Every Adventure Requires A First Step.

Ao3 series! ^^

Realized I should probably link this somewhere so, here’s my Ao3 series! I post anonymously on there because I already have a pre-existing account that I don’t want to associate with my Tumblr. 

https://archiveofourown.org/series/3254130

I tend to post there earlier than my Tumblr so if you’d like to see my fics a few hours earlier, then it’s better to check the series! 

Leona Kingscholar x Reader: Love Letters (3)

The 3rd part is here! For the sake of this fic, we'll pretend Episode/Book 2 either never happened or happens later lol

Hope you enjoy! No spoilers or warnings for now but this might change in future installments :)

PART 1 | PART 2 | PART 3 [!] | PART 4 | PART 5 | PART 6 | END

SUMMARY: To get Ace and Deuce to complete the favor, you must engage in cafeteria warfare to secure deluxe menchi katsu sandwiches! You also meet a mischievous beastman.

Would you really do this much just to get Ace and Deuce to watch Grim? Well, you admit your ulterior motive to agreeing to this was to try out the deluxe menchi katsu sandwich. 

You really doubt you'll get the chance to try out some new foods ever again. Not until the far, far future in which you finally earn some madol. You'd been living off of Crowley's free lunch pass this whole time. You really have to bring up pay at some point with him.

"Go!" You shout as you race forward, holding a tray above your head. Ace and Deuce had gone around throwing a few pieces of food or messing with people's trays and had already incited this chaos. 

Of course, nobody knew it was them specifically with so many people around. They had started an all-out food fight. 

Grim incinerates any food that comes near you with a small puff of blue flames. You catch him also swallowing the incoming food sometimes. He balances precariously on your shoulders. You slip through the disrupted line and finally, you make your way to the front of the queue while everyone is distracted.

There, you secure a few deluxe menchi katsu sandwiches with the money Ace and Deuce loaned together. You also get an egg salad sandwich.

You hold them close to your chest, hiding them in your blazer. You're sure if you get caught with these, you were going to get jumped by several people. 

You carefully slip through the crowd until you're near the exit. There you spot familiar green hair and glasses. "Trey! Thanks for the chocolates! Happy Valentines!" You wave at him. Trey notices you for sure and waves back. 

"[Name], are you alright?" He asks, looking a bit concerned. "Yep, Grim's been protecting me." You nodded. "Nyahahaha, I'll eat everything they throw at me dazo!" Grim smirks. 

"Oh? And where's Ace and Deuce? Did they start this?" Trey smiles, looking amused. "What? No, I was with them when it started. But then I lost them in the crowd after everything uh, happened." You lie casually. 

You can feel him scrutinizing you briefly but he relents in the end. You let out a quiet sigh of relief. "Do be careful. Have a happy Valentines day, [Name]." Trey nods with a smile. "You too!" You yell, "Grim!"

"Nyahaha! Leave this to me dazo!" He hops onto the top of the tray you're holding, now above the crowd, he begins blasting fire to stop the incoming food from hitting you. You open the door and quickly flee the chaos. That should've been the signal for Ace and Deuce to leave as well. 

You get out of there and lean against a wall, taking a break. "Uwah, I can smell it from here dazo! Gimme!" Grim grins, he paws at your blazer where the sandwiches are. "Here you go." You pass him the packaged sandwich. 

"Ah crap. I completely missed the lunch time free-for-all. The deluxe menchi katsu sandwich Leona wanted is already sold out." A beastman with dark blonde hair and large animal ears walks out the cafeteria with a sigh. You squint at him, he looked…had you met him before?

There was no way, you really don't remember meeting any guy with adorable, fluffy ears! Plus, his face was cute. Okay, sue you for liking guys with cute animal ears and maybe a tail. You don't spot  a tail on this guy though. If you think about it, they were just like catboys. 

You stop that thought before it can go further. If you want to survive, you can't just approach danger like this! The above average guys here were the worst.

Your friends were definitely attractive in your world's standards. However, in Twisted Wonderland, this seemed to be the norm. Your friends also happen to all be troublemakers, even though some are less obvious.

Therefore, it was best you steered clear of this guy completely. You get up and begin walking away. Grim is too busy munching on the sandwich to question you, he only follows after you, sandwich in hand, "Nyahaha! The taste of victory, I'll take my time savoring it!"

"Hey, you. Is that a deluxe menchi katsu sandwich?" The boy approaches, spotting you two. Grim, why! You panic. "No, what's that?" You turn around with a curious expression. If you ran, you'd end up looking suspicious and you doubt you could outrun a beastman. 

He sniffs the air. Oh god, he could smell them on you. The beastman stares at your chest. "Hey, my eyes are up here." You glare at him. He raises an eyebrow. "Shishi, I didn't mean to! Not that there's anything to see here." He smiles at you with a mock cheerfulness. 

You deadpan at him as he laughs. You watch as his gaze turns to Grim. "The deluxe menchi katsu sandwich is the sandwich your familiar is holding right now." He gestures toward him, staring at you with an amused look. "Hey! Who are you calling their familiar dazo?!" Grim snarls. You don't like this.

"That's pretty great, y'know? You got your hands on a deluxe menchi katsu sandwich, huh." He grins at Grim. "Huh? What's it to you?" He shot him a wary look. 

"I have to get that sandwich no matter what, but they sold out right in front of me. So, I have a proposition." The beastman pouts, his ears tilting downwards, "Could you trade me that deluxe menchi katsu sandwich for my mini bean paste bread?" 

You clench your fists, you must stay strong and resist. "Huh!? No way in hell dazo!" Grim scowls, "We fought for those!" 

You've never been so thankful for this stupid cat. "Now, now, don't say that." He smiles, "...Here you are."

It's as if some will comes over you, your hand reaches into your blazer and you pull out a deluxe menchi katsu sandwich as he does the same, pulling out a mini bean paste bread. 

"Fgyaa!? Henchman, don't give it to him dazo!" Grim gapes, looking betrayed. "My arms and legs are moving on their own! I'm not doing this!" You shout, trying to stop your limbs as you walk closer to him. 

You switch items with him, horrified to see the mini bean paste bread in your traitorous hands. 

