public as “Spider-Mage”.

“I climb up on flat surfaces, having a Spider sense to alarm me for potential danger, the usual things.”

“I created an algorithm to alert me for crimes occurring and use my newfound powers by casting web-like portals to reach to that specific location.”

“Following my backstory: I was raised by my aunt and uncle, Aunt Mei and Uncle Benji. However, Uncle Benji passed away due to saving someone from an Overblot attack. He asked me if I were to become somebody having great magic, listen to his advice. With great power, comes with great responsibility.”

♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️

[Chapter 1]

OB!Riddle: *On a rampage* YOU ALL WILL BE OFF WITH YOUR HEADS!!!! *Throws a rose bush towards MC/Yuu and Grim*

MC/Yuu & Grim: *Gasps and embrace for impact*

[Then a mysterious figure jumps into action. They cast a magical web barrier to protect MC/Yuu and Grim from the thrown plant.]

Spider-Mage: *Looks back at the two Ramshackle students* It’s okay. I got you two.

OB!Riddle: WHAT IN THE QUEEN’S NAME? WHO ARE YOU?!

Spider-Mage: Hi! I’m Spider-Mage. The friendly arachnid type magic user you hear people talk about. Y’know, you have some serious issues and hopefully seek anger management after this.

OB!Riddle: *Throws another bush at them*

Spider-Mage: *Shoots web at the bush and triggers a fire spell to burn the plant to ashes* Bad idea, buddy.

♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️

MC/Yuu & Grim: *Running late for class*

MC/Yuu: *Carrying Grim in their arms* You just have to try sleeping in.

Grim: It’s not my fault I was studying late!

MC/Yuu: You were cramming for an exam today!

Spider-Mage: *Just saved some people from a robbery* Huh? The Prefect and their familiar?

MC/Yuu: Spider-Mage? Hey! We’re late for our morning class and it’s at the other side of the building.

Spider-Mage: Need a lift?

MC/Yuu: Of course! Thank you.

[Cut to a scene where MC/Yuu and Grim were dropped off to their class and have messed up hairdos from all the swinging around.]

♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️

[Ignihyde Dormitory]

[Y/N]: *Crawling back into their dorm without disturbing anyone* *Lands on their feet from the ceiling and stalks over through the hallways*

Idia: Ortho, did you get my- *Stops mid-track and eyes widened at them* …

[Y/N]: …It’s not what it looks like. *Deactivates their suit*

[Y/N]: *Looks down at their body* Shit.

Idia: Y-Y-You’re Spider-Ma-

[Y/N]: *Shushing him* Don’t say another word. I’ll explain everything somewhere private.

[Back in Idia’s room]

Idia: You’re Spider-Mage.

[Y/N]: Yes, I am. I got these abilities last year and then bam! I’m a magic superhero.

Idia: You kept all of this from me?

[Y/N]: Well, I tried to explain everything to you since you’re my Dorm Leader but duty calls and assignments.

Idia: …I still can’t believe one of my dorm members is Spider-Mage.

[Y/N]: It’s alright. It’s a lot to take in.

♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️

[Rose Queendom]

Spider-Mage: *Shooting webs and swinging around the city* *Lands onto of an apartment complex’s rooftop*

Fan 1: Oh my Seven, It’s Spider-Mage! *Pulls out their phone* Hey Spider-Mage, can you do a flip?

Spider-Mage: *Does a flip*

Fan 1: *Recorded the whole* Thank you, Spider-Mage! I’m showing this to my friends.

Spider-Mage: No problem! Tell your friends I said hello!

♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️

[In the hallways]

Kalim: Hi [Y/N]!

[Y/N]: Oh, hey, Kalim! Uh…What’s up? How was your break?

Kalim: You wouldn’t believe who came by. Spider-Mage came to rescue Jamil and everyone. They were amazing! They shot their magical webs and swung around kicking off the ‘Blot!

[Y/N]: Really? That’s crazy. “Great Seven. I’m jealous of myself…(T . T) Fuck me…”

♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️

[Monstro Lounge]

[Y/N]: *Working there to fill in a deal*

Floyd: [Y/N]-chan/kun~ *About to squeeze them*

[Y/N]: *Spider sense triggered and kicks back at Floyd in the stomach*

Floyd: OOF- *Crashes into Jade*

[Y/N]: Crap! I’m sorry, you two. I’m just on edge today.

Azul: What is going on here? *Sees Floyd and Jade on the ground*

[Y/N]: I’m so sorry, Azul. I’m just super anxious today and Floyd was about to squeeze the shit out of me.

Azul: …Why don’t you take a half day off? You claimed you’re anxious enough to beat the two most valuable people in my dorm.

[Y/N]: Yes! That’s true and I’m going now. *Sprints out of the restaurant* “Fuck me and my Spider sense! I need to lie better.”

♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️

[Afterglow Savannah]

Spider-Mage: *Battling against a weird-looking guy with lightning bolt accessories*

The Shocker: Well well well, love the new look Spider-Man.

Spider-Mage: Uh…Who? I’m not Spider-Man.

The Shocker: Oh, I see. Playing dumb to distract me.

Spider-Mage: Great Seven. Dude, I don’t know what you’re talking about. Let’s just get this over with. I have clubs to attend.

[The Shocker charges at Spider-Mage throwing rays of electricity at the magic user.]

Spider-Mage: *Shoots their web casting a Water spell to absorb the attack* Think fast! *Shoots the water spell at The Shocker*

[The water spell webbing was effective to short circuit the electrified villain.]

Spider-Mage: Now I can leave.

[Then a portal opens in front of Spider-Mage.]

Spider-Mage: What the…

[Three people appear out of the portal and they’re picking the unconscious Shocker anomaly.]

Spider-Mage: Uh… *Spider sense triggered*

???: Wow. Another Spider variant in this dimension.

???: Yeah, and explain what we’re doing here.

???: While also grabbing the anomaly who’s waking up. *Knocks The Shocker out*

♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️

[After [Y/N] was taken to the Spider Society on Earth-928, everything was explained to them and how their Canon Events will happen.]

[Y/N]: Y-You can’t be serious. I couldn’t let it happen. There has to be another way.

Miguel O’Hara: There are no other ways-

[Y/N]: You’re wrong! The multiverse is wrong! I’m doing everything I can to prevent any more disasters back in my already chaotic world. I can’t lose him…

Peter B. Parker: Kid, everything’s gonna be alright.

[Y/N]: Tell that to “Leader of the Spider Society”. I’m going and won’t stop until everyone’s safe.

[[Y/N] casts a spell to disappear from everyone’s sight.]

♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️ ♢🕷️

Arachnis: No no no Miguel. *Blocks his path* Do not chase the teen like last time with Miles.

Miguel: They can’t interfere with the Canon Events. Their world would already start falling apart.

Arachnis: Miguel, you don’t know that. Remember when I saved you from your supposed event? My Canon Event overlapped with yours which should interfere but didn’t, preventing your untimely death. What if [Y/N] can save their friends and loved ones like us? We almost lost everyone when we were against The Spot.

Miguel: *Glare softens and sighs* I don’t want this kid to make the same mistakes.

Arachnis: I know. It’s tough to accept the possibility, but we been through this before. Doing everything we can to help others. Hey, look at me.

