#Kyusbow

[kyu-piddy]

Sweet Strawberry Delight

An: Holy crap… this got way longer than I thought it would. This started as a very small drabble all the way back in December 2023, but then it spiraled into what it is now. Don’t ya just love reframing canon events as things revolving around the reader? I do :3

Ps: This piece has some slight angst, but a happy ending.

Gn Reader x Riddle

Trigger warnings: Controlling parents

4k words

Riddle clearly remembered the first time he saw you.

It was one of his very first outings with Trey and Chenya, when he was but a small child.

They had invited him to a croquet match in a park near Trey’s house, and he couldn’t be more excited, spending hours poring over a rule book he had found stashed away in a shelf.

But when they arrived at the park, all of his thoughts changed to you.

A being covered in mud, grass and leaves stuck to your clothes, disheveled hair pointing to every direction.

You gave him a bright smile, a gap from a missing tooth breaking the streak of white, something he couldn’t quite decipher glimmering in your eyes.

Riddle blinked. If his mother ever saw you, she would be sure to give you the reprimand of your life. He himself felt rather taken aback by your appearance.

You were… wrong. Every single part of you was like a cosmic horror, beyond anything that he could ever fathom.

You stretched your hand out to him, mud caking your nails and palm, seemingly a mockery of a polite greeting.

He looked down at your hand, then at your face, shy reluctance seeping into his face.

If he had been any older, he would have rejected you and your kindness.

But he wasn’t, so he too broke out into a smile, albeit a small one, and shook your hand back.

On that afternoon, Riddle learned how to play croquet.

You were a much better player than he, but his inability didn’t bother you. The mistakes he made didn’t fuel a fire of rage in you, fueling instead a calm stream of perseverance.

At the end of the match, when the sun began to give signs it would soon go to rest, you approached him with a gift.

It wasn’t quite a gift per say, but more of a small offering of friendship.

In your palm, a small white and pink wrapping rested, protecting a sickly sweet trap.

“I can’t eat that. It’s bad for you.” he remembered saying, a sad tilt to his voice.

“I think it’s only bad for you if you eat too much of it. Here, look.”

You took another wrapping out of your pocket, deftly unwrapping the pink and white and leaving only a red square that you promptly popped into your mouth.

“See? It didn’t do anything bad to me.”

You extended the candy to him once again.

He could have not taken it. Refuse the sweet temptation and keep his perfect streak of health.

Riddle took it from your hand, taking the candy into his mouth and chewing slowly.

The taste of strawberry filled his senses, drowning out his mothers reprimands from his mind. Never had something tasted so sweet as this secret act of rebellion.

“So, do you like it?”

“Yes. It's really sweet!”

Another wrapped delight graced your hand, quickly being shoved into his pocket.

“Keep this one for later. It’s our little secret.” you murmured conspiratorially, not even letting Trey or Chenya hear the both of you. The extra red square was for him, and only for him.

As he rushed home, Riddle kept thinking of you, strawberry in his mouth and on his mind.

Hopefully, he would see you again.

…

The day everything went wrong didn’t start out as such.

He had once again sneaked out during his time of self studying, a moment of stolen freedom that made his world so much sweeter.

The park where the four of you played was always filled with new possibilities, the little time he got there never seeming enough to satiate his curious mind.

It was a bright day, fluffy clouds littering the vast blue sky, passing your little group by like strangers waving goodbye.

“Let’s cloud gaze!”

You lied on the ground as you said so, letting your head hit the soft grass.

Riddle looked down at your face.

“Won’t we get dirty if we lay on the grass?”

“We’ll be fine. We just have to be careful. Come on! It’s really cool, Riddle.”

He sat down by your side, blades of grass tickling his body.

“Have you ever gone cloud gazing?”

He shook his head.

You let out a loud gasp, turning to the side to look him in the eyes.

“It’s really fun! You just have to look up at the clouds and figure out the shapes they make. Like that one for example! It looks like a rabbit.”

He squinted his eyes. Truthfully, it only looked like an amorphous blob.

“It looks cloud shaped to me.” he replied.

“That’s because you aren’t looking hard enough. You have to really look.”

On that afternoon, Riddle learned how to cloud gaze.

Finding shapes in the ever changing clouds wasn’t his forte, but your finds were always delightful.

As the sky became less blue and more orange, cloud gazing was abandoned in favor of a strawberry tart Trey had brought.

The four of you indulged on it giddily, messily eating every last crumb.

Frosting stuck to the corner of his lips, your soft hand gingerly cleaning it off.

But it all came crashing down as an angry figure stomped over the grass and flowers, disgust evident on their face as a bit of mud dirtied their shoes.

A cold voice echoed in the almost empty park, Riddle's heart dropping to the floor and splattering into tiny pieces.

“Riddle! I cannot believe this!”

Her angry glare terrified all four of you, each step she took getting her closer and closer to the small group of children.

“Mother, I’m so sorry! I’m really sorry!”

Riddle cried, warm tears streaming down his face and cleaning any remnant of the tart he had just indulged in.

Riddle’s mother grabbed his arm, dragging him towards her with unexpected strength.

“We’re going home now. And you hooligans, how dare you incite my son to participate in these dangerous behaviors?! I will have a stern talk with your parents, as they seem to have forgotten to raise their children as respectable members of society.”

She turned back around, iron grip on her crying son's arm, his tear stricken eyes widened in fear.

Riddle had turned back to his friends, their terrified faces mirroring his.

Your ever smiling face was now devoid of any warmth, fear pooling in your eyes, mouth slightly open, whatever words that would have been spoken stuck in your throat.

More tears welled up in his eyes, as his friends' figures got smaller and smaller.

A small pink and white wrapping fell from his pocket, being promptly crushed by his mothers foot.

…

For years, you had remained but a distant memory on the back of Riddle’s mind, strawberry flavored snippets of a time he could never truly forget, for as much as his rational mind told him he should.

His mother had identified Trey's parents and given them a piece of her mind, but she couldn’t identify yours.

At least you had been spared of that.

He thought he’d never see any of you again, but destiny had decided otherwise, as on his first year at NRC, he reencountered the people who had once made his days so sweet.

Trey was part of his dorm, a dependable upper classmate and his vice dorm leader.

Chenya studied at RSA, close enough for Riddle to see him at every inter school event.

And you…

At the tail end of his first year, as summer came knocking and the strawberry bushes in Heartslabyul sat heavy with fruit, he received a letter from his mother, bringing with it Riddle's most dreaded topic.

Marriage.

His mother had found someone she deemed appropriate for him. Someone who she believed to be a good match to his career prospects.

As summer vacation rolled around, a meeting was in order. His mother would observe it, and decide if she had truly found the correct person for Riddle.

Strangely, Riddle felt reticent. He knew his mother was the most correct, the one who always knew what was best for him. But part of him ached to make this decision on his own, a small rebellious voice tugging at the back of his brain.

He merely ignored it, letting his rational thoughts drown it.

On the day of the meeting, Riddle sat on a plush chair in his intended’s tea room, his mother sitting nearby.

A man entered the room, tall and imposing, followed by a smaller person.

The man sat in front of his mother, while the smaller person sat in front of him.

Perfume tickled his nostrils, a sweet intoxicating scent.

As his mother and the father of his intended spoke to each other, the person in front of him managed to whisper a secret.

“It’s been a long time, Riddle.”

Your voice had changed, becoming more mature and wiser, but the kindness that seeped through was the same, as warm as the day he had met you.

Even your eyes were the same, a playful twinkle that shone brighter when you looked at him still decorating your gaze.

At the end of the meeting, your parents shook hands, an agreement being reached, and you and him did the same.

In between your palms, a small square rested, surprising Riddle.

As you retracted your hand, he held the secret object tight in between his fingers.

When his mother was not looking, he peered at the mysterious square.

Pink and white stared back at him, unchanged by time.

…

That summer was perfumed by your presence.

Where once he had spent his days bent over his desk, book after book studied in great detail, he now spent them studying you instead.

Various outings were arranged for the two of you to get to know each other, strolls along gardens, afternoon teas, candlelit dinners, and many more.

As you both walked languidly through a park, warm wind caressing your hair and clothes, Riddle couldn’t help but inspect you.

You looked much too happy whenever you were with him, happiness that he had only ever seen in children.

You glanced at his face, smiling contently as his eyes met yours, Riddle quickly looking away to evade your gaze.

Suddenly, your feet carried you faster through the dirt path as you broke into a slow run.

“Look!”

Excitement laced your voice as you pointed to a croquet court up ahead.

