#riddle writes

Riddle Rosehearts

Since the two of you share complicated pasts regarding your parents, you and Riddle can relate to each other's experiences on a deeply personal level.

Riddle's strict and disciplined demeanor is a harsh contrast to your own unpredictable personality, but you somehow bring out the best in each other. Opposites attract, as they say!

Your determination to achieve your goals is something Riddle very much admires in you. Though he tends to be a bit stingy with praise, he is happy to validate your effort when he sees how you light up in response.

While Riddle doesn't mind communicating with you via text message or written note, eventually he takes it upon himself to learn sign language and pass the knowledge on to you so that the two of you can communicate more effectively.

Being the Housewarden of Heartslabyul, Riddle is very used to reality being chaotic and unstable, so your illusion magic— while technically impressive— isn't anything out of the ordinary from his perspective.

Riddle finds the way you wield your weapon of choice extremely breathtaking in its elegance. When it's not being used for combat, he enjoys taking walks with you in the rose garden under the shade of your parasol.

Ruggie Bucchi

You and Ruggie quickly bond over your mutual affinity for schemes and deception. Your relationship can best be described as "romantic partners in crime".

Ruggie doesn't care to keep you on any sort of leash, letting you indulge your more chaotic impulses as much as you want. The two of you treat each other as equals in all aspects, and that's something you're very appreciative of.

Though Ruggie loves knowing he has a partner who can hold their own in a fight, he also respects that you're aware of your own limits and are willing to turn tail when you're outmatched.

Being multilingual, Ruggie already knows a bit of sign language and is more than willing to teach you a few basic words and phrases. He is also very good at reading your nonverbal cues when you don't feel like signing or writing.

Your illusion abilities, paired with Ruggie's signature spell, make for an extremely effective combination when it comes to scamming others. Of course, you're not above using your illusions to prank Ruggie himself, but thankfully, he's a good sport about it.

While Ruggie does find your parasol fun and unique, he's really impressed by your acrobatic abilities and pick-pocketing skills. He feels confident knowing the two of you can both get by without the use of magic.

Azul Ashengrotto

You caught Azul's attention when you started swiping things from the Mostro Lounge. It started with silverware, napkins, and condiments, and eventually escalated to trying to steal from the register. At first, he was livid, but he quickly realized you would be far more valuable as a partner than an enemy.

Azul's more sly and calculating methods actually pair quite nicely with your more reckless tendencies. You're fiercely loyal to him and are willing to carry out all of his demands, like a more reliable version of the Leech twins.

Your affinity for espionage is something that Azul is very impressed by. Being a master of disguise and illusion, you're able to uncover other students' darkest secrets with ease.

Azul would consider himself to be fluent in body language, often being able to tell exactly what you're thinking from your posture alone. Still, he enjoys finding the little notes scribbled on napkins that you leave for him around the Lounge.

Your illusion magic is an ability that Azul actually finds rather intimidating. If you weren't romantically involved, it might be something he would try to get you to sign away.

The appearance of your weapon of choice complements Octavinelle's overall aesthetic quite nicely. In a way, it almost matches the cane Azul carries.

Jade Leech

You and Jade both have a bit of a sadistic streak, though Jade does a much better job at hiding his. One of your favorite couple-bonding activities is tormenting others together.

Like Azul, Jade's more subdued sort of mischief complements your more openly ruthless actions quite nicely. Your combined strategies are more effective together than they would be separately, as Jade has plenty of experience in a supervisory role.

Also like Azul, Jade appreciates your talent for espionage. It proves to be very helpful in collecting the usual personal tidbits on all of Octavinelle's incoming freshmen.

While Jade is undoubtedly in tune with your moods, he enjoys playing dumb and forcing you to act things out for him. Of course, he always makes it up to you afterwards and tends to whatever it is you need.

Your illusion magic works wonders on targets of Jade's signature spell. After all, there's no better way to lower someone's guard than to disguise yourself as someone they love!

Jade absolutely adores your parasol. With its elegant exterior concealing something dangerous inside, your weapon of choice makes it quite obvious why you fell for him in the first place.

Floyd Leech

Individually, you and Floyd are each notorious for being unpredictable and causing chaos. Together, though? May the Seven help whoever crosses your path.

