#cotdau

Before meeting you, they look like what they are above.

Vibrancy is now split into Shape and Color.

Shape: Their sense of self. (Those who are more in shape are more themselves in personality wise. Sometimes, having a sense of self isn't enough and they need to feel to be sane.)

Color: Happiness levels. (Emotion regulation basically. Some are better at containing themselves, but others need their colors to help them be, calm.)

When you found them, they gain their shape to 100% permanently, but their colors can drain fast if you don't give them your attention. Please, keep them near you at all times. Just being near you is enough.

Unlike the section leaders who can have more than 100% divided, the others have to make due depending on their personality and how bad their sanity can go without feeling happy.

Ace: 90% shape, 10% color. Before he met you, the only thing he couldn't "fix" is his one eye. He really wanted more color in him but he really do not want to deal with his one eye dripping liquid out. Now that he has you, his life is filled with all the color he could ever want and more. He rarely has to deal with his eye when you're near him. So please, stay near him always.

Deuce: 85% shape, 15% color. Before he met you, he really doesn't care, as long as he shape like a human enough, things will be fine. He will be fine. He knows he'll lose his shape anyway if he lost control of himself... but now he doesn't have to keep being in control. You will keep him in check, won't you?

Trey: 96% shape, 4% color. Before he met you, his sense of self is enough to keep him sane. He... he is not violent in nature, but he still need a few percentage of color to be able to keep it that way. When he met you, just being in the same town as you is enough for him to be able to find true peace. You'll keep him around forever, won't you?

Cater: 99% shape, 1% color. Before he met you, He cares for nothing else but his sense of self. He rather isolate himself than trying to gain more power outside of the safety of the Heartslabyul section. When he finally met you, he finally be able to actually feel at it's truest. Please, please, PLEASE, Don't leave him in the dark again. EVER.

Riddle: 100% shape, 50% color. Before he met you, he needs his vibrancy to be full or half way. It's the reason why he's at the top now, being the leader of the Heartslabyul section. He needs it. Needs it so bad or else. But looking at the bright sight now, at least he has you now! He can finally be him without purging a whole section clean just to keep him calm. You can't leave him. He won't go back to where he was once.

It's starts small. The first time it happened, Crowley (the mayor) twist it all up as if MC is some kind of divine gift to the village and he proposed that the boys help around the village for that reason. Depending on how you are as a person, you can either reject that offer cause they was shitty to you, or you can let the boys help the villagers.

Despite this, the village still doesn't like you. It's kind of the effect of, if you know you're wrong, you would double down instead of owning it. Wit the exception of few but they're a minority. Rollo is actually one of the villagers that still cares for you but just in a "Oh, they're a pityful friend, but still friend" to "They have been controlled by the devil and I must save them!" kind of way.

Whatever you pick, the boys will find out that the villagers still talk shit behind your back and had almost planned something to get you kicked out.

Let's just say, The Heartslabyul has their ways in convincing people on not hurting you.

Ever since then, Riddle assigned one of them to accompany you wherever you go. You know, for protection :3 (They always fights on who.)

At the second sacrifice, the people who hates you still, hoped you didn't come back

You still do. No matter how many times you have gotten sacrifice to the cave.

By the third sacrifice, it wasn't even Crowley who hold the sacrifices. They stopped the sacrifice rituals. Kind of even begging you to not get in that cursed cave.

Though your heart still whispers that there are still those you need to save.

The more shadowlings you have, the nicer the villagers are towards you. The minority (Twst side characters) are concerned by you living with so many... monsters. But as long as no one is hurting you, no one will have to go missing.

How do the villagers treat the shadowlings?

Fear. Most of them used to be disgusted sure but after one of them went missing after attempting anything mean towards MC, one of them became an example. You of course are oblivious to what's happening (well depends on you, but the boys will try their hardest to not get caught in these kinds of actions they're taking under your name.)

After Savanaclaw arrived, there are some villagers who started to apologize to you.

By Octavinelle, they are begging to be forgiven.

By Scarabia, they have become the perfect neighbors for you. As long as you don't hurt them.