"[Name]! What are you doing!?" You can't even turn your head but you can see Ace and Deuce racing toward you in your peripheral. "Negotiations complete. Shishishi! Thanks for being kind enough to trade me! That mini bean paste bread is just as good." He begins backing away as you test your fingers. 

"It being tiny is a defect. Thanks and bye-bye!" He waves and runs off with a smirk. "No!" You cry after him, chasing him. He's too fast as you expected though you chase him down a few hallways before he jumps out a literal open window. 

You bitterly hope he broke his legs or something down there. "Wh-Why in the great sevens would you give away the sandwich?!" Ace pants, running after you. You're all in a random classroom now. You slump against the wall, defeated. 

"I didn't! He must have some sort of magic that takes over your body or something!" You yell, frustratedly waving your hands around. "F-F-Fgyaaa! My deluxe menchi katsu sandwich!" Grim whines. "It could be his unique magic but still…ugh!" Deuce growls, he looks like he's about to punch the wall and you can't say you don't feel the same. 

"Oh I see, you just kinda went along with it. That happens sometimes." Ace hums in understanding. "No, that's not it all! I can't explain your stupid magic stuff!" You glare at him. "Geez, no need to get mad at me. I'm not the one who gave away the sandwich." He rolls his eyes. 

You rip a bite from the mini bean paste bread with a scowl, "It should be totally illegal to have magic that overrides free will!"

"I don't think there's any rule against that."

"Seriously?!"

You completely forget about the letter and card as you all sulk in the empty classroom.

-

"Leona, I'm back with lunch." Ruggie calls out, dangling the packaged sandwich in one hand and holding an ice tea in the other. He nudges aside branches and leaves as he makes his way through the botanical garden.

"Hnh, already afternoon?" In a small clearing lies a handsome beastman with brown locks and braids. His tail with a tassel at the end sways lazily as his animal ears twitch under the warm sun. 

"Were you by chance sleeping here all morning? You're gonna fail another class." Ruggie sighs, handing off the sandwich and ice tea to Leona. He peeks inside the package and shakes it around a little. 

"Seems like you got what I…" Leona pauses suddenly with a frown as he sniffs again, "Where did you get this?"

"Ughh, Leona, you always want the stuff that's the most competitive. It was already sold out when I got there so I 'negotiated' with a random student." Ruggie explains, exasperated. 

"Which student? What dorm did they belong to?"

He raises an eyebrow. He really wasn't sure why the usually apathetic Leona cared so much. Still, he racks his brain to recall.

"Oh, it's the student you kept getting me to secretly deliver stuff to and to find out where they sat, I think!" Ruggie snaps in realization. He suddenly stares at Leona, a look of surprise and confusion painted clearly.

"Ah, wait…it's because you have a…um, on them, right?"

Ao3: HERE

If you see it posted anywhere or by anyone else, it's not me.

Very interesting! Thank you very muchh! Also, Vil having a peacock emoji is hilarious

If I may add on about the ships, There are specific emojis that indicate that an artist likes that pairing. Examples: 🐉♦️ ; ♣️🌹 ; 🏹👑 in their bio.

Telling this because I had a mutual in the fandom before complaining about it but not directly to the artist thankfully that she didnt know that the artist she likes ships a certain pair when there is the emojis in the artist profile.

I can give examples of twitter artists that makes content for ships but it’s the ones I know of.

Rook x Vil (@Hrmkkuuyo) (@vv_rv0)

First one makes manga type stories and second ones makes cute baby arts. (≧∀≦)

Trey x Jade (@clodol333)

I like that artist artstyle and their coloring method. I look forward to their art a lot. They make kind of story-like content too. (o^^o)

Ace x Deuce (@neterumitai)

I don’t exactly ship them but it seems like a lot of people do judging by their following and likes of Adeuce.

I didn’t give a lot since I prefer self ship so I am not focused on character x character ships but still love it. Hope this helps. ☆彡

[Referring to this post]

Oh shit yeah! This is so useful. Often, artists may use emojis in place of ship names, which will help more with your search.

Each character has a certain emoji or two commonly used, which will greatly help you in sifting for all kinds of fanart. Here’s a list of the emojis used for each character:

NOTES TO READ

As far as I know, most dorms do not have a dorm-specific emoji except for Octavinelle. Octavinelle uses 🐚.

Some characters have more than one emoji.

Ruggie, for example, also has 🐆, though I’ve seen donut being used more often.

Kalim is a special case for having at least 6 emojis for him. 😂 The emoji listed on the image is ☀️, but I’ve seen 🦦, 🕌, 🏝, 🦂, and 🏜.

Vil also has 🦚. Personally from my experience, I’ve seen 👑 used more often, but apparently, 🦚 is common.

Idia also uses 🔥. I think same goes for Ortho.

Sebek’s emoji is actually ⚡️. I’m not sure if people use 🐊 for him.

Silver’s emoji is actually ⚔️. I don’t know if 🗡 is used. He may also have 💤.

Crowley also has 🎩, which might be more commonly used.

Crewel also uses ⚗️. It might actually be the more common one.

Trein’s emoji is also 📖. I hope I got the right book emoji. 😭

Sam also has ☠️, which might be more commonly used.

cough not me reading this when I’m supposed to be sleeping too- cough

— “the fuck are you doing?” —

Synopsis: you find Idia gaming late at night when he should be sleeping. Again.

Warnings: cursing, boobs mentioned lmao (not y/n’s… thought I should clarify) and not proofread

Game/ fandom: twisted wonderland

Character: Idia

Pronouns for reader: gender neutral/ not mentioned

A/n: going with the little text let’s goooo (I just think it looks nice :D), but anyway, this one’s kinda everywhere it feels, which I think I like. I think I’ve been very straightforward with a lot of my fics, but I really wanted to have this one be a bit… looser you know? That of course is why I made a boob joke. Totally not cause I have the humor of a 10 year old. Definitely not.

You left the room… for five minutes… five whole minutes, to pee, and what happens? Your Gacha addicted boyfriend started booting up his computer to wish for some character. You groaned as you rested on the doorway, for a moment, silently wishing he would just… sleep. You and ortho have tried, multiple times to get Idia back on a semi normal sleep schedule, and yet… he refuses. This time you’re especially annoyed because you both have a huge test tomorrow. Like mega grade impacting test.

