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@twistedxspinachpuffs
Member of Night Raven University.
twisted kronk oc of twisted wonderland. heartslabyul + octavinelle's resident errandboy (all brawn, no brains, heart of gold).
" ᴏʜ, ʀɪɢʜᴛ. ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴏɪꜱᴏɴ. ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴏɪꜱᴏɴ ꜰᴏʀ ᴋᴜᴢᴄᴏ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴏɪꜱᴏɴ ᴄʜᴏꜱᴇɴ ᴇꜱᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟʟʏ ᴛᴏ ᴋɪʟʟ ᴋᴜᴢᴄᴏ, ᴋᴜᴢᴄᴏ'ꜱ ᴘᴏɪꜱᴏɴ. ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴘᴏɪꜱᴏɴ? "
As written by Rose
-> now that the nru purge has taken place this AND my affiliated blogs will be used independently!
Dear Kalen,
I’m certainly happy to hear you’re finding your accommodations adequate. I’m not sure how you’ll make something positive out of this letter sending activity, but if anyone could manage it, it would be you. However, I think you’ll find that I am not so easily caught up in swells of joy the same way you are.
I’m just going to assume you forgot to ask me questions about myself, so here are my answers to the previous questions:
A hot dog is a hot dog.
With no limitations, it might be fun to do something trivial like becoming a musician.
My favorite color is blue.
Some new questions for you to answer in your next letter:
What is your favorite subject at school?
Any plans after graduation?
What would you most want as your gift from me when my identity is revealed?
Talk to you again soon,
You-Don’t-Know-Who
Penpal,
You into music? That's wicked cool! Do you play anything? If so, i'd want my gift to be watching you play a song!
I'd think my favorite subject would be potions. Professor Crewel is strict, but it's fun mixing things together to make something new! It's like cooking, in a way.
Graduation, huh? Honestly, no idea. I'll probably go and help around back home?
AND IF YOU DON'T PLAY, I'd like new oven mitts! My old ones... were lost in a baking accident...
AND I FORGOT TO ASK QUESTIONS SO HERE GOES!!!!!!!!!!!
1. What's your favorite subject in school? If your're a teacher, what subject would you wanna teach other than your own subject?
2. Moths or butterflies?
3. Where did you grow up? Give me your favorite memory from there!
4. What's your favorite band?
I hope your week has been great so far!!!!!!!
From, Kalen! ☆
Dear Kalen,
Warmest regards this holiday season. I hope this letter finds you in high spirits, despite the current rooming situation at Ramshackle which has undoubtedly uprooted you alongside everyone else. Do you have a good relationship with your assigned roommate? That would certainly make this experience bearable. As for me, I find my living situation tolerable.
To be quite honest with you, I’m not entirely sure what to talk to you about. Every convoluted bonding exercise Crowley concocts is more an exercise in futility in my honest opinion. I suppose you’d tell me he’s just trying his best.
I digress. Here are some “fun” “getting to know you” questions I looked up just now:
Is a hot dog a sandwich?
What would you want to do with your life if you could defy all limitations?
What’s your favorite color?
That should do for now. I await your response in the coming days.
Stay cozy,
You-Don’t-Know-Who
Yo, yo, yo, what's up, Penpal ?!
I'm doin just great! It's... kind of a bummer that we had to all be relocated like this, but it's cool that we're all here together! I hope you've been having a good time too. :)
And my roomie's great! Lilia is a weird guy, but he makes for good conversation. He kind of reminds me of my grandpa from back home!
(And, just for the record, I'm determined to make you change your WHOLE opinion in this letter writing thing! As much as Crowley shoots and misses, nothing could really go too wrong with letters, right? Let's make it fun, together!)
Is a hot dog a sandwich? I think it's more of a taco situation! I mean, you've got folded up bread part, and the meat in between. It's GOTTA be a taco.
What would I want to do if I could "defy all limitations"... maybe... visit my ma again. It's been a good while since I last saw her!
And as for my favorite color, I really like yellows and oranges! What's your favorite color?
(There's a person with two large circular eyes on the page, looking up at the reader quizzically.)
Suuuper excited to hear from yoy again, Penpal!!!!!!!!!!!
It was harder to do this while everyone was shacked up in Ramshackle. After much thinking he knew he had to give Kalen something as big as Kalen got him for his birthday. For Kalen that morning after he snuck in while the other was doing his morning run a small note would sit on the pillow for Kalen to fine Meet me by the hives. Rove stood there waiting nervously as a small picnic basket spread out on a blanket he had found and spent hours cleaning and beating the dust out of. A small spread of breakfast sat in the basket for the other to enjoy. A mixture of waffles, bacon, honey, chocolate, fruits and such sat kept warm by a hot plate as Rove wondered if the other would turn up. Dollface would flutter on his head as he waited, the present in hand. When the other turned up there was a look of relief on Rove’s face for a moment he saw Kalen. “I…I um…” He was quick to shove the gift in Kalen’s hands. The other would open it to find a black hoodie with embroidered text on the back ‘Check out these Buns!’ with a sewn cute bread roll on it, the inside having a removable fleece lining. There was also a set of wireless headphones in red with hearts on the ear pieces and cute electronic llama ears with speakers in them on the top. Finished off with a small velvet bag of dice which had little heart and squirrel charms in them. “I…I thought seeing it getting colder that you want a warmer hoodie for running…” He stuttered feeling stupid. Top ten cringe moments maybe? “Urgh just happy birthday Idiot…” He pouted. “Just accept this as my way of saying….I li- Appreciate you…”
HE WASN'T EXPECTING MUCH FOR HIS BIRTHDAY. Yeah, he knew his buddies would want to celebrate, but will all the trouble the school had been in totally soured the mood. If anything, Kalen wanted to go out and get everyone gifts for enduring such troubling times!
