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writingforatwistedworld · 11 months ago

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Omg I posted that more in a joke way but for someone to actually write it...

Meant to Be

Someone liked this old post I reblogged from @writingforatwistedworld today and it brought this writing prompt back to my attention. This was such a cool idea, and since Veil has chosen not to write it, I thought I’d visit the idea with my own spin.

Confusion was the only thought you were able to summon in your head. You remembered lights and sounds. Honking maybe? And now you were just barely conscious of lying on the ground with your head spinning. What exactly happened?

Your head feels like it is splitting but somehow voices are beginning to come though. “Coach, I think they are waking up!” a black-haired boy says as he kneels beside you, hovering over you protectively. Were you at school? You can’t remember. Nor can you immediately place the boy who is so concerned about you. He is speaking to you but it’s too hard to focus. All you can do is notice the guilty look in his eyes and wonder what he did. Suddenly, he stops speaking and looks across your body towards the field beside you. You turn your head curiously and follow his gaze to see a red-haired boy running towards you at top speed. Something about this tickles your memory. You look again at the black-haired boy and notice a strange marking you hadn’t been able to bring into focus before. It looked like a spade from a playing card. Then you looked back at the boy coming closer and closer to your location. Suddenly, you had it. It was impossible, yet you couldn’t shake the feeling that you’d miraculously transported yourself into one of your favorite phone games; Twisted Wonderland.

As sort of a test, you hesitantly spoke, “Deuce?” The black-haired boy, Deuce, looks at you and you think him on the edge of tears. “Thank Sevens!” he whispers as rubs your arm comfortingly. The red-haired boy slides the last distance to reach your side in an anxious kneel. “Ace?” you confirm groggily. Ace looks at you with what you feel is fear in his eyes, and when he speaks, it is towards Deuce. “Just what were you thinking? You know the Prefect doesn’t have magic!” Deuce looks away, it is certainly guilt on his face. “I didn’t mean to throw it that hard.” Ace scowls at Deuce and shouts, “Well you did and see what a mess you’ve made!” You force yourself to a sitting position and wave Ace down. “I’m fine, I’m fine.” Then, still feeling a bit woozy, you amend, “Well, I think I’m GOING to be fine.”

Ace looks at you with concern and says, “I’m taking you to the nurse’s office. Right now.” Deuce intervenes, “I’ll do it. It was my fault for throwing that disk so hard.” Ace appears ready to retort angrily, so you wave them both away. “I’ll go myself. Or you can both come with. We’re all buddies here, right?” You watch them cautiously to confirm that this is the case. After all, you weren’t pulled into a game every day. Who knows what might be different. Deuce answers you right away in a relieved affirmative while Ace only frowns mildly. “Ok, but if you feel bad at all, I’m carrying you. No complaints.” You give him a shaky smile and let them guide you to the nurse’s office.

It’s a little embarrassing, but there is so much that you don’t know about Night Raven College, that you end up claiming selective amnesia from the impact. Your professors appear suspicious, but no one can offer an alternative reason for why you’ve forgotten so many simple things, like the layout of the school, while retaining such vivid memories of other experiences, like Riddle’s overbot incident. So ultimately, they accept this odd explanation from you and assign your friends Ace and Deuce to once again play your guide at NRC. The cast slowly re-introduce themselves to you. Some find it remarkable and others unbelievable. Idia finds it amusing, “Khee he he. This is just like the plot of the manga Ramen Shop Summer where the protagonist gets in an accident in gym and forgets their crush! But then they end up working together over the summer in a ramen shop, and Boom Badda Bing, romance!” Then he shyly adds, “Maybe you’ll have your own summertime romance. All the tropes are right for it.” You chuckle with him but privately think, ‘If only you knew.’

