in which, while running errands with azul and jamil, you have a fateful encounter and worrying heart-to-heart about your current living conditions with their RSA counterparts - minajael and rielle.
tw - none. borderline shitposting. live dove: tender and sweet.
It’d been three weeks since winter vacation, Meaning, three weeks since Jamil locked you in his dorm and threatened you into helping him resolve a crisis he’d solved. Meaning, three weeks since he lost his temper and tried to kill you the old-fashioned way. Meaning, three weeks since you, Grim, Azul, and he came to the understanding that it would take some serious monetary incentives for you all to simply forget to mention the incident to Crowley.
Was the trauma still fresh? Absolutely.
Would you probably benefit from literally any amount of distance from not one, but two separate men who’d attempted to murder and/or enslave you in the same school year? Undoubtedly.
Was distance as profitable as exploiting Jamil (and, by association, Kalim’s) fear of explosion? Definitely not.
And so, taking advantage of your new wallet on legs, you found yourself browsing fresh fruit at the heart of Sage Island’s marketplace, Jamil perusing to your left and Azul haggling with the vendor to your right. Your mouth had only just started to water at the thought of refilling Ramshakle’s consistently empty pantry when you heard a shrill voice cry out deafeningly behind you. It was calling Azul’s name.
There was a flash of red and teal, and then, a new shape was latched onto Azul’s back – a teenage boy. He must’ve been a student, but his uniform was unfamiliar and Azul looked less than elated by the sudden reunion, visibly fighting to keep his composure as the new boy all-but strangled him in a full body hug. “Azzy,” he cried, burying his face in Azul’s shoulder. If you hadn’t known better, you would’ve thought he was greeting a lover freshly back from some terrible war. “It’s been so, so, so long. You never write anymore, and I was so excited when I found out we’d be going to school on the same island, and—”
Next to you, Jamil snickered. You pursed your lips.
“Is this your fault?”
“This is just karma,” Jamil admitted. “Everyone deserves a visit from home, now and then.”
“Is that right, Viper?”
You turned your attention to yet another new face – a significantly taller boy. He wore a delicately braided headscarf and enough gold jewelry around his neck to pay your bills for the next decade. Hmm. Maybe you’d been summoned to the wrong school after all.
Immediately, Jamil’s grin fell into a grimace, only to be quickly replaced by a strained, sickeningly polite smile. He turned to you, gesturing to the newcomer. “(Y/n), this is—”
“Minajael. And the leech over there is Rielle.” He waved toward his red-headed companion. “I didn’t realize Jamil had such pretty friends.”
Jamil’s smile wavered. “We’re just classmates. (Y/n) is another student at—”
“Half a student,” you corrected. “Since I don’t have any magic.”
Minajael let out a breath of a laugh. “I didn’t know Night Raven was so accepting.”
“Oh, they aren’t. They kinda had to let me in, since I was summoned here from another dimension and don’t know anything about this world and all. I would probably starve to death if they kicked me out. The headmade even made me work as a janitor for a while, too.” You paused to think. “That, or I have a really bad concussion. I did hit my head pretty hard when all the house-wardens attacked me during the opening ceremony.”
That was enough to catch Rielle’s attention, too. He looked away from Azul just long enough to ask, “Wait, so you don’t know anything about life here?Like, anything at all?”
Azul grunted. “We’ve taught them plenty.”
“That’s right,” you said, nodding wisely. “They taught me all about playing magift.”
“Among other things.”
“Oh, yeah. I learned how to cook and clean while working for Azul’s restaurant. That’s why he didn’t have pay to me.”
Again, Azul opened his mouth, but you shot him a look and he closed it just as quickly. It wasn’t as if the real explanation of your as-of-yet uncompensated labor was any less damning.
Minajael’s expression took on a concerned note. “But, they are taking care of you now, right? I didn’t take Kalim for the type to leave a member of his dorm—”
“Oh, no, I’m not in Scrabia.”
Rielle beamed. “Octavinelle, then?”
“Nope.” You took care to pop the ‘p’ appropriately. “I actually sleep in a dilapidated shack on campus. Not all alone, obviously. The ghosts keep me company. And the fire-breathing dire-beast who lives in my kitchen.”
Minajael’s eyes widened and Rielle audibly gasped. You were thankful you’d left Grim with Ace and Deuce, today. Your monster was more horrific in description than he was in reality.
“Not that we aren’t ecstatic to host,” Jamil added. It was almost impressive – how broad he could smile when he was trying to save face. “You just stayed with us over winter break, remember?”
“Ah, right. You guys were so happy to have me, you actually locked me in my room every night. With a bar across the door and everything.” You laughed, shaking your head. “I don’t know how that slipped my mind. Must be the concussion acting up again. Never did see anyone about that.”
Jamil moved to interject, but Minajael was faster – shoving past Jamil and taking your hands in his. When he spoke, his voice was delicate, lowered into a hush. As if anything louder would break you into pieces. “Do you want something to eat, sweetheart? Maybe a place to stay? We could even have a little chat with our headmage. Only if you wanted to, of course.”
Rielle was much more blunt. “Do you want us to call the police?”
You feigned shock. “There are cops in this world? Jamil said that no one would ever, ever come to save—”
You weren’t allowed to finish. Jamil was already grabbing your wrist and spouting off an excuse about an early curfew or festival preparations or some other trivial but urgent matter all of you had to attend to in next five minutes. Before you could protest, you were being dragged out of the marketplace and toward Night Raven, a flustered Azul trailing just a few steps behind.
“You,” he started, malice thick in his tone, “are a hazard to yourself and others.”
“Especially others,” Azul huffed.
You could only grin, satisfied to have reminded them how good it was to have you on their side.
Imagine whats inside the mind and thoughts of the RSA cast when they realize you are dating their NRC counterpart, of course the heart of jealousy takes root.
Ooh, I care, I care, I care, like ribbons in your hair My stomach's all in knots, you got the one thing that I want
Twst men x reader ( minajael Tealrajah, rielle Corallia, Neige leblanche )
>> sorry if it's a little messy and I'm still waiting for the realest of the others.
MINAJAEL
When he first met you, it was outside of the palace–when he was running off from his attendance he accidentally bumped into you while you were eating at a food stand. He would graciously pay for it but he could hear the footstep of his attendance coming close, for some reason he decided to grab your hand and involved you in this conflict. When you and him manage to get away from the crowd, he immediately apologizes for dragging you into this. But first he is a Little confused that you seem not to recognize him, either his disguise is good or you don't know him–which is a relief for him because he doesn't need to worry about a scandal. Originally he wanted to follow you, originally you denied because you thought he was a theft due to the amount of people that were chasing him–honestly he doesn't know whether or not he should be impressed that you called a prince a thief or you deadass have no clue who he is.
By the uniform, it looks like you are a student of Night Raven College his rival school. Since there's extra time before the tournament began, you and him decided to explore. He was about to ask what route would you guys take to not be caught but in the corner of his eye, he saw you jump from the window–instead of hearing a thud he saw that you were sitting in a flying carpet, since the design looks similar towards ones that his cousin kalim own–he thought you might steal it so at first he was the one that didn't want to go with you. You started to get annoyed by him but decided to swallow it down because this dude might be a big shot due to the way he talks, you extended your hand towards him similar towards how your boyfriend kalim did when the first time he takes you on a joy ride–"do you trust me" you asked him. He replied with "no" but after a few seconds and you are still extending your hand to his, he sighed and took it.
