Lvl 21! Profile pic by @trarioven! Masterlist: https://starshiningsirius.tumblr.com/post/636432913449271296/heartsbyul Rainbows and sunshine don't exist here!😀 Though a true Golden Deer is here!👋🏼 Hello though, you can call me Lila! Pleasing pleasure to meet you!
cw: self-indulgent, possible OOC, fluff, female reader.
Requested by @starshiningsirius.
It’s a slow afternoon. You’ve been helping Ashveil organise old case files when he finally admits defeat with a big yawn. “Just a short nap,” he says, leaving the room of The Ashen Detective Agency.
It catches your attention. His sleeping spot is the fridge located inside the storage room, and yet, he just leaves to somewhere? You peek outside, and see the man lying on one of the Furbobo Weekly couches.
Furbos working here are quite friendly, and don’t seem to mind the presence of Ashveil.
A group of furbos whispers among each other, and quietly makes a few photos of the napping detective. They will surely have some juicy news about him, but Ashveil himself is too tired to bother.
You grab the case files and plop up on the other couch next to Ashveil.
From time to time, you shoot quick glances at him.
Ashveil looks so peaceful. He’s lying on his side with his forearm supporting his head. His long eyelashes cast shadows on his cheek which are slightly flushed. His breathing is slow and even; his chest go up and down. His long hair is a bit messy. His hat is held by the other hand.
Then, the man shifts slightly in his sleep, and you notice his lips moving.
You think how he’s adorable when sleep-talking. Until you catch him murmuring your name. And you freeze.
At first it’s incoherent — just sleepy murmurs. But then his voice, still rough with sleep and that velvet timbre, becomes clearer, and you hear your name more coherent.
You put aside the case files, and kneel beside him, listening closely.
Ashveil’s eyebrows furrow slightly.
“…don’t go… stay with me…”
He lets let out a soft, almost pained sigh.
“...I love you,” he murmurs, clear as day. “I love you so much it hurts sometimes…”
Instantly, your heart starts pounding loudly and your face heats up. Yet, you listen as he continues murmuring in his sleep heartfelt confessions which are spilling out like he’s been holding them in for months.
“…Please notice me,” he whispers one last time, before his breathing becomes even again.
You kneel there in a stunned silence. The great detective Ashveil… has just sleep-confessed to you.
A few minutes later, Ashveil stirs. He blinks slowly, then notices you staring at him with wide eyes and a burning face in a few centimeters from his own.
The man’s cheeks heat up at the fact how close you are, his eyes go wide, and he quickly sits up on the couch.
“…W-What?” He asks, rubbing his eyes; his voice is still a bit sleepy and rough. “Did I drool or something? You’re looking at me strangely.”
You bite your lip, trying not to smile too obviously, and sit up next to him.
“You… talk in your sleep,” you say softly, though your face is a bit hot.
Ashveil’s expression shifts from sleepy confusion to horror.
“…Did I… say something?” He asks now embarrassed. He tries to play it cool, but the flush creeping down his neck betray him completely.
You nod, smiling at his reaction — at how adorable the legendary La Mancha can be.
“You did,” you whisper to him. “You said you love me, and how you want me to notice you.”
Ashveil’s eyes widen, and his ears turn red. For a moment, the cool detective looks adorably panicked. Then he let out a soft, defeated laugh, closing his eyes and putting his hat on his head.
“I… did not,” he mumbles, tugging his hat to cover his eyes. “A very… unfortunate dream. Please forget you heard anything.”
You laugh softly and tug his hat back up so you could see his flushed face.
“It was a very sweet dream, then,” you tease gently. “And I don’t want to forget.”
He only sighs.
You cup his cheek and guide his face to look at you.
“I don’t want to forget,” you repeat. “Because… I feel the same way.”
“You… do?” He whispers; his voice cracks adorably.
You sigh playfully-annoyed.
“I’m surprised you haven’t noticed it, Mr Detective.”
Ashveil laughs at your teasing.
“I suppose my subconscious is braver and more perceiving than I am,” he says, smiling fondly with pink cheeks.
When you two are about to lean into each other for a kiss, you hear a click, and a white flash almost blinds you.
A group of furbos — who have been apparently watching the whole scene unfold before them — are taking photos of the two of you.
Ashveil pulls away, and looks at the furbos annoyed and embarrassed. When he’s about to open his mouth and scold them, he’s got interrupted by them.
“Detective Ashveil and his assistant—“
“—office romance—“
The furbos continue to chatter among each other about the love story between the two of you.
Ashveil lets and deep and embarrassed sigh. He wraps his arms around you and buries his face into your neck.
“...how undignified,” he mumbles into your skin.
You smile fondly, holding him closely. Your hear swell with happiness at how this man can be both intimidating and awkward, and at the feeling loved by him.
I made this instead of studying. Maths or Malleus angst you know what I’m picking 🔥
Since this song is getting popular again I thought I’d draw Malleus to it! It’s a bit rushed (I drew this inbetween math study sessions (test tomorrow)) but I’m happy with how it turned out!
There’s a lot to unpack when it comes to Malleus, but what I find most interesting about him is his god-complex. It’s not undeserved, he IS almost god-like, but that near godhood also left him so incredibly isolated. I found this song fitting, especially since Malleus essentially attempted sewerslide, just like the singer, but comitted to let his end be meaningful at least.
Have I gained too much?
It hurts me just to think, and I don’t do pain.
The idea that Lilia was going to leave, that Yuu was going to leave, and that he would outlive everyone he loves, he couldn’t handle it, so he kept them all close, forever. It’s quite a poignant story. I know there’s a lot of discourse surrounding book 7, but I personally really like it. A lot is said about Malleus’ character even with him absent for a big part of his story.
Mankind has to stretch his finger to reach god, to take that final step, because god already has his finger stretched. But when man doesn’t reach out, does the god get lonely? Does the god lean forward to try to reach man, even though that’s not how it’s supposed to be? Even though divinity pulls him back? And when he realizes he can’t reach man, does he scowl at the irony of his very godhood preventing him from reaching the humanity he craves?
Nah this guy too pretty Jamil, I’m sorry but you got to move you no longer the favorite no RSA character can do better and will not do better than him, Arielle is a hot mess that guy is mine Jamil you third wheeling atp
We recently learned a lot more about what each dorm offers its students in terms of amenities and house culture!! I did my best to compile those details here, as well as add other bits of lore we previously knew from other parts of Twst.
Heartslabyul
The second oldest dorm at NRC.
The rose maze changes shape according to the commands of the dorm leader. The flowers are always in eternal bloom.
Their rose trees attack people if they try to climb the hedges or use flight.
They raise flamingos and hedgehogs.
There is a courtroom in which they hold trials and important ceremonies like singing for the hedgehogs when they sneeze.
All the flora are carefully cultivated magical plants. They can walk if ordered to.
Unbirthday parties are held in the rose garden when no student has a birthday on a particular date.
The current students did not plant the flowers and trees; they were inherited from previous generations. In this way, they can be considered historic items, and thus Riddle becomes furious when the roses are not treated well.
The dormitory’s interior has a tendency to undergo sudden updates and layout changes. Staircases can "move around" or vanish, and the doors and rooms can rearrange at random.
Heartslabyul seems to set a different watchman every day to stand at the front of the dorm.
Riddle expects even visitors to adhere to the rules and to not cause a disturbance.
There are upside down chairs and floating picture frames in the hall, as well as rooms where directions are flipped and places where the floor is so warped you cannot tell how to walk on it.
The stairs are enchanted; on Thursdays, they gain 60 more steps.
There is no flying allowed inside the dorm.
The kitchen has a heart-shaped door. Its cupboards are all wobbly.
The fridge is often packed with baked goods due to unbirthday party planning.
The washroom resembles a flower field. The sinks resemble bottles underneath; the water inside circulates via magic.
You must fold your sleeves three times for washing your face. This is regardless of if you have short sleeves or a tank top, to ensure a clean shared space.
The lounge has a clear view of the rose gardens from inside. Flowers decorate the lounge; they are picked by Riddle and then arranged by Trey (who initially wasn’t very good at it).
At the end of the day, dorm members gather and like up by their suit. Then the dorm leader leads a recitation of the rules. (Visitors must join in too.) This was a tradition started by the first dorm leader and then revived by Riddle. If someone messes up, they are scolded in front of everyone.
Savanaclaw
Its students are usually athletes. They also tend to be hot-headed.
The walkway area opens to a big glass wall so there is light all year round. The ceilings are high and the halls have an open atrium.
The dorm leader’s room is on the topmost floor. When he steps outside and looks down, he can see everything. This is meant to emulate the time when the King of Beasts inspired the hyenas to follow him by the light of the moon.
Savanaclaw has a magift/spelldrive field and what is basically a gym with the latest training machines next to that. It used to be a storage place for sports equipment.
