Luka and Amaya took the carriage to the Central Quarter and headed to the market by foot. She followed him closely through crowded streets and bustling shops. The scene before her was beyond fascinating-- everything was bright, colorful, and refreshingly odd to the eye. The architecture screamed 1900s but their technology, being infused with Magic Crystals, reminded her very much of how the 21st century loaded everything up with solar panels and batteries.
Before she realized that she was slightly gawking at everything she saw, Amaya walked straight into Luka, bumping into his arm as he talked to one of the sellers.
"Ahh- Sorry!" she quickly apologized and backed up, holding onto his arm by reflex.
"Are you alright?" He spoke calmly after quickly wrapping up his conversation with the seller.
Placing a hand flat across her eye and forehead, she nodded in response, "Yes. I'm sorry, I just wasn't looking."
"That's fine." He let out a soft smile, "If you see anything you like, just tell me."
Instead of sight-seeing throughout the whole walk, she shifted her focus to eyeing whatever ingredients the Jack had left on his grocery list. Well, until she saw a certain tropical fruit. Mangoes!
Her gaze quickly shifted between the stall and Luka as she called to the officer, "Luka-" but her words were cut short when her eyes passed over a familiar face.
"Saw something you like?" Luka asked as he turned to her.
In a blink of an eye, the familiar face was gone. "Uh- no, no. Did you need anything else?" she dragged her answer as she scanned the faces of the people again and again before dismissing the thought.
God. Relax. I must have been imagining things, I definitely must have.
"Just some ale for tonight.” Luka said as he bent down just a bit to look at her at eye level. "Are you alright, Amaya?"
She blinked, fixing her gaze directly into his amber eyes, "I am. Why?"
"You're frowning." He stuck out a finger and poked the middle of her scrunched forehead.
"Huh? Oh-" she shook her head and let out a light laugh to clear the air between them, "Sorry. It's just a bad habit."
Luka stared at her for a few more moments, as if searching for the reason behind the frown. Though as awkward as it felt, she flashed him a bright smile and forced herself to keep her composure until he finally mustered a reply.
“Okay.”
They arrived back at headquarters past lunch. A couple of Luka's men greeted them and helped bring in the bags of groceries to the kitchen. Amaya strode to the kitchen with a spring in her step carrying a bag of fresh vegetables in one hand and a bag of wafers and gummies clutched protectively in the other. Despite Luka’s aloofness, he immediately noticed how she looked at those gummies and wafers from the candy cart that morning. He just had to get them.
As the two arranged the stocks in silence, a soft knock came by the door, "Excuse me sir Luka, miss Amaya, there's lunch waiting for you both." a young soldier softly called them from the kitchen doorway.
"We'll be there shortly. Thank you, Charles." Luka dismissed the young soldier. But despite his dismissal, Charles stood frozen by the doorway, copper eyes locked on the young lady arranging the tomatoes in silence beside Luka.
Amaya turned, accidentally meeting the eyes of the young soldier, "Uh, do you need anything, Charles?" He jumped at the question directed to him. He was a blushing mess, flushed bright red from ear to ear before scurrying away from the kitchen, just shy from bumping into Seth who was entering the kitchen.
"Oh! What happened to him?" Seth asks, slightly shocked and amused by the young soldier’s appearance.
"I'm not sure" "I don't know." The two answered in unison and shook their heads in confusion.
Seth chuckled and shrugged off the incident with the recruit before pulling Luka away for a quick word in the hall, mentioning something about finding a gang hideout in the outskirts of the Spades Quarter.
Alone in the kitchen, Amaya finished replacing the tea leaves Luka had left out. She felt something brush up against her lower leg. Thinking that it might be just an empty bag from earlier, she quickly disregarded it. But then it brushed up again, earning a glance from the young lady.
"Hm- AAAAAAAH!" She let out a bloodcurdling scream and jumped up to sit on the kitchen counter. Seth and Luka immediately rushed back into the kitchen holding the hilt of their weapons, only to find a trembling Amaya up on the counter, face drained of all color, and a black cat mewling at the bottom of the cabinets.
Dumbstruck by the scene before them, neither officer dared to move from their positions; watching as the cat comfortably sat and began to lick its front paw.
Ray came running in a few moments later, "What was that- Oh! Belle! There you are!" The King passed the two officers and crouched down to place the cat in his arms, petting it softly on the head.
"Amaya, are you… afraid of cats?" Luka hesitantly asked the young lady.
"Hm?" Ray's eyes widened at the Jack's question and turned to Amaya with Belle in his arms. She cowered further back on the counter, bumping into the jars of spices, trying to distance herself from the feline. Her reaction alone was enough to answer Luka's question.
"Just don't come any closer. Please." She frowned and softly pleaded to Ray, her eyes glued to Belle.
Picking up on the situation, Ray stepped back and burst out laughing. "Cats, really?” His laughter was so infectious, even Seth tried to stifle his own laughs.
“Stop scaring her, Ray.” Luka sighed from the doorway as he made his way between Alice and his King. “Belle’s not supposed to be in here anyway.”
"Alright, alright. Thanks for helping me find him, Amaya." Ray turned on his heel, chucking as he left the kitchen.
"God. I-" Not meeting anyone’s gaze, Amaya let out an exasperated sigh as she pushed herself off the counter top, her face flushed a bright pink. “Thank you.”
Later that evening, as per Seth’s request, another party was thrown to formally welcome Amaya into the Black Army. Officers and soldiers alike gathered in the dining hall as dishes and liquor poured out from the kitchen.
“Cheers! Welcome to the Black Army, Alice!” groups of soldiers led by Seth and Fenrir simultaneously raised their bottles and glasses in a vaguely chaotic ovation. Amaya raised her glass in response from the quiet sofa, laughing at the scene playing before her. She was never a fan of social events like parties, but she’d still appreciate watching how people got drunk and messed up from the sidelines.
“Water?” Sirius asked as he crashed on the seat beside her, curiously peeking into her half-filled glass. “You don’t drink, little lady?”
“This isn’t water,” she lightly laughed at his inquiry then lifted the glass up to his line of sight, but even that still earned her a questioning look from the Queen.
"I wouldn't give him that if I were you," Ray chimed in with some ale in hand and sat on the ottoman across from her. "He can't handle his alcohol well."
She immediately pulled her glass back and looked at her flushed seatmate with raised brows. "Oh, I see," She dragged her words out and chuckled at a sudden realization, "A lightweight."
"What’s that?" Ray asked after downing the rest of his drink.
"Vodka." she casually answered before pointing to the half-full bottle on the coffee table before them. "Luka and I happened to find it by chance at Central this morning. You want some?"
"Vodka, huh?" Ray answered her with a grin and picked up the bottle to study it, "I didn't peg you to be a hard drinker."
"I just don't drink beer, that's all."
"Ray! Stop hoarding Alice all to yourself!" a tipsy Seth came yelling at them, crashing down on the other seat beside Ray. "Alice, darling, some of the boys want to invite you to a little drinking game. Would you like to join us?"
"Uh, sure." she shrugged. Seth gave Fenrir and their troops a signal, and they all came to gather around the coffee table. Ray moved behind her to watch, holding the bottle of vodka safely away from the rowdy crowd.
"The game... Kings Cup!" Seth announced as he started placing the cards face down around a single cup then turned to Amaya. "Are you familiar with the game, sweetie?"
She hummed with a simple nod, signaling the start of the game. Being the only lady in the group, she was given the honor to draw the first card.
"Five." She flips the card to show the other players and laughs, "Well isn't this a good start?"
They all took a swig from their drinks before waiting for the next soldier to draw.
Four. Eight. King. Three. Nine. Six.
"Two!" Fenrir shouted as soon as he flipped his card. "Amaya! Amaya!"
She shrugged and casually lifted her glass up to her lips, taking a swig of the clear liquid. Some of the soldiers started to stare a bit longer at her glass thinking it was just water, but none really wanted to speak up.
Eight. Five. Queen. Seven. Three.
Seth drew a second King and poured more ale into the glass in the center, prompting a comment from Ray. "I honestly hope that Alice here doesn't draw a King." Spiking ale with vodka did not sound good at all to the King.
She laughed at his comment, earning her confused looks from the others, "Ah, true, especially if it'll be the last one."
Jack. Two. Queen. Ten.
"Oh, Ace?" Amaya announced as she flipped the card before her.
The crowd before her shouted in both a mix of despair and laughter. But one soldier's comment stood out the most among the clamor, "Good thing she has just a bit left in her glass!"
"Oh is that a challenge, soldier?" She raised her brow in an attempt to threaten, but her grin just kept getting in the way.
She asked Seth to refresh her on the meaning of the Ace, and like clockwork, he began to explain, "Ace, the waterfall. Whoever draws the card must start drinking; then, one by one, those on his or her left will start drinking as well. They won’t stop drinking until the circle is complete. They'll only stop until the person on their right stops drinking."
"Oh, I see." She set her glass on the table, turned back to Ray and pointed to the bottle in his hand. "Can I have that back?"
She was met with Ray’s widened eyes before he handed the bottle to her. She poured the vodka into her glass almost to the rim, earning dazed looks from those in front of her.
