More Aged Up first years AU postings (Co created by @violenteconomics) because I am strange!
Do you ever think about how in the Twisted universe unique magics -as cool as they are- are probably not that applicable or useful to most daily life because of how combat focused and difficult they are to master in the first place?
And do you ever think about how without the resources and circumstances specific to NRC most of the first years would have never discovered or understood their unique magics completely?
How would the people they turn into without the influence of each other and the school affect their incomplete perspective on their magic and vice versa?
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Well while the nature of all their magic stays the same, without the events of book 7 Aceâs UM wouldnât have even been discovered in the first place.
But if we suppose he does accidentally discover it (maybe during an argument gone south with another mage or something) I donât think it would be all that strong or reliable.
Without the stable income nor the mindset needed to seek out education Ace wouldnât have been able to improve upon it or even practice much.
And in the event, he does use it the magic is a last resort, applied without flare or wonder. Because this version of Ace is intimately familiar with the concept of impermanence. He is used compromises and mediocrity. And he believes the same goes with his magic.
It doesnât have to be great; it just has to be enough. Enough to get him out of a pickle, enough to turn the tide, enough to distract.
Because of all those reasons this version of Aceâs UM would be "Jack of All Trades".
A skill that lets him borrow only a fraction of another personâs magic, but in return lets him keep multiple borrowed spells as backup in the form of a card for a longer period of time.
(âJack of all trades, master of noneâ isnât that just so funny for the person heâs become. Heâs too much for anybody to stand, yet too little to be anything at all.)
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In the case of Deuce, his unique magic would have been neglected even if he did manage to discover it. Not only caused by the circumstances of his life and work, but also his issues with himself.
This version of Deuce never got the quality that NRC provided and his work as Riddle's assistant leads to him prioritizing magic for the medical field. Those factors in tandem leading to a natural degradation of skills not deemed "useful".
But this version of Deuce can't see that. What he sees is just another symptom of his own incompetence. One in a long chain of failures in trying to live up to the expectations of those around him (and ultimately himself.)
A fault he thinks is unfixable, and in a situation as demanding as his it might as well be. So, all he can do is bear with what he has now and try to make that enough, no matter how it harms him.
Therefore, his UM is called "Eye for An Eye".
Similar to his canonical signature spell it allows him to counter spells with magic of the same strength, but his version of it is incomplete.
While the strength remains the same, other aspects like accuracy, speed, and stability become more unpredictable the stronger the spell is, often resulting in other targets (Deuce included) being affected as well.
("Eye for An Eye" what a crass name. What better to be a remnant of his own failure he cannot outrun. A past he keeps trying to "get back at" for what it did to him. Yet, like all revenges, only leaves him tired and hurts those around him.)
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Jack's signature spell, however, is a more difficult matter as he already had it before the events of the story. But it would see less and less use the older he gets.
We've all seen the comments, the jokes -even if they are unserious- about how cringy Jack's UM can be. Even if Jack doesn't see it that way others like his coworkers definitely will. They will see his magic and call it overly flashy and cumbersome. That, in combination with the restrictions that adult life brings, will make it so that he won't be able or willing to upkeep it.
To this version of Jack who has grown to be just another adult, another part of the system. Another cog that's just floating along without complaint, forced into a mold of what "maturity" is supposed to be, his unique magic is just another embarrassing symbol of his immature nature he can't shake off.
Something minimized into a party trick at best and a guilty pleasure at worse.
And so, he simply calls his UM "Unleash".
It allows him to transform himself into a wolf... partially. He can pick what parts and how many parts of his body to alter, but the more he selects the harder is it for him to hold his form and the less time he can do it for.
If he wants to turn fully it requires him to focus completely and even if he is successful, the magic only lasts for a few minutes at best.
("Unleash"... what a stupid name. It reeks like something out of a teen metal album. It grates like cheesy superhero shows that always have a happy ending. He should get rid of it. Yet, he can't. Because what does a dog want more than anything than to be unleashed and free?)
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Epel, similarly, is an interesting case. His spell is not particularly aggressive nor is it truly useful for the daily life he is leads in most cases. However, the person he becomes still leads it to be used in one very specific way.
Being one of Vil's carriers would mean he would rely on rudimentary magic more: flight to move around quicker, levitation to move objects, so on and so forth. In other words, magic for the express purpose of making the process of filming and shooting more efficient. So, while Epel's UM can be used as a barrier its inaccuracy and effect of forcing people to sleep makes it unfit for work.
Not only that Epel's lack of proper training and opportunity in this universe would make it even weaker, even less accurate if he ever tried to aim anywhere, but at his own feet.
However, this version of Epel is obstinate and confrontational. The way he was treated by others lead him to treat them in what he thinks is the same way, with a willful ignorance of everything he doesn't like. To put himself to sleep just to block them out.
So, his signature spell ends up being "Glass Tomb".
His spell allows him to put himself into a glass barrier at the cost of being slowly put to sleep the longer he has it up. The strength of the barrier is determined by his own will power.
("Glass Tomb" how ironic despite everything the one whose dead is you. A miserable existence just to prove a point. An uncomfortable, lonely cage that he chooses to never leave. Better to stick to the anger you know than the unknown you don't.)
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Ortho, technically, doesn't have a unique magic. The ability he does have is an extension of his nature as a technomantic soul. As a result, what it can and can't do is an expression of what Ortho believes he can and can't do.
Therefore, his UM (as I am calling it for the sake of simplicity) is one of the most well developed and versatile of the cast, but it still is limited in one very important way.
This version of Ortho, on a technical level, is vastly superior as a humanoid. He has been upgraded time and time again, tweaked and polished by the best engineer of their generation routinely. Yet, that is precisely the reason he is restricted.
Ortho can only change though the hands of someone else. Someone who loves him dearly, yes, but someone who can't truly understand him for him. He does not have the autonomy to choose who he wants to be. In the eyes of all he is only the extension of his brother. A belief he has internalized.
So, his signature spell is now called "River of Data".
It allows him to use radio waves to transfer his consciousness to any form of technology and even follow its path of electricity to other devices. However, he can't alter any of it. He can only see what the coding is.
("River of Data" so fitting for someone so lost to the currents of fate, so pliant to wherever the streams take him. Someone who wants nothing more than to leave yet doesn't.)
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Sebek's signature spell is another case of a spell discovered before the events of the story but, compared to the rest of the first years, he does have the incentive and the resources to develop it. What that development means, however, is different story.
Sebek is already someone that holds himself to a high standard. Not getting into NRC and the expectations that come with knighthood only heightens that to its extreme. He would use all that he was given, give all that he was just to prove himself worthy.
But despite how hard he tries that standard of "worthiness" was never something he could ever achieve simply because the world around him, the court of Briar Valley, and even himself have judged him lesser because of his humanity. Which creates just another reason for him to be stricter with himself.
