#maybe after the talk with Kalim I'll just 'kidnap' Jamil and take him on an enforced holiday

[viperwhispered]

I sure did not expect anyone to want to hear more about the boring and depressing real-world considerations about this but since @fishisahappydog asked. I doubt I'm the first to talk about these things, and I know someone else did the whole indentured servitude and modern day slavery comparison before, but unfortunately I don't remember who it was and couldn't find the post (if you do, lmk!).

Also I've not been playing the game that long yet and lack a lot of the cards & extra info from events, so if anyone's got additions & corrections, feel free to let me know!

But, just like, where do I even start? (below a cut because long and rambly)

Looking at the current situation:

Kalim, what do you think is a reasonable amount of hours for someone to spend working in one day? What about a week? What about while that person is also a full-time student?

Alright if it's up to Kalim at all then presumably pay at least is decent (please, at least give Jamil that if nothing else)

What about holidays? Time off? How great is it for a person and their well-being to basically be on call 24/7? Do you think that might mayhaps be kinda much to expect from someone?

I mean alright housewarden and vice housewarden duties would be taking a fair bit of time anyway, and students are choosing to do those. Quite a different deal when you voluntarily take such a position, though, versus basically having to do so because your boss just bought was handed the houcewarden position.

But Jamil's not just a vice housewarden - he's basically running the dorm, with the same workload some of the dorm leaders have (I'm not saying Kalim's a total useless idiot, but organized he is not) and being someone's fulltime attendant / servant and trying to do his studies as well.

Also yes positions of similar nature and commitment level do exist in the real world. But how often are they done by teenagers who didn't have a say in the matter?

I mean, presumably before NRC and while Kalim was living at the Al-Asim house fulltime, Jamil was far from the only attendant looking after Kalim. I don't really know how his duties evolved over time, but he's been Kalim's poison tester, his attendant, whatever for quite some time. I mean, middle school afforded Jamil more freedom than he had before that, according to him. So he has been very much involved with Kalim and having to put his needs first for a long time.

But now he's the only person looking after Kalim who's probably used to a gaggle of attendants.

I mean one could also argue Jamil can be quite overprotective and overbearing about Kalim, doing more than is strictly necessary - but considering how "failure" or problems would reflect on Jamil & his family (see below), one can't really blame him.

About their history:

I'm sure we all can agree child labor is bad, right?

Also don't get me started on just how badly the adults in Jamil's life failed him, placing him into such a position of responsibility from such a young age while neglecting his own freedom and wants. I've ranted about it before here on my main.

Now, again. There are places where children (and teens) do or have to contribute to the earnings of their family. Should they have to? They sure shouldn't.

One could also potentially liken Jamil's situation to Riddle's and others with parents who have decided the child's path and want to teach them the skills / get them the career they think would be financially viable. I mean, in his ceremonial robes Jamil for example talks about how his parents have immersed him in social situations. Again, if you're in a precarious economic situation, it certainly is a survival tactic. Should a child have to deal with that, instead of having their own freedom to choose? Nope.

Jamil's just so been robbed of his ability to choose his own path in life.

Not to even mention just how badly Jamil's missed out on the chance to just be a damn child & teenager. I mean, would Kalim want that for his siblings? Does he realize just how much Jamil has lost and missed out on?

And the whole worker exploitation and modern day slavery aspects. I've kinda touched on them already, but just

Jamil feels like he has no choice but to keep on doing what he's doing

He's been doing this since he was a child. He's still a teenager

He feels threatened to stay in his position - en and jp make different points about the severity of this threat, but still.

Totally makes for a situation where one could like, choose a job, get a sensible contract with reasonable terms and have reasonable means of getting out of said job contract for whatever reason. Totally.

Now of course this all doesn't fully take into consideration how Jamil himself feels about his situation. I mean if I were to just turn up and sprout this stuff to Kalim, I sure can see Jamil get quite offended that someone's sticking their head in business that's not theirs at all.

But damn if it doesn't frustrate me to no end that this is apparently okay and fine and nothing to worry about, according to most of the people around 🙃 Like, I sure don't remember most people in NRC being bothered at all with the situation - but then again, I'm not sure most of them really know the full extent of it, and we do have our royals (well, Malleus at least) with their own attendant situations as well.

First thing I'd do if I ended up at NRC?

Get my hands on Kalim and give him a long talk about worker's rights, children's rights, and indentured servitude, worker exploitation and modern day slavery.

