Pleasantries! My name is Hayley Adams, and I'm a non-sharing Rollo Flamme and Adam yumejoshi!
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βΈβI post for myself. If you see something you don't like, ignore and scroll on. Don't spread hate.
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"A kiss... under a mistletoe? What bizarre winter tradition is that?"
It didn't matter if the cold evening air bit against the skin of Rollo's cheek. His hand held warmth; slender digits intertwined with his. It was the most pleasant feeling.
Hayley walked beside him. The touch of snow at the tip of her nose distracted her, knocking the chatter off her tongue. A gesture so ordinary it did wonders to put a quiet smile on Rollo's face.
"Would that be a mistletoe?"
Indeed a distinct patch of leaves hung low from a tree in the distance. A common parasitic plant, yet Hayley treated the discovery like she found gold.
Rollo would've asked, but his feet carried him to where she was pulling him. "We should kiss!" the girl chimed.
Heat might've thawed the frost from the tips of his ears. For a brief moment, Rollo had forgotten how to speak.
"In public?" he uttered, eyes incredulous.
"Unless you're willing to bring the mistletoe back to Noble Bell." Hayley propped up to reach for the plant but to no avail. "We should be kissing underneath it this specific winter evening!"
"A kiss... under a mistletoe?" Eyes held visible confusion. "What bizarre winter tradition is that?" Possibly something otherworldlyβliterally, for it might be of origin from the world she came from.
"It symbolizes love!" Hayley held a finger. "Or peace"βa secondβ"and fertility!"βand a third. "Honestly, I don't know what it really means. People treat it like a trend, but I just thought a kiss would be nice."
Her words were running miles. Rollo took note of that as his fingers brushed her cheek by instinct. Soft and full of life, how he wished to feel her warmth in his palms.
"Senpai?"
Hands cupped Hayley's face. "Allow me..." A gentle request for permission, but underneath Rollo's tongue hid an edge. A desperate need for a sign.
A warm kiss against a cold winter night. Its meaning still foreign to the male's old soul. The girl held wonders of her world. What else does she carry?
Perhaps more than just the idea of a kiss beneath a mistletoe.
Feat. Rollo Flamme x Hayley Adams (Disney Twisted-Wonderland)
There wasn't any room for complaints. The occasion called for participants in various outfits. One could never question the bizarre nature of participants. No matter how ridiculous and overall lacking in order it is.
Very much like the Topsy-Turvy festival. That Rollo could tolerate; valuing his hometown meant holding high regards for its festivities. But Halloween parties are more cacophonous than what he could tolerate.
So much for free will. Dressing up in normal clothing should be given as much freedom as choosing what abomination one wished to wear.
The undershirt brought nothing but itch. Why must he wear such a ridiculous outfit? Rollo eyed his headgear in the mirror with a narrow and scrutinizing gaze. Wolf ears. How original. Quite an embarrassment to every beastmen in existence.
There should be other ways to celebrate Halloween. He could've used his influence as the student council president. Yet the entire student body called for a traditional celebration. Give the masses what they wished for. There are others who wore far more grotesque costumes.
"Rollo-senpai!"
Perfect. The timing wasn't the best for Hayley to pay him a visit. Turning to face her felt like a walk to the gallows.
"What in the world..." Rollo eyed her figure up and down. "...is that getup?" A distinct dress one could only find during the olden years. Accented by a scarlet cloak fixed into a hood. Was that a basket on her right hand?
It's bizarre to see her in stark red hue, for someone who mainly wears monochromatic clothing.
"My costume." Hayley spoke like it's the most obvious fact. In a way, it was. Rollo's mind simply refused to register the spirit of Halloween.
Eyes zoomed in on the ears perking atop silver hair. "You're dressed as a werewolf? It matches perfectly with mine!" Hayley beamed bright enough to shoot straight through Rollo's chest.
"A... werewolf?" Take note of the male's confusion. Hayley had completely forgotten beastmen is the collective term for such individuals. "And how does my... costume match with yours?" Reluctance dripped from his tone.
"Have you heard the story of..."
Little Red Riding Hood. Near similar with what Hayley had read in her world.
"I'm indeed familiar with the tale," Rollo hummed. "Quite morbid if I do say so myself. A story that shouldn't have ended in tragedy had the girl not talk to the wolf."
Dark eyes met with his deep green ones. "If I were to ask you nicely, would you bite me?"
"...excuse me?" Of all the things she could ask. The fault lies in him for giving her the expressions she wanted to see.
