Update²: I Got Very Busy Today And Couldn't Write That Much 💔💔 It'll Have To Be Finished Tomorrow

THANK YOU I LIKE YOUR FANCY WORDS !!!

me creating this in my lab while I conduct a little experiment on Azul and eximine his insides closely and pick him apart !!

[I refuse to drown - Azul Ashengrotto]

Summary: He had hurt you. Azul had hurt you and he wasn't sure how he could ever forgive himself, the guilt gnawing at his core. Despite that, you still smile at him. 

Notes: reader and azul knew each other before chapter 3, gn!reader, angst and hurt/comfort, self deprecating thoughts, some mentions of blood, injury and death but none too graphic, not proof read

Azul had lost everything.

Everything he had built painstakingly for years, crawling himself from the bottom of the depths, that he exhausted himself for, that he carefully planned and gained through his hard work. Gone, just like that, floating away in the wind the same way the sand of the beach is carried away by the waves.

But, the worst of all: he lost control. 

Control of himself, his actions and his mind. Azul couldn't remember what happened after seeing his contracts disintegrating, only that he felt more despair than ever before. Even when he was isolated and mocked by the other merman, he's never felt such helplessness, such anguish, such misery. 

His mind was muddy, he didn't feel like he was in his body. Why would it matter, anyway? It was all gone, gone, gone. 

He let himself drown in the feeling.

Drowning was a strange sensation. Azul, being a merman, never thought he could experience it, but Night Raven College was full of surprises. His lungs felt full, an inky substance occupying where once was air. His vision was dark, as if he had fallen into an abyss. He couldn't bring himself to care.

Azul didn't know which was worse, the hopeless feelings or the lack thereof. 

He stayed floating into nothingness for a while. He wasn't conscious, but he was. He was there, but he wasn't. He didn't have a body, but he did. If he could manage to string a coherent thought together, it might have been something like this: "Is this what death looks like?" Perhaps if he could muster enough strenght to feel something, he might have felt regret for all the things he still had left to do.

If he looked deep into himself, deeper than he was willing to, he might have found that he regretted making you sign one of his rigged contracts and dragging you into this mess. He should have known better than understimating you, he should have known that something like this would happen. After all, you were amazing enough to catch his attention. What made him think you wouldn't be amazing enough to find a way out of his deal? What made him think Jade and Floyd would be enough to disencourage you? What made him think someone like him, so dirty and insicere, could ever dampen someone like you, so determined and bright?

He didn't think about any of it. He didn't think about anything.

The first thing Azul felt when he came back to his senses was light against his eyelids. He was back at the surface. His body ached all over but his lungs no longer bled that viscous black liquid and he felt alive once more. He was still alive.

He could smell a familiar scent, one that he was used to smelling back at the Coral Sea, so used to he didn't identify it a first. He heard shouting that seemed to be miles away and right by his ear at the same time. His slugish head couldn't distinguish what was being said by whom, but he could swear he heard your name, it's mention alone being enough to jolt eletricity back into his being and keep him awake. There were hurried footsteps getting farther away and he finally recognized what the smell was. It was the metalic smell of blood.

He tried to open his eyes but the bright lights of Mostro Lounge burned them, so he kept them tightly shut. He couldn't get up, his legs hurt more than any other part of his body. What had happened? He couldn't have... could he? The last thing he could remember happening before passing out was... oh.

Oh. He did. Azul had an overblot.

His breath hitched, but he forced himself to keep breathing in the air, to keep the blot out, out of his system and out of his lungs and out of his veins and out out out of him. He bit his tounge, clenched his fists and forced his sore eyes to open.

The contracts, they were gone. His life's work. He had made a fool of himself in front of another housewarden. He had an overblot and put everyone in danger. He had put you in danger.

Jade and Floyd were by his side. They were talking to him, but he couldn't register the words. His head was underwater, the pressure weighting him down, his ears filled with water and dripping, dripping, dripping.

He could still smell the blood. Ah, it felt just like home.

Azul looked at his lower half, almost sure in some hysterical part of his brain that he would find his tentacles there. His legs laid on the floor, clean and useless. He breathed a sigh of relief. Still, he couldn't help but wish the blood was his.

He got the gist of what the twins were saying. Leona destroyed the contracts and you had managed to adquire his childhood photo. They were mocking him for the tantrum he threw, but he could tell they were worried. There wasn't much force behind the half hearted taunts and no matter how much they tried to hide, Azul knew them just like they knew him. They were aggravated at what happened as well, no matter how much they pretended they couldn't care less.

"What would you like us to do about the photo?" 

"I'm pretty sure we could just snatch it up with how shrimpy is now, but man, I'm not in the mood for it."

"...I don't care about the photo anymore. Tell me, what happened to the prefect?"

Jade looked at him with pity and Floyd's mood deteriorated. There was a bottomless pit of dread at his stomach, his throat felt dry all of sudden. His eyes burned, but no tears fell from them. When had his breathing become so erratic?

As soon as the twins broke the news to him, Azul tried to stand up and see you, not caring for how much his legs ached and hurt and screamed at him to stay down. Good, he thought with venom, so much loathing and disdain it left a sour feeling in his mouth, they better be hurting after what he'd done. He deserves worse.

Jade helped him balance himself on his legs and Floyd laughed at his clumsy footing, as if it was the first time the three of them set foot on land and were just learning how to walk. Azul felt like he had been stripped from his tentacles and siphon all over again. He had been stripped from his skin and from his mind, had been laid open and bare and vulnerable for all to see, had his chest teared apart and his lungs leaking onto the floor.

Once they arrived at the infirmary, Azul was almost jumped by your friends. The Heartslabyul duo and the young Savanaclaw seemed ready to plummet him to the ground, no care for his condition, if it weren't for Jade and Floyd tanking him by both sides like bodyguards. Azul was glad they didn't care, he was glad they worried so much about you. He would have let them hit him and taken the beating, there wasn't much of his pride left to salvage anyway.

The school nurse had just finished attending you and promptly went to work on his injuries. The Headmaster appeared at the infirmary right after Azul was discharged, no doubt already knowing what happened. He had never seem Crowley look as serious as he did when he asked for the three of them to accompany him to his office. 

Azul's body was exhausted, he clearly needed to rest. Still, he agreed without a fuss, the twins following him closely from behind. He could feel Jade's gaze burning the back of his neck, but he couldn't gather enough energy to care for whatever was going on the eelmer's mind. He felt empty, almost hollow. Frighteningly so, like he was still on that void state, disconnected from his body. Was he even awake?

The talk with the Headmaster was a long and tiring one. At the end of it, Azul accepted the new terms for him to keep running Mostro Lounge at the school, gripping tightly to the only thing he had left. He couldn't lose his beloved restaurant alongside everything else, it would be too much, more than he could handle.

It was dark by the time they were excused to go back to their dorm. Azul felt and looked like a mess, not like the businessman he took pride in being. His hair was dishevelled, there were eyebags under his eyes and his mouth was set in a firm line for a while, not managing much more emoting. 

There was a restlessness under his skin, on his muscles, deep in his bones, down onto every single cell. No matter how worn out he was, there was no way he would be able to sit back. Not until he saw you with his own eyes, saw exactly how much damage he had caused. 

He wasn't able to muster up the courage to look the twins in the face as he told them to go ahead, that he had something to do. Luckly, they decided he had suffered enough and didn't kick up much of a fuss before leaving him alone.

The walk to the infirmary felt like a fever dream, too long and too short at the same time. Azul wondered if your friends were still there at this time, if you were awake, if he was even allowed to enter. He stayed rooted in front of the entrance, trying to gather every last bit of confidence to put up his usual serene façade. 

He wouldn't let you see how affected he was by the whole ordeal. This wasn't supposed to be about him, he wanted to take a look at you. You, who had been nothing but friendly to him, who had caught his attention early on, who spent time with him at Mostro Lounge, who he admired so much, who wormed your way into his heart and refused to leave.

Azul was afraid you hated him now, but by the Sevens how much he wished you did. Why wouldn't you, after he tried to scam you out of your house and almost got you killed. All for his selfishness, for his stupid pride and greed. He was ready for you to scream at him, to hit him, say you never wanted to see him again. Even if the mere thought was enough for him to feel like throwing up, he knew it would be better if he stayed away from you and your light. That way, he wouldn't hurt you again, never again.

Steeling himself with the fakiest smile on his face, he pushed the door open, hands shaking.

The infirmary was quiet, no one in sight save for you. You were laying on one of the first beds, a peaceful expression on your face. You looked beautiful. You always did, to him. There were bandages all over where your skin was visible. Azul could feel the guilt choking him. How could he have the audacity to come talk to you after he was the one that did this?

He turned around and was about to leave when he heard you whisper. It was spoken so softly he wouldn't have heard at all if he wasn't hyperaware of you. "Stay." 

Azul stayed. He could never deny anything you asked for. Especially not when you sounded so pleading, when you looked at him like that.

