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jasmariswonderland · 1 year

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Shining Hearts Chapter 8 ~ Guilty Kiss

Chapter 6 | Chapter 7

Chapter Summary: A leak on magicam plunges the Swans of Six back into turmoil and finding the culprit nearly tears them apart; with the stress bringing Danica to her breaking point.

Word Count: 16115

Warning For This Chapter: Mentions of weight issues, lots of ballet/dance terminology, heavy angst (especially towards the end) and EVERYONE is being mean in this chapter. (even Danica) Also the ending gets somewhat suggestive, but nothing too graphic.

A/N: A huge thank you to @twstinginthewind and @twst-the-night-away for being kind enough to let me use their ocs for this chapter. I’m always nervous working with ocs that aren’t my own but I hope I was able to do your babies justice! ❤

~~~

Sometime Back In November…

The hour was still early, but thankfully it was a Saturday and this was one of the few times Danica could be certain the ballroom would be empty. As she was waking up that morning, some ideas for choreography came to her that she wanted to take note of while they were still fresh in her mind. Ideas that she would show to her ballet teacher back home, that hopefully would be used for the new years masquerade in which she’d be performing.

She opened the curtains and sat in a pool of morning sunlight as she stretched and prepared her shoes, slipping on a long skirt similar to how her costume would move. Her eyes closed as she envisioned the moves and decided on a sequence. The last thing she did was place her phone upright in a chair by the mirror. It was a habit of hers to record every performance and every practice. Even when she was just dancing for herself, she still had a need to critique.

The camera beeped, indicating it was recording, and she began with a slow, elegant adagio and relevè, finishing off with an arabesque. Thinking about the music that would accompany this, she proceeded with a few small jumps and soft turns. Every movement was carefully thought out.

If one were to ask why Danica enjoyed dancing, the easy answer for her would be to keep Fiona’s memory alive and to be close to her spirit. That was certainly true but her love of dance ran even deeper than that. She could still remember what her heart felt when she watched her sister dance for the first time. Not just the praise she received, but also emotion conveyed in Fiona’s movements. And how she was able to stir those emotions in her audience.

Danica’s own emotions were often complex and confusing, even to her. Yet in dancing, she felt as though she had an outlet to express what was in her own heart. To express and be free of them even if for a moment. All the things that words couldn’t say, she could share with those who watched her dance.

Behind the curious violet eyes watching her, there were certainly very deep emotions developing within. This wasn’t the first time Vil had seen her dance and he was no stranger to it, being professionally trained in ballet himself. He had even seen Fiona on stage once, a long time ago. But something about Danica stirred something in him, something that was both endearing and bewitching at the same time.

She was normally so shy, and so unsure. But behind every note she sang, every turn when she danced, there was such profound, incredible passion. Passion that nearly matched his own, and, if he didn’t know better, could even compare to that of the Fairest Queen of legend.

Why was his heart racing?

Vil had come here because he thought he heard some activity here and figured he might as well have his morning yoga session here. As he approached the ballroom, he thought he’d heard the unmistakable sound of pointe shoes tapping on the hard floor, and tread quietly. Half-hoping to have a rare chance to see Danica completely removed from her normal timidity. What always surprised him most when he watched her was how the world seemed to vanish and how time would stop. How nothing seemed to matter at that moment save for watching Danica for as long as he could.

No one would doubt that Vil was an impressive person, but considering the life he lived, he was not one to be easily impressed. All the more reason why he found himself fascinated with this shy freshman.

A small high-pitched sound echoed throughout the room, a gasp in realization that Danica was being watched. She was midway through a turn and suddenly lost balance but before she could fall, Vil quickly went to her and caught her in his arms.

“Ara, I didn’t mean to startle you,” he said, placing her on her feet.

“Vil-san! Oh…oh goodness…” Danica gasped again, taking a few steps back and lifting one of her feet as though she were about to remove her shoes. “I’m sorry…I didn’t realize…”

“Now, what have we told you about needlessly apologizing?” She was about to apologize again but she quickly bit her tongue. He chuckled. “And at least you’ve given up coming in here late at night and neglecting sleep.”

“N…no one…the ballroom is normally empty on Saturday mornings,” with her eyes directed to the floor, she saw his feet walking closer to her. I’m…practicing for a performance I’ll be in for New Year’s Eve and…”

“Look at me.”

His tone was gentle, but stern enough to get her attention. Danica wouldn’t dare disobey her dorm leader and reluctantly lifted her head to meet his gaze. She realized how close he was but he did not appear angry or even displeased. Was that…a smile?

“You’re not upset?” She hesitantly asked.

“Why would I be?” He answered her question with one of his own. “How could I possibly take issue with how deeply committed you are to your craft? And how your hard work has paid off in such a beautiful way.”

“S…senpai…”

A hot flush of embarrassment came to her face and she lowered it again. Vil’s words were more on par with something Rook would say to her. Yet it was exactly because Vil was rarely so direct in his praise that was why it was so special to her.

“I’m…I…when you were watching me, what did you think?”

“My eyes were glued to you. The way you move, so smooth, so elegant. You are truly gifted and I do not say that lightly. It’s all the more reason…” he closed his eyes thoughtfully. But he didn’t finish his sentence.

“Vil-san…? Vil-san!”

Fingers brushed against each other and Danica realized that Vil wasn’t wearing his gloves. Her heart was pounding through her throat, but she didn’t move her hand away, even when she felt his enfolding hers. Yet his eyes remained strangely pensive.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s all the more reason why I don’t understand why you’re so timid about sharing your talents with us.” He sighed, grasping her hand tighter and bringing it to his view. “Why are you so unsure of yourself when you hold such incredible power in your hands?”

“Power?” Now Danica smiled. “What power could I possibly have?”

“The grace you carry when you dance, or even when you sing, has the ability to captivate your audience,” he replied. “Beauty in any form has the power to hold people’s attention and capture their hearts. That is your power, Little Potato.”

“Vil…”

“And when I watched you, I was also under that spell.”

“I’m…sure you’ve seen far lovelier dancers in your field of work,” she said, smiling. Even if she heard nothing to indicate teasing, the idea of her captivating someone like Vil seemed almost laughable.

“I’m not talking about other dancers right now, am I?” Speaking with more amusement than annoyance. “I am talking about you, Danica. And how your grace has captivated me.” His voice lacked its usual formality but Danica felt strangely comforted by this, allowing herself to move closer to him. Vil took her hand again. “And I’m certain your dance partner will be captivated with you as well.”

“I…actually won’t be dancing with a partner for the masquerade,” Danica replied. “I’ll be dancing with other girls. In fact, I haven’t begun training with a partner.” She lowered her head, blushing a little and wondering if she could say what was fully in her mind. No, not this time. “But I would like to.”

“Really? One of your age should have already begun pas de deux training.” This genuinely surprised Vil, but a thought quickly came to him, one he didn’t mind indulging in. “Would you like to begin your training with me?”

“What?!”

By what sorcery has Vil managed to read her deepest thoughts? His question caused a sudden spark in her chest and a wave of nervousness as she felt him take her other hand and gently pull her towards him. Such was her nervousness that she wasn’t fully thinking and tried to step back, her feet going on relevé.

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

“Oh…” she lowered herself, looking up at him. “I’m sorry…I mean…would you really? Vil-san?”

“We haven’t time for that at this moment,” he replied. “But in the future, I would consider it a great privilege to guide a dancer as passionate and beautiful as you.”

“Vil-san…”

“It’s almost a pity I won’t be attending the New Years masquerade, for I would love the opportunity to see your dance.”

Very carefully, Vil wrapped his arm around her while his other hand was still in hers. He softly pressed at her back to bring her closer, placing them both in a position as if they were indeed about to dance together. She smiled and in a moment of profound boldness, placed one of her hands on his shoulder as she had often seen when watching couples waltz.

“I would love to be the one to sweep you off your feet, Danica,” responding to her boldness in turn, he slowly spun her around as her feet went into arabesque. He caught her hand with a little smile. “And should you fall again, as your dance partner, I will always catch you.”

It was Danica’s intention to leave the ballroom after this, but Vil insisted that she stay and join him for his yoga session. She couldn’t describe it, but something in the kind way he regarded her made her less apprehensive of the idea of being alone with him. Danica agreed, spending a pleasant hour doing yoga with her dorm leader, and secretly enjoying his company nearly as much as he was secretly enjoying hers.

And all the while, the camera continued to record. Only when she returned to her room later, did she realize this. A part of her was embarrassed that her phone had caught such a personal moment. But as she watched the video, more than an hour long, a warmth came to her chest and rose to her cheeks.

Vil was a strict dorm leader and was often harsh with her and other freshmen, but in this moment, she saw a side of him that she had never seen before. A side that reminded her that behind his cool exterior, there was genuine warmth and a desire to see her succeed. And with the profession that her dancing captivated him, she felt a great sense of accomplishment, this was exactly what she aspired to as a performer.

If one were to ask Danica why she danced, there were many reasons. But her greatest reason? For the exact reaction Vil had given her that morning. And for that reason, she decided to keep the video. As a reminder of her desire to please him. A reminder of his rare moments of sweetness. And a reminder of why her feelings for him were beginning to shift from admiration to something far deeper.

~~~

One Week Earlier…

Vil looked around him, making sure he was completely alone before opening the video on his phone. He knew the boys were still rehearsing and the girls were getting fitted for their costumes. They were all soon to return to Ramshackle for the evening so time was extremely scarce.

So why was he hesitating?

An edited version of the video played on his phone. Cut down from its hour length to only five minutes that highlighted the sweeter moments of their conversation that November morning. He watched it a few times, fondly remembering that morning and wishing he and her could have more moments like that together. Not in the roles of dorm leader and freshman, but simply as two students. Two performers with similar tastes and equal drive, and mutual respect and admiration for each other.

Of course he would be hesitating, he should be hesitating. Truthfully, Vil would think himself a very horrid person if he didn’t hesitate at all. Indeed, that he was even thinking about doing this was horrid enough. He was taking a huge risk, even if he was certain this would be received in the way he wished, there was still the possibility this would be seen in the opposite light and spell disaster for his career.

