#ITS A SKETCH PLUS ITS COLLEGE THEM

[catwouthats]

I call these sketches “trying to avoid a late night mental breakdown using an AU I came up with”

[urhoneycombwitch]

frozen like an angel

Eddie Munson x shy!Reader holiday edition.

foreword: ohhhh I’ve missed them!!! and you all!!!! happy holidays to those who celebrate, and for those who don’t, have a cozy winter fic <3 here is the masterlist for shy!reader, some references may be made to previous fics in the series but no beforehand reading required here. 

cw: Christmas activities, bittersweet fluff, Elizabeth Munson memories, mentions of Reader’s familial backstory (intentionally a bit vague, hoping to expand in future fics!)

wc: 2.8k

___

You’re not even trying to snoop- the paper flutters to the carpet all on its own, freed from the stack of Eddie’s notebooks you’d lifted to dust under. 

Expecting it to be something D&D related, you scoop it from the carpet with the intent to slip it back between the leaves of a random book- when the title catches your eye. In neat, looping black ink across the top: Christmas Apple Cake. 

There’s a pencil-drawn sketch of an apple in the top corner, faded and yellowed with time like the paper it’s on; your thumb runs over it as you scan the ingredients. 

This’ll be perfect, actually- Wayne is coming over tonight for holiday drinks with you and Eddie, a Munson family tradition that’s included you the last six or so years, and you haven’t sorted dessert yet.

The recipe is simple- a hearty, apple-filled spiced cake base, brown sugar glaze to pool on top. After hunting through the kitchen cupboards (sometimes it’s glaringly apparent you live in a former bachelor pad- the baking soda sourced from under the sink and a layer of dust), you get to work baking.

A pound of apples is peeled and diced, meticulously, to the tune of a Bing Crosby record- Eddie bemoans the cheesier aspects of holiday music, so you get your fill while he’s at work (though you’ve caught him humming along to White Christmas on more than one occasion). 

Not that either of you need the money after the generous nest-egg from various government agency pay-offs, but the part-time mechanic schedule has been good for Eddie. Wayne’s pretty much set to take over when the garage owner retires next year, and Eddie is happy to help- keeps his mind and hands busy, sorely needed after so much recovery downtime. 

And you’ve been busy, too- the apples are set to soak in cold water while you prep the batter, thinking of post-winter break classes already. You passed your first end-of-term exams with flying colors, like Eddie knew you would- never mind that they were all 101s, and that your college plans seem a little directionless- at least you’re moving. Able to do something other than waiting to get better.

Eddie’s proud of you, deeply so. That’s really all that matters for now. 

With the batter mixed, you lift handfuls of apple chunks from the water to dry on the rows of flat kitchen towels. There’s a burst of static from the living room speakers; you flick water from your hands and cross swiftly to flip the record to its B-side.

Let It Snow! rings out cheerily while you stir the apples bit by bit into the batter, Deck the Halls by the time you’re pouring the mixture into a greased baking tin. After twisting the counter timer to tick down for an hour, you clean the kitchen in good spirits.

Eddie will be home, soon- Wayne’s closing up shop, which gives his nephew plenty of time to beat him home and cook you all dinner. There’s a tender strip of beef marinating in the fridge with something Eddie referred to yesterday, ominously, as “Grinch Juice”. (The pale green of the sauce is likely due to the rosemary. You think.)

Eddie’s got the meal covered, regardless. (Plus there are always frozen pizzas to fall back on.)

The air swells with warmth from the oven, taking on a sugared, nutmeg and applesauce smell; the little window over the sink fogs over with sweet steam, making the white-snow world outside look even dreamier. Lights twinkle from the front banister, winking at the strip of sister lights across the path at the Mayfield’s door.

Plucking behind your back to loose your apron strings, you realize- for the first time in years, it feels like Christmas. Last year, you were all still learning how to be human, still nursing wounds (both external and in), stepping cautiously onto the thin ice of what it means to survive and be alive.

This year, though? You’re out in the middle of the frozen pond of life making snow angels. Ice skating over the bumps. Twirling around hand-in-hand with Eddie as you both figure it out, together.

Later, the front door creaks open then slams shut, a rhythmic thump of boots shedding snow onto the hall mat. From your vantage point on the couch- sock feet tucked underneath your body to keep warm, dog-eared Tolkien in your lap- you see Eddie before he sees you.

His back is turned as he toes off his work boots, hunched against the cold still in a hand-me-down winter coat of Wayne’s. Stray curls escape the half-up bun of his dark hair, twisting around his face, which lights up with a smile when he sees you.

“Well, well, well,” Eddie says, adopting a faux-serious, low tone as he hangs up his coat and shakes the snow from his hair. “Looks like we got an escapee from Santa’s Workshop.”

You snort, setting the book aside to roll your eyes fondly- if a red flannel shirt and jeans spells elf, you’re willing to play the part. 

Eddie approaches with menacing intent, grin so wide the corner of his lip meets the line of scarring at his cheek. 

He’s still in his work coveralls, pinstriped and oil-stained; Eddie leans his weight into his hands on either side of your head, close enough to bump noses, couch emitting a squeak of protest. 

You flick at the embroidered patch over Eddie’s heart, the one that currently reads JERRY. “Someone’s been naughty today.”

Eddie clicks his tongue, dark brows pulling together in his best approximation of someone who is very sorry. “Yeah. Guess so. You gonna tell the Big Boss on me?”

”Wouldn’t dream of it,” you sigh, tired of playing, ready to loop your arms around Eddie’s neck and kiss him silly (an action he’s more than willing to give in to).

He tastes like sharp mint, and faintly of the cigarette he probably had on break; Eddie mumbles something between kisses and you pull back just enough to hear him say, “You taste sweet.”

“Mmhm. Had to make sure the batter wasn’t poisoned,” you reply, more concerned with dotting kisses along the line of scar that disappears behind his jaw. 

Against your temple, Eddie’s lashes flutter in surprise- “You baked something?”

Pulling away fully now (with one last parting kiss to his forehead), you narrow your eyes as you shift to hold his shoulders at arm’s length- “Does me baking come as a shock to you?”

“No!” Eddie says, quickly, brows lowering from where they’d shot up just a second ago. “No, of course not. You just don’t usually… I mean, I like being the one in the kitchen.”

”I know you do.” Your hands trail to cup his elbows, briefly, before you disentangle yourself to check on the oven. The timer is just about to shriek its warning chorus- with a twist of your hand, it dings pleasantly instead. “I wanted to make something special for our Christmas dessert tonight. Hopefully it’s not actually poisoned.” 

Based on the delicious smell that wafts from the oven, you’ve got nothing to fear- the tines of your testing fork come out from the middle of the cake clean, a pair of mitts snagged to pull it out and set on the stove.

Clouds of steam rise from the fresh pastry, spiced and golden under the overhead lights- it smells like Christmas in a pan. Eddie approaches to watch over your shoulder, his hand steady on your low back as you explain the glaze that needs to be made next- he takes a lungful of fragrant air, and then his hand stills.

Eddie isn’t in the habit of interrupting you, so it’s strange when he does, voice sounding strained as he stumbles through the start of a few different sentences. “How did you- this is- that’s apple cake. My mom’s apple cake. What…”

It must be the smell, transporting him back, and for a moment, your heart sinks. Eddie hasn’t had a flashback in so long; the last one was months ago over the summer when a car backfired and sent his mind spiraling for hours after. 

You turn in his arms, speaking carefully, ready to soothe- “Shit. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you, honestly, the recipe just fell out when I was moving your things, and I-”

Eddie’s eyes are brimming with tears when he interrupts you again- this time, to kiss you; there’s a slip of his tear that tracks down your own cheek as you kiss him back. 

He’s holding you, now, mirroring you from earlier, thumbs squeezing at the inside of your elbows, forehead resting in a slow roll against yours as he shakes his head in disbelief. “Don’t apologize. You’ve got nothing to be sorry for. I didn’t know… I didn’t think any recipes of hers survived the move from Tennessee.”

“It was in one of your old journals,” you murmur, reaching to wipe the wet track of tears from his face even as he moves to do the same for you. “Did your mom used to make this for you?”

“Yeah.” Eddie laughs, wetly, kisses the palm of your hand where it rests against his face. “Every Christmas until I was five or so. Got the recipe from her mom, some Appalachian tradition. Wayne would know better than me.”

Eddie’s looking at the cake again, a familiar hazed-over stare that makes your heart hurt in sympathy, memories flooding back in at an overwhelming degree. You’re quiet for a few moments, pressing your face into the side of Eddie’s coveralls, letting him find his footing before asking, quietly- “Wanna help me make the topping?”

In another life, you and Eddie would run a mean kitchen together- years of learning the distinct ways in which the other moves comes in handy when you need to share cooking duties. 

He ducks under your arm effortlessly to grab vanilla while you whisk the sugars and butter, adds splashes and dashes of things to your bowl periodically until the mulled glaze is formed. 

The top of his (Jerry’s) coveralls were shoved down earlier, your help enlisted to tie the long sleeves around his waist in a makeshift apron; good thing your boy runs hot- means he’s comfortable enough to cook in a white cutoff undershirt that’s thin as a napkin. Underneath, Eddie’s all alabaster, lean muscle, black ink tattoos dancing with the corded ripples of scar tissue as he flits around the kitchen.

Between getting the steak ready to sear, and tasking you with prepping the hill of potatoes, Eddie talks about his mother- holidays of years past floating to the forefront on a wave of recollected smell. 

Along with Tennessee apple cake, Elizabeth Munson would wrap chestnuts in tin foil to roast low and slow in the embers of a Christmas fire. One year, she penny-pinched enough to buy part of the neighbor’s turkey for her and then-five-year-old Eddie.

You soak up all these memories, asking questions periodically, immersed in Eddie’s storytelling. It’s rare to hear Elizabeth’s name, and you wonder, suddenly, if that could be changed.

“You know, I really like hearing about her,” you tell Eddie gently, after a gleeful retelling of the time she crashed his sled into the big stump of maple at the edge of their woods. You give the chopped potatoes on your cutting board a push, and they tumble into Eddie’s proffered bowl. “If there’s something I can do, to help… I dunno, make it easier to bring her up- you’d let me know. Right?” 

Eddie considers this as he gathers jars from the narrow spice cupboard, lining them up in a neat row. “Yeah. Thanks, sweetheart. And it’s not… you’re easy to talk to. It’s just hard, sometimes, to learn how to remember her.”

You nod, thoughtful, watching him layer spices and olive oil into the bowl; he uses a wooden spoon to make sure all the potato sides are coated before saying, “And sometimes, it feels downright braggy. I got six whole years with her- most all of ‘em good ones- it’s not something I take for granted. And your mother-”

Eddie cuts himself off, abruptly, knuckles glistening with oil as they tighten into fists. Something inside you wilts, stretches desperately for its light source; you budge up under Eddie’s arm, place a hand to the middle of his chest where his breaths meet you with a shuddery kickstart.

“I know. But you were a kid too, Eddie. Six is just a kid.”

He does his best to hug you back with one arm as your nose seeks the notch behind his ear, a perfect fit, enveloping your senses as you breathe in the spot that smells most like him. “You can share however much or however little you want, of her, with me. Just ‘cuz my parents sucked doesn’t mean I don’t wanna hear about your one good one. Let me live vicariously, okay?”

You give Eddie a teasing little shake, a flash of teeth against his neck that has him chuckling, shaking off the anger before either of you can be derailed. The potatoes are moved to a baking sheet while Eddie preps the meat, and you send a river of brown sugar glaze over top the cake so it has time to cool.

If Wayne notes the missing piece from the corner of the dessert, later, he doesn’t mention it- the whiskey he’d brought over pairs perfectly with the rich, spiced cake. 

