#you now fear how much of it is left which malleus and Lilia know and feel all to well

[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 🥹💞💚

[moonyasnow]

Sleeping Beauty's Tentative Prince.

PROMPT : They kiss you in your sleep

CHARACTERS : Ace, Jack, Malleus, Sebek

CONTENT : fluff and angst, pre-relationship, they are PI-NING, the fae have…strange priorities. or maybe it's just Lilia in particular(Malleus' part), internalized racism (Sebek's part)

—

I do NOT condone doing this in real life to someone who hasn't consented. But this is fiction so fuck it we ball

While you were awake, he could not show the affection to you that he wished he could, caught up in his own fears it might not be reciprocated and could strain your current relationship.

But in sleep, you would never know. In sleep, he could more easily deliberate upon his fondness for you, as much confusion, anxiety, fear, hope and longing as they brought him.

Ace

Ace Trappola portrayed himself as a 'coaster extraordinaire', gliding only where turf is smooth, dancing through life without a care in the world for anything besides goofing off with his friends. Stuff like 'love' and 'romance' wasn't on his radar, deciding he'd rather steer clear of it after an experience dating in middle school that left him feeling so utterly...bored, not really there, as having to live up to some ideal decided by his partner. Was that what all those books and songs and movies was hyping up? He felt lied to! It wasn't fun, and he couldn't understand how his now ex-girlfriend, or anyone else for that matter, really thought of any of that stuff as desirable!

The 'ghost bride', Eliza, was really just a personification of everything that made him want to steer clear of it. After she finally decided to shuffle off this mortal coil for good, along with her equally ghost— to Idia's utter relief— husband, too tired from all that fighting to really feel like it was worth it, he decided he'd rather crash at Ramshackle than walk all the way back to Heartlsabyul.

You declared you'd make it a sleepover, which was why he was laying in a sleeping bag on the musty living room floor of the ancient, decrepit house, creaking and groaning from the wind and its own whims. You laid next to him, on a mattress(unfair of you not to bring a second, by the way), sound asleep. He was kinda envious of you in that moment, you know?

Despite how dead tired he was after not only all the battle stuff but cleaning up the cafeteria on top of it, sleep just wouldn't bless him with its embrace. And desptire how much he didn't want to, especially not after all the other first-years— including Deuce, the bastard— made fun of him for the thought he'd already put into it...he found the topic of 'love' spinning around his head again.

He sure as hell didn't want the kind that Eliza'd idealized it to be. The others claimed that he, out of all the other suitors, did at least seem to know what he wanted. "...someone you can laugh with, and cry with...someone who'll stick with you through all the hard times..." He felt flustered and like an idiot recalling he'd said that for the entire room to hear, even more so due to the fact they'd caught on he was actually being genuine.

Then for some inexplicable reason he got an urge to turn his head to look at you. You looked about as tired as he felt. By that meaning you looked terrible. Or so he'd say if you were asking him why he was staring. Why was he staring? Probably because he was concerned. Just a little bit. Crowley already threw enough shit your way on the regular anyway, now you have to deal with this, too. And he never understood why you still tried so hard.

You, while not even having magic, had still given it your all during those battles, throwing rocks and twigs and even a goddamn wall-mounted candlestick— or well, that used to be wall-mounted, though apparently not as well as anyone thought they were if you could just pull it off the wall— at the ghosts. It phased right through them, obviously, but it'd annoyed and distracted them enough to make his and the others' job a whole lot easier. It was long past time for him to take back everything he said about you the first day you met by the school's Main Street.

You really had become an all-in-one janitor, photographer, therapist, and law-enforcer in one in the time you'd been here. It really wasn't fair. But you'd once told him it was easier since you had him and the rest of the braincell squad around. And he had to admit, it was the same for him. When it came to you in particular. Sure, he liked Deuce, and maybe Grim too just a little bit, but having you there was...special. He's not sure how he would've dealt with the incident at that one absolutely horrible unbirthday party and his Housewarden's total freak-out if you weren't there...or if, before it, he'd have had to spend the night in Ramshackle all alone with just the ghosts for company.

His eyes widened. Wait... He started to feel warm from top to bottom. He didn't mean it like— you weren't— y-you were just buds! You know? Friends. Just friends. And then he wanted to strangle someone when he realized those words tasted bitter in his mouth. Getting up on his elbow and looking at your sleeping face he couldn't place every thought whirring through his head. He thought you were kinda pretty or whatever, sure, but it's not weird to think your friend is pretty! And maybe...

No. Try as he might, every new excuse he came up with for why that couldn't be the case was just that; an excuse. He liked you. As more than just a friend. Maybe he kept trying to deny it because of how different this felt to his middle-school girlfriend. He thought she was cute and all, but he felt so alone when he was with her. Like she was seeing some boyfriend-shaped cut-out in place of him. He never felt alone when he was with you. And he sure as hell would never take a whole day's worth of public transport to school on a break for anyone else.

But it's not like he was planning for this. It felt strange, the way you went from 'best friend' to 'best friend I wanna be with' in his mind. Because, those categories weren't supposed to intersect, were they? Or could they? It just felt weird.

…But when he got past his initial shock, he realized that, thinking of you that way felt…natural. It was strange. Strange that it wasn't something he had to psyche himself up for. Maybe he was more like Eliza than he initially realized, in that way. Not noticing that kind of love when it was right in front of him. Maybe he'd also gotten caught up in that idealization of love, never realizing before that love actually could be with someone like that…someone he cherished like a best friend.

Laying down again and turning his whole body to face you properly, he stared at you. You really were pretty. Not in that way where you see someone and can just tell whether they're pretty or not. Not in the attraction kinda way either. Well, there might have been a little bit of that too. But mostly, there was just something...special, about you.

About your face, and your eyes, hair, shoulders, nose, chin, neck, hands and just— everything. Just looking at you made him feel warm. It usually did. But especially in that moment. It was weird, how just thinking those things seemed to jump-start his heart like some old motor, because now it was racing in the night. He found himself leaning closer, until his breath fanned at your lips. Looking at you from such a close proximity was weird. Sure, he might wrap an arm around or lean it on your shoulder pretty often, and do things like flick your forehead or your nose to see you pouting at him, but you'd never really been this close before. The tips of your noses were touching.

He was planning on moving away. He really was. But then you shifted in your sleep and your lips brushed softly against his.

As quickly as he could, he almost leapt backwards and turned his back to you and hoped to the Seven you didn't realize. Not then, not the next morning— not ever.

He closed his eyes and tried to go back to sleep, and calm his racing heartbeat.

Sadly for him, he laid awake all night thinking about it and didn't get a lick of sleep.

He kinda hoped he could do it again one day. With you awake this time, of course. Yeah...with you, it might not be so bad. The Underworld would freeze over before he ever told you that though. Well, that was hyperbole. He just wanted to make sure you wouldn't like…laugh at him for it, or something.

…Maybe accidents weren't so bad sometimes.

Jack

Having grown up knowing that his parents, his grandparents, and most likely their parents and grandparents too, were mated for life— that they found each other and that was it— Jack Howl had always been sure that's how it would go for him too. That when he found 'the one' everything would be easy, and make sense instantly. And when he started to feel a strange new pressure in his chest around you, a desire to protect you more than even his other friends, he was sure that this was it. Yet something happened which he hadn't considered.

The person he fell for wasn't another wolf beastperson, nor any other kind of beastperson or mer who mated for life. You were human. And humans very much did not mate for life, as much as some might claim they would like to. For the first time he started to feel a bit of doubt about his future life plan. He was sure you were 'the one' for him… But now he had to start to contest with the fact that, he might not be 'the one' in your eyes.

So, he thought…he would try to court you in some way. Make it clear he could be a good partner for you.

During the second night at Vargas' training camp, when Grim hadn't returned from going to get blankets with the others, you had become so worried that you tried to run off to go looking for him. And Jack felt like he had no choice but to go with you; he would never risk you running into the shadow while alone. It definitely wasn't the smartest decision, and he had tried to stop you. But you had argued against him, insisting you wouldn't just leave Grim behind, no matter how much danger it put you in. That was something he had always respected about you; you always looked out for those in you pack. And he agreed to go with; he'd do the same for you— and then some— if you went missing, after all. But an hour of walking later, and you both realized that…you were lost. Now, not only was Grim gone, but those who remained at camp would think you both were gone, too.

You two had been walking for hours searching for the way back to no avail, when you had given up, swaying on your feet, saying you couldn't take another step. His eyes shot up in surprise, having been too caught up in getting you both back to camp to consider you didn't have anywhere near his levels of stamina, his ears flattening against his head with both guilt and a bit of embarrassment— guilt at not having realized you couldn't keep up, and embarrassment at not remembering the way back well enough. More like shame, really. He felt sure camp was the safest place for both of you right now, yet in his haste to follow you to make sure nothing jumped out at you, he'd neglected to keep good enough track of the scents around you both to be able to lead the way back. That wasn't how a good partner was supposed to behave! He was supposed to be able to make sure you were safe.

You were the one to suggest, with the night being so cold, that you sleep close to one another. He balked at the suggestion once it left your mouth, trying to hide the furious blush he knew would overtake his face if he let it— letting you see him like that would be way too embarrassing to consider; he was supposed to be cool! So you'd know he could protect you! Not act like some lovesi— o-overly affectionate— puppy! But when you reasoned that it was to conserve heat, to make sure neither of you ever became cold enough for it to be truly dangerous, he had no argument against it, and so was forced to go along with it. He didn't want you to freeze, after all. And no, don't misunderstand him! His tail did NOT just start wagging! And if it did, i-it was just nerves! N-not at being close to you— the shadow! NOT TO SAY HE COULDN'T TAKE ON THE SHADOW IF IT APPEARED—

He had to force himself to keep quiet, lest he put his foot in his mouth again.

He'd assumed you would just be sleeping next to each other. So when you slotted yourself right in his arms, your head on his chest, he froze in place, begging for dear life that you weren't hearing the way his heart was now racing. No matter if you did or not, you soon fell asleep. But Jack, like a protective guard dog (a comparison he didn't like but couldn't exactly deny at this moment) stayed awake for a while longer to make sure the area was truly safe, leading to him becoming lost in his thoughts.

He was confused why you were here at all. You weren't even part of a sports club! Or any club at all, for that matter; running errands for Crowley ate up too much of your time for you to be able to join one. But you were still here. You had claimed it was better than spending that time in school figuring out a way for a magicless student to succeed in magic assignments, Grim not often being fond of cooperating if there was no tuna involved, much to your frequent frustration. But it still really didn't sit right with him that you got caught up in all this when you were only meant to be there to take pictures. He thought Crowley should definitely compensate you for this, since you got caught in danger due to him making you go along with them. But by now he'd wised up enough to realize that was never going to happen. The thought began to really get on his nerves.

It was insane, how Crowley treated you like some slave with no mind or will of your own. Even worse, a disposable one he kept throwing at problems— dangerous problems...he still wasn't over how close you'd come to being seriously injured in the fight at the Mostro Lounge— that should have been CROWLEY'S job to handle. He almost began to growl just thinking about it. The mere thought of you, his m— friend...his good...friend...being hurt in the slightest scared him. Enough that his arms unconsciously tightened around you. The scent of your hair, a reminder you were currently not in danger, put him at ease. He exhaled in silent relief.

…If…

After you both graduate, if he asked you to come with him back to his home in the Shaftlands, what would you say? He'd be able to keep you safe. Make sure you never had to live like this again. What with your status as not being from this world and thus having no legal identifying paperwork, getting a job would probably be hard for you. So he'd get a job and support both you and him. And Grim, of course— if Grim was your pack, he was Jack's, too. He was already sure his family would love you, and welcome you with open arms. And then one day down the line he'd—

He couldn't bring himself to finish his thought, face having grown far too red. But his tail wouldn't stop wagging. He might have thought of it before, but that was when you weren't literally sleeping in his arms. You being so close just...made everything feel too real.

He took a deep breath to clear his mind. What mattered right now was that he would keep you safe. Take care of you. Now…and hopefully, you'd allow him to do the same in the future.

But the fuzzy, excited feelings brought on by the thought he didn't finish didn't leave him, them and your scent lulling him further into a comfortable sleepiness. So close to sleep and overflowing with affection, he didn't even notice, let alone have the sense to stop himself, from placing a kiss to your forehead, snuggling up closer to you to make sure you kept warm, unconsciously smiling against the top of your head as he, too, was claimed by sleep.

It just felt so...right, to hold you.

…The next morning you were confused by why he refused to look you in the eye.

Malleus

Malleus Draconia, crown prince and heir to the fae Kingdom of Briar Valley, was used to spending his time alone. Used to having only his guards and mentor for company. Used to spending hours wandering through empty stone hallways and rigorously up-kept gardens where none but he, his beloved gargoyles, and the occasional critter dared wander.

Perhaps that was because of him.

Though he came to Night Raven College to 'broaden his horizons', after the first few months or so of classes in which he was left to work alone even on group projects, smelling the fear of his peers in the air, he had all but given up on finding an actual friend. Someone who would stay by his side not out of duty or necessity, but purely out of desire to.

The way you haphazardly seemed to stumble into his life and make a home for yourself in his hollow ruin of solitude had still not caught up with him, even months later.

It was late in the evening, the old decrepit clock in Ramshackle had just struck 12. You were on the couch, leaning against him, asleep on his shoulder as he read a book. Or at least, he had been trying to. For all of five minutes. The soft pressure of your body leaning against his arm had made him lose all focus for anything not related to you. So here he was, staring like a fool at your sleeping figure.

That you, so small and fragile compared to him, were not afraid of the dragon by your side— the horned beast with power enough to destroy most of the school with less than a snap of his fingers— never ceased to amaze him. Yet it was on nights like these, when you were too tired to go for your usual evening walk with him yet still wanted him near, that left him most awestruck. Not only did you say, with your own words, that you wished to be by his side despite your lack of energy…you trusted him enough to fall asleep in his presence. Leaning against his shoulder, no less. It intoxicated his heart with pride, peace and longing in equal measure.

Yet, it only occurred to him the first time it happened that he had never seen another's sleeping face before. At least, not with their knowledge. He had seen you resting through your window on his late-night strolls before. Yet this was different. You allowed him this. If he did not already think you were the most beautiful thing his eyes had ever bore witness to, he did once he saw the gentle, peaceful expression on your face so close. He couldn't help but liken you to the sleeping princess in the old story of the Thorn Witch from his homeland. Sleeping so peacefully…all whilst leaning against a dragon.

His heart ached with feelings he had no words for as he stared at your face, streaked with moonlight, book long since forgotten. Cupping your cheek, he cursed the leather gloves keeping him from truly feeling your skin. In the back of his mind he harbored a fear he dare not put into words: that were he to feel your skin against his, it would be a point of no return, and he would never be able to go without it again. A curse to one such as him, who— his logic was much too aware for his liking— would be forced to grow accustomed to losing the touch of all things in time.

