@charredcipher @chocolatebearstrawberry @fiden-criatura @hyperfixating-rn @twistedpink @tinseltina @twstsandturns @bolas-de-berlim @hxney-lemcn @hanafubukki and all my mooties
Back in June 2025, a question occurred to me: “Do people with certain personality traits gravitate to certain OB boys?” This led me to create a survey to try and get to the bottom of things.
Now we have results of our findings!! The Tumblr post you're currently reading only includes our findings, discussion, and credits. Some graphs, tables, and charts are included here, but not all of them, since Tumblr posts have a 30 image maximum. To read the full paper (which is ~50 pages), please see this Google Document.
Summary Statistics
Total number of responses: 1263
By Gender:
67.6% female
6.7% male
16.0% non-binary
9.7% other
By Age:
40.9% are between 13-18 years of age
40.3% are between 19-24 years of age
15.8% are between 25-30 years og age
2.4% are between 31-36 years of age
0.6% are older than 37, with the highest age noted being 42
By Region:
54.9% from North America
20.0% from Europe and Central Asia
14.1% from East Asia and Pacific
8.7% from Latin America and Caribbean
1.1% from Middle East and North Africa
0.8% from South Asia
0.4% from Sub-Saharan Africa.
By Keeping up with JP:
64.5% play EN
26.3% play both EN and JP
9.2% play JP
By Knowledge of Japanese:
96.4% do not know Japanese
3.6% know Japanese
By Main Source of Translation:
35.3% use video translations
32.5% use the EN game
21.0% use written translations
5.5% use summary threads
3.0% use machine translations
2.6% use word of mouth
By Years Playing:
12.6% five years
7.9% four years
32.5% three years
21.5% 2 years
13.8% 1 year
11.8% less than 1 year
By Story Quality:
34.1% rate it Excellent
53.9% rate it Good
11.8% rate it Okay
0.2% rate it Poor
By Relatability (to OB boy):
72.6% say yes, OB boy is relatable
27.4% say no, OB boy is not relatable
Most frequently selected favorite OB boy:
Leona (18.4%)
Riddle (17.4%)
Malleus (16.8%)
Idia (16.3%)
Azul (11.6%)
Vil (10.5%)
Jamil (9.0%)
Most frequently selected LEAST favorite OB boy:
Leona (17.5%)
Jamil (16.3%)
Azul (16.0%)
Malleus (15.3%)
Vil (13.3%)
Idia (11.5%)
Riddle (10.0%)
When evaluating our data, we must keep in mind that it is largely representative of:
self-identified women (~68%)
those aged 13-18 (~41%) and 19-24 (40%)
those from North America (~55%) and Europe + Central Asia (20%)
those who play EN (~65%) or both EN and JP (~26%)
those who overwhelmingly do not know Japanese (~96%)
those who mostly use video translations of the JP game (~35%) or play the EN game (~33%)
those who mostly keep up with JP updates (60%)
those who have played Twst for two (~22%) to three years (~33%)
those who rate the Twst main story “good” (~54%) or “excellent” (~34%)
those who say the OB boys are relatable (~73%)
In other words, this survey is NOT representative of the Twst JP fanbase or even of the international fanbase; it is concentrated on the lens taken by the young English-speaking women of North America and Europe/Central Asia.
Methods, Results + Discussion (Personality of Respondents vs Favorite OB Boy(s))
The method of collecting responses we used is known as convenience sampling, which gathers data from participants who are the easiest to reach. We, the researchers, sacrifice random and representative selection for speed and cost-efficiency.
To measure personality traits, we asked that each participant take the Big 5 or Five Factor Model (FFM) personality assessment and provide their resulting overall scores across 5 dimensions. Those 5 dimensions, commonly referred to by the acronym OCEAN and each existing on a spectrum, are as follows:
Openness (to experience) — measures imagination, curiosity, and willingness to try new things.
Conscientiousness — measures goal-directed behavior, planning, and self-discipline.
Extroversion — measures how much an individual is energized by social interactions.
Agreeableness — measures empathy, willingness to cooperate, and ability to trust in others
Neuroticism — measures emotional instability, such as anxiety, hostility, and impulsivity.
We chose to use the Big 5 because it is widely accessible (i.e. free to the general public), widely recognized, and, most importantly, widely researched. Many languages and cultures use this test, leading to Big 5’s validity and reliability to be demonstrated many times over in several peer-reviewed studies. It is considered the “gold standard” in personality psychology.
For the purposes of this report, we will be using a significance value of 0.05. In hypothesis testing, the p-value is used to determine whether an observed result is likely due to chance or a true effect. 0.05 will be our marker, or threshold. In this case, a p-value HIGHER than 0.05 means the results are not statistically significant (i.e. these results are due to random chance). A p-value LOWER than 0.05 means the results are statistically significant (ie these results are due to a true effect, NOT random chance).
We determined that this data set has homogeneity of variance and for normality. For the oneway ANOVAs, we only considered the characters that respondents marked as their favorite (1). This was done for every dimension. Where relevant, Fisher’s LSD multiple comparison test was used to determine if the difference between two scores within the same dimension were statistically significant.