Feat. Rollo Flamme x Hayley Adams (Disney Twisted-Wonderland)
It was an old watch, possibly received a year ago or two. If anything, Rollo didn't want to wear the accessory, but it proved useful to check the time without pulling out his phone in public.
"It's a gift I received from a penpal activity of sorts." There's an evident snap at the end of Rollo's tongue. "Horrible times. What sane man of profession would suggest something ridiculous?" he scoffed.
Hayley glanced up from observing the watch. "Maybe... it's a way to gain friends?" Reasonable, but still preposterous. Rollo's expression turned sour. "Friendship cannot be arranged," he said. "It is earned. A natural process of socialization."
"Why hello, little imp. Has that fine sight caught anything of interest to you?"
She had seen it not from her world but from the Mystery Shop within campus. "You have a very keen eye." Sam took long strides towards where Hayley was studying a watch displayed inside the glass cabinet. "That watch is a limited edition. One of a kind. Only a small number was said to have been sold."
Hayley knew the connotation of such detailed description. "It would cost you about ten thousand madols." Sam sealed her assumption. He watched her expression collapse. Quite comical.
"I could offer it to you for half the price." Sam waved his hand in a gesture of presentation. "Provided you can earn it within the week."
Strike a deal. Hayley knew exactly what had to be done.
"You... sell pancakes." It was unusual for Hayley to start a business. Rollo knew its risks given a certain merfolk in Octavinelle. "Am I allowed to ask why?"
"Because I made pancakes last time and everyone loves it!" Hayley, bless her pure heart, gave him the most obvious lie known to man. Whatever her goals were, it certainly wasn't because students specifically requested morning pancakes. Rollo knew that much.
"Oh? You're not wearing your watch today, senpai." Rollo's gaze flicked down to his empty wrist. He wouldn't need to look at the time. Heavens, he would spend an eternity in her company. His sense of time be damned.
Hayley held out her hand. "We would've matched!" On her wrist was an exact edition of the watch in Rollo's possession. "So the pancakes were for the watch..." Try as he might, he couldn't hide the positive effects her actions had on him.
"No, they are not." The same way Hayley insisted on her barely convincing lie. "Everyone just wanted pancakes."
Feat. Rollo Flamme x Hayley Adams (Disney Twisted-Wonderland)
Seated on one's porch was a box. Silver fur as soft as velvet made it not obvious that the feline homing inside was a stray. The cat wasn't exactly under the owner's care. One would merely assume it so given how it frequents the same empty container.
A feral animal to many except for that one particular person.
"Hello, there."
Looming above the feline was Hayley. Curious eyes scanned its figure shaped into a ball inside the box. "You've been paying me visits for the past two weeks that I might consider adopting you."
She hovered a hand. "May I?"
It was trust that built up over time. Hayley took it as a sign of victory when the cat no longer inched away from her touch. "So soft..." Keeping the caresses under control made a tough challenge, but she couldn't risk frightening it away.
The cat stood up, in which Hayley was quick to assume the worst. Her hand she immediately retracted. In moments, soft fur brushed against her legs. Glassy eyes stared into hers.
"Aww, I love you, too!"
Hayley knew that even from the beginning, the cat was already considered adopted by her.
"That's an interesting feline you have with you, child of man." A harmless visit from a good friend. "However, I don't think I'm in the least welcome."
Malleus observed the silvery white cat loafed beside where Hayley was seated on the couch. The silent growling didn't fail to register his senses.
"He's just a little shy," Hayley reassured.
Malleus believed otherwise. He had seen how the cat behaved when it comes to her other peers. With unbelievably lesser aggression! He had observed it for weeks. And the murderous aura persisted until it was time for him to leave.
Perhaps the cat wasn't just as used to contact as Hayley expected it to. Besides, it had already found a safe haven in her presence.
That night, a male with distinct silver hair stood on the bedside of Hayley's room. Deep green eyes observed her figure sleeping on her side.
I love you, too.
He bent down to stroke her raven hair sprawled across the pillow. Fingers scooped a few strands to be brought to his lips. How rude would it be to interrupt her slumber, but Hayley didn't stir.
The cat was found laid on a pillow of raven hair that night. Surround itself with the familiar scent of home. It's own bed completely abandoned, for the feline had found the safest corner in its owner's warmth.
On the roof of the bed, embroidered in silver thread, was the name Rollo.
Feat. Rollo Flamme x Hayley Adams (Disney Twisted-Wonderland)
Rewind the clock. That makes the seventh time. The seventh death. It's bleak. Hopeless. Every single time, he's always too late, yet Rollo refused to admit defeat.
