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the-13th-rose · 2 years

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Kiss From a Rose - Chapter 3 ~ A Warm Welcome

Rose awakens to her first full day in the Dream World and meets the guests. Some don’t get along as well as she’d hoped, and Kurogiri may be hiding something from her...

This fic contains sexual references (no explicit depiction), strong language, and alcohol use. It also features strong themes of unreality and scattered moments of horror throughout.

Characters in this chapter: Rose (s/i), Rattlesnake Jake (Rango), Lord Shen (Kung Fu Panda 2), Asmodeus (Helluva Boss), Kurogiri (My Hero Academia), Mint Choco Cookie (Cookie Run), Yorktown (Azur Lane), Asajj Ventress and General Grievous (Star Wars: The Clone Wars), Green Mage (Everhood), Millennial Tree Cookie (Cookie Run), The Beast (Over the Garden Wall), Striker (Helluva Boss)

(for the sake of not tagging literally all of my f/os I only list the ones who have spoken lines or make a significant appearance in the chapter)

Word count: 7,404 (approximate, I spaced some letters out for style and those might’ve been counted as extra words)

Reblogs support my work better than likes!

6 days until Christmas.

6 days until...whatever Future was trying to warn me about arrives.

Can I do anything about it? If I do something differently, or act differently, will anything change?

Scrooge had it easy. All he had to do was be nicer to people. What am I supposed to do to change my future?

Birds are chirping outside. I sit up in bed and look out of my window. There’s a brilliantly red cardinal perched on a birch branch. It flutters its wings and eyes me with quizzical black eyes.

“I THOUGHT I TOLD YA TO GET LOST!”

That’s Jake’s voice, and man, does he sound cross.

“This is as much of my home as it is yours! You have no right to keep me out!” The opposing voice sounds just as outraged. I think I recognize it. Admittedly, I was kind of hoping he wouldn’t be here. He’s one of the only ones I’m not exactly happy with myself for loving.

“I’LL DO AS I LIKE, and unless you want a taste of my lead, or my venom, you’ll SHUT yer damn beak and SCRAM!”

The sound of a peafowl crowing is accompanied by sounds of a struggle, and exclamations from both. I jump out of bed and rush out of my room to get to the living room, not sparing a moment to think about my appearance.

A ghostly white peacock is wrestling with a rattlesnake, one taloned foot pinning the tail to the ground, the other prying the mouth open while a wing pulls on a fang.

“Stop!” I cry, racing down the stairs and towards the fight. The peacock wrenches his wing back, and Jake recoils and yells out, wriggling free of the bird’s grasp. “AH, YOU DAMN--!” He hisses sharply at the peacock and rattles his tail furiously.

I shoot the peacock a glare, then turn my attention towards Jake. “Let me see.” I reach for his head, but he ducks away and continues rattling. “I don’t need your help, woman!” He hisses back. Blood’s starting to drip from his mouth.

“Y-you’re bleeding!” I kneel down to his level. “Did he--just let me look at it, okay?”

With clear reluctance, he opens his mouth and reveals a bleeding hole where one of his fangs should be.

“Shen!” I snap at the peacock, seeing that he’s holding the missing fang in his wing. “What the hell?!”

“Oh, please, he started it!” Shen snaps back. “Don’t be fooled by his attempts to get sympathy from you.”

“I hope you stick yerself with that,” Jake hisses to Shen. “See how proud you are with them pretty feathers all rotted!”

“You have no idea how lucky you are that Rose is standing in the way,” Shen sneers. “If I had everything to my will, you would be an ugly skin pinned to the wall by now!”

I gently stroke Jake’s scales as he hisses at Shen once again. “Don’t react, it’s what he wants.” I say softly. “Come on, that’s bleeding a lot. Let’s get you some tissues or something.” He doesn’t resist when I scoop him into my arms and lift him from the floor. I catch him glaring daggers at Shen, then nestling into my grasp as I walk away.

“For the record, I don’t care who started it.” I call back to Shen. “I don’t want you two or anyone else here hurting each other. Got it?” I growl to myself as I walk away and towards the other side of the lodge.

- - -

“Does it hurt?” I ask him as I grab a few fistfuls of tissues and bring them over to the table he’s settled on.

“‘Course...but I don’t need you to fawn over me, I can take care of myself.” He spits to the side, blood spattering the wood. “It’ll grow back, anyhow.”

“That’s not the point...” I reply, folding up the tissue until it’s small enough to fit in his mouth. “I’m asking because I care about you. That’s what people do. And you getting a nasty bleed from having a tooth ripped out isn’t going to make me think any lesser of you. You’re still the rugged, dashing outlaw of my dreams, even if you get a little roughed up at times.”

He opens his mouth and I place the tissue under the wound, so it’ll put pressure onto it as long as he keeps his mouth shut. It makes his mouth a little lopsided, which makes me smile a bit. “Well ain’t you just a regular ol’ vet.” He remarks with a grin.

