I wanted to talk a bit about how TCF is the kind of story where you have to pay attention.
For example, Cale is almost always described as uncaring. Stoic. Almost all his smiles are scammer smiles.
And yet...
Mary said this:
And from Mary >>> She shared her honest thoughts about Cale. She said it in an innocent way because she was an innocent person. ‘That person is always looking at everything.’ He was meticulously caressing all of his group’s pains. He may come off as indifferent, but it was always done in a gentle way. His heart seemed to be as tall as a mountain. He had healed Mary’s pain that way as well.
We saw this even earlier, though I'll cut the irrelevant parts to make it more clear:
Cale nodded his head at Hans’s statement while observing Choi Han. He had a nostalgic look in his eyes. ...
Cale started to frown as he called Choi Han over. “Choi Han.” “…Yes?” “Hurry back.” .... “Yes sir. I will be right back.” Cale motioned as if he was annoyed, but Choi Han bowed before quickly starting to walk toward the village with Hans. Cale, who preferred this focused Choi Han to the one who had a blank expression, continued to watch him before suddenly starting to frown.
Cale is always paying attention to the people around him, and even when he says he doesn't care, he's always paying attention to the people around him. To their moods and needs.
Which they see and recognizes. Mary's not the only one who has said something about that.
Or who mentions Cale's facial expressions when dealing with death. They can tell that Cale does everything he can to preserve life, and even when it's enemy dead, even when he chose to fight, it still noticeably affects him. Like here, after he led the fight at sea against the northern invasion.
Choi Han called out toward Cale as the representative. He could see the ocean that Cale was currently looking at. There were corpses floating up next to the debris. Choi Han slowly approached Cale. He could see the frown on Cale’s face. ‘…He really has a soft heart.’ Cale started to speak. “How peaceful.” His voice sounded tired. Fatigue was evident in every word he spoke. Everybody became quiet after hearing Cale’s tone. Although he had said something nice, the weight and sorrow in his voice made them all shut up.
I also suspect Cale isn't nearly as good at controlling his facial expressions, as at least one character indicated he was an open book.
Or maybe that's just when Cale isn't trying to scam someone or hide his feelings.
Part of what I find fascinating about this story is that there's all these little things indicating that the primary impression is... Only part of the story.
WARNING: Disturbing content here. Please read at your own risk.
Self-harm, Abortion, Murder, Imprisonment and maybe more.
I have read some yandere twst stories where they baby trapped (biologically or adoption) their SO/Yuu. I'm not sure how many of these troupe going around but I'm pretty sure that SO/Yuu always keep the baby and the yandere still wins even though they escaped.
What if we tweak that story a little bit? Make it that so SO/Yuu snapped? Became the very ugly thing that SO/Yuu hate to be. Frustrated at being helpless and chained, always moving to the strings the others controlled. They don't want to take care of a child for the sake of turning him/her to be a better person than their "beloved" because that's what their "beloved" wanted.
To keep them together. Play the role of a parent and a happy family.
They had enough.
Their "beloved" is strong and smart and cunning but the child who mostly have his features is not. Utterly defenseless in the hand of a maniac.
They killed the child.
SO/Yuu killed the child just as easily as snuffing out a candle, pouring their anger and frustration in taking a life, all for the sake of wanting to take the littlest control they have over their miserable life.
If the child is not yet birth, SO/Yuu will not hesitate to do anything to abort it, whether by falling, stabbing their stomach, poisoning. It doesn't matter if they're about to die because of this. It's about inflicting pain back to the one who did it to them in the first place. It's a about freedom. Control.
Their "beloved" will despaired over this fact, aking why SO/Yuu are doing this, screaming and crying when they finally seen the cruelty SO/Yuu are capable of even toward their own kin.
And SO/Yuu just stood there and laughing at the look of their beloved face, absolutely delighted that the person who always take joy in their misery finally cried and weak.
It's always them who cried but not anymore.
Another will be SO/Yuu being indifferent to the child.
They became the opposite of what their "beloved" wanted. They acted like the child doesn't exist, the child's cries fallen to deaf ears. Even the child's basic needs are not taken care of, leaving their "beloved" to clumsily and singlehandedly take care of him/her.
SO/Yuu aspired to become the most worthless mother and person just so their "beloved" hate them and free them. The child will have mommy/daddy issue and touchstarved and so on.
Another one will have the same setting but Yuu is resentful of the child and will told the him/her that they don't love him/her and that they never wanted him/her.
They broke the child's view of the world and told him/her that their "beloved" is not what he seems to be, slowly feeding doubt in his/her mind and questioning why his/her mommy/daddy is chained up and locked in their room.
This may or may not lead to the child leaving their "beloved" side and leave, probably after an argument or realisation, causing the dad to be distress, upset and angry over this turn of event.
Yeah I getcha. I was once like you. Pure and naive. Great news. I AM STILL PURE AND NAIVE, GAME DEV IS FUN! But where to start?
