If there's one thing about Valentines Day at NRC it's that they don't mess around...
Heartslaybul is the most elaborate. Their heart themed and rose filled dorm somehow multiplies by ten and grows more elaborate. Theres a thick smell of strawberries and pastries in the air, no doubt from Trey's baking. There seems to be a lighter mood now that the dorm finally gets to celebrate their self-claimed holiday. You notice that some of the students seemed to be more flustered around, well the ones you talk to anyways. Riddle makes sure to avoid your eyes, instead looking to the side while speaking quickly to you. He quickly walks away with his hands out of sight, too nervous to show you the flowers he had picked for you from the garden. Trey is as calm as ever; he has no need to be nervous. You'll find him in the kitchen with an apron on and his sleeves rolled up, showing off his flour covered arms. He'll glance over to you and smile before handfeeding you a chocolate covered strawberry, shamelessly. Cater is completely ecstatic! He wastes no time in pulling you into a hug and catching a quick selfie for his followers later. Little do you know he's posting you to a love song and a caption so cheesy even he's embarrassed. Ace tries to act normal but fails miserably. He gives a few jokes here and there but stays closer to you then normal. You two are almost never apart, so don't notice the valentine day card he has in his back pocket with your name on it. Deuce is completely flustered, more than normal. He was actually the first one you saw when you arrived, he shoved a basket into your arms that had all your favorite treats and items. He had spent hours on the phone with his mom asking what to give you, he was a perfectly raised son after all.
Savanaclaw has...a strange aura around them. On one hand, some of them try to act all casual to not give away how flustered they are. On the other hand, they act like complete gentlemen's because that's what there taught back home. The halls are poorly decorated with banners and trinkets, safe for the few lit candles that were chosen to not overwhelm their sense of smell. On the chaste couch lays Leona, sleepy and calm as ever. You barely get a reaction out of him, except for a flick of his tail and the occasional hum. You're almost annoyed until he gifts you a lavish necklace that is awfully similar to his own jewelry. Ruggie is storming the kitchen and running down the hallways. He's taking every snack and expensive piece of jewelry he sees. Then he shares them with you by the makeshift pool, just the two of you. Jack is the only one that actually acts normal, for a savanaclaw student that is. He's gifting your essential items, the few jackets and other clothing that you may need. He does, however, gift you a small box of chocalates that he knows is your favortie.
Octavinelle is completely decorated for the holiday. Scented candles and heart-themed decorations out around the lounge. A special menu that focuses on both the sweet and fruity aspect of the commonly gifted foods in the area. The students seem to be working harder than ever, especially since their tables are filling up faster due to the amount of people coming for dinner. Azul is delighted. He's bringing in more customers than usual and even gets a few gifts! Mainly because the students want to be on his good side...but then he gets to whisk you away to his office and give you some special off menu items. The twins are, well, the twins. Jade is having a fun time meeting new students who cower at his sight. He even gets special time to go to the botanical gardens with you and check up on his mushrooms. Oh, look! He even grew flowers for you just in time. Floyd instead spends time with you, more like he clings to you. He steals some food from the kitchen and eats them with you, despite Azul's screaming. He says jokes after jokes, never leaving you without a smile on your face and a full stomach.
Scarabia is first in festivals. The students are dancing and singing along to some of the love songs from their home. There are tables filled with drinks and treats that all relate to the holiday in some way. Kalim lights up when you arrive, jumping over a few students and runs into your arms. He pulls you to his room and shows you all the jewelry and treasures he got you, even some elaborate outfits! He then pulls you back to the dance floor and parties with you for as much as he can. When you get some time to yourself, Jamil is right there waiting for you. He leads you to the kitchen and fetches you a glass of water. He gives some light jokes here and there, trying to act normal but you notice the faint flush on his cheeks and necks when he slides you a specially made meal over to you.
Pomefiore spends the holiday testing out new looks, sadly. What was once a rich, royal purple themed dorm now had shades of lilac, pink, and white. Each hallway is drenched in different perfume scents, some more offending than others. Vil waits for you in his room and opens the door with a practiced smile. He pulls you in and starts taking care of you like a doll. You end up walking out with a fresh new look and some expensive perfumes he knew would complement your natural aroma. Rook is outside, waiting. He lights up and whisks you away with sickening love poems on his tongue the whole way. He eventually leads you the flower garden outside and declares a rather loud yet loving verse for you. You're left rather embarrassed, but you got a few gifts he knew you've been wanting...weird. Epel tries not to do anything elaborate. Instead, he opts for making you a freshly baked apple pie and shares a slice with you. His cheeks are completely pink the whole time, even more so when you compliment his cooking skills.
Ignihyde is...the most boring. The only actual form of decoration is the red led lights and the heart themed wall screen on each monitor. Most of the students spend the time in their room, most likely playing some form of dating sim. It takes Idia by surprise when you walk into his room. His hair goes pink as he fumbles to turn off his game, never once looking at you. You mainly talk as he listens, still flustered. The only time he acknowledges you is when he gifts you your favorite junk food and a matching keychain with your signature color. Ortho comes flying after you as you head to leave. He's completely happy as he gifts you a plushie that reminded him of you. Of course, he exclaims how you're the bests friend he ever had! Now if only you could become his in-law...