While you both share an affinity for trouble-making, Floyd's occasional laziness is a stark contrast to your determined one-track mind. It's still quite easy for you to convince him to join your antics, though, to the extent that Azul thinks you might be a bad influence on Floyd.

Floyd very much appreciates your sadistic streak and loves watching you tear into people who have slighted you. This also means you aren't intimidated by his sinister side.

Like his brother, Floyd loves forcing you to play charades with him, though he takes the game far more seriously than Jade does and won't prolong it once he's figured out what you're trying to say. When he's not in the mood to play, a text message will suffice.

Your illusion magic is one thing Floyd never gets bored with. Because the only limit to its power is your imagination, the two of you can sometimes spend hours in your own little fantasy world.

Floyd won't deny that your swordsmanship skills are impressive, but he finds your parasol itself to be somewhat silly. He will often tease you about it or swipe it from you, only to force you to chase him down to get it back.

Kalim Al-Asim

Kalim, being the friendly and optimistic boy that he is, is completely unfazed by your reputation. He finds you fun and exciting to be around, and wants to give you the sense of family that your childhood was missing.

Your craving for validation is more than satisfied in Kalim's company. He loves to give you compliments to make sure that you feel appreciated, and you'd do just about anything for him in return.

Kalim admires your agility and acrobatic skills. The first time he saw you use them in a fight, he suggested asking Jamil to teach you to channel them into dance.

Despite his best intentions, Kalim tends to forget about your mutism. He is prone to getting overexcited in your company and having one-sided conversations for several minutes. To his credit, he is always very apologetic afterwards.

Kalim adores your illusion magic! He's always found magic incredibly cool, easily impressed by grand displays. Like Floyd, he could easily get lost in the fantasy and spend hours with you, conjuring up new and fun ideas.

Knowing about the blade hidden inside your signature parasol might make others nervous, but Kalim finds it comforting because he trusts you. He also likes to summon rain with his signature spell to give him an excuse to kiss you underneath the parasol's shade.

Jamil Viper

Though the pressures put upon you by your parents were opposite in intention— Jamil's to keep him average and yours to make you perfect— the mistreatment heavily affected you both, and you take comfort in the fact that you're able to be yourselves around each other.

Jamil does his best to rein in some of your more chaotic tendencies, but he is not usually successful. He claims to want to avoid the attention your antics attract, but he does secretly find them endearing.

Obviously, Jamil likes you for your personality, but he also finds your hair mesmerising. On the occasion that you let him braid it, he always comments on how beautifully the colors weave together.

Jamil was raised to be incredibly attentive, and this naturally extends to you. He is always the first to notice any change in your demeanor and to check in with you if he feels that something is wrong.

Both Jamil's signature spell and your illusion magic affect people's minds, so he understands firsthand how dangerous your ability can be. He doesn't judge you for using it, but he does make you promise never to make him see bugs that aren't really there.

Jamil finds the idea of a concealed blade inside a parasol to be incredibly resourceful. He's glad that you can easily defend yourself from unsuspecting attackers, as well as protect yourself from the merciless desert sun.

Silver

While the specific natures of your disabilities differ, they both result in you and Silver not being listened to by your peers— yours in a more literal way. This shared frustration means that you are both very respectful of each other, ensuring that you remain equals in your relationship.

Being the son of Lilia Vanrouge means that Silver is quite used to dealing with chaos and unpredictability, so your personality doesn't faze him in the slightest. In fact, he's quite charmed by it.

Loyalty is incredibly important to Silver, and he respects your dedication to the ones you love. Though he will always be Malleus's protector first and foremost, the two of you have vowed to keep each other safe as well.

Silver tends to be on the quiet side, so most of your time together is spent in comfortable silence. He always does his best to make sure that you feel heard, and he's willing to communicate via whatever method you prefer on a given day.

The visions conjured by your illusion magic remind Silver of dreams, only far less daunting, given that there's some sense of control. It's nice to be able to explore fantasy scenarios without the fear of forgetting or of his loved ones coming to harm.

As her head cleared, Edith could hear the sounds of early risers training in the courtyard through her open window. She was thankful that she had been careless for once. The crisp, cool early-morning air of a Wyvern moon morning filtered in and cooled her throbbing head. At least she hadn’t slept in long enough for someone to come barreling in and make her migraine worse. 

