ALWAYS REBLOG WHEN YOU SEE SOMETHING LIKE THIS PLEASE; ITS SO MUCH MORE THAN IMPORTANT TO PEOPLE. IT MEANS EVERYTHING TO SOMEBODY AND EVEN THOUGH YOU MIGHT NOT SEE THIS IN THE SAME LIGHT, SOMEONE MIGHT. INFACT YOU REBLOGGING THIS COULD STOP SOMEONE TAKING THEIR LIFE TONIGHT.
These numbers are important to know! They have saved my life more times than I want to admit. And if you donāt want to call these hotlines, message me! I will help you any way that I can. Or talk to someone that you can trust.
Just remember, no matter how hard it is, thereāll always be someone who will do anything in their power to help. If you donāt have that person, Iām here, no matter what. You can always reach out to me.
I donāt post at all (Though I plan to). But In times when I needed stuff like this, I didnāt have anything of the sort, but I know there are people who genuinely need this information, so please think about rebloging this. And if you need any of theses numbers, please call them.
Iāve seen a lot of posts on my dash tonight about users who are threatening suicide, with other Tumblr members posting in effort to try to get ahold of them. I think you all should see this:
IF THERE IS EVER A TUMBLR USER WHO HAS POSTED A GOOD-BYE MESSAGE, SUICIDE NOTE, VIDEO, OR ANYTHING OF THE SORT, PLEASE FOLLOW THIS POST.
1. Scroll to the top of your dashboard.
2. See the circular question mark icon at the top? Itās the third one over from your home symbol. Click on that, and a screen similar to the one in the picture will come up.
3. Where you can type in questions, the box with the magnifying glass at the top, type in the word āsuicide.ā
4. Click on the first link that shows up. It should say, āPass the URL of the blog on to us.ā
5. Type in the userās URL and tell Tumblr admin that the user is contemplating suicide and has posted a message indicating that they are going through with it or will be attempting. Hit send! Tumblr administration will perform a number of actions to contact the user and take the necessary steps to prevent the suicide.
TUMBLR: THIS COULD SAVE A USERāS LIFE. PLEASE DO NOT IGNORE SUICIDE THREATS.
Reblog this to keep other users aware. Suicide isnāt a joke, and neither is someoneās life. If you didnāt know this, someone else may not, either. Pass it on.
Isasayaw kita... Mamahalin kita hanggang sa walang hanggan.
(I will dance with you... I will love you until the end of time.)
Thank you to the 5000+ followers who listen to my little stories about Malleus every day. And coincidentally an extra 143 followers to say (I) (LOVE) (YOU) to the goodest dragon boy as well as all of us within this little circle of happiness. May our days flourish with as much love as our favorite diwata holds for us. šøšš
happy pride month guys. to celebrate, mostro lounge will be serving the same exact drinks except in RAINBOW cups. of course they cost more who do you think we are
cw: reader is yuu, major character death, descriptions of violence/injury, mentions of fae heat (brief, sfw), pmmm inspired, yandere-ish
For the first few hundred years of his life, Malleus is convinced he doesnāt have a soulmate. While other children gleefully show off small scrapes and bruises that magically appear on their skin, Malleusā own remained blemish free. He wonders if perhaps his soulmate is simply being considerate; trying to save him from harm by living a careful life.
He remembers when Silver first got a scrape on his knee, how the seven-year-old had started crying when it appeared. Lilia had consoled him and taken care of the injury, telling his son what it meant. By the end, young Silver had shed tears of excitement for the future.
A bittersweet feeling climbed Malleusā throat at Liliaās words to his son - fate, destiny, soulmates - it seemed the world had simply forgotten about him. Perhaps that was his destiny: to rule Briar Valley undistracted and alone, concentrating only on his kingdom. While uncommon, it wasnāt impossible - there certainly existed some unlucky enough to be born without one.
Five hundred years later and the time in which Malleus wished for a soulmate has long passed. The thought rarely crossed his mind anymore - it was no different than any other loneliness heād felt it in his life. Unlike other children, heād grown up without his parents. Just the same, heād do fine without a soulmate.
The morning of NRCās orientation on his third year, Malleus feels a sharp scratch on his arm, like that of the cat which had scratched him as a child when attempting to flee his touch. Itās faint and quick, and his fae blood means any visible mark is gone within a second. Malleus pulls down his sleeve anyway, eyes scrolling over the area of his wrist where heād felt it. His pale flesh is as unblemished as ever; he almost feels like heās hallucinated it.
The feeling leaves him in thought and he decides to take a walk on campus. Absorbed by the morningās events, Malleus barely takes notice of the bustling of the students around him, all preparing for something he canāt quite remember; he makes a note to ask Lilia about it later.
