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yomogi-mogi-mochi · 1 year

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Beloved Thy Name

Pairings: Lilia/MC, Lilia x MC

Summary: Triumphing over your siblings on the human farm situated in the far corners of Briar Valley, you are implanted with the essence of the Tree of Eternity, gaining unmatched abilities in regeneration. When your Warden finds that the experiment is a success, you are promptly sold to the fae army as a weapon of destruction‒ a position you answer to with animal violence, much to the content of your handlers and the fae army, who name you Dullahan, after the myth of the headless reaper. When you come across the infamous Lord Lilia, great commander of the Fae army‒ he takes you under his wing, gifting you morsels of peace even with death on the horizon. You are simply taken with the sweet songs and sugary words which fall from his mouth‒ echoing them in the heart in your chest that did not feel like yours. Angst but happy/sweet ending bc if I get no comfort I'll implode

Notes: Continuing my myth (?) series I guess with Twist characters? This one is based on Dullahan (the Celtic myth about a headless grim reaper basically)

CW: References to human experimentation and manipulation (neither is enacted by twst characters). Takes place before the events of the game during the Human/Fae War

AO3 Link Here.

Masterlist

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"Dullhan."

That name‒ like the clashing cold steel in your hands, and the taste of frosted blood upon your tongue‒ was given to you with purpose. That name‒ like the desire which seized your body with that moniker, was not truly your own. You did not call out to it, nor was it ever uttered upon your lips. It was always someone else crying out to that name, reaching out with a blade to thrust into your hands.

You could not recall your age when you left the human farm, arriving at a musty military camp north of the Valley of Thorns. Nineteen, maybe twenty, your Warden answered when a client asked, "ripe, youthful‒ good harvest" he had added. But it was only a vague notion. You recalled no celebrations‒ "birth-days", you later learned from Lilia‒ on the farm except when you triumphed over your siblings on your last day on that land. Your Warden congratulated you, shaking the blood and cold metal in your hand, "good human, the best, most precious doll", he said. If you had felt a fragment of anything at those words, it was eclipsed quickly by the burning at your limbs that was enacted by your new Warden‒ "commander" he corrected with venom between his rotten teeth. Your Warden, with a neutral face, asked why your commander had done so with his "best and brightest harvest".

"To check the quality."

"I assure you the essence of the Tree of Eternity is quite powerful." Your Warden tapped against the hard resin implanted between your collarbone. "Even with its abilities resting inside a human‒ it allows for extraordinary regeneration‒ this child can move just as well without its head‒ would you like to see?"

"Hm. I tell a lie. I merely wanted to feel the extent of the tree's capabilities with my own hands." He gazed at your arm with a warped smile that reached to his pointed ears. The stump at your shoulder was already weaving into veins and sinew, forming into flesh that felt distant from your body. Your lungs felt like hot coals, holding in the fire in your throat, however you were grateful that your commander had numbed you to any pain that came after in battle. When you carved death into human armies with animal force‒ fingers, bone, skin, and limbs were carelessly severed off to continue your path of undivided violence, fashioning victory for the fae army. If you fulfilled your purpose, you were fed, bathed, and sheltered. So the brief bursts of pain was nothing compared to what awaited you if you did not fulfill your handlers’ desires. You lost your head many times in the throes of your feral brutality, planting seeds of terror within all who witnessed the death hollowed out in your eyes, glowing with hot blood on your severed head. You carried it like a lantern, a harbinger to the destruction that followed the body which owned it. "Dullahan" was the name humans and fae cursed‒ either in inconsolable despair, or in hopes of victory. You answered to both.

"You there."

You turned, eyes hastily searching for the crest which indicated rank on the chest of the soldier. The high crest of the Queen of Thorns. Immediately, you dropped your body to the ground, on your knees, sickles held in one hand over your chest.

"Yes, my Lord?"

"Should you not be resting at the infirmary? Your arm seems quite definitely severed."

"There is no need, my lord." The fleshy webs were already forming at your elbow, lacing elastic tendons around white bone. "I assure you that my regeneration capabilities exceed any human or fae of this land."

"You are the one they call Dullahan?"

"That is what they say, my lord."

"Hm. How fascinating‒ so you are the human they've infused the Tree of Eternity with." He lifted your still incomplete arm‒ you complied, letting it fall limp within his gloved hands like a doll. You learned to let people do what they wanted with your body‒ it was easier to listen than to expend energy resisting. That was something you learned while being pulled into a soldier's quarters one night‒ having your mouth forced open, arms and legs stiff as you swallowed thick, salty liquid. You realized that, in the same way you boiled the blood in your body to possess it with mindless violence, swung your sickles carelessly to be fed, it was less pain to spread your legs, and lie flat against the flimsy cot at their command. Like your name, like all the words spoken to you‒ it was easier just to follow its desire than to awaken a rebellion inside you. It would tire you out anyway. So you let the man handle your arm, twisting and turning it to watch the meaty strings form your hand. You stood as he raised it to the clouded sunlight, hunching your solid form to appear smaller. "Unlike magic I've ever seen." He let go, your arm falling with the gravity that suddenly weighed on top of it.

"I've heard you can move without a head like the very myth your name comes from. Is this true?"

You stilled at that statement. "Permission to ask a question, my lord?"

"Sure." He nodded with slight amusement creasing his brow.

"What is this 'myth' you speak of?" You raised your eyes for the first time to his face‒ you were met with young, porcelain skin and hair as dark as a raven. Fiery magenta eyes embellished with smoky coal stared back in slight confusion.

"The myth of Dullahan? Surely you know, it's from the human culture, is it not?" His head tilted, letting you gaze at his cascading dark locks with envy. It seemed so silky, softness unlike anything you've ever touched. You hands, accustomed to the rough, threadbare scraps which made up your military uniform, and the rocky, earth packed ground you slept on, itched with desire, hoping a featherlight touch on the soft elegance of his entire being, just for a second. Had you known the word "beauty" at that time, you would use his name in place of it. But a doll designed to beckon destruction‒ you did not know such fair words.

"I am afraid I do not, my lord. I have never encountered a human outside of battle."

"In that case I can only tell you it is a tale about a headless warrior which embodies an omen of death. I know nothing else about it, I'm afraid." He rests a hand on his chin. "I was looking forward to seeing you headless‒ I thought you just walked around like that." A chuckle raised from his lips. You were new to such a light, delicate sound‒ letting it echo in your chest many times after it had stopped at your words.

"With your command I can certainly do so, my lord." You stepped down once more, raising your sickle to your neck, drawing it promptly through skin‒ he knocked the cold metal from your hands, eyes widened in something you had never seen.

"Fool! What good will you be if one of my men injures themselves?!"

With quick reflex, you bowed down your head to the ground. But the fire that ran deeply in his fuchsia eyes made your eyes widen, brows furrow under the veil of darkness you created with shadow on your face. Tightness in your chest lingered, before you wrung it out into your shoulders awaiting wrath that followed the rage pointed at you with cruel eyes and spat words. "My greatest apologies, my lord."

"Is this one bothering you, Lord Lilia?" A familiar hand thrusted you deeper into the ground, buckling your knees and knocking your face into the solid earth. You tasted grainy soil in your mouth, swallowing it silently, and awaited your commander's mercy.

"No. Do not handle our men with such rough hands, commander." Anger radiated from Lilia's eyes, seeping into your back which basked in his glare. "Otherwise I will have to reconsider your position here since you are clearly not fit to lead.”

"...my deepest apologies Lord Lilia. I merely thought‒" You felt your commander's hand snap away from your head, loosening the pressure on your face that pressed against the dirt.

"You don't need to think, commander, since it is clear that you cannot. Just do as I say and leave them here."

"C-certainly, Lord Lilia." Hasty footsteps vibrated through the solid ground you kept your face to, however you still sensed anger‒ some from your commander, however more from Lilia, who placed a gently hand your shoulder.

"Are you alright? Rise, Dullahan."

You did as you were told, feeling cold filth stick to your cheek. "I apologize if I upset you, Lord Lilia." Why did I upset you?, was a question that you always knew to keep to yourself.

He pulled you up onto your feet, dusting the dirt on your flimsy uniform. Fresh blood seeped into it, which trickled down your nose, on your lips, to your chin. Lilia wiped it off, softly grazing your lips with the warmed blood of his thumb.

"You…" He paused, looking towards your distant eyes in an attempt to find any pain, discomfort, or sorrow. The hollowness he found instead made him swallow thickly. "You didn't do anything to upset me." He traced your line of sight towards your commander's disappearing form. "Does he always do that to you?"

You kept your stony gaze at his crest. "Do what, my lord?"

"Hurt you."

"It heals, so it does not hurt."

"Just because it grows back doesn't mean it doesn't hurt. I mean your pride, too."

You sounded that word in your mind "p-r-i-d-e". You wondered what it meant, but you decided not to ask so many questions. Nothing hurt, not for long anyways. The pain could never be retrieved long enough for you to truly feel it. "There is no pain. It heals anyway, my lord."

"That doesn't…" Lilia paused, pity curving his flowery lips to a frown. You quietly mimicked the gesture, twitching the corners of your mouth ever so slightly. You didn't like seeing him so upset.

"I apologize, my lord."

"You don't need to, you did nothing wrong." Lilia rested a hand on the weapon mounted on his hip, turning his body away from you. "Come with me."

You knew not to refute any words that were pointed at you. So you merely followed his command, trailing his form with quiet footsteps.

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For the ensuing days, you learned that the fae army was joining all of its forces to prepare for the great battle that was climbing over the horizon of this long, long war. This knowledge was acquired by your time you now spent with Lilia‒ who unofficially claimed you from your commander. Though on your skin, you could almost feel the wrath shaken first of your commander that stiffly rested at the side of his body upon hearing this news‒ it brought you relief that there was almost nothing he could do to object Lord Lilia‒ great commander of the Fae forces.

Tonight, like many nights preceding it, you sat by the fire next to your new commander‒ drinking in the warmth it brought you. Like a ritual every night, Lilia hounded you with questions regarding your upbringing, your relationship with your commander, asking for names, for details.

"What is your true name?"

"My true name?" You echoed.

Lilia swung his wooden jug in a leisurely manner, a sight you had been seeing more of recently opposed to his steely facade as great commander of the Valley of Thorns. "Yes, the name that you were given." He says with confusion in his grin. During his time with you, he frowned less, seeing sometimes that you would mirror his movements very slightly. He didn't like seeing you so upset.

"Dullahan is the name I was given. The name cried by humans and the name fae call out to beckon my sickles." You twirled the blades in your hand with experienced control. "It was the name I was given after the wardens infused my body with the sap of the Tree of Eternity that grants me my power."

"Surely you have a name besides the one called out to you in battle, do you not?"

"No. They do not give us names on the farm. Only symbols burned onto our backs."

"The farm?"

"The human farm. The fae kept us there to train and find the strongest among us that could be the vessel to the Tree of Eternity. It's long gone."

Surprise, then a darkened look adorned your commander's face. "What ever happened?"

"The wardens had me set them all free."

"..."

"I set them free from the prison that is a name‒ harvest, they called us. I suppose that is also my name. Only one of us would survive and enter this war. So I freed them." You told yourself more than Lilia, who sat across from you with a somber expression. Only the crackling of the fire was heard within the silence that rang between your two, until Lilia spoke.

"The purpose of a name is not to be a prison. It is a hand we reach out in the darkness that echoes against our form, and from there we are able to distinguish the existence of ourselves." He rested his head in his hands. "Without it, we are formless, we are lost."

"Then…" you started, "...It seems I have always been lost. I have no form to call out to, yet even in battle my body grows back as if it remembers something that is not truly there." You felt the raised scar on your neck.

"You do have a name. You just need to find it."

"Where do I find it?" He reached out a hand to your shoulder.

"Deep, deep inside yourself."

"My…self" that word felt foreign to your tongue. "… I am not sure I know what that is enough to search in its depth." You admitted blankly. Lilia squeezed your flesh, warming it, you tensed at the heat. It felt alive, it felt soft, it felt kind‒ unlike the cold flesh that grasped your hands in mercy, or the icy grip that herded you back to slaughter. "But," Something welled inside you that made you body feel like yours for once.

"...I hope that name is kinder to me." You warmed your heart with his touch.

"It will be." Lilia brought you closer. "It will be." He echoed like a prayer.

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He promised to make you his second in command that night, a statement which made you raise your eyebrows to. You had no rank, no position besides as a harbinger of death‒ an object which fulfilled a promise made from the egos of men which desired to live. If any rank, you would be among the armory and weapons stored in the artillery‒ melded together and hardened into another, more useful blade when broken. But in few days time, you were exchanged with several blocks of Mystium, which Lilia threw to the ground at your old commander's feet with a piercing, downwards gaze.

"Is that stone not precious to our victory?" You glanced at the piles of material, shining and brimming with magical energy.

"...You are much more so." He murmured, voice strained and face veiled with his untied hair.

You said nothing, practicing your form with tense muscles, looking over at your new commander's face occasionally. You noticed you sickles were worn however, prompting you to excuse yourself to the dark depths of the forest of thorns, draining blood from a severed hand and squeezing out organs through a deep gash in your stomach. You had done so with surgical precision, which earned you several gold coins at the local hospital, traded quickly for a new pair of sickles. Lilia eyed you with suspicion when you came back, your arms and torso bathed in blood and filth, the silvery shine of new blades catching his eyes. He asked what happened, and you answered him honestly, much to his horror. It was several days after that he handed you sickles made of Mystium.

"Just ask me next time." You had never felt a heavier satchel of gold than the one Lilia gave you with those words. The green stone glistened even with dark clouds looming over the camp. "Beautiful" was a word you learned from Lilia that day‒ it was apparently different from "pretty", or "cute", the words your commander's lower ranks called you in their bed, sticky and salty with sweat. The word in itself was just that‒ beautiful‒ especially when it was sung pure from Lilia's lips, and echoed onto your own.

Bea ‒ you ‒ tea ‒ full. You sounded out, a sweet laughter erupting from Lilia. "What does it mean?"

"It means something shines in your eyes and you love it‒ even if it burns."

"Oh." You inspected your new sickles again letting it shine in the airy light. "This is bea-you-tea-ful, then. Isn't it Lilia?" Everytime you let his bare name escaped your lips, you felt a strange tingling in your stomach. Like that swelling in your body, you enjoyed the sensation, provoking you to say that name as much as he allowed.

He looked into your eyes, not even glancing at the stone‒ you decided you didn't mind. "Yes, it is."

Though you had been surrounded by fae all your life since the moment you were born into the farm, you had never felt such closeness comparable to your days with Lilia. It felt less sterile‒ more warm, crisp, and pure‒ and you delighted in this new storm brewing inside you, keeping your form close to Lilia's at all times. "You're my second in command. I expect you with me at all times to answer my call." He echoes your sentiment.

"Of course."

"Speaking of which, I don't even have a name to call you yet."

"Is it necessary?" You asked.

"Dullahan is a bit long, don't you think?"

"I don't know. Everyone knows that name." It was often the name humans cursed, and the fae prayed for‒ there was no reason to announce your name when it had already been called out to bring destruction, or beg for mercy.

"How about (Name), then?"

"That's fine." Anything from you, you thought.

"Hm (Name), (Name)...does that sound right to you, (Name)? Does it echo in your heart?"

The fanged smile on his face when he carved that sound with his throat made you immediately answer.

"Yes." You breathed.

"(Name) it is, then." Cherishing that sound now, you hoped he would keep it quietly inside his heart, letting it be chanted to no one but him.

"I like it. It's bea-you-tea-ful." You knew your pronunciation would make him laugh, and he did.

"I'm glad you finally found it then."

You learned many more words from him‒ love, precious, peace, delicious, sweet, flower, honey, salty, creamy, soft, warm. They felt too sweet, too decadent on your tongue‒ so you let it swirl in your mouth, sharpening them in your mind like barley sugar‒ another thing Lilia introduced you to. When you swallowed the hard candy like the pills the wardens used to give you‒ your commander burst with laughter.

"No‒ (Name)! You're supposed to keep it in your mouth to dissolve it!" He gasped between fits of boyish giggles bubbling from his mouth.

"Oh." You felt the hard sugar slowly slide down your throat. "Sorry."

"No, no, it's okay. It was funny actually. Here." He placed another between your lips, parting the soft flesh with sweetness before pushing it towards your tongue. "And keep the rest. I think you'll like it." A metal can was handed to you, rattling a bit as he placed it gently in your hands. You soaked in his warmth that lingered on your lips and the hollow metal between your fingers. It felt sweeter than the candy slowly melting on your tongue. You molded it into a sharp fragment with wet muscle, cutting through your mouth‒ tasting the saccharine copper which spread on your tongue as a Lilia chattered away, explaining all matters of delights in sugary language. When words came from him, it seemed like the very definition of beauty trilling from his lips.

Even on stormy days where war and death reigned your lives, Lilia provided little morsels of peace that you shared together like the heat from a smoldering fire, huddled together in his spacious quarters in a bubble of serenity. He had taught you to read, so you sat on the earth near Lilia's feet while he worked on tactical analysis. You had tried to help at first, but that proved impossible when you didn't even know how to read words.

"You were never taught?" There was no malice in his voice‒ there never was when he talked with you.

"No. My warden and commander said it was unnecessary for the likes of me." You parroted their sentences you had heard with sharp laughter when hiding in the shadows one night.

His expression softened, before bringing you a book into your hands. "Here, let me teach you then."

You had practiced the words that flew from his mouth with clumsy lips, now reading each word carefully with a whisper. Pink circles around some words littered the pages, which you had drawn, to collect beautiful words and store them in your chest next to Lilia's voice which echoed them in your heart.

Your finger paused on the word "beloved". Lilia had taught you the definition of "love" but "be-loved"?

"Lilia?" You raised the book to his lap, placing your fingernail to the word. Lilia hummed in response, looking over. "What does it mean to 'be-love-ed'?"

When surprise adorned his face, you shrunk back, taking the book back into your chest. Lilia stopped you before you could, taking the text gingerly from your hands, and gliding his pale hand across the page to rest his finger next to yours to point, "Dearly beloved". He tapped on the word, thinking. You laid your hand flat onto the parchment next to his, to feel the vibrations of his rumination through your skin.

"Beloved, beloved…hm."

"Does it mean to be loved?"

Eyebrows twist in further contemplation at that. "Hm…no. It's something much deeper." Tap, tap, tap. "Ah, I guess it is love‒ except we can actually touch it." He stops his tapping, laying his hand like yours to line it against the side of your hand. You gazed at him with confusion. "Because beloved is a person. Unlike love that is the space and the actions between people‒ beloved is the face of that love. It's a vessel of love‒ and you can kiss it, hold it."

"I like that word. Be-love-ed." That word tingled on your tongue. "It sounds like a kind name."

"I suppose in some ways it is." He hummed.

You had wished you could change your named to that‒ "Be-loved". Such sweetness, such love it would be to taste the word on your lips. Beloved, beloved, beloved. Lilia's voice had completely replaced your own inside your chest, ringing that word like clear water. You leaned next to him, camping next to his warmth. He let down a hand, bringing you closer to it.

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The great battle was coming, you could read it on the tension written on the soldier's faces. You suppose it would have been inevitable to be in your situation right now‒ arms behind your back and face pressed onto the cold ground, the soldier behind you pressing himself onto your thigh. He threw you onto the fabric of his itchy cot, a force which you accepted like a rag doll‒ slumping immediately into the surface like you had done so many times before. You lay stiffly, letting hands and mouth wander to spread you open wide‒ while you thought of other matters, truly anything else, to divorce yourself from the slick bitterness which swirled your skin and insides. You thought of the taste of barley sugar, the pink bottle of ink Lilia lent you, and his voice which called your name. You thought of the word beloved, contemplating through a feverish gaze if this man was the face of love. It wasn't, you decided. You would keep "beloved" close to your name, deep inside your chest like the tin can holding only a few morsels of sweetness left. This was too ordinary, too bland to gift such precious delectability upon it.

Your eyes phased back when you felt cold liquid dripping onto your bare chest‒ blood, your memory says. The delirium in your eyes never ceased as the shadow that loomed over you slumped to the side, off the cot. You lay still, breathing hollowly, closing your eyes just to get a little closer, closer, more, more, more‒ to fill yourself other than the desire of others in this humble moment. You wanted to taste sweetness on your tongue, from sugary words and honeyed candy‒ not the salt which spread on your lips.

"(Name)?"

You stopped immediately when hearing that voice, clinging onto it with heavy eyes and baited breath.

"Oh." Your voice came out raspy, hushed the dry salt in your throat. "Hi Lilia."

"Why…" He bit his tongue. "...What happened?"

You thought for a second, hoping the feverish heat in your temples would calm. "What always does."

Anger filled his lunge in deep, roaring breaths. Reading it off of him, you sat up from the bed, looking up into his eyes with a frosted expression. "I'm sorry. Did I upset you again?"

"No, no. You never do."

Still you apologize, quietly. "I'm sorry." Matters like what happened just now were normal, and you never felt anything of it despite turning it in your mind over and over. But today, you felt like you had done something wrong‒ not to yourself, but to Lilia, who stood with a darkened look. "Are you going to return me to my commander?"

"No. Never." He said deeply. "He's not your commander. I am. I need you…" A deep breath, calming his nerves. “I need you by my side as my second in command.”

"Oh." You looked down, craning your neck towards the ground. "Are you going to discipline me then?"

In the dimmed lantern light, you felt him crouch down, taking one soft hand into your hair and one gently onto your back, bringing you into his chest to cradle you in his warmth. "Never, sweet (Name)."

You kept your eyes wide open, afraid that if you would blink, it would be all gone. Though the trumpets of war begin to sound outside in the stony blue morning light, you relished the heat in this moment, knowing it would be washed away with cold blood when you were beckoned back onto the battlefield.

"But I'm dirty." You noticed, blood and sweat seeping into the fabric of his chest. He held you even tighter, as you hung limp in his chest, unblinking, unwavering to his touch that almost burned your bare skin.

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Dullahan, Dullahan, Dullahan.

You felt a thousand souls call out to Dullahan, extending their armored hands towards the giant they saw in you, sickles clamaourned in their hands. They forced your worn hands open, opening the palm like the gates of hell, molding your hands I to the weapon with a twisted prayer.

Dullahan, Dullahan, Dullahan‒ it sounded like cold clashing metal, the slow drumming of death. You let it take over you‒ possess your body as always, drinking in the beat of destruction like bitter wine offered to dark gods. You carved silence into the battlefield‒ eventually, you succeeded. Everything was smothered to a leveled silence. The war was over, but you still felt empty violence writhing inside of you.

You looked around with smoke lightly burning your eyes, seeing nothing but a gray picture‒ fossilized into still, silent death. None of the other soldiers, none of your commander's, not a single soul was still present in the ash and dust. Your feet dragged your body, mindlessly wandering the empty world with a ringing in your ears. You felt absent with no one calling even the curse, Dullahan, at you. There was no way to end it‒ you couldn't die, you couldn't scream, you couldn't find yourself enough to lose yourself. Still, you raised your blade to your neck, hoping it would make you feel something, even if it was the echoes of war.

(Name)!!