“I used to want to be one,” I reply, wiping up the rest of the blood. “I guess I was just too squeamish around needles to really go for it. Plus I hated math and sucked at chemistry. But when it was just me and my stuffed animals...that was a great feeling. Now I just satisfy that caretaking urge with my writing.”

“Well, I’d prefer you as my nurse over Kurogiri,” he replies. “You’re warmer.”

“Right, warmer...you seemed really tired last night. Does cold weather just do that to you?”

He nods. “It’s a reptile thing. We get all tired n’ sluggish to conserve energy.” He explains. “Warmer in here today, though. Hopin’ it stays that way.”

“When it gets cold...you always have me, y’know...”

He smiles. “Heh...might have to take ya’ up on that offer...” He suddenly straightens up a bit, flicking his tongue out. “...Why’s the air smell like whiskey all of a sudden?”

“Whiskey?” I take a sniff as well. “Weird...I smell cotton candy. And those two scents aren’t even remotely similar.”

Turning around, I notice a swirl of blue smoke coming up from the floor and forming a spiraling cloud. When it clears, a tall, broad-chested monster is standing before me, three smiling faces meeting mine.

“Rose! Where have you been, doll?” he greets me, leaning down towards me and placing a hand beneath my chin.

“Ozzie!” I smile back, leaning into the touch. His hand is soft and warm, and that sweet smell is still there. “You’re here, too?”

“Wouldn’t miss it,” he replies, still smiling. “How you like the new fragrance? Beelzebub’s idea. It’s supposed to manifest as the most enticing scent to whoever smells it.”

“It’s nice,” I respond honestly. “Really nice. But you don’t have to try and impress me--”

“Oh, believe me, I know,” he responds. “You’ve got it bad enough already. But I like seein’ that cute little smile of yours.”

“Where’s your clown, Oz?” Jake interrupts. “The lady’n I were in the middle of somethin’.”

“Aw, you gettin’ jealous, little guy?” Ozzie teases. “Don’t worry, you’ll get your turn with her. Anyway, Fizzy’s chatting with that zombie girl, Saki. Last I heard, they were discussing setting something on fire.”

“Nothing important, I hope,” Kurogiri’s voice echoes in the mostly-empty dining room beside us. He emerges from a dark misty portal and takes shape. He seems to narrow his eyes a bit at Ozzie. “Asmodeus.”

Ozzie returns the look. “’Giri. Hey.” He makes an effort to ignore the newcomer and leans back in closer to me. “I’m sure ‘Giri took you around the place already, so I just wanted to let you know that my door’s always open.” He gives me a sultry sort of look, though that’s kind of hard to distinguish from his normal expression.

I stammer a bit, intrigued by the offer yet sort of unsure of myself. “Well...um, thanks, I’ll remember that.”

“Quite bold of you, talking of that sort of thing with me standing directly beside you,” Kurogiri buts in. “Rose, don’t hesitate to tell me if any of our guests start to bother you.”

“You trying to imply the girl can’t make that kind of choice for herself?” Ozzie replies, folding his arms over his chest. “She’s 21.”

“I’m merely suggesting that you might be acting too forward with this sort of thing,” Kurogiri replies calmly.

“She didn’t seem uncomfortable to me until you started making a big deal out of it...” He scoffs. “Whatever.” Then he vanishes in another cloud of smoke, leaving just Jake, Kurogiri and I.

Kurogiri turns back to face me, but before he can say anything, he looks past me towards Jake. “...Has there been a fight?”

“A little one,” I tell him. “I broke it up before it got any worse, but Shen still yanked out one of Jake’s fangs.”

“A fight between Shen and Jake is far from surprising,” Kurogiri replies. “But all guests are under a strict rule not to harm one another, so I’ll be having a talk with him. As for Jake--”

“Don’t give me that!” Jake snaps. “I was defendin’ myself. That damn chicken started it!”

“Is this true, Rose?” Kurogiri turns to me.

“That’s how I heard it,” I reply. For a moment, I think to add that Jake had threatened Shen verbally first, but something makes me keep quiet about that part. Maybe favoritism.

“Very well, then.” Kurogiri nods. “Feel free to meet with the other guests in the meantime, Rose. Please return by sunset, though, I have dinner planned for tonight. And wear your coat if you go outside.”

“Alright, will do,” I reply. “Thanks.”

He warps away from the room, likely to wherever Shen went, I figure. I’m glad I won’t have to see him try to discipline that bird.

I feel a cold, slightly rough-scaled thing crawling up my arm, and I look down just in time to see Jake coiling around my neck. “Thanks for backin’ me up, there,” he says. “I ain’t got nothin’ else going on today, so why don’t you take me around with ya?”

I smile, and start making my way towards the other side of the lodge to get my coat. Just before we reach the stairs on the other side of the bedroom hallway, however, I catch the sound of Kurogiri speaking with Shen. I slowly creep back until I’m somewhat hidden from the sight of anyone in the living room, and wait.