That day was the best day of his life, despite being a prince–minajael would envy how his cousin was allowed to have such freedom. He saw the skies as well as going on adventures with you, heck you and him even almost got caught. The entire time, he could none stop looking at you with longing as well as amusement–he envies your freedom yet feels more relaxed around you. But it seems the sun's about to be settled and both of you have to return, it seems he was upset but agreed. That night, he dreams of the sweetest dreams about a person he wants to spend his life with.
Since you are a student of NRC, he assumes that he will meet you again and he did. During intermission, he decided to look for you wanting to keep talking to you–he did find you, but in the presence of his cousin kalim. A sudden punch in the gut happened inside his stomach, despite you and him met at such a short time–he genuinely feels a spark between you and him more than the princesses his family try to set up. It seems you and kalim are close... Seeing his cousin arms around your waist leaning his head on your shoulder make a brewing jealousy on his heart, yet you didn't push Kalim away–you simply enjoy his affection.
He retreated back towards the room he was staying passing rielle who looked confused why is he walking so fast and looking so distraught. Minajael refused to be seen like this, it makes him feel weak but the image of you and his cousin circle around his thoughts. "Do you trust me" is a line that is constantly repeated in his mind, a knife is twisting in his stomach. Thousands of thoughts come up in his head, do you like his cousins because he is energetic as well as beautiful. His cousin is nice and caring, while he's more tense as well as having a hard time letting people in–would you love him more if he changes his style to match his cousins, his thoughts were interrupted with rielle checking up on him because the announcement was soon to begin–and he started with a bitter pill to start.
RIELLE
You met the prince when you were, walking around–you were acting as an announcer for Crowley during the games as well as Crowley little helper. While you were carrying some paper, some guy was excitedly running around checking everything and slipping into you causing all the papers you were carrying fall. He immediately apologized and picked the papers, but suddenly stopped. Unfortunately it seems you were not focused on the seventh prince of the coral seas who was looking at you star struck, you pick up your stuff and left in a hurry.
As your silhouette fades away from the hall, rielle is left sitting in the floor starstruck and wondering who's that charming person. Life as the seventh prince is not easy you know, he is constantly overlooked by people as well as his own family but this strange new feeling in his stomach warms his heart. Is this what humans called falling in love at first sight, if it is–then it's a beautiful feeling because now he's looking forward to meeting you again. Every time, when he sees a glimpse of you–he would drop everything to see you even going against his headmasters orders, people of the sefurce are beautiful he has to admit and you are the most beautiful one.
But recently he's been seeing you around with an old classmate of his during elementary school, Azul. You and him seem to be very close, thinking as if you and him are just friends but there's an underlying feeling of jealousy and a pain telling rielle that you and Azul are dating–but he guess he denies it. Back then, Azul was nothing but a person who was targeted by bullying as well as mockery of others due to being squid merman. He would pretend to bump into you and azuls hang outs ( dares ) , hoping by doing this–he would gain your attention.
Yet deep down he knows that the truth is that you and Azul were dating, the way you look at him and as well as how Azul would express his care with affection would make him jealous and stop in his tracks. Originally he thought by also giving you gifts and presents, it would cause you and him to be closer but it has the opposite effect. He wonders why he is not allowed to give you a gift while Azul can, isn't he also allowed to have gifts towards you. He started to grow bitter, not towards you or Azul but himself.
Recently he's been doing a lot of self comparison towards Azul and him, rielle notice on how Azul hair is almost perfect as well as not messy like his. If he's hair is like that would you know him, I mean it's understandable that you like Azul. He is cool as well as smart, talented as well as handsome unlike him, rielle is more energetic, often too whimsy for others taste and naive. Rielle would try to copy Azul movements and the way he confidently walked into a room, but he's unable to project the same atmosphere as him. In the end the prince is defeated, and has to see his beloved in the arms of another person. He wishes that you would turn around and look at him but you didn't, because you are too busy looking at Azul then him. That night, rielle is in his room–his hands are covering his faces but behind is a heartbroken man with tears running down his cheek–he looks at the night stand and sees a picture of you he took, grabbing the frame and cuddling with it.
NEIGE
Neige always has a feeling that you and vil have something special between the both of you. When he first met you, he thought he finally met his princess. He was absolutely captivated by you, because you help him get away from a group of crazy fans not to mention putting yourself in harms way for his safety making sure he doesn't get lost or discovered amongst the crowds of observers. He sees how hard working you are during the VDC, which is a quality he respects and admires from you.
He continued to try to meet you, by sneaking towards NRC when he had free time. As well as asking for your number from your teammates, he sees how you care for others as well as despite being a little strict on your familiar–you deeply cared for grim as well as taking care of him. Grim would wonder why a famous actor like neige would keep visiting the ramshackle dorm just to meet you, but he would often brush it off due to the amount of sweets as well as gifts the famous actor bring.
The Media has been obsessing over who's the fixation over neige dreams. Many of his fans are heart broken by the news that neige already found a princess and is now courting them. Although neige haven't reveal anything much towards the public due to the Respects of your privacy, students of NRC like ace and deuce has been caught of guard when the actor is sitting in your dorm drinking cup of tea with grim on his lap talking towards you as well as wanting to get to know you.
These visits have become a weekly habit, neige would clear his schedule just to meet you and get to know you–sometimes if the weather is too bad, he would stay at the dorm. And in that moment, he feels right at home–being in your presence brings him comfort. One day, it was a normal visit but it was interrupted by another student of NRC–he believes that his name was rook but for some reason, the hunter is not allowing him from entering the dorm. The hunter simply look at neige with a pitiful look, and without saying a word lead the actor hands towards a window. The sight makes neige frozen in his spot, using the window he could see you and vil in an intimate hug with each other–it seems you and the Pomifiore dorm leader are close.
A sudden pang in his heart, as if a knife twisted upon his once beating heart. You were never and would never be his, after seeing the hunters look–he excuse himself and retreat back into his home. He did not even care if he gets caught, the entire time of his walk–his mind is constantly trying to find what makes vil better than him, he could understand your preference–vil has a sharp and regal look while neige has a cute yet beautiful face. The more he thinks about it, the more the knife twists in his heart. You only see him as a friend, no wonder you were distant –you were already vils one true love and not his. And that truth hurt him more than ever, the next day his management declared that neige will be going on a break for not apparent reason but people assume that he is gushing over romance but it's pretty the opposite.
I can't wait to write more fics with the RSA characters especially jealousy and yandere ones.
This is part of mine and @lovely-riri's conversation about some headcanons and scenarios we had in mind
Which omega is the Prefect courting?
Scenario: When the housewardens became infatuated with the strange Prefect of Ramshackle, they ordered their underclassmen - the alpha's close friends - to become their wingmen. They didn't expect dating rumors to surface, furthermore, with the first years themselves.
gn!reader; omega!housewardens x alpha!reader; omega!RSA x alpha!reader; platonic omega!first years; sfw
You woke up with the weird feeling that something was entirely wrong.
As much as you tried, you couldn't place a finger on why, besides the erratic beating of your heart and the tingles on your spine, it was like the world was one centimeter out of place. The sensation slowly confirming itself as you made your way to the school's main hall, eyes following your steps.
NRC is no stranger to gossip, however, usually the students would do so openly, staring at their targets and talking loudly enough for them to hear - as a power play, because they wanted to be heard. But this, the frantic side glances and the whispering behind hands, was far from usual.
You wondered what was happening, maybe you upset someone of great influence and you'd be the last person to know, or you humiliated yourself without even noticing. Until a courageous soul stepped before you, fidgeting with their fingers and shyly looking at you.
“Hey… who are you dating?” the boy asked.
You had to pause at the question. Dating? Why would anyone think that? The big "What?” stamped in your face must be obvious, because he continued.