Malleus walks until that the sky darkens into a deep azure. The tranquility of nature is soothing to him; he feels like just another one of the trees. The birds chirp freely in his presence, uninhibited by fear or distaste. Eventually he runs into Shroud, talking to himself in the courtyard. Malleus is almost pleased at the encounter: him and his fellow dorm leader seeking to find peace in similar ways.
The pleasantries are quickly dispelled when he realizes Idia is dressed in his black ceremonial robes. Malleus is confused, and Shroud quickly becomes defensive when he questions his choice. He does not struggle with the idea for too long. Malleus figures that perhaps there are things that fae and humans simply cannot understand about each other.
His day is quickly soured when Lilia informs him that heās missed the schoolās ceremony again. The distraction of another lost opportunity means he forgets all about the strange incident from the morning.
*
Time passes quickly for Malleus, it always has. He blinks and Heartslabyulās dorm leader has overblotted. He blinks again and another Spelldrive tournament approaches.
Another late night, Malleus escapes Diasomnia dorm to take a walk by himself. He only has so long before Sebek realizes he is gone, so the prince makes haste to his usual spot.
Ramshackle reminds him of why he enjoys nature: it is another place where Malleus can simply exist amongst the gargoyles, where his presence causes no disturbance and nothing to change. It seems this kind of peace can only exist for him in places abandoned by others.
The solitude heās enjoyed so long is shattered when this time, the dorm is not empty. A child of man walks out from the gates of the dorm, rubbing their eyes and dressed in simple clothing.
You seem as surprised to see him as he is by you. It catches Malleus even further by surprise that you do not cower at his appearance.
You offer your name, and Malleus finds it unusual. He is certainly well read, having been educated on all major parts of the world since he was a child (it wouldnāt do well for a prince to be aware of only his own kingdom), and yet, he has never heard of your name. He doesnāt dwell on the details, certainly it could be the mistake of the outdated nature of Briar Valleyās texts.
Malleus decides not to offer you his own name. He wonders if perhaps keeping it to himself would help maintain the serenity of Ramshackle; without his name, perhaps you will still treat him as just another person. He silently mourns the loss of this space, and vows to find more ruins in which he can find peace.
*
The next time Malleus sees you, you call him āTsunotaro,ā and he laughs for the first time in a while. Heād thought maybe you were bluffing last time, pretending not to know who he really was. Your bravery to call him by this nickname is delightfully baffling.
You tell him about Azul and the contract, and Malleus almost feels sorry for how pitiful and doe-eyed you look. Itās not as though he canāt understand the sentiment. In a way, heās grown fond of Ramshackle too. He leaves you with words of encouragement and disappears into the night.
*
Three days later, Malleus drops to his knees in his room, feeling like his bones are being crushed into dust. The pressure is so overwhelming he passed out.
He awakens on the bed of his room, with Sebek standing by his bedside. As soon as the half-fae sees his eyes flutter, Sebek is yelling out for Lilia and Silver to come. Malleus groans at Sebekās loudness and lightly chastises him. He immediately apologizes in a softer tone as the two others come rushing in.
The prince moves his arms and legs, relieved to find them in tact. Although he feels sore, his bones and tissue are not fractured and split as he worried. He wonders if heās dreamt the pain; it feels like a distant memory. The only thing that remains is a sort of empty pit in his stomach, but he supposes itās likely because he hasnāt eaten. Lilia checks up on Malleus, pressing his small hand to his forehead.
āStrangeā, his guardian remarks. āA faeās first heat is often painful, but it shouldnāt have been for someone like you. Well, at least it seems you slept through the worst of it.ā
Malleus isnāt sure what it should feel like, but the crushing of bones definitely seems extreme. Still, he accepts Liliaās explanation for his condition easy enough. He retained no actual injury, so there doesnāt seem to be any explanation other than his own body.
*
When Malleus feels well enough to return to his duties as housewarden, Lilia explains the situation he had been hiding from Malleus while he was in his incapacitated state.
It seems Ashengrotto was more dangerous than Malleus gave him credit for. Kingscholar and a few other students had stopped his overblot, but during the fight, destruction to the nearby dorm building caused a student to be crushed and killed.
Lilia explains the chaos that the school has been thrown into while heās been asleep, the attempt at damage control by Crowley, and Azulās further breakdown once heād realized what heād done.
Ashengrotto was hardly Malleusā favourite fellow housewarden, but his situation was terribly sad. He knew, despite his greediness and flaws, that Azul was not a bad person.
*
As he walks around campus, the courtyard is empty of students. Malleus loves the quiet, but not like this. This kind of quiet is constrictive, like oxygen has left the air and Malleus can no longer breathe. He spots a single student walk down the hall, so distracted that he fails to even notice Malleus as he walks past.