Such ancient magic ate away at his magic energyβpossibly at his lifespan just as muchβin tremendous amounts. Trivial. Merely nothing compared to the life he's trying to restore.
An unfortunate accident which led to Hayley's untimely death. Devastated would be an understatement. Not even the gloom of the entire student body of Night Raven College combined together could amount to the anguish Rollo was in.
He had a brush with forbidden magic before. A second wouldn't make much difference, but god he prayed it will. He'd welcome his demise so long as he could bring Hayley back to the waking world.
A minute. An hour. Even a day or a year. The time he brought back to various points in the past. Actions he retracedβwould it make any difference if he didn't ask for her affection? If he didn't commit such atrocious crime on the night of the masquerade?
On the same day, the same second, Hayley had come to pass away. Each instance a different manner. With each rewind, the memory of her death and the look of horror on Rollo's face came out nonexistent.
"Senpai, I don't understand."
Monday makes the following day. Hayley was meant to return to Night Raven on a Sunday evening. "You do know I have classes tomorrow. I can't stay for another night."
"Truly, Miss Adams. You do not understand." The clock showed three hours before the set time Rollo observed for the sixth time. "Perhaps I could ask of you to stay for three hours more. I trust it wouldn't be of much trouble for you."
The same sentence he repeated. The last time he watched her miss a step on the staircase. A bad fall that led to her head receiving a fatal concussion. He had forbidden her to take the stairs within that timeframe.
"Maybe I could." Hayley sighed in defeat. A soft giggle followed. "I mean, I couldn't say no when you look at me like I'm bound to die if I set foot outside this room."
What a naive girl.
To carelessly sat by the windowsill, Rollo knew at that moment something was amiss. He watched her slip away. Down to where death awaited her. A scene he couldn't stomach as his feet remained stuck against the floor.
But there should be at least three hours. Before he found the sense to react, black substance began dropping at Rollo's feet.
Feat. Rollo Flamme x Hayley Adams (Disney Twisted-Wonderland)
Hard candies weren't exactly Hayley's type of sweets. She would rather prefer ones that melt in her mouth. Or mallow types with sweet fillings in them.
A particular treat was an exception. Possibly a delicacy of Fleur City. Her first taste was from the candy jar sitting on top of the student council room coffee table.
Rollo took note of her interest, so he bought another bag. And one not meant to be shared with the candy jar.
"You bought me treats!" Hayley squealed, to which Rollo said, "Why must you refer to it like I'm buying pet food?"
Open the bag and pick up a blue sweet. "I enjoy this flavor in particular." Hayley unwrapped the candy. "Do you like it as well?"
"Whβ" A simple question she could've asked, but it came with a press of the hard candy against Rollo's lips. School his features in a split second. Clear the startled expression and pull away from the gesture.
"I am personally not a fan of it," he said amidst clearing his throat. "You may enjoy them."
Her head tiltedβthat gesture once againβwith her brows furrowed. "You really don't like it?" Hayley popped the sweet inside her mouth. "It's the best flavor there is! But I guess everyone does have different tastes."
A lump protruded on her cheek. Rollo ignored the fact that the candy touched his lips prior to being eaten.
"So what is your favorite flavor?" Hayley asked, to which Rollo said, "I have not a favorite in particular. Better yet, sweets aren't my cup of tea."
It would be safe to assume the jar of sweets are for other student council members and visitors. Meetings can be quite dreary and boring. Candies would make a good icebreaker.
The president was with the headmaster the next few instances. Hayley chose to stay in the company of the vice president and student aide. On the table stood the candy jar. She picked another blue sweet.
"You also like that flavor, Miss Adams?" the student aide chimed. "It's also President Flamme's favorite!"
"They're a match made in heaven, I'm telling you," added the vice president.
The candy remained between Hayley's thumb and index finger. "His... favorite?" Confusion would be an understatement, and the aide's elated nod fueled the fire.
"He didn't explicitly say so. But upon observation, he usually takes the blue candies," he said. "His expression brightens at least a few percent so that's that."
Rollo could've given her a lie. There must be a reason behind such pretense. And so Hayley ate the candy with complete wonder.
"You chose me. Despite everything. How foolish of you, Miss Adams. But then again, I've admittedly been a fool myself."
Nine days. Nine days where damages have been done. Irreversible. Moments where Rollo once held himself under a righteous light. Believed that his cause would pave the way to fruitful outcomes.
