❦summary; a midnight trip can be calming. except when the goal of the trip is a bit stubborn
♪the characters in this story; riddle rosehearts, gn! reader
✎word count; 1,336
❀what do the ghosts say?; romantic, late night stuff, worry for other's health, softness from riddle, falling asleep together.
☛the author's notes; i should update the masterlist lol. uh, hi, i'm alive. lots of stuff happened, i have a job and stuff. i made this YEARS ago. it's probably not as good as my usual stuff, but i really wanna get back into writing again and i hope this is a start. (人 •͈ᴗ•͈) i do really wanna finish the continuation of "until death do us part" but i really need to brush up on my twst knowledge and motivation.
☪look at the catalogue?
It was cold tonight, the breeze a bit stronger than normal. A blanket was brought along for the journey to accommodate for the colder air. It was dark, so you brought along your flashlight. Footsteps echo in the empty corridors, shadows stretching as the light you hold hits the columns.
You had never been out in the school when it was dark before. If you were younger, the fear of ghosts and ghouls that come to snatch you away would be present in your mind. Now though, you know that the ghosts here wouldn’t snatch you away. Or at least won’t hurt you. There was a thrill to all of this though, almost like you were a teenager sneaking out of the house in the middle of the night. The feeling of it all makes your heart race, your legs carrying you through the halls. However, a mundane act of teenage rebellion isn’t the reason why you’re here tonight.
Your goal tonight was the library. Though there was a slight difficulty due to the different environment, but you make it there in due time, the lights dimmed to a more soothing and less harsh color. Your eyes are drawn to the only light source that wasn’t a gentle green, the glow of the orange lamplight drawing you in. At that table lies a head of red hair reminiscent of roses, hunched over a project he no doubt is trying to do as perfectly as he can.
“Riddle!”
Riddle looks up in confusion, swiveling his head until he sees you, who was already walking over to him. He stands up quickly, a mix of confusion and a hint of a frown on his lips. Of course, Riddle was never too pleased when you would break any rules, big or small, and being awake at night when you’re supposed to be asleep. Though, one would suppose that he was more worried about what his partner was doing up so late than mere rules.
“What are you doing up so late?” Riddle’s hands go to hold yours, trailing up to adjust the blanket around your shoulders. “And why are you wearing a blanket around your shoulders? Are you cold? This is too thin for you.” He doesn’t even allow you a nod before Riddle is taking off his blazer, pulling the blanket from your shoulders to replace it. Riddle makes sure to put the blanket back on, an added layer of protection against the cold.
An expression of thanks slips from your lips, much warmer with the added layer. The only response you get is a soft “of course”, which is better than his usual flustered expression. Riddle leads you back to his area of operating, sitting you down first before he does the same. For a moment, it’s silent, the two of you staring at the other. “Now, what are you doing up so late? You shouldn’t be roaming the halls so late. Students shouldn’t be roaming the halls during night and it’s bad for your health.” Ah, there it is. You were wondering how long it would take.
You turn your head away, a light grin on your lips as you turn to look back at Riddle, though it’s obvious he’s none too pleased with you. “Well,” You begin, fingers fiddling with the buttons of his blazer. The fabric wafts the gentle scent of soil and flowers, a smell that you associate with the one you call your partner. You have to take a moment to just let it envelop you, to breathe it in and allow yourself to relax. “I wanted to see you.” A simple and sweet answer. The truth too.
This, however, doesn’t seem like a suitable answer for Riddle, because he lets out a long exhale, gloved fingers pinching at the bridge of his nose. His forehead wrinkles in the way he does when he thinks for a long time or when he frowns. “You can see me in the morning. I don’t understand why you would sneak out of your dorm to simply ‘see me’.” Riddle responds, brows furrowed as he gives you a stern expression. He isn’t angry, no. More worried for your wellbeing or this becoming a common occurrence. Of course, it isn’t everyday that the Riddle Rosehearts is staying up late to finish homework. He was too busy today to even begin to think about his homework.
Riddle’s response makes you frown, an expression that could almost be called a pout on your lips. “But you’re staying up too. And you’ve been too busy for us to actually spend time together.”
Riddle is quick to retort with, “I talked to you before class.” Though, this is quickly countered with, “You asked me how my day was and left.”
“We spent lunch together recently though.”
“Yes, we did. Last week. And we barely talked!”
Back and forth, each example is quickly refuted. Back and forth, you and Riddle fuss at each other almost endlessly.
“Well–” Riddle pauses, thinking about his words before he continues. “You shouldn’t be up so late at night.”
“Well you shouldn’t either! You said you would go easier on yourself!”
Riddle opens his mouth, likely to return the remark so that this argument could end, more like squabbling, but pauses. He takes a moment to breathe, hands planted firmly on his thighs before he exhales. After a moment, Riddle takes one of your hands into his own, a shy little peck pressed to your knuckles. An apology, of sorts. Or maybe to sate your wanting for his attention. Either way, it’s enough to calm the air,
“You know you shouldn’t be up so late.” Riddle says, hand still holding yours. You nod and squeeze his hand.
“You’re so busy lately.” It’s a plain statement, a fact that has been true for the past couple weeks. Of course, Riddle has felt the lack of time spent with you, though his mind has been more preoccupied with other matters that, unfortunately, didn’t involve you.
Silence takes the two of you for minutes, what seems like hours. Hands intertwined, eyes locked. It was romantic, in a way. But romantic enough.
Then, a sigh is heard from Riddle and he scoots his chair closer to yours. In almost an instant, your head is on his shoulder and a pen is in his right hand again. This time, his left hand is preoccupied with holding your hand, his head slightly tilted towards your own. He doesn’t say anything, pen hovering above the paper in wait for something. It takes a moment before you respond by squeezing his hand once more, an exhale escaping you as you lean your head’s weight on his shoulder. That was apparently the confirmation Riddle needed, as the sound of his pen against the paper is heard, a calming noise that can be heard along with Riddle’s soft breathing.
Your ears are filled with the sound of the pen scratching against paper, the scent of roses and strawberries filling your nose, your hand held in the tight and reassuring grasp of your partner. This was what you wanted, to be near him. Even though this wasn’t what you imagined when you came here tonight, then again what else would you have expected, but it felt enough. Not enough to make up for the weeks of being without Riddle, but it was a start.
You don’t know when you fell asleep, or even when you closed your eyes, but you do. And Riddle notices it, with the way your body leans its weight against him a bit more. It’s what signals him to take a break, if only to fix the blanket around your shoulders. Riddle can feel himself already relax in simply your presence, eyes fluttering in an attempt to not fall for the allure that is sleep. No one can resist the call and, soon, Riddle’s eyes slip shut.
There the two lay, a picturesque scene of two lovers leaning against one another as they sleep.
SUMMARY: You end up revealing that you can't swim/not swim very well, and the OctaTrio offer to teach you how to swim. You choose Azul to teach you. On the day of the lesson he found a secluded small cave to teach you.
CHARACTERS: Azul Ashengrotto x Reader 🐙🦐
TAGS: Fluff; GN Reader; Flirting; Kissing
WORD COUNT: 2.910 words
COMMENTS: This is for the @briarvalleyarchives “Summer Shoreline” event.
To be honest, the initial idea was to write about how each of the three (Azul, Jade and Floyd) would teach you to swim. But I ended up being so inspired and carried away just by Azul's part that I ended up deciding to stick just with him.
BTW: I was born and raised on the coast, so the beach, the ocean, and even rivers, are very close to me. I love swimming and especially diving. I'm just saying this to let you know that I wrote most of this from personal experience.
I hope you enjoy 😉
One day, you were in the Mostro Lounge talking to the trio and the Tweels comment that they would love to swim with you one day. And you end up revealing that you can't swim/not swim very well. Of course, they saw a deal opportunity.
They offered to teach you how to swim. After all, who better than a merfolk to teach you such a thing? They let you choose which one you would like to be your teacher and then you'll make a deal with him.
THE DEAL
“You want me to teach you?” Azul says “Of course! It will be a pleasure, an honor even.”
Despite all Azul’s confidence, you already know him, and something in his voice, a quick little tremor, made you realize that there was some kind of insecurity behind that answer.
The deal you two ended up making came as no surprise from Azul. You would work at Mostro Lounge for a month. And why a whole month?
“I pledge to teach you everything a landfolk would ever need to learn. After all, I will teach you things that could save your life. Don't you think a month is reasonable for such a thing?”
He had a point. But you wanted one more little thing from him. And you said you'd have a deal if he taught you to swim in his merman form. The Tweels started laughing derisively.