One bite in and Wayne’s head turns, slow, to his nephew sat beside him. Without looking up from his spoonful of melting ice cream, Eddie nods. “Yup. Mom’s cake. Don’t look at me, though.”

Wayne blinks down at the bowl in front of him, then to you, like someone’s woken him from the middle of a dream. “Tastes just like how she used to make it.”

Were it possible to bottle and live off someone’s praise, you’d like to find a way; instead, you tuck the compliment away for a rainy day and give him a warm smile. “I’m glad. I’ll make it next year, too, if you want.”

After dinner (totally delicious despite Eddie’s best attempt to scare you both off with increasingly weird holiday-themed adjectives), Eddie pulls out his acoustic guitar to try his new capo, a gift from Uncle Wayne that’s immediately put to good use.

This autumn, on the same week you went to college for the first time, Eddie taught himself how to play guitar again. A year on from the attacks, his left hand was still stiff, a deep scar across the bridge of his abductor that made more dexterous movement near-impossible.

But your boy, smart and strong and determined, found a way. Eddie surprised you over Thanksgiving break with a cover of Fleetwood Mac’s Hypnotized, though with multiple false starts since both of you cried most of the way through it.

Less tears, this time around, but no less emotional- you steal glances under the pretense of wiping down the table as Eddie sits wide on the couch, black guitar propped on his knees while he adjusts the capo. 

In a nearby armchair, Wayne takes a sip from his whiskey glass- at the first few notes of Edelweiss, his eyes slip closed, lost in memory.

“This was one of her favorites,” Eddie says to you, grinning while his fingers pluck the pattern smoothly.

You lean a hip against the table, wiping abandoned, taking in the gentle movement of Eddie’s hair, his arms, while he plays. He gets so lost in the music, sometimes- a soft look that usually only shows when he’s sleeping peacefully. 

You wonder if Elizabeth looked the same, all those years ago- bent over her special Christmas cake, sneaking tastes on the back of a spoon to the set of dimpled hands that reached for her apron. 

In your back pocket, the recipe card in her handwriting is tucked safely away. While Eddie plays, your fingers brush the outline of the pencil-etched apple, sending a prayer or a wish of some sort to the snow angel in your head.

He’s doing great. He’s so loved and cared for, with me. I hope you know I’m taking care of him. Merry Christmas. Thanks for the cake. 

___

for more shy!Reader content: masterlist

[dunmeshistash]

So basically, I went on a search for images of Laios, Marcille, and Falin and what i found is.....

The closer we get to the end of the manga, Marcille gets shorter??? I Think??? BUT she's very often depicted as being half a head shorter than Laios to make the spacing in panels more pleasing! In depictions of Marcille and the siblings, we get the little stair steps.

Granted, this is them sitting. It's not exactly even. I think Laios might be on a chair and Falin and Marcille are on the bed? AGAIN though, in most Laios and Marcille panels, she's half a head shorter than Laios

And also

And also

... guess what

GUESS WHOS ALSO HALF A HEAD TALLER THAN MARCILLE

Basically. I'm using this as my excuse for thinking Falin and Laios are basically the same height. Getting a character's height exactly right across hundreds of drawings isn't actually that important, making sure they stay relative to eachother is. Is Marcille is too tall in almost all the panels she's next to Laios? a head is around 20 cm tall, and Laios is 25 cm taller than her! I thought it might be the case but... Falin IS half a head taller than Marcille. 10 cm. So Maybe... maybe.....

Laios is too short in all of his panels. Marcille is the right height, its Laios. Look. Tade is 195 cm tall. She's 10 cm (the magic half a head) taller than Laios. and she's a head and a half taller than Marcille!! Laios' height is wrong!

Until the end of the manga when they stretch my boy out. Marcille's head comes to his chin, not his eyes or nose.

LAIOS IS SUPPOSED TO BE THIS TALL. HE'S A BIG GUY

Though this might be even too big?? Anyways. Thank you for letting me rant.

Let me say. It's really hard to find a picture of Marcille and Falin standing side by side. They're almost always hugging, or cuddling, or Marcille is leaning a lot into her, or they're bathing together, or laying on a bed. STAND UP STRAIGHT SO I CAN COMPARE HEIGHTS

The sizes of all the characters are elastic. They can shrink or swell to make a point for a panel, it can be a stylistic choice to make Izutsumi and Marcille the same size when they're getting along and it makes narrative sense to make Marcille taller when she's mothering her. There's a reason the character designs are so loved in the manga.

I respect the energy, it reminded me of this college humor sketch

Yeah it's probably for framing that they get so close together in height in most panels, sometimes it gets awkward to draw characters in their correct height so you end up going with what "feels right"? Plus the effects for storytelling like you mentioned

Here's the gang in this height chart again and yeah, Marcille is supposed to be whole head shorter than Laios, maybe he's was always squatting?

[endless-sketching]

A quick warm up sketch of my terraria character and some more doodles of my side project.

I really liked the characters I made for my college class so I decided to just make them their own thing and expand on it for a different class.

The project is called Life Light, and it's a fantasy world that technically takes place within IdLS but not really. Think of it like an AU that holds the same rules as IdLS when it comes to its magic system.

I'll post more of them when I get around to it but each character has a name now, plus two more new characters.

Alfur (Rouge), Amiee (Wizard), North (Knight), Elmer (Jester), Shae (Archer), Hana (Spirit Medium)

Here I doodles Amiee and North, and I conceptualized a bit of Shae but I forgot that he's supposed to be a hyper feminine guy elf. Like a really pretty elf.

Also drew Rosa and a bit of Emi before I gave up on drawing Emi. I experimented a bit with Rosa's eyelashes and made hers more curly and bushy. It's basically an extrapolation of how guilty gear strive does eye lashes.

Then there's Terra Star, I wanted to do a soft colored in warm up since I really liked what I did with her outfit in game.

The general jist of it is a purely white monochrome mage outfit with color accented accessories like the magic cuffs and pink obsidian rose. The third pic is how I have wings and the shield of cthulu hidden so it would look like they're formed out of magic and only appear when they're being used and disappear when it's not. Making them that pink color was such a good idea.

[millym00n]

Wip! I was playing a lotta totk while was sick so lotta sketches on their way. plus its the only thing that can get me through college lol.

TOTK STORY SPOILERS AHEAD BTW!

So, i just got like the memory where zelda brings the purah pads to mineru, right, and idk,, Zelda was super sad bc she still didnt have answers and Rauru was like, dw youll find answers with time and study n stuff. And i was just thinking like… thats the kinda thing Zelda would have wished her bio dad (King Rhroam butt face) had told her when she was tryna get her sealing powers, before the calamity.

So I’m like,,,,, sobbing over the fact that Rauru and Sonia are literally Zeldas mom n dad and GAHHH T_T I feel like Zelda would info dump a bunch to them, but like theyd listen and be excited bc theyre both giant nerds too. I love head canons man. anyhoo.

[anne14tco]

greetings mortal

you are cool

how does your poptropica infection au work, puny human

Aight since this is getting a bit more attention than I expected here's what I got so far about it: (sorry If this is late I got busy with college oop and also glad you're enjoying my stuff!!)

Digging back to my A-pop-calypse AU, it's almost like the same concept, only this time it's a lot more Darker, Gorey and maybe more mature.

As far as how the infection started is still a mystery, but it is definitely on one of the islands, and as seen with my last doodle some of the infected can be airborne or underwater because keeping infected on one island is just too easy right? Plus this is Poptropica we're talking about, anything can happen. :)

And of course, what's an Infection AU without its stages? (TW for horror and disturbing imagery)

While the infection can vary from Poptropican to Poptropican this is like the basic mutation I've come up with. So with more complex and unique Poptropicans like maybe Copy Cat or Captain Crawfish (oops :) ) they'll have more unique characteristics on them.

And finally the survivors, honestly it's up to you if you want your main Poptropican to live or get infected (personally I think they make it but I choose not to include them here for a more open au, at least for now) but as for the rest of the cast here's two that I sketched out so far:

These are all just quick doodles and whatnot so I might clean them up soon, but here's other possible survivors (it's just the villains for now):

-Mordred

-Myron

-maybe like half the Super Power Villains

-Red Baroness

-Most of the Mythology gods/Deities

-Holmes

-Rumplestiltskin

-Shezerade/Samhal (not sure)

-E.Ville

-Gretchen(?)

And that's all I have so far, do with this info with what you will, now I must return to the shadows lmao

[muirmarie]

9 and 10 for the wip ask meme!

9. 🤔What’s a story you’d love to write but haven’t even started yet?

the two i think i'm most looking forward to writing but haven't started is 1) the one where mccoy has something done to him where he can't disagree with spock's (perceived) worldview, just because it's I think going to be fun to have to write the heart of mccoy purely by its absence, plus it's established mckirk going into mcspirk which is new for me, and also because it involves spock arguing mccoy's side on things because he hates mccoy being forced to argue spock's ~side, and 2) the aftermath of sensory deprivation where mccoy can genuinely not stand to be alone for weeks (but won't admit it) because i've wanted to write a version of that story for someone or other for SUCH a long time, and i really do enjoy writing characters that just, absolutely lie through their teeth while struggling, like god i ADORE writing that dynamic, it is genuinely one of my favorite things!!!!!, but they're both going to be longer stories and i won't be starting them this month, i know.

[otherwise, the three fics of my heart that i'm still trying too hard to get back into writing to even think about too closely right now are: mash star trek au, mash buffy au, jurassic park college age ot3]

10. 🤡How many Wips are you actively working on?

i'd say probably 5? i don't rotate through them per se, but what i've been doing the last couple months is having about 4-5 that i'm sketching out, and then when i actually get into completing a fic i set the rest aside and focus solely on it. but the ~5 i have open in docs right (i have 10 open docs right now but i'd count 5 of them as the top ones) all have between 1-4k, and i've added/noted something down on those 5 main ones within the last week?

historically that's very unusual for me, but also what i was doing previously wasn't working lollll, so no bad ideas in a brainstorm =P

<3333

[dragonslibraryuk]

Febuary 2024 Sketches

Listen. Look at me. No, no, look me in the eyes. The government is lying to you. There is only one R in Febuary. Anyone who tells you otherwise is lying to you and means you great harm. Anyway here's what I sketched this month.

Technically these skulls were just the first step of a whole thing I was doing where I would progressively add more elements to the face but, uh... I'm not posting the rest. I would die I think. If you saw it it would curse you.

weird this is supposed to be a monthly sketches post how did this real unedited photograph of my cat get in here

This one is actually saved in my files as "A Delightful Little Fellow". Hot tip if you're ever struggling to find the motivation to draw you can just make a lil guy. Its free. They can't stop you.

They're girlfriends your honour. I kinda wanna do some more stuff with them (plus a couple of related OCs), but I'm very inconsistent. Also the taller one can turn into goop :3

The sketch layer for art of my dnd character! Their name is Moonless and they're a punk-themed, bass playing college of spirits bard.

Twee 👍

[larcenywrites]

some general hcs to think about 💭

There's a few random domestic things for bachelor Tony I like to think about sometimes (and would love to know if you have any of your own ❤️)

✏️ We all know he's a very talented individual in many ways, but he drew up that first blueprint of the suit (or at least some of it) and then went home and did it again (with better help from his AI pal, mind you). And considering all the other things he's built, he probably drew those up too, right? He had at least some part in designing his house, and he would've had to draw up designs for those college projects, too

✏️ Now he's not out here drawing headshots and detailed forest sceneries, but he can probably sketch up a decently cute corner café from the plaza, or the city's skyline towering around Central park where the trees might look a little awkward but that's okay! He might not necessarily be considered "good", but enough to where an onlooker or friend might be like, "hey, that's pretty good!" He might doodle when he spaces out. Don't give him a pen and notepad during a conference where all he's doing is listening because there will be silly looking cats or various new designs for things he's decided to start on now that he's trapped and bored somewhere. It's also a fun little pass time, or a fun challenge to get his mind off things when he's staring mindlessly through the window of that little corner café on the plaza.

