#lilia has finally come full circle

[riverssongs13]

First, let's just get this out of the way for I'm still seething about the storytelling mess that was Familiar By Thy Side (and parts of Darkest Hour). I want to appreciate the fact that this masterpiece of an episode is more than 10 minutes shorter than the previous one, which had so many unnecessary parts; this half hour of an emotional roller coaster ride has done so much more to progress the ENTIRE show's plot. We finally pieced the puzzle of Lilia's kookiness and her "jumps". We got so much more Teen lore from this than the Teen episode itself. We now have resolution to all the (previous) trials, Alice's… state, Rio's real identity, Jen's importance… We even dealt with the damned Salem Seven as a bonus. So many things happened but it was not overwhelming at all. If this were a suit I'd say it's bespoke indeed.

Now, what I truly loved about this episode is how it was able to paint a non-linear narrative with so much finesse, with each twist and turn taking us to different parts of a single timeline, without making it nauseating, all while pulling the threads to secure the stitches in place and make sure the seams are tight without it puckering. Like embroidery that adds patterns on different areas, we finally sew it all up to see the final tapestry.

The whole fandom has definitely theorised all about how Lilia's weird "inserts" are connected, each episode giving us more pieces to make sense of. But of course it feels infinitely better seeing it ourselves, and how they make up a whole linear timeline in Lilia's mind-POV, while Agatha and the gang are left confused with the breadcrumbs of phrases left for them at different intervals. I absolutely loved how this time discrepancy was used. No more boring-ass unnecessary flashbacks filled with drivel. This time, the past is completely enmeshed with the present, and is used to decide on what's needed to be done to get the desirable future outcome.

This "time is non-linear, it exists simultaneously at all points" phenomenon has certainly been used in countless other media (Fringe and its Observers come to mind), but I love how actively Lilia used it. Her being in that tea-leaf reading lesson held so much significance to her as a Trial Subject, as a Coven Member, and as an Individual Witch. Her time in the gazebo reminds me of The Time Traveller's Wife; existing in all the times, getting sent and pulled back and sent again.

That gazebo was both her prison and her escape. Being stuck in that place made her think her life is a rigid series of unfortunate events, and she can't do anything but be helpless in the face of tragedies that befall everyone she ever cares about. Having had the power to see the future yet be unable to prevent her original coven's death perpetuated her self-depreciation, thus she spent 450-ish years giving in to the usual witchy tropes and misconceptions (the palm reading and tarot tents and the minor scams here and there, but a girl's got bills, ya know), even if it hurts her in the process.

So then, prison AND escape, right? Being tethered to that specific point in time, with her mentor guiding her path to self-rediscovery, was crucial to Lilia's ability to escape her shackles, because she needed to realise she put the shackles on herself. Having a powerful but dangerous gift and being actively afraid of it is quite the self-fulfilling prophecy of doom. You're scared so you stop using it altogether but then you can't control it so all that suppression does more harm than good (looking at you, Charles. What you did to Jean was cowardice. Also, hello? Elsa??). Lilia exclaiming "I was bad at tea leaves" at her literal first day of training might just have been the reason why she spent her life believing she's bad at it. She planted the very idea in her brain (Inception? lol).

This whole forward and back travel from the Road to the Gazebo is instrumental to Lilia coming to terms with the idea that time for her does not move in a straight line. Her confession to Jen, paired with her mentor's wise words, makes her admit that she does, in fact, have a problem. First step to recovery and all that. This then leads to her unravelling the next layer of her issues, which is death to all she holds dear. Granted, she has seen so much death within her lifetime. 450 years of life would do that to you. Something she cannot possibly control.

But that's the thing, isn't it? She was never supposed to control anything. Her job as a Trial Subject, a Coven Member, and an Individual Witch is to SEE. See the trial with the eyes of 450 years simultaneously happening, the heart of someone who wants to protect her coven, and the power of a witch who can walk through the threads of time's tapestry. Once she sees that, and once she accepts that Death is not a Bad Thing, and once she lets go of control, the pieces started to fall into place.

Which then makes her SEE that she's the Traveller. This tarot reading is about her, and she has been sprinkling the answers throughout her timeline, waiting to be plucked by the Awakened Calderu of Now. Give credence to who she is, and her power that Must Not Be Feared. Recognition that she needs her Coven in order to succeed. Acceptance for what she has lost along the way. Welcoming the path ahead no matter where it leads her. Embracing heartbreak, sorrow, and grief. Undertaking miraculous transformation. And finally, the beginning of the end, the end of the beginning.

How fitting is it that we see the start and realise it was actually the end? The fall, initially thought as something dangerous, was in fact just part of the journey. Death, once feared, now embraced like an old friend. Something that perpetuates the cycle. The past, shrouded in darkness, now illuminating the path ahead.

So now we see, she wasn't actually falling. If you ask me, she was flying. Flying to that gazebo in a garden somewhere in Sicily, 450 years ago, about to start her very first lesson in reading tea leaves. Her mentor saying, "Let us begin", and her ultimately saying, "I loved being a witch".

[hanafubukki]

Thinking about what time means to a fae and how conscious Lilia and Malleus became to it, and in a way, always have been.

Time has always ran at a different speed to faes than humans. To them, 20 years is nothing and runs by quickly.

Yet, unconsciously, time has become a concept Lilia and Malleus is conscious of.

For Lilia, you can say it started while he traveled and looked for a way to hatch Malleus. He keeps coming back to Mal egg, and tells him how long it’s been and how he’s still looking. Lilia who would encourage him to stay strong and tell him stories about traveling.

For a fae, this passage of time would mean nothing, but Lilia felt all those years. He constantly looked and worried about Malleus. He cared about him. It wasn’t a just a needless measurement of passage anymore.

But a concept he was conscious of as he looked to the stars and wished during his travels. Of course, seeing how the world evolved helped too. But, it was always in his mind, how to care and hatch Malleus.

And then he broke down crying, saying how after 200 years, he finally met him. He was relived. He was happy. All those years? It was worth it for this very moment.

Time moves on, treaties are made and Malleus grows, and then Silver is found and he’s conscious again of time. This time, it’s how fast it is for a human. Silver grows and changes faster than a fae and Lilia is also aware of that/made aware as is Baul and Malleus. Baul because of Sebek and Malleus because of Silver.

And then they come to NRC, where Lilia becomes aware of time but with a shock. His magic is gone, faster than he accounted for and so is his time, which makes him scramble to leave so he doesn’t hurt his loved ones.

With Malleus, he is aware of time, but initially it’s based on his loved ones as well. When Lilia visits him and he gets to spend time with him, Malleus’s time with his grandmother no matter how rare it would be, and unfortunately, the incidences of his loneliness (the cakes, the scares, people running away, etc) which he is aware of.

To a degree, he also understands the passage of time with humans because of Sebek and Silver.

He helped raise Silver. He has seen some of the milestones first hand. He taught them both. Malleus states multiple times how Silver and Sebek have grown quickly. He might not be as conscious as Lilia is but he is aware of it nonetheless and probably more aware than some of the fae in his country.

It really shows how much he cares about them to be so aware of how much time passed and how they grew to be the fine guards they are.

Malleus is shocked once again with time, ironically, because of Lilia and his leaving. Because Lilia is running out of it. Like how Malleus as an egg was dying and running out of time so is Lilia now. It has come a full circle and Malleus is more conscious than ever after he first found out about Lilia’s departure.

I find it rather precious and sweet that to such a timeless race like the fae, it is because of the love they have for their family that makes Lilia and Malleus so conscious of it. Because every moment to them is valuable no matter how long you have because they love each other so much 🥹💞💚

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

I'm not sure if you've answered a question like this before but do you think Sebek would feel less insecure about his human-fae heritage if he became acquainted (or even friends) with someone similar at NRC? Or would he just end up projecting his own struggles onto them?

It'd be a different story if he grew up with one in Briar Valley, but I'm not caught up on the lore enough to know how common mixed fae-humans are there 😅

I don’t think it would make a significant difference.

Firstly, the impression I get is that mixed fae-humans are rare, since fae are unlikely to mingle outside of their kind (pixies and Briar Valley fae behave similarly and are suspicious of non-fae; only the Dwarves seem to be friendly with humans). The chances of Sebek being even finding someone of his kind are low. Recall too that nocturnal fae (which Sebek is descended from) have beef with diurnal fae, so even if Sebek were to run into a mixed fae like him, he might still clash with them on the basis of that difference in background.

Another point I’d like to make is that one person for like a year or so may not be “enough” to totally change Sebek’s mind. Think about it. The way you’re describing it, Sebek has still grown up in Briar Valley his entire life and comes to NRC still carrying the attitudes he grew up with and the experiences of being looked down on by full fae. One encounter at school won’t be sufficient to counteract what is basically a lifetime’s worth of isolation and self-loathing. That just isn’t how character growth works; it’s a steady thing that you have to actively work toward.

As an example, Epel does not instantly shake off his views on traditional gender roles in book 5 just because he met Vil and lived under his dorm. Exposure alone isn’t “enough”. Epel has to be challenged and shown the error of his ways, as well as actually gain a respect for Vil’s perspective and then learn to overcome his own prejudices. A similar thing happens in book 7 when Sebek is confronted by the bigotry of his grandfather, which reflects his own attitudes towards his human peers. Again, he is being challenged and forced to face these unsavory aspects of himself and sees how that shows in others. It’s a process far more complex than simply meeting and/or befriending someone like you and realizing on your own, “oh hey, maybe I was wrong”. Sebek has to put in the work to change.

Looking at Sebek’s current circle also doesn’t yield any… hopeful results? He looks up to Lilia so much yet also puts up resistance and ignores advice from him to be more kind to non-fae. Note also that Sebek, despite being friends with Silver (a full-blooded human), he still holds a bad opinion of humans in general. It didn’t make him magically not racist or more understanding of humans when so much of his socialization fell outside of that purview. If anything, Sebek just acts like Silver is “one of the good ones” rather than his friendship with Silver making him more accepting of other humans.

Finally, I don’t think just the presence or the befriending of another person like him would change Sebek by itself. It would depends a lot on what type of person that other guy is. Who knows, maybe they’re just as bigoted and agree with his thoughts. It could also result in a scenario where Sebek feels comfortable staying in his own little echo chamber and refuses to venture beyond that. In another case, Sebek could very easily warp his views to confirm the narrative that already exists in his head. He could very easily tell himself “yes, this person is fine because they, too, have fae blood in them”. (Think of how many bigots use the “but I have a [insert marginalized group here] friend so I can’t be [X]ist!” excuse to justify their own terrible stances.) There are many ways this could go wrong or perpetuate what he already believes in. Confirmation bias is a thing!

[talesofdecorum]

Agatha All Along - Theory for the Finale

Agatha will fight Rio for Billy/Wiccan

Hear me out... we see in the few shots in the trailer that there will be a big battle between Rio and Agatha.

But I have been wondering what is their conflict? Yes, they have a complicated history, but the ending to this series must tie in the rest of the coven, Billy and all the other subplots; something must culminate to lead to this fight

Which is why I believe that Rio really wants to take Billy's soul.

After all Billy Maximoff should not exist. Having a soul and a body from two different beings is against the natural order, of which Rio/Death is given the responsibility to uphold. It is her job to do so.

This is also why I think Rio must've met Billy during the car accident because she would've been there to ferry the souls of Billy Kaplan and his parents to the after life. What she encounters, unexpectedly, is the soul of Billy Maximoff overtaking Billy Kaplan's body. A strange incident that leaves her with a problem. How can she take the soul of Billy Maximoff without killing him (Death cannot kill). So she follows him instead and is lead to Agatha and the Road.

2. On the other side of things, Billy needs Agatha despite not trusting her. He is out of his depth. He has the same problem as his mother. "Power is not the problem, it's knowledge."

There is this constant emphasis on knowledge and wisdom. All the witches assembled have no power but are very knowledgeable. Jen is bound, Alice is cursed, Lilia's power is hampered from shame and fear stemming from hundreds of years of witch hunt(I could expand more on this) and Agatha has had her power taken, but they are all still powerful as proved by the trials. And Billy needs their knowledge to figure out how to find his family.

3. Agatha despises Billy for who he represents but despite it all, she still has a soft spot for him because he is really just a child and reminds her of her younger self; someone who doesn't fully understand their powers (in ep 5 he lets his emotions overtake his reasoning because I don't think he intentionally threw them in the mud as it causes more problems for him) and who is alone. And being denied help when she's younger, she will be the one who helps Billy.

What's more and I believe this will be touched upon in the coming episode (ep 6) is that at 13 years old, Billy Maximoff wakes up to not only the death of her Kaplan parents but also the disappearance of the Maximoffs (Wanda, Vision and her brother.) And this type of survivor's guilt is something Agatha is very familiar with.

By having Agatha fight for someone, especially Wanda's son, her story comes full circle. She starts off alone and wanting power for herself to being amongst a trustworthy coven (Alice fought to save her and I believe we'll see the others do as well) and having someone to fight for. It disputes that she's completely evil. Plus, we'll also get the backstory of Agatha and Rio because Rio wanting to take Billy's soul will mirror the time she took Nicholas' soul, tying everything together.

[llondonfog]

Hi lettie!! This is Plover anon from eons ago if you can remember :)) I sent in a couple of blurbs about sebek and his family :) my friend just made me a diasomnia animatic for my birthday and I wanted to share it with you! Silver crying my dear belated. So fun. So joyous.