You walk over to Idia who is too focused his game to notice you, mumbling to himself about something. “The fuck are you doing?” Your voice echos through the room, along with a scream from Idia, as he practically jumps out of his chair. Thankfully he catches himself as to not land on the floor. “Jesus how were you so quiet…” he mumbled, trying to calm himself down from the literal heart attack you just gave him.

Idia now realizes his mistake. “Uh… I thought you were asleep.” Clearly a lie from him. You always stuck very close to each other in your sleep, you basically had to pry him off of you just so you could pee. You let out an unamused grunt, and you turn him around him his chair so he faces you. “And I thought you’d be asleep not playing… what is this…???” You say looking at his screen.

“It’s starlight fuse, you play as characters that you obviously wish for since it’s a Gacha game, but you can fuse different characters together to make a better, stronger character!” He says as his hair starts turning red. You look back at his screen as he’s talking and say, “why are their tits so big?” Which makes Idia backtrack a bit. Stuttering, and fumbling over his words, and you just stare at him, an eyebrow raised at his response. “Anyway cup sizes aside” You walk over to the bed and sit down.

“Idia you gotta sleep.” You put your hands over your face, exhausted and frustrated. Both you and ortho just wanna make sure he isn’t purely surviving on caffeine, and an hour of sleep when he has a test that could impact his grade tremendously the next day. Idia gave a guilty look, but nodded his head, shutting off his computer, and walking over to the bed where you sit. “Hey how about tomorrow though we pull an all nighter?” You say smiling down at him where he’s laying down.

He turns around to give you his signature scheming smile, but it has a softness to it that makes you… question, and have butterflies rushing through your stomach. You lay down beside him, and move his head onto your chest where you can play with his glowing hair. “I’m surprised your hair doesn’t burn me… or the dorm down.” You mumble jokingly, sort of to yourself. Idia hums in response, as you fiddling with his hair has made him already grow drowsy. You think how lucky you are… to finally find something that makes Idia fall asleep, your chest, and playing with his hair. And maybe how lucky you are to be dating him but eh, you already knew that.

Answer Unclear

Oh, you. No-one can figure you out. Some people love you, some people hate you, some people just don't care. You're hot, but also ugly, but also bland. You're funny, but also serious, but also a kind of weird grey zone. Honestly, keep doing what you're doing. It's pretty cool, in my option. Though a lot of my friends would disagree.

I am but a blob floating in the vast ocean of dreams! 

for my bestie westie @hayamu​ ! also, anybody else who’s up for it!

NEW CHALLENGE

1. FIRST, create a picrew using this maker, and then 2. SECOND take this quiz on how fandom would see you if you were a fictional character.  3 (THIRD) POST YOUR PIC AND YOUR DESCRIPTION IN THE REBLOG!

Bastard (Good)

You’re a bastard. A wet cat, if you will. And we love you for it. You’re a little shit, but in the good way. You are the baddest babygirl. You killed a man, but you looked good doing it. You flirted with the hero and the enemy. All of Tumblr is madly in love with you. Congrats, I guess?

Tagging EVERYONE but especially @magicaltear, @the-beeses-kneeses, @wafflesrisa, @mykingdomforapen, @marbat, @scientistsinistral, @halberdierminister​!

This completely changed my view on Sebek and now I really just wanna give him a hug D:

Also, his dad seems like a cool person

Idk why but seeing Sebek so high on your tier list made me inexplicably happy. He kind of annoyed me when I first started playing, but that was before I read his personal stories. Man I was a fool because he’s now one of my favorites (I’m a first year squad stan and he’s one of my faves of the group). Like he’s so serious as a person but a lot of his moments are actually pretty funny. Anyway this has been Appreciate Sebek Hours and I shall raise a carton of coffee milk to him

[Referencing this post!]

Like coffee, Sebek is kind of a strong and acquired taste.

I totally get why a lot of people are initially turned off by him when he’s so brazen, loud, and obsessive. I know that I personally started TWST not expecting a lot out of Sebek; I couldn’t really take his pastel green Phoenix Wright design that seriously, and I didn’t like his personality since a lot of the early promotional materials marketed Sebek as being defined predominantly by his devotion and worship of Malleus. I’m relieved to see Sebek having character outside of his reverence for his dorm leader and prince.

I feel that since Sebek takes himself so seriously despite basically being a dumb and childish kid himself, it plays off well with other characters that clearly don’t have the same intense viewpoints as he does. That contrast creates a lot of ridiculous and comedic moments like the time Sebek cried because a cookie Malleus gave him got crushed, or the time Sebek threw a tantrum because he didn’t end up on the same team as his lord. He tries so hard to be cool and mature, but it just comes off as either really smug/condescending (ie shouting about how no one can be as majestic as Silver) or weirdly pathetic (ie stumbling over his words when Malleus tells him to be off to his next class instead of standing around and shouting at Ace and Grim) 😹 Sebek really embodies the cringey way real teenagers act sometimes... too much in a rush to grow up and prove himself to those he looks up to, not realizing how his words and actions can come off to others as hurtful or as just plain silly.

I think Sebek’s biggest deterrent is probably his... discrimination against humans (or basically anyone that isn’t fae). I can see why that would make people uncomfortable when they consider his character. Racism is just plain wrong, end of story. However, I believe that Sebek is purposefully written as such so the main story can correct his behavior and show him the error of his ways (similar to how chapter 5 has Vil teaching Epel that his traditional views on masculinity and femininity are outdated).

Actually! What I find really interesting about Sebek is that his situation seems to be poised to address an issue that isn’t often mentioned in popular media, and I think it’s important to discuss it. Soooo, without further ado--

***Content warning: discussion of racism (more specifically, internalized racism) and mentions of war below the cut.*** ***Please note that I am in NO way condoning racism or war; I am speaking on these topics in an analytical manner. My only intentions in writing this post are to theorize and to educate. I am NOT defending Sebek or his actions, but rather critically commenting on how his circumstances may have played into his current characterization.***

We learn that Sebek is half human and half fae from Silver in chapter 5. While Sebek is busy chiding others and (once again) referring to them as “humans” (derogatory), Silver points out that Sebek himself is half human. Then, through Sebek’s Birthday Boy vignettes, we indeed learn that his mother is a nocturnal fairy while his father is a human.

