Credit to @britishassistant and rightful anons and artists
Villainous Paranoiac AU | Supervillain AU Main | Supervillain AU AUs | AU Crossover Posts | Assorted AUs | General Credit List |
Twisted Wonderland Supervillain AU
Tag: supervillain au
Welcome to Twistopolis, where the supervillains of Night Raven Corporation run amok and the superheroes of Royal Sword Association regularly stop them. Between the two groups stands the Prefect, a mysterious third-party vigilante. Reporting on it all is Yuu Radcliffe, a seemingly-ordinary reporter, and their cameraman Yuuken Enma. Oh, and there's also the self-proclaimed-greatest-supervillain Grim.
There are AUs to this AU which you can access through a link above, but it is recommended that you go through the Main Posts first.
General Notes:
Dorm heads are supervillains, other students are minions
Yuu is the Prefect and nobody knows
All the students are now grown adults.
Some heroes and villains have civillian identities, some don't.
Names are meaningful (usually).
Nonhumans exist.
Magic exists.
Quite shippy, generally runs on comedy, has a very friendly au community and a cool lore has been built up.
Characters and Groups
TWST NEWS
Yuu Radcliffe, Yuuken Enma, Kuroki Yuuya, Hirasaka Yuuka, their bosses
Night Raven Corporation
On the villains of Twistopolis
Royal Sword Association
On the heroes of Twistopolis
Other Civilian Characters and Groups
Grim, the Ghosts, Mrs. Kingscholar, Cheka, Eliza, the Radcliffes, the Great Seven, the Disney Company
Other Hero and Villain Groups
heroes and villain unaffiliated with RSA and NRC
Relations
On the relations within and between groups.
Scenarios
Short-form incidents and events resulting from asks, submissions and posts that involve numerous characters or a shared theme. Specific incidents can be found in the respective character posts.
Fics
Longer pieces of written work
Appearances/Costumes
It isn't a world with superheroes and supervillains without some costumes! Here are the collected costume notes and artist interpretations of certain characters.
Artworks /Memes
Non-costume artworks that still fall under the main Supervillain AU, memes of the Supervillain AU and its AUs, and whatever didn't fit anywhere else
Compiler Note:
I tried to collect everything but I am only human. Please message me if a link leads somewhere it shouldn't or if I missed credit somewhere.
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Somewhere, in a darkened closet in a luxurious compound on a corporate space station, a teenage human checks again that her VPN is running smoothly.
It is, so she turns back to the tablet she secretly hides from the rest of her family. When it was originally gifted to her, there were parental locks on what sites she could visit and it sent notifications to her father and older siblings if she was on it past the recommended usage time.
Thank all the gods of Agathos that one of the things her mother made sure to teach her was how to factory reset devices like these.
Cautiously, hesitantly, with one ear straining for any sound that could mean someone is looking for her, the young lady navigates to the streaming site she does not have saved. She types her log-in information, and the site welcomes User R@mp1on50 and lets her know that her favorite streamer is currently live.
Considering said streamer had also been live when she briefly checked before getting ready this morning and does not seem to have stopped all day, she winces.
On the screen, streamer XxX_H@nNYuu67_xXx is moving around, re-writing things from that battered notebook onto fresh scraps of paper, pinning those papers to a huge whiteboard, writing annotations around them with a marker, and gesticulating while she—no, the young lady scolds herself, they, Yuu is a they now—talk mutely to their audience, presumably explaining their latest theory or answering a question from chat.
As she watches the teenage human in silence, the girl waits with one headphone in for a particular notification to pop up before she too joins the stream.
“—and if you’re joining us with the raid, welcome, and please see the pinned message for a link to the donation page for FreeCiceroPrime,” Yuu’s reciting. They grin at the screen, face worn. “Trust me when I say the reclamation forces down there are doing the Triads’ work, but they desperately need your help to afford supplies and weapons so they can contain the Infestation once and for all. Honestly, without those guys Epel would be missing an arm right now, so please, send ‘em some notes.”
The girl copies the link to her clipboard, and then makes sure she makes the more important donation from her savings account first.
Yuu glances at chat as the alert sounds. “Wh—welcome back Rampion, and thank you, again, for the extremely generous donation. I won’t say that we don’t need the notes, because we do, but make sure not to bankrupt yourself for us, all right? The corpos and loan sharks will eat you alive if you let them.”
R@mp1on50: It’s no trouble, really! The work you do is so important, the least I can do is support you!
corposeatmyA22: simp
Tsunotaro1: Greetings @R@mp1on50. I hope the evening finds you well.
h0ts1ngl3inur4r34: hey rampion im a cute nematoan lookin for a sugar daddy dm me pls???
R@mp1on50: I’m doing okay! How did it go on Cicero Prime? Any new leads?
The streamer sighs in a way that makes the young lady’s chest ache with nostalgia, rolling their head on their neck. There’s a bandage on their forearm where one sleeve is looks…not quite torn so much as dissolved?
“Unfortunately, Cicero Prime was another dead end. Great people on-world, but none of them had ever heard of the chips before, and had no clue about how they could be being manufactured, let alone why. And the Dathu aren’t exactly inclined to talk.” A sardonic look crosses their face as another message catches their eye. “No, I don’t want to visit your moon to interview some Varg, ComeIntoMyParlor. I don’t care if you say they’re tied up or that they’re friendly, contrary to popular belief, I don’t want to actively seek out elements of Cacophony.”
TAITOFFrEaK: doubt
jozzaniplir: doubt
corposeatmyA22: doubt
IWannaBeLive!: doubt
B3CUMCR4B: doubt
§@urvo{Dyn@§ty5ever: doubt
I<3Neige: doubt
NOTChucklesTheClown: doubt
EternalSerenity69: doubt
CutePinkO0ze: doubt
justSUMgreeble: doubt
*~cay~cay~*: you dont have the best track record yuu-yuu just sayin~<3
m00m00fields: doubt
ComeIntoMyParlor: :,(
“You guys are the worst,” Yuu says with a fond tone and fonder middle finger.
But then they sit down heavily on the couch in the Ramshackle’s bridge, one hand scrubbing at the back of their head. “It’s just. This stuff, it doesn’t fit in with the M.O.s of any of the four tones of Cacophony. Not with Entropy, Instinct, Motley or Progress. If it were one of them, I’d expect to see that those affected by the chips would just become you know, corrupted by only that one tone, but they haven’t. And while yes, theoretically, it could be four individuals of each tone working together, practically it’d be a logistical nightmare—they’re called tones of Discordance for a reason, chat—and we would have found at least some evidence of each individual’s involvement or location by now. Cacophony isn’t usually subtle like this.”
Their head tilts back against the couch, hands pressing into their eyes. “So, back to square one. If the Cacophony Chips aren’t produced by actual agents of Discord, who’s making them and why? Maybe we should focus on the distributors again…it’s…just…”
There’s a long silence as Yuu’s hands drop down into their lap. The sound of chat notifications has their head turning to the screen.
PowerCondorROX!!: What you thinking HanYuu?
*~cay~cay~*: yuu-yuu? you okay?
“M fine,” Yuu mumbles, blinking slowly. “I just…need to think it through…need to…”
They trail off as their eyes slide shut. Two minutes pass. Five.
Yuu doesn’t move.
M1ll1c3ntByst4nd3r: Are they asleep?
I<3Neige: yuu
IWannaBeLive!: yuu?
EternalSerenity69: HanYuu
TAITOFFrEaK: yuu
righteouscavalonsquire: yuu
h0ts1ngl3inur4r34: awww id let you sleep next to me any day <3 dm me sweetie <3
*vilsdivineheels*: hanyuu
R@mp1on50: Yuu?
CutePinkO0ze: yuu?
§@urvo{Dyn@§ty5ever: Hanyuu
jozzaniplir: wakey wakey streamer!
*~cay~cay~*: yuu-yuu??
P3gM3Fr0gg3r: guys i think they died
corposeatmyA22: hanyuu
PowerCondorROX!!: HanYuu??
s@vnn@cl@wf@n8061: yuu
B3CUMCR4B: Hannyuu’s cute sleeping face…10/10, praise Karkosa for this blessing
D1n0byte: just arrived why is streamer just sitting there not moving??
righteouscavalonsquire: remove yourself from this stream immediately cult freak
NOTChucklesTheClown: yuu?
DonSketticks123: Quasimodo predicted this
*vilsdivineheels*: whomst??
gRIND4lYFE: hanyuu
ShriegellaMarryMe: yuu?
Tsunotaro1: Child of Man, you have fallen asleep. Rouse yourself and go to bed.
On the one hand, the young lady usually trusts and agrees with Tsunotaro–they’re the other big donor to Yuu’s streams, and while their comments are usually slightly naif, they have made it clear that they rival her for wanting to support Yuu in their endeavors. But on the other…
She bites her lip. And then she leans forward and types.
R@mp1on50: I mean, we could let them sleep? They’ve been working really hard lately…
m00m00fields: ye, but it’s kinda weird that we’re just watching them sleep??
P3gM3Fr0gg3r: not that kinda channel guy but respect the hustle
justSUMgreeble: yeah theyd fosho freak out if they knew
TAITOFFrEaK: lol watch them wake up with this
A donation alert sounds.
Yuu doesn’t stir.
There’s a flurry of pings and funny noises as the rest of the chat joins in, trying to see if any of the donation or subscription alerts will wake them up.
She takes on the opportunity to add another thousand notes. She knows Yuu doesn’t like Rampion giving too heavily, but they look so tired! What if they’re not eating properly, or something’s wrong with the Ramshackle’s systems? Asahiko was grumbling about how expensive repair work is nowadays, so who knows how bad prices must be for Yuu and their friends?
As nothing continues to work and Yuu stays silent and still in their admittedly uncomfortable-looking position, more and more people leave the stream with their own well-wishes of goodnight, good morning, or that HanYuu should wake up and go to bed.
