EchoesOfCalypso

So he watched. He watched as those friends of yours extorted you when you were at your wits end with Grim, he watched you struggling with Grim. He watched you in the second-hand uniform with hastily stitched repairs that was at least a size too big and getting bigger on you as you were not being provided with enough money to feed yourself and Grim AND repair your dorm. He watched as you tried to make Ramshackle habitable, and he watched as you over-extended yourself to put an end to Riddle Rosehearts and Leona Kingscholar's overblots. And when he watched you in the nurse's office just laughing off your injuries the day of the Spelldrive tournament, Crewel decided he was done watching.

It started small at first. He'd discussed with Trein about what subjects you were struggling in, not surprised to hear they were all magic based subjects, then held you back after class to offer to tutor you in those subjects under the guise of wanting all his pups to succeed. Which he did, of course. You agreed to the after school tutoring, which Grim very loudly refused to attend. Every other day after school, you met up with Crewel his classroom to tackle some subject or other more in depth while he graded assignments, and before you left, he would hand you a large container with food in it.

"This is cutting into your dinner time, is it not?" He explained when you asked about it. "I'm not a monster, I wouldn't expect you to go without eating all night."

"You don't have to go out of your way, Professor." You sighed, too hungry to deny the free food.

"Hardly. It's leftovers from last night," a lie, but you didn't need to know that, "I won't miss them."

Crewel caught you back up in your subjects fairly quickly, you were a diligent student. As the days went on, he watched some life return to your face until he could no longer find that ravenous look deep behind your eyes. He started setting a portion of his salary aside and bringing it to Sam, telling him to keep it for when you came by to purchase anything, giving him a little extra to not tell you where it was coming from. He felt a little swell of pride in his chest when he heard you bragging to Ace and Deuce about your grocery run being paid for. He was comfortable with this, happy enough not watching you wasting away and seeing you beginning to thrive in this school. He knew you could hold your own after handling two overblots, so he knew you could handle yourself against the Octavinelle trio when they came for your dorm. And of course you did. He felt that swell of pride again, stronger than he felt for his other students. Then again, his other students didn't have to fight nearly as hard as you did. Before he left for the winter break, he left a parcel on your doorstep that contained a thick pair of gloves, a fur lined hat, a cashmere scarf, and an old brown fur jacket of his. He worried it may not fit, but he refused to leave you to freeze while he was gone. He left a note in the box on top of the items.

"A small reward for your hard work this semester. Enjoy your holiday, you earned it. D. Crewel"

When he came back from the winter break, he was disappointed to find your school uniform in worse condition than when he left, a jacket sleeve hanging on for dear life, poorly patched holes in the knees, one of your shoes peeling away from the soles. He refused to let that go on any longer than it needed to, bringing you to Sam's himself to get you fitted for a new uniform. When you tried to insist that you could pay, Crewel insisted that it wasn't necessary, citing that he couldn't have any of his pups looking less than their best for the upcoming culture fair. When you tried to bring up the winter clothing he'd left you, he brushed off your thanks with a wave of his hand.

"We can find something more suitable to your style before your next winter." He insisted as he gently adjusted your tie. "I couldn't have one of my best freshmen freezing to death while I was gone, could I?"

Despite being caught up to the other students in your subjects, you still came by after class, more often to gossip over whatever meal Crewel had brought with him than to study. You told him about what happened over the winter break, and how the Octavinelle trio actually ended up helping you out. You told him about Ace and Deuce showing up after everything had been resolved, how they got there by train and boat and foot because they had been so worried about you. You kept him up to date about how your dorm, finally at least clean and presentable, had been offered up for the SDC group headquarters. He occasionally had gossip for you, making you swear not to spread anything around before he would tell you anything. It was usually student gossip that was being spread around anyways, some spat in Savanaclaw, an Ignihyde student locking down a portion of the school website to blast photos of another student doing something embarrassing, and so on. He wouldn't admit it to a soul in the world, not even you, but you were swiftly becoming his favorite. Remarkable grades for someone who didn't even know the Great Seven at the beginning of the school year, the admirable bravery and kindness it took to stop five overblots in their tracks, you were impressive. That feeling of pride in his chest eventually never left.

When the Ferrymen came to remove students and take them to Styx, when he heard two of his students were injured, he sprinted down to the nurses office, feeling a bit shameful in the amount of relief he felt that you were not in one of the beds. When you did show up to check on your friends, he patched up the few scrapes you did have and insisted you didn't do anything rash. He knew how much you'd grown to care for Grim, but you had to leave this to the faculty. He was already boiling with rage at the injuries Ace and Deuce had sustained, if Crowley wouldn't handle this, he'd figure out a way to handle it himself. He should've realized that would be your mindset as well. He was furious when he heard you'd gone off with Rook and Epel to find everyone that had been taken, but more than that, he was afraid. He was afraid you wouldn't come back, and all he could do was wait and watch. When you did eventually come back, Crewel had an entire lecture planned for you, explaining how reckless and irresponsible it was to go running off with Rook and Epel to find Styx like that, how you could've been injured or worse, how he expected better from you. You took it like a champ, fully expecting the lecture before you even went after Rook in the first place. But you were safe, everyone was safe, that's all that mattered to you. You could sit through one lecture. When Crewel finally ran out of steam, he stepped forward and put his hands on your shoulders, getting you to look back up at him.

