You can call me Shiki or Rika. I am not a minor and I am from Germany.
I started writing a few years ago but this is my first Tumblr blog. I begun writing for this blog on one of the many sleepless nights I have.
I am a bit shy, which is why it sometimes takes me a bit longer to reply to messages. This has nothing to do with me ignoring the message or not wanting to answer. I probably only think about what I should respond for several hours.
I don't know what else to say about me, so if you have questions feel free to ask me!
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SUMMARY: when steve accidentally spilled your drink on your shirt, he became afraid you would leave him too.
PAIRING: steve harrington x reader
WARNINGS: slight angst with a happy ending, established relationship
You were standing in the kitchen refilling your solo cup with punch. You were a bit tipsy, but far from drunk. You put the ladle back into the punch after your cup was a bit over halfway full.
You turned around, balancing your cup carefully as the bass from the living room thumped through the floor. Just as you took a sip, someone pushed through the doorway a little too fast. They accidentally bumped into your boyfriend, Steve, who was standing beside you. He took a step back to regain balance, causing his shoulder to bump into you before either of you could react.
You let out a startled gasp when the punch splashed onto you, draining the light color of your shirt red.
You stood there, staring down at your soaked shirt, punch dripping onto the tile floor in crimson streaks. The sticky sweetness reached your nose.
Steve's face twisted with guilt. "Oh, shit, I'm so sorry," he stammered, grabbing a dishtowel from the counter. He immediately started dabbing at your shirt with the dishtowel, muttering apologies under his breath. But the towel was dry and rough, and the more he rubbed, the more the punch smeared. Turning the once localized stain into a broad, sticky mess across your shirt.
You grabbed his wrist to make him stop. "Stop, Steve. You're only making it worse."
Steve froze when you grabbed his wrist. He looked up from your shirt to your face. His eyes were wide and full of panic. "Sorry. God, I didn't-" he started, but his voice cracked. There was something strange in it, something that didnât fit the smallness of the accident. "I didn't see them coming. I'm sorry. I ruined your shirt. I will buy you a new one. And pay for the cleaning."
You gave Steve a weird look when he reacted like that. Sure, you were a bit annoyed that he accidentally spilled the drink on you, but it wasn't that big of a deal.
"It's fine," you said. Your voice came out harsher than you intended. You moved away from your boyfriend, so you had enough space to at least try to make the stain less visible for the night.
Steve's hands froze mid-air as you pulled away. His face crumpled like a kicked puppy. "Wait, please," he blurted out desperately, fingers twitching at his sides.
He watched you try to fix the stain, and something in him snapped. Suddenly, he's surging forward to grab your wrist. "No no no-" His voice cracked with panic. "I'll get you a new shirt. Right now! I know this boutique down the street that's open late." He started frantically patting all his pockets for cash while still clinging to your arm like you might vanish if he let go. "Or⊠or we could just leave? We don't have to stay at this stupid party anymore."
"God, Steve, back off," you snapped at him. His fussing around you annoyed you more than the stain on your shirt. "What's gotten into you all of a sudden? You're acting as if I'm minutes away from dying and only you know. I'm not allergic to punch. I will survive."
Steve stopped dead, freezing in his tracks like a deer in headlights when you suddenly snapped at him. "I⊠I don't-" he swallowed, looking away from you, unable to meet your eyes, and his voice cracked again when he spoke next. "âŠI ruined your shirt."
"Yeah. I'm aware," you replied. A hint of annoyance was in your tone as you turned back to face the sink and resumed trying to clean the shirt.
You could still feel his eyes on your back. Heavy and restless, like he wanted to say something but couldn't figure out how. The faint hum of laughter and bass from the living room filled the silence between you, making his quiet even louder.
When you finally turned around again, he hadn't moved. His hand was still halfâraised, the dishtowel crumpled in his fist. His jaw worked silently, like he was chewing on words that wouldn't quite come out.
"You're mad at me," he finally said.
You exhaled sharply. "I'm mildly annoyed, not mad. Accidents happen, Steve."
"You say that now," he murmured, voice low and uneven, "but give it a minute. You'll start thinking about how stupid it is to be with someone like me. That I can't even handle a cup of punch without screwing it up."
You blinked before giving Steve a bewildered look. "What? What are you talking about?"
Steve dragged a hand through his hair. His eyes were darting anywhere but your face. "Nancy⊠the night she broke up with me, I spilled her drink all over her. The whole thing down her front. And she just-" He paused, then continued. "She looked at me like I was some big joke. Told me I was bullshit. That we were bullshit. I don't know, it stuck. And then tonight this. It felt the same. Like itâs happening all over again."
You couldn't help but huff softly at that. "Well, I'm not Nancy."
Steve flinched. His mouth opened, then shut again, like he couldn't find the right words fast enough. "I know that," he said finally, almost whispering. "God, I know that. You're nothing like her. I didnât mean it like that."
"Sure sounded like it."
"No," Steve said quickly, stepping closer. His voice sounded low and desperate now. "You don't get it. When it happened, all I could think was, not again. Not because you remind me of her, but because I can't lose you like that. I love you. And in that second, it felt like the floor dropped out under me."
Your expression softened at those words. You were an idiot for getting jealous about something that was long past. "I'm sorry. My reaction just now was stupid. You didn't ruin anything. It's really fine," you said before trying to lighten the mood a little. "And really, I would've been the idiot if I broke up with you because of something like this. I mean, you're a catch."
"Yeah, a real catch," he echoed softly. "One that comes with a side of clumsiness and emotional baggage, apparently."
SUMMARY: Steve takes you to the famous make out spot.
PAIRING: steve harrington x reader
WARNINGS: established relationship
"Are we there yet, Steve?" you asked impatiently. You hugged yourself, rubbing your arms as the cold autumn wind swept through the forest once more. Maybe you should have taken a jacket with you. But in your defense, you never would have imagined yourself in the middle of the forest on your way to skull rock with your boyfriend. You didnât understand the appeal of traveling all the way to a stupid looking rock just to make out.Â
"Sorry," he said with an apologetic smile. "We're almost there. I promise it's worth it."
Steve noticed you rubbing your arms and frowned lightly. He shrugged off his jacket immediately and draped it around your shoulders. "Better?" In truth, Steve wanted to give you his jacket the second he saw you in the black longsleeve shirt and jeans. No coat in sight. As if the Hawkins weather this time of year was a joke.
You pulled Steve's jacket tighter around yourself. The additional layer made you feel warmer instantly. It smelled like Steve, which made it only feel better. "Yes, but won't you be cold now?"Â
"Don't worry, I'll be fine," Steve assured, waving off your concern. It wasn't like he was a stranger to the cold. Plus, if he got too chilly he will just pull you a little closer.
"So you can be a gentleman, huh?" you teased, as you wrapped your arms around his waist, in a sideways embrace, so that you could share body heat.
Steve chuckled and wrapped his arm around your shoulders, pulling you closer to him. "Oh, I'm a complete gentleman," he replied, a playful grin on his face. "If you haven't noticed by now, I'm a total catch."Â
"Oh, I have noticed. Believe me." Your arms tightened around Steve for a moment, before you removed them, so that you two could navigate better through the forest, without risking a broken leg. But before you even had the splinter of a chance to move too far away, Steveâs hand already found yours, to not lose his closeness with you and also to be able to pull you up in case you lost your footing on the leave covered ground.
"Good to know you recognize quality when you see it," he said, giving your hand a squeeze.
You rolled your eyes playfully. "You're an idiot."
"Your favorite idiot," Steve shot back. You laughed at that. Oh, how much you loved this man.
The forest began to thin out. Through gaps in the branches, you spotted a massive rock sitting on top of two smaller ones. The closer you were getting to the destination, the bigger Steveâs anticipation grew.
Steve came to a stop in front of the towering rock formation, glancing at you with a smile. "Ta-da, we're here," he said, gesturing with his free hand to the area around you. "This is Skull Rock, the infamous make-out spot. Pretty cool, right?"
Steve looked at you, curious to see your reaction. He'd been wanting to bring you here for a while now. But you didnât share his enthusiasm, for well, a weirdly shaped rock. You let out a breath, before shrugging your shoulders. "I mean it kinda looks like a skull," you angled your head differently to see the rock from a different view. "But it could also be a potato."
"A potato? Never heard that one before." He let go of your hand and walked around to stand in front of you. His eyes were filled with amusement. "You know, most people would be a little more romantic about this whole thing."
You raised an eyebrow. "What's romantic about a skull or a potato?"
Steve gasped. "Excuse you, this skull is legendary! People write songs about this rock!"Â Â
You gave Steve a look. You could hardly believe that people were writing songs about a rock, much less good ones. But before you could call him out, Steveâs hands found your waist, pulling you gently against him. "Besides, it's more about the moment, the atmosphere, the company," he emphasized the last word. "not the rock itself."
"Well, the company would have been the same home, or in your car, or anywhere else," you said. "Unless you are referring to the probably twenty couples lurking somewhere around here as the company."Â
"I think it would be easier to play along if you finally kissed me, instead of trying to sell me this rock like a tourist guide."
"Ah, so that's all I had to do," he murmured, his gaze dropping to your lips. He leaned in. "Alright, alright. No more rock selling. Just kissing. Got it."
And then Steve finally kissed you. You supposed you didnât mind traveling for miles through the woods, if it meant being kissed like this by him. When you finally broke apart, you stayed close. "Okay, maybe I see the appeal now," you whispered a little breathless, before your lips met again.Â
Vil believed that admiration nurtured the seed of beauty. He had always carried that conviction. On stage, under the cameraâs gaze, and even more so in private. To be admired was not simple vanity to him; it was proof that beauty inspired, that effort bore fruit. And yet, when it came to you, admiration became something far more personal. He craved your eyes on him, not as a performer but as the man who cherished you.
Vil prided himself on patience. It was a quality he cultivated, though lately it seemed to falter whenever he was with you. You had a way of unsettling his composure. Sometimes through charm, other times through sheer obliviousness. Tonight, it was the latter.
He had cleared a rare evening from his schedule, intent on spending it with you, perhaps sharing a calm conversation or simply enjoying one anotherâs company. Yet as minutes passed, your attention never left your phone screen, and each gentle hum of acknowledgment sounded more distracted than the last, a quiet frustration began to simmer beneath his poised exterior. He tried, at first, to ignore it. He dropped hints, soft remarks, a shift in tone meant to draw your gaze. But nothing worked.
"Mm, yes," Â you murmured absentmindedly after finally noticing that Vil had stopped talking.
Vilâs gaze sharpened. The faint downturn of his lips betrayed his annoyance. He folded his arms. His posture was as graceful as ever, though a chill entered his voice. "Dearest, remind me, what exactly did you just agree to?"
You could feel his eyes staring at you. You finally lifted your gaze from your phone and instead looked at your beautiful boyfriend. Just now, did you realize that you didn't catch anything Vil had said. Did he even ask a question? "Uh, just in general. I agree in general."
Vil exhaled softly. It was a sigh that carried both patience and disappointment. "How considerate of you to grace me with such undivided agreement."
You weren't so dense as to miss the sarcasm in his voice. You let out a light huff. "I was listening," you tried to lie convincingly. "I just don't have anything to add that you didn't already said yourself."
"Is that so?" he replied. "Then perhaps next time you can demonstrate your exceptional conversation skills with your eyes off that device and on the person speaking."
"I am sorry," you said eventually. "I didn't mean to be rude."
"Apologies mean little when they are offered only after being caught," Vil said. "But I suppose I can forgive you this once. Provided you set your phone aside."
As Vil said that and moved slightly, you instinctively angled your phone so he wouldn't be able to see your screen, even though it wasn't what he was trying to do.
"Ah, so whatever youâve been so enraptured by must be rather precious if it warrants shielding it from me," he observed, noticing your movement even though you had believed it to be subtle.
"What? I wasn't shielding anything!" you stuttered, trying to find your words. "I was just about to put it away."
Vil arched an elegant brow, clearly unconvinced. "Were you now? How curious that your first instinct was to hide it rather than simply set it down."
His words caused you to only hold tighter to your phone, as if your life depended on it. And in a sense it did. At least in your eyes. "G-Grim! I have to go now. Grim is getting into trouble again. I-I can feel it!" you blurted out the first thing that came to your mind, grasping for an excuse to escape the situation.
You practically leapt to your feet. With all the frantic motions, your phone slipped out of your hands. You tried to catch it, but it hit the floor before you could.
And in that moment, you felt your soul leave your body. Because, other than when you usually dropped your phone and it landed on the display, in this of all moments, it of course landed on its back. The screen faced upward for the world- well, for Vil- to see.
What's on it was... a picture of Vil.
Vilâs sharp breath was almost imperceptible, but you caught it. For a moment, he simply stared at the phone lying on the carpet, his own image glowing on the screen. He remembered that shoot.
But seeing it now, here, on your phone after youâd been so lost in it that you hadnât even noticed him speaking well⊠Vil looked genuinely at a loss for words. And you stood there frozen in place.
"âŠIs that-" Vil began, then stopped. A chuckle suddenly left his lips. "Well," he said at last. "I suppose I can hardly fault your taste."
You overcame the initial shock of being caught and quickly picked up your phone. "It's not what it looks like!" you said, before correcting yourself. "I mean, it is, but it's not like in a creepy way. I am not looking at stalker pictures or something. It's publicly available." You weren't sure why you felt the need to clarify that, but then you began to ramble out of embarrassment. "I am allowed to look. It's on the internet, so everyone can anyway. It is-"
Vil interrupted your nervous stream of words. It was probably for the best before you had the chance to dug the hole any deeper.
Vil raised a perfectly sculpted brow, an amused glint in his eyes as he regarded your flustered expression. "My, youâre quite defensive for something so harmless," he said. His voice was lightly teasing. "Admiration is hardly a crime, dear. I would be far more concerned if you failed to appreciate beauty when itâs standing right in front of you. But perhaps next time, you should admire the original rather than the photograph?"
Somehow Vil's words made you only more flustered. "I didn't want to be weird and stare at you the entire time," you eventually managed to stammer.
Vilâs lips curved into a smile. The earlier annoyance in his tone was gone completely. "Oh? You think appreciating your lover is 'weird' now? To think that the person I cherish restrains themself from admiring me when Iâve spent the better part of an hour offering them every opportunity to do so."
When you finally found your voice again, it came out as a flustered squeak. "Now you are just teasing me...!"
"Perhaps I am," Vil admitted. "But maybe itâs only fair, considering how neglected Iâve just been. Shall we remedy that, hm?"
"I suppose it was quite rude of me to be on my phone this entire time."
Vil reached out, gently brushing a stray lock of hair from your face. "Rude, yes. But redeemable. You can always make it up to me."
You could feel the softness of his fingers against your cheek and leaned into his touch. "Then I will do my best," you declared, before taking his hand and pressing a light kiss to it. "But you can't complain about staring now that you have given me permission."