It’s just as the teenage girl is privately resolving to do the same after donating to the charity Yuu recommended that the silence on stream is broken by the voice of one of Yuu’s crewmates.
“Yuu? What are you doing up so…” Epel’s volume drops as he rounds the sofa, one arm in a sling. “Ah, they’re asleep.”
I<3Neige: It’s Epel!! Hi Epel!!
righteouscavalonsquire: Disciple Felmier, we require your assistance. HanYuu has fallen asleep and cannot end the stream. We need you to do so, lest they fall victim to the filth taking residence on the Hypergrid.
TAITOFFrEaK: including you lol
§@urvo{Dyn@§ty5ever: nice glass house ya got there buddy, be a shame if something happened to it…
Epel glances around, not noticing the messages chat is directing to him nor the still recording camera. He tilts his head to read some of the new additions to the whiteboard, before his attention is captured by something at the base of the sofa. He kneels down and reaches out towards Yuu’s legs.
h0ts1ngl3inur4r34: oh MY
righteouscavalonsquire: Get your mind out of the gutter, degenerate. He’s just removing their shoes.
“You’re not,” Epel grunts under his breath as he struggles with the task one-handed, “Meant-t’ sleep in these-ergh-didn’t yer mama ever tell you no shoes on the sofa?”
The young lady has to blink back tears all of a sudden.
He sets the shoes beside the couch and lifts Yuu’s legs up onto it, trying to arrange them comfortably. After a moment’s consideration, the Pakku leans over them, cupping their head and shoulders gently as he guides them into lying down fully. The positioning makes them look like the leads in a romance novel, one crouched tenderly over the other.
h0ts1ngl3inur4r34: OH MY
§@urvo{Dyn@§ty5ever: wait no your onto something this time
“There,” Epel’s voice sounds pleased, even if the camera can’t see his face. “Sweet dreams.”
He rises with a satisfied sigh, and leaves the room.
I<3Neige: Wait, Epel, we need you to end the stream!
justSUMgreeble: he’s already gone fam
P3gM3Fr0gg3r: good try though
righteouscavalonsquire: Well that was. Sweet, but disappointing.
She kind of agrees? With that sentiment? The young lady nibbles on her lower lip as she tries to parse what just happened, at a loss for what they can do now the only person who could affect this has gone.
Suddenly, a soft sound reaches her ear, like someone walking by on furred feet. When she peeks through the crack in her closet, no one’s in her apartments or blocking the light from the doorway outside, which means…
Jack pauses in the doorway to the bridge on-stream, head cocked and a cup of what’s presumably water in hand. Some of his magnificently fluffy white fur looks a little singed, but not too much worse for wear.
P3gM3Fr0gg3r: hey jack! look at the screen!
justSUMgreeble: yo, great to see you man
M1ll1c3ntByst4nd3r: It’s Jack! He’ll hear us!
h0ts1ngl3inur4r34: well, hello there ~<3
R@mp1on50: Hello Jack!
M1ll1c3ntByst4nd3r: jack, end the stream!
The Laika quietly rounds the couch, and lets out a soft “huh” at the sight of Yuu sleeping there.
Jack’s ears twitch. He scratches one cheek and sets the cup of water down. He still doesn’t turn to see the screen chat is scrolling by on.
Then, in one smooth motion, he pulls off his sleeveless leather jacket and folds it so the zippers and silver buttons are on the inside. His muscles and fur ripple with the action.
justSUMgreeble: EY YO???
M1ll1c3ntByst4nd3r: 👀👀👀
h0ts1ngl3inur4r34: TRIADS HAVE MERCY
B3CUMCR4B: I’ve seen better…but Karkosa knows I’ve seen worse
M1ll1c3ntByst4nd3r: AROOOOOOOO
Carefully, he lifts Yuu’s head and slides the jacket under it to act as a pillow. He gently smooths some of their hair out, freeing it from being crushed under their head.
Then, he stands up, takes his water, and leaves, tail swishing gently behind him.
M1ll1c3ntByst4nd3r: wait no jack come back
P3gM3Fr0gg3r: rip stream ending guess were still goin guys
TAITOFFrEaK: foiled by thirst lolol
DonSketticks123: Quasimodo predicted this
B3CUMCR4B: who the fuck is quasimodo
DonSketticks123: My personal soothsayer
TAITOFFrEaK: ???
It takes a few helpless blinks before she’s able to focus again properly.
Again, that was very, very sweet, but. Not exactly conducive to ensuring the stream ends and Yuu doesn’t have strangers ogling them as they sleep?
A faint golden glow she greatly dislikes appears in the background, and she has to bite back a groan.
She’ll take anybody ending the stream at this point, but did it really have to be him???
Ace Trappola strides into the bridge like he owns the place, humming something. He slows to a stop at the sight of the whiteboard, letting out a whistle.
“And the wall of crazy gets even bigger.” Ace mutters. “When will it end?”
R@mp1on50: Maybe when YOU stop being SUCH A JERK!
IWannaBeLive!: Whoa, easy Rampion
R@mp1on50: He is! He’s so mean to everyone! If he doesn’t have anything nice to say, he shouldn’t say anything!
justSUMgreeble: dude’s not that bad
I<3Neige: a bit rough around the edges maybe?
M1ll1c3ntByst4nd3r: Ace please ignore them and end stream!!
corposeatmyA22: nah he’s the funniest one on this ship
R@mp1on50: He is NOT. How dare you insult Ortho like this
He leans against the back of the couch, only to startle when he glances down and realizes Yuu is there. Like the inattentive jerkwad he is.
He chuckles as he rounds to where Yuu is sleeping, a smirk playing on his face. The young lady bristles the longer he stands there, staring at them.
R@mp1on50: Don’t you dare do anything to Yuu!
With a few quiet clicks of buckles and zippers, Ace detaches the jacket portion of his jumpsuit.
Slowly, hesitantly, he kneels down and tucks it in over Yuu’s shoulders and upper half. Then, just as gently, the Solari tucks some of the bangs that have slipped into their face behind one of their ears. His fingers linger for an unnecessarily long time.
There’s a bright beep! and Ace’s softly glowing form vanishes entirely. The only proof he was there a scarlet racing jacket over Yuu and rapidly retreating footsteps.
justSUMgreeble: did
justSUMgreeble: did bro just time teleport to avoid having feelings???
I<3Neige: Oh my Triads!!
h0ts1ngl3inur4r34: awwww <3
§@urvo{Dyn@§ty5ever: down bad if i’ve ever seen it
corposeatmyA22: ngl thats the cutest fucking thing ive ever seen
It isn’t she fumes to herself. Yuu deserves so much better than some flighty jerk who’s allergic to commitment!
They deserve someone compassionate and kind and funny and devoted and—
As if to spite her description, a clipped whirring lockstep heralds the arrival of Sebek Zigvolt on the bridge. He’s carrying dirty dishes with a yawn, bypassing Yuu entirely as he heads for the kitchen quarters. A square of gauze is taped to his cheek.
corposeatmyA22: oh look its enforcer buzzkill
righteouscavalonsquire: Enforcer Zigvolt is an honorable man.
I<3Neige: He’s not *that* bad
TAITOFFrEaK: *all the time
Tsunotaro1: Good evening Sebek. I was pleased when the Child of Man reported that you were relatively unscathed by your excursion down to Cicero Prime. It is a dangerous world and you and your comrades state does you credit. Lilia conveys his regards, as does Silver.
corposeatmyA22: no hes just terrible for most of it
corposeatmyA22: tsunotaro how the hell did you post all that before my one sentence
P3gM3Fr0gg3r: that is an entire novel. theres punctuation and everything
Tsunotaro1: @corposeatmyA22 @P3gM3Fr0gg3r I have developed my skills at typing.
Tsunotaro1: : )
justSUMgreeble: i cant even tell if ur clownin on them or not so ykw good job tsunotaro
He doesn’t even seem to notice Yuu, much less chat, until he comes back into the bridge and glances over to the couch. He gradually slows to a stop, staring silently for a few moments.
Sebek looks around, as if checking for bystanders and somehow completely missing the stream with at least thirty people watching and commenting on his every move.
He unbuttons his coat, shrugs it carefully off past his cybernetics, and lays it over Yuu’s lower half. Like an old fashioned gentleman in that Gaterton show Leota loves to watch, even if Enji says it’s nothing but “historically inaccurate filth”.
Tsunotaro1: Sebek, you have comported yourself as an enforcer should, and I am proud of your conduct. Now please end the stream so the Child of Man may rest undisturbed.
Sebek reaches out, and—!
Clicks off the nearby lamp. The Raizo then promptly turns and power-walks out of the room, green ears shading into a darker hue in the light of the doorway as he makes his escape.
B3CUMCR4B: LMFAO
corposeatmyA22: enforcer buzzkill follows no commands lololol
righteouscavalonsquire: He didn’t know! He didn’t see the chat!
Tsunotaro1: Sebek, please know that I am not cross with you.
Tsunotaro1: Merely disappointed.
justSUMgreeble: BRO GOT THE MOM LINE FROM *TSUNOTARO* MAN
TAITOFFrEaK: im fucjking cryinh rn lmao
Yes, she reflects. He’s probably not a good match for Yuu either…but why the heck is she thinking about matches?! Surely she isn’t this sleep deprived?
She wants to make sure the stream ends safely, but maybe she should get to bed too…
There’s the sound of paws padding softly but swiftly against a hard floor.
“Minion?” Comes the sleepy whine, the glow of bright blue flames giving some light to the dark scene. “S bed time. Why aren’t you in bed?”
h0ts1ngl3inur4r34: grimmy-kins!! <3 <3 <3
IWannaBeLive!: I WANT TO SEE MY LITTOL BOY
TAITOFFrEaK: guys everythings okay now grims gonna save us
The odd creature known as Grim stares up at Yuu, one blue flaming ear flicking in irritation. “Sleeping here? Fgnah, what am I gonna do with you…”
The strange creature scrambles up onto the couch, tri-pronged tail waving behind him. Grim circles three times, before settling down just under Yuu’s chin, atop Ace’s jacket.