So if Sebek is half human, then it begs the following questions: why does he seem to hate humans so much? Why does he never make mention of his own heritage, and instead chooses to exclusively extol fae?

Two words: internalized racism.

“Hold on!” I hear you saying. “What is internalized racism, and how does it differ from the regular definition of racism?”

Well, according to the Oxford dictionary, racism is “prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against a person or people on the basis of their membership in a particular racial or ethnic group, typically one that is a minority or marginalized”. Internalized racism is when those minorities or marginalized groups turn the oppression inward, which results in hating their own group. In Sebek’s case, this hatred is directed at humans--the side of himself that he seems to resent and be ashamed of.

It’s completely believable that Sebek would end up the way that he is. From what little we know of the Briar Valley and of fae in Twisted Wonderland, we can make many inferences and come to this conclusion. The population of Sebek’s home country is said to be predominantly fae, and they often use magic rather than technology to complete everyday tasks. (For example, if they want to go somewhere, the preferred “mode of transportation” is flight instead of cars.) The Briar Valley appears to be a very traditional, old-fashioned nation that is set in its ways.

Furthermore, it seems that most fae, as diverse as they are, seem to be exclusionary to other races (though we learn in Fairy Gala and FG: What If that, even among fae, there can be conflicts and discrimination; for example, nocturnal and diurnal fae do not get along). We somewhat observe this in Malleus, as he casually talks about the feats he is able to perform, whether magical or physical. At the same time, the tone he takes when addressing his peers, even fellow third years and peers, is somewhat haughty (referring to humans as “child”/”children” of man as if to imply they are juvenile and inexperienced, outright saying that everyone is “like a baby” compared to him, and brushing off their magic as though it is nothing to him). These can be perceived as microaggressions, or “commonplace daily verbal, behavioral or environmental slights, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative attitudes towards others of a particular group”. The fairies we see in Fairy Gala and even Vargas CAMP! also reflect this, as they chase out humans from their event and/or territory. In Fairy Gala in particular, it’s implied that the fairies will reject or be hostile towards those not perceived as fairies at their gatherings, which is why the boys have to cover themselves with Fairy Dust to “blend in” and pass as fairies. It wouldn’t be too strange to assume that similar exclusion occurs in the Briar Valley, especially considering that fae are the majority and humans are the minority.

I want to take a brief moment to note that the behavior discussed in the previous paragraph is exclusive to fae. Beastmen and merpeople, two other races, engage with humans in a far less antagonistic ways.

We do sometimes see beastmen talk down to humans, typically on account of believing that humans are weak, but the beastmen we’ve observed so far have never attacked others simply due to not being of the same race as them. It seems that beastmen discriminate based mostly on whether or not they believe another person can hold themselves in a fight--it’s a very “survival of the fittest” viewpoint. Interestingly, Ruggie is said to be lacking in physical strength, but commands respect due to his reputation of being Leona’s (someone who is significantly stronger, and considered the “leader of the pack) right hand man. I wonder if hyenas (who appear to be on the lower social rungs of the Sunset Savanna) are also seen as somehow “weaker” than other beastmen, which may explain their place in the hierarchy (as the beastment we’ve seen so far seem to value physical strength).

Meanwhile, merpeople have arguably been the most amicable with humans and by far the most open to the idea of integrating with human society. This goes back to their history, which tells the tale of a curious Mermaid Princess that made a deal with the Sea Witch to obtain legs and explore the world above. That same Mermaid Princess would go on to establish a program for young merfolk to come to the surface to study and learn about land culture. There’s even a special bureau that hands out free potions that give merpeople human forms (1 potion lasts anywhere from 7 to 10 days), so long as those merpeople wish to migrate and/or establish careers in the world above. However, I do want to point out that merfolk DO seem to discriminate within themselves based on traits such as how fast they can swim (as Azul cites being bullied because he had bulky limbs which made him a slow swimmer). Again, this is a very “survival of the fittest” mindset, which I believe makes sense for both merfolk and beastmen, who are “wild animal” based races subject to the whims of Mother Nature.

It is only fae that appear to discriminate against non-fae (specifically humans) so intensely, and on a basis that extends beyond the “survival of the fittest” belief. They live in their own closed-off circles and believe that their own kind are “better than” those outside of those circles. Living longer, fae have more wisdom. Using magic all the time, fae have more skill. No human could hope to compare.

This part is pure speculation, but there have been mentions of a human-fae war in Twisted Wonderland’s history, and I wonder if the Briar Valley played a significant role in that (seeing as Lilia is described to be a decorated war veteran). If so, this may also be more evidence toward the internalized racism Sebek has developed. Regardless of who won or lost this war, if the Briar Valley took part in it, then its fae residents would definitely hold prejudice toward humans, who were on the opposing side. There might have been intense fear that developed concerning humans who have lived in the valley for generations, simply due to being of the same race as the enemies the fae were fighting. Such paranoia could very well have led into racist legal measures being implemented against humans, or fae turning on their human neighbors and reporting them under suspicion of being spies or traitors. This can go right down to what is taught to children in school: view the enemy and those similar to the enemy as outsiders, even hate them, while building up your own country and your countrymen as shining beacons. As horrible and as scary as all of this is, these are all real things that have happened and are happening during wars in real life--and children, being as pliable as they are, can easily buy into wartime propaganda.

When Sebek tells us about his parents, he mentions that “there were many among [my mother’s] peers who opposed her marriage to a human”. In other words, there was a distinct social push against the union of people from two different races (which isn’t that hard to believe, especially seeing how “old-fashioned” the Briar Valley is implied to be and how fae appear to discriminate against other races in general). As offspring resulting from that union, Sebek may have faced considerable hardships in his childhood. He’s not like the other children (most of which, I’d presume, are either fully fae or fully human), he’s an anomaly. I wouldn’t be shocked to learn that Sebek might have been ostracized because of who his parents were. On top of that, he grew up in a society that seems to heavily favor fae and those capable of using magic--traits that don’t apply to his father.