After running a couple laps around Ramshackle ( plus a few more, just to treat himself! ) , Kalen is so pumped up for the day to start, and everyone to wake up, that he almost doesn't notice the note. But man. You best believe the second he does see it, he's rushing into the shower to get freshened up. He'd recognize that handwriting anywhere.
Kalen could smell the food from a little ways away. Oh, Rove really went all out, didn't he? His stomach growls, more than happy to finally greet his buddy.
Taking the gift, Kalen let's out a large, boisterous laugh. “ Aw, dude! I love this. Pfft, "check out these buns"... ” He was so delighted with the llama ears on the headphones, but was practically jumping for joy once he say the dice.
It was just all so sweet, and a little overwhelming, that Kalen had no choice but to pull Rove into a big hug. Aware of how close he was, Kalen brings his normally booming voice to an audible whisper. “ Thank you so much, Rove. Augh, I appreciate this so much... I love ya', man. ”
continued here.
" No complaints here! "
Kalen happily puts in the movie disk before wrapping himself up in one of Rove's nearby blankets, snuggling down in the space next to him.
He loved this— feeling the heat transfer from his body into himself, albeit indirectly because of the blanket seperating them, distracting him from any stressors and worries everyday life loved to bring him.
The movie starts, and Kalen is fully invested. The poor kid lost his paper boat... he sure hoped he'd get it back! After a moment, he lays down in his stomach, resting the side of his head on Rove's lap.
" Seven, if this clown gets that kid- Oh. Nevermind. That's crazy. " Kalen snacks on a few gummi worms, eyes transfixed on the screen. " Not real scared of clowns, but even I gotta admit the dude's creepy. "
Kalen turns his head, laying down, to look up at Rove. " Ah. I forgot to ask if I could make commentary durin' the movie... sorry if my talkin' is annoyin'! "
@rove-bogge
Rove pulled the blanket around him tighter, sipping on his drink content at the sweet sour mixture unaware of the actions of the other as he watched the start of the movie.
Then he felt Kalen press against him. Tensing immediately choked on a juice bubble that hits the back of his throat in shock. Coughing and spluttering for a moment he glared flustered at Kalen for a moment as he tried to catch his breath.
Taking in a raspy breath he reached forward to grab some gummi worms. "It's fine I've seen it before." He said calmly. "Seven this kid is an idiot...like who sees a clown in a storm drain and goes 'this guy is trustful!' Lmao." He said tone bored. "That's like trusting Az...ul...Oof..." He said as he remembered that Kalen had.
Way to ruin the evening in a moment. "Um...did Azul say anything about that by the way?" He asked, looking down to Kalen. Reaching down to lightly tweak some of Kalen's hair to fidget. "If he's being a dick I can ...i dunno hack his cafe or something, hold it hostage till he releases you or something." He huffed though he was sure he wouldn't dare the idea of Jade and Floyd turning up at his door.
Delightful! There goes that panicked feeling at the pit of his stomach. He's silent for a moment, reminding himself to push the feeling away, to stay strong; He was good at that.
“ He didn't tell me nothin' 'bout it himself, ” Kalen explains, turning away from Rove... while it felt nice to have the guy mess with his hair, the shame from his foolish actions was almost too much to bear. “ But Jade told me Mr. Ashengrotto was still willin' to give back my end if I came through for him. ”
When Rove brings up the idea of a hostage situation, Kalen raises his head up in suprise, bumping his face into Rove's side before hurridly scrambling away. “ Dude, no need for nothin' drastic! There's no way I'd want somethin' crazy like that to happen... 'sides, with all that's been goin' on, what if he suspected and wrong-doin's be has are tied to me? ”
That's it. No way. Though Kalen is 99% sure Rove wouldn't launch an all out cyber attack against the lounge, he wanted to make it abundantly clear that defying his boss in such a manner was not the move.
“ He wants Trey's cookbook. At first, I thought I could jus' photocopy it or try and... sneakily not give it to him at all. ” Seven, that sounded stupid, even for him. Trying to trick the Azul Ashengrotto? Not likely. “ —But now I'm thinkin' I should... Jus' come clean? To Mr. Trey? ”
Rove flustered slightly when Kalen's head lightly bumped his stomach.
Making a sound similar to a hissing cockroach for a few moments while his face burned he grabbed Kalen's head shoving it away slightly. "O-oi!" He warned.
They likely sat in silence for a moment while the movie played on. Rove's head turning ideas for a moment. Carefully he reached up hand wrapping gently round Kalen's head before pulling it down so Kalen flopped beside him head on his knee eyes pointing to the screen of a mischievous clown shifting shapes and tormenting children.
Stiff fingers slowly combed through the others hair trying to calm him like one would a wound up cat. Parting the hairs into segments as idly they spun the hairs like spiders spun silk while Rove started to speak.