There was a chair next to your bed, so umconfortable looking as it must feel. But it was the best way to stay closer to you, so he sat on it, waiting for you to drop the guillotine over his head for his sins. 

The silence was suffocating, denser than the pressure at the bottom of the ocean. He wanted you to say something, anything. His gaze was on the floor, lips pulled back, brows furrowed. If he closed his eyes, only the darkness would welcome him, swallow him whole, so he kept them stubbornly open.

"Azul." It felt like a blessing, like a drop of water after walking through the desert, like a warm embrace. Azul relished the way you said his name, the delicious entonation as your tongue rolled over every letter. He wanted to beg you to say it again and again. The only thing he does is lifting his head to look at you.

The proximity between you two was startling. He hadn't noticed how close you were, hadn't noticed you raising your hand, hadn't noticed the shine in your eye. He thought you were about to slap him, but couldn't drag his stare away from your eyes. They looked so gentle, so full of... something. He wouldn't dare try to name the emotion behind them, wouldn't dare hope.

Your hand made contact with his cheek, making him flinch lightly. There was no sting, only your warmth as you held his face. Your fingers left burning imprints where they touched, marked him from the inside out. Wide blue eyes meet your affectionate ones, so open and honest. Why were you being so gentle to him? Acting like nothing happened, like things were the same as before this whole mess occurred. 

"I'm glad." You confess softly, a secret meant only for the two of you, thumb brushing against his cheeks as he leans into your touch and lets himself melt into it while he still can. "I'm glad you're alright, Azul." 

"How can you say that when you're the one laying on a hospital bed?" His voice falls flat, trying to hide his emotions. But he's a cracked shell, his insides are spilling out into your palms, plain for you to pick apart and analyse as you please.

You smile, your joy is so sincere Azul can feel his eyes burn with unshead tears. How could he ever hurt someone like you? How could you still look at him without an once of hatred or disguist or fear?

"I was worried about you." You state as if it was the simplest thing in the world, because it is, to you. The sky is blue, the ocean is cold and you care about Azul. You say as if you aren't shattering his last bits of composure, as if you aren't breaking his heart into little jagged pieces. 

"Don't say that." He manages to choke out, as if the mere words hurt his throat, voice watery and breaking. "Please, don't say that." The 'I don't deserve it' is not said out loud, but both of you can hear it.

"How can I not? It's the truth." His tears flow freely, no longer under his control as he feels the urge to sob, to beg for forgiveness, to hide and never see you again in fear of hurting you. Only you had this effect on him, only you could break his barriers and composure so easily. 

You brush his tears away, whispering reassurances. Wasn't him supposed to be the one reassuring you? He had come to see how you were, to apologize, to let you scream at him, anything. He could take it if you hated him, he would understand, but how could your gaze still hold so much fondness in it, so much love? The guilt shatters him, pierces his heart, make his sobs louder. How cruel could your kindness be?

He had hurt you. Azul had hurt you and he wasn't sure how he could ever forgive himself, the guilt gnawing at his core. Despite that, you still smile at him. 

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He repeats, over and over. You say you forgive him, but he keeps going until his voice is hoarse. You don't, no, you can't understand it. You did nothing wrong, you're not like him, hands stained with blood and rot. He lets his guilt out before it festers and consumes him. It isn't enough to make up to you, although it does make him feel a little bit better, to let it all out like this.

You don't lie to him. You don't say it wasn't his fault or that he wasn't in the wrong, but you don't rub it in either. Azul appreciates it, the sincerity. He knows you can hold him accountable when the time is right. For now, you comfort him. You tell him how nobody else could put such effective notes together, how determinated and hardworking he is. How his past doesn't define him and how he has greater strenghts than any magic. He drinks every word up, commiting them to memory.

As his tears seem to dry out alongside his voice, you pull him closer to yourself. He submerges himself into you, your scent, your voice, your touch. He would happily let himself drown on the sensation. You just hold him, rubbing circles on his back and lending him your shoulder. 

It's like time has frozen over. Azul wishes it had. He could stay like this with you for hours if you'd let him, although he doesn't feel ready to admit it, be it to you or to himself. 

Everything is not right. You're still hurt, his contracts are still gone and Azul still feels wrong, the effects of the overblot lingering underneath his skin. His reputation took a significant blow and he'll have to change the method he's always used to work at his own establishment. 

But not all is lost, either. He can start over, the right way this time. You'll be by his side, cheering him on. There's a long road to improvement and Azul has never been one to get scared by such things. He'll put his efforts on getting back on his feet and breaking the surface of the water, as he refuses to drown. 

The late hour weights on your tired bodies, causing you to yawn, your hold on him getting laxer. With the way his body aches, he wouldn't be able to go back to Octavinelle. In fact, he doesn't feel able to move from the chair he is in. He doesn't want to leave you from his sight, to lose your touch. 

You ask him to keep you company, prompting him to lay his head on your lap, an umconfortable position, as he has to bend his torso to reach it, but he doesn't mind. Just having you nearby will be enough. One of your hands interlock your fingers with his and the other plays with his hair as you hum, not letting the silence engulf the room. He's beyond grateful for that, for how you just seem to know what he needs and is more than willing to give it to him. He's never been handled with such care before, like he's wanted, like he's precious. It makes his body feel warm and he basks on it.

He waits until you stop your ministrations, until your breathing evens out and it's just him alone with his thoughts. He keeps his eyes shut, as he knows that if he dared to glance at your sleeping face his heart would burst with affection, the feelings he's trying to rein in exploding from his chest. 

Azul only has made a promise to himself once, when he was a little kid being bullied by his peers, eager to prove them wrong, to prove he could be better than their expectations. Now, he makes a new promise, to protect you and your kindness, to never let someone, least him, hurt you again, to make up for his own shortcomings and become someone you can be proud of.

He loses consciousness for the second time that day, but this time he knows he's alive. He feels it in the way his heart beats in sync with yours, the way his breaths come out from his mouth, the way your fingers are laced with his. 

Azul is alive and swimming to the surface, as he refuses to drown.

Masterlist

OK SO little update: I'm writing it but it kinda got away from me and it keeps getting longer than intended bc I'm having way too much fun lol I'll get it done tomorrow!

to the Jade-with-a-crush anon: I've started to write smth based on your asks and I'll have you know I'm giggling and kicking my feet and rolling on my bed and twirling my hair right now I'm having so much fun thank youuu for the inspo <33

Hi !!! Have you seen Lilia’s club wear card yet? He looks so cool! :D -🦭

HIII 🦭 HOW ARE YOU???

yes yes, I've seen it!! I love the new school club cards since I love getting more clubs' content!!

though I've showed it to my cousin (who knows nothing abt twst but still is a Lilia stan somehow?) and she called him a MCR fan and said that it looks like he drinks Monster energy. which I guess it does look like that. Lilia going through his emo egirl phase, good for him !!

HES A WIUTTGCHHH OIUGHH HHHHGOOOOI

Any thoughts on Floyd? I personally think he’s a lot more of a 3 dimensional character than the NRC students think he is! He’s ironically seen as the scariest out of the Octavinelle trio but in certain scenes like in Chapter 3 of the Anthology comic where he tries to reassure Riddle that he’s still a good person despite what he did while overblotted or in his dorm vignette where he makes trades with things clearly holding less value than what he currently has just because the other person seems to need it he seems much more thoughtful and kind. He can be a nice person but he always says he’s only doing it because he’s bored almost making it seem like he has a fear of showing kindness with others. Sorry for the ramble I just think he’s interesting personality wise

hii anon!! and oF COURSE I DO HE'S MY LITTLE SCRUNKLY MY DENTINHO DE TUBARÃO MY BELOVED BLORBO!!!

I agree anon, he definetly is! may I add to your examples: Floyd's labwear vignette, in which he helps Ace and Deuce to master the color changing spell! (it's very cute so if you haven't seen it yet, I suggest you take a look at it!)

NO NEED TO APOLOGIZE I LOVE TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS!!! feel free to send an ask anytime and ramble as much as you want!

since you asked for my thoughts, here they come:

same fair warning as the Idia post: this is my opinion and it might not be 100% right, anyone is allowed to disagree!

anon, you're so right, Floyd is such an interesting character! all of Octavinelle are, which is why I get the impression they have the most content in fandom, alongside other popular choices like Leona and Malleus. now get ready, because I have MANY thoughts on him and you just gave me the opportunity to ramble about them in a silver plater.

I think the thing with Octavinelle is that they are very complex, so naturally their interesting personalities and dynamics attract a lot of fandom attention, myself included! although this complexity also can lead to some misunderstandings and many different interpretations.

going along with your line of thought, I think he's the least scary of the trio, depending on how you view it. Azul seems to agree, as in Beans Day he comments how Jade is the scarier twin, since you never know what he's thinking, while Floyd makes his thoughts clear as day (or something along this lines). I personally agree with this, Floyd is very honest with his intentions, if he wants to hurt someone he'll just outright say it and threaten them, giving plenty of body signals. Jade and Azul are not like that at all, making them more dangerous due to never knowing what angle they are planning or what's going on in their minds.

