#briefly: epel felmier

[yuus-sentient-teddy]

Old Note: This came to me the night before Book 7 got updated on the JP server. I'm also waiting for translations, but from what I've been hearing, there's speculation that the squad will be traveling to other dreams and waking up the rest of the main cast.

New Note: Tada *jazz hands* here it is after how many months.

The Hall of Mirrors is in shambles, and the cause for its state is still wrecking havoc.

"Those ear. . . there's no way that's Grim!" Ace says. He and the others didn't enter this dream by falling from the sky. They all just opened their eyes and found themselves lying on the broken ground, wearing their ceremonial robes and lightly covered in dust.

"Hang on, where's Yuu?"

"Over there!" Silver hurries over to a dark shape that almost blends against what remains of a stone column. Anyone would have missed the shape if that person couldn't see the white glowing bird circling over Yuu's head.

They're groaning while slowly sitting up. "Are you okay, Prefect?"

"Yeah. What about you? Are you and everyone else okay?"

"We're fine, just a little scratched up," Ace says as he and the others gather around.

Yuu nods. "Good."

They look at the menacing form of their partner and their eyes immediately fill with despair. "God. I can't believe he turned into that," they say quietly. "And the Mirror. . ."

Gasps erupt as multiple eyes spy it among the rubble.

"It's. . . shattered?!" Deuce says.

"Prefect, are you okay?" Epel asks, remembering their longing for home.

Yuu swallows and smothers whatever emotion is on their face, quickly donning an expression that would suit a calm advisor (it's an expression all the boys know from the Overblot situations). ". . . We'll talk about that later. Right now, we need to get Grim back to normal. I think we should do some recon to get a sense of what he can now do."

"I agree with the suggestion," Rook says. "I volunteer myself to go." He then invites a few others whose skill sets may be helpful, such as Leona and Epel.

"Prefect, are you able to stand?" he asks.

"Yeah. You need me to watch out for you guys?"

"Yes, and perhaps to notice anything from a distance in contrast to us who will be closer to Grim."

"In the meantime, we'll discuss possible strategies and update them once you all come back," Vil says.

Once the recon team leaves, Ace says, "I'm just going to say this right now: why is Yuu dreaming something like this? This doesn't seem like something they want to happen. You guys saw how they acted, right?"

"It also wouldn't make sense if this is a memory," Riddle adds. "It seems like all of us are supposed to be present, but we would surely remember a disaster such as this."

"It's not just that. Something is different about this dream," Silver says. "You both are right in that it's not based on a desire nor a memory. It's something else entirely different, but I can't quite place what it is."

". . . What if it's a vision?" Ace suggests.

"What do you mean?"

"Yuu has been having weird dreams throughout the school year. They said that some of them are about the Great Seven acting villainous and that the rest are quick flashes of a black carriage and a blue beast."

There's a long period of silence as the information settles in.

"Has the Prefect have these visions while awake?" Lilia asks.

"I'm not sure--hang on." Ace's eyes widen. "Sometimes they look dazed or like they're about to faint."

"Like while they were talking to me at my farewell party?"

"Yeah. . . like that."

Another long moment of silence. In the background, someone shouts something while the chimera stomps on what's left of the ground and screeches.

"Okay, so we know the person from another world may be a seer of sorts," Idia says. "Let's get back to figuring out how to turn Grim back into a cat and get Yuu to wake up."

Somehow, despite how quickly he tried to get out of the way and the protective barriers he put up, he got hit with one of Grim's curses. It made it so hard to breathe, and his legs suddenly weren't able to support him. He wracks his brain for counter spells--but is suddenly interrupted by desperate shouts from around him.

He lifts his head as best as he could. His eyes widen.

Yuu was standing before the beast, a hand reaching. He was too far to hear what they were saying, but it was no doubt soothing words to try to get their partner back to his senses. They were even smiling calmly.

But Grim suddenly roars and lunges forward.

"Prefect!"

He shoves himself off the floor and into a run. Others are doing the same around him or are lifting their pens to summon a protective shield. He lifts a hand, but the motion gets slower and slower with each second even though he's sure he's moving quickly. It's not like he's moving through molasses, though.

No. It's more like--

Time slows to a stop. Grim's jaws are just over the Prefect's head. From what he could still see, their eyes are wide and full of shock.

. . . Then he and everyone are suddenly floating in a void, semi- surrounding an unconscious Yuu.

"What. . . the hell is this place?" Ace says. His voice echoed slightly, like he was in a small cave.

"I'm guessing Yuu didn't mention this?" Floyd says rather casually.

"Shh! Listen!" Leona interjects.

Somewhere in the darkness, there's a low voice. It grows louder until it is clear and seems to surround the NRC students; by then, they were able to identify the speaker. "The Headmaster?!"

"Guided by the Mirror of Darkness. . ."

"Guys, look up!" Numerous mirrors that look exactly like the Mirror of Darkness are suspended above them, looking down but reflecting nothing but darkness.

". . . If your heart bids it, take the hand of the one reflected in the mirror."

Yuu's eyes are still closed. A couple seconds pass, then their arm lifts and their hand reaches for something above, to the side. As if summoned by that gesture, a mirror comes down and floats above them. Their eyes slowly open.

Someone realizes he can lower himself to get a better view of the mirror, and the others follow suit.

They're just in time to see a hand coming from the darkness within the mirror. It passes through the glass, the surface momentarily rippling, and its palm is facing up. Without hesitation, Yuu takes the hand.

Light shimmers from the hands then expands, filling the whole void and momentarily blinding everyone. Once it's gone, Yuu and the mirrors are nowhere to be seen.

The Headmaster's voice rings clear:

"As flame reduces even the stars to ash,

as ice seals away even time itself,

as great trees swallow even the sky,

fear not the power of darkness. Now... demonstrate your power."

There are flashbacks to the earlier battle against Grim, except it was like the battle was repeating over and over: different combination of groups going against Grim, each combination losing regardless of the power of the spells. There was a vague sense that they've fought countless times now.

Suddenly, Yuu is back in the void, donning their ceremonial robe and lying on their back with their hands folded over their stomach, like they were sleeping in a coffin. A new voice speaks, and it's not someone any of the boys recognize.

For me, for them, for you. Time is growing short. Whatever you do, don't let go of that hand.

Blink.

They all are standing at the gates to Ramshackle Dorm.

None of them know what to say.

One of the boys is looking at his own hand, thinking back to when the person in the mirror offered their hand. "Hang on. There's a face in the shadow. It looks kind of like. . ."

He thinks he can feel the phantom sensation of someone holding his hand.

[violenteconomics]

I am in dire need of more of that AU that The First years get The upperclassmen toxic traits,i realy want more of It,like;

A way to include octavinelle and scarabia,maybe like,3 First years(Ace,deuce,Jack) get some of azul's toxic traits,other Three(epel,ortho and sebek) get Jamil toxic traits and yuu get both

Second thing

More reactings please,i NEED The staff,ALL The dorms and even the relatives seeing The First years developing those toxic traits,the overblots+Trey and cater for deuce getting their toxic traits right back at their face i beg you🙏🙏

anything 4 u, baby.

(but for real, though, this is an AMAZING idea, love you so much for tilling the ground for my brainwormies, mwah mwah 😘)

(also, this might get REALLY long, so hang tight!)

it was just a seed at first — a tiny idea that stuck around despite the first-years not even realizing it was there. but as the poison from their actual housewardens starts to develop into something truly deadly, so does that seed. it shows up later... but it makes itself known nevertheless.

ace, deuce, and jack have all worked for azul at the mostro lounge at one point, and though it was a very brief moment in time, it was just long enough to worm its way into their heads.

it starts with ace trappola, who's already pretty slippery with his words. but working at the mostro lounge, taking subconscious note of all the underhanded deals azul is making, he starts to pick up new... skills, let's say.

it starts small, with ace starting to give out certain favors to his fellow freshmen to earn some money. if you give him ten thaumarks, he'll do one of your everyday chores for you — dusting your room, cleaning your bathroom, making dinner, what have you. if you give him fifteen thaumarks, he'll do your homework if you don't feel like doing it, or take class notes for you if you don't feel like showing up. if you give him forty, he'll help you with something less-than-moral and definitely against the rules (he did it once back at the atlantica memorial museum — he can do it again).

there's an obvious power imbalance in all of these scenarios, but ace effortlessly words in a way that makes it seem like it's a win-win situation, when in reality, it's more like a zero-sum game.

it gets to the point where ace builds a black-market sort of reputation, and all of the freshmen know that if you need something done, ace is the person to go to.

...but then, something shifts.

at some point, ace starts a black-mailing campaign for the people who paid for the forty-thaumark favor. if you don't want your secret — one that might get you expelled, suspended, or worse — getting out, then you can pay for ace's silence with a favor or more money.

the worst part is: there's no way out. if you try attacking ace, it'll seem like you assaulted him for no reason, since if you try to explain he was blackmailing you, you'll have to tell them what he was blackmailing you with, which you obviously can't do — or else what was even the point? the same rule applies if you try tattling on him to one of the teachers or the housewardens or anybody else. and ace is a better liar than most people will ever be in their lifetime, so it's a losing battle even if you do manage to get someone to take your side.

so if you want to cross the bridge, my sweet, you've got to pay the toll.

(it's not even about the money anymore, really. riddle's thirst for control and azul's desire for recognition have clashed inside of ace in the most violent way, and now, it's all about the power it gives him over other people. and after how powerless he's felt this entire school year, being thrown left and right by overblot after overblot with no say at all, this is a power trip he never wants to come back down from.)

but ace realizes he's making quite a few enemies with his little money-making strategy, and he needs someone to help him just in case someone does come up with a plan to wipe him out. i mean, just look at azul — even with all of the loopholes and leverages in the world, even he was taken down eventually without outside help. if he wants this to last as long as possible, he needs... incentive for people to listen to him.

his own jade and floyd.

his own red-and-black collar.

using his riddle rosehearts-born dominance, and taking advantage of deuce's trey-and-cater-born passiveness, ace convinces deuce spade — one of the strongest people he knows — to help him in his economic ventures.

and deuce, seeing this as a way for ace to vent some frustration and unwilling to be on the other end of ace's ire, hesitantly agrees.

he doesn't piece together that ace is acting suspiciously like azul, but he still recognizes his own role in this whole scheme. ace is running a business, right? and deuce has only ever worked in one business before. he remembers what jade and floyd were like back when he worked under them, and so he uses that experience to inform his new position.

deuce becomes known as ace's right-hand man. he'll hunt you down if you don't pay, and he's not afraid to use force to "compel" you to. there have been stories about cat beastmen getting thrown up into trees and being left there for hours. about students getting forks "accidentally" thrown at them in the cafeteria with such precision, it doesn't really feel like an accident. about a student with a spade on his face who can throw back any attack sent his way with just as much force.

and there's nothing you can do about it, because he's in service to someone who has made himself pretty powerful. ace's silver-tongue gets deuce out of any and all trouble he inevitably finds himself in — and is ace is so brutally honest, why wouldn't people believe him? so even if you try to do something to deuce, ace has his back no matter what — and he'll win almost every time.

you mess with deuce, you mess with ace, which is already bad enough. but if you fuck around with ace, you better be prepared to find out with deuce.

they're a pair — that's always been true. but never before has that fact been so threatening.

jack howl comes next. we all know how much jack despises octavinelle's business model. but, begrudgingly, he will admit there are a lot of things he can learn from octavinelle. and more knowledge is never bad. as long as he doesn't actually use it, it should be fine.

(jack is more dangerous than ace and deuce, in a way — his toxicity is insidious in a way it just couldn't ever be with them.)

with excellent hearing, eyesight, and memory, he silently keeps note of every bribe he hears being taken. every lie he knows is being told. every mistake that gets swept under the rug. it's not long before he starts actively looking for it. it's not long before jack's uncovered dirt on almost every freshmen in school. it reminds him a bit of his time working at the mostro lounge. but instead of memorizing orders from customers, he's memorizing all their dirty secrets.

it's to protect himself, jack reasons. after all, it was only his input that put a stop to leona and ruggie's plans back during the spelldrive exhibition. he's just... preparing for another disastrous event, that's all. it's just precaution. insurance.

if it's not, then he'll have to accept that leona's overblot bothered him more than he thought. that he was weak enough to let it.

