A somewhat silly blog dedicated to writing analysis (and sometimes requests) about Twisted Wonderland, its characters, scenario, etc! Blog in progress.
Hiya! You can call me Tammie (he/she/they)! I'm just another Twisted Wonderland fan that decided to overanalyse this game because I'm obsessed with it and will try to post things that I analyse every now and then + some of my own writings about this silly game. I accept requests too!
A few important things first though.
I'm an adult (25), so if anyone feels uncomfortable with that, feel free to unfollow, block or anything of the sort. This blog might eventually have some NSFW due to requests or out of my own decision. It will all be properly tagged, have a read more, etc.
Requests are open, but I do have my own filter regarding writing requests or even an analysis. Pedophilia, rape, incest and necrophilia are the main "absolutely not". Anything else that can be considered a heavy/delicate theme, I'll write or analyse it as long as the request understands that it's meant to be taken seriously (which is exactly what I will try to do). It will, of course, be tagged properly, and for heavier themes, I might ask or use more resources in order to make it less about what I think inside of my own POV and more about what is respectful.
I'll try to work around writing requests, but it's not my main goal here, I'll try to keep it brief (might not happen) and if you want something specific, all I ask is that you make it as specific as you can about your request. It won't bother me in the slightest! If it's something very specific, feel free to ask. If it's not, that's also cool! Just please be clear about it.
No hate on ANY character, plot or device will be tolerated. Criticizing is one thing, and that is very, very welcome for the debate. And by no hate, I don't mean you can't actually have strong negative feelings towards something here. It happens! I also have those! However, the point is to remain civil even if you see something you strongly dislike. We all have stuff we hate with a passion (so do I, trust me) but this is not the place for it.
When it comes to shipping, I only have a few ships to begin with, so I won't really start any analysis or writing requests on canon x canon ships unless specifically requested. I'll try my best to see the vision though! And that usually doesn't include OCs or reader, if anything it's easier on me.
This is a sideblog. My main blog barely exists ( @tammiesheep ), and it's mostly where I post stuff tied to my other writings on AO3, and I'm not really around there either, since I mostly roleplay on another main blog. That's just so you are aware/won't find it weird if I don't follow back or if I take ages to reply.
IMPORTANT: I will use official material, but I won't try to sell my analysis as the most canon thing in the world. Absolute canon doesn't exist in my hands. It can get close to it, sure, but it's a matter of how much I'll try to read into the characters and fill some gaps myself. I can and will strive to get close, but I won't be 100% accurate and I'll never claim to be. I also think that's part of the magic of it and we can all contribute to each other (my ideas are not 100% of my own either! More than often I talk with others to build it more). I am not going to Vil Schoenheit my experience to make it perfect, but I will do my best to make it make sense with my ideas that go beyond the exact words the game shows. If I stray too much, I will accept proper criticism! And yes, it can eventually change my mind about things!
Below is just a couple things that are not rules, but either important to know how the blog works, to know me a bit better or just random facts that might be interesting.
My tags:
tammie is speaking - just me speaking stuff that might or might not be useful, but nothing that big.
tammie is announcing - real stuff that are either tied to rules being added, temporary absence, etc. The important announcements are here.
tammie is analyzing - exactly what you think. This can include both analysis for a character, an specific event or book...or whatever, really.
tammie is writing - usually for requests of scenarios or just me diving deep into a plot that no one asked for but I'm still delivering.
the sauce - it's porn. yep. That's it.
suggestive - exactly what you think. Not porn, but suggestive enough to warrant a tag.
MASTERLIST (in progress)
How I analyse: My main goal is to analyse with the books, and use the Manga, Vignettes and Events as extra material. These last three are extra for one simple reason: they all conflict a bit. Some characters act so friendly on Vignettes and outside of it, it's like they barely know each other, some characters act worse when the main story never shows them doing anything that extreme because vignettes are extra dorky sometimes. Events are a bit difficult to time when they happened and halloween-themed events are even worse. I don't think that means these extras are not a good indication of a character, but I don't think every single part of it needs to be taken that seriously.
I'm also going to throw links every now and then to specific dialogue I'm referring to, because if I quote every single thing or screenshot every single thing, it will become 4+ pages for each analysis. So, if you see a name or a description with a link, it's a link to the wiki more than often as it already has all dialogue needed.
Favorite characters: Actually very hard to pick! I'm often torn between characters and at moments one will become my fave and then it will change again. Tbh it's actually a miracle that I don't dislike any characters, but that's kind of expected for me when it comes to games like these. I take them all under my wing and Grim is my son at this point.
Favorite ships: There are like three that are canon x canon. Everything else is with OCs that I either made, or my friends made. Anything else, I'll try, but it will be hard.