This Sebek can only see one version of himself that is worthy. He can only strive to be one thing. He can only imagine power in one way. The combination of those factors creating a spell that is exceptional, but extremely limited
Therefore, his UM would be called "Lightning Armor"
As the name suggests, it allows him to turn his body into lightning. In this state, any damage he sustains will be null as the lightning will always return to his original body shape. However, for those same reasons, he cannot manipulate the lightning in any way either; moving, lowering the voltage, jumping across surfaces.
("Lightning Armor" what a pathetic name. A knight who can do nothing but hide behind a flashy title and a half-made purpose no one needed him to fill, too cowardly to even face himself, stuck in a prison of his own making.)
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I hope y'all enjoyed this reading :D I am still a bit unsatisfied with a few of their UM names so if you have any good suggestions feel free to tell me!
Do you ever think about how weird the relationship between Doraemon, Dorami, and Nobita is?
Like we have:
Doraemon & Dorami: They were made to be siblings, to be there and help each other when theyâre stubborn or sick. Theyâre have been by each other for as long as theyâve been alive and they will still be together long after
Doraemon & Nobita: No matter how much they fight and bicker in the end they will always choose to be brothers. They have risked their lives so many time to save the other and have strived to change for each other
Because how in the world do you define your relationship with the person your brother holds as dear to his heart as a sibling but you barely get to meet?
How do you define that nebulous relationship especially when the both of you are perfectly amicable and care for each other in your own way as well, just not with the same familiarity? Do you just not label it???
The full poster I made for this post and @violenteconomicsâ shattered glass AU :D
Design notes under cut :)
- the central crack pattern is meant to resemble a rose, a broken mirror and to a small extent a spider web
- all the points above alluding to the central mystery, the reincarnation aspect, and the situation the first year find themselves trapped in respectively
-ďżźall the portraits have a crack running across or near their necks as a nod to the fate of the seven criminals
- all the characters are looking in separate directions to create an air of confusion and chaos and show how lost they are in this situation (hopefully)
- also I intend for the framing of each character to be almost claustrophobic and enclosed to show how trapped each of them feels ďżź
Me? Writing 3k~ of twst fanfiction by accident? More likely than you think.
A short snippet I wanted to write for @violenteconomicsâ shattered glass AU :D
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In the cold of the night, sounds echoed.
The howl of wind. The crackle of fire. The thud of footsteps mindlessly on floorboards.
âSebek.â
A sound that repeats itself over and over like a broken record. A frantic thump, thump, thump-
âSebek, stop. Youâre going to make a hole in the floor.â
âJust leave it Ace. Heâs not going to stop.â
It wasnât like the rest of them werenât the same.
Yuu hadnât been able to stop picking at their fingers even as Deuceâs equally as jittery hands forced them to stop. Aceâs own agitated palms never leaving the deck of cards creaking in his grip.
âI canât just leave it! He looks like heâs about to burst a blood vessel from thinking too hard!â He hissed in Yuuâs general direction.
âUnless you find some way to tire him out enough to stop spiraling, I suggest you take your own advice and pipe down.â An annoyed ear flicked from another corner as Ace yanked his head around with annoyance.
"Oh I'll give him something that will tire him out real good! Hey, Sebek-"
"Don't. We don't know who could be lookin' if you two end up fightin'." The reminder causes everyone to wince. Eyes flicking cautiously towards the half covered window. Curfew was already an hour or two ago, but you could never know with night raven, especially not now.
Defeated, Ace sat down again with a huff. Hands aggressively shuffling the worn deck. Silence once again the loudest sound in the room, amplified by the whirl of fans and the thumps of anxious limbs on wood.
Yuu sucked in a breath. Such a normal sound suddenly jarring in the absence of the regular chatter their sleepovers usually entailed. They rubbed the sore spot between their eyes.
It still seemed so impossible what happened. So outlandish and ridiculous no one wanted to even talk about it.
One moment everything was fine. The next everything when to shit.
One moment Ace was goofing around in history like he always does. Eyebrow raising dramatically as he said-
-I mean, come on, really?â He jabbed. âOne of the most notorious criminals in history and the best catchphrase he can come up with is full house?â
âHey, I think itâs intimidating!â
âYou and no one else Juicey,â He wave dismissively, ignoring Deuceâs squawk of indignation as he continued. âSeriously, think about it!â
His hands flapping sloppily to pantomime pulling a deck out of the air. âWho in their right minds would look at someone saying âI summon you full houseâ and be scared-â
Suddenly, He freezes. The teasing in his tone immediately dashed as he feels card stock between his fingers. A bright red joker slipping from his grip.
âWhat the hell-
-The next their entire friend group was now scum of the earth because they were -allegedly- reincarnated fucking war criminals.
One moment, their motley crew was just another oddity on campus who could go about their day with worrying about the-
-staring. I canât stand the staring.â Deuce grimaced, poking at his measly lunch tray.
âBear with it.â Jack whispered back, trying to focus on the square of table in front of him even as the hushed gossip made his face twist.
âI know. I know. But sevens damn. I didnât expect the news to spread this fast.â He replied frantically.
They couldnât even breathe, not when the tension clung to skin like blot. Every eye pinning itself to their corner of the cafeteria like rusty pins. Only three of them looked anything remotely normal, but even then they looked close to cracking.
âPlease. Weâre lucky itâs only this much.â Epel huffed. âIf Trein didnât step in in time it would have been even worse.â
Ace winced again, looking away towards the wall. Ortho pat him gently on the shoulder.
âDonât worry too much Ace-Sanâ He tried to reassure. âTrein-sensei has done his best to make sure no one can verify the claim and Iâve cleared any footage I could find.â
âBased on my calculations a rumor of this kind and legitimacy will start to fall out of relevancy in a month if conditions remain the same.â The humanoid added half cheerfully.
The if continues to hang in the air.
-The next they couldnât even sleep in their own dorms without worrying. The pile of foreign blankets and pillows stacked up in the corner a bitter reminder.
One moment, there was the slightest bit of hope that maybe, just maybe everything was going to be alright. That their efforts of being nice and polite despite all the bullshit this goddamn school had throw at them across several weeks had paid off. That being locked out and scorned by their own dormmates was not for fucking nothing.
Please. Please. Please. What do you-
-mean next week!â He slammed his fist into the desk.
âTrappola please calm down. I know it sounds unreasonable, but-â
âOf course itâs fucking unreasonable! Youâre sending us to be murdered by the rose court!â He jabbed manically. âIn a week! A week!â
âI- I donât even-â
Ace grabbed at his face. Folding himself into his hands as humourless laughter erupted in the frozen room. Horror and anger seethed beneath stricken faces as that damned Crow tried to continue.
