Sorry about the long gap between posting. Been very busy teaching 7 classes. I loooove sick fic tropes though so I decided to put together some headcanons for each boy
GN!Reader. TW: Sickness, emeto
Riddle Rosehearts: Riddle has a hard time accepting it when he's sick, and an even harder time accepting help. He takes pretty excellent care of himself. The side effect of being raised by two doctors is you know how to manage a cold or fever. The biggest hurdle is getting him to slow down. Unless he's at death's door he all but refuses to delegate any more work to Trey than usual. He's at least staying away from meetings and class (it would be irresponsible to let someone else get sick because of him) but you will have to pry his homework and paperwork out of his cold dead hands. Offer to at least write for him while he dictates. Its a little easier to get him to fall asleep and then take care of it while he's out.
He's very strict about you taking precautions to avoid catching whatever he has. No snuggling, and sanitize everything you touch together. However, if you want to spoil him a little, bring him some of his favorite treats. His mom always kept him on such a strict diet, never moreso than when he was sick. Having someone coo over him a little and bring him a strawberry tart or two means a lot, even if he doesn't actually feel up to eating it.
Trey Clover: Like Riddle, he's prone to wanting to take care of everything himself. It'll be hard fought to even get him to admit he's sick. He's always pretty insistent that its nothing a good cup of tea and a nap can't fix. Even when forced to slow down he always tries to put a positive spin on it. Look at you getting all worked up over nothing, honestly, that soup you brought by earlier probably cured him. He's fine-
Once cornered into it, Trey actually doesn't mind a little pampering. For as much as he insists you shouldn't go out of your way for his sake he does ENJOY the attention when he has no choice but to accept it. For the most part though, he just wants company, and someone to keep him in the loop so he doesn't stress himself sicker waiting for Ace or Riddle to burn the whole place to the ground.
Cater Diamond: Cater can be a huge baby about being sick but he actually tends to be pretty withdrawn about it. Especially around you. He looks so uncute like this, all snotty and flushed and pukey, and he doesn't want you to see him looking this nasty. Sure, its a silly thing to worry about, but he can't really help it. Honestly the best service you can provide for Cater at this time is finding ways to make him feel a little more human. Help brush his hair, scrub his face so he feels a little less icky, find some nice candles to help aerate the sick smell. It humiliates him that you had to see him in such a gross state of being, but it really means the world to him that he doesn't have to spend the next week feeling like an absolute filthbeast. He'll protest a little bit about you getting sick too, but ultimately he's too much of an extrovert to turn down company. Curled up in bed, his head on your lap as you scroll through his feed, he can't help but think maybe this isn't so bad.
Ace Trappola: Ace has a pretty hearty constitution. His first instinct when he's sick is to celebrate: finally, a reason to cut class that no one can give him any guff for. As it actually starts to set in, though, he's pretty miserable. He gets bored being around the same things every day, and he gets irritable when he feels all achey and nauseous all the time. The main service you can offer to him is your company. Bring him gossip, bring him some snacks, bring him anything to help pass the time. He overheats pretty easily so he's not going to be super down for snuggling or getting cozy. He does like being spoiled, though, and will absolutely play cute and helpless if it'll convince you to spoonfeed him or be his gofer for the the day. Ultimately he's in a rush to get this over with, but he could get used to the side perks.
Deuce Spade: Deuce gets homesick in a bad way when he's sick. His mom always did certain things to help take care of him, even taking time off when she could, and they're some of his most special memories. He always dreads having to take care of himself when he's sick because he feels her absence so strongly during that time. While obviously there's no replacing his mom, you earn points with him in a big way by making an attempt. You can't recreate her special soup but you can make sure he has something hot to eat. He'd feel awkward about you singing him a lullaby but he loves being held, having his hair petted. Deuce doesn't want you to put yourself too far out, or worse, get you sick as well. But these little gestures mean the whole world to him and help ease that loneliness.
Leona Kingscholar: Leona's in a weird place about sickness. He was never NEGLECTED growing up, he had people to take care of him and make sure he had access to the best medicine and care. But as always, he has to compare. When his brother got sick you'd think it was a national fucking incident with the way his family, their advisors, and the staff would all carry on. Its not as though no one cared at all when he was sick. Its just also hard not to notice when your every fever and chill isn't accompanied by hand wringing anxiety and being waited on hand and foot.
All this to say, by this point in his life he tends to sleep through most sicknesses (as he does with everything else he finds unpleasant). He assumes meals will be brought to him but beyond that isn't really asking for much. He plays off his surprise when you do show up, mostly just telling you your fussing is giving him a headache. He's not turning you away though. You find him in general a lot more compliant than usual, eating and drinking what he's given and submitting himself to physical affection without his usual need to dominate it. There's still complaining, of course, if there wasn't you'd assume he was on death's door. But....for as much as he won't admit it. Its nice to have someone worry. Like it matters. Like he...really, really matters.
Ruggie Bucchi: In contrast to his spoiled housewarden Ruggie never really had many people to watch out for him when he was sick. There was his grandma of course, but conditions were always such that he could never really expect a lot of one on one tlc. Best to beat it as fast as possible and get back to work before anyone can worry. He's got a list of home remedies as long as his arm and they're usually enough to get him back on his feet.
Unlike someone like Trey or Deuce, though, Ruggie isn't stupid enough to look a gift horse in the mouth. If you're offering to spoil him then who is he to turn you down. He'll happily eat up any attention he can get and get a little enjoyment out of being the one having things fetched for (rather than the fetcher). He still doesn't like being out for the count to long, it makes things prone to pile up, but for as long as it lasts he's going to enjoy it, damn it.
Ultimately the worst inconvenience of Ruggie getting sick is realizing how many well-oiled machines have come to depend on him. Savanaclaw is in shambles after just a couple of days, not to mention any side gigs he currently has going. While definitely not opposed to taking help where he can get it (as long as it doesn't impact his bottom line)....he's honestly a little flustered and embarrassed if you try to take on ALL his responsibilities. C'mon, no need to go that far...sure, he does it every day but he's USED to it, its different for you...how?....Whatever! Just leave it, alright, your presence is more than enough.
Jack Howl: As a point of pride Jack almost never gets sick. Growing up with a handful of younger siblings means your body works through the common cold like its nothing, and he takes excellent care of his body. Still, he's not untouchable, and when he gets sick its for KEEPS. We're talking barely able to stay awake for more than a couple hours, zero appetite, sneezing like a cannon.
As per usual he does his best to be strict with you. No sleeping over and you better be washing your hands regularly. When he's this zonked, though, he doesn't really have the energy to turn you away. Loath as he is to admit it it feels nice having someone fussing over him a little. Pets and soup are all a good way to help, of course. But if you really want the gold star? Help him keep on top of his schoolwork. It may not be the most romantic thing in the world but its the kind of gesture that hits really deep with him. Suffice to say that if you do get sick you will have the most overbearing nurse in the world once he's recovered.
Azul Ashengrotto: The absolute king of denial. Azul is very, very good at hiding when he's sick. I'm talking makeup to hide fever flush and tucking a cough drop under his tongue so you won't notice, its like he's a political dignitary on an election tour. The tell is always that he'll avoid the kitchens at Mostro Lounge. A plague outbreak is bad optics. Once caught in the act, as per always it turns into a negotiation. X number of bed rest hours in exchange for being allowed to go to the office every day, taking medicine in recommended doses in exchange for being allowed to attend class, so on and so forth.
If you were looking for tenderness you've come to the wrong place. Azul HATES being sick, hates any case when his stupid body threatens to interrupt business hours. Fortunately, you're not alone. With a little collusion from the twins he can be effectively held hostage in his room when he gets really bad. He'll wail and gnash his teeth, try everything in his power to get loose...and then eventually slump into acceptance just to get it over with.
Secretly some part of him does enjoy being a little doted on. But from beginning to end you're going to have a very unhappy camper who is very resistant to any attempts to coddle him. Once he's out of it, he'll make it up to you. At the end of the day, he prefers to be the one doing the spoiling.
Jade Leech: Surface sicknesses are hit or miss for mermen. Sometimes scarlet fever could sweep through the school and leave nary a dent, sometimes a common cold will have them levelled for days at a time. Regardless of which it is, Jade takes care of himself out of habit. No particular tragic backstory reason for it. He just does. While he and Floyd come from very comfortable family backgrounds their father always advised a degree of self sufficiency which Jade in particular takes to heart. He takes his medicine, sleeps, and does his best to not let his responsibilities fall by the wayside.
He's pleasantly surprised when you show up to help, if a little confused. He would never ask...and yet here you are. How curious.
Jade's not really a big cuddler at the best of times but especially not now. In general, his sensory needs are regressing. Its best to help keep his room as dark as possible, and as cold as possible. He'll sometimes accept you laying on top of him to simulate some pressure, but usually with a few blankets in between you. What he appreciates most are being brought meals, and keeping Azul (and at times, Floyd) off his back. Quietly taking the weight off his shoulders is something he appreciates more than he can express, and gives him the time he needs to recover.
Floyd Leech: "Man flu" could never dream of touching Floyd flu. Jade is very used to dealing with Floyd's moodiness and demands, and even he would describe sick Floyd as "a bit much". Being sick is his 8th circle of hell. He feels like total garbage, he can't leave his room to do any of the things he enjoys, and most people avoid him just to avoid catching it. Its the wooorst and not even having a free pass from work can improve it.
All this to say, he is going to be in your dms the second Azul orders him to stay home, practically begging you to at least get on the phone with him for a bit. God help you if you decide to show up, you're never getting out of his room. The second you're in arm's reach he has you on the bed, winding his whole body around yours and whining incoherently about how awful everything is and how you need to be nice to him.
Not to say there are no perks. For as whiny as he's being there's something oddly adorable about how needy he is. He wants you in his arms as much as possible, insisting that the pressure and the warmth helps. He'll pour on the praise for any food you make him (even when you both know he could do better with his eyes closed) sheerly for the novelty of having you feed him. Most of all, though, he's putting in a concerted effort to be sweet and behave. You're not his brother, he knows you can leave if you get fed up with him so he's doing everything in his power to make you want to stay.
All this to say, at a certain point you just have to accept that you're going to get sick too. Don't worry to much about it, though. Once he's all better he promises to take just as good care of you as you did of him~
Kalim Al-Asim: Like Leona, Kalim grew up with access to the best and most devoted healthcare money could buy. Despite that, Kalim is actually really really bad at letting himself be sick, especially if its anything that could take more than a couple days of recovery. He just hates to make anyone worry! His younger siblings especially get so upset if their big brother can't play for a week, really its easier for everyone if he bounces back quickly even if it means he's not QUITE better yet.
This puts him in a rough spot at NRC. He's so used to being looked after that he has no idea how to take care of himself, but he's also really reluctant to stay down for more than a few days. Keeping him confined and resting is an ordeal, one Jamil is more than happy to hand over to you once you get wind of why your boyfriend hasn't been showing up for class.
Kalim feels bad that he made you worry. However, BECAUSE it is you you'll find its pretty easy to get him to comply, at least moment to moment. He'll still try to insist he's all better every morning, but he'll also let you feed him and take his medicine when you ask. Its a weird mix, but it also wouldn't be Kalim if he didn't at least try to make it fun for both of you. Its too bad you're both stuck here, but hey, perfect time to catch up on that show you've been wanting to watch with him! As long as you take some precautions he's pretty content to treat it like a sleepover, and with some cajoling he can be convinced to at least hold out until he actually is feeling better.
Jamil Viper: Is it really any surprise that this is yet another area where Jamil's experience is polar opposite to his housewarden's. His parents were never cruel, of course, they'd never force him out to work while he was honestly ill. But even at a young age he was very quick to catch the little passive aggressive remarks, the prodding comments asking if he was SURE he was still unwell. The young master was asking about him after all....maybe a cup of tea and you'll be fine to go play with him? It wouldn't do to let him get too lonely...
His default mode is still to evade and ignore it. As long as he can still keep himself upright he'll act like everything's fine. It really only takes some gentle prodding from you, though, to make him realize....right. He doesn't have to do that anymore. Letting himself be free of his parents wishes can mean this too. You find him surprisingly quick to acquiesce when you offer to take care of him, as long as you can promise the dorm won't collapse around his ears.
Despite his intentions, Jamil still doesn't really know how to let himself be taken care of. If he wants something he's very instinctively going to do it himself. Still...he finds he enjoys it. Being brought food. Having time to sleep even in the middle of the day. Even a little of the babying, mortifyingly enough. You'll know you've really succeeded when he asks you to read to him. It helps him unwind, and lets him enjoy your company without having to expend the energy to talk.
Vil Schoenheit: For as much of a workaholic as he is, Vil is actually quite strict about taking time off when he's unwell. It helps that it doesn't happen often. He's fit as a fiddle, keeps regular eating and sleeping hours, and is quick to avoid anything seasonal that might be making the rounds. The second he realizes he's not well enough to present himself at his best, though, is the second he's whipping his phone out and making calls. He won't let himself be seen at anything less than his usual perfection, much less risk permanent damage to his throat or lungs by pushing himself past his limits. His father took a lot of pains to instill in him that events come and go, but your body is an instrument you'll have your whole life.
Vil doesn't really need, or want, a nursemaid at this juncture. You'd be competing with Rook for the job anyways, and that's a zero sum game. What he does need, though...is someone who makes it clear its ok for him to be human. For as good as he is about taking care of himself, FORGIVING himself for it is harder. Vil's got a pretty thick skin, but the idea of letting people down (whether that's his fans or his classmates) is a hard pill for him to swallow. Yes, it's important, but it doesn't change the disappointment people would feel having a meet and greet cancelled, or the damage it may do to his brand by last minute cancelling an interview. Don't baby him, but...keep rebutting his negative internal monologue. Even if he rolls his eyes...he does appreciate it. Because he knows you mean it.
As with Cater, helping him look a little less like a snot monster is greatly appreciated. He can comb his own hair and wash his own face, of course. But...well, after all, this is one of those things having a partner is supposed to make more fun. You see a different side of Vil when you're helping him apply a face mask after watching him puke his guts out. It may not be a very cheerful side, but its a very tender one, and it gives you something brand new to appreciate about your ever flawless boyfriend.
Rook Hunt: Though he may not look it Rook catches things pretty easily. A side effect of spending most of your nights perched in a tree or tucked in some underbrush. His immune system's pretty efficient, and he tends to process things quite quickly. Still, once spotted sniffling into a hanky or hiding away to cough you are on him like a woodtick. He submits to it in pretty good humor, even teasing you about his inability to elude your sharp-eyed gaze. Who's really the hunter here, mm?