Yet his emotions, not bound by logic of any kind, wondered if you would like that. If him discarding his inhibitions and letting his gloveless hands roam every inch of your body would delight you the same way the mere thought did him. One part of him told him that 'yes, you would'; he was the fae prince, one of the most talented mages alive. He could keep you safe, give you anything you could ever desire. Yet another part of him said 'perhaps not' with barely any hesitation. He was a dragon, feared by man and fae alike for his power which could wipe out whole nations, should he desire to. The conflicting answers left him with a confusing sense of whiplash, not knowing which to trust. Yet, since you were not, unlike many, afraid of him, he found himself hoping your answer would fall more in line with the former…

Heart filled with trepidation and yearning in conflict with one another, he searched his mind for that always comforting anchor of knowledge that was Lilia's words. All that came to mind regarding the matter of kisses was that 'it was not to be done once the sun had set', which to him was good enough reason to force himself to abstain. Or at least, so he'd hoped. He wished to listen to his mentor's words, clung to them when his own young mind felt overcome with what he wished to do instead of what he ought to do…yet found he could not. At least, not fully.

Holding your warm hand in his which was cold beneath his gloves, the heat still slowly seeping from yours to his, yours appeared so small. As Malleus resisted the urge to rub his nose against yours, he felt his pulse beat in his throat. A metaphorical fire lit in the candle of his heart, flaring higher as he slowly neared your lips.

At the last second he managed to force himself to place his gloved hand gently over your mouth, placing a light, chaste kiss to the back of it.

He yearned to traverse further, to not have this self-imposed barrier in his way, to truly know if your lips were as soft as he imagined them to be, if they tasted as sweet. It was difficult to draw a line for himself. But, despite pouting through it, he still did. Once more recalling Lilia's words of wisdom: it would be impolite to steal your first kiss— or at least, so Malleus assumed it was— without your knowledge, after all.

After that he made up his mind to keep himself in check. That was enough for tonight, he thought and tried to return to his book. But his thoughts never stopped drifting to you.

It equally unsettled and enthralled him.

Sebek

The son of a human father and a fae mother— a fae mother who went entirely against the norms and expectations of her people and culture to marry a human man, a man whose people had hurt hers, and whose union with her had barely been accepted, much less understood— to say that Sebek Ziegvolt feels many conflicting emotions interacting with humans would be an understatement.

He, having seen the scorn his parents' union brought his mother, had vowed as a young child that he would 'never be stupid enough to choose to marry a human'. For he, at his young age, fully believed it was something he had control over. And he still did well into his teens, Lilia's explanation that love cared not for what people had decided, while he admired, revered and respected the older fae greatly, was still not quite enough to persuade him that there could ever be a possibility of him, Sebek Ziegvolt, proud knight of the Lord Malleus Draconia, deigning to fall for a mere human. He couldn’t understand the appeal in any way, shape or form. Human were weak. Fae— he— were strong.

What use had the strong for the weak?

But when you saw him freezing in the cold winter air, you wrapped your scarf around him. He, predictably, began to chastise you, claiming through a runny nose that as a human you were weaker than he and that he could handle this cold, and would not lose to mere weather— which was evidently not the case, as his own words were cut off by a big sneeze, to which you simply laughed. What nerve you had, he thought, for you, a mere human, to laugh at him, Sebek Ziegvolt. To laugh at his weakness! But his thoughts stopped dead in their tracks when you removed the hand covering your mouth and he saw your smile. It was...dazzling. A depiction of beauty which he had only heard described before.

In his daze he almost missed you taking a napkin out of your pocket and wiping away the mess under his nose, still smiling at him the same way.

Though he chided you, claiming to not need it, he was powerless to stop the stutter in his heart at your gesture. The tip of your finger grazed his jaw for a fraction of a second as you withdrew your hands, and it haunted his dreams for weeks. And the gentle smile on your face, showing, as far as he knew, nothing but sincere care for him, was enough to make him feel as though he didn't need the scarf at all.

It was...dizzying.

He saw his displays of weakness as just that: weakness, not vulnerability. In his eyes he must not have either to be able to be a good, no, even passable knight to his Young Master! Deep down he knew his Lord Malleus was already strong enough to not really need a knight. But he could never shake the worry it was on him, that he didn't need a knight because Sebek wasn't knightly enough. That was why he worked so hard. His position, with Lord Malleus, in life, had to mean something. Make him mean something.

But you never seemed to care for how he thought of it, showing him small gestures of kindness over and over again. In time he found he had begun to expect those small gestures, despite how he might still had insisted they were unnecessary. That you continued them despite his insistence...warmed him, just like when you lent him your scarf— which he always returned to you each day, knowing you would wrap it around him again the next.

At first he was sure you must have bewitched him, cast some manner of curse upon him— forgetting the fact that you, as magicless, would not be capable of such a feat— for he could find no other logical explanation for what the feeling of full-body lightness and heart-stuttering you brought upon him could be. At least...none he wanted to listen to; none that made sense to him.

You were human.

What he could never let himself be.

And he, the knight of Malleus Draconia, couldn't make the same strange choice as his mother, no matter how highly he respected her.

Yet whether he wished to or not, they'd taken hold of him, struck his heart like lightning, leaving a permanent mark of you on his very being.

It was shortly after that incident that he had, one evening, come to Ramshackle in search of Lord Malleus, and instead found you on one of the Dorm's benches, looking moments away from sleep. For a moment, thoughts of his search for his liege left his mind. When he asked what you were doing out alone this late at night, interrogating you like you'd broken some kind of curfew Ramshackle didn't have, you smiled and said you were waiting for Malleus to go on your usual evening stroll with him. Something about that gave him a sour feeling in his chest. For you or for Lord Malleus, he couldn't say.

Huffing, he said he might as well wait with you. You said nothing at that, just smiled and patted the spot next to you. Reluctantly, he did.

You sat in silence for a while, him trying to ignore the way so many feelings he couldn't figure out the meanings of stung at his chest. He was so caught up in his mind that it was only once he'd finally figured out something to say to you and took a deep breath that he realized his shoulder felt heavier, and he looked over to see you leaning against it, sound asleep. He was about to begin to scold you for falling asleep while waiting for his Young Master! It was bad enough his Lord Malleus had to endure the tardiness of Silver on acount of the latter's propensity for falling into slumber at any given moment! But when he looked at your face again, the words, for once, froze in his throat and fizzled away.

The way your mouth was left slightly agape, leaving a small trail of drool running down your chin, really should have appalled him, been seen as something pathetic, left him feeling distaste of some kind. But when you'd still smiled at him when he had snot running from his nose, how could he?

Maybe it was fine to…let you sleep. You didn't fall asleep like this often anyway…

As gently as he could, so as not to wake you, he lifted your body up and sat you in his lap, shifting and angling himself to allow your legs to still hang over the edge of the bench, now exchanged for his legs. He looked up at your sleeping expression in reverence, bringing his thumb to wipe away your drool. In his other hand he took yours, which had been hanging limply at your side. With his other arm around your waist to keep you from tipping over, he leaned his head, cheeks burning, against your shoulder, yours falling atop his as he did.

Closing his eyes, he pressed a tender kiss to the back of your hand.

His heart fluttered with a novel tenderness...yet not one he found he minded. He would guard you as you slept. Care for you in your 'weakness', just as you had him in his.

To love a human might not be something he was yet capable of. But, if you would extend to him the same, not a half-fae, but him...

...he might be able to love you.

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First of all I just want to say: Thank you thank you thank you SO MUCH to everyone who engaged at all with my last (and first) writing post! > <

Knowing people like my writing was such a massive motivation-boost to me! I tend to struggle with perfectionism and feeling like my writing isn't good enough by my own standards, so all that stuff is very, very appreciated!

I also wanna say sorry if any of them seemed OOC— aside from Malleus, I don't feel as confident in writing these characters as I do for the characters in my first post, since I don't know them as well yet. A big thank you to @yuurei20 for their TWST character fact sheets (found here) for the help! And also to the people who contribute to the the English TWST wiki!

Lastly: A reminder if you didn't already know, that I do, in fact, take requests! Coming up with WHAT to write is usually the hardest part for me; when I get past that I have a blast! ^^

...Also I think doing the research for this has skyrocketed Sebek up my 'favorite TWST characters' list because damn. That's rough, buddy. And honestly same in a way. His part was definitely my favorite to write.

[hxrukii]

Hello!! I just read you Pinkie!Reader Fic(It was so cute!!) and I was wondering if you could do one for Rainbow Dash or Fluttershy(Your choice) For Floyd, Malleus and Riddle?

If not please just ignore this

Byee! :3

❝Turns out the only thing I liked more than flying fast... was winning!❞

╭・๑ 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲︰ʚ Some of NRC student with a Rainbow Dash!Reader.‧₊˚✦

‧₊˚↷ 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫(𝐬)┊❝ Floyd Leech, Malleus Draconia, Riddle Rosehearts. ❞ ⸜⸜*

↷︰ʚ 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞 ‧₊˚✦ Reader is female can be read as Yuu. I'm so so sorry this took so long 😭 my motivation comes and go like the wind fr

╰・𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠(𝐬) ‧₊˚꒰ Spoiler for book 1 ig. ɞ‧✦

Everything will become a competition whenever the two of them are together.

Both Floyd and Rainbow Dash!Reader hates losing so they will do anything to win, even using more underhanded tactics to win, though Rainbow Dash!Reader tends to be more reasonable.

Feel like Rainbow Dash!Reader would probably want to join the Track and Field club so she and Floyd compare the amount of tournaments they won (just like Hinata and Kageyama from Haikyuu!!), this also motivates Floyd to actually try to win in basketball tournaments, to which the Basketball club is extremely grateful for.

Whenever Rainbow Dash!Reader and Floyd's class have PE together, Floyd likes to challenge her to see who flies the fastest, Rainbow Dash!Reader with her wings or Floyd on a broom. It usually ends with Rainbow Dash!Reader winning, except when they go to long since she doesn't have the endurance to go long distance.

When Floyd saw Rainbow Dash!Reader's Sonic Rainboom for the first time, he was super excited, asking questions left and right. How did you do that? Does it only occurs when you go super fast? How does it feel when it happens? The questions just doesn't stop coming, until Jade and Azul drag him away that is.

Floyd seems like the type to ask Rainbow Dash!Reader to carry him while she flies to maybe one day experience a Sonic Rainboom first hand.

When Floyd and Rainbow Dash!Reader aren't in competition though, they both are just a nightmare for NRC. Nobody is safe from their pranks, except maybe Lilia and Jade, Lilia probably even joins them in their shenanigans while Jade is silently encouraging them.

The both of them are now the most feared couple in NRC, congrats. Riddle will not be seen within a ten mile radius from them.

"Aha, Shrimpy~ I just won another basketball tournament. Guess that's one more point for me~! "

Just like Floyd, Malleus would be very interested in how Rainbow Dash!Reader's Sonic Rainboom works. He's actually never seen anything like that before!

Would ask a lot of questions about it.

Probably would also ask about Rainbow Dash!Reader jobs back in her own world, like what exactly is weather patrol about? Does that mean that you can just make it rain whenever you feel like it? It's quite similar to his own ability to control the weather near Diasomnia no?

I think that Rajnbow Dash!Reader and Lilia would get along great, so Malleus would probably be glad that she gets along with him.

Would often watch as Rainbow Dash!Reader and Lilia go around prancing every single NRC students. Especially Sebek who is often victim of their shenanigans.

Finds Rainbow Dash!Reader's mischievousness quite amusing.

Whenever Rainbow Dash!Reader would want to go for a fly, Malleus would probably use his broom to fly alongside her.

Who knows, maybe one day he'll fly with her in his dragon form!

Tbh, he would probably take great care of Rainbow Dash!Reader's pet tortoise, encouraging it whenever the tortoise tries to keep up with her.

Due to Rainbow Dash!Reader's competitiveness, Malleus often finds himself being challenged by her, though he always accept her request gladly since that's just more time for the two of them to hangout.

Malleus if often the victors of these challenges, much to Rainbow Dash!Reader's dismay and frustration.

"Oh? You want to challenge me to another race? You really know no fear, Child of Man. Very well then, I shall accept your challenge."

That one couple who's always at each other throats.

Riddle is often victim to Rainbow Dash!Reader dismay, much to his dismay and Rainbow Dash!Reader's amusement.

Both of them are very, very confident in themselves, so there will always be an argument on who is right whenever they disagree with each other. Though it never really went to far since both of them knows how to back off when things get too heated.

Their confidence would also lead to a lot of competitiveness, though their never really on equal footing since whereas Riddle is excellent in magic, Rainbow Dash!Reader can't even use magic, and where Riddle lacks in anything to do physical abilities (except horse riding) , Rainbow Dash!Reader excels in them.

Though it may not look like it, ever since his overblot, Riddle is very grateful for Rainbow Dash!Reader's bluntness, since she tends to talk him off whenever he is too strict or when his anger takes a hold of him.

Would also be interested in Rainbow Dash!Reader's Sonic Rainboom, but from a more scientific point of you. So you are saying that it only happens when you fly faster then the speed of sound? Doesn't it impact your hearing? What exactly does it feel like? Ect... a lot of scientific questions, and he expects answers!

Riddle would also probably admire Rainbow Dash!Reader's flying skill, since he himself is less skilled in flight than he would like to be.

Would probably ask for tips in flight, though he's not sure if flying with wings requires the same skill as flying on a broom. But trying can't hurt.

"I will not fall for one of your pranks again! You should really tone those down! Or else it will be off with your head! What do you mean it doesn't work on you anyway?!"

꒰ ◁ ꒱┊❝Back to Floyd, Malleus, Riddle's Masterlist❞

[chernabogs]

Stasis

Inc: Lilia, Malleus (egg), Maleficia WC: 2k Warnings: C7 spoilers (heavy), discussions of death/rot Summary: To wrap that child in his magic, to lull him into a gentle rest until the time is right and he can come into a world where he knows no death—is that not the greatest act of kindness? The greatest act of love? (i wrote this then went a lil goofy)

There is a glorification of dying in battle that is so deeply ingrained in their culture, that one would think it was woven in with the clay and the magic that was used to create them. It’s as though the gods, when their hands were forming mouths to scream and eyes to weep, asked those very first Fae;

so, how shall you decay? how shall you crumble to these foundations, of which I build you on so gently?

And when the Fae did not speak—for voices had not yet been given—those very same creators deemed that only through sword and through arrow could a noble death be found. Perhaps that is why they failed to grant immunity to those who were expunged from the Otherworld—discarded to the realms of man like naked, starving wraiths, scrambling in the shadows to build up the foundations of life in a mockery of their own creation. 

The descendants of that first generation feast off the bounty of those struggles with a never satiated hunger. Lilia knows; he bore witness to it first-hand in youth. Tattered memories remain in the scarce edges of his mind of who the two that raised him were before the collapse. There are moments by the ocean, where baby-blue waves kiss pale feet and sand dots raven hair, and there are moments in the night, where a large hand holds his own as he looks up to the stars that represent the Fae long passed. 

These are marred by the aftermath of greed. Rather than sand dotting raven hair, it becomes bone fragments, with red waves now kissing pale feet instead. A large hand is stiff and cold in his own as he looks at a slack-jawed face with half-hooded eyes that are as blue now and as bright as the stars he once admired. He cannot recall how long he sat there—perhaps until the pungent smell of rot finally drove him to leave. 

They did not have a noble death. They went like a cacophony, screaming and begging until those sounds were silenced by a singular fracture to a fragile bone. 

There is a glorification of dying in battle. 

Perhaps this is why she decides it will be the way she goes. She has always burned so brilliantly, her light engulfing every space she enters and drawing the masses to her. But those who burn so bright are blind to the way that brilliance consumes their flesh as well, and he knows it’s this mindset that drives her to the end—although he will never admit it aloud. 

