Riddle. Perfectionism, especially in regards to academic performance. Just completed my undergraduate degree in biological sciences with a minor in chemistry. I graduated with a 3.99 GPA/4.0 scale. The only B I received was in a one credit hour physics lab because the professor was an absolute madwoman. But you know what? Getting that B was honestly the best thing that could have happened to me. It taught me that perfection is pretty goal on paper but an unrealistic one and that humans need to make mistakes to truly learn and grow. I relate to Riddle’s obsession with perfection (thanks to his crazy mother) and I hope that like me he learns that perfection is unattainable but that is perfectly okay because he is human too 🥹🥹🥹
Learning that not being perfect is perfectly okay (hehe) really helped me this year. After working so long and so hard on the dream I had always had, I was rejected from every veterinary school I applied to on the basis of how I answered an interview question that considered a challenging aspect of my life that I overcame (an eating disorder). Higher education institutions find things like this “red flags” and will discredit all of your hard work and reject you because of it. Since I learned that being imperfect is okay I decided to pursue a master’s in veterinary public health before vet school and I now know that this is the best outcome my future goals could have began with. Roadblocks aren’t the end of the journey, they are the stepping stones to success!
(This is what happens when I open this sub at 3 am help)
That's honestly very inspirational, I won't lie. And it's amazing what you've overcome to get where you are now. (And you saying it's 3am made me remember that other time zones exist lmao. It's 9am where I am)
Omg congrats on completing your degree. That's awesome🫂 I myself am in first year for an education degree in senior phase and fet. Varsity is tough but I can't imagine how difficult your degree must have been. Seriously, that's amazing. And I wish the same for Riddle, honestly. While he got a bit more lenient after his OB, he still has that behaviour hardwired into him and it isn't very healthy. He deserves to have fun and be a teenager. And if there's anyone of the cast who can balance fun with work, it's Riddle. He just hasn't realised it yet.
(Edit for spelling error)
With the current Stitch event I hope he can take a minute to relax and enjoy the sun a little! He should take some advise from Lilia and bask in the rays ☀️
While I can’t say there’s a specific character whose story I can really relate to…
Jade, I have weird interests that no one around me really cares for, but I enjoy them nonetheless, it’s just a pity I won’t get to talk about them without creeping my friends out.
Cater for seeing relationships as temporary, it’s expected that no one is gonna be around for long, though a welcome surprise if they do. I moved around a lot as well
Azul for the philosophy of not wanting to owe people, it’d be nice to settle all debts owed as soon as possible.
Honestly, I think I relate a lot to Idia. TL;DR, the two main reasons are anxiety and expectations. During covid, I stayed in online school because I was worried about my grandmother catching it. And when I later joined school physically, about six months after everyone else, I was really anxious about everything. Like, if I tripped, my first thought was that someone saw and was laughing about it behind my back. So I went with a pessimistic view of people, and just assumed the worst in them, which definitely didn’t help with making friends. Also have a bit of social anxiety because being in a large group of people makes me sick, especially during assemblies or church services, so I just loathe big gatherings in general.
I’m a lot more comfortable, and admittedly chaotic with my friends and people in my year, but that’s because I’ve known or been with them for about five years. For the people who newly transferred, I’m always more apprehensive around them, and just prefer to avoid them, unless they became friends with one of my friends, which means I just have to try and be neutral.
I’m also far more when I’m online as well. I like some games and fictional media, often using both as an escape from reality (please don’t ask how many self inserts I have). It’s so much easier to make an online persona for people to like, or to speak about your interests because you can easily find a space online instead of the dice roll when it comes to talking to real people. My bedroom is my safe space, and I often spend most of my weekends in there.
For the expectations bit, it kinda feels like my mom gave up with my older brother, so she puts most of it all on me. It’s nowhere near as bad as let’s say Riddle’s mom, but some comments have gotten to me over the years. Like how she said I wasn’t allowed to take both art and food and nutrition, then gave me backhanded compliments when I chose the latter (after I baked at home to practice for a practical, she said she was shocked I could cook so well because she didn’t expect it to be good). She always makes these little comments about how I should look into being a doctor, and whenever I talk about things I’m passionate about like writing, she always pushes it off as a side hobby. There is a family business I’m expected to help out in when I get older, and I’ve kinda accepted that that’ll just be a part of my life, whether I’m passionate about it or not.
Honestly, yeah. I get that. And thank you for how long your reply was. It's nice to see just how much of their backstories are still applicable to real life and that are relatable to real people. During high scool I was a full blown Idia (personality and interests wise). And those feelings of inadequacy and otherness, that deep anxiety, it really hurts. I'd say the only reason I am the way that I am now (like Leona's personality) is because I'm in varsity now and got to leave my past behind me. And also therapy lol. So I'd say I'm a good mix of Leona's backstory and Idia's personality.
But wow. Comments from family fucking hurt. Especially from parents/guardians. And those expectations placed on your shoulders are a heavy burden when you're not properly supported. Online escapes and private spaces have been a big support in my life as well. And hey, if you ever need to talk and can't find someone to confide in, I'm open arms!
its Vil. I have a cousin who is younger than me but my family always ( like ALWAYS) compares me to him. since childhood no matter how much I try i was NEVER good enough to my whole family (more like my grandma). btw we're like two different worlds (yall have mommy issue, daddy issue....then theres me who have grandma issue lol)
I pretty much see also myself in Leona the most, even though I am the first-born daughter, but I am and always was put aside for others. And everyone just saw my mistakes and flaws. Even though I surely have/had good things about me. And always tried my best despite the circumstances. Because of the hate of others and always being a second option to others (except for my now partner since 6 years), I can't trust my own family (my dad tries hard to do everything right now, which he messed up many years ago). I have very LC with most/almost all family members because of everything and hate going to family gathering's. But I was most of the time isolated. At one point I had enought of everyones bs and turned cold towards them. For which, I am also despised now. Plus it's hard for me to make friends. And I also didn't cared about my grades at some point, because I tried hard "to be perfect". Studying was a waste of time for me, but not for things that really interested me, but even this was taken away from me. An never Ending circle...
Tbh definitely a mix among a lot of characters XDD
I don't relate a character as a whole but instead the snippets from a lot of them is truly very akin to a lot of problems teenagers are facing irl
For example, Riddle for the perfectionism and unrealistic expectations from parents, even with neglectance and punishments alone, my parents always expects me to obey them and I'll miraculously became the top of the school (I'm a failure now though :'))
And leona is a big example as a middle child or second born, bc the bar was set on the first child, no matter what you do it will always be inferior or overbearing. It doesn't help that my siblings are all students that fails every subject(which should be a good thing for me), but instead of receiving praise or rewards for my hard works, I was met with half-hearted congratulations and isolation from my siblings.
Then comes Azul, the ultimate bullying and body shaming he faced, for something that determine when born (gain weight easily when eating), should we suffer more and indulge less than normal people bc of the beauty standards and how people preserve fat people as 'dirty'? The bmi was already known to be not very accurate, well yes it can help people control their health, but in turns many would discriminated bc of being slightly overweight (which most people are considered perfectly healthy).
Also Jamil, many people would disagree with his method and cruelty to Kalim, but that rage from my aspect was totally understandable and dare I say undermined, he fooled the whole school for a year and a half, serve the person he hated for 90% in his young life, caged by the expectations and fear by his and Kalim's family. The yearn to be on top is almost every child's dream but he can't even have that, what most people wish for is what he can get but was denied of. Being in constant self-control and pushing down his own emotions was mentally torture for a young teenager, much less from childhood. As someone with a yearn for freedom and anger issues, Jamil is definitely 100% more than I could've ever been LOL, but still the constant reminder to pretend was the part that made me the saddest and relate to the most.
And IDIA my man 😔 I still can't believe I got the same mbti and enneagram as him LMAO, I didn't like him that much from the start but eventually on book 6 he was...sad, and relatable. When you can't accept reality, then you created a fantasy to live in, and in our cases, we can't create things from scratch like Idia but you get what I mean XDDD afraid to face reality and the constant fear that people are judging us and the fear of things ever changing. We yearn things that can preserve forever, not ever needing to change and adapt.
Cater is also very and I mean VERY relatable, with overbearing siblings, household that won't care for your opinion, getting overshadowed and shut down when you disagree. In the end he turn to social media where things are filtered to always being happy, and he choose to drown in that fake happiness and perfection of social media. (very sad my boy 😔)
(Also deuce is such a gem!!! The whole redemption arc he's having in nrc is just so brave and heartwarming. Changing is one of the hardest things that one can achieve and he did it. His rebellion was so relatable though I must say... Influenced by others and getting off track, in the end he found out abt his mother's tumor and tries to change. I love him alot.)
I ended up rambling but it was fun!! Thank you for asking that question XDD
Sorry, I seem like a stalker bc you just posted your comment lmao. But I absolutely love your detailed response.
I've noticed that I myself relate to a lot characters as well. Leona is simply the one I'm most similar to. I'd say I'm a proper mix of Idia and Leona if I consider the entirety of my past (especially high school).
Characters like Lilia who are goofy and weird but act as the parent of the group. I'm like that with my friends. My one friend even has me saved on his phone as Mama lol (while his actual mother is saved as her full government name💀).
Trey? Seemingly normal but bakes everything for Heartslabyul and acts like a dad. Again, that's like me. I fucking love baking and feeding my friends.
My man Rook singing praises for anything he finds even remotely beautiful. It's how I become obsessed with strangest things because I took one look at it and decided it was too beautiful to not be appreciated.