That sound felt like a spring creek wash over you, crisp like lonesome winter but soaked in the warmed honey of the growing maytime sun. It reached a hand towards you. Not frigid metal, not the harbingers of death that attach at your wrists, not decaying blood‒ you, your soul, everything you are right at this moment. You leaned into the touch like a starved animal, drinking in the sweetness. Soft hands, soft eyes, soft touch‒ you would set this world ablaze, rip apart your own flesh, lose your head to serve these new gods. Lord, my lord, you thought‒ let any name from his lips be my new curse.

Slowly, you let your sickles drop to the ground made with rotting meat and blood. The emptiness in your grip made you yearn dearly.

"(Name)!!"

The earth was running under your feet, your body flying towards that benevolent song. You tested his name in your head‒ Lilia, Lilia, Lilia‒ before it flew out of your mouth like the stinging breath from your lungs.

"Lilia!"

He crashed into you with his warmth, squeezing your body to bring you closer and closer into him, as much as solid flesh allowed. Your arms grasped back, desperately, feeling his heartbeat from his back, into your tender palms. Flesh against flesh, your head dove next to his, pressing into his warmth and inhaling all you could into your skin. To lose any of it felt like losing yourself.

"Beloved,"

You immediately answered. "Yes?"

He paused, raspy breaths forced out of his throat before he caught his voice once more. "My (name)- my beloved (Name)- you came‒ you came to me. You're here."

"You called my name, my lord, my Lilia, my beloved."

Your names for each other, love, dearest, and adoration were the things you felt for each other. But above all, beloved rang clearest, straight through your blood unlike any other name cried upon you in war. How sublime it was to now call love your own. My beloved, mine, mine, mine.

Beloved was his name and thy own‒ and it would be sung until your voices turned raw with death. You cherished that sweetness, occasionally bringing it to your lips and onto his like this moment‒ singing joyously, what ecstacy it was to claim love with the warm of a face. No bitter taste of blood or metal could overpower the mulled honey you continued pouring into each other over the years to come. In a triumphal song against such distaste of violence and war, you sung a sweetened melody on your lips, towards the face of love‒ beloved, my beloved.

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Notes:

I headcanon the Valley of Thorns to have been mainly a German culture especially because of their connection to gothic architecture (goths were germanic)- which would make them connected to paganism at first (because of their connection to scandinavia), before their conversation to Christianity

But I still added elements of Celtic mythology because the Goths were actually a subdivision (?) of the Celts after Rome's downfall. They actually had a large hand in the fall of Ancient Rome, being the final push Rome needed in its political tension when they seized the Western Roman Empire, causing the Eastern Empire to take control, which then at that point it had already divided into a bunch of clans that originally made up Rome. Though there are many types of Goths like Germanic Goths that inspired Gothic architecture, Celtic Goths also existed in predominantly Celtic regions on account of all the fighting and intermingling they were all doing. Also‒ Roman's actually had a special word for celts called "Scotti" which roughly translated in Latin to "cutthroats"- pretty cool lol.

But I imagine fae being that wide range of Germanic tribes slowly converting to Christanity by the time of the war, with humans of that area being similar but getting a head start in Christanity‒ which spread further with the war and Christianization overtime which occurred with the Goths as well. This is exactly why Christians had adopted "gothic" architecture because of that access to Germanic culture and art, especially with the shift from classical architecture and art which was more solid/structured and realistic (with idealistic components), into more figurative, and allegorical representations of art in the Christian religions‒ reflecting in the magnificence and skeletal feel of Gothic architecture. I imagine there were remnants of Celtic/Pagan culture and mythology however despite the general aesthetics of the Valley of Thorns, which is early gothic that are rooted in Germanic and Christian architecture (even though the film takes place in the 14th century in the high gothic era‒ really wish they went all out with the gothic stuff but nooo disney NEVER gives me historic accuracy or consistency >:((( ).

This also makes sense why the reader is reading a Christian text, because there were cultural shifts during the time. "Dearly beloved" is likely a Christian interpretation of Greek's agapétos during I believe was during the Renaissance when Christianity was returning to Classical ideas. Agape is the "highest form of love", which transcends everything like the Christian God's love (and most gods I believe since they're all made in the image of humans). Or as usual I made this more convoluted than it actually is lmao

Chose sickles as your weapons of choice because A) um, they're cool and B) because they're a weapon of harvest while being your weapons in destruction‒ its stuck between life and death as you are before you meet and get acquainted with Lilia.

The part where you hug is inspired partially from paradise lost‒ where Adam contemplates eating the forbidden fruit after Eve does. "Should God create another Eve, and I / Another rib afford, yet loss of thee / Would never from my heart; no, no, I feel / The link of nature draw me: flesh of flesh, / Bone of my bone thou art, and from thy state / Mine never shall be parted, bliss or woe."/“One flesh; to lose thee were to lose myself” I'm not Christian nor have any meaningful connection to Christianity outside the academic realm but boy Milton's poetry make me yearn

Uuuhhh I'm so bad at endings lmk if that sounded good I wanted to do something bittersweet

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satans-my-spirit-animal · 1 year

Text

I wrote a short fic about Malleus's overblot. Reader is gn. It's the romantic end that Disney probably won't give us 😞. CHAPTER 7 SPOILERS

Watching as Azul pulled out the contract, you felt a twinge of familiarity. Hadn't you done this before?

“Sign here, and Ramshackle will be put up as collateral for our little deal.” Azul said, adjusting his glasses as he slid the contract towards you.

You blinked as looked around, a sense of Déjà vu overwhelming you. The leech twins were grinning at you, standing next to Azul. Jack was shaking his head and telling you not to sign the contract. Grim, covered in soapsuds, was pulling at your pants leg, begging you to sign.

“… Azul, doesn't this… Seem familiar to you?” You asked, looking over the desk at Azul.

“What do you mean? Are you going to sign the contract or not?” He frowned and tapped the piece of paper with a gloved finger.

Memories started flooding back to you, the leech twins stopping you from fulfilling the contract, Azul's overblot, being trapped in Scarabia…

“Azul… Don't you remember? We've done this before. So many times that I can't count.” You stared at him as he drew back with a baffled look on his face.

“What on earth are you talking about?” Azul gave you an uneasy look, and the twins exchanged confused glances.

“Hey, are you feeling alright?” Jack asked, giving you a concerned look.

“I remember now… We're all in Diasomnia right now… Malleus overblotted and we fell asleep. This is all a dream we've been having.” You said, your voice barely above a whisper.

Jade blinked hard, as if he were starting to remember something, and looked at Floyd. “Now that you mention it… This does seem awfully familiar.” He breathed out in a hushed tone.

“If you listen closely, you can hear him humming…” You choked as hot tears spilled out of your eyes. Everyone grew silent as Malleus's humming crept into the room. Azul looked back at you in horror as the realization hit him.

“I think it's time to wake up.” You murmured as everything faded to black, leaving only Malleus's humming reverberating in the darkness.

Your eyes opened, and you found yourself lying on the cold stone floor of Diasomnia. You struggled to pull yourself upright and peered through the blackthorns that surrounded you.

Everyone was lying in a heap on the floor, still fast asleep. A green haze hung in the air, drifting through the twisted thorns that surrounded everything. Through the green haze, you could just make out Malleus sitting in a chair, humming.

“Mal…” You choked as you started pulling at the thorns. “Malleus! Can you hear me? Please don't let me be too late…” Tears poured down your cheeks as you forced your way through the thorns, feeling them tear at your skin.

You finally manage to make your way over to him. Your clothes were shredded, and you were bleeding, but you still grabbed Malleus's hand. His eyes opened, his slitted pupils dilating as they focused on you.

“You're awake? I didn't expect you to wake up so soon.” He murmured as he turned to look at you.

Tears still streaming down your cheeks, you squeezed his hand. “Malleus… I know this isn't what you want… So, please… Let them wake up.” You knelt down next to him as his emerald gaze burned into you.

“… No, I can't lose both you and Lilia… The pain… The loneliness…” He hissed, barely moving his lips.

“I'll stay… As long as you want. I can't imagine life without you, Mal.”

You smiled at him through the tears, and his eyes widened. “I know… I KNOW… I know you… I walked with you once upon a dream.” You struggled to steady your voice as you began to sing.

“I know you, that look in your eyes is so familiar a gleam.” You pulled on his hand, drawing him to his feet.

“And I know it's true that visions are seldom all they seem…” He gazed down at you as you began to lead him in a waltz across the thorn-entangled floor.

“But if I know you, I'll know what you'll do. You'll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream.” You sang as you stood on your tiptoes and placed a kiss on his lips.

A shockwave of magic blasted through the room as the thorns turned into flowers and the green haze dissipated. Malleus slumped over your shoulder as he returned to his normal form.

You continued to hum once upon a dream, rubbing his back as everyone around you began to stir.

“It'll be alright, Mal… I won't leave.” You murmured to him as Lilia opened his eyes and looked over at you.

#including the octrio because i love them #twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland fan fiction #malleus draconia #malleus draconia x reader #chapter 7 spoilers #im an English player so i dont actually know what happens

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artsybelle1015 · 1 year

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Not Safe Here

In the mirror, he saw him.

Warnings(!!): hallucinations, panic attacks, minor injuries, SPOILERS FOR BOOK 4!!!!

Part One || Part Two

•••

He hissed, feeling a burn settle onto his hand. Quickly turning off the stove, Jamil held his wrist and investigated the feeling. Just as expected, it was oil from the cooking that had done this, leaving a little yet painful mark on the outside of his hand, close to the thumb.

How could he be so careless?

A sigh escaped his lips, he didn’t mean to get distracted while cooking; in fact, he never does. Strange.

Deciding to pause on the food he was making for himself, he turned off the stove and walked out of the kitchen to find a first aid kit in his bathroom. If it had been a meal for Kalim he would’ve simply pushed through, but it was only for himself so he didn’t think it meant much to eat right away.

Turning on the sink on, he ran the hand under the cold yet gentle water. It had reminded him of Kalim’s Oasis spell.

Glancing upwards into the mirror, where the first aid would be behind, his eyes widened. He backed away and instantly tripped near the bathtub. The middle of his spine protested against the sudden hitting from landing back into the tub, but he could care less about that right now.

In the mirror, he saw him. The overblot.

It had only been a couple of weeks since then, many people choosing to avoid him and fear him. He numbed himself to it though, it was already bad enough he hurt Kalim and betrayed his family’s oath, he didn’t want to think of his reputation. He didn’t want to think of his overblot.

But, it was staring at him, menacingly, tilting its head, ink spilling from its mouth with a huge grin, wide eyes.

His breath quickened, his lungs feeling as though there was a rock squishing on them and his lungs moved like a balloon being pressed down on and it was going to pop soon. Coughs came out, it felt like he had the ink welling up in his throat. As the coughing turned into pathetic chokes, he quickly snapped his eyes shut, tears pooling in them.

Everything faded at once… into a twisted black.

___

It felt like an eternity he stared into the darkness.

“Jamil?” called out a familiar voice. This voice ruined his state of numbness and peace in the void he saw.

Slowly opening his eyes, he was right back there, pressed to the bathtub, looking at the mirror. Only this time, it was him, his tired eyes and furrowed brows.

With quick steps, Kalim rushed in front of him and crouched. His face filled with concern and panic, he stayed close yet far to Jamil. “I’m so happy you’re awake. I saw the food on the stove in the kitchen, and you never woke me up so I was scared something happened to you!”

Those were the words Jamil could make out. The rest was just Kalim’s voice, just a muffled voice.

Jamil kept his eyes on the mirror, a blank and dead stare. Noticing he had eye-bags. Since when did he have eye-bags? It was probably from the inability to sleep he had gotten it from.

With a sigh, closing his eyes for a second to look at Kalim, he felt devoid of anything in that present moment. He just perched his back straight, not feeling the pain, and stared to Kalim, who was still talking.

Finally, Jamil spoke, “Enough Kalim, I’m fine.”

“How? I’ve never seen you in this state!” Kalim protested, leaning in closer. “And look at you, you look so tired!”

Jamil gently shoved him away and stood up, Kalim quieting down in response to that. Brushing off his dorm uniform, Jamil wanted to make sure it looked neat and not appear as thought he was panicking.

“Anything you want to eat?”

Kalim’s eyes widen. “How could you say that after just being like that?” Quickly standing up.

“It’s fine, okay? Just answer me.” There was no emotion coming from his voice, and he was beginning to walk back to the kitchen.

Quick footsteps followed behind. Kalim was extremely worried, yet Jamil could not care any less. A part of him still hated Kalim despite everything that happened. But, it was his job to serve for Asim family, whether he liked it or not, he must do so.

That said eldest son spoke up again, “I don’t want you to make me breakfast right now, I’ll just make it myself. You should go and lay down!”

Jamil stopped and sighed, turning over to him. “You know very well you can’t cook, and as I said I am fine, it was just a rough night and I got sleep anyways.”

Kalim brows lowered, he looked almost angry. “Jamil, you burned your hand.”

Looking at his hand, he remembered it, he had forgotten about it for some time and now that it was mentioned it started to hurt again. All he did was shove that hand into his hoods pocket and exclaimed, “Yes, but it’s small and inconvenient.”

“Jamil, I’m kicking you out.”

His eyes widened and he quickly stared at Kalim, exasperated look. “What?”

Kalim took a deep breath, and said in pure confidence, “Jamil, I know you have been tired and upset, I’m not stupid. You need to take care of yourself and clearly living here isn’t doing it.”

Jamil eyes went dead again, he was feeling angry now, but didn’t want to express it. When he was angry he overblotted. He didn’t want to do that again. “Kalim, you and I both know you can’t take care of yourself alone. It wouldn’t be a wise choice to do that.”

“Quiet!” Kalim hushed, then quickly covered his mouth in guilt, Jamil couldn’t care right now though. “Sorry! I didn’t mean it like that. I got this though, okay? Plus plenty of people who I can talk to! Jamil it’s important you do things on your own and get rest.”

“I’m not leaving.” Jamil decided to head back to the kitchen anyways and try to continue the day as normal.

Under no circumstance was he going to leave, it would be a foul idea. Jamil Viper leaving Kalim alone, what a ridiculous idea. His purpose in life was to serve, and serve he will. There is no anger or trying to seek revenge, he must push on.

Kalim rushed in front of him, blocking the entrance to the kitchen.

Raising an eyebrow, Jamil asked, “What are you doing?”

“Pack your bags!” Kalim cheered. “You and I are heading to the ramshackle.”

“You can’t be serious?” he was freaking out now, panic rising again, not as much as last night, but still a bad amount.

Oh sevens, he was a failure to his family and Kalim and Scarabia as a whole.

His head began to pound, vision getting fussy. Quickly grabbing his head he backed away stumbling a bit. He messed up, why did he have to manipulate people? Why did he try to hurt others? Why did he have to hate Kalim.

“Jamil!” Kalim screeched, grabbing his arm. This snapped Jamil out of his thoughts, staring at him with paranoid eyes. “It’s not safe for you to live here.”

Jamil lost his voice, everything hurt in him. His throat once again felt as though it was clogged by ink. This wasn’t fair.

Grabbing his hand, Kalim guided Jamil to his room.

Too much in shock, he just watched Kalim back up bags with uniforms and clothes for each day. All of his daily care stuff such as hairbrush, and toothpaste were being thrown in too.

Now that he thought about it he hadn’t brushed his teeth or hair, he didn’t make himself look presentable. He looked horrible and people were realizing it.

“Kalim…” Jamil choked out. “Doesn’t the Prefect hate me?”

Slowly turning his head, Kalim looked into his thin snake eyes and shook his head. “Well, you see I talked to the Prefect and we talked. It was their idea to let you in. In fact, they want to get to know you, the real you. Yes they’re not happy with you but…” he softly smiled “wouldn’t it be nice to make a new friend?”

Jamil honestly couldn’t remember much after that, only that he suddenly appeared at ramshackle.

•••

Authors Note: First time I’ve ever posted a fanfic oh em gee. Anyways, thinking of a part two honestly, but it’s mostly for my own main character/Yuu. I enjoyed this though, so I hope whoever is reading did too!

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bonpocalypse · 6 months

Text

The Place Where Lost Things Go

Twisted Wonderland Fic by: @bonpocalypse and @bunchoflimes

🎪 🎪 🎪

Like moths to a flame, the curious are drawn to extravagant places. They see things that are peculiar, perhaps out-of-the ordinary and will cling on to such an object. And for those who are ever-so-persistent in their inquisitive mindset would latch on to human concepts– one such as a sense of belonging, and ignore anything else around them.

Shiny rocks,ideas of freedom and belonging, morbid curiosities, all are free to be watched the the curious. They are drawn to extravagant places. Out-of-the ordinary places.

Extravagant, out-of-the-ordinary places such as the traveling circus.

The Circus of the Night travels everywhere around the world. There is naught but a single place on Earth that has not seen the wonders of the performers. From the lands of North America all the way to Australia, citizens from around the globe have heard of Ringmaster Crowley and his merry band of performers.

…Merry was a kind way to explain how each performer felt.

🎪 🎪 🎪

Link to the fic: https://archiveofourown.org/works/51465949/chapters/130062790

#twisted wonderland #twst #bonpocalypse radio #bonpocalypse newsletter #circus #twisted wonderland fan fiction #fanfic #fanfiction #nanowrimo #nano23

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sinjaangels · 1 year

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She Came from Outer Space, chapter 28, is being typed up!

Plot points for chapters 29 and 30 have been written out.

The Octavinelle arc is longer than the last two arcs!

The conclusion is coming soon.

Following are the events of Beanfest, the Ghost Bride, and Halloween! Then the Schemer of the Sands completes the first book! XD

#twisted wonderland #twst #twst wonderland #twst oc #disney twisted wonderland #twst mc #twst fic #twisted wonderland fan fiction #twstSCOS #twstSheCamefromOuterSpace

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murmaiderii · 2 years

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New chapter of my Azul x reader fic, which has received such rave reviews as “pretty good,” the best Azul/reader fic,” and “consumable like soup”

#twisted wonderland #twst #twisted wonderland azul #azul ashengrotto #azul x reader #Azul/reader #reader insert #fan fiction #twisted wonderland x reader #twisted wonderland fan fiction

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hihelloheyhowdy · 11 months

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Malleus realizing feelings + confession.

I've seen so many different headcanons of how he would confess but here is my personal take

---------------------

Malleus is been going on nightly walks with you, and opened up about his loneliness. Getting really close to you (some thing Sebak was extremely against but what he doesn't know won't hurt him).

So imagine his confusion when his heart starts beating especially quickly when you get to close.

Is this what child of men call 'heart attacks'? is he endangered? Should he be worried? so he says bye and just poofs out of there

"Sorry child of man I must go, I'm not feeling well."

"Oh well is there anything i can he-" and he's gone.

Lilia is so confused when he hears Malleus call him in a tone mixed with confusion, panic, and concern, wasn't he on the walk with the magic-less perfect he seems to have taken a liking too?

Malleus is pale complexion makes the pink-y/red hue on his face far too noticeable.

Ah, he can already connect the dots here.

"I was fine really but they stubbled closer to me and suddenly my heart is going double? triple? it's pace. Of course i'm not sure what sickness they could've given me, but surely this is not normal."

Lilia is trying so hard not to laugh, this is a serious moment. The crown prince/future king, and more importantly- one of the children he's worked hard to raise has found a love interest. So he's going to try his best to help- after all he's been around long enough to know that romantic feelings and relationships should be handled with care.

"Malleus, have you considered you may have romantic feelings for the perfect?"

Malleus literally freezes. Just stops completely.

What?

Romantic???

feelings?????

For who??????

Malleus.ext has stopped processing, refresh and try again later.

A million thoughts all at once

When? Where? How? Why? Is he allowed it? Can a fae even gain romantic feelings? Will they go away? Will they grow stronger? Can you notice? Have you known and not said anything? Do you like Malleus? See him as anything more than a friend? Do you even consider him a friend? Do you just tolerate him? Do you secretly share the same view point as everyone else about him and have been hiding?

The last thought left a bad taste on in his mouth. The idea of you even mildly disliking him made him want hide away. Is that normal for when a person has romantic feelings?

Lilia notices Malleus is change in attitude.

"Malleus? Are you feelings alright?"

"Yes? Maybe? No, no i don't think i am."

"Okay, maybe take a breathe. Having romantic feelings isn't the worst thing that could happen."

Malleus finds himself in the library reading books about romantic feelings and relationships, subconsciously making a checklist to see if he really does have feelings for you.

Finding the other person attractive: yeah, he'd found you more appealing than others.

Wanting to be around the person more: yes, he always found himself wanting to spend time with you.

Feeling happier around the person: of course he felt happy around you.

As he kept going through questions you'd find on the back of a teen girl magazine his head was spinning.

He had a crush on you.

Oh dear.

He didn't really know how it approach it at first

Lilia told him to "go for it" and "court the perfect if you want to be with them"

As he thought about it, a romantic relationship with you seemed... lovely.

He began to crave it, to want you to have feelings for you back.

So he decided to court you.

You were confused at first, not knowing whatever... this was that he was doing

After all one night he disappears middle of your walk, and then various nights later is giving you what is seemingly expressive jewelry.

On the third night he offered you jewelry, you said something that shattered his world.

"Malleus I can't accept this-"

To you what was simply being polite, and not accepting crazy priced gifts was to Malleus a rejection.

So he pouted, and once again disappeared without warning.

When Lilia saw Malleus upset, speaking about how the perfect does not reciprocate his feelings, he knew something was up.

Lilia wasn't an idiot he knew you liked Malleus, so he needed to know what was going on.

When you saw Lilia at your door the next day, you jumped at the chance to get answers

"Do you know why is Malleus has been acting so strange?"

"Because you rejected him."

"I didn't reject him?"

"But he was courting you, and you didn't accept his advances?"

"Courting me? Since when?!"

"Oh! you humans court differently. You see when a dragon fae wants to court someone they usually give them precious gems, and rocks."

"So when I didn't want to take it..."

"He thought you were rejected his romantic advances."

Once it had set in, you put a plan into motion.

Later that day you showed up at the Diasomnia dorm.

Sebek wanted to kick you out upon sight, but Lilia and Silver held him down so you could go speak to Malleus.

Upon seeing you he was happy at first, then heartbroken.

"Malleus I have something to gift you."

His ears perked up.

He stared down at the rock with a painted heart on it in your hands with curiosity.

"I couldn't find a precious gem on such short notice, but I hoped this would temporarily suffice in allowing me to court the great dragon prince."

He had never felt so happy.

It's now his new prized possession, next to Gao-Gao Drakon-Kun.

#fanfic #malleus fluff #twst malleus #malleus draconia #twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland malleus #twst fanfic #twst fluff #malleus x y/n #malleus x reader #fluff fic #fan fiction #tooth rotting fluff #brainrot

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saikira999 · 17 days

Text

~ Dear Photography

Annotation: Yuu dragged him to be photographed with daisies :)

Tags: Friendship, a little bit of love, tsundere.

Attention! English is not my native language, and if you find errors in the text, please write about it in the comments.

+ In My native language, the words "Dear" and "Expensive" are considered the same word and look the same (Dorogoi). In the original language, this plays into the plus of fan fiction, but in the English translation, the meaning breaks down a lot.

