every day i wake up and choose silliness

🚨 BREAKING NEWS 🚨

⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ STUDENT COUNTERS OVERBLOT WITH TECHNOLOGY?

Written by: Ebi, Yuu

Night Raven College experienced an unexpected magical emergency this afternoon when a student began to overblot in the middle of campus. Students and staff alike were asked to evacuated as the situation could grow extremely dire if not quelled properly in the nick of time.

Headmage Crowley showed up to the scene whilst said student was rampaging across the courtyard, demanding it to cease it's tyranny at once — attempting to sedate the ongoing stampede of inkish material and magic that seemed to be overwhelming the student. The Prefect and Grim were at the scene, alongside a few other of their companions who were there to try and bravely take on the overblot.

“ It wouldn't be our first Rodeo. ” Grim claims.

2nd year student of Ignihyde, Dōmon Mirai, had been unfortunately one of the victims of said overblot, having been grabbed by the student and dragged up. Witnesses report that he was seen screaming and flailing his arms as he dangled by the leg.

Driven by fear and adrenaline, the student reached into his pocket and pulled out a device that wasn't able to be recognized due to the hefty amount of magic that grazed throughout the air, and with a bright flash, the overblot was nowhere to be seen.

Until student Dōmon Mirai was seen holding it at an arm's length whilst it was hissing and biting on his hands. He was seen visibly tearing up and asking for it to stop biting him. The overblotted student had reportedly shrunken into the size of a pea.

The overblot, now apparently too small to pose any immediate threat, was carefully contained and eventually returned to its original form after the situation was brought under control. The student was treated for the effects of overblot and is currently recovering within the school's local Infirmary.

👥 Witness Accounts & Statements

“ I don't believe it's a very reliable method of dealing with something like an Overblot. But I would be lying if I said I didn't find it quite amusing. ”

— Professor Crewel

“ I thought it was gonna explode! It was a really big flash of light and then it went ‘WOOOSH FWOOP! WHAWAWAWAAAMM!’ and then suddenly it was just gone! It was super cool, but I also thought that they made [Name of The Student] vanish from existence! ”

— Kalim Al-asim, Scarabia Housewarden

“ I still had no idea what Dōmon is capable of.. he just has all sorts of hacks and gadgets in his hoodie, it's almost like an unlimited inventory. Some of it doesn't even seem possible enough to be from this day and age... The fact he has a counter attack to such a beefy boss at all was really, really surprising. ”

—Idia Shroud, Ignihyde Housewarden

“ I was hardly frightened at all! I was merely surprised by the unexpected alteration in the scale of the magical phenomenon, and there's a very clear difference between those two! ” “ I WAS FULLY PREPARED TO RESPOND! I JUST NEEDED TO REASSESS THE APPROPRIATE SIZE OF MY RESPONSE! ”

—Sebek Zigvolt

“ Mmeehhh, I thought it was pretty cute. ” “ Nah no, not the overblot. The way everyone panicked and stuff when the student turned all tiny. That part was pretty cute. ”

—Ruggie Bucchi

🎙️ An Interview with the Infamous Dōmon Mirai

Written and Interviewed by: Ebi, Yuu

The interviewers had asked Dōmon if he was alright and how he felt after dealing with such a life-threatening situation. The student was seen awkwardly rocking back and forth on the chair, but seemed to be pulled in by the promise of Doriyaki. Dōmon, with a mouthful, then answered:

“ I don't know what else you want me to say, prefect. It was pretty scary when they got me all up in its grasp..! I don't know what the heck an overblot is, because those sure didn't exist where I came from. ”

The robotic beastman then hesitantly added,

“ Or maybe they do, and they don't happen just as frequently as they do here, from what you've told me before this whole interview, myuh.. ”

The interviewers then asked for his statement on whether he planned to shrink the overblot in the first place. Or whether it was something out of impulse. He confirms the latter by stating:

“ I just reached into whatever was in my jacket pocket and pulled out the Small Light. Could you imagine what would've happened if I'd made it bigger? ” “ I'm just glad I didn't get eaten, really! Do those things eat people? I sure hope they dont..! I don't think I'd taste very good, ya know? ”

We then asked if the device had any magical properties at all, to which Dōmon was quick to shut down with a hard NO.