"I highly suggest you all get another bottle." another gentle voice chimed in from behind her. "She'll drown you."
"Luka!" She exclaimed, pouting at the spectator and quickly sticking out her tongue playfully.
When they bought liquor earlier that day, Amaya had requested for some vodka rather than ale, sparking a conversation between the two about liquor and the drinking habits they both had. She discovered that he couldn’t hold his alcohol well, while he found out that she was the utter opposite.
When all the players settled back in with a fresh bottle in hand, Amaya raised her glass in cheers, "Ura!" then carefully started drinking all the way, slowly, until her glass was emptied. She let out a soft sigh and nudged the soldier beside her, "Your turn!"
He slightly raised his hand then in a moment, darted for the bathroom in the desperate need to puke. Seth and some other soldiers leaned back in a daze, while Fenrir burst out laughing.
"Ya sure that isn't water, partner?" Fenrir asked Ray in between laughs.
“Hundred percent vodka, Fen.” Ray answered with a chuckle and began clapping Amaya on the shoulder, “Admit it, she totally smoked all of you there.”
"How can you even do that?!" one soldier questioned.
"I live in a country where vodka is like a diminutive form of water so…" she shrugged. “I guess I can just handle it fine?”
“FINE?!” Seth blurted out in shock, obviously and absolutely drunk. “YOU FINISHED A WHOLE BOTTLE OF VODKA, ALICE! HOW CAN YOU BE FINE?!”
Infectious laughter spread throughout the room, and the game played on. A couple of soldiers had to run for the restroom to puke, but none surrendered until Fenrir flipped the last King.
“I call for the rule of the two!” Fenrir declared as he took the ale-filled glass at the center of the table. “Amaya, bud, ya have to take half of this.”
“Hmm-” she stared at the tall glass for a moment before agreeing to the Ace. He filled her glass right up with the ale and with a clink, they both downed the alcohol like nothing else mattered in the whole world.
“Ahh! That tastes weird!” She exclaimed, clearly disgusted by the bitter taste of beer.
The party lasted long into the wee hours of the morning. Sirius and some other soldiers who were sober enough helped clean the lounge, while Ray and Luka brought the very drunk Seth and Fenrir back to their bedrooms.
A/N: Wellllp, look who's back with the long overdue, chapter 3 hehehehehe
5:00 am. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
The room was bathed in darkness when she woke up to the sound of her phone’s annoyingly loud alarm. Unfortunately, she left the device on the dresser across the room. Despite feeling the drag brought by jet lag, she mustered the energy to get up and turn it off, shaking off any of the drowsiness she had left along the way.
Right. It was still there-- the file sent by Max. She fumbled with her phone for a bit, a strange yet vague gut feeling calling to her.
“Oh, what the hell. Like it will change anything.” She scoffed and opened the file. She was stuck in another world, surely someone else would go and take this assignment in her place after a week or two.
Click. Click.
The Academy
--Confidential--
Agent ID: Bellona
Target ID: “Aldrich Winter”
Last known whereabouts: Farringdon, London, England, -12 weeks
Notes: Track and eliminate.
--Image below--
"12 weeks? No wonder why this idiot sent me this." She murmured to herself. In her opinion, Max deserved the title of being the most annoying admin personnel in all of The Academy; volunteering on her behalf for the most absurd and difficult targets the Council had on their list, even if his intel saved her ass a couple of times.
Aside from the short text, the file came attached with a sole picture of a man. Being curious as always, she carefully studied the photo in the file-- Ocean blue eyes, neat blonde hair, and a large scar from his left cheek bone down to his jaw.
What on earth did you do that made the Council hate you so much?
Time seemed to pass by fast that morning as sunlight gradually filled the room. She closed the file and completely shut the phone down, sticking it back in the side pocket of her bag. By habit, she took a shower and changed into some clothes that seemed to fit in this world: a partially tucked v-neck, jacket, jeans, and sneakers.
With a packed wafer in hand, she tread for the door. A short knock was immediately followed by her opening of the door, Ray and Sirius stood there waiting.
“Ray, Sirius. Good morning.”
“You're up early.” The Queen greets nonchalantly. "feeling better, little lady?"
"Much much better. Please, come in." She gestured and led them inside the room, offering them a wafer each as they took a seat on the sofa. “I was just about to go and look for the two of you.”
“Lucky us then." Ray chimes as he studied the wafer in his hand.
"Everything is packed like that in the other- in the Land of Reason." She comments and tears open hers to demonstrate. "I assume that you don't have those here?"
"We don't." Ray deadpanned, placed the wafer down on the table and clasped his hands over his knees, signalling the change of topic. Sirius slipped a fountain pen and paper across the table-- a contract of sorts.
"So, Alice," Ray started again, "We had a discussion yesterday, and we’d like to propose a deal to you, one that will both help us survive in this world.”
“What kind?” She leaned on the dresser behind her, listening intently, but not batting an eye to the document.
“You see, your ability to nullify magic is just what we need.” The King continued, “so, if you promise to help us when we need you, we promise to keep you safe.”
Ah, and there it is-- the catch.
“Safe? I don’t know how to control this magic though,” she bluntly stated, remembering Kyle’s words from the night before. "I might just be a liability to you all."
Ray took a quick glance at Sirius. “We can work that out.” Sirius flashed her a satisfied grin.
Onyx pools looked into their eyes for a moment of thoughtful consideration. Accepting their proposition would seem… ideal, but it required trust. She’ll be bound to them for a whole month if she'd agree. Daily interactions with the soldiers will surely rouse them up, and the dreaded questions about her will come-- there will be no escaping that. She had to delay those as much as possible.
Distancing herself sounded impossible, and evading will only lead to more questions; at that moment, lying was her only option, even if it was never her strong suit.
The less they know, the better.
She took the pen and paper and scanned through the contents. Taking her time in marking out items that she thought needed revisions before she slid the document back to them.
"Forgive me, but I've never been in an army setting before. I’d rather be civil and be called by my real name, not Alice."
Sirius scanned over her legibly written notes on the document. A soft smile graced his lips, her points were valid, and all were taken. Besides, even they didn’t mind foregoing their titles when simply talking to their comrades.
"We can work with these." he spoke, handing the document to Ray, who later read and, to her surprise, signed at the bottom of the document.
“Just like that?" she spoke after munching on the last bite of her wafer.
“Just like that.” Ray stood up and raised his hand to salute her, “On behalf of the Black Army, Amaya, Freedom soars on raven wings. Welcome.” She mirrored him and saluted in return.
Sirius stood up and rested a hand on her head, lightly ruffling her hair in the process. “Welcome to the Black Army, little lady.”
Amaya walked them to the door, but paused just as her hand held the knob, muffled voices can be heard-- voices that belonged to Seth and Fenrir were right by the doorway, bickering over whether they should knock this early or not. With pursed lips and a light sigh, she opened the door. It was indeed them, clad in their complete uniforms.
“Ahh!” Seth immediately shrieked at the sight of the young lady. "Alice, sweetie! How are you?!"
"Mornin’, guys!" Fenrir quickly followed up, eyeing their superiors who were just behind her.
“Seth, Fenrir, good morning! I’m much better, thanks.” she says, taken aback by their extremely high energies so early in the morning. “Is everything okay?”
“Everything's perfect, sweetie!" Seth announced in his goody-good high tone.
"Since you were out cold yesterday, we decided to postpone your Official Black Army Headquarters Tour to today!"
"My what?" She asked, lost, obviously not picking up on anything they were saying.
"Sir Fenrir, Sir Seth! Ah, Sir Ray and Sir Sirius too! Good morning, sirs! I have a message from Sir Luka!" a soldier came running and stood in attention before them, "You have one hour, else, no dessert tonight!"
"One hour for what?"
Without batting an eye to anything she just asked, they exchanged huge grins and stepped to either side of her, each of them taking a hold of an arm.
"Well we wouldn't want to miss tonight's special dessert now, do we?!" Seth exclaimed, shaking and swaying the young lady's arm in the process.
"All aboard Amaya's Official Black Army Headquarters Tour!" Fenrir shouted through the hallways.
Their sheer excitement was overflowing, it was clearer than day that they hadn't heard a single word she'd said. Next thing she knew, they were racing down the hallways.
"She’ll be fine... right?" Ray grinned to the taller man beside him, whilst Sirius just sighed and closed the door behind them as they left the room.
Down the stairs and out the front door the trio went, running along the paved road that stretched out long between lawns lined with black flags that snapped with the chilly wind.
“Welcome to the Black Army Headquarters!” the two officers sang as they turned her around. "Your home until the next full moon!"
At the end of the paved road stood a huge black manor, completely different from how the Red Army Headquarters looked like.
From the gates, they headed to the training grounds and stables at the back of the building. Some soldiers who just finished their morning runs casually greeted them as they passed.
Inside, they took her through the common areas of every floor they could get their hands on, and scanned through the bedrooms on the second floor.
“So how many soldiers live here?” Amaya asked as they walked through the bedroom assignments.
“500.” Fenrir states, “But the only ones required to live here are the thirteen officers.”
“And the others?”
“They can stay as long as they keep their rooms clean and chip in with the chores, like--” Seth declares as he opens one bedroom door for a random inspection.
