What am I doing with my life?

What would they think of human history? How does their planet and galaxy's history compare to Earth's?

Idk just the thought of a very homesick Yuu talking about Earth stuff they remember learning to the Heartslabyul crew and how, despite all of its problems, they miss the familiarity of it. They miss their family. They miss their friends. They miss their favorite hobbies and places. They want to go home.

How did this ask go from world building questions to Yuu angst...?

they absolutely would be weirded out!! most alien species are at least a little weirded out by each other (at first) just because of general cultural and body language differences. Yuu is a little bit more special because they are the first human in the wider galaxies to make contact with sentient life outside Earth!!!

luckily, humans are pretty good at picking up cues even in non-humans.

i think coffee and spice consumption would probably freak them out a bit. (NOTE: the species native to Shaftlands/Pyroxene and the Scalding Sands can eat capsaicin, but most other species can’t and is considered a mild to mid tier poison. there are alternatives, they just don’t taste super good to humans lol)

a big one that would freak ALL of them out would beeeee persistence hunting! persistence hunting in nature is pretty rare, and most of the twst aliens evolved from species that are more ambush/pursuit predators.

heartslabyul (-Cater) would probably also scare Yuu by waiting and popping out in random corners to find them. they’re very light so their footsteps are often not particularly loud either. cast them in a scary movie immediately

a lot of this was pretty heavily inspired by humans are weird/humans are space orcs so totally go check that kind of thing out if you’re interested!! some of it isn’t very applicable to this au, but theres a bit that def can be!!

hmmm… there’s not a lot from twst i can actually go off of since they don’t give us much in terms of general lore i think? a lot of wordbuilding specifically ties into the characters or the Great Seven which makes comparing twsts and our histories a bit difficult 🥲

we do have the fae/human war, but it’s been really hard to incorporate into this au, so i think i’ll have to cross that bridge when i get to it unfortunately :,) i could make in a galaxy wide war with two kinds of species in the same galaxy maybe? i guess we’ll see ;)

Yuu is absolutely very homesick and i could totally imagine them talking about Earth and human culture to the aliens, and often mentioning how much they miss Earth.

the trouble is… i don’t think they can actually go home! with their new knowledge of the outside galaxies and all of the things they’ve seen and done there’s no way the intergalactic federation (and STYX) would let them go home if they were found. the only possible way is if their memory was erased, and the only thing that has the capacity to do that is destroyed in book 6. would they even be the same person if they did somehow go back to Earth? and could they leave their alien friends behind? after all they’ve been through with them?

the good thing (bad thing??) is that everyone else on the Night Raven are in a similar situation. most of them can’t go back to their home planets for one reason or another, and i think they could understand Yuu’s feelings in a way they couldn’t in game. i think it would have to be filtered (or broken through) 15 layers of pride but i think they could eventually sympathise with Yuu and find a new home on the Night Raven. I LOVE FOUND FAMILY I LOVE FOUND FAMILY INLOVEFJCMCNN

He gets interested enough to try it when a character passes by on screen, so he gets the name from Idia and downloads it.

Azul starts using his limited free time, the same time he normally spent with his beloved partner Riddle, to play this game. This bothers Riddle more than he thinks it should. After some time Riddle confronts Azul about this.

And then he learns of Azul's favorite character.

I can imagine him being

Confused why a person would be so attached to a fictional being (haha...)

Offended he would be compared to something that isn't real and that Azul would prefer to spend time with this character than his boyfriend

Oddly jealous that Azul would rather spend time with this character and game rather than him

Flattered that he's comparable to Azul's favorite character who he gives all his time and effort playing into

Imagine it's a gacha pull game too, where you can get cosmetics, so when his fav character finally gets their limited banner turn, he throws himself into a frenzy to get it.

Specifically, a set that resembled Riddle's style so much he HAD to get it for his fave. Riddle confronts him only to find Azul with bloodshot eyes and disheveled since he keeps farming nonstop. He's THISSS close to spending irl money 🤏.

Azul finally learns to get a better gaming schedule when he notices how upset Riddle really is. He spends a MONTH lamenting for his crimes.