Time passed, and events came back to her. Stealing off to a tavern late at night... a couple of burly men... a drinking competition. Cheers. Laughter. Empty kegs. Shanties that her parents taught her when she was small. 

Edith smirked to herself, despite the fact that moving her lips made her temples audibly throb. She knew herself well enough to know she probably drank most of those men under the table. At a price, of course. She'd been hung over before, but never like this. Lady Edelgard would be beside herself if she knew. 

As soon as the nausea faded away enough, Edith grunted softly and forced herself to sit up, setting her head spinning and bringing bitter-tasting bile to the back of her throat. She wrinkled up her nose and sat back on her hands for as long as it took for the room to be level again. She thought she felt herself shaking, though that might have just been her dizziness as well. How much time had past? Wouldn’t she like to know. 

Edith didn’t bother tying up her hair, and merely threw a jacket over her shoulders and pulled pants on. She was sure by the way they awkwardly stretched across her waist that they were backwards, but she couldn’t be bothered to take them off and put them on again. Every time she bent her head down the world spun on that angle. 

She stared at the door as if it had said an insult against her mother, silver hair spilling in tangled clumps over her shoulders. She had to open it and walk somewhere. She couldn’t just lie down and magically warp. Edith groaned softly to herself and let her head tip back in exasperation. Which was a terrible idea. 

There was no question about where she was headed. The question was, however, would she actually get there? 

--

Thankfully the monastery halls were not entirely crowded, though Edith could tell she was getting some funny looks from the noble students. She smirked bitterly to herself every time, hobbling on stiff legs toward the infirmary. Every step made her head throb. 

She finally made it to the infirmary doors after what had felt like an eternity. Edith didn’t mind the public humiliation of shuffling with her pants on backwards in front of dozens of her classmates, but the headache was just insulting. She rested her hand on the doorknob and immediately felt the impulse to rest her head against it. Cool, smooth metal was a blessing amid all the curses of this morning. But she put that aside, telling herself that it was just short-term. Medicine would last longer, work better. Maybe she’d headbutt the doorknob on the way back out. 

Edith’s fingers slipped a little on the metal as she struggled to get the door open, and peered in after much too long. Professor Manuela sat at her desk, nonchalantly going over some paperwork. A couple of light brown strands rested on her forehead, and noticeable circles rested under her eyes. Edith frowned. It couldn’t be. 

The professor didn’t give her much time to think before looking up and assuming a knowing smile. “Well, look who just rolled out of bed,” she remarked, which drew a bitter snort from Edith. Manuela’s smile became playful as she rose from her seat and gestured to one of the beds. “Come and tell me what’s wrong. Edith Armbrust, yes?” 

Edith pouted out her bottom lip. In her mind she responded, “Yes, my name is Edith Armbrust of the Adrestian seas, and I’m here because I woke up with the most dreadful of headaches, so I would like a draught and some rest to treat it.” But that translated as a barely-coherent mumble that resembled the word “Yeah” and a zombie-like shamble to collapse face-first on the bed. She could hear Manuela chuckle lightly and the sound of small glass vials clinking against each other. That sound was music to her too-hot, throbbing ears. 

Before she knew it, Manuela had turned her onto her back, and she was looking up at her up closer. She could see in more detail how disheveled she looked, now. The eye bags were deeper than she’d thought. Her complexion was a little paler than usual. A cowlick had formed in her hair, and more of that hair was plastered to her forehead than Edith had first realized. 

She broke into a wide grin. Two could play at this game, she supposed. 

Manuela raised an eyebrow suspiciously, which drew a lazy giggle from Edith that she couldn’t have kept in if she tried. Perhaps it was the delirium from the headache, or perhaps the alcohol hadn’t quite worn down yet even now, but this was the funniest thing she could imagine. She almost missed Manuela’s inquiry, “So, how can I help you?” 

Edith giggled more, clearly drawing Manuela’s annoyance. “I gotta headache,” she slurred giddily. “No reason~” 

The professor threw up her eyebrows disbelievingly, and Edith burst into laughter. For once in her life she didn’t mind the stereotypes people had about pirates, because the fact that Manuela most likely knew the cause of her headache was hysterical to her. 