Diasomnia is decorated...somehow. Theres a few banners here and there, with flowers on every surface top. The students seem to be more relaxed, but there's an air of unease as Lilia works in the kitchen. Much to everyone's dismay, he's making a cake that should be big enough to feed the whole dorm. He turns to you as you enter the kitchen and smiles as he floats over. He places a small party hat on your head and gifts your box of briar valley styled chocolates, none that he made himself luckily. Malleus practically rushes out of his room once he's told you're there. He gives a sly smile as he greets you before gifting you a small head piece that looks an awful lot like a tiara...no worries, it's nothing binding! Silver is asleep in the garden when you arrive. He awakes easily, for once, and smiles sleepily as he sits up. Quickly, he makes you a flower crown and places it on your head, next to the tiara, and pulls you into his arms for a quick nap. Sebek is somehow completely flustered and still yelling at the top of his lungs. He shoves a box of sweets, flowers, and a plushie in your arms before muttering something about decorum and properly chivalry. He may be flustered, but he's oddly affectionate with you around.
Ramshackle is...something. A few decorations that you managed to get here and there. All the flowers were handpicked from the botanical gardens of the forest nearby. It's not like anyone was going to go there anyways. The only real event is when Grim wakes you up with pots slamming down in the kitchen. He looks up nervously and tries to explain how he was trying to surprise you with a breakfast in bed. The ghosts laugh around him, adding to the chaos. Yet you feel completely pleased knowing they tried. Cause that's all that matters...
Twisted Wonderland: A Cinderella Story || Chapter 6 - Missing Slipper
Yuu is Fem!Reader. Twst X Reader story
Yuu stood in front of the prince, not knowing what to say, all eyes were on them. “Uh…” Yuu looks around, for anyone she knows, but her classmates who were trying to intervene were being stopped by guards, as ordered by the king.
Seeing no way out, and all the eyes on her, she decided to answer. “Uh, I'm sorry.” This made the prince tense, “But I promised a friend that I would dance with them first.” Yuu whispered to the prince, who was shocked. He smiled, and whispered back, "I'll have to ask for their forgiveness then." He gently led Yuu towards the center of the dance floor, people immediately moving out of the way. “Uh.” Yuu followed him, not wanting to fall, she also noticed the hold the prince had on her wasn't tight, he was still giving her an opening to walk away if she truly wished to. Yuu didn't mind dancing with this stranger, but she wanted to keep her promise to Malleus.
Yuu and Prince charm reached the center of the ball, everyone's eyes on them, suddenly the lights changed, and the music changed to a waltz. The king was commanding everyone silently, trying to set the mood for his son.
Yuu was confused with the mood shifting, “Uh ok.” The prince was embarrassed, knowing what his father was doing, he just wished he was more subtle about it though. She felt all the eyes on them, “They are all looking at you.” She whispered to him, he smiled, placing a gentle hand on her waist. “Trust me they are looking at you.” He whispered back, before noting to the music, Yuu following his lead not wanting to embarrass herself or him in front of everyone. ‘I’ll make it up to Hornton later.’ She thought before giving her attention to the gentlemen in front of her.
As they danced elegantly to the music, a few RSA students watched with envy.
Riddle was pouting, which did not go unnoticed by Cater, “It’s just a dance Riddle.” Cater tried to sooth their house warden, Hmp of course it is only proper to accept a dance with the prince…” 'Doesn't mean I’m happy about it.’ He thought to himself, crossing his arms as he watched the two closely making sure the prince wasn’t trying anything.
Kalim and Jamil were watching the dance as well, Kalim was looking at them with pure admiration. Kalim turned to Jamil to see his reaction, but was met by a blank expression, he looked down and saw that Jamil was holding a very tight closed fist. “Are you hungry, Jamil?” Kalim asked, completely oblivious to the jealousy oozing out of his attendant. Jamil just wanted to focused eyes on the two, thinking. Just thinking.
Floyd was attempting to intervene, but Jade had a tight grip on his shoulder, keeping him in place. “That stupid trout.” Floyd muttered, glaring daggers at Prince Charm. “Wait a moment, Floyd.” Jade said with a smile, that it was lightly twitching. “He’s trying to steal our shrimpy.” Beside them, Azul stared intently at the two dancing together. “Now, now Floyd, let’s not speak such jokes.” The two eels turned towards their housewarden. “After all, our dear prefect is quite loyal.” Azul reassured, however it seemed to be more of a reassurance for himself than the brothers. “True, but it would be best to keep an eye on things.” Jade nodded, still keeping Floyd in place.