But at the same time, Vil was becoming frustrated and that frustration was quickly becoming desperation. He was frustrated at how all of his talent, his passion, his drive, all seemed to be ignored in favor of the transient charms of his infantile rival. All Vil wanted was for the world to cease comparing him to Neige and viewing him as a villain. He wanted to stand upon the stage until the final curtain fell. He wanted to be a hero, and what better way to prove his worth as one than by playing that part to one destined for the role as his princess?

That’s what he told himself as he made the call to his manager. Yet even as he gave his instructions, a distinctly sick feeling refused to leave him. Beyond the general risks, this was also a major breach of his honor as Pomefiore’s dorm leader, and, on a more personal note, a breach of trust between him and someone whose trust he valued.

That is, if she ever realized that he was the one responsible.

But Adela promised, with the help of her staff, this would never be traced back to him. The video would be leaked via a bot account that would make frequent posts over a week’s time to give off the impression that there was a real person behind it. After the video had been up on magicam for twelve hours, it (along with the uploading account) would be erased from the site. Not enough time for anyone to trace the video’s origins but long enough to make an impact. Danica might wonder how a video from her phone found its way online, but otherwise, she’d never be the wiser.

“I won’t ask the reasoning behind this,” she said. “It's none of my business, but I assure you, Vil, leave this to me.”

“And she will never know?” He asked.

“I cannot promise that she won't ask you about this, or even try and figure it out on her own, but that would be an extremely difficult feat. I am curious though.”

“Hmmm?”

“The girl in this video, she’s the one dancing with you in the masquerade videos. Forgive me if this is out of line but you seem fond of her. Is she…?”

“You certainly are out of line!” Vil snapped.

“I’m sorry, but from these videos one could easily make the assumption…”

Adela let the statement hang as Vil further contemplated his decision. It was true, one could easily make the assumption that he and Danica were more than friends, but wasn’t that what he wanted? He wanted a princess to play prince to, he wanted a perfect swan to break the curse upon him. It’s all Vil had wanted for weeks, yet at the moment it seemed his goal was closer than ever, he was hesitant.

Enough dithering! He told himself. This must be done! Danica must see firsthand how the world sees her. She is a white swan, and only a white swan. In fact, this can be another test for her. Yes, to see how she responds to the leak and the resulting pressure. She’ll pass of course, like she’s passed all my tests, and she will finally understand what is best for her.

“Go ahead and release the video!” He said at last. “Release it and see to it that she never realizes its origins!”

Vil quickly hung up the phone before Adela could respond, and before he could have any more second thoughts.

~~~

Ramshackle Dorm ~ Danica’s Temporary Room

In Taima’s lap, Danica wept with humiliation while the other four girls sat in stupefied silence. Iman was scrolling through magicam, looking at comments on the video and hoping to find some positive ones to cheer her leader up. But Danica wasn’t interested. She looked at the video only once before nearly passing out from shock, Taima held onto her as she tried to compose herself but ended up crying instead. Loudly and frantically at first before slowly fading into soft, impassioned weeping.

How? Just how? That was the only thought she could hold at the moment. She recalled every moment her phone was out of her sight since November and even then she still couldn’t decipher who would have access to this. But how this happened almost didn’t matter. It might as well have been a video of her sleeping or bathing, for how intimate the content was. It was more than a sweet moment between her and her dorm leader, she now felt as though her deepest feelings, her most personal desires were on display for all the world to see.

And even that wasn’t the worst part. Yes, Vil was a strict dorm leader, yes he was often critical and his aura as an actor might have been intense. But Danica knew better, he was far more than all of those things and that November morning was the evidence. But that sweetness he occasionally showed her was reserved ONLY for her. And now it had lost exactly what made it so special in the first place.

Why did I decide to keep it?! I’m such an idiot!

Ione had been silent for the last several minutes, as had everyone else. She wanted to say something, but emotions were high and the deeper she felt, the more likely she was to say something stupid or rude. But seeing Danica’s anguish was too much for her, especially since it had been Danica to comfort her not too long ago. She wasn’t a naturally warm person and didn’t know what to say, or how to comfort in this situation, but she wanted to try.

“I…can’t possibly leave you in good conscience, Danica,” she said. “I won’t leave the group, I want to stay and support you the best I can.”

“Thank you, Ione,” Taima smiled. “And she’s right, Dani. We all will!”

Danica heard their voices, but not what they were saying. Her mind was still clouded but she pulled herself up into a sitting position. She reached for her phone but Iman gently grabbed her hand, there was nothing on that phone that wouldn’t just upset Danica further, she thought.

“I’m sorry,” she said.

“Hmmm?” Danica looked at her through tear-stained lashes. “Why? What have you done?”

“When we first started, I teased you about our song and why you wrote it. I didn’t realize…and now…I…sorry, I’m not used to feeling like this. Like I should be the one to…”

“I think she understands, Sister,” Vidaria spoke up. “We’re both sorry, Danica.”

“It’s alright,” Danica sighed and reached out for her phone again, only for Iman to swipe it out of her grasp. She tried reaching for it again but then thought better of it. “In the end, this is all my fault anyway.”

“How?!” Iman asked sharply. “Were you the one to leak this?”

“No, but I did keep it on my phone. So…”

“Then this is NOT your fault!”

“But there are other things that are my fault. The truth is, I did write Our Happily Ever After because of Vil. I’ve admired him ever since I was thirteen. But when I came to this school, it was my plan to continue admiring him only from a distance. I never imagined, nor did I hope, that I would find myself in a position as close to him as I am now. I never imagined he’d take notice of a shy, silly girl like me. I was fine being invisible to him, until…” her face quickly became hot and pressed her hands to her face with shame, letting out another loud sob.

“Eventually, I forgot about wanting to be invisible. I wanted him to notice me because when he did, I saw a different side of him. And I also saw firsthand how determined he was to succeed in everything he did. It captured me and I wanted him to see that I…I….Ohhhh I’m such an idiot!”

“No, my dear. You’re in love,” Vidaria tapped her shoulder to get her attention. She smiled. “Your place in Pomefiore has allowed you to graduate from being merely a fangirl to appreciating Vil for the person he truly is. Your feelings are genuine and that’s not your fault.”

“It doesn’t help that I feel like I’m also falling for another person,” Danica said. “But even then, when I think about my feelings for Vil…I think about how different he has made me. I’m still afraid of judgment, but at the same time, I’m learning not to care. I want to be the best performer I can be and it makes what he wants for me all the more confusing.”

“And it makes this leak all the more foul!” Sidonie spoke up, glaring at her phone. “To expose you like this, such a beastly thing to do!”

There was silence. Not even Vidaria could disagree with this statement, but her voice bore the slightest undertone of malice. This was ignored at first but when Iman picked up the tart box again to hand to Danica, Sidonie spoke up again.

“What the hell are you doing? You said Vil placed his UM on all the sweets in the fridge!”

“Not this one!” Retorted Iman. “I saw when he did it. He only touched the ones Ace and Deuce brought with them. He left this one alone!” Iman opened the box and Danica reached for the tart, but Sidonie continued to glare. “Do you really think I’d let Danica eat this if…”

“I don’t know what you’re capable of, that’s the point!”

“How dare you?!” Iman glared at her before breaking off a piece of the tart and putting it in her mouth. She swallowed it and when nothing happened said, “See?! Perfectly safe! Get over yourself!”

She offered the tart to Danica and she took it. Sidonie sat back, with a little huff. Iman had been correct, loath she was to admit it. But something about the way Iman comforted her friend did not sit right with her, even if she was indeed being genuine for once in her life. She bit the inside of her lip and remembered why she was so angry in the first place.

“We have to get to the bottom of this,” she said.

“I’ve been looking over the account that leaked the vid,” replied Taima. “It’s weird cause you really can’t tell if this person is a student or what.”

“What do you mean?” Vidaria asked.

“Just what I said. Like, there are pics here from some areas I recognize as around school but there are others in places I don’t recognize and none of these other pics have people in them, except one of some random Pomefiore students in the courtyard.”

“What?!” Danica allowed herself to look over at Taima’s phone. “Is it possible that a Pomefiore student is behind the leak? No! There’s no way…”

“Girl, you need to look at all possibilities right now!” Iman said.

“Well you can count me out of that,” Sidonie added.

“Yeah, and besides Sidonie and our dorm leaders, the only people I talk to are Farron, Epel, and Savvy from freshman Class D. None of them are capable of doing this.”

“Let me look at the account myself,” Sidonie scrolled through her phone, looking at each photo multiple times and then taking screenshots of several to show the others. “Okay, I recognize these pics, they’re from a famous hotel in the Queendom of Roses, but look at this one, at the poster in the background.”

“That’s Vil-san,” Ione said. “But Sidonie-san, that doesn’t exactly mean anything. Do you honestly think Vil-san could…”

“All I’m saying is that he is the only connection I can find in these pictures,” replied Sidonie. “That hotel only serves very wealthy and famous clientele. The only other pic with people in it is a pic of Pomefiore students. And the poster…”

“I am astounded by you, Sidonie,” Vidaria quickly cut her off, shooting her an poisonous look. “You see Danica in tears, her deepest feelings exposed to the world and you have the nerve to lay blame on the object of those feelings?!”

“Yeah, what the hell kinda friend are you?” Iman sneered. “Besides, most of the comments on the video are positive. Like, very positive. I can see another Pomefiore student doing this outa jealousy or something, but not Vil himself!”

“That’s the point!” Sidonie snapped, thrusting her phone in Iman’s face. “No one benefits from this but Vil! Most of these stupid comments are about Vil and how romantic he’s acting! Yeah there are a few about Dani but most are about Vil!”

“That doesn’t mean shit!” Iman pushed the phone out of her face. “This could have easily gone the opposite way. You know how netizens are! Why would Vil take that risk?!”

“Exactly!” Vidaria added. “Maybe forget your own disdain for your dorm leader long enough to comfort your friend!”

“EXCUSE YOU?!”

“Don’t act coy! Vil-san has been on your shitlist since freshman year and you’d never suggest him as the culprit if he wasn’t!” Vidaia continued. “You covet his place as Pomefiore’s dorm leader the same way a hawk covets a rabbit!”

“Sidonie!” Danica gasped, looking at her mentor with slight surprise. “Is that true? Do you want to replace Vil-san?!”

“That’s irrelevant right now!” Sidonie snapped again, her temper on its last legs. “And as for you Vidaria, shut up! Just shut up! You know nothing and I think as a Pomefiore student, I have a better idea of how Vil thinks!”

“You never denied it,” Vidaria smirked.

“DO YOU WANNA TAKE THIS OUTSIDE?!”

“STOP IT!” Danica got up to sit on the other side of her bed, between Sidonie and Vidaria. “I thought I said no more fighting! Sidonie-san, you’ve especially surprised me. I’ve never seen you so hostile. What’s happened?!”

“What’s happened?! SHE’S what happened!” Sidonie pointed to Vidaria, who was staring at them in an infuriatingly calm manner. “I’m sorry you have to be in the center of this, Danica, but…”

“Clearly you aren’t sorry enough because you two have refused to squash this! Even after I’ve begged several times!”

“Danica, sweetie, you’re really going to take Vidaria’s side on this?!”

“Don’t ‘Danica-sweetie’ me!” Danica cried. “And I’m not taking ANYONE’S side! I just want you guys to stop fighting!”

Sidonie sighed, rising to her feet and making her way towards the door, making a point to turn her back to Vidaria. She knew Danica was right, she knew she was letting her disdain for Vidaria poison her love for her. And perhaps it was a little true that she suspected Vil for unfair reasons. As such, she felt it was best to leave, but not before turning to Danica with one final question.

“My own feelings aside,” she began. “Will you even consider what I said, Danica? That Vil could be the one to do this?”

Danica hesitated, she thought again about every moment that her phone had been out of her sight over the last two and a half months. And she remembered a week prior, when Vil had come into Farron’s studio to talk with her. The end of that conversation still left knots in her stomach, but could Vil really be capable of something like this?

“No. You’ve always been a good friend to me, Sidonie-san, you’re my mentor and I’ve always trusted you and listened to you,” Danica said. “But I can’t this time. I don’t know what happened in the year I wasn’t here, but I trust Vil-san. I’m sorry that you don’t.”

