"Don't You Dare Look Away From Us!"
Synopsis: An artist who knows drawing is their only talent, and overworks themselves even if they don't feel like it, you forget to do anything else regarding self-care. In which the staff of NRC are tired of seeing how you treat yourself and break out of your phone.
SELF AWARE AU : NRC STAFF
I'm doing this PURELY out of self indulgence and because I somehow love the staff more than the students. I'll probably ALSO write the students breakin' outta your phone, if the mood strikes me right.
I was inspired by @/shiny-jr and @/bi-panicatthedisco!
Reader : GN, implied teenager or beneath the age of 18.
As the door gently opened and almost immediately closed, you sat down on your chair, turning on your iPad and opening your drawing app. It had been a long day—a very long day with exhausting people to be around. You didn't even bother to eat despite this growing body of yours, but just picked up your stylus, and started sketching with a sigh. A buzzing feeling itched up your back, taking out your phone and opening Twisted Wonderland. Skipping through the login dialogue, ignoring how Crowley was there, you upped your LP to who knows how big, and pressed on Alchemy Lessons. You placed it on the phone-holder, before going back to your notes.
Where had that smile of yours gone before? Where is it? That light in your eyes was dwindling. You ignored it. The voice lines, the dialogue Crewel was directing to you, the cold—almost worried—human stare of his, the passive-aggressive, desperate lines of Crowley—Did you not see it? Did you no longer care? That was what they thought. That was what they feared. They did not like it.
So? In spite of their voice lines being what did catch your attention, the two argued through dialogue line alone.
"Oh~ Why haven't they noticed us yet?" Crowley mourned, dipping his head down into his hands. Crewel tutted, "The pup's been ignoring us for days, now. I wonder what they were so busy with?" Sam entered the dialogue lines, despite his presence not being directly in the scene. He shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. "They didn't even play yesterday," he piped up, "There's gotta be a way we can get to them." Vargas and Trein butted into the conversation, "We can't just let them be all miserable that way! What about their muscles?" "As well as their studies? They seem to be sketching more than they do studying!"
"We break out of their phone," Vargas suggested, smacking one hand into the other. The room went silent and turned to him, save for the voice lines you heard so frequently. Trein crossed his arms, Lucius' gaze flickering between the two wearily. "And how are we to do that?" He raised an eyebrow, "They'd notice, wouldn't they?" Sam chimed in, "And they'd freak out! We can't afford that!" Crowley cleared his throat, and spoke, "But... They are certainly focused on that tablet of theirs, aren't they?" Your eyes flickered to the screen, whereas it froze. You tapped against the screen, only to be met with a black color. Then came a crack. And another. The sounds of tapping buttons confused you, even when you didn't touch the screen at all.
A hand, gloved with talons atop its fingertips, reached out of it, gripping the front edges of your desk. Alarmed, you grabbed your iPad and stylus and clutched them tightly. Your chair rolled back as your body froze. Came out of your phone screen was a man of wavy hair and a beaked mask, followed by a handsome man of white and black hair, an elderly man of greying hair with a fluffy cat held tightly his arms, a lean man with skeleton tattoos, and lastly a short, beefy man who seemed like he used too much hair gel. You blinked at the sight of them, processing how game characters came out of your phone. How are you gonna explain this to your parents? Where'll they stay?
The thoughts and worries flooded your mind, resounding into your ears as the sputtering and overlap of voices belonging to the men in front of you caused a cacophony. Your gaze shifted away from them into a blank-out.
"Don't you dare look away from us, [player]!" demanded Crewel, whose voice boomed across the room. You flinched, looking back at them with wide, fearful eyes.
Your door was swung open by your sibling, who gaped at the sight of the five men. The latters' eyes widened at the sight of your sibling. Oh boy.
Arguing with your parents—emotion and empathy on your part, and logic and fear on their part—was not an easy task. I mean, who lets some randos that only their kid is familiar with live in their house? Your parents didn't.
With some very insistent begging, your parents reluctantly let these suspicious looking men stay—but they must reside in your room and they must get a job of their own. Your room is quite... spacious, one might say, but even that struggles with six people. Sure, they can go back to Twisted Wonderland through your phone, but why go back when you're here? Sweetest little child... Why let your parents take care of you, when they can do it? Your relationship to your parents was becoming more strained anyway, from what they heard from some of the student gossip.
But as roommates..... uh....
As a roommate, he's not too bad.
He definitely gave your parents bad vibes the first time. He just seemed awfully shady to them.
He causes problems and runs away.
Your parents do NOT like him. He's def their no. 1 opp.
He causes a mess in your room, and you and the others are expected to clean them up.
When he does something that is very much the bare minimum, he has the audacity to say "For I am so kind."
But wait, since when exactly did this man get a job... as a manager at a fucking WENDY'S?! I guess you could give it to him for trying. Even then, he still slacks off at his job, in both Twisted Wonderland and on Earth.
Due to his overly pompous looks and personality, he seems to catch much attention from others.
When he does head out with you, you two seem to generate much looks from others. Why? Because this man does shut up, but he just doesn't like half the time!
He seems to like collecting coins and money. Try bringing some spare change or clean coins to him, won't'cha?
Despite all his chaos, he probably still finds excuses to stay with you. How kind he is, not leaving the side of his future chi- ahem! But certainly, you can let a man dream.