I can see why the students think he's so scary tho! Floyd's squeezes can hurt quite a lot depending on how he does them, I think in chapter 3 a student even passes out because of it? not only that, but his constant mood swings and unpredictability are also very nerve racking and unsettling, as I think I'd have a hard time trying to deal with someone like this in real life, especially as I appreciate some predictability in order to know how to act around people without stepping over any boundaries, so I feel I'd be walking on eggshells around him lol

of course, he isn't all scary! he looks like it even when he's on his happier moods because of his pre-existing reputation and his loudness and lack of personal space, so people don't try to get close to him and actually see his other sides. I feel he'd be a fun friend to have around, because he's always up to something, and since I love physical affection I wouldn't mind much his hugs. (as long as they aren't his deathly squeezes. I like to keep my lungs intact thank you very much.)

another thing about him is that besides his more scary side, he can be quite cute! his laugh is seriously serotonin inducing, he likes to play around and to dance and to experiment new colorful clothes and to have a good time! he's not an "uwu innocent baby", but he's not a "crazy maniac bastard" either. Floyd can be scary when he wants to and he can be cute when he wants to.

I really like his dorm uniform vignette, I think it's a good example of his nature! he gets things because he wanted to at the time, and that's all there is to it. I don't think he had a personal kind motive behind his trades, just that he wasn't using one thing and if he could trade it for another, then why not? tho it's very interesting how at the end, he did it all to get what Azul wanted (at least inicially, he kinda forgot about it halfway through)

Floyd is, at my point of view, very free, as he doesn't care much about other people's opinions about him or about his grades or about his unique magic or anything really, as long as he's having a good time at the moment. The only thing he's tied to are his own whims, as only Floyd could ever stop himself. I feel like he does things sometimes because he's bored, yes, but sometimes simply because he felt like doing it at the time, so he did. (sometimes I wish I could think like him honestly, it would save me a lot of headache!)

he can definetely be a nice person! like all students at NRC, while they have a tendency to be assholes most of the time, every single one of them can be nice and good! I do like your interpretation of him being afraid of showing vulnerability, such as kindness, something others can easily exploit and he'd know very well about it, since both under the sea and at NRC people take advantage of each other at the drop of a hat. I've seen people think that this boredoom and extreme mood swings of his are masks so he doesn't have to do things he doesn't want. if he wants to escape a situation, he'll say he's bored and leave, simple like that. if he wants to help someone, he'll say he was bored and didn't have anything better to do. I can definetly see it!

in my point of view, I think he genuinely does have his mood swings, one time he'll be super excited about something and in the next he just... won't. I don't think they are without a motive tho, there's always something that triggers it, like if things get repetitive or don't go the way he wanted them to. a way to put him in a especially bad mood would be to try to control him, that's when he's definetly not going to do anything he's asked of. just leave him be and do things on his own way and he'll comply (if he feels like it).

he's most definetly capable of being thoughtful and kind, as Floyd is not dumb at all, he understands other people's emotions and how he affects them very well. hell, he even takes pleasure in scaring them sometimes, so obviously he's very aware. tho he won't just come and do something out of the kindness of his heart, he can do things because he wanted to help or to have something to do. he could just disobey Azul's every comand at any time, but he doesn't, and that shows how far his respect for him goes. he doesn't bend himself over every single wish of Azul's either, oftentimes just not showing up to work or doing his job in a lackluster manner. it all depends on how he's feeling really.

TL;DR: Floyd is such an interesting and multifaceted character! he's much more than the scary image the NRC students have of him and can show many different sides, depending on his mood! he's my little weirdo meow meow, thank you anon for sharing your thoughts with me!

Extra: here are some links for Floyd content you might like! his character fact sheet, that shows a lot of curiosities about him, this analysis Raven has made some time ago, that I agree a lot on (as you can see), and this youtube video that I LOVE it's my little serotonin machine!

you play the drinking game and end up at the ER from alcohol poisoning 😔

ooh I have plans for these two, mc might not be the best at sports but they solo in board games 💪

[Club activities - part 1]

Summary: Crowley insists you join one of the school's clubs, even though your schedule is already full. Having no other choice, you oblige, on one condition: you'll attend a meeting of each club before deciding which one you'll join. As expected, shenanigans ensue.

Notes: gn!reader, humor, it's kinda long, reader is oblivious, mentions of minor injuries but in a funny way dw, I had to research about horse management and now you'll know about it too

Part: 1 (you're here!) / 2 (soon!)

"Do I really have to do this? Isn't it enough that I already am your unnoficial errand runner, Grim's babysitter, Ramshackle's prefect and have to deal with an overblot a month on top of whatever insanity the students decide to put me through while I try to keep my grades up to not lose my scholarship?"

You really hoped he would listen to reason, after all, you already have way more than enough on your plate. As it is, he obviously didn't hear to a word you said. How unfortunate. 

"Of course it's most crucial you participate in a club! As a model educator, I must set an example for my peers. How would it look if one of my students didn't partake in such an important school activity?"

Crowley looks agravated by the mere idea. You deadpan at him. He stares back at you. Grim snoozes in the background. 

"Well, which one will it be?"

You sigh, as if the weight of the world was in your shoulders.

"...Can I see the list, at least?"

Crowley smiles, his whole demeanor changing as soon as he got what he wanted. You brace yourself for what is to come, knowing it will be a headache.

After taking a look at your options, you decide to go in one meeting of each before choosing one to join. You could just randomly pick one and be done with it, but since you're already being forced to do this, you should do something you enjoy.

The headmaster gives you a genial smile and agrees on your conditions, telling you how kind he is for doing so and how it will be great for your education. You glare at him, defeated.

Better start sooner than later, right?

Spelldrive Club (Leona, Ruggie, Epel)

Good news, you've played spelldrive before, so you're not entirely lost!

You keep that in mind as you arrive at the field. It's pretty intimidating, with most of the players being thugs from Savanaclaw that look like they could fold you in half like a twig. You scurry to Epel's side.

He's surprised you decided to participate in a meeting, but really happy as well since it's a chance to show off his manliness to you. You chat for a bit as you wait for Leona, the captain, to arrive. Ruggie eventually joins you both, cracking some joke about your unexpected attendance and having a new member on the team.

Once Leona arrives, he looks just as grumpy as usual, but his ears are perked up and he's scanning the field as if looking for something. And it seems he finds it once his eyes land on you, leading him to your little group's direction.

Crowley had the decency of telling him in advance about your test drive of the club, but Leona warns you he won't allow you to slack off just because it's your first day. You're surprised he even bothered to tell you this, as you imagined he would be as unenthusiastic as he is about his normal classes. It seems he has high expectations for you. Epel and Ruggie look startled as well, but wisely keep their mouths shut.

Everyone did light stretchs and got their brooms, ready to play. It was... intense. You already expected it from what little experience you had from the tornament, not to mention that by being magicless you had a limited range of moves you could pull, but it seemed Leona was a strict leader when it came to the sport. 

That, or he wanted to show off today for some reason. According to one of Epel's snide remarks, Leona is usually more laid back than he was being. You couldn't help but worry it had something to do with you, so you kept your head low and tried to follow the best you could, least he screamed at you as well. Besides, his complaints did sound reasonable, even if he was blunt and kind of rude about them, so it was good he was so motivated!

And he wasn't the only one. Epel was giving his all, pulling stunts left and right to get points. You were amazed by his ability, since you've never seen him play before, you had no idea he was this good! Your gaze would wander to wherever he was and you could swear you felt him staring back sometimes, though he turned his head away too fast for you to confirm it.

Even so, he wasn't safe from blundering his play eventually. After marking a point, he turned in your direction, confident that you've been watching, chest puffed out proudly. Only to be met with your panicked look as you tried to signal for him to look behind. One of the players from Savanaclaw shoved him then, almost dropping him from his broom. Luckly, Epel managed to catch himself just in time to avoid an accident, making you sigh relieved, your clammy hands readjusting their grip on your own broom, heart beating wildly on your chest. Leona screamed at both of you for being distracted, but he glared harder at Epel.

Ruggie was another one set on impressing you with his techniques, doing dangerous tricks on his broom while in midair. You knew he was very good, he was the one you went against on the first time you played, after all, but still cheered on his tricks. His cheeky smile stayed firm on his face, growing at every compliment you threw his way. His tail was wagging behind him, but you didn't have to know that.

The thing is, if he started to pay too much attention on you to gauge your reactions, he got distracted from the game going on around him. On more than one occasion he was almost throw out while dangling on his broom with only his feet, somehow managing to get his balance back everytime. Leona looked ready to burst a blood vessel when it happened, you had a feeling he was going to be extra annoying to Ruggie for the rest of the week.