Here it is😌😌✨️

https://youtu.be/_r_zS0-FOcE?si=sJor3PRohWOrG_Yg

Anywho, I also just wanted to say hello after a while and wish you well. Your blog has followed me throught school and it's always nice to consider how Ive carried it with me!Please take care, and enjoy your vacation!!!🤗🤗🤗🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳

PLOVER ANON?????? HOW COULD I FORGET, I'VE MISSED YOU OH MY GOODNESS!!!! <333

ahhh happy belated birthday, i hope it was a wonderful day spent with loved ones and full of celebration!! :) but........ i have a bone to pick with you,,,,, you send that animatic to ME on the DAY of twst en 7.5 and now i'm crying like a FOOL????

i was out in the first second when the word "love" was associated with lilia holding silver in his general vanrouge outfit (i genuinely believe he didn't change from his uniform until he started raising silver,,, we saw him in mal's memory wearing it as well which just causes me to explode!! this man SOFTENED so much for that boy aaaaaaaaaaaaa) AND THEN THE GOOFY SCENE OF THE THREE OF THEM ON THE COUCH TOGETHER??? LILIA POKING PLAYFULLY AT SILVER TO WAKE UP AND THEN HOW HE GENTLY SHOVES AT HIS FATHER WAILS WHO GAVE YOUR FRIEND THE RIGHT!!!!!! 😭 AND THEN SILVER AND MAL WEEPING AT LILIA'S NEWS ABOUT HIM GOING AWAY TO DIE WE'RE REALLY IN THE DIAGONIES NOW 

god it was so wonderfully creepy at the end with ob!mal and the shots of both silver and lilia surrounded by thorns only to wake up at the end!!!! gosh it makes me so excited for what's to come when we FINALLY circle back to the big battle with malleus!! please tell your friend it was such a wonderful animatic and i really hope my fellow diasomnia sufferers will watch and enjoy it as much as i did too <3

i really appreciate you reaching out, and thank you for all the well wishes!! i don't think we reflect often enough on how even our silly little blog posts weave into the lives of those we interact with, and that really means a lot to me that you've enjoyed my ramblings enough to keep checking in from time to time <3 i hope you've been enjoying the twst updates and you're always welcome in my inbox!!

[twstwonderlandstuff]

Can I request Lilia suddenly deciding to be MCs new best friend and clinging around then to know everything about them because his dear son is in love with mc

So just silver x Mc but Lilia is a terrible wingman

I SEE YOU NONNIE I SEE YOU YOU AND ME WE 🤝 WE UNDERSTAND

unfortunately this took a comedic turn and I apologize for that, it's just... pfft

spoilers for lilia's labcoat story!

requests are closed!

gender neutral reader

tw: none

ooc lilia, ramshackle ghosts w/ names & personalities(my hcs)

lilia vanrouge

"it's been an odd few days." you account to the ghosts that reside in ramshackle, sipping your cup of tea. "like, it's been weird weird."

"how so?" dumpy, the round ghost questions, circling around you.

"yeah, well, ya see..." you place down the cup of tea and clap your hands. "lilia's senpai's been getting real close to me, and while I don't mind he's just been like... weird about it?"

"like, like- he constantly talks about silver-senpai this, silver-senpai that, and while I don't doubt silver senpai's a pretty cool guy, it's just like... ??? where did this come from??" you shrug. "ugh, I need opinions. lanky, give me yours, please..."

lanky, the tall ghost, takes a sit next to you. "I think he's just being friendly! of course, that's not what you say when it comes to NRC students, but lilia is an odd case."

tiny, the short ghost, shakes his head. "no, there must be some hidden agenda. we're talking about the guy that wrestled a bunch of savanaclaw dudes, right? where did we get that story, anyway-"

"epel-"

"oh, epel, right. …point is, I think he has a hidden agenda." tiny groused, choosing to float next to the prefect. "what are your thoughts, little grim-lin?"

"FINALLY! if 'yer asking the great grim..." grim crosses its arms. "...he's totally tryna butter us up and make us do something for him! like what tiny said!!!"

"hmm, that does make sense." dumpy agrees, nodding along. "you can continue observing him, or ask him directly."

"directly?!" lanky and you well at the same time. "no way!"

"absolutely not!"

"what if I DIE?" you wail, dramatics full on display.

"be a little more optimistic, will you..."

"I'm not taking chances with a guy who beat three- THREE- savanaclaw students! I'm not-"

"not what, little bat~?"

"EEEEEEEPPPPP!!!!" lilia's sudden intrusion forced you to let out a surprised scream as the ghosts and grim scatter in surprise.

"fufu, surprised~?"

"ob- ob... OBVIOUSLY!!!" you grumble. "don't do that, sheesh!!!"

"well, I couldn't help butt in when I heard my name being thrown about, could I?"

oh, shit. you feel a shiver go down your spine as lilia glances at you sideways, like a predator catching its prey.

"I, uh, I just-" you stammer, before slapping your cheeks and pointing an accusatory glance at the bat-like senior. "it's your fault for acting weird, anyway, senpai!"

you continue before lilie can get a word in, a grin already apparent on his face. "like, I'm totally fine with us being friends, that's cool, but you keep on bringing up silver-senpai! like how good he is at PE, or that he's really gentle with animals, or-"

"wait." dumpy interrupts you, floating back down from the 2nd floor. "lilia-san, do forgive me if I'm mistaken, but perhaps..." dumpy hesitates for a second. "perhaps, you have a crush on silver-senpai?"

"WHAT."

"oh, oh-!" tiny butts in, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "you don't have anyone to talk to, so you've been hinting at it to the prefect, huh?"

"I guess I thought you wrong after all, mr. bat." grim adds, scrawling in with a grin. "who woulda' thought it was about love?"

"oh...OH?????" now its your turn to be awed, and you nudge him. "aww, is this what it's about, senpai? you should've said so from the start! I never took you as the shy type, senpai!"

the grin from lilia's face slowly slips, and in turn, horror as he begins to fervently shake his head- which you take as affirmation to your theory.

"come then, senpai, tell us! what do you like about silver, hmm~?" you coo. "is it his beautiful face?"

"I... I have to go." with a solemn tone that he doesn't often carry, lilia disappears into thin air, leaving a dust of green magic behind.

"wow, he must be really embarrassed!" grim snickers. "let's tease him the next time we see him!"

"not too much, though. still, I can't believe lilia senpai's the shy type~" you laugh in amazement.

"well, you can't judge a book from its cover, right?" dumpy pats himself on the back. "all thanks to my detective work!"

back in diasomnia, lilia transports into the living room, with a grave, grave face.

"I... I messed up..."

"lilia?" malleus questions as he hands his vice-leader a cup of tea. "what happened?"

"I messed up- no... I FUCKED UP!"

malleus jumps at the sudden burst, watching as lilia begins to pace around the room. "ooh, shit, oh shit, I have to tell the prefect they got it wrong, but- oh, no--!!!!!"

"old man?"

"DON'T CALL ME THAT RIGHT NOW!!!"

lilia proceeds to crumble on the floor of diasomnia, where sebek dramatically wails over, where malleus & silver look on in confusion.

please don't come at me for saying this is incest please please please I just thought it would be funny if lilia messes up so bad to you think that HE has a crush on silver instead

then silver finds out and he like stares at lilia going 'wtf old man... how tf did you mess up that bad' and lilia's like 'i do not preceive i do not preceive i do not PRECEIVE' head in hands typa deal

[theonemarvelousness]

Do Bells Ring for Salvation?

Magic surges through his flesh in panic. An instant, his eyes open. A snarl rips through his lips.

Fury.

A burning in his chest; blinding rage through his mind.

Pain, pain course through him.

People are gathered around. He cares little for their words. The unadulterated insult brought forth by this Child of Man.

The snarl that rips sends most of them stepping back. He rises to his feet, a low, inhuman growl falling from his lips.

In a moment, he has left. In a moment he has burst out the window, kicking into the open air. This is not the form he wants, no, no, Rollo Franme wishes for a monster. Thus, a monster he shall receive.

He floats higher into the air, the space needed to shift absolute. The magic swirls around him--how easy it is to summon himself, in full. To be in form of what all know at a glance: a dragon in flesh.

A roar rips from his lips. The monster will have his revenge.

Wings flap to keep him afloat. He flies higher to see the entirety of the City of Flowers. Raking his gaze over Noble Bell College, looking for just one: Rollo Franme.

Unfortunately, the foe is hidden for the moment. Yet, he catches the rushing sight of those he knows from Night Raven College in the streets. Panic goes through so many people that start to run, point, and flee. Let them. None are his concern, not a soul that screams underneath or gasps in awe. There is only one he wants, one alone.

Rollo.

A deafening roar passes his lips, a snarl as he finally spots the figure. His mask his gone, his eyes are wide with panic. For a second he hesitates in the bell tower. Only for a second as he continues to climb to the top--to where the gargoyles sit, ever-watching. Unmoved by his change. Uncaring. They will be here after the dragon leaves--they will be here as long as they can still carry away water.

It does not take long for the dragon to land upon a bell tower, letting out another roar toward the standing human. The white-haired fool brandishes his blade. Blood half-dried upon the steel.

"YOU THINK I'M NOT PREPARED FOR A MONSTER LIKE YOU?!" He shouts to the howling wind.

A storm circles ahead. Lightning strikes in the distance.

Malleus responds with a growl that echoes off the stone.

"I DO NOT FEAR YOU, MALLEUS DRACONIA! I FEAR NO MONSTER! I WILL ELIMINATE DAMNED CREATURES LIKE YOURSELF! YOU ARE ONLY THE FIRST." A bold declaration, the Child of Man wild-eyed, crazed.

He takes his first step down. The wound bleeds, blood drips to stone, but the wounded dragon takes no heed. Instead, he finds it a challenge. Defying the mortal before him, that wishes not for a future of peace. No, he wishes for horrors as the Children of Man have painted in the annuals of history time and time again.

Lilia longs for peace; thus, those like this must perish.

The human takes a step back as he approaches.

"I WILL ELIMINATE THE DAMNED PEOPLE OF TWISTED WONDERLAND! I WILL BRING HARMONY AND PEACE TO THE LANDS OF THIS WORLD! I WILL NOT SUCCUMB TO A MONSTER LIKE YOU!"

The dragon takes another step forward.

Then, bursting up through the door, a flash of several well-dressed forms. They're easily recognizable, the students from Night Raven College. They come to stop this, probably, the prevent a tragedy.

Many shout for him, and he even hears Hornton ring among the throng.

They come between, standing there firm. As if they are a challenge to his advance.

Fools are hopeful people.

"MALLEUS! YOU CAN'T!" Silver's voice, normally with such a sleepy tone, shouts. Aural eyes wide with panic. The fellow students stand to block him, between between himself and the retreating attacker.

"HE SHOULD!" Sebek, encouraging, though being held back by ones some might call more reasonable--Riddle Rosehearts, for one.

They all focus on him, with no care to the Noble Bell student.

Alas, of course, he tries to strike at Sebek, and in response, Malleus bats him away with a roar. Now stepping over the people that tried to make a line in defense. No, instead, he will defend them from the coward, now splayed upon the stone.

Fire breathes, close, but does only singe.

"MALLEUS!"

"DRACONIA!"

"DON'T!"

Many shouts, but they know they're powerless to stop him.

Rollo scrambles to stand, upon the ledge. He looks back, with a moment of panic, before facing forward. Once more, he brandishes the blade. "I DO NOT FEAR MONSTERS!" He moves forward, perhaps to strike. Perhaps to get off the ledge.

The gargoyle breaks beneath his prideful frame.

He slips.

A gasp, for a moment, fear is in the Child of Man's eyes as he falls. It seems slow in Malleus's sight, how his body twists and flails in the air as both he and stone fall toward the ground below.

The Bells start to ring.

[junowritings]

Love what you did for the s/o protecting them request, can I get the same request but with riddle, Vil, and Lilia?

I’m glad you liked it hun~! Apologies for the long wait but here’s another installment for the protective S/O, I sincerely hope you enjoy~! ---------- Riddle

♡ Riddle’s a force to be reckoned with - he takes his position seriously and attends to all matters in a manner of care befitting of a dorm head. It’s one of the reasons why he’s so effective at what he does, and the knowledge and discipline at his disposal works in his favor most of the time. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t attract the ire of others in doing so, if anything, Riddle has amassed quite the number of people who have found some kind of issue with the way that he runs things, and they’ve confronted him in a myriad of ways. Ranging from hurling insults to trying to use their unique magic to their advantage, Riddle’s been swift to handle any such altercations before they got out of hand, so they escalate to anything serious thanks to the usage of his own magic. However, the balance shifts slightly after the unbirthday party event.

♡ Sure, he may be...overly harsh, at times, but after the overblot incident he’s been wanting to make a change for the better. Of course this has been a long winded process, full of little steps, but he’s been making good progress - and you’ve been there through the whole thing, with reassuring smiles and words of affirmation during moments of doubt. It seems that in doing so, some bothersome students see that as a moment of weakness and a chance to bring old grievances to light, believing they can finally get payback, and they eagerly circle in to take advantage of the situation.

♡ Riddle sees it coming, or at least notices that they’re approaching him for a fight when some students move in to surround him in the common room. He takes in the sour expressions, watching them look between one another as though wordlessly seeking a spokesperson for their little group, before Riddle breaks the silence to ask if there’s anything they want to say. One of them steps forward, face twisting up in anger as they jam a finger into his face, yelling about how dare he act as though he did nothing wrong - does he not remember the humiliation he put them all through, shackling them with those damn collars and stripping them of their magic?!