🎹 We know he loves music, and we also know his mother played piano. And that he loved to listen to it growing up, even falling asleep on the sofa a few times! His mom probably tried to teach him growing up, but he was too restless to sit there long enough to learn much. Though, he can probably still recall a few little tunes he did learn, occasionally tapping them out every so often on a baby grand piano just to see if he remembers. He always gets it mixed up and goes too slow the first few times, but once he hears the right sounds he smiles a little and plays it another time or two at the right tempo.

🎹 Sometimes it strikes a nerve when he's at a party or fancy restaurant and hears a familiar tune that he never learned so he could go take apart an RC car in the backyard instead. He doesn't sit around listening to a playlist of classical music or anything like that, but he does enjoy hearing it from time to time. And music in general helps fill the silence in that empty house when the silence gets a little too loud.

🐈 Pets. Never grew up with them, never had them. He's probably a little afraid of animals and their spontaneity, anyway. Sure kittens and rabbits and what not are cute or whatever, but... they're also dirty, need more attention than he can give, and would scratch the shit out of his floor and furniture (and him! He already gets hurt enough!). Plus,, taking care of a living thing is scary, let's be honest, though he has probably considered it. Things can get lonely in such a big, isolated house, after all. He can never commit, though.

🥀 Perhaps plants could be a safer option? Unfortunately not. He hates being sick in any way, and swears that he's always allergic to the pollen in the spring. Half the time he forgets the last time he watered them, or forgets to water them altogether. He leaves them out on the balcony for too long, or forgets to bring them inside before the storm that he got a notification for hours ago. He probably feels an oddly heavy guilt when they die or get yellow spots, and decides he'd rather avoid that feeling altogether. Just like a pet, they are pretty and give his home some extra life! But he has a hard enough time taking care of himself

🥘 We know he's... well, an okay cook! It might take him a few hours longer than it should... but he has the money to by extra ingredients for redoing it when it doesn't work out the first time (or two)! Cooking for only one is hard, but relying on takeout and frozen foods gets boring and a little depressing. Plus, its another way to pass the time, at least, and it makes him feel a little proud of himself

✈️ He goes on vacations alone when he's bored and cramped, but it's not usually as much sex and fun as he makes it out to be. He's getting out of town for a reason, to escape his normal everyday life and have a different kind of peace and quiet; and perhaps somewhere the locals won't treat him so stiffly and regard him so highly (and only try to get him in bed like one time instead of all night, every night). Maybe he can have some normal fucking conversation for once, too, that's not about him or the company or business ventures

🥃 Unfortunately we know he drinks a lot. He knows he needs to watch it, but at least he can't get into anything when he's home alone! But maybe it does help to soothe that talkative brain and fill in the lonesome gaps here and there...

💠 Talks to JARVIS a lot. About normal ass things sometimes and not just work related projects. Who else is he going to talk to? Himself? At least JARVIS makes sense most of the time, and sometimes tells a joke or two! Oh, wait, those were meant to be serious, weren't they?

💠 It's a constant struggle between enjoying the solitude and actually wanting some sort of companionship, but that's probably too hard right now. Look what happened to those plants! He'll get around to it later... probably :(

💠 But... isn't this the dream that everyone wants? At least he can walk around, doing as he pleases without being yelled at, or argued with, or nagged… right?

[because-she-goes]

hebe’s demise

warnings: alcoholism, drug use (coke, pills), sexual themes, hospitals, mentions of death, angst i guess, substance abuse

The vodka burned her throat on its way down, but she liked the pain, the sting. She believed it made her feel alive, young, free. A 16 year old running around with her friends at night, having older men buy them fruity, headache-inducing drinks. Her head began to feel light and floaty, she reached for the nearest body kissing them hungrily. She feels her skin set fire and suddenly the high begins. Running down the street, screaming and laughing at top volume. She feels out of her mind and she loves it, finally awoken from her anxious slumber and now open to her confident self. The one who would fuck anything with a pulse as long as they were within arms reach. The one who would happily do white powder off of a college boys’ dirty sink. The one who would then destroy that college boy, making him wish he were dead. She was a wild thing and untameable. Falling over herself, ending up at the NYU ER again, having to get her stomach pumped again. Alcohol filled her veins and blood soaked in ecstasy. Waking up the following day, rinse and repeat. Mondays were always the worst, having to sit in her calculus class in the itchy uniform and act as if she wasn’t still high from the molly her friend had given her not even 8 hours ago. School days would tick by, she would go home to her parents and hide in her room. Luckily they didn't ask too many questions. Just a quiet understanding that their only daughter was on a freeway to death.

At 17, she now would go out every night regardless of school. Grades were decent enough and she was naturally bright. At 17, she was now going to Fordham and having the senior boys sell her the strongest coke she could get her hands on for $50. It was bliss. The white powder hitting a fast forward on her life, skipping past all the boring bits and canceling out her voice of reason. This is when she became known within her friend group as Nora the Knockout. She had to admit, she was fucking hot. Slim waist, decent shape, good style and the cool girl attitude all the guys seemed to like. In this world, she wasn't the lit class nerd or whatever else they called her. No, in this new world of sex and drugs and club promoters grabbing her ass here and there, she was a princess. She at this point had a body count nearing the 60s, not that she knew who any of those people were. She would chew ‘em and spit them out the next morning - leaving them like a ghost in the night. By this point, she had also been roofied so many times she couldn't even count, a regular at the Columbia University ER. She now had a joke with a young internal medicine student who worked there that she should get a “buy 10 stomach pumps, get the next one free” card. They knew she was coming in because they would call it a code Nor'easter over the EMS intercom to the dispatcher. The same young doctor seeing her each and every time, now on a first name basis with her. “Hi again Nora!” “Hi again Dave!” Her parents didn't even bother coming to the hospital anymore, knowing she’d be okay and plus she got the frequent flier discount. She would then later find out that while she was incapacitated and incoherent, the young Dr. would call her mom and give her updates saying Nora wasn't fine, that she had the liver of a 40 year old, that she ingested somewhere near 10 grams of coke and a liter of vodka that evening. That if Nora didn't change quickly, she wouldn't make it past 35. She rarely went home now, she loved her parents, but everytime she went home she would get the shpeel of not wasting her young years and being smart w/ her body and her health. They understood she was artistically gifted, her prose as a 17 year old already more eloquent and developed than some of the stuff her mom edited. Her sketches being comparable to that of an early Kollwitz. Yet, young Nora refused to see it, to acknowledge it. Only wanting to feed the animal, the id inside of her, the one who would ask grown men to do vile things to her body. Her only interest was to keep that monster within her pleased and not let it starve - afraid of the withdrawals and aftershocks. Too weak to handle it, too weak to go through them only to relapse, too weak to deal with the repercussions of her actions.

By age 18, she had realized the severity of her actions, how now without the coke or the ecstasy or acid she felt raw and vulnerable and like a baby deer learning to walk. Without something in her system, she felt like a void. She felt like a zombie, like a shell of herself. At this point, she had admitted to herself that she was no longer in control of herself, her actions, her thoughts… none of it. All of her friends were still using, now moving onto horse and darker shit like that. That is where her boundary was. Pills and coke sure, but anything she had to self-inject was off limits. It was at age 18, in her senior class that she was permitted to take the coveted AP Art Studio class w/ Ms. Glicks everyone who came before her raved about. She couldn't wait. That semester was when Nora became the one and only Astoria High’s Nora Downey. Ms. Glicks educated her about all her interests, and favorite periods of art. Ms. G was like a textbook and Nora loved picking her brain or going in the studio during free periods to work. Now, not fully clean, but having the strength to kick pills cold-turkey Nora was named the school’s recipient for Best Senior Artist. Her display at the school’s annual spring show being leagues above anything her colleagues completed over the 6 months. It was at that moment, of seeing how receptive people were to her work and how it moved people, that she realized she could make a living out of this. That her future in art was very bright, as long as she could get fully clean. That next month or so before graduation, Nora and her parents made an agreement that she would get clean of everything if she could seriously pursue art in college, if she could go to an art school. They’re only stipulation being the school be located here in the city so they could keep an eye on her. She agreed, signed her name on the napkin her dad wrote up the contract on at the diner they all went to every Sunday. It was the greatest life choice and easiest decision she has ever made. She could never thank her parents more for their patience and support and letting her come to her own conclusions before shit hit the fan. She could never thank them enough for having her back and allowing her to go to art school. She could never thank them enough for supporting her during the nasty withdrawals, the phone calls home from rehab and the crying in the middle of the night. She could never thank them enough for saving her life.

[ghostsray]

god but i need you all to know the full context for this because i know most danny phantom fans arents as aware of youtuber culture as i am (i dont care for most of them but im a big inniter)

under read more because this got long

so KSI (right) and logan paul (left) are both big internet personalities. ksi was part of a youtube group called the sidemen which did sketches and gaming. logan paul was on vine before he started doing youtube vlogs and got into a MAJOR controversy 7 years ago after he filmed himself laughing at dead people's bodies in the suicide forest in japan. for whatever fucking reason, these two decided to partner up and launch an energy drink brand called Prime. is it any good? idk, i never tried it, but wikipedia says it has been banned from minors in multiple countries for its high asf caffeine content, which is a relevant detail to keep in mind

mrbeast is also a famous youtuber. hes a millionaire who loves to use his money for clickbaity youtube challenges, and who also got into a scandal for mistreating his employees. i guess he needed to launch a business to keep gaining enough money to film himself scrooge mcduck swimming in his own cash, so he launched a chocolate brand, plus a burger place that has a location right next to my college??

these three got a BRILLIANT (makes them money) idea to do a collab and ... make a lunchables competitor. using the energy drink that was banned to minors in several countries + a bar of chocolate. and their claim is that it is the better alternative to lunchables because it's "healthier" and totally not because they want your money

they were rightfully criticized for this by minecraft youtuber DanTDM, who has been on youtube for longer than any of them have and is a father with kids

and KSI got pissed

basically everyone sided with dantdm, which explains why ksi was so cranky and picked fights with anyone who insulted him or his song. that, and he forced people to listen to it on the streets at full volume as "marketing", which i think is a valid reason to want to fight ksi

also its kind of funny how worked up he is about this while dantdm just does not care

anyway. everyone hated his song which led to the exchange in op where apparently ksi does not recognize danny phantom, which just caused him to get dragged in the mud even more lol

p.s. unrelated to ksi, but how i learned about this whole drama (because the only youtuber i care about is tommyinnit) is that while ksi was beefing with dantdm, logan paul was simultaneously beefing with tommyinnit, which is really funny because it means 2/3 of the Lunchly trio is losing a beef to a minecraft youtuber. + i NEED you all to watch tommy's response because it's the funniest fucking thing. he did a whole video mocking lunchly, song and dance included

i usually never care about youtuber drama but this one was just so funny man

Danny phantom is trending on Twitter right now because KSI called him ben 10 oh my god my life is not real

[adversitybloomed]

🌸  ┊ letter received from @caracarnn         𝑹𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑨𝒍'𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒓 :  ‘✩’ - for college verse

Disagreements:

Who is more likely to raise their voice? Rand. Who threatens to leave but never actually does? Rand. Who actually keeps their word and leaves? Mulan, but this is most likely not going to happen. Who trashes the house? Neither? They are both respectful of each other's belongings. Do either of them get physical? No, unless she manages to convince Rand to train with her. How often do they argue/disagree? pft, they bicker a lot, but it comes from a place of love. but i would say maybe 2-3 times a week. Who is the first to apologise? Mulan, but Rand does come around.