All in all, you couldn't do much, so you stayed at the sidelines watching your friends play. You were sweating all over, the scorching sun shining above you. Did you remember to use sunscreen? You closed your eyes and took one arm off your broom to wipe out some sweat from your brow, distracted. You were pretty tired. The shouting went on at the background. You had the impression your friends were calling your name. As soon as you were going to turn to their direction and see what it was that they wanted, everything went black and you lost consciousness.

You woke up at the infirmary, having a feeling of deja vu. Why whenever you tried to play spelldrive something had to happen? Epel, Ruggie and Leona were by your bedside, looking worried, upset or annoyed. They explained a disk went out of course and ended up hitting you at the back of your head, causing you to pass out. 

Ruggie proudly announced he was the first one to react and caught you just in time, before you hit the ground. Epel added that he helped Ruggie bring you to the infirmary and that Leona went off on everyone at the field for not catching the damned disk. Leona just huffed and pretended to not care, but you could tell he did just from how he stayed waiting for you to wake up.

As sweet as that little moment was, you didn't want a repeat of what happened and felt spelldrive wasn't really for you. Time to check out other clubs. 

(Epel excitedly asks for you to come and watch another pratice some time. Ruggie backs him up and pulls his puppy eyes on you. Leona looks like he would like that as well but stays silent, staring at you expectantly, ears perked up. You end up agreeing, not wanting to crush their enthusiasm. It seems they really enjoyed having you over. Not sure if the rest of the team could say the same, but a glare from Leona will shut them up if they dare to bother you.)

Equestrian Club (Riddle, Silver, Sebek)

There were horses on campus!? How come you never met one before? Time to rectify that!

You couldn't remember if you ever rode a horse before or not. Well, surely everything would turn out alright, since some of the most responsible people were on this club. Surely.

Riddle was the one that greeted you and showed you around the stables. There was a huge area dedicated to them, with all the horses having their own section and a fenced space reserved for riding them. They were all very well taken care of, as Riddle made sure to tell you about some of his duties as a member of the club. He even took you to meet his horse and taught you how to pet it!

You also met Sebek and Silver tending to their horses and talked with them a bit. Sebek expressed his diligence as always, talking loudly about his passion for the sport and how he would definitly make his Lord proud of his work. Silver was less overwhelming and seemed gentler surrounded by animals like that, as he told you softly that he was glad you showed interest in their club and how he hoped you'd enjoy it.

After such a warm welcome, you had your hopes high for this club! (Especially after what happened at spelldrive pratice). It didn't involve any magic either, so you could do everything just fine. All was well, until you were assigned a horse to tend for the day.

There was only one horse available, so you didn't have much of a choice, really. It was a beautiful white horse that truly looked straight out of a fairytale, with it's elegant aura and thick mane. If only it's temper could match it's appearence. It was one of the most petulant equines you've ever seen. It took a while for it to even let you get closer without trying to bite your hand off.

Silver said it still didn't have a name and Riddle told you that since you were it's handler for the day, you should name it. You decided to name it Maximus. Sebek liked the name, loudly approving it. Maximus seemed pretty content as well, so you patted yourself on the back for scoring one point with him.

The first thing you were going to do before actually riding him was to groom him. You decided to watch how your friends did it and mimick their actions. Riddle handed you a bucket with different brushes that you had no idea what should be used for. Sebek secured Maximus for you, saying it was to make sure he wouldn't move around while you tried to take care of him. Silver helped you two get acquainted, making sure you knew basic safety instructions.

You grab a round rubber comb, watching Riddle rub circles on his horse's side with a firm hold. Starting on Maximus' left side, you hesitantly bring the comb in contact with his fur, watching as he gives you a nasty side eye. You weakly start your sweeps, careful to not hurt him or press on a tender spot. Riddle tells you to use more pressure in order to remove the dirt from his coat. You increase your strenght as he nods approvingly. Just as he's about to turn back to his own work, he sees you sliding the brush down Maximus' shoulders and to his legs, his tail swishing in warning. He manages to pull you back just in time before Maximus closes his jaw where your hand was mere moments ago. Your arm trembles and your eyes are wide as he explains which areas are sensitive and that you'd better avoid them.

After using a stiff brush that reminded you of a broom to knock out the dirt you had loosened, being extra careful on the areas Riddle mentioned, you grab a soft brush. You feel dread pool on your stomach as you watch Silver kneel down to tend to his horse's legs. You stare at Maximus, hoping he would let you do the same, but you swear his expression is one that says 'I dare you to try and see what happens'. You gulp but still get down to it, better get it done as soon as possible. The front legs go swimmingly, the back ones not so much. As you're almost getting finished you accidently press on a sore spot. Maximus loudly neighs, stamps his foot and raises his knee, causing you to fall on your behind, surprised and very much still in hitting range. You were pretty sure that was it, you were going to infirmary again with the worst concussion ever known to man. Thankfully, Silver had noticed it just in time to drag you away, holding you by your armpits like a misbehaving kitten. Your knees feel weak, so you stay on the ground with a racing heart as you watch Silver calm Maximus down.

The next step was to clean Maximus' hooves. Anyone with half a brain cell could sense it was a bad idea to leave you to it, so you stayed back while Sebek did the cleaning. He didn't to it quietly though, he made sure to shout every step so you'd learn how to do it at a later date. You couldn't even find it in yourself to be mad at his condescending tone, too grateful for him helping you out. You thank him sincerely as he pauses mid rant. He stares at you with his mouth open, as if he had short circuited. Sebek stays strangely quiet for the next few minutes, not making eye contact with you but trying to steal glances your way without you noticing. Maximus huffs and it sounds mocking, somehow. 

To finish it up, you comb Maximus' mane, untangling it carefully, finding it surprisingly relaxing and by far the best part of this whole thing. When brushing his tail, you make sure to stand by his side, not behind, to avoid almost being kicked again. You look proudly at your work as Maximus flaunts himself. Riddle, Silver and Sebek compliment your efforts, making you smile sincerely despite being pretty sure Maximus hates your guts and has cursed your entire bloodline in his mind.

Finally, the time has come. You're going to actually ride the horse now!

That is, if you manage to mount it first. 

You try to mount Maximus' by his right side, but he doesn't budge. Plus, he's too tall for you to reach properly. He stares at you. You're sure he's laughing at your misery. Silver, bless him, comes to your aid. He hands you a safety helmet and calmly checks if the saddle is well secured with the girth and all buckles are fastened. He offers you his hand and you take it, letting him guide you to Maximus' left side as he explains just how to get up. He looks very princely like this, talking almost excitedly... or, well, as excited as Silver gets. He doesn't look like he's about to fall asleep, so that must count for something, and there's a rare smile on his face. He must really like his club. And the horses seem to like him just fine as well. Way too fine, actually, since they insist in interrupting him as he talks, demanding his attention. His horse smacks it's tail on your face as it nuzzles on Silver's hand. Maximus neighs amused, that bastard.

You thank Silver and let him get to his own activities, not wanting to take more of his time. He leaves, but his smile dropped and he looked almost disappointed. You wonder what that was about. Either way, you go find a steeping stool to help you mount Maximus. Riddle goes with you, insisting in supervising everything to make sure you won't have any problems. He holds Maximus' face to make sure he will stay quiet for you to mount him like Silver taught you to. As soon as you're seated Riddle withdraws from proximity, letting Maximus have some space. However, before you get time to grip the reins, Maximus takes off, leaving you to desperately hold onto his neck as he runs around. Riddle goes after the two of you, trying to stop him while you hold your screams in. After a full minute of this, Maximus suddenly stops, making you let go of your grip on him and fall to the side. Riddle fusses over you, making sure you're not badly hurt while reprimanding the horse for the stunt he pulled. 

You do feel sore all over, but refuse to back down. You're not going to let Maximus have the last laugh. You thank Riddle for his help and let him go back to his horse, assuring him you'll be fine. He checks on you once more to make sure you're ok before going, looking behing his shoulder as if you were about to fall again. You smile reassuringly. His face turns red like his hair and he scurries away. You take Maximus back to where you left the steeping stool, determined to mount him and actually stay there this time.

Sebek notices your struggle and decides to graciously help you once more. Maximus squirms around but eventually the two of you make him stay in place while you mount him. Sebek keeps his hand on Maximus while you adjust your footing and organize the reins. Once you're ready, you nudge Maximus with your lower leg, encouraging him to start walking. Sebek insists on being close the entire time, making corrections to your position and moviments, such as keeping your back straight and looking forward. Even with his harsh soldier like tone, you begin enjoying the ride and compliment him on his ability as a teacher, stating how much of an exceptional rider he must be. Sebek blushes and starts stuttering, words getting mixed up with one another. Without his clear instructions you start having a rockier time with reining Maximus, but he manages to not blunder his words too much when telling you how to halt and to dismount your horse.