Of course he would develop great shame for the half that is looked down on by seemingly everyone outside of his immediate family. Of course he would embrace the “superior” side of his heritage, the culture and air of righteousness that pervades his country. Of course he would shun his “inferior” side, going so far as to make no mention of it to others (note that it was Silver, who is fully comfortable being a full-blooded human raised by a fae, who outed Sebek’s half bloodedness, rather than Sebek himself). Of course he would worship Malleus, the epitome of the power and might that fae can wield.

I propose that this is how Sebek has learned to cope with the struggles of growing up half human, half fae: by rejecting his humanity and aggressively embracing being fae. All his boisterousness and the acting out he gets up to is him denying a part of himself. He’s projecting it to the world to see and hear--because if he says it enough times, and says it loudly enough, then surely he can convince himself that he isn’t somehow “less than” his fellow countrymen, right? (Or so that’s probably what Sebek tells himself.) It might not be the best way to cope, but it was, perhaps, the only way Sebek knew how to cope. When most of your country looks at you like you’re the strange one, how is a child supposed to fight back? He can’t--so with little to no other options, his psyche turned that hatred inward as a defense mechanism to protect himself and his ego.

This internalized racism helps explain why Sebek’s relationship with his dad seem so... strange (well, at least from the kid’s end). Sebek’s grandfather (I believe from his mother’s side) is a retired captain of the royal guard. His mother is also said to be highly proficient with magic since a very young age, and boasts strong principles and unbending conviction. Sebek is very proud of these parts of his family while expressing confusion at and criticism of his father, who is, by comparison, unremarkable. He notes that his father buys him sweets and snacks unprovoked, and showers the kids with attention and praise. It’s strange; Sebek constantly shouts about humans and how weak and insignificant they are at school, then in the same breath Sebek can communicate that he doesn’t “understand” his father, but he never directly insults him.

I don’t believe that Sebek hates his dad, but that his odd behavior toward him is a result of cognitive dissonance. Sebek (theoretically) resents his human blood because of how it is looked down on in the Briar Valley, but he cannot find it within himself to resent his father for it. How can he, when his dad has been nothing but doting and supportive to his entire family? Yet Sebek’s pride won’t allow him to outright acknowledge his love for his father, won’t let him show weakness or bend a knee to a “mere” human.

There’s also another angle to Sebek’s cognitive dissonance. How can his father—magicless and utterly unremarkable—be so carefree and content when Sebek has been told his entire life that magicless creatures are second class citizens? How can his father be so genuinely supportive of his children, who are capable of magic without becoming jealous? How can his father be so comfortable with himself, despite not being fae, despite not being able to use magic? By all accounts, the way his father lives and is satisfied with what he already has flies in the face of everything Sebek has been taught by the Briar Valley, and this totally baffles him.

In Sebek’s Union Birthday vignettes, we see just how much he really cares for his dad. When asked who he would pick to be with him on a deserted island (and it can’t be anyone from his own dorm), Sebek replies with Trey. Why Trey, even though he doesn’t seem to have any skills for surviving in the wilderness? Because (as Sebek himself states), Trey reminds him of his father. “No matter what I say to him, he would always talk to me without being fazed whatsoever.” Jack, Sebek’s interviewer, points out that his dad must have a big heart, and that he must be someone Sebek can rely on. To this, Sebek reacts with embarrassment and insists that he does NOT rely on his father, then rushes to move on to the next question.

It’s probably very strange to Sebek that his dad loves him so much, as it is likely a strong contrast to how those outside of his immediate family perceive and treat him. Society has taught Sebek that humans are inferior to fae, and yet here is a human that doesn’t care what he or Sebek is or isn’t. He just loves his family, and loves Sebek, regardless of what everyone else says or thinks of them. Sebek doesn’t know how to react to that, and it’s so off-putting. His dad gives him such pure and unconditional love, and I think that Sebek recognizes that, but he feels too ashamed to express his gratitude and reciprocate that unyielding love (which, I suspect, is due in part to all that internalized racism). If you think about it like that, Sebek is not only hurting those around him, but he’s also (unintentionally) sabotaging himself and his relationships. It’s proof that racism is terrible for everyone involved, even the people perpetuating it.

So why did I spend several paragraphs detailing Sebek’s internalized racism to you? Because, as I’ve said earlier in this post, this is something that happens in the real world and it is not discussed enough in a lot of the media we consume.

I feel like Sebek’s dilemma can be very relatable, particularly to those struggling with an identity crisis of their own, be it those of mixed race, those hailing from unconventional family structures, or anything else which may make them “different”. Of course, this is NOT a blanket statement. Everyone does not go through the same struggles, and every person’s experiences are unique. I am only presenting my own speculation on how Sebek’s situation relates to the real world.

I know that I’ve personally gone through an identity struggle that looks a lot like how I theorized Sebek’s to be, so his character really hits close to home 💦 Without getting into too many specifics, I’m considered a minority in my country, and I’ve received a lot of ridicule because of it. I cannot count the number of times I’ve seriously been asked if I “eat dogs”, told that my native language sounds “weird”, been made fun of for my appearance (particularly my eye shape), stereotyped as smart just because of my race, or called insensitive nicknames. It got to the point where I started to resent my heritage (refusing to eat our foods, refusing to speak our language, refusing to learn about our history), which I saw as alienating me from my peers--but it seemed that no matter what I did, neither culture that I was a part of fully accepted me. The people I was trying to fit in with never considered me part of their group, and my extended family thought I was “different” from them since I was not born and raised in our home country. I was disconnected from my peers and my relatives. It felt like I didn’t belong anywhere. I can really understand what Sebek is probably going through, because I’ve lived it myself.

Now that I’m older and wiser, I look back at that period of my life and realize how toxic it really was. I’m reconnecting with my roots and coming to embrace and love the culture I grew up in, and the culture of the family that I was born into--both sides. But here’s the thing: people don’t always identify internalized racism and recognize it as something that is harmful (both to themselves and to the people around them). That’s why I’m hopeful for Sebek, what chapter 7 can do for him, and the important message it can send to the fandom.

It’s so, so easy to dismiss Sebek as a hypocrite (which, don’t get me wrong, he definitely is), but there is likely so much more nuance to it than just “he hates on humans even though he is half human himself” or just “he’s a racist and that’s all there is to him”.

