courting behaviour hcs ; twisted wonderland
‘how each of the listed characters would utilise animalistic courting behaviours to win your heart’
azul ashengrotto / floyd leech / jade leech / leona kingscholar / ruggie bucchi / jack howl x gender neutral ! reader insert
azul ashengrotto
courting amongst octomers is by its very nature an incredibly slow process — primarily because it carries a substantial risk for males to be attacked, killed, and potentially even cannibalised, should their prospective mate not take very kindly to their efforts — but azul’s approach manages to somehow be even more cautious than most. much to the tweels’ endless amusement, naturally. and it’s not because he fears being eaten or harmed, because he knows logically that you won’t do that to him, but rather out of a longstanding fear of being rejected and mocked for baring his heart to you. yeah, the scars from bullying run deep with him and it really shows here. so, in other words, you can expect this process to go on for months before he ever actually formally asks you out
courtship is all about body language for octomers, but he’s aware enough to recognise that you’re unlikely to understand what he’s trying to do if he leans too heavily on the things he learned about growing up back in the coral sea. so, naturally, he pivots and spends a shameful amount of time every day with his head buried in various human body language guides and studies and books in the hopes of figuring out the perfect routine to properly woo you in a way that makes sense and feels right to both of you
one of his main ways of trying to court you is by inventing events in the mostro lounge so he has an excuse to invite you to dance. something that gives him the chance to show off everything he’s learned about landdweller dancing an body language in a controlled environment that also gives him an easy out if his anxiety gets the better of him or he just generally starts to sense any signs of a potential rejection from you
he also starts initiating more physical touch with you in general, but he’s so hilarious unsubtle about what he’s trying to do in the moment that it’s borderline impossible not to realise his intentions. especially when he flushes so deeply and looks like he’s about to vomit up ink from sheer nerves when he finally makes skin-to-kin contact with you
yeah… needless to say he’d be very very appreciative of any positive or encouraging signals you send his way during the process because this whole thing is terrifying for him to go through. but, regardless of that, he’s determined to prove himself to you as a good mate so he fights his own rejection anxiety and nerves to court you right
and while you’d be forgiven for not realising his intentions at the start, all of his general flightiness and the near-constant flushed state of his face whenever you’re in his vicinity is sure to give him away sooner rather than later. so maybe put him out of his misery and ask him out first… before he spirals any further into all the possible worst case scenarios his tragically quick mind can conjur
floyd leech
impulsive as ever, floyd is the type of person who jumps straight into courting you with everything he’s got the second he comes to the conclusion that he wants to spend his life with you. and, because floyd is floyd, he doesn’t even consider the fact that you might be more receptive to signals that align with landdweller courting steps and just puts his all into courting you moray-eelmer style
and the first part of that is him making a whole lot of food for you and trying to feed you, ideally by hand, every single day. he goes all out for this as well: free meals at the lounge made by him and delivered to your table with a grin that toes the line between terrifying and sweet, snacks from the mystery shop all but forced into your hands and pockets and bag between classes, your favourite meals and desserts all prepared by him (off menu and free of charge, to azul’s very open irritation) just for your enjoyment, and so on and so on
and whenever you reject his courting gifts (because you feel a bit threatened or maybe don’t want to risk getting in debt to anyone from octavinelle because that never goes well) he gets so visibly dejected and ends up in an either deeply despondent or horrifically pissy mood, which he will then take out on everyone who isn’t you. namely whoever he’s sent after to deal with by azul. this doesn’t dissuade him from trying again later that same day, though, as he’s determined to win his beloved shrimpy’s heart and will not give up anytime soon. or ever. lucky you!
there’s also a lot of mouth gaping involved, naturally. which is a bit weird from your perspective unless you happen to be very familiar with moray eels and their behaviour. but inevitably you will end up reciprocating, either intentionally (while knowing fully what you’re getting into, or just to placate him while having no clue what you’re actually doing) or unintentionally (like being caught mid-word or post-yawn), and then you will have a very chipper, very clingy, very territorial eel hanging around you for the forseeable future. much to his twin’s visible amusement
the dancing thing — something done pretty much exclusively as a means of solidifying a bond and signifying the transition out of ‘courting’ and into a proper relationship — can come later when this current transformation potion runs out and he returns to his actual form so he can do it properly with you. and he promises he’ll only squish you a little bit, so you’ve nothing to worry about!
