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@pollychatter-moved
☙ POLLYCHATTER, a private rp blog for Ilam Ismail (oc) of Twisted Wonderland.
As interpreted by Rose.
❝ 𝙋𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙩 𝙧𝙪𝙡𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙖 𝙘𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙧? 𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙚! 𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙚'𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙘𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙧! 𝙎𝙝𝙤𝙫𝙚 '𝙚𝙢 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙖𝙩! 𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙚, 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙩𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙘𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙧𝙨! ❞
Thread status tracker. (Last updated: October 23rd, 2022)
tags.
❈ ʟᴏᴏᴋ ᴀᴛ ᴛʜɪꜱ. ɪ'ᴍ ꜱᴏ ᴛɪᴄᴋᴇᴅ ᴏꜰꜰ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪ'ᴍ ᴍᴏʟᴛɪɴɢ. // ɪɴ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀ
❈ ᴡᴇ'ʀᴇ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ɢᴏɴɴᴀ ɢᴇᴛ ᴀʜᴏʟᴅ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ꜱᴛᴜᴘɪᴅ ʟᴀᴍᴘ! // ᴍᴜꜱɪɴɢꜱ
❈ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴜᴍᴘ ʜᴜꜱʙᴀɴᴅ? // ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀ ᴀɴᴀʟʏꜱɪꜱ
❈ ᴛʜᴀᴛ'ꜱ ꜱᴜʟᴛᴀɴ ᴠɪʟᴇ ʙᴇᴛʀᴀʏᴇʀ ᴛᴏ ʏᴏᴜ! // ᴘʟᴏᴛᴛɪɴɢ ᴄᴀʟʟ
❈ ᴛʜᴀᴛ'ꜱ ꜱᴜʟᴛᴀɴ ᴠɪʟᴇ ʙᴇᴛʀᴀʏᴇʀ ᴛᴏ ʏᴏᴜ! // ᴏᴘᴇɴ ꜱᴛᴀʀᴛᴇʀ
❈ ɪ ᴛʜɪɴᴋ ɪ'ᴍ ɢᴏɴɴᴀ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴀ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ ᴀᴛᴛᴀᴄᴋ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅɪᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ꜱᴜᴘʀɪꜱᴇ! // ᴀꜱᴋ ᴍᴇᴍᴇꜱ
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student tags.
❈ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴀɢɪᴄʟᴇꜱꜱ ᴍᴀʀᴠᴇʟ! ...ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴘᴇᴛ. [ʏᴜᴜ + ɢʀɪᴍ]
❈ ᴛʜᴇ ʟɪᴏɴ? ꜱʟᴇᴇᴘɪɴɢ ᴘᴇᴀᴄᴇꜰᴜʟʟʏ ᴛᴏɴɪɢʜᴛ? ɴᴏᴛ ᴏɴ ᴍʏ ᴡᴀᴛᴄʜ. [ᴢᴀᴄᴀʀᴀʏᴀ]
❈ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪꜱ ᴀ ᴍᴀꜱᴛᴇʀᴄʟᴀꜱꜱ ɪɴ ʜᴏᴡ ᴛᴏ ᴜᴘꜱᴇʟʟ. [ᴀᴢᴜʟ]
❈ ᴏ' ᴍɪɢʜᴛʏ ᴇᴠɪʟ ᴏɴᴇ! [ᴊᴀᴍɪʟ]
❈ ᴄᴏʟʟᴇᴄᴛɪɴɢ ꜱᴛᴜᴘɪᴅ ʙᴏʏꜱ? ɪ ꜰɪᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ʙɪʟʟ! [ʟᴜᴄɪᴀɴᴏ]
❈ ʜᴀɪʀ ʀᴀɪꜱɪɴɢ ʜɪɢʜ ꜱᴘᴇᴇᴅ ʜᴀʟʟᴏᴡᴇᴇɴ ᴛʜʀɪʟʟ ꜱᴇᴇᴋᴇʀ! [ᴀᴛᴛɪᴄᴜꜱ]
❈ ᴛʜᴇʏ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴀ ᴛɪɴ ᴍᴀɴ ʜᴇʀᴇ? ɪꜱ ʜᴇ ᴍɪꜱꜱɪɴɢ ᴀ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ ᴛᴏᴏ? [ᴏʀᴛʜᴏ]
❈ Qᴜɪᴛ ʙᴜɢɢɪɴ' ᴍᴇ ʙᴇꜰᴏʀᴇ ɪ ʙᴜɢ ʏᴏᴜ. [ʀᴏᴠᴇ]
❈ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛ ɪ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ꜱᴇᴇ ᴛʜɪꜱ -- ᴀ ɢᴜʏ ᴀꜱ ʟᴏᴜᴅ ᴀꜱ ᴍᴇ! [ꜱᴇʙᴇᴋ]
❈ ᴡʜᴀᴛ'ꜱ ɪɴ ᴍʏ ꜰᴜᴛᴜʀᴇ? ɪᴛ ʙᴇᴛᴛᴇʀ ʙᴇ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ɢᴏᴏᴅ! [ᴇᴍʙᴇʀ]
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staff tags.