“Well, it's impossible for an alpha to just be part of a group of omegas- five omegas I must add, without dating any of them!” he voiced like it was the most obvious fact to exist. Which isn't true at all, yes, you only hang out with omegas, but it's because you are the honorary alpha of the group! You have scary omega privileges™ in the form of your five omega friends, but it always felt like “the divas and the dork that we allow to follow us".
The boy continued to ramble, somehow mentioning the school group chat in the middle of his stupor, and when you finally managed to exhaust his will to make you confess whatever crime he thought you guilty of, you immediately picked up your phone. To be honest, most students ignored the group chat, it was mostly used for announcements, from the headmage, teachers and housewardens. Sometimes students asked for materials necessary for their classes, but that was the extent of it.
But now, as you indignantly looked at your screen, you noticed a poll was created.
Which omega is the Prefect courting?
Epel 75%
Ace 10%
Deuce 10%
Jack 3%
Sebek 2%
2377 votes
Oh no.
–
The moment you reunite with your group, Epel is screaming bloody, you were sure his lungs must be begging for relieve “DUMBASS CITY FOLK, YER THINKIN’ AM DATIN’THE PREFECT ONLY ‘CAUSE A LOOK LIKE THIS.”
“Eh? At least you're first, dude, they didn't even let us compete.” Ace complained, solemnly looking at his number of votes.
“We're dead.” Deuce murmured in the distance, hand coming to his neck, almost like he feared his head would jump out of his body at any moment. Jack wasn't that far from him, looking more annoyed than ever as he looked at his phone, most likely also seeing the poll, and shaking his head.
“NRC students truly are superficial, I can't believe they created this rumour out of prejudice of friendship between omegas and alphas.”
“This is unbelievable!” Sebek proclaimed loudly, you sat back, knowing the emotional wreck your newest friend must be right now, “Me, last? I'm clearly a better option than all of you! No, forget that! I would never date the Prefect when my lord-” then Ace shoulder bumped him, stopping the discourse.
Ah, Sebek didn't know what to be offended about, either people thinking he would date you, or because he wasn't placed higher in the list.
“Would you guys like to know the exact number of votes each of you received?” Ortho asked with a malicious look, the situation entertaining the young Shroud more than anything else, “I must say I'm impressed, Ace and Deuce are perfectly tied.” This received a unanimous "shut up!”
Oh well, you shrugged, just your friends being your friends.
–
At Heartslabyul, all students were walking on eggshells. Everything was quieter than usual, as if expecting doom to befall the dorm.
Not far away from the dorm, Trey and Cater were rushing to find their dorm leader. They were counting on their luck, Riddle barely uses his phone, never having any use to the group chat when he received any announcements directly from the headmage himself.
But this time, they weren't lucky enough, someone got to Riddle first.
“Housewarden Rosehearts, is it Ace or Deuce being courted by the prefect?”
Riddle explodes.
–
When classes ended that day, and students returned to their dorms, heads began to roll.
“HOUSEWARDEN, PLEASE LISTEN TO US, IT WAS NOT OUR FAULT!”
Ace and Deuce begged for mercy, but Riddle barely listened to them. He was red with anger, protruding veins on his forehead, a perfect image of a Queen descending to the common folk seeking revenge.
“Rule 63, those who anger the Queen must run through a maze with card soldiers in pursuit.” His voice was rough and resolute, not giving a single chance for opposition.
In a single second, both omegas were collared and hunted down through the maze.
–
When Epel arrived at Pomefiore, he felt like he was walking in a horror movie scene. No students were in sight and the lights were off, making him wonder if he was missing any event. When he reached the main room, his housewarden was the only one present.
Vil sat on his throne, face only illuminated by the faint light coming through the window, eyes sharp like an eagle.
“Epel,” he began, voice clipped, “how could you mess this up?”
“Housewarden, please, don't believe the rumours.” Epel made sure to be extra formal, not wanting to anger the Queen more than he already had, fearing for the punishment that awaits him.
His queen never took lightly for people stealing what he deemed his.
“As if I would, I only wonder who was the source of it.”
–
Jack was not in the mood to return to Savannaclaw. If there was something he knew about his dorm leader, it is how possessive he can be, as well as how he takes offense when someone directly challenges him for his spot.
As it seemed, Leona was not in the mood to leave his room, and Jack celebrated this small victory, not wanting to face Leona when the alpha he wanted was the talk of the school, worst of all, when Jack was one of the suspects himself.
As such, he couldn't avoid Leona forever, and this came to light the next day, when Leona was acting like a prissy cat. The other omega had his lips pursed, showing fangs, growling and with his ears tucked behind, the most angered Jack had ever seen him.
Besides this uncommon behavior - and maybe Jack should've thanked his lucky stars that Leona didn't start a fight - the lion beastman merely turned his back and went back to his room.
Still, Jack felt like it was his duty to fix the situation.
–
When Sebek returns to Diasomnia, it feels like the air is charged, heavy, almost pressing him to the ground. And as he turns around the corner to meet Malleus and Lilia, he is met with the worst scene imaginable: Malleus is sulking.
“Sebek,” his lord calls out, “do you fancy them as well?”
“No!” the other boy immediately rectifies, “I would never interrupt your courting, my lord!”
“So, this Epel,” Malleus carelessly brushes him off, lips upturning as he mutters the small omega's name like it turns his stomach upside down, “it's quite widely agreed upon that the child of man is with him.”
“Foolish rumours! The prefect would never date any of us!”
“But the poll-”
“Malleus,” Lilia interrupts, placing a gentle hand on the shoulder of the future king, rubbing softly to dissuade the tension, “Sebek already gave you the answer you needed, the humans will forget soon enough, lets wait until the rumors die down.” But as Lilia raised his eyes to Sebek, he clearly tried to send him a message through his gaze, don't let this grow further.
–
Idia feels like he is a breath away from breaking down, this was not supposed to be happening! But the poll on his screen mocks him of any possibility of this being a dream.
Epel was the type of omega alphas would drool for, Idia knows that! He has a pretty face, big doe eyes to die for, and the softest voice ever, this is if any alpha was able to look past his behavior. Still, Idia didn't need this fact rubbed on his face like this. Is omegas like Epel your type? Wouldn't you rather go for the tall, nerdy omegas?
“Ortho, is this true?” he asked the moment his brother came into view, pointing at his offending screen.
“No, big brother, none of them are dating the prefect.” Ortho reassured, gently guiding the uneasy omega to his nest, “It was so entertaining to see the group infight,” he laughed, “but I can delete the poll if you want, and investigate who was the instigator!”
“Go look for who started the rumours,” Idia stood up again, looking more determined than ever, glaring at his computer as if it had personally cursed his entire bloodline, “I will deal with the poll myself.”
–
Not far from there, the VIP room from Mostro Lounge was in pure chaos, the wafting odor of stressed omega swallowing it whole. Azul couldn't believe this, he didn't trust any of the first year students in his dorm, which meant he didn't have a way to keep a close eye on you, unlike some of the other dorm leaders.
Right now, he regretted it, because he had no way to easily obtain inside information of your group.
Azul quickly sent Jade and Floyd to investigate, perhaps meaning they would eventually disturb you, but he had no face at this moment to ask you himself.
He would rather die than lose face in front of you.
–
“Jamil!” Kalim yelled for friend, rushing through the halls until he found who he was looking for. Jamil looked less than pleased, aware of the rumours and what this meant for the rest of his day, meaning he would spend it comforting Kalim, “Are they really dating one of them?”
Kalim was on the verge of tears, red rimmed eyes almost overflowing, he was barely containing himself. Jamil's only solution was to guide him back to his room and hope his nest would be enough to calm the other boy down.