Just remember:

Dear = Expensive

(Below I will also provide a version in the original language)

Pouting his lips displeasedly, Azul shrank a little incredulously, quietly wrapping his tentacles under the water around a small island with daisies overgrown on it, as if for safety. Having unsuccessfully tried to blow away a silver strand of wet hair that had fallen right into his eye, from his face He squinted slightly. Aschengrotto was definitely too used to life on land...

Yuu, who was standing nearby, barefoot, with her pants slightly pulled up to her knees, was fiddling with her bag as if trying to find something. Watching Her from the side, the octomer was silent for a while, looking at Her search either with boredom or with slight irritation.

- Prefect, let me ask... - As if out of habit, turning on His “Aschengrotto” style of a businesslike, insinuating conversation to the point of gritting his teeth, He began, straightening his lock of hair. “First, you barbarously pulled Me out of the office, tearing me away from business, then dragged me to the shore. ... - Azul slouched slightly, and his black shoulders, shining in the sun, noticeably tensed, while long thin fingers with black nails anxiously twirled and kneaded one winding curl near his sharp left cheek - Forced me to take... This form... - Shrinking, the tentacles tightened around and squeezed the stone-looking sides of the island, as if thinking of crushing it - And I’m afraid to ask what you will demand from Me now...

- Flower.

- .....What?

Raising an eyebrow, Azul straightened up a little and looked at Yuu, who was unsuccessfully shaking out the contents of the bag onto the green, slightly crumpled grass, trying to find something inside. Pens, pencils, chewing gum, candy bars and who knows how the Grim fur got there (Again this damn cat sleeps on the first thing that came)... - Take the flower. - Yuu repeats in a casual tone.

- For what? - Now, Azul raises both eyebrows, and a pair of large black and purple tentacles peer out of the water with curiosity, as if wanting to understand the essence of the demand.

- Take the flower and don’t freak out, senpai... - Grumbles in a friendly manner, Yuu freezes for a moment and slaps his palm on his forehead.

Throwing the bag aside, She unzips her light jacket a little and takes hold of the angular old camera hanging on Her chest.

Realizing what was happening, Azul only became more embarrassed, and reluctantly suppressing the desire to hide from Yuu under water, he crossed his arms on his damp chest, tapping his finger on his forearm.

- I hope you know what you are doing... And that it will not cost you free....

- I know. Now, take a flower. - Yuu just shrugs, removing the cap from the camera and preparing it for work.

- If speak openly, it will cost you very dearly.

- Since when does a photographer pay?

- This is your idea, My dear prefect. - Sighing a little in disappointment, Azul leaned his elbow on the island, which was a little prickly because of the sand and grass, resting his sharp chin in his palm - I know about your interest in photographs, but I don’t think that this octopus is suitable for your collection... And it will also be expensive .... Did I talk about this...?

-You don’t like being photographed that much, senpai? - Raising a curious glance at her friend’s dissatisfied pale muzzle for a second, Yuu continued tinkering with the camera

- It’s not that I don’t like... - He turned away, slowly, as if lazily crawling his gaze over the white tops of daisies - You yourself know the reasons... And also, you know that this will be an expensive photograph.

- But she will be My favorite.

Octomer was silent.... He frowned in disbelief again...

- "Favorite"...?

- The most favorite.

- And expensive.

- And expensive... In every sense.

- I talked about the price. You and your pesky furrball won't eat for a week!

- Are you trying to intimidate Me with the price tag, senpai? Hehe, I think we'll come to an agreement.

- There’s no point in even negotiating here, my dear prefect. I can leave You right now!

- And miss the opportunity to get money so easily and quickly? You're losing your grip, senpai. - Yuu grinned, coming closer, stepping on the soft grass and warm sand.

- Do you REALLY want to have a photo of Me as a merfolk? - Azul hissed, ashamed and anxious - Why?

- Because You are very handsome in Your true form, of course! - With difficulty holding back a giggle, Yuu grinned softly - And I decided to take photographs of all the people dear to Me before the headmage returns Me back to My world... - Turning away and frowning slightly, Yuu wrinkled her nose and quietly grumbled - If this beak-nosed dork even remembers My existence....

It was as if Azul had received a blow to the head from Floyd (comparable to being hit with a sledgehammer)... Did she just call his octomer shape beautiful? Is he a dear person to Her??? His eternally spinning somewhere nearby, constantly getting into trouble, but still damn it, will his DEAR colleague one day leave Him and return to his native world??????

....Oh, the great seven, He forgot about it....

While Azul, who had funnyly raised his tentacles, was recovering from silent shock, mixed at the same time with embarrassment and anxiety slowly growing in his soul, Yuu herself picked a flower and handed it to Azul, grinning widely.

- Take it!

Focusing his gaze again and batting his white eyelashes in surprise, the slightly red Azul paused, but still slowly took the flower from her hands and its tentacles again slowly fell into the water.

- Ahem... - He cleared his throat, slowly returning (at least trying) to a relatively calm appearance. He again propped his cheek with his hand with a flower clutched in It, somehow incomprehensibly looking into the lens, again slightly pouting his lips...

He should definitely send Yuu an invoice for this photo...

This art was drawn by Me relatively recently. I wrote this fanfiction for that :)

Please, if you like My work, feel free to ask Me questions and requests! Also, I will be very glad to receive your reblogs :)

The original:

~ Дорогая фотография.

Недовольно надув губы, Азул немного недоверчиво съежился, незаметно обхватывая щупальцами под водой небольшой островок, с поросшими на нём ромашками, точно для надёжности. Безрезультатно попробовав сдуть с лица упавшую прямо на глаз серебристую, точно бок жемчужины прядь мокрых волос, Он чуть прищурился. Асшенгротто определённо слишком уж привык к жизни на суше... Стоявшая неподалёку Йуу, босая, в немного задранных по колено штанах, возилась в сумке, точно пытаясь что-то найти. Наблюдая за Ней со стороны, октомер немного помолчал, глядя на Её поиски ни то со скукой, ни то с лёгким раздражением.

- Префект, позвольте спросить... - Точно по привычке включив Свой "Асшенгроттовский" стиль делового, до скрипа зубов вкрадчивого, разговора, начал Он, поправляя прядь - Сперва Вы варварски вытащили Меня из кабинета, оторвав от дел, затем потащили на берег.... - Азул чуть ссутулился, и чёрные, блестящие на солнце плечи заметно напряглись, пока длинные тонкие пальцы с чёрными ногтями тревожно накручивали и мяли один извилистый локон у левой острой щеки - Заставили принять... Эту форму... - Сжавшись, щупальца крепче обвили и сжали каменные глядкие бока островка, словно думая раздавить его - И мне страшно спросить, что Вы потребуете от Меня теперь...

- Цветочек.

- .....Что?

Вскинув бровь, Азул чуть выпрямился и посмотрел на Йуу, безрезультатно вытряхивающую содержимое сумки на зелёную, чуть мятую травку, пытаясь найти что-то внутри. Ручки, карандаши, жвачки, батончики и неизвестно каким образом попавшая туда шерсть Гримма (Опять этот проклятый кот дрых на первом, на чём пришлость)...

- Возьми цветочек. - Повторяет Йуу обыденым тоном.

- Зачем? - Теперь, Азул вскидывает уже обе брови, и пару крупных чёрно-фиолетовых щупалец с любопытством выглядывают из воды, точно желая понять суть требования.

- Возьмите цветочек, и не выёживайтесь, сенпай.... - Дружелюбно хмыкнув, Йуу на миг замирает и хлопает Себя ладонью по лбу.

Откинув сумку в сторону, Она немного расстёгивает лёгую куртёжку и берётся ��а висящий у Неё на груди угловатый старый фотик.

Смекнув что к чему, Азул смутился только сильнее, и нехотя подавив желание скрыться от Йуу под водой, скрестил руки на влажной груди, настукивая пальцем по предплечью.

- Я надеюсь, Вы знаете, что Вы делаете... И что это не обойдётся Вам бесплатно....

- Знаю. А теперь, возьмите цветочек. - Йуу только пожимает плечами, снимая с фотоаппарата крышечку и подготавливая его к работе.

- Если говорить открыто, это обойдётся Вам очень дорого.

- С каких пор платит фотограф?

- Это Ваша идея, Мой дорогой префект. - Немного разочарованно вздохнув, Азул опёрся локтём о немного колючий из-за песка и травы островок, подпирая ладонью острый подбородок - Я знаю о Вашем интересе к фотографиям, но не думаю, что Вашей коллекции подойдёт этот осьминог... И ещё это будет дорого.... Я говорил об этом...?

- Вы так не любите фотографироваться, сенпай? - На секунду подняв на недовольную бледную морду друга любопытствующий взгляд, Йу продолжила ковыряться с камерой

- Не то чтобы не люблю... - Он отвернулся, медленно, точно лениво переползая взглядом по белым макушкам ромашек - Вы сами знаете причины... А ещё, Вы знаете, что это будет дорогостоящая фотография.

- Но она будет Моей любимой.

Октомер помолчал.... Снова недоверчиво нахмурился...

- "Любимой"...?

- Самой любимой.

- И дорогой.

- И дорогой... Во всех смыслах.

- Я говорил о цене. Вы и Ваш надоедливый комок шерсти не будете есть неделю!

- Пытаетесь запугать Меня ценником, сенпай? Хе-хе, думаю, Мы договоримся.

- Здесь даже нет смысла договариваться, Мой дорогой префект. Я могу покинуть Тебя прямо сейчас!

- И упустить возможность так легко и быстро получить деньги? Теряете хватку, сенпай. - Ййу усмехнулась, подходя ближе, ступая по мягкой траве и тёплому песку.

- Вам ДЕЙСТВИТЕЛЬНО так хочется иметь у Меня Мою фотографию в виде мерфолка? - Зашипел Азул, ни то со смущением, ни то с тревогой - Почему?

- Потому что Ты очень красивый в Своём истинном облике, конечно! - С трудом сдержав хихиканье, Йуу мягко ухмыльнулась - И Я решила сделать фотографии всех дорогих Мне людей перед тем, как Верховный Маг вернёт Меня обратно в Мой мир... - Отвернувшись и чуть нахмурившись, Йуу сморщила нос и тихо проворчала - Если этот клювоносый дурак вообще помнит о Моём существовании....

Азула как Флойд по башке стукнул (Сравнимо с ударом кувалдой)... Она только что назвала его форму октомера красивой? Он дорогой Ей человек??? Его вечно крутящийся где-то под боком, постоянно влипающий в истории, но всё ещё чёрт её дери ДОРОГОЙ коллега однажды покинет Его и вернётся в родной мир??????

....Ох, великая семёрка, Он и забыл об этом....

Пока Смешно взвивший щупальца, Азул отходил от немого шока, смешанного одновременно со смущением и медленно нарастающим в душе беспокойством, Йуу, сама сорвала цветочек и протянула Азулу, широко ухмыльнувшись.

- Возьми!

Вновь сфокусировав взгляд и удивлённо похлопав белыми ресницами, немного красный Азул помолчал, но всё-таки медленно взял цветок из её рук и его зупальцах вновь медленно опали в воду.

- Кхм... - Он откашлялся, медленно возвращая (По крайней мере, пытаясь) себе относительно спокойный вид Он вновь подпёр щеку рукой с зажатым в Ней цветком, как-то непонятливо глядя в объектив снова чуть надувая губы...

Он определённо должен выслать Йуу счёт за это фото...

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warrenwitches3 · 8 months

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Yuu inspired by odette from swan lake.

Sypnosis: where yuu was cursed in her old world to be a swan by day and a girl by night all for rejecting an angry old wizard, upon entering twisted wonderland she still has her curse but no other swan companions with her. She must try and brake the curse whilst struggling to attend a magic school (she’s kinda scared of everyone as they all are male wizards, and we know what happens with her last encounter with one)

Prologue

The sun was setting and dusk was making its short return before its sister night took over, out on a lake as clear as a gem on the royal crown, was a flock of swans all settling throughout the lake, sat in the middle surrounded by the others ever so still was one swan bigger and more beautiful then the rest, with feathers of pure white snow and a circlet with a singular gem sitting in the middle.

The swan lifted her gaze up to the setting sun making way for his sister the rising moon, her everlasting beauty shines upon the singular swan and the animal seemed to soak up her beautiful rays of light before the water that she sat on raised up surrounding her in a swirl of beautiful water magic before it dropped to reveal an ethereal girl standing on the waters surface taking in her own appearance. At the sight of her face and the touch of her hair a smile graced her face before she walked to the waters edge placing her feet on the wet sand of the shore.

The sound of horses and a carriage approaching caught the swan queen’s attention. Her head turned and saw a dark carriage descending upon her with horses that held a face she had never seen before on such animal. The carriage stopped in front of her and opened its door revealing a coffin, that was the last sight her newly human eyes saw before her back hit the shallow water and she entered the void.

NOTE: I just wanted to see how a swan attending NRC would be and now I have this, I wanna try and make yuu’s appearance as vague as possible so people can kinda imagine a self insert but I might make a few mistakes.

Somethings that yuu will be described to have is hair long enough to be styled in any way, be a white swan, sort of elegance to her, wearing a dress and circlet.

This will be following the plot of only having someone swear themself to her out of pure love be able to break the curse but thankfully no Odile and throwing ourself into lakes.

Im thinking of having Malleus or Leona maybe even Vil as the final love interest but I’ll need help for that decision so tell me who you think.

#twst #twisted wonderland #yuu #yuu twst #swan lake #ballet #malleus draconia #leona kingscholar #twst mc #twisted wonderland crossover #white swan #x reader #self insert #fanfic #fan fiction #twst ramshackle #twst grim

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kami-kun1003 · 1 month

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hello twst fandom. unfriendly reminder that Henrik being a horrible person does not give you a fucking excuse to be fatphobic. that is all.

#i was reading a really good chapter 7 analysis when out of nowhere the op drops a completely unnecessary fatphobic comment #and like. dude. what the hell is your fucking problem #does it make you feel good to insult fat people over a fictional character who happens to be overweight????#twst fans when a character isn’t conventionally attractive: 😱😱😱🤢🤢🤮🤮🤮🤮#grow up. fat people are people too #twisted wonderland #disney twisted wonderland #twst chapter 7 #diasomnia #twisted wonderland chapter 7 #twisted wonderland book 7 #henrik #prince henrik #malleus draconia #lilia vanrouge #twst silver #sebek zigvolt #cw fatphobia

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frequent-demisexual-distress · 1 year

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Baby Shark: Leech Twins x Small Shark! reader

So, again, not proofread, and this time typed in one setting on my phone

It might be crack? I had a specific scenario in mind for a bad joke and it sort of ran out of control

You had finally finished your pep talk to the freshmen of Octavinelle and were now walking, hand in hand (in hand) with Floyd and Jade, back to your dorm room - it just so happened that tonight was your date night, and you'd agreed to stay in and just spend some time together. Weekly date nights were something the three of you had made a sacred event, not to be toyed with. It was enstated at Jade's request, as he found himself becoming somewhat jealous of just how much Floyd's normal behavior kept your attention in day to day activities - though he wouldn't admit that outright, you could tell based on his increased, but subtle, requests for attention.

At first, he'd just be somewhat snappier than he meant to be - you came to learn that, from time to time, Jade would have bratty tendencies. He'd touch you more often - although subtle, as ever; he might have a hand on yours under the table, or having your calves pressed together, or a hand on the small of your back. When you didn't pay attention to his subtle signs, he'd have a hard time not becoming frustrated, as his genuine emotions were not something he was the most comfortable expressing openly at this point, despite how much you meant to him - as a result of the lack of communication, and not feeling heard, he'd become irritated.

You'd confront him, telling him that it hurt your feelings when he'd be snappy for no reason. "Jade, love, please tell me.. what's wrong?" You'd ask softly, hands clasped over one of his, having pulled him aside while Floyd went on to his next class.

He'd look at you for a moment. You saw the hesitation in his face, as he almost defaulted. He'd so often pretend that he didn't know what you were talking about, playing it cool - but today, with the softness in your eyes piercing his wall and the warmth of your skin pulling down every brick. His facade faltered and he frowned slightly before leaning down slightly and resting his forehead against yours, taking you by surprise.

Eyes closed, as if too ashamed to face you while he spoke the words aloud, he muttered, "I'd understand, you know - if you prefer Floyd's company."

Immediately you understood, and your hands flew to cup his cheeks. Softly stroking them, your brows furrowed, you speak with a strength that surprises even you. "Jade, my love - we came to be together in exactly the same way as Floyd and I, but you could not be more different. My time with you is the treasure of my heart, just as his is, but yours is unique-"

As you speak, slow and certain, you notice him open his eyes, lifting his head to better see you, though not enough to remove your hands from his cheeks.

"-the time that you and I spend together, just us, is usually quiet. We spend little moments together, simple things like cooking or studying in each other's presence. It may not always be the most interactive, but just being in your presence makes me so happy," you finish, brushing a few of his stray hairs to the side.

He was quiet for a moment, studying your face before humming faintly - in an instant, that signature smile was back and his hands removing yours from his cheeks and clasping them gently. "Well then," he began, cheerful tone returning, "I suppose we shouldn't change that." You noticed that, after a brief pause, his voice had softened slightly, and his eyes avoided yours for a moment as he added, "Although.. perhaps more active time together in addition to that might not hurt."

You nod firmly, before standing up on your toes and pressing a kiss to his cheek. Taking his hand and ready to move on, you begin to step forward before he pulls you back, his lips suddenly on yours with a surprising but not unpleasant amount of force - a passion that he normally reserved for very private moments. You melt in it, nearly losing your balance for a moment, before he pulls away.

This time, his smirk is real. Smug bastard.

And so, you two decided to have one date per week just for you, and Jade's moodiness seemed to subside.

Enter your other partner, Floyd.

Now, Floyd is emotionally driven at the best of times, and emotionally car-crashed at the worst of times. And him misinterpreting your sudden new habit of going on a formal date with only his brother, his usual unspoken invitation seemingly revoked from these instances, is what led to him beginning to veer out of control in the first place. Whether it surprises you or not, you'd quickly learned that change, at least in the things he felt were his and that he took comfort in, frightened Floyd, and that he would either lean into the manic or slide into the depressive when he was frightened in that way.

For you, that meant your already wild partner was taking things up a few notches. Someone asks for your help in class? He's looming over you trying to squeeze them. You have a study group to attend? He's tagging along and being a total distraction (a cute one for sure, but still defeating the purpose of the meeting). You're late to walk him to class? He's decided he's skipping today, he'd rather stay in bed awhile.

Now, you were a good partner. You wanted to give him his space, of course, but with this on top of the increase in acting out, you felt coming in and checking on him was justified. You opened the door to see that his room was more messy than usual (take that as you will). You walked over to his bed and took him in - pajamas on haphazardly and hair a mess, laying on his side and trying to go back to sleep. You sat on the edge of the bed for a moment and observe him. Normally, he'd shoot right up and hug you close; today though, he wasn't budging.

Ultimately, you decide to take only the most natural next step - wrapping your arms around his waist and being his big spoon. You're silent, save for your calm breathing and the slight shifting sound of his blanket as you rub soft circles through it and into his chest. A solid three or four minutes pass before you feel one of his hands come to rest on top of yours- loosely, at first, but it was progress. "...Won't you be late, Y/N?" He says, voice low, head not moving and hair hiding his face from you at that angle.

You shrug and squeeze him softly, quickly pressing a kiss to the back of his neck. "I might be, but who'd ever prefer Trein's lecturing to holding one of the most handsome Eels in the world?" You say, an almost lazy tilt in your voice - you nuzzle into him as you finish. Right now, you decided, he needed to feel like the most important person in the world. And for you he was, in that moment.

You feel him chuckle lowly at your little comment, and suddenly he's turning to lay on his back, facing the ceiling. You notice his eyes are puffy, and your heart breaks just a little. His grip on your hand has tightened, an anxiety in his touch that you knew too well. "Y/N... do you still love me?"

The way his eyes, tired from crying, fully stared at the ceiling, and the flat delivery of the devastating question was what pushed you over the edge. Still on your side and clinging to him, you pull him close and blink away tears, choking back a sob. "Oh honey," you're finally able to get out, "I love you deeper than the Mariana trench - higher than the moon. Whatever made you think otherwise?"

He finally turns on his side, now facing you, eyes again watering. He brings the other hand to your chin, lifting it and making you look at him. Teary eyed and lip near quivering, he simply asked, "Promise me?"

You smile, tears still falling slowly. Simply, you answer, "I swear."

He kissed you softly, something rare for Floyd. You take the moment in and try to memorize the way he moved, so slow and sure, yet almost shy, despite your time together. When he pulled away, he grinned, though it was certainly softer than usual; he spoke with an almost child-like excitement, "Does that mean you'll take me on your dates with Jade now, too?"

You exhale in slight disbelief, chuckling to yourself. Finally, stroking his cheek gently, you speak softly. "I'm afraid not, baby. That time is for him -"

His face began to fall, but you quickly you continued, "- but all that means is that you and me need to have some time just for us each week, too. All for you."

And, after being drowned in kisses and missing two class periods to cuddle, and answering calls from a very concerned Jade, you had helped him recover enough to finish out the day, and things seemed to get back on track in your unique relationship.

However, two dates every week while also working at the cafe, doing odd jobs for Azul, and being a full-time student quickly had you drained. Sometimes, you realized, you'd like some of your free time to be for you - after all, you did see them both every single day regardless.

And so, you and the boys sat down to work out a schedule that allowed all of you a better work-life balance. Ultimately you decided that, each month, one week would have both date nights. The next would have a date with Jade and the third with floyd (the extra free time in each to give the three of you some time to yourselves those weeks). That last week's date night would be one for all three of you - they are brothers, after all, and although surely not possible, you were worried that they weren't spending enough time together anymore.

That brings us back to the present, as the three of you enter your dorm room. You show them the snacks you prepared for your movie night (since you were "hosting" this week) and turn on your television. You're about to turn on a poorly produced, so-bad-its-good romcom when Floyd's treacherous hand attacks your midsection.

Giggling and calling for mercy, you notice he's snatched the remote from you and is entering something with his free hand. "What-" you choke out between giggles, "what are you doing?"

Jade simply sits beside you and pets your hair while Floyd continues. "He mentioned earlier to me that he had a video he'd like us to watch together - that you, in particular, would love it," Jade says, just admiring you as you're tormented.

Finally Floyd stops, giggling like a maniac himself when he's apparently found the video he'd picked for you. You sit up, Jade gently aiding you, and adjust your shirt and your hair. With a huff, still fighting off the remnant giggles, you ask, "Well, what is this video, anyway?"

With a shit-eating grin, he presses play and it hits you.

Baby shark, Do do do-fucking doo. And as you stare at the screen, squinting in disbelief at the audacity, you notice the time-bar. He's picked a 2-hour loop.

Floyd is losing it, and Jade looks less than surprised and more than amused. Those little shits. Well, if they want to play games, you'll play along, you decide. And so, you sat back, grabbing the remote and not allowing them to change it.

Floyd is the first to crack, complaining of his ears ringing. Jade only lasted as long as he did because he was amused by Floyd's reversal; soon though, he was looking physically drained.

By minute 12, they're both trying to pry the remote from your iron grip. You didn't often use your strength with them, but they had to learn. Lips drawn tight, you stand firm - or rather, lounge on your bed, firm. However, even a creature with no natural predators has their breaking point - at minute fourteen, you turn it off.

