Note: A collab with my mallow @ravennas-milk-bath , so talented... One of the most important people to me. I love you so much, Bongish. You're the bestest. <33
The School for Good and Evil
Platonic Lady Lesso x Never!reader
TW: None
DON'T LINGER
Today was the day, the biennial Nevers ball. Truth be told, you didn't feel particularly excited about the idea of going. However, Lady Lesso had made it clear that attendance was encouraged, acting as if she would even give the Nevers a choice in the matter. This was one of the only days she could experience the closest she would ever get to pure joy. With her young graduates mingling together in a dimly lit ballroom, and the Evers nowhere in sight, how could she not feel unadulterated happiness at the many possibilities of chaos?
You would've been slightly excited too, if it weren't for your inability to arrange your hair in the fashion you desired. You asked around the evil school's dorms for help, but the only one who'd offered was Hort. You were fairly certain that it was just an excuse to get the opportunity to smell your hair all evening, so you declined.
When you had asked Sophie, you were sure that she would assist you in some way, seeing as how she prides herself with her beauty more than any other Never this school had ever seen. When you gathered the courage to ask her however, all she and her band of evils could do was laugh in your face.
That's how you ended up hiding in your dorm room. Frustration playing at your features as you stare into the large mirror mounted on the stone wall just above your vanity. You are truly tempted to just give up. Tempted to angrily rip your black, lace covered dress and wipe off your dark but complimentary makeup. No matter how much you toy with your hair, it just doesn't look right. Feeling utter defeat, you clumsily throw your body onto your lumpy bed with a groan.
Meanwhile, Lady Lesso has been in her classroom all afternoon preparing the floral centerpieces that would decorate the tabletops of the event. Black roses with their thorns still intact, wavy vines of dark ivy, and a stem or two of baby's breath. Since she has already made over half of the needed floral arrangements, she feels as though she could repeat the process with her eyes closed and her hands tied behind her back. This gives her the chance to mischievously eavesdrop on the Never's conversations without losing her focus as they chat in the nearby hall. Several passing conversations later, she hears Sophie's bright voice pass her door.
"I can't believe that pathetic little first year had the nerve to ask me for help!" She laughs loudly, her gang hyping her up.
"As if! I swear, if the entire Nevers class hadn't been invited, she wouldn't have gotten an invitation in a thousand years." Hester chuckles with a snort.
Lady Lesso's head perks from her focused gaze on the flowers she's currently arranging. Somehow, she has a sneaking suspicion about who the girls are referring to. Her curiosity piques, and she abandons her current task. She grabs her slender, black cane and makes her way to the girl's dorms.
Upon hearing a calm but clear knock on your dorm room door, all you want to do is sink into your mattress until you disappear. You don't answer at first, hoping the source of the knock will just go away with time. Then comes a second knock, followed by a voice.
"Y/N? Are you in there?" Lady Lesso asks from behind the sturdy wooden door.
Lady Lesso? What is she doing here?
Your mind begins to race for any possible answer. Have you lost track of time? Are you late? Are you in trouble? You couldn't possibly handle going to the doom room today of all days. You quickly stand, brushing the wrinkles from your dress as you shakily speak.
"Y... Yes, I'm in here." You call out softly with a slightly nervous tone.
Lady Lesso slowly opens the door, which lets out a loud creak. She spots you standing next to your bed, anxiously holding your hands in front of you. At first glance, you almost appear completely ready. Then, she spots your hair, slightly tangled from the many times you've tried to rearrange it.
"You want some help?" She asks plainly, motioning her free hand towards your partially unruly hair.
You freeze in shock for a moment from her surprising offer to help. When she cocks an eyebrow at your brief silence, you nod quickly.
"I... I can't seem to get it right." You say with a touch of embarrassment.
She nods, walking up to your vanity as you pull out the nearby chair and sit in it quietly, facing the mirror.
Lady Lesso doesn’t say anything at first.
She sets her cane carefully against the edge of your vanity, the soft tap echoing in the quiet room. For a moment, all you can hear is the faint rustle of her trench coat as she hangs it over your chair.
Then she steps behind you.
Her reflection appears in the mirror before you feel her touch. Composed. Sharp. Entirely in control, as always.
"…You’ve nearly ruined it, Y/N," she mutters, though there’s no real bite to it. Her silver-manicured fingers hover just above your hair, assessing. "Too much handling. You’ve made it frizzy."
Your shoulders tense slightly at the criticism, but she doesn’t step away.
Instead, her hands finally settle into your hair. And… They're careful. Slow.
She begins separating strands with precise movements, undoing the small knots you didn’t even realize were there. Her touch is firm, but not rough, controlled in that distinctly Lady Lesso way, like even gentleness must follow her rules.
"You asked Sophie, I assume," she adds dryly, already knowing the answer.
"…Yes," you hesitate.
A quiet scoff. "Predictable mistake."
Her fingers pause for only a second before continuing, smoother now as your hair begins to fall into place under her guidance.
You watch in the mirror as she works. Her eyes were strangely soft and focused.
She gathers sections of your hair, twisting them with practiced ease, pinning them with small, precise motions. You hadn’t even seen her bring pins with her but of course she did. Of course she was prepared. Some black floral pins that matched the decorations in the ballroom.
"You…" she murmurs, almost absently.
Her hands slow.
"…should learn that asking the wrong person is not a failure. It’s simply poor judgment."
There’s a brief pause.
"But fixable."
Your breath catches slightly.
Her fingers brush lightly against the side of your head as she adjusts one final strand, the touch lingering just a fraction longer than necessary before she straightens.
"There."
You blink at your reflection.
It’s exactly what you had been trying to do.
No... Better.
Your hair falls perfectly, styled in a way that frames your face effortlessly, the dark lace of your dress now actually matching instead of fighting against it. It looks intentional. Elegant. Like you belong at the ball.
Like you were always meant to be there.
Behind you, Lady Lesso reaches for her cane again.
"Well?" she prompts, one brow slightly raised.
"…It’s perfect," your voice comes out softer than expected.
"It’s adequate," she hums, satisfied.
"Come along," she turns slightly toward the door.
"You’re not missing the ball over something so trivial," she pauses, glancing back at you through the mirror.
The moment you step into the ballroom, it feels like walking into another world.
Dim candlelight flickers against dark stone walls, casting long, dancing shadows. Black roses decorate every table, their thorns catching the light like tiny blades. The air hums with low music and quiet laughte... Sharp, mischievous, alive.
For a second, you hover at the bottom of the staircase. Uncertain.
"Don’t linger," Lady Lesso says smoothly, though her voice is quieter now. "It makes you look unsure."
You straighten almost immediately, your shoulders relax just a little.
And this time, when you step away... It’s not to hide.
You move into the crowd, slower at first, then with a bit more confidence. The music doesn’t feel as overwhelming. The stares don’t feel as sharp.
You don’t feel… Small.
Not anymore.
And from across the room, near the edge of flickering candlelight, Lady Lesso watches... The whole night.
And when, at one point, your eyes meet across the room, she gives the smallest nod... And a smile.
WE DID A THING 🥰
