twst first-years as your roommate!
characters: sebek, jack, ace, jack, epel ortho. [ ortho’s is strictly platonic! ]
cw: gn!reader, crack & fluff, pining, sfw, unedited.
sebek zigvolt
“malleus, oh malleus! you are truly illustrious, and above all benevolent! i pledge my life to you! I KNEEL BEFORE YOU MY KING!!”
new drinking game. take a shot every time sebek says malleus
you wake up every morning to sebek chanting to his malleus portrait like he’s truly standing with you in your room. you don’t need an alarm clock when you have him bellowing at 5AM. you press your pillow against your ears but to no avail. you can still hear him, he’s that loud!!
he literally kneels down to the painting as if he’s getting a knighthood (he’s practicing for the future, okay?)
tells you that you should also join him and prostrate yourself before his lord… if you tell him to shut up he will look at you with an incredulous expression as though you’re the crazy one. are you silencing him, and in association, lord malleus? your insolence besmirches you!
if it gets too much for you he starts whispering aggressively instead, offended: “FINE.. ( •̀ - •́ )”
sebek spends a long time getting ready. so if you’re running late in the morning, you’ll want to beat him to the bathroom.
it’s because of his hair... he’s styling that thing with an abundance of gel. your bathroom cupboards have so many products for his hair there’s literally nowhere for you to put your things.
it’s crazy because he would look so much better with his hair down. when you tell him that he refuses to believe it, stating that all the elderly in briar valley love his current hairstyle.
he wastes 10 minutes alone hyping himself up in front of the mirror. flexing his muscles, practicing his smile, dimpling his cheek with his fangs. he rehearses saying “salutations, lord malleus!” or “hello, dear human!” but if you catch him in the act he’ll deny deny deny as pink bursts across his cheeks and the tips of his ears.
he’s a bookworm, and that’s probably when he’s the quietest. yes, he’s quieter with his nose in a book than he is sleeping because he’s a sleep talker.
⇈ if you’re interested, sebek will recommend you some good pieces of literature!! he’s also really helpful if you need help with similar things in class. he annotates his books neatly with sticky-notes and highlighters, so if you ask nicely he might be gracious enough to let you skim over his hard work.
in return, if you’re good at subjects like maths, please assist him. numbers and him are like oil and water—they just don’t mix. he’ll be so grateful, he might humbly tell you a story of malleus’ childhood
you have to save sebek from lilia’s antics. he once told sebek balancing books on his head whilst sleeping standing up would help him become more resilient, so at night he would just be standing in the corner of your room… menacingly... it was honestly frightening.
you thought he’d fall over and crash onto his desk, having to physically drag him to his bed and tuck him gently each time he tried. he never once made it through the night. yes, he tried several times.
pretends the whole situation never happened. it was his lowest point.
sebek always makes sure you’re eating well, since he’s a big eater himself. when he’s feeling particularly chivalrous, he’ll get himself extra food just to lend you some, a coy smirk playing against his lips when you thank him.
ace trappola
ace has a basketball hoop on his side of the room. he likes to practice his trickshots often, so he’s probably hit you several times with it when he misses. which is often.
imagine you’re just walking into your room after a long day and—thwack!—you’re getting knocked out. he will laugh at you before pulling you up and making sure you’re actually okay. i’d be worried he has a vendetta against you or something.
⇈ says “it’s your fault for standing there”, pressing a hand against the point of impact tenderly.
standing where??? in your own room??? where it’s supposed to be SAFE???
makes a mess all the time in the bathroom. probably leaves toothpaste in the sink and water on the floor. he’s going to make you have wet socks and then he’ll roll his eyes when you complain.
you have to push him to clean it as he feigns innocence. “maybe it was you and you’re just blaming me!” “just clean the toothpaste, ace!”
he flicks tap water in your face.
when it comes to doing laundry he makes you play card games with him. whoever wins has to deal with it. he is a cheater and proud! he’s doing whatever he can to win and grinning like the chesire cat the whole time as if you’re not already aware of what he’s up to.
you have to force him to do his homework. he just so happens to always forget. but wait! you’re here! you’re instantly now his study buddy regardless of whether you wanted to or not. it doesn’t matter how smart you are, he’s always trying to copy your answers.
when it’s late at night and he can’t sleep, he’s texting: ‘u up?’ to check if you’re the same. if you don’t reply he literally pads up to your bed and looms over you. he puts his face inches close to your yours and whispers your name because he never believes that you’re truly sleeping.
brace yourself for a lot of late-night kitchen runs. he’s grabbing your hand and racing with you down the halls, telling you to hush and pressing a finger to his lips when he’s the one stomping and giggling outside riddle’s room.
don’t worry, he doesn’t eat anything he knows is his housewarden’s. he doesn’t try to get collared, you know. then he practically steals someone else’s lunch (the ‘someone else’ in question being deuce) and then shares it with you.
you get caught every time, ace’s stomping waking riddle up. he doesn’t even attempt to protect you, claiming it’s not stealing because it’s going to a good cause—your ‘date’.
he’s only ever joking about the date thing. he just likes seeing your reaction.
…but if he wasn’t joking, hypothetically… would you agree it’s a date?
deuce spade
he’s trying so hard to be a good roommate to you. he really is!
at first, he tries to impress you with his full bookshelf. in an attempt to turn over a new leaf, he borrowed a ton of magic related books from the library but he’s only read one
every time you walked into the room he frantically grabbed a book from his shelf and opened it, placing a finger on his chin to suggest that he was deep in thought.
“what’s gotten you so interested, deuce?” “oh it’s nothing. just a book about…psychology and stuff. really emotional. yeah.”
intrigued, you approached his side only to find out he’s reading a children’s picture book. upside down.
each time he thinks back to that moment he is filled with so much shame. whenever you bring it up he slaps a hand to your mouth with a shout, overly flustered. he’s always been honest about himself after that.
he’s another messy guy. overall? he’s clean—but when he eats he leaves a lot of crumbs behind on his bed and himself. you have the urge to wipe them from his cheeks all the time. this could be reiterated for all the first-years except ortho, though.
deuce excitedly shows you pictures of the latest blastcylces (he has posters all over his side of the room) and tells you all about his bleached hair days. he even lets you try on his blastcycle helmet and jersey. has a picture of you in it and treasures it as ‘a reminder to not go rouge again’
you study together but the pair of you always get distracted by having silly little side conversations. one second you’re talking about pythagoras; the next, it’s a passionate discussion about what animal you’d be if you were reincarnated in another life.
he moves around in his sleep a lot. he goes to sleep spread out like a starfish and ends up on the floor, bedsheets half-on him and the worst bed-head ever.
you have to fix his hair in the mornings for him. he’ll barely be awake, sleep still in his eyes as you’re patting his head to keep the stray hairs at bay. he’ll lean into your touch but he won’t remember doing it till halfway through the day.
⇈ he’ll just be in the middle of flight class, randomly think about the proximity of your faces, then almost falls off his broom. ace laughs till he cries.
when he comes to your room wounded he appreciates how you ask him if he’s okay before asking what happened. when it’s the other way around, he always rechecks your state even though the school doctor patched you up fine and deemed you well enough.
he calls his mother often to make sure she’s okay, and you’ve gotten more than acquainted with her.
she loves you and thinks you’re a great influence for deuce. she’s even happier that he’s made some friends!! she’s always gushing about how she’s proud of him, or asking you to come over with in the holidays.
“deuce, when you come home bring your lovely friend okay? i like them.”
he agrees without hesitation, because he can’t deny her wishes—and he likes you, too.
jack howl
your room either smells like sweat and the mens body spray he uses or caramel scented candles that he swears his younger brother and sister bought for him.
it’s mostly the second option, because jack is good when it comes to personal hygiene and also doesn’t want to make things uncomfortable for you. (his side of the room is very clean, and he takes pride in that, so if yours isn’t he’ll tell you to fix up very bluntly.)
he’s very perceptive and values personal space, so he’s thoroughly checking to make sure you’re comfortable. will give you space and alone time if you need it.
he’s got ‘motivational workout quotes’ framed and hung up on his side of the room
gives you a similar one for your birthday, in order to give you motivation for the rest of the school year. he’s given one to all the first years, even ortho, so you’re not special or anything.
yours is just slightly bigger.
from far away it looks aesthetically pleasing, contrasting nicely with all the greenery from the plants he’s raising (he’s a plant mom)
then you get closer and read: “Train The Quit Out Of You.” “Single Taken At The Gym.” “In This House, Only Hard Work Matters.”
he goes on morning runs, so he’s out before you can even open your eyes. sometimes, he leaves you notes behind wishing you a good day, since he’s not much of a texter even though you’ve exchanged numbers. sometimes you’ll find notes around the house just saying some words of encouragement.
if you’re awake, he might ask you to join him. but it ends up being him running out of earshot so fast you lose sight of him. he’ll be running back as you’re still on the first stretch, out of breath. he’ll try his best to wait for you to catch up, though…
⇈ you might not enjoy it as much as he is but he’ll be really thankful that you came along anyway. you don’t even have to run if you don’t want to, just sitting and watching him somehow gives him a newfound burst of energy.
as a reward for sticking with him, he’ll make sure you’re well fed. not that he doesn’t do that already; jack sits next to you, the two of you sharing a plate of breakfast together as the other first-years just share a look like (·•᷄ࡇ•᷅ )?
you often find him talking to his cacti. his tone is so soft it’s endearing, conversing as though they’d speak back before watering them. in fact, you find out more from him speaking to the succulents than you do when he’s actually talking to you.
it’s not that he doesn’t talk to you. he does!! but the conversations are always short because he’s too busy trying to hide the wag of his tail and twitch of of his ears.
you speak to his cacti, because if jack truly believes it will benefit them you also want to help. he’s so fond of them. when he finds out you’ve been doing so, he tells you that he’s sure they’re standing stronger and looking healthier because of you <3
he lets you name them
Congratulations. you are both now Plant Parents.
it might take a lot of convincing but if you can get him to cuddle with you in his wolf form you will get the best sleep ever. he’s super fluffy, which makes him really cosy to lean on and snuggle up to.
