Just a little TWST fan

Of course, this unbelievable line causes a reaction.  The mouth descends in a large ‘O’ of shock, a strong flush covers the cheeks and eyes go wide.  It’s an expression of total shock.  And the strangest thing is that this reaction isn’t even yours.  Idia looks at you in complete disbelief, unable to process what you’ve just said.  And this makes you even more mad.

You throw your book bag at him, “What the heck Idia?  What is your problem?” This startles him out of his shock, “Eeep!”  You menacingly point a finger at his chest, “Stop it!  What even is the point of making me say such cringy things if all you can do about it is freak out!”  He can’t even gather his courage enough to speak; he just chuckles bashfully “Whee hee hee.”

You just shake your head at him again.  Finally, you give up on waiting for an answer.  This is at least the eighth time this has happened, yet he has never been able to talk to you afterwards.  With a huff, you turn to head the long way to class.  You were already close to being late.  Only…

I’m Sorry

I’m not Sorry

I can’t concentrate when I want to kiss you so badly

You look over your shoulder and give Idia a dirty look over that last option.  Then you cut your losses and quickly choose ‘I’m sorry’ to get this over with and get to class.  You turn back to face Idia and speak the lines, “I’m sorry, I knew you were a super genius, but I never knew your taste in merch was so next level too.  I wish you’d pick me out a maid costume to wear so I could look half as cool as you.”  What the heck was that even?  You stare at Idia, both of you now extremely embarrassed by this exchange.  Then his hair goes a color even beyond the pink you normally see, his eyes roll up into his head and he faints dead away in the hall. 

The obvious choice

When you hear the background music start, it is never a good sign.  You cautiously continue into the lunchroom while giving everyone a weary look.  You pass between two tables and stop short.  The line for lunch is enormous!  You gape at it for a moment while you wonder if you could make it until dinner if you can’t last long enough to brave the line. 

“Golly, look at that line!” you hear a voice exclaim from beside you.  ‘Ah,’ you think with a resigned sigh, ‘Here is that romance game event.’  You turn and offer Epel a small smile, “Yeah, pretty big.”  Epel seems unusually excited for someone being subjected to a huge lunch line.  “Say,” he practically vibrates with excitement as he leans in, “want to skip the line and eat with me?  I’ve got plenty we can eat!”  As he finishes, the dreaded dialogue windows open.  You resignedly review your options:

Apples

BBQ

Macaroons

‘Well, not much of a meal,’ you think.  Then sighing, you prepare to choose from your options.  Your head shifts up and down as you consider the options.  Epel follows your gaze with great interest.  You’d long since discovered that the characters can see the dialogue options, even though they have no way to interact with them.  You settle for a moment on BBQ.  It’s probably the most filling of all three options.  As you look at the BBQ box, you notice Epel slightly shake his head up and down.  You frown at the idea that you are doing him a favor by choosing that option.  You let your gaze drift down further to macaroons.  Epel tries hard to catch your eye and shake his head slightly. 

You smile and lean forward to click ‘Macaroons.’  Epel mutters, “Dagnabbit,” under his breath as a negative sound effect plays and ‘-2 affection’ briefly displays.  Epel forces a grin and hands you a box of macaroons that materialize from places unknown.  “Vil says I’m not allowed to eat sugar during the week so…” Epel trails off.  You give him a smile of fake sympathy, “Oh, that’s too bad.  I guess I’ll just have to eat these alone then.  But hey, maybe next time.” 

As you drift from the lunchroom with your small snack, you miss the hopeful expression on Epel’s face.  Yes, maybe next time he will do better at leading you to the right choice.  He had thought he’d made the right choice clear but he’d made a mistake.  It couldn’t be your fault. He’d just have to try harder!  Next time for sure, he’d lead you to the choice that earns him time with you!

Hacking

It was bad enough that you were occasionally locked into using pre-set dialogue options but lately, you’d noticed something strange about them.  Three options were hanging over you in the hallway, which was not new, but one of them was colored blue.  That was strange.  It appeared you’d need to choose a club to visit today.

Horseback Riding

Boardgame

Gargoyle Studies

You ponder this change.  Why was the ‘Boardgame’ option blue?  It was so strange it made you want to choose it.  After all, you weren’t very invested in this choice.  You lift your hand to click ‘Boardgame’ when you hear a small sound from around the corner.  “Whee hee hee.”  You pause your hand, the motivation to choose the blue option rapidly leaving your body.  You quickly click ‘Gargoyle Studies’ and give a satisfied “harumph” as you head off to waste time with Hornton. 

The next time it happens, things had become progressively worse. 

Aoyoljelsj

Ignihyde

Tloeyseljl

You look at the options in puzzlement.  Two of them aren’t even words, just gibberish.  You tilt your head to the side, and as you do, catch a glimpse of a faint blue glow from down the hallway.  You stare at it pointedly and again a faint “Whee hee hee” reaches your ears.  Now you are just annoyed.  You click one of the nonsense words on principal alone and feel the game system compel you towards the Heartslabyul mirror.  ‘Take that cheater!’ you think to yourself, happy for your small victory.

Finally, it’s gone too far.  You look incredulously at the dialogue options.

Watch movies with Idia

Watch movies with Idia

Watch movies with Idia

You turn to look at the Ignihyde dorm leader, who no longer even attempts to hide.  He smiles at you bashfully as he taps his fingers together.  You swear the ends of his hair are even turning pink.  “Did you do this?” you ask him sternly.  He doesn’t deny it.  You look at the options again and shake your head.  Does this game have tech support?

Bad End

You look at the options and find it hard to care anymore.  You’d just been here too long.  Malleus stands before you expectantly, waiting.

Praise him

Taunt him

Insult him

In the moment, you decide, ‘what the hell, I’m sick of this game.’  You reach out and click ‘Insult him’ and the words just flow from your mouth, “I’ve seen more impressive horns on a goat.”  Then you close your eyes, waiting for the powerful fae to smite you.  But he doesn’t.  After a moment, you pry open your eyes and find Malleus still there, still smiling.  And the options…remain the same.