Leona describes his students as rough troublemakers. They are also very competitive.
Their lounge has a waterfall that actually flows continuously. It keeps the area cool and is meant to represent the beautiful savanna environment.
The lounge chairs are very comfortable. Apparently the students have staked their claim on the chairs, calling it their “territory”.
In territorial disputes, you’re meant to settle matters with your fists (well, arm wrestling). Prior to Leona being dorm leader, violent brawls were a constant occurrence to resolve problems.
Leona explains arm wrestling is a superior way for conflict resolution, since no one gets hurt physically and it’s a good way to relieve stress. Plus, the students can fix their issues without having to call for him.
In Savanaclaw, “survival of the fittest” mentality runs deep and physical strength is prized.
Octavinelle
Octavinelle’s hallways have glass corridors so you can gaze out into the sea, fish, coral, and underwater plants at all times. It was made this way so you can always see the sea and has always been a part of Octavinelle’s design.
The glass is reinforced with magic so it can withstand the strong water pressure. It didn’t break even when Floyd hit it when he was in a bad mood.
The dorm is unique because it is the only one located in a sea.
Octavinelle is constructed so that even humans can live comfortably in it. (In the manga, we see that those that cannot breathe underwater are given their own big air bubble to travel through the water in.)
The Mostro Lounge is a student-run café in Octavinelle. It was started over a year ago when Azul and Crowley made a deal: return the magic of several contracted students in return for permission to run the café. 10% of its proceeds go back to NRC.
There is one drink purchase minimum if you want to be seated in the Mostro Lounge.
No fighting is allowed inside the lounge, as it is considered a “gentlemanly” place. If you make a fuss, Jade and/or Floyd will escort you out (by force, if necessary).
Azul studied interior design intently to design a place where gentlemen could socialize. He went to many other eating establishments to conduct research. Floyd and Jade were asked to rearrange the furniture a ton.
Azul wanted to make a dimly lit place with calm vibes. It’s an “adult” or “grown-up” feeling space, which would have particular value to students that have never experienced such a thing before.
Mostro Lounge has comfortable seats and luxurious decorations. Azul was very particular about the expensive jellyfish chandeliers.
The VIP Room is even more fancy and more heavily furnished than the Mostro Lounge. It is for special clientele.
The VIP Room is completely soundproof. No matter how loud you screen or cry, you won’t be heard.
Octavinelle’s lounge has a big sofa. Apparently it was replaced when Azul became dorm leader. The previous sofa used to be so old that they broke when larger students sat down on it at once.
They regularly have debate tournaments. They started because an Octavinelle student was previously framed by a student from another dorm. The Octavinelle student was forced to admit fault for the something he wasn’t actually guilty of (the failure of a magical pharmaceuticals experiment).
If even one of their students makes a mistake, the entire dorm looks bad. Thus, debate tournaments exist to help students practice arguing themselves out of difficult situations.
If there are leftover ingredients at the Mostro Lounge when they close for the day, they are used to prepare dishes for the dorm's students (lounge staff) to eat together. Azul claims it helps eliminate food waste and helps build a sense of community in Octavinelle.
Their students are known for their intelligence.
Scarabia
Scarabia was renovated with funds donated from the Asims once Kalim enrolled. Before this, the interior was more dark red and subdued. The dorm has a lot of gold now.
The shape of their roofs emulates the roofs of the Scalding Sands.
Scarabia live under the motto "plan with deep anticipation".
Students are resourceful and often excel in astrology and ancient incantations. They often rival Octavinelle in terms of grades.
There are pots with traditional Scalding Sands designs everywhere for decoration. They are worth 4 million madol each.
The storeroom is currently used to hold a bunch of gold, jewels, and other treasures Kalim’s dad sent to school.
Kalim has a diorama corner in the storeroom, which has a miniature version of the dorm. (He also has one back home, but of his house.) It has a functioning mini fountain. There are also lights, moving parts, and animal toys. He likes to play a game where you try to stack the animals as high as you can without letting them topple over.
Jamil or some other Scarabia member runs pat-downs on those who enter the storeroom. They’ve had incidents in the past where people stole valuables.
The storeroom is guarded by anti-theft magic. Those who try to leave with items (without getting the permission to remove them) will be zapped by a strong electrical current.
The carpets and cushions in the lounge are highly detailed. They’re made for lying on and relaxing.
They have a lantern that resembles a face hanging in the lounge. It was there before the renovations.
Scarabia students tend to be carefree, lazy, and even spoiled. Lots of them eat while lying on the floor.
Kalim has a precious magic carpet which he keeps in the storeroom. He borrowed it from his dad.
Scarabia’s sky is beautiful at night.
Pomefiore
Pomefiore is the oldest and most historic dorm.
Anyone that does not keep up their appearance won’t be allowed inside.
They have a ballroom where students can practice dancing.
Its students excel in potionology and curses.
Pomefiore’s interior is styled to resemble a castle, with plenty of fine detail, luxury, and glamour. The floor is meant to resemble a red carpet.
Students often discuss their looks and have stereotypically feminine hobbies + interests. As Rook describes it, everyone is pursuing their own beauty. Many students also seem to come from well-off families, as they already arrive speaking in very refined ways and with knowledge of luxury items.
The washroom is usually very crowded. Students frequently check their makeup and skin condition in the mirrors, so the wait for your turn to go is very long.
The washroom mirrors have lighting like the ones in actors’ dressing rooms and high-definition mirrors that accurately show makeup colors.
There are other specialized mirrors like ones that recreate different lighting and climate so you can always see how you look in different conditions and inverting mirrors, so you can see how you appear in others’ eyes.
The basement/crypt houses a potions lab. Normally, outsiders would not be allowed in. It has a reputation for being scary.
Their lab has a strong smell, is quiet, and the air conditioning does not work well. Many dorm leaders have conducted experiments in the lab.
The lab is set up so that is it very easy to grab things and start concocting as soon as an idea strikes you.
The lounge has a peacock throne that is inspired by the seat the Fairest Queen sat in. The furnishings and chandeliers are also inspired by her elegance.
The lounge apparently took a long time to design. The goal is to help students appreciate the diligence and aesthetics of the lounge.
Relaxing music plays in the lounge around nighttime. It is supposed to help improve your quality of sleep. This was introduced by past dorm members.
Another system emits a flowery smell late in the day. It is also supposed to support sleep. The current aroma dispersed is made by Rook.
There is a special drink (hot water) every student has before bed. It is served from a special vase.
Pomefiore grows many poisonous plants and flowers.
Students magically cultivate apple trees in the garden for use in a special spell.
Ignihyde
The newest dorm.
Ignihyde has gone through transitions since it was first built. Originally, the interior was more old-fashioned and solemn to resemble a stone temple.
There are pillars with arial displays; the pillars are a remnant of its original design.
As technology advanced, more students who were good with engineering joined Ignihyde. This led to them pursuing greater convenience when they gathered, but modded the dorm so heavily that Crowley scolded them for it.
Ignihyde is rigged with facial recognition software at its entrance which prevents non-Ignihyde residents from entering.
There servers and network systems are in the deepest part of Ignihyde, so the security there is much more strict, requiring fingerprint authentication, a retinal scan, and a password.
If you fail facial recognition three times, an infrared beam will fire at the outsider. It won’t kill you, but it will scorch you.
Some students blend in with normies, rather than looking like the typical otaku who don’t care about their appearances.
The students used their own money to buy and install communal washroom appliances to increase efficiency. (Crowley refuses to buy luxury items for them.)
These communal appliances include a salon-style standing hairdryer (which allows you to multitask while your hair dries), a steaming iron that fixes even the most stubborn wrinkles and cleans lint, and a massage chair with a foot bath function and a hot eye mask.
Student researchers suffer from back pain and stiff backs because of how sedentary they are.
The Ignihyde boys’ muscle flexibility is 40% lower than that of the average teenage boy.
The lounge is shaped like a colosseum.
The lounge has high spec computers which can run powerful simulations.
A robot vacuum cleans the dorm every few hours. It has been modified to be quiet and work fast with a strong suction.
Ignihyde students tend to be shy/quiet, serious, and/or not very outgoing, sometimes confined to their own rooms.
Ignihyde students often get inspiration from listening to their peers mutter. They tend to look down and mumble instead of making direct eye contact and speaking directly.
However, the students are capable of chatting about their interests, like manga and academic papers. Sometimes the discussions become extremely heated because everyone has their own research specialties and refuse to compromise on their preferences.
Even when it’s lights out, debates can continue over group messages until the morning.
Students rarely interact with other dorms. Even very sociable students like Cater say they don't have a single friend from Ignihyde.
Its students excel in tech-related fields.
Diasomnia
Third oldest dorm at NRC.
Sunlight is scarce.
Diasomnia’s briar acts as a magical defense system, behaving similarly to Heartslabyul's roses and obeying the commands of the dorm leader.