About me: I'm Brazilian! If you saw me on a Roleplay blog or saw me writing other fanfiction before because of my main blog... yeah, I have a billion fics I need to update. ONE DAY. Lord help me. Also, I'm almost done with college, going through a somewhat of a mix of linguistics, translation and literature major for English and Brazilian Portuguese. Should be over soon. ONE DAY. Lord help me.
What the fuck is my header: a stupid thing I made as a joke with a friend. Long explanation short, it's a joke on how Trey sometimes hides the shit Riddle does under the rug (and yes I am exagerating it for the sake of a joke. It's just a meme).
Slowly crawling myself out of the void to say if I don't get pajama Deuce I will CRY. It's one of the best pajamas. I don't make the rules.
But also HOPEFULLY I'll get more mood to write again? God I want to. If anyone has a request or a suggestion (analysis, character x reader) I'll take it, it might boost my creative juices if I write a bit on request.
TW: death, grief, suicide, major character death, mental illness, canon divergent, corpse related imagery, religious and moral desecration, sex with a ghost, guilt, abusive/toxic relationships, gothic themes, DEAD DOVE: DO NOT EAT. MDNI.
Mercurii Sepultus was never meant to be a love story. It’s a fanfiction about grief, obsession, and the way love can rot when it’s forced to live beyond its natural life. It’s about Malleus Draconia, who loses the one thing that made all of that meaningful.
At its heart, Mercurii Sepultus is a meditation on grief that refuses to heal. It’s what happens when mourning becomes an obsession, when affection becomes possession, when the line between loving and being delusional fades. Malleus doesn’t know how to let go. He can’t understand that loving someone also means accepting their freedom to leave or to die. So instead, he keeps loving past the point of sanity.
It’s also about consequence. It’s about what happens when your love, your silence, your choices and your pride finally come back to face you. Malleus doesn’t suffer because fate is cruel or because the universe wanted to punish him - he suffers because he was the one to lead you to insanity, the indirect reason why you decided to jump from the tower. His tragedy isn’t cosmic; it’s personal. He built it, piece by piece, out of fear, arrogance, and the refusal to understand that love isn’t ownership.
The apparition that follows Malleus through his castle isn’t there to comfort him; it’s there to remind him of what he destroyed. Every chapter is him confronting another layer of that destruction - first denial, then yearning, then guilt, then desperate attempt to reclaim what’s long gone and, finally, acceptance. The supernatural elements - visions, hauntings, dreams - are metaphors for the way grief can possess a person and you, the ghost, can be seen as just a fragment of his twisted mind. He sees you because he refuses to stop seeing you. He touches you because he cannot believe you’re truly cold. His “haunting” is really self-inflicted; it’s his own mind decaying.
The Latin title, Mercurii Sepultus - “Mercury Buried” - was chosen for a reason. Mercury not only is a highly toxic material, but in alchemy it also represents the spirit. Also, in Spanish and Latin, Mercury means Wednesday and the whole fanfiction plays with this day. Why? Because I like the Addams Family. That’s it. I’m way less deeper than you guys think. Also, Mercury is the type of metal that moves between states - liquid and solid, alive and dead. I wanted to write a story that lived in that in-between space: not life, not afterlife, but the limbo of someone who refuses to move on. That’s where Malleus lives throughout the fanfiction - in the space between what he loved and what he destroyed.
By the end, it’s no longer about whether the ghost is real, or whether they forgive him. It’s about him finally understanding what he did - how his love, meant to protect, became the thing that caged and suffocated you. And in that understanding, there’s a kind of twisted peace. He sees the truth at last, even if it breaks him. The story ends not with redemption, but with acceptance - which could be interpreted either as him mentally accepting you’re gone or him jumping from the tower as well to join you in death. It is left pretty open which one of those two things actually happened.
During the first chapters, Malleus is portrayed as a poor soul - a grieving figure, a victim mourning you, or rather, the absence of you. Yet from the very beginning, it becomes clear that his sorrow is not as pure as it appears. His feelings are biased, deeply self-centered. He does not truly mourn your death - he mourns the void it left in his world. His pain comes not from what you lost, but from what he lost: control, possession, the comforting illusion that you were his to protect, to love, to keep. In truth, he isn’t lamenting your passing, but the simple, unbearable fact that he can no longer own you. Death, after all, is the one realm over which he holds no dominion.
In Mercurii Sepultus, Malleus is portrayed as abusive - though not in the traditional sense. He never raised a hand against you; instead, his cruelty was psychological and suffocating. He isolated you under the guise of protection, keeping you locked away, cutting you off from friends and the world beyond his reach. His love was possessive, his tenderness conditional, born of dependence rather than understanding. There’s a thread of narcissism running through him - not vanity, but the belief that his love, his care, was inherently right and righteous, no matter how it consumed you.