Sex:

Who is on top? RandWho is on the bottom? Mulan Who has the strangest desires? not entirely sure about this question. so neither or both?Any kinks? Some, but again they get to nervous to ask sometimes. Who’s dominant in bed? Rand Is head ever in the equation? Yes. If so, who is better at performing it? Mulan likes to think its Rand, but she enjoys giving it. Ever had sex in public? Yes <- she's mad at me for admitting this Who moans the most? Mulan Who leaves the most marks? Rand Who screams the loudest? Mulan Who is the more experienced of the two? Rand Do they ‘fuck’ or ‘make love’? Rough or soft? They enjoy both, but they are utterly soft with each other, so it does end up being soft at times. How long do they usually last? Until Rand is done Is protection used? Yes. until they are both ready for kids Does it ever get boring? No Where is the strangest place they’d have sex? the forest.

Family:

Do your muses plan on having children/or have children? They haven't talked about yet, but they both want. Mulan especially so but she isnt sure how to bring it up to Rand. If so, how many children do your muses want/have? She wants a large family, so she doesnt mind a few, but if she had to give a number 2-5 maybe ( as 4 is an unlucky number ) she is okay with more, but it just depends. Who is the favorite parent? Both Who is the authoritative parent? Rand Who is more likely to allow the children to have a day off school? Rand Who lets the children indulge in sweets and junk food when the other isn’t around? Mulan Who turns up to extra curricular activities to support their children? both. Who goes to parent teacher interviews? Both. Who changes the diapers? Both. Who gets up in the middle of the night to feed the baby? Mulan. Who spends the most time with the children? Both. Who packs their lunch boxes? Rand. Who gives their children ‘the talk’? Rand. Who cleans up after the kids? Mulan. Who worries the most? both, but mostly Rand. Who are the children more likely to learn their first swear word from? Rand.

Affection:

Who likes to cuddle? Mulan Who is the little spoon? Mulan Who gets naughty in the most inappropriate of places? *coughs* both. Who struggles to keep their hands to themselves?  Well, Mulan really does like to cuddle and she thinks her touch calms him. plus she likes tracing his dragon tattoos. So her.How long can they cuddle until one becomes uncomfortable? She could cuddle for ages, Rand is the one who has to move them. Who gives the most kisses? Both. Its mood dependent.What is their favorite non-sexual activity? Sketching each other, horse back riding, playing games, listening to music or practicing music together. Martial Arts practice?Where is their favorite place to cuddle? The couch or bed.Who is more likely to playfully grope the other?  How often do they get time to themselves? It depends, if someone is visiting they try to be respectful, but since they live together a lot.

Sleeping:

Who snores? Neither, both are quiet sleepers. If both do, who snores the loudest? NeitherDo they share a bed or sleep separately? Share a Bed, eventually when they start going out. If they sleep together, do they cozy up together or lay far apart? sleep together, as she likes to curl into him. Who talks in their sleep? Mulan when she has nightmares. What do they wear to bed? Rand Most likely pants and or boxers. She wears a traditional sleeping hanfu or one of his shirts. Are either of your muses insomniacs? Yes. They both are afraid of falling asleep because nightmares. Can sleeping pills be found by the bedside? No, Mulan is more of a holistic remedies, like tea, then a pill person. Do they wrap their limbs around each other or just lay side by side? She wraps her limbs around him, though he holds her. Who wakes up with bed hair? Mulan, girl has a lot of hair. Who wakes up first? ts depending. Who prepares breakfast in bed for the other? Mulan will attempt, it depends on what kitchen they have to cook in, but mostly it would be Rand. What is their favorite sleeping position? hers is to be on her stomach or side curled into him, because his scent calms her. He is nice enough to hold her but it depends on their mindset for the day. Who hogs the sheets? Rand. but to be fair, she hogs him.Do they set an alarm each night? No, well at least she doesnt.Can a television be found in their bedroom? No, she doesnt like it in there as it will distract her. Who has nightmares? Both Who has ridiculous dreams? Mulan Who sprawls out and takes up most of the bed?  Rand, he's a giant. Who makes the bed?  Mulan, its a morning routine for herWhat time is bed time?  Whenever they are ready to pass out. Or if they want some alone time - Any routines/rituals before bed? She likes to lotion herself up after a bath and take care of her skin. She will also most likely be carried by Rand to go to go to bed mostly because he knows she enjoys it. Who’s the grumpiest when they wake up? Rand.

Work:

Who is the busiest? They can both get pretty busy with school and their employment. Who rakes in the highest income? Rand, as he inherited the families business, but changed it up to make sure profits go to charity. Are any of your muses unemployed? No Who takes the most sick days? Neither Who is more likely to turn up late to work? Neither Who sucks up to their boss? Neither, though Mulan is just nice so she doesnt count it as sucking up. What are their jobs? Both are full time students, but Rand inherits a company that deals in weaponry rand quickly overturns this by changing everything for possibly charities. Mulan is studying computer science, but works part time in a café/restaurant as a waitress for extra income (unless she gets involved with modeling). Who stresses the most? Rand Do your muses enjoy or despise their careers/occupations? I am unsure if Rand does, but Mulan does not like waitressing as much. She enjoys working with technology though. Are your muses financially stable? Rand is more so, but Mulan saves up a lot because she sends money home.

Home:

Who does the washing? Mulan Who takes out the trash? Rand Who does the ironing? Both Who does the cooking? Rand Who is more likely to burn the house down just trying? Mulan, those modern stoves are hard >_&lt; Who is messier?  Rand Who leaves the toilet roll empty? Neither, they both are pretty respectful on this. Who leaves their dirty clothes on the floor? Neither, they both clean up. Who forgets to flush the toilet? Neither. Who is the prankster around the house? Maybe Mulan, but its usually an easy prank to spot. Who loses the car keys when it comes time to go somewhere? Mulan Who mows the lawn? Neither as they are in an apartment for now. Who answers the telephone? Mulan Who does the vacuuming? Both Who does the groceries? Both Who takes the longest to shower? Mulan, but its taking a while in the bath as she relaxes in those. though if she can convince him to join her, its a bit for both. Who spends the most time in the bathroom? Mulan because she likes baths.

Miscellaneous:

Is money a problem? Sometimes, especially for Mulan as her family isn't the wealthiest. How many cars do they own? One, as mulan doesnt drive. She mostly takes public transportation or hitches a ride with him. Do they own their home or do they rent? Rent. For now.Do they live near the coast or deep in the countryside? Closer to the city because of where their school is. Do they live in the city or in the country?  City for School, but I think both would rather the country. Do they enjoy their surroundings? While she likes the easy access to things, Mulan grew up on a farm like rand did and she would much rather be in nature. What’s their song? Maren Morris, Hozier - The BonesWhat do they do when they’re away from each other? Hang out with friends, work, study and missing each other. Where did they first meet? In China How did they first meet? Rand took a trip to China before the school term started. They met and talked a bit, but it turned out that they were going to be roommates at the same college in the following months. Who spends the most money when out shopping? Rand Who’s more likely to flash their assets? Rand, unless he gets her something then she shows it off because she's over the moon happy. Who finds it amusing when the other trips over? Rand will worry over Mulan, and she only does it when he is looking to nice - so neither. Any mental issues? Yes for both. Who’s terrified of bugs? Neither. Who kills the spiders around the house? Mulan has done this for her little sister for years, so she doesnt mind. Their favorite place? For her, its with him, can't say for sure for Rand. Who pays the bills? Rand - she tries to help where she can. Do they have any fears for their future? Yes, both do. But she feels more secure because she has complete faith in them. Who’s more likely to surprise the other with a fancy dinner? Rand, though she is the desserts girl and will bake up a storm if he lets her. Who uses up all of the hot water?  NeitherWho’s the tallest? Rand <- is this even a valid question? Who’s more likely to just randomly hop into the shower with the other? Mulan or Rand, depends on their moods. Who wanders around in their underwear? Rand would likely do this, as she is a bit more modest. Who sings the loudest when singing along to the radio? Mulan What do they tease each other about? Height, and trying to put the other in a better mood. Who is more likely to cringe at the other’s fashion sense at times? Rand, she buys very inexpensive clothing which gets ripped very easily, until she starts making some money. Do they have mutual friends? Does @luckhissoul count? He is Rand's friend first. But Mulan thinks he is absolutely hilarious. Who crushed first?  Both, but they didnt realize the other returned the feelings. Any alcohol or substance related problems? Mulan doesnt drink, so I dont think so? Who is more likely to stumble home, drunk, at 3am? Rand. Who swears the most? Rand.

[fotiathymos]

Someone on twiitter said someone shared my art on a Promare server and they loved it and I'm just 🥺🥺🥺😭😭😭😭 I have like five followers on twitter I'm amazed they even saw it!

I'm really happy people are enjoying my constant t4t smooches art I post it on instagram too and that place has all my 'real life' ppl I know and the reactions are always 'is that you???' when no.. not at all.

Or the one person who called it all 'fun debauchery art!' and I know they meant it complimentary but gosh

Please don't call my drawings of trans gay people debauchery??????

Anyway..

I'm just glad some people enjoy it cause I still struggle liking my art and continually drawing after college made me hate drawing for over ten years I like.. stopped.

So people being excited to see these silly bad sketches and thinking they're cute and good and soft.. I just 🥺💕💕💕

[dapper-lil-arts]

fuckin hell college is rly bugging me with a bunch of assignements. i have a bunch of awesome Rhea sketches i wanna digitize but cant,,,, i just wanna draw for god’s sake

[dogs-in-a-trenchcoat]

I don't normally like to piggyback off of other posts but this topic is something really dear to me. I saw a lot of like 'my art by year' posts back in my deviantart days and the one thing that always struck me is how much slower I felt I was developing than others.

Tldr up front: Time really does make massive difference but sometimes it's hard to validate that looking at others you see on the internet, everyone has a different pace, we all have different techniques that work for us and we all have different barriers. In a case where you may feel like you're hitting a wall or progressing slower than others at your age and experience level, a willingness to experiment, continuing to learn more about anatomy or how things are assembled, and overall just continuing to observe the world around you and consume art will all *also* help you where time alone may not.

Of course now I know I have aphantasia, and autism related motor skill issues, but at the time I lived and breathed drawing, I made quick progress and then hit a wall. And I hit that wall for something around 6 years. It felt like my peers started better than me and then just kept getting better while I fell behind.

My question was not so much how I got from this (approx 2002, not my first drawing but the first I have on hand)

To this (approx 2004)

To this (approx 2006)

To this (approx 2008)

My question was always more how do I get from this (approx 2012 on year 4 or 5 of drawing basically the same)

To this (approx 2016)

And eventually, where I am today (this one being from last year or early this year)

And obviously time played a factor. And there certainly was a lot of it. 20 years between the first picture and the last, in fact. And time has all but erased my motor skill issues (in regard to drawing lmao), you can see my lines and shape language become clearer and more confident. I learn from trial and error things that help with the process and get comfortable with various mediums. But what about those 5 or 6 years of stagnation? What happens when you hit a wall?

This is where my aphantasia comes in. I didn't really have access to language talking about this when I was in high school and college. I just didn't understand 3d shapes the same way my peers did. How on earth do you even imagine that people can visualize stuff when you have no real frame of reference for what that would mean or that that is even a possibility? (it's a little more complicated than that for me, but the point remains without me going on that tangent)

Either way, I just assumed I was less skilled and was doing something wrong and left it at that and I still wouldn't have the language to have discussions about this, check with friends to get a deeper understanding of what visualizing meant, and so forth, for a pretty long time after my art started evolving again.