"So, boys," you begin, holding yourself up and giving them your best less-than-impressed glower, "Learn your lesson?"

Floyd grins, and taps his phone screen. Again, the cursed tune begins to burn your ears. Jade chuckles, and, patting your back, he coos condescendingly, "There there, love, you know you'll always be our only 'baby shark'."

Your glare slowly shifts to him. A pun? A bad pun? That's what all this has led to? Oh, these little bastards. Without warning, you launch yourself onto Floyd and, playfully of course, try to pry the singing phone from his hands. Managing to pause it, you allow him to overpower you (so long as that damn music was done). He starts kissing you again and again, all over your face - meanwhile, Jadehas shifted more onto the bed and, somehow, coaxes you out from under his brother and into a cuddling position- leaving one side open for his brother, of course.

Now, without warning or explanation, they'll refer to you as Baby Shark in conversation, even when with someone who's not in on the joke, and even though you play up the annoyed reaction to make them laugh, you honestly don't mind being their baby shark, as long as they will always be your Eels.

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yomogi-mogi-mochi · 1 year

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Ineffable Bloom

Pairings: Azul/Siren MC

Summary: Despite your status as siren, there are not many words that reach those around you anymore, voice now muted and marred from the surgeries you have endured to remove the carnations that once suffocated your throat. But you don't mind it, serving quietly as the gardener of Night Raven College, making do with a notepad and pen when necessary. You are pleased to find your childhood friend, Azul, now attends the school, who spontaneously hires you for the flower arrangements he decides to decorate in his lounge with. There's little hope you bear with the silent poetry you weave with each meticulously placed flower, only an ache which tumbles over you like the ceaseless seas. However, Azul is not deaf to this song you have sealed in your bouquets, having cherished the morsels of sweetness in your childhoods where you shared the silent language of each flower.

Notes: Sorry this took ages lmao. Been in a “creating anything is obsolete” phase my/spring allergies are starting so I am. Dying. Part of the twst myth series, here is the post with some basics. I just reached 1000 likes on tumblr which might not be much to some but wowwww thank you guys for your support!!

GN terms for MC

CW: Emotional abuse and toxic parenting when we get into MC’s backstory

AO3 Link Here.

Masterlist

——————————————————

“Would you like to add a ribbon to this? I’ll add it for free since I have some extra?” You placed the last slender stalk of green hydrangea into the bouquet and move your hands in practiced shapes and swerves, forming each phrase with careful deliberation.

Jack struggles a bit in forming as keen language with his hands, but you appreciate that he has taken the time to respond in your vernacular. Writing does get a little tiring after a bit. “If you wouldn’t mind. I think Trey would appreciate that.” He pauses, looking to Ruggie, who sways around the room with his hands behind his head in boredom, dipping his gaze to the lilies standing tall in a bucket on the ground. “Right, Ruggie?”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever is fine.”

The wolf huffs a bit before crossing his arms. “You know, you should be grateful (Name) is doing this so last minute since you forgot to place the order a week ago like we all agreed on.”

“Ugh get of my back‒ Leona had me running around more than usual last week…” His eyebrows raise a bit when he brings his attention to the dandelions drying above him, a slight movement you take notice to when wrapping the bouquet in its final layer. “Besides, who cares about all the details of each flower, it’s not like whoever is receiving them is looking into all the deep meanings of each blade of grass.”

You finish tightening the bow around the bouquet, assuring with your trained hands that it is secured tightly onto the broom, before handing it off to Jack. “Just like you mentioned in the interview‒ green color scheme, with symbols of loyalty, prosperity, and patience. Here is a card that has all of the flower languages on them.” You sign, which the man responds with a smile, and a clumsy thank you with his hands.

Ruggie has drifted over to the dandelion heads soaking in a bowl of water, being prepared for the dandelion honey you sell at Sam’s shop while his junior admires the bouquet in reverence. “You like dandelions?” You write on a notepad, poking Ruggie with it. He looks over lazily, shrugs.

“I guess.”

“They symbolize ‘an oracle of love’, resilience, and even sorrowful goodbyes. The name Dandelion comes from the word dent-de-lion, meaning the ‘jaws of a lion’- fierce, is it not?” Ruggie hums in curiosity in response, glancing at the flowers again to imagine it with a growing smile on his face. “Flowers and plants all have their silent poetry. It’s good to tip your ears to them once in a while, they may have something to say to you.”

“You hear that Jack‒ ‘jaws of a lion’..." The hyena says with his hand on his hips, a bashful finger grazing his nose.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's get going, we have a lot of prep to do for Trey's celebration." Jack turns to you before he leaves "Oh, you should stop by if you have time‒ everyone was curious during my birthday who had arranged my broomquet. I'm sure the other students would be thrilled to see the face of our new‒ well, I guess not so new anymore‒ gardener."

You furiously shook your head, scurrying your hands across the air in a flurry. "I wouldn't want to intrude…my work is nothing worth fussing over…"

"Anyone with a pair of working eyes can see otherwise‒ your talent is unmatched, you nearly performed a miracle reviving my half dead cacti." Jack smiles, remembering fondly of the times he had come in, asking you for advice on his growing horticulture collection. "Besides, it's nice for the students and staff to get familiarized."

"And free cake." Ruggie adds.

You raised your eyebrows at that, quelling the swirling anxiety in your stomach. "…okay, I'll try to make it. Just have to finish a few things here and I should be good to head out."

"We'll see you then, (Name)."

——————————————————

You brush your apron, relieving the weariness of a day's work in the breath that swelled from the bottom of your stomach and escaped as an audible huff that loosened the tension of your shoulders. However when you glance at your phone, anxiety shot through you as you realize time had passed a lot quicker, and it was about half an hour past the time Jack had told you to come. In racing footsteps, you gathered your items, throwing your apron on the hook near the front door before slamming it.

By the time you arrive, everyone is singing happy birthday, gathering in a circle around who you assumed was Trey, who bore a bashful smile on his face with the broomquet in his hands. You catch the eye of Jack across the room, who lights up when you wave nervously at him. The room erupts in applause and bright laughter as Trey blows out the candles of his cake‒ a volume you take a mental note of to judge just how many people were at this celebration. Quite a lot, especially now as the students disperse, preparing plates and cutlery to cut the delicious looking strawberry shortcake.

"Hey~ what are you doing here?"

There’s a surge of anxiety when those words are pointed at you, which you respond with a pressed smile as you swerve your head to the voice. To your surprise, you recognize the face which greets you, though it is a bit unnatural seeing them without a bluish tint to their skin, or scales. You suppose it’s a surprise for them as well, seeing you out of the water for the first time in about eight years.

“I thought I recognized that face. Hello, (Name), it has been a while.”

You hands move automatically to the pen and paper stuffed inside your pocket. “Jade? Floyd? It’s been a while. What are you doing here?”

“Eh? What's with the notepad little siren?”

The anxiety returned with Floyd's words. Even with the Leech family’s connections and the chattiness of your hometown, it was hard for rumors to form with the eight years you had spent apart from your home‒ your friends. You were thankful a bit for the amnesty it brought you on rare occasions like this, but explaining the whole situation was difficult for you‒ making up a believable excuse even more so considering the one memorable thing your species was known for. Sirens‒ their voice famed to plunge sea farers into maddening passion, the talents of which even the great Sea Witch openly admired in historical record. Perhaps you had been an example of this once, training your throat to squeeze and burn itself to strike impossible notes, whirling an unmatched vibrancy when you perfected each lyric, each score, each tendon to stand straight, expand your lungs, smile, and sing. Even if you had such talents in the past, it was negated with every pinch and pull of your mother’s craft‒ that memory now clandestine, numbed from the surgery.

Or that’s what you told yourself, as your calloused fingers graze the satin ribbon around your neck, the scars marring it aching slightly as you adjusted the fabric in a slight nervous tick. They’re been healed from quite some time‒ or you believe they are from the years you had observed every winding crack slowly dull against time‒ but the mountainous fossils carved onto your flesh would grow tender like this, pushed then retraced piercingly like the jagged shores far from your homelands, leaving snowy, bursting seafoam prickling against your skin. You suppose all you could do is tighten a smile against your mute lips, maneuvering past it as best you could.

“I’ll explain later. What are you guys doing at NRC?”

“We’re students, see~?” Floyd flashes a crooked smile, turning to the side to show off his dorm uniform. “Jade here is even the vice dorm leader. Boring if you ask me.”

“What are you doing here, (Name)? I don’t think I’ve seen you in my classes.”

“My aunt just retired as the gardener here, she's back at her shop in the Shaftlands. So I've come to officially take her place."

"We'll have our quartet back in no time now‒ you should visit the Monstero Lounge sometime so we can catch up~" Floyd wraps an arm around your shoulder, hanging lazily off it while his twin smiles.

"I agree with Floyd. Azul would be more than happy to see you too." At Jade's words, you brighten, and quickly scribble onto your notepad.

"Azul here too? Is he here today?"

Jade nods. "He's our dorm leader, actually. And yes, I think he just went outside to get some fresh air" his smile widens "you know how he is."

You do. Surely he was tired of the noise and pleasantries of birthday celebration. "Azul the dorm leader huh."

"You won't believe how much he’s changed unless you see for yourself." Floyd switches his weight to his other foot, landing on his brother's shoulder while gesturing to the veranda doors. You swerve your head towards it, trying to make out a figure against the bright blue skies and roses reaching towards the mild sun. There's a slight silhouette, but you can barely make out its features with the glare of the glass.

"You should go to him. He talks about you sometimes, you know." Before you could turn around and question the twins, their backs are turned from you, melting back into the bustling crowd. Despite your initial excitement, your feet move in idle footsteps, weighed by the heaviness which emerges from your wrapped throat, plummeting to the soles of your feet sticking densely onto the ground. The notepad in your hand is gripped through your sweaty palm‒ there was only so much space in each sliver of parchment you could fill with your words, the rest of your language lost to the silence which cages your throat. Even if you could rasp through your disfigurement with a language people would lend an ear to, you were sure that your thoughts, refined through your mother's distant voice, would drive you back into forlorn silence‒ your hands clawing and reopening your wounds wide and fresh enough to assure not even a breath could be heard from it. Flowers always came to you with such ease in comparison, eyes turned away from your secret adoration for something far more beautiful in perfectly placed petals, inventing no hope that you could cling to that would turn your throat raw with desire.

Even if these givings were seen, spoken of , or heard‒ you armor yourself by repenting‒ these gifts were never a virtue, but a disguise for the womb of shame you kept awake in your heart. Forgive me, for there is fear that one day that life will ripen within it‒ something as grotesque as myself, a venerable mirror to my slumbering desires to be swaddled and held. You arrive at the handle of the door too fast for your liking, hovering your hand over it with a heavy heart and tongue before grasping it quietly, hoping a little that your soundless footsteps would turn you into a phantom.

But when you are faced with a familiar image‒ his weaving dusty mauve hair, and the arctic clarity of his blue eyes, you can't help but to pause your prayers for a moment, met with the blinding joy his face brings you. Dear, dear friend.

You're so used to his name springing from your throat that you nearly tear the fragile nerves of your lesions with a rasp threatening to boil over by the warmth in your stomach. But you clench that tension in your hand as you scribble his name in hurried, crude strokes across the entire page.

"Azul?" You turned the paper pad over with clumsy, shaking hands. He looks just as surprised as you, but he nods slowly.

"(Name)?"

You nod your head vigorously to your name, decorated sweetly with his voice. His entire body is facing you now, taking you in with the gulp of his gaze. You do the same, noticing that, actually, not quite a lot has changed. Sure, the soft little octopus had grown tall and slender during the eight years you didn’t see him‒ but still, there is that mole dotted prettily on his face you remember quite well, and the softness of his eyes when they meet yours is one of your fondest, most tender memories, unraveled whenever you saw the sea blue glow of freshly fallen snow, or the velvety reflection of the skies in gentle spring creeks. But now they were here, gazing back at you, there were no words that appeared in your mind, or which you could communicate with the likeness of flowers. It's so sweet again when you hear his voice.

"What's happening? Why are you writ‒ never mind that." He shakes the thought away. "How…How have you been? Last I heard from mother you had moved with your aunt somewhere on land."

Azul does not question how, or why you stood in front of him after eight years, but rather simply‒ how are you? The smile that blooms at that realization hurts your cheeks. Azul mirrors your sentiments silently, relieved that there were no comments on his appearance of how he's "changed so much". Dear, dear friend. He missed this. Missed you too.

"I'm well. Been working as a gardener here, I enjoy it. How have you been? I’m guessing busy, I heard you're a dorm leader from the twins."

"Ah, you've already met them I see. I just hope they haven’t said anything…unnecessary." His smile widens, you trace the movement of his mole which stretches against the curve of his lips. "I've been…alright. Land life has been a lot to adjust to, but I think I have the hang of it now."

"Haha. It was a lot for me when I first came on shore too. Pillows are so weird, aren't they?"

The dormhead chuckles as you approach him near the railing, situating yourself beside him to face the white roses dotting the garden. One meant mercy, purity, the breath of love; two‒ "I deserve you"; three‒ adoration; 99 white roses, and this would be an Eden of eternal love. But you're too enraptured by his laughter to count, caught in the waves of his lightness.

"They are. But I think it's nice now, might even be a hit at the reef if we sell them during spring break. You mentioned you're a gardener?"

"Yes. I just maintain the horticulture on campus, and I do bouquets from time to time like Trey's broomquet today." You write fast, wanting to answer Azul quickly, fill the time with as much of him as you could. He leans over, watching you as you scribble, relishing silently in the smell of fresh cut lilies and seaside rosemary tangled in a salty sweet ocean breeze.

"An impressive feat, considering the size of our campus. If you're willing‒ I may actually need your help with the twin's birthdays coming soon."

“I'd be happy to help! We would need to set an interview up like I do with most of my clients‒ just so I know their preferences more. But it'll be easier since I already know Jade and Floyd." Truthfully, you were already putting together the perfect bouquet for the twins, violet roses here, silver ragwort there, and a sprinkle of beauty berry should bring the composition together in a delicate balance. The meeting was just an excuse to assure another conversation with Azul again, a thought which churned a feeling of shame within you, rolling you smooth with its ragged tongue that sanded down the rough joy jutting out from you like an unfinished pearl. When Azul nods on confirmation, this sensation becomes slightly eased, but your muscles churn inside you like the dark, deep seas.

"I agree. Nonetheless, us four should meet at the mostero lounge soon to catch up. I could use a talent like yours to freshen up the look of the lounge a bit‒ perhaps we could work a contract of some sort out."

"I'm not that good, I'm not so sure I can hold up to your expectations, dormleader."

"Please‒ Jade's tastes aren't so bad but Floyd's sense of interior design is abysmal. His idea of interior design is a bunch of half finished snacks decorating the shelf beside his bed. Any help would be wonderful."

A silent laugh shakes your shoulders. "I'll think about it."

The patio door opens again‒ revealing Jack, who waves a hand towards you, and speaks with clumsy hands. "They're cutting the cake (Name)- Azul, you too‒ it's gonna be gone if you stay out here for too long."

"Be right there." You sign, lifting your body from the deck railing.

"Is that sign language? I've never seen it in person." Azul holds the door open for you, allowing you to scurry in with a bow of your head.

You nod. "Writing gets tiring at times. But I'm happy either way people speak to me." There’s a twitch in Azul’s eyes that you catch at your statement, regret tingling at your fingertips making your skin feel raw against your flesh. You squeeze the meat of your palm to ignore it.

"We saved you two some cake~" Floyd summons the two of you with a wave, gesturing to two neighboring seats across from them.

Jade smiles, scooping a part of his cake with a fork. "It's nice that we're back together like this. It seems forever ago that you left the reef (Name)."

"But eight years fly by, don't they? You're going to have to catch me up on all the embarrassing stories of each other."

"Only if you let us in on some blackmail about you (Name)." Floyd reveals his sharp teeth with a wide grin, licking the icing off his fork.

"I will." You write, hoping you can fill their heads enough with the happier moments at your aunt's flower shop and time so far as the NRC gardener, rather than deliberate the disease which flowered in your lungs, the sickness that came with it‒ the surgery, the scarring, the healing‒ your departure from your mother, from your home, from them. The ribbon feels tight on your throat, your smile grows tense on your lips. You try your best to quell the swelling waves of anxiety, eased a bit with the laughter of your friends that rang in your presence once more.

——————————————————

You meet them again at the VIP section of their lounge just a few days later, having planned a date to meet before you went home after the birthday celebration. Though conversation was a bit stiff at first, energy begins to swell in the room as you reminisce the events of your childhood, and the years of adolescence you missed in the 8 years of absence from your hometown. The conversation slowly progresses towards how the three would be able to see you more, shifting back to Azul's proposal to have you come to set up flower arrangements in the lounge.

"How about roses?" Floyd suggests. "Classic. Everyone likes them."

A shrug. "Hm. They're a nice touch‒ but a bit basic. I can add them in, but I wouldn't make them the focal point since there's just better flowers out there."

"What do you suggest?" Azul asks.

You think, flipping through the catalog of flowers in your mind. "Especially for the color scheme of your dorm, I think hydrangeas would be nice. Blue poppies, perhaps some rosemary in there as well. Maybe purple carnation‒” you scribble that last thought away as quickly and vigorously as it came, your throat tightening in remembrance at that thought.

“Those sound great‒ but I want something more elegant looking, the carnations you mentioned would be fitting‒ ah‒ remember those flowers from that story you always talked about? The one about the poetry being written on the petals?”

You were glad he moved from carnations. Besides, purple carnations signified grief and death in some cultures, far removed from the emblem of prayer they were in your culture. “Hyacinths?”

“Precisely. What do the white ones mean?” What about this one? What does this say? How about this, this, and this? You remember the way he pointed to each flower in your encyclopedia lent by your aunt, his small fingers fluttering across the page like a busy little cuttlefish at your riveting explanations. This is this, this and this. There was always a hurry to your words when you spoke to others‒ particularly your mother‒ rushing to seize the brief opportunity allowed for you to speak, but no matter how much you had stumbled over your words in clumsy delight, Azul listened with a smile on his face, making notes on paper for his experiments, words rushing to his hands like a school of fish.

“White ones mean a ‘quiet love’, or ‘love that is quelled’. If you want something with a happier meaning though, I would go with white wisteria, it means sweet nostalgic memories or drunken love; cornflowers‒ delicacy and elegance; or salvia‒ veneration and wisdom. Purple chrysanthemum would be splendid too‒ meaning your wish will come true."

You remember when your mother was kinder, tucking your small, innocent body into her soft arms‒ hushing your cries with a tender whisper. It was without that rattle in your throat she pointed towards you like a knife when you grew from that chaste form, sullied and filled with her disappointment. Your body was tall and flushed with it, but not quite tall enough, not quite curved and plump the way she liked‒ needed you to be to carve her desired image into you. A mirror within a mirror within a mirror‒ mother and child, mother and child. Her words lashing as the waves cracking against the jagged rocks, shaping you into a memorial of her pains, her aching hunger.

But you returned to that far-flung memory of her maternal care, remembering the legend she told you about purple chrysanthemums‒ placing one dearly to your hair, chirping her bright song with a story that was passed from the throat of her mother, to the her ears as a child, blood through blood. This was one of the only memories you remember of her singing not to an audience or a stage‒ but to you, flesh of her womb, skin and bones lovingly mirrored in babbling purity. You trace her unusually soft words with your hand, gliding across the page with the exact pitch of her voice swimming in your mind.

"There's a legend among our kind, of the purple chrysanthemum. We decorate our most treasured people with it, and wear it as a sign of someone watching over you to make a dream come true‒ whether it is a benevolent god, or another person." You pause your writing, the three looking over you to watch you write. "It symbolizes the victory of love‒ its power which pulls the best from you to achieve something as distant as a dream."

Your pen stills. "But‒ I should retract my suggestion. People of other cultures use it to commemorate death, I wouldn't want to offend someone."

Azul is brightened by the way you talk about flowers again, the fragrant morsels on his mind blooming, coloring him vividly in your dazzling artistry. This is this, this, and this. The way you forge lustrous, silent poetry with each careful placement of a blossom amazes him each time, finding your words lingering and echoing in the cove of his mind. "No." His mouth races somewhat brash, he tries again, clearing his throat. "No‒ I trust your initial judgment." He smiles. You trace that mole on his face. "I like it."

"Then it's decided."

Floyd yawns, draping his arms dramatically against the couch, and lulling his head upwards with a sigh. “Ugh. Enough with the flower talk‒ let’s talk about something more interesting.” He flashes a toothy smirk. “(Name), you wanna hear about the time Azul cried so hard he threw up?”

His twin clasps his hands with a similar expression. “Oh, that’s definitely a good one.”

Azul’s eyes blow wide open. “That is absolutely a violation of our contract‒”

“I don’t believe that includes (Name) actually.” Jade muses with a sly grin.

"Why was he crying so hard he threw up??"

The dormleader groans, dropping his hands into hands.

The twins exchange a look before Jade answers. "You, of course."

"Me?" You point to yourself in disbelief.

Floyd chuckles. "He sipped a little wine at the restaurant on accident. Then he starts blubbering about how 'oh I miss them', 'oh remember when they did this', and 'oh‒"

"I think they get the point, brother."

While Floyd ignores his twin in favor of continuing the story, Azul continues to hide his slowly darkening face behind his hands, while you sit, pen hovering over the paper.

“Why?”

The twins blink with a confused expression on their face, while Floyd speaks with a baffled tone. “Ha? Why? What do you mean why?” From the corner of your eye, you see Azul lift his head from his hands to look you, with what expression, you can’t tell‒ training your eyes on the paper with hardened brows, blood tinging on you tongue from the flesh drawn between your teeth.

The pen in your hand hovers above the paper with a soft tremble. Why? Why me? When you left that reef years ago, you left any notion that your presence would be something that would be worth lingering over‒ much more grieving about‒ a thought that was confirmed by the way your mother hurriedly dumped you at your aunt’s flower shop near the somber shores, her frosty gaze and distanced followed by years of inveterated silence as incurable and everlong as the one wrapped around your throat. Like the winter storms on the beach where your aunt's shop sat upon, that silence from your mother, and everyone else for that matter, was as thrashing and unforgiving to your empty ears and throat. There was nothing left for you down there, just memories that would make that scraped dryly against your throat and make you long for something your body was not mended properly for. So the proposition that Azul had felt something towards you‒ so much so that he had shed actual tears for you‒ threatened to bring the nausea deep in your darkened stomach frothing at the surface. You pushed through it, hand gliding clumsily across the paper.

“Never mind, sorry. I should get going soon‒ I’m behind on some duties in at the Botanical Gardens.”

Azul sighs in slight relief, and stands as you gather your things. "I'll see you off." You bid goodbye to the twins, who flash a pointed smile at you while Azul holds open the lounge doors to leave.

“Come back again so we can embarrass Azul more with our stories.” You smile at Jade's words.

Before you pass through the portal, Azul taps your shoulder. He lays his hand flat against his lips, sweeping it towards you. You're taken a bit by surprise, but soon your cheeks ache from the warmth squeezed into them by your curved lips, turning the nausea reaching from your stomach to your chest into something, you think, extraordinary.