Azul was aware of the guard you had always high up when it came to interacting with him and the twins. Especially the twins. And while it was certainly hurtful to not have your trust after everything you two have been through, Azul was still confident that he could convince you that your best interests mattered to him, despite what his reputation suggested.
So when you strolled into Mostro Lounge one day, wholly nonchalant, Azul had not expected it. It was a welcome surprise.
But then you started stealing the food and drinks of the customers. And of all people, it was Floyd who reached you first instead of Azul. Surely you will retreat into your shell now again. But to Azul surprise again, you weren't intimidated at all when Floyd threatened to squeeze you. You just answered that you were taking what you wanted, as if this behavior was the most normal thing in the world.
"Oi, little shrimpy," Floyd called out to you. "Think you can just waltz in here and grab whatever you want without askinâ? âCause I really feel like squeezinâ someone right nowâŠ"
You turned around to face Floyd. You take a sip from the drink you had taken from someone here. It wasnÂŽt to your taste, so you placed it back down in front of the person it originally belonged to. "I am taking what I want," you replied, not bothered by Floyd's threat. No, you thought it was quite funny. "And squeezing someone is not really a threat."
Floyd looked at you with that menacing look, as he towered over you. There was a beat of silence. Once. Twice. And then he let out a bored sigh, before backing away. "You are no fun today."Â
Jade, who had been observing from across the room, finally approached with a curious tilt of his head. "My, my, seems youâre in a daring mood today." He wore his usual polite smile, expecting at least a flicker of embarrassment or apology from you.Â
"If people didnât want to lose things, they should hold onto them tighter," you replied with a shrug. Although you were slightly hungry, because of only eating tarts today, you came with a much greater plan to the Mostro Lounge. "Where is Azul? I would like to make a contract with him."
Jade's eyes flickered with curiosity, and a hint of amusement at this change. "How interesting. Most who seek him do so with a hint of desperation, not initiative."
Azul on the other hand, heard every word you said. He straightened his uniform, before emerging from behind the counter, with a most charming smile. "Why, if it isnât our favorite customer. Youâre looking spirited today. To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"Azul," you said his name in a sweeter tone than he had ever heard. For a moment Azul's well practiced demeanor faltered, as his heart skipped a beat. Jade, who did not miss a thing, couldn`t help but chuckle at how utterly smitten the Housewarden was. Â
"I want an army," you declared. You had not given up on your quest for better minions and power. "What is the biggest one in Twisted Wonderland? I want a bigger one. One that can conquer the world in an afternoon."
"An army?" Azul repeated confused.Â
"Yes. I did not stutter, did I?" you said, before taking out a paper, you prepared beforehand. "The contract is all done. You just have to sign here. I took the liberty of writing it myself. After all, I am not getting roped into another scam like with the Ramshackle contract. I will receive my army and when I am the ruler of the world, you may get a position at my council. It's quite generous of me."
Azul blinked, momentarily at a loss for words as he stared at the contract you placed before him. Its terms were bold. Your gaze even bolder. You didnât flinch, didnât fidget, didnât so much as scan the room for approval. Instead, you held his gaze with a smirk, as if you were offering him the deal of a lifetime.
"Ah, direct negotiations. I admire your efficiency," Azul managed, regaining his composure. He glanced towards Jade, seeking some silent confirmation that this was, in fact, happening. Jade merely kept his polite smile, though his eyes shone with intrigue.
"May I read it?" Azul asked, extending a gloved hand.
You nudged the contract forward and crossed your arms, as if daring him to find fault with it. "Of course. Iâd be suspicious if you didnât."
Azul scrutinized the document, expecting loopholes or perhaps childish demands. Instead, he found a frighteningly practical and detailed requests for resources, command structures, and even non-compete clauses for potential usurpers. There were no requests for friendship, loyalty, or mercy. Only power, and a generous promise of his own advancement.
Jade peeked over Azul shoulder to read the contract himself. "You are certainly ambitious," Jade said amused. "But how do you intend to offer a payment that is yet to find its way into your possession?"
"It is certain. I wonât lose," you answered full of confidence.
Azul studied you for a moment. Were you testing him? Did you want to see if he would jump at the first opportunity to make a deal with you. A small little voice in his head did tell him to try and use this situation to his advantage and rope you into a deal, that would make you stay close to him, but he immediately pushed that voice away. You wouldnât appreciate that. And he also wanted you to chose him willingly. "Iâm afraid I cannot accept payment in the form of future promises, no matter how confident you are in your eventual victory."
"Are you sure? You can't give me my army?"
Azulâs smile never wavered. "As much as I admire your resolve, Iâm afraid I canât hand over an army on the basis of anticipated success. That would be reckless business." He slid the contract back toward you, tapping the place where you promised payment upon your future conquest. "However, should your resources or influence change, I hope youâll consider Mostro Lounge as your favored partner."
Your demeanor changed from friendly business partner, to spiteful anger. "You canât even do something so simple? Your signature spell is useless then."
Azul kept his smile, but there was a flicker of surprise at your words. They were blunt, biting, unrestrained by your usual caution. "I assure you, itâs far from useless," he replied smoothly, though something in his tone suggested your barb had landed.
You stopped listening when Azul explained that his signature spell canât spawn an army from thin air, or something. Your eyes narrowed on Jade and Floyd. With two sadistic, efficient, and deadly henchmen like them, you wouldn't need an army.Â
You cut Azul off mid-sentence by clasping your hand over his mouth. "Yeah, yeah, I don't need to hear an explanation as to why your magic is useless. So shut up."
For one stunned moment, the Mostro Lounge fell silent. A handful of customers turned at your bold gesture, jaws dropping almost as quickly as Azulâs composure did. Jadeâs eyes widened just a fraction, but his lips curled up as if enjoying the theatre of it all. Floyd, meanwhile, broke into a burst of laughter.Â
"Jade. Floyd," you said to them, ignoring Azul as you removed your hand from his mouth. "You two are working for Azul, because you chose to, right? What if I made you a better deal?"
Floyd leaned over the counter. "You're talking big, little shrimpy. But Azul's got a good thing going here. Why would we jump ship?"
"Oh, it is simple, actually," you replied confident. While you had no money, or successful business, you did had the perfect plan to win Floyd and Jade over. "How about I kill Azul."
Azulâs eyes went wide as Floydâs laughter echoed through the lounge. Jade merely raised a brow. "A bold statement," Jade said. "But killing Azul would certainly change the current balance of power."
Floyd stopped laughing, his sharp gaze narrowing as he looked at you. "You really think you can pull that off?"
"How about covering him in a ton of salt? Salt kills snails, so it could kill an octopus, right? Both are soft and squishy," you reasoned after a momentâs thought. "Plus it would be fun to watch."
"Creative," Jade commented, as if he was trying to come up with an assassination plan with you. "But what about the logistics? How would you get so much salt into his room undetected and surprise him while heâs in octopus form, asleep?"
"Then what about poison?" you suggested. "Its a classic. And there are some with pretty interesting effects."
"A good choice. But poison works differently on merfolk than on humans. Thus requiring thorough research beforehand," Jade replied early calm, as if his was a normal conversation topic.
"Then a good old stake to the heart it is."
Floyd laughed again. "A stake? You do know that Azul is not a vampire, right?"
"Its for dramatics. Everyone can use knives, but stakes are special."
Just when things were about to get interesting, Azul interrupted your very productive conversation. "Could you three maybe stop talking about killing me?"
Meanwhile, as you plotted your continued path to world domination, Deuce, Ace and Grim have not given up there pursuit. They were running around campus aimlessly, when Deuce made a chilling observation. There was only one place on campus where someone evil would go.
"Wait a minute," Deuce began, causing Ace and Grim to face him. "If the prefect has evil plans of world domination, couldn't it be that they would go to Azul to make a contract?"
"You mean my hench-human is plotting with the fish mafia as we speak?" Grim shrieked.
Now that was truly not a good turn of events...
Back at Octavinelle you finally got the chance to explain the importance of public executions to two people who get you. Not only that, but the conversation about torture methods was truly enlightening. Jade and Floyd did know a thing or two about being completely terrifying and unhinged. You respected it.
For some reason the guests started leaving.
"I do find thumbscrews fascinating. So small, yet they cause so much damage," you explained. Before Floyd and Jade had the chance to reply something or before Azul popped a vessel or something from pure disbelief, your three unwanted minions arrived to ruin your day. Again.
This time the three weren't alone, but accompanied by Leona, who they must have met somewhere in between your venture to Octavinelle and the water fight with him.
"We are here to stop your evil plans!" Grim shouted, and it almost made you laugh. Because what could they do?
"This time you won't get away," Ace declared, to which Deuce agreed enthusiastically.
You let out an exaggerated yawn. "Oh, really? It's been what, the third time? I don't think you are very competent in whatever it is you are trying to archive."
Leona scoffed. "You let them escape three times?"
Ace jumped in before Leona could twist the knife further. "Itâs not like we let them escape, okay? Theyâre just... slippery!"
Deuce glared at Leona as if that would make him sound more credible. "We almost caught them last time. Itâs just that they used unfair tactics."
Grim immediately backed him up. "Yeah! Like running away. Who even does that in a fight, huh? Total coward move."
You raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Running away is an unfair tactic now? Seems more like youâre just stupid for not noticing."
"Itâs dishonorable!" Deuce stammered. His conviction was visibly crumbling under your stare.
"And that is exactly why I have fired you," you explained disappointed. "I mean, are we in knight school or something?"
Azul, who had silently watched the chaos unfold, now cleared his throat. "Would someone be so kind as to explain what is going on?"
Deuce sighed. "It's a long story."
"It really isn't," you interjected.
"The prefect got hit by a potion and is acting weird now," Ace explained the situation shortly. "Honestly, how is no one of you guys able to tell?"
You leaned against the counter, huffing with boredom. "So now that everyone is up to date, what is it you are planning exactly? Because I feel like this still won't be the story's ending."
Leonaâs patience snapped. His eyes narrowed. "Enough yappin', Herbivore. I ain't got all day to listen to some villain monologue." In one swift motion, he lunged toward you, his hand reaching out as if to grab you right off the counter.
You smirked, already feeling your heart pounding with excitement. "I like it when someone takes initiative," you said, as you retreated behind the counter.
Leonaâs hand slammed onto the counter where you had just been leaning, sending a small stack of napkins fluttering to the floor. "Tch⊠you talk big for someone hidinâ behind furniture."
Ace, Deuce and Grim exchanged a look with each other before slowly closing in on you, as if you hadn't noticed them and they could launch a sneak attack.
"Ahh~ whatâs this?" Floyd said, as he stepped in front of them. "You think you can take shrimpy away? Nah, I donât think so."
Deuce blinked. "Huh? Floyd, move out of the way! We need to fix them before they do something bad!"
Floydâs laughter echoed off the glass walls of Mostro Lounge. He was clearly having a field day with this. "Fix them?" he repeated, bending slightly forward. "Who said theyâre broken? I like this version of shrimpy way more."
Ace groaned and ran a hand through his hair. "You seriously canât be enjoying this. Theyâre not even themselves right now. Itâs a personality-altering potion or whatever."
"Thatâs right," Deuce said, straightening up and taking a determined stand. "The prefect wouldnât do any of this if they were thinking clearly. Theyâre not evil!"
You tilted your head, feigning thoughtfulness. "Oh? You sound so sure about that."
Deuce flinched but stepped forward anyway, his fists clenching. "Because I know you. You help people. You care about us. And Iâm not gonna just stand here while some potion messes with your head!" His voice rose, echoing across the lounge. "Even if I have to fight all of Octavinelle to get you back, I will!"
You let out an astonished oh at Deuces words. He had so much passion in him. If only he would channel it into evil instead of this goody-two-shoes act, and he would be worthy minion.
Floydâs grin stretched wider. "Ooh, bold words, macky. You sure you can back that up?" His tone was playful, but the dangerous glint in his eyes told a different story.
Before anyone could take another step, a sharp clap echoed through the lounge. "Enough," Azul said. "If you would all refrain from turning my establishment into a battlefield, Iâd be most grateful."
Leona scoffed. His eyes were still fixed on you. "Then tell the eel to stay outta the way and we can finish this quick."
Before Azul could respond, Jadeâs voice cut in, as he stepped forward. "You must forgive us if weâre less than eager to watch someone manhandle our guest."
Leonaâs eyes narrowed. "Guest? More like a ticking bomb."
You watched the argument for a while. It was entertaining at first, but began to bore you. Also you wouldnât archive world domination from standing here, watching idiots and two kindred spirited eels squabble.
So, as it was tradition by now, you slipped away the moment no one paid you any attention.
"Wait. Whereâd they go?" Ace blurted, scanning the lounge. Grim spun around. "Youâre telling me we lost them again?!" he yowled. "You had one job, Deuce!"
Deuce looked offended. "What do you mean me? You were supposed to watch the door!"
Floyd froze. For a heartbeat, the mischievous gleam in his eyes flickered out. It was replaced by something sharper, colder. Then he chuckled, low and humorless. "Heh⊠so shrimpy thinks they can just swim off whenever they want, huh?"
Unbeknownst to you, there was now not only your "rescue team," but also a very angry eel after youâŠ
As Floyd is the first to stalk after you, Jade couldn't let this moment of teasing Azul slide. "My, my. Considering the prefectâs current disposition, one might say that their repeated interest in killing you could be interpreted as a rather passionate confession of love."
Jadeâs smirk widened, when he saw the Housewardens face. "Really now, Azul. Wouldnât you agree? In some cultures, murder attempts are seen as a display of deep affection. Passionate, even."
Azulâs face turned several shades too pink for someone supposedly composed. "D-donât be ridiculous, Jade!"
"Oh? And yet you sound quite invested," Jade replied. "Perhaps you should start drafting the wedding contract before they find a sharper knife."
"Enough!" Azul sputtered, pushing up his glasses in an attempt to recover dignity that had long since drowned. "I will not entertain such absurd insinuations!"
hello, i dont know if youve been active for a bit but i hope youre well ^_^ i was wondering if youre putting out new work soon, or maybe youre taking a hiatus? whatever you want to do with yourself and your page ofc!! i am really enjoying your 'what is wrong with being a little bad' series and sincerely hope to see more of it from you!! the premise is so fun and interesting and i love how the prefect is characterized, its very funny to see how they interact with the others and what theyll do next. i hope to hear from you, thank you for sharing your writings <3
I was on vacation last month, so that's why I didn't post anything. Currently I am a little over halfway done with the Octavinelle chapter. But I am not to sure when it will be ready to be posted.
You were just a random human that had the audacity to call the Great Malleus Draconia by a silly little nickname, instead of the Great Malleus Draconia, like everyone should address him. But the worst part was that his Liege was not bothered at all by this. No, you became a close confidant to Malleus without even trying. Which may or may not make Sebek feel jealous because he wanted to be there looking at gargoyles in the middle of the night with Malleus and be the one he confided in.