♡ The question is useless - of course Riddle remembers every person he’s used his magic on, it helps no one if he forgot who had been subjected to having their magic stripped away. Riddle also remembers all of the reasons that he’s used said magic, and looking up into the faces that surround him, he can pinpoint exactly what it was that got them put in those collars - vandalism being the particular offense of the student shouting in front of him. Bringing up such facts are useless - it won’t do anything to quell their anger - but he does anyway if only to acknowledge that he’s well aware of who they are. He stands by using his unique magic in those instances, because even if he is working to be more lenient he’s not going to overlook offenses that reflect badly on the dorm and put his fellow students at risk.

♡ His comment only proves to rile up the group - a chorus of hisses and whispers break out as the person before him grits his teeth hard enough Riddle can hear them clack as the student pulls his expression back into a snarl. That hand is still waving in his face, and Riddle, finally fed up with the situation, bats it away and takes a step back to create some distance, already reaching for his wand just in case someone gets the wild idea to bring magic into what is seemingly beginning to escalate into a fight.

♡ Someone in the ring notices his hand move and yells, and the student before him grits his teeth again with a growl. The finger in his face fans out into a hand, grabbing ahold of Riddle’s face hard enough that their nails etch violent red crescents into his skin as he’s yanked forward into the centre of the circle. The voices all crescendo into a chorus of conflicting views - some of them are cheering the scene on while others are shuffling nervously voicing their concerns of things going too far - either way the guy pays no attention to their words and tightens his grip, keeping him rooted into place as he winds a fist back. Riddle grapples with the hand grabbing him, teeth gritted and trying to wrench off the grip with no success; the look he gives the student holding him is scathing, eyes narrowed even as he eyes the raised fist with clear apprehension. The first hit makes contact with his cheek, the second Riddle manages to wrench his head enough to the side to just scrape across the side of his head; however the third freezes in its tracks when a voice bellows out across the crowd, and someone pushes into the circle.

♡ All too quickly, Riddle is shoved away and as he brings a hand to cradle his face a shadow moves to stand between him and the student who grabbed him. Riddle recognizes your voice immediately, and your words drip with venom as you lunge forward and shove the student away, snarling as you verbally tear into them and stun the entire group into silence. ♡ Rarely has Riddle seen you so enraged, but the anger flashes in your eyes as your hands balled into fists, just daring someone to step forward and try taking them on. Just like that it’s as though the wind has been ripped from their sails and the angry mob all but deflates, none of them making a move despite sticking you with resentful glares. 

♡ You pay them no mind, backtracking slowly till you’re side by side with Riddle, and the dorm leader admittedly starts when he feels your hands slip around his shoulders, guiding him to move along with you as you start to make your way back towards the door. The crowd is still blocking the way, hesitating, but when you stick them with a scowl and keep approaching them the group parts and gives you a wide berth, and soon enough you’ve led Riddle out of the room and down the hall, not pausing for a second. It’s only once you’re a safe distance away that you actually speak to him, voice quiet yet firm as you ask him if he’s okay. He glances up at you  - your eyes are trained on the walkway ahead, but he catches your gaze occasionally flickering to look at him or, more accurately, the marks marring his face. Riddle can only imagine what he must look like; the nail marks no longer sting, however the side of his face throbs in a way that bodes poorly for his hopes of it not bruising. The thought makes Riddle seethe, and he honestly has half a mind to go back and take all of their heads till they graduate. But then he watches your expression soften, voice wavering with concern as you tell him that you’ll head straight to Crowley and let him know what happened as soon as you got him to the infirmary - it’s likely not needed, but your concern for him gives the dorm leader enough pause on the thought of going back. He can deal with those delinquents later, for now he lets you guide him, giving his shoulders a comforting squeeze and making sure he stays close.

Vil

♡ People know better than to pick fights with Vil - he’s the epitome of the fact that appearances can be deceiving, and it’s something that the first, second and third years have all learned quickly since he’s worked his way up to dorm leader.  Those that have attempted to take him on in the past have severely underestimated his abilities - he’s not just proficient in magic, but in actual physical scraps. You wouldn’t believe it at first glance, but he’s been involved in fights before, and while he would rather avoid them if they do come up he’s not about to turn tail and flee when he can confront them directly and give anyone stepping out of line a brutal lesson.

♡ He fights swift and harsh, ending quarrels with little more than a bat of the eye. Anyone actively picking fights with Vil is either the most competent magic user this side of twisted wonderland, or they’re naive fools - either way Vil refuses to let such quarrels stand for longer than they have to and has learned to handle them effectively. That’s one of the reasons why when people have a bone to pick with him they rarely ever act on it, much less approach him directly about their perceived sleights; so if someone were to try and accost him it would be quite the confrontation.

♡ Vil spots them before they even approach him - the cautious eyes and whispering is nowhere near as inconspicuous as those students may believe it to be, so Vil’s got his eyes on them from the get-go, just waiting for them to pluck up the courage to confront him directly. They’re up front at least, the abrupt shout of his name gaining the dorm leader’s full attention as the self-proposed leader struts forward with squared shoulders and a seething glare. They’re none too happy, and Vil’s face is tempered into a calm expression as he rises to meet them halfway, the other students of their group trailing behind to see the turnout of this conversation. 

♡ Only there is no conversation, as they don’t even give the dorm head a chance to speak before they take a swing at him. An open palm flies up to meet with his face but Vil wordlessly intercepts it, hand wrapping around the student’s wrist and keeping a firm hold as he narrows his eyes, dropping the pleasantries.  They’re taken aback by the action, and flounder in retaliation, attempting to wrench their hand free from his grip with an angry hiss. Vil has half the mind to consider their plead for him to let go, willing to pass it off as an action pushed by emotion if they apologize and back down; however he doesn’t have the time to release his hold when the student throws up their free hand, curled up into a fist aiming straight for his jaw.

♡ That hand is snagged just as swiftly, however it’s not Vil who catches it. Vil inclines his head to the side watching you step into view, grip hard enough that your knuckles are turning white as you wordlessly stare down Vil’s would-be aggressor. The harshness in your expression hardly fits the usual warmness you exude in his presence, your entire demeanour cold and hostile as you squeeze a little tighter. It’s only once you hear the student yelp and try to step away that both you and Vil simultaneously release your grip, giving them the chance to backpedal and, after a moment of looking desperately between the pair of you, flee back to their group and out of the room.

♡ You make a blunt quip about how they trip over their own feet to get away, grumbling about how ironic it is that they’re the same person who thought it was such a good idea to take a swing at your boyfriend. You’re still glowering in their direction when a hand brushing across your cheek directs your attention back to Vil, the anger on your face washing away into a curious look once you get a look at the calm expression on his face. How is he so chill about this? Shouldn’t he be angry too? It’s not like that person even gave him a reason for picking a fight, just swinging out of nowhere without telling Vil what he’d even done wrong! 

♡ Vil’s voice cuts off your stewing, stating that he didn’t quite realize you had such a bite. That gets him a huff in response as you cast another look at the door the group fled out of, and Vil half-suspects that he may have to step in before you decide to go follow them, so he pulls your focus back to him as he continues. His words of praise for having such a ‘dedicated bodyguard’ are earnest, though you don’t miss the teasing edge behind them; you grumble but don’t turn away as you mutter that of course you’d step in - he can protect himself but that doesn’t mean you’re just going to stand there and let it happen - you want him to know he can rely on you. That nets you a smile and another brush of his hand along your cheek, an action that has you puffing out your chest as you flash a confident grin of your own.

Lilia

♡ It’s hard to imagine that many would have the guts to take on Lilia without some kind of elaborate trick up their sleeve. The Diasomnia dorm itself is an imposing dorm, both in appearances and in the students who reside there, with one of the more intimidating dorm heads as their leader to boot. Needless to say its reputation precedes them, so there’s few people who would so openly voice their grievances unless they’ve got the guts and confidence to back themselves up. Lilia himself is no exception - sure he comes off as playful and more than a little mischievous, but many know better than to actually take that at face value. The rumors surrounding his age and ability alone make some shy away from confrontation - some, but not all.

♡ Perhaps it’s the fact that Lilia is more open and welcoming out of the dorm, or maybe it’s just because some people are too headstrong to let bygones be bygones, but when someone’s got a bone to pick with him, Lilia can hear it coming from a mile away - literally. Even without his impeccable hearing, they’re not exactly quiet about their gripes as they grumble their plans amongst themselves; Lilia would have probably ambled over to see what the ruckus was about if they hadn’t finally decided to come over, rolling up their sleeves and sticking close together as they approach him.

♡ It’s a small group - three students that Lilia recognizes from the other dorms, and at the call of his name he turns to look at them, smiling at them as they approach. That smile falters only a tad upon seeing the angry expressions marring their faces as they approach, seeming to only get angrier when Lilia doesn’t even flinch watching them circle around him. 

♡ One student lunges forward and Lilia sidesteps them without hesitation, spinning only to grab them by the back of their blazer and tug them back onto their feet before they can fall flat on their face and make a fool of themselves. They sputter, whipping around to give the still grinning Diasomnia student an incredulous look before letting out a yowl of frustration and diving for him again. That attempt is just as unsuccessful, and by the fourth attempt to grab him, the guy’s little friends deem it the perfect time to try grappling for the boy, each with varying degrees of failure.

♡ It would almost make for a hilarious sight to anyone watching; their movements get increasingly more desperate the longer Lilia evades their grasp, and he just looks more and more amused by the fact that it’s so easy to slip out of their grips. If they’d approached him more calmly perhaps Lilia wouldn’t have minded staying still and letting them speak, but as things stand they haven’t just come to talk things out - they’ve come to pick a fight, so if they want one they’re going to have it on his terms.  

♡ There’s a yell from the other side of the room, and all four heads turn just in time to catch you rounding the doorway, storming over to them with proverbial hackles raised and a deep enough scowl to make anyone tense. If you weren’t terrifying enough, the person who rounds the corner to follow you certainly does. The moment the other students catch sight of Malleus appearing behind you has them shrieking in unison, and the small group narrowly avoids landing in a pile of limbs on the floor as they try to scatter to the winds and flee. Malleus, who hadn’t seen the confrontation, watches them go with a perplexed expression; you on the other hand look ready to burst as you dart past your partner to chase after them, cusses already bubbling on your lips.

♡ Lilia’s grip is gentle but firm as he tugs you back, essentially stopping you from going after his pursuers. You’re none too pleased about being stopped, but you turn your focus back to him just as quickly, swiveling on your heel till you’re face to face and taking his face into your hands asking if he’s hurt. You look this way and that way, trying to discern if they even got a breath of a hit in - not that they would of course, you knew that but it didn’t hurt to check anyway. Lilia seems chuffed at the attention, letting out a content hum as the mischievous grin on his face mellows out into a happier expression, easing your concerns with his words as he assures you that those students did nothing but get a bit too rambunctious, reassuring you despite the way you glare in the direction they’d ran off when he turns to address Malleus.

[ristoranteivorykeys]

the valse – chapter 2

when you thought the greatest of your worries was an unanswered confession, an enigmatic musician has returned to sage island, and the task of investigating him is thrusted onto you.

azul ashengrotto x reader

╰┈➤ 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬: hi again!! i wanted to drop this update last friday because azul’s card came out that day awa !!! but this chapter had to go through so much editing because the first draft looked like i gave up lmao,,, just something to share about this part, i will still keep to popular fan terms such as dorm leader and headmaster (who’s housewarden and headmage, don’t know her). next update for sure will be out on the 24th! i really hope this next part is enjoyable. 

𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭: part 1 || 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭: part 3

Pop Music Club has always been full of pure chit-chat with no progress done with actual club activities. Sometimes, it left you mystified as to how the club remained active, but you couldn’t complain about it. It felt relaxing, after all. 

Today was no different as you, Cater, Kalim, and Lilia were seated in a circle. Cater was on his phone while the three of you were chatting and having your “routine family bond”, as Lilia liked to call it. As another conversation between the three of you died down, you heard a gasp from your left side.

“Yooo, what’s this?”

Lilia turned to the Heartslabyul third year, a sparkle of intrigue in his crimson eyes. “Oh? Is there something interesting that popped up in your feed, Cater?”

“Yeah,” he answered, his eyes never leaving his phone. “Hold on, gimme a moment.” 

For some time, the three of you watched him scroll through his phone and scan any post that he found. Curiosity yearned for whatever was on the phone like a cat yearning for yarn.

“K,” he finally spoke again, causing you to lean slightly more forward. “There’s this new musician who’s been trending recently on Magicam. I’ve been seeing pics and videos lately, but he doesn’t seem to be a pop idol or whatever.” 

“Ooh?” Kalim leaned closer towards the phone, tilting his head for a better view of whatever was displayed on it. “Does he have a name? And what sort of musician is he?”

“His name’s… it doesn’t seem like his actual name is out, and there’s conflicting stuff about it. Heck, I’m not sure if this person’s a guy since people are saying he, she, and they, but the general consensus is that he’s a guy,” he answered as he continuously scrolled through his feed. “I’m seeing most people call him Valse, but I’m seeing some calling him The Virtuoso.”

For a split second, you blinked, stunned from the familiar title. Quickly, you fixed your face to a more neutral look, hoping that nobody saw. 

“The Virtuoso,” the Diasomnia third year repeated, surprise laced in his voice. “Isn’t that the name of a popular legend?”

“I think so?” Cater frowned as he tried to remember. “I’m not so sure.”

“Eh? That’s a legend,” Kalim asked, eyes sparkling with confusion and curiosity. “What’s it about?”