So what changed in 2014? Well just a year prior a little show called Steven universe came out. And one little thing in it totally turned my entire process on its head.

I don't remember where the exact point in time I decided to change my under-drawing process was. I know I had been wanting to draw fanart of these characters with the kind of body diversity and strong shapes I had always wanted to draw. I was so excited by the material, so inspired by the artistry of the backgrounds and style of the show, that I fell in love with drawing again. And that ended up being exactly what I needed. The way I do my under-drawing and sketches now makes it much easier for me to understand 3d shapes without having to be able to visualize them.

These changes, and the willingness to do so, to abandon my whole process and basically relearn drawing from scratch (but sort of a new game plus deal, with the experience I already had under my belt) helped me understand the 3d shapes of the body in a way nothing else had. And I had tried a lot.

I still struggle with feeling badly about my art, feeling like I'm hitting another wall, or like it will never be what other people enjoy. But the bottom line is continuing to find joy in the process, love drawing itself, enjoy experimenting. Don't let a lofty end goal of being "good" in some definition that will always continue to outgrow you dampen your joy with drawing. If you invest the time into your art, if you have fun with it. It will come together eventually.

hey I saw that speedpaint video for Amy's 30th bday art you did and now could you please post some really old art of yours and how long you've been drawing for because I just started drawing and am getting a strange feeling I don't fully understand but feel will be alleviated by getting some perspective on how long it takes to get gud at drawing.

So I’ve been drawing my whole life, ever since I was 2 years old. And I’ve been drawing Sonic for as long as I can remember as well.

Unfortunately I can’t find any of my drawings that pre-date 2005. I am not sure if they’ve just been misplaced, or if they’re with my mom, or if they’re just gone forever. I went through a lot as a kid, including losing our home, so I don’t have a lot from when I was little.

But hopefully some of these drawings will give you some courage:

I was (and still am) obsessed with Phantom of the Opera haha

I made a bunch of weird comics. I really have no idea what is going on in half of them lol. Here are some panels from a 2005 werewolf Sonic comic:

This one is from my diary in late 2005

Here’s a mega drawing I did in 2006 so you can see how I drew Sonic characters as well as people and monsters:

I’ve posted older drawings in the past too but again I can’t find those drawings physically now. Here are some more from 2004 thru 2006:

The more you draw the more your art will evolve. Don’t give up. And please don’t destroy your old art! You should always keep your old stuff so you can see how you’ve improved!

[tealfloyd]

THE REVERSED CINDERELLA TALE

“I’m sorry MC, but you can’t go to the ball~”

SUMMARY: NRC decides to host a ball in collaboration with RSA, but our dear prefect is not invited. Yet, the night of the ball, something strange happens… (Everyone + Neige and Che’nya x Fem!Reader)

WARNINGS: None, I believe)?

CONTENT: Ortho's part is platonic. Crowley being an ass, but like, it was unintentional, really. As I said, this is pretty long, mostly because it has every character separately, plus 20+ barbie dress transformation. WORDS: 9K+

A/N: I still feel bad since I lost all the content I had before, but it’s okay, I’m glad I saved everything separately because if I didn’t… I wouldn’t be uploading this in the first place.

Also, if you want to use this as inspiration for sketches, go on! I remembered a certain comment which asked for permission, and I certainly don't mind! Now onto the fic~

Crowley really has the worst timing.

You were just about to drink a vase of water, throat dry because you passed the whole day with the first years. That’s when the door opened, leaving you to almost drop the cup, your reflexes making it possible.

“Crowley! What the hell!?” You whisper yelled, looking at Grim turning in the sofa, far away in his dreamland.

It wasn’t unusual for the kind headmaster to show up with such… Theatrics, but this was certainly a new and unwelcomed entrance.

“I apologise for the sudden intrusion, but there’s has been an incident!” He exclaimed, and you shushed him, leading him to whisper his next sentence. “You see, the ball of Royal Sword Academy and Night Raven College is near its due date…”

Indeed, the ball featuring both of the most prestigious schools in Twisted Wonderland was drawing near; it started as a friendly way to make their students socialize, soon turning into a way to exhibit who had the most graceful gentleman.

“Yeah, and? I thought everything was fine, Che’nya told me this morning that the arrangements were almost done."

“Me and the Royal Sword Academy headmaster have gotten some complaints indicating that we should not allow you or Grim assist to the ball due to your dorm not being an official part of the school." Ah, so that was the reason of the nervous tone. “I would refuse, but the grievances come from certain parents with high status and—"

You interrupted. “Don’t worry Crowley, it’s understandable that you don’t want to make such powerful enemies. Grim on the other hand…” You spared a glance at the sleeping being, already imagining what kind of reaction he would have.

“I appreciate your understanding, yet that’s not what I wanted to discuss."

“Huh?”

“Some of your friends know about this, and I’m afraid they’re… How can I say this…? A little erratic."

You sighed, knowing exactly what the meant by that. “Are you scared of them?”

“Me? Of course not! I’m the headmage! But it would be helpful if you intervened."

“They can’t be that bad, I’ll go talk to them."

Oh, it can be that bad. Not overblot case bad, but it’s much more chaotic than you thought it would be.

You walked towards the dining hall, place where all of them got the news. You felt bad for the other students who had to run away because of the outburst.

Once you enter the hall, there was only a way you can describe the situation: encasing every reaction in a specific group.

First, we have the erratic behaviour, as Crowley mentioned earlier: students who are enraged because you cannot go to the ball. Here we have Ace, Deuce, Riddle, Leona, Floyd, Vil, Epel, Malleus and Sebek. Some are just snappy, such as Leona or Vil, and Riddle is trying to not let the anger overcome him. The rest are tagged as official menaces.

The second is the quiet group, the scariest of them all. Even if you tried, you can’t fathom what their expressions are hiding, exuding an eerie aura that has everyone shivering. The most students of this group are Azul, Jade, Rook, Idia and Lilia, the most dangerous combination to ever exist.

The last but not least group is the one that has every sane person, and the ones that are near sanity. They are so busy trying to control the furious trope that they don’t realise why they’re mad in the first place. Trey, Cater, Ruggie, Jack, Kalim, Jamil, Ortho and Silver are the ones in this category.

You yelled as loud as you could in order to gain their attention, everyone’s head turning when recognising the familiar voice.

“What’s going on here!?”

“MC/Prefect!” They jolted, abruptly stopping dead in their tracks.

“I thought Crowley was exaggerating when he told me that you were, and I quote, erratic, but this is absurd!” You whined in annoyance, not believing the scene in front of you, much less believing the reason behind it.

“Ah, well, this was just, uh…” Ace was trying to find the correct words to not make you angrier, eyes evading yours as you send him a cold glare.

“We were practicing for, uh…!” Deuce’s desperation showed up in order to think of an excuse, and you had enough of it.

“Do you think I’m dumb?” The bitter words came out as venom, not only being directed at the young boy but at everyone, seeing how you shared your discontent look with all of them. “Is this because of the ball?”

There was a brief silence before it was cut off again by Malleus.

“Child of Man, I think that this decision is an act of unfairness towards you," his comment made way to other ones, clearly displeased with the agreement.

“You have done so much for this school!” Kalim blurted out.

“It’s an improper choice after all the effort you’ve put, since this event is for congratulating students for their excelling performances," Jade remarked, slight annoyance in his voice.

Soon, the hall was filled with different arguments, and yet again, you had to yell.

“Guys, I know that it may be unfair, but I’m okay with it; you all could get expelled for doing this!” More than anger, your voice was full of concern, worried because of their impulsive actions.

“Shrimpy, aren’t you upset?” Floyd tilted his head, not comprehending why you weren’t showing any strong emotion at the news.

“Certainly Mademoiselle, you must feel at least the slightest bit offended, don’t you?” Rook asked, also tilting his head.

“What I think about it doesn’t matter, the decision it’s made and there’s nothing else to do other than accept it, and you must do the same," you sighed, all the stress leaving your body with that long exhale. “You shouldn’t make a fuss over this; there will be other events I can participate to."

“And what if there aren’t any ‘other events’?” The abrupt question coming from Leona made you think, and after some seconds you chuckled.

“If that’s the case then I guess I can always make my own," your quick response had everyone gasp in cuteness, some were more dramatic than others cough Cater cough, but the gasp was there.

“My, is this an angel speaking to us?” Lilia said, his teasing tone having you think it was a joke, which it wasn’t.

“Less talk, more work." And with that note, the students were forced to start their cleaning duties, not really minding it since you were there.

While you were picking up some broken pieces of wood, an idea came to your mind, making you do a soft smile as you thought about the outcome.

ONE WEEK LATER

The ball day was here, and everyone was shining in their own lights, their tuxedos matching their distinctive colours as they added some characteristic details to it.

The week after the incident, everything was pretty chill; they reluctantly agreed to leave the topic alone to please you, switching it to their fashion choices or practicing some basic dance moves.

You were greatly surprised when seeing them all before the event, cheering them up as you told them that they looked handsome, making some of the boy’s blush. “I hope you enjoy the ball!”

You bid them goodbye, making sure everyone was out of sight so you could return to Ramshackle, home to the angry creature named Grim.

“How can they not invite the great Grim to their boring party!? That’s unacceptable!” You laughed at his antics, caressing his fur to soothe his ire.

“Should I remind you that I was also excluded?” He let out a cute groan, curling into your lap to comfort himself.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever ya’ say henchman. By the way, why’re ya’ using that dress?” He lazily signalled the simple gown you were wearing, closing his eyes when you reached an icky spot.

“I don’t know, I saw it at Sam’s and decided to buy it, does it look bad?”

“I didn’t say that. It’s just weird you’re using it now…”

Both you and Grim decided to get out of Ramshackle, sitting on the shore of the pond that was near the old building, the quiet and magical atmosphere worth the outing.

Grim’s soft snores were heard in the solitude of the forest, some fireflies appearing to make the scene look like it came straight out of a painting.

“Am I upset?” You asked yourself, quoting the words from last week.

Truthfully, you did care about not being invited to the ball. Your excitement vanished the moment the headmaster started explaining why you couldn’t assist.

You started to wonder if that meant that your efforts were going to be unappreciated, until you remembered that they weren't. The friends you made here made you feel at home, even though most of them were sceptical about befriending you at first, oblivious to the fact that they started to look at you with heart eyes.

You started to sing a lullaby you constantly heard during your childhood, a calm harmony that brought you peace in moments like this, when you were about to cry out of confusion and sadness.

Your voice acted as anaesthesia for the little Grim, humming contently as you gently stood up, holding him like a baby as you started to dance around.

Unbeknown to you, a wandering fairy heard the enchanting lyric; her pointy ears perked up in curiosity as she approached slowly, her small form making it impossible for you to take notice of, too focused in your dancing solo.

The small, fantastic individual started to hum along. Deeming you as a friend, and not a threat, she closed the distance between you both, a giggle leaving her mouth as she sat on your shoulder, surprised when you didn’t saw her.

She stayed silent, lightly grasping the soft material of your dress so she wouldn’t fall, hearing in joy as you continued your lively tune.

Your steps were feather like, slowly spinning while leaving the forest, now strolling through the dark corridors of the academy. It may seem a little eerie seeing it as an outsider, but everything you could think of was the enchanting lyrics, the absence of light not resembling an issue as you resume the melodious piece.

It was a matter of time when you got to the giant ballroom, passing through an open door as you heard a lively composition that matched yours, smiling wider until you collided with someone.

You woke up from your trance, your previously calm state being replaced by worry as you bow to the person in front of you.