Obviously, racism is wrong and should be condemned, but I don’t believe simply depicting a character as racist is necessarily promoting racism. As long as media is not outright glorifying it, racism can be used as a literary device to deliver an important message (which is, more often than not, an anti-racism one) the audience.

It’s made pretty clear that no one takes Sebek seriously when he shouts about humans or acts hateful toward them. Other characters consistently either make fun of Sebek for acting so outrageously, or they outright call him out for his discrimination.

To me, this all reads as very blatantly and purposefully setting Sebek’s racist beliefs up to be shattered and proven wrong later. He’s representative of a social problem, and I hope that TWST will use Sebek to promote a positive message when his time in the spotlight comes around.

What message might that be?

To learn to love and accept yourself, and where you come from, in its entirety.

Lilith’s Life

Appearance

Lilith appears to be a thin pale woman with long pale hair and a set of white wings. She has an off the shoulder floor length dress with puffy sleeves. She was often seen smiling.

Personality

Lilith is hinted to be very playfully and sometimes painfully blunt—When she first met Michael she compared him to a jellyfish which upset him and got her in trouble. She was spoiled by her brothers who completely adored her but she was especially close with Belphegor and Beelzebub who she was almost never seen apart from.

Belphegor notes that when Lilith got mad about something it was hard to snap her out of it, she was also easily scared. As described by Mammon she was very cute and mischievous.

She enjoyed playing hide and go seek and liked visiting the human world with Belphegor. She fell in love with a human, so much so that she’d risk facing the ultimate punishment to save his life.

MC is often described as being very similar to Lilith so it can be assumed Lilith’s personality is also similair.

Lilith’s Life & Legacy

Lilith, like all angels was created by her father, God. She was the youngest of the seven siblings. She became very close to Belphegor and Beelzebub and was almost never seen without them. Lucifer and her other brothers loved her very much even though she sometimes gave Lucifer trouble.

Lilith spent her days happily with her brothers on picnics, playing hide and seek, and flllwing her brothers around. One day she decided to visit the human world with Belphegor and fell in love with it.

Lilith continued visiting the human world without permission and met a human man she fell for. She kept her celestial origins a secret and they presumably were courting.

At one point Lucifer visited the human world to see what kind of man this human was and was relieved when he saw he appeared to be a kind man.

One day the human man was overcome with an incurable illness. Out of desperation to save the man she loved, Lilith stole fruit from the tree of life to save him. For an angel to alter a human’s life span is forbidden, what she did was immediately found out and she was brought before the seraphs (presumably) to hear their judgment.

Lucifer was unable to stop the verdict and Lilith was sentenced: to be wiped from existence (OG game), have her wings taken from her and cast into the darkness to wander for eternity and never be reborn (Nightbringer)

Lucifer had already had thoughts of leaving the celestial realm but with this verdict he and his brothers decided they couldn’t sit back and let that happened and Lucifer began the war. Lucifer did not insist his brothers follow him into battle but they did so anyway for Lilith’ sake.

It’s not clear if Lilith was imprisoned and later freed, but she did take part in the war.

On the day of the fall a spear was aimed at her at the same time Belphegor was targeted, Beelzebub could only save one and chose Belphegor. He described Lilith having terror and sadness in her eyes as she was struck (implied to be her wing that was hit) and they all fell.

Bleeding and unable to use her wings to save her, Lilith fell to the Devildom. As an angel it wasn’t the fall that nearly killed her but the celestial weapon combined with the Devildom air in her weak state. Lilith did not turn into a demon when she fell as she was meant to die.

Lucifer found her and pledged his loyalty to Diavolo to save her in time. Diavolo risked war to save Lilith by having her reborn as a human. In the game it’s not specified if he simply altered her genetics and erased her memories and sent her back to the human world or if he had her reincarnated, but in the comics it is shown Lilith was turned into an infant and literally reborn.

Not much is known about what happened to Lilith after this. She had no memory of being an angel, of the war, and of her dear family. Since we do not know in the game if she was still grown and able to reunite with her love we don’t know if she ended up with him in the end; however she would fall in love and marry and have at least one child. She is stated to have had a long and happy life as a human.

Upon her death, Lilith remembered everything, about her brothers, being an angel, the war, and Lucifer’s sacrifice for her. Lilith did not go into the light, instead she stayed behind to watch her brothers as a spirit. She stayed for so long that she forgot how to go to the light and waited for an opportunity to say goodbye though she didn’t have the strength.

In the game, Lilith is able to use some power to send a RAD application profile of MC to Lucifer’s feet by having the window fly open. Lucifer chose MC for this reason and Lilith was able to use her descendant to help her brothers. MC would have visions of Lilith’s life including Lucifer’s final words to her, they repeated these words to Lucifer to prove they were Lilith’s descendant.

Lilith thanks MC for their help and is able to move on.

In the comics, MC uses some of their power to have Lilith appear before the brothers one last time so they can say proper goodbyes before she finally ascends into the light.

Summary

Some may criticize Lilith for what happened in the wake of her actions to save her love. But who can really blame her? She fell in love with someone, she’d do anything for them, she’d die for them and she did. In desperation to save her love, she did not think about the consequences and even if she had, I can’t imagine she’d have thought her brothers would start a war.

Lilith’s death severely traumatized her brothers but this wasn’t something she could prevent, she was shot and unable to use her wings to save herself. After her death she watched over them and lead MC to them to save them from their pain and help them bond.

Lilith’s legacy includes her descendants who all had angel blood through her but no one was able to use these powers (presumably) until MC made pacts with power demons.

In the end, Lilith’s legacy is MC, a human who is pivotal in uniting the three worlds all because of Lilith’s love and ultimate sacrifice for someone she loved.

OBEY ME NIGHTBRINGER IS OUTTTT

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH I WASN'T PREPARED MY GOOD SIRS HEELLOOOO ANGEL LUCI GDHJKJHGD

Leona Kingscholar x Reader: Love Letters (5)

Oops, this was supposed to be done earlier but school got in the way as usual lol

We’ll be meeting Rook soon as well as Trey again! 

Hope you enjoy!

No spoilers or warnings for now but this might change in future installments :)

PART 1 | PART 2 | PART 3 | PART 4 | PART 5 [!] | PART 6 | END

"You scared me. I almost thought you were Rook…" Ruggie shudders, jumping a little. "Uh, who's Rook?" You question him. 