“Nuh-nigh’ minion,” He mumbles, as his bright eyes slide shut. Wheezy snores soon fill the air.
TAITOFFrEaK: okay so that solved nothing
TAITOFFrEaK: but it is adorable
IWannaBeLive!: We are BLESSED tonight
I<3Neige: Am I the only one who finds Grim kinda creepy?
P3gM3Fr0gg3r: yes
justSUMgreeble: yes
IWannaBeLive!: yes
B3CUMCR4B: no
corposeatmyA22: yes
TAITOFFrEaK: yes
§@urvo{Dyn@§ty5ever: yes
righteouscavalonsquire: yes
It does make for an admittedly sweet sight, the teenage girl admits to herself.
Watching them sleep peacefully, she half-daydreams that maybe the two of them aren’t over a galaxy away. Maybe, just maybe, they’re in her quarters, or, no, maybe she’s there, on the Ramshackle. Safe and sound and happy. No worries except if Yuu had gotten to bed on time, or if they had enough rations for breakfast the next morning, or what bounty the crew needed to go after next…
She’s startled out of her musings by soft “What are you guys doing here?” floating over the headphone she has in one ear.
Deuce is standing over Yuu and Grim, head tilted to the side. There’s a bandage wound around the base of his fin which strands of his hair keep staticking to.
§@urvo{Dyn@§ty5ever: eyyy deucey!
IWannaBeLive!: Hi Deuce! Please end the stream for us!
h0ts1ngl3inur4r34: hey cutie <3
P3gM3Fr0gg3r: will deuce succeed where everyone else has failed?
IWannaBeLive!: I wanna believe he will!
TAITOFFrEaK: dont hold ur breath
Like everyone else, Deuce somehow remains completely oblivious to the chat begging for his attention. Instead, he rolls up his sleeves and hunches over the couch, bending at the knees.
“Up we go,” The Jozza murmurs, hoisting Yuu and Grim into his arms. “Let’s get you guys to bed.”
The human lets out a small murmur and nuzzles into his shoulder, turning their face away from the outside world. Grim mutters something about tuna and flops over on Yuu’s belly, drooling slightly.
Deuce smiles down at them. A sweet, soft smile that has no business looking as heartwarming as it does on a mouth filled with shark-like teeth.
M1ll1c3ntByst4nd3r: i need to get a man like this pregnant
P3gM3Fr0gg3r: ?!?!?
h0ts1ngl3inur4r34: dude. chill out.
He carefully steps around the couch and carries Yuu and Grim off into the depth of the ship, presumably to their private room.
The main bridge of the Ramshackle is now dark and silent on the stream.
B3CUMCR4B: Well this sucks.
R@mp1on50: At least Yuu got to bed! That’s good, right?
§@urvo{Dyn@§ty5ever: ye but now we’re just staring at an empty room
righteouscavalonsquire: You can leave at any time.
§@urvo{Dyn@§ty5ever: not before you do, empire creep
righteouscavalonsquire: saurian claw-licker
B3CUMCR4B: bye
IWannaBeLive!: Hey guys, let’s not bring politics OR species into this okay?
corposeatmyA22: fight fight fight!!!
R@mp1on50: Don’t! Yuu might get banned again!
Tsunotaro1: @§@urvo{Dyn@§ty5ever and @righteouscavalonsquire you will both cease and apologize. Immediately.
The young lady suddenly feels an intense squeezing on her mind, the sensation of ozone and static and iron on her tongue—!
Then, all of a sudden, the pressure is gone and she can gasp for breath.
righteouscavalonsquire: im sorry
§@urvo{Dyn@§ty5ever: im sorry
TAITOFFrEaK: holy shit
P3gM3Fr0gg3r: wtf
IWannaBeLive!: ?!?
I<3Neige: you guys felt that too right it’s not just me??
h0ts1ngl3inur4r34: even i felt that
corposeatmyA22: what in the harmony was that?!
“…could swear that came from…ah-ha!”
A pale blue face with bright golden eyes pops up on the stream. “Hi, Yuu’s chat! How come they’re live-streaming the bridge?”
Tsunotaro1: Greetings Ortho Shroud.
R@mp1on50: Hi Ortho! Yuu fell asleep while streaming and we couldn’t wake them up!
P3gM3Fr0gg3r: streamer fell asleep and forgot to end stream
TAITOFFrEaK: we’ve kinda been stuck here man it’s dire
M1ll1c3ntByst4nd3r: yuu got taken to bed already!
The anitron’s brow furrows realistically as he reads. “They fell asleep on stream, huh… well, it’s good someone got them to bed now. I’ll end the stream and they can sort everything out tomorrow, how does that sound?”
P3gM3Fr0gg3r: save us ortho
M1ll1c3ntByst4nd3r: thatd be great thank you!
R@mp1on50: Thank you, Ortho!
P3gM3Fr0gg3r: free us from the stream
righteouscavalonsquire: Please do so Lord Shroud.
IWannaBeLive!: We’d all appreciate it Ortho
h0ts1ngl3inur4r34: thanks cutie <3
§@urvo{Dyn@§ty5ever: you’re all right ortho
I<3Neige: Thanks and have a great night!
justSUMgreeble: thanks man, your the mvp
Tsunotaro1: You have my gratitude, young Shroud.
TAITOFFrEaK: thanks dude, night everybody
DonSketticks123: Quasimodo predicted this
Tsunotaro1: Why are you still here?
“Well, good night everyone!” Ortho waves a hand. “See you next stream!”
The feed finally goes black.
Megami Gracey removes her headphone and lets her head gently thunk back against the wall of the closet.
Thank all the gods of Agathos for Ortho, really. She was beginning to wonder strange things with how long the stream had been going on.
Like if Yuu’s friends and crew were all in love with them or—
No. No! She’s not going to entertain silly thoughts like that, Megami decides with a decisive nod. It’ll do nothing but keep her up all night, and she has another early start tomorrow.
Carefully, she deletes the history on her device and then empties the deletion folder. She powers it off, pries the square of loose carpeting back up, and hides the tablet and its headphones back under there.
She slips out of her only safe place and the youngest and most beloved daughter of the Gracey Conglomerate heads back into quarters that feel more like a prison cell than home.
An “up and coming” starfighter racer who’s down on his luck, Ace may have pissed off a few bozos by reneging on his deal to fix a race and flying off with the collective winnings. With most of the money gone and more than a few angry mobsters closing in, Ace has managed to escape his just desserts so far by abusing the temporal displacement watch he’s “borrowing” from his older brother, but how long until his time—and luck—run out?
Solari: As a Solari, Ace has the lithe build, glowing skin, hair, and pointed ears typical of his species. His crewmates can use him as a low-level light source in dark spaces. If badly injured or exhausted, his light and colors will dim, but will never extinguish completely. His hair is a gradient of campfire reds to burnished oranges and gingers, off-set by gold toned skin and bright red eyes. Usually wears fire-proof racing jumpsuits with the upper half unzipped and sleeves folded up around his forearms or tied around his waist. Pairs these with form-fitting t-shirts, chunky neon-lined sneakers that cost far more than sneakers should and racing goggles that he wears on his forehead or around his neck more than he does over his eyes.
Echo Scoundrel: Ace has a large watch that he wears on his left wrist, which has a rounded digital screen that extends a good inch off of his wrist. While it does also tell the time, Ace can use the buttons on the side of the device to fast-forward and rewind his own personal time, allowing him to teleport away from danger or into range where he can take an enemy by surprise. He utilizes this and his dual laser pistols to great effect when it comes time to take out enemies. Ace’s Solari heritage also provides him with an ability that lets him revive himself if he is ever knocked down for the count—a handy failsafe if anyone does manage to get the drop on him.
Starfighter: Joker Snatch. A professional racing fighter, small, sleek, and fast. It’s aerodynamic, durable, and has excellent maneuverability, though its weapons systems pack less of a punch. Ace’s baby, most of the funds he earns are diverted into maintaining its heart-red paint job and mechanics.
Yuu: Stardust Human Holo-Star Icon
A streamer who’s struggling to get viewers, Yuu employs their hologram to try to enhance their performances as much as they can before their streams get terminated for nonsensical reasons. With few platforms (and fewer usernames) left to them, streamer XxX_H@nNYuu67_xXx is left wishing that they could film something to get them the support they need…
Stardust Human: As a member of one of the most common species in the galaxy, Yuu’s most notable for being slighter than average for their age range and having lots of freckles on their face and body. They have short, dark hair with long bangs that covers most of their face. Unlike their hairdo, Yuu’s fashion is much more professional, lots of power-shoulder high-collared shirts and turtlenecks paired with waistcoats and wide-legged slacks or skirt/pant combos. Has never shown their collarbones on or off stream, making it a subject of fascination for their fans, much to their concern. Wears their binder whenever they can get away with it.
Holo-Star Icon: As a Holo-Star Icon, Yuu has the ability to channel the cosmic Harmony of the galaxy through their performances while live-streaming. Any donations their viewers make can be channeled into healing or buffing their friends or using higher-powered attacks against their foes. Yuu can also create a pale pink hologram version of themself anywhere on a battlefield which can be used as a conduit/amplifier for their chosen effects. They enhance their performances with a handheld microphone that has neon pink and blue highlights (they also have a laser knife if any enemies get too close for comfort).
Starfighter: The Supervisor. Yuu and Grim share this small starfighter, as Grim is instinctually an excellent pilot but has no opposable thumbs while Yuu possesses the latter, but has never flown any vehicle themself before. A jack of all trades, this vessel is well-rounded and can fill in any gaps needed by the rest of the fleet. It also comes with several built-in cameras that Yuu can hook up their streams to for clearer view of the battles.