[spacexseven]

in for a penny, in for a pound

i spent weeks on this huhu actually the first request i started working on but it took forever to complete :(

request from @dolcekalim - y! kalim / vil / epel fake dating reader

cw: obsession, abuse of power, drugging, poisoning, implied kidnapping, threats, toxic relationships + behaviour; vil's part has mentions of low self esteem & insecurities.

- when they play their roles too well, even you can't tell when the act is supposed to end -

when you asked kalim to fake date you, you weren't sure what you were expecting.

why did you even consider asking someone from such a prestigious background? maybe you should have asked someone you were more familiar with? but everyone knew kalim was good. too good, perhaps, to be stuck with the unruly students in night raven college. he was probably the only person who would even hear out your request without laughing in your face or some other rude response.

regardless - maybe expecting him to help you out was a little too out of bounds - maybe it was, but if kalim happily allowed you to stay in a lavish guest room in the scarabia dorm and even offered to throw a whole banquet for your birthday, there was a possibility this wasn't too big of a request, right? after all, you just needed him to corroborate your lie that you had a boyfriend already, and that was it. no unnecessary displays or words. honestly, you were mostly concerned about dealing with jamil - even if kalim agreed, jamil probably wouldn't.

"be your boyfriend?! i would love to, [name]!!!"

your disbelief must have been obvious because kalim tilted his head and stared back at you - "don't tell me, did you think i'd say no?"

you chuckle awkwardly, "well...i surely wasn't expecting such an...enthusiastic response. and i thought maybe it wouldn't look good on you to be associated with me like that, even if it's just for show."

"what do you mean? i don't care what it looks like - i've always liked you, (name)."

you smile warmly, he was taking this so seriously already! there would be no doubt in anyone's mind that the two of you were dating, just like you wished.

"thanks, kalim. you don't know how much this means to me."

he grins at you, "awe, [name] i've wanted this forever. you don't know happy you've made me."

your smile dims a little, okay, maybe he was a bit too enthusiastic. you'd talk to him about it later - kalim was always too happy to help, after all.

kalim was good at his job. maybe a little too good, because even you were confused if the two of you were just fake dating or if you were a real couple. even in private, he held your hand and kissed your cheek, despite your numerous reminders he didn't have to touch you at all.

he was glued to your side every waking moment, and even offered to let you share his room (a proposal that was met with jamil's horrified expression, and your perplexed one), and every day, he had some expensive gift for you, each one more extravagant than the last. by now, you had amassed an alarmingly priceless collection. kalim, you realize, would have for a terribly clingy boyfriend. it would have been cute in a lesser extent, or, maybe you'd have appreciated his behavior more if he was actually your boyfriend. at this point, it was just infuriating.

you were relieved when you finally got to end the charade with kalim. it had been almost a month of putting up with him, and you were done with it.

"kalim, thanks for all your help. now that everything's settled, i won't need to bother you like this anymore," you're hoping your relief isn't too obvious - but kalim looks destroyed.

"what do you mean?!" his voice is uncharacteristically upset, and it catches the attention of the few students around you, "why are you breaking up with me?"

"the 'break-up'," you whisper, "doesn't have to be so dramatic, kalim."

he looks relieved, "so we're not really breaking up, are we, [name]?" at your slightly hesitant nod, he smiles brightly.

"i'll play along, then! but what will you tell everyone if they asked why we broke up?" you assure him you'll figure it out in due time, and he squeezes your hand lightly.

so, the scene goes, and you and kalim part ways. you don't think he'd continue his act except -

the next morning, there's a huge box next to your bed. a note attached to it reads - "please take me back! i'm sorry, i'll be a better boyfriend." inside the box, you find a beautiful outfit, with matching accessories and shoes, all of which you are sure costs more than your tuition fee.

you go out to confront him, only to be greeted with kalim himself outside your door. he grins at you, and leans in closer to whisper in your ear, "i thought you might have a hard time telling everyone why we broke up, so don't worry, i took care of it! also, i've told everyone that we're throwing a great banquet tonight to celebrate our one-month anniversary - did you like what i picked out for you?"

you know, despite his generosity and seemingly air-headed nature, that kalim was just as, if not more, cunning as anyone else in nrc - as expected of the dorm leader of scarabia. however, you didn't ever think you'd be the one ensnared in a trap like this. of course kalim knew what he was doing, with his untouchable reputation, setting up a situation so calculated to ensure you can't find a way out. an anniversary feast in the scarabia dorm - kalim's dorm - whoever would listen to you claiming he was never your boyfriend to begin with? after all the expensive gifts, the grand gestures, whoever would believe you're unhappy in your relationship. to anyone else, it would seem like a dream come true.

now, pressed to his side and weighed down by the glittering jewelry he gifted you, you wish you never considered asking kalim for his help.

when you asked vil to fake date you, you could already imagine the scandalized reaction he would have in response.

after all, this was vil, pomefiore's dorm head. apart from being perfect and untouchable, he was far too out of your league. besides, it's not like you were even considered an acquaintance of his, in fact, he probably didn't know your name. not that you blamed him - compared to him, you were a nobody.

so when he scoffs, you're not too disappointed or surprised. what comes after, however, nearly makes your eyes pop out of your head.