Since Malleus came into power, the briar have become basically obsolete since he’s able to provide the same defenses (or better) using his own magic
The drawbridge to the castle is enchanted to raise to deny intruders entry. You must have authorization of the dorm leader to be allowed in. This is to emulate the same drawbridge the Thorn Witch had in her castle.
Diasomnia is built from stone. It has very few changes made to it.
The ceiling has black briar-like ornaments to create a solemn atmosphere.
There is a room that Lilia uses as his spare storage room for items he obtained on his worldly travels. In fact, Diasomnia has a lot of spare rooms.
Sebek wants to make a library, Silver wants to make a broom first-aid room stocked with healing potions + bandages, and Lilia wants to decorate a room to help visitors feel at ease. However, Malleus says they should not decorate spare rooms without permission.
Candles with green flames are all over the dorm.
They used to have a TV in the lounge, but Malleus “silenced” it forever with magic by accident. (He was trying to adjust the TV’s volume and went overboard.)
Their closing assembly is a long-time tradition. It started with the intent of raising awareness and promoting community. The dorm leader basically recounts their day at school.
Diasomnia students are highly disciplined and move in a very militaristic in-sync manner.
They generally look up to their leader Malleus, praise him, and seek to emulate his behaviors.
Diasomnia students in particular are hostile to outsiders and deny entry even to those with permits.
"What's got you so wide-eyed? On a day like today, there should be no such rule that 'chocolate has to be given by women,' right?"
"You can rest easy. The aroma, flavor, appearance... everything's been adjusted by my own hands to suit your preferences. There's nothing in it to be afraid of. If I had to say, maybe the sweetness I kneaded in while thinking of you, and a touch of possessiveness."
"Come on, open your mouth obediently. ...Good. That adorable expression of yours is the ultimate reward for me."
(The translation is done via translator. Follow the link to the original post to see the art fully. Like and retweet it if you like it)
Context: This is after book 7 when things are normal again. Ofc y'all are friends. (No spoilers ofc)
Epel 🍎
Rook 🏹
Vil 👑
This batch of boys is kind of my favorite when it comes to this doodle. They're so expressive :3 Aight imma die again for a bit, college is starting in a week and a half.
Time might as well have stopped flowing forward with how still everything seemed in the silence that stretched. You grew steadily more anxious that you'd somehow insulted his entire bloodline.
The words were foreign on your tongue and the pronunciation most likely off. You'd never heard anyone from Sumeru speaking their native tongue and such had nothing but intuition to go off of.
"I.. loving you?"
Dottore laughed.
But it was a genuine one. Perched on his lap, your body fitting perfectly against his, you could feel his abs tense with every chuckle.
The tips of his ears, barely visible through unruly hair, were flushed. A calloused hand reached to pinch your cheek.
"Your grammar is all wrong."
Before you could protest, huff, defend yourself and the effort it had required to memorise in the first place, he tucked your head under his chin, voice lowered to a whisper.
SUMMARY: What would his dream be like, exactly the same as in the original story, but with the small detail that he is dreaming that you two are dating?
CHARACTERS: Leona Kingscholar x Reader 🦁🦐
TAGS: Fluff; GN Reader; In a Relationship (kinda); Kiss; Flirting; A little angst; A reader with attitude
WARNING: Spoilers from Book 7 and Leona’s dream (Eng Server)
WORD COUNT: 7.380 words
COMMENTS: This was written as a companion piece to the original dream story, so the parts that are the same as the game are just summarized.
The reader is gender neutral but I use king/queen so you can choose how you prefer to read. When Leona calls the reader 'Queen' specifically, he is comparing the reader to the chess piece.
I also write Neji/Kifaji, you can choose which of the name you prefer to read, the original or the English server version
I hope you enjoy 🦁
Dating in a Dream: Idia / Epel / Rook / Vil / Kalim / Jamil / Floyd / Jade / Azul / Jack / Ruggie / (Leona) / Deuce / Cater / Ace / Trey / Riddle / …?
“Aether signal tracking successful.” Ortho announces. “We have arrived at the designated coordinates.”
You, Grim, Silver, Sebek, Ortho, Azul, Jack, Ruggie and Idia’s tablet reach the next dream and you land back in the Sunrise City, the capital of Sunset Savanna, just like in Ruggie's dream.
Checking on everyone after dream crossing, Ruggie was fine, and everyone else looked fine with the exception of Azul, who was feeling dizzy and sick. Silver suggests you all get some rest and get some cool drinks to recover. Ruggie says that, because he's the only guy familiar with the area, he would grab some bottles of water or tea from one of the shops nearby, and Jack offers to help him carry everything.
However, that's when they notice something strange. That was supposed to be the busiest and most crowded part of the capital, but... there was less foot traffic, fewer cars, no stalls at all, and every place that sells drinks had its shutters drawn.
“Excuse me, ma'am?” Ruggie approaches someone to try to find out what was going on. “Could I ask you something?”
“Yes?” the lady says, but as soon as she looks at Ruggie: “Eep, a hyena!”
“What? A hyena?!” Another person is startled too. “There's no food left here! Please, just go away!”
They all ran into their homes and locked the doors. Ruggie assures you all that he did nothing wrong. The city is clearly more desolated than it was in Ruggie's dream. You talk for a bit, wondering what kind of dream would Leona be having. You decide to go to the royal palace, since Leona was one of the princes of Sunset Savanna there was a good chance of finding him there. After making sure Azul felt better and was ready to walk, he stood up and you all changed into your school uniforms. You were about to start walking towards the palace when you heard someone saying your name.
“King/Queen (Y/N)?” A child calls you, weakly.
You turn around and see a little beastchild looking at you with sad and begging eyes. When she sees your face, recognizing you, a smile appears and she run to you to hug your legs.
“Please, your majesty! Do something!” The beastchild begs you, crying and sobbing. “We are so hungry...” the child's tummy rumbles. “Make King Leona give our food back. Please!”
You didn't know what to do, there was so much information and it was such a sad sight. At that moment, the child's mother comes to you and grabs the child, taking her from your legs.
“I am deeply sorry, Your Highness.” The lady tells you, also with sadness in her eyes. “We know you can't do anything.” She doesn't say this in an accusatory way, but as if you were in the same situation. “We know you're trying your best. We know... the herds have moved on.” She looked at you differently when she said this last sentence, as if it meant something more. She bows to you. “Have a safe return home, Your Grace.” The beastwomen turns to leave with the child in her arms.
“Okay, now that the crisis is over...” Ruggie begins by saying calmly. “KING/QUEEN (Y/N)?!” He shouts in disbelief. “King Leona?! Bring back their food? What the heck just happened?!”
“We can discuss this on the way.” Sebek says. “We have to get to that palace AND FAST!”
You all head to the palace while deciphering what you heard from the beast child and the beast woman. The child called Leona king and both she and her mother called you king/queen and your highness. The only explanation was that you were married to Leona in that dream. When they reached this conclusion, everyone looked at each other, especially Jack, Ruggie, Azul and Ortho.
“Leona...?” Azul said with a smile slowly forming as he was holding back. “Leona Kingscholar? In love with a herbivore?” He wasn't making fun of you, he was just quoting Leona himself. “To the point of... hehe, dreaming that he is... married to them?... ha haha HAHAHAHAHAHA!”
He started laughing, but he wasn't the only one, Ortho was laughing too and even Ruggie. That even caught Idia's attention, who had been distracted until that moment doing research.
“I can't believe it!” Idia says through the tablet, with that mocking voice that he certainly wouldn't have the courage to use in front of Leona. “The big, imposing, Oresama type macho man whose romantic interest is the poor, weak, isekaied person with a soft heart?! HAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh, my diaphragm is starting to hurt, hahaha!”
“Man, not even I was even expecting this!” Ruggie says. “But I KNEW something was up! Shyeheehee.”
Only Jack, Sebek and Silver weren't laughing. Quite the contrary, they seemed to be respectfully silent. Jack even seemed to want to smile a little, not a mocking smile, but because he thought that this could be one of the parts of Leona that he admired. Both he and Sebek positioned themselves in such a way as to create a barrier between you, in front of them, and the others who were laughing behind them.
Arriving at the royal palace's front entrance, you didn't encounter a single guard. Ruggie says that normally the lionesses have the whole place locked down tight. Which must mean that something was definitely up in the royal palace.
“Knowing that would give me reservations about simply walking in through the front door.” Azul says. “But since we are in the company of Your Majesty (Y/N)...” He smiles.
You then hear some strange laughter. Quite scary ones. After so many dreams, your team members automatically form in front of you to protect you when things like this happen. Jack and Sebek were now between you and the laughing people.
“Well, well, well. What have we got here?” A hyena beastman says, accompanied by others like him and all wearing the same type of what looked like a traditional guard’s or fighter's outfit.
