Still Gay

ᥫ᭡. Riddle Rosehearts ᥫ᭡.

The calm evening breeze peeks through his window, his eyes catching how the pages of the book he's reading flutter. Grey eyes study the pages, wearied from revision since who knows how long. It's only when a whine escapes your lips that he looks up, eyes widening in shock as you stretch. The top you wear rides up your ribcage, showing off your figure. Your eyes are closed as you groan from how utterly tired you are. The fatigue leaves your body with a pop as you replicate the stances a cat might when as fatigued as you, wanting to laze around.

All he can think in the moment is how beautiful you are.

It's not as if you notice how Riddle's gaze never once leaves you, his face suddenly as red as the roses Cater had painted. He shouldn't stare, it isn't gentlemanly and not appropriate in any way - no matter how close you are to him. Not even if you're his lover. He has half a mind to scold you, to give you a lecture about how mustn't do so in front of him and much less others. Though, for some reason no words leave his lips and it's only then that he realizes that he's been subtly chewing on them, biting the flesh ever so slightly that it's a pretty pink. He's quite cute at the moment, utterly mesmerized by you - trying to look away, but he can't. He doesn't want to.

He's warm all over when you look back at him, opening your eyes and offering him a lazy smile - body splawed in a manner that only gave leeway to lewd thoughts. He feels so awfully guilty, his rosy cheeks burning a fire inside him. A feeling so rough as though a thorny rose bush was crawling inside him, wrapping around his heart till it burst. A fire traveling down his body to places it shouldn't.

He only looked away in response with a flustered scoff, making it clear that he was embarrassed. However, you weren't sure why. You could only crawl towards him from the other side of the bed, wanting to be closer to your love. He wished for the moment, to maintain his dignity, that you didn't. For the manner in which you came his way could only be called seductive, as if you wanted to ruin him or get ruined yourself.

He scolded himself internally, trying his best to maintain his composure. He felt so horrible for what he was thinking, the way he was thinking about you. It sullied you, and with the way he was raised he felt as though he'd committed a grave sin. His ashy eyes fell onto you once you'd reached him, curling into his side with a playful smile. You were so endearing yet so distracting.

You had no clue what you were doing to him, did you? Not when you leaned over to kiss him. It was tantalizing, playing with the restraint he was trying to withold.

Nevertheless, the book slipped from his hands and his lips met yours. One kiss wouldn't hurt, would it?

ᥫ᭡. Leona Kingscholar ᥫ᭡.

A peaceful slumber is all he wanted really, what else did he ever want? The short answer was: You. If there was one thing he'd rather have other than sleep, it would be you - in more ways than one.

It was a hot afternoon and with how Leona was, he planned on taking a long nap. Of course, with you in his arms, cuddled and huddled up to him. It would be hot and sweaty, though no matter how much you tried he wouldn't let go - at least not till half an hour. That was how it was meant to go. A simple nap and maybe some cuddling.

Unfortunately it didn't go that way. Not when he couldn't get a wink of sleep with how you clung to him, a leg over his - bodies touching as if melting into one. No space in between your bodies as if you were waltzing in bed. You nape was exposed too, as if tempting him to take a bite of a forbidden fruit. Yet your slumber was so peaceful, such an adorable sight.

He felt awful for how hot he felt, his face tinged crimson with fluster. He could only stare, for the first time feeling unsure where to touch. You were asleep and here he was thinking about the position the both of you were in, how vulnerable you were around him. How lucky was he for such a wonderful gift. He was scared to either wake you or something within himself - yeah he felt like such a dick, quite awful. Not very princely of him, huh?

It's only when you opened your eyes, asking what was wrong that he realized how long he'd been staring. Though it was surely your fault, if you'd simply stayed asleep he could ignore it - now though? It was so different.

Your arms clung around his neck, pulling him closer and your legs tightened around his hips. It was innocent enough, to you maybe - it could be a sign to cuddle and kiss. To him? All he could think about was how you'd look after hours and hours of intimacy. How hoarse your voice would be, how you'd shake and tremble at his touch - how you might feel even a morsel of the yearning he felt for you in the most carnal manner possible. How sore you'd be in every part of your body and how long the both of you would go on and on and on.

Don't blame him for finishing what you started, especially when you pulled him into a deep kiss. Needless to say, it would be long before you left his room. Not that you mind.

ᥫ᭡. Azul Ashengrotto ᥫ᭡.

The clean scent of the sea melted into a warm musk filled Azul's office. The desk filled with paperwork and contracts from poor unfortunate souls whom he'd save so graciously.

But who's going to to save him from you?

It's not that you're doing anything, simply sitting on a plush lounge chair, knees huddled with the slightest gap between, and hands holding your phone that you're seemingly engrossed in. Maybe it's because you're doing nothing that his mind is wandering.

Your lips part before you begin to bite them again - He can't look away. In fact, he hasn't finished a single document since you came in. All he's done is try and try only to be distracted by you - the way you clumsily laugh at a meme or the way you sigh, waiting for him to be done for the day. And yet all he thinks about is how you'd taste and how you'd feel.

With the way you sit there, it's as if you want him to be shameless. As if you want him to lose it and act on these impudent thoughts. Suddenly the room feels hot as his suit clings to him. You look up to him, smiling and asking how far he's done with work - he's certainly not and it seems he won't be anytime soon. Not when you're walking up to him and looking down at him with those eyes - what's a poor unfortunate soul like him meant to do when you've stolen his heart?

You lean over his table complaining, joking of course, about how long he's taking. And all he does is look at your plush lips, then your collarbone, and then down to your legs. He feels guilty, he doesn't want to look at you this way - what if you find him disgusting? It's wrong isn't it? Even if you're his lover.

But then he wonder again, is it so wrong to long for you in the manner he is? When you're this beautiful? As ethereal as a pearl, one he wants to cage within his arms.

Is it so wrong to want to kiss you right here and right now? Ignore all the paperwork he has, to melt into a heap of cuddles and your warm embrace? To have you so selfishly?

You didn't even need a contract, all you did was bat those lashes and give him that smile - one that left blood rushing to every part of his body.

So don't blame him after sitting down on his lap, because you both know where that's going to go - especially given the look in his eyes, all clouded in hunger and the need to worship.

ᥫ᭡. Kalim Al-Asim ᥫ᭡.

Loving comes naturally to Kalim with how happy he always seems, ready to include everyone. Though it's so different with you, it's so real. Devoid of performative actions to appeal to you on the surface, instead he truly wants you to like him for him. That true love written in fairy tales, that's what he'd compare to what the both of you share. All rosy cheeks, flustered words, and holding hands during the sunset. Kissing under the moonlight without a care of what comes tomorrow.

It's more than perfect. It's where his home lies, deep in your arms. That's where he is at the moment, simply cuddling with you. His head lies in your lap while his arms wrap around your waist. His face nuzzles into your chest as you lay back into dozens of silken pillows. Your hands find his milky hair, massaging his scalp slowly. It's the most sugary moment ever, like candied apples and cotton candy.

So why is it that Kalim's head is going to a place it certainly shouldn't - when you're doing the most innocent thing like scratching his head. When you're simply talking about your day. When all you're doing is speaking. So why does it feel so tempting, why does he feel so needy?

All he can do is focus on the proximity, the way his face nuzzles into your chest. The way his arms wrap around your waist. The way your floral perfume fills his nose, the one he got you.

It's suddenly so intimate, so sensual. Maybe it's the fact that you're covered things he's gotten for you, that fact makes him feel a certain way he hasn't before - the realization takes root in something other than joy. A feeling that blooms into something sensual and possessive. His body seems to act on his own, holding you closer and tighter. It's a failed attempt to clear his head since the embrace only gives a push to arousing thoughts. The fact that if he moved a little more he could push you down on the plush bed and be on top of you while you're under him-

It's you who brings him back from his thoughts, a giggle leaving your lips as you repeat a joke you'd apparently said which he failed to hear. You thought he was daydreaming.

Surely thinking of making love to you could classify as such, right? Maybe he's not as innocent as everyone thinks.

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Jade doesn’t care about taking a piss in the woods while bugs watch. He doesn’t care about the sweat clinging to his body. Actually, he doesn’t seem to be sweating at all.

And yet, you can’t deny that even with the aching exhaustion in your muscles, even with the slick salt on your forehead, even with the tired, wheezing breath fighting its way on every inhale, the forest is undeniably beautiful.

Dapples of light trickle through the branches and, though the sun has surely tried her best, moisture still clings to the big leaves framing the path. The crowded hallways and noisy cafeteria feel like a distant dream. There’s only the sound of your ragged breath and the occasional rustle in a bush that makes your hair stand on end.

Here, you are alone.

Here, you are alive.

The center of a forest brings its own version of peace. Jade’s expression is one of serenity as he puts one step in front of the other, only occasionally pausing to point out some riveting species of mushroom growing from a rotting trunk.

In the most curious of ways, Jade seems at home here.

Maybe being in the center of a forest is like being at the bottom of the ocean. There is nothing - no one. Empty, save for the myriad of creatures who call it home and the sound of your thoughts to keep you company.

A nightmare for the sociable and a paradise for the recluse.

Though Jade walks ahead, he makes sure to stay in your sight. Whenever there’s a fork in the road, or the clear trail becomes fuzzy, he waits for you until you’re side by side before continuing the trek. Upwards and upwards.

At some point, you stop asking how long is left and fall into a rhythm. One foot in front of the other, over and over again.

It’s always when your mind and legs begin to whisper pleas of surrender when Jade calls to you with a smile.

You’ve reached the summit. There for you to reach but never yours to claim.

Sometimes there’s a pool of crisp water, straight from the glaciers. The two of you will peel off your clothes and plunge right in, hypothermia be damned, splashing until you are both shaking from rib-aching laughter and persistent cold.

Jade will hunt down fungi while you eat your granola and down your water and whatever else you’ve packed. Then you’ll lie on the ground wordlessly, enjoying the silence and scenery, until the forest’s little creatures mistake you for a log and Jade comes lumbering back with several poisonous-looking specimens in hand to chase them away.

Sometimes - and it’s not often - there are natural hot springs. Several pools of water, each of a varying temperature, lie in waiting, from scorching hot to lukewarm to ice-cold. Sulfur permeates the air, and the heat makes it difficult to stay in the hotter ones for too long. Your aching muscles gravitate towards the hot ones anyway. Jade is always the first one to notice when you start getting dizzy, pulling you out of the water for a quick breather before your muscles decide they aren’t done quite yet and pull your body right back in.

But this time, it’s just the view.

And what a view it is.

You take Jade’s outstretched hand to climb over that last rock and find the whole world lying in front of you. Every tree a speck, every lake a drop, every road a thread. It reminds you just how small you really are, just how much of the world goes unseen in the distracting minutiae of everyday life.

The air is so clean, so pure, it’s as if you’re breathing for the very first time. You and Jade take a simultaneous inhale, eyes closed and arms stretched out over your heads as if to pluck the clouds from the sky.

At Jade’s insistence and reassurance, the two of you take a seat at the very edge with your feet dangling off the mountainside. Then you swap snacks. Trail mix for beef jerky, apples for carrots, crackers for chips. You never quite feel it’s a fair trade though…

You don’t know how long the two of you sit there, staring at the wide expanse before you, but you try to take in the moment and push away the dread that tries to creep in, insisting that a few hours from now, you will be back at Night Raven College. Back to staggering amounts of schoolwork and restless nights fraught with strange dreams.

The school is surrounded by woods but it’s never the same. It’s never like this.

Time slips its way past and Jade turns to you, opening his mouth to say something. But as he sees that all-too-familiar look in your eyes, he closes it with a smooth smile.

Jade puts his hand over yours and the two of you look out to the horizon together.

Let’s stay a little while longer.

Your dear lover smiles in response to your earlier compliments and brings his right hand up infront of his chin, the other supporting his elbow. He then spoke, pulling you from your lovesick daze:

"Is that right?"

To his inquiry, you hummed in response, then gave him a question of your own, letting the hair unravel free from your finger:

"Will you let me braid it, Jade?"

Air blew out from his nose as if he were attempting to muffle his laugh. But, it was in vain, for he soon he let out an actual chuckle. Jade's smile grew a tad wider, and his eyes squinted ever so slightly as he dragged his words.

"Will I?"

"Jade…"

Seeing that frown, he moved his left hand to rest at the lower part of your back, aiming to ease you a bit. Though, he still couldn't help the extra laughs that came out before settling.

"Yes, go ahead."

Despite him being a bit of a mean tease, you still granted him another sweet peck on the cheek as thanks.

Bringing your hands up to separate the little strand into three, you started braiding near the root. You entwined the strands together— the right one moved to the center, then the left did, then the right, and so on and so forth. It eventually formed a beautiful little braid under said pattern.