But it wasnât him. It was you. It was always you.Â
Sebek didn't want anything to do with you, but you soon began to show up everywhere he was. Silver invited you to the Equestrian Club. Lilia thought it was a great idea to bring you to Diasomnia. At lunch, you were now sitting across from him. And everything about you annoyed Sebek. So much so that he found himself thinking about you when he was lying in his bed at night instead of Malleus's greatness.Â
Everyone loved you, but Sebek could only see someone unremarkable with the tendency to cause trouble. He was surprised when he found himself laughing at something you said. Genuinely laughing. He did not expect you to be funny at all. Seems that even humans could make good jokes.Â
Eventually, Sebek had grown used to your presence. Which did not mean he liked having you around! But then you did something that completely caught him by surprise again. You gifted him a present for his birthday. Not only was he surprised that you actually remembered and got him something, but that your present was a most thoughtful one, he liked very much.Â
After that, something within him changed. He felt strange when you were near. There was a warmth that both confused and unsettled him. Sebek wasnât used to feeling vulnerable, and yet your presence stirred a softness he hadnât anticipated. Whenever you spoke, his guard momentarily dropped, revealing a part of himself he rarely showed to anyone.
Now, instead of being annoyed with Silver for inviting you to the Equestrian Club, he felt himself looking forward to seeing your face when he rounded the corner to the stables. And felt his heart drop when you weren't there. During lunch, he made sure to save you one of the egg sandwiches you liked so much and that were always gone, even if it meant scaring a few other students away.
He even looked after Grim for you. It wasnât even that Sebek was simply tolerating the task. No, he put his everything into keeping your cat companion safe and behaved. Because no matter how irritating Grim was, it was still clear to everyone that there was a strong bond between the two of you. So it was a great honor that you entrusted him with something so close to your heart.Â
Sebek didnât fully understand what was happening to him. The cold certainty with which he had dismissed you before was now replaced by a quiet, persistent pull he couldnât deny. An urge to be near you, to protect you, to make you smile. Yet, embarrassment clenched his chest every time those feelings surfaced. It was confounding and, frankly, infuriating.Â
So, in conflict with his emotions, he one day asked Silver what all of this meant and what he was supposed to do now. But Silver just told him that if it felt good to be with you, then he should just spend more time with you. Sebek was sure that Silver was also half asleep during that time.Â
But by the time Sebek decided what to do, it was too late.
Sebek could still remember that one night vividly. And how his heart shattered into a million pieces.Â
The night began not too differently from many others. While it was his and Silver's knightly duty to stay close to Malleus and protect him, the fae prince often sneaked off alone.Â
Sebek followed the hint he got from someone, who claimed they thought they saw Malleus near one of the old ruins on campus. Sebek was very offended that the person could not answer his question with certainty. After all, everyone should be able to detect Malleus regal presence from miles away.Â
But what Sebek saw, after entering the ruin, made him forget everything about his outrage towards the student.Â
Sebekâs breath caught in his throat, his chest tightening as he stepped quietly into the shadowed corridor of the ruin. The soft glow of Malleusâs presence was unmistakable, yet what truly stole Sebekâs focus was the sight of you, standing close to the prince. A closeness so intimate and natural that it sent a pang of something unfamiliar twisting through him.
Malleusâs hand was resting gently on your shoulder, his eyes fixed on you with a softness that Sebek had never seen before. The usual grandeur and unyielding authority melted away in this private moment, replaced by a quiet tenderness that made Sebekâs heart ache in a way he couldnât understand. You smiled up at Malleus, and the princeâs smile in return was like a secret gift, meant only for you.
For a long while, Sebek had wished to be as close to Malleus as you were. But now he realized in that moment he wanted to be in Malleus's place. To be the person you looked up to like this, like he was your entire world. To be the person who gets to see your vulnerability and protect it from ever being hurt again.Â
But it wasnât him. It was Malleus. It was always Malleus.Â
Sebek lingered in the shadows, every breath weighted like lead in his chest. He should have turned away the moment he realized what he was witnessing. It felt wrong to stay, to intrude on something sacred and fleeting. But his feet were rooted to the moss-covered floor. He couldnât look away.
Sebekâs breath caught again, just as you gently reached up and touched Malleusâs cheek. The fae prince leaned into your hand with a softness so uncharacteristic of the regal, composed figure Sebek knew. There was a glow in Malleusâs eyes. Not from his magic, but from something warmer, eternally gentler.
Then, Malleus lowered his head just slightly, lips brushing yours in a kiss that was achingly slow and reverent, as though he feared you might vanish if he wasnât careful. His hand slid from your shoulder to the curve of your jaw, holding you close like you were treasure. His fingers trembled, barely perceptible, but Sebek saw it. Felt it like a blow.
When Malleus pulled away, he lingered near your face, forehead resting against yours as he whispered something so low, Sebek almost didnât hear it.
"You have a light that brightens even the darkest places. To be near you is to feel the threads of fate weaving a beautiful tale. One I hope will never end," he murmured. "With you, I am whole. Where you go, I follow. Always."
"You donât have to follow. Because I plan to stay by your side. Always," you answered, with that beautiful smile and blushing cheeks, that would have made even the most cynical person melt.Â
Sebekâs insides twisted painfully. That smile. Heâd seen it before. It brought warmth to even the coldest Diasomnia mornings. He'd caught himself thinking, foolishly, naively, that perhaps, someday, you would smile like that⊠for him.
His fists clenched uselessly against his sides, trembling with the effort of holding himself together.
The ruins felt suddenly suffocating, as if centuries of stone and moss had closed in on him. Sebekâs pride, his knightly devotion, all the certainty that had sustained him, splintered beneath the weight of a feeling he could barely name: heartbreak.
Sebek finally found it in himself to tear his gaze away. He turned to leave but then accidentally kicked a stone away, causing a noise that alerted both Malleus and you to his presence.Â
 Sebekâs heart stopped for a moment as both of you turned toward the sounds of the disturbance. The tender, intimate moment shattered like fragile glass. He felt like all of this wasnât real until Malleus's voice cut through the darkness, reminding Sebek that everything was in fact real.Â
"Sebek," Malleus said. His voice was firm but not unkind. "What are you doing here?"
Sebek bowed his head slightly, swallowing hard. "My apologies, my Liege. I... I thought you might be in danger. Someone said they saw you here."
Before Sebek could make things worse, Silver came rushing into ruin. "Sebek, wait. Malleus is-" Silver stopped mid-sentence when he saw that he was too late. "I told you we arenât needed tonight."
Silver might have said something like that when Sebek stormed off. Did that mean Silver knew? Did everyone know? Was it only lost on him how close his Liege and you were?Â
Sebek felt a wave of shame crashing down on him, paired with the hurt and jealousy he felt; his heart might actually rip in two. He could only hear faintly when Silver apologized on his behalf for the disturbance, to which Malleus simply said that it was fine. Sebek's eyes fell onto you. You were standing there still close to Malleus, but no longer touching him. Your eyes were wide and filled with embarrassment.Â
Silver approached him. "Sebek, letâs-"
Sebek didnât wait for Silver to finish his sentence. He just ran off into the woods. The forest was thick with shadows, and Sebek stumbled through it, not caring where he was going. The sting in his eyes blurred his vision, and he hardly noticed the way the brambles tugged at his uniform or the wetness that seeped into his sleeves as he pushed past ferns and branches.Â
He couldnât even wish for a chance to have realized his feelings sooner and confess to you before Malleus, because that would mean he would steal away his Liege's chance of happiness. Malleus was his Liege, his prince, and Sebekâs duty was to protect him, not to compete with him for affections he could not fight for.
And, of course, given the chance, who wouldnât choose Malleus Draconia as their partner? Sebek knew how great Malleus was.
Yet now, here he was, faced with a painful truth: the very person he had come to care for had already given their heart to Malleus. A heart that Sebek never could steal.
Even if Sebek dared to hope, dared to imagine himself standing alongside you, he knew in his bones that it would be a betrayal of Malleus. The very person he had sworn unwavering loyalty to and to protect.
What right did he have, really? To take from Malleus even a sliver of happiness, when it was clear the princeâs light shone brightest with you? Sebek clenched his fists, the weight of loyalty and love pressing in on him from all sides. How could he let himself want something that Malleus had already claimed?
You couldn't help but giggle softly as you once more outsmarted Ace, Deuce, and Grim. Sadly, for now, you had to put off convincing Riddle to actually execute people. You werenât paying attention to where you were going when you suddenly found yourself in the botanical garden. You followed the path when it was suddenly blocked off by Leona, who was sleeping right in the middle of your way. You could walk around him by stepping on the grass, but that was beneath you. Â Obviously, Leona should have foreseen your arrival and chosen a more considerate napping spot.
You closed in on the sleeping Housewarden of Savanclaw and nudged his arm with your foot. "Move out of the way, Leona."
Leona didnât stir at first. Typical. He always acted like the world owed him naps and no one had the right to disturb his precious sunbathing. You pressed your heel into his arm a little harder. "I said, move."
Leonaâs brow twitched, but he still didnât open his eyes.
You ground your heel in with a smirk. "Donât make me repeat myself again."
Slowly, Leonaâs eyes opened, narrowed by glaring sunlight and growing irritation. "Tch⊠Youâve got some nerve, herbivore," he said. His voice was thick with sleep and faint contempt. "Didnât anyone teach you not to poke a sleeping lion?"
You leaned down slightly, a shadow falling over your face. "Didnât anyone teach you not to get in the way of your future sovereign?"
That got his attention.
Leona raised an eyebrow and finally pushed himself halfway up. Gone were your usual flustered expressions, the polite deflections, and wary glances. No, this version of you held yourself like royalty. Mocking, cruel, and filled with simmering amusement. His eyes flicked over your face as realization slowly dawned that something was off.
"Did you hit your head or something?"
You let out an âhmphâ at this question, before raising your chin with regal flair. "Do I look like I am walking into trees or something?"
"Yes," Leona answered without hesitation.Â
You move your foot to kick him now, but despite the fact that Leona was sleeping just a second ago, his reflexes didnât lessen. He caught your foot mid-swing.
Leonaâs grip was firm. You could feel the power curled into his fingers as his hand wrapped around your ankle. The lazy smirk tugging at his lips was just short of taunting.
"Bad move," he said lowly. "Trying to kick a lion usually ends poorly for the idiot doing the kicking." He let out a yawn and stretched even as he held you caught. His sharp eyes never left your face.
You tried to pull your ankle out of his grip. "First you block my way, now you grab my foot? Let go, Leona!"
"And here I thought you were all bark," Leona said, not letting go of you. "What got into you, huh? Lost a bet? Drank something stupid?" His sharp eyes narrowed, watching you with intense focus now, curiosity sharpening into suspicion. "You donât smell cursedâŠ"
You finally jerked your leg free. You stepped back. "Donât just sniff me, you creep!"
"Creep?" Leona repeated. "For someone so high and mighty, you sure like flinging around childish insults."
You scoffed, brushing off the front of your uniform like his mere presence had sullied it. The disdain in your expression was purposeful. "Youâve always looked better at my feet, Leona. Itâs a shame your tongue isnât half as sharp as your instincts. You might be useful then."
"Cute act youâre putting on. Too bad I donât play fetch," Leona said before getting comfortable again, and closing his eyes.Â
You stare at him angrily for a few seconds, before deciding a stubborn lion deserved the stick treatment. So you walk away in hopes of finding one in the botanical garden. But instead you found something much better. There on the wall was the garden hose. Cats love playing with water, donât they? You thought as an evil little smirk found its way on your lips.Â
With the end of the garden hose in hand, you return to Leona. Leona recognized it was you by the sound of your steps. He didnât bother to look at you. "Back again? Did you begin to miss me already? Or just the sound of your own voice?"
"I suggest you move out of my way now."
By the tone of your voice, Leona could tell that you were planning something. He lazily opened one eye, before snapping both of them open when he saw the garden hose directed at him. "Donât even think-!"
You didnât let him finish his sentence. "Too late," you said before lifting your food from the hose. You had already turned the water on and used your foot to stop it. Now that your foot was gone, the water came out in an instant, comply soaking Leona, who was clearly caught off guard that you were actually going through with this.Â
When he tried to jump away like a startled kitty, you followed his movement with the garden hose.Â
"You little-!" His voice was rich with fury. He looked like a lion now. Really looked like one. Not lazy and lounging, but hunted, humiliated, and very, very ready to bite.
"Aww, poor Leona," you sang mockingly. "You should have gone out off my way when you still had the chance."
He took a slow step forward.
"Youâve got five seconds to drop that hose, herbivore," he said. His soaked shirt clung to his lean frame, muscles tensing beneath the fabric. "Five. Thatâs generous."
You didnât drop it. In fact, you aimed a little higher, blasting him in the face.
"That was for calling me a herbivore," you said sweetly, the grin on your lips practically made from malice. "I'm carnivorous now."
"Youâve got guts, Iâll give you that," he growled. His voice now a sharp contrast to his earlier laziness. "But you really donât know who youâre playing with."
You took a defiant step back, hose still in hand. "Oh, I know exactly who Iâm playing with. A prince who naps in flower beds and sulks over sibling envy. Tell me, Leona. Have you ever actually won anything without cheating or throwing a fit?"
That did it. In one swift motion, before you could blink, he was gone.
His speed was stunning, faster than youâd ever seen him move before. You let out a startled gasp, but it wasn't from fear, but from thrill. The game had escalated. Leona was behind you. He reached around you and grabbed the hose, twisting it so the icy water splashed straight into your face.Â
You sputtered as cold water hit your face. You were momentarily stunned by the abrupt reversal. The hose slipped from your grip as you instinctively raised your arms, shrieking in righteous outrage. Leonaâs chuckle grazed your ears as he catched the hose and kept the stream going a moment longer. Just to prove a point.
"You were saying?" he said mockingly, his voice now laced with satisfaction.
The water finally cut off with a firm twist of the faucet knob. Leona moved with the speed and precision of a predator whoâd been more than adequately provoked.
You stood there, soaked from head to toe, hair clinging to your forehead, uniform sagging with weight. Before you could scream at the smug Housewarden, you were cut of by a cheerful voice entering the botanical garden. "Leona, wake up! There is-"
It was Ruggie who came around the corner. He cut off his sentence when his eyes landed on the scene in front of him. Both you and Leona were completely drenched in water, and the water hose was lying on the ground.Â
 "âŠDid I miss a pool party or something?" Ruggie finally said, pawing awkwardly at the back of his neck.
Leona let out a sigh and turned his head toward Ruggie. His was voice dry as sand. "No, herbivore here got bored and decided to start a war."
You, still dripping and seething but refusing to show even a hint of defeat, crossed your arms and raised your chin defiantly. "I was merely doing some gardening. The pest problem got a little⊠bitey."
"Right," Ruggie muttered. "Iâm gonna assume this isn't some weird foreplay- whoa hey!" He ducked just in time as you, in a wonderfully petty display of villainy, lobbed the sopping hose at him. It hit the ground with a splat, spraying residual water.