[As the Spider-Man of 2099 and Arachnis share an intimate moment, [Y/N] ran back because they dropped their Magic Pen.]

[Y/N]: Uhh…Is this a bad time?

Arachnis: Kid, I’m gonna shoot your ass if you don’t rush back to save your world.

[Y/N]: Right! Sorry! *Sprints out of their sight*

✨[Reblogs helps creators and creates for more content]💫

[Tagged]: @windblume-wishes @hhurric4ne @theladyheroine

[ceruleancattail]

Hi! Congrats on 200 followers event! I did all the things needed, but didn't know what to requests. Now I do

So, you know how inside a guest room certain characters fight right? Well, recently my friend's twst (several times) had fights between Cater and Idia. ALWAYS THIS TWO, NO ONE ELSE FIGHTS DHHCJFJD (She wonders why it's always those two, especially considering they're always on the team together)

Idia always says, "Why didn't you come sooner"

And Cater says, "Oh, nothing's happening here" or something along these lines.

Can we pair it with self aware au?

Sentience presents:

Scorch

Self Aware Idia x Cater x reader

Tw:yandere

Fingers squeezed together, you gingerly pick up a sheet of paper. Homework of some sort, you assume. At least, it once was. What you held were snowy white fragments darkened at the edges, crumbling into useless black soot.

Most of the furniture around the room was jostled, shoved out of the way brutally. Rugs were wrinkled, thrown aside in the struggle. Crimson drops spread across the ground, just like ghastly flowers blooming wherever they landed. The choking stench of smoke hung heavy in the air, clogging up every single breath you took in.

In the midst of all the stifle stood two individuals. Both of them were tearing into each other, locked in a vigorous struggle. They were surrounded by fire. A whirl of ember flames trashing and tossing around, an inferno burning everything it could reach.

However, upon your arrival, they both freeze still. Untangling themselves from each other, swiftly moving apart. A pair of ember eyes glance at your hesitantly, a petulant sort of stubbornness crackling behind it. Idia Shroud, one of your frequent visitors. He fidgets with the sleeve of his jacket, refusing to spare the individual beside him a single glance.

A merry laugh echoed throughout the room. A strangled sound, like it was choked out forcefully. A pair of emerald eyes fix their gaze on yours, amusement dancing within. Cater Diamond, another familiar face within the Ramshackle dorm. He raises his arms in a gesture of surrender, the ghost of a smirk dancing across his lips.

“Oh, perfect. There’s nothing happening here, so don’t worry your little head, yeah?”

Ignoring Cater’s words, you rush towards the windows, flinging them open. A rush of fresh air greeted you, wind gently caressing your cheeks. You look back, lips drawn into a thin line. Hopefully it’ll be enough clear their heads.

This isn’t the first time this happened. Cater and Idia seem harmless enough on their own. They’ve never raised a single hand against you, at the very least. Yet put them in the same room, and they’re immediately at each other’s necks.

Ripping and tearing at anything they could reach, a gruesome scene.

Something hot slides around your wrist. Idia’s hand, still burning from the exertion before. His fingers snake around your hand, gripping it firmly. He huffs softly, mumbling into your ear:

“Why didn’t you come sooner?”

A laugh bubbles up from behind you two, the mere sound dripping with unmistakable animosity.

“Cause’ they don’t wanna see a sorry mess of a housewarden, maybe?”

Cater takes a step forward, pulling your palm towards his face. Gently coaxing your fingers around the curve of his cheek, lower lip jutted out in a little pout. Staring up at you slyly with those half-lidded eyes of his, lips curled into a crafty smile.

“Don’t you see how brutal Idia is? I’m so hurt.”

A scoff, before you feel a pair of arms wrap around your waist. Tugging you into an embrace, your back slamming against a burning hot chest. You could feel his heartbeat beating into your chest, thumping wildly like a beast in a cage.

Hell, you could feel Idia’s shaky breaths, wafting against the bare nape of your neck. Each and every breath scorching your skin, stinging it a bright scarlet. He mumbled, eyes glaring daggers at Cater.

“Don’t listen to him, prefect. He’s just a card. Paper-thin.

I’ll burn him into a crisp.”

Cater only laughs, fingers forcing their way through yours. Intertwining with each other. W romantic gesture, normally reserved for the tenderness of love. Yet now, that affectionate gesture only filled you with dread.

“I’ll like to see you try, Idia.”

[galaxyshine24-7]

Soooooo there this video from the HSR channel that has Acheron and Black Swan dancing together and for some reason i keep thinking MC dancing like that with someone. And it’s not from the TWST cast, like maybe someone from their childhood that they knew back then. I really dont know why i keep thinking about this scenario but…

So imagine the scene, MC is currently working in some high end job and the event was nearing it’s end so there are very little people around. Someone came up to the bar while MC was cleaning some glasses. It’s their old friend from the orphanage! So some conversations started and then the friend ask them to dance with them, MC agreed.

As they were dancing, unknown to the two of them, a certain hunter from Pomefiore just so happened to be there and also just so happened to be recording their dance as it was quite a dance and shared it to the other gangs. You can imagine the reaction those groups have when they see their bartender dancing such an intimate dance ;)

(Also here’s the link to the video im talking about https://youtu.be/e5xueJq4Lwc?si=GRJ4_OwCBaYaTJAq )

(If that doesnt work, the title is called “Rondo across countless Kalpas”)

A Dance to Remember: Twst Silver Bullet Au

(I love this video the music and the animation is amazing I can get much inspiration from this so I hope you enjoy the story.)

(F/N = Friend's name)

(Y/N = Your name or Yuu's real name)

(It's long so be warned)

A Dance to Remember A Silver Bullet AU story

It was a quiet night under the fog-covered sky as Yuu stared at the sparkling glass on the counter. They twirl their finger gently along the rim letting out a sigh. Another grand party hosted by Crewel that they were asked to work at. High society and eccentric people gather all from Crewel's circle drinking, dancing, and signing their life away under Crewel's watchful eye.

Same old, same old from Yuu's point of view, it's already late into the night branching into the morning. Most of the quests have gone home save for a few that have a meeting with Crewel. All that is left is the staff and the guards picking up what remains of the party. The only reason Yuu is still here is because Crewel wanted to talk to them about something, but he might as well have forgotten with it being an hour now. Still, Yuu knows better than to leave, especially if it's Crewel who wants something. So they sit behind the bar waiting for their teacher to finally arrive.

"Y/N is that you?" A voice breaks Yuu's train of thought as they turn to see a familiar face.

It was a friend from the orphanage Yuu stayed at. They never thought they would see them again. Especially hearing their real name after all these years.

"F/N it's you?!" Yuu couldn't believe their eyes jumping over the counter to give them a hug. "I can't believe it's you. What are you doing here?"

Yuu's friend picks them up and spins them around embracing Yuu with the same energy.

"Of course it's me, I haven't seen you in years, I can't believe you're here." F/N puts Yuu down. "I should ask what are you doing here Y/N?"

"I work as a bartender," The gesture to the bar behind them. "And I go by Yuu know."

F/N looks at Yuu in confusion but soon puts the pieces together.

"I see the years have changed both of us." F/N gives Yuu a sad smile. "After you disappeared from the orphanage I got adopted, by a pretty wealthy family. They are close to Crewel so I go to these parties often." They rub the back of their neck.