To start, here are a couple of entry level softwares you can use! source: I just made a game called In Stars and Time and people are asking me how to start making vidy gaems. Now, without further ado:
Ren'py (and also a link to it if you click here do it): THE visual novel software. Comic artists, look no further ✨Pros: It's free! It's simple! It has great documentation! It has a bunch of plugins and UI stuff and assets for you to buy! It can be used even if you have LITERALLY no programming experience! (You'll just need to read the doc a bunch) You can also port your game to a BUNCH of consoles! ✨Cons: None really <3 Some games to look at: Doki Doki Literature Club, Bad End Theater, Butterfly Soup
Twine: Great for text-based games! GREAT FOR WRITERS WHO DONT WANNA DRAW!!!!!!!!! (but you can draw if you want) ✨Pros: It's free! It's simple! It's versatile! It has great documentation! It can be used even if you have LITERALLY no programming experience! (You'll just need to read the doc a bunch) ✨Cons: You can add pictures, but it's a pain. Some games to look at: The Uncle Who Works For Nintendo, Queers In love At The End of The World, Escape Velocity
Bitsy: Little topdown games! ✨Pros: It's free! It's simple! It's (somewhat) intuitive! It has great documentation! It can be used even if you have LITERALLY no programming experience! You can make everything in it, from text to sprites to code! Those games sure are small! ✨Cons: Those games sure are small. This is to make THE simplest game. Barely any animation for your sprites, can barely fit a line of text in there. But honestly, the restrictions are refreshing! Some games to look at: honestly I haven't played that many bitsy games because i am a fake gamer. The picture above is from Under A Star Called Sun though and that looks so pretty
RPGMaker: To make RPGs! LIKE ME!!!!! NOTE: I recommend getting the latest version if you can, but all have their pros and cons. You can get a better idea by looking at this post. ✨Pros: Literally everything you need to make an RPG. Has a tutorial inside the software itself that will teach you the basics. Pretty simple to understand, even if you have no coding experience! Also I made a post helping you out with RPGMaker right here! ✨Cons: Some stuff can be hard to figure out. Also, the latest version is expensive. Get it on sale! Some games to look at: Ib, Hylics, In Stars and Time (hehe. I made it)
engine.lol: collage worlds! it is relatively new so I don't know much about it, but it seems fascinating. picture is from Garden! NOTE: There's a bunch of smaller engines to find out there. Just yesterday I found out there's an Idle Game Maker made by the Cookie Clicker creator. Isn't life wonderful?
✨more advice under the cut. this is Long ok✨
Unity and Unreal: I don't know anything about those! That looks hard to learn! But indie devs use them! It seems expensive! Follow your dreams though! Don't ask me how!
GameMaker: Wuh I just don't know anything about it either! I just know it's now free if your game is non-commercial (aka, you're not selling it), and Undertale was made on it! It seems good! You probably need some coding experience though!!!
Godot: Man I know even less about this one. Heard good things though!
-Make something small first! Try making simple: a character is in a room, and exits the room. The character can look around, decide to take an item with them, can leave, and maybe the door is locked and you have to find the key. Figuring out how to code something like that, whether it is as a fully text-based game or as an RPGMaker map, should be a good start to figure out how your software of choice works!
-After that, if you have an idea, try first to make the simplest version of that idea. For my timeloop RPG, my simplest version was two rooms: first room you can walk in, second room with the King, where a cutscene automatically plays and the battle starts, you immediately die, and loop back to the first room, with the text from this point on reflecting this change. I think I also added a loop counter. This helped me figure out the most important thing: Can This Game Be Made? After that, the rest is just fun stuff. So if you want to make a dating sim, try and figure out how to add choices, and how to have affection points go up and down depending on your choices! If you want to make a platformer, figure out how to make your character move and jump and how to create a simple level! If you just want to make a kinetic visual novel with no choices, figure out how to add text, and how to add portraits! You'll be surprised at how powerful you'll feel after having figured even those simple things out.
-If you have a programming problem or just get confused, never underestimate the power of asking Google! You most likely won't be the only person asking this question, and you will learn some useful tips! If you are powerful enough, you can even… Ask people??? On forums??? Not me though.
-Yeah I know you probably want to make Your Big Idea RIGHT NOW but please. Make a smaller prototype first. You need to get that experience. Trust me.
-If you are not a womanthing of many skills like me, you might realize you need help. Maybe you need an artist, or a programmer. So! Game jams on itch.io are a great way to get to work and meet other game devs that have different strengths! Or ask around! Maybe your artist friend secretly always wanted to draw for a game. Ask! Collaborate! Have fun!!!
I hope that was useful! If it was. Maybe. You'd like to buy me a coffee. Or maybe you could check out my comics and games. Or just my new critically acclaimed game In Stars and Time. If you want. Ok bye
Yuu = They/them.
Yuu did not go to NRC and instead went to RSA.
Every day, Yuu woke up not to the sun, but to some goddamn random RSA students with cheery faces barging into their room. People followed Yuu wherever they went, dragging Yuu off to somewhere they dubbed 'somewhere fun,' which was definitely not fum at all. and it annoyed Yuu to no end.
It was suffocating, and Yuu swore they were going to die just being surrounded by these goody-two-shoes who wouldn't leave them alone.
If Yuu had gone to NRC before, they would say that RSA was better than NRC in terms of accommodation and peacefulness. In RSA, Yuu could live a lavish life with a soft bed, delicious food, and wonderful decoration. The only thing that ruined their experience was the existence of RSA students.
Despite Yuu's attempts to avoid them, they still managed to find Yuu, whether it be Yuu sleeping on a tree, sitting on a very tall roof, or hiding in the dark under their bed or in the attic. They always found Yuu.
Yuu openly showed their displeasure with no hesitation, unleashing some inappropriate words in front of RSA students and sternly said not to find them. If they failed to understand, Yuu would smack their reaching hand away in anger.
RSA students were unfazed by the whole thing, smiling fondly at Yuu and indulging in Yuu's whims as though Yuu were a child. Their optimistic view sickened Yuu so badly that they couldn't help but distort their expression into disgust and annoyance every time they locked eyes.
Just like before, Yuu's ill-mannered behavior was met with laughter that was rather happy instead of being offended. Yuu was tired of dealing with a bunch of extroverts; they couldn't possibly entertain them all.
Despite being an outsider with a foul mouth and personality, Yuu still got treated right and kindly. Sure, some of them looked wary and were kind of rude, but somehow, they still opened up to Yuu over time. Yuu had no idea how their crude language, rough appearance, and behavior attracted them.
Anyway, the point is, RSA was too friendly for Yuu's liking and too clingy that Yuu doubted if this school really raises royalty because their clinginess sure reminded Yuu of a monkey from how tight they're holding unto Yuu.
They couldn't even understand the meaning of 'don't touch me' and 'I don't want to be friends, so back off,' much to Yuu's chagrin. It must be that optimistic view that made them a brainless bunch of idiots. Well, some of them were smart, but the fact that they still got close to Yuu proved that they were idiots.