You held that feeling in your chest as much as the rupturing threaded into yourself would‒ drinking in the ease of passing clouds and the clemency of rippling seawater tickling the bottom of you feet‒ much too quick, too light, too wonderful to be bound by the chthonic gods. Your heart races with the swiftness of sprightly, sun drunken waves. There was a rising ache‒ knowing your fractured body would splinter before you could swallow this feeling in its entirety, filling you body brilliantly like a blooming chrysanthemum‒ unfurling its divine petals towards all cardinal directions in a form which flared itself every which way. Victory of love. You knew it would not triumph against your fragmentation‒ but despite it all, you smiled stupidly, weaving your florid fingers against his to show him the correct placement of the word.

"Like this." You instruct‒ on his chin, near that dotted mark, then towards you in one motion. The word is practiced twice so you can linger your hands on his own. "Thank you, thank you." You mouth.

The heat of your fingers burns this motion into him, even as you let go. He practices it again, hoping to retrieve your sensation onto his skin with the repeated motion. “Thank you.”

You take your pointed and middle finger to your eye, then glide it towards the tip of your chin with a circle made with your pointer and thumb.

“See you soon.”

——————————————————

Carnations are always a favorite among your customers. The flower of love, of adoration‒ of the gods. They have been woven into hair to commemorate new beginnings, have been rumored to sprout from a devoted mother’s tears faced with her child’s death. Their name comes from carnis, or flesh, from the myth of innocent bloodshed, a shepherd who had his eyes gouged out from a goddess of the hunt, who was displeased by his flute playing which caused the animals of her hunting grounds to be spooked. From his empty flesh, carnations grew, white petals emerging, stained with blood. White carnations typically signify the mourning of lost lives, pure love, unrequited love, loyalty, faithfulness, a mother’s love.

But most of all, it whispers, my love for you is alive. It felt that way when they flourished in your lungs, choking the song in your throat in just a few months after they sowed into your meat. Alive and red and beating so vibrantly against your flesh‒ filthy with the darkened red of your aching insides. They came as impossible heaps from your mouth, emptying quietly as you could in the corner of your room so as not to bother your sleeping mother in the room over. You remember furling your body inward, praying it to become smaller, smaller, smaller‒ quieting your agony, erasing your swaying footsteps to the medicine cabinet, slicing your body up and down into manageable pieces. It was a dance in your eyes you carried everywhere with you that classified every variation of footsteps, the slightest inflection in tone, a twitch of the lungs before it even came‒ so you could shape yourself flat against the sharpened teeth of any who bothered to bite down on your brittle, bitter form, flaying and cleaving your meat carefully to its shape. Your eyes remembered these wounds, reopened and festering against your clumsy stitches to take into account next test‒ next time, next interaction, next opportunity to prove‒ I’ll be better, I’ll prove I am worthy enough to live.

‘You’re so sensitive‒ you would be good with flowers’, your aunt says. Thank you, you gulp in the ache of your disfigurement with pride‒ a medallion passed from your mother, passed from her mother, passed from her own‒ blood through blood it was gifted, and split from your strangled throat. It felt like your body rejected it, but oh, that was the best part of it all‒ more pain, more, more, more‒ something to wear on your skin as a testament to how you’ve been such a good child, to mutilate yourself against anyone’s maws. Something to show, mother, love me for all of these marks prove it, prove that I can cut open myself deep enough to mirror the perfected version of yourself.

Carnations are a symbol of that. People give them as a trophy of love that is agony, love that is alive, love which slaughters. It is a mother's love. They're popular in those early months during the spring, where the flowers devour the corpses mulled over by autumn and winter, chewing and spitting it out with a drunken splendor. As such you had many on hand during these colder months, surrounded by consecrations of this love, thrashing, bursting inside you like sea-brine churned into frothing bubbles, the waves breaking against it swelling them over the edge of the shore. You could feel the eyes of the flowers leering towards you, tightening the ribbon around your neck.

The hand in your pocket reaches towards the heads, your fingers brush against their cold petals. They are worn, withered from the days they have slept stagnant and untouched in their watery casket. You are quick to take them from their bucket, shoving in a bag to be thrown away in the compost, back into the earth to nourish the next generation.

“(Name)?”

Was it already that time already? You had promised him you would meet with him to plan the twins' broomquet after you closed, but the day had waded through you so quickly.

His name, as always, almost makes it out of your throat. But you held the silence in your mouth like your muffled heartbeat, quietly turning to him with weary eyes. He immediately drinks their lorn gaze, before he takes out a small leather bound pocketbook from his inner pocket, flipping through a few pages, returning it to his coat when he finishes reading the contents of the page. With clumsy hands, he signs. “Do you need help?”

You look him up and down, pausing your hands shoved deep inside the bag of wilted carnations. “You know sign language?”

“I learned.” He says sheepishly. “Apologies‒ clearly I haven't gotten too far with it. I don't know some words yet.”

Your eyes widen. “Why?”

He points to his head, then towards you. For. You. I learned for you.

A smile curves on his lips, but you avert your eyes from it. You’re afraid to measure that tinted color on his cheeks, the shape of his softened eyes, the length of his smile the wrong way‒ to take something without anything worthy from yourself to give in compensation, so you take his words instead, knowing you could at least repay them with something much more beautiful, whole. Flowers. You don't look at him. “I could use some help.”

He rolls his sleeves up, takes the carnations in his hands and brings them inside the bag. “What is the meaning of carnations?”

“Love, adoration, ‘my love for you is alive’.”

“Easy to capitalize on. I see why it is so popular.” He takes one between his fingers, twirls it with a sly smile. "I like it."

You return it best you could. “They’re a bit grotesque, don’t you think? The petals are quite unfinished, like they’ve been cut jagged.”

“You don’t like them?”

You remember the day after the surgery, your lungs emptied not only from the lack of carnations taking seed inside of it, but sapped from anything you had felt for your mother. You realized, that day, oh.

It was her all along.

You had searched far and wide for what the cause of your sickness was‒ you had given too much yourself to too many people to pinpoint who you had such feelings for. Your nerves felt exposed to all, to everything all the time, pricked and pinched at any abstruse movement, washing over you like a bloody crusade everytime.

There was nothing written about in the dozens of books, articles, and lyrics you dug up that had said anything about familial love specifically, so it never struck you that it was even a possibility‒ besides‒ your mother loved you, didn't she?

But of course, the carnations‒ of course. Your love for her may have been alive, but so were these flowers, once. Before they were picked from your tendons and emptied from you as rubbish.

The absence of your piteous devotion to her plummeted your heart deep into the ocean abyss, your flesh weighted as a museum of that dance, the butchering of your body, marked up and down with lines which traced the shapes of jaws with surgical precision. If you could not be loved by the flesh which founded your own, surely, it would be a ludicrous dream to wish for any other being to love you at all, to take the weeping, patchwork meat of your body and consume it.

You want to get rid of all these carnations, give them all away at once. Take them, take them all. Yes, your mother would love these‒ yes or course they're a sign of eternal love, pure love‒ anything and everything that is alive, they would be a wonderful gift. You offer them as extras to people, suggest them instead of those beautiful roses or lilacs or lilies. These gifts were never a virtue, but a disguise for the womb of shame you kept awake in your heart. Take them, take it all. Take everything from me.

You smile, squeeze your eyes to mimic candor.

"No, I hate them."

His expression is like sand, shifting in a thousand ways. You try to inspect each grain of lustrous sand to feel how they shape around your words, but always, the waves. Wait here, you tell him, to go toss the flowers back into the decomposing earth to become the blood and body their children will sprout from.

You set some lavender tea and dandelion honey cakes on the table‒ the bareness of the table is odious to you, sways you with abhorrence. Even with it filled, you sign. "I'm sorry, I wish I had more to offer you."

"This is plenty." He signs. You avert your eyes from that soft smile, but the warmth that bubbles in your chest knows the angle of its curve, the way his mole stretches across his chin, the world in his eyes.

"So, what exactly are you looking for in the twins’ bouquet?”

He thinks, you know he folds his arms to do this. “I trust your tastes. You were always better at reading people than I was.”

“I…” You pause. Yes, the dance‒ breathing in the world raw. But part of it is remaining silent to that ripening wound. “I guess.”

“What do you suggest, then?”

“I think blue star would be great. Perhaps some ragwort, and I believe I have some dried sea lavender left from my aunt’s shop. Salvia would be great too, and some Zion, beauty berry as well.”

“What do they all mean?”

“Blue star and salvia mean trust‒ something they are bound by. Zion flowers signify that someone is thinking of you, even if they are far. And sea lavender lets someone know they are thinking of you. Beautyberry means a deep understanding. I can of course fill up the space with roses, some chrysanthemums, of course.”

Azul writes in his small pocketbook, scribbling your words across a page, then another, then another. He was always like this when you talked‒ recording the medicinal properties of plants, committing your sensitives to flowers with a fervor. If you hadn’t known any better, you’d say he was excited by your words, but you didn’t.

“Is it alright if I came and watched?”

“Watched?”

“Yes, if I came and watched you work on the twins’ bouquet.”

“It’s boring work, you would fall‒“

You feel your hands in his, your words quickly swallowed by the warmth of his palms. He speaks with softness which reaches deep within your ears, tingles the back of your neck.

“I think it’s quite brilliant, the way you work.”

You want to clasp your ears shut, squeeze your eyes until you see stars‒ knees tucked into your body, forming an embryo to protect yourself from those words. Your tongue shakes in your mouth. You want to scream at him. However to realize this rejection through your trembling fingers would be to deny him something, even if it was the mangled scraps which make your bundle of flesh. You'd keep this revolution plunged deep inside the heart of your whirling sea, a war raging at your marrow to keep the shores lush with anything he'd wish to take. Take it, take it all.

You're still for a moment. "Have it your way, then."

He smiles, but this time, you can't look away.

——————————————————

When he comes a few days later, he brings tupperwares full of food.

"What's all this? A feast?" You see various dishes from the nights your mother brought you to perform at the Ashengrotto’s restaurant‒ fragrant steamed fish that falls off the bone, crunchy seaweed salad, steaming bowls of fish-broth soup, bursting with flavor.

“My mother’s recipes. Your favorite, at least from back then.” He remembers fondly of the times you would finish performing, joining him at the seat right beside him. You’d point to the aquatic plants, bring him to the magic and wonders of their chemistry, their mythos, your sensitivities to them, the world. He's shaped his shores against the curve of your gentle waves, your words always returning to his sandy beaches to leave a million gifts from the sea. This is this, this, and this. He'd hold each sparkling grain of sand, each seashell nymph like an exquisite pearl, cupping his ears to every single one to catch the whispers of eternity bundled in each of them. No matter how you would run yourself raw against jagged beaches and the maws of dark coves‒ he would remain a mirror to your sun faced sanctuaries, hoping that in this lifetime, you would realize that it was you‒ you all along‒ that he'd chased, parodying your brilliance to finally become himself.

His words almost bring you to tears. You gulp it down with the nausea that rises on your tongue, cindering the muscle with its heat.

"Why are you‒" your hands spit out these words in a fervor. "Why are you so fucking nice to me? What is all this?"

You hate the way his expression softens, the infinite arctic blue which melts against your image, the elation in your chest upon devouring such delectable things. It’s revolting.

"Because…" He begins out loud. There’s breath that swells his shoulders, before he gathers his fingers to a shaking fist, locking it under his chin.

Precious.

You swing your head left and right mutely, wrapping a hand around your neck as if to choke any sound that could be ripped from it. Still, it comes out like dried leaves, a strangled rasp, a whimper which rattles in your tightened throat. You hate how he pulls your trembling fingers from your skin, you hate it. But you let him.

His warmth comes as a cosmic storm stirring the oceans into inescapable waves. You were a fool to even try to shelter yourself from it‒ his tenderness beat against your form so loudly it hurt. You can’t pull away, your body does not let you.

Azul sees the fear that bruises your eyes, the way your chest lurches, in heaving, shuddering, controlled breaths to mathematically contain that terror inside of you. There’s a moment where he suspects himself to be the culprit, the distaste of his form, the vile nature of his weaknesses. But you had always consumed all of him, everything‒ his unsightly body, his awful shortcomings, all of the best and worst parts of himself with what surely was heavenly grace. Everything but his adoration for you, a mirror to your givings to the world, and most of all‒ him. This was something within.

He brings you to a seat, a cup of water to your hands. He lets you take time, sipping the moment in small gulps like the drink he sets in your hands. Silence, even with the lack of words exchanged between you two, was never something which was present when you were beside him. His mind always rushed with thoughts about you‒ all the more louder in the eight years you had been absent from his side. Even then, your likeness was always carved in the back of his mind, coming and going like a haunting oceanfront.

“Do you remember the first day we met?”

You remember. “Tell me.” You sign.

“You saved me from those awful kids, remember? I still got so scared of them I got ink everywhere. You were in such wonderful garments I didn’t want you to get dirty, so I told you to back off.”

His smile makes your own. He continues. “I was such a brat back then‒ even after you fended those kids off I told you to get away from me‒ ‘don’t come crying if I spoil your garments!’” A stiff chuckle escapes your nose as you remember the expression on his face. It was much like your own‒ frightened. “But you told me‒“

“Stain them, I don’t care.” Of course you remember. The surprise on his face, the stutter of his hands as you held them.

“Yes. We spent the whole day together. You took me to the shores for the first time, facing the field of‒ what was it?”

“Memorial roses.”

“Memorial roses. You told me they meant love for the honest form." He drags his gaze from his hands, and into your eyes. "I didn't even see the sun set when you talked about flowers the way you do. All my current knowledge of horticulture comes from you, you know.”

"Surely not all of it."

He shakes his head. "No, all of it. I've inscribed every word you've said to me in my mind and I've carried you with me all those years I spent toiling away in my octopot." The hand he rests on your own warms your fingers. "I have you written all over me."

You grip the heat of your throat, hands heavy as you raise them to retaliate, again. "No. Why would you want‒ ."

"I'm not. Why do you think so?" That softness, again, his eyes. Revolting.

You threw the words from your hands in frustration. Didn't he understand? "Why would you want someone like me to‒ to poison you?"

"I could say the same for myself. Why did you defend me that day?"

You remember the look in his eyes, the way he crouched low to the ocean floor in shame. "I saw myself in you. I couldn't‒"

"You couldn't bare it." He finishes.

"Yes, but you're different. With me, I'm not‒ I wasn't‒ "

"But you aren't different." There's a growing lump in his throat, frustration, heat‒ it rises with the volume of his voice, erupting raw at the back of his tongue. "Why won't you let me show you that you're worthy of the same treatment you give to the world?"

“How could I let you?" Your legs ascend from beneath you, your hands feel hot in the air as you flare them out from yourself, hurling them for Azul to see. "Look."

"Look at me." He would see, finally.

The nail of your thumb digs on your chin as your splayed hand sharply juts from your skin. It says, "My own mother".

You slip the ribbon from your throat, unraveling yourself in front of him. Azul sucks a tense breath in‒ you revel in it, your venerable mirror‒ it breaks against your old stitches, bringing you an ineffable bloom inside your chest. You don’t know if it's pleasure or pain which tightens it, but you feel as living, as chemical, as whole as a flourishing chrysanthemum‒ blazing your florid petals every which way, splitting the bud in a thousand directions. Here is proof. You lay yourself out, to him, flay your fragmentation against his eyes. The wounds burn fresh the air. This was your wish, wasn’t it? Still, the seafoam bursting against your skin, the ache, in waves. You hold the emptiness in your hand triumphantly, or, you try to.

He looks when you tell him to, of course, but the softness in his eyes tightens your chest. He's silent for a moment, thinking. "Aright." Finally, he speaks.

"Will you make a contract with me?"

"...what?"

"A contract. Will you make one with me?"

Your knees fall from you when you lean towards the table in support, seating you in the chair across from him. You open your arms, facing your palms towards him, empty, silent.

"I don't have anything I could trade you."

He reaches towards your emptiness, filling it with his warmth. "Then give me this. If you have nothing, grant me you."

You bring his heat near your face, hoping to harbor‒ at least‒ next to it. You won't take it, you couldn't. The fear laps upon you like stormy waves, it's force tearing your fingers from his. "I don't have enough of myself to give you."

"This." He replenishes the absence in your hands again. "This is more than enough‒ it will always be enough." It's a firm grip, it quells the tremble in your body slightly.

"So, will you make a contract with me?"

Hesitantly, you nod.

He guides you towards the shop window where the flowers swill in the moonlight, violet chrysanthemums shining pearly, plump with their honeyed sap. He slips one between his fingers, holds it between the two of you. "I lied when I said I only liked these. When you tell me of promises of success, of love‒ I feel like I can crack open this world with my bare hands. I don’t just like it‒ everything that comes from from you soars my soul."

He continues, bashfully. You feel filled with his words. "You're my ocean, the waters that shape my shores. You've always been where I belong, and what comes back to me to mold me to what I am even after your physical absence." The heat of his hands feel like fire on your skin as he pulls it towards his own. "This is a contract, a promise. Will you let love victor over you?"

You trace that spot on his face as he smiles, you find the small way that it curves mirrored on your own lips. You drink in his smile, returning it with your own; you breathe his scent in, exhale with the breath in your lungs that stirs his and yours‒ you mold yourself against him like you've done so many times against gnashing teeth and jagged seaside cliffs, but this time, your rolling waves kiss warmly against his sun faced sanctuaries, melding together to refract the light in your joint tenderness. The feeling begins as a seed he implants in your chest, pressed firmly against your heart, and you feel it slowly burst open when it is showered in his gaze, his touch, all of him against all that you can muster‒ an ineffable thing, a bloom which you could never put into words, even with the language of whispering flowers and the spectacular earth. It comes in heaping waves like the tears that draw flushed lines on your face. He takes all which falls from you in his hands, staining his hands with the salty fragrance.

"Stop that. I'll get your hands all dirty."

"Stain them, I don't care."

You sob, you smile harder. The tears make it impossible to neurotically measure the twinge of his muscles, the shape of his expression. But you don't think of this, filled with the knowledge of his tenderness, the precise shape of his smile, the softness of his seaborne eyes that fossilize deep within you. "You know I'll be difficult. I always am."

"And you know this about me to, don't you? But this feeling for you comes as easy as water to me."

It's true what he says, you feel like you're floating‒ weightless in the mild seas, drinking in the sunlight which trickles from the skies. Waves upon waves of this brilliance that tilts the light a thousand ways for you to admire. The chrysanthamum petals seem to widen with his warmth, the same unraveling comes bursting, flowering forward in your chest. Victory of love. It comes not as a whisper this time, but loudly as the beat of your blood. You feel it within you, that victory. At last you hold it in your hands, and it shines and lusters like a brilliant peal seeped into each of its petals, blooming forward with all of its love. You allow yourself place the flower in his hair, decorating his face with your love, your victory.

——————————————————

Notes:

All sign language is based off of American Sign Language

Part of the reason why I wanted to use hanakotoba (Japanese flower language) rather than western meanings for flowers was not only because I was more familiar with it, but because the twins I believe are Asian coded. The Octavinelle dorm is seen as the "yakuza" one (Japanese controlled crime syndicate), since they demand those Azul signs contracts with to pay the price, whether through general intimidation, or just straight up physical violence. Tweels also unfortunately sort of fit into the 'Asian twins' stereotype seen in Disney media (Siamese cats in Artisocats), but their overall design (ie eye shape and bristle-y, straight hair) fit into a pseudo Asian look. You know, as much as the fictional land of twisted wonderland will allow. But either way, I think it would be cool to see different species of seafolk have different cultures, and I think sirens in particular would have their own beliefs, systems, and traditions connected to verbal storytelling.

Not entirely sure if this is the case in the western world, but the east is very sensitive about numerology‒ so “bad” numbers are usually avoided when picking out the number of flowers to give to someone.

Chthonic gods are gods connected to the underworld

Carnations were used in coronation garlands for the Romans

Christians believed that it was the flower that sprouted from Mary's tears after the crucifixion of Jesus

Also associated with Artemis, who gouged a shepherd's eyes out because she blamed his flute playing for the lack of game that day. Therefore, they are a symbol of innocent bloodshed

Carnis, the word which is speculated the word carnation comes from, also means flesh. The genus name Dianthus comes from Zeus, connecting it to his daughter Artemis' story

Memorial Rose (ノイバラ) : In the western world, it is often a symbol of wisdom or talent, used often on literary and musical symbolism by writers such as Goethe. But in Japan, it symbolizes "love for the raw/honest form", as it is usually a wild flower that grows in the plains. Modest, but lovely. In Japan it is also called the ノイバラ or "thorn of the plains", so this modest but definitely still packs a punch. Just like Azul lol

Also often grows in the coasts

Omg I just noticed all of the fics I have written has had a toxic maternal parental figure don’t worry I’ll even it out soon lol

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satans-my-spirit-animal · 1 year

Text

Twisted Wings Chapter 7

Chapter 6

Dawn was almost breaking by the time Celeste returned to Ramshackle. She had spent the past few hours flying around the island, pondering her meeting with the horned man.

She was hesitant to return, afraid that the horned man wouldn't keep his word. However after several hours of debating with herself, she quietly landed on Ramshackle dorm's doorstep. She couldn't just leave Grim and her new friends without so much as a good goodbye. Perhaps the horned man would keep his word after all.

Retracting her wings, she opened the rickety front door and walked inside, putting away her sword.

"There you are! Where have you been?" Celeste jumped slightly at Grim's voice behind her. She spun to see him sitting up on the couch in the lounge.

"Grim? I went out for a stroll. Why are you not in bed?" Celeste was amazed to see him up so early.

"I had a nightmare and when I woke up you were GONE! I looked all over the dorm for you! I figured I'd wait for you on the couch but I fell asleep..." Grim flattened his ears as he gave her a pitiful look.

"I'm sorry Grim I was gone longer than I meant to be." She went over and patted him on the head, surprisingly he let her do so with no objection. "I won't disappear forever without informing you first I promise." She tried to reassure him but he narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously.

"You say that like your plann' on disappearin'." He grumbled his forked tail twitching.

"Grim, I'm not going anywhere at the moment. Now let's get cleaned up. I suspect Riddle will be waiting for us to continue the investigation." She said as she left the room to put on her school uniform.

A short time later they made their way to the main street. It was still relatively early but students were already out and about. She was relieved to see that she wasn't getting any unusual looks. It appeared that the horned man had indeed kept his word.

Now that I think of it, he said to call him whatever I liked... She thought, remembering he hadn't told her his name. Perhaps she should call him Pan, after all, he appeared to be like a mischievous horned spirit.

"Mornin' Celeste." Cater's greeting snapped her out of her thoughts. She looked to see him and Riddle walking towards her.

"Good morning Cater, Riddle." She said smiling back at them.

Riddle's brow furrowed slightly when he saw her. "Hm. Your tie is crooked you know. A disorderly uniform suggests a disorderly dorm." He reached out towards her and adjusted her tie.

Celeste glanced away, feeling slightly embarrassed. "Oh, your right. Sorry, I'm not used to wearing such things." Usually, Zaphiel assisted her with complicated accessories and with her hair.

"Where are Ace and Deuce?" She asked noticing they weren't with them.

"In accordance with rule 249, it's their turn to wear pink clothes and feed the flamingos." Riddle explained before his expression darkened slightly. "By the way, there was another incident last night."