“Deal.” You extend your hand for him to shake. He had that charismatic smile on his face. But when he's about to shake your hand, you take it away. “And what guarantees do I have that what you are going to teach me is really enough?”
The Tweels laugh derisively again. Azul himself cannot hide a small smile from the corner of his mouth. He puts his elbows on the table and laces his fingers in front of his lips. The way he's looking at you. Damn, he really knows what he's doing.
“Maybe we shouldn't spend so much time together. You are starting to learn too much from us.” Azul has an amused smile on his face. “We'll do it like this: If someday, something happens that proves that what I taught you wasn't enough, I'll provide you with underwater breath potions whenever you need them, for free.”
“With no limite? You really are confident in your teaching skills.” you comment.
“Of course I am. Are you, perhaps, the one not confident in my teaching skills? You hurt me.”
His little theatrics make you giggle, but you end up making the deal.
THE DAY OF THE LESSON
Azul found a perfect spot in the north of Sage's Island. Right underneath and behind Night Raven Collage. That beach to the west of the island was too close to the Royal Sword Academy. And a public place where you would risk being seen. Or rather, where he would risk being seen.
He chose a day when the sea was calm, obviously. And the place he found was a small cave.
You had brought your swimsuit under your uniform. You took off your uniform and when you looked back at Azul, he looked... indifferent. The truth is, he came from a place where everyone is practically naked and mermaids only wear a kind of bra. So, nothing much different from having only seen people in a swimsuit all his life.
“I must say that you choose a swimsuit that flatters you.” Azul comments.
“Thank you. How about you?”
“Me?”
“Our deal. You're going to teach me to swim in your merman form, as I recall.”
You see him getting embarrassed. He sighs. “Fine... Go into the water and turn around while I take off my clothes. If you please.”
You start to enter the water, which, surprisingly, is not very cold. The time it took for you to get into the water and get used to the temperature was enough for Azul to take off his clothes and get in the water. You are in an area where you can walk and you only hear someone entering the water. In a deep part to the point where you can't see him. You can see Azul’s clothes neatly folded on a rock.
You start looking around looking for him. You lean against the edge so he doesn't surprise you. You see a huge, dark spot in the water approaching you. And he slowly lifts his head out of the water to look at you.
“Satisfied?” He looks a little sulky.
“Quite.” You smile at him, which makes his embarrassment increase.
“Good... Now... the first thing to learn to swim is to trust the water.”
“What do you mean?”
“From what I've heard, the problem with most landfolks who can't swim is because they're afraid of drowning. They don't trust the water to make them float for example. You need to know how water works in your body to know how to use it.”
“And how do you train your confidence with water?”
“Floating.” He smiles, that smile to make you comfortable. He rises higher in the water, getting the water up to his stomach. “You will lie on the surface, like when you lie on your bed, and I will put my arms behind your back to support you. Merfolk kids love to do this when they go to play on the water surface. And we usually do it to rest.”
You seem not very trustful about it. “This is like how children on earth learn to ride a bicycle then?”
“Bicycles? That two-wheel vehicle? Really, I've always wondered how a person balances on that thing.”
“It also starts with a trust exercise.” you explain “There are bicycles for children to learn to ride that have two small wheels attached to the back wheel, so that the child can get used to the bicycle itself. When the parents think they are ready to remove these two little wheels, the parents hold the seat so that the child isn't afraid of falling. The trick then is to let go when the child is not looking. So when the child sees that they can ride without the help of their parents, they lose their fear and starts to ride alone.”
Azul laughs in amusement. “Interesting. And besides, I'm glad you have the notion that I'm going to let go of you at any moment.” he laughs “But don’t fret. I will only do it when I see that you already feel comfortable in the water. Shall we start?”
You first dive in to get completely wet and get used to the water temperature better. Then Azul places his hands on your back to support you as you lie down. The scary part is getting your feet off the ground. But you feel Azul's hands holding you. You see him above you, partially illuminated by the light from outside the cave.
After a while, you feel more comfortable with your feet on the surface. But you feel like you're still leaning too much on his hands.
“When you float, your ears always end up under the water.” he explains to you. “You must let your head relax. It may seem worrisome when water runs past your ears, but you need to trust that it won't get to your face. Oh, and another thing, try closing your eyes and relaxing. The more rested you are the more easily you will float.”
“It's a bit like quicksand then.”
“I've heard about those. But here you can always get on your feet. So don't be afraid. Water is not your enemy.” He's speaking so gently. So caring.
It's not that friendly tone he uses when talking to customers. Is different. Like he genuinely wants you to learn to swim. That you liked the water. That you liked his world. As if he wants you to, one day, be a part of his world.
You relax your neck, the water rushes past your ears and you no longer hear the outside, just muffled underwater sounds. It's worrying at first, but he was right, the water doesn't reach your face.
You closed your eyes mainly because, although the water doesn't cover your nose or mouth, it reaches a little bit from the tip of your eyes. So it's more comfortable to have them closed.
The sound of underwater is more calming than anyone could imagine. Which helps you to relax. You feel Azul’s hands stop pressing up your back slowly. But the reflex of you raising your head in fear of sinking in the water is inevitable.
“Trust that the water will not let you sink.” he reassures you “If you don't fight it, it won't fight back.”
Take some time until you feel completely confident in the water. But eventually it happens. And when that happens, you don't realize that Azul has let go of you for some time. You only realize when you feel him floating beside you.
You feel his hand holding yours. “Looks like the ocean is starting to fancy you too much.” You hear his voice underwater. You realize that the sea was pulling you a little bit and he’s just holding you for safety.
Or at least that was the case in the beginning. You begin to feel his hand caress yours with his thumb. And when you caress his back, he intertwines his fingers with yours.
You get tired of floating after a while and get back on your feet. The water only reaches your stomach and the same happens with Azul. But when you look down something is strange. You can't see his tentacles. And then you remember a little fun-fact about octopuses.
“Are you camouflaging yourself?”
He gets embarrassed again. “Uh? What? How do you-?... You haven't been researching octopuses, have you?”
Your face says it all. You may or may not have been looking for trivia and facts about octopuses because of him. And additionally about eels because of the twins.
“Wait a second! Does that mean you CAN do that instant camouflage thing?” Your eyes shine with curiosity and wonder, what makes him blush. “That's so cool!”
Despite the blush, he seems slightly upset about it. “Listen, it's just something we're born with. It's nothing special. You shouldn't praise someone for something like that.”
You apologize to him. Were you rude? Did you say something you shouldn't? And he realizes that you felt bad about it.
“I'm sorry. You didn't say anything offensive. It's understandable for a person who has never coexist with merfolks before. Well, to be honest, when I met Jade and Floyd they were a lot more callous about it. And they had no excuse, they are mermen too. But, I understand it can be something cool for those who have never seen it.” he smiles at you so you don't have to worry about it anymore.
“But... why are you doing it now? Are you uncomfortable?”
“*sighs* You know I don't like to show off my merman form. I'm only doing this because it's part of the deal.”
“Sorry.”
“Hmm? For what?”
“For making you do something you're uncomfortable with. It wasn’t my intention. You don't have to do it if you don't want to.”
“And have you working in Mostro Lounge for only one month?” he smiles amused
“Azul, you-”
“If I really was that uncomfortable, do you think I wouldn't have tried harder to modify the deal?” He speaks calmly and smiling. Then he takes a moment, sigh, close his eyes, relax his shoulders and you see something big and dark slowly appear under the water.
“I'm not uncomfortable around you. Don't think that. I just know that most landfolks don't think this is very...” you see a big black and purple tentacle come out of the water next to you. He looks a little sad at that part of him. “...pretty.” but then he looks at you puzzled. “But you already knew. So why ask me this? Why did you want to see me... like this?”
“This is your true form, isn't it? I love to know you. The real you. And to be honest I think you're quite handsome in any form, especially this one.” You make him blush again.
He looks to the side and seems to have seen something underwater. “Would you like to dive in a bit? Don't worry, I know you can't hold your breath for long. I will bring you to the surface as soon as you need to. I just think you'll enjoy to see something.”
He extends his hand to you, you take it. He pulls you in slightly and places his other arm around your waist. he pulls you into a part so deep you can't touch the ground anymore. But Azul is holding you.
“It's down here. Right below us. Don't worry, it's not too deep.” He speaks to you in a soft, affectionate voice. “Take a deep breath and relax, I got you.”