“What do they have that I don't?” the omega lamented, falling face down in his nest.
–
At the other side of Sage Island, things were not faring better for the omegas the prefect had previously met with.
When the omegas from RSA met the mysterious, but kind, prefect from NRC, one who treated them equally and generously, they never assumed they could possibly be already spoken for. In hindsight, maybe it was a precipitate assumption, courteous alphas were hardly ever single.
Inside his room, Neige, who had thought he found his knight in shining armour, couldn't believe the rumours that grew more and more - at one point, some people even mentioned that maybe that alpha was actually dating the five omegas at once. For him, you both meeting was the universe moving to push soulmates together, fated to be with each other for eternity, until death do you part. So Neige thought this was all a big misunderstanding, one that you would fix before coming back to him, a challenge you must surpass as destiny laughs at your faces.
Minajael sighs in disappointment, because of who he is, his position as an heir, he'd assumed from a young age that he would never find love, settling for whatever arranged marriage his father found appropriate. When he met you, Minajael thought that it was finally time to properly fight for his freedom, decide who he wanted to marry… He couldn't simply accept this, he needed to confirm with you before making any hasty decision. With the skill of someone who had done this many times before, he sneaks out of RSA, making his way to NRC.
As for Rielle, the boy was heartbroken, refusing to speak with anyone. He had buried himself under his nest, playing with the little land trinkets he had collected mindlessly. Rielle had many dreams in mind, ones of freedom, travelling the world, and love, and though he was able to achieve most of them, it still hurt when something was suddenly ripped away from his hands.
The only person who could guarantee sneak into NRC without anyone noticing, Chenya, was nowhere to be found.
–
“So, you were the one who started this.” Vil was terribly annoyed, he couldn't believe the traitor was right by his side. However, he didn't know to what extent he was able to blame Rook.
It was supposed to be innocent, when Rook stopped your group when you were hanging out at the school's courtyard, proclaiming, “Ah, look the lovely image you make, truly, love can be found in any shape or form, I yearn for more people to be graced with this sincere bond you share!”
And passersby misunderstood his words for romantic love, wondering which omega had bagged the fine prefect.
“Still.. it seems unlikely that you're the only storm in this school.”
–
At Heartslabyul, Riddle felt all kinds of emotions, relief, confusion, surprise, anger. He couldn't believe Chenya was whispering these rumors around!
“Can you blame a guy? A seed was planted and perhaps someone needed to water it, nyan!” Was the last thing he said before disappearing.
Sagging his shoulders, Riddle released Ace and Deuce's head. At the very least, now he was sure both omegas weren't lying and backstabbing him. Riddle would like to say he would deal with Chenya the next time he saw him, but the catboy was more slippery than what his magic could reach.
–
Next day, as your group met up again, the same courtyard as always, they found you laughing at your phone, the problems of yesterday barely dampening your mood - unlike the omegas, who had to deal with the pettiness of their dorm leaders, two eels shaking them for answers, and a frustrated Jamil.
“Oh,” you look up, showing your phone screen in their direction, “Seems like it's widely agreed that I'm committed to someone.”
“Ugh, not again,” Ace complained, but snatched the phone from your hands either way, “Huh?!”
"It's a Deal!" Please Read the Fine Print Next Time.
˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗SYNOPSIS: You are stuck between the charming octopus you met as a child and the merman who saved your life. One wants to see the world with you, while the other wants to give it to you.
♡︎This is HEAVILY inspired by The Little Mermaid movie.
♡︎ Rielle x reader and Azul x reader. LADIES, PLS I HAVE TWO HANDS!
★3,854 Words★
「 ✦ Next ✦ 」
The Asim family is well-known for their merchandise, and you were lucky enough that your parents were friends with them, allowing you to travel across the sea on their ships. You had travelled so much that you had memorised every route through the coral reefs and the deserted islands scattered around. You liked to say that the sea had also mesmerised you and welcomed you on your journeys.
As a soft wind blew through your hair, you scanned the distance for a shipwreck with your spyglass. You had heard weeks ago that some pirates had faced a catastrophic storm that killed the entire crew, leaving their ship to rot in the sea. As an explorer, you had taken it upon yourself to find this vessel and perhaps even scavenge some spoils. Who knew what those pirates could have been carrying? For all you knew, they could have possessed fascinating things you had never seen before.
“Captain!” You jumped down from the yards with the help of the ropes and landed right in front of him. “I found it! I swear I did!”
The old captain seemed slightly annoyed by your antics. This wasn’t the first time you had changed the route, and he was sure it wouldn’t be the last. He tried to remain firm, looking ahead and ignoring you, but you kept pestering him, talking about the pirates and the strange treasures they could have left behind. After a while of non-stop babbling, he finally sighed and let you have your way.
As the boat approached the shipwreck, some of the sailors helped you lower a small rowboat. Overjoyed, you quickly rowed toward the broken ship. You watched as the sailors shouted for you to hurry up or they would leave you behind. You knew they were only playing with you, but you still picked up the pace.
You climb onto the splintering wood of the shipwreck, your heart racing with excitement as you look around. The ship is mostly empty, the rooms stripped of anything valuable by the waves and probably other curious people like you, but you aren't ready to give up yet. You make your way toward the back of the ship, where the pirate captain’s quarters are, though the floor is tilted so much that the room is almost entirely underwater.
The wood groans under your boots as you walk into the knee-deep water, pushing open the heavy door. It’s dark and quiet, with papers and broken glass floating around your legs. You reach out to grab a small ornate box, but a sudden splash from the corner of the room makes you freeze in your tracks.
Your breath hitches in your throat as you look up. There, perched on top of a cabinet that hasn't fully submerged, is a creature from the seas. He has shimmering scales that catch the dim light and bright, messy hair that reminds you of a sunset.
Both of you are caught in a sudden surprise. You stare at him with your mouth slightly open, your hand still hovering over the treasure, while he tilts his head at you with wide, curious eyes.
“A merman?!” “A human?!” Your voices shout in unison.
"You can talk?!" you sputter, pointing a trembling finger at him. You had spent years studying maps and trade routes, travelling to lands with different costumes, listening to myths and fairy tales from lands afar, but none of them had ever stated that mermaids could speak the same language humans do.
Rielle’s shock disappears in an instant, replaced by a massive grin that seems way too cheerful for a rotting shipwreck. He dives into the water and pops up right in front of you, his hands resting on the edge of the captain's desk. He’s so close that you start to notice his strange-looking ears and the fork stuck in his hair.
"Of course I can talk! I’ve heard your songs from the surface for years!" he chirps while reaching out, his fingers hovering just inches from the fabric of your coat. "Are you a real sailor? Is that a real spyglass? Oh, I have so many questions! I’m Rielle, by the way!"
You have to blink a few times to make sure you aren’t dreaming or anything. You were totally telling this to Kalim, he’d be ecstatic to hear about this one.
But then it crosses your mind, wasn't the merman supposed to be scared of you? If he had heard the songs of your people, wouldn't he also have heard about the dangers?
Your grip on your spyglass tightens.
You knew some greedy sailors spent their lives tracking down merfolk just like Rielle. They would catch them in enchanted nets and sell their scales to the highest bidder. To most humans, a creature like the one in front of you wasn't a being worth respecting. He was a fortune.
"Aren't you afraid?" you blurt out. "I’m a human. You know what people do to your kind if they find you, right?"
Rielle’s head tilts even further, his expression shifting from excitement to a slightly confused pout. He looks down at your hands, then back up at your face, his eyes searching yours with that naivety of his.