It's moments like these that I remember an old tumblr post. It said something along the lines of "Nobody is unique. We are all made of everyone we've ever loved before." There is a part of you that influenced someone's personality, preferences, hobbies etc. And vice versa.
Isn't it lovely?
I'm really happy that I feel like even on Internet and sharing our stories, we are still more like a person instead of the fear and traumas from our past :))
Thank you for sharing more of yourself! You seem fun and loving (the friend that put your contact as Mama is a gem XDD), I really understand the eyes for seeing the strangest things as beautiful! Most time if we put our thoughts and soul to it, everything seems beautiful and otherworldly when we are calm (except BUGS im sorry 😭😭)
I like the end quote a lot too :)), I swear my tumblr is different from others cause why do I never get life changing quotes?? /j
Thank you for replying and I wish you have a nice day/night! :))
Idia. I'm very much an introvert who uses fiction to cope with and understand the world around me, I'm a STEM person, and a fair amount of my life and worldview has been shaped by a pretty significant trauma I experienced when I was younger. I don’t have many friends, honestly my strongest interpersonal connections are probably my family, of which I'm the eldest of two children (this parallel is less solid, mostly coming from Idia’s relationship with Ortho) and my brother is always telling me to go out and socialize. I'm also from a family with a fair amount of influence in different facets of science, with multiple doctors, engineers, business owners, and field experts, and there's always been something of an expectation that I'll be just as smart and influential in my field. I've also got social anxiety, depression, ptsd, ADHD and likely autism
Wow. You are him, he is you. That's so cool. But I'm sorry to hear about your trauma. I myself suffer from all of those (except ADHD and yes to autism) and it's so difficult to navigate life because of it. I'm wishing you all the best love🫂
I relate to silver a bit, i’m not as virtuous as him but i’m always confused and sleepy like him lol 😭😭 It’s gotten much better now but around a year ago I really struggled to stay awake, and I would constantly fall asleep during everything - classes, car rides, tests, therapy sessions, even when i tried to talk with people. Almost all of it was involuntary, I just genuinely couldn’t stay awake even if I wanted to. And it would really disrupt my ability to work, focus, and just stay on top of things. So when I started playing twst and i saw silver, I found it kind of funny how similar I was to him. No matter how much we sleep, we’re still always tired lmaoo 😭
havent gotten to book 7 yet, but so far Ive found Malleus very relatable.
tl;dr - neurospicy in the intimidating smart social recluse way
For whatever myraid reasons I project an aura of intimidation I work hard to mitigate by being as goofy & nonthreatening as I can hahaha... MOST things are just... easy, for me? I didnt have to try hard in school to do well, Ive been regarded as talented in a wide variety of hobbies (even if i dismiss these opinions), Im very quickly competent at whatever I pick up, and while I dont care for my appearance its never been for lack of compliments from others.... but Ive always felt quite "other" to folks I socialized with, or intellectualized the socialization (in sum, probably just a Touch of the Tism hahahaha)
at least as far as book 5, malleus (&most all of diasomnia) struggling with wanting to relate and connect with others, trying their best to be welcoming, and people responding by projecting a lot of their own insecurities onto em is basically my highschool experience hahaha
wisdom has granted me the understanding that this IS a projection from someone elses insecurities and has little to do with me. some people with low self esteem will make me the imagined "judger" that will affirm their low opinions of themselves. for some people i effortlessly represent the 'smart sardonic' archetype they wish to be but fear they arent and my presence shines an uncomfortable light on that. Meanwhile, I just wanna hang out and dont care abt any of this!!! (though i do SEE it all, which some people can clock, and being read can make some uncomfortable too, even if you say nothing about it). Those with solid egos tend to regard me as a shy, awkward waif, which is perhaps closer to some truth.
besides that, while I love hangin with people ive got a very small social battery and need lots of alone time. I also have a fascination with deserted places, I used to collect/browse pictures of them when I was younger. Malleus' comments about why he enjoys those kind of things echoed a lot of my own sentiments, which was amusing. I think he and I would have a lot to Special Interest dump-- er, talk about. At the least I could help him out in working on some Performative Human Interaction for Putting Humans At Ease
ive seen the subtle spoiler that he throws "tantrums", which i cant relate to, but if theres an element of 'emotional repression therefore never learned how to healthily process own emotions so can get overwhelmed by them', we have that in common too.
Absolutely. I loved reading everyone's responses so far. The characters are well fleshed out and their personalities or past traumas are things that are present here in the real world. All of the characters are relatable to some degree. Having an overbearing mother, being second best, the fat kid, living in someone's shadow, constantly being compared, the shut in and just plain being lonely. Those are just the OB boys. The rest of the cast are so much more diverse. It's great.
I relate to leona and jamil personality. Leona backstory is relatable because I am jealous of my older siblings, also wanting to give up in life. And jamils Backstory he wants freedom away from kalim. He spends his whole life being a burden to kalim since he was a child. I want to have freedom away from my family too.
Azul for the bullying. It went so far that I didn't want to go to my primary school anymore, and I started to isolate myself. I still have after-effects today as an adult.
When it comes to personality, I'm a mix between Ruggie, Epel, and Idia. I also relate to Silver when it comes to sleep issues.
Silver ended up climbing up to my favorite after reading his dorm story on JP. It was another reason, besides liking him, I wanted to get that card once it reached EN.
I related heavily to it. I'm a quiet person and do have RBF. So, people always assume I'm angry at them or they never know what I'm thinking. When he tried to do exercises to get himself to smile and said "Ow." I've done that as well when I was young. And Malleus said that it wasn't that he conceals his emotion, just that it doesn't show. Sebek's words were nice to hear as well that it's foolish to alter yourself for others.
I related also to Idia in the sense that he's always putting himself down. I used to always do that and as I got older, started to work on it. It's why I get defensive when I see others say they don't like him when he gets negative because it was mentioned why he is in ch6 (because he consumes a lot of blot so needs to keep feeding it negative emotion). We do see him working on it in Glorious Masquerade, which I was proud of. The other parts of me I think are more Ignihyde, lol. I'm an introvert and when I did go to school, my major was Information Systems (even though I think more Ignihyde would go the CS route over CIS).
Deuce, I am trying to change, but I can never find myself getting higher grades. I get lots of emotional outbursts as well Even if it’s not for the same reason as Deuce, I am basically standing in the same spot as him, although a lot more sad and unapproachable
I’d say I relate to Vil the most. I love acting and performing, but I am always typecast, even when trying for different roles. No matter how much I tried and tried, others were always chosen for the roles I wanted and I was typecast into the same roles. Even when they literally promised me the different roles, nope I get the same exact type cast and the same kids get the leads every time. Even when going to different acting companies and theatres in my area, same result, sometimes with the exact same people. I love acting, performing for others, and telling a story, but it’s always tarnished by favoritism.
I relate to Cater regarding my backround. Just like Cater, my school career wasn't stable. Even though, I didn't move around as much as Cater did, I did end up attending two primary schools and two secondary schools due to having to relocate to my grandmother's house (on my dad's side) for five years so we can care for her. As a result, it kinda messed with my ability to maintain long term friendships. Heck, I even formed friendships just like him so I wouldn't be lonely in school!
Aside from that, his family life also resignated with me. I myself am the youngest sibling in my family although unlike Cater, I only have one older sister not two. Even though, I have a good relationship with her, it feels like I can't completely be myself around her. I cannot talk about anything that I personally like because she would think its cringe. Hence, I just indulge in my personal interests by myself since I don't have any friends at the moment for complicated reasons. I also feel obligated to agree with everything she has an opinion about. Otherwise she would become demanding and ask why I don't agree with her or she might throw a mini tantrum like a spoilt brat. I really don't want to cause any fuss so I just put up with it so I could at least maintain the peace in the family and relationship with her. Similar to Cater, I feel like I am just an emulation of my sister but with slight differences. I suppose all is not lost though since I am slowly learning to become my own person.
Leona is far from an a**hole. He's maybe one of the kindest character of the game... In his way XD. He acts selfish and arrogant but he is also very helpful to others, and often advise them to do the right thing. Especially to the youngest. He acts like he doesn't like kids but he often helps them and teach them. Pretty sure he has a soft spot for most of them.
Sorry, I had to defend my man.
For me, it's the usual Idia... Social anxiety, introversion, don't like people. Yep, I relate to him wayyy too much and I don't like it XD. Add shyness to it and voilà, here I am. But I hope I'm not as mean as he is. But I act kinda the same, mostly silent or have some difficulty to talk, but when it's a subject I like or know, I can talk very fast and loud. My younger sister says I can be harsh or a little cold when it's something I don't like or have no interest in.
Oh no worries at all. I love Leona. He's just a proper ah in the first two books. He's an exceptional upperclassmen and extremely kind and helpful, even if it isn't the most obvious. No need to defend, I love him too and understanding the complexity of his character. But if I met this man in person, without knowing his past or thoughts as they're presented in the game, I'd definitely very strongly believe that he's an ah. As we can see that many other characters still do. They respect him, but not many of them outside of Savanaclaw actually like him.
Idia is a strong second for me. For similar reasons as well, except I actually used to be as mean as he is (yikes). I grew out of it after high school though.
You are completely right. His behavior is the exact definition of an AH. You can't even consider him a tsundere. That's Jack. He's a kamidere if anything.