You take a deep breath and the two of you dive in. He holds your hand tightly and guides you just a little deeper. It's dark. Extremely dark. So much so that you would have started to get scared if he hadn't used his magic pen to completely light up that place. And a bunch of beautiful coloured corals appeared. With the surprise you ended up releasing a little more air and you were starting to need to get back to the surface. So you shake Azul's hand and point up. He immediately but gently pulls you to the surface.
“It's beautiful!” you say after catching your breath, hugged him since you were still in the deep water part of the cave. “I just wish I could hold out longer down there.”
“You wish~?” He grabs you around the waist and leads you back to the shallow end of the water. He is smiling charmingly at you. “Well, you know what the rumors say.” He gestures with the magic pen and a potion floats out of one of his coat pockets onto one of his tentacles. “I can grant any wish.”
You recognize the potion, it's the same vial he gave you to breathe underwater when you went to the Atlantica Memorial Museum. You reach up to take the potion, but he takes it out of your reach.
“Too bad this wasn't part of the deal.” he says with a theatrical sadness in his voice.
“Well, technically it was part of the deal.”
“You would not try to drown yourself on purpose. First because I know you're smarter than that, and second if it's done on purpose it's not valid.”
“I know.” you chuckle “Don't worry, I will never do that on purpose. Thought, you planned this didn't you?”
“You say that as if I were some kind of evil mastermind. *sniff* You hurt me.”
“Hu-hum. And you're going to tell me that you haven't already thought about a deal for that potion there?”
“Oh, don't be so mean. I promise it will be a fair deal.”
“If you want me to work one more week at Mostro Lounge, I'll turn down your offer right away.”
“*chuckle* I must admit that in a way it's more fun when your client sees right through you. Fortunately, I also thought you were going to say something along those lines.” He gets closer you, smiling... kinda... seductively. “You know, it may or may not have reached my ears that you have a crush on someone~ Would that be true?”
You don't even know what to answer. Does he know it's him?
“If it is... It may be mutual, you know...” then he gets slightly more serious “The truth. I think that's a more than a fair price for the potion.”
The truth. In fact, he's quite convincing. So you admit that you have a crush and that that crush is him. He gets closer and puts his arms around your waist, breaking the gap between you two. His nose almost touching yours and his eyes looking passionately into yours.
“So maybe you can fulfill a wish of mine. A wish of ours perhaps?”
He lets you kiss his lips and you feel the hug tightening. You feel his kiss needy, as if he can't get enough of you. But he knows when to part from the kiss.
“Maybe I need to start working on an exclusivity deal after this.” he comments, and brings the tentacle that holds the potion closer to you so you can take it.
He breaks the hug for you to drink the potion. And when you're ready, the two of you go back to diving, hand in hand. Now, you even have time to take a good look at Azul's merman form. You don't want to think he's... big. But compared to the two legs of his human form, those eight tentacles took up a lot of space.
You feel your lower body start to rise, and waving your legs to keep yourself upright is starting to wear you out. Azul is grabbing a rock with his tentacles. You pull yourself close to him and thank him to keep you upright.
Seeing you like this, hugging him, in the midst of those beautiful corals and the calming silence of the water, he can't resist kissing you again.
If you would like to read more from me, you can find it in my pinned post: INDEX
Author Notes: This fic just kind of flew together while I was killing time. There isn't actually much to say about it other than I am rather pleased with how snarky some of the dialogue turned out. As per usual, reader is gender neutral. I hope you enjoy!
Type: Gender-neutral reader/ fluff/ flirtation/ post Octavinelle chapter
Word Count: 1125
Leona had a bad habit. One that you’d initially discovered when you’d been staying with him in the Savannaclaw dorm while the Octatrio had held Ramshackle dorm for ransom. You had not, however, realized exactly how bad his habit was until more recently.
The issue was quite simple. Leona got cuddly when he was sleepy, and the problem only increased tenfold when he was actually asleep.
When you’d been staying in his room at Savannaclaw, it hadn’t really been that big of a deal. It had just meant that, after moving from the couch to his bed due to Grim’s bad habit of scratching things in his sleep and Leona’s declaration that his couch was not getting destroyed by your talking cat, you’d had to get used to waking up in the Housewarden’s embrace.
Which wasn’t exactly an unpleasant thing considering this was Leona you were dealing with. After all, he was surprisingly good at giving some of the best hugs, and said hugs were usually impossible to receive.
The two of you’d had an unspoken agreement that neither of you would speak of the nightly cuddles during that entire time, and everything had been fine. Delightful, even.
But then, after everything had been resolved and you were back in Ramshackle, you’d taken to studying in the botanical garden near Leona’s napping spot.
You’d grown fond of the lion beastman in an odd sort of way during your stay with him, and you didn’t actually get to see him very often, so it had seemed like a good plan. You got to spend time with Leona and had a quiet place to study. What more could a Prefect want?
Truthfully speaking, you hadn’t even noticed when the young man had begun creeping your way. Growing steadily closer until it was too late.
Arms wrapped around your waist, steadily tightening as you realized, far too late, what was happening. Leona’s head pressed first against your hip and then, with a disgruntled snort, shifted until your lap had been claimed as his makeshift pillow.
You stared in surprise at the now relaxed young man, who seemed perfectly content now that you were officially his cushion.
But his content came at a steep price. You weren’t going to get any worthwhile studying done with Leona snoozing away on your lap, and you were most certainly trapped.
Waking Leona was no easy task, and the outcome probably wouldn’t be to your advantage, what with the importance of letting sleeping lions lie and all that. Ruggie could attest to that simple truth, and this wasn’t the first time this had happened.
In fact, this had been happening ever since you’d started studying in the botanical garden.
You briefly frowned at the prince, snoozing away on your lap, before sighing and resolving yourself to do the only thing you could do and amuse yourself with the source of your problem.
Besides, even if he complained, you could cite it as his nap tax.
Your hands slid into his soft, healthy-feeling hair easily, and your eyes widened as his head rolled back into your palm slightly. Almost like he was encouraging you to continue toying with the chocolatey strands that smoothly slid between your fingers.
You smiled to yourself as he somehow relaxed further the longer you massaged his scalp until your gaze shifted, landing on his fluffy-looking ears, and you felt a grin creep across your face.
You hesitated only briefly before carefully reaching out and carefully rubbing your thumb over the back of his ear.
They were velvety, and you felt your eyes go wide at exactly how pettable Leona, of all people, was.
His ears twitched slightly at your touch, and you felt yourself freeze. Your gaze darting back to his face, only to find him continuing to snooze away. Peaceful and utterly unaware of your actions.
You smiled again, shrugging to yourself slightly as you went back toying with his hair. Amusing yourself even as you remain trapped as his pillow and idly considering how the young man would react if you were to undo his braids and redo his hairstyle.
You only went still when Leona shifted. Rolling over to look up at you with far too much amusement shining in his bright green eyes for you to feel totally comfortable.
You stared down at him in silence and he only seemed to grow more amused the longer the silence between the two of you stretched. To be honest, though, you felt like a child who’d been caught with their hand in a cookie jar, while he looked like you’d fallen for some sort of carefully laid trap.
That feeling of having been caught was only made worse when he finally spoke, words slipping from his mouth in an all-too-smug tone, “Nothing to say?”
You twitched as he broke the silence before frowning and slowly retracting your hands, “You’re the one who suddenly decided to use me as a pillow. What was I supposed to do?”
He yawned, showing no signs of moving, “I thought you were studying?”
Amusement continued to flicker in the emerald depths of his eyes as you stared at him incredulously. Hardly able to believe what you were hearing, “With you snoozing away on my lap? Like I would get anything done that way.”
He smirked almost immediately at your words, and you tensed as he began to speak, bracing for whatever it was that he was about to say, “So I’m too distracting for you?”
You looked away, not wanting to agree as you rolled your eyes. “Oh, yes. Completely,” Sarcasm dripped from your tone, but Leona hardly seemed phased.
He did, however, at long last sit up. Snorting to himself before twisting so that he could continue to face you, “Well, did you at least enjoy yourself, Herbivore? Not too many get to do that.”
The implication was clear: He’d let you toy with his hair, and pet his ears even though most would never be allowed to do such a thing.
But despite that, as your gaze slid back towards him, a grin was already creeping across your face, “Be his Royal Majesty’s pillow, you mean? I didn’t realize it was such a privilege.”
He merely continued to grin at your deliberate misinterpretation of your words as you continued. Tilting your head in amusement as you finished, “I doubt that’ll be the last time that happens anyway.”