His grief, in that sense, is real - but his version of the story is not reliable. The tragedy of Mercurii Sepultus lies in this duality: that Malleus is both victim and perpetrator, both lover and jailer. His suffering is genuine, but it is also self-inflicted. And as readers, it is crucial to remember that beneath the poetry of his mourning lies the stark truth - he is crying not for you, but for the ruin of his own making.
Fun aspects:
1. The Servants and Mental Health
From the very beginning, Malleus’ servants show little concern for his emotional well-being. They serve as personifications of society’s disregard for mental health. They dismiss your death as inevitable, assume he will recover quickly and ignore the visible decline of both his and your psychological states. Only when everything collapses - when Malleus brings your corpse to the castle and the air turns putrid - do they finally realize the gravity of it all. It’s a commentary on how people only seem to care about mental health when it’s already too late.
2. The Portrait
The portrait represents Malleus’s romanticized vision of you - an illusion of perfection he clings to. As it begins to rot, it mirrors his gradual recognition that things were never as pure as he imagined, and that your real body is now decaying elsewhere. It’s both symbolic and literary, directly inspired by The Picture of Dorian Gray.
3. Chapter One - The Letter and the Ink
In the first chapter, Malleus attempts to write a letter related to a proposing marriage, but he spills ink across the parchment. This moment isn’t just accidental - it symbolizes his inability to move forward, his grief staining every attempt at closure. The ink becomes a metaphor for paralysis, for words and emotions that can no longer be contained or expressed properly.
4. Chapter Two - The Dead Dove
Chapter two is filled with imagery of dead doves. These birds symbolize the death of innocence, purity lost, and the end of peace. On another level, it’s a darkly humorous nod to the Dead Dove: Do Not Eat trope - a warning that this story will not shy away from disturbing or morally complex themes. The metaphor works on both emotional and meta-textual levels, blending tragedy with ironic self-awareness.
5. Writing the Ghost Scene
Writing Malleus’s sexual encounter with the ghost was particularly challenging. It easily risked crossing into necrophilia - a boundary I refused to step over. My beta reader and I worked carefully to tone it down while keeping the emotional intensity intact. The final version, I think, conveys his overwhelming guilt beautifully - his desperate attempt to connect with what he destroyed, without crossing into the grotesque for its own sake. It is also inspired by the song Sex with a Ghost.
6. Chapter Three - Death Without Beauty
Your death in chapter three is portrayed in a raw, brutal way - intentionally stripped of romanticism. I didn’t want a “beautiful” or poetic suicide; I wanted it to hurt. It needed to be ugly, uncomfortable, human - the way death truly is. This chapter exposes the emotional horror behind Malleus’s actions and forces the reader to confront the reality of loss without aesthetic filters.
7. Chapter Four - Denial and Desecration
Chapter four captures Malleus’s descent into complete denial. He wanders in a psychotic haze until he finds your grave. Surrounded by angel statues that seem to watch and judge him, he becomes the sinner among angels. The scene where he masturbates over your casket - inspired by the song Masturbating in a Coffin - is not for shock value; it’s symbolic. His hands are “dirty” because they carry his sin, and his act of desecration in a sacred space shows how guilt and desire have merged into one corrupted emotion.
The moment he wonders if a kiss might bring you back references both Sleeping Beauty and Snow White, but also one of Laito’s bad endings in Diabolik Lovers. It’s the intersection of fairytale delusion and twisted nostalgia.
8. Final Chapter - Acceptance and Consequence
The final chapter revolves around acceptance - or what remains of it. Whether Malleus dies or lives is left ambiguous, but both interpretations are tragic. If he dies, it’s a final act of self-destruction; if he lives, it’s eternal punishment, condemned to his guilt. There is no forgiveness, no redemption - only consequence… But despite everything, he never really pays for his own crimes.
9. The Five Stages of Grief
The story is divided into five chapters as a subtle reference to the five stages of grief. Though not represented in strict order, the structure loosely mirrors denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. It’s less about following the psychological model precisely and more about capturing the cyclical, chaotic way grief actually manifests.
This is my first time reading the Vargas event and I ABSOLUTELY LOVE how Trey gets a spotlight...precisely because he doesn't want to so badly, he basically nerfs himself. That was him not trying.
It's not even a case of someone/a specific rule making him do it, like Jamil. As far as we can tell, that's either just how he grew up, or a personal preference of not wanting more things to do. Almost like he avoids spotlight because of the trouble it can bring (duties, extra pressure, extra attention...and just not being used to praise because of avoiding any chance to get attention) despite his bare minimum already exceeding expectations.
