Momento Mori

“When was the last time he beheaded you?” Deuce asked, genuinely curious.

“I’m magicless,” You raise an eyebrow. “It would have no effect, so does it really matter?”

“But it’s uncomfortable,” Ace points out, jabbing a finger at your chest as the duo try to break through your inability to connect to seemingly simple dots. “You think he’d still gain some satisfaction from that.”

You open your mouth to further plead your case, but you find yourself pausing, internally agreeing with Ace (not that you’d tell him that). The last time you had been beheaded was around the overblot, and since then it was just scoldings and lectures. 

“And when your tie is crooked, he fixes it for you,” Deuce chimes in.

“And when your hair is messy, he smooths it out,” Ace tags along.

A dawning look of realization flashes across your face, and the duo eat it up. Finally, FINALLY you seem to notice that it does seem a bit unusual, that he’s not being his usual intense self, nor does he dote on anyone else like that.

A similar situation goes on with Riddle, Trey and Cater pointing out Riddle’s affection for you, but in more subtle ways.

“You really care for them,” Trey hums, mindlessly finishing his homework. 

Riddle pauses his talk of how his day was, unknowingly rambling about you, and how you shaped it. His face flushes, but he does not reprimand his friend (progress), instead he contemplates the meaning. 

“Haha, totes,” Cater agrees, focusing more on his phone than the homework on his table. “It’s cute how you both are so oblivious to each other.”

Riddle feels his blood pressure rising, and he’s unsure if it’s because they are talking to him so casually about his feelings that he totally doesn’t have, or if it’s because he’s flustered at how they nailed it right on the head.

“Don’t be presumptuous,” Riddle huffs, double checking his homework to make sure it’s all accounted for and correct. “We are good friends, nothing more and nothing less.”

“You double check their bag to make sure they have all their supplies accounted for,” Trey mumbles mindlessly.

“And you don’t hesitate to give them something if they need it,” Cater points out.

Riddle’s face was bright as a tomato as he clears his throats and excuses himself to his room.

While everyone thinks they finally won, that the torment would finally end, and you both will realize each other's feelings and mushy happiness ensues…it only got worse. Every interaction becomes a guessing game of what the other’s intentions are while trying to balance your own emotions, and the Heartslabyul students continue to suffer.

❥ Leona Kingscholar

Oh boy, if Riddle and you are a nightmare for everyone around you, then Leona is your own personal nightmare. Every insult you took to heart, every swipe of his tail left you feeling like you did something wrong, and it got to the point that you tried to avoid the lion beastman altogether. You couldn’t annoy him if you weren’t around, right? Wrong. In fact, Ruggie had seeked you out because the prince was in a foul mood, and Ruggie swore it was due to your absence. You really couldn’t wrap your head around the hyena’s logic, as Leona had been nothing but indifferent, if not displeased when you were around. 

“He’s always like that,” Ruggie waved you off, dragging you to the botanical gardens where the prince laid. You swore he was lying though, as Leona’s tail swished, ear twitching as you approached, and you felt way too overwhelmed. There was no way he wanted you nearby, you just couldn’t wrap your head around how he possibly likes your presence in any way possible. ‘He’s bad at showing affection’ Your inner Ruggie chimed, but you stood tensely anyways, unsure if you should stay or leave. 

“What are you doing?” Leona grumbled, one green eye opening lazily. You felt his stare penetrate into your soul, you swore he was glaring you down for intruding in his space. 

“S-sorry,” You nervously mumble, hand fidgeting with the hem of your sleeves. “Ruggie dragged me in here saying you wanted…company? But clearly he was wrong, sorry again.” You decided to try and bolt, hoping the apology would satisfy the lion enough to distract him from your escape, only for a hand to grab your ankle. 

Your heart beat erratically in your chest, head spinning as adrenaline fills your veins. You felt like you had just stepped into a horror movie called social anxiety and terrible life decisions (though being transported to some weird world was not your decision). Leona’s claws briefly imprinted on your skin as he dragged you closer, nearly causing you to fall.

“Shut up,” He tsked, hand not letting you go (like he knew you were two seconds away from running for dear life). “C’mere, ‘m tired and I don’t wanna deal with this right now.”