so… yeah. as far as courting methods go, while a bit strange to be on the receiving end of without any sort of prior context, his efforts are undeniably rather sweet and shockingly effective in the end. persistence pays off, apparently
jade leech
unlike his twin brother jade makes a point of thoroughly researching general landdweller customs around dating and courting as well as you specifically so he can come up with the best method of approach. something that includes the courting customs and expectations that he grew up learning and memorising as a moray eelmer, as well as the customs he knows (through questionably moral research methods) that you are the most familiar with and receptive to, and thus that is all but guaranteed to get the result he wants — that being you accepting him as a mate… obviously
as far as moray customs go, his main focus is on feeding you the things he’s foraged and hunted himself. all cooked and prepared to perfection, and all entirely safe for consumption (of course he checked that, as much as he loves a good experiment he is trying to court you and he’d rather not take any chances), and all served with a very particular and expectant look on his face like he’s waiting for you to do something specific in response. though he never tells you what he’s looking for… so…
he starts spending a lot more time around you too. both in more public settings — like opting to study with you in the library, inviting you to dine with him at the mostro lounge during his break, stopping to talk with you in the school courtyard in between lessons, etc. — as well as more private ones — e.g. inviting you to sleep over at his dorm with the excuse of wanting some company while his brother was away on some club trip over the weekend, or insisting you join him in the mountain lovers club so you can spend some time away from the endless chaos of campus, and so on. and while he isn’t lying about wanting to spend more time with you and generally enjoying your company, the main reason he’s started seeking you out so much is to try and subtly ward off anyone else who might try to vie for your affections. but he’s subtle enough about how he does it that you may not even notice
he does eventually invite you to dance with him in the water — but only when he can take on his merform again, only when enough time has passed where he feels like he has thoroughly met your requirements to consider moving onto this step in your courtship, and he will be keeping his mouth ever so slightly agape the entire time. not in the full gesture as an eelmer would traditionally do it, but enough to test the waters and see if you understand what he’s trying to do while also going through the motions of wooing you through the dance (multitasking, in other words)
and when you do accept and gape your mouth at him in return, even if you’re noticeably a bit out of the loop about why you needed to do it and why the gesture was so important to him, jade is visibly delighted in a way you’ve never seen from him before. it’s cute, in a way
so, yeah… while jade is definitely the most upfront of the twins when it comes to his intentions, which makes it easier for you to figure out that he’s actually trying to court you, there’s still every chance that you might not realise what he’s doing until floyd starts teasing you about his brother’s obsession with you. especially if he thinks your reactions to his courting attempts to be especially amusing and decides to draw things out a little bit longer just for fun…
leona kingscholar
the moment leona decides to start actively pursuing you as a potential mate pretty solidly corresponds to the moment that your personal space became a thing of the past. because a lot of lion beastman courting involves shadowing and spending a lot of alone time with their prospective partner, and leona leans very heavily into that… so you can look forward to a lot of naps in the hidden-away corners of campus in your future because that is leona’s go-to method for keeping you all to himself
and, yes, when he does manage to successfully pull you down to nap with him he is a lot more affectionate and borderline clingy with you than he ever was before. and that includes everything from holding you in such a way that you have no choice but to make yourself comfortable on his chest or tucked firmly against his side, to straight up nuzzling his head against yours in a slow casual-ish way that’s oddly reminiscent of a particularly tactile and touch starved house cat
and good luck trying to escape because he will be putting up a fight about it, utelising his heavy build and considerable strength to keep you down with him for as long as possible until either you very firmly tell him to let go (he’s clingy and courting you, not an asshole) or until someone (usually ruggie) manages to find you both and drags him off to fulfil all of the duties he’s been neglecting while actively trying to woo you
circling back to the whole ‘shadowing’ thing… yeah he’s gonna start following you around basically everywhere you go. he might even start actively attending his classes for a change if you’re in them as well, but otherwise he’ll just walk you to yours, go off and nap somewhere quiet, and then come back to meet you once the period ends. he does this mostly to ward off any potential competition (instincts are king, even in school), but also because he just enjoys your company… even if he never actually says as much outright
but if all of that wasn’t enough to clue you in on what he’s hinting at, then leona blatantly encouraging you to sink your teeth into his throat or shoulders or arms should do the trick. of course he doesn’t start hinting towards this until he’s certain that you return his feelings as leaving marks like that is a really serious thing amongst beastmen, but once you’ve reached that point it’s pretty impossible to ignore the fact that you’re being courted by the lion prince