Friendly reminder (to myself and others) that, with the anime coming... Yuuken is a foil to Riddle because of his leadership skills ans his respectful but fierce demeanor.
Where Riddle managed to rule with fear, Yuuken manages to lead with courage and determination. Where Riddle did things against his own will, because of what he was taught, Yuuken focused on his own passions and built friendships around it.
Após SÉCULOS, estou finalmente postando: o primeiro capítulo da minha fic do Floyd X OC (twisted do Gênio). Por enquanto no Ao3, mas assim que der posto também no Wattpad. Um obrigado ENORME pra @auren-zagarra, minha beta reader, pela paciência com minhas ideias e papos. Obrigadão pras amizades que me ajudaram com roleplay e ideias. E sim, a fic tá em Português Brasileiro, porque tem muita referência à coisas BR. Tá no sangue, e acima de tudo, É NÉONZINHO NESSA PORRA E MINHA AMIGA QUE INTERPRETOU O FLOYD BRILHOU AQUI NESSE APELIDO, EU NÃO VOU MUDAR NÃO.
--//--
After AGES, I'm finally posting this: the first chapter for my Floyd Leech x OC (twisted from Genie). MASSIVE thanks for Auren (not pinging her again lol) for being my beta reader and being so patient with my ideas, rambling. Massive thanks for my friends who supported me with roleplay and ideas. It's in Brazilian Portuguese, because it's so full of brazilian references that I have to. It's in my blood. I AM NOT CALLING KARTER "CARDINALFISHIE OR NEONFISHIE" THAT SOUNDS SO LAME.
I'm alive, but I did neglect this blog a bit ngl. I'm still cooking a few analysis on what each dorm represents and what makes you part of one!! But also
For any brazilian followers (or for anyone that can read portuguese/doesn't care about using a translator), I'm writing my silly fanfic for my Genie OC X Floyd, based on stuff that happened on roleplay
And @auren-zagarra is being my beloved beta reader that is honestly a blessing! Chapter 1 should arrive soon, hopefully. I just need to fix some things first
(Pros BR que lerem isso, é. Fanfic de um OC do gênio...com o Floyd. Com trinta referências de coisa que nem eu lembro às vezes)
Ok so if book 8 will have Malleus and Diasomnia helping, just like every book gets the previous dorm to help and book 7 made it sound like everyone would help a bit but most of them did not really do much outside of dream stuff
What if Malleus will get an infusion of magic from everyone because, as far as spoilers from book 7.5 have said, he can't use magic as usual now + is too weak to do all the stuff he could do before. Do you see the vision. Malleus/Goku with the Genki Dama made of magic and spite from all night raven... gokulleus...
(This is a HALF joke unless I'm somehow right and it happens one day. I can dream.)
Picture this... a fanfiction where Yuu actually played Twisted Wonderland and was a huge fan of the game. But then, once they’re isekaied and actually interact with the characters, they realize they’re all kind of insufferable and just want to go back home to watch sad edits of them instead of dealing with the real thing.
Bonus points if their oshi turns out to suck in person and they end up crushing on some random character they never even paid attention to before.
I saw this some time ago and I can't get it out of my mind. It's such a good writing concept and it can play so well with how relationships can turn out different than what we think at first.
I might write something like that for funsies (if anyone wants to request that tho feel free to). Maybe a MC that has high expectations of what they would have with their fav, but can actually get something cool with another character they seem to refuse strongly? Maybe rules/behavior-oriented characters Vs characters that are not that strict with rules or how you behave.
It could work both ways, really. And in many more ways.
Disclaimer: This is tied to my personal views and (more than often) analysis that I use to write characters based on canon. Some will go into not explicit things, so don't take it all as canon material. It's a spin and interpretation of what we see in the franchise, and it may include Vignettes and events as a source of what-if, not something necessarily canon. Nothing I say here is 100% confirmed.
As usual, under the Read More! This one got SO BIG, it has three parts. This is Part 3! Part 1 is here, and Part 2 is here!
Vil, Rook, Epel + MC
Vil is already described as a very stable tank, with little blot accumulation (makes sense, if you consider that just like Leona, his overblot is something that happened under extreme stress and emotional turmoil). Ortho actually voices that he's curious about what classes Rook, Epel...and the MC, of course, are.
They already start with a lot of talking, and Vil is already putting his feelings up front: while they have been reckless, they also took care of him. And on top of it, they are all on the same page of being useful. As it goes on, it becomes clear that they have proper teamwork and that they are growing ever since Book 5 (even though it was very, very recent!) It's also where Rook becomes visible as having the skills to be a very precise DPS. For Epel, both Vil and Rook guide him more on what and why they need him to help them both. Vil is taking the role of a very perceptive leader and communicating it well, including his own faults.
