Vii

OC List !!

“Eh..? I thought only housewardens had to attend."

The figure standing above you rolled his eyes, waving his hand in a gesture for you to move.

"Housewarden's and their vice's."  Minajael hummed.  "Up, up.  Move it, come on.  Rielle is already waiting by the gates while I corral you."

You sighed.  You had been enjoying a pleasant nap in the sunlight coming through the window of your room.  Your tail thumped in mild irritation against the floor as you rolled over onto your back.  The pillows under your body shifted with the change in weight.

"Okay, Okay... I'm up, I'm up."

Minajael rarely annoyed you.  In fact, he was a very patient and helpful housewarden.  Except for now when he interrupted a great dream of yours.  He flicked one of your ears as you finally sat up, earning a half-hearted glare from you in return.

"There we go.  Fix your uniform, it's bunched up.  Meet us down in the hall so we can head over to Night Raven together.  Rielle asked we all travel together."  With that, the prince left your room, leaving you to fix your uniform and finish waking up.

—

"Don't wander too far."  Minajael hummed, "but feel free to explore."

"I'm not your pet.."

"Have fun, ____."  With that, he and Rielle left to explore the campus, leaving you all on your own.

He ignored you!  The nerve!

Brushing off his blatant disregard for your comment, you turned on your heel and began looking for a new place to nap.  He may have gotten you up to come here, but that didn't mean you couldn't get your nap in for the day.

There seemed to be quite a few more beastman here than at Royal Sword.  Not to say there was a shortage back at your school, just that Night Raven seemed to have a much larger body of beastmen.  As you walked through the courtyard, your eyes landed on a glass building on one side of campus.  It was a bit of a trek, on the opposite end of campus as the Colosseum, but who cares?  A good nap spot is a good nap spot.

The door was quiet as you pushed it open.  Lush greenery grew in every corner of the building.  From mushrooms, to tropical plants, to plants you didn't even know existed.  Royal Sword had a botanical garden, but it wasn't contained in glass like this one.  Yours was more open.  Night Raven sure knew how to make a place cozy.

As you walked through the pathway going through the building, you spotted a nice spot in the sun on a soft patch of grass.  Jackpot!

Before you could take the chance to crash, the sound of sandals on stone filled your ears.  Your head swiveled around, making eye contact with a lion beastman standing just a few feet behind you.  His head cocked to the side, something akin to irritation taking over his features as he scratched the back of his head.

"Royal Sword."  He spat, eyeing your uniform that matched none here at Night Raven.  His eyes trailed back up, landing on your ears and the faint hint of stripes on your skin.  "Tsk.  Nevermind."

You raised a brow.  You assumed most Night Raven students would be at the Colosseum by now, setting up for the events.  Apparently not.

"Wait a moment.."  You called before he could turn to leave.  The man stopped in his tracks and glanced over his shoulder, letting you speak.

"What's your name?"

"You stopped me just to ask my name?"  He scoffed.  "Leona Kingscholar."

Ah, that name did ring a bell.  If you recall correctly, he's the younger brother of Farena Kingscholar, who's the current king of the Afterglow Savanna.  So, he's a prince, just like your housewarden.

A lazy smirk made it's way onto his face as he watched you think.  "You know, it's rude to ask someones name and not give them yours."

"Right, I apologize.  My name is ____ ______.  I came as a representative for the Dunasmina dorm at Royal Sword."  Your posture was much more relaxed than those of the other students who had come for the exchange event.

He hummed, turning back around to face you fully.

"Shouldn't you be with the rest of the Royal Sword brats?"

"Shouldn't you be with the members of your dorm helping set up in the Colosseum?"  You grinned cheekily.  "You wear the same yellow vest as most of the students working over there."

He clicked his tongue.

"Smart mouth."

"You didn't deny it~"

He rolled his eyes, sauntering past you lazily before taking the spot you had scouted for yourself.  He pulled his arms up and clasped his hands behind his head as he laid down in the sun.

"Hey-!"

"Too slow, stripes."

"I was here first."

He cracked one eye open, his bright green iris shimmering in the sunlight, matching the foliage all around him.

"Don't pout.  There's room for you."  He didn't move, but there was enough room for you to lay down beside him if you wished.  "Just don't be noisy."

You scoffed, debating whether or not a nap was worth practically cuddling with the lion man.  Would that be fraternizing with the enemy?  Who knows.  Either way, you were gonna get that nap in.