(and jack can't face that yet.)

and if, once in a while, ace comes to him looking for a little bit of information, then well, that's just lending a friend some advice. nothing wrong with that.

epel, ortho, and sebek don't have any direct ties to jamil, but they are certainly... impressionable, aren't they?

sebek zigvolt is a bit dense, certainly, but even he can see how well jamil takes care of his master. and with a master that's as ditzy and forgetful and all-over-the-place as kalim, that can't be easy. even if they are merely humans, and their experiences can't even begin to compare when it comes to serving a fae prince, sebek reckons that he can learn a thing or two by observing them. so that's exactly what he does.

one day, when kalim spills food on the floor in a hilariously ridiculous move, sebek notices something few others ever would. jamil gives the tiniest twitch of annoyance — the same way silver, in all his stoicism, often does when sebek gets too loud — but then he's back to being perfectly dutiful and polite and says "i'll go get a napkin."

it's... admirable, honestly. sebek doesn't put it into practice right away, but it stays in his mind long after he first sees it.

and then, after malleus's overblot, sebek's emotions feel like they're on fire. after being stuck in a world where it took just the tiniest crack to shatter a perfect illusion, he's wary of nearly everything that disrupts his day. now every single slight against him, no matter how unintentional it may be, feels like a personal attack on his very life. but sebek can't show these ugly emotions so outwardly — that would be dishonorable behavior that could damage malleus's reputation. instead, he resorts to subtle methods that can't be easily traced back to him like putting in frogs in schoolbags and setting brooms on fire or replacing shampoo bottles with tar.

but his repressed feelings of anger start to build to the point where he's now feeling unprecedented resentment towards... well, almost everybody.

when sebek has very first negative thought about malleus in history class — "reckless bastard" — he instantly hates himself for it and throws up then and there because how dare he.

he tries to shut them out, but the more he does, the more these intrusive thoughts start to bombard him with their uncharacteristic cynicism.

he looks at lilia from across the breakfast table, and his first thought is: heartless liar.

he spots leona lying in the botanical garden and he thinks: brainless cretin.

he even sees jamil, walking through the halls, and his mind screams: manipulative bitch.

but sebek shoves it all down because he's in no position to say that. it gets to the point where he's walking around as a silent, unfeeling husk, because to be anything else would be like inviting his inner demons to visit him on the outside. he pushes his emotions down as far as they'll go, and that's just going to have to be enough to get him through the day.

ortho shroud begins to follow a similar principle. his idia-inspired pessimism has led ortho to see others as less like people and more like characters. it's easier to think of every school day as a dungeon in an rpg. it's easier to convince himself that the other students are taunting him because they're programmed to be that way than face the reality that they just don't like him.

but the problem with seeing life as a video game is that you start seeing others as just ways to complete your objectives. like npcs or maps.

and when it comes to using people, jamil viper is king. or, for ortho's purposes, the ultimate survival guide.

ortho shapes himself into a model night raven college student — kind, charming, and sweet for the teachers, but just mischievous and rude enough to still fit in with the students.

he goes to housewarden meetings with idia to "gain leadership experience", taking notes and hearing out of every single little idea he can get his hands on (these are the people who have not just survived, but thrived. they must be doing something right). one time, riddle even pats his head and praises him for his proactiveness.

his classmates adore him for always been willing to help and being so calm about even the worst outcomes.

ortho makes himself as available as possible to the rest of ignihyde, brushing off homework or studying to help them with whatever they need — fixing game consoles, wiring in controllers, checking the internet connection, et cetera.

eventually, everyone believes in him almost as fiercely as scarabia believed in jamil, once upon a time.

ortho doesn't like telling all of these lies, but it's necessary to protect himself. it's like grinding to earn coins until you have enough money to buy that special armor in the shopkeeper's store.

...or maybe it's more like those cheesy dress-up flash games ortho used to play all the time — fleshing out the perfect outfit and hairstyle and makeup that'll earn you the most points.

if people feel like they need him, he'll be able to breeze through school without any more problems. he's put the whole system on easy mode! it feels a bit like cheating, almost.

it is like a game, isn't it? it's fun.

(at some point, ortho forgets how to stop.)

as for epel... well, he knows that his sudden snappish behavior towards the other pomefiore students won't go unnoticed for too long. but this is one of his only ways of venting, so he needs it to go under the radar long enough for him to... to squeeze out all of this sudden venom that's built up in him.

epel's not oblivious. he knows how sebek and ortho have changed over the weeks, and he knows why. but epel can't pull off "repressed" like sebek, and neither can he suddenly turn into the best person ever like ortho. but they do have the right idea about taking inspiration from jamil, so epel can fall back on what there is left: gaslighting.

every time kalim blacked out, jamil blamed it on him being sick. every time someone thought kalim was being awfully uncharacteristic, jamil called it a "mood swing". every time someone asked jamil about why kalim was acting so weird, jamil claimed ignorance.

at least, that's what yuu tells epel.

and it's perfect.

so now, every time someone confronts epel about his overly critical behavior, he lies and says he's doing it for their own good. you need pressure to make a diamond, after all. and besides — vil won't settle for anything less than absolutely perfect.

("i'm just trying to catch your mistakes before he does. and i think you and i can both agree that i'm a lot nicer than he is about it.")

every time vil confronts epel about all of the complaints he's been hearing from the other students about how epel's been tearing down their ideas for outfits and hairstyles with no mercy, and disregarding all of their achievements as "not good enough" to be proud over, epel dons a confused face.

("vil, between studying for tests and the crazy physical regiment you have me do, i barely have time for myself. you honestly think i have the energy to criticize other people?")

epel even starts turning people against each other so they won't focus on him. epel subtly threatens to take away the upperclassmen's position in the hierarchy, which sets up the other underclassmen as a threat, and epel grouses to the underclassmen that the upperclassmen look down on them for not living up to pomefiore standards, under the guise of regular teenage bitching.

but all of this, combined with their self-entitlement, leads to a mini-war in pomefiore. but since this is, well, pomefiore, where being perfect and poised is the standard, the others make sure never make it obvious in front of vil or rook.

epel plays everybody like a fiddle, and ensures that none of it can be traced back to him. it's a good way to get out his frustration. and hey — it seems like everybody's upped their game along the way. vil seems pretty happy that everybody's improving in their efforts so greatly, practically overnight!

epel wakes up with a feeling of accomplishment everyday. for once, it seems he did something right.

now if only rook could stop looking so somber...

then we come to yuu, whose inner darkness has been left to fester all year. if people think they can treat them like a ragdoll, it's only fair they do the same.

there's a lot yuu doesn't have, but one thing they're really lacking is a bit of respect. that's what it means to be magicless in an arcane academy. you're at the bottom of the food chain.

and look at what a bit of self-interest can do for you! yuu studies in the library until late into the night, burning the metaphorical candle at both ends, learning everything they can about magic until they're more well-versed in it than most students in the school. yuu starts making potions that aren't nearly as good as azul's, but they're cheap and work well enough. they start making study guides for others with their new-found knowledge, even if they do bristle with the fact that a damned study guide is what caught them in azul's tentacles in the first place. they start learning anything and everything, clinging to whatever scraps of knowledge they can write down.

with this, they successfully make their case for why they should join ace and deuce's business. eventually, they're just as feared as they are among the other first-years.

but that's not enough for yuu. the power of fear is nice, but the power of controlling other people would be much more cathartic.

so that's what they do. while ace is more focused on monetary gain, yuu uses their mountains of blackmail to convince others to do whatever they want.

if crowley throws another ridiculous task at them, yuu simply hoists it off to somebody else to do. if ramshackle dorm needs a few repairs, it's only a matter of contacting a few people before a whole construction crew paid off by somebody else comes knocking at their door. and they'll do it, if they don't want to get kicked out of the school or have their reputation ruined.

but somehow, even with all of this, yuu sets themself up as the nicest out of their little trio. they're willing to let payments slide from time to time. they listen to their clients' problems. they take constructive criticism and always seem to improve in their potions and study guides based on feedback. and if you do do yuu a favor, they'll give you certain favors right back.

so even when yuu is a covetous, greedy, all-consuming shark, the students still think they're so very, very nice. because compared to ace and deuce, what else is there to think?

but this can only go on for so long. and yuu knows that.

one day, they get called to the headmage's office. yuu is already going through their contact list — a list that's quadrupled ever since they joined forces with ace and deuce — to see who'd be willing to do them a teensy little favor for them, but when they step through the door, they pause.

inside the office are all the housewardens, their vices, the teachers, and everybody else yuu has grown to know over the past year.

yuu narrows their eyes as riddle steps forward.

"yuu," riddle starts sternly, "from one housewarden to another, i believe we need to talk."

^

(i will address everyone's reactions in a reblog, because this is honestly getting really, really long, lol. but don't worry, the reactions are coming! 🥺)

(but i should mention that there is already a good reblog of the original post by @thenumberhuntress which addresses the upperclassmen's reactions that you can find here. go read it. it's peak.)

(once again, thank you for the great ask! this was fun to make!)

[nonovyabuisness]

A fun question popped into my head while I was watching old twisted wonderland gacha videos.

What would happen if other Twisted Wonderland characters overbloted ?

How difficult would it be to deal with them ?

How would their unique magic work in this state ?

So I have decided to make a list of headcanons for all of the non-overblot NRC students answering those questions.

Heartslabyul

Ace Trappola ❤️ :

-considering the fact that he doesn’t have his unique magic yet, he would be less difficult to deal with then others.

- But his wind magic could make things get out of hand so he still remains a threat.

- There’s not much I can say about him tbh.

Deuce Spade ♠️ :

- Already more of a problem than Ace !

- Not only is he more used to fighting without magic.

- But his Unique Magic [Bet the limit] would allow him to stock up all the damage dealt to him only to send it back to his attacker twofold.

- You would have to BET your life every time you attacked him, the only way to stop him would be to keep hitting him and hope you beat him before he releases your attacks back to you.

Cater Diamond ♦️ :

- 1 overblot is already bad.

- Now imagine that Overblot duplicating itself, all of its copies having the same abilities as the original.

- Cater’s [Split Card] boosted by the Phantom would make him an absolute nightmare.

- And he’s also pretty skilled in magic due to him being a third year.

- Let’s not forget that Cater canonically beat Floyd with his Unique Magic, He is not messing around !

Trey Clover 🍀 :

- ALSO A MASSIVE PROBLEM.

- Trey’ s [Doodle Suit] allows him to overwrite any element he chooses, including other people’s magic (As seen against Riddle’s overblot during Book 1).

- His Unique Magic is OP in this scenario especially when it is boosted by the Phantom.

- Imagine not being able to do anything at all against Trey, if it’s THAT boosted even Malleus could potentially be weakened.

- Also a 3rd year like Cater so he is definitely more adept at using magic than a regular 1st or 2nd year.

(- side tangent : In the English Manga of Twisted Wonderland, Trey’s Unique Magic is called [Doodle Suit] in the 2nd volume but it’s changed to [Paint the roses] in the 3rd volume. Like, make up your mind.)

Savanaclaw

Ruggie Bucchi 🍩 :

- Remember when he could control an entire crowd of people with his Unique Magic after drinking a potion from Azul ?

- Imagine how many people he could control now that he has a constant buff from his Phantom…

- That is terrifying.

- He could use your friends and family as a meat shield, he could force you to kill them.

- If he overblots at least one person is going to die or be severely wounded.

Jack Howl 🐺 :

- Physically speaking, Jack could do a lot of damage.

- And he can definitely maul someone by transforming into a wolf with [Unleash Beast].

- But other than those, he would be similar to Ace in the way that he is not that OP compared to others.

Octavinelle

Jade & Floyd Leech 🦈 :

- Hear me out, they would definitely overblot at the same time.

- And there would be hell to pay.

- Jade’s [Shock the heart] won’t be useful in battle, but Floyd’s [Bind the heart] would allow all attacks to miss both him and Jade.

- And while you could potentially make that magic fail by making Floyd demotivated. Something tells me that Jade might be able to make sure THAT doesn’t happen.

- They have been working together since they were born and have survived a brutal ocean. They can work together almost perfectly (as seen in the Octavinelle book)

- I also believe that they would revert back to their mer-form like Azul did and therefore be just as fast on land as they are in the sea.

(- also it’s implied that Jade chose Floyd out of all his siblings and both of them either killed/canibalized or let their siblings die. The Ocean is its own kind of unforgiving jungle.)

Scarabia

Kalim Al-Asim 🔱 :

-Kalim’s overblot would be sad not because of his backstory but because unlike the others overblots.

- He would (un)consciously use his Unique Magic [Oasis Maker] (a symbol of life) to drown both himself and everyone else.

- After all he can fill up an entire dried river while using very little magic, imagine that paired with the Phantom Boost.

- He would probably overblot because of guilt or pent up sadness and that would lead him to…

Flood the whole world with his tears.

Pomefiore

Rook Hunt 🪶:

- While not physically dangerous, Rook is an excellent hunter and manipulator.

- He knows almost everything about everyone.

- He knows how they look, how they act, who they cherish most and what their weaknesses are.

- His objective would probably be to capture every person that he finds ‘beautiful’ and to try and keep them by his side forever like precious art pieces.

- FULL ON YANDERE

- Worst part is his Unique Magic [I see you] allows him to know EXACTLY where you are. And you won’t know if you you have been targeted by him since it’s magical signature is extremely weak.

- It also works on objects !

- Even if you manage to hide somewhere he can’t reach, he could still use a family member or another loved one to lure you out.

- He’s not scary because he is super-powerful, he is scary because he knows exactly what you are going to do and how to exploit your weaknesses.

Epel Felmier 🍎 :

— While normally he wouldn’t too threatening due to him being a weaker magician than Vil.

- His Unique Magic [Sleep Kiss] allows him to trap people/robots into crystal coffins that make the victim fall asleep.

- They would be forever trapped inside a glass coffin making them unable to be hurt but also unable to stop Epel.

- The only saving grace is that Epel’s Unique Magic has a 75% hit rate. So there’s a 25% chance that he misses. It’s better than nothing !

Ignihyde

They technically both overbloted. So….next.

Diasomnia

Lilia Vanrouge 🦇 :

- Him overblotting would probably make all of his magic come back as if he was in his prime.

- And Lilia is scary powerful to begin with but he can potentially go toe to toe with Malleus if he has both his experience as well as his original magical and physical abilities (as seen in Book 7).

- His Unique Magic wouldn’t be very useful in this case but he is still a very big threat to everyone around him while he’s in Overblot.

Silver (Vanrouge) 🗡️ :

- Similar to Jack in the sense that…

- While he is physically powerful (swordsmanship and being taught by Lilia) and is probably extremely adept at using magic.