He shifted only slightly, angling his body so that he dipped into your personal space as he lifted his chin with a smirk, “I guess we’ll just have to wait and see, won’t we?”
You snorted slightly, your eyebrows lifting in amusement, before you gave the slightest of nods, “I guess so.”
Do you think I could ask for a second part to the brushing their hair with Leona, Silver, Sebek, Floyd, and Ruggie? If that's too many characters feel free to only do a few
Slightly skeptical the first time you ask to brush his hair, but accepts without protest. (He might tease you, though.)
Will not make it easy for you, as he’ll lounge as he sees fit. It’s a 50% chance he’ll slouch in a chair for you, 50% chance he’ll lay down to nap.
Mind the ears! Brush bristles don’t feel good on them.
Gets drowsy having his hair brushed #1.
Will snap at you grouchily if you snag on any tangles in his long, wavy hair.
Would not offer to brush your hair in turn, but would silently show his appreciation to you via gifts he just so ‘happens’ to have on hand.
If you give him a braid or two, he’ll keep them in his hair until they need to be redone. He’s very pleased with them and if he’s in a good mood, he might even compliment you on them.
Has soft, slightly textured hair that’s on the dry side when you run your fingers through it. Be slow and careful, though, for his hair tangles easily.
Silver
Surprised by your offer to brush his hair but accepts, thanking you for such a kind gesture.
Gets drowsy having his hair brushed #2.
Is liable to fall asleep on you.
He feels so pleasantly relaxed afterwards that he’ll look forward to future bonding sessions with you, even if he doesn’t vocalize it.
On occasions that he does fall asleep on you, he’s very apologetic and will want to make it up to you. He’s grateful and touched that you never seem to mind him falling asleep on you.
Would definitely be impressed if you give him braids and will be happy about them, considering them as a symbol of your bond with each other. He’ll offer to give you braids and style your hair in turn.
Has baby-soft, nearly silky hair. It is a mystery how his hair is so smooth and beautiful, because I’m pretty sure he’s the kind of guy to use 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner.
Sebek Zigvolt
Friendship level too low! Why the heck would you want to brush his hair? Do you have some sort of ulterior motive?
If you achieve the right friendship level, he’ll be awkward about it and insist on returning the favor. He’s a tad shy letting you see his hair down and unsettled, as he’s displaying a side of himself that he normally wouldn’t show anyone else if he can help it. Understand that he’s putting a great deal of trust in you by showing you a vulnerable side of himself.
Once he gets used to having his hair brushed, he’ll be much more relaxed during bonding sessions and much quieter. He’ll happily chatter with you about everything and anything, gradually talking less about Malleus and more about himself the more bonding sessions and the deeper your friendship grows.
His hair is too short to properly hold a braid. He’s slightly envious of the people that you do give braids too, because he wants to be able to boast about your friendship with him like that too, but he won’t say it.
His hair runs on the drier side from the daily styling he does to it. Given how short his hair is, it’s very easy to brush and fun to run your fingers through.
Floyd Leech
Why would you want to brush his hair? That seems so boring! Why would you wanna fuss over something like his hair? You’re not up to something, are you? He’ll not be happy about it if you’re here to nag at him over his appearance, Shrimpy!
After the first time you brush his hair, he’s quite fascinated by how nice it felt to have someone else brush his hair for him and absolutely insists on returning the favor.
He’s very serious about brushing your hair with steady, gentle fingers. It’s you, after all, and he’ll return the care you’ve shown him tenfold. He’ll tease you if you express surprise at his serious side. He knows when to take things seriously, you know?
If you give him a braid, he’ll very gladly and proudly show it off to anyone and everyone and will definitely boast that you’re the one who braided it if asked about it. He’ll ask you to teach him how to braid so that he can braid your hair too. He normally wouldn’t care about such things, but he wants you to know that he cares about you too.
His hair is on the dry side, coarse to the touch. The combo of being a merman, living in an underwater dorm, and being a likely user of 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner does not do his hair any favors.
Ruggie Bucchi
Another person who is skeptical about your offer to brush his hair. Do you want something from him? If you need a favor, he’d much rather you bribe him with food, money, or both.
If you manage to convince him of the sincerity of your offer, he’ll take you up on it. He’ll still be wary the first few minutes waiting for you to spring something on him, but then he’ll melt into full relaxation mode when he sees for himself that brushing his hair is really all you wanted.
He’s very much not used to the concept of nice gestures with no expectation of repayment, so while he won’t offer to brush your hair in turn, he’ll return the gesture in other ways via chores and freebies he scored at the school store.
Depending on how tired he is during a hair brushing session, he’ll either be silent the whole while, basking in the sensation of being pampered, or he’ll chatter on the whole while about the work Leona puts him through.
Mind the ears #2!
Hair is much too short and thin to properly hold a braid, but he doesn’t mind at all. He just likes spending time with you. You’ll need to reach a very high level of friendship before he’ll vocalize that, however.
Hair is dry yet soft, wispy to the touch when you run your fingers through it.
(A/N): I hope you enjoyed and that I did your request justice, Ryker! I’m not very familiar with a good deal of the characters that you requested, so I’m sorry in advance if they come across as being a bit OOC.
☾ Notes: Entry for the event "new beginnings from @briarvalleyarchives. I think Diasomnia fans deserve a nice fluffy treat for all that's happening.
Malleus believed that humans were selfish, greedy, and annoying cowards. Throughout his long life, the Fae Prince has seen humans steal from themselves and others. Bring down their own kingdoms and destroy his people’s lands. He truly believed that most, if not all, humans were the most despicable things in the world. But even so, he could not deny that they were interesting.
Even though they touch everything that they destroy, humans were able to rebuild as well. He has seen the gardens they have built. The families they created. The art that they made. He has seen them thrive no matter the circumstances they faced. Humans were abhorrent creatures, yes, but the select few were admirable beings.
Malleus rarely took any time to research them. Yes, some humans lived in Briar Valley, but most kept to themselves and the families that they surrounded themselves in. They were rarely in the castle and although he had run into a few of them in the woods, Malleus never stayed any longer than he needed to. So, when he found himself falling for the Prefect of Ramshackle dorm—a magicless human, at that—he was not quite sure what to do. He was not well versed in human courting rituals and any advice he took from other humans did not seem good enough. The Prefect had captured his heart without him knowing, but as they were human, he was not sure where to go about courting them.
How does one capture a human’s cruel heart?
That was the first question Malleus had asked Lilia. He was the one to suggest that they attend Night Raven College so that the Fae Prince may expand his knowledge on humans and other species around Twisted Wonderland. He should be able to provide Malleus with the means of courting a human.
“How about flowers?” his caretaker suggested.
The pair sat in one of the black velvet couches in Diasomnia’s lounge. Green light emanated from the candles sitting on the brass candle holders that dotted the dorm, providing enough light to make up for the lack of windows inside. Lilia cradled a glass of tomato juice in his hands, sitting on the left end of the couch as Malleus held a mug of black coffee, sitting on the right end. The other residents in their dorm were fast asleep, leaving the two faeries to themselves and their conversation.
“That suggestion was given to me too many times to count,” Malleus stated. It was a repetitive proposition that was given to him by both Vil, Riddle, Cater and any other humans that he came across. He did not quite understand why giving them such a simple thing as a bouquet would make the Prefect happy. Flowers would not last as long as his love for them, but gold and gems would.
Alas, the last time he tried to give the Prefect a wonderful emerald necklace, they rejected his offer stating that they could not possibly take something so valuable. “I still don’t get why the Prefect won’t accept the gems and gold that I have given to them.” He sighed, feeling an ache in his chest as he remembered his latest gift being pushed back into his hands.
“Young Master, you must remember that the Prefect is a normal human,” Lilia chided, taking a sip from his cup. “Gems and gold are not the standard for them, not to mention it’s more inline with families like the Al-Asims.”
“If I can’t give gems, nor gold, then what shall I give them?” It was how dragon fae courted each other. Showering each other with the shiniest gifts that they could afford was the way that Malleus was taught to court others; although, it was assumed that he would take a fae lover, not a human. “And I do have the intent of marrying them!”
Malleus watched as Lilia sighed before placing down his tomato juice and snapped his fingers. A book appeared in his hands titled: A Guide to Floriography. Sitting up from his seat, Malleus leaned in closer as his caretaker flipped through the yellowed pages before stopping and meeting Malleus’s gaze. “I am well aware of your feelings towards the Prefect and flowers are a sure-fire way for you to properly confess your infatuation with them. It would help bring your relationship to the next level, so to speak.”
