His first mistake was trusting them.

april 2024 octa + 4koma manga updates

Tweels, colorized... 💀

***Spoilers under the cut!***

This chapter of the Octavinelle manga is the part of book 3 where they try to sneak into Azul's office and swipe the contracts the first time (only to be caught and attacked by Azul, Jade, and Floyd)

ihfbpbafyowrp9geqa I'm giggling a little at how Jack's tail is depicted while hiding. It sticks out very obviously (like they say it does in the game), but I'm so used to his tail being depicted as very fluffy in both fan art and his full body in-game models that I almost didn't recognize it in this panel.

ADJbiyoeqeyogeqpiegBfu THEY GOT ZAPPED LIEK ASH GETTING ZAPPED BY PIKACHUKN ADGVUQEFYOEQEGVYOGEEGIGEBI THE CARTOONY SKELETONS ARE SENDING ME FR

fvuegqtviDVDVs673r18oAE FVYEFVLIFEFAL We get a lot of very expressive panels of Azul, Jade, and Floyd!! My favorite has got to be Azul squishing Floyd's cheeks and poking his nose with a magical pen, causing the nose to scrunch up. Very cute!!

asdjvkslfaeiabefbhi I love derpy blank expressions like this... It works super well because of how detailed the faces usually are. The contrast is great!

WFHLVGFOEAIADF;AD HELL YEAH 😭 OCTATRIO BEING OMINOUS AND SHADY AF MEAN GIRLS SQUAD, LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOO

Not normally a fan of Malleus, but I really like how the mangaka depicted him in these panels; they show how he can be cool and mysterious at first glance but can warm up to you and smile too.

WLBHADVUOAVYFIFwn; Errrrrrrrrr 🤡 Whatcha doin' there, buddy? H-Having fun???????? AVERAGE WEDNESDAY NIGHT OF AZUL ASHENGROTTO COUNTING HIS CONTRACTS AND LAUGHING TO HIMSELF LIKE A NERUOTIC SUPERVILLAIN... I'm begging you to please chill tf out... but also please carry on as you were--

In other (non-insane Octavinelle-related news)! The 4koma does not focus on Octavinelle and Scarabia characters as we've predicted (since the first 4koma focused on Ace and Leona, respectively). This month's comics focus on Silver in Musicology/Music class and Ortho doing Summoning. The Silver comics feature Idia, Ruggie, Malleus, and Lilia as side-characters, and the Ortho comics feature Idia (yes, again lol; he's the character with the most frequent appearances across the 4koma's 2 month run so far), Floyd, Vil, and Crewel.

No updates on the Episode of Savanaclaw manga yet!

MALLEUS'S SMILE IN OCTAVINELLE MANGA CH8 AHGHHHHHHH HES SO CUTE

This was after he was called tsunotarou (hornton) 😭😭😭😭

Azul Ashengrotto l'Incompétent 🐙

I think calling Azul incompetent is one of his worst fears as he does absolutely EVERYTHING to look competent in front of people. But when you catch him losing control of a situation, he immediately panics and shows his genuine expression (sorry for messing up with you like that Azul).

Anyway I had so much fun drawing his facial expression (this is usually my favorite part to do alongside sketching). There's so much panic in his eyes it was so funny to create 🤭

BONUS: Had another idea of drawing the tweels behind the scenes:

Floyd laughing and Jade observing Azul failing at his duties and not trying to laugh too loud but bro is shaking so haaard he's gonna explode.

While the tweels fufu about Azul, nobody's at the Mostro Lounge taking care of the customers but don't tell Azul.

Yandere Octavinelle Headcanons:

GN reader

TW: yandere behavior, killing mentioned, stalking, threatening mentioned

Genre: yandere

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Azul Ashengrotto:

Known around school for striking deals, Azul’s first thoughts with his love for you was to get you to sign a contract that tied you to him forever.  He didn’t pursue this route only because he wanted you to actually love him back.

Instead of forcing you into a relationship, he will use his unique magic to get you closer to him.  Maybe if you’re desperate for something he’ll make the contract so that you have to work at the Mostro Lounge, just so he can see your beautiful face and keep an eye on you.

Will employ the Leech brothers to watch you when he can’t.  If he’s busy making deals in the backroom, the twins will ensure that you’re not getting too cozy with the customers or trying to leave.

Outside of the Mostro Lounge, Azul will have one of the twins follow you around the whole day while he keeps up the appearance of the benevolent housewarden.

Once you two eventually get close and you actually start to enjoy your time working for him, Azul will start to open up to you a bit.

Will probably start with inviting you to lunch to discuss customer satisfaction to asking if you want to study with him for upcoming assessments.

These little meetups will stray from professional to casual hangouts between friends, and Azul hopes that it can continue even more to romantic dates with you.

Because he’s self conscious about his physical appearance, he won’t often take food that you gift him.  If you manage to convince him, he’ll place it on his desk and stare at it for a while before attempting to do some work.  Eventually he’ll cave because he doesn’t want to waste the food you made him.