“Hmm, I dunno.” Another hyena beastman says. “What do you think?”
“These guys couldn't be more obviously delinquent if they tried.” Jack comments. “Are they actually guardsmen?”
“They're dressed in the uniform of the Sunset Warriors, the king's personal team of guardians...” Ruggie explains.
“Wait...” Azul thinks to himself. “If they are the king's personal guardians, then... (Y/N).” He turns to you. “If you truly are part of the royal family, then these brutes will listen to you. They have to listen to you. Try to talk to them, but with confidence, this is very important. Remember, you are the King/Queen.” He smiles smugly.
You gather your courage and take a few steps forward, passing by the boys who were between you and the royal guards.
“Hehehehe! Looks like one of you is eager to be our dinner. Dyah hah hah!”
“I order you to let us pass!” You demand. “Me and my guests!”
“Oh yeah? And who do you think you... wait... you...” They smell the air to better understand your scent and finally be sure. “HEEEP! Y-y-y-your Majesty! We didn't know. W-we thought they were trespassers!”
“PLEASE FORGIVE US!” Everyone bows to you.
You say you forgive them for now and that now that they know who you and the others are they will let you pass... right?
“Hum... We are very sorry, Your Highness, but...” they didn't seem that sorry, a little smile even began to form on their faces. “King Leona ordered us not to let anyone in with you. No matter who it was.”
“What?! Why?”
“Oh, we don't question him, your highness. If it's something between you two, we would never intrude hehehe.”
One of them, who appears to be the leader, pulls you by the hand and hands you over to two other guards. As gently as possible for someone who is pulling you against your will.
“Take them inside!” He orders them. “We'll send the unwelcome guests away.”
And so the guards take you by the arms almost like a prisoner, but with much more care so as not to hurt you.
Once you passed through the doors, you had no more reason to fight against the guards. So they released you and escorted you down the hallway until you crossed paths with someone else.
“Ah, your highness. Welcome back.” An old man with blue and white hair and beard, wearing round glasses greets you with a genuine smile. “How was your walk? Hmm? Are those new clothes? I don't think I've ever seen you in them. But please, don't get me wrong, they look very good on you.”
The guards tell him that they found you outside with foreigners, and they even make up a story that they saved you from them, who were trying to kidnap you during your walk. During this, you hear them calling the old man Neji/Kifaji. As soon as you start saying that part was a lie, the old man automatically believes you.
“Cease you absurdity!” Neji/Kifaji scolds the guards. “I know what orders King Leona gave you. *sigh* You can leave King/Queen (Y/N) with me. You may go back to your posts now.”
The guards nod and turn to leave. However, you notice that they don't seem to have as much respect for Neji/Kifaji as they probably should.
“You were saying that the guards were lying about the foreigners wanting to kidnap you.” He returns to the subject calmly and in an understanding tone. “But you said it was true that you were with a group of people. Do you mind if I ask who they were?”
You tell him that they were your friends and he smiles sadly.
“Friends of yours? Well, it would be a pleasure to welcome them and see you enjoying yourself...” The smile fades, giving way to a slight frown. “If it weren't for your husband's paranoia.”
“Paranoia? Are you talking about that order not to let anyone in with me?”
“That is just the most recent one. I wonder how he knew your friends were coming. Either way... *sigh* I'm deeply sorry, Your Majesty. I believe this was not the life you imagined when you married Prince Leona. Being a king/queen of a country in ruins and without food to feed its people.”
This reminds you of that beastchild who recognized you and hugged you, asking you to help them have food again. You tell him this and it made him decide to go and have a talk with Leona again, to try to put some sense in his head once more. But not right now. He'll do it later, after he helps you prepare your royal clothes for you to change into. After all, those black clothes must be very hot in Sunset Savanna, no?
You change into a beautiful suit/dress (whatever you prefer) and only after you're ready do you realize that Neji/Kifaji took advantage of you changing clothes to go and have that conversation with Leona.
You follow the voices until you find the two in the throne room, but you don't go in yet. Instead, you stay in a hidden corner, listening.
“Your majesty, you are the only one who can save this kingdom now.” Neji/Kifaji says. “The former king succumbed to illness after many long years, then His Highness Falena and his family were lost in as unexpected accident...”
“Don't bring that up.” You see Leona, wearing an elegant brown suit with gold necklaces and rings. His hair looked different too, his bangs pulled back. “That was a tragedy.” You also see for a moment the dreamer's silver bird around his head. “Not only did we lose my brother, but we even lost little Cheka... Just remembering it makes me want to cry.”
It's hard to decipher if he's just saying it for the sake of it, or if his words are sincere and he's hiding his true feelings with his disinterested attitude.
“Yes, and you became king in the midst of that tragedy and turmoil.”
“Grudgingly. I never wanted the crown.”
“‘I will work through my grief and push onward to the dawn of a new era.’” Neji/Kifaji reminds Leona. “‘I will work hand in hand with my people for peace and prosperity, paving the way to a glorious future.’ That was what you said in your coronation day. Did you mean a single word of that?”
“Excuse me?” Leona says, still unbothered. “I kept my word and paved the way to the future, didn't I?”
Basically, Leona did what he promised, but literally. He pushed through rapid development over the warning of experts and the objections of his people. The plant life has withered, the water's polluted, the wildlife has vanished and there is nothing left to eat or drink. This makes Leona say that he is not like his father and brother, that he would never cater to fools that cling to outdated traditions and customs.
“Your Majesty, you speak too harshly.” Neji/Kifaji says. “The development plan you envisioned was revolutionary, I'll grant you that. But it was out of touch with reality. It simply wasn't possible to implement that plan in the nation we lived in.”
Leona is silent for a second, thinking about what he just said.
“Yes, my plan itself was perfect. Who was it that ruined that perfect plan? The incompetent citizens, that's who. Who are they to complain nonstop when they have no chops of their own?”
“Your Majesty, they're people, not pawns. They vary wildly in capabilities and personalities. They act of their own volition. As king, you should have accepted that and worked with them.”
“What? Why would I work with incompetent idiots? You must be joking. I did everything I said I would. the rest of you better figure it out from here. The last thing I need is to go around cleaning up after idiots.”
Neji/Kifaji accuses Leona of abdicating all responsibility but he defends himself by presumptuously saying that he only offers his leadership to those capable of perfectly carrying out his ideals.
“I've had enough of incompetent fools.”
“You keep speaking of incompetence...” Neji/Kifaji proceeds. “But have you ever recognized a single person other that yourself as competent?!”
Leona doesn't respond.
“Not even your own spouse?”
“What did you say?” Leona gets angry again, but this time it's different.
“Your spouse.” Neji/Kifaji repeats. “Do you also see them as one of your chess pieces? Present just to serve you?”
“Hm he he. Indeed, they are also one of my pieces.” He smirks. “But you're mistaken if you think I only have pawns around me.”
“Oh, yes?” Neji/Kifaji smils slightly, for the first time. “Are they really your queen on this board?”
“Who else would I marry if not a true queen?” Leona smiles smugly.
“Heh heh. The Queen is the most powerful piece in chess. More powerful even than the King itself... is that how you truly see (Y/N)?” He smirks at Leona.
“That would be stretching it too far. Don't put words in my mouth. And Neji/Kifaji... ” The smirk disappeared and Leona glared threatening at him. “If you dare to insinuate that again... I'll fry you up right at the spot and make you be served as our next meal.”
At that moment, they and you hear a commotion outside the palace. You look out the window nearest you and see a crowd complaining that there is nothing left for them there, not even food.
“And I thought things were bad under Falena!” You see Ruggie saying among the crowd. “This is so much worse!” The other protestors agree. “But it doesn't have to be! Give the leadership to King/Queen (Y/N)!”
“Buncha loudmouths idiots...” Leona complains. “This is a monarchy, not a democracy. They'd have to get rid of me first. Heh, as if.” He turns to Neji/Kifaji. “Speaking of which, where is (Y/N)?”
“I left them to change their clothes before coming here, Your Majesty.”
“Change clothes? Did they go for a walk again? What have they been up to?”
“That is unknown to me. They returned safe and sound, that's the only thing that concerns me.”
“Liar! You are covering for them... Well, the people are calling for them.” He smirks. “You better go get them.”
“There is no need.” You say, finally entering the throne room and revealing yourself dressed in your royal attire. “I’m here.”
The people continue to protest.
“Ugh... so annoying. How's a guy supposed to nap like this? Get out there and make them pipe down, Neji/Kifaji. Part of a grand chamberlain's job is ensuring their kings/king and queen can live in comfort. I'll do as I see fit. After all, I am still the king.” He smirks.
“Yes, sire. You are still the king.”
“Now get outta here. You're bothering me.”
He withdraws to obey his king's orders.