The next few days pass in a similar silence. It seems even those who did not know the student who was killed are shaken by the event. Ashengrotto has left the school and gone home; Malleus isnāt sure if it was by choice or not.
Lilia encourages Malleus to attend the vigil for the student who died, stating his attendance to be important both as a housewarden and the future king of Briar Valley.
The two of them walk to the vigil, accompanied by Silver and Sebek. Malleus is so lost in thought that he doesnāt realize theyāve walked the path to Ramshackle dorm.
Itās then that he spots the giant picture of you, printed on a canvas, set in front of the dorm gates. You smile in the picture, but he can tell you were caught off guard by whoever took the picture. Itās not unflattering, but heās surprised they chose that one. It seems more like a causal picture taken by a friend than one meant for a funeral. When he asks Cater later on, heāll learn it was one of the few anyone had of you. The picture is surrounded by white candles, probably twenty or so.
Blue hair catches his eye and Malleus notices the two freshman boys heād occasionally spot with you standing off to the side of the portrait. The redhead keeps his gaze cast down, but the blue-haired boy is unable to keep the tears from spilling down his cheeks. Malleus imagines if he was any closer, heād be able to hear the soft sobs spill from his lips.
Malleus doesnāt realize heās stopped walking until Lilia is ushering him quietly to stand behind the crowd. At his height, heās still able to see over the rest of the students. A blur of grey flashes by his eyes as something runs between legs to the front of the crowd.
Grim sits frozen at the bottom of your portrait for a moment, the rest of the students going silent as they watch him. Malleus notices Leona standing off to the side of the crowd beside Ruggie, the two of them looking as glum as heās seen; itās strange for him to see the prince without his usual smirk or sneer.
The cry that breaks the silence a moment later replays in Malleusā head for days. Grimās grief at your death haunts him; the more he remembers it, the more the pit in his stomach grows.
Itās the pity that sets Malleus on his next decision. This experience, this loss the campus has faced has undeniably changed things. He feels sorry for you and your friends, of course, but mostly Malleus hates the silence he can no longer escape.
Malleus doesnāt bother telling Lilia; his guardian would likely try to stop him, but Malleus knows heās in no danger. His grandmother had given him the magic shield only because she knew he could handle it.
The prince straps the small, metal shield to his wrist, before spinning itās round edges until it aligns with his designated mark.
*
Malleus finds himself two days before Azulās overblot. He knows heāll have to do something before his heat becomes too much of an issue for him to intervene. The fae sneaks away from his guards in the middle of the night to place magic-resistance charms on the Octavinelle building; he hopes itāll be enough to prevent your death and all its fallout.
The next two days play out just as before. Malleus finds this part of time-hopping quite tedious; the repetitive nature of reliving the same days over and over again. Although he supposes it isnāt much different than how he normally feels through the school year. Without extra events to attend, his routine is rather simple. Unchanging, even. That is the life of a fae as old as him; every day feels the same.
Some minor things feel a bit different than before: Malleus hadnāt remembered Kingscholar glaring at him from across the hall the last time around. The behaviour isnāt unusual for Leona, so Malleus doesnāt think too hard about it.
Malleus mentions to Lilia about his ābad feelingā regarding Ashengrotto; he hopes it will be enough to entice him to keep watch of the situation while Malleus is forced to stay in his room and face his heat.
The prince waits in his room, staring at his stone ceiling. He anticipates the pain, but as the sky turns dark and his room is only lit by candlelight, nothing comes. His bones do not crush and his head does not splinter. He wonders if heās made a mistake; could casting a simple spell and telling Lilia about the incident change enough to not have his heat come?
*
Malleus goes to see you once more after Ashengrotto is dealt with. He doesnāt expect to feel soā¦strange seeing you alive again. You thank him for the advice heād never intended, but he canāt help but feel an unusual happiness at hearing you bring up the gargoyles.
He doesnāt see you for a while after that, but itās difficult not to think of you. Things become busy, and so he sends you a holiday card to make up for his lack of visits. He feels oddly upset at your lack of reply. Perhaps youāve discovered his identity and no longer wishā¦Malleus perishes the thought and resolves himself to return to your dorm when he can.
*
The next time you meet, snow covers the ground around Ramshackle. Something else has changed too; you look happy. He finds that the faint red that dusts your cheeks and nips at your noseā¦ it becomes you.
When you pass him the tickets, Malleus starts to hear his pulse ring in his ears. Surely heās misunderstood your intent? Your casual demeanour does nothing to quell his surprise.
Malleus composed himself before thanking you and promising to attend. He goes back to Diasomnia and makes Sebek vow to ensure he makes it there. He hates to use the half-faeās devotion for his personal needs, but Malleus refuses to disrespect you by failing to attend the first event heās been personally invited to since coming the NRC.