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assets.
-> now that the nru purge has taken place this AND my affiliated blogs will be used independently!
UPDATE im moving this blog !!!
-> now that the nru purge has taken place this AND my affiliated blogs will be used independently!
[When Ilam opens the letter, a small flash drive falls out landing on his desk with a clatter looped round the drive a small handmade parrot plush keychain sits. If he puts it on a pc he will see a mix of music. Rock, Grunge, some mix of electro and rock hybrid music, most of it should be quite appealing.]
Ilam
Find some music examples that you may like based on what you said in your letter. While not fully classic, maybe it will fit some of your tastes.
You guess you like playing video games? Please tell me you don't mean farmville or candy crush and call it gaming? Give more examples and I will see what games we might actually have in common.
Horror movies at least you talking with some taste. Got any favourites or looking forward to any coming out. I feel like that M3GAN movie might have some promise...something about creepy dolls always gets me.
Steak is alright though it depends on how it's cooked. I find it so easy to mess up. It is always a gamble to order when out....while I do enjoy a good chance of risk, that is one that i don't tend to like doing. Though I do find gammon is often less of a gamble and you can get some great gammon meals it's kind of hard to mess up...
Foodie question: Pineapple on pizza yes or no?
Also after your meaty dinner what do you pick for dessert?
I can't go into too much detail of myself based on the task at hand. Anonymity and all that, after all if I make it too easy then you will guess who I am and what fun is that?
I guess I could give you some hints.
I have technically been here the longest and I have eyes everywhere.
-
Thanks, Penpal!
A gift is real sweet of you... you might not be such a bad guy after all! What a charmer. ♡
Listening to the playlist as I write... if any of these are on your top 10, you've got taste.
I like horror games, but stuff with an almost campy feel. Something about straight up horror never hits good enough for me. In terms of favorites... think more along the lines of Five Nights at Freddy's. I also like platformers and sandbox games!
My favorite horror movie is Vivarium. Or, I guess, it's not really a horror movie, more of something that you think about late at night that gives you the creeps when you think about it too hard. 10/10.
Pineapple on pizza is great and if you say anything else you're a coward. Open your heart to that flavor sensation.
And yeaaaah, I sometimes eat dessert after a meal. Not often, though.
Are you a Shroud? I've heard rumors of the Ignihyde dorm leader setting up cameras all around the school... you owe me lunch if I'm right!
Hey, just curious: What is on your holiday wishlist? Like, what type of gifts would you be into?
Hoping to hear from you soon.
Ilam.
you're a mean one, mr. grinch !
@threadedwheels squacked :
❝ i don’t want to be a grinch, but untangling lights isn’t exactly my favorite pastime. ❞
Ember bemoaned as he sat on the floor of Ramshackle’s common room and worked at the tangled lights. The dorm was undecorated for the holidays and he got dragged into decoration before he realized what was going on.
“In fact, I think it may be the worst part of the holidays”
“ Really? No kidding! ” Ilam laughs, leaning his shoulder comfortably on the couch's armrest, cup of hot chocolate in hand. “ I'm havin' a great time. ”
He takes a long, drawn out sip, further cementing his role as the local jackass when he took all the time in the world to wipe the chocolate mustache from his mouth. As fun as the holidays were, Halloween was his time to go all out. Though, if someone wanted ( or was forced to, in Ember's case ) to decorate the dorm from head to toe he wasn't gonna be the one to stop them!