"Watch your tongue," you said warningly.Â
Ruggie shakes off the few droplets that had splashed his way. "Okay, okay, sheesh. Message received. Someoneâs got a mood today."
Leona rubbed the back of his neck, glaring at you from under dripping bangs. "Moodâs one word for it." His eyes narrowed again, this time not with anger, but calculation. Whatever this was, it wasnât just you being cheeky. Something about your posture, your voice, the gleam in your eye wasn't like usual.Â
"Unlike some people, I donât rot under the sun like an unwatered shrub. Some of us have ambition," you said.
A new voice echoed through the garden. Jack entered. "Ruggie? Did you find Leona?" Like Ruggie before him, Jack looked at you and Leona in confusion. "What happened? Why are Leona and the Prefect soaked in water?"
Ruggie held up both hands in defense. "Donât look at me. I just got here." He eyed you warily, keeping a safe distance in case you decided to weaponize another garden tool.
"Leona was in my way. I simply removed the obstacle," you said, before you turned on your heel with a dramatic whip of your soaked hair, spraying droplets in a wide arc. "And now I have wasted enough time on this. I will take my leave."
SUMMARY: you were just trying to get some food when you are suddenly faced with a child who is freezing the cafeteria. but the most surprising thing was that he called you mother and has an undeniable resemblance to both yourself and malleus.
PAIRING: malleus draconia x reader
WARNINGS: biological children are implied and the usage of mother
It was time you put your foot down and stop your food from being stolen. Well, you didn't really put your foot down. You just told your friends that you would eat later in the cafeteria when they all went. It was a drastic measure, but you couldn't continue living like that.
Every time you, Deuce, Ace, and Grim ate together, you never got nearly enough food in your stomach, because Ace and Grim seemed to believe that your food was also their food.
So now you were on your way to have lunch on your own. Hopefully, someone you knew is also still there. Otherwise, it will be super awkward to sit at a table with a bunch of strangers. It will make you self-conscious of how you eat...
But it seems you didn't need to worry about eating right now.
A group of students came frantically running from the cafeteria, nearly knocking you over in the process. You barely got out of the way in time by stepping between two statues in the hallway.
One of your fellow students seemed to have the same idea, because he squeezed himself beside you, so he could catch his breath for a moment.
"What is going on? Why is everyone running?" you asked him, seizing the opportunity to get answers without needing to possibly get involved in the chaos.
The unknown student took a few heavy breaths before answering. "An attack! Someone is freezing the cafeteria. I think some students even got frozen."
"What?" You were in disbelief that it was really that bad. "Are you sure it's not just a prank from a few mischievous students or ghosts?"
"I know what I saw. That definitely wasn't a prank!" the student said, clearly offended youâd even suggest it.
You turned to the entrance of the cafeteria when you felt the temperature in the hallway drop. You couldn't see anything from your place. But you could feel the pressure of magic in the air. It felt powerful. So it must be true what the student said. But there were only a handful of things that could charge the air with this amount of magic.
"Was it an Overblot?" you asked the student, now sharing his panic.
"I don't know. Do you think I stayed long enough to check?" he snapped at you, before his voice returned to a more civilized tone. "I don't think I saw blot ink or a phantom anywhere... But does it even matter? We should get outta here and let someone else deal with whatever is in the cafeteria."
The student didn't wait for you and instead sprinted off. You wanted to follow, but stopped when you suddenly heard what sounded like the hysterical cry of a child.
Your breath hitched as the temperature dipped again, cold nipping at your cheeks and frosting the edges of the hallway tiles. The crack of ice spreading echoed faintly from the cafeteria doors. And then that cry came again.
Who would bring a child to Night Raven College? And why would they be alone?
The impulse to run warred with your instincts. But something about the sound rooted you in place. A chill that had nothing to do with ice crept up your spine.
So once again, throwing any sense of self-preservation out the window, you decided to investigate the cafeteria.
As you approached the entrance, a thin layer of ice curled and crept across the floor beneath your feet. The temperature was dropping as if the air itself recoiled with sadness.
And then you saw it.
The cafeteria doors were open, hanging slightly ajar, frost spiderwebbing from their hinges. The cafeteria was a frozen winter scene. Tables were rimmed with rime. Plates of forgotten lunches sat frozen mid-bite. Students who hadnât escaped in time were partially encased in thick magical ice. Thankfully, it didn't seem like they were injured. They are just trapped.
And in the center of it all, curled up and trembling within a growing circle of frost, was a boy.
He couldnât have been older than five or six. His hands covered his face as sobs wracked his tiny frame. You were struck by the sight of such a young child in this place. A child who seemed so out of place amidst the suffering he unintentionally caused.
The ice creeped outward with each of his hiccupping sobs, the magic surging with raw, unchecked emotion. His hair shared the same color as yours. Small horns peeked out from beneath the tousled locks. They were curved, and unmistakably draconic.
Your breath hitched.
Horns.
The resemblance to Malleus was impossible to ignore. Not just the horns, but also the gentle curve of the boyâs brow, and the elegant bone structure of his tear-stained face. But there was something in his eyes, when he finally looked up at you. They were wide, watery, and impossibly green. But lacking the sharp edge Malleus would have had. The boy's eyes were softer and his nose cute. That hit deeper.
Not like Malleus. Like... you.
You looked at the boy in silence for a few moments, not sure what to say. "Eh... Are you hurt?" you asked eventually your tone of voice awkward, as you tried to smile reassuringly at him.
The boy's big, round eyes were staring at you. He blinked a few times. "M-mother...?"
Huh?
Before you could ask or clarify anything, the boy ran toward you and launched himself into your arms. His tiny frame seemed to hide an impossible strength, because you felt like he would actually snap your spine if he hugged you any tighter. "Mother!!"
You were as frozen in place as the unfortunate students, who didn't get away in time. You didn't know how to handle this situation. You were pretty sure you didn't spawn a child in your time in Twisted Wonderland. The only thing coming close to a child you took care of was your ever-hungry cat-weasel companion. Certainly not a real breathing kid.
Despite your inexperience with children, you could tell that explaining to this traumatized, and very much powerful little boy, that you can't be his mother, wasn't a smart idea. So you just told yourself that he just called every woman 'mother'. That's something children do, right?
You patted the boys back in hopes his crushing grip on you would loosen at least a little. "There, there. Everything is fine."
Well, actually, nothing was fine, but you also needed the reassurance of your own words.
You gently pried his arms away enough to kneel down in front of him. "Can you tell me what happened here?"
"Everything was different and strange. Not like home. I was here, and there were so many people and-" His words were interrupted by a wrenching sob. "I was scared, and I didnât mean to! I just wanted you, but-b-but you werenât there, and then everyone started running and they yelled at me, and, and-"
As the coldness in the air heightens again, you rub the boy's shoulders gently, despite feeling slightly panicked that he might freeze the entire school. "It's fine. It's fine. You were just scared. No one will get angry with you," you smiled at him. "Do you maybe know a way to fix this?"
He shook his head. "No. Father always does."
"Well, it's not that important anyway. The Headmage will figure something out... Probably," you say when you saw his face twisting with guilt. Although you could feel the stare of a frozen student nearby, who definitely does not agree with you.
The boy nodded at your words.
You paused. You didnât even know his name. Just calling him 'boy' is certainly weird. "Say, do you remember your name?"
He looked at you in silence before suddenly beginning to cry again, leaving you very confused. "Why are you acting like you donât know me? I donât like this game!"
Someone seemed to be sensitive. While you had no experiments with children, Grim certainly taught you how to deal with sudden mood swings and tantrums. Although using tuna as a distraction probably won't work.
"But how can I be sure you are the real you and not a spy, if you won't tell me the right answer?" you replied playfully, poking his stomach. "So? What's your name?"
He giggled when you poked him and stopped crying. "You are being silly, Mother," he said. "My name is Maledor, of course!"
You nodded, as if you knew that as well. Hoping that he didn't turn the tables on you to test you, and said the wrong name. But certainly a child wouldn't do that, right?
"Aha! Maledor. Thatâs a perfectly real name. Youâre clear. No spy here."
You think about what you should do next. Seeing that no help or rescue had come in all this time, you could assume that none of the students who got away actually told the staff. You shouldnât be surprised by that. After all, this was a school full of self-centered and mischievous students.
You couldnât leave Maledor alone. And you had little faith that going to Crowley for help would do anything. He would end up dumping the work on you anyway, so you might as well search for a solution on your own, before Ramshackle gets a new member.Â
By Maledor's pointy ears and little horns, it wasnât hard to tell that he must be a fae. So, going to Diasomnia is probably the best course of action. Maybe someone there knew who this little boy belonged to. And maybe Malleus or Lilia can defreeze the cafeteria.Â
You took Maledor by the hand as you led him to the Diasomnia Dorm. Every so often, his grip would tighten, like he was making sure you wouldnât suddenly disappear. As soon as you went through the mirror and arrived on the bridge that led to the castle, which was the dorm, you could feel Maledor visibly relaxing.
"This is better! I like it here. It looks like home," he said with a cheerful voice. Seemed like you did good by bringing him here.Â
Right when you were about to enter the dorm, Sebek suddenly crossed your path. His sharp eyes fell upon Maledor. "Human! Why do you have a fae child with you?!" he demanded. Then somehow jumped to: "Have you kidnapped him?! Hand over the child at once!"
"When do you think I kidnapped a magical fae child, from its magical parents?" you shot back. "Do you think I walked to Briar Valley and back in an afternoon?"
Sebek didnât listen to your words to hung up on the idea that you kidnapped a child. Like that wasnât something faes usually did to humans, right?
"I said hand over the child!" he shouted, before trying to grab Maledor.
You didnât know why, but a sudden protective streak came over you, and you stepped in front of Maledor, blocking Sebeks' hand. "Donât just grab a child!"
Sebek recoiled, shock flickering across his face at your boldness. "Are you impeding one of Lord Malleus' loyal knights, human?"
Sebek tried to grab Maledor again, not listening to you. Maledor, on the other hand, obviously did not want to be grabbed by Sebek and was hiding further behind you, grabbing your jacket. "Mother, I donât want to goâŠ!"
When Maledor said that, Sebek paused. "M-Mother..?" he repeated, shocked. For a second, you think Sebek might actually let you explain the situation, but he immediately began shouting again. "How dare you steal away a fae child and then confuse it so much?! What wicked human trickery have you used?!"
You grit your teeth, trying hard not to let Sebek's ear-splitting accusations break your patience or your eardrums. "I didnât do anything to him! And can you not yell? Youâre scaring him." You glance at Maledor, who is now peeking nervously from behind your leg, clutching your jacket tightly.Â
Sebek falters only a split-second before putting himself between you and the entryway. This standoff would be comical if it werenât so tense. "I will not allow a potential kidnapper entrance to Prince Malleusâs domain!"
"Look, I didnât kidnap anyone," you said. "He appeared in the cafeteria, scared, and accidentally froze half the room. I thought someone in Diasomnia might recognize him or help fix the mess."
Sebekâs eyes darted from you to Maledor and back. "You expect me to take the word of a human? Of Night Ravenâs resident troublemaker?"
Sebek's next rant was kept short when suddenly Lilia appeared swinging between the two of you. You screamed. Then Sebek screamed. And Maledor giggled.Â
Lilia landed lightly between you and Sebek, his eyes glinting mischievously as always, although there was a subtle alertness there. "My, my. Such excitement at the gates! Am I crashing a secret meeting?" he laughed.
You tried to catch your breath. How did Lilia always manage to appear exactly when you least expected it? "Lilia! Donât sneak up like that," you gasped, half-laughing but mostly frazzled.
Sebek, who was embarrassed for also screaming, now tried to act as if he didnât. "L-Lilia! The Prefect has procured a fae child and refuses to answer for it!"
"Oh? My, what an adorable little visitor we haveâŠ" Lilia said, studying Maledorâs face with recognition. He seemed to be delighted by Maledor.Â
"Uncle Lilia!" Maledor said, before coming out from behind you.Â
"Uncle?" you repeated, flabbergasted as you watched Maledor and Lilia interact as if they were long-lost family. "Do you know Maledor, Lilia?"
Liliaâs smile widened, a spark of mischief glittering in his eyes as he knelt down to Maledorâs level. "Of course I know this one," he said. "Itâs been some time since weâve had such a precious visitor from, shall we say, afar."
Maledorâs worry seemed to melt under Liliaâs reassurance. "Uncle Lilia, whereâs Father?" he sniffled, rubbing at his eyes. "Everythingâs scary and cold."
You blinked, looking between the two of them, feeling very much like youâd accidentally walked into someone elseâs family reunion in the middle of things. "Wait, you really do know him?" you asked Lilia, carefully keeping your voice level.Â
Meanwhile, Sebek had gone uncharacteristically quiet, torn between his usual outrage and a suspicion that something much bigger than an abduction was happening.
Lilia stood up. His gaze softened as he addressed Maledor. "Donât worry, Maledor. Your father is very busy today, as are all great kings-in-training. Why donât you stay with your-" Liliaâs eyes danced over to you, and the corners of his mouth twitched as if privately amused by some secret. "beloved caretaker for now? Iâm sure theyâll keep you safe."
Sebek straightened, suspicion not quite dispelled. "Are you certain, Sir, that the Prefect has not enchanted this child into believing-"
"Sebek," Lilia interjected. "Surely you would not accuse our dear Prefect of such underhanded magic?"
Sebekâs mouth opened and closed, before he replied. "IâŠI would never dare suggest you are incapable of seeing through such tricks, Sir! But this situation is most unusual. We must consider the safety of Prince Malleus. And yet the Prefect is still refusing to offer a proper explanation!"
Sebek puffed out his chest but glanced uneasily at Maledor, who peeked from behind you, still clutching your jacket. Despite his horns and emerald eyes, Maledor looked anything but menacing. Nevertheless, Sebek clung to the role of vigilant sentinel.
You took a deep breath, trying not to get annoyed. "I already told you that I found Maledor in the cafeteria, scared and alone. I donât know anything else. And anyway, if he were out to get Malleus, freezing the cafeteria wouldnât exactly be subtle, right? And who would send a child in the first place?"
Sebek seemed ready to continue his barrage of suspicions, but Lilia only chuckled. He bent down, gently patting Maledorâs shoulder while casting a reassuring glance your way. "I think what we all need right now is some warmth and a calm mind. The hallway is no place for important discussions or guests. Why not bring our little visitor and the prefect inside? Come, letâs have tea. We can sort out facts and fancies over something sweet, hm?"
Maledorâs eyes brightened at the mention of sweets. He nodded, tugging lightly at your sleeve as if afraid youâd vanish again.Â
All of you headed inside. When Lilia offered to brew the tea and bring some sweets, you immediately volunteered to do it instead. After all, the first rule to surviving a visit to Diasomnia was: Never eat or drink something Lilia made.Â
"Iâll handle the tea," you say quickly before Liliaâs hand can get anywhere near the kettle. Your voice is a bit brighter than usual, and you offer a smile to Lilia thatâs ninety percent nerves and ten percent sincere gratitude.