A bit closer to where the two were dancing, stood Vil who was holding his drink tightly, beside him were Rook and Epel who looked uneasy. “Uh Vil…” Epel whispered, seeing the dark look the Vil held, reminding him of the VDC competition. “Yes, Epel?” Vil's voice was cold, Epel knew it wasn’t intended for him, but he was the one that ended up receiving it. “Uh I just think that maybe you should.” Epel eyes fell to the glass in Vil hand, Lighten your grip a bit." The glass seemed moments away from cracking. “I agree with Monsieur Pommette.” Rook walked closer to Vil, placing his hand on top of his, taking hold of the glass, “I would be a true tragedy if this glass were to cause any harm to your beautiful hands.” Vil sighed letting the glass go, for Rook to take. “Hm apologies for worrying you both, I seemed to be deep in thought.” Rook and Epel shared a quick glance, noting to keep Vil away from any contact with the Prince. For both of their sake's.
Near the food table, Ruggie was working on stuffing the food containers in a bag he had bought for Sam, which seemed to have endless room. “Uh Ruggie.” Jack called out, sounding unsure. Ruggie jumped before seeing that it was Jack, “Ah good it's just you Jack, what is it?” Ruggie asked, standing up, looking at the tall freshmen. “I was hoping you'd check in on Leona, he seems to be…” Jack looked over to where Leona was standing, when Ruggie looked over he saw a terrifying sight. Leona’s eyes followed the prince's movements, focus not wavering for a moment. Similar to a lion tracking its next kill, refusing to let the prey get away. “Oh no.” Ruggie's ears flattened against his head in worry. Ruggie walked closer to him, “Heya boss, you know I saw that there is this garden in the of this castle, would be a good place to-” Leona tail flicked, making Ruggie jump. Ruggie looked over at Jack pleading for help, but Jack was just as unsure of what to do. Leona didn't say a word, just watching.
Leona’s eyes weren't the only ones following the princes every step. Ortho was desperately trying to get his brother out of the little corner he found refuge in, but Idia was in too much shock to move. “No no no.” He kept mumbling to himself, he had been doing this since the two’s dance began. “Nii-chan?” Ortho tried again but was met with the same response, “How, what could have triggered the prince route, she was nowhere near him, and she isn't some fake villainess, or some helpless heroine.” Idia kept trying to figure out how they got to this situation, and how to undo the romance effect that was taking place. “Oh maybe this is the route that opens the heroine's eyes, and she sees that the prince is a stuck up snob.” Idia muttered quickly, in a hopeful tone. Ortho seemed to finally understand his brother's words, “Ah worry not Nii-chan he isn't even close to being as amazing as you!” Ortho comforted his brother. Who was begging to self doubt, “But he is a prince, and a good looking one as well. What if he does charm the prefect?” Ortho thought for a moment, “What if he’s not interested in her?” Ortho tried to reason, Idia turned to his little brother with a blunt face. “He’s a guy!”
Idia wasn’t the only one complaining, Grim was making a fuss, as he attempted to struggle in Lilia arms. “Grr, how dare that prince steal my spotlight with my henchhuman!” Sebek was complaining but for a different reason, “How dare that human break her promise to Malleus.” Silver watched the dance, “I don't believe she had much of a choice Sebek, one can’t exactly turn down a prince’s request.” Malleus didn’t say a word, just watching, his eyes focused. Gray dark clouds forming outside the castle, thunder slowly following it. ‘I heard Yuu turn him down politely, but he still took her to the dance floor.’ Malleus’ jaw tighten, ‘What a lack of manners this Prince Charm has.’
Yuu was so focused on not stepping on her dance partner's feet, that she didn't notice that the prince was whispering something to himself. The music they were dancing to was coming to an end, along with the Prince's spell. As the last note played, a stream of glitter surrounded them, causing the crowd to be blinded for a moment. When the sparkling light was gone, and the crowd regained their sight, they two were gone.
The king who had watched the whole dance with complete interest, just chuckled. “That boy.” The king left as easily, finally a girl caught his son's interest. However, the king was the only one pleased with the situation. The ball mood immediately took a turn.
Outside, in the back of the castle was a beautiful garden, where Yuu and Prince Charm appeared. Yuu looked around confused, moving away from the prince. “What? Where are we?” Yuu asked, standing on edge. “Ah sorry, I just wanted to get us away from the crowd's eyes.” Prince Charm held his hands up, showing that he is no threat. Yuu looked at him oddly, before really taking in her surroundings, a beautiful garden. What really caught her eye was the fountain, endless sparkling clear water flowed through the air.
Prince Charm noticed that Yuu was taking in the fountain's beauty. “I had this built in my mothers memory.” He pointed to the fountain, at the top there’s a stature of a woman who is pouring water from her vase. Yuu looked at him, seeing that he was fondly staring at the fountain. Yuu didn't quite know what to say in this situation, the mood turned awkward, and she wasn't the only one who felt it. Charm was beating himself up, ‘Why did I say that. Now it seems like I was fishing for sympathy.’
They both stood there awkwardly, “It’s beautiful, I can tell how much love you put into this.” Yuu decided to end the awkward silence, and the prince's chest felt light. “Yes she was incredibly kind, her and my father have the truest love I've ever seen.” Yuu smiled at the thought, “She sounds lovely.” Prince Charm remembered his mothers smile in Yuu’s, how she would listen happily to the stories he made up.