“And you come with me.” Leona tells you. “We need to talk and that's impossible here with so much noise.”
He walks to the exit of the throne room, into the hallway, and you follow him.
Leona takes you to a large and luxurious living room. You can no longer hear the protests, and when he closes the doors, it seems like a relaxing silence invades the space.
Leona sighs with relief and slumps his shoulders, then he walks to one of the sofas and collapses onto it. Sitting, not lying down. Then he looks at you lazily and beckons you with his finger to sit next to him.
You do so, and as he had his arms stretched out over the backrest, he puts one of them around your shoulders, pulling you against his chest. You thought he would complain to you about the protestors but... He stays silent, just hugging you with one arm while you rest your head on his chest.
“Did you hear?” He finally says after some time, in a worn out tone. “They want you.”
You don't say anything. You don't even know what to say. He looks so much more exhausted than before he walked through that door.
“I know about your rebels.” He says without changing his tone.
“My rebels?”
“The herds have moved on...” He quotes, the same phrase that the mother of that beastchild told you. “It’s your secret phrase. To recognize each other. You created a group against me.”
“Don't be ridiculous.” You straightened up with no difficulty, since he didn't even try to stop you. “Why would I do such a thing?”
“You heard them.” He looks at you with disdain. “They want you to lead them. To take the throne.” He leans toward you like a predator stalking its prey. “To take my place.”
“That's what they want. Why would I want it?”
He pauses and remains in thoughtful silence for a second.
“Why did you want to marry me?” He asks you without emotion in his voice.
“What? I-”
“You were the one who asked me to be your boyfriend, and then to marry you... You appeared here, coming from nowhere, alone, lost and with nothing, not even magic.” He gets closer and closer, speaking through growls, making you slide across the sofa. “We sheltered you in our palace to help you and what have you done?” The pull of your clothes on the sofa fabric doesn't allow you to move very far, and you end up lying down with him on top of you with threatening eyes and teeths. “You made me fall in love with you, marry you, to then steal my throne!”
“Don't be stupid!” You tell him without fear. “Why the heck would I want your throne?! Especially now. Do I look like I want to clean up your mess?”
His face remains frighteningly angry and he growls at you, but you don't seem the least bit concerned anymore. He brings his face close to yours as if he wants to bite you, but then he simply lies down with his head on your chest.
“Heh heh, it was more fun messing with you in the beginning.” He returned to his lazy, laid-back tone in less then a second. “I know why these people are protesting to have you as their ruler.”
“You do?”
He doesn't answer you right away, he just whispers after a few seconds.
“You’re the Queen.”
“What?” You really weren't sure you heard correctly.
He rises, stretching his arms, but still on top of you. His gaze has changed. It's calm, and you might even risk calling it loving.
“You’re the Queen.” He repeats. “That's what I told Neji/Kifaji. The most powerful piece in chess.” The trace of the smile he had disappears and he sighs. “Stronger than the King itself.”
He gets off of you and sits back down on the couch. He gives you his hand to help you sit down next to him too.
“Of course they like you.” He gets up and starts walking to a window. “I'm the guy who left them without food, without water, who destroyed their home.” He stops in front of the window, looking at the dark landscape. “And you're the kind person who listens to them, who comforts them, who wants the best for them.” He wasn't speaking for himself, he was speaking out what he believed his subjects thought. “The poor, golden-hearted herbivore who's trapped with the tyrant.” He smirks. “Heh heh heh. I wouldn't even be surprised if you were completely clueless about what's going on with these protests.” The next words he whispers so you don't hear. “You always had a way of bringing people together... Stronger than the king himself...”
While he was talking at the window with you still on the sofa, you received a message. Leona didn't notice, and when you looked, it was a message from Idia telling you not to try to wake Leona up alone because it could be dangerous for you while you were away from the rest of the group. They would return to the palace again the next day with a plan. Until then, you should just try to stay safe.
He turns away while yawning loudly and you quickly put your phone back away.
“I'm tired. I need a nap.”
He walks towards you, sits on the sofa where you are, a little away, turns around and lies down with his head in your lap and eyes closed. He opens one of his eyes to look at you and smirks.
“You still get flustered by this? Heh heh. Cute... What? It's not like you have anythin’ better to do, right?”
He closes his eye again and relaxes. You look at his ears and decide to take a chance and pet them like you would a cat. And he doesn't complain, quite the opposite, he smiles slightly without opening his eyes and melts at your touch. After a moment, he turns to hug your waist and continue sleeping.
Before dinnertime, Leona separates from you. You start to get hungry and go looking for him or Neji/Kifaji and he is the one you find in one of the corridors. He greets you with a smile, but sighs when you ask him about dinner.
“My apologies, your majesty, but there is no more food in the palace. No meat or vegetables. Not even water.”
That was really worrying and then you remember to ask about Leona.
“King Leona walked away from you as dinner time approached? *Sigh* He probably didn't have the courage to face you. Seeing his spouse hungry and unable to provide them with food... Not even his pride can handle so much.”
“Watch your beak!” A voice suddenly said behind you.
You turn around, neither of you even heard Leona approaching. He had one hand in his pocket and in the other a brown bag that he threw to Neji/Kifaji.
“You know what to do with it.” He turns and walks away without saying anything else.
“Yes, sire.” Neji/Kifaji still responds. He looks inside the bag. “Bread?” He puts his hand inside and takes out another smaller bag. He smells it. “And I think ithis is cheese. How did he...?” He then looks at you and smiles weakly. “Well... at least he's looking out for someone. Come, your majesty, I will prepare dinner for you.”
“What about Leona?” You ask. “And you?”
“King Leona never liked people worrying about him.” He says and then looks at you with another small smile. “And you don't need to worry about me. You're very kind, but... you know I don't need it.”
“What do you mean?”
“We both know this is a dream, your majesty.” He says calmly as you walk through a door into the kitchen and starts preparing your cheese sandwich. “You have nothing to fear. Beings like me have a duty to make the dreamer have happy dreams... but you must have already realized that Leona Kingscholar is making our job practically impossible.”
He finishes your sandwich and puts it on a plate. He asked you to go to the dining room so you could eat at the table. You go through another door and there's a beautiful dining room with a long table and luxurious chairs. You sit alone and he places the plate in front of you. He stands next to you.
“We must eliminate everyone and everything that might wake him up, that is true.” He keeps explaining to you. “But... He is making this a nightmare no matter our efforts. You were, until now, the only person or even thing that managed to lessen his anguish during all this time. The way he created me, from all the memories of the real Neji/Kifaji, does not allow me to continue with my duty to keep him asleep. No matter how hard I try to convince him that he can actually do something to improve this situation, it's useless. There is only one way to make him happy.” He looks at you with certainty. “He needs to wake up. And have you with him when he does.”
When night came, Neji/Kifaji told you that you had the option of sleeping in a bedroom alone if you wanted. He could tell Leona that you didn't feel well enough to sleep with him.
But if you choose to sleep in the same room and bed as Leona, you will enter the room alone as well, lie down on the bed and fall asleep from waiting for him.
You wake up a little later because you feel an arm around your waist and someone behind you. Having seen and heard Leona sleeping so many times, you quickly confirmed that it was him simply by the way he yawned. He pulls you closer and you feel his chest on your back and his breath for a moment on your neck.
If you decide to turn around and look at him, you'll see him looking at you with his green eyes half-closed and with that eyeshine in the middle of a darkness that was only not total due to the weak glow of the moon that entered the room.
“What?” He says lazily and in a deep voice. “You don't look disappointed that I woke you up.” He smirks.
Seeing the way you were looking at him, he pulls you closer again, rubs his nose against yours and only then kisses your lips softly but lovingly. If you allow it, you will make out until you fall asleep in each other's arms.
He was the one who fell asleep first, but you were the one who woke up first.
After a moment of enjoying the sight of Leona sleeping beside you, you try to get up. But as soon as you sit down on the bed and swing your legs out, you feel his arm around your waist, preventing you from getting up.
You caress his cheek or ears and tell him you two should get up. You just hear him mumble and feel him slowly pulling you closer. It is then that you hear a knock on the door and Neji/Kifaji announcing it is time to get up. This makes Leona mumble less satisfied than before.
You two get up and get dressed. When you thought you were both ready, you turned to head for the door but Leona speaks up.
“You sure you're ready?” Leona asks you with a somewhat judgmental look.
You look at your clothes and even look in the mirror again. You genuinely don't know what could be wrong.
“Well, if you think everythin's fine...” he shrugs and walks calmly to the door.
You grab his arm and ask him what you were missing. He doesn't answer you, he just smiles, amused by your frustration. Until you finally order him to tell you what he was talking about.
“Hahahah! Okay, okay. Please, don't attack me. You're such a scary herbivore. Hahahaha!” He mocks you, but then he grabs your cheeks with one hand and kisses your lips passionately and playfully. “Such bad manners for a royalty.” He says with a smirk after the kiss. “Don't even give a proper good morning to their own husband. Maybe you need more etiquette lessons.”