"Oh, are you sure? I was hoping to try a new blendâŠ" Lilia said.
"I insist," you reply, perhaps more quickly than you mean to. "Itâs the least I can do after all the chaos."
After returning to the lounge room with the tea and sweets, you all sit down. Maledor is quick to take a seat beside you, while Lilia has to urge Sebek to sit down as well instead of standing guard by the windows.Â
Steam rose from the cups you carefully poured. Maledor watched you, swinging his little feet under the chair, his misery momentarily forgotten in anticipation of sweets.
As you sit down as well, Maledor asked. "Can I take a cookie, Mother?"
The repeated use of the title 'mother' still caught you off guard every time, as did Maledor asking you if he was allowed to eat a cookie. You nodded eventually. "Yeah, sure."
Maledorâs face lit up as you granted him permission. He snatched a cookie with both hands and promptly stuffed half of it into his mouth, crumbs dotting his cheeks as he beamed triumphantly.
"Say, Maledor," Lilia began, tone filled with curiosity. "it must have been quite an adventure to find yourself here, hm? Do you remember anything? Anything at all about how you arrived at the cafeteria, or where you were before?"
Maledor looked down, chewing his cookie with squirrel-like intensity. Then, after a moment's hesitation, he swung his legs and frowned in concentration. "I⊠I was in the castle. Not this one⊠my home. Father was teaching me magic because I wanted to be big! Like him. And thenâŠThere was this bright green light, all swirly. It was so pretty, but it got really loud and windy. I called for you." he looked up at you. "But I couldnât find you or Father, and then I was here. It was scary. I didnât like it. I just wanted to go home."
You picked up a napkin when you saw that Maledor had finished eating. You cleaned his chocolate-covered fingers and mouth. To which Maledor reacted with a 'Thank you, mother,' after you were done.Â
Sebek, in the meantime, asked. "Who is your father? Can you say his name?"
Maledor brightened, as if relieved to be asked something simple. "My Father is Malleus! Malleus Draconia."
You barely had time to process Maledorâs answer before the tea caught in your throat, a cough sputtering out of you in disbelief. You blinked hard, as if somehow the world would flicker and correct itself. Instead, the bright-eyed boy just looked up at you, awaiting your response with absolute trust.
Liliaâs eyes sparkled with a private, knowing delight, a sly grin playing at the corners of his mouth as he watched the chaos unfold with all the satisfaction of someone who had seen the punchline coming a mile away.
Sebek, on the other hand, was completely stunned. The rigid guard posture dissolved into total shock. His mouth dropped open, then snapped shut in a series of fishlike gasps. He gripped his teacup so tightly it threatened to snap in half. He blinked, then searched Maledorâs face. His gaze darted between the delicate, unmistakable horns and those deep, green eyes. For a second, you wondered if Sebek was about to faint. "Malleus⊠Draconia?" he finally choked out. "Impossible! The Young Master has no offspring! There must be a mistake. Some⊠imposter trickery!"
"Wait, wait," you managed, gesturing rapidly between Maledor and Sebek. "Hold on, Maledor. You said your father is Malleus Draconia. You mean, the Malleus? Diasomniaâs Malleus? Tall, horns, kind of brooding, makes storms when heâs in a mood: Malleus?"
Maledor blinked up at you. His head cocked with innocent confusion, as if he couldnât comprehend why you were asking something so obvious. "Of course, Father is Malleus Draconia!" he said, the words sounding so simple, so certain, as if youâd just asked him whether he liked cookies. "You know that, Mother⊠Why are you pretending?"
You sat, frozen in your seat, Maledorâs certainty striking through you more powerfully than any ice he could have summoned. Your brain scrambled wildly for any logical explanation. Was this a trick? A dream? Did the world flip upside down when you werenât looking?
"IMPOSSIBLE!" Sebek barked, jumping up so quickly his chair almost fell. "You must be mistaken! The Young Master does not have, could not have, a child without telling his loyal knights!" He pointed a finger at you. "And you, Prefect! What have you done to this child?!"
"I swear, Iâm not lying!" you answered, finally finding your voice. "I didnât do anything to Maledor. He called me mother from the start. Before I even knew his name!"
Sebek, torn between devotion and confusion, snapped. "This cannot be! The Young Master would never keep such secrets. AndâŠ" His mind worked frantically. "The time makes no sense! My Liege and the Prefect⊠you⊠are not even married!"
You flushed, mortified and indignant. "Excuse you! Weâre not anything." You glanced at Maledor, lowering your voice. "Not like that. Just friends, really."
Lilia clapped his hands softly, his voice clear and sure in the commotion. "No need for dramatics. You know, Sebek, sometimes the wind brings secrets from times yet to come. Briar Valley holds many old mysteries, does it not?"
Sebek bristled, trying to regain composure. "Sir Lilia, with all respect, how can we trust-"
Lilia cut him off with a gentle but authoritative voice. "Sebek, look at the child." Lilia turned to Maledor. "You were frightened, werenât you? Do you remember any enchantments or trickery? Did anyone put strange ideas in your head?"
Maledor shook his head. "No. I just wanted Mother. And Father." He glanced sidewise at you, hope flickering in his green eyes. "Iâm not lying. I promise."
Lilia patted his shoulder. "Of course youâre not. Sometimes things happen that even us grown-ups do not immediately understand. Time, magic, fate. I think our little prince here is simply⊠lost between stories."
"But what does that mean, Lilia?" you asked for clarification, not being able to wrap your head around this situation. "Is Maledor truly Malleus... And myâŠ" You didn't finish your sentence with 'child'. It just sounded too weird.Â
"Sometimes, the river of time chooses curious eddies," Lilia mused with a gentle smile. "A leaf from tomorrow might find itself drifting among the branches of today. If itâs not a trick, not a spell, and not a childâs tale, perhaps we must accept that sometimes, the world permits a riddle to live before its answer."
You stared, mouth poised between laughter and a plea for sanity. "Are you saying⊠heâs from the future?" The words felt ridiculous as they left your lips.
Lilia shrugged lightly. "Magic has never cared much for clocks or calendars. Wouldnât be the first time something important arrived a little ahead of schedule."
While you were still trying to wrap your head around this, Sebek seemed to accept Lilias' words in a split second. "My LiegesâŠ" Sebekâs voice faltered, then swelled with fervor. "My Liege's heir! Of course! There can be no other explanation befitting Prince Malleusâs unparalleled greatness! Only Prince Malleus, scion of the glorious Draconia line, could sire such a prodigy! Such strength, such majesty, even at such a young age. Freezing the entire cafeteria! Behold, the testament of our great lordâs power!"
"You are the proof of Prince Malleusâs supremacy. Even time itself cannot contain his legacy!" he gushed. "A scion born of unmatched power and noble heritage! To think, I am in the presence of my Liege's heir -his magnificent progeny!"
"Forgive me, young prince!" He dropped to one knee before Maledor, completely ignoring you now, and offered a bow so deep it was a miracle he didnât hit his head on the floor. "Forgive me for doubting your identity for even a second. I, Sebek Zigvolt, am at your service, just like I am at your glorious father's service!"
Sebekâs 180-degree turn gave you mental whiplash. Two minutes ago, he was about to lock you up for kidnapping a child. And now he was praising Maledor as if he was the second coming of Jesus. And anyway, where was your praise? After all, if Maledor was yours and Malleus's child, you had also contributed half to this cute little boy.
No, on a second thought, you'd rather not be the subject of Sebekâs loud and lavish praise. You were still in denial about all of this. Honestly, you were just surprised by Sebekâs sudden turn. Like, wasnât he super concerned that Malleus and you werenât even married a second ago? As if Sebek thinks children could only be conceived if their parents really love each other and wish for one. He was so innocent.Â
"This must be announced at once! The other knights deserve to weep at this glory. Everyone in Diasomnia needs to know. No, the entire College must know. Briar Valley must be informed. And the Young Master!"
Sebekâs words left you even more mortified than the entire situation already did. You are vaguely wishing the frosted cafeteria had swallowed you whole. You couldnât face Malleus right now. What were you supposed to say? You rather die than face that embarrassment.Â
"No! We canât tell anyone! Especially not Malleus," you interrupted in a voice that could rival Sebeks, before clearing your throat and continuing in a normal voice. "What I mean is, how are we going to explain this? Like, no one is going to believe that a child just showed up from the future, right? They will think Malleus had a secret love child or something."
"I canât keep the Young Master in the dark about his own flesh and blood. It is my knightly duty to inform him about everything that is happening in his absence!"
Sebek, as always, did not listen, and Lilia was just enjoying the drama for now. In a burst of desperation, you grabbed a cupcake and threw it across the table at Sebek. He stood there, utterly stunned. A thick glob of icing clung to his cheek and crumbs slided down his jacket. He blinked, still processing your audacious cupcake attack. Meanwhile, Maledor, not understanding anything, laughed at that.
"Seems like you canât go to Malleus now. You wouldnât stand before your Liege covered in icing, right?" you said, trying to buy time.
"H-How dare you assault one of Prince Malleusâs loyal knights with pastries, human!" he barked.Â
The feeling that you brought the situation under control immediately vanished when the door opened. There, calmly and tall, stood the regal figure of Malleus, as if the universe liked seeing your misery. Those sharp green eyes found you immediately and lingered for a breath before shifting to Maledor.
"Father!" Maledorâs cry rang bright and clear. His little legs scrambed down from the chair. He rushed to Malleus with unerring speed, arms stretched wide open.
Malleus knelt smoothly. His regal composure melting enough to open his arms and receive the child -his child- into a gentle embrace. "So it was you I sensed. A presence so like my own, yet unlike any I have felt before."
Heat flooded your face as the initial shock passed. Your first instinct was to bolt from sheer embarrassment. Somehow, you managed to find your voice. "Youâre not surprised, Malleus?"
"Surprised?" he repeated "No, not at all. I recognized the resonance of my own magic the moment Maledor appeared." He regarded you calmly. "You seem greatly unsettled. Is it so shocking to you?"
"I mean, yeah! Everyone would be shocked," you replied honestly.
"You truly cannot feel it?" Malleus asekd. "Even now, the air shimmers with our blood intertwined. A melody only you and I could create."
You thought about his words for a moment. Putting it like that, you suppose you did feel something. Although definitely not as clear as Malleus did. "Still, shouldnât we be more concerned?"
"Concern is natural. But you underestimate the strength of the Draconia blood. And your own as well. Our child would never be so easily lost to time without reason. He will return," Malleus said, voice absolute. "The magic that called him here is already unraveling."
"So the problem will fix itself?" you question. That sounded like better circumstances than most problems you have run into in Twisted Wonderland. "Everything will go back to normal soon?"
Malleus nodded. "Yes. This visit, while precious, is unintended. The magic that summoned him here is unstable and will not last much longer. The world has its ways of correcting itself."
Some of the tension in your chest loosened at his certainty.
Lilia, barely restraining a wide grin, chimed in. "It seems time itself favors your union, hmm?"
Your face went hot again, just as your flustered heart was about to calm down a little. "Y-You canât just say something like that out of nowhereâŠ!" you stuttered. Your voice sounded more like a nervous squeak.Â
"But it's a wonderful thing, isn't it?" Lilia replied. Beneath his light tone, you could sense the sincerity in his eyes. Like a guardian who is relieved to see his forsterling in good hands.Â
Malleus regarded Lilia for a moment, then turned back to you, his emerald gaze gentle but searching. "Does it trouble you?" he asked. "If such a future would come to pass would it be so unwelcome?"
Despite your flustered state it didnât take long for you to shook your head. "No⊠It wouldn't be unwelcome."
Maledor, oblivious to the tension and simply happy to be near both his parents, studied your face. He shuffled over from Malleusâs embrace and returned to your side, hugging you tightly enough to drive the air from your lungs. "Your face is all red, Mother! When Sebek gets red he gets loud. When Mother gets red she gets quiet," he commented, which made you only more flustered. "I think ice cream makes everything better. Can we eat ice cream?"
You softly pinch Maledor's cheek. "I think someone already had enough sugar for a day with all the cookies and cupcakes."
Maledorâs smile faltered for half a second, his wide eyes shimmering with a betrayed kind of innocence that only a child could muster. Then, with all the cunning of someone whoâd clearly inherited far too much of Malleusâs intelligence and dramatic tendencies, he turned slowly toward his father.
Malleus tilted his head. His expression was calm and unreadable. Maledorâs lip trembled just enough to be convincing. "Father..." he began, voice so heart-wrenchingly sweet it couldâve earned him ten free sundaes anywhere in Twisted Wonderland. "Mother said no to ice cream."
The underlying message was clear: Mother rejected me. Only you can right this cruel injustice, Father.
"A most tragic betrayal," Malleus said solemnly. "To be denied joy by oneâs own mother. This is indeed a grievous matter."
"Are you siding with him?" you asked, eyes darting from dragon fae to dragon fae. "Heâs a little sugar gremlin who just weaponized his cuteness!"
"I am merely acknowledging his diplomatic tact," Malleus replied with a perfectly neutral expression, though the slight twitch of his lips betrayed his amusement. He patted Maledorâs hair, then gently guided him back to your side. "A future prince must know how to plead his case with grace and strategic flair."
"Donât encourage him," you grumbled, though your lips tugged up in spite of yourself. This entire situation defied logic and physics, maybe even sanity, but somehow... it wasn't as terrifying as it first seemed, not with the way Malleus stood beside you like an unwavering anchor in a storm, and how Maledor leaned against you like he had always belonged there.
"He encourages me," Maledor beamed up at his father.
"I do," Malleus agreed without hesitation.
"I manipulate Mother."
"You do," Malleus affirmed with serene approval.
"You are literally both saying the scheme out loud while Iâm right here!" you pointed out. "Youâre not supposed to straight-up say itâs manipulation!"
"Donât worry, Father. Mother always forgives you when you hug her from behind. You do that a lot in the future," Maledor said to comfort Malleus after seeing your grumpy reaction.
Your soul nearly left your body.
Malleus blinked. Then turned to look at you intensely.
You snapped your head toward the child in horror. "Maledor!"
"What?" he asked, blinking up at you with wide, guileless eyes. "Itâs true. When you get all âgrumpy-grumblyâ and tell Father to leave you alone, Father just hugs you from behind, really slow and gentle, and you get all red and mutter something like, 'You know I canât stay mad at you.'"
"Slow and gentle, you say," Malleus repeated. His expression was thoughtful, as if he was memorizing every word Maledor said. "Hmm. So gentle physical affection dissolves your irritation. I will need to remember that approach."
"That is not the takeaway here!" you interrupted.
"I am merely collecting useful knowledge of what pleases my future consort," Malleus responded smoothly. With almost academic intrigue. "Maledorâs insights are quite enlightening."