Yuu and the Prince began to chat for a while, so much so they completely forgot about the ball. Who’s attenders were searching for the two.
“Rah! Where is Yuu, that no good human kidnapped her!” Grim complained as he looked around for Yuu. Grim wasn’t the only one looking for Yuu, Silver and Sebek had been instructed to search for her as well, but in the last hour, she had not been found, and the guards were of no help, the king had instructed them to keep everyone away from his son and the mysterious maiden.
Leona attempted to make it outside, however the guards were refusing to let him through. “Let me through.” Leona growled, the guards were on edge, but held firm. “We apologize Prince Kingscholar, but our orders come from King Kingston.” They both responded. Leona scoffed, before looking at the King who didn’t seem interested in the ball anymore, now that his son is gone.
Malleus was making the same attempt, the guards were shaking, and sweating bullets. “Prince Draconia, our silent apologies, but we have been order-” A flash of lighting, followed by the loud sound of thunder. “Ack!” The guards jumped, feeling small under the gaze of an angry dragon. “Now sirs, I'm sure we can just step out for a moment.” Lilia smiled, but it was not a friendly smile, more of a warning.
Many ladies who had come from nobility were searching for Prince Charm, questioning who he was dancing with, they asked around, but no one seemed to know of her. At least that's what they thought, many of the Night raven students did confirm her identity, in order to avoid the wrath of a few head dorm students.
However, the room was about to face another wrath. Grim was getting sick and tired of being ignored, and wanting to find Yuu. “That’s it!” He exclaimed before running to a window. “I’ll just make my own exit!” Riddle heard this, and immediately started searching for Grim but it was too late. Grim started shooting fire at the windows, in order to break the glass, but they didn't reach the glass, they ended up hitting the curtains. Grim didn't notice, and continued to set flames, which started to spread quickly. This absolutely did not go unnoticed by the party. “Fire!” A guard yelled in alarm, many guards moved to put the fire out, but it just kept spreading.
“Oh these are Grim flames.” Jade said, looking as the fire spread, “Huh, it seems Sealie wanted to light the place up.” Floyd jokes, laughing, as he watches everyone start to panic.
“Somone put it out!” A woman called out, seeing that the ends of her dress were being burnt. “Oh dear.” Rook came up to the women, patting the dress to put the small fire out. “Pardon me madam.” Vil looked around, trying to find Grim and Riddle. “Where is he?”
The Night Raven Professors immediately started to search for the dire beast as well, as the Royal Sword professors worked on putting out the flames.
Yuu and Charm were chatting and laughing together as they sat on the fountain, both enjoying each other's company. Their conversation was cut short, when they heard a loud cry, they both turned back to the castle, and could see a blue light coming from the windows that were soon broken. “What the seven?” Yuu asked, standing up in a panic, immediately worrying for her friends that are inside the castle. The prince stood with her in a panic. “Father.”
“Your highness!” A guard yelled out, causing Charm to turn to him. Yuu looked over confused, before understanding who the guard was referring to. ‘Prince?’ Yuu felt like face palming herself, ‘Of course he’s the prince, with all my luck why not, causing trouble for another prince, because two wasn't enough.’ Yuu shook away her panicking thoughts, “I got to go.” Yuu said more to herself than to the prince, heading inside to help Grim and the others.
“Wait!” the prince called but was stopped by the guards, “Sir we need to get you out of here.” “Yes there is a beast on the loose in the castle, we must get you to safety.” Both guards urged him. The prince thinks for a moment, ‘I know father can handle himself, and he has Sebastian with him.’ Prince Charm decided, he took off past his guards, going after Yuu.
Yuu ran into the castle moving past the people who were leaving in a panic. Yuu looked around, and saw that the palace was covered in blue flames, reminding her of her first day in this world. “Of course it's because of Grim. It was going to be him or Crowley.” Yuu complained, before spotting Jack who was helping out a few students with their burns. “Jack!” Yuu ran over to him, but was stopped when a flaming line came in front of her, “Look out!” Yuu was about to be hit by a large curtain falling, but was carried out of the way.
When they were away from danger Yuu looked at her savior seeing that it was a familiar face. Yuu smiled wide, “Silver thank you!” She hugged him in relief. “Are you alright?” Silver asked, doing a quick look over Yuu, checking for injuries. “I'm fine, thank to you.” Yuu stood straight again, she looked around them, “Have you seen Grim or anyone else from our school?” Silver shook his head, “No I have not, me and Sebek immediately started searching for Grim by Malleus orders.” Silver keeps a protective arm around Yuu, making sure she is safe. “But I’ll get you out first, I'm sure Sebek has found Grim.” As if they summoned him, running past them was Sebek carrying a struggling Grim. “Stay still, beast!” Sebek yelled, as he ran, Grim just made noises of complaints.
“...” The two didn’t say anything, in shock of what they just witnessed. “A loud mouth carrying another loud mouth.” Yuu joked, Silver thought it was funny, but didn’t let it show. “Let’s go.” Silver helped Yuu get to the front. As Yuu and Silver were running out, Prince Charm entered the ballroom, but many people were getting in the way for him to pass.