"Oh, those stories?" He dismisses it with a casual wave of his hand, a small splash of water hitting the sunken desk. "The older ones in the kingdom talk about hunters all the time, but you don't look like them. Your eyes are way too kind for that! Besides, you work for the Asims, don't you? I've seen your ships! They always smell like cinnamon and jasmine."
Before you can even process that he knows about the Asim family, a sudden, violent CRACK shakes the entire room. The ship’s mast finally snaps under the pressure, and the floor beneath your boots gives way.
"Wait-!" you scream, reaching out for anything solid, but it’s too late. The sea rushes, slamming the cabin door shut and dragging the entire shipwreck down into the sea.
You try to swim upward, but the furniture inside the room keeps on slamming into you, knocking the remaining air out of your lungs. You watch the colours shift from the daylight of the surface to the darkness of the deep sea, and it crosses your mind that if you don’t open that door, you will die here.
Your fingers claw at the door, but the pressure is too much. Just as your vision starts to fade into black spots, a flash of red hair cuts through your vision. It’s Rielle.
He points toward the back of the cabin where the hull has buckled, creating a hole. Seeing you struggling, he grabs your waist, pulling you through the opening and leading you even deeper into the sea to get away from the collapsing ship.
Panic flares in your chest as the pressure builds. You start to kick at him blindly, your hands flying to your own neck as it begins to burn from the lack of oxygen.
Rielle sees the desperation in your eyes and stops swimming. He pulls you flush against his cool chest, his fingers cupping your cheeks to keep you still. Before you can pull away, he leans in and presses his lips against yours.
It isn't a romantic gesture, but a surge of magical air flows from his lungs into yours. The burning in your throat vanishes instantly, replaced by a strange sensation.
He pulls back just enough to give you a small, reassuring smile, his eyes glowing in the dark. With a flick of his tail, he begins to swim toward the surface, towards the Asim’s boat you had come from.
As you finally break the surface, you gasp for air, and you find yourself still clinging tightly to Rielle’s shoulders as he holds you back just as firmly. For a moment, everything else disappears, you’re just staring into his wide, blue eyes, his wet hair plastered to his forehead as he gives you a look of worry that quickly transforms into a happy smile, one that could almost blind you. It’s quiet and strangely romantic, and you can feel your heart racing for a reason that has nothing to do with the drowning.
“MERMAID! OVER THERE! LOOK AT THE TAIL!”
The loud shout rips through the air, and you look up to see your ship looming over you. But their eyes aren't even on you, they are fixed on Rielle’s tail reflecting in the sun.
“Look at the size of that thing! They would pay a fortune for those fins!” one of the harpooners yells.
Before you can even shout a warning, a net whistles through the air, splashing into the water just inches from Rielle’s head. He flinches, and you watch as his bright smile turns into one of pure terror.
“No! Stop it!” you scream, but your voice is hoarse from the saltwater.
Another sailor leans over the railing, aiming a hook right at Rielle. “Move out of the way, ____! That thing is worth more than the whole cargo! Don’t let it get away!”
As the hook swings toward Rielle, you don’t even think. You throw your weight against him, shoving him back into the waves and using your own body as a shield so they can't get a clear shot.
“Get back! Dive, Rielle! GO!”
You glare up at the crew. You grab the edge of the net that’s tangling around his fins and rip at it with your bare hands. Rielle looks at you one last time, his eyes wide with a mix of heartbreak and gratitude, before he finally slips beneath the surface and disappears into the dark blue sea.
──── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ────
Inside the dark cave rhythmic tapping sound echoes through the room. In the center of the mess stood a very angry octopus merman, his whitish strands of hair floating wildly in front of his face as he bit his lip in complete annoyance.
The tapping sound finally stopped when his finger pressed hard against the surface of the table in front of him. Resting there was a crystal ball, one that showed him nothing more than the sight of you and Rielle, looking far too close and cute as you hugged each other in the waves.
With a sudden fit of rage, Azul slammed his hands against the table, throwing it upward. Because of the water, it didn't fall dramatically, it floated around in circles, the crystal ball bobbing along with it as if to keep the image of you and the prince right in his line of sight.
"That... that stupid mermaid!" Azul hissed, his tentacles curling and snapping underneath him like he couldn't keep them still. "Who does Rielle think he is? He doesn't know the first thing about the surface, let alone about ____!"
You see, long ago, before your explorer adventures began, before your family had met the Asims, you had gotten the great idea of stealing a small boat from the shore so you could explore a small island in the distance. And when you had arrived at the spot, jumping with happiness at your small conquest, you had spotted an octopus merman drying in the sand.
You had heard of the stories of sea creatures living in the deeps of the coral sea, but you had just believed them as fairy tales that your mother would tell you not to go out into the sea.
So, spotting such a creature just lying there in front of you, with its arms stretched forward as if it had been trying to crawl back to the water, made your heart clench. The poor thing had probably been thrown out of the sea by a particularly strong wave and couldn't get back.
You took a few hesitant steps toward him, not entirely sure if it was safe to get closer, but unable to just leave him there to burn under the sun. Your hand reaches out to nudge his side, checking if the sea creature is alive, and when you take another step closer, reaching for his arm, a tentacle slaps your hand away.
With the shock, a scream escapes your mouth as you fall backwards in the sand, your eyes widen as you watch him holding himself to stare at you with a glare.
Even though he’s small and clearly struggling, he looks like he’s trying his best to look intimidating. His face is round, and his cheeks are a bit chubby, and his pale, whitish hair is a mess of sand and salt. He lets out a shaky huff, his lower lip trembling even as he tries to keep that glare fixed on you.
"Don't... don't to-touch me, human!" he squeaks out, voice cracking. He looks like he’s about to burst into tears at any second, but he’s still trying to act like he has the upper hand. "I know what your kind does! I’m not going to let you take me!"
He tries to look scary, to make you back off, but he was in the sun for such a long time that his forces leave his arm, and he falls face down on the sand. As you rub your slapped hand, you quickly conclude that the sea creature in front of you is a far cry from the horrifying creatures your mother would tell you about.
So either this guy was terrible at his job, or the sea creatures were just as normal as any human.
“Ah… I’m just trying to help… You look like you have been here in the sun for a long time, and the sea is still kinda far away…” You say softly, trying to make yourself look as non-threatening as possible.
The little octopus blinks, his glare faltering for a split second as he looks from you to the ocean behind him. He let out a loud sniffle, wiping his nose with the back of a tentacle while still keeping a very close eye on your every move.
"Help? Why would a human help me?" he mutters, trying again to stand with his arms as he slowly tries to get back to the sea.
But his strength is clearly gone. With a pathetic little splat, his arms give out, and he face-plants right into the sand. AGAIN.
"Oh, for goodness’ sake!" you huff, scrambling to your feet. You aren't going to just sit there and watch him cook in the sun. You reach down and grab him under his arms, lifting his chubby frame as best as you can.
"Don't! Let Go!" Azul shrieks, his eyes popping wide with panic. The second he feels your hands on him, he goes into a complete frenzy. His tentacles fly everywhere, hitting your arms, your shoulders, and even your face. It doesn't really hurt, maybe a little, it feels like being hit by eight wet, slippery noodles, but he is surprisingly fast for a crybaby.
"Stop it! I'm just trying to help!" you yell, squinting your eyes shut as a tentacle slaps your cheek. You keep your grip firm, digging your shoes into the sand and pulling him toward the shoreline.
"Lies! You're going to put me in a jar!" Azul wails, his face turning a bright, flustered pink. He’s flailing so much that he’s making it twice as hard to move him. "Help! I'm being kidnapped by a tiny land-dweller! Somebody save me!"