Yet they turned out to be blind ambitions that eventually led to grave consequences. How foolish.
Miss Adams he brought back on the tenth day. To the infernal wasteland where the very monsters he swore to protect her from ran rampant. A place where her heart truly belongs.
The thought twists his core. Magic users. Banes of existence. He had to watch Hayley walk back inside the dragon's den to dance with the predators who preyed on her.
He could be wrong, and to admit his mistake would left an ashy taste on his tongue.
"I deeply apologize, Headmaster Crowley, for the inhumane actions I have committed. The fault is completely mine as Noble Bell has nothing to do with it."
Night Raven College's headmaster, a suspicious character whose forgiveness came easy despite the first few minutes of angry chatterβboundless benevolence indeed. And Hayley, bless her soft heart, found not an ounce of loathing against him.
It might be too late for apologies. Forgiveness is a privilege Rollo could only grant himself with. And so asking for a piece of her heart came off as an absurd notion.
Heaven above, how he yearned for it whole.
"Miss Adams."
Ramshackle Dorm. What a pitiful structure. But it's home to none other than the magicless girl Rollo once thought he could control. More than Noble Bell's hospitality had ever offered her.
At the main entrance she stood. With her wide curious eyes and raven hair cascading behind her figure. A perfect fitβshe belongs to Night Raven College and never with him.
"I treated you poorly," he began, "as I told myself it was to protect you."
Retract while it's early. To ask for her heart so pure, what shame for a sinful man. Unworthy. Inappropriate.
"I do not expect forgiveness, and I understand if you never wish to see me again." The breath hitched in Hayley's throat. Rollo knew he should draw back. But the words refused to cease. "But suppose there is a part of you that still believes I am worthy of your affection..."
His head bowed, eyes lidded and vulnerable. With his heart in his throat, he uttered such selfish words.
"Please allow me the honor of courting you properly."
November 10th | Friday
"I'm undeserving of such a right. Nonetheless, I'm eternally grateful."
It made no difference. The very notion of binding her soul with his makes a gilded cage. Was it a means of atonement? The guilt clawed beneath his skin. The memory of her smile, warm as it was scorching.
A sinner begging for redemption, how he wished his god would refuse to hear his prayers.
November 11th | Saturday
"Should you find the time to spare, would you grant me the honor of your presence on a Sunday evening?"
How ironic. To think she found no hint of resentment towards him, could she have lost her mind? The thought of his name left her heart aflutter, not out of fear or hatred, but of a specific moment once shared.
Past mistakes could never be erased by a single kiss.
November 12th | Sunday
"A time well spent. I pray that you return the same viewpoint."
Foolish girl. He who could've potentially set another trap, and she who waltzed back into his waiting palm. Unguarded and ingenuous. How could he merit such deep faith?
That night was particularly bright. He watched the stars caught in her raven hair.
November 13th | Monday
"Suppose you grew tired of receiving letters, please do not hesitate to inform me."
Words weaved into parchment. Ink with which he bled into, his soul laid bare. She read them more than once. His intent was crystal clear, but the script held no malice. Just as he was when she was held in that room.
Point out the mistakes. Let him learn from them. She held on to that belief.
November 14th | Tuesday
"I passed by the bell tower this morning. I found it quite emptied in your absence."
A fleeting memory, the Bell bore witness to a moment shared beneath the stars. Her tongue knew sharpness where her lips held intimacy. He let his guard down through temptation and sin. The fault was his to bear.
The kiss be damned. His original sin rooted from a past he couldn't escape.
November 15th | Wednesday
"There was never a passing moment where I wasn't plagued by thoughts of you."
Could he have proven his worth? She could only grant him the answer. A man who once caged her from the world now offered it in his hands. Saints above, only she had the power to bring him to his knees.
How pitiful to see such a lowly man yearn for his god's grace.
November 16th | Thursday
"My beloved..."
Her arrival unannounced, Hayley stood before Noble Bell College's lecture hall. The same hall where she once stood among the rest of the student guests. That fateful night of the masquerade.
What ever could her sudden appearance mean? Rollo held on to his handkerchief, his knuckles turning white lest they tremble if he were to loosen his grip.
"Senpai..."
Hayley's voice, like a melody fluttering in the air. Sure steps closed the distance between them. Rollo's head felt light, his gaze held by the depths of her eyes. A hand reached up to touch his cheek. Her lips open to utter words...
A kiss spoke more volumes.