The prince looked at the green book in Lilia’s hands. Floriography was something that he was not interested in, and although he may know the meaning of a select few flowers, it was not important in his eyes. But if something as simple as a bouquet would be able to reach the Prefect’s heart, then he would send them one.
“Very well, I’ll play along.”
Lilia clapped his hands together and with a grin states, “Splendid! Let us begin.”
It was late at night when you heard the doorbell of Ramshackle ring throughout its halls. Grim was already sound asleep in your bed, snoring and muttering under his breath. The ghosts had already retired for the night as well. You were the only one awake at that hour and knowing the headmage, he must have sent something for you to take care of. Again.
With a heavy heart in their chest, you walked towards the front door. Upon opening it, a beautiful bouquet set in a green vase was the only thing left on the porch. Confused, you looked around the area, seeing nothing but darkness and the flicker of lights from the college. You didn’t know what this was for, but you did have an inkling of who might have given it. After all, Malleus wasn’t known as one of the greatest wizards for nothing. It wouldn’t be surprising for him to poof! into existence in front of your doorstep, drop off the flowers, and then disappear again.
Picking up the vase, you noticed the thorny vines and flowers painted around the vase glinting in the moonlight. A yellow card caught your attention. A gust of cold wind hit you, and you quickly went inside to avoid the cold. Once the door was shut, you looked back at the card tied to one of the stems of the flowers and read it:
My dear beloved,
For the last few weeks, I have been attempting to court you. I was not sure how humans started their courting rituals, so I started courting you in the way that I might court a faerie. I apologize for that as it seems that my intentions were not clear for my affections for you.
I shall make them clear right now.
My dear, since the night that we have met, I have been enraptured by you and your personality. I cannot say all that I feel through words alone, so I will let the flowers help me—as silly as that sounds. I will start with the ones on the vase.
Briar Rose – I Am Wounded
Initially, I was offended that you had rejected my gifts. Most people from my kingdom would be honored for such riches, but I forget that you are human and not of this world. So, while I am no longer wounded, I still feel the sting of rejection whenever I remember the returned gifts given back to me. Now, onto the bouquet.
Carnations – Fascination
The night that we had met, I admit that I was running from my guards. I had wanted to look at the beautiful gargoyles that sat atop the ledges of Ramshackle dorm and one such guard claimed that it was far too late for such a thing. I disagreed and went anyway. When you emerged from your dorm to see me, I was surprised that you had not known me, so I allowed you to give me a name. It took quite a while for you to find out my identity, but I still like the fact that you call me “Tsunotaro.” An interesting name and one that I cherish.
Red Chrysanthemums and Forget-Me-Nots – I Love You and True Love
I have loved throughout the years, but none as strong as my affections for you. Love is not something that is readily available for the fae, yet humans seem to have an affinity for it along with destruction. It’s funny. We are not able to lie so you would think that we would wear our hearts on our sleeves, but that is the farthest thing from the truth. We keep our hearts to ourselves, as close as we can, so for me to lay it bare before you and allow you to take it is something of great significance towards me, and I hope for you.
White Heather and Orange Blossoms – Protection and Innocence
You know nothing of this world, that much is certain, my dear. You have been moved from your home world to mine and knowing all the dangers that this world possesses, I vow to keep you safe. Innocence is something that is not common in this world, but naivety is. You have both and as amusing as it is, I know that if you were to leave these grounds and get hurt, I would never forgive myself for not being there with you. However, orange blossoms also represent eternal love; the love that I have for you. So even when you pass, know that I have loved you and will continue to love you until the day I inevitably pass as well.
Jonquil – Desire For Affection
If you are still reading this letter, I am sure by now that I have gotten my feelings across to you. Now all I yearn for is your affection in return. I wish to see you every morning with a smile on your face. I wish to have your arms around me, holding me gently. I wish to be with you, and I hope that you would allow me to be by your side. If you return my affections, please meet me tomorrow night outside of your dorm and give me your answer.
Warnings: A little bit of cursing, but that's all!
Gender: AFAB
Tags: @pyroxeene, @achy-boo, @savanaclaw1996
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4
In which Y/N refuses to say that she's in love.
"Shit." Y/N hissed as she swung open the cabinet door, only to reveal that there was no white paint. Or fuschia for that matter-
"Grim!" She called loudly.
Only the Great Seven know what possessed Y/N at three in the morning to scourge through her entire dorm, trying to figure out where in Twisted Wonderland she kept her newly bought (with hard-earnt money) white paint, but it certainly had her occupied and in a frenzy trying to find it.
Reaching Grim's bed, Y/N was about to shout at him to wake up and help her find her precious white paint when the sight of Grim's unnatural peacefully sleeping self tugged at her heartstrings and she couldn't bring herself to do so.
Damn it.
Back to searching all alone she supposed.
Eventually Y/N had been searching for far too long in the early morning and somehow willed herself to try and haul herself to dreamland (key word being try).
The next morning, Y/N got herself ready earlier than usual and told Grim to head to the breakfast hall without her since she had something to do. That something should be right across this hallway and should inhabit a large crow man-child.
And she would be right. There, watching rather remorsefully down the window was Crowley, the glorious headmaster of Night Raven College (or at least he's supposed to be glorious). Clearing her throat seemed to do the trick to bring Crowley out of his strange reverie since the painfully loud screech the door made when opening didn't.
"And what can I do as the most gracious headmaster ever?"
Okay. Time to work the charms of an isekaid student.
"Headmaster! I came to you because I require a favor from you." Crowley nodded for her to continue. "I need some money for some supplies you see, and I haven't much on me."
"I'm afraid that though my generosity knows no bounds, I can't simply favor a student and give them money from the school's funds."
"Oh whatever shall I do Headmaster? I was planning on painting a stunning portrait of the brilliant man who runs this prestigious institution and-"
A wad of cash materialized in front of her.
"Thank you Headmaster~"
Walking out of the room without another word, Y/N giggled devilishly to herself about her newly earnt money. One, two, three, four, five...60 Thaumarks. Okay, not bad. What was bad was this eerie feeling she felt from specifically in front of her. Looking up ahead, she realized that she almost had walked straight ahead into a well-built chest.
A well-built chest clad in yellow satin.
Fuck-
Two vibrant green eyes accompanied with a handsome smirk looked down at her, slowly moving from the wad of cash in her hands back up to her face. Y/N's own eyes followed his trail of sight and instinctively pulled the Thaumarks closer to her chest, as though protecting them from him.
"Didn't peg you as a petty thief little Herbivore" Leona teased.
"Oh screw yourself Leona. For your information, this is hard earnt money!" (He did not need to know just how hard it was).
"Careful. You might get eaten up alive with all that money out in the open."
"I'm sure I'll be able to fend for myself. I've been doing it all this time, haven't I?"
Without letting Leona get another word in, Y/N zoomed past him, not unlike a rabbit running away from a lion. Chuckling to himself, Leona stalked off to some obscure part of the campus where he could ditch class in favor of cat naps.
If there's a prize for rotten judgement...
Y/N dashed past corridors until she got to Ramshackle and was safe from prying eyes. Slamming the door shut, she hugged the Thaumarks once again closer to her bosom, and shifted her entire weight against the now closed (and locked) doors of her dorm room.
I guess I've already won that.
Feeling the heat in her face become more insufferable, Y/N cursed the Great Seven for the predicament she found herself in. Her burning cheeks huffed and puffed, thinking about the aggravating lion beastman that had stolen her heart (without her permission might she add).
No man is worth the aggravation...
That's right! What made Leona so special that her heart found itself twisted beyond the point of entanglement? Nothing! Absolutely nothing. She could live her life just as she had before. No feelings here. No sirree. God knows how well the last time went-
That's ancient history, been there, done that!
Shaking her head out of the strange reverie she found herself in, Y/N slapped her cheeks as hard as she could, hid her money in a secret cabinet that not even Grim knew of, and rushed to class.
"Bonjour ma cherie~" A very familiar voice called out to her the second she stepped out of Crewel's classroom.
"Hey! Rook! How have you been?" Y/N asked excitedly.
The two chittered loudly as they walked through the hallways, one of them oblivious to viridescent eyes following their every movement.
Who'd'ya think you're kiddin', he's the Earth and heaven to you.
"He's definitely into you, so why don't you just admit that you like him?" Rook asked.
Try to keep it hidden, Honey, we can see right through you.
"What the fuck did you just say?" An astonished Y/N asked.