"I'm glad you're safe, pup, but don't you even think of doing something like this ever again."

"Okay, Dad."

You both froze, but for different reasons. You couldn't believe you slipped up and called a teacher dad, you were extraordinarily embarrassed. Crewel on the other hand was putting a name to exactly what that feeling of pride in his chest is every time he sees you succeed. You may not be his by blood or by law, but you are his. He ruffled your hair and sent you away with an order to rest up after your adventure.

You still came by his office after school, raving about a good grade on a history test or complaining about Grim and Ace getting you and Deuce in trouble in Vargas's class. It felt much lighter than when you first joined him in his office at the beginning of the school year, you had been so tense back then. You eventually took to calling him Dad on occasion, mostly when you were teasing him about something or other. He'd never imagined himself as a father, but he supposed at some point he had decided you were his kid, even subconsciously. It was probably the day he'd decided to stop watching, as soon as he closed that distance in his mind, you became his child. He wouldn't admit it out loud to you, or anyone for that matter, but he did consider you to be his family at this point.

In the meantime, Crowley had been actually, finally, working on a way to send you home, mirrors now lining his office, portals in the frames to different places in Twisted Wonderland, a few that go beyond but not correctly. Not to your home. Crowley had confided in Crewel that he wasn't sure he was going to find you a way home before the end of the school year, not sure what to do with you since they couldn't keep you on campus. Crewel offered up his home in half a heartbeat, more than willing to keep watching over you over the summer should it come to that. They were discussing the logistics of it in Crowley's office when you came into the room, stepping off to the side by the wall when you realized they were speaking, waiting your turn. You were standing in front of a large, full body mirror that nearly reached the ceiling in height when the door slammed open again, shaking the walls, Riddle scolding Kalim for opening the door so recklessly as the rest of the Housewardens filed in behind them. They all got a front row seat to watch the large mirror at your back teeter back and forth for a second, then topple forward and on top of you before you could even realize to dive out of the way. The mirror shattered when it landed flat on the floor, no sign of you underneath. Despite that, Crewel ran to it, enlisting Leona to help him lift it, desperately hoping to find you injured but alive. Find you there. But the only thing below the frame were the splinters of glass, now just reflecting the room instead of a swirling portal.

You were gone.

Crewel nearly throttled Crowley to get any information about that portal that he could. All Crowley could provide was the number he'd written on the back of the frame, a three, and suggested there may be others with that number. Other mirrors had recognizable names on the back, Clock Town square, Fleur City waterways, Scalding Sands outskirts. A few also had numbers, three ones, a five, two busted mirrors with a four on the back and the word dangerous, two had apparently been so uninhabitable that he tossed the mirror out entirely. He explained that he wasn't sure where the numbered mirrors led, they were not familiar lands to him. The ones all led to the exact same spot in a field of flowers he'd never laid eyes on, nor had you upon bringing one back, the five led to the inside of a locked room with lettering inscribed in the walls that you didn't recognize from your world. Three had led to a bustling city street. Crowley had led you through it once during his investigations. You recognized the area, but it was wrong. The way you'd described it was that it looked like three major cities from your world had been mashed together, and the lettering on the signs was unlike anything you'd seen. It wasn't home, but it had given Crowley the idea that he'd been getting close. Crewel sent the Housewardens out of the office at the explanation, and no one argued with his tone, the group of them too shaken by watching their friend disappear before their eyes.

"Bring them back." Crewel snapped as soon as the door closed behind the students.

"I'm sure they're fine, Divus, they even said themselves that it was similar to their home--"

Crewel grabbed him by the lapels on his jacket and dragged him back over to the shattered remains of the mirror. "Similar is not good enough, Dire." He snarled at the man. "You swore you would send them home, not abandon them in another unfamiliar place. Now, it is my pup that is lost as a result of your negligence and you will bring them back here, or so help me, I will--!"

"Alright! Yes, I will work on getting another portal open to them, but it will take time." Crowley agreed, if only to soothe over Crewel's rage. "It took months to find something that resembled their home the first time, and I haven't managed it again."

"Then I guess you had better get started."

The waiting was by far the hardest part. Every day for the first two weeks he would stop by Crowley's office to make sure he was working towards getting you back and to see if there were any developments. There were none. He was there in that office every day he didn't have classes, trying desperately to open the right portal. He and Crowley had told the Housewardens not to say anything to anyone yet, not wanting to worry the friends Crewel had watched you make. After the first two weeks of waiting, they could no longer keep it from Grim. Surprisingly enough, after telling him the news, Grim decided to stick close to Crewel in his free time. He's quieter now that you're missing, knowing he can't do anything. And Crewel said nothing. Azul and Riddle offered Crowley their help in creating portals to try to bring you back, Crewel almost had to threaten him to let them help. Eventually, when news finally spread about the reason behind your disappearance, Malleus came by to offer his assistance as well. It had been four weeks at this point, the five of them working together had managed to open eight new portals to places they didn't recognize, getting rid of every portal that led to another place in Twisted Wonderland to make room for the portals to other worlds in case one of them led to you and they just didn't realize it yet.