He genuinely enjoys the food you make him and tries to savor them for as long as possible.  For example, if you gave him a bag of cookies, he’d reserve himself to only one a day to make it last longer.

He doesn’t have time to be jealous because he has his school work to do, his restaurant to run, and contracts to keep track of distracting him from you sometimes.  Also, because you have signed a contract that forces you to work at the Mostro Lounge at certain hours, he isn’t too concerned about you running away from him because you’ll always end up in his grasp sometime during the day.

When there is more trust in the relationship, he might even fulfill your contract and let you come to him willingly.

But, if you’re persistent about getting away, he always has the ability to change the contract or get you to sign a new one that forces you into a loving relationship with him.

If you somehow manage to stay away from him for an extended period of time, he’d probably ask the Leech brothers to bring you back peacefully or forcefully depending on how you react.

If you ever go swimming with him, only you can get him to transform into his octopus form.  He’d let you touch his tentacles too and show you a few tricks, like juggling, that he’s picked up along the years.

If he’s feeling generous, he’d take you on dives to check out some sunken ships, but he always has a tentacle around your waist so you don't stray too far.

Overall, only you can get him to come out of his shell, but you have to work first to earn his trust.  He can be very loving, showering you in treasures from the Coral Sea, but only if you return his affection too.  He has a Danger Level of 4/10, and the worst he’d probably do to others is ban rivals from the Mostro Lounge and maybe send the twins to scare them a bit. The worst he’d ever do to you is trap you with a contract so you can never escape.  In the end, pleasing him with hard work and fondness will definitely have him overwhelming you with praise and treats.

Jade Leech:

It's his duty to find personal information and maybe some blackmail on all incoming Octavinelle students, which is where his interest in you probably started..  He was intrigued by your whole incident with the Magic Mirror on the first day, and he wanted to learn more about you.

When he couldn’t find anything about your life with his typical methods, he resorted to befriending you.

While he may seem like the more civilized twin, he’s actually equally as unhinged as Floyd.  He would befriend you at first, luring you with either snacks from the Mostro Lounge or offering you homework help before trapping you in a relationship with him.

You might be suspicious of his kind behavior, but he just assures you he’s just doing his job of taking care of his younger classmates.  The smile he gives you is just too trustful, how could you ever doubt him?

Would definitely offer you a job at Mostro Lounge so he can keep a closer eye on you.

He would be the one to teach you the ropes and would use it as an excuse to stay close to you.  No matter how long you work there or how good you’ve gotten, he’d still stick by your side saying he needs to supervise you.

He is definitely a stalker, watching you from across the hallway and you can only ever see him from the corner of your eye.  When you turn, he’s always gone and you brush it off as your imagination.

You’d have your normal freedoms as long as you work your shifts at Mostro Lounge, but what you don’t know is that he’s always watching you from a distance.

Will show you his mushroom collection and will be thrilled if you take an interest in fungi as well.  He will gift you small terrariums and will teach you how to cultivate magical mushrooms.

His gifts are often more practical items like writing utensils, free meal passes at the Mostro Lounge, and definitely mushrooms that you can use in class or for cooking.

Not easily jealous, mostly because he knows he’s a better match for you than anyone else.

If you’re spending too much time with someone, though, he’d probably stand menacingly behind you with a restrained smile and closed eyes, a dark aura surrounding him.  But the moment you turn around, he’s giving you a more genuine smile and acting more innocent.

He’s not one to get violent easily.  He prefers to use his blackmail skills to make his victims terrified of what he can do and how he can ruin their lives.

If really pushed to it, he’d probably invite Floyd to help beat the shit out of the rival before carefully disposing of the evidence.  He’s very good at cleaning up crime scenes without leaving any traces, and he’s also a very good liar, maybe even putting the blame on another rival.

If he wanted a more discreet method of murder, he’d probably use a toxic mushroom from his collection to poison the poor guy.

Overall, his infatuation with you started with his curiosity, and soon developed into a suffocating relationship.  He’d have a Danger Level of 7/10 because he’s only dangerous when provoked.  Similar to his brother, he can get violent really quickly, but he just prefers playing with his prey through blackmail first.  As long as you don’t stray too far from his loving grasp, you’re sure to meet his standards and he’ll keep you close forever.

Floyd Leech:

Similar to Jade, Floyd was very interested in you because of the whole Magic Mirror incident.  He was mostly excited by the fire that Grim caused, but you also managed to catch his eye.

When he’s interested in something, he’s going to put all his time and energy into it until he gets bored.  But how could he ever get bored of you?

One of the more unstable yanderes at Night Raven College, and will use his mood swings to get away with a lot of stuff, like intimidating you and his enemies.

He’d probably force you to act like his shadow, either threatening you with a bone crushing hug or a menacing smile until you relent.

He likes it when you follow him around, it makes him feel powerful and lets you see how cool he can be.

Will always say “Did you see that!” after he either saw something interesting or did something awesome.