Openness:
The Openness scores were not significantly different from each other (p-value=0.2858). The scores were generally clustered together without one being an outlier.
Those who ranked Jamil as (1) were the highest in terms of Openness (mean=89.98, sd=8.79)
Those who ranked Riddle as (1) were the lowest (mean=87.50, sd=8.97).
Using Fisher’s LSD multiple comparison test, we can see that Jamil likers and Riddle likers were significantly different from each other in terms of Openness scores (p-value=0.0271).
Since the Openness scores were not statistically significant, this means fans of all OB boys were roughly the same in terms of Openness. This makes sense, as the concept of Twisted Wonderland itself invites curiosity and imagination for a world that reinterprets classic Disney characters. Those attracted to Twst’s world and characters would have to be open to a decent degree to get invested and stay invested.
If we examine the two characters who are notably different from one another, Jamil likers were the most open and Riddle likers were the least open. This reflects the personalities of the two OB boys. Jamil desires his freedom and can act unhinged when he lets himself cut loose, whereas Riddle is notoriously uptight. Fans of these respective characters may share these characters’ respective traits, which would explain the scores.
Neuroticism:
The Neuroticism scores were statistically significant from one another (p-value=0.0074). At least one of the scores was different enough from the rest.
Those who ranked Idia as (1) were the highest in terms of Neuroticism (mean=90.96, sd=13.83).
Those who ranked Leona as (1) were the lowest (mean=86.13, sd=13.91).
Using Fisher’s LSD multiple comparison test, we can see that Idia likers were significantly different from Vil (p-value=0.0464), Azul (p-value=0.0130), and Leona (p-value=0.0003) likers in terms of Neuroticism scores.
Leona likers were significantly different from Idia, Riddle (p-value=0.0033), and Malleus (p-value=0.0366) likers.
Idia likers scored the highest in Neuroticism, whereas Leona likers scored the lowest. Again, I believe this reflects the tendency for fans to gravitate to characters that are similar to themselves. Idia is extremely anxious but can swing between periods of extreme confidence and extreme meekness. Leona, on the other hand, can usually keep his cool and does not act impulsively; he plans for the long term.
Agreeableness:
The Agreeableness scores were significantly different from each other (p-value=0.0449). At least one of the scores was different enough from the rest.
Those who ranked Malleus as (1) were the highest in terms of agreeableness (mean=89.80, sd=11.87).
Those who ranked Jamil as (1) were the lowest (mean=86.14, sd=12.04).
Using Fisher’s LSD multiple comparison test, we can see that Malleus likers were significantly different from Riddle (p-value=0.0087), Vil (p-value=0.0099), Idia (p-value=0.0052), and Jamil (p-value=0.0122) likers in terms of agreeableness scores.
Jamil likers were only significantly different from Malleus likers.
Malleus likers scored the highest in agreeableness, meaning they are the most empathetic and willing to cooperate and trust in others. Jamil likers are the opposite, having scored the lowest. This, too, reflects the characters, whom the fans may see themselves in. Jamil is highly distrustful of others and assumes the worst of them. On the other hand, Malleus can be on the naive side and there’s a whole subplot in the main story about how he overcomes loneliness, learns to be more open with others, and makes new friends. He is also shown to be empathetic, especially when he relates to others’ loneliness (like in Endless Halloween Night; he was sad for the ghosts who had missed the party).
Extraversion:
The Extraversion scores were significantly different from each other (p-value=0.0142). At least one of the scores was different enough from the rest.
Those who ranked Vil as (1) were the highest in terms of Extraversion (mean=63.52, sd=13.41)
Those who ranked Idia as (1) were the lowest (mean=59.32, sd=13.17).
Using Fisher’s LSD multiple comparison test, we can see that Vil likers were significantly different from Azul (p-value=0.0218) and Idia (p-value=0.0031) likers in terms of Extraversion scores.
Idia likers were significantly different from Vil, Riddle (p-value=0.0056), Malleus (p-value=0.0135), and Leona (p-value=0.0141).
Riddle likers were significantly different from Azul (p-value=0.0437).
Vil likers scored the highest in Extraversion, while Idia likers scored the lowest. Vil, being a celebrity, is constantly in the public eye and interacting with fans, whether indirectly (social media, films, etc.) or directly (in-person events). Additionally, his character revolves around the idea of beauty, being seen, and being confident in outward expression of his gender. I could see this pulling fans who similarly want to be seen or to express themselves in the same ways that Vil does. Idia, meanwhile, tends to keep to himself and be a loner, which may attract fans who behave similarly.
Conscientiousness:
The Conscientiousness scores were significantly different from each other (p-value=0.0142). At least one of the scores was different enough from the rest.
Those who ranked Azul as (1) were the highest in terms of conscientiousness (mean=76.94, sd=13.68), while those who ranked Idia as (1) were the lowest (mean=71.98, sd=14.30).