As you got to the end, you realized you hadn't grabbed a hair tie to hold the braid together. After asking Jade to hold the end of your handiwork, you moved over to your worn drawers to fetch one. Yanking the top one open, and moving all of the stuff around, led you to find a little hair tie, but, you'd find some other items, too: A pack of forgotten face masks tucked away in the corner, and some white, shell hair clips— both items bought in hopes of a moment like this.

Giddily, you came back to him and quickly tied the band around the end of the braid. You then raised and waved the pack of three hair clips as well as the face masks infront of him, to which he raised his brow at.

"Are those for me?"

He seemed a bit surprised, evident by the way his eyes widened, but he schooled his expression to neutrality.

"The hair clips are just for you, but I wanted to do the masks together. Have you ever used one?"

"I haven't." He shook his head.

You popped the clips open once the masks were aside and— after analyzing his hair— found the best spot to put them. Using your thumb to brush the right side of his bangs back, you slid two clips on it, joining it to his main hair.

Taking a step back to admire him, he smiled at you. You returned the sentiment, and scooped the pack of face masks back into your hand.

The seal of the iridescent package was quickly torn, and out you pulled a cool, light green mask. Without being asked, Jade held his braid aside for you, granting better access to his face. When you brought the thin sheet close, he shut his eyes. Jade tensed up for a split second, feeling the unexpected wetness of it, but he appeared to enjoy the sensation.

You used both of your thumbs to press and smooth the self-care item onto his skin. And once the task was done, you sat back at his side, ready to put one on yourself. But, Jade was already pulling it out for you, waiting for you to shut your own eyes. The damp mask settled onto your face, and Jade smoothed it out; his ticklish touch causing you to shift in place.

Jade traced his fingers along your jaw as the solution sank into your pores, a gleam flickering in his eyes.

"My, aren't you cute?"

꩜ ‧.°. 𖦹.°.‧ ꩜‧.°.𖦹 .°.‧꩜ ‧.°. 𖦹.°.‧ ꩜‧.°.𖦹 .°.‧꩜ ‧.°. 𖦹.°.‧ ꩜‧.°.𖦹 .°.‧꩜ ‧.

"Your black hair is so cute."

As you ran the pinched fingers from your left hand down, along said thing, Floyd gave you his signature, open mouth smile.

"You like it?"

He maneuvered you closer from the sideways sitting position you were taking on his lap; and assured that the right arm slung around his neck was secured proper. But, Floyd's grip was tight anyway, preventing you from possibly slipping away from him. Once satisfied, he leaned back against the headboard of your bed.

"Can I braid it?" You asked, letting your hand move to caress his cheek, the thumb gently swiping.

"Ehh? What for?" He stopped smiling, his head tilting to the side.

"I've always wanted to."

Floyd exaggerated the act of mulling it over with a huge pout and averted, squinted eyes, all before sighing loudly.

"I'll want something from you too, then."

He gave you another squeeze and nipped at your cheek with a laugh; earning a yelp from you. You pushed his face away, then pinched his ear in retaliation. Floyd seemed eager to mess around, but you quickly reminded him of what you wanted first. You gave his lock a little tug and had him let go of you to be able to use both of your hands.

Floyd watched with interest as you took his black hair and separated it into three to braid. The weaving motions kept him still for a little, but he was starting to fidget; impatient. You sped it up, as the eel before you lifted his hands to squeeze and play with your cheeks.

"Mmum im oum!" Your words came out jumbled when he squeezed your cheeks, enough to have moved your lips into a tightly puckered position.

"Mmn? What'd you say? Cut it out?" But, he ignored you, squeezing your flesh rougher. Floyd only planned on stopping once you finished your task.

You continued to form his little braid, and once you were finally done, you let go, and so did he. Floyd was just about to start holding you again before you scurried away to get to your nightstand's drawers. He whined at you but shut his mouth seeing the little, red, coral hair clips and a face mask package you tossed onto the bed.

"Eh?"

You scooted back over and waved the items in front of his face.

"What? I agreed to the braid, not that stuff." Floyd flicked the hair in question, then crossed his arms while turning his nose up at you.

"Please?"

This time, Floyd had to actually think things over. He kept his upturned nose position before leaning his head in close once he came to a conclusion.

"Fine, but you can't leave my side for the next few days." He smiled wide, tackling you down onto the mattress.

You two wrestled for a bit— which was mostly him managing to pin you down— but you were able to grab hold of one of the hair clips. Using your hand to grip his chin, you stilled his face, then secured the braid back to his main head of hair; but by now, the braid had mostly unraveled.

Floyd loomed still over you, the hair clip having stopped his movements. He looked back at the package containing the face masks, and quickly snatched it. The thing was torn open and he haphazardly set one wet sheet on your face. You had to help him move the mask so your eyes weren't being covered.

He laughed at how it looked on you, and while he was busy laughing, you were able to catch him off guard with slapping the mask onto his face. Floyd yelped like you had earlier. It didn't take long for him to regain his bearings, though. He pulled you up and back onto his lap; this time in a straddle.

"We did what you wanted. I want my thing, now."

"Yes, Floyd. I'll stick to your side."

He seemed pleased to hear that, after all, he loved skipping class or work to go see you. Maybe Azul would be thankful if you were there at the Mostro Lounge to keep him in line. But, Floyd shook his head.

"That's for the mask and clips. I want what you owe me for the braid."

• If there's anything he isn't the biggest fan of, it's "candid" paintings of himself. It's not that he thinks they're bad, and he understands that he looks his most natural when he isn't aware he's being sketched, but he always finds them a bit embarrassing to look at. He doesn't want you to stop doing them, he just doesn't want to see how he looks taken off-guard.

• I imagine him finding the Overblot painting was an accident. He isn't the type to go snooping through your work - so some kind of shenanigans would need to happen for him to find it tucked away in a corner. And he is completely taken by surprise.

• He recognises himself right away, and is struck by the intensity of the artwork. It looks... angry.

• Of course, he looks angry in the painting, but that isn't all. The way it's drawn is almost messy, with hazardous strokes of paint seeming to suggest a certain fury baked into the canvas.

• He spends far too long just blankly staring at it. He hadn't known how he looked when he Overblotted, he realised. He isn't sure he likes it. When had you made this? The way you depicted him was nothing like how you usually did; the loving and careful lines were gone and replaced with harsh, jagged edges and seemingly randomly picked, nonsensical colours. It was less like you cared about the result, and more like you just... had to get this down on canvas somewhere.

• When you return, everything is moved back into place, and he doesn't say a word about the painting.

• He knows art is often a medium for expressing one's emotions, and he can hazard a guess as to the sheer frustration that had led to you putting that down on canvas. He wasn't sure if all of that anger was aimed at him, but he supposed it was none of his business. He just doesn't want you to see him in that way ever again.

• He appreciates your candid paintings a lot more now.

LEONA KINGSCHOLAR

• Doesn't mind being your muse, he just doesn't want to pose.

• So if you'd like to sketch or paint him while he's relaxing or sleeping without needing him to do anything, go for it. He's incapable of being taken off-guard though. He'll always meet your eyes when you're sketching him no matter how secretive you think you're being and ask you if you're getting a good look.

• Also, despite claiming to not want to pose for you, you're pretty sure he does show off a little when he knows you're looking. You could've sworn that shirt button wasn't undone just a few seconds ago.

• I don't think he'd frequently go snooping through your things, but he also doesn't see the big deal in doing so. He's likely to find the painting while looking for something else, and given it's hidden away in a corner and turned around to face the wall, of course he gets curious and wants to take a peek.

• He was not expecting an unfinished sketch of his Overblotted self on the other side.

• He puts it back right away, his mood instantly souring. He doesn't want to see that, especially not in the way you've drawn it.

• It was just so... pathetic. The way he was framed to make him look so small and weak against the blot overwhelming and consuming him.

• Unlike Riddle, he will actually say something about it, asking you why you made it in a very pointed tone of voice. And when you respond by saying that you just felt the need to paint the pain you saw in him that day, he asks you if that is how you still see him.

• "If you really want to know how I see you, take a look at any of my other paintings I have of you."

• Finally, he just scoffs. He really doesn't get how you artists think.

AZUL ASHENGROTTO

• Azul has mixed feelings on your paintings of him. Of course, he admires your skill and appreciates it very much, but he never seems particularly enthused about seeing how it turns out.

• To be clear, he thinks your art is spectacular. He just never quite got over how odd it feels to see himself on canvas.

• He isn't as insecure about his appearance as he used to be, but when you've hated your own reflection for most of your life, that line of thinking is difficult to get rid of. This becomes especially clear when you ask to see his Octopus form one time so you can paint it, and he swiftly shuts you down.

• Despite it not being the body he was born with, Azul at this point in time only truly feels comfortable with himself when he's in his human form, and even that fragile confidence is hanging on by a thread. He'd take a very long time to even want to show you his mer-form at all, never-mind have it painted.

• So you ended up painting his Overblot instead.

• Maybe it was a slightly odd decision - but you remember there being something so captivating about how he looked back then. You feel a little guilty thinking it given the situation, but he was truly beautiful.

• And when he finds it, he's less upset than you'd expect.

• You always portray him so adoringly, and this painting was no different. The ugliest, most humiliating moment of his life - after he'd lost all of his contracts, threw a "tantrum," had his past aired to you against his will and even tried to hurt you - drawn in such a gentle, kind, understanding light. Like he's someone who deserves that sympathy.

• He almost wants to cry, and laugh at the same time. What was he so afraid of? You've already seen the worst of him, and this is how you chose to portray it.

• Azul doesn't mention the painting, but he does tell you that he may be more open to letting you paint his Octopus form now.

JAMIL VIPER

• He's a little bit concerned. And also flattered.

• Generally speaking, Jamil is completely willing to be a model for your paintings, but will often ask why you chose him. He (in-universe only, because you and I both know this isn't true) doesn't stand out much in terms of looks, and he wonders why you don't find someone more suitable to paint. You can say it's because you love him and he'll smile and roll his eyes at you.

• He always wants to see the finished product. He isn't an artist, so he can't give detailed feedback, but he'll compliment your work and try to point out a few specific things about it to praise so he doesn't sound uninterested.

• Still, he never quite got what the appeal of painting him was. He makes an effort to blend in as much as possible, to look as average, bland and dull as can be. He's not used to being in the spotlight, and it's a little weird to see so many paintings with him as the focal point.

• To be honest, he probably ends up finding the painting while cleaning your space. It doesn't matter how tidy you are, Jamil can never leave anything well enough alone if it looks disorderly to him.

• And when he sees it, I honestly imagine his reaction as vastly different to anyone else on this list. I think he'd be weirdly flattered by it?

• His Overblot is by no means a fun memory to return to, but for some reason I can't get this image out of my head of Jamil staring at a painting of his Overblotted form, tilting his head and thinking, "I look kinda good here."

• I don't think he minds that you painted it. He'll bring it up to you later, asking why you never showed it to him before, and jokingly tells you not to be stupid when you admit that you didn't think he'd have a positive reaction to it. He'll go on to praise it like he does with all the rest of your paintings.

• Also, you made him look kind of domineering in it, and he likes that. A bit of a confidence booster, for sure. Local teenager discovers he's got aura.

VIL SCHOENHEIT

• He's in his element. He's another one who isn't too big a fan of the candid sketches, but mostly because he really would much rather pose for you. It's literally his job.

• Vil will outright demand to see every new painting you've made of him. He loves all the little details, it just shows you've been paying very close attention to him, as you should.

• I think he's also the only one who would try to give you any constructive critiques about your art, and they're usually at least semi-helpful.

• He does have a few favourite paintings of yours. Ones where he can just feel the love behind each stroke, the attention given to every minor detail in an effort to put down every little thing you love about him. And despite preferring to model for you, he finds that the candid paintings are often the most beautiful of all.

• Vil is another one who I think may be prone to re-organising your room; not necessarily obsessively cleaning it to the same degree that Jamil might, but he does often find himself suppressing a long-suffering sigh every time he sees how cluttered your workspace has become. And the one time he takes it upon himself to help you out, he comes across the painting you'd hidden away.

• It strikes him where it hurts right away. His Overblot was the lowest he'd ever gone, the ugliest he'd ever been. He had resorted to poisoning his competition - completely giving up on his own chances to win fairly - and had completely broken down. Even if he doesn't remember the actions he took while Overblotted, he does remember the loss they suffered to RSA right afterward, maybe even because of what he'd done back then preventing everyone from performing at their best.

• It was his greatest failure and a complete disgrace. But your loving attention to detail hadn't changed a bit.

• His eyes sting with tears and he puts the painting away again, feeling as though he can't look at it any longer. He just can't wrap his head around it. What part of what he did back then deserved this kind of love?

• He may bring it up to you later, but not now. He isn't even sure what he'd say. Right now, he plans to remind you how grateful he is to have you. He feels like he hasn't said it enough.