- I don’t think he is too much of a threat since his Unique Magic [Meet in a dream] only works if he’s asleep and won’t affect anyone who is awake.

- So unless his Unique Magic somehow becomes like Malleus (makes everyone fall asleep/ traps everyone in a dream) or he overblots while everyone is asleep.

- He won’t be too much of a threat unlike others.

Sebek Zigvolt 🐊 :

- While less powerful than Silver and less adept at magic (according to book 7 anyway).

- Sebek’s [ Living Bolt] would make him a bit more threatening due to his Unique Magic allowing him to turn his body into lightning allowing him to be faster and stronger.

- And while the boost will make it so he can use his magic for longer periods of time, I have no doubt that it would cause him so much pain that he would be weak enough to be defeated.

Here we are, my hand hurts and I spent two hours on this !

Feel free to add your own headcanons to this rant !

Have a good day/night !

[fairestwriting]

Hey, hello, would it be possible to request the first years with a crush or s/o who's constantly very warm so they can basically act as a human heating pad but despite this they're very touch starved and basically melt into hugs and cuddles, gender neutral pronouns would be great, thank you very much and merry (probably late) Christmas if you do this and same to you even if you don't!

another oldie (Visibly. im so sorry anon. i hope an awesome holiday season) i just had to take...... in the name of all my fellow human space heaters

Ace Trappola

One day, his hands got cold, and you were nearby, neck fully exposed, and Ace did what he would obviously do in this situation. Except it turned out he was the one shocked by how warm you are, even though he did make you jump a bit.

He's a fan of the physical affection. He doesn't fluster easily and likes showing you off all smug, linking your arms together or putting his over your shoulder while you're with your friends. The warmth is a great bonus.

When you cuddle up in a hot day, he whines about how you're gonna cook him alive and will jokingly "attempt" to push you off while giggling, then turning on the AC of his room or dragging you both somewhere cooler.

Deuce Spade

The first time you hug, Deuce gets spooked because he thinks you have a fever. He fusses over you for a few good minutes before you can explain anything. Then gets embarrassed of his reaction.

Being Deuce, he'll randomly revisit this worry, but mostly he just eases into it rather easily. He's a little shy, whether you're in public or not, but you can tell he feels comfortable with the way he leans into you.

Feels so bad if you're holding hands and his gets sweaty. Apologizes a billion times while wiping it clean on his shirt. Nevermind that it'd happen even if you weren't so warm, he just doesn't want you to ever feel awkward when touching him.

Jack Howl

Also really warm because of his wolf beastman genes, also surprisingly touchy. It's hard to tell which one of you is warmer, actually? Which in the end just means you end up comfortably cuddled up very oftwn.

...whenever you're away from others, of course. It's not that Jack hates the thought of PDA, but he "prefers to take it slow" (Read: Makes him blush way too easy)

Commiserates in the summer and celebrates in the winter if you're not very tolerant to heat like him. Sometimes he talks about his family's trips to the north with a voice softer than usual, hinting just a little bit that he'd really love it if you came along one day.

Epel Felmier

He's also on the warmer side temperature wise, but he's small, so he ends up getting cold surprisingly easily.

At first he's a bit spooked with the touchyness, really just because it's his first relationship, but it grows on him. A lot.

Epel thinks him getting cold easy-ish is embarrassing, so he really feels like he won the lottery here. Now he gets to put his arm around your waist to stay warm and look cool with you by his side, boy's on top of the world.

Sebek Zigvolt

Runs very cold. The first time your hand is anywhere on him he jumps a bit. The situation's like the inverse of someone who gets startled by their friend's cold hands pressed to their neck.

He briefly questions if you're really human, stammering something about how only beastmen are so warm. He's too distracted by how nice your warmth feels to make much sense.

He's so easily flustered every time you get cuddly, but if he even tries to push you off (Which he mostly just does if you're in public) it comes out all feeble. Even if he's trying to keep up with etiquette and you two actually have to step away from each other, it's all over his face that he misses the coziness.

if you wanna support my work, you can buy me a ko-fi or commission me!

[k1ngdom-of-thieves]

how would the first years react to finding out reader is a girl?

You guys really like these types of requests! Thank you so much for supporting me.

Here’s it with the dorm leaders and vice dorm leaders

First years + Finding out reader is a girl!

Ace Trappola

Despite being one of your closest friends, Ace is probably one of the last people to find out. He doesn’t really pay the best attention to his surroundings.

How he found out was by complete accident. He was walk by Sam’s shop when the man himself called out to him to bring you a package.

Luckily he was already on the way to Ramshackle, so this wasn’t that big of a deal. He was still grumbling about doing “your chores” though. And Ace being Ace, was hungry and decided to check your package to see if there was food in it.

What he found wasn’t food, but an entire box of clothes with women’s sizing. Needless to say, you had an extremely confused Ace knocking on the door.

“Hey!! Are you really a girl?! I was looking at this box-I was hungry- Ugh, I’m making myself look like a huge jerk, aren’t I?”

Deuce Spade

Deuce is another who wouldn’t notice for a very long time. I think the only way he’ll realize is if either you tell him, or someone else does.

It’ll be a lot easier if you tell him straight up. If someone else does, he’s just going to think that they’re lying to get a reaction out of him for a while.

He’s gonna be so confused for a while after he finds out. Please give him a minute before telling him anything else. He’s doing the shinji pose lmaoo

The poor guy feels so guilty over making a simple mistake. Expect him to randomly apologize for the next week or so.

“W-WHAT?? I’m so sorry! I thought this whole time- ugh, I can’t believe I made such a big mistake. Huh? You’re not mad? Oh..ok.”

Jack Howl

Jack knew you smelt different from the others in the school, he just couldn’t tell if was because you were magic-less, from a different world, or just because you were around Grim for too long. The idea of you being a girl briefly crossed his mind, but he didn’t give it too much thought.

He found out when you were complaining to Grim about Crowley only giving you clothes in men’s sizing. Now he didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but with his huge ears, he managed to accidentally overhear.

Jack felt incredibly guilty over listening in on a private conversation, but his surprise ultimately overpowered his guilt. He accidentally lets out a loud “Huh?” before covering his mouth with his hand.

When you called out to whoever was listening, Jack awkwardly shuffled out for you to see, lowered ears and all. He immediately started apologizing as his tail stood limp by his side.

*Sigh* “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but be honest with me, is the fact that you’re a girl supposed to be a secret? Or am I just the last person to realize?”

Epel Felmier

Epel didn’t think much of you more feminine appearance. I mean, he’s almost in the exact same boat as you, so he doesn’t have much room to judge.

This is also what led to him finding out. He was complaining about Vil putting him under a strict diet again and how he was glad there was at least one other “pretty boy” at NRC.

Which led to you correcting him. “You know I’m not actually a guy, right?” Poor guy froze up immediately.

This country boy feels the slight pang of betrayal in his heart; he thought you two were in this together! But it turns out he must bare the curse of “cute” alone. He’s so dramatic lmao.

“Wait, but then how did you- nevermind. Guess I’ll have to deal with Vil’s stupid anti-aging exercises on my own then!” He doesn’t realize that this doesn’t change much of anything, you guys aren’t even in the same dorm.

Sebek Zigvolt

Sebek never considered you to actually be a girl. Mostly because he was always paying more attention to Malleus’s “great deeds of the day”. He literally just helped someone with their homework.

He’s also another person that will only believe it if you tell him straight up. He’ll think that everyone else is just trying to make a fool out of an esteemed guard of Malleus!

If this is supposed to be a secret, why tell Sebek, first of all make sure you tell him in an empty room. He’s gonna be so loud about the entire ordeal.

If it’s not a secret, that just makes things easier for you. Either you can tell him straight up, or someone else will end up doing for you. He’s gonna feel terrible about it regardless though, so prepare yourself for a very loud apology.

“I HUMBLY APOLOGIZE FOR MY TRANSGRESSIONS! I-oh, I don’t need to yell? Alright, I am still deeply sorry though.”

[it-happened-one-fic]

Hours in the Moonlight: Fairest Midnight - 14. A Return to Normalcy

Summary: After the night you’d just had, you honestly would have believed that you needed time to yourself. But sometimes there are others who know what you need better than you do, and you couldn’t deny that you were lucky to have such a person to look out for you.

Type: Gender-neutral reader/ Vampire AU/ romantic/ angst/ angst with comfort/ fluff/ sfw/ platonic interactions too!

Trigger Warning: Vampire

Word Count: 1259

Hours in the Moonlight Master-List

I hadn’t been home long at all, really just enough time to take a shower, before I heard a familiar tapping on my window. And, to be honest, I wasn’t surprised.

Because while Rook had been accepting of my silent confusion and allowed me the time alone that I had requested but wasn’t entirely sure I needed, it was very like Vil to be worried enough to come by to visit.

And sure enough, as soon as I pulled back my curtains, I was greeted by the sight of Vil, who already had my window open and was sitting on the edge of my windowsill like some sort of male lead out of a young adult fiction novel.

It was a thought that brought a smile to my face even as he twisted to look my way and briefly scanned my form in a way that spoke of checking for any injuries. Even though I knew good and well that Rook had already reassured him that I had not been injured. 

“Are you alright?” His question was a solemn one, but I nodded calmly. I’d had time to get more adjusted to everything that had happened this evening. And though I still wasn’t comfortable with the fact that I had just killed someone, it was an inescapable fact. And I was going to be fine.

I had chosen this and I wasn’t going to back out now. I’d known for quite a long time that I probably wouldn’t be able to stay in the strange limbo I’d been living my life in. Between the world of normalcy and the world of the vampires who had been pursuing me all this time.

“More or less, it was just a little more upsetting than I’d been expecting,” Vil hummed at my words but nodded understandingly as he stood from his seated position and slipped into the room.

“That’s to be expected. It could never be easy to end another’s life. Even if it is their second, more undead one.” I stepped to the side, turning to head back towards my couch and leaving Vil to follow me.

And sure enough, after hearing the window shut softly behind me, I could hear him walk towards where I now sat. 

“Do you want to back out?” His voice was soft as he looked down at me from where he stood, illuminated by the moon and stars that shone faintly through the curtains that now hung long on either side of my window.

And I was silent for a moment, not sure how to respond. 

Did I want to back out? In some ways, yes. I did want to back out and never have to kill another vampire ever again. 

The knowledge that I’d killed someone, even an undead someone, was heavy. And even if Rook had said I was doing them a kindness and that there was little to no choice, it still felt wrong. 

I knew that the vampires who lost themselves to the disease were a danger to everyone they met, but that didn’t mean it felt any less wrong to kill them.

But then I could clearly recall the broken faces of the Felmier family and how much it had hurt when both Epel and Rook had been turned into vampires. 

This was a job that had to be done to ensure more tragedies didn’t occur and so that I could find out why this was all happening as well as who it was that was forcing my hand slowly but surely by welcoming me to the world of vampires.

I shook my head tiredly at Vil’s words and answered him honestly, if a little tiredly, “Yes, I do want out of this mess. But I can’t leave. Not when this is a necessary job and when there is someone out there who seems determined to force me into the world of vampires.”

I met his gaze, noting the frown on his face as I offered him a half-hearted smile, “But it’ll be okay, Vil. Just give me some time, and I’ll be adjusted.”

I could distantly hear rain starting to fall as clouds shifted to block the moon from sight. Darkening the room and briefly obscuring Vil’s face from sight as I leaned over to cut on a light.

And by the time the light clicked on, I genuinely wondered what subtle expression changes I’d missed from Vil. Because sometimes those were the only indicators of his true thoughts. 

He wasn’t going to say anything when I’d obviously made up my mind. No, Vil would stand by me and support my decision. 

Just like he always did.

I watched him as he sat down next to me before looking my way once more, a smile working its way onto his face as his gaze met mine, “I suppose I’ll need to tell you about what we’ve decided for the future then.”

I tilted my head curiously, and his smile only spread further, “There’s a ball coming up. One that will be attended solely by vampires. I intend to introduce our new clan there. But it will also serve as the perfect time for you to go and meet all of your new customers.”

My new customers… the clans. 

My hands curled on my lap, “A ball…. I don’t know much about how to behave at a ball.”

“We’ll teach you, Epel has to learn anyway as well,” Vil lifted one shoulder in a half-shrug that was at odds with his statuesque appearance. 

But I found myself nodding as I reached over and swiped the remote control off the side table next to me, “So what are you going to be naming your clan?” 

���Working together, Rook and Epel came up with ‘Pomefiore.’” I smiled at his words, perfectly able to picture the two of them discussing names with Epel no doubt getting far more heated about the entire matter, while Rook waxed rhapsodic about the beauty of the various options.

“Mind if we watch TV while you explain your plan?” I clicked on the television as I spoke. Turning it to the old movies channel so that I could continue conducting my research into whether or not me and Epel were right and Vil really was an old time celebrity. After all, he did quite enjoy cinema, and seeing him in a movie would help me deduce his actual age.

“Not at all,” Vil leaned back on the couch as he glanced my way with a slight smile. And I felt myself similarly relax as our interaction shifted out of dealing with the drama of late and into something more normal.

And it was nice, because it had been far too long since the two of us had been able to relax like this with everything that had been going on as of late. Without entirely realizing it, I had come to miss Vil’s evening visits, where we could just exist in one another’s presence without having to worry about anything else.

I didn’t mind Rook or Epel’s presence by any means, but there was something comforting about this return to normalcy. Just relaxing on the couch next to Vil, as if nothing were wrong at all. 

This was what I had missed, and this was one of the reasons I had decided to accept my invitation to the world of vampires and fight for my own place here.