You blinked, unsure where exactly he wanted you to go, body tense with stress and uncertainty, head swiveling, like you’d surely find an escape somewhere. Instead of escape, perhaps hiding in your dorm room for the rest of the day to try and recuperate from this intense and scary experience, Leona seemed to have enough of your ‘obliviousness’, reached up, grabbed your shirt, and quite literally drag your standing frame to fall onto his which was laying on the ground. You nearly screamed as you careened towards his chest, your breath nearly leaving your lungs as the lion cushioned your fall, arms wrapping around your back as he closed his eyes. 

You did not relax, if anything, your body turned into stone, holding your breath as you wondered who you pissed off in your past life to deal with this. You must’ve killed someone quite important. 

“Relax,” Leona sighed, his warm breath caressing your ear. “‘M not gonna bite…unless you want me to.” You did not relax for several more minutes, not until his breathing evened out and you were sure he was unconscious. You laid there, bones feeling like jelly as the adrenaline wore off, mind reeling with what the hell was currently happening.

Leona’s mixed signals were quite literally your worst enemy in a world of magic, constant overblots, and a neglectful headmaster. You were never sure if the lion hated your guts, or if he secretly liked you? Leona hated how you couldn’t decipher his near impossible signs, wishing you could read his mind, not wanting to ruin his ‘image’ in front of his dorm members. The only one having any hoot or holler would be Ruggie as you both awkwardly navigated around the other. Ironically, you both did fill the role of predator and prey perfectly.

❥ Azul Ashengrotto

Ohhhhhhh boy. Azul absolutely has a hate love relationship with your inability to pick up on certain social cues. Some moments, you could read the room well, tell when someone was upset, or sad, or even so happy they were crying, other moments he wanted to slam his head against the wall as you took all his words to heart, even if he was trying to flirt or make a stupid joke. The twins made the situation ten times worse as they liked to mess with you.

“Azul mentioned that he’s quite tired today,” Jade would hum innocently, fixing you a drink at the bar.

“Oh, did something happen?” You would ask, falling straight for the bait Jade laid out perfectly.

“You could say so,” Jade’s grin widened, mischief and amusement swirling in his gaze. “Said you kept him up all night.”

Your brows furrow, unsure what the eel meant. You hadn’t texted (especially not called) anyone last night, too exhausted with all the socializing you had been doing and had some unwind time. So you’re not sure what you had done to keep the merman up the previous night.

“Did I do something?” You asked, genuinely concerned if you had made a mistake. Perhaps you had done something offensive in their culture? Or insulted him unknowingly? (You weren’t proud to admit that you had done that before). 

Instead of being helpful, kind, or friendly (things Jade were not known for), he merely shrugged, pushing you a drink and moving on to the next customer, an extra shine of glee in his eyes at your misery. 

Floyd wasn’t much better. 

“Can you both just get together already?” Floyd whined, slumping in his seat across from you as you tried to focus on homework. Of course he ruined that.

“What?” You questioned, eyebrows furrowing in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

“You and Azul, duh,” He rolled his eyes like it was the most obvious thing. You merely blinked, trying to connect whatever dots that Floyd just created.

“Why would we be together?” You ask, dropping your pencil, completely forgetting the frustrating work that was assigned (it’s not like you had the context to answer it anyways). “You mean like dating?”

“DUH,” He groaned, like this was physically paining him. “What else? You both clearly like each other, just kiss and get over it already.” It felt like your face was on fire as you tried to process whatever the hell he was spewing.

It honestly left you confused. You thought Azul was just being nice, a friend trying to make up for his transgressions against you and your friends (and sometimes you questioned his intentions as he had conned you before). Sure, sometimes he would say something that would fluster you, a compliment here, a light touch to your shoulder there (even you knew that was out of character for the reserved business man), but the twins had opened your mind to a whole other venture you hadn’t even thought about.

Azul noticed a change, not obvious, but you seemed to finally be taking in his advances. Your eyes would widen, like the dots were finally appearing in your head, sometimes it even seemed like you were looking at him in a new light altogether (cus you kind of were…). His fond frustration melted into excitement. Finally, what felt like stagnation started to gain traction, and it even emboldened him to up his moves, to make sure you couldn’t question his intentions. After all, if you struggled understanding what his gestures meant, then that meant he had to make sure that his intentions were obvious (maybe just communicate your feelings properly…).