“That’s understandable. It is a story told mostly in the northern countries,” Lilia said. “It’s a bit of a long story, but to sum it up…”

He leaned on the nearest desk of the classroom, making himself comfortable. “The legend of the Virtuoso is a famous story amongst the countries nearest to the Isle of Sage,” he started. “There are a few variations of the legend across these countries, but the general story tells of a man who’s simply known as the Virtuoso. He was a pianist who went all around the world, playing melodies that moved the hearts of each person.” He lifted his hands, moving them in dramatic gestures, the story coming to life through such movements. “Crowds would flock to him every time he sat down by a piano because they were excited to hear what he had in store for them.”

“Whoa, he sounds amazing!” Kalim exclaimed, his attitude akin to a 5-year old child listening to a bedtime story. You almost envied such a pure reaction. 

“But one night,” Lilia continued, holding out his hands as if gesturing to stop and widening his eyes for additional effect, “he performed for an infamously snobbish prince who reigned over Shaftlands at the time. On the first few notes, the prince openly expressed his displeasure of the Virtuoso’s playing, and he stormed out of the hall.”

“Eh? If it was me, I’d be applauding him and saying how much I loved his performance!”

Meanwhile, you merely nodded, as if confirming the legitimacy of Lilia’s words. 

“The castle residents felt the same as well. His music was very beautiful, after all.” He stopped talking, either to rest or to add dramatic effect, you weren’t sure. 

“And then what happened,” Kalim asked. 

“Then shortly after, an old woman knocked into the palace, asking for shelter,” the fae continued. “The prince’s sour mood from the Virtuoso affected him so much that he angrily refused to let the stranger in and slammed the door on her.”

“What?! That’s not nice of him!” 

“But wait,” he added, his hands raised up in a wait gesture, “this old woman was a spirit in disguise, and she cursed the prince and all those who were in the palace, the Virtuoso included. Nobody knows exactly what happened to all of them, but everyone mourned for the loss of the Virtuoso.”

“Huh, why would the mage punish him,” Kalim asked with furrowed brows. “He didn’t deserve that!” 

“If I had to make a guess, she didn’t care,” he answered. “The prince was the head of the palace, so she assumed that everyone else was like him.” He paused. “Actually, there is a spell to revive him and all the others who were victims to the curse.”

You raised your brows in surprise. “Wait, that’s legit?”

“Mhm,” Lilia hummed in response. “All magic has its weaknesses, after all. There will always be a spell that can reverse another spell. I myself don’t know what that exact spell is to revive him, though.”

You nodded, your eyes glowing with intrigue. “I see…” 

“Ah, telling that story makes me regret not dedicating any time to watch at least one performance of his,” The Diasomnia vice head sighed as he placed his hands behind his head to lean on them. “I heard many tales of how lovely Virtuoso’s playing is while in the trenches.”

“Huh, it does seem to be about the legend that Lilia just said,” Cater interrupted, capturing everyone’s attention once more. “People are calling this new guy the Virtuoso based on the legend, though he’s also being called Valse… Actually, what does valse even mean?”

“Simply put, valse is another word for waltz,” Lilia answered. “Quite a peculiar title, don’t you think?”

“From what I’m seeing, it’s because a popular Magicuber called Kyle Rose mistakenly called them Valse when they were called Virtuoso,” he said. “Wait, here, I have the post.” A tap of the thumb, and he showed his phone screen to the three of you. The screen flashed a post with an image of Valse playing on the piano, labeled with a caption that said, ‘This Valse guy sounds really good!!!’ 

Upon seeing the image, you nearly made a face. 

Valse’s outfit was gaudy, a tux with intricate gold trimmings on the hem of the tux and sleeves, with similar patterns on the side of his pants. If one squinted closely, there was a gold pin on the collar paired with gold chains. But the most offensive articles were the feathered black hat sitting on his head, the black gloves, and a mask with gold patterns that covered the top half of the face. Wearing hats was inappropriate for these events, and it would be an inconvenience if it fell off your head in the middle of the performance. Gloves while playing the piano? They would inhibit the agility of the hands and might cause the fingers to slip on the keys! And the mask! What sort of person would wear a mask while playing an instrument? The mask would block off part of their vision, which would increase the chances of mistakes.

If you were alone right now, you’d be openly expressing your affront. Was he joking around? He’s playing the piano, not performing in a circus. 

“Yooooo! That looks so cool,” Kalim exclaimed. “That looks like all those outfits I’d see in the gazillion shows I’d watch back at home!” 

“That’s a rather unconventional outfit for a pianist,” Lilia commented. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think he’s going to perform an act and not a Bach piece.” 

“Hey, it’s pretty stylish, though,” Cater exclaimed as he brought the phone back to himself. “Really magicammable, if you ask me~!”

Magicammable, but not suitable, you thought snarkily. The anger pounded on your lips to release it, but you suppressed your complaints. None of them needed to know. None of them should know. 

“Ooh wait, there’s a vid linked here,” he said excitedly. “We gotta watch this!”

You took a split second to decide whether you wanted to watch or not. Chances are, this Valse person might be overhyped with the kind of attire he wore. But as Lilia and Kalim scooted towards Cater without hesitation, you quickly moved to Lilia’s side.

He scrolled through before clicking on a link that led to a Youtube video titled Valse plays Chopin Valse Op.69 No.2 but it’s so beautiful that I cry.

What sort of title is that? 

“Aight, you good guys,” Cater asked, looking at all of you who nodded and hummed in affirmation. “Ok, great! Gonna start the vid now~!”

He pressed the play button. 

From the beginning of the video, the Valse had already seated himself by the piano, whose exterior spoke of years of usage and care. His side profile boasted an enigmatic yet elegant air to the screen. His mask covered his eyes, and his hat concealed almost all of his hair, but his back was perfectly straight. He appeared to take a deep breath as gloved fingers took their seats on the keys, their touches as light as feathers. 

Okay, his posture’s good, you observed. Looks legit. Hope his playing is just as good.

His wrists raised up slightly before a note resonated from the piano. 

An E. It lasted for no less than a second, resonating softly from the piano. It called for your attention like the beckoning of waves on a beach. Yet your attention was captured for an entirely different reason. Why was it an E and not an F#?

Then a low A followed. Then the notes spilled from his fingers, marking the beginning of the piece.

You frowned. The theme of the piece was recognizable, a familiar passage flowing to the beat of a waltz with the composer’s characteristic melancholic touch, but its pitch sounded lower than the original. From the limited view of the camera, his fingers appeared to be in their right positions. Perhaps the piano was out of tune. A forgivable offense.

What wasn’t forgivable was that the tempo went to the beat of a brisk walk. 

No no, the voice in your head almost yelled. It’s not supposed to be that slow, it needs to be faster! It says  m o d e r a t o  for a reason. Pick up pace, damn it!

You breathed in and out, releasing the tension building up in your nose. Calm down, you told yourself. To this guy’s credit, he’s played all the right notes so far if they weren’t played a tone lower. 

The theme reached a repeat. Gradually and subtly, from the brisk walking pace, the Valse’s fingers started picking up speed. Dynamics changed as well. The music grew louder with each note. His body moved to the acceleration and crescendo, from a still position to a sway before reaching a stop as the piece reached its first conclusion. 

You shook your head. It never said accelerando in the piece. There’s ritardando in some bars, but not accelerando.

Three notes welcomed the second section of the piece, slowed down to a point where the room felt tense for a split second. He picked up pace, his fingers dancing on the keyboard like little gowns spinning and prancing in their own ballroom. 

You silently gasped. For some time, your anger melted away. 

He played this part as how the sheet music dictated it, the right tempo, the ritardando on certain measures, the right dynamics on each bar. Yet something took hold of you. You couldn’t quite tell what it was, and yet, it tugged something in you like a beloved object discovered in a box that it stayed in for years. All you knew in that moment was that the playing was beautiful, from this section to the repeat of the theme. Before you knew it, the Valse brought the piece to its second conclusion, slowed and softened notes resonating from the piano like a sigh of relief. 

The Valse’s hands relaxed for a bit. From somewhere the camera did not catch, people gave a small round of applause. If you didn’t know any better, you would have thought the piece reached its end.

But you knew better. And as you expected, Valse’s hands prepared themselves to play the next part. 

The next section supposedly held a much more different sound. A break from the sadness, a brief taste of joy. Even if the key differed from the original, the spirit remained in the notes. 

Yet the moment the Valse played, the joy that settled in your chest flew away. 

The beginning of this section resembled nothing like the original. The notes were far too different, still joyful but adorned with a subtle melancholy that shouldn’t even be present until the latter part of the section. Chords littered the melody, which weren’t supposed to be played. Perhaps untrained ears would not know any better, but Waltz Op.69 No.2 piece imprinted itself into your memory long ago. The shock returned, replaced by anger heating up in your nose once more.

This is not it, this is not it, you yelled. None of those are the right notes, how can he butcher this piece and sway to it?! This isn’t beautiful at all, this video makes me cry because that’s not correct at all! 

You breathed in and out again, keeping your emotions under control and your face neutral so that none of the other club members noticed. Fists gripped the fabric of your school uniform for a few seconds before relaxing to put up a semblance of normalcy. 

The theme of the waltz returned. The Valse performed it like how he previously played it. The notes were all correct, easing the tension built up slightly, though the dynamics and rubato continued to leave you irritated. Not even the second section that had left you in peace a while ago erased your anger. The Valse showed enough of his capabilities to you, and you were going to give him a failing grade. 

As the waltz reached its actual end, your shoulders slowly lowered, only realizing that they were tense in the first place. The final notes left his fingers slowly, the calm after a storm. It’s over. Thank the Great Seven it was over.

A second of applause started before the video abruptly ended. Silence filled the room for a good two seconds… before the club applauded.

“Woooo, that was so amazing!” Kalim yelled. “Whoaaa, Valse is so so so good!” 

“Right?!” Cater exclaimed. “I didn’t think I’d enjoy something like that, but that was so awesome! I wonder if we’ll get more deets from the comments.”

“His playing really stirred much emotion from me,” Lilia said. “I already cherish the original as it is, but his way of playing it is very refreshing, like adding new ingredients to a traditional dish to make it much more healthy.”

And that’s why your cooking isn’t delicious, you thought to yourself. You wanted to shake them all and ask what they even see in him, but you’re holding yourself back. You didn’t want to ruin it for them.

“Ooooh, oh so apparently, some people say that Valse played a famous song somewhere in the waltz, but it also sounded a bit different, so it might have been coincidence,” Cater said. “It sounded like he forgot the actual melody, so he came up with something on the spot.”

“Daaaaang.” Kalim’s mouth opened wide in awe. “That’s top tier improv!” 

“Wait, hold up a minute!” He put up a hand as he brought the phone closer to his face before gasping. “No way!”

“What is it?”

“Apparently, according to all these comments…” Cater trailed off, scrolling through the comments. Green eyes browsed through the words at faster speeds than usual.

“What? What,” the Scarabia dorm leader asked. “C’mon Cater, don’t leave us waiting!”

“Yo… Valse…” His jaw slowly dropped in shock before whipping his head to face everyone. “He plays in Sage Island!” 

Your eyebrows raised in surprise.

At the news, Kalim’s face could practically rival the brightness of the sun. “Yooooo! Legit?! That’s so awesome!”

“Oh my goodness.” The fae’s mouth formed an ‘o’ at the news. “To think this island had enough talent as it is. That’s a very pleasant surprise.”

“Yo, if he’s here,” Kalim started, “then let’s go see a performance of him!”

You stiffened at the suggestion. 

“Ooh!” Lilia and Cater perked up at the suggestion. “I like the sound of that,” the former added. “I would love to hear more from him.”

“I’m so g to try,” Cater exclaimed. “But Valse’s schedule of performances seems to be really unpredictable, according to lots of people.” 

“There has to be a schedule that he has to follow,” Lilia said. “Where does he usually play?”

“Hmm, so far…” His voice trailed off as he scrolled through his feed. “Okay, he plays in this restaurant called Glass Shoe, the plaza outside of it, the newly built Wishing Well mall near the beach, and the luxury hotel Sirenica near the port.” Cater remained glued to his phone. “It seems like he has a schedule in the hotel, though… gotta find the time.”

“Then we can go there. Just give us a date and a time.” 

“Found it!” A victorious grin formed on Cater’s face. “Every Thursdays at 7:00pm! But there are people saying that he may play in some other places before then, so we definitely should leave early.”

“Then that is settled then? We leave Thursday after school,” Lilia said with a nod. “I’ll ask permission from the headmaster right after club hours are over.”

“Heck yeah! I’m already so excited for next Thursday!” Kalim bounced in place. “Ooooh I can’t believe it, it’s gonna be our first club field trip!”

“Oh yeah, you’re right,” Cater answered with surprise in his face. “Ah, wait.” He turned towards you. “Yo Sae, you’ve been quiet. Whatcha think of the trip?” 

“Ah…” You jolted slightly from the sudden attention on you. “Mm, well…” The no was ready to slip out of your tongue. 

“Come on, Sae!” Kalim put his hands together in a pleading gesture. “This is our first club trip, and it would be great to be together!”

His words stopped you from responding.

“Hey Kalim, let’s not force ‘em,” the Heartslabyul third year student reminded. “Sae’s also got work around that time.”

“Oh, right…” He scratched his head sheepishly. 

The no practically hammered at your throat, waiting to come out, perhaps in a tone more harsh than what you wished to be. Yes, you had work in Mostro Lounge, and it was the perfect excuse to avoid watching the performance of a so-called pianist who couldn’t respect the score. And yet, you couldn’t bring yourself to say it, not with Kalim’s plea. You never had a club field trip in the two years that you had been in this club, and it would be an experience to have while you’re in high school. 