“AHH!” He squeals and slams the door shut before anyone else could get a look of what’s inside. His face lost all light and turned extremely grim.
“Seth, what’s wrong?” she asked while Fenrir laughed hysterically.
“Nothing, sweetie.” Seth turned around in a snap and with a huge pout on his face. “Let’s head back to the dining hall, shall we?”
Fenrir whispered in her ear, trying to suppress his laugh. “Looks like a messy room to me.”
The gentle scent of food wafted through the air as they made their way back to the dining hall.
“Oh wow, that smells good.” she took a deep death in, taking in all that goodness.
“If it’s Luka’s cooking, I’m sure it’ll taste even better!” Fenrir said as he opened the door to the dining hall, gesturing for her to step inside.
The aroma that blew past them was incredibly tantalizing. Dishes of all sorts, including some of her favorites, were lined up along the huge dining table-- from pancakes, salad, toast, eggs, bacon, fresh fruits, sausages, croissants-- it was mouthwatering, to say at the very least.
“Ah! Is that banana bread?” she asks, eyes immediately locked onto the loaves placed at the center of the table.
“Looks like our little chef had fun in the kitchen today.” Seth gushed, looking at the direction of Luka.
Taking Seth's hint, she called out to the army's chef, “Luka, this looks amazing!”
“Thanks.” Luka gruffly said, looking away with a faint smile on his face. “Eat. It’ll get cold.”
Seth pulled a seat and gestured for Amaya to sit between Luka and himself.
As they all began to eat, Ray called from the head of the table, raising a glass in cheers. “To the newest member of the Black Army.”
She raised her glass and just smiled back before downing the orange juice in it.
“Tell me, little lady. What sort of work did you do in the Land of Reason? Or are you still studying?” Sirius asked from across her.
“Both? I work in marketing and am taking my postgraduate studies at the moment.” she gleefully answered, pouring a ton load of syrup on her 3-storey pancake tower.
No sooner had she noticed that the table had fallen silent, eyes and ears were on her as the officers listened intently to the answers.
“And you’re, how old?” Fenrir asks through a mouthful of hash browns.
“Fenrir, you oaf! You don’t just go around asking ladies how old they are!” Seth outright scolded the younger lad, waving his fork around. “That’s downright disrespectful!”
“Oh wow. It’s fine, Seth! It’s fine!” she gushed, trying to suppress her bursting laughter “I’m turning 25.”
“When?” Luka promptly asked from beside her in his quiet tone.
“Soon. But not in the next 30 days.”
"You're not far off from these brats." Sirius spoke with all seriousness.
"Really?" She tried to bite back her sarcasm, but her tone made it all too obvious, earning a laugh from Sirius.
“So, any hobbies? Interests? Do you want to go shopping?” Seth bombards her with question after question.
Struck by the question, she set her fork down on the plate and leaned back on the chair, pouting unconsciously “Hmm. I’ve never really thought about that.” she took her cup to her lips, inhaling the earthy aroma of the coffee, “Coffee? I like good coffee. Travelling, maybe? I travel a lot for work. Cooking? Breakfast is magical, by the way.”
“Do you have any siblings, Alice?” another asked from the other end of the table, earning him some teasing remarks from the other soldiers. "Yeah maybe you can bring them here sometime!"
Goodness. Boys. Of all the things they could ask.
She drew a quick frown at the question before clearing her throat to answer, “I had two older sisters.” She stuck her fork through the sliced 3-tier pancake and shoved it into her mouth. Pissed. Though, it wasn’t because of the 3 of Spade’s audacity to ask that swashbuckling of a question, but rather, it reopened a deep wound.
“Was that bad?” Luka asked softly.
She slipped, eagerly shaking her head, “Oh- no, no.” she paused, carefully looking for the right words to say, “Family is… just something I'd rather not talk about.”
Thankfully, Luka didn’t press any further. But the weight of Sirius’ gaze on her was evident, one she just chose to ignore.
Breakfast with the officers wasn’t as uptight as how she thought it would be. They were bantering and teasing one another left and right like kids. This proved to be a rare sight for military men, their titles and ranks seemed to be left at the door.
Not long after, one by one, they began to leave for their respective duties, and Amaya was left with Sirius and Luka in the dining hall. She volunteered-- insisted, rather, to help clean up the area after knowing that they actually threw this breakfast banquet for her.
With a couple of mugs in hand, she stopped by the window to watch the soldiers spar with each other out in the courtyard. Fenrir and Ray were there, getting pretty hands-on themselves.
"Is it like this everyday?" she asked, eyes still glued to the window.
"Hmm?" Sirius towered over her short frame, taking a quick peek at the activities outside. "Generally, yes. Training is scheduled throughout the day. Different times for different squads."
"Mmm." She hummed. Her eyes followed one of the soldiers who was heavy on his feet. It was amusingly painful to watch how he threw himself forward with the thrust of his wooden sword, only to be parried and tripped to fall face first on the ground. "Oh nooo-" she mumbled, lightly laughing at the young man's stumble.
Engrossed in the comedic scene before her, she forgot that Sirius was still beside her by the window when he spoke, "Those are their new recruits, by the way."
Of course they were the new recruits. If they weren't, they'd be wiped out in an instant if they were thrown out in the frontlines. She kept her opinions to herself, slightly shaking her head at the thought that maybe even she could take them out with her eyes closed.
"Mmhmm, and it looks like Ray and Fenrir are having the time of their lives with the kids." she chuckled, watching the Ace spar 3-to-1. His hand-to-hand combat skills are impeccable, but a bit reckless to some extent, obviously treating that session like a game more than an actual spar.
"Sirius," Luka softly called from the kitchen door, cutting the two from their conversation. "I'll be going to the market."
"Want to go for a walk, little lady?" Sirius asked.
"Sure," she shrugged, taking one last look outside before glancing at Sirius. "Where to?"
Sirius gazed at Luka who was buttoning his jacket by the kitchen doorway, "Luka, could you take this little lady with you to the market?"
The purple-haired soldier looked questioningly back and forth between Sirius and Amaya, "Amaya? Okay."
[Note: Everything under the cut is just made up for the sake of my OC's story. They are not canon to Twisted Wonderland's stories.]
Happy Birthday! I’d like to interview you if that’s okay.
Oh, thank you, it'd be my pleasure, prefect.
Great. What does it feel like having everyone here to celebrate your birthday?
A bit nerving, I suppose.
I'm not too fond of being around this many people; let alone being the center of attention of it all. I only ever celebrated with family and a few close friends.
But at least, it's not as formal as the ones back home.
Speaking of friends, a little bird told me that you've been friends with Cater even before you entered NRC. Is that true?
Oh yes. The Diamonds were our neighbors, and even if they left every so often for their father's work, Cater and I would always keep in touch. He's responsible for my magicam account.
When we were younger, we used to play around our garden, or chase the dog that usually strolls around our block. We never got the chance to pet it though; and then afterwards, we'd relax under the big tree that was between our homes either eating or just looking at the stars at night. Fun times, really.
What's your favorite food to snack on?
Fried chicken nuggets? Shawarma? Fish? It depends, really. I'm sure I can live on chicken nuggets alone.
That… really isn't healthy, you know? Anyway, have your parents sent you anything for today?
They did. Mom just sent me a necklace to the dorm from their recent travels, and my dad even called me first thing in the morning.
"Hey there, butterscotch! How have your studies been? Have they been treating you well there?"
"Hope you'll enjoy your birthday today! Too bad we won't be able to celebrate together again this year… But don't worry, next year will be extra special!"
… Ah, dad, ever the ball of energy. He spoils me too much.
You seem to be really close to your dad compared to your mom.
Close isn't the term I'd like to use to describe my dad and I, but it can't be helped since I'm an only child… and it just so happens that my mom and I have a complicated relationship… As do most daughters with their mothers anyway, I think.
They're often away on business trips, so if I'm not with them during their travels, I'm usually left with the help or under the care of the Diamonds.
Just what do your parents do?
They run several businesses; one of which is the Pyroxene Press, one of the major production houses in the Land of Pyroxene. They've been slowly expanding it to different regions too if I'm not mistaken.
Then my mom is a collector on the side.
What does she collect?
I'd prefer not to answer that. Next question, please.
Oh, okay. I've heard you're one of the few humans in Diasomnia, how did you get to manage?
Hum- ah, right. I did get bullied for some time for being human… It’s understandable given the rift between the two species. But eventually, things fared well— I’ve met some great dorm mates who I now consider family. Then on top of their support, I guess I just left my grades and magical skills to speak for myself.
I am here to study anyway, regardless of what dorm I end up in.
Now, I’m happy that most of them know how to respect people worth respecting; and for whatever reason, I'm just grateful that they show the same respect towards me as well.
Magic and studies aside, are you good at anything else?
Though I’m obviously not as talented as Vil, I do have confidence in my singing voice. My dad enrolled me in a couple of summer music camps before when I was little, there, I learned the basics and eventually got to perform at a recital.
But that’s about it. Now, I sing in the shower, and sometimes at the lounge, past closing hours at Azul’s request. He’d play the piano and I’d just sing to it.