"I'm glade you found a family." Even if they are likely tied to the mafia if they are close to Crewel.

"Yeah, you could say I got lucky." They shrug.

Yuu can guess there is probably more there given Yuu's own past, but it's not their business to pry.

"So I'm guessing they're talking to Crewel right now." Yuu looks over to the grand stairs to the double doors at the top where Crewel holds his special meetings.

"Yeah, and I'm guessing you're waiting for Crewel?" F/N raises a brow.

"Yeah," Yuu chuckles.

"Which means we both have time to kill." F/N smirks.

"Yes, it would seem so." Yuu gives them a sly smile.

Music floats through the hall, has Yuu pictures all the dancing that took place earlier that day. The flowing bodies and the adoring smiles. Those who knew Yuu could tell they loved to sing and dance something their teachers took advantage of very often. It's been so long since Yuu has danced just for themselves. F/N can see them start to sway along with the tune. They outstretch their hand in front of Yuu catching the bartender by surprise.

"Really?" Yuu questions looking around, the staff and guards not really paying them any mind.

"When we dance it will be just us, like old times." F/N gives Yuu a warm smile.

How could they say no to that?

Yuu threw caution to the wind just this once and took their hand their bodies swayed and entwined to the music. They laughed and smiled on the dance floor, for it was true it felt like they were the only ones in the world to witness this moment.

Sadly like most gifts in the NRC, some things are too good to be true. Up in the rafters of the hall sits a hawk smirking with glee at what they happen to witness transpire.

"Magnifique," A camera snaps as the hawk can't help but admire his work. He didn't expect Yuu to be here or to get this thrilling scene in front of him. His queen would be most pleased with his work indeed, and to think he can see the beautiful image of Vil's scowl looking at the pictures and videos he procured. Not just Vil's of course, Yuu's beauty is too grand to share just with him and Vil, no Rook must tell the world about this diamond in the rough. Rook didn't wait to sneak out after the dance was over gleeful as he hums along to the song.

Much to Yuu's dismay it would be a long time before they could feel this relaxed with the flames of jealousy swirling around them from the mafia boys at the discovery of the treasured dance.

Vil was the first to witness the video and pictures, and even he couldn't find a flaw in Yuu's movements. The Pomefiore leader couldn't believe his eyes at the 180 the bartender could undertake, and their smile was so real and so beautiful he had to admit deep down it rivaled his own. Even Epel got to catch a glance has Vil was in a daze and he had to admit Yuu was a fine dancer. The last part he said out loud shocking Vil out of his thoughts has his emotions ran wild ordering Epel to go re do his makeup a ridiculous number of times along with the rest of Pomefiore to try to calm his emotions.

Rook did not keep this a secret he sent copies of the dance to the other leaders sitting back to watch the show. Leona couldn't help but smirk, the herbivore probably had no idea this was captured seeing their surprised face would make this worth while, but the person they where dancing with caused a bit of his blood to boil. The bartender was theirs's who would dare touch them so carelessly, and how dare Yuu laugh and enjoy their company it seems the bartender needed a reminder on their role. He makes Ruggie take the case to find any dirt on the person Yuu was with. As Jack stares at the video in awe trying hard not to show it.

Azul and the Leech twins had the same reaction in a way. If Azul knew Yuu had this talent he would have exploited them long ago when he had them in a binding contract. He needed to know who Yuu's friend was. It could be his one clue to find out who the bartender really was. The twins wanted Yuu to play with them instead and would deal with this mysterious figure that foolishly danced with their shrimpy.

Kamil stares at the video in a strange quietness a small frown adoring his face. Yuu looked so happy and was a wonderful dancer. Why didn't they ever dance with him? Did Yuu not like him? Who is that beside them? Kamil has so many questions and was in deep thought, so much that it worried Jamil at his state. Even Jamil couldn't help but raise a brow as the video questioning how stupid Yuu's dance partner must be since they now have a target on their back.

Idia made several copies of the video making sure he has it forever. He analyzed every moment of Yuu's dance partner and began to search the web to try and figure out who this person was that was so close to Yuu to dance with them. Ortho loved the video and hoped Yuu would one day ask his brother to dance with them as well. He himself now wanting to study dance styles and techniques to try out himself.

Riddle spits out his tea after viewing the first view seconds of the video. Trey rushes to clean up the mess as everyone wonders what disturbed the treasured tea time. Ace looks over Riddle's shoulder to see whistling at Yuu's dance moves soon telling the group making them gather around. Deuce is awe struck at the dance and how well Yuu knows the moves. Cater wants to post it online and tell everyone how they have a five star dancer in NRC. Trey is the first one to bring up who they are dancing with as the others zero in on the mysterious person. Riddle's face grows a bright red who dares touch their bartender. With Yuu's connection to the mafia they are too important to not know who they interact with. Riddle issues an order right then and there to bring the person to Heartslaybul he needs to interrogate this person himself to see if they are a threat or not. That is the only reason of course, don't question Riddle otherwise, the housewarden orders with a bright blush on his face.

Lilia is the first to see the video and brings it straight to Malleus with a mischievous grin on his face. Malleus sits in the lounge reading a book as Lilia hangs from the ceiling handing him his phone. Malleus is confused at what Lilia wants to show him until he sees Yuu dancing and smiling. His heart stops has he sees how graceful they dance. He never knew they could do that. It was a nice surprise at first until it starts to sink in. Was this a party, and he wasn't invited? Who was that person dancing with Yuu? They seemed very close, closer then he is too Yuu. Rain starts to pour from outside as the royal fae starts to sulk. His two attendants notice the change as they rush to his side seeing the video. Silver tilts his head wondering why Malleus is so upset at Yuu's dancing until he sees the dance partner he then starts to understand a little. Sebek is furious how dare the bartender not invite his Liege to the dance he will make sure they pay. Lilia pats Malleus on the head telling him he will find out more about what happened so Malleus could feel better. Yuu has certainly got a lot of explaining to do.

Has Yuu makes it back home and goes to bed they feel a bit happier and lighter as they fall asleep without a care in the world to the sound of rain outside their window.

(Thank you for reading💖)

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Hello Miss Raven!!!

So you know some fanfics about Yuu/MC getting kidnapped by RSA cause they think that "They are too good for NRC"? Well do you think they ever tried to convince Silver to leave NRC? Because he literally has the qualifications to be a little Disney princess/princess(being that hes inspired by Aurora)

I don't know, RSA doesn't really seem like the type to kidnap or poach people for their school...? (Unless you were being completely hyperbolic when you used the term "kidnap" www) If Yuu were to go to RSA at all, I picture it more as being more of a temporary exchange student program or an offer extended to them by Ambrose the 63rd. I feel that we see this idea a lot in fandom works because we are curious about the RSA boys and/or want Yuu to go here and to help solve their issues too.

I personally love seeing RSA!AUs (both art and writing) for the various TWST characters, but I don't think this will actually be done in canon. If we're specifically talking about Silver, I don't think he has a current desire to leave (and nor would he be tempted to), especially since his Diasomnia family is at NRC. Additionally, while he may be princess-like, Silver also has qualities which are trademarks of NRC. For example, he is shown to be competitive with Sebek in matters of knightly duties and has difficulties with expressing himself to others. He's not really what I'd describe as spoiled or prissy either (derogatory descriptions given to describe the RSA kids), he can get quite serious and willing to fight when it comes to the safety of the people he cares about. Yes, he talks about wanting everyone to get along but that makes sense as a part of his character on account of how he was raised (while the RSA students are presented as inherently trusting). Silver may be more agreeable than your average NRC kid, but he's still got some of that school's spirit in him. He's definitely a part of Night Raven College's community.