And if you were just a teensy bit honest with yourself, the feeling of exclusion weighed heavy in your stomach. 

“Mm… yeah, I’ll go.”

“Oh? You sure, Sae?” Cater raised a brow. 

“Yeah.” You nodded.

“Yay!” Kalim pumped his fists into the air.

“Then it’s settled then,” Lilia said with a nod. “I’ll message the group chat when I get permission from the Headmaster. Sae, just inform Azul that you won’t be going to work around that day.” 

“Mhm.”

Just as you hummed your reply, the sound of the bell reached your ears, causing everyone to sit up straighter. 

“Oh shoot, club hours are over! Riddle’s gonna be mad if I don’t make it back before 5:30.” Cater stood up, picking up his bag immediately.

“Oh yeah, I gotta do my alchemy homework too,” Kalim exclaimed frantically. “Jamil’s gonna be mad at me if I turn this one late again.” 

“Then I shall take my leave to find the Headmaster.” Lilia grabbed his own bag. “I hope to see you all on Thursday.”

“Yeah, this was really fun,” Kalim happily said. “Bye guys! See ya Thursday!” 

“Yeah, bye bye, lovelies~!”

“Wait guys,” you started to say.

Kalim and Cater dashed away to their respective dorms. Lilia disappeared, finding Headmaster Crowley perhaps. You were left alone in the club room, your bag on your shoulder, and the room left in a state of disarray. 

“They forgot to clean up again…” Shaking your head, you put down your bag to start cleaning up. As you picked up the unfinished bag of chips that Cater brought earlier, you stopped. Wait. You’re alone now. 

Good. 

“Okay, so,” you started to speak. Chips shuffled in the bag for a second. 

“What the fuck was that performance?” 

The tone of your voice changed from the gentle and polite voice you had with the club members to something sharper and angrier.  You plopped the chip bag onto a desk, then walked to get the nearby broom and dustpan. Your steps hit the floor with a distinctly loud sound, a stark contrast to the light steps you usually have. 

“It’s supposed to be B minor, not A minor! Okay you know what, fine, that piano looks old, so I guess it’s fine that it’s in A minor, but still!” You emphasized the last word as you gripped the broom. “What the fuck were those dynamics?! There’s no rubato in that piece! Chopin didn’t compose that piece only for that Valse guy to play around.” 

Sweep sweep.

“The tempo is supposed to be even, not ‘do whatever the fuck you want’, it’s in the sheet, there’s even ritardando! There are dynamic markings already, and he already didn’t follow that! Everything’s already in the score for a good fucking reason.” 

Sweep sweep. Trash you swept cascaded into the trash can. 

“And then he just made up new notes or whatever famous melody it was in that part where the piece modulated! It’s supposed to go ta-nan-nan-nan-nan nan-nan-nAn-nAaaan nan, not nan-nan-nAn-nananan nan-nan. All because he ‘forgot the actual melody’, fuck that excuse. Either you play it right, or you don’t play it at all.”

Thud! The broom and dustpan landed on the corner they were previously in from the force you put them down. 

Crumbs and trash no longer littered the floor. The room appeared tidier than when club hours began. Yet, your hold on the broom and dustpan did not relinquish. In and out, you breathed, letting the anger building in your nose and clouding your mind leave yourself. 

“The Virtuoso, huh…? Virtuoso, Valse… they’re both too overrated.” 

Your shoulders sagged. Your anger dissipated. Your grip on the objects released.

“Best if I go now,” you told yourself, turning around to grab your bag. “Gotta tell Azul about this, after all.”

[britishassistant]

I wonder what the supervillains (the dorm leaders) would do if they get switched with their other self in Twisted Wonderland.

They'll meet a younger Yuu calls them senpai and probably get shivers when they hear someone shout Prefect but then realize its Yuu's role in that world.

Bonus would be if Yuuken's there too, sharing the dorm with Yuu.

Thank you for the ask, dear anon!

I decided to take a little inspo from my Villainous Paranoiac series for this one! Not a whole lot, but the idea of Twisted Wonderland Yuu being put in the infirmary after the events of Chapter Five!

(Also consider it non-canon, since it kinda involves everyone’s identities being exposed!)

Basically imagine that the supervillains find themselves in what looks like a private school infirmary, late at night. The air is buzzing with a strange energy, almost like the powers back in their home world, but...different, somehow.

The room nearly empty, save for one occupant in a cot close to the door.

Poison Queen and King immediately begin bickering over whose fault this mess is, while Royal Flush tries to get them to keep their voices down or else they’ll be detected. Charon is half a minute from going to curl up in a corner, clutching his freeze ray like a lifeline, while Octo Dealer and Snake Charmer are busy inspecting their surroundings for anything of value or that can be requisitioned into a weapon on short notice.

Tsunotaro has wandered over to inspect the sole other living being in the room with them.

He is pleasantly surprised to see what looks like a younger version of the reporter he’s so fond of, fast asleep in the infirmary cot. Their cheeks still retain the last bit of baby fat from childhood, and there’s some acne left that will fade with age. He may give one cheek a gentle poke, just to satisfy his curiosity. The sleepy mumble they let out is a little more high pitched than normal, but that’s the reporter’s voice alright.

He is less pleased to see dark circles under their eyes, or the bandages around their throat that stink of medicinal salves. If this truly is a younger version of his child of man, then why do they look so worried, even in sleep? Why are they injured and sleeping in this place of healing in the first place? They’re a mere child, barely old enough to operate a vehicle or live alone. Their only worries should be trivial things, not whatever is causing this furrow in their brow and hunch in their shoulders.

The other supervillains have begun to migrate over to where Tsunotaro is crouching in silent contemplation. King flips his eyepatch up to get a better look, whistling lowly. Octo Dealer busies himself with refilling their water glass, sneaking glances at them as he places it within easy reach. Snake Charmer pulls their pillow more under their head from where it’s almost slipped off. Poison Queen straightens the arrangement of the very tasteful bouquet on the bedside table, so the flowers’ best angle is shown to the bed’s occupant. Royal Flush carefully tucks their covers in over them.

Charon takes a picture with his tablet.

He forgot to turn off his flash.

Yuu cracks their eyes open...

To see seven adults looming over their bed in masks that resemble the ink from the overblots that haunt the Prefect’s nightmares.

Cue terrified screaming.

Snake Charmer lunges forward instinctively to cover Yuu’s mouth—

It’s only thanks to Poison Queen yanking him back that he doesn’t end up with an arrow in the shoulder.

Several more follow the first one through the window above the prefect’s cot, cold iron sharp and perfectly aimed to seriously maim if the supervillains don’t immediately get away from the screaming teenager. Rook was lax in protecting the Trickster after VDC ended, assuming there was no more danger after Roi du Poison’s overblot was saved. He will not make that mistake again.

The infirmary doors burst open, a younger Yuuken in a sleep-rumpled uniform barging in from where he decided to sleep outside because Ramshackle felt too empty and quiet to bear, but was forbidden from staying in the infirmary himself. He only has a pillow, but he brandishes it at the strange adults, fully willing to defend his dorm mate in whatever way he can.

The vanguard appears in a flurry of bats though, too many to fight off, small and vicious and furious. Their commander materializes in the center if the swarm, hovering over the head of Yuu’s cot, pink eyes brimming with a cold rage that makes his small and cute form look like it’s bursting at the seams holding something much older and angrier back. He opens his mouth, fangs long and glistening—

Only to stop short at the sight of one of the supervillains. “Malleus? Malleus Draconia?”

Tsunotaro nods warily.

“Wh-What in Twisted Wonderland are you wearing??”

Tsunotaro ducks his head like a chastened child. “I could say the same thing.” He mutters sullenly.

From there the lights get turned on, and the seven supervillains are made to explain themselves to the sleep-deprived students and staff who trickle in to see what’s going on. All six dorm leaders and one vice dorm leader vanished from their beds, setting everyone on high alert until news of these...alternate versions spread.

It is very weird for the supervillains to see all their minions as teenagers (again in some cases). It is only surpassed by how weird it is for everyone else to see their dorm heads and vice head all grown up and adult, even if they are dressed weird.

Ortho still wants to shoot them with a beam until they bring back his nii-san. Luckily Charon is able to convince him that Idia should be fine if he’s in Charon’s lair—he’s got plenty of the latest games, manga and tech for him to play with, so that should keep him occupied for a while.

Sebek is in a state of Malleus awe. He has shut down and will not restart. Silver has taken to pinching himself just to make sure this isn’t a Lilia’s cooking induced fever dream, while Lilia himself scolds Tsunotaro that he raised him better than to go around watching people sleep like that! Tsunotaro tries to use the “but I’m a supervillain” excuse, only for Lilia to shoot back “and I’m a war criminal in some nations, what’s your point?”

King is enjoying watching the overgrown lizard get scolded. Now if only the tiny Ruggie would stop asking him what injury the eyepatch is for, and making remarks about how embarrassing it would be if it were totally pointless—King does not pay his adult self so much to put up with this shit. The baby Jack also needs to stop demanding to know if his adult minion self can pull a sled faster than a moose or something...

Jade and Floyd are attempting to wind up the adult Octo Dealer, trying to see how much they can get away with compared with the normal Azul. Octo Dealer is legitimately at a loss as to how this world’s Azul doesn’t keep them in line without letting them turn to a crime or two. Then he learns about Azul’s contract business and feels a pang of commiseration and understanding.

Poison Queen, Royal Flush, and Snake Charmer are unpleasantly shocked when their dorms address them by their respective secret identities in front of their fellow supervillains out of the blue.

Poison Queen has to put up with King’s uncontrolled laughter as he finally understands the full extent of the incident with White Neige so long ago, while Tsunotaro tries to tell him he liked Schoenheit in his role as the evil dragon prince in the GaoGao dramatization. Royal Flush is about two seconds away from throttling Octo Dealer if the bastard doesn’t stop trying to make a deal to guarantee his mother doesn’t learn about her son’s private activities. Snake Charmer’s just glad his civilian identity flies under the radar enough that Charon has to try and look him up to understand who he is (and fails because he’s not on school wifi and his cellular data is bust).

Poison Queen is also getting a headache from Rook rhapsodizing about how his villain form is another, enhanced mode of beauty he is fortunate to lay eyes upon, as if he hadn’t been willing to skewer Poison Queen along with the rest of the supervillains five minutes ago. He’s at least able to amuse himself by letting Epel run away with his speculations about how he’s the buff hyper-masculine muscle for Poison Queen.

Kalim is crying that Jamil had to resort to becoming a villain in his home world! He must be so sad if he has to do that! He’s mildly cheered up when Snake Charmer tells him they work together on schemes, and that Snake Charmer is actually reasonably happy with his chosen vocation—and then he begins panicking that Jamil will like that world so much, he won’t want to come back.

Royal Flush is glad his counterpart at least has good people around to look after him, even if it is odd to have young versions of Trey and Cater trying to mother hen him despite the fact that he’s the older one now. At least Ace and Deuce acting up seems more fitting now considering their age than it ever did on their adult selves.

Ace huffs a sigh and leans on Yuu’s shoulder. “This is a mess, huh Prefect?”

“You said it.” Yuu replies. “I just wanna sleep forever.”

The supervillains go still.

“I’m sorry,” Snake Charmer says carefully. “But isn’t Enma-san the Prefect?”

“No?” Yuuken replies, confused. “Yuu’s the prefect of Ramshackle Dorm. I’m their vice— or would be, if we had any other students apart from them, me, and Grim.”

Octo Dealer laughs, sounding slightly strained. “Ah, apologies, but you see, that isn’t possible. It can’t be. Yuu isn’t—”

“But I am the prefect, Azul-senpai.” Yuu the Prefect says. “I’ve–I’ve always been the prefect.”

There’s a stunned silence.

Royal Flush places his head in his hands. “What the fuck.”

Back in the Supervillain AU universe, Yuu the Reporter sneezes sharply while trying to wrangle five frightened teenagers, one frightened-but-playing-tough twenty year old, and one confused however-old-he-is-but-younger-than-Tsunotaro fae.

They wonder what the chill down their spine is.

[dannystheone]

So, you answered that ask of which twst characters would say yes if someone asks if they're ticklish right?

Now, which characters would say "why? are you ticklish too?"

gracias por su pregunta anon :>

the only one out of that list I gave that I would consider saying the above would be Lilia. The only reason why he agrees to his Lee accusing him of being ticklish is to set a trap. Lilia baits his Lee into trying to tickle him, then scoops up his Lee as they're running towards them and tickles them silly :)

"Are you ticklish?"

"Curious, are we? You're free to find out. However, don't be shy when I found out about you as well~"

Now outside of the list, the other characters I can see giving this response is Malleus, Azul and Trey.

Malleus is naturally curious and willing to make a friend anywhere he can afford it. When he sees an opportunity to bond, you better believe he's gonna grab it. He’ll play it cool though, obviously. Just know he’s happy to bond at all :) 

“Are you ticklish?” 

“Sure. And what about you? Anything you’d like to share?~” 

Azul likes to collect weaknesses and fears to get a one up on people in the future. He never knows when he’ll need something from you, so he likes to slowly collect data on people for the future advantage. Azul will play it casually, like a one-off thing, and make you totally forget you offered up crucial details about yourself. Then when you’re least expecting it, it comes full circle to your disbenefit. 

“Are you ticklish?” 