That’s so romantic— You and Azul really are an unlikely pair. If I may, how did you two get together?
In a nutshell, he tried to rope me into a contract. The twins have been jokingly teasing him about that since then. Sometimes, Floyd would pull a terrible impersonation of Azul on the evening of when we first met.
“What a wonderful opportunity to have Linwalt as a client fufufu~”
Not ever, actually. Maybe I should try sometime? Just to see how he’d react fufu~
So did he really get you to make a deal with him?
No. Not really…
Mischievous as always. Thank you, and again, Happy Birthday!
All hands were on deck at the bustling Mostro Lounge that Friday afternoon; orders piled up one on top of another and the waiting line outside had just begun to become longer since the very recent closing of the college-wide exams.
Antoine had been requested to lend a hand at the Lounge’s bar by Jade. Seeing that his friend so desperately needed all the hands he could get for this shift, the Pomefiore sophomore gladly agreed, and even provided a little flairtending show for the customer’s entertainment.
“Two lemon-basil mojito mocktails for the lovely ladies on table 6~” Antoine passed the two tall drinks to Jade with a little wink towards the students at the said table. They swooned —obviously—which didn’t come much as a surprise to the vice dorm leader.
“Still going at it with the ladies, Antoine?” the younger twin bickered as he slid a paper with the next set of orders to the bartender.
“What can I say? I learned how to appreciate the beautiful~”
Jade left his flirtatious friend with a chuckle to serve the waiting customers, and Antoine began to get back to work— 7 drinks were queued to be made at his station.
“Jade, Jade, Jade. Working me to the bone yet aga—” Antoine commented to himself, but was immediately cut off when he heard a crash coming from the nearby couch. He quickly left his station to check on what had just happened.
“I-I’m so sorry, ma’am!” One of the shorter staff repetitively apologized, frantically picking up the broken plate and glass pieces around the Ignihyde customer who was seen seated on the floor; the poor girl was still in shock from what had just transpired.
“You idiot! Watch where you’re going next time!” The Heartslabyul companion of the girl began shouting at the staff, scolding him for the accident. “Come on, we’re leaving.” He spoke to the girl, helping her up by the arm.
“Ow!” She yelped the moment she placed some weight on her free hand— blood freely flowed from a shard penetration on her palm.
Jade was quick to come by to the scene, manning the staff to quickly clean up, apologizing to the customers for the inconvenience, and calming down the furious Heartslabyul student.
“Please take her to the infirmary, Antoine.” Jade directed to his friend, but the latter knew that the infirmary would be too far a walk for an injury like this— on a lovely lady for that matter.
“If I may,” Antoine excused himself to the nearby Pomefiore customer, taking the clean glass full of water and placing it on the floor next to the injured Ignihyde student. “This might hurt a bit, so be a strong lady for me, alright?”
With his coos, the girl obliged, opening her shaky and dripping hand to the sophomore.
Antoine dipped his free hand into the glass of water, bending it to flow out and up to cover the wound of the girl.
“Perfecta.”
At his words, the girl slightly winced in pain, yet her wound began to close, and the shard that was earlier deep in her flesh made its way out and floated in the water. Moments later, her wound has been fully healed. No scars, no blood.
“There,” Antoine spoke as he guided the now red liquid back into the glass, while his other hand caressed the area of the former wound, “Flawless again.”
“I- thank you, sir-” The girl softly spoke to the sophomore; a blushing mess in front of the crowd that formed around them in the lounge. Azul and Jade watched the whole thing unfold, up until Antoine helped the girl back up to her feet.
“Job well done, Antoine.” Azul commended as he approached the Pomefiore sophomore, a faint glimmer of amusement in his eyes as he spoke to the guest bartender, “Who would’ve thought you were both a healer and a swooner. It's ironically amusing.”
“What can I say,” Antoine chuckled and began to walk back to his station, tapping the shorter sophomore on the shoulder, “I have an eye for beauty.”
Azul could only shake his head at Antoine’s words, prompting a soft chuckle from his vice dorm leader.
“Oh, Azul—” Antoine called for the manager from behind the bar, “Don’t forget to tell Idia I said hi~”
The NRC Graduation was as special, if not even more special than the opening ceremonies. Aside from the students, family and special guests were invited to witness the closing of the students' NRC life.
The formal rites were held in the same room where the students had their opening ceremonies. The candidates donned their finest ceremonial robes, while the undergrads who volunteered to be ushers and usherettes watched from the sides as their seniors went up on stage. The dorm leaders, regardless of year, were required to attend to recognize their outstanding members.
Formal and peaceful is what it usually was. Following the ceremonies, there was a special banquet prepared for everyone at the dining hall.
Lively chatter filled the hall. Parents, professors, and guardians chatted with one another as the students met up with their friends once again after being away for months due to their internship. Although they did come back for the cultural festival held every February, most of them still used this time to finish their research and papers.
"Have you told them yet, little one? We will be leaving tonight." Lilia reminded the young Linwalt who was then caught up in watching her parents chat away with the Schoenheits. Business as usual I guess.
She shook her head to the fae; she was waiting for the right time to tell them, but she didn't really know when the right time was, or even how to tell them.
"Ah, Dorothy! Look how much you've grown!" a jolly lady called out from her side, one she fondly remembered as one of the elders who took great care of her too. "Congratulations! My, my! Cater never mentioned anything about what an achiever you are!"
"Mrs Diamond! It's been too long! Congratulations as well!" she beamed the mother a smile and pressed her cheeks against hers in a friendly, familial kiss.
"Time flies by fast, don't you think? Ah, one day you and little Cay were just playing out in the garden, then the next thing we knew, you're both going your own ways!"
Dorothy nodded to Mrs Diamond’s musings; she'd been watching her son take numerous photos and groupies with every group he could get his hands on.
"Do you have any plans yet? Cay mentioned that he'd be taking some months off first."
"I haven't really given it much thought..." she cooed, even if she knew exactly where she had to go after graduation. Explaining things to her would be too troublesome for both parties anyway.
"Acceptable. This is a drastic shift for you all anyway. But, I know you'll be able to find it soon. As your father says, there's nothing-"
"There's nothing a Linwalt can't do, yes." Dorothy chuckled, finishing Mrs Diamond's statement with her. She bid her farewells as soon as she saw her parents part from the Schoenheits.
Her father approached her, wrapped his arm around her shoulders, kissed her forehead and tugged her hood lower on her face. "Ah well isn't it our little butterscotch! Congratulations again, my dear." Before she could even muster a reply, her mother chimed in to call them both. The lady had the headmaster in tow.
There she was, the overly enthusiastic mother who had the chance to speak with the famed school's headmaster. To be honest, this would be pretty new to them, given that both Mr and Mrs Linwalt graduated from RSA.
The headmaster sounded a bit panicked from his usual, but he's still as gracious as he boasts. He congratulated them, and even boasted about the young Linwalt's exemplary performances. Thankfully, he never mentioned the terrible incidents she got caught up in during her stay— overblots and all. He did understand the outlook of RSA graduates towards these issues.
"Ah, Ms Linwalt, I've heard from Mr Vanrogue that you'll be working with the Draconias from--" She made a sudden face at the headmaster, pleading for him to shut up; but his words left his lips sooner than she had hoped.
Both her parents gave her questioning looks.
"I'm sorry, she'll be what now?" Mrs Linwalt called out to the headmaster, fingers splayed above her chest in sudden shock.
Dorothy let out a heavy, heavy sigh. She excused the headmaster, and he left with a curt bow to the family, along with the big oops painted across his masked face.
"I'll be working at the Valley of Thorns. That's what the headmaster meant." she briefly stated as a matter of factly to her parents.
Her father frowned, "What do you mean you'll work there? I thought we talked this over? The printing press, remember? Isn't that why you had your internship-"
"I had my internship back home so I could spend more time with you." her voice slightly raised above the idle murmur of the crowd, but she quickly softened it to a respectful tone, "But eventually I still need to leave for the Valley of Thorns."
"Need? What do you think you are? Someone they can just order around?" her mother's voice began to raise, both in tone and in volume— a sign that she was getting mad.
Some heads began to turn their way, but she just decided to turn the other way to avoid suspicion. She opened and then closed her mouth, eyes darting around with hopes that she'd find the proper words on the faces of people. "I... No, but..."
"Mr Linwalt and Mrs Linwalt, I assume. A pleasant afternoon to you both, some refreshments for the lovely family?" a familiar sing-song voice called out from over her shoulder. Azul had been managing the banquet just until then when he eyed someone getting into trouble with her parents, and with the slight raise in her mother's voice, he had to chime in to keep the mood light.
They both got the ombre blue shimmering drinks, a sip from both and some silence later, their heads started to cool down.
"Mom, Dad... You see, it's not a job I applied for, but it is one that falls burden to my family. As the only child, it is one I am obliged to take." she slowly spoke, swirling the watered down drink in her hand. "I'm sorry, I should've told you sooner, but-"
"Your family? But aren't we your family? Isn't it just right that you stay here, with us? Howard, please." her mother tried to call her out again, even with the brash attempt to ask for her husband's support.