“Let’s go play!”

Excitedly, you grabbed his hands, tugging him towards the court.

“I don’t believe croquet is an appropriate courtmanship activity.”

“Just this once won’t be so bad. Come on, Riddle!”

You kept tugging his arm with vigor, undeterred by decency or common sense.

Riddle wasn’t so easily swayed as he had been as a child. Naturally, he could say no to you.

In a matter of moments, he was holding a croquet mallet, standing on the field, observing your dexterity at the game.

Time had only sharpened your skills, while his hadn’t flourished quite as much.

Even so, as much as he did not want to admit it, it was fun, glimpses of his childhood happiness resurfacing as he once more competed against you in an elicit croquet match.

“I win!”

A victorious cheer erupted from your lips as you sat down on the grass, letting the mallet fall by your side.

“You played really well too, Riddle.”

“I did not. My skill is far from being on par with yours.”

Frowning, you motioned for him to approach you, pulling him down to the ground with you as soon as he was close enough.

Riddle felt his cheeks warm up, a furious red crawling up his body and tinting his face.

As his eyes met yours, the heat melted from his face, your saddened eyes and half smile a balm to his irritation.

“I’m sorry, Riddle.”

“For what?”

“For everything you went through. For everything you are going through.”

“I’m not going through anything. My life is adequate.”

Your smile dropped, and you turned your face to the sky, as if afraid to look him in the eye.

Riddle felt his heart squeeze. He had no motive to be sad. His life was indeed adequate.

His grades, his meals, his friends, his betrothed, his future were all perfectly correct, handpicked by his mother or influenced by his mothers teachings, a mother he knew to be the epitome of perfection.

The weight in his heart was unfounded, irrational. He only needed to keep following his mothers rule and he’d be happy.

“That cloud looks like a rabbit, don’t you think so?”

You pointed to a vagrant cloud above the both of you.

It was unfair. How could the moments he shared with you, unchained by expectations and presumed perfection, sweeten the bitterness in his heart?

Following your outstretched arm, he found the supposedly rabbit shaped cloud.

He still couldn’t discern any sort of shape evolving from the cloud, but part of him wanted to. He wanted to see the world through your eyes, feel that guiltless happiness that had stained your eyes and voice for as long as he had known you.

“I can’t quite make out such a shape from that one. Perhaps if I… look at another one I’ll be able to.”

Your eyes met, words unnecessary, a silent understanding being reached, your hand on the ground, palm facing up, an invite sent with gestures.

An invite he accepted, fingers interlocked shyly.

Riddle closed his eyes, his heart beating rapidly, any weight there temporarily lifted.

A smile bloomed on his face.

…

After all those years, Riddle had returned to his childhood habit, but instead of stolen moments playing with his friends, now he was encouraged to spend time with you.

Time with you was addicting. You were always happy to see him, smiling gleefully and eager to take him on a new adventure.

He felt guilty, his mother’s angry gaze burned into his very core, a warning to the reality that could transpire if she ever found out the things he had been participating in.

However, any fear that hid at the back of his mind was supplanted by your sheer presence.

One night, both your parents called for a meeting.

Four people sat in his mother’s study, expressions closely guarded.

Riddle sat in front of you, side by side with his mother. You sneaked him a wink, highly improper.

He gave you a small nod in return, almost imperceptible.

“I believe that our children have already spent enough time together for a decision to be reached, Mrs. Rosehearts.”

His mother sat upright on uncomfortable metal disguised as a chair, sharp eyes dissecting your father.

“I believe so too, Mr. ___.

Your face was indecipherable, as if the conversation was disappearing from your mind as soon as it entered.

The adults spent the next hour discussing the details of your future marriage.

After finishing college, you were to be wed and move to a house owned by your father. Riddle would study magical medicine. You would study magical engineering.

The words kept coming, and Riddle’s dread kept growing.

This was just how things were. This was the best path for his life.

As the details were settled, the adults shook their hands, and everyone got up to go have dinner.

You spent the dinner playing with your food, his mother side eyeing you, yet you didn’t seem to even register her flaming gaze.

After all the courses were served, you excused yourself. Five, then ten, then fifteen minutes passed, your visage still missing from the table, worrying Riddle.

Excusing himself, he searched for you.

Searching through the house yielded no results, the garden being the next logical step.

The quiet lull of the night stretched far, flowers and bushes dipped in darkness, his own feet shrouded in mystery.

A small noise captured his attention, leading him to a big rose bush hiding your form.

You sat perfectly still, just as you had during the dinner, hands tucked underneath your knees, wide eyes and closed mouth.

He sat by your side, not knowing what to do. It wasn’t part of his vocabulary, “not knowing what to do”, but this time he truly was lost.

“I always dreamed of my wedding as a little kid. I was a bit of a romantic, after all.”

Your voice came out as a whisper, trembling words uttered in fear.

“I dream of far away places, where I could be… free. I thought that as I grew older, I would have options. Real options. Yet, here I am.”

Silence settled between the two of you.

“We should probably go back.”

You got up after uttering those words, your eyes never meeting his.

As you walked back inside, Riddle sat on the ground for a little longer, watching your back grow smaller.

The pain in his heart, a constant prick he had learned to ignore, had grown and grown until he no longer had a heart, but instead thousands of small pieces.

For once in his life, he had seen your eyes, sparkless, hopeless.

If you, who was so sweet and full of life, had your flame burned out, how could he hope to ever be happy by following your ways?

It was time for him to face the truth. His mother was right. The only way to live was to follow the rules.

…

Going back to NRC was a return to form.

He was once again in control of himself, of his surroundings. He’d make sure the rules were followed to perfection.

The reason he was unhappy was because he was surrounded by troublemakers, dissidents of the very laws that made life adequate, people who couldn’t appreciate the perfect order of things just as the Queen of Hearts had defined.

Slowly but surely, he was getting closer to the ideal, to a dorm filled with exclusively rule followers like him.

And yet, happiness still evaded him, like a cloud passing by, something to be appreciated from afar and never to be held.

It was unfair. Why did those around him, troublemakers, rule breakers, appear so happy? How could they be so happy?

You had once been like them, consumed by your own folly, the end to such presumed happiness a bitter pill to swallow, but a necessary one.

Because that happiness wasn’t real happiness.

It couldn’t be.

For if your way was the true key to the joy Riddle so coveted, that meant his mother was wrong, that the path he had been forced to forge would never lead him to what deep down he desired the most.

Day in and day out he kept at his mission with fervor.

He would punish a tart thief.

He would punish those that disrupted an unbirthday party.

He would show to the rambunctious first year duo that they were no match for him.

No one was.

Something was thrown at him. An egg, broken into tiny pieces, flakes of the shell on the floor and on his face, the gooey center slipping down his face.

How dare they?! How dare the ungrateful brats not listen to him?! How dare Trey tell him that he’s wrong! He was always right!

Everything turned black. Inky tendrils obscured his vision, melding into his body, wet and warm like spilled blood.

Rage like he had never felt before engulfed him, screaming inside his mind, coloring his world in pain and grief.

He wanted to hurt those around him. Those that failed him.

From the corner of his eye, a figure emerged, brighter than the ever encompassing darkness.

Deep in his overblot, Riddle saw you.

Memories of his childhood. Memories of your summer together. Memories he wasn’t sure if they were real or imagined.

He had spent so much of his life following rules, believing they would be the key to his happiness. His mother was happy. Wasn’t she?

But you… you weren’t happy following the rules imposed on you. You were the happiest going at the beat of your own drum, yet everyone had stifled you.

Riddle too, had tried to stifle you countless times, pluck you from the happy bubble you had made for yourself, until eventually he had succeeded.

The arranged marriage had been the final straw for you, taking away your very way of being, and he was to blame.

Riddle cried. For himself. For you. For his friends. For the life he could have lived.

In the darkness, a hand reached out.

“Hey, Riddle, want to go cloud gazing?”

A child’s voice echoed through the world of blot, some of the ink receding like it had been burnt.

Opening his eyes, he saw you, back when you were kids.

“Are you sure you want to go cloud gazing with me? I cannot discern anything special in the clouds. I will only sadden you and destroy who you are! ___, YOU CAN’T LET ME DESTROY YOU!”

He screamed at you, tears and snot making it hard to breathe.

You merely smiled, turning into your present self.

One hand in your pocket, you took out a white and pink wrapping, extending your hand to him.

“It’s only bad for you if you eat too much of it. Will you share this one with me?”

Grabbing the square from your hand, Riddle slowly unpeeled the wrapping, the small red square in his hand smelling of strawberries.