Using Fisher’s LSD multiple comparison test, we can see that Azul likers were significantly different from Riddle (p-value=0.0428), Leona (p-value=0.0308), Vil (p-value=0.0188), and Idia (p-value=0.0009) likers in terms of conscientiousness scores.
Idia likers were significantly different from Azul and Malleus (p-value=0.0229) likers.
The conscientiousness scores were statistically significant, meaning respondents are different in their goal-directed behavior, planning, and self-discipline. Twisted Wonderland is a free-to-play gacha game, in which players can earn currency to roll on banners by completing various tasks. However, there are limited ways for players to earn this currency, especially if they have been playing for years. This incentivizes paying money to acquire more rolls, which funds the game. Because banners–particularly event banners and birthday banners–are limited time, this feeds into FOMO (fear of missing out), furthering the pressure to not save or plan for future banners, but to spend on the current one. This data seems to suggest that fans of some OB characters (such as Azul) are better at long-term planning, including saving rolls for gacha banners, than fans of other characters (such as Idia).
Azul likers having the highest conscientiousness score makes sense, given that this is also true of the character. Azul often schemes and prepares for situations far in advance, and a perfect example of this is his ascension to dorm leadership. He implies that he worked hard to get into the good graces of his previous dorm leader to earn the recommendation to succeed him.
Idia likers are the least conscientious, but my best guess as to why this is the case… maybe his explosive and sudden anger? Or his ability to tackle any problem on-the-spot with the skills currently at his disposal? Perhaps it’s that he prefers to maximize efficiency?
By highest percentage:
15% of Jamil likers ranked Riddle as their least favorite OB boy
28.4% of Riddle likers ranked Leona as their least favorite OB boy
22.9% of Vil likers ranked Azul as their least favorite OB boy
23.3% of Idia likers ranked Vil as their least favorite OB boy
19.1% of Jamil likers ranked Idia as their least favorite OB boy
17% of Leona likers ranked Idia as their least favorite OB boy
28.3% of Jamil likers ranked Malleus as their least favorite OB boy
Most common rankings
When Riddle was ranked 1 (n=218), the most common OB Boy chosen at each other rank was:
2: Azul (22.5%)
3: Azul (19.3%)
4: Idia (21.1%)
5: Vil (21.1%)
6: Malleus (22.5%)
7: Leona (28.4%)
When Leona as ranked 1 (n=230), the most common OB Boy chosen at each other rank was:
2: Jamil (23.5%)
3: Malleus (20.0%)
4: Riddle (20.0%)
5: Riddle (22.2%)
6: Azul (21.3%)
7: Azul and Malleus (19.1% each)
When Azul as ranked 1 (n=145), the most common OB Boy chosen at each other rank was:
2: Riddle (24.8%)
3: Vil (20.7%)
4: Malleus (22.8%)
5: Vi (20.0%)
6: Leona (22.1%)
7: Leona (27.6%)
When Jamil as ranked 1 (n=113), the most common OB Boy chosen at each other rank was:
2: Leona (22.1%)
3: Riddle (27.4%)
4: Leona (23%)
5: Idia (21.2%)
6: Idia (23%)
7: Malleus (28.3%)
When Vil as ranked 1 (n=131), the most common OB Boy chosen at each other rank was:
2: Riddle (26.7%)
3: Malleus (21.4%)
4: Leona (22.1%)
5: Azul (21.4%)
6: Idia (22.1%)
7: Azul (22.9%)
When Idia was ranked 1 (n=204), the most common OB Boy chosen at each other rank was:
2: Malleus (26.5%)
3: Azul and Vil (19.6% each)
4: Riddle (20.1%)
5: Azul (20.6%)
6: Jamil (23.0%)
7: Leona (21.6%)
When Malleus was ranked 1 (n=210), the most common OB Boy chosen at each other rank was:
2: Idia (26.7%)
3: Riddle (24.3%)
4: Vil (21.4%)
5: Jamil (22.9%)
6: Jamil (24.3%)
7: Jamil (23.3%)
The trends observed are:
Riddle likers usually also liked Azul
Riddle likers usually disliked Malleus or Leona
Leona likers usually also liked Jamil
Leona likers usually disliked Azul
Leona likers are conflicted about Malleus; some like Malleus while others consider him to be their least favorite of the OB boys
Azul likers usually also liked Riddle
Azul likers usually disliked Leona
Jamil likers usually also liked Leona
Jamil likers usually disliked Malleus or Idia
Vil likers usually also liked Riddle or Malleus
Vil likers usually disliked Azul or Idia
Idia likers usually also liked Malleus or Vil
Idia likers usually disliked Jamil or Leona
Malleus likers usually also liked Idia or Riddle
Malleus likers usually disliked Jamil
Overall comments on personality + favorite OB boy:
Noting the important differences between highest and lowest scores:
Jamil likers scored high in Openness
Riddle likers scored low in Openness
Idia likers scored high in Neuroticism
Leona likers scored low in Neuroticism
Malleus likers scored high in Agreeableness
Jamil likers scored low in Agreeableness
Vil likers scored high in Extraversion
Idia likers scored low in Extraversion
Azul likers scored high in Conscientiousness
Idia likers scored low in Conscientiousness
The trend seems to be that one’s favorite OB boy correlates with shared personality traits. This is observed over 4 (Neuroticism, Agreeableness, Extraversion, conscientiousness) of the 5 dimensions of the Big 5 personality test, with the remaining 1 (Openness) being insignificant, as the concept of Twst itself depends on the fans to have an open mind to begin with.
