During Book 6 Vil comments, “Ortho’s been putting on quite the villainous performance. It seems to me he could drop all this nonsense about resetting the world and start an acting career.” Rook asks Vil about Ortho joining the Film Club and Vil responds, “I think you might be onto something there.”
We see Ortho trying to decide on a club during a vignette (the other first-year students are in sports clubs, and Ortho says he is more interested in new experiences than improving his performance), reflecting on how he would watch films “to acquire proper emotive capabilities.”
Before Vil has the chance to extend an invitation for him to join the Film Research Club Ortho asks to be allowed in himself. Vil grants him membership without an audition as he has “already seen more than enough of your acting back on the Island of Woe.”
Vil says, “The level of CG in the Film Research Club’s productions has vastly improved since Ortho joined us. The models themselves are higher quality, and we can render long sequences in no time now.”
Ortho explains that he first started watching movies in order “to study human emotions. I had trouble conducting myself in human-like ways when my brother first built me. I didn’t really understand when it was appropriate to get mad, or to laugh. Movies helped me solve that problem, though.”
He says that, “Nowadays, watching movies is more or less something I just do for fun.”
Riddle and Leona call in Vil and Crewel to assist with Fairy Gala IF and Vil and Crewel invite Ortho, with Vil saying, “Ortho is essential for your success at the fashion show. No one is more fitting for the theme of evolution than Ortho Shroud.”
Book 5 is Ortho’s first appearance in the main story, where he fails the audition for the VDC when Vil reacts to his performance with, “I’ve heard of genreless, but this is ridiculous.” Despite this, Vil seems fond of Ortho. Vil refuses to teach him make up techniques for Halloween as his costume uses a mask, but when Ortho is disappointed in the loss of a learning opportunity Vil follows with, “I jest…I will pick out some skincare products for you.”
When Idia rejects Ortho’s invitation to Playfulland Ortho confides in Vil and, rather than comment on his ditching of school, Vil encourages him to showcase his acting skills and convince Idia to go with him via “a wholeheartedly tearful performance.”
Ortho invites Vil, instead, who tells Ortho that he is not obligated to spend his every waking hour with Idia or to defer to him, even though they’re brothers. Vil and Ortho end up in a group together (with Floyd and Jade).
When Ortho refuses to run away from Playfulland without challenging Fellow to a fight, Vil agrees with him.
Vil is less enthused after the majority of the group has been captured, calling Ortho “A spudling with broken brakes who seems reasonable, but resorts to extreme measures at the drop of a hat.”
Vil saves Ortho from a collapsing stained glass window but gets trapped himself, sending them on alone. Ortho exclaims, “Without you, it’s just going to be me and two pieces of dead weight. I can’t possibly fight in those conditions!”
Vil encourages the group to figure out the situation for themselves and buys them time to escape the puppets.
After they, too, are captured Ortho reflects, “I just became a student, yet here I am, getting turned into a puppet and dragging Vil down with me…”
Ortho gives us a rare example of a student buying a souvenir for someone who is not in their same dorm during the White Rabbit Fes event, when he buys perfume for Vil, saying, “Vil has always been good to me in the Film Research Club, so I’d like to get him something as well.”
When the vendor asks how he feels about the recipient (in order to find a suitable scent) Ortho responds, “He’s very…STRONG!!!”
The vendor recommends a “very warm scent, with harmonious notes of fresh citrus and an amber accord,” which Ortho confirms are compliant ingredients and purchases for Vil.
Ortho says that he pays special attention to movement as a member of the Film Research Club, and he spends a lot of his time off watching movies and livestreams of plays.
He says that lately he has been going to to lunch or tea with classmates and other students despite how he cannot eat because of how much he learns from “observing the way people get worked up about all the little things.”
Ortho explains that he draws on the stories his classmates tell him when he really wants to disappear into a role. (Sebek: “So you use your interactions with humans as fodder for your acting.”)
Vil has a voice line about Ortho wanting to incorporate the sense of humor of the King of the Underworld into his performances.
When asked what dorm (besides Ignihyde) he would like to join, Ortho responds: Pomefiore.
Twisted Wonderland Reference Note 