I'LL SWALLOW YOU WHOLE.

❛   MEAGER HUMANS OUGHT TO BOW DOWN BEFORE THE YOUNG MASTER  

# ZIGVOLTAGE   —  private SEBEK ZIGVOLT,  affiliated with night raven university.   written by  jaxx.   this blog will  only  interact with those within the affiliated group. 

 rules  &  about.  

monthly goal:   discuss more about sebek’s motives as a guard + fae behavioral patterns  &  how these still exist in him;  as well as where his temperament comes from  + learned behaviors.  

ASKING OF THEIR GREATEST WEAKNESS SEEMED TO BE THE BEST PLACE TO START,   only making an attempt to locate where they should begin their work.  if he was to begin  lecturing  on topics that jinx was already familiar with,  it would end up wasting both of their time  -  proving to be of no use for either of them.  it was with the highest confidentiality that he would withhold this information,  serving only for the sake of bettering his talents for their collective gain.  sebek just as everyone else,  wanted to see the general populace back in their dorms as soon as possible.  if tutoring one of his fellow students would help the cause,  he would not take that information  &  use it for ill - intention later  -  his sense of morality  &  high honors was too high to use such a lowly tactic.  bragging however,  was not beneath him. 

“  that would pose great issue,  you must  hit  the enemy for the shot to be effective.  perhaps we should start with a demonstration of what you’re  working  with.  ”  reaching to his belt,  he pulls his magic pen from it’s holster.  “  i ask that you do not restrain yourself,  attack as if i were the adversary.  ”

zigvoltage​:

The Weather Outside Is Frightful (But the Yarn Is So Delightful)   

Epel winced when the guy took his hand, crushing it in his own. Damn… so it wasn’t just his manner of speaking that was intense. He was just Like That, all around. Epel could respect that.

The gesture was over as soon as it started, and Epel acted like his hand wasn’t sore. “I am SEBEK ZIGVOLT, retainer to the lord Malleus Draconia.” The guy crossed his arms, “Strange to reside in the same building as those never spoken to before.”

“Ah, yeah, yes. I suppose it is” Epel straightened his back some, to look taller more poised. How could he bring this up naturally. How could he work ‘I know we’re strangers but I know how cold you are so I knit you a blanket’ into the conversation. Honestly, he wasn’t the best at talking, so he decided to just go for it.

“And, well, while it is a bit strange, I admit… I couldn’t help but notice that you seemed to be having a bit of trouble with the sudden change in the weather around here.” He shifted the bag behind his hands again. “So, while I hope this isn’t too pr-presumptuous of me…” he tripped over the word he wasn’t sure he was saying right, but that he had heard Rook and Vil use before, “I-I was going to make it anyways, really. I actually tend to- in my spare time-… just… ah, daggone it. Here.”

He thrust the bag forward, presenting it to the green hair– presenting it to Sebek. This was so awful. This was so awkward. He was crashing and burning and this was SUCH a stupid idea, what was he THINKING. He shouldn’t have rushed it, they should have made more smalltalk first. He shouldn’t have bothered trying to justify himself to the guy, he just didn’t wanna come off as creepy. He shouldn’t have– UGH. Why couldn’t he be like one of those cool guys that oozed confidence in whatever they did. If he was like Leona, he would have just waltzed up to the guy, said something like 'Hey, I made this for you. Stop shiverin’, tossed him the bag, and been on his way. Why couldn’t he just do that!

Because he cared. Because he cared about what the guy would say. Because he wanted to know what the guy would think of it, he wanted to know if he thought it was good. Because he cared about what the guy thought of him. Gosh, 'guy’. SEBEK. His name was Sebek. He needed to start using people’s names… even if he doubted they would ever speak again. Or that they would ever remember him.

Oh my god, why did he even care. Why did he care? This guy was never gonna remember him as anything other than some puny little Pomefiore runt, and what about it. He didn’t even know this guy, so why should his opinion matter so much. He could think whatever he wanted. Epel knew who he was, and he knew he was just tryna do something nice. If the guy didn’t like it or made fun of him for it, he could fuck off. Epel would just take the blanket back. He’d fight him for it, if he had to. If he was gonna be a jerk about it he didn’t deserve to have it, simple as that.

With that sorted, he felt like he could breathe again.