Leona was most often chosen as the favorite OB boy, and Jamil was the least often chosen as the favorite OB boy. It’s ironic, because both Leona and Jamil are the top two most often cited as the LEAST favorite OB boy(s). Leona seems to be a point of contention among respondents; he is simultaneously liked and disliked.
Results + Discussion (by Other Metrics)
Favorite OB boy by time spent playing Twst:
Those who have been playing for 5 years or more showed a preference for Idia
Those who have been playing up to 4 years showed a preference for Riddle
Those who have been playing up to 3 years showed a preference for Leona
Those who have been playing up to 2 years showed a preference for Malleus
Those who have been playing up to 1 year showed a preference for Malleus
Those who have been playing less than 1 year showed a preference for Leona
Inexperienced players seemed to like Leona or Malleus, which is interesting given that Leona notoriously has a disliked main story book early on and Malleus has little relevance early in the story. Based on the word analysis, it seems like many people were initially drawn to Twst due to the visual appeal of Malleus and Leona.
Fans of 2-3 years have been playing for about the same length of time as EN has been out. This is around when we’d anticipate the preference for Malleus and Leona transforming into more of an appreciation for their characters, as 2-3 years is time to acclimate to the latter parts of the story.
Players of 4 and 5 years like Riddle and Idia, respectively. This may be because, deep in the story, they are very important characters. Riddle has a substantial segment towards the end which adds more depth to the nature of his family, earning him much attention and empathy from fans. Idia plays a pivotal role in saving the day in book 7.
Favorite OB boy by region:
East Asia and Pacific: Idia with 18.7%
Europe and Central Asia: Malleus with 20.8%
Latin America and Caribbean: Leona and Idia with 18.9% each (color only reflects Leona)
Middle East and North Africa: Vil with 28.6% (small sample size 4/14)
North America: Riddle with 19.2%
South Asia: Leona with 30% (very small sample size 3/10)
Sub-Saharan Africa: Malleus with 40% (very small sample size 2/5)
The most popular character varies by region due to cultural values and traditions differing. For example, Europe + Central Asia have lore about spirits, fae, and/or dragons, which may boost Malleus’s popularity, since he is a dragon fae.
By age:
The most popular OB boy for ages 13-18 is Riddle
The least popular OB boy for ages 13-18 is Jamil
The most popular OB boy for ages 19-24 is Leona
The least popular OB boy for ages 19-24 is Jamil
The most popular OB boy for ages 25-30 is Leona
The least popular OB boy for ages 25-30 is a tie between Jamil and Vil
The most popular OB boy for ages 31-36 is Azul
The least popular OB boy for ages 31-36 is a tie between Jamil and Vil
The most popular OB boy for ages 37-42 is Riddle
The least popular OB boy for ages 31-36 is a tie between Leona, Azul, Jamil, Vil, and Malleus.
It’s possible that minor fans (13-18) like Riddle due to relatability; children may relate to not enjoying having a helicopter parent micromanage their life (preferring to rebel or leave the situation) and may sympathize with Riddle’s situation.
Leona is liked by ages 19-24 and 25-30, and that may indicate a “maturation” of the fan. He has ambitions and the skill/talent to realize them, like the fans who are now adults and are preparing for or have careers at this point. These adult fans may also relate to his stance on children (as studies show that adults are now having families later and later in life) or respect his involvement in politics, as they are now at the age where they are actively thinking about how it affects them.
Jamil in general may not be liked because (given that most responses come from the west), the ideas of filial piety + carrying on the family legacy and staying trapped in an abusive system are a challenge for westerners to understand. These are more normalized concepts and practices in the east.
Vil may not be liked by 25-30 year olds because this age group is aging and/or getting to a point where they do not care as much for aesthetics (which Vil is big on). They are generally more focused on adult responsibilities rather than putting all their energy and effort into looks like Vil does.
I will not comment on ages 31-36 and 37-42, since the sample sizes for those were too small.
By relatability:
All the OB boys were viewed as more relatable than not relatable. However, Jamil (63 vs 50) and Vil (75 vs 56) have the smallest gaps between “relatable” and “not relatable”. This may be because not many fans can relate on a literal or direct level to being trapped in servitude or being a famous but typecasted actor/model/celebrity. Idia was rated the most relatable, with a gap of 181 vs 23 (relatable vs not relatable). This may be because fans relate to his anxiety, which, as you’ll see in the word analysis portion, frequently comes up in reference to him.
