#cannot escape

Oh hey,

Vertin skips meals often. When she eats, it's usually a very light meal with a cup of tea. However, since Sonetto and few others have joined she's been eating more properly under their supervision.

Eating together is one of the ways people in the Suitcase bond and they often celebrate together with parties and feasts (based off the official art). Vertin doesn't eat much during these events, but she always stays until the very end.

But one day Regulus mentions how weird it is Vertin can go through so much picrasma candy at once. She's like a bottomless pit that inhales them. They make up theories as to why this is but don't look to deeply into it. It's just one of Vertin’s quirks.

But Regulus decides to dig deeper and Sonetto helps her because she wants Vertin to eat more in general for her health. Sonetto also remembers Vertin being a notorious food thief during their school days, so it's not like she doesn't get hungry.

To test Regulus's theory, Bunny Bunny and the other chefs put on an eating contest. Vertin would normally be an observer not an active participant. However, Regulus has a way to lure her in: the grand prize. It'll be something Vertin can't resist.

But that's easier said than done. It's hard to figure out what Vertin would like. The Timekeeper is a humble person who puts people's needs before her own, which makes this extra difficult.

But Regulus assures them she has it figured out. She reveals the grand prize...

An arcane camera and a lot of Sharpadonties.

No one thinks it'll work. Vertin can buy a camera whenever she wants or even ask Laplace to make her something cool. Vertin's also very attached to the camera she already has. Regulus tasks Sonetto to pitch how awesome this camera is. Sonetto does her research and knows everything about this camera as well as how impressive it is. She yaps to Vertin about it.

Vertin caves and enters the contest, much to everyone's surprise.

At first, Vertin eats in little bites like usual. But eventually something in her eyes change. She starts devouring food. While she isn't as messy as the others, she shows no sign of slowing down. The others tap out but no one stops her. Eventually Vertin stops and she's stunned.

She's full.

At SPDM, students with higher grades get bigger portions and more options. It's like resource allocation. Students who are expected to accomplish more will have more invested in them. The students SPDM doesn’t expect much return from receive less. They get as much they need survive and that's it.

Vertin was a crappy student so she didn't get much. This also affected her ability to focus and stay awake in class, although she didn't have much interest anyway. She stole food when she didn't have anything to eat which was more often than the others realize.

Because she's used to "running on empty", her mind's still stuck in survival mode despite being in a much better situation. She’s never forgotten the pain of being hungry and she she's never felt the satisfaction of being truly full. Why? Because she didn't need to. Especially when she was traveling the world alone as the Timekeeper. Her weird appetite worked in her favor since they didn't give her much funds. She cut corners on food and used her resources for the mission.

Which is something she would NEVER do to her own people but she's used to living like that because of SPDM.

Now that the others know how much Vertin can eat, they make sure she gets her fill. Vertin slowly unlearns the bare minimum mindset instilled in her. She seems happier and healthier since her intervention too.

But Vertin is an arcanist, and one that's highly adaptable. Her body is no longer in survival mode.

So it enters a growth phase.

SHE EVOLVES INTO TALLTIN

Yeah that's right this was a set up for Vertin being a big looming thing when she grows up.

Vertin hates it at first. She needs to get new suits and shoes (which is a whole event because the others want to help her style her wardrobe). It's harder to sneak around. Sometimes she bumps her head when she exists cars. She misses having leg room. Just a smol baby in a big boi body because she's finally getting the protein she needs.

But she likes being strong enough to carry the younger kids. They like to hang off of her like Christmas ornaments from a tree.

She also likes looking down at Constantine when they argue. Constantine is so sick of her shit, trust.

Vertin sometimes picks up Madam Z when she sees her just because she can. She's a menace, an affectionate menace. Madam Z used to protest, but now she just goes "Hello, Vertin. It's good to see you too." She has accepted her fate. Tooth Fairy also gets the same treatment since she used to carry Smoltin around.

I imagine Vertin as an arcanist with magical shenanigans going on inside rather than outside. For example:

Vertin takes a lot of damage >> Vertin builds an unnatural damage resistance

In the same vein, Vertin eats a lot of food >> Vertin's body becomes better at storing energy and using it more efficiently.

Vertin can be scary when she eats sometimes to. She easily cracks bones and sucks out their marrows, which is something she could never do in the past unless she wanted to pay Tooth Fairy a visit.

Oh and the camera from the contest that started it all?

She gave it Sonetto. She figured Sonetto wanted it since she kept talking about it, which is why she joined the contest in the first place. Sonetto is very grateful and loves to show Vertin all the pictures she's taken of the outside world. She takes pictures of cute Critters she knows Vertin will like too.

This was all according to Regulus's plan. She knows her best friend would do anything for the people she loves.

Now Regulus is on a mission to find out what Vertin's favorite food is!