THE CLEAR LACK OF COMPOSURE DISPLAYED BY HIS COUNTERPART  did not cause him to falter,  be it a lack of  social awareness,   or simply because he was accustomed to people having a reaction like this.  his hard - headed nature did not allow him to falter,  no matter how strangely that fellow students would react to his  undeniably  fae - raised behavior could bring him to act.  a case of resembling the one who raised him  too closely.  it was not the norm in night raven college,  but in their hometown,  he fit in quite nicely  -  aside from a few unchangeable aspects.  

the cold being brought up was a sore topic,  thinking that he was hiding his own  suffering  quite well  -  only to be faced with the reality that even  strangers  were able to realize his plight.  shoulders tensing at the mention of his  weakness,  his expression shifted to  offended  to one of shame.  shaking his head,  and admitting up to it with a deal of honesty.  it did not  seem  that  this  student was making an attempt at a dig;  his immediate reaction was to remain defensive on the matter.  though,  denying the shivers  &  shakes would have done nothing to disprove what was clearly seen with his own two eyes.  “  i am not accustomed to the cold,  that is the truth.  if required to overcome  -  i shall do so,  if my peers can handle this weather,  then it is doable.  ”  he remarked with some level of confidence in his tone.  considering the difference in where others were  raised,   other factors out of his control as well  -  he still would not allow those with the upperhand to make him look weak. 

     The chiming of the bell died down, and seemingly so did their enthusiasm with it. The unbearing silence enveloped them shortly after the twelfth strike. Initially, it was the eeriness of the graveyard that prevented him from speaking up. Far too afraid of making any noise in case there was something lurking in the shadows, he stayed unusually quiet for himself. Similarly, the Diasomnia student beside him hadn’t made a noise either, focused on something in his hand.

     The redhead audibly swallows, readying himself to talk. “H-Hey Sebek, did you find anything? This place is kinda giving me the creeps…” Before being given a chance to respond, Ace already looked over the other’s shoulder. “No way…” the words involuntarily escape him, as he stares at the Ace of Hearts in Sebek’s hand.

THEY HAD ARRIVED DIRECTLY AT MIDNIGHT,  per direction.  finding their clues within mere moments of being onsite.  hearing ace’s voice pipe up from over his shoulder,  an attempt is made to feign confidence over his own piece,  crumbling the card up in his hand in an attempt to hide it from view.  undeniable that the other had already caught sight of it,  he chooses to ignore the fact.   “  i have found  nothing.  this was a  waste  of time.  ”   as if declaring that fact will make matters easier.  

"...YOU!"

It was odd to see Zigvolt in such an unprepared state.

Usually, the dorm member would be in complete uniform- something Ember attempted for a few months every once and a while before ultimately returning to the bare minimum. He was, of course, still more in uniform than Ember, whose sweater and pants combo made him appear to be more of a guest to the campus than a member of one of the more intimidating dorms.

“I wish it was a sense of pride that woke me up this morning,” He sighed, continuing chopping up whatever vegetables were close to their expiry, “Though I do find myself making the most progress when the world is quieter.” It sounded almost like a warning- if you begin to shout I will lose my patience- but for once Ember was just truly speaking his mind. A rare occasion, especially when it came to someone who he knew so passively.

“Ah, yes. I… can’t always work up the energy to cook, so I figured I’d make some stew and help clean the…” he gestured vaguely to the fridge and cabinets with his knife “…mess building up.” He gently pushed the chopped potatoes, minus any sprouts already taking hold, into the pot, before grabbing the slightly floppy carrots.

“…can you grab me a bowl to use for the scrap pieces? I don’t want to put any carrot peels into the stew.”

MORNINGS STILL COULD START SLOW FOR SOMEONE WITH MUCH ENERGY,   for someone who did not prefer them it was the most likely.   a shocking fact to most,  there was times where his energy dwindled,   perhaps never as low as those around him  —   but as close to tired as someone like sebek zigvolt could possibly be.  readying himself in the morning was never seen as a enjoyable task,   a burden & a pain;   having to set his hair for the fact that he had no choice but to look proper,   not out of the fact that he truly held a care for such.   the only care was rooted in his inability to fall beneath the threshold of presentable;   which he still managed despite his imperfections.  it was unprepared,   not lazy.  

“ wishing will not change anything.  if not pride,   what does wake you? ”  staring down into the other’s work,   he can only assume that it would be a sense of hunger  —   or an anxious need to prepare for the day.   both were viable reasons to wake at such an early hour;  the idea of lacking sleep out of a fear of missing out on getting things done resonates with him strongly.   sitting down to rest,  and lacking guilt in doing so is a tough balance for someone who feels the need to be constantly preforming at their best.  