But it was like a pin had popped her patience balloon all over again. "Sevens! Have you already forgotten what I am? What you did to me?" pinching her nose bridge with her index and thumb, she stilled, and tried to compose herself again before further reasoning out. "Yes, you are my family. But I... I'm a fae, mother, and as much as I would want to, I can't stay and leave my responsibilities behind. Apparently, a path has been set there for me even before I was born. It just so happened that I was taken away before I knew it."
Her mother brought her hand to her lips and just walked away. Shocked was the least of her reactions. Of course she'll lose it. One of her prized exotics will be leaving her lot, Dorothy thought. But her father stayed, disappointment painted across his face but still willing to listen and understand.
"Forgive her. She's... Just in shock." Dorothy nodded in silence, tears pricking her eyes. She wasn't expecting things to turn out as bad as they did. "When will you need to leave then?"
"Tonight."
Her father pulled her into a tight hug, one she really needed right then. Honestly, it broke her heart to leave them like that. There was still so much to say, but so little time; but she was left with no choice.
She cried in his arms, apologizing vaguely as her dark makeup stained his crisp shirt and coat.
He rubbed comfortable circles across her back, "Shhh, we'll see each other again soon, right? No need for tears, butterscotch." She nodded, even though she didn't know when ‘soon’ will be.
When her cries calmed down, he took his hanky and wiped off the stray tears and smudged make up off her face. "You'll do great, dear. I just know it. You know why?" He cupped her face with both his hands and placed a light kiss on her head, "— Because there's nothing a Linwalt can't do."
This cliche statement he always bragged about finally made her smile, even for just a bit. "I'll miss you so so much, dad."
From the end of the room, she could see the Diasomnia seniors exiting the hall already, save for Malleus, Nadia, and Lilia waiting for her by the threshold.
Before she left, she looked for her mother. Though she looked everywhere her tired eyes could reach, she couldn't find her in the hall. Luckily, she found Azul refilling the glasses by the banquet table.
Eyes swollen and make up ruined, Azul almost threw hands at the first sight of her, "Oya, my dear, what happened to you?!"
She brushed a stray tear from her cheek and just shook her head to the junior, "Have you seen my mother? Slightly taller than me, of medium built, she's wearing a red-"
"Calm down, I know what she looks like. Hm, I saw her leave the hall earlier, perhaps she's out at the main road. All the other passageways around campus are closed."
With a quick hold to his hand in thanks, she stormed off to the college's main road, Zooming past Malleus, Nadia, and Lilia on the way out, "I'll be right back!"
Azul was right. She was there, standing in front of the statue of the Witch of Thorns, casually wiping her nose with every sniffle. "Mom?" she softly called out, slightly panting from running down and out of the building.
The sun almost set over the horizon. Ruby and amber painted the stone pathways of her, then, alma mater
"You know, I never really wanted you to study here. Your father and I were overjoyed when we received your acceptance letter and invitation from RSA..." Her mother spoke, still facing the statue, as if the elegant witch were actually listening to every word she said. "But it looks like fate has its own mysterious way of being known."
Dorothy sauntered over to her mother, hesitantly touched her hand and held it firmly.
"Mom," Dorothy softly called out with a little tug on the hand she held. When her mother finally turned to face her, she held out her free hand open, palm up, allowing some magic to flow— white mist crystalizing at the center of her palm, creating an intricate snowflake pendant necklace. Her mother watched in awe, seeing her daughter cast such magic with ease.
"For you, so that I'll always be with you wherever I go." Dorothy held out the necklace to her mother, a little smile gracing her soft features. Her mother took the necklace and studied the magical piece of work closely with her bare eyes.
"I really can't convince you to stay?"
"I'm afraid not, mother."
"Stay for dinner, then."
Dorothy shook her head at her mother's final attempt and request, "We'll be leaving tonight."
The older Linwalt turned her head to stare back at the statue of the Witch of Thorns, leaving her daughter's hand empty and cold once again. "Faes— wouldn't you agree that they're fascinating creatures?"
"As are humans, mother."
A short pause came from her mother before she finally spoke up again, letting out a sigh in her wake, "Is it too late for you to accept my sincerest of apologies? For everything?"
She fondled with the hems of her robe; uneasiness building up in her at the fear of being too direct with her mother. "I... I don't know. That...thing, it took so, so much away from me. But, in turn, it has gifted me some things that can't ever be replaced."
The faint sounds of chatter echoed from within the building, guests and students began to take their leave. Dorothy's phone chimed as well— a text perhaps, they might be looking for her.
"I understand," her mother sheepishly nodded. She'd always been a proud, eccentric woman; much like a certain hunter from Pomefiore, she found beauty in some of the oddest things.
"I just have one request..." her mother turned to face her, tears threatened to spill from her eyes as she cupped the precious necklace in both hands, "Don't be a stranger, okay?"
She was relieved to finally have a blessing of sorts and threw herself, hugging her mother tightly out of the blue as if they were to never see and touch one another again. "I won't, mom. Never in a million years. I swear to the Seven."
A quick ring came from her phone, but before she could answer it, a young man clad in black and green called out from behind both the mother and daughter, causing them to break their little moment to turn towards him. "Doty senp- ah-"
"Silver,"
Quick to realize the moment he broke, the junior slightly bowed to both mother and daughter, "My apologies, Mrs Linwalt, senpai, but, the old- uh, Lilia sent me to escort you back to the dorm."
Her mother gave her a little nudge towards the student. Dorothy looked at her, only to see a little smile grace her thin wine stained lips. "Go on butterscotch. We'll see you soon."
She mouthed bye to her mother before sauntering off to Silver's side. Silver knew of his senior's predicament, so he gave her space, allowing their walk back to be quiet, save for the videos from Cater's messages she was watching on her phone.
‘Hi hi, Dots! It's your favorite among your favorite Diamonds, Cay-kun~! …’
‘Enough of that Cay! Doty!!!! Our baby Cay mentioned that you won't be coming back anytime soon! We'll miss doting on our adopted little sister…’
‘Fufufu. Well, I'm glad you got to figure things out already, dear. I'm sure your parents are very proud of you already…’
They arrived at the front doors of Diasomnia with one of the sophomores waiting just outside for their arrival. The students gathered at the main room, eagerly listening to the speech of their new dorm leader. Formal, as usual. Uptight, and not an ounce of humor to his words.
She stood beside Lilia at the side of the room with the other seniors. The veteran fae looked at her with his face closing in on purpose to get her to look at him; and she did. "How was the talk, child?"
"Okay, I guess." she answered curtly, not willing to expound any further on the topic. Silver shook his head to Lilia in earnest, prompting him to not press any further questions; he did know how curious his old man could get.
A short pause from both, then she tapped Lilia's shoulder before turning away, "I should go and pack up."
Bags packed and room kept, just like when she first arrived at the dorm. A short knock to the door broke her from her musings on the many memories from her stay at the college. "Come in!"
She was expecting one of her assigned guards to be the one to call her down, but the too low tone told her otherwise. "Are you ready, dearest?"
She nodded, turning to the fae at the threshold of her room. Then, with a short wave of her hand, her bags gently lifted off from the bed and easily hovered over to her side.
"Wait," Malleus abruptly called before both of them were surrounded with the swirling lights of green fireflies. In a moment's time, their robes changed to black and gold embellished clothes. Sleek, elegant, and regal.
She cocked her head slightly to the side in obvious question, earning her a brief explanation from the man pouting before her, "It is... tradition."
"It's a nice touch." she chuckled as she fixed the little golden tie accessory he wore.
His lips curved up to a smile the moment hers did. Truly, she emanated the strength of her mother and the optimism of her father— both, human and fae alike.
Malleus extended his hand to her, one she'd be willing to take again and again, no matter what the circumstances were. "Shall we?"
As expected, she took it without a sliver of regret, "Let's go home."
“Hi, uhm… Oh hello there, ah- too casual… Would you… Do you- Ahhhhhh- this will be a mess!” Amaya groaned long and loud at her blushing mess of a reflection from the confines of Idia’s bathroom. She hasn’t noticed how long she has been inside, but her board game club companions surely did.
“A gentle reminder of the time now, Amaya.” Azul called from the other side of the door, a teasing smile painted on his lips as he hears another panicked groan from the Ramshackle freshman who's running through the simple line of asking a certain ginger out again and again.
“Azul-shi, you’re making her even more nervous...” Idia commented as he dropped the pair of dice on the board; a sinister smile formed on his face as he got the number he wanted, giving him the win for that round of the game. “... You know, even I would even panic over talking to the most extroverted person on campus.”
“Correction— it’s regardless of whom you’re speaking with, Idia.” Azul could only let out a sigh of disbelief. “Again, Amaya, you have 30 minutes left until Heartslabyul's tea party.”
“Sevens, I can’t do it!” Amaya shouted from the room, feigning a wail with a loud thud on the door. Her two seniors snapped their heads towards her direction; and Idia gestured for Azul to go and talk to the melancholic freshman, mouthing a ‘You lost, so you go talk to her.’ with widened eyes.
Azul pulled a seat close to the bathroom door and poised himself on the stool. “Amaya, open the door.”
With the seriousness of his tone, she easily conceded and unlocked the door, breaking it open just a bit for the sophomore to see her distressed look: hair a mess and eyes pricking with tears out of nervousness, one he chose not to comment on.