“I’m so sorry, it wasn’t my intention to…” You spared a quick glance at the boy’s face, mouth agape when realising who it was, the little fairy hiding as soon as she saw the unknown person. “Neige?”

“Ah! MC, I was looking for you!” Said the young boy, cheeks dusted of a light pink. “I was afraid you didn’t appear, but I’m so happy I found you!”

That woke up Grim, aside from all the chit chatter of the room.

“Nyah!? Henchman, where are we!?” He jumped off your arms, falling nose-first on the marble floor.

“I may have brought us while dancing…” You confessed, ashamed of not noting it sooner. “I’m sorry Neige, but we and Grim have to go before Crowley spots us."

“Not so fast! I want to check the food! With that amount I’m sure they won’t notice one or two dishes missing…” His mischievous smile threw you off guard, sighing at his intentions.

“Grim, come on, we can’t…”

“It would be a pleasure! The banquet is right there!” Said the naive boy, signalling a large table with lots of different dishes.

In less than a second, Grim was already there, filling his mouth with everything his little paws could hold on to.

“Grim!” The frustration was there, but you couldn’t show it, not wanting to make a scene, but you were certain that some students were already glancing your way.

The kind-hearted boy looked at you with pure adoration, trying his best to hide it as he took your hand in his; all while the little fairy, still hidden, tried to think about what she could do to help you.

NEIGE LEBLANCHE

The gown was sky blue, white grading in the top and sleeves with some yellow sparks. Your hair was now short, curled at the ends and portraying a red lace on the top, a cute bow placed on it.

“Actually, I’ve been meaning to ask you… Would you like to dance with me?”

“I guess I can, I’m already here, aren’t I?”

Dear, you just made Neige the happiest man alive. The dwarfs were in their way to talk with him, but when they noticed the huge smile that he portrayed, decided to keep their distance so you could have your perfect moment.

That was interrupted when he stopped, pointing at your dress that had changed abruptly. You were surprised, obviously, but there wasn’t a major reaction from you, since you’re in a world of magic after all. Him on the other hand was completely flustered, trying to think of a compliment as he kept dancing.

He’s a good dancer, but his steps resemble those of a child dancing, in a good way obviously, it’s pretty fun and refreshing to waltz with him.

Laughing time was over when a shout was heard, coming from a certain red hair.

 “Prefect!?” Yelled the first years, their loud scream attracting even more attention. You just hoped Crowley didn’t hear it; oh, well, he didn’t. But the others surely did.

And now you’re scared because Vil had a questioning look in his face. If he did saw the dance, may the Sevens let you rest in peace.

“Ah, hey guys!” You backed away from Neige, who in response pouted, sad at the loss of contact.

 “What are you doing here!?” They asked, a combination of confusion and excitement washing over them.

“I don’t know, I was enjoying my solitude, dancing alone and when I looked up, I was here, dressed like this," you slightly lifted the dress for emphasis, frowning when everyone shut up. “Uh, guys—?”

“Please dance with me!” Most of them screamed at once, having to cover your ears because it was so sudden and very much not appreciated.

And just like a week ago, that led to everyone argue about who should dance with you.

You were about to stop them again, but someone took advantage of the situation, bringing his hands to your waist.

CHE’NYA

The gown was of a light lilac, along with some stripes that were just a few shades apart, white sleeves added to the palette. Your hair was still short, but it changed the style to a light messy pixie cut with some mauve highlights.

“Isn’t this such an entertaining scenario, nya~?”

“I think is more of a dangerous scenario, incredible to think they’re fighting over such a stupid thing.”

Oh, MC, is that what you think of yourself? This is not a stupid thing, dancing with you is enough to make the most ferocious man drop on their knees, mesmerized by your beauty.

And he certainly would do that just by seeing you with a dress matching his attire. While you don’t know why or how this is happening, he’s grinning widely because you look so beautiful, the slightest shade of pink covering his cheeks as he throws some funny comments, lighting up the mood.

Dancing with him is amusing, to say the least, sometimes disappearing his body, leaving you to dance with a floating head.

Ace, the moment breaker, does his thing once again, his loud shrieks rivalling those of Sebek.

 “Ah, she’s dancing with the disappearing guy!” They all turned their heads, most of them having a vein about to pop up from the anger.

 “It seems that I’m not welcomed, but at least we will be together the next week, goodbye~!” And with that, he disappeared, again.

Remember that scene when Rapunzel was calming Maximus down? That was the exact thing you had to do with the most enraged students, thanking the unwanted dress for acting as a distractor.

“If you care that much about dancing with me, I can dance with all of you, only if you promise that you would not cause more mess; I’m already walking on a thin line just by being here."

Silence. You tapped your foot impatiently at that.

“Promise that you would not cause more mess," it was more of a demand than a request, but it worked when they all repeated your words, humming in approval.

“Great, so who’s the first?”

Quickly realising your mistake, you spoke again before everything reverted to a few minutes ago. “Wait, maybe it would be better to do this by dorm order. Which means that Heartslabyul will go first."

It was then when the troublemakers of said dorm started to dispute over who should dance with you first; Ace proclaimed that he should because he met you first, and Deuce responded by exposing his terrible behaviour towards you the first time you met.

Tired of this, you grabbed Ace’s hand, being the first pick because, well, both Ace and Deuce were right.

ACE TRAPPOLA

The gown was of a cheerful ruby colour, the sleeves were wine and since it was Heartslabyul inspired, had a chess design along with some hearts in the skirt. Your hair was tied in a loose braid, a heart shaped accessory placed in the side.

“Are you that excited to dance with me, Prefect?”

“Deuce was right, you were the first nuisance I met, I thought it was obvious.”

He groaned in embarrassment, recalling the awful treatment he had with you, wishing it would have gone somewhat different.

When he was about to change the subject when your dress changed yet again. You said that that probably was going to happen all night, and that he shouldn’t pay attention to this Barbie style transition.

He definitely doesn’t know what is a Barbie, but he refuses to not pay attention to the dress, teasing you about it, trying to make you blush. That’s where the tables turned and you teased him, making him blush. Great, you broke Ace.

He dances in a messy manner, but he can be serious when he wants to, so I would say it’s a 50/50 final rating.

Sighing at this, you decided it was time to change partners, leaving his hands so you could grab Deuce’s ones. Expect him to be more annoying, maybe even sending Deuce some threatening glares.

DEUCE SPADE

The gown was navy blue, in its majority, a few hints of cerulean peeking up the skirt, the same chess design with some deuces in the corset. Your hair had a bun, it was loose but it didn’t look messy, just a few strands of hair that were out, along with a deuce hairpin.

“You… You look beautiful, Prefect."

“Thank you Deuce, you also look handsome, but… Your face is very red."

It’s because he wasn’t prepared for this. Did his mother tell him what to do when dancing with a girl whose dress magically changes every time she changes partners? No, he’s sure she’s not.

As a fun fact, Deuce’s mother sensed something was going on with her son; when Deuce told her what happened, words couldn’t describe how happy she got.

When he does notice the dress, he stays still, not moving for a few seconds until you bring him back to earth, worried about his sudden redness. MC, please, you’re going to kill the poor boy.

His mother tried to teach him how to dance a few times, so he isn’t that inexperienced as one would think, but the problem is that he’s dancing with you, and that makes things complicated.

He doesn’t know if he should feel relieved or sad when you move to continue dancing with Cater. Maybe both, but it’s not like he can’t say something, he still respects his upperclassman even though he wanted to keep dancing with you.

CATER DIAMOND

The gown was of a bright tangerine, a soft shade of red covering the sleeves. A pattern of diamonds was outlined in the corset, subtly placed on it so it wasn’t too flashy. Your hair resembled his, the top part tied back into a ponytail and the rest hanged straight, curling at the ends.

“If I posted this on Magicam, a lot of people will get super jealous of you!”

“As if, I’m pretty average, I don’t know why someone will get jealous of me."

Your kindness, tolerance, intelligence, looks, should he keep going? There’s a ton of reasons people will envy you, and he means that as a good thing, really; in his eyes you’re the most stunning person to ever exist.

And apparently you can change clothes magically, we can add that to the list as well.

His dancing is playful, but he’s fairly skilled, talking about random things while he swiftly moves one feet after the other.

He resists the impulse of taking his phone out and taking selfies non-stop, not wanting to disturb you or weird you out in such a moment, when in reality you’re pretty chill about it. If only he knew about it, he would have had thousands of pictures of you and your dazzling self.

He only does it when it’s time to swap, posing with you as he takes a quick snap, posting it with the hashtags: #ballroomprincess #howjusthow #thebeautyandthebeauty, and so on.

TREY CLOVER

The gown was pine, the dark shade of green matching with Trey’s. It seemed to be more nature-like, clovers all around it. Your hair was asymmetrical, and it barely touched your shoulders, looking a little spiky, yet it still looked stylish.

“I thought you weren’t allowed to come here. Did Grim drag you, perhaps?"

“It’s a long story, but Grim’s the one that made me stay; by the end of the night there will probably be no food left to eat though."

Which is a shame because he prepared a few desserts, Che’nya suggestion, and he wanted you to try some of them specially to see your sparkling eyes as you took bite after bite. Oh well, it would have to wait until Heartslabyul’s next tea party.

But it seems he’s gotten a new sight, you in a dress that magically changed and it’s now matching with him. He doesn’t ask about it, letting himself enjoy this brief moment with you.

He’s a good dancer, and his tall figure makes him look elegant while he waltzes with you, the atmosphere breaking when you switch to a huffing Riddle.

He sighs, leaving your hand so it would take his dorm leader’s. He starts to wonder how he can pass more time with you, maybe a baking date session would make you accept.

RIDDLE ROSEHEARTS

The gown is scarlet and white, hints of black but mostly to softly outline the roses and the hearts placed on it, looking fairly fancier than the other ones, like his dorm uniform. Your hair was in a bun, velvety like for the little crown that was on top to stay still.

“I… I’m surprised to see you here, Prefect."

“I was surprised as well, but you get accustomed to it… Ah, Riddle, are you alright?”

He can’t control the blush that creeps up his face. He nods, wanting to look at you in the eyes, yet he can’t help but feeling flustered when you tilt your head in confusion, trying to make eye contact.

Sevens, his mother would be so disappointed at this, what would she say if she found her son wasn’t following proper ball manners? And then he remembers that his mother isn’t there, only you, knowing that you didn’t really care about those in the first place, and he doesn’t know if he should feel relieved or frustrated.

When he sees the dress, he stops dancing for a few moments before continuing, finding the explanation weirder than the dress itself. But he has a limited amount of time and he prefers spending it dancing than trying to find the reasoning of this; even he’s surprised by this thought too.

As said before, his mother taught him how to waltz, so he has experience doing it. Now when it comes to the part of actually dancing… He needs to polish it a little, but the knowledge is there.

Speaking of which, he knows it’s over when you have to shift partners, Leona being the next one. His snarky grin he sends at him is almost enough for him to explode, Trey noticing this and immediately trying to calm him down. Perhaps he can include some ball elements to some of his tea parties, definitely not to spend those with you, no no yes.

LEONA KINGSCHOLAR

The gown is of a sand colour, golden details all over it to make it look like it was a royal dress; a satin, brown scarf placed elegantly on your arms. A braided chignon hairstyle made it easier to carry a golden tiara on it.

“You really like being in trouble, huh? I didn’t think you would sneak here, herbivore."

“I like to think that since I come here, I’ve became a Jack in the Box full of surprises, don’t you agree?”

Sure you are, not only you sneaked in here, but you also sneaked your way into your heart. He’s not stupid, and he won’t say you are, but what he can say it’s that you are pretty dense. Well, in your defence, you do know he treats women differently, so how are you supposed to guess the fondness he shows at you?