The teamwork only gets better, as Rook lets Epel be a bit more offensive too when the situation allows it. And not just that, they group is taking the situation with MC and Grim seriously. We don't have magic to fight, but we need to be there for Grim, and they boost the MC's courage and attitude for it. Not only that, but Vil, Epel and MC are the ones to hold the spear, while Rook aims. The entire group compliments itself, and they also bond through sharing their strengths. They adapt.
At the end, Epel takes over driving, and interestingly enough, Ortho says that there are two tanks and one ranged DPS and Idia doesn't disagree. This is the only time we see the other two being named! And only now we can name everything and check.
Vil, the leader, acted just like a Magic Tank with a penchant for debuffs in order to help. He's the Queen and the Housewarden for a reason, and so he leads the team on what they have to do and has the power and knowledge to how to engage first. Pay in mind, that doesn't mean Vil tells everything they have to do by the book, but he is way more relaxed and direct on what he perceives as needed.
Rook can only be the Ranged DPS, with accuracy and perception of the field to warn others. He is a source of experience for Epel, a respectable ally that delivers what Vil asks, and a source of reliable, well-aimed attacks for the team. Even if he, sometimes, takes the lead for a moment, it's through dealing enough damage. It's important here too that he can't take or avoid hits all that well, and his injury by taking damage for us is worrisome to the point where he struggles due to injury, even if he tries to point out that the rest are hurt too. He ends up being the only one visibly patched up, while everyone else just rests and it's enough.
Epel is where it gets tricky. Most classes can overlap a bit. Tanks can be very damage oriented or also help with buffs/debuffs/crowd control. Damage dealers can have certain abilities that help them take damage for others, or heal their allies a bit. Supports can also pack a good punch, or protect the teammates through smaller means.
Epel acts similar to a support...that can be perceived, as well, as a tank. Some tanks are focused on protecting through shields and disruption, such as stunning the enemy. It can be seen that he was acting like a support, but he helps the team like a less powerful tank, if compared to Vil. Epel actually learns on his mistakes to when to charge in and to how to behave in battle through the book, and gets recognized as a source of protection and control. A tank doesn't need to be the leader as someone who barks orders, but Epel actually acts like a tank when he asks and is allowed to Vil's spot to start the fight! Not to mention him leading the group as he drives the chariot. This spot he took and was recognized for it, is the tank's spot: to go in first. The tank is the front line, and you need to know when and how to charge in, something Epel learned well enough to do. It can be said, of course, that he's too weak to be a tank, but I believe his behavior and recognition by his peers suggests that he works as a tank.
With a team so coordinated and with excellent teamwork (to the point where they act like heroes, as perceived by Idia at the last battle) it's no wonder Ortho and Idia go down in battle. It can be questioned if Epel is truly a tank or truly a support, but it has enough material to be perceived as a tank. Vil fits perfectly on his role, and so does Rook. Another score for the Ignihyde readings, good game and well played!
PS: It's no surprise Idia and Ortho don't voice what MC does, but I'll do it as an extra: MC is not a battle-oriented character (not like Yuuken or Yuuka, that can actually join the fight) so there's not exactly a RPG role for us. What we, as the player, end up doing, is taking care of the wounds after battle. Physical and psychological wounds. And it's just like Rook said: we can see from the outside and bring a different view, and that is just as valuable to keep.
Disclaimer: This is tied to my personal views and (more than often) analysis that I use to write characters based on canon. Some will go into not explicit things, so don't take it all as canon material. It's a spin and interpretation of what we see in the franchise, and it may include Vignettes and events as a source of what-if, not something necessarily canon. Nothing I say here is 100% confirmed.
As usual, under the Read More! This one got SO BIG, it has three parts. This is Part 2! Part 1 is here, and Part 3 is here!
Leona and Jamil
Leona, for starters, is described as someone that Idia "already knew Leona was tough and could handle whatever danger comes at him... But it's hard to measure how resilient he is when experiencing inner turmoil" and "Stat-wise, Leona would be a great tank, like Vil. But he isn't suited to a leadership role, personality-wise."
Jamil is described as two possible classes by Ortho (melee DPS and healer class), but interestingly enough, Idia uses at first terms that one would expect for a Jack-of-all-trades, a specific term for those who try to reach it all and don't specialize: "He could probably handle any job just fine". It's only after Ortho's suggestion towards classes that Idia considers Jamil with a Difficult, but Awesome view: "One of those classes you think is for beginners, but turns out to be really technical and requires a big-brain player to do it right."
Their duo starts with horrid communication. Leona does things without even explaining what he wants or what is the benefit, as if Jamil is just meant to close his eyes and #Trust. However, at the same time, Jamil is trying to put himself in a position that he does not fit at all there. He's trying to protect Leona like he's Kalim, because he got used to being in that role even though Leona is the tank. If anything, Leona should be the bodyguard here, but Jamil keeps trying to butt in as if Leona needs that and is wrong for not accepting it.