But it’s the silence after the end that’s the worst. The family is granted the right to see the body first—now that the body has been retrieved, of course—and he’s blessed that Maleficia considers him family enough. The grand chamber of Black Scale Palace is uncannily silent and therefore makes the steps he takes sound like thunder rumbling across the stone. He spies the egg in her arms, cradled close to her chest as her hand runs a slow, soothing motion over its mottled shell. It shouldn’t be mottled—but he wagers that the trauma of the past few days has done a degree of damage, even if small. 

“They did their best.” Maleficia’s voice is quiet as he stops a few feet back. It isn’t out of courtesy—he’s invaded her space many times before—but more out of fear. He does not want to see the body he knows is lying in the stone tomb just ahead. “There was not much to salvage, though.” 

“They left her there for days.” Lilia’s voice sounds foreign to himself as he clasps his hands tightly behind his back. It had been a hard-fought battle (were they not all hard fought?) to retrieve those remains. They had been rotting on the bridge in the meantime—Heinrich’s additional snub to the royal family. He pauses for a moment before tentatively asking, “To what extent was the damage?” 

Maleficia is silent for a moment longer as her hand slowly strokes the eggshell. Lilia considers that she’s doing it more to comfort herself than the child within. “They took her horns, in addition to a few other parts.” 

The statement turns over in Lilia’s mind as he finally takes those last few steps closer. He draws to a stop next to Maleficia, glancing up at her towering form for only a scarce moment, before forcing his gaze down to the body before them. 

They had wrapped her in a shroud. The white fabric sits oddly on her, and he can see truth in the Queen’s words—there are no horns to be covered. Instead, the crown she would have worn upon ascending is resting upon her brow, and the torc around her neck holds the shroud fast in position. He cannot smell rot due to the excess of roses put in the tomb as well, and yet the sickly sweet scent still makes his stomach turn, still makes him draw back. 

The last time he had seen her she had been lively, throwing her egg to him and laughing as she prepared to dispatch those who dared defy her. Now there is an eerie stillness about her that is unbecoming of who Meleanor Draconia is. His gaze draws down the length of her body, at the plain white robe they dressed her in, and the hands that are folded over her abdomen. Her skin is gray, and he can see where the funerary workers attempted to conceal the spots of decay already taking place. 

People often believe that, when a Fae dies, they return to the clay and the magic that had crafted them. Lilia remembers the two who raised him telling him tall tales such as that, until their bodies had begun to turn to sludge and he realized that there was no clay, or magic, or grand departure at all. The Fae are no better than humans when it comes to death—all rot and gas and empty spaces in the hearts of the living. 

“We cannot permit this to continue. We cannot lose anyone else.” Maleficia’s voice draws his attention once more as he looks up to her. Despite the stoic expression on her face, he can see exhaustion in her bloodshot gaze. She looks to be both a queen and a woman who has gone through hell in the past few weeks. To have lost a daughter, a son, and to be holding your entire world in your arms with no reassurance of its survival…

He feels his throat tighten. No.He has shed his tears already in the darkness of the barracks, the burning sting of alcohol and a frigid metal mug as his only companions. He cannot fall before her because he cannot allow her to see all that she has left crumble. He digs his nails into his palms and ignores the way this may draw blood as he looks back to the body. 

Quiet. So quiet. 

And then… an idea. Perhaps outrageous, perhaps suicidal, but perhaps also the most efficient idea they have. The mottled egg in the queen's arms retains its faint, magical glow—the dimming powers of its parent’s love—and Lilia feels a pull to preserve that for as long as he can. He did not care for children, but he did care—does care—for Meleanor and Levan. 

So, he speaks. 

“We cannot let it hatch.” His voice is blunt and dry as he looks at the egg. It quivers, as though hearing the weight behind his words, as Maleficia’s hold on it tightens. She doesn’t immediately object. Instead, she frowns.

“Speak.” She commands, and he does. 

“Raising an heir in these conditions would be nothing short of damnation. We know not of how long this will drag on for, nor what the end will be. If we can keep the heir—keep Malleus—in his egg, preserve him until it is safe enough for him to be raised...” Lilia’s voice trails off as Maleficia continues to observe him dispassionately. Her hand does still in consideration, however.

“Like a sleep.” She hums softly, the motion then resuming. “A peaceful sleep, full of lullabies and warmth, until it is safe enough for him to greet the world. Much akin to what the Thorn Witch did, no?”

Lilia nods at her words. “Precisely. A stasis position until we are sure nothing will befall him... nor will he be dragged into conflict. I speak for us both when I say we are tired of witnessing our loved ones in conflict.”

Maleficia does not reply immediately as she continues to stare at her daughter’s body. The empty tomb next to her full one, meant to resemble the husband who is presumed to have been lost as well, speaks loud in the absence of sound.

“It will require a tremendous amount of power.” She finally adds. “Power I cannot give just yet. There is too much happening right now for me to split myself in such a manner.”

Lilia knew she would say as much before the words even left her lips. She is now the sole royal remaining in Briar Valley; even with the support of other Fae, all is on her shoulders at this moment. The well-being of the nocturnal Fae, the preservation of their lands, the concerns of the colonizing happening on the shores. She is drawn so thin that she is fraying at the very seams.

“Is it not fortunate,” he muses quietly, hands still clasped behind his back, nails still digging in his palms. He can feel warm liquid smearing his skin. “That you have me?”

Green eyes snap towards him with an expression of both outrage and shock, the most emotive he has seen her for a while. It then smooths over to composed indifference once more as she takes a levelled breath. “You do not owe that.”

“It was by my absence she fell.” He replies tersely, knowing this is a lie. He had fought tooth and nail to try and stay with Meleanor, but she had driven him back with lightning and taunts, forcing him to swear to protect her son. He is protecting her son by doing this. To wrap that child in his magic, to lull him into a gentle rest until the time is right and he can come into a world where he knows no death—is that not the greatest act of kindness? The greatest act of love?

So, he fibs, if not just a little. “Permit me to do this. For her, and for him.”

There’s a vagueness in who he means by him. Maleficia looks upon him for a long moment as he lowers his gaze to the onyx floors beneath their feet. For a moment he fears that she will strike him down as her daughter had done so often, until he hears shifting, and she extends the egg she’s been cradling so possessively towards him.

“Take the... take Malleus, to the lower chambers. Do as you must, as I will not burden you with the consequences—for I presume you have thought on this quite extensively already.”

He looks up to her. The face he had seen many times now since she pulled him off the streets and into her home is fracturing, with traces of sorrow beginning to show. She has always been vulnerable to him, to her daughter, and he knows it to be a rare privilege. He extends his hands and takes the egg, his bloody palms soaking its black surface.

“I swear to you—” he begins, but she cuts him off as she turns away.

“You have given enough to me. More than I have the right to take.” Her voice is cold and formal again as he nods, giving her a low bow before beginning to leave. As he does, she speaks up once more, her tone quieter now than before. “She went a noble death. They both did.”

Lilia pauses as the words play in his mind and his grip tightens around the egg. He can feel its warmth, as though he can feel her love through it, before he leaves that sickly-sweet smelling chamber without a backwards glance.

[rattlyglitch]

A Nightmare Reveals the Fear of a Father

Lilia had received a letter one Autumn morning from Queen Maleficia. It was something he hadn't expected in the slightest. Since adopting Silver the Queen didn't seem to feel too kindly towards the old general but it seemed that even if she didn't wish to speak with him there were things she still deemed that needed Lilia.

The fae couldn't help but chuckle to himself when thinking of how it had brought displeasure to the Queen by chance to ask for his help. Something felt amiss though. Malleus had come over as Lilia requested but there seemed to be something that felt odd about Malleus. Lilia didn't know if it was because he seemed to be disappointed when asked to watch over Silver while he was away or the fact that he had to leave to begin with.

Malleus was one to worry and he seemed to worry most about Lilia. So the elder fae did his best to try and ease the worry Malleus held. "I'll be back in a week most likely. You know that and besides the only difference now is that Silver is here to keep you company while I am away."

Back when Malleus was being raised by Lilia and hadn't left to live in the castle he would eventually inherit the two stayed in the same cottage Silver was being raised in now. Lilia sometimes on rare occasions had to leave Malleus. The boy could take care of himself during those times and plenty of of spells were placed around the cottage to keep him safe. Silver on the other hand couldn't care for himself which was why Malleus was there. Lilia knew that even though Malleus worried much it was that which would keep Silver safe.

"Why do you have to go Papa?"

The question Silver asked as Lilia was preparing to leave was expected. But how could he answer a question he couldn't answer himself? The best answer was something simple. "I have to attend to some things I have been ordered to do. You mustn't worry I will be back soon and while I am away Malleus will be watching over you." Silver seemed to accept the answer before asking another question.

"How long will you be gone?"

Lilia could feel his smile quiver slightly but made sure it never faltered and gave the same answer he had given for Malleus. "I will most likely be back a week from today. Until then though promise me you'll be brave ok?" Lilia held out his pinky to Silver who soon hooked in with his own. "I'll be brave for Papa while I'm with Mallie."

Lilia gave Silver a cheerful smile adoring how the nickname Silver had given Malleus sounded so sweet. "I know you will my little knight. Papa loves you." Lilia placed a gentle kiss on Silver's forehead before leaving. Lilia left the cottage and hummed as he walked away. He was sure the two would be alright while he was away.

//////

When Lilia returned something seemed to be amiss. The cottage seemed normal when he had entered it but something was still wrong. There was a barely lit candle inside of it. Lilia entered it and upon looking around it looked like someone had been looking for something panicked.

Things were scattered everywhere clumsily most pertaining to the food cabinet or the cabinet where Lilia kept his ingredients for making potions. On the stove upon inspection seemed to be a healing potion of some sort brewing. The misty yellow color was one that Lilia had grown to know well greatly during the war. It only heightened the feeling of uneasiness to fear upon seeing it.

The used-to-be general quickly began to look around trying to find where Malleus and Silver possibly were. When he did find them Lilia found them in his room he saw Malleus fretting over Silver. A water bowl next to Malleus with a cloth in it and spell books scattered around the floor. Lilia hurried over to the two and saw Silver. He seemed pale and a deep flush over his cheeks and a cloth laid over his head.

"Malleus what happened?" Lilia asked kneeling beside the fae prince who sat on his knees with a terrified look. "I-I don't know. I'm so sorry Lilia. It's all my fault." Malleus's voice began to break towards the end of what he was saying. He stared at the bed in front of him. His face was void of emotion. "I-I didn't mean to. All I did was sing to him. I swear that's all I did." Lilia gently took one of Malleus's wrists.

"I need you to tell me what happened Malleus." Lilia only saw him shake his head in refusal before snatching his wrist away from Lilia. Lilia didn't wish to have to be mean but he needed answers. So the best course of action he could think of was gripping Malleus' wrist and making him face Lilia.

"I need you to tell me what you did or try and calm yourself. Spacing out will not help Silver much less feeling pity for yourself " Lilia replied cooly. Malleus still seemed panicked but after following Lilia who showed him how to calm his breathing he almost seemed to be slightly better. "Now Malleus I need you to tell me what you did." Malleus nodded and tried to keep himself in the moment as he spoke.

"It was the third day since you had left and it was night. I started to sing to Silver but then something happened. Something I don't even know how to explain. He-I." Malleus looked as if he was spacing out again but Lilia was quick to grab his wrist to try and ground him. "I need you to continue please Malleus. You must for Silver." The fae prince looked down gripping at his pants.

"It was magic. Some kind of strange magic. I don't even know what it was or when I began to but I was using it. I was using it as I sang to him since he couldn't fall asleep. By the time the song was finished, everything was silent for a moment. But there was a string attached to his pointer finger leading to a spinning wheel. Then the voice of a woman spoke. A terribly evil voice. It said he would prick his finger on a spinning wheel and die. Then the magic went into him and he went motionless. After that, the sickness started and he began to burn up."

Lilia could see that Malleus was holding back in saying something but let go of his hand once he had finished speaking his head looking down at the ground. "Are you saying you cursed my son Malleus?" The fae prince didn't speak and silence continued but Lilia looked up at him with eyes full of fire and malice with something dark in them. Lilia felt something burn in his soul when hearing what Malleus had said and he wanted answers at that moment. "Answer me Malleus. Are you saying you cursed my son?"

(After this one more chapter)

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4 

[it-happened-one-fic]

Hours in the Moonlight: Somnolent Gloaming - 12. New Questions

Summary: Whether intentional or not, Malleus and Lilia’s words, paired with the fact Silver was living in a vampire clan, were giving rise to a whole slew of new questions for you. Some of which came a little bit too close to the matter of your relationship with Vil and what it meant for you, for comfort.

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

Trigger Warning: Vampire

Word Count: 1178

Hours in the Moonlight Master-List

In no way had I been prepared for Malleus’s words, which continued to bounce around in my mind even now that I was home.

I’d left not long after my meeting with Malleus, deciding to call it an early night much to the horned vampire’s amusement. 

The others had accepted my decision with very few questions. Only Sebek seemed truly perplexed and even concerned. He hadn’t pursued the matter, though after Lilia had told him to let me be and I’d reassured him that I was just tired. 

But something about the way the short man had stared at me with a knowing expression made me wonder if he somehow knew about Malleus’s offer.  But I didn’t really see how he could have unless the two of them had planned it.

And maybe Malleus had planned his offer.

After all, in many ways him offering to turn me into a vampire wasn’t that odd. Other vampires had made the same offer in an attempt to bargain for just a taste of my blood.

What had made it so odd with Malleus, though, was that he didn’t seem to do it out of any interest in my blood. Instead, he seemed to mean it as a kindness, though perhaps in a mildly evil way. Like it had just been another way of him offering his assistance.

To him, it had possibly seemed like a natural progression in the conversation. Especially since he’d just been talking about how fleeting and fragile me and Silver seemed to him.

It made me wonder if he’d made the same offer to Silver. If he had, Silver had either turned him down or responded as I had, with confusion and leaving the matter open-ended.

Truthfully speaking though, I’d had no idea how to respond to his offer. It had taken me aback, but it also seemed like a little bit too much of a coincidence after I’d just talked to Lilia about my place in the world of vampires.

I shook my head slightly, letting myself curl up on my couch and at least attempt to relax for once rather than pursuing some crazed vampire, evaluating a clan, or anything else.

I felt a smile curve across my face, though, as the singular thought of how Vil might react if he knew about Malleus’s offer entered my head.

I didn’t know exactly when I’d reached the point that I relied so heavily on Vil, but the fact that he came to mind so quickly was telling.

And Vil had become a source of comfort. The first vampire I’d befriended and one of my closest allies, along with the rest of the Pomefiore clan. 

It was true that I’d made friends with other vampires in other clans, but somehow it was always still Vil that came to mind when I considered who I would go to if I needed help.

And in some ways, it was silly. After all, Rook was the one who’d once been a vampire hunter and who’d trained me as well as being a long-time friend. Leona was the one who’d helped me fight against crazed vampires three times, even if the first time hadn’t been exactly planned. And Epel was the one whom I’d been friends with and worked with before he’d changed. 

But even considering them, it was still Vil that I relied on the most, and maybe it was because he’d been guarding me in his own way ever since he’d met me.

My fingers found the cross that hung around my neck, a constant reminder of his kindness and willingness to help me even though my job involved me killing his kind.

I couldn’t tell him about Malleus’s offer. Or rather, I didn’t want to, since I feared the potential repercussions. I didn’t want him misunderstanding Malleus’s offer and losing his temper or doing something that might end poorly.