“ It's all such hard work, isn't it? ” Fake sympathy practically oozes from his words... he wants something. “ If ya' need help, just ask. I'm not doing anything too important. ”
Ember shoots a glare at Ilam. Hard work his ass- he didn’t see the man lift a single finger other than to grab a cup of hot cocoa. With how little effort he was putting in though, that might as well have been running a mile.
“Well, you wouldn’t have any idea if it was hard work,” He hisses under his breath, not worrying if the rooms only other occupant heard, “You have been sitting takes slurping your hot cocoa this whole time.” He took a deep breath and dropped the lights, realizing he’s getting overly frustrated and closer to fully snapping at Ilam.
Then, the man has the gall to soak his words in a fake honeyed sympathy. The worst kind of the horrendous emotion.
He doesn’t need to owe any debts, not ever again. Debts get you to have to work with people who want nothing more than to use you.
“What could you possibly want in return, Ismail.”
He is seconds away from throwing the nearest bundle at Ilam. And he knows that he won’t throw it lightly.
I regret to inform you, Ember, that a debt is exactly what Ilam is looking for.
“ What do you take me for? I'm just lookin' out for the bros. ” He sets his cup down, resting his chin in his hand. The smile that rests on his face is horribly charming. I hate him. “ No need to ruffle your own feathers over it. ”
He choses his words carefully, to ensure that he doesn't specify asking for a favor, but in a way where Ember couldn't say he wanted nothing from it.
Standing up, Ilam snatches the bundle from Ember ( effectively riding him of the potential murder weapon ) , and holds it above Ember's head.
“ Consider it a favor. ” Ilam sits opposite to Ember, nodding his nead to gesture over to the couch. “ In fact, why don't you go ahead and make yourself comfy? If I'm doing the lights, you might as well get off this dusty floor. ”
So we have to write these letters huh…
And not give ourselves away too…annoying. I doubt you have anything interesting to talk about either. You seem pretty basic and annoying.
But anyway I guess let's start with some questions I guess:
Favourite colour?
Music?
Movies?
Hobbies? Bar being annoying…
Food?
I guess tell me more about yourself if you want to. I’m trying here but as you can imagine talking isn’t really my thing let alone writing letters how old fashioned I bet my handwriting is really shitty. You better not laugh about it! I bet yours is chicken scratch too.
Eh I guess I’ll wait for your response if you will even write back.
Forced Pen Pal
( The handwriting in this letter is annoying neat. It's almost apparent right from the start that Ilam wrote this with the DUMBEST smirk on his face... )
Penpal,
I seem basic and annoying? Oh, and I'm sure you're just full of personality! You can make a simple letter writing exercise something that fits your pessimistic teen-angsty world narrative! Good for you!
But, whatever. Since we HAVE to do this, I'll go ahead and grace you with my time.
I like rock. Eh, call me an old soul, but I prefer a lot of the older classics.
Horror movies are my jam. And I'm not talking about those crappy gory ones, I mean the GOOD, well thought out thrillers. I'm also a fan of comedy.
What if I said being annoying WAS my hobby? Oh, hum! I guess my kind of fun isn't allowed around here... (I like playing video games, I guess.)
And I LOVE me a good steak. Or just, anything with some sort of meat in it.
Look, why don't you just tell me some things you like? If we got something in common, it might make the whole thing NOT be a pain in the ass to do.
-- Ilam Ismail
you're a mean one, mr. grinch !
@threadedwheels squacked :
❝ i don’t want to be a grinch, but untangling lights isn’t exactly my favorite pastime. ❞
Ember bemoaned as he sat on the floor of Ramshackle’s common room and worked at the tangled lights. The dorm was undecorated for the holidays and he got dragged into decoration before he realized what was going on.
