This one is very long, but I'm not sure if or when it's gonna make it into the actual story, and I really wanted to share it.
Kalim's eyes fluttered open at the sound of the door shutting. He didn't move, keeping his breathing deep and steady and closing his eyes far enough that no glimmer would give away that he'd awoken. It was the protocol that had been hammered into his head all his life. An assassin would act fast if they noticed you wake up, but if you were sleeping, they would be more slow and cautious, buying you time for guards to arrive or to try a counter spell.
His heart hammered in his chest. It had been over a year since anything like this had happened. The school was so remote, so heavily guarded, how could an assassin have snuck in? Jamil had vetted everyone in the dorm with his Snake Whisper when they'd arrived, ensuring they had no ill intent, and had placed so many layers of protective wards around Kalim's room and the surrounding chambers -it should be impossible. If this assassin had gotten through all that, Kalim probably didn't stand a chance.
Light footsteps made their way around Kalim's bed, almost completely inaudible, deftly avoiding every creaky floorboard Jamil had so carefully modified. It didn't add up, how was the intruder this soft with his footwork, but so careless with the door?
Kalim tried to decide if he should begin a protection spell, or if the assassin would sense it. {How has Jamil not noticed yet that the wards were crossed?}
Finally, a shadow came into view. Loose fabric distorted its shape, wisps of thick hair moved with the breeze. Long, slender fingers rose to begin an incantation.
Kalim nearly gasped with relief as the scent of cardamom and orange blossoms wafted to him. Jamil's newest hair oil. That warm feeling of safety gently quieted his heartbeat.
It was just Jamil. The same silent specter who had haunted Kalim's room all their lives, who he would spot crawling in and out of windows or perched among the ceiling beams while Kalim was supposed to be sleeping. The shadow in the night that kept all the other monsters away.
More calming than any lullaby.
He hadn't noticed yet that Kalim was awake, which meant he was distracted. Kalim relaxed with the knowledge that there weren't any immediate threats -Jamil didn't lose focus when it really counted. He would have hidden any scents if he was hunting, and the door was clearly him not trying. This was just a check in, he was probably sneaking off again. Kalim kept up the ruse, hoping for the rare chance to spy without Jamil noticing.
As Kalim's vision adjusted enough to make out more detail, Jamil's hands rose to his own face while he spoke in soft whispers -something he used to do as a kid, or whenever he felt safe enough to make noise. Jamil had always preferred talking out loud to help himself focus, and Kalim always loved hearing the quiet songs and incantations that meant his friend was comfortably in the zone.
Jamil's hands moved from his face to his throat, and the whispers devolved into a more consistent hiss as something pitch black erupted from his lips.
A large cobra, a projection of will sculpted from shadow into the shape of Jamil's childhood pets, slithered out of his mouth towards Kalim. It was impossibly long, and had always reminded him of that showman's trick of coughing up endless scarves.
Once it was fully formed, the creature crawled up under the covers and wrapped itself around him, its touch cool as marble. Kalim couldn't resist the urge to hug it close, curling into the familiar embrace. It was what had always looked out for him whenever Jamil was out for the night, a comforting extension of his best friend.
Kalim sighed happily and rolled over with the snake. He heard Jamil's quiet chuckle from behind him, closer now. A soft touch rustled Kalim's hair affectionately. The habit always reminded him of his mother, back when he was young enough to spend more time with her. He often wondered if Jamil had picked it up from his own mom, before he'd been brought to live in the palace full time.
"Sleep well, little sheep." Jamil whispered, and then retreated.
Soft footsteps left the way they had come, the door closing more carefully this time, and Jamil was gone.
Kalim nestled into the giant serpent, and let his eyes drift closed.
So, I was talking to my bf about how eerie Jamil must have been as a kid. Like, the combination of social isolation, emotional neglect, being trained to kill people, and the servant's expectation of being neither seen nor heard -it would create a very spooky child. And in contrast, bright bubbly Kalim would have grown up with that as like, a totally normalized thing. Like, that's the guy who was primarily responsible for keeping Kalim safe and cared for, Kalim would naturally end up associating the presence of this horror movie demon of a child with safety and comfort, and be pretty desensitized to any terrifying behaviors, right?
Anyway, bf said the line "The demon who keeps all the other monsters away", and I NEEDED to write that idea into the story somehow. So, that's how Kalim sees Jamil when he finds him creeping around in the dark doing spooky shit. I love the concept of Kalim's idea of normal and pleasant being completely at odds with his vibe.