Though he does enjoy being on the receiving end of your undivided attention, Rook's surprisingly hard to keep still. He gets too restless, eager to slip off and pursue more of his beautiful things. I'd advise getting Vil on your side here. Passion or no, a direct order from his housewarden is something Rook won't violate. He makes up for it tenfold by singing your praises the whole time you're caring for him. You think he starts composing a poem in honor of your thermometer wielding ways at a certain point. He's back on his feet quickly. But rest assured, he'll find some way to demonstrate his appreciation more materially.
Epel Felmier: The thing about a farm is there really isn't such a thing as sick days. You could be coughing up blood; the apples still need brought in, or they'll start to rot and the crop'll go to waste. Epel's used to muscling through most common sicknesses, takes a fair amount of pride in it even. He also HATES being babied. It makes him feel fragile and stupid and useless.
All this to say it actually takes him a while to admit he's sick to you. No chance of going to class, his eagle eyed housewarden confined him to bedrest the second he caught him looking a little too pale. But it takes longer for him to stop acting like he isn't just really busy over text. He doesn't want you to feel like you have to come over and make a whole production of it.
Despite his reluctance to let you know about it and his resistance to anything that resembles mothering, Epel actually finds he's relieved to see you. Sappy or not, he misses you a lot when he can't see you. He puts up a show of being stubborn, but really he hates seeing you worried and will fold like paper at any kind of insistence.
Alright, maybe its not SO bad...but only for a little longer!
Idia Shroud: Shockingly enough I don't think Idia actually gets properly sick often. He takes awful care of himself, eating rarely and sleeping even less, so he usually FEELS like dogshit. But actual escalation into meaningful symptoms, a fever or a cold or a stomach bug, is surprisingly rare. Something to do with not leaving his room to catch anything.
When it does happen he tries to milk the shit out of it, taking it as a free excuse to hole up in his room for a few days and do nothing but game. It quickly backfires, though, when Ortho makes him lie down or take medicine (usually resulting in a very miraculous "recovery" if he's at anything less than death's door).
Its VERY different with an s/o. At first he's mostly just mortified you're going to see him in this state. He's gross enough in his default state, if you see him like this you're gonna run away for sure! Once reasonably assured that you're not going to kick him to the curb over some puke, though, he discovers two things. One: its really, REALLY nice to have an attractive person baby you when you're sick. Two: technically Ortho can't kick him off his games if he just has you working through the notifications. Hope you're ready to take over his gacha management. He drafts up a booklet for you to fill out it would be actually aggravating if he weren't giving you the biggest heart eyes over it.
Mostly he's an easier patient for you than he is for his brother, though when he digs in his heels it can take ages to talk him into anything else. God help you if he's sick in the midst of a project because you are going to have to drag him back to bed kicking and screaming. Ultimately, though, he really just wants to be petted on a little.
Malleus Draconia: Fae health is robust as a general rule which is why Malleus getting the sniffles is enough to send Diasomnia into Defcon 3. Had Lilia not thought to invite you over you think it's possible you might have lost contact with him for a month.
Mostly, being sick isn't a very big deal for Malleus. He takes his medicine, he sleeps, and its done with. He's finding a very fresh novelty in having you around, though. He doesn't want you to trouble yourself too much over him. His constitution is impressive. But he does appreciate the opportunity for some one on one time, and will even put up with a little pampering if you really want to.
If you want to earn his eternal gratitude, keep his attendants soothed and off his back. As much as he might love them its the surest thing to put him out of temper.
Lilia Vanrouge: You're fairly certain Lilia only gets sick when he wants to be sick. Maybe its that with centuries of perfecting his healing magics you know a bacterial invasion is no problem to clear up. Maybe its just that he only ever seems to catch something when he has an assignment he doesn't feel like doing coming up. Who can say really.
As with Malleus how much nurturing you really want to do for Lilia is up to you. He's more than capable of taking care of himself. Unlike Malleus though Lilia relishes letting you play nursemaid and will absolutely play up being a little pathetic and needy for the attention. Its such a silly and childish thing to do, and that's why he does it. Its practically a dare as his eyes flutter pathetically while you take his temperature, or in the moony-eyed look he gives you as you spoon soup into his mouth. You may have to cut him off at some point, he's having entirely too much fun. Rest assured, you will be swiftly repaid.
Sebek Zigvolt: Leans the hell into "the fae are too strong for your puny human diseases!!" but he's really bad at hiding when he's sick. His sneezes and coughs seem to echo through the whole building.
Sebek is an absolute wreck when he's sick, practically begging to be allowed out to resume his duties. Half the reason Lilia asked you to watch out for him is it was the only way to really pacify him. He'll be a total pest the whole time, badgering you to check his temperature every hour or so because he's CERTAIN he's all better now. You're half convinced he's about to ask you to tail Malleus on his behalf and bring him back detailed reports.
Its largely ridiculous, but its also a deeply vulnerable position for him. Sebek never wants to appear weak, especially not in front of you. He's embarrassed that you feel like you need to look out for him. At the same time, though...he's touched that you care to. That you can see him in this state and not think less of him, can in fact even be more affectionate and sweet than usual. It doesn't make him more patient, but it does mean he files it away as yet another thing to admire about you.
Silver: Sick constantly. Turns out there's side effects to dozing off out in the open all the time. He does his best to walk it off but is easily brought in line by you and Lilia. Silver's mostly an easy patient. Sleeping is easy for him, and he submits to medicine and any other care needs with no complaint. The struggle is not to let him turn the tables and try to nurse you. He'll insist its no issue at all, he doesn't mind letting you get off your feet, while casually attempting to take over all the meal prep and the cleanup after to boot.
Silver is quick to express his gratitude, and he does enjoy the opportunity for privacy. While not very prone to PDA he finds he enjoys the reassurance of physical touch, especially yours, when he's really feeling low. In the end, though, he can't wait for this to be over
Could i possibly request first kiss with savanaclaw? I really liked the ones you did for idia and the tweels :D
Little warmup post for the weekend, and also I've been missing Leona so terribly
Leona Kingscholar: -Like I've said before. It is genuinely, pretty fucking hard to figure out at what point you are "dating" Leona. He makes nailing down the exact terminology pretty difficult and it is mostly on purpose.
-Is he your boyfriend? Some kind of friend with benefits situation where you haven't gotten around to the benefits part just yet? Your antagonistic soulmate? You're not sure, but he'd be pretty upset if you decided to stop whatever it is you're doing.
-As such a lot of the "firsts" tend to be very, spur of the moment, or even accidental. You never set out to start holding hands, you just sort of grabbed his one day and failed to let go (something he will smugly remind you of from time to time). He never planned on inviting you into his bed, he just pulled you in and resisted letting go until both of you knocked out for good.
-The first kiss is at least a little different. He doesn't know how he wants to do it, but he knows how he doesn't.
-You've gotten close more times than you can count. Its a settled part of your dynamic by this point, the sharp back and forth, the careful teasing as one or both of you start to lean in, your eyes drifting towards each other's mouths...but something interrupts. Whether its your friends, his dormmates, or that tiny little voice in the back of his head that makes him shatter any moments of vulnerability. Something pulls you away, straightens you out, and sets you back to the rest of your morning.
-There's just, no nonchalant way to exit, is the thing that bothers him. Once he's kissed you that feels like a bridge that'll be crossed for good. No takebacks, and more importantly no playing it off in the next moment if its just the two of you in private. He can't settle for that. And he's more than patient enough to wait for his moment...
-He finds it at the next Spelldrive match. An inter-dorm challenge between Heartslabyul and Savanaclaw. You'd been to enough games by now to know they were in rare form today, none moreso than Leona. Every play was effortless, every move was right, and something about the energy in the air...
-You leaned over the stands to where you could see him down below, calling his name. Normally he just laughs you off you do this, keeping his focus on the task at hand. Today though, when his gaze tracks up to meet yours, you feel something electric.
-He stands on his broom, that trick that makes you so goddamn anxious every time, rising effortlessly through the air. You grin as he approaches, some half taunting comment rising to your lips and never making it out, because his hand cups the back of your head and he pulls you down to kiss you.
-Its brief, and its warm, and you think the people next of you are reacting but you can't hear a thing over the rush of blood to your head.
-Just as quick, he's gone, a flash of a wink the last thing you see before he's back off down the field. Leaving you still hunched over the rails, blinking like an idiot.
-He'll let you kill him for this after, and then demand a few more in exchange for the victory he's brought home.
Ruggie Bucchi: -In sharp contrast, Ruggie let you know pretty much every step of the way, the next date would be when he'd finally kiss you.
-It had been something of a running joke between the two ofyou, him refusing to indulge and you pretending to be devastated every time he turned you away. He'd threaten sometimes to make you wait all the way until marriage, but always shut up QUICKLY when you countered that maybe you'd have to find someone else to marry then.
-Its not that Ruggie's never spontaneous. He's adept at playing most situations by ear and adapting to your own wants and gestsures. Its one of the things you love most about him. However, whether he admits it out loud or not: the first kiss feels different to him as an emotional milestone, and his habit with emotions he doesn't really know how to wrestle with is to just play it off as a joke.
-Its a lot easier to pretend that the buildup to kissing you is some long elaborate injoke than to admit that he is actually, really looking forward to it and really nervous about messing it up. Chances are good you probably already know this going in, but I'd recommend letting him hold onto the fiction. Gotta have his pride in SOME things.
-He plans a whole day for the two of you, sun up to sundown, mostly catered around your own interests (or at least, free alternatives to your interests). There's this dramatic flourish to the way he presents it, but its Ruggie, and you end up giggling through most of it anyways.
-The evening caps off with a dinner under the stars that he prepared himself. To your surprise (and amusement), he'd managed to get live music, in the form of slipping the Pop Music Club a twenty to get some noise in the background. Its actually kind of romantic, though it gets hard to hear each other and he eventually tells them to save it for the finale.
-Its a nice spot, a hill overlooking the campus. Far away from all of it there's something sort of beautiful about the castle, if a bit somber. His hand keeps wandering over to squeeze yours even as conversation is light.
-"Well....guess its time for the big finish, yeah?"
-You knew he was nervous. Its not until now you realize just how much. Under the moonlight its hard to make out a blush, but you still manage. He turns to face you and you realize he's trembling, down to his fingertips that lift to cup your face. You are too, though you can't tell if its nerves or excitement.
-For a moment its like you're frozen in time and space. You start to wonder if he'll ever do it, almost speak up to assure him its ok if he's not ready
-He kisses you before you get the chance
-Cater and Lilia wolfwhistling only slightly ruins the mood.
Jack Howl: -What are the odds that mistletoe traditions are a universal constant.
-You should've expected something like this when you'd agreed to Ace and Deuce's invitation to the Heartslabyul Winter Holiday celebration, just before the break. But to be honest, you really hadn't thought much of it, or of Jack being invited along as well. He was their friend too.
-Well. You guess "friend" was a little simplistic to describe what you were now. You'd been an official couple for almost a month now, a new enough addition to the dynamic that you sometimes had to consciously remind yourself of the fact that you weren't still stuck pining for him.
-Not that Ace and Deuce were really giving you much of a chance to forget it.
-Far from it. Things had been good between you Really good. Beyond the sheer romantic notion of getting to know the person you liked liked you back in the same way, you hadn't realized how much it had been weighing both of you down in your interactions with each other. With that constant yearning cleared up it was like you could remember how much you actually liked spending time with each other again.
-In a way you guess you had Ace and Deuce to thank for that, since without their prodding Jack might never have actually confessed. Unfortunately they seemed to have taken this as an invitation to nominate themselves as your defacto relationship counsellors, up to and including how much (or in this case, how little) physical affection you were showing.
-You were losing track of how often you'd told them to lay off. You didn't mind waiting. Jack preferred to take things slow, do them the way he wanted to. Maybe you did too.
-Still, you'd be lying if you said you weren't anticipating it. Breath catching every time he got close. You considered making the first move a half dozen times, but you didn't want to rush him. Your only fear was that he was thinking the same thing about you, and you were caught in yet another infinite loop of missed signals
-So maybe that's why, when Trey and Cater shoved both of you under the sharp-leafed berries...you didn't immediately scurry away.
-Jack gives his usual perfunctory complaints, moving as if to pull you both away, but Ace's taunts find their usual mark. Annoyance and embarrassment start to build on his face. You touch his arm, drawing his attention back down towards you.
-Its wordless communication. Both of you asking permission. Both of you silently giving it.
-He leans in.
-He's going to ask for a do-over later that night. He doesn't want your friends to be the reason he goes through with anything around you, it makes him look spineless. But when you remember it later, the warmth on your lips, the way his strong arms draw you to him and it makes it feel like everything's a million miles away...
-You're glad at least that the door's open. Even if it had to be kicked in
A commission fic for the eternally patient @kitkats-pastel-graveyard who requested an Idia x Reader x Floyd fic set in the Culinary Crucible. This will also be my last commission for a while, and its back to our regularly scheduled content.
Idia Shroud/Reader, Floyd Leech/Reader, 6.4k words (got a little outta hand askdfjhaskljfd)
TW: Food, eating, fire, explosions.
I suppose we’ll start with a simple question. What brings you to this quarter’s Culinary Crucible? We’ll start with you, Mr. Shroud.
[Note: After a few attempts at verbal speech, Mr. Shroud instead elected to use the text to speech app to type his response. Somewhat furiously, I might add] My younger brother Ortho thinks I need some more staples in my diet. And also to be able to prepare it myself. Tbh it’s a little annoying, I can cook. I make cup ramen all the time and my specialized recipe is godtier even if I do have to say it myself. The secret is to- uh- actually you probably don’t care. Anyways! Gross otaku don’t need to sustain themselves on anything other than snacks. But he threatened to buy up all the tickets to the next Kismet Punch meet and greet unless I come to this. That’s what I get for uploading him with the alert system...
Anyways, I showed up here, and as we can all clearly see, I’m not cut out for this, so if you could just-
What about you, Mr. Leech? I must admit, I was surprised to see you here. Even we ghosts have heard that you developed much of Mostro Lounge’s menu yourself.
“Eh? I guess I’m in the same boat as Firefly Squid. Jade made me come after I got in trouble again for messing around with the customer dishes. It’s a huuuuuge pain. If people don’t want to spice things up then they can stay home and cook for themselves. Why should I be stuck making the same thing over and over?”
[At this point, Mr. Leech tilted his chair, throwing his head back to look at the kitchen, along with the staff and the headmage. Something seemed to catch his eye, and when he lowered to the ground again he was smiling.]
“Still, guess it’s not all bad. Plus, Jade used his scary voice, which means I’m not allowed to go back to the dorm till this is over with.”