In the eyes of others outside of RSA, Yuu was the black sheep of the prestigious, kind-hearted, and good-natured RSA, the dirt on the pure white canvas, the stain on a fine fabric, the one that would never fit.
In the eyes of RSA, however, Yuu was nothing more than a black cat they wanted to spoil despite its temper. Yuu's actions were nothing more than a cat throwing a hissy fit to them, a very endearing, 'scared' little kitty that still hadn't opened up to them.
Grim can be the mascot of NRC, and RSA is Yuu.
Now, imagine a scenario where Neige is talking nonstop to Vil about his new friend, Kitty, with so much sparkle that Vil wanted to barf. He didn't of course, he have a reputation to keep.
Suddenly, Neige called out the name loudly and is vibrating on the spot from sheer joy, and Vil, assuming it's just a kitty, turned around and was met with the most irritated person, oozing dark, gloomy aura at the sight of Neige.
Neige started to direct his attention to Yuu, and Yuu make the ugliest face they could ever make that definitely didn't sway Neige's opinion judging by the stars in his eyes. Yuu then shot a dead look at Vil that clearly said, "take him back before I'm commiting a crime."
Another would be Chenya sneaking into an unbirthday party in NRC to see Riddle and Trey while dragging a very reluctant Yuu who looked like they just wake up from a sleep.
As they sat for the party, Chenya clinked his cup with Yuu, who held it lazily, while speaking in riddles, which Yuu responded to with "shut your damn mouth, fcking cat. You're giving me a headache" prompting a loud gasp from Trey and Riddle and gigglings from Chenya.
Just Yuu trying to live their life in RSA as they stared longingly at NRC.
-
If Yuu from NRC turned the villains into good, naturally, the Yuu in RSA turned them bad. Can go with the "white=bad, black=good" prompt or yandere route, etc. This is just an idea. Feel free to branch from it.
Actually, I have no idea what I'm doing. It was supposed to be a theory, and now it's a story idea with probably a bunch of plot holes and nonsense that I came up with at night. But do consider this idea though. It was said that there are 5 greatest mages in the world, with Malleus on the list, and Dire Crowley could probably be in it too. Who knows? How else did he become a headmaster for so long?
-
Fairy tales change every time they're written and told. Some parts are kept the same, some are not. Some are twisted enough to the point of being called disturbing, and others have their roles reversed, and so on.
It always changes. The words change from book to book and mouth to mouth. Sometimes because the story is a bore, or they wanted to justify the characters' actions, or maybe they simply have forgotten how it goes and made their own story up because they can never let it be forgotten.
Whatever it is, the story is made to fit one's own taste.
Dire Crowley is that kind of person who is unsatisfied with the ending of the stories he comes across. Being a curious bird, he finds it quite strange, vexing even. Why must the good guy win when they have almost nothing? The villains are cunning and stronger even, yet they are defeated by a goody-two-shoes who knows nothing of the world.
Curious, how curious. How could that happen? Logically, the villains should win. It's unfair, like the world is against them. Don't some of the villains come from the same root? So how come they are different?
Crowley wasn't having it. He wanted to know why, and he liked them enough to decide that villains should be heroes too.
And so, he made a story—a story with a certain ending in mind but a hole in between which pages will gradually be filled with time.
He made a world where 7 villains he carefully selected became the most prominent figures in Twisted Wonderland. He wrote the good things he saw in them, and gradually, people admired these figures.
He even made a place for their embodiments so he can watch over and figure out what made them lose. To do this, he made the Royal Sword Academy where the good guys are, the rivals to the villains.
Crowley intended to observe them. They are placed together in a school with 7 dorms. He wanted to see what made them different from the good guys.
It didn't take too long to figure out. Although they are thoroughly competent, they refuse to work together. Each came up with a different plan and proposed the others follow them. The others are of distinguished backgrounds and therefore are too prideful and stubborn to follow.
The story refused to move forward. It stays the same, and nothing changed. They refused to change.
Crowley is upset; this is not the kind of ending he wishes to see. Something must change to move forward, and so Crowley tweaks the story a little bit and begins another story with a twist.
The first Alice, Yuu, gets called over. Yuu is the anomaly in this story. The villains are characters that can't change too much, or else they lack their own identity—the "you are what makes you," if you will. They have to be the same yet different. So Yuu will be the catalyst to move the story forward, the wheels to the cart, and the cogs to the machine.
This Yuu was to be a middleman, smooth things over and let them work together. He was a person of low birth who somehow became a noble. He knew the hardship, and he knew how to connect with people.
The story ended too shortly, sadly. Yuu died. Someone with ill intention killed him, and the others are too indifferent to his death.
Crowley thought that yes, this must be it. This is what sets villains apart from the heroes. It's because they don't care about a single life, and if they do, it is because they lost a good person that benefited them a lot.
Was it because the heroes were kind and good that people would help them? Surely that must be the explanation; otherwise, Snow White wouldn't be able to escape and live due to the hunter and the dwarves, nor would Belle be spared by the beast. Princess Aurora wouldn't wake up if the fairies didn't seek help from Prince Charming.
Because the villains were selfish and indifferent, people don't like them and won't lend a hand. This wouldn't do. Crowley wanted them to be heroes; he wanted to paint the ugly black heart into pure white snow.
The ink dropped on a blank page, and a new story started once again.
Second Alice comes, and Yuu is her name. She is gentle, kind, and her heart is filled with empathy, and she is also willing to voice out her concern. This is good, Crowley thought. This will teach them how to feel, and they also have a rough childhood.
Surely if they are touched by her open heart and kindness, they are willing to change, be kind in return, willing to work together for the same goal.
He watched in interest; they appeared to be enamored with Yuu, who is like a little butterfly fluttering about, only for those wings to rip apart.
"Oh, why are they so cruel?" Crowley lamented. Instead of taking care of it, they'd rather have the wings torn apart. They could not stand the butterfly landing on someone's hands even for a moment.
Crowley called forth another Alice just as the story starts. Again and again and again. He will write the story as many times as he can until the story is to his satisfaction.