Years later, when they're married?

"Remember the time you ignored me for a fictional character who resembled me?"

Maybe Azul still plays the game occasionally to keep up with the main story when he's off of work while Riddle isn't. Maybe Azul stop playing a while ago but still holds fond memories of it.

Then Riddle finds an ad for an event for that same game franchise. (Maybe it's a pop-up Cafe or a concert with all the OST idk). He remembered watching Azul play that game and how happy it made him at the time. While he doesn't fully understand the appeal himself, he knows that this game its story and characters brought Azul some joy.

This somehow leads to him taking Azul on a surprise date to that event to celebrate how far they've come and stuff. They kiss and have a good time there.

This somehow leads to Azul and Riddle crackshipping the two characters together. This is how they enter the shipping culture rabbit hole. They start yapping to eachother about their favorite characters' lore.

THEM CRACK SHIPPING THEIR CHARACTERS IS THE CHERRY ON TOP!!

Idia just walking around with Ortho thinking he saw them before shaking it off. When would they ever step into this kind of scene? Imagine they were cosplaying too which makes him even LESS likely to believe it.

Until they turn around and Idia just screeches in surprise. He never imagined it after all!

And then people keep telling them that they're acting very in character when in reality they're just being ✨️themselves✨️

Imagine Azul selling merchandise he made himself for profit 📈📈📈📈📈📈

He gets interested enough to try it when a character passes by on screen, so he gets the name from Idia and downloads it.

Azul starts using his limited free time, the same time he normally spent with his beloved partner Riddle, to play this game. This bothers Riddle more than he thinks it should. After some time Riddle confronts Azul about this.

And then he learns of Azul's favorite character.

I can imagine him being

Confused why a person would be so attached to a fictional being (haha...)

Offended he would be compared to something that isn't real and that Azul would prefer to spend time with this character than his boyfriend

Oddly jealous that Azul would rather spend time with this character and game rather than him

Flattered that he's comparable to Azul's favorite character who he gives all his time and effort playing into

Imagine it's a gacha pull game too, where you can get cosmetics, so when his fav character finally gets their limited banner turn, he throws himself into a frenzy to get it.

Specifically, a set that resembled Riddle's style so much he HAD to get it for his fave. Riddle confronts him only to find Azul with bloodshot eyes and disheveled since he keeps farming nonstop. He's THISSS close to spending irl money 🤏.

Azul finally learns to get a better gaming schedule when he notices how upset Riddle really is. He spends a MONTH lamenting for his crimes.

Years later, when they're married?

"Remember the time you ignored me for a fictional character who resembled me?"

Maybe Azul still plays the game occasionally to keep up with the main story when he's off of work while Riddle isn't. Maybe Azul stop playing a while ago but still holds fond memories of it.

Then Riddle finds an ad for an event for that same game franchise. (Maybe it's a pop-up Cafe or a concert with all the OST idk). He remembered watching Azul play that game and how happy it made him at the time. While he doesn't fully understand the appeal himself, he knows that this game its story and characters brought Azul some joy.

This somehow leads to him taking Azul on a surprise date to that event to celebrate how far they've come and stuff. They kiss and have a good time there.

This somehow leads to Azul and Riddle crackshipping the two characters together. This is how they enter the shipping culture rabbit hole. They start yapping to eachother about their favorite characters' lore.

He gets interested enough to try it when a character passes by on screen, so he gets the name from Idia and downloads it.

Azul starts using his limited free time, the same time he normally spent with his beloved partner Riddle, to play this game. This bothers Riddle more than he thinks it should. After some time Riddle confronts Azul about this.

And then he learns of Azul's favorite character.

I can imagine him being

Confused why a person would be so attached to a fictional being (haha...)

Offended he would be compared to something that isn't real and that Azul would prefer to spend time with this character than his boyfriend

Oddly jealous that Azul would rather spend time with this character and game rather than him

Flattered that he's comparable to Azul's favorite character who he gives all his time and effort playing into

Imagine it's a gacha pull game too, where you can get cosmetics, so when his fav character finally gets their limited banner turn, he throws himself into a frenzy to get it.