"where are you going?" he asks, watching you attempt to sneak out of the room, "no partner of mine would walk around without ensuring they are in perfect shape first. i have to polish your mind and body until you pass my standards!"

before you can ask any more questions, vil walks away, forcing you to scurry after him in an ungraceful manner.

you didn't think you'd find yourself in this position - vil having you sit painfully still as he did your makeup. you tried to avoid staring into his eyes, but the way he held your cheek and reprimanded you when you blinked or squinted left you with no choice. you were mesmerized by his flawless features. so much in fact, you hardly noticed time fly by.

"there," he finally announces, "you look almost half as good as me now."

you blink at your reflection, not believing the person you were staring at was yourself. he had worked some kind of magic, you were sure because there was no way a little makeup elevated you that much. catching sight of your slack jaw and wide eyes, vil taps your cheek with a pen and clicks his tongue at you.

"that look is unsightly," he chides, "straighten your back and follow me."

that was only the beginning of a series of constant reminders drilled into you - comments on your posture, your looks, your clothing, your mannerisms, vil found a way to critisice everything about you. at this point, it was honestly taking a toll on your well-being. before this, you had never felt too worried about your appearance, but now, with vil's brutal comments, you were terribly insecure about everything.

you didn't really think he was trying to hurt your feelings, but sometimes his words dug just a little too deep, and his words burned worse than before. you wondered if his own dorm members had to endure the same treatment. fortunately, almost half the time you had to spend pretending to date him was over - although his idea of dating consisted of him always watching you, 'dates' with vil were superficial too - vil would monitor what you were eating, how you were sitting, it was so unbearable. you always wondered if he had any idea of how much he was troubling you.

"what do you mean, breaking up?" vil scowls, the angry expression marring his unblemished face, "i never approved of this."

you gawk at him, bewildered, "vil, i told you it was only for a month."

"no. i won't allow it. you're not leaving me, [name], not after all the effort i've been putting in to make you so perfect."

"you can't tell me what to do," you retort.

he stares at you for a moment, unnervingly quiet and calm, before raising an eyebrow, "if you're going to be so difficult..."

you don't reply this time, opting to walk away instead.

after that incident, you don't think you'll see vil again for a while. however, he approaches you after your classes end with a sightly irritated expression and a flask in his hand.

"for you."

"what is this?" you frown at the inconspicuous bottle.

he sighs, "i'm sorry for how i acted. this is a tea i made for you," at your questioning look, he rolls his eyes, "it helps with sleeping better too."

you suddenly feel self-conscious again - were your dark circles so obvious that he could tell you weren't sleeping well? nonetheless, you accepted the drink. it wouldn't hurt if you could sleep better.

"take it before you go to bed," he says. you thank him stiffly, still unsure of what he was trying to do.

back in your room, you twist open the cap and look inside. the drink itself is not too dark, and smells rather pleasant. without thinking much of it, you down the contents quickly, wondering if it will really help you sleep. after a few minutes, you start to feel drowsy. ah, it's really working, and working fast. soon, you can't stand up straight. you're far too tired now, your eyelids feel heavy and your head is spinning. your fingers are numb at the tips and you slur around your words. was it supposed to do this? desperately trying to grasp something, you blindly reach out, but to no avail. the world darkens and your mind starts to shut down. something inside you is desperately telling you to fight the feeling, but the idea of a long, much-needed rest wins you over.

vil stops by your room a couple minutes later with rook in tow. he glances at your unconscious figure curled up on the floor and leans over, grazing your cheek. with a cold smile, he lifts you up and walks out the door. when you wake up, you'll find yourself in his room again, unable to move or speak, just like he wants you. maybe then, you'll finally learn what a grave mistake it was to ask vil the question that sealed your fate.

when you asked epel to fake date you, you were expecting him to start laughing at how ridiculous the request was.

there could be worse people to ask, people who'd do more than laugh. epel was a friend - although the two of you weren't too close, you felt like you could rely on him more than you could anyone else at the nrc. honestly, you didn't know if there was anyone else you could ask. epel, who risked getting scolded by vil to hang out with you just a little longer, epel, who listened to your rants, epel, who stuck by your side ever since you entered nrc - there was nobody you'd trust more than him. despite all that, you knew this was asking too much.

you weren't expecting him to agree.