IDIA SHROUD

• He keeps asking you to draw anime characters.

• No seriously, please just draw anime characters instead of him, he is begging you.

• He doesn't dislike the paintings of him that you actually manage to finish, it's just difficult to get any sketches prepared because if he notices you're drawing him, he gets really embarrassed and fidgety and will probably try to hide.

• You have so many unfinished sketches because of this, and you have to be extremely sneaky about it now. But strangely, when you show him the finished artwork, he's all over it, and will go on and on about how cool you made him look. But for some reason he just can't stand knowing he's being drawn, no matter how much he knows he'll like the outcome.

• It also might be easier to just start taking photos of him out of nowhere to use as reference instead. He calls you a creep for it but you can just as easily say "look who's talking."

• On the note of him being kind of a creep, I think Idia looks through your stuff on a kind of regular basis. He's not looking for anything, nor is there any goal in mind at all for why he does this. He's just like that

• So when he finds the painting, he knows it must be fairly recent, because it wasn't there the last time he snooped. Which then only makes him panic even more when he turns it over and sees what it is.

• Why are you drawing this now? He knows what he did back then was awful - literally potentially world-ending - but you've always seemed so understanding, like you knew he wasn't completely in control by the time he Overblotted. What he means is, it's never posed an issue in your relationship. At least as far as he knows. But if you're drawing his Overblot this recently, are you still, like, mad at him for it? Traumatised? Why haven't you said anything to him about it?

• What if you feel like you can't talk to him about it because you're scared of him or something? He thinks you've been acting normal, but what if it's just pretend?? Do you hate him???

• Prepare to wake up to 30 "do you still love me" messages at 5 in the morning.

MALLEUS DRACONIA

• Malleus is almost strangely happy to be your muse. Not only does he want to see all the finished products, but he'll analyse them in excruciating detail, often leaving you the embarrassed one.

• He's another one that is impossible to take off guard, as he'll always notice when you're sketching him. He won't change what he's doing though, choosing to ignore it until you're finished so he won't interrupt whatever vision you had in mind.

• He often wants to show off your art and will take literally any excuse to do so. If you're happy with this, then great; but if you're shy about your art, you have to be careful not to let him hold the finished artwork for too long lest he disappear with it to show to anyone who will listen.

• Definitely plans to have your art hung up on his castle's walls someday.

• Malleus doesn't make a habit of looking through your things as a whole, but your artwork? Certainly. It's how he ends up finding the painting of his Overblotted self.

• He isn't necessarily happy about it, nor is he upset that you put it to canvas. He'll keep the art with him until you return, so he can show it to you and use it as a gateway to have a conversation with you about it.

• It's more like an opportunity to get his thoughts in order and just... make sure everything is understood between the two of you. He wants to know any and all lingering thoughts or feelings you have surrounding what he did back then, and he wants to be as forthcoming as he can with you about his own, as well.

Floyd is an interesting case, being both a bit of a coward and very upfront about his feelings. He doesn't want to be vulnerable (ew yuck)! That's so not his style!

Unfortunately for you, his style is very middle school-like, aka: I'm gonna bother and annoy you but also expect you to know from this irritating special attention that I actually like you.

It makes for a really, quite funny sight for the others around you, as they can tell that you're definitely getting "special" treatment from Floyd, but due to his general demeanor and his role in Octavinelle, it's hard to tell if this is a good or bad thing.

Going back to my interspecies romance post (which might be due for a rewrite tbh I have more refined thoughts now) a few things from there apply to Floyd still.

He does bestow you with gifts, gifts that you don't really want because Floyd refuses to say what he wants in return. "They're just for you, take them." "I think I'm okay—" "I said. Take. It." You take them anyways because his expression is that unnerving one he always does when Ace starts annoying him in basketball and he's just about to start chasing him and throwing Ace into the hoop. Again.

They are the oddest little gifts. There are nice ones of course, an eel keychain that he insisted you take. A rock he found that Floyd though matched your eyes. He heard that for some reason, humans really like shells. Floyd learned the hard way that specifically empty shells, after gifting you one too many conches with the snail still in it. So Floyd brings you (empty) shells that remind him of you. They're fun colors, big, and usually pointy.

He also really likes to give you teeth. He gives you a lot of teeth, sharp ones, dull ones, ones with a little bit of blood still on them. You think the sharp ones might be his own, you heard Azul mention that growing up the twins would get into fights and lose teeth, only for them to grow back pretty quickly. Some of the teeth certainly looked big and sharp enough to be Floyd's. The others you're not too sure, but if you'd paid more attention to Floyd, you'd notice that he'd started a habit of following certain students that liked to push you around. All it takes is for one of them to mutter something about the "useless prefect" and you lack of magic, and Floyd is back with another tooth, smiling brightly like he did something trophy worthy.

Yes, he will "talk" to your bullies, in part because that's how you court and show love in the deep sea. A dangerous place like that means that you want to show that you are someone who not only can withstand the icy waters and her inhabitants, but can protect your beloved from her as well. The other part is because only Floyd is allowed to bully you.

This is more where the middle school behavior peaks most. Once again, if Floyd is pursuing you, it means you got is attention somehow. Most likely his interest started during one of the times you came into the Mostro Lounge, and probably did something like kick him in the shins, or the dick, and it's been love at first punch since then. Not many people can get the drop on him you know? And the other part of courting in the deep sea is making sure that your partner is also strong enough to protect you and fight for you. As such, he is antagonizing you daily with the sole purpose of getting you to fight, chase, and lovingly maim him.

Floyd is into you because you are exciting, more like a mantis shrimp with how you fight back when he bothers you. The pissed off look in your eye is just so thrilling when it's on him, and he wants to keep it on him. It's unfortunate that this aspect of eelmer courting is so conflicting with humans, because playing with you is his favorite way of courting. To him, it's obvious, all of his attention is on you and you on him, so it's going to be the quickest way to get you to confess to him first!

Oh, you think Floyd is going to confess first? Ha! No. He thinks that all his actions: the gifts, the protection, the "playing," is all an obvious enough sign of his courting. If anything, Floyd thinks he's practically shouting his intentions from the rooftops, and you're taking your sweet time. Honestly, the fact that you haven't caught on ("or," a voice whispers at the back of his head, "they aren't interested. They're ignoring you.") frustrates him to no end.

His mood swings ironically get a bit more predictable around you, just not in the way most would prefer. Floyd approaches you with another gift, after another "talk" with a bully, or tries playing with you again, if you don't react the way he wants his mood is dropping. He'll sulk, laying down in a booth at the lounge or at the bleachers during his club. Sometimes he gets antsy, wondering if he just squeezes you hard enough that you'll finally give in, so he'll stalk around campus to find something else to rough up, since humans apparently fragile little things. Jade makes fun of him for this, since when has Floyd cared about being gentle? Since when has Floyd become predictable—why even random students are clocking that Floyd gets moody after talking with the Prefect!

The fact that other students are noticing a pattern annoys Floyd even more; he doesn't need his business known by anyone but him. Alas, it continues on as you live on in ignorance and Floyd lives on in annoyance that you're not already sloppily making out in his room right now. He's ready to just do it anyways, if you didn't like it all then you would've told him to stop long ago. You gotta like him too!

But it's not the gifts or protection or attention he gives you that eventually catches your attention, but rather the rare, almost foreign sound of your actual name from his mouth. It's not often, as Floyd thinks that if you're gonna stay being a little shrimp around him then you can stay as Little Shrimpy. But sometimes, when it's just you two, and you play along with him, Floyd likes to feel the way the letters of your name leave his lips as you blink up at him with a cute, surprised expression.

"Ah!" Floyd rocked on his heels, looking down at you with a lazy smile as you pointed a finger up at him. "You do know my name!"

Floyd tilted his head and giggled, "Duh, why'd you think I didn't?"

A pleasant change of pace for him, usually you'd blanch at the sight of him and grimace at the latest trinket he'd gotten you. It pissed him off, Floyd reeeeeally wanted to just pick you up and squeeze until you finally gave in and agreed to go out. There's a fun spooky escape room in Foothill Town that he wants to try with you but it's not fun if you're gonna be clutching the wall with fear and not him. But Mama reminded him that humans were soft things, had to be careful with them if you liked one. And he really liked you.

"Cause you call me Shrimpy instead! Like, all the time! I thought you just didn't bother to remember anyone's name!"

He shrugged smile dropping into a pout.

"Only when I wanna."

He frowned as you huffed, rolling your eyes as you fidgeted with the rock Floyd had given you. More so plopped in your palm after cornering you at the end of a hall during his latest chase. It was…certainly a rock!

"Lovely, so you only wanna remember my name sometimes."

"Only when Shrimpy deserves it."

Floyd leaned back as you whipped your head up at him and held up your hands in a strangling motion, an also strangled sound coming from your mouth as you practically growled.

You had look in your eye, like you were on the last straw of you patience. Floyd would really love to see you lose it though, see how you'd jump him and rough him up. You'd look so pretty, breathless and flushed, like you would after making out, he's very sure of it.

"Why are you like this? And why me? Wasn't Riddle enough fun for you?"

A giant, full (sharp) tooth grin grew on Floyd's face as he giggled. A fond warmness filled his chest and bloomed on his cheeks.

"It's different with (Name)!"

Then, you slumped and half whined, half groaned as you ducked under Floyd and started walking away.

"But why?! What'd I ever do to you? Are you still mad about the first time I came to the lounge? I didn't mean to dick you down there! Everyone else started fighting and I was just trying to make sure I didn't get hurt!"

Floyd also whined, following after you like a lanky, looming puppy.

"Ugh! How come Shrimpy still doesn't get it!" He sighed, suddenly draping himself over you. You yelped, stumbling as you tried to steady yourself from falling. "I'm doin' everything like Mama said! But you're taking too long!"

You went warm and stiffened, Floyd's breath grazing the back of your neck as he murmured into you: "How come you don't answer me? Don't cha like me?"

"A-ah, Floyd you're being weird…"

It was confusingly pleasing and frustrating that you liked how Floyd practically curled over you as if he could merge you two into one.

"Don't want me? I want my (Name), and I think I'm gonna take you now."

RIDDLE ROSEHEARTS

Riddle walked toward Ramshackle with a neatly organized study guide tucked securely under his arm. He had spent the previous evening meticulously color-coding every section, writing clear explanations, and adding helpful examples — exactly as he had promised Y/N. He couldn’t allow them to fall behind, after all.

He knocked on the door with three firm, precise taps. The door creaked open, revealing a very sleepy Grim rubbing his eyes.

“Ah, good evening, Grim,” Riddle greeted politely, though his posture remained as straight as ever. “Is Y/N available at the current moment? I brought the study guide we discussed.”

“Heya Riddle… nah, they’re dead asleep right now,” Grim yawned, stretching lazily.

Riddle’s expression shifted from polite formality to mild concern. “Asleep? At this hour? They seemed fine earlier today. Did something happen?”

Grim shrugged. “They just knocked out while studying.”

Riddle sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “That sounds exactly like them. They always push themselves too hard. May I come in? I’d like to check on them myself, if that’s alright.”

“Yeah, sure… just keep it down,” Grim muttered, stepping aside. “If you wake them up and they get angry, it’s your fault, not mine.”

“Of course, I’ll be careful.” Riddle replied, stepping inside with measured grace.

The moment Riddle entered the living room, he stopped short.

Y/N was slumped over the old wooden table, arms folded awkwardly over an open textbook, neck bent at an uncomfortable angle. Ink smudges stained their hand, and their face looked pale with exhaustion. The Ramshackle ghosts hovered nearby, whispering worriedly.

Riddle’s chest tightened with genuine concern. He stood silently for a moment, then moved with quiet efficiency.

“Honestly…” he murmured under his breath. “They never listen when I tell them to take proper breaks.”

He carefully gathered the scattered books and closed the notebooks, stacking them neatly on the corner of the table. He set aside the pens and gently adjusted Y/N’s posture as best he could without lifting them — carefully supporting their head and shoulders to ease the strain on their neck. He pulled a blanket over them, tucking it securely around their shoulders.

Grim watched from the doorway, ears twitching. “You’re really going all out, huh? They’re just sleeping.”

Riddle straightened up, brushing a stray strand of hair from Y/N’s face with careful fingers. “They are pushing themselves far too hard. If they continue like this, they’ll only make themselves ill. Proper rest is essential for academic performance.”

He turned to Grim, voice firm but not unkind. “Grim, if something like this happens again, please inform me immediately instead of letting Y/N push themselves past their limit. Understood? I will not tolerate them neglecting their health.”

Grim crossed his little arms, looking slightly defensive. “Hey, I tried to tell them to take a break! But you know how stubborn they are.”

Riddle sighed. “Yes… I do. That is precisely why I am asking you to contact me next time. I will handle it.”