If you would like to read more:

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[18-naked-cowboys]

PART 2 OF THE TWST DORMS REACTIONS TO YOU CONFESSING

Pomefiore

(I’m pretty proud of these they’re a bit longer than the last ones Epel and Rook aren’t proofread)

Vil Schoenheit

You hadn’t really ever expected to get close to Vil. He was beautiful, he had good grades, he was popular, he was FAMOUS. There was no way you could expect to become his friend. That was until on day when he came to ask you if you’d be willing to let him test some makeup products and ideas on you, which you happily accepted.

It became a routine for the two of you, every week you would meet him in his dorm and sometimes he would even take you out for lunch after, could anyone blame you for falling for him.

So here you were again sitting in his chair again with one of his hand tangled in the hair on the back of your head with a comforting grasp and the other gently dusting color to your eyelids. He pulled his hands away to admire his work, you couldn’t help but miss the contact. You looked at him and could immediately feel your cheeks heat up slightly, his face of concentration was stunning, his brows furrowed a bit and he look at you like you were an art piece it made your heart flutter.

“It’s time for me to do your lips, let me put away the brushes and pick a shade out that will suit you.” He said, standing up to walk a few steps to his makeup kit. Thoughts ran through your head as you imagined him holding you and kissing you and the blush on your face spread while you bit on your lip a bit to keep yourself distracted from those thoughts. Vil came and sat back down, lipstick in hand, and moved his chair closer to yours, he looked at your face again with a slight frown. “What’s wrong sweet potato? You look like you’re going to be sick.” He spoke, placing a hand to you forehead to check if you had a fever.

“Ah! Nothing’s wrong but, well… can I kiss you? Please?” You somehow managed to stutter out before looking him in the eyes again. He smiled at you with a slightly tilted head before placing his hand on the back of you neck to pull you towards him slightly.

“I thought you’d never ask potato.” He pulled you in closer, lips immediately crashing together. You closed your eyes and melted into his sweet lips, you had wanted this for so long. The kiss was all but short but you couldn’t help but briefly chase the feeling after he began to part from you. “How bout we finish your make over, and once we do I’ll take you out to lunch as a little reward.” He smiled, placing his hand on your cheek whilst briefly rubbing his thumb over you lips. You nodded enthusiastically which caused him to chuckle a bit. “I want everyone to know you’re mine and I’m yours sweet potato.”

Epel Felmier

Epel was excited when you went to the Pomefiore dorm to ask him to join you in apple picking. He had no idea it was such a popular fall activity where you were from. He was excited to spend time with you no matter what but he was especially excited about this. He had somehow come up with the idea of making you swoon by getting all the high up apples despite the fact that he was quite short but he was determined to impress you.

Of course things didn’t exactly go the way he planned, he was definitely too short to reach any of the apples on the high up branches. To be entirely honest there weren’t many apples left besides the ones that were quite high in the trees, much above how far either of you could reach. It was becoming tiring searching but Epel still had his heart set on doing something that would make you impressed so after the two of you walked through the orchard a bit longer, still trying to find some low hanging apples he decided to tap you on the shoulder.

“Hey, watch this!” He said to you as you turned around, a slight grin on his face. Once he knew he had your full attention he went up to the tallest tree nearby and pulled out his magic pen. With a quick flick of his wrist he was able to knock down many of the apples with a spell, unfortunately a few of the branches they were on came down with them which caused a crashing echo fill the orchard. He looked back at you with a panicked expression and you couldn’t help but laugh at the face he was making at you. You weren’t laughing long though, one of the orchard attendants ran out through the trees chasing the sound of the falling branches and naturally stumbled upon the the two of you standing over the apples and broken branches.

There wasn’t much time to think as Epel grabbed your hand and started running through the trees to get away from the angry employee. After you guys ran for what felt like a half hour you both flopped onto the ground in the field you guys ended up in. The adrenaline was still burning hot in your veins as you caught your breath but you couldn’t help but laugh, the whole situation was funny to you. Epel looked at you and started laughing with you, you were both so winded but even when you were running from angry apple farmers you still loved the time you spent together. You sat up in to match with Epel who was sitting next to you and held his hand in yours. His face went a bit red and you decided to lay your head on his shoulder as well. He was really ridged at first but you could feel as he relaxed, you weren’t quite sure how long you sat like that with him until you said something.

“Epel?” You said while you shifted you head to look at his face from his shoulder, waiting for him to respond.

“What’s up?” He asked, looking down at you with pink cheeks and a bashful expression.

“Well, I kinda thought it before but now I really know it.” You paused “I totally have a crush on you, I just love spending time with you.” You told him sheepishly, looking back at the ground while you fidgeted anxiously. He didn’t say anything, he didn’t even make a sound. “E-epel? I’m sorry you can forget about it if it upset you-“

“No! Of course it ain’t upsettin me!” He replied in a slightly whiny voice, letting his accent slip out a bit. He turned quickly, grabbing both of your hands in his. “I really like you too! But I wanted to confess to you first! Ugh this is so unmanly of me I’ve been trying to impress you all day and I totally wrecked that tree. You must think I’m a loser.” He sighed. You placed your hand on one of his cheeks and gave a kiss to the other.

“For the record I think you’re very manly and cool. If you weren’t amazing I wouldn’t have fallen for you dumbass” you laughed, “but also now that I think a bit more, do you uh… know where we are?” Epel’s red cheeks suddenly went quite pale.

“Well…”

Rook Hunt

Everyone at NRC knew that Rook Hunt was a total flirt, and everyone knew that while he loved to appreciate the beauty in everyone, the person he truly had his eyes set on was you. Everyone knew, besides you of course. Whenever people pointed out to you his obvious crush you always denied it and said he talked to everyone like that. No matter how often one of your close friends, Epel, told you to shoot your shot you never did. Rook was totally out of your league you always told yourself.

That couldn’t be farther from the truth. You were Rook’s latest obsession. Your beauty mesmerized the huntsman, he’d often lose himself staring at you in class and daydreaming. If only you realized what everyone else already had.

“So, are you going to ask Rook to the masquerade?” Epel asked you during lunch, startling you from your thoughts about class and your upcoming quiz.

“What masquerade?” You asked him in confusion.

“Oh right you don’t know anything about our traditions here huh.” He sighed “we have a few balls and masquerade type things that happen throughout the year, you should ask Rook to go with you as a date!” Epel suggested with a grin.

“Ah so it’s like a school dance, I don’t know Epel what if he doesn’t like me back.” You sighed sadly at the thought of you crush rejecting you.

“Ugh! How many times do I gotta’ tell ya he obviously likes ya!” Epel promised you letting his vowels slip showing his accent more. “Don’t worry, if I didn’t think- no KNOW he likes you I wouldn’t tell you to ask him I promise!”

So after a few more minutes of convincing you finally decided to ask Rook to be your date to the masquerade you still didn’t know much about. With Epel’s help you got into the Pomefiore lounge and waited for Rook to get back from his after school club.

“Ah! Mon chou! What gives me the honor of finding you in our dorm lounge?” He greeted you with outstretched arms as he walked into the room. Mon chou? That’s a new one you thought briefly. Rook had made his way over to you now and had taken your hand in his, placing a chaste kiss on your knuckles.

“How can I help you my dove?” He asked which snapped you back to reality. Your face was red and your mouth was a bit agape. You looked up at his soft grin and audibly swallowed.

“I wanted to know if you would go to the masquerade with me, as a date.” You suggested to the hunter before you who kept looking at you with a smile, although you could swear his eyes appeared to twinkle at you.

“My my! If I didn’t know much better I would think that you’re confessing to me.” He chuckled softly “You must know better than to play with someone like this.” He continued, placing a hand to his chest and flourishing the other.

“And what if I am confessing?” You asked with a sudden bit of confidence. This answer seemed to catch him by surprise, his cheeks reddened, his eyes widened and he closed his mouth with a swallow.

“Why if it’s a confession, I of course would have to accept! That is of course if you truly are confessing!” He smiled again and you could see the twinkle in his eye again.

“I am!” You nodded at him with your own rosy cheeks.

“Well mon Cherie, I’ll be sure to come get you for our date at the masquerade. But I assure you, you’ll see me before then!” He smiled brightly at you, lifting your chin to him and giving you a brief peck “hmm I wish I could stay longer but I must be leaving to shower after today. I’ll see you soon mon amour.”

Once he left you couldn’t help the huge smile that erupted on your face, you couldn’t wait to tell Epel about this tomorrow!

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Twisted Tarot Masterlist

This is a collection of entries for the Twisted Tarot blog event for February 2022 to March 2022. Each main NRC student was assigned to a major arcana, then each one would be briefly explore the meanings and motifs of the assigned arcana as it pertained to the matched TWST boy.

These Twisted Tarot pieces were not request-based; it was a countdown style writing prompt challenge for myself. Please do not send me tarot requests; I will not accept them.

0 — The Fool, ❤️ Ace Trappola ❤️

I — The Magician, 🌹 Riddle Rosehearts 🌹

II — The High Priestess, 🍎 Epel Felmier 🍎

III — The Empress, 👑 Vil Schoenheit 👑

IV — The Emperor, 🐉 Malleus Draconia 🐲

V — The Hierophant, ⚡️ Sebek Zigvolt ⚡️

VI — The Lovers, 🏹 Rook Hunt 🏹

VII — The Chariot, ♠️ Deuce Spade ♠️

VIII — Strength, 🐺 Jack Howl 🐺

IX — The Hermit, 💀 Idia Shroud 🔥

X — Wheel of Fortune, 🦈 Floyd Leech 🦈

XI — Justice, ⚔️ Silver 💤

XII — The Hanged Man, ♦️ Cater Diamond ♦️

XIII — Death, 🤖 Ortho Shroud 🤖

XIV — Temperance, ♣️ Trey Clover ♣️

XV — The Devil, 🐬 Jade Leech 🐬

XVI — The Tower, 🦁 Leona Kingscholar 🦁

XVII — The Star, 🐆 Ruggie Bucchi 🐆

XVIII — The Moon, 🐍 Jamil Viper 🐍

XIX — The Sun, ☀️ Kalim Al-Asim 🕌

XX — Judgement, 🐙 Azul Ashengrotto 🐙

XXI — The World 🦇 Lilia Vanrouge 🦇

[idiacide]

this is just out of curiosity, but since you did the core vulnerabilities for the characters, do you have insights on what types of attachment styles (i believe they’re secure, anxious preoccupied, dismissive avoidant, and fearful avoidant) each character might have?

Had to do some quick research for this. This'll definitely be shorter than the core vulnerabilities post since going too indepth with each one would get super repetitive. If you want a more in-depth explanation for any, just ask. Parenting is relevant here, but I should also note that two children from the same family can have very different reactions to their parents. While it is RELATED to how effective their parents were, there may be other factors here which encourage the development of atypical attachment patterns. Also note: just because someone has developed a secure attachment style doesn't mean they have NO issues at all. 56% of all adults have a secure attachment style, statistically speaking it is simply more likely to develop than it isn't. What I look to as indicator is how willing these boys are to self-advocate, how easily they pursue relationships with others, and how open they are about their emotional needs. Not whether or not they're sad.

For those not in the know, "attachment style" is roughly, a theory that your relationship with your parents as a young child will have a massive impact on your ability to form and maintain relationship into adulthood. Depending on how well and regularly your needs were met, you may view other people as usually trustworthy, or may fear losing them. The four main attachment styles, briefly defined, as as follows

Secure Attachment: The healthiest variation. This person is typically confident in both form and maintaining relationship, secure in the expectation that their needs will be met when they need it. They are more likely to be emotionally open with partners and friends, as well as better about reading the emotions of the people around them.

Anxious Attachment: Believed to stem from not enough attention as a child, people with anxious attachment tend to be fearful that the people they love will abandon them. They may require more consistent reassurance and affirmation, and may hover more obsessively around the people they relate to.

Avoidant/Dismissive-Avoidant Attachment: Also likely stemming from needs not being met in childhood, Avoidant Attachment tends to manifest with a lot of emotional distance. People with this attachment style are reluctant to emotionally involve themselves with others and resist vulnerability. They are also known to shut down on people they are in a relationship with, as the distance can feel safer than opening up to others.

Fearful-Avoidant/Mixed Attachment: Combines elements of both Anxious and Avoidant attachment. People with this attachment style may experience frequently contradictory relational needs, craving validation and comfort from their partner while simultaneously pushing them away. They may struggle to define their own boundaries because they are not in touch with their own needs.

So without further ado:

Riddle Rosehearts: Anxious

Trey Clover: Secure

Cater Diamond: Fearful-avoidant

Ace Trappola: Secure

Deuce Spade: Secure

Leona Kingscholar: Avoidant

Ruggie Bucchi: Fearful-Avoidant

Jack Howl: Secure

Azul Ashengrotto: Anxious

Jade Leech: Secure

Floyd Leech: Fearful-Avoidant

Kalim Al-Asim: Secure

Jamil Viper: Avoidant

Vil Schoenheit: Fearful-Avoidant

Rook Hunt: Avoidant

Epel Felmier: Secure

Idia Shroud: Fearful-Avoidant

Ortho Shroud: Anxious

Malleus Draconia: Avoidant

Lilia Vanrouge: Secure

Sebek Zigvolt: Anxious

Silver: Secure.

[floral-poisons]

twst characters: their roles in a horror movie

i absolutely love horror movies!! so this is something really exciting to do for me!! i have a similar head canon post on the way: the twst cast and their roles in a teen movie and a rom com. so stay tune if you really like this!!