Sebekâs complexion was caught somewhere between ghostly pale and tomato red. "Y-Young Prince! This is hardly appropriate information to share in a public setting!"
Maledor blinked at Sebek, completely unbothered. "But Sebek, you said itâs a knightâs duty to speak the truth and uphold honor. Iâm just being helpful."
"Yes, but there are degrees of helpfulness...! Some truths are best kept private, especially when discussing the... the subtle... the-" Sebek finally broke eye contact and wheezed, "hugging techniques."
"I agree! We should just stop talking about this," you agreed, hoping the embarrassment would be over now, but then something came to your mind. "No, wait. It is only fair if you also share embarrassing things about Malle- Eh, your Father, Maledor."
Sebek, still recovering from the previous exchange, audibly gasped. "Y-young prince! The Young Master is above embarrassment!"
"No, heâs not," you said flatly.
"Well, Mother says itâs fair," Maledor chirped. "So. When youâre not around, Father gets really weird."
"Weird?" Malleus repeated. His tone remained level, but one graceful brow arched inquisitively.
"Mhmm. Sometimes he just stands in the hallway. Just... standing. Staring out a window. All dramatic and sad," Maledor said before adding brightly. "Oh, and when you come back, even if itâs just from the bathroom, he teleports to your side and says 'Ah, as I suspected, the world only feels whole in your presence again.'"
Malleus remained unshaken, which somehow made it worse. "There is no shame in expressing adoration," he said. "Is it so strange, to long for the presence of the one who stirs your soul?"
Somehow, your idea backfired on you. Not only was Malleus not the least bothered by Maledor's revelations, you are even more flustered now. You didnât even know what to say, but thankfully Maledor filled the silence again.Â
"And one time. Mother kissed Fatherâs cheek right before a council meeting, and he smiled the whole time. The old scary ministers freaked out and thought Father was about to declare war because he never smiles like that during council."
"Alright, that's enough glimpses into the future!" you interrupted hastily, cutting off any further soul-exposing anecdotes. "Didnât you say you wanted ice cream, Maledor?"
"Yes, ice cream!" Maledor shouted excitedly.Â
"If it pleases the young prince, I shall fetch the finest ice cream the college kitchens offer," Sebek declared utterly serious, though his face was still visibly red from the "inappropriate" things Maledor revealed.Â
Lilia, who looked like he was thriving in this chaos, leaned back in his chair, arms crossed behind his head. "This might be the most entertaining thing Iâve seen in a hundred years. And I fought a manticore while wearing a tutu once."
"...Why?" you couldnât help asking.
"There was a wager. Long story." He winked.
You just accepted what Lilia said without further questions. In a room together with your future child, that just appeared out of thin air, Lilia might still be the biggest enigma.Â
You all find your seats at the table again. It didnât take long for Sebek to arrive with the ice cream. Maledorâs eyes sparkled as he eyed the huge bowl full of brightly-colored ice cream that you placed in front of him. Despite his eagerness, he still waited quietly until you gave him permission to begin eating. Seated beside him, Malleus also seemed to enjoy his bowl of ice cream with quiet contentment. You had the suspicion that he also wanted one from the beginning.Â
As you also began eating your ice cream, you began to really process what was happening. Does this encounter mean that your future was now predestined? Does this mean you will stay in Twisted Wonderland and never find a way back home to your world? Will you become the consort of one of the most powerful mages in the whole world, reigning beside him? They were all worthy, existential questions, but one in particular rose above the rest in your mind.Â
"Wait. Isnât it a thing that dragon faes hatch from eggs? So⊠does that mean I'm going to lay an egg someday? Or is this a seahorse type of situation, and Malleus will lay the egg?"
The room was silent for a moment, but before anyone could answer that very crucial question, Sebek raised his voice. "Seahorse? How dare you compare the Great Malleus Draconia with an unremarkable creature such as a seahorse?!"
While a new round of chaos broke out on the table, Silver probably just woke up wondering why Sebek never came to wake him up for his guard duty. And the frozen students are till waiting for help.
After you had left your minions with Crowley, you were now on your way to the cafeteria. Of course, you already had the perfect idea for taking over Sage Island, but first, you needed something to eat. After all, no wicked mastermind was able to scheme with an empty stomach.
Perhaps you should also use this opportunity to look and listen for better henchmen. Ace, Deuce, and Grim were clearly insufficient.
Your path was suddenly cut off as Cater and Trey came around the corner.
"Yahoo, are you also heading to the cafeteria?" Cater asked in a cheerful voice.
You nodded briefly in response before Trey looked behind you. "Oh, are you out by yourself?" he asked, "Where are Ace and Deuce?"
"Right. You three are usually always together," Cater commented.
You couldn't help but furrow your brows. You didn't like the fact that apparently it was your reputation that you went everywhere with Ace and Deuce. As if you couldn't function on your own. It was bad for your evil image to be seen with those idiots all the time. You really should find better henchmen very quickly.
You straightened your posture, letting your gaze sweep over the two Heartslabyul students. "I donât require an entourage to walk down the hallway," you replied coolly, voice laced with a new, imperious edge. "Unlike certain people, I can function perfectly well on my own."
Cater blinked, thrown off by your frosty tone. "Ooh, someoneâs feeling extra spicy today! Did you had a fight with Ace and Deuce or something?"
You shoot Cater a sharp look. "Do I look like someone who'd be wasting their time arguing with these idiots? Their incompetence is tiring."
"So it's that bad, huh..." Trey muttered, clearly convinced that you three had a fight, " The Cafeteria must be packed to the brim with hungry students by now. Why don't you come with us to the Heartslabyul Dorm? There are a few tarts I'm not sure which type is the best for the next un-birthday party."
You were thinking about the options you now have. While the cafeteria will have more potential underlings, it will also be harder to find good ones. The Heartslabyul students, on the other hand, love following rules. The chance of finding worthy underlings is much higher there. Although Ace and Deuce, who are also in that dorm, were disappointments, you were willing to try again.
"Very well," you said. "Lead the way. I suppose I can spare a moment to help with your little dilemma."
As you followed Trey and Cater to the Heartylabyul Dorm, you took a closer look at the two of them. Would they be worthy subordinates? But one closer look is enough to make you discard the idea. Trey was a goody two-shoes, and Cater gave you the impression that he's one of those people who can only follow a 30-second Magicam video if there's a random car driving video at the bottom.
As you entered the kitchen, the smell of Trey's freshly baked tarts immediately caught your attention. It didn't take long for Trey to present his baking to you.
You eye the tarts, but your mind is elsewhere. As Trey busies himself with the oven and Cater snaps a quick Magicam photo, you scan the room for potential recruits. But no one besides you three was here at the moment.
Time passed, and you just sat there and, well... ate tarts. This is not how you had imagined the beginning of your villainous reign. But regardless of how you felt about Trey, you couldn't deny that he was an excellent baker. Once you seize control, you should definitely make him your personal baker.
You were halfway done with your current piece of tart when sharp steps could be heard approaching the door of the kitchen. It was opened by no one other than Riddle. His posture was as always incredibly straight, that just seeing it made your back hurt. "Is there a reason for this gathering in the dorm's kitchen?" Riddle asked.
"Riddle, good timing," Trey said, "We were just sampling a few tarts for the next unbirthday party. I thought it might be a good idea to get some outside opinion."
Trey gave Riddle a look before the latter nodded understandingly. "Very well. It is important to ensure only the best is served."
Cater chimed in, "You should totally join us, Riddle! Who better to judge Heartslabyulâs signature treat?"
"Shouldn't we fetch a stepladder then? Otherwise, Riddle won't be able to reach the countertop," you said meanspirited, "The countertop must look like a mountain from your point of view, Riddle."
At your words, Cater failed to suppress a snort. He tried to hide his reaction behind his phone. While Trey's eyes widen in shock. Riddle on the other end clenched his jaw. His lips formed a thin line, and his face flushed red. "I will let you know that men can still grow well within their twenties."
"I am sure that's what you are telling yourself every night," you continued.
"Height is hardly a measure of oneâs worth," Riddle said, voice tight but striving for dignity. "Nor does it determine a personâs capability or⊠suitability."
You arched a brow, a smirk tugging at your lips. "If you say so, Riddle. Though I imagine youâd be more convincing if you werenât standing on your tiptoes."
You saw how Riddle straightened his back further, as if he might grow a few inches through sheer power of will.
Trey cleared his throat, intervening. "Letâs not get sidetracked," Trey looks at you, "Which tart did you like best?â He slid a plate closer, hoping to distract you from further comments.
You glanced at the tarts, but your attention lingered on Riddle, savoring the discomfort. "I suppose one can never go wrong with strawberry."
"Well, I think all of them are Magicam-worthy, but the prefect's opinion is the one that matters, right, Riddle?" Cater said.
Riddle looks at you before he quickly looks away. "If they approve, then thatâs the one weâll serve."
The kitchen went silent, except for the clinking of forks as you ate. It was Cater who broke the silence first. "This totally calls for a selfie! #tarttesting."
As soon as Cater raised his phone, you gave him a sharp look. "Over my dead body. If you snap a picture, I will break your phone."
Cater yelped, his hand immediately freezing in midair. "Whoa, okay, no selfie. Rule understood," he said, lowering the phone.
As Trey tried to lighten the mood again, you didn't listen to his words. They were probably unimportant. Just like Trey himself. Instead, your eyes narrowed on Riddle, while it was certainly entertaining to make fun of him (just looking at him made you think of countless short people puns) a far more important thought crossed your mind. Maybe Riddle would make for a good underling. He had anger issues., loved rules and would never steal your spotlight. Also, his signature spell was certainly worth discussing.
You interrupted whatever Trey was talking about. "Riddle, your signature spell is really impressive," you said cheerfully, as if you hadn't shattered his self-confidence a few seconds ago.
Your unexpected and sudden praise knocked Riddle a little off balance. For a second, confusion flickered across his features. Then, ever so slightly, he straightened, chest expanding as if his pride had been poured back in with a single, well-chosen compliment. "Well, yes. It is a mark of discipline and mastery. Most students are unable to achieve a spell of that caliber. It is only befitting that I, as the dorm leader of Heartslabyul, have mastered it."
"Certainly," you replied. You rest your chin on your hand as you look at Riddle, "But don't you think it would be more efficient if it actually decapitates its targets, instead of just collaring them?"
Riddleâs eyes widened at your nonchalant suggestion. "That would be barbaric!" he stammered. "The collar is a symbol of order, not⊠gruesome execution!"
With a smile on your face, you scoot closer to Riddle. "But wouldn't an actual warning be more effective than just a little symbolic gesture?" you leaned in closer, "Imagine all the people who love breaking rules would think twice about ever doing it again. Your signature spell would be so much more impressive."
Riddle may have prided himself on composure, but in this moment, his rigid posture faltered just slightly as you leaned in. Your voice was low and silkily persuasive. Riddle could barely process your words. You were so close that he could feel your breath on his cheek.
For one charged moment, you wondered if he'd actually start entertaining the idea; after all, with enough persuasion, even the proudest rule-maker could become a tool for chaos.
"Itâs out of the question!" Riddle managed to say, "The Queenâs rules donât condone violence for its own sake!"
"Oh, really? Didn't the Queen of Hearts literally decapitate people, though?" you said. "It would be so poetic."
"Perhaps there is some truth to your words..." Riddle muttered eventually.
Cater, who was busy scrolling through his magicam feed, now realized the seriousness of the conversation happening across from him. He edged closer to Trey, whispering to him. "Did the prefect really just suggest that? And does it look only to me like Riddle is considering the idea?"
Trey cleared his throat and slid another tart in front of you, trying to prevent the possibility of the events from the beginning of the year happening again. "How about we focus on constructive feedback for the party? No beheading required," he suggested with a forced smile.
"I think a public execution is required for any good party," you replied, but you were never able to elaborate on the importance of public execution, as the door of the kitchen was forcefully pushed open, revealing your left behind underlings, Deuce, Ace, and Grim. They were completely out of breath. When they saw you in the magicam post Cater uploaded, they immediately came sprinting here.
"Step back from the prefect. Their evil!" Ace shouted while trying to block the door with his arms, so you won't be able to escape again.
Trey raised his hands in a calm gesture. "Now, now, we know you three had a fight, but that's hardly a way to treat someone."
"Are you serious? They are literally evil. Just look!" Ace insisted.
"There was a potion accident that altered the prefect's personality," Deuce quickly explained, looking sincerely anxious.
Ace shoot a bewildered look at Trey and Cater. "How were you guys not able to tell? They are completely different,"
"Oh, I thought it was an image change. No judgment here for trying out new things," Cater commented.
"That explains a lot, actually," Trey said, tone thoughtful as he considered your earlier morbid suggestions.
Riddle, meanwhile, had gone oddly quiet. There was a small, self-satisfied smile playing at the corner of his lips after hearing Ace and Deuces' explanation. He looked almost pleased, relieved in fact, as the realization dawned that perhaps your earlier string of short jokes was not a reflection of your actual feelings, but instead merely the result of your new evil alignment.
Deuce stepped forward. "The potion did something! Prefect, you have to fight it! You canât just be⊠well, evil." He looked almost hurt, as if the real crime was your snark, not your nefarious plans.
"Stop being dramatic. I never felt better," you said dismissively, "Why are you even here? I understand that you three are completely lost without my guidance, but I think I have made it clear that I don't require your service any longer. Get lost."
"Weâre not going anywhere! Youâre not yourself," Deuce said, stepping into your path, blocking any potential escape. "Youâre our friend. Even if you donât remember it right now."
"Yeah!" Grim agreed. He raised his little paws with a determined expression, "And if anything, the Great Grim is the boss of this group. Without me, you three would be completely lost."
"You are the one who is getting us into trouble all the time. Just look what your potion caused." Ace interjected, "And clearly I am the boss."
As Ace and Grim were arguing over who was the boss, and Deuce tried to dissolve their bickering so they could all focus on the task at hand again, you seized the opportunity and slipped away again.
Watching as Ace, Deuce, and Grim try to sprint after you, after noticing your disappearance, something came to Cater's mind: "So I guess the moral of the story is that only someone evil would make jokes about short people."
How the Twisted Wonderland Characters look at you (Part 2):
INCLUDES: trey clover, cater diamond, leona kingscholar, jack howl, ruggie bucchi, jade leech, lilia vanrouge, grim, dire crowley, divus crewel, mozus trein, ashton vargas, sam
WARNINGS: none
NAVIGATION: Twisted Wonderland Masterlist | Part 1 (all the other characters)
â€ïž Trey Clover â€ïž
Like youâre his favorite taste-tester â Treyâs the reliable big brother of Heartslabyul, and he loves baking for others. But when it comes to trying new recipes, youâre always his first choice. He values your honest feedback, and he always makes sure to save you the best piece.