After all, Lilia’s look had been a little too pointed when he’d said that everything would be fine so long as no one took anything the wrong way. 

I had no doubt he’d meant Vil considering the rumors that circulated around about the two of us.

And I couldn’t hide behind Vil forever anyways. Especially since I’d decided that I would protect him in my own way. That was why I was trying so hard to solve this entire mess involving the numbers of insane vampires after all.

I could say now that from what I’d seen, been told, and deduced, Diasomnia certainly didn’t seem to be the root of the issue, even if they struck me as more of a classic sort of vampires.

The matter of Silver living with them was enough proof that they weren’t the sort to attack mortals willy-nilly without even considering Malleus’s reaction to the vampire who’d threatened me. And if they were against the attacking of mortals, them causing the influx of insane vampires who attacked mortals without a care in the world and either murdered them or turned them simply didn’t make any sense.

I could also say from reading through the Diasomnia library, with Malleus’s help, that there wasn’t much in the way of historical records that said anything about insane vampires, much less a large number of them.

But my time with the Diasomnia clan had led to something else as well. Whether they’d intended or not, Lilia and Malleus’s words paired with Silver’s existence as a person who, like me, attracted vampires but remained mortal despite living in the world of vampires had given rise to new questions.

Silver had made it this long, so apparently it wasn’t impossible for me to remain mortal despite having entered into the world of vampires, but was that the right choice?

Vil’s face seemed to flash, unbidden, through my mind, and I frowned.

I had wondered it before, but had Vil been alone before now?

He hadn’t been a member of a clan, and though he’d apparently been friends with Rook, Rook had also stated that he needed a friend. 

If I grew old and died, what would happen to him? He had a clan now, so he wouldn’t be alone, but….

I shook my head, refusing to let my mind go there. Just because Vil was beyond important to me didn’t mean I held the same importance to him, and now wasn’t the time to think about such things anyway. It wasn’t like I was the protagonist of some cheesy vampire film.

And debating becoming a vampire…. It was ridiculous. I would essentially be choosing to die after doing my very best to survive vampires’ interest in me. 

Besides, it wasn’t like I didn’t have a place in the world of the night. For better or worse, I was the vampire hunter of this area, which was, at least for now, an important job that had to be filled.

Right now, I needed to focus on the situation at hand. The mystery of the insane vampires and Crowley’s control over me.

I could worry about me and Vil later…..

If you would like to more

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Next: Coming soon!

[justcallmecj]

Seeing Your Dragon Form: The Rest of Them

Well, here's the last of the students. This will be a short chapter with only Cater, Ortho and Silver since they're the only ones that didn't fit into a previous category. After this, I think I'm gonna write a staff chapter and finally end this series. Enjoy~

Cater

Someone needs to take this mans phone away. Before he runs out of storage.

He literally screamed when he finally saw you.

Not from fear. Not from panic. No. From pure cuteness overload.

He rushed over to you, honestly stunning you for a short while, and pulled out his phone.

When you finally processed what just happened, he easily had around twenty pictures taken of you and a folder specifically for those pictures already made.

It's not like you particularity minded. After being friends with Cater for so long, you got used to the picture taking.

He's honestly really astonished.

Cater's always seen you as this amazing being that he admires. He doesn't quite understand it himself, but something about you just makes him want to be near you.

So, that's what he does. He sticks close around.

After Cater gets through the initial photo high, he chills out.

He's usually a pretty high energy person, but he doesn't know how you'd react to that in dragon form. He doesn't want to accidentally cross a line.

So, he sits down next to you and pats the forest floor next to him, signaling for you to come join him.

He couldn't resist snapping a picture when he saw how cute you looked with your head peacefully resting next to him.

He almost audibly gasped when he saw your ear twitch form the sound of the camera click.

"I'll make sure you get to see the pictures later!! But, for now, let''s just sit here." He whipped around to face you while his face lit up. "OMG!! You won't believe the funny videos I found today. Let's watch them!!!"

Ortho

This kid is the epitome of excited little brother.

The mist does nothing against him, so he's immediately on top of you.

You're pretty sure you can hear him activate like six different scanning and data collecting systems.

You expected that.

Within only a minute, Ortho had collected tons of data about how the transformation happens, how your body systems physically change, and quite a bit about how you change mentally (which isn't a lot).

After that, he just became extremely giddy and excited.

He asked dozens of questions, speaking too quick to realize you couldn't and wouldn't answer him.

He poked and prodded a few scales until he realized that was rude and apologizing.

Eventually, when he was sure he gathered everything, he settled down.

He just sat and watched. When he noticed you looking at him with confusion, he gave and answer.

"Oh, I expended a lot of energy today and my battery is in the 40s. Plus, my brothers unfortunately not at the dorm right now, so I'll have to wait for him to properly hook me up to my charger. For now, I'll save energy by shutting off a few systems."

Excepting that answer, you resting your head near Ortho, getting close enough that he could pet your head, which he did once he understood your intentions.

 "You kind of remind me of the cats in the videos my brother watches late at night." Ortho was recording that whole time and showed the video to Idia later that night when he was charging.

Silver

You couldn't tell if he was chill or just didn't have the energy to show what he was feeling in the moment.

Regardless, he stood in place until he felt you were relaxed and comfortable.

When that time came, he calmly approached you until he was at the end of your snout.

He reached out a hand and gently placed it on the bridge of your nose.

He didn't move his hand, just left it there. It was actually a really nice feeling.

Unlike Sebek, who had never seen Malleus's dragon form which left him in shock after seeing yours, Silver has actually seen Malleus in that state. Of course, it was when he was a young child, but that doesn't mean much.

Considering that Lilia had raised both Silver and practically Malleus, Malleus was one of the first people Lilia had introduced Silver to.

As a child, he was weary of Malleus. So, Malleus had revealed his dragon form to the young child in hopes of him getting more comfortable around him. And it worked.

Because of these childhood experiences, Silver wasn't frightened, wasn't weary, wasn't out of his element. He knew exactly what to do.

Which is why he didn't move when he placed his hand on your snout, finding it best to stay calm and still, knowing how heightened your senses may be.

And it was appreciated. Silver was the last of your friends to do this. You found it easier to take it one by one for stress reasons. The others all had so different and versatile reactions, all fitting of their personalities.

Those that were more silent were quick and analytical. Those that were loud were all over, a lot to handle at once. Others were stiff and weary, which took more thought and patience from you.

Silver, however, was pure calm and still indifference. He wasn't excited or studying you. He wasn't asking questions or keeping a distance nor coming unnecessarily close.

He was just there. His eyes were tired and slow, his muscles loose and drowsy. He was tired, but made sure you knew he was there.

Silver said nothing. Eventually, his feet got tired and he sat, soon falling asleep. When he woke up, you were there, human again, and watching him with an appreciative smile. A smile he returned.

[chloe-spade]

A Rose Sword Act One: Stories of a Blue Sword

⚔️ Silver: Age 1⚔️

The first year is always the hardest, Lilia thought as he tried to cook for Silver early in the morning. It didn't help that Wisp left him instructions but they were muddled with water when he began to cook so he had to fill in most of the missing instructions with what he could read. It was not an easy task for an olden warrior such as himself, but he managed to cook something worthy of a young baby like Silver.

"That was harder than fighting," Lilia mumbled to himself, "but Silver is getting his nutrients, so who am I to complain?"

But oh the years of taking care of Malleus did not help him in memory as Silver began to deny the food was given, actively avoiding it, like he didn't trust the food that was given to him. Lilia just found it annoying, that after he spent so long trying to cook the messed-up recipe, Silver wasn't eating it.

"You are very stubborn," Lilia pointed out, "did you that from your mother perhaps? I hope not, as I do not know how to appease a human child."

Elva, who was cleaning, noticed. "You have followed her recipe?"

"I would have if it wasn't so soaked when I came down."

"It was?" Elva questioned and checked the recipe, "Oh. That's unfortunate. I hope you found something that was close or…read it."

Lilia shrugged and tried again, but he found food on his face as he looked back. Silver began to smile at his action, hands covered in the food Lilia cooked.

"..Should've seen this coming," Lilia groaned, "..alas, I cannot get made at you, Silver. I just wished I wasn't your target of food waste."

"Now I am worried about what you put in that baby porridge," Elva admitted, giving Lilia a face towel, "He isn't like that on occasion. And yet I worry about him. If he rejects that food you made, I wonder what makes it so….," she glances at Lilia's bowl in horror, "why is it charred? Porridge is not supposed to be burnt."

"It said something about warming up the porridge, but once again, the paper is soaked beyond reading, Elva."

"That does not explain why it's like smoked meat," Elva sighs and takes the bow from Lilia, "I am lucky enough to remember this recipe within my memories, or else we would've been in horrible trouble when Wisp gets home or worse if Holly sees this."

"That's true, I wouldn't be here if Holly found this out." Lilia gulped.

"I still cannot fathom you, messing up porridge, one of the simplest meals for both humans and fae." Elva muttered, back in the kitchen.

"Don't blame me, blame Wisp and her stupid soaked paper. Why did she not check?"

"Wisp is just as old as you, and her eye sight is not always the best," Elva spoke, "cut her some slack. Pretending to be human is not as easy as we thought."

"It's only been a year," Lilia picks up Silver, "Right, Silver? We've been taking care of you since you were born, huh?"

Silver laughs and clings to Lilia. It was clear that Silver grew closer to Lilia than everyone else, mainly because Lilia was the first Silver first saw within waking up and his gift of bonds helped. Also, Lilia knew most parental tricks that no one could figure out yet, but being with Prince Malleus has given him the experience he needed.

Afterward, Elva fed Silver perfectly warm porridge, which Silver ate without much of a problem, and Lilia found it completely betraying.

"We're back," Wisp announced, holding a basket of new foods.

"Oh, welcome back, you two," Elva greeted, "how was the village?"

"The usual," Holly answered, "People come and go. Compliment or insult you, in and out."

"Does not sound thrilling," Lilia scoffed.

"And look, you made the porridge recipe I created," Wisp grins, "How is it?"

"Uh, Wisp? About your recipe," Elva gulped.

"About it?"

"Somehow it got soaked and we couldn't read it," Lilia explained, "which led me to fail it and Elva to create a new recipe as she feared I was going to poison Silver."

"You were!" Elva gasped, "The porridge was chared and tasted awful. Good thing that Silver has got some good instincts, or else who knows what would've happened to him?"

"I don't intent to poison him," Lilia pouted.

"Well, calm down now," Holly laughs, "We bought some extra food for you and Silver. And a book of new recipes for all of us to prepare for each other. Now, let me put these away and we'll discuss lunch and dinner,"

Holly smiles and takes the food into the kitchen, now in the kitchen. They hum as they start to put the food away and notice the previously mentioned recipe.

"Wisp, I thought we agreed you would get glasses?"

"Human glasses are expensive for a fae like me, and besides, I do not need them, do I?"

"Dear, your recipe was covered in water when we left and Lilia couldn't read it. You did leave it for him, after all."

"Ok, I am not that bad at cooking," Lilia huffed.

"We know, but if this does continue, you might be banned from the kitchen," Elva pointed out, "After what happened today? I do not simply trust you with the food or the kitchen."

"But Silver is safe and unharmed by my unfortunate attempt," Lilia argued, "and he's perfectly healthy now."

Lilia took Silver from his baby chair and held him, "I know you're not mad at me, Silver," Lilia laughed. "I am your favorite after all."

Silver smiles and nuzzles against Lilia.

"Hey, we do not play favorites here," Wisp pouted, "but it's unfair how Silver likes you the most out of the four of us."

"What can I say?" Lilia grins, "I just have the fatherly charm about me that no child could resist. And look, Silver's back asleep."

"Already? We just fed him to."

"Sleep children need their strength after all," Lilia joked, "such a delicate soul."

⚔️Silver: Age 5⚔️

"Malleus, I do not worry about Silver's reaction about you," Lilia spoke, "He's very understanding towards you."

"You have told me, Lilia, but I shouldn't be anywhere near them," Malleus gulped, "If he remembers me as who I am, then I have every reason to be fear."

Malleus was invited to meet Silver per Lilia's request, mostly in secret, due to the queen's insistence that Lilia would be killed on sight for his treachery and betrayal. It made Lilia more sure of his decision to stay behind and take careful precautions.

"Trust me, Mallues," Lilia grins, "Only I reside here for the day as the other went to town. And we can simply chat while Silver is taking his little nap."

Malleus nodded as they walked inside to chat.

After Lilia's unfortunate betrayal, according to Malleus, that The Mistress has made a law if the traitorous general ever set foot in her kingdom again, he will be captured and killed for his treachery. However, after those 5 years, The Mistress has become very bitter and isolated in her castle as her search for the young children is fruitless.

She had started to punish those who spoke back to her, without much of a thought behind them. It wasn't new by any chance, but it seemed that anything would set her off, even small mentions of Lilia would send her into a massive fit. Lightning would surround the kingdom and cause those to hide in fear.

"I'm just happy that you are safe from her wrath, Malleus," Lilia sighs, "I am surprised that you have passed by Baal. He did replace me as a general, did he not?"

"He has but after hearing that he has a grandchild now, he is quite preoccupied with him as he turned four years old today. I am lucky enough to go past his guards that he trained harder than you, Lilia."

"Harder than me?" Lilia laughed, "Doubtful," he sipped his tea, "I trained Baal for the first 100 years of my life as a general. So, how bad can his training be?"

"Oh, harsh," Malleus spoke, "much more harsher than I remembered from you."

"No one is harsher than I," Lilia boasted, "I trained those men, including Baal himself. But as I know the Zigvolt Bloodline, they can be incredibly stubborn and strong-willed, so frankly, Baal overtraining the guards is not surprising."

Malleus laughed at that. He found it refreshing to talk to Lilia once again after merely 5 years, with little to no contact from either side. Malleus only met up with the young child as a baby, though short, he managed to bond with the small human he was willing to call his younger brother.

"Indeed."

Faint footsteps walked downstairs and there was Silver, who was awake and now staring at both of the fae.

"Good evening, Silver," Lilia greeted, "how was your nap?"

"Good." Silver meekly answered.

Silver goes over to Malleus, trying to figure out what to say, but the horns are the only things he's distracted by.

"Are you interested in my horns, little one?" Malleus asked, putting his teacup away.

"Are you a friend of father's?" Silver pondered, "I have seen you before…but I can't remember."

"Lilia, you have not mentioned that you have taken the parental status, including the naming," Malleus looked back in amusement, "I thought you weren't going to."

"It was an accident," Mumbled Lilia.

"I am Malleus, and what's your name?"

"Silver," he mumbled, "can I touch your horns, Malleus?"

Malleus smiles and nods.

Silver got onto Mallues's lap and started to admire the horns on his head, carefully using his hands to touch his horns. They were too big for his small hands, which made Malleus chuckle.

"They are enormous, hmm?" Malleus smiled, "much big for such small children's hands such as yours."

"I like them," Silver spoke, "they're very beautiful. And they're like lizards, but..softer almost. And they…..I just like them!"

"Why, thank you, Silver," Malleus blushed, "you must love new things about faes."

"Father told me stuff about faes, and he told me about you often." Silver explained, "And I like it when he tells me stories before bed."

"Ah, guilty," Lilia grins, "Silver…had accidentally found out about us as faes so we couldn't lie to him anymore after that, with his age, he would just talk back if we tried."

"Talk back, Silver?"