⇈ but you both tend to oversleep and end up late for classes whenever you do it. jack scolds you for it because he doesn’t want to be a troublesome student, but he won’t deny you when you ask again.
everyone’s convinced you’re dating.
epel felmier
why are there apples everywhere
the saying ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’ doesn’t apply to you! an apple a day is bringing you closer to the doctor. (epel has boxes of apples for his carvings. they’re overflowing, causing apples to spill out onto your floor creating a trip hazard.)
he seriously doesn’t mean to make mess but the apples just keep on coming! at this point you both have enough apples to keep you going for at least a good few months—but you’re not allowed to eat them.
okay, fine, you can have one… or two..
pomefiore’s bedtime is 10pm, so both of you share the struggle of hiding that you’re awake. you’re both chuckling under your own bedcovers, messaging each other on your phones with your brightness at the lowest setting: ‘is he gone yet? u check’
vil will be standing in the doorway, hands on his hips waiting for you to peek your heads up. he knows what you’re doing.
you keep doing it anyway until vil threatens to split you up.
the two of you will try to stay up till early hours of the morning doing anything and everything. on one occasion you tried to juggle with apples, ending up hitting yourselves in the faces. it left marks.
plenty of times you’ll send epel a funny video of something or the other and he’ll double over in laughter, wheezing so loudly you’re sure everyone can hear you. your phones get confiscated for a week.
he’s on his best behaviour now, he swears! and you are too—you know vil only sets specific guidelines for you to follow because it will benefit you both in the long run.
if you’re injured, epel will tend to your wounds skilfully. he’s been in more than a few accidents being a wild child, and also knows a lot about medicinal herbs and magic pharmacy. arguably does a better job than school staff.
when he’s injured, he’s rushing back to show them off to you like battle scars. look at the the one on his knee, quick! he stood his ground and won, isn’t he cool? (it’s absolutely tiny and will definitely fade away. he wants to be leona so bad)
he always lets you see the process of his apple carving and even gives you lessons. he’s delighted that he gets to teach someone something he learned back in his hometown—it’s not much of a big deal, but whenever someone shows interest in it, his chest puffs with pride.
and when it’s you specifically complimenting him and harveston, he’s super smitten.
ortho shroud
ortho is only just finding out about himself, exploring his tastes and developing his own opinion. (he’s really glad he can share these self-discoveries with you!)
idia is Not Happy that his brother is being stolen off him, but wishes ortho well nonetheless.
you will never be late to class from now on because he will wake you up on time. and don’t think about skipping or faking illness, because ortho can see right through you.
asks how your day has been after school because he genuinely cares. he wants to know everything! school is just so fun to him. he’s so happy about going to class that you start to feel guilty for dreading them. he’ll tell you about his day too, very elaborately. you might be sitting and listening for a while because ortho does not miss a single detail.
⇈ you somehow end up finding out what scarabia resident B did last summer with his family, though you’re sure it had no relevance to ortho’s magic history class at all?
asks you to take pictures of him around your room, literally even if it’s a mundane activity. half of your camera roll is just images of ortho studying. he also wants to take lots of pictures with you, so he can keep the memories he spent his first real roommate fresh in his mind forever, so say cheese!
you make a bucket list together so he can check things off along the course of his life. you take him out to places he wants to go, and he helps you in return. need questions answered? he’s got the best results at the fastest speeds. hungry? he’s flying off to sam’s store. your preferences are already stored in his memory system, so expect something yummy when he returns!
he gets very attached to you very quickly, and perhaps even a little protective. if you’re ever going to do anything reckless ortho is sitting you down and telling you the pros and cons, success to failure ratio and extra precautions you should take.
as he’s only ever lived with his brother and never really had friends for himself, ortho is still used to idia’s social recluse/anxious ways. you could be ordering over the phone and if the person on the other end of the line mishears you ortho is suddenly speaking up for you very angrily.
ortho: excuse me they asked for NO. PICKLES. 😡😡
introverts love him. fast food branch owners fear him. the ice cream machines won’t be ‘broken’ on ortho’s watch.
if someone’s bothering you, just tell him. he won’t hesitate to dox a bully or two online. he learned from the best. NOT afraid to resort to physical attacks. has a high-intensity laser beam ready to fire whenever you need it.
ortho is not rainbows and sunshine all the time. he’s a nrc student, after all.
<-
3K notes
·
View notes
Male Yuu! Reader (Platonic Yandere) Part 1
@asillylitteseabunnyay More ideas! Warning: Really OOC characters (Even for yandere standards. This is a major reason as to why I write headcanons before writing a separate piece for them), I really did try to make this into one post but I really wanted to post something. Sorry for taking so long to post something.
For those who want a word count: 14,203 words. Once again, sorry for being really slow.
"(Y/N)! Wait up!"
I turned around to see Ace running up to me with Deuce trailing after him. A grin broke on my face at the sight of them. Those two always bring trouble with them and while it can be tiring, I could never imagine a different life that I could lead. Or at least, my life in Twisted Wonderland.
"Heya, guys! What's going on? Riddle chasing after you for breaking another rule or Azul wanting to capture you in a contract again?"
"Do you really think that whenever we want to see you we're in trouble? I'm kind of wounded."
Ace put on a fake pout before pulling a mock hurt pose.
"Because whenever you ARE in trouble, you come find me to get you out of it."
"Fair."
Deuce walked around Ace before greeting me.
"Good morning, (Y/N)!"
"Good morning, Deucey! How's your morning been so far?"
"It was quite uneventful which is a nice change of pace from how mornings normally are for us."
Deuce was pushed by Ace, who started laughing at Deuce who lost his footing.
Ace and Deuce started a stare off before I just lightly tapped both of their foreheads to snap them out of it.
"Yo, troublemakers! If you keep fighting like this, we're gonna have trouble coming our way. Let's move!"
Ace and Deuce nodded at me before we all started to sprint to get to P.E. Vargas was no joke when it came to being late. I would prefer not having to do twenty extra laps around the field, thank you very much.
Thankfully, we made it with only a minute left to spare. Jack and Epel were there ahead of us and claimed brooms for Ace and Deuce.
"If you three keep sleeping in, you're going to end up missing class."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Let's get this class done and over with."
Jack tossed the brooms to Ace and Deuce who caught them before turning towards me.
"(Y/N), do you want to ride with me on my broom today?"
I thought about the offer before another student butted into the conversation.
"I already offered the Human a ride on my broom last class!"
Sebek appeared out of nowhere, being loud like always. Although his words did remind me of yesterday. I was riding on Floyd's broom for class (Mainly because he wouldn't let me ride on anyone else's broom) and I nearly fell off many times. Sebek came to me after class and offered his broom instead. This did surprise me considering that Sebek has been a recent friend that I've made but I wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Anything to not ride with Floyd again.
"Yep, he's right, Jack. I promised Sebek that I would join him for this flight class. Although if you're offering for tomorrow, I wouldn't be opposed to that."
Jack gave me a nod before getting himself ready for flight. Looks like I have my flight partner for tomorrow! I walked with Sebek to the spot that he picked which was quite a bit away from the other first years but I didn't care that much about it. This class is a mix between all of the years so I wouldn't be surprised if Lilia or Silver was in this class as well.
"Child of Man."
Or I should have guessed that Malleus would be in this class.
"Hello, Hornton. I hope that this morning is treating you nicely."
I still can't really wrap my head around the fact that my night friend is really the Malleus Draconia. It's still something that I must get used to.
"Young Master!"
Sebek's face lit up with the biggest smile that I think I've ever seen which made a smile appear on my face. Even thought the half fae carries a huge amount of aggression towards humans, whenever he's happy, it's near impossible to not be happy along with him.
"ALRIGHT! Let's start working out those muscles!"
Coach Vargas appeared out of nowhere like he normally does and got everybody into line. Sebek positioned his broom safely between his legs while I tried to position myself carefully as well. The take off is always the hardest for whoever I'm flying with considering that we have to time the launch perfectly with each other.
Sebek was staring at me to make sure that I was ready and I gave him a quick nod to signal that I was ready for take off. We did a short run before jumping and taking off. I held onto Sebek for dear life when we started to get some serious altitude. I've learned that if I grab the broom while in flight, that I accidently cause some mild steering interference.
"Khee hee hee. Careful, (Y/N). You might end up causing a tear into Sebek's uniform."
I turned my head to my right to see Lilia flying there. Him being there made me recount all of the people in this class. Everyone was in this class today! I'm particularly amazed that Azul was able to get his broom up this high and the fact that Idia was riding the broom correctly. That might be because we're actually going for a flight around the island for class today.
"I'll loosen my grip in a bit. I'm still not a big fan of heights."
A shudder went up my spine when I looked down. I don't understand how people are able to fly this high up without being terrified.
"WOOOOO!"
I tilted my head up to see Cater riding his broom like a skateboard and doing tricks on it. I wish that I had a fraction of his courage to do something like that.
"Don't worry, Human! I will not be doing ridiculous stunts like that with you on the broom with me."
"Thanks, Sebek. I greatly appreciate it."
The class continued like normal. Many people were flying by Sebek and I to have a pleasant conversation. Riddle and the rest of Heartslabyul were checking in with me to make sure I didn't need a quick emergency landing. Sebek took mild offense to that saying 'If the Human needed to go down, I would be more than capable to take him down myself!'
"Are you sure that you would be taking the utmost of care that he is protected when flying down?"
"Of course, I would!"
"I don't know, Sebek. You don't always seem to be the perfect fit for protecting (Y/N)."
"Why you-!"
Ace and Sebek started a screaming match mid air, making me roll my eyes. Those two are like oil and water. Never to be mixed.
"Good morning, Prefect."
"Good morning, Dorm Leader Rosehearts!"
"(Y/N)..."
I let out a laugh at Riddle's warning tone. I love to tease him about his proper title.
"Sorry, sorry. Has your morning been calm?"
"Not in the slightest! There were nearly five rule breakers this morning! I don't know what they were thinking about having strawberry tea on a Thursday!"
"The lunacy!"
"I know!"
"Hehe, it did make for a magicamable morning though!"
Cater flew next to us, still in skateboard position.
"I bet it did!"
"I'll send you all of the pics after class! Kay-kay?"
"Kay-Kay!"
I like indulging in his vocabulary from time to time. It's interesting and different from my own!
"Ace. Stop fighting with Sebek before Riddle decides that it's off with your head."
Trey was ahead of all of us, flying backwards which was pretty impressive, mediating the fight between Sebek and Ace.
"But-!"
"YOU HEARD THE OTHER HUMAN, ACE! ADMIT YOUR DEFEAT!"
Don't fight Sebek, it isn't pretty.