He gave one last lingering look at their sleeping form, his expression softening with quiet worry. Before leaving, he placed the color-coded study guide on the bedside table where they would see it first thing in the morning.

“Rest well, Y/N,” he whispered. “And please… take better care of yourself.”

With that, Riddle turned and left Ramshackle, the door closing softly behind him.

LEONA KINGSCHOLAR

Leona trudged toward Ramshackle with an irritated scowl, Y/N’s notebook clutched loosely in one hand. They had been pestering him about it for an entire week, and he was finally done with their whining. He planned to toss the notes at them and leave immediately.

When Grim cracked the door open, Leona didn’t even wait for a greeting.

“Where’s the herbivore?” he grumbled.

Grim rubbed his eyes. “Huh? Leona? What’re YOU doing here?”

“That damn herbivore wouldn’t stop bothering me about their notebook, so I’m here to give it back,” Leona said, waving the notes. “Now move.”

Grim hesitated. “Oh… Y/N’s asleep right now though.”

Leona clicked his tongue but pushed past Grim anyway, stepping inside with a heavy sigh that sounded more tired than annoyed. His emerald eyes scanned the room and immediately landed on them.

They were twisted awkwardly on the bed, half of their upper body hanging off the edge, a textbook slipping from their limp fingers. Their face was tense even in sleep, clearly exhausted.

Leona stopped for a second, staring. Then he shook his head, muttering under his breath, “They overdid it again, huh…”

Without another word, he quietly picked up the fallen books and stacked them neatly on the table. Then, with surprising gentleness for someone so rough around the edges, he slid one arm under their knees and the other behind their back, lifting them easily. He adjusted their position so they were lying properly on the bed and pulled the blanket over them, tucking it around their shoulders.

Grim watched from the doorway, secretly surprised at Leona’s gentleness. Leona flicked him hard on the forehead.

“OWH! What was that for?!”

“Be quiet, you damn furball,” Leona growled lowly. “Watch them properly and make sure they eat something when they wake up. Don’t let them skip meals again.”

Before leaving, Leona paused at the side of the bed. He reached down and gently brushed a few strands of hair away from their forehead, his touch lingering for just a moment, surprisingly tender. Then, without saying anything else, he turned and left Ramshackle, hands shoved back into his pockets, tail flicking behind him.

AZUL ASHENGROTTO
Azul comes to Ramshackle to deliver a custom set of practice problems he created for Y/N after hearing they were struggling with a specific subject.

Grim opens the door and Azul greets him with his usual charismatic smile.

“Good evening Grim. I’ve prepared a tailored set of practice problems for Y/N, given their recent difficulties with that particular subject. I came to deliver it personally. Are they available at the moment?”

“Oh yeah, Y/N told me about that. But Y/N is asleep right now.”

Azul’s eyebrows rose slightly in surprise, but his polite smile returned almost instantly. “Asleep? At this hour?” He tilted his head. “May I come in? I won’t take much of their time. I’d simply like to leave these for them.”

Grim hesitated for a second, then shrugged and stepped aside. “Sure, whatever. Just don’t wake them up.”

“Thank you,” Azul said smoothly, stepping inside.

The moment he entered the living room, his steps faltered.
Y/N is slumped in a chair, head resting on an open notebook, page covered in erased calculations. There are smudges of pencil on their cheek, and they looked utterly drained.
Azul stood still for a long moment, his usual composed mask softening into genuine concern. The ghosts hovered nearby, whispering worriedly.

He quietly collects the papers, aligns them into neat stacks, and places them in order. He carefully removes the pencil from Y/N’s loosened fingers and sets it aside. Then, with surprising tenderness, he removed his own coat and draped it over their shoulders to keep them warm.

One of the ghosts floated closer. “They’ve been like this for hours…”

“I see,” Azul murmured, voice low. “I won’t wake them. Please don’t worry.”

He stood there for a long moment, simply watching over them. His expression was uncharacteristically soft. Before leaving, he placed the folder of practice problems on the table where they would easily find it.


KALIM AL-ASIM
Kalim comes excitedly to invite Y/N to a spontaneous late-evening snack with the Scarabia dorm.

“Huh? Oh—Kalim? What’re you doin’ here at this hour?”

“Hi Grim! I was just about to come looking for you two. Scarabia’s kitchen made way too many late-night snacks again, so I thought—why not invite you and Y/N? It’ll be fun!”
“FOOD?! Real Scarabia food?! Spicy, delicious, perfectly seasoned—” he practically drools.
“Count me in! Lemme grab—”

But then Grim suddenly freezes, ears twitching with annoyance.

“I can’t. Y/N’s asleep.”
“Eh? Asleep already?”
Kalim leans slightly to peek past the doorway.
“It’s not even that late… Is everything okay? Were they tired?”
“They knocked out while studyin’. One second they were writin’, next second—” he mimics a dramatic face-plant into imaginary books with his paws. “Boom. Out cold.”

Kalim’s cheerful expression softens with concern.

“Oh no… They must’ve really overworked themselves again. Can I come in? Just to check on them? I won’t wake them up, promise!”
“Eh, yeah, sure… Just keep your voice down! If you wake them up and they get cranky, it’s YOUR fault, not mine.” Grim crosses his little arms.
“Thank you, Grim. And don’t worry, I’ll be super quiet. I just want to make sure they’re okay.”
Kalim steps inside with the softest footsteps imaginable, even the ghosts peek from behind a wall, waving politely at him. When he walks into the room and sees Y/N curled uncomfortably with books spread around them, Kalim’s entire expression melts into worry.
He quietly tiptoes around them, picking up every notebook and stacking them so Y/N is not surrounded by clutter. He takes a random blanket from the couch and gently covers Y/N with it. Grim, who was watching nearby, awkwardly whispered.

“...So, uh… the food—does it, uh, keep? I mean, just in case I still wanna go later?”

Kalim, trying his best not to laugh, replies. “Of course. I’ll make sure there’s a plate set aside for you. A big one!”
“Now THAT’S what I like to hear!”

Kalim smiles at Grim, then returns his gaze at Y/N once again. “….They really pushed themselves today, huh?”
“Yeah. They’re hopeless without me.”

Kalim chuckled quietly, eyes warm. “You take really good care of them, Grim. I’m glad they have you.”

Grim puffed out his chest, trying (and failing) to look modest. “Obviously! I’m their great and powerful protector, after all!”

Kalim gave Grim a gentle pat on the head before taking one last look at Y/N, making sure the blanket was secure.

“Sleep well, Y/N,” he whispered. “We’ll have snacks together another night. I’ll make it extra special.”

With that, he slipped out as quietly as he had come — already planning a much bigger, much cozier late-night snack session for when you were feeling better.

VIL SCHOENHEIT
Vil comes to deliver special skincare items Y/N left behind after their last visit, along with a few new ones he chose for them.
“Ugh… that knock sounds fancy. Must be him.” Grim opens the door. “Oh. Yep. Vil.”
“Good evening, Grim. I trust you’re keeping the place… as presentable as Ramshackle allows.”
“H-hey! I’ll have you know it’s way cleaner than before! …Mostly.” he huffs. “So, uh, what brings you here? Don’t tell me the wind blew your highness off course.”
“I came because Y/N left several skincare items behind during their last visit.”
He lifts a neatly packed box. “I’ve brought those, along with a few additional products I selected for them. They’ll help with the dryness caused by this old building.”
“Oh. Right. Well… Y/N’s asleep.”
“Asleep? At this hour?”
He raises an eyebrow, suspicion creeping in. “They weren’t looking this tired earlier. Did something happen?”
“They just knocked out. Studying and stuff. You know how they get.”
“Mm. That sounds like them.” he softly sighs. “In any case, may I come in? I’d rather not leave these products in your guardianship.”
“HEY! I can take care of things! …But fine, fine. Come in. Just don’t go waking them up. They get grumpy when they’re half-asleep.”
“Please. I have more self-control than that.”
The moment Vil stepped inside and saw Y/N, all traces of judgment vanished from his expression.

They were slumped over the old wooden table, surrounded by open books and notes, neck bent at an awful angle, shoulders tight with exhaustion.

Vil’s gaze softened with deep concern. Without a word, he set the box down and moved to their side. He carefully cleared the books away, removed the hair tie that was pulling too tightly at the back of their head, and slowly adjusted their posture so they were no longer in such a painful position.

He then took out a hydrating balm and carefully applied it to their lips, his touch feather-light. The ghosts hovered nearby, quietly explaining how long they had been like this. Vil listened in silence, already mentally planning exactly how he would scold them tomorrow for neglecting their health. Before leaving, he brushed his fingers tenderly against their cheek, voice barely above a whisper.

“You need to take better care of yourself, spudling,” he murmured. “Beauty starts with rest. I won’t allow you to ruin that gorgeous skin of yours.”

He straightened up, gave Grim one last pointed look, and slipped out into the evening, the faint scent of his expensive cologne lingering behind him.

IDIA SHROUD
Idia comes to Ramshackle because Ortho convinced him to bring over a USB of upgraded study resources Y/N asked for.

A hesitant knock… then a second, lighter one. Grim drags himself to the door. “Ugh, who’s bothering me now…?”
He opens the door and deadpans. “Oh. It’s you two.”
“Hello, Grim! I hope we’re not intruding. My brother has something to deliver!” Ortho chirps with usual enthusiasm.

Idia, standing half-hidden behind Ortho, hoodie up, hair dimmer than usual. “D-Don’t say it like that. It sounds like a delivery quest from a low-level NPC…”
“So what’re ya here for? I don’t remember ordering anything.”
“It’s for Y/N! They asked for upgraded study resources, remember? My brother compiled everything into a USB and optimized the program for their computer!”

Idia awkwardly hands over the small USB drive box. “I— uh— yeah. It’s all in there. Custom algorithms, auto-hints, difficulty scaling… basically cheat codes for studying. S-So, um… is Y/N inside?”
“Oh! Yeah, they’re here but… they’re asleep. Like, totally knocked out.”
“As— asleep? Right now?”
Idia shifts nervously, glancing down the hall.
“Uh, that’s… that’s fine. We can just leave this and go. Right? That’s good enough, right? Let’s go, Ortho-“
“Wait! But we came all the way out here. We should check on them! Y/N overworked themselves last week, so their fatigue levels might still be high.”
“O-Ortho please don’t say ‘fatigue levels’ out loud like they’re a stat bar…”
“They’re not sick. They’re just conked out from studying. Again.”
“Then we should make sure they’re sleeping safely. Idia, you want to, right?”

Idia’s face turns pink, eyes darting everywhere.
“W-Wha— I— that’s— I didn’t say that— That’s a weird assumption flag— I’m not— but—” he sighs in defeat. “…Fine. But only because you’ll bug me about it forever.”
Grim opens the door wider.

“Then come in. Just don’t wake ‘em.”

Ortho floats ahead like an excited drone. Idia tiptoes like someone avoiding landmines.

He steps inside reluctantly after Grim lets them in, expecting a short visit. When he sees Y/N collapsed over their desk, asleep with a notebook stuck to their cheek, his throat tightens.

“They’re right over—”
“Oh no…”
“What— oh.” Idia’s hair flickers with visible stress.

Y/N is asleep at their desk — ink smudged on their hand, cheek pressed to an open notebook, head bent at an awful angle. Books surround them in messy heaps. The ghosts hover overhead, fretting silently.

Idia covering his mouth, horrified. “T-That posture is a debuff waiting to happen. That’s like +50 neck strain, +30 back pain, and guaranteed status ailment: morning regret.” steps closer despite himself. “Why do they do this…? This is like the worst way to AFK.”
“They must have worked really hard. Their vitals look stable, though! That’s good.” Ortho adds with relief.
“Yeah… Stable is good.”
“They do this all the time. Studying until they face-plant. It’s their thing.”
“That’s not a ‘thing,’ Grim-shi. That’s a self-destructive player habit.” Idia mumbles with a mix of exasperation and fondness.

Idia moves closer. He crouches, very slowly, as if approaching a rare creature.

Idia’s voice barely above a whisper. “Y/N… You’re gonna respawn with a headache if you keep this up.”
“You’re not waking them, right?”
“No! I’m not insane. I don’t want to trigger a jump-scare event.”

“We should make them more comfortable! Should I lift them onto the bed?” Ortho exclaims cheerfully, but quietly.
Idia waves his arms in panic. “NO— no no no— absolutely not. That’s… too much. That’s like… a death flag for me.”
“Then what do you wanna do?”
After a moment, he carefully slides a book out from under Y/N’s arm so their head isn’t pressing into a sharp corner.
“There. Micro-adjustment. Stealth buff.”
“You’re really gentle with them, Nii-san.” Ortho quietly adds.