Thereās still days before the event, but Malleus canāt stop thinking about the encounter. He isā¦ambivalent about you. In a way, youāve given him hope and that is much worst than those like Kingscholar who outright reject his presence. You donāt know him, and so you do not fear him. Is it truly possible that his name and his position is all that keeps others away? Or perhaps you are special; Malleus allows himself to believe for a moment that you might accept him anyway, before banishing the thought to somewhere it will not harm him.
*
The day of the SDC, Sebek reminds him repeatedly of itās time, and insists on guiding him to the event. Malleus declines Sebekās request when he happens to feel a dull pain shoot against his shoulder, like heās been hit by something heavy. He checks his body but no bruise colours his skin. Still, Malleus grows increasingly restless as he wonders, so decides to head over early.
This time, he watches your death in real time.
Schoenheitās overblot form rages above you all. Malleus approaches the group, intending to step in, but sees the release of the poison mist a second too late. As the purple haze consumes your body, Malleus feels an uncomfortable feeling in his chest. When you fall to the ground, he feels his limbs grow weak and heavy. Suddenly, any pain is gone, and you have grown still.
The others are distracted by subduing Vil, not yet noticing your fallen form behind them. Malleus approaches you silently, and his stomach begins to turn the closer he gets. When he catches sight of the blood trailing down your left shoulder, he does not stop to help the students that now call his name.
*
Malleus turns his shield and heās back in his room. Heās left himself a couple days before the SDC, just enough time to fix things.
Malleus wonders if you have any idea that he is your soulmate. He wonders how you would feel. Pleased? Ambivalent? Afraid?
He pauses on the last possibility and stays there until he is overwhelmed by a tight feeling in his stomach.
Part of him is angry as well. Malleus is one of the most powerful mages in this world, but the universe has decided his fate was to be bonded to a fragile human, and a magicless one at that.
He dismisses the thought as soon as it comes. No, it all makes sense. Malleus is strong precisely because you are weak; he was made to keep you safe, to protect you from anything that would seek to harm you. He knows that now.
If destiny has ensured you be bonded together, he will ensure it is forever.
*
Malleus sees you again, but now he only watches from afar. Itās strange to see you in this new light.
You are his soulmate. Someone the universe designed for him; someone who would be forced to accept him.
He casts a spell of invisibility as he approaches you, sitting outside Ramshackle with Grim. The two of you bicker gently, but Malleus is too focused on his goal to really notice. He casts charms of protection and invulnerability on you, and slips away as quickly as he can.
Malleus intends to leave, but heās held in place by the sound of your laughter; it rings free and clear. He flees the scene before he can think too long about why the sound replays in his mind.
*
When the day of the SDC finally comes once again, Malleus is sure to enter the stadium early enough to sit in the shadows in case he needs to intervene.
His protection spells work as intended, and he only reveals itself when itās time to reconstruct the stadium - he still has a show to watch, after all.
The othersā shock at your friendliness with him is quite amusing. Malleus imagines the surprise theyād feel if they knew you were his soulmate too.
Although he hadnāt really wanted to do it this way, Malleus figured that itās necessary to reveal his real identity to you now; if you are to be his forever, thereās no reason to spare you the details.
Your continued use of the former nickname youād given him pleases Malleus. It confirms to him what heād believed - soulmates were obligated to love each other, no matter what. Even the fearful reactions of your friends did not serve to deter you from him. How could they? The two of you were meant to be.
*
In the days following the SDC, Malleus contemplates how to tell you that the two of you are soulmates. The matter is rather delicate and although the two of you are in a good place, heād rather not reverse his progress.
He decides to consult Lilia, who is both surprised and overjoyed when Malleus shares the news. His guardian advises him not to rush into things, but rather to begin a courting process before revealing the truth, so as to not scare you away. Unfortunately, Malleus doesnāt have much experience in the area.
His first strategy is one traditional of his family; the giving of gifts over a period of seven days. Malleus sends letters back to Briar Valley to bring him the most expensive and desirable collection of jewelry and artifacts in the royal familyās care. Malleusā grandmother writes back in congratulations and sends what he requested.
Unfortunately, he failed to account for the cultural differences between fae and humans. One night as he stops to chat with you outside Ramshackle, you pull out one of the gifts heād left at your doorstep: an ancient necklace, said to be blessed by the original thorn fairy herself.
Malleus prepares himself to finally reveal the truth to you, excited that youāve finally acknowledged his courting.
Then you tell him that youāre afraid you have a stalker and ask if heās seen anyone lurking around Ramshackle, claiming that ācursedā objects have been left anonymously at your doorstep.