âYour sentences have not been decided! It is just a preliminary trial! Please just cooperate-â
âEven so, that is more than irrational headmage! There is barely any evidence for us to be trialed in the first place!â Sebek hissed. âAnd to tell us now is even more irresponsible!â
âYeah! What the hell is a week gonna do!â
âWhat the fuck Crowley!â
âI- I need to call my mom.â
âWhat the fuck.â
âWhat am I supposed to say!â
âWhat the FUCK.â
âYou incompetent WASTE OF-â
âI GET IT.â
âI get it.â He says, so deceptively calm.
âNothing you have said is false.â A hand pressing beneath his mask.
âBut there is nothing we can do to stop them.â He sighs. The sound is heavy, so achingly- achingly human, sagging against the chair.
âPlease. Understand.â
There is nothing else to be said.
No one could sleep the following night, nor the next. And now here they were. Trapped, with nothing to do but wait for that next moment.
And Yuu is⌠so so tired of waiting.
They looked around the room once again, taking in the disarray and hopelessness that has settled over the entire group like a miasma. Hesitantly, they sucked in a deep breath
They had to do something. Even despite their own fears and hesitation there must be something.
And breathed out before clapping their hands together.
âEveryone!â Eyes snap towards them as Yuu patted the ground. âWe need to talk.â
At first, there is nothing as the rest of the first years looked around awkwardly. The uncomfortable unease that simmered in the background boiling back now that they had to actually⌠acknowledge the problem. No one wanted to think about it, let alone talk.
Still, Yuu continues to gesture towards the floor next to them. Hand drumming against the floor with enough persistence to wear them down bit by bit. Slowly, with resignation, the rest of the first years sat down.
âWhat is there to talk about?â Ace huffed as he settled on the floor, counting on his fingers.
âThe card happened. Everyone hates us. Crowley happened. Everyone hates us even more! Bada bing bada boom cased closed.â He flourished his hands with faux enthusiasm.
Vague sounds of agreement go around the room.
âWell can we at least try?â Yuu pleaded with exasperation. âLike uh- try start at the beginning or something- Who... were the seven exactly?â
âPfft, please, we're not 4. I doubt anyone hasn't heard of the seven scourges-â Yuu raised an eyebrow making Ace chock on his own spit.
"Ah- right. Forgot about the uh other world thing." He cough into his fist alongside several other members of the group. "Sorry."
"Well uhhh..." He trailed off, trying to remember what he thought he knew only to come up blank. "Sebek?"
The boy in question looked up with a startle "Wha- Why me?!"
"Come on man help a brother out! You're the one whose been glued to that book!"
"Ugh... fine. If you insist." The half-fae huffed before reaching for the novel in question.
"In the simplest terms, the seven evils were a band of criminals that originated in the Rose Queendom who terrorized much of Twisted Wonderland before the time of the great Seven." He started, flipping over to the map for them to see.
"It is said that the leader of the group -the Renegade- just appeared one day and was caught trying to insight chaos in the then ruling queen's court," He pointed to a spot on the heavily annotated page, right at the middle of the Queendom. "but before they could be sentence the criminal had already escaped with the help of the Trickster, Monster and Serf."
âAs revenge for being captured, the Renegade left a truly terrifying path of destruction in their wake. Not just in the Rose Queendom, but across the Land of Dawning and parts of the Shaftlands as well.â He moved his finger, trailing the path of destruction on the page with a grimace, from one end of the world to the other in one fell swoop. "This is why the group had so many titles. All given to them by the many they tormented."
"Wait, this was before the Sevens right? How did they even cross the ocean?" Yuu interjected in confusion.
"While it was much harder to travel across the sea before the popularization of portals and other forms of transport, it wasn't impossible." Ortho jumped in. "It is theorized that, with the help of the Poisoner and Brute as accomplices, the Renegade managed to find ways on passenger ships that delivered trade and people across the continents."
âAlthough always through brutal means. Giving the band ample time to cause havoc compared to the Rose Queendom who needed to go through official methods.â Sebek crossed his arm bleakly.
âIt took a full year for the entire band was captured. By then the damage was so severe that the entire group were labeled war criminals even though only one to two members operated at any given time.â
âJeez, what they even do for it to be that bad?â Grim muttered quietly, finally piping up from where he was curled on Yuuâs lap. He didnât intend for anyone to answer, but Ortho leaned in anyways.
âWell, from my research, the seven criminals committed many acts of atrocities that in included: murder, mutilation, cruel treatment and torture, attacks against civilian populations or non-combatants, use of chemical weaponry, and pillaging.â
ââŚâ
âChrist.â
âPrecisely for those reasons, upon the recapture of the Renegade, the entire band was executed almost immediately.â He snapped the book shut.
"However, in those final moments it was revealed that somehow in the time it took to captured their leader the other members managed to alter the programming of the Queendomâs Azure Knight! Making it expend all its energy to cast a spell that did something to the souls of the criminals."
"According to the accounts of multiple mages present, their mana signatures didn't dissipate, it just disappeared. To where? No one knew." He sighed deeply before continuing.
"The panic that ensued from the idea that the entire band could still be out there pushed the then queen to create a treaty alongside several other nations in the event the seven evils rose again..."
"..."
"...What else?" Yuu asked after a moment of silence.
Sebek looked back at Yuu in confusion as he put away the book. "There is nothing else."
"Wait really? Nothing else?" Their face scrunched as they tilted their head. "7 of the most notorious criminals ever recorded and that's all we know about them?"
"Unfortunately, that is the case Yuu-san." Ortho replied sadly as Sebek nodded the same. "History records that came before the Seven are hard to preserve and what did survive focused more on the damage they left rather than the criminals themselves."
"Not to mention the effect that linguistic drift and oral recordkeeping has had on accuracy of these stories." The half-fae tacked on. "We still have no idea what the actual names of the criminals were, nor their relationship to one another. The only thing that survived is their legacy as symbols of villainy."
"...Til now." Epel remined causing everyone to wince.
"The first confirmed case of reincarnation and it just had to us." Ace groaned into his hands "It's exactly our luck."
"How are they so sure?" Deuce mumbled as he looked at his hands. "I- I don't feel like anyone else. I don't think I could ever do what they did... Right?"
"Of course not."
"To compare you to them is disrespectful."
"If ya say that again I'll hit ya!" Epel threatened before, slowly, he droops again. "But it doesn't really matter what we think does it."
âTheyâre gonna think whatever they fuckinâ want and weâre just gonna have ta deal with it.â He mutters with anger.
âHow is this even legal?!â Ace hissed. âHow in the Sevens can they just drag us off without even telling our parents! No- Scratch that. How the fuck is this thing still active.â
âItâs older than dirt! Most of the places that signed it in the first place have died 8 times over!â He throws his hands up in exasperation. "How is it still alive?!"