~~~

An unbearable crushing sensation sat upon Sidonie’s shoulders as she closed the door and pressed her back to the wall, sinking to the floor. Her heart ached for her friend, this was not in doubt, but she was also incensed by her. True Danica was only a freshman and couldn’t be blamed for not knowing a lot of things, but how could she side with Vidaria on this? After all the merciless teasing both she and Iman had subjected her to. It didn’t matter if they apologized, they had still hurt her and Sidonie didn’t believe for a minute that their change of attitude was genuine.

Danica, sweetie, you aren’t an idiot. So why are you acting like one? How can you be so blind?

She didn’t just blame them, she also blamed Vil. For allowing them to join the team in the first place, for not considering the history between the three of them, and, most of all, for what he had now done to Danica. The others might believe Sidonie was being vindictive, perhaps she was to an extent, but she was not a fool. From the beginning of VDC preparations, Vil had been weirdly obsessed with Danica’s image, pressing her not to be too provocative, forcing her into an archetype that she no longer desired to be and, most egregious to her mind, forcing Farron to abandon some of his greatest work because it didn’t suit Vil’s wishes for Danica. And judging by the buzz on magicam, this most recent crisis worked perfectly into his plans.

Sidonie didn’t know what Vil’s endgame was with all of this, but at the same time, she really didn’t care. Danica was close to her breaking point. It wasn’t enough that she was working herself tirelessly on a performance that Sidonie knew she secretly hated. Now he had betrayed her trust in a very personal way. For all his care for beauty, he was being incredibly ugly right now.

And at that moment, she resolved that she would expose it. Vil couldn’t get away with this and since none of the others would even bother to consider his guilt, she would uncover it herself. This was no longer about her own distaste for him or her desire to be dorm leader. She owed this to Danica.

~~~

Ramshackle Dorm ~ Rook’s Temporary Room

The first thing Sidonie decided to do was go to Rook’s room. Whatever her thoughts about her dorm leader, her rapport with her vice dorm leader had always been amiable. And as Vil’s right hand man, he would have the best insight into Vil’s intentions out of everyone in the training camp. It only made sense.

The door was ajar and as she pushed it open, she heard a noise that came from downstairs. The boys were back from their rehearsal, meaning she would be able to speak to Rook very soon. Sidonie smiled and decided to sit in a nearby chair and wait for him there. While she waited, she looked around the room and noticed a thick book sitting on the nightstand by Rook’s bed. At once she recognized it as the very same that he had brought with him when they first arrived here, a photo album that Taima had teased Danica about. Taima had been under the idea that the album was full of pictures of Danica and now with it right in front of her, Sidonie couldn’t help but be curious.

Rook is certainly kinder than Vil, and he’s fond of Danica too. Maybe…but he did say it was private…hmmm…should I really…?

But Sidonie couldn’t help herself, especially with the fantasy that Rook’s deep fondness for Danica could help her see the light regarding Vil. Without any further thought, she picked up the book and carefully opened it to its first page–and was seized by a violent feeling of nausea as she recognized who was in the first photo.

No…it…can’t be…

She frantically flipped through the pages, hoping this was only her mind playing cruel tricks on her. That Rook wouldn’t possibly be so tactless. Her heart sank as she approached the end of the book and realized that this was real and a thousand times worse than she could imagine. She knew Rook was a tad eccentric but this? An album full of pornography would have been easier to accept. Taima had been right on one point though: the object of these photos did in fact have dark hair and wore white in the majority of them.

But it was not Danica’s face that graced the pages. Instead, the album was brimming with the pure white face, ebony locks, and ethereal image, of Neige Leblanche. Even the one photo from the Ledelle Cosmetics holiday promotion was one only of Neige. Danica was nowhere to be seen.

How could you?! I thought you cared about Danica! You didn’t even think to include photos you took of her here! What the actual hell is this?!

This was almost as bad as what Vil had done, if Vil’s actions were a betrayal of Danica, then Rook’s were a betrayal to them all. But Sidonie had no time to think further about this, she could hear someone coming up the stairs and this was followed by the jovial sound of Rook’s voice, calling out to them and Vil’s voice calling for Danica. She quickly closed the album and placed it back on the nightstand, taking extra care to arrange it exactly as it had been before she picked it up. For good measure, she opened the door wider and called out to him.

“Rook, I was just looking for you here in your room, can I talk to you for a sec?”

He immediately came in and she made a point of sitting back on the chair just as she had been previously, as though nothing out of the ordinary had occurred. Rook looked at her briefly, curious about her presence, but smiled all the same.

“Bonjour, Madame Etheree, what has brought you here?”

“Rook, I need to talk to you,” she replied. “About something serious that cannot wait.”

“Hmmm?” His curiosity was further piqued and he shut the door and sat on his bed, looking at her with interest. “I think I know what is troubling you, mon ami. Could it possibly be in relation to what’s currently trending on magicam?”

“You’re correct on that point,” her eye twitched and she subtly clenched her fist, recalling what she had just seen in his album. When would Danica catch a break? “Danica is very upset about this but no one can seem to guess who is responsible.”

“Ah, I understand,” Rook nodded. “It does not help that the account that originally posted the video is now gone.”

“What?” Sidonie looked up at him with surprise. “But, it was there not too long ago, we all looked at it.”

“Indeed, quite le mystere. The original video was up for only twelve hours but needless to say, there are several reposts floating around.”

“But why?! How?!” Sidonie’s anger began rising once again. “That video was only on Danica’s phone! How did this happen and more importantly who would do this?!”

“You’re guess is as good as mine, cherie,” Rook shook his head.

“Well that’s why I’m here!” She stood up indignantly. “I want to know who did this. And considering that Vil is in the video too, I wanted to ask…”

“I know what you wish to ask, Sidonie,” Rook raised his palm to silence her. “And while I know nothing about this myself, I can assure you Vil had nothing to do with this. He would never do anything that would hurt her like this.”

“Hmmm, are you really so sure about that?” Sidonie laced her fingers together, squeezing them to keep herself calm. “While I would never accuse our dorm leader of treachery…”

“But, you just did, cherie. That is exactly what…”

“WHILE I WOULD NEVER accuse our dorm leader of treachery,” Sidonie deliberately ignored him to finish her sentence. “There are too many things pointing to him as the culprit! You can’t deny he’s been pretty hard on Danica as of late!”

“Oui, you are correct about that,” Rook replied. “But while he is harsh, Roi du Poison is not cruel. Not intentionally cruel.”

“Really? Because it’s very hard to tell sometimes!”

“Oh, Madame Etheree,” Rook sighed. “Could it be that your own thoughts about Vil are clouding your judgement?”

“NO! THEY’RE NOT!”

She fell back into the chair with a frustrated huff, glaring at Rook. This was the second time she had been questioned like this and she hated it, perhaps because it was more true than she cared to admit. But that didn’t matter, she wanted to help Danica and clearly Rook wasn’t going to reveal anything to her. Though she began to wonder if he really knew anything in any case. Sidonie looked at him with a little sigh and then her eyes unintentionally wandered towards the album. She quickly lowered her gaze.

“Whatever I think about Vil, I always believed he wanted what’s best for us. But now I’m not sure if I even believe that anymore,” she said. “The truth is, Danica has been working very hard but I don’t think anyone really grasps just how hard she’s working! She really wanted to perform that other song for the VDC but she abandoned what she wanted to make you and Vil happy! She puts on a cheerful face even when Vil is scolding her but inside she is screaming! Farron has had to take in her stage costume twice now. It’s taking its toll on her and now this video has made things worse!”

And you! Constantly acting like you’re smitten with her, yet carry around photos of Neige!

“She doesn’t deserve this! She doesn’t deserve any of this!”

A surprising influx of tears burned through her eyes and she lowered her gaze further. The depth of her frustration with Vil, her anger at Rook, and her worry for Danica surprised even her and Rook as well. His heart was genuinely moved and he went to gently place his hand on her back, only for her to sharply jerk away.

“Oh, ma cherie. Your tears speak louder than any words could,” he sighed. “You truly care for our petite cygne and wish to protect her. As do we all.” Rook handed her a handkerchief and waited for her to dry her face before continuing.

“But you have nothing to fear. If Vil ever did anything that appears hurtful, it is only out of care for her. He see’s Danica as I do, a perfect, delicate white swan,” he smiled. “How could anyone dare think to hurt one so sweet and pure? Vil and I both desire to protect her loveliness so won’t you help us, Sidonie and keep Danica safe as well?”

She did not respond right away and there was silence between them for a few moments. With the only noise coming from the hallway, it was the sound of Vil, it was the sound of his anger. Sidonie got up and went to the door and could see that Vil was scolding Danica, most likely regarding Crisanta’s departure. Danica took this in silence, nodding slowly but Sidonie noticed her hands behind her back, one of them clenched into a fist. She looked back at Rook.

“No! You’re wrong, absolutely wrong! You couldn’t be more wrong if you tried!” she said.

“Pourquoi?” he asked. “What do you mean?”

“From the moment you met her, you’ve always compared Danica to a pure white swan. Vil too. But there’s one thing about swans that everyone seems to forget. Swans are no doubt very beautiful birds, but they’re not fragile. Behind their beauty, swans are secretly very tough and don’t need protection. Danica doesn’t need protection either, what she needs is support and if she doesn’t receive it soon, she will become a swan in another way.” She bit back the beginnings of a smirk as she walked out of the room and closed the door.

“When a swan is provoked too many times, she fights back. And if Danica’ sweetness continues being undermined, I’m afraid you’ll all realize that even swans can bite.”