"Oh no! Was the student badly hurt?" Celeste gasped dismayed.

"Celeste you're such a sweetheart. I believe he's alright." Cater smiled as he reassured her before continuing.

"According to the portrait that witnessed it, the victim was a sophomore from Scarabia house. His name is Jamil Viper. It appears the accident happened in the kitchen." Cater said checking the information on his phone.

"I see. Sentient portraits are quite beneficial for such matters. We have several at home for just that reason." Celeste said recalling the number of portraits that lined Eden's palace walls. They were part of the palace security and would shout if something was amiss.

"So you got talkin' pictures where you're from too? Am I the only one that thinks it's weird?" Grim grumbled.

Riddle ignored him. "It's time for breakfast so he may still be in the cafeteria. Let's go."

They entered the cafeteria and Cater began scanning the room. "Jamil has long black hair. Let's see... There he is!" Cater pointed towards two Scarabia students eating breakfast together at a table not far from them.

Unfortunately Grim darted over to them before she could stop him. "You're the guy who got banged up in the kitchen yesterday, right? Mind if we chat?" He said hopping onto the chair across from them.

Jamil folded his arms and scowled at him. "What is this? An inquisition?" His long black hair was tied in a low ponytail with several tightly braided locks. His dark eyes glittered with distrust as he eyed Grim.

The other boy drew back, startled. "Oh hey! That's the weasel who set me on fire at orientation!" He had short white hair, scarlet eyes, and tan skin. He wasn't wearing a traditional uniform rather he had on a white cardigan instead of a black blazer and a golden head wrap fastened on his head.

"My apologies! He's just eager! We wanted to inquire about how you got injured is all." Celeste said hurriedly, catching up with Grim along with Riddle and Cater.

"Grim you need to work on your tone. You're giving Celeste extra work." Riddle admonished Grim who shot him a glare. "Forgive us for interrupting your breakfast." Riddle apologized glancing back at the two boys.

The boy with white hair grinned at them in a friendly manner. "Wow, a beautiful girl and a fire-spitting weasel. Ahaha what a fun combo!"

"I ain't no weasel!" Grim huffed but Celeste spoke over his rude outburst.

"I am Celeste, Prefect of Ramshackle dorm. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintances." She introduced herself with a pleasant smile.

"The pleasures all mine! I'm Kalim, Scarabia's Housewarden. And this is my vice Housewarden, Jamil." Kalim beamed as he gestured to Jamil.

Celeste was a bit surprised to find out he was a Housewarden. His carefree attitude didn't seem to match any of the Housewardens she'd met so far.

"Why do you want to know about my accident?" Jamil asked, giving them a guarded look.

"The headmage has requested us to investigate all of the mishaps involving Spelldrive players." Celeste explained and he appeared to relax.

"The headmage? I see... Well okay." Jamil nodded in understanding and began to explain how he was injured.

"Last night I was in the kitchen chopping ingredients. It was like my knife hand went wild and cut my other hand all on its own." He said holding up his bandaged hand.

"It makes no sense! Even the dorm's head chef can attest to Jamil's legendary knife skills! Were you tired from Spelldrive?" Kalim spoke up shaking his head in disbelief.

Jamil shook his head. "No. Not so tired that I couldn't control my hands. But at one point while I was cooking I felt kind of lightheaded." He frowned as if deep in thought.

"Like you were dizzy?" Celeste looked at him intently, hoping for a new clue.

"Most people would think that, but I know that sensation. I think I was feeling the effects of someone's signature spell." Jamil said narrowing his eyes and Cater gasped. It seemed her guess about someone using telekinetic magic was correct.

"Oh right! Because your signature spell is-" Kalim was interrupted by Jamil slapping his hand over his mouth. Kalim shook him off and gave him a bewildered look. "Why'd you do that?"

"Because we are not talking about me here." Jamil hissed at him before continuing. "Anyway my theory is that someone was controlling my movements with magic."

Cater looked at Celeste. "It seems like you might have been right about telekinetic magic. It would be a way to hurt people and have it appear as if they were just being careless."

"A spell that could control someone... If I could learn how to cast that, I could really clean up on bakery day!" Grim exclaimed excitedly and Celeste gasped as she recalled the events of that day. The hyena beastman and the hotdog bun...

"Grim! Do you remember how you lost your sandwich on bakery day?" Celeste asked turning to him.

Grim scowled, clearly still bitter. "Do I remember?! I'll never forget! ... That sandwich stealing... AAAAAHHH!" He let out a screech as the realization hit him, causing everyone to jump.

"WHOA! Why are we screaming?!" Kalim pulled back confused.

"I, Grim Expert Detective, have solved this case! I know who's got that signature spell!" Grim stood upright and puffed out his chest proudly.

"What?" Riddle looked over at her for an explanation.

"Ruggie used it to get Grim's sandwich on bakery day." Celeste explained and Cater's eyes widened.

"Ruggie? That lil dude from Savanaclaw?" Cater asked and she nodded.

"Let's track him down and see what he has to say." Riddle declared with a determined face.

"Thank you both for your assistance. I sincerely wish you a fast recovery, Jamil." Celeste said glancing back at the two Scarabia students.

"No problem, anytime! Good luck!" Kalim said waving to them as they left.

Cater led them to the classroom Ruggie was supposed to be in. Inside, Ruggie and a few other students were chatting amongst themselves.

"Ruggie Bucchi, we need to ask you some questions about the spate of injuries that have befallen prospective Spelldrive players." Riddle said causing Ruggie to spin around.

"Oh ho. This sounds like some serious business." Ruggie smirked and raised an eyebrow at them.

"How about we move into the hall and keep this in the figurative DMs if you catch my drift?" Cater narrowed his eyes at Ruggie in a slightly threatening manner.

Ruggie flattened his ears at Cater's tone. "I'm cooperating. Let's all try to be gentlemen now." He said brushing past them as they stepped out into the hall.

"Ruggie we have reason to believe that you have been utilizing telekinetic magic to cause injury to other students." Celeste spoke up once they were all out in the hall. She folded her arms and gave him a stern look.

"Do you now? So you've got everything worked out have you?" Ruggie scoffed at her narrowing his grey eyes.

"While we do not yet know exactly what transpired, it is abundantly clear that your signature spell is a dangerous one. I will be casting off with your head to-" Riddle was cut off by Ruggie who had a sly grin on his face.

"But Riddle, are you sure you should be casting such a powerful spell without your magical pen?" He smirked and Riddle's hands flew to his blazer pocket where he usually kept his pen.

"Huh? Wait... What?! Where is it?!" Riddle cried out in alarm when he realized it was gone.

Ruggie snickered at Riddle's reaction. "Children of privilege all of you. So unprepared. So complacent. Like stealing candy from a baby." He held up his hand. In it was not only Riddle's pen but Cater's as well and a star pendant dangling on a silver chain.

Celeste gasped and reached for her star pendant but Ruggie backed away.

"Ruggie please give that back! It's not a magestone, it's part of a matching set I have with my brother!"

"Relax I'm just gonna borrow it for a bit. Anyway, having a showdown in the hallway isn't on my agenda for today so I'll be on my way. Tootles!" Ruggie veered around and darted away taking off down the hall with surprising speed.

They all scrambled after him but Ruggie was agile as well as fast. While she could have certainly caught him at her normal speed she still hesitated to use it in front of her friends. They turned a corner and practically ran smack into Ace and Deuce.

"Huh? What's going on? Why are you running?" Deuce asked surprised as they skidded to a halt.

"The culprit! He's getting away!" Riddle screamed his face contorting and turning completely red with rage as he pointed to Ruggie running down the hall. "You need to apprehend Ruggie Bucchi immediately! Housewarden's orders!"

"What's this got to do with us?" Ace scowled not wanting to get involved.

"Listen to him! He grabbed their pens and my necklace!" Celeste cried out growing more anxious as Ruggie got farther and farther away.

Deuce immediately swung around and started pursuing Ruggie. Ace let out a groan and went after him.

Celeste sighed as they took off with Grim on their heels. Even though Deuce was fast, Ruggie was extremely nimble, clambering up a wall and running along the edge, forcing Ace and Deuce to take the long way around.

With a hesitant glance at Cater and Riddle, Celeste took off after Ruggie. Utilizing her natural swiftness, she was able to reach the wall within seconds, leaping onto the narrow ledge with ease. She balanced herself perfectly and proceeded to pursue Ruggie.

She gained on him rapidly and he peeked behind himself as she approached. "WHOA?! Holy shit you're fast!" He shouted seeing her about to overtake him. He scrambled off the ledge and into the courtyard, hitting the ground running. She leaped onto a higher ledge so she could track him better- she couldn't let him get away.

Ace, Deuce, and Grim burst out into the courtyard panting and hurled a few spells at Ruggie slowing him down. She jumped down in front of him blocking his getaway route.

Ruggie skidded to a halt his eyes wide. "... That was a two-story drop..." He huffed in astonishment backing away.

"...Celeste?... How'd you get in front of us?" Deuce panted catching up to them along with Ace and Grim.

Ruggie frowned. "Seems like I misjudged you. I thought you were just some pampered noble but it seems like you've got some skills."

"Ruggie hand over the necklace and the pens. I think I've more than demonstrated that I'm able to overtake you." Celeste said narrowing her eyes at him angrily.

"Hold on there princess- what makes you so sure that I did it? I only took em in self-defense." Ruggie said putting his hands up. His ears twitched when he noticed how Celeste tensed at his remark.

"... Your actions do not exactly seem innocent." Celeste hissed at him as she crossed her arms.

"Well, what was I supposed to do? Let Riddle collar me? Where's your evidence? Do you have any witnesses who saw me casting a spell? Did anyone snap a picture? You don't have anything like that do you?" Ruggie grinned at her confidently when she didn't immediately respond. He knew he was right.

"You know very well that no incantation is needed for telekinetic spells... As for witnesses, it's rather obvious that you used it on Grim to swipe his sandwich on bakery day." Celeste said after a moment but Ruggie snorted.

"What happened on bakery day had nothing to do with the Spelldrive stuff. You've got nothin' to prove that I did it."

Celeste grimaced knowing he was right. She sighed and shook her head. "I don't understand... Your dorm is so skilled, why do this? Surely you don't need to employ underhanded methods to win?"

Ruggie let out another snort and shook his head. "Someone like you who's had everything handed to em wouldn't understand... Next time make sure you have some proof before you come after me next time. I'll just leave your necklace and the pens here. Tootles!" He set down the necklace and pens by the base of one of the apple trees before once again darting off.

Celeste sighed and picked them up, clasping the necklace back around her neck.

Ace shouted in frustration and Deuce grimaced. "Housewarden Riddle is not going to be pleased." He sighed shaking his head.

"Unfortunately he was correct. While I'm certain he is the one who's been injuring students- we have no solid evidence. We had no choice but to let him go but his use of the term next time concern's me." Celeste sighed running her hand through her dark hair.

"So you guys are still on the hunt, huh?" They all turned to see Jack walking towards them.

Ace glared at him. "Yeah. Hey here's an idea, next time maybe give us a hand?"

Jack's ears twitched. "Celeste seemed to have it covered. That was pretty impressive, I've never seen anybody catch up to Ruggie like that. Where'd you learn to move like that?" He asked eyeing her curiously.

"I had special training back at home." Celeste said thinking back to how she was trained in the army with her mother. She couldn't tell them that, otherwise they'd start questioning her age. Things would get confusing fast since angels aged differently in the celestial realm.

"...Huh. Anyways why're you going through all this trouble for the sake of total strangers? I mean, I'd understand if you were out for vengeance for an injured friend or something." Jack asked after realizing she wasn't going to elaborate.

"Several of our friends have been hurt but I wouldn't say I was doing this out of vengeance. I simply don't want anyone else to be needlessly hurt." Celeste said looking up at the tall beastman with conviction.

Ace snorted. "Yeah, yeah Celeste you're too nice. You're both missing the point here."

"What?" Jack blinked as Celeste frowned at Ace.

"We're not doing this for anyone else sake!" Ace said with a smirk.

"This is a chance for us to score some kudos by catching the culprit." Deuce grinned as well but caught sight of Celeste's disapproving gaze. "Oh! And of course help Celeste!" He added hurriedly.

Ace let out a fake cough. "Ahem, simp mhm." Deuce shot him a glare and elbowed him in the side.

Ace moved away from Deuce and continued. "I feel bad about what happened to Trey, but if there's an opening on the roster... I'll take it."

Jack smirked and crossed his arms. "Wow. I was doubting if I could trust people who would suffer like this for strangers... But it turns out you two are total scum." He looked pointedly at Ace and Deuce.

Ace glared back at him. "If we're scum then you're less than scum. You knew all along didn't you?"

"That would explain why you were so confident that you wouldn't be targeted. Your dorm was behind it." Celeste said narrowing her eyes.

Jack sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "All right, I'll tell you what I know. I'm betraying my own dorm here, but I can't stay quiet any longer." He looked down at them with a determined gleam in his eyes.

"I don't care how strong the foe- I wanna face them with my own two fists. I've been training for this tournament and was excited to see how far I could go. But these cowardly schemes are making me sick! A triumph won through treachery means nothing!" Jack declared adamantly.

"I see. So am I to understand that the entire dorm is in on this?" Celeste asked and Jack nodded.

"Leona has Ruggie doing his dirty work. Ruggie's signature spell makes its target copy his movements. He's able to make it look like an accident on their part." Jack let out a growl and shook his head. "I'm disappointed in Leona. He has incredible talent but refuses to use it!"

"Yeah, for as lazy as that guy is... He seemed insanely strong." Grim muttered, his blue-flamed ears twitching as he remembered yesterday's Spelldrive game.

"Right?! Why would you possess such power and not even hone it?! I despise guys like him!" Jack snarled in disgust before shaking his head in disappointment. "The way he played when I saw him three years ago... It blew my mind. That was the reason I came to this school."

Celeste gave Jack a sympathetic look. It seemed he had greatly admired Leona and was feeling let down by his actions. Fortunately, his morals wouldn't let him blindly follow Leona like the rest of Savanaclaw.

"All of these accidents are just an incidental part of their plan. They're hunting bigger prey here." Jack continued frowning.

"Bigger prey?" Deuce asked raising his eyebrows.

"Malleus Draconia, the Diasomnia Housewarden. He possesses monstrous power. He led Diasomnia to victory two years running. He's the reason we were knocked out of both tournaments without scoring a single point. The older dorm members won't ever forgive that. The upperclassmen want to redeem themselves but the way they are doing it is despicable." Jack's face twisted in disgust as he look away.

"So they are plotting an attack on Draconia on tournament day..." Celeste murmured wondering how they intended to take down someone so powerful.

"Yep. That's why I need to stop them!" Jack made a fist with a determined look on his face.

"I believe I've heard enough." They all looked to see Riddle and Cater walking towards them. Cater waved at her cheerfully while Riddle remained composed.

"Riddle, Cater, here are your pens back." Celeste said handing them their magic pens. Relief flooded their eyes when they saw the pens in her hand.

"Thank you, Celeste." Riddle nodded at her before continuing. "I cannot allow such an important tradition to be tarnished by personal grudges."

"So what's the stitch Riddle? We got a plan?" Cater asked after thanking Celeste and tucking his pen back into his pocket.

"As we have no proof of Leona's machinations, nor of Ruggie's assaults, we cannot take this to Crowley. Without solid evidence, that sort of accusation would never stick to someone as sly as Leona." Riddle stated in a solemn tone.

"So we need to catch him in the act?" Ace asked raising an eyebrow at Riddle who nodded.

"Yes. And I have a suggestion to that end. First -" Riddle began to say but was cut off by Jack who raised his hand to stop him.

"Stop. I've told you what I know, but that doesn't mean I'm joining your merry band. Savanaclaw is my dorm, and I'm gonna be the one to settle this. See ya." He said gruffly and turned to leave.

"That would be an incredibly foolish move." Celeste spoke in a warning tone compelling Jack to spin back around to face her.

"What'd you just say?!" He growled at her flattening his ears.

Celeste gazed calmly back at him, unfazed. "The entire dorm is in on this yes? So it's you against the entire dorm- do you really believe you can take them on all by yourself? Do you think they will fight fair as you do?"

Jack drew back slightly in shock and began to protest again but she interrupted him.

"You will not win a battle by charging in head first. You must strategize and plan your movements." Celeste said staring up intently at him.

Jack grew silent for a moment, his ears twisting with uncertainty. "... Fine. I'll hear you out, but I'm not committing to anything. If I don't like the sound of your scheme I'm out." He grumbled crossing his arms.

"Very well. Now if I may continue." Riddle said and proceeded to explain his plan to them.

"That's very clever Riddle, but will Cater be alright?" Celeste asked giving Cater a worried look.

"Don't worry about me hon, I'll be fine. Thanks though." Cater winked back at her.

"Yeah, that plan's actually not half bad dude." Ace said grinning at Riddle and Deuce nodded in agreement.

"Sounds like I got a lot of prep work before the big day." Cater said with a smile before glancing over at Jack. "So how about you Jack? Are you in or out?"

"There's nothing cowardly about it at least. I suppose we can work together this one time." He huffed after awkwardly clearing his throat.

"Cool beans. Let's all get back to our dorms for today. I know I'm about really to keel over." Ace groaned his shoulders slumping with exhaustion.

"Yes, you guys must be tired from chasing Ruggie. Thank you for helping me corner him by the way." Celeste said giving Ace and Deuce an appreciative look.

"You did most of it, Celeste. You caught up to him in no time flat." Deuce said looking guilty that he hadn't been to one to retrieve her necklace.

"Yeah, is that necklace valuable or somethin'? You were really bookin' it." Ace asked with an inquisitive glint in his eye.

"Well, yes. It's crystalized Moonbeam- a crystal from my world. Mother gave my brother and me each a matching necklace when we were children." Celeste said holding up the necklace so they could get a better look. The clear crystal glimmered in the sunlight and emitted a soft glow.

"How many cans of tuna do you think we can get for that?" Grim asked his eyes sparkling and she glared at him.

"None because we're not selling it." She huffed putting the necklace away.

It was after closing time at the Mostro Lounge and Azul was finishing tallying up the sales for that day. It had been a good day for him, Leona Kingscholar had even come to him to make a deal- a first.

Perhaps the angel feather he had acquired had become his lucky charm. His eyes flickered over to it in its glass case. It still hadn't lost its soft iridescent gleam. His mind wandered to what he had found out about angels through research.

" The angels were beings of light energy able to take on human-like forms. They worked alongside humans for thousands of years and were rumored to have given the first mages their magic. They resided in a realm just beyond twisted wonderland and could travel between the two as they pleased. Angels were known to have as many as six wings, the number of wings seemed to relate to the amount of power an angel had. A seven-winged eye known as a celestial seal was used to represent the highest-ranking angels, the seraphim. Angels tended to introduce themselves in relation to a specific star through which they granted wishes. Around a thousand years ago they seemed to have vanished from twisted wonderland altogether and now are widely regarded as extinct."

There hadn't been much information on angels for him to find. He had scoured the school's library in search of more information but came up empty. The one thing he knew for certain was that angels were very much still alive and in twisted wonderland.

Azul let out a sigh and rose out of his chair. Perhaps a nighttime stroll would do him good, he thought grabbing his cane and walking out into the empty lounge. In all honesty, he was hoping to get another glimpse of the angel, a least of her face. He wanted a face to the beautiful voice that now haunted his dreams at night.

He made his way back to the fountain in the courtyard, disappointed to find it empty. He couldn't say he was surprised, after all, it was doubtful that he'd ever see her again. A cold October wind blew through the courtyard, ruffling his silver hair.

There was a soft thud behind him as if something had landed on the ground. He turned and saw a small figure standing in the shadows of one of the apple trees.

"Azul Ashengrotto? What brings you here this time of night?" A soft voice questioned him as the figure stepped into the moonlight. It was Celeste, the girl from flight class. She wasn't wearing her uniform instead a long blue coat and knee-high boots. A black leather waist belt held a winged short sword in a decorative scabbard over her hip.

"I could ask you the same thing." Azul said raising an eyebrow at her as she walked over to him.

"I go on nightly strolls often, I have trouble sleeping you see, and being under the stars makes me feel at home." Celeste said with a slightly sad smile.

"So that's the case. I merely wanted some fresh air." Azul said adjusting his glasses.

"Ah yes, the brisk air is rather refreshing." Celeste nodded as a gentle breeze blew through her inky black hair.

"You said you often walk the campus at night. Have you noticed anything out of the ordinary?" Azul asked her, wondering if she'd seen the angel as well. It was rather frustrating being the only one to have seen her. He hadn't told anyone, not even Jade or Floyd for fear they would poke fun at him for it. It was a rather difficult story to believe after all.

"No, I haven't. Why do you ask?" Celeste narrowed her sapphire-colored eyes and her demeanor became more guarded.

"You have a weapon on you. Perhaps you were expecting some sort of threat?" Azul glanced at the sword on her hip as he avoided telling her the real reason behind his question.

"Oh! Um,... it's a rather special type of sword from my homeland. Only I can use it so it has a sort of sentimental value to it. I find solace in having it at my side." Celeste appeared slightly uneasy now and he noticed she evaded actually answering his question about a threat.

"Oh? So it's a magic sword. To have a custom-made magical weapon like that... You must be quite well off." Azul murmured suddenly very interested in her. He noticed that her attire was well made and that she wore a glittering jewel in the shape of a star around her neck.

"That was in the past I'm afraid. Now I have very few things from my old life." Celeste watched him wearily as he broke out his best smile.

"Say, Celeste, would you be interested in a study guide for the upcoming exams? If you'd like, you could stop by the lounge tomorrow and we could... Make a deal?" He grinned as he put on the charm however Celeste seemed unmoved.

"Thank you but I have no interest in that sort of thing. True, Grim does drag down my grades but I don't intend to stay at this school for much longer. So the grade I make on the exam won't matter."

Azul's shoulders slumped. "How terribly disappointing... So you intend to leave? To where may I ask?"

"I suspect I'll be traveling to all sorts of places... It was never my intention to stay in one place for so long." Celeste said looking away.

"I see. Well if you change your mind, let me know. I'd be more than happy to make deal with you." Azul said and bid her farewell, heading back to his dorm.

A few days had passed since the encounter with Ruggie. As a result, Riddle and the rest of Heartslabyul were incredibly busy with both working on his plan and preparing for the Spelldrive tournament.

So it was a rather rare moment for Celeste to be alone without any of her Heartslabyul friends during school hours. Even Grim had gone off to PE ahead of her while she returned a library book.

The peaceful solitude was short-lived, however, as two tall boys suddenly fell into step next to her. They positioned themselves so close that their sleeves brushed against hers.

"Heya Angelfish! No school of Heartslybul fish today?" Floyd grinned as he saddled up next to her.

"Good morning Celeste. I trust you are doing well?" Jade spoke from her other side.

Celeste stopped and frowned at Floyd. "Angelfish? Why did you call me that?"

"Because you move and talk like one!" Floyd beamed at her and she relaxed.

"Floyd likes to give everyone nicknames of sea creatures." Jade clarified to her still smiling.

