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#book 3 spoilers
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Hello! It's me again. I'm probably pestering you, lol. I think a lotta people give flack for the Octavinelle trio being ruthless and "behaving like a Mafia." But I think considering where they live it makes sense? They live in the ocean. And the ocean is a kill or be killed environment, where you have to the strongest and toughest. If not? You at least have to be quick witted and unable to be seen, otherwise you'll be dead. If the trio become too soft they'll be fish meat.
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I think the fandom is pretty divided when it comes to perceptions of what the Coral Sea is like. On one hand, you have the people who think of it as like living in Atlantica, which is basically just like living in a peaceful and pretty city (but underwater). Then you have the people who think the environment would be so different it would shape its inhabitants to behave differently as well. The second one tends to be a darker or grittier interpretation which aknowledges dangers such as other undersea creatures and treacherous living conditions.
Personally, I lean on and enjoy the latter, since TWST rarely ever designs purely for the aesthetic of it; one example of this is how the twins are confirmed to be bioluminescent in the Magical Archives. This is a decision that was not made “because it would look cool”, but because many deep sea creatures rely on this trait to intimidate potential predators. It would make more sense for the cold waters of the Coral Sea to change its people rather than merfolks’ cities simply being civilizations moved several leagues under, especially seeing TWST time and time again really consider the geography and history of each new location and how those inform the cultures that form there.
However, I want to state that the Coral Sea would be very different depending on which area you’re in, just like how there are nice parts and bad parts of a city. It’s not ALL nice or ALL bad. For example, the Atlantica Museum in book 3 appears to be in a more photic zone, so there’s more sunlight and it appears pleasant to be in. Even the merpeople there seem to be different than the Octatrio; they less so resemble specific sea creatures and are much more akin to being human-like. We have yet to really see how the benthic zones are—but we do know they must be harsher, since Floyd has mentioned exploring shipwrecks and various dangers there (like sharks).
I also want to point out that there are subtle signs in dialogue which could imply merpeople prefer traits that promote survivability and adaptability in the ocean. Azul’s bullies are noted to taunt him for his weight, but also for his bulky tentacles and inky tears. Now why those traits specifically??? Because these impede his ability to swim swiftly (making it harder to escape danger) and easily give away his location (if he’s in hiding or camoflauging).
I’ve seen others suggest that maybe these comments are because of racism against octopus merpeople, who are a rare kind of merfolk. This is entirely possible, yes! But thinking about it like that… Isn’t it also possible that there aren’t a lot of octopus merpeople at the moment because it’s more difficult for them to escape or to hide from predators? Which then informs and perpetuates preexisting prejudices. In this context (plus the bullying), it makes sense why Azul may have “hardened” as a defense and survival mechanism. The same goes for the twins, who were explicitly taught how to defend themselves (although this also goes into the Leech mob family theory, which is a whole separate matter) and have often made references to fighting others in the Coral Sea. Their upbringings also play a part in their personalities, but so does the environment they grew up in. Like Azul and the twins, you’d have to harden mentally or physically to some degree to ensure your survival through tough circumstances.
It’s hard to say for sure though! A lot of this is speculation based on current but infrequent lore, and the Octatrio themselves are a very small portion of all merfolk. They may not be representative of the behaviors of all other merpeople, and we should keep this in mind when referring to them as our exemplars. That’s why I’ve been hoping for a Coral Sea hometown event so we have a more concrete idea of what life under the sea is like 😭
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khoipyan · 1 year
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ResidentEEL Business
After Yuu gives up your dorm as collateral, Floyd invites you to stay in his room instead. Given the housing circumstances, how could you possibly refuse?
gn!reader (you/your), reader is NOT yuu (+ yuu is a seperate character, is referred to using they/them), reader lives in ramshackle, book 3 spoilers ig??? still gonna put a warning just incase... 1.3k+ words
characters; floyd leech
notes; haii hello i decided to write another fic, hehe ⸜(。˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡ i have floyd favouritism....
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“You’re WHAT?”