"You chose me. Despite everything. How foolish of you, Miss Adams."
Rollo held on to her. His sole lifeline. His salvation. "But then again, I've admittedly been a fool myself." A fool indeed. Perhaps it's the only way he could believe the worth he has. And that belief he would desperately grasp.
"My beloved..." A kiss filled with longing. Of deep yearning. Her grace he was finally granted with. Blessed.
Feat. Rollo Flamme x Hayley Adams (Disney Twisted-Wonderland)
A curious box. Leaving it on one's desk would fill the owner with curiosity. Thus was the perfect plan, and Hayley wore the widest grin.
The president who barely makes expressions. Student council members grew tired of the dark areas beneath his eyes painting the look of a strict individual with a dry personality.
Trigger shock. It was initially a plan suggested by the student aide. Hayley found it to be a good opportunity.
"You're unusually silent." Such a comment got Hayley squaring on her seat. Rollo couldn't hide the questioning gesture of his eyebrow. "Has there been anything on your mind, Miss Adams?"
Devising a plan to pull a trick, that is.
"N-Nothing. Nothing at all." Talk about a bad liar. She received a narrow stare, but Rollo didn't press on the matter.
"Can I borrow that box?" Her finger pointed at a vintage-looking box situated beside the ink bottle. If anything, it looks like a wooden box made to hold writing materials such as quills.
Rollo regarded her request with incredulity. "If you must..." It's not his business to question her intentions. Besides, the box was of minimal importance to him as of the moment.
The container secured, but what object could she place inside that would jump out the moment the lock was turned?
"What about this little guy?"
Ask the students for ideas, one of them would pick up a centipede from the soil. A plethora of reactions from the othersβHayley included. Rollo would be having one of such exclamation.
Put the insect inside and return the box to its owner. "I've returned your box," Hayley chirped. Halfway expecting success, silent disappointment was met when Rollo placed it on the shelf.
Hayley didn't utter a word. Insist on opening the box and the gears would click in place. Rollo would found her out.
Wait it out. The other students could simply fill her in the sweet details of their plan's success.
The following weekend came around. "Forgive me, Miss Adams, but could I trouble you for envelopes? I believe I've kept spares in one of those boxes on the shelves."
The trick was long forgotten. Hayley opened the wrong box.
The chair nearly turned over as a startled scream knocked Rollo off of his seat. "Miss Adams! Are you hurt?" Rushing over, he found no evidence of physical damage. Though on the floor slithered a mere centipede.
"How on this world...?" he muttered. Hayley, for all her racing heartbeat, chose to bite back her tongue.
Feat. Rollo Flamme x Hayley Adams (Disney Twisted-Wonderland)
Fall. The kind of season Rollo wouldn't normally pay much attention to. It simply paved the way to a brutal winter. Nothing out of the ordinary. Tighten the scarf before he catches a cold.
Dry leaves in various shades of earthy colors. A twig snapping beneath the soles of his boots. An autumn landscape brought about by a certain... curious existence.
A girl who appears at the beginning of fall and disappears by winter, whether she's a divine being or not, Rollo couldn't tell. A deity? The Goddess of Autumn? He found none of such titles in the least appealing.
"I don't have a name, so I would be glad if you could give me one." The honor to give her an identity.
"Hayley..."
The goddess turned her head. Her raven hair cascading behind her like auburn waterfalls. Fingers touching where leaves turned a golden shade and wither.
"Rollo?" A breath of life, for someone whose touch brings ruin. "How I've missed you."
A forbidden touch. What ache. She had given him a fair warning: the slightest brush is proven fatal. The duty to bring about fall, her existence was meant to severe lives.
It had been the seventh fall since. "Hayley. Oh, saints..." Rollo took steps closer. "I have a humble request to ask of you." Before her he stood, warm breath coming out in visible huffs.
"Grant me the freedom to touch you, to hold you, just until my time runs out."
A request so bold it got Hayley's eyes widening. "I have told you I can't do that. Otherwise, you'll withβ"
"I don't have much longer to live," Rollo cut. "I have gotten worse. And to think I can only dwell until the next spring..." A pause. The gravity of the situation settled against the golden shades.
"I would rather end it now than live with the grim thought that this season would be the last I would see you."
His condition had gotten worse. What was it again...?
The consequences be damned. He asked for death, and there she stood for him in her ethereal beauty. His arm found her waist and his hand the back of her head. From there, Rollo closed the distance between their lips.
Cracks formed on one's face. With tears welling her eyes, Hayley watched the ruin take place where their figures molded into each other.