If you say “no”, depending on his mood he might get grumpy or might just do it again.  If you say “yes” he’ll give you one of his signature hugs and continue to drag you away to do something else.

He might forget you’re there sometimes, which would be the best moment to escape, but if he notices you again, he gets all excited and will pull you in a hug and describe everything you missed (even though you’ve been there the entire time).

He’s not really accustomed to the land culture, so most of his gifts will be customs from the Coral Sea.

They might be shiny rocks he found that reminded him of you or trinkets from sunken ships. If you don’t keep every single treasure he gives you, he’d probably throw a fit or think that you want something more and will go all out with his next gift.

Because of his unpredictable attitude, when he sees you spending less time with him and talking to someone else, he’d probably either walk away, plotting murder, or approach you and swing an arm around you shoulder with his lazy grin, showing off his sharp teeth, before asking who you’re talking to.

Is not afraid to resort to murder. It's actually usually his first idea for dealing with unwanted obstacles.  He’d probably kill in a very violent method, maybe chasing his prey around to tire them out before jumping out of nowhere and bashing their head in.

If he really dislikes the person, he might even lure them to the sea so he’d have the physical advantage in his eel form.

Employs Jade to help him clean up the bloody mess, but he’s careless, so if you look closely, he might have some mysterious red stains on his shirt.

Overall, you may not be accustomed to the ways he shows his love, but he means well in general.  His Danger Level is a 10/10 because of his unpredictable mood swings and his quickness to choose violence as the answer.  If you follow him around and stay attentive to his changes in mood, you have a chance at staying on his good side and surviving his daily adventures.

OH THE SILLIESSSSS

AZUUURIDOOO~~~!!!🐙🌹 boop😳

I HAD A LITTLE OF TIME TO SPARE BETWEEN MY UNI PROJECTS SO I DID THIS HEEHEHEHOOHO (i, in fact, didn't have time to spare between my uni projects i just wanted to draw flustered azul to heal my soul man i love flustered azul...

Azul's Vault

Y'know this panel only made me realize how stupid I am

Cause those are the contracts in his vault. Very neat and stacked like you'd expect. Key words "like you'd expect", cause I though he just had a giant vault filled with contracts he just kept on the ground.

Like I visualized him Scrooge Mcducking into his contracts for some reason. What the fuck is wrong with me? Why did I think this? This isn't a joke, I genuinely thought this.

Scrooge Mcducking VVV

thinking about book 6 battle simulations

I was thinking a lot about book 6 lately! (Not for any particular reason, I was just ruminating, haha...)

During the examination segment, Riddle, Azul, and Vil were put into one group and Jamil and Leona were put in the other group. Idia then put them into VR simulations in which (simulated) Trey, Jade, Rook, Kalim, and Ruggie approached the subjects to upset them. This is for the purposes of STYX to gauge their combative capabilities and blot accumulation. What I noticed on another read of these parts was that Idia makes sure to inform all the subjects they are about to enter a VR simulation BEFORE they dive in... and yet despite this, group 1 (Riddle, Azul, Vil) was still caught off-guard when Trey, Jade, and Rook attacked them. Meanwhile, Jamil in group 2 automatically defers to Kalim but Leona is the one who notices something is fishy about the situation. Now, now... this is interesting 👁️ Why might this be, I wonder~ (You bet I'm going to analyze the heck out of these small details!)

***Main story spoilers up to book 6!!***

First thing to consider: it's possible that perhaps the characters don't fully understand what "VR simulation" is, as most of them did take a while to come to their senses. Of the 5 subjects, Riddle is the most likely to fall into this category. He seems to be slightly confused by the concept of a "virtual space" when Idia explains the examination to them (which likely conflicts with Riddle's very traditional understanding of "tests"). Furthermore, Riddle has expressed in Endless Halloween Night that his mother did not allow him to play video games or to watch TV so he'd usually do crosswords or solve other puzzles for fun. He's not completely technologically inept (like Malleus), but Riddle does have a somewhat limited scope of how items and procedures are to be used, especially if it lies beyond its normal means. It's likely that he has not thought of VR simulation being used in the scenario in which he finds himself in now.

The other 4 subjects, however, most likely understand what VR is and shouldn't be confused by the simulation. Azul is very savvy and keeps up with trends, which can factor into his business(es). He even brings up streaming as a potential source of revenue in book 6; man has his fingers on the pulse of pop culture to know what will sell. Vil, being a celebrity and the leader of the Film Research Club, must have an understanding of various technologies used to achieve certain effects (especially as director of his own projects). Jamil constantly deals with Kalim's requests and, being in Kalim's social bubble, must get exposure to all kinds of crazy technologies. Leona, being a knowledgeable prince, surely must understand the concept of VR simulation.

Okay, so... why did they (mostly) still get "tricked" by the simulation anyway? The key words today would be "trust" and "dependence".

Thinking about it, there's one thing that separates group 1 from 2: the boys in group 1 have a tendency to rely on others for support and validation whereas the boys in group 2 are consistently shown to be more independent than their peers (even if they, too, seek validation). Let's go through them one by one!