Ace let out a scoff before flying towards Deuce. Riddle and Trey followed quickly after them to make sure that those two would stay out of trouble for the morning while Cater saw Idia and wanted a picture of him before he hid away for the rest of the day.
"*Yawn* Doesn't it get exhausting with all of those other noisy herbivores chatting your ear off?"
Leona and Ruggie came on the left and the right of us.
"I don't see it as tiring. In fact, it's actually quite fun to talk with your friends in the morning!"
Leona gave a smirk at me with a glint in his eyes. Oh no.
"That's just like you, Herbivore. Taking pity on other herbivores, especially those who follow that Lizard."
I felt Sebek tense at Leona's words. He turned his head to glare at Leona.
"How dare you insult the YOUNG MASTER?! YOU LAZY LION!"
Leona and Sebek started to have a shouting match over my head. Why does Sebek feel the need to fight with so many people this morning? Where does this energy come from?
"Psst, (Y/N)!"
I turned my head to see Ruggie. He gave me a slight wave before holding out an apple for me.
"Here! I decided to be kind today and got you an apple!"
"Thank you, Ruggie! Now. What do you want?"
Ruggie's kind smile turned into a slight smirk.
"Glad you asked! I have to do laundry later today and considering I did something nice for you, you could do something nice for me?"
"Sure, I'll come by noon to help you out."
"Thank you, (Y/N)! Shye hee hee!"
"Alright, leave (Y/N) and Sebek alone you guys."
Jack and Epel came out of nowhere and separated Leona and Ruggie from our broom.
"Hmph, self righteous fresh babies."
Leona flew off and motioned for Ruggie to follow him. Ruggie gave me a nod before flying after Leona. Sebek looked at Jack with anger.
"HOW DARE YOU INTERRUPT US, JACK!"
"Your yelling was giving (Y/N) a headache. Besides, you should be paying attention to flying and not crashing."
Epel then flew closer to me and took the apple from me.
"Hey!"
"Ya don't wanna ta eat this one. There's mealworms in it. Make yer stomach upset."
I looked at the apple with disgust. I can't believe that Ruggie would try to feed me something that like.
"Thanks, Epel. It looked like such a good apple too."
"It takes a trained eye ta tell. Seems like Ruggie needs a better eye."
Jack and Epel flew away after making sure that Sebek and I would be safe with flying.
"These useless creatures. Thinking that I'm incapable of taking care of a singular magicless human."
"Calm down, Sebek. I'm certain that they are just worried about me being up this high. It's not everyday that a magicless human goes off the ground. If it makes you feel better, I feel completely safe with you flying the broom."
Sebek gave a proud smirk before straightening his back and picking up the pace to continue flying with the group. I started to scan the sky for other people that I knew.
Azul didn't really come near us or anybody for that matter. I think that he was a tad scared of accidentally crashing into anybody which I think is a valid fear. I quickly shouted some encouragement to him. Jade and Floyd on the other hand had no problem with coming up to us. Jade mostly left us alone, saying that he was there to keep an eye on his brother. Floyd though...
"Awwww, Shrimpyyyy. Why are you flying with Crocodile instead of me todayyyy? Are you trying to get squeeeezed?"
"No Floyd. I'm riding Sebek because he offered."
"Hmph. That's no fun. Come here on my broom."
Floyd grabbed my arm and started trying to pull me onto his broom. Because of my near death grip on Sebek, it started to also mess with Sebek's flying as well.
"ARGH! STOP THIS INSTANT, YOU INSOLENT CREATURE!"
"Floyd! Stop that! This isn't funny!"
"Hehehehe~ I think that it's pretty funny. Come on, Shrimpy. It'll be safe."
"FLOYD!"
"Floyd. That's enough. You're causing (Y/N) to be uncomfortable."
Jade intervened by prying Floyd's hand off of my arm. Sebek was able to stabilize the broom and we were flying smoothly again.
"Booooo, you're no fun, Jade."
Jade let out a chuckle.
"Sorry, Floyd. Normally, I'd let you have your fun but there is a tad too much risk here."
My breathing normalized just in time for Kalim and Jamil to visit us on the left side.
"Hiya, (Y/N)! Good morning, Sebek!"
"Morning, Kalim! How's today treating you so far?"
"Today has been the best so far! Jamil made a delicious breakfast for the whole dorm! We also discussed planning a party for later this evening! Would you two like to join us?"
I noticed Jamil tense a bit at the mention of more people coming to the party. That man was under so much pressure that it's not even funny.
"Sorry! But I must keep watch over the Young Master at all times! I don't have time to partake in silly human activities!"
"Yeah, I have to decline as well, Kalim. Ramshackle has been in need of a clean up and I'll most likely have a bunch of homework to do tonight anyway. I hope that you have a pleasant party though!"
Kalim had a slight pout on his face before his normal smile reappeared.
"That's quite fine! Although the party won't be the same without you, (Y/N)!"
Kalim then flew ahead of us. Jamil looked at me and I gave him a wink and a smile. I wasn't really too busy tonight but I decided to do him a solid. Jamil gave a small quirk of his lips before flying after Kalim.
"First Potato."
I turned my head to the right to stare at Vil. Boy, was he as intimidating as ever?
"Sit up straight. If you keep curling into Cucumber here, your posture will be horrendous."
I nodded at Vil before trying to sit up straight. The wind decided to pick up then and there, wobbling the broom. I immediately curled back into Sebek.
"Thanks for the advice Vil but I think that I'm going to stay curled until the end of the flight."
Vil narrowed his eyes slightly before directing his attention to the front.
"Oh, le pauvre escroc! Although, I must admit that the sight of your fear brings out a completely new side of your beauty to light!"
I saw Rook upside down which made me jolt a bit. Sebek let out a grunt.
"Human! Be careful!"
"Sorry, Sebek!"
Rook only let out a laugh before going to Vil to fawn over him. The duo flew off which made me let out a sigh of relief. I'm glad that I was able to befriend those two at VDC but I won't lie that I'm terrified of what those two can do together.
"(Y/N)-San!"
Ortho's voice traveled into my ears which made me look behind myself to see him there.
"Ortho! It's nice to see you and your brother this morning!"
"Yes! Niisan prefers to skip this class but he was more than willing to go when he heard about it being a mixed class. I'm still not too certain as to why though."
"Maybe he misheard. I have no idea either though."
"Oh yeah! Niisan wanted me to ask you if you were down for playing with him tonight over voice chat! He has recently been really involved with a new MMORPG that he wants to play with you."
I thought about it before realizing that Kalim was still nearby. I couldn't just brush off one friend and not the other. Sorry, Idia.
"Sorry, Ortho but I have to clean up Ramshackle tonight. With Grim being trapped inside all day, he's sure to make a mess. Or more of a mess."
I wasn't lying about Grim being stuck inside all day. Two days ago, a freak accident happened in the cafeteria which ended up with Grim's tail being broken. I prescribed him bed rest and plenty of bandages for healing. He made a mild fit about it before realizing that I wasn't about to forfeit my ground.
"Oh."
Ortho looked a bit disheartened but I had to stay strong. It doesn't help that I see Ortho as a brother. I want the robo kid happy!
"Yeah, really sorry, Ortho. Maybe tomorrow, I can play games with Idia."
Ortho seemed to perk up at that before zooming past us to talk with Idia. Sebek was quick to fix his course with the new air ripples.
"CAREFUL OF WHERE YOU'RE FLYING!!"
"Calm down, Sebek, he's just a kid."
"Ah, youth. I hope that you young ones won't mind me joining your flight?"
Lilia made his reappearance and started to fly with us.
"Master Lilia!"
"Welcome back, Lilia! Where did you come from?"
"Khee hee hee. I was just trying to arrange something. Don't worry too much about it."
Two more people came up to fly next to us. It was Malleus and Silver! I gave both of them a wave which they returned.
"See! I thought that it would be nice for our dorm to fly together! Even if you're not part of our dorm, you're still quite a treasured friend to us all!"
"I'm honored that you won't kick me out of your dorm flying session."
We all just flew in peace for a bit but that peace didn't last for long.
"Freak wind!"
A huge gust of wind came out of nowhere causing me to lose my grip on Sebek and fall off the broom.
"(Y/N)!"
Sebek tried to grab me but sadly, he was much too slow. I kept falling before I finally hit the ground. It was so painful. A huge pain seared through my leg, back, head and arm. Oh, the times when you wish that you had magic to make all of your problems go away. Sadly, my wishes won't be answered anytime soon.
I heard a bunch of calls of my name. I tried to keep my eyes open but the pain in my head was making it insanely hard.
"(Y/N)! I found him!"
Deuce came into my line of sight and I tried to give him a smile but the look on his face made me think that my smile wasn't exactly a smile.
"Don't worry, (Y/N). You'll be fine. I know that you'll be fine. You have to be fine!"
I tried to get some words of comfort out for Deuce but the pain got too much for my brain to handle. I let out a groan and passed out. My dreams were really weird. There were a bunch of different clouds who were talking over each other. It was near impossible to make out what they were trying to say. It started to hurt my head mildly.
I was thankful when I started to wake from the dream. The voices of the clouds went quiet, giving my head the needed break from noise that it wanted. I started to open my eyes but they were really sensitive to light and there was plenty of it in the room.
"Urrrr, that's really bright."
"He's up!"
"Now that was loud."
My eyes adjusted to the light and I saw Sebek kneeling next to me. I started to look around the room more and everybody was there watching me, concern and relief were reflective in their eyes.
"Ugh, what's going on, guys?"
I tried to sit up from my lying down position but I let out a scream. It was much too painful to even sit up. Next thing that I knew everybody was surrounding me and trying to make sure that I was okay.
"(Y/N)!"
"Don't strain yourself."
"Stay down, Shrimpy!"
Everyone's face held such amounts of concern. Even Leona! I didn't even really think that he even tolerated me in the slightest! The more that the situation processed in my brain, the more funny that I found it. I even started laughing which shocked everyone around me.
"This is no laughing matter, (Y/N)! You were severely injured!"
"Sorry, Riddle, but you must admit the way that you all are acting is quite bizarre!"
Everyone looked at each other confused before returning their gazes back to me as if they wanted a further explanation.
"I mean, c'mon guys! You're treating me as if I'm a fragile glass doll that will break if someone so much as breathed on me! You've seen me fight at least five different overblots! I think that I'm strong enough to handle a bad crash."