A few days later at lunch, you were sitting at a table and rubbing your bandaged head softly while eating the sad sandwich you’d been able to cobble together with the junk in the fridge back at Ramshackle when your friends slam a plate down on either side of you, “Here Prefect, eat this,” and “I got something special for you,” come out of their mouths at the same time. You look up at them surprised. Deuce looks at your hand on your head and adds in a soft voice, “I feel bad for what I did so I thought this would help make up for it.” Ace scoffs and interjects, “I know what the Prefect likes best. Don’t worry about it and let them eat mine.” You look at Ace’s plate and somehow, he is right, he has gathered one of your favorites to eat. “Actually, this looks pretty good.” Then you turn and reassure Deuce, “I appreciate the offer too, but you don’t have to feel bad. I know it was an accident.” They both seem happy at the outcome, and you enjoy a nice lunch.

As you are leaving the lunchroom, you pass a floating tablet (Idia you know), and it surprisingly speaks to you. “It’s just like my manga,” Idia comments. You turn and look at the tablet quizzically and it prompts him to continue, “If this was a story, that would be a flag event between the Male Lead and Second Male Lead for your affection.” You stumble over your reply, “But..but it isn’t a manga.” The unsettling, “Kwee he he,” that emerges follows you all the way to your next special lesson.

You were used to thinking of special lessons as when Crowley randomly shows up to class and everyone suddenly finds the motivation to pay attention, but apparently, this was a Very Special Lesson that they wouldn’t give the students any prior details on. The older students seemed to know what it was about as the first year’s had gotten several secretive smiles and leading comments. Rook passes you right before you enter and remarks with an expression both sly and amused, “It is a fine day for fate, is it not Prefect?” You look at him puzzled as he continues past you to class, and you shrug as you enter the room and sit beside your friends. Ace scowls and remarks, “They’ve been doing that all day and it’s getting on my nerves.” Deuce is fidgeting more than usual, and you raise an eyebrow as thought to ask what’s up. “What if it’s a test?” he asks nervously before flipping open a notebook. “A little late to study then,” Ace scoffs before looking at you out of the corner of his eye. “Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. I’m sure it won’t be a test.” You smile at his gesture. Tests haven’t been easy for you these past weeks as you’ve not actually studied any of the curriculum for the classes.

When Crewel stomps into class and sets a crate of potions on the desk, it startles you out of your thoughts. You hear gasps from around the class and realize that most students seem to understand what is happening. It is only you in the dark. Then the Professor smiles slyly and declares, “It’s Matching Day.” An eruption of conversation spreads across the room and Professor Crewel, appearing as excited as the students, surprisingly allows it. ‘I can’t believe its today!’ and ‘I wonder if I’ll meet my pair!’ reach your ears. You turn to Ace and find him looking at you with an expression you just can’t place. You nod towards the Professor and ask, “You know what this is about?” He looks at you startled, “You don’t know? Its Matching day?” When you shrug and continue to look at him with questions in your eyes he goes on. “You know, the day you can take the potion to manifest your red string and try to find your Soulmate. Matching Day!”

It hits you suddenly like a blow. ‘My god,’ you think, ‘This isn’t TWST at all. Idia was right, there are too many tropes in this story. I’m in someone’s Fanfic! This is a damn Soulmate AU story!’ You weren’t sure what to say, but luckily, Professor Crewel had decided he’s allowed the pups to misbehave enough and cracked his whip over his gloved hand, “Settle down you mutts. Good pups need to know how to behave properly if they are going to impress their mate!” Silence is quickly restored as the excited students obediently wait for the Professor to continue. “Come up when I call your name. I don’t think I should have to explain, but just in case, let me remind you what you can expect. When you drink the potion, you’ll feel a tug on your heart as your soul manifests your bond to your Soulmate. After that, you’ll be able to see your red string in the general area of your pinky finger.” A groan comes from an over-excited student, “We know, we know.”