"Oh, I’m really going to place you into a jar if you keep on being so annoying!" you snap back, finally reaching the wet sand. You give one final, mighty heave, stumbling into the shallow waves and bringing the bratty merman down with you.
As the cool seawater washes over them, the tentacles finally stop slapping you. Azul goes still, his eyes wide as he soaks in the moisture, his skin immediately turning back to its healthy, pale colour. He floats there for a second, looking completely stunned, before he quickly swims away, not even giving you a second glance.
You just roll your eyes, wiping the salt from your face. "You're welcome, you brat!"
This had been your first meeting with Azul.
The next time you two met, it was at the same spot. You decided to steal another boat, annoyed at the boring balls your parents would make you go through when all you wanted was to run outside. You had found this the perfect spot, as the deserted island was far away from everyone.
Away from everyone, aside from an annoying octopus that had decided to flick water in your direction with its tentacle.
"YOU!" You point a finger at him. "You're that bratty octopus from before!"
The merman didn't look nearly as pathetic as he had the first time. He was bobbing comfortably in the water. He still had those round, chubby cheeks, but today they were puffed out in a defensive pout.
"Don't point your finger at me, human! It’s incredibly impolite!" Azul huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. He looked like he had been waiting for you, though he’d probably die before admitting it. "And I'm not a brat. I am Azul, and this happens to be my favourite thinking spot. You're the one trespassing on my tide pool."
To emphasise his point, he gave his tentacle a flick, sending a targeted spray of saltwater right into your face.
"Hey!" you sputtered, wiping your eyes and glaring at him. "I saved your life! A thank you would be much more appropriate than a face full of water!"
"I don't owe you anything!" Azul squeaked, though his face turned a dusty shade of pink. He reached into a small crevice in the nearby rocks and pulled out a large, heavy conch shell. It was beautiful, with a pearly pink interior.
With a grunt of effort, he swam closer, just out of your reach, and aggressively shoved the shell toward you.
"Take it!" he barked, looking away so he didn't have to meet your eyes. "It’s a high-quality shell. Since you're so clumsy that you almost fell over just walking on the sand, you clearly need something to protect yourself.” and he darted away again.
From that day on, the two of you would meet time after time. It took him a long while to truly open up to you, but as you started telling him tales of the surface, explaining that not all humans were as evil as he thought, he also started talking about his home in the Coral Sea. Through those long afternoons, you had come to understand that the sea creatures were not the monsters your mother’s stories made them out to be.
You would sit on the edge of the rocks, your legs dangling over the water, while Azul floated just below you. He was still a bit of a smartass, always correcting your unscientific descriptions of sea animals, but he stopped slapping you with his tentacles. Instead, he started bringing you more things, unique sea glass or polished stones.
"You're very strange for a human." he had muttered one evening, his chubby face resting on his arms as he leaned against a flat stone. "Most of your kind just want to take things. But you... You just talk.”
"Maybe…" you had laughed, tossing a small pebble into the waves. "But I like talking to you, Azul. You’re the only one who doesn't treat me like a delicate rich kid."
He taps his fingers against the rock, looking at it and back at you.
“And you are the only one that doesn’t treat me like a dumb octopus…” It comes as a whisper, and you barely hear what he says.
“What did you say?”
“Ah, nothing! Your faulty human ears are probably not working well.” his face turned an even darker shade of pink as he quickly ducked his head under the water to hide his embarrassment.
You laugh at his words, by now you had gotten the hang of his insults, you knew he meant well, so you never took them seriously.
“The faulty human over here got you something, you know?” Your hand reaches into your pocket, and you watch as his eyes become curious, looking back up at you, dropplets of water falling from his white strands of hair.
You show him a conch shell, a golden one shaped into a spiral.
“My father bought this from a merchant who claimed it came from the deepest part of the ocean.” you explained, holding it out to him. “So, I think this belongs more to you than it does to me.“
Azul stared at the golden conch, his eyes going wide. He reached out, his fingers brushing against yours for a brief second, before he took the shell. He held it like it was the most fragile, precious thing in the world, his thumbs tracing the golden curves.
“A shell for a shell…” he whispered, his voice soft and completely devoid of his usual snark. He looked up at you with a vulnerability that made your heart skip a beat. “I... I will treasure it.”
As the memories with him and you finish, Azul holds onto the golden shell you had given him, his eyes are still glued to the floating crystal ball, showing you and Rielle smiling brightly at each other.
“Oh~? Azul looks like he’s about to ink himself,” Floyd chuckled, poking at a floating potion bottle. “Is the little shrimpy making you that mad?”
“Floyd, don’t be rude,” Jade chided, though his eyes were fixed on the crystal ball. “Azul is simply contemplating a very important business venture. Isn’t that right?”
The tweels swam into the room without so much as a knock, their long tails cutting through the water. Azul didn't even turn around to scold them he was too busy glaring at Rielle.
“He is just a foolish merman, nothing to worry about.” He says with a bitter tone, however, it just feels like he is trying to calm himself down.
“They look pretty happy to me~” Floyd sang out, leaning over Azul’s shoulder to get a better look at the crystal ball.
“That won’t last long.”
He kicks the floating ball with one of his tentacles, not wanting to look at the scene in front of him anymore, it felt like a personal insult to every year he had spent waiting for you. Just as the crystal ball went flying, the sound of someone swimming closer towards the cave echoed through the water.
Jade and Floyd vanished into the dark corners of the cave, their eyes glowing faintly from the shadows as they watched the entrance.
Rielle swam into the room, looking pale and frantic. His usual sunshine energy was replaced by a desperate, wide-eyed anxiety as he clutched his own arms, looking around at the jars of murky potions and floating bones.
“I... I was told you could help me.” Rielle stammered, his voice echoing in the cave.
And Azul turned around slowly, a perfectly polite smile spreading across his face, the look of a businessman who had been waiting his entire life for this exact moment.
♡︎This was sitting in the dust for a while, so I decided to just share it, since I put a good amount of effort into it.
♡︎Not sure how many more parts this will have, maybe 1 or 2 more?
Hi!!! Can I request minajael and rielle with a jealous!reader 🫶 hope you have a great day <3
SHE’S LIKE SO WHATEVER
𝐚/𝐧 : hi val!!! :)
𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞
it was so obvious that it was almost disgusting.
there you were, enjoying a nice ice cold beverage with your boyfriend on a hot day at your favorite local cafe. then, a random girl had just decided she had to come up to your table and speak to him.
you had noticed her making goo goo eyes in your direction for what you estimated was around ten minutes. she did not come up until her group of friends had noticed her stares and started hyping her up to go talk to him, how rude could they get? even in this moment, your hand was interlinked across the table because he wanted to play with your fingers.
it wasn’t until the girl had approached your table and spoke to him that he lost his focus on twiddling your fingers. the way her eyes swept over him with a more than friendly look made your body temperature noticeably rise and your heart beat quicken, and it only continued to worsen as she stood there.
her eyes didn’t once meet yours, opting to only focus on rielle. “you’re so handsome!” she had exclaimed, inching herself a little too close to the table.
this made him finally take his attention away from you, only offering her a, “thank you!”, before resuming his intricate study on the movement of your hands. he caught himself though, and added a, “i really appreciate the compliment.”
“you should ditch this person, come with me and my friends! we’ll show you a good time.” this statement made the mer’s eyes visibly widen, and he gave you a look that said ‘please help me’.
“i really don’t–”, before he could continue any further, you cut in with a sharp, “can’t you see that he’s uncomfortable?”
the girl seemed surprised that you would even utter a word to her, “what–”
“please leave.” you insisted as you intensified your glare, which seemed to do the trick. as soon as the girl ran back to rejoin her friends, you turned to rielle. “are you alright?”