At the end of pratice you're sweaty, covered in mud and sore all over. It was fun some times, but you rather not have to worry for your life at every meeting (the overblots and dealing with your friends antics was already more than enough life threatning excitement for you). You also feel you should steer clear from the stables, just in case Maximus tries to commit his revenge on you. Time to check out other clubs.

(The boys insist you only need some more practice, that you have potential, that Maximus will warm up to you. They are very earnest when telling you they enjoyed having you over, even if they had to keep an eye on you the whole time to make sure you wouldn't get hurt. When they ask you to come by another time, you can't say no. You suppose you do owe them one for all their help. They ligthen up when you agree, so you can't bring yourself to regret it, even if you know you'll have to deal Maximus once again.)

Basketball Club (Ace, Floyd, Jamil)

Oh, this is Ace's club, right? And it's a normal non-magical sport as well. Let's give it a try!

The first person to greet you is, obviously, one of your closest friends (and cause of your daily headaches), Ace. He had bragged to you about his ability in playing basketball before, something about being the best freshmen in the team and even Riddle complimenting him on his skill. He teases you, asking if you'll be able to keep up with him, which earns him an eyeroll and a friendly punch on the shoulder.

You quickly remember who else Ace mentioned being on the team as soon as you hear a loud voice call for 'Shrimpy' and two arms squeezing the air out of you. Of course, Floyd was overenthusiastic about your participation, telling you how your presence would surely make things interesting and how this class was starting to get boring so it was good to have something new added to it. You're not sure how to react so you reply telling him you'll do your best (and praying he'd let you go before you run out of air). Floyd stares at you for a bit, taken aback from such an earnest answer, before squeezing you even harder for being so cute. Ace comes to the rescue, saving you from passing out before the class could even start.

You also find another familiar face on the team, Jamil. You thank whatever higher being that was out there looking out for you for sending a sane person to keep you company. It seems Jamil shares the sentiment, as you start a light conversation about the club that ends up being more about Jamil complaining that he had to deal with Kalim's shenanigans his entire life and the only moment he's alone he has to babysit Ace and Floyd, least they cause a disaster and the rest of the team is blamed for it. You sympathize with him, promising to do your part in the babysitting duty for the day. Jamil looks really relieved as he thanks you.

Before pratice, just like in Spelldrive, you did light stretches, competing with Ace to see who can reach their feet when bending down or who can stay longer balancing on one leg. Everyone got separated in duos to train some passes before actually playing. Scattering across the gym, each at one end of the room, you and Ace threw the ball between yourselves. He always had some cheeky comment to make about your lack of skill, which only motivated you to throw the ball harder at his direction, technique be damned. All the while you had to be careful to avoid stray shots from the others around you. Perhaps you should have brought the safety helmet from the Equestrian club.

Floyd and Jamil (he must have been dragged into this, being one of the only ones able to handle Floyd) were right next to where your duo was. They both were obviously skilled, doing tricks with the ball to show off. You were actually pretty impressed as you observed them, so much so that you miscalculated your shot and instead of sending the ball to hit Ace, it went at Floyd's direction. As Floyd was busy annoying the closest student to his side, he only noticed the ball right before it hit him, too late to stop it. 

Thankfully his skull was thick enough that not even a basketball hitting him managed to hurt, though it did leave quite an impressive red mark on his face. Ace swore and scurried away from Floyd's other side, Jamil pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, you felt your heart drop. The student that previously had Floyd's attention took the opportunity to run away, leaving the four of you in this stalemate. Even with all the activity around, you could only focus on the way Floyd raised his eyes to meet your frightened ones, an impassive expression on his face and your basketball on his hand.

Instead of a frown and the deeper tone of voice you expected (alongside the promise of pain in your future), you were met with a wide grin, sharp teeth at full display, and a high pitched giggle. You didn't know which was worse. Either way, you felt like a prey caught in it's predator radar. Floyd told you that if you wanted to play so bad, he'd be happy to play with you! Ace was planning your funeral already.

And so, what was supposed to be a simple exercise of passing the ball became an impromptu game of dodgeball in which if you were hit, instead of being out you gained a concussion and a trip to the infirmary. Somehow, Ace and Jamil got roped into it as well, the three of you running around to avoid being hit by one of the deathly bullets Floyd threw at you. After noticing it, the club leader announced they could stop for a short break before picking out the teams for a game, in the hopes it would distract the eelmer enough to make him stop.

It worked, since the prospect of 'playing another game with shrimpy' made Floyd get excited to get you on his team. You sighed in relief, a bit out of breath. You and Ace sprawled yourselves at the floor to rest, not caring about how dirty it may be, your legs needed to lay down for a while. He turned his head at your direction and said it was your fault for having such bad aim. You replied with how it was his fault for being so bad at teaching you. You have a stare down that ends in both bursting into laughter.

Jamil and some other second year were the ones choosing the teams. He smiled mischievously, the same smile he had when he was planning something. Jamil could be the calmer one between your options, but that didn't mean he wouldn't cause trouble as well. In the end, you stayed on Jamil's team while Floyd and Ace were on the other. Floyd pouted and whined about how he had wanted to play in the same team as you and Ace seemed a bit miffed (you weren't sure if it was because he ended up against you or because he was with Floyd). Jamil had a very self satisfied smile on his face as he told you which formation your team would use. He sent a smug smirk to the others when you weren't looking.

You were wondering what kind of stunt Floyd would put to get what he wanted, but once the game started he just... didn't do anything. Jamil, on the other hand, was quick to catch the ball and take it to the other side of the court, dodging Ace's attempts at stopping him, jumping high and scoring some points. You were in awe, you had no idea Jamil was this good! As he went to your side with a self-satisfied expression in face, you showered him in compliments, saying how fast he ran and how high he jumped and how he looked really cool! While the smile stayed on his face, it seemed softer, and Jamil wouldn't look you in the eyes, murmuring something that you didn't catch about this being his strategy to win by having you on his side.

As the game went on you managed to get the hang of it, actually enjoying playing! Jamil and you made a great duo and Floyd was too desmotivated to try to win, so that only left Ace as your major obstacle. He'd often try to get the ball from your hands while making some sassy remarks and engaging in light hearted banter with you. Even when you weren't with the ball he stayed close to try to block you. It came to a point when you were going to try to score a point when he appeared in front of you, close enough that you wouldn't have time to dodge him. So, of course, you had to maneuver your way out, getting close to his face as you made sure to keep his hands away from the ball. His attention was solely on you, gaze unwavering as your noses almost touched and your breaths mingled. He was frozen in place and you took your chance, jumping as high as you could and dunking the ball on the net.

Your team cheered you on, a huge smile on your lips as you turned to see Ace's reaction. He was standing at the same spot, still looking at you. You winked playfully and blew him a kiss, rubbing your victory on his face, proud of your work. He blushed and crossed his arms, saying that you cheated by distracting him. His gaze remained on the lower half of you face. Before you could reply, Jamil whisked you away, congratulating you on your shot.

It was good your team got hyped up, but alongside it so did Floyd. He suddenly felt motivated to play against you and see you try to dodge around him like you did with Ace, since it seemed like lots of fun! (Which would not happen because have you seen his height?) It's not like you had a choice in the matter, anyway, since Floyd could easily take down any member of your team and go straight at you now that he felt like playing again. The last minutes were more like a game of tag between you two, Floyd giggling as he tried to catch you. You ran around the players, trying your best to make a complicated path to confuse him. 

You were actually having some fun, seeing Jamil get the ball from Floyd's hands to help you out and Ace try to get in your way to slow you down. Still, you were not used to that much exercise, your sore body becoming your own enemy as you got more sluggish, which in turn made you get more distracted. It was thanks to that you didn't notice Floyd until he was right beside you, ready to glomp you and squeeze as he trapped you in his arms. You'd blame it on your tiredness later, but as a last effort to get away from him you turned around abruptly, supporting your weight on your heel. Since you were worn out, you got dizzy quickly, tripping over your own feet and landing on the ground.

As soon as you felt sharp pain on your ankle you knew you were screwed, a whine coming out of your throat and tears welling in your eyes. Why must something like this always happen to you? The boys crowded over you, asking if you were okay or if you could stand up or if you wanted a hug to feel better. The answer was no to all of them.

In the end, you saw yourself staring at the infirmary ceiling once more, sweaty and tired, your ankle wrapped in bandages and propped up on the bed. Maybe you should stop going to sports clubs' pratices. Ace, Jamil and Floyd stood by your side, watching you to make sure you were alright, in their own ways. You felt a strong sense of deja vu, though you were grateful for them carrying you all the way up there (even if Floyd took the opportunity to squeeze you some). You could tell for sure that basketball wasn't for you. Time to check out other clubs.

(To lift the mood, Ace cracked a joke about how terrible you were at basketball and how you still had a long way to go before reaching his level. Jamil agreed, adding that pratice makes perfect. Floyd said he had much more fun with shrimpy around to keep him entertained. It wss pretty obvious they wanted to see you there again. The three of them looked at you with hope, even if Floyd's puppy eyes didn't work nearly as well as Ruggie's and Ace's and Jamil's tsundere act didn't fool you, you couldn't say no to them. You did have some fun as well, although next time you'll try to only watch and cheer on the sidelines, no need to be on the playing field and within squeezing distance.)