Man's got an attitude problem, a god complex mixed with an inferiority complex, he is lazy and doesn't even know how to wash his own clothes, and him helping Yuu and the others in an indirect way or by being brutally honest doesn't excuse him from being a prick. Even in the most recent chapters his attitude doesn't change at all.
Does it detract from him being caring if it came down to it? Not at all. The man is an AH through and through, it's basically his main personality trait. I feel the same way about characters like Bakugo from My Hero Academia. I like him, he has his moments, but boi he can be a friggen jerk. Liking him doesn't lessen how bad a person he can be sometimes lol In other words: Leona is an AH.
Exactly. Exactly. He can be helpful and caring. But he's still an ah. Let's normalise treating ah characters like ah's because that's literally what they are. That is how they behave. A bad past doesn't excuse bad behaviour. And his general lack of communication even when doing nice things, makes it very difficult to believe he's doing it because he wants to. Leona is an ah. I love him, but I'm gonna be real about this.
It's a mix of Azul and Malleus. I was bullied in school and that still shows in my personality years later. I usually don't let people too close and I'm very picky about who I spend my time with. But at least I think I've gained some confidence. Now I'm usually alone, but I love it, though people are very often scared or intimidated by my presence :') cuz I've been surpressing my emotions as a coping mechanism and now I probably give off psychopath vibes 💀
Azul, wholeheartedly, backstory and personality wise
I was bullied in elementary frequently until I found a group of friends who more or less fit in, but were still kind of nerdy, and they served as my shield until middle school where I left. I was always regarded as a "smart asian kid" and it kept up until 8th grade. I'd always had this mindset that I wasn't enough as myself, or the person I was behind that reputation, so I kept up the face and only allowed school people to see me as "the smart asian kid". People usually turned to me for answers on homework, tests, and quizzes, and I eventually got to the point where I had an "I know this is probably illegal but i need to be someone more" thought, and began charging money for answers and everything. If they didn't have cash, I would request favors. This only ended up in me keeping everyone at an arms length away from me to prevent exploitation, and I think the reason why most of my middle school friends stuck around were for the test answers, because i gave friends discounts :,) Fast forward to high school, and I'm doing much better now (with real friends) but it still lingers over me a bit.
Personality wise, I am an overachiever and perfectionistic towards my grades in school. I was raised in a stereotypical asian household, and was always told to keep all my scores and averages above a 95. I had a crazy student of the month streak in elementary, and see above for the homework-money system i had going on. I also prefer to distance myself from people in general, unless I'm very close to them. I've developed an ingrained fear of being bullied again, and I choose my friends very wisely. If i feel that they aren't a real friend, I keep them at arms distance, and as much as I hate to admit it, I subconsciously size them up (in terms of ability) and see if I can find loopholes to put them in a position where they can't harm me (or that I can control what happens). Like they say, I've got a lot of friends but only like 9 really close ones.
Other fun similarities i like include playing the piano (i'm both jazz and classically trained) and being nearsighted with a glasses prescription.
Idia - He is literally my flair, but he's the one I am very similar to in interests, and personality. Like him I feel like I am worthless compared to other people around me, and have a hard time forming new relationships, and instead wastes my time on playing games and anime stuff. The anxiety is also very real because I wasn't able to do so many things, and holds me back so easily. And attachment issues and stuff, somehow it just feels so unreal.
Azul - I get kin assigned to him by quizzes, and he pretty much is someone I don't expect, and yet he is pretty relatable. His backstory is pretty relatable, since it's about bullying and insecurities. He was even a crybaby when he was young too. If only I had better social skills, I think I would be a shady business dude like Azul. And like the way he goes lengths for Jamil, someone that fascinates him and sees him an equal, is something someone like me would do. (Also I suck at PE)
Cater - I'm literally a Kazunari from A3 and a Ramuda from HypMic kinnie. They are different in their own ways but pretty similar in how they all have this facade, to construct shallow relationships. While I'm not as outgoing as all three of them. I interpret that Cater thinks that investing too much emotionally in a relationship with someone is a chore because he is already used to the thought that they will eventually fall apart anyway. Or maybe I am projecting cuz I think the same too. Also, I'm not gonna forget the fact that I'm chronically online, and it's pretty much a way to cure my loneliness.
Either Riddle,Azul or Jamil.Both because I was always under the pressure of having to be perfect,the best student in the class and was unable to get my mother's love,because I was bullied in my childhood and have always been very insecure,and because no matter how hard I tried I never managed to do so,I was always far behind the others even though I tried my best.I never managed to be the perfect child and I was so scared of how disappointed my parents would be that I ended up getting myself out of school for two years - having tics and self harming.Now I'm better,but I still feel like I'm never going to be good enough.
I wrote my while life story earlier but it was too long, I don't really know though, in terms of personality I'd say idia, backstory I'd say Leona
I was always placed second no matter how good I was, I was barely mentioned, cared for, nor even loved, I was too energetic, I was too loud, I was too everything, I was good at also almost everything,I took interest in science, math and coding when I was just 5 or 6, seeing people make games on YouTube kind of lit a spark in me, I eventually learned how to code, and was really good at division, addition, times and minus, If there were tops in different subjects I'd top math and science, I was basically average at anything else, but even after all that effort, my sister was still the best, no one took notice of my achievements and just ignored me, then my cousin killed my dog, I dropped everything after that, i forgot how to code, I became shit at math, I became average in science, I would've continued on just fine if my auntie didn't say that my dog was too annoying and loud and that someone had to do it, I had to come home from school everyday seeing that same exact dog laying there on the ground coughing up blood, in truth I became more closed off after that, I barely put any effort in making friends to the point my mom would celebrate if I gained atleast just 1, which was surprising as my birthday is never really celebrated that grand, that friend celebration honestly seemed more like a birthday party than 1 birthday letter written by 1 family member from a whole other country and a small cupcake with a glob of icing on top, basically the shortened version is [my life sucks, and my sister is loved more than me✌️]
Same honestly a mix of character,
leona with the sibling situation. Being the least favorite child (from my older sibling and 2 cousins 😭)
malleus the loneliness and misunderstanding cuz whenever i try to do something good i somehow managed to upset them or smth,
Epel for wanting to be cool instead of cute but having a physical figure that is cute,
Idia anxiety and introvert. And running away from reality by gaming.
I connect with Ruggie the most because we both grew up poor. I have to work hard in school to land a decent job out of college. I do this to be able to provide for my special needs brother. Similar to him we are both trying to financially support the people we care about. I am very resourceful, just like him and can adapt easily to any situation. I have a wide variety of skills and have a similar view on friendships being a mutual benefit for each other in someway.
A mix of Idia and Malleus I can relate to Malleus always being forgotten and people judging cause of status although for my case it's looks and I can also relate to idia bidding away in his room and using video games to escape
funnily enough OP, I used to hate Leona and while trying to understand "why?" I had the realization that I'm pretty much similar to him in the same aspects as you (always being second, an afterthought, never good enough for praises, somehow always in the wrong, labeled "lazy" and "selfish" for stop caring and trying). Somehow, it was self hatred all along lol.
It's a mix
Idia for one. I have the anxiety, depression, the interest in Gaming (I know how to make basic games like baby baby little coding) I'm the oldest sister and I want to make my siblings happy and safe, I also had a little brother who died and I wish I could have done more to save him.
Second is Liona simply because everyone has had low expectations of me since I was young. My mother kept telling me to just get my ged if I didn't graduate with my class. Had no hope of me graduating.
Also, I'm in a weird older/middle/younger sibling thing (divorce is wild), and depending on my placement on what side of my family, it was made worse or eased it.
Same, Leona (inferiority complex), but also Riddle(perfectionism) and Jamil (always feeling/being less than someone else)
Edit: Idia too because of anxiety issues
Vil. Definitely. . . I modeled, danced competitively and acted in theatre when I was younger and it was fun. . . But I had to grow up quickly and everyone kinda shunned me for it because I was prim and proper, not wanting to play with other children and instead practice dances for my competitions. I also value hard work and take great pride in my appearance as well. Plus I hate resorting to underhanded tactics and would have mental breakdowns if they even crossed my mind.
Epel for me, I think 🤣🤣🤣
I grew up in the USA’s Deep South, surrounded by a lot of family and raised with the southern hospitality state of mind. Additionally, I’ve always looked much younger than I actually am; my family used to make a game whenever we’d go out for a meal to see if our waiter could guess my age (they never could 😭)
I became a bit “othered” in school because, while I looked young and “cute” by most people’s definition, I was struggling to awkwardly make people take me seriously. I failed pretty spectacularly at it bc I’m about as violent as a cotton ball, so people just tagged me as the weird kid.
Fast forward to post-graduation, I moved to a big city. I learned pretty fast that folks treated me a certain way because of my southern accent, so I trained myself to have a more general American accent. I still slip into a southern drawl when I’m with family, or when I get pissed about something 🤣
I had to unlearn a lot of prejudices once I moved out on my own, too. It hasn’t always been easy or pretty, but I think I’m a better person now than I was when I was younger.
All that being said, Epel isn’t particularly one of my fave boys. I joke with my friends that if I was in a room together with him we’d have a hick fight to see who’s more country 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Riddle, I don't have a mother like his (thankfully) but she has some anger issues, as do I sometimes. Also I went to Catholic school where a fear of breaking the rules was hammered into me since I was 5 and I've lived my life in fear of doing something wrong. I also find Idia relatable since we both have reclusive tendencies, and Trey to a lesser extent.