“i’m fine,” he confirmed, “are you okay?”
“i could be better.” admittedly, you did not want to get snippy with that girl. today was a lovely day and spending it with rielle was all you wanted, but you can’t always predict the future. still, you would continue to enjoy what time you had with him this afternoon.
𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐣𝐚𝐞𝐥
you liked to believe that you were a reasonable person. when someone upset you, or wronged you in any way, you dealt with the issue head on with grace. you would rather them look like a fool for getting angry or frustrated with you than you be the fool yourself.
which is precisely why minajael was trying his damn best not to let even a snort or wheeze escape his body right now.
a typical picnic, a simple yet classic date idea held by many a couple. you had planned this event out for months due to your schedules not aligning in a way that suited you both, so this happened to be the only day that both of you were available.
it started out so romantic; minajael feeling the breeze flow through his shoulder length hair as you gazed at him wondering how you had bagged such a beautiful and intelligent partner, the two of you feeding each other new snacks you had never tried before, him combing through your hair with gentle fingers as you laid on his lap. it was almost too perfect. so of course a gust of wind had to go flying and blow some of your food wrappers away.
no way would you ever litter such a well maintained and nice park, so the both of you got to work rounding up the lost trash.
however, it didn’t take too long before someone noticed that your boyfriend was by himself. they had approached him just as you were returning to his side having found all the wrappers you could find. the way they gazed at him was too sultry for your liking, your pace subconsciously speeding up as you walked.
and it only got worse when you arrived at the scene. just as the perpetrator was about to put a hand on minajael’s shoulder, you grabbed his wrist and told him to back off. your boyfriend had never witnessed you react this way, you were aware of the knowledge that he knew martial arts and could take this person down in two seconds flat. yet, you still decided to defend him.
you were too cute. and in some ways, too sweet.
as soon as the person walked off, you huffed and turned away from him to cross your arms. a barely noticeable grin took over his facial features, not one of smugness. no, this was admiration. “are you alright, hayati?”
you gave him a curt nod, “just peachy.”
“no need to worry,” he whispered, taking a ginger grasp of your hand. a silent reassurance. “i’ve been yours since the start.”
he will admit, though, he really wanted to deck that guy in the face.
@𝐬𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐨 ° ༄.ೃ࿔ - please do not plagiarize my works.
The Mostro Lounge has been excessively congested with new faces of gullible customers, respectively hailing from the two notably prestigious arcane academies on Sage's Island, hastily purchasing their preferred drinks and snacks.
This is what Azul had arrogantly anticipated ever since a call for a tournament had been announced; it was another calling of a golden coin dropping into his already overflowing treasure chest of profits. He took advantage of the haste and commotion to subtly slip on a disguise of the menu board, painting the everyday-selling menu items into one of the specialty items that were priced significantly higher to take into account the peak period.
With your boss's effective persuasion, he entrusted you with the role of a private waitress who would provide a higher level of service to a single VIP guest without further details, promising personal, generous monetary rewards in return for your exceptional service with a smile sparkling on his face.
You don't know the precise translation of what he meant by "personal, generous monetary rewards," but you can't help but feel skeptical about his shady terms.
That is, until, on the day of the expected arrival, you were given a single-page document of a brief background check on the VIP guest by Jade, and you were shocked to learn that the guest is no ordinary individual but rather a royal prince hailing from the Coral Sea, Rielle Corallia.
You heard murmurs of his reputation as a charming yet adventurous prince. His head is always clouded with boundless curiosity and a thirst for new experiences, often exploiting his royal status to indulge in youthful, rebellious behavior, but regardless, he was a kindhearted and captivating figure beloved by his people.
You silently cursed your smug boss for not giving you an earlier heads-up; if you hadn't known, you would have dressed more appropriately for the occasion rather than settling on the usual Octavinelle uniform.
You were positioned in the middle of a busy lounge, assisting the other waitresses with catering to the numerous guests mingling and chatting animatedly.
As you navigated through the crowd with a tray of drinks, you caught Azul's tall figure from afar, who was in charge of giving a brief tour of the academy and the Octavinelle dormitory to the ever-curious Prince Rielle.
Your eyes met with his sky-blue ones, a silent, direct acknowledgment passing between the two of you, a quiet motion of your approaching duties later, before he continued to extend his warm hospitality to the bubbly prince. On each side, the Leech twins, Jade and Floyd, helped minimize the potential outcry from guests crowding around the prince by delivering a warning gaze that dared anyone to approach too closely.
Luckily, that message was well-received out of fear.
"And this is [Y/N] [L/N], one of our finest serving staff," Azul introduced you with a smile, his voice smooth and welcoming. His hand directed to your direction; as if on cue, you bowed respectfully to acknowledge the introduction before stepping forward to greet the prince. "It is an honor to meet you, Your Royal Highness," you said with a polite smile, your right hand resting on your heart, while the other hand remained closed behind you.
Rielle had made no effort yet to respond to your presence, but was instead dazzled by your impeccable manners and grace. The prince's eyes lingered on you for a moment, his smile widening a fraction. "You look so classy! You remind me of a character from a fairy tale," he remarked, his tone filled with admiration, and he quickly took your hand to give a friendly shake, which caught you and Azul by surprise.
Flustered, you cleared your throat and composed yourself before responding, "Thank you, Your Highness. It is an honor to have you in our establishment." You would have expected him to release your hand afterward, yet he kept a firm grip, his gaze gleaming as he replied, his body almost interfering with the small space between the two of you. "Of course! I'm very curious what land-dwellers like you do in life. Is it true you use specific tools to eat?" His finger excitedly aimed at the fork hanging on his long, vibrant, fiery red hair. "Like this one! I used it as an accessory, but I've heard it's actually used for eating food."
How unexpectedly inquisitive this merman was; it was like encountering a young child discovering the world for the first time. Still, you can't fault him for having a distinct upbringing that has led to his fascination with human customs.
It was Azul's turn to clear his throat, turning both of your attentions to him while also having your hand finally released from his grasp. Golden sparkles were still emanating from his presence, one that could contrast with his tense, welcoming smile that couldn't reach his calculating eyes. His jaw tightened as he spoke, "Yes, humans use forks to eat their food. It's a tool that helps them pick up smaller pieces and bring them to their mouths more easily." His explanation seemed to satisfy the merman's interest, with his head nodding in understanding, and then he continued. "I believe we should let our attendant escort you to your secluded dining area now, where you can enjoy your meal in peace."
Then his sharp gaze was aimed at your face, his expression unreadable, yet he only had one thing he wanted to convey: that you were expected to remain professional and minimize casual discourse without question. You gave a curt nod, stepping aside as you extended your arm in the direction of the secluded area, gesturing for the prince to follow. "Please follow me, Your Highness," you said, leading the way with a sense of formality and respect.
As Rielle continued to chatter excitedly regarding his recent adventures in lands far beyond the sea kingdom borders, while you politely indulged his enthusiasm, Azul watched both of you enter the dining area with a subtle frown on his face. With a snap of his gloved fingers, he summoned the Leech twins beside him, a mischievous glint in their eyes as they awaited his orders.
"Ensure that our guest is well taken care of and does not stray too far," Azul commanded, his tone firm yet tinged with a hint of warning. "Especially when it concerns making casualties with one of our attendants."
It was a vague request, but its full, hidden context was immediately understood by the Leech twins, who nodded in silent agreement before swiftly moving to carry out their task. It was easy money to lure in the big fish, but keeping the bait for too long would only attract unwanted attention from potential prey, and Azul would rather not risk losing his valuable asset to another.