“I… If you let me, I’d like to.”

With a soft smile, you hugged him.

“I’ll meet you out there, Riddle.”

The darkness, as if it had a mind of its own, receded, leaving only a bright white light.

…

“Riddle! How are you doing?”

“I’m… well. How are you,___?”

Riddle sat in front of you, a small smile adorning his features.

You smiled back, sparkles in your eyes, hands carefully holding a cup of steaming hot tea.

“I’m doing fine.”

Silence stretched between you both, the lull of conversation from other bakery goers filling the void.

Words were to be exchanged if either of you would let them free, but the fear of breaking such pure silence held your tongues back.

“I came here as fast as I could.” you started, a careful tone to your sentence.

“Why did you send that letter to my father? Why did you break off our engagement?”

You asked sincerely, your smile dropped and your brow slightly frowned.

Riddle stared into his cup, watching the liquid swirl impatiently.

“Sometimes the rules aren’t correct.”

He started, not daring to look you in the eye, lest that sparkle that lit his days be gone once more.

“The path we must take isn’t always the one that was laid down for us. Even if the rules deem it so, they too aren’t always right. I…” the next words out of his mouth made his cheeks mimic his hair, a game of imitation that did not please him “I care much too strongly for you to force you to spend the rest of your life with me. I’d wish for it to be by your own choice.”

Lifting his head up, he faced your pensive gaze, expression lacking any substantial emotion.

With the meal over, Riddle paid and led you outside.

Small snowflakes danced in the wind, falling on clothes and eyelashes and wherever else it could.

The dying light of the sun caressed both your faces, melting the snowflakes faster than you could catch them with your tongue.

You turned to him, smiling, brushing a stray hair from his face

“Thank you so much. You’re great, Riddle.”

Riddle held his breath as your soft lips met his.

Sweetness invaded his senses, from your taste to your scent, the lingering taste of strawberries intoxicating to his mind and body.

His widened eyes slowly closed to match yours, hands stiffly by his side.

Faster than he hoped, the kiss was over.

Both your faces were flushed, the cold of the seasons and the warmth of a first kissing giving such a distinct coloration.

You held his gloved hand in yours, eyes locked to his, fireworks in his heart and hopefully in yours too.

At that moment, no one else existed in the world. Nothing could hurt him, as long as he was by your side.

And in that cold late autumn night, as his heart beat loudly, louder than ever before, he said three little words.

“I love you.”

[kyu-piddy]

Ranking (some) twst love triangles on how messy they are

An: This is a very informal ranking and very informal type of writing. They’re just little overviews of how I personally think these love triangles would function. Hope you enjoy it. :)

Ps: This is the first time I publish something that features my favorite character! Hopefully I didn’t favor him too much.

Gn reader x Trey, Cater, Azul, Jade, Jamil, Kalim, Silver, Lilia

Trigger warnings: Swearing

2.1k words

Tiers:

S tier- The love triangle of doom. Messiest love triangles, where it’s all too melodramatic and/or complicated.

A- Not as messy as the above, but still a delicate bomb to diffuse.

B- Standard love triangle. They aren’t at each other's throat constantly, but leave them alone long enough and they will start fighting.

C- Chill love triangle. Either because they’re really good friends, or just because they’re that confident in their victory.

D- Is this even a love triangle? There are indeed two people who like you, but one has dropped out of the race for one reason or the other.

Trey vs Cater

Do you know those times where you and a stranger are both trying to get through a door in opposite directions, and while trying to let the other pass you just keep getting in front of each other, in a sort of embarrassing dance of polite smiles while internally cursing the other person? Well, that is basically the Trey x Reader x Cater love triangle.

Cater and Trey are both really perceptive of their own feelings and of others, so they would be aware of the others' crush.

They’re also some of the fakest motherfuckers in the cast (only behind Azul, Jade and Jamil) so they would not even think of confronting each other.

Initially they’d put this veneer of pseudo politeness, throwing some double entendres to each other and not making any moves on you.

But as time progresses they’re definitely becoming little shits to each other.

Trey is exploiting his baking talent and his unique magic to the max, making your favorite foods and serving them to you and Cater, making sure you see how Cater gags as he tries it, the food's flavor being imposed with a horrid one like old socks.

Trey is also using his dependable and mature reputation to give you advice that subtly favors him and subtly makes Cater look like a dunce.

Man is full on telling you every embarrassing story of Caters disguised as going down on a trip to memory lane, but always while you’re with more people around, so they can tell you how Trey swept in and saved the day.

Cater on the other hand, is making sure to seduce you with his tech savviness and social media knowledge.

He’s taking you to the hottest places in town and taking pictures of you both, posting them on his magicam with suspicious captions that make a ton of your friends start asking about your “boyfriend”.

Cater is also loudly proclaiming to everyone who will listen in the Heartslabyul common room the plans he had that day with you.

He used to also proclaim the ones he would have in the future, but stopped after Trey crashed one of his cafe hopping dates with you, creating the most bizarre outing of your life, balancing the polite shit talking of these two.

If Cater didn’t live with Trey he’d probably dox him on the twisted wonderland equivalent of Twitter. Trey would do the same if he knew how to use Twitter.

The worst part is that neither of them will back off or give the finishing blow of confessing.

They're stuck in this loop of ruining the others momentum that their friendship is close to breaking, so either you notice and step up, or someone else notices and gives them a stern talking to.

Out of their dorm, the only one besides them I see figuring it out, is Ace, but Ace is no match for Trey and Cater.

They’re denying it to his face and making Ace feel like a complete idiot.

When you finally notice the mess that these two have made, if you don’t confront them, they’re still going to be in denial.

You have to be firm! Tell them head on who you want, before they make the whole of Heartslabyul collapse.

In terms of the messiness of this love triangle, I give it a B.

It’s annoying and messy, since they’re both so evasive and a little lacking in the making substantial moves department, but they’re still chill on how they treat you and the uninvolved parties (most of the time at least).

Azul vs Jade

Azul and Jade are both conniving and scheming master mind wannabes, but they also tend to rely on each other for support, so pairing them up against each other will lead to some sort of 4d intergalactic chess competition between them, while you are playing checkers and surprisingly still winning.

They’re the kind of smart that turns back around into being kind of stupid.

Jade is like a weird kid in a horror movie, all weird phrases and sinister smiles, but Azul isn’t much better with his mob boss vibe.

You can try running from them, but these fuckers must have put some sort of tracking gps on you because they always appear at the worst time.

Neither of them really knows how to even be romantic to win you over.

Azul is following some sort of guide like “How to make her fall for you in a fortnight”, taking notes and everything.

But he does tend to exaggerate with his gestures, not as much as Kalim would, but just enough to seem sorta of fake.

He’d even try to offer you suspiciously good deals, like “Go on a date with me and I’ll give you a study guide for alchemy”.

He only added one teensy eensy hidden clause that if he didn’t enjoy the date enough, you’d have to accept to go on another one.

But Jade is there to rain on his parade and tell you exactly what line and page you should search for suspicious activity.

Unlike Azul, Jade doesn’t try to conform to the human way of courting.

He is going to share his mushroom collection with you and also scare the shit out of you with ominous warnings of their specific properties.

He’d probably even make stuff up or embellish it to sound worse just to see your reaction.

Azul is definitely trying to end any time you have with Jade, giving him tasks right as the eel is spending time with you.

But it tends to go bad for Zuzu, as Jade just brings you along or purposefully half asses the task.

They’re also snipping each other with pointed comments that sound more like thinly veiled threats of violence.

Well, Jade’s threats are more violence oriented, while Azul’s are more of the mansplain manipulate malewife variety.

But what neither of them was prepared for was Floyd’s fourth wheeling.

Initially, Floyd thought it was pretty funny to see the other two beefing, but he gets bored fast.

He’s going to start taking you away from the other two so he can watch them fume in anger.

If he’s in the mood, he might even try to play matchmaker with one of them, or start shit talking both of them. The latter is more likely.

This is another pair of fools who won’t confess. They pride themselves so much as always being thirty steps ahead that they will try their hardest to create a situation where you have to choose one of them.

But it might all be for nothing because Floyd might just feel like telling you and then there goes any sense of mysteriousness down the drain.

I’ll give this love triangle an A. It’s definitely messy as hell, but it could always be worse.

Kalim vs Jalim

Oh boy. This is the love triangle from hell. Nuclear fallout levels of toxicity, and you’re the bomb.

This is a type of love triangle that no one even knows is a love triangle.