Results + Discussion (Word Analysis)
Frequently cited reasons as to why respondents liked or disliked certain OB characters include:
Character’s personality/arc/background
Character’s design
Personal attachment for a particular Disney film
Relatability
Like more/less compared to the other OB boy options
First exposure
Factors unique to each OB boy were:
Riddle:
+ Likes Alice in Wonderland/Heartslabyul aesthetic
+ Relatable relationship (with mother)
- Preferred calmer characters
- Boring (compared to the others)
Leona:
+ Complexity; need to be able to read between the lines
+ Actually cares about others
- Book 2 makes him look bad
Azul:
+ Fun to watch his interactions with others
+ Love glasses and/or moles
Jamil:
+ His dynamic with Kalim
+ Enjoy his dynamic with others
+ Interesting/well-written
+ Voice
- Don’t like manipulative people
- Dislike his OB design
Vil:
+ Well-written
+ Resonate with him always being in second place
+ Breaks gender norms
+ His ethics and dedication
- “Rubs me the wrong way”
- Dislike the way he treats others and/or Epel
Idia:
+ Social anxiety (is relatable)
+ Fun to draw
+ Love his relationship with Ortho
- Cringe
- Not into otaku characters
- Boring
Malleus:
+ Relate to his fear of losing people and/or change
+ Like dragon and/or fae characters
+ Relationship/dynamic with Yuu/MC/Player
- Not interested in his role in the main story
- First Halloween event (I assume Endless Halloween Night, which is actually the second event?) made him look bad
Key Recurring Phrases
Depression
Leona: 29 mentions
Idia: 11 mentions
Anxiety
Azul: 1 mention
Idia: 24 mentions
Autism
Vil: 1 mention
Idia: 2 mentions
Malleus: 10 mentions
Yuu/MC/Player
Riddle: 4 mentions
Leona: 11 mentions
Azul: 3 mentions
Vil: 5 mentions
Idia: 6 mentions
Malleus: 24 mentions
(Gap) Moe
Riddle: 1 mention
Leona: 2 mentions
Malleus: 2 mentions
Cute
Riddle: 20 mentions
Leona: 5 mentions
Azul: 7 mentions
Jamil: 2 mentions
Idia: 12 mentions
Malleus: 18 mentions
*PLEASE SEE THE FULL RESEARCH DOCUMENT TO SEE CHARACTER WORD CLOUDS (and other charts/graphs/tables); Tumblr posts have a max image limit of 30 so it is not possible for us to include all images.
Specific points in the main story and/or events weighted Leona and Malleus down. Certain character dynamics enhanced or tore down a few OB boys (for Vil, it’s Epel; for Jamil, it’s Kalim, for Idia, it’s Ortho). Some most unique character traits were a big pro or con as well. For example, Vil’s breaking of gender norms was loved.
Yuu/MC/Player was often mentioned as a reason for liking Malleus. Malleus likers placed high weight on Malleus’s involvement and acknowledgement of Yuu in the main story.
Notably, diagnostic terms such as “depression”, “anxiety”, and “autism” (or variations therein) were frequently recurring for certain characters. Fans attributed these diagnoses to certain characters and cited relatability. For example, Leona had the most mentions with “depression”, Idia had the most mentions with "anxiety", and Malleus had the most mentions with “autism”.
Riddle was most frequently described as “cute”, but Malleus was a close second (2 less mentions). No one called Vil cute.
By maximum/highest word count in open-ended questions section:
FAVORITE
Malleus (963)
Leona (642)
Idia (606)
Jamil (599)
Azul (391)
Riddle (261)
Vil (231)
LEAST FAVORITE
Malleus (587)
Jamil (479)
Vil (460)
Azul (266)
Leona (167)
Riddle (149)
Idia (143)
By average word count in open-ended questions section:
FAVORITE
Jamil (61)
Leona (57)
Vil (48)
Azul (45)
Riddle (44)
Idia (44)
Malleus (43)
LEAST FAVORITE
Malleus (55)
Vil (44)
Jamil (39)
Leona (34)
Azul (33)
Idia (31)
Riddle (25)
Jamil likers had the average highest word count (61) when explaining why responders like him, followed by Leona likers’ average (57). Malleus likers had the average lowest word count (43) when explaining why responders like him.
Malleus dislikers had the highest average word count (55) when explaining why responders dislike him. Riddle dislikers had the lowest average word count (25) when explaining why responders dislike him.
In terms of individual responses with the highest maximum word count for favorite character, that distinction goes to a Malleus liker (963), followed by a Leona liker (642), an Idia liker (606), and a Jamil liker (599). A Vil liker had the lowest maximum word count at 231.
The characters with the highest maximum word count for least favorite character, the top three are a Malleus disliker (587), a Jamil disliker (479), and a Vil disliker (460). An Idia liker had the lowest maximum word count at 143.
We can conclude that:
Jamil likers talk the most on average to explain why they like him
Malleus likers talk the least on average to explain why they like him
Malleus dislikers talk the most on average to explain why they dislike him
Riddle dislikers had the lowest average word count when explaining why responders dislike him.