Track and Field Club (Deuce, Jack)

Despite your previous conviction, you decided to give the sports clubs one last chance. As this club didn't involve a game with complicated rules nor any magic, it seemed like the best choice. Positive thinking is key!

As soon as you steped foot into the field, Deuce and Jack came to great you, visibly happy to have you there! (They won't admit it to you, but they were a bit jealous that you had went to your other first year friends' clubs but not to theirs yet. They were determined to impress you.)

You tell them you're a little worried you won't be able to keep up with their pace, since Deuce has won prizes for his speed and Jack goes on morning jogs everyday. They reassure you that it's no problem, they'll help you the best they can!

The other members don't mind you much, letting your friends monopolize your attention. Jack asks if you've eaten and how has your diet been, you'll need some energy to run! Deuce asks if your uniform is comfortable and if the shoes fit in the right way, it's important to be able to move freely! They are very respectful and answer any question you might have patiently, which makes you feel welcomed. Maybe this time it won't be so bad!

To start pratice, the club leader tells all the members to run some laps. You notice you're pretty behind everyone else, but you're trying to not use all your energy at the warm up, so you don't mind. You take the chance to observe your friends running ahead of you, how the sun reflects on their skin, their shoulders going up and down, every step helping them gain speed. They looked really cool. This fills you with determination, promising to yourself to give it your best in this club.

After taking a break to drink water and stretching your muscles, you start the dynamics. It was a bit funny since you did them by basically moving in circles and changing the way you walk. Still, they were easier to accompany everyone than the laps. So far, so good!

Things start going downhill once you had to do the jumps. Everyone lined up, you staying at the last place, Jack and Deuce right in front of you. They explain that you should sprint, jump at the wooden board and land on the sand pit. Seems easy enough! 

It's not. On Jack's turn, he makes it looks effortless, even with his bigger built he manages to land with grace. You clap for him and he pretends to not notice, but his tail is wagging. On Deuce's, he catches speed quickly and jumps high, landing on his feet and turning to look at you. You cheer for him, a big smile in face as he rubs the back of his neck and thanks you with red cheeks. 

You try to copy their moviments, sprinting with a concentrated look on your face, focused on your destination. Unfortunately, you should have looked at the ground as well, since when it was time to jump you were just a tad too slow and tripped on the wooden plank, falling on the sand pit. You try again, this time focusing on where you're putting your feet, not missing the plank! However, you jump with too much force and doesn't land right, bouncing off the ground again before falling on your knees. You try one more time, jumping at the right place and not putting to much force. This time, though, your feet are not positioned the right way and you loose the strenght to support your weight, eating sand once more. You're going to blame this one on your recently sprained ankle and call it a day. (Thanks Floyd!)

After getting no luck on the long jump (and leaving with your hair full of sand), Jack and Deuce make sure you're ok. You reassure them that yes, your ankle is fine (for now), no, you didn't swallow sand (at least you're pretty sure you didn't) and yes, of course you want to keep going, it's going to take more than just that to deter you (you're a bit used to defeats). Finally, you start to train for the high jump. Especifically the landing, since if you fall the wrong way you could get seriously hurt. Please make sure you land right! Jack and Deuce will be watching closely, ready to help.

Everyone gets separated to go to different mats, some of the older students going straight to the jump. Your friends follow you, Deuce has a fist up as he talks excitedly about his progress on this jump. Jack listens by the side, nodding to some things or adding a comment on how he didn't jump quite that high, but it was an improvement anyway. They are like your personal coaches, instructing you to start by doing rollouts, than jumping and doing a rollout, then jumping higher and doing a rollout.

Once the basics are covered they join you, taking turns at running and flopping on their backs. It's fun, the way your body bounces of the mat and watching Jack and Deuce compete on who can flop harder. They add the bungee, which makes things more complicated since you had to reach a certain heigh to not get stuck on it, but it was a nice challenge. You did lose your shoe due to your feet getting caught in the bungee on the first try, though.

You were enjoying it, laughing along your friends! Until they added the bar. The bar changed everything. The height was a bit higher than it was with the bungee and it was nowhere near as soft. You watched, in awe, as Jack and Deuce flew just over lt and landed on a rollout. You were sure you'd get it too, after all, you did great on the other steps! You ran, turned around and used as much impulse as you could to jump. Instead of the soft embrace of the training mat, you were met with the metalic and hard feeling of the bar digging on your back as you landed right above it. Not even the mat could soften the blow, making you cry out, both in surprise and in pain. The sting was enough to have you wondering if you ever wanted to try this again in your life, the pain was not worth it.

Deuce was by your side instantly, bending down, asking if your back was ok and offering his hand to help you get up. Your hand clasps his, the force he used making your faces come very close to each other, noses touching, your breathless and flushed face right in front of his worried blue eyes. Said eyes widen as his face takes a red tone, he stutters apologies while backing away, hands covering his cheeks. Jack, who you hadn't notice coming close behind you, puts his hand on your shoulder, squeezing it comfortingly. He says you went well for a begginer and tells you how Deuce did the same thing on his first try. You giggle, putting one of your hands above his to show your appreciation. He quickly drops it and crosses his arms, saying the three of you better get going to the next exercise, eyes avoiding yours and conveniently looking at where the others on the field were gathering together.

There were obstacles scattered across the field, some closer than others. Deuce puffs out his chest and says it's time for the hurdle hops and that he'll show to you how it's done. You watch intently as he sprints and jumps at all the right times, not losing speed despite the things in his way. Jack follows him, a stoic look as he calculates just the right time to jump and cross every obstacle. It reminded you of when you'd watch race competitions back at home, how the runners looked as they crossed the finish line.

Filled with nostalgia, you try to replicate your memory, basing yourself on your friends' perfomances. You run and jump successfully on the first hurdle, feeling as if you're really improving! Though not for too long, since on the second hurdle you don't manage to jump high enough and just end up kicking it and falling on your butt. Oh well, you lasted longer than expected.

You refuse to back down, getting up and dusting yourself, ready to try again. Deuce and Jack support your enthusiasm, hyping you up on every try. It's a bit embarrassing to have them watching and commenting like this, but you feel warmth spreading through your chest and a smile blooming on your face. It's good to know people trust your ability to improve and do better, and you're not about to let them down!

There's one time you trip when you're near the hurdle and end up slipping under it. Another time you jump too close to it and almost full body slam it, falling on top of it. Your feet catches onto the edge of one of the hurdles and makes you fall. You end up knocking over one hurdle, keep running and then falling due to your lost momentum and equilibrium. You stay on the ground, defeated, your body screaming at you after so many falls. It wouldn't be so bad to give up, right? You really did try.

Deuce and Jack carry you to a bench and take care of you, Deuce handing you some water while Jack cleans the scratches you got from meeting the floor so much. They don't rub it in your face about your defeat (like a certain red haired first year would) and try to encourage you to keep trying. (They were pretty worried when you didn't get up though. They wanted to be one of the clubs that didn't make up you end on the infirmary.)

To end pratice, everyone would do a long run. The boys tell you can skip it, since you are already very tired, not used to this much exercising, chest heaving up and down and breath coming as short puffs of air. Jack says it'll do you no good to overwork your body and end up collapsing, Deuce backing him up. Still, you're stubborn, and you already did everything, you might as well go until the end. So you tell them you'll be just fine and agree to the run.

You keep Jack's words in mind, making sure to not overexerte it. Instead of holding a full on sprint you settle on a lighter jog, making sure your breaths are somewhat regulated. This makes you stay very behind the others but you don't mind, everyone has their own pace after all. Deuce and Jack were close to you, since they had very obviously slowed down significantly to keep you company, and you greatly appreciated that, flashing them a smile. Deuce offers a thumbs up and Jack nods his head.

There is a part where you trip and almost fall, but thankfully Deuce catches your arm and manages to keep you upright while still in movement. Though you two get extremely close again, your foreheads even knock on each other's. Deuce gets red faced again, instead of fumbling with his words he fumbles with his feet, tripping and taking you with him as his grip tightens on your arm.

Jack comes to the rescue and stays in the middle, still running prefectly even after having used so much energy during pratice. Guess the daily jogs do work. You look at his back muscles contracting, his shoulders moving, his tail helping him keep equilibrium, feet touchig the ground for a moment before they're gone. He seems to notice the eyes on his back as he looks over his shoulder, head tilting in confusion in such an endearing way you can't help but tell him what you were thinkin, about how cool he looks and how he must have trained so much for this! He looks taken a bit aback, ears twitching and tail wagging. So much so, in fact, that due to your closeness and his thick fur, it hits you, and due to your tiredness and the position it hits, you end up falling once again. You're not even mad, honestly. It was the nicest fall you've had so far.