"Has Azul ever seen Trey's cookbook...." He questioned out loud but didn't even let Kalen finish as he kept speaking. "What's to say we don't just print off random recipes from online websites and bind it in a book. If he hasn't seen Trey's cookbook then he can't argue that the forgery isn't real."
Criss crossing hair , he briefly remembered pictures that lined his home. Stiff photos of his parents wedding day and the odd braiding his mother had done. Artistic braiding was a tradition for maidens of the island often decorated in metals and flowers and somehow he had found himself copying that into Kalen's hair. Soft like silk from the scalding sands that glimmered like sleek scales. Reflecting the neon lights that were used to light the dingy hole of a room Rove kept, he felt himself cringe at his own actions.
"Trust you to be the damsel in distress." He scoffed, giving a brief sharp tweak of hair as he sighed. "Well if all else fails I'm sure between me and Jinx we will find a way. Through the hassle of hacking Azul's things would bring Jade to my door and then you will owe me a lot of boba idiot." He demanded making sure to insult the other so he couldn't assume he was being soft.
The touch Kalen feels on his hair does a great deal to calm him down, allowing him a moment to just lean into his friend while he sorts out his thoughts. Had Rove ever been this nice to him? Sure, Kalen was full aware of his dislike towards physical touch ( and feelings in general... he reminded him a bit of his boss back home, in that aspect ) making this moment all the more special to him.
As Rove brings up the idea of giving Azul a dupe cookbook, Kalen hums, thinking it over.
“ Now, there's a thought. ” He isn't sure if Azul's ever seen the outside of the cookbook, but he's willing to bet he hasn't seen the inside. “ Real smart of ya', bud! ”
Jumping up, Kalen gives Rove the biggest hug before dashing off to Rove's desk, looking for a pen. He scribbles something on his arm, muttering to himself before looking over his shoulder.
“ There's no need for y'all t' get involved. ” Laying back down, he adds, “ I already told Jinx 'n Ember to back off, m'kay? I promise, I can work it out myself. I really do 'preciate the concern, though. I really do. ”
you save everyone, but who saves you ?
HIS HEART SANK, phone dropping onto the hard Heartslabyul floors. Azul had taken away his flight. He wouldn't be able to play Spelldrive. Though, that wasn't the full issue. It would be horrible not getting to play his sports, but being tied to Ashengrotto's lounge made it worse. Kalen felt no malice towards Azul. After all, he was a fool to think they were friends. He was simply an asset to help others, and nothing else. Laying down, staring up at the ceiling, Kalen didn't dare think about all the warnings he had gotten from friends about Azul before... maybe this could've all been avoided.
A while later, Kalen finds himself at Heartslabyul's gates, silently waiting to greet Jinx. He takes a deep breath. Can't let him know anything is wrong.
The moment Kalen spys a purple blob strutting in from the horizon, he extends his arms in greeting.
" Heyyy, Jinx! " Kalen exclaims, almost a little too perky. " Sp excited you could come over, man! Got the movie? "
don't worry, it's all under control, @crossedtheline !
After a somewhat successful, and definitely entertaining trip to the store in town, Jinx was ready to relax with a scary movie and a good friend. Well, he needed to show Kalen what sewing was first. But that would go just fine, Kalen follows directions quite well. It was one of those qualities about him that was a double edged sword. At least with this task, it would serve him well.
The sight of Heartslabyul was a welcome one and he waved to Kalen as he closed the distance between them. Immediately, something is not quite right with the situation. Kalen smiles widely at him, and he is happy to see him, Jinx thinks so anyways, but it doesn’t sit quite right on his face. He’s a little too bright, and while he’s always a blinding sunspot, this seemed a little too much even for him. Jinx smiled warmly at him too, and bit his tongue.
“I sure did. I also bought some popcorn and candy while I was in town, to make it an official movie night,” he said, “I got chocolate and gummy worms. We’re eating good tonight.”
He decided that he would put aside whatever odd behavior Kalen was exhibiting at the moment, and avoid commenting on it. No use dredging up what Kalen obviously wanted to ignore, right?
Quickly ushering him inside, Kalen's worries are momentarily stifled at the sight of the food. His stomach grumbles... perfect timing.
“ Aw, man. You shouldn't have! ” He gushes, eyeing the snacks. “ You really shouldn't've. These are not safe around me; I'm goin' through them before the movie even starts. ”
Once they were both inside, it was clear that Kalen had been a little excited for tonight. His bed was made up with at least a million pillows and blankets, all arranged into a sort of pillow fort/nest. Instead of his normal, overhead lights, holiday lights are strung around his bedframe. His roomate's bed is bare, as he's taken the mattress off it, laying it out on the floor.
“ They aren't gonna be back until later. Some sort of clun business, or somethin'. ” He explains, referencing to his roommate's bed. Once Jinx is settled in, Kalen grabs a bag of popcorn and heads for his door, announcing, “ I'm gonna run down to the kitchen a pop these bad boys. Don't wait up! ”
CHAOTIC ROOMMATE SENTENCE STARTERS
“Are you blind? That was clearly MY toothbrush.”
“I don’t care if you knocked your toothbrush into the trash, you’re not using mine.”
“If you don’t wash the dishes next time, you’re either getting drop kicked or kicked out. Whichever is easiest.”
“Keep your hands off my food or I’m taking them off for you.”
“The next time you play your stupid music that early, I’m going to powderize your bones.”
“SOME of us try to have consistent sleep schedules, [Name].”