He exhausted his magic, and the villains are still doomed to fail by their own flaws and unlucky things. Yuu can only do so much before everything falls apart.
And then the ink splotches on the half-written story, and Overblot came to life. He could not erase their existence. The ink forever stained the pages. Crowley could only roll with it even as new anomalies dubbed Overblot began to pop up. The story hasn't ended yet, and he will only start anew if it stopped.
It was a rather unusual thing to say, but it is the farthest chapters that Crowley has been through. They were nearing the end in every new story with every Alice/Yuu changed.
He lost count of how many Alice/Yuu he has lost and how many villains that slowly changed their way lose their lives to these monsters. No doubt that the perfect story is about to be achieved. The greatest happy ending that the villains deserved is waiting just this close, with a monster blocking the way.
Ink began to drop from his face, dripping onto the already stained book. Crowley too is also nearing his end. His magic is already depleted from using his unique magic and fetching Yuu every time a story starts.
A new story is about to begin, and Crowley stood in front of the Dark Mirror with a white mask. The mask also had ink on it, telling him that the Dark Mirror too had used up their power to summon Yuu.
The next one has to be someone who could survive to the end. Someone who could befriend the villains and show them kindness and recognition they deserved. Someone that can change their ways and improve their perspective of the world no matter how little. Someone to be there by their side until everything.
He reached out to the person whose visage formed on the mirror, urging the person on the other side to take his hand.
"For thee, guided by the Mirror of Darkness,
Follow thy heart and take the hand of the one reflected in the mirror.
Flames that turn even stars into ashes,
Ice that imprisons even time,
Great tree that swallows even the sky,
Don't be afraid of the power of darkness,
Come now, show your power.
Mine, theirs, and yours,
There's only a little time left for us.
Do not let go of that hand, at all costs."
Who would have thought that the new Alice who will guide them all to the perfect ending will be a magicless human who is quite troublesome and reckless in nature?
-
Every Yuu is different. They are summoned from different world/dimension/time to help aid his story (to influence). All of them have magic. Crowley doubted the last Alice/Yuu (from the game. Depends.) will be the last key to open the final door since they are magicless.
Fits for yandere theme as well. This Yuu is very valuable and the key to happiness. Of course they want Yuu to stay here. Of course Crowley wouldn't let them go.
It happened in an instant.
Yuu woke up in a coffin, gasping in desperation and fear. The darkness swallowed him whole, rendering him unable to see.
Escaping that coffin when it was set ablaze by a cat-like monster marked the first adventure for Yuu.
Yuu's first reaction to this new world was like a child setting his gaze upon a brightly lit Christmas tree, eyes sparkling with bright lights and stars.
It was wonderful, colorful, and out of this world. It was like a dream.
His limbs trembled when he stepped into the new world, hands lifted before his eyes as though to question if everything was real.
And it was real. What Yuu felt and experienced was enough to tell that it's all real, and that was enough for him for wanting to stay even though it was just an abandoned ramshackle dorm, far from the luxury he had ever known.
He felt alive as magic burst like fireworks and danced to a rhythm his new friends orchestrated. Even if Yuu was magicless, he was happy all the same.
While it's true that his new life was sometimes faced with foes, obstacles, and antics caused by his friends, he didn't mind it at all. This is what he thought normal life should be like.
The pain that was inflicted on him, he cherished those as well. Perhaps it's strange to keep them as a reminder for most people, but for Yuu, it's not.
Maybe it's borderline crazy or just some weird coping mechanism.
Even if at some points he was asked by his friends about it, Yuu, whose being had been exposed as an anomaly for being magicless and from another world, could only smile.
Let it be his only secret.
Call him a weirdo, call him any other unusual names so hurtful and all Yuu could do is laugh like it was the funniest thing in the world.
And Grim, beloved Grim. Naughty and spoiled, he truly cherished his furry companion. The warmth he emitted and the annoying yet endearing personality.
It can be said that he made Yuu's life even better than before.
What Yuu experienced here was something that he yearned for but could never say out loud. It's not that he didn't have the freedom to do so. It was just the weight of his words was so burdensome.
He let his same wish go out with a puff to every birthday candle snuffed, watched as his hope grew and perished and began anew. The small piece of cake in his mouth tasted bland every year he forced himself to eat.
It was only now that his wish had been heard and granted and he wanted to stay here for eternity where he could live without being scared and weak.
He wanted to have fun every day. He wanted to laugh and eat food that had never been so delicious in his whole life before. He wanted to wake up in his home with Grim snuggling by his side and greet his friends with smiles without worry.
He wanted to do what he couldn't do, to try everything even if he failed miserably, to run and to dance, to explore and feel and wear the most luxurious clothes without the Swords of Damocles dropping over his head at any moment.
He wanted to cry but he had already cried enough, he wanted to smile twice as much without faking it.
He stayed and stayed… . . . …and stayed.
Until what happened during Idia's overblot and Malleus's shook his peaceful life. The seed that was left behind without any water and light burst open from its coat. The plants branched out at the tragedies unfolding before his eyes, poking deep inside his head and heart where he kept the darkness sealed.
It touched the parts Yuu wanted to hide. The dream he lived in wavered and the truth bared its fangs, glinting threateningly.
Yuu began to miss home.
He missed his family who was always by his side, through sorrow and pain, without fail. Even if he knew that they were also a bit unwilling to see him some days.
But Yuu understood. He had no choice but to do so.
Yuu knew his wish was very selfish. Maybe that's why the Blue Fairy didn't grant it at all because Yuu was hesitant in his heart. Because granting that wish meant he had to let go, never to see them again.
It's true that he wished to be happy, never to worry about a thing.
But he also wished that they could be happy too. Together or without…
For the first time in his new life, nothing felt the same anymore. Every adventure had Yuu thinking of his family.
It was not fun anymore.
And Yuu, who wished for things to stay like this forever, finally grew up. A person who used to fit with his peers like puzzles or like a Mad Hatter to Wonderland became Alice who wanted to go home.
He was out of place and out of time.
