What’s this? Could it be? Why yes, it is! It’s another amazing chapter!! :D
One thing I really love about this chapter is how you repeatedly explore many elements of Treys character, specifically the dichotomy between Trey as a person and Trey as the Vice Housewarden. His line about how what he wants and what he has to do as a result of his position being different is incredibly fascinating, and is something we see explored throughout the chapter, but for now I’ll mainly be focusing on its presence during the preparation of the unbirthday party. Trey normally seems like such a calm, reliable, big brother type, so it’s fascinating to get a look at his inner thoughts and see how he himself feels about the roles he takes on. Understandably so, as the students work to prepare for the unbirthday party we see a lot of Treys own disillusionment and frustrations. Some examples of this are the way he stamps down the frustration when he feels the effort he puts into baking is overlooked, or the disillusionment he shows towards the speeches he delivers as vice housewarden to get the students pumped to work (or at least cooperative enough to get to it haha). I keep repeating this but it truly is fascinating to get a deeper look into Trey, and I think part of that is because of just how hard he works to really prevent anyone from getting that insight on him. For all his frustrations at the end of the day Trey chooses the path of least resistance because it is this which ultimately gets things done fastest and prevents the most trouble.
So what makes this chapter extra fascinating is that here, we’re not only getting a look at Trey as a character, but we’re getting a look at him when such an utterly fundamental part of how he operates and interacts with others has been challenged. Seriously having these events be early in the school year, and this bit of introspection occurring right after Riddles overblot was absolutely genius. Just far away enough after the big event for things to appear mostly back to normal (and as such, Trey resuming his regular interactions and operations) but also still close enough for Trey to internally still be shaken, and for these newfound hesitations to be-well, new.
“‘Sure, if by ‘unity’, you mean we’re all united in our fear of the housewarden taking off our heads.’ Trey managed an awkward laugh. Ace always knew how to hit the nail on the head.” Ace really doesn’t pull his punches huh? Really appreciate the inclusion of this little moment though, this element of Trey and Aces dynamic, that being Ace calling it how it is and how that can conflict a bit with Treys more passive nature, is something I feel like is underutilized in works containing the two.
“Party. He himself found it hard to sleep at night; he’d spend them staring at his blurred ceiling in the dark and wondering that if he had known better if he hadn’t told the boys to make that chestnut tart, then maybe Riddle’s Overblot could have been avoided.” 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
“But lately, it felt like the cord of the tightrope he’d been walking had snapped. He didn’t know what to do with a Riddle that was changing. As volatile as he was before, at least he was predictable. Now, the situation seemed to simultaneously be easier and harder to manage. Riddle was changing—so why couldn’t he?” Aaaa, this!!!! This!!! This, and the quote above, these are amazing examples of the benefit of exploring Treys character post Riddle overblot!! One thing I love here is how Trey views a changing Riddle not in like a negative light, but in a very reserved one. Idk I just thinks it’s fascinating that this event for him which to like an outsider would probably viewed as a good thing with no hesitation is such a source of stress for Trey. And it’s like, it’s not that he doesn’t want him to change! But he’s spent so much of his school career navigating a more unforgiving Riddle, now all those rules he structured himself around are in question, and not only does he have to adapt to all these new things, but he has to do so while still remaining a pillar of strength! Because Riddle will be looking to him, both as Vice but also as a friend, so Trey has to put himself together enough to be a guiding force there, but how’s he supposed to do that when everything he knows about helping Riddle is now in question?
“‘Cherry pies are sweet, yet tart. They’ve got that flakey, chewy pie crust texture… and most importantly, they’re my favorite~’” Ace omg
“Irritation bubbled in his chest, threatening to burst from his lungs. They just didn’t get it. He’d spent the entirety of last year curating his cake recipe to keep Riddle from blowing up and beheading the entire dorm. Didn’t they realize he was also tired of making the same cake every time? If he could experiment he would have by now but having a Housewarden with a hair-trigger temper didn’t allow for such things.” I know I already talked a ton about how interesting this look into Treys character is but I really quickly wanna shoutout this part because I feel like it’s so rare to hear about Treys own frustrations regarding being stuck under Riddles rule specifically.