Malleus likers can yap for the longest to explain why they like him
Vil likers can yap the least to explain why they like him
Malleus dislikers can yap for the longest to explain why they dislike him
Idia likers can yap the least to explain why they dislike him
Weaknesses and the Future
Please see the full document for the complete list. No research project is perfect, and certainly not this one! If we were to do another project like this in the future, we'd take the limitations of this one into consideration.
originally this was going to be the floyd vs jade oneshot but i got so deeply inspired/floyd-brained that it’s rebooted to focus on one eel.
here is the preview of the introduction! been switching up my writing style so i hope this intro vs what i’m going to be writing isn’t going to be too jarring while reading eek!
before that tho, here’s the title song
The things I do for love.
Well … not really love per se, not even borderline like-like, just a fascination that won’t leave him alone; it is more appropriate to call it an itch. So, his previous, disgruntled thought should be revised to: The things I do to scratch an itch. There. That fits much better.
You are equivalent to a mosquito. Catching him off guard before he could squash you, you have been able to siphon something from the liquidy, squishy insides of his body and the residue of your teeny-tiny, invasive presence has left him with an itch. Unable to scratch it through conventional methods, Floyd is stuck with relieving that paresthesia by pinpointing your spot in crowds or endless rows of desks, by zeroing in on your voice through the sight of a twitch on your lips before words even come out, by making his footfall copy the pattern of footsteps you have left in wet leaves and soil as you stride ahead of him.
Along with being a mosquito, you are a fast walker. This escapade is last minute, happening mere minutes before the participants of Camp Vargas finish packing up their tents, supplies, and won badges. Urgent in your pace, you keep momentarily disappearing and reappearing from Floyd’s sight. Your choice to wear a green oversized sweater and camo-patterned cargo pants certainly do not help.
‘It’s to get more candid shots!’ You had defended when Ace leaned in, teasingly tugging at the end of your sweater. ‘Keep laughing and I’m gonna sneak up on you one of these days. Totally prove that camo is the way to go when camping!’
With the chaos that happened with the monster being Mr. Lobster and then rescuing little Mackerel from the Dwarf’s mines, he wonders if you did ever manage to spook Crabby; if so, he wishes he could have seen it. Someone should document you for a television show, just so Floyd never misses out on a funny moment of yours.
That sentiment coupled with his resident itch demands that he deciphers what your motives are. Because you did not seem as eager to capture a shot as you do now. Before you were fiddling with the straps of your ghost camera; you kept glancing off into the treeline like you had an itch too. Hesitation weighed your feet down. Until, finally you got the nerve to tell the group that you were branching off a second, for them to head back from the mines without you, which is what led to Floyd’s stalking.
Though, it is not like you are unaware that Floyd is trailing behind you at a predator’s distance — “You should head back now or else the Basketball Club is going to be disbanded!” — like an eel navigating crevices, rocks, and a biodiverse coral reef.
“Don’t wanna!” He yells back.
Since you are smart enough, that is the end of that. A battle cut short before it can become a tug-of-war of ‘do this’ and ‘do that’. You are not interested in fighting with someone so stubborn.
In a RSA-esque way of putting it, Floyd is very true to himself, authentic in his joy and other emotions. In a NRC-esque way of putting it, Floyd is very selfish, not budging to any whims but his own. Despite the fact that you did not ask or even imply needing his assistance for this impromptu hike, he is trudging behind you like his shoes are full of lead, frowning and glaring.
What is motivating him to follow me? Knowing that voicing your confusion aloud will be fruitless, you march ahead, steadfast in your mission, perhaps even gallivanting faster than normal so you and, most importantly, Floyd return in time for Mr. Vargas’s countdown. You already know your motivation for this hike. Oblivious to Floyd’s irritation that can only be solved through your presence, you wordlessly raise your eyebrow at him before facing forward.
Underneath, the soil is wet and glues itself between the ridges of your mountaineering boots. Yesterday’s rain means they should be swelling. If you allow this opportunity to slip away, you don’t think you could forgive yourself.
As you attempt to close the distance between your camera lens and the object of your desire in the time limit set, the turbulent merman’s mind is weighing questions: What made Shrimpy so nervous? What is making Shrimpy so nervous? Can I make Shrimpy nervous too? To him, it isn’t fair that something had made you anxious, keen eyes darting around attentively, and he is missing out on being the source of it. That means you and him are sitting on an unbalanced scale. He does not like that.
If he scares you, will that conjure up similar reactions as before? If he orchestrates a way to make you indebted to him, will you search for him first in crowded areas rather than this something you are traveling to find? If he harms you, will that seed an itch in you?
Fate stifles these questions. Just as Floyd is thinking about pushing you down a steep cliff to see how hard you will bounce, you seem to finally find what you are searching for, tearing off into everglades and blending in seamlessly with the environment. You disappear in masterful camouflage. This time around, he can not pluck your visage out so easily from companions of verdant bushes and tawny trees. “Shrimpy, wh–!”
“Aha! I knew they would be here!”
His skin is uneasy. Somehow, someway, he is going to manifest this to be a shared sensation. Hives and rashes will coat you. Until then, Floyd veers to the left, the direction he assumes you went, his tri-color jacket so lightweight and his strides so casual that he almost glides by your side. Despite his gnawing id demanding to join you immediately, he hovers like an eel, its head only peeking out of a cavern.