“ It's a device from where I came from, it doesn't use any magic whatsoever! A lotta people keep telling me that it's magic but then they fall asleep when I try to explain how it actually works. So I dunno if you'd have enough words for the press— nor do the students have the time and patience to read about how it all works. ”

We asked him what the device was capable of, to which Dōmon answered with a surprisingly happy tone compared to his earlier panic,

“ Well, the Small Light is used by shining it onto things and turn them eeeensy weensy tiny itty bitty versions of itself! It has a counterpart called the Big Light, which is what they made me use to bring the student back to normal. ”

For the sake of campus safety, the Press will not provide detailed technical specifications of Dōmon's device.

However, we are able to confirm the following:

It is not a conventional spell.

It does not appear to use ordinary shrinking magic. (Or magic at all, for that matter.)

Dōmon did not build it specifically to combat overblot.

Dōmon does not appear to fully understand why it worked on overblot magic.

According to Dōmon, he had never seen an overblot in person before and had no idea what it was capable of. He then proceeds to state that from where he was from, overblots didn't seem like a common occurrence, if it was an occurrence at all. Which explains his genuine fear for them.

He has asked us to leave out a specific feature from the overblot that particularly scared him, so we will be respectful of his request and not mention that exactly terrified him.

When asked what he had been thinking during the incident, Dōmon answered:

“ I was scared, ”

then clarified further by adding,

“ Like, super, super, mega, really scared. I think I would've soiled my pants or probably throw up if I was held up there for any longer. If you want me to be honest, myah.. ”

The device was apparently selected because it was the first item he could think of that might be useful against a very large magical threat. When asked if this was a panic response, Dōmon agreed with a frantic nod of his head before saying:

“ It was either I pulled something good out or I got eaten! What could I do, really?! ”

He was then seen stress eating the plate of Doriyaki that we had given him during the interview, to which we concluded it from there and proceeded to interview the overblotted student (with the permission and consent from both infirmary staff and the student to do so) after their slow and grueling recovery.

🎙️ An Interview With the Formerly Overblotted Student

Written and Interviewed by: Ebi, Yuu

The student has requested Newspaper Staff to keep their name and profile anonymous for the entirety of this interview once it has come out. Following their request, they will be remained anonymous for the entirety of this paper.

They also requested that we not describe them as, and I quote from them directly:

"The Pea-Sized Overblot Student"

"The Shrinking Student"

"The Student Who Got Shrunk"

"Tiny Blot of Ink"

Any sort of insulting names, really.

The Press has agreed to all of these terms, except for Grim, he was very reluctant to not write down any of these names and more whilst writing this edition of the press.

When asked about the state that he was in as of the moment and how his emotional clarity and self felt after such a traumatic event, the student replied with:

“ I... I guess I've been doing a bit better since. I felt really overwhelmed and stuff. Like.. everything felt like it was spinning and I couldn't breathe. My lungs were filled with water and on fire at the same time. ” “ You can guess it didn't feel all too great by now, huh? Hahah. ”

The student, now gripping gently onto the hospital blanket would shyly add:

“ I do unfortunately remember everything.. which I really wish I didn’t.. There were just so many witnesses, I could've died on the spot out of embarrassment if that flashlight didn't get to me first. ”

The student then explained their memories with the overblot felt rather fragmented. Only claiming to remember the sheer pain it shot out through their body before being followed by a hollowed numbness that could be from the adrenaline that came with the surge of magic that overwhelmed their person.

Recounting the events, the student had said they'd grabbed Dōmon because he was one of the students who hadn't ran the other way when they were going through the magical phenomena, which then resulted in their stature believing that Dōmon was directly challenging them by standing his ground.

(Editor's Note: We asked Dōmon about his statement, he responded by saying he was actually frozen with fear, and had no intention to oppose the student at all.)

When asked if he'd blame Dōmon for the humiliation he'd faced. They would shake their head to no, and then yes. Signifying their clear uncertainty when it came to this situation.

“ I mean, I wouldn't blame him. He was pretty scared outta his mind, and this was his first impression of this school too, so I wouldn't blame him for freaking out. ” the student stated,

He then continued,

“ But at the same time, it was pretty humiliating to be seen in a vulnerable way already. What even more when the whole courtyard's laughing at your face for being small enough to not hurt anyone. ” “ I just wished I was taken much more seriously, and he really didn't help when he did that. ”

Later, 2nd year Dōmon Mirai was then brought onto the same room as the overblotted student. For a while, they hadn't spoken to one another. One of the student nurses claimed that they sat there looking at anything but each other for the past fifteen minutes. The conversation that happened between them then goes as followed:

Student: “ I'm really, really sorry. ” Dōmon: “ W— What..? ” Student: “ For scaring you on your second day of enrolling into Night Raven College. I must have made a really bad impression for both my dorm and this school by doing such a thing. ” Dōmon: “ Guh— No! Nonono! I should be sorry! I shrank you in front of everybody, that must've been super embarrassing! I swear I didn't mean to do it because I had anything against you! ” Dōmon: “ I get it if this was like, super mega totally embarrassing.. I wouldn't blame ya if you hated me for it, mya know.. You don't have to apologize to me.” Student: “ You don't have to apologize to me neither. You did what you thought was right, even if it was a little embarrassing on my end. I understand. ”

The student nurse that we interviewed then noted another few minutes of silence within the infirmary. It seems the other students who were getting treated there were just as invested, noting the murmurs that came from the other curtains.

The conversation proceeds as followed,

Dōmon: “ I still uh.. I'm still bummed that my melon soda got caught in the crossfire. Eheh. That uh.. that was limited edition and everything.. ”

This apparently catches the student's attention. He then excitedly replied with:

Student: “ You mean the especially limited edition Tick-tock the Croc's Tropical Croc-tail? ”

( Editor's Note: This is apparently an actual beverage?? You learn something new every day. )

The student then expresses that he can get Dōmon another one of those, so as long as he's paying, and proceeded to say he knew a couple of spots that had limited edition products such as the tropical cocktail. 2nd year Dōmon reportedly lit up like a thousand bulbs at the proposition, and happily agreed to the truce that was settled between the two students. Resolving their conflict with a nice cold beverage.

📰Editor Notes

Overblot is a serious magical phenomenon. Students should never attempt to confront one without appropriate assistance. Whether that be loved ones who know how to properly qualm the magical phenomena or staff who are much better equipped with dealing with such matters. (Or a Prefect and his magical fire cat, apparently. We're not even getting paid enough for this!!!! If at all!!!!!)

Please follow faculty instructions during magical emergencies and do not attempt to replicate Dōmon's actions, as they are dangerous and could land you in the infirmary or leave you and the other party in a much more critical state if it hadn't gone the way it did with Dōmon.

Please do not ask Dōmon to shrink your homework.

Please do not ask Dōmon to shrink your roommate.

Please do not ask Dōmon to shrink Headmage Crowley.

(Someone has already tried asking him.)

—Yuu 🦐

Riddle Rosehearts

“Riddle” is English for 謎. This may refer to how the creatures of Wonderland tend to speak in riddles.

Rosehearts is “rose” (QoH’s favorite flower) + “hearts” (the suit the QoH represents; we see in Cater’s dream that Riddle used to be a heart card soldier).

Together, it’s a name that calls to mind Alice in Wonderland.

In Japanese, his first name is written as リドル, which is very similar to the phonetic spelling of Alice Liddell’s surname.

Trey Clover

“Trey” refers to a face value of 3 in card game terminology.

The first name may also be a reference to the Disney AiW film, where one card soldier refers to a three of clubs card soldier as “the trey”.

His surname is one of the card suits, the very same one he has painted on his face.

Cater Diamond

In English, the name is phonetically spelled “Cate”/“Kate”, but “Cater” itself refers to the number 4 in card game terminology.

“Cater” may come from the French word quatre”, which, in the 14th to 16th centuries, was sometimes spelled as “catre”.

His surname is one of the card suits, the very same one he has painted on his face.

Notably, Cater is the only one of the card soldiers to not be referred to in the Disney AiW movie, whereas “trey”, “ace”, and “deuce” are all used. He is also the only one in Heartslabyul to not be from the Queendom of Roses.

Ace Trappola

His first name refers to a card with the number 1.

Trappola, his surname, is a classic Italian card game; it is the earliest known card game where the ace has the highest value of all the cards, even the kings.

"Trappola" translates into "trap", which could refer to Ace's deceptive personality, as he is shown to be very good at lying and has a nasty personality behind his cheery exterior.

Deuce Spade

His first name refers to a card with a face value of 2.

His surname is one of the card suits, the very same one he has painted on his face.

Leona Kingscholar

"Leon" is Spanish for “lion”. (Although "Leona" means “lioness”.)

"Scholar"/学者 in his surname may be a reference to his intelligence.

“Kingscholar” is “king" (what Leona wants to be, what Scar became according to Twst's history) + "scholar" (Leona is smart, Scar became king through merit and wit).