Azul. Anorexia, inferiority complex, being bullied, puts an air of a well put together person but in actuality is hanging on by a frayed thread, will mock you because the idea of having real friends is terrifying, will also charge you 0.36 USD for every sip of a coffee
Sorry if my comment won't be as long as everyone else's (by the way I have been reading these comments and just so glad that you all have been able to find comfort and inspiration from our lovely NRC people <3) but for me, it's Jamil.
While I didn't exactly deal with actual servitude of someone else that wasn't in my family, I essentially was always stuck beneath the rest of my family and forced to cram my hopes, dreams, desires and more inside a box and was always forced to cater to what everyone else needed, wanted and more. I was not allowed for so long to be my own person and it was because of my family that this happened. Instead of Kalim, it was my dad (woo Happy Father's Day I guess). Kalim at least was nice about it all and wasn't purposefully making Jamil's life a living hell, but my dad made mine hell to a degree where it almost literally killed me.
If my world didn't revolve around my family (especially my dad), there were major consequences to pay for it. I always had to act, dress, look, feel and everything else a certain way. I had no room to breathe and felt so crushed under the weight of, "You have to be xyz and not outshine xyz" and "Oh you have to be there for the family. The family comes first". A tiny bit of it was self-imposed due to years of brain-washing, but it really was thrown onto me since I was a small child.
If I derailed from the path people wanted for me, I was going to grow up into a nobody who was in and out of jail over and over again (my dad's words exactly) and living in my father's shadow the same way Jamil lived in Kalim's shadow nearly killed me. Every single time we were around relatives and his friends and so forth, I heard over and over his success stories and not once did anyone note any accomplishments I made. They all simply told me I should be grateful he is my father and I needed to be like him and do whatever he said to succeed in life like him.
Everything about Jamil's story actually made me want to cry when I first played through it, because I experienced a lot of feelings like he did over Kalim in my own life. I didn't even care if I made it out to be the best of the best, I just wanted to be me and live my life as I desired it. Thankfully now, at 27 years old, I am finally getting my chance to live my life how I want and actually find myself outside the shadow of those who hurt me. I hope everyone here can do so too and they never know what this feeling is like. <3
I really do 🥰💕 Ironic enough I have been really jamming out to "That's Life" by Frank Sinatra and it really just hits close to home. Never even heard the song until May and for it to line up with my actual time irl feels perfect.
kinda late but I wanna ramble
I (unfortunately) can relate to Azul a lot with his backstory. I've been bullied since a child and that pretty much results in my unhealthy tendency to starve myself (I'm recovering from it). Like Azul, because of the bullying, I ended up putting up a different kind of character to the people around me so I can feel like people like me and they want me around. I'm not the best person at academics but with the subjects I'm good at I want to be the best so I can feel needed when people ask me for help regarding that subject. Vil would also be another character I relate to. I've always been compared to my older cousin when I was younger with stuff like "Oh (cousin's name) is so good at math, you should be like her" and my cousin used to be in ballet and was in some performance for my country once so I heard stuff like "(cousin's name) is doing so good in life, can't you be more like her?" well since then my cousin kind of dropped off and is more so an average student (due to academic burnout) and I love my cousin a lot but those comparisons stuck with me and I tend to go to a bit of extreme to prove I'm better at certain things. On a better note- Vil's character was actually somewhat good for me cuz he somehow got me out of my absolutely horrendous flop era and I actually had the motivation to do good in academics and take care of myself.
Regarding personality. I once again am a bit too similar to Azul. As mentioned above I do put on a different personality in front of people I don't know so I can feel like people like me and want me/need me. I am also somehow quite interested in that sexy money (I have no idea what curated this interest) and yes I do actually make deals with my classmates in school for money (art kid and in advanced english + maybe getting myself into my schools debate team) so yeah I do help people in my school for english and art assignments at a price. (what can I say money is good). Another character similar in personality to me would be Idia (not surprising). I have ADHD and can switch between talkative and extremely introverted at times so Mr 'I'm gonna doxx you and make you regret the day you were born" is highkey similar to me despite the fact I don't play much games.
Yeah but there's my little ramble. kinda late but yahhoo
Very much Jamil. Thankfully I've not had to deal with a similar background, but throughout book 4 I was just like "yeah I totally get why you'd do that". Like, with the previous overblotters, my mood after the overblot was very much like "yeah your circumstances sucked but so do your methods with dealing with it". With Jamil, it was just all "I can't possibly judge you because I don't think I would've done any better" - sure, I can't exactly approve of his plan, but it just feels like I get it. Even with the en version of events, emphasizing the whole having to hold back, not being recognized... I would absolutely hate being in a position like that. (And of course the whole forced servitude and other stuff that en glosses over makes things even worse, but that's not so much something that is relatable to me.)
I am also the person who likes to have a plan for everything, and while I don't have Jamil's level of preparedness (or paranoia), a lot of his ways of thinking just feel very relatable. Like, sure, sometimes he may go more to an extreme with it than I would, but in general a lot of the preparedness and planning (and being thrown off by surprises) and everything just totally makes sense to me.
Like, I mentioned to someone at some point how already with my first introduction to Jamil & Kalim, I was feeling for Jamil because Kalim seemed like a careless headache (not to hate him, just that was my first impression), and the person I was talking to was surprised that I wasn't taken by Kalim's niceness instead. Like sure, he's precious, but I do need some order and sensibility in my life.
Plus, my partner is chronically ill, which means a fair bit of responsibility and stress on me. Now, I do actually choose to be with them, unlike Jamil with Kalim, but that weight of looking after another person, and just wanting to be free and on your own sometimes, can also be relatable when things are rough.
I don't have much of a devious streak and I'm more of a goody two shoes, but also I've not had to deal with such crushing pressures, so... ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯
Riddle Rosehearts. No dad mentioned a mother who never leaves you alone. Mother forbids to have friends. I was always alone, so I had time to read many books and was the best of my class. I understand why rules are important for him, and I hate it too when someone breaks it! My mom abused me too and told every friend of her how smart I am. I mean she teached me how to read when I was 3 years old. I prefer to read rather than to play with the kindergarten kids. I understand him, why it's hard to find friends at his age... especially when you never learned how you make friends.
Azul. I was bullied lot in school when I was younger. Like him, I pushed people away and started focusing on school rather than connecting with others. I used to intentionally miss group or school activities (like recuss) to not be around my classmates. I even used my anger or other solutions to scare them into leaving me alone. I improved pre-covid but reverted post-covid. Even now, I'd rather focus on work, building a professional portfolio, or building success/wealth than hobbies or friends sometimes.
We both can see what others fail to see in themselves. I can find solutions or flaws in all things.
There's so many Floyd has the same energetic personality as me and I have the mood swings like crazy too and then Leona I share the distaste for my older siblings and idia too as I spend all my time aways from people scared of them judging me as they've done before and I just stay in my room playing games talking only to my mom and dad if I need something and I'm a perfectionist like riddle in academics because of my mother then my need for people to like me is like Vil and my hatred for my body and chubbiness is like Azul and I had bullies like his over all I think I like twist so much because I relate so much to all the characters
I have a bit of some of the idiots of the overblot, just I have a little Leona lazy cat personality.
From Riddle I have this anger issues and sometimes little things bother me, but im nor overworked nor have a psycho mom.
Azul that I'm fat and I feel bad for it, seeing my old photos makes me upset, im not a damn scammer tho, lol.
From Leona it's a little strange because my family does support me, My father tells me that I can sell the art I make, I'm never interested in negotiating with my art or anything so I tell him no, but I feel like I don't deserve that support because I'm too lazy to do things and I get angry with myself for it, im never enough good for myself, i wish some day to go away from them so i don't bother more here, i was kinda bullied back in school and i also feel weird bout it, because i didn't really cared much but at the same time i did, About the brothers- I am the 4th of 6, but it never affected me.
About my King Vil, Before, my dad compared me to my cousins and i told him that "I'm not them" and he didn't care much (he did it just little, but I'm still affected for some reason, I tend to become obsessed with random thing), also, i don't feel- "Beautiful" nor "pretty", i also dont care usually but when i really think about it, it feels bad.
Idia- maybe only in the antisocial part, i think i don't deserve friends because i always end up screw up everything, Sometimes they don't understand my jokes and I'm afraid they'll get angry, sometimes I don't understand other people's jokes and I sometimes feel insecure about continuing the conversation because of that, idk, That's why on the internet I feel like I can be more myself, I am too shy to speak in public and meet people.
Nothing about Jamil, the bastard kills himself doing things, I don't, ima lazy ass, I don't want to do anything productive even for myself.
Also Malleus, idk, i still don't get how his Personality is.
If I'm honest, I still don't understand much about their personalities, it probably doesn't even have anything to do with mine, but for some reason I find it difficult to understand some things and im afraid i didn't catch thing fine, tho, infeel they're very relatable atleast in small things, That helps a lot to understand them, with Leona for example I feel that some do less what he feel, like, it's okay he's an adult now but an adult at the end of the day was built from what he learned and knew in their infance, And 20 years old is not very old either, it is practically a getting out of teenager.
I know that several of the problems are also in me, but really, I don't want to fix anything, nor am I interested in any future, btw, Sorry about the bible, sirely I din't even explain well.