As Silver and Yuu ran down the steps to get to the carriages, Yuu tripped a bit, causing one of the slippers to come off, Yuu was about to go back for it, but people continued to flood out of the castle, so she had no choice but to leave it behind. Silver took a tight hold of her hand, and guided her to their carriage, where Malleus, Lillia and Sebek, with a complaining Grim, were waiting. As she got in, she could hear the big bell, which was by the castle, ring as it struck midnight.
SUMMARY: Love indeed is a powerfull weapon. Yet even it isn't able to completely heal the broken heart.
PAIRING: Overblots x reader (separately), Riddle Rosehearts x reader, Leona Kingscholar x reader, Azul Ashengrotto x reader.
WARNINGS: Angst, No comfort, anxiety, panic attacks, fear, trauma.
WORD COUNT: ~3300 (~0,9k per character. But Azul is the longest-)
NOTES: English isn't my first language but I hope you enjoy it notherless!!! It's kinda experiment from my side becouse I have never done something like this before:3 It's kinda like headcanon x one-shot but in my style! I was inspred by @sushigeeg post. I just HAD TO DO IT! Ekhem, I'm going to do second part with others too but since it's ~0.9k words per character I divided it. I fear I messes up Azul's part since I wrote it today after lost on his OB card- (130 pulls to get Kalim-). Anyway, I'm curious what do you think about it since it is diffrent than usual♡
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Finding yourself in an unfamiliar place is always terrifying, especially when you’re there alone, with no one to offer even emotional support. Although most people are familiar with this feeling, it would be hard for them to imagine how a young girl must have felt when her life was turned upside down in a matter of seconds. One moment she was strolling through a neighborhood she knew so well when she heard the neighing of horses, and then she felt only excruciating pain that quickly knocked her unconscious. Instead of waking up in a hospital or in her own comfortable bed, she was greeted by the darkness of a levitating coffin and a group of people dressed like members of an underground cult, led by a man wearing a terrifying raven mask, whose yellow eyes seemed to pierce everything with a judgmental gaze.
Finding herself in a distant realm full of mages, magic, and creatures that were mythical to her should have broken her. Most people wouldn’t have been able to handle it mentally and would have given up quickly, yet she decided to keep living until the Headmage would found her a way back to her beloved and safe home.
Everything slowly began to fall into place, and despite the heart-wrenching grief and longing, she learned to live in this twisted world and even found companions dear to her heart, with whom she could happily spend her days and on whom she could count for support in most cases.
However, with every day she spent in Twisted Wonderland, the sight of a certain dark liquid poisoned her mind, taking root in her heart and destroying her seemingly brave and cheerful demeanor. Every single overblot, every harm she witnessed or experienced, left an irreversible mark on the girl’s already fragile psyche, which was undeniably weighed down simply by her presence in a foreign dimension.
It started innocently enough, when she witnessed only two or three overblots, or when they involved someone to whom she wasn’t so strongly emotionally attached. She would flinch at the sight of them, avoid eye contact, or always stay in the company of someone she trusted, afraid of being left alone with those who had been consumed by the blot.
Then she began to feel her heart racing at the mere sight of the ink that some of the students at school used for writing. Just as some people freeze in fear at the sight of a spider, she would stiffen at the sight of ink spilled by a student next to her and only snap out of it when Grim called her attention to it, but her gaze would involuntarily wander toward the black abyss of ink, as if it might come to life at any moment.
After the incidents with the overblots, they really tried to improve and learned from their mistakes, but no matter how hard they tried, repairing what had been destroyed wasn’t easy. And love alone isn’t enough to completely mend a broken heart.
Riddle Rosehearts
After the Overblot, a great deal of information reached Riddle, changing his worldview. When he fully realized everything he had done and what he had blindly believed in, he decided from the bottom of his heart to change for the better. Nevertheless, it’s impossible to eradicate all ingrained behaviors overnight. That’s why he appreciated the second chance he’d been given, as well as the patience others showed him, despite the atrocities he’d committed against his students.
He tried harder to control himself and found himself involuntarily looking for a certain non-magical student he knew well, almost as if seeking her approval. Every time he looked at her, he was overcome with guilt that she had been dragged into this, even though she was defenseless in a world where magic was an everyday reality. Memories kept coming back to him of the moments when, under the influence of the blot, he had aimed spells at her—which could have ended tragically if it hadn’t been for the other students at Heartslabyulu who had protected her.
She became his main motivation to change himself for the better, because over time, as he observed her helpfulness and kindness, he began to develop ever stronger feelings for her and wanted to be worthy of someone like her. However, his efforts seemed to go unnoticed by her, and he was painfully aware of how tense she became every time she saw him.
One day, she was invited to a Unbirthday Party, and everything seemed to be just right—but then all the calm vanished like a spell.
“ACE, DEUCE! WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING?! OFF WITH Y- …ahem,” Riddle was red with anger as he watched the two of them running around the garden, causing one of the vases to tip over.