Releasing a small puff of air, you stepped over him to the still open area by his side and laid down, keeping your back to him as you curled your tail around yourself.

Sensing an opportunity to irritate you, Leona began lightly whacking your back with his tail.  The first couple times it wasn't that annoying, but then it happened again..

and again..

…and again..

You shot him a venomous glare over your shoulder to which he simply grinned and acted like it was an accident.  You lifted your own tail and smacked him in the face with the end of it.  Apparently that caught him off guard as he jumped a bit, sitting up before grabbing the appendage.

"You're cheeky."

"You started it."

"What are you accusing me of?"  Amusement dripped from his tone.

"Nothing, Prince.  Nothing at all."  You growled out.

He released your tail, letting it fall back to the ground with a soft thud.

"You got an awful lot of confidence for someone picking a fight with me."

A beat, his eyes lingering a little longer than normal.

"I like that."  His words, tainted in half warning, half approval, made you start to question where this interaction is going.

"Watch it, Kingscholar.  I'll think you're actually interested in me."

He scoffed, rolling back over onto his back and shutting his eyes.

"Don't flatter yourself."

"Oh?"  You sat up, a cheeky grin on your face.  "So you don't think I'm pretty enough?"

A muscle in his face twitched.  You knew full well what the culture was like in the Afterglow Savanna.  People we're raised to hold women in high respect, and women also filled very prominent roles in society there.  While it didn't prevent him from being rude, those teachings were so deeply ingrained in him he couldn't' bring himself to be as snippy with you like he would anyone else, so, he attempted to deflect instead of answering.  A safe option.

"Why?  You want me to think you're pretty?"  He grinned.

You loomed over him, your ears swiveling around to make sure no one else was around to see this interaction.

"Maybe.  Would that be such a crime?"

He closed his eyes once more.

"You always stand out this much?  It's distracting."

That was about as close as you would get to a genuine compliment from him.  He thought you were distracting, which implied he was looking.

"Awwh, am I ruining your focus?"  You drawled, voice smooth as molasses being poured.  "That’s kinda cute."

He cracked one eye open.  Irritation starting to give way to amusement, and amusement to interest.

"Cute?"  He scoffed, sitting up in his elbows so his face was inches from yours.  His gaze briefly travels over your body before coming back up to meet your gaze.  "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

You chuckled, pulling away and leaning back against your palms.  You cocked your head to the side, playing coy.

"What makes you say that?  I'm innocent."

"Innocent" my tail.."  

He sits up fully.  He wasn't in a rush, moving slowly and fluidly towards you and closing the distance.  The teasing atmosphere charged with tension.  You're affecting me, but I'm still in control.

You don't step back.  You couldn't.  This was a challenge of sorts from the usually aloof lion, and who were you to turn down a challenge?  Your grin sharpened, pleased.  You'd wanted a reaction, you got one.  Your tail flicked behind you, slow and deliberate.

"So I am getting to you."  You practically purred, leaving barely an inch between your faces.

"Don't get cocky."

"Rich considering who that's coming from you."

A beat.

The air shifted, less playful, more charged.  A silent challenge hung in the air between the two of you.  Would you both let this continue or back off?  There was only one right answer.  Both of you had your pride on the line.  Neither of you were walking away from this anytime soon.

Too close..

The proximity only added to the growing tension in the air.

You tilted your head slightly, a slightly softer smirk tugging at your lips.

His expression shifted almost imperceptibly, less amused, more decided.

"You just don't know when to quit, do you?"  He leaned closer, letting a few seconds tick by.  "Do you?

"Keep looking at me like that and you'll make me think you're hesitating."  You challenged, already aware any sort of implication that he was holding back would trigger something.

"Hesitating?"  He repeats lowly.  Not offended or flustered, interested. “Me?”

"What?"  You tease.  "Am I wrong?"

Something shifts.  He begins to lift his hand towards your cheek, intending to take more control over the moment, but you were quicker.

You closed the distance, your lips pressing softly to his.

 —Riddle Rosehearts

      He remembered it well.  He used to see you from his window quite often when you would walk to the bookstore on the weekend, but unlike Trey and Chenya you never came to his window.  When he did sneak out during that short period of time he never got the chance to talk to you.  As a child he wished to discuss the books he saw you carrying home.  Just once.