GROUP 1

Riddle

Riddle is presented as a tyrant that rules with an iron fist, particularly in book 1 where he stars as the main antagonist. However, it's also pretty blatant that Riddle has become increasingly aggressive due in part to others enabling him. Ace specifically calls out Trey for this, saying that his failure to intervene or to quell Riddle's temper has resulted in Heartslabyul students suffering for it. Cater is also complacent, as he and/or Trey often follow Riddle's orders and remove Adeuce from the dorm multiple times in book 1. Riddle relies on these upperclassmen to listen to him and carry out his bidding, and he feels validated when they do. It's a lesson he has learned from his mother. He is the most powerful, and therefore he should be the most correct. Notice how Riddle is quick to anger when others refuse to obey him and how often he demands for them to conform. He becomes enraged when the Heartslabyul mobs rebel and chuck an egg at him. But what hurts him most of all is, perhaps, Trey turning too. Riddle was mad about the mobs acting up, yes, but he still did not overblot. Not yet, at least. No, Riddle overblots only AFTER he tries to attack Ace with the rose trees... and Trey steps in with his UM to overwrite Riddle's collar, turning it into cards. Trey's relationship with Riddle cannot be understated here. In this very moment, Trey, Riddle's childhood friend (one of his first friends), vice dorm leader, silent yes man, his most trusted confidant, has betrayed him. He is proving Riddle wrong, that the most powerful mage is not the most correct. "Are YOU going to tell me that I'm wrong too? After all I've done to protect the rule of law?! [...] I... I refuse to believe this!"

From these examples, we can clearly see that Riddle is someone who is reliant on others--not that he isn't a capable mage, but rather he is reliant on others for his own sense of self-worth. Indeed, even in his post-OB flashback, he indicates feeling proud and excited when his mother praises him for good grades or successfully performing a spell. This is reiterated many times over in book 1, in which Riddle feels satisfied and even smug when his students fall in line, and spirals into uncontrollable rage when they don't. There are a select few whom Riddle has chosen to place his faith in, and Trey is one of them. Trey, who gave him his first slice of strawberry tart and has been supporting him as his vice for over a year now (since Riddle became dorm leader in his first week as a first-year student; now is the start of Riddle's second year). That's why he feels so hurt when Trey is suddenly chastising him, telling him that he's behaving irrationally.

If we reexamine Riddle's post-OB flashback, you'll notice that Riddle says he is lonely without every outright stating the word "lonely". The phrasing makes it sound as though Riddle does not understand his own loneliness, like he doens't even know the word or want to acknowledge it as reality. He is awkward and unsure around Trey and Chenya, who invite him out to play. He follows his mother's rules because he believes that is what will bring him happiness. He wonders why, in spite of following all those rules, he still feels hollow inside. Then, once Riddle has awoken, he confesses that he always wanted to play more with Trey, and that he wants to talk with everyone after a meal. Riddle. at his core, craves companionship rather than dominating his peers. Trey was one of the few friends he ever had, and so Riddle puts a lot of stock into his support. This may be why he was quick to believe the fake Trey in the simulation, and why he looked so shocked when Trey started attacking him. Here is a boy who has already been betrayed once, experiencing that same betrayal again at the hands of his childhood friend. How scared must he be of losing his oldest friend, of Trey turning his back on him or seeing him as a monster? 😭

Azul

Due to the bullying he experienced in his childhood, Azul works very hard to maintain a new image of someone who is cool, confident, and composed. Part of that is passing himself off as someone who is large and in charge, while posing Jade and Floyd as his lackies who do whatever he tells them to. The reality of the matter is that the twins are very much... there to do their own thing, and they just kind of go along with Azul's schemes because they seem to be a lot of fun. When you stop to consider it though, Azul definitely puts a lot of trust into the Leech brothers even though they're both shady and can be flippant at times. It's the twins going around and advertising Azul's services to the student population. It's the twins who help him expand his business and acquire new items (as all three's Dorm Uniform vignettes are about the Octatrio conspiring to acquire the rights to and/or advertise their new drinks). It's the twins who are asked to run the Mostro Lounge whenever Azul is absent. Time and time again, Azul falls back on Jade and Floyd. They've been with him since middle school.