"Ah, I see. That's why you referred to Riddle as goldfish." Celeste said with a nod as she recalled their past encounter. "Oh is this about the other day? I assure you that it was a misunderstanding. We were investigating injuries related to the Spelldrive tournament and were concerned that you were potential targets."

"Aww! You were worried about little ol us?" Floyd exclaimed, throwing his arm across her shoulders which she promptly removed.

"So that's why you were watching us? My apologies for jumping to conclusions. You should have just said so. Instead, your friends dragged you away before we could get properly aquatinted." Jade's expression seemed downcast.

"My apologies, I never properly introduced myself did I? I'm Celeste prefect of Ramshackle dorm." They probably already knew who she was but it was rather rude of her not to introduce herself.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Celeste. I'm Jade Leech and this is my brother Floyd." Jade motioned towards Floyd.

"Yeah yeah. All these introductions are borin' me. We're here because the boss wanted us to invite ya to the lounge." Floyd reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card and handed it to her.

"Ah yes, your Housewarden mentioned this Mostro Lounge. So it's a... Restaurant of sorts? And it's located in the Octavinelle dorm?" Celeste scanned the information on the card a bit confused. None of the other dorms she had seen had anything like the business that was described on the card.

"Yes, we serve food and drinks there. We also grant wishes to those in need... As long as they can pay the price." Jade's lips stretched into a sinister smile, revealing his sharp teeth.

"You should stop by soon! We can't wait to have ya over Angelfish, it'll be loads of fun!" Floyd said excitedly.

"Yes, well thank you for the invitation, I'll definitely keep it in mind." She said politely as she slipped the card into her pocket. "Now you must excuse me I must get to class."

"Take care... Angelfish." Jade and Floyd waved to her as she pulled away from them.

Celeste's eyes slowly opened and she sat up in her bed. She frowned in confusion when she saw that she was back in her room in the celestial realm.

Her silk sheets felt cool against her skin as she pulled herself out of her oversized bed and looked around bewildered.

Everything was as she had left it, the spacious room had a seating area next to some well-stocked bookshelves, a vanity area next to her jewelry box, and a golden room divider by her walk-in closet. The walls were dark blue with golden stars painted on them in constellation patterns.

A breeze blew in through the balcony, rustling the sheer canopy curtains on her bed. Had it really all been a dream? Saving the child, the fall, Night Raven College?

She stepped out onto the balcony and looked out over the horizon. She could see the palace stables and pastures for the pegasus that were used to pull carriages. Beyond that was the cloud sea. Dawn was just breaking, coloring the clouds a soft pink.

She glanced over at Uriel's balcony next to her own and called out to him. "Uriel! Are you awake? I just had the most vivid dream..." She waited for a response but there was none. Perhaps he was still asleep.

It had been such a long dream, it felt like she hadn't been home in months. Wanting to see her father she rushed out of her room, not bothering to change out of her nightgown. Zaphiel would scold her for not being dressed but she didn't care at the moment.

She ran down the long hallway, her footsteps echoing on the marble floor, and into the throne room. Her father and the attendants should have been up at this hour but she found the palace oddly empty.

"Seraphim Gabriel?" She called out her father's name as she entered the throne room. She slowed down seeing something was wrong.

"Father?" She eyed her father's figure, which was slumped forward slightly on his throne. Dread washed over her as she got closer reaching out to touch him. Her fingertips brushed against him and her father crumbled to ashes before her eyes. She let out a cry of horror as his magic staff shattered along with him.

Celeste sat bolt upright in bed, this time in Ramshackle. The rickety bed creaked as she gasped and looked around. It'd just been a nightmare.

She slumped forward with a sigh of relief. Grim was still asleep at the foot of the bed, sprawled out with his paws in the air.

There was a slight knock on the door and it creaked open as Jack slipped into her room. "Hey, Grim wake-" He froze when he saw her and abruptly spun around.

"Sorry! Ace said you didn't usually sleep in here so I thought it was just Grim!" He said hurriedly as she slipped out of bed still in her silk nightgown.

"I don't use the bed very often, no. Hold on I'll put on my robe." She said reaching for her matching dark blue old Hollywood robe, it was silk and lined with down feathers that swept the floor as she pulled it on. "It's alright you can look now."

Jack peeked back at her with a faint blush on his cheeks. Grim sat up still groggy and frowned at him. "What are you doing in our dorm anyway?" He grumbled rubbing his eyes.

Jack rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "I'm on my morning run. Today's the Spelldrive tournament and I wanted to make sure you didn't oversleep."

Grim's grogginess vanished. "That's right! Today's the big day!" He exclaimed, leaping off the bed.

"I appreciate the thoughtfulness... And the modesty. Though I don't think my nightgown is THAT revealing." Celeste let out a slight chuckle and Jack looked away embarrassed.

"I just didn't expect you to be in here is all. Besides, it's rude to barge into a ladies' room." He grumbled crossing his arms.

"Alright, I'll get dressed and meet you out at the tournament grounds. Until then take care." Celeste said while Jack made a hasty exit.

Grim left the room in search of food while she put on her school uniform. She paused when she saw Starfell poking slightly out of her bag. She had an odd feeling that she should take her sword with her. With a sigh, she reached over and attached it to her belt before walking out into the hall.

She and Grim went out to the side street that lead to the coliseum. It was unrecognizable, lined with all sorts of merchandise and food stalls. They were quickly joined by Ace and Deuce.

"Man I can't believe I didn't make the team after all that." Ace moaned looking wistfully at the stadium.

"Me neither..." Deuce's shoulders slumped with disappointment.

"There is always next year! And I'm sure you two will have gotten even better by then. Besides we still have important roles to play." Celeste said trying to cheer them up.

Deuce immediately perked up. "Yeah, you're right Celeste. We should focus on the task at hand."

"Yeah. Good point. Focused. That's us." Ace muttered begrudgingly before snatching Grim who was making a run for one of the food stalls.

"Eat later, we need to go!" Ace hissed dragging him with them as they made their way to their positions.

"What's with the sword Celeste?" Deuce asked as weaved their way through the crowded street. He eyed her sword with curiosity as he fell into step next to her.

"Oh, it's something from home. I brought it with me as a precaution... And if I'm being honest... I miss having it with me." Celeste admitted with a slightly embarrassed look.

It didn't take them long to reach their positions in the stands. From their viewpoint, they were able to get a good look at the playing field.

Crowley's voice sounded over the PA system as the tournament started. "Welcome, one and all, to the Night Raven College interdorm Spelldrive tournament! First up will be last year's champion. But can lightning really strike thrice? Give it up for the Reigning light... DIIIIAAASOOOMNIIIAA!"

The crowd roared as what appeared to be Diasomnia students taking the field. Celeste had to admit she was impressed with how convincing it was.

As the players took their places, a murmur rippled through the crowd as a large group of people suddenly leaped out of their seats. The civilians screamed in confusion and fear as they ran onto the field in one large group straight at the Diasomnia players. Crowley desperately tried to calm everyone over the PA but to no avail.

Celeste watched anxiously as the Diasomnia players scrambled to protect their supposed Housewarden only to get mowed down by the crowd. With one final glance at the disastrous scene, Celeste, Ace, and Deuce left to find Riddle and Cater for the next part of the plan.

They had to weave their way through the civilian's being evacuated from the stadium to reach the Savanaclaw dorm. They passed through the mirror and headed to the Spelldrive field where Cater and Riddle were waiting.

Hiding in the shadows of the bleachers, they watched as Ruggie and several other Savanaclaw students ran up to Leona, who was waiting at the edge of the field.

"Leona, I did it! Did you see the broadcast?" Ruggie panted as he halted in front of Leona.

Leona smirked and flicked his tail. "Yeah. That was nice work, Ruggie. So long Malleus. This year, the throne is mine."

Ruggie snickered as the rest of the Savanaclaw students cheered. At this Riddle stepped out of the shadows with everyone following behind him.

"I believe we've heard enough." Riddle said sternly causing Ruggie and Leona to whirl around.

Leona recovered from his surprise quickly and scoffed. "Well, well, if it isn't the Heartslabyul kids. And is that Jack? You transfer to Heartslabyul on us frosh?" Leona narrowed his eyes at Jack who boldly glared back at him.

"Nah. I just don't feel like celebrating the underhanded accomplishments of a bunch of cowards." Jack growled holding his ground.

Leona flattened his ears. "You filthy traitor!" He spat lashing his tail.

"You have tarnished a proud Night Raven tradition. As Housewarden of Heartslabyul, a dorm focused on orderliness, I cannot possibly overlook this." Riddle declared crossing his arms.

Leona snorted. "Listen kiddies- save the heroic speeches for someone who cares."

"Want us to take care of 'em, boss?" Mano stepped forward with an excited grin. His muscles rippled under his tattooed skin.

"Sure. Have a little fun with them." Leona smirked as the Savanaclaw students rushed them.

Mano blasted Deuce with a water spell and pulled Ace towards him with magic, his fist raised. "I've got you HOOKED!" He snarled menacingly, flashing his sharp teeth.

Celeste darted forward and hit Mano in the back of his head with her sheathed sword. He immediately let go of Ace, clutching his head as he turned to glare at her.

"Damn, you're stronger than you look..." He grumbled his dark eyes flashing with irritation as he started towards her. However, he was stopped when Riddle cast his signature spell, collaring him. He and the rest of the Savanaclaw students groaned and struggled against the collars as they realized they had underestimated Riddle.

Leona shook his head in disappointment. "I knew those chumps would be no match for Riddle."

Ruggie only laughed. "Maybe not! But this doesn't change the fact that they were too late to save Diasomnia!"

"Oh? That's quite an interesting claim." They all turned to see Lilia and two other Diasomnia students striding onto the field. Lilia had a wide smirk on his face as he came to stand next to Riddle.

"They seemed right on time to me." The Diasomnia student with slicked-back green hair and sharp green eyes said putting his hands on his hips.

The student with silver hair and lavender eyes nodded in agreement. "Indeed. It's thanks to them that not a single Diasomnia player got hurt."

Ruggie flattened his ears and took a step back. "What? How?! I saw you get swallowed by a stampede!"

Cater grinned and strode forward, waving at Ruggie. "Oh! About that... So it turns out those were actually duplicates of me, made with my signature split card spell."

"What?" Leona hissed in disbelief, his fur starting to bristle.

"Riddle told us everything. So we had him put on that little charade for us." Lilia smiled up at the lion beastman triumphantly.

"So then... Malleus?" Ruggie stammered going pale.

"Oh, he's in tip-top shape of course! He's been clearing up the chaos using his magic to guide people to safety. You can thank him later." The green-haired boy glared at Ruggie.

"H-how could this happen?!" Ruggie cried out in shock.

Leona sighed and shook his head. "... Whatever. I don't even care anymore. I'm done. It's over." He looked down at the ground seeming to lose interest.

Celeste gave him a surprised look. She hadn't expected him to just disregard all of his dorm's efforts like that. For him to stoop so low as to cause injury to other students and then say he didn't care...

"Boss, what are you saying?!" Ruggie looked at his housewarden in dismay.

Leona gave him an annoyed look. "Are you payin' attention? If Malleus is able to take the field then we got no chance of winning. There's no point in even trying. I'm out."

"Y-you can't just...! Malleus might still be in the game, but we took out all the other dorm's best players, right? You're just going to abandon our dreams?" Ruggie looked at Leona in disbelief along with the other Savanaclaw students.

"For all the talk about the world watching this is still just school kids playin' a game. All you wide-eyed tenderfoots talkin' about your dreams... Pfft. The whole thing amused me so I threw you a bone. That's all this was." Leona said with a dismissive tone as he watched everyone coldly.

Ruggie seemed confused. "What do you mean? What happened to working together to turn the world upside down?"

Leona scowled at him. "Are you seriously still goin' on about that? All right fine. You want to hear the truth? You're a hyena who grew up in a dump, and I'm a second-born prince who won't ever be king. And there is NO turning that around!" Leona spat at him baring his fangs.

"What? You've gotta be kidding me! You can't just quit after we've come so far!" Ruggie screamed back at him and the Savanaclaw students also started to protest.

"You're gonna play, even if we gotta drag you out there kicking and screaming!" Mano snarled baring his sharp teeth at Leona.

Leona let out a roar of anger and lashed his tail. "I'm sick of this! Shut up, you nobodies!"

The Savanaclaw students near him suddenly doubled over in pain, including Ruggie. Celeste noticed the air around them had suddenly grown incredibly dry, sucking every last drop of moisture out of her skin. The grass beneath Leona's feet started to turn to sand, spreading slowly outward.

"This is my signature spell, the King's Roar. Ironic ain't it? Nothin' the savanna hates more than a drought. Yet its prince's magic desiccates everything- reduces it to sand." Leona growled clenching his fist as he glowered at them.

Ruggie groaned next to him his skin starting to crack. Mano screamed in pain, the spell seeming to affect him more than the other students. Sabu crawled over to him and tried to pull him further away from Leona.

"Boss snap out of it! Mano's a Merman! If you keep this up you'll kill him!" Sabu shouted his fluffy grey ears flat against his head. Leona didn't even cast him a glance as he continued drying out the area around him.

"Your spell can legit dry out a HUMAN BEING?!" Ace cried out horrified as he watched the student's skin crack.

"Leona I cannot allow this to continue! Off with your head!" Riddle yelled only for his collar to bounce off Leona's neck. Riddle watched in dismay as Leona sneered at him.

"Maybe you're some kind of prodigy, kid but don't go thinkin' your smarter than your elders."

"Leona Kingscholar that is ENOUGH!" Celeste shouted her voice carrying across the field as she moved towards him.

"Celeste are you crazy?!" Ace shouted at her as she fearlessly moved forward.

"How could you? This is not how a leader behaves! Leaders protect their people! As a prince, you should have been taught that!" Celeste cried, her tears evaporating off her cheeks as she stood before him.

Leona flattened his ears. "You sure act high and mighty for a nobody. Who are you to criticize me? I'll turn you into sand." He growled at her narrowing his emerald green eyes.

Celeste knew that his signature spell most likely wouldn't kill her however it could potentially cause her corporeal body to turn to sand. Rematerializing would take time and expose her true nature. She clenched her teeth in frustration as she came to a stop.

"Unleash the Beast!" Jack shouted and transformed into a large white wolf. He charged past her and knocked Leona off his feet and breaking his concentration on the spell.

Riddle took advantage of this and quickly collared Leona who was momentarily stunned. Leona growled and pulled at the collar as Ruggie and the Savanaclaw students coughed violently as they tried to recover.

"He let go of Ruggie! This way quickly!" Deuce said as he ran over and pulled Ruggie away from Leona. Jack transformed back into his human form and looked down at Leona disapprovingly.

"Sebek, let's get the wounded to safety." The silver-headed boy said to his dorm mate.

"Don't presume to order me around Silver!" Sebek barked back at him but complied anyway. He and Silver ran over to Mano, who was in the worse condition, and pulled him to his feet.

"No... NO! You can't collar a lion!" Leona screamed in frustration as his dorm was taken to safety.

His eyes fell on Jack. "Jack! How did you... Transformation potions are forbidden! Where did you get that?"

Jack shook his head. "I didn't use a potion. That's my signature spell." He took a breath and glared down at Leona. "Housewarden Leona, I want you to know... I only came to this school because of how much I admired you! What happened to the man you used to be?"

Leona looked away frowning. "Shut up... Your dreams have nothin' to do with me." He grumbled, grimacing.

"I understand the irony of me being the one to say it, but it pains me to see you like this. You'd be wise to confine yourself to your room and try to calm down." Riddle spoke with a concerned look on his face.

"What do you know about how I feel?!" Leona spat back at him, his tail lashing wildly behind him.

"What Celeste said earlier was correct. If you ask me that collar suits you better than a crown ever could." Lilia said coldly as he walked over to stand next to her.

"...Huh?!" Leona snarled as he scowled at Lilia.

"You bemoan the fact that you're not next in line to be king yet you seem to have no concept of what being a king is really about. With that sensitive ego of yours that so quickly directs all your petty anger at your retainers... Well, the idea of you ever contending with a REAL king like our Malleus- is absolutely laughable. You'd never be fit to rule." Lilia scoffed at him waving his hand harshly to make his point. Celeste glanced over at him as he glared at Leona and she couldn't help but agree with him.

She didn't quite understand Leona's obsession with becoming king. Her father who ruled over Eden had always seemed terribly burdened with responsibility. Constantly having to make sacrifices to keep his people happy and safe. In the end, both she and her brother were glad that the system didn't operate on succession.

Leona threw back his head and started laughing, startling everyone. "Yeah, you're probably right. No, you're EXACTLY right...! I will never become king. No matter how hard I try!"

A heavy oppressive feeling filled the air as negative energy crackled around Leona. Grim crouched by her legs his fur standing on end.

"His magic power is surging... I don't think my collar can hold it!" Riddle cried backing away as black ooze started falling from Leona's eyes and nose.

"He's starting to blot!" Celeste shouted exchanging a glance with Lilia as they both backed away. Riddle's collar broke and fell from Leona's neck as he glowered at everyone.

"I've been loathed since the day I was born. I've never had a place, never had a future! None of my hard work was ever rewarded! How could any of YOU possibly understand? MY disappointment?! MY pain?!" Leona screamed at them, letting out a roar as the blott overtook him. His appearance started to distort and the blott pooled around him as it started to form a phantom behind him.

"What's happening? What's that shadow coming out of him?!" Jack shouted flattening his ears as his fur stood on end.

"That the incarnation of his blott!" Deuce cried as everyone watched in horror. A wind kicked up and dark clouds seemed to form in the sky casting the field into shadow.

"If you can move take shelter! Ace, Deuce help me take the wounded outside! Lilia, please get help from the faculty!" Riddle shouted as Leona's magic went haywire sending clods of dirt and rocks flying everywhere.

Everyone scrambled and did as Riddle ordered however Ace and Deuce paused to look at her. They seemed to be remembering how the blot burned her skin.

"Don't worry about me! I can handle myself! After all, I have Starfell with me today!" Celeste said patting her sword and smiling at them as she dodged some rocks flying her way. Ace and Deuce nodded and ran to help the remaining injured Savanaclaw students.

"Why does this keep happening to us? This is sooo not my brand." Cater said looking at Leona apprehensively.

"I dunno what's going on but if we hit Leona hard enough will it snap him out of it?" Jack said dodging a rather large rock.

"Yes! Aim for the phantom behind him! It must be destroyed as quickly as possible!" Celeste said shielding her eyes from the dust that was being kicked up.

"I... I'll help too. There's no way I'm taking what he said lying down!" Ruggie coughed as dust blew into his face.

"So even the lowly hyena turns against me?" Leona growled his eyes flashing in the dim light of the dusty field. He now had a black mane around his neck and his clothes had become tattered as the blott swirled around him.

"Celeste, are you sure about staying? You don't have any magic to fight him." Riddle gave her an anxious look however she smiled back at him confidently.

"I still have a few tricks up my sleeve. So please don't concern yourself with me." Celeste reassured him, unsheathing her sword. With her sword, she was feeling considerably more confident this time around.

As she drew her sword, the blade ignited into a white flame. Ace and Deuce returned in time to gawk at the flaming sword in her hand.

"YOU HAVE A MAGIC SWORD?!" Ace shouted over the ongoing battle. Ruggie and Jack were blasting Leona with fire and wind magic but he was nimbly dodging them. Cater was shielding Riddle with wind magic while Riddle cast fire spells.

Celeste ignored him and rushed towards Leona, aiming for the phantom behind him. However, as she started moving in his direction he spotted her forcing her to skid to a halt.

The phantom seemed to pull him in her direction. His green gaze locked onto her. "That light...such power... GIVE IT TO ME!" He roared and lunged forward at an alarming pace.

"Celeste! Look out!" Riddle screamed as Leona bored down on her.

Fortunately, due to her unnatural speed, she was able to dodge him. In a blink of an eye, she was already behind him. She slashed her sword straight through the phantom, the white flame burning through the blott. The phantom immediately dissolved and Leona collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud.

Celeste watched Leona fall to the ground as everyone stared at her wide-eyed. She looked down at Leona lying in a pool of blot, as a dark memory flashed before her eyes.

-50 years ago-

"Seraphim Gabriel, phantoms have been spotted by the gorge in the valley of plenty." Zaphiel stated his report to her father, his expression grim. He wore a long dark blue overcoat with silver trimming, his rapier hung from his belt that wrapped around his white suit.

Her father shared his grim expression, his blue gaze sweeping over to her mother standing next to him. "They've never gotten this close to the palace before..."

"I'll alert the other archangels right away. Celeste and I will take our squadrons out there to take care of them." Her mother said starting to pull back her wavy white hair into a braid for battle. Her green eyes flickered over to Celeste who nodded and started doing the same with her hair.

"Alright, Seraphina I'll leave this to you and Celeste. But just in case... Take Belphron and Albus with you." Her father's anxious gaze swept over them as he moved across the throne room, his white gold-lined cape brushing the floor behind him. Belphron and Albus were her and her mother's steeds that were trained to protect them in battle.

"Father, don't you think you're being a little overprotective?" Celeste sighed as Zaphiel helped her with her armor.

"Your father only wants to protect you. You don't technically have to fight with the archangels Celeste, you're a virtue remember?" Zaphiel quipped, a roundabout way of saying he didn't approve of her decision to fight alongside the archangels with her mother. Her mother's rank as an angel was lower than hers, even though she was married to the seraphim, it didn't change her assigned rank.

"Yes I'm a virtue but I'm also the daughter of the Seraphim of Eden. I wish to protect the angels of Eden, regardless of rank." Celeste said and just for a second, she thought she saw a glimmer of pride in her father's eyes.

10 minutes later she and her mother mounted their steeds and flew to the gorge. Belphron, her large black pegasus, seemed to be able to sense the growing negative energy as they neared the location. Albus, her mother's white alicorn, seemed slightly unnerved as well.

They reached the edge of the gorge and were greeted with a horrifying sight. There were well over 50 phantoms congregated there, black ooze was sapping the life out of all the plants turning the cliffside brown.

"This is far too many for us to handle. We'll have to go back and request b-" Her mother started to say but suddenly a phantom shot up into the air like a black wave and crashed into Belphron.

Belphron screamed and tried to adjust himself but Celeste was knocked off his back. Celeste tried desperately to unsheath her sword and unfurl her wings but the distance to the ground was too short. She crashed into the side of the cliff and everything went black.

When she opened her eyes all she could see was darkness. Fear coursed through her as she struggled to remember what had happened. She reached out and felt the familiar softness of Belphron's feathers. At her touch, Belphron lifted the wing he'd draped over her and pulled himself to his feet.

Celeste groaned and clutched her battle helm as she staggered to her feet. Quite some time had passed since she'd been knocked out as night had fallen. She cast a light spell to illuminate her surroundings.

She had apparently fallen off the side of the cliff after she crashed at the top of the gorge. She looked up but couldn't hear any sounds of battle. She saw that Belphron had several injuries on his legs and flank but none seemed life-threatening. The ground around them was covered in pools of blot.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" She called out after a moment but was only answered by a dreadful silence. She began moving forward and her stomach dropped. All around her were archangels, their bodies ashen. Feathers were strewn about everywhere, and she started hyperventilating.

"Mom? MOM?!" She screamed out her voice echoing off the sides of the gorge as she searched frantically through the bodies of her fallen comrades, the slightest touch turning their bodies to ash.