Deuce Spade: Jozza Scrapper Juggernaut
Leaving the warm waters of his homeworld and a delinquent past behind him, Deuce is hoping to join a force for justice so he can make a positive change in the galaxy for once! He just hopes that his temper doesn’t get him into trouble first…or his habit of compulsively making contraptions out of anything left unattended near him…
Jozza: Deuce is a member of the aquatic Jozza, who possess shark-like features with fin-like crests on their heads. His skin is a vivid grey-blue over most of his body, with pale grey coloring on his throat starting near his gills and continuing down the front of his torso and abdomen. He has dark blue hair which he tries to part neatly around his fin, sharp teeth, and blue-green eyes. Deuce tries to dress for the job he wants, but his nice-but-durable pants, suspenders, and button-ups usually end up with oil or grease stains. Will often roll up/unbutton the latter, revealing his white undershirt beneath. He wears a chain at his waist with several small mechanical doodads attached that he fiddles with when distracted.
Scrapper Juggernaut: Much to his chagrin, Deuce is often at his most powerful when he lets his temper overtake him and decides to start breaking heads. However, when the red haze descends, his instinct isn’t just to break—he is capable of building himself weapons out of the most innocuous of scraps or modifying items he picks up for deadly effect. Capable of constructing anything from guns to flails, the constructs he builds on the fly can be slightly more fragile and prone to breakage if overused. But the only limit to how many times he can rebuild and reuse the materials they’re made of is their structural integrity. And, if all else fails, his experience in street brawling and powerful jaws ensure he is never without a means to defend himself.
Starfighter: Bet The Limit. A medium-sized fighter which should not fly as well as it does. A retired model that was originally designed to ram straight through enemy shields, Deuce has upgraded the engine to give it more maneuverability, reinforced the rounded chassis’ durability, and embedded several hard-hitting weapons systems, including rockets and a chain harpoon. One of the few fighters which can operate underwater as well as in space.
Grim: Chimera
So you’ve crossed paths with the Great Boss Grim, have ya? Well count yourself lucky, because you’ve just met the greatest legend in the stars!! Or well, maybe not yet, but he knows he’s destined for greatness!! Come and be his minion and he’ll let you share in that greatness!! Fgnah-ha, isn’t he the best?!
Chimera: Grim’s origins are as mysterious as he is, but one thing is clear—his makeup appears to be a merging of traits from several different creatures found across the galaxy, sentient and non-sentient alike. He’s most commonly mistaken for a Bitling by those who haven’t met Bitlings before. Though he shares cartoony-animal proportions with them, Grim is smaller, has blue fire burning in his ears and can spit bursts of it from his mouth, and does not produce tokens like Bitlings do. Bitlings also do not try to eat Cacophony Chips and go into a violent fugue state if denied them like Grim does.
Starfighter: The Supervisor. Yuu and Grim share this small starfighter, as Grim is instinctually an excellent pilot but has no opposable thumbs while Yuu possesses the latter, but has never flown any vehicle themself before. A jack of all trades, this vessel is well-rounded and can fill in any gaps needed by the rest of the fleet. It also comes with several built-in cameras that Yuu can hook up their streams to for clearer view of the battles.
Jack Howl: Laika Splicer Primalist
Jack is one of the youngest recruits for a prominent Hyperdrive team, an increasingly popular sport where wits and brawn are both essential for victory. Despite his initial excitement, the discovery that his team wants to cheat their way to victory, and expects him to utilize his skills to do the same, has him deeply conflicted…
Laika: Jack is part of the Tracker lineage of the Laika, resembling an anthropomorphic white Alsatian. This lineage means that he excels in anything involving tracking or similar tasks due to his keen senses. He has thick white fur, golden eyes, and is on the larger side for his species. Some of the fur on his head has been styled into a spiky mullet. He follows a strict training regimen to ensure he stays in shape for his team, bulking him up considerably. Because of this (and the thick fur), he has a taste for sleeveless leather jackets and flared pants that allow for ease of movement while keeping cool. He also has a love of space cowboy boots, because he thinks they look awesome. Jack wears a leather cord around his neck with the teeth of various non-sapient canid/vaguely-canid-related species knotted into it.
Splicer Primalist: Jack has always had a fascination with wolves and wolf-adjacent animals ever since he was a child, so he focused his studies on learning to understand them, their genetics, and how he could harness their powers. When the need calls for it, he can utilize the teeth on his necklace to extract the essence of the creature it came from and transform himself into one. This transformation can either be limited to certain areas of his body, to enhance certain skills or attacks on the fly, or can be a complete change into the creature he chooses, which allows him to communicate with animals and earn their allegiances to help him out in battle. He also carries a light laser pistol his mother insisted he take before he went off-world, though he will often forgo that for punching or biting an enemy if the need arises.
Starfighter: Unleash The Beast. A medium-sized fighter that bears some resemblance to a wolf’s head. Fast and agile, this fighter excels at herding and harrying enemy ships, darting in to pepper them with blasts before zipping away to escape return fire. Jack can also channel his primalist energies into the ship, giving it temporary boosts of animalistic power when the need arises.
Epel Felmier: Pakku Symmetric Disciple
Epel may still be finding his space legs, but he has one dream and one dream only since he left his snowy, dozy home planet—to make a name for himself as the most badass, most rugged bounty hunter this galaxy has ever seen!! Too many folks see his purple petals and slight build and assume he’s a pushover, but his feet, fists, and his gramma’s staff will show ‘em all different!!
Pakku: Epel is of the Butterwort sub-species of Pakku, meaning that he is much hardier and more adaptable to colder temperatures when compared to his desert-residing brethren. He is slim and shorter than most of his crewmates. His leaves form beautiful rosette patterns on his skin, he always smells pleasantly floral, and his purple petals make up what most species would consider a chin-length hairstyle. He is also always slightly sticky to the touch, and pests will often get trapped in his secretions and nourish him. He favors short sleeveless robes paired with ripped synthetic leggings, reinforced, spiked arm guards, and knee-high, steel-toed combat boots that also protect his shins. He is very proud of his combat boots, and spends a lot of time maintaining them and the staff he inherited from his grandmother.
Symmetric Disciple: Epel was trained by his grandmother to be able to fight in tune with the Harmony of the galaxy, though he struggles sometimes with the “balance” thing she always went on about. He is able to channel both the vital and the somber sides of this cosmic force, empowering his own punches, and kicks or draining the life from his enemies. He is also a master with his gramma’s staff, either using it on its own to give himself extra reach or channeling energy into it to create sword-like beams on either end which can be separated into two weapons by twisting the middle apart. By crew vote, he is not allowed to have a gun due to his abysmal aim. In a pinch, Epel can also inflict caustic damage on his foes by exposing them to an excess of the digestive secretions his leaves naturally produce.
Starfighter: Sleep Kiss. A medium-sized fighter designed to look as though it is made of reflective glass. While probably the slowest of the fleet with weak standard firepower, it more than makes up for it with its incredible durability and powerful (if expensive to replace) rockets that can ensure it takes any hits and keeps coming. The imitator-glass chassis is also capable of reflecting light or laser beams, either blinding enemy fighters or sending their own attacks back at them.
Ortho Shroud: Anitron Hypercoder Gridrunner
On all official documents, Ortho is the youngest son of the rich and reclusive Shroud family, aetheron vassals of the Cavalon Empire. People are often surprised when a robot shows up to their store instead, navigating the Hypergrid to collect games, gadgets and merchandise for his older brother. Though he does see other users and wonder what adventuring like them would be like…
Anitron: A construct built in memory of one long departed, Ortho has pale blue synthetic skin, uncannily lifelike golden eyes and a facsimile of the cyan flames his family possesses in place of hair. The rest of his chassis is white and silver and ball-jointed to allow for fine motor functions, with a clear viewing port over where a heart would be with his Hyperspark visible inside. He has been built to try and mimic the density and durability his aetheron family possesses, though unlike them he has inbuilt lasers and can fly with the anti-gravity thrusters he has in place of feet. His model also has an increased affinity for connecting with/controlling large systems of data both on and off the Hypergrid. He does not need to wear clothes, but his crew have bought him a number of oversized diaphanous puffer coats and vests because he likes how they sparkle and shine.
Hypercoder Gridrunner: Ortho’s expertise with the world of code and data in the Hypergrid means that he possesses the abilities to translate his digital programming to affect physical reality. Utilizing the digipad his big brother designed for him, Ortho can not only summon attacks, items, and creatures from the Hypergrid into the real world, he can copy/paste any missed attacks of his allies to ensure they are redirected to hit the proper target. Ortho can even hack into enemies, even if they are not constructs or digital beings themselves, which can have a range of effects from sabotaging their attacks and abilities to removing any resistances or buffs they have. If all else fails, his older brother did install extremely high powered lasers into his chassis, though he does need to be careful that he doesn’t catch any of his crewmates in the blasts.
Starfighter: The Cerberus. A small empire-grade fighter with high maneuverability and offensive capabilities. The inbuilt lasers and wide-range targeting system of this aether-powered saucer are designed to be lethally devastating, allowing Ortho the bandwidth to either sabotage the controls of enemy fighters or destroy them in one blast. However, it’s low speed and durability means it risks being quickly taken out if enemies manage to score a hit.
Sebek Zigvolt: Half-Raizo Cyberguard Enforcer
Newest addition to the royal enforcers for Prince Malleus Draconia, Sebek is determined to prove himself and make up for his father’s inferior genetics by any means necessary! For him, that means enhancing himself with cybernetic upgrades, destroying his liege’s enemies with his lightning-bolstered baton and arm turrets, and shouting. Lots of shouting.