NRC STAFF

dire crowley

the narrator. the omniscient third party that may or may not comment on the horror movie acting out before him. he’s an objectively third party and his purpose is to watch over the events that unfold.

ashton vargas

the really muscular camp counselor who wears short shorts. i’m not going to elaborate on this.

mozus trein

random high school teacher that appears for a brief few minutes and then is never seen throughout any film or any of the sequels.

divus crewel

the parent with a secret. there’s something from his past that’s coming back to haunt him and his child. it’s up to the cast to find out what exactly that secret is. kind of like nancy’s mom and the other parents that killed freddy krueger.

sam

the unnecessarily mysterious, ominous exposition character. the person everyone goes to for advice to try to understand what’s happening only to get an answer that is basically useless. kind of like william bludworth from final destination.

DIASOMNIA

malleus draconia

the first victim. i’m sorry malleus but he would be the tina gray and casey becker. we think we’re following him in this horror movie. we think he’s the protagonist. we think he’s going to be the final girl. but no. he fucking dies within the first ten to twenty minutes and his death sets off the events of the film.

lilia vanrouge

the red flag. he’s weird, he’s got a weird aura. everyone and the audience inherently believes he is the killer only for it to be revealed that he isn’t. he’s just weird. and he even knows how to survive. or he gets killed which then results in him being revealed to be a red flag.

silver

he’s not here. silver’s gone honestly. probably made the good decision to go on vacation when the murders happened.

sebek zigvolt

the horror fan. he knows everything about horror movies and knows all the rules. that scene from scream? “there are RULES to surviving a horror movie. number one: you can never have sex...” yeah that’s him.

HEARTSLABYUL

riddle rosehearts

the survivor. a victim of the killer who managed to survive being attacked. he’s in the hospital, resting. he gives his testimony and it’s probably right after hanging out with the final girl. probably ends up being the love interest for the final girl.

trey clover

the professor. the man who is knowledgeable on the occult and pagan deities. you know, like ever supernatural horror movie. like vincent d’onofrio in sinister. he’s got that phd to back up his inferences.

cater diamond

the thirsty reporter. the gale weathers in this movie. he’s willing to do anything for a story and will be at places that aren’t appropriate for him to be at. probably ends up surviving and writing a tell all about his experience.

ace trappola

the ‘i’m going to ignore all the red flags present in this scene and do what i shouldn’t do’ character. you know the necronomicon? yeah this bitch is the one who’s going to read it and then cause everyone to die. he’s the one that also suggests the cast splits up too. and other horrid ideas.

deuce spade

the punk. he’s the alt kid. the one in leather jackets and jewelry and wears eyeliner. doesn’t conform to stereotypical popular norms and it thus makes him a prime target from the more popular, preppy crowd. most definitely doesn’t come from money either.

POMEFIORE

vil schoenheit

the popular girl. mean or not. he’s popular. everyone’s always comparing the final girl to him. maybe he’s a whore too but regardless, he’s popular and he’s going to get merced either in the beginning or in the middle.

rook hunt

he’s not even in the movie. just briefly mentioned. probably the sibling in college who’s not around when this happens.

epel felmier

the final girl. laurie strode, nancy thompson, ellen ripley, kirsty cotton, alice, sally hardesty, jess bradford, sidney prescott. the most iconic character in horror aside from the killer themselves. he’s the one to face the final evil and he’s the most adaptable in his situation.

SAVANACLAW

leona kingscholar

the (second) killer. extremely intelligent and he blends in the background enough for people not to suspect him (using the red flag in place) but is also prominent enough to not make the plot twist feel like it’s coming out of nowhere. he’s plotting against someone and has a desire to get revenge.

ruggie bucchi

the non-believer. this man DOES NOT BELIEVE ANYTHING that is happening. he doesn’t care less. especially if it’s a supernatural killer. and it’s not until he gets attacked himself that he actually believes the kids. probably in law enforcement too.

jack howl

the sheriff. i would imagine jack to be a competent sheriff too. he doesn’t miss a clue and he’s quick to put things together. however, he gets so sucked into his work that he eventually begins to neglect his personal life.

OCTAVINELLE

azul ashengrotto

the capitalist. there’s nothing to explain here. he’s willing to do anything for money even at the expense of other people’s lives. just like the mayor from jaws. he doesn’t care. his interest is solely in money.

jade leech

the priest. in a supernatural horror movie, he would be the priest. the cast come to him for advice on how to defeat the demon at hand. he provides cryptic ass messages too.

floyd leech

the horror fanatic. obsessed with horror movies and media in general. people comment that it’s extremely weird and a lot of people suspect that he is the killer too. but when he dies then it’s revealed he had narrowed down who the killer was based on his interest in horror movies.

SCARABIA

kalim al-asim

the best friend. he’s the best friend to the final girl. really peppy, happy go lucky. but his death is the one that ignites the flame within the final girl and motivates them to confront the final evil. the audience really likes him only for him to die.

jamil viper

the (first) killer. i hate to say it but he would be the killer. he also works in a team similar to stu macher and billy loomis. no one suspects him to be the killer too but that’s what makes the final reveal so shocking.

IGNIHYDE

idia shroud

the nerd. he’s smart, intelligent, and he’s introverted. he doesn’t talk much. but he’s quick to figure things out and knows better than his friends. however, he does eventually die despite trying to outsmart the killer. he probably dies because he thought he outsmarted the killer.

[writer-akihiko]

TW First year students x fem! MC who's secretly a demon princess, who will they react to her powers when they found her in her demon form?

First Years + DemonPrincess!MC

I had fun with this prompt in general, and I hope I made some fun scenarios that you like!

Warnings: Bullying from other students and hurtful words, Epel is censored because Vil doesn't allow it

Sebek Zigvolt

He forgot to give you back your notebook from class, so he had to go in the evening

If Sebek remembered correctly, in his 'I'm A Good Boyfriend' notebook, you said you usually rested in the evening

"YN, I'm here to deliver your notebook!-"

"Go away Sebek!"

He was appalled. You've never scolded him in such a way before!

He quickly fished out his notebook, and he flipped to a page where Lilia had lectured him on what to do when you were feeling down

"Here it is…" He muttered

He barged in your door, breaking down the rickety door, "YN! I am here to comfort you!"

"S-Sebek?!"

He almost dropped the notebook. He was surprised at you appearance, as he saw horns on your head, as well as tattoos on your skin that he's never seen before

"YN… You're…"

You sighed. "Yes Sebek, I'm a dem-"

"You're a Fae! Like me!"

Before he got too excited, you settled him down and explained your appearance

He felt ashamed of himself for his initial behaviour when you explained that you were a princess. He doesn't really mind that you're a demon, in fact, he understands you more as people of his world usually misunderstands Fae-kind

In general, he's quite amazed anytime you demonstrate your powers

He lowkey wants to see you and Waka-sama have a showdown with magic, but his heart knows it'd hurt to see you in danger

Ace Trappola

He got held back by Professor Crewel due to some argument he got in with Grim

He asked around if anyone else saw you, but much to his shock, he found you surrounded by some other students. Again

He wanted to pummel their faces in, but now looking at you, you seemed calm…

In the blink of an eye, a net of dark magic appeared underneath the students, trapping them at their ankles

Ace had his mouth open as horns and wings similar to the colour of your hair started growing from you. What freaked him out more was that the wings weren't made of feathers… They looked ripped apart and made of the same magic he couldn't identify

"A-Ace!"

Upon seeing your boyfriend, you flung the students away into the Garden with your magic. Someone would find them later…

"U-Um… This…" You got embarrassed, feeling shy in your demon form

"THAT WAS SO COOL!"

Ace then pestered you to tell him where you learnt such magic, although he might've accidentally grabbed your horns the wrong way

He listened carefully, since it caused you such discomfort when he touched your horns

He didn't think you'd be a princess…

"Wait… Does this mean you have a demon father?"

You nodded your head. "But my brother's the Demon King at the moment… Why?"

"I need to mentally prepare myself if your demon family want to kill me since I want to propose to you after graduation…"

Deuce Spade

You and Deuce were nervous, since it was a magical mana exam. It would dictate certain classes you'd be able to take next semester…

You were the last to go, and your boyfriend cheerfully waved at you as he gave a thumbs up. He must've passed the test…

You had to remind yourself to control your mana, otherwise you'd have some explaining to do

As you let the teacher examine you, you couldn't help but notice that there was some kind of barrier around the orb you were practicing with

As you removed the barrier, you realised that it was a trap by the teacher!...

You couldn't help but pour your normal amount of magic into the orb, which, put on a show around the students as they marvelled at the dark magic

"Well," Principal Crowley announced, after you were done with your examination. "You'd best be coming with me."

After a long talk with Crowley, you were surprised that Deuce and Grim were at the door, eavesdropping at your conversation

"I overheard… I was worried about you…" He admitted

Deuce however, was quite curious about your appearance, so after his and your dinner, you allowed him to see you shift into your demon form

He did ask if it hurt, to which you shook your head

He admired your wings and your bigger, claw-like hands as you felt heat in your cheeks by the way he was intensely staring at you

"Y-You're adorable…"

Even though you towered Deuce's height in your demon form, it didn't stop him from giving you your usual goodnight kiss on the forehead

Jack Howl

He always wanted to show off his skills to you, so he invited you to a practice match against the Diasomnia dorm

He was against the first years of the dorm, so you silently cheered for Jack

As you were continuously impressed by Jack's speed, you couldn't help but notice a strand of magic tagged on him…

Your magical vision traced it to one of the students on the opposite team, who was passively reciting a spell to jinx Jack's next move

There was only the seniors… So it should be fine to stop that student this once…

You were too slow, as the spell had already whizzed through the field. You could still stop it from hitting Jack!...

You felt everyone's gaze on you as you interrupted the spell. Knowing that your appearance had changed, you shied away

Some students ran away, but Jack didn't. He picked you up, horns, feathers and demonic body parts, all of it and embraced you

"Hey! Stop looking at my girlfriend like she's a monster!" He growled

The seniors quickly punished the student causing tricks on the field, but some were still weary of you

Jack put you down, kissing your forehead. "Thank you precious for saving me there."

Eventually, you had to explain to the teachers what you were

Some dorm leaders grew afraid of you, but Jack didn't care. You were still his precious girlfriend

So what if you both were seen as monsters? He thought. The big bad wolf and the terrifying demon princess could live in peace and quiet, in their own space in the forest…

Jack thinks the whole thing is cool, but he is a little jealous that your magical abilities are so much better than his. You tell him he makes up for it in his physical strength

Epel Felmier

You and Epel were taking a stroll, on the way to the field for the MagiShift club

You promised to cheer him on, and you decided it would be a cheeky way to take some photos with your Ghost Camera

You comfortably sat next to Jack as you got ready to take some photos

Unfortunately, you weren't sure of the exact details, but a student decided it was a perfect opportunity to set off a prank near you and Jack

You weren't exactly in control of your own powers, so the impact caused you to scream and lose control of your appearance

The other students screamed in turned, seeing a 'monster' transform in front of them

Epel saw the prank beforehand, but he couldn't run fast enough to get to you

He couldn't think straight, he just had to make sure you were alright. So when he overheard the students yelling at you, he threatened them

Everyone was freaking out at your changing body, since your skin had different markings, almost like carvings etched into it and a pool of dark magic flooded below you

"I-I'm sorry I-" You tried to apologise, but others constantly berated you

"She's a freak! Someone seal her away!"

Epel couldn't stop himself from whacking the student who said that on the head

The other seniors managed to calm the students down, sending them away

You briefly explained everything to Epel, repeating your apologies to him

"Don't aplogise YN. Those idiots don't understand."

Epel, in all honesty, didn't care if you were a demon princess or a human or a fairy

Whoever got in the way of your relationship on the other hand, he'd pick a fight with them even though you were the one who could easily clean the fight up

"Hey YN, don't listen to em. They don't know how cool you are. As long as I'm the one you love, I'm okay with anything."

[yuus-sentient-teddy]

"Yuu-Yuu hurt." Part 11

Part 1 | Part 10 | Part 12

(Warning: spoilers for Book 4)

Yuu suddenly jolts, gasping as though they were surfacing from a deep underwater dive. Still on their side, their eyes take in familiar faces that look so unusual with their open or slightly hidden relief. Yuu wasn't surprised by emotional people like Kalim, but for people who didn't usually wear their heart on their sleeves--like Leona, who somehow seemed soft despite his nonchalant air--it was. . . weird. "Guys?" they croak, their throat feeling like sandpaper.

They became concerned when some of the faces scrunched up like they would cry. "Henchman, you're awake!" Grim's voice is thick, congested. As he rambles about keeping a better eye on them and taking better care of them, Yuu remembers bits and pieces of what happened before.

Phantom screams that make their throat ache just from the memory of it. A hulking, angry entity hovering over them like both an invisible burden and a stalwart guardian, screaming with them and leaping over their head to attack whoever it wanted. Whoever they set their eyes on.

"Oh, god," they whisper. "I-I tried to kill you."

They cannot stop the tears from leaking, cannot stop their shoulders from shaking as they cry. A warm hand pats their back to comfort them and their teddy bear wipes away the tears. "I'm sorry."

"It was a lot more challenging than the other Overblots, but it wasn't anything we couldn't handle," Jack says.

"And we're Night Raven students. It's going to take more than that to take us down," Epel says assuringly.

"Besides, they had me to deal the bigger blows!" Grim boasts.

"Like you're one to talk," Ace scoffs. "We had distract the Overblot monster away from you and the teddy bear because you two rushed in without thinking!"