"I don't like liars," Silver whispered, "…but! Can we play together? Like show me your magic or play hide and seek?" Silver jumped happily.

"I do not see why not," Malleus laughs, "as long if it's alright with Lilia?"

"Of course," Lilia beamed, "just be careful. The woods can be a bit much around this time of year and no going into the Enchanted forest at all."

"I'm old enough," Silver protested.

"You will go over once you are 10 and once you know how to defend yourself," Lilia spoke up, "and besides, most magical and mystical beings aren't used to humans in their woods yet, and they can be very mean and trick you."

"Trick me? Father.."

"I know you are not a baby anymore," Lilia finished, "but you are still my son and I prefer you safe and sound than in danger, alright?"

"Trust me, Lilia, as long as I keep an eye on him, he will not depart into the woods alone." Malleus spoke, taking Silver's hand, "and we will have fun together."

"Alright, don't let this old man stop you," Lilia joked.

Lilia watched as Malleus and Silver departed to the backyard. He went over to the window and began to watch.

He watched how Malleus was able to raise Silver and laugh along with him. It was nice to see Malleus bonding with a human, despite his grandmother's warnings against them and them being the cause of the kingdom's loss of his mother. But Malleus didn't have that, that cold resentment that The Mistress had held for many years after Mealnoa's death.

Lilia felt a sadness, but a happiness as well. Seeing a fae with a human made him smile. Silver was full of laughter, which in turn got Lilia to chuckle.

"Mallie!" Silver laughs, "Your magic tickles!"

"It's supposed to," Malleus grinned. "Fae magic does not hurt unless it's used to harm people, and that is unfortunate for some people."

"Father says Faes do not often like humans. I still wonder why."

"Well, why do you so, young Silver?" Malleus asked, curious to hear the young child's thoughts.

"Well, maybe because we, as humans, don't understand magic," Silver pondered, "I mean, I didn't understand it at first, but it's something you learn to understand."

"That's very insightful for a boy your age, Silver," Malleus managed to say.

"You asked for my thoughts."

"Indeed, I did."

Malleus laughed and picked Silver up, holding him close.

"You have so much more understanding of Fae culture despite your young age," Malleus spoke up, "you should remember that someone like you is what we need in the world, humans and fae. Not many accept us like you do."

"Well, I like you and Father," Silver beamed up, "and my relatives too."

"Maybe one day I will take you to Blair Valley where all the lovely magical creatures live in together and I'm sure they'll love you as much as we do," Malleus cooed, "shall we go back inside? I heard Lilia is making us some amazing food."

Silver sticks his tongue out in disgust, making Malleus laugh.

"I agree, Lilia's cooking is far from perfect."

Silver smiles and snuggles Malleus.

That night, Silver sleeps on his bed, holding onto his stuffed animal. Malleus couldn't help but just watch with admiration for the young child, but the dread of the future made him scared. He knew he softened the blow of the curse but he wished it didn't have to come that way. Silver and Amore did not deserve the curse that his grandmother did and Malleus always will forever feel responsible.

"Malleus?" Lilia whispered.

Malleus looked back at Lilia, who had a candlelight in his hand.

"Lilia, the guilt," Malleys almost sobbed, "it's right here. I cannot help it, I know it is not my fault but my connection with my grandmother hurts my heart. Such a sweet child like him already understands and adores us, yet has no idea that a fae has harmed him. And I wish I could do more to help."

"Malleus, you are helping so much and I'm so happy that you are here and have always supported me." Lilia whispered, "Without you, those boys would die at 18 or even younger. Silver is already feeling safe with you around here and if something happens to me, you'll take care of him, and protect him."

"What do you mean?"

"Malleus, I feel it. The Mistress, I feel she has put a curse on me for betraying her and it's affecting me somehow. I feel more tired, and weaker, and my magic seems to be dwindling little by little, but it's not something I should worry about at this moment, what would happen in the future? I hate to leave Silver so young."

"If that is the case, Wisp, Elva, Holly and I will promise to take care of Silver."

"And that's why I trust you so much, Malleus," Lilia grinned, "I am so proud of you."

Malleus wipes his tears, looking down at Silver once again.

After a while, Malleus left, leaving Lilia alone in Silver's room, soon falling asleep, scared to leave his son's room.

Deep into the night, Lilia woke up in a cold sweat, gasping for air. He had just had a nightmare that felt all too real. In the dream, he was fighting a horde of monsters, but no matter how many he defeated, more kept coming. He felt overwhelmed and unable to escape.

As he sat up in bed, he took a few deep breaths to calm himself down. It was just a dream, he reminded himself. But the feeling of dread lingered.

He got out of bed and walked to the window, looking out at the night sky. The stars were bright, and the moon was full. It was a peaceful scene, but Lilia couldn't shake off the unease he felt.

He wondered if the dream was a sign of something to come. Perhaps there was a battle on the horizon, and he needed to prepare himself. Or maybe it was just his subconscious mind playing tricks on him.

Either way, Lilia knew he wouldn't be able to forget the old battles in his old days as the Mistress's General, but those years turned out to be an experience that he did not want to feel again.

The sounds, the touch, the scars, everything he remembered, he could still see or hear, regardless if he wanted to or not. The days of violence left a mark on him, and sometimes it shows with his words, his actions, and his reflexes to such normal things.

But the day he scared Silver was the worst day of his life. He never had felt so guilty scaring a human in his life as a general fae, but that broke him. He grew so close with a human that he would never do anything to scare the young boy, and that day proved that.

Wisp often teased him that Lilia had claimed Silver as his son, and now Lilia agreed with the statement, even saying that he was better than the royal king and queen themselves. A harsh claim, but a real claim all the same.

A love so dear that it created such a bond between a human and a fae was so rare that Lilia never thought he could ever have with a human, let alone a beautiful baby he blessed.

Meeting Silver was a beautiful memory that he will never forget.

⚔️Silver: Age 12⚔️

"Have you gotten everything?" Holly asked as they wrapped Silver's scarf around him, "and I trust you'll be home before dinner?"

"Of course, Guardian Holly," Silver smiles, "I promised you that nothing will harm me."

Lilia looked over and laughed. "Holly, he will be with Malleus and we both know how much Silver and Malleus can protect themselves."

"I would feel better if you were to accompany us, Lilia," Malleus sighed, "I know you trust me, and I do apperciate it, but my worry is that, well," Malleus just paused, "that they won't be nice to humans, let alone Silver."

Silver pouted and rolled his eyes. "I am not a child anymore, Father."

"Oh, we know," Lilia grins, "but I hate leaving my sweet son alone."

After much more convincing, Silver and Malleus walked down the path, hand in hand.

Malleus leads Silver to a beautiful path, full of flowers blooming as they walk across. Silver looks around in amazement, his hand only grazing on the petals, fairy dust flying in the air. Silver gasps and sees a fairy fly past him, and more come by, one even stops and kisses his cheek, which Silver giggles at.

"Flower fairies are very sweet, and they love sharing their flowers with others."

"Really?"

Silver looks around more as small mushroom people quickly scutter against him, clearly outstanded seeing a human nearby.

Silver smiles and waves at them with a smile.

"So amazing," Silver beamed. "Everything is so beautiful here, and I can see and feel things I've didn't think I could ever expereince.."

"I should say the same, being with humans," Malleus agreed, "You have opened my eyes to see natural things happen, and how humans solve problems with much magic either. Though I wonder how humans do it, but I am not completely sure how Lilia does as well. I mean, him still pretending to be humans has created some hilarious moments."

"Only you think it's fun," Silver laughed.

"Then why laugh?"

"You have a point."

Malleus grins and leads Silver deeper into the woods, looking watching Silver almost running off in excitement, gasping and greeting every single mystic folk he came across. He always had a bright smile on his face as he looked around, which made Malleus happy as well.

"Lilia has raised this human right," Malleus spoke to himself, "how he see things and befriend things that most do not want to do and fear. He is not like them, at all."

After a while, he watched as Silver began to bond with the forest Gollums, the protectors of the Mystical Forest. They began to take small flowers, that were planted on them, beginning to create a flower crown for the young human.

Silver was appreciating his overwhelming welcome, but he could hear something in the distance, like someone in distress. He can feel something is wrong and waits for an opening for him to investigate.

That opening was seeing Malleus speaking with one of the Gollums, which gave him enough time to walk towards the noise, which grew louder as he grew closer.

It sounded like someone was begging for someone or something to leave them alone.

Then it ended with a splash.

He rushed to see a boy his age, trying to stay afloat, as the river's waves tried to push him away, but he managed to hang on to a nearby boulder. He was trying to lift himself up, but the river was strong, due to the pixies over it.

Silver was warned about those pixies and rushed to help the boy, offering his hand.

"Hold on!" He cried, "Grab my hand, quickly!"

"I don't want to drown," the boy whimpered, shaking.

"I won't let you go," Silver urged, "please trust me!"

The boy lifted himself up again and grabbed onto Silver's hand immediately, with Silver helping them up.

He wrapped his scarf around the drenched boy and used his hands to swat the naughty pixies away, making the river calm down once again.

"Are you ok?" He asked, going back to the boy.

"Y-yeah," The boy had coughed. "I-I didn't know pixie were that mean."

"To humans, yes," Silver agreed.

The boy coughed again and took off Silver's scarf, letting him sigh in the sunlight, his golden hair reflecting the light.

"I'm glad you're ok," Silver sighed in relief.

That relief turned into uncomfortable as he noticed the boy was staring at him, shocked.

But Silver understood why.

They both shared the same rare eye color, aurora. Silver felt like looking at a mirror, even with the only difference being the boy's golden and curly hair compared to Silver's straight and well, silver hair.

"You look like me..?"

[twistedwonderworm]

Rarity (TWST Commission)

Commission for @pickingpixel

Pairing: Silver x M!reader (kinda?)

Warnings: nongraphic character death courtesy of Malleus

Word count: 4,528

I do call them children a lot but Silver and Y/N are around 13-14

🗡🗡🗡🗡🗡

Fae themselves were often rarely seen by many people as they preferred to keep to themselves. However, the rarest of the fae were the unicorn fae. Even their brethren rarely saw one of these magnificent creatures. Many think they are completely extinct from how rare they were. But Lilia knew otherwise.

They were rare, but not completely extinct yet. They were hunted almost to extinction for their horns. Not only for the magical capabilities for the horn but also just as trophies as well. There were few things more beautiful than the horn of a unicorn fae.

Lilia knew that there were still some unicorns in hiding, trying to preserve what was left of the species, and he had helped quite a few in the past but it had been a long time since he had seen one. That was until he found the poor, frightened unicorn child in the snow.

The child was small, a bit smaller than he should be at his age and seemed to have been on his own for a while. He looked like he wanted to run as Lilia approached him, but for some reason wouldn't budge. Maybe it was the older fae's approachable nature. He knelt down.

"Where are your parents, little one?" Lilia asked, keeping his voice soft so as not to frighten the little one. 

The little unicorn shrugged, "My parents have been gone a long time. It's just been me for as long as I can remember."

Lilia's heart sank as there could have been only two reasons for this child to be on his own for so long. Either he was abandoned by his parents which didn’t happen with unicorn fae since they were trying to regrow the population. The other possibility was that the humans got them. Which was sadly more likely.

"Well if you don't have anywhere to go, you can come live with me and my sons," Lilia offered. "None of us may be unicorns like you, but that doesn't mean we can be family."

The child hesitated for a moment, fear still evident in his eyes but he gave in. He nodded, causing Lilia to smile. It would be nice to have a steady place to live and a family that cared for him.

"Do you have a name, little one?" The older fae asked, wanting to know what he should call this child.

"Y/N," the little unicorn answered, "My name is Y/N."

"Well,Y/N, it's time to go home." Lilia smiled, offering his hand to the small boy. He was overjoyed when Y/N took it. Together they walked back to Lilia's home. Where he raised his sons in peace and away from the humans.

It took a while for Y/N to adjust to living with Lilia and his sons, but the three were patient with him. They knew that he had been through a hard time so they wanted him to take his time and get used to how different things were now. But slowly and surely he adjusted, though he never did start seeing Lilia as his father figure. Lilia was confused about this but decided to give Y/N his time.

Everyday he would sit next to Silver outside and together the two of them would watch Lilia training Malleus. Their eyes would be glued to the two older fae, moving in tandem, the wooden swords they used for sparring clashing together with dull thuds. Soon, it would be time for them to start training with Lilia and Malleus, and the two children were excited about it.

"I'm going to train so much so that when I'm bigger I can beat you, Malleus!" Y/N exclaimed one morning after breakfast while Malleus was helping Lilia clean up. They always sparred after breakfast so that they wouldn't be hungry during training.

"Oh, is that so?" The dragon fae asked, smiling down at the little unicorn. His hands were wet from doing the dishes. Lilia hummed in the next room as he wiped down the table. "I'm sure you'll beat me Y/N! You have a warrior's spirit." He had no doubt that both of the younger males would be wonderful knights in the future. They both had the drive to do so.

Y/N beamed when Malleus praised him and nodded excitedly, "Of course, I have a warrior's spirit! I'm going to grow up and be just like Lilia!"

Lilia chuckled when he heard that ruffling Y/N's hair as he passed, "Then you need to train and grow up to be big and strong if you want to be like me, okay?"

"Okay!!" Y/N chirped before bounding away happily. But no matter how close he was to Lilia and Malleus, he was still closest to Silver. The children went everywhere and did almost everything together. While Y/N wanted to train to be likLilia, Silver wanted to train so he could protect Y/N.

When asked why by the unicorn, Silver only smiled and answered with. "Because you're special to me." He knew they would grow up and become Malleus's knights since Malleus was the heir apparent of Briar Valley, but he also wanted to protect Y/N. Unicorn faes had to be protected and knight-in-training or not, his beloved Y/N was still a unicorn fae.

"You're special to me too, Silver," Y/N replied, smiling when the human child smiled as well.  Then, he took Silver's hand

and the two children ran into the woods together. They were deep enough into the woods that they weren't afraid of any humans coming this far into the woods so they thought it would be safe enough to go with Lilia or Malleus to supervise them.

"Are you sure it's okay for us to go alone?" Silver aaked, his grip on Y/N's hand tightening. "What if something happens? We haven't started training yet. We don't even have weapons on us to protect ourselves with if something happens."

The unicorn laughed, using his free hand to ruffle the human boy's silver hair, "It's going to be fine, Silver." He said excitedly. "Lilia says the humans don't come this deep into the woods. They're too afraid of the legends that say it's cursed and full of fearsome beasts."

"Is it really cursed and full of fearsome beasts?" Silver's eyes widened with fear, and Y/N gave him a reassuring smile.

"I don't know about curses, Silver, but I'm sure Malleus and Lilia are fearsome enough to keep most of the dangerous being away."

It was enough of an answer to ease Silver's fright, and the two continued on, deeper and deeper into the forest. It was quiet in the forest, the silence only being broken by the soft sounds of life around them. The songs of birds and the footsteps of the various animals around them made the quiet area feel alive but not too loud. 

A doe with her fawn trailing behind came right up to the boys, unafraid despite the fact that Silver was human. It was normal for animals to come up fearlessly to fae like Y/N but seeing the pull the human had with them despite his species made Y/N smile. Ever since Lilia brought him to the house and introduced him to Silver and Malleus, Y/N always knew Silver was special.