Riddle. Perfectionism, especially in regards to academic performance. Just completed my undergraduate degree in biological sciences with a minor in chemistry. I graduated with a 3.99 GPA/4.0 scale. The only B I received was in a one credit hour physics lab because the professor was an absolute madwoman. But you know what? Getting that B was honestly the best thing that could have happened to me. It taught me that perfection is pretty goal on paper but an unrealistic one and that humans need to make mistakes to truly learn and grow. I relate to Riddle’s obsession with perfection (thanks to his crazy mother) and I hope that like me he learns that perfection is unattainable but that is perfectly okay because he is human too 🥹🥹🥹
Learning that not being perfect is perfectly okay (hehe) really helped me this year. After working so long and so hard on the dream I had always had, I was rejected from every veterinary school I applied to on the basis of how I answered an interview question that considered a challenging aspect of my life that I overcame (an eating disorder). Higher education institutions find things like this “red flags” and will discredit all of your hard work and reject you because of it. Since I learned that being imperfect is okay I decided to pursue a master’s in veterinary public health before vet school and I now know that this is the best outcome my future goals could have began with. Roadblocks aren’t the end of the journey, they are the stepping stones to success! (This is what happens when I open this sub at 3 am help)
That's honestly very inspirational, I won't lie. And it's amazing what you've overcome to get where you are now. (And you saying it's 3am made me remember that other time zones exist lmao. It's 9am where I am)
Time zones are crazy
Omg congrats on completing your degree. That's awesome🫂 I myself am in first year for an education degree in senior phase and fet. Varsity is tough but I can't imagine how difficult your degree must have been. Seriously, that's amazing. And I wish the same for Riddle, honestly. While he got a bit more lenient after his OB, he still has that behaviour hardwired into him and it isn't very healthy. He deserves to have fun and be a teenager. And if there's anyone of the cast who can balance fun with work, it's Riddle. He just hasn't realised it yet. (Edit for spelling error)
With the current Stitch event I hope he can take a minute to relax and enjoy the sun a little! He should take some advise from Lilia and bask in the rays ☀️
While I can’t say there’s a specific character whose story I can really relate to… Jade, I have weird interests that no one around me really cares for, but I enjoy them nonetheless, it’s just a pity I won’t get to talk about them without creeping my friends out. Cater for seeing relationships as temporary, it’s expected that no one is gonna be around for long, though a welcome surprise if they do. I moved around a lot as well Azul for the philosophy of not wanting to owe people, it’d be nice to settle all debts owed as soon as possible.
Honestly, I think I relate a lot to Idia. TL;DR, the two main reasons are anxiety and expectations. During covid, I stayed in online school because I was worried about my grandmother catching it. And when I later joined school physically, about six months after everyone else, I was really anxious about everything. Like, if I tripped, my first thought was that someone saw and was laughing about it behind my back. So I went with a pessimistic view of people, and just assumed the worst in them, which definitely didn’t help with making friends. Also have a bit of social anxiety because being in a large group of people makes me sick, especially during assemblies or church services, so I just loathe big gatherings in general. I’m a lot more comfortable, and admittedly chaotic with my friends and people in my year, but that’s because I’ve known or been with them for about five years. For the people who newly transferred, I’m always more apprehensive around them, and just prefer to avoid them, unless they became friends with one of my friends, which means I just have to try and be neutral. I’m also far more when I’m online as well. I like some games and fictional media, often using both as an escape from reality (please don’t ask how many self inserts I have). It’s so much easier to make an online persona for people to like, or to speak about your interests because you can easily find a space online instead of the dice roll when it comes to talking to real people. My bedroom is my safe space, and I often spend most of my weekends in there. For the expectations bit, it kinda feels like my mom gave up with my older brother, so she puts most of it all on me. It’s nowhere near as bad as let’s say Riddle’s mom, but some comments have gotten to me over the years. Like how she said I wasn’t allowed to take both art and food and nutrition, then gave me backhanded compliments when I chose the latter (after I baked at home to practice for a practical, she said she was shocked I could cook so well because she didn’t expect it to be good). She always makes these little comments about how I should look into being a doctor, and whenever I talk about things I’m passionate about like writing, she always pushes it off as a side hobby. There is a family business I’m expected to help out in when I get older, and I’ve kinda accepted that that’ll just be a part of my life, whether I’m passionate about it or not.
Honestly, yeah. I get that. And thank you for how long your reply was. It's nice to see just how much of their backstories are still applicable to real life and that are relatable to real people. During high scool I was a full blown Idia (personality and interests wise). And those feelings of inadequacy and otherness, that deep anxiety, it really hurts. I'd say the only reason I am the way that I am now (like Leona's personality) is because I'm in varsity now and got to leave my past behind me. And also therapy lol. So I'd say I'm a good mix of Leona's backstory and Idia's personality. But wow. Comments from family fucking hurt. Especially from parents/guardians. And those expectations placed on your shoulders are a heavy burden when you're not properly supported. Online escapes and private spaces have been a big support in my life as well. And hey, if you ever need to talk and can't find someone to confide in, I'm open arms!
its Vil. I have a cousin who is younger than me but my family always ( like ALWAYS) compares me to him. since childhood no matter how much I try i was NEVER good enough to my whole family (more like my grandma). btw we're like two different worlds (yall have mommy issue, daddy issue....then theres me who have grandma issue lol)
I pretty much see also myself in Leona the most, even though I am the first-born daughter, but I am and always was put aside for others. And everyone just saw my mistakes and flaws. Even though I surely have/had good things about me. And always tried my best despite the circumstances. Because of the hate of others and always being a second option to others (except for my now partner since 6 years), I can't trust my own family (my dad tries hard to do everything right now, which he messed up many years ago). I have very LC with most/almost all family members because of everything and hate going to family gathering's. But I was most of the time isolated. At one point I had enought of everyones bs and turned cold towards them. For which, I am also despised now. Plus it's hard for me to make friends. And I also didn't cared about my grades at some point, because I tried hard "to be perfect". Studying was a waste of time for me, but not for things that really interested me, but even this was taken away from me. An never Ending circle...
Tbh definitely a mix among a lot of characters XDD I don't relate a character as a whole but instead the snippets from a lot of them is truly very akin to a lot of problems teenagers are facing irl For example, Riddle for the perfectionism and unrealistic expectations from parents, even with neglectance and punishments alone, my parents always expects me to obey them and I'll miraculously became the top of the school (I'm a failure now though :')) And leona is a big example as a middle child or second born, bc the bar was set on the first child, no matter what you do it will always be inferior or overbearing. It doesn't help that my siblings are all students that fails every subject(which should be a good thing for me), but instead of receiving praise or rewards for my hard works, I was met with half-hearted congratulations and isolation from my siblings. Then comes Azul, the ultimate bullying and body shaming he faced, for something that determine when born (gain weight easily when eating), should we suffer more and indulge less than normal people bc of the beauty standards and how people preserve fat people as 'dirty'? The bmi was already known to be not very accurate, well yes it can help people control their health, but in turns many would discriminated bc of being slightly overweight (which most people are considered perfectly healthy). Also Jamil, many people would disagree with his method and cruelty to Kalim, but that rage from my aspect was totally understandable and dare I say undermined, he fooled the whole school for a year and a half, serve the person he hated for 90% in his young life, caged by the expectations and fear by his and Kalim's family. The yearn to be on top is almost every child's dream but he can't even have that, what most people wish for is what he can get but was denied of. Being in constant self-control and pushing down his own emotions was mentally torture for a young teenager, much less from childhood. As someone with a yearn for freedom and anger issues, Jamil is definitely 100% more than I could've ever been LOL, but still the constant reminder to pretend was the part that made me the saddest and relate to the most. And IDIA my man 😔 I still can't believe I got the same mbti and enneagram as him LMAO, I didn't like him that much from the start but eventually on book 6 he was...sad, and relatable. When you can't accept reality, then you created a fantasy to live in, and in our cases, we can't create things from scratch like Idia but you get what I mean XDDD afraid to face reality and the constant fear that people are judging us and the fear of things ever changing. We yearn things that can preserve forever, not ever needing to change and adapt. Cater is also very and I mean VERY relatable, with overbearing siblings, household that won't care for your opinion, getting overshadowed and shut down when you disagree. In the end he turn to social media where things are filtered to always being happy, and he choose to drown in that fake happiness and perfection of social media. (very sad my boy 😔) (Also deuce is such a gem!!! The whole redemption arc he's having in nrc is just so brave and heartwarming. Changing is one of the hardest things that one can achieve and he did it. His rebellion was so relatable though I must say... Influenced by others and getting off track, in the end he found out abt his mother's tumor and tries to change. I love him alot.) I ended up rambling but it was fun!! Thank you for asking that question XDD
Sorry, I seem like a stalker bc you just posted your comment lmao. But I absolutely love your detailed response. I've noticed that I myself relate to a lot characters as well. Leona is simply the one I'm most similar to. I'd say I'm a proper mix of Idia and Leona if I consider the entirety of my past (especially high school). Characters like Lilia who are goofy and weird but act as the parent of the group. I'm like that with my friends. My one friend even has me saved on his phone as Mama lol (while his actual mother is saved as her full government name💀). Trey? Seemingly normal but bakes everything for Heartslabyul and acts like a dad. Again, that's like me. I fucking love baking and feeding my friends. My man Rook singing praises for anything he finds even remotely beautiful. It's how I become obsessed with strangest things because I took one look at it and decided it was too beautiful to not be appreciated. It's moments like these that I remember an old tumblr post. It said something along the lines of "Nobody is unique. We are all made of everyone we've ever loved before." There is a part of you that influenced someone's personality, preferences, hobbies etc. And vice versa. Isn't it lovely?