Everyone stayed silent at what I said. Apparently, they have forgotten how much that I've been through ever since I arrived at Twisted Wonderland.
My stomach interrupted the silence with a warning that I was hungry. Leona was actually the first to react.
"Ruggie, take this and go get (Y/N) something good to eat. Don't skimp out."
"You got it."
Ruggie rushed out of the room, most likely going to the cafeteria. He really doesn't have to get me food, more importantly expensive food. I would just be happy with a bag of chips and a bottle of water to tide me over for now.
"You really didn't have to send Ruggie out to do that. I think that I could have just gotten a ghost from Ramshackle to get me the leftovers from last night."
Vil snapped his head towards me when I mentioned leftovers.
"Do you mean those unhealthy, instant foods that I've heard from Epel that you order from Sam so much?"
A mild blush appeared on my face. It's true that I haven't really gotten the chance to really have a decent meal in a few months but hey! Life on a budget was never easy!
"Yes, those foods. I didn't finish the oven pizza that I got yesterday. There should be more than enough food unless Grim ate most of it today."
Vil then turned his head to Leona.
"Tell Ruggie to order two of whatever he is getting for the prefect. He obviously needs better food choices than what he is supplying himself with."
Leona only nodded his head before pulling out his phone to text Ruggie his new order.
"At least, I'm keeping Sam in business."
Crowley then entered the nurse's office, making me slightly jump and hurt myself more.
"GOODNESS GRACIOUS! Broken bones are no joke!"
"(Y/N)! I've heard about your condition!"
Crowley also looked around at all of the students who were already there.
"Appears that the rest of our student body has enough concern for our dear magicless student."
Crowley then made his way to the bedside and looked down at me.
"Now then, we must figure out a way to make sure that you can heal quickly and safely! I am not able to handle all of your needs everyday.
Hmmmm, I'm wondering if you would be fine if a ghost just brought you meals and Grim could give you your homework that you've missed."
"Grim is out of school on injury as well, Headmage."
"Hmmm, maybe your professors would be kind enough to bring your homework to you."
"Headmage."
Crowley and I turned our heads to look at Riddle. He had a straight face but I could tell that he had a plan.
"We Heartslabyul students will be more than willing to take care of (Y/N). He has helped us out more than times than we can count, either with overblots or if someone was going to break one of our rules."
"Yeah! Besides, (Y/N) and I are like, best friends! I'd be more than happy to try and teach him the lessons that he missed! Also I'd be cursed if I didn't help him out when he really needs it."
"Since I'm also one of (Y/N)'s close friends, I can help keep him company between classes! So that he isn't too lonely during the day!"
"I can help him during meal times and create a small dessert for him everyday. It wouldn't be too much a hassle."
"And I can keep him updated on current events! #KeepingThePrefectInTheLoop!"
Ace, Deuce, Trey and Cater all seemed super excited to help me with my recovery. Although a scoff from Leona and Vil resounded in the room.
Riddle was immediately on the defense and sent one of his strongest glares their way.
"Do you two have a problem with our plan?"
Leona gave an eye roll before saying his part.
"You're really going to entrust that idiotic herbivore to catch the prefect up on the lessons that he missed? Even if you taught that herbivore by himself, I'm still certain that he still would fail his classes."
Ace got visibly angry at Leona words but was held back by Deuce. Probably because the Headmage was still in the room.
Vil put in his thoughts next.
"None of you will actually take care of the prefect in the way that he deserves. I doubt anybody would be willing to make sure the prefect stays presentable even in casts."
Trey and Cater looked between themselves before returning Vil's glare. But soon enough, something else caused an uproar amongst the group.
"But I want to help (Y/N) to get better as well!"
Kalim looked very determined to be useful to me before looking over to Jamil with pleading eyes.
"Right, Jamil? We want to make sure that (Y/N) gets the utmost of care!"
"Kalim's right. I doubt that any of you had to take care of someone who was sick. I've been in the caretaker role so I think that we are most likely the best to assure (Y/N)'s quick recovery. Kalim has also had experience with taking care of his younger siblings as well."
A loud thud was heard from behind Jamil which got everyone's attention drawn to Sebek.
"NONE OF YOU SHALL HELP THE HUMAN! IT WAS MY OWN SHORTCOMINGS THAT CAUSED THE HUMAN TO BE INJURED IN THE FIRST PLACE! THUS I SHALL TAKE UP EACH AND EVERY DUTY MYSELF!"
Soon enough, there was a whole yelling match between all of the dorms on who would be able to take care of me. Soon enough, Crowley had enough of the fighting and silenced them all.
"ALRIGHT!
While I'm moved to tears by seeing all of my students work together for a common goal, we still must come up with a schedule to make sure that Mr. (Y/N) gets the care that he needs.
Thankfully, my quick thinking has come up with the perfect solution!
Mr. (Y/N) will stay here in the nurse's office and each day a different dorm will take care of him. Heartslabyul on Monday, Savanaclaw on Tuesday, etc, etc."
Everyone reluctantly nodded to the plan. It sounded like a good plan considering that everybody would get what they want in the end. There was some mild awkward silence before Ruggie kicked open the doors with his hands full of food.
"Okay, so I bought twenty meals because that was all that I could have afforded with Leona's money plus haggling."
Leona facepalmed before letting out a groan.
"You useless hyena, I wanted you to get at least fifty meals with that money."
Thus started the crazy recovery scheme between all of the dorms.
Heartslabyul's day was probably one of the most relaxing days that a person like me could have. At the start of every day, Trey would come in and bring me a homemade breakfast. It always was some sort of pastry like pancakes, waffles or croissants. For the first two weeks, mainly because of the pain that I would acquire if I moved too much, Trey spoon fed me my breakfasts. I promised him that I would pay him back for meals but he always told me that it wouldn't be necessary.
"There's no reason to repay me, (Y/N). I'm used to taking care of my younger siblings."
Then throughout the day, Cater and Deuce would visit at random times. I'm ninety percent certain that Cater skipped a good portion of his classes and clubs to hang out with me. He would stay late into the night as well, taking pictures or showing me random memes that he found funny. Though per my demand, he would put his phone away and ignore it while we played a board game that he 'borrowed' from the board game club.
"Time for a new pic for the cam! I'm going to title this one 'Brothers Night In!'"
Deuce would come during the breaks between our classes to either lightly talk about what happened during class or tell me how much that he missed me during classes.
"I've never truly realized how boring classes are without you there."
Lunch is always spent with Riddle. He brings personally brewed tea for both of us to enjoy! He also makes sure that I'm properly taken care of and that none of his dorm members were slacking on their jobs.
"You're happy with how my dorm members are doing? Good. I'm glad that they are upholding your expectations. If they ever let you down, let me know. I'll make sure that they know better than to disappoint my family."
Finally, Ace is probably the person that I see the least of but considering what I know about him, it's quite believable that he wouldn't be there as often as the others. He does get me my homework and brings me dinner though.
"Yo, little bro! Sorry for being late with your stuff today! Basketball club started straight after school today. Let's eat before we start getting work done!"
Savanaclaw is next. To be honest, with only three of them throughout the day, it is quite hectic. Especially with Leona as one of the caretakers. Since Leona normally skips classes, he now sleeps in the nurse's office with me all day. Sometimes, if he doesn't fall asleep, we end up having a pleasant talk. He also makes sure that I'm comfortable with extra blankets if I'm cold or more pillows if the bed isn't soft enough. He does get mad if I try to situate the blankets myself.
"Stop squirming. Let your pride watch over you for a while."
Ruggie was the most hardworking out of the three. He had to get meals for me and Leona. Not to mention that a good majority of time he was trying to convince Leona to go at least to one of his classes on Tuesday. I told him that if he was too busy with Leona, he doesn't have to take care of me.
"Don't worry about me, (Y/N)! I always take care of the younger ones at home, you're no different!"
Jack was quite useful with teaching me all that I missed. He takes everything slowly which I appreciate! Alchemy has been really hard for me ever since I've arrived in Twisted Wonderland. It's like chemistry and I nearly failed when I took that.
"Did you understand that? Good. The last time that I had to teach like this was with my younger siblings when they wanted to learn how to snowboard."
Wednesday is one of those days that I can't wait for it to end. Floyd doesn't care what hurts me exactly. He sometimes just picks me up from my bed and carries me around campus.
"Why are you crying, Shrimpy? Elvers like you need all of the fresh air that they can get~!"
Normally after many tears and a majority of my day, Jade arrives and relieves Floyd of his job. Floyd always puts up a fight telling Jade that he isn't done playing with me but Jade reminds him of whatever Azul needed him to do now. Floyd becomes quiet before trudging off, a scowl on his face. Jade then normally takes me back to the nurse's office with an apology.
"I must apologize for my brother. He doesn't understand that you need your rest, (Y/N). He called you an 'elver'? Well, I won't disagree with him but don't worry. It's not an insult."
All of the meals on Wednesday are supplied by the Mostro Lounge per demand of Azul. Floyd packed breakfast and lunch for us to prevent me having to be stuck in the office all day. Dinner is the only meal that I can enjoy in a comfortable position. Azul personally delivers it to me and provides a small bit of entertainment for me.
"I do hope that the food is to your liking! I would hate for a fry to go hungry during the time that they need to heal!"
When it comes to Scarabia's turn, it's probably the most organized day. That might be because Jamil is in charge of most of the things when it comes to taking care of me. He always comes with handmade meals, extra pillows in case the ones that I've been laying on have lost their fluff, etc, etc. He always seems to know what I want.
"Here you go. A light novel for you to read to make sure that you aren't bored in bed all day. How did I know that you wanted something to read? Call it 'Caretaker's intuition'."
Kalim didn't really have anything to help me get better but his charismatic personality always made my day! After school, we would just talk about the most random things to pass the time. Kalim's most favorite subject to talk about though is his home. He talks as if I've been there before though.
"And then we all went swimming! Where did we go swimming? (Y/N)! You know that we have a pool back at home!"
Pomefiore's day is quite restless for me. Before the sun is even up, Vil is there, doing a two hour long skincare routine for me. There have been times where I've almost fallen back asleep while he was taking care of my skin. Normally, if that does happen, he flicks my forehead which wakes me up immediately.
"The others may have let you become lazy but I won't let that continue on any longer. I'll make sure that you're properly taken care of. I refuse to let my junior deteriorate anymore."