Jade smiled, “If you want it in a more simplistic way for you to understand,”
“We’re taking your house for three days — and maybe even more — if you guys don’t complete that contract in time, Lil’ Fishy!” Floyd grinned.
This was quite the dilemma. Yuu smiled awkwardly at you, while Grim frantically rushed to fetch his things (would tuna really count if that’s all he might be saving?).
All if this had came to be a surprise. To think that you were just taking a nap, when suddenly you opened the door to two big eels, one cat and a Yuu. Since when did they get to make all the big decisions, exactly?
“Better get packin’, Shrimpy. You too, Fishy!” Floyd said, “Otherwise, we get to keep whatever you have lying around once the contract is over.”
As if there was anything of interest for him to keep. Still, rather than deciding to argue, you decided it was best to gather your things. However, this wasn’t even the main problem at hand—
For the next 3 days (and hopefully not any longer), where would you even stay?
“Look, I’m really sorry,” Yuu sighed, helping you pack up a box. It was basically all you really needed, seeing it was just your clothing, school supplies, and a few personal trinkets. I mean, it’s not like you could pack up your entire bed into a cardboard box.
You shrugged, “It’s fine, but couldn't you have at least called me first?”
“Next time, I promise.” they nodded.
As Yuu finished sealing up the cardboard box with some frail tape, they surrendered it over to you. Not surprisingly, it wasn’t so heavy. They took one last look at you before they left your room, leaving you alone with your thoughts and the semi-vacant room, just for a bit.
You flicked off your room lights and took one good look at your room. It looked only a little less bare than before, but it still looked like your room, nonetheless. You’d miss sleeping on the slightly terrible mattress of your bed, or the floorboards that creaked in the middle of the night whenever you got up to get a glass of water.
If you could, you would reminisce all night about the tales of your dorm room, but that wasn’t possible. In fact—
You felt two pairs of hands slam down on your shoulders, and a breath on your ear as a loud voice shouted:
“Boo!”
On instinct, you dropped the box and screamed, stumbling away as your body tensed up. It took a few deep breaths and even fewer moments to realize that there was no threat: it was only Floyd.
Floyd laughed, “Gotcha! C’mon, we don’t have all night, Lil’ Fish. You gotta get out sooner or later. Shrimpy and Baby Seal already left ya, y’know.”
Groaning, you picked up your box of items and clutched it tightly to your body, slamming the door to your room behind you. You internally grimaced as you heard the door reopen gently, footsteps trailing behind as Floyd followed you.
“That wasn’t very nice, Fishy. What’s wrong?” Floyd walked beside you, escorting you out of your own home with a casual grin on his face.
‘Everything’s wrong,’ you wanted to say, but you didn’t. Where would you even go? That question struck your mind again as the two of you dragged on your mini—stroll around Ramshackle Dorm. “It’s nothing.”
“You don’t have anywhere to stay, do ya?” Floyd caught you by surprise.
You shook your head, “How did you know?”
“I mean,” he continued, “It’s written all over your face. Besides, Shrimpy has the same problem too!”
You didn’t reply to him afterward, nor did you plan on going to; it was too tiring to carry on a conversation at the moment. The hallways only seemed to get longer as both of you walked beside each other, floorboards creaking with each stride you took. Only, Floyd’s steps made heavier creaks than yours did.
Floyd decided he had enough of this silence, interrupting the awkwardness between you two: “Say, you can stay with me if you want, Lil’ Fishy.”
“You know I don’t have that kind of money, Floyd.”
“No, no! Fishy’s got it all wrong,” he smiled, “I want you to stay in my room, and you play with me for a bit in exchange.”
That sounds a bit… fishy, if you will. What choice did you really have, though? It was either search for a nice empty room (which they might not even have) in another dorm for 3 days, or stay with a menacingly tall eel—mer.
Sometimes it would help if your options were more open, huh?
“Do I really have a choice?” You asked, looking at Floyd. Did he always have this nice pair of mismatched—coloured eyes?