so all in all leona’s courting is both shockingly tender and very difficult to ignore unless you’re especially oblivious or just happen to have your blinders on towards how he’s acting with you specifically. and in that case he’ll probably end up telling you outright eventually when the novelty of your obliviousness wears off and he gets tired of playing the long game with you… either way, though, it’s not hard to figure out that leona’s treating you far better than anyone else nor is it much of a challenge to figure out why (namely because of how much ruggie has been teasing him for going so soft on you, but that’s by the by)
ruggie bucchi
when ruggie makes the decision to start actively pursuing you and courting you, the first thing you’re likely to notice is his newly gained habit of shadowing you wherever you go. always a good few steps behind but never so far away as to completely fade into the crowd, but always backing up the second you notice him — a clear pattern that his grandmother raised him to follow… but that may come across as a bit odd or even threatening (especially if you’re someone he happens to have run afoul of in the past on leona’s orders) if you don’t know what he’s actually trying to do
when he does manage to keep your attention it’s like he’s an entirely different hyena to the one you got to know through his shameless shenanigans around campus. gone is his usual confidence and telltale laughter, replaced instead by an array of submissive gestures like head bowing, averting his eyes, and generally trying everything he can to make himself smaller in front of you. things that get him teased to hell and back by his dorm mates who know exactly what the runt is trying to do, even if you’re personally none the wiser
and sevens help him if you get too close to him during the process because even the most oblivious person around could tell just how nervous and flighty he is from how much he’s struggling to maintain eye contact with you. seemingly fighting the instinct to show you the side of his face instead as he would if you were another hyena beastman. and then the second someone else tries to grab your attention it’s like he’s back to his old self, however briefly, utelising everything he has at his disposal to get the other person to back off and leave you both be
there’s also the smaller attempts he makes to help groom you the closer you get together: helping you clean up and do your hair after a p.e. lesson, cleaning up your face for you if you’re a messy eater, correcting your uniform if you look ruffled, and even taking and tenderly repairing any clothing items that get ripped or damaged for you like he’s done for leona in the past — generally showing you how reliable and caring of a mate he could be for you
he also tries to gain more of your favour by sharing food with you. either just giving you a larger portion of whatever he bought or made for himself (something he’d sooner die than do with anyone else because he does not play when it comes to food), or borrowing leona’s card to buy your favourite snacks or the ingredients for your favourite meal so he can make something just for you
so to conclude, while his avoidant and flighty behaviour could easily be misconstrued as an attempt at messing with you in some way, and you’d be forgiven for assuming as much given his history, with enough time (and maybe after being clued in by a very earnest jack and a very amused leona) you’ll surely pick up on all the hints he’s been giving you… and maybe come out the other side with a scrappy, loyal, and now much less avoidant boyfriend (should you choose to accept him as your mate, obviously)
jack howl
as jack as made clear to you and other many times before, wolf beastmen like himself are the type to mate for life and that means he’s going to be incredibly upfront with you about his intentions, what he wants out of your relationship long term, and how he intends to court you while also opening up the floor for you to discuss what you want and need from him in return. so, in other words, there’s no guessing about what jack is doing because he will tell you outright and ask for your permission before he even begins
proximity is a big part of courtship for wolf beastmen and once you give him the go ahead to start courting you there will rarely be a moment where jack isn’t loyally sticking by your side. aside from when he has a responsibility he can’t avoid, like a club meet or assignment, and even then he’s visibly displeased with the fact he has to leave your side for any length of time
jack also becomes noticeably more tactile with you: correcting your uniform, offering to restyle your hair for you after p.e., always ready to reach out to catch and steady you the second you look like you might trip, offering you his arm or hand to hold, and so on. things that are only notable because he’s usually so stoic and stern about upholding certain boundaries with others, so even if you weren’t already aware this gradual shift would have likely been enough to clue you in on what he’s doing
and circling back to his habit of helping you with your clothes and hair, that’s another significant step in the courting process on its own and something that he will go out of his way to do just so you don’t need to ask anyone else for help. social grooming strengthens bonds between mates, after all, and he’s set on building the strongest foundation he possibly can between you to set you up for a long and happy life together
another major change that is sure to show everyone exactly what’s going on between you is how much softer and almost playful jack is with you. he’s still his stoic, serious self, but he’s much more receptive to your wandering hands and playful remarks, maybe even attempting a few of his own when you two are alone. and that’s not even to mention how much his tail starts to wag during those more playful, puppy-love-esque moments, which only makes the whole favouritism situation all the more obvious to everyone around you
all in all, with how clear and upfront he is about his intentions and how blatantly his behaviour changes around you compared to literally everyone else it’s impossible for you not to realise that you’re being courted by him. even if you happen to be another member of the aptly titled ‘facepalm brigade’ with kalim and silver