Rook likes to randomly surprise me during the day and give me plenty of compliments about my strength. His weirdness was fully on display but to be honest, I always loved when Rook was true to himself. It was also fun to look at his Neige scrapbook!
"Magnifique! I'm so overjoyed that my Jeune Chercheur de Beauté is being inspired by my collection! Don't worry mon protégé, Je ferai un album à votre beauté bien assez tôt!"
Epel comes to visit to give me my homework before setting up his own work to do with me. Surprisingly, we don't talk that much during the time that we do hang out, preferring to enjoy each other's presence in silence. When we do decide to talk, it's always short but I enjoy having them.
"Rook and Vil did what? Ah can never understand those two. But I'm glad ya can put up with them."
Saturday is when the Shroud brothers come to visit, it's the only time that Idia will actually leave his room to visit me or maybe another reason gets him out and about. I'm not too certain anymore mainly because I don't know how Idia functions half the time.
"u-u-um! hiya, (Y/N)-San! ugh, this is so embarrassing. i-i-i-i brought my portable gaming set up so that we can beat all of the other normies online! if there were people in classes today, i would totally have dreaded this more."
To balance Idia's nerves, Ortho was nearly sparking with excitement! He was in his alchemy outfit and running constant tests on me. Although he would make sure to cheer Idia and I on whenever we were either having a hard time or won a hard match!
"Niisan and Ani are so awesome! Everyone else will see how cool the two of you are together!"
Then comes Sunday. The second most hectic day of any week. I at least don't get hurt. All that I get is mild deafness in one of my ears. Sebek doesn't leave my side while begging for my forgiveness for letting this happen.
"PLEASE FORGIVE ME, (Y/N)! I'M SORRY THAT I FAILED YOU AS YOUR OLDER! I WILL NEVER LET SOMETHING HAPPEN LIKE THIS AGAIN TO YOU! I PROMISE THAT I WILL PROTECT YOU WITH EVERYTHING THAT I CAN!"
Silver was thankfully calmer than most of the others. Although he did have his own overprotective tendencies but was amazingly more organized than anybody else's! Especially for a sleepy guy.
"Sebek, you should think about getting (Y/N) some food if you want him to forgive you."
Lilia would actually prevent Silver's plan from working by bringing in his own food for me to eat. Fun fact: I can amazingly stomach his food. Considering that I'm ninety five percent certain that I should have food poisoning, his food doesn't even taste all that bad.
"Here you go, my little bat! A nice, warm meal that will fill you up! Don't be shy about engorging yourself! There's more than enough."
Malleus is probably the person who was the most affected by my injuries. He wouldn't really talk with me but just look over my casts with what could best be described as melancholy.
"I'm so sorry, my dear Child of Man. I should have never let this happen to you in the first place. I've failed you as a friend. Trust me, I promise you this as the Prince of Briar Valley, I will never let anything hurt you again."
This cycle continued on for a little over ten weeks. What was supposed to be a seven week recovery was heavily deterred by a reckless Floyd Leech. But I was so excited to be able to move on my own for the first time in a little over two months! When the nurse gave me the okay to move, I tried to stand on my feet right away. I didn't even wait for anybody to appear. I am so relieved that I can take care of myself again and no longer be a burden to everybody.
"Okay, I've got this! One, two, and up we go!"
I got up onto my feet and while I did wobble for a bit, I was pretty sturdy for someone who hasn't used their legs in a while. I didn't try anything risky like jumping or running but I was walking little laps around the nurse's office. The nurse gave me plenty of encouragement to try bigger strides or other things to improve my movement.
It was all fun and games until it was time for my guests to come in. Since it was a Wednesday, Floyd was the person who came in first to see me walking around on my feet.
"SHRIMPY! You're supposed to stay in bed!"
"I don't have to stay in bed anymore, Floyd! The nurse gave me the okay this morning! Besides, even if I was in bed, you would have just picked me up and carried me halfway across campus."
"That's not the point, Shrimpy! Elvers can't really take care of themselves without their swarm protecting them!"
"Floyd, this is a good thing! Besides, what is an elver anyway? You've been calling me one ever since I was injured. And I don't have a swarm!"
"Yes, you do! Jade and I are your swarm! We can't be having our little brother putting himself at risk!"
I went silent at what Floyd said. Little brother? I'm not their little brother. Floyd is known for going off in his own world from time to time but... I'm actually starting to worry that something happened to him.
"Floyd? Are you feeling alright?"
"Of course I am, Shrimpy! Although, you walking around as if you're some stingray, did give me a bit of a fright~"
"I wanted to make sure, Floyd, you do realize that I'm not your little brother right?"
"What are you talking about, Shrimpy? You've always been our little brother! Shrimpy can be soooooo forgetful sometimes~"
"No, Floyd. I'm not your brother."
Floyd's lazed/relaxed facial expression turned into a scowl when I tried to press the fact that we're not related. He wrapped his arms around me and gave me a light, warning squeeze.
"Shrimpy, I'm not in the mood to hear lies from you. You ARE my little brother, an elver, and you are not ready to walk around the school by yourself."
If Floyd squeezes me now, there's a good chance that something will break again and I will have to be bed ridden again. I can deal with Floyd acting as if I was a baby eel for a little while. He'll get bored after a short while with this.
"Okay, okay, sorry Floyd. I think hitting my head from my fall must have caused me to forget some things."
"It's okay, Shrimpy~ You can be stupid from time to time but that's because you're still growing~ Soon enough, you're going to be as long as Jade and I! Now back to bed you go!"
Floyd picked me up and plopped me back down on the bed. The nurse tried to explain to Floyd that I was fine to walk on my own. He didn't take it kindly.
"Are you trying to tell me how to take care of my younger brother? Sounds like a nurse shark wants to be squeezed today~"
The nurse backed down after that. I don't blame him though. I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of Floyd's aggressions. Floyd didn't look away from the nurse and looked like he was going to attack the nurse anyway. I had to do something before Floyd acted on his impulses.
"So, Floyd, what do you have planned for us today? I really want to bond with my big brother some more!"
I've never seen Floyd's head turn so fast or his expression change more than it did right then. For a second there, Floyd's smile could actually challenge Kalim's smile for the brightest smile in the world.
"Oh, I'm so glad that you asked, Shrimpy~! I originally planned on taking us to the Mostro Lounge so that we can swim for a bit, then we could go find Goldfishie and bother him for a bit and finally, end the day with some basketball! Buuuutttttt I think that we should just take it easy today and just talk. You've already had enough action today with that scary walking stunt that you had this morning. Right, Shrimpy?"
Floyd's expression changed once again. His eyes held a dangerous glint that threatened me to agree with him. I only nodded my head because I don't trust my voice to stay strong.
"Gooooooddd~"
Floyd and I talked and ate together in the nurse's office for a majority of the day. I was quite shocked by the fact that Floyd fought his mood swings away. He mentioned multiple times how bored he was and how he wanted to go bother someone or go do something but what he said afterwards is the reason why I really need to talk with Jade.
"But... I need to protect Shrimpy~ So many predators here would love to sink their teeth into a yummy elver~"
I don't think I've ever been more happy to see Jade walk into the nurse's office. Nor do I think I've ever seen Jade so shocked before.
"Oh, you were actually telling the truth."
"What~? Why would I lie to you?"
"Apologies but I truly thought that you would have ran off by now."
"Yeeeeeessshhh. Nice to know how much you trust me, Jade. But we need to have a talk."
I raised an eyebrow at Floyd. What did they need to talk about? Probably some Mostro Lounge business that I can't know about.
"Shrimpy here was walking around on his own two legs this morning!"
Jade looked even more shocked at Floyd's words. He was quick to rush to my bedside and pulled out his pen. It started glowing but I was just confused as to what he was doing exactly.
"There's no life threatening damage but that doesn't mean that there is no damage at all. What were you thinking, (Y/N)? You shouldn't be putting your body under strain."
"The nurse said that I was okay to move around again. I'm no longer in pain whenever I move, Jade!"
"Oi, Shrimpy, watch your tone. There's no reason to talk to your older brother like that."
Floyd grabbed my hand and started to squeeze it. It got so harsh that I started to writhe from the pain.
"Easy on him, Floyd. Remember what we've learned about children. When they act up, it's because they don't think that they're getting enough attention. (Y/N) here probably just feels very neglected."
"What?!"
"Riigghhtt! Shrimpy must be acting up because I didn't take him on adventures like I normally do! Shrimpy, if you were feeling suffocated in this room, you could have just told me! I wouldn't be mad~!"
Floyd then let go of my hand and pressed a light kiss to my palm. As if that would take away the pain. Jade only nodded his head before picking me up bridal style.
"Jade?! Put me down now!"
"Now, now, I know that elvers like you want to move on their own but Floyd and I cannot have you risk your health and safety anymore. Come along, Floyd. Let's go see Azul."
"Yippee! Let's go on an adventure!"
Floyd busted the doors down to the ground and made sure that Jade had a clear path of walking. Jade took his time walking with me in his arms. Eventually, we made it to the main area of the school where there were many more students. I swallowed very harshly. One misstep and I was going to be hurt once again. Thankfully, it turns out that the tweels had a plan before I did.
"MOVE OUT OF THE WAY! SHRIMPY COMING THROUGH!"
Floyd ran throughout the hallway full force, either scaring or pushing students out of the way, giving Jade a safe pathway to walk and carry me through. I still had a bunch of bandages on me and when Floyd would drag me around normally, students would be in classes. Now, it was passing time for certain classes. Everybody was staring at me and I felt my face burn with embarrassment. I buried my face into Jade's blazer and heard him chuckle.
"Don't laugh at me."
"Sorry, (Y/N). I just wished that I knew how cute my younger brother could be."
"I'm not your younger brother."
"Don't be silly, (Y/N). Of course, you are! If you weren't, why would Floyd and I be taking care of you?"
"Because we're friends?"
"Nonsense. If Azul was in your situation, I assure you..."
Jade shifted my head so that I could see his very sharp teeth.
"He would not be getting the same treatment that you are."
I shut up after that. It's times like these when I question which Leech twin is worse to deal with. Floyd is loud and destructive but Jade is always unassuming which results in me forgetting why I should be wary of him as well. As soon as either Floyd, Jade or Azul is done and bring me back to the nurse's office, I'm heading straight for Ramshackle. Don't care if I have to sit on my butt to go down the stairs, I'm sleeping in Ramshackle tonight.