❝ YEESH—ISN’T THAT… I DUNNO. Kinda harsh, Sebie? ❞

There’s a victory won in the textbook being lowered and, yeah, no longer feeling all that guilty about bailing on the studying for a little breather. Sure, there’s lot to do with Crowley’s latest getting dumped into their schedules, and Cater’s definitely gonna deal with it responsibly, as the upperclassmen on deck.

…Still, with a much more interesting missing persons case also tumbling into the equation, studying’s not the vibe, RN. Besides—the cool response being volleyed back from across the table is interesting enough to pique interest of its own.

❝ For a whole guy to go completely missing? Kinda spooky, and def not a no biggie kinda sitch. Honestly, I can’t even figure out who he, like, is—and I’ve been sleuthing—but like, what if he was from one of your classes, or your dorm? ❞

“  harsh? one should be able to protect themselves from the trials of modern day society.  ”   —  like the risk of being kidnapped,   common & everyday happenings  when the prince of briar valley is involved, apparently.    not every student endured the same amount of rigorous training that he & silver did to ensure they would be prepared for a surprise attack at any moment  —  nor did sebek possess the natural awareness to prove that he would ever respond within the time needed regardless,   but it didn’t stop his arrogance from working overtime.  

the extra work is nothing too bothersome,   considering that during this period they were intended to be on break;  the most that it would cut into was some time to do homework,   which usually did not take him the entire period of the winter break as it was.  frightening efficiency left him bored for the majority of it,   though bored could be quite the overstatement  —  less of a struggle to find things to pass the time,   simply that they lacked the feeling of accomplishment that his work for night raven college did.  

𝕿his school was one of prestige and was internally full of opportunities that Silver knew would be difficult to get in his homeland. The difficulty of working a rice cooker with a timer in his home did not escape him as he learned how to use it, and it did not settle his nerves when he decided to move on from this line of thinking. Cooking is easier here and more foolproof. Cooking will be harder with his consistent drowsiness and easily lulled fatigue, but it's nothing Silver can fix without doing something major like powering it himself when back in the woods. Put a pin in that.

He had an idea that some had chuckled at, but at least he was given the greenlight and began as close as possible to the deadline he could. 

The cutting had been easy, and marinating had been a struggle during the preparation, but the seasoning was easier when everyone left him to his own devices after getting the dinner area ready. Repeat that just enough for their inner circle, and that made it just a tad bit more difficult. Keeping the idea ready, warm, and fresh by making it so close to when Sebek was supposed to come back from visiting the other students on campus was a good idea, but Silver felt unusually... nervous. Was it because his idea was the first wave of Sebek coming back for the evening and he had to serve them all?

Or was it because this was only his third fish dish he's made? 

By the time he finally plates all the salmon carpaccio and has two of them on his forearms and two in his hands to take them out to the table, he's caught before he can make it to the table. With the plates steadily on his arms, he tries to minimally turn his head to address his fellow countryman. 

"𝐒𝐞𝐛𝐞𝐤, 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐝𝐚𝐲. I'll have our lunch on the table after this, and I hope your birthday goes satisfactorily for you." He gives a small smile but really does want to put these down. It's then he remembers that Sebek enjoys giving help and asks the other politely, "Can I get a hand with these plates? I don't want to drop them."

THE SCENT REMINDED HIM OF HOME,   or as close to home as it could get.  cutting  &  cleaning fish beside the river with his grandfather,  ones that they had spent the entire day to catch.   it was his  favorite pastime  —  few of them that he was willing to share with his youngest grandson,   who seemed to have a penchant for  anything  he could learn from his elder.   dishes made from  fish  weren’t uncommon in the zigvolt household,   not when he was bringing home various catches frequently to impress  &  out - do  his own siblings,   as if there was a bit of a competition to it.  

returning to diasomnia’s  hall,   only to be greeted with the sight of  silver  both hand’s occupied with plates  —  even  balancing  two between his forearms.   it was a miracle that none had yet to fall.   the smell was not to be mistaken,  a familiar dish that he favored since he was young.  