Idia blushes at Ortho’s words, then, he places the USB near Y/N’s hand.
“When they wake up, tell them this updates automatically and to plug it in before they start studying again. It boosts efficiency… and keeps them from staying up all night.”
“I’ll tell ‘em.” Grim nods.
Ortho smiles. “Thank you for letting us in, Grim!”
“Yeah yeah. You two aren’t so bad.”

Idia immediately heads for the door. “Okaygreatwe’regoingbye—”
“Nii-san! Slow down! That’s rude!”

MALLEUS DRACONIA
Malleus comes simply because he wished to visit Y/N, as he does often, bringing them a small trinket from Briar Valley. It was nothing extravagant — just a tiny dragon figurine that glowed faintly when touched — but he had thought of Y/N the moment he saw it and wanted to give it to them in person.

He raised his hand and knocked gently on the old wooden door. The door creaked open a moment later, revealing a sleepy Grim rubbing his eyes.

“Nyah…? Oh, it’s you, Malleus,” Grim yawned. “Y/N’s already asleep. They crashed hard after studying all day. Come back tomorrow or something.”

Malleus tilted his head, a faint smile playing on his lips. “I see. However, I would still like to see them, if only for a moment.”

Before Grim could protest, Malleus had already stepped inside with that effortless grace of his, the chill of night air following him like a cloak. Grim blinked, too tired (and slightly intimidated) to argue as the tall fae prince moved further into the dorm.

Malleus stopped in the living room.

There they were — slumped over the old wooden table, surrounded by open textbooks and scattered notes. Their head rested at an awkward angle on their arm, shoulders tense, brow furrowed even in sleep. The sight made something tighten in Malleus’s chest.

The Ramshackle ghosts hovered nearby, looking helpless.

Malleus gave them a small, understanding nod before approaching them quietly. Without hesitation, he slid one arm beneath Y/N’s knees and the other behind their back, lifting them as though they weighed nothing at all. They stirred slightly but didn’t wake, only letting out a tired sigh as he carried them to their bed.

He laid them down with utmost care, adjusting the pillows and pulling the blanket over them. His long fingers brushed a strand of hair from their face with surprising gentleness.

“Rest well, Child of Man,” he whispered.

With a soft glow of green magic, he cast a simple spell that eased the tension in their muscles and warded off any nightmares that might disturb their sleep. Then he placed the small silver dragon trinket on the pillow beside their head, where they would see it first thing in the morning.

Malleus stood there for a long moment, watching over them with a calm expression. The ancient fae prince, feared by so many, looked almost soft in the dim light.

Grim peeked into the room, ears twitching. “You’re really whipped for them, huh?”

Malleus glanced at the small monster, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “Indeed. They are very precious to me.”

He turned back to Grim, lowering his voice. “If they wake and need anything at all — no matter the hour — summon me immediately. I will come.”

Grim nodded, unusually quiet. “Yeah, yeah… I got it.”

Malleus gave one last lingering look at their sleeping form before silently disappearing.

Therefore it is ABSOLUTELY VITAL to be as touchy as possible with him AT ALL TIMES!

Listen. He needs it

And seeing him internally panic (with that same poker face he puts on for everything) every time you get too close is just TOO funny

He's a blusher, I know this, and so he's red down to the neck whenever you so much as brush shoulders or link arms

Not even his handkerchief can hide it

He is like... PAINFULLY easy to fluster. He SUCKS at being a tsundere

Even the smallest gesture and he's reconsidering all of his life choices

Not that he doesn't enjoy it... he does. He just can't comprehend what's happening in his body when you hug him

Anyway. He would like having little flowers put in his hair (and if anyone says anything about it he mentally crushes their diaphragm)

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ Fellow Honest

Attention whore

Listen.

Unlike Rollo, Fellow has no qualms (or SHAME) about being doted on

Maybe there was like, two minutes of apathetic resistance, that "I don't need love/support/etc I'm a strong independent hardened criminal raised on the streets" schtick

But like. Look at him. Do you think anyone has ever sought comfort or closeness with him without being paid to do so?

At the end of the day he both:

#1 Enjoys feeling special and appreciated by someone sweet

#2 Enjoys rubbing that in everyone else's face

He would get pretty smug walking around campus with you on his arm, wearing signs of your intimacy like a badge of honor, making those boarding school brats seethe with jealousy that a weak nobody like him could get so close and personal with their beloved Prefect...

Fellow also just enjoys closeness, though, and he's pretty touchy on his own (though he's more of an "arm around your waist/hand on the small of your back" kinda guy)

Also he has cute ears for petting and foxes wag their tails when happy. Just something to consider...!

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ Skully J Graves

YOU being touchy? What about HIM being touchy?

This is the guy who kissed you immediately upon meeting you that we're talking about!

Skully is an old-fashioned gentleman, and he would be beside himself with shame if he weren't offering to hold your hand or link arms when escorting you

He's got no sense of personal space to begin with, no boundaries, especially when it comes to the things and people he adores!

With time, his standard set of manners could easily evolve into a private sort of intimacy, reserved only for you...

Frequent hugs and kisses and gestures of his undying (haha) devotion!

Yeah I got nothing more to say, this is basically canon

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ Swing

Now, I know you're wondering: is there anyone on this list who wouldn't be over the moon for some good ol fashioned loving?

And the answer is NO!

because Mr. Swing is also playing on the "no boundaries" team, and if he likes you, or just thinks you're cute, then he's certainly already made it known

Whoever said he's like an overgrown house cat was right on the money tbh

No impulse control, no inhibitions, strong sense of "I want it, so it's mine" entitlement...

He is a HUGGER

Let's hope you have a good set of lungs and a strong back, because he's not letting go for a good while

It's not so much of an "allowing you to" situation as it is a "demanding you to" situation

You WILL be putting cute ribbons and flowers in his hair

You WILL be holding his hand

Being in a relationship with Floyd Leech was not for the weak.

He was unpredictable, clingy one moment and bored the next, and he had an almost supernatural talent for pushing every single one of your buttons. The worst part? He knew exactly what he was doing. And he did it on purpose because nothing entertained him more than watching your face go red, your voice rise, and then kissing the anger right out of you until you were melting instead of fuming.

Today was no exception. You’d asked him to pick up a few simple things from Sam’s shop after class, flour, sugar, chocolate chips, eggs. Nothing complicated. You wanted to bake muffins once you got back to ramshackle.

Floyd had grinned that sharp, lazy smile and said. “Sure thing, Shrimpy~ I’ll take care of it.”

And of course, when you walked into ramshackle that afternoon, there he was, sprawled across your couch like he owned the place, long legs dangling over the armrest, scrolling on his phone.

“Hi Shrimpy~” he greeted, flashing you a big, sharp smile.

You smiled back at him. “Hey. Did you get the stuff I asked for?”

Floyd tilted his head, pretending to think. “Hmm… oh yeah. I forgot.”

Your smile dropped instantly. “You forgot?”

“Yeah…” he said casually, sitting up and stretching like a cat. “I’ll just grab it tomorrow. No big deal.”

You felt the annoyance flare up immediately. You crossed your arms, staring at him. “Floyd, I wanted to bake today. I planned everything around it.”

He shrugged, still smiling. “You can bake anytime. It’s just muffins.”

That was it. You marched over to the couch, now properly upset. “You’re acting like a huge dick right now, you know that?”

Floyd stands up fully, mismatched eyes sparkling with mischief. “You’re overreacting. The world not gonna end over some eggs and flour.”

That pushed you over the edge. Your voice rose. “I’m overreacting?! You’re so irresponsible and childish sometimes! If I annoy you that much, maybe you should just…”

He didn’t let you finish.

Floyd surged forward, one hand cupping the back of your neck as he pulled you into a deep, sudden kiss. Your eyes flew wide open. You planted both hands on his chest and tried to push him away.

“What are you… mmph!”

Another kiss. Harder this time. His arms wrapped around your waist, pulling you flush against him until your knees bumped the couch. The fight drained out of you faster than you wanted to admit. Your hands stopped pushing and instead gripped fistfuls of his shirt as you kissed him back.

When he finally pulled away, just enough to look at your flushed face, he grinned wide, teeth sharp and delighted. “You feel better now, Shrimpy?”

“You’re insufferable….” you muttered, still breathing hard.

Floyd giggled, that low, playful sound that always made your stomach flip. Then he snapped his fingers like he’d just remembered something. “Oh wait~ I’m so stupid. I did buy all the stuff. It’s in the back of the kitchen cabinet. Oopsie~”

Your eyes went wide. Then narrowed again in fresh annoyance. “You did this on purpose?!”

He let go of you and flopped back onto the couch with dramatic innocence, arms spread out. “Me? Neveeeer… or maybe~ If you’re still mad, I can kiss you again. I don’t mind.”

You stared at him for a long second, then you rolled your eyes and turned toward the kitchen.

“I hate you!” you called over your shoulder.

Floyd laughter followed you. “No you don’t~”

You really, really wanted to argue with that. But as you pulled the hidden bag out of the cabinet and saw he’d gotten everything you asked for (plus a few extra things he knew you like), you couldn’t stop the small smile tugging at your lips.

You hated how much you loved him.

And Floyd? He knew it too. That was exactly why he kept doing it.

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ Heartslabyul

Ace and Deuce didn't like the thought of you sharing a dorm with that guy, not one bit!

It took a lot of talking (and cherry pie bribery) to get them to come around, and when a few months had passed with no incident to tell, they mellowed out

...Then, suddenly, you're inviting Rollo on all of your outings, and your trio (not including Grim) became a quartet

Tolerable until Ace and Deuce realized Rollo had not one bit of interest in them, and would only make pleasantries out of politeness, likely for their beloved Prefect's sake (he never leaves your side)

What's worse is that Rollo is doing all the gentlemanly stuff that they never bothered to- holding doors for you, pulling out your chair, offering to carry your things... why didn't they think of that!! He makes them both look like Grade A jerks without even glancing their way

Noble Bell College is all about manners and formalities, after all

They try to bounce back by doubling their gentlemanly behavior, but somehow always end up fighting about which one of the two gets to link arms with you while crossing the street, or give you his coat when it's cold

...Then Rollo goes ahead and does it anyway while they're busy bickering with one another

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ Savanaclaw

Leona didn't have any interest in Rollo to begin with

Listen, he wasn't at the masquerade ball. He never broke his back weeding fire lotuses, never singed off his eyebrows while battling in the bell tower (sorry, Azul), and in Leona's world, this meant they had no personal beef, thus he had no reason to care about the strange new transfer student

He wasn't even bugged that Rollo was being a perfect gentleman for you- in fact, he thought it was a good thing. Someone has to look out for you around here

It wasn't until he spotted you walking with him in the botanical gardens, when Rollo held out an arm to stop you mid-step

Leona narrows his eyes- trouble?

...But Rollo only points out that your shoelaces have loosened, and he kneels to tie them for you without thinking twice

Something about the gesture (and how CASUAL it is) makes Leona's eye twitch

He'll have to keep a better eye on that Rollo guy...

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ Octavinelle

Azul didn't like Rollo to begin with, but now he's REALLY gotten on his nerves

The once kind, helpful Prefect, always willing to lend a hand (or an arm, or a leg, or a vital organ) to a fellow poor, unfortunate student, no matter the cost to themself?

...Suddenly saying no

Azul's art of the deal falls flat when Rollo is around, who delivers that steadfast and ready "No, thank you, good day," and whisks you away before Azul can even get a word in!

Not even the tweels are convincing- Rollo always makes you stand behind him when Floyd is around, and he refuses to even look at Jade

But it's not only that the Prefect is no longer an unpaid intern because of Rollo's intervention, it's that you actually listen to him

His judgments? His decisions? His muttered comments? You respect him enough to heed his warnings without question. You must think very highly of him...

...Azul can't help but feel a little jealous of that

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ Diasomnia

Malleus was ready to put that nasty fire lotus business behind him

What? You thought he would be angry, vengeful, and possessive? Have you MET the guy? He takes no pleasure in hatred, violence is only a potential necessity, and, in all honesty, he was excited to have a member of the gargoyle studies club besides himself and the Prefect

...Maybe he puts too much faith in people, sometimes

Because Rollo Flamme maintained exactly zero interest in befriending, or even tolerating Malleus Draconia, and instead prefers following in your shadow, keeping his eyes pointed at potential threats to the magicless student he so adores

Malleus had never been particularly envious of your friendships with fickle, foolish boys, and besides that, your happiness was his happiness

...But this feels like Rollo is overstepping a boundary that Malleus didn't even know was there

He suddenly feels a great urge to have you closer, to impress you, to catch your attention

His displays of magic become even grander, his acts of chivalry even more dramatic, his kindness pushed to its limit (Sebek would kill hundreds to be in your position, but he was told to hold his tongue on the matter for the time being), and yet, still, you stay at Rollo's side

Malleus doesn't quite understand it. Cold, curt, and with more interest in old traditions than magical ingenuity, he seems like the very last person that you, of all people, would get along with

...And, yet...