"boyfriend?!" epel looks stunned for a moment, before clearing his throat, "sure, i guess."

you're pleasantly surprised, but don't show it. instead, you tell him, "thanks, epel. i can't thank you enough."

he only reaches out to squeeze your hand lightly in response, looking away with flushed cheeks. you're taken aback for a moment - he's never acted like this before. regardless, you squeeze back, and his face lights up in a way that warms your heart. you think that this little act wouldn't be too terrible.

it wasn't that bad at all, until - until epel started acting strange. his usual greeting to you turned into a little kiss on the cheek, his name for you was some cute endearment you hadn't expected him of all people to use, his arm was always around yours, interlocked fingers. you whispered to him that he didn't need to do anything if he wasn't comfortable, but he only looked at you with a confused expression.

"but this is what couples do, yanno?"

and he was right - even if you're not a real couple, keeping up appearances was important. there was only a month left, and epel wasn't really going too overboard - even if his grip on you tightened ever so slightly when someone else talked you just a little too friendly, and even if you overheard him threatening some of the lowerclassmen to stay away from [name]! when they hung around you too much for his liking - you could handle it.

you could handle his uncharacteristic clinginess (only a few more weeks, you tell yourself), you could handle his little gifts (you don't ask him how he manages to place them inside your room), you could handle him scaring away all your friends (you can't call it off now...not after all this time, you think. a few more days and then- it'll be back to normal)

after the month is up, you cautiously shrug off epel's arm around your shoulder and attempt to make your grimace look more like a smile.

"epel," you say, "it's alright now. we don't need to keep this up."

he looks more perplexed than you'd have thought, "what do you mean?"

"i mean, we don't have to pretend to be dating. it's all resolved now. thanks for your help."

"pretend?" he scowls, "what, so my feelings don't mean anything?"

you're not sure what to say in response. weren't you clear that you had only needed him to play along for a little while? your lack of response only helps in angering him further.

"so...you never cared?"

before you can try to explain yourself (but what is there to explain?) epel storms off.

it's weird how nobody seems to notice you now. your old friends don't respond to your messages, and sometimes, they blatantly ignore you when you try to talk to them in class. perhaps, if you looked closer, you might have seen the way they trembled when you approached them, you might have spotted the frightened, wide-eyed looks they shot epel when he walked past, and maybe you would have realized it was never your fault.

you're sitting alone again, feeling invisible amongst the crowd. quietly, you let your eyes wander. how was it that everyone seemed to go on with life as if you never existed? suddenly, you feel a presence behind you, and you slowly glance back.

"hi," epel waves at you awkwardly. his eyes are trained on the floor, as if he was nervous, "...i noticed you're sitting alone?"

you just shrug, not wanting to respond.

"even if you have nobody," he says, eyes looking into yours, instantly shining with emotion, "i'll always be here with you, [name]."

you want to tell him that you only need a friend, not whatever he wants to be. you want to ask him if it's his fault nobody talks to you anymore. but the feeling of being seen and cared for, after being ignored for these painful days, overrules your logical thinking. finally, someone was looking at you and talking to you like you weren't a ghost.

and so, when epel wraps his arms around you, you can't find yourself to move away. immediately, all eyes are on the both of you, despite nobody even glancing your way just moments ago, and the crushing embarrassment and confusion freeze you in place. what was he doing? why were they all looking?

"put me before everyone else," he whispers into your ear, "and i promise everything will go back to how it was."

you feel yourself relax into his embrace, and wonder if it was worth it. whether or not he keeps his promise, you had no choice. it was him or nobody at all. friend or not, you should have known better than to ask him.

yes this is unedited bc i want to update at least once a week :D sorry pls ignore mistakes i am tired :( the person who requested this was really sweet so i hope u like it <3

[suns-pott]

I see you are okay with yandere requests?

I was wondering if you would write hcs of yandere dorm leaders and how they would court their crush?

Ooo a fun one :D

TW: Kidnapping, a little swearing

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Riddle Rosehearts

He wouldn't know how to cope with his initial feelings for you.

He'd never felt that way about anyone before, and here you are, a magicless, normal human, making him catch feelings.