“You don’t honestly believe that uncivilized serpent, do you?” Shen snaps.

Jake starts rattling his tail, so I quietly get his attention and make a “shh” gesture with one finger in front of my lips. He quiets down, still glaring at the peacock from his perch.

“Shen, I saw you with the fang you took,” Kurogiri replies, his voice firm. “Hand it over.”

“Oh, what for?” the peacock scoffs. “He can’t use it now.”

“No, but I won’t let you make a trophy out of it,” Kurogiri insists. “We had a deal, remember?”

“Tell that to him! He keeps trying to scare me off!”

“I will deal with conflicts as they arise. Do not fight with other guests. You know well what happens. Need I remind you that the forest is cold this time of year, and there is still room in the basement.”

“Oh, please, you wouldn’t throw me down there with that old thing. What would dear Rose think?”

“She won’t find out. Now, behave yourself. That’s final.”

Shen scoffs, and I hear the sound of Kurogiri warping away. I take that as my cue to walk out onto the stairs, trying to act natural.

“...What the hell was that about?” I finally mutter to Jake, after looking around to make sure no one else is here. “What basement? And what thing in the basement?”

“Beats me,” Jake mutters back. “Sounds like a good place for that bird, though.”

“Jake, this is serious,” I reply. “Kurogiri’s hiding something from me. From the sounds of it, it could be pretty bad. Maybe...maybe that’s whatever Future was trying to warn me about.”

“Future’s that ghost that shows up at midnight?”

“Yeah, that’s it,” I reply. “Last night it showed me a vision of a cabin with--well, it was symbolic. But it looked almost like...you guys were all going to turn on me.”

“What?!” Jake looks at me in disbelief. “No, I wouldn’t--! That ghost’s messin’ with ya.”

“...I hope you’re right,” I mutter back, taking my coat from the coat rack and heading out the front door. “But I still need to find out what he’s hiding.”

Jake grimaces at the cold outside air and burrows into the lining of my coat’s hood. “Fuck this,” he hisses. “Why would it ever need to be this cold, anyhow?!”

I let out a short little chuckle, and walk out onto the porch, where I begin to hear the sounds of someone playing a violin. Pretty close by, in fact. Almost like...

I turn my head to the side and see a somewhat-warmer-dressed Mint Choco Cookie, his mint green hair making himself stand out right away despite his different threads.

He looks up from his instrument and perks up a bit upon spotting me, and he smiles. “Rose, good morning,” he greets me with a small performer’s bow. “I hope you slept well.”

“I did, thanks,” I reply, smiling as well. “I hope you did, too. What are you doing out here practicing in the cold, though?”

“It’s not so bad today,” he replies. “I like a little chill, it makes me feel inspired. A few of the guests and I are planning a performance later in the week, and I want to make sure I can play for you at my best.”

“Oh...that actually sounds really interesting,” I reply. “Will you let me know when you’re ready? I don’t want to miss something like that.”

“Of course,” Mint Choco replies, then he looks at my hood and laughs a bit. “Hello in there, Jake.”

“’Hello’ yourself, pretty boy,” Jake replies. “Freezin’ your ass off out here.”

Mint Choco laughs again, and I wave to him as I leave the porch and walk around to the back of the lodge.

“I don’t think he knows anything about the basement,” I remark, half to myself and half to Jake. “And if he does, he’d probably tell Kurogiri I asked. He’s too nice to break any rules.”

“Look, if I don’t know anything about the basement, somebody as new to the Rose club as him sure ain’t gonna know,” Jake replies. “But lucky for you, you’re almost exclusively attracted to rule-breakers.”

“...Okay you’re right, but I feel attacked.”

He laughs.

I walk around the lodge to the backyard, finding a small path that leads to a large lake. “Man...that’s gonna be great when it warms up,” I think aloud to myself as I approach the lake.

Sitting by the shore is a woman with long white hair. Standing by the treeline nearby are a pale woman with a shaved head and a tall cyborg with a skeletal appearance. Those two seem to be having a conversation. Not wanting to interrupt, I approach the white-haired woman instead. “Hey, Yorktown,” I greet her. “How’s it going?”

She looks up at me from her seat on the grass and smiles warmly. Her blue-violet eyes are gorgeous. “Good morning, Rose,” she replies pleasantly. “It’s good to see you up and about. Isn’t the water beautiful today?”

“Yeah...” I muse, watching the small ripples upon the surface. “Would be great to kayak on. Shame it’s way too cold right now, though. I’d probably turn into a popsicle if I fell in.”

“Oh, yes, of course,” Yorktown replies, a little concerned. “We don’t want that. Please be careful.”

“You’re the woman with the...eagle...ain’t ya?” Jake speaks up, warily watching the skies. “...Where is that thing?”