The two friends quickly got to their feet, apologizing and blaming each other, and Riddle simply told them to clean up the mess and scolded them for their bad behavior. Deep down, however, he was proud that he’d managed to control himself in time. Instinctively, he glanced at the girl out of the corner of his eye, expecting a giggle or a smile, but he froze when he saw the terror etched on her face and her gaze fixed on the floor as she awkwardly stroked Grim.
He wanted so badly to ask her what had happened and desperately try to bring a smile to her face, but he couldn’t bring himself to speak. He didn’t dare do so until after the feast was over, when everyone was bustling about cleaning up, and she looked as if she wanted to get back to her dorm as quickly as possible.
“We need to talk,” said Riddle, grabbing her wrist and cursing himself inwardly for how harsh his tone sounded. He quickly let go of her and continued, “…I’m sorry. I just think something’s bothering you.”
“Everything’s fine,” the girl smiled, but the redhead could see a mix of emotions swirling in her eyes.
“Lying is against the rules,” Riddle muttered under his breath, then looked at her again. “Listen, I…”
But he froze when he saw how quickly she lowered her head, apologizing over and over for breaking some rule, almost as if her life depended on it. The initial shock quickly subsided, and he was the one who started to panic a little, even though it looked like he was the one who was angry.
“Hey, it’s okay. Don’t cry. I’m not good… at this,” Riddle sighed, a faint blush spreading across his cheeks from his sudden embarrassment at the whole situation.
However, this only made her apologize even more, and no amount of reasoning seemed to get through to her.
“Stop it. I already told you, I’m not angry!”
“When you turn red… you always yell afterward! I… I’m sorry…! Please, I don’t want you to overblot again…”
That simple statement left him stunned once more. A moment of awkward silence passed between them, and Rosehearts’ mind was swirling with a multitude of thoughts that slowly began to come together. She was afraid of him. She was terrified when he turned red with anger because it reminded her of his overblot.
“I… I’m sorry,” Riddle muttered quietly this time. Another moment passed before he looked up; straightening up, he placed his hand over his heart and said in a solemn voice, “It’s my fault. It affected you more than I realized. And… I’m truly sorry for that. But I am a man of action, not words. I’ll make it up to you. I want to become a better person. For myself, but also for you.”
With pride and sudden confidence, he wanted to take her hand and place a solemn kiss on it, but as soon as he reached for it, the girl, terrified, took a step back like a wounded animal.
“You don’t understand, Riddle. I know… you’re trying,” she admitted in a trembling voice, “but… but I can’t. Seeing you like this… I’m haunted by the vision of the Overblot…”
“H-hey, calm down—”
“N-no! Please. I have to work through this on my own. By myself… I don’t want to witness it again. You don’t even know how my heart skips a beat every time Ace and Deuce throw food at each other in the cafeteria and smash the eggs…!”
“Eggs…?” Riddle blinked, staring speechlessly at her panicked sobs, until finally a fragment of a memory hit him like a speeding wagon. That’s right… just before his incident, one of the students had thrown an egg at him. “H-hey, listen, I—”
“No… I have to go before I break some rule… F-forgive me, Housewarden,” the girl interrupted him, quickly taking advantage of his shock to escape the dorm and return to her room.
He, however, stood there in shock, watching her receding figure with a heavy heart. He knew that an overblot could cause trauma, but he never expected… something like this.
Lost in thought, he instinctively clutched his heart, and his knees buckled slightly beneath him as he leaned forward, silent tears streaming down his cheeks. He muttered quiet apologies, but they never reached her; instead, they were carried away by the wind into a deafening void. He knew he had irrevocably lost something he might never get back.
Leona Kingscholar
You didn’t have to be a detective to know that Leona was secretly berating himself for letting go of the control he had so carefully maintained under the guise of a lazy prince—who didn’t care about anything—for so long. It was just as easy to notice the subtle yet undeniable change in his behavior toward the girl who had witnessed his overblot. Perhaps it was a subconscious acknowledgment of her strength, or perhaps it was merely a coincidence, but every time she came into view, his lion’s tail would sway slightly and his ears would twitch at the faintest sound of her voice.
Leona wasn’t stupid, and he quickly realized he’d fallen for a non-magical girl. His initial irritation quickly faded, and he decided to take matters into his own hands, under no illusion that this feeling would pass quickly. He resolved to be the first this time and win her heart through his own efforts rather than by trickery.
The brown-haired young man was convinced it wouldn’t be too difficult, but he soon realized that the usual methods that worked on women in his country had no effect on her. Every time he paid her attention, she avoided his gaze. She wouldn’t accept anything he “accidentally” left for her on the bench. She didn’t even show up in Savanaclaw to meet Jack. Leona quickly understood what she was getting at. She was avoiding him.
Playing cat and mouse, Kingscholar let the chase continue until one day he finally managed to be alone with her in the Botanical Garden, a place she only visited as a last resort. With a curious, almost appraising gaze, he scanned her figure, then sighed as if unmoved.
“Have someone threatened you?” he asked bluntly, causing her to flinch and then quickly begin to deny it, looking confused. “And yet you’re avoiding me. A prince hitting on you is too much, huh?”
As the girl tilted her head in confusion, Leona let out a quiet chuckle.
