#ok maybe Jade isn't quite developing any hard feelings yet but

[old-hyper-super-clover]

Klee’s first club day

~ Mountain Lover’s Club ~

This is part two of @tokamiart 's, @berribabyyy 's and my MCs in their respective clubs at Night Raven College. All of them are first years experiencing their first day at club.

Please enjoy and feel free to share your thoughts ☘️🐟✨

A nervous smile was painted on Klee’s lips as he made his way to the main street. The hiking backpack felt heavy on his shoulders, but it was a good kind of burden to carry. He had made sure to pack everything he needed: his camera, notebooks for all three - flora, fauna, fungi - as well as a few older books in case he wanted to add anything to his herbarium. He had prepared a nicely arranged lunchbox for the club especially and was looking forward to eating it in a quiet corner within nature.

Klee took another peek at the information paper he had printed out for today. The group would be navigated by its club leader, namely a “Jade Leech”, through the Mirror and into a forest Klee hasn’t been in before. That fact alone had Klee excited all day, he had made it his personal quest to investigate every forest there is in Twisted Wonderland.

Truth be told, however, Klee was a bit unsure about going there with many other students that he most likely didn’t know. It might turn out great, since they must be fellow nature lovers like him, but also, he couldn’t think of a time where people had actually… supported his hobbies. Shared his fascination. Other things had always been considered “cool” and “interesting”, like sports, theatre…

Klee shook his head to ban the thought from his head. He shouldn’t be worried either way. After all, people would usually form their groups to hang out with sooner than Klee could even consider joining any of them, so he was sure he would be fine.

Stepping onto the main street, the Ignihyde student was surprised to see… no one, except for one tall figure in similar attire as himself. Since that student was looking around curiously, he was quick to spot Klee, approaching him immediately.

“Ah, there you are!”

Klee couldn't identify his dorm in that getup, instead mustering the male's appearance as a whole: his hair had a teal colour, except for a darker strand that cupped his left cheek nicely. His getup matched his hair, dressing him in earthy colours that here and there took on marine tones – was that a tiny mushroom dangling off the zipper of his jacket?

As the student came to a stop in front of him, Klee also noticed his eyes were heterochromatic, one yellow, one olive.

He also was REALLY tall. Klee had to throw his head way back to acknowledge the smooth, pale skin of his opponent.

“Judging by your equipment" The student spoke up, mustering Klee himself. "I take it that you’re Klee?”

His odd eyes were decorated with a polite smile… that however began to fade as he somehow didn't seem to receive a response. He blinked in confusion, seeing as Klee was definitely staring at him, his mouth slightly opened but not answering. "... Hello?"

“... Beautiful ” Klee breathed.

“Pardon me?” The student tilted his head. “Did I perhaps mistake you with someone else?”

Klee flinched out of his stare in a sudden.

“NO” Klee blurted out. “You are sorry, I am beautifu- I mean, YOU’RE beautiful and I am right-'' His face contorted into a stressed mess. “I… I am Klee, yes” he finally said, breathing quite heavily from the inner stroke he just had. Nodding a few times as if to reassure he did make clear what he wanted to say, Klee then looked up, surprised to see a grin on his opponent's face. “... And you are?”

“‘Beautiful’, as it seems” his opponent grinned deviously, flashing his pointy teeth that had Klee’s curious eyes widened once more. “However, you may refer to me as Jade, your clubmate.”

"Ah… okay" Klee mumbled, not hiding at all that he was still attentively analysing him, which Jade on the other hand mustered in amusement. "So you are the club leader?"

Jade chuckled. "Seeing as I am the club's founder, you could say as much, yes." He straightened the backpack on his shoulders. "Shall we get going, then?"

Klee tilted his head. "Aren't we going to wait for the other members?"

"We're the only members," Jade explained, his smile now curling bittersweet. He moved his head to point at the way ahead, so now the two of them started making their way to the hall of mirrors.

“Oh…” Klee didn’t quite know how to feel about this. He assumed he was happy about having more privacy, yet his heart was beating faster somehow…

Wasn't that… kind of…

… romantic…?

Jade kept throwing his new club member curious looks. “It is sad, truly” he let out a sigh. “No one seems to appreciate the abundance and the beauty of what surrounds us. The nature on land has miracles to offer like I have never witnessed under the sea, yet neither of my childhood…” Jade’s voice drifted off, seeing that Klee’s sparkling pair of eyes had been glued onto him again. He couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight. “You’re quite the gazer, aren’t you?”

Somehow, the teasing tone in Jade’s voice completely missed Klee. “You’re a merman?” he asked instead, gasping in awe when Jade gave a nod. “I’ve never met one before…” Several thoughts crossed Klee's head, so many that he ended up not voicing anything of that fascination within him.

The two had reached the hall of mirrors, where Jade opened one of the mirror’s gates to their destination for today. When he turned around to make sure Klee had read the flyer and knew where they were headed, he was surprised to see the freshman rummage through his stuffed backpack.

“Is something the matter?” Jade asked, impressed to see the plethora of equipment peeking out of Klee’s bag. Finally, the Ignihyde student pulled out a small notebook and got back on his feet.

“Here” Klee started. “This is my forest to-do list. It’s not completed, but I remember the places I haven’t visited yet, and a compiled list might be more useful for you.” He handed Jade the notebook. “Since you probably haven’t been able to see that many yet. And since you’re merfolk and… I’m not. Y-you don’t have to take it, but… yes.” he gave a shrug upon having realised he said all he wanted to and kept quiet afterwards.

Truly surprised, Jade skimmed through the pages. In addition to the forests’ names and locations, Klee had made an effort to note especially rare sights to look out for in each of them. Some plants or animals were highlighted with exclamation marks or little hearts, and next to a few fungi, he noted a reminder to bring enough bags to collect mushrooms for dinner.

Jade’s odd eyes jumped between this remarkably organised list and that boy who could barely see between the messy strands of hair cupping his face. Who seemed like he was both, overly aware and attentive of his surroundings, but also so far, far away, somehow.

Another smile creeped up Jade’s face. This one was genuine, however.

“Thank you,” he said. “I will take only the greatest care of it.”

Klee’s lips curled into a tiny smile of his own. “Okay, that's good.” He peeked at the mirror. “We can get going now, I’m ready.” He didn’t notice that Jade’s eyes were holding onto him for a little longer. Then the Octavinelle student gave a nod before he turned to the gate, too.

“Splendid” Jade hummed. “Then, hereby, I would like to officially welcome you into the Mountain Lover’s Club. I am looking forward to venturing through nature’s beauty with you, Klee.”

It took a moment, in which Klee’s expression was unreadable, pondering…

… then, he flashed a wide grin.

“I am looking forward to it, too, Jade.”