"Phew! I think I cleared the way enough. See, Shrimpy! Now you're getting plenty of fresh air and we're having a fun adventure like a family! Ahhh~ I can't wait for the day that we can terrify all of these boring guppies together!"
I looked at Floyd and gave him a meek smile. I already tried both of the tweels to get out of this situation to no avail. Last thing that I needed was to upset both of them.
"Good job, Floyd. Would you like to hold our younger elver for a while?"
"Yes!"
I was passed to Floyd's arms. He gave me a light squeeze before starting to skip through the hallways. I've never felt so much like a doll before.
"Mr. (Y/N)!"
Professor Trein! My savior!
"Why were you not in class today? The nurse told all of the staff that you were healed enough to go to class this morning!"
"Ehh~ Red Squid sensei, Shrimpy her-"
"I do not care for what you have to say, Mr. Leech. Mr. (Y/N) now must get to class. Put him down and run off to your own classes."
Floyd glared at Trein before, reluctantly putting me down on my feet. I was slightly wobbly but thankfully, Trein let me lean on him. Jade and Floyd just continued to glare at Trein until we both were out of their line of sight.
"Thank you, Professor Trein. I really appreciate you helping me out there."
Trein gave me a perplexed look before pulling me off to the side.
"What do you mean 'helping', Mr. (Y/N)?"
I gave Trein the quick rundown of what happened this morning. He knew that I was injured but he didn't know about the tweels' behavior.
"That about sums it all up."
Trein had a look on his face as if I were a ghost. Or some rare creature considering we see ghosts all of the time.
"This is far more concerning than their normal behaviors. Mr. (Y/N), I recommend staying away from the Leech twins. It would be the best for your own safety."
My heart filled up with unease at Professor Trein's words. I hated the idea of just ghosting Floyd and Jade but I do think that some time away from them would do me some good and vice versa.
I nodded my head before following Trein to Alchemy class. Our entrance was really loud mainly because we had a test in class today. My normal first year crew was there but also a good portion of third years was also there. Turns out it was another mix class. I turned my attention to Professor Crewel, who was writing furiously at his desk.
"Ah. The mutt has finally arrived. Did you already give him detention, Trein?"
"No."
Professor Crewel's pen stops mid-motion before Crewel lifted his head, looking at Trein with disbelief.
"How come?"
"He wasn't ditching class on purpose. Floyd and Jade were preventing him from coming to class."
All of the writing pens went still and the room reached new levels of silent. Everybody was now looking at me with concern. All of them knew that if the Leech twins have any interest in you, you are in trouble.
Crewel and Trein seem to have a silent conversation before Crewel stands up.
"All of you puppies, continue your tests! Mutt, take your seat and don't cause a mess. Professor Trein and I have some things to discuss."
I only gave Crewel a quick bow when he was leaving the room with Trein before taking the only seat left in the class. Between a first year that I don't know very well and Trey.
Trey looked over at me. I gave him a quick smile to show that I was alright. He tapped the bandages on my arm, before putting a dramatic frown. I waved my hand before putting my fingers to the corner of my lips and lifted them into a smile.
Crewel walked back in and Trey and I stopped miming to each other. I just sat there staring at my blank desk while waiting for everyone to finish with their tests.
"Mutt."
I raised my gaze to meet Crewel's stare. I couldn't stop myself from flinching. It felt like he was staring into my soul slightly.
"Y-yes, Professor?"
"I want to talk with you after class. Don't try to escape with the crowd."
"Yes, Professor."
My voice could barely count as a whisper. I felt the pity radiating off of all the other students for me. First, I was stuck with Floyd and Jade and now, I'm going to be stuck with Professor Crewel. Oh why, oh why did the nurse have to give an okay to leave?! Why couldn't he have waited for tomorrow when Kalim and Jamil were going to visit?!
After about ten more minutes, people started to turn in their tests before leaving the classroom. I watched as Ace and Deuce left. I waved at them while they left. Ace sent me a heart symbol while Deuce gave two thumbs up. Malleus and Lilia were the next of my friends to leave. Lilia put a small bag on my desk while Malleus only stared at me. Soon enough, the only people in the classroom left were Trey, Crewel and myself. Trey already turned in his test but was just standing in front of my seat to talk with me.
"Are you sure that you'll be okay? I can stay behind if you're scared."
"I'll be okay, Trey. I do owe Professor Crewel anyway. I've been only a mutt to him for a while now. Maybe I can make it up to him."
Trey looked displeased when I said mutt but I pushed him slightly in the shoulder.
"Head on out. If you're so worried about me, you're allowed to wait for me outside. I wouldn't mind company for the trip back to Ramshackle."
Trey casted me one more sad look before leaving. After he left, Crewel stood up and took his place at my seat.
"Alright, mutt. Trein explained to me about your... situation with the Leech twins. Floyd and Jade acted highly inappropriate for it to just be written off as a casual misunderstanding. If you wish, as much as I despise taking care of the mutts of the litter, I am willing to make sure that you're safe from being torn apart by the purebreds."
I only shook my head at Crewel's offer. If Crewel did try to intervene like how Trein did, it would just cause more chaos for me. Last thing that anybody needs are angry human eels. Crewel gave me a disgusted look when I started to shake my head.
"I'm a bit offended that a mutt like you refused my services. But! I'm relieved that I don't have to protect filthy, impure mutts like you."
Crewel's words stung me a bit but in all honesty, I was used to them by now. He has always had a weird grudge against me since I first arrived at Twisted Wonderland.
"T-thank you for the offer, Sir. I'll be on my way now."
I got out of my seat and rushed out of the alchemy room with Lilia's tiny bag. Last thing that I need to do is upset Crewel even more and actually get detention for skipping. I let out a sigh of relief.
"(Y/N)!"
Deuce's voice flooded my ears before I felt him. He wrapped me in a tight hug. It caused a bit of discomfort but not as bad as Floyd's squeezes could be.
"Ouch. Hiya, Deucey!"
"Ouch? Am I hurting you?!"
"Only a tad but I know that you're doing it by accident."
"I'm so sorry! Please forgive me!"
"Calm down, Deuce. It's not a problem! What are you doing here exactly?"
"I asked them the same thing when I left the classroom."
Trey spoke up with Ace by his side.
"We're here because of the fact that you're our friend! Crewel can be so harsh to you sometimes! Really? MUTT?! At least Deuce and I get called puppies but you just get called a mutt!"
Ace continued to rant in his own world while we all just listened. Trey and Deuce agreed a lot with what Ace was saying, even as it went into dragging others.
"And who do those twins think they are?! The nurse said that you were okay to go back to classes and they prevented you from doing so?! They should be expelled for doing something like that!"
"You should really watch your mouth, Trappola."
"Yeah, Crabby. You never know who might be around to hear it."
Ace's face became paler even more than it normally is when he heard Floyd and Jade's voice come from around the corner. I totally thought that Ace was going to be a goner but amazingly, the tweels let it slide. Unfortunately, it was because their attention was laser focused on me.
"Shrimpy~~~! Let's go to the Mostro Lounge now! Elvers like you need all of the yummy food that they can get! I'm pretty certain that Crabby couldn't feed you the food that you need!"
Floyd grabbed my wrist and started pulling it, trying to drag me away from the Heartslabyul students. I started to put up some resistance against Floyd which surprisingly got his attention.
"Shrimpy, don't fight me! I only want what's best for you~"
"OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!"
"URK!"
A collar appeared around Floyd's neck and a wind spell sent him flying backwards into Jade. Riddle, basically coming out of nowhere and in his dorm uniform, looked really, really mad. His head was reaching new shades of dark red that I don't think that the art majors of my world would be able to identify.
"FLOYD! You're not allowed to bother any of my dorm members for your own entertainment! Trey, Deuce, Ace. Grab (Y/N) and come along. We have important plans to take care of!"
"Yes, Dorm Leader Rosehearts!"
Ace and Deuce linked their arms with one of my own on each side while Trey went behind all of us to prevent either Floyd or Jade grabbing me from behind.
"YOU CAN'T JUST STEAL OUR ELVER! BRING HIM BACK!"
Floyd was screaming and throwing a fit while Jade was silent. I tried to turn my head to see if I could get a glance at either of them but Trey only put his hand on the back of my neck.
"Don't look back at them. I don't want you to be influenced by their terrible behavior."
I gulped when I heard the disdain in Trey's voice. It's so weird to hear such a negative tone from a person who is normally so chill. Ace and Deuce appeared to have agreed with what Trey said.
"It's bad enough that you had to spend every Wednesday with those three. Who knows what damage they did to you?"
"Yeah! We're going to make sure that you're far away from bad influences!"
I thought about what Ace said before I started laughing.
"What are you laughing about?"
"Ace. You are the king of bad influences. Before my fall, you wanted me to join you in putting five bath bombs into each toilet that is in the main building. I had to restrain you from doing that."
"Shhhhhh, we don't need to talk about that."
"Ace, I'll be having a talk with you later."
Riddle turned his head to glare at Ace. Deuce and Trey started snickering at the interaction between Ace and Riddle. They started to bicker about whether or not Ace deserves to be punished.
"I DIDN'T DO IT!"
"Your thoughts will soon become your actions! If (Y/N) wasn't there, you would have done it!"
"okay, that might have some truth BUT I STILL DIDN'T DO IT!"
After about five minutes of walking, we reached the Pop Music Club room. Cater, Kalim and Lilia were rocking out and they appeared to be having a blast. Ace and Deuce let go of my arms and I got closer to their makeshift stage. Sometimes I wish that I was better at playing an instrument so that I could join them but... I think that I would only bring down their performances.
After about two minutes of them not realizing that we were there, Cater took notice and appeared to have gone through a mental pause. Because he stopped singing and playing, Lilia and Kalim stopped playing their instruments as well.
"(Y/N)!!!"
Kalim lunged at me from behind his drums to enwrap me in a hug. I was mildly prepared but it still ended up hurting me.
"Ow, hiya, Kalim!"
Kalim didn't react to me saying ow like how Deuce did before.
"You're walking! Oh, that's amazing news! I'll get Jamil to host a huge celebration for the fact that you can move around again! I'm thinking fifty purple peacocks and plenty of golden camels will be a good start for your parade!"
Kalim went off into a planning scheme. I tried to get him to stop for Jamil's sake. There's no telling what Jamil might do if Kalim does something like this.
"I don't need all of that. Promise."
"Dorm leader Rosehearts, what brings you here? Did Ace-chan and Deuce-chan mess things up again?"