Congrats, you manage to finish the run! Although you're drenched in sweat, hair sticking to your forehead and throat dry, you did it! But Deuce and Jack won't look you in the eye and keep blushing for some reason, you start to wonder if they're down with a fever at this point. Anyways, as soon as the run is over you throw youself (gently) on the ground, taking large gulps of air and spreading and stretching your limbs. 

All in all it was pretty fun, even if you did get some scratches and lost whatever little dignity you still had. But you found yourself all sweaty and sore again, not to mention that you didn't think that track was for you. You plan to check other non sport related clubs later, but first, you deserve a break.

(Jack's tail keeps wagging and Deuce's smile is glued to his face. They mentally high five each other for a job well done. They had made you feel welcomed! And you enjoyed yourself! Such a shame you're not entering the club yet... remember to not fall out ot pratice in order to build stamina. Jack can help you with that, going on jogs with you! And you were so good at the high jump, not to mention you were almost getting the hang of the hurdle hops, so maybe next time you try will be the time you make it! Deuce can help you if you need! It's very clear what they wanted, and since they did do their best it feels right to give them a little reward, so of course you agree to come to another pratice eventually. Their smiles give you the force to strengthen your resolve, as you bid goodbye to any possible dignity you had left.)

Masterlist

Since you have opened the 'confession on twst silly realizations' it took me a while to realize (once i stopped laughing) that the reason maleus didnt get invited was BECAUSE MALEFICENT WASNT INVITED TO THE BIRTH 😭😭😭😭

realizing Grim's name is actually groundbreaking idk what you're calling silly Aqua /j

HELPP IT'S ONE OF THE LONGEST ON GOING JOKES WHY DID YOU THINK HE WASN'T INVITED? EVERYONE JUST HATES HIM SM THEY DIDN'T WANT HIM THERE??? THAT'S SO MEAN malmal I love you I swear, I'm sure your company is lovely and they just don't know what they are missing out on !!!

“How do you like the Queen?”

Welcome, I hope you enjoy your stay! I'm Bee and this is where I'll post about twisted wonderland! I'm a 19 years old brazilian, bi and ace, and go by she/her. I have many thoughts, although very few, if any, are coherent. Do try to not lose your head :)

“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?”

That depends a good deal on where you want to get to. In that direction, (《Queen's rules》), lives a Hatter: and in that direction, (《Alice's books》), lives a March Hare. Visit either you like: they’re both mad.

"You’ll see me there."

My twitter !!

My player ID on the english server: ZSKZPksD

#tags!

[#mad purrs] - just thoughts

[#tea time] - asks and conversation

[#wonderland wonder] - headcanons, drabbles, writing in general

[#don't lose your head] - theories and analysis 

[#grin without a cat] - drafts and ideas 

[#flamingo croquet] - about the game eng server (contains spoilers)

[#nonsensical world] - portuguese posts

[#paint the roses] - reblogs

[#happy unbirthday] - my art

[#Bee lore] - my yuusona

Silver from twst for the character bingo👀

hi anon!! funfact: Silver was the one that got me into twst in the first place, so... there's that

I LOVE HIM. A NORMAL AMOUNT. (REAL)

honestly the way he looks so serious and withdrawn but in reality he's just quiet and soft... how animals love him... how he loves his father above everything... how he's a capable knight... how he's sweet and gentle helping others... Silver <3

I'm holding him gently and pressing a kiss to his forehead rn !!!

he looks like a prince... he acts like a prince... I KNOW he'd treat me like a prince... he's sooooooooo *sighs dreamly*

HIS FAMILY DYNAMIC WITH DIASOMNIA it's so cute... he acts like Sebek's older brother it's so funny seeing them bicker with each other... and how he respects and admires Malleus so much... don't get me started on his father and son relationship with Lilia it's literally the cutest

it's so sad how he's forgotten by the fandom like 😭 I know we don't have that much canon content of him yet but please appreciate him more 😭

and I'm REALLY excited for chap7 to bring more of him and (hopefully) expand on his backstory, praying everyday we'll get more Silver content soon 🙏 tho I'm preparing myself for the angst... if he's hurt in any way I WILL throw hands...

shameless promo but have you read this fic??? pls it had me kicking my feet and screaming into my pillow... Silver.............. when he's soooooo....... OR OR this one... SCREAMING it hurts in the best way

Hi hi its the curious anon again from the jade and azul ask !!,HEHR PLEASE DONT APOLOGIZE FOR THE LENGTHY,I love reading long posts so I enjoyed it very much and I loved reading it!!,you honestly had me going /YES YEA THIS/ the whole way through 😂 and if you wanna go off about their designs plea please do!! 🥺,

I dont have too many thoughts to share /myself/ however except maybe a silly one thats a lil shippy on how floyd would call is s/o their actual name and flipflop between the sea animal nickname and actual name cause of the theory that he usually calls those he respects/are close to their names n so on-

HII CURIOUS ANON, I'm glad you liked my lenghty thoughts on them! since you've given me the go ahead, I'll take up your offer and talk a bit about their Dorm Uniform designs! (I didn't include Azul's overblot or any other clothes to focus on these especific ones, but perhaps another time!)

oh, before I start, yes I agree with that! I believe you're refering to this post regarding Floyd's nicknames, and I agree with it! like he does with Azul and Jade, the people he's truly close with and respects he would call by their actual name, not one of his nicknames. although I'm very attached to shrimpy as I find it very cute and I'd kind of miss it if he dropped it altogether, so I like the idea of him varying between it and his S/O's name!

fun fact: I like to draw occasionally, so character design is something I have a lot of interest in!

now, let's get this started, yes?

I feel like my thoughts go along with the general consensus of their designs, but sometimes even the obvious should be stated, so I'll say everything in my mind!

AZUL

I have a confession to make. I'm easily attracted by anime characters with white hair. I KNOOOOW IT'S SUCH A COMMON TROPE AND I FALL FOR IT EVERYTIME, HOOK, LINE AND SINKER. so him having his gray-ish hair color is already a positive point in my books. differently from Ursula, his hair is not wild and free, but rather very well kept, tamed and wavy! (and difficult to draw, lmao. the notes in the 2020 visual book make a comment on how it's important to make an outline before drawing it, or else the right side can come out too big)

even with it's difficulty, I think the little strand that's just a tad longer and curls following his face, reminiscing of a tentacle, is just so charming, it's a nice little detail that makes all the difference! another thing you can't really see it's that he has AN UNDERCUT!! WHICH IS SO COOL!! I miss the time I used to have an undercut too.

the choice of giving him glasses but not the twins is a bit ironic, since octopi don't have much of a bad vision at all, meanwhile eels are almost blind. (I think they use contact lenses. just imagine Floyd forgetting his and he can't see anything and he's just. confused.) I think it's most likely to make him fit even more in the stereotypical "smart and cunning anime character" profile. it miiight have been a reference to the darker shade around Ursula's eyes, but I honestly doubt it. they do fit quite nicely, so I'm not complaining at all!

one thing I like about his eyebrows are how expressive they are, which brings Ursula's eyebrows to mind! they seem to have very similar expressions in that sense, as the drawing of him with a mean grin and arched eyebrows is reminiscent of Ursula's expression! his eyes aren't half lidded like hers tho, a difference that pops out very clearly if you compare both pics of them looking straight ahead while smiling. Ursula's seem more menacing, as if she's up to no good, while Azul's is more polite.

I loooove the mole near his mouth, mirroring Ursula's, it's so charming!! and I don't know if you've ever stared at his lips before but. look. they are very glossy and they SHINE, his mouth looks amazing, he might not pass on Ursula's birght red lipstick but he DEFINETLY has lip balm at least

now let's look at his drip. Octavinelle's dorm uniform makes an homage to the Sea Witch's elegant style, using a stylish combination of suits in more neutral tones, either in black and white or in shades of purple and gray, making a reference for her lavander skin tone and purple tentacles.

look I'm gonna be honest. I don't know what's up with the fedora. the iconic shell is a nice touch, but why must he wear a fedora? he could look professional and mature without it!! I am. not the biggest fan of hats. AND HIS HAIR LOOKS SO PRETTY WHY MUST HE HIDE IT

the bowtie I think it's a bit silly, but that might be because it's not common at all here where I live. I've only seen normal ties, so for me it might have looked better with one (not in this purple shade tho, maybe in a more muted tone of it. I do like the contrast of color against the white). I also don't see much what's the point of the grey scarf but it does help him look fancy, though the Octavinelle crest on it makes it look a bit like Harry Potter merch

as he's the housewarden, he gets a special long coat that does make him look a bit like a mafia boss, especially because he's not actually wearing it, only having it drapped over his shoulders. (or perhaps it's the bowtie. was that why it was there all along!?) and the white gloves? it's very snazzy and suspicious at the same time, but I can see the elegance of hiding your hands as if you're a victorian maiden hiding your ankles and shoulders to preserve your modesty.

the cane is SO COOL. I don't think he uses it for anything other than looking intimidating but's it's so cool. maybe it helped him to get used to walking with only two legs (adapting from eight to two must have been hard) when he started his first year and he's kept it. his shoes are pretty normal, expected even, BUT WHY ARE HIS SOCKS NEON PURPLE. I know it's to match his silly mafioso bow tie BUT WHY.