“You can say you’re studying all you want, we both know you plan on getting high until three in the morning.”
“No, you can’t have a party tonight, are you kidding me?”
“I’ll handle the cooking since you somehow caught the water on fire last time.”
“What do you mean ‘this is normal’? No sane person keeps THAT many rubber ducks in their bathroom!”
“We have a test first thing in the morning, I didn’t sign up for you to be testing me TONIGHT.”
“Why were you screaming? …Did you see a spider or a mouse this time?”
“You are so lucky I tolerate you. Anyone else would’ve murdered you by now.”
“You’re just upset that my music is better than yours, nerd.”
“Oh come on! Friends share their food all the time!”
“Hey, so… I kinda maybe accidentally got food on your bed sheets? Please don’t be mad.”
“Wait, which one was your toothbrush again…? Because I might’ve used it.”
“I really don’t get why you’re upset about the bathroom ducks. They’re so friendly.”
“Not to be that guy, but I’m gonna throw a party tonight, so can you maybe be a loser somewhere else?”
“I’m sorry you had to find me blacked out in the bathtub last night.”
“Oh, this is your notebook? ..Should I not have drawn dicks on the empty pages then?”
“I get that you’re a neat freak, but the next time you move stuff around in my room, I’m going to deck you.”
“We’re friends, right? Cool, because I have a problem and I’m less stressed if you’re involved.”
“I just saw a spider on my bed and if you don’t handle it right now, I’m gonna permanently sleep in YOUR bed.”
“I can cook just fine! Sometimes I just have my off days!”
“Thanks for putting up with me, [Name]. You’re probably the only one who would.”
continued here.
" No complaints here! "
Kalen happily puts in the movie disk before wrapping himself up in one of Rove's nearby blankets, snuggling down in the space next to him.
He loved this— feeling the heat transfer from his body into himself, albeit indirectly because of the blanket seperating them, distracting him from any stressors and worries everyday life loved to bring him.
The movie starts, and Kalen is fully invested. The poor kid lost his paper boat... he sure hoped he'd get it back! After a moment, he lays down in his stomach, resting the side of his head on Rove's lap.
" Seven, if this clown gets that kid- Oh. Nevermind. That's crazy. " Kalen snacks on a few gummi worms, eyes transfixed on the screen. " Not real scared of clowns, but even I gotta admit the dude's creepy. "
Kalen turns his head, laying down, to look up at Rove. " Ah. I forgot to ask if I could make commentary durin' the movie... sorry if my talkin' is annoyin'! "
@rove-bogge
Rove pulled the blanket around him tighter, sipping on his drink content at the sweet sour mixture unaware of the actions of the other as he watched the start of the movie.
Then he felt Kalen press against him. Tensing immediately choked on a juice bubble that hits the back of his throat in shock. Coughing and spluttering for a moment he glared flustered at Kalen for a moment as he tried to catch his breath.
Taking in a raspy breath he reached forward to grab some gummi worms. "It's fine I've seen it before." He said calmly. "Seven this kid is an idiot...like who sees a clown in a storm drain and goes 'this guy is trustful!' Lmao." He said tone bored. "That's like trusting Az...ul...Oof..." He said as he remembered that Kalen had.
Way to ruin the evening in a moment. "Um...did Azul say anything about that by the way?" He asked, looking down to Kalen. Reaching down to lightly tweak some of Kalen's hair to fidget. "If he's being a dick I can ...i dunno hack his cafe or something, hold it hostage till he releases you or something." He huffed though he was sure he wouldn't dare the idea of Jade and Floyd turning up at his door.
Delightful! There goes that panicked feeling at the pit of his stomach. He's silent for a moment, reminding himself to push the feeling away, to stay strong; He was good at that.
“ He didn't tell me nothin' 'bout it himself, ” Kalen explains, turning away from Rove... while it felt nice to have the guy mess with his hair, the shame from his foolish actions was almost too much to bear. “ But Jade told me Mr. Ashengrotto was still willin' to give back my end if I came through for him. ”
When Rove brings up the idea of a hostage situation, Kalen raises his head up in suprise, bumping his face into Rove's side before hurridly scrambling away. “ Dude, no need for nothin' drastic! There's no way I'd want somethin' crazy like that to happen... 'sides, with all that's been goin' on, what if he suspected and wrong-doin's be has are tied to me? ”
That's it. No way. Though Kalen is 99% sure Rove wouldn't launch an all out cyber attack against the lounge, he wanted to make it abundantly clear that defying his boss in such a manner was not the move.
“ He wants Trey's cookbook. At first, I thought I could jus' photocopy it or try and... sneakily not give it to him at all. ” Seven, that sounded stupid, even for him. Trying to trick the Azul Ashengrotto? Not likely. “ —But now I'm thinkin' I should... Jus' come clean? To Mr. Trey? ”
[Sugar]
When he had heard one of the locals had set up their sugar sculpture stand he couldn’t help but be a bit egar. Every year when he was a kid he had seen this stand and had always wanted to go. But he always heard the same stuff. ‘We are too busy.’ ‘that's childish and messy’ and more dismissals. He would always hear about people's sugar sculptures the next day in school feeling left out and moody.
So he had been walking with Kalen to do some last minute committee tasks when he saw it open he grabbed the tallers arm pulling him over. Eyes wide shining as he saw the detailed sugar sculptures on display. Painted skulls, majestic animals in all sorts of poses and elegant flowers to name a few.