.....You haven’t been home since this started?
“I just said that, didn’t I? So what are we waiting for, I’m gettin excited to try this! Hey, can I use some of the plants I brought from the alchemy labs?”
That would depend on-... Mr. Leech, the event hasn’t started yet!!!
“Cmon, Anglerfish, I wanna see if I can fry an egg on that hair of yours!!”
How did I get involved in this?! “H-hey, let goo of meeeeee!!!”
------
“This is stupid.” You said, for the fifth time in as many minutes as you watched the ghosts attempt to wrench a protesting Idia out of Floyd’s grip. You tugged at the apron around your neck like it might vanish if you did so.
“Oh, come now.” Crowley said, clapping you on the back and refusing to directly acknowledge the chaos his students were causing. “Of all the things I’ve asked you to do to pay the rent on Ramshackle Dormitory, a bit of KP for an event is hardly the most unreasonable!”
“That’s not-......” You let out a frustrated breath, letting the matter of your unfair work conditions rest for the moment. “I’ve seen these contests before, they can go all day. I don’t have that kind of time!”
“I’m sure you’ll manage. After all, at least one of these contestants is an experienced chef! It shouldn’t take them terribly long to find something to please the judges.”
“Maaan, Firefly Squid, your hair’s not nearly hot enough to cook anything on!”
“That’s what- I-i’ve been trying to-!!”
“Guess we’ll just have to compare teeth sharpness then. Hey Shrimpy!!” Your head jerks to see Floyd beaming at you, waving you over. “Get some tomatoes or something and let’s settle this!”
Idia’s gaze tracks over to where Floyd is looking and he starts, hair shooting a few inches higher. Fumbling for his tablet, he starts jabbing commands at lightning speed. When did this become a competition between US?!
“I eagerly await the fruits of your labors!” And with a flourish of his cape, Crowley’s gone.
-----
Not that it was easy, but you did manage to get Floyd off of competing with Idia to actually focus on the task at hand. At the very least he was eager to help out around the kitchen. You can’t imagine how much of a nightmare this would’ve been if he wasn’t. The ghosts set the challenge, providing a selection of recipes which Idia and Floyd would attempt to master before the day was out. Your heart sank a little more into the depths of your shoes when you saw the list. All of them were chosen with the idea of consistency in mind. As a result, they were finicky. Any shortcuts or distraction would harm the final result.
At the very least, you wouldn’t be responsible for the actual cooking parts. Not even ingredient gathering, since assessing the relative quality of the components was considered part of the challenge. Officially you’d be tasked with primarily grunt work: chopping, timers, dishes, anything they might need an extra set of hands on.
“Shrimpy’s our little helpeeeeeer” Floyd crooned. His arms cinch tighter around your waist as he leans over your shoulder to grin at you. “At least I know it won’t be boring.”
“Juuust great, a babysitter, not like this ordeal could get anymore humiliating...” Idia’s mutter continues to trail off until you decide to clear your throat.
“I mean, you don’t have to utilize me. I’m just here if you need me. That ok?”
He jumps, like he didn’t realize you could hear him. Knowing Idia, he hadn’t noticed he was speaking out loud. “U-uh.....I didn’t mean....I mean-!” He pulls at the edge his sleeves, looking off to the side. “It’s not a problem with you specifically, just. More the concept. I mean I’m glad that it’s you if it has to be anyone, but-.....wait forget that last part-”
Unofficially, your job was wrangling these two. No one said it out loud, but Crowley had functionally implied as much. Floyd in particular was a decided flight risk in a space with this much fire and this many sharp objects.
Like you’d said, you weren’t exactly thrilled to be giving up your whole day like this. But you didn’t necessarily resent spending time with either of them. Difficult as they could both be in their individual ways, they could both be a lot of fun to be around.
Something you were going to spend a lot of time reminding yourself of as the day progressed.
---
Idia stared at the array of spices in front of him, comparing it to the recipe notes he’d managed to pull up on his tablet. The ingredients were all so fiddly. Wouldn’t be a problem, normally. Chemistry may be less his bag than engineering but he still had a pretty good sense of what he was doing around a cauldron. The X factor giving him trouble here was taste,though. Wasn’t enough to just check off the boxes, you had to somehow tailor it to individual palates, based on entirely subjective tastes. How was ANYONE supposed to maintain “consistency” in an environment like this-
“Comin’ through~”
His grousing is cut off abruptly by Floyd’s upper body flopping over the countertop, grabbing at a variety of jars with a few thoughtful hums before dropping them in his apron pocket seemingly at random. Idia jerks his tablet out of reach on instinct, before annoyance overcomes his startle. He flicks over to his text to speech.
Those aren’t even in this dish.
“So? I want to see how it turns out.” Floyd shrugs, giving him that sleepy, creepy grin of his. Not that I’m one to talk, or. Think.
It’ll turn out like the last 6 times, with failing scores.
“You tryin’ to tell me what to do now, Firefly Squid?” The smile doesn’t slip one notch. Something in the eyes though...they harden. Idia didn’t even think people’s eyes did that in real life until now. “That’s pretty brave of you.”
Oh boy. This threat level was a little OP for him to handle. Still, maybe Ortho’s onto something about him always needing the last word. Even as he backs up half a step, his fingers are flying across the keypad before he can stop himself. I don’t want to be here all day!! Some of us have stuff to get back to.
Floyd freezes in place. Idia prepares himself to bolt, or at least duck and cover.
Before the second year tilts his head back in a high pitched laugh.
This is somehow scarier. “O-oh god please don’t rip my arms off-”
“You’re pretty funny when you grow a spine, Anglerfish!” Floyd throws an arm around his shoulder before he can fully flee. It’s a casual gesture, but it freezes Idia into solid ice. Floyd just smiles, turning him to face the rest of the kitchen. “Just for that, gonna walk you through what you’re missing.”
“M-missing?”
He jerks his chin towards where you stand, bent over a sink as you rinse a few cutting pans. “They’re stuck here just as long as we are.”
“....The prefect? I don’t-”
“Suuuuure you don’t.” He digs his fingers into Idia’s side, making him jump. Floyd laughs, spreading his hands as he backs off through the kitchen.
“Just sayin. Somethin to think about~”
----
You felt like your face was about to start dripping sweat. That last round had been rough, and only resulted in disappointing results. Sort of a theme for the last 4 hours or so. Still, at least you had a bit of a break. Idia, sensing the first opportunity for escape, had volunteered to go out ingredient hunting, and the ghosts, sensing Idia’s thinking, elected to accompany him. There were still one or two hovering around, getting a few things cleaned up. For the most part though, it was just you, Floyd, and the glass of water you were nursing.
“Man, does betta fish have it out for me or what?” He was saying, leaning over the counter next to you. “That last judgment was brutal.” He doesn’t seem terribly torn up about it, spooning some of the leftover consomme into his mouth.
You nod, taking another swallow of water. The last round had been particularly bad, but then, who could account for the bad luck of pulling Crewel, Vil, and Leona all in the same round. “Guess the clarification process still needs work. You sure you don’t want the chef to walk you through it one more time? They are here to teach you.”
Floyd snorts, raising an eyebrow and looking up at you. “I know how to do it.”
“.....” You’re unable to keep the skepticism out of your face. Floyd just laughs.
“I know how to do it! I’ve made it like a dozen times for the Lounge. Azul said it was too technical for the regular menu but it’s not like I forgot.”
“Then why don’t you do it?”
“Cause it’s boriiing.” He says this like it should be obvious. And. Actually fair enough, it should’ve been obvious. He pokes your cheek. “Food’s to play with.”
“I’m pretty sure that’s the opposite of what food is supposed to be for.” An incredulous grin creeps up on you. It’s...kind of hard not to feel put at ease when he’s taking it so easy. That was the dilemma with Floyd, for the center of chaos he had a weird way of making stuff feel like no big deal.
“Nah, Shrimpy, that’s just their programming talking for you. I’ll show you,” He pulls the dish closer to both of you, dipping his spoon in and lifting it to your mouth. “Open up.”
You eye the cloudy broth with some suspicion. Granted, Vil’s palate could be pretty delicate, but the face he had made didn’t exactly make you eager...
“C’mon, I gotta force you open?” He’s grinning. You think it’s a joke.
Hope it’s a joke.
...You open your mouth and take in the spoon, trying to swallow quickly.
Flavorwise, it’s actually not awful. Not that you really notice when you start to absorb the texture. It’s like it’s coagulated, forming a nearly gelatinous texture that coats the inside of your mouth almost instantly. You can feel tiny pieces of something suctioning onto your tongue, making it take a few swallows to get it clear of your mouth. You can’t help making a face, but it only makes Floyd grin harder.
“Gotta use clarification to remove impurities. Which I didn’t do right.”
“Ok, so….why??” You cough, reaching for your water to wash the mouthfeel out. Floyd pinches your cheeks together, nearly making you spit it out.
“Because now you know what consomme tastes like with the impurities still swimmin around in there. Where else are you gonna get a chef to treat you to that, huh?” He tilts his head, backing off from you to lean over the counter.
You get the distinct sense that he’s probably messing with you a little. Or a lot. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t mean it. And if you ever want to get out of here…
“So…it’s about the experience with you?”
His eyes brighten, letting you know you’ve gotten it. “Exactly. You can go pretty much anywhere and find food that’s done right, or close to it. And any idiot can figure out how to follow a recipe. So if I’m doing it, why shouldn’t I change it up? Figure out what’s different if I mess things around a little. Even if it’s gross, it’s still different.”
You don’t know whether or not that made sense for you. He certainly said it like it was something that made sense to him. “But….you’re not just cooking for you.”
Floyd huffs, his lower lip poking out as he rolls his head back to look up at you. “I’m cooking, aren’t I? If they want somethin’ I don’t feel like making it’s only fair they do it themselves. Why should I have to change to do something I don’t wanna do just to make some rando happy?”
You felt like there were probably any number of retorts to that! You work in a restaurant, do you just never plan on letting anyone else eat your food, you are holding us all hostage for your own creative disputes- But none of them are likely to work on Floyd. He’s stubborn when he sets his mind to something, trying to talk him out of his current position is likely to just make it worse.
Talking him into something else…
“Well, what if you weren’t just cooking for a rando then?” You set the cup aside finally and begin gathering together the dishes still on the stovetop. “What if you pretended you were making it for someone who’s opinion mattered to you.”
“Huh?”
“Like Jade or something?” You shrug, glancing back at him briefly. “It might make you feel a little more motivated.” And maybe get us all out of here before we’re old and grey. Floyd seems to be considering this, which is a positive, and you move to deposit the dishes in the sink.
“....I figured it out.”
“Uh….figured what-”
It’s like he becomes a teal streak for a minute, one minute he’s draped over the counter and the next you find yourself being hoisted into the air, Floyd snaking his arms unders yours like a toddler hauling around some poor cat. You splutter, instinctually squirming before you realize it’s probably only going to tangle you up worse.
“You’re not some rando, so I’m not gonna mind making it for you!” He giggles at your efforts, swinging you from side to side for a second before setting you on the countertop. You straighten your rumpled clothes out as best you can, giving him a look that only makes him snicker more. Still, the content of what he’s said doesn’t pass you by.
Cooking for you is what’s motivating him?
“Wait, so that means-”
“You gotta taste test everything I make, alright?” He grins, leaning over you as he braces his hands on either side of your hips. “And compliment it plenty. That’ll keep me motivated enough to do it right. It’s a deal, right Shrimpy?”
He’s close enough to leave you a little flustered. Behind you, you hear the doors open. Idia and the others are back from their excursion, and the thought of them catching you two this close isn’t helping the heat on your face.
“I- Sure, why not, but-”
“Perfect.” He pulls back just as abruptly, rolling up his sleeves as he strides off towards Idia. “Hey Squid, let’s get the lead out already, huh?”
—
Well, you had to give him this. He was an eel of his word. Once properly motivated Floyd was like a small whirlwind, flying in every direction at once. The only pauses were to eventually slide over towards you, holding some morsel he always insisted on hand feeding you and waiting for your review before sending it out to the judges. It was more than a little embarrassing. He’d all but insisted you not move too far from where he’d set you on the countertop, and the ghosts kept giving you weird looks. Still, hard to argue with results. They were flying through dishes now, quickly clearing off the docket with high marks.
You’d never seen him this intent on something before. Not to mention the food was excellent. No wonder Jade was so impatient to get him back in form.
He pulls a pan out of the oven, carefully carving off pieces and plating them with a practiced grace you’d barely known he was capable of. He lifts a forkful off from one of the plates and blows on it carefully, lifting it towards your mouth. “What’d’ya think, that crust turn out ok?”
You have to open your mouth wide to catch it all, hand cupping under your chin to avoid dropping any bits on the floor. It’s burning hot, for a second you can’t taste anything but heat, but eventually the actual flavor profiles start to settle in. You give him two thumbs up until you finish chewing, swallowing hard. “Lot flakier than the last one.”
“Aahhhh, how great am I, Shrimpy?” You snort, patting his arm as you wipe at your mouth. Floyd gathers the plates, balancing them on his arms while his looks around the room. “Hey Anglerfish! You’re supposed to help me present these, yanno!”
“Just…its’ not like they don’t know I’m in here!” Idia’s voice bounces off of the oven he’s currently got most of his torso wedged into. He’s been in there for the better part of an hour, ‘checking something’. The occasional metal clatter was all you heard from him. “Give me a bit….”
Floyd rolls his eyes dramatically at you, blowing some hair out of his face as he finishes up. “So what do I get if I nail this one?”
“Get?” He’s still not getting it out of his eyes. You decide to take pity and reach over to nudge it to the side. “Uh, then we’ll only have one dish left, and we all get to go home and call it a night sooner, how’s that?”
“Laaaame.” He nips at your hand in passing, making you jerk your fingers back. “I’ve been running this mostly by myself, don’t you think I deserve some kind of reward?”
“What would you even want?”
“Mmmm….” He puts on so much of a show of thinking about it that you can’t help but suspect he may have had something in mind from the start. “Oh! I know. You should cook something for me. That’s fair, right?”
“I…guess?” You blink, slightly taken aback. As far as Floyd favors go this was surprisingly easy to accomplish. Enough so that you’re wondering if there’s another shoe about to drop on your head. “I’m free next Saturday, if you wanna come by Ramshackle.”
“It's a date then.” And without another word, he breezes past you on his way out the door. You feel all the blood in your body rush to your face at once. Date? Date?! You whip your head around to call after him, stumbling over word and thought
“That’s only if you nail them both!” But he’s already halfway out the door. You hear the distant sound of his laugh as the doors continue to swing in his wake.