“In fact, I think it may be the worst part of the holidays”
“ Really? No kidding! ” Ilam laughs, leaning his shoulder comfortably on the couch's armrest, cup of hot chocolate in hand. “ I'm havin' a great time. ”
He takes a long, drawn out sip, further cementing his role as the local jackass when he took all the time in the world to wipe the chocolate mustache from his mouth. As fun as the holidays were, Halloween was his time to go all out. Though, if someone wanted ( or was forced to, in Ember's case ) to decorate the dorm from head to toe he wasn't gonna be the one to stop them!
“ It's all such hard work, isn't it? ” Fake sympathy practically oozes from his words... he wants something. “ If ya' need help, just ask. I'm not doing anything too important. ”
IT’S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR! a collection of sentence starters and prompts to inspire holiday/wintery interactions. trigger warnings for mentions of food and drink.
❝ are you really playing christmas music already? it’s barely november! ❞
❝ come on, get in the spirit! dance with me. ❞
❝ if we’re having turkey for thanksgiving dinner, i’m not eating. the bird always looks at me funny and i’m not eating stuffing that’s been stuffed up a butt. ❞
❝ are you going to come sledding with us? it’ll be fun! ❞
❝ we can put up the christmas lights tonight! ❞
❝ i don’t want to be a grinch, but untangling lights isn’t exactly my favorite pastime. ❞
❝ let’s wear matching ugly christmas sweaters to the party! ❞
❝ do you think this eggnog is spiked? ❞
❝ don’t tell anyone, but, i spiked the eggnog. ❞
❝ you’re who i want to kiss at midnight on new year’s eve. ❞
❝ pucker up! you got caught under the mistletoe. ❞
❝ i didn’t know what to get you. i hope you like it. ❞
❝ you got me [insert gift here]? i love it. ❞
❝ please tell me that’s not a puppy yipping from the box… ❞
❝ isn’t it a little cliche to get engaged on christmas? ❞
❝ we always watch grandma got run over by a reindeer. it’s tradition! ❞
❝ i was sucking on this candy cane and accidentally made a weapon… ❞
❝ did you remember to get carrots to leave out for the reindeer? ❞
❝ i loved christmas as a kid, but i haven’t felt the magic in a long time… ❞
❝ do you want to bake cookies with me? ❞
SEND A WORD FOR A PROMPT. add + REVERSE to switch up who does what.
[ SKATES ] for sender and receiver to go ice skating.
[ COCOA ] for sender and receiver to get hot chocolate at a winter festival.
[ FESTIVAL ] for sender and receiver to go to a winter carnival.
[ ICE ] for receiver to slip on some ice while walking with sender.
[ FROSTY ] for sender and receiver to build a snowman.
[ ANGEL ] for sender and receiver to make snow angels.
[ MISTLETOE ] for sender and receiver to find themselves under the mistletoe.
[ TREE ] for sender and receiver to decorate the christmas tree.
[ PRESENTS ] for receiver to open a present from sender. (bonus points for saying what the present is.)
[ GRINCH ] for receiver’s reaction to sender not being in the holiday spirit.
[ KITCHEN ] for sender and receiver to make a mess in the kitchen while cooking the holiday feast.
[ MIDNIGHT ] for sender to kiss receiver at midnight on new year’s eve.
[ TIMES SQUARE ] for sender and receiver to watch the ball drop.
somehow, university back at home was suddenly a lot more appealing than whatever this current living situation was. then again, the only differences between the two was that one of them was magic-based. and honestly? that made this a lot more worse. because yuu swore that they were losing their sanity every passing hour.
every meal time, the number of dishes in the sink only grow. that’s it. they don’t decrease. they just grow. unless they run out of plates to use ; that is the only time they actually get washed that yuu has personally seen.
yuu had thought that simply washing their (and grim’s) own dishes would be enough to satiate their annoyance. clearly it wasn’t the case. and now they were so bothered by the growing pile of dishes that they were now just washing all of them. grim had come to watch by sitting on the countertop nearby, mainly because he always freaks out whenever the water touches him. he was no actual help. but at least he was someone to rant at.
“ remember when it was just us in here, grim? fun times. i’d like those times back now. at least then, i’d know that the dishes are actually being cleaned. “ normally, grim responded to their ranting. but because of how much water was in the sink to even begin washing the plates effectively, he was keeping a very close eye on it … making sure it doesn’t go anywhere near him.
pollychatter·:
IN ALL HONESTY, Ilam didn’t think of his new living situation as that bad. Sure, there were all kinds of spiders and creepy crawlies, the house seemed to move when the wind blew too hard, and the roof leaked when there was any sort of rain, but those were just quirks!