Raizo: Sebek’s green coloring is unusual for a Raizo, but not totally unheard of (though he will insist he’s “teal blue”). One of the taller members of the crew, he keeps his mint green hair gelled back professionally and his sharper-than-average teeth and oni-like horns polished to a gleaming sheen. The same can be said for the chrome cybernetic enhancements built into his legs, torso, and arm, ensuring they are spic and span, worthy of an enforcer of Malleus Draconia! He is rarely, if ever, out of his official guard uniform, a black leather military-style coat and trousers with glowing neon green and silver linings, specially tailored to fit on and around his more metallic parts. He possesses several tattoos honoring his species’ innate connection to the power of storms, with engravings on his enhancements to continue the inked designs on his skin.
Cyberguard Enforcer: Sebek follows a strict code as an Enforcer to protect and serve Prince Malleus Draconia and his interests, an oath which he had been following in spirit long before the actual words were spoken in flesh. His dedication to this code allows him to imbue extra power into his cybernetic enhancements, giving him boosts of strength, durability, and firepower when facing down those he has deemed enemies of his liege. The gun turrets in his mechanical arm allow him to smite his lord’s foes from great distances, as well as administer aid to allies to his cause. His Raizo heritage also allows him to conduct thunder and lightening into his baton blows and shots, adding a nasty surprise for anyone on the receiving end.
Starfighter: Living Bolt. A medium sized streamlined fighter that is worse for wear. One of the fastest among the crew with excellent firepower, but Sebek’s habit of recklessly charging into the middle of dogfights means its durability and maneuverability are irreparably damaged. While it still flies and shoots as well as it did before, it has a nasty habit of jolting forward or even shooting without Sebek’s input.
Question about Azul’s soulmate Au: What was the twins reaction to all of that? Did Jade recognize the injuries he caused?
Jade did recognize the injuries he caused!
That was actually part of the reason why he and Floyd were causing them—Azul’s soulmate had been going through quite a few injuries during the school year! Broken ribs, torn ankle ligaments, sand abrasions, oh my…
Someone so reckless needs to be taken in to hand and advised to stop or keep going depending on how annoying Azul’s been recently.
Nothing had come of any of the other contractees they’d mistreated so far, but these four?
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I just ran across your different soulmates concepts and as an avid fan of getting weird with soulmate stuff they’re extremely cool! Yuu’s world and Twisted Wonderland having different ways to find soulmates is SO fun and can be SO messy and complicated (especially because, who would think that this part of How The World Works would just be different!) Extremely cool, every version, I love all of them. But for the Azul one in particular, mostly these have been Yuu PoV for understandable reasons, but as soon as I read the discovery scene I thought Azul’s experience of those few moments between setting the trap and slamming the door open must have been Something. Just the, one second you’re preparing to laugh at and then beat up some contract dodgers and then the next oh FUCK and also OW why did that hit so hard. Azul in that world has been having an experience in general!
Also, while I was having thoughts about what a cool concept this was, and different interesting kinds of soulmate indicators - the one where ink/writing on your skin (like from a pen) shows up on your soulmate’s and vice versa is always fun. And would probably be strange to only have half of, whether it was Yuu’s world’s version or Twisted Wonderland’s! …The “can’t see in color until you meet your soulmate/only see in color around your soulmate/are missing a color that is your soulmate’s/general messing with vision” type would also be a weird one, thinking about it xD 0.0 That was fun in the Leona one, the situation where for one side “figuring out who your soulmate is” is a very obvious instant thing and for the other side it is Not Immediately Obvious 💖😂
Aaah, thank you so much!!
And yes, that is EXACTLY what happened to Azul, leaning against the door, grinch-like smile on his face, and then WHAM!! He’s on the ground making an undignified gurgling sound while Jade goes “oh my” and smiles and Floyd pokes him to ask if he’s dead yet.
I do have the “only see in color” one planned for future options, as well as “your full name appears on your soulmate” which will be fun to play with, especially if Yuu meets someone who they don’t know the true name of for a long time…
I do also have the writing on skin one planned—with someone who’s going to draw dicks all over Yuu’s arms.
Thank you so much again for reading and enjoying!!
Fun tag game idea: say something that most of your followers wouldn’t actually know
I’ll start first: I am actually married. Irl. I have a husband. I know it’s surprising considering the Tumblr spouses, but my husband thinks it’s funny.
I've been sitting here for like 10+ minutes tryna think of something and the only thing that really comes to mind is probably the fact that we're technically related to Geoffrey Rush?
He's like, our grandfather's cousin or something, but we've never met him or anything
Probably not of much interested especially since I know he was accused of some not very cool things (not that we ever cared to pay much attention, since again we never interacted with him personally), but it's a fact about us that most people don't know 🤷
im mildly allergic to chocolate but i eat it anyway bc no amount of vicious diarrhea will make nutella not worth it. it was only very recently that i learned that chocolate isnt supposed to be spicy
I have 8 nieces and nephews, 2 I’ve never met, 1 I only see on Halloween cause they trick or treat at my house.
The oldest two are 11 and 13 and the youngest is only a few months old
The way my family works is like a promotion system, so say you have a cousin who’s going to have a baby, the cousins of said cousin become aunts and uncles, the aunts and uncles become grandparents, and the nieces and nephews become cousins.
I went by the name Citrus for my entire eighth grade year and realized that I lowkey hated it a couple months in (hence why I started going by Acey when I began high school)
ummmm umm.. not about me but about my pets.. ive had two cats and both of them are really big for cats?? like theyre just Large. not fat or anything just like.. big. idk !!!!
I can't eat too much peanut butter otherwise i get diarrhea and throw up. And I am learning japanese so I can play more unlocalized Otome games, i can actually read almost all hiragana at a glance like english(i just don't know what most of it means lol)
@caffeinated-chocolate @misteria247 and other moots and people who want to play. Sorry, I'm very bad at removing usernames and which people are moots.
hmm... i don't really know actually... i guess the fact that i naturally have a pretty high caffeine tolerance something a little unpredictable, especially given my username ˙𐃷˙
Something I very rarely talk about here is that i love learning languages! (at least when I'm in the mood for it lol)
I taught myself modern Greek when I was 12 - which helped me when I started learning ancient Greek as well - which is something I find really cool :)
As of now I'm fluent in Italian (native language so obv) and English (C2 level), I can read/understand most French and Spanish, some Greek and Portuguese, plus some general knowledge of German and Swedish
I've also tried getting into slavic languages bc I LOVE the culture but for some reason I cannot learn a thing 😭
i tore my right hip abductor muscle doing track in 8th grade and then re-tore it during fall guard my sophomore year and it’s literally never been the same 😭 (it hurts when i drive for over 30 minutes at a time lmao) BUT on the fun side i can crack my hip really easily now and it makes horrible grating noises that can scare the shit outta people who don’t know the hip lore
all this in addition to my hyper flexibility and my back being legitimately Built Different (hahaha it’s an inward curve from scoliosis) makes me incredibly flexible in a deeply off-putting way and pretty freaking good at dance
That's kinda fascinating actually, and very on brand for a guardist
I make my own pins for fandoms I'm in and there's almost always some sort of ink on my skin, either from making said pins or just straight up drawing on myself :)
@idontexist734 @drudg30n @8-aladdin-sane-8 @fizgabzi14 and anyone else
I’ve always smiled with my bottom teeth hiding behind my top teeth and have been resting my jaw more backwards (most times)with my tongue between my teeth,
I can move it to the correct spot but I find it more uncomfortable and hard(+inconvenient to make sure it’s in the correct spot), so I’ve never tried fixing it.
nothings really interesting about me im lwk like a default character BUT
my irl friends know this, but i really like history/AP and enjoy the subject entirely, i find it fun and its generally one of the easiest subjects in my opinion. :] and yes, i do have a copy of el filibusterismo(the reign of greed) and noli me tangere(the social cancer/touch me not) though i'm only a few pages in and i hadn't finished it yet ;-;
absolutely NO pressure at all, reblog if you want : @y1f4 @askthesonnellin0s @stars-flesh-and-bone @muffinstuffins11 @theannoyingparasite @boredomgayartist @specified6 @jrw006 @nerilefou @yourlocalgummybear + any1 else i forgot and opentags :)
Im really not an interesting person at all, but uh..
All I can think of is I don't have a knuckle on my right pinkie.
Well, I do, but when I was young I once rested my chin on it cause I was watching shit on the DVD player, and then it moved my knuckle 😃 it's kinda cool, I suppose.
i have over 100 ocs and at least 35 of them i am currently using! along with this, i try to write at least 1 fun fact for each and i've drawn the vast majority of them at least once. yes most of them are objects.
@mellieksstarz @itzgalaxynoraire @retrocrayons @squari5x6 @theguynobodyinvited @gabrieledega @dawnshockanddarkcrash + any moots i forgot to mention (sorry!) + open tags
Some of my followers might know I work in Visitor Services in museums. However, both of the museums I’ve worked in during the past three years have been involved in major world events
I also want to leave museum work and become a professional author one day!
What are Yuu's thoughts on their biological mother?
Imagining them seeing their friends having a healthy relationship with their mothers/fathers (except riddle ofc) and feeling a sense of emptiness... a hollow feeling nagging at their heart due to lack of such an experience ...
(Also if Georgina's motherly instincts sense neglected Yuu, she straight up slams adoption paper on the table while Floyd cheers (Yuu unfortunately does not have a say in this) .
Yuu’s thoughts on their bio mum are…complicated. More negative overall.
After all, she was the villain in all of the stories they were told growing up. A wily, whorish, black-hearted seductress, who tricked their father into sleeping with her out of obsessive gold-digging lust. Who paraded herself around the home of their half siblings for nine months until she gave birth to Yuu and, in a fit of insanity, kidnapped Megami to try and force their father to return her demented feelings. The source of the Gracey family’s miseries.