As soon as you arrived at the throne room, you immediately heard the protests of the citizens outside.
“Tch... what now?” Leona says. All traces of good mood he had was gone. “Lately it's been ridiculously noisy. Hey, Neji/Kifaji! You there?”
“You called, sire?”
Leona says that you two are hungry and he orders Neji/Kifaji to bring you food, but he says that there is no food and the two of them start arguing about there being nothing in the castle, much less outside, to eat. They argue as usual until Neji/Kifaji sighs and says:
“I never would have had to suffer such demands under Falena.”
This seemed to be a trigger, because as soon as he finished the sentence Leona jumped towards him and grabbed him by the collar, practically strangling him.
“Don't utter that name!” He threatens him, but Neji/Kifaji isn’t intimidated at all. “In case you've forgotten, that name reminds me of my sorrow all over again. Never, ever mention it in my presence.”
You hear the sound of magic and sand begins to swirl around you like a storm.
“Urgh...! Hahaha... Are you serious about eating me for lunch? Oh, you wouldn't want me. I'd be so tough and gamey and...”
“Leona, NO! Stop it!”
You try to stop him, grabbing one of his arms, but he instinctively throws you back, making you fall and crash against the throne's stairs. As soon as he realizes what he just did, he turns to look at you, regretful, but without letting go of Neji/Kifaji. However, soon after the look of regret gives way to one of anger.
“YOU IDIOT! You think you can save anyone by gettin’ in the middle of a fight, weak as you are?! Learn self-preservation and don't meddle in my affairs again!”
“Unca, nooo!” A child said as the door opened with a bang.
You see a huge white wolf attacking Leona, making him let go of Neji/Kifaji, and only after the shock do you realize it's Jack and the child is...
“Cheka?!” Leona says in disbelief. “No, you're dead.”
Cheka and Neji/Kifaji exchange a few words and both he and you notice that Cheka's voice sounds strange. Meanwhile, Jack gets off Leona and approaches you to help you get up with his snout.
“Why, cheka, I'm a little surprised to see you... alive.” It was obvious that Leona already knew that this wasn’t the real Cheka, or at least not the Cheka from his dream. “Your roaring's improved some.” He smiles smugly.
“You're being mean to all our subjects and Neji/Kifaji. you're a bad king, Unca. This is my kingdom to rule. Step down, Unca.”
“Oh, yes... I would, but there's one little problem with that.” A sandstorm forms again and Leona prepares to attack. “I'm not handin' over the throne to some pipsqueak pretender!”
He attacks Cheka and he breaks down into glitches. He destroyed a hologram. The sandstorm creates a whirlwind that pulls three other people into the throne room: Ruggie, Ortho, and Grim.
“A hyena kid? I've been lookin' out for you hyenas, and this is how you repay me? You bring out a fake Cheka and act like you're revolutionaries? Hah, now that's funny.” He grabs Ruggie. “Treason against the crown is punishable by death. Hope you're prepared to face the consequences.”
You get fed up with all this! Leona prepares to use his signature spell on Ruggie, but you run up to them and get between them.
“ENOUGH!” You shout in his face and suddenly the sandstorm dissipates. “Stop this, Leona! This was supposed to be a dream and you single-handedly turned it into a nightmare!” You grab him by the collar and he finally lets go of Ruggie. “Why do you do this to yourself?! If you're so smart, how come you haven't realized this is a dream? That it's all an illusion?”
“What?! What are you talking about? Are you crazy?” Now he was also arguing with you angrily.
“You are being deceived by Malleus right now! You are losing to a lizard you idiot! Just wake up already!”
The dream begins to distort and Leona moves away from you because of the headaches. But at that moment, a group of guards enter the throne room to protect Leona. Several of them attack you all right away, but Neji/Kifaji uses fire magic to protect you. You fight the guards and as soon as the battle ends you realize that Leona has disappeared.
The world had stopped distorting and Leona had just escaped the palace with some of the guards. Meanwhile, they managed to convince Leona that you had let yourself to be brainwashed by opponents of his regime.
“I understand the stupid subjects,” He mutters just to himself, trying hard not to let the guards hear him. “I even understand Neji/Kifaji... but...” Neither you nor anyone else would ever see this, but despite his expression of wrath, he was trying hard not to shed tears. “...them... (Y/N)... my own spouse?!... Why? Why them too?! Why you too?!...” His throat hurt from holding back the tears. “For better... for worse... to love and to cherish... I DIDN'T LIE! WHY DID YOU?!” He finally explodes in anger and roars.
“Your Majesty, I'm so glad you're safe.” The guards who intercepted you the day before run to meet their king. “Things are looking pretty dicey right now. We should find somewhere to lie low for a while.”
“Ah, you guys... At least YOU won't turn your back on me.”
“Heh heh... That's right, Majesty.” Darkness surrounds them all, the ground turns into black goop and the same happens to the NPCs' skin. “We're your only true friends. And everyone else is your true enemy. Even the ones you think you love. We'll turn the world upside-down as many times as it takes. Yes, as many times as it takes...”
Leona lets himself be swallowed by the darkness and shortly after you all arrive and jump into the black goop after him.
You all end up at Savanaclaw, more specifically, at the Spelldrive Stadium in their dorm.
“Oh, what a terrible tragedy.” Leona was wearing his dorm uniform again. “Who could have foreseen panicked crowds charging right into Diasomnia's procession of players? Much less trampling THE Malleus Draconia along with all their other competitors?” He smiles smugly. “But we must all rise to the occasion and triumph in this spelldrive tournament. It's what he'd want. Right?”
“So, in this scenario where the Savanaclaw students succeeded in sabotaging Malleus in the spelldrive tournament?” Jack asks.
“Looks that way.” Ruggie confirms. “Seems like this is happening just before the tournament starts.”
You guys talk about that dream and Leona, and Ruggie and Jack say that Leona is the type of person who's never satisfied. Probably no matter what he achieves, whether in real life or in the dream, he'd get bored quickly and lauch right into the next thing to complain about. However, both Ruggie and Jack conclude this with a smile.
“This version of Leona Kingscholar has recollections of his life at school.” Ortho says. “That means it's possible to make him aware of clashes with reality and deliver a mental jolt.”
“And most of the people involved in the spelldrive tournament are right here.” Ruggie complements. “How's about we put on a show?”
Meanwhile, Leona was talking about their next game being against Octavinelle and commenting that they were such small fry they could beat them blindfolded. Azul appears, along with Silver and Sebek who reveal that they, Malleus, and the other Diasomnia students are all fine and in condition to play in the tournament. And all thanks to Azul. Confronted by Leona, Azul just says with a smirk that he signed a more favorable contract, a basic good business practice.
“What in blazes...?” His dream begins to distort. “Why am I getting déjà vu from this? Hrgh!"
“Leona?” The Ruggie with inky black skin asks. “What's wrong?”
“He's waking up from a dream.” The real Ruggie arrives along with Jack.
“Two Ruggies?” Leona looks from one Ruggie to the other. “And, a dream...? Agh! What is this? My head...!”
Leona begins to remember what happened that day, including the colar that Riddle put around his neck and him saying that he would never become king no matter how hard he tries.
The darkness begins to do their job of trying to protect Leona and keep him asleep, so you attack them. After defeating the NPCs and them dissolving into black goop, Jack and Ruggie tell Leona to remember who he really is and then the dream breaks.
Leona wakes up as always, complaining, this time about him not remembering that whole ridiculous plot, your scraggly faces not being the first things he wanted to see when he opens his eyes and asking Jack not to yell in his ear.
“I got a delicate constitution, y'know. You should wake me up more gently.”
“You star grumbling the moment you wake up...” Ruggie says. “That's the Leona I know, shyeheehee!”
“Hey, Ruggie. You've got some explaining to do. What's going- ?!”
The earth begins to shake and the ground is covered in black goop. The dream was collapsing. You all prepare to escape the dream, when you are caught in the darkness and begin to be pulled in.
“(Y/N)!” Everyone shouts.
Grim automatically jumps towards you, but Leona stops him by grabbing him by the bow around his neck. Grim rants at him as if he's stopping him from saving your life, and for a second, his snout looked a lot like it did when he attacked you the night before he was taken to S.T.Y.X.
“You idiot!” Leona says, seriously. “You think (Y/N) wants you to go down with them?!”
He throws Grim for Jack to catch and rushes to you. He first grabs one of your arms, then holds you by the torso, wrapping his arms around your waist. Although this causes him to be trapped in the darkness as well.
“Rgh! This isn't just your weight. There's a powerful tug... Ah, crud. Guess you can't win 'em all...”
“What? What are you going to do?!” You ask, afraid he'll leave you.