The waiting was agonizing. Crewel would, more often than not, end up sleeping at his desk in his office after staying too late with Crowley making portals and having to stay up longer to grade assignments. His office felt so quiet without you inserting yourself every day, he'd gotten so used to grading papers while you talked to him about your day that it was now hard to focus on it in the silence. But he had a duty to all his other students. So he kept teaching, training his other pups correctly lest they stray in his absence. But even the students noticed the change. He was quicker to anger, more harsh in his grading which they didn't think was possible, less tolerant of even the smallest mistakes. Trein had to pull him aside one day, three weeks after, to tell him he needed to take a break, that students were confiding in him about Crewel's behavior. He knew how he was acting, he knew how exhausted he was, but how could he be expected to stop when he knew you were out there somewhere? His kid was missing somewhere so far out of reach that finding them was, at this point, down to a shot in the dark, how could he be expected to take a break?

Four weeks had gone by with no sign of the portal you'd gone through. Riddle had dropped his appearances down to just the weekends, Azul had stopped coming entirely while claiming that he had to focus on the Lounge, Malleus returned every day like clockwork to try to find his dearest friend, but even he was starting to lose hope. Crewel still spent every waking moment that he wasn't fulfilling his role as a teacher on finding you. He had to drag Crowley back into the search a few times, and they'd fought about it more than once. Crewel, exhausted from lack of sleep and daily accumulation of blot, would shout at Crowley for not caring nearly enough that one of the students was missing, not caring enough to put his all into finding them again, how it was just like him to think his problems were solved once you were out of reach. Crowley would argue back that he was doing all he could, but he couldn't drop everything to look for one student when there were hundreds more to look after. They were in the middle of one of their arguments when Riddle stepped out of one of the portals, a medium sized vanity mirror they'd hung on the wall.

"Excuse me, Headmaster?" Riddle called out, causing the men to stop shouting long enough to listen. "You said it was a city street corner, correct?"

"Neon lights and the smell of the ocean, yes." Crowley nodded, crossing his arms.

"I believe I found it."

The two men glanced at each other quickly, silently agreeing to set aside their differences for the moment, and rushed forward to the mirror, letting it pull them through to the other side. They stepped out and landed on a cracked sidewalk atop a hill, neon lights reflecting off the puddles on the road, cars rushing past. Looking back, it seemed their portal had manifested in the window of a shop, the display inside blocking anyone in the store from seeing them suddenly appear in the street.

"This is it." Crowley confirmed before turning to go back through the portal. "I'll go see about getting a search party together and we can--"

Crewel didn't wait for him to finish, cupping his hands around his mouth and shouting your name down the street. There was barely any chance you stuck around on this road for four weeks, but he had to try. He didn't notice Crowley step through the portal again, and he paid no mind to the people watching him shouting your name like a mad man. He had to try. They'd found the connection, they'd come this far, you were within reach again, he couldn't just give up now. He wandered down the street, still shouting your name. The sun was setting on this unfamiliar world, he didn't want to risk not being able to find the portal home again for fear of not being able to lead you to it, but he couldn't just give up now. He ran a hand through his already messy hair in distress, eyes darting frantically around at the faces that were passing him by. Where would you have gone if you left? He didn't want to even entertain the idea of the worst having happened. The sun had disappeared below the horizon and his voice had gone hoarse from yelling when he heard it. He wasn't exactly sure what it was over the sounds of the cars rushing past and over the puddles in the road, but it made ears perk up. He looked around again, spinning around to try to find where it had come from when he heard it again, across the street. Your voice.

"Dad?!" You shouted over the rush of the cars, absolutely beaming when he finally made eye contact.

"Pup!" Crewel nearly collapsed in relief, he could feel tears gathering in the corners of his eyes.

"Hold on, I'm coming to you! Just stay there!" You shouted back, bouncing in place for a moment before disappearing into the crowd.

He felt the anxiety take hold again once he couldn't see you anymore, but you looked fine. Healthy, not injured, fed, even from a distance he could tell you were okay. He took his moment alone to thank the Sevens for that, if nothing else.

"How did you find me?!" You asked through a laugh as you emerged from the crowd and approached him.

You met his hug with equal fervor as he pulled you tight against him, the relief of having you within arms reach shattering any remaining decorum his sleep deprivation had left him with. He didn't hold you long, however, pulling you back by the shoulders to examine you. He was right. Healthy, not injured, not starving. A little dirty, bags under your eyes, but those could be fixed. You were safe, and that was all that mattered.

"We've been looking for you for weeks, Pup." He admitted, shoulders sagging under the weight of the relief. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm alright. I tried to get back through the portal but it must've closed behind me." You chuckled as you showed him your knuckles, cuts scabbed over now. "I got pissed off and punched it. I'm just glad I didn't get arrested for breaking the window, honestly."

"You and me both." Crewel shook his head, thinking it just like you. "The mirror shattered when it hit the floor, that's why you couldn't get back. You don't look like you've been sleeping in alleys, at least."

"No, I found a shelter to stay at, and I've been coming back here every day to wait for someone to come get me." You explained quickly. "I'm so glad you came."