Haha I am loving this cake conflict, this is from someone’s vignette right? I can’t remember who’s exactly haha.
Ayy Masterchef reference! There’s nothing quite like frantically sending your cards out to get ingredients, only for them to come back with everything but what you need.
“He couldn’t stop thinking about the way those students had treated his work like a joke. Were his efforts really going so unnoticed? He sighed, pressing his forehead into the crook of his thumb and index finger.” :(
“If all his efforts in mediating during Riddle’s tyrannical rule meant nothing, then what had he run himself ragged for?” Man what a perfect quote, this is like the crux of Treys inner conflict perfectly summarized.
Ok but the scene of Trey encouraging Riddle to go help the freshmen in order to regain a bit of their trust was actually really sweet. Much like Trey, Riddle is another character who seems very put together and confident, so it’s interesting to see him be more hesitant. His nervous mannerisms (and nice move having Trey be able to interpret why he’s fussing over his uniform, great way to show that despite it all Trey still does know Riddle very well) are both endearing and heartbreaking. It’s sweet to see Riddle trying to grow as a person, but also sad because of the knowledge that this sort of thing really is so new to him due to the extreme isolation he faced in childhood. But luckily the sadness doesn’t last long, seriously I know I keep saying this but the freshmen accepting his help and his expression just ever so slightly changing as a result was just absolutely so sweet. So proud of my son rn he is learning :]
“There was a strange sort of relief that filled Trey amidst all the confusion and bitterness he’d been feeling lately. It seemed that maybe his moderation skills were good for something.” Treys shaken confidence and the relief this moment brings 😭😭
Omg rest in piece Heartslabyul kitchen, I am losing it over the whole ass fish on the cutting board.
“Cater, who had a tendency to find the spaces that would give him the most entertainment” can’t even blame him if I knew something like this was going down I’d go watch the chaos too haha.
“Yes. The word stuck in his throat as he stared blankly at Cater. Can't you see how exhausted I am?” I think you do a phenomenal job of portraying Cater and Treys dynamic here in this section. The way they talk and interact, the way Trey divulges some more personal information, the way they seem so close but at the same time there’s this divide between them, it’s all painfully excellent. Seriously it’s so good, and it breaks my heart how Trey notes that Cater does understand and see his frustrations, but at the same time the two are always tiptoeing around one another, never being completely vulnerable. What vulnerability Trey does show is masked with a smile, like it’s no big deal, and Cater keeps his true feelings hidden in whispers.
“It was something he couldn’t forget, seeing his parents kneeling with their heads bowed in shame. That gnawing feeling in his heart and the tears that stuck to his cheeks. He forced his smile to stay on his face.” Ok but I love this moment so much, this is such an underrated scene for Trey. Normally I feel like a lot of the focus of the terror of seeing this as a child goes to Riddle, understandably so since like Trey notes he then also had to endure a separate lecture, but also because in the manga poor baby Riddles faces is just genuinely so heartbreaking. But I really love that you’re also focusing on what it must’ve been like for Trey too, because yeah, seeing your parents, people you view as strong and safe, getting absolutely torn down like that must’ve been really really scary. The contrast between the terror Trey remembers and the way he forces himself to recount the story in the present in a more easygoing manner is also quite heartbreaking.
“If he hadn’t dragged Riddle out, would this overblot have even happened? If his mother hadn’t cracked down harder on Riddle because of Trey, would Riddle have been in a better state? His mouth was moving, telling this story with practiced ease, but he was hardly paying attention to the words coming out of his mouth.” Man Treys guilt is so so so sad. So glad he has Rue to grow closer too and (I’m assuming) eventually be more emotionally vulnerable with because poor guy desperately needs to hear someone tell him that the actions of Riddles mom are not his fault.
Trey making the cake anyways 😔😭 it’s sad because you just know that even if it is a nice gesture, it’s one born from Trey feeling like he needs to fill his role as reliable vice housewarden, and that despite everything they just went through, there probably won’t be a huge change in appreciation for his work. Sure they’ll see how hard baking is, and they’ll all be glad to have a cake in the end, but I feel like after a few parties things will go back to normal.