I also like the idea of Jamil's family passing down assassin techniques, like creating phantom serpents that can strangle and bite, and Jamil eventually incorporating them into protection. So, instead of sending a shadow serpent to murder someone, he uses them to guard Kalim and murder anyone who tries to harm him instead. Protecting the prince with curses.
Mainly, I liked the idea of a horrifying scene viewed by someone who doesn't see the horror in it.
A/N: ... Okay so this was going to be a drawing, but on top of the fact that its night time rn- drawing + coloring all the panels is kinda a pain in the butt and my hand still sorta hurts (EVOLNATION OC WILL COME OUT TOMORROW I SWEAR- I JUST NEED TO DRAW THEM-)
IM NOT THE BEST AT WRITING SO PLEASE FORGIVE ME IF ANYTHING OOC-
Mellow belongs to @fumikomiyasaki! Also Im sorry if Im getting annoying with pinging and stuff... This is getting long-
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Momo ran through the halls after being scared over and over after getting a little lost during the halloween event. Tears ran down her face as she just finished scrambling out of the previous location, being scared from the costumed students.
Once she was far enough, she sat down on the ground with her knees to her chest as she quietly sobbed to herself.
"... Dallas was right, Im so pathetic..." She sniffled to herself "... I c-cant do this... M-Maybe I should just head back to the dorm a-and pretend I was s-sick or s-something..."
Mellow seems to have been passing by after fulfilling another task, about to return to his respective dorm before hearing her quiet cries as he steps in, concerned.
"M-Momo? A-Are you alright?... Did... Something happen?..."
Momo flinches a bit in surprise, quickly trying to wipe away her tears as she looks up at him, trying to not make it obvious she was crying but it was too late.
"M-Mellow! U-Um... I-Its nothing, I swear! I'm... I'm just a little t-tired b-but Im fine" Momo has always been a terrible liar...
Mellow seems to only grow more concerned as he hesitantly sits next to her, his cheeks having a small hint of blush to them.
"Momo, i-if something's wrong, p-please tell me... I w-want to help you..."
"I-I... I..." Momo sighed as she looked away from Mellow and down at the ground, about to start crying again "... Im just b-being a baby... Everyone's just d-dressed in costumes b-but... I dont kn-know its just-... So s-scary..." Momo curls up a bit more with a sniffle.
"H-Hey, you're n-not a "b-baby" for being s-scared... I can s-stay here with y-you for a bit to help you c-calm down if you w-want..."
Momo looks back up at him, a bit caught off guard by the offer "S-Stay here? B-But... But wh-what about your d-dorm?..."
"Im... Im sure they can h-handle a few m-minutes without me... B-Besides... I want to m-make sure you're alright.."
Momo still seems a little surprised by the response as she uncurls herself a bit. "Th... Th-Thank you... M-Mellow..."
She hesitantly scooted a bit closer to him, one of her fingers nervously reaching out to hold his hand, her face a bit red from both crying and the fact that she's touching his hand. Mellow's soft blush becomes more evident as he slowly yet gently holds one of her hands.
"D-Dont w-worry about it... I w-want you to b-be okay..."
Momo appreciated his company but seems very hesitant to do anything more than hand holding... Mellow doesn't really mind as he's also too nervous to advance any further than hand holding.
As time went on, Momo seemed to have mostly calmed down as she stands up despite being a little shaky.
"Th-Thank you, r-really... B-But... I... I th-think I... H-Have to go back..." Momo didnt really want to go back, but she knew she had to if she wanted to go back to her dorm.
"I-I'll... I'll go with y-you..." Mellow gently squeezed her hand as he stood up with her, Momo's face blushed more "... Th-Thank you s-so m-much Mellow... I-I... I r-really a-apreciate th-this..."
"You r-really dont n-need to thank me for th-this... L-Let's go... T-Together..."
Momo and Mellow continued to hold hands as they made their way around the school, with Mellow comforting Momo anytime a student scared her (intentionally or not)
@yo-grrrl said: Yuu starts dating Neige. At first everything, it would seem, is perfect, but the further, the more obsessed he behaves. She dumps him and after a while starts dating someone else. And in the end, the opponent is killed, and Yuu is kidnapped. At the same time, Neige behaves as cute and innocent as possible.