By Pomefiore, they become more fearful. Giving you anything for free. They treat you like royal and praising the ground you walk on.

By Ignihyde, they have even made offerings for you in front of the village's gates for you. Like you're some God.

By Diasomnia. You become the village new living God. The boys make statues of you and they govern the people whoever entered your world to your liking.

But that all is depending on how you want the boys to act around the villagers. :3 I hope you're at least a merciful God :33

Magic system

Magic comes mostly from nature. Though this doesn't apply to the village you're in. Magic here comes from a concentrated source, that is the cave of darkness. 

Said cave is a magical being that no one dares to enter, yet in many times of the year, the cave spit out gems like things that contain magic. That's why the villagers thought sacrificing people is needed.

The gems to the villagers are a sign of god gracing their lands.

The gems to the shadows are their own deaths. Yet they bore no sympathy towards those who had passed. They either see the sight as pathetic, hilarious or good riddance.

—

Shadows

Shadows are beings of the dark. That is obvious. But in the cave, Shadows are almost humanoid or beast like creatures that have one thing on their mind and that is kill or be killed. So most of them are twisted in the noggin.

Inside the darkness, there's no such thing as Mercy. There is always violence between many sections of shadows despite all of them being the same kind. MC calls them Shadowlings and the boys have mixed feelings about it.

Many shadows were once a being of light, but many don't remember their time outside. 

Being of lights is what the shadow calls regular old humans out there in the sun. They don't know much about humans but they know some general facts about them and find some of the humans in the village using their fallen shadowlings soul to be a sick, yet hilarious joke.

The appearance of a shadow quite affects their power scale. The more vibrant they are with their way of forming themselves into an entity, the more powerful they are. For example: The Overblots all have two forms. A human and their monstrous like form while the rest only manage to keep their human form and even sometimes they have problems in keeping their vibrancy. This will improve when MC comes along cause the only way they get vibrant in the cave of shadows is if they killed off many of their kind, and MC can give that same power by just existing near them.

Vibrancy is when a Shadow can make himself colorful, like having colored hair, skin and eyes, instead of being just black and white in color.

Magic stone/crystal/gems are a shadow's whole soul. Depending on the cut and the type of stone it is, it can be the most fragile soul there is or it can be indestructible. The boy's gems fall in line with the latter category, some stronger than others.

Shadowlings have a sense of individuality and they know they are more than their killed or be killed ideals, but are stuck in a world that could take their sense of self immediately if they aren't careful. Which is why the top of the chain often creates a small but temporary section for those who need rest from all the violence. But depending on who their now leader is a dealbreaker for most of the shadowlings, some leaders force things onto their followers in exchange for their safety. That's why most sections are temporary. The most notable and long standing groups are the 7 sections with leaders that usually influence quite a chunk of space in the darkness. (The dorms we know in the Twisted Wonderland world, basically. They call it sections instead of dorms.)

Sacrifice from the land of the light. The shadows find the being of lights funny with the amount of scared humans that came into their den expecting to be the prophecy they all knew by heart at this point. All of the sacrificed individuals were killed before MC.

Shadowling's weakness is light. That is, until some of them become god's little favorite and become somewhat a dweller of light once more, but with immense power and MC as their weakness

Shadowling's, could technically go outside under some specific circumstances. One shadow that literally breaks all the rules above being Malleus.

—

What MC is to the boy's

MC is destined since birth to not only possess the most powerful of Mage Crystals and the shadows that held it. The Mage Crystals to a shadow is like their soul. That single rock is literally what held them together and when it's stolen, the once with hold of the stone can do whatever they wish to the shadow that holds said stone. 

The shadows thought they were all permanently sealed inside the cave until a prophecy was spread among them that a child from the light will bring some of their kind out into the light once more, with a price of them handing their life and utmost loyalty to said child. Due to that, the shadows immediately killed off the sacrifices when they set foot inside the cave.