Malleus takes a moment to compose himself (itās a little rude of you to call his gift ācursedā) before promising to keep a look out.
He goes to Silver that very night to ask him about human courting rituals. Silver explains the concept of ādatingā to Malleus, and that night, the prince asks you to accompany him to dinner at the Mostro Lounge.
Malleus feels the excitement bloom in his chest when, after walking you home from dinner, you ask him to attend a play with you the following week.
*
The two of you go on many dates, until heās begun spending the free time he has at Ramshackle.
Sitting on your couch, he makes a mental note to make renovations to some of the older furniture when he has a chance. Heād like to preserve the ruins look of the building, but not at the cost of your discomfort.
The doorbell rings, and youāre jumping off the couch to answer the door. Ace and Deuce stand outside with bags of snacks in hand. They smile at you, but just a bit of that happiness drops at the sight of him on the couch.
Your best friends havenāt exactly taken well to his newfound presence. The feeling isnāt entirely not mutual - itās them who should apologize for taking so much of your time. Youāre his soulmate after all, not theirs. You usher them inside and they take a seat on the chairs farthest from the couch.
āSorry, Malleus, I totally forgot I made plans with them to come over earlier. Is it possible for us to watch the movie another time?ā
āOf course, my love,ā Malleus says, watching intently as your friends wince at the pet name. āI will see you tomorrow for tea with Lilia?ā
At your nod, a small smirk rises to his face as he approaches you, dropping a small kiss on your lips as he departs. He notes the embarrassed and disgruntled look your friends faces; as much as he hates to let them see you in any intimate way, he needs them to know their place before he leaves.
*
One day, Malleus walks in on Deuce holding you. Your arms are awkwardly grasping at his shoulders, and he grips underneath your arms. Itās clear youāve fallen, and yet Malleus canāt help but let the picture freeze in his mind; it burns into his memory.
Deuce helps you stand properly before the two of you let go of each other. You apologize and thank him awkwardly; the two of you havenāt even noticed him.
Malleus greets you from the doorway and both of you flinch in surprise. You gesture him inside, telling him all about the āfunny storyā that just happened with Deuce.
He tries to sleep that night, but every time he closes his eyes, Malleus sees you in Deuceās arms. He knows thereās nothing between you; it was an accident, and you love him after all.
*
Malleus makes the decision to reveal that heās your soulmate the next time you two are alone. That happens to be two days later, once again on the Ramshackle couch.
He told you he wanted to discuss something serious, and he feels terrible at how anxious you look from across the table. Malleus wordlessly takes a small needle heād brought with him and gently pricks his index finger.
You just stare at him, bewildered. Malleus takes your hand, flipping it palm-side up. No red pools on your finger, and no indentation appears either.
Itās his turn to stare in confusion. Every time youāve been injured, heās felt it. All your deaths, heās felt. Youāre human, you should not be healing this fast. He tells you as much.
āIs-Is this about soulmates, Malleus?ā Your eyes flick up to his, voice wavering a bit. You glance back down to your lap as your hand rises to scratch at your neck. āIn my world, we donāt have soulmates. Iām sorry, I shouldāve been honest with you before, but I was worried that if you knew I wasnāt your soulmate that you wouldnāt want to be together anymore.ā
The words echo in his ears, but he canāt understand them. A world without soulmatesā¦? But how?
āIām sorry to ask this of you, but will you prick your finger. Just a tiny amount will do.ā
āMalleus, I-ā
āAnd please, keep an eye on my hand.ā
You frown but nod. You prick your hand, wincing at the sensation, eyes flicking down to his own finger, eyes taking in the slight prick that appeared before quickly closing.
Malleus holds his breath as your face blooms into a myriad of emotions: confusion, shock, uncertainty, and finally a smile.
You launch yourself at him, capturing his lips in his very first kiss, and for once, Malleus does not think. He only feels the brush of your soft lips against his own inexperienced ones, following your lead. The moment lasts forever in his mind, but you still pull away too soon.
āMalleus, Iām sorry youāre not my soulmate but Iām so happy youāre mine~ā
Your words unsettle him, but before he can think of it too long, you pull him into another kiss.
*
Things pass normally for a few days; the two of you continue to go on dates and avoid the subject of soulmates.
Malleus fears the worst when the campus is invaded, but rushing over to Ramshackle, his anxiety is temporarily relieved at the sight of you still on campus. You cry to him about Grim and he frets over your injuries - however mild, any threat to you is worth dealing with.