He brings his face close to yours and looks you deeply in the eyes.
“Win this one for me, my Queen.” then he turns his face away from you. “JACK! CATCH!”
He pulls you out of the darkness and makes you fly until you land in Jack and Silver's arms. The last thing you see is Leona sinking into the darkness with a smirk. Since he was the dreamer, he still had a chance to save himself, but you didn't, so you all left the dream, whether you wanted to or not.
When you return to Leona's dream, you are back in the devastated, gray Sunset Savanna of the beginning of his dream. But regardless, you, Jack and Ruggie were just happy to see him safe and sound, and him wearing the Savanaclaw uniform showed that he was still awake.
“I never thought I'd see Leona of all people dive into darkness on someone else's behalf.” Azul says with a smirk. “Could this be the power of love?” He was holding back laughter.
“How brave for someone who can be dehydrated at a touch to open his mouth like that.” Leona replied with his own smirk.
“I can see why you're housewarden of Savanaclaw. That was an incredible show of bravery.”
“Yeah, yeah...” Leona shrugs it off and turns to you. “You. We need to talk. Come with me.” He starts walking away from the others. “If someone follows us, won't get out of this dream alive.” He says without stopping walking or turning to look at any of them.
You follow him to a huge rock where the others can no longer see or hear you. He leans against the rock and crosses his arms, casually.
“I remember everything.” He says, impassively and looking you in the eyes. “I was dreaming that we were married.” He analyzes your facial expression, but it doesn't take a genius to know what your little smile means. He smirks. “You didn't need to sleep with me, you know?”
You can't hide how flustered you are.
“He gave you a choice, didn't he?” Leona continues, with that smug smile. “You could have gone to sleep in another room...” He pushes himself off the rock and starts walking around you. “...But as soon as I went to bed...” He stops behind you and whispers in your ear. “...I find you there.”
You turn to face him with a smug grin of your own.
“Well, you didn't mind that either.”
“Why would I?” He takes a few steps forward, slowly, making you take a few steps back too. “I was dreaming that I was your husband...” Your back meets the huge rock and he leans with his forearm next to your head, bringing his face close to yours. “You think I wouldn't want to sleep with my spouse too?”
He looks from your eyes to your lips, but then he looks to one of your shoulders as if he's actually looking behind you. The smile slowly fades and he straightens up.
“I'm sorry.” He says, simply and with that neutral expression.
“What?”
“When I pushed you. You fell against the stairs...” For the first time, he looks away from you. “I'm sorry.” He repeated in a low tone but with genuine regret, at least for his standards.
You say it's okay, that he wasn't being completely himself and that he was going through a complicated situation. You've visited enough dreams to know that the dreamer doesn't necessarily act like themselves in their dreams.
“You can't use that excuse from now on.” He tells you, determinedly. “You can accept that dream as an isolated experience. But if something like that happens again, you won't give me excuses. You'll leave! No looking back. Understood?” He orders you.
You agree with a smile. That was his way of caring about you and protecting you. But with a smirk you ask if that means you can ask him for something to make up for what he did.
“Hm?” He smirks back. “What you mean? You just admitted that I was a victim too. I was going through a difficult situation and wasn't being myself. Your words. Forgiving me in this context was the least you could do for your crush.”
“Oh yeah? I came here to save you, and I even made your dream less of a nightmare for a moment. YOUR crush should get a reward for that at least. It would only be fair.”
“Wasn't that night reward enough?”
“Y-you weren't being yourself. I want a reward from the real Leona.”
“Hehe. Fine. If my Queen insists.”
He holds you by the waist, pulls you towards him and kisses your lips, hungrily. He slowly pushes you with his body to bring you back against the large rock behind you, without taking his lips off yours.
If you would like to read more from me, you can find it in my pinned post: INDEX
A/N: This is a commission for @starshiningsirius , I apologize for the wait. This was my first time writing Overblot! so I had a lot of fun. Please enjoy, or please hate it.
tags: Overblot!Leona Kingscholar x fem!reader, noncon, tw blood
wc: 3k+
You remembered being in the MagiShift stadium where the calamity began. Leona’s face was dripping in thick, black ink. The sky began to transform from bright blue into a muddied grey with lint colored clouds.
You recall the rough wind whipping against the skin of your face. The tiny granules of sand were like shards of glass cutting against your flesh as you squeezed your eyes shut in terror. The beastmans eyes darkened as he looked at you and the others with nothing but animosity. Ruggie had fallen unconscious after almost dying, Lilia’s expression was shocked as he raised his mage pen as Leona transformed into a monster.
When you tried to open your eyes again, it was too late. Everyone was shouting your name through the whirlwinds of sand. You were sinking into a sea of ink and mud. You started to flail and thrash, feeling Cater and his clones trying to pull and yank you free. All attempts were futile as you sank deeper and deeper into the mass.
When you were swallowed whole, you free-fell into a new world. Your body felt like it was coated in a sheet of molasses. You landed in another thick pool of wet mud and ink as you gasped and panicked, crawling out as fast as possible. Your heart pounding in your chest with the fear of death via drowning. You reached stable ground; a platform of dry, wooden planks.
You kicked away from the mound of wet sand with panicked eyes as you looked around in terror. It was an alternate version of Savanaclaw. Floating in a pitch black void. The dorm in ruins and falling apart as it floated on sheets of stone. The intense heat left sweat beading on your temple as you blinked to wet your drying eyes. The mud and ink was drying fast and crumbling away on your skin and clothes.
You felt disgusting.
You tried to steady your breathing as you got to your feet, seeing the long rope bridge leading towards the dorm. Your breaths were shallow as you grabbed the rope, walking slowly as you snapped your head in each direction in hopes of see a friendly face. You looked down at yourself now.
The amalgamation of sand and magical waste stained your clothes and you cringed. There’s a washroom somewhere in the dorm. Hopefully you could quickly clean yourself and find something to wear. Someone would be able to save you. Hopefully you could hide in the showers or in an empty dorm.
You dealt with Riddle overblotting and having his tantrum a month prior. Watching rose bushes being ripped from the ground and the world being split open. That was nothing compared to this. Leona’s overblot was a new form of terrifying. You sniffled as you walked on. There was no point in crying, even if you wanted to.
There was no one around to help you. Not right now. You could complain and cry about how scared you were once you got out of here. You scrunched your nose as the scorching, dry air left the substance clinging to you stink. Like a cracked open ink pen and soil on fire.
You were becoming nauseous as you crossed the bridge onto the platform of the dorm. Entering a small balcony space where you rested a hand against the smooth stone wall. You took shallow breaths as your eyes fluttered shut again. The surface was cool and offered respite from the burning air. Your hair was becoming crunchy and hard the longer you stayed in the open air. You pressed on through the dorm and searched the dorms looking for the washroom.
You stopped in one room, noticing that it belonged to Ruggie. His familiar giraffe patterned bedsheets and his lucky warthog he kept on his desk. You stepped into the room and nudged the door shut. “Sorry Ruggie... When I get out of here, I’ll wash and return everything...” You apologized softly as you maneuvered around the room. You crouched to sift through his dresser drawers.
You grabbed an oversized tan shirt with white stripes across the sleeves, and a pair of blue shorts with a drawstring. You felt a wave of anxiety knowing you would have to step back out into the unknown. You clutched tightly to Ruggie’s clothes as you poked your head out of his dorm and cautiously looked up and down the hall for any signs of life. You hadn’t seen or heard Leona or anyone.
You didn’t want to die here.
Once the door was pulled shut, you hurried back down the hall. You kept your steps light and quick as you traveled through the maze like dorm. Crossing another rope bridge as you felt your lips starting to dry in the intense heat. Sweat rolling down your face as you fought the urge to smear filth across your face for the sake of wiping your brow.
On the next platform, you felt at ease. You finally reached a familiar looking hallway. Your steps hastened and your eyes widened with hope. This is where the washroom should be. Usually there would be feelings of embarrassment. The bath was open air and Savanaclaw was a very intimidating dorm to visit. But no one was here, at least not yet.
And this was an emergency. You made the choice to take a shower first. You couldn’t bear the scent and sensation of the ink and sand clinging to your skin and clothes. You passed through the curtain of colorful beads and stones separating the dorm from the washroom.
It was much cooler here than the rest of the dorm. You quickly kicked off your shoes, yanking off your socks and tossing them near one of the sinks. You shed the last remaining articles of clothing before taking Ruggie’s bunched up clothes and leaving them on the edge of a sink.
It would be quick. You would wash your skin clean and then get out of here. You swallowed nervously, praying to anyone who was listening to grant you the grace of running water. And your prayers were answered as you turned the knob and were met with a lukewarm shower rushing over you. A gasp escaped your lips as the water rushed over your bare body as you reached back and pulled the opaque curtain shut behind you.