Manuela pursed her lips and hummed lightly, turning to her vials. Edith watched with wonder as she pushed aside most of the vials to fetch a slightly larger one made of blue-stained glass. She poured some of the contents of it into a cup of hot water along with some tea leaves, and after it had all set she set the blue bottle back into its hiding place. 

She set the cup in front of Edith with a small sigh. “Keep this between us, okay?” she murmured knowingly, with a strained smile. Edith watched her face carefully. It was clear that she would probably get in trouble if anyone knew she had this sort of life. Perhaps this happened often. 

Today had been a tough day.

You'd struggled to fall asleep last night, tossing and turning with too many thoughts bouncing around in your head. It hadn't been enough to wake Grim, thankfully. Your brain was already reminding you of plenty of reasons to feel guilty as it was.

It had been days since you had last hung out with Ace and Deuce, though it wasn't for lack of them trying. None of the usual activities sounded appealing, so you'd turned them down, not wanting to be a burden on them. You were sure that by now, they thought you were a terrible friend.

The motivation to study had completely left you as well. All of your assignments were half-assed— that is, when you even bothered completing them at all. Of course, Professor Crewel had chosen the day when you were at your most sleep-deprived and underprepared to give the class a pop quiz. You were absolutely positive that you'd tanked it.

Thinking back, you supposed that the entire last week had been tough, but ultimately decided that today really took the cake.

You'd dropped your textbooks on the way to class. They were out of your favorite dish in the cafeteria. Everything that could've possibly gone wrong had gone wrong, and it had only made your current depression spiral that much worse.

All you wanted to do at this point was go back to Ramshackle and rot, but you suspected that wish would go unfulfilled. Grim was probably just waiting to pester you for some tuna. The direbeast had elected to stay back at the dorm today, assuring you he'd be fine just copying your notes later. You didn't know how useful they would be given your current mental state, but you were too exhausted to protest.

As you pushed open the door to Ramshackle and braced yourself to be accosted by your fuzzy little roommate, you were greeted by something else entirely.

Ace and Deuce were standing in the lounge, backs turned to you as they fussed over something on the coffee table. Grim was watching them from the rocking chair nearby, not moving a paw to assist. The couches had been pushed together and covered in what looked to be every pillow and blanket you owned, piled into a vague facsimile of a fort. A cozy fire roared in the fireplace, the mantle decorated with fairy lights.

It took you a moment to find your words, still struggling to process what you were seeing. "...what are you guys doing here?"

Grim was the first to notice you, his ears twitching at the sound of your voice. Ace and Deuce immediately whipped around to face you, apparently caught red-handed.

"Oh, hey," Ace greeted, trying and failing to sound nonchalant. "We didn't think you'd be back so soon."

"I get done with my classes at the same time every day." You cocked your head, taking in more of your surroundings. Packages of chips, cookies, candy, and other assorted snacks were arranged on the table, surrounding a laptop— likely Deuce's, judging from the Track and Field club sticker on the back— that was queued up to play your favorite comfort movie. A scented candle flickered on one of the side tables, the aroma subtle and soothing. Finally, you work up the courage to ask, "So, what's all this?"

"Grim told us you'd really been struggling lately," Deuce replied, somewhat sheepish. "Not sleeping, not eating, not doing your schoolwork or anything for fun... I know we can't really fix it, but Ace and I thought this might make you feel a little better."

"It was my idea, actually!" Grim announced, springing out of his chair and bounding up to you. "The Great Grim knows exactly how to get his favorite henchman back in action! You should be thanking me!"

"No way!" Ace protested. "We did all the work setting up while you sat there and criticized us!"

"It's called supervising!"

You decided to cut in before the sweet moment devolved into bickering. "Hey." Your voice was quiet and a bit shaky, but the trio fell silent right away. "Thank you. All three of you. Nobody's ever done something like this for me before." A fond smile crept its way across your face, replacing the frown that had been stuck there for days.

Now it was Ace's turn to look sheepish, rubbing the back of his head and staring intently at his shoes. "Yeah, it's... no problem."

"We care about you," Deuce chimed in. "You can always come to us when you're feeling down. You know that, right?"