Every now and then, he'd see all sorts of animals around Silver, calm as can be. Usually this was when the young human was sleeping, when he was also at his calmest. These moments never failed to make Y/N feel proud to be around Silver though he always got a little too hopeful. He wanted to build a future where the faes and humans could put aside their differences and live in peace. He just didn't know when that would even happen. If it even would in the first place.

A sound shook him from his reverie. It sounded like a twig snapping under a heavy boot, and it had all the warning bells in the unicorn's head going off. It came from the direction that they were heading which means it couldn't have been Malleus or Lilia. And it was definitely not an animal. 

Y/N put an arm in front of Silver, stopping the human dead in his tracks. The silver-haired boy was about to ask him why he stopped, but Y/N gestured to him not to talk. 

"I thought you heard something out here," Came a rough, unfamiliar voice not that far away. Y/N's posture stiffened, and he could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. This was not right. Something was going terribly wrong. He started backing up slowly, bringing Silver with him. They had to get away.

"I told you this was the forest that those fairies live in," another voice answered the first, sounding like they were coming closer. "I also heard they reside deep in the forest so of course we haven't seen anything yet. You have to be patient."

The first man huffed, "I don't want to be patient. I want one now." That was when the two human males emerged from the forest and caught sight of the two children. They were both confused by what two young boys were doing out in the forest, but the first guy's eyes lit up when they landed on Y/N's horn and ears. "Looks like we managed to find one real quickly. Grab them both." The two humans started to guy after Silver and Y/N, causing the two children to flee.

"We're not going to be able to outrun them," Silver cried out as they ran, panic straining his voice. "We'll never make it back home before they catch us! What are they going to do when they catch us? Are they going to kill us?"

Y/N huffed, "They might. We need to move faster. Here." Y/N hadn't used much magic despite being a fae at this time, but there was one that he could do, and he knew that it was the only chance they had of making it out of this predicament alive. It was a slim chance but a chance nonetheless. He focused, letting his human lead him out of the way of trees as his eyes closed. Then, he felt it happening, the changing of his shape.

All unicorn faes have the power of turning into a full unicorn form, but they don't usually master it at Y/N's age. Silver quickly clambered onto the unicorn's back, hanging on for dear life without hurting the other too much.

Y/N was much faster in this form and despite having Silver on his back, he was able to keep the distance between them and the hunters. Though he wouldn't allow himself to celebrate just yet. He had to focus on getting him and Silver to safety. If he dropped his focus for a minute and something happened, the two of them would be caught and done for. He couldn't let that happen. 

After what seemed like a much longer time, Y/N finally reached their house again, Silver crying tears of joy against his fur-covered neck. Malleus and Lilia stepped out of the house when the boys ran up.

"What's wrong?" Malleus asked, but Lilia caught the scent of the humans before either of the two boys could answer, and his growl was full of malicious intent. 

"Hunters…" the older fae growled. He reached out for the young boys, Y/N transforming back into his human form as he and Silver rushed into Lilia's arms. They hugged Lilia, crying into his shirt. "I'll take the boys inside and make sure they're okay. Deal with the humans any way you see fit." There was a dark tone in his voice, and Malleus knew exactly what his father meant. 

A growl tore from his throat as he stepped forward. As soon as he heard the front door close and saw the humans emerge, he smiled dangerously. The confusion in their faces melted into fear when they realized what was going to happen and they desperately tried to escape their punishment. There was no escape from Malleus as a wall of bright green fire blocked off their exit. 

"You think it's right to try hunting two little kids?" The dragon fae growled, his eyes glowing with malice. "I will teach you and anyone else who tries to hurt my brother and our unicorn what will happen when you anger a dragon." The flames advanced on the frightened, trapped hunters.

Silver and Y/N covered their ears, trying to escape the horrible screams and smells and the crackling of the fire outside. Too soon was it quiet again, and they heard Malleus come in again. They whimpered, cuddling closer to the old fae for comfort, and he was happy to oblige.

"Don't worry boys," Lilia said. "Malleus and I will always be here to protect you. No matter what." 

After that experience, it took a while for Silver and Y/N to recover. Lilia wasn't surprised. This was the boys' first run in with the danger that fees were used to. The same kind of danger that probably took Y/N's parents away from him.

He gave them ample time to recover and not long after, they both became adamant about starting their training. It was still a little sooner than Lilia would have liked, but he understood. He too would prefer them to stay safe and what better way of making sure that happened than training them?

Of course this was much more strenuous for Y/N. As a fae he had to develop his magic more than Silver. Malleus and Lilia often alternated in training the boys, and the training went well. Silver showed himself to be quick learning despite his tendency to fall asleep just as quickly as well as training in magic along with Y/N. As a human, he just wasn't as good at it as Y/N was.

With the way the boys' training was going, Lilia and Malleus were both pleased, and whenever they would improve at something they would change it up. Though one morning, during training something unexpected happened.

"Easy… Easy." Lilia muttered under his breath as he was teaching Y/N to levitate a rock. Malleus and Silver were sitting nearby observing, staying quiet so as not to break Y/N's concentration. 

Y/N was concentrating on lifting the rock, and it slowly lifted a few inches. It was shaking and jittering but that was simply because Y/N was still inexperienced in doing this type of magic. Like all magic, the more he practiced, the better he'd get. And the less the things he levitated would shake during it.

The rock was a couple of feet in the air when Silver made the worst mistake that he could have made in that moment. He couldn't have known that it would happen, but he still felt guilty for it afterwards. Even years later, he would feel bad for it. He just wanted to praise Y/N for his training, but he didn't anticipate what it would cause.

Y/N's concentration was shattered when Silver excitedly praised him, the rock shooting sideways. It hit Lilia in the head, the eldest fae being thrown back in surprise. All three of his sons screamed and ran towards him, checking to make sure that he was alright.

The rock wasn't that big so it didn't do too much damage to Lilia, but there was still a stream of blood running down his head from where he was hit in the forehead. He groaned as he sat up, and Malleus dug around in his pockets in a panic. The dragon fae pulled out a handkerchief, handing it over to his adopted father.

"There you go, Lilia," Malleus spoke. "You can press it to your head to stop the bleeding."

Lilia smiled and nodded as he did so, "Thank you, Malleus." Despite having just had a rock thrown at his head, Lilia still seemed to be in good spirits. Sure it did hurt like hell but he had gone through even worse pain during his days as a general. He just didn't want to upset the two youngest males even more than they already were.

"I'm so sorry, Lilia," Y/N whimpered, tears falling from his eyes. He hasn't meant to hurt Lilia. He had just been started and his loss of concentration had led him to lose control of the spell, but he still felt extremely guilty about it.

When the bleeding had subsided, Lilia reached over to pull Y/N into a hug, allowing Silver to join too when he saw that the human was too upset to say anything, "It's okay, little ones. You didn't do anything majorly wrong. It's quite normal to lose control of a spell when you're as inexperienced as you are. It has happened to all of us at one point or another so it's to be expected. At least your loss of control wasn't as devastating as that of a certain dragon fae's was when he was young." 

He decided to tease Malleus about a few mishaps he had caused when he was young to put the younger two at ease. It seemed to work when Silver and Y/N both started giggling as they hugged Lilia.

"Are you completely sure you're okay, father?" Silver asked, looking up at the eldest fae. His aurora-colored eyes were still watery from his tears. 

A warm smile crossed Lilia's face, and he wiped the year tracks from Silver's and Y/N's cheeks, "I'm fine. Really, I am. This old man has been hurt far worse in the past. This is honestly nothing compared to what I've been through." 

With his words, the boys' worries were out to ease. Well partially at least. Y/N still felt guilty for basically throwing a rock at The man who had taken him in almost a year ago so he wanted to find a way to make it up to Lilia, especially since Lilia's birthday was coming up as well. He spent the next few days struggling to think of an idea, but nothing came to mind. So he approached Silver to ask for his opinion.

"What about making him breakfast in bed?" The silver-haired human suggested. "I'm pretty sure father would appreciate a gesture like that."

The unicorn fae thought for a moment, "That's a wonderful idea. I'm not the best cook in the world but I'm pretty sure I could make something decent enough to be edible." Well at least Y/N's cooking was better than Lilia's. Though he would never say it to his father's face, that would be cruel and disrespectful, and he loved Lilia dearly. Though there was definitely a reason why Malleus was usually the one who offered to cook.

Silver nodded, "I can help you cook this. After all, I was the one who caused this."

Y/N smiled and hugged Silver tightly, "Thank you, Silver. I'm not sure how I was going to do this without you."

So the next morning, the two boys woke up early, even earlier than Malleus and Lilia so that they could put their plan in motion. They started with getting out everything they needed, settling with making Lilia some pancakes. They measured out everything carefully, making enough for everyone to have plenty to eat. 

Y/N was stirring the batter while Silver cooked some eggs to go with the pancakes. Then, the unicorn fae got the stupid idea of practicing his magic while cooking. He had seen Malleus use his magic to stir stew and soup sometimes so he thought it would be an easy enough way to practice. Easy and possibly less dangerous since there weren't any rocks involved.

Silver glanced over as Y/N carefully stirred using his magic, going slowly so that nothing could go wrong. Though when he noticed Silver looking at him, he felt the need to show off for him. He always felt the desire to make Silver proud of him and to make him smile. He didn't understand why he felt this way, but he knew that he would do anything to get Silver to smile at him. He sent him a grin back before speeding up his stirring, his grin widening when he heard Silver gasp in surprise.

"You're really good at this," the human said, moving closer so that he could see better. "You must have been practicing your magic far more than I thought you were."

Y/N shrugged, cocky grin still evident on his face, "This is not a big deal honestly. I just thought you would like to see something cool." He felt fuzzy inside with Silver looking at him so intently, and he was basking in the attention he was getting from him. But of course, whenever Silver was involved, it seemed like his concentration suffered, and this moment was no different. One minute he was stirring the batter with no problem and the next, batter got everywhere.

Y/N huffed as he stopped using his magic, "That didn't quite end the way I wanted it to." He was disappointed that he had messed up yet again in front of Silver. "You probably don't think I'm cool anymore."

Silver smiled and shook his head, stepping closer to the unicorn fae, "I wouldn't exactly say that. I always think you're cool." His thumb swiped off some of the batter that had splattered onto Y/N's cheek before licking it off of his thumb.

Y/N's eyes were wide and staring at Silver, his face heating up as a faint flush spread across his cheeks. He tried to say something but the words were caught in his throat.

Silver titled his head, aurora-colored eyes staring at him in concern, "Did I do something wrong?" He started to back away, but Y/N clung to his arms, keeping him in place.

"N-no of course not…" Y/N shook his head, face still red as he looked at Silver. "You never do anything to upset me… I just don't know how to process how I feel…"

The human nodded in understanding. "I understand. I have the same struggles. How about we get this cleaned up, and make some more batter for the pancakes? We can both think as we do so."

Y/N smiled and nodded. Together the boys worked on cleaning the mess Y/N made and finishing up the birthday breakfast for Lilia. They didn't talk about what happened again, and Lilia had a wonderful birthday, thanks to the hard work of the boys.

Later that day, Y/N asked Silver to spar with him. The human agreed, and met outside, with their training swords. The day wasn't too cold for the time of year, and Y/N was thankful for it. He didn't like the cold, and he didn't want either of them to get sick just because they wanted to spar.

Y/N looked nervous, and Silver tried to reassure him with a smile. He understood the unicorn's nervousness. He wasn't as used to physically sparring as Silver was, and it scared him. Malleus and Lilia were more focused on developing his magic since that was a unicorn fae's main strength.

"Don't worry, I won't be too hard on you," Silver reassured him. His kind words didn't have much effect on Y/N's blush except to make it worse. 

"Thank you…" Y/N smiled softly. "I just need to practice this more, and I want you to help me."

Silver nodded, "I'll be happy to help." He smiled back, and the two got their training swords ready. The sparring went well though Solver was able to easily parry all of Y/N's blows. It was a bit embarrassing with how easily a human could beat him, but he wasn't going to give up without a fight. He growled low in his throat, throwing Silver off in surprise as he leapt at him.

Y/N could see Silver's pale face flush as they sparred together, and the sight bringing a smirk to his face. So he wasn't the only one that was confused by what he was feeling. That made him feel better and sent adrenaline through his veins. With one last blow, he sent Silver's training sword flying out of his hands with a dull thunk, the wooden sword landing a few feet away.

Silver's eyes widened when he got disarmed, face flushing even more when the tip of Y/N's training sword touched his collarbone lightly. Y/N smiled, enjoying how much he was able to make Silver nervous.

"Looks like I won," Y/N said happily, his eyes shining. "Since I won I need a reward."

Silver flushed and nodded, moving closer when Y/N lowered his sword, "And I have the perfect reward… as long as you don't hate it.." His nervousness got worse, but he didn't want to get cold feet so he rested his hands on Y/N's shoulders. "Are you sure you want this?"

Y/N nodded, his own blush darkening, "Yes I do. Thank you, Silver.

The human nodded and leaned over, pressing a quick kiss to Y/N's cheek, "Please keep this a secret… I'm not sure how I feel about you yet, but I know I feel something. I just don't know how Lilia would act if he knew. You may not see him as a father but I don't want either of us to get in trouble."

Y/N smiled and pressed a kiss to the taller male's cheek as well, "Don't worry. I understand because I'm confused too and your secret is safe with me." He giggled. He turned around and started walking back to the house. Silver smiled and followed him, grabbing Y/N's hand. Holding the fae's hand was a bit strange but it let him know that Y/N was there and was safe. It put him at ease.

"Do you want to play a game later?" Silver asked, completely relaxed as they walked. "I still have yet to beat you in chess."

Y/N laughed as they walked inside, "Sure but you'll never beat me in chess. Malleus can't even beat me in chess. Though you're welcome to try."

Silver smiled, "Challenge accepted." He smiled happily as the two sat down to play chess. He never thought he'd ever be this happy to play chess, but any time spent with Y/N was a good time. No matter how they spent it. They could just sit around, not talking but just enjoying each other's company, and he'd be happy. And he hoped they could spend time together for the rest of his life. That would make everything worth it. He smiled as Y/N stared down at the chessboard, plotting out his first move. It didn't matter if he won or lost this game. As long as Y/N was happy, he'd be happy.

[pinkpruneclodwolf]

For the Malleus thing: it's overexposure on my answer. Malleus is a main staple character that has a lot of fans compared to say: Cater or Kalim. Of course, Octavinelle matches in turn for numbers with Malleus but Malleus also has a dedicated shipping fandom that are so attached to him that they cause... problems.

Shipping is fine in moderation but when I see enough people start fighting that this fictional character is "their" man and not someone else's OC, I know Malleus has had too much time in their head or something warped him. I like shopping and run a sort famous /Reader blog for all genders, and that gives me insight into who people kinda want on that side and Malleus is very famous. Shipping aside, Malleus also has such diehard fans that... they forget his CHARACTER!

Malleus' fandom is the same as Octavinelle (woobifying/creeps flooding in) and now bleeding in Savanaclaw (creeps flooding in/racism against dark skinned OC's): the story is revealing that Malleus isn't gap moe and is an actual character that can do wrong, and hurt people... and they HATE that. I've seen four people drop Malleus like a hat because he was didn't understand what he was doing wrong in the Dorm Uniform. Malleus has had a rigid set of understanding of creatures and it's very straightforward instead of nuanced, and even Malleus admits that he wants to try and projects that his advancement on human understanding will only take 100 years. That's fair considering he's been in the human world for 3 FREAKING YEARS, guys. I believe if we were given how long it took Lilia to understand a human customs outside of Silver experience, it'd not do anything to people's opinions. Because to them, it's not about him learning. He doesn't know so he's obviously a BAD CHARACTER, that must be it! "He's a jerk and now I'm going to do a 180° on my own Malleus opinion that is all over my blog and gave my followers whiplash, starting a bashing war by actually not doing a proper review of his character!" No. That's unfair. Why?