You sigh, burying your face in your hands as you try to compose yourself. You wish it wasn’t so easy sometimes for him to mess with you…Was he even serious? You don’t know if you’d have a problem if he was, but…
Another loud bang and some cursing bring you back to your surroundings. You decide to let curiosity win out, and walk over to stand by Idia’s splayed out legs. “Everything ok in there?”
His body jerks and there’s another bang, followed by a sharp yelp of pain. Idia emerges, smeared with soot and cupping his forehead. Your eyes widen and you drop down to your knees,trying to get a look at the damage. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry-”
“D-don’t sneak up on someone like that!!” Idia’s eyes look slightly wild, though it may be an effect of that much blue fire and ash floating.
“Do you need ice?” You’re halfway into a standing position before he seems to finally absorb who he’s looking at.
“U-uh!” His hands whip away from his forehead suddenly. “Its….I’m fine. Just…startled me.”
You look very pointedly at the pink spot on his forehead. The tips of his hair flicker a bit and his hand creeps up to cover it before he realizes its not going to make you forget its there. “....I’m fine. R-really.”
That didn’t sound truthful, but the larger part of you really didn’t want to embarrass the guy anymore than you were both already embarrassed. You glance back at the oven. He’s gutted the thing almost completely. A small pile of grimy parts are piled by where he was just laying, and he’s fidgeting with some kind of tool you don’t recognize. When you look back at him you find he’s still staring. Not for long, though, his eyes dart away the second you make eye contact with him.
Idia’s not really one for conversation, you knew that about him. Even by his standards, though, he’d been unusually withdrawn today. He was clearly pretty out of his depth with most of the dishes. Floyd had picked up the slack after your conversation with him, but in spite of the fact that he hadn’t wanted to do this in the first place, you could tell it kinda bothered him to be dropped unceremoniously in the backseat. Maybe that was the reason he acted like you were coming at him with a hot poker every time you got near him today.
“Whatcha doing here?” You say, gesturing to the oven. Maybe playing to his strengths was at least a way to get him to level out a little. He looks confused for a minute before he realizes what you’re referring to, like the bump had knocked it out of his mind. Still looking a little pink, he gets to his feet, sending soot flying all over.
“Uh….well, it’s…I mean…” He looks down at his hands, grimacing when he sees the black smears all over his fingers. You find a wet rag in a nearby sink and hand it to him. Flushing more, he wipes them off and picks up his tablet again.
The last dish takes a couple hours in the oven. Even if he gets it right in one go, we’re still going to be stuck here for a few hours. So I thought that maybe I’d try to speed that process up? It’s probably a waste of time lol
“Speed it up how?” You lean down to look inside, for all that accomplishes. Not like you really knew what the inside of a magical oven was supposed to look like.
These ovens are conventional, not convection. Heat emanates from a single source in the base. He crouches down to gesture to it only to realize he can’t do that and type at the same time. After a moment’s hesitation, he sets the tablet aside before reaching in to tap some tubing. “Uh…heat rises, so as the oven gets warmer all of the hot air starts to pool at the top of the dish. It takes a lot longer for the dish to cook all the way through, and it can make it uneven. L-like, the top could be COMPLETELY toast while the middle is still raw and cold.” He keeps glancing over at you occasionally to see if you’re still following.
“So, you’re making it convection?” You shuffle closer to see where he’s pointing. Idia seems a little pleased. At the very least he doesn’t pull back, continuing his explanation with much more confidence.
“Kinda.” He presses his palm to the back of the oven. “Normally a convection oven would have a fan in the back to keep the air circulating, but obviously I can’t just install one of those. So….I’m improvising.” He reaches past you to pick up some kind of iron contraption, two hollow iron tubes hastily bolted into two rotating plates. “Managed to find some lazy susan turntables, then just attach them to some of the magically run blowtorches.” He fishes for a second for his want, tapping the base. Twin blue flames suddenly spurt out of both of the tubes, making you jump back. Idia stifles a snicker, though he does move it away with a mumbled apology. “The force of the jets should keep it spinning. All I have to do is wire both of them into the magical heating elements and disable the base, and we should be golden.”
“Both?”
He shrugs, picking up a near identical device.
“Is that….safe?”
He huffs, almost indignant as he cuts the magic feed to the first torch. “Do I look like I want to blow us all up.”
You grin faintly. “I dunno…”
The scowl deepens, but even you can tell its mostly for show. He sets the devices down, rearranging himself so he can crawl back into the oven. “It shouldn’t take too much longer.”
“Do you want help?” You shuffle around a bit so you can sit down properly by the oven mouth.
“....Uh…..I mean….” His hands still. “Y-you don’t have to.”
“I mean, its gonna get us out of here faster, right?”
“Prob-...may-....I mean, I’m gonna try, obviously, but its probably gonna be really boring to help on, and-and-’
“So let’s get started.”
“....Fine. Hand me that screwdriver.”
To be entirely honest, you weren’t exactly certain how much what you were doing qualified as helping. Most of your contributions amounted to handing him tools or moving stuff out of the way. Idia would explain what he was doing, but a lot of it was either a little beyond you, or his explanation was far too looping for you to make sense of it. Mostly you kept him company while he messed around with the wiring, a tool clenched between his teeth except to occasionally answer your questions. Floyd eventually came back from judgment, shooting the both of you a questioning look, but went to start work on the next dish without much resistance.
And yeah, ok, it was a little boring at times. But as he got more and more focused on his work it was like he forgot to be jumpy. You’d already known Idia could be a very different person when he felt comfortable in his environment, but you think this might’ve been the first time you’d seen him this at ease. Enough that the conversation could drift to other topics, giving you more of a chance to at least contribute to the conversation.
“...so the point is, Grim is officially banned from Pomefiore until further notice.” You say, taking back the wrench he hands you.
Idia snorts, pulling his head free of the oven door. “Good luck backing Vil down from that.”
“I just didn’t realize lotions could be that expensive.”
“He custom orders them from a place.Though, the company does brand deals with him so I doubt he’s paying a dime. Uh…watch yourself.” He nudges you lightly on the shoulder, indicating you should back up. He uses his wand like a welding torch, sparks flying in every direction as he carefully binds it down to the oven. You hope the kitchen ghosts weren’t super attached to the way this thing was before. You wait for him to finish before you continue talking.
“Then why is he making me-?!....Wait, how do you know that?”
“Uh…..” He flushes, getting to his feet. “I think we should test this.”
“It done?” Floyd calls from down the counter. “Just finished this up.”
“W-well I don’t know if I’d say it’s done, I was gonna test it out with something-”
“Eh, no risk, no reward.” Floyd grabs one of the discarded shelves and slides it in at the proper height, placing the dish on top of it and closing the oven.
Idia scowls, though his gaze softens somewhat when he sees your amused expression. “Fine. Not like I’m the one who has to remake it if it messes up.”
“That’s what you think~” He plugs the correct temperature. You all watch as four blue lights go off at once, slowly picking up speed as they begin to spin. You hear Idia let out a sigh of relief next to you, and nudge him gently.
“Nice work.”
He doesn’t seem up to a response, but the pink color on his cheeks and the smile he can’t hold back says enough. “Uh…it should go about four times as fast, if I did this right.”
“Thirty minutes then? Nice.” Floyd manages to get an arm around Idia’s neck before either of you can blink, pulling into a noogie. “Knew you’d be good for something, Anglerfish.”
“Hey-!!!”
“Well, while modifying the equipment wasn’t a part of the challenge, I do have to applaud your creativity.” The head chef’s voice cuts off your attempt to call Floyd off. He drifts over to inspect Idia’s work, nodding appreciatively, though the next sentence is a little sharp. “I trust you’ll be able to restore it to its original state?”
“I…..y-yeah.” Idia says, trying and failing to wrestle himself free of Floyd’s grip before he just lets his arms fall loose. “I’ll fix it…”
“Excellent.” The head chef tilts his head curiously, gesturing for Floyd to finally let him go. Idia rubs at his neck, snatching up his tablet again as he continues to shoot dirty looks at a still grinning Floyd. “How did you manage to balance the torches you installed with the existing heating elements?”
It was easier to just disable it. Idia shrugs, still looking pretty pleased with himself. Wiring was simple enough to figure out.
“.....You disabled it?”
Yeah. The torches create enough heat in a confined space anyways. It’s probably a little less exact than the actual base component uh why are you looking at me like that
The head chef had turned a pale shade of grey you’d only seen a handful of times in your roommates, a color that indicates agitation. “These ovens are in near constant use during a school day. If one of the ovens goes down we don’t have time to wait for a repairman. The fire fairies who control the school fires are instructed to operate as a backup. Meaning that if they receive a signal that one of the heating elements has gone down…”
You see a dim orange light in the oven behind him, getting brighter by the second.
The last thing you’re aware of is something colliding into your side.
—-
Well, this is definitely a startling turn of events for the finale! How are you both feeling?
“Ahaha, oh man!” [Mr. Leech drops his wand, lowering the protection spell that he’d managed to place around himself and his fellow contestants. The Octavinelle second year looks none too displeased by this conclusion]. “Haven’t had a reflex test like that in a minute. What a rush!”
“E-exit interview now?! Is this really the time for any of us to-....[VULGARITY REDACTED] don’t be dead, wake up!!! Wake up!!!” [Mr Shroud begins shaking the Ramshackle Prefect, who he seems to have tackled in order to shield them from the blast.]
—-
The world swims back into view in a blur of sound and images. The smell of smoke fills your nostrils and you’re vaguely aware of someone shouting. The ache on your head draws more immediate attention. Slowly, though, the hazy blob of blue and white resolve themselves into Idia’s face, hovering over you and looking like he’s about to throw up.
“What…”
“Oh thank god.” He groans, head dropping as he finally stops shaking you.
“Ehhhh, Shrimpy’s alive.” Floyd leans over him to check on you, earring dangling until it nearly brushes your face. “Almost had me worried for a sec there.”
“You’re not hurt are you?? Is it bleeding? Did something stick you? What year is it?”
The questions just made you feel dizzy. You look around, trying to make sense of what you were seeing. You were standing in what initially looked like a bombed out ruin. The other ghosts were gathered around what you guessed was probably the remains of the oven, dousing it with water and wind spells. Some tiny orange flickers kept darting around them, chattering in a high pitched bell tone you couldn’t understand. You turn back towards your own group. A ghost hovers over all three of you, the one you recognize from the interview at the start. “...Was anyone hurt?”
He sighs, turning off his tape recorder. “Aside from you three, the only other occupants of the room at the time were ghosts. Thanks to Mr. Leech’s quick thinking and Mr. Shroud tackling you out of the way, you were all shielded, though likely a little rattled by how far you were thrown.”
You look back up at Idia, both of you seeming to notice at the exact same time that he’s still half on top of you. The hair on his head turns fuschia and he pulls off you immediately. You catch his hand before he does though.
“....Thanks” You say, trying to ignore the heat in your own face. It worsens the color tremendously, and for a moment it looks like he can’t decide what expression to make. He settles for nodding, before pulling his hands back to bury his face in them.
Floyd waves a bit to catch your attention, holding up his index and ring finger. “How many fingers am I holding up.”
“Two.”
“How about now?”
“Mr. Leech!”
You laugh, though it aches a little, and reach over to push his middle finger down. “None now.”
“Perfect, still got all the important bits.” He reaches over to pat Idia’s leg. “No harm done, Anglerfish. Shame about the dish though.” He sighs, glancing over at the ghosts. “Maaan that’s a bummer. After all that work I kinda wanted the victory speech.”
“Don’t speak too soon, Mr. Leech!” The head chef calls, lifting his head from the cluster of ghosts still gathered around the oven. “We may have something salvageable!”
“What?!” All of you lift your heads in unison towards him.
“The blast seems to have knocked it skyward rather than consumed it. As we can’t call the judges back in here, we’ll have to test it ourselves. However…” A handful of the kitchen staffs gather around the blackened-serving dish, sticking a fork in the pan and lifting it to their mouths. All of you watch with bated breath, even Floyd is silent as you stare across the smoking husk of the kitchen.
One by one, they chew. Swallow. Consider. Then, one at a time, all three of them send a burst of magical light into the area that shapes into a glittering number.
10.
10.
10.
You don’t know who laughs first. And maybe its the stress of the day, or the chaos of five minutes ago. Maybe it really is just genuinely that funny. Once one of you starts to giggle though, it catches on with the other two like its contagious, all three of you helpless to it. Even Idia, who curls in further on himself to try and muffle a high-pitched, wheezing laughter you’d never heard before.
You’d won.
A loud cry of distress manages to startle all of you out of it. Across the ruins, Crowley drops to his knees in the grass. It’s hard to make out what he’s saying at that distance, or if he’s even speaking at all. Regardless, it’s pretty clear that he’s sobbing. The interview ghost perks up remarkably once he spots him. “Must go get a comment from him….Congratulations to you two on passing.” He nods to you as he drifts towards the weeping Headmage.
“I’m…in s-so much trouble.” Idia says, still fighting hard to get a handle on the nervous giggling.
“Sure are.” Floyd sighs contently, flopping back on the ashy ground. “But maaaan was that fun. After this, you gotta come do it to the ovens in the Lounge, alright?”
“I think Azul might have a problem with that.” You let your weight rest back on your hands as you stretch out. The new lump on the back of your head still hurt, but it had at least stopped throbbing in pain.
“Pfffft, whatever….oh, hey!” Floyd sat up, like he just remembered. “We passed. That means you still owe me dinner!”
You blinked, only to burst out laughing when you realized what he was talking about. “I guess I do.”
“You have to cook for Firefly Squid too, alright? Only fair.” He yanked on Idia’s hoodie, making him yelp.
“When did I become a part of this…” He mutters, brushing himself off.
“You don’t have to if you don’t want to.” You say quickly. “But….I wouldn’t mind you coming along.”
He stares at you for a second, like he’s trying to figure out if you’re messing with him. You wonder if he was aware that Floyd had called it a date. You wondered if he’d mind.
You wondered if you’d mind.
“.....Fine.” He sighs, but just as he turns his head you can see the barest trace of a smile. “As long as I don’t have to mess with any ovens.”
“Promise. Though, I don’t think I can guarantee a lack of explosions.”
A commission fic for @dulcesiabits who requested a Ruggie x Reader fic based on that one tumblr post who I cannot dig up for the life of me. You'll know the one as you ready it
Ruggie Bucchi/Reader, 2.7k words
TW: Food, eating
“Oh my god, hurry up!!!!”
“It has to look natural!” You insist, turning the bag on the bench and backing up once more to assess it critically. Not quite right…maybe leaning a little more on the armrest.