Specifically, a set that resembled Riddle's style so much he HAD to get it for his fave. Riddle confronts him only to find Azul with bloodshot eyes and disheveled since he keeps farming nonstop. He's THISSS close to spending irl money 🤏.

Azul finally learns to get a better gaming schedule when he notices how upset Riddle really is. He spends a MONTH lamenting for his crimes.

Years later, when they're married?

"Remember the time you ignored me for a fictional character who resembled me?"

Maybe Azul still plays the game occasionally to keep up with the main story when he's off of work while Riddle isn't. Maybe Azul stop playing a while ago but still holds fond memories of it.

Then Riddle finds an ad for an event for that same game franchise. (Maybe it's a pop-up Cafe or a concert with all the OST idk). He remembered watching Azul play that game and how happy it made him at the time. While he doesn't fully understand the appeal himself, he knows that this game its story and characters brought Azul some joy.

This somehow leads to him taking Azul on a surprise date to that event to celebrate how far they've come and stuff. They kiss and have a good time there.

He gets interested enough to try it when a character passes by on screen, so he gets the name from Idia and downloads it.

Azul starts using his limited free time, the same time he normally spent with his beloved partner Riddle, to play this game. This bothers Riddle more than he thinks it should. After some time Riddle confronts Azul about this.

And then he learns of Azul's favorite character.

I can imagine him being

Confused why a person would be so attached to a fictional being (haha...)

Offended he would be compared to something that isn't real and that Azul would prefer to spend time with this character than his boyfriend

Oddly jealous that Azul would rather spend time with this character and game rather than him

Flattered that he's comparable to Azul's favorite character who he gives all his time and effort playing into

Ortho….

When I gave into temptation and pulled, I used ip all my gems and keys. I ended up getting neither Riddle's Radiant Reenactment card nor his birthday card. I remember seeing the SSR coffin only for it to be Vil's dorm uniform SSR card: A CARD I ALREADY HAD. I was utterly defeated and one of my IRL friends watched the entire scene safely from outside the fandom.

I ended up finally getting Riddle's birthday card through the anniversary event thingy and his Radiant Reenactment card in the event's rerun.

The moral of this story? Gambling is only okay if you have the money to do it. Gamble in moderation. Never let yourself be led astray by more gambling if you already have gambling plans.

How do their dynamics with both Yuu and eachother change when living together as space outlaws on the same ship together?

YAP INCOMING 🚨🚨🚨

their initial reactions are mostly the same as in game with the exception of Ace. in this au Yuu meets him by helping him escape spacecops i mean Heartslabyul soldiers, so he has a more favourable impression of them.

Deuce initially has kind of the opposite take, since Ace and Yuu accidentally dragged him into the whole rebellion debacle, but eventually he’s fully behind the movement, more than Ace and Yuu are. i think it would make his mom proud

Riddle briefly sees Yuu with Ace in some alleyways, but doesn’t actually meet all three of them until they get arrested. he meets them together with Cater and Trey. Riddle immediately hates them, the same as his reaction in-game with the whole tart bit. although… it’s a bit more intense considering he has a massive army with weaponry at his whims

Trey and Cater feel guilty about letting Riddle’s tyranny run wild, but at some point in the past they realised there wasn’t anything he could do anymore; Riddle had grown too headstrong, and his army had grown too powerful. he felt the same way about Ace Deuce and Yuu.

after Riddle’s fall from power

nothing really changes with Ace and Deuce’s opinions, though they do grow a bit closer. trauma bonding and whatever

Riddle, when he first joins the Night Raven, is still a bit bitter about his regime’s demise, but is understanding enough (since theyve had a similar confrontation with his as in game after his overblot) to be polite. he still believes for a bit that he could have fixed everything, but the longer he stays on the Night Raven the more he realises it was for the best. kind of went off topic there buuuuut eventually his opinion on Yuu loses its snap and they gain a (hesitant) friendship. the more books that pass, they more they’ll respect each other as crewmates.