JADE

I'll start with things that will apply to Floyd as well, but I only want to say it once

Flotsam and Jetsam are... not the prettiest around. I'd say they are very far from it, even. Which only surprises me more that the twins look SO GOOD when they were based off of this??

as a reference to the moray eels, Ursula's beloved pets and minions, the twin's hair follow their color scheme, teal in it's majority with a dark gray stripe, and each have one yellow eye that helps to differentiate from which eel they were inspired by. their merman forms also make reference to them, as their tails are quite similar and they have fins and gills, which is not something the merman in the Little Mermaid used to have.

thankfully, for everyone's happiness, their physical similarities end there.

JADE TIME!! I have another confession to make: I also love character's with hair that has more than one color. I'M NOT TOO HARD TO PLEASE ALRIGHT!

Jade's hair is very unusual and at first glance might even look strange, a mix of color and shapes in an already complicated design. I think it plays along well with him, the little J shaped strand of hair hugs his face and calls attention to it, breaking the monotony from his otherwise short hair and balancing it's color out. the way his side bang is cut in such an angular and sharp way gives it such a nice shape, and I like how his hair is well kept and brushed! (differently from Azul's, his hair is a pleasure to draw, as I sometimes find myself doodling it at the corner of my books, absentmindedly)

THE SHAPE OF HIS EYEBROWS !!! they also feel quite angular and pointed, different from Floyd's, which compliment his eye shape very well. AND HIS EYES?? I could look into then all day. the way they are sharp and pass the feeling of his witty personality, they are angled upwards and give him an alluring sense, his upper lashes are fuller and give a cutting look to his eyes, the little eyebags (?) under them breaking the lightness of his skin and adding some color around them, even his eyelid fold helps to create such a charming gaze. I LOVE THE HETEROCHROMIA!! they aren't wildly constrasting, like I commonly see, but rather a duller tone of the other, which is how it usually happens in real life! such a polite look and by it's shape alone you can tell there's something behind it, something sharp enough to almost break the surface.

even his nose differs from Floyd's, as it feels a little softer and round ended, less curved and more of a straight line. I love these little spot the differences games, while they might seem like such minor details, they come along to create a bigger picture that differentiates the twins and each is their own person very well, not only with their body language but also by their appearence!!

OH AND HIS LIPS. I know I know it's the art style but still. the way his bottom lip is so full and shiny?? the way the corners of his mouth curl upwards just so. the carefully constructed politeness. how he rarely shows his teeth to keep the more harmless appearence, only letting them be seen if he's trying to intimidate someone or if he's actually happy. the dangers of his sharp teeth hiding like a shark under the waves !!!!!!

AND JADE'S EARRING! like on Floyd, it's such a dynamic little shape and gives them a bit of a more approachable look? and then you discover how they even got it in the first place LMAOOO. wait, let me give some context: on Usrula's spell, she says "Beluga Sevruga, Come winds of the Caspian Sea!" what does that mean? beluga is a variety of caviar (and of the more expensive ones), and it's harvested from the Sevruga sturgeon, native from the Caspian Sea. the story of how the twins got those earrings is that they won a fight against a sturgeon and kept the scales as a prize, so really even their cute little silly earrings are indicative of how dangerous they can be and how they like to flaunt that around LOL. in story they are also mentioned to be known as a good luck charm, due to being a popular ingredient in the Sea Witch's potions. it's such a nice reference! and it also implies the twins might have a bit of a supersticious side to them, which is so interesting.

the merman form is so cool too! as mentioned, I really like how they use more elements of moray eels and lets them have a more fish-like look. the stripes are elegant and a nice detail that brings these aspects from the eels, not to mention his body is literally luminiscent! like! he glows underwater!! how cool is that?? the fins in place of ears are cute, and the webbed hand makes a lot of sense! the tail adding lenght to them and making them twice their human size is a nice way of making them grow without distorting their proportions. (just why. why must he have abs. eel abs. it was a whole jumpscare the first time I saw them.)

I'm. gonna sound a bit hypocritical now. but! I think the hat looks nice on Jade. HEAR ME OUT! I'm still not the biggest fan of hats, but Jade's is not like Azul's, it has a wider, less square box like, shape, the shell is hidden as to not overdo with the details and leave it as a more discreet one, and the way it's drapped on his head, following his bangs and the linearity of his longer stripe, gives such a fluidity to the whole thing and manages to make him look suave!

also, one thing about him is how he's always prim and proper, tucked in neatly in any formal suit and showing his diligence. there's something about people who are always so covered up and formal looking. the profissionalism... the maturity... the sense he's above you... the clothes make the man...

ANYWAYS. I like that the shade of the regular uniform is a lavander that goes easy on the eyes (housewarden's neon purple, take notes), it gives a classy feel and goes along great with the general color scheme! I hope they are careful on laundry day to wash those separatedly from the white uniforms.

again with the little bow tie. the white manages to compliment his gloves and the pocket square very well, but it stills looks a bit silly to me. I'm sorry, but here where I live the only people I've seen using those are clowns, literally (look up Patati e Patatá. it's Jade and Floyd).

he thankfully doesn't show his socks, but his shoes have white details on them that I feel that kind of break the sleekness of the whole. I know it would be way too monocromatic otherwise, but I don't think it'd be necessarily a bad thing, especially since they have no problem in doing it with his other designs. with the ones he has on, it looks like he's about to start tap dancing at any minute.

still, Jade is slaying

FLOYD

as I've already discussed some of his design aspects in Jade's part, I'll go over only what I see as unique to him.

his hair is messier than Jade's, wilder and spikier, and it kind of looks like he doesn't brush it in the mornings, but that's part of his charm, this unkept look! the F shaped longer strand seems a bit fuller than Jade's as well.

his eyebrows are higher and less sharp than Jade's, angled downwards and following his eye shape that makes him look sleepy or bored more often, less atent than Jade, and exposes his double eyelid better. his eyes are more expressive, oftentimes curving in excitement or with his pupils contracting when angry.

the shape of his nose is pointy, sharper and slightly more curved. ONE THING I REALLY LIKE: his mouth. Floyd is always showing his emotions, and it's delightful to look at his jagged teeth as he smiles openly! even when he's not emoting so drastically you can still catch a glimpse of them!

the thing is that while they have their differences, the twins designs are very similar, as they really separate from each other in their personalities.

the hat also looks better on him than on Azul (sorry Azul, yours is a bit goofy and doesn't compliment your hair very well), and while it follows some of the reasons I've cited on Jade's, there's also something else. the hat helps to show his impulsive nature! how so? well, I think like this: the rest of the uniform he has to wear, there's no escaping it, but the hat? he can do wathever he wants with it. if he feels like putting it on, he does, if he doesn't feel like it, he can just not. it's not a crucial part like the shirt or the suit, so people won't get much on his case about it. in the card, he's taken it off, simply because he wanted to.

he's also more free than Jade's buttoned up look, as he quite literally doesn't button up many parts of it, his jacket is open, his collarbones are exposed, his silly clown bow tie is untied, his scarf is flowing in the wind. Floyd doesn't like to be restricted by tight fitting clothes and honestly I get him.

as much as Floyd is interested in shoe fashion, I don't like his shoes at all. in most of his cards actually. I don't know if it's because I know nothing about it and use an All Star for every occasion, but his shoes always look goofy because of his socks. ALWAYS. who lets him keep getting away with this??? someone please stop him he's comminting crimes against fashion with those socks. THE NEON PURPLE DOESN'T EVEN GOES WELL WITH THE SOFT LAVANDER OF HIS SHIRT. THERE'S NOTHING GOING ON FOR HIM HERE. not to mention he's also using the tap dancer shoes.

CONCLUSION

I really like Octavinelle's under the sea theme and how well their designs make callbacks for their counterparts, making nice references for such an iconic villain! all in all they are very elegant and pass a professional vibe that's characteristic of the dorm and it's students, leaving enough space for their own little quirks to shine through.

I love to take a look at them like this!! I might have a terrible fashion sense for myself, but when it comes to character design I suddenly become a critic lol. though I feel that the game manages very well to create interesting designs that calls to mind the original villain's and leave enough room for their own personalities to shine, catching your attention and staying easily on your memory! all the characters have unique little things that differentiate them and make even people that have never played the game recognize them!

that's it for their dorm uniforms and general designs, I hope you like it curious anon! thank you for once again indulging me on my rambles!

(I took the images from pinterest but they are from the 2020 visual book, which I found some translations for in their character fact sheets and here, or from the Little Mermaid's concept art book!)