"Anything to keep you on your feet," Grim added, "and giving me lots of tuna."

There it was. Though earlier you'd been dreading that request, now you couldn't help but laugh. "Maybe after the movie, okay?" Grim looked as though he wanted to argue, but quieted down when you gave him a good rub on the head.

Tossing your schoolbag and blazer on the ground, you charged headfirst at the haphazard blanket fort, followed closely by your three best friends. The four of you settled in among the piles of pillows and comforters, each grabbing a snack off the table as Deuce hit play on his laptop.

Riddle Rosehearts

Had never seen a horror movie before coming to Night Raven because of his strict and sheltered upbringing

Easily the loudest screamer out of all the boys and the most likely to knock the popcorn bowl onto the floor

Does alright with high-concept thrillers, but can't stomach anything too gory and is extremely sensitive to jumpscares

Favorite subgenre(s): Psychological thriller, gothic horror

Least favorite subgenre(s): Splatter films, slasher films

Ace Trappola

Considers himself a casual horror fan, having seen plenty of scary movies at parties and on television thanks to his brother

Talks big game about being unshakable only to tense up at every scare and then try to laugh it off when questioned

Always easily startled for a solid 12 hours afterward and will jump out of his skin if anyone sneaks up behind him

Favorite subgenre(s): Slasher films

Least favorite subgenre(s): Gothic horror

Deuce Spade

Like Ace, has (unwillingly) seen a lot of horror movies at parties, but he used to pretend to like them to seem cool

Doesn't even try to hide the fact that he's scared because he knows it would still be obvious

Also like Ace, becomes extremely jumpy after the fact and has been known to throw punches at people who catch him off-guard

Favorite subgenre(s): Sci-fi horror, post-apocalyptic horror

Least favorite subgenre(s): Home invasion films

Cater Diamond

An avid horror fan (despite what people may assume) and always stays up to date on the latest releases

Isn't usually affected by shocking visuals or jumpscares when watching alone, but will overplay his reactions when with a group

Cracks jokes during the most tense parts of the movie in order to keep himself from being haunted by them later

Favorite subgenre(s): Comedy-horror, camp horror

Least favorite subgenre(s): Existential horror

Trey Clover

Doesn't really enjoy horror content, but will watch scary movies with other people if invited

Perceived as very stoic and unreactive, but his secret is that he stealthily takes his glasses off when things get too intense

One of the few boys to be relatively unaffected after the fact, if only because he typically never sees the entire movie

Favorite subgenre(s): Psychological thriller

Least favorite subgenre(s): Cannibal horror

Leona Kingscholar

Enjoys horror movies just as much as other movies, which is to say he'll take any excuse to sit in one place for as long as possible

Almost never responds to scares with anything more intense than a flick of his tail and a muttered, "Oh shit."

Teases the guys in his dorm that get freaked out by brushing them with his tail or sneaking up behind them

Favorite subgenre(s): Survival horror

Least favorite subgenre(s): Gothic horror, arthouse horror

Ruggie Bucchi

Has mostly seen vintage horror movies because they're easier to find for free online or on television than new releases

Enjoys making fun of the hokey effects and stupid plot points of B movies but is easily caught off-guard by genuine scares

Able to brush off most horror clichés by convincing himself that he is resourceful enough to survive them

Favorite subgenre(s): Camp horror

Least favorite subgenre(s): Psychological thriller

Jack Howl

Has been subjected to numerous werewolf movies throughout his life and has far more bad things to say about them than good

Startled by jumpscares involving loud noises, which will cause his ears to fold back and his tail to puff up

The one his friends will run to for protection after watching an especially scary flick due to both his physical and mental strength

Favorite subgenre(s): Natural horror, creature features (not involving werewolves)

Least favorite subgenre(s): Werewolf fiction

Azul Ashengrotto

Fairly squeamish about most types of horror content but would never admit to it

Keeps a flawless poker face throughout the entire runtime of any scary movie despite being internally scared shitless

Always interrogates the Leech twins afterwards about how they would respond were a killer to infiltrate Octavinelle dorm

Favorite subgenre(s): Giallo films

Least favorite subgenre(s): Aquatic horror, cosmic horror

Jade Leech

Finds horror content to be a fascinating way to learn about human culture and its collective fears