Yuu’s spent most of their life being told that this terrible woman had something deeply wrong with her, something rotten inside her head, so they must too. A lot of their childhood was spent trying to prove this wrong, and even now they will not respond well to being called crazy.
And that’s not even touching their feelings about the fact that this woman apparently grabbed Megami and ran, but couldn’t be bothered to bring along her own bio kid. Half of this is diverted towards Megami in the form of resentment (if it weren’t for you, maybe she would have taken me), but half is still directed at the woman herself in a mix of anger, betrayal, and self-loathing (what the hell is so wrong with me that you dumped me the first chance you got??)
It’s why Megami was ultimately able to get through to them and spark the crazy idea of running away together—she was the only one to tell Yuu stories of their mum where she wanted them too. All three of them were meant to be family. So why shouldn’t Yuu honor their late mother’s wishes and finish what she started?
(Of course, you know how that story turned out.)
They definitely feel a hollow longing every time they interact with the families of their classmates—siblings are okay, since they kind of got a taste of what that could be like with Megami, but loving parents? Grandparents?
Yuu has never had a positive adult experience in their life, so they quietly envy their classmates who are lucky enough to have them.
They’re appropriately polite to their friends’ parents, usually on their best behavior to ensure these adults don’t disapprove of them and say their classmates can’t be friends with them anymore (a common occurrence during their years as the bastard of the Gracey).
But they have not considered that this could lead to potential adoption attempts…
Of course, Yuu doesn’t know everything about their mother. Even with Megami’s stories, there’s quite a bit about the woman’s life that’s a total mystery to them, especially with the Graceys’ slander both pre and postmortem.
For example, they have no idea that their mother was a lesbian and would be shocked if you told them.
The fun part of having multiple Villainous Paranoiac Yuu AUs, particularly the Neon Odyssey space opera one I’m currently playing with, is I get to have the worst person in the galaxy divulge this information in the most psychically damaging way possible >:D
Thanks for the help everyone! In honor of this, have a snippet of the bios I’m writing for each of the first years:
Ace Trappola: Solari Echo Scoundrel
An “up and coming” starfighter racer who’s down on his luck, Ace may have pissed off a few bozos by reneging on his deal to fix a race and flying off with the collective winnings. With most of the money gone and more than a few angry mobsters closing in, Ace has managed to escape his just desserts so far by abusing the temporal displacement watch he’s “borrowing” from his older brother, but how long until his time—and luck—run out?
Yuu is a struggling Holo-Star streamer who accidentally becomes an investigative journalist when a Cacophony-corrupted creature attacks them, a chimera, and six other bystanders in a metropolitan area on stream.
In order to figure out what the hell that was and the causes behind it, they join up with the other six rookies in a ramshackle old junker of a ship to explore the galaxy for answers (and do some not-technically-licensed bounty hunting on the sidelines—Crowley, the original owner of the Ramshackle, needs them to pay off that lease somehow!)
More worldbuilding lore under cut, but first some links to help understand the world itself, plus the trailer that got me into this in the first place (tl;dr in this version of space, you can not only hear screams but also explosions, there’s a Harmony to the universe that all souls are connected to, and a force known as the Cacophony which can dis-connect souls and corrupt them into four tones of Discordant)
The setting of Stardust Rhapsody: Anthem is set in a perfect disc-shaped[1] galaxy called "Stardust Rhapsody".[2] There is no other galaxy i
The setting of Stardust Rhapsody: Anthem is set in a perfect disc-shaped[1] galaxy called "Stardust Rhapsody".[2] There is no other galaxy i
The setting of Stardust Rhapsody: Anthem is set in a perfect disc-shaped[1] galaxy called "Stardust Rhapsody".[2] There is no other galaxy i
Which leads us to the twst worldbuilding I’ve been playing with:
Cacophony Chips
A series of strange red microchips. Emits a passive, inaudible radio signal which generates calm and possessive attachment in the current owner (host), but causes a sense of disquiet in perceptive bystanders. Begins leeching black ink-like fluid the longer it is exposed to its host’s negative emotions, until a breaking point triggers the chip to fuse with the host and force a partial Discordant-transformation.
The kind of Discordance varies depending on the neuroses of the host. If the chip cannot be detached from the host in time, this transformation leads to permanent corruption. Once detached, the chip turns black and breaks. This form of the chip will have a symbol of the Tone of Discord it inflicted embossed on it.
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Yuu is a struggling Holo-Star streamer who accidentally becomes an investigative journalist when a Cacophony-corrupted creature attacks them, a chimera, and six other bystanders in a metropolitan area on stream.
In order to figure out what the hell that was and the causes behind it, they join up with the other six rookies in a ramshackle old junker of a ship to explore the galaxy for answers (and do some not-technically-licensed bounty hunting on the sidelines—Crowley, the original owner of the Ramshackle, needs them to pay off that lease somehow!)
I wish Yuu with deal with the Graceys the same way Maki dealt with the Zenin clan😌
Yuu would need to contend with their elder siblings’ much stronger fighting proficiencies (Enji is called a prodigy in kendo, Leota competes nationally in archery, and Asahiko specializes in judo).
But honestly they would be completely justified in doing so.
Dipping out of my GSGW fixation to say that if I could animate, I’d do an entire amv of the Twst First Year DND party trying and failing to recruit creatures before stumbling upon Malleus Draconia set to “A Troll is Not A Familiar”
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Darkness comes in all forms in the [Dark Exploration Records]. As an open-source wiki which anyone can contribute to so long as what they’re writing fits within the “rules of the universe”, it’s only natural that there are as many settings and dangers as there are types of human experiences. With inspiration ranging from traditional folktales to modern urban legends to foreign horror stories, so long as someone wrote it and the mods approved, it could be found on the [Dark Exploration Records] wiki…and in the terrifying creepypasta-infested universe which Kim Soleum somehow was currently enduring.
Except…
Well. As a coward who has read through practically every page on this wiki (and had a (currently still broken) cheat item attached to his phone that allowed him to review every page he’s read besides) Kim Soleum…has no idea what kind of Darkness he’s just been thrown into.
He is currently sitting on the thick purple rug of what looks like an study from some western fantasy school series, stone floor and walls, tall thin windows crossed with diagonal metal bars, purple velvet curtains, a large mahogany desk with two candle holders on each side which are lit with purple flames, seven portraits of figures who don’t look fully human (wait, isn’t one of them just a lion?!) floating in the air behind it…
And that’s not even getting into the people(???) who are now staring down at him with expressions that set his well-honed survival instincts screaming.
Two of them look human enough. An older grey-haired man in flowing wine-color robes with a green jewel at his throat, face stern and pitiless even with a runny nose. A younger man who may be about his own age with half of his black hair dyed white, continuing the monochrome theme with a huge black and white striped fur coat paired with a blood red tie.
And then there’s the guy with the glowing yellow eyes peering at him from behind a bird mask and top hat, purple lips on too-pale skin, with a glittering feathered blue-black coat and golden claws on his gloves?!
No way that’s human, whatever that is!!
“おや?” The bird-man-demon(?!?!) says. And then he launches into the flow of a language that Kim Soleum recognizes, but has not spoken since the one elective course he took in university to round out his credits.
‘If this is a western fantasy setting Darkness…why the hell are its denizens speaking Japanese?!’
Kim Soleum jumps at the sharp crack! of a riding crop hitting leather, which one of the more human men is now pointing at his face?! Sir, even if you say something else angry-sounding and demanding to me, this citizen of Korea still won’t understand you!
“M-my apologies.” He stammers as his mind works furiously to try to remember which Darkness this could be. This isn’t anything like Sekwang Technical High School, nor does it seem to fit any of the locales in “And They All Lived Unhappily Ever After”. “I’m afraid my comprehension of Japanese is rusty, so if it would be possible to speak slower…?”
The three people turn to look at each other, confusion evident on the human-like ones’ faces, clearly having even less understanding of Korean than he does Japanese.
Then the older man with the runny nose makes a gesture and the green gem at his throat glows—!
It feels as though spiderwebs settle over him, sticky-soft and cold, before the melting away into nothing. Wh-what the hell was that?! He’s not been contaminated so soon after being rescued from Braun’s Late Night Show, has he?!
“今は私たちの言っていることが理解できますか?” The wine-robed gentleman asks in a soft, hoarse voice.
“Sorry, ah, go-gomenasai.” Kim Soleum stutters, desperately trying to recall knowledge he has not used in years as he moves into a kneeling position. “Wakari-ra…? I still don’t understand.”
“結局、失敗に終わった。” The flamboyant man in the heat trap of a coat sighs. “やはり、トレイン先生の能力は病によって制限されているようだ。いや、もしかしたら、元気だったとしてもこうだったのだろうか？”
The wine-robed gentleman’s face grows cold and his next words are clipped. “私の能力を見せてやりたいなら、喜んでお見せしよう、若造め。”
The flamboyant man grins, raising the riding crop (why???) again but the bird-demon-man rises from the desk with a dramatic gesture to the pair of them. “落ち着け、二人とも！この客人は明らかに混乱していて、我々に負っている恩義を理解していない。もし彼が我々の監督生と同じく異世界から来たのなら、これは幸運ではないだろうか?”
The three turn back to stare at him. Please don’t look so eager Mr. Bird-Demon-Man it’ll only make your scary side than much worse when this Soleum can’t give you whatever it is you want.
The older man frowns. “これが、あの監督生と同じ場所から来たかもしれないと本気で思っておられるのですか？ それはあまりに馬鹿げた話です、校長先生。まず第一に、この存在は―”
“これは、まさに教育の宝庫と言えるでしょう！この「道具」――おっと失礼、生徒たちが学ぶための「教師」を使って、彼らがどれほどのことを習得できるか、想像してみてください!” The way that demon sweeps around the desk and stands before him gives the image of a crow or raven, about to snatch something shiny. The golden pinpricks glow as they study him.