Suddenly he became a bit aware of the fact Kalen was standing there beside him and he felt his cheek flushed. “I…” He started swallowing his pride a little. “I always wanted one of these growing up…but it's just sugar really so it's kind of silly…”
BACK IN HIS HOMETOWN, he recalled the kids looking forward to the day they would recieve treats and goodies from his doorstep, with his buddies in the back wrapping little bags of goodies for the kids. To his friends, the entire holiday was just for show, done to convince the town that they were good-natured and law abiding citizens.
To Kalen, this was his day to finally treat the only ones who wouldn't turn in fear or disgust at the mere sight of him. And of course, as a show of thanks, he would give a little sugar skull to each kid as a token of his appreciation.
“ Sugar, silly? ” Kalen laughs, pulling out his wallet. His job at the lounge wasn't always the most fun in the world, but it sure did pay enough for him to get a little something nice for his friend. “ To that, I call bs. You're saying that to a world class, five star, luxury chef, after all! ”
He's joking, of course, with his faux praise. He would never think so highly of himself, anyone who knew of his modesty could say that for certain. Placing a few marks on the vendor's table, he picks out a skill with green and black flowers decorating the face, with tiny gold hearts painted into the eyes.
“ Here, take a bite. ” Kalen hands the little baggie it came in to Rove, ruffling his hair, as he leads him over to look at the next stand. “ You've gotta tell me if it's good, dude. Can't have my buddy's first taste be anythin' less than perfect! ”
MEMES/PROMPTS
[ PUMPKIN ] There’s a whole wagon of pumpkins outside of the greenhouse, donated by a local of Sage’s Island. The two of you pick the best looking ones of the bunch and get to carving a Halloween masterpiece.
[ DANCE ] Grab a partner for the dance floor, willing or not!
[ COSTUME ] What’s Halloween without the costumes? Help each other get dressed or put on makeup, then get ready to strut your stuff at the party.
[ MEND ] Looks like some things can’t escape a party unscathed. Fix a poor sap’s costume for them.
[ STAMP ] Visit another house’s stamp rally venue for a stamp (or sabotage). Must be sent to a muse from another house.
[ CANDY ] NRU makes an effort to teach all of its students that Halloween is a community experience, and has opened its campus to the locals of Sage’s Island to spend the week touring the houses’ hard work. There are more children running around than most of you have ever seen in one place, but that’s what all your candy is for: you and your partner better give them a Halloween to remember (or steal all the candy for yourself because you’re a grouch who hates kids)
[ CANDLES ] There have been rumors abound of candles and other strange lights floating and flickering in rooms when no one else is around. It’s probably just the ghosts, but maybe there’s something more to it… you and your partner go investigate.
[ DARK ] You’re running your shift at your house’s rally booth when suddenly all the lights go out. Faulty wire? Foul play? Something haunted? Only one way to find out…
[ GHOSTS ] Some of the more malicious ghosts have challenged you to a scare-off. You and your partner must summon your inner demons and scare them off.
[ SUGAR ] A local vendor has set up a stall to sell novelty sugar sculptures.
he has a little bell and EVERYTHING !
make sure nothing is out of place! there cannot be a crease, wrinkle, or stain in sight. after all, it is his queen's decree!
[5:30 a.m. Track Field.]
his morning run. he's gotten up a bit earlier today, in order to have enough time to get ready for his day!
[7:24 a.m. Heartslabyul Dorm.]
prepare his gift for mr. trey. sneak into his room, and tidy up a bit. ( he's been working so hard... i'm sure he's been dying for a little break! )
[3:46 p.m. Kalen's Room.]
wrap up his classes. put away study materials. prepare his halloween costume.
“ This goes here, button this there... or there? Ack— hold, hold on. I've got this...”
Kalen fiddles with his costume, having a hard time buttoning his corset up with his large hands. He was desperately trying to make himself look cute, unthreatening, and even a little bit mischevious, but, eh, he would have to work with what he had.
As he's tying on the tail, he feels a sudden twinge stage fright. He looks at his hand... little in character one-liners are scribbled all over it.
“ I've gotta sell this! In the name of my dorm, I need to make sure I'm giving the best performance I can. Watch out, partygoers! Kalen Roca is at your service! ”
(jingles miserably)
playing fae court jester with @twistedxspinachpuffs // continued from here. ♣️
KALEN ROCA HAS HIS USES. Delicate diplomacy is not one of them.
Trey sets that aside, mounting exasperation de damned, and focuses on the fairy’s movements as he lets his gaze track between Kalen’s concentrated expression and the clear disdain they’re earning the longer their companion has to hover. He takes one step back—polite, and also wary of a potential attack, just to prove a point—and clears his throat in turn. The look he gives Kalen is subtle, but pointed: best to calm down and stop provoking them further.
A night off-duty was never in the cards. Ah well. Truth be told, he’d never taken the vice housewarden hat off—
Trey clears his throat, nodding as though he understood the fire fairy’s plight in full. “Seems like it’s been a busy day. We didn’t mean to add to the headache.”
The erratic movements are hard to track, although they paint enough of a picture to tell him the facts. No one guarding the altar tonight is in a good mood, and the one with no reservations on setting the other two on fire had a worse start to it than missing dinner.