He shrugged, “I dunno, do ya? It’s not like I’m forcin’ you, right? So I’d say yeah!”
As you both reached the entrance (or, exit) to Ramshackle Dorm, you couldn’t help but to make up your mind so suddenly:
“Fine. Hopefully only for 3 nights, though.”
Floyd beamed as he held the front door open for you, “We’re gonna have so much fun together.”
As soon as both of you had arrived in Floyd’s bedroom, he seemed to be much more… burnt out? The moodiness from him was so sudden as he flopped on his bed, face digging into his pillow. He must be tired.
It seemed both the twins shared a single room, which was slightly awkward given your circumstances. By the looks of it, Jade wasn’t currently there, and thank goodness for that.
“What’re you waitin’ for? Turn the lights off and go to sleep, keep the lamp on if ya want.” Floyd grumbled, lifting his face from his pillow to look at you so sullenly. What happened to having ‘so much fun’?
You put your box of things down in a corner of Floyd’s side of the room neatly, and look around the floor for a nice place to… get comfy. Maybe you should have packed your pillows and blanket.
However, Floyd seemed to take notice and shot you a look of confusion, “You gonna sleep on the floor, Fishy? Just come sleep on the bed with me, I don’t mind.”
“No way,” you shook your head.
“Why not?”
“Well, isn’t it awkward to share a bed?”
Floyd grinned, “I already said I don’t mind. What, scared I’m gonna bite ya in my sleep?” He narrowed his eyes, “or are you gonna sleep with Jade or somethin’?”
You frowned, “I’m not sleeping on anybody’s bed!”
Rolling his eyes at you, he shuffled around the bed. “Fine, but I gotta show you something…”
Curiously, you flicked off the room lights and walked a bit closer to him, “What is it?”
“Closer,” he smiled.
Everytime, each step you took closer to his bed, he kept telling you to come even closer. You were practically standing over him by now (which is kind of funny, considering how tall he is), crossing your arms. What could he possibly want?
“Bend down,” Floyd smiled.
As you did, it was almost as if your life flashed before your eyes. Floyd had taken the opportunity to grab you and pull you into his bed. Even while you struggled, you were definitely no match for how much he squeezed you.
“You’re kinda silly, Lil’ Fishy! I didn’t think you’d fall for that so easily,” he laughed.
You huffed, “You’re kind of squishing me.”
Floyd only shrugged as he hugged you even tighter. His grasp wasn’t bone-crushing or suffocating; it was quite warm. Somewhat gentle, surprisingly.
It was quiet, silent, but peaceful. All your thoughts wandered as you were being used like a human body pillow; to Yuu, to Grim, to the contract— it was all so odd.
Before you spent the whole night reflecting even more, you decided to get comfortable and get some rest instead.
Closing your eyes, you took one deep breath in, and one deep breath out.
“Good night, Floyd.”
“Night, Lil’ Fishy.”
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( due to be edited at anytime )
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drag0nalias0 · 11 months
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Sometimes a household is just a scrap collector god, a ghost king, a living bandage, a scimitar made from a gourged out eyeball, the gods evil ghost cousin tied outside the front door like a dog and said ghost cousins adopted human child he stole.
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nabulsi · 1 year
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non sexual intimacy with M is something that is so personal to me.
like holding hands to suppress the pheromones??
"You think I'd be able to cope without you now?"
"What?"
"You heard me"
u hear how unshakeable that statement is? that HONESTY. like they were confused but they get it now. they get what they need. who they need.
like. ohmy god "can i have tonight"?? "i just want to be near you"?? are u fucking kidding me
"Please don't do that again. [...] Make me think that you're gone. I couldn't... I can't deal with that."
i am feral. im insane. Im not the same person i was before playing M route, it has altered my brain chemistry. i will never be the same again
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I love Nate but the amount of secrecy and like the avoidance of telling the detective things makes it hard to really feel like the partnership is equal.