You didn’t have any soap, and that would be an issue for later when you got back to your dorm. You carefully combed your fingers through your filthy hair. Looking down at the metal drain near your toes as the water turned dark brown then black. Clumps of mud and dried ink clotted up around your feet as you scrubbed at your arms and your body to rid your skin of the dried ink and dirt.
You felt much better under the cool water. A pleased sigh escaped your lips as you watched the water finally running clear. You shut off the water, stepping out of the shower and quickly glancing around with rapid blinks. Your brows began to furrow as you clung to the shower curtain for coverage. The room was much hotter than you remembered.
Your heart was pounding again, your mouth filled with cotton as you rushed over to the edge of the sink where you left Ruggie’s bunched up clothes. You knew something was wrong. You left a puddle of water trailing behind you as you grabbed the clothes.
The feeling of the cotton fabric on your wet skin was uncomfortable. Your wet hair clung to your neck and forehead. Your eyes widened in shock as you felt your wet hair starting to dry. Your skin no longer moist from the lukewarm water. Your heart constricted with terror as you heard a low growling from the washroom doorway. The hairs on the back of your neck stood on end and you froze in fear. Your bottom lip trembled as you blinked away a small string of tears.
Leona wouldn’t hurt you. He’s not like that. Leona isn’t himself right now, that’s all.
The stench of resin and dirt filled the washroom. You could hear the rumble in his chest and the click of his nails against the tile. Your legs finally listened to your brain as you backed away slowly. Your hands shaking as you hugged yourself. Your lips parted as you started to gasp and pant, doing all you could not to scream. You wanted to believe Leona wouldn’t hurt you. Then you remembered what happened with his plan to get rid of Malleus. And how he tried to kill Ruggie. And how you ended up here against your will. Leona is just confused. That’s what happens with overblot.
“Herbivore.” The petname made your stomach churn as a yelp left your lips. “Just come out where I can see you. Don’t make this hard on yourself.” You swallowed with a small shake of your head. You could hear him coming closer and closer as you began to circle through the washroom towards the doorway. Once Leona picked up speed and you caught a glimpse of his clawed hand; you took off sprinting.
You started screaming as you raced through the beaded curtain and down the hall. Abandoning your clothes as you held onto the waistband of Ruggie’s oversized shorts. Pulling at the drawstring with pants and gasps as your bare feet smacked against the wood and stone flooring. Tears rolled down your cheeks and your chest began to burn from the lack of oxygen in the hot air.
You had no destination in mind other than whatever your brain deemed as ‘safe enough for now’. You rounded corner after corner, bumping into walls and stumbling from exhaustion. You could hear a distant roar, and you knew Leona was close. “Someone help me!” You screamed and cried. You wished that someone would magically appear and pull you into their arms, fending Leona off with magic. You wanted this to become nothing more than a fuzzy bad dream. But no one was coming. No one could hear you. It was just you, and the overblotted Leona.
When his clawed hand grabbed you by the back of Ruggie’s baggy shirt you gagged. The collar began to strangle you as he dragged you away from your aimless sprint. You kicked your feet, crying and howling for Leona to let you walk free. Was he planning to kill you for sticking your nose where it didn’t belong? That was Crowley’s fault. He MADE you investigate what was going on. You heard a rumor that some beastmen eat humans and mermen if they’re hungry enough. You felt your blood run cold as he continued dragging you away.
You knew where he was going. This was the path to his bedroom. “L-Leona! I’m so sorry I didn’t mean-”
“Be quiet.” He commanded as your hands began to shake. Your knees gave out from exhaustion as you tried to weakly kick and get free. You continued pulling at the shirt collar in hopes of getting more air. You didn’t want to die from asphyxiation. You didn’t want to die at all. “I-I didn’t- I’m-” You were at a loss for words. You didn’t know how to bargain with him. “That was a good chase Herbivore.” Leona commented. It sounded like he was praising you.
You remembered something you heard from the Floyd when you were managing the basketball club. A passing dirty comment on how predators love to chase their food. When it’s scared and the adrenaline is high; it makes the food taste better. The chase can be so arousing for predators. Floyd claimed that if someone he liked looked scared or ran from him, he would have a boner. You swallowed fearfully, blinking away more and more tears as Leona opened a door and pulled you into the room. Your face became hot as you tried to force a smile on your face.
Leona was going to kill you and it’s everyone else's fault. “Leona-” Your whimper turned into a shriek as he pulled you up to your feet. His grip was iron as his sharp nails tore the shirt to pieces. You tried fighting him off again with renewed strength. Your back was now facing him as his sharp teeth sank into your shoulder with a single minded task. If
Leona’s intentions weren’t to eat you, then you knew what he was trying to do.
It might calm him down if you allow it. He might let you go. Maybe this is how you stop his overblotted state. You gasped and cried in pain. Blood began flowing down your shoulder as he lapped and sucked at your wound. His hips rutting into your ass as he began to force you to bend over the foot of his bed. To present your ass to him like a cat in heat. You feared that fighting any longer would agitate him. But you didn’t want this to hurt.
His nails were sharp, the idea of them penetrating your cunt made your body tremble in horror. You weren’t getting wet due to the stress. Nothing about this would end up being pleasant for you. You tried weakly pushing him away again as Leona leaned over you. Your chest exposed and tits wobbling free as he tossed the shredded shirt to the floor and out of sight.
You used a hand to steady yourself on the mattress. You were sweating again from the intense heat and the pressure you were at risk of cracking under. “Your scent...” He murmured as his hooked tongue licked away the blood on your shoulder. If he had sank his teeth in your neck you would have died. His sharp nails dragged along the side of your body as you sobbed quietly against the bed. This will all be over soon. Someone will come to your rescue.
“Please let me go.” You pleaded weakly as he began to rip the shorts off of you. The warm air left your skin prickling with goosebumps as one of his strong hands pinned you down to keep you still on the mattress. “You don’t want to stay with me?” Leona sounded irritated as you stayed silent. Hiding your face as you felt something rubbing against your sweat slicked cunt. You didn’t know if shaking your head was a safe thing to do. “I know you want this,” He growled. You could feel his weight settling on top of you. The heat was intense. The ink coating your skin from Leona’s body felt like an adhesive slime. The scent made you gag as the grinding continued. “I know you want me.”
You felt an intrusion. You wanted to cry again, but your eyes were dry now. All you could do now was scream. You begged Leona to let you go. To return to the way he was before. The pain was bordering unbearable now. The sensation of his penis filling you was like your insides were being grated by his cock. It was both thick and long. The push felt endless as he groaned in pleasure from above you. The spines were ripping up your inner walls as he began to steadily thrust.
Dragging in and out slowly to make the burning pain last. It was like some sort of punishment for a crime you didn’t commit. You started to drool. Screaming as you screwed your eyes shut from the agony. His hand that once pinned you down to the bed caught a fistful of your hair. Yanking your head back as he fucked you. His hips picking up speed as he growled in your ear. “Crying? Is it that hard for you Herbivore?” Leona was laughing at your pain. It amused him.
You looked pathetic to him. Of course you did. You didn’t answer as you started to give up. Your eyes stayed shut and your body began going limp. The heavy slap of his balls against your clit made you dizzy. The feeling of the spines against your walls felt pleasurable now as your legs quivered. You didn’t know if you were going to cum or urinate.
He was licking your shoulder again. He was moaning in pleasure. Taking everything from your weak and now submissive body as you remained limp and let him. Telling yourself over and over in silence it would end soon. “Fuck- I’m so close. Can you feel it? Can you feel my cock?” Leona asked and you refused to answer him. Your face was hot as your skin dripped with sweat. Your legs weak as his other hand pulled your hip into his cock. He was rougher, fucking you harder. You thought that the shape of his cock would be engrained into your pussy.
That the tip battering your poor cervix would leave a dent forever that would never heal. Your eyes fluttered and rolled into the back of your head as you let out a final scream. It was weak and breathless as you gave out. Cumming and wetting his cock as the incessant thrusts began to stutter. “Cumming!” He growled as he let go of his hold on your aching scalp to hold your hips. His cock pulsing deep inside of your hole and flooding it with sperm.
You exhaled weakly as he rutted his hips. Riding out the shockwaves of his orgasm as he roared. You were tired. You couldn’t keep your eyes open much longer. The moment Leona’s softened cock slipped free from your hole; you sank to the floor. Landing on your knees before falling over and fainting.
When you woke up again it was nothing but dread. You were now lying on a bed of soft sand. The grains clinging to your skin and dirtying whatever was left of Ruggie’s clothes. The heat was intense, stuffing your lungs and leaving you feeling suffocated. It looked like you were still in Leona’s dorm room. Laying on the pile of sand near his bed. You didn’t have the strength to lift your head. All you could do was look with your eyes. You were beyond exhausted.
You didn’t see anyone. But you could hear someone, or something approaching.