“Minion, I’m getting booooored!” Grim rocked from paw to paw like an impatient toddler, tugging at the hem of your uniform insistently. You were starting to attract looks from passersby, and despite the gnawing sense that it still looked too obvious, it was enough encouragement to leave it alone. Scooping a protesting Grim up, you cross the courtyard towards one of the shadowy stone alcoves on the perimeter.
“If it looks like bait whoever’s doing this won’t come get it!” You hiss, letting Grim squirm free of your grip to climb on your shoulders. He snorts, kneading biscuits into your jacket.
“You’re crazy.”
Maybe a little. But after the past few weeks, who could blame you?
It’d all started nearly a month ago, at lunch. You’d managed to wrestle a table for yourself, Ace, and Deuce, circumstances rare enough to be noteworthy on their own. While swapping notes for history, you spotted Jack’s pointy ears peeking up over the crowd and waved him over. Jack had rolled his eyes, but shouldered his way towards you nonetheless. As he got closer, you realized he had a tagalong: Ruggie, hanging on to the taller boy’s tail.
“Hey!” You called, once they’re both close enough to hear. You’d looked down at their current arrangement with raised eyebrows. “Uh…little nervous, Ruggie?”
Ruggie just laughed, releasing Jack’s tail. As usual, he was overloaded with food, apparently having taken as much as he could carry out. “Nah, just taking advantage of the big lug to get to the good stuff faster.”
Jack mumbled something nondescript, craning his neck to see if his tail is ok before realizing he was starting to walk in circles. He set his tray down with a huff and dug into his food. Ruggie, meanwhile, focused his efforts on rearranging his purchases so they sit more securely in his grip.
‘Do you need some help with that…?” You had said, rising to your feet and reaching out to help balance some buns that were threatening to topple.
Ruggie’s face went a little pink and he leaned back. Not quite a jerk back, just getting some distance. “Nah, I got it! Just uh….” He glanced around for a second before setting some things on the table, crouching down. The position hid him from view while he focused on the task at hand, cursing under his breath.
“Jeez, dude.” Ace said through a mouthful of food. “Trying to carry off the cafeteria’s supply?”
“Nah, Leona’s just peckish and sent me in with a list as long as my arm.” After another second or two he rose to his feet, chucking an apple at Ace. He spluttered, nearly falling out of his chair as he dove to catch it. Ruggie’s fashioned the lower half of his shirt into a pouch of sorts, allowing him to cradle all the food at once.
“You sure you don’t want to stay?” You asked, nodding towards the open seat beside you. Ruggie shook his head, however.
“Should get this stuff to him before it gets weird tasting.” Carefully, he leaned across the table to ruffle Jack’s hair, much to his chagrin. “Keep outta trouble, alright big guy?” After a second’s hesitation, he turned to do the same to you. There was a wide grin on his face as you laughed and batted his hand away, making him back off towards the exit. “You too, Prefect.”
You watched him go, trying not to sigh audibly. Seemed like Ruggie only got busier lately. Maybe you should actually try to set up some kind of official hangout instead of just waiting for the stars to align…
It worried you a little more than you’d like to admit. Sure, people got busy. Especially Ruggie. But you and him had always been close, since very early on in your stay here. Lately you couldn’t escape the nagging sensation that he was avoiding being alone with you. Nothing you could prove, but the feeling persisted nonetheless. Still, he didn’t seem upset with you about anything. So what could it-
“SHIT!” The exclamation from your left startled you out of your thoughts. You turned to see Deuce frantically tearing through his bag, eyes wide and face pale.
“What’s wrong with you?” Ace said, straightening up and taking a bite of the apple.
“My notebook’s not here! The one with my notes for the entire semester.” Deuce groaned, letting the bag drop to the table and burying his head in his hands. “I’m so screwed, I don’t have any copies of that information anywhere.”
“Hey, don’t freak out.” You said, bending down to retrieve your own bag. You pull it onto the table, flipping “We sit next to each other, maybe it got mixed up in my stuff-....”
“.....”
“.....”
“....Well is it in there?!”
Without a word you overturned your bag, dumping out a small pile of papers, textbooks….and oranges. “Alright. Which one of you?”
“Uh…what?” Ace raised an eyebrow.
“Which one of you did this.”
“Wasn’t me!”
Deuce was frantically tearing through the stack of paper, sighing in relief when he found what he was looking for. “O-or me.”
Jack’s withering look communicated enough.
“Weird prank anyways.” You picked up one of the oranges and picked at the peel. “What is this even supposed to accomplish?”
“Why are you still looking at me?!” Ace protested.
—
That was how it began.
Innocuous, really. Not something worth getting worked up about, as annoying as their persistent denial was. You’d written it off as Deuce (thus also explaining how his homework got in your bag) and had called it a day. Your friends were weird, but what else was new?
Little did you suspect, it was only the beginning.
“I’m telling you, someone is stalking me!”
“And your evidence is…?” Jack said, slinging his gym bag off of his shoulder to rummage through the contents. You were walking together to a joint class, with him very pointedly ignoring the slightly bruised tangerine you kept gesturing with.
“Do I really have to explain why??” You shoved it back in his face nonetheless. “It is literally not possible that I keep forgetting about putting fruit in my bag! Not this often!”
“So your more reasonable theory is that someone is maliciously slipping you fruit?” Jack finally pulled what he was looking for out of his bag. Your gym clothes, which you’d left at Savanaclaw during the Octavinelle incident. He shoved them at you in a wad.
“I didn’t say maliciously.” You took the clothes out of his hand. From the smell, they’d been laundered at least, if not folded. Felt weirdly heavy though. “I’m just struggling to come up with any other explanation for why-”
Thump thump thump.
Both of you fell silent. Gazes drifting down to the floor, where, at your feet, rested three apples that had fallen out of the bundle of clothes in your hand.
“......Please tell me that’s-”
“I’m not the one.” Jack insisted, stooping to pick up the apples and handing them to you. “It’s not something I’d waste my time with…..” You must look in distress, because he pats your shoulder before breezing past you. “Sorry.”
—
It wasn’t so much that it was a bad thing. You weren’t deluding yourself that this was some kind of precursor to an attack on your life. It was, after all, NRC. If someone wanted to attack you, they just would. But it was weird, weird in a way that specifically unsettled you. Mostly it was just the not knowing. Who was putting this much work in to keep their identity a secret over fruit, and why?
The final straw, though, had been just three days ago.
Alone in your dorm. Was there ever four more delightful words? Grim had taken off for the afternoon to practice combat magic with Ace and Deuce. Normally you tried to be present, but after the week you‘d had you felt like you’d earned some time by yourself. It was a hot summer day. You’d propped most of the windows open to let some air circulate and spent most of the afternoon drifting between the couch, the chairs, and the kitchen, phone in hand and scrolling idly through social media. Eventually, you’d decided to actually take advantage of the time to accomplish something at least halfway productive. You still had a few lab reports for Crewel that needed filling out…
Your bag on the table. Just where you’d left it. Unassuming. The same as ever.
Ungodly heavy when you picked it up. Enough that it slipped from your hand and onto the floor. The flap, unzipped, fell open to spill lemons, oranges, peaches, and a few bananas all over your floor.
Grim came back that night to find you parked by the kitchen windows, broom in hand and a wild look in your eyes.
—-
So now here you were. A few weeks older, a few fruit fuller, and a whole lot more paranoid. Stakeout had been Ace’s suggestion, but that hadn’t meant either of the boys were willing to help. That left just you and Grim, who was clearly getting more bored with each passing minute.
“I still don’t get what the big deal is!” He whined, flopping onto his back by your feet. “Its free food! Its a good thing!”
“There’s no such thing as a free lunch…” You darted your head back again, only for your eyes to widen. “Wait, is that….”
“Is that wh- MMPH!”
Your hand clapped over his mouth. Eyes locked on the person in front of your bag, the person shuffling around as he looked between the plaza and your bag. His hand plunged into his jacket pocket, and emerged cupping something fist-sized and round.
“Ruggie?!”
The hyena jumps about three feet in the air, the peach in his hand nearly slipping out of his grasp. He scrambles to catch it, winding up crouched on the ground with his entire torso curled protectively over it. As you march across the plaza you see his eyes dart about in every direction until they land on you. “Jeez, prefect, what the hell was that for?”
“You’re the one who’s been putting fruit in my bag??”
He straightens up, hands darting back to slip the peach into his pocket like he can hide it now. He laughs, tilting his head and furrowing his eyebrows. As if you’d just said something completely insane (which was a look you were getting a lot of lately). “Uh…..the what?”
But for as much as he presents himself as a hardened criminal, Ruggie’s not much of a liar. His ears are flattening to the side of his skull and his cheeks are flushing a bright pink.
“I saw you!” A squeak from your hands reminds you that you might be suffocating Grim, and you let go to cross your arms over your chest. For now you ignore his furious protests from down on the ground. “I can’t believe I didn’t put it together, you were literally right by my bag with all that food…”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” His face twitches into a scowl even as he colors more.
You look pointedly down at his hand. Ruggie sighs, shoving them into his pockets and looking off to the side.
“....Fine. Yeah, it was me. Happy?”
“Why, I’ve literally been tearing my hair out about this!” You duck your head as you try to catch his gaze. It’s not easy, those blue eyes seemed determined to look anywhere else. “It’s a really weird prank to pull.”
“Wasn’t a prank.” He mutters, grinding his heel back into the cobblestone.
Shit, he seems embarrassed. And irritated, but mostly embarrassed. You guess you had kinda cornered him, and even if he was the one acting weird some part of you couldn’t help but feel guilty. Stopping to apologize now might just make it worse though.
“.......Hey….I’m not mad at you, yanno?” You say, trying to gentle your tone a little. It seems to catch him off guard, at least a bit, because his eyes finally meet yours for a half second. “I’m mostly just curious why you’re smuggling me food.”
“.....” For a second he looks like he might bolt. He studies your expression before sighing, rubbing the back of his head. “I mean….I’ve told you about where I grew up. Food scarcity is. Kinda a big thing for me.”
“So why give it to me?”
“....”
“I mean I know things are usually pretty tight with Crowley, but its not like you have to worry about…me…..”
……Oh you’re an idiot. Oh you’re dumb. Your heart skips a beat before doubling its efforts to make up for the lost time. Ruggie doesn’t look much better off, his face now red enough to make every freckle pop. For a moment you just stare at each other in silence.
It hits you now that you want this. That you have for a long time. You’d always known you liked him. He was cute, and more than that, fun to be around in a way you didn’t often get at this school. You…had a lot of trust in Ruggie. For as much as he liked to play the fasttalking rogue in a lot of ways he was one of the most giving people you knew. Even this whole endeavor had been a prolonged (albeit roundabout) way of looking out for you. But only now, looking at his face fight between trying to play it cool and pleading desperation…do you realize exactly how deep those feelings run.
“....Unless….you wanted to…to t-take care of me.” You swallow. Has your tongue always felt this thick and heavy, so obtrusive and useless in your mouth? “Which…I would be fine with.’
There’s a pause that’s just long enough to make you want to crawl under the earth. His eyes widen, just a hair, and for a second he’s at a loss. That slow playful grin begins to creep back though, slipping over his face with a warmth you feel like you’d never seen before.
“That so?” He takes a step closer now. Not quite closing the gap, but its not really doing your chest palpitations any favors. “If that’s the case, think you could make it a little easier? Lot of effort I gotta put in here.”
Give and take, huh? Despite the fact that it makes your stomach want to pirouette out of your body you force yourself to take a step forward. Meet him almost in the middle, close enough that you can feel the heat radiating off of each other. “Since when are you scared by hard work?”
He snickers, but doesn’t respond for a second. Out of the corner of your eye you see his hand inching upwards, right towards your face. Ruggie catches your gaze and the hand stills in midair. That look is back. Silently asking for permission.
You nod.
His hand slips over your cheek. Its almost too tentative for a caress, the rough pads of his fingers tracing the curve of your jaw, your cheek, sliding up to toy with a stray bit of hair. Your lips part a little involuntarily, pulse thumping away as you watch him. There’s something in his touch, his gaze. Like he regards you as delicate.
Precious.
“Just to be clear, we’re not talking about the fruit, right.”
It startles you enough to make you snort, trying not to pull out of his reach when your head ducks. “No…”
“Thank god.” He groans, leaning in a little more. “Expensive habit, I can only steal Leona’s card so many times. Well….actually that’s a lie. Its just a hassle.”
“Woooow, what a provider.” You can’t stop grinning, head tilting towards him as your gaze starts to circle on his lips.
“Hey, hyenas are scavenger predators! I’m doing what nature intended. Although….” A mischievous look lights up his eyes. His free hand reaches back to his pocket, and suddenly something solid is being pressed against your lips.
You look down to see the peach. Held gently against your mouth by Ruggie’s hand.
Sorry for the long absence, job has been keeping me soooo busy. Cannot promise I'm back immediately but I quit in two weeks to prep for teaching in the fall and should have more time open to me soon. For now the focus is on wrapping up commissions (one more fic after the one I posted). Thanks for the patience, love you all!
If you're taking requests, a First Kiss for Idia and the Octo-boys would be amazing! (Floyd in particular, I LOVE how you've written about him so far).
Thank you for such fantastic writing!!
Thanks so much!
Floyd Leech: -You're going to get to this stage incredibly quickly if he has his way, likely even before you're officially dating. Floyd is both incredibly physically affectionate and not at all prone to attach particular significance to any given gesture. A hug, a kiss, a pinch, what's the difference really? He's doing it because he feels like it, and he feels like it because he likes you. If you like him back, that shouldn't be an issue, right?
-If you are the type who attaches more significance to it, he can be convinced to hold off. There's something kind of fun about teasing himself and you with it, getting just close enough and then waiting for you to confirm it. Its like a private game, seeing what it takes to get you to accept it. He can be forgetful, though, and may ruin the game for himself too early.
-Whether its a passionate kiss against the wall where he's cornered you after hour or a teasing little peck after walking you home he's doing his level best to make it memorable for you. Floyd wants you just as dizzy on him as he is on you, and will do whatever it takes to make sure you come back wanting more.
-He is NOT careful about those teeth though, watch to make sure your tongue doesn't get sliced open in the process if it escalates into a full makeout.
Jade Leech: -Jade, on the other hand, has always been more patient than his brother. Maybe a little too patient for your tastes.
-Jade won't kiss you very early in your developing relationship, but he will make damn sure that you WANT to kiss him quite badly. Leaning in to check your forehead, insisting you look feverish. Cupping your face to study your eyes idly. Wiping some food that may or may not actually be there off the corner of your mouth with his thumb. Your eyes keep getting drawn back to his lips and it feels like you can't breathe, so sure that this will finally be the moment...