Oh, who was he kidding? This sucked.
Every day he text his parents paragraph upon paragraph about what horrible conditions the headmage has them in, only for them to reply with it’ll be a good life experience. Life experience his tail feather! But, even through all this, he swore to persevere. After all, being in such close proximity to the other dorms didn’t have to be a bad thing.
His primary goal was to “befriend” his royal dorm leader, but it wouldn’t hurt to get on good terms with that Ramshackle prefect… getting friendly with someone so close to the headmage would surely prove just as useful at some point.
“ What in Wonderland…? ” Ilam tsks, looking over he pile of pile of dishes. While he usually had the courtesy to wash his own dish, a couple of those plates were bound to be from his midnight snacking. Leaning over the counter, Ilam is sure to furrow his eyebrows in concern, speaking in his most friendly tone. “ You need some help? I’ve been so busy writing my paper, but I just can’t sit here and watch you struggle. ”
hoping for use from the headmage? yeah, good luck with that, buddy. look at the situation they’re all in ; seems very generous, huh? better than being left outside, they supposed ... but yuu would have thought these guys would’ve come with the decency to at least wash their dishes right after using them. honestly, who just leaves dishes in the sink and forgets about them?
a lot of people, apparently.
“ well, at least someone’s doing something. “ okay, they can’t fault people who need to catch up on their own work. however, yuu was falling behind on their own now, and grim? well, could anyone even read his attempts at writing? if they could, then he wouldn’t be sitting on the counter right now. “yeah, and so are we!” we, grim says. all he’s doing is sitting, but that was because yuu didn’t want to just be standing all on their own. “we’re not supposed to be cleaning up after other people! if anything, they should be cleaning up after-!” grim was quickly put to silence with a wet hand to his mouth, making him yelp and retreat to the far side of the counter.
hah. chatterbox.
“ not with washing, no. but since mr. chatterbox over there didn’t want to get soaked, there’s still a pile that needs to be dried. “ yes, they could just leave them to dry naturally ... but that also means someone would be bound to just pick them up and use them. yuu would like to keep these dishes clean for longer than five minutes. “ if you’ve still got work to finish though, i’d rather you do that. don’t want to get in trouble cause i made someone help me with dishes in my own house. “ and that was saying it lightly.
When the tiny furball speaks up, Ilam hold his hands up defensively and counters, “ Hey! I wash my stuff, so don't go yelling at me! ”
Thankfully Yuu is quick to shut Grim up... if Ilam was to get on Yuu's good side, and survive living in this dorm, he would have to make quick friends of the fire-breathing cat... it would be horrible to annoy him in such a way that he feels uncomfortable coming in here any time his friend was in here to do the dishes.
“ No, no! Please, I insist. ” He grabs a towel, drying and putting away dishes. While dishes wasn't his favorite chorez he could suck it up for a moment. The fact that they mentioned "getting in trouble for having someone help" made Ilam feel a little bad for them. Just a little. Of course, he came from a dorm that ran smoothly because of it's numbers and leadership, so he never had any issues with chores not being done, so it was suprising that none of his dormmates had helped out already... which formed a wonderful idea in Ilam's head.
“ What kind of person would I be if I left you here? ” Ilam tsks, hurridly putting away plates to show just how much of a sweet and caring person he was. “ It's crazy how these shmucks work. You gotta stick up for yourself! If it were me, I would never let 'em walk all over me. But, yanno, that's just me personally. ”
Continued from Here
Zacaraya Samble was usually pretty smug to the point it annoyed pretty much everyone, he was aware. However, seeing that smirk suddenly and unexpectedly spread across Ilam’s lips… He got a small dose of just how people perceived him. Ilam was close. Closer than most people dared to get under normal circumstances.