You know.. I`m very weak woman, especialy to soft yanderes... Plus I added prompt 7. “We are meant to be together”. I think it`s kinda fit to idea~
No matter how many difficulties life presents you, in the end good will surely triumph over evil. A happy ending awaits the prince and princess, and the villains will get what they deserve. A simple truth that doesn't require confirmation was reflected in many fairy tales. The fact that everything in his story will be exactly the same, Neige didn't doubt.
This wasn't necessary. After all, from the very beginning LeBlanche was the protagonist of his own story. A ballad to be passed from mouth to mouth.
The young man wasn't naive, expecting that the meeting with his future lover would happen unexpectedly. However, the fact that it definitely would be "fateful", he doesn't allow anyone to doubt. A girl from another world, at the behest of circumstances, a student at the college of villains. Who but her best fits the description of a damsel in distress? The lady who is waiting for her prince on a white horse. Prince who will rescue her from the clutches of the dragon?
It may seem to someone that Neige was too rushed events, but if you look at the situation from his side, everything becomes clear. Is there a young man in the world who can resist a gaze directed somewhere into the distance? Is there a knight whose heart doesn't bleed at the sight of a sad smile?
How could he not fall in love at first sight with girl who same tragic and painfully strong?
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*
At first, Yuu sincerely didn't understand how she attracted a famous model. She wasn't critical, but even so, she knew that even if she was pretty, only a blind person would call her a beauty of the level of Vil Schoenheit. Nevertheless, seeing in front of her brunette, who hold gently her hands, she cannot refuse.
Perhaps deep down she wanted to be needed for someone. Perhaps loneliness tormented her more than it initially seemed. Perhaps... she was just tired of everything and fell in love with the first one who showed her genuine concern.
So it was until the behavior of the sweet young man began to change. He still behaved like a true gentleman, always asking permission. However, it felt like he was touch starved. At first, the girl wrote off everything to job as an idol. Being a popular celebrity, the young man couldn't have a close relationship with everyone.
Yuu wonder if she hadn't come up with an excuse for Neige's behavior, would it have turned out differently?
Light, meaningless touches have become bolder. She could refuse the brunette, but the next moment he was already on the verge of tears. As if the whole world had just collapsed into pieces before his eyes. At such moments, all she could do smile and write it off as a joke. Then Neige immediately embraced her in a bone-breaking embrace - Yuu wondered where such a fragile guy had so much strength from - and didn't let go for the next half hour.
Instead of the expected rest, the girl became even more tired. The prefect didn't doubt the veracity of LeBlanche's feelings, but that was what frightened her. She was struck by their strength and unshakable confidence of the brunette. How far would he come in his plans.
Sitting on the bench next to Jack, Yuu, mentally exhausted, shared what was happening with a friend. The words left a bitter aftertaste on the tongue. If she close eyes to everything, Neige always made time in a busy schedule to spend with her. He always wrote to her and sent one of his animals with a small but cute gift. And so she repaid him for his kindness: she complained to a friend.
"Hmm... I don't understand relationships," Jack's calm voice distracted the girl from her heavy thoughts. “But everything you have told me doesn't sound like love. If in a relationship someone should always give in, why it needed in first place?"
"...I don't know anymore..." voice of Yuu sound like whisper.
“He didn't seem like a bad guy to me. I think you just need to talk to each other. It won't get any worse "
*
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*
The words of a friend instilled confidence in the prefect, making an appointment with LeBlanche she began to wait for it with hope. As a last resort, she can always say that she tried, that she did her best.
"Sorry! Shooting the commercial took longer than I expected!" A few minutes later, Neige appeared. Gasping from a brisk run, he tried to catch his breath for a while. This gave Yuu a moment to see how he looked like: makeup, mask, fashionable clothes. It seems that the young man was in such a hurry to the meeting that, without changing his clothes, he grabbed the mask and hurried to her. Awareness stung again with guilt, but the girl tried to drive away the unpleasant emotions.
“Nothing, I just came too. I wanted-…"
“How impolite of me! You must be frozen!" The young man didn't let her finish, immediately taking off his jacket and putting it over her shoulders. Making sure that the girl was saved from the cold wind, he immediately smiled. "There is a cozy cafe nearby, we could have tea there."
“I wanted to talk, and this needs to be done right now” Confidence melted before her eyes from sincere care and attention. However, Yuu knew that if she didn't bring it up now, she might not get another chance. “I don't think we are very suitable for each other. Maybe it means for both of us, we're just too different."