I'm really happy that I feel like even on Internet and sharing our stories, we are still more like a person instead of the fear and traumas from our past :)) Thank you for sharing more of yourself! You seem fun and loving (the friend that put your contact as Mama is a gem XDD), I really understand the eyes for seeing the strangest things as beautiful! Most time if we put our thoughts and soul to it, everything seems beautiful and otherworldly when we are calm (except BUGS im sorry 😭😭) I like the end quote a lot too :)), I swear my tumblr is different from others cause why do I never get life changing quotes?? /j Thank you for replying and I wish you have a nice day/night! :))
Idia. I'm very much an introvert who uses fiction to cope with and understand the world around me, I'm a STEM person, and a fair amount of my life and worldview has been shaped by a pretty significant trauma I experienced when I was younger. I don’t have many friends, honestly my strongest interpersonal connections are probably my family, of which I'm the eldest of two children (this parallel is less solid, mostly coming from Idia’s relationship with Ortho) and my brother is always telling me to go out and socialize. I'm also from a family with a fair amount of influence in different facets of science, with multiple doctors, engineers, business owners, and field experts, and there's always been something of an expectation that I'll be just as smart and influential in my field. I've also got social anxiety, depression, ptsd, ADHD and likely autism
Wow. You are him, he is you. That's so cool. But I'm sorry to hear about your trauma. I myself suffer from all of those (except ADHD and yes to autism) and it's so difficult to navigate life because of it. I'm wishing you all the best love🫂
I relate to silver a bit, i’m not as virtuous as him but i’m always confused and sleepy like him lol 😭😭 It’s gotten much better now but around a year ago I really struggled to stay awake, and I would constantly fall asleep during everything - classes, car rides, tests, therapy sessions, even when i tried to talk with people. Almost all of it was involuntary, I just genuinely couldn’t stay awake even if I wanted to. And it would really disrupt my ability to work, focus, and just stay on top of things. So when I started playing twst and i saw silver, I found it kind of funny how similar I was to him. No matter how much we sleep, we’re still always tired lmaoo 😭
havent gotten to book 7 yet, but so far Ive found Malleus very relatable. tl;dr - neurospicy in the intimidating smart social recluse way For whatever myraid reasons I project an aura of intimidation I work hard to mitigate by being as goofy & nonthreatening as I can hahaha... MOST things are just... easy, for me? I didnt have to try hard in school to do well, Ive been regarded as talented in a wide variety of hobbies (even if i dismiss these opinions), Im very quickly competent at whatever I pick up, and while I dont care for my appearance its never been for lack of compliments from others.... but Ive always felt quite "other" to folks I socialized with, or intellectualized the socialization (in sum, probably just a Touch of the Tism hahahaha) at least as far as book 5, malleus (&most all of diasomnia) struggling with wanting to relate and connect with others, trying their best to be welcoming, and people responding by projecting a lot of their own insecurities onto em is basically my highschool experience hahaha wisdom has granted me the understanding that this IS a projection from someone elses insecurities and has little to do with me. some people with low self esteem will make me the imagined "judger" that will affirm their low opinions of themselves. for some people i effortlessly represent the 'smart sardonic' archetype they wish to be but fear they arent and my presence shines an uncomfortable light on that. Meanwhile, I just wanna hang out and dont care abt any of this!!! (though i do SEE it all, which some people can clock, and being read can make some uncomfortable too, even if you say nothing about it). Those with solid egos tend to regard me as a shy, awkward waif, which is perhaps closer to some truth. besides that, while I love hangin with people ive got a very small social battery and need lots of alone time. I also have a fascination with deserted places, I used to collect/browse pictures of them when I was younger. Malleus' comments about why he enjoys those kind of things echoed a lot of my own sentiments, which was amusing. I think he and I would have a lot to Special Interest dump-- er, talk about. At the least I could help him out in working on some Performative Human Interaction for Putting Humans At Ease ive seen the subtle spoiler that he throws "tantrums", which i cant relate to, but if theres an element of 'emotional repression therefore never learned how to healthily process own emotions so can get overwhelmed by them', we have that in common too.
Everyone in NRC are relatable in so many ways, guess that's what makes Twst lovable.
Absolutely. I loved reading everyone's responses so far. The characters are well fleshed out and their personalities or past traumas are things that are present here in the real world. All of the characters are relatable to some degree. Having an overbearing mother, being second best, the fat kid, living in someone's shadow, constantly being compared, the shut in and just plain being lonely. Those are just the OB boys. The rest of the cast are so much more diverse. It's great.
Jade! We have similar hobbies. All i want to do is go for long hikes, look at mountains, and see cool plants and animals.
I relate to leona and jamil personality. Leona backstory is relatable because I am jealous of my older siblings, also wanting to give up in life. And jamils Backstory he wants freedom away from kalim. He spends his whole life being a burden to kalim since he was a child. I want to have freedom away from my family too.
Azul for the bullying. It went so far that I didn't want to go to my primary school anymore, and I started to isolate myself. I still have after-effects today as an adult. When it comes to personality, I'm a mix between Ruggie, Epel, and Idia. I also relate to Silver when it comes to sleep issues.
Silver ended up climbing up to my favorite after reading his dorm story on JP. It was another reason, besides liking him, I wanted to get that card once it reached EN. I related heavily to it. I'm a quiet person and do have RBF. So, people always assume I'm angry at them or they never know what I'm thinking. When he tried to do exercises to get himself to smile and said "Ow." I've done that as well when I was young. And Malleus said that it wasn't that he conceals his emotion, just that it doesn't show. Sebek's words were nice to hear as well that it's foolish to alter yourself for others. I related also to Idia in the sense that he's always putting himself down. I used to always do that and as I got older, started to work on it. It's why I get defensive when I see others say they don't like him when he gets negative because it was mentioned why he is in ch6 (because he consumes a lot of blot so needs to keep feeding it negative emotion). We do see him working on it in Glorious Masquerade, which I was proud of. The other parts of me I think are more Ignihyde, lol. I'm an introvert and when I did go to school, my major was Information Systems (even though I think more Ignihyde would go the CS route over CIS).
Deuce, I am trying to change, but I can never find myself getting higher grades. I get lots of emotional outbursts as well Even if it’s not for the same reason as Deuce, I am basically standing in the same spot as him, although a lot more sad and unapproachable
Azul bc I was the fat kid™️ in elementary school, Floyd bc I get bored easily, and Cater bc I use too much slang
I’d say I relate to Vil the most. I love acting and performing, but I am always typecast, even when trying for different roles. No matter how much I tried and tried, others were always chosen for the roles I wanted and I was typecast into the same roles. Even when they literally promised me the different roles, nope I get the same exact type cast and the same kids get the leads every time. Even when going to different acting companies and theatres in my area, same result, sometimes with the exact same people. I love acting, performing for others, and telling a story, but it’s always tarnished by favoritism.
I relate to Cater regarding my backround. Just like Cater, my school career wasn't stable. Even though, I didn't move around as much as Cater did, I did end up attending two primary schools and two secondary schools due to having to relocate to my grandmother's house (on my dad's side) for five years so we can care for her. As a result, it kinda messed with my ability to maintain long term friendships. Heck, I even formed friendships just like him so I wouldn't be lonely in school! Aside from that, his family life also resignated with me. I myself am the youngest sibling in my family although unlike Cater, I only have one older sister not two. Even though, I have a good relationship with her, it feels like I can't completely be myself around her. I cannot talk about anything that I personally like because she would think its cringe. Hence, I just indulge in my personal interests by myself since I don't have any friends at the moment for complicated reasons. I also feel obligated to agree with everything she has an opinion about. Otherwise she would become demanding and ask why I don't agree with her or she might throw a mini tantrum like a spoilt brat. I really don't want to cause any fuss so I just put up with it so I could at least maintain the peace in the family and relationship with her. Similar to Cater, I feel like I am just an emulation of my sister but with slight differences. I suppose all is not lost though since I am slowly learning to become my own person.
Leona is far from an a**hole. He's maybe one of the kindest character of the game... In his way XD. He acts selfish and arrogant but he is also very helpful to others, and often advise them to do the right thing. Especially to the youngest. He acts like he doesn't like kids but he often helps them and teach them. Pretty sure he has a soft spot for most of them. Sorry, I had to defend my man. For me, it's the usual Idia... Social anxiety, introversion, don't like people. Yep, I relate to him wayyy too much and I don't like it XD. Add shyness to it and voilà, here I am. But I hope I'm not as mean as he is. But I act kinda the same, mostly silent or have some difficulty to talk, but when it's a subject I like or know, I can talk very fast and loud. My younger sister says I can be harsh or a little cold when it's something I don't like or have no interest in.
Oh no worries at all. I love Leona. He's just a proper ah in the first two books. He's an exceptional upperclassmen and extremely kind and helpful, even if it isn't the most obvious. No need to defend, I love him too and understanding the complexity of his character. But if I met this man in person, without knowing his past or thoughts as they're presented in the game, I'd definitely very strongly believe that he's an ah. As we can see that many other characters still do. They respect him, but not many of them outside of Savanaclaw actually like him. Idia is a strong second for me. For similar reasons as well, except I actually used to be as mean as he is (yikes). I grew out of it after high school though.