Malleus is an interesting character and I'm so sad that he's gone so far into the fandom that he's been woobified and there is no self warn anything: no disclaimer that this is a more romantic Malleus compared to the canon one, or people admitting that Malleus might be OOC as his character reads so incomplete because they write him so... wrong? I think my real problem is the tail end of fandoms that radicalize and throw Malleus around as something he isn't, and that's okay to a certain degree (my /Reader blog acknowledged that Malleus is a canon as I can do without just being Readers buddy, which he's more likely to be in canon). It's just... people are too radical, I think.

I fear the wars this man will create when Chapter 7, Part 3 shows he's got more flaws then he does. I can see a Rook Chapter 5 happening. :(

But I'm not all pessimistic, I know the right fandom should be encouraged and the minority should be ignored, so I know whatever Yana/Aniplex gives us: I support. I know common artists, writer's, editors are all doing fine and I interact normally, but I hate the "drop him" culture these games have in the EN side.

Oh no I get you.

Malleus by himself is an interesting character in his own right, without needing to be steeped in fanon.

I do think that because he was left to stew on his own with pieces of content to hold Mallelikers over, people ended up turning him into their own character to fit their own needs.

And in some ways it's kinda meta because that was something he was trying to escape his whole life so that he could be welcomed by those around him.

I'm usually not as steeped in the fandom as I used to be what w college and stuff creeping up but I'm genuinely sorry that everyone has experienced some form of harassment from both sides of the fence bc one hc didn't fit the other's or the argument of whether his character is good enough or not.

It's disheartening to see others get jumped because of how strongly they feel towards a character and its horrible that you have to endure that on your page anon.

I'm honestly praying Malleus doesn't go through what Rook went thru because that moment is still be felt to this day due to how decisive it was 😭😭😭.

And it's funny bc Rook not choosing Vil was supposed to give Vil growth, who was so hard pressed on winning to the point that he'd contemplated killing his opponent and subsequently Overblotted. The point was that Vil wasn't supposed to win because it'd feed into him. It was a lesson.

With Malleus' Dorm Vignette, I'd argue that him summoning the other dorm leaders was a long time coming considering they weren't doing any affirmative actions to ensure that Malleus could attend. He brought them to him because it was the only thing he could think of; he's not good with technology, time is a construct to him, and no student is willing to approach him for the fun of it unless it's to get smth out of it. It was mostly an act of burning the village to feel its warmth tho it wasn't out of malicious intent.

In the end I can reason he was still partially wrong, he only considered brainstorming with Lilia [and Lilia, a jokester that he is, encouraged him.] Instead of talking to Crowley.

But I do think that Malleus being the poster boy has led to him being so oversaturated in the fandom that a lot of his personality is lost in translation once more.

I liken it to Ace Trappola. Fanon!Ace played up his worst traits to the max without allowing the nuance of his character growth to shine thru. Luckily, Ace is in the recovery period but the same cannot be said for Floyd 😭😭😭.

My most basic observation is that popularity takes the nuance out of characters and I'm hoping against hope that Chapter 7 shows a new side of Malleus that sets the record straight bc as someone who loves character studies watching Malleus get chopped and screwed is 🥶🥶🥶.

[sunsguilt]

May I ask for more malleus being a looser headcanons?

YOU'RE CONFUSING MY HEART.┊ft: malleus draconia

warnings: none! contains: gn! reader, LONG POST! (1.8k words)

notes: i'll do u one better comrade, ur getting a oneshot bc i am so cool (also this idea was floating around my head for a while) despite me talking about him as much as i have, he's not my fav but! he's interesting to have on the noggin.

Sebek would not leave you alone. Usually, he would be bearable but he had been on your back for the entire day and even decided to follow you back to your respective dorm. 

He had been quite literally following you throughout the school. The problem is, he was silent, just staring at you with vehement outrage. You went to class? He sat in the seat behind you. You sat down in the cafeteria for lunch? He sat across from you and ate his food while staring you dead in the face. It had you sweating bullets the entire day.

You were racking your brain trying to figure out why he would be doing this in the first place.  Was this some sort of fear tactic he was testing? Because it was working. It was working really well.

At some point, you were fed up and spun around. “Sebek, what do you want?” His face had been contorted for quite some time now. It would be impressive if you weren’t worried that his face was stuck like that. 

“APOLOGIZE TO THE YOUNG MASTER!” 

You felt like your ears just popped. “Huh? Why?” Was he talking about Malleus? You were certain he was. But apologize? What?

“You know what you did, human.” He seethed. You did not know what you did, far from it actually. It only served to confuse you more. 

Sebek went on a tangent about how you should be grateful that Malleus gives you the time of day, and so on. You just stood there in shock, frozen in place. Students walked by, whispering while Sebek paid no mind and only seemed to be gearing up in his speech. This was so humiliating, you hoped you died posthaste. 

“What did I do?” You asked, at your wit’s end. 

“I warned Lord Malleus, I did! That you,” He jabbed his finger at you accusingly. “Were unfit to remain by the Young Master’s side! And yet he overlooked my words and is in the state he’s in!” 

Sebek’s lamenting could span for the remainder of your life if he decided to, so you cut him short. 

“Hang on, something’s wrong with Malleus? I thought he was sick or something.” Even the notion sounded a bit silly once you voiced it; in what world did fae actually get sick? But even fae can decide they don’t wish to attend class and claim to be ill.

Now that he mentioned it, it has been quite some time since you physically saw Malleus. You saw Lilia a few times and asked him where he was, only to be met with “he’s simply having a fit, you see.”

“He’s shut himself in his room for days now. He refuses to speak to anyone, including me.” Somehow you felt that Sebek would cause him unneeded stress. 

Sebek made a face like he just tasted something unpleasant. He crossed his arms before speaking again. “As much as I loathe to admit it, human, the Young Master seems to care for you a great deal. You would do well to visit him.” 

Just how much pride did Sebek swallow to ask you for help? As far as you could guess, it was a lot, because he walked away immediately after. He left you with a lot more questions than answers, which was mildly infuriating. 

It really had been a long time since you had physically seen Malleus. You would text him and ask if he was ok, but he never called you after you gave him your number. He seemed to prefer to send you letters, which was fine. But now, the constant stream of letters seemed to have dried out, with not a single one arriving by carrier bird as they usually did. 

Weird, it was so weird. Well, no more bizarre than you agonizing over the well-being of a fae prince who likes to talk to you about his tamagotchi. 

“And that’s why you’re dressed like that?”

“Is this not how people apologize to each other?” 

Grim stared at you from his cushy napping spot at the foot of your bed, observing you openly fret about your predicament. You were watching how-to videos on how to properly fix a tie. Great Seven knows where you acquired a tux. Honestly, your pacing was stressing him out and he was pretty much clueless about whatever was going on in your head at the moment. 

Both you and Malleus had the same way of visibly showing you were apprehensive about something. Grim had caught said fae a number of times walking back and forth outside of the dorm before finally knocking on the door to ask to see you. Grim thought the two of you were gross.

“Are you sure I should go now? It’s pretty late.” 

“Go, go! Those flowers you got are making me sneeze! I’m allergic, you know!” 

“So even the Great Grim has allergies? Weasels aren’t allergic to roses, stupid.” 

“I’m not a weasel! Plus, even I, the Great and Mighty Grim can have a weakness. An Achilles Heel!” 

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. I’m gonna go before I chicken out.” 

You ran like your life depended on it, hightailing it towards Diasomnia. Your umbrella inverted itself midway there, so you were more than a little drenched why the time you were at their doorstep. 

Fumbling for the knocker on the door, you slammed it down three times, deeming it sufficient. And it was, since you heard locks turning at the other end a few moments later. 

“Lilia?” 

Said person answered the door, a bit disheveled like he just rolled out of bed, quite frankly. He was wearing a sweatshirt that hardly fit him, white-knuckling a freshly opened bag of chips. He was also wearing a headset with a mic. You would be more confused if it wasn’t Lilia. It would be a a truly bizarre sight if it was Sebek who appeared before you in this way. 

He took a few moments to look you up and down confusedly. “(name). A pleasure. You know where Malleus’s room is.” 

“Right, thanks.” 

He immediately turned on his heel and vanished down a hallway where you could faintly hear, “Silence, knave! I’m not AFK anymore.” 

These people were so strange. 

Usually, Malleus would be at your side as you ascended the winding staircase, idly listening to you talk about your special interest of the day that everyone had to know about. 

You reached his door and somehow it felt more imposing than the front door did. At this point, it would be more humiliating to turn back, so you knocked on the door. 

The bedroom door creaked on its hinges as it opened.

Malleus stood wordlessly in the doorway, his face unreadable. You probably looked a state, damp from the torrent of rain clutching a slightly squished bouquet of roses. His eyes lingered on them for a long time.

“Um, did you just wake up?” 

“Of course not.” 

He beckoned you inside his room with a sweep of his arm, and you stiffly entered. The room was dimly lit, save for the plethora of candles giving off a soft light. Malleus was actually in the process of lighting more as you noticed. 

“You must be cold. Sit here.” He eventually steers you towards the couch next to a fireplace, which was burning brightly. The fire did feel welcoming but you had a goal here, and sitting down would make you forget. 

“Malleus, these are for you.” 

What a sight! The human bestowing upon the fae prince a bouquet of roses picked out especially for them! Malleus looked especially stunned at the gesture, eyes widened, frozen in his seat on the couch while you stood meekly with your peace offering. 

“I’m not sure if I said something but,” You avoided eye contact while you spoke, feeling embarrassed already. “I don’t like this weird keeping-our-distance thing. This is me trying to apologize.” 

This was so humiliating, especially since Malleus had yet to react with anything other than surprise. 

“So…” He began slowly. “You bear no ill will of me? Truly?” 

Now it was your turn to be shocked, comically so. It was palpable in the expressions that flitted across your face. 

“HUH? Why would you even think that?” 

You realized just how loud you were probably being compared to him so you cleared your throat before kneeling down before him. 

“Malleus, I swear I could never hate you.” 

This was so cringe but Malleus always seemed super into that kind of stuff. He sat with you to watch dramas at your dorm sometimes. And he was, judging by the way his eyes seemed to soften. Your silly gesture seemed to have touched him deeply. 

That bouquet was cheap, if you were being honest with yourself. It was a fair trade for that heirloom he passed down to you a month prior for inviting him to dinner, no?

(if you were wondering, no it wasn’t, in your eyes)

Malleus seemed to be more genial, cupping your hand in his hands. He had smooth, unblemished hands, compared to yours that were constantly scarred from incidents where you were a bit reckless. He seemed to think that you were far more fragile than you actually were. Once, you told him that you burned your finger and he looked faint at the sight of the bandages. 

The rain continues falls outside but subsides quite a bit. It is so gentle it's more like a mist.

Aside from that, you decided it was probably necessary to ask what you were curious about from the beginning. 

“Malleus,” You began. He hummed, not yet releasing your hand from his hold. He has a stronger grip than he liked to let on. You rose to your feet, unable to step any farther due to his grasp on you. “Why haven’t you been in class?” 

His hands were gentle, rubbing his thumbs on the top of your hands. He seemed almost preoccupied with it since it took him so long to respond. 

“I believed that,” He seemed unusually hesitant, squeezing your hands again as if to reassure himself. “Perhaps you disliked me. Since you said as such.” 

“I did not. I would never.” 

“You did.” 

After a bit of back and forth, you vaguely recalled saying something along the lines of “I hate you” to him. But it was over something so incredibly stupid. You told Malleus you hated him because he wouldn’t offer to give you four million thaumarks on the spot when you asked. You asked as a joke to begin with. 

This whole situation was built off one singular misunderstanding. You wanted to smack him upside the head. But that would be too cruel. Also unnecessary. 

While you and Malleus were mending your bond, you distantly noticed through the windows that the storm that had been a constant finally disperse. Sun quickly bloomed through the passing storm clouds. 

What a weird coincidence. But you didn’t pay much attention to the sudden change in weather after Malleus insisted you sit bestwide him, to catch up on the time lost between you. 

— ☆

[hanafubukki]

Fairy Tales, History, and The Great Seven (+Chernabog)

An interesting bit that hasn’t left my mind is Lilia’s wording of fairy tales in book 7.

He spoke to Malleus’ egg, telling him that he wants him to hatch soon. How he didn’t want Malleus to become a hero to a dying or begone race essentially.

Especially since the Faes were being left behind as the humans advanced.

And we have seen how Faes have become history and then a fairy tale in some places in twisted wonderland, haven’t we?

And you know who else we were told was a fairy tale?

The Great Seven and Chernabog, which I find very interesting as they are using this specific wording on them. We know twisted wonderland history has been manipulated and this just adds onto that mystery.

Additionally, we also have the Disney 100 museum now too. Which, while yes, it’s celebrating 100 years. It can also be a clue and we know Yana and how she entwines her stories with tiny details.

So what if, they weren’t a fairy tale. What if they were much more than that?

What if, in time, they too became a part of history? And eventually, a fairy tale.

If you read Kallisto’s ( @prince-kallisto) theory about pocket dimensions and imaginations, it also adds onto this suspicion, doesn’t it.

We have been told repeatedly about history being warped, about the power of imagination, and now fairy tales.

It also is interesting that Chernabog has been brought up again, especially in such a context.

And then you look at this theory about the hand possibly being Maleficient’s

And I want to add, that before book 7, none of the Great Seven has ever been mentioned by name before in MC’s dreams.

It’s pretty interesting how out of everyone, it was Maleficent, one of the strongest and the one who is forgotten, whose name is mentioned.

A fae of exceptional power and abilities.

And you can’t help but wonder, are these great figures that are so greatly revered at NRC and the feared Chernabog, just a story? A fairy tale?

Or is there so much more? And they have simply been forgotten to time and labeled a myth?

But hasn’t it always been said?

There’s always some truth to myths and legends.

And if the fae who had almost become a fairy tale before can come back, can it not be said about these figures as well?

(Also, isn’t it interesting how Malleus mentions fairy tales and heroes before putting everyone to sleep?)

[writingforatwistedworld]

Self-aware au

I do not take any responsibility for you reading this no matter which age group you are from!