Cater's teasing tone triggered Ace and Deuce's need to defend themselves from the teasing.
"Kidding, kidding~!"
"I was tasked by the Headmage to deliver these papers to you. He made it very clear that you need to have these papers filled out by tomorrow morning."
Cater took the papers before turning his attention to me.
"Yo, (Y/N)-chan's out of bed! I need a photo of this!"
Cater was quick to get to my side and put his arm around my shoulders. Kalim and Lilia were quick to get in the picture as well before Cater took many photos.
"Perfect!"
"Ah, my little bat! Did you like what I made for you~?"
Oh, right! I forgot about the bag that Lilia gave me. I quickly grabbed it from my pocket and opened it. Inside were little black things that I think were supposed to be cookies.
"Cookies?"
"Correct! I was trying out a healthier recipe that would be able to heal you faster! But it seems that my hard work wasn't needed after all. Makes me a bit sad."
"Don't feel bad! I'm not a hundred percent better yet. Just good enough to walk around by myself."
Lilia's face fell while I grabbed one of the 'cookies'. I popped one into my mouth. The taste exploded in my mouth and I had to shake my head to try and get used to the taste. Lilia's cooking can send your soul into the next five dimensions sometimes.
"He let you walk without a complete bill of health?!"
"No, he did. The fact that he said that I was good enough to walk is a clean bill of health."
"Is that true? Humans have such a lazy way of taking care of the injured."
I only nodded, mainly because trying to convince Lilia that this was the better way for humans to recover would be near impossible. Although I had to admit, even though Lilia's cooking blasted my taste buds to new dimensions, Kalim's tight hug around my waist stopped aching.
"(Y/N). We must be on our way."
Riddle came up to me with Ace, Deuce, Trey and Cater behind him. I guess that Pop Music Club was done for the evening. I start to move forward but Kalim's grip tightened. I couldn't move an inch away.
"Why does he have to go with you? Jamil and I are going to be watching him tomorrow!"
"W-w-wait a-"
"Because he needs someone who can actually watch over him during the last stages of his recovery."
"Jamil and I are plenty responsible!"
Kalim was showing a completely different side of him. He seemed really possessive.
"Are you denying an order from me, Kalim?"
"Maybe I am!"
"Kalim."
Everybody then turned their heads to Jamil, who I believe was there to pick up Kalim.
"Yeah, Jamil?"
"We need to get going."
"Got it!"
Jamil started to walk, leaving Kalim still in the club room. Kalim seemed conflicted on whether or not to let go of me before settling on picking me up by my waist before running after Jamil.
"I'll see you guys tomorrow!"
"Wait a minute!!"
Kalim was much too fast for the other guys and caught up to Jamil with no problem.
"Jamil! (Y/N)'s feeling better! He can walk now!"
"I heard."
"He's also spending the night in the dorm!"
Jamil stopped before turning around to see me in Kalim's arms.
"H-hi... Jamil..."
Jamil had a mild wide eyed look while he was staring at me. I saw him take a deep inhale before closing his eyes and exhaling. He schooled his expression before continuing on with walking.
"Hello, (Y/N). Kalim. You know that I don't appreciate it when you bring in random guests without notifying me."
"Huh? But I thought you were the one who wanted (Y/N) to visit once he was feeling better?"
Jamil made a choked noise. That piece of news was interesting to hear from Kalim. I always thought that I was a further burden on Jamil's shoulders, not to mention the fact that I prevented his coup. Why would he want me to visit?
"Kalim. What have I told you about sharing private conversations?"
"It wasn't private! We had it in the kitchen. Many of the other Scarabia students agreed with having him over when you proposed the idea."
Jamil seemed to be getting more and more flustered at what he said. I felt bad.
"Kalim, maybe you shouldn't tease Jamil."
"I'm not teasing him!"
"You... kind of are."
"Oh. Sorry, Jamil!"
Jamil just decided to hide his face in his hoodie. I kept my eye on him. I made the mental note to try and apologize to Jamil later. I knew how Kalim got on his nerves very easily. We eventually made it to Scarabia and I was allowed to use my feet again.
"(Y/N)!"
I was surrounded by all different Scarabia students. They all had things in their hands. Apparently, back when I first got hurt, Kalim was very upset and told everybody about the news. I didn't realize how much the Scarabia students liked me because they ended up either making or buying things for me!
"Here! A stuffed parrot! Don't worry! It's only cloth and stuffing!"
"I know that you're almost fully healed but here. This is a cream that I use on injuries to soothe them."
"(Y/N)! As a thanks, I made you one of my mom's recipes! I messed up a lot of times in the kitchen but I think that you'll enjoy the outcome!"
I was mildly overloaded with all of the gifts.
"Thank you so much but you really didn't need to do all of this for me!"
"Nonsense, (Y/N)! You deserve all of this and so much more! Come along! Let's sit down while you continue to get gifts!"
Kalim pulled me along and sat me down on a cushion. I nearly melted in it. Compared to the cushions at Ramshackle or the nurse bed, it felt as if I was sitting on a cloud. I set the few gifts that I was holding down and that's where the other gifts were being put down.
"Kalim."
Kalim turned towards me with a shining look in his eyes. I felt so bad.
"I don't feel right accepting all of these. I haven't done anything to deserve all of this! All that I did was get hurt!"
"Shhhhh, (Y/N)! You shouldn't worry about it! You're Scarabia's little brother! We just want to spoil you!"
"WHAT?!"
LITTLE BROTHER?! What is wrong with everyone today?!
"Awww, (Y/N), don't get fussy! I know! Jamil!"
Kalim grabbed me in a hug. My back was against his chest and we were so close that I could feel his heartbeat. I tried to get out of his grip but Lilia's cookies were starting to wear off. The aches and pains were starting to come back. Jamil came from the kitchen, no longer having his hoodie covering his face.
"Yes, Kalim?"
"(Y/N) here is working himself up! Do you think that you can get him to relax?"
"Of course, (Y/N). Just look into my eyes and your worries will melt away."
I closed my eyes so fast. Jamil's unique magic was something that I never wanted to experience again.
"No! Jamil, you promised that you wouldn't do this to me again!"
"Shhhh, I won't hurt you. Just open your eyes. You'll be just fine."
I felt hands on my face and they pried my eyelids open. I was forced to stare straight into Jamil's eyes. I felt my resolve melt in a few seconds.
"There we go. Just relax. You're the little brother of Scarabia and you love being here with us. Scarabia students are the only ones with your safety in mind. The other dorms will hurt you without hesitation."
I felt my head nod. I don't understand why I was trying to fight Kalim. He only wanted to protect me.
"If another dorm member tries to interact with you, run and try to find a Scarabia student. They'll keep you safe."
I nodded my head again. A smile broke out on my face. A feeling of security enveloped me. I was so happy that my big brothers were around me. They just want to keep me safe.
"Are you done, Jamil?"
Kalim spoke in a whisper. I didn't completely understand why.
"Yes. He'll no longer give us trouble."
"Yay! Now! (Y/N)! How about after everyone finishes giving you their presents, we can throw a huge celebration for your return home!"
A giggle left my mouth.
"I love that idea, Big Brother Kalim."
About five days passed by while I was in Scarabia. I raised my concerns about my classes but Kalim or Jamil told me that everything was fine. That I didn't need to go to classes anymore. For some reason, that caused a part of my mind to grow uncomfortable with that thought. Why was I so determined to go to class? The other dorms would be in those classes! They'll hurt me!
"Are you sure that you guys have to go? Won't the other dorms hurt you guys as well?!"
Fear coiled around my heart like a snake for my big brothers. They were all so brave for going out into the school.
"Don't worry about us, (Y/N)! We can handle ourselves!"
"Besides, don't you remember?"
I looked at Jamil straight in the eyes.
"You're too weak to defend yourself."
My mind got muddled but I nodded my head yes.
"Yeah, you're right. I keep forgetting for some reason."
"Hehehehe! Don't worry, (Y/N)! I forget important things too! I wouldn't worry too much about it! Just rest in Scarabia and you'll be just fine!"
"If you say so, big brother!"
I waved everyone off before taking my seat in the lounge room. I took deep breaths to calm my heart before closing my eyes. I don't know why I always feel so worried about them leaving. They're strong unlike me.
I dozed off for a while. My dreams felt so life-like. I could have sworn that I was lifted off the ground by a million butterflies and was flown around the outside of Scarabia to enjoy the sun and scenery. Although I was given the biggest heart attack when I awoke.
I opened my eyes to see, well, nothing! There was just darkness. I haven't seen such darkness in a while. Ramshackle used to be very dark when I pulled the blinds shut but... Wait a minute, what's Ramshackle?
I heard footsteps echoing outside of the room that I was in. Maybe it was Jamil or Kalim? But why would my brothers pull such an awful prank on me? I soon got my answer. It was neither Kalim or Jamil.
The man who looked at me was wearing a deep purple outfit. It was like a dress without it being a dress. His hair was done really fancy and there appeared to be a crown on his head. I was terrified. It wasn't a Scarabia uniform which meant that this was probably someone from a different dorm! He's going to hurt me!
I let out whimpers. If I actually had a shot of taking the guy down, I would have screamed but I'm not strong enough to defend myself from him. The blonde man glared down at me.
"First Potato. Don't whimper. It isn't a good look on you."
The nickname rang bells in my head but I don't recognize him at all.
"Wh-who are you?"
The man appeared shocked by my question.
"What do you mean 'Who are you'? You know me quite well, First Potato!"
I shrunk when he raised his voice. He quickly noticed and tried to remedy his mistake.
"I apologize for scaring you, (Y/N). But I just can't believe that you forgot about me."
I stared at him and my mind was itching. It was most uncomfortable. Why did I feel like I knew him?
"Are you going to hurt me?"
The man looked appalled at the words that I said.
"Hurt you? Why would I hurt you? (Y/N). Nobody here wants to hurt you. It was bad enough that that Cucumber let you fall but I assure you that I will not cause you any harm. I owe you much better."
"Are you sure, Vil?"
"Hm? It appears that you do know me after all. I didn't tell you who I was."
I realized what I said. I do know this man! Vil Schoenheit! The famous model and actor! I helped him during VDC! My memories quickly came back! I had friends in other dorms! They wouldn't hurt me!
"Vil! It's a relief to see you again!"