"What are you talking about?" Neige turn his head in misunderstanding. “We are meant to be together. I understood this from our very first meeting!"
"Wait- ..." Yuu felt herself sinking deeper into the swamp with each phrase. She uttered, but her thoughts refused to form words from shock.
“We are the perfect couple! Perhaps you have doubts about the fact that we do not spend enough time together? Or have I greatly neglected you?" LeBanche seemed lost in thought, oblivious to Yuu's startled face. "I've been thinking about this for a long time, but can you transfer to the Academy?" He allowed himself to take her hand and look into her eyes. "So we don't have to part anymore!"
Fear overcame and the prefect pulled out her hand, confusing the brunette.
“Sorry- .. I… we need to break up. This cannot go on. "
Her words struck Neige like a bolt from the blue, absolutely everything testified to this: a frozen posture, eyes rounded in surprise, a slightly opened mouth. The young man extended his hand again, but Yuu stepped back a few steps, not allowing herself to be touched. It's time to end this. Without giving time for respite, she immediately turned around and left as quickly as she could. She may have acted ungratefully and cruel... but this is better than sacrificing herself.
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*
Two weeks have passed since the "parting". The prefect was ready for LeBlanche to appear at her door and mentally prepared herself, but he didn't come. She wanted to believe that, having considered everything, he understood or at least accepted her answer. However, intuition told her that this was by no means the case. During the relationship, Yuu more or less recognized the character of the young man. Therefore, most likely, now Neige was too broken.
At first, the girl wanted to write him a message, explaining everything as it should be. However, sprinkling salt on the wound was the least she wanted. Perhaps in the future, if they meet again, they will be able to talk heart to heart. Although Yuu hoped it wouldn't happen soon.
Her life gradually began to bounce back. Unless, of course, take into account the fact that in college she was avoided. The prefect would not call herself dependent on communication, she was quite enough with the company of first-year friends, but this fact still unsettled her a little. Especially when she noticed that everyone with whom she became friends gradually disappeared.
The student who gave her a cake. The young man who helped carry heavy books. The guy she accidentally bumped into in the hallway.
It became more and more difficult to write off everything as an accident, as well as to deny the feeling of guilt towards the families of the victims. All the threads led to her suspiciously. It is only a matter of time until others figure it out.
Perhaps she was just tired of everything and decided to go with the flow. Perhaps she really was a "damsel in distress" dreaming of salvation. Perhaps Yuu by this time was too broken to take away the hand of her former lover, who, despite her cruel refusal, still smiled affectionately at her and looked with unchanging love.
Perhaps everything that happened is only for the best.
Here we go! Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 7
• Already accustomed to being dragged from place to place like an abandoned toy, you accepted your fate in Ortho's metal hands. A friendly robot along the way, without ceasing, continued a monologue about how good his older brother is. Well, you already have the experience of "caring" for another inept person. True, in that case, the person herself completely refused to get out of bed and do at least something. However, the difference is not great.
• Barely glancing at the "good older brother" you whistled, not expecting to see such a pigsty. Ruggie take the cleanliness - he was paid for that, but not the point - so Kingscholar's room looked more or less presentable, which could not be said about Shroud. A lot of different anime merch, spread out where it shouldn't lie in principle. Food packages covered every millimeter of the floor. In the sub-cortex of your subconscious, the thought flashed through you, how the apartments of the head of Ignichide are similar to your room, but it was driven away.
• Finally, looking away, you noticed something huddled in the corner. Noticing Ortho calling it "nii-san", the answer came naturally. For every step you took, Idia tried harder to blend in with the wall. Therefore, in order not to tempt fate, you again went to the threshold and began to voice the robot's upcoming to-do list.
•Spring-cleaning. Solemnly entrusting the holy cause to Ortho, you grabbed the elder Shroud by the collar like a kitten and dragged him away. Fortunately, as an example, you managed to see Schoenheit dragging Epel along the corridors in the same way. The "kitten" struggled and tried to grab onto everything that was possible with his hands, but you turned out to be more stubborn. Therefore, after half a circle through the entire dorm Idia ran out of steam and allowed himself to be dragged. After another one you returned to a clean tidied room. The hikikomorii glancing over his shoulder barely recognized it.
• Eating and resting regimen. Here again you remembered the famous model, from whose schedule Felmier wakes up in a cold sweat in the middle of the night. If earlier the head of Ignyhide muttered barely audibly, cursing you, the good director, the whole program. Now he did it with all the strength of his weak lungs.