Kalim is the most obvious person on the planet with his crush.

He's showering you with expensive gifts, buttering you up like you’re a particularly tasty muffin and following you around like a lost puppy.

Even though he’s doing all that, homeboy will not use his brain cell to deduce he has a crush on you immediately.

As soon as he does figure it out (which bless his heart, might take a bit) he will be dead set on confessing to you, only being stopped by Jamil.

Jamil is putting the brakes on Kalims stunts, but not out of the kindness of his heart.

He knows he can’t directly stop Kalim, so instead he’s going to try to slow him down, and win you over behind everyone’s back.

Jamil is actually good at the art of romancing.

He’ll offer you tasty meals (disguised as leftovers of the things he made for Kalim), to braid your hair.

He’ll even offer really solid advice.

The two problems with all of this are that 1) Kalim will most definitely barge in at every given opportunity and cockblock the hell out of Jamil, and 2) You can very easily misinterpret this as friendly or even as part of his duties.

You and everyone else, that is.

I can’t see anyone figuring out Jamil’s crush on you. He’s one of the most discreet people on campus with his feelings.

And with the added grief of sharing them with Kalim, he’s keeping it under lock and key.

Kalim is going to confess. It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when.

He’s strangely serious about the whole thing, bringing a 24 karat ring, with a red diamond bigger than your finger to prove his love to you.

Jamil is fuming. It’s like a kick to the nuts, and what I see it making him step up his game and basically confess to you as well.

He’d confess in a very roundabout way, the kind of confessing that leaves you wondering if you’re reading too much in between the lines. But remember, this is Jamil! Reading inbetween the lines is a required skill to actually understand this man.

This is such a messy love triangle honestly. If you choose Kalim, it’s going straight to Jamil’s mind chamber of repressed trauma. If you don’t choose Kalim, you’re going to have to deal with Al-Asim tears (he ain’t used to being told no in any capacity), which makes Jamil’s duties more stressful.

For all these reasons, I put this love triangle at S tier. Good luck to you, and my condolences. You aren’t leaving this mess unscathed.

Silver vs Lilia

This one is mostly just sad.

Silver is slow in matters of love. He’d be his normal gentlemanly self, barely changing how he behaves towards you, but to others he becomes lowkey really annoying.

Doing his homework? He's mentioning how he saw you through the window during that class. Sword training? He’s reminiscing on how you complimented his technique. Drinking water? You did say you needed to drink more water, maybe he should remind you.

This would most likely lead to Sebek flipping the fuck out and screaming at Silver to either do something about his crush or shut up.

Silver.exe is loading.

And then he just… nods his head and agrees that he should do something about it.

He’s going to get advice from Lilia, who isn’t exactly a master of seduction but at least has more experience under his belt.

Lilia already knew of Silver's crush, and sadly he also already knew of his own crush on you, but bat dad is dropping all of his potential feelings in favor of his son’s.

He’s telling Silver to bring you flowers, to take you out to dinner, to treat you with kindness and respect, the whole shabang.

And Lilia is always staying in the back, watching his little boy grow up. It does hurt him, but not exactly because of his feelings, more because he feels bad about sharing the object of his affections with his son. He’d never want to hurt his boy nor you.

Only Malleus would know of Lilia’s feelings, although Silver has an inkling that something isn’t right.

Lilia would never tell him, and Silver doesn’t know exactly what’s going on in his dad’s mind, but he definitely suspects that something is going on.

If Silver knew of his fathers feelings for you, he’d immediately stop pursuing you, so bat dad is making sure his son never knows what’s actually bothering him.

Malleus on the other hand knows that Lilia has some sort of feelings for you, but is also keeping it under lock and key at the request of Lilia.

Sebek is the only one fully out of the loop, which leads him to comment things that are really hurtful to Lilia.

Seeing as Lilia is emotionally constipated, he’d bottle it all up and proceed like normal.

When Silver confesses, Lilia feels bittersweet. He’s genuinely happy for his son, but pangs of sadness reverberate through his heart.

He’s downplaying his feelings even to himself.

In terms of rating, this is a D. Lilia just carries Silver on his shoulders and then dumps him in the finish line. It’s not even a proper race.

It’s very depressing, seeing as you will never even know about Lilia’s feelings, while Silver will always have an inkling that there’s something going on with his dad.

[kyu-piddy]

The mark of a soulmate

Small drabbles about meeting your soulmate.

Gn reader x Silver, Rook, Trey, Sebek, Kalim

Tw: None

2.5k words

Soulmates. A strange concept to you, but not to the residents of this strange world. Will you find yours?

When you came through that mirror, to this strange place of Twisted wonderland, you could feel a sting on your wrist. A small pain, like a sting of a needle, and then it was gone. When you had looked down at it, you had seen an intricate design. Curious about it, you asked the headmage.

“That is the mark of a soulmate! My, are they not common where you’re from?”

You shook your head.

“Not to worry. I’ll explain it to you, for I am so kind.”

“That mark is proof that out there, there is someone who is your other half. Their soul and yours complements each other in a way that no one else can. Meeting them will make you love the world just because it has them in it. Some people have multiple soulmates, others have platonic soulmates, but the most common is a romantic soulmate, and looking from your mark, it seems you have a romantic soulmate, and they’re rather close by. The mark gets darker and more defined the closer you are to them.”

With so much information, you could feel your head spinning. A soulmate? Such a thing really existed in this strange world you had been thrust upon by a dark carriage? 

You stared at the headmage with a confused expression.

“Oh, you doubt me! How can you think that of your headmaster?”

You sighed.

“But how would I even know who my soulmate is?”

“You’ll feel it.”

“Feel it?”

The headmaster nodded.

“You’ll feel something pulling at your heart. Like a string.”

It all still felt like bogus to you, but who were you to deny his words? In a world filled with magic and talking animals, soulmates wasn’t such a strange concept.

“A soulmate, uh? I can worry about that later. It’s not like I’ll meet them any time soon, even if they are close by. This campus is massive.”

Silver

The mark on your wrist was a beautiful sword, glimmering silver enveloped by roses and their thorns, but they weren’t menacing, more like a protection to the splendor of the weapon.

Being in this strange new world was stressful. You didn’t know any of the material in class or had any street smarts. You were a stranger in a strange land, and everyday felt like a fight to stay afloat and not lose yourself in the unknown.

It all felt so overwhelming, that you couldn’t help but run into a remote place and hide under a tree, tears streaming down your face, hiccups assaulting your body.

A gentle tap on your shoulder made your head shoot up.

You locked eyes with a beautiful silver haired stranger, his kind purple gaze making you want to cry even more.

“Are you alright?”

He asked, a voice so soft and soothing, you broke into tears again. 

You wailed and wailed and the stranger remained in place, his comforting hand stroking your shoulder until all your tears dried up and you just hiccuped like a child who just had a tantrum.

You finally felt calmer, but embarrassment was settling in.

“It’s going to be okay.” said the stranger, his sweet voice resonating through your head and making any embarrassment die down.

Looking at his eyes again, now calmer than before, you could feel something. A gentle tug, a pull from your… heart?

Your eyes widened. According to the headmaster, this meant that this guy was your soulmate.

As if he could read your mind, he murmured:

“I think we might be soulmates.”

You tried to speak, but instead a hiccup left your mouth.

The stranger put a hand in his pocket and took out a white handkerchief, using it to gently dab at your eyes.

“Do not cry, soulmate. It will be alright. I’m here for you.”

And he smiled. A smile so soft it felt criminal to be the cause of it.

Your hiccups finally settled, you thanked him.

“Thank you, …?”

“Silver. My name is Silver.”

Rook 

The mark on your wrist was of a bow and arrow, poised to hit its mark with staggering accuracy, but more in the way a Cupid would hit its mark, a piercing of the soul and not of the flesh.

For the first time since you had come to NRC, you had Crowley's permission to head to the local town in this mysterious isle.

You had missed the hustle and bustle of strangers of different ages, of being a face in a crowd with no connection, even if at every turn you could spot the tell tale uniform of NRC.

Wandering through the town, starry-eyed and distracted, you tripped on someone’s foot and fell,  grabbing onto them and making them fall too.

“I’m so sorry! Are you okay?”

You quickly got up and offered him a hand, but he refused, getting up on his own.

“You dirtied my uniform shirt!!” he screamed at you, a frown etched onto his features.

From the color of his vest and his peerless complexion, you knew he was a Pomefiore student.

“I’m really sorry. I’ll clean it-”

He looked you up and down and sneered.