"Of course I did." He sighed, putting a hand on top of your head. "I wasn't about to leave you here."

"Thanks Dad." You said quietly, stepping forward to hug him again. He held you close, rubbing your back as he did. "Can we go home now?"

"Yes, Pup. Let's go home."

Upon your return to Twisted Wonderland, while you were greeting Riddle and Malleus who had just been waiting for you to emerge, Crewel finally realized he could put words to the worry he was feeling during the waiting.

He didn't know how he was supposed to say good-bye to his child once Crowley finally found the right connection to send you home.

I DO NOT GIVE PERMISSION TO USE MY WORK TO TRAIN AI

‧₊˚ ┊ It all started with a comment from Ace at breakfast. Somehow, the topic of periods was brought up amongst yourself and the other first years, a subject you were very familiar with. You, obviously, expressed how terrible periods can be, especially the cramps. Ortho, of course, responded with a scientific explanation of the excruciating cramps can be. "According to a brief bit of research, some people report experiencing cramps so painful that they find themselves unable to walk and some even report passing out." For some reason, the statement causes Ace to respond with an amused huff. "Oh, c'mon, that's a bit of an overreaction, don't you think? It seriously can't be that bad." The others looked between each other, clearly put off by the rather rude comment.

‧₊˚ ┊ "Um, from what I've heard, period cramps are pretty painful." Deuce hesitantly spoke up, awkwardly shooting you a glance as he tried to broach the subject as carefully as possible. "Yeah, they're no joke, Ace. You're kinda making yourself look like a jerk." Jack's stern assertion pulls a gruff chortle from Epel. "I mean, they can't be that bad, can't they? Girls act like they're getting their organs pulled out or somethin'. It's just a little blood, ain't it?" This time, Sebek speaks up with a rather… unexpected response. "Just a just bit of blood? JUST A BIT OF BLOOD, ARE YOU SERIOUS? THE PAIN ENDURED ON A MONTHLY BASIS IS COMPARABLE TO THE PAIN A SOLDIER EXPERIENCES ON THE BATTLEFIELD! YOU VASTLY UNDERESTIMATE HOW EXCRUCIATING CRAMPS CAN BE! TELL THESE FOOLS WHO WRONG THEY ARE, PREFECT!" 

‧₊˚ ┊ The table falls silent as they look to you — the only girl in their little group — for your say on the matter. Of course, you know that Ace and Epel's takes are a bunch of bullshit, but instead of calling them out on it now, you immediately start planning how to best to get your point across. "Sebek and the others are right. Cramps can be really bad at times, especially for people with conditions that make the pain worse. It's not fair for you to undermine pain you haven't experienced just because you think it's 'not that bad'. It's kinda a dick move, to be honest." Ace and Epel, of course, launch into arguments about how they 'weren't trying to be rude' but their clamoring falls on deaf ears.

‧₊˚ ┊ Not to defend them, but Ace and Epel have literally no idea how bad periods can be. Sebek and Jack have sisters, so they know full well the wrath periods wreck on one's body. Deuce, on the other hand, grew up watching his mom work her ass off day in and day out, period be damned, but even she had her days when the cramps got the best of her. Ortho only understands periods from a scientific perspective, but is completely aware of how terrible that can be for those that have them. All this to say, none of the boys have experienced cramps for themselves, but that's about to change. (Queue the evil, maniacal, laugher.)

‧₊˚ ┊ Sam boasts that his shop has literally everything for sale. You want a magic crystal? He's got it. You want school supplies? Say less. You want a period crank simulator? Odd request, but he's got it. For the low, low price of twenty thaumarks — after a discount thanks to all the points you've saved up from shopping there so often — you are now the owner of your very own period crank simulator machine! Now, you can put it to good use by showing the boys just how painful cramps can truly be.

‧₊˚ ┊ The next day, the first years gather at Ramshackle at your behest, confused and totally unprepared for what awaits them. "I have called you all here today for a very important meeting. The other day, the subject of period cramps was brought up, and I thought, since you all have never experienced them, that now would be a good time for you to see what I have to go through every month." Everyone except Ortho goes deadly silent, their expressions dropping and faces going pale. Immediately, Ace and Epel start trying to make up for their comments from the other day, while Sebek, Deuce, and Jack silently hope that they'll be exempt from this punishment. "Alright, who's going first? Of course, I won't subject Ortho to this, so play rock-paper-scissors, or I'll pick one of you myself." (Ortho decides that since he can't participate, he'll stand back and collect data on the experience instead lol.)

‧₊˚ ┊ Hesitantly, Deuce raises his hand. "I already know that isn't going to be good, but I'd like to get it out of the way as soon as possible." Sebek stands up to join him. "HOW HONORABLE OF YOU, SPADE! WORRY NOT, FOR I SHALL NOT LET YOU FACE THIS TERROR ALONE!" Despite his bravado, he looks a bit… queasy as you hook them up to the machine. Starting off on the lowest setting, they both seem to handle the pain pretty well. Level two sees them squirming a little, and by level three they're both tapping out. The others watch in horror as they both double other in pain, clutching their stomachs and begging you to switch off the machine.