The fairy, for their part, doesn’t move from a scowl, but at least looks marginally less interested in serving students flambé. One circle around the both of their heads has Trey straightening himself even further, following their movements with a cautious eye before returning back to perch.
A gentler chime, what Trey is assuming is a groan: same shit, different week. (Paraphrased loosely, from his educated guess.)
One leg crosses over the over, and the fairy peers down at the both of them, mirroring Trey’s crossed arms and giving them a hard stare; Trey mirrors it back.
“We aren’t here for a fight. All of us have a job to do, right? So it’d be best if we cooperated for as long as we’re here.”
They at least look as though they’re considering the flimsy olive branch extended, a finger tapping at their chin, and then a gesture: dismissive, down towards them, back at peering down their nose. The gaze is still disdainful, but now seems… expectant.
“…Come again?”
Ah, the glare’s back in full force, as well as the furious chimes that Trey swears he can feel rattle down his bones to every last nerve he’s got. The next motion is a little clearer: index finger looping in a circle, a universal spin for me, or—
…Dance?
KALEN IS QUICK TO REACT, stepping back to let somone much more capable handle things. Looks like this was his time to clock out!
No hard feelings, Fairy, but when his superior takes control of a situation, that was usually his cue to just stand there and look menacing. At this point, the habit was something he quickly fell into, not giving his actions much thought.
All he hears is muffled tinkling, and Trey asking... something. Kalen looks to the fairy for some sort of visual cue... his dangly earrings jingle softy as he follows their finger's movement, head spinning 'round and 'round.
“ Spinnin'... ” He mumbles, taking a few steps in place making a tiny circle. What did that mean? Did they want them to leave, and go back to where they came from? No, that doesn't make sense, he figures knowing they were here by orders, rather than leisure.
Kalen suddenly bounces up, patting a rhythm on the side of his leg, head bopping to the beat. “ A hoedown! Y'know, do-si-doing and whatnot? ”
Amazing! He can figure things out! The fire fairy nods, giving him a thumbs up. Oh, they were going to enjoy this.
“ 'Right, Mr. Trey! ” He claps his hands together, trying to remember the dances from the hootenannies back home. Back then, he was never much of a dancer, but this seemed like as good a time as ever to learn!
“ Leg out, then in, cross on over... ” He does a grapevine, slowly, watching his feet as to not trip over. “ Stick yer heel out, do a lil step thing! ”
“—IT’S BEST NOT TO PRY, FOR NOW.”
Trey can’t say there’s much conviction behind his words, but anything to temper Kalen for the night is an edge he’d prefer to have. The walk to the candlelit altar is marked with an air of trepidation that he’d prefer not to dwell on. Nothing about this year’s Halloween preparations has been routine—all the more reason for nothing impulsive to be said and done. Trey saunters casually, taking the lead between the two of them towards their post for the night, but his words are orders, not a simple suggestion. They’re here to do a job, and represent Heartslabyul as they do it.
It’s just a candle.
Trey can’t say he’s looking forward to losing so much time to just a candle, but it can’t be helped.
“And it gets us out of cooking duty for one night.” It’s a wry comment with a smile that’s halfway between a grimace and outright wincing; Trey only hopes the sophomores that stepped up in their absence are better cooks than bakers.
Trey takes his time to walk around the perimeter of the altar, hands in his pockets and alert, even under the guise of nonchalance. A silence settles on his end, brow furrowed in thought while he considers the best way to stand vigil—in theory, it would be best to make their posts on either side, but the thought of his back to Kalen or the the candle—
—Well. It’s not a pleasant option, to say the least.
At least it isn’t a windy night, although the scant breeze picks up the sound of distant bells from somewhere. It’s a pleasant sound, albeit unusual for the time of night—
“Not many people have a reason to pass by this late, so if we’re lucky, it’s an uneventful night and we have nothing to report.” Trey’s arms cross in front of his chest as he finishes his careful circle, electing to let go of feigning a casual demeanor. The bells keep catching, although Trey swears they’re closer than before. “Not too cold, either. Weird as this is, it could be worse.”
He has more to say, but the gentle tinkling is no longer background noise to catch in snippets, but a sharp ringing in his ear. The candlelit vigil is brighter than before, and the air a dash warmer for the trouble.
Perched and ready to pass judgment, a fire fairy hovers over the top of the altar before perching themselves down with crossed legs and arms.
Ah, that's right. They have a supervisor, tonight. One that appears none too pleased.
Trey can’t say he understands the toiling of their speech, but from the sudden shift—melodic chimes to a deeper sound that grates on gently-fraying nerves—their companion is in a particular mood tonight.
“—I think it wants something.”
ALMOST IMMEDIATELY, KALEN IS UNDER THE ASSUMPTION that he's just been sent on a fool's errand. There were no hard feelings on his end— it was only a matter of time, he figures.
But still, that leaves him with the lingering question: Why have Trey come with him? If he was to be spending time on menial tasks, it was a bold choice to send one of the dorm's most important figures.
Whatever. This should be easy. He's a little irked at not being able to prepare dinner beforehand ( he finds cooking skills of the two sophmores left in charge to be more than questionable, at best ).
The moment they make it to the alter, Kalen's happy-go-lucky demeanor instantly switches. He's instantly more alert, more attentive, more cautious. His eyes scan the area, occasionally whipping his head around to observe the other side, looking akin to something like a trained dog.
Moves calculated, expression cold... it's almost as if he's done this before.