Leona is aware of it all, but he doesn't voice anything properly for ages. Luckily enough, Jamil starts to realize what Leona should have said and proved from the start: he's not the strongest. He can't hold the spear, but Leona can, despite struggling. Only after that Leona starts voicing what he actually thinks with accuracy to the matter. Of course, Leona still has the issue of not voicing his plans and making it hard to trust him, but he speaks his thoughts more, including on his situation about Kalim, and it all makes Jamil think and slowly start to understand. At the same time, Leona is still making things more difficult by not communicating directly and "guiding" Jamil on his own warped way to the point where he feels almost like an enemy too.
In the end, Leona FINALLY voices it himself: Jamil acts as the Jack of all trades, master of none because he tries to cover for everything when he's not meant to cover so much... but he can still grow and master himself. Idia himself calls Jamil at the end as a melee DPS... which is exactly what he does once he starts to listen to Leona: he focuses on attacking. Their last fight ends up perfectly, with both doing their best with proper communication, and still being able to run and let Vil's group finish the job.
All of this showcases that Leona could easily be considered a tank and a leader too due to his magical prowess and examination skills, but his personality is an issue that leads to miscommunications and stress. If he fixed that a bit, it would avoid conflict and he would be a more proper leader. Jamil can do any job just fine, precisely like a jack-of-all-trades, but his actual developed trait is guarding Kalim specifically, like a healer. When he drops that mindset, he falls into the Melee DPS, but also as a damage dealer that has the mindset of Difficult, but Awesome once mastered.
That concludes this group, and it all ponts to Ignihyde getting it right again. Good Round, and another point for Idia and Ortho!
Disclaimer: This is tied to my personal views and (more than often) analysis that I use to write characters based on canon. Some will go into not explicit things, so don't take it all as canon material. It's a spin and interpretation of what we see in the franchise, and it may include Vignettes and events as a source of what-if, not something necessarily canon. Nothing I say here is 100% confirmed.
As usual, under the Read More! This one got SO BIG, it has three parts. This is part 1! Part 2 is here! Part 3 is here!
—//—
On Book 6, Idia is shown taking the lead of Styx, and displaying confidence and analysis useful for strategy... in games, sure, but that could be applied to the groups that go inside the Tower. Both Idia and Ortho use gaming terms to describe their classmates, and also pinpoint what they expect from their roles and personalities.
The idea here is to explore how accurate Idia and Ortho are on RPG perceptions towards every group and how it works concerning individual characteristics, group balance and teamwork. Idia's abilities as a strategist, something that can be questioned because of how he usually acts, can be taken more seriously here, and it also connects him more to Hades, as a God that is constantly planning against others and has used games (such as chess) to showcase strategy choices. Ortho here is helping out Idia, as someone possibly taught by him too, so they work as a team. Their analysis can also serve as support for understanding the cast they mention.
I'll focus on his descriptions with each group that ventures through the Tower. That means Riddle and Azul, Leona and Jamil, and Vil + Rook, Epel + MC. Have in mind, usually every team needs to have: cooperation and a well distributed party. That doesn't mean necessarily having a Tank, a DPS and a Support, or people that work solely through Taking Damage, Dealing Damage or Healing Damage.
Riddle and Azul
Riddle is described as someone who "busts out spells like he's in hyperdrive", with a magic pool large enough to allow it... until indecision gets him, and at that point he pushes too far and his blot accumulates further. Not only that, but he's mentally fragile as well, so Idia describes him as "High offense, paper-thin defense" and compares him to a glass cannon ranged DPS.
Azul is described as someone that plays extra carefully, and as a slow caster that is very precise. His entire description screams "support", not only because of the vulnerabilities of his Unique Magic (needs a contract to not bank on a lot of blot), but because his magic pool is too low to sustain all the spells he knows. That means he needs to control everything to not overdo himself, which is very useful for a support.
The two are a team on Tower 3... and the teamwork goes down fast. Azul puts Riddle in charge as the leader (or rather, lets him do it), which could be seen as ideal for Azul to not get hit first (for his own sake or for the team, it's ideal no matter what), but that brings a few issues.
Riddle is too fast. He rushes in no matter what, and Azul is too slow. While Riddle is already going in, Azul is still thinking of what to do, and is constantly rushing just to walk close to Riddle. It's not uncommon for a Support to stay in the back, but too far not only makes him unable to help, but leaves him vulnerable.