In book 4, both Azul and Floyd insist that they aren't really "childhood friends", but they do consider each other "equals". As Azul describes it, "I strongly doubt Jade or Floyd have any binding allegiance to me. This is all and elaborate game of pretend to them. [...] If I made a poor choice as leader--or even simply a boring one... They would turn on me instantly and seize the dorm leader seat for themselves." Floyd follows with, "We ain't got any plans to challenge him, either... for now, anyway. Aha ha! [...] We stick with [Azul] now 'cause it's fun. If it stops bein' fun, we drop him like a bad habit. Easy." The twins and Azul are both very aware that their relationship is a temporary and transactional one. Azul himself has even fully considered the possibility that Jade and Floyd may one day turn on him. This is all true--however, I also believe it's possible that the Octatrio are not being entirely truthful to themselves and do actually care for one another beyond the confines of their business ties or "having fun". In book 3, Jade and Floyd sense that something is wrong, and their immediate thought is to go check on Azul because of this gut feeling. Jade warns Azul of the consequences of misusing his UM. They are also the first to check on Azul after his OB and insist that he rest and find it within them to gently tease him over the situation. Even the way they address each other is "special". Jade and Azul have a tendency to be polite and use the honorific "-san" after everyone's name... except for each other and Floyd. Floyd, meanwhile, tends to give everyone a nickname... except for Jade and Azul. They drop these naming conventions within their group because that's how much they know and trust each other. Further proof of this is that when Floyd first meets Azul in the post-OB flashback of book 3, he calls Azul "Octopus-chan". Azul used to have a nickname, but no longer has one. This implies that a lack of a nickname actually indicates that Floyd is more intimate with someone than if he had nicknamed them. The same goes with Jade and Azul, who are usually so formal and polite.

I've already established that Azul acts in ways which indicate that he is close to the twins, as much as he tries to deny it and come off as tough. He drops the honorifics for them and he trusts them to do his bidding. What I find most telling, however, is when Jade and Floyd check up on him right as he's about to OB. "Jade! Floyd! Ahhh, you've finally come back to me," Azul says (if you listen to his voice, he sounds SO relieved). "Would you believe that thanks to these FOOLS, I've lost all of my contracts? Which is why I'm going to need your powers now. Come on, give them to me!" This is notable because, prior to this, he was forcibly ripping powers out of mob students. But now with the twins--Azul makes a CONSCIOUS decision to ask Jade and Floyd for them to willingly give up their powers to him. Azul is emotional and acting without tact here, but he STILL stops to ask the twins for them to surrender their magic. He cares about getting their consent specifically. When the brothers deny him and Floyd says Azul has become lame, that's when Azul snaps. His loyal henchmen are refusing his request and he's lost all his accumulated wealth. He's going to become the weak, friendless crybaby he once way all over again.

Knowing all of this, it makes sense why Azul was as startled as Riddle was when the simulated Jade attacked him. Azul claims that he anticipates this day--but he still seems to disturbed when it actually happens. It's true that perhaps this surprise comes in part from Azul having no indication that the twins were getting bored of him, so this is coming out of left field in his perspective. But... it could also be that he's hurt by the sudden shift, even if he and the twins have been telling themselves all along that they'd toss each other out without a second thought once they lose interest. This calls back to Azul's concerns right before he overblots: that his "business partners" (whom he refuses to call his friends) have lost interest in him and will now leave him alone and with nothing. He relies on the brothers not only for labor, but as his company and his confidants. When that's taken away from him... what does Azul have left that's worth anything?

Vil

Vil is another person who typically passes as very independent. He looks after himself quite well and is often the one nagging others to do the same. The thing with him is... he's still a celebrity at the end of the day, and a celebrity like him is always aware of his public image and the eyes on him. That's Vil's Achille's heel: as a celebrity, he is constantly concerned with how others perceive him. This is a lesson he learns in book 5--that he shouldn't let other people's judgment of him or a silly popularity contest determine his self-worth. Ah, but let's remember... book 6 begins like a mere DAY after book 5. Sure, Vil's character arc may be over, but that does not mean that he has suddenly completely changed. Up until yesterday, he was aggressively training to overcome his rival and to show the whole world his true beauty. Vil still, to some degree, finds value in how he looks and how others see him, as it strongly ties into his career. To this end, he sees Rook as a valuable individual.