~~~

Ramshackle Dorm ~ Reception Hall

Three Days Later…

There was no way out for Epel this time. After trying to find any excuse imaginable to skip out on Vil’s wishes, he and Deuce were at last made to sit and observe the girls’ rehearsal before taking more ballet lessons. At this point, Danica was as uninterested in teaching Epel as he was being taught. To her mind, their lessons had gone nowhere and while Deuce and Ione were at least trying, she no longer had the patience for a student like Epel. So solidly committed to remaining stubborn and not even trying to implement what she was trying to teach.

But Vil had finally found someone else to teach the ballet lessons and promised Danica that this would be their last season together. This came as a relief to her since Crisanta’s departure meant she and her team now had to tailor their performance accordingly and unfortunately, the girls had begun their arguing once again. They couldn’t agree on the new choreography, which Sidonie and Vidaria found hard to memorize, something they surprisingly agreed on. Danica also decided that each girl should now sing one piece of the song solo, something Ione dreaded.

Taima had also added a new instrumental bit at the beginning for Danica to dance to, but she wasn’t as thrilled with it as Taima thought she’d be. The truth was, Danica really could only think about how much she now just wanted the training camp to end. She found herself becoming gradually more disagreeable as well, and sometimes even lashed out at her teammates. The stress of the last few days was taking its toll on her.

As she and the girls entered the rehearsal space that morning, her head was spinning. When Danica first woke up, she finally decided to look at magicam for the first time in days and immediately regretted it. Buzz about the video had died down but was still there, and while most of it was positive, there were a lot of comments and discussions about her and how adorable she was. How her adorableness made her an odd choice for someone like Vil, but how she made Vil seem sweeter by comparison. None of it sat right with her and she felt as though everyone was now secretly mocking her.

To make matters worse, Vil had not mentioned the video to her even once, compelling her not to speak on the matter either. Internalizing her feelings, as she always did. So the last thing she needed was to be bothered with Epel’s hardheadedness. At least this burden would be lifted soon, she thought. All they’d have to do is get through this final rehearsal and all would be well.

“I know you didn’t like the new intro, Dani, so I changed it back,” Taima told her as the girls prepared to start rehearsals.

“No, no, it’s fine,” Danica replied, her head a little cooler than when Taima initially introduced it to her. “It’s just that, our new performance is a lot more dance-centric than what we planned. Before, it was a little more acceptable if some girls fell short in some areas but now we all must be more uniform. I’m fine doing a small solo at the start.” A new thought intruded her mind and a sarcastic little laugh escaped her. “After all, it’s what I’m known for now!”

“Oh, Dani…” Taima sighed, clearly her friend was still upset about the video. “I’m sorry, I know you’re still not in the best head space. If you like, I can take over for today and you can just focus on the ballet lesson.”

“No! I’m fine!” She snapped, though far from the truth. “Let’s just get this over with! The sooner rehearsals are done, the sooner I can give Ione and the boys their ballet lesson.”

“Speaking of which,” Ione spoke up, looking over at the door and seeing Epel and Deuce walk in.

“Good morning, ladies,” Deuce greeted them, smiling awkwardly but Epel subtly frowned. He was clearly uncomfortable being around so many girls.

“Hey, so…what are me and Deuce supposed to be doing here?” Epel asked. “Why do we gotta watch you guys?”

“Vil-san said he wanted you guys to observe our rehearsal and see how hard we’re working,” replied Danica. “So you’ll get it out of your head that strength is something exclusive to guys.”

“I see,” Deuce said as he sat at the far side of the room. “Actually, even though we’re all training for the VDC, I don’t think we’ve seen what the girls are doing yet.”

“Same here! But you’ll get a chance today!” Taima grinned.

“Ehh, I still don’t get this,” Epel sighed. “I’m sure it’s all the same dumb crap the boys are doing.”

“Excuse you?! Our performance is awesome, thank you very much!” Iman retorted. Whatever her own thoughts, Epel’s comment was not appreciated.

“Ignore him!” Said Danica. “And I really don’t expect you to understand, Epel. Because you’ve been ignoring almost everything I’ve been trying to teach. Even though you’re not that bad at ballet and Ione and Deuce are at least trying…”

“Can you blame me?! Whatever you and Vil think, ballet has nothing to do with being strong or even a good mage!”

“And it’s that way of thinking that is why we are both in this mess!” She pointed dismissively to where Deuce was sitting. “Just sit over there, we’ll be sure to make this quick and then I’ll give you your lesson for today!’

Epel huffed but said no more, the more he argued, the longer he’d be stuck here after all. He sat next to Deuce and they whispered among themselves as the girls began discussing their performance.

“Has everyone had a chance to review their solos?” Danica asked her teammates. When everyone agreed, she went on, “Before we start, Vil-san told me that a week from now, we will be performing for the headmage. He wants to see how we’re progressing for the VDC. I know we’ve been disagreeing on the new direction of our song with one less person, but today I’d like us to finally decide.”

“If we’re making decisions about that now,” Sidonie replied. “Can we talk about the new choreography cause I feel like it’s a lot more…involved than what we originally planned.”

“I know it is,” Danica shrugged. “But I really don’t want to make any more changes at this point. So what we’re going to do is pair everyone off since there’s now an even number of us. We’ll dance in groups of three and two and everyone will be responsible for making sure their partner knows what they’re doing.”

They got into position, Sidonie behind Danica, Ione behind Taima, and Vidaria behind Iman. They ran through the song twice, once with the new intro and once without it. Danica found that she actually liked the new intro and decided that was what they would go with. They were a little out of sync with the new choreography, but Danica tried not to think of it, feeling that a few practices in the ballroom would quickly fix this.

“Okay, that was passable,” she said. “What did everyone else think?”

“I like this more to be honest,” Iman replied. “I feel like my own dance skills are better highlighted with this. Now if we could do something about our fluffy ass costumes, I’d be a hundred percent content!”

“Sadly nothing can be done about the costumes,” Danica sighed. “But I’m glad you like our new choreography, Iman.”

“Vidaria kept getting her footwork mixed up,” Taima pointed out. “So be sure to help her out with that, Iman. And I’ll do the same with Sidonie.”

“The best way to think about it is like a mirror. When we’re not all dancing in unison if your partner’s leg is extended left, yours is supposed to go right,” Danica tapped on her phone and started the music over again. “And with that in mind, let’s run through this one more time.” She turned to Deuce and Epel, still sitting in the corner. “This time, I’d like you two to closely watch us.”

As the girls got back in position, Danica had a new thought and quickly paused the music before they began. She realized that her new solo in the beginning gave the performance an elegant feel that she actually liked and she wanted to add to that. From her dance bag, she pulled out her ballet shoes and put them on.

“This is just for today’s rehearsal,” she said. “For the actual VDC, I’m going to ask Farron to design my shoes with a demi-pointe so they’ll be easier to dance in.”

The third time they rehearsed was definitely the best thus far and they all thought so. Danica made sure to keep an eye on the boys, ensuring they were actually paying attention. Deuce was watching intently, almost as if he were taking mental notes, but to her annoyance, Epel appeared to be bored.

“Besides the singing solo part, I think we can definitely work with this,” said Ione once they were done. “Well, I want to try.”

“You’re getting a lot better, Ione,” Danica smiled. “It’s nice to see our ballet lessons haven’t been a total waste after all.” She turned to Epel when she said this.

“I’m still having trouble keeping up,” Sidonie admitted, deliberately ignoring when she heard Vidaria scoff under her breath. “But you seem happy with this, Dani. So for your sake, I’m going to try.”

“I’m glad to hear that. It’s still early and we can continue rehearsing later in the ballroom. The last thing we’re going to do before I begin the ballet lesson is…is…”

Danica was stopped mid-sentence by a sound that she couldn’t mistake, one that quickly returned a burning sensation back to her chest. She turned to Deuce and Epel to find them laughing about something. She felt rage returning but she bit the inside of her lip, whatever they were laughing about could very well be something completely innocent and she didn’t want to think the worst.

But when the boys noticed her looking at them, Deuce quickly tapped Epel’s shoulder, loudly shushing him. Epel, unfortunately, didn’t catch the memo and was still laughing, enough to now catch everyone’s attention. Danica was certain now that she was not mistaken but still maintained her cool as she slowly walked toward them.