"You haven't felt him yet? I think he's been watching you for most of the day. It's better for me if he targets somebody else anyway, shishi!" He gets up, dusting off his pants. "Oh, the weirdo in the…yeah, right! The letters! It was you, right?!" You accuse him.

He raises an eyebrow before a look of shock crosses his face. Ruggie bursts into another round of giggles. You glare at him, embarrassed. "It's not funny, dude! Just tell me." You huff.

"Hahaha! Ah-" You swear to the great sevens, Ruggie was clutching his stomach, wiping tears from his eyes. His reaction almost made you crack up as well. "You- You're so- Ahaha! I can't believe you…you think it's me!?" Ruggie sneers, his tail wagging slightly, "Just wait till he hears this!"

"He?!" You look at him incredulously. "So, you know who it is! Tell me!" You shake him roughly by the shoulders. 

He pushes out of your grip rather easily, much to your disappointment. "Nope, can't do that. Unless you have more than he's paying, my lips are zipped." Ruggie grins. You glare at him, it totally seems like he's teasing you. Almost everybody at this school had heard that you lived in a ramshackle dorm, therefore it was only natural to assume you have zero cents to your name as well. 

"Uh, what if I hurt you?" You wince upon hearing that come out of your mouth. You know how ridiculous you sound. 

"Shishishi, what are you going to do? You're in a bad spot, y'know." He taunts you. "Hm. If I give you a hint, will you call off your red blue duo and your cat? We can call everything forgiven, right?" This Valentines day has been torturous. It's really not that much to ask in return for information. You're sure he probably has an ulterior motive.

"Um, I can try. They don't really listen to me, and Grim's not a cat!" You scowl, wary. "If you're so sure about that. You better try real hard! Shishishi, if I tell you, maybe he'll start treating me better." He giggles the last part to himself. 

"Right! You've met him before. Pay attention to his face, he's exceptionally handsome and has green eyes." Ruggie tells you, you nod frantically along. 

You only knew about two people with green eyes at NRC that you had talked to. That would be Cater and some random first year who had matching green hair. You really doubted it was Cater and you hadn't talked to that other guy enough to warrant gifts and love letters. 

He also seemed to dislike you, for whatever reason. 

"I gotta go before that Rook finds me. Cya, shishishi!" He picks a handful of dandelions and runs off before you can even get a word in. "T-Thank you?!" You shout after him. "You and him owe me one now!" Ruggie cheerfully waves with his free hand. Then, he's just gone. 

In the distance, you see a red and blue blur approaching. 

"[Name]...stop…running off everywhere!" Ace yells as he sharply inhales, "I don't understand this crazy track-head." 

"Track-head, really? Track is a great sport to build endurance!" Deuce is a little out of breath but otherwise seems to be in better shape than Ace. "[Name]! You were so fast! Are you sure you don't want to join Track?" He turns to you excitedly. 

"Henchman! My legs are all wobbly, I'm so tired dazo!" Grim promptly falls on your feet. You pick him up with a sigh, "I can't, I'm already in the taking-care-of-Grim club."

"Are you sure that isn't a full-time job?" Ace snorts. "Nope, that's why I'm handing him off to you guys after school. Grim-sitting is on you guys in the afternoon." You smile. 

"Why can't I come with, henchman dazo?" Grim whines. "Because I'll be studying and doing boring things. It'll be more fun with ADeuce." You gently convince him. "ADeuce? You better not make that a thing." Ace huffs. "Ever since Cater called us that…I don't want to be associated with him." Deuce shudders. 

"You think I want to be associated with you? Please, you're not very good at making jokes."

"These two…" You and Grim share a look. "Class is probably starting soon, we should get going." You hope to distract them from chasing down that beastman.

 "Yeah, we'll avenge that lost deluxe menchi katsu sandwich dazo!" Grim exclaims. "Maybe you should focus on class more." A lying hypocrite you were. It was a miracle the two of you got the marks you did. Under your collaborative effort as a singular student, you both pass with decent grades. 

"Considering you two barely keep up, it's crazy you two haven't failed yet." Ace snickers. "Don't worry! If we work hard enough, we'll become honor students!" Deuce smiles, a look of determination on his face. You can't deny him. 

"I'll become the greatest magician dazo!" 

"Oh yeah, by the way, I got a hint bout my uh…admirer." You tell them as you all walk back. "Was it that — what did Cater call him again? — guy then?" Deuce curiously asks. "No, I don't think so. Ruggie told me he's attractive with green eyes and that we've met before." You explain.

"Wow, that narrows it down by a lot."

"Shut it, Ace. It's not my fault almost all of the students here are attractive."

"Green eyes…You don't think it's Cater, is it?!" Deuce gasps. "No way! Since that Ruggie guy seemed familiar with him, I assumed the…admirer…would be a Savanaclaw member." You suggest. "What, so you wanna go around Savanaclaw, looking into people's eyes?" Ace questions, clearly doubtful. 

You hadn't planned this far. "Uh…maybe?" You shrug. "And if it's some random Savanaclaw member, what'll you do about it, huh?" You hate to admit that Ace is making valid points.

"There's someone else who we could ask about this." You snap, a light bulb going off in your head, "Do you guys know a guy named Rook?"

Deuce's eyes widen in realization.

"Ah, I think I heard Trey talk about someone named that before!"

Your next lead would be the mystery stalker, Rook.

Ao3: HERE

If you see it posted anywhere or by anyone else, it's not me.

Leona Kingscholar x Reader: Love Letters (4)

Ruggie's real introduction and Cater shows up! ^^ Hope you enjoy! No spoilers or warnings for now but this might change in future installments :)

PART 1 | PART 2 | PART 3 | PART 4 [!] | PART 5 | PART 6 | END

It's only after third period that you remember it's Valentines day once again. After everything had occurred, the letter and gift had totally slipped your mind. At your desk, you find a handful of dandelions with a note tied to it. 

As an apology and because he forced me too, hehe.

Suddenly, it all makes sense. "That guy from earlier! He must've sent these to distract us and pre-planned to steal the sandwiches from us!" You blurt out. "What?" Deuce looks confused. "Yeah, what?" Ace raises an eyebrow. 