The lion chuckled (a low, hoarse sound), idly brushing some sandy-blond hair from his face to maintain that competitive eye-contact the two had established up until this point. “A star student?” He gasped in surprise, pressing a hand to his chest to feign shock. “Wow, I didn’t know I was in the presence of such atrophy. Tell me, do you often sit amongst your other spoils to convince yourself people actually care? There are a million other star students in the world.”
A brief smirk later (oh-so-carefully crafted to make his comment seem innocent), and the beastman finally broke eye-contact to begin rummaging inside his rucksack for a fresh change of clothes before standing. “You going to give me some privacy to get changed?” He said gesturing towards the living room to hint for Ilam to go there. “Or are you just going to remain sitting here gawking?” He stripped his damp shirt to announce he’d be getting changed either way, and threw it away (into the clothes hamper this time).
Of course, Zacaraya was presuming he would be getting the bed. It’s what a good host would offer, right? Besides, a lion will get irritable if he has an uncomfortable sleep.
“Oh, and be a dear and make me some iced coffee, will you?”
OH, HE’S ANNOYING. Ilam sits up to walk out the room, playfully sneaking obvious peaks at Zac’s bare chest— all as an elaborate ruse to ensure the guy didn’t pick up on the ‘I would love to kick you out’ energy practically radiating off his body. Humming to himself in thought, Ilam takes a long pause, back turned, in his doorway.
“ Where are my manners? Tsk, a host who doesn’t offer t’ guest a drink… I’ll be right back. ” He keeps the door open behind him, exposing the rest of his flat to Zac. Keeping it casual, domestic, almost, was his move, and he was sticking with it. That lion can feel im charge all he wants. In Ilam’s mind, it was his space, his rules. Anyone who dared to defy him would be swiftly dealt with snappy remarks and veiled reminders of how much trouble he could get into for being such a nuisance.
In his shared, already tiny, kitchen, Ilam pulls out a coldbrew he already had stowed away. As efficient as plain black coffee was, the taste couldn’t compare to seasonal flavors he loved to include in his on-the-go drinks.
It was nice to treat himself once in a while, you know?
Barging back in the room a few minutes later, Ilam holds out a cup, not caring what Zac may have been in the middle of moments before. After all, when you rule a space, you come and go as you please! Taking a sip of his drink, he asks, “ So, showers and kitchen are pretty much fair game, for however long you gotta be here. Just don’t use up all the food too quickly. Oh— and, uh, I assume you’re taking the couch to crash on? ”
Now dressed in his comfy black shirt and sweatpants, his hair towel-dried and thrown back into a high ponytail, the Savanaclaw had opened a window and was looking out towards the evening sky, leaning forward against the ledge. A moment of peace betwixt the battleground which was Ilam’s room.
When Ilam made his presence clear, Zacaraya’s eyes fell onto the drink, and he reached out with a small delighted smile to take it. A genuine ‘thank you’ looming on his lips (he loved iced coffee), though he didn’t get a chance to say it. His fingers lingered on the drink, pausing, when Ilam brought up the mention of the couch, and his gaze suddenly peered up to initiate that eye-contact yet again.
A charming, almost melt-worthy chuckle was his reply. “Oh?” The beastman finally took the drink from Ilam’s hands and sauntered over towards the bed, fingers brushing against the fresh, vibrant bedsheets whilst sitting himself down atop it, directly facing his new roommate. “I was under the impression I would be sleeping here tonight. After all, I’ve been through so much, and a nice warm bed would be exactly what a lion needs to recover from being almost drowned.”
Zacaraya leant back, propping himself up with the backs of his elbows, then moved to idly trace a finger against a pattern on the sheets. “You know we’re more susceptible to catching a cold after getting wet? If we do not take the appropriate precautions and heat up, that is, and your dorm is so chilly compared to Savanaclaw. You want me to get sick, Ila? Wouldn’t that just be more hassle on your part?” The sarcasm was literally oozing out of him at this point, but the fact that he had propped his jacket up to dry next to the open window whereas everything else went into the hamper, meant he definitely valued his warmth.
HE WAS GOOD AT THIS. Really good, almost disgustingly so. Ilam had gained his skills in charm and wit through years and years of flirting with the people in his home town, conversing with the adults like the good, responsible young man he was... what in Wonderland did Zacaraya do to be so suave? Sauntering over to the beastman, he raises a foot onto the edge if the bed, propping his elbow on his knee and his cheek in his hand. Playing it cute, innocent. Don't back down now, Ilam! Keep it together!