-And then he backs off, smiling and making some excuse about something he has to attend to now.
-He loves playing dumb more than anything in the world, loves seeing the frustration build on your face and tilting his head with innocent eyes. What on earth could have you so bothered?
-A kiss? My my....a little demanding, aren't you? Well, he supposes he could oblige....on the forehead? That's what you meant right : )
-The cheek? He doesn't understand, what is it you want exactly? Well how can he know unless you ask?
-Ask nicely, that is.
-Its a mindbreaking exercise in patience. But he promises to make the wait worth it when he finally gets tired of playing with his food.
Idia Shroud: -Does he have to? Can't you guys just hang out forever?
-Ok he's not actually that reluctant. Idia wants to kiss you, wants this as bad as he's ever wanted anything. But he's nowhere NEAR the right level for this QTE, he's got a lot of grinding left to do. Not to mention probably some item acquisition, and really there are some side quests that need taking care of since he can't exactly do them afterwards without reloading-
-You've been dating for weeks. Idia will do seemingly anything but kiss you and everytime your face gets within a foot of his he's as sweaty and pale as you've ever seen him. Which is saying something, Idia is sweaty and pale most of the time.
-You know him well enough to give him his space, but it doesn't mean he's any less tormented about it. Its starting to slip into his dreams, but even there its like he can always find some way to fuck it up.
-The timing has to be perfect. The moves have to be perfect. Otherwise you'll just laugh in his face (ok you probably won't. But still)
-Maybe start small? Maybe just the cheek, that's a decent enough starting phase, right?
-You're settled between his legs, both of you messing with different handheld devices. He's at least starting to ease into cuddling as a concept, enjoys it even. Like always, he keeps staring at your face from his angle, groaning internally about how good you look concentrating on something.
-Cmon. One cheek kiss. Casual. It'll be fine. He leans in, trying not to audibly suck in a breath annnd whoop you turned at just the wrong moment. Lips crashing right against his own pursed ones.
-His hair goes bright pink and he jerks back from you like he's been stung, clapping his hands over his mouth. You back off of him quickly, your own face warm as you realize what just happened. Seeing his expression, though, you're starting to feel a little bad. You ambushed him, even if you hadn't meant to.
-"Uh...sorry." You say, hesitant as you get off the bed."I can...give you some space, if you want..."
-He doesn't speak for a long moment. You try not to feel hurt as you turn to leave
-A hand catches your wrist suddenly. Jerking you with a sharp tug until you sprawl back on the mattress. Before you can blink, Idia is on top of you, glaring down at you with an impossibly determined expression. He almost looks mad at you, though his hair still tells another story.
I am pretty quiet in general - I'm a Scorpio and tend to line up with a lot of those traits lmao I'm perfectly happy being alone, I'm pretty secretive, I watch more than I talk alot - but when I get to know someone, I can be a blabbermouth, hahaha! I get really bubbly, I try to make people laugh. I Too have the ADHD so I get hyperfixations and usually revolve my entire interest around them for however long they last. I can and will talk your ear off about my hyperfixation if I feel like you care haha. I really love writing! I also really love Vidya games but I'm not good at them hahaha. Doesn't stop me from Playing them 👀 I'm really quite daydreamy and get lost in my own head quite a bit!
I love really spicy food! Was that like, important? No, but I gotta brag. Actually I really love food in general - it's not uncommon for me to have a foody themed background on my phone. And I have a food side blog.
On the negative spectrum, I do definitely get distracted, and I need things repeated to me. Alot. I'm kind of a mess, in all aspects of the word! I get more sensitive than I'd like to admit to criticism, though I'm trying to work on that. I can be really petty and I play dumb more than I really should haha. I'm also really impulsive! I'm used to getting what I want in general u.u;
I'm told by others I'm just a really sweet person in general and I give really good hugs, so that's something!
You know how people send Anon hate messages? Since my teen years I just randomly do the fuckin opposite, I just
Anon love messages
"hope you have a great day, you' deserve it"
Lmao it's fun
Laaaast matchup!
I match you with Trey Clover!
-Silence until you have something to say is a style that works for him. Trey tends to adapt to the conversational needs of the room. But, so far as his preferences go: he likes the fact that when you speak it’s because of something you’re actually interested in. You’re not just trying to fill silence, and you don’t necessarily need him to keep the ball in the air. Ramble away. He finds it cute, and when you run out of words, that’s ok too.
-He’s a good grounding influence if you’re the type to space out a lot. He tends to be very plugged into the world around him as a matter of course, and can keep an eye out for anything important that you might miss while you’re in outer space. He’ll tease you about it from time to time, but for the most part he finds it endearing and is happy to let you take your own time.
-Trey’s wheelhouse tends to be sweets, but he’s also very capable of introducing spicy dishes when needed. His signature spell also comes in handy, meaning you can have it as hot as you want without burning everyone else’s tongues off in the process. Food is a bonding ritual for the two of you. One of his favorite more laidback date nights is going through your side blogs to find something new to challenge himself with, and then cooking it together. It keeps things fresh and gives him something to do with his hands while you talk.
-A born older brother, Trey is generally very patient and not overly uptight. Sometimes its unavoidable that he has a problem with something that’s happening, but he’s tuned enough into your mood to know how to say it without hurting your feelings too badly. He never minds having to repeat himself, as long as he knows that you do care enough about his feelings to listen when its really important.
-As a side effect of that, he has a tendency to turn his partners into spoiled brats. Trey actually likes that you’re assertive about what you want, and impulsive too. It's not how he’s wired, he has a tendency to just default to polite and accommodating. Still, he admires people who are ready to go for what they want (as long as they’re not being assholes about it). You find him pretty easy to bend to your will when you want, and he enjoys being able to keep you happy and satiated.
-Your kindness is a big part of the reason why he’s able to trust you with that, though. At the end of the day, even if it can sometimes appear to the outside view that he’s mothering you. He knows you care about other people, and about him, enough to be there for them when they really need it. That trust means that he’s more than happy to carry his weight.
And now. Finally. The Meetcute.
You really needed to ask Crowley about a map.
With how weird and dramatic the architecture was you wouldn’t think it’d be this hard to get around. But a few weeks into the semester you were still struggling to get a strong mental geography of the place. As a result, the trip from the store between the cafeteria had managed to take twice as long as it should before you finally got your bearings. By then the sun had sunk low in the sky, and most of the other students were filtering home to their respective doors. You were just hoping against hope that they hadn’t locked the doors...
Luck was on your side, though. The knob turned readily, allowing you to slip in to the hallway. Dinnertime had long since passed. Half the lights were turned on, and some of the janitorial ghost staff were out getting a head start on the evenings tasks. Graveyard shift, you thought but restrained yourself from saying out loud.
For a moment you stayed frozen by the door, waiting for someone to notice you and tell you to clear out. When that didn’t happen, you walked as briskly as you could while keeping the noise down, making a beeline for the employee entrance to the kitchen.
Technically you seriously doubted you were doing anything that would put you in trouble. You just didn’t technically know if this was allowed, and you were too bent on your purpose to really want to be stopped this close to the finish line. You spared the room one final glance and peered through the glass porthole to see if the kitchen was occupied. Not a single ghost. Must be working on dishes. You pushed the door open quickly-
And felt it smack into something solid quite forcefully. There was a “WHOA-” and a crashing sound next you that made you jump, ducking out of the threshold and into the hallway like the door had shocked you.
It took you a second to get your bearings. Someone must’ve been approaching the door at an angle you couldn’t see through the porthole, and you’d smacked right into them. Tentatively, you pushed the door open a little more, peering around the corner to see the damages.
The guy sprawled out on the ground was wearing a school uniform, though it was hard to make it out under the foodstuffs that had spilled all over him. You were hit by an eyewatering smell of cinnamon, though you could see a bag of sugar spilling everywhere too. He was seemingly still in the process of coming too, feeling his glasses for cracks as he slowly sat up.
“I am so sorry!” You said, quickly kneeling down to try and pull some of the stuff off of him and set in on the counter nearby. “I came in too fast, I didn’t see you at all-”
“Its alright.” He said, voice slightly strained sounding. Might’ve knocked the wind out of him with that fall, which wasn’t doing much to assuage your guilt. His glasses at least seemed undamaged, and he set them back in place as he gave an awkward smile. “Was carrying too much to see the door coming before it was too late.”
“...I can see that.” You say, looking around. Flour, sugar, cinnamon, yeast, a few bowls and whisks. Was this guy trying to carry off the entire baking section? “What’s all this...?”
“There’s a party coming up in my dorm and we’re a little wiped out for materials at the moment. It was too late to go to Sam’s store, and we’re allowed to take what we need from the kitchen if we reimburse the school.” He looked down at himself, grimacing as he tried and failed to brush the mess off of his red vest.
So he was in the same dorm as Ace and Deuce....unbidden a memory sprung to your mind of this exact guy, hair unfloured, sitting across from you. What was his name....”You’re....Trey, right?”
He seemed slightly surprised that you remembered him, eyes widening a little even as he nodded. “That’s right. You’re Ramshackle’s prefect, right?”
“Sounds a little stuffy when you say it like that.” You get to your feet, offering him a hand up. He takes it readily, though he gets to his feet easily enough. You take another look around at the damage, grimacing. “I don’t know how much of this can be saved.”
“They have a lot of supplies.” He stooped down to pick up a burst blag of flour. The powder spilled out of the tear in the bag, making a pile of white dust despite his best efforts to staunch the flow, and he sighs. “They’ll want us to clean this up.”
“I’ll....help.” You said, cringing as you looked around for a broom.
“Appreciate it.”
For a little while you work in relative silence, mostly focused on gathering up what can be saved and throwing out what can’t. You take a broom to sweep up the remainder while Trey tracks down replacements. At least the glassware seems alright, you don’t want to imagine what the staff would have to say if you’d broken that.
“So what were you doing here this late?” He said, startling you out of your thoughts.
“Oh...well, Crowley keeps the dorm supplied with a basic grocery list, but...its not very fleshed out.” You position the dustpan carefully next to your pile. “I came in here looking for some spices, mostly.”
He leans over, tapping a cabinet to the right of the sink. “That’s mostly gonna be in here. What do you need?”
“Um....” You struggle to remember your list as you get what you can into the dustpan. Your sleeves and pants are gonna be covered in a thick layer of white dust at this rate. “Cayenne, chili powder, some garam masala if they have it, paprika...”
He lets out a low whistle, and you turn to see him giving you a wry smile as he pulls your requests from the shelves. “Some like it hot, huh?”
“Very hot.” You say, with a grin of your own. You turn to dump the pan into the trash, brushing your clothes off as best you can. “I’ve also got some new recipes I want to try out, and Sam’s inventory is actually pretty limited in that department.”
“If you want some advice, pass a list of things you need pretty regularly onto him. He’ll charge you through the nose for the special order but he’ll get it to you. Or, if you’re on a budget, have someone take you shopping off campus, there’s some decent stores in the area.” He finds a small pile of paper bags in one of the drawers and puts the spice jars inside, handing it off to you.
“Thanks, that’s actually good to know.” You reached out to take it, your fingers brushing against his in the tradeoff. His hand lingered for a second in midair, and he cleared his throat as he looks away.
“Uh...Ramshackle’s kitchen can’t be very well kept though, can it.”
“Its...a work in progress.” You admitted, rolling up the top of the bag to keep it tightly closed. “I’ve been making do with an old camp stove...oh!” Your eyes lit up as you looked at him. “Heartslabyul has a good kitchen, doesn’t it? Do you think I could come by some time to use it? After hours, I promise I’ll clean everything up and use strictly my own ingredients. If there’s anything else you want me to do-”
He seemed a little stunned by the overflow of words, but you noticed a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He holds up his hands to slow you down. “Iiiii’m not really the guy you should be asking about that, technically that’s a housewarden decision. But, uh, I can ask Riddle, I suppose? He might take the suggestion a little better coming from me.”
“I’d super appreciate it.” You said, beaming as you tuck the bag into your jacket. You take a final look around the room. “Do you have everything?”
“I think so..”He fishes in his pocket, pulling out a small roll of bills which he tucks under a nearby jar. “Just have to get them home.”
“Let me help with that, then.” You gathered up as much as you could carry before he could protest. He seemed a little awkward about accepting the help, but in the end let you follow him back to the dorm. He didn’t seem entirely displeased at the arrangement. Mostly he just listened to you ramble as he walked. Every now and then you’d turn, only to catch him staring right at you. He always went a little pink when he got caught.
A new friend. A new kitchen. And a bag full of spices. Possibilities were opening up right before your very eyes.
So. Couldn't get the ask to post, or a screenshot to stick. So, to the 🦄 emoji anon, your traits are so so comprehensible to me, and so mysterious to others.
I match you with Floyd Leech!
-Carefree confidence is an ideal match for him in some respects. Floyd finds it helpful if his partner is able to just sort of take things at their own pace. Relationships with him have a lot of ups and downs, for reasons that are at least somewhat entirely beyond his control. As a result, having a good sense of your own worth and an ability to adapt in the face of changes can be incredibly helpful. Obviously you being reasonably self-assured isn’t an excuse for him to treat you however he wants, but it makes his low periods a lot easier to cope with when they first hit.
-Honesty is a shared point between the two of you. It’s not that Floyd never lies. His work with Azul involves a lot of backhanded plays. But when it comes to an actual relationship Floyd is VERY upfront with his feelings and more than happy to loop you in on plans (whether Azul wants him to or not). As far as he’s concerned you’re as good as involved by virtue of being with him. Likewise he appreciates your own honesty. He doesn’t mind privacy from a partner but hates being put through guessing games. If you want something, just say it, right?
-He has never ever been one to mind disorganization as an embodiment of chaos. Or distractions. In all honesty trying to reach Floyd when he’s in a Mood with some deep emotional insight or compassion is one of the best ways to drive him into it deeper. He doesn’t want to think about how sad or irritated he is, he wants to stop feeling that way as fast as possible. As a result, distractions come in handy and tend to snap him back to normal much faster. If he really doesn’t want to be distracted, he’ll tell you as much and go off to be by himself for a bit. It’s rare he’s seeking anything deeper so far as comfort goes.
-Floyd’s more. Absurdist, than nihilist, but that in itself can be a great balancing point. Nothing matters, but that’s what makes it entertaining. At any point you can spin the world on its heel. If you don’t like something, leave, or change it, or learn to find it funny in how miserable it is. Reality can be tilted on its head whenever you please, once you know the trick.