â€ïž Cater Diamond â€ïž
Like youâre his ultimate selfie buddy â Cater is all about capturing the moment, and youâre his favorite subject. Heâll drag you into every group photo, send you silly filters, and make sure youâre always included in his Magicam stories. With you, every day is picture-perfect, and he loves showing the world how much fun you have together.
đ Leona Kingscholar đ
Like youâre the only one worth waking up for â Leona is notorious for his laziness and disdain for most people, but somehow youâre the exception. Heâll grumble and complain, but if you ask him to join you for lunch or help you study, heâll actually get up (eventually). Heâll never admit it, but youâre the one person he doesnât mind sharing his precious nap time with.
đ Jack Howl đ
Like youâre his packmate â Jack is fiercely loyal and protective, and he canât help but treat you like youâre part of his pack. Heâll walk you home, carry your books, and glare at anyone who even thinks about bothering you. Heâs not great with words, but his actions speak volumes: youâre important to him, and heâll always have your back.
đ Ruggie Bucchi đ
Like youâre the jackpot he never expected â Ruggieâs used to scraping by and looking out for himself, but with you, he feels like heâs finally hit the jackpot. You make even the most mundane days feel special, and he finds himself wanting to spoil you with little treats (even if he has to âborrowâ them from Leonaâs stash). Youâre the rare treasure he never thought heâd find.
đ Jade Leech đ
Like youâre a fascinating specimen â Jade is always calm and collected, but you intrigue him more than any rare mushroom. He loves observing your reactions, testing your limits, and seeing how you handle the unexpected. You never quite know if heâs teasing you or being sincere, but you canât deny that his attention makes you feel oddly special.
đ Lilia Vanrouge đ
Like you are his favorite mischief partner â Lilia has seen centuries of chaos and fun, but ever since you arrived, heâs discovered a whole new world of pranks and laughter. Whether youâre in on his latest scheme or unwittingly the target, he finds your reactions endlessly entertaining. Heâs always ready with a sly grin and a playful wink, delighted to see how youâll surprise him next.
Bonus:
đŸ Grim đŸ
Like youâre his partner-in-crime (and snack time) â Grim might act like heâs the boss, but deep down, he knows youâre a team. Whether youâre dodging trouble, cleaning up magical disasters, or just sharing a can of tuna, he always wants you by his side. Heâll loudly declare that heâs the star, but if anyone messes with you, theyâll have to answer to his anger management issues and tendency to burn things. After all, whatâs a great mage without their trusty human sidekick?
đŠDire CrowleyđŠ
Like youâre his greatest âsuccess storyâ â Crowley is quick to claim credit for your successes and even quicker to disappear when chaos erupts, but beneath all the theatrics, he canât help but feel responsible for you. He fusses over your well-being in his own eccentric way. Offering âsageâ advice, checking in on you (usually when he needs something), and boasting about your achievements to anyone whoâll listen. He may call himself your âguardianâ for show, but sometimes, in the quiet moments, his concern feels almost fatherly. Even if heâll never admit it, heâs proud to watch you grow, and heâll do his best to keep you safe. Between his bouts of dramatic self-praise, of course.
đ¶ Divus Crewel đ¶
Like youâre his unruly but beloved pup â Crewel is quick with a sharp word about your latest âfashion disasterâ or potion mishap, but beneath the surface, heâs surprisingly protective. Heâll scold you for your carelessness and lecture you on the importance of presentation, but heâs also the first to notice when youâre feeling down or overwhelmed. With a sigh and a flick of his stylish cane, heâll offer guidance (and maybe a new outfit), making sure youâre always prepared for whatever comes your way. He wouldnât let anything bad happen to his favorite âpup,â no matter how much trouble you get into.
đ Mozus Trein đ
Like youâre his most âchallengingâ student â Professor Trein has seen generations of troublemakers, but youâre a special case. He sighs at your antics, lectures you on the importance of studying, and makes sure youâre keeping up with your assignments. He might seem strict, but he genuinely cares about your future, and heâs always willing to offer advice. Often with Lucius in his arms, watching you with equal suspicion.
đŠ Ashton Vargas đŠ
Like youâre his personal training project â Coach Vargas is determined to turn you into a model of strength and stamina, whether you like it or not. Heâll drag you out for morning runs, encourage you to push your limits, and cheer louder than anyone when you succeed (even if itâs just running a lap without tripping). He believes in your potential, and his enthusiasm is as boundless as his muscles.
đź Sam đź
Like youâre his favorite customer â Sam always seems to know exactly what you need, whether itâs a rare potion ingredient or a word of advice. He greets you with a toothy grin and a mysterious wink, offering deals that are just a little too good to be true. He enjoys your visits to the Mystery Shop, and while his prices are steep, heâs always willing to lend an ear or a helping hand when youâre in a pinch. Just remember: âEverything has a price, little imp!â
Okay, so we saw what would happen if Artoria pendragon, Caenis, and penthesilea had a crush on someone, so how about the reverse with a master who returns their feelings and confesses to them first?
When you, her Master, are the one to confess first, Artoria is initially taken aback. Sheâs always valued the trust and respect between you, and while sheâs grown fond of you, she never expected you to feel the same way. Your confession is sincere, perhaps a little nervous, but filled with the same honesty that she admires in you.
Artoriaâs first reaction is a stunned silence. She searches your eyes for any sign of jest, but finds only earnestness. A blush creeps up her cheeks as she realizes the depth of your feelings. For a moment, the stoic King of Knights is at a loss for words.
Then, she gathers herself. Artoriaâs pride as a knight demands she respond with equal honesty. She admits that she, too, has cherished your bond. Perhaps more than she realized.
Your confession gives her the courage to acknowledge her own feelings. She thanks you for trusting her with your heart, and promises to protect not just your life, but your happiness as well.
From that moment, Artoria is more open with her affection, though still a bit shy. Sheâll hold your hand a little longer, smile a little brighter, and find herself looking forward to every moment you share. Your confession becomes a treasured memory.
Penthesilea
Penthesilea is not someone who expects or seeks affection. When you confess to her, itâs almost as if youâve challenged her to a duel. She reacts with disbelief and suspicion at first, her instincts as a warrior making her wary of any perceived weakness.
Your confession is met with a fierce glare. âWhy would you say such a thing?â
But as you stand your ground, explaining your feelings with patience and sincerity, something in her begins to shift.
Penthesilea is deeply conflicted. Sheâs spent so long denying her own capacity for love, convinced it would undermine her strength. However, your confession remains persistent and unwavering. You donât see her as weak. No, you see her as strong.
Eventually, her defenses begin to crumble. She wonât say anything flowery or romantic. Instead, she might grunt and turn away, but youâll notice her ears are red. Sheâll train with you more often, watch your back in battle with even greater intensity
Your confession is the first crack in her armor, and over time, she learns to accept and reciprocate your feelings, in her own fierce, awkward way.
Caenis
Confessing to Caenis is like jumping into a storm. Sheâs blunt, brash, and not the type to entertain romantic notions. When you tell her how you feel, she scoffs at first, convinced youâre either joking or have lost your mind.
Caenis is thrown off balance. Sheâs used to being feared or respected, not loved. Your words linger with her, and though she tries to brush them off, you notice sheâs a little less harsh with you afterward. Sheâll still call you an idiot, but thereâs less bite to it.
If youâre persistent, Caenis will eventually confront you about it.
âFine! If youâre that dumb, I guess youâre stuck with me,â sheâll grumble, looking away to hide the blush on her cheeks. From then on, sheâs fiercely protective, her affection hidden behind insults and gruff gestures. But youâll know, and sheâll know, that your confession changed everything.
As usual, the three idiots you called friends had gotten you into trouble. It could have been an ordinary alchemy lesson with Professor Crewel, but Ace just had to make fun of Grim, comparing him to the shriveled gray tuber you were supposed to use for your potion.
Of course, Ace kept provoking Grim until he snapped and tried to burn the tuber. Only to accidentally set a table on fire. Professor Crewel was not pleased, to say the least. So now, as punishment, you, Grim, Ace, and Deuce had to stay after class and finish the potion within the next hour and present it to Professor Crewel. Which was a tough task in itself, even without the troublesome behaviour of your friends.
You were discussing the next step with Deuce when, out of the corner of your eye, you spotted Ace trying to silently sneak toward the door.
"Ace!" Â you scolded, causing him to freeze mid-step. "Don't even try to sneak off on us, or you will be glued to the cauldron."
"Geez, I wasn't even trying to go anywhere. Just wanted to check if we need anything from the shelf over there," he lied very unconvincingly.
"We already have all the ingredients we need," you reminded him, before practically feeling the mischievous energy emanating from the cat monster somewhere behind you. "Grim. Don't even think about trying anything."
Deuce shook his head, exasperated after witnessing you scold both Ace and Grim. "Seriously, it's the fault of both of you that we are in this situation."
"The Great Grim ain't done anything at all. Everything is Ace's fault!" Grim shot back immediately, puffing out his chest.
"You set a table on fire," you reminded him.
Grim stomped his little feet in protest, while Ace only snickered. "Only because Ace made fun of me!"
You were about to launch into another lecture about why that was absolutely no excuse to use fire, but Deuce interrupted, his voice suddenly bright with excitement. "Wait- I think Iâve got it!"
Curious, the three of you crowded around the cauldron to see what Deuce had concocted. But something was off. The potion was a watery, reddish color. Nothing like the shimmering blue one Professor Crewel had demonstrated in class.
"The colorâs way off," Ace said, wrinkling his nose. "Even a blind guy could tell."
After looking at the liquid in the cauldron for a few more seconds, you nodded. "Yeah, I have to agree... It was more blue and had this red shimmer."
"And Crewel's potion was more bubbly," Grim commented, but you had the feeling it wasn't really an observation and more a case of Grim just saying something to sound smart.
Ace shot Deuce a look. "Great job, Deuce. Now we have to start all over."
"Excuse me? You didn't even do anything."
"Don't start another argument," you said, trying to be the voice of reason in all of this. And also to prevent any more tables from potentially landing in the crossfire. "Let's just try to get this over with."
While the three of you were distracted, Grim saw the perfect opportunity to "fix" your potion. He didn't want to spend hours making a new one, and a talented mage like him could fix this no problem, he thought wrongly.
Grim confidently grabbed a jar filled with bright green liquid and generously poured it into the cauldron. You only noticed what Grim was doing because his actions resulted in a dark green smoke that filled a good chunk of the laboratory in a matter of seconds, shrouding you in a green vision.
You coughed, waving your hand in front of your face, and stumbled blindly toward the window, trying to remember the way. Behind you, Deuceâs voice rang out, muffled by the haze: "Grim, youâre ruining the potion!"
"Don't just randomly mix stuff together," Ace said, followed by a cough, as if he wouldn't do the exact same thing.
You could barely see, but you heard Grimâs triumphant voice: "Iâm fixing it! Just wait and see!"
"Stop mixing things!" you called out after hearing what sounded suspiciously like Grim throwing something else into the potion.
You reached the window and opened it, but it wasn't really effective in getting rid of the smoke. The sound of something heavy being dropped into liquid could be heard. The smoke thickened, then, just as suddenly, began to swirl and collapse, sucked back into the cauldron in a single, unnatural breath.
"There! Fixed!' Grim declared, sounding far too pleased with himself.
"You caused the smoke," Deuce retorted, before grabbing Grims' paw, stopping him from making things worse. Grim tried to wiggle free.
"Just stop, Grim," you said as you made your way over to them. But Grim didn't listen to anyone. He thrashed, and in the commotion, the little stepladder he was standing on, so he could reach the cauldron, tipped over. The ladder collided with the cauldron. Grim leapt away just in time, or he would have landed in the potion, but the ladder crashed into the cauldron, sending it toppling toward you.
You, on the other hand, were not so lucky. Instinctively, you tried to catch the stepladder falling your way, which meant you couldnât get out of the way in time. The cauldron tips to one side completely, spilling its contents onto you.
You gasped in shock as the cold mixture made contact with your skin. Unlike before, it was no longer watery but gloppy, almost rubbery, as it stuck on you and your lab coat. Fortunately, your eyes were spared thanks to the protection of the goggles. You could feel an unpleasant prickling sensation on your skin just as the liquid suddenly evaporated. It was as if you had absorbed it.
Your friends asked you if everything was alright. You wanted to tell them that nothing was wrong. But suddenly, your annoyance about the situation turned into pure anger. "You incompetent fools! You should be skinned alive and eaten by feral animals! Why do I even keep you around?" you snap, barely recognizing your own voice.
Your three friends looked at you with startled faces. They certainly weren't expecting this reaction. Ace was the first to say something. "Ouch, where is that suddenly coming from?"
Deuce tried to help you up from the ground, but you ignored his hand, standing up on your own. "Don't touch me with your unwashed hands."
"I always wash my hands!" Deuce replied immediately, but you weren't interested in his words.
"Are you sure you are fine?", Ace asked, while Grim added, "Yeah, you are acting really weird."
You glared at them. "I was fine until we crossed paths."
Ace exchanged a nervous glance with Deuce, edging away from the cauldron as if whatever had effected you, might spread to him. "Okay, seriously, what was in that potion?" he whispered.
Deuce frowned, studying you with concern. "You donât look hurt, but⊠youâre acting all⊠villainous."
"We need to tell Professor Crewel," Deuce said quietly. "Somethingâs really wrong."
Ace hesitated. "Are you kidding? If we tell him, weâre doomed for sure! Heâll have us scrubbing cauldrons until graduation."
"But my hench-human is clearly broken! We canât leave them like this," Grim protested.
"I didn't say we should leave them like that. You can stop looking at me like that," Ace said, "We shouldn't tell Crewel, we should tell the Headmage."
Even though Ace, Grim and Deuce were whispering among themselves, you could clearly hear every word. "Are you seriously going to the most irresponsible adult on campus with this?" you said, sounding almost offended.
"That's exactly why we should go to the Headmage. Crewel will only punish us more for this. The Headmage on the other hand..." Ace trailed off, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. You didnât need him to finish the sentence; his expression said it all.
At that moment, you realize, with a new, almost sinister clarity, that the three accomplices you had gathered here were perhaps not such a bad choice after all. Ace was devious, Deuce mostly naive, and Grim a cat arsonist. And all three of them were dumb enough to be easily manipulated.
Together with your minions, you were on your way to the Headmage. Not because you listened to Ace's instructions, but simply out of curiosity as to what Ace, Deuce and Grim would screw up next. It's going to be interesting.
You're not necessarily looking forward to seeing the Headmage, though. He was odd in your eyes. You were pretty sure he was still waiting for a Fatherâs Day gift from you. Even though it's been months. He probably didn't even want it because he saw himself as your father figure, but just to get something free. Which, admittedly, you could respect. But did you look like someone who has the money to give people free stuff? No. You live in a shithole together with ghosts.