An existence meant to bring about fall, she wasn't meant to touch human flesh. Where the warmth of her embrace brought him the death he was craving, his human touch destroyed her akin to the way leaves withered on her palm.
Feat. Rollo Flamme x Hayley Adams (Disney Twisted-Wonderland)
A date to an amusement park was beyond Rollo's expectations. In a way, the place was more of a carnival. A traveling string of loud noises and obnoxious patterns of colors.
He least expected Hayley to find interest in visiting yet another attraction following what happened at Playful Land. Pray that particular fair is not another scheme from Fellow Honest. Rollo's not about to let the man walk away unscathed suppose that's the case.
"Senpai, do you not want to eat anything?"
Hayley stood with a corn dog on one hand and a soda on the other. Poking out of her open bag was a small tub of cotton candy. Pretzel sticks appeared to be tucked at the corner.
A simple sight yet so heartwarming. Efforts bear the sweetest fruit. Rollo found joy in seeing her comfortable in her own enthusiasm, her unease a distant thorn in the past.
Tethering each other to the ground, her presence made the flamboyance of the setting bearable.
"You need not concern yourself of me, Miss Adams. The mere sight of your bliss is more than enough to satisfy me," Rollo assured. "Besides, I would rather you focus on introducing these unfamiliar... attractions to me."
Take note of her favorite spots. What better way to learn them than let her take the wheel.
Hayley's constant glancing gave off the impression she's equally clueless. "What about that one?"
The stall she was referring to had an array of plush toys to be won. She tried to win a stuffed cat during their initial visit to an arcade. From that alone, it was finally certain Hayley preferred activities that had plushies for prizes.
Win at least one game, Rollo decided it a necessity.
Something cold fell on top of his head. Eventually followed by another on his shoulder. And on his arm. Park visitors released startled squealsβit had begun to rain.
Not an umbrella was in their possession. There's not much of a choice but to cram themselves alongside the others at the stalls.
An impending cold, or a flu in worst cases. Drenched as she was, Hayley found none of it to be a matter of concern. On the other hand, Rollo had all the possible interventions in mind.
"This is no laughing matter, Miss Adams. You're going to catch a cold." Rollo's tone was laced with concern, yet Hayley only said, "But it's just like the movies, don't you think?"
Try as he might, it's difficult to ignore the smile on her face as he was drying her hair. An attempt to dismiss the flutters inside his stomach, Rollo could only say, "I don't watch movies."
Feat. Rollo Flamme x Hayley Adams (Disney Twisted-Wonderland)
Note: This entry is connected to Day 6.
A mere mortal. A magicless one at that. One could elevate her to the level of a goddess. Give her a suffocating title. Until it severes her mortal breath.
Such was the situation. The girl who played like godβno. The girl who was given the role of god.
A candlestick in hand, Hayley scoured the shadowy hallways. Not a soul in sight; the hour was late. Word has it that a new installment was meant to be placed at the foyer. She had a very good guess, but she prayed to be mistaken.
"You were meant to be revered, Miss Adams. Such filthy hands meant more harm than good." Words that carry the weight of the heavens. "Staying amongst them will only taint your divinity."
Dismiss it merely as protective instinct mixed with adoration. Measures to keep her safe from the dangers of the magic world. Just until the gilded chains slowly gnawed into her flesh.
Hayley reached the foyer. A portrait hung against the wall before the staircase. Hands gently caressed the cloth enveloping its form, its painted canvas concealed.
Reveal its surface. She gently tugged at the covering...
"It's unbecoming of you to be wandering this late."
The candlestick she nearly dropped to the carpet, Hayley swiveled around. Her eyes held by a piercing gaze. "Rollo-senpai..." Her voice scraped its way out of her throat. Eyes held by the male's piercing gaze. "I wasn'tβ"
"I'm certain you weren't." Leaving the grounds without permission, that is. Hayley ceased to count the number of times she had been caught.
At her state, why would she ever not leave?
"I'm not a trophy for you to keep," she said. "I demand to be let go."
Rollo narrowed down his stare. "You mistake my intentions for being shallow," he murmured. Lethal. "Never have I referred to you asβ"
"You exaggerate!" The face of his angry god. "You will let me goβ"
A swift movement was all it took for the candle to fall unlit. Rollo had lost control of his grip on Hayley's wrist. The strength was enough to elicit a pained wince amidst surprise.
"I'm afraid you leave me no choice..."