-Floyd socializes like a barnacle. Once you’ve caught his interest, he grabs on and doesn’t stop holding on until picked off entirely. He may barely even notice your introversion at first. If he wants to come over, he’s inviting himself over, and there’s (basically) nothing you can do to stop it. If he wants to talk to you, he’ll just come talk to you. Your small friendship circle is ultimately of benefit to him. Fewer people to take up your time when he decides he’s in the mood for shrimp : ).
And now. The meetcute:
(Again, meetcute is subjective. Assume Octavinelle incident still happened for this).
It’s a beautiful day. Students mill around the courtyard between their classes, soaking up the sunshine gratefully before they can be forced back within the dusty classrooms. The sky is a brilliant shade of blue, puffy white clouds drifting by, and the trees are alive with birdsong.
Not that you can appreciate any of it with your head shoved under a bench.
“C’mon, c’mooon...” you groan to yourself, pawing frantically at the grass beneath the stone seat. You’d decided to take advantage of the nice weather to finish up the last of your History of Magic homework, only to discover you were missing one of Trein’s handouts that was essential to even beginning this assignment. You had a very clear memory of slipping it into your bag this morning, but you had torn through the contents of your bag once, twice, three times altogether before finally allowing yourself to believe that it wasn’t in there. Meaning either you’d fully hallucinated tucking it away this morning...or you’d drop it.
Hence your current position. Ungracefully doubled over as your eyes swept back and forth under the bench, hunting desperately for a flash of white.
“This what you’re lookin for?”
Your head jerks up at the sudden voice a few feet behind you, colliding with the bench and making your head ring. You didn’t even know that could happen outside of cartoons. You cursed, loudly, and carefully guided your head out from under it to clutch the throbbing back. Resting back on your heels to look up...and up....and up....
Floyd Leech. Holding a sheet of paper and looking down at you with a lopsided grin. He gives a low whistle, tilting his head. “Damn, Shrimpy, that one looked like it hurt.” He didn’t appear particularly sorry, despite his contribution to the injury.
“Uh....yeah.” You say. Almost grateful there’s too much blood rushing to the forming lump on the back of your head to blush. You brace on the bench to get to your feet, feeling slightly dizzy at the motion. “What did you?”
“I asked if this was yours.” He waved the paper. Your eyes caught a glimpse of a few of your own doodles in the margins and realized it was the exact sheet you were looking for.
“Yes!” You said gratefully, reaching out to take it. “Thank you so much-”
Floyd pulls it out of your reach, lifting it up to his eyes as if he needs to look closely to read it. The smirk on his face says otherwise. “Economic developments in the Shaftlands, huh?”
“Um.....yeah.” You say after a second, trying to take it back again. “Can I have that-”
“Sounds boring.” A couple inches higher, at such an angle that you couldn’t hope to get it.
“Kinda?” You give half a laugh. Floyd never really bothered you (when he wasn’t, you know, actively kicking you out of your dorm), but if he got this one really in his teeth it could mean trouble. “I do have to finish it, though.”
“Laaaame.” He folds it up into quarters and tucks it into his pocket. “Let’s do something more fun first.”
“Uh....us?”
“Yeah!” He leans down to grab your bag, pulling it onto your shoulder for you before you quite knew what he was doing and turning you on your heel. “Get some ice for your head and then see if we can dig anything up at the Lounge....”
“I-...uh-?” He had you by the shoulders now, half pushing and half tugging you along towards the Hall of Mirrors. You had to half jog to keep up with him. “Did Azul have something he wanted to...?”
Floyd just laughs. “Nah, this is just to hang out. We haven’t done it since you came to the Coral Sea!!”
You guess hanging out was...one way to describe that? Part of you wondered if you shouldn’t put your foot down. You really did have homework to do.
....Then again, ice for your head at least sounded pretty good.
“Ok. Uh....just for a bit though, ok?”
He only grins, leaning more of his weight on you in a gesture that could either be a friendly side hug or a threatening squeeze. Or both. Probably both.
Hello! I'm the anon who requested for this. Thanks a bunch! It's awesome and angsty! 👍 You've really captured the characters' emotions! Keep up the good work.
Howdy do~! I’ve got a fluff/angst headcanon in mind: The dorm leaders’ (including Jamil’s) fem! s/o suddenly wakes up screaming in the middle of the night because of a traumatic nightmare of them Overblotting. As she wakes up, she tearfully tells them she’s scared of losing them a second time. How do they comfort her? Please and thanks!
Since we haven't gotten a canon overblot for Idia or Malleus yet (CHAPTER 6 SPOILERS especially since Idia look like his might be a fusion with his brother if not just. Ortho.) I'm gonna be leaving them off of this
Riddle Rosehearts: -Riddle has his own nightmares about the Overblot. He's a person who values control so so aggressively, and in that moment he almost lost it enough to destroy everything he holds dear. Including you. Its not uncommon for him to wake up with his own cold sweats.
-His solution is, once you're past blind panic, to get some tea for the both of you and talk it over. Riddle always handles you gently, is always so careful of your emotions that at times its like he's afraid you'll shatter to pieces. At times like this, though, its a blessing.
-(If things are really bad: playing with the hedgehogs always makes him feel calm. He is not above breaking the rules to bring them into bed for a little while)
-He'll apologize as many times as you can bear to hear (and even a few times you can't), but most of all he wants to reassure you that he's not the person who went that berserk. He's learning how to rely on others. While he has you, has Trey, has Cater and Ace and Deuce and all the rest. He has the support he needs to keep from slipping again.
-He doesn't begrudge you the time you need to feel safe, and is here to walk you through it for as long as it takes. Its the least he can do.
"There's never been a darker moment in my entire life, and I can't express enough remorse that this was how you had to see me. But you were my light even then, and continue to be. Believe in me the way I believe in you, and I promise those fears will someday disappear."
Leona Kingscholar: -Leona's way of coping with the Overblot. Is to functionally pretend it never happened.
-Not to say he doesn't have regrets. He does, especially towards you and Ruggie. It was one of his lowest moments and he's not proud of how he treated anyone involved just to protect his damn ego. But he's the kind of guy who wants to show you who he is, not tell you. You find the apologies in the day to day actions, in the little ways he looks out for you and puts in the effort to do better, to distance himself more and more from the guy who did that.
-All this to say, when you wake him up screaming, he's pissed for reasons that have nothing to do with his sleeping hours being interrupted. Teeth-grinding furious at himself, at Crowley, at Falena, at everything that has the slightest bit to do with why you're covered in sweat and bawling like a wounded cub.
-His instinct is to pin you down, hold you under himself until you're calm enough to absorb what he says. Head tucked into his shoulder as he hushes you, and an unusually gentle hand carding through your hair while he mumbles for you to breath.
-He's not a guy for promises. Too much in life is uncertain. But when you've managed to relax a little, he can't stop himself from making a few. The King of Beasts was known for his tenacity, for his refusal to turn back in the face of adversity. In this case, he'll make sure he carries that legacy with everything he's got in him.
"Counting me out already, herbivore? Rookie mistake. You're not gettin rid of me that easy. So get some sleep, alright? I'm never gonna let that happen. To you or to me."
Azul Ashengrotto: -Azul was so far down the barrel of an honest to god nervous breakdown during his Overblot that he's managed to block most of his memories of the event. The tweels are more than happy to regale him with the gory details, mortifyingly enough, but other than a lingering sense of panic he doesn't have much to emotionally attach to the memory.
-Thus, he's a little ill-equipped for when you wake up screaming. He's ashamed of what happened, of course, and more than a little spikey when reminded of it. But ultimately, he's an otherwise very talented and disciplined magician. Those were extraordinary circumstances, do you honestly think so little of him as to assume he'll fall prey to it again?
-Fortunately, the larger part of his brain understands that your reaction comes from a place of love, not condescension. Once you're past the worst of it, he gently suggests coming with him to the Lounge kitchens to let him fix you something to eat.
-He's primarily focused on distracting you for a while, making light conversation and generally trying to keep your mind off of it while he prepares your food. Once you've eaten enough and he's certain your reasonably calm, he'll lean into you, stroking your back gently as he kisses your cheek.
"I'll do what I must to alleviate those fears of yours. But don't trouble yourself worrying for me. With you at my side, I am more than ready to face any challenge this world could offer."
Jamil Viper: -Jamil has. A lot of unaddressed issues around his Overblot. Its been better for him to have everything out in the open. There's a catharsis in feeling like he can speak his mind to Kalim, in cutting himself free from the expectations of his parents to excel where he can. And yet the thing that nags at him is that the material conditions haven't changed. His family is still in servitude. He will still have to wrestle with Kalim's position over him, maybe even for the rest of his life.
-All this to say that there's a lot of resentment that surges up in him when he's reminded.
-His focus remains on calming you, holding you close and stroking your head as he hushes you. His body rocks in time with yours, and the smell of him is incredibly calming.
-Though not everything has been fixed, he tells you he has no interest in returning to that state again. Not knowing how deeply it hurt you, not knowing what he almost lost. He's learned taking steps like that don't solve anything, they just drive the people that do care away from you.
-He is happy, truly happy, by your side. And that is never something he takes lightly.
"Treasure like yourself are too rare to squander, and I am too conscious of their value to give them up lightly. I've made you doubt so much. But never doubt my love for you, or how far I will go to make sure it stays secure."
Vil Schoenheit: Like Azul, the primary emotion Vil feels regarding his Overblot is largely embarrassment. Such an amateur move, to allow himself to be overcome like that, and its only made more humiliating by having the one he values so dearly see him at his worst.
-Still, though, he understands immediately where the fear stems from. He is still, at the end of the day, himself. He's still far too driven for his own good, still prone to fixate on his own ideals of perfection. With that in mind, its only natural that you would worry.
-Vil relaxes best in a luxurious bath, and if you're interested he's happy to draw one up for the both of you. Never one to skip out on the luxuries, he somehow manages to find rose petals and candles at this time of night. Despite your earlier fears its hard to feel too nervous submerged in warm water and watching his beautiful face reflect the glow of the firelight.
-He waits till you're both in the bath to talk it over. He's quite calm throughout, helping you identify the root of the fear and follow it until its logical conclusion, while prompting you here and there to ask if there's something he can do currently to set your mind at ease.
-Mostly, though, he's content to spoil you for the evening, gentle attention paid to your skin, your face, everything about you is doted on and cared for with practiced grace. He goes on until you're so relaxed that he has to scold you about not falling asleep in the tub.
-Wrapped back in fresh pajamas and ready for bed, he murmurs one final assurance while your consciousness holds on.
"I've been too careless with your heart before, and I don't make the same mistake twice. I may not deserve it. But for the love you have for me, trust me to do better. And sleep well."
matchup info for ❄️ ; pronouns are she/they, student only please!
I’m really friendly if we’re acquaintances, but i like to be quiet if we’re close friends and i’m comfortable with you
go with the flow is my motto, i don’t like strict schedules and i’m not very orderly. unfortunately this means i'm flighty with plans and projects too...haha
I’m pretty laid-back most of the time, but moody in that i’ll be extremely outgoing/talkative then shift to reserved/irritable rather quickly. i try not to take it out on others when i flip like a switch, but it’s a work in progress.
I’m very sensitive and don’t take sarcasm well at all, so i appreciate straightforwardness and emotional honesty! i don’t really do well with judgemental or high-strung people and can’t take criticism. I’ll assume the worst about someone’s intentions and latch onto the slightest perceived negativity; i also heavily dislike verbal conflict.
i feel excessive guilt about everything and care way too much about what others think, even though i like to pretend i don't
i think i’m observant when it comes to other people’s thoughts, and can pinpoint specific feelings with words. my love languages are primarily physical touch, words of affirmation, then quality time.
i spend a lot of time thinking about what i want to draw, write, work on later, etc and daydream a ton. but i do like being active and tend to be moving my body constantly
some hobbies/interests: painting, hiking+picking flowers, dancing, relaxing by lakes/bodies of water/nature in general for the sounds and ambience
sorry for the triple-mega-giga-description! i got a little excited! thank you so much
I match you with Malleus Draconia!
-Quiet, basically friendly, and laidback in general are good attributes to have around him. He’s a fae who’s very disjointed from the social conventions of the modern era. While he does value your time greatly, it can also be a little difficult for him to “tune in” to your normal rhythms. Being able to adapt around that means the basics tend to come easier, and he finds the idea of being able to be quiet and still With someone to be a refreshingly good fit.
-I won’t go so far as to say Malleus is never judgemental towards others. However, despite the reputation he gets for being unreadable he doesn’t really make it much of a secret when he dislikes someone. While it might require some adjustment (given that he isn’t the most emotive guy in the world) he’s always straightforward with you and doesn’t see the point in disguising his real intentions. If something bothers him, he’d tell you, so you don’t have to worry when he’s staying quiet.
-As an extension of that he tends not to beat around the bush about your emotions either. He recognizes he’s not likely to argue you out of feeling guilty, and that attempting to do so can often just make you feel worse. However, he’s in general good about talking you through the guilt your feeling, finding the source, and helping you address it if it can be addressed. He’s had to spend a lot of time teaching himself how to understand other people, and he’s happy if those skills can help you at all.
-At the same time, he values your insight. You’re both on a learning curve here when it comes to other people.
-Both of you appreciate the natural world greatly, and he’s happy to walk with you for well into the night. Both of you lost in thought, hand in hand, in quiet appreciation of each other as you explore your own inner worlds.
And now, the meetcute (well. Not quite a MEET cute in this case, decided to let you keep Tsunotaro’s encounters)
The night air was a refreshing chill on the heat of your skin, the crickets chirping in time with your heartbeat as you leaned forward to rest your hands on your knees. Oxygen had to fight hard to get into your lungs, and you tried to time your breathing with the sounds of water lapping on the shore.
Honestly, you weren’t sure what had possessed you to take a jog this late at night. You had had your eye on the lake in the woods behind campus ever since you’d first stumbled upon it. It was isolated, beautiful, and most importantly, familiar. There weren’t many spots on campus that didn’t scream “you are in a very different world”, so you had learned to treasure the spots that retained some degree of normalcy.
A midnight jog around its shores hadn’t been quite how you pictured it happening, but you’d needed the breather. Homework was swinging into its busy season and you’d had less and less time to relax. You’d been too antsy to sleep and too bored to try to do something quiet around the dorm while Grim slept, so you’d finally decided on some impromptu exercise.
Despite your burning lungs, it had been the right decision. The lake looked beautiful in the clear moonlight, the still water reflecting it back until the whole glade lit up. It was nice and still, with barely any animal sounds even to distract you from the sound of your own thoughts.