‧₊˚ ┊ "Guess it's my turn now." Jack sighs, his ears pinned back against his head as he hesitantly approaches the machine. "I-I'll go too!" Much to everyone's surprise, Epel speaks up too. He wears a look of confidence that's undeniably marred by an undercurrent of what can only be described as fear. Level one and two go by without much of a hitch, maybe a sharp inhale or some uncomfortable squirming, but nothing crazy. Level three seems them both gritting their teeth and squeezing their eyes shut, but they don't tap out. So, you turn it up to level four. Jack and Epel last did all of ten seconds before they're frantically begging you to turn the machine off.

‧₊˚ ┊ "Well, you're up, Ace. Let's see if all the big talk amounts to anything." The cruel smirk that finds your lips sends a shiver down Ace's spine. He talked a big game about cramps not being that bad, but his precious confidence has all but eroded away after watching the others being subjected to this cruel form of torture. Still, Ace can't just back out after talking all that shit. "F-fine. Let's see how bad they really are." From the moment you turn the machine up to level one, Ace looks like he's about to throw up. While he plays like the pain is nothing, the way he grips the fabric of his pants tight enough to turn his knuckles white says otherwise. Wordlessly, you turn the machine up to level two. For a solid five seconds, everything is fine, but then the pain catches up with Ace's brain and he taps out. All that talk, and he calls it quits on level two. Hilarious. (Despite it all, the other first years find this ironically funny too.)

kinda obsessed with the fact that there are multiple voice lines across different characters' cards testifying to the fact that yuu likes to cling to and grab and poke people — but also that these voice lines are usually people telling yuu to let go or stop bothering them

yunyun's touchy by nature and definitely still a little traumatized from orientation and being surrounded by students in ceremonial robes is not a comfortable reminder

but also it's not that deep — deuce is understandably protective of the robes that symbolize his acceptance into a prestigious school, yuu wants a little comfort in a stressful situation wherever they can get it, and ace is a petty bitch <3 they find a compromise !

you reject yuu?? oh, that's okay. yuu will find a way to cope... yuu always does...

He stilled briefly before another sigh left his lips and he began hesitantly wheeling you towards the door to the hall. He guided you through the maze of corridors in complete silence.

Your mind begins to drift just as he reaches the door to the headmage's office, but him halting snaps you out of it.

"I'll ask you one more time, Pup. Are you sure about this?"

You take a shaky breath "Yes."

Crewel pauses for a moment as if waiting for you to change your mind before he shakes his head and hesitantly reaches for the door handle. "Remember, you can back out at any time." And with that, he opens the door and wheels you in.

Crewel had left your chair behind the desk of the headmage before hesitantly exiting the room. When he came back it was with a disheveled looking man you didn't recognize until you remembered your reason for being here. This was the first time you'd seen him without his mask after all.

The man who once stood so incredibly tall in your eyes, too out of reach to get through to, was now crumpled to the ground before you in a heap. Before you might have felt sympathy, but, cruel as it may be, as you stared down upon him now from the very position he once treated as a throne, you found the sight fitting. He was knelt there in a pathetic cacophony of the consequences to his own actions, fallen just as unceremoniously as Ramshackle had.

"I'm sorry." The quiet words of the former head mage barely met your ears. It sounded genuine enough, but sorry wouldn't erase the damage done. However, you had a feeling he knew that as well as you did. "In my time confined. . ." the man began "I dedicated myself to the research I should have done ages ago. I was. . .informed of your feelings on the matter, I know it's of no use to you now, but I felt it was the only way I could do anything for you now."

Your eyes soften slightly.

"Be it that this ever happens again to anyone else. . .I thought it would be useful knowledge to have. I. . .don't mean to make myself sound thoughtful now. As I said before, my actions were motivated mostly by my own selfish desire to lessen the regret I feel."

Crewel who's standing by the door scoffs and after a beat of silence you ask "And did it?"

Crowley's face softens into a bittersweet smile that's more bitter than sweet "Not at all."

"I don't forgive you," you begin.

"I would not expect you to."

"However, I can't say I hate you either," you pause. "I can tell you're sincerely sorry. Were you to have come in here and not seemed truly remorseful it would have been a different story." Achily, you wheel your chair around the desk, shaking your head when Crewel tries to stop you.

You come to a halt before Crowley. "Neither of us asked for this, I understand that. Truth be told, since I got here, despite your many shortcomings and your negligence, I've seen you as a protective figure of sorts. As stupid as it may sound, I still do." He looks up and you meet his wavering gaze with your own strong yet slightly shaky one. "Once you pay for your actions. . .I would like us to start new. When that day comes, I believe it'll have been long enough for me to forgive you and you to change."

Crewel chokes in the background at your words and Crowley seems equally as stunned if not more.

Not long after, Crowley is escorted out of the office and you're left to slump back in your wheelchair, exhausted and aching. "Until then."

It's as you sit staring out the window in the headmage's office and waiting for Crewel to get back that he finally shows up. You likely wouldn't have noticed had it not been for the soft padding of paws.

At the door stands a figure far too familiar for you to ever mistake but, for the first time since you met him, he's quiet.

"Grim," you call softly, but your only response is a small flinch.

"I know you must have gone through so much-"

You're cut off by a gray blur darting across the room and climbing carefully into your lap in a messy flood of tears.