“Hmmm? I wonder what could possibly be so funny, boys?” Danica asked, rather sweetly, but with the smallest hint of malice in her tone. “Because, you know, we girls have been working very hard and could use a laugh too. Couldn’t we, my Swans of Six?”

The other girls looked at each other but Sidonie bit back another smirk. She knew that tone well though she had only heard it used once; when Danica was helping rid the campus of unruly guests during NRC’s Halloween event a few months prior. It was sweet but incredibly deadly, hopefully, Epel hadn’t said anything too egregious.

“Well?”

“Ohhhh!” Deuce stammered, his face turning red. “Epel just told me a very funny joke is all…ahhh! No! I mean…he….we…”

“A joke?” Danica looked down at Epel. “What kind of joke? I’d love to hear it.”

“Uhhhh,” Epel shifted quickly, lowering his head as he tried to form a response. He knew if he told her the truth, he’d never hear the end of it, but at the same time, he didn’t know what else to say. “I…well…it wasn’t really my joke, Deuce was trying to make me feel better and…”

“Epel!” Deuce jumped “Don’t drag me under the bus! That’s something I’d expect from Ace!”

“But you did! You started it!”

“Yeah because you said you were feeling second-hand embarrassment watching the girls and it made you wanna quit!”

“No! No! Don’t say that!” Epel cried. “She’ll get pissed at us again!”

“EMBARRASSED?!” Danica stamped her foot.

“Ohhhhohoho!” Iman laughed. “You idiots have done it now!”

“Aaaarrggh! Shut up! I’m NOT an idiot!” Epel retorted, jumping up and getting too close to Iman for comfort. He wasn’t sure what had gotten into him, but he couldn’t hold back any longer. “And why shouldn’t I be embarrassed doing something so stupid and women-like! I wanna be a man, a real man! And real men don’t do stupid girly shit like this!”

“STUPID?! Okay! First of all, get OUT of my face!” Iman pushed Epel back and when he got back in her face again, she pulled out her magipen. “Cause this stupid girl WILL put you in your fucking place!”

“Bring it! Cause I’m sick of this and…”

“Epel, stop!” Deuce tried to pull him back. “My mom said guys should never hit girls!”

“You stop too, Iman!” Danica pulled Iman back also. “Deuce is right, and unlike Epel we have class! So we’re going to resolve this in only the classiest manner possible!”

Iman took a few steps back from Epel, but he still seemed more than ready to fight and Vidaria held her arm for good measure. Meanwhile, Danica went over to her dance bag, pulling out another pair of shoes, her pointe shoes. She walked over to the boys and her teammates gasped.

“Dani! Rook-san gave you those shoes!” Taima said. “You’re not really gonna beat Epel with them are you?”

“No! Let her beat him!” Iman replied. “Maybe she can beat some sense into him too!”

“Don’t be absurd! I’m not gonna beat Epel! That would be far from classy, remember?!” She tossed her pointe shoes at Epel’s feet. “Put them on!”

“What?!”

“You heard me! Put! Them! On!”

“Danica have you gone off yer’ knocker?!”

“Contrary to what you think, Epel, I’m not totally unsympathetic to how you feel,” she said. “I know you want to be stronger, even if you have a really narrow idea of what strength is. So we’re gonna do something a little different today.” With her foot, she pushed her shoes closer to him.

“They should fit you. Put them on, you’re going to do your ballet exercises with them, including center work! If you can do it all, you will have proven yourself strong and…”

“How will dancin’ on mah tippy toes prove that?!” He asked.

“If it’s so simple, something only for stupid weak women like me, you should be able to dance en pointe with ease! And when you do, not only will you not have to do any more ballet lessons but I’ll personally speak to Vil-san about pulling you out of the VDC. Exactly what you want.”

“What?!” Deuce’s eyes widened. “But Danica! We need him! Epel is one of our lead vocalists and without him…”

“Deal! It’s a deal! I’ll do it!” Epel cut him off.

"EPEL!"

“I don’t care anymore! I’ll prove how stupid all of this is! I’ll finally prove all of you wrong! You’ll see!”

But the second Epel slipped the shoes on, he began to regret all of his posturings. They were indeed a perfect fit, but they were incredibly narrow, squeezing at his feet with what felt like a small block that was all he had to rest his toes on. Even with the toe pads Danica gave him, he wondered how he could hold his weight on shoes like this.

Maybe there was more to ballet after all. No, this was still a girly dance, and Epel couldn’t possibly take back his words now. He had to prove his point, he had to do this.

The girls decided to watch the lesson, partially in curiosity but also because they had never before seen Danica act so vindictive. Vidaria was more than a little surprised and Iman and Sidonie found it amusing. But Ione and Taima were concerned. Would Danica really be acting this way if she weren’t already so stressed? They wondered, but were unsure if they could truly doubt it. Danica seemed to be getting a little too much pleasure watching Epel wobble and struggle.

Barre work was first, Epel seemed to manage this decently until it was time to relevè and he had to put all his weight on the pointes. How was Danica able to do this on a daily basis? And Epel had seen Vil also dance on pointe and he was taller and sure to weigh more than her. How was something like this even possible?

“Hmph, not bad,” Danica said. “Perhaps you might prove me wrong after all, Epel. But come to the center. That’s where the real test will be.”

When Epel and Deuce came to the center of the room, Danica gave them a combination a little different from what they were used to. It was similar to her solo at the beginning of her VDC performance but simplified. They tried to follow her but Epel found it especially difficult and kept stumbling as he tried to do turns. Danica looked at him with a curious smirk.

“What’s wrong, Epel? You did these turns perfectly during our last lesson.”

“It’s just hard!” He replied, fighting back humiliated tears. “I’m afraid I’ll fall!”

“We all fall sometimes! But we just get up if we do! Falling doesn’t kill us!”

“No, no really! I feel like I’ll fall if I try and turn with these shoes on!”

“I thought you said ballet was something anyone could do? That it’s something woman-like and therefore doesn’t require strength!” She folded her arms. “You wanna prove us wrong? Pirouette!”

“B…but…”

“I SAID PIROUETTE!”

“Danica stop!” Ione stood up, afraid of where all this was leading. “You’ve made your point! I’m sure Epel will stop being stupid now!”

“I’M NOT STUPID! DAGNABIT!”

On impulse, Epel did just as Danica requested and did a pirouette en pointe. A quick, clumsy pirouette with sickled feet and poor foundation. The trouble Epel had holding his weight on the shoes finally broke through as his standing leg slipped, forcing him to come crashing to the floor on his side. At least he was able to pull off a proper ballet fall.

The room went silent as everyone stared down at Epel laying on the floor. Even Iman and Sidonie were a little baffled at how quickly this had all escalated. Deuce helped him up but Epel refused his help. He ripped the shoes off and threw them at Danica. She dodged them easily and couldn’t help but snicker. Her point proven.

“What the hell is wrong with you?!” Deuce shouted. “Was that really called for?! Epel could have really been hurt!”

“Hurt?! HURT?! How hurt do you think I feel having to hear all his bullshit week after week?!” Danica had enough, slamming her fist against the wall as she yelled at him. “How hurt do you think the girls feel when Epel says shit like that?! Or how hurt Farron might feel when Epel says shit like that?! BUT WHO THE FUCK CARES AS LONG AS HE DOESN'T FEEL LIKE HE'S NOT ACTING LIKE A GIRL?!”

“I HATE YOU DANICA!” Epel cried. “I always thought you were nice and cool but you’re just like everyone else at Pomefiore! You’re just like Vil and I hate it! I fucking hate it!”

“Me? Like Vil-san?!” Danica screeched, a mix of frantic laughter even as tears began streaming down her face. “I’M NOTHING LIKE VIL-SAN YOU IGNORANT HICK! I’m NOTHING like Vil-san because if I were, MAYBE YOU WOULD HAVE ACTUALLY LEARNED SOMETHING!”

And with that, she stormed out of the reception hall, not even bothering to pick up her shoes or grab her phone. Her angry footsteps could be heard going up the stairs, followed by the loud slamming of her door. She slammed her door so hard that some of the ceiling's foundation crumbled above them and fell to the floor, another testament to the less-than-ideal circumstances of their training camp. Iman recoiled and once again the room went silent save for a few frustrated sniffles from Epel. The girls looked at each other and silently agreed that practice was over for now.

“Look, even if Danica was hella harsh just then, you aren’t fully in the right either, Epel,” said Taima. “If we can get her to apologize, then maybe…”

“No! Fuck that! I ain’t never apologizing!” Epel snapped. “This is still stupid!”

“I’m not saying Danica was right for that, but don’t you think…”

“No! Shut up! I didn’t do nothin’ to deserve that!”

“Epel, Taima didn’t do anything wrong,” Deuce tried to calm him down. “Don’t be mad at her.”

“She let this happen, she’s just as wrong! They all are!” Epel retorted.

"Excuse you I did nothing wrong!" Ione snapped. "It's your own fault for laughing at us!"

"Even if Danica was acting bitchy, you could have just kept your mouth shut and..."

"YOU KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT!" Epel cried. "I'M NOT TAKING ANY MORE SHIT FROM GIRLS OR GIRLY GUYS LIKE VIL!"

"Okay, I've had enough of this!"

Iman pulled her pen out again. Vidaria tried to hold her back and Deuce did the same for Epel, but both were determined to settle this in a way very befitting NRC students. He got in her face but she pushed him back, quickly dodging when he tried to swing a punch at her.

"Common street rats would have more manners than you so I guess I'll have to teach you some!"

"STOP THIS BOTH OF YOU!" Taima placed herself between Iman and Epel before their fight could become more heated. "You're BOTH acting like street rats and you BOTH know better!" As Taima said this, Vidaria and Ione managed to pull Iman away from Epel and Deuce pulled Epel away from Iman, both of them still glaring at each other. "Now Epel, I know you're frustrated but that was not..."

"I don't wanna hear it! If Danica won’t tell Vil to take me off the team, then I’ll tell him myself!”