While Silver may not be everyone's bestie, I don't see them finding him off-putting enough to want him to go somewhere else. Even if his peers saw him in a positive light, they wouldn’t think he’s “too good” for NRC—not when NRC kids think they’re better than RSA. They don’t see RSA as “better”, and nor would the generally prideful students of NRC confess they think anyone is “better” than themselves, Silver or otherwise.

I also just disagree entirely with the notion that "good" people go to RSA and "bad" people go to NRC. We may view it that way on a metatextual level (as players who are familiar with Disney villains), but it definitely isn't presented that way in-universe. (Why would Kalim, Rook, and Silver be attending NRC if only "bad" people attend?) RSA and NRC both just happen to be prestigious magical schools and rivals, and nothing more than that. Judging people by the labels of "good" and "bad" by themselves are also blanket terms which ignore nuance. Just because a character does something good or is generally well-behaved doesn't necessarily make them "good", and nor does doing something bad or being ill-mannered necessarily make them "bad". That's one of the major themes of Twisted Wonderland, getting us to see the "good" in "bad" people. I'm sure that if we delved into RSA's population, we'd also find that the perfect presenting students aren't so perfect after all.

[violetlunette]

Ooh! Ooh! Hey, hey! I just got another idea for a twst au! Everyone else: Don’t you have enough of these? Me: Hush! Twst Spoilers for chapter 7

What if Malleus was the one to find Silver instead of Lilia? When the treaties were signed, Malleus—on a whim—decided to visit the place where his mother died. While there, he hears a cry. Curious, he follows the sound to find-- “A baby? And a human one at that.” He wonders why the child is here, hidden among the thorns. More than that, he wonders why it's alone. He looks at the thing and thinks it's an ugly monkey. Around it is a strange ring that glitters in the moonlight. He debates abandoning it, however, its cries are so desperate that they break even his heart as it reaches its tiny hands out to him. Also, he recalls Lilia’s lessons of how he should learn to love humans. And in this child, he recognizes the same loneliness that haunts his own heart. For both of those reasons, he picks up the child—handling him as if he were glass—and takes him home. As he flies away from the castle, the golden chain slips from the child’s neck and falls away, lost to the valley—for now. Lilia is surprised, to say the least when he discovers the Prince has taken in a human baby. Malleus is blasé about it, stating that it was on a whim. When asked why he didn’t leave the baby at a human village, Malleus states Lilia always says that he should learn about humans, so what better way to learn about them than by raising one? At Lilia’s prompt, Malleus bestows a blessing upon the child whose hair turns white. He takes Lilia’s suggestion to name the human Silver. At first, Malleus treats Silver like a pet but Lilia helps him to treat the child like a person. Because Silver is technically HIS baby in this AU, Malleus is very protective and possessive. Anyone that’s not Lilia takes their life in their hands if they approach without permission first. When Lilia brings up the idea of training Silver, Malleus is insulted that Lilia thinks he can’t protect his own, but realizes Lilia’s right that Silver should learn to defend himself. Around this time, they met Sebek, who was appalled at first that someone so “lazy” is Malleus’ ward. As Silver grows up, Lilia can’t help but realize that Silver looks more and more familiar as he grows and eventually goes to investigate, learning the truth at the castle and finding the lost ring along the way. Other h/c for this au; *Silver grew up under a lot of scrutiny and judgment, but no one dared touch him, lest they earn Malleus’ wrath. *Malleus was reluctant to leave Silver when he got his NRC invite and only went after leaving Silver in the care of the Zigvolt family. *Malleus used to overfeed Silver till Lilia pointed out that he was basically a dumpling now. After that, the cooks put him on a diet. *They used to share a room till Lilia pointed out that Silver was too big and should have his own. This resulted in an argument that ended with Silver moving to the room next to him. *Malefica never met Silver, nor does she wish to, seeing the child as a fling that will soon die of age. *When the senate made a fuss about the Prince adopting a human, Malleus used his, “Shut up or get zapped by lightning” argument.

[shiny-jr]

sorry, I don’t speak italian

Warning: Yes, this will probably be a yandere thing if I continue it. Not really anything like that in this part at least. Gender-neutral reader.

Characters: Grim, Riddle Rosehearts, Chenya.

Summary: When you awake in a world that’s very much like twisted wonderland but each dorm is it’s own kingdom, you have many questions that require pressing answers. It’s truly a shame that no one here understands you, and you cannot understand the strange language either.

Note: Did I not-so-subtly insert my other au? Ya. Anyways, I was just writing this just cause. As always, Heartslabyul ends up as the test subjects, I always start a series with them. So, if this garners enough attention and people seem to like it, well, maybe I’ll continue it. Who knows? Oh, and don’t think too much of the title. I literally couldn’t come up with anything else and when that popped up in my head, I laughed since it came from a specific non-twst reference. Might change it later. 

Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to stay awake playing on your phone. Yeah, it wasn’t such a good idea in the beginning anyways because you had things to do in the morning and you had just sacrificed your previous slumbering hours for more time to play that disney-gacha game on your phone. But it wasn’t that big of a deal. At least, it wasn’t supposed to be that big of a deal. That is until you fell asleep with your phone in your hand, and woke up someplace that wasn’t within the familiar safe confines of your bedroom.

The sweet floral scent of flowers greeted you as you awoke, and when your eyes opened you were surrounded by tall towering green hedges. The grass was a vibrant green and surprisingly soft, it had provided a place to lay. It was no wonder you didn’t wake up immediately. Disoriented and confused, you looked around, finding none of your belongings and nothing of interest on this thin path. It seemed that the only thing you had on you were the clothes on your back, not even your phone was present.

You had to wonder if this was some elaborate trick or surprise, or even a dream within a dream. But when you pinched yourself and shook your head frantically, it all but confirmed that this in fact was not a dream. So the question remained, where were you? There appeared to be no one else around, so all you could do was carefully walk about. The more steps you took, the more twists and turns you found, which made it clear that this was a hedge maze. Every few minutes you would stumble upon a very small clearing, boxed in by more hedges, where bushes of red roses grew in multitude. Within one bush you spotted rustling, making you curious but also placing you on edge.

Was it a huge bug, or some other wild untamed animal? Next you heard cackling in a somewhat familiar voice within the bush. This caused you to raise an eyebrow and hesitantly put your hands on the leaves, pushing the little branches across so you formed a small opening you could peer through. That’s when you saw it. Gray fur, small blue flames, a forked black tail swishing happily. “Grim…?”

“Hm?” The said feline stopped burying his face in the large slice of tart, which he probably stole because why else would he be hiding, and gazed up at you. Around his cheeks and stuck to his whiskers was the red jam, making him look like he stumbled out of a crime scene. As he licked his whiskers clean and wiped off the rest of the jam with his paw, instantly his blue eyes lit up, and you swore the little fire on his ears grew a little more as he broke out in a huge toothy grin. “Yuu!” Instantly he shoved the rest of the tart in his mouth before jumping out of the bushes and into your arms, surprising you as you stumbled back a bit and held him tighter so he wouldn’t fall. 