Yorktown smiles. “It’s alright, Little Eagle is well-fed. He has more of a taste for fish than snakes, anyway,” she tries to reassure him. “You must be Rattlesnake Jake. You’re cuter than I expected.”

“Cute?!”

“I’m sure she doesn’t mean any offense by it,” I speak up, wanting to defuse the situation as quickly as possible. “Actually, Yorktown, I wanted to ask you something.”

She raises an eyebrow, curious. “About what?”

“...Do you know anything about a basement here?”

She shakes her head. “No, I’m sorry, I don’t think I know anything about a basement in that building. Wouldn’t it be better to ask Kurogiri about that?”

“Uh...well, I already asked and he wouldn’t tell me anything.” I bluff.

“Strange...I could ask him for you--”

“No!” Okay, real subtle, me. “Uh, sorry, I just, don’t want you to do that. I’ve got it.”

“...Well, if you’re sure.” she replies. “Maybe they might know?” She points to the couple by the trees.

“Thanks, York,” I reply, waving to her as I approach them instead.

“Of course, I can’t kiss you while we’re out here,” I hear the pale woman say to her partner in a low voice as I approach. “Your faceplate’s made of metal, so with how cold it is today, my lips would get stuck.”

I find myself giggling a bit at this, calling their shared attention over to me. “Well, if it isn’t our little star~” the woman coos with a wry smirk. “And here I was beginning to worry you’d be too frightened of us.”

“Me? Why would I be scared of you two?” I ask in return. “No one here’s going to hurt me.”

“Of course not,” the cyborg next to her replies in a gruff, metallic voice. “Forgive Asajj, she’s...being her usual self.” The pale woman gives him an irritated glance. “It’s a pleasure to finally see you in person, Rose.”

“Definitely,” I reply, smiling. “Especially considering I’ve known you two for so long. And I’m happy to see you two are still together.”

“That’s right, we have you to thank for that, don’t we?” the woman, Asajj Ventress, remarks. “I admit, I thought you were crazy at first. But you’ve got better taste than I gave you credit for.”

“Thanks.” I change my tone then, about to ask them my question. “There’s something about this place that’s been on my mind lately. Have either of you heard about a basement in the lodge?”

The pair exchange a confused look, and both shake their heads. “I didn’t even know there was a basement. Kurogiri never mentioned one, and I haven’t seen one, either.” Asajj answers.

The cyborg, Grievous, narrows his eyes for a moment. “...I have no knowledge of a basement, but...at times, long after the sun has set, I’ve heard scratching from beneath the floorboards in the living room. I thought to ask about it once, the master of the household claimed it was vermin.”

“Vermin?” Asajj raises a brow. “You never mentioned that to me. But that seems...strange, doesn’t it? Why would a perfect dream world have pests underneath the floorboards? ...Something isn’t adding up.”

“...You really heard something like that?” I ask, now a little unsettled. “...He’s definitely hiding something from me, if what you’re saying is true, Grievous. But...why? Why would Kurogiri need to hide anything from me?”

“I’m not sure,” Asajj replies. “But for your own sake, I don’t think you should let him know you’re curious about it until you have enough information to confront him. Let us know when that happens. Qymaen and I will be more than ready to back you up.” Grievous gives a nod of agreement.

“Thanks,” I reply. “Both of you. It’s good to know I can trust you.” I bid farewell to both of them and after catching sight of a trail through the woods, I start heading over in that direction.

“Vermin, huh?” Jake speaks up. I’d almost forgotten he’s there. “That woman’s right. That story don’t hold water. If there were rats under them floorboards, I’d’ve smelled ‘em. I ain’t never caught no scent from down there. Whatever’s scratchin’ them floorboards, it ain’t no animal.”

“Yeah...” I reply, a little shaken by the images my imagination’s conjuring up from that. “Just wish knowing that made me feel less nervous instead of more.”

Walking into the woods along the trail, I’m distracted from my nervous thoughts by the sparkling snow along the ground and the shining icicles hanging from the branches. This place really is beautiful...I just wish there wasn’t anything to ruin that beauty.

“Hey...person who just crunched the snow over there. Is it too much to ask you to find my eye for me?” A slightly higher-pitched voice calls out from just beside the trail up ahead.

“That sounds like--” I walk forward until I can see what looks like a pile of dark green robes topped with a wizard’s hat of the same color lying on the snow. Two purple hands are poking out from the sleeves. “Green Mage!”

The pile of robes perks up a bit at the sound of my voice. “Hey, you’re--Rose! That’s got to be your voice. Even better than one of the other guests! You’ll definitely help me, right?”

“Of course,” I reply, kneeling down in the snow to meet their level. “You yeeted your eye again, didn’t you?” I try to keep myself from laughing, not wanting to seem like I’m not concerned.

Green sighs. “Yeah...I was just so bored! You know I’ve got horrible impulse control.”