Imagine his surprise when he saw you at the entrance ceremony!  The same girl he had spent years seeing from his window was now here and within reach!

Unfortunately...

You proved to be an enigma.

Why do you duck down and run when he gets near?  As far as he's aware you have not broken any rules so there is no need for you to run.

Trey chuckled, amused at his friends plight.  "She doesn't dislike you."  He hummed as he moved around the Heartslabyul kitchen, preparing for the upcoming unbirthday party.  Riddle was seated at the main table in the kitchen, aggressively sipping a cup of earl gray tea while venting to the vice-housewarden about his unsuccessful attempts at speaking to you.

"If she does not dislike me then why does she scurry away like a dormouse whenever I approach."

The green haired boy flicked the oven on as he answered.  "She's shy is all."

Riddle paused, his teacup halfway to his lips. The irritation bled out of his expression and morphed into thoughtfulness.  Trey went back to baking in silence, leaving Riddle to stew over the fact he had grossly misunderstood your behavior.  He was determined to fix that now.

.

.

.

He had no idea how to deal with a shy person.

That evening he entered the library around the time he knew you'd be there.  You always showed up during the later hours when no one else was looking through shelves and had gone back to their dorms.

It doesn't take him long to spot you.  Sitting alone at one of the long tables with a stack of books beside you and homework from Professor Trein laying on the table half-finished.

By the time you noticed his approach it was too late to tuck your tail and run.  So when he sits down in the chair across from you your soul nearly ascends.  See, Riddle wasn't exactly the easiest person to talk to, especially for someone like you.  However, before you began melting in your seat he gestured towards the book you had open.

"You've read that one."

"...eh?"

"Three weeks ago.  You checked that book out."

You blinked owlishly, mentally questioning how he would even know that.  Truthfully, he had seen you heading back to your dorm with it tucked under your arm while he was engaged in club activities and filed the information away.  But to you it sounded like stalking.

"Well... I liked it."

He nodded.  "I assumed as much."

He carefully eyed your movements as you squirmed in your seat.  You weren't running like before, and you had responded.  That was good, right?

"The ending was rather predictable."

Your head instantly snapped up, gaze meeting his in a sudden display of defense for the book you enjoyed.

"It wasn't!"

He blinked.

"The plot twist was obvious by chapter six."

"Only if-"

And just like that you were talking.  Maybe it began as defense for your book but the two of you were actually conversing.  And about the very thing he had wanted to talk about all those years ago when he could only watch you pass by his window.

The conversation was animated.  Stretching into an hour, than two.  Soon enough it was far past curfew and the two of you were still going back and forth on the logistics of the plot twist.

During a lull in the conversation your instincts seemed to kick back in and your face darkened several shades as you snapped the book shut and stood up, your chair skidding along the floor from the force.

"I HAVE TO GO."

You were out the door before he could get another word in, leaving behind your unfinished homework and a slightly flustered Riddle who very much wanted to have another chat about books again.

He glanced down at your homework, picking it up off the table and examining it carefully.  He'd return it to you in the morning.  Then he would have another good chance to speak with you once more.

—Trey Clover

      The smell of cinnamon and sugar wafted through the small bakery, setting the perfect, warm atmosphere for Saturday morning.

Trey, in the kitchen, was mixing together eggs and sugar for cupcakes.  Of course, with the help of his mother who thought it was adorable.

The bell above the door jingled at exactly 7:30.  Trey didn’t need to look up to know who it was.  His father was working the counter when you walked up, shyly handing the older man a slip of paper with your order written on in colored pencil.

Trey watched as you scrambled out of the bakery with a quiet thank you after receiving the baked good you ordered.  The same thing every time.  Every Saturday.  He watched through the window as you ran back towards your home.

That had been years ago.  Now, he was watching you through the window in history class like how he watched you through the window of the bakery all those years ago.

To say he was a little surprised to see you at the entrance ceremony would be an understatement.  Though, deeper down, he was delighted.  He had never been able to talk to you as kids.  The two of you weren’t in the same class, but he always thought it was funny how you’d duck your head and retreat whenever he, or anyone else, got too close.

You were sitting on a bench under the apple tree, either reading a book or playing on your phone.  He couldn’t tell from the angle he was watching from.

Your hair was different.  And you were taller, too.  In the back of his mind he wondered what kind of sweets you liked, if at all.