Crewel doesn’t take the interruption well this time and cracks his whip again, “STAY! Pups need to learn to take instruction before receiving a treat!” The student bashfully looks away and Crewel continues, “Remember to not get your hopes up. It is very rare to find your Soulmate the first day you take your potion.” This sobering comment seems to bring down the mood of the students. Crewel smiles more gently at the students he’s fondly guided, “But be happy you are proud students of Night Raven College. Many mages find they have Soulmates who are also proficient in magic, so your chances of meeting your Soulmate while in school here are raised.” You turn to see how your friends are taking this news. Deuce is looking intently at his hands, as though he will find his courage in the focus. Ace is only looking at you, again with a look you just can’t read.

“Now, come to the front of the room as I call your name,” Crewel instructs. It appears the students are being called alphabetically. You wonder when you might be called as you don’t recall “Yuu” having a last name. You focus a long time, making sure you don’t miss it but before your turn, your friend gets called. “Deuce Spade!” Crewel summons loudly. Deuce gulps beside you and stands suddenly. Then he holds his hand up as though trying to fire himself up and marches determinedly to claim his potion. He drinks it down and you wait with interest to see how Deuce would react. You’d seen several others take the potion at this point, but this wasn’t just some NPC, it was your friend. He concentrates nervously for several seconds before gasping and grabbing his chest. Then he looks down at his hand and makes a sound between a sigh and a laugh. “There it is!” he says and looks out the door where the string must lead. Then he laughs again and looks toward where you and Ace sit with a smile and makes his ‘honor student’ pose. You give him a thumbs up and pat his back as he rejoins you.

You want to ask him what it was like but the next name, “Ace Trappola!” breaks your concentration. You hadn’t realized your other friend would get his turn so soon after. You turn to Ace and give him an encouraging smile. Ace looks deep into your eyes for a long moment before giving you a mischievous grin, “Wish me luck, Prefect!” You give him an excited smile and some jazz hands to cheer him on and he goes happily to the front of the class. You watch as he takes the potion and waits in a quiet meditation before he makes a gasp and grasps at something that only he can see. Then he looks up and smiles over in your direction happily, “I knew it!” he laughs happily. He returns to his seat with a bounce in his step and you look at him eagerly. “Was it cool?” you ask. He smiles at you, “It was the coolest thing ever.” You have a million questions that come to mind, but you ask none of them as Deuce taps you on the shoulder. You turn to look at him and he nervously tells you, “Prefect, it’s your turn.”

You look up at Professor Crewel who seems none too pleased to have you ignore his summons. Great. Somehow, you’d missed your turn being called and garnered his ire. You gulp and stand to answer his summons. When you grasp the potion, a question occurs to you and you ask, “Will this work for me?” Professor Crewel smiles at your worry, “Not to worry, Prefect, even people without magic have Soulmates.” It was more that you wondered if people from other worlds had Soulmates but you figured that wasn’t a conversation to have right now. So, you smile at him as though satisfied with his response and drink the potion down.

At first it was nothing but bubbly in your stomach and then you felt giddy. Like a drunkenness that had nothing to do with alcohol which rose from your stomach to take hold of your whole body. Your heart beat faster and faster until you feel as alert as though you were running for your life. Then, it was gone. Mostly gone. A tiny tingle remained, and you followed the sensation down to see the bright red string wound around your pinky. It really worked.

You looked toward your friends, wanting to share the moment with them and felt the weight of Ace’s gaze. He was looking at you so intently it was startling. You couldn’t break eye contact for a moment. Then you felt a small tug and looked down at your finger. The red string was tugging slightly, as though wanting you to follow it. You didn’t have far to go. You raised your eyes and found Ace holding his red string in his hand and you knew it connected to your own. Well, that did make sense in a way. If this was a TWST fanfic, your Soulmate had to be a member of the main case. And now you knew, it was Ace. You looked at Ace clutching the red string and thought that he held it like it was a lifeline, something he couldn’t live with if he let go. Well, that was silly. You were right here. Perhaps it was due to the plot of the story, but you suddenly felt like you couldn’t bear to see him worried like that.