“You know what?! Fine, Epel! I’m just about done caring about this myself! Do what you want,” Taima sighed, picking up Danica’s shoes. “In the meantime, girls, go back to your rooms. We'll pick up on rehearsals later. Deuce, Epel, I guess you guys can go to your rehearsal at Pomefiroe now. And I'm going to make sure my friend and team leader is alright.”

~~~

Ramshackle Dorm ~ Danica’s Temporary Room

The door was locked but from outside, Taima could hear her friend’s crying and whatever her thoughts about her actions, it tore her apart. Danica was the sweetest person Taima knew, with the patience of a saint. To see her act out so viciously, it was almost as if the girl she had just seen downstairs wasn’t really Danica at all.

Yes, people were now speculating about whether she was dating her dorm leader. Yes, Epel’s misogynist comments had been annoying to them all, especially when he made them during their costume fittings for Farron to hear. But something else was happening here and Taima wanted to know what it was. She softly tapped on the door and a loud sob answered her.

“I will NEVER apologize!”

“That’s cool, cause Epel said the exact same thing!” Taima replied, chuckling a little. “But I’m not here because of that, I don’t care about that cause Epel is an idiot. But I know you better than that, Dani. You’re better than this.”

“Hmph! You think so?” Danica opened the door, wiping her face as she smiled sarcastically at her friend. “I can count on both my hands and feet how many times I’ve actually wanted to beat Epel with my pointes over the last two weeks! I’m not better, Taima, I’m just not!”

“Yes you are! But you’re hurt!” Taima grabbed her shoulders. “You’re hurt, you’re stressed and you snapped! This was going to happen sooner or later and I’m sure what happened…”

“Didn’t you just hear me, I just said I’m not better! I just hold a lot of shit in because I don’t want to burden anyone!” She let out another sob. “But I don’t know how long I can keep doing that! I know what I made Epel do was wrong, but I was just so angry at him! And I’m afraid of what I’ll do next if this keeps happening! I’m so afraid!”

“Come now, Dani!” Taima tried to smile. “You act like you might overblot and murk someone and I know you’d never do that!”

“Maybe not,” Danica sniffed. “But sometimes I have thoughts about…dark feelings that I worry I’ll act on them if my stress keeps…”

“What kind of dark feelings? What do you think you’ll do?” Danica leaned into her friend, whispering what was, at that moment, her deepest desire for herself and her teammates. Taima jumped back, her eyes widening and she suppressed a fit of laughter before clearing her throat. “Ohhh! Ahh, well, yeah we definitely can’t have you doing that. Vil-san would flip the fuck out and logistically speaking, Farron might have a nervous breakdown.”

“But you understand now right?” Danica asked. “How stressed I’ve been?”

“Trust me, bestie. I understand and we’re going to fix that right now!” Taima pulled her phone out and went through her contacts, tapping on one before bringing the phone to her ear. She smiled. “Joker! Heyyyy! Are you busy?”

“Tai-chan! What are you doing? Why are you calling…?”

“You’re not? Sweet! And is Riddle-san out of the dorm? He is? Even better!”

“What’s going on?!” Danica asked, trying not to giggle.

“She’s stressed out and I don’t think I need to tell you why!” Taima went on, not listening to Danica’s protests. “This magicam leak hasn’t helped matters either! She needs to decompress! Can I send her over there please? She needs a safe place away from all this VDC prep! Where Vil-san won’t be breathing down her neck! She can? Cool beans! She’ll be right over!”

Taima hung up and grinned at her friend. Danica sighed, she wasn’t even going to try to object because truthfully, she wanted this just as much as Taima wanted it for her. But for good measure, she smirked and asked:

“I have no say in what you just planned for me, do I?”

“Absolutely none!” Taima smirked back at her. “You’re going to Heartslabyul! You’re going to relax and enjoy yourself with Joker and Violetta! And don’t come back here until your head is cooler and you no longer have such…crazy ideas in your head. I’ll take charge of rehearsals too so you have no excuse!”

“And what if Vil-san wonders where I am?”

“Who says he has to? No one need ever know!”

“Hmph, remember what happened last time you said that?” Danica laughed. “But fine! I know you’re right. Maybe this will be good for me after all.”

~~~

Ever hospitable, when Trey heard that Joker and Violetta were having a guest from another dorm, he insisted that they welcome her with Heartslabyul style. A tea table was set out in the kitchen with cakes and tarts and other delights that Danica had been forbidden for the last few weeks. Danica stared at them for a long time, but was extremely reluctant to eat anything at first, still feeling rather shaken, and worried about Vil somehow finding out about this.

“You’re here to clear your mind, and you can’t do that if you don’t eat something.” Joker tried to encourage her. “We promise, Songbird, Vil-san will never know about this.”

Danica hesitated for a few more moments before hesitantly taking a cupcake and eating it. The delightfully sugary taste on her tongue brought a wide smile to her face, she hadn’t realized how long it had been since she had eaten something like this and at least she didn’t have to worry about the cupcake being cursed. She took another one, and then another, causing her hostesses to smile as well.

“You should try having some tea also,” said Violetta, pouring some in a cup. “It’s a special herbal blend that’s good for stress. Trey-san makes it for us all the time.”

Danica took her up on the offer and accepted the tea. For a while, the three didn’t talk much since Joker and Violetta understood that the point of this visit was to help Danica and they didn’t want to stress her further with a lot of questions. But slowly, the antsy look in Danica’s eyes faded and her breathing became more normal. After another sip of tea, she placed her cup on the table and let out a long sigh.

“I…I just don’t know what to do anymore…” she said.

“Did something happen?” Joker cautiously asked. “Are you still having trouble leading the girls?”

“Not anymore,” Danica replied. “It’s now other things. First, Crisanta had to drop out. I’m not mad at her or anything, but it did upset Vil-san and we had to fix our performance accordingly. And then Epel and I got into a fight.” She shook her head. “So much for that friendship.”

“Come now,” Joker smiled. “I’m sure it’s nothing that can’t be resolved.”

“You wouldn’t say that if you knew what happened, dear,” Danica sighed again. “But probably the worst thing, and probably what caused a lot of my stress in the first place was…”

“That magicam video?” Violetta spoke up. Danica turned to her but she quickly lowered her head. “I’m sorry! It’s just, Joker and I were talking about it earlier. We thought that might be why you’re upset.”

“We’re so sorry that happened, Dani,” added Joker. “The second Cater showed me I knew you were probably….eh….well, what did Vil-san say about it?”

“Nothing, and that’s kind of the problem!” Danica placed her hand on her cheek. “He hasn’t mentioned it at all! At first I figured he was remaining silent about it as a matter of professionalism but the more I thought about it, the weirder it seemed. It doesn’t help that the video is…well…it shows us in a kind of…” she blushed, unable to finish the statement.

“Like a couple in a romantic movie! Oh! I’m sorry!” Violetta blushed also. “Maybe I shouldn’t have said that!”

“No, no, you’re right.” Danica allowed herself to laugh. “It did seem like that. Like we were rehearsing a scene for a movie. But we weren’t. That moment, well, I don’t know what he thought but it was a very personal one for me. And it makes this leak all the more embarrassing!”

“But what I’d like to know is this,” Joker held up her phone, showing a screenshot of the magicam profile that initially leaked the video. “Who the hell is this person and why the hell would they do this in the first place!”

“You’re guess is as good as mine, dear.”

“Well, have you tried to find out who might be responsible?” Violetta asked. “What I mean is…”

Her words were interrupted by the sound of Danica’s phone. Danica looked at it and immediately, her face went white. She didn’t have to say who it was calling her, her hostesses could already tell and Joker took the phone from her to answer it.

“Joker! What are you doing?!” Danica gasped. “It’s Vil-san calling! He’s probably wondering where I am!”

“I’m sure he is, but you are supposed to be relaxing, Songbird!” She held the phone out of Danica’s reach with a little grin. “He’ll be alright, and Tai-Tai is handling your rehearsals right?”

“That’s true but he might have found out about what happened…”

“Again, it can wait! You are NOT re-stressing yourself on my watch!” Joker made a point of holding her phone a little higher out of reach and smiled when it finally stopped ringing. Handing it back to her friend. “Now then, Violetta, what were you talking about before?”

“Just that there’s probably a way to find out who’s behind the leak,” Violetta replied. “Granted, I’m not the most tech savvy. But isn’t your brother? Ignihyde students are all pretty tech savvy, at least that’s what I’ve heard.”

“Oh! Ohhhh! That’s a great idea, Violetta!” Joker grinned. “Dunno why I didn’t think of that before! And it’s true! Punch could probably solve this mystery! If not him, maybe Idia-san could! Yes, you’re a genius!”

“Umm, I’m not sure about all of that,” Violetta smiled. “But I’m glad I could be helpful.”

“You have been helpful, dear.” Danica added. “Thank you, Violetta, for suggesting that. I think that will be the last place I visit before heading back to Ramshackle.”