This is one of the few, rare moments where you get to see a shocked Leona, his eyes widening at remodelling of your dress, tail swinging in glee. You really are a box full of surprises, aren’t you? He doesn’t know what he should say, choosing to stay quiet, enjoying the calmness that you made him feel.

He would never say out loud though. At least, not now.

He has a royal background, so it makes sense that he knows at least the slightest bit of dancing manners, and he shows that while waltzing with you.

The moment doesn’t last long as you start to back up from him in a strange manner, and his eyes soon found out the reason why. He growls at this, that hyena is going to pay it off for the next days. Either way, he would have done it even if he didn’t intervene.

RUGGIE BUCCHI

The gown is of a dark fawn, blonde highlights in the neckline. Compared to Leona’s, this was more wild-like, giving a light, rustic impression. Your hair had a back Dutch braid, the mid-length complementing the whole look.

“Hey, Prefect, didn’t expect to see you here. And to imagine that everyone made a fuss 'bout this, shi shi shi~”

“Yeah, I think everybody thinks the same here. There wasn’t really need for you to use your unique magic, I think Leona got mad at it."

Effectively, he got mad at it and because he stole you. Fair enough, he thinks he can endure a few days of Leona’s working, that meant he got to see you more than him since he would be running his errands.

When he saw the dress, oh boy, man was trying so hard to not blush. The only way to prevent that was by teasing you; just make sure to don’t tease him back, he doesn’t think he can’t handle it.

He knows how to dance, so he’s pretty fluent when waltzing with you, making some accidental mistakes so you would step closer to him. That backfires when you cheekily laugh, and the blush he tried to contain creeped up his face.

Just when he thought you were going to see it, you released him, and he was left holding nothing as you giggled at this reaction, now dancing with his underclassman. He frowned but didn’t want to make you mad by using the same tactic, so he let it be.

JACK HOWL

The gown was pearl, similar to the one you were using earlier except that this one was fancier. The skirt had some light golden designs, a few hints of black on it to contrast. Your hair was tied in a classy ponytail, fluffy and shiny, much like his fur when he’s in his wolf form.

“You could get in trouble for being here, don’t you know that?”

“I’m sorry, do you want me to go?”

Short answer, no. Long answer, he’s very happy that you’re here, literally everyone can tell just by looking at his tail, wagging uncontrollably. If you try to say something about it, he will deny it, even though it’s still wagging.

He can’t dance that well, but he’s trying, and that’s what counts. Besides, it’s not that noticeable, maybe a few stomps on your feet but nothing too serious.

This dress causes him to leave a quiet gasp, mouth agape for a few seconds until his mind tells him that he should ask you why and what was that transformation. You respond sincerely, telling him that you don’t know and that he should just ignore it.

Like hell he’ll be ignoring this, it’s not something you can so easily ignore, but for the sake of his dignity, he will try. Keyword try, begging that you don’t start to ask questions about his state.

Apparently, you heard his pleads, muttering a little ‘goodbye’ as you now danced with Octavinelle’s sly, but nervous, octopus. He sighs, he didn’t mean it like this, but it was something that was meant to happen soon or later. More soon than later.

AZUL ASHENGROTTO

The gown was of a greyish cloud colour, platinum adornments on it that make it look elegant, even though it seemed to approach more of a softer side. A waterfall braid embellishing the 'marine' style look.

“My, if it isn’t the Prefect. I’m greatly surprised to see you here, and I also see you’ve made some major changes in your attire."

“Those aren’t intentional. I swear I don’t know where they’re coming from, but they’re nice, I think."

Nice? That’s how you would describe them? Your sole being is enough for him to lose his businessman composure, and now you do this, this… How did you call it? Barbie transition? No, he wasn’t hearing the conversation you had with Ace, what are you implying?

He’s already having a hard time to not let his façade break down, afraid that you may not like him if he showed any weakness, and that’s when he saw the dress, now matching his outfit. Although he still is smiling, what gives him away is the huge blush and his subtle coughing, trying to convince himself that he can still talk to you normally, like every other day.

Until he remembers that you don’t usually talk while waltzing, and that is enough for him to sigh in relief, now focusing in not stepping over your feet because of his nervousness.

He knows how to dance, it’s just because of the nerves and the feeling of your curious eyes staring up at him.

A tall figure places himself next to him, and he doesn’t need to look up to know who is, slightly refusing to let you go. Yet he knows that it would not end well for him; the mischievous eel would definitely use this as teasing material. He figures he can make a dance night in the Lounge, only you and him.

JADE LEECH

The gown was teal, and it seemed to be made of a shiny material, some purple laces tied on it as it had a tight and long bow on the left side. You portrayed a half up left side braid, clearly resembling his long streak of dark-grey hair framing his left side.

“You look marvellous tonight, Prefect; may it be because of your presence or your magical dress?”

“Very funny. Obviously, it’s the dress. The one that I didn’t know had magical properties when I bought it, but thanks for noting my presence."

Wrong. The dress certainly was a boost to your natural charming nature, but saying that was the only cause of your fascinating self would be an understatement, after all, the main thing Jade and Floyd finds fascination in is how interesting is the person in question, and for him to have romantic feelings for you? With that you can already imagine what he thinks of you.

He waits for the moment your dress changes, and when it does he leaves an amused chuckle. But surprisingly enough, he doesn’t say anything about it, rather enjoying your reactions at it and your comforting company.

He excels at dancing, even making it more difficult for you to keep the pace, and yet again an entertained noise leaves his mouth. He slows down a little, not wanting to exhaust you, as your next partner would be his energetic twin.

Speaking of the devil, he can’t wait for much longer, whining to you both that he wants to dance with you. He leaves no room for complaints, and so you are separated from Jade, who finds this situation more than lively. If Azul ever decides to tell him about his idea of the dance night in the Lounge, he would be more than delighted to share some of his suggestions.

FLOYD LEECH

This gown was the twin of Jade's, also teal and shiny, the purple bow now sided on the right, now messier and easy looking. Your hair is, again, in a half up right-side braid. Similar to the concept of the dark-grey streak of hair on his right side.

“Shrimpy~! Why didn’t you tell me that you were here? We could have passed more time together~!”

“Sorry Floyd, my mind was a bit of a mess before I got here. But I’m here now, doesn’t that make you happy?”

He lets out a cute: "yay~!" And you are wondering how someone can be so adorable and so frightening at the same time, as his pout quickly disappeared after your kind-hearted question.

He has the same train thought that his brother, and waits for your dress to change. He’s a little disappointed when he sees it at first, I mean, doesn’t it look the same? Until he notices those small details that allure to his right side highlight, and his smile widens so much you can even see his back teeth.

His Shrimpy surely knows how to make him happy! How is he supposed to stop smiling so widely when you can become more interesting by the second? Be warned, this man wouldn’t let you in peace after this, but that applies to almost everything that you do, because for him everything you do can be interesting. Even if they’re not, he would make them interesting just by joining you.

His dancing is… Different. It’s not ballroom dance, that’s for sure, but why should he follow such boring rules when he can have fun spinning you? And you agree to some level, but your stomach doesn’t.

He pouts when you try to change, expressively refusing to let you go. He only agrees to when you say you would pass more time with him after, most likely hovering over you the rest of the night. A true Octavinelle student.

KALIM AL ASIM

The gown was of a really light and shiny yellow, almost looking like it was made of gold, softly transitioning to a silver white in the sleeves and neckline. Your hair had a braided crown, a turban like his slightly covering it.

“I’m glad you’re here Prefect! I was going to throw a ball for you since I thought you would miss this one!”

“There’s no need for that Kalim, but I appreciate the gesture. You’re very sweet."

You think he’s sweet?

Now nothing is stopping him now from actually throwing a ball in your honour. He usually doesn’t think much when it comes to give you gifts and hosting parties for you, no selfish intention behind it, but if this makes you say that he’s sweet again? He doesn’t have any second thoughts about it, much to Jamil’s annoyance.

When he sees the dress he exclaims a loud ‘wow’, like really loud, he even stops dancing for a couple of seconds because of the initial shock. He didn’t know you could do this, MC, this is awesome! Oh, you didn’t do it? It doesn’t matter, it’s still awesome and nothing can change his mind.

He knows how to dance, and surprisingly, he takes it seriously. His steps are firm, contrasting with his saccharine smile.

He sees Jamil aside, a slight frown as he keeps his gaze locked on the floor, and he decides it’s time to change partners, making you do a twirl and practically throwing you at Jamil’s arm, giving him a thumbs up. He can dance with you later when you come to Scarabia, and by later is tomorrow! He’s just too excited!

JAMIL VIPER

The gown was black, little touches of a flaming red on it, mostly placed on the sleeves to emphasize a fire-like emblem, a golden snake tracing your waist gracefully. A braided bun with a large lock of hair standing on the side of your face, similar to his.

“Aren’t you tired? I’m sure all this dancing is exhausting for you."

“I’m fine, this is better than watching soap operas alone while Grim sleeps. His snores are so loud I can’t enjoy the drama."

Watching what? We all know Jamil isn’t much of a trendy and he doesn’t follow the latest entertainment, so he’s confused when you explain this to him. That doesn’t mean he isn’t intrigued, maybe if he wasn’t so busy he could watch this soap operas with you, only if you want to though; his worst nightmare is making you uncomfortable.

The transition has him even more confused, and he hopes he had his hoodie right now to hide his face in it, not wanting to embarrass himself in front of you because of that stupid cute blush. He asks about it, and he sighs when you told him the story we already know, already expecting something like this, it’s you who we’re talking about after all.

He’s an A+ dancer, and the great thing about dancing with him is that he understands you can’t follow his moves and accustoms to your moves, making you feel at ease and welcomed.

When he spins you, Pomefiore’s house warden takes your hand in his, now taking the position as your current partner. He leaves a bothered noise, awkwardly staring at you and the Magicam star.

VIL SCHOENHEIT

The gown was black, a violet robe placed on it in a similar fashion like Vil's, the most outstanding feature being its length. Your hair had a side French braid up-do, a tilted golden tiara on it.

“It seems that you’ve finally taken my fashion suggestion, potato."

“The answer may disappoint you, Vil, but this is not my doing. Although it’s fancy, it can’t rival yours."

He can’t agree with that; sure, he’s dressed elegantly and his makeup is perfectly done, but that doesn’t mean you’re inferior than him. You’re one of the few people that don’t have the title of potato in his head, even though he has it like a nickname for you, but he sees it as an endearing term and he low-key hopes you see it as well. He never really understood the concept of inner beauty before meeting you, now getting its meaning.

Vil’s a professional actor, so he only shows the slightest hint of surprise when your dress changes. His blush isn’t a noticeable one, and even if it was, he could have just said that it was a new product, knowing you would believe him. He finds your naïve nature confusing; Neige is naïve, and that bothers him, because he’s Neige, but when it comes to you is just… Endearing.

You’ve practiced with him quite a few times, using it as an excuse to see you since he was pretty busy with the clothing arrangement the week prior to the ball, not really expecting to actually dance with you.

You spot the astute hunter behind him; deciding it was time to change, he reluctantly released you, his face betraying as he scoffed at this, softly enough so you wouldn’t hear it.

ROOK HUNT

The gown was of an iris purple, a short, red cape hovering over your shoulders, looking a lot like a hunter's cape, a black neckline completing the Pomefiore’s colour palette. Your hair was wavy, bob styled, matching with Rook's.

“Quelle beauté! Your beauty is nothing I can ever compare, for it is so endearing that my heart flutters at this magnifique sight!”

“Wow, I… I don’t know what to say— Thank you, Rook. That’s one of the most beautiful things you’ve said to me, and I encounter you every single day."