You went to him and stood in front of him, “So, you and me, huh?” He looked up at you and said in a chocked voice, “Yeah, you and me.” A clapping sound comes from behind you and then all around. You are embarrassed to find that all your classmates are celebrating your union with Ace. “What a fine surprise,” Professor Crewel says with a smile. You don’t know what to do but Ace has no such qualms. He grabs onto you and pulls you into a side hug with one arm will giving a V with his other hand. You bashfully wind your arm around him and repeat the gesture yourself. It seems like you’ve really fallen into the perfect romance fantasy.

The transition from friend to significant other was jarring but anytime you felt unsure about your new ties to Ace, you had only to look at him to feel reassured. He was always holding the red string. It was cute in a way, as though he thought about you so often, he had to hold onto the string to remind himself you were there with him in spirit. You still felt safe seeing the string in his hand back then.

Why is Crowley always at the start of all your problems? On a late spring day, the headmaster summoned you to his office. You found it was never good news when he did this, and this time would prove no exception. “Ah Prefect, how lovely to see you today,” he began carefully, as though sizing up how big a fuss you would kick up this time. You hummed at him in a noncommittal way. “Indeed,” he acknowledges your evasion and gets right into his secret business. “I was wondering what you planned to do over Summer Break.” You look at him deadpan, “Not do chores for you.” He huffs at you in pretend amusement, “Ah HA ha. Uh-hem. That is to say, where do you plan to go while the campus is closed?” Now this was actually news to you. “What do you mean closed? I’ll just stay here like I did over Winter Break.” Crowley turns, unable to meet your eye, “Ah-HA hem, its just that we do the annual fumigation over summer so we need all living residents to be off-campus.” Then much quieter, “The insurance wouldn’t allow it…I checked.”

You left the office not certain which was worse, that the headmaster actually considered leaving you in a poisoned campus over break or the fact that you suddenly had no where to go. You walked lost in thought, mechanically headed to lunch when you hit something solid, and a hush fell over the room. You felt a moment of worry until you looked up and into the quizzical face of Malleus and smiled. This might seem like a dangerous occurrence to the random students around you, but it was nothing alarming to you. “Hi there Hornton,” you warmly greet your fae friend. He puts a finger to his chin and ponders to himself, “You seem quite distracted today, Prefect. Is anything the matter?” Happy to have someone to discuss it with, you give him a run-down on your situation. “And so, I just have no idea where I’m going to go!” you finish in a flurry. “Hmm,” Malleus hums in consideration, “That is a quandary. I’d invite you to join me in Briar Valley but unfortunately Lilia has decided we are to take a, how do you call it, road trip this break.” You can practically hear the air quotes in his voice as he says, ‘road trip.’

You give your friend a small understanding smile, “I get it. I’m fine. I just need to figure this out. I’ll find what I’m looking for, I’m sure.” This seems to perk your friend up, “Why yes, that might work.” Then he saunters to a nearby table and picks up a vile of liquid. You weren’t sure if this was part of someone’s lunch or classwork. Sometimes it was like that at magic school. As Malleus holds the vile, a green magic seeps from his fingers to engulf it and the liquid inside boils ominously. Then the magic fades and the boiling stops. He hands you the vile and instructs, “I will bestow a boon upon you. Pour this tincture upon a mirror and the knowledge you need will be summoned forth.” Great. This was even better than posting an ad online. You thank Malleus and give him a grateful smile.