"It's written using magic. It doesn't matter how many times a nation changes hands, if it still believes itself to be the same country." Jack ran a tired hand through his hair. "Unless the Queendom itself disappeared there's no way it could be lost."
"Wait, magic laws?" Yuu whipped their head over to Jack.
"Think of it like one of Azul's contract." He ďżźexplained. âThe holder of the contract enforces a specific set of terms and conditions on those who sign it in return for a service.â
âIn this case, the Queendom is promising theyâll take care of the seven if they ever reemerge in other nations, only under the conditions that those nations allow them free rein over said criminals.â He continued seriously.
âBut of course -like that slimy octopus- the Queendom is only required to go by the word of the law and not the spirit of it, so here we are.â Ace muttered angrily into his palm.
The group paused a bit as they chewed over the words, remembering less than pleasant memories of the on campus mafia with a shudder.
âIf we could just rip up that stupid treaty like we did with Azul this would be so much easier.â He sighed.
âIf you genuinely believe that I question your intelligence more than usual human.â Sebek raised his brow with disgust. âNot only is doing so highly illegal, it would be insane to think that the Queendom doesnât have duplicates stashed away. Itâs one of the most important texts of the nation historically and legally!â
âJeez. Calm your pedantic ass down I was just spitballing!â Ace raises his hands defensively. âWhat I was trying to say was that if there was another option I would take it okay!â
âIs there another option in the first place?â Deuce looked unconvincingly at Ace.
âMaybe! I donât know!â Ace shot back. âLike if magic laws are just a bigger and dumber version of contracts shouldnât they follow the same rules?â
ââŚTechnically, yes.â Ortho tried tentatively. âIf you manage to destroy the physical form of a contract, the soul itâs bound to, or the magic itself it would disappear, but all those options would require an astronomical amount of magic equivalent to that of some of the top mages in the worldâŚâ
Everyone turned to look at Sebek.
âW- what!â He snaps with a panic.
âYa know. That lord o' yours.â Epel points out.
"Fools! Malleus-sama would never! Not only is it idiotic, dangerous, and highly illegal, I doubt be would even-" He freezes, the heat in his voice dying as he looks away. "...bother."
The group grimaces before Yuu looked towards Ortho to change the topic.
"Ortho can you access the treaty?" They ask with an edge of desperation. "Even if it's still active, it's old enough that we can find some leeway to work with right?"
"Unfortunately not Yuu-san," He shook his head. "Most of the clauses have been update for the modern court system. The closest I could find is the modern use of term "bring to justice" allows us a right to counsel, but that's it."
"Then what can we say to defend ourselves legally." They bite their thumb nervously as they looked to the others.
"Maybe we can say that we don't remember jack shit." Epel sighed. "It's close enough to amnesia."
Both Ace and Deuce winced.
"Yeah, no. Do you know how brutal Rose court is?" Ace pressed. "I once saw a guy on the new who got lost on private property while shitfaced drunk and he still got a whole year in prison."
"It doesn't matter what your physical condition was, if you did it you would still be judged the same." Deuce continued grimly. "The best you can hope for is a reduction, but in the best case scenario that's still decades in jail for us."
"Unless we can somehow prove ourselves innocent we're as good as gone." Jack added. "And we're more likely to meet the King of Halloween before then..."
âSoâŚâ Yuu looked around desperately as tried to swallow the stone in their throat. âIs there really nothing we can do?â
No one says anything for a long while, slowly, slowly, slipping back into the oppressive hopeless silence. Ace shuffles his cards. Yuu picks at their hands. Peeling away the chipped skin, bit by bit by bit by-
"Yuu..." A paw on their thigh stops them.
"Does that..." Grim looks up at them from where he was curled. His voice small and his ears cupped back. "Does that mean you're all really leaving?"
"No! Of course not Grim." Yuu hurriedly cradles the direbeast against their chest. "We're just- We-"
"We..." Their voice wavers as they try to grit their teeth weakly. "I'm sorry Grim."
A loud slam jolts everyone out of their stupor as eyes whiz over to the source of the sound.
"Ace what the hell!?"
"I can't deal with this shit anymore!" He yelled "Why are we just sitting around moping! We're about to die for sevenâs sake! We have to do something!"
"Do what!? What can we possibly do? We-" Ace cuts them off frantically.
"What can we do? We run! That's what!"
"Huh?!"
"What other choice do we have!" He presses urgently as he looks to the rest of them. "No matter what we do we're doomed either way! Why not choose the option that gives us even the slightest chance of finding something?"
He looks around again as he bites his lip waiting for them to say anything. Still, the rest of the group stays frozen. A thousand and one objections and fears swirls in their minds and on the tips of their tongues like lead.
"I..." Sebek speaks first. "I agree with Trappola."
"Really?" Ace turns in surprise.
"Yes, I- Wait, why are you surprised!?"
"I don't know man! You always find my ideas stupid."
"Because they are idiotic! And so is this one! Never before have I seen a plan so slapdashed, so incompetent and so reckless!" He pause for a moment. "...However, it is the best plan we have."
"Master LiliaâŚ" He looks down for a moment before he tries to steels himself. âThe most important lesson he has taught me is that you have prioritised survival first, no matter what. Even if it's hopeless at the very least we have to try. Everything else can come after."
"Yeah! I'm don't want to lose my hench human!" Grim yowled as he leaped onto Yuu's shoulder. "No way!"
"...Yeah." Deuce said quietly before he repeated. "Yeah! We can't give up before we even did anything."
"I ainât givinâ up yet!" Epel balled his hand even as it shook at the edges. âNot yet.â
"There is no way of calculating the odds of surviving this string of events in comparison to the overblots, but weâll never know if we donât see for ourselves. " Ortho added on as he steadied himself.
Jack took a long, deep breath before he replied. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but we might as well. Thereâs no other choice anyways."
Yuu looked around the room to the faces in front of them so full of hesitation and fear, yet still resolve.
"Then it's settled." Yuu said grimly. "We're getting out of here."
-
I hope yâall enjoyed it :D This is mostly going to stay a one shot because Iâm not confident I will be able to get it done but I might add onto it sometime!
I got this out much sooner then expected, Sebek decided to cooperate this time.
Onto the details!
I sadly didn't have much to go on for this one since we have yet to step foot in briar valley so I took heavy in sports by Lilia and Baur this time. (This boy loves so much-)
I wanted him to have a more stealthy build (snake) and look strong yet kind (and pretty), I believe that sebek when really down to it can be described as a kind person even if he has his sharp edges at time.
His name gets to keep it's egyptian origins, I think it fits him.
I really wanted to lean in with the "life, death, rebirth" theme with him yet also connect it to the multiple snake themes.