“Brushing his teeth was often a process that felt meditative. It was methodical. A brush for general, broad brushing, up and down, side to side, in circles, then specialty ones for between the teeth, behind the teeth, his tongue. Mouthwash. Cleaning each brush and flicking them dry before rinsing the sink clean.” Go teeth boy go
“Sleep wouldn’t come to him. He needed answers.” insert ‘I don’t need sleep I need answer’s’ meme here
Ooo Treys sneaking ouuuuttt, gonna go see his cruuuusshhhh
“It didn’t matter. He needed a change of scenery before he went mad.” Something something mad hatter joke that everyone finds very clever and funny.
…also this has literally nothing to do with the story but recently I’ve been watching a lot of one YouTubers videos on a game called 60 seconds and this line just reminded me of that game haha.
“it was strangely hot for this time of year. Usually, the coastal climate was milder than this, and with the temperature in NRC managed by magestone, it was strange to have a day so blustering.” Global warming strikes in Twst too that is so sad 😔
“His thoughts ground to a halt as the trees opened up in front of him. Moonlight dripped in a steady stream from the sky, splashing onto the leaves and flooding the clearing with ivory. The gossamer light sharpened each blade of grass, each ridge of rock, and each groove of bark. To Trey, it was something akin to getting glasses for the first time, sparking some sort of memory of how beautiful the world could look if only it was vivid enough for him to see it. Fireflies rose from the grass, bubbles in champagne rising to the top of the glass. For a perfect moment, it was like the world had stilled around him.” OH YEAH ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL SCENERY DESCRIPTION!!! :D!!!!!!! Seriously this is, this is just gorgeous. Gorgos. Amazing. Once again you write descriptions in a way that would translate beautifully to a story board, the trees seemingly opening up is a perfect visual. And everything is of course just so stunning sounding, once again you have a beautiful visual that descends downward, going from sky to tree to ground. Seriously I cannot emphasize enough just how well these descriptions guide the eye. I also love how this description focuses on the smaller elements of the woods, taking in those little but beautiful details. Maybe I’m reading too deep into things, given that Treys a baker and a scientist I’m sure he’s probably already in the habit of noticing the smaller details, but something about this in regards to nature specifically feels like, like it’s Rues influence causing him to slowly have a growing greater appreciation for the wonders that surround him.
“If his dorm was ordered chaos, this was order, pure and simple.” really love this sentence.
“The towering ancient trees seemed to look upon him in disapproval, though he wasn’t sure what he had done to deserve it, or what in the world made him think such a thing.” Pfft I love this so much because based on what Rue said last chapter the trees probably are haha. Poor Trey is not impressing the ancestors so far.
“The moon cast its spotlight lighting up her figure like a mirage from a dream. Her white dress seemed to be made from threads of stars, spun with their own glow.” Again this is so pretty but also even though the description is about like stars and stuff this makes me think of tinker bells white fluffy new fairy dress that she wears and I really like that :]
“Something had changed. The girl that had been under his workbench held herself with caution, dark eyes analyzing his every move. The girl in front of him had a light in her eyes that he couldn’t bring himself to look away from. A look of belonging, like these woods were built for her alone.” She’s in her element here! Really looking forward to learning more about Rue and seeing what she’s like when she’s not stuck and almost being stabbed in the heart.
“It made him earnestly miss home.” :( poor Trey. I’m also intrigued if the trend of each chapter ending in like a similar manner or with a similar quote is gonna continue next chapter 👀
Overall this was, say it with me now, another great chapter! I keep saying it but I cannot emphasize enough just how much I love how you’re writing Trey, like I love it so much!!! Not only did you handle his character and internal thoughts so well, but you also knocked it out of the park in regards to how he interacts with his fellow Heartslabyul students too! Fantastic work as always, and have a great day! :D
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MissLottie on Chapter 3 Wed 02 Aug 2023 03:00AM UTC
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MissLottie on Chapter 3 Wed 02 Aug 2023 03:00AM UTC
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