Now, there's a lot of contention about whether or not Rook is a good influence on Vil or not, as some interpret his commentary as derogatory or unnecessarily critical. I'm not going to get into that; here, I am going to speak plainly about how Vil himself views Rook's feedback. In Vil's Labwear vignettes, he confides in Trey that he relies on Rook's keen observational skills to reflect the truth back to him. A celebrity must look at his best, and he can count on Rook to not mince his words and point out even the most minute of changes at a quick glance. (Vil himself is also extremely strict with himself, but lacks the superhuman abilities that his vice dorm leader does.) Rook has been doing this since long before he even transferred to Pomefiore, critiquing Vil's performances and such, not just his looks alone. This led into long discussions and debates between the two, which demonstrates how much Vil values Rook's perspective. Even back then, Rook was one of Vil's greatest supporters, but not exactly a totally blind "yes man". He is offering the kind of feedback that Vil seeks, not empty, sugar-coated niceties. This is why, in spite of his betrayal at the end of book 5, Vil eventually accepts it, as he trusts Rook's keen eye and judgment. What's interesting about book 6's examinations is that Vil seemingly takes charge of his group. When approached by the simulated classmates, Vil steps up and, after a moment of silence, says, "No... It's nothing. Let's go." (Vil is known as a skilled actor and can easily sniff out an act himself. Was the silence hesitation as he, Azul, and Riddle reevaluate the scene? Hard to say, but I'm assuming that STYX's state-of-the-art tech was able to perfectly simulate Rook, and thus confused Vil and co. for a while.) Rook strikes him with a spell, and that invokes a great emotional reaction from Vil, who seems to be the most aghast of the group. The fake Rook then declares that he's going to claim the dorm leader seat from Vil, which shocks him. "As you know, I appreciate beautiful things. Hence... I can hardly allow someone who's acted as ugly as you to occupy the Fairest Queen's throne!" The scene then cuts away to a battle. Now, while we don't get any extra dialogue from Vil to show his reaction, one interpretation could be that he was stunned into silence. Why is this a believable occurrence? Because the fake Rook called Vil out for "ugly" behavior. This is significant because back when Vil was overblotting, he was desperately shouting for people to "not look at him" because he's "so ugly". Here, ugliness does not mean literal ugliness or something that is visually unappealing. The "ugliness" being spoken of refers to being morally rotten, as Vil was speaking on his guilt after resorting to dirty tactics to try and take out his rival (when he had previously sworn to win on his own merits alone). The simulated Rook might be referring to this, which induces great shame in Vil, who is aware of the weight of his sins. Heck, book 6 even starts with Vil taking accountability and sincerely apologizing to the whole NRC Tribe for causing them trouble. Vil blames himself for their team losing, as it was his OB that forced them to fight and physically wore them out before their big performance. "What does it matter who forgives me?! I can't... I can't forgive myself!" He may still have lingering guilt regarding this incident, hence why he's the one predominantly reacting when the vice dorm leaders betray group 1. His mirror and huntsman, who speaks only the truth to him, now tells him of his ugliness. What else can that be, if not the truth reflected back at him?

GROUP 2

Jamil

To be clear, Jamil did not automatically go after the simulated Kalim. He automatically defers and tries to go along with his dorm leader (and only starts fighting once Leona declares the simulation for the sham it really is). Why? Surely Jamil is sharper witted than that. To this, I say... of course, it's just that Jamil's so used to being a servant that he reverts back to submissiveness as soon as he's put in a circumstance where there's a power dynamic. He’s not the one relying on Kalim—Kalim is often the one relying on him. You need proof of Jamil's servile mindset? He was intentionally talking down his own skills ever since book 4 and, according to Azul, has been purposefully maintaining painfully average grades (which, in of itself, takes a lot of effort). Admittedly though, those are conscious choices, not unconscious ones. But how about back in book 5, when Vil announces him as one of the lead vocalists and Jamil's immediate reaction is not to accept it, but to humble himself and insist that Kalim would be better suited for it (when Kalim actually isn't)? Jamil has to stop himself, back up, and accept the nomination, which he has earned for himself, rather than relinquish it to someone less deserving. Years and years of serving someone else, forced to play the part of the inferior servant, will beat that attitude into his mind, regardless of how much he resents the position.

Even now, Jamil feels like he usually has to follow someone else's lead. Leona, the upperclassman and dorm leader, provides that lead for him in the VR simulation. This leadership + independence is something they would butt heads over later in book 6, as Jamil begins to act overprotective of his current charge (Leona) as he does with Kalim. While Jamil has played the part of Kalim's attendant and childhood friend, the reality is that Jamil cannot stand those roles. He desires to stand out and to be recognized--something which is evident in book 4. Before he brainwashes the Scarabia students, he's always framing himself in a positive and helpful light to them and speaks humbly about his abilities. After he brainwashes the Scarabia students, he has them heap him with praise that he had never gotten in his childhood. In the post-OB flashback, we see Jamil's parents scolding him for outperforming Kalim, even in something as simple as a game. The headmaster of a great arcane academy overlooks him in favor of someone far less capable.

Jamil knows he can be great, but he's intentionally being told to not reach those heights. He feels stifled and trapped, and no one understands his plight that he cannot escape from. This results in Jamil distancing himself from others and coming to rely on himself and himself alone to make his wishes come true. He can't rely on his family, who are beholden to their legacy of being servants to the Asims. He can't confide in friends because none of them are quite like him, and Kalim would ignorantly brush it off. He can't tell third parties because, as Crowley as demonstrated, they dismiss him outright. Jamil, as he acts throughout book 6, is doing so in an effort to find his own strength and to be able to act on it with the freedom he seeks. To play support not because he has to, but because he, the individual, wants to. As Jamil states before overblotting, he wants to "be free" from these precarious circumstances where a wrong move could doom him and his family... but he only has so many liberties to work with. This leaves him in a strange limbo situation where he still isn't fully independent but desperately wishes to be. We see him fighting against the restraints, and to varying degrees of effectiveness depending on the context and his state of mind within that context.