“ all of this  inconvenience for a surprise? ”  shaking his head for a moment,  he struggles to rationalize the efforts put forth for a mere happy birthday for himself.  hardly ungrateful,  rather a means to shield the impending embarrassment for his lack of ability to realize the plan that was put into motion.   had he been asked what his favorite dish was ahead of time?   or rather,  it was simply something that was recalled easily after years of camaraderie.  

let it snow. // @zigvoltage​​

     Despite everyone’s best efforts, the other dorms were still noticeably in shambles, so to speak. With little to no improvement, or at least not as much as the students had hoped for, Ramshackle remained as their shelter. Being moved into a space that lacked magical equipment, or a stable roof above, wasn’t the easiest to adjust to for the time being. The living conditions left a lot to be desired, and some students felt as though their needs weren’t entirely met. There were numerous safety concerns raised in regards to the previously abandoned building, with some questioning whether or not it was truly safer to be relocated here. The issue of assigning new roommates didn’t exactly go smoothly with some of the students either, as they voiced their displeasure. As bleak as the situation appeared, Ramshackle’s inhabitants weren’t losing hope just yet. The cold temperatures of winter were rapidly approaching, and so was the school break associated with it. Even in circumstances as dire as this, they were able to find solace in the promise of a much needed leisurely time.

     This time of the year, the prosperous Sage Island offered many attractions to locals, tourists, and students alike. It was somewhat difficult to choose a single activity, given that all sounded far better than sitting in a stuffy room the whole day. Eventually, the two-first years settled on seeing the famed snow light path said to create a warmly lit road, symbolic of hope and the good times to come. An event that encouraged relaxation, and provided its participants with an activity for their boredom sounded the most appealing to Ace who seemed excited. Letting out a deep but satisfied sigh, he continued to get ready to head out. “Dude, are you excited or are you shaking because you are so cold?” the redhead teases as he glances over at Sebek, who didn’t appear to be handling the cold very well. “How are you going to hold out long enough to see anything like that? I don’t even think 5 layers of socks is going to help you.”

THE CIRCUMSTANCES WERE LESS THAN IDEAL,   having to file everyone into the poor - excuse for a dormitory that ramshackle was.   it’s architecture was far from the problem,   if anything;   some would say that it held the closest similarities to their own,  some of it’s aspects holding close aesthetic preferences.   yet,   in it’s downtrodden state,   who would be able to make such a clear distinction?   in the past,  it was an object of interest to their dormitory as an ideal location for events;   never once could sebek say that even included packing up & moving a small amount of his belongings there.   he found himself to be content in his spot in diasomnia,  having to make a move from there bothered him greatly.   had it not been for the rest of them coming along,   a bigger fight would have been pitched over it.   if it included all of them having to be in the same space,   he could manage  —  he would make sure he was the last of them to complain about it,  so long as it was a matter of duty & not personal experience.   all before taking in the consideration that diasomnia was well - under a foot or more of snow at this point;   before they realized that there was an issue,   his teeth were chattering in the halls of the castle,   a rarity with the permanent humidity that lingered around the thorn forests.   any temperature difference that was unintended was unlikely to go without notice,   but not many had wanted to acknowledge that there could be such a convoluted problem striking campus. 

going out had it’s positives,   more so than there was in staying in the drafty dormitory.   the cold permeated the walls,   and the most they could do for warmth was huddle up in their winter clothes around the lounge’s singular fireplace.    freedom from classes wasn’t a great relief to him,   more like a waste of time —  powering through classes without break would have been his ideal style.  visiting home was of little merit,  he wanted to go back with an achievement,  instead of half completion.  with no deadline on his studies,  the chance to go out & have leisure time was not as disturbing of a thought as usual.   enjoying a festival dedicated to the cold  however,   that was nothing sebek could muster up excitement for.  ice sculptures were an art form,  but the chill necessary to keep them from melting is what kept him from admiring them.

❃ : My muse and social media. (If the muse is/would be on social media and why/why not, their general opinion on it, e.t.c.) ...

CELLPHONES DO NOT EXIST IN HIS HOMETOWN,   and he had no exposure to them until coming to  night raven university.   this made for a handful of awkward explanations,   and a couple of alien - looks;   as well as the fact that he will not  willingly  carry one around.   with a mindset beyond his years  about the matter,   he sees them as a quick waste of time  &  a distraction.   sebek is sooner to relay a message face - to - face,   rather than decide to use a phone to do so.   prior to his enrollment at the college,   him  &  the rest of diasomnia’s inhabitants were keeping in - touch through hand - written letter.   

the concept of  social media  truly means little to him,   and if you try to explain it to him,   it will be met with indifference.   consumerism  &  fashion are only appealing to him if they are  practical.   overexposure to either of these holds no appeal to him,   nor does he particularly enjoy the concept of comparison of lifestyles.  chances are,   sebek is unable to compare his upbringing to most others who portray theirs through  electronics  as it is.   his knowledge of  pop culture  is also greatly lacking.   if it is not something that can be learned through an  age old  textbook,   he struggles to understand.   