• Needless to say, this was the first dorm where your departure eagerly awaited and celebrated? Idia said goodbye through the door, while a kind child prevented it from closing. How rude.
"I agree, it's rude."
Turning around sharply, hearing a voice near your ear, you saw a wide smile and piercing magenta eyes.
“I suppose it's finally our turn?”
Despite the negative first impression, Ignyhide is a great place for those who call technology and appliances their best friends. Unlike other dorms, the head is very accepting to everything. You will hardly notice his invisible presence.
I planned write a love letter but you know i just sat and went with the flow. Enjoy <(￣︶￣)>
f. Friendship, Broken Glass, Smiling Stranger
It is always cold in the Coral Sea regardless of the time of day and season. Of course, piercing frost isn`t something to fear if you were born and raised at the bottom of a reservoir. If you can call the ocean home.
However, life there isn`t as bad as it might seem at first glance. You can get used to the semi-darkness, to the coldness of the water and the views. You can find an occupation or, better to say, a hobby to your liking. This is exactly what Jade did, from childhood searching sunken ships for forgotten, abandoned valuables. While picking up this or that trinket, he wondered more than once: what did the Princess feel while collecting strange curiosities from land. Did she experience genuine joy from finding a new thing? Did she try to guess the purpose or history of the item?
Jade wasn`t interested in the culture of the walkers on the ground, there were enough interesting events under the water. Until the illustration in the book that caught his eye. Even then, he still couldn`t understand why people put fish in a glass prison and disguise it under the seabed. The idea itself turned out to be surprisingly original, so without noticing, he began to pick more and more sparkling, shiny things from the land.
Moray took this unusual hobby with him to College. Here he received great freedom in the choice of materials for creating aquariums. It was no longer necessary to conduct hourly, and sometimes useless, searches in order to find at least something worthwhile among the silt and algae. Now he could give free rein to his imagination.
However, like any collector, Jade was soon fed up with simple things. Like any sophisticated critic, he wanted something new, something worthy to become a part of his collection.
What is the point of rushing from one extreme to another for the sake of what everyone has in abundance?
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To get into the world of villains from fairy tales.. perhaps for some it was a lifelong dream. However, without a shadow of a doubt, Yuu would call everything that happens a bad dream, from which she has long dreamed of waking up.
In a world where magic is common, not wielding it is like being an exotic, defenseless animal. The one that everyone looks down on. The one whose life passes under the crosshairs of unfriendly gazes. However, inside the viper's nest, you must be a viper, too. Therefore, rolling up sleeves, the self-proclaimed prefect put on a mask and began to pave herr way of survival.
If you take the mockery too close to your heart, you will break.
If you allow yourself to relax, you will hurt.
If you let someone get too close, you will condemn yourself to suffering.
Three simple rules, nothing could be easier. However, people need communication, support. With friends, it was easier to forget about pressing problems, briefly push fears into the background, allowing yourself to enjoy the moment. For a moment, close eyes to the danger, which is getting closer with each passing second.
Without Ace and Deuce's intimidated reaction, Yuu sensed that something was wrong with the Leech twins. Jade's unchanging smile and Floyd's unpredictable mood swings were great reasons to avoid both of them. However, fate always had its own vision of things, because the girl often began to notice two bright multi-colored eyes in the shadows.
Not to notice them is admitting that you are blind.
What calm, but no less frightening, vice-leader of Octavinelle found attractive in her, she didn`t know, but intuition dictated that it wouldn`t end well anyway. Therefore, when the young man finally approached her with an invitation, Yuu was already mentally prepared for the battle.
"Is this... what you wanted to show me?.." Having heard the rumors about the clandestine activities of the top of the Sea Witch's dorm, the prefect was ready for anything, but for the various aquariums in Jade's room.
However, despite her mistrust, Yuu couldn't help but acknowledge the quality and the amount of time spent on them. With different shapes and fillings each tank has a small world bounded by glass. Without noticing, the prefect began to look curiously from one aquarium to another. In one of the materials at hand the building of the College was recreated, in the other the Sea Witch's cave.
Jade was silent all the time, giving the girl the opportunity to slowly enjoy the fruit of his hard work. When she reached the last empty bowl, he allowed himself to speak.