“I didn’t think I would be able to see this before we left. And, there’s so far out of the way of where we camped that it wouldn’t just be a simple detour. I’m so glad we returned to the Dwarf’s mine. I wouldn’t want to miss out on this sight.”
At the sight of you, his skin relaxes. Unperturbed, you crouch by the upper-bottom of a tree that looks like every other tree in a hundred yard radius, snapping away on your ghost camera if the frantic sound of the shutter is anything to go by. Propping one foot on a boulder, Floyd leans in to peer over your head, wanting to spy what has raptured you so.
“.... Jelly fungus,” Floyd whines, his disappointment evident in each waspish syllable. “Ya came all this way for that?”
You startle. As if you had forgotten he was following along, you whip around with blank shock in your eyes; this does nothing more than pisses Floyd off more, maw revealing shark teeth gritted in annoyance. Jelly fungi can not be so fascinating that his presence simply melted from your mind.
Oddly, a carefree smile grows on your face and your eyes close. “I’m a little surprised that you know what these are. Hah, guess it should make sense after you identified those ‘shiitake’ mushrooms as galernia before Grim could throw them in the curry yesterday. But, yeah, I came for these. I wanted to get a photo for your brother.”
“For Jade?” Are you indebted to his brother in some way; that sounds so fun, would Jade let him join in on the fun too if he asked? Floyd is not one to hold his tongue in order to feign politeness, so he questions without hesitation, a smile emerging, “Ya owe him for something, Shrimpy?”
“Oh, nothing like that.”
As you capture photos, you shift back and forth on the balls of your feet, covering all possible angles and all possible focal settings on the ghost camera’s scope. You are snapping an aerial shot as you surprise Floyd with new information about yourself. “I am an unofficial member of the Mountains Lover Club.” Floyd’s smile drops. “Jade mentioned that I might be able to see jelly fungus in the Silent Woods if it rained the night beforehand. I was so fortunate to stumble upon these! Maybe I can bring some back for him too!”
Feral rook lives rent free in my brain. Art based on @lowerstart awesome fanfic of my favorite love maniac. She has a whole series for twisted wonderland please check them out!
Hi!! Could I request something with Floyd courting the reader? I love how you portray the tweels and how silly they can be. You’re writing is always so fun to read!!
Aaaa this was so fun to write!!! I miss writing for Floyd I should give him some more attention!!
Floyd is someone to me who falls in love at first punch. Or any act of violence and or aggression towards him. Really, someone who grabs his attention and keeps it is going to be the type of person that Floyd is into.
floyd leech x reader courting one-shot!
wc: 1,648
Floyd is an interesting case, being both a bit of a coward and very upfront about his feelings. He doesn't want to be vulnerable (ew yuck)! That's so not his style!
Unfortunately for you, his style is very middle school-like, aka: I'm gonna bother and annoy you but also expect you to know from this irritating special attention that I actually like you.
It makes for a really, quite funny sight for the others around you, as they can tell that you're definitely getting "special" treatment from Floyd, but due to his general demeanor and his role in Octavinelle, it's hard to tell if this is a good or bad thing.
Going back to my interspecies romance post (which might be due for a rewrite tbh I have more refined thoughts now) a few things from there apply to Floyd still.
He does bestow you with gifts, gifts that you don't really want because Floyd refuses to say what he wants in return. "They're just for you, take them." "I think I'm okay—" "I said. Take. It." You take them anyways because his expression is that unnerving one he always does when Ace starts annoying him in basketball and he's just about to start chasing him and throwing Ace into the hoop. Again.
They are the oddest little gifts. There are nice ones of course, an eel keychain that he insisted you take. A rock he found that Floyd though matched your eyes. He heard that for some reason, humans really like shells. Floyd learned the hard way that specifically empty shells, after gifting you one too many conches with the snail still in it. So Floyd brings you (empty) shells that remind him of you. They're fun colors, big, and usually pointy.
He also really likes to give you teeth. He gives you a lot of teeth, sharp ones, dull ones, ones with a little bit of blood still on them. You think the sharp ones might be his own, you heard Azul mention that growing up the twins would get into fights and lose teeth, only for them to grow back pretty quickly. Some of the teeth certainly looked big and sharp enough to be Floyd's. The others you're not too sure, but if you'd paid more attention to Floyd, you'd notice that he'd started a habit of following certain students that liked to push you around. All it takes is for one of them to mutter something about the "useless prefect" and you lack of magic, and Floyd is back with another tooth, smiling brightly like he did something trophy worthy.
Yes, he will "talk" to your bullies, in part because that's how you court and show love in the deep sea. A dangerous place like that means that you want to show that you are someone who not only can withstand the icy waters and her inhabitants, but can protect your beloved from her as well. The other part is because only Floyd is allowed to bully you.