Always pays rapt attention to the movie, nodding and saying "Interesting," when something especially gruesome happens

Sometimes he'll bring along a pencil and notepad and pretend to take notes on the killer's methods to fuck with his dormmates

Favorite subgenre(s): Natural horror, cosmic horror

Least favorite subgenre(s): Zombie movies

Floyd Leech

Equally as interested in horror as his brother, mostly because he's impressed by all the murder methods humans can come up with

Laughs and claps like an excited child every time someone gets killed or otherwise dismembered on screen

Literally completely unbothered by all manner of violence and has zero issues falling asleep after a scary movie

Favorite subgenre(s): Splatter films, torture films

Least favorite subgenre(s): None (science has yet to discover a trend as to which movies Floyd will dislike)

Kalim Al-Asim

Isn't necessarily a die-hard horror fan, just enjoys having movie nights of all sorts with his friends and dormmates

Will startle at jumpscares but is always delighted to the point of giggling at being caught off-guard

The type to clap and say "That was fun!" as the credits roll while everyone around him sits in horrified silence

Favorite subgenre(s): Comedy-horror, camp horror

Least favorite subgenre(s): Apocalyptic horror

Jamil Viper

Mostly indifferent to horror as a genre, will watch it if asked but doesn't really seek it out or avoid it

Isn't affected by most kinds of scares except the ones involving bugs, which will fuck him up irreparably for days

Quick to crack down on any students that try to scare each other after the screening is over, despite secretly finding it amusing

Favorite subgenre(s): Psychological thriller, mythological horror

Least favorite subgenre(s): Natural horror (especially when bugs are involved)

Vil Schoenheit

Being in film research club, he doesn't shy away from studying films of any genre, including horror

Will sometimes grip Rook's arm hard enough to bruise during especially tense scenes (Rook doesn't mind)

Able to maintain his composure by commenting on and critiquing the cinematography and special effects

Favorite subgenre(s): Arthouse horror

Least favorite subgenre(s): Zombie movies, body horror

Rook Hunt

A general film appreciator, but finds the costuming and SFX makeup used in classic horror movies especially fascinating

Finds something to compliment about every killing, whether it's the acting, the creativity of the murderer's method, or otherwise

Often the unintentional source of scares in the dorm after a horror movie screening due to his naturally stealthy footsteps

Favorite subgenre(s): Found footage, arthouse horror

Least favorite subgenre(s): None (he finds beauté in every film he watches)

Epel Felmier

Initially gets into horror due to it being a "masculine" interest, but eventually comes to appreciate the complexities of the genre

Not easily affected by jumpscares, but when he is, he'll shout at the screen and cuss out whatever made him jump

Better at shaking off the creeping feeling of dread afterwards than most of his friends, or at least pretending like he is

Favorite subgenre(s): Folk horror, mythological horror

Least favorite subgenre(s): Backwoods horror

Idia Shroud

Simultaneously a huge horror fan and also a gigantic weenie who is convinced that creatures will manifest in his room at night

Nitpicks the clichés and inaccuracies in science-based horror to the point that it annoys his fellow viewers

Often stays up all night playing video games after watching a scary movie but proceeds to seek out horror content anyway

Favorite subgenre(s): Dark fantasy, sci-fi horror (only the ones about aliens)

Least favorite subgenre(s): Techno-horror

Ortho Shroud

Also a member of film research club and enjoys analyzing movies of all kinds to add to his databases

Doesn't experience fear in the same way other organic beings do, but simulates the typical responses in order to feel included

Likes asking Idia for new gear and upgrades inspired by his favorite horror villain designs (usually the cool robots)

Favorite subgenre(s): Techno-horror, sci-fi horror

Least favorite subgenre(s): Slasher films

Malleus Draconia

Mostly desensitized to horror content due to Lilia's fascination with it, but still enjoys the thrill when a film can surprise him

Doesn't typically react to scares, but there has been at least one instance where he has singed the pillow he was holding in shock

Demonic horror films are banned in Diasomnia because others seeing his shadow after a screening caused too much chaos