“So you didn’t realize I was courting you? Eh, maybe Ruggie was right and I should do it in a way that’s more… your style?” The brown-haired man clicked his tongue, then walked toward her with a confident stride. “Surprise, herbivore. At least we’ve cleared up the misunderstanding about you running away.”
“That… that really flatters me, Housewarden, but I…” She tried to say something, but Leona quickly noticed her trembling hands and her gaze fixed on the ground.
“Who? One of those two who’s always hanging around you? Schoenheit? Don’t tell me it’s that lizard.”
“N-NO, T-THAT’S NOT IT! Y-YOU’RE THE FIRST!”
Her sudden outburst confused him, but he nonchalantly hid it, merely raising an eyebrow.
“Oh, really? If I were the first, you wouldn’t have turned me down,” he sighed, then looked at her with a sly smirk. “Isn’t that right, herbivore?”
“…fine…”
“Ha?”
“I… if that’ll keep you from overbloting again…”
The girl began to sob out all her fears and apologies for making him angry, without looking at him even once, her gaze fixed on the floor without focusing on any specific spot. Leona was both shocked and disgusted, and in his head he berated himself for causing such a panicked reaction in her. However, he couldn’t bring himself to apologize. He couldn’t comfort her. He couldn’t even speak in a gentle voice.
“Hey. Herbivore. Pull yourself together. I didn’t mean… that. I just… Listen, I’m not good at all those warm words and overly sweet talk.”
But she didn’t seem to be listening to him, blurting out apologies for things he didn’t even understand. In a desperate attempt to calm her down, he reached out to grab her arm, but like a startled animal with a stifled cry, she fell to the ground, avoiding his touch. Out of habit, Leon grabbed the bridge of his nose, sighing and muttering something under his breath.
“Come here. You’ll get all dirty,” he said as gently as he could, and was just about to help her up when he froze in his tracks the moment he saw her face. “What the—?”
She stared with terrified eyes at the foam mixed with dirt, and her hands—which had been buried in that mixture as she broke her fall—were shaking faster and faster with every passing second. Leona watched her, speechless, and though he knew what was about to happen, he couldn’t bring himself to move.
Just as he’d thought, after a few seconds, a terrified scream pierced the silence of the botanical garden, and the girl, in a panic, thrashing about, got up from the ground and began frantically brushing the sand off herself. Sobbing, she tried to clean her hands first, and tears of helplessness streamed down her cheeks as she wiped her hands—which had long since been free of sand.
“No… I don’t want to…” she murmured, terrified.
“It’s okay,” Leona whispered, taking her hands. “You’re clean.”
But in a panic, she broke free from his grip, still brushing herself off as tears streamed down her skin, dripping onto the dry ground.
“No… I don’t want to be like Ruggie… I don’t want to die like that…”
Leona wanted to say something. To grab her. To wipe away her tears. But he couldn’t. Even if he knew how to comfort her, he knew that if he did so now, she’d only panic even more. Whatever one might say about the brown-haired prince, you couldn’t accuse him of lacking intelligence, so he put two and two together very quickly.
That’s why he stood rooted to the spot, watching her run away, muttering terrified apologies and other things he couldn’t understand. He didn’t cry. He’d promised himself he’d never again be that small, helpless boy, crying in his chamber out of loneliness. However, the boy’s green irises glistened slightly, though it was so fleeting it was as if it had never happened.
He cursed under his breath, then turned on his heel to head to one of his nap spots that Ruggie hadn’t discovered yet. Lying down in his usual comfortable position, however, he found he couldn’t relax his muscles. Even the sleep he so desperately craved—into which he quickly fell—did not bring the relief he longed for, tormenting him with images from the botanical garden and his own overblot.
Azul Ashengrotto
After the overblot, Azul was embarrassed by his behavior and by the fact that he had been seen crying in public over his defeat. However, he quickly pulled himself together and returned to his businesslike demeanor, while trying to reassess his ideals in light of the lessons he had learned from the event.
Old habits were hard to break, but he tried to get back on the right track. At first, Azul didn’t notice a certain pattern that Jade pointed out to him during one of their quiet evenings in Octavinelle, as he sat in his bar.
“My my, Azul~ It’s so… interesting how you always try so hard around the Prefect,” Jade chuckled, and when Azul asked what he was talking about, he added, “Oh my, haven’t you noticed it yourself? When she’s around, you suddenly become so charming. It’s downright… disgusting.”
Of course, at first Azul denied everything Jade had said, but after a sleepless night spent staring at the ceiling, he had to face defeat when he realized he was, in fact, falling with that girl. The first few meeting were incredibly awkward, and Azul wouldn’t even look at her, afraid he’d blush as soon as he see her. Because of his own turbulent emotions, he failed to notice the girl drifting away from him—a girl who was avoiding not only him but the entire Octavinelle.
One day, Jade told Azul that the girl hadn’t been included in the trip to the Coral Sea because she had fallen ill. She had also missed out on a trip to the world’s largest aquarium, which had a private beach reserved for visitors. Upon hearing this, the young man decided to give his beloved one more chance to go on the trip. After all, as a businessman and a merman, he had enough knowledge and connections to arrange a trip for himself and his potential future Mrs. Aschengrotto.