I smile. “I’ll find it. Remember this next time, though, okay? You can’t keep doing this to yourself.” I gently pat their shoulder, and then stand up to search the woods.

“How in the hell did they toss their eye into the damn woods?” Jake mutters to me while I search.

“It’s not really an eye,” I explain. “It’s a gemstone. They’re magic, so they can see through it. I don’t think it hurts them to take it out.”

Eventually going off the path, I see a tall figure standing by a small, frozen pond. He’s sporting large branch-like antlers decorated with vines and leaves. He turns to face me as I approach, his fawn-like ears perking up at the sound of crunching snow. His face painted with dapples of white smiles warmly. “A ‘Rose’ has bloomed from the snow,” he remarks, amused. “Have you come in search of something that was lost?”

“...Yeah, actually. Good intuition, Millie,” I reply. “We’re looking for Green Mage’s eye. They got bored and tossed it into the woods again.”

Millennial Tree Cookie chuckles. “Such an amusing name you’ve chosen for me. And ‘we’, you say? Ah, yes, I see you come to me with a lover wrapped ‘round your neck. Greetings, Jake. Though the Forest is not your home, all manner of creatures large and small are welcome here.”

I can practically feel Jake roll his eyes at that.

“As fate would have it, I have discovered the Mage’s eye,” Millennial Tree Cookie continues, turning to face me and holding out a round white crystal. “It is undamaged, but perhaps they should be more careful with it.”

“Yeah, I already told them,” I reply, closing the distance between us to retrieve the eye from his hands. “Thanks, Millie.”

He nods slowly, still smiling. “It pleases me to know that this lonely thing will be returned to its owner. I must return to the lodge for now. Kurogiri is preparing a wonderful feast for all of us. I look forward to seeing you there.”

“Oh, right,” I reply, the mention of a feast reminding me that I am actually getting a bit hungry. “Actually, would you take the eye back to Green, then? They’re near the start of the trail.”

He cocks his head to one side like a puzzled animal. “Will you not be joining us?”

“No, I will be. I just...want to see where this trail leads.”

He smiles and nods, taking the eye back into his gentle hands and walking back towards the trail with a measured, graceful gait. “Take care, young Rose--” he calls back. “Not all who roam the Forest are as gentle as I.”

I nod as I watch him leave. “Everybody’s just being ominous today, huh?” I remark.

“You could take it as a sign to get the hell back inside--” Jake mutters. “‘Fore we both freeze to death.”

“Yeah...” I reply, pulling my hood shut tighter at an unpleasantly cold gust of wind. “You kinda have a point. I’m curious, but it feels like it’s getting even colder now, and I probably shouldn’t wander too far from the lodge when it’s like this.”

I’m about to turn around and walk back the way I came, but now the wind is carrying the sound of distant song to me as it blows. I think I recognize that voice. It’s a low, operatic sort that sounds simultaneously haunting and inviting. And it’s quickly getting closer.

Jake stays quiet, but he coils tighter around my neck and burrows further into my hood...and I don’t think it’s just because of the cold. I catch him glaring at me confusedly, perhaps wondering why I’m not full on booking it back to the lodge.

“Lead through the mist, by the milk-light of moon...”

“All that was lost, is revealed...”

“Our long bygone burdens, mere echoes of the spring...”

“But where have we come? And where shall we end?”

“If dreams can’t come true, then why not...pretend~?”

I feel compelled to join him in song. The words leave my lips softly at first, then grow louder as I recall the song.

“How~ the gentle wind...beckons through the leaves~ as autumn~ colors~ fall~...”

“You do remember,” the haunting voice of the Beast sounds from just behind me. “And I’d thought you would forget.”

I turn around and am met with the sight of a tall shadowy figure, great branches growing from the sides of his head like antlers. His piercing eyes of light appear almost soft. “I can’t forget that song,” I reply softly. “It’s so beautiful...”

“Beautiful enough to stand out here in the cold with me?” he asks amusedly, placing a wooden hand upon my cheek. His gaze becomes softer still when I sigh contentedly and lean into the touch. In the next moment, he spots the scaly body of Jake wrapped around my throat, tight enough to secure himself and assert his claim over me, but loose enough to avoid restricting my breath. “You did not come alone...” Beast observes. He doesn’t sound angry or betrayed, quite calm, in fact.

“He’s just trying to stay warm,” I explain. “He wanted to stay with me while I walked.”

“How romantic of him,” Beast muses. “A beast can love just the same as a man, can it not, Jacob?” He appears amused for a moment. “Do you fear me, little serpent? There is no need. We are kindred spirits, born from darkness. I dare not harm you.”

“I ain’t...scared, alright, I just...” he trails off, and falls silent again. Beast chuckles at this.

“Are you coming to dinner tonight?” I think to ask Beast, only realizing after I’ve said it how silly it sounds. Can he even eat?