”Oooh, eyeing up ____?”  A familiar, teasing voice hummed beside Trey’s ear.  Cater was leaning his head over his shoulder, following his gaze to you in the courtyard.  “She’s a real cutie.”

His gaze tracked back down to you.  “Maybe.” He agreed with a small hum and Cater’s jaw just about hit the floor.

He hadn’t thought about those Saturday mornings in years, but now they seemed to be resurfacing every other hour whenever he caught a glimpse of you in the halls.

 Even now, his mind strayed and caused him to make small mistakes that usually he would’ve never made.

He had made far too many muffins.  

It had been two days since he saw you in the courtyard from that window.  Since then he had been thinking about you more and more.  Absentmindedly wondering what your voice sounded like or if you liked your tarts more sweet or more sour.

He looked back down at the pans laid out on the Heartslabyul kitchen counter.  Originally he planned on two dozen, but somewhere in the middle he doubled that to four dozen and now he had way too many.

You popped into his head as he thought about what to do.  Back when you were kids you always lingered in front of the muffin display case.  He often found himself wondering if you just liked how they looked or actually wanted to eat one since you never actually bought any.

This specific recipe was on the pricier side of the baked goods the bakery sold.  When he was a kid he never realized that may have been the reason, but now that he was older it was a definite possibility.

He packaged up a few muffins into a small box and made his way out of the Heartslabyul kitchen.

It didn’t take long to reach your dorm.  Reaching up he knocked three times.  When he received no answer he let out a small sigh.  He pulled a small pad of paper from his pocket and scribbled a small note on it before sticking it in the box.

Hopefully you like these -Trey

”____, it’s Trey.”  He said, hoping you remembered his name or this would be extremely awkward.  “I had some extra muffins I baked.  I’ll leave them outside your door.”

He gently set the box down in front of your door before walking back down the hall.  Before he rounded the corner fully he paused to watch as your door cracked open.  A small smile tugged at his lips when you picked the box up and brought it in your room.

Hopefully, this opened the door for him to finally talk to you.

—Che’nya

        “Boo~”

You shrieked, nearly falling off the bench you were seated on when an all too familiar voice whispered in your ear.

Behind you was the floating head of a pink haired cat beastman, snickering like he’d been waiting for that reaction all day.

This had been a reoccurring theme since you were children.  You and Chenya didn’t share a class, but he made sure you knew he was there.

The two of you didn’t live far from one another.  On your walk home from school you always had to be on the lookout for the mischievous boy who would pop out of trees and bushes like a gremlin before giggling his tail away at your reactions.

Looking back on it now, Chenya could see you weren’t playing when you would run away from him after a prank.  He thought you really liked tag so he would chase after you when you fled.

Despite being an NRC student now, that didn’t stop him from popping in to see his favorite, shy little bread-and-butterfly.

Like right now.

”Nya ha! You still make that silly, cute little face when you’re surprised!” He remarked with a cat like grin as he tugged playfully on one of your cheeks.

When you smacked his hands away he didn’t fight it, instead holding his hands up in playful surrender.

“You’ve got a purr-ty face when you’re not glaring at me like you want to slap me.”

That made you freeze.  Your cheeks darkened and you collected whatever items had spilled off your lap during your scare before marching away.

He made no move to follow you but his eyes tracked your movements until you were inside the main building before he disappeared.

For a few days campus was peaceful.  The pink haired feline beastman had yet to make another appearance.  If anything it was throwing you off.  Despite the feeling of unease, you headed towards the cafeteria for lunch anyway.

The place was crowded.  It was one of those once-a-month weekends where the school bought a ton of food made by vendors in town.  The students went insane every time.  Usually, a good chunk of the student body would eat at the Mostro Lounge, but on these specific weekends…

It was a tight squeeze trying to get in line for food.  Students yelling, someone elbowed someone else, a plate got thrown, it was a mess.  You weren’t the biggest fan of large crowds.  Especially chaotic ones.

A hand latched onto your upper arm and pulled you out of the fray and into the hallway.

”Nya-ha! You look paws-itively shocked to see me.”  Chenya grinned down at you from where he was floating.  He dropped a tray into your arms, complete with the specialty sandwich you were after.  Your grip on the tray tightened as your brain scrambled for words.

”Careful where you step! Don’t want you to get trampled~”

And just like that he was gone.