Maybe it was from hearing familiar bickering, but Yuu let out an airy chuckle. "Hey, what are you laughing for?" Ace complains without much irritation.

Yuu takes a breath to answer, but suddenly coughs. It worsens into hacking, and multiple hands lift and move them so their face is a few inches from the floor. A hand hits their back and a wad of ink splotches onto the ground. There are shudders among the rescue team; others grimace or gag and look away. The ones holding Yuu up tighten their hold, probably to make sure they don't accidentally drop them or to keep themselves grounded, but it kind of hurts. Yuu couldn't tell them, though, not with how difficult it was to get air into their lungs.

Eventually, Yuu began breathing steadily and quietly. If they were tired before, they were exhausted now. They feel themself being laid back down on the floor, their head coming to rest on someone's lap. If this was any other situation, they would have stiffened from the intimacy. They weren't averse to hugging and other physical affection: soft gestures like these were just far and in between in the overall student body, so they weren't used to this so suddenly.

A thumb tries to wipe the ink from their mouth, only to be replaced by a soft fabric. A warm hand rubs their arm and they feel a paw rest on their head. It was all so comforting and warm and Yuu felt as though they could finally fall asleep, knowing they were safe--it made them want to cry again.

"Yuu, try to stay awake. The medics are on their way," Jamil says. During Yuu's coughing fit, Cater realized he had signal and Idia found he could pinpoint where they all were on the map.

"It was terrible," Yuu says hoarsely. They lift their eyes, red and teary, and stare intensely at him. "It was so awful. Nothing could make it go away. I'm sorry you and the others had to go through that."

"Through what?"

"Overblot. It was painful." He doesn't say anything. He can't speak for the other Overblot survivors, but in his experience, the pain only happened in the beginning, briefly. The best way he could liken it to was a pot of milk suddenly boiling over on the stove, the heat increasing tick by tick each year until it reached a disastrous point. It scalded him inside and out during the transformation, but after that, there was only the rushing, addicting feeling of power.

For someone like Yuu, it probably just scalded them even though the residual magic clinging onto their body was used as fuel.

"It's over now, Yuu. There's nothing you need to worry about. The medics are on their way," Kalim says softly.

"It's soon, right?" Grim asks.

"Well, sort of. They're coming as fast as they can since we're in a forest and all, but the Magical Forces are on their way," Cater answers.

"Hey, Yuu! Don't close your eyes," Jamil almost yells. The Ramshackle Prefect only murmurs an apology and that they were so tired. Cater asks the dispatcher with thinly veiled worry what to do if the Overblotter passes out. As he listens, he turns away from Yuu so he doesn't show his mounting panic. The others have started to get restless too, fidgeting or starting to pace.

"Tsk. Silver, help me move them onto my back," Sebek says, which quickly gets everyone's attention.

"What? Wait, Sebek, I don't think it would be a good idea to move them since help is coming." But the green-haired freshman is already marching to where Yuu is lying on Kalim's lap.

"But it might not be soon enough." Sebek has a deep frown and Silver can imagine thunder rumbling around him. He puts a hand on Sebek's shoulder, stopping him. "I'm worried about Yuu, too, but you might get lost in the woods trying to find the mages."

Sebek growls in frustration. "But. . ."

"I can come with him." Ortho moves towards the two. "I'm equipped with sensors that can detect anyone from a distance. I can make sure we go in the right direction."

Silver and Sebek are astounded by this. "But didn't you say you're low on power?" Silver points out.

"I meant, I don't have enough to fly from here to the hospital and back. For this situation, I'm positive I have enough."

"If that is the case, then let's go."

Kalim helps Silver maneuver Yuu's body onto Sebek's back and drapes one of the jackets over them. Malleus, Lilia, and the other First Years approach, wishing the duo luck and to be careful. Idia's tablet hovers next to Ortho. "You got this."

Sebek and Ortho had just stepped outside when Grim and the teddy bear suddenly decided to tag along.

[lastluvbug]

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR DOING MY REQUEST since love it so much, I'm asking another one! This time it's gonna be full on angst but there will be happy ending so let's get started! =D can you do a request with a mc who had a terrible back story of abuse? She ended up losing her eye when she was four years old because her father threw a wine bottle at her and age blames herself because he killed her late older sibling and mom when she tried to cheer him up by playing a mini harp? Can be with anyone.

Very angsty, I’ll see what I can do!

Warnings: Mentioned/referenced abuse, mentioned self harm, drinking, and langauge. If sensitive, please do not read!

A Sweet Melody

Once upon a time, music had been so precious to Yuu. It had been her world, her rock, her solace when she couldn’t sleep at night.

She’d pull out her harp, and hum a tune in sync with her elegant plucking. She remembered those nights, dreamt of how free and pure the sound was, how calm she felt as the tension was poured into her song.

She remembered how much her mother and sister loved to listen—after a stressful day, before school, a nighttime lullaby.

All of it seemed so distant, like a fragmented dream that only appeared in flashes, gone so quick the only trace left was the bitterly addictive flavor of nostalgia on her tongue.

Music now was nothing more than a hatred whorled spit in her face. Music had been the thing to lead her younger sister and mother into their coffins six feet below ground. Music had driven her father insane.

It started when she was just barely out of her toddler years, when Yuu was first gifted the stringed instrument. While it overjoyed her to have something so beautiful, her father was nearly steaming with rage.

Yuu’s family was the farthest thing from rich. Her parents worked two, three jobs at a time, hardly creating a stable income as her father squandered his opportunities again and again. Over the course of her short life, Yuu often found herself to be at the receiving end of his fury, whether that mean harsh chastisment scented of alcohol on the smallest of mistakes, or a plain backhand across the cheek.

The day before, Yuu’s father had wasted yet another night at the bar, filling himself the disgustingly thin liquid until he couldn’t walk, nor speak.

“You bitch! How did you afford that? You doin’ something behind my back? Is that it?” He bellowed at her mother, Yuu standing in front of her one year old sister defensively as he stood from the rugged couch, stumbling over to the cluttered counter.

“Dear, please. It was just a gift!”

“Don’t raise your voice at me! How did you afford it?!” He grabbed her mother’s arm roughly, twisting it with his superior strength as she bit back a wince too late.

“Daddy! Don’t hurt her! She just wanted to do something nice!” Yuu interjected, latching onto his free hand.

“Get off me, brat. If it weren’t for little money suckers like you, we would’ve been dining like kings!” He slapped Yuu away, the short girl tripping over her feet and landing on her side.

From across the room, her sister began to wail, clutching her hand-me-down stuffed pet and wiping away fat tears. Yuu noticed how her father whipped his head to the child, eyes ablaze with a plan to shut her up. Acting quickly, Yuu rushed to her baby sister, pulling her out of the kitchen and up to her bed, where she tucked her in.

“Don’t get violent! Not on our daughter’s birthday!” Her mother shrieked as Yuu tramped back into the kitchen, freezing as her father slapped her mother.

“Shut up! You don’t understand what you’ve done, woman!” Just as her father raised his hand to strike her mother yet again, Yuu threw herself into him, temporarily knocking him off balance.

“No, Daddy! Leave Mom alone!” She stood in front of her mother, who fell to the ground on her knees, her arm out beside her as she tried to protect her despite only having just turned four.

A black rage darker than Yuu had ever seen laced every muscle and tendon in her father’s face, fear spiking through her heart and crumbling her resolve as the man recovered from his shock, standing to his full height. “So you think you’re better than me now? You think you can stand up to me? You’re father?” His hand trailed across the counter, searching.

“Dad...?” Yuu began trembling.

“I’ll teach you...” he mumbled, towering above his daughter, “I’ll teach you to stand up to me!”

He raised his hand, and in that split moment, his eyes were clearer than Yuu had ever seen before. He moved with such swiftness, it made her wonder why he’d never invested such concise movements into playing with her or her sister, why he sat drinking his life away on the couch instead of helping her mother work.

That was the last thought she had, before her world was sliced in two.

First, it was the immobilizing pain that made her drop to the floor. Her bones groaned in response to being dropped so unceremoniously on the tile, but was little heeded as her head blew up in flame, her scalp stinging like a thousand wasp penetrations as something warm and sticky dripped down her tear streaked cheeks.

She hardly recognized the scream that pierced the air as she looked around, hand wandering to her eye as she realized... it wasn’t working. She could only see out of her right, and the left was pure, black darkness, not even the silhouette of the room appearing in the emptiness. Yuu stared at the floor, at the blood falling from her face and onto the glass shatterer before her, encircling her like a broken cage.

Her ears rung, and she couldn’t process what happened next. Briefly, she recalled being carried, the sound of her irregular heartbeat, and the flooding of throbbing lights as she faded in and out of consciousness.

Yuu had her father’s words left in her head, imprinted in her brain like a branded cow. “Next time, learn to hold your tongue, bitch.”

All her life she carried the reminder of that day, marred upon her skin and forever labeling her as the “Outcast.” She never saw herself as beautiful from that time forward, and after the death of her mother and sister a mere two years later, never spoke unless spoken to.

<————>

Yuu awoke with a start, being shaken by someone rather roughly.

“Yuu? Wake up, class ended.”

The girl looked to the source of the sound, meeting the wide eyed and worried face of her only friend in all of Night Raven. “...My apologies, Epel...” She mumbled, lifting herself from her crossed arms.

“It’s alright, just... what was your dream about?” Epel asked, standing beside her.

“Nothing i-important, why?”

“You’ve been crying.”

“Hm?” She reach up to her cheeks, her fingers wiping something wet streaked down the plains of her face. “Ah... It really was nothing.” She waved off his inquiry, as well as her tears with her sleeve, seeing that Grim had already long since left her behind.

“If you say so... hey! Since it seems yer—ahem, you’re, not busy, did you want to come with me back to Pomefiore? All this time, and you’ve never been, right?” Epel prompted, making Yuu look up at him from her seat.

“Go with you to Pomefiore? A-Are you sure that would be fine? You guys are known for your beauty, I don’t think I would be very welcome...” Yuu shyly said, ghosting over her scarred eye.

“With the way Vil primps himself daily, I doubt anyone would notice you. Not to mention Rook—the guy’s lost one too many of his screws. He’ll probably be kissing up to our marvelous dorm head, so I’ll be off the hook.”

“What would... what would we even do?”

“We could study? I know I’ve been failing pretty terribly in some of my classes. Or... oh! Come with me!” Epel took Yuu’s hand, dragging her fragile figure down the hallways.

“What? What’re we doing?” Yuu asked, jogging to keep up with the boy.

“We’re going to the kitchens!” Epel laughed, sparking the girl’s confusion.

It was a bumpy run, the two weaving between students rather easily thanks to their short statures, and rounding corner after corner until they approached the gran cafeteria. Following their beelines, they pushed through the rows of starving students, barreling into the back kitchens pleasantly smelling of a mix of foods.

Yuu kept her mouth shut, following timidly behind Epel as she subconsciously covered her eye with a hand, glancing around nervously. Only a handful of people looked her way, that she could tell, and either smiled or laughed, both reactions causing her ears to redden.

“Okay, do me a favor, would you?” Epel broke the tension, turning to Yuu.

“S-Sure.” She answered, biting her tongue for stuttering.

“Grab the peeler and a few of the carving knives. I’ll get the stuff from the fridge!” He gestured towards the row of drawers, Yuu simply nodding.

She watched as Epel bounced to the largely oversized refrigerators, refusing conversation but smiling to himself. She’d never say, her voice hushed from years of humiliation, but she loved the way his soft purple locks fell over his shoulders, or the way his powdery blue eyes sparkled every time he laughed.

It took all of her will power to keep herself from tearing up, that light he shone reminding her too much of her forever dimmed sister’s.

Turning back to her own job, she searched through the drawers, pulling out her materials, nicking her finger on the peeler. Staring at the glimmery bead as it snaked its way down her hand, her body briefly remembered the feeling of metal slicing through her skin, long since healed over her wrists, but recorded upon it nevertheless.

Once upon a time, she’d been so broken that the only sort of release she could find was through blades. The one who’d helped her through those seemingly endless hours of struggle was none other than Epel Felmier.

When Yuu first met Epel, she was a stuttering, anxious mess, tripping over her words and avoiding eye contact like it was the plague. Epel was no better himself, holding his tongue and only making the smallest of conversations. If it weren’t for the one day he caught her stained in her own blood and sobbing in a restroom stall, Yuu believed without a doubt that there’d be no one by her side.

“Yuu! Ready to go?” Epel tore the meddling girl from her mind, who wiped the bead on her pants and carefully arranged the blades in her arms.

“Yes, let’s go.” Yuu nodded, supprssing her inner turmoil.

She’d put that behind her, and had long since forgotten her practices of old.

Epel gave her a soft smile, a bag of scarlet apples dangling from his hand as he encouraged her to go forward.

<————>

“Yuu, quick! Hide over there!”

The girl leapt back, disguising herself behind the curtains draped over a window as Epel stood in front of it, feigning ignorance.

“Ah, you runaway fiend! The great trouble you cause dear Vil! He wishes for your presence in the ballroom immediately.” An extravagantly dramatic voice cooed, and from her spot behind the curtain, Yuu could just barely make out the sight of blonde hair covered by a rather stylish hunting hat.

“Rook-san...! Lovely to see you as well. Actually, I can’t join you today, I’ve uh—I’ve come down with a terrible headache. Send Vil my apologies!” Epel not so cleverly lied.

“Is that so? Would those be get-well fruits then?”