When it was MC's turn, most of them thought that MC would just be killed off quickly like the rest by the unnamed beast, yet MC managed to approach a well known section of the shadows, with a shadow possessed cat and a blue lamp with them. Somehow they manage to bring Heartslabyul to the light. They thought the prophecy had ended with Heartslabyul, but MC came back due to the prophecy. Immediately shit hits the fan with the remaining shadows inside of the hellhole. Most are disgusted at the fact that they have to be bound to another to be free from that hell they are in, but it turns out the MC themselves is their salvation. 

The boys have different reaction once they knew of the prophecy and then meeting MC.

(WIP)

With all their reactions being so different, they all share one thing in common. MC is their salvation, light and rejuvenation. Being near their presence brightens their whole day and MC rewarding them with their touch gives off a healing or recharging sort of feeling that brightens their whole day and being. They all love the MC fiercely so to speak. Whether it's platonic or romantic, it doesn't matter. What matters is you and only you.

—

Things to note before the sacrifice

MC always acted in odd ways right before they were about to venture off in the cave. After Heartslabyul, MC knows that them acting out of character is a sign that their shadow familiars are calling for MC to save them. After the familiars are found and brought back to light, MC's behavior goes back to the way it was.

Heartslabyul. MC will act as if the week before their sacrifice is an unbirthday party. Speaking in a poet-like madness that baffles MC's caretakers. Often they are seen setting up a table of 7 right before thinking it's ridiculous when snapped out of it. Whether the MC thinks that their behavior (before knowing the truth) is a coping mechanism for their impending doom is for the reader to decide.

Savanaclaw. MC will act slightly paranoid of their space and will ask their companions to search around the perimeter. Often finding themselves mid-walk around the forest to check for intruders that never existed. MC will also be more assertive towards the village people when usually it’s the boys job to do so. Only Riddle caught on to what's going on and immediately felt an immense dread of meeting his once shadowlings, and pride at the same time as their master being this powerful to link the most respected beings in their past world.

Octavinelle, Scarabia, Pomefiore, Ignihyde and Diasomnia (WIP)

—

Grim

Before MC's sacrifice, Grim is just a simple spoiled cat that loves tuna. MC finds Grim abandoned on a rainy day behind the cave that people feared so much. The cat looked so weak looking that MC decided to take it home. Some of MC’s caretakers called him a raccoon due to his size being one larger than usual normal cats. Right when MC was about to be sacrificed, Grim jumped off Trein's hold to join MC in the cave venture. MC is glad that they at least have company. At first nothing happened, until your ceremonial lanterns were snuffed. Of course you panicked and you could hear laughter all of the sudden. You thought you would be dead then, that is until you can see blue light coming from your cat.

“Geez I have to do everything all by myself huh, henchhuman? Tch! I deserve 10 Tunas when we get home.”

Your fucking cat can talk now. Apparently he's your first official shadowling. He was once an unnamed beast of the shadows until he grew curious and got into near the cave's entrance despite all of the shadows never getting near to the entrance at all. He was only able to leave due to it raining outside, but then he was trapped outside and wasn't able to get enough shade to stay alive… until you came. Due to him barely even having a stone of his own, he just is a cat under your care.

Now he loves sunbathing thanks to your influence.

After your sacrifice, Grim manages to find his stone back. It's dirty and is probably the weakest compared to most of your other familiars, but Grim is the only shadowling who manages to keep his stone to himself and he wears it now as a collar. Reason why, unlike the boys, he manages to live without it long enough that keeping the rock just makes Grim unable to communicate outside the cave. So you let him keep it and Grim loves you more for it.

—

Village facts

Their village is known for magical civilians. Though due to their village being placed in a rural side, (I would say even obscure), they're kinda racist in a way.

The MC is a hermit who lives far from civilization. Not outside of the village's border but far enough from many people. They only come to the village for supplies and even that is tough sometimes.

Only 5 residents find their company appealing. Most born from pity, but one seems to bore guilt whenever he sees them in the village, roaming about.

One of those residents named Sam, the charming merchant who had settled down at the village square selling odd trinkets and brews for many ailments. He appears to be weak in magic but is proficient with what he got. He's an ally to you. 

Trein (A family of 3 who moved into the village after mom died)

Vargas (not sure yet)

Crewel (Town's seamster, who settled after a scandal maybe?) 