Until a quiet voice shatters the stillness as you straighten yourself up.
“I seem to keep finding you in my haunts. One might start to become suspicious.”
You whirl on your heel, temporarily startled....only to feel some relief (if a little of irritation) as you recognize the tall figure that’s somehow snuck up on you.
“Tsunotaro.” You say, clutching your chest. “You scared me half to death.”
“I could say the same,” Tsunotaro feels fear? You think idly. “I wasn’t expecting company here.”
“Uh...is it a problem?” You say tentatively, uncertain if there’s a double meaning there. He just shakes his head, that mysterious smile he wore creeping back onto his face.
“No.”
“.....I’ve been meaning to come here.” You say after a minute, hands clasping together as you turn to look back at the water. “There are a lot of flowers...”
“You’re fond of them?” He seems less to step out of the shadows than to melt out of them. Moonlight practically reflects off his ghostly skin, making him appear to glow too.
You nod. “They’re like the ones back home....like this one.” You crouch down, carefully cupping your hands around a stem full of delicate white blooms. “Its hyacinth, right?”
Tsunotaro sinks down next to you, balancing himself on his heels. He nods, tilting his head a bit as he regards the flower.
“I...wish I could remember the meanings.” You say after a minute, gently releasing the flowers. Later, you might come to pick some, but you didn’t want to carry them back home at the moment. “Is flower language a thing over here?”
Another nod, green eyes turning to pierce at you through the midnight gloom. “I do know the meanings, though I’m unsure if they’re the same.”
You hesitate. You had come up here to be alone, and inviting him into a conversation about flower language felt like a great way to get trapped.
Still, its not like you could just run away from the guy, you’d feel too bad. Not to mention...you aren’t exactly getting real chatterbox vibes from this guy.
“Fire away.”
If he’s surprised by your invitation, he doesn’t show it. Just turns back to examine the plant more closely. “Hyacinths are separated by color. White ones represent loveliness...but also good wishes.”
“I guess that has a little more weight to it here, in a world of magic.” You muse, tracing your fingertips along the petals.
“Magic or no,” He smiles, also reaching out for the plant. “There are some things that can only be longed for.”
Your fingertips brush, just for a second. Both of you freeze.
Is the fact that it feels like a shock to your whole system an effect of his magic? Or something else?
You clear your throat, carefully pulling your hand away to point at a small cluster of purple-blue blossoms further down the shore. “Uh...what about the irises?”
Tsunotaro takes a minute to respond, hand still frozen in place where you’d left it. After a second, he finally follows your pointing finger to its destination. “....I’m not sure if the water ones have a different meaning. Lilia’s told me they can encompass faith, wisdom, valor....a knightly flower.” The thought seems to amuse him. You feel the strangest flutter in your chest.
You’re there longer than you intend. He helps you identify a few more plants. For a longer time though, you both sit in silence. You skip rocks out over the still water while he seats himself on a nearby rock, watching them go and occasionally nudging them with his magic. You talk, a little, about school, about home...but it’s somehow only more companionable when you don’t speak at all. Maybe it’s the graveness on his face, but something about his presence is steadying.
You do end up leaving with some plants. A cluster of arrowheads, which seem to have no meaning of their own, but have a very simple beauty. The last words he speaks, almost murmurs, ringing in your ears as loud as a bell.
personally, I think you should just like....keep commissions open... Your writing is definitely worth paying for tbh >>
Aaaah you're very sweet but I think the issue there is I would always feel a pressure to give priority to my paid writing, which would mean that people who don't have money to spend on this kind of thing might feel left out. I really appreciate the support I've received, and will likely reopen commissions in a couple months. However, feel free to send in requests for free, and if you really do want to send some money my way, you can tip at your own leisure.
Appearance: Female, 5’6” / 167 cm, very long curly brown hair! very soft, very bouncy, very thick, like a sheep!, skinny as a stick and physically weak, have a baby face and I hate it so much…don't know if any of this matters or helps but!
Personality: (idk if you like zodiac or if it helps you at all either, but i’m a Gemini Sun, Aquarius Moon, Virgo Rising!)
I’m generally a very quiet and reserved person, especially during first impressions! I’m kind of a shy and anxious lurking shadow who assumes the worst until I get a good enough feel of a person, you know? Then I'm comfortable popping in!
I tend to gravitate towards being "Designated Mom Friend" or "Big Sister Friend?" I love being able to make others feel better about themselves or to help them out. Maybe it’s because of some rough stuff in my past, but I never want anyone to feel similar to the ways I have. If you hurt someone I care about, I am never going like you. But if you hurt me? Eh…it’s not really new,
I’m kind of…soft? I cry very easily, be it happy or sad, and it frustrates me! I’m not a soft and squishy person! …okay yes I am but I’m also trying super hard to be the shoulder people can lean on if they need me! Growing a backbone is a work in progress, and sometimes I worry I come off too harsh or mean when I actually use it…
A friend once described me like glass; it’s fragile, but a broken piece can still really mess you up, you know?
Glass-ness aside, my sense of humor is honestly very dry and sarcastic and you probably wouldn’t expect it out of me! I can get kind of angry over petty things and sort of clingy, but I’ll be fine after some time to let it all pass.
I like playing videogames, drawing and writing, and reading tarot cards! I like doing things alone, really, but I love the company of others when they want me to join in. Because it does indeed get lonely being alone sometimes!
I have some really gross depression bouts and lots of anxiety disorders that I do my best to juggle, but, sometimes I just have to shut down for a bit and…sleep.
VERY PICKY THINGS! Preferably no Staff or Diasomnia thank you-
Is this enough to work with? Hopefully so, thanks again!
Paid matchup number two baby!! Ill continue plugging at these over the next two days since I'm finally back home
I match you with Kalim Al-Asim!
-Zodiac wise, your Aquarius moon is definitely a draw to his sense of dramatics. At the same time, your Virgo rising’s tendency to stay strong and organized, as well as your Gemini’s suns quick wit are an excellent counterbalance to his frequent airheadedness. Kalim doesn’t expect you to take care of him, obviously. But the fact that you’re strong in areas where he typically isn’t is something he finds almost immediately intriguing.
-He definitely doesn’t struggle with shyness, and yet he can often mix surprisingly well with reserved types. Kalim is very disarming socially and has a way of breaking down reservations (even if he can go overboard from time to time). He may not share your anxieties, but he never belittles them or writes them off, and is happy to give you the time you need to get the feel of a person. Your insight can definitely help to balance out his more trusting nature from time to time.
-As I said, Kalim doesn’t expect you to mother him every second of your life. Like you, he’s a big sibling (literally, as well as figuratively), and he loves that you have a shared value of looking out for people in your life. Both of you can help each other get better about learning to draw boundaries for yourself (though he’ll always be a little more prone to forgive than you).
-Kalim is a little bit of a crybaby about your emotions, but the side effect of this is that it’s harder for you to try and brush past them. He knows when you’re starting to break down, and he wants to help! You shouldn’t have to swallow all of it back, you’re just as important as the people you’re trying so hard to take care of! At times, this may manifest in him going overboard, but he’s always quick to take feedback and adjust his strategies depending on your reaction. If you need to be alone and sleep it off, he’ll get you the best room in the dorm. If you need a shoulder to cry on, he’s got a lap to sit in. Whatever you need, he wants to be the person who you can always trust to provide it. Even if that sometimes means that you need to be left alone.
-Kalim’s not particularly sarcastic on his own but growing up with Jamil means he’s got a surprisingly high tolerance for it. He can even find your comments and barbs quite funny. More than that, though, he’s extremely hard to offend and patient when you get sharp. After all, you’re patient with so many people all the time. You more than deserve a little patience of your own. He knows that even if sometimes you go too far, this is another important step in your recovery, and he applauds your growth.
-I see Kalim as the type to get really enthusiastic about whatever his s/o is into, even if he’s not super informed on the topic. Additionally, he always takes the time to invite you into any activity that he’s involved in. You don’t always have to come! He knows he values your alone time when you can get it. But no matter what, you’re going to feel included whenever you want.
And now, the meetcute.
The library was almost never quiet. You knew that, and still, you’d come here. At the very least it was the only place where people might leave you alone, something you really needed right now.
No such luck. A chattering group of students you knew by the colors were from Scarabia had swooped in on the table next to you seconds after you sat down. There was no way to move without it looking rude. You’d prayed that maybe they would finish up whatever they were doing and move on. Despite the textbooks they clearly had no interest in actually studying, maybe they’d get bored.
Again, though, your luck was clearly out.
So here you were. Nose tucked in the largest book you could find. Quietly seething as they continued to talk and talk and trying not to sniffle audibly.
This was so stupid. One dumb argument with Grim and here you were crying like a child! It wasn’t even as if he’d done anything particularly wrong, you’d just had such a long and frustrating day, and his bravado had done its usual work of irritating you...
You’d gone to the library hoping to calm down before you could go back and apologize. But without the privacy you were expecting, you hadn’t been able to calm down. Your irritation and annoyance with yourself had just channeled into your fury with the neighboring table.
Worst of all was that scatterbrained guy in the white sweater. Kalim, you think Trey had called him? Was this guy really a housewarden? From his conversation you’d never have guessed, the guy seemed completely oblivious.
“No way!!! You’re saying sea snakes can’t actually swim on top of the water?!”
“Well,I think there’s like, one species who can?” One of the first years was saying. “But no, most of them stay under the water.”
“Aw, man!” Kalim sighs heavily. “I’m such a moron, I totally bought it when Floyd told me. I was all excited to see if a basilisk could cross an ocean too...”
“Shit.” One of them said. "Its getting late, Jamil will have dinner ready soon.”
Thank god. You listen to them pack up with a sense of relief, letting out a heavy breath. Just a few minutes and then you could finish your breakdown in peace.....Footsteps slowly retreated into the hallway, and you reached up to finally wipe at your eyes when you felt a tap on your shoulder.
“Hey, sorry if we were too loud! I didn’t notice you were here until-....are you ok?!”
Your head snaps around to see Kalim, eyes full of concern as he stands at your shoulder. Evidently your face was still red and teary. Goddamnit, and the worst of it is that the embarrassment of being caught makes your face want to crumple up again. You turn away quick, hands shooting up to cover your face like he might forget. “I’m fine!” You say, but your voice wobbles unconvincingly.
“You’re crying!” Kalim insists, pulling out a chair next to you and sitting down. You barely bite back a frustrated groan, not NOW, not when you’re like this! He hovers one hand tentatively over your shoulder, not quite touching you and yet you can feel the warmth of him nonetheless. “Can I do anything? Get you anything? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing!!!” You insist, hands falling away from your face in frustration. “Just-”
You stop.
The way he looks at you.....he means it. The concern is overwhelmingly sincere, impossibly so. He wants to help. Despite your humiliation and irritation....yelling at him over it doesn’t feel good. Not when he so badly wants to help.
“....I’m fine.” You try again after a deep breath. You wipe at your eyes, trying to force yourself calmer. “I’m fine, I just...I had an argument. With m-my roommate. And I....I came up here to calm down, but-”
Kalim smacks his forehead with the heel of his hand. “But me and my friends interrupted that. I’m so sorry, that must’ve been frustrating.” He opens his eyes again, giving you a warm, apologetic smile. You didn’t think red eyes could look that gentle. “Can I ask what the fight was about? I know I feel awful when I argue with Jamil, it might help to tell someone about it.”
You shake your head, wiping harder to clear the tears. Please, please just calm down. “I’m just being a crybaby, I’ll be ok in a second. I was just...frustrated. And being selfish.”
“Selfish?” His white brows knit together a little. “Selfish how.”
“Grim was...he didn’t know I was having a bad day. But he blew up the kitchen, and there was a mess everywhere. He tried to blame it on the ghosts but obviously its his fire magic so how was I-...” You cut yourself off, shaking your head. “I shouldn’t have yelled at him like that, he doesn’t know any better and it really wasn’t such a big mess. I could’ve just asked him to help clean it up...”
You feel silly even saying it out loud. My cat made a mess was hardly have a public meltdown in a library material. But that knitted brow look doesn’t fade from Kalim, and he bites his lip like he’s considering.
“Well....it sounds like it was an accident.” He says after a second, voice bright. “But still, it can’t be much fun to have to clean up after others after having a hard day. I’m sure your friend will understand that too. So you shouldn’t feel bad about being upset over it!”
“.....Thank you.” You say carefully. Some part of you means it, eats up the validation like crumbs. At least he was being relaxed about it though. “But its still not good to yell. At him. Or...at you.” You say sheepishly.
Kalim just laughs. “Don’t worry about it. Jamil says I talk too much, its only natural it’d get me into trouble sometimes....Oh!” He snaps, eyes lighting up. “Do you want help cleaning up the kitchen? I’m not very good at it, but with two people it should go much faster. That way you can go back to relaxing and try to take the edge off your day.”
“Uh-”
“C’mon! You live in Ramshackle, right?” He takes your hand before you can protest, pulling you from the chair and tugging him along insistently after him. “I bet we can have it done in 15 minutes, which’ll give you plenty of time to eat afterwards too!”
You do manage to stumble out some protests, but its like it just all bounces off after him. In the end you just decide to let him follow you home, hoping the size of the mess will deter him. He’s right, in the end, you really should take care of it, since it’ll just hover over you.
Grim’s a little sniffly himself when you get back, and you barely get three words into an apology before he throws himself into your arms, wailing about how he’ll never use magic again. Its a little overwhelming, but...kinda cute, nonetheless.
You show Kalim where the cleaning chemicals are and the two of you get to work. He’s not wrong that he’s pretty bad at this, endlessly distractable and clearly unused to the implements. Still, in the end, ash is ash, and you manage to clean it up much faster between the two of you. Kalim chatters the whole time, asking you questions about yourself, your time at NRC, your hobbies, and the dorm. It should be frustrating, and maybe it is a little much at times. But....its kind of nice to be asked, especially when he seems to so sincerely want to know the answers.
In the end, he decides to get you dinner too, insisting that you lie down on the couch and relax while he runs down to the dining hall. You feel vaguely like you were hit by a friendly tornado, and the whole house now smells like cleaning products.
Still. As Grim hops in your arms and you settle back in to let the fatigue of the day slide off of you.You find your mind drifting back to warm red eyes and a genuine smile as bright as the sun
Maybe there really was something to this whole “comfort” business.
GOOD NEWS EVERYONE MY TAX RETURNS CAME IN EARLY!!!
Between that and the generous support from everyone I should be more than ready to pay off that car bill. I want to send so so much love to everyone who donated. I'll let commissions remain open for the rest of the week for anyone still interested, but state of emergency is now past. Thank you all again so much!!!!!