Rollo walks you through the courtyard with linked arms, he always lets you have your first pick of the pastries he gets shipped from home, and he's sure to wrap an arm around your waist when he feels tension in the room, as if his first priority is always and forever keeping you safe

He speaks to you in that soft tone (reserved only for you, when he thinks no one is listening), and calls you dear Prefect

It would have angered Malleus, if it were anyone else- but this is someone he's beaten in battle before.... just on a different playing field

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ Rollo Flamme

To be honest, Rollo lets you do whatever you want forever

If you told him you were going to liven up his room he would be like "...Okay" and go tend to the garden to give you space

His room is kept immaculately clean and neat, so he really has no idea what you'd be doing in there (you're making it look like less of a dungeon) but he trusts you, and he also never says no to you because he is Prefect Fan number ONE!!!!

I imagine he comes back and it's exactly the same except 10% less dusty and there are some decorative throw pillows on the bed

Rollo doesn't really need a candle cause he burns incense

So it really is just some cute pillows and flowers and slightly less melodramatic Catholic angst

He compliments your fine interior decorating skills at dinner 🙂‍↕️

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ Fellow Honest

Chains and locks his door then swallows the key

It's cute when you want to put little bows in Gidel's hair or fresh flowers on the dining table, but Fellow is a GROWN MAN and he's not into that glittery pink fruofruo stuff, thank you very MUCH

His room is FINE, he says

It doesn't NEED to be redecorated, he says

(His room looks like a tornado went through it by the way)

Foxes are territorial animals so keep your hands off his thingssss -_-

...Anyway, that lasts all of two hours and then he gets really jealous of everyone else's clean rooms and fresh flowers and vanilla honey lavender beach scented candles, aaand Gidel is pouting because he wants a cute little plush too!

So, Fellow graciously allows you in and silently tidies up with you. He lets you put one (1) nice painting on the wall, light a candle, and Gidel gets a fox and a cat plush (Fellow said he didn't want it)

Next week, you have a little handsewn Grim-shaped plush on your bed, which Fellow insists he had nothing to do with

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ Skully J. Graves

Okay Skully is also with Rollo on the whole "Prefect is a perfect angel and can do whatever they want" thing

But he's also a control freak about aesthetics

So he would (for your sake) quietly sit and nod along while listening to your grand redecoration plans for his attic (new carpet, some plants, maybe a pastel wall...)

And then trails behind you making "friendly suggestions" about the schematics

For instance, well, why not a black wall? It would compliment the ghostly glow of the candlelight so much better! If you insist on color, then he's become quite fond of orange and purple over the years!

Plants? Well, what about mugwort? What about wormwood? Wormwood would grow so nicely in that corner!!!

...Unfortunately for you, Skully is a bulldozer when it comes to having his visions realized, so your plans for a cute and contemporary update are suddenly for a Halloween-themed dream room

He thanks you with a kiss anyway U_U

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ Swing

Literally the only guy on this list who would be visibly excited about it TBH

0000000.1 seconds of patience until he's dragging you by the ankle into his dungeon to redecorate

The basement is a harder area to navigate, and it WOULD have taken you much longer to visualize your plan, if Swing wasn't telling you his own the whole time

It's honestly a lot of nonsense, and things that are completely out of your skill area (not to mention, budget) so, No, there will not be any slot machines or blackjack tables in the basement

You do entertain his wish for a chute from the kitchen, fixing up an old dumbwaiter

The finishing touch is some ribbon bows on the pipes (cause why not?) and a vase of flowers that'll no doubt be dead by morning

He wasn't really intending to do anything, not anything kalim had done, but he still kept thinking about it. Especially because Crewel forced him to work with you and Kalim on a project. Talk about sexual tension, he scoffed to himself at the things that kept happening in that godforsaken class.

Kalim was too touchy.

You were too flirty.

Jamil kept staring where he shouldn't have.

He was starting to become bitter.

He shouldn't take this from kalim.

But he wants you, and you don't seem to object to that idea.

Which is why you were rushing out of Ramshackle late at night, praying Grim wouldn't wake at the noises of your late night dress-up. Scurrying out the door, you felt the cool breeze hit your face. What Jamil didn't know is that you pre-gamed. You were already a little high before your body even hit the quiet of the night.

Arriving at Scarabia and to Jamil's dorm, his wary gaze softened.

You were a sight for sore eyes, and his eyes were definitely sore, definitely exhausted, definitely hurt.

“Prefect. Thanks for swinging by,” His eyes glistened in the dim, warm lighting. “I didn't expect you to be so willing to come by anyway. Thought maybe you would be here for Kalim, considering you're all he talks about.”

Allowing you to come inside, you quickly followed up with his note of Kalim's behavior. “Has he really? I mean, he's not all I'm here for all the time, I still like the parties, I like helping around, and.. y'know, I did attend your last basketball game, so I don't know why it's beyond you to think I wouldn't show for you.”

Jamil tenses up a little. His fingers reach a piece of raven hair atop his head, and he quickly fixes himself, clearing his voice. “Ah well.. I just didn't wanna take up the time you could be spending with him.”

Then your gaze drifted to his nightstand. His gaze shifted to the nightstand as well.

The gummy worms he confiscated from kalim.

“You don't have anything new?”

“No—no, I don't regularly seek things like this out,”

“Oh.”

A beat of silence.

“I just need something to take the edge off,” he muttered. “I don't need anyone's eyes to particularly feast on a selection of something grand. I don't desire that attention, either. It's best to keep out of sight. People use that against you if you aren't handling it properly.”

His gaze landed back on yours.

“Speaking of, your eyes are a tad red.” He sighs, examining you quickly. “I'm assuming that isn't due to lack of sleep.”

You, on the other hand, noted how strange his body language was. Exhaust was written into his palms and expression, but his eyes seemed suddenly lighter, like he was anticipating something. Whatever it was, you couldn't decipher it before he spoke once more.

“I expected us to be on the same page when you arrived..”

“Oh. I just thought it'd be more fun this way. It helps me relax,”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah, pretty much.”

“Well. I suppose it doesn't make much of a difference.”

“What'd Kalim do to you, Jamil? You look more exhausted than you look after a basketball game when all Floyd can do is be stupid,”

“What? .. Oh, just thinking about it spikes my blood pressure. That assignment we're working on is driving me insane. He asked for a parrot—again. How many times have I convinced him that shouldn't be the case? Many. How many times does he seem to forget? Infinitely. He foolishly acquainted himself with beetles as his new kick and wants me to prepare another meal for whomever it may be that he was inviting this time. Then he simply had the audacity to ask if he could invite you over to a feast.” he suddenly rambled. He gawked at your form, awaiting ridicule or signs of boredom or disinterest with his stress, only for you to laugh.

Not mockingly, but softly. It's not pity, but something kind, familiar.

Was he even going to last the night without itching to get on top of you? He was beyond base desires, but felt more selfish than usual.

Forget that, he thought.

“He seriously wanted a parrot again?”

“You'd think I would have this conversation as a party trick by now.”

“Yeah, yeah.. Oh, Jamil, hey, what's up with the project thing? He seemed pretty good to me,”

He paused for a second.

Shiiiit.

“He kept talking about you, that's all.”

“You aren't trying to use me here to take advantage of him, are you?”

“Those days are beyond my character. You don't see me that way, do you, ❤︎?”

His eyes crinkled, trying to discern the matter.

“..I was messing with you, Jamil.”

“Ah. Fair enough. Perhaps you owe me for fooling me in such an exhausted state. You're taking advantage of my heart.”

“I don't owe you a thing, Jamil!”

“Perhaps you forget what I saw,”

“Irrelevant, your honor.”

“So, how do I go about doing this?”

“Huh?”

His gaze befell the dimly illuminated gummy worms upon his nightstand.

Like sin conceptualized beyond the older idea of the apple.

“Oh, you wanna know how to do that? You just eat it and wait.”

“Ah.. That's not what I meant.”

“Huh?”

“I assumed there was some sort of way or ritual to go about it. It seems like everyone has a different way of doing it.”

“Oh.. well, back where I'm from, I just did it pretty casual and waited til it hit me.”

“Ah, so there isn't much cultural relevance to the process. And after that?”

“You just let the high ride through.”

“...Ride through?”

“...Get your head out of the gutter, Jamil.”

Jamil couldn't stop himself from staring at you after it hit him hard.

His arms were draped over your shoulders as he sat behind you on his bed, watching something he claimed to be a classic. You could've sworn you've been in this situation before.

Probably because you have.

But whatever. Jamil didn't cross those lines. He just wanted to decompress with you, of all people. Away from kalim for now, just chill. With you. Alone in his bed, sure. Watching a movie? Yeah, it doesn't ring a bell at all.

“My older sister used to watch this one all the time,” he muttered, his hands careful on your joints.

“She has good taste,” you stared back at him. His eyes, compared to Kalim’s, were naturally darker. His eyelids were heavier, but he was more relaxed in the muscles. And his lips—

“She does have good taste in movies. I'll give her credit where it's due.”

Then, you tilted your head back to the glowing screen.

The movie was actually pretty good.

Did Jamil also run hot while high? That's what it felt like, honestly.

With his long hair being fully down, something you rarely see, and his body warmth being so near, you were getting deja vu. Not that you were comparing the two, but the situations just seemed so familiar. You could feel his breathing—the way he inhaled and exhaled while comfortable.

It wasn't the exhaling he did when he panicked over Kalim's whereabouts, or the inhaling he did as he made a basket, or the way he held his breath while seeing you and kalim together—what?

You never even thought about that until now.

Privy to Crewel's instructions, you had reached over to dump another liquid into the concoction. Your arm had brushed against Kalim’s lap, and you noticed how Jamil tensed, how his jaw looked like it ached, but didn't even think about it. It had just passed you.

Now, it hit you.

Duh, there was a reason Ace was getting suspicious after that most recent game.

The way Jamil went up to you, sweaty and damp hair clinging to his forehead, talking to you about the shots he made, the other jerks he was up against, Floyd being weird, whatever. The way he looked, all glistening and warm with exhaust, was kind of hot.

Because basketball was something he liked.

Not something he had to do as an obligation.

So his exhaustion there? It is plainly different, plainly sexy.

Maybe that's why Ace was digging himself into Deuce's ear at lunch the next day.

Maybe your flirting had gone too far, far too obvious.

Before your train of thought had even continued, Jamil shifted behind you.

A soft accidental movement.

“S-Sorry.” He mumbled, his voice a lower timbre.

For what?

Maybe for the fact his crotch was against you in ways you seemed to ignore at the moment.

The next movie automatically played, and you felt the high really getting into your system now.

You meant to simply adjust the comfortable shorts you were wearing!

But your hand accidentally hit his thigh, and maybe his thigh was a little bit too close to his crotch, and maybe his hands gripped your waist in a sudden movement.

“❤︎.”

“J-Jamil,” you turned your head to face his gaze, and he looked even hotter with his eyes sort of glossy.

Were all the guys at Scarabia this hot!?!

Nevermind that.

“You know your perfume is very strong today, yes?”

“...Yes,”

“You know that I know what you just did wasn't an accident?”

“....Maybe.”

“No, not maybe.”

“.... Well?”

His eyebrows knitted together tightly.

“❤︎, turn around.”

So, turning around is exactly what you did. Facing him completely now, you noticed how warm his face was, how pretty his lips were, how pretty his eyes were—

“mmh.”

He just went in for the kill. Was Jamil always this bold? No, he liked to stay a bit on the sidelines. Coaches don't play. They watch, don't they? Maybe, but he liked this idea better. His lips were really soft, and his hands, thoroughly firm, grazed beneath your shirt, and maybe the idea of just keeping it casual was out of the question.

His hand grazed the soft buds on your chest teasingly.

“There, you see? This is what happens when you tease me like this. I was trying to relax, ❤︎. You wanna be a tease, I can treat you as one, and seize the little expression on your face when I do,” he chided, his tone low and sorta mean.

“I didn't mean to,” you giggled out, the high making you daring.

“Is that so?”

“Mhm.”

“Right. Am I boring you?”

“What? No.”

His hand drifted beneath the lower layer of your hair, the bit closest to where your scalp and neck meet—and then pulled. When you let out a little whine, he smiled.

“You're pretty like that. But I'll be nice.” Begrudgingly, he let go. “I know better. But you did expect this to come at one point, didn't you, prefect? You wanted to climb all over kalim in front of me, give me stupid pretty eyes after you saw me roughhousing on the court… ah, well, this was inevitable, wasn't it?” he spoke condescendingly, a specific rough addition to his voice.

When you failed to reply, he leaned in for another kiss and bit your lip. “Answer me when I ask you something, prefect,”

“Okay, okay, .. yes,”

“Yes..?”