If Trey is paying close enough attention, he may notice the way Kalen's eyes subtly dart to the location of any small noise, and the way his eyebrows furrow ever so slightly in frustration as he tries to figure out where the ringing is coming from.
“ Woo-ooah, look. ” Kalen's 'tough guy' persona is quickly dropped, as Trey attempts to hear them out. He makes the mental note to regard them as friend, rather than foe. “ Heyy, hope you're havin' a good night so far! ”
The fairy sends a harsh glare his way. If looks could kill, Kalen would be double dead. Ouch.
Kalen pats himself down, in desperate search for a pen... no such luck.
“ Ack, Seven, ok... ” He tugs on his hair slightly, looking around... aha! “ Excuse me? Can you maybe... act it out? ”
The fairy snaps back some retort. At least, that's what Kalen thinks it is. He's not too sure.
“ I know, I know. It sounds dumb, but— ”
The fairy let's out a prolonged groan, standing up, then taking flight to better match the boys' monsterous height. They give a look as if to say brace yourselves. With one action after another, the scene unfolds:
Waking up late. Getting scolded. Trying to go rest, and watch a show. Is immediately interrupted by a large bird. Chasing off the bird. Finally getting back home, all roughed up. Fixing theemselves, sitting back down... notified of something... they get back up. They then gesture to the candle, and the watch on Kalen's wrist.
After they're done, they're out of breath, holding out their arms as if to say 'Ta-daa!' They even look pleased for a moment, as Kalen gives them a raucous applause.
“ Aaah, I get it! ” He sticks out his pointer finger, lightbulb ( albiet a dim one ) going off in his head. The fairy watches in anticipation. “ Uh, yeah. No. Nevermind, I'm lost. ”
The fairy sends a spark of fire his way— not enough to turn him into a human candle, but enough to make Kalen quickly back away.
“ Mr. Trey? Any ideas? ”
picrew. official assets.
continued here.
" No complaints here! "
Kalen happily puts in the movie disk before wrapping himself up in one of Rove's nearby blankets, snuggling down in the space next to him.
He loved this— feeling the heat transfer from his body into himself, albeit indirectly because of the blanket seperating them, distracting him from any stressors and worries everyday life loved to bring him.
The movie starts, and Kalen is fully invested. The poor kid lost his paper boat... he sure hoped he'd get it back! After a moment, he lays down in his stomach, resting the side of his head on Rove's lap.
" Seven, if this clown gets that kid- Oh. Nevermind. That's crazy. " Kalen snacks on a few gummi worms, eyes transfixed on the screen. " Not real scared of clowns, but even I gotta admit the dude's creepy. "
Kalen turns his head, laying down, to look up at Rove. " Ah. I forgot to ask if I could make commentary durin' the movie... sorry if my talkin' is annoyin'! "
@rove-bogge
twistedxspinachpuffs:
KALEN DIDN’T NOTICE THE SHARP pecks on his face — at least, not at first. In fact, he didn’t even full register Zac grabbing him, and throwing him inside the lounge. The poor guy’s knees were wobbly, arms giving out letting the bulk of his boxes fall to the floor. The Heartslabyul lunges forward, grabbing as many boxes in his arms as he could. By some strange twist of luck, he managed to catch most of the boxes labeled ‘fragile’. “ You think my face is pretty? Dude, thats so nice of— ”
The stray parcel, however, was the smallest of the bunch, managing to slip through his grip, landing on the floor with it’s contents making a loud ’crack’!
“ Oh no… oh no, oh no, no, no. ” Kalen frets, breathless, as he carefully places his boxes on the floor, rushing over to the damaged parcel. He sits, quietly, on his knees, using his nail to break through the opening’s tape. As he opens the box, his eyes are closed as if he couldn’t bear to see the damage. Having opened the lid, he takes a deep breath… and opens his eyes. Inside is a stack of plates, broken into a pile of ugly pieces.
“ Stupid, stupid, stupid! ” He hits the side of his face, chastising himself, bringing hid hand down. Then he notices the blood. The damage was minor — just a few cuts on his cheek and lower lip — but it was enough for him to finally notice the stinging sensation it gave. He hovers his hand over his uniform, contemplating rubbing the blood off on his blazer, before deciding against it. Azul was going to be furious if he found out about these plates, he didn’t need Riddle on his case about keeping a clean appearance, too. He takes a deep breath, turning to Zac with a wobbly smile. “ Man, thanks for saving me back there! If you weren’t there, I would’ve been a goner, that’s for sure. Sorry for all the trouble. ”
Whilst Kalen was busy punishing himself, Zacaraya had found a little carton of orange juice from one of the kitchen’s refrigerators and just stood over the poor guy, watching the Heartslabyul hit himself with unbothered golden eyes. At one point, the silence was broken with a long ‘sluuuuuyyyyurp’ as the beastman finished off his drink.
Zac blinked when Kalen finally turned to him, hardly expecting any eye-contact any time soon, but here they were… He genuinely thought Kalen would just keep bawling and never recover, but Zacaraya was perceptive enough to notice that little lip wobble. He was perceptive enough to notice most things.