"My such foul language from such a pretty thing like you. Vil certainly would not like to hear that~"
"I'm not in love with Leona Kingscholar."
"Mhmm~"
"Like what is there to like about him in the first place? He's lazy, misses the majority of his classes, has that annoying ass smirk on his face every time I see him-"
Girl, ya can't conceal it, we know how ya feel.
Rook grinned to himself. He wondered how long it would take Y/N to admit that she was in love.
The day passed by as usual, but there was a certain heaviness in Y/N's mind throughout, and a distant pang in her heart swam through her every now and then.
On her way back to Ramshackle, Y/N stopped by Crowley's office to let him know that she would be heading out to buy her supplies soon. Grabbing her purse (a gift from Vil, because apparently she couldn't just bring her backpack everywhere) and stashing her money in it, Y/N found herself practically skipping to town.
Until Leona Kingscholar showed up. Again.
"And where are you off to in such a scurry?"
"It's none of your business Kingscholar. Now out of my way! The loves of my life await me!"
Confused, Leona felt his ears twitch in irritation. Loves of her life? Plural? Since when did the Herbivore have relationships?
"I'll come with you."
"Huh?"
"You might get yourself killed in town. Who knows? After all, you're just a small, fragile herbivore." Leona remarked, still pissed about the supposed "loves" of her life.
"But I'm just getting some stuff? Even Crowley said it was fine. Why are you so worked up about me going out?" Y/N asked, upset about the current situation that was stalling her from splurging on art supplies.
Eventually, Y/N agreed to let Leona accompany her, and Leona mentally prepared himself to scare off her suitor, well, in this case, suitors apparently. Deep inside, Y/N felt the familiar bubbling giddiness whenever Leona was in her presence, and she tried oh so hard to push it down before she choked on the feeling and threw up.
When they reached the store Y/N had in mind to buy her supplies, Leona stood confused. Who the fuck meets up with their lovers on a date at a fucking art store? The human that he happened to be in love with, apparently.
But very quickly, Leona realized (much to his inner embarrassment) that Y/N had been excited about getting new paints and other supplies, not about meeting any significant others. Good grief, he was losing his edge-
The lion beastman watched as the human flitted about back and forth and everywhere in between the store, almost like a buzzing bee. Minus the buzzing noise, of course. The sight made his heart constrict in all the best ways.
It almost felt like a date to Y/N, what with Leona coming along with her on her personal errand, holding things that she asked him to hold (might as well put him to work if all he was going to do was look lost in the place), and judge for himself which paintbrushes were better. He would grumble about being handled as though he were a servant, but never stopped helping Y/N with anything he could.
Maybe Rook was right. Maybe Leona did actually like her-
No chance! No Way!
She wouldn't say it, no.
But thinking back to all the times her mind became all fuzzy and muddled because of Leona Kingscholar, she wondered if she was denying things.
No, of course not.
It's too cliche!
She wouldn't say that she's in love.
But look at him looking so thoroughly at paintbrushes so that she could get the best set. How could that possibly not make her swoon? He's looking at paintbrushes, paintbrushes, and it was all for her, and it was making her feel things that she really thought she wouldn't feel again. It seems as though her heart hadn't learnt its lesson. Shame on it.
Pushing down the intrusive thoughts as though she were pushing down bile, Y/N tried to make quick work of her rare excursion. When they finally made it back to NRC, she begrudgingly thanked Leona for his time and effort and ran faster than a cheetah all the way back to her dorm.
Running past Grim who was snacking on tuna, Y/N locked the door to her room.
Looking down at the supplies she'd bought, Y/N realized that a set of colored pencils that she'd really wanted, but didn't get because they were way out of budget, somehow magically found their way into her shopping bag.
No chance...
There was no way. But it was beginning to be glaringly obvious even to herself. But this scene shouldn't have played! And that damned mirror in her room was no help, what with it showing that grin on her lips.
Maybe, just maybe...
Oh, she wouldn't admit that she was in love. At least out loud.
Author's Note: As usual, I spent far too long on this fic, and I both regret and enjoyed it at the same time. This fic is this month's entry for the @briarvalleyarchives. The prompt was "Anthems of Old," and I really wanted to do that justice. I ended up losing motivation for this fic multiple times during various parts of the process. It was so bad that I ended up publishing another fic inspired but this month's prompt before this-
Originally, I wanted to try writing a fic for Colors of the Wind, but then I very quickly realized that I had no idea what I wanted to write, so then I switched to I Won't Say (I'm In Love).
I'm glad that I finally finished this, and it is very much safe to say that Måneskin helped me push through. T-T
Inc: Lilia, Malleus, Silver, & Sebek
Warnings: Brief mention of blood, implementations of death, mild existential questioning. Some chapter 7 spoilers may be seen, but they're quite subtle (nothing major)
WC: 3.1k
Summary: 4 brief snapshots to the poem 'What are Heavy?' by Christina Rosseti centred on youth, the ocean, and the consequences of memories.
(done for the @briarvalleyarchives 'Summer Shorelines' event :) )
LILIA.
What are heavy? Sea-sand and sorrow;
“I reckon you would not be able to swim past the rock crevice there.”
A girl's voice holds pride as she stands on the beach, her hands on her hips and her lips curled into a cocky smile. Before her are two boys—one, who looks irate with her words, and another, who looks as though he wishes to sink into the dusty white sands. The irate boy gives a snort in response before looking out to the waters.
The ocean is wine red with the setting of the sun and the waves hit the shore like hands grasping forward. The horizon is but a jagged line, as though it’s a starving mouth waiting to see who it will bite.
“I reckon you want us dead,” the irate boy counters. “If you want to challenge us, Mallenoa, then perhaps you should try it first.”
Mallenoa’s cocky grin falters for just a moment before she huffs and crosses her arms over her chest. In the distance farther up the shoreline, a few guards can be spotted observing the trio as they stand there.
“I have already proven myself capable of swimming there, Lilia. You and Revan were the ones too cowardly to follow along.” Mallenoa points to the rock crevice again. It’s a few yards out from the shore—not a grand length—but the sea is growing unsteady as night makes her rapid descent. “I dare you.”
“It will be getting cold soon. Would it not be better if we just wait until tomorrow?” Revan starts to protest, his wiry voice like wind passing through reeds, but his comments fall on deaf ears as Lilia turns sharply to stare out at the water's beyond. His gaze skims over the toiling surface, watching as the waves leave foam to sink back into their embrace, before he snorts and begins walking forward.
“No coward's soul is mine!” Is all he calls over his shoulder in return. He wouldn’t be called cowardly by the likes of Mallenoa, simply because he knew her to be the one to never live it down. He could hear Revan’s worried voice calling for him to stop, but these words die as the roar of the waves grows louder and his feet plunge into their icy depths.
For a moment, he looks down and watches as the red waters swirl around him. In his youth, he remains unaware of the foreshadowing this image holds; he knows little of the red waters he will come to wade through in his future, or of the rivers he will craft with his own hands in the name of Queen and Country. He knows not of how he will drown in salt and copper and steel for a purpose that will fail in the end anyway. He knows not of the clock running out on his halcyon days.
For now, he is just a boy, too arrogant to say no to a friend.
The sand weighs him down as he moves deeper into the ocean. The waters embrace his legs, and then his waist, and then he’s falling forward into the abyss below. He moves like he’s always belonged in this darkness; the sensation of the tide rippling across his skin and the sight of the dying light reflecting on the surface above is so calming that he almost forgets to break through. His breath escapes in a flurry of bubbles before he breaches and inhales sharply, looking back to his friends on the shore beyond.
Mallenoa is laughing in delight. The childish innocence of joy darkens her cheeks, and he can still see this in the orange light as she watches him with adoration and pride. Revan stands by her side, his hand grasping her sleeve as anxiety is painted on his features. It is how it’s always been; one bravely diving into the dark, and the other trailing behind her, like a comet and her tail in the depths of space.
Lilia exhales softly and looks around. The water is still now, like his presence has soothed it, and his body rises and falls slowly. Seagulls cry out from somewhere beyond, perhaps on the rock crevice he’s meant to reach. He pushes back his hair and looks towards his friends once more. The sun is setting further, and they’re beginning to look like nothing but two dark silhouettes on the distant shore.
It feels isolating, in the middle of these waters, all alone.
Lilia begins to swim.
------------------------------------------------
MALLEUS.