The confusion lead to...rage.

Whenever you visited Heartslabyul with Deuce and Ace he would point out every little mistake you made against the rules.

It got to the point where you wouldn't want to go to Heartslabyul in fear of Riddle punishing you.

When he realized that he scared you away, he tried to be nicer to you....but it was too late to change that.

He went for plan b.

kidnapping you.

He doesn't understand why you're resisting so much

Don't you get it? He loves you, he's doing this all for you.

"It's just you and me, no one else...why are you crying? I did this all for you!"

Leona Kingscholar

He could tell that he liked you. He wasn't stupid.

He saw you, and he wanted you.

You would only visit Savanna claw every once in a while.

The people there were irritable assholes.

Unlike Riddle, he didn't bother fixing your perception of him, he just stole you away to be with him.

You better cooperate, he has very little patience.

He couldn't even be king of his own kingdom, he had to have something that was just his.

He doesn't understand why you're crying though.

He hasn't done anything to you, stop crying.

He very quickly reminds you that he could do far worse than you could even imagine.

"Oi, I haven't done anything to you, so shut up and listen."

Azul Ashengrotto

Azul knew he liked you, but was too bashful to approach you most of the time.

Considering his past, he thought that you would think of him like everyone else.

But that wasn't the case.

Even after what he did to your friends, you still treated him with kindness.

Why?

At first, he thought you were trying to lead him on with kindness, only to yank it out from under him and humiliate him all over again.

But he wasn't naive. He wouldn't let that happen.

So he avoided you. But you never let down what to him, was the facade of kindness.

But his feelings never went away.

he had to have you, he was a greedy octopus after all.

"My dear, it seems as though you've been very kind to me, so I shall return the favor tenfold. All you need to do is sign this."

Kalim Al-Asim

Didn't understand that he had feelings for you.

So he talked to Jamil about it.

Jamil helps him with everything!

Once he realized, he wanted to hang out with you even more, give you gifts, give you a ride on his magic carpet,

He could give you everything you've ever wanted! So why are you saying no?

Kalim had no limits to what he could do, so that made him come off too strong to you.

Don't get it wrong, you appreciated the gifts, but you don't need all these things.

You tried to gently tell him that, and he took it fairly well.

You didn't anticipate that he'd double down on everything else.

"Oh ok, well we can have dinner together instead, I'll have Jamil cook up the best meal all for you! Then after we can go on a magic carpet ride!"

Vil Schoenheit

Vil wouldn't understand why he fell for you.

There wasn't anything special about you.

At first.

He saw how kind you were to your friends, especially to Epel.

The baby potato from the countryside was getting all the special treatment.

He wouldn't admit he was jealous and craving attention, instead he would try to find you walking around campus, alone.

He didn't understand why you seemed to dislike him though. Maybe it was the comments on your appearance, maybe it was calling you a potato, maybe it was both.

You don't understand, you have the potential to be almost as beautiful as him.

So why are you avoiding him?

If only you had listened to his advice he wouldn't have had to do this.

"Don't cry, it ruins your natural beauty. You should really take better care of your skin, or else you'll never be as beautiful as me."

Idia Shroud

The poor shut-in would have no idea how to cope with his feelings.

Is this like one of those romance visual novels?

He honestly believes that there's no way you'd like him back. He was a shut in that barely talks to anyone after all.

He ends up avoiding you, which shouldn't be too hard considering he barely leaves his room.

But why are you still trying to talk to him?

Your kind and considerate nature just makes him fall for you more.

You even play video games with him in his room sometimes.

Thinking about you makes him go crazy! Your kind and gentle personality, that beautiful smile and that chirping voice.

You're too pure for this ugly world.

He had to keep you safe, what place is safer than his room where he can keep an eye on you?

"I-I had to save you from that world! Oh please don't cry, we can play video games together like we used to. Wouldn't that be fun...?"

Malleus Dranconia

He would always see you when you'd take night walks together.

There was something about you that he couldn't get enough of, he wanted to see you more.

Especially as one of the only people that isn't afraid of him.

Oh, poor naive you, you couldn't see the warning signs.

You and Malleus made your walks a nightly routine, and you'd tell him things happening in your life, and he'd listen.

He would give you...advice.

And you believed him.

"Those first year friends of yours sure do cause trouble. Why else would they make a deal with the leader of Octavinelle? They don't seem very reliable."

At first you didn't believe him, but the doubt crept in. But you didn't want this.

You never wanted this.

"Child of man, why are you crying? I had to help you get away from those rotten friends of yours."