“I should have noticed immediately. You’re the magicless half a student of that rundown dorm. No need for you to touch my uniform. Your filthy hands will only dirty it further.”

Rage filled you to the brim, and you were about to give him a piece of your mind, when an arrow passed through you both and landed on his vest, right above his shoulder.

“What do we have here? An altercation between our Trickster and Monsieur étudiant? What seems to be the problem?”

A man spoke from behind you, his voice close to your ear.

The student in front of you turned as pale as a ghost.

“Vice-house warden Rook! T-t-there’s no problem! None at all! I was actually leaving to take care of my dirty uniform!”

He scurried away, not even looking back.

“What a difficile Monsieur. Such cruel words for something so little.”

You turned back, seeing a blond man with a bow and a quiver filled with arrows, a gentle smile decorating his sharp features.

“Thank you for saving me. He was being really horrible for no reason.”

He reached over to tuck a stray hair behind your ear, and you felt your heart pulse erratically beat in your chest.

“Non, non. It was my pleasure to save you, soulmate.”

Trey

The mark on your wrist was of a playing card, three green clovers dotting its white space, comfortably in each place, pieces of a puzzle missing a hidden piece, to be found by itself and no one else.

The campus of NRC was a truly gigantic thing. It felt so labyrinthic, paths and more paths crossing with each other and becoming one or diverging into many, butterfly wings of concrete and bricks.

Getting to each class felt like a wild expedition. Where would each corridor lead you next?

You mostly relied on asking others, but in a school full of villains not many would tell you the way, or worse, not many would tell you the right way.

You stared at the edge of a corridor, no path to “turn left” like that student from Scarabia had told you.

Frustration bubbled inside you and rose up, small tears threatening to slip from your eyes, but you held strong, and kept them trapped.

You turned back around and started your scavenge for your classroom again, tracing your steps to the entrance of the school building.

You counted each step in your mind, walking backwards but sometimes looking back to make sure you were going the right way.

You didn’t even register the change in the deafening silence around you, so concentrated you were.

A pair of steps became two, and as you were about to look back, your face collided with a wall covered in fabric.

You exhaled a quick “ow”, pinching your sore nose, closed eyes watery.

“That was quite the hit. Do you need some ice?” asked the wall.

Opening said watery eyes revealed that the wall was in fact, a person.

A tall man, green hair and glasses and a worried expression.

His worry for you made you feel strangely happy.

“I don’t think I need it, but thank you. Oh! But I do need your help with something else.”

You scrambled to explain to him your problem.

“Ah, so you need to go to animal linguistics class. It’s really close by. I can take you there.”

His smile was so mature, it made you feel like you could rely on him for anything. He couldn’t be lying.

“Thank you so much, senpai!” 

Giving him your brightest smile, you followed after him, your heart soaring with happiness, the mark on your wrist so defined it looked like a fresh tattoo.

He’d let you notice it for yourself.

Sebek

The mark on your wrist was of a crocodile curled around a beautiful dark rose, its piercing gaze and ferocious fangs turned to any who dare harm it, but rather than animalistic, it felt noble, like a knight protecting its liege.

The horses of the equestrian club were magnificent things, varied coats and manes and tempers, all in (sometimes not so) clean packages.

You liked observing them, their manes floating in the wind, some of them unruly, some of them as docile as a house cat, as their riders took them around and around the race track, perfecting their skills as you watched from afar.

But curiosity had gotten the best of you one day, and you decided to approach the stables.

Sneaking in right after practice, the tired horses were resting on their wooden homes, the smell of hay and horse dung infiltrating your nostrils and making you gag, but you were already here, so why stop now?

You didn’t dare to approach too much, but being this close to them made you feel better. Even in this weird magical place, some things were the same.

A loud sound came from behind you, and you felt yourself freeze. The main door to the stable had opened.

Louder than the first sound, a voice yelled from behind you.

“WHO IS THERE? NO ONE IS ALLOWED IN THE HORSE STABLES AFTER PRACTICE!”

You slowly turned around, coming face to face with a tall light green haired man, his expression serious, frightening and yet also ethereal.

“I’m really sorry! I know I shouldn’t be here, but I got really curious and really wanted to see the horses.” you explained.

“THAT IS NO EXCUSE! YOU COULD HAVE BEEN SEVERELY HURT, HUMAN.”

Even though he had approached you, he was still screaming loudly, making you flinch.

The horses didn’t seem to mind, perhaps used to his booming voice.

His tone wasn’t the nicest, but it didn't feel mean either. It was a strange mixture of emotions that neither of you were entirely sure of.

“You’re correct. I sincerely apologize.”

He kept his hardened posture and gaze, but an almost imperceptible twinkle in his eye told you that he appreciated the apology.

“IF YOU EVER WANT TO SEE THE HORSES, YOU NEED TO ASK TO BE ACCOMPANIED BY A MEMBER OF THE EQUESTRIAN CLUB. AS A GUARD OF LORD MALLEUS AND A MEMBER OF THE EQUESTRIAN CLUB, I WILL DO MY DUTY AS BEFITTING OF ONE OF HIS KNIGHTS AND ACCOMPANY YOU IF YOU SO WISH.”

That was unexpected. The screaming, lightning eyebrowed boy that had the expression of someone with extreme constipation wished to accompany you. What a strange and wonderful thing.

“Then, Knight of Lord Malleus, I accept your offer. Next time you’ll have to show me around the stables and let me meet all the horses.”

You gave him your brightest smile, and watched as the tips of his ears turned pink.

In the dim light of the stable, neither noticed the intricate design on their wrist become fully inked, its splendor in full bloom.

Kalim 

The mark on your wrist was of a beautiful exotic carpet, gold, red and purple thread intermingled to create an embroidered tapestry, who instead of laying flat or being rolled on its side, looked ready to soar into the sun. 

Potions class always made you feel like some sort of ancient magic bearer, living by a bog and making frog stew.

It simultaneously felt mindless and stimulating, being so precise with temperature and ingredients and color of the potion but also mandating that you stir a pot for 10 minutes while looking for a color change from burgundy to pale red.

It all took ages to perfect, and a second to explode on your face.

You stirred the pot, your mind already outside of the classroom and in the lunchroom, boredom and hunger fueling daydreams of snacks.

You almost even wished for something to explode, just so you wouldn’t be as bored out of your mind.

Like the universe had read your mind, a loud thwack echoed from the window beside you, scaring you out of your mind, your arm moving on its own and accidentally elbowing your cauldron, the whole thing spilling on the floor, a goey slippery mess of red and chopped ingredients.

From the other side of the room, Professor Crewel gave you a look that said it all.

A thorough scolding later, and your after class lunchroom plans were dashed, as the bubbling mess of a potion on the floor was your mess to clean.

You sighed, but armed with a mop and some cleaning solution, you’d deal with it.

Looking at the window that had started it all, your eyes widened, seeing what you assumed to be the perpetrator of the loud sound still there waving at you.

It was some sort of a rug? And it was waving at you? But the strangest part of it all, is that you felt like you recognized this rug, like one recognizes a friend lost in a crowd.

You stared back down at the spilled potion, wondering if in its liquid state it caused some sort of hallucinations.

Your contemplations of your state of mind were interrupted by the door to the classroom loudly opening, and someone exclaiming:

“Found you!”

Turning back, you saw a silver haired youth barreling towards you and the spilled potion.

“Wait, watch out-“ you warned, but it was too late, as the young man was already with one foot on the puddle and the other in the air, his body directly projected towards you.

“waaaAAAAAHHH” he screamed as he fell on you, squishing you against the ground.

He quickly got on his elbows, looking down on you with an easy going smile.

“Oh, hi there! Sorry for falling on you. But my carpet flew away and Jamil would be super mad if he found out so I’ve been searching for it everywhere.”

You blinked slowly, the whole situation feeling like a fever dream.

You should be more appalled at whatever just happened, but seeing this stranger's smiling face made you feel soft.

Everything dictated that he should get off of you, but strangely you didn’t want him too.

A light turned on in your head, and you peaked at your wrist, the once slightly faded mark a vibrant work of art, like a freshly painted portrait.

Your eyes met the smiling strangers' red ones, and you smiled back at him.

“I think I already found the carpet.”

[kyu-piddy]

Ranking (some more) twst love triangles on how messy they are

(This was for an ask that sadly got eaten by tumblr! )

Anon asked: I just wanna say I love your love triangle headcanons, but it got me thinking. Instead of two boys in the same dorm, what about if it was different dorms. For example, like Trey x reader x Azul, the two glasses boys.