✿ : My muse and nature. (If they are an ‘outdoorsy type’, like the sound of bird’s singing, if they have never set foot in a forest, e.t.c.)  ...

NATURE is an  important  aspect of surviving in briar valley as a whole.   lacking the necessary magic talents from  birth  that allow most of it’s inhabitants to live comfortably without electricity,   his comfort with living heavily in - tune with nature formed  early  on in life.   whether it be  relying on  the position of the  sun  to tell time,   or collecting food in means that most would likely consider archaic with the presence of a  grocery store  in their hometown.   a lot of sebek’s  skills  rely on living off the land  —  for example,   in his  union birthday story,   he tells of a time that lilia dropped him  &  silver off to survive in the woods for a week;   all while they were only children.   often considering these situations a chance to  better himself  as a future retainer,   he takes them with little complaint  —   or questioning as to how they will work out in the end.   on multiple instances,   he has mentioned being proficient at fishing,  and  preparing  meals that include seafood,   a cause of his grandfather teaching him from his youth.   

despite his ability to coexist  &  live off the land with ease,   he does show a difficulty for making peace with wildlife.   (  going to write a meta on this one eventually,   so not going to go super in - depth on it quite yet  ).    the sound of bird’s singing is most definitely something he experiences solely from a distance,  with a natural habit to  disrupt  or  startle,    most creatures scatter at his presence.  

considering his  hometown,  it would be impossible to never set foot within a forest.    especially when tasks around the house would call for this exact situation.    despite the youngest of his siblings,   sebek was always one to offer  physical labor  to his family  —  a means of making up for being the  least adept  with magic;   whether it was chopping wood  &  carrying it back to the house,   or pulling out a  boat  to fish with his grandfather.    his lack of magical prowess had landed him reliant on his  mother  for longer than the rest of his siblings,   her being his  primary  source of knowledge before being taken in by lilia  —  his father is completely magicless  &  possesses no ability to assist him aside from emotional support  (  which more often frustrates him,  more than it helps ).  

THE RARITY THAT IS SEEING DIASOMNIA SEPARATE is truly only a matter of classes.   had it not been for an unavoidable case of schedule conflict,   they would likely never part ways with one another;   not only out of loyalty to their own,   but also out of duty.    loathing the times where he could not be at his young master’s side,   often running himself ragged just to ensure that he could escort malleus to class  —  as well as make it to his own.   this was not an extra step that silver was often taking precaution to as well,   a clear case of sebek’s own habit to be overbearing towards those who did not need such.   reconvening for a meal during that day was the small solace they had;  before they would not see one another till the end of the night again.  

most on the outside would see silver & sebek as attached at the hip;   appearing so with their duties aligning,   as well as having similar clubs,   similar goals.    most of their lives had lined up so perfectly,   but it didn’t stop him from being acutely aware of all of the moments that they were not together.   school life would never truly allow for him to forget that no matter how hard the fae worked,   he was still a year behind his human companion  —   effort could do nothing to change the way that time passed.  

his nightly routine was regular,  undoubtful that silver could find him in the same place  —  sitting on his bed with his legs crossed,   back perfectly straight.    before him,   a pile of books;   and while to most they may have look like a mess,   it was organized strategically to his study plan for that night.    meticulously,   yet semi - messy,   notes lined before his knees.    sebek’s attention was drawn from his work only when his name was called,   eyes hesitant to leave the pages.    “  were you expecting to take up studying for the entirety of your days?   or did you intend to become someone befitting of your title?  ”   while his own prodding about school life may come off cold  —  he was not nearly as talented at forming lasting bonds with his peers as his counterpart.   in his eyes,   night raven university was a mere stepping stone to becoming their young master’s retainer.  at some point,   he did intend to put books aside &   pick up a sword.  

A TRIP TO THE GRAVEYARD JUST AS HE WOULD IN HIS YOUTH SEEMED FITTING OF TRADITION.   standing there as the bells tolled twelve times;   an odd silence blanketing the area.   between him &   trappola  —  there was generally a fair amount of chatter,   taunting & teasing to be had.   however,   the  strange location of their gathering seemed to hold both of their tongues.