JAMIL VIPER/MINAJAEL TEALRAJAH
The bustling booths of the Scalding Sands were filled with vendors hawking their wares, the air thick with the scent of exotic spices and incense. The sun was inevitably unsparing with its scorching heat, causing beads of sweat to form on the brows of both vendors and customers alike as they navigated through the crowded marketplace.
You were courteously invited by both Jamil and Kalim to join them for a short outing in their homeland to see a glimpse of their rich culture and sample some local delicacies. It was a beautiful country; the folks are alive with vibrant energy, and the colors of their clothing and decorations were a feast for the eyes, but you were not expecting to be scorched by the relentless sun and overwhelmed by the bustling marketplace.
Even the colorful shawl was insufficient to provide temporary shade for your head; it only absorbed more heat and made you sweat even more. Luckily, Jamil was attentive enough to foresee your discomfort and quickly shifted the umbrella to your direction, which was initially intended to shade Kalim, who is seemingly unbothered, from the sun.
"Here," he said; the heat on his cheeks was subtle on his warm, chestnut skin. His grip tightened its hold on the umbrella the moment your widened eyes met his neutral ones as his heart unusually spiked with intensity. Being the center of your attention was almost overwhelming for him; he cleared his throat and thrust the umbrella into your hands. "Use it," he stated, dragging his hood downward to hide his flushed cheeks, and left you alone to cater to Kalim's whims.
Now, you were navigating alone in the bustling marketplace. You were already back to your routine of weaving through the crowds while also being mindful of the umbrella bumping against other people's shoulders. The buttery, hearty aroma of the pita bread attracted your senses, causing your stomach to growl in anticipation. The sound of vendors haggling and children laughing filled the air as you approached the shop, while your eyes skimmed through the limited options of fillings for your meal.
All of the options seemed delectable to your hungry palate, making it difficult to choose just one. You wanted the classic shawarma wrap, but the spicy falafel sandwich also looked tempting. Everything looks so good! You dragged your saliva back from your mouth as you awaited your turn to place your order, your umbrella already folded and settled on your bag.
You felt a subtle nudge on your side; when your head turned, there was nothing. You thought it was an accidental collision, but you paid little attention to it, focusing instead on the mouthwatering choices in front of you.
When it was your turn to order, you finally settled on the spicy falafel sandwich, and the vendor happily grinned, already prepared with the meal you had been eyeing. You returned the grin, then confusion struck when you noticed your crossbody bag was slightly opened even though you were sure it was securely closed.
"Please wait a moment," you told the vendor, who nodded in understanding, patiently waiting for you to check your bag. As you rummaged through it, you realized that your wallet was missing, and panic began to set in. "Fuuuckk…" you muttered; you attempted another search through your bag, hoping that you had just overlooked it. Unfortunately, your wallet was nowhere to be found, and you started to frantically think about where you could have lost it.
"You still have to pay for the items you've purchased," the vendor reminded you, but it did not ease your distress as you continued to search in vain. Helpless at your side, you looked up and apologized to the vendor. "I'm sorry, but I seem to have lost my wallet. I'll have to come back and pay for these items later," you said, feeling embarrassed and defeated.
However, the patient vendor was anything but pleased by your unfortunate situation, mistaking it as a ploy to avoid payment. "Ha? Who are you to think you can just walk away without paying?" the vendor snapped, causing a scene that attracted the attention of other customers. Feeling humiliated, you tried to explain yourself, but the vendor refused to listen and insisted on calling the authorities.
Then a hand on your shoulder caused you to jolt, yet it eased your nerves when you turned around to see a stranger with a brown cloak covering their head, but there was no mistaking that the face underneath was attractive and oddly familiar, from the way the stranger's alluring brown eyes looked. "Let me," the stranger whispered, fishing out money from their pocket and handing it to the vendor. "I'll cover the cost," they said with a reassuring smile, diffusing the tension in the air as you waved your hands in protest. "No, I couldn't possibly accept," you replied, feeling a mix of gratitude and regret that you had to use a stranger's kindness to pay for your purchase.
But the stranger did not react to your protest and left quietly after the vendor had finally let the incident be overlooked. You two exited the vendor together, finally getting a hand on your meal, but instead of anticipation, persistent regret lingered in your mind as you stared at the stranger's back. You nipped the flesh of your lip as you spoke, "Thank you for paying for my meal, but I wish I could have handled it myself." The stranger turned around, their smile warm and understanding as they replied, "It's alright."
The brown hood slightly slipped back, revealing a glimpse of their facial features. For an eye-catching man, he seemed to bear slight feminine features, with long eyelashes and delicate cheekbones. He doesn't seem like a creepy old man trying to hit on you. "It's rude to stare, you know?" the man teased. He dragged his hood down further.
You startled back to your senses, the fiery sauce dripping on your fingers as you quickly wiped them on a napkin. "Sorry, I didn't mean to," you stammered, feeling embarrassed by your unintentional staring. The man chuckled softly, his eyes twinkling with amusement as he gestured for you to enjoy your meal. As you took a bite of your falafel sandwich, you inquired. "I didn't get your name," you said, trying to make conversation with the intriguing stranger while chewing on the delicious combination of flavors in your mouth.
The man chuckled and replied, "I'm Mina…" though he seemed to be dragging out the pause as you tilted your head in confusion. "Mina?" you repeated, mouth full of falafel. He looked at you, his eyes gleaming with an idea birthing in his mind. "Yes, Mina," he confirmed with a smile. "You are?"
You chucked down the rest of your sandwich, burping lightly as you hit your chest in an attempt to clear your throat, but before you could respond, a call to your name was heard behind you. "[Y/N]!!" "Kalim, don't run!"
Your head turned at the source of the voice, recognizing your friend Kalim rushing towards you with a big grin on his face. "Sorry, gotta go," you said to the man named Mina, but the latter had already vanished into the crowd before you could finish your sentence. Huh? Where did he go?
Confused, you didn't comprehend Kalim's worried expression until he grabbed your arm and shook it vigorously, almost spilling the rest of your food from your clumsy grasp. "We thought we lost you!" he whined, his eyes wide with concern. "Kalim, don't shake them," Jamil warned, removing Kalim's hand from your arm gently.
You returned to your senses as you focused your attention back on your friends with a scoff. "I'm not even far away from you guys. I just got distracted for a moment," you reassured them, rolling your eyes playfully.
"Who were you talking to?" Jalim asked, his narrowing eyes staring at the man you talked to earlier, blending into the crowd seamlessly like a commoner, but he knows a spoiled, pampered prince when he sees one. You shrugged, taking another bite of your last portion of the sandwich. "Some stranger who paid for my food," you explained, chewing thoughtfully.
"Eh?! What happened to the money I gave you?" Kalim said, his mouth forming a pout. You sighed, scratching your head before responding. "Probably got stolen, that's why."
Jamil followed with another sigh; his hand ran across his face in disbelief, as if he already knew this kind of dilemma would arise. "I told you to be careful with your belongings," he chided, shaking his head. You frowned, muttering an apology under your breath.
Yet, Jamil couldn't be less angry at you when you're pulling off a sweet, innocent face like that. It was not good for his crazy, beating heart. "Just be more cautious next time, okay?" he said, his tired eyes softening a fraction as he watched you nod like an obedient child. "Don't go to any strangers either if there's a problem," he pointed to himself. "Come to me first." I rather not have that pompous prince thinking he can swoop in and save the day.
You scoffed, waving your free hand dismissively. "Yeah, yeah. No need to act like a mother hen, Jamil."