"Oh, Grim." You whisper and wrap your arms around the direbeast. Before you know it, your tears are flowing just as heavily. For the first time since the collapse, you allow yourself to cry. Actually cry.

Once the flood starts, it just doesn't stop.

Grim is the first to speak through broken sobs "I-I'm s-so sorry. . ."

"For what?" you ask, also struggling to speak through the tears.

"I-If I had just b-been there! If I wasn't always acting out and hadn't gotten detention. . .I may have heard- I could have gotten you out-"

"Grim, I-. . .I know nothing I say now could possibly make you understand as I do the way I see things, but I want to tell you none-the-less. Thank you. You saved my life. And I know you may not see things the same, but I truly do just want you to know how grateful I am. I was told that the moment you heard I was in trouble you ran with all you could through the pouring rain to get me help and even stayed as they worked to find me. And most of all. . .I want you to know how grateful I am that you care. As cruel as it sounds, I'm so happy you and everyone else wept for me. I never belonged in this world. Not that long ago there would have been nobody to mourn me if I were to die. I had no family here, no friends. But ever since I met you, despite the trouble, I began to meet people I now hold dear. Grim, I have no doubt that out of everyone you were hit the hardest by all of this, and I'm unbelievably sorry for that, but I'm also so glad. In my eyes, you have become family. Knowing that if I were to pass, I'd have family to mourn me, even in this world I was never meant for. . .I- thank you, Grim."

Crewel could hear the sobbing from the other side of the door where he waited, not wanting to interrupt the moment. Leona down the hall could hear the sobs. Even the students in the courtyard were said to have heard a soft hint of the small family's tears on the wind.

(Rain, But No Thunder)

Three weeks after the collapse

On the 3rd week it was announced that Crowley had officially been fired.

"Hey, Pup." a familiar voice called to you from the doorway.

You could tell by his tone that he was nervous. "I heard the news"

Professor Crewel pales at your scratchy admission. "I-. . .I see."

He crosses the room to sit next to your bed. "Look-"

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't at all upset, but I think I'm okay."

A moment of silence stretches out between you.

Tick Tick Tick Tick

You no longer need to focus on the ticking of the clock to keep your mind off the pain. It hasn't completely gone away, but you've gotten used to what pain you currently endure.

"I. . .I know you probably saw him as your only way home. . ."

The man trails off, unsure of what to say next and you make no move to alleviate the awkward silence.

Tick Tick Tick Tick

When you do finally speak it's in a soft, barely audible tone "I. . .don't want to go."

A/N cont.: I cannot express how much this fic and more importantly all the support I've gotten from it have meant to me. I never meant for this to become a series or even to get any attention, but you all came in and showed me so much love and support. Honestly, I never even meant to become a fic author like this. I was just writing a couple of one-off ideas to get them out of my head. I am so grateful to each and every one of you. I feel kind of sad now that the main story is over (I may write more little side bits to it). I hope I can write more in the future that makes you all feel as much as this fic has <3

I'm sorry this installment took so long. There really isn't any reason it should have. I suppose I really am just lazy by nature.

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The horde of dragons that had emerged from the portal above Ramshackle was steadily speeding towards the campus field upon which Vargas' flying class was taking place. The students had all landed when it had become clear the dragons were coming straight towards them, but they were still in a potential danger zone being out in the open.

Silver had been one of the students in that class and was now readying himself, pulling out his magic pen and taking a defensive stance. A white flash in the distance caught his attention, however, and it was approaching fast. Way faster than the larger group. As the figure got clearer, he realized it too was a dragon, but this one appeared to have a rider. The horde was about 1,000 ft (≈304 meters) out and the white dragon and its rider had just about caught up. The dragon shifted, now flying upside down under the horde, approaching the head of the group. The rider guided the dragon into a slanted ascent up once they reached the head to force the group upwards.

Silver watched as the dragons just barely missed him, the sheer force of air displaced by their mighty wings forcing him back and onto the ground. The close call was certainly concerning, but what threw the boy off more than anything was the realization that the person riding the dragon had been the magicless prefect of Ramshackle dorm.

Meanwhile, you were now leading the horde in a steep ascent, basically straight upwards at this point. You mentally thanked the seven that your mount was still on your dragon along with the straps that kept your feet firmly at your dragon's side. You took a look back to see if the end of the group was now a safe distance off the ground, and when you saw they were, you started to slow the ascent up and level out so you're right-side up. You pull the group into a wide circle above a clear part of the field. The dragons follow suit and gradually begin drifting down in a sort of dragon tornado. as they reach the ground they disperse from the tight cluster and spread out across the field until you touch down too.

To nobody's surprise, when Crowley saw the horde of dragons, he made it his first priority to make them someone else's problem an called a dorm leader meeting. . .in the field because he couldn't get you into the building without your draconic companion.

So here you all were. Sitting at a fold out table in fold out chairs in the middle of the field—surrounded by dragons.

Crowley obnoxiously cleared his throat: "So, as I'm sure you've all noticed- eh. Hold on." Crowley was squinting across the field into the hoard of dragons where a pair of horns different from the rest caught his eye. "Is that. . ." he mumbled to himself. Multiple pairs of eyes followed his line of sight until they landed on a certain horned dorm leader out in the field seemingly conversing with his draconic companions.