He is clothes were all inspired and are a mix of patterns and things seen on Lilia and Baur's armor while I also decided to give him small hints of Malleus, the green forever stays. (I refuse to draw a full set of Briar valley armor rn-)
Now the weapon, From what I could gather biar valley has European themes so I wanted to give him a weapon that could have such an origin (don't quote me idk if googles tricked me or not).
one saturday morning after the first-years' weekly sleepover, yuu gets a text message from professor trein, asking them to go to his classroom and retrieve lucien's cat food. yuu agrees, and asks the other freshmen if they'd like yuu to get anything for them while they're in the building.
deuce asks for a notebook he forgot in alchemy. sebek asks for a dagger he left in one of the horse stables. jack asks for a specific kind of cacti with roses on it from the botanical garden.
yuu finds the notebook and the daggerâ but they can't find a single cactus with roses on it. then, a painting in the hallway informs them of a secret elevator that can take yuu down below the school, where legend has it that you can find almost anything. what the painting didn't mention is that a cursed beast resides down there as well, one who imprisons anyone who dares to trespass in its domain...
the freshmen get worried after four whole pass with no sign of yuu, so they go looking for them. eventually, jack picks up yuu's scent and finds the secret elevator. the first-years go down into the school's basement and finds yuu in a prison cell, shivering from the cold.
the beast appears, and they all try to fight it off, but to no avail.
however, jack soon realizes that the beast can only take one prisoner at a time as per the stipulations of its curse, and offers to take yuu's place. the first-years try to talk him out of it, but jack has made up his mind.
(everyone else's dorms would miss them terribly if they disappearedâ but jack can't imagine ruggie, leona, or anybody else in savanaclaw shedding any tears for him.)
the freshmen cry, beg, and barter, but the beast handily teleports them out of its realm, leaving jack standing there alone.
to say that savanaclaw is out for blood once they learn the details â not just towards the beast, but also towards the other freshmen who they see as partially responsible â would be an understatement.
Jack must have been very persistent because I cannot imagine a situation like this ending up being anything than an endless loop of the first years trying to take to bullet for eachother like you demonstrated in a previous post
Like the second Jack suggests it the rest of them are already jumping into his throat and each otherâs throats as to why they should be the one sacrificed
Even Yuu is physically refusing to be pulled out from the cell even though itâs literally freezing saying something like âitâs fine! Itâs not that different from being at ramshackle anyways!â even as they shake from the chill
Both Ace and Deuce arguing independently that âIâve gotten into enough trouble with our housewarden already, one more is no big deal!â completely and vehemently ignoring the prospect that no one may be able to get them out to be punished in the first place
Ortho jumping in that âBeing a robot Iâm better suited to the extreme conditions, leaving me here would be statistically the best option!â even when he knows thatâs untrue no matter how he does the equation
And so on and so forth for the rest of them
The beast is probably nodding off by the time the group is finally done arguing amongst themselves
Even if Savanaclaw is pissed at the first years for getting Jack trapped, the first years are probably blaming themselves 10 times worse for letting it happen in the first place and theyâre not gonna back down from trying to help Jack either
Speaking of Savanaclaw, every dorm member is equal parts angry and terrified because this is the most serious theyâve ever seen Leona.
No dorm conflict or magift rival has made him look this serious before.
Sure theyâve all made him more angry, more smug, more irritated, but never this unnervingly serious. And somehow a quiet focused Leona is a thousand times more intimidating than one that is screaming in your face.
No one can find Ruggie either. Itâs almost like heâs turned into a shadow, flittering across campus with the same utter seriousness that Leona has, gathering every text, every ingredient that could be even remotely useful for saving Jack.
For probably the first time in the dormâs history Savanaclaw is silent. A deadly sort of silence like the calm before a great storm.
Jack can probably feel the chill run up his spine whenever he thinks too hard about what his dorm and friends are going to do to him once they get him out. Honestly being trapped in a prison cell is the easy part, the hardest comes after.
I just got back from watching the new Doraemon movie and I have⌠some very mixed feelings about it all
My spoiler free review:
I would say that in my opinion Nobita and the Undersea Devil is a movie that sets out to achieve some very ambitious goals and unfortunately misses the mark despite having the building blocks to be great
It tries to be too much in one movie and because of that every element suffers and ends up falling flat
My full review:
(I recommend that if you havenât seen it you should go check it out and come up with your own opinions before commenting back here)
What I liked:
My god these kids are so stinkin cute Iâm going to cry
This movie spends a lot of its effort into making the gang into a friend group that actually likes each other
They are so affectionate with each other that the emotional scenes land harder as well
The animation and art are superb as always
The design of the sea people and their society is also very clever combining both aspects of coral and deep see creatures together
a few scenes are very well executed with the acting, lighting, and sound design coming together beautifully to express the tension of the scenes
this movie is also surprisingly not afraid of getting super dark; like we genuinely assume that Jaian and Suneo actually died and the threat of literal execution is treated with the gravity it deserves
the theme the story tries to tackle is also very unique, the clash between what is âlogicalâ and what is ârightâ that drives the characters to change is one Iâm not sure Doraemon has tackled before
Also Iâm happy that this movie had the guts to give Shizuka a more expressions even the quote on quote ugly ones
Shizuka rarely gets the chance to express her emotions as sharply as the boys do so I like that she gets to actually cry, and be expressive and take initiative in this movie
Things I didnât like:
the pacing of many parts felt very rushed, many of the aspects of the story would have benefited from having more time to marinate and develop like Eruâs development, Buggyâs past, and the conflict as a whole
The overall jankiness of the story makes its good moments less powerful -for example to make the ruler of Mu bow before a person is a powerful symbol that could convey the power of change but because they made him do it twice and so easily that action just lost its impact on me
There is also a lot of tonal dissonance in this movie, like the gag with the hammer while Suneo and Jaian were literally dying, and other incidents like it make the mood of the story confusing in some ways
the story also included a lot of detail that I feel were underutilized or just unnecessary
For example I feel like the âmachine that scans your brain and decides if you are evil or not and throws you in prison no matter how actually guilty you areâ would have worked so well as a metaphor for a prejudiced society that judges people based on appearance so Iâm pretty bummed that that plot point never gets expanded on
Additional I feel the environmental message of the movie is a bit sloppy tacked on, almost like an afterthought, along side the human/sea people conflict
In my mind either the movie should have cut that part out for the sake of streamlining the plot or they should have weaved it in better into how humans harm the world to show why the sea people might harbor so much mistrust of humans
The plot itself also has weird plot holes everywhere, it almost feels like the writers had to cut down on scenes for one reason or another and that caused the story to be a lot more disjointed
The ship and money never gets explained, why the nuclear weapons were only disabled now of all times, the weird fabric thing that fell out of Nobitaâs shirt when he got shot doing absolutely nothing, etcâŚ
also while I love the gang to death Nobita and Doraemon were frustratingly stupid this time around
I feel like the confrontation with Poseidon could have been done so much better because why did they just try to shoot it???? Twice????