“Naturally, of course. But I’d like to know about you. What’s your most ticklish spot, now that I think of it?~” 

And finally, Trey. He’s not evil, just suspicious and deathly smart. He’s played this game a million times. Either you say yes to being ticklish and you get tickled, or you say no to being ticklish and the asker doesn’t believe you and you get tickled anyway. Plus, if the asker wasn’t in the mood to risk getting tickled themselves, they wouldn’t have asked the question at all! They’re obviously asking for it. And Trey has been a big brother to so many that he knows how to take and give tickles with ease. 

“Are you ticklish?” 

“Well yeah, isn’t everyone? That’s a silly question. The real question is, ‘where’ are you ticklish? Well, go on and answer!~” 

[twistedtranslations]

Cater Diamond - Full of Lies

You can unlock this story by getting Cater’s SSR Scary dress

Big thanks to Rym and Apollo for proofreading!

Translation under the cut

Chapter 1

Main street

/Notification

Cater: Oh? A message on MagiCam? Who would've thought it was that girl! How nostalgic~ The picture those ghosts took at Ramshackle dorm made our college's Halloween event trend -> Jumping onto the bandwagon and posting a lot -> Huge success for Cay's follower-catching strat! So far it's been going well but… Mixed within the comments and DMs of my new followers are a lot of old aquaintances. Even some classmates from middle and elementary school are here.

Cater: "Hey! It's been a while! Oh, would you like to come to our college? Cay welcomes every single one of you! You can always come over to hang at NRC's Halloween event!"

Cater: And now some emoji full of feelings!  (^○^)♪ (ゝω・)☆　d(’ｖ｀*)b

Cater: Everyone is really so casual and easygoing~ Well, it's easier on me, so I'm not complaining.

???: HEY!

Cater: Where did that loud and rowdy voice come from? I've got a bad feeling about this…

Front Gate

Sebek: Humans, don't crowd around the young master! Get out! Leave!

Boy A: Hey, what are you doing, sweptback bro! Don't interfere with our Draconia Challenge.

Boy B: We're putting our lives on the line to show our bravery by uploading a picture of us touching The Malleus!

Boy A: Huh, since when did Malleus disappear?! It's that sweptback bro's fault.

Boy B: Don't be so angry. After all the effort of having a sweptback, let's show the world a huge smile on that face!

Sebek: For humans of your social standing to use the name of the Lord of the esteemed Valley of Thorns in vain…Besides, my hair is swept back like this so I have an unobstructed view to find those like you who behave rudely towards my young master! You shall receive punishment for insulting the Draconia… no, for insulting the young master. My thunder shall shock you all to bits! HAAAAA...

Cater: Okay, stop! I'm part of the Halloween Committee. It's forbidden to fight. Why don't you try talking to this lad if something's up?

Sebek: Don't interrupt me, you frolicking human! I will shock you to bits as well!

Cater: Won't you create a scandal for the Draconia family if you were to harm an ordinary human with magic?

Sebek: W-Well… You're right. Besides, didn't you just say you were part of the Halloween committee? Both the young master and master Lilia are both performing the same duties… They ordered me to listen to the orders of the other committee members. Ok, I shall talk this out.

Cater: Even though you are crossing your arms and puffing your chest out, you are being apologetic right? Anyway, these are our college's precious guests. They have no intention to harm Malleus.

Sebek: These magic-less weaklings were making a spectacle bothering Young Master with a toy. I cannot forgive that!

Cater: Malleus is like super famous, and he's an admirable being, right? So just for this festival, it should be fine to interact with our guests as a little fanservice right?

Sebek: Stop messing around. The young master is a dreadful being who makes everyone kneel and bow down to him. AND THAT'S WHY I WILL NEVER LEAVE HIS SIDE AND PROTECT HIM ALL MY LIFE!

Cater: You're just obsessed!

Boy A: Hey, interfering our Draconia Challenge aside, what are you two squabbling about?

Sebek: Hm? You humans are still here? I told you to leave.

Boy B: Huh? You've got some nerve, talking rudely to us like that!

Cater: Come on guys. Why don't we take some pictures together since it's finally Halloween! We, Heartslabyul are those who rise from the soil in the darkness, the underlings of the night~

Boy A: Wow! Now that you mention it, you do look real good for the camera!

Cater: Cheer up everyone and gather! Let's decide on a pose~~~ Happy Halloween~

¨*shutter noise*

Cater: (Ugh… This is exhausting)

Chapter 2

Classroom

Kalim/Cater/Lilia: *Sigh*… I'm tired….

Cater: This year's Halloween was exhausting. Mainly due to our guests being rowdy..

Kalim: It was fun entertaining the guests, but I was really troubled because Jamil got in a foul mood.

Lilia: Even we, three most gentle boys, have been worn down. The other students must be at the limits of their patience.

Everyone: *Sigh*…

Cater: Now that you say it, by chance all the members of the light music club are also part of the Halloween Committee. Let's have our usual relaxing tea time while also discussing some countermeasures.

Kalim/Lilia: Agreed~

Cater: I got this! Trey's home-made pumpkin pie! It's moderately sweet, so it's my favorite!

Kalim: I have kunafa. It's a cheesecake from the Scalding Sands. It's delicious when it's hot!

Lilia: Oho, these are all sweets befitting of Halloween. As the last one, I have prepared this. Licorice!

Cater: You're always bringing the same thing! You know me and Kalim don't like that.

Kalim: The smell makes my nose shrivel up~

Cater: But you know, since it's black, it does feel like Halloween. Oh, right, let's take a picture together. It's super charming to be in costume and have themed food.

*shutter noise*

Cater: #TheBestHalloween #SelfmadeCostume #HomemadeTreat #LightMusicClub #NRCHalloween

Kalim: The best? Didn't you say you were exhausted earlier, Cater?

Cater: I never said it wasn't exciting and for things like SNS, isn't it better to exaggerate a bit?

Lilia: As expected of you. We live in a period where everyone is connected all around the world. It is most wonderful to spread happiness instead of complaints.

Cater: Oh. The picture I just uploaded got an amazing response! 

*notification*

Cater: Another message from that girl. Was she the kind to keep track of people's activities?

*ringing noise*

Cater: This time it's a call. (How persistent…)

Kalim: Cater, is it from one of your friends? You can pick up if you want.

Cater: Hm~… More like an acquaintance from the past? But it's alright? We're at a very important meeting, after all.

Lilia: We are only eating sweets, taking pictures and uploading them to MagiCam though…

Cater: It's the age of social media where everyone can keep in contact at their own pace, you don't have to go through the pains of having to response in real time to a phone call.

Kalim: Do you have that many people who want to get in touch with you? You're so well connected Cater~

Cater: Well, if you look the amount of aquaintances I have, that might be true? My dad's a banker. The bank he works at has branches all over the world. Therefore, whenever he transferred to a different branch, our entire family would move with him. We moved once every two years, so I kind of feel like a pro at quickly packing things?

Lilia: Commonly said, you are a family who moved a lot for the sake of the breadwinner.

Kalim: So the reason why you have so many friends is because you have travelled around the world since young.

Cater: Yeah, the girl just now said we are friends as well. Having to change schools frequently, I got to meet more people compared to someone staying at one place. From the best to the worst… a lot of people. However, they all had something in common.

Kalim/Lilia: …?

Cater: If I left there, they remained there. That's why I'd rather have a casual and happy time with everyone than to deepen a friendship. It’s like a circus troupe, you know, having fun hanging with people all over the world and then leaving. That's why MagiCam is the best! People from my school from three years ago contacted me out of the blue. My social circle is expanding as well. Cay is getting popular!

Kalim: Even if they're far away, you don't have to hold back you know? I got it! I'll lend you my magic carpet, so you can visit your friends whenever you want.

Cater:… I expected no less of you, Kalim. I'll take you up on that offer next time.

Lilia: I feel like I understand you.

Cater: Hm?

Lilia: The relations between humans are eternal. They are things that cannot be severed. In a new place with no trace of your existence, new relations will continue to be forged. That in itself is nature. However, I think the more precious a relation is, the more lonely it becomes. Why does it feel that way? I have lived a long life but the reason is still unknown to me. But just as Cater said, there may be a perfectly logical explanation for not getting too attached to one person in particular.

Cater: Lilia, what got into you suddenly? What I wanted to say was-

*ringing noise*

Lilia: Hello, this is Lilia speaking? What business do you have?

Cater: He just casually picked up the phone during our conversation.

Lilia: Oh, Sebek. What is it? You are so loud. Right now, I am in a meeting with Cater and Kalim. WHAT?! MALLEUS?!

Kalim/Cater: ?!

Chapter 3

Hall of Mirrors

Silver: Stop pushing. It's forbidden to enter the Hall of Mirrors.

Man A: Huh, really! I came all the way to the Isle of Sages to see Malleus Draconia.

Man B: We are doing the Draconia challenge now! Why can't we enter~

Girl C: He’s inside right! An actual Draconia, the Actual Malleus!

Everyone: MALLEUS! MALLEUS! MALLEUS!

*Lightning and thunder*

Silver: It's a rare event that Master Malleus is participating in. He also agreed to interact with the guests... For it to come to this... Everyone, it’s better if you leave. You have angered master Malleus.

Man A: I paid a lot of travel expenses, did you know that? This is the price of fame.

Everyone: MALLEUS! MALLEUS! MALLEUS!

Exterior Hallway

Cater: Did the visitors who wanted that  MagiCam glory end up angering even Malleus himself?

Sebek: Yes. At first he was gentle and calmed me down when I got angry… but a fool grabbed Malleus by the horns and made fun of him by saying "Look! It's a bicycle from the olden days!"

Lilia/Cater: Gh!

Cater: I don't know if they're brave or just reckless. Were the dark clouds and thunder rampaging in the sky above the Hall of Mirrors due to Malleus' anger? You don't think he overblotted, right…?!

Lilia: Do not worry. Using that amount of magic power shall not make him overblot. He is simply irritated. Back when he was young, mountains would be destroyed by his lightning whenever he threw a tantrum.

Cater: Hahaha… that's on a totally different level. I guess it was a good idea to have Kalim fetch the professors.

Sebek: Upperclassman Vil noticed something was up and isolated the young master. He also casted a defensive spell so the tourists wouldn't be harmed. And it seemed that Upperclassman Jade is persuading the angry young master with some unique methods... Even so, those humans who can't seem to understand the gravity of the situation keep stirring up the young master, they're uncontrollable.

Lilia: This means we must use our last resort. We must put in effort to suppress the onlookers and avoid the worst situation.

Cater: Wait a second, Lilia. I thought of something. It's not like people there dislike Malleus or anything. Despite that, it doesn't mean that they like Malleus as well... They're just interested in trends. Just like my old acquaintances.

Lilia: ?

Cater: First, I'll take a picture of Lilia, who's wearing the same clothes as Malleus!

*shutter noise*

Cater: Next we use something catered to influencers. We'll elongate Lilia's picture with a photo editing app!

*swiping on phone*

Cater: Now we just add some text to finish it up. And then upload a cropped version to MagiCam!!

*Phone SFX*

Cater: #AWildMalleusAppeared #DraconiaChallenge #UnexpectedlyAtSportsGround #NRCHalloween

*Phone SFX*

Hall of Mirrors

Man A: H-Hey. Look at the Draconia challenge tag.

Man B: It seems he's at the Sports Ground now. As expected of Malleus. He's much faster than we are!

Girl C: Okay. Everyone, let's move!

Everyone: YEAH!

Silver: What happened? Master Malleus should still be in the Hall of Mirrors.

Cater: Fu. With this, I hope the storm has passed…?

Vil: Good grief. Accidents are an unavoidable part of stage plays. Letting yourself get influenced by the guests is so amateurish. My work here is done. I will return to the dorm to straighten up my appearance.

Jade: My, that was a close call. Malleus is extremely powerful. I persuaded him to the best of my abilites, trying to get him to understand. But there was no one to turn to if it had failed. Well then, I will also return to my station. I wish everyone a wonderful Halloween.

Malleus: I caused many disturbances between different racial groups during a mere school event. I should restrain myself more…

Sebek: The young master has done nothing wrong! It was the fault of those inferior humans!

Silver: The young master told us to avoid hostility between fae and humans. Why are you getting more hostile?

Sebek: WHAT DID YOU SAY SILVER!

Lilia: Malleus. Did you forget our promise from long ago? Call for us when the tranquility in your mind is disturbed.  Even if we are not related by blood, we are still a family. Got it?

Malleus: Lilia… My apologies. To everyone.

Everyone: …

Cater: ….Family…huh.

Flashback

Lilia: But just as Cater said, there may be a perfectly logical explanation for not getting too attached to one person in particular.

Flashback ends

Cater: (That was full of lies. For a guy who grew up and lived in the same place, he never had to deal with rebuilding relations over and over…He would never understand my worthless and meaningless feelings.)

*ringing*

Cater: Hello, Trey. What's up? Huh? Are we doing our rehearsal for our night show at the stamp rally now? And Deuce, who is also part of the Halloween Committee, was at his wit's end due to the lack of manpower. So Ace is helping him out? Darn, Ace is definitely going to extort me for a favor later!

Cater: Argh! And is Riddle on the verge of a rampage? I'll be back soon, Trey. Please calm him down! I am currently at the site of the biggest crisis yet of this Halloween Week! No, for real! I'm not lying. That's why you don't have to be so cold to me, 'kay? URGH, TREY, YOU'RE SO CRUEL!

Cater: Now that Diasomnia's turmoil has settled, let's change the mood and continue on with work. In any case, we’ll still separate after the fourth year… It would be different if I repeated a year though. Anyway, I should just enjoy the moment to my heart's content! I'll surprise everyone with this charming skeleton costume! I'll show them what I'm capable of!