What are brief? Today and tomorrow;
“Prince Malleus, do not stray too far out!” He hears the nanny call from somewhere back on the shore as he hurries down the wooden steps of the pier. There is no one else on this beach except him, his nanny, and Lilia, who has volunteered to accompany the restless boy lest he become too much for the nanny to handle. They had cleared any other attendees of the beach for just this one day—for one day is all the Queen would grant the prince’s guardians when it came to taking him out of the security that was Black Scale Palace.
The sound of his small feet hitting the sand is like a hiss, and he can feel the heat on his bare feet, his shoes having been discarded as soon as they arrived. He looks up and squints against the brightness; it’s rare for the sun to come out in the Valley, but summer days often bring on a drought, and so week-long periods of nothing but light are not unheard of.
This heat lasts only a moment before something hides him in shade again. When he looks over, he sees Lilia holding a parasol above them, a bemused expression on his face.
“Goodness, are you sure you’re a dragon and not a sea serpent? You seem quite eager to get in those waters,” he teases as he fusses over a strand of Malleus’ hair. The young prince swats his hand away with a pout.
“I am a dragon,” he grumbles back, before rushing forward again, all previous slights now forgotten in his eagerness to reach the clear blue waters. Lilia follows closely behind while the nanny hurries after them, holding a basket with lunch in one hand and the prince's shoes in another.
Malleus had read a great deal about the sea. Of the creatures that reside within it, of the folklore and mythology it holds, of the vastness and the grandeur. He has not, however, read about just how cold the sea can be, and so when he jumps both feet into the water at once, he lasts all of two seconds before he’s shrieking and running back to Lilia. His hands grasp his guardians arm and he seems downright offended as he looks back to the water.
“It’s so cold!” He cries, stomping his feet in the sand as though to warm them back up again. Lilia can’t help but laugh at the sight of the young dragon clinging to his arm—the poor boy looks shattered. He moves his hand to hold Malleus’ and clicks his tongue teasingly.
“My, did you expect it to feel like a hot bath, little prince?” He laughs as his other hand adjusts the parasol. “Come. I’ll show you the proper way to wade into the ocean.”
Malleus looks prepared to protest, but Lilia hears none of it as he holds the boy's small hand in his own, guiding him forward until they are at the water's edge once more. The waves are a baby blue colour, and they glimmer in the sunlight like glass and pearls.
“Now, you must move steadily. Let yourself adjust to the feeling, and then continue on.” Lilia hums as he slowly guides Malleus forward. The prince’s expression turns sour again when he steps back into the cold waters, but then it slowly shifts to contemplation, and then a bright smile as his body adjusts to the temperature change. His hand squeezes Lilia’s tight, as though afraid to let go too soon.
“The sand feels funny,” he notes in that manner that children so innocently do. He wiggles his toes in the clear blue water and watches as the sand slides easily off his skin. He moves closer to Lilia. “Please don’t let me go. I don’t want to get pulled in.”
“As if I’d ever let that happen to you,” Lilia muses, holding the prince’s hand close. “I’d never hear the end of it from your grandmother if I did.”
He looks up then, his gaze going to a familiar rock crevice in the distance. The sun beats down but the parasol shields them both as the sounds of the nanny setting up a towel for lunch, accompanied by the ocean waves crashing against the shore, creates a strange rhythm of peace in the air.
This is broken when Malleus kicks up water onto Lilia’s legs.
“Malleus!” Lilia yelps, moving back while still holding the prince’s hand. Malleus laughs in delight at his guardian's expense, and his face is filled with unrestrained joy. It’s the happiest that Lilia has seen the prince in a long time—in the palace on his own, he often looks quiet and sullen, as gray as the walls that confine him. This new sight reminds Lilia of a similar face with a similar expression he once saw on this shore, long ago.
He squeezes Malleus’ hand, and shakes his head with a smile as the boy goes to splash him once again.
------------------------------------------------
SILVER & SEBEK.
What are frail? Spring blossoms and youth;
“Why can I hear the ocean?”
Lilia’s eyes open slightly as he hears a voice. At first he sees green, and then he sees a scowl, and then he recognizes the inquisitor to be that of Sebek Zigvolt, who looks thoroughly unimpressed with a shell in his small hand. Lilia looks past Sebek, and then to his right, where he spots Silver half-asleep on the beach towel next to him.
Good. All his children he’s set to watch are accounted for, despite his impromptu nap.
“What do you mean?” Lilia hums as he sits up slowly. His answer is given in the form of Sebek shoving a seashell against his ear.
“I can hear the ocean!” The boy declares, louder this time and with more urgency in his tone. Silver mumbles something and sits up as well to look at Sebek with a faintly confused expression. Lilia puts his hand over the shell and guides it away from his ear.
“Because it carries a part of the sea in it.” Truthfully, it’s the sound of your own ear fluid being echoed back, but Lilia figures that will lead to even more confusion if he were to say something like that instead.
“How did it get the sea in there?” Silver yawns before moving closer to his father and friend, peering at the shell with interest. He reaches out to grab it, turning it over and letting the light reflect on its rainbow-like surface. “Trapping things is mean. What if the sea wants out?”
“I’m sure the sea is quite happy in there,” Lilia replies as Sebek comes to sit down on his other side. Both boys are now up and active, and although today is meant to be a break from learning and training, it doesn’t seem like this will be the case. Silver shakes his head.
“But what if it isn’t happy? What if the shell just thinks the sea is happy, but really, the sea is sad?” Silver presses the shell to his ear, and his expression becomes a bit more concerned as he looks back to his father. “I don’t want the sea to be sad.”
“The sea isn’t sad. The sea can’t feel anything,” Sebek counters with a scowl before looking back to Lilia. “Right?”
Lilia has to admire the fact that both boys manage to have such polarizing views on the matter. Youth never fails to amuse him. He carefully takes the shell back from Silver and turns it over in his hands. The shell is frail—he can see chips in its surface already. It isn’t a young shell, that’s for sure. A faint breeze passes over the trio, carrying the scent of ocean water and blossoms from the trees that they sit beneath.
Lilia glances up. Apple blossoms, it seems.
“Shall I free the sea, then? That would mean shattering the shell.” Lilia glances between the two boys. “Would you like me to break such a pretty shell?”
Silver looks uncomfortable with the question as his hand comes out to grasp his fathers arm. “I think… I think we should. The sea should be with the rest of itself, not locked away in a shell. That isn’t fair.”
“But who are you to decide what’s fair and what isn’t? Who are any of us to decide?” Lilia hums, a small smile playing on his lips. Perhaps there’s time to still sneak a few lessons in here for the boys to keep knowledge down the line. Silver looks more concerned as he glances at Sebek to answer.
Sebek puffs his cheeks out for a moment as he looks at the shell. His hands clench and unclench in his lap before he looks at Silver, and then to Lilia. “If it’s stuck inside, it’s our job to let it out, even if we like the shell. It isn’t right.”
“It isn’t right?” Lilia turns the shell over again, and then glances between the two boys. “Well then, if we’ve all come to a decision.”
He clenches his hand, and the shell snaps in half like it’s nothing. A trickle of water runs down to the grass beneath them, and then towards the sandy beach just beyond, as though travelling to the ocean it came from. The two boys watch it go as they stay sitting beside Lilia. There’s silence, broken only by the faint sighs of the wind brushing against the blossoms above.
“,,, did we make the right choice?” Silver then asks, looking at Lilia expectantly as Sebek quickly does the same. Lilia brushes his thumb across the shell fragments for a moment, studying its shattered opal interior, and then he simply shrugs with a smile.
“We won’t ever know if it was the right choice, but it was the choice that we made, nonetheless, and it’s the one that we shall have to live with. That’s just how it goes.”
------------------------------------------------
OUR FAMILY.
What are deep? The ocean and truth.
The scent of the ocean is too strong. The sun is too bright, the sand is too perfect, and it’s the only way that the three of them know this is another illusion they’re trapped in. The faint cries of seagulls in the distance and the waves crashing against the sand fill the otherwise stagnant painting they’ve been etched into. Silver looks around in worry, as does Sebek, but Lilia’s gaze is fixated on the rocky crevice in the distance.
It looks jagged, and blurred, as though someone blended it in with the horizon in a mock attempt to make it exist.
“You look concerned.”
And then he’s there. Tall, with his expression unforgiving as he stands in the toiling waters, looking back at them with faint indifference in his gaze. The sea kisses his boots as though worshipping him, and the breeze rustles his clothing slightly. Lilia exhales softly as he senses Silver and Sebek tensing by his side.