Once did he vow never to actively use magic against her. But it was devotion that borderline on misguided reverence. At that moment, he had fallen blind.
A sleeping spell he cast, his saint fell limp on his arms. The consequences be damned. The world shall not have a single sliver of her holy light.
The portrait loomed above his sinful figure. Rollo could only pay it a final glance.
Feat. Rollo Flamme x Hayley Adams (Disney Twisted-Wonderland)
Fleur City at night. Such a magnificent view. Its beauty best observed from the top of Noble Bell College's bell tower.
It's one of Rollo's chosen areas to frequent in. And as it looks like, Hayley has taken a liking to the solace it could offer as much as he did. There she stood with her face basked in the evening glow.
"I didn't think I would find you here," Rollo remarked, to which Hayley responded with a delighted expression.
"Good evening, senpai!"
"And I to you, Miss Adams."
A few steps forward before Rollo stood beside her. The distance between their arms immediately closed when Hayley inched closer like it's the most natural response to his sudden appearance.
One he could never get used to. Not when his breath hitched mere seconds ago.
"I've grown to be familiar with the night sky." Hayley pointed against the vast darkness above. Follow where her finger was pointing at. "Especially the placement of stars. Like a map. They're scattered in a fixed group with a fix pattern."
"Are any of these... patterns of stars familiar to you?" Rollo asked. A hum he received; Hayley shook her head.
"This world is different from mine. And so should its outer universe. It's what makes worlds unique."
Her face was comparable to the stars adorning the evening horizon. Glowing like the shine of holy light.
"This feels exactly like that night," she said with a tone so light. Rollo furrowed his brows in wonder. "When you kissed me at this same bell tower."
Realization felt like a bucket of ice water. Rollo had to chase after the balance that was slipping away.
That fateful night. A moment he wouldn't dare recall. May God forgive himβmay she forgive himβbut a sinner such as him did not deserve such clemency.
"F-Forgive me..." Rollo ran his hand across his face, disperse the guilt etching on his skin. He might as well tear his own sinful lips. "I wasn't... I wasn't myself at the time..."
An open advantage he had takenβshe wasn't in the state of sound mind. What immorality.
"Senpai..." Her voice, no matter how soft and near silent, rang against his ears like the heavy toll of a bell.
Warmth. On his cheek. On his lips. Miss Adams initiated the kiss this time. God forbid he crave the warmth she gave him when she pulled away. "The stars above as our witnesses." A whisper. Sacred. His salvation.
"It doesn't make you any sinful when you love someone."
Feat. Rollo Flamme x Hayley Adams (Disney Twisted-Wonderland)
Fresh and a stark red in color. A basketful of apples sat on the kitchen counter. Inviting.
"Grapes again, senpai?" It was a fixed routine Rollo religiously followedβthe same contents of his midday meals.
Never once did the thought of having another menu cross his mind. Change meant opening to more bothersome adjustments. Not until...
"Don't you want to consider eating a different fruit?"
Rollo remembered those words as vividly as day. Very much like it had been mere minutes ago when it was last spoken. Of all who tried, Hayley owns the success to get him out of his grind.
He picked up an apple. A good size, perfectly fitted within his palm. Peel the skin with a small knife.
"I was told apples are treated with chemicals," her words echoed, "so peeling the outer part would make it safer to eat." Silly girl. Noble Bell caters only fresh harvests. Yet his own hand obliged to the memory of her voice nonetheless.
"There's a saying that goes like... 'An apple a day keeps the doctor away.'" Rollo was not familiar of such a claim. "And it's kind of hilarious considering I aim to become a doctor, yet my mother usually serve me sliced apples."
That's right. She attends a high school affiliated with a known medical university in her world. An interesting detail he committed to memory.
Hayley would make a fine medical worker. A highly skilled one, at that. It's a vision Rollo could see. A doctor who likes her apples sliced and diced.
And sliced and diced the apple he held would be. Placed in a bowl. The same way she had introduced him to change.
"Tastes amazing, right?"
Apples might be his new favorite fruit. How he remembered the glow of her smile that day. Remembered the sweet taste.
He remembered. God, do he wish for more than mere memories.
"I don't want to go back."
Believable words he held on to. So did she. Her hand he held for the last time. Firmly. Desperately. Because the rule of worlds refused to submit to their prayers.
"Suppose the sky swallowed me whole..." Words meant to be mere metaphors. It filled him with great disbelief to see it unfold into reality. Promises made emptyβshe would stay with him forever. But not anymore when her world forcefully robbed her away from his hold.