Not long after, a white blob could be seen slinking through the crowd of reptiles. When it reached Malleus, it bit his blazer and started dragging him along toward the makeshift meeting table.

"Alright then, now that everyone is present, uhm. . .I suppose we should start by discussing what happened."

A groan comes from across the table "A hoard of lizards came spillin' out a portal. What else is there to discuss." The statement came from none other than the lazy dorm leader of Savanaclaw—not that that was a surprise to anyone present.

"For once, I agree with Kingshcolar. I believe it would be best to get straight to what we do about this. All of us were on campus to witness the event, afterall." Azul, ever the beacon of efficiency, suggested.

It didn't take long for the meeting to be taken over by the dorm leaders rather than the crow. It was eventually decided, with your input, that the dragons should be divided into groups to stay in each of the dorms based on their respective, environmental needs. You would provide care instructions to each of the groups and stop by periodically to make sure things were going well and answer any questions that may arise.

Sebek was by far the least enthusiastic about the new companions joining him in the dorm. The only dragon he held in high regard was Waka-sama.

However, he did eventually start to warm up to the dragons in his own kind of way. Especially to a certain lighting dragon with an affinity for sparring.

Sebek had been out in the courtyard of the Diasomnia dorm practicing his sword work when a flash of deep green caught his eye. On the other side of the courtyard there stood a deep green dragon with sharp eyes and a spiked, swaying tail. Said eyes were locked on Sebek.

When the dragon recognized that he noticed it, it stalked closer to the boy.

"What do you want?" Sebek hissed "I'm quite busy training to better protect my liege!"

The dragon only stood there, staring deeply at him before it eventually shifted its gaze to his sword.

Sebek's eyes narrowed. "Well, what is it? Do you wish to duel?" he scoffed.

The dragon's eyes shifted back up to meet his in silent confirmation.\

Sebek scoffed once more, but this time with a smirk on his face "Well, I'll have you know, I'm no easy mark! I-"

He was cut off by a spiked tail swinging right past his face.

It started as them just being sparring partners, but, after a while, the relationship between Sebek and the dragon he dubbed Tempest had shifted to one of companionship. About two weeks in, Sebek had not so slyly inquired you about dragon saddles/mounts as well as what foods lighting dragons especially enjoyed.

"Well?" you asked.

Sebek was staring wide eyed at Tempest. The dragon stood proudly in front of him with a custom dragon mount on its back (don't ask how you got it). Sebek hesitantly reached out, grazing his hand across the black leather of the piece.

"C'mon. I can teach you how to ride him." you slapped Sebek on the back, your dragon mimicking the action with its tail.

Sebek had similar feeling toward your dragon that he did the ones that had taken up residence in Diasomnia. When he first met D/N he had a permanent judgmental look on his face. Turns out, the feeling was mutual as D/N's tail kept accidentally finding its way right in front of his feet, constantly causing the boy to trip. This earns the two many lectures from you on getting along and being nice to each other.

Luckily, things do calm down after a while, but there will always remain that sense of rivalry almost between the two.

Any time you're standing especially close to Sebek, or, Sevens forbid, holding hands, D/N will be right there to split you up. D/N will innocently nuzzle into you as if it were only asking for affection, adn, of course, you'll oblige. However, when you're not looking, D/N will shoot Sebek a cocky smirk.

With these two, it'll be a constant fight for your attention, but at least you know you'll always be protected.

Silver is pretty neutral about the whole thing, if not a little bit fond of the new creatures sharing his space.

The dragon Silver ends up becoming the most fond of is a tiny, silver, fairy dragon.

Silver had been taking a walk out in the forest when drowsiness hit him like a blastcyle. It's not all that uncommon for him to wake up sore when this happens as it usually has him collapsing unceremoniously to the hard ground. However, when he woke up this time, not only was he not sore, but he was laying on an especially soft bed of grass, leaves, and flora.

He sits up, looking around in a bit of confusion before getting up and continuing on his way. It wasn't until he walked into Diasomnia and Lilia looked at him with the widest grin. Silver just stared at the old Fae in confusion until Sebek finally came over and started shouting.

"WHAT CREATURE HAVE YOU BROUGHT WITH YOU INTO THE GREAT CASTLE OF OUR LEIGE?!"

Silver blinked slowly, looking down at himself. Sebek scoffed and snatched something out of Silver's hair. A small squeak comes a moment later and Sebek holds a little fairy dragon in front of Silver's face. Silver blinks and slowly reaches out to take the dragon from Sebek's hands. The dragon chirps out for Silver, squirming to get out of Sebek's hands.

It wasn't long until the two became close companions. Silver had initially tried to send the dragon back off into nature, but he eventually gave up. The little dragon he dubbed Mist followed him around everywhere, always providing a soft landing whenever he would fall asleep standing up.

Despite being a still sleeper, Silver still worried about Mist sleeping in the same bed and possibly getting crushed. He tried various different alternatives for a bed for Mist, but the dragon never seemed to take to them. So, Silver came to ask you.