“The world is full of unusual, attention-grabbing things. For some, a simple fork is nothing special, but for others it is a curiosity that carries a rich history behind it. I guess, this is the beauty of any thing,” Moray allowed himself to laugh. “Nature reserves the right to be the main creator, but it is merciful, allowing us to try ourselves in this difficult task. So, any person can bring something of their own into this world, so any sea inhabitant is able to recreate his own universe in a glass."
"What are you mean?" Yuu didn't like how far away the Leech started the conversation. "I didn't think you would decide to give me a lecture on philosophy."
“Like any connoisseur, the climax overtook me,” the young man continued his thought, as if nothing had happened, gradually closing the distance and forcing the prefect to retreat. “The moment when you understand that you have reached stagnation in creativity. When simple materials cease to cause joy and you want to create something that no one else in the world can do." For every step Jade took, the girl took one step back. "Replenish your collection with something that others absolutely do not have"
"You c-crazy," realizing where the Leech was leading, Yuu shivered. Colliding with the table, the girl inadvertently touched the empty aquarium, which with a loud crash shattered into small fragments. However, the sharp glass at the moment worried her least of all, because the prefect didn`t take her bewildered gaze from the tall figure, who remained calm despite the hype. "I will be damned if I'll let you stuff me into one of your t-toys!"
A moment and moray appear very close. The moment and back of the head pierces a sharp pain, depriving consciousness. Finally plunging into darkness, Yuu thought she heard a voice:
"Of course not. There was always something great in my thoughts."
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Somewhere at the bottom of the Coral Sea was a cave hidden from prying eyes. The cold stone bends curiously, forming something like shelves inside. At the very top, there was a small hole that allows crumbs of light, like spotlights, to illuminate the treasures inside.
Silver shimmering cutlery stuck in an antique chandelier just like candles. Oil painting of a girl in a long dress leaning against a wall. Broken mirrors, fragments of expensive porcelain dishes, carefully laid out around.
However, who, if not the owner of the collection, knew better that this will never happen.
In the center of the cave was a handmade pedestal made of stone, on which sat a girl in a dress made of airy flannel, swaying with waves. The arms and legs are fixed and suspended by subtle threads. The view seems so serene as if a stranger was about to wake up from sleep and open her eyelids.
Little raven did not know how he acquired the ability to think. At some point, “consciousness” became a part of everyday life, because the bird took it for granted. He left the nest long ago, settling near a small village. The bird was attracted by the noisy conversations of people. This he loved the most. Hear how wandering merchants shared stories of their travels, of what the world was like.
Perhaps, being by nature quiet and rather meek, the little raven was immediately liked the old people, who often fed the bird. In this regard, he was more fortunate than the fox, whom he noticed quite recently. It was immediately clear from the look that he also began to find food for himself early on. The raven sometimes wondered if the fox would have behaved more friendly, whether the villagers would have treated him well. Although the answer was obvious, foxes were their natural enemies.
Nevertheless, he often watched from the branches of trees at the red light, creeping between the bushes and dragging food, cooling down on the windowsills.
Stealing was not good, the raven understood this at once. However, when the choice stood between morality and starvation, priority was obvious. Therefore, the little raven only silently watched another inhabitant in the neighborhood and sincerely hoped that he would not be caught.
At some point, he noticed that the fox primarily eats offerings that people left in the temple when they prayed for rain, a good harvest, or something similar. At this moment the little raven noticed small sparkling coins. Deciding that no one would miss one or two of them, he carefully planned and took several in his beak. The fox lifted his muzzle, snorted in displeasure, and returned to his meal. So the thieves’ duet was formed.
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*
In the hollow, which the bird chose, there was barely enough room for new finds. Why did he need them, the raven himself did not know. Perhaps he just wanted to support a new friend. Therefore, sitting on a branch and waiting for the start of a new sortie, he looked down at the fox, whose tail sometimes flickered among the green grass.
“It seems we have arrived at the place. According to the denunciations, things disappear in this village.”
Suddenly, a man with wings like a bird sank down very close. Little raven barely restrained a cry of surprise, he always believed that wings were just the prerogative of birds.
“The place is it, but you could carry me more carefully, Trey-chan~!”
The second man had animal ears and four tails. Starting to panic, the bird increasingly began to lower gaze downward at his friend, who was still hiding in the bushes. As soon as he moves, two strange people would notice him and catch him. You didn’t need to be a genius to understand - they came for them. Recently, the fox has begun to let the bird closer to him, sometimes sharing offerings from the temple. Therefore, the little raven did the first thing that came to his mind. He glided down and grabbed the glasses of one of the pair with his beak.