Crowley (Fuck ass Shady Mayor)

There are many odd fellows that you'll encounter in this village, such as the soon to be village priest, Rollo who had taken quite a liking to you since you (MC) has no magic. (That is until he sees you being sacrificed and comes back with magical familiars.)

Fellow and Gidel (Traveling duo entertainer. You encounter Gidel looking at a class trying to learn how to read. This happens after your sacrifice)

Skully (Fellow shadow but I'm not sure where he should go)

Anyways, if you guys do like what I'm cooking so far, please do tell! Cause Rosie needs encouragement and engagement to keep going with these sorts of things.

Yuu coming along is like, a threat for the boys at first. Especially reaching Savanaclaw and Octavinelle which in the time line, the shadowlings are fucking reeling over one of the most powerful section, Heartslabyul just, disappeared.

But after the whole taming thing, they all will realized that Yuu is basically their savior, salvation, ect

Leona would mention that Yuu is like a drug to all of them which, is kinda true. But does that stop the boys from loving you? Nope.

The thing with Shadowlings is that, due to their nature, they never really see good things as permanent. Hell being in a section is already like, the most they could do to feel more sane.

so naturally... when the only way the boys get to be sane is from one specific person who holds their soul (literally, Yuu holds their Magic stones when they manage to tame them) when they're free from their own hell... You can say they'll do whatever it takes to keep you happy.

And you're stuck with them. Forever if they can make sure of it.

Fun fact: Yuu as the one who tamed the boys are not completely powerless to the boys whims. When you tamed them, they become a part of you and you can kinda use their powers... and give them punishments when needed. But that's a whole can of worms all on it's own.

The more color and human likeness they have, the more powerful they become... kinda.

Riddle's head can detach itself. He is probably the first one I thought of and the easiest to think what his uncanny thing will be. Instead of restraining magic, his powers now actually cuts off peoples heads. If the headless body is not reunited with it's head, the person will die in a week.

Leona's body is made of sand. He sometimes leaves sand everywhere from his own person. Those sand particle he can control at will. Even so, he is still corporeal and you can still comfortably lean and hug him as you please.

Azul arms and legs are darker in color than the rest of his skin color, it's much more purple and when he's upset, his limbs becomes one of a octopi tentacle. In combat, he's much more of a tank than any other boys you'll have.

Jamil has snake scales, teeth and tongue. Need I say more? His eyes still works like his original counterpart... he might also be venomous. No one really test this theory

Vil's hands are poisonous, and he can control when it do or don't. He wears gloves all the time around you just for precautions but he'll never hurt you. But others? Don't make him promise.

Idia in definition is the most shadow you could ever get, but his coloration in his hair is so unnaturally bright that you forgot about that fact. He's one of the stealthiest boys you'll have. Probably better than Rook... or on par, depends really these two.

RSA

(Let me start up saying that I haven't named any of the villages yet cause I'm not in the mood to think of names on the fly, so don't mind me referring a villages as RSA and NRC for abit

On the island that the village you're located in, there's another village quite near.

RSA as a village is mostly a normal village with friendly neighbors and stuff. Not much is known from RSA itself, except the fact that, most of the magic the villagers have, came from the sky.

It's the opposite of NRC side of the village magic system, where most of the villagers magic stone comes from the cave filled with shadows, the Magic RSA has basically came dropping from the sky like stars. Unlike NRC, the magic stone is not a corpse of some kind of shadowlings, it's just a magical stone.

Everyone who owns a magic stone there doesn't really know how, or why they were chosen to bore magic, but they are thankful regardless. Due to the randomness of it's choosing, the villagers is more understanding to those who have no magic.

RSA and NRC is aware of each other's existence, but since NRC is... NRC, the magic users there made a border between the two villages so they may not interact with each other. The border being a thick lush forest that could get everyone lost and disoriented.

The village there is more jolly if I have to be honest, anyways now for the only two characters of RSA that I'm familiar with.