“ Did you? I really hate to tell ya' this, I really do, but I can't just hand this bed over to you. ” He sighs, as if he truly felt bad about not relinquishing his right to sleep comfortably over to his forced dormmate. “ If I would've been given more time, I could've arranged something! But, alas, Night Raven University really likes to spring things up from outta nowhere. ”
And with a quick flick over to the area that would lead to his dormmate's room, he quickly rules out the possibility of him sleeping there— it wouldn't be good in him to just offer up a room that was home to someone who wasn't there to disagree!
“ But, if the temperature is really so much of an issue, I can compromise. ” He continues, twirling a lock of his hair around his index finger. There was no reason to try deny access to his room, as Zacaraya could easily threaten to complain about such inhospitable conditions he was being put through.
It was best to just not beat around the bush, and get him to agree with sleeping on the couch on his own accord. “ I wouldn't mind sharing the bed with you. That is, if you're good with it. I know, there isn't much space, but maybe that would help with the warmth in the room? It tends to get pretty cold at night. ”
somehow, university back at home was suddenly a lot more appealing than whatever this current living situation was. then again, the only differences between the two was that one of them was magic-based. and honestly? that made this a lot more worse. because yuu swore that they were losing their sanity every passing hour.
every meal time, the number of dishes in the sink only grow. that’s it. they don’t decrease. they just grow. unless they run out of plates to use ; that is the only time they actually get washed that yuu has personally seen.
yuu had thought that simply washing their (and grim’s) own dishes would be enough to satiate their annoyance. clearly it wasn’t the case. and now they were so bothered by the growing pile of dishes that they were now just washing all of them. grim had come to watch by sitting on the countertop nearby, mainly because he always freaks out whenever the water touches him. he was no actual help. but at least he was someone to rant at.
“ remember when it was just us in here, grim? fun times. i’d like those times back now. at least then, i’d know that the dishes are actually being cleaned. “ normally, grim responded to their ranting. but because of how much water was in the sink to even begin washing the plates effectively, he was keeping a very close eye on it … making sure it doesn’t go anywhere near him.
IN ALL HONESTY, Ilam didn't think of his new living situation as that bad. Sure, there were all kinds of spiders and creepy crawlies, the house seemed to move when the wind blew too hard, and the roof leaked when there was any sort of rain, but those were just quirks!
Oh, who was he kidding? This sucked.
Every day he text his parents paragraph upon paragraph about what horrible conditions the headmage has them in, only for them to reply with it'll be a good life experience. Life experience his tail feather! But, even through all this, he swore to persevere. After all, being in such close proximity to the other dorms didn't have to be a bad thing.
His primary goal was to "befriend" his royal dorm leader, but it wouldn't hurt to get on good terms with that Ramshackle prefect... getting friendly with someone so close to the headmage would surely prove just as useful at some point.
“ What in Wonderland...? ” Ilam tsks, looking over he pile of pile of dishes. While he usually had the courtesy to wash his own dish, a couple of those plates were bound to be from his midnight snacking. Leaning over the counter, Ilam is sure to furrow his eyebrows in concern, speaking in his most friendly tone. “ You need some help? I've been so busy writing my paper, but I just can't sit here and watch you struggle. ”
like literally "make your opponent think youre an idiot" is the greatest fighting game advice ive ever heard. not even just for fighting games. apply it to everything
Columbo tactics
Hand pausing just about to start the task of scrubbing his teeth. The blue electric toothbrush buzzing in his hand as grey eyes stared at the other in bafflement at what the other hand just said.
Face a mix of horror and embarrassment he questioned briefly his life choices of what got him in this situation…. Clearly his throat he narrowed his brows before simply huffing.
“I don’t care if you knocked your toothbrush into the trash, you’re not using mine.”
IT WAS JUST PLAIN ANNOYING being forced to room with the other dorms, but Ilam would manage. He always did, when life threw something his way. At least the people here were entertaining. Ilam would go crazy if they weren't!