“Now, tell me, what do you want to ask of Cater?” Azul spoke, voice cool yet stern, sincerity dripping from every word.
“I… wanted to ask him out...”
“Why do you want to ask him out?”
“Because...” she paused in hesitation, yet Azul tilted his head a bit more, urging her to talk to him– assuring her that he was there to support her as a friend, one he, the twins, and the Shroud brothers had always been with her. “... because I like him, and… I wanted to make more happy memories with him before he leaves for his internship…”
“And you plan to do this later when you see him at the tea party, yes?” He asked, and she nodded in earnest.
“No other chance but later, yes?” He asked again, and she nodded sheepishly, gaze breaking away from the dorm leader. “Hey, eyes on me, Maya.” Her gaze snapped back to him, eyes starting to glimmer with unshed tears.
“Idia and I, we only want what’s within your best interests. Are you willing to listen to us so you can go about this properly?” He asked for one last time, and she nodded; stray tears rolling down her fully flushed cheeks. “Good.”
From the center of the room, Idia gestured two thumbs up to Azul, mouthing a ‘Good job!’ to the Octavinelle dorm leader; as always and as expected, Azul was good with his words.
“Now, up you go. You’ll be talking to him on your feet and not slumped on the garden floor, I suppose.” Azul perked up a bit, opening the door wider just a bit more for Idia to see. He handed his white and silver striped handkerchief to the freshman, “Wipe those tears away too.”
When all was done, Azul gave her a curt nod of approval. “Now, I want you to look at the mirror and think of whom you’re talking to.”
Albeit a bit hesitant, she looked up to the elevated mirror, mouth caught aghast at the projection of Cater Diamond on the glass. “Idia!” she screamed.
Idia was on his tablet with his mouth full of gummy bears, silently raising a thumbs up to the freshman to further motivate her to get back to her rehearsal with Azul.
She stared at the image of the ginger– leaf green eyes glimmering with delight, and orange hair lightly swaying with the breeze at the Unbirthday party venue.
She took a deep breath and began to open her mouth, rehearsing as if it were actually Cater she was talking to. “Cater, I- would you mind if we… if we could go out sometime… like on a date? There’s this new cafe that opened in town and… maybe you’d like to go try it out with me? Just you and I... I- I mean, that’s if only… only if you want to but- ahhh, Azu-”
“Sure thing, Maya! Ehe~ This weekend sounds good to you?” the ginger in the mirror replied almost instantaneously, causing the freshman to scream and flush terribly red, bringing Riddle’s hair to shame.
Her scream startled Azul out of his seat, prompting him to quickly turn to Idia in question, but the latter just faced his tablet screen to the two, presenting them both with a live video call with Cater. “Did you two just forget that this is my room?”
Azul rubbed his now aching temples at the sight of his club member clutching a pillow, frozen, on Idia’s bed. “Right, you did mention you had a tablet of sorts installed in your bathroom before. I wasn’t expecting it to be the mirror.”
“Impressive, right? You really wouldn’t notice it!” Idia perked up from his seat in the center of the room, chuckling at how he was able to one-up the two in this little rehearsal of theirs.
After a good scolding from Azul, Idia had to make it up to Amaya by bringing her to Heartslabyul for their Unbirthday Party. Riddle would be expecting her, and he’d expect her not to be late as well.
"Mademoiselle Chouette, pardon me, but what is your favorite animal?"
"Hm? Dogs, maybe?" She spoke to the hunter while continuously stirring the thick pink liquid in the cauldron; then she perked up, onyx orbs began to sparkle in amusement, "Oh wait- I know! Hamsters. They're adorable, small, and fluffy. Then their cheeks puff out when they nibble on food." She explained; her free hand gesturing about her cheeks to give emphasis to her words, earning an equally enthusiastic chuckle from Rook.
"Why'd you ask?" She asked and he just shook his head. Their gaze dropped once again to check on the boiling liquid before them, with a curt nod, she began to reach for the pen in her coat pocket, intending to shut the flames off.
"Ah- not yet." Rook stopped her, just shy of grabbing her hand, "Would you be so kind as to get the vials, mademoiselle? Allow me, this time. I wouldn't want to risk your beautiful hands getting burnt during the transfer."
Hunt and Linwalt— the two usually partnered up whenever 3A and 3B had joint potions classes. She was one of the top students of her batch, and he— being the vice dorm leader of Pomefiore— was the 2nd best at potions amongst all the students in the college; she always learned something new thanks to Rook, and he, well…
"Rook." She spoke sternly. Her cold gaze fixed on the huntsman, one hand holding the, now, empty vial. "I swear to the Great Seven, if you've mixed anything else in there, I will end you."
Rook had a bit of a coughing fit after sampling the liquid in his vial– his potion obviously tasted terrible. Hers should’ve too; rather, she tasted cherries and a bit of oak in the mix. They were supposed to test the potion they made in class together, but Rook apparently had some other plans in mind.
“Mes excuses, I couldn't help myself. I am but one whose curiosity has been piqued! I merely wanted to observe, so I've switched the potions we took, but ah, not to worry–!” He sang dramatically as he took her vial from her hands and hurriedly nudged her to sit on one of the high stools.
“You- Again?! Again!? Rook Hunt!!! What was in it!?” She burst out, getting some stares from her classmates and Professor Crewel; a little mischief in class wasn’t new if it were to happen with Rook being the sole cause of it. Unfortunately for her, this was her 2nd time of falling victim to the vice dorm leaders’ little inventions.
“‘Tis just a special creation of mine that can change one into their favorite animal! Tres bien, non? It should taste like fresh cherries.” He stood in front of her, eyeing his watch to time the effects of his transfiguration potion.
Undoubtedly, it tasted like cherries, she’ll give him that. Despite the flawlessness of his potions, her eyes still widened at his words; clearly, there wasn’t enough time to make a potion that could counter his creation. “So... Don’t tell me I’m going to turn into–”
Her words came to a halt as she held onto the edge of the nearest table. There it was, the gut wrenching feeling of the potion's effect started to kick in.
A few moments later...
“Ah, magnifique!” Rook exclaimed, clapping his hands in excitement at his creation.
She turns into a hamster.
It was adorably funny how angrily she squeaked to the hunter underneath all the clothing that was now far too big for her to wear. But, what was more amusing was that he understood all her squeaking complaints.
“Ne t'inquiète pas, it should be gone in 12 hours. For the meantime…” Rook gathers her things, neatly folds her clothes and heads out to look for her Diasomnia circle, but the first one he ran into in the hall was Azul, her lover.
“Bonjour, Roi du Fort, I hope you aren’t too busy at the moment.” Rook waved a free hand to Azul, prompting the sophomore to turn in question to the junior. Azure eyes locked onto the little rodent in Rook’s hand.
“No, not at all, Rook. How may I be of service today?” Azul flashed his usual customer service smile to Rook whilst internally trying to piece together the reason as to why the junior was holding a brown and white hamster in one hand and clothes that belonged to a Diasomnia student in the other… and why in Sevens name did it concern him.
“You see Roi du Fort,” Rook gently lifted his hand holding the hamster; his green eyes glimmered in amusement as he presented the little rodent to the dorm head. “– this is Mademoiselle Chouette.”
“Mademoiselle Chou...ette?” Azul’s brows furrowed just a bit, racking his head and trying to remember whom Rook called that. “Is that… Is that Linwalt!?” His eyes shot wide in shock at the knowing grin Rook had so boldly plastered on his face.
“Correct as always, Azul. Fufufu~” Rook chuckled as he placed the little rodent on the sophomore’s cupped hands; tiny onyx orbs looked pleadingly at Azul.
“Wh- what happened to her? Was it an accident in class? Does Professor Crewel know about this already?” Azul bombarded the hunter with question after question; his thumb gently stroking the soft fur on her head.
She squeaked, an attempt to explain herself, but Rook cut her off with a finger to his lips. “Perhaps we can call it an accident, mademoiselle? But not to worry, Roi du Fort, all is well. The potion’s effects should only last for 12 hours. Would it be alright if I left her in your care?”
Azul sheepishly nodded, eyes trailed down to the hamster in his hands. She squeaked angrily again, but Rook just tipped his hat to Azul with a light chuckle and hurriedly handed her belongings to him. “Ah! Such efforts brought about by love! Beaute! Here are her items. I should be off now, I wouldn’t want to be late to the Vice Dorm Leaders’ meeting.”
Rook left the two without a word more.
“Looks like you’ll be stuck with me for the rest of the evening, my dear.” Azul cooed to the little rodent in his hands, gently stroking the top of her fur while he walked back to the Hall of Mirrors and back to Octavinelle.
She squeaked again, exasperated and low– clearly unamused at how her day unfolded; though despite the hassle it brought, she would be lying if she wasn’t even a bit curious about Rook’s potion.
Perhaps she would ask the hunter about it soon. Maybe not in the next 36 hours… but soon.
She woke up to the soft rays of sun filtering in through the coach’s curtains. She must’ve been completely worn out from the night before that she hadn’t noticed that she had fallen asleep. Out of the three officers that were with her, only Luka was wide awake.