I grabbed him in a hug and had the biggest smile on my face. A smile broke out on Vil's face as well. I felt his arms wrap around my body.
"It's a joy to see you as well, First Potato."
"But wait. Why am I in Pomefiore in the first place? I was in Scarabia for so long. I didn't think that anybody was searching for me."
"You're in Pomefiore, First Potato, because I heard from Epel that you weren't in class. I instructed Rook to go looking for you. The nurse told me and a few of the other dorm leaders that you should be back in classes last Thursday. It took Rook close to six days. Scarabia had you hidden well but thankfully, Rook overheard something from the potatoes from Heartslabyul. I can't believe what those spuds from Scarabia kept you captive!"
"Yeah, they all were acting really weird! Floyd and Jade were acting in a similar way."
Vil tilted his head slightly.
"How exactly were they acting?"
A sigh escaped my lips.
"They keep acting as if I'm their younger brother and that I can't do a single thing for myself! For crying out loud! I took care of overblots, I fought ghosts and students who decided to pick a fight, I took care of Ramshackle nearly by myself! I'm not a little boy!"
I clenched my hands into fists. What has been happening really has taken a huge toll on my mental state. Tears of frustration started to pool in the corners of my eyes.
"Calm down, First Potato. You're working yourself into dismay. You wouldn't want your eyes puffy, now do you? Follow my actions."
Vil coached me through a breathing exercise. I felt my panic ebb away and the tears no longer forming.
"Thank you again, Vil. I'm just really tired right now."
Vil gave me a pat on my head, which made me smile.
"It's not a problem for me, First Potato. But you shouldn't sleep any more. Naps can be useful in case of a bad night's sleep but I'm certain that you got plenty of sleep in Scarabia."
I nodded my head. Last night was the only night that there wasn't a huge party if my memory is correct. Although, I really wouldn't trust it for the fact that I was under a lot of mind control during that time.
"So, instead of taking a nap, we're going to do some other relaxing activity. You're lacking a certain glow that you normally have."
Vil grabbed one of my hands before pulling me out of the room. He led me through the hallways of Pomefiore before stopping in front of a different room. He knocked on the door pretty loudly.
"Rook! Come out please!"
The door opened swiftly and there was Rook in all of his glory.
"Roi du Poison! Oh, and my Jeune Chercheur de Beauté! It's wonderful to see you awake from your slumber although..."
Rook's smile turned into a scary smirk.
"Your sleeping face gave me the most euphoria that I've ever experienced! There was nothing more that I wanted than to split your head open and crawl inside to see what made you so calm and happy in your dreams."
Rook went on a tangent and I was starting to get uncomfortable. Rook can really go into the smallest details that even a person who spends a whole day in front of a mirror wouldn't notice.
"Rook."
Rook stopped mid sentence before clasping his hands together.
"Right! Forgive me, Roi du Poison! I got lost in my Trickster's beauty. Now, what may I do for you, my Lovely Queen?"
"I want you to take (Y/N) and get him some proper clothing. Those rags that Kalim and Jamil made him wear are quite insulting."
I looked down at my clothes. I didn't even realize that I was wearing a Scarabia uniform! When did I get changed?!
"Oui, oui, Beautiful Vil! I'll make sure that he is put into clothing that compliments your and his beauty perfectly! Now, come with me, Jeune Chercheur de Beauté. Let's get your beauty to shine above all others."
Rook left his room and started to guide me from behind. He kept a tight grip on my shoulders and started to push me towards somewhere else in Pomefiore.
"This way, this way, Trickster."
"Where are we going, Rook?"
"You'll see!"
I let out a light laugh. To be honest, this is probably the most fun that I've had ever since I was released from bed rest. Although Grim is probably freaking out by now.
"Here we are!"
I was jostled out of my thoughts when Rook opened a very large room. I was in awe of all of the clothes there. There were so many beautiful clothes. They all appeared to be of high quality as well.
"Now! Let's find the perfect outfit to compliment your beauty!"
I lost count of how many outfits that I had tried on. Rook complimented all of them but he would always end his compliments with the same ending statement.
"While your beauty is shining bright, I know that you could be shining brighter."
We finally chose a really beautiful outfit. I remember seeing it in a catalogue that Vil had a few months ago. I did want the outfit but there was no way that I could afford it. It compliments my skin and hair perfectly.
"TRÉS BIEN!! OH, MON JEUNE CHERCHEUR DE BEAUTÉ! Je n'ai jamais vu quelqu'un briller autant que toi en ce moment! Pomefiore a tellement de chance que tu fasses partie de notre dortoir comme tous les nôtres juniors! Bien que, je dois l'admettre, si vous êtes toujours proche de moi, j'aurai toute la beauté dont j'ai besoin dans ma vie pour durer éternellement!"
"Thank you?"
"Non, non, thank YOU, Trickster! For blessing me with a wonderful sight!"
I heard a vibration and Rook pulled out his phone. A smile broke out on his face.
"Perfect timing! Come along, Mon Jeune Chercheur! Roi du Poison requires your presence."
Rook grabbed my wrist and started to lead me somewhere else in Pomefiore. I saw Epel during the trip and gave him a wave. He looked shocked before rushing to catch up with Rook and me.
"(Y/N)! Where have you been?! Ace, Deuce, and Jack have been searching for you all over school! Sebek and I have been taking care of Grim and Ramshackle for ya! Even though Grim has been really upset without you recently."
"I was... mildly kidnapped by Scarabia for the past few days."
Epel's eyebrows went up before his face contorted into a scowl.
"Those gluttonous hogs... I'll make sure that they pay!"
"We're here, Roi du Poison!"
Rook opened some other doors and inside was what I would call a full photography studio. Cameras, lights, backdrops, makeup on the side, everything! Vil was there, wearing a beautiful outfit himself and had a full face of makeup on.
"Ah, it's about time, First Potato. Ah, Epel, you've come along as well."
"Well, I really wanted to see (Y/N) again."
I was mildly surprised at how quiet Epel was being. He actually appeared to be bashful.
"Well, if you're quick enough and actually listen to instructions, you can join the photo shoot."
Epel looked shocked before a huge smile appeared on his face.
"Really?!"
"Yes, but you have to clean up and get your makeup done!"
"Right!"
Epel ran off into one of the side rooms to most likely get ready. I've never seen him listen to Vil so enthusiastically before.
"Now, come here First Potato."
I returned my attention to Vil who had his arms open to me. I walked up to him, a bit confused on what he wanted me to do. He gestured to the camera and I got the hint. I moved to in front of the camera and stood there.
"Why am I doing this?"
"We're doing this to capture your natural beauty while putting you in a low stress environment. You mentioned how you were tired and creating beautiful works of art is a relaxing activity that we can do together."
"W-w-wait, these photos won't be p-posted anywhere? Right?"
"Of course not, First Potato. I know how much you get nervous about photos of you."
I felt the tension leaving my body. Knowing that I could just have fun pictures that don't need to be one hundred percent perfect was a joy to hear. Vil kept talking to the camera man when Epel came back with an outfit of his own. It was a bit cutesy but he didn't seem too annoyed by it.
"There! I even wore the outfit you picked, Vil!"
There's his annoyance.
"Hmmmm, you rushed your makeup, hair and the outfit looks thrown on. Ugh, maybe I'm feeling more lenient because of my junior being here or I must be going crazy, but go on."
Epel jumped slightly before running to me. He even captured me in a hug.
"(Y/N)! It's a wonder to see ya again! To be honest, the school is kind of falling apart with you out of action for so long."
"Oh! That's... really not good."
NRC falling apart is the nearly last thing that I want. I mean, sure. When I first got it here, I was highly uncomfortable but now. This place is like a second home to me.
"Alright! Roi Du Poison has placed me in charge of making sure everyone is in their correct positions! Alright, Mon Jeune Chercheur! Over here!"
Rook grabbed my hands and led me over to a plain white cube. He first sat on it before positioning me on top of him.
"Um, Rook?"
"It will be fine, Trickster! Now, Epel, please come over here!"
Epel rushed over, put his hands in a crisscross position, lay them in my lap before settling his head on top of them. His head facing the camera while he was kneeling. I stayed as still as possible before Vil came over and stood behind me and Rook. He put his hand on my shoulder. It kind of felt like a family portrait.
"We need at least one formal photo before we can do more. Now, everyone, give the camera your best smile."
I looked at the camera and gave it my best smile. I hope that it's enough to make the picture look well. The photographer took many pictures of us in the position and at different angles. My eyes were mildly blotchy after that.
"There we go. Now, time for other poses."
I don't know how many hours we spent there but I must admit. It was so much fun to just have a photo shoot with my Pomefiore friends. Some of the photos were just me and Epel or me and Rook or me and Vil. Each one had a different feel. Vil's photos were more serious while Epel's photos had a more fun vibe. Rook's photos were light hearted but at the same time, my heart raced because of the look in his eyes.
"Wow, I think that I really needed this. Thanks Vil for coming up with this."
"No problem, First Potato. Although you should probably rest now. It's gotten quite dark."
"Has it?!"
I moved to leave the room and took a look outside. Sure enough, the moon was in the sky at Pomefiore.
"Oh no! I need to get to Ramshackle. Thank you guys so much for hanging out with me but I really do need to leave!"
"Wait!"
"Non!"
"Hold on-!"
I didn't wait to hear their protests before running down the hallways.
"I'll return the outfit tomorrow! I promise!"
I didn't have the time to change. I had to get back to Ramshackle. Grim will never forgive me for taking this long to recover and see him again. It took me around six minutes to reach Ramshackle and I bursted through the doors. The ghosts there looked shocked before they became overjoyed.
"(Y/N)!"
"Welcome back!"
"We've missed you!"
"Thanks for the warm welcome guys! But where's Grim?"
"Upstairs in bed!"
"Thank you!"
I ran up the stairs and quietly opened the door to see Grim curled up in a ball on the bed. I shut the door before walking to him and gently started to pet his back. He leaned into my touch before opening his eyes.
"(Y/N)!"
Grim jumped onto me to smother my face.
"Hello, Grimmy! It's wonderful to see you as well!"
Grim had a big grin on his face before his expression turned into a dark one.
"You need to leave."
Saying that I was confused would have been an understatement.
"Wh-what do you mean? Grim, aren't you glad that I'm back?"
"I am! But all of those other guys are insane! They've been talking about kidnapping you to 'keep you safe'!"
"WHAT?!"
540 notes
·
View notes