Cater: Happy Halloween!

[morganaspendragonss]

turn to dust all that i adore

whoops it’s a 2b spec fic based on two seconds in a promo love that

title from things we lost in the fire by bastille

ao3 | 2.3k | 2b spoilers

The fire continues raging whenever TK closes his eyes, and he doesn’t know if it’s better or worse than the sight that greets him when his eyes are open. He wishes he could wipe that awful night from his memory completely and go back to where they were just a few days ago, happy and safe and in their home. They don’t even have that anymore, the house little more than ash, and TK would be okay with that - they could rebuild from that - if Carlos weren’t so silent and still in front of him. 

The fire was three days ago; TK hasn’t seen Carlos awake in four. He’d been in the middle of a 24-hour shift when the call came through, bickering with Nancy about the merits of various sitcoms, Captain Vega probably rolling her eyes in the back as they returned to the station. 

Nancy had quietly offered to drive when they found out the address, but TK had shaken his head. His hands were tight on the steering wheel, and he’d pressed down a little harder than necessary on the accelerator, praying he’d be able to get there fast enough. The house was a lost cause, if what dispatch said was true, but if he could save Carlos, then that would be enough.

He’d failed - of course he had. An explosion had ripped through the building just as they’d pulled up, the glass shattering as flames leapt from their bedroom window. TK had felt a cold dread settle inside him, and his worst fears had been confirmed when the team emerged with Carlos limp in their arms.

He’s alive, but the damage had been done. Too much smoke inhalation and multiple horrific burns left him hanging by a thread; it’s a miracle, really, that the heart monitor is still beeping out a steady rhythm. TK can’t be thankful, though, not when he knows everything could turn on its head in an instant. Not when they’ve already lost so much.

A soft knock on the door grabs TK’s attention. He looks up to see his dad standing there, a sad smile on his face and a plastic-wrapped sandwich in hand. TK twists his face into a grimace and returns to watching the bed.

“I’m not hungry.”

“Son -”

“I’m not hungry.”

“You’ve been saying that for days,” his dad points out, walking over and pointedly laying the sandwich in TK’s lap. “Starving yourself isn’t going to make him wake up any faster.”

TK barely spares the sandwich a cursory glance. “Nor is forcing myself to eat.”

His dad sighs, crossing the room and grabbing the extra chair. He sets it down next to TK’s and, though he doesn’t look, TK knows he’s being subjected to one of his ‘dad looks’.

“TK, you’ve barely left the hospital since it happened,” he says. “I know it’s hard right now, but you can always come back and stay with me. You still have a home.”

“Not without him, I don’t.”

He hears his dad’s sharp intake of breath, feels his hand running through his hair, but TK’s detached from it all. He studies Carlos’s face, every part familiar to him, but so strange and foreign now. Carlos has never been a restless sleeper - that’s all TK - but there’s usually some movement. A crease appearing between his brows as his face scrunches up, his muscles shifting as he pulls TK closer, his nose gently nuzzling the back of TK’s neck. This still version of him isn’t Carlos. This isn’t the man TK loves.

But it’s close as he’s going to get until Carlos comes back to him, and TK can’t stand the thought of leaving him. In all the months they’ve been dating, they’ve rarely spent a night apart, and most of those were either on shift or still in their bed, with a pillow that smelt like the other and the promise of seeing each other again soon. Going back to his dad’s house would only be bearable if Carlos were with him, but that’s not possible, so neither is leaving.

“TK, I -”

“If you’re just here to give me this,” he interrupts, waving the sandwich in his dad’s direction, “then, thanks, but you should probably go now. His parents are coming in a bit and the hospital barely lets three of us be in here as it is.”

His dad recoils, wounded, but doesn’t budge, much to TK’s irritation. He’s really not in the mood for any more meaningless talk or thinly veiled attempts to get him to eat or sleep.

“Dad, please.”

“I was contacted by the PD this morning,” his dad says instead. TK’s head snaps up, eyes wide. “They found out what caused the fire.”

TK waits, but his dad suddenly becomes very reticent, his eyes flicking between TK and the bed. Clearly, this wasn’t something as simple as the electrics blowing or the washing machine malfunctioning; it’s worse, and TK’s breath seems to stick in his lungs.

“Dad?” he croaks.

Their eyes finally meet, his dad’s face arranged into a sympathetic grimace. “It was arson.”

Time stops.

“What?” TK breathes, shaking his head. Arson. Someone burned their home down and almost killed Carlos, on purpose. And for what? To kill them? The only reason TK wasn’t caught up in it too, after all, is because he was fortunate enough to be on shift that night. “Do they know who?”

“I’m sorry,” his dad says, voice full of regret. “It’s been happening all over the city, no leads so far.”

TK sits back in his chair, a white-hot spark of anger flashing through him as he once more takes in the many bandages on Carlos’s body. He wonders if this was how Judd felt those weeks ago when he found out the guy who’d run them off the bridge was also in the hospital, because TK would very much like to go out and find the people who did this. He wants them to pay for what they’ve done to the love of his life.

As is sensing where his mind has gone, his dad starts rubbing gentle circles on his back, though it doesn’t calm TK like it usually does.

“I think I’ll stay here until his parents show up,” he says. “If that’s alright?”

It’s a non-question; his tone makes it clear that he’s not going anywhere no matter what, but TK doesn’t have it in him to put up even a token argument. He simply nods wearily, and settles in for another day of waiting - another day without his boyfriend’s comforting presence at his side.

*

A week after the fire, he’s told he can go back to the house, if he wants. He doesn’t, really, but he goes anyway, knowing that Carlos will have questions when he wakes up, and maybe he’ll be able to salvage something.

Probably not, but it’s never been the stuff that’s mattered to him. It’s been what the loss of it all represents, the memories that now exist only in his head and in the ashes.

TK stares up at the blackened husk of their home, something keeping him rooted in the middle of the street. Police tape is still up and there’s an officer waiting to escort him in when he’s ready, but TK just… He doesn’t know if he can do this.

“TK?”

He jumps at the unexpected voice, turning to see Carlos’s neighbour from two doors down, Molly, her daughter trailing behind her. TK doesn’t know many of the people around here, but Molly and her husband are often to be found playing with Lilia on the porch, and they always make a point of greeting them. Carlos has even babysat for them a few times, though TK’s rarely there for that.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” she says, smiling apologetically. “How are you doing?”

He shrugs. “I’m okay,” he replies, and Molly seems to understand what that really means. “Carlos is still in hospital, but we’re, um. We’re hoping he’ll wake up soon.”

She nods, glancing at the house. “It’s terrible, what happened. You’ve got somewhere to stay, right?”

“I’ve only just moved out of my dad’s place, so I’ll just go back there while we figure something out. Guess he’ll be glad we don’t have to transport all my stuff this time.”

The joke is hollow, and Molly’s face twists in sympathy. “Well, if you need anything, we’re happy to help out however we can. Carlos has always been good to us - to everyone here - and we hate that you’re going through this now. Send him our love, okay?”

TK gives her a small smile, nodding. He’s about to excuse himself to finally go inside, when Lilia tugs at her mother’s hand, whispering something in her ear when Molly leans down. 

“We were baking when we saw you pull up,” Molly explains, straightening. “Lilia insisted on bringing these out to you, didn’t you, Lils?”

Lilia beams up at him when TK looks over to her, thrusting a small tupperware in his general direction. “Cookies!” she exclaims, by way of explanation.

TK chuckles and squats so he’s at her height, taking the box from her. She’s watching him expectantly, so he takes a cookie - clumsily decorated with mountains of sprinkles - and pops it in his mouth, making a show of enjoying it.

“My compliments to the chef,” he says, licking his lips playfully. Lilia giggles, then, without warning, throws her arms around him, the force of it almost sending him on his ass. Molly gasps and reaches to pull her daughter away, but TK shakes his head at her, mouthing an, It’s okay.

Steadying himself, he gently wraps his arms around Lilia’s back, allowing her to bury her face in the crook of his neck as she attempts to squeeze him within an inch of his life. It’s enough to pull a real smile out of him, though tears also spring to his eyes, a sudden emotion overwhelming him. He brushes them away hastily when Lilia unwraps herself from him, but it’s clear that Molly noticed, judging by the sad smile on her face.

“I hope Mr Carlos gets better soon,” Lilia says, her voice earnest in a way only a five-year old’s can be. 

TK nods. “Me too.”

“He gave me sweets.”

A laugh bursts out of him at the sudden comment. TK leans close to her, dropping his voice to a whisper. “Shall I tell you a secret? He gave me sweets as well.”

Lilia gasps as though she’s heard something incredibly scandalous. TK laughs again, before standing back up and turning to Molly, who’s been watching the two of them with clear amusement.

“Thank you,” he tells her. “For coming out and talking, and for the cookies.”

“It’s the least we could do,” she says, waving him off. “Like I said, let us know if you need anything, even if it’s just to talk. We’ll be there.”

TK thanks her again, waving at them both as they head back inside. He turns to his and Carlos’s place, then takes a deep, shaky breath.

He can do this.

*

Inside is much as he expects. The worst of the rubble has been cleared, but there’s still some detritus lying around, including a few of their things. TK stoops and carefully retrieves a framed photo from the floor, wiping the dust off the cracked glass. The picture inside is barely recognisable, the colours warped, but he knows the image like the back of his hand - a candid of him and Carlos taken by Marjan during one of their hangs. She’d caught Carlos mid-laugh, a grin plastered on TK’s own face as they’d stared into each others’ eyes.

Marjan had grumbled about how frustratingly lovesick they both were, but the photo quickly became one of TK’s favourites, and it had made its way into a frame less than a week later. TK’s heart aches at the sight of it ruined; he can always print another as it’s still saved on his phone, but it still hurts. Everything does, right now.

As he gazes around the space, eyes catching on mementos and remembering how it all used to look, TK is struck by how much this place had felt like home. He’s only been officially living here for a month, but it’s been theirs for far longer than that, TK’s stuff worming its way in among Carlos’s until it became natural to see two pairs of shoes by the door, two sets of keys in the bowl. 

This was theirs, and now it’s nothing.

He drops the photo frame on his way out the door, not sparing a look back as he walks away.

*

He gets the call halfway back to the hospital and TK forgets all about speed limits as he races the rest of the way. He sprints through the corridors, the path to Carlos’s room learned by heart, and skids to a stop in the doorway, his eyes filling with tears at the sight before him.

Carlos, awake and smiling and alive.

TK lets out a sob, his hand flying to his mouth. Carlos turns, his smile widening when he catches sight of him, and he wordlessly lifts his palm up in invitation.

And who is TK to refuse it?

“Hi, baby,” he gasps, before kissing his boyfriend, palms framing Carlos’s face. Carlos’s hands come up to clutch at his wrists, and TK presses their foreheads together, silently revelling in this moment.

There’s a long road still ahead of them - Carlos needs to heal, and they’ll have to do so much to get back on their feet - but he can’t care about that right now. Being here, right now, with Carlos’s warm touch stroking over his skin, is all TK needs.

Carlos came back to him, and that’s the only thing that matters.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Did you see the ending of chapter 6? I have so many questions but don't wanna spoil anything

I did indeed 👁 👄 👁

***Chapter 6 main story spoilers below the cut!***

From what I understand, it seems that OG!Ortho and Robo!Ortho “merged”, so now they are one being? Like, it’s still the Robo!Ortho we know and love, but with the full extent of a “heart” and “humanness” that he lacked before (contributed from OG!Ortho, who has now safely passed on). 

Idia also formally acknowledges Robo!Ortho as his “brother” and tells Ortho he’s free to be his own person instead of just an AI with the sole purpose of emulating his dead brother. Ortho even becomes officially enrolled as a first-year student (he’s in Class 1-C!), so he’s already making great leaps in terms of personal growth and developing his own identity.

As for Idia, he’s slowly starting to acclimate to being around other people and socializing instead of always shutting himself off from the world and stewing in his own self-loathing and guilt. He’s on the path to growth and recovery as well!

We also get a preview and hints for what Diasomnia might entail. Mickey mentions having seen a boy with silver hair and strange eyes (which probably refers to Silver), though the context for this isn’t quite clear yet. More importantly, I feel that the subjects Malleus and Lilia discuss throughout chapter 6 will become extremely relevant again in chapter 7. More specifically, I am referring to the importance of bonds and what one does with the short lifespans they are granted.

It seems that Malleus is either unaware of or demonstrates very little understanding for the brevity of non-fae lives (and, I would argue, the true importance of friendships). But he is forced to look mortality in the face when he sees how much Vil has aged. He sees his classmates rejoicing as they are united with their kidnapped dorm leaders (and vice dorm leader, in Jamil’s case). It’s all so different than anything he has personally experienced. Malleus has so much time left ahead of him, time that his classmates won’t have. Most of his own relationships seem shallow at best, and school life fleeting. He’s confused by it all, or at the very least contemplating about it now that Lilia has reminded him of those concepts (if his long pauses/moments of silence are anything to go by).

“Human lives are as fragile as threads, but they become stronger when they are weaved together.”

I think that chapter 7 will further expand on this concept, tackling the ideas of mortality, how short lives are, how one must cherish the relationships and the time they have. Most importantly, I think the story will come full circle with something Crowley introduced in the prologue: that in cooperating and working together, we will be able to overcome any obstacle (well, specifically defeating RSA, but I mean in more holistic way). These ideas will most likely use Malleus’s loneliness as a springboard for exploration, but I think that it won’t be exclusively applied to his friendship with Yuu. I think it’s very likely that chapter 7 will also address Malleus’s relationship with the others in Diasomnia, particularly Sebek and Silver, who are in part or entirely human.