Also how in the hell did Buggy actually destroy the ai core, it jus seemed weirdly fast and instantaneous to me
Overall this movie was pretty decent to me in that itâs a pretty fun watch but still Iâm deeply frustrated by what it could have been
If I could re-write this movie I would keep a lot of the same core aspects just expanded different
I would change a few details like maybe the rulers of Mu have been using their mind scanning tech to imprison those who could potentially pose a threat to the safety of society even if they havenât done anything wrong in an effort to protect themselves and their citizens.
Maybe Iâll throw in some jokes about how Buggy is a cheaper model because it has no safety precautions and can self destruct. And expand on why Buggy doesnât act when things go wrong because that is the âlogical protocolâ is complacency. And expand on the moment Buggy spends with the Gang.
Along side it I would make Eru and Buggy spend time together as well as parallels in a sort of way due to how they are breaking free of them systems of what is âlogicalâ compared to what is ârightâ. Because in the og movie it seemed pretty out of place to me for Eru to talk about Buggyâs sacrifice when they barely interacted with each other.
And instead of the rulers of Mu just immediately agreeing to go with Eruâs plan they dismiss him, saying âitâs too riskyâ or âwe shouldnât trust humansâ and âour technology has proven to us that humans are untrustworthyâ
Because of that Eru has defy orders and break the gang out himself because he knows complacency will get them all killed and he knows now that the gang are good people who do not conform to what society dictates as âevilâ and he shouldnât either
Now thereâs three groups going against each other. The Poseidon Ai trying to destroy the world, the government trying to find and dismantle the formerly dormant nukes hidden all over the region even though itâs a futile task, and the Gang and Eru trying to stop the problem at its roots.
Now this creates a parallel between Mu and Poseidon, both being parties stuck in their own ways, believing themselves to be right, and trying to maintain that image even if it means destroying everything around them. The key difference is why they would do something like that and how willing they are to change for the better.
While Poseidon canât face the truth right in front of its face, willing to destroy the world for no reason other that spite and following its literal coding with no deviation, Mu has people to protect, their hearts -however misguided- can be changed for the better if they make the choice to accept change. Change that comes in the form of the Gang when Mu finally decides to help them by drawing away the enemy forces and listening to Eru.
The final confrontation happens differently (I donât know how because I am very bad at fight choreography but it has to different, Doraemon and Nobita cannot be this idiotic for the love of all thatâs good) but what remains the same is that when all hope seems lost Buggy sacrifices itself illogical to save those who it calls friends, using its foreshadowed self destruct feature to destroy Poseidon. Once again reaffirming that doing what is right is sometimes not doing what is logical.
When Poseidon is destroyed and the Gang returns to Mu is when the rulers finally bow before them and thank them for their sacrifice and speaks their hope for a better future between sea-people and humans. Where everyone is commemorated by Eru during his speech for helping him see the truth and pushing him to change, all 6 of them including Buggy.
Or something like that. Feel free to add your own thoughts :DDD
so context: for the majority of my middle and high school years, i was obsessed with a 90s spin-off series of "Doraemon" called "The Doraemons".
i was working on a reboot series-type fan project for 3 years before taking a break from it due to burn-out.
it's been about 2 to 3 years since then, and i'm sort of back to drawing these characters! they meant the world to me growing up and they still do now, just not as actively present.
More future Gang headcannons but theyâre trauma flavored because there is no way these kids are totally okay after all that
and I cannot shut up about these dorks even if I tried
-
Nobita talks to himself.
Not muttering or thinking aloud, but like genuinely having a conversation with himself, plants, inanimate objects, or even thin air.
He doesnât do it often and he doesnât do it when heâs with other people. But if he gets left alone for too long or he feels stressed about something that he feels no one else can help with he will talk to himself.
This originates from his fear and memories of being alone or being lost, which is translated into an anxiety around long periods of silence.
Pretending to have a conversation basically tricks his brain into being hopeful that someone else is there with him. The same effect applies to a lesser extent when listening to music, but only the songs with lyrics. And he canât listen to same song on repeat too many times or it will eventually become background noise and ineffective.
Heâs not conscious of the why of his behavior but if you ask him heâll just tell you it helps him think and he does get embarrassed if people catch him doing it
-
Shizuka avoids being in the same confined space or standing too close to strangers and whenever she enters a room she will instinctively look for all the nearest exits.
Sheâs also awkward around physical contact she did not initiate or from people she doesnât trust. Sheâs especially not keen when people put their hands on her shoulders or close to her head.
It manifests as a mental itching sensation around the touched area and especially her throat or wrist. Which is why she has the habit of rubbing her neck or arms when talking to new people. And whenever she talks to clients for work she often chooses public places like cafes during the day or places she knows well.
In general she avoids situations where she has to alone with a person she doesnât know or trust.
This stems from the numerous times sheâs been held captive or been threatened by another person. Sheâs very aware thatâs sheâs doing this and tries to minimize it as much as possible because despite her discomfort. She does want to seek professional help eventually, but she doesnât have the time or resources to do so yet.
-
Suneo overexplains himself a lot when heâs anxious and he has a tendency to lie more when he does.
Itâs almost uncontrollable and the lies he tells often cause more problems for him than not. It happens a lot when he's talking to someone intimidating or to people he feels uncomfortable around, especially when they start to question him on something. It doesn't matter how insignificant the question was, or how completely sure he knows the answer, he will still panic.
He panics the most when the topic questions his validity or competency.
He often has to go through conversations multiple times beforehand and all the scenarios that can happen to make sure he doesn't veer off into unscripted territory. When that method fails and he ends up lying to a person he keeps a notebook on him to keep the story straight and try to stop the situation from getting worse.
Like the rest of the gang, he is anxious about his ability to keep himself and others safe after everything they've went through, this manifest as an instinctual over reliance on his speech when he feels he has no other option. He is very much aware of this behavior and tries (unsuccessfully) to stifle it the best he can, but he blames it more on himself than outside factors.
-
Jaian exercises to a worrying extent.
If he can't think or feels overwhelmed or feels any other sort of unwanted emotions his instinct is to exercise until he feels better or just exhausted enough to take his mind off it. During these bouts he often forgets to take care of himself or even make sure he's not straining himself in the long term.
His go to is weightlifting, but if that is not available, he'll settle for anything else that has a rhythm like jogging or swinging a bat over and over. If he can't exercise at all he will fidget, taping his foot or fingers in that same rhythm.
In a way the mindless task and strain on the body keeps his restless limbs preoccupied and keeps him not having to think. But because of that he sometimes loses touch with the outside world when he exercises, and it can take several calls for him to respond.