Leona

From a young age, Leona seems to have worked tirelessly to obtain recognition. Like Jamil, Leona was in such a position (second-born prince) that, despite his efforts, he kept being rejected and beaten down again and again. As we see in his post-OB flashback, this is what eventually broke Leona’s spirit and made him develop a pessimistic outlook on his prospects for the future. The thing is, even though Leona does not really have hope for himself, he still manages to inspire hope in other people, from underclassmen to the students of his dorm. Book 2 is entirely about Savanaclaw looking to Leona to save their own futures, and him trying to do so for their sakes. His club mates extol how he can so quickly hone in on their best skills and advise them on how to sharpen those skills. Jack admires Leona’s plays, so much so that he wished to one day play alongside Leona. He’s even able to get beastmen of different species to get along and live peacefully under his rule when this has historically been difficult for his older brother to manage. All in all, Leona has all the makings of a leader. He stands out from the crowd, knows when to leverage his power and intelligence (playing smarter, not harder), and commands with ease.

… That being said, Leona’s presence can be so powerful at times that it’s also isolating. This was the case for his childhood, which is depicted to us as many palace servants being fearful of Leona’s devastatingly strong magic. He also uses this strong magic against his dorm mates when their intentions clash in book 2–and he comes close to killing someone in the process. He’s also just notorious in general for being grumpy or unfriendly toward others, including one instance in book 5 when he seems upset that you’ve showed up in his classroom. Leona drives people away from him, whether because of his strength or because of his prickly attitude.

At the same time, i would also describe Leona as a tactician that keeps some degree of distance from those he commands. He makes it clear he's willing to use others to achieve his own goals and does so many times over. Book 2, when he tries to take out Malleus to help his dorm leaders while also trying to prove to himself that he's capable. Book 3, when he helps Yuu and co. dissolve the contracts including one of his own he made with Azul, etc. Leona knows how to best use his own abilities, as well as those of others. That's what makes him so formidable--he can read others and judge the situation extremely well, and he knows when it is smart to fight and when to tactically retreat (such as in book 6, when he immediately surrenders to STYX agents rather than make a scene). Leona is a self-sufficient man.

There’s the question of Ruggie, of course. Leona is often depicted as lazy and relies on Ruggie to do many daily things for him, such as laundry or fetching food. This obviously throws a wrench into the claim that Leona is more "independent" than those in group 1, doesn't it? He doesn't even come close to Jamil, who actually does all of these tasks himself. Well, not exactly. I don't think "independence" here really comes down to that alone. Riddle, Azul, and Vil all relied on Trey, the twins, and/or Rook to some significant degree to inform their own senses of self. Jamil had this belief of deferring to his "betters" (the Asims) instilled in him, regardless of his personal feelings on the matter. And Leona? Leona does not significantly rely on Ruggie for his self-worth (dude was 100% going to sand him in book 2). Yes, Leona was likely looking to help his dorm members in part to prove to himself he is capable of leading a pack, but he gives up when he realizes it was a fruitless effort. He doesn't become reinvigorated to keep it up or to try again, even when his dorm members (Ruggie included) plead to him. Leona is acting selfishly, and he refuses to acknowledge their perspectives--he's set in his own ways and is driven by his own thoughts, not those of the people around him. Perhaps this is what allows him to discern truth from lies with such clarity, as it is Leona who rouses Jamil to his senses and leads the charge against the VR simulation Kalim and Ruggie.

Screengrabs from the animated trailer for the Octavinelle Dorm from Disney’s Twisted Wonderland.

Twst memes

TWISTED WONDERLAND OC

I was too excited to post about him hehshhehr (the last one i swear)

INFO

Name: Vanes Pantomima

Grade/Class: Sophomore/Class B (No.2)

Birthday: March 27th

Age: 17

Height: 1,78 cm

Dominant hand: Right

Homeland: Tirulia (A Mediterranean-like country, near the Coral Sea)

Club: Film Research Club

Best subject: Poison Making or Music

Hobbies: Searching for anything bridal or wedding related/Photography

Pet Peeve: Adults who praise his appearance too much

Favorite food: Cake

Least Favorite food: Spicy food

Likes: Jewels, attention, compliments, company

Dislikes: Judgment, seagulls, feel incapable, loneliness

Talent: Sing/Act

PERSONALITY

Vanes is a kind, friendly person and the popular kid at school. With sweet words and kind gestures without asking for anything in return, he quickly adapts his personality to befriend anyone around him. By many people Vanes is seen as a responsible and intelligent person

But of course, this is just a facade

Vanes is actually a liar, manipulative, attention-addicted person who easily gets angry. He rarely trusts anyone because he thinks that others are only close to him out of interest or superficial feelings, which makes him slowly sabotage himself until he ends up completely alone in the end

In some ways, Vanes is quite determined to achieve his dreams, but often has thoughts that he is not good enough, which makes him envious of anyone who achieves what he wants

Despite acting responsibly, Vanes tends to have a somewhat childish personality, usually being very clingy with others he likes or throwing a tantrum when he is very angry

Vanes is capable of regretting his mistakes and after book 3 he begins to genuinely look for friendships that go beyond appearances. When he's being himself to his friends, Vanes can be characterized as confident, teasing, clingy and a great support (a little shy too)

He's going insane

FACTS

Vanes is twisted from Vanessa (The Little Mermaid)