He begs you to stay at Diasomnia since your dorm was destroyed but you refuse. You insist on staying at Ramshackle and even ask that he not stay alongside you, promising that you can handle yourself. Malleus almost does it anyway, but Lilia warns him to give you space in your grief and worry for Grim and your friends
*
He visits you one last time before heās forced to stay with Diasomnia as their dorm leader. Malleus closes his eyes as he pulls you into his arms. Now that heās had you close, being apart always feels like thereās something missing in his life, a lingering anxiety in the back of his mind that keeps scratching at his brain and ignoring the rational side of him.
The two of you stand in silence, wrapped around each other, until you pull away a couple minutes later. Giving his hand one last squeeze, you slip a pink, string bracelet on his arm, asking Malleus to keep it safe until you seem him again before encouraging him to return to help his dorm.
Malleus tries to leave but feels himself pause in the doorway. He looks back at you, sitting on your bed and staring at your phone, and gets a bad feeling.
Itās just paranoia, he rationalizes. Youāve been through so much, he canāt lose you again. But this time, youāre here and away from the action. Nothing will be able to harm you anymore while youāre on the same campus as him.
Malleus still silently casts a couple of protection spells on you before he takes his leave again.
*
He isnāt able to visit for some time after that, with his dorm leader responsibilities leaving him occupied. He knows your protection spells havenāt activated, so he tries to reassure himself while being away from you. He sends Lilia to check on you, and his guardian returns confirming your health.
Two days later, Malleus sits at a table with Lilia, Sebek, and Silver when he feels it. There is no pain, only a chill that seeps deep into his bones, stopping him mid-sentence. He feels everything at once: fear, despair, and finally, relief. The table remains silent as Malleus is struck with emotion, the others watching him in concern.
āMalleus? It is unbecoming for the future king of Briar Valley to be lost in thought mid-conversation.ā Lilia speaks with a light-hearted tone, but Malleus barely hears him.
āSomething is wrong with them. I know it,ā Malleus whispers, mostly to himself. āNo, no. Theyāre still on campus, that canāt be. You confirmed this yourself, right Lilia?ā
Liliaās pause kindles the fire of Malleusā worst fear.
āIām sorry, Malleus. They needed to help their friends, and they knew you would never allow it. But the rest of them are strong, I never thought-ā
*
The confirmation comes three hours later when the rest of the students arrive back from the Island of Woe. Lilia and Malleus rush to the group of students gathered to greet their fellow dorm mates.
You are noticeably absent.
He barely hears their words, their explanation about your sacrifice, and your fall into the underworld.
He sees the shocked faces of the other students (even Kingscholar, lacking his usual smirk), and Lilia is ushering him away before he can even think about the wetness dripping down his cheeks. Out of the corner of his eye, Malleus sees Leona try to reach them, but they are too fast for him.
The tears come full force once theyāve teleported back to Diasomnia, but he does not sob. Malleus Draconia is not someone who cries. He wipes the wetness off his face, before turning to Lilia.
āWeāll need to wipe their memories as soon as possible. The future king of Briar Valley cannot be remembered to be soā¦emotional.ā
The cold neutrality of Malleusā tone shakes even Lilia. He continues to stand, staring at the wall in concentration.
Lilia places a hand on the princeās shoulder: āMalleus, please sit down. You need to rest after whatās happened. The others can wait-ā
āNo, no, I wonāt have to, Iāll go back again and fix things. Itās simple,ā Malleus says, mostly to himself.
āGo back? Malleus, please, what are you saying?ā Lilia grabs on to both of Malleusā shoulders, but he does not break free of his conviction. āYou donāt mean-ā Malleusā lack of response confirms his suspicions. āThat watch has never been meant to be used, Malleus! It was for world-ending emergencies, for a threat to your kingdom! You have no idea what youāve done, the cost youāve had to pay-ā
āIāll see you soon, Lilia, and all will be right again.ā
āYou donāt understand! If the prefect continues to die after youāve already intervened, then that is fate! Nothing you do to change time will change the fact that they arenāt meant to survive.ā
āā¦Change time? No, weāve moved beyond that, Lilia. Iām not going to change time, Iām going to break it.ā
-
āI will help the new prefect,ā the student says. āIāll show them to Ramshackle.ā
You are sure that if Crowleyās face were not concealed by his mask it would be frozen in an expression of shock that mirrors the rest of the students.
āUh, Draconia, that is veryā¦kind of you, but it seems like a lot to trouble yourself with. You are very much needed here for orientation. Perhaps one of our vice housewardens might take care of it?ā Crowley looks around but no one steps up to contradict this āDraconia.ā
āI will be going now. Lilia, please handle the new students.ā
Before anyone can further question his decision, Draconia puts a hand on your shoulder and guides you out of the room, leaving behind silence.
*
āWhat the hell do you think youāre doing, Draconia? You think you can just- what, change the world to your perfect dream? Change time again and again just because of the prefect? These are peopleās lives youāre playing with! Weāre not here to be subjected to your stupid whims.ā
Malleus turns around to face Leona.