The -scholar portion of his surname is a reference to Scar, but the pun only makes sense in Japanese. Phonetically, the スカ part of キングスカラー is said like “suka” which is how Scar’s name is pronounced in Japanese.

Ruggie Bucchi

“Rug” -> rug mat, but also refers to having lived a “rugged life” (ie a tough life). Ruggie’s background was, in fact, very tough due to the extreme impoverishment.

His last name, Bucchi, may refer to the Buchi Hyena (ブチハイエナ), the Japanese name for the spotted hyena.

Jack Howl

“Jack” is a popular name on its own, but looking at his ears, it’s easy to imagine a jackal.

“Howl” refers to the sound wolves make. Stereotypically, it’s done to rally or communicate to the pack, or at the full moon.

I’ve seem some fans theorize he’s named after Jack London, the author of White Fang, a novel about a wild white wolfdog.

Azul Ashengrotto

“Azul” is Spanish (and Portuguese) for “blue”, while “Ashen” means “blueish-white”/“greyed”.

“Grotto” is 洞窟. It is an underwater cave and may be a reference to Ariel’s treasure grotto or Ursula’s cave where she makes deals with merfolk.

Together, it is a name reminiscent of the ocean.

Jade Leech and Floyd Leech

Octavinelle all have color-related names for whatever reason.

Floyd and Jade have names that share beginning letters with their respective Disney eel. Their names are reminiscent of Flotsam and Jetsam.

“Floyd” is a Welsh name that means "grey"/"grey-haired".

“Jade” is a precious gemstone, but is most likely meant to a shade of green.

Their surname, Leech, is English for ヒル. It is an aquatic worm that feeds on blood in a parasitic nature, but can also be a title for those who prey on or exploit others (typically for money). Of course, this is what the twins do in an effort to aid Azul’s “business ventures”.

Kalim Al-Asim

In Arabic, Kalim means “speaker”. Maybe it refers to how he tends to run his mouth in all the wrong ways?

His surname, Asim, means “protector”. He’s not the type to protect in the traditional sense, but I guess he does protect in that he helps your emotions?? Kalim’s one of the few nice guys at NRC, after all.

In the game, we are old that his full name means “Kalim, Son of House Asim”.

According to Kalim, "Al" means "son" in the ancient language of his homeland, and families are named after the founders that start them. The men refer to themselves as sons of their family’s founder. (Notably, this is NOT true of real world Arabic. Irl, "Al" (أل) means "the" and "Bin" (بن) or "Ibn" (ابن) means "son".

Jamil Viper

His name means "beautiful" in Arabic. I don’t think I need to elaborate on this point, but it is kinda funny that the guy named “beautiful” is expected to play second fiddle to Kalim and is constantly overlooked in favor of Kalim.

The first syllable of his name (Ja-)/ジャ may be a callback to his Disney inspiration, Jafar.

His surname, Viper, is a poisonous snake. It can also be a term for someone that you cannot let your guard down around. And given the events of book 4 and his betrayal… yeah, I can see why.

Vil Schoenheit

In German, his first name means “despicable”. The Fanbook makes that claim, but that’s… not actually true 😭 I don’t think “vil” means anything in German???

His name could be derived from the vil- in “villain” or “vile”, or maybe French, Spanish, or Portuguese, where “Vil” translates into various synonyms for “horrible”. Vil is, of course, twisted from the villain in Snow White.

Schoenheit is German for “beautiful” (although the spelling of it is a bit different).

The actual German word, Schönheit, means "beauty" or "fairness". Makes sense, as Vil pursues beauty.

Rook Hunt

“Rook” means “swindler”. There is also a rook piece in chess, represented as a castle. Rook is not royalty himself, but he does serve as support/a vice dorm leader to a queen (Vil).

His surname refers to hunting, as he is a huntsman.

A “rook” is a type of corvid, which may be a reference to the Evil Queen’s raven.

Epel Felmier

His first name sounds like “apple”. He’s twisted from the poison apple (and that’s even a nickname he was granted back home), so… yeah.

His surname means “farmer” in French and Romanian. Epel comes from a family of farmers, so this is a given.

Putting his name together, it’s pretty much “apple farmer”. Can’t get more on the nose than that.

Idia Shroud and Ortho Shroud

“Idia” in Greek means “private”, “personal”, or “on one’s own”. It makes sense for his reclusive personality.