“H-huh? Oh these? These are... well, Crowley gave them to me, said they were a gift from my hometown! I figured I’da bring ‘em to my room, y’know, n’ keep ‘em safe!” Yuu cringed to herself, knowing all too well that Epel was not selling his act.

“Oh my, Epel-kun, please. You may return to your quarters, but do something about that distasteful chatter of yours.” Rook croned, tipping his hat and heading off.

“Tch, “distasteful chatter”? Stupid beauty, what do they know anyway?” Epel grumbled, stepping away from the curtain as Rook’s figure faded away. He pried it open, the sudden flush of light causing Yuu to wince. “We’re alone, you can come out now.”

“Why don’t they like your accent, Epel? Aren’t they beauty enthusiasts?” Yuu asked, stepping into the open hall.

“Hell if I know. They only care about your face, not whatever you are on the inside. It reminds me of the poison apple the legends talk about; gorgeous to the eye, death to the soul.” Epel frowned, slinging his sack over his shoulder.

Yuu deflated, taking the words to heart. If that was true, then she was most surely not welcome in a dorm as proper as Pomefiore. “In any case, let’s just hurry to my room. They usually don’t bother me there.” Epel continued, storming down the corridor.

“Right...” Yuu followed, suddenly feeling unbearably self conscious.

Much to her surprise, the dorm looked empty as Ramshackle, not a single person lounging around or even passing by as they walked. “Where is everyone?” She thought, readjusting the dangerous items as Epel kicked a door open, allowing Yuu inside, almost gasping as she stood at the doorway.

The room was wide and quaint, with a large bay window, an intricately designed table, and a four poster bed that instantly made Yuu jealous. “Impressive, right? I honestly think it’s too much, even tried to convince Vil to give me something smaller.”

“I-I can’t believe this is your room... it’s so pretty...” Yuu marveled, setting her instruments on the table.

“Take a seat, we’re going to be here a while.” Epel instructed, laying his bag down and grinning impishly.

<————>

“I’m done! I’m done—I did it! Look Epel, look!” Yuu burst what seemed like hours later, hands flying to her mouth after she realized how loud she’d been.

“It’s a little lopsided, and it’s not symmetrical, but it looks great! Almost subpar for a rookie!” Epel clapped, looking up from his own work.

Yuu squinted, holding up what she thought was her masterpiece. The apples that Epel had brought were used to teach her how to carve delicate pictures and designs into their flawless flesh, some of which were horribly mutilated in the process, but in the end led to the beautiful fruity art before her. “I don’t see anything wrong with it... you’re such a difficult person to impress, Epel.” Yuu whined, comparing her apple to his.

“Ah relax! I’m just messin’ around!” He joked, waving his hand. He laughed at her dumbfounded face, ruffling her hair in an older-sibling like way, and for once, Yuu found herself smirking, if only in the slightest way.

“Epel Felmier! Do my ears deceive me or are you really—pardon?” Both teens froze in place as Epel’s door flew open, welcoming in a tall boy dressed in Pomefiore’s overly pompous uniform, head adorned with the same hat Yuu saw behind the curtain.

She flinched as his gaze settled on her, and she instinctually pressed a hand over her eye, concealing the horror that further proved the loss of her vision. “Rook, get out! Who do you think you are, barging in like that?” Epel complained, rushing over to the senior and attempting to push him away.

He was abrubtly dropped on the floor as Rook swerved around the boy, stalking closer to Yuu like a predator. “What have we here? Who might you be?” He asked, scrutinizing her face.

“Rook, leave her alone!” Epel demanded, pushing himself from the floor.

Too easily, the blonde pried her hand away, observing the story written in scars over the left side of her complexion. “Oh my...” Rook stared and stared, unexpressive and too close for comfort.

Tears started to brim in Yuu’s eyes, and using what little strength she had compared to the taller boy’s, she ripped herself away, running out of the room and down the hall.

Her heart raced in her veins, in her ears, as she flew down the forever twisting and turning passages, this time crowded with people. She could only dodge and weave between them, with their questioning gazes burning holes into her skull as tears dripped onto the flooring.

Yuu couldn’t seem to escape, the walls wanted to enclose around her, stretching and warping as the path swayed beneath her feet. She could do nothing but dizzily run away, mind lost in her own abyss as she leapt into a dark room, only ignited by the light from outside.

Collapsing in a heap on the hardwood floor, she wearily recognized where she was, or at least the type of place she’d ended up. On one wall, a slenderly long window stretched high above her reach, the opposite completely covered by a mirror. It was a dance room.

Sitting on her knees in front of the mirrored wall, Yuu stared at her pitiful self, tears breaking free of the dam they’d been collecting behind for days. Her hair was messy, falling around her shoulders and sticking to the sides of her face, dampened by the salty liquid. Her cheeks were rosy, nose carrying the same color.

And... her eyes.

One of them, the functional one, was puffy and tear clouded, and the other—the other was gorgeously ruined. A jagged, cracked scar trailed from her forehead to mid cheek, splitting her eyebrow and so thick that it spanned the length of her eye. The iris had lost its color and gone a milky white, the tears almost unrecognizable over the glazed sheen that glimmered over the orb.

Laying a hand on the mirror, Yuu stared into the mutilated gateway, seeing a story that had been left untold for far too long. She saw the death of her family, the heartache they bore through, her failure to preserve the things she loved most.

“Sorry—I’m sorry! I’m sorry I couldn’t save you, I’m sorry I look like this... I can’t breathe without hurting someone!” She curled her hand over the mirror, slamming her fist over it as she rested her head on the cool surface, her tears rolling down and leaving streak marks on the pristine aluminum paint.

Much to her surprise, the lights flicked on, though she did a fine job camouflaging it beneath a mask of melancholy. “So my potatoes were telling the truth. There really is a lost little sprite in my ballroom.” A new voice clucked.

Yuu ignored him, turning around and pulling her knees to her chest, burying herself in her arms. She didn’t want to be ridiculed anymore—didn’t want anyone else to resent her simply because they lacked the patience to break down her defenses.

The click of his shoes against the too cold floor reverberated off the walls, piercing her ears as they came closer, eventually stopping right in front of her.

“Look at me.” He commanded, the girl refusing with a shake, “Why not?”

“Because...I’m ugly, and everyone here is jaw droppingly gorgeous. I don’t belong here, I don’t belong anywhere...” she whispered, almost inaudibly.

“Nonsense. Look at me.” He commanded, this time not giving her an option. Tenderly prying her arms open, the mystery boy lifted her face up with the back of his hand.

Reluctantly, Yuu made eye contact with the person who struck fear into her heart like no other, either for his esteemed position in the school, or his famous physical beauty and harsh words. She stared into the amethyst eyes of Vil Schoenheit, who reflected her terrified and crippled visage in the hues of his irises.

Pushing his arms away, Yuu began weeping again, wiping the forsaken water roughly with her hands. “I’m sorry... I’m sorry for intruding. I-I’ll go.” She sniffled, in the midst of standing when Vil placed his hands over hers, plush and soft.

“Stay. Whatever would you have to be sorry for, dear?” He asked, urging her to sit.

“B-Because—Because I...I...!” Yuu’s voice became strained as she struggled to release the words that so desperately clawed at the knot in her throat. And then—

Vil opened his arms. Inviting, warm, unjudgemental.

“V-Vil...!” She dove into them, wrapping her arms around his middle as she did her best to stiffle her cries. Vil stroked her hair, his eyebrows raising in awe at how silky it was. “I-It’s my f-fault... all of it is my fault! I could’ve s-saved them, b-but I was just so scared!” She lamented, spilling the secrets that should’ve long ago been honored.

For once, Vil didn’t spit out any harsh criticisms, he just sat there silently, awaiting the end of Yuu’s bottled up pain brought to life. When it came, the girl released the boy who embodied beauty, trying to hide her swollen and scarred face. “I’m so sorry for using your time, Vil-san...” Yuu apologized, voice cracking.

“The least you could do is look at me when you speak, darling. Please, look here.” Yuu obeyed, eyes widening in confusion as her chin was rather roughly pinched between his thumb and forefinger.

Vil uncapped the top to his specially created lip gloss, “Hold still.” He said, applying the makeup over her thin lips, “There. See? You’re beautiful, we just... need a little concealer, and some contacts, and you’ll be good as new—partially.” Vil gave her a genuine smile, fooling Yuu into believing that maybe, just maybe he wasn’t going to judge her like everyone else.

“Yuu?!! Yuu?”

The two whipped to the doorway, and were greeted by a familiar lilac-haired first year, who skidded to a halt before Yuu and dropped to his knees, holding onto her shoulders. “I looked everywhere for ya, but this place is just so goddamn huge, it was like weavin’ through a maze! Rook had me runnin’ ‘round the halls like a chicken with its head cut off! Ain’t nothin’ hurt, o-or bleedin’, right?” Epel fast-talked, country accent in full affect as he tripped over his words.

“I’m fine, Epel. All good, see?” Yuu held out her arms, displaying her unharmed frame.

“A-ah, now that’s a breath’a fresh air! I see you been talkin’ with—dorm head Vil!” Epel gasped, face blanching as he sweat dropped.

“Epel. Felmier. What a pleasant surprise.” Vil growled through his teeth, bearing a deceiving smile. “Recovered from your headache, mister?”

“W-well, ya see here, I just—“

“Silence, I’ll not be listening to your excuses. And for the love of the Queen, get rid of that horrid native tongue of yours!” Vil demanded, berating Epel.

“...Yes, Vil. My humblest apologies.”

“Much better. Now! Would you like to explain our little visitor, and why she is here unannounced?”

After a long and tedious process of introducing and expounding her life, Yuu and Epel sat in edgy silence as Vil digested the information, going through a myriad of emotions as the air buzzed with electricity.

Yuu had her fingers crossed that she wouldn’t be sent away, as she’d been so used to.

“It’s decided then. Yuu, dear, follow me, and be hasty.” Vil nodded to himself, standing to his proud height enchanced by his heels as he flipped his hair, clicking off.

“I wish you the best of luck, my friend. You’ll most certainly need it.” Epel sniggered behind his hand, Yuu sending him a withering glare from over her shoulder.

“Oh just you watch. I’m about to sparkle like a million fireflies.”

<————>

Sparkle was a disgusting understatement for the transformation Vil put the poor girl through.

Though it was getting late outside, he still gave her a luxury treatment, which ultimately meant minutes upon minutes of face moisturizers, skin creams, scar healing oinments, and anything in between. Her face was stiff from all the rubbing, almost simulating numbness.

Once that had been finished, Vil wasted absolutely no time before pouncing onto makeup, his specialty. Concealers, eye accentuates, lip plumpers, blush, it made Yuu dizzy with the sheer amount of items the world of cosmetics had to offer.

It felt strange to be touched in such gentle ways, to receive the soft stroke of a brush to her eyelids instead of a slap, or to feel the way the concealer was mixed into the darkly scarred skin of her left side instead of the shattered glass tearing through flesh.

By the end of it all, Yuu didn’t sparkle, she emanated the radiance of a thousand suns, and even though she could only see half of her complexion, she knew beyond a doubt that she was more gorgeous than ever.

“There we are, darling.” Vil clapped, spinning her chair so that she could look at herself in the vanity.

Yuu’s jaw dropped to the ground, her breath hitching as she resisted the urge to cry.

Her scar was no longer visible on her face, the ugly line replaced instead by smooth, seemingly unmarked tan. The bags under her eyes were gone, making her seem at least a year younger, and a pretty blush was blended into her rather squishy cheeks, dusting over her nose. A flawless cut crease was executed over her orbs, the shimmery silver gradient backing to her elongated lashes making her eye pop.

But truly, the most spectacular of all what was lay within. Her irises were both... colored. What was once damaged and ruined was semi-fixed, a contact that matched the color of her functional eye creating the appearance that both were natural.

“V-Vil! Y-You... this...!” Yuu folded her hands in her lap, rendered wordless.

“A simple thank you will suffice, dear.” Vil chuckled, but nearly fell over when he was suffocated in a bear hug.

“Thank you! Thank you, thank you so much, Vil!” She bubbled, letting go after said blonde pushed her away.

“You’re welcome—just be careful! You’ll mess up one of our faces!” Vil snapped, rearranging his hair.

Yuu giggled, still staring at herself in the mirror, when a knock broke the calm partial quiet. “Come in!” Vil articulated, welcoming in two people, Rook Hunt and Epel.

“Yuu?!” Epel stood slack jawed, eyes nearly bursting out of his skull with how wide they were. “You’re so different, it’s amazing. You look amazing!”

“Indeed, madmoiselle! Delicate like the petals of a rose, and crystal clear as the water that rains from the sky! You are truly the sight to behold.” Rook added, earning an elbow to his side.

“Thank you, so much. I just—never thought I would look so whole again, especially after what happened to...” she trailed off, twiddling her thumbs.

“Nonsense, don’t let anyone lie to you. Never take criticism from someone you didn’t ask it from, alright?” Vil instructed, taking her by the hand.

“...Of course, Vil-san.” Yuu answered, for the first time in a long, long while settling into a comfortable laugh.

She’d been broken, far too many times to count. Torn down, crushed beneath the foot of life itself.

But, perhaps with the help of the people she used to shake in her shoes merely thinking about, perhaps she could turn that rubble into a cairn of her success. She’d have to fall to reach her peak, sometimes more than once, and sometimes she’d have to hit the bottom.

Right now, she was inching towards grabbing that first stone, that first layer to her cairn.

Soon, she just might reclaim that sweet melody lost to the tomes of time.