His heart kept yearning for unreachable things but the first wish was granted so what's wrong with keeping hope that another will be granted as well?
That's what Yuu did and he was back to square one.
Truly, he was a very pitiable person from the beginning.
He kept wishing and wished and wished–
–until Yuu woke up with a gasp, eyes blown wide open only to shut tightly when bright lights penetrated his vision.
A familiar scent of sterilization invaded his nose followed by a numb sensation in all limbs.
People in white coats surrounded his bed while holding certain devices that must have aided in bringing him back to life if the heart monitor that began to stabilize was any indication.
Although muddle-headed, his gaze managed to spot Grim, his beloved doll that was sewn terribly and barely resembled a cat. He was slumped next to the books filled with fairytales set on the desk next to his hospital bed.
Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, The Little Mermaid, Sleeping Beauty, and so on…
Yuu knew long ago what it meant to wake up in that coffin.
He was well aware that Twisted Wonderland is just another name for Neverland and Neverland is just another word for the afterlife, where the lost boys go and never grow up until the end of time.
He was ready to accept it but in the end…
He had made another wish and whispered it to the wishing star for the Blue Fairy to hear. A wish similar to Geppetto's yearning for a child, and in respond, Pinocchio, who was made of wood, was brought to life.
And he was indeed back to life. Back to the reality that he was reluctant to face every morning. Back to being a burden, stuck in the bed with white walls and limbs that couldn't move and senses that dulled over time as he festered in that place.
And it's all because Yuu didn't want to see his family cry over his coffin.
Yuu wanted to live even if it was painful. At least, until he's the only one left.
It was closest to a Happy Ending that Yuu could think of for a story like his, one that was truly fitting for a very selfish person.
(deciduous) tree leaves change color in the fall because they are tiny little factories being shutdown and scraped for parts. the tree has made an evolutionary bet that the amount of energy required to maintain its food factories (leaves) through the (freezing, increasingly dark) winter is just not worth the investment--better to shut it down and hibernate instead.
but before a tree can shed its leaves, it needs to break down and reabsorb that valuable valuable chlorophyll, to reuse in the spring. this removes the green pigmentation, allowing the yellow/orange pigments (carotenoids) that are usually hidden to shine through!
so next time you see a majestic sight like this:
please know these trees are cannibalizing their own extremities ♥
Warning: Spoiler and Mild Gore
If overblots are dangerous to those who overuse magic, then how dangerous is it for a magicless student who has never touched magic to be exposed to one?
No one knew. After all, this had never happened before until Yuu appeared, but even then, it was too late to understand not process how severe it was.
Yuu's first exposure to an overblot was in the dwarf mine where they came face to face with an unknown being.
The black liquid sloshed in the damaged jar for a head, its contents leaking out of its cracks, and its whole lower body was replaced by a sludge of black, forming a trail behind it as it moved.
Yuu made the mistake of touching the liquid, unaware of its danger and distracted by adrenaline rushing through their veins.
It was when everything was over that Yuu felt a bit off but quickly dismissed it as weariness and being subjected to a new and stressful environment.
-
The second was Riddle Rosehearts's overblot, where the experience was much different from the first. Yuu could see the surroundings being affected. The rose bushes were dug out of their place and floated ominously amongst the equally ominous red mist and sky.
Riddle's appearance changed, and with that, a being that Yuu came to learn as a Phantom popped up behind him, and it was much larger than the first one and so, so angry.
Yuu felt scared as the phantom wielding the rose bush towered over them, the ink, akin to blood, spilt over their face and shoulders.
The rose bush turned to cards before it managed to smash them to nothing but a puddle of blood, torn flesh and broken bones.
The cards scratched Yuu, and blood and ink mixed together.
Yuu fell terribly sick that day at the unbirthday party but felt a bit better after a couple of days.
-
The third was Leona Kingscholar.
The sand particles floated all over the area, and it was so dense it made Yuu choke and become thirsty. It clung to them and stuck on their eyes like a second skin, uncomfortably so with its rough texture.
The roaring of a Phantom with a lion with stitched skin for a body and a cracked jar for a head echoed all over the place. A distinct deep laugh could be heard in the background.
Yuu was scared of dying, they were scared of not knowing anything and facing the enemy blind, scared of not being able to do anything when their life was in danger.
Yuu was scared of not being able to go home in one piece or not being able to return at all.
When it was over, Yuu found themselves distracted and out of touch with the surrounding.
A good hit from the disc unto the head made Yuu unconscious, and when they woke up, they got distracted once more.
-
The fourth was Azul Ashengrotto.
Yuu did not feel scared this time, but they were angry. Upset at how this had happened to them for the fourth time in a row.
Come to think of it, this wouldn't have happened if those friends of theirs hadn't done stupid things like striking a deal, would it? Yuu wouldn't have gotten dragged into it if they hadn't begged for their help, would they?
Yuu shouldn't be involved in this and deal with the aftermath if those friends knew the consequence of their own actions.
Yuu's gaze bore deep into their soul.
And the ink goes drip, drip, drip into the puddle of ink.
The fifth was Jamil Viper, the Vice Housewarden.
Quite frankly, Yuu had looked forward to the holiday. No friends, no headmaster, no students roaming around the school for Yuu to talk to with the exception of Grim, which is an avoidable case.
Yuu is fully aware of the feelings that grew inside of them and attempted to quell it using this opportunity.
Yuu wanted to rest, enjoy some time to themself until Kalim insisted on inviting them to have a party back in his dorm.
Yuu rejected once and twice and more, only to be dragged there the moment Grim voiced out his disagreement and promptly accepted the invitation.
Yuu felt anger and dissatisfaction growing inside.
They felt sick looking at the feast spreading from one edge to another, weary of dealing with Grim and Kalim's antics and developed a fever under the burning sun.
The only time they got better was when they snapped at Kalim for his foolishness and naivety that started to get on their nerves, but even then, the feelings didn't go away all that much. It still lingered and steadily grew.
Yuu sat down and hid, waiting for the others to deal with the overblot. It was their fault, not Yuu's, so they should deal with that.