In English, a “shroud” is a covering or veil (sometimes used to cover the face of the dead to show respect or to prepare them for funeral rites + crossing into the Underworld). It fits someone gloomy like Idia. Death is deeply tied to his and Ortho’s story, and Hades is lord of the Underworld + ruler of the dead.

Idia had an issue where he struggles to articulate himself face-to-face, but feels more confident speaking if he can hide himself with a mask or helmet, or by communicating via his tablet. Could this be considered his own “shroud”?

In Greek, “ortho” means "regular/normal" and, in English, "straight/correct." (Not sure wtf the Fanbook means, because “Ortho” in Greek does mean “straight”/“correct”.) It's a name that may have some sort of story behind it.

Could Ortho’s name be a reference to how Idia wishes to “correct” the mistakes of the past?

There is a fan theory that the surname Shroud refers to a fairy tale about a mother mourning the passing of her young child.

In Greek mythos, Orthrus is a two-headed dog that guarded Geryon's cattle and was eventually killed by Heracles/Hercules (Hades’ enemy in the Disney film). Furthermore, Orthrus was the brother of Cerberus, who was the three-headed guard dog of the Underworld.

Malleus Draconia

In Latin, Malleus means "gold," but those impressive horns bring Maleficent to mind.

The name “Malleus” could refer to the well-known treatise on witchcraft titled "Malleus Maleficarum", especially since Malleus is considered a very powerful mage and is called a monster at various points.

The word "Malleus" itself is derived from the Latin word for "hammer". The "hammer" can indicate a person who uses extremely powerful or brutal force against something or someone. It may be a fitting name for someone like Malleus, who can literally strike people down with lightning and draconic fire.

The “draco-” in Draconia comes from the Latin word for “dragon.” Some fans have also pointed out that “drac-” could mean “devil” in some languages.

Members of the Draconia clan seem to favor names with Mal- in them. The Latin prefix “mal-” refers to being “bad” or “evil”.

Lilia Vanrouge and Silver (Vanrouge)

When I see “Lilia”, I think of the lily flower, which is associated with adoration, love, purity, and rebirth. They’re also used as funeral flowers, which is foreshadowing for his death. This could refer to Lilia’s devotion to his family and friends, as well as how he changed a lot in his time from general to NRC student.

His surname "Vanrouge" is combination of the Dutch term "van" (of) and the French word "rouge" (red).

He states the title of “Vanrouge” was bestowed upon him by Queen Maleficia due to his battle prowess.

Lilia initially did not grant Silver this surname, as he did not want his son to grow up burdened with a bloody title.

Silver is named that for the silver hair he took on when Lilia blessed him.

He formally receives the surname “Vanrouge” on his 18th birthday, thereby solidifying that he is, in fact, Lilia’s child.

Sebek Zigvolt

His name is an alternate spelling of “Sobek”, an Egyptian crocodile god associated with military might. Sebek’s a crocodile and a knight! And his family is originally from Sunset Savanna, which is Twst!Africa… and Egypt’s in Africa.

His surname includes -volt, which likely refers to the lightning-based UM he later develops and how he worships Malleus, who is proficient in lightning.

The Zig- part of the surname confuses me; clearly it doesn’t refer to zigzag, but it might refer to the German “zig” (multiples of 10), since Sebek tends to go overboard with everything.

BONUS!!

There were notes about the NRC dorm names in the Fanbook too, so I figured I would include them here.

Heartslabyul

“Heart” (the card suit of its ruler) + “labyul” (labyrinth/maze). It makes you think of AiW.

Savanaclaw:

“Savanna” (biome) + “claw”. It makes you think of animals found in the savanna with sharp claws.

Octavinelle

“Octa” means 8, like the number of tentacles on an octopus. Granted, Ursula had 6 tentacles and 2 arms, but this was apparently done to make animation easier.

“Vinelle” brings to mind the English term "snail," which means spiral shell. It’s the type of shell Ursula contained Ariel’s voice in.

Scarabia

“Scarab” is the golden beetle in Aladdin, which served as the key to unlocking the Cave of Wonders.

The “abia” part is derived from Arabia. This was a major source of inspiration for the fictional setting of Agrabah.

Pomefiore:

“Pome” (as in, “apple”) + “fiore” (Italian for “flower).

It’s a cute-sounding name, but the apple may be poisonous.

Ignihyde

In Latin, "ignis" means "flames."

According to the book, “hyde” sounds similar to Hades.

Diasomnia

“Dia-” refers to “diablo” (Spanish) or “diavolo” (Italian), both meaning “devil”.