You stood stunned as he happily nuzzled into your arm that cradled him, awkwardly patting down the fur on his head as you spoke, “Uh, sorry to break it to you, but I’m not Yuu. Well–– I kinda am, but not really? I sorta play as Yuu, but I’m not really them. Does that make sense?”

“Huh?” Grim stopped and peered up at you in confusion. “Eh, Yuu, hsta nowr tih uo? Yh ra a ginkase ll ewid?”

“What…?” You stared right back at him, apparently just as confused. Slowly you lowered him down to the ground, watching as he slowly began to spout nonsense and get more worked up the less you responded.

“E nac elebvi sth! Uo yanfli ocm acb na uory laitkn esru ewid! Tso laitkn ile aht! D uo kon sut oh gon e deati? Ou ocm acb riugn y casn mie, na uory laitkn ile n iena!”

“Uh…” You watch him drone on and on in that alien tongue, not able to understand a word he’s saying as he points to you, then him, then gestures to the area around them. Finally, after a moment, you stopped him mid-rant and shook your head as you lifted your hand. First, get the basics out of the way. Gently you poked him and spoke, “Grim.”

Grim stops speaking, only briefly before he looks at your hand and mutters, “Hta ra uo dnio…? Uory iuyrsoel tastrin t frea m ot. Ra ou Yuu orm aenoth patle?”

You ignore his offhand remark and then point to yourself. “(Y/n).”

The feline blinks at this, gesturing to himself as he slowly connects the dots. “Grim, na…” His paw presses against your chest. “Yuu.”

“No, no, no.”

You shook your head, to which Grim copied the movement and mocked. “No, no, no!”

You couldn’t help but let out a small laugh before shaking your head more slowly this time as you repeated your actions from before. Point at him, then at yourself, again and again, at least three times. “Grim. (Y/n). Grim. (Y/n). Grim. (Y/n). Do you get it now?”

Grim’s little paws hold your hand in place as you point to him, before he points at you with a single claw. “(Y/n)?”

“Yes!” You exclaim, watching as his tail swished back and forth.

“(Y/n)!” He repeats louder, looking quite pleased with himself when you begin to pet his head.

“You got it, Grim.” With one arm you supported his weight, and with your freehand you scratched a spot behind his ears softly, careful not to accidentally hurt him.

The feline purred in contentment, his nails digging into your sleeve but not touching your flesh. The cat nuzzled into your arm, closing his eyes and mumbling, “Yuu r (Y/n), sonet remett! E kon uory teh! Uory te en eh ebn gaitin fo!”

“I have no idea what you just said.” You sighed, still puzzled at how to proceed from here. But currently, Grim seemed more focused on the attention rather than conversation. He wouldn’t be answering your questions anytime soon, so without much of a choice, you continued walking along at a much slower pace, now relaxed that you weren’t alone.

That was when, only after a few minutes, you eventually stumbled upon a much larger clearing where there was chatter and people. Various peoples in strange yet extravagant red, white, and black outfits were among the roses, sharing tea and pristine white tables and taking turns playing what looked like croquet with flamingos as mallets and hedgehogs as balls. Then, one by one, they began to notice you, stopping whatever they were doing and not-so-discreetly whispering about you. You didn’t know what they were saying, but you knew when someone was talking about you.

Grim looked on edge now, clinging tightly to your arm as his bright blue gaze scanned the multiple faces of people.

Your unease is only increased tenfold when various soldiers of red and blue appeared in clanking armor, and you spotted the familiar bright red hair and wide gray eyes of a certain tyrant as he’s known in the game. And his face–– he looked so serious as he was staring straight at you, shouting something in the same alien tongue Grim spoke in, while pointing at you with his golden staff. Immediately as soldiers were making their way towards you and Riddle seemed to be after you for some reason, you could only think about that one twisted wonderland fic you found by accident and read due to pure boredom. Who was it by? Tiny junior? Wily junior? Whatever, that didn’t matter. The important part was, the fic was about the cast being all violent and on the attack because they believed the main character was some imposter! You couldn’t help but think what if it were the same here? Why else would Riddle be leering at you so fiercely and sending soldiers after you?

Grim gazed up at you with wide eyes, jumping out of your arms and tugging at your socks in the direction of where you came from, away from the people. There was an urgentness in his tone as he tugged harder, making you even more frightened. “Ocm n! E dot wan aht ryaz Riddle t eg sh sahn n uo ty! Ev lraby senp yn mie tih uo!”

That sounded like a hurry up, or he’ll kill you, to you. So you immediately began running after the sprinting feline, shuddering when you heard Riddle’s shouts grow louder and more frantic. Just as you began to worry if you could outrun those soldiers chasing you, Grim stopped and breathed those magical blue flames, covering your path and sealing the way behind you, preventing anyone from following due to the fire. You heaved a sigh of relief as the cat jumped on your back, cackling and taking the free ride, leaving you to do all the running until you could run no longer. Your legs had grown tired, you were out of breath, the commotion from earlier had long since faded the further you had gotten.

It was getting darker. You slumped down in the shade of a rose hedge to hide from the setting sun’s light and tucked away from view. You should be safe, for now at least. Grim slid into your lap, looking a bit worried, muttering something of what you assumed were either words of comfort or an apology for making you do all the running away. He placed a paw on your cheek, but you managed a hesitant tired smile. At least he hadn’t tried to kill you. For now you had one feline––

Your eyes trailed up to a floating upside down head that eventually materialized into an odd looking man somehow on top of the hedges and swinging down to see you at eye level. With yellow eyes, messy hair of all types of purple shades, and… purple cat ears…? A cheeky type of grin appeared on his lips as he continued to gaze at you upside down, and he spoke in a cheerful singsongy type of tone. “Ra uo sot~? Oh…!” He paused, his pupils going wide until his grin widened and he spoke more enthusiastically, “Yuu!!”

Another feline…?

[pinkie-pop]

"We've Seen The Devil—He Was Hiding In The Mirror."

Part I Part II Part III Part IV

Featuring: Gender-Neutral Reader, Twisted Wonderland Various x Reader, Self-Aware AU, Yandere TWST

Synopsis: A final oath is made, a covenant of your own. Oh, how you wish you could take it all back.

Word count: 4k

Includes: Agoraphobia, anxiety, PTSD, panic attacks, death (mention), description of injury, suicide (mention),

"You are no savior—nor purpose nor God. You are damnation—a phony and fraud.

--------------

You do not quite know why you took their hand. Perhaps it was because you felt some semblance of compassion towards the one who was first. Perhaps it was because you were afraid of what they might do, should you refuse them. Or maybe it was nothing more than a reaction—they reached out their hand, and you took it. Automatically. Unthinkingly. 

You do not quite know why you took their hand. Though, logically, you know you shouldn't have. Humans are anything but logical, however—you've served as the unfortunate witness enough times to know it well. So really, it is not surprising that you took their hand, only unfortunate. 

And that unfortunate decision has turned into something you cannot escape. You cannot very well take back your promise. The second your hand made contact with theirs, the Wraith dispersed around you. And porcelain turned to flesh. Yuu became real. Flesh and blood from metal and wires, from pottery and glue. Whatever they may be made of, it was solid. Solid enough to stand before you, crushing your lungs with their iron grip. 