āAnd what, pray tell, do you plan to do about it?ā
āIām not afraid of you, overgrown lizard. You know it isnāt right, forcing us to play these roles that youāve designed. And the prefect? Forcing them to be with you? You think-ā
āDo I need to remove those petty claws of yours, Kingscholar? In fact, I bet you barely remember why youāre here.ā
Leonaās face tells all Malleus he needs to know: āI-I know youāve done something. My head, it just wonāt clear-ā
āItās best if you forget about it and play along. We wouldnāt want you to cause more problems for yourself and your friends. The prefect is easily upset - I wouldnāt want to have to do anything bad to keep the world perfect for my soulmate.ā
āHey Leona,ā Ruggie says, jogging up to the group before noticing Malleus. He stays close to Leona as he whispers to him: āYou got class in ten. You know Crewel will freak if you miss again.ā
Leona glances back at Malleus before reluctantly following Ruggie.
*
You try to be subtle as you sneak glances at him, but you donāt think youāre very successful. You donāt have a clue why this- well you donāt know very much about him but considering everyone elseās reactions - probably very powerful fae has taken an interest in you. He doesnāt glance back as he walks in front of you. The two of you continue that way until you suddenly run into something hard. You squeak out an apology but Draconia does not turn around or explain why heās stopped. His question breaks the silence.
āAre you happy, prefect?ā
āā¦Happy? I-I mean, I donāt know. I have these memories butā¦something feels off. Something is missing or different and I have no idea what. The headmaster claims I was always a student here, I just had some kind of injury but - this person doesnāt feel like me. I know these halls but I was not the one to walk them. I feel- Ah, Iām so sorry! I donāt even know you, why am I going on like this! Please forgive me, uh, sorry again but I havenāt gotten your name.ā
āMalleus,ā he says, āMalleus Draconia.ā
āSorry Malleus. We can continue toā¦my dorm. Thank you for volunteering to take me.ā
You wait for Malleus to continue walking down the hall, but he only turns around. You are taken aback by the piercing gaze of his eyes: he looks at you as though he is searching for something lost deep in you.
Malleus pulls a needle out of his robes, and you begin to sweat. He doesnāt look at you, only holding the needle to his hand before using it to prick his index finger.
You wince as you feel a prick on your own finger, swiping over the pooling blood with your thumb before looking back up at him in realization.
āYou- Youāre my soulmate? Malleus, thatās- How did you even know? Is this-ā
Youāre interrupted by a large form enveloping your body. Malleusā arms squeeze you so tight it becomes harder to breathe. You struggle instinctively, wanting this stranger to stop smothering you. Regardless of being your soulmate, you barely know him.
He lets you go, pulling away before taking your wrist and slipping a string bracelet onto your arm.
āEverything is as it should be. Thereās no need to worry, my soulmate, you are exactly where you should be, and with who you should be with.ā
I don't know what's wrong with me but I got most excited that Malleus is interviewing Deuce after Ace interviewed Malleus this year. Omfg they're really feeding me Ramshackle squad content wtf!!
Additional reminder: ALL of Grim's cards have the exact same elements as Malleus' counterpart cards. Malleus really is forcing himself in the friend group LMAO.
SAMEEE I LOVE WHEN THEYRE INCLUDING HIM WITH THE BRAINCELL SQUAD HAHSHA andd omfg yess??? ADeuceYuuGrim with Malleus on their side as well??? this ramshackle loiters would be too powerfulšš„ā¼ļøāØ
Malleus loiters around Ramshackle so much that he kinda just blended in without anyone noticing. Suddenly their squad is eating lunch with the heir apparent of an ancient country known as one of the most powerful figures of their time, and casually exchanging carrots and peas with him LOL
Jade " I wanted to let you know... During those 3 days? Floyd slept in your bed."
Floyd " Yeah. Your dorm is awful Shrimpy. You live like this? It was nicer under the coral sea."
Yuu " Its better than what my home in my world was."
Jade " That's concerning."
Yuu " Ramshackle is fine. As long as it doesn't rain, or there isnt any fire, or it doesn't get to cold..."
Floyd " Shrimpy... the more you tell us the worse it gets."
Yuu " You guys just spent 3 days there. I live there full time."
There's prolly a shit ton of decomp mold from all the weird animals that's died in there
It's like a well known fact NRC is an all boys school. So like, we get isekai'd there and we wear those ceremonial robes, right? And the uniforms, they're fit and tailored just for men. So what if, we were a girl? Would we just wear Men's uniforms? Yes! We all saw it with Yuuka, ain't no way is the school going to drop down and get special made female uniforms for one little accident! (Still, go on whatever with your imagination. I like seeing fem versions of the NRC uniform!!)