❥ Jamil Viper

Hahaha…so Jamil is kind of the embodiment of subtle care, especially when he refuses to acknowledge his own feelings. At first it’s in ways you don’t notice. How his eyes trail after you, making sure you’re okay. The way he eyes your meals, always cataloging how unhealthy they are, noting how you shiver during a chilly day only in a short sleeve shirt, or how you always seem exhausted even if you got a full night's sleep (which can be rare with the aduo around). 

Jamil tries to shove these mental notes to the side. It’s not like he has the time to take care of anyone else with Kalim running around, you are your own person after all. Yet he strangely found himself with an extra portion of the lunch he prepared, shoving it towards you without thought (too much thought actually), or how he shrugs of his sweater (his safe space really), and tosses it towards you as the chill seeps into him instead, or how he picks up any slack, talking to your friends when you couldn’t keep up, or walking you to your dorm early as he makes up excuses to get you in the comfort of your own place. 

At first you didn’t notice, thinking he was being kind, or perhaps even feeling forced to because Kalim asked him to, but that changed when he excused you from Kalim’s party. The people surrounding you had you feeling like a zombie as you tried to hide in a corner, eating some snacks as you held a drink, hoping the walls would encapsulate you. Kalim had begged you to come, which was why you were there, but it ended up just like you expected. Jamil noticed, as he always does, and offered to walk you back to your dorm, a routine you started to expect. Of course, Kalim had blocked your escape, a pout with big watery eyes tugging on your heartstrings. Before you could give in, zone out for another hour and ponder why you hate yourself, Jamil cut in.

“The prefect is tired,” Jamil points out, and you wonder if it’s that obvious. 

After this moment, you began to notice the subtleties. Perhaps not all at once, but even you couldn’t deny how Jamil didn’t treat anyone else the way he treated you. You weren’t sure if it was anything beyond friendly, but you noticed that he seemed to care for you in a way that he didn’t for anyone else, and it was something you cherished. In fact, you both fell into a weirdly domestic relationship that never dared to press against the walls of friendship…that was until Jamil himself slipped up (something he never does, mind you…he is quite whipped). 

“You’re way too kind to me,” You couldn’t help but grumble as you accepted the week's worth of breakfast and dinners Jamil had prepared for you (you were quite bad at making those). 

“It’s nothing,” The vice-housewarden waved off, a faint blush coating his tan cheeks. 

“Seriously,” You don’t drop it, too moved by his kindness towards you. “No one has ever done anything like this for me before, you always make sure to make meals with textures I like, altering things to avoid foods I don’t like, and not to mention how you portion them to my exact liking! I feel like I don’t do enough to make up for all the work you put into me.”

Jamil’s brows furrowed, both bashful at your acknowledgement of his work, while also upset at your self admonishment.

“You don’t have to do anything,” Jamil shakes his head. “I do it because I want to. Trust me, I’d go crazy if I didn’t do this, who knows what you’d be eating otherwise.”

Your heart stuttered at his admission, the revelation of how deep his care ran for you striking you somewhere soft and gooey. It was only then when the question of whether Jamil liked you romantically dared to breach your brain.

❥ Vil Schoenheit

Vil wasn’t one to coddle anyone, not that you needed coddling, but this meant that his standoffish attitude would not be diluted. Vil isn’t nearly as bad as Leona, but his actions still managed to confuse you. You thought he wanted nothing to do with you, a notion you could understand. You could be reserved most times, quiet, almost like a shadow. The complete opposite of glitz and glam that was Vil Schoenheit…yet that seems to pull him in all the more. He would critique your uniform, comment on how it was too big in some place, yet somehow too small in others. In fact, you thought he was lowkey bullying you at first, always picking you apart, making you feel small and unwanted…only to piece you back together.