WARNINGS: Yandere themes, religion, obsessed behavior, war, blood, idk how to describe it but a way too religious fae trying to convert everyone to their religion

Spreading “your” word

This man has been through more than a lot

Day after day he was slaying enemies on the battlefield, acting as if it were in your name

Deep down he knows that it's just a excuse... at the beginning at least

You start to believe what you tell yourself if you do it long enough after all

Brair Valley is already a oddball among oddballs so him living there for a very long period of time doesn't help him at all

He lived his entire life after the rules of the church of the Overseer which also doesn't help his... tendencies

As much as he is admired for his strength I can also see him being feared by his peers

People with great power are always prone to becoming lonely but now imagine him slaying enemies left and right

Yeah... he isn't exactly polishing his image of being your ordinary neighbour fae

So he searches for someone who accepts him

That someone is you (or rather his believe in the church)

Oh no he isn't your regular obsessed follower

He doesn't just visits whilst someone is preaching about you

Seeing that hooded figure kneeling at the altar in the middle of the night? Yes, that's him

So when he accompanies Malleus to NRC he hopes that he can spread your *cough* words

And (who would have guessed) it backfires

Students keep even more distance from him which means that he scares them away from the “right path”

So he tries more subtle methods like only talking about it if the subject isn't that important and only slipping tiny bits of it into conversations

It appeals much more to the students

Some even try praying to you from that point on

Most stand by their beliefs though

Lilias quest to turn everyone onto the right path is neverending

He shan’t rest until he has done that

[twisted-wonderland-shenanigans]

Whats the General idea of humans in Twisted Wonderland? And What do the students from Heartslabyul, Scarabia & Pomefiore think of the humans that their dorms represents? +what does Malleus and Lilia think of humans? (If they're still immortal in this au)

Oh boy! *cracks knuckles* More worldbuilding! And it's a doozy of a question too! :D

To start off, I'll answer the easiest of the questions: what are the Great Seven? I've broken them down as follows:

The Queen of Hearts--human

The King of Beasts--manticore (still in beast form as he is in game)

The Sea Witch--kraken

The Sorcerer of the Sands--human

The Beautiful/Fairest Queen--human

The King of the Underworld--centaur (sleipnir variation. Yes, I know it's more Norse, but I see him having multiple smoke-like legs as a centaur akin to his toga)

The Fairy of Thorns/Thorn Fairy--dragon (depicted with tail and dragon wings that fold over her shoulders like a cloak or out like in the live action movie)

Now, originally I was going to make them all based off some form of monster or other mythology...but aside from Jafar, nothing really seemed fitting for the remaining two, and so I left all three as humans. Thus, we are left with the questions: how are humans perceived? What do the three dorms think of the very humans their dorm represents? 🤔

To start off, it's safe to say that they are still revered in Twisted Wonderland even amongst monsters--both magical and non-magical due to their accomplishments and noble efforts to mend the bonds between humans and monsters. Of course, much like we saw in the movies, they were anything but the great beings paraded about and Yuu still experiences the dreams leading to an overblot. That being said though...

For the general idea on how humans are depicted, the best way I can describe them is that the stories are a mixture of: old wives tales, Brother's Grimm Fairy Tales, and a few surviving handfuls of Disney-esk "love shall overcome hate" stories and movies--only, much more dramatic and dangerous because hey, monster abilities! 😂

Skimming over the Disney like ones, those sort of stories are of the few humans where the princesses choose to be with them and vice versa, though by comparison the humans are shown defending and protecting their monster counterparts. I gotta think on which ones would have been monster and which ones human, but for the most part I'm holding off on the RSA side of things until we find out more about that side of Twisted Wonderland and not just the little bits that are sprinkled in here and there. ^_^;

As for the "dark side" of the species though...the mythology of this AU depicts many of them being violent, vindictive, cunning, and cruel. Urban legends suggested that many of them were magicless, growing jealous and fearful of their monster neighbors. It's not hard to imagine how things turned out in a world where humans were defensive and reactive versus dealing with those monsters who wield magic and already don't look favorably upon those who don't. Needless to say...it did not turn out well.

Rumor has it that the most powerful magicians came together to banish humans from Twisted Wonderland. Others believe that the Great Seven sent them to another world. Yet many simply believe that humans just...died off. No one knew the truth, and the very few who did even remember when humans roamed the lands have only a faint memory. Malleus wasn't born yet when this happened, but Lilia does have some recollection of them much like he does when he's in history class and remembering events happening differently.

Well, now you have a better understanding on why everyone is so confused and baffled by Yuu's arrival and behavior~! 😃

Now, as for the students themselves? Well of course they respect the Great Seven, and it's considered an honor being in their respective dorms. I'll give a brief overview of points that I feel need to be pointed out.

For Heartslabyul? Granted, the Queen of Hearts being human does make it a little iffy given how strict she is, but what helped solidify her role as one of the Great Seven was the fact that she held everyone to those standards--it didn't matter if they were human or monster, she gave them the same set of expectations without question and gave both species the same opportunity to fix mistakes for breaking certain rules (such as stealing tarts, etc).

For Scarabia, the Sorcerer of the Sands was respected by the students for his intelligence and cunning, though his appearance and behavior resembling a monster species known as a gorgon helped with that. As a result, he essentially has the second easiest time getting respect from the monsters in Twisted Wonderland. The one who had the easiest time?

Why, the Fairest Queen of course. It's no argument that she was considered the most beautiful to both humans and monsters alike, her diligence and determination to pursue her goals rivaling the respect for her skills and abilities in poisons, astrology, and alchemy. It's even been something of a point that many monsters actually use as a role model to remind them of what it takes to pursue their own goals and dreams.

Anyway, that's all I could think of off the top of my head! If you guys have any other questions feel free to hit me up! I love these sort of questions, they help me build up this world more! :D

[writer-akihiko]

Hello! Can I ask a headcanon between dorm leaders with S/o that somehow getting hypnotized by their stalker (ex: like the sea witch hypnotize prince erik). I want to see how they gonna save her. Thank you~ Have a nice day/night!

Dorm Leaders + Hypnotised!MC

I took inspo from your sea witch and Prince Erik example, so there's the notion of a marriage proposal between you and the dorm leader

Warning: Yandere tones, Poisoning, Mentions of Torture but not explicit

One day, on the day of your awaited date, your lover stood there and wondered why you were late. He had prepared everything for this day because today, he held a box containing a singular ring, as you had described it as the way most people in your world proposed marriage.

What he didn't expect was for his lover to look at him with utter fear as he opened your room door...

Malleus Draconia

He didn't comprehend that you were hypnotised, since he was focused on the fact that you were crying at him in fear, muttering about a monster arriving

He doesn't know what to do, he gets on his knees, begging you to look at him

He's quick to get angry at your reluctance, forcing you to look up at him

It was then he noticed a difference of your eye colour. It was a shade duller than its original colour... Which he gathered were traces of hypnotism magic

His anger vanished, reserving it for the caster of the spell

It didn't take him long to dissipate the magic. He was a powerful magician after all

However, his methods rendered you tired and sleepy. He caught you, holding your much smaller body against his own as his eyes softened at your sleeping form

"Lilia, call for Vice Dorm Leader Viper," He said, cradling you against his chest. He pressed his lips on your forehead, wishing well dreams to you. "The caster is one of his students. No doubt, the caster learned from Viper to get to YN..."

"Bring him to me alive. He'll burn for his crimes."

Riddle Rosehearts

He's immediately angry at the situation, which doesn't help your fear

Trey snaps him out of his rage, but it was futile once you yelled "Stay away from me!" To Riddle. He'd be lying if his heart didn't break a little

You were in hysterics, and Riddle had no choice but to use his magic on you. Even if wasn't sealing away any magic, it would restrain you enough for him to inspect you

Riddle's magic prowess wasn't enough to identify the exact magic, but he told Trey to take notes of anyone could use controlling magic

Seeing that you weren't hostile around Ace and Deuce, you were left in their care

On the other hand... Cater and Trey found the caster. With Riddle's unique magic, it broke the spell

Riddle was more than angry at the caster, but your safety was first. He had to deal with the caster in a more... secretive way

"YN, oh YN..." He held you close, although he kept you in the hug since he didn't want you to see his tears. "You're back..."

"The person who did this to you will face punishment for breaking my rules..."

Kalim Al-Asim

He panics at first, but then he turns to Jamil, begging him to take a look at you since something was clearly wrong with you

When you called him scary and a monster, he was in denial, muttering about how you were sick, and just needed rest

He wasn't rational about it, trying to figure out why you were sick through normal medicine but it wasn't working

He was desperate, causing you to run away from him. Under your hypnotism, you ended up in the arms of your stalker

Jamil was quick to report your disappearance, and Kalim did not wait for a single second to rescue you

Kalim's connections made it easy to find a person that was able to undo the spell on you, although you had to undergo intense recovery as well

Kalim rubbed your tired hand, marvelling at the fact that you accepted his proposal. It was a desperate one, not as he imagined but happy tears fell at your sentiment. "YN... you don't have to apologise for the mean things you said. I know it's not you..."

"The culprit will be punished severely! He harmed the future bride of the Al-Asim family after all!"

Azul Ashengrotto

He knew it was the influence of magic when Jade reported the oddity to him. He knew, and yet...

It hurt. It hurt when you said those hurtful words to him. In his heart, he forgave you but he was focused on saving his future wife

Times like this, he was glad he chose to invest in those magical orbs that spied on you in secret

Floyd was a winning key. The caster was no match for him, although Floyd had to be lightly told off to not immediately kill on-site

Once the caster was brought, it was a matter of getting the teachers to remove the spell. Azul, for as much as he wanted to do it himself, wanted you to be safe. It was better to be safe than sorry

Oh, the joy he had having to punish the caster since the student was also part of the Octavinelle dorm...

You were well-rested, although you were still comforting your soon-to-be husband Azul as he still cries over your well-being. "YN... You're safe and that's all that matters..."

"That student is already suffering at the hands of the twins anyway... So don't concern yourself with him."

Idia Shroud

Initially, Idia thought you stood him up. If it weren't for Ortho, he wouldn't have searched for you

He wished he didn't, because the words you said stung. He kept his tears in though. It wasn't your fault nor the right time

He knew what was going on. He didn't have the latest technology spying on you for nothing

He had ignored those devices since he was so nervous about his proposal, but he wished he hadn't

Even though Idia wasn't the strongest magic user, he knew his way around magicians, particularly his influence around the other stronger students like Malleus

The spell was removed, and you were safe. Idia ignored any further punishments to the caster, since it was a later problem...

Idia held his breath as you got up, steadying yourself from your recovery. "YN... I'm sorry that I wasn't fast enough... Thank you for trusting me..."

"Oh? The caster? He's burning in the River Styx. Where people like him belong..."

Leona Kingscholar

He never planned this to happen! The one thing he puts effort into and it's ruined by some lowlife!

He doesn't care about the insults you say. It filters out. He's used to it. Somehow... your insults linger a little longer than the ones from others...

He doesn't deal with you. He needs to find the person who did this and he needs to find them NOW

If it means turning them to sand, so be it. He wanted you back, no. He needed you back

With Jack's sense of smell, it doesn't take long for him to command the entire beastmen gang under him to find the caster

The caster ends up in his claws, primed for him to rip him to shreds... The spell reversal was quick, and Leona held you close to him. It was tempting to slip the ring he got onto your finger...

He kept the ring next to you, as well as a photo of you both. Once you woke up, he'd say all he meant to say that night. "YN... I'm gonna have to leave your side for a while."

"There's prey I have to hunt."

Vil Schoenheit

He felt like screaming and pulling his hair out when he found you in such a state. No... No, he, as a queen, must keep his composure

He turned away before any of those hurtful words reached his ears. He couldn't bear it if he heard such things from you

He called for Rook immediately, trusting his abilities to trace back your doings before the spell took place

Vil, on the other hand, took up his magic pen to conjure up a poison much more lethal than the one he submitted to become the dorm leader...

Epel, he had to admit, had the intimidation that caused the caster to reverse his spell. Vil spent time pampering you, even when you were recovering... It was as if he was your Prince curing you from the evil curse of the apple...

He brushed away your hair, pouring you a new cup of tea. You were quite weary after the whole ordeal, but you couldn't stop looking at the twinkling ring on your finger. "I'm glad it suits your taste, my sweet potato..."

"If I'm not mistaken, that rotten stalker should be rotting... on the outside too, with that new poison I made..."

[wolken-himmel]

In which Lilia and (Y/n) have to take care of an egg for a school assignment.

All goes well until Lilia starts being all smooth, randomly remarking that this is great practice for their real future child.

Request by anon.

"Lilia, I'm back! How is JJ?"

The fae in question perked up when he could sense your presence nearby, able to spot your form standing in the doorway to the Diasomnia common room. Lilia hummed and quickly returned his attention to the egg in his arms, cradling it in the green blanket he had wrapped around the hard yet fragile shell.

While you pranced closer to the little crib Lilia had constructed for the small egg, quiet giggles of delight escaped your lips at the adorable sight in front of you. Your laughter brought a smile to Lilia's lips, and he immediately transferred your little baby to your arms once you arrived by his side.

"JJ is doing very well, dear," Lilia muttered with a large smile on his face, one that made him look as youthful and child-like as a small hatchling. As he watched you cradle the egg in your arms, gently moving it left to right, an amused chuckle escaped his lips. "I hope babysitting your friends wasn't too hard."

A wistful sigh escaped your lips, and you raised your gaze to reveal exhausted (E/c) eyes to Lilia, who merely furrowed his eyebrows in worry. To calm him down, you shot him a sheepish smile. "You know how Ace sometimes is... I'm sorry it took so long for me to come see JJ now." The embarrassed frown on your face was soon replaced by a grateful smile as you chirped, "But, oh, you're the best, Lilia! You make such a good father, do you know that?"

Lilia began to fan himself some air with his hand at your words, and a series of exaggerated giggles escaped his lips. "You flatter me, (Y/n)~" he cooed while extracting the precious egg from your arms again, and you let him do as he pleased; Lilia always knew best, after all. Cradling the egg in his arms, his eyes grew with wisdom and nostalgia, as well as a tint of sadness. "I've raised a few younglings here and there... but they've all left their nest already..."

"Aw, don't worry!" you exclaimed while putting your head onto his shoulder, your eyes trained on the egg he was carrying. "JJ won't leave any time soon."

Lilia exhaled in a melancholy as he rested the side of his head against yours, his eyes fluttering close in a moment of bliss. "And he at least won't burn my bangs like another youngling did..." he muttered between laughter, his chest rumbling slightly. "Anyway, don't tell Malleus, Silver, or Sebek... but I think JJ is my favourite out of all of them."

You pried one eye open and removed your head from the bat fae's shoulder again to look him in the eyes, a large and amused smile on your own lips. "Very much understandable." Covering your mouth with one hand, you did your best to hide your amusement in fear of hurting anyone's feelings. So, with a muffled voice, you wheezed out, "JJ is very easy to take care of, after all. We've had no struggles so far."

"Maybe it's because we're good parents?"

"Definitely!" you replied, your chest swelling in pride. "The professor will have no other option but to give us an A on this project."

"Besides," Lilia began with a large grin forming on his lips that showed off his sharp fangs, "—this is good practice for us when we eventually have a real child."

His words made you halt in your tracks, and a bright blush spread across your cheeks. Suddenly, the air seemed so stagnant and hot — so much that you thought you would suffocate. "E-Excuse me?" you cried out, embarrassed to the core.

Lilia, on the other hand, seemed unbothered by the sudden shift in mood, and he seemed unaware of your sudden flustered expression — or at least it seemed like he hadn't noticed. Turning to face you with a devilishly innocent smile on his lips, he drawled, "Yes. We'll be fantastic parents! I can see it already."

His brashness caused your brain to stop functioning temporarily. "Uhm... I—"

Before you could make a fool of yourself much longer, Lilia straightened his back and walked right past you, the fragile egg safely secured in his arms. "Now excuse me," he announced and aimed straight for the door; as he walked by you, you could feel his shoulder brush against yours — intentionally. A smug grin that you couldn't see adorned his lips as he exited the common room. "JJ needs to sleep now. I shall tug him into bed."

Left behind as a giant mess, you sighed and buried your red face in your trembling hands. "What a smooth talker you are, Lilia..."