“Yes, it was inevitable.”

“Very well then. You know I don't take kindly to carefree whims. I deal with that enough. So, slow and steady wins the race, yeah?”

“...Yes,”

“I'll do better, and I'll go further than what Kalim did to you. He's nothing . . But a whiny puppy. I've heard him in our youth. After all, I am here to decompress, and I know you certainly won't mind since you've always particularly had an atrocious sense of what personal space was, especially around me.” His dark charcoal eyes were a bit red, staring down at you with such a demanding brood.

You didn't realize how demanding he could be. But then again, you didn't really mind.

“I mean..”

“Mmm. Yes,”

He kissed you once more, this time, only more intense. His hands slipped unapologetically underneath your clothes. He liked the feeling of control, naturally. His soft digits reached the fabric of your shirt, and with that, he broke the kiss, licking his lips quickly after.

“Arms up,” he insisted, watching as you raised your arms. He slid the cotton above and off your body, his eyes drifting at the sight of your breasts.

“No bra?” he questioned, staring back up at you. All you could muster was a shake of the head, and he smirked.

“Guess I have to return the favor.”

After a few touches, kisses, and a little bit of grinding, he broke off the tongue-kiss you both shared. He felt you palm him beneath his boxers, and he groaned.

“❤︎, you really wanna do that?”

“Why wouldn't I?”

He smirked. “Ah, well.. go on then.”

You could already see the imprint of it, half-hard beneath the cotton material of his boxers. You gently slipped two digits beneath the waistband, slipping it down with slow finesse. He grinned wider at the sight of you witnessing him in such a way, one he already assumed you thought about.

When the fabric was removed, stood his erection, already wet with pre-cum at the tip. From the darkish red tip, led a few dark veins, and he fit just right within your palms. He was bigger than you thought, noting the small clean patch of raven hair right above it.

“A-Ah, that feels good. Keep doing that,” he insisted as you tested out a few strokes, pressing the pad of your thumb right onto the slit. His entire body jolted, and his eyes widened in excitement. The sight of him and his skin in the dim, warm lighting, all warm and glistening with sweat, made you extremely wet. The sight of him in his jersey all sweaty was hot enough. Now seeing him nude, as if he were a model to ogle and paint, was like the seven’s holy grail and gift to you.

It was an experience you didn't think you'd have.

Despite Jamil's doubts of being interesting enough, or knowing that only two weeks ago you would just spare him the time and never return, he was pretty vocal about you on his cock.

“You're s'good at this, ❤︎..”

“K-Keep goin’,”

After a few more strokes to the base of his cock, down the pretty veins and to the very brownish reddish tip, he gripped your waist, making tiny crescents on each side, before cumming spurts of his milky seed with a loud groan.

“Ah, Ah, you did g-good,” he huffed, noting how much he came just with your hands. Cum was dripping down his dark nipples, which seemed to be humorous to you.

“What's so funny, huh?” He playfully scoffed. “it won't be all funny when I—erk!?”

You were licking his own cum off of his chest.

And just like that, he was hard again. “By the sevens, ❤︎. D-Did you jus-”

“JAMIL!” the door slammed wide open.

You froze. Holy shit. Kalim was at the doorway. While your hand was on Jamil’s half-hard cock, still oozing fluids; with his cum all over your lips as if it were lip gloss. Jamil was petrified.

And Kalim?

Unreadable. First, he looked shocked.

Then, he looked sad.

“❤︎… Jamil.. are those my gummy worms? And.. you're having fun without me!? Traitor! Two of my best friends are doing stuff without me!? Not fair!”

You must've been high. Well, you were. But did he really just say that?

He wasn't mad.

He wanted to join.

Jamil was a fit contestant to be a gargoyle that Malleus would have studying for days.

“K-Kalim..” he gritted his teeth.

“Kalim!” you shot up, licking your lips.

Jamil sighed, exasperated.

Grabbing a gummy from the nightstand, you turned to Kalim, then to Jamil.

“...Hey Jamil?” You suddenly turned to face him.

“Please, please, please Jamil! Lemme cum inside of ❤︎, pleas—mpph—c'mon, i-i’m close, I feel so tingly, I gotta…”

“Pull out,” he bitterly scoffed. “Don't cum either,” he scolded kalim, and kalim whined, reluctantly pulling out of you, to your own dismay.

“Jamil, that's kinda mea—” you couldn't finish your sentence when you saw it.

“Hah! He's gotta pay a price, slow and steady, before he gets the prize of the night, yeah? and he's been exceptionally demanding recently, it's only best to return the favor.”

Jamil's hand was around kalim's neck, while the other was way lower, at a different base. Kalim was whining, moaning like a girl into Jamil's shoulder. “Mmnph, J-Jamil, m'gonna cuuum,” he gasped out, feeling the way Jamil's cock grinded against his own.

“Shhh, shh,” Jamil feigned concern and comfort as he held their cocks together in his palm. Kalim's hips were writhing, and Jamil didn't like that.

“Aah! J-Jamil, that hurt! Y-you’re so not fair!” he whined, his thighs and bottom stinging with a tiny mark left on his behind.

Before Kalim could even recover and register it, he was cumming as Jamil stroked his weeping slit again.

“Mmph, m'cumming, J-Jamil,” he stammered, and Jamil stuck his fingers into Kalim's mouth, which Kalim instinctively began to suck on. They were both blissed out from the high, and Jamil couldn't help but see Kalim's pouty expression before cumming himself, spurts of the white fluid mixing within Kalim’s heavier load. It painted their thighs, and Kalim panted.

“Was I good enough, Jamil? Please?”

“Mmn.. one last thing,” he gasped out.

Jamil took his digits and made a quick swipe of shared cum from Kalim's thighs and stuck the digits into Kalim's mouth.

You didn't think they could be this crazy. You were frozen, a little lonely from the lack of touch, but the sight was still insane. Kalim looked good this way. Jamil looked hot when he wasn't trying to be ordinary or polite all the time.

“❤︎, ❤︎, I wanna give you a baby,” kalim sputtered as he crawled his way back to you on the bed. Jamil laughed at the sight.

“Go on,” he insisted, noting the fact Kalim was waiting for permission. “I also get a turn,” he added, crawling closer to the side of you.

“You guys are s-so..”

“Shh. No philosophical thoughts are needed right now, prefect.” Jamil ran his hands through your sweat-streaked hair.

Kalim made zero hesitation to find his way back inside of you, gliding his wet, half-hardened cock at your entrance. “G-Gaaah, she really likes me!” he cried out, pushing inch by inch inside. All while Kalim was rutting inside, Jamil slid his hand down your stomach, and to your clit, rubbing it like he was trying to summon a genie.

Before you could let out a moan, Jamil slipped his tongue into your mouth, grinning into it like he already knew what he was doing. The pad of his fingertips felt good, and once Kalim bottomed out, it was like everything you wished for came true.

It didn't take long for you to already wanna cum. Kalim was kissing you everywhere he could as he thrusted inside of you like a reckless stray dog, shoulders burdened with your legs, and Jamil working his fingers and dirty talking everywhere else. It was overwhelming, at that point.

“Mmppph, I really wanna cum, Jamil!”

“I already told you once you behaved, you could,” he insisted, smirking.

“I did behave, I did, Jamil! Don't be so cruel!”

“P-Please,” you whined as Kalim rutted right at your g-spot.

“Mmmf—feels s’good there—aaah, Jamil, say something!”

Jamil smirked.

“Be my guest.”

With that, Kalim hilted inside of you, his cum warm and sticky.

“Aaahmph! ❤︎, you feel s'good, I wanna stay inside aaaall night—”

“m’—K-Kalim!” you whined out, cumming right after he did.

It wasn't surprising that Kalim would be the one to cum a lot, he had to have a lot of siblings for a reason—but the sheer amount he released inside of you was so extreme to the point where it was oozing out. Kalim's body flopped onto yours, and blissed out from sex and the high, teary-eyed from the overwhelming sheer of it all, he grinned and pressed a kiss to your neck.

Jamil's eyes broadened at the sight, a little envious now. “Ah, well. Seems like it's my turn,”

“But I wanna stay—”

“Kalim, we're not going to argue. You've already had your turn—”

“I’m a real good lover, so I wanna stay—”

a z u l a s h e n g r o t t o

now azul is very insistent of the fact that he is ‘above’ jealousy — that he’s more than comfortable and confident enough in his place as your boyfriend (and, naturally, future husband) to ever give into the influence of such a petty emotion — but if you’ve known him for longer than a few short minutes you’ll know that he’s lying through his teeth. and it’s such a blatant and bold faced lie, even compared to the tales he spins to get a good deal out of the poor unfortunate souls he works with on a daily basis, that you can bet every thaumark you have to your name that the twins would be giving him the worst ribbing of his life if they ever heard those words leave his lips… which is precisely why azul is careful to never broach the subject when either of them could be in earshot

because not only is azul very much so not above jealousy, but he has the most prominent jealous streak of anyone either of the tweels know. of course he is rational enough to recognise that his jealousy isn’t your fault and he never takes it out on you if he can help it, but after the severe bullying and ostracisation he faced in his youth and all the lingering insecurities he has as a result he can’t help but feel a bit antsy and uncomfortable with the idea of you spending more time with others. especially those that could offer you more than he can… even if he would sooner let floyd squeeze him until he literally popped than ever admit as much to you

and no matter how long you two have been together, no matter how secure he otherwise feels in your relationship, that little voice in his head insisting that you can do better and that he doesn’t deserve you will always be there. and it will be that much louder whenever you give him even the slightest of signs that the student he’s jealous of is something that you actually like, even if you’re not doing it intentionally and truly do just feel platonically for the other person. of course that little voice does get quieter and more easy to ignore as he gets older and starts to actually address his personal issues, but growth isn’t easy or linear and it will take him a long time to truly make any progress — years, even… but that’s beside the point

the main way that his jealousy shows is through his very personal and intentional targeting of whichever person he’s jealous of, with azul using every single means he has at his disposal to get them under his thumb so he can keep them away from you. and the methods he utelises to do this vary from obvious to subtle enough to make the sea witch herself proud, including:

having jade snoop around to find out what they want and what they need so he can entrap them into a contract where they get their heart’s desire (or the closest possible equivalent he can get his hands on; resourceful as he is, azul is still only a student) and he gets the peace of mind that they will not be going anywhere near you for the rest of their life. a true win-win situation, as well as an excuse to show off the true benevolence of octavinelle’s housewarden… and thus his preferred method of dealing with his jealousy because it’s just so simple and unassuming, but unfortunately for him this isn’t always an option so he does have to resort to some less elegant solutions every now and again

rearranging their entire work schedule, if they work at the mostro lounge, to ensure that they either never cross paths with you at all or that they’re too exhausted to even properly acknowledge you when you do stumble across each other — thus causing a rift in your bond with the other person that he is all too happy to watch grow and worsen. though he is convincing enough with the reasons he provides for swapping their shifts and duties around (e.g. the lounge is short staffed on those days and need the extra hands, the previous person that performed those exhausting/undesirable duties quit and he will compensate them fairly for picking up the slack, etc.) that there’s every chance that they, and thus you, never catch onto what he’s actually pulling

enlisting the twins to… talk to the individual in question and politely advise them to never speak to you again, unless they want another visit of course. it’s a messy solution and one he will only ever use as a last resort as it involves both letting the twins know that he’s jealous (as he can’t exactly excuse these requests for being in the interest of the lounge as he might a brief research request) which will result in him getting teased to hell and back, and running the risk of you finding out what happened as the leech boys don’t exactly scream subtle when they do dorm visits… especially not floyd who is somehow both the best and worst option for this particular assignment. but if things get to this point he likely doesn’t have the option to be picky anymore so… yeah

yeah… there’s pretty much nothing that he will not do if it means keeping you by his side, even if he knows that his jealousy is completely unfounded, because he’s a problem solver to his core and he can’t help himself but try and correct what he perceives as a disaster waiting to happen. and if he can do all of that while keeping you mostly in the dark about his insecurities flaring up then that’s a bonus

granted, for as sneaky as he can be when it comes to working out ways to keep the other person away from you he is also tremendously unsubtle about his jealousy in other ways that are clear as crystal to you. like how physically clingy he gets with you, his clear displays of anxious body language like pacing and nail biting and averting his eyes, and how much he questions you about the people in your life and your own relationship while trying (and failing) to be completely nonchalant about your answers. so, really, you’d almost have to be trying to remain oblivious whenever his jealousy spikes

so… maybe don’t let him fester in his negative thoughts for too long and drag him into a cuddle pile and start kissing him senseless the second you start to notice the signs, lest he end up ruining some poor student’s life out of jealousy. unless that’s something you want to see him do for whatever reason? but even then, be sure to assure him that you’re not going anywhere because sevens know he needs to hear it