He shares the same anxiety, he is worried about his ability to protect himself and especially the people around him, which results in a feeling of helplessness even when there's no actual threat. All that restless energy is redirected into physical training instead.
He is aware of his want to be stronger, he just doesn't understand why.
-
Doraemon has to check in on everyone at least twice a week and he always verges on overbearing whenever he does.
Unlike the others this habit only manifested itself fully once everyone left for university and they no longer had the chance to see each other every day. He always calls on a schedule and askes generally the same questions about their well beings every time out of necessity because he will still feel anxious otherwise.
Even if he's tired or stressed or just plain forgot about someone because he's so busy there will always be some part of him that feels uncomfortable until he hears or sees from them again. Then the cycle will start again with Doraemon becoming more and more anxious before he calls again.
He prefers to see their face at the very least whenever he calls and he visits as often as he can. If there is something wrong with them when he calls he has the tendency to drop everything to go to them.
He is aware that he is overthinking it and he can be overbearing when he does this so he tries to limit himself the best he can. He feels like he has it under control most of the time, mostly just to avoid going to the doctor.
A quick snippet of a new Doraemon oneshot Iâm making :D
-
A sports, business, and engineering major walk into a broom closet together. It seems like the start of a very bad joke, but itâs honestly just an average meet up for them on the days they didnât have the time, energy, or money for anything else.
âSo this has been happening for almost a month already?â
âHm.â Came the muffled reply.
âAnd you didnât think to tell the 5 people you are friends with to help, two of which are directly involved in this mess?â
âHm.â He said again.
ââŚThatâs stupid.â
âYouâre stupid!â
âYouâre the one that fell for a goddamn balloon cake of all things.â
âIt was a stressful situation! My reaction was perfectly normal!â Nobita dropped his head down, letting it thunk against the rickety wooden table as he became a blob again, it was useless to argue with Suneo about anything, for better or worse. The man in question did nothing but just take another unimpressed sip of his coffee.
âAre you going to stop moping already because we got like⌠15 minutes till class,â The other voice in the room drawled with a matching un-enthusiasm, relaxed like they were in some fancy coffee shop rather than an abandoned storage closet the group had âborrowedâ for themselves at 6:30 am on a Tuesday.
âYou two are the worse. Why do I even choose to hang out with you.â He grumbles out onto the grains of wood.
âBecause your brother is off gallivanting in space and you literally refuse to look the other two in the eyes like an idiot.â Suneo states bluntly and Nobitaâs 99% sure theyâre snickering at him. âAnd also because we are the only ones that will tell you straight up that youâre being stupid.â
âYeah like right now!â Jaian jabs him in the shoulder, ignoring his indignant ow!? as he continues. âSeriously. Even for you this is a brand new low. How do you even ignore being stalked for a whole ass month?â
âIt wasnât stalking!â Nobita balked as he rubbed his shoulder.
âUh, someone following you around for 4 entire weeks and tracking your plans just so they could sabotage them? Of course thatâs staking!â Suneo interjected with ease as Jaian nodded smugly in the background. He could only huff as he crossed his hands defensively over his chest.
âYou two are impossible.â
âYeah, and youâre an idiot for not telling the other two about all this.â Suneo tells him again. It is a point he agrees with -not that he would ever admit that to either of them-
Wait, wait, wait. You mean to tell me that Ayumu Watanabe directed Witch Hat Atelier and Akane-banashi, two of the most hyped anime this season?! Damn, he's been busy.
I primarily know Watanabe as the director of the Doraemon movies Nobita's Dinosaur (2006) and Nobita and the Green Giant Legend (2008), as well as the Doraemon short film series in the late 1990sâearly 2000s.
I... am not a big fan of Green Giant Legend, but Nobita's Dinosaur (2006) is a solid remake of a classic Doraemon story, and Watanabe's short films are in my opinion among the very best animated media the franchise has to offer.
This is a very old wip but I think it still deserves to see the light of day at least once
What these last few chapters (up to 223 at the very least) made me realize is that we never really get an extended perspective from anyone other than Delta or dungeon folk.
Like at first when I saw Amenstar so concerned and willing to risk his life for Alpha I was confused because I thought we never saw them develop that relationship, because we hadnât, because it happened in the unseen background of Deltaâs perspective
And the more I could think about their relationship the more it made sense because look at these to awkward gangly teens!
Amenstar wants to be cool, wants to look edgier than he actually is, and who better to be that ideal that the one that crashes through the ceiling and leaves in a show of rouge-ish indifference
And even when that facade falls away to show the quiet, almost too blunt teen below look at the other folk Amenstar calls his friends. Look at them in their too bright honesty, look at them in their perfect silence and tell me Alpha wouldnât fit perfectly in their motley crew if he just let himself trust again
I still have so many other thoughts about them that I cut out of my original ask for time!
Like imagine even if the first years hate themselves and what theyâve become they still see their friendsâs good traits and donât understand why they would be ashamed of them.
Maybe the one thing Sebek has for himself and no one else is his hobby of writing. Maybe he writes these beautiful stories, poems, analyses that are so good and so rich in passion and emotionally they could be professionally published. Yet he hides them, posting them online under a disguised pseudonym, treats them like a guilty pleasure he should get rid of, because according to him they are nothing but prove of his immaturity and weakness compared to those around him who seem so composed.
And Deuce cannot for the life of him fathom why because to him Sebek writing shows just how strong he is, how talented in so many fields, and how intelligent and empathetic he can be. Everything he wants himself to be but cannot achieve because heâs just not good enough. Not good enough for his mother, not good enough for himself, not good enough for the group of people he finds himself with. He is ashamed of himself for his inability to be better.
Despite that Ace canât see Deuce as anything other than incredible. Canât help but envy his persevere and endless drive to pull himself higher and higher. Even when he fails he keeps facing the problem head on over and over again, so completely unlike Ace. Who can only hide and run when faced with defeat, who when faced with Riddleâs temper for barely a month ran while Deuce stood strong for years. Who is so stubborn and confrontational he canât even hold a job down for more than a year.
While Jack looks at him and sees a sort of freedom he always yearns for. The tenacity to say everything thatâs on his mind, to stand up against the injustice and the cruelty that plagues the world around them and the strength to keep doing so even when those actions causes him harm. He wishes he could do the same, wishes that he had the guts to do it, wishes he could change compared to the complacency that keeps his afloat like a coward.
But when Epel looks at him he is filled with admiration and envy for Jackâs confidence. Because Jack is comfortable in his own skin. Because he can exist in a world that nips and ridicules him for being him without blaming himself. He can have the endurance to outlast them compared to Epel who blows a gasket every time, who has no patience, and no self control or respect. Who looks like a fool every time he tries.