She finally spotted Albus and ran towards him, Belphron limping along behind her. Tears poured down her cheeks as she saw him motionless on his side, his horn shattered. Her eyes fell on the figure lying next to him and she let out a wail as she recognized her mother.

She fell to her knees, sobbing. "I'm so sorry... This is my fault... If I hadn't fallen." She choked as a cold rain started to fall. She lifted her wings and held them over her mother.

"Don't worry mother I'll make sure you stay in one piece." She choked shielding her mother's body from the rain.

-end of flashback-

"Hey, Celeste are you ok?" Deuce was peering over at her, his blue eyes filled with worry.

Celeste blinked as she returned to the present. "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm fine." She said sheathing her sword. She felt a slight dampness on her cheeks and realized a tear had escaped.

She quickly wiped it away and went over to where Riddle kneeling over an unconscious Leona.

"Will he be alright?" She asked and Riddle nodded, rising to his feet.

"We were able to overpower him relatively quickly thanks to you, so I think he'll be fine." Riddle said just as Lilia returned with Crowley.

"Oh, I see that you've already handled the situation. My that a relief." The headmage sighed as he looked down at Leona.

Riddle nodded at the Headmaster as he approach them.

"Please excuse me for a moment. I need to check on the others who were injured." He announced, satisfied that the situation was under control before striding off the field.

Lilia raised an eyebrow. "I have to say I'm impressed you subdued him so quickly. He's quite a powerful mage. I was expecting to see a full-on battle when I returned with the headmaster."

"Thanks to Celeste it was over pretty fast." Jack said glancing at her questioningly. "Where'd you learn to fight like that? You certainly don't look the type."

Celeste thought carefully for a minute before answering. "I trained hard to fight alongside my mother who was a commander in the army, even though I was not required to do so."

"Wow Celeste, so you came from a military family?" Cater said looking surprised.

"Well, not exactly. My father... Holds a powerful position in Eden. So I suppose I also wanted to prove myself to be worthy of the title I was born into." Celeste admitted looking down at the ground, her gaze once again falling on Leona.

"Don't tell me... You're an ACTUAL princess?!" Ruggie said flattening his ears, remembering calling her that earlier.

"Princess isn't really the correct term for it... Our government doesn't operate by succession but it's not unusual for me and my brother to be referred to as a prince and princess." She explained to them and everyone looked at her speechless. Due to the long lifespan of angels, they held their positions for thousands of years, which was why the seraphims family was treated as royalty.

Grim was the first to break the silence. "So that snazzy crown in yer bag at home is REAL?! You've been holding out on me!"

"Wh-! You went through my things?!" Celeste shouted, her voice shooting up an octave in outrage.

"Well I mean yeah, you were gone all night being all mysterious an' stuff and I got bored." He huffed defensively crossing his arms.

Celeste was about to scold him again however Leona let out a groan reaching for his head. "Pipe down my head's poundin'." He moaned sitting up clutching his head.

"Leona... Take it easy, you were unconscious for quite a while. You overblotted. Do you remember anything?" Celeste said softly, kneeling down next to him and his eyes widened.

"Wait, ME...?! I overblotted? No way..." Leona looked shaken as he gazed at the torn-up Spelldrive field around him.

"Celeste! Don't start being nice to him, make him confess! The Spelldrive tournament is about to begin and the headmaster promised I could play if we caught the culprit!" Grim demanded waving his paws about frantically.

Leona's ear twitched. "Heh. If this is a joke I ain't laughing." He growled.

"The headmage got Celeste and Grim to investigate the accidents in exchange for letting them compete in the tournament." Jack explained to him and Ruggie gawked at him.

"Whaaaat? THAT'S what this has been all about?" He cried out in disbelief, his eyes darting between her and Grim.

"He also agreed to fix the holes in the walls at Ramshackle. Isn't that right headmage?" Celeste cast him a stern look and he jumped slightly.

"Ah yes! Of course!" He said quickly with a nod before turning to Leona. "Are they correct? Were you responsible for the injuries sustained by the competing players?"

"...Yeah. That was me." Leona sighed heavily, running his hand through his messy brown hair that had become tangled in the battle.

"Very well. Then Savanaclaw house will be disqualified from this year's tournament. The rest of your punishment will be decided after I discuss it with the victims. Are we clear?" Crowley crossed his arms and gave Leona a stern look.

"... Understood." Leona said looking away. Ruggie and Jack both let out sighs of disappointment.

"Wait a moment, headmage." Riddle called out and they turned to see that he had returned with Trey, Jamil, Harry, and Nameer.

"Mr. Rosehearts? And I see you're with...ah." Crowley trailed off seeing who was with him.

"Correct. I've brought the victims with me." Riddle nodded and glanced at Trey who stepped forward.

"Headmage, speaking on behalf of the victims, I have a request for you. We would like you to permit Savanaclaw house to play in the tournament despite their crimes." Trey said with a serious expression.

"What...? Are you saying you... wish to forgive their crimes?" Crowley gasped in complete disbelief. Everyone exchanged stunned looks however the victims scowled at Crowley's words.

"No. That's the last thing we want." Jamil spoke up scowling at Leona and Ruggie.

"If Savanaclaw is disqualified from the tournament, we'll lose our chance at revenge." Trey said with a mischievous smirk.

"Wh-what?" Ruggie stammered shocked at their motive. "Revenge?!" Jack gasped just as flabbergasted as Ruggie.

"After all, fighting with magic is forbidden on campus." Riddle reminded them, crossing his arms.

"But during a Spelldrive game, it's all in the name of sport right?" Trey's grin grew wider, his hazel eyes glittered excitedly behind his glasses.

"Yeah if we lose our chance at revenge it'll hang over us all year." Harry said scowling at Ruggie.

"You're going to pay dearly for burning my hands. They could've scarred." Nameer growled lashing his tail and flattening his ears as he stared down Ruggie and Leona.

"Plus, I dunno what happened here, but it looks like it left the Savanaclaw kids in even worse shape than us." Jamil smirked at Leona who was still sitting on the ground.

"Normally I would demand their heads. But if Trey and the others insist on settling their grudges on the field... I'm willing to overlook their disregard for the rules this once." Riddle said casting a cold glance at the Savanaclaw students.

Crowley nodded. "I understand stand where you're coming from. However, the question is: Are they even capable of taking the field? Mr. Kingscholar has only just regained consciousness!" He turned and gave them a doubtful look.

Leona however let out a laugh. "Don't you underestimate me, Crowley. I wouldn't even need to be awake to handle this sorry pack of herbivores."

"Don't go grouping me in with them! The audacity!" Nameer hissed at him offended. He flicked his tail disdainfully as he glared down at the lion beastman.

"I got no intention of bowin to anyone. If you want your apology come and take it." Leona smirked goading him further.

"Dear me, aren't I the fool for thinking you all wanted to talk about your feelings?" Crowley shook his head and sighed before continuing. "Your petition is granted. Savanaclaw will be allowed to participate in the tournament as originally planned."

Jack and Ruggie exchanged joyful looks as Leona pulled himself to his feet. He grunted flinching in pain as he stood up.

"Leona, here have this. This will help you recover faster." Celeste reached into her pocket and pulled out the other half of the chocolate bar that she had been saving.

"...huh? It looks like an ordinary chocolate bar to me." He frowned eyeing the chocolate in her hands skeptically.

"It's medicine. The chocolate actually hides the taste. It removes residual negative energy and heals any damage that's been done. It's from my homeland." Celeste explained as Leona wavered for a moment before taking it from her.

"Fine." He grumbled before mumbling, "Thanks." He quickly stuffed it in his mouth as Ruggie walked up to him with a scowl on his face.

"Don't think you've earned my forgiveness." Ruggie glared up at Leona who let out a sigh.

"Right, and?" Leona huffed looking away.

Ruggie sighed his expression softening a little. "Still... I couldn't stand seeing that pathetic look on your face. That smug, sneering grin of yours suits you better. So come on laugh with me!" Ruggie cast his signature spell, forcing Leona to smile.

"Owww! Ruggie what are you doin'?" Leona tried to talk around the broad smile plastered on his face.

Ruggie let out a laugh. "I can't tell you how long I've wanted to do this!"

"Knock it off! Now!" Leona hissed still mirroring all of Ruggie's movements.

Jack shook his head a smile forming on his lips. "You guys are a bunch of idiots..." He let out a laugh as he watched Leona and Ruggie.

"Everything is going to be alright now." Celeste said watching them with an amused expression.

"I have you to thank for this. I owe you one." Jack said turning to look at her. After a moment he hesitantly asked, "... Was all that stuff about you being a princess true?"

"I have no reason to lie about it. However, that is in the past now so please don't treat me any differently than you already are." Celeste smiled up at him and he nodded.

"I don't understand. Did I miss something?" Riddle gave her a confused look after overhearing their exchange.

"Oh man, you totally missed out on some mad Celeste lore. I'll tell you about it later!" Cater said grinning as he gave her a wink.

"Hey, headmage what about my reward you promised?!" Grim glared up at Crowley who was getting ready to leave.

"Oh... Um oh, dear. I'm afraid it's far too late. The tournament brackets have already been announced. What to do...?" He glanced nervously at Celeste sensing her frown.

"Headmage does it have to be part of the tournament officially? Could we make it a sort of warm-up match?" Celeste suggested seeing that Crowley was drawing a blank.

Crowley's head snapped up at her suggestion. "Ah! Yes! That's a brilliant idea, Celeste. However, we will need to work out the other players for your team and an opposing team as well..."

Ace and Deuce both perked up at hearing this and made their way over next to Celeste. "If you need teammates we could help you out." Deuce spoke up looking eager.

"What are you doing? You're members of Heartslabyul!" Riddle frowned at them.

"There's no rule sayin' we can't play for another dorms team." Ace said with a shrug and Trey let out a chuckle.

"He's right! I guess no one thought that would ever happen so no one ever wrote it down." He chuckled.

"I didn't do all that to sit back and cheer for you guys. If I'm getting the chance I wanna play!" Ace said with a grin.

"I'm not like him Celeste! I just want to help you out!" Deuce gave her an earnest look, not wanting her to get the wrong idea.

"Thank you I appreciate it. Both of you... Even if you're doing it for yourself." Celeste said eyeing Ace who tried his best to look indifferent.

"If you need someone to play against, Savanaclaw will be happy to help." Jack announced earning annoyed looks from Leona and Ruggie.

"Jack? Are you sure?" Celeste raised an eyebrow at him. She was surprised he'd offered the assistance of his entire dorm and even more surprised that Leona hadn't stopped him.

Jack nodded. "Of course. We'll give you a good game. After all, we owe you one. You guys don't have a problem with it right?" Jack glanced back at Ruggie and Leona.

Ruggie let out a sigh. "... Yeah sure. What's one more game when we're already on the brink of exhaustion? You're a monster, Jack."

Leona let out a snort. "I don't even care anymore. Come on and take your best shot, herbivores. It may be a warmup match but we won't be playing around here. You better be ready for us."

Crowley let out a sigh of relief. "Ah, splendid. You only need three more members for your team."

Grim let out a frustrated hiss while Celeste thought for a moment. "Oh! Why don't we ask the other members of Ramshackle?" She said after a moment and Grim frowned at her.

"What? There's only us two!" Grim huffed but she shook her head.

"There's no rule against ghosts playing is there?" She smiled and Grim perked up.

"That's right! One of them said he used to be a real good player!" Grim exclaimed hopping up and down with excitement.

"Alright now that everything's decided hurry off to the tournament site." Crowley announced and everyone turned to leave.

Jack paused and smiled down at her. "C'mon Celeste." He said his eyes were filled with warmth as he motioned for Celeste to go ahead of him.

Thirty minutes later, they were all in position on the field. The murmurs of the crowd filled the air as the starting whistle blew announcing the start of the game.

Having no magic, there wasn't much Celeste could do. Halfway through the game she was starting to feel like a dead weight. The Savanaclaw students weren't even bothering to try and hit her with their spells and were ignoring her completely. She saw the disk flying towards their goal and decided she'd had enough. She darted forward and caught the metal disk with one hand earning a loud gasp from the spectators. The Savanaclaw players gave her stunned looks as she in almost the same moment, hurled the disk across the field and through the goal, actually scoring their first point.

There was a roar from the crowd as the Savanaclaw students gawked at her. She noticed Leona narrowed his eyes at her from across the field as they regrouped.

As the next play started she noticed someone in the stands that looked familiar. She frowned and squinted as she watched the man with sky-blue hair and tan skin make his way through the stands as if he was searching for someone. He turned and his green eyes meet hers.

"Zaphiel?" She said incredulously her blue eyes wide. She was so distracted that she didn't hear the warning shouts of her teammates until it was too late. She veered around only to be smacked directly in the forehead by the Spelldrive disk, knocking her off her feet.

She could hear he teammates running towards her as she clutched her head, squinting in pain. However, before they could reach her someone was already helping her to her feet. "Wow, Celeste, that hit you so hard I felt it."

Celeste blinked as she turned to see Uriel standing next to her with a grin on his face. He was wearing a white medic uniform with a cap tilted slightly so it obscured his face. He raised his hand signaling to her teammates that she was alright. "Don't worry! I'll take her to the infirmary!" He called out to them as they gave her concerned looks.

Uriel walked with her off the field, stopping when they were out of sight. He gave her a sheepish look. "So now... Could you tell me where the infirmary is?"

She chuckled and lead him to the campus infirmary. It was empty since the tournament had just barely started.

"Uriel, what are you doing here?" She asked as she sat down on one of the empty beds.

"I haven't seen you in a while and I had a bad feeling. Like you were in danger." Uriel frowned as he looked her over, despite not having any actual medic experience.

"That must have been because Leona overblotted. But it's all over now, really there's no reason to come running to my rescue." Celeste tried to reassure him but he grimaced slightly.

"I know you can take care of yourself it's just... It's difficult without you at home. We're all worried about you. Father's been pushing petitions to the elders to revoke your sentence but you know how long that takes..." Uriel trailed off, looking uncharacteristically stressed.

Celeste looked away feeling guilty. "...Uriel was that Zaphiel I saw earlier?" She asked after a heavy pause.

Uriel let out a light laugh. "Probably. He insisted on coming with me this time. I ditched him at the food stands so he's probably still out looking for me." He chuckled.

"We've always given him a hard time haven't we?" She chuckled, recalling all the times when they'd given him the slip as children. Uriel laughed and nodded his blue eyes twinkling with mischief.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a couple of vials of medicine. He set them on the table next to her.

"Here you should take some... I know the hit on the head probably didn't do much but if you've been fighting overblotted mages it couldn't hurt." He said with a concern returning to his gaze.

"Now that really is overdoing it." She huffed but took one of the vials anyway. "And it's not even mixed with anything. It's the pure potion." She groaned dreading the taste.

"Sorry, it was all I could grab at the moment." Uriel shrugged and she closed her eyes and downed the golden liquid in one go, shuttering at the bitter taste. She felt the potion spread through her, causing a warming sensation.

"By the way, where did you get that outfit?" Celeste eyed his white medic uniform curiously.

"Oh! This is actually one of my magic tools!" Uriel grinned and pointed to a brooch pinned to his pocket. It was a clear stone filled with a rainbow of different colored fragments. "I'm calling it the camouflage pin. It changes my outfit to match to situation. Here watch." He tapped it and the stone flashed before his clothes changed into the Night Raven College uniform.

"Oh, that's new! When did you make that?" Celeste asked but before he could answer Ace, Deuce, and Grim came running into the infirmary.

"Celeste! Are you all right?!" Deuce called out stopping when he saw Uriel.

"I'm alright. It was just a bump on the head." Celeste reassured them. Grim hopped up onto the bed inspecting her forehead.

"I'm sorry Celeste! I didn't mean to hit ya!" He apologized his blue eyes wide.

"...Wow you already got a pet here?" Uriel leaned forward looking at Grim curiously.

Grim whipped around and glared at him. "I ain't no pet! I'm a powerful mage! Who are you anyway?" He huffed puffing out his chest.

"Relax Grim. He was just making sure I'm ok." Celeste said glancing at Uriel.

"Your friend is fine. She just needs some rest, so I'll be on my way." Uriel turned to leave giving her one last concerned look before slipping out the door.

Ace, Deuce, and Grim left after she told them to go finish watching the game. The potion, being in its pure form, made her sleepy and she found her eyes drifting shut as she fell into a deep sleep.

When she opened her eyes again it was dark outside. She sat up in her bed and saw that the infirmary was now full of students, many of them Savanaclaw.

"Oh hey, Celeste is awake!" Grim stood up on the edge of her bed where he'd been curled up.

Ace and Deuce got up from their chairs and walked over to her bedside. "Did ya have a nice nap? You were out for ages." Ace said with a smirk. Both he and Deuce appeared to be uninjured.

"That medicine he gave me... Made me drowsy. Why are you all here? You don't appear to be hurt." Celeste said with a small yawn as she stretched.

"W-well, um... You took that hit to the head and you slept for so long after... We just wanted to make sure you were ok." Deuce mumbled his cheeks turning a light shade of pink.

"Yeah, I was kinda weird seeing you sleeping so much... You slept through the entire tournament." Ace said rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

"I did? Who won?" Celeste asked her eyes wide.

"The grand champion was Diasomnia house." Leona sighed from the bed next to hers.

"In the end, there was nothing we could do... It certainly didn't help that we took a beating from every other dorm on the way to the finals." Ruggie said from his bed on Leona's other side.

"I'd heard rumors, but man, seeing Diasomnia's Housewarden in action... That dude does NOT mess around." Ace said his crimson eyes wide.

"Yeah, he was incredible. You wouldn't have believed it Celeste." Deuce added with a nod.

"I have to say that point you scored was pretty impressive Celeste. I bet you'd be a formidable player if you're magic wasn't sealed." Jack said from his chair, his ears twitching. Out of all the Savanaclaw students, he was in the best shape with only a few scrapes and bruises.

Celeste chuckled. "Why thank you, Jack. We happen to have a similar game to Spelldrive in my world so that's probably why."

"Hmph. I'll admit you caught us off guard. It won't happen again." Leona huffed though, in the dimly lit room, she could make out a slight smirk on his face.

"Oh? You think so?" Celeste smiled cryptically and Leona snorted unfazed.

Just then a small boy ran into the infirmary, waving his hands in excitement as he darted over to Leona's bed. "Unca! There you are! I finally found you!" He cried out jumping into Leona's bed.

"Unca Leona!" The boy was a lion beastman with tan skin and bright orange hair. Leona groaned as the small boy clamored on top of him.

"Unca Leona?" Jack asked confused as the boy sat on Leona's chest.

"This furball's my brother's son, Cheka. You know... My nephew." Leona grimaced and everyone gasped.

"So he's next in line for the throne?" Ruggie said gawking at the small boy riding Leona like a horse.

"I saw you play, Unca! You were so cool! Next time I visit teach me how to play!" Cheka bounced excitedly.

"Fine. Fine. Just stop screamin' in my ear." Leona groaned flattening his ears. "Where're all your attendants? They gotta be tearin' their hair out lookin' for you!"

"I couldn't wait to see you, Unca, so I left them all behind!" Cheka said with a mischievous smile.

"Aww, Leona he looks up to you." Celeste said earning a glare from the exhausted lion man.

"Attendants can be rather dull. I'm afraid my brother and I gave ours hard time as well." Celeste chuckled and Cheka turned to her tilting his head curiously.

"Who are you? Are you a princess?" He asked her his brown eyes wide.

"I was once upon a time. Now go easy on your uncle now. He's had a rough day, he needs rest." Celeste said getting out of her bed and walking towards him.

"Is that true Unca? Are you gonna be ok?" Cheka turned back to Leona who let out another groan.

"Yes! I'll be fine if you get off." He grumbled and Cheka slid off him onto the floor.

"I'm sure he'll want to talk to you later." Celeste comforted the slightly downcast Cheka.

"You said you're a princess right? Of what kingdom? Are you gonna marry Unca Leona?" Cheka turned his attention to her and started bombarding her with questions, the last of which caused Leona to choke on air.

"Oh no! I'm not going to marry anyone!" Celeste said quickly throwing her hands up. "H-how about this! I'll sing you a song until your attendants come and get you how does that sound?!" Celeste tried to distract him away from herself.

Cheka seemed to perk up at this. "Ok! I like songs!"

"What? A song?" Jack frowned skeptical of her methods.

"Celeste is actually a really good singer. You're all in for a treat." Ace said with a shrug.

Celeste felt everyone's eyes on her as she cleared her throat.

"Look at this stuff isn't it neat?

Wouldn't you think my collections complete?

Wouldn't you think I'm the girl, the girl who got everything?

I've got gems and jewels a plenty

Diamonds and sapphires galore

You want gold coins? I've got many

But who cares? I want more"

Singing Celeste made her way over to the window, the moonlight highlighting her silhouette.

"I wanna be where the people are

I wanna see, wanna see them dancin'

Down where they walk, down where they run

Down where they spend all day in the sun

Wandering free- wish I could be

Part of that world

What would I give if I could live out of these skies?

What would I pay to lay in the grass?

When's it my turn?

Wouldn't I love, love to explore that world down below?

Out of the skies... Wish I could be... Part of that world."

Celeste finished her song and Cheka clapped happily. Celeste was glad he enjoyed it, she distinctly remembered singing it as a little girl. She had so badly wanted to to the human world.

As if on cue, Cheka's attendant's arrived and escorted him away much to Leona's relief.

"I don't get it, Celeste, if you had all that stuff why'd you want to see a bunch of regular people doing boring stuff?" Grim asked after they'd gone.

"Because I wanted to help them. I wanted to make something of myself. I suppose in the end I got my wish- just not the way I wanted." Celeste said after a moment and everyone grew quiet.

"Celeste... So you helped a commoner and that's why they sent you here and sealed your magic?" Deuce asked trying to piece everything together.

"Ah, something like that." Celeste said feeling the familiar twinge of guilt at not being able to be honest with her friends.

"What?! THAT'S why you're here?!" Jack said aghast flattening his ears as be looked at her.

"It's getting late now. I think we should all head back to our dorms don't you?" Celeste said once again changing the subject.

Ace, Deuce, and Jack glanced at each other before begrudgingly heading out the door, leaving those who were injured in the infirmary. Celeste stayed behind as well, walking over to Leona.

"May I speak with you for a moment?" She asked standing at his bedside.

"Do I have a choice?" He grumbled and she took that as a yes.

"... You're closer to being a king than you realize Leona." Celeste said softly and Leona stiffened.

"Being king is leading your people through hard times and making tough decisions for them. That's what my father always taught me. Your dorm sees you as their king and I'm sure where ever you go your kingdom will follow, as loyal as they are." She continued but Leona stayed silent and she wondered if she'd said too much.

"My apologies. I shouldn't have brought it up. I'll take my leave." She turned to leave but was still able to hear Leona whisper "Thanks." As she left the infirmary.

#twisted wonderland #twisted wings #twisted wonderland fan fiction #twisted wonderland female oc #leona kingscholar #ace trappola #deuce spade #cater diamond #trey clover #ruggie bucchi #jack howl #twst grim #twst silver #azul Ashengrotto #jade leech #floyd leech #sebek zigvolt #lilia vanrouge

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