"Henchman, I think you're being stupid dazo." Grim shrugs. "I'm not! Look, it totally makes sense! Everything goes wrong and then I get flowers and a card apologizing!" You explain quickly. 

"Yeah, but there's no way that guy could've guessed we would get the sandwiches unless…" Deuce stops, lowering his voice to a whisper, "Unless he was eavesdropping."

"You think he's stalking us? That's how he knew where I sat and everything!" You excitedly whisper. It was the exhilaration of figuring something out. "But why target you specifically? I mean, you really don't have a lot going for you." Ace stares you up and down. You roll your eyes. "That's exactly it. I'm the magicless one here. I can't do anything to retaliate." You grumble, you've long come to terms with your position here. 

You weren't going to lay down and just take it though. A chill goes up your spine.

You whip your head toward the classroom window. There's nobody…nothing there. "Fygaa! Di-Did'ya see something there dazo!?" Grim yelps upon seeing you suddenly turn. Deuce cautiously approaches the window and looks out. 

"Um, there's nobody out here…"

Ace peeks his head out, "Hey, if there's somebody there, you better not be stalking the prefect! They're really dull and boring and it's not gonna be fun for you!"

"Hey!"

You go back to pick up the dandelions. What a strange choice of flowers. They didn't particularly strike you as romantic flowers but you guess there was that myth of blowing on dandelions to make wishes. 

"Ah, wait…" Your eyes widen as you spot another letter nestled within the dandelions. "Oh, what is it?" Deuce looks over your shoulder. "Another threat dazo!" Grim exclaims.

As you unfold it, you realize it's way longer than the first one that had simply two words. 

Good day, You're so annoying. 

"What a great starter." Ace snorts. "Shut up, I'm trying to read." Deuce hushes him with a glare as he urges you to continue. 

"Wait, you can read?"

"What's that supposed to mean!?"

You ignore them as all three of them get into an argument behind you. Your eyes are locked onto the words.

Traditions suggest that I'm supposed to be sending romantic gestures on February the 14th. If you knew who I was, I doubt you'd want to reciprocate anything. I don't care if you reciprocate or don't. 

I know I'll never be the one you love most, and that's fine. It'd be ridiculous of me to assume that. Spending time with you is enough for me to deal with. I really dislike you for making me put in this much effort right now. I don't like the way you speak and laugh, it makes me feel irritated. 

I get this feeling in my chest and I'm really hoping it's heart arrhythmia or a heart attack. It's only whenever I'm around you, you really are too dangerous to be around. 

You let out a little laugh at this. You've gained your first substantial clue. You must've talked to them before. Maybe that's why you had a sense that you had met that beastman before. 

Besides that, you should actually be careful. That weirdo probably caught wind of this and is probably watching you. 

Now this makes you concerned. You had been feeling watched the whole time but every time you checked, there was nothing. 

Seriously, why was this Valentines shaping up to be a horror instead of something romantic? 

I'm not apologizing for putting you on his radar. You probably already had his interest since you're so bizarre. It's your fault for catching my attention, of all people, anyway. 

You scoff. You didn't ask to get stalked. Why were guys at Night Raven College like this? 

Yours Truly,

That's where it ends. No signature, no name. Nothing to really identify who had sent this. 

That beastman from earlier didn't seem like a person who would write like this, but you couldn't tell from one (possibly two) encounters. 

Maybe you should just catch that beastman and ask him yourself. Yes, that's it!

"Let's catch that food thief." You declare. They all turn to you. 

"What?"

"Nyahaha! Let's make him pay dazo!" 

"Uh, but how do we do that…?" Deuce rightfully asks. You blink. "Uh, we can start by asking around." You suggest. "Honestly, this sounds like such a stupid idea." Ace scoffs. 

"But I'm in." He smirks. 

-

Cater was scrolling through his phone, on his way to his next class, when you and Grim jumped in front of him. 

"Cater!" 

"Whoa!" He laughs, seemingly out of shock. 

Behind him, Ace and Deuce spring out. Cater turns around with a smile on his face. 

"It's nice to see you guys again. How has your Valentines day been?" Cater waves casually. "This is fine. Everything's fine." You send him a shaky thumbs-up. "Uhh, what's up? You okay? You having love troubles or something, hm?" He teasingly asks. 

"Yeah…" You mutter, you're not focused on the current conversation.

"But that's not the big issue! Some furry stole our food dazo!"

Cater chokes. "D-Don't say that, Gri! You're totally going to get cancelled for that…the term is beastmen." He quickly splutters, looking around sheepishly. "Yeah, yeah." Ace rolls his eyes. 

"Uh, Cater, we actually came to ask you for your help since you know a lot of people." Deuce speaks up, reminding you all the reason you had surrounded him in the first place. "Oh? My little underclassmen are coming to me for help! Don't worry, you can rely on your super dependable Cay!" He practically squeals. 

"Agh, now you've made it weird. We should go ask Trey, c'mon." Ace groans, looking embarrassed. "No way! Come on, just ask me. I can help out!" Cater insists with a pout. You wonder if this is a ploy by Ace to get Cater to agree to helping because it seems like it's working. 

"Henchman? Yoohoo. Are ya there dazo?" Grim must've hopped onto your shoulders while you were distracted. "Is that the guy you're looking for?" Cater asks curiously. He was behind you, trying to follow your line of sight. 

Outside, there's a field. Crouched among them is a familiar head of dark blonde hair and a large pair of fluffy animal ears. "Hm, he looks like second year Ruggie Bucchi from 2-B. From his animal features, you probably already guessed he's in Savanaclaw and you'd be right! I think he's actually a hyena beastman." Cater cheerfully gives you a short description of him.

You run outside. "Fygaa! Henchman, where are you going dazo?!" Grim tumbles off your shoulder, you already know he'll land on his feet. Their shouts grow further as you exit the building.

Their voices grow further as you exit the building. You gasp. 

You run into the field and you gasp. You weren't hallucinating. That was definitely a cute tail! Oh yeah, and that food thief.

You weren't hallucinating. That was definitely a cute tail! Oh yeah, and that food thief.

Ao3: HERE If you see it posted anywhere or by anyone else, it's not me.