However, Azul couldn’t bring himself to invite her directly, so he instructed the twins to lead her to the Hall of Mirrors, from where they would teleport to a beautiful, pristine, and secluded beach with access to the sea and a boat moored at the shore. What the silver-haired man didn’t know was that the girl was terrified as the two eels practically dragged her to their destination, despite her attempts to wriggle free.
“Ah, hello, my dear. Floyd. Jade,” Azul nodded at them with a pleased smile, then, like a gentleman, gestured to a seat for her on the boat. “I heard you missed both trips. Don’t worry, though. I know these waters better than any land dweller. Let me help you catch up.”
But she stammered in an attempt to refuse, thanking him for his generosity and not wanting to take advantage of it, but Floyd silenced her, pushing her onto the boat, which Jade had just untied.
“Come on, Shrimp. Azul won’t leave us alone if ya don’t go, and listening to his whining isn’t fun,” Floyd muttered.
“Have fun. Please, Prefect, enjoy the trip,” Jade added, watching the receding boat with a sly smile.
“Honestly, those two don’t have a shred of manners,” Azul sighed, reaching out to help her up. “Let me help you.”
“N-no…!”
Her sudden scream made him finally look at her properly, and the sight rooted him to the spot. The woman he cared so much about, so devoid of magic, was sitting on the wooden floor of the gently rocking boat as if it were about to fall apart beneath her. He tried to brush a strand of her hair aside with his hand, but she screamed piercingly, clinging to the planks.
“You… can’t swim?” Azul blinked, confused. “Don’t worry. The boat is sturdy enough and—”
“N-no!!!”
“Prefect, please calm down. If anything happens, I’ll save you. I’m an expert swimmer. But I wouldn’t let you fall overboard on the first place. Just let me—”
“N-no! Just… just not merform…! I beg you, no… I don’t want to…”
Her terrified murmur felt like a blow to his heart, striking him deeply and painfully. He had hidden his true form after being bulled about it repeatedly as a child, and now, hearing the woman he cared for speak of him that way hurt him more than the insults of the past. Yet instead of tears, he sighed deeply to compose himself, then gathered his composure and spoke professionally.
“I… wasn’t planning on using it anyway,” he lied. “I’m fast even in this form. Besides, I wouldn’t have let you fall anyway. So you can relax and read the contract, which—”
But at the word “contract,” the girl immediately stiffened, causing Azul to flinch, cursing his choice of words in his head. He smiled at her, trying to ease the tension building between them.
“Not a contract. More like… a proposal? It’s all written down here. Not like before. I just realized that I—”
However, she cut his confession short mid-sentence, jumping to her feet and about to give him a piece of her mind when she froze, staring with empty eyes into the dark depths of the ocean below them.
“Are you… feeling better now? If so, let’s get down to business. As your boyfriend, I could give you—Prefect? Are you… okay?”
Azul began to speak, thinking the girl had calmed down, but when he stepped closer to investigate her sudden stillness, he shuddered at the sight of her terrified face staring into the dark waters. Silent tears streamed down her cheeks, but she was unable to move, only staring with a pounding heart into the depths of the ocean.
“Prefect?” muttered Azul, who was beginning to feel a sense of unease himself.
“Why…?” the girl murmured.
“Excuse me? I don’t understand.”
“You’re going to drow me, aren’t you?”
“W-WHAT?! Of course not! What kind of idea is that anyway!”
“I’ve avoided water so much… Was that not enough…?”
“Prefect, what are you talking about? No one’s going to drown you. Listen, I—”
However, her scream cut him off as a smaller wave crashed into the boat, and some water spilled onto the deck, splashing her leg.
“Don’t pull me in!!!”
Azul stood rooted to the spot as she panicked, quickly clutching her legs as if to protect herself from creatures from the depths that might try to pull her underwater.
“Are you… afraid of water?” Azul whispered, confused, and only then did she lift her tear-stained eyes to him, reflecting a terror and helplessness that broke the boy’s heart.
“I thought I was going to drown that day…”
He quickly realized which day she was talking about, and the realization hit him like a slap in the face.
“Water is everywhere… So are the things that live in it…”
“I’ll… take you back to shore,” Azul whispered, unable to look her in the eye.
After a short while, they reached land, and before the boy could say anything, the girl ran out of the boat and fled, terrified, deeper into the land. He couldn’t stop her. He didn’t feel he had the right, even though his heart begged him to go after her and comfort her. To assure her that everything would be all right. But he couldn’t.
He stayed on the shore for a long time, processing just how deeply his single mistake had affected a being as fragile as she was. When he returned to the dormitory, he didn’t say a single word until he locked himself in his room and threw himself onto the bed, not even bothering to take off his dirty clothes. Still in shock, unable to comprehend everything that had happened, he lay there staring at the ceiling and didn’t even realize when silent tears began to roll down his cheeks, one after another, until they turned into full-blown sobbing, which he didn’t even have the strength to muffle with his pillows.