He, he thinks he heard the word “sensei” in there? That means teacher, right? So then, does this Darkness expect him to take on a teacher’s role given he’s an adult?
‘So long as there isn’t any contamination like in that hellish kindergarten, I guess it’s fine…’
“You want me to be a sensei?” Kim Soleum speaks loudly and slowly, pressing an hand to his chest. “Me? Sensei…dayo n-ne?”
“そうだ、そうだ！ 先生だ、お前は先生になるのだ！ ああ、なんと私は賢く、そして優しいことか！ このような者にまで、救いの手を差し伸べてやるのだからな!” The crow demon seems ecstatic, nodding wildly and gesturing to him vigorously. The demon turns to the flamboyant man. “クルーウェル先生、翻訳薬の調合は先生にお任せいたします。もし監督生が役に立たないとなれば、この意思疎通の不備は実に煩わしいものとなるでしょう。”
The flamboyant man sighs, casting a critical eye over Kim Soleum. “ポーションがこいつにそもそも効くのかどうかという問題はひとまず置いておくとして……何か手立てがないか考えてみるよ。”
The older man’s face twists in disdain, but his bow is formal and respectful. “それならば、これで失礼いたします。私とルキウスが明日、仕事に出られるほどに回復したかどうかは、また改めてご連絡差し上げます。”
“素晴らしい!” The demon claps his claw-tipped hands together. “さあ、あなたです……ミスター外国人！これからあなたが住み、働くことになる場所へご案内しますので、どうぞ私についてきてください！”
Kim Soleum does not want to take this crow-demon’s hand. He’s terrified that he will suddenly lose the limb, or have his throat torn out, or experience a slow, wasting death curse if he does.
But if he doesn’t, who’s to say all that won’t happen anyway if the crow-demon is displeased?
The claws are sharp enough to leave pinpricks in his skin as he’s hoisted upright with more strength than the crow demon’s wiry frame suggests.
“さあ、外国人さん、行きましょう!” With that unintelligible command, the crow demon strides towards the study doors and flings them open, shoes clicking in time with an ornate cane.
Kim Soleum follows once he sees the flamboyant man watching him with a sneer, one eyebrow raised.
High-school age boys in black western-style uniforms fill the halls outside the study, some talking with their friends or hurrying to classes like normal, everyday high school students.
But the majority of them have strange lavender growths sprouting from their heads and exhausted expressions, stumbling around with their eyes directed to the floor, as if the growths are pulling them or something.
The crow-demon sees his expression and flaps a hand with a disingenuous smile. “そんなことはお気になさらず、外国人さん。あれは単なる……一時の流行にすぎませんよ！ ええ、まったく。この愚かな子供たちときたら、自分たちの遊びのために、なんといたずら好きなことでしょう!”
Kim Soleum’s resolve sharpens with understanding. ‘I need to be careful and play along until an escape condition becomes clear to leave this Darkness.’
‘The moment I let my guard down, or let my cowardice slip…’
‘…These demons are definitely going to murder me!!’
The crow demon leads him out of the school, across what seems to be more like a university campus.
Away from the gothic castle-like buildings, down a central walkway with statues of the seven figures in the portraits in the office. Some kind of school representatives or founders? They’re not cute enough to be mascots.
Two look pretty human, four decidedly less so. One is just a lion.
Why???
The whole time, the crow demon is still chattering away, throwing arms out to gesture to this or that structure as if he’s a tour guide.
Never mind that Kim Soleum has no idea what he’s being told, and can’t contribute to the conversation in any meaningful way.
The problem is, no matter how much he’s seeing, he can’t place this Darkness. He’s wracking his brains frantically, trying to recall everything he can from the [Dark Exploration Records], or even if it had a sister wiki in Japan which might have produced this knock-off Darkness he’s in.
If he can’t recall this Darkness, he can’t know its weaknesses. If he doesn’t know its weaknesses, he can’t solve it quickly and escape. And if he can’t do that…
‘I may as well kiss Director Ho’s infiltration mission and the chance of ever getting a Wish Ticket home goodbye…!’
As he worries, it seems they’ve made their way away from most of the buildings. The quality of the path they’re taking has slipped from neat brick to worn cobblestone to trodden dirt.
‘What do I do if this demon leads me somewhere isolated to murder me or cut off my limbs? I still have the Nostalgia Candy, and the Happy Maker auto-injector—if I can escape his grasp, those should let me run far enough away to hide and plan my next move.’
He follows the crow-demon around a bend following a wrought iron fence and a building finally appears. It’s an old stone mansion with a green roof, 3 stories tall…or maybe 4? It looks like someone decided to keep building at odds with the preexisting floors and never was told to stop. For some reason there’s a round room on the upper floors with a pointy spire roof for no clear reason.
‘It looks like something I would’ve designed in a simulation game. When I was eleven.’
A figure is speed-walking away from the building and gradually getting closer to them on the path. He’s dressed in the uniform all the other students were wearing and has his head down, seemingly oblivious.
“ああ、ちょうど今、あなたのルームメイトがやって来ましたよ！” The crow demon waves an arm. “監督生！ 監督生、こっちです!”
The student jerks to attention, body stiffening at the sight of the demon. He begins walking towards them at a much slower pace than before.
He looks young to Kim Soleum’s eyes, maybe just out of middle school. He’s short and slight, enough that his uniform sags at the elbows and ankles. His hair is messy and long bangs cover most of his face. What features are visible are sharp and freckled, pulled tight in wariness.
A good attitude to have when facing a demon like this! But wait, isn’t it strange that a native of this Darkness reacts to a prominent figure like the crow-demon in this fashion?
Unless…this is because Kim Soleum is here?
…
It’s a sensible stance to take towards a strange new adult, for a child, but it feels a little disheartening too…
“監督生、新しい先生にご挨拶をお願いします。” The crow demon gestures between him and the student. “先生もあなたと同じ境遇ですので、仲良くして、新しい環境に馴染めるよう手助けしてあげてください。”
Whatever he said makes the boy jolt to a stop in the middle of bowing. “同じ…？待ってください、校長先生、どういう意味ですか？この方も…?!”
“さて、外国人さん、お部屋へどうぞ!”
The crow demon spreads his hands as if presenting the building behind the fence. “さあ、異邦人殿。ここがお前の宿舎となる。この私が特別に慈悲を垂れ、新装なったばかりのこの場所をくれてやろう―”
“申し訳ありません、学園長。ですが、それは叶いません。” The student raises a hand in a ‘stop’ gesture, as if to forestall what the monster is about to say. “アシェングロット先輩との契約において、この寮は担保として差し出されておりますので。”
The crow demon freezes, then turns to the student. The air feels cold all of a sudden, like a storm is about to break. “担保か?”
“慈悲深い学園長先生が私にこの件の調査を許可してくださったことを、アズール・アシェングロット先輩は、契約した生徒たちを解放するためなら「いかなる手段」をも講じることへの、学園長先生からの承認であると解釈しました。” The student squares his shoulders, looking the crow-demon in the face before bowing his head. “そして、これこそがその「手段」だったのです。”
Kim Soleum almost feels inspired by the show of resoluteness in the teenager. Good on you kid, for telling this monster whatever it is that he doesn’t want to hear so baldly. 10/10 points for guts.
0/10 for self-preservation.
The demon begins squawking like the bird he resembles, pacing around, arms raising and lowering sharply in time with his yelling. Kim Soleum still has no idea what the problem is or what’s being said, but the fierce scolding tone is universally understandable. He even has to take a step or two back to avoid being hit with the end of the crow-demon’s cane.
The student stands there with his head bowed, seemingly unmoved by the tirade being poured onto him.
But the blankness on their face is…off. Someone who truly didn’t care about receiving a scolding would look more annoyed or bored, while someone who felt they were genuinely at fault would naturally show signs of guilt or contrition.
Instead, this blank, mask-like body language, so focused on not reacting to what sound like condemnations, lets him notice other factors. Like the fact that the child’s fists are balled so tightly at their sides that their knuckles are white and trembling. Or the fact that their jaw is clenched hard to let them better tuck their head into their chest, eyes staring down sightlessly.
If anything, rather than a rowdy student being corrected by a teacher, doesn’t this scene resemble an employee enduring a needless chewing out from their boss more??
The child flinches back at a sudden rise in volume and proximity from the crow-demon and Kim Soleum is treated to a flash of grey socks stained a dark rusty brown-red.
“Ah, excuse me,” This feels dangerous, especially when the crow-demon rounds on him with a terrifying anger burning in its golden pinpricks.
But he’s certain there isn’t a person alive who could stand by and watch an adult yell at an injured child, demon or not. “I mean no disrespect, but it would appear that this student is suffering an injury. Would it be better to continue this conversation after they receive medical attention?”
‘And stop making me the unwilling witness to your shouting at students! Any school official with decorum would wait until outsiders had left before issuing discipline! If you’re pretending to be an authority figure, then act like it!’
Even if he isn’t understood, the crow-demon proves his point by resettling his coat and straightening his waistcoat with a faint air of fluster, clearing his throat unnecessarily. It seems like the denizens of this Darkness do put stock in the conventions of courtesy and polite society, or do a good job of pretending to at least.
The student stares at Kim Soleum, mouth hanging open, then bows to him deeply.
“My deepest apologies for not addressing you properly, Seonsaengnim. If you could please excuse the rude question, wo-would you happen to be from 韓-ah, Hanguk?”
!!!
Someone who not only speaks his language in this western fantasy Darkness, but also is familiar with his home country!
“Yes! Y-yes, I’m from Korea. I’m a—” let’s not traumatize the child by mentioning that he enters horror stories for a black company that took away all the progress he’d made towards going back home just yet! “—currently an office worker, for a pharmaceutical company. Do you know where we are right now? I learned a little Japanese in college, but I’m very rusty so I haven’t been able to understand anything so far.”