So I was wondering if I could get part two of love triangles but with Trey x reader x Azul and or Leona x reader x Malleus

Please take your time, don't rush and Thank you 🙏

An: Thank you for your request anon. I might have gotten a ton of brainworms and just had to write this asap! Leona and Malleus are so interesting imo. They tickle a funny part of my brain that likes making characters suffer. I’d say they can be pretty challenging to write since they're so layered but it’s also soooo rewarding. Hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it. :)

Gn reader x Leona, Malleus, Trey, Azul

Trigger warnings: Swearing

1.3k words

Leona vs Malleus

Ahaha, you’re in danger.

No, seriously, this love triangle is dangerous. You could quite literally start a war if this goes unchecked for long enough.

Here you have two princes that already have enough beef with each other to feed a small nation, now fighting over you.

Leona is, of course, emotionally constipated as usual. He’s not gonna try to seduce you with flowers or chocolates or anything of the sort. Instead, he’ll be strangely nice to you, like letting you nap on his usual spot in the greenhouse or offering you help in a specific subject he’s good at.

This is all done with a side dish of “Tsk. Don’t bother me, herbivore.”

But the man does want to be bothered by you. It will be a cold day in hell before he admits it though .

Malleus on the other hand, will be forthcoming about his intentions towards you.

“Isn’t it a lovely night, Tsunotarou? “

“I wish to court you, child of man.”

If Lilia hadn’t told him to slow down he’d just straight up confess to you at that moment.

From that point on you’re getting the whole Malleus attention package. He’s making flowers sprout from the ground when you pass by, making Sebek and Silver escort you everywhere, writing heartfelt letters that read as more terrifying than romantic (he’s trying, ok?).

Leona is not happy about this. He’s stomping those flowers, picking fights with Sebek and Silver and turning those letters into sand. It’s a declaration of war.

If you thought they were bitchy before, now they’re straight up assholes to each other.

All types of insults are on the table, from the bad to the ugly to the straight up vile.

They also have a tendency to physically get you away from the other. Your arms are gonna be so sore and bruised from all the yanking.

And they’re gonna blame the other for your bruises, and start a whole other fight about it.

Leona is getting Ruggie to take pictures of his moments with you to send to Malleus, but Malleus can't use a phone to save his life, so he isn’t really gonna be able to see it.

In the same vein, he does not know how to take pictures with his phone, so he’s going to write descriptive letters, full of flowery details of his encounters with you to send to Leona.

He might even hire someone to create an artistic rendition of the moment to accompany the letter.

Leona is just gonna tell Ruggie to throw it all in the garbage, but just the thought of what could possibly be in there is gonna irk him to high hell.

Everyone, and I mean everyone will know about this love triangle. Leona will frame it as more of a fight with Malleus, to prove he is better than the lizard, but anyone with eyes can see that it’s more than that.

Malleus on the other hand will tell everybody you’re the love of his life, his future spouse and that the date of the wedding is xx/xx/xxxx and everyone is invited.

Even their families will get involved. Neither of them is above inviting you to their homeland just to sightsee, and then you reach there and bam, everyone is calling you their partner, and saying how you make a great couple, while you’re trying to figure when did you even accept a relationship between you both.

You’re not getting a confession from Leona.

You’ll have to figure it out yourself and confront him about it. And the asshole, after all his mixed signals and talk of just doing it to piss off Malleus, will retort “Isn’t it obvious? I thought you’d be smarter than that, herbivore.”

Malleus isn’t too keen on a confession either, but it’s because he already considers you both a couple, and if you confront him about it he'll answer matter of factly “Are we not a couple soon to be wed, child of man?”.

Delulu is not the sululu, but for Malleus, it is.

Your decision is going to impact both of them really hard.

Choosing Malleus is more trauma for Leona’s always second best issues. He’s going to become extremely guarded around you, closing himself off to the world for a long while.

Choosing Leona is more trauma for Malleus’ always forgotten issues. Unlike Leona, who will immediately give up on you and fall into a depression pit, Malleus will get angry at the world and try so hard to bargain with you.

Choosing neither will still feed into these issues, creating more fuel to the cycles of self destruction that these two are stuck in.

If there was a rating higher than S tier, I’d put this love triangle there, but since there isn’t, I’ll give it an S.

Neither of these men should be getting into a relationship. They should be getting into therapy.

Trey vs Azul

Megane vs Megane

Now these two have a peculiar dynamic.

One is the dependable older brother of Heartslabyul while the other one is the scary loan man of Octavinelle with the two shady underlings.

You guess which one you’re more likely to feel safe around.

Azul thinks he is so slick, by finding out Trey's crush on you, but will be immensely taken aback once Trey makes it known that Azul’s crush isn’t exactly a secret either.

Zuzu will try so hard to find dirt on Trey, but Mr. Normal has the most boring secrets that not even an old lady would be scandalized by (at least that Azul can find).

Initially, he’d send Floyd and Jade to spy on Trey, but the eels are not to be trusted, especially with you around.

They’re the type to stop the spying just for funsies and start chatting with you, so Azul has to take matters into his own hands.

He’s peeking out from a window with binoculars if he has to, goddammit!

While Azul is making a fool of himself to woo you, Trey is quietly guiding you along the path to his heart.

He knows Azul will try to use his contracts to get a leg up on him, but neither you nor him are interested in owing something to Azul.

Even if one of the contracts captures your attention, Trey is throwing it out of the window so fast (metaphorically, ofc).

Seeing as contracts and spying on you doesn’t work, Azul is going to try to hit Trey where it hurts.

Feeding you, ofc.

Trey has his desserts, but Azul has the Mostro lounge and he did grow up in a restaurant, so he can cook decently.

He can’t offer you the food directly, so he leaves it to you as a secret admirer (he read about it in a book and though that it would add to his mystique and appeal as a suitor).

When Trey finds out about it, he’s going to start taking it away before you find it, feeding you with one of his pastries instead.

This basically leads to a cook-off, where Azul keeps leaving you more and more food while Trey also increasingly gives you more pastries to get you too full to eat anything else.

I see Azul confessing in a very romantic and by the book sort of way, that leaves you wondering if he followed some sort of guide to the T (he did).

Trey is not taking it lying down.

He is interrupting anything that Azul has planned and throwing hella shade his way, reminding you of how shady Azul can be.

Meanwhile Azul is about to call the twins to make Trey sleep with the fishes in the Lounge aquarium.

I put this love triangle in B tier.

Either way you choose, I don’t see either of them getting too mad.

Trey is pretty chill about it if you choose Azul or neither of them, while Azul might throw a small to medium tantrum if you choose Trey.

He has control issues he really needs to figure out, but seeing as the experience has made him respect Trey as more of an equal, it wouldn’t be as bad as if it was someone like your first year Heartslabyul friends.

[kyu-piddy]

Hello! Can I ask for a part 2 of the mother-in-law hcs exept it's with Azul, Trey and Idia this time?

The Mother in Law II

Thank you for your request. Apologies for taking so long, but life has been quite hectic these past few months. I hope you enjoy this drabble collection.

Gn reader x Azul, Trey, Idia

Tw: None

1.8k words

Mama Shroud

Mama Shroud is an extremely intelligent woman and an affectionate mother, a genius in both her work and her affectionate ways.

You had only heard about her through her feats, her son sometimes commenting that the “head engineer” had made something, who you later realized was his mother.

You always had been curious about meeting his parents, but Idia always seemed reticent about it, quickly changing subjects.

One day, you went to visit him in his dorm after class.

The door to his room was opened slightly, letting you in through the small crack.

“Hi, ___! Did you come to play games with us?” asked Ortho, the one that had opened the door.

Idia was sitting in front of his pc, concentrated in a gaming session.

“I just came by to check on you both. How is it going?”

You chatted with Ortho for a bit, the angry clacking of Idia’s keyboard almost like white noise.

Suddenly, the light on Idia’s screen became brighter, the voice of a woman echoing through the room and startling all its occupants.

“Idy, pick up! It’s mamma!” repeated the voice over and over again.

The tip of Idia’s hair turned pink, as he muttered under his breath how he was sure he had blocked the voice features.

Ortho's eyes glimmered.

“___, you can meet our mom!”

He sprung from his spot on Idia’s bed, and before his brother could stop him, accepted the video call.

“Oru! How are you doing, dear?”

“I’m doing fine!”

“That’s great! And where’s Idy?”

Idia (with a little shove from Ortho) rolled his gaming chair into view of his mother.

“Hi, mom.”