He’d personally tailor your uniform, grumbling about how ‘you can’t trust anyone to do things right these days’. He’d fix your hairstyle, explaining how the few trims, or complete makeover fits your face better, how the framing of a few pieces can make or break your beauty. Beneath the harshness, you learned to decipher that this was his way of caring (even if it could be quite shitty sometimes). And to say Vil didn’t notice how his comments hit you would be an insult to his social training. Of course he noticed the way you seemed to shut down after a particularly harsh comment from him, which made him shift tactics.

Instead of scolding you, or pointing out something he deemed atrocious, he merely fixed it instead, and you let him. You didn’t have time to get dressed properly? It’s fine, he’s fixing the wrinkles and crookedness for you. You didn’t style your hair properly? There’s a few minutes to spare before class, he’s dragging you to the nearest mirror as he styles it himself. You didn’t pack a proper lunch? Don’t worry, prefect, he happened to bring extra. 

At first you’re not sure how to take in the change. You feel like it’s some elaborate prank show, the cameras hiding in the corners (there aren’t any, but Rook sure is). Yet the longer this behavior goes on, you learn to accept it, and you even like it (which you find oddly strange yourself). You hadn’t been cared for like this before, and especially not in this world, so you found yourself eating up the affection.

“The love that blooms between Roi du Poison and Trickster is magnifique!” Rook bellows, hand clutched over his heart as he dramatically swoons. 

You had grown used to his exclamations of passion and love, so you simply deadpan at the hunter.

“What are you even talking about?” You question, face scrunching at his claims. 

It was quite comical actually, as Vil was currently applying a brand new lotion he had helped create himself to your arms, and you had the audacity to be confused (I would be too though so I can’t rag on the reader too much). 

“Ignore him,” Vil mumbles, focused intensely on how your skin was much softer with his care and how he was going to keep it that way. “He likes to spout nonsense all the time.” “But is it nonsense when the Queen deems the Trickster important enough to care for himself?” Rook asks, head tilting as his grin widens. “I have not seen you spoil anyone so, Roi du Poison.”

Vil’s face flattens, his usual humoring of Rook evaporating quickly (he didn’t want to be ratted out like this). Yet it was too late, as your mouth opened in recognition of Rook’s words. He had a point, you had seen Epel get scolded mercilessly and then forced into punishment many times by Vil, yet if you do something similar, you get a light slap on the wrist before he drags you along, your punishment usually pertaining him taking care of you in one way or another. You weren’t sure why it didn’t click before, but now you couldn’t help but second guess all of Vil’s intentions, and what that means for your future.

❥ Idia Shroud

Idia was…hard to get to know. You tried being friendly, yet he would shut you out. You tried to invite him out, but he would deflect. You tried parallel play, yet you couldn’t help but notice how he glanced at you like you were a starved tiger and he was the closest meal available. Bummed that you weren’t getting anywhere, you also didn’t want to make the blue-flammed hair man uncomfortable, which meant leaving him alone. It saddened you, but you knew you couldn’t make friends with everyone.

Little did you know, you had it completely backwards. Idia was drawn to you like a moth to a flame. You were similar to him in a way, which made him rethink his entire life. You tended to be quiet, speaking when you were spoken to and falling into the shadows, yet you weren’t like him at all. You had friends, you smiled and talked freely about topics you were passionate about, and even stood up when needed. 

Yet, worst of all…you were terrible at some social cues. He even found it amusing at times, cackling when you took a joke at face value or when you looked confused when someone said something sarcastically, only to get it a few seconds too late. You didn’t know this, of course. He rarely left his room, and he found himself stalking Grim more often than he could count, which meant you were there too. 

If it were up to him, you would never know, and things would stay exactly as they were. Him in his room alone and you none the wiser to his stalking, yearning, observations. Of course, his dear little brother would never leave it at that, taking in his brother’s infatuation, liking towards you. Which leads to a various amount of goofy, yet terrifying situations. Such as Ortho inviting you to his room without him knowing, and making the most unsevenly sound ever when he got jumpscared by you. Or how he almost bolted the second he saw you at the board game’s club, only for Ortho to block his exit (he nearly jumped out the window at your smile). 

And gosh, he couldn’t get over how oblivious you could be sometimes, your comments making him feel like a warm, gooey mess, and you were completely unaffected! It really wasn’t fair. You made it look so easy, and he wishes he could complement you as easily (little did he know, you struggled with it as well, you were just better at hiding it). 