At that point, we have either Riddle rushing in and risking a lot, or Azul taking extra steps that are also risky for different reasons. It starts to get better with some cooperation, and they start to realize that Riddle is magically stronger to the point of brute force being viable and Azul is more controlled for delicate situations. Their teamwork gets better, they somewhat talk about their differences, and they start to compensate for the lack of someone more resistant against hits through 1- hitting hard (Riddle) and 2- planning (Azul). Riddle somewhat works as a leader, with Azul giving extra input that is taken into consideration, but that doesn't mean they aren't (literally) kicking each other to make it work. Their differences are based on lifestyle (and, of course, the way they dealt with traumatic events), but they still seem to learn from each other.
In the end, their strengths save them and compensate again: Riddle and Azul put their own magic to fill the spear. That, ideally, would not happen, but they have no choice and they have to make it work. Riddle goes down for using too much of his own magic, and Leona and Jamil point it out: Azul held back, and it was the right call. If not for it, both would fall, and with Azul on his feet, he can bring Riddle to safety after he did everything possible to hit hard without falling down.
Everything that happens is on par with the concept of Riddle as glass-cannon DPS and Azul as a support/healer working as a team with struggles on teamwork and composition. They have no one that can actually deal with hits and start with bad teamwork due to Riddle going too much forward and Azul overthinking to the point of slowness, but after that gets (somewhat) fixed, they manage to overcome their empty spot uing their own strengths together and not letting bad aspects take over. There's no big, smarter leader/tank/front to be followed here, and so Riddle is the one who takes the lead of the first strike, and Azul is the one that needs to stay standing properly to keep everyone safe.
That means Idia and Ortho were correct on the analysis of what they are and how they work. Good Round, and one point for Idia and Ortho!
Not a SINGLE SOUL asked for it, but I got so excited thinking about Book 6, the way Idia and Ortho talk about Night Raven students as RPG characters, and how they actually are so accurate about it...
That I'm almost done with a huge analysis of it, of team compositions (3 parts to it) that I made in 2 days... and I'm also so fucking tempted to actually DM a campaign for the characters + a setting to allow OCs to work in the same way. Holy shit I'm in love with the idea.
Now I'm wondering if Jade's Unique Magic is actually made so he can truly, no matter what, only target someone for the first time... he says he tried that with Floyd. As in, the dude who goes from 1 to 100 and is hard to predict... is he truly reliable for that test? Even more if you consider how that UM doesn't work against guarded people that well, so it kinda makes sense that someone who knew about it at first would become immune because they know now.
It would be funny if Jade was just unaware, and it actually works against the same person if they remain oblivious and unguarded about it.
It would be cool if he was just lying and yep, it can do that. He already tested it, and it's all part of manipulation to make others lower their guard around him.
It would be the best thing ever, though, if he found out only later, after selling that image, that Floyd is not exactly reliable material for testing stuff like that and he can do it again if people remain unaware of it... and then continues to sell it like it's impossible to make others lower their guard. Funny AND cool combined.
This is my new headcanon about his Unique Magic, thank you very much.
May I request an analysis on Jade? I’m actually curious to know your take on him 🤔
//You really gave me one of the most nuanced characters in this game. This took 6 days to write and I'm convinced it was Jade Leech himself that made my computer burst in sparks /hj (it did happen. I'm still amazed)//
Jade Leech - A layered presentation of functionalism
Disclaimer: This is tied to my personal views and (more than often) analysis that I use to write characters based on canon. Some will go into not explicit things, so don't take it all as canon material. It's a spin and interpretation of what we see in the franchise, and it may include Vignettes and events as a source of what-if, not something necessarily canon. Nothing I say here is 100% confirmed.
Another long one, so the drill is the same. All under a Read More! Any edit will have a date update too.
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Book 2 presents us, right of the bat, with Jade and Floyd, and it creates a noticeable contrast that follows through the game: while Floyd is immediately chaotic, Jade's first words are to "inquire" if the group is trying to spy on Octavinelle due to the competition. It's not unreasonable of him to say with the circunstances. What makes it interesting is how he pursues it.
He speaks way too formal. He sounds polite. However, he's still menacing to the point of intimidation. And on top of it, Jade is also doing something chaotic: he, with Floyd, chases the group. If all he wanted was to drive them out for protection of privacy, the moment they run, you don't need to chase unless you want to. And Floyd was already doing it, so there was no need to do it to. As he said it, he does enjoy a "brisk midday jog". By jogging, he means chasing, and it's not like he's hiding it.
His methods are different, as he usually goes with subtle, calculated movements out of preference, meant to make him look better-mannered until he strikes (Trey himself takes a moment to realize that.) Book 3 starts with his calculated/frightening use of his Unique Magic. Chapter 5 has him joining Floyd with ease to follow Azul's commands of violence, but interestingly enough, it doesn't give any commentary from him. The manga puts one interesting thing that is not out of character of him to say: he complains of a lack of enternainment...which actually happens in game after battles.