And like, as a FtM guy who was raised on wearing gender assigned uniforms his whole life, I would absolutely go ballistic. Like, live out my teen dream of finally fitting in with other guys. I've always wanted to wear the uniforms the guys wore, it always looked so comfortable and simple compared to the uniforms that the women wore. But, that'd probably leave to some challenges for me as a transgender person.
I'd have an easy time fitting in, but.. When it comes to periods.. I think I'd have a pretty rough time, because.. Where am I supposed to get sanitary items??? Especially when I'm around beastmen, I'd get my cover blown in no-time! There's no saying that some of the people there might be quite close minded towards LGBTQA+, they might even be scared! So, like.. I'm just ranting on.. But.. Even if some of them did accept me, I'd still have to face some micro aggressions.
Whatever it is that I'll have to face there (if i ever do get isekai'd), I just really hope that I'd at least get to feel comfortable living the life.
Picture Yuu and the usual group talking about some kind of trouble. Floyd totally hears this and decides oh this sounds more fun than work. Totally tells Azul he's not coming and just tags along.
The name "Malleus Draconia" and "overblot" in the same sentence is enough to make me drop out. Like, I love that big manchild but.. Ain't no way am I going to face that tantrum.
I wanna think Yuu totally asks the dormer leaders ( minus Kalim) For like a free punch or something just to call it even. Like I doubt it even hurts the dorm leaders its just something for Yuu to let loose any bad feelings before moving on.
Imagine getting into a fight with Leona and pulling his hair and biting him like those girls in high school it would be therapeutic.
Imagine you and scaramouche have a language barrier and only talk through translations and one day he started learning english so he can express his feelings to you
"I r-ryeā I ryek yuā " but he's having a hard time pronouncing it.
"Aghhh kuso! suki da! daisuki da yo!" (Aghhh damnit! i like you! i really like you!)
He's just screaming in japanese while you're waiting there for him to sizzle down so you can say you like him too.
Riddle: acts like heās fine and normal. He does hold it together until one day Trey brings out your favorite dessert during an Unbirthday Party and proceeds to have a breakdown for thirty minutes
Leona: has ruggie hang up your picture so he can use it as a dartboard <3
Azul: passes out because heās screaming and crying and throwing up so much. When he wakes up he starts sobbing again and drafting a 1000 page plan to get revenge on you
Kalim: cries for eight hours uncontrollably in his room while looking at your pictures. Goes to class the next day like nothing happened
Vil: the most normal about a breakup and handles it wellā¦ sort of. Does have an unhealthy obsession with stalking your socials and gets mad if you look a little too happy in your posts
Idia: gives a 50 paragraph long anime villain rant on how he should have seen this coming and nothing good ever stays in his life. Changes his pfp a black square and his status to āgoneā¦ā on discord
Malleus: Lilia takes him on a family outing to the beach in order to cheer him up. Stares at the beautiful sunset over the ocean while a single tear rolls down his cheek as he thinks about your relationship. Sends a messenger pigeon asking you to take him back in beautiful cursive
Malleus isnāt the type to fall in love at first sight. His curiosity might be peeked by the mysterious new prefect, but itās not as though he knows you. No, his interest is simple, and having any significant relationship with you isnāt something that even enters his mind during your earliest encounters. Youāre merely a fleeting thing, something friendly and amusing to sometimes brighten his walks around Ramshackle. As a human, youāll dance in and out of his life quickly, just as they all do.
Before, Malleus had never really concerned himself with aesthetic beauty; heād never really understood the concept of attraction beyond a superficial level. Although he could recognize conventional attractiveness, he couldnāt really see the appeal in it himself. Heād felt the same way during the early days after meeting you. Malleus didnāt think much about your appearance or really anyone elseās.
It catches him off guard one day when he finds himself noticing things about you. Itās your eyes that draw him in. Pretty eyes, he thinks for the first time while you tell him about your day. Heās unsettled by the way he canāt bring himself to look away, and it shakes him so much that he quickly excuses himself away from you.
Human bodies were just lines and edges to him before, arbitrary shapes. As Malleus walks with you, he notices your form next; the curves of your shoulders, your exposed collarbone. It feels like you transform before him from an abstract painting to a portrait lovely beyond life. The feeling of uncertainty comes again, and this time itās accompanied by a pit in his stomach that Malleus doesnāt quite know how to deal with.
Now, he knows you. Youāve spent more time together than he couldāve imagined when he first met you. He knows the beauty of your eyes because they tell your story. He knows the kindness of your heart by tracing a lifetime of memories across your shoulders and down your back. Malleus feels drawn to your lips because he knows what sweetness they sing. He knows you, and thus he loves you.