“You have really cool hair,” You compliment, eyes wide with wonder. 

Idia could only stare, hair tinting pink along with his pale cheeks as he internally shut down. 

“Sorry, was that weird?” You ask as Idia continues to stare at you with the blankest eyes known to man, causing you to second guess yourself. Was that weird of you to say? Perhaps you weren’t supposed to mention his hair at all? Did you make him self conscious?

“N-not at all,” Was all he could stutter, eyes averting to anything but you.

It wasn’t until Idia started to text you that you realized you had things backwards. Sure, in person you both were awkward and unsure, perpetually questioning all your actions, while online things flowed more smoothly. Sure, you would take a few minutes, up to a few hours to respond, but Idia was busy with his games anyways, so he didn’t mind (sometimes he did, but he would do the same thing so he understood). He also talked more freely, rambling about his passions and eager for your approval. It wasn’t till one fatal text, that you realized he may have liked you more than just a friend.

Ugh, you can’t be srs Ur lit too cute for this world

He deleted it as quickly as he sent it, but it was too late. You were already spiraling.

❥ Malleus Draconia

Ha. Hahahahaha. So, take the ‘you don’t know you’re betrothed’ trope, and multiply it by 10. Jk…kinda. So in reality, you both are kind of bad at social cues. It’s mutual. You both are quite slow to unravel any feelings. In fact, you both bond at how similar your social experiences are. Both used to people tuning out your passionate rants about the topics you loved, so you learned to keep it to yourself (until you met each other). Or how you both can be awkward in social situations, unsure what to say at certain moments and look towards the other for reassurance. 

In fact, this was what caused Malleus to cherish you so. Not only were you patient and understanding, but you understood, to a certain degree. It caused the dragon to latch onto you, wishing to show you his gratitude for your friendship. You were in a similar boat. If you were exhausted from existing in the world, you knew Malleus would bring you somewhere quiet, somewhere no one could reach you if you did not wish. He would do things for you that you weren’t used to, and cared for you in ways that warmed you. After feeling alienated, Malleus was a person who showed you you weren’t alone. 

Due to it being a relationship you both feared to lose, neither of you thought of anything more. Why should you question something that worked so well? Something that neither of you had to think twice about? Something that came as easily as breathing? 

“Another gift?” Lilia chimes, hanging in front of Malleus upside down, amused grin tugging on his lips. 

“They mentioned wanting this,” Malleus replies, like the thought of you wanting something was irrevocably wrong, and he himself will fix it. 

“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you’re courting them,” The bat fae hummed, eyes crinkling with joy. Malleus blinked, brain working overtime, because Lilia had a point. Malleus’ love for you was as deep as a never ending void, he would do anything in his power to make you happy, and all he wanted in return was your smile aimed towards him (though he also finds your bashfulness adorable). 

It was then that Malleus went from friendship mode, to courting mode. You, on the other hand, were completely unaware. I mean why should you have thought differently? He treated you no differently than before, it was only his intentions that switched. Of course, this only amused Lilia all the more, after all, who doesn’t love to watch young love bloom? (Sebek)

“At this rate, you’re gonna become fae royalty,” Ace grumbles, eyeing yet another gift that appeared in your dorm. 

“How in the world would I do that?” You asked, genuinely confused. Malleus was one of your closest friends, sure, but in order to become royalty that would mean marrying him, and you doubt the dragon fae saw you in such a light.

“You’re basically drowning in jewels!” Ace exclaims, pointing out the jewelry that adorned you. Your face flushes at the implication, and the creeping dread of the possibility of Ace having a point.

“Mal said he had extra…” Even your defence sounds pathetic. 

“You even have nicknames for each other,” Deuce points out.

“I have nicknames for you too,” You glare. “Dumb and dumber.”

Your deflection does nothing as the two continue to tease you relentlessly for how unaware you were about something so ‘obvious’ (it really wasn’t but okay). The next time Malleus treats you to something, whether it be a fancy dish catered to your liking, an outing you mentioned you wanted to do, or another ‘small’ gift he just stumbled upon, you can’t help but notice the hearts in his eyes as he awaits your reaction, and it’s only then do you realize you’re doomed.