j a m i l v i p e r

after a lifetime of servitude and learning to bottle up all of his emotions in favour of performing a carefully honed neutrality to the world and people around him, it almost goes without saying that jamil has a pretty solid poker face. one that you are unlikely to be able to see through if he’s actively trying to keep it up, unless you’re exceptionally observant or he opens up to you about whatever he’s actually feeling on his own terms. and even after his overblot and his embracing his new freedom as much as he has, it’s still gonna take him a while to actually let himself open up to you like that. don’t take it personally, old habits just die hard for him… even when he really doesn’t want them to

all that to say that while he does have quite the prominent jealous streak, he also knows better than to act irrationally because of it. after all, not only does he have his family’s reputation on his shoulders but he also has to consider how his actions will impact you as his partner, and as a result he is very careful about how he acts around whoever he’s jealous of. not to say that he’s above being petty with them, because he’s not, just that he’s going to be a lot more thoughtful and intentional in how he goes about being petty — he has to have plausible deniability, after all

though his first instinct for a while, before he even considers messing with the other party at all, is to try and work through these uncomfortable emotions on his own. like he does for most things in his life and has been doing pretty much for as long as he can remember. of course this isn’t exactly a successful strategy and he will pivot eventually, but it’s effective enough and he’s stubborn enough to try and stick with it for as long as he can… which, in hindsight, is perhaps a while longer than he should have

eventually though he will end up caving and broaching the topic with you himself, hinting at it over several days to test the waters before actually setting aside a chunk of time one day for the two of you to actually sit down so he can tell you about what he’s been dealing with. because for as much as he hates showing off his vulnerabilities and insecurities to you in such a clear way, he does also want to make this relationship work in the long term and understands well enough that this is very much so a necessary step in ensuring the two of you don’t end up drifting apart or growing resentful (you may be his first real partner, but having spent a lot of time blending into the background he’s been privy to watching many couples implode over one person’s jealousy and he does not want the two of you to end like that. or at all, actually… but that’s beside the point)

and after that conversation, difficult and awkward and uncomfortable though it may have been for the both of you, you’ll come out the other side much more confident and assured in the stability and openness of your relationship. and you, in particular, will have your eyes open to all of the signs you likely missed that pointed towards just how jealous jamil was… which you now can hardly believe you didn’t find as blatantly obvious before he confessed his discomfort to you

like how he would glare at them whenever they were near you, or whenever he saw them around school in general, his eyes observant and judgemental and burning holes into their skull only to return to a more neutral, almost bored, expression the second they looked in his direction. a clear sign of his dislike for the other person to those who were close to him in the moment, namely ace and floyd, but one that was easily missed as he excelled at quickly masking his hatred and blending back into the background before they realised he was the one staring them down

and the way that he’d almost habitually position himself in front of you whenever the two of you bumped into the other person, placing a physical boundary between you and wordlessly but irrefutably cementing his role as your boyfriend to them in a single, outwardly inconspicuous gesture. even inserting himself silently into your interactions with them just to reassert his place and the fact that they really ought to back off, even if he never actually said as much to them

and then there were all the times that he would actively interrupt your conversations with whoever he was jealous of, though he always came to you with a believable excuse so you never really thought to question it. after all, it really wasn’t so out of sorts to think that kalim had thrown another last minute party and your boyfriend desperately needed someone to keep him sane while he did all the prep, or that you had promised to study with him during your free period and it had slipped your mind because of all the chaos you experience on a daily basis, so you’d always bid your farewells and follow jamil without complaint (much to his unspoken relief, and smugness — because once again you chose him and not them)

and the way he’d become more publicly tactile with you whenever they wandered over to you both… though he always kept his gestures on the more appropriate side (e.g. fixing your uniform, kissing you on your hands or cheeks, offering you his arm to hold onto while walking between classes, etc.) so you didn’t necessarily pick up on the more possessive and intentional undertones to why he was suddenly being so physical in those moments. but, saying that, you can’t exactly bring yourself to complain about it as it was nice having your boyfriend be so openly tactile for a change…

… but, hey, hindsight is fifty-fifty and jamil can hardly blame you for not really picking up on his jealousy since he was otherwise going to such lengths to keep it under wraps. though now you know what to look out for moving forward, so do whatever you will with that newly acquired knowledge

l e o n a k i n g s c h o l a r

despite leona’s claims that he ‘isn’t the jealous type’ and that ‘it’s just called being territorial, herbivore. all beastmen are like this’, he is, in fact, a very jealous person. mainly because of his own insecurities and that lifelong fear of coming in second once again, this time in his own relationship with the one person in his life that has actively and consistently chosen him over anyone else. and while he will not take that jealousy out on you — unless, for whatever sevens forsaken reason, you decided to actively try to make him jealous and he knows that’s what you were doing — and while he does do his best to try and hide his jealousy as best as he can, he is also tremendously unsubtle about the whole thing, especially so if you happen to know him well (like, say, ruggie who is usually the first to call him out on being jealous whenever he’s around)

the first sign that you’re likely to notice that gives away just how unhappy he is with the amount of attention you’re giving to or receiving from another person is just how much he’ll be glaring at them. over your shoulder, behind your back, his entire expression cold and calculating and threatening, only to become noticeably neutral and unbothered the second your attention returns to him — an unspoken challenge and threat that is usually enough to force any savanaclaw student to get the picture, and to at least unsettle other students into leaving after a while

(though, granted, his resting face isn’t entirely dissimilar to his expression when he’s jealous and starting to get pissed off — especially if the other party doesn’t know him all that well beyond what little they may have seen/heard of him from his dorm mates — so it’s entirely possible that they’ll just not notice what’s going on and continue on as usual. but, eventually, even the most oblivious of individuals is sure to start feeling unsettled by how intensely leona is staring at them, so it’s a matter of whether he gets tired of inaction and moves to make a more obvious show of possession or whether they finally take the hint and leave first…)

then, if that fails to ward them off at all, he’ll escalate to practically draping himself over your body — making his presence impossible to ignore and really showing off the fact that you’re taken and the other person needs to take the hint and back off. of course he’s careful not to put his full body weight on you because for as funny as he finds it to bother you like that he doesn’t want to crush you and this is solely a matter of staking a public claim on you as your mate, but nonetheless the very blatant gesture is usually clear enough of a sign to get most students to clue in on the fact that you’re his and scamper off with their tails between their legs

he may even go so far as to start growling and threatening them if he feels it’s necessary. though really he’d rather not have to lower himself to that level and it takes a lot more than you’d think for leona to feel truly compelled to start acting so aggressive with another student — granted instincts are instincts and if it’s another beastman that’s trying to infringe on your relationship he has no qualms reestablishing the pecking order in the dorm if he needs to, but if he can get away with it he’d much rather take the easy way out and have them leave before any actual verbal or physical confrontation takes place

and if the passes start to become a bit too blatant and bold for his taste — i.e. they cross the line from excusable or mildly complimentary in tone and turn obviously flirty and disrespectful to you and to your relationship — then leona will just straight up pick you up or drag you away by the arm to go and nap somewhere private. both so he can properly scent you again and remove you from the offending party’s presence, and so he can slowly sleep off his frustration before he does something that gets you annoyed with him

(you’re not even safe from this when he’s not there in the moment to see this all going down either, because his sense of smell is so strong that he’s very quick to pick up on the fact that you ‘stink’ of someone else — which then immediately puts him in a sour mood and results in him pretty much holding you captive in his arms while he naps to rid you of the stench)

he may — emphasis on may — even start attending his usual classes if you and the person in question are part of his cohort, if only to ensure that you don’t end up having to work with them (after all, why pair up with them for a project when your boyfriend is right here?) and thus that they have absolutely zero chances to get close to you in any sense of the word during class hours. not physically, as leona will be setting up shop right next to you and glaring anyone who tries to sit in his seat (no he doesn’t care that they were assigned that seat, it’s his now), or through bonding as he makes it very clear that he’s gonna be your default class partner for every class you have together. no he’s not being obvious… shut up

he will also go out of his way to make sure that you smell like him afterwards, usually by all but forcing one of his jackets on you and insisting on you wearing it for the rest of the day — partially as a very clear visual indicator that you’ve been claimed by him even when he’s not there to literally drape himself on top of you, and partially because the jacket smells like him and if you have his scent clinging to you there’s no denying that you’re his person. his mate. and that usually is enough to ward off pretty much any other beastman that you may cross paths with, and most other students too (aside from the bold or oblivious, but he has his ways of dealing with those too if he needs to do so)

while this isn’t something he particularly wants to do, or that he’ll default to unless he’s exhausted all of his other options, leona can and will fight anyone who simply refuses to take the hint that you’re his mate. and he will win, so don’t worry about that. though, again, this is very much so a last ditch effort from him to really send a message and the vast majority of the time the most you’ll see of his jealousy is what’s listed in the above points instead

r i d d l e r o s e h e a r t s

to say that riddle wears his heart on his sleeve sometimes may very well just be the understatement of the century — after all, anyone who has ever crossed paths with the former rose red tyrant is surely all too familiar with just how quick he has been to anger in the past, as well as just how visibly obvious it was whenever his temper was even just starting to rise. and that very much so extends to how his jealousy tends to manifest now that the two of you are in a relationship

of course he does usually try and rationalise his way out of this headspace when he can (he trusts you dearly, after all, and would very much so like to believe that he’s made some progress towards anger management since his mortifying overblot at the start of the semester), but even so there will be many instances in which you, or whoever is nearby at the time, will be treated to the sight and sound of a positively fuming riddle whenever his jealousy happens to get the best of him. which is more often than not because someone is getting way too close to you for it to be innocent in his presence

riddle has absolutely zero poker face when it comes to how he feels about you, and even if he manages to keep his mouth shut and his temper (mostly) contained all it will take from you is a single look in his direction to realise just how jealous your poor boyfriend is. because, well, there’s really no missing the frightening shade of red his skin flushes from the neck upwards, nor the sour look on his face, nor the way his hands tighten around whatever he’s holding in a way that very clearly indicate just how hard he’s trying not to lash out — like you’d have to be trying not to notice at that point

he will make a point of positioning himself between you and whoever he’s jealous of in the moment, or failing that he’ll just stand by your side and make it abundantly clear through that prolonged proximity that you’re very clearly taken and they ought to back off — or, at the very least, knock off whatever offending behaviour they were engaging in before he moved to intervene… after all, with his reputation being as widely spread as it is its rare that riddle actually has to go so far as to escalate beyond this little show before the other student politely backs down and makes an excuse to leave. especially so if said student happens to be a member of his dorm (and, thus, very familiar with just how bad his temper can get) or if they are close to another student who is (and are consequently keenly aware of how bad of an idea it might be to test his patience and his boundaries when it comes to you, his lover)

and, because riddle is riddle and old habits die hard, he also has a nasty habit of lecturing the hell out of whoever he’s jealous of — systematically scolding them for every tiny infraction that he can think to apply, no matter how niche or unimportant, until they finally break and leave with their tail between their legs… and an apology on their lips too, ideally, but being a housewarden has taught him that accountability to that level is very rare at night raven so he doesn’t really expect that. frankly, as long as they leave he couldn’t care less about what they have to say

he may even try and find an excuse to collar them if he felt their offence was severe enough — though, unfortunately, riddle isn’t so keen to fall back on the same bad habits that led to his overblot so he does actually make an effort to not just collar people because they made him jealous… however if he finds them guilty of breaking a rule at the same time and that warrants being collared, well, that’s fair game in his eyes

the second the two of you leave, or he finally gets the other person to leave, he will be complaining about them for the rest of the day… or until you manage to get him to move onto another topic, but even then he will be quietly stewing on the whole interaction for hours after the fact. and his complaints vary from understandable (e.g. they were rude, they interrupted you too much, they were mishandling their pen and could have hurt someone, etc.) to downright petty in a way that somehow manages to be both deeply amusing and bewildering in the most riddle way possible

in the hours, days, and sometimes even weeks, following a particularly rough experience in regard to his jealousy, riddle will make a point of keeping you even closer than usual. partially to make it even more abundantly clear to those around you that the two of you are an item, but mostly to soothe his own insecurities and upset without him having to ask outright for that comfort. and that involves everything from walking you to and from your classes and sitting beside you during lunch, to personally inviting you to the dorm for sleepovers and unbirthday parties and study sessions — which both gives the two of you plenty of chances to spend time together and grow closer as a couple, and makes it much more difficult for anyone else to try and capitalise on your time in that way that sets his teeth on edge

and sevens help him if the person he’s jealous of happens to be someone that you’re naturally very close to independent of your relationship with him. doubly so if that person is more traditionally likeable than riddle is. because that will only make his insecurities that much worse to contend with as he spirals in ways that are clear as day to everyone around him…