That is when you feel an arm slip over your shoulder and Ace appears at your side, “Say Prefect, what is going on here?” You merely gesture as thought to say, ‘I’m talking to Malleus.’ Ace gives your friend a look that is downright insolent and you mentally scoff that only your Ace would be so bold as to have such an attitude with Malleus Draconia. “Thanks for your help,” you offer your friend to give him an easy way to end the conversation. Regardless of Malleus’s wishes, Ace jumps in and distracts you easily, “Hey Prefect, I heard you can’t stay over break this year.” It’s a relief to talk it out with another person and you turn to tell your beau all about the chat in Crowley’s office. By the time you pause to take a breath, Malleus has departed unnoticed. You grip the flask, resolving to thank him more earnestly later, and slip it in your pocket. Then you let Ace lead you away to your next class. He obliges you by listening to all your complaints and agreeing in all the right places. Not that it solved the issue at all, but it did make you feel better to have someone fully on your side to complain to.

After class, you automatically hold out your hand to walk with Ace to the alchemy lab, but he asks you to go on ahead instead. It’s an unusual request but the mystery is cleared up before Professor Crewel arrives to begin your lesson. “Hey Prefect, great news!” Ace shouts as he slips into the seat next to you, “I called my mom, and she says I can bring you home with me over break!” At first, all you feel is the pressure being lifted. Then comes the guilt. “Are you sure I wouldn’t be intruding?” you ask nervously. “Nah,” Ace assures you, “Mom already knows about this.” Then he holds up his hand where he is gripping the red string, “So it was easy to convince her.” Then he gives you a mischievous smile, “Plus my bro has been away since he graduated, and I think Mom is getting lonely. Won’t you come cheer up a poor lonely old woman, Prefect?” Ace says in mock sadness. You swat him, smiling and chide, “Don’t talk about my future mother-in-law that way.” Then you both laugh.

Things seemed to finally be going smoothly, but of course, that couldn’t last. The alchemy lesson had barely started when Headmaster Crowley arrives by bursting in through the skylight. He was just as extra in-person as he was in game. You chuckle to yourself as the rest of the class appears to become hyper-focused on the lesson. Then, right before leaving, Crowley stops in front of your caldron and remarks, “Ah Prefect, will you stop by my office after your lesson?” Ace leans in as Crowley retreats and whispers, “What is that about?” You can only shake your head, “I have no idea. Want to come with and find out?” Ace gives the thread a stroke with his thumb, “Of course. I can’t let a troublemaker like you out of my sight.” You laugh at his joke and pat his arm, thankful for his backup. You are sure you will need it.

When you and Ace arrive in the headmaster’s office, he looks up from his desk and lets out a squawk of surprise, “Ah! Trappola, uh, I was not expecting you to be here as well.” You feel like you’ve made the right choice in bringing him along. “So, Headmaster, what’s this business you have with me?” He looks away, avoiding your eye. “Well, that. So, you see…it turns out that our contract for the fumigation this summer does not include covering important school property with protective sheets. Can you believe that! Ah-hem, anyway, I’m going to have to ask you to stay until after the rest of the students have departed and cover the furniture in the classrooms before you go.” The response from your boyfriend is immediate, “No.” You pull back a smile you feel forming on your lips, “Well, there you have it. I also have made plans for break, since you have so cruelly abandoned me.” You can see the gears in his head turning as he thinks over the situation.

“Well,” you comment over your shoulder as you shake out a sheet over a cauldron, “At least he is paying us both to do this. Thanks for keeping me company.” Ace grins at you, “I can’t abandon my darling Prefect to be all by their lonesome right before a family trip!” Then he sheepishly adds, “Plus I can use some extra pocket money to buy you a treat when we are back home.” A family trip. It had a nice sound to it. You hum as you continue covering cauldrons with the large tablecloths Crowely had supplied. “There,” you say and clap your hands once for emphasis, “That is the last one. And…I think that is all the alchemy rooms.” Ace gets a thinking expression, “Ah…so that leaves the elective rooms in the Senior’s tower and the botanical gardens.” You shrug, “Wanna split them?” Ace nods and you agree to cover the worktables in the botanical gardens while Ace climbs the tower to handle the senior’s classrooms.