Beast shakes his head slowly. “I can’t eat in the same way that you can,” he replies. “The head of the household would not be pleased to see me under his roof, either. At the least, he keeps my soul well-supplied with wood. It’s not edelwood oil, but it suffices well enough that I don’t starve.”

A thought occurs to me. “Wait, the fire in the fireplace...that’s your soul?”

“Ah, how clever of you~...” he muses, petting my hair. “Perhaps you might think it cruel for him to keep me away from it?”

“...Why does he do that?” I ask him.

“I fear your dear Shirakumo doesn’t trust me enough,” he replies. “And I am not the only one he is wary of.”

“...I’ve been wondering if I should try and talk to him about that.” I begin. “There was something I found weird today...he mentioned there being ‘room in the basement’ while scolding Shen...and Shen addressed something already being down there. When I brought it up to Grievous, he said he’d noticed scratching under the floorboards in the living room.”

Beast seems intrigued. “Well, Rose...what do you believe?”

I think for a moment. “...I think Kurogiri’s keeping someone or something sealed away in a hidden basement. Am I right?”

“Indeed,” he replies, catching me off guard. “I would know. I sing to it at night. He gets dreadfully lonely down there, you see.”

“...Wh--” I stammer, awestruck. “Who is he?”

“I’m afraid I haven’t been able to figure that out yet,” Beast replies. “The walls are thick and the basement has no windows. I suspect he’s lost his voice as well. He only responds to me with taps and scratches.”

“...How do you know he’s a ‘he’ if you can’t hear him?”

“I thought to ask him one night. One tap for ‘he’, two for ‘she’, three for ‘it’ or ‘they’.” He’s talking about this like it’s the most ordinary thing in the world, communicating with someone trapped in a hidden basement. “I will try to ask for his name tonight. Perhaps I can make a system for letters...”

“I can’t believe he would do something like this...I thought I could trust him.”

“He undoubtedly thinks this man is a threat to you and the other guests,” Beast replies. “He isn’t the type to punish without first having a good reason. Or at least, one he can tell himself is good.”

“...One more thing. I had a weird dream last night, and then Future showed me the same thing in a vision. I think it might have meant that the guests are going to turn against me. Do you know what it might have--”

“The Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come is as much a mystery to me, as it is to you,” he replies. “The future is beyond even my knowledge. But such behavior would not be against our natures. You forget, that despite our love, you stand before a devourer of souls, with a venomous serpent around your neck.”

“...” I don’t really have a response.

“Seek out the castle gardens tomorrow,” he tells me with one hand upon my shoulder. “A friend of mine may be able to help.”

Before I can ask him anything more, he’s vanished into the shadows of the coming evening. “...I think I should get back to the lodge.” I say to myself.

“‘Bout damn time!” Jake hisses in reply.

. . .

Kurogiri manifests before me as I step into the lodge and hang up my coat, making me jump a little. I don’t like not feeling like I can trust him. He hasn’t been with me long, but he’s one I connected with very strongly and one who always felt safe to me.

Maybe I don’t know him as well as I thought I did.

“Rose, there you are,” he says calmly. “You’ve arrived late to your own welcoming. Is something wrong?”

Yeah, something’s very wrong. Who are you keeping locked up in the basement that you never told me about? And why is he down there?

But I don’t say this. I’m not sure of how to bring it up to him yet, or if I even should. “I got distracted. I was checking out the forest. Talking to the other guests.” Beast had mentioned Kurogiri not trusting him, so I also don’t want to let him know I was talking to him.

Kurogiri seems to accept this, and simply motions towards the other part of the lodge. “I see. If you are ready for dinner, please follow me to the dining room.” He turns and heads back towards the other side of the lodge, and I follow him. There’s not much else to say about that.

In the dining room, the massive table is lined end to end with the various colorful guests staying at the lodge. There’s an ambient cloud of indistinct chatter as they all converse with one another.

“Hold on for a second,” I speak up, making Kurogiri halt and turn around to face me. “I want to check on Jake’s missing fang.”

He nods and stands off to the side as I kneel down and Jake slithers off my neck and onto the floor. I carefully remove the tissue from his mouth and notice that the hole has stopped bleeding.

“All clear?” he asks, and I nod.

“All clear.” I smile as I lean towards him and give him a gentle kiss upon his little mouth. A sudden puff of smoke blinds me, startling me into falling back onto my rear. “Wh--huh?” is all I can think to say.

“I was wondering when you’d discover that feature,” Kurogiri muses from behind me. “Your more beastly companions have been granted an alternate, more humanoid form for various sorts of convenience.”

Jake shakes himself off as the smoke clears. “So that’s what you were talkin’ about,” he says. His lower half is still that of a snake’s, albeit larger now to accommodate the new humanoid torso. Above the waist, he’s the spitting image of a dashing outlaw. A gunslinger’s attire, sharp features, long dark hair spilling over his shoulders. A thin dark mustache lines his upper lip, his skin a light, warm brown. If it weren’t for the hellfire serpent’s eyes and the sharp teeth, he’d look fully human from the waist up. He looks down at his hands, regarding them with confusion. “These thing’s’ll take some gettin’ used to,” he mutters, then flashing me a fanged grin. “So...what’s the lady think?”