“But you’re not gonna leave just yet are you?” Joker asked. “You just got here and I think you could use some more tea,” she placed another cupcake on Danica’s plate with a smile. “And could use more cake too!”

~~~

Joker called ahead to her brother, informing him that Danica would be stopping by but didn’t tell him the reason. After she and Violetta had fully turned Danica’s mood around with their combination of sweet conversation and sweeter homemade baked goods, they sent her on her way. As it happened, Punch was already ahead of them and had been looking into the magicam leak. Out of curiosity, but also because someone had asked him to a few days prior.

“Another Pomefiore student came here a few days ago,” he told Danica when she arrived at Ignihyde a few hours later. “It was sooooo odd, it was in the evening and she was wearing a coat with a hood that hid her face. I only know it was someone from Pomefiore because of the crest on the coat.”

“Yeah, our dorm uniform coat has a hood like that,” Danica replied. “It’s supposed to replicate the hooded cloak the Fairest Queen wore when she transformed herself into a hag. But did the student give you her name.”

“No, and that’s what I found weird,” Punch spun around in his chair as he thought more about it. “It wasn’t Savvy, her voice was different. But she mentioned you by name. That she wanted to know who had hurt you by leaking the video.”

“That…actually sounds like my mentor, Sidonie Lilyth,” she sighed. “I was kind of rude to her when I said I couldn’t trust her about this. But she wanted to accuse Vil-san! There’s no way…”

“Uhhhhh,” he stopped her mid sentence. “About that. I did look into the leak, I was able to backtrack one of the photos to another, private magicam account and from there, an email address the account belonged to.”

“You were?” Danica smiled. “Wow, you are tech savvy! That’s awesome!”

“I’m…glad you think so, Dani,” he laughed a little. “But…I’m not sure you’ll think so when I tell you the rest.”

“What do you mean?” Her excitement quickly morphed into anxiousness, made worse by his darkening expression. “W…was it a Pomefiore student after all?” Punch didn’t respond right away, turning back to his computer. “Punch?”

“I…wanted to tell you first,” he said. “I decided not to tell your friend because I don’t know her and I was worried about causing drama for your dorm if just ‘ol anyone knew that…that…”

“That what?!” She was beginning to panic. “Please tell me!”

“Danica, are you sure you want to know?” He asked. “I’m giving you a choice here, this could really hurt you. More than you’re hurt now. Have you ever heard the saying ‘shooting the messenger?’”

“I could never be upset with you, Punch! After all it was my decision to come here, I want to know who did this!”

Punch sighed, she was adamant at least, he had to admit to that. He hesitated for a few moments longer, a few more minutes of peace before Danica’s whole world was sure to come crashing down. Before her heart was sure to be torn to pieces. With a deep breath, he pulled up a webpage with the profile of a very stylish looking lady, someone Danica had never seen before.

“This is the person behind the magicam profile,” he said. “Her name is Adela Rafinesse, she’s a talent agent from the Queendom of Roses but she works with celebrities from all over the world.”

“I’ve never seen this woman before!” Danica said, closing her eyes and trying to think if there was any possibility she could have met Adela in passing. At the masquerade, at a photoshoot, at one of the gatherings held by her parents. Nothing came to her mind. “Why would she do this? I’m certain we’ve never met!”

“You and Adela might have never met before,” replied Punch. “But you two have a mutual…acquaintance in common.”

With that, he clicked on her profile and pulled up a list of clients she worked with, names of models and actors she was responsible for. Danica scrolled down the list, rather casually at first before she neared the end of the list. Her hand froze on the mouse and her heart stopped.

Immediately Punch blurted out a storm of apologies and repentance that Danica couldn’t even hear. She was suddenly deaf to everything except the memory of that November morning, rapidly playing in her mind, the memory of Vil handing her phone to her a few weeks prior, and memories even further back. She felt the room spinning and found herself short of breath.

Danica had certainly been exposed by this leak, and by the very one who was the object of her feelings. Her secret, complicated, humiliating feelings.

“No…no! Nonononono!!!”

Trying to find breath, she finally cried out, screaming and sobbing as Punch held onto her, apologizing further still and hating that he had to be the one to give her such shattering news. Letting her cry for as long as she needed as the mouse of his computer was highlighted over the name of her dorm leader: Vil Scheonheit.

~~~

It was with great anxiety and greater sorrow that Danica finally returned to Ramshackle late that evening. But unbeknownst to her, she was not the only one who had a difficult day. And she was not the only one who had learned difficult truths and lessons as well. When she walked into the lounge, the only ones present were Deuce, Rook, and Epel. She made a face and was about to make her way upstairs, but Rook quickly stopped her.

“I understand you’ve had a difficult day, ma cherie,” he said. “A night of sleep will do you a world of good. But before you retire, Monsieur Crabapple has something he’d like to say to you.”

Her face was white, streaked with tears, and her eyes were blurry. But however dejected she felt, Danica was in no mood for more of Epel’s nonsense and only glared.

“Nothing of consequence I’m sure!” she coldly replied. “I don’t know what Epel has told you, but I’m done with him, I can’t deal with someone so narrow-minded that…”

“I’M SORRY!” Epel jumped up to his feet, running to her. “I’m so sorry, Danica! I’m sorry I gave you such a hard time when you were only doing what Vil told you to!”

“It’s not just about the ballet lessons, Epel!” she went on. “You said some very hurtful things and not just to me. Your comments have hurt me, Vil, Farron, and the others on my team! Even Taima was hurt by what you said about girls and you know it takes a lot to get under her skin! Do you even realize that?”

“I do! I do!” He hung his head in shame. “The truth is, I never understood people like you and Vil, and I always looked down on you guys secretly. I didn’t want to be like you guys and…”

“Is that supposed to make me forgive you?!”

“No! I don’t feel that way anymore! Today, Vil-san did something that finally made it all click with me. What you said at the start of the school year, about Pomefiore’s strength being secretive and surprising, I understand it now! I know you’re mad, you deserve to be mad! But I’m really sorry, I’ve been a total dunderhead!”

Danica looked at the boy, slightly less annoyed than before. She wasn’t sure what he was getting at, or what change occurred in her absence, but he sounded sincere and she felt the least she could do was listen. At least resolving this would solve one less problem she was dealing with today.

“You have been a dunderhead, Epel!” She said, “There’s no doubt about that!”

“But I promise I won’t be one anymore!” He replied. “I wanna be in the VDC now! I wanna learn how to use my charm and defeat Neige Leblanche!”

“Come now, Mademoiselle,” Rook smiled. “Epel has made a sincere apology and sees the error in his ways, couldn’t you find it in your heart to forgive him?”