This took a little longer than I expected... I had to rewrite it because my first draft would... probably have gotten me flagged.

I want to say that you. Are. Beautiful. It doesn’t matter if you’re giant or mini, scarred or clean, because you. Are. Beautiful.

On that note, thanks for reading!! I hope you enjoyed!

Stay lovely!

[yuus-sentient-teddy]

"Yuu-Yuu hurt." Part 4

Part 1 | Part 3 | Part 5

Minor parts of the teddy bear had to be patched up. Small twigs and leaves were glued to its fur and overalls by some mud, and while giving it a bath, it recalled what happened the night Yuu disappeared.

The teddy assumed Yuu was going to the bathroom or taking a walk around the dorm, but then they began putting on their sneakers instead of their slippers. They didn't say anything when it asked where they were going. It followed them outside, into the greenhouse where they took one of the gardening tools and the kitchen where they swiped something from the cabinets, and out of the campus down the winding path leading to town.

They were silent the entire walk, and when they entered the surrounding forest, they didn't pay attention to a branch that cut their arm. They walked for a while; it seemed to get darker and scarier too. Then there was a giant building in middle of a clearing with big double doors, which were open wide. The teddy bear followed Yuu inside, but it quickly lost them among the crowd that was gathered in the middle of the room.

Someone grabbed the the teddy while it was finding them and tried taking it away, but it escaped and hid around the building until it could escape.

It was like something out of a book, but it certainly explained a couple of things. By the time it finished its story, the sun had risen. As worried as they were for Yuu, the First Year Squad had to hope that Yuu could hang on a little longer and went to notify the headmaster.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The police could not find anything.

The teddy bear led them to the clearing where the building was, but there was no building to search. It was an empty space save for a few flowers and patches of grass that thrived despite the grainy soil, which hinted that something used to stand in the area. Samples were taken and detection spells were casted, but there were no traces of magic and no traces of anyone having been in the area recently.

The teddy bear insisted that Yuu was there, that they were hurt, and as this was the only solid lead the force had, they closed off the area for further investigation.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Anything?"

"No."

The First Year Squad were on their phones or had a holoscreen pulled up. Since the orphans' disappearance, the Squad gained the habit of checking news outlets during the lunch period. The third week was a weekend away from coming to a close and no new leads had come up.

There are sighs as the Squad put down their phones. The teddy bear's ears droop down, mimicking Jack's, and it leans against Epel. He pats its head as Deuce clenches his fists. "Damn it, how much longer is it going to take? I know that the police are doing what they can, but there has to be something that they picked up on."

"I'm pretty sure this is something that has never happened on Sage's Island before. I wouldn't be surprised if they're scratching their heads," Ace says.

"The last incident involving the kidnapping of orphans happened a century ago in the Queendom of Roses. The culprit had been caught eventually, but it took a while to track them and the orphans down," Ortho says.

"Ever since the Ramshackle Prefect's kidnapping, the young master has been in a foul mood," Sebek says, shaking his head. As if on cue, thunder rumbles overhead. Ortho visibly shrinks into himself, but Jack puts a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "He was even willing to join the volunteer search party. Truly, he has the most compassionate of hearts."

Rolling his eyes, Grim adds, "The ghosts have been telling me that everything would be fine, but I'm starting to think they're saying all that to comfort themselves."

"It's too bad we can't look at the clearing ourselves. Maybe there is something the police had missed that we might notice," Epel says, sighing.

"Wait. Why couldn't we do that?" Grim asks, sitting up. A hopeful expression was on his face; undoubtedly, he would refuse to let this idea go like how he would possessively hold a tuna can reward. The teddy bear slowly rises and starts climbing onto the table, detecting a change in the mood.

"Hang on a minute, you can't just do that! It can be dangerous since the kidnapper hasn't been found yet! Not to mention, we would be getting in the way of the authority's investigation," Jack says. He casts a sorry glance to the teddy bear.

"But it's been almost three weeks and it's just like what Deuce says: they should have found something by now."

"We don't know what they're doing behind the scenes."

"It might be good to report to the young master the state of the scene after thoroughly checking it in person," Sebek muses, crossing his arms.

"Not you too. . ."

"I say we go and check it out tonight. I can't stand waiting around any longer!" Grim declares.

"I don't know. . . I don't want to get in trouble with the authorities. It might ruin my chances of getting into an academy," Deuce says.

"Yeahhh, I don't want to risk a run-in with an officer neither, even if I'm not going to an academy," Ace says. "And in case you guys forgot, it's Thursday. You'll fall asleep the minute you sit down from searching all night."

"There's a possibility that they'll stop searching the area," Ortho says. He projects his results onto the table and the Squad lean over them. "I've found reports on kidnappers using pocket dimensions to hide people and moving them to different places. The police might consider this and expand their search to other parts of the woods."

"Wait, isn't that just another reason not to go to the clearing?"

"Not quite. [Insert teddy's name], is Yuu still there?"

The teddy bear nods its head fervently. Ortho turns to the group. "See? We wouldn't get into any major trouble for searching an unneeded place."

"If the police decide to leave this weekend, we could tell our dorm leaders that we're having a sleepover at Ramshackle to keep Grim and [insert teddy's name] company and then sneak off campus," Epel suggests, excitedly looking around the table.

". . . The thought of deceiving Lord Malleus and Sir Lilia uneases me," Sebek remarks.

Ace sighs. "Well, look at it this way. You're doing this for the greater good, which is reassuring Malleus, and I doubt they'll let you go if they hear what you're actually doing. Besides, it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission, in case they do find out."

He shudders, adding, "Let's just hope mine doesn't."

"Mine too," says Epel.

"I thought you were against this, Ace," says Jack.

"Well, I was, but if more than half of us are going, then I guess I'm going too."

"Then that leaves Jack and Deuce," Grim summarizes.

Deuce had donned his thinking pose and startled to attention when his name was said. "I still don't want to risk anything!"

"I'm not going." Jack crosses his arms.

"At the very least, you both can come to Ramshackle to keep the charade going," Ace says. "Especially you, Deuce. Dorm leader's going to get suspicious if only one of us goes."

"Well. . . all right."

"Then it's settled! Jack and Deuce will stay behind in Ramshackle while the rest of us investigate the site," Ortho cheers.

"Hey, I didn't agree to anything!"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was as though luck was on the First Year Squad's side: the police announced that the clearing would be reopened to the public and the investigation would continue in a different area of the forest, where there was a new lead, and weather forecasts promised a clear weekend.

Saturday night was slightly warm and a cool breeze flitted by every so often, bringing with it the faint salty scent of the sea. The last to enter Ramshackle Dorm was Ortho, who was followed by a couple of drones carrying parcels. "Sorry I'm late. Idia wanted to make some last minute adjustments to my accessories. By the way, would it be okay with you all if he comes along too?"

Looks of disbelief were exchanged among the group. "Uhhh. . . sure, but isn't he uncomfortable with being outdoors?" Ace says.

"He's going to be using his tablet. One second!" Ortho reaches into a parcel and pulled out a black-screened device. He presses the power button and tells his brother the good news.

Idia had shrieked and verbally wondered who turned the tablet on, but became quiet when Ortho spoke. "O-oh, that's. . . great." Idia then started murmuring about grinding and being able to meet the level requirements for a quest in time, but was interrupted by the doorbell ringing.

Jack sputters when he opens the door. "D-Draconia-senpai!"

"Lord Malleus?!"

Turns out Malleus and Lilia had heard the First Year Squad's plan--they had strong hearing, after all--and no, neither were upset that Sebek didn't tell them the whole truth. This was out of care for Malleus and Yuu, nothing wrong with that in Lilia's books and certainly not Malleus's.

"So what are you here for then?" Grim asks.

"I would like to join you all in your search, if you will allow me."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The original plan had the group search for 4 hours in the forest while considering that the teddy had to show them the way to the clearing and that the travel would take a while. With Malleus joining the team, however, they would have an additional hour and perhaps more thanks to his ability to teleport. After double checking their equipment, the group left the dorm.

"So I was right in listening to my gut."

Out of the shadows, multiple figures step into the path of Ramshackle's lantern lights.

"Dorm leader!" Ace and Deuce cry fearfully upon seeing the red-head. There were similar reactions from the other freshmen upon seeing their respective dorm leaders; as for Grim, he hid behind Ace and Deuce.

"We're here too," Trey says, arms crossed and Rook standing beside him.

"W-what are you all doing here?"

"I got a text from Lilia saying that you all might be heading to the clearing. We wanted to see whether you would actually go or not," Cater explains, waving his phone for emphasis.

"You guys were waiting out here?"

Lilia sighs and steps up to Malleus. "I knew you would want to join the moment we heard Sebek and his friends scheming. I surely thought you would have more care and awareness towards your actions by now."

"I do. The younger Shroud has confirmed that no one would be bothered by our visiting the site."

"The news said the investigation had moved to other areas," Epel supplies.

"To other areas. There is still the possibility that they'll return to the original site," Vil points out. "It wouldn't be a surprise either. The teddy bear had told them it was where the building stood."

"So are you here to bring us back to our dorm?" Epel nervously inquires.

"If we don't, you all would get suspected of being involved with the kidnappings and we'd get an earful from the old crow for not keeping a better eye out," Leona grouchily says, yawning at the end. "Can we get going already?"

"I'm surprised you would go along with this, Jack. You're usually so stubborn about keeping out of trouble," Ruggie says. "Most of the time," he adds under his breath.

"I-I didn't want to."

"Deuce, you said you wanted to become part of an elite division in the police force, didn't you?" Riddle says.

"I did, dorm leader, and I was against the idea in the first place, but. . ."

". . . and you, Idia." Vil turned from Epel to the levitating tablet. "I'm surprised you would let your younger brother do something so reckless."

"N-now hang on a minute! Ortho can make his own decisions and he knows what the consequences are and how to avoid them."

"Do you remember what I said before, Malleus?" Lilia prompts. "That I would notify the other dorm leaders if you tried joining the search party? That you must remember that your position as the heir will bring severe consequences if you get involved with sensitive matters?"

"I understand, Lilia, but I have not been able to rest easy since they disappeared."

"We were only going to look around, not touch anything!" Epel pleads to Rook.

"I can see the passion burning brightly in your eyes, Monsieur Crabapple. It loathes me to extinguish it, but we must keep you and your friends safe."

". . . and you, Grim, will be coming to Heartslabyul from now on."

"Wait!" Attention turns to the staircase, where Yuu's teddy bear stares up at them all. "Are Yuu-Yuu, Grim-Grim, and [insert teddy's name]'s friends not going?"

Some of the students shift uncomfortably or fidget. "Sorry, [insert teddy's name], it's. . . not something we can do at the moment," Cater says.

"But. . . but Yuu-Yuu hurt! Yuu-Yuu needs help!" It wasn't a claim--it was a statement, and the conviction in its voice was as undeniable as the presence of the small, neat stitches on its ear and arm. It waddles up to the group. "Friends help friends. And Yuu-Yuu is friend."

There was a moment of silence as the students of NRC mull over a response. Some wouldn't use the term 'friend' to describe his relationship with the Ramshackle Prefect, but at the same time, he didn't mind them hanging around or appreciated them coming to see him, most of the time with a warm presence. Okay, so he likes them, but that doesn't quite mean the two of them are buddy-buddy. At least, it's not like something you would see at Royal Sword Academy.

Grim suddenly growls. "I don't care if you make me write a thousand-word essay or clean all the dishes in Heartslabyul! I'm going with [insert teddy's name] to find Yuu." He goes to stand beside the teddy bear.

"I'm going too."

"Me too." Epel and Deuce take their place on the other side of the teddy bear. Ace joins Grim soon after, saying, "The more people that look around the area, the faster they can leave and pretend weren't there at all."

"I agree, and with my accessories, the search will be even faster." Ortho stands behind the teddy bear.

"Sebek, if you wish to help search despite all that has happened, you still have my permission," Malleus says. "As soon as you are finished, notify me immediately back in Diasomnia."

Sebek is disappointed that his idol won't be joining the search, but he nods earnestly anyway. "I won't let you down, my lord." He stands beside Ortho.

"Jack, you still coming with us?" Ace calls.

There is obvious conflict on the wolf beastman's face. Leona huffs and says, "Jack, just go with them. They can use someone with a sharp nose and I know you won't do anything that'll put you in jail."

"Huh?!"

"You heard me. Unless you want to come back to the dorm, then follow us. Just hurry up and choose."

After a beat, Jack nods. "All right. I'll be careful." He takes the position behind Epel and Deuce.

Vil lets out a long sigh. "All of you are--Rook, what are you doing?"

"Would you be willing to accept a hunter's assistance?"

"Oh for goodness's sake."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Somehow, one by one, the dorm leaders and their vices join the search party. During the briefing, a familiar voice called from down the path.

"Hey! Wait up!"

"Wait, is that Kalim?"

"Is it too late for newcomers to join?"

Not too far behind were Jamil and the trio from Octavinelle. Jamil sighs and said, "Trust me, I tried keeping him in Scarabia, but he wouldn't let up."

"What about you, Azul? Why are you, Jade, and Floyd here?" Riddle asks.

"Isn't it obvious? We want to help settle the nerves of the dear freshmen."

"I happened to meet Kalim and Jamil in the halls and heard from them what was happening," Jade said. "Of course I had to let Azul and my brother know."

"Yeah. Our dorm's based on the benevolence of the Sea Witch after all," Floyd added.

"Somehow, I doubt those are the real reasons why," Grim mutters sarcastically.