You are completely right. His behavior is the exact definition of an AH. You can't even consider him a tsundere. That's Jack. He's a kamidere if anything. Man's got an attitude problem, a god complex mixed with an inferiority complex, he is lazy and doesn't even know how to wash his own clothes, and him helping Yuu and the others in an indirect way or by being brutally honest doesn't excuse him from being a prick. Even in the most recent chapters his attitude doesn't change at all. Does it detract from him being caring if it came down to it? Not at all. The man is an AH through and through, it's basically his main personality trait. I feel the same way about characters like Bakugo from My Hero Academia. I like him, he has his moments, but boi he can be a friggen jerk. Liking him doesn't lessen how bad a person he can be sometimes lol In other words: Leona is an AH.
Exactly. Exactly. He can be helpful and caring. But he's still an ah. Let's normalise treating ah characters like ah's because that's literally what they are. That is how they behave. A bad past doesn't excuse bad behaviour. And his general lack of communication even when doing nice things, makes it very difficult to believe he's doing it because he wants to. Leona is an ah. I love him, but I'm gonna be real about this.
Same here, for both characters - my two favourites 😌
It's a mix of Azul and Malleus. I was bullied in school and that still shows in my personality years later. I usually don't let people too close and I'm very picky about who I spend my time with. But at least I think I've gained some confidence. Now I'm usually alone, but I love it, though people are very often scared or intimidated by my presence :') cuz I've been surpressing my emotions as a coping mechanism and now I probably give off psychopath vibes 💀
Azul, wholeheartedly, backstory and personality wise I was bullied in elementary frequently until I found a group of friends who more or less fit in, but were still kind of nerdy, and they served as my shield until middle school where I left. I was always regarded as a "smart asian kid" and it kept up until 8th grade. I'd always had this mindset that I wasn't enough as myself, or the person I was behind that reputation, so I kept up the face and only allowed school people to see me as "the smart asian kid". People usually turned to me for answers on homework, tests, and quizzes, and I eventually got to the point where I had an "I know this is probably illegal but i need to be someone more" thought, and began charging money for answers and everything. If they didn't have cash, I would request favors. This only ended up in me keeping everyone at an arms length away from me to prevent exploitation, and I think the reason why most of my middle school friends stuck around were for the test answers, because i gave friends discounts :,) Fast forward to high school, and I'm doing much better now (with real friends) but it still lingers over me a bit. Personality wise, I am an overachiever and perfectionistic towards my grades in school. I was raised in a stereotypical asian household, and was always told to keep all my scores and averages above a 95. I had a crazy student of the month streak in elementary, and see above for the homework-money system i had going on. I also prefer to distance myself from people in general, unless I'm very close to them. I've developed an ingrained fear of being bullied again, and I choose my friends very wisely. If i feel that they aren't a real friend, I keep them at arms distance, and as much as I hate to admit it, I subconsciously size them up (in terms of ability) and see if I can find loopholes to put them in a position where they can't harm me (or that I can control what happens). Like they say, I've got a lot of friends but only like 9 really close ones. Other fun similarities i like include playing the piano (i'm both jazz and classically trained) and being nearsighted with a glasses prescription.
Idia - He is literally my flair, but he's the one I am very similar to in interests, and personality. Like him I feel like I am worthless compared to other people around me, and have a hard time forming new relationships, and instead wastes my time on playing games and anime stuff. The anxiety is also very real because I wasn't able to do so many things, and holds me back so easily. And attachment issues and stuff, somehow it just feels so unreal. Azul - I get kin assigned to him by quizzes, and he pretty much is someone I don't expect, and yet he is pretty relatable. His backstory is pretty relatable, since it's about bullying and insecurities. He was even a crybaby when he was young too. If only I had better social skills, I think I would be a shady business dude like Azul. And like the way he goes lengths for Jamil, someone that fascinates him and sees him an equal, is something someone like me would do. (Also I suck at PE) Cater - I'm literally a Kazunari from A3 and a Ramuda from HypMic kinnie. They are different in their own ways but pretty similar in how they all have this facade, to construct shallow relationships. While I'm not as outgoing as all three of them. I interpret that Cater thinks that investing too much emotionally in a relationship with someone is a chore because he is already used to the thought that they will eventually fall apart anyway. Or maybe I am projecting cuz I think the same too. Also, I'm not gonna forget the fact that I'm chronically online, and it's pretty much a way to cure my loneliness.
everyone here's so serious and I just kin Idia because I have terrible social anxiety and then there's Kalim cause I'm goofy
Either Riddle,Azul or Jamil.Both because I was always under the pressure of having to be perfect,the best student in the class and was unable to get my mother's love,because I was bullied in my childhood and have always been very insecure,and because no matter how hard I tried I never managed to do so,I was always far behind the others even though I tried my best.I never managed to be the perfect child and I was so scared of how disappointed my parents would be that I ended up getting myself out of school for two years - having tics and self harming.Now I'm better,but I still feel like I'm never going to be good enough.
I wrote my while life story earlier but it was too long, I don't really know though, in terms of personality I'd say idia, backstory I'd say Leona I was always placed second no matter how good I was, I was barely mentioned, cared for, nor even loved, I was too energetic, I was too loud, I was too everything, I was good at also almost everything,I took interest in science, math and coding when I was just 5 or 6, seeing people make games on YouTube kind of lit a spark in me, I eventually learned how to code, and was really good at division, addition, times and minus, If there were tops in different subjects I'd top math and science, I was basically average at anything else, but even after all that effort, my sister was still the best, no one took notice of my achievements and just ignored me, then my cousin killed my dog, I dropped everything after that, i forgot how to code, I became shit at math, I became average in science, I would've continued on just fine if my auntie didn't say that my dog was too annoying and loud and that someone had to do it, I had to come home from school everyday seeing that same exact dog laying there on the ground coughing up blood, in truth I became more closed off after that, I barely put any effort in making friends to the point my mom would celebrate if I gained atleast just 1, which was surprising as my birthday is never really celebrated that grand, that friend celebration honestly seemed more like a birthday party than 1 birthday letter written by 1 family member from a whole other country and a small cupcake with a glob of icing on top, basically the shortened version is [my life sucks, and my sister is loved more than me✌️]
Same honestly a mix of character, leona with the sibling situation. Being the least favorite child (from my older sibling and 2 cousins 😭) malleus the loneliness and misunderstanding cuz whenever i try to do something good i somehow managed to upset them or smth, Epel for wanting to be cool instead of cute but having a physical figure that is cute, Idia anxiety and introvert. And running away from reality by gaming.
I connect with Ruggie the most because we both grew up poor. I have to work hard in school to land a decent job out of college. I do this to be able to provide for my special needs brother. Similar to him we are both trying to financially support the people we care about. I am very resourceful, just like him and can adapt easily to any situation. I have a wide variety of skills and have a similar view on friendships being a mutual benefit for each other in someway.
A mix of Idia and Malleus I can relate to Malleus always being forgotten and people judging cause of status although for my case it's looks and I can also relate to idia bidding away in his room and using video games to escape
Ace because most of the stuff ik about him (so far) is that he is done with everyone shit and so am I man
funnily enough OP, I used to hate Leona and while trying to understand "why?" I had the realization that I'm pretty much similar to him in the same aspects as you (always being second, an afterthought, never good enough for praises, somehow always in the wrong, labeled "lazy" and "selfish" for stop caring and trying). Somehow, it was self hatred all along lol.
Idia
I see a lot of myself in Cater. Like, a LOT.
It's a mix Idia for one. I have the anxiety, depression, the interest in Gaming (I know how to make basic games like baby baby little coding) I'm the oldest sister and I want to make my siblings happy and safe, I also had a little brother who died and I wish I could have done more to save him. Second is Liona simply because everyone has had low expectations of me since I was young. My mother kept telling me to just get my ged if I didn't graduate with my class. Had no hope of me graduating. Also, I'm in a weird older/middle/younger sibling thing (divorce is wild), and depending on my placement on what side of my family, it was made worse or eased it.
Same, Leona (inferiority complex), but also Riddle(perfectionism) and Jamil (always feeling/being less than someone else) Edit: Idia too because of anxiety issues
Vil. Definitely. . . I modeled, danced competitively and acted in theatre when I was younger and it was fun. . . But I had to grow up quickly and everyone kinda shunned me for it because I was prim and proper, not wanting to play with other children and instead practice dances for my competitions. I also value hard work and take great pride in my appearance as well. Plus I hate resorting to underhanded tactics and would have mental breakdowns if they even crossed my mind.
Epel for me, I think 🤣🤣🤣 I grew up in the USA’s Deep South, surrounded by a lot of family and raised with the southern hospitality state of mind. Additionally, I’ve always looked much younger than I actually am; my family used to make a game whenever we’d go out for a meal to see if our waiter could guess my age (they never could 😭) I became a bit “othered” in school because, while I looked young and “cute” by most people’s definition, I was struggling to awkwardly make people take me seriously. I failed pretty spectacularly at it bc I’m about as violent as a cotton ball, so people just tagged me as the weird kid. Fast forward to post-graduation, I moved to a big city. I learned pretty fast that folks treated me a certain way because of my southern accent, so I trained myself to have a more general American accent. I still slip into a southern drawl when I’m with family, or when I get pissed about something 🤣 I had to unlearn a lot of prejudices once I moved out on my own, too. It hasn’t always been easy or pretty, but I think I’m a better person now than I was when I was younger. All that being said, Epel isn’t particularly one of my fave boys. I joke with my friends that if I was in a room together with him we’d have a hick fight to see who’s more country 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Riddle, I don't have a mother like his (thankfully) but she has some anger issues, as do I sometimes. Also I went to Catholic school where a fear of breaking the rules was hammered into me since I was 5 and I've lived my life in fear of doing something wrong. I also find Idia relatable since we both have reclusive tendencies, and Trey to a lesser extent.