He's half human-half octopus merman

Vanes is an only child, his mother owns a large chain of jewelry stores in the Coral Sea and other shady businesses

He doesn't know how to cook

Even though he's a sophomore, he doesn't share a room (He rented an empty room)

Vanes also knows how to dance well

He works as a singer at Moustro Lounge and let's just say he owes a certain debt to Azul (Basically he deceives people for Azul)

Octotrio and Vanes met at “land boot camp”, which unironically is close to Vanes’ house

Vanes is very popular at NRC

When Vanes isn't working as a singer he promotes Mostro Louge on social media

Vanes has unhealthy habits to maintain his beauty

APPEARANCE

Vanes is a good-looking boy of average height

His hair is medium, wavy and black and his eyes are dark blue. He has two beauty marks on his face, specifically under his both eyes. Normally Vanes always wears clothes that cover a large part of his body out of insecurity.

Vanes' Octavinelle's uniform is modified: he does not wear a coat and his long shirt sleeves are puffy. His pants are a dark reddish brown with two crystals on each side of his hips and ribbons wrap around his waist forming a kind of a "skirt" with a tentacle design. He wears a pair of small black boots, white gloves, pearl earrings and sometimes leaves the octavinelle scarf hanging on his arms

And finally, the most important part of his outfit: a golden shell necklace that Vanes always wears

. . .

Tag list: @cyanide-latte @oya-oya-okay @theleechyskrunkly @thehollowwriter @distant-velleity @boopshoops @br3adtoasty @casp1an-sea @heyhellohihowareyou @rainesol @tixdixl @the-banana-0verlord @u-makemeunpocoloco @cheerleaderman

ANIMATIC WIP

I gave up on rendering lmao

SONG: Chemical Overreaction/Compound Fracture - Will Wood

TW: Angst

Flipaclip is a pain.

Anyway if you wanna steal and finish it urself go ahead ://

(Idk if I send a lot of asks but)

💚: What does everyone else get wrong about your favorite character?

💛: What is a popular ship you just can't get behind, and why?

💛: What is a popular ship you just can't get behind, and why?

Fucking

Leoruggie and jamikali. It's a tie.

Leona is 20+. Ruggie is 17. Ruggie is in a servant role and far less privileged than Leona, who is a prince. This ship just frustrates me so much, and so many fics involve Leona treating Ruggie even worse than he does in game so it's just... bleh.

Jamil is the Asim family's slave. He is a slave. "Servant", "caretaker", "bodyguard", etc are are all nice ways of putting it. Jamil's entire being revolves around Kalim. He cannot exist outside of Kalim. He takes the subjects Kalim takes, thinks of Kalik at all times, and can never truly enjoy himself. His life from the start is deemed as lesser than Kalim's, as he's his poison tester as well. He resents Kalim for this.

Kalim essentially owns Jamil. He is a kind boy but so awfully unaware of the harm he himself is causing Jamil. In his vignettes, in the events, etc, whenever he's faced with a problem or wants something done, he tells people, "Jamil will handle it!" And carries on with no regard to Jamil's feelings or if it's even possible to do such things.

When Jamil tells him to stop doing something, or that he can't get this thing done in time, Kalim ignores him and says "I can count on you Jamil!" Why? Because Kalim is spoiled and even he is sweet, doesn't really understand the word no. Obviously, he's not doing this maliciously, but it's still very harmful and does nothing but contribute to Jamil's stress and suffering.

Idk, this whole ship doesn't sit right with me because it just feels like romance is a bandaid slapped onto a gaping chasm of a problem. Not to mention, no matter how kind Kalim is, it's very toxic and dangerous for Jamil to be dating someone with complete and unquestionable control over his autonomy like Kalim.

💚: What does everyone else get wrong about your favorite character?

Azul beats out the tweels by 0.0000000001% so...

People either make him too much of a soft hearted crybaby, or too much of an evil capitalist.

Azul was hurt deeply as a child. The emotional scars left will take a very long time to fade. To cope he strived to make himself better, stronger, more desirable, and so on. In doing so, he's hardened his heart and it's a lot more difficult to get him now. It's literally stated in game that he hasn't cried in years. So no, reader giving him some affection won't make him burst into tears. He's not emotionless, but he's not going to turn into Season 1 Deku 2.0.

Then there's the other end of the scale. Some of ya'll make Azul way worse than he actually is. No, he's not going to force someone to date him. No, he's not going to make a potion to fucking... drug the reader??? Idk so many fics make him so overbearing and aggressive it's just... not like him.

And, let's not forget, he's a restaurateur's son and is literally just... a guy who owns a restaurant and wants to expand it. Sometimes people treat him like he's going to be the next CEO of Amazon or something. Azul is not ever going to be as viciously awful as most if not all CEOs are. Remember those guys are also sexist, homophobic, and racist and often fund bigoted organisations. Which... Azul would not do?

I know Azul can be a difficult character to write. It's hard to get a good balance when he's so morally grey. He's not an angel, but he's definitely not a complete monster either.

Sorry this is so long Elena, I got excited 😭