This is more where the middle school behavior peaks most. Once again, if Floyd is pursuing you, it means you got is attention somehow. Most likely his interest started during one of the times you came into the Mostro Lounge, and probably did something like kick him in the shins, or the dick, and it's been love at first punch since then. Not many people can get the drop on him you know? And the other part of courting in the deep sea is making sure that your partner is also strong enough to protect you and fight for you. As such, he is antagonizing you daily with the sole purpose of getting you to fight, chase, and lovingly maim him.
Floyd is into you because you are exciting, more like a mantis shrimp with how you fight back when he bothers you. The pissed off look in your eye is just so thrilling when it's on him, and he wants to keep it on him. It's unfortunate that this aspect of eelmer courting is so conflicting with humans, because playing with you is his favorite way of courting. To him, it's obvious, all of his attention is on you and you on him, so it's going to be the quickest way to get you to confess to him first!
Oh, you think Floyd is going to confess first? Ha! No. He thinks that all his actions: the gifts, the protection, the "playing," is all an obvious enough sign of his courting. If anything, Floyd thinks he's practically shouting his intentions from the rooftops, and you're taking your sweet time. Honestly, the fact that you haven't caught on ("or," a voice whispers at the back of his head, "they aren't interested. They're ignoring you.") frustrates him to no end.
His mood swings ironically get a bit more predictable around you, just not in the way most would prefer. Floyd approaches you with another gift, after another "talk" with a bully, or tries playing with you again, if you don't react the way he wants his mood is dropping. He'll sulk, laying down in a booth at the lounge or at the bleachers during his club. Sometimes he gets antsy, wondering if he just squeezes you hard enough that you'll finally give in, so he'll stalk around campus to find something else to rough up, since humans apparently fragile little things. Jade makes fun of him for this, since when has Floyd cared about being gentle? Since when has Floyd become predictable—why even random students are clocking that Floyd gets moody after talking with the Prefect!
The fact that other students are noticing a pattern annoys Floyd even more; he doesn't need his business known by anyone but him. Alas, it continues on as you live on in ignorance and Floyd lives on in annoyance that you're not already sloppily making out in his room right now. He's ready to just do it anyways, if you didn't like it all then you would've told him to stop long ago. You gotta like him too!
But it's not the gifts or protection or attention he gives you that eventually catches your attention, but rather the rare, almost foreign sound of your actual name from his mouth. It's not often, as Floyd thinks that if you're gonna stay being a little shrimp around him then you can stay as Little Shrimpy. But sometimes, when it's just you two, and you play along with him, Floyd likes to feel the way the letters of your name leave his lips as you blink up at him with a cute, surprised expression.
"Ah!" Floyd rocked on his heels, looking down at you with a lazy smile as you pointed a finger up at him. "You do know my name!"
Floyd tilted his head and giggled, "Duh, why'd you think I didn't?"
A pleasant change of pace for him, usually you'd blanch at the sight of him and grimace at the latest trinket he'd gotten you. It pissed him off, Floyd reeeeeally wanted to just pick you up and squeeze until you finally gave in and agreed to go out. There's a fun spooky escape room in Foothill Town that he wants to try with you but it's not fun if you're gonna be clutching the wall with fear and not him. But Mama reminded him that humans were soft things, had to be careful with them if you liked one. And he really liked you.
"Cause you call me Shrimpy instead! Like, all the time! I thought you just didn't bother to remember anyone's name!"
He shrugged smile dropping into a pout.
"Only when I wanna."
He frowned as you huffed, rolling your eyes as you fidgeted with the rock Floyd had given you. More so plopped in your palm after cornering you at the end of a hall during his latest chase. It was…certainly a rock!
"Lovely, so you only wanna remember my name sometimes."
"Only when Shrimpy deserves it."
Floyd leaned back as you whipped your head up at him and held up your hands in a strangling motion, an also strangled sound coming from your mouth as you practically growled.
You had look in your eye, like you were on the last straw of you patience. Floyd would really love to see you lose it though, see how you'd jump him and rough him up. You'd look so pretty, breathless and flushed, like you would after making out, he's very sure of it.
"Why are you like this? And why me? Wasn't Riddle enough fun for you?"
A giant, full (sharp) tooth grin grew on Floyd's face as he giggled. A fond warmness filled his chest and bloomed on his cheeks.
"It's different with (Name)!"
Then, you slumped and half whined, half groaned as you ducked under Floyd and started walking away.
"But why?! What'd I ever do to you? Are you still mad about the first time I came to the lounge? I didn't mean to dick you down there! Everyone else started fighting and I was just trying to make sure I didn't get hurt!"
Floyd also whined, following after you like a lanky, looming puppy.
"Ugh! How come Shrimpy still doesn't get it!" He sighed, suddenly draping himself over you. You yelped, stumbling as you tried to steady yourself from falling. "I'm doin' everything like Mama said! But you're taking too long!"
You went warm and stiffened, Floyd's breath grazing the back of your neck as he murmured into you: "How come you don't answer me? Don't cha like me?"
"A-ah, Floyd you're being weird…"
It was confusingly pleasing and frustrating that you liked how Floyd practically curled over you as if he could merge you two into one.
"Don't want me? I want my (Name), and I think I'm gonna take you now."