"Fairy dragons tend to sleep in flowers. If you don't already have any in your room, it may prefer sleeping next to you because you smell like one."

The next day you show up to his dorm room with potted plants fairy dragons tend to be fond of.

D/N actually adores Silver. It's not that unexpected considering Silver's track record with animals, but it was still a bit surprising when you first walked outside to see D/N curled around silver and Mist under the shade of a tree taking a nap.

Sometimes you can't help but wonder if the two secretly share a soul or something when you say something neither of them understand and they tilt their heads in unison, making the same face.

If you ever see the little nap pile under a tree, don't get close unless you don't have anything planned for the next few hours because D/N will drag you in with its tail to join.

Lilia is second only to Malleus in his excitement for the new critters running around. The baby dragons seem naturally drawn to Lilia which is both a good and really, REALLY bad thing. As if the little dragons weren't mischevious enough on their own.

A bat wyvern that watches over the baby dragons ends up being the one Lilia bonds with the most. The way they met was quite simple. Lilia had attracted a horde of baby dragons and the wyvern noticed, watching him intently to make sure he wasn't a threat.

The relationship Lilia and the dragon he dubbed Snuffles (he tried to name her cupcake, but she didn't approve; leading to this compromise) is a strange one. On one hand, they get along quite well as equals, especially when it comes to caring for the baby dragons. However, other times it feels like Lilia has become one of the littles she's caring for. Diasomnia is very grateful for her as any time Lilia even takes a step into the kitchen she drags him out. When Lilia stays up too long gaming, Snuffles will cover his screen with her wing until he finally gives in and goes to bed.

Snuffles gets along great with the other Diasomnia boys. She carries Silver to bed, brings Sebek water when he trains, and poses for Malleus to use as a reference for carving Gargoyles.

D/N doesn't like Lilia very much. He's too much of a prankster and rage baiter. It's the exact opposite of how D/N and Sebek get along. In this situation it's Lilia giving the smug look when you look away and wedging himself between you two.

It takes a while, but the two eventually settle into a more amicable relationship. D/N has a bit of a mischievous streak of their own, so it's inevitable that the two start causing mayhem together.

This leads to you forming a pretty close friendship with Snuffles as the two of you have to work together to stop the two from terrorizing the general student population.

Malleus is overjoyed. Clear skies for weeks. He finds himself visiting all of the dorms to meet all the types of dragons that have graced his campus with their presence.

The dragon, or dragons, Malleus becomes close to are a pseudo-Gargoyle and a massive Quetzalcoatl style dragon. The pseudo-gargoyle was a vicious little thing, and the Quetzalcoatl was a gentle giant.

Malleus first met the two when he was taking a stroll through the dark forests behind Diasomnia. He was taking a stroll in the quiet twilight hours when he came across an oddly placed wall. He had taken this route multiple times and there had never been a wall there before.

He stood there and studied the wall for a while before eventually realizing it wasn't a wall at all. It was the scaled body of a massive serpent. He considered venturing to find the creatures head in order to converse, but the thing beat him to it. There was a rumbling before a massive head peaked over the wall of scales, meeting eyes with Malleus. There was a tense moment of silence before a ferocious squeak caught his attention and a small dragon that looked just like the stone gargoyles he so admired.

It took absolutely no time for Malleus to get close to the dragons he dubbed Mathilda and Bellamy. Mathilda, meaning 'mighty in battle' for the Gargoyle and Bellamy, meaning 'good friend' for the Quetzalcoatl. He would bring the two with him to view gargoyles and use them as models for his stone carvings.

Mathilda was very vocal about everything, and I do genuinely mean everything. A lesser man wouldn't be able to handle her, but Malleus was no such thing. She was the dragon equivalent of a chihuahua.

Bellamy on the other hand was rather timid despite his size and appearance. He scared off most people and dragons, so he was happy when Mathilda found him and even happier when Malleus joined their little group of misfits.

There was one problem that really bothered Malleus. Bellamy was too big to join he and Mathilda in most activities. He considered casting a shrinking spell, but he worried this world's magic could have negative affects of the creatures of your world.

He eventually decided to ask you for help.

"Bellamy? He is rather big, isn't he. Here." You led Malleus behind Ramshackle where there were a few plants he didn't recognize growing. "When the dragons came through, some of them were carrying seeds for different plants from my world." you explain, picking a blue berry from one of them and chucking it up to Bellamy to eat. When he does his size decreases considerably.

"I can propagate a start for you. The berry doesn't wear off on its own so when he wants to be big again you'll want to feed him this one." you point at a plant with a red berry.

If asked, Malleus would say he gets along with D/N great. D/N on the other hand.... They're a little intimidated by Malleus and his enthusiasm to learn about them.

This doesn't last too terribly long though as D/N eventually comes to the realization that Malleus is just a big nerd and when he gets the information he wants he'll cool it...a little at least.

The biggest breath through came when D/N met Malleus' dragon form. They were a little jealous when they learned there was another dragon so close to you, but eventually got over it when Malleus entertained their requests to play and race.

A/N: I had so much more I wanted to elaborate on in Malleus' part, but I didn't want to show too much favoritism to his part. If anyone has questions or headcanons please send them to me though!! I wanna yap about TWST dragons!

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