Throwing the juice carton to the side, Zacaraya crouched down opposite to Kalen so the box of now-broken plates was inbetween them, casually reaching inside the box to begin rummaging silently. A moment later, he picked up a shard from a broken plate and held it up in front of Kalen’s eyes. “See this?” He asked, his eyes bright and intense as he tried a method of getting Kalen to understand. “This is having to pick up after your dormmates.” He threw the shard into the corner of the room so it smashed into even more pieces. He began to pick out another shard to repeat the process.
“This is doing someone’s homework for them,”
SMASH.
“Oh look, this one is making deliveries which isn’t even your responsibility,”
SMASH.
“Cleaning someone else’s room,”
SMASH.
“Buying breakfast for a stranger even when you know you don’t have money for yourself later,”
SMASH.
“Trying to make everyone happy!”
SMASH.
Each statement would probably send Kalen spiralling even more, but Zacaraya’s intense gaze would hold him down in place. “Notice how even though you take on more duties, it doesn’t fix the plate. It only shattered into even more pieces. If you keep going, you’re going to shatter yourself until there’s nothing left.”
And with that, Zacaraya stood and turned his back to Kalen to begin prepping some antiseptic wipes and bandaids from the kit he’d found, his tail swishing from side to side nonchalantly. He may or may not have muttered ‘dumbass’ under his breath.
THERE WERE TIMES IN HIS LIFE, many times, where Kalen was either too distracted or too simple-minded to understand what was being explained. But now, with tears threatening to spill from his eyes, surrounded by pieces of shattered glass in an establishment he considered to be a safehaven for him to let his worries go and just work, Kalen understood the message loud and clear. Or, well, partly loud and clear.
As the saying goes, ’You can’t teach an old dog new tricks’, and learning to put himself first was at a difficultly level much higher than any trick this dog had been taught so far.
During times like this, Kalen would often find himself in a downward spirial, pulling on his hair, looking for some way, any way, to turn his misdoings around. Zac’s eye’s seemed to do the trick in calming him down, enough to think rationally. He takes notice of how pretty the brown is, matched with the gentle stream of light coming from the windows. It almost gave the appearance of a radiant glow.
As Zac pulls away, Kalen promptly stands up, rushing to grab a broom. The room is silent, other than the faint scraping of glass against the lounge’s pristine floors. He’s careful to pack each piece in it’s original box, scribbling a note to Azul explaining what happened. Kalen’s eyebrows furrow… he would surely be expecting a visit from his boss, or his twin lackeys, sometime soon.
“ Thanks. ” Kalen finally says, simply. He pauses, hesitating, before continuing. “ Though, I would hardly call us strangers, track buddy. ”
And now he’s back to joking. Oh, well. Shows that he feels at bit better, at least. “ I’m sorry— ” He begins, standing next to Zac, leaning his weight on the counter. He cuts himself off, having said sorry far too many times already. “ You know, you Savanaclaw guys are tough, but it’s real cool that you’d even take the time to make me feel better. I already owe you one, but i’ve gotta owe you somethin’ else now. Name it. Whatever you want, and I’ve got it! ”
Zacaraya rolled his eyes whenever Kalen started talking again. So much for the 2 minutes of sweet sweet silence. “I was not trying to make you feel better-“ he stopped mid-way through his sentence. Whatever he wanted. Did Kalen not learn a single thing in the last 10 minutes? Oh well, he tried. May as well feed into it.
“Hmm…” he began, ripping the antiseptic sachet and turning to face Kalen, a triumphant smirk which was so often misinterpreted as charming tracing his lips. Simultaneously, one of Zac’s hands reached out to gently take the broom from the Heartslabyul, whilst the other began to busy itself with lightly dabbing the disinfectant pad against one of the worse looking scratches on Kalen’s cheek; likely causing him to be indecisive on which motion to focus on first.
“The Groom Room…” he finally murmured quietly now that they were closer in proximity. “In our dorm, we have a facility dedicated towards beastman beauty and maintenance… Like a spa or hairdressers or something…” Zacaraya purposefully flicked his ears to catch Kalen’s eyes, then his tail shortly after. “Not all of us are as sweaty or uncaring of our appearance as some rumours may dictate.”
With lithe fingers, Zacaraya pressed a band-aid against the newly-cleaned scratch and finally pulled his hands away, moving to take a step back. The broom was suddenly nowhere to be seen.
“Anyway… I have been dedicated a shift and I would rather practice guitar than spend hours brushing up some greasy beastman’s hair from the floor… Wanna help?”
Zac’s intense golden eyes caught Kalen’s yet again, probably much to his dismay.
Kalen clenchs his teeth as a reaction to the stinging, not paying as much mind to the broom as he normally would've. Instead, he focuses on Zac's words, then the sudden flick of his ears. So cute! Kalen adored how soft some beastmen kept their fur.
The thought of asking to feel them creeps in from the back of his head... best not act on his intrusive thoughts now, during what he felt was a tender moment.
Funnily enough, Kalen nerver noticed the lack of a broom in his hands.
" Yeah. Sure! " He agrees, absent-mindedly, transfixed on Zac's eyes. Seven help him. Curse his weakness for pretty men! " If ya' need anythin', I'm your man. "
Zac would be a fool not to notice the effect he had on the big lug. With just a simple look, he was reduced to the perfect idiot to manipulate has he pleased (which, for Kalen, isn't an uncommon occurance, but I digress).
" When are ya' 'possed to be cleanin'? I'm free durin' the most random times throughout the week, and somethin' might get in the way, but I can always rearange my day if I gotta! It's no problem. "