“Good morning.” Luka softly greeted her with a faint smile.
“Good morning, Sir.” she greeted through a rough morning voice, “Where are we?”
“Central Quarter. We’ll have to meet with Ray and Sirius at the town square before heading back to headquarters. And please, there’s no need for formalities. Just call me Luka.”
She gently slid her hand free from under Seth’s. She searched her bag for a tie and pulled her hair up to a messy ponytail. Although she tried not to mind, she could feel the Jack’s gaze on her, studying her.
Moments later, the carriage pulled up to the town square. Lines of soldiers from the Black Army stood in attention before two men, Ray and Sirius-- the first two whom Amaya has interacted with at the Garden.
“Glad you’re back in one piece.” Sirius greeted, crossing his arms by his chest. “And you brought the little lady with you.”
“Still better than her falling from the sky again.” Ray greeted her with a grin.
“Falling from the sky was never my intention.”
“Hah! I see you’ve already met our King and Queen, Amaya.” Fenrir interjected, casually wrapping his arm over her shoulders-- one she almost instantly slipped out of.
“Not really. The little lady ran away from us last time.” Sirius shook his head.
“My apologies, sir.” She slightly bowed to the officers, “Amaya Chan. A pleasure to meet you.”
“Sirius Oswald, Queen of Spades.”
"King of Spades, Ray Blackwell.”
Before their little bantering could go any further, thundering sounds of hooves grew louder and louder. The Red Army was approaching.
Four men led the perfectly synchronized battalion that clad in red and white-- Jonah, with an expression as icy as ever; Edgar, with a smile unbefitting of the situation at hand; Zero, who was sizing up with his gaze; and Kyle, who seemed completely uninterested in the entire affair.
“What the heck is this about?” Ray questioned his officers.
“Well, you see, we had a little run-in, so to speak, with the Red Army at the gates to their barracks,” Seth reported.
“Seriously? Do I need to send you all back to school to take Recon 101 again?” Sirius grunted.
“Don’t give me that salty face, Sirius. If you thought nothing was going to happen, then why did you come here with so many men?” Seth argued.
“The Reds have been waiting 500 years for an excuse to strike. Looks like they’ve finally found their reason.” Ray cut them from their bickering.
As the Red Army’s march came to a stop, their Queen and Jack approached on foot.
“My, I’m quite impressed. I wasn’t expecting the Black Army to send its leaders out to welcome us.” Edgar uttered with a grin.
“You took that girl, who was under our charge and had the audacity to attack! Explain yourselves!” Jonah was infuriated.
“You almost had me fooled into thinking you were a victim there for a minute. Twist the truth too much and your face might end up that way too.” Sirius answered back, stepping in between Jonah and Amaya.
“Say that once more, and you’ll rue the day you were born!”
Indignant cries of anger rippled through the Red Army until a loud voice called from behind their formation, instantly ceasing the furious wails.
“SILENCE!”
The Red Troops fell silent and their formation parted down in the middle, making way for a single man to pass. He donned a red and white more elegant than the other officers. Blonde hair and striking cold blue eyes, his presence was powerful, to say the least.
This must be the King of Hearts.
“Men, there is no need to draw your weapons.” His eyes turned crimson red, and a soft red glow emanated from his hand as he waved it. Weapons held by the Black Troops floated up into the air, then dissolved before their very eyes.
“Call this off, Lance!”
"Don’t speak as if we’re friends, Queen of Spades.” he coldly spoke, shooting Sirius a gaze just as icy.
“I have a message for the Black Army-- from this day forth, you have been absorbed into the Red Army,” Lance announced nonchalantly.
“And I have a message for the Red Army-- quit spouting nonsense.” Ray sternly answered back.
“In that case, I’ll just have to dissolve every last one of you.”
Lance’s eyes once again flashed crimson, chanting something from under his breath. His hand started to glow a strong bright red as he began to wave it. On impulse, Amaya lunged past Sirius and cried at the top of her lungs.
“Stop!”
And just like before, a bright light exuded from her extended hand. Heat flowed through her as the brighter white clashed with red, completely suppressing the King’s magic. The lights faded and the whole area went silent.
This time, an overwhelming feeling of exhaustion hit her. Chills ran through her as she tried to steady herself on her feet, fighting the urge to relax and go limp.
“So Jonah’s report was true. Alice the Second has appeared.”
What? Was this a test?
A moment later, a carriage violently pulled up before them. Blanc exited the carriage and walked towards the open space between the two armies, calling out to the two kings.
“That'll do, gentlemen.”
He continued in an uncharacteristically severe voice for everyone to hear.
“The Central Quarter is a neutral zone. Any and all forms of combat are strictly prohibited here. The entire country of Cradle will be put at risk if you destroy its economic and political center.”
Blanc’s honey-golden eyes soon met with Amaya’s, full of fear and concern.
This was the kind of war he was talking about.
After a long and intense moment of silence, the King of Hearts furiously spoke up, his voice nearly a harrowing growl, “This will be the only time I’ll humor the requests of the record keeper. Troops, fall back!”
And with that, the Red Army turned around and began to march to the West. Jonah, on the other hand, approached, leaving a final threat as he towered above her on his horse.
“I’ll have you under my control soon enough, Alice. You’ll learn to enjoy serving me.”
As soon as Jonah turned away, the cold caught up to her. Her vision went hazy and her body went limp. The voices that called her faded as she slipped into unconsciousness.
No sooner, a hand wrapped around her wrist and yanked her back. “Run!”
A tall figure in a green silk top hat had crept behind her. He pulled her through the nearby door, and down flights of stairs. They ran, only to emerge to what seemed like an empty town hall of some kind.
“Wait-” She stopped to ask, but alas, his sharp tongue cut her off.
“Shut up and run, idiot. Questions later.” He grunted as he pushed the heavy doors open, leading her out to the moonlit streets. A familiar face waited by a carriage nearby.
“Quickly, Hatter. We need to get her out of here.” The white-haired man motioned her to get inside the carriage. As soon as she got in, he followed. The Hatter jumped up to the driver’s box upfront, taking them away in a rumble.
Long after, the rapid clopping of the horses fell to a steady easy tempo.
“Sir, I believe this is yours.” She finally broke the silence and extended out a hand, revealing the golden pocket watch. “You must’ve dropped it when you ran into me.”
“It is!” His eyes widened at the antique, carefully taking it with two hands. “I owe you my deepest gratitude, miss. This watch means the world to me.”
“My, I completely forgot to introduce myself! Blanc Lapin, my friends call me the White Rabbit.” he smiled and held out a hand- one of which she took to shake.
“Amaya. Amaya Chan.”
After briefly introducing herself, Amaya partially drew some of the curtains of the coach, curiously inspecting the outdoors. Street lights illuminated the empty cobblestone-layered streets with a soft pale blue glow.
“If I may, Blanc. But, where exactly are we? And what is going on?”
“Are you familiar with the book Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland?”
“The children’s novel? Very much. Yes. What about it?”
“Well, you see, you’re in Wonderland, Amaya. The Land of Magic. Cradle, to be exact.”
She stared at him in disbelief, looking for any hint of humour. You must be kidding me. Instead, he just reached up to fix his glasses.
She tried to recall the events and details from earlier. The pocket watch. The hole. Hatter. White Rabbit. Magic. Alice. Although they might've made sense on their own, there are still too many loopholes to be able to conclude that what Blanc’s statement was indeed true.
"No, no, no. This must be some kind of themed park in London, right? Because look-- it doesn't make sense. If it were just like in the book-" Blanc pressed a finger on her lips, instantly shutting the lady up.
"Amaya, truth, and history both have curious ways of being distorted in the telling. Of course, here, there aren't any talking animals, ghastly beasts, or armies of cards." he chuckled at the mere idea.
“Still, it's impossible.”
Blanc drew the curtains on the other side of the coach, giving her a full view of a fountain with a giant sapphire crystal floating above it, glistening in the moonlight.
“As impossible as it may seem, this world exists parallel to yours. But unlike yours, our way of life isn’t governed by the laws of nature and science-- rather, by the laws of magic, usually powered by Magic Crystals.”
Much to her dismay, the idea of Jonah’s cuffs popped in her mind. She rubbed her wrists as she recalled the numbing feeling brought by being bound. And that light, that warm light that came out of her hand, it felt all too real to be called fake.
“So the cuffs from earlier, the ones from that guy, Jonah. I assume they were powered by some magic?”
“Indeed. They were lined with crystals, meant to be unbreakable, that is until you came along.”
She shook her head, “I’m not following.”
“Nobody in this land can nullify magic that has been cast. Only people from your world, the Land of Reason, can.” He began to chuckle lightly. “Some time ago, a young girl with the same power as you lost her way here.”
“Alice.”
“Indeed. Little Alice was quite the mischief-maker, running around the streets of Cradle, breaking magic spells left and right.” He smiled from ear to ear, reminiscing the past in amusement.
“Cradle-” She asks inquisitively. “You mentioned that we’re in Cradle.”
“Yes.” Blanc pulled out a map from his bag, opening it before her.
“Cradle is a military state ruled by two armies, the Red and the Black. The West is ruled by the Red, while the East is ruled by the Black. We’re currently here, the Central Quarter, an area sandwiched between the Red and Black territory. This area also functions as the country’s political and economic hub.”