Right on cue, as if the universe knew the Scarabian was having a long day, he bumps into the sink, dripping his toothbrush in the bin. Great. But look! One of those Ignihyde guys was here... he would stop by Sam's later. The opportunity to mess with one of those shut-ins was too good to miss!
“ Aw, be a pal? ” Ilam pouts, teasing. “ I'll even give ya' something in return! ”
From the way the corners turn up in a crooked smile, to his half-lidded eyes, it was clear he was trying to play the charming card. And this move was something the guy had a lot of experience in.
Halloween was a special time for a lot of people in Twisted Wonderland, but what was truly special was those few days after where all of the candy was on sale. Jinx loved a good bargain almost as much as he loved Halloween, so he bought quite a few packs of candy after the prices dropped exponentially.
Given their new living situation, he decides to peak into Ilam’s room on his birthday and throw a whole bag on his bed with a post-it note attached that reads Happy Birthday with a little doodle of a bird wearing a birthday hat.
“Happy birthday, loser.”
Celebrating a birthday in Ramshakle wasn't ideal, but he'd have to make do. A small part of himself wanted to call his parents, and beg them to pick him up and go somewhere else... all his other birthdays had been vacations to some distant, luxury land. This spider-infested room was far from his norm.
Ilam was grateful, of course, for the great gifts his family had sent him, but something about the gold chains and fine clothes made his room look even more dreary than before.
Flopping on his bed, he prepares to be met with the cold embrace of his thin covers when a loud crunch sounds from under him.
“ What in Wonderland..? ” He rolls over, revealing the treats from beneath him. Picking up the ( now crumbled ) sticky note, he feels the corners of his mouth turn up in a grin. “ Aw, look at 'ol Jinxy. Thinking of me! How sweet. ”
Halloween Special: Cemetery Visit
How would you like some real scares, @pollychatter?
Normally, Luciano would be a patient man. But patient he shall be no more. Ilam has been nothing but an annoying tease this whole time and now, he's going to give him an experience of his own. But of course, it wouldn't do if it's in broad daylight! It's not as exciting and the last thing he needs is for the vice housewarden to run across them when they're supposed to be at the party. And well, he somewhat trusts Ilam enough that he won't immediately tattle on him. Plus the party is optional regardless.
"We'll take it step by step," Luciano says. "Are you ready?"
The two hold their lanterns in the dead of a foggy night in a local cemetery in Sage Island. It's close enough to the school that they can return quickly enough and it's large enough and it almost looks like a spooky park of sorts. And as of now, there's no one but the wind as their witness and maybe some of the groundskeepers if they arrive.
ILAM MAKES A SUDDEN STOP at one of the benches, placing his lantern at his side. He sits, enjoying the cool air, wondering if Luciano was planning to finally give him a taste of his own medicine. I mean, he wasn't stupid— if one of his own dormmates constantly tormented him, playing the fool and making things more difficult than they already were, he would do something about it too.
Though, a cemetery? Whatever it was he had in store, Ilam could guess it was something he didn't want their vice housewarden to catch them doing ( their housewarden, however, would probably encourage this moment of "friendship building" . )
“ I still don't know how you managed to drag me into this. Sneaking away, concealed by the night? Scandalous! ” He teases, leaning back to enjoy the full moon.
“Keep your hands off my food, Mr. Ilam."
OH, BROTHER. It was just his luck he would unknowingly weasel his way into glorified housewife duty. All afternoon, he had dodged offer after offer to help out around Ramshakle, throwing out excuse after excuse— and sure enough, by the end of the way he was well worn out.
“ Ack- sorry, sorry. ” He apologizes, giving his most sincere smile as his mind mentally curses itself for being so stupid as to get demoted to server duty. “ I just needed to add a bit more seasoning. The guy on the stove has been getting a few complaints about the flavor, and I couldn't have them stressing out over anyone else not enjoying their food, yanno? ”
Always the opportunistic type, Ilam continues.
❝ It'd be embarrassing to serve anything less than the standard to Azul Ashengrotto. I know this is nothing like the stuff you serve at Mostro, but I will say— come back tomorrow, and I'll fix you up with an old family recipe. Best thing to ever come from The Sands. ❞