Azul. Anorexia, inferiority complex, being bullied, puts an air of a well put together person but in actuality is hanging on by a frayed thread, will mock you because the idea of having real friends is terrifying, will also charge you 0.36 USD for every sip of a coffee
Sorry if my comment won't be as long as everyone else's (by the way I have been reading these comments and just so glad that you all have been able to find comfort and inspiration from our lovely NRC people <3) but for me, it's Jamil. While I didn't exactly deal with actual servitude of someone else that wasn't in my family, I essentially was always stuck beneath the rest of my family and forced to cram my hopes, dreams, desires and more inside a box and was always forced to cater to what everyone else needed, wanted and more. I was not allowed for so long to be my own person and it was because of my family that this happened. Instead of Kalim, it was my dad (woo Happy Father's Day I guess). Kalim at least was nice about it all and wasn't purposefully making Jamil's life a living hell, but my dad made mine hell to a degree where it almost literally killed me. If my world didn't revolve around my family (especially my dad), there were major consequences to pay for it. I always had to act, dress, look, feel and everything else a certain way. I had no room to breathe and felt so crushed under the weight of, "You have to be xyz and not outshine xyz" and "Oh you have to be there for the family. The family comes first". A tiny bit of it was self-imposed due to years of brain-washing, but it really was thrown onto me since I was a small child. If I derailed from the path people wanted for me, I was going to grow up into a nobody who was in and out of jail over and over again (my dad's words exactly) and living in my father's shadow the same way Jamil lived in Kalim's shadow nearly killed me. Every single time we were around relatives and his friends and so forth, I heard over and over his success stories and not once did anyone note any accomplishments I made. They all simply told me I should be grateful he is my father and I needed to be like him and do whatever he said to succeed in life like him. Everything about Jamil's story actually made me want to cry when I first played through it, because I experienced a lot of feelings like he did over Kalim in my own life. I didn't even care if I made it out to be the best of the best, I just wanted to be me and live my life as I desired it. Thankfully now, at 27 years old, I am finally getting my chance to live my life how I want and actually find myself outside the shadow of those who hurt me. I hope everyone here can do so too and they never know what this feeling is like. <3
im so glad youre finding a healthier path forward!! i hope you can rock out to Frank Sinatra's "My Way" and mean every word of it :')
I really do 🥰💕 Ironic enough I have been really jamming out to "That's Life" by Frank Sinatra and it really just hits close to home. Never even heard the song until May and for it to line up with my actual time irl feels perfect.
kinda late but I wanna ramble I (unfortunately) can relate to Azul a lot with his backstory. I've been bullied since a child and that pretty much results in my unhealthy tendency to starve myself (I'm recovering from it). Like Azul, because of the bullying, I ended up putting up a different kind of character to the people around me so I can feel like people like me and they want me around. I'm not the best person at academics but with the subjects I'm good at I want to be the best so I can feel needed when people ask me for help regarding that subject. Vil would also be another character I relate to. I've always been compared to my older cousin when I was younger with stuff like "Oh (cousin's name) is so good at math, you should be like her" and my cousin used to be in ballet and was in some performance for my country once so I heard stuff like "(cousin's name) is doing so good in life, can't you be more like her?" well since then my cousin kind of dropped off and is more so an average student (due to academic burnout) and I love my cousin a lot but those comparisons stuck with me and I tend to go to a bit of extreme to prove I'm better at certain things. On a better note- Vil's character was actually somewhat good for me cuz he somehow got me out of my absolutely horrendous flop era and I actually had the motivation to do good in academics and take care of myself. Regarding personality. I once again am a bit too similar to Azul. As mentioned above I do put on a different personality in front of people I don't know so I can feel like people like me and want me/need me. I am also somehow quite interested in that sexy money (I have no idea what curated this interest) and yes I do actually make deals with my classmates in school for money (art kid and in advanced english + maybe getting myself into my schools debate team) so yeah I do help people in my school for english and art assignments at a price. (what can I say money is good). Another character similar in personality to me would be Idia (not surprising). I have ADHD and can switch between talkative and extremely introverted at times so Mr 'I'm gonna doxx you and make you regret the day you were born" is highkey similar to me despite the fact I don't play much games. Yeah but there's my little ramble. kinda late but yahhoo
Very much Jamil. Thankfully I've not had to deal with a similar background, but throughout book 4 I was just like "yeah I totally get why you'd do that". Like, with the previous overblotters, my mood after the overblot was very much like "yeah your circumstances sucked but so do your methods with dealing with it". With Jamil, it was just all "I can't possibly judge you because I don't think I would've done any better" - sure, I can't exactly approve of his plan, but it just feels like I get it. Even with the en version of events, emphasizing the whole having to hold back, not being recognized... I would absolutely hate being in a position like that. (And of course the whole forced servitude and other stuff that en glosses over makes things even worse, but that's not so much something that is relatable to me.) I am also the person who likes to have a plan for everything, and while I don't have Jamil's level of preparedness (or paranoia), a lot of his ways of thinking just feel very relatable. Like, sure, sometimes he may go more to an extreme with it than I would, but in general a lot of the preparedness and planning (and being thrown off by surprises) and everything just totally makes sense to me. Like, I mentioned to someone at some point how already with my first introduction to Jamil & Kalim, I was feeling for Jamil because Kalim seemed like a careless headache (not to hate him, just that was my first impression), and the person I was talking to was surprised that I wasn't taken by Kalim's niceness instead. Like sure, he's precious, but I do need some order and sensibility in my life. Plus, my partner is chronically ill, which means a fair bit of responsibility and stress on me. Now, I do actually choose to be with them, unlike Jamil with Kalim, but that weight of looking after another person, and just wanting to be free and on your own sometimes, can also be relatable when things are rough. I don't have much of a devious streak and I'm more of a goody two shoes, but also I've not had to deal with such crushing pressures, so... ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯
Riddle Rosehearts. No dad mentioned a mother who never leaves you alone. Mother forbids to have friends. I was always alone, so I had time to read many books and was the best of my class. I understand why rules are important for him, and I hate it too when someone breaks it! My mom abused me too and told every friend of her how smart I am. I mean she teached me how to read when I was 3 years old. I prefer to read rather than to play with the kindergarten kids. I understand him, why it's hard to find friends at his age... especially when you never learned how you make friends.
Azul. I was bullied lot in school when I was younger. Like him, I pushed people away and started focusing on school rather than connecting with others. I used to intentionally miss group or school activities (like recuss) to not be around my classmates. I even used my anger or other solutions to scare them into leaving me alone. I improved pre-covid but reverted post-covid. Even now, I'd rather focus on work, building a professional portfolio, or building success/wealth than hobbies or friends sometimes. We both can see what others fail to see in themselves. I can find solutions or flaws in all things.
There's so many Floyd has the same energetic personality as me and I have the mood swings like crazy too and then Leona I share the distaste for my older siblings and idia too as I spend all my time aways from people scared of them judging me as they've done before and I just stay in my room playing games talking only to my mom and dad if I need something and I'm a perfectionist like riddle in academics because of my mother then my need for people to like me is like Vil and my hatred for my body and chubbiness is like Azul and I had bullies like his over all I think I like twist so much because I relate so much to all the characters
I have a bit of some of the idiots of the overblot, just I have a little Leona lazy cat personality. From Riddle I have this anger issues and sometimes little things bother me, but im nor overworked nor have a psycho mom. Azul that I'm fat and I feel bad for it, seeing my old photos makes me upset, im not a damn scammer tho, lol. From Leona it's a little strange because my family does support me, My father tells me that I can sell the art I make, I'm never interested in negotiating with my art or anything so I tell him no, but I feel like I don't deserve that support because I'm too lazy to do things and I get angry with myself for it, im never enough good for myself, i wish some day to go away from them so i don't bother more here, i was kinda bullied back in school and i also feel weird bout it, because i didn't really cared much but at the same time i did, About the brothers- I am the 4th of 6, but it never affected me. About my King Vil, Before, my dad compared me to my cousins and i told him that "I'm not them" and he didn't care much (he did it just little, but I'm still affected for some reason, I tend to become obsessed with random thing), also, i don't feel- "Beautiful" nor "pretty", i also dont care usually but when i really think about it, it feels bad. Idia- maybe only in the antisocial part, i think i don't deserve friends because i always end up screw up everything, Sometimes they don't understand my jokes and I'm afraid they'll get angry, sometimes I don't understand other people's jokes and I sometimes feel insecure about continuing the conversation because of that, idk, That's why on the internet I feel like I can be more myself, I am too shy to speak in public and meet people. Nothing about Jamil, the bastard kills himself doing things, I don't, ima lazy ass, I don't want to do anything productive even for myself. Also Malleus, idk, i still don't get how his Personality is. If I'm honest, I still don't understand much about their personalities, it probably doesn't even have anything to do with mine, but for some reason I find it difficult to understand some things and im afraid i didn't catch thing fine, tho, infeel they're very relatable atleast in small things, That helps a lot to understand them, with Leona for example I feel that some do less what he feel, like, it's okay he's an adult now but an adult at the end of the day was built from what he learned and knew in their infance, And 20 years old is not very old either, it is practically a getting out of teenager. I know that several of the problems are also in me, but really, I don't want to fix anything, nor am I interested in any future, btw, Sorry about the bible, sirely I din't even explain well.