“Is it not right?” Malleus looks back out at the deep waters beyond. The sky is the gentle pink of dusk, and the sun is hidden in a painted haze as the silhouettes of birds fly in the distance. The horizon blends together and makes the ocean look as though it’s never-ending. This entire experience has been never ending so far—a dream upon a dream, a nightmare upon a nightmare.
Lilia is tired. He’s sure that the others are, as well.
“You’re close, but the crevice is off.” Lilia points out at the rocks beyond. Malleus follows his direction and hums thoughtfully.
“I couldn’t quite remember what it looked like when I was little.” Is the explanation he gives. “It all blurs together in the end anyway, doesn’t it? The memories, the moments. So easily tossed aside without a single warning, without a single goodbye.”
“Malleus,” Silver begins, but Malleus turns and raises a finger to his lips, hushing the younger boy softly. Sebek looks uncertain as his hand grips his magic pen. Malleus looks as he always has; there is no black ink dripping into the waters he stands in, there is no oppressive presence, no crushing weight of magic. He is as they remember—as their memories painted him to be.
“I’m adjusting to the waters,” Malleus hums thoughtfully. “Remember how you taught me that?”
Lilia’s brow furrows. “Malleus, this has gone too far out of line. You must—”
“Would you like to come in?” Malleus cuts him off and holds a hand out. There’s a smile on his lips, but it fails to reach his gaze, which remains as lifeless as the scenery that surrounds them. “I promise not to let you get pulled in.”
Lilia falls silent as Malleus pays tribute to the conversation they had many, many years ago. The hand he once held now is extended as a mockery to that brief, tender moment between guardian and child. Silver looks to his father and notes the expression on Lilia’s face before glancing towards Sebek. His own hand moves down to grip his magic pen.
“Sebek,” he calls softly, drawing the other boy's attention for just a moment. Malleus’ gaze turns sharply towards him and darkens. The sky begins to grow a deeper red colour as dusk approaches faster. The waters become a wine red once more, their tide increasing as though to offer an omen foretelling what’s to come. They’re restless, clashing against the sand like blood spilling on a pale earth. “Is the sea sad?”
Sebek looks confused for a moment, and then the memory dawns on him, and his expression shifts to that of an uncomfortable understanding. He exhales slowly, and the subtle nod he offers is enough for Silver to know that he agrees. Lilia’s attention is still locked on Malleus, on his extended hand and the dark, cold expression he’s giving the other two boys.
Silver’s hand tightens around his magic pen, and Sebek’s does the same as the sea toils before them, and the sky descends into the blackness of night. If something is trapped, it’s one's duty to let it free, even if it means shattering something that they love dearly.
They won’t ever know if it’s the right choice, but it’s the choice that they’re going to make, nonetheless.
This is for the @briarvalleyarchives 'anthems of old' event and using the song "When She Loved Me" from Toy Story 2
Content: Malleus x reader, angst, death, no happy ending
Note: While the song uses she/her pronouns, reader's pronouns are not specified
When somebody loved me
Everything was beautiful
Every hour we spent together
Lives within my heart
Malleus never thought he would find someone who would want to spend their days with him. Truthfully, he had gotten used to being alone. That's why he was so surprised to find out that you loved him.
Finally someone was by his side because they truly wanted to be. Not because they were one of his guards or someone meant to serve him, but because you loved and cared for him. He was so grateful to find you, and he grew to love you too.
He soon found that he enjoyed everything so much more when someone he loves is by his side. The previous aspects of his life that were once mundane and normal had a much joyful and treasured spot in his memories.
Even something as simple as late night walks became something so precious to him. It never mattered if you two were talking about your days or not even talking at all. Just walking beside you and spending time with you was always enough for him. Even things he normally wouldn't like has become wonderful memories to him.
Malleus never liked eating birthday cake. In the past, he had to eat one all on his own for his birthday and got heartburn. Since then, he's never liked birthday cakes. But when he tried some birthday cake with you, he was actually able to enjoy the cake. Even though you may have eaten too much and started to feel ill, he still hold the memory close to his heart.
And when she was sad
I was there to dry her tears
And when she was happy, so was I
When she loved me
He always hated it when you were sad. Regardless of what made you sad. He only ever wished for you to be happy and content in everything. Even though it was unrealistic, that didn't stop him from trying his best to keep things like that.
That's why, as soon as he saw you were sad, he immediately tried to help. You were always his highest priority, but in that moment, you immediately became his center of attention.
Malleus' first instinct was to wipe the tears away from your face and ask you what was wrong. He would always listen so closely to everything you said, and only once you were done would he offer solutions or comfort.
Though Malleus wasn't the best at comfort, he would do anything he could to see you happy. He would always try to think of what makes him happy, and offer it to you. So, in an attempt to comfort you, he presented you with one of his gargoyle statues and even got you ice cream. If it would distract you from whatever made you upset, he would gladly go on about the gargoyles. But if you just needed a shoulder to cry on, he's happy to do that too. Malleus would rub circles on your back and even start humming in an attempt to help you feel better.
And he will keep doing it all, as long as it takes until you can feel better. And then he will do anything he possibly can to make you smile again. Malleus is always thrilled to see your smile.
That smile...as long as he was able to see that smile, Malleus would be happy.
Through the summer and the fall
We had each other, that was all
Just she an I together
Like it was meant to be
As the years went by, you two had each other. Through all the memories, all the laughter, all the problems, and all the pain, you two stuck together.
And it was perfect.
Each day that passed by, Malleus grew to love you more than he already did. He knew from the very beginning that there was no one else for him. You would forever be the one in his heart, and the only one he could love.
There was nothing he could do to repay you for all the joy you've brought to his life through the years. You showed him so many new things, and taught him even more. You brought him true happiness and love, and asked for nothing in return.
Still, he did his best to show his love back. He would love to give you gifts or things he considered precious like jewels. But nothing could compare to the gift that was your company.
And when she was lonely
I was there to comfort her
And I knew that she loved me
Even though you were there by his side, there were still times he would feel a bit lonely. Years of being alone had left it's marks on his heart, and it's a long process to undo all of that time. Malleus was very familiar with being in a room with people, yet still feeling incredibly lonely.
This was another one of those times. It was a special event in Briar Valley. Lots of people had come to celebrate and dance, but none would interact with their King. Some saw him as too far above them, others didn't even want to be near him. Alas, this is what he was used too.
But then he felt your hand hold his; a gentle reminder that he wasn't alone. He looked over to him and saw that bright smile of yours that he loved, and he felt his loneliness creep away. Though not completely gone, he felt much less alone. He found it quite strange actually. All you did was hold his hand and smile at him, but it helped so much.
It was always your smallest gestures that made him feel so loved.
So the years went by
I stayed the same
But she began to drift away
I was left alone
Still, I waited for the day
When she'd say, "I will always love you"
Malleus doesn't age like you do. That was something you both were painfully aware of. As you two started to grow old together, only one of you showed any signs of age. As you grew old, he didn't change.
While at the time, you may not have mentioned anything about your age, Malleus saw it all. He noticed every change that came with age. While he still loved you, he was worried about it all. He noticed that as days went on, you had less energy, your hair started to gray, and you became more fragile. Things that the two of you were normally able to do together, were no longer possible. It saddened him to see you like this, but he still did everything he could to make you happy/
But eventually, the curse of old age had come for you. You were sick, and both of you knew your health was deteriorating as the days passed. You're already fragile form wouldn't be able to fight much. Both of you knew that, but neither of you said it. Under Malleus' care, you received the best doctors and any healing magic that would help. But even that only slowed down your sickness temporarily.
Lonely and forgotten
Never thought she'd look my way
And she smiled at me and held me
Just like she used to do
Like she loved me
When she loved me
Each day, your body would grow weaker. The two of you could no longer act like you used to when it left you bedridden. Still, Malleus stayed by your side through most hours of the day.
How he wished things were different. If only he could reverse time, or find some way to cure your old age. But alas, even he was not that strong. So the most he could do was try to lend you what strength he could, and do whatever he could to fulfill any wishes you had.
You knew how much it must pain him to see you like this. So you did the best you could to act like things were going to be fine, and that you were fine, even if you knew that was a lie. You wanted to be with him like you normally would, so even though it was difficult at times, you made sure to smile and hold him like you always would.
Whenever you did that, he could feel you loved him, and he was so grateful for you.
When somebody loved me
Everything was beautiful
Every hour we spent together
Lives within my heart
When she loved me
And now you were gone, and once again, Malleus was alone. All that was left behind was the memories you two made together, and Malleus knows that he'll never be able to love another the same way he loved you. Each day, he misses you more and wishes he could go back to those days...