“...You want my honest opinion?” I reply, a little shaken, a little unsure of myself.

“Sure. Hell, I can take it.”

“...Very...very handsome.”

He laughs as he slips past me and towards the table. “Hell, I’ll take it.”

“So...that’s how I do it?” I ask Kurogiri, who watches as I stand back up. “I kiss them? That’s so cute! It’s like reverse Fruits Basket...wait, no, that’d be hugging. Well, it’s like The Princess and the Frog, then.”

Once I get to the bottom of the stairs, the guests all look over at me and there’s a chorus of scattered greetings. I sheepishly smile and give a “Hey, guys,” back, a little overwhelmed by the attention but not quite uncomfortable with it.

As I take my seat, Ozzie addresses Jake over his new form. “Hey, not bad, cowboy,” he remarks with a sultry smirk. “Maybe Eve had the right idea about snakes...”

“You’re gonna have to try harder’n that, Oz,” Jake replies slyly. “If you wanna convince me to get a taste of the other kind...”

“Oh, I’m countin’ on it...” Ozzie replies, chuckling.

Kurogiri clears his throat, and the prince of lust scowls a bit before sinking back into his seat. I think he mutters something to the effect of “cock-blocking son of a--” Fizzarolli, seated beside him, scowls at the mist-cloaked man as well.

“If we could have peace at the table, please,” Kurogiri declares. “Now that Rose is here, we can eat.”

Perhaps showing off, perhaps merely using the most convenient method available to him, Kurogiri warps our plates onto the table all at once, each settling right before their intended recipients. Then the warp gates close and the mist vanishes. It doesn’t seem to have been one specific dish that we all received. Everyone’s got something different on their plate, and in their glass. On Jake’s plate, in particular, I notice are...dead mice. Snakes, I think to myself.

On my own plate is a dish my mother first presented to me about a year ago--angel hair pasta with sauteed mushrooms and thinly sliced ham. I feel myself smile at the sight of it.

I notice the Horned King at the end of the table, seemingly paying no mind to anyone else around him. He doesn’t look exactly comfortable with the crowd. Maybe he only showed up to greet me.

Demongo is seated across from him. I wouldn’t have been able to see him behind the other people next to me if it weren’t for the flame atop his head. I can’t read his face from here, but knowing how he is with crowds, he’s probably at the end so he doesn’t feel boxed in.

Seated directly beside me is Saki Nikaido, her long blonde ponytail cluing me into her identity right away. She’s telling the guests closest to her a story about her bandmates, and most of them seem pretty amused.

Yet as I look around and work on the meal Kurogiri’s prepared (it’s really good, by the way), I notice a few faces are absent from the table. Of course Beast isn’t there, he’d told me himself he wouldn’t be. But there also isn’t any sign of Charlie, Grievous, Valtiel, or Future. ...Granted, I don’t think those guys need to or can eat, so I’m not really upset that they aren’t here.

. . .

After dinner is over, some of the guests go on their way after passing a greeting to me. Others stick around and we start discussing watching a movie together. After some discussion, we settle on one where none of the guests actually die, and it’s Jake who wins the honor of having us watch the movie he comes from.

The viewing party comes down to Anubis, Asajj, Christine, Demongo, Fizz & Ozzie, Mint Choco, Jake, Saki, Scorpion Cookie, Striker, and of course me. We all huddle around the fireplace in the living room and enjoy Rango.

There's plenty of laughter, and the party seems pretty invested in the story by around the 15 minute mark. I catch Jake leaning closer to me when the hawk appears, and laughing triumphantly when the hawk is killed. A number of the viewers, namely the villains and the ones with a flair for the dramatic, cheer at Jake's first appearance. He grins, soaking up the admiration.

Mint Choco praises the score, Scorpion and Demongo laugh with delight over the combat. There's surprised and excited cheers when Rango confronts Jake, and while the credits roll, everyone seems to have really enjoyed themselves.

While a few of the guests go their separate ways, Jake surprises me by wrapping his coils around me and leans in close, chuckling to himself. "Feels damn good to see ya cheerin' for me like that," he says with a sharp-toothed smile. "Not like I need ya to...but it reminds me of why I took a likin' to ya in the first place. You still my girl, Rose?"

My cheeks flushed, I smile. "You can count on it," I reply.

He chuckles again, and leans in even closer. "That's what I like to hear..."

Before I can kiss him, Striker's voice sounds out. "Hate to interrupt you two lovebirds, but--Jake, I oughta prove myself to these folks. Seems they're all riled up over you, and I just can't take that lyin' down." The demon stands poised with his hands on the sides of his belt, the tip of his forked tail rattling. "We better settle this sometime, right? Outlaw?"