You walk down the corridor, the other three trailing behind you in a disorganized cluster. Grim is muttering to himself about "fixing" you with a spell he saw in a comic book, while Deuce keeps glancing at you as if you might sprout horns at any moment. Ace, as usual, is walking around like he owned the place, whistling a tune thatâs a little too cheerful for someone responsible for nearly burning down a classroom an hour ago.
You watched as Ace walked past you. For this transgression, you shot him a sharp glare, allowing him to correct his behaviour, but Ace didn't notice or maybe didn't think much of your glare. You couldnât let that slide without punishment. No one was meant to walk in front of you, as if you weren't the boss of this group.
Aceâs whistling was cut off by a yelp as your hand connected with the back of his head. "Ouch! Why are you slapping me? It was pretty hard too...!"
You smacked him again for daring to question you, making him yelp again and stepping back so you couldn't reach him. "A minion is not supposed to strut in front of their master. Much less is said minion supposed to ask stupid questions after his behaviour has been corrected!"
Ace rubbed the back of his head, grumbling under his breath, but wisely kept his distance. Grim snickered, clearly enjoying Aceâs misfortune, while Deuce shot you a wary look, as if trying to gauge whether he should intervene or just keep his head down and hope for the best.
Eventually you reached Crowleys office. With a dramatic flourish, you pushed open the door, not bothering to knock first.
Crowley looked up from behind his desk, eyes lighting up the moment he saw you barge in with your entourage. He straightened his hat, smoothing his cloak with a hopeful expression.
"Ah! My, my, what a surprise!" he exclaimed, voice dripping with anticipation. "And with all of you here together⊠Could it be? After all these months, have you finally come to deliver my long-overdue Fatherâs Day gift?" He clasped his hands together, practically vibrating with excitement.
Grim rolled his eyes, looking at you. "Heâs even more dramatic than you."
Crowley peeked at you from behind his hand. "Are you certain? Not even a little something? A card? A drawing? Perhaps some heartfelt words of gratitude for your ever-doting paternal figure?"
"Doting paternal figure?" you repeated, "You do nothing but constandly dump your work onto me."
"Delegation is the mark of a great leader. I am simply preparing you for the trials of adulthood. Responsibility, initiative, the crushing weight of expectation!" Crowley answered.
"Don't give me the its building character nonsense."
While you and the Headmage talked, Ace whispered to Deuce; "Should we just leave and come back when they are done?"
"We canât wait," he whispered back to Ace. His voice was low but urgent. "This is serious."
Deuce glanced nervously between you and Crowley before realizing that someone had to take charge before the conversation spiraled further into melodrama. He cleared his throat, stepping forward with a determined voice. "Um, Headmage Crowley? We actually came here because something weird happened in alchemy class," Deuce began, "There was⊠an accident with a potion, and now, uh, the prefect isnât acting like themselve."
"Oh? An alchemical mishap, you say?" Crowley repeated, stroking his chin. "And what, pray tell, does this have to do with me? Or, more importantly, with my Fatherâs Day gift?"
Grim groaned. "Forget the stupid gift! The prefect is acting all weird and villain-y!"
Ace snorted. "Looks more like theyâre auditioning for a cheesy play."
You glared. "Silence, minion."
Deuce, sensing the situation spiraling, tried again. "Headmage, we think the prefect got hit with a potion thatâs changed their personality. We need your help to fix it."
Crowley was thinking silently for a moment before coming to an utterly ridiculous conclusion. "Ah, yes, of course! That is why i have yet to receive my Father's Day gift from you. It makes perfect sense."
"I was never planning to give you anything. Stop bringing it up!" you answered.
Crowley clutched his chest as if your words had physically wounded him. "Are you sure a potion is the cause for this?" he asked, voice cracking with theatrical sorrow. "Has the scheming of the other students perhaps corrupted you this much? Thatâs not how I raised you!"
You crossed your arms. "Excuse me, you didnât raise me at all. And I turned out just fine, thank you very much."
The Headmage sighed, shaking his head as if heâd just witnessed the greatest tragedy. "And here I thought my only concern was going to be Draconia, who whisks you away to wed you," he sniffed, dabbing imaginary tears again. "Oh, the worries only a father has."
"You arenât my father, Headmage," you replied. "I already have one. And what are you talking about anyway?"
"Headmage, please! This isnât about Fatherâs Day or⊠or marriage proposals!" Deuce said his voice firm but respectful, "The prefect was hit by a potion, and now theyâre acting completely different. We need to know how to fix it. Before things get worse."
After that Ace, Deuce and Grim explained what had happened in the alchemy lesson with as much detail as possible, but it was hard to say what Grim actually put in the potion. They launched into a chaotic retelling of the disaster. Ace was blaming Grim for tampering with the potion, while Grim protested that he was only fixing it. Deuce, meanwhile, tried to keep the story on track, but his voice was quickly drowned out by the bickering.
"Anyway, the potion exploded, and the prefect got covered in it. Thatâs when they started acting⊠well, like this." Deuce gestured to the spot where you had been standing.
Except⊠you werenât there.
Ace blinked. "Wait. Whereâd the prefect go?"
Grim spun around, eyes widening in alarm. "Eh? They were right here! Did they turn invisible? Did the potion do that too?!"
Deuceâs eyes widened in panic. "Did they sneak out while we were talking?"
"Youâve lost the prefect? My most cherished and responsible student? This is a disaster! What if theyâre off plotting villainous schemes? What if theyâre," Crowley gasped, "buying Fatherâs Day presents for someone else?"
Ace groaned, rubbing his temples. "Can we please focus? The prefectâs probably just wandering around being⊠weird. We need to find them before they get into real trouble."
Author's note: This was made as a gift for @shikiii-skadi for helping me with my fate writings. I still have to see if I'm going to be taking requests for him or even writing for any other male characters. Also shout out to the like 2 female followers I have.
A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)
Archer is a huge mom. Itâs not even that his love language is acts of service, it just comes naturally to him. He brings a giant duffel bag filled with food, drinks, medicine and really anything youâd need to all your dates.
B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)
For you to even meet he has to be summoned by either you or someone else unless weâre doing some AU shenanigans. As a friend heâs quiet and distant but supportive.
C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)
Heâs a bit too restless for cuddles. He doesnât like sitting around doing nothing. Heâd sooner give you a massage but will cuddle if you insist.
D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)
What is there to say other than malewife. He will cook, he will clean and he will do any other chores without even getting asked.
E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)
Heâd just disappear and stop all contact.
F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)
He kind of wouldnât care. Heâd never ask for marriage or even think about it but heâd go along if you wanted it.Â
G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)
He can be blunt and sarcastic but heâd never do you any harm.
H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)
Heâs not a big hugger. He will hug you back if you hug him. If you jump at him while heâs carrying something heâll catch you but without dropping it.
I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)
Itâd take him a very long time to say it. Even after that itâs an incredibly rare occurence. For the most part he lets his actions speak.
J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when theyâre jealous?)
Heâs not one to get jealous but if he feels someone is trying to get too close his intimidating presence is enough to discourage them.
K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)
Heâd kiss you on your forehead.
L = Little ones (How are they around children?)
Kids love him and heâs surprisingly capable with them. I can imagine him working with a baby carrier on his back.
M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)
Heâs making breakfast.
N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)
Heâs making dinner.
O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)
Thereâs not much of his past he remembers and what he does remember is better off forgotten.
P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)
It would take an intentional effort to piss him off.
Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)
Heâd definitely remember any food preferences you have and also any medical conditions.
R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)
Heâs similar to Saber but for him itâd be the moment he realised just how much you loved him. If he were to disappear youâd probably cry and he canât be having that so maybe itâs for the best he stays with you.
S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)
Very protective. Always puts himself between you and anything he considers a threat.
T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)
He always tries his best, especially in regards to cooking and housework.
U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)
He may seem distant and indifferent to your relationship but he just prefers to let his actions speak louder than words.
V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)
He doesnât really care.
W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)
He wouldnât let it show.Â
X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)
There is only one thing you should never do with him on a date and that is walk through a forest. This is because he will divert all his attention to sticks on the ground. If he finds one sword shaped enough he will be bringing it home. So by the end you will be left ignored helping him bring them all home for his collection of rare sticks.
Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldnât like, either in general or in a partner?)
Heâs not too fond of lazy people.
Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?)
He doesnât sleep often. He doesnât need to and when he does heâs prone to nightmares. Heâs used to them enough that he wonât have visceral reactions but itâs easy to tell with how tense he gets.
A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)
Rin is both a tease and a glass cannon. While she will do anything in her power to fluster you any sort of affection you initiate will just as easily fluster her.
B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)
Unless youâre a mage thereâs very low chances of her befriending you unless you get involved with the war. As a friend sheâs nice but still somewhat mean.
C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)
Rin needs very specific conditions for cuddles. This is because they make her very flustered. She gets so red that if someone caught you two theyâd think you were doing something else. Therefore she needs to make sure you wonât be interrupted before deciding on anything.
D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)
Sheâs a really good cook but her cleaning is not up to par. Sheâs by no means dirty but does tend to let things pile up and in general live in an organised mess.
E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)
She actually wouldnât be that mean. Thereâs just a certain look of disappointment in her face.
F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)
The idea wouldnât cross her mind. It has to be mentioned by either you or someone else. When it is she goes into a full on panic talking about how thatâs a big commitment and nowâs not the time for those kinds of questions. When she gets a moment to think about it the idea seems surprisingly nice and comfortable.
G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)
She will insult you and she will hit you. She does love you but the violence is a core part of her.
H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)
She likes to surprise you with hugs, especially if there are people to see your funny reaction. Thankfully itâs easy to do the same thing to her.
I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)
Anytime you say it she starts yelling at you asking why youâre saying things like that when she already knows before quietly saying it back.
J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when theyâre jealous?)
Boy does she get both jealous and possessive. Sheâll try to shoo people away with simple passive aggressive comments but will become more aggressive if they donât back off.
K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)
She likes kissing you in front of people. She sees it as a power move. Despite that doesnât she doesnât like it when you kiss her in front of other people.
L = Little ones (How are they around children?)
Due to her short fuse she isnât great with kids. She might consider having them in the future.
M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)
Rin is not a morning person. So you might need to wait for her to get her bearings. Sheâs good at making breakfast though.
N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)
She likes to just sit and enjoy the silence. Drinking tea with you and looking out at the sky.
O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)
Itâs rare for her to be open about anything so when she is you need to be quiet and let her say what she has to.
P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)
No patience. She will be snapping at you for the smallest thing.
Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)
Sheâs mostly focused on learning anything that she can use against you in the endless teasing war.
R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)
When the relationship went public. She was getting tired of people still trying to hit on her and they were also giving you trouble for hanging out with her so much. While you were getting lunch she came up behind you and kissed you. Before you could even react she proceeded to loudly exclaim how you were getting lunch for her so you could eat together privately. Everyone including you could do nothing but stare at her audacity with a look of awe.
S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)
Very protective. If you ever get hurt sheâs yelling at you so hard until you point out how much she cares about you. Then sheâs just silently blushing.
T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)
She will try very hard but her luck will cause something to go wrong.
U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)
If it isnât already obvious she can be very mean and isnât honest with her feelings often.
V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)
She definitely believes in keeping up appearances and as such always dresses at least somewhat fancy. But also she insists on sticking to her âcolour schemeâ.
W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)
She could convince herself sheâs ok without you just to keep going but that lie would eventually crumble.
X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)
Rinâs violent nature is tripled when sheâs on her period. Sheâs not even in the mood for teasing and is completely honest with all her anger. However if youâre nice, donât point it out and do what you can to make her more comfortable when the pain starts subsiding she will be genuinely thankful.Â
Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldnât like, either in general or in a partner?)
Sheâd dislike it if you couldn't stand up for yourself, especially against her. She needs someone whoâs ready to fight her instead of resigning at the smallest conflict.
Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?)
When sleeping Rin likes when you two are touching back to back. Itâs strange but it makes her feel comfortable.
Author's note: Big thanks to @shikiii-skadi and @cosmichorrorsarestillnicerthanme for checking.
A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)
She gets very flustered by affection unless she doesnât realise something is affectionate. Like she will be completely straight-faced wiping crumbs off your face or carrying you to bed after you fell asleep only to turn into a blushing mess of excuses when someone points it out.
B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)
Youâre either her master or friends with her master (or maybe sheâs your master >:) ). Other than that sheâs a very loyal friend.
C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)
Very protective big spoon.
D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)
While I don't think sheâd be against settling down I doubt sheâs good at either cooking or cleaning due to being a king and probably being used to things like that being taken care of by servants.
E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)
Very swift. A simple and elegant rejection of further advances.
F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)
Sheâd be very happy but only if she proposed. If you proposed sheâd be angry about how itâs the kingâs duty to propose.
G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)
Incredibly gentle due to her immense strength. Like sheâs genuinely scared of hurting you sometimes.
H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)
Always ready to hug you. If you jumped at her while sheâs carrying something sheâd drop it just to catch you.
I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)
Sheâs very hesitant to say it but when she does you know she means it.
J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when theyâre jealous?)
While she does trust you if she sees someone flirting with you she immediately considers it a challenge. If they think they are better for you than her, surely they can beat her in a contest.
K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)
Kisses always make her blush very hard. But she does love giving you one when parting ways. Almost like a little promise that youâll meet again.
L = Little ones (How are they around children?)
Sheâd be a very good mom. Would give it her all.
M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)
Breakfast. Itâs the most important meal of the day.
N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)
After dinner she makes you go to bed. She doesnât let you stay up late so you have energy for tomorrow.
O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)
Slow about revealing things. Itâs very much about building up trust.
P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)
Very patient but she will lash out if you really make her angry.
Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)
Sheâs good about remembering things but not extraordinary.
R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)
It wouldnât be the moment she fell for you but the moment she accepted it. When she stopped holding back and finally let herself be nothing more than a girl in love.
S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)
Insanely protective. Sheâd very literally die for you.
T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)
She tries very hard to plan out perfect dates but if anything goes wrong sheâll immediately get very apologetic even if it wasnât her fault. Youâll need to comfort her about her not needing to worry that much about âher duty as a girlfriendâ as she puts it.
U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)
Overburdens herself with a lot of stuff at once. You will need to remind her to take a break.
V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)
Due to her royal status she was always kind of forced into either ornate clothes or armour but if it were a question of personal taste I think sheâd prefer simple clothes. Just plain and non-extravagant stuff.
W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)
If she got far enough to accept her feelings sheâd be devastated by losing you.
X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)
Thereâs an unshakable feeling in my bones that Saber would game. She would enjoy gaming. I feel it.
Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldnât like, either in general or in a partner?)
Lack of discipline or seriousness. She will beat some sense into you if itâs needed.
Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?)
She probably has a plushie she squeezes the life out of while she sleeps. Unless sheâs sleeping with you of course.
Author's note: There's a small chance of this post getting heavily edited or even deleted if my headcanons change too much as I get more familiar with Fate but I doubt that'll happen as I'm very satisfied with them even after reading the wiki. Also big thanks to @shikiii-skadi for fact checking.