-
The sixth overblot was Vil Schoenheit.
Yuu was not pleased that their dorm was being used to house the participants of VDC when Yuu themself wasn't part of it. Why was Yuu in charge of them? Why was Vil bossing them around? Why was their privacy being invaded?
Why did nobody ask Yuu at all?
Yuu barely batted an eye when Vil overblotted, even as the stage shook and crumbled. Even if his youth seeped out blink of an eye and restored the next.
Yuu was angry. Yuu was tired. Yuu was…
Hungry.
Yuu doesn't remember what happened next, but Yuu recalled that they stole something from Grim and attempted to eat it before waking up with ugly scratches all over their arms, face, and throat and Grim crying next to their bedside.
Yuu turned away.
-
And then seventh and eighth overblot was Idia Shroud and Malleus Draconia respectively.
These two were the most stressful moments and life-threatening situations to ever happen to Yuu.
Stepping into the island of woe where a bunch of phantoms imprisoned and a dream casted by Malleus where Yuu got dropped into a war and the Sage Island covered by a wall of thorns, isolated from the rest.
Yuu got tired of being drenched in the ink and the blood that looked so real. Yuu got tired of being dragged into every problem just to save someone.
Yuu ate the black Magestones that they managed to lay their hands on. Collecting them like treasures and eating them while savoring the taste.
The Magestones easily crushed in between their molars. The bitterness began to coat the tongue that overpowered their senses that they wanted to spit them back out.
Still, Yuu chewed. The liquid flowed to the back of the throat, and then, the sweetness began to pop up, dancing on the taste bud and then gone in an instant.
Crunch, crunch, crunch.
There is no more taste left. Yuu yearned for more, but there's none left. Irrational anger and sorrow overwhelmed them.
Tears began to form and dropped down their cheeks, staining them black that is ink.
Drip, drip, drip.
The palms are coated with ink, and the floor began to form a small puddle, seeping into their dark clothes.
Yuu is starting to hate the color black and the chemical scent that came with it.
-
The ninth was Grim.
There is no phantom, there is only him, except he is not him anymore.
He is no longer tiny nor did he have a cat-like appearance and lacked his arrogant and narcisstic personality.
He is huge and now possessed bunch of tentacles and a snake for extra limbs. The blue flame surrounded his neck area like a lion's mane, enhancing the terrifying face of the beast that loomed over them.
The whole place got destroyed, and the students either ran away or were injured, but Yuu cared nothing like that.
Their vision fixed on a certain item while their palms bled ink upon grasping the broken glasses tightly
The mirror that was suppose to be Yuu's way home was smashed to smithereens, reflecting Yuu's despairing expression a thousand times as if to mock them.
-
The tenth and the final overblot was themself.
The exam month had come. Yuu was in the living room with books and papers scattered on the table.
His injured hands, which were finally healed by a healing potion, held a pen in a strange manner, slowly dragging it across the paper, stopping for a few seconds before continuing. The hands noticeably became shakier and stiffer.
It seems that the healing potions don't heal everything. The crooked fingers are proof of that.
Still, Grim watched how Yuu struggled before the boy sighed and decided to abandon it to read the notes instead. In Grim's opinion, the writings were pleasing to his eyes, and he could understand them in one glance in comparison to the scrawling from before.
It goes without a doubt that Yuu was very smart and also hardworking. Even that two-toned haired teacher praised Yuu, occasionally giving him candies.
Grim looked at Yuu's hands and decided that he didn't want Yuu to ruin their first exam, so Grim would take the lead. They both are, after all, two-in-one student. It would be awful if Yuu didn't manage to score anything with those hands.
-
Grim noticed Yuu roaming around the room where he was at like a ghost haunting the place. Yuu usually doesn't stay in the same room, and if he does, he usually tries to erase his presence.
So therefore, him hovering around and gazing at him from a certain distance became annoying.
"What are you movin around for? You're botherin me," Grim huffed, looking away from the notes he obtained from a certain someone.
Yuu kept looking at him nervously, his sweat dripping and fidgeting with his fingers lightly.
"Are you sure you're going to do the exam instead of me...? I can do it," Yuu said softly, almost carefully.
"No! I can do it. I'm not that dumb! If anythin, you're goin to make us fail with those hands of yours."
"Oh, I'm sorry..."
Grim saw Yuu glanced at his hands for a short moment before hiding them behind his back, expression down as though he's shameful.
"So sit down! I'm gonna ace this exam all by myself!" Grim huffed once more after he said those words as if it would calm Yuu down.
-
Despite not doing anything troublesome like the exam, Yuu grew even more nerve-wracking just watching by the sidelines, fearing that Grim would mess it up, to which Grim assured confidently and exasperatedly that he won't.
His confidence only soared higher when he received high scores and he shoved it to Yuu, who flinched at the sudden action.
Grim dismissed it. After all, he did a very good job of it, so Yuu will definitely be impressed by it, so he held it up with pride.
"85...?" Yuu's voice trembled, and his eyes widened with horror. Grim heard Yuu mumbling from underneath his breath how the teacher won't accept this and will be angry.
Yuu began to shed tears when he saw Ace's and Deuce's marks but not from happiness as he expected. His expression looked frightened and alarmed.
"Hey, it's closer to 100. That's fine, isn't it?" said Ace, trying to comfort Yuu, who is not participating in the exam yet was unusually upset at their marks. "That's not a terrible mark at all!"
"Yes, it is... Master Crewel is going to get angry..." said Yuu with certainty and fear.
Grim thought that the three of them definitely have the same idea in mind at that time, but none spoke them out loud.
-
Contrary to Yuu's words, Professor Crewel does not punish them, but he does look at them all suspiciously.
And now, it's their turn to be scared. Grim didn't expect that all of them actually made a deal with Azul, that scammer!
Upon learning of this fact, Yuu's expression turned to be even more horrified. He hugged himself, and he began to bite the flesh between the thumb and the wrist, almost piercing through them and drawing blood.