Danica hesitated, looking at Epel thoughtfully before nodding slowly. “I think I can, for now. But we can talk about this another time. Right now, I need to talk to Vil-san.”

~~~

Ramshackle Dorm ~ Vil’s Temporary Room

In her heart, Danica knew this moment was coming. It wasn’t just about the leak, or even what happened in rehearsal that morning. The conversation she was about to have was one that had been building up for many weeks now. It was only a matter of time.

Even when she made her promises to him, even when she agreed to no longer argue with his wishes, none of it sat well with her. But never did she imagine that Vil would do something like this. Was this meant to solidify her white swan image? Was this meant to add more pressure on her not to go against him? At this point, none of that even mattered. Danica was hurt, hurt, frustrated, and above all, confused.

She struggled to reach the final steps to his room, anxiety weighing heavily upon her. What would she say? What could she say in a situation like this? Should she ask why? Should she at least give him a chance for an explanation? She pondered all these things as she reached out to knock on his door.

“WHAT KIND OF DORM LEADER ARE YOU?! NO! WHAT KIND OF PERSON ARE YOU?!”

“Do you want the entire house to hear your tirade?!”

“I don’t CARE if I’m heard! Let them hear me! I want them to know what their leader is capable of!”

Danica stopped short of knocking, startled by loud, heated arguing coming from inside. She knew who it was and it shouldn’t have surprised her. Sidonie had decided to confront him, she had been right all along. Danica clenched her teeth, squeezing her eyes shut to stave off tears as she was reminded of what all this meant. Sidonie had always been there for her and Danica repaid that by not trusting her when she most needed to. Guilt twisted her stomach, along with her anxiety.

“When Danica finds out, do you really think she’ll even want to take part in the VDC anymore?” Sidonie asked him. “And do you think she’ll ever…”

At this, Danica worked up the courage to knock on the door. She didn’t wait for Vil to answer and opened the door, staring into the angry faces of her dorm leader and her mentor.

“Yes, Danica?” Vil asked. “What is it? I was just about to come to your room and talk to you.”

“I already know about what,” she replied, biting the inside of her lip. “And I thought I’d save you the trouble by coming to you.”

She gave Sidonie a look that told her to leave, the older girl gazed at her with some concern but Danica nodded. What was about to happen between them had no need for an audience.

“Leave us, Sidonie,” Vil said. Sidonie turned away from him, rolling her eyes as she left. “And close the door.”

She deliberately disobeyed this last order and Vil scoffed, going to close the door himself before finally looking at Danica. Even now, she found it difficult to meet his gaze.

“Epel told me about this morning,” he began, glaring at her. “He fell again during rehearsals, but thankfully it’s nothing that won’t heal in a few days’ time. Reckless girl, do you have ANY idea how fortunate you are that his injury wasn’t more serious?! What has gotten into you?!”

“What has gotten into ME?!” All of her sadness vanished, replaced with anger that wasted no time bubbling to the surface. “WHAT’S GOTTEN INTO ME?! I NEVER WANTED TO TEACH HIM IN THE FIRST PLACE! All the time I spent wasting on him could have been spent perfecting our performance! And for what?! He didn’t learn a damn thing because he’s more stubborn than a new horse!”

“Whatever difficulties you had with Epel, you still had no right to lash out at him like that!” Vil snapped back. “You should know better than any of us the risk that comes when you dance en pointe and don’t know what you’re doing! What you did was childish, vindictive, and dangerous!”

Danica sucked her teeth, Vil was certainly right about that. Her anger had gotten the best of her and loath she was to admit it, that wasn’t her finest moment in the slightest. It was enough to almost cool her down, but his next comment brought her anger back.

“And I am extremely disappointed in you. Truly, I expect so much more of you, Danica. It’s almost revolting.”

“Revolting?! Spare me, please!” Tears began to burn in her eyes and she took a deep breath before they could run down her face. “And Epel’s little pointe incident wasn’t what I wanted to discuss anyway!”

“Is that so?” He folded his arms. “Then why did you come here?”

“YOU ALREADY KNOW WHY!”

“Lower your voice! Others are trying to sleep! And no I don’t know what you’re going on about to just tell me!”

“Magicam! The video! The one of you and me back in November! I know you’ve seen it! And I know you leaked it!”

Vil had to quickly regain composure after this, biting back a small gasp as he tried to fix his face to remain nonchalant. He let out a deep breath.

“How do you know it was my doing?” He calmly asked.

“That video was on my phone and no one had access to it but me! But you’re the only one who’s had access to my phone since then! Not even Taima or my parents knew about that video!”

“You’ve seen my magicam, you’re one of my followers,” the longer Vil spoke, the harder he found it to remain composed. But surely she couldn’t have found out in such a short amount of time. Could she? “You see what I post on my magicam and you know nothing of the sort exists there. Yes, it’s a video of you and I, but that doesn’t mean…”

“Adela Rafinesse!” She cut him off. “Ring a bell? You know her, don’t you?! She’s your manager isn’t she?”

Her words struck Vil as he realized that he could no longer pretend. He let out another deep breath, closing his eyes and shaking his head. And after she assured him Danica would never be able to trace the video’s origins. If she weren’t so good at her job, Adela might very well be looking for a new one first thing tomorrow morning.

“There is no use denying anything then, is there?” He asked blankly. “Since you have it all figured out, I won’t even waste my time denying it.”

Somehow, even being fully aware of the knowledge couldn’t fully prepare Danica for the moment she heard it from Vil’s own lips. Doubly so that he admitted to it so easily. If she had any hope that this might be a misunderstanding, it was shattered, along with her heart. She gasped, wrapping her arms around herself as she tried not to cry.

“How…how…could…you?” She whispered. “Why? What…what have I done?”

“What do you mean?” He asked.

“WHAT HAVE I DONE TO DESERVE THIS?!” She screamed. “I’M NOT LIKE EPEL! I ADMIRE AND RESPECT YOU! I LISTEN TO YOU! I WANT TO LEARN FROM YOU! WHATEVER YOU’VE ASKED OF ME, I’VE DONE! WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?!”

“I could ask the same of you, Danica!” Vil moved closer to her, shaking her out of her fetal stance and eliciting a sharp cry from her lips. “All I want is the best for you but you constantly second-guess me! All I want is for the world to see how incredible you are yet you’re committed to having them vilify you!”

“But that doesn’t answer why! Is this about the promotion I did for my family?! Would it make you feel better if I told you I think Neige is an idiot?!”

“This stopped being about Neige a long time ago!” he replied, biting his lip as a sudden twinge of jealousy came to him. He tightened his grip on her. “This is about us! And how your desires could negatively impact us both! Even after I’ve explained the risks of presenting yourself in a provocative way, you still didn’t understand! What else was I supposed to do?! Can’t you see?! I did this for us!”

“FOR US?!” She yanked her body out of his grasp. “How the hell does that even make sense?! Make it make sense to me now!”

“You want me to make it make sense to you? Hmmm? Is that what you want, Little Potato?”

He grabbed her again, even tighter than before, pressing her body to his. Close enough for her to hear his heartbeat and take in his scent. With all his strength, he pushed them both back onto his bed, holding onto her still. Heat enveloped Danica’s body, nothing like this had ever happened to her before and she wasn’t sure if she liked it or not. He gazed down at her and the look in his eyes was one that both thrilled and terrified her. She tried to pull away again but this time, Vil wouldn’t let her escape.

“Fine, I’ll make it make sense in the best way I can. And maybe then, you’ll finally understand all that is at stake…”

Before Danica could say anything further, she felt his lips crash against hers. A powerful spark went off in her chest as her mind registered what was happening. He was kissing her. Vil Scheonheit was kissing her. Passionately and intensely, and Danica would be lying if she said he was a bad kisser. For the briefest moment, her terror melted away and all she could think of was how much she wanted him to continue kissing her, among other things. And without realizing it, she began to kiss him back, managing to free her arms long enough to wrap them around his neck.

Vil caught her hands, roughly pinning them to either side of her head as he continued to dominate their kiss. Gently pulling on her lower lip with his teeth. She let out a surprised little squeak and pulled her head away, reality crashing back to her.

“Vil-san!” She gasped, looking up at him and quickly finding herself short of breath again. His violet eyes were half open, gazing at her in a way that made her blush. She subconsciously reached out to him, softly running her fingers across his cheek before he grabbed her hand, bringing it to his lips. “Vil…san…how long? How long have you…”

“I hope you understand now,” he whispered slowly, caressing her face. “You are talented, beautiful, and determined. I’m the only one who truly sees you for the jewel that you are. Not Neige, not anyone else.”

Vil took her hand and placed a kiss inside her palm and on each of her fingertips. Boldly letting one of her fingers slide further in his mouth so she could feel his tongue. She could explicitly feel his other arm wrapped around her, subtly pressing their bodies closer. All the while Danica watched him with a strange sense of excitement that was mixed with guilt. He had such beautiful eyes, gazing at her with a mix of tenderness and lust. His embrace was firm but intoxicating and his lips were perfectly soft and warm against her fingertips.

But still, try as she might, Danica couldn’t shake away her anger at what Vil had done. He was taking her other hand and appeared as though he were about to kiss it in the same way. But when she tried to pull her hand away, he tightened his grip again.

“You are the ideal person to stand by my side, Danica. But a black swan cannot stand by the side of a prince.”

“B…but…does that mean I have to be a white swan forever?” Danica asked, whimpering. “Must I stay the same and never change? Why can’t I be both? Why can’t…”

Vil silenced her with another intense kiss but this time, Danica tried to resist him. She moved her face away with his lips grazing against her cheek before he forced her lips back to his. His grip was strong and now she was beginning to feel afraid. She couldn’t put her finger on it but she felt as though this wasn’t supposed to feel like this. She wanted him and was glad that he wanted her as well, but not like this. This wasn’t right.

“Vil…let me go…” but this seemed to make him hold her even tighter and she whimpered louder. “Let me go, please!”

“Can’t you see I want you for myself?!“ He asked, peppering kisses down her neck. His lips were inching further down her collarbone, with no indication that he was going to stop there, and this was enough to fully wake her up. She began kicking her feet.

“Stop this, please!” she cried. “You’re hurting me!

Upon hearing this, something immediately clicked in Vil and he pulled away from her, setting her free. He gazed down at her, frozen and looking up at him with surprised, frightened eyes.

No. He had done it again, and worse than before. Even if Vil had no intention of going further, his intentions didn’t fully match his thoughts and it disgusted him. She slowly sat up, her eyes remaining on him, but her body was still. Even now, all Vil could think of was how he wanted to do so much more than kiss her, that’s what disgusted him the most.

What a joke of a hero he made.

“I’m sorry,” he said, his face burning with shame. “I’m sorry…I just…”

“Vil-san…”

“Leave.”

“I don’t understand.”

“You don’t understand the word leave?!” He jumped off the bed and quickly opened the door. “Leave! Get out! It’s late and you need to sleep! Go!”

“But Vil-san!” She knew not to question him, but at this moment, in these circumstances… “Please…ca…can we talk about this?”

“There’s nothing to talk about! Don’t make me ask you again! Leave!”

Danica gave him one last look, half confused and half hoping for some sort of understanding she would not receive. The truth was, Vil was secretly ashamed and couldn’t bear her presence at that moment. Not after what he had done. Their first kiss was supposed to be special, tender, and sweet. Not like this. Not what he had subjected her to.

The moment she was gone, Vil shut the door, sinking to the floor and for once, not concerned about dirtying himself as he felt rather dirty already without sitting on the floor. On instinct, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and went to magicam. The video of him and Danica was still the top video on the site and renewed interest in the two of them had caused videos of their pas de deux to begin trending again as well.

Vil watched the video of them in the ballroom, recalling how he had felt watching her dance before making his presence known. How calming it was to watch her, how nervous she was when he approached her before allowing herself to get closer to him, and how much he enjoyed being alone with her. But when he read a few comments, his face began to burn again.

Most of the comments were positive, just as they were with the pas de deux videos, comparing Vil to a prince romancing a damsel and how such was out of character for him but not in a bad way. So far, there was no indication that people knew the source of the leak and for that, he was grateful. But as he continued watching and reading the positive comments, a heavy sense of guilt came over him. She appeared so happy, nothing like the frightened and heartbroken girl he had just sent away so coldly.

The video stopped, closed out by an unskippable ad. Fate must have taken amusement in taunting him because it was the very same he had made a point of avoiding for all these weeks. And as much as he wished he could click away from the image of his perfect swan and his even more perfect rival, Vil’s guilt wouldn’t allow him to.

In an enchanted forest, Neige followed a single white swan as she transformed to into a lovely maiden. As they met face to face, Danica blew a handful of white feathers toward him. The feathers landed in his palm and transformed into a crystal jar studded with pearls. Neige thanked her but asked for her name. Danica said nothing, but placed her finger to her lips, as if concealing a secret of her own from the boy. Even so, the two of them shared a smile.

“Just in time for the holidays, coat your skin in a cream that will give you the softness of a snow-white swan. All-day moisture, with just a hint of magic. Enchanted Veil Moisturizer from Ledelle Cosmetics.”

Here was an image of what a hero was supposed to be, something he could never emulate no matter how hard he tried. It didn’t matter if the comments on the video were mostly positive, he had hurt Danica in a way Neige surely never would. And as Vil continued watching the ad with a heavy heart, the image of Danica’s sweet face as she smiled at Neige was sharply juxtaposed with the image of her pinned down on his bed under him. Her eyes silently begging him not to hurt her.

Vil’s vision became hot and blurry and he quickly squeezed his eyes shut. He was nothing but a monster, and he had no right to cry.

~~~

Ramshackle Dorm ~ Danica’s Temporary Room

Danica collapsed on the bed, overwhelmed with her head still spinning from what just happened. She held herself, trying to replicate the warmth of Vil’s body. Somehow, now that she was in her own room, she missed it even if she tried to resist him at that moment. It made no sense to her, she knew she should hate Vil for what he had done, but she couldn’t. At that moment, the only person she could hate was herself. And even then, she couldn’t understand why.

“Your smile left me frozen, an invisible spell has me fully at your whim,” without realizing it, Danica began to sing. The lyrics were from Our Happily Ever After. The lyrics that spoke of her feelings for Vil, before she knew him. But as she softly sang to herself, her voice was choked by tears.

“Do you…even know who I…am? With but a single glance of your amethyst eyes, you’ve…captured my heart….”

She pressed her face to her pillow, soaking it in tears as she cried herself to sleep.

“…and now…I’ll follow your radiant light…until I’ve reached…our happily ever after.”

#twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland oc #twst oc #things i write #oc x canon #vil x oc #shining hearts ~ melodies and melancholy #otp: vildani

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