Yet Yuu wishes they had that anger. They wish they had the stubbornness to asset themselves, to repeat over and over again who they want to be and who they were even when the world forces label after label on them. They wish they had the power to hold onto every part of themselves and not let go no matter what people thought.
Even so Ortho admires their ability to change and to cause change. To make themselves heard and seen, to push against the tides of circumstance and fate around them no matter the odds. To come out on the other side different from what they were before. He admires so much of their independence, something he cannot have himself.
And when it comes all around Sebek looks at Ortho with admiration. Because Ortho is strong where he isnât. Ortho understands people where he doesnât. Knows how people feel and knows how to act when he can do neither.
All of them have their own flaws and problems but they still also have strengths inside them that only the others can point out and force them into realizing and growing
Additionally I think it could be fun if the rest of the upperclassmen had their own parallel story line as well
For example while trying to find out more information about their attackers the group run into the gangâs other target Prince Kalim and his assistant Jamil who was brought along side him on vacation. So the groups are forced to work together for their mutual benefit not knowing that one of them has less than pure intentions that ultimately spike the groupâs danger and paranoia
And then maybe the group gets desperate enough to ask for outside help, but considering one of them is an active fugitive beforehand, another is not legally a person, and the rest of them cannot fathom asking their superiors for any sort of help they cannot go to the police, or any of the upperclassmen. So they turn to the only other option, a certain octopus and his two henchmen who most definitely has his hands in underground businesses âwho coincidentally is also at risk of this gang damaging his business empireâ forming a deal that brings them to the other side of the law by necessity
Both instances drive the first years deeper into hiding, switching off their phones, avoiding cameras at all costs, using magic to hide themselves, trying their very best to stay hidden while uncovering the situation the got themselves in
On the other side of the city the police finally manage to gather a contentious group of people into the same room.
A famous actor, a disgraced prince, a tablet, and many others who look like they would rather be anywhere else rather than here. But still they stayed in their places watching the grainy street camera footage of 7 figures disappearing down the street late last night chased by unknown pursuers, somehow the only evidence they have of the group.
The police are predictably unable to help in any other way, so our beloved upperclassmen have to take matters into their own hands and work (sorta) together to get their people back even though most of them dislike each other and the last time theyâve seen one another is in high school.
A extremely difficult task as they now suddenly canât contact the first years, tracking magic doesnât work, and they have to get their raging problems with each other and with themselves under control to actually get anywhere.
But as we know they are nothing but stubborn and will do everything they can to find their people. And as we also know the only ones to match that stubbornness is the first year, who will attempt absolutely anything to prove themselves and avoid asking for help
Creating a goose chase as our 7 tries to outpace the gang after them, the police, the upperclassmen (and the consequences they bring) while the upperclassmen tear through the city trying to find them, narrowly missing at every turn
(I still am conflicted on whether the overblots should happen in this universe or not, because on one hand Iâm pretty sure thatâs the only way anyone would get these idiots to talk about their emotions, but on the other Iâm not sure thereâs enough time to fit in 8 overblots and also the drastic difference between Malleus the (undeniably strong but still a) student overbloting and Malleus goddamn Draconia future king of Briar Valley overbloting so please give me your opinion on that if you want to :D )
Thank you again for your additional ideas!!!
banger after banger, like srsly what
i can't emphasize enough how so ridiculously SCRUMPTIOUS it is for all of the freshmen to internally hate themselves, meanwhile every other person in the group is looking at them like "this. this is the person i should've been". it's like they're glimpsing into our world, the world they never got, where their friendship in nrc helps them in ways they can't describe, and it only makes them hate themselves all the more.
i wouldn't say the group of this universe is toxic necessarily, but they are unintentionally rubbing the salt in each other's wounds, and it's so so so so so GOOD.
and the fACT THAT OUR MAIN CAST COMING BACK TOGETHER IS A CANON EVENT LIKE HONESTLY. LIKE THESE FREAKS CAN'T STAY AWAY FROM EACH OTHER HUH. LIKE IT ALWAYS GOTTA BE THIS WAY HUH. the freshmen don't really trust kalim, jamil, azul, or the tweels (not like they do in our universe, anyway (except for kalim)), but they're forced to rely on them. it could've been anybody else in twisted wonderland, but no, it was them.
i can imagine that kalim hands the first-years some money so they can set themselves up in a decent apartment so they can lay low for a few days so they don't get caught, and azul's restaurant automatically becomes a meeting spot so they can strategize on how to get out of this mess.
on the flipside, can u imagine how insane it would be to be called into a missing persons investigation that's linked to a criminal organization, and u show up, and every single other person they've called to interview are all somehow people you knew back in high school. like that is so funny and like straight-up ya novel level shit.
and, like it or not, all of the upperclassmen are worried about their subordinates. the diasomnia group most of all since they've known sebek the longest, but i imagine the others aren't doing so well, either. bcuz, like i said, this is straight-up ya novel level shit, and so that means smth's going down.
and the first-years are literally doing everything they can to avoid getting caught by them. epel starts wearing long overcoats and fake mustaches whenever they go out for groceries. deuce teaches everyone how to properly dye their hair. sebek starts wearing contacts and headphones to avoid his reptilian eyes and his fae ears. everytime they have to go out, they bring ace, who can come up with a good distraction in a hurry if they ever get caught.
i imagine this is where they would start to bond. they're forced to live together, so might as well at least try to get along. it's rough at first, but like in the original universe, the adversity of their situation brings them all together.
as for the overblots, i'm unsure. the first-years don't really have a reason to go directly against the upperclassmen in this universe (in fact, you could say they're actively avoiding engaging with them, lol), and so, four of the main overblots can never happen.
without ace and deuce, riddle never overuses his signature spell, and thus, never overblots; without yuu and jack, leona never gets caught in whatever sabotage he's come up with this time, and so, no overblot; without ace, deuce, yuu, and jack, azul's scams never lead to his contracts getting sanded and so he never overblots either; without yuu, jamil never gets found out for his scheming, and so he doesn't lose it and overblots.
the only people i can reasonably think of that would still overblot regardless of the freshmen's involvement are vil and malleus, because those were due to entirely external factors that had been building up for a very long time. but again: this is a universe where assumably nobody overblotted in high school, so i don't think they're about to start now.
which is a shame, because i desperately want the overblots to happen, because it would make the freshmen's trust/avoidance issues SO much worse, and i live for that tasty, tasty angst.
(and like sebek would be the worst, because can you imagine? you live your whole life dedicated to this one guy and this one family, but the very second you start to stray, start forming your own identity, start building genuine friendships, he goes and overblots and almost kills you and everything else you were starting to hold dear.
and for the first time in your life, you resent your liege and everything he stands for.
like if that happened to me, that would destroy me, that is the worst possible thing that could happen.)
anyway, if you can come up with a good reason for them to overblot anyway, i'd be glad to hear it, lol.