It had been a month since.
Rollo bit into a slice of apple. Sweet. And kind of salty in its aftertaste. He might be tasting tears.
Feat. Rollo Flamme x Hayley Adams (Disney Twisted-Wonderland)
"Do forgive me, Miss Adams." Lips murmured against the back of her hand. "I'm very much aware today is a weekend, but I'm afraid my duties have taken hold of the very hours allotted for us to spend."
Rollo spoke like the mere thought of prioritizing the student council meant the end of the world. Hayley had to convince him otherwise, saying, "If that's the case, would you let me linger around campus grounds instead?"
An acceptable suggestion. Rollo found himself nodding in acknowledgment.
"Very well," he hummed, then added, "But should you require to visit the outside city, I will have someone escort you suppose I don't have the capacity to do so myself. I would prefer you not to walk the public on your own."
But Hayley preferred to stay within the campus. Assigning a chaperone would not be needed.
It had been a solid hour of strolling aimlessly. Kill the extra time until it leads to boredom. Her last destination: the student council office. Just in time for the last member to retreat following a rigorous meeting.
Rollo was seated at his desk. "You've returned too soon, Miss Adams," he said as a manner of greeting. "Has my absence been bothering you?"
"I've sworn for the fifteenth time that I don't mind," Hayley declared dramatically. Might as well reach a common level.
Settle herself on the couch at the side. She busied her hand with pictures she had taken during the one-hour endeavor, fingers swiping across her phone's screen.
"He's so handsome." A subconscious smile on her face. "I think I'm in love."
"Excuse me?" Hayley was immediately held by Rollo's accusing stare. A valid reaction. "Would you care to humor me on who you were referring to?"
"Who was I referring to...?"
Not the kind of game a busy student council president was in the mood for. In mere moments, the phone was already in Rollo's possession. Its owner retaliated in the background. Suppose he could scorch the person behind the screen, he was more than ready to do so.
A moment of awkward clarity. It was a candid shot of none other than himself!
He shot Hayley a glance. A sheepish shrug he received in turn. The unwarranted photos he could let slide. Her initial comments, however, were a different case.
Try as he might, he's not about to forget the words that left her tongue.
Feat. Rollo Flamme x Hayley Adams (Disney Twisted-Wonderland)
CW: Alleged cannibalism
The finest cuisine in Fleur City. Served on a plate made with porcelain. Such was the principle of a renowned diner run by a certain Rollo Flammeβnothing less than the prime quality is permitted to be served. Even the servers and cooks, workforce of the restaurant, were trained to perfection.
Fame and fortune. Reap the fruits of his labor. However, the void in Rollo's soul remained. Everything tastes too bland. The wrong piece of the puzzle acquired.
How unfortunate. What ever could the missing ingredient be? But maybe, just maybe...
...sheΒ held the final piece.
A new waitress. She who worked with grace. Swift yet steady. A sweet smile shaping her lips. Her presence that stood out among the rest.
Hayley Adams.
Rollo could consider visiting his own restaurant as a customer. Test the quality of his establishment from a patron's shoes. Stand on the receiving end of her hospitality.
Have a taste of the missing piece and satisfy the intuition drawing him in.
"Thank you for waiting!"
It made perfect sense. Flavorful. Could it be some sort of spell? Never had grilled meat been this tenderβthis lusciousβuntil she became its server. The cook might've added a defining ingredient. But the head chef was absolutely certain of the source.
He wondered if the diner's guests could distinguish the difference. Perhaps not. Prominence already graced him long before she approached his doors to ask for work.
A day led to a series of instances. He needed that taste. A new addiction. An unhealthy obsession. Whatever had that waitress done for a mere taste to eventually lead to fixation?
"The owner would be pleased to know you're frequenting this establishment." Their tenth exchange. The tenth order Hayley placed on his chosen table. "But I'm afraid I won't be able to serve you for much longer as I have to go back to my hometown."
The steak knife clattered against the plate. "Forgive me..." Rollo had to drag the words out of his throat. "I was merely caught off guard by such... unfortunate news."
How unfortunate indeed. His deep green eyes held her gaze. "The owner would be troubled."
Sweet lamb. As sweet as the smile on her face. How could she selfishly rob him off of such a delectable palate? If that would be the case, let him have his final serving.
His eleventh plate was unlike any other. A cold meal devoid of warmth. The waitress whom he wished to serve his platter, on her place stood a porcelain plate. That certain ingredient was undeniably present despite the food being served by a foreign hand.