He does also wish that you draw him at least once, but that is only very subtly hinted at!
Ambitious, isn't he? Getting a job as a fashion designer. Why, he even dresses you in his works! In his fashion sense of course. How could you not match with him? He made these clothes for you!
He makes you model for him sometimes.
If you have dogs, he will pamper them, maybe even base some of his clothing designs off of them.
True to his nature, if you do something wrong, he won't take it lightly. So expect some punishments here and there, but all of them are seemingly patronizing and mean-spirited.
Despite this, he clearly still cares much about you. Many times when he knows you haven't eaten or drank anything yet, he cooks something for you or gets you some water. Sometimes, it's both.
He likes to make sure you don't go out the house looking like a mess. He will not tolerate any rips and tears in clothing either! So your wardrobe better look good or you're toast.
If he's inspired by any of your characters' clothing designs, he might tailor some stuff up inspired or to resemble them.
He seems to be one of the most territorial to you.
Sometimes, he even distances you from your parents or siblings. You won't say a thing about that, will you, now?
He also goes back to Twisted Wonderland to teach, and then comes back to you.
You remind him of his daughters. Even with Lucius, who he remains inseparable from, Trein is a lonely old man. His daughters live far from him, and you cure that loneliness within him.
Lucius seems to like snuggling up to you.
If you have cats, Lucius may or may not get along with them, especially considering how bratty and spoiled he is. But he will try fighting them for that spot on your lap. Listen, I have an orange cat and a tabby kitten. Lucius would hate the fat orange one.
He argues with Crewel often, who gets to provide this and that for you. This is more often than not, and you cannot help but try ignoring it.
He will likely not exactly let you walk all over him.
As much as he is impressed by your artistry, he likely does not give compliments freely. This does not mean he doesn't compliment you at all.
He did get a job as a librarian at the local bookstore. Sorting books and stuff.
He gushes to you about his daughters at times, but also sees you as one of his own. When he did go back to Twisted Wonderland for dinner with them, he mused aloud to them about how you were doing. And they kept pestering to him. ["Are we getting another sibling?" "Who?!" "What are they like?" "They're an artist?" "Can they draw us?"]
You likely hold him in high regards as well.
He doesn't exactly distance you from you from your family as he is a father himself. He knows what it's like to be distant from family, so when you're around your parents or siblings, he also makes sure to join. It's a win-win situation; you spend time with your family, and he gets closer to you.
If you hate working out, poor you.
He will drag you out early in the morning for daily runs and exercise. He cares about you, so he'll try buffing you up.
Just as how he is as a person, he oftentimes will start glazing himself. This is especially if you praise him first.
If you're as slim as Epel, then he will be a little more pushy on you just because you look like a twig and he wants you to be much stronger. Almost as strong as him.
He'll probably drag you out to the gym too, regardless of if you were drawing or not.
Speaking of your artistry, he did try making you draw him once. He kept hitting multiple poses at once. It's safe to say you weren't able to catch that image of him well.
He is barred from doing anything for you other than feeding you raw eggs for some reason?
Your mother does not like how he keeps buying raw eggs and eating them. Your father is concerned. Very concerned.
If you or anyone in your family is unmotivated, he'll try to spur them on to do their best.
And he's stupid. Yeah, maybe that's why he's barred from anything else.
But how does he pay you back? "The least he could do," he says as he gets a job as an athlete.
People are fawning over him, but he remains quite territorial over his kid you.
He tells you a lot of stories from back in his town, where it was freezing cold and he was the most handsome man there.
Justice for my boy, give him his card NOW.
Because he's very mysterious to us as the moment, there won't be as much here.
Hey there, little imp! Don't mind his shadow friends. Just there to watch over ya.
He likes to sell your art out to others, but keeps your watermark on it. So he's a shopkeeper on Earth as well.
Can you tell he loves his job?
Those "friends on the other side" of his.... seem suspicious to you and your family, but it'd be a stretch to say he's malicious.
He calls himself the "Shadow Man" and won't tell you why. Not ever, really. He doesn't want to worry you, see.
He helps out with you a lot, and does sell you some cheap but worthy art supplies.
Somehow you picked up his laugh. Now you just go "nyeh heh heh" and your siblings make fun of you for it.
Trein and Crewel keep glaring daggers at each other.
They do try buying you clothes but all of them differ in style and now your wardrobe looks like a mess. So, Crowley gets you a top hat and suit similar to his, Crewel gets you a coat like his, Trein buys you robes with a similar shade, Vargas gets you- well, a tracksuit, and Sam gets you some simple but matching clothes to his.
They do fight over who gets to do this and that for you. Who gets to take you to school? Even that is fought over.
They also fight over what you eat. Vichyssoise, chicken gumbo, raisin butter, food Crowley hunted– oh hell no, certainly not raw eggs, Vargas, put. That. DOWN.
Despite all of this, they get things done and try taking care of you.
They genuinely bribe each other.
Their relationship dynamics are the same as in-game.
Vargas is still often scolded by Trein.
Crowley is also reprimanded by Trein, despite being his superior.
A bickering group of father figures, basically.
But they do pick up when you're tired or focused, and pipe down quickly.
This does not mean they'll leave you alone. They just like to be around you.
They're your parents now, okay?
Yeah.... Seems about right...
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