Yuu seemed to be in his own world that his words became incoherent, but some managed to understand a few of what he's saying.
"Cheating, lies, not allowed, punished, beaten, angry, apologize..."
A story formed in their head in an instant, but Grim doesn't understand why they would get beaten for that alone?
His question remained unanswered because everyone who managed to strike a deal with Azul sprouted an anemone on top of their head and began to march to the Octavinelle dorm.
Yuu, despite trembling like a shaky leaf, remained still amongst the moving crowd, looking hesitant, as though he will end up in a terrible situation if he followed them.
-
Grim, Ace, and Deuce didn't see Yuu that much after they started working in the Mostro Lounge. Grim did meet Yuu at the dorm, but he hardly gave any attention and just dropped on the spot and snooze.
He had never worked so hard in his entire life, and that made Grim think that it's not worth making a deal with the devil.
But then he thought of the reason why he accepted, and he can only grumble loudly as his tiny paws washed yet another dirty dish.
Surely... this isn't as hard as...
He yowled as the water splashed on his face.
-
They met again during lunch after who knows how long, but Grim is exhausted that time seemed to blend together. The same thing goes for Ace and Deuce as they all dragged their feet to find their table, resisting the urge to sleep.
Yuu, who is somehow accompanied by a very decent Savanaclaw student by the name of Jack, easily spotted them and carefully sat right next to them. His eyes flitted across all three expressions as though he's looking for something, only to slacken the tension in his shoulders.
It did not last long when the Leeches twins invited themselves in, but Grim no longer took notice of this the moment the twins suggested that there is a way for them to be free.
Yuu needed to make a deal with Azul.
It did not last a minute; Yuu buckled instantly under their pleadings to save them. They all cheered, ignoring Jack scolding them.
"You know, for the first time, I think I'm ready to recognize you as our prefect," said Grim, feeling elated at Yuu for the first time.
The smile on Yuu's face immediately went strained, and his gaze was lowered. Grim saw his still injured fingers clenched tightly on his pants as though it wasn't hurt days ago.
"I'm... glad I'm useful," Yuu said.
Maybe Grim should have shut his mouth.
-
Grim still stayed on the bed, and Yuu on the floor.
Grim slept to the scent of salt and the quiet sobbings accompanying the cold night.
-
Grim sneaked out of the kitchen to the VIP room on the day Yuu came to make a deal, a trail of wet spots formed on the carpet as he made his way over there.
He heard voices, and he, who at first wanted to recklessly barge in, suddenly out of character, stopped to lean on the door so he could listen in.
"...You see, prefect, my understanding is that you have no innate magical power." Came Azul's voice.
"You're not gifted with a beautiful voice, nor are you heir to any kingdom. You also do not possess any outstanding and useful skills. You're an utterly run-of-the-mill human in every possible way. Considering the big ask you're making of me, I would need considerable collateral."
It was insults, no matter how many different angles and how many times he tried to listen. If it was Grim whom Azul had told that face to face, he would no doubt be blown up with rage and yell back.
However, Yuu only replied with two words, spoken softly and without stuttering as though he had known that a long time ago and had long accepted it.
"I know."
-
Since Yuu had put the ramshackle dorm as collateral, they both were kicked out of their only shelter into the cold night.
Ace, Deuce, and even Jack offered to help them. The Adeuce insisted Yuu go with them instead of Jack; after all, Jack is from Savanaclaw, and Yuu and that dorm don't mix well together.
Except that didn't happen.
Yuu followed Jack, and he let Grim follow Ace and Deuce.
-
His sleep that night was filled with snores, the rustling of someone moving in their sleep, and a faint smell of roses that was enough not to irritate his nose.
It felt strange that Yuu was not here.
He was awake for hours and he doesn't remember what time it was when he had fallen asleep.
-
Grim does not know what happened to Yuu that same night. But the next day, he spotted bruises blooming all over Yuu's body that Grim suspected some of his ribs might have broken. There were also a few band-aids here and there, and even the face was not spared.
Grim suddenly went mad over this, yelling at Jack, who followed Yuu guiltily. Even Ace and Deuce joined as well, occasionally scolding Yuu lightly for even choosing the place where most students beat him up.
"I'm sorry... I... didn't want to bother you," Yuu murmured, the injuries making him look even more pathetic.
Their anger didn't last long upon seeing this and told him to come to their dorm instead.
Yuu merely shook his head, "I won... fair and square. I'll do my part well."
Nobody knows what he meant by this.
-
They cornered Jack when he's alone after their attempted to steal the photograph failed.
"What does Yuu mean?"
"Why is he hurt like that?"
"What did you do?"
Plenty of accusations were thrown at him that Jack's stern expression twisted into something complicated.
What left his mouth only stunned them even more.
In exchange to live there, Yuu had to be a gopher and also fight and win. And win he did, even as his body is blue and black and his form is close to a deathbed.
There's no benefit in living there and winning said fight if being beaten up and being a gopher awaited him there.
Grim was right when he said that Yuu was a coward and an idiot.
A coward because Yuu cannot say no so he does what Leona said and an idiot for not realizing that there's nothing good that will bring to him in that place.
-
Despite everything, Yuu still went there.
But Grim supposed that there's another reason why he needed to get what Azul wanted to get the ramshackle dorm back.
-
Yuu came up with a plan on the last day when everyone is starting to lose hope. It was simple. Too simple just like the time he came up with in the Dwarf mine, yet it proved to be effective.
The day they initiated the plan also went smoothly that not even the closed museum could ever obstructed said plan with the help of Ace.
Grim rather liked a smart Yuu rather than an idiot, but it is too bad that this showcase of intelligence is very limited and not available most of the time.
But it was on this very same day that Grim realized just how truly smart Yuu is.
Grim had learned Yuu had done something to Leona for him to join his plan, a second plan that no one in the group knows. Yuu and the rest were simply bait, but who would have thought that both plans succeeded anyway.
Grim wondered why it's only time like this that Yuu started to take the lead when he's usually the one who is following and endured.