His face was stuck in a strange expression, like he had sucked on a particularly sour lemon.

“Oh Idy, mamas so happy to see you. My little boy is all grown, getting himself a partner. It’s almost like it was yesterday that you were still in diapers.”

The blue in Idia’s hair was gone, replaced by a bright pink, mirrored in his cheeks.

“Mom! How do you know that?!”

“A mothers intuition never fails, sweetie.”

Ortho giggled, giving you a gentle push forward.

You stood at Idia’s side, and put your hand on his shoulder.

“Hello, Mrs. Shroud. I’m ___, Idia’s partner. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“You can call me mama, sweetheart. My, you’re quite lovely! Don’t you think so too, Idy?”

Mrs Shroud seemed oblivious to her son’s embarrassment, his face disappearing from the image as he sank into his chair, his hands hiding his face.

“…yeah.”

Mama Shroud kept the conversation going, asking you and Idia about every detail in your relationship, but seeing as her son couldn’t even look at the camera straight, you ended up answering most of them as he wallowed in shame.

“It has been lovely talking to you, my dears. But mama has to leave now. I’ll call again later. Bye bye!”

You and Ortho both waved goodbye as she ended the call.

Idia was still on the spot at the bottom of the chair, curled into himself.

“Your mom is quite lovely. I really liked her!” you assured him.

He peeked at you from the space in between his fingers.

“And Idy is quite a cute nickname.”

Idia groaned, and went back to hiding his face, as you and Ortho giggled.

Mrs Clover

Mrs Clover is a simple woman. She wears her pastry chef uniform most of the time, a hard worker who never seems to quite leave the kitchen, flour and sugar always decorating her garments and sometimes even face and nose.

Trey’s family is his pride and joy, and so is the bakery they own. As such, he wanted to take you there so you could meet them and have a taste of their recipes.

Entering through the door of Patisserie Clover made a little jingling noise echo in the pastel shop, cakes and tarts and biscuits and anything and everything sweet laying on platers, the aroma of even more sweets being made entering your nostrils and sticking to your body.

The shop was open, with many patrons lining up to purchase goodies or seating on the plush chairs while snacking and chatting.

One of Trey’s little sisters immediately spotted you, a tray of freshly made biscuits in her hand and a shocked look on her face.

She dropped the tray on the counter and turned tail, running towards the back while whisper-yelling “MOOOOOOOOM!”.

Trey chuckled under his breath.

“Let us follow her, before she gets into trouble.”

On your way to the back of the bakery, Trey hastily greeted several customers, many seemingly knowing him for many years, probably regulars that had seen him in the spot that his sister now was in.

The closer you got to the back, the warmer it got, and the stronger the smell of sugar and flour was.

“Hattie, you can’t scream like that while we have customers.” said a warm but stern voice from behind a door to what you assumed was the kitchen.

“But mooooom, Trey is here! And he was holding hands with someone!”

Trey kept on chuckling, opening the door to greet the people inside.

“Hi, mom. Hi, Hattie. Do you need some help?”

Both Hattie and his mom turned to him, bright smiles on their faces.

Hattie threw herself at her brother, giving him (at least trying to) a crushing hug.

Mrs Clover wiped her hands on her apron, giving her son a quick hug before turning to you.

“It’s very nice to meet you. You must be __, right? Trey has told us a lot about you.”

Heat crept up to your cheeks, and you mentally blamed it on the oven.

“Trey, you should have told us you were bringing your special friend over. We would have made time for them!”

She lightly scolded her son, but it was obvious she wasn’t actually mad, smearing some flour on his nose as a punishment.

“I didn’t want to disturb you too much. I know this time of the year is rather busy, so we aren’t staying for long.”

That got him a pair of saddened faces, both his sisters and mothers face dropping like melted chocolate.

“Oh…”

They didn't protest or object, but their sad faces made you feel like you had just committed a horrible act, akin to kicking a puppy.

You exchanged a look with Trey, who merely sighed.

“Maybe we can stay a little longer? If that is okay with you, of course.” you asked tentatively.

Their faces perked right up, and Hattie started dragging her brother out of the kitchen, saying how she had “the best spot for love-birds!”

Mrs Clover smiled maternally, wiping her hands on her apron even though they were already clean.

“Thank you for coming,__. Our Trey has been so happy lately, we thought you might even steal him away from us!” she chuckled at her own joke, moving forward to hold your hands in her calloused ones.

“I hope you enjoy our sweets.”

Smiling back at her, you answered.

“I already do.”

Mrs Ashengrotto

Mrs Ashengrotto is a plump and beautiful woman, exuding confidence and charm everywhere she goes, always the perfect picture of composure.

Her son respects her, even modeling himself in part to her image, but even so he seemed to be quite apprehensive of you meeting her.

She had been the one to request to meet you, curious about the one that had captured her son's heart.

Initially Azul had tried to expertly change topics, discouraging such a meeting, but his mother was not one to be outsmarted, and kept insisting.

Eventually he relented to a meeting at the Mostro lounge, but Mrs Ahengrotto insisted on a meeting in “neutral ground.”

And that’s how you ended up in a quaint hole in a wall near NRC, sitting side by side with your boyfriend.

Azul didn’t explicitly say it, always keeping his composure and a suave smile, but you could see it in his eyes, apprehension building up. He was truly out of his depth.

Mrs Ashengrotto waltzed to your table as soon as she got in, her presence captivating just by the way she walked and smiled.

She wore confidence and charm like one wears a precious piece of real jewelry, flaunting with taste and not an inch of malice.

She sat across from you, and gave you both a delicate smile.

It was nearly identical to Azul’s business smile, but while his felt too perfect to be sincere, hers felt genuine, and if it weren’t for your nerves gnawing at your stomach, you would be sure to have fallen for her charms immediately.

“Good afternoon. I hope you didn’t have to wait long for me. The traffic in the mirror was rather cumbersome today.”

“Not at all, mother. Waiting for you is never a strenuous activity.”

They gave each other their trademark polite smile, one you weren’t keen enough to understand if it was mere practice or a natural born talent, at least to the woman in front of you.

She turned to you, her smile just as bright.

“And who might you be?”

“Good afternoon, Mrs Ashengrotto. I’m your son's significant other. It is a pleasure to meet you.”

You gave your best attempt at a polite speech, having practiced it beforehand, but it sounded stiff and soulless.

Mrs Ashengrotto didn’t seem to mind, a knowing glint in her eye.

Azul gave your thigh a quick squeeze under the table.

Eventually the server came to get your orders and the meal went on without a hitch.

Azul’s mother was a skilled conversationalist, there never seemingly being a stop in interesting conversation topics.

By the end of the meal, you were completely relaxed, as if you had known this woman your whole life.

When it came time to pay for the meal, she pulled out her wallet.

“Do not worry, mother. I will pay.”

“Oh dear, I was the one that invited you both. It would be inconsiderate of me to not pay.”

Their eyes locked, a battle of minds, until the mother eventually bowed to her son.

“My, you have grown so much, Zuzu. I’m so proud of your initiative.”

Azul’s face turned a light shade of pink, immediately getting up.

“Then I shall go get the bill.”

Alone with his mother at the table, she watched her son walk away before returning to you.

“My dear, it has been a pleasure meeting you. Please take care of my son. He can be rather excessive with his work, and I'd like for him to enjoy his youth.”

You smiled at her.

“Of course. I won’t let him be swept away by the current.”

She smiled at your use of a Coral Sea expression.

“I apologize if my return brought an end to an enjoyable conversation.” said Azul, returning with fast steps, but not quick enough to be improper.

“It was a delightful conversation indeed. But we have more pressing matters.”

She gave you a conspiratory look.

“Such as, when will you visit our restaurant in the coral sea? I’d say someone with a refined palate as yours would much prefer our establishment over this one .”

You smiled at her, Azul’s eyes widening at your words.

“I’d love it if Zuzu took me there.”

[kyu-piddy]

The Mother-in-law

In celebration of Mother’s Day in my country, here are some headcanons of meeting characters' moms (and a grandma).

Gn reader x Jade, Floyd, Kalim, Sebek

Afab reader x Ruggie

Tw: None 

1.8k words

Having a boyfriend comes with extra relationships, and you’re about to meet one of the people most important to him.

Mama Leech

Mama Leech is a classy lady. Tall and lanky like her sons, she exudes an air of elegance but also threatening, her sharp teeth gleaming like pearls.

She sometimes comes to land on business matters, and knowing that you were dating one of her sons, she just had to meet you.