This pattern of calculated use of words and actions follows through the story (Chapters: 8, 12, 17-18 as examples). Jade is very concerned with fun and entertainment even if it doesn't look like it. His idea is to pursue this fun like a strategy game. Jack says it directly on Chapter 18: "This is nothin' more than a game to them." It is, and Jade plays through calculating his steps.
The interesting deal is, though, they don't try to stop Leona at first. There's a pattern here that ties to Jade looking all functional when he isn't.
Book 3, Chapter 23: Floyd misdirects his attack to the vault, Azul stops IN THE MIDDLE OF A FIGHT to panic about it, they bicker, and Jade only voices himself (as chill as possible) after the group gets enough time to run. He does not go after them despite the first order being to do so. His slow act suggests no real urgency on the matter.
Book 3, Chapter 29 - Chapter 32: Floyd is the first to lose interest. Jade continues the fight out of enjoyement. The moment it shows without doubt that there's something wrong, Floyd falls for the bait and Jade tries to get him to go back with him. It works, but they still lose some time.
For someone known as so reliable, it's odd that it gets to this point with enough signs pointing at bad outcomes that he doesn't seem to enjoy (like the plan going down, and Azul overblotting). And he doesn't try to do things all by himself to prevent anything, which adds another layer to it.
I bring three possibilities: 1- He puts too much faith on his abilities to make it work no matter what; 2- there is some joy, for him, through doing things with people with different approaches that clash with his own; 3- he needs people more than he is consciously aware of, but still acts accordingly. I believe all three are true.
Book 4 doesn't really give much on his own personal views, but Book 7 already presents a lot through his dream. Jade believes on himself so much, he doesn't listen to reason and actively fights against anything disproving him. The only thing that works is Sebek, someone with advantage over Jade in water and capable of overpowering him with ease. The shock of being overpowered is what brings him down to earth.
It's not outright said here, but the fact he is around Azul and Floyd, even though they are not like his dream where they follow through his every whim, suggests he enjoys their company the way they are. After all, he enjoy surprises, and there is no bigger surprise than his plans not working out the way he intended. That ties itself up with how he cares for people and wants them with him. His dream has him happy around others, with others relying on him while he can still enjoy his main passions.
The rest of the book explores what he (and Floyd too) perceives as the other's true desire and the other's real abilities. Despite his first voicing out of how it could be unpleasant to wake Azul from such a good dream, he follows through after Jamil points out a different view. After that, though, he treats Azul falling deeper into his dream as a decision. What if this is actually something Azul wants? To anyone else, the idea sounds absurd, but Jade seems to believe so much in Azul and what he knows of him, it must be what Azul wants. And if Azul truly wants it, he can stay there and be happy about it.
Jade, with Floyd, both decide the same thing about Azul's new dream after they check it: that sucks. Their reaction to it? Waking up Azul. For people who act like they don't care, they care and like the Real Azul so much, they will not stand to have him get trapped into something he wouldn't truly want. The Real Azul is better, and they will bring the Real Azul back (something they already did on Book 3).
And as Azul is getting dragged back by darkness, Jade rushes to pull Azul, because it seems he can't get out by himself. Until, of course, Silver says Azul is actually the only one with a chance to come back. Nevermind then, good luck Azul! Or, as he says, "Very well. Best of luck, Azul!" As they meet again safely, he shows himself satisfied with seeing that he's fine. He's glad on his own way, the way of someone that doesn't understand the benefit of sincerity through words.
So, to recap everything we got with all ideas presented:
Jade presents himself as a proper person out of choice and out of the benefits it gives until he can lash out and have fun on his own way;
Jade greatly enjoys having the advantage on others, something he conceals to some extent until he can enjoy it properly;
Jade, when next to Floyd, presents a massive contrast that helps him look even more of a proper person;
Jade looks more capable than others, when that's not true: they are all equals, but with different best points, and he enjoys that subconsciously;
Jade, like basically everyone from Octavinelle, has complex wishes and actions but, like basically everyone from Octavinelle, struggles at reading the other Octavinelle members' complex wishes and actions;
Jade believes on himself and his perceptions so much, it presents a challenge when you need to deal with him being wrong about something;
Jade enjoys having people around for multiple reasons: company, filling up gaps he can't, but specially for the fun of it. He really likes his friends, but doesn't voice it directly.
And that's my main take on Jade Leech, a man who boosts himself a lot, but is as much of a 17-year old than the rest of the cast.
My silly ass right now as I write a Jade Leech analysis. See, this is why I enjoy every single character: Twisted gives me too much to NOT look and go siiiiiiiiip this is nice to dissect.