“The place where you were caught is called the Garden. That is where Cradle’s most powerful figures gather for debates and trials.” he continued as he pointed to the center of the map. “Only the Chosen Thirteen of both armies, and myself-- the official record keeper-- are allowed to enter.”
“Well, that explains a lot.” She threw her head back, realizing that she had just trespassed into one of the most highly secured areas of this land.
“Edgar Bright-- he addressed himself as the Jack of Hearts. What does that mean?”
“Ah yes, the Chosen Thirteen are ranked from King, Queen, all the way down to the Ace. Edgar, being the Jack of Hearts, is third in command in the Red Army.”
“I see. Much like a deck of cards.”
“Right again. Although the Ace is technically the lowest in rank, they’re often in charge of unusual assignments, placing them in a league of their own.”
The carriage fell quiet as she sat back to process the information at hand. She took a glance at the white rabbit, only to see his uneasiness unfolding before her.
“Blanc. Is everything alright?”
He let out an exasperated sigh and began to explain, “As you may have noticed, Amaya, I was running late for tonight’s council meeting since I had some business to attend to in your world. It was during my brief absence that the two armies decided to declare war.”
Once again, the tension rose and the coach fell silent.
Wow. So, to my worst of luck, I fell right in the meeting of two armies that have just declared war.
“Oh. I'm sorry to hear that, Blanc... But, how do I get home then?” She carefully says through her stoic expression.
“There’s a hole in the Garden that connects the two worlds. All you have to do is to bring something from the Land of Reason with you and jump into that hole.” His voice softened, almost pitiful, as he looked at the moon.
“But?” She interjected, cutting him from his gaze.
“It only opens for just a few hours at the night of the full moon...”
"I see-" She closed her eyes, and with a deep sigh, she resigned herself to the idea of being stuck in another world for a month.
A few moments later, the carriage came to an abrupt stop and loud poundings on the carriage door rambled them.
“Open the door, Blanc. We’re looking for the girl.”
“Looks like the Red Army is here to give us an official greeting.” Blanc frowned
“Get out of the carriage, Blanc. I’m not in the mood to pull you guys out myself.”
Blanc took her hand in his and led her out of the carriage with him.
True enough, two men clad in different red and white uniforms stood before them, and another two marched their way behind her, immediately locking her hands against her back.
"Let me go!" She squirmed. In an attempt to break free, she managed to kick one straight in the knee. He grunted in pain, but their grip never faltered. Alas, it only got tighter.
“Sorry, Blanc. Beauty and the Beast sent us to get her.” the red-haired soldier before them spoke.
“Kyle, Zero, isn’t it unbecoming for two gentlemen such as yourselves to intimidate and frighten a young woman like this?” Blanc, being the gentleman that he is, beamed at them a smile.
“Then allow me to apologize if we’ve frightened you, Alice.” The black-haired soldier spoke. He waved his hand to the other soldiers to signal her release.
“I am the Ace of Hearts, Zero. Our Queen, Jonah, wishes to meet you.”
"Seven of Hearts, Kyle.”
“Look,” Zero looked at her straight in the eyes, “We’re here on official orders. Jonah absolutely needs to speak with you. He’s promised not to be as rough as he was back at the Garden.”
She turned to Blanc in hesitation.
“If you don’t have any reservations, it might be best if you go along with them, Amaya.” he rested a hand on his chest, “As Official Record Keeper of Cradle, I mustn't get in the middle of political affairs. Though, personally, I trust Kyle and Zero. But still, the decision is yours.”
“Promise to let me go after speaking with your Queen,” She demanded from the two officers.
“I promise.” Zero nodded.
It wasn't like she was in a spot with the luxury to refuse anyway. In a land she knew little to nothing of, agreeing to them would be the most logical and practical thing to do.
"Fine. I'll go." She nodded "Wait. Let me get my stuff."
She turned around and retrieved her bag from the carriage. But as she approached, she noticed the two soldiers sizing her up from behind. She can take them down if she had wanted to, but logic overtook the situation at hand.
She turned around and glared at them as they towered before her, "Touch me again and you'll get more than an injured knee, boy."
Their eyes widened at the little lady’s threat as they parted, and she-- she made her way to mount Zero's horse.
“Hold on tight now, Amaya.”
With that note, they rode fast through town, crossed a large bridge, and galloped through villages and villas that looked like Red territory. Soon, they arrived at an enormous white, red, and gold manor.
“We’re here.” Zero pulled on the reins to halt, dismounting himself and Amaya from the gentle animal “Welcome to the Red Army Headquarters, Amaya.”
“Wait here while I go get Jonah.” Zero left with not a single word more.
“Yeah. You go do that. I’m going to grab a nightcap.” Kyle yawned and stretched from behind.
“Hey you, keep an eye on her.” He ordered the soldier nearby before helping the limping soldier to the infirmary.
Minutes stretched to what seemed like hours. She reached for her phone in her bag, 3:23 am. No signal. The soldier still stood behind her in attention.
“This saucy Queen surely doesn’t give a damn about the time,” Amaya mumbled to herself as she kept the phone again. Tired, cold, and hungry, irritation was slowly creeping up on her.
“Was that a complaint against Queen Jonah?!” the gate guard shouted, furious.
“Oh please, I mustn’t have been the first one.” She rolled her eyes and replied sarcastically, “besides, that wasn’t even close to a decent complaint. Do you want to hear a better one?”
“Shut up you impudent fool! How dare you insult our Queen of Hearts!” The guard loomed over her from behind, cracking his knuckles in the process.
Finally, some fun.
Just as he raised a hand to hit her, 2 voices called out from the gates.
“Hey, you! Why don’t you pick on someone your own size!”
“Get away from her!”
Two soldiers clad in black and navy blue came running, knocking the gate guard out and away from her. Unfortunately, a then roaming guard caught the action, turned around, and frantically sprinted back to the barracks.
“The Black Army has come to attack! Sound the alarm! Form Ranks!” moments later, bells started to ring from all around, and red army soldiers slowly began emerging from around the barracks.
“So much for sneaking in, Seth.” the purple-haired soldier gave out a resigned sigh, tugging on the scarf around his neck.
“Well, at least we saved sweet Alice here from that smelly old guard now. Didn’t we, Luka?”
“Guys, I think it's time to run.” She tugged on their sleeves, watching the red army soldiers approach them with complete spunk.
With the two officers by her sides, they raced towards the gates. As she scanned the area ahead for incoming guards, an odd glimmer caught her eyes. Atop the gated entrance was a man loading a rifle, grinning from ear to ear.
What in the world?
BANG BANG. BANG BANG.
The red soldiers dispersed as a shower of bullets came raining down on them, and a thick cloud of white smoke provided cover.
“Fenrir!” Seth and Luka called out.
“Did you think I’d let you two have all the fun?” Fenrir jumped off from the top of the gates as soon as they passed. “Get out of here!”
Amaya and the two soldiers continued to run farther from the gates. The air behind them was filled with the thunderous sounds of fighting, gunfire, and Fenrir’s insane laughter. Soon, the voices of the red army soldiers faded as they turned to a corner.
“Fenrir, that’s enough!” Luka shouted from where they stood to catch their breaths.
Fenrir caught up, holstered his pistols, and appeared completely unfazed. She looked behind him to inspect the chaos, every last Red soldier was down on the ground.
“Did you kill them?” she managed to ask through heavy breaths. Endurance really wasn't her best suit.
“Literally? Nah. I would never.” Fenrir chuckled, patting his holstered pistols. “The bullets were made from Magic Crystals. So one hit from these, and off to dreamland they go.”
“Right, right. Crystals.” She shook her head, quickly reminding herself of the magical situation she was currently caught up in.
Not long after, the faint pounding of boots can be heard from behind. Another wave of Red soldiers was coming straight towards them.
“You just had to go and showboat your way through the Red Army, didn’t you?” Seth blatantly scolded Fenrir.
“Oh, c'mon! Ya ought to be thanking me for saving your butts back there.” Fenrir snapped back.
God. They’re just like kids.
“Shut up and run-- now,” Luka demanded.
He led them running through back alleys and side streets within the Red Territory. The trio’s bickering continued even until they scrambled into the carriage.
The adrenaline rush from this evening’s events immediately faded as she slumped down into the seat. She was feeling lightheaded and was unusually exhausted beyond belief. This was more draining than any other assignment before.
She quietly studied them. Albeit clad in differently designed uniforms, they all had a similar navy blue and silver band on each of them, embroidered with a certain crest. “Excuse me, are you Black Army officers?”
“Oh my, aren’t you sharp!” Seth clapped his hands in exclamation.
“I’m Seth Hyde, 10 of Spades!”
“Luka Clemence. Jack.”
“Fenrir Godspeed, Ace of Spades. It's nice to meet you, Alice.”
“Amaya-- it’s Amaya, not Alice. Sorry.” She said, not wanting to be called another name. “Uh, thank you for that.”
“Don't you worry about that, sweetie. It's all in a day’s work.” Seth gently placed his hand on hers as they took off into the night. Over time, the sky started to burn a bright crimson in the far east.
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