“A! Cater, what is this?! Unhook him from me -..!”
Hearing how the man panicked, the bird almost loosened his grip. However, if it would help to buy some time for the fox to escape, then so be it. He had long been tormented by a sense of guilt for the stolen things. If they decide to judge him, as people said, then he would take the sentence in all seriousness.
The young man soon decided to take off his glasses, the blue raven froze from surprise, which the man with the wings took advantage of and grabbed him in his arms. Looking around, he noticed that the fox did not run away, but pounced on the second man with tails, still not releasing the object. During the time spent in the village, he managed to understand that glasses are a very expensive item, because the owners often take care of them. If he now opens his beak, it would fall and break. The bird had already attacked a person, the least he could do is temporarily support them.
“Listen!” Not wanting to risk and loosen his grip on the bird, the green youth tried to help. “You’re hungry, right? I know a place where there is a lot of delicious food that you don’t have to steal!”
The bird noticed the fox snort, but that was enough to the man twisted him and calmed him down.
“Caught you! Thank you Trey-chan~! Something tells me that we have found the culprit. Now, just what can we do with them?”
These words made the little raven uneasy. Apparently, there really would be judge for crimes. The fox glared at him with displeasure, urging him to fight further, but he did not feel the threat from the man holding him. At some point, realizing that the case was over, pair turned towards the mountains.
To be honest, the little raven had not been to these places, so he with curiously turned his head, considering the unusual views.
“How wild you are!” Despite the offended tone, the man with tails did not loosen his grip, trying to ignore the bites and scratches from the claws.
The fox had other thoughts on this matter, because he tried to complicate the life of the carrier to the maximum.
“You were the same,” as opposed to him, the man with wings walked lightly, mentally figuring out that making a concession was the best decision. “I am sure Grimm will gladly tell a couple of stories about your childhood.”
Bird listened with interest to the conversation between the two, hoping to find out if there were many more such unusual people. Unfortunately, the man with tails did not have time to answer.
“I thought what could have delayed you so,” another man came out to meet them, two small horns protruding from his head.
“Has a tough time, huh” Next came a man, on whose head flaunted a pair of cat ears, enveloped in flames, and a forked tail swaying behind his back. “Evokes memories, I remember you two-..”
“Wa-wa!” Apparently man with tails really did not want to remember his childhood once again. He immediately interrupted the nekomata and drew attention to the two animals, which they still held in their hands. “We found weak yokai, they would have a little time to become full-fledged!”
Yokai? Raven turned his head in surprise and looked at a man with wings, he, despite his shabby appearance, smiled encouragingly.
“How can you interrupt the Great Grimm?! There is no respect for elders at all! I-…!”
“There is no other choice, we will leave them here. Since we have future kitsune and tengu, I entrust you two with mentoring over them.” Man with cat ears was not as authoritative as he himself believed. Oni easily interrupted him again, getting back to business. “Names.. as I understand, they do not have it."
"Khem! Since I was the one who nobly gave names to you trios. This time, I will also make newbies happy! Listen here,” the cat turned to the animal. Surprisingly, no one had ever said a word to a him. “Since I noticed you first, you will be Ace, and you, quieter, will become the second Deuce. Welcome to Heartslabyul Temple~!”
The bird turned back once more, looking at the man holding it, he smiled again and allowed himself to pat him on the head.
*
*
*
Life in the temple took on new colors. The man with the wings, as he later introduced himself, was called Trey. He awkwardly stretched out his hand, trying to take glasses, but not daring to take away by force. Gently nesting fragile object in his open palm, “Deuce” bow his head a couple of times, trying to apologize for what happened. The man with horns, who was watching this, - Riddle - coughed slightly, saying that he saw such a well-mannered bird for the second time in his life.
After some time, taking on a human form and articulate, Deuce first rushed to the green-haired mentor who had been caring for him from the moment he arrived.
“M-man with wings Trey!” The young man shuddered from unexpectedly a flown-in child with familiar features. “S-Sorry for the glasses!”
“Huh? Is that you, Deuce?” Blinking, the young man laughed, ruffling disheveled hair of a former bird. “You and I are tengu, although “people with wings” is also a good description."