Regarding Yuu, I honestly don’t think chapter 7 will revolve too heavily around their relationship with Malleus (but obviously it will still be present, probably to help with investigating or something), but rather will deal with the mystery of the mirror and Mickey, as well as their friendship with Grim. Keep in mind that we still haven’t seen Grim’s (anticipated) OB yet, we only recovered him from STYX. It’s possible that Grim will be the chapter 7 OB, whether in conjunction with, or in place of, Malleus’s OB. I can definitely see Malleus and the rest of NRC coming to grips with “the power of friendship” and banding together to fight OB Grim in one final, epic battle.

I don’t really have an idea for how Ignihyde will return and help with the Diasomnia chapter though I’ve seen lots of memes about Idia flashing technology at OB Malleus to one shot him 😂 Considering all the memeing being done about Vil would kick down Idia’s bedroom door and drag him out to socialize before the official release of chapter 6... and then chapter 6 turning out to be nothing like what we expected, I’m thinking chapter 7 will also be something completely unexpected.

[local-ground-apple]

Headcanons for diasomnia with reader who has insomnia/has troubles with falling asleep?

living for the concept

half of diasomnia doesn’t even sleep, change my mind

,,I haven’t slept for three days and my body will soon collapse. Could you perhaps put me under sleeping curse?” “Absolutely not”

🐲 Malleus is extremely worried about your lack of sleeping schedule and he’s even more worried and concerned that you actually bombard him with questions to put you under a sleeping curse. He politely refuses each of them,

🐲 Malleus doesn’t really sleep, but he is aware of the importance of it to humans. He tells you to come to his room, whenever you are having troubles falling asleep. So you often accidentally scare Sebek when you appear out of nowhere on Diasomnia corridor in the middle of the night, waking up half of the dorm, 

🐲 sometimes just Malleus’ presence helps you fall asleep faster. He lays down beside you, as you wrap your arms around his chest, pulling yourself closer. His fingers gently trace circles on your skin, alleviating any tension from your muscles. His body temperature is lower than yours and you often find it comforting,

🐲 yet sometimes his presence alone isn’t enough,

,,How about sle-“ “iM nOt pUtTiNg yOu uNdEr a sLeePiNg cUrSe” “gee, chill”

🐲 at first he was reluctant to use any sort of temporary spell to make you fall asleep. Malleus don’t really want to use any kind of magic on you, yet you’re pestering him about this spinning wheel. All the time, 

🐲 and that’s when self-proclaimed father of Diasomnia also known as Lilia enters into action,

🐲 whenever Malleus’ presence doesn’t make you fall asleep, this old man will do it in the span of maximum three minutes (never fails, Lilia’s services are top notch). His magical lullaby is guaranteed to help you fall into slumber in Malleus’ arms

🦇 you can’t fall asleep? Don’t worry, that ancient bat has your back. He probably doesn’t sleep himself, but he is more than willing to help you out,

🦇 Lilia has four strategies and depending on how you’re feeling or how hard it is for you to fall asleep, he will use one of them, 

🦇 sometimes you fall asleep just with his soothing presence alone. He will tuck you in the bed, laying beside you, as his arms wraps around you. Lilia may bury his head in the crook of your neck, leaving small kisses on your skin, 

🦇 if that doesn’t work, he will lull you to sleep with various stories from Malleus’ and Silver’s childhood, whispering them softly in your ear, while his fingers gently run through your hair,

🦇 if you still can’t get a decent rest, Lilia will sing you a lullaby (normal at first), a good one, which may I add, should make you slowly drift away to dreamland. His voice is soothing and calming, instantly calming down your whole body. Lilia also knows a magical lullaby, as Silver often calls it. It never fails, since magic is involved, but he will use it on you, only if you really can’t fall asleep,

🦇 Lilia actually likes watching your sleeping form, his hands gently brusing your hair or tracing your jawline. He finds you absolutely ethereal and stunning,

🦇 and yes, you will never catch him watching you sleep. He’s way too sneaki,

 ⚔️ what an irony. How he wishes he was the one who can’t fall asleep, while you would give up almost everything to finally get a decent rest. Truly ironic,

⚔️ Lilia is always teasing you, saying what a perfect match the two of you are. You are laying on the bed with wide open eyes, staring blankly at the ceiling, while Silver is peacefully sleeping beside you. Truly, an exquisite sight

“Ufufufu~~~~what a perfect yet ironic match, don’t you think so Little One?”

⚔️ you and Silver tried a lot of things. A lot. Starting with lowering the temperature in the room, practicing yoga or meditation, blankets, exercising before going to bed to tire you out and even trying aromatherapy. Yet, any of the attempts proved to be successful,

⚔️ at this point you were on brink of insanity and were heavily debating whether to politely ask Malleus to let you prick your finger on his spinning wheel, yet Silver absolutely forbade you,

⚔️ you decided to try one more thing, before going to Lilia for help,

⚔️ Silver laid on the bed beside you, as you gave him the questioning look. Soon you felt his arms wrap around you waist, pulling you closer. You buried your head in his chest, listening to his even heart beat which was soothing you. His hand gently run through your hair, as his warm breath gently tickled your skin,

⚔️ yes, you finally managed to fall asleep, 

⚔️ for one night, then you two went to Lilia, 

,,Could you at least try to stop screaming? Like, maybe that’s why I can’t fall asleep” “I’m pretty sure not, cause according to this book….”

⚡ you were surprised he didn’t yell at you. No, he listened to your frustrated rant about not getting decent amount of sleep, giving you his full attention. Sebek was going to take any necessary steps to grant your wish, 

⚡ Sebek may not show it, yet he’s worried. Extremely worried. He may not put it in the words, yet his actions will tell you everything, 

⚡ after your umpteenth sleepless night and another day of you dragging your exhausted body around the school, he is more than determined to solve your problem,

⚡ Sebek head straight to the library (after his daily duty is finished of course) and begins his research, scanning through multiple books. Honestly, your heart warms and melts at the mere sight of Sebek deeply engrossed in reading one, ancient volume, while hundred of other books are scattered over his bedroom, 

⚡ Lilia finds it extremely cute and won’t shut up about this, 

⚡ Sebek will try literally every method with you. Literally every. Strating with natural ones, ending on magical spells and asking Lilia, you both will spend few days experimenting, 

⚡ you’re both very fond of aromatherapy. You absolutely adore slowly falling asleep to the faint scent of damask rose diffusing in your room, encouraging you to sleep. Sebek always pulls you closer to his chest, while you both inhale gentle fragrances, putting you to sleep, 

[vanrouqe]

PSsssssst I'd like to request a HC with the Tweels, Sebek, and Malleus with a kuudere gender neutral s/o?? Perhaps their first thoughts when they met s/o and how they came to like each other? A bonus if they see s/o smiling and how'd they react to it-- P.S I really like your writing style and hope you progress well in the future with future followers UvU ❤❤❤

mod says: psst i’d like to thank you for your request and kind words anon!! perhaps do stop by once again 💜 i must admit im not familiar with the trope, so i had google define me what it is. i went for a general headcanon approach, i hope it is alright :D

Having a kuudere s/o

Floyd Leech

No one expected that you and Floyd would get along. While Floyd's mood can be fleeting, yours was the complete opposite with your seemingly eternal stoic expression.

He would always try to elicit a reaction from you be it by teasing you with words or by tickling your sides. You were plenty different from his peers; who he was able to easily get reactions from, so from the get-go Floyd decided that you were boring.

The turning point of your relationship would probably be the first time a witty remark slipped from your lips and Floyd would make a big deal out of it. Did he hear that right? Has he finally earned a reaction from you? He would be buzzing, poking your cheeks now and then going "Ne, ne can you say that again?"

Floyd is needless to say, full of surprises—sudden back hugs while he rests his chin atop your head, planting a quick kiss over your cheeks or a sloppy one over your lips. While most of the time, you would only stare back at him there would be times when you would feel a bit cheeky to return the kisses and Floyd loves it when you do.

During his not-so-good days, Floyd was used to being left alone to deal with his bad mood, but that change ever since you came into the picture as he would completely bask in your comfortable silence.

When he comes up to you with a sullen expression, just hold his hand and keep him close to you. Your touches be it—absentmindedly drawing circular patterns over his hand, or placing soft kisses over his jaw would; most of the time, do the trick.

You may not be that vocal about your love but Floyd knows that through these little actions there was no doubt that you care about him. Actions speak louder than words.

Bonus: The first time he saw you smile was when he started repaying you back with kisses after you pulled him out of his bad mood. It would have been in the middle of him giving you eskimo kisses that Floyd saw you smiling widely and he instantly melted.

“Koebi-chan is soo cute when they smile!” He would comment, before cupping your cheeks and start peppering your face with kisses.

Jade Leech

No one knew that you two were a couple, not even Floyd or Azul. It wasn't until Jade offered to walk you back to your dorm; as you would usually stay at Mostro Lounge until it was closing hours, that Azul noticed that something was going on.

Neither you nor Jade can remember the exact moment. Initially, you and Jade were partners in Alchemy class assigned by Crewel. Since Jade is quite reserved himself, the two of you eventually came to a mutual understanding in helping each other out even outside classes. It was like a cliché love story, lab partners turned to love partners.

Subtle. No one would think that you two were a couple, unless they really paid attention. A lot of subtle touches—lingering touches while passing laboratory apparatuses, polite nods while passing by each other in the hallway or when you pay Mostro Lounge a visit, and sharing chaste kisses when nobody is looking.

Jade loved the subtlety of your relationship and his fondness for you just grows each passing day. You're just intriguing—being the one to initiate things while keeping a nonchalant expression. Linking your arms with his, interlocking your hands together while you lightly sway it side to side, and his favorite; when you stand on your tiptoes to give him kisses.

Jade would usually ask what you were thinking about. Surely, there's more to your nonchalance that meets the eye. Maybe you were feeling a little cheeky because you would answer You. Was that an attempt of you flirting? Or was that a genuine response? Nonetheless, Jade would chuckle and throw back a compliment.

Bonus: The first time Jade saw you smile; a smile that made his heart skip a beat, was when he had you taste test a new dish they were going to serve in Mostro Lounge. It was a rare sight to behold and Jade wanted to keep that moment imprinted in his mind, your smile being his little secret.

Sebek Zigvolt

If Sebek was being honest, getting in a relationship was the last thing in his agenda, yet fate seemed to have played him.

Since he was inexperienced with dating, he would ask Lilia and/or his peers, especially Ace for tips. Making matters difficult for him since you are part of his friend circle and Ace seemingly always made sure you can hear Sebek asking for dating tips.

Teasing. There would be lots of teasing in your relationship especially from your side. Sebek is pragmatic in his own way, which you found really cute. He even has pick-up lines scribbled down on flashcards that he kept in his front pocket.

You would pick them out from his pocket when he least expected it, reading the dating tips out loud to see his cheeks go pink. Though, seeing your facial expression remain neutral through the whole thing would make him think that he was on the right track. Maybe he should ask more advices from Lilia and Ace.

Sebek makes sure that getting in a relationship would not make him neglect his duties as Malleus' vassal. He wasn't even sure if looking for Malleus or patrolling the night with you even counted as an ideal date.

When you assure him that you didn't really mind and was glad to keep him company, Sebek would already be thinking of ways to pay back your thoughtfulness tenfold.

Bonus: “Will it be alright to kiss you?” Sebek had used a gentler tone, cheeks tinting a shade of pink. It would have been the first time that you saw him completely shy. “Lilia-sama said to always make sure to ask for conse-” He had continued before you cut him off with a kiss.

It would have been the first kiss that you two had shared and Sebek's cheeks just grew pinker as he felt you smile through the kiss. “Did that answer your question?” The smile on your face didn't falter and Sebek felt himself echo your smile.

Malleus Draconia

Maybe it’s a like attracts like kind of thing. Lilia had said something along those lines the first time he had seen you and Malleus together. Malleus took you to a stroll around campus as he rambled on about gargoyles while you indulge him, snapping photos with the ghost camera.

Communication is key. Malleus is reserved, much like you so whenever you interact its all short but meaningful conversations. Though that changed entirely as time passed by, with you opening up to the fae and vice versa.

While your relationship relied heavily on communication, there would be little moments when your hand would find their way to his. It would be the first time the two of you had any form of physical contact and Malleus would look at you, an amused look painted on his face.

Interesting—he found it both odd and interesting, how you keep an unreadable expression despite it being the first time you two were holding hands and Malleus was feeling cheeky enough to test your reaction; brushing his thumb over your knuckles before squeezing your hand tight which seems all for naught when you throw him the same unreadable look.

The way Malleus sees it, your nonchalance is your charming point. Sure he has come across different types of people from the years he had walked the world, but it was his first time dealing with someone like you, firsthand. He was surprised at first, but learned to deal with; and not to mention love, you and your expression that seems to contradict your actions, especially when you were feeling affectionate. But hey, he likes it when he’s able to shower you with love and attention and seeing your face break into a smile or hear your laugh was rewarding.

Bonus: The first time Malleus saw you smile was during the earlier stages of your relationship. You had asked him to take a photo using the ghost camera and he was more than happy too.

As soon as the polaroid came out of the camera, Malleus let out a soft gasp to see the smile on your face flicker and he couldn’t help but smile too. “You should smile more” He whispers, before leaning to place a kiss over your forehead, the smile still lingering on your lips.