Sitting across from her at the Mostro Lounge is a nerve wracking experience. You feel like you have forgotten how to even use a fork.

She daintily stabs hers on the steak, her enigmatic yellow eyes never leaving yours.

Her voice is velvety smooth, sharing pleasantries with you, all talk but with as much substance as water has flavor.

Suddenly, she goes quiet, her teeth seemingly becoming more jagged.

“I hope you do have good intentions with my son. He’s a nice boy who deserves the best, don’t you think so?”

“I don’t know what the “best” could be, but I do think he deserves to be happy in the way he wants to be.”

She continues with amicable and innocent topics thereafter.

If you’re dating Jade, she’ll say:

“My dear Jade is such a hard worker. You must help him relax from time to time, or he’ll overwork himself.”

If you’re dating Floyd, she’ll say:

“My dear Floyd changes like the currents. When you’re around him you’ll never know how he’ll react! It’s so delightful.”

Regardless of who has captured your heart, she’ll offer you a little trade secret.

“There’s something nobody knows, not even his twin, that when he was little, he…”

Before she can continue, the tweels appear to retrieve the plates and silverware.

If you’re dating Jade:

“I hope the meal was to your liking.” says Jade.

“Jadeeee! Mamma was about to share something fun! ___ wants to know too, right?”

“But it is rather impolite to share others secrets, is it not, mother?”

If you’re dating Floyd:

“Mama! Ya can’t talk about me behind my back! I'm the one who’s gonna share secrets with ___!”

 “Now, now Floyd. We shouldn’t interrupt our clients' meal.”

Mama Leech smiles innocently at her children.

“It seems time has passed by way too quickly. I must take my leave.”

She stood up so graciously you would have never believed she had fins instead of legs most of the time.

“It was a pleasure meeting you, my dear. And you, my darling boys, don’t forget to answer my messages more often!”

With that said, she gave you and her sons a tight hug, before disappearing out the door.

Lady Al-Asim

Lady Al-Asim is a beautiful woman. She’s not called the rose of the desert for no reason. But unlike what that title might suggest, she is not fragile.

Once she learned that Kalim had gotten a partner, she wanted to meet them as soon as possible.

You’d be invited to spend some time with her in her wing of the Al-Asim estate, along with Kalim, so he could introduce you to her.

The meeting place is a room filled with pillows and carpets. As you sit on a plush purple pillow with golden embroidery, you can’t help but think that it must be worth more than everything in Ramshackle combined.

Kalim grabs your hand and smiles radiantly at you, calming your nerves.

Lady Al-Asim enters, a goddess among humans, ladened with jewelry and precious silks.

But the most beautiful part of it all is her warm gaze at seeing her son, and the way she walks slightly faster than what you assume is protocol to greet him.

After inspecting her son and filling him with kisses, she sits in the middle of a dune of pillows in front of you.

“Hello, my dear. How do you do?”

“You must be feeling awfully warm. I’ll ask for some drinks to be fetched. Are 12 varieties of tea and 23 of soft drinks alright with you?” 

Her words are polite and warm, and the conversation is pleasant.

Kalim sings your praises at every opportunity, and so does his mother, remembering with staggering accuracy the things he has told her (and they were many).

It feels like you’re in a competition to see who can praise you the most.

It’s embarrassing, but they’re both so genuine in their compliments and admiration that you can’t help but feel your heart well up with happiness.

“Oh goodness, look at the time. It’s getting rather late and you both need to go to bed early.”

Kalim deflates a little, but perks right back up.

“That’s fine, mother. After we graduate we’ll have way more time to chat like this, as a family!”

You almost spat the tea you were drinking, but Lady Al-Asim's smile just got bigger.

She escorted you both personally out of the room and into the teleportation mirror, giving Kalim a big hug and ordering servants to bring him piles upon piles of things.

Kalim went ahead, leaving you alone with his mom for a bit.

“Take care of my dear Sunshine. He loves you very much and I reckon you love him too. And above all else, be happy.”

Out of her pocket she retrieved a small golden bracelet.

“Ground my son. But also let him sweep you up in his magic carpet once in awhile.”

You arrived at NRC feeling warmer than when you were in Silk City.

Grandma Bucchi

Grandma Bucchi is a kind old woman. Her face is marred with age, but she moves with the speed of someone three times younger than her.

Ruggie wanted to introduce her to you, seeing as she is the most important person in his life.

Initially he was a bit reluctant to bring someone like you to the slums where he grew up, but since you were so insistent on meeting her, he eventually relented.

Once inside the house, a humble abode filled with knick knacks of various origins, a tasty smell fills your lungs.

Grandma Bucchi leaves the kitchen with her gray hair in a bun, cleaning her hands in her apron.

“Ruggie boy, is that you?”

“Yeah, Grandma. It’s me.”

The small woman approaches her grandson and squeezes his cheek.

“I could barely recognize you. You’re almost skin and bones. Don’t they feed you at that fancy school?”

As she stops pinching his cheeks she turns to you.

“So you’re the famous ___? You’re rather pretty aren’t you?”

Before you can thank her, the old woman is already walking back to the kitchen.

“I’m finishing my stew. Sit down and sip some dawa.”

“Grandma, let me help ya. You know your bones aren’t what they used to be.”

“Ah, boy! Don’t get between me and my kitchen. And don’t leave your datemate hanging.”

You sat down on the wooden chair and sipped the warm drink on the table. It had a sweet, and despite being warm, fresh after taste.

You both sat in silence, the sound of the sizzling water filling the background.

Soon after Grandma Bucchi came out of the kitchen holding a big pot, a heavenly smell permeating from it.

“Dig in, children.”

You gladly started eating, and soon the lul of chewing and conversation filled the room.

“I hope my grandson has been treating you well. He can be a handful sometimes, I tell you. But he’s a great cook.”

The day soon turned to night, and the time to leave was approaching.

“Before you leave, children, take the rest with you. I want you both to be eating well!”

“Granny, ya should keep it for you and the kids.”

“Oh, Ruggie, we have enough for all of us. Just don’t give me any more kids to take care of! At least for now.”

You both blush profusely, heat creeping up to your ears.

“We ain’t gonna do that! Bye, Grandma!”

You both hastily left, but you could swear you could hear the old woman chuckle under her breath “ah young love”.

Mrs Zigvolt

Mrs Zigvolt is a tall imposing woman, boisterous, full of pride for her family and also a truly powerful fae.

From the moment your relationship became official, Sebek wanted you to meet his mother. 

To him, she’s perfect, and he wishes for her to approve of his relationship.

When he got news that she’d visit the NRC campus he was overjoyed, and immediately designed a plan to teach you as much about fae culture as possible.

His passion is admirable, but it’s obvious he’s incredibly nervous, practicing in front of his mirror what he’ll say to his mother.

On the day of the visit, he waits for her in the mirror hall, standing as straight as if he was practicing a drill.

You put your hand on his shoulder, and see him relax just a tiny bit.

When his mother arrived, tall and full-figured, she reminded you of a well trained soldier, but the moment she saw her son her face lit up, and she quickly strode to him, hugging him with all his might.

“I missed you so much, Sebby! Look at you! You’ve grown so much!”

Her deep and mature voice was surprisingly complementary to her words.

Sebek kept his straight posture, his eyes gleaming like stars.

“Yes mother! I have grown exactly 2,7 cm since you last saw me.”

Mrs Zigvolt smiled lovingly at her son.

“And who might this be?” She asked, turning to you.

“Mother, this is the person I am romantically entangled with. They do not distract me from my studies nor my duty to protect Lord Malleus.”

“And do they make you happy?”

Sebek's cheeks turned bright pink, his posture becoming stiffer.

“Yes, mother. They make me very happy.

His mother clapped her hands and gave you a bright smile.

“That’s what I wanted to hear. Has my son been treating you well, young one? I sure hope so! He can be a bit of a handful.”

She leaned down to whisper in your ear.

“We thought he’d never let himself find someone, especially so soon. But he did, and from what he has told us, he’s quite head over heels for you.”

“Mother, we must hurry if we want to complete the school tour on time!” called Sebek from the entrance, already on his way out, the tip of his ears pink.

“Yes, yes, Sebby. We’re coming!”

He left the mirror hall, and you started walking to catch up to him.

“One last thing.”

She lightly tapped your forehead with her clawed finger.

“Use your head, but don’t forget your heart, okay?”

You nodded your head, and she smiled, booping your nose.

“Now let us go to our Sebby, or the poor boy might die of stress waiting for us.”

You left the mirror hall with a good feeling about this first meeting.