Jake scoffs at him. "You ain't got what it takes, ya wannabe. Y'know Rose only likes you on account of how ya remind her of me."

Striker hisses. "Maybe...but I aim to change her mind."

"Um..." I butt in sheepishly. "N-not that you two fighting over me isn't...really hot, but--can we not do this? I don't want you two getting hurt."

Jake smirks. "You heard the lady, little man. Wouldn't wanna get hurt, now, would ya?"

"How you plan on pleasin' her without legs, Jake?" Striker taunts.

"Oh, you don't need 'em," Jake sneers. "If ya know what you're doin'..."

"Ohhh my god..." I whisper breathlessly, my legs unsteady, unable to keep the smile from my face.

"You two are gonna kill her, talking like that," Ozzie speaks up, now standing over the two bickering snakes. "Look at her, she's like a Victorian seein' bare ankle!"

I feel called out and start trying to hide my flushed face. The prince just laughs at this and picks me up, out from Jake's coils, setting me on the floor beside him. "You two got skill, but you gotta use some restraint around doe-eyed virgins. Can't have her overdosing on lust on her first day."

"Heh...sorry, little lady," Striker replies, briefly scowling at Ozzie, though I don't think he noticed. "Sure would be a shame if I was too much for ya, though."

Jake laughs mockingly in response. "Oh, please..." He slithers over to me and nuzzles my forehead for a short moment. "'Night, darlin'," he says quietly, before heading off up the stairs.

Striker just gives me a look, winks, and slinks off in the other direction.

"...Thanks for breaking that up," I mutter to Ozzie once the other two have left. "I...just wish everybody got along."

"Look, Rose, you learn a lotta things as the prince of lust. One of those things is that some people just don't mix, no matter how much you might want to see 'em bang--" he mutters the last bit. "Anyway, I wouldn't mind keepin' you company as long as you're staying up. You want to stay up a little, or just go to bed?"

"I think I'll just go to bed," I reply. "I want to do some exploring tomorrow, anyway."

"Alright," he replies, scooping me up into his palm before I can really react and putting me down at the top of the stairs. He's shifted to his larger form, just tall enough for his heads to poke over the railing. "Lean over the rail a bit."

A little confused, I approach the railing and lean my head over it a little. He responds with three simultaneous kisses, one for my lips and one for each cheek. He then chuckles a bit at my charmed reaction, his side faces smiling contentedly. "Yeah, Fizzy thought you might like that."

. . .

Scratch scratch scratch...

There’s a sound of claws scraping across wood coming from below me. I look down, and see inky blackness start to seep out from the floorboards. It rises into the air, swirling around the room and transforming the place into a ruined, abandoned place. It looks like how the lodge looked when I first found it.

The scratching continues. It moves around the room, but no source is visible. I look over to the crumbling brick of the fireplace, and see a message being scrawled into it.

R E M E M B E R M E

“‘Remember me?’ But who are you?!” I call out to the source, whatever and whoever it might be. “I don’t--I don’t know who I’m supposed to remember!”

The message appears again on the wall closest to me. “REMEMBER ME”.

“Why is Kurogiri keeping you in the basement?” I continue to ask. “Where is the basement?! I want to help you, but you might be the only one who knows how!”

This time, the message was different.

I ‘ M I N T H E W A L L S

I gasp, sudden realization washing over me. “The Warp Gate Quirk! The entrance to the basement isn’t a door! I need to warp through the walls to find you!”

L E T M E O U T

The new message is scrawled into the wall at lightning speed. There’s a solid thud from behind the wall bearing the message. Then another. And another. They keep getting louder and louder, and I feel as though any second the wall will burst open and reveal the missing guest. I’m both eager and afraid of that possibility.

. . .

I awake with a start, lying in my bed. The room’s pretty dark, only barely illuminated by the moonlight streaming in through the window. It’s only once the haze of sleepiness fades that I realize I’m being held by someone.

A somewhat heavy serpentine body is draped overtop of mine, positioned diagonally. The humanoid upper half lies beside me. When I look over, I see a pair of fiery orange eyes looking back at me.

“Easy, now,” he says with an uncharacteristic softness to his voice. “It’s just me. I ain’t gonna hurt ya.”

“Jake? What are you doing in here?”

“Got too cold again,” he replies. “Y’know how it is. Now, what’s got’cha all riled up?”

“I...I think I know how to get into the basement.”

He blinks, confused. “Wha--?”

“There’s no door. I have to use Kurogiri’s powers to get there.”

“...And how are you gonna get him to let you in?”

“...I don’t know.”

“Well,” he remarks. “Way I see it, now might be one of them times where violence is the answer.”

#kiss from a rose #chapter 3 #s/i rose #jakepost #shenpost #ozpost #giripost #better together #yorkpost #asajjpost #qypost #born chaos #tears of the millennial tree #beastpost #save a horse 🐴 ride a cowboy 🐍

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