You really think so? Then you should listen to his poetry; dozens of poems dedicated solely to you placed neatly in his drawer, ready for you to read them, or, even better, he can read them to you! He recites them every time he thinks about you, so he knows them by heart.

He’s great at acting, but why should he act when he’s genuinely happy of having you this close? He doesn’t see the appeal in it, he wants you to see how much appreciation he has for you, continuing to spill carefully planned comments, even forgetting about the fact that your dress has just magically transformed. The hovering attention has you stuttering, and he leaves a content sigh at your reaction, basking in your cuteness.

He’s the vice dorm leader of Pomefiore, he knows how to dance, and his gracefulness is something you did expect from him, so there’s no surprises in this part.

He doesn’t put a fight when you have to switch to your next partner, only making a dramatic sight and saying something corny like: "may fate reunite us again." Rook, you’re going to see MC tomorrow, calm down.

EPEL FELMIER

The gown was lavender, an apple red cloak covering your bare shoulders, the interior being of a velvety black. Your hair was tied in a low, twisted ponytail, some golden apple hairpins on the side.

“Ya’ look very pretty… I mean, you look great, Prefect!”

“Thank you Epel, but you know that you don’t have to hide the accent when you’re with me, right?”

He forgets how thoughtful you are, how he doesn’t have to act like the perfect boy Vil wants him to be, and how you don’t think of him as weak just because of his feminine looks. He’s thankful for that— Correction, he’s thankful for you.

He maybe in Pomefiore, but he has no acting skills, backing off you for a few seconds because of the surprise, immediately recovering from it upon seeing your confused expression. He didn’t mean it as a bad reaction, he saw it before, but he still doesn’t know why or how you do this, only to receive the explanation that you aren’t the one changing your dress, jokingly telling him that if you could do that you wouldn’t be broke. Sad facts, MC, sad facts.

He’s an average dancer. He’s had so many, so many classes with Vil graved in his skull, but not on his body, so he constantly looks at his feet and even like that he makes some mistakes, but nothing you can’t correct.

It was hard to switch partners this time, only because Ignihyde’s gloomy dorm leader was hidden in the crowd. When you did spot him, you had to make your best try at making it as smooth as possible, waving Epel goodbye, who in return waved you as well, being too nervous to actually protest.

IDIA SHROUD

The gown was indigo, the dark colour combining both of Ignihyde's characteristic style, adding some sapphire elements so it would look a little more "futuristic". Your hair had a classic half up-do, the volume matching with Idia's flame hair.

“How did you—? Forget it, of course it’s something the main character would do."

“Aww, you think I’m the main character?”

And now his hair is combusting into pink flames. Good job MC.

He can’t believe he actually lived long enough to see you like this, and what’s worse better, you spotted him and wanted to dance with him. Is there some kind of manual for situations like this?

Maybe he should ask in a forum. Wait, is something he can actually ask? There’s a ton of questions and no answers, but those thoughts disappear when seeing you change of dress and hairstyle yet again.

His dancing skills are… Non-existing. This man doesn’t dance. You have to guide him in the entire waltz, and it’s difficult because he’s standing there, officially classifying as a rock.

You see his younger brother besides, and you can’t help but changing with him, wanting to have a bonding moment with the little boy. Idia froze in place, mind racing with thoughts of what could he have done to scare you— Oh, you’re dancing with Ortho, now he’s at ease.

ORTHO SHROUD

This one was a short dress, knee-length; it was lapis, layers of a translucent fabric covering the skirt, looking slightly lighter in colour. Your hair was simpler this time, a short and cute cut with a blue flame hair accessory.

“Hello MC! I’m happy you’re here, and thank you for dancing with my brother. He seems much livelier now!”

“Really? That’s nice to hear. Idia’s not the type to go to these events, so I’m happy if you both are happy!”

He knows about his brother’s crush on you, and honestly speaking, Idia’s the one that has a huge advantage against everyone else: He has a cute brother sorry Leech, you're cute too, but c'mon, he's Ortho who wants him to be happy. I’m sorry everyone, this is the truth.

This was actually pretty fun. His short height made it easier for you if you're tall, sorry, can't relate to dance with him, and although he’s a robot, he can dance fairly well, giggling when you spin him.

He stops and says that it’s time to switch, according to the data he’s recollected during the night, and because a dragon-fae is waiting just behind you.

MALLEUS DRACONIA

The gown was all black, the only other colour it had was a bright green, seen in the hem of the cape and the large lace that was tied in your waist. Your hair had a twisted royal bun, a dark crown over it with some black diamonds, outshining the hairstyle itself.

“You always manage to amuse me, Child of Man. May you join me in this dance?”

“Your old-fashioned talking amuses me too, Tsunotarou, so let me try… It would be a pleasure, noble gentleman."

The giggle that leaves your mouth after saying those words is music to his ears, holding you in such a fragile manner as if you were porcelain. When he does start waltzing, his eyes focus on yours and only yours; being with you like this makes him forget everything else, choosing to rather enjoy your presence and the warmth that it comes with it.

The dress does break his concentration, fixating his gaze on it for a few seconds before his eyes return to his initial position. It’s not that he doesn’t think you don’t look enchanting, you always do, but even if you wore a potato sack to the ball he would still think of you as his goddess. That’s how much he loves you.

He’s an exceptional dancer; he grew up in a royal environment after all, often practicing with his grandmother and Lilia, but he’s willing to slow down for you. And that’s when his mind wanders about dancing with you at night, the moonlight covering your smooth skin as you both dance till your feet hurt and— Where are you?

It seems he let himself out of guard and now you’re dancing with… His overseer. Did— Did Lilia just stole his Child of Man? DID LILIA JUST STOLE HIS CHILD OF MAN—?

He calms down, knowing that making a scene is considered rude, and so the only thing he can do is… Pout. So he’s now a sad and pouting dragon-fae.

LILIA VANROUGE

The gown was of an opaque magenta, the top being black with some leather belts tied on it. Your hairstyle was asymmetrical, mid-length with a resemblance to his own, some of it flipping upwards, looking like small horns.

“It’s endearing to see you here, dear. I was thinking of even bringing you with me~”

“Thank you for not doing it, I don’t think I can endure another flying session…”

That’s a shame, he loves when you cling onto him like your life depends on it, and it low-key does, but there’s nothing to worry about! He would never drop you or let you fall, not even him would joke like that.

He recognizes the type of magic that is causing this, and lo and behold he takes a glimpse at the hidden fairy behind you. He chuckles, not saying a thing to let the show continue, but he’s really intrigued by how you managed to get the attention of such a shy creature, soon remembering that of course it was attracted by you, everyone in this room could say the same.

He’s a good dancer, but he chooses to make it more fun by elevating you a few meters off the floor. You cling onto him, telling him to stop doing that as you slowly tried to reach the marble ground.

When it’s time to change, he spins you dramatically, and you fall right into the arms of the drowsy Diasomnia knight, who woke up at the sudden impact.

SILVER

The gown was white, some simple and silver patterns on it, maybe from a knight's armour. Your hair had a flower braid, specifically a rose, cascading down like a waterfall.

“Prefect…? Are you okay? You look a bit exhausted."

“I’m fine, Silver, sorry to wake you up this way, it wasn’t my intention."

He doesn’t mind if you are the one waking him up, and it’s not like this is the first time it has happened either; your clumsy friends always manage to make you fall, and conveniently for you, he’s there, be it catching you or cushioning your fall, but once again, he doesn’t mind.

If he’s being honest, he didn’t pay attention to the dress nor the hairstyle you were wearing at first, and how it magically transformed every time you changed partners, so this background leads him to make a baffled expression, mostly because he isn’t the greatest at showing emotions. He mutters some compliments, but the echoing walls don’t let you hear what he’s saying, much to his invisible frustration.

He’s a calm dancer, and it’s very much like dancing in a fairy forest, animals surrounding you as you continue to be invested in the harmonious waltz.

But that moment breaks when the last boy complains under his breath, probably because he was the only one that hadn’t had his dance with you, and with an apologetic smile, you go to him. He sighs, trying to stay awake, but failing at the end as his breathing regulates in his sleep.

SEBEK ZIGVOLT

The gown was lime, some parts had a darker green and others had subtle white highlights. Your hair was now straight, twirling slightly at the ends, which touched your covered neck.

“I’ll give my all in this dance, human!”

“I know, Sebek. You always give your all in everything you do~”

Are you trying to use the same tactics you’ve used to seduce Lord Malleus? That won’t work, human! He’s not weak to your charming smile and lovely eyes, he must stay alert to guard his master from any threats!

Less to say that is a terrible lie; he’s head over heels for you, but can’t express it, not even when the transformation happens for the last time, the enchanting dress and enticing hairstyle had him in a state of shock for five to ten seconds, and when he snaps out of it he wants aka sort of demands to know what’s the meaning of this. He shuts up after hearing that you also don’t know, feeling bad for all the shouting.

He’s a vigorous dancer. His moves are more energetic compared to the others, but not enough that you grow tired of it.

Since Sebek was the last one you were supposed to dance with, you sigh in relief, maybe you can finally rest and maybe even enjoy the rest of the night-

“Prefect! What is the meaning of this?” Here it comes, the problem you wanted to evade.

"Crowley! Hello! I was just, uh…” You tried to think of an excuse that made sense, even if you knew that everything you said would be a futile attempt to get out of the situation.

“She was making sure everything went perfectly; she helped with the organisation, after all," Azul declared, him and the eels hiding your figure behind theirs.

“It’s our fault she’s here, we insisted she stayed," Riddle added, unconsciously joining the barricade, as well as the other Heartslabyul students.

“I appreciate the worrying, but I explicitly said that she nor Grim could take part in this ball."

“She helped with it, and for her to not be part of it was an act of unfairness," said Malleus, his cold glare sending shivers down the spine of the kind headmaster.

“I understand your position, Mister Draconia. But—“ You went out, standing in front of Crowley.

“Guys, it’s okay, I’ll take Grim and then we would return to Ramshackle." Before they could even start complaining, a different voice joined the conversation.

“My, what is this commotion?” The Royal Sword Academy headmaster: Ambrose the 63rd, asked. “Oh, you must be the prefect I’ve been hearing a lot about, it’s nice to meet you," he presented himself, and you did the same, somewhat intimidated of him.

“It’s nice to meet you too, sir. My name’s MC, and I know I shouldn’t be here, but I assure you I was about to leave—"

“Leave? Who said anything about that?” Your face shifted into a confused expression.

“I was told that some parents had a problem with me and Grim participating of this ball, so that’s why I thought that—"

His amused laugh shut you up, baffled at this action. “Yes, that’s correct, but it would be cruel to send you home after you made all the way here."

“Headmaster! The parents solicited—"

“I know, Crowley. But they’re not here, and this young lady has the right to enjoy the same things as their classmates. There shouldn’t be any problem since this is a private event."

“But I—"

“You heard that MC!? He said you can stay!” Kalim exclaimed, smile widening due to the excitement.

“It seems that's the case." You said, turning around to the man that helped you, bowing before him in gratefulness. “Thank you, Mr. Ambrose”.

“No worries, dear. Now if you let me, I have to talk some important things with your headmaster." Both of them walked away, Crowley’s shocked expression still placed on his face.

It seems that happy endings do exist in the real life, and if you’re wondering where did the little fairy go… Well, she changed your dress again to the initial gown you wore at first, except that it was more of her liking, with huge bows and puffy sleeves.

But the rest, as some say, it’s history.

THE END~

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EVERY CHARACTER BELONGS TO DISNEY AND YANA TOBOSO, AND I DON'T TAKE CREDIT FOR THEM.