Neige Leblanche

A fellow magicless boy who lived in the nearest village to yours! His village is kinder towards him so he was welcome, unlike you. He's quite established there, he's a kindergarten teacher! (The teacher to the dwarfs basically.) Even if he's magicless, somehow nature seems to like him and he have little bird friends and woodland creatures following him around which has become a usual sight in his little village.

Even without magic, him understanding woodland creatures is quite a skill that most who doesn't know him well thinks that his magic came in the form of talking to animals.

How does he meet you? By accident. He once were picking flowers in the forest he's not familiar with and ended up lost. He spend so long blindly walking, hoping that he find the way home and accidentally stumbled to your home.

This happens a while before your sacrifice, or even before the announcement of your sacrifice even came about.

How you interact with him the first time is up to you, but no matter how you treat him, he will be intrigued by you. You're magicless just like him, and quite mysterious in his eyes. When the time for him to leave comes, he vows that he'll visit you often (if he's able to find your house that is)

With his animals help, he did found your house again.

He became a strange friend to you, coming at odd days and no scheduled time, until one day, you're not home.

That day, his animals doesn't want to help him find your house, which is already a weird sign to him.

He manage to find your home himself, and finding you not there, he at first weren't worried and opted to wait, since this isn't the first time he came unannounced and waiting for you to come home.

What's weird is that Grim is not there at home, which is became another worrisome sign.

Then he heard a commotion from a far.

He came closer to it to investigate.

He then saw you dressed all in robes with a lantern that you're holding tightly.

the people he's surrounded with yells with such animosity that he doesn't even have to frantically ask around to know that you're currently being forced to do something against your will.

He saw Grim in someone else's hold trashing around while screeching in fear of something. He trashes and screech until he was let go and ran towards the ominous cave to follow you.

He watch as the village seems to celebrate in your disappearance. He saw the group of families who were holding Grim before, comforting each other, seemingly to already grieving you. Which he does not understand.

Why are they so, upset? Why is he scared for you? Should he save you? Should he run for you? He can't even act on his instinct to save, since he is also unsure of how the villagers will react towards a newcomers amongst them. So he chose to... wait.

Neige thinks over his interaction with you, notes that there are signs of you being stuck in a bad place. He beats himself down for not acting on it sooner, or even realize it sooner.

But as soon as he debates over rescuing you now to what ever fate had you, you came back.

With new five figures behind you.

They admits an air, that... lightly chokes him. It terrifies him that he runs away.

What a coward he thinks.

He beats himself when he came back home. His animals tries to comfort him with no luck.

He grieved you, even if you are still alive.

Once he calms downs down enough, he made another vow while still in tears.

He'll get you out of that hell one day.

(Inshort: Neige is a boy who fell for you in a crushy way at first, and it evolves to some kind of devotion to save you from your village and monsters. Kinda has the same vibes as Rollo's love for you but less, toxic? Idk, you decide)

Artemiy Artemiyevich Pinker (Che'nya)

Chenya is a boy who's known for his mischievous side in his village. He's the town trouble maker, but despite that he's still somehow well liked. He's one of the village's "lucky ones" which he received his magic stone and have the ability to disappear from everyone sight, leaving a toothy smile in his wake that always makes everyone's mood to brighten up somehow.

He spends his time on top of trees waiting for a chance to appear out of nowhere to scare anyone, and when ever he did, he always leave everyone he scare in a happier and lively mood.

He doesn't do much other than being the village clown and he takes that title like a badge of honor.

How he meet you? He follow Neige once after realizing he has been leaving the village to sevens know where. So he decided to be sneaky about it. This happens after MC's sacrifice which let to Che'nya witnessing the town's sweet heart rehearsing plans like it's war.

At first he finds that his friend, Neige is getting into a forest he's, not so sure of. Yet Neige enters it and navigates it like the back of his hand.

What he finds after following his friend is a vollage like his own, but more... dulled in color.

Long story short, Neige tries to talk to you, but the boys wouldn't let him, Somehow the boys accuses Neige to be a spy of kind due to finding Che'nya hiding spot, and yada yada yada you stopped your shadowlings.

You then have two boys from RSA and Heartslabyul glaring daggers at the two new intruders.