The student’s face creases in an expression that looks too adult for their age. An unpleasant mixture of regret, worry, resignation.
“I…I’m sorry to say we’re not on Earth anymore, Seonsaengnim. This place is another world, known as Twisted Wonderland. It doesn’t have any of the nations we know, and every one person in five of this world’s population possesses the ability to use magic. We’re currently on the campus of Night Raven College, an all-male boarding school recognized as one of the top two high schools for magic users.” Without changing the respectful and deferential tone he’s using, the teenager continues. “The useless sack of feathers beside you there is Dire Crowley, the illustrious headmaster of this elite school. He’s meant to be helping me find a way to get back to our world.”
Kim Soleum chances a look at the useless sack of feathers, doing his best to keep his face neutral.
‘Student-ssi, is it really okay for you to share your disrespect for that guy so blatantly like this??’
The demon preens, having heard its name and likely assuming from the student’s tone that his words are complimentary.
Well, he’s not going to risk his skin by breaking the illusion.
Kim Soleum puts an impressed smile on his face as he asks, “And how long have you been here?”
“I arrived at this school’s entrance ceremony on August 30th.” The student says, still sounding as though he’s speaking nothing but praise. “The date today is December 2nd.”
What the fuck.
He can feel his jaw twitch as he fights to keep smiling and nodding, to keep his tone light and respectful. “I see. It must be tough.”
“I like to think I’ve adapted, somewhat, thanks to some friends.” The boy says modestly. “In any case, the building behind us is Ramshackle Dorm. I’ve been living here since I don’t qualify for any of the official dorms, so that’s probably why Crowley decided you should take up residence here too, until we can find a way home.”
The student gestures to the building. “Unfortunately, we can’t stay here at the moment, because technically the school doesn’t own this building right now.”
What?
How can a building be on school grounds and somehow be independent of it?
“Well, to be more accurate, this dorm is being held as collateral.” The student explains, folding his arms. “Seonsaengnim, have you seen all the students with anemones on their heads? The frilly purple growths?”
“Yes, I have.” He nods, considering this new information. “They’re sea anemones? How do they survive out of water? What causes their growth?”
“They’re signs of the person’s enslavement for violating a magic contract—all the guys who have them made a deal to ace final exams but since too many contracted and succeeded for everyone to make it into the top fifty, those who didn’t are now forced to obey Dorm Head Azul Ash—”
“監督生!” The crow-demon (Dire Crowley, the headmaster) yells, barging between them and nearly sending him to the ground. “さあ、新しい先生に私たちの学校に対して悪い印象を与えてしまうようなことは、やめておきましょうね？”
Kim Soleum has no idea what that means. But with the way the student stiffens again, jaw clenching…
‘The child is being threatened. This demon doesn’t want me to learn anything about this situation, either because he doesn’t want to risk looking bad, or...’
“Ah, don’t worry about explaining further if it’s going to be troublesome for you.” He says, stepping around the demon and smiling at the student. “I think I understand the gist of it—this must affect a significant portion of the students if this guy is depending on you to help him fix it.”
The student bows respectfully to him, tone once again carefully modulated to ‘polite regret’ despite his words. “Yes—so that Headmaster Crowley doesn’t become too busy to cut off my food stipend, he’s gracious enough to rely solely on this Prefect to tackle the issue for him. Isn’t he kind?”
He nods to the crow-demon with a wide smile and says in a voice filled with awed excitement. “What a piece of shit.”
The Prefect’s face spasms against a laugh.
The crow-demon nods, mollified, and tells him. “まあ、君の謝罪のおかげで、ひとまずは丸く収まったようだね。私がこれほど寛大だからこそ、今回の過ちは大目に見てやることにしよう。”
The boy straightens after swallowing his laughter, facing the demon. “校長先生、ご厚意ありがとうございます。一つ提案してもよろしいでしょうか?”
“どうぞ。” The crow-demon waves imperiously in response to their question.
He doesn’t know what the student’s asking, but let’s take stock of the situation while they talk.
This Prefect seems to be a high school student from Japan who, if his words are to be believed, has been stuck surviving in this Darkness for at least four months. He’s fluent in Korean, and seems to have a pragmatic mindset—his explanations were clear and concise, giving as much information as needed to understand a situation without getting too bogged down in details. This could be something he’s been forced to develop, if the adults in this Darkness decided to make him earn his keep by “helping out” and he’s grown used to his situation, but it could also just be his personality.
There is the possibility that he’s a trap created by this Darkness—the trope of a friendly-seeming ghost who can understand you and claims they want to help, only to feed you misinformation and turn on you before you can escape. It is odd for him to be so skilled in speaking Korean at his age, especially with the formal, business-like language he uses. Someone who learned Korean from a relative or from living in the country for a while would speak more naturally than this.
At the same time, he does seem genuinely wary of the crow-demon headmaster, and shackled to his whims. If he is a ghost, then it could be wise to play on that to generate sympathy, alleviate the conditions bothering him, and convince the ghost to lead him to the real exit since he has no way of researching which Darkness this is. And if he is a human…
Kim Soleum may be a coward, but even he’s not craven enough to abandon a fellow survivor to a ghost story without at least trying to save them, let alone a child.
The Prefect turns back to him. “Seonsaengnim, Crowley’s agreed to let you stay in the school infirmary for the time being. The beds there are comfortable and the staff are kind and unobtrusive, so it shouldn’t be an unpleasant experience. By sunset tomorrow, I should have the dorm situation sorted out, so I must ask for your patience until then.”
He blinks. “Ah, thank you for your consideration. But, can I ask, why sunset?”
‘No matter how you look at it, that’s an oddly specific deadline…’
The Prefect gives a wry smile. “Because by then, I’ll either be free from the magic contract I signed to save everyone else, or I’ll be enslaved too.”
!
“Ah, please don’t worry, Seonsaengnim.” The student tries to reassure him with a serious expression. “Even if the plan I have doesn’t work, I’ll do my best to negotiate with that guy so you have a place to stay, I swear.”
No, he’s more concerned with the fact that you could lose your freedom over this than having somewhere to sleep!
‘Isn’t this guy a minor as well? Hey, crow-demon-headmaster, what exactly are you pushing your students into?!’
“Are you sure you’ll be okay?” Kim Soleum asks. “From what I could gleam from the Headmaster, I’m apparently meant go take on a teacher’s role while I’m here, so you can rely on me if you need.”
“Ah, no, I can’t trouble you like that, Seonsaengnim.” The student shakes his head, hands raised. “You just arrived here, I can’t push my problems onto your plate. I still have some pride left, after all.”
‘Is it really pride, or distrust…? Is he trying to hide something from me?’
He glances at the crow-demon-headmaster, who is smiling expectantly at him.
‘Then again, if this guy was the only person who I could rely on while trapped for four months, I wouldn’t have any faith in adults either…’
Better not to push, if he wants to preserve the goodwill he’s accrued. It doesn’t sound like anything’s happening until tomorrow, so let’s fall back for now.
“…all right, if you’re sure.” Kim Soleum peers at the boy. “But please, let me know if there’s anything I can do to help if you need. As strangers in this world, we both need to look out for each other, right?”
The Prefect blinks at him, then his mouth hardens in determination. “R-right! Ah, on that note, Seonsaengnim, please be careful of any magic attacks aimed at you. The people of this world seem to have some kind of innate resistance which means they won’t get hurt too badly, but since we don’t…the consequences for us are much more severe.”
‘Why is that knowledge you feel the need to impart?? Wait, how often do people get attacked in this place for you to have this experience??’
The boy tugs up both of his trouser legs to show off his bloodstained socks. Was he forced to endure some kind of lacerations to his feet? But his shoes appear intact, so how…?
“えっ？” The crow-demon peers down in a state of apparent shock. “なんだこれ？ どうしてこんな怪我を?”
“僕たちが調査をしている最中に、アシェングロット先輩が罠を仕掛けた契約書を置きっぱなしにしていたんです。それで感電してしまって。” The Prefect deadpans. Then, considerately, he translates. “Ashengrotto-seonbae left a trap out for me and my friends while we were investigating today. I’ve never been electrocuted before, but I wouldn’t recommend the experience.”
Electrocuted?!
“はぁっ!?”
“In any case, please excuse me, Seonsaengnim. I need to consult some of my upperclassmen before tomorrow. I leave you in the Headmaster’s capable hands.” The Prefect bows to them both. “校長先生、先生のことは、その確かな手腕にお任せいたします。私はこれから、アシェングロットへの対処について先輩と話し合いに向かいます。それでは、どうぞ良い夜を。”
And before either of them can get a word out, the boy turns and all but sprints down the path back to the school.
“待て、監督生！ 戻ってこい！ 監督生!!” The crow-demon headmaster calls after him. When the student fails to materialize, he pinches the bridge of his mask and mutters, “やれやれ、あのガキのせいで、ストレスで羽が抜けちまいそうだ。”
Kim Soleum still has no clue what he’s saying, and doesn’t like the idea that he might sympathize with this guy’s sentiments if he did.
The headmaster straightens and turns to him with a clap of his hands. “さあ、異邦人さん。こうなっては仕方ありません。ひとまず医務室までお送りしましょう。今夜はカマック先生が、しっかりと看てくださいますから。”
With no other options, Kim Soleum dutifully follows the demon back down the path they came from.
As promised, the infirmary beds are comfortable.
But he would’ve appreciated knowing that, aside from one large, jovial man who keeps trying to offer him suspect pastries, the rest of the staff are ghosts straight out of a western horror story!!
Why are ghosts even staffing a school’s infirmary?? Please tell him they aren’t former patients who died here!
They may leave him alone because he feigned being tired and turning in early, but how is Kim Soleum meant to get any rest with them floating overhead and appearing through walls the entire night?!?
‘It’s impossible! This is the nightmare scenario for a coward like me!!’
Someone save him from this insane unidentifiable Darkness already!!!