Favorite subgenre(s): Gothic horror, dark fantasy

Least favorite subgenre(s): Techno-horror

Lilia Vanrouge

Possibly the biggest horror buff in the entirety of Night Raven and claims to have seen every horror film ever made

Surprisingly quiet when watching scary movies with others so as not to spoil any of the scares

Enjoys pranking other students by spooking them after the movie, especially Silver and Sebek

Favorite subgenre(s): Camp horror, vampire films

Least favorite subgenre(s): None

Silver

Not really into movies since he usually falls asleep during them but is familiar with horror as a result of being raised by Lilia

Actually prefers movies with a lot of jumpscares and shock value because it's the only kind that can keep him awake

Accustomed to his father's attempts to scare him but will still jump and reach for his sword when startled

Favorite subgenre(s): Slasher films, natural horror

Least favorite subgenre(s): Backwoods horror

Sebek Zigvolt

Despite being exposed to horror at a young age, still very easily frightened no matter how much he pretends not to be

Will put his arm out to shield others in response to scares only if Malleus is present at the screening, otherwise curls into a ball

Second loudest screamer out of all the boys, bested only by Riddle, which makes him a prime target for post-movie pranks

Favorite subgenre(s): Gothic horror

Riddle Rosehearts

You can't convince me his mom wasn't constantly playing classical music for him when he was growing up. I honestly think he still defaults to classical music, especially to improve his focus while reading or studying.

I also think Cater has definitely exposed him to a lot more modern music and, though he is undoubtedly very picky, there's even some of it he likes.

Artists that come to mind for Riddle include Vivaldi, Tchaikovsky, Red Velvet, and Mitski.

Leona Kingscholar

For the most part, I'd imagine Leona mostly listens to pretty chill music that's easy to nap to, like R&B or soft rock.

That's not to say he doesn't actively enjoy listening to music though. If he's in the mood to jam, I could see him turning on some hip-hop or even some angry punk music.

Artists that come to mind for Leona include Lil Nas X, Gorillaz, Gym Class Heroes, and The Weeknd.

Azul Ashengrotto

Lounge music feels like the easy answer here. Lots of smooth jazz and easy listening.

However, I also can't resist suggesting that Azul might have a secret fondness for electro-swing that he keeps secret due to the genre's reputation for being considered "cringe".

Artists that come to mind for Azul include Frank Sinatra, Kenny G, Michael Bublé, and Caravan Palace.

Kalim Al-Asim

Kalim strikes me as one of those guys that would say that he likes every genre of music, only he would actually mean every genre- rap and country included.

That being said, his preference definitely skews heavily in the direction of songs that he can dance to. Bonus points if the composition and instrumentation have a clear Scalding Sands influence.

Artists that come to mind for Kalim include Cascada, Saint Levant, Shakira, and Christina Aguilera.

Vil Schoenheit

For Vil, my brain immediately jumps to all the gayest, poppiest, cunt-serviest stuff I can think of. Imagine every song you and your friends might put on a playlist for pride with some sad girl music sprinkled in for flavor.

Being in Film Studies Club, I'd also imagine he spends a decent amount of time listening to and analyzing movie soundtracks, though whether this counts as part of his "music taste" is up for debate.

Artists that come to mind for Vil include Lady Gaga, Todrick Hall, Britney Spears, and MARINA.

Idia Shroud

This bitch's playlists are absolutely filled with Vocaloid songs, nightcore remixes, anime openings, and video game soundtracks. She is an absolute fucking nerd and I know her music taste reflects this. Let's not forget she is canonically an idol stan.

As for "normal" music, I think they probably listen to about what you'd expect- weird emo shit.

Artists that come to mind for Idia include My Chemical Romance, Utsu-P, Yasuharu Takanashi, and Will Wood.

Malleus Draconia

I genuinely don't even know where to start with Malleus. I feel like this guy listens to Gregorian chants and spooky Halloween sound effect compilations.

In all seriousness, I feel like Malleus would greatly enjoy pieces involving stringed instruments, seeing as he has a talent for playing them. The rest of his music taste probably stems from whatever Lilia and the others have exposed him to, and so is likely very strange.

Artists that come to mind for Malleus include The Correspondents, Burn the Ballroom, Scissor Sisters, and Lindsey Stirling.