Trey and Cater can finally breathe a sigh of relief on the Night Raven, and begin mending their relationship with Riddle into something that isn’t so… formal?? threatening??? like, they start having an actual friendship that isn’t filtered through 15 layers of evil boss and enabling employees. their relationship with Yuu starts off a bit strained (they literally held them captive and turned them in) but eventually they find a polite distance. again, similarly to Riddle, they’ll get closer with time.

OKAY SUPER LONG ANSWER TO THE FIRST PART LOL and it kind of answered part a little so i’ll add just a pinch more

- ADeuYuu lowkey mess with Riddle for a solid while, which starts off a bit mean hearted but turns into more of a teasing nature.

- theyre not above each other in terms of rank, which kind of pisses off Riddle for a bit as he’s used to being the boss of everything. his bossy nature eventually mellows out, much to Ace’s relief.

- Riddle freaks out when he learns Yuu’s not a registered species. this also leads him to have a crisis over realising his newfound space outlaw status. i’d imagine Deuce also goes through something similar and feels really guilty over his mom

Also, are there any language barriers? Based on the comics and stuff there doesn't seem to be any problems with communication, so do they use translators or something?

they didn’t exactly decide to join…

since Riddle was an evil tyrant over an entire galaxy, when he was defeated the residents of the galaxy were INCREDIBLY mad at him and Crimson City was rapidly shutting down as people started either jumping on spaceships to escape or rioting to find him and fight the remaining Heartslabyul army.

the Night Raven was their closest (and one of their last) means of escape so they… yknow jumped on last second.

the crew aboard couldn’t exactly kick them off (by this point Yuu and co have heard Riddles tragic backstory, and would probably vouch for him, Trey and Cater) much to Crowley’s dismay. own up to the space outlaw shtick crow man!! 🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛

this all leads to them joining the crew :)

as for the language barrier question, in order to properly engage in interstellar communication, there’s gotta be an interstellar communication system!!

Like they aren't scared of the Heartslabyul crew, (though they are a bit uneased by the similarities they have to bugs) but if Earth bugs had managed to get on the ship...

Just imagining Yuu on top of a table or smth and screaming for somebody to kill the "intruder". Just wondering how the Heartslabyul crew would feel about seeing them in fear of a very small entity that looks uncanilly similar to them (apart from size and stuff). The alien who saved their galaxy from eternal tyrany happened to be scared of... tiny versions of their kind from their world???

Unless they look at bugs and believe they look nothing like them and genuinely believe there is 0 correlation. That's also a possibility. They'd probably just be either amused or confused at Yuu's fear then.

This AU has infected my brain so I just wanted to share that little thought

giggled so hard when i saw this ask 😋😋

they would probably find it really funny, i mean the mysterious alien that defeated Riddle is scared of mini-thems?? lmaoooooo infinite teasing incoming sorry Yuu!! suckerrrrr

it’s also really possible that if Yuu had a huge fear of bugs, they might also be a bit twitchy around the Heartslabyul gang (- Cater) when they do more buggy things. i feel like they might get a little hurt by that.

..or they could up their buggy-ness just to freak Yuu out a little. i wouldn’t put it past them ngl

also bonus mini comic 🤭

do their bodies have any other major (or minor) differences from human biology?

A LOT!!!!!!!! many major differences :-)))) although most of them are still humanoid, i really wanted to make them very gleep glorp alien-y. Heartslabyul's species was inspired by bugs both because of the tiny bug feel of Alice in Wonderland and because Riddle generally makes me think of a bug with his antennas :-)))

okok more in depth stuff + more drawings under the cut!!

for some quick general differences, they’re a lot smaller than your average alien. they also have an extra (smaller) pair of limbs below their chests. the larger pair are typically used for more heavyweight endeavours and the smaller pair is more precise. (this is all specifically for aliens from the queendom of roses galaxy, by the way. species from other galaxies are a lot different)

the ‘internal power flow’ is a concept i’ve been playing around with to try and mimic magic without it actually being magic. the idea is that by having a sort of internalised force they could channel it into weaponry. it’s sort of lame right now but hopefully i can work it out a bit more.

alien riddle that i’m probably never gonna finish oops