-
Azul overbloated after that; his lower half became that of an octopus and Grim thought that everything can be handled since they've beaten Riddle and Leona before.
This proved to be a bit difficult seeing as Azul had stolen half of their magic and used it against them. Offensive and defensive, he had it all much to Grim's displeasure.
Azul, just like Leona before, reached out to Yuu with one of those octopus legs the moment his eyes laid on him. Eyes dilated with anger and hatred, only to replace with malicious glee when he caught Yuu who stood still like a sacrifice.
Again with that.
Grim thought he imagined it last time but he really did it again.
Yuu cried and gasped for air as Azul choked the life out of him while everyone is screaming for his name.
Grim thought Yuu hated being beaten up, thought he's scared of it.
So why is he smiling?
-
Grim never got his answer, feeling quite lost and confused with how Yuu acted. The others seemed to know, seemed to understand what Yuu is thinking even if it's just snippets.
But Grim is not as smart as Yuu, so Grim could never understand what goes through Yuu's mind.
The moment the monster got defeated, Grim quickly ate the black magestone the monster left behind to distract himself.
Yuu was currently knocked out cold on the floor, surrounded by his friends who have disheveled appearances. No doubt, they will scold him when he woke up later.
-
They did scold him when he regained consciousness.
Yuu apologized pathetically and said that he was scared he couldn't move his feet. He shed tears and trembled upon being stared upon.
But that's not what Grim saw earlier. Yet, he kept his mouth shut anyway.
Writing a short story to introduce my version of Yuu to NRC.
The ceremony should have ended. All the students had come up and been sorted. Or so Crowley thought.
Yet, when hundreds of students lined up according to their dorms, there was a single person left, sitting in the middle among rows of chairs, his face hidden underneath the shadows of the hood.
Crowley hadn't seen him before. He didn't even know there was someone left out because he was certain that's everyone. He counted the coffins and the number of students lining up, and they matched! There shouldn't be anyone left out.
And yet, there he was, waiting patiently.
However, it seemed Crowley wasn't alone in this. The house wardens thought the same when they spoke their minds.
But he was still a student, the ceremonial robes were proof of that. Crowley had no choice but to let him stand before the Mirror of Darkness even as doubts and unease nagged at the back of his mind.
"Yuu," that is the name of the student. Strange and uncommon.
And then the mirror spoke,
"I sensed not a spark of magic in it. The colors, the shape, all are nothing. Therefore, it is not suited for any dormitory."
'It'. The mirror had said 'it', but it was easy to dismiss because everyone's attention zeroed in on the fact that 'he' had no magic.
The room immediately burst out with murmurs. It was understandable, of course. This single student had no magic, and yet, the Black Carriage had carried 'him', and they never made mistakes.
Crowley attempted to send 'him' home, but the result was not what everyone expected. The mirror couldn't find 'his' home.
No magic, no home to return to. Crowley was at a loss in this situation.
Yuu merely smiled, soft and knowing, and 'his' pair of black eyes were strangely too dark, like an abyss itself had made its home there, devoid of light.
A few arguments here and there, and the next thing Crowley knew, he begrudgingly accepted this new student as his new responsibility. Since Yuu was unsuitable for every dorm, Crowley brought 'him' to the ramshackle dorm where 'he' can settle in.
When he left Yuu there, Crowley pretended he didn't feel watched all the way to his office.
TCF x TWST
(Spoiler alert. Beware)
Yall know that Lilia Vanrouge raised Malleus Draconia so I raised you this question: What happened when he meet Cale Henituse who also raised a baby dragon?
They both are father-shaped, a general/commander of war, a trusted friend of a royalty, you see the point.
I just wanna see some crossover between my beloved story/game and I do not have the skill to write a story. I only have idea.
I think its neat to put Cale in TWST world. Hes so lovable that small and big fairies alike just latched onto him even though he have such villainous traits thats barely shown unless someone mess with his loved ones. Just like a cat lounging around lazily but had no problem fcking you up.
The senate is gonna be fcked and got their golds looted or something because Cale is a scammer and got that Dominating aura and everyone keep mistaken him as a dragon.
Lilia is going to be his best friend or a platonic partner or something since they both are similars in so many ways. Look, they both have a dragon as their kid. It's perfect. let them raised them together.
Meleanor is 100% approved cuz she hates the senates and Cale did a great job giving a big middle finger at them.
Just imagined how he got dropped into this world out of the blue, cursing loudly at the gods like a sailor or just quietly seething cuz Raon is with him. Maybe he got dropped during a war, or infront of Lilia and perhaps Meleanor.
But anyway, everyone is watching him with surprise and with the intensity of the sun at what Cale, a stoic, pretty and a slender man, carrying so preciously and tenderly in his weak arms.
Its a dragon! A baby dragon!
Can you imagine the chaos? The misunderstanding? Like Raon, although his form is different than Meleanor's dragon form, he is by far most similar to her, minus the purple colour. It could be said a slight changes in characteristic due to different species of a father.
In other eyes, they probably mistaken him as the heir or that they dont know that Meleanor had two children and began to plot.
And then Raon, offended that they think he's someone elses son, pointed at Cale and said, "He's my father."
Que, everyone thinking he's a dragon or that Meleanor actually have two husbands and had hidden one. Meanwhile, Lilia here is trying to jog his memories if she ever told him about this or hes just forgot.
Or maybe Cale got send here and Raon at random place and Raon just coincidentally got dropped at the egg chamber. Everyone just thought that the egg had hatched even though its not.
Raon either admit or commit to the bit, just like Cale. Gonna trick them thinking hes the heir to the briar valley while he put this egg here inside his personal storage dimension and he latched to this one person that reminded him of Cale which is Lilia.
Lilia is sus but he had no evidence. Like, Raon is powerful alright and he's the only baby dragon here. he's also smart, but okay. The only reason he believed hes Meleanor's son is because Raon is so rebellious to the senates and they cant do anything because hes too smart and can obliterate them in one go.
And thats all, really. Dont have any ideas now. Thanks for reading this.