After the incident, the elder raven gave the younger one a tour of all kinds of yokai, replacing “man with…” with the historical name. So Cater became a kitsune, Riddle became oni, and Grimm became a nekomata. He also, laughing, assured that no one would judge him and Ace for the stolen food and belongings. If they would promise not to do so in the future.
Meeting with the former fox, Deuce immediately became shy. They used to communicated by glances, and, having met face to face, the tengu did not knew what to say. Although the kitsune turned out to be more talkative, almost bringing the little raven to tears and getting hit on the head from Trey for it.
Soon they were assigned teachers, whose duties included educating young yokai about the world. He might not have understood the concept yet “Master-Familiar”, but the very feeling of being needed for someone could not help but rejoice. This feelings Ace did not share, always trying to sneak out of class and getting scolded by Riddle.
It took a long time before Deuce was able to become a full member of the temple. Although most of his duties included maintaining order and small errands from the senior tengu who received the second pair of wings. The young man always looked at his mentor with pride, secretly hoping that in the future he would be able to also majestically wear wings.
“What wings, you must learn how to fly with one pair, bird’s brain,” as always shirking from assignments Ace, lowered his friend from heaven to the ground. “When you can fly at least a meter without dropping the object from your paws, then we’ll talk.”
“I could fly half a meter with an apple!”
“And what happened to the poor fruit, tell me? If my memory serves me, it was scary to look at it-… Ouch!”
“Ace, did I ask you not to tease Deuce?” Trey’s strong palm abruptly sank to the top of the kitsune’s head, drawing attention. Without giving to say the words to that, the tengu headed in the other direction. “Deuce, I leave the stairs on you”
“Roger!”
Despite Trey’s support and Ace’s venomous comments, the raven himself understood that he was still very, very far from a real tengu. If he wanted to serve his master faithfully, he should roll up his sleeves and put in even more effort. All in order not to put the future head to shame!
Even though he wasn’t as confident as the others, Deuce remembered lessons of senior tengu. They were the keepers of the hearth, those who protect the earth, in contrast to kitsune. They had a great responsibility. Therefore, the first task was to observe others and try to guess their emotional state, to predict whether someone needed some help.
Trey handled it with closed eyes, while Deuce hardly could tell the feelings of one yokai from another. All this served as proof that he was not yet ready to meet the master.
“Eh? If ADeuce leaves the temple with the owners, I will cry!" Let Cater always answer such questions in a joking manner, Deuce felt something more behind the feigned joy. At such moments, Trey always came and took matters into his own hands, sending the younger tengu to do less complicated matters.
Grimm’s disappearance hit the temple especially hard. Ace took the blow deepest, while the others consoled the younger ones, saying that a nekomata never stayed in one place for long. Much more surprising is the fact that the cat decided to settle down after finding Ace with Deuce. However, there was no denying that Grimm had long been a part of the family and the temple’s talisman.
Once Trey told another part of their work: often yokai fell into despair, having lost their master, or vice versa had not yet met. Their task was to keep track of such cases and maintain their sanity for as long as possible. When he asked why this was happening, "there was no case when the yokai did not meet its master,” the tengu just patted the boy on the head, silently suggesting that he find the answer himself. Noticing how cleverly the mentor handles Riddle and Cater, Deuce all that remained was to apply even more strength in training.
Grimm’s return with human was like a bolt from the blue. True, not everyone took this news with joy: Ace, throwing a broom on the stone stair near the temple, rushed off in direction only he knew, ignoring everything in the world. Trey, to whom the tengu ravens, who had not yet had time to obtain human form, had already informed about the guests, sent Deuce for the kitsune.
“It would be a really pain if they set a forest in fire”
Deciding that it would fly faster, the tengu soared into the sky, trying track the location of a friend. However, fortunately, there was no fire or even smoke, which could not help but rejoice.
After making a couple more circles around the forest, Deuce had already decided to glide down to look for a nekomata below, when something pierced his entire being, dragging him somewhere. The last thing the tengu realized was that he wasnflies down following an internal compass. The landing was hardly soft, although Ace undoubtedly softened the fall.
The displeased groans of the kitsune, who together with his friend drove a good few meters on solid ground, were easily ignored, as soon as the raven met the gaze of Grimm and the human standing next to him.
Was this his master?
Hundreds of thoughts swarmed in his head like angry bees in a hive, one of whom clearly insisted that he was not ready yet. That he was not experienced enough yet.
However, they all faded into the background, as soon as a person bend over and, smiling approvingly, inquire about his state.