In particular there’s a really poignant moment if you have had Verda figure things out where Nate seems really uncomfortable with the idea of seeing Verda, but the second you are like “that’s okay if you don’t want to go I don’t want you to be uncomfortable” it’s like a switch is flipped and he’s like “no I want you to be happy I’m happy to go with you I’m excited actually”
It makes me sad. I dunno how we’re supposed to have a relationship when N keeps so much of themself hidden and smothered below that people pleaser facade of theirs
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iscream-dot-com · 1 year
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i made a watercolor version of the grace sketch too, but i fucked it up.
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hikaru4520 · 11 months
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MC: I have an awful feeling about this.
Leona: The fuck you mean,Herbivore?
MC: Don’t you ever get that voice in your head telling you something is going to go VERY wrong?
Leona:...
MC:...
MC: This.... this explains so much.
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se-hos · 1 year
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‘COME HOME’?!
I’M SCREAMING!!!!!!!!
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gm-warlic · 1 month
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I have just finished playing this quest:
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And I am going absolutely feral.
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I am not okay.
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ladiemars · 1 year
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just finished frankie and adam’s book three. i am euphoric. i am devastated. i will be taking the next few days to recover. thank you
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Thuggory: Wait... Hiccup and the Hooligans made friends with the unruly Bog-Burglars AND fought and won against the Romans? Why do THEY get all the fun?! Shouldn't I just join the Hooligans, at this point? Nothing FUN happens on this island (Meathead Island)!! 😢
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Maybe I’m dumb but isit true that Rielle was classmates with the octatrio?
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It's sort of implied but not outright said. Or, rather, that's a conclusion many fans (myself included) have drawn based on the wording in book 3. (The phrasing is similar in Japanese; I'm just showing English screenshots because that's what the majority of my readers will understand!)
In 3-11, Azul describes the photograph with Prince Rielle in it as one that "[commemorates] a visit to the museum". In 3-27, Deuce reads the caption for this photo: “A visit from Prince Rielle and his schoolmates.” (Ignore the fact that EN has written Rielle’s name two different ways lol)
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Then in 3-35, Ruggie says the picture is a "group photo of an elementary school class". Floyd says that it's "a picture from our school field trip" and points out himself, Jade, and Azul in it.
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Technically, it could be that their class happened to visit the museum the same day that the young Prince Rielle was there too. If that's the case, then why is Rielle pictured with some random elementary school's class? Maybe he wanted to be nice and engage with his people, but I'm not so sure this would be allowed for any royal to do on a whim (I imagine his guards or attendants might stop him; no way was he there alone and unattended).
It could also be said that maybe Rielle went to the same school as the Octatrio and in the same year but a different class since Deuce says the pic was of Rielle and his schoolmates, not classmates. Additionally, Floyd says it was a school trip they went on, meaning other classes from their school may have also tagged along. However, it has been made clear that the picture in question is of Azul and the Leech brothers’ class. Why would someone not in the same class as them be in that photo? Rielle must be in the same class then, right?
This line of thinking is what has led many to conclude that Azul, Jade, Floyd, and Rielle were in the same elementary school class.
If you consider the backgrounds of the Octatrio, the "Rielle is in their class" headcanon could make sense. They all come from reasonably well-off families (Tweel mob family theory + Azul's stepdad lawyer and his mom who runs the most popular restaurant in the entire Coral Sea), so it's possible that their parents could afford to send them to some prestigious school where other children of wealthy families (royals included) study.
I hope that helps! Let me know if you have any alternate interpretations for these lines.
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kirnet · 1 year
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More often than not, Adam was not sure how Dorotea ended up at his side.
It was just natural, the way he would gravitate towards her. Of course it was, his duty was her protection. He would find her in the kitchen, or the lab, and before he knew it they would be outside, Dorotea pointing out the local flora as he padded behind, unsure when they had even left the building.
This was one such night. So many cicadas hummed that the very air felt like it was vibrating. Usually, Dorotea had informed him, summers in Wayhaven were muggy and oppressive, but tonight was different. Crisp. A full moon illuminated their path as they picked their way through the woods, Dorotea careful not to snag her loose-hanging flannel on any branches.