There are far fewer tables in the botanical gardens, so while it was a hike to get there, you finished fairly quickly. When you add that to the fact that the mirror chamber was nearby, it didn’t surprise you that you arrived ahead of Ace. Your small bag of clothes sat in the corner, ready to be taken through the mirror to the Queendom of Roses with Ace. Until then, you had nothing to do here. You circle the room, looking into the various mysterious mirrors. Make a few faces and poses to pass time. It was so boring. You turn out your pockets, just looking for something to occupy your time and find two items inside. One is the vial Malleus had given you to help you find a place for Summer Break. The other was a candy wrapper. You frown as you look at it. This wrapper was left over from a candy you had on you when you arrived in Twisted Wonderland; one of the last ties to your old world that remained. You haven’t thought about the old world for a while now. Not since before you’d found your Soulmate. Now, a feeling of melancholy washes over you. Why had you stopped looking for a way home? You didn’t even remember consciously giving up on that dream.

You hold the vial and consider it carefully. What exactly had Malleus said this did? Something about helping you find what you needed when you poured it on a mirror? Well, there were plenty of mirrors available and you had time to kill. Maybe, if you poured the potion, it would give you a clue on how you could return home someday. You walked to the nearest mirror and uncorked the bottle. The liquid flowed slowly out of the container as though it was molasses. When it touched the mirror, it seemed to slip inside until a glossy shimmer coated the surface. It rippled and you were aware that there were words to be seen inside. You leaned closer and read the message. Then you read it again. And again. By the fourth time, you were shaking so badly you could no longer read it. It wasn’t a way to get home. It was the summary of the fanfiction you were in.

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The Chain That Binds

When the Prefect of Ramshackle dorm is invited home with their Soulmate to visit the family, they never suspect the plan Ace has in store for them. Sometimes the chain that binds you to a partner also binds you to a darker fate.

TW Yandere, TW Imprisonment, TW Kidnapping

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Just what kind of sick story was this?

A click sounds behind you as the door closes. Never had you heard a sound so ominous. “Something wrong, Prefect?” Ace says carefully. You notice he is gripping the string of fate tightly. It no longer felt comforting but more like the hold a master would have on a dog’s leash. “You seem kind of agitated.” You try to downplay it, “Oh no, its nothing.” He tilts his head, attempting to see past you and into the mirror. You sidestep to make sure the view was blocked. He gives you a cold smile, “Are you sure because I can feel your fear through the bond.” You meet his eye for a moment and then bolt. Ace is so much faster than you that you never had a real chance. You scream out for help and Ace laughs and shouts with you, “Help! Help!” You look at him in horror. “Who do you think is left here to hear you, Prefect? Its only us now.” Then he pulls out his magic pen and casts a binding spell on you.

You can only lay limply as Ace steps over to the mirror and reads what is inside. “Hmm,” He finally says, “I don’t know where you get these ideas from, but I don’t think they are healthy for you. You should stop consorting with people who put these things into your mind. I’ll talk to my mom when we get home. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind if you stayed there instead of coming back to school. That will take care of all these intrusive thoughts you have.” His grip on the red string was so tight that you were beginning to feel it like a phantom pain in your heart. “Don’t worry about a thing, Prefect. I’m going to take care of you. I know what you need,” then he turns and looks coldly into your eyes, “you were made just for me after all. You’re supposed to be mine alone.”

Then as you struggle against your bonds, he lifts you up over his shoulder and drags you and your belongings to the central mirror. He gives the mirror the destination as you take one final look at the place you’d considered your second home. Then Ace carries you over the threshold of the mirror into the beyond. Unfortunately for you, this wasn’t the ending. Your story was just beginning.

#I like how subtile it begins and then just escalates the more you read #But also malleus looking out for his only friend is just adorable #like there are hints and then downright signs that things are going south #nice read :D #Ugh. need someone so supportive like our local fae capable of mass destruction in my life

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