You suppose you may as well try to use it to your advantage. You reason that it is good to have someone on your side, and that it is better to have a crazy person with you than no one at all. You don't mean to diminish Grim's efforts—it is thanks to him that you are still breathing, after all—but his presence does not exactly instill confidence. At the very least, Yuu is big enough to serve as a meat shield. A rather macabre thought, for sure—but one may reason that you can be forgiven for it, considering all that has happened thus far. 

You flinch as omething pokes your eye, effectively dragging you out of your thoughts. You attempt to retract your face from the protruding object, but a familiar hand on your chin tightens its grip to keep you still. 

"If you keep squirming you're going to ruin it," Yuu says, dabbing your face with a cloth to redo the eyeliner you had unintentionally smudged. They work in silence for a few more minutes as you try to stay still. "All done. Take a look." You take a hesitant peek at the reflection in the mirror Yuu held up. It was them who had talked you into letting them apply makeup to your face. Originally, you were only going to make use of the concealer to hide what lay under your eyes, but Yuu insisted on a full look. You agreed under the condition that they kept it to the minimum, which, looking at you now, was a promise they seemed to uphold. 

"You look ravishing. What do you think?"

"I think it's quite the fortunate coincidence that your skin is the same shade as mine." They smile at that. Their smile is as mysterious as ever, you’ve grown used to it now, though. Though, you have noticed a hint of ever-present jubilance in them after taking their hand. Julbilance which has not so much as wavered despite the days that have passed. 

"Is everything else ready?" Yuu nods.

"Are ya' sure ya' wanna do this?" Grim's voice is laced with concern as he looks over the two of you. You hesitate. 

"It's something I have to do," you say, your voice holding firm despite the anxiety crawling underneath. "Let's not waste any more time. The bell will be ringing soon." It felt like an eternity ago, but you still remember the bells. Do you fear them for what they prelude? Or are you grateful for their warning?

It is of no consequence. They ring all the same.

Today, you will be among the students who clamor and fill the hallways at the bell’s demand. The mere thought has you turning pale, but you pay yourself little mind. This is something that you must do. 

Something squeezes your hand. It’s Yuu. Their touch is cold and uncomforting. Even so, you squeeze back. Yuu, you’ve realized, is quite touchy. They don’t respond well to rejection, either. 

“We won’t stay for the whole day,” they reassure you. You nod. Right. You won’t stay for the whole day. You will show your face and then leave.

After taking a deep breath, you slowly put one foot in front of the other and step forward, then again, and again. You walk carefully, imagining the path in front of you to be a field of landminds, with a shoddy metal detector as your only salvation. 

One step, clear.

Two steps, clear. 

No landmines yet. You are safe.

Three steps, clear. 

You are gaining confidence. 

Four steps, clear.

You pick up speed.

Five steps, fail.

Your whole body is weightless as you fall. It  feels as if you are an astronaut hurtling through space. Your knees collapse under you, but you do not hit the ground. It would seem your metal detector has grown limbs and saved you. You stare up at Yuu, body lying limp in their arms. If they have trouble supporting your weight, it does not show. Your legs feel like jelly, but you stand on them anyway. Each step is more difficult than the last, and you fall again at step eleven.

Another day is crossed off of your calendar. This was your fourth attempt. You made it to step forty-threethe first day. The day after, you made it to step twenty-two, then succeeded for twelve steps, today, you only got to five. Each day, you wake up, apply makeup as if it is warpaint, and set out to brave the trenches. Each day, you step on a landmine and watch helplessly as your limbs fly off your body, and each night, you watch as they grow back, each wound in agonizing pain as the tendons realign themselves and the veins weave together. Every morning, you do it again. 

Tomorrow will be no different. 

———

“You’re moving again,” Yuu sighs in mock exasperation, your eyelids are closed, but you can hear the playful smile in their voice. This smile, at least, you understood, even if you did not quite like it. “Alright, I’m all done.”

“You’re very good at this.” 

Yuu grimaces. “I learned it from Vil—he was always nagging me about skincare. I got a pimple once, and he nearly chopped my head off.” 

“I see…” 

“So listen, I had an idea earlier. How about instead of going to them, they come to us?” You mull over the idea in your head. It’s true that you have… difficulty leaving Ramshackle, but the idea of having them invade the only place you feel safe in is…uncomfortable.

“I don’t want to invite them here.” You settle on.

“How about meeting them in the Wraith, then?” It’s not a bad idea. The Wraith is familiar enough to not immediately panic you but alien enough to not ruin your only haven. Even so, you’re hesitant to actually go there again. Its unfamiliarity, though bearable, makes it uncomfortable. You do not understand how it works. You were not even sure that it really existed.

“Can you…tell me about the Wraith? How does it work? I know you were lying earlier.” Yuu smiles and kisses your cheek, you try not to grimace. 

“You don’t need to know.”

———

Today, you are doing your own makeup. You have kicked Yuu out after you caught them leering over you while you slept. They would be back, of course, but at least they are playing along with your wish for privacy.

For now, at least.

Your makeup skills are far more shoddy than Yuu’s, hence why you are sticking to covering the bags under your eyes and making them look more presentable. You do not bother with liner, but you add a touch of mascara, even if only to wipe away the concealer that covers your lashes. The end result is acceptable, you suppose. The makeup hardly makes a difference in your appearance, but at the very least, you do not look quite so unrested.

That is good enough.

Your minimalist routine has given you enough time to enact the second phase of your plan. A persona. Obviously, you cannot just waltz around campus as you are—no, that would be ridiculous. You remember what happened last time, after all. This is why you must create a new you, one that is better. One that will not get you killed or beaten, nor stalked or harassed.

You will become the ideal version of yourself. 

You have thought it over plenty these past few days and arrived at the perfect character to suit your needs. It is hard to manufacture a convincing smile, especially when you feel more like crying, but faking neutrality is just as difficult. With a smile, you must constantly be monitoring it, but with a neutral expression, you are far more likely to slip up, to forget that you are playing a role. Hence, you will be a smiler. Your smile will be cheerful but mysterious. Cunning yet serene. It will be the kind of smile that betrays nothing of the smiler’s intentions. You will not just be beautiful—you will be beauty itself.

You gaze into the mirror, donning your smile as if it is a shield and your makeup as if it is amor. You hardly recognize yourself. You don’t look like you. 

You look like them. 

Instantly, you tear your face away from the mirror and viciously begin wiping away at your makeup. It comes off with some difficulty, and tentatively, you peer up at the mirror—your eyes are red from irritation, and mascara runs down your cheeks like waterfall. Your eyebags are on full display. You look horrible, and so very human. 

You smile. It is a small, crooked smile of relief. Finally, you look like yourself again. You breathe out a sigh and lower yourself to the floor. You are not quite sure what came over you—but the incident has left you shaking. You cross out another day of the calendar.

You will try again tomorrow.

———

The pen drops to the floor with a loud thud as it rolls into a pile of its kind. You stare at it for a while, then back at the piece of parchment on the desk. You have not even written a single sentence. Every time you try, your hands become clammy, shakey, and sweaty. You can only manage to cobble together a few letters before the pen falls from your hand and drops to the floor. 

You are on your fourteenth pen. You cannot bring yourself to pick them back up, so you grab a new one each time, and now you have finally run out. Sighing, you decide to put the letter-making to rest. You cannot possibly expect to write a reply in such a condition. In fact, you cannot bring yourself to do much of anything at all.

Yuu steps in, casually asking how your attempts are going—all while ignoring the obvious pile of pens and discarded paper. You think they simply like hearing the sound of your voice. 

You grumble out a response, and even though your words are more gibberish than anything resembling human language, Yuu nods along as if they understand and even begins to offer their advice. You tune them out, for you are far too drained to listen. 

You cut them off, suddenly struck with an idea.

“Actually, I have a favor to ask of you…” Yuu nods along vigorously, seemingly forgetting what they had been saying earlier. Or perhaps they have merely deemed it less important. It is, after all, a request from you. “I want you to go to school tomorrow the same way you usually would.” Yuu stills, and for a moment, they frown.

“Go to school…? Without you?” They look so dejected that you almost consider apologizing or laughing it away as if it were some kind of ill-thought jest. But no. You can’t. You must press on.

“I think that would be best, yes,” you say, trying to avoid their eyes. “It’s just…you’ve seen how things have been going. I’m not ready yet. I can’t face them, but I know I have to.” Briefly, you recall the nightmares you have been having as of late. They are horrible things, these nightmares. They wake you from your slumber and douse you in sweat. In your nightmares, you see the students. They say nothing but ever so slowly walk towards you. They get closer each night. You cannot let them go any further. “That’s why I want you to go for me. Buy me some time, relay a message, just something. Anything.”

“What would you like me to say?”

“That’s…” Oh, dear, you hadn’t thought of that yet. “Just…just say whatever you think is best.” Truthfully, you’d rather not have someone else put words into your mouth and assign them meaning (You do, of course, remember how well that went last time), but there is no other choice. You have nothing to say. And besides, the message is not the important part. 

What’s important is Yuu leaving.

Because you will be going to the Wraith.

“As you wish.” Yuu bows their head and leaves the room, something about the way they switched gears leaves you feeling uneasy. The fact that they are behaving as if they are a servant only adds to that unease. Regardless, you cannot ask them about it now, for they have already left—leaving you alone with your thoughts…and a comically large assortment of pens on the floor. You do not bother to pick them up. Lazy as it sounds, you know someone will do it for you later. You would only end up dropping them again, anyway. 

You have been doing better on your lonesome. You used to spiral into a panic attack any time you were left by yourself, but now, you find a sort of comfort in it. You believe that this is largely due to Yuu.

They make you feel…uncomfortable. Not unsafe, not like them, but certainly ill at ease. Being away from them is to take a breather, to recoup yourself. In a way, it is similar to how you felt during the hunt. You were not thinking about the danger that could hurt you, you were thinking of the danger that had just passed you by. 

In a way, you ought to be grateful. They kept you on your toes. The low-level anxiety they caused was oddly helpful. 

It reminds you to never get too comfortable.

———

“Alright, we’re off!” Yuu seems to have lost the odd cadence they took on earlier and is now back to their usual cheerful self. 

“Have fun,” you say, waving off Yuu and Grim as they exit Ramshackle Dorm. You don’t know why Grim suddenly asked you to go with Yuu, but you had no reason to refuse. The fewer eyes you have on you, the better.

You don’t need Grim’s protection. You cannot rely on him forever.

And so, with confident vigor, you march down the halls, looking for the door that shouldn’t exist. You find it easily, you knew you would, and swing it open. The Wraith is the same as you remember it. Books are stacked high on floor-to-ceiling shelves, organized by date chronologically (Chronologically of what? Are they not just storybooks?). Most of them are blank. You do not understand. Regardless, you do not stop your pursuit. You do not know what you are looking for, only that you must find it—and quickly.

A navy blue cover catches your eye, and you pull it out from its place. “Lonesome Ghosts” reads the title. The words are embroidered with gold thread; there is an illustration of four ghosts, three embroidered in gold, and one washed out and faded. A Mickey Mouse logo sits in the corner.  If you recall correctly, there is a story titled Lonesome Ghosts which Ramshackle is based off of. Perhaps you’ll learn something by reading it. 

You flip to page one and begin reading.

There is a house on the hill, where time seems to still. It's a house home to four, but one of them is bored. 

They are so very lonely, these ghosts, you see. They’d be willing to die just for some company.

They call up a group—of exterminators, to boot! "It will surely be fun just to watch them all run." 

But the fourth has another idea, you see. “It’ll be so fun, I guarantee!”

The strangers arrive, expecting a fight. But knowing what’s in store will not stop the gore. 

The strangers are dead, they have all met their end. 

They are so very lonely, these ghosts, you see. Especially when four turns to three. 

The last one is lost for a very long time. They have been kicked, banished for their crime. 

They wander the world from place to place, when they find a human with a lovely face.

The human will be theirs, the ghost decides. They steal the face, cut with a knife.

Wearing the skin of the human they killed, the ghost returns to the house on the hill.

You close the book so harshly that dust flies across the room. You pick up another book at random, hoping to rid your mind of the eerie story.

101 Fantastic Phantasms.” You wonder idly if the title is a reference to 101 Dalmations, but upon closer inspection, the book really does seem to be a list of one hundred and one categories of phantoms. You quickly skim through the pages, pausing to read the more interesting ones.

Face-stealer:

The face-stealer is one of the more terrifying additions I have written about in this book. Technically speaking, it is not a unique species of ghost, like the others mentioned throughout these pages, but it is, nonetheless, fascinating enough to warrant its own passage. You could compare it to an archetype, perhaps, but not to a species. This is a digression, however, so we shall move on. 

The face-stealer, as the name implies, is a type of ghost that steals faces.‘Faces’ is used a bit broadly here, really, a face-stealer steals much more than just the head of its victim. It will take the victim's entire body, sucking their soul out and replacing it with its own, leaving the original host to wander the underworld, aimlessly and without identity, for the rest of time. Because the face-stealer takes the victim’s body with it, there can be neither burial nor proper funeral unless the face-stealer is caught and expelled from the body. Such instances are rare. With no way for the soul to rest in peace, the victim remains in purgatory, endlessly tormented. 

Unfortunately, we do not know the exact reason for why a face-stealer does what it does, as all of our interviewers have only wound up getting their faces stolen by the subjects (Editor’s note: this statement has been falsified for dramatic effect); however, our expert scholars do have their own guesses about this subject, which I will share with you here:

One common belief as to why a face-stealer does what it does is that it simply wishes to experience being alive again. Of course, there is likely much more to it than just this, as our scholars will tell you, and it likely differs from stealer to stealer, but this argument is so commonplace that I would be remiss to not mention it. 

Some argue for a more romantic approach to this idea, claiming that face-stealers who fall in love with a human will steal the face of their lover, friend, or even just someone who lives nearby, if only to be closer to the object of its affection. 

Others still will present new ideas, such as the one that states face-stealers are those who have committed unforgivable crimes, but try to weasel their way out of punishment by taking on a new identity. This argument is far more sensible than the one mentioned previously, but, similarly to all the others, lacks enough evidence to be anything more than mere speculation, as encounters with these monsters are extraordinarily rare. 

The next few pages are filled with old folk tales about the beast, including a transcription of Lonesome Ghosts. You shiver, about to move on, when another section catches your attention.

Wraith:

The Wraith is another interesting legend, one that I’ve actually experienced myself. Traditionally, there are two kinds. The first is simply a ghostly image of someone, showcasing the moments just before their death, it is also the kind that I meant, but I will share that story later. Wraiths are usually nothing more than flickering whisps, making them seem harmless, especially in comparison to some of the other, more malevolent spirits I have listed in this book. Make no mistake, however, for the Wraith, while not deadly in its own right, is almost always an omen of death and misfortune. 

The second is far more fascinating. It is a place born from death. Described as a sub-dimension by some, the place can take on any form but is often one that is tied to the person it is born from. If someone were to drown in a lake, for example, the Wraith might take on the form of a lake. The same thing might happen if the person’s favorite spot was a lake, even if they had not died there. The second species of Wraith (and yes, I do say species; it is of my firm belief that these kinds of Wraiths are just as ‘alive’ as the others) is much harder to come across, as you often must know exactly what you’re looking for and where to find it. People who are close to death may wander inside of one, though such instances are somewhat rare. 

There have been reports of supernatural fanatics trying to create the second Wraith, either by murder or suicide, but no such attempts have ever borne fruit. As such, I do not recommend attempting to do so yourself. Instead, please satisfy yourself with merely reading about them as I have. 

With that out of the way, my dear reader, I’m sure you’re now wondering about my encounter with the first Wraith? Very well, then. It is not the most interesting of stories, but I hope you will listen to it nonetheless. 

The night in which I met a Wraith was far from pleasant. I was ten years old and playing out in the woods with my bicycle when I saw it, the spirit was so frightening that I swerved harshly to the right, hurtling me down a steep cliffside. I don’t recall what happened next, but when I came to, my bike was totally wrecked, my legs and arms were full of open-wound fractures, twisting in ways I didn’t know possible. A piece of bone from my ribs punctured a lung, and I had a severe concussion. I wasn’t found until morning. 

Somehow, however, I survived to tell the tale. Now, I dedicate this book to you, my dear readers, and hope that by sharing information on these monsters, you will come to familiarize yourself with them, so that you do not make the same mistakes that I did. 

You only have enough time to read through one more book, luckily, however, you already know which one to pick. One that will (hopefully) piece all of tese stories together. That might be a bit too convenient though. This isnt’ a storybook, you know? 

You find it easily. Yuu’s diary—still addressed to you. Wasting no time, you flip through the pages, only to fnd them all blank.

“Boo.”

[madamvanrouge]

Lilia Vanrouge X Reader

✿Briar's Secret [Part 8]✿

Note: THIS IS THE FINAL PART! Angst, fluff, love reunion stuff, cute kissing scene alert, cute banter scene alert, Meleanor's little sister!au, present twst era.

Mentions of my twst OC Midnight.

"You broke up with Riddle? Why?" Lilia questioned as [Y/N] sighed and leaned her head on his shoulder. Lilia's heart clenched in both joy and sorrow. 

"I have been having these strange dreams. I keep on meeting this person- He always pulls me towards the sunset sky and gazes at it with me till it becomes exactly midnight. And every time, the dream ends when it turns midnight. When he's about to tell me something. Its been happening for  a month. And then Riddle got angry when I couldn't do some stuff for him because the dreams have been weirding and stressing me out, so we got into a pretty nasty argument where he broke up with me." [Y/N] sighed yet again, nuzzling Lilia's shoulder. 

Lilia almost felt his heart do flips at the news. She was remembering. There was no mistake. A person leaving exactly at midnight. It had to be Midnight. It frustrated him to think she'd dreamed of Midnight instead of Lilia but it was a start. He should feel bad for Riddle, but he couldn't help the seams of happiness bursting in his essence. 

"What does he look like?" Lilia asked patiently, though in truth, he was far from patient. He tapped the bench they were sitting on impatiently, hoping she wouldn't notice his quiet fidgeting. 

"There's actually two people. They sound only slightly different and look a bit different. The one who appears at dusk has a soft voice and short hair. The one who appears at midnight at the end of the dream has long black hair. Thats all I remember." She pressed a hand to her forehead. 

Ah. So thats how it was. Inside her, [Y/N] had always seen Lilia and Midnight as important people. She'd associated them as friends. Lilia wondered, would she hate him once she knew what he'd done to Midnight? Once she knew of how he never apologized to Midnight till after his death?

"I am sure its not much. But sometimes, dreams may bring about to your notice a gleam familiar as if you may have seen it once before. It is good to keep in mind that dreams sometimes encapsulate memories. Khehehe." Lilia chuckled. [Y/N] only snuggled into him further, seeking his comfort. Something he was more than happy to give. 

※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※

It was after Malleus' overblot when [Y/N] tried to leave Twisted Wonderland that she finally remembered of her past self. Of Princess [Y/N] Draconia. She rushed as fast as her legs could carry her, to the giant double doors beyond which lay the lounge of Diasomnia dorm. Rushing in, she hurried up the flight of stairs, ignoring the students' stares as she knocked fervently on Lilia's door. 

He opened the door, clearly stressed and dishevelled, his complexion pale as if he had not eaten for quite a while. His beautiful crimson eyes widened on seeing her, as he tilted his head questioningly. Without warning, she wrapped her arms around him, her hand gently stroking his soft, smooth hair as she held him gently. 

"I remember." were all the words needed to get Lilia's grip to tighten around her figure. [Y/N] felt her shoulder turn damp as her beloved fae General wept on her soundlessly, his shoulders trembling from having carried burdens heavier than he could handle for centuries, all alone. 

"I'm home, Lilia." [Y/N] squeezed him. "My cute little flower." she used the silly nickname she'd come up with for him as a child, since his name referred to a flower. 

"Welcome home, princess." Lilia wiped away his tears, getting down on one knee as he kissed the back of her soft, delicate hand. A faint blush covered the fae's cheeks as his lips touched her skin.

[Y/N] pulled him up forcefully, grabbing his chin as she did in the past, making him look her in the eye. "Oh look at you. So adorable when you're blushing."

"Khehe. Perhaps I could show you more." Lilia leant in to her lips. His gaze was fixated on her lips, on how they would taste. He wondered if a monster, a sinner like him even deserved this. But for now, he wished he could do as his heart wanted. He couldn't hold himself back anymore. He needed her. 

"When did you learn to talk back?" [Y/N] chuckled as she caressed his cheek. "You were as meek as a village girl before. And had the temper to match your short height."  She brought him in closer to her lips.

"Oh please." Lilia snickered, his warm breath fanning her lips. "Thankfully I have an advantage over you now." 

"Hmm, jerk." she chuckled. 

"I love you as well." Lilia grinned, his fang poking out. 

"Oh, you cheeky little thing." [Y/N] grinned as her lips brushed his. "I love you." 

"As do I, my dear princess." Lilia's lips met hers in a passionate kiss, his arms encircling her waist as he pulled her impossibly closer, loving her, loving her, and loving her as he'd always wanted to. He would protect her this time, with his life, he swore. 

His treasure. 

His perfect half. 

His deepest, loveliest secret. 

✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿

[ＦＩＮ]

NOTE: PLEASE DO NOT REPOST OR PLAGIARIZE MY WORK!

A.N.: Hope everyone enjoyed, hehe.