Her topic of the hour was moths, it seemed, though Adam had to admit he was not paying any attention to the content of her words. Had she asked him out for a walk, or had he simply followed? 
Frankly, he was just glad that she had even made it outside. Even without heightened senses, it was impossible to miss the growing bags under her lidded eyes, the way her bony shoulders hunched as she walked. What he could hear was her breathing in the twilight hours, shuddering and awake, night after night. 
“That boring, huh?” He blinked and suddenly they were in a clearing, Dorotea’s brows raised as she glanced back at him. “You know, you can tell me when-”
“You are not sleeping.”
“No.” The reply came a few seconds late, the swaying underbrush filling the silence. And then she chuckled, a bitter sound that had no right to be coming from her. “How can I, Adam? Every second is another-” She pinched the bridge of her nose and exhaled hard. “I can’t stand feeling useless. And don’t tell me I’m not,” she added as he opened his mouth.
Her eyes almost seemed to drink in the moonlight, shimmering with emotion. How many had been taken now, he knew she was thinking, all because these bastards want me?
His hands were on her arms now, acting on their own accord, her flannel slipping off her shoulders. He frowned, his face taut. “Useless?”
Dorotea sighed. “Adam-”
“I envy you.”
He could feel her heart jump in surprise. “Excuse me?”
“I can feel your fear, you know. Every time we face danger.” Her adrenaline perfuming the air, her breath caught in her throat. “You have no abilities, only yourself and your determination. And yet you continue.”
His fingers trailed down her arms. Even through the fabric, he could feel the heat of her skin.
“You never falter, no matter the challenge. You never give into the fear. ‘Useless’ has no place in your mouth. Do you know how strong you are? How much I admire it?”
How much he wished he could be certain he was the same?
Dorotea swallowed hard. Adam could not pull his eyes away from her parted lips. Her flush was contagious, sending a feverish chill down his spine. God, the forest was full of her, made of her. He could almost taste her as his fingers circled her wrists. With the softness of a moth’s wing he pulled one hand up to his mouth.
“Do you know how much I crave you?”
Her pulse danced under his feather light kiss. Dorotea gasped, her other hand slipping from his grasp, but she made no effort to move away from his lips.
Oh, he could feel everything. The shockwaves down her arms, putting her hair on edge. The thumping of her heart drowned out the cicadas, so much so that Adam could not remember where he was standing. All that existed was him, her, and the blood in her veins.
“How much I wonder what you taste like?”
His fangs grew, poking against his bottom lip. So close to her skin. So close to euphoria.
None of his vampiric charms would ever work on her. No, he had no say over the blush that dusted her cheeks or the heat that wound through her very being. Her excitement filled his mouth.
She wanted him. Only him.
“Adam.”
He glanced up through his eyelashes. Dorotea’s hand had settled on her collar bone left exposed by her low undershirt. It trailed higher, delicately, her fingers whispering over the scar on her neck. The full moon shone in her blown pupils.
Adam traced his fang with his tongue.
Her hand stilled, fully touching her scar now: two jagged lines down the length of her neck.
“I…” Adam jolted back, dropping her wrist as if it had burned him. Dorotea’s expression pinched, hurt flashing across her features. Disgust coiled in his stomach, physically pushing him back. “I am not him.”
“What are you- Adam?” But he was already storming away, the insect drone piercing his ears. Too close. A moment of weakness. Failure. 
Bile filled his mouth. Temptation could never win again. Dorotea’s protection was his sole concern, even if it was from himself.
And he would never scar her like that monster had.
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Out of all the posts from M-mancers I haven’t seen anyone talking about the fact that M’s pheromones do seem to work to some extent on the detective and they aren’t telling anyone about it. I am so intrigued to see where M’s story goes after book 3.
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nabulsi · 1 year
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"where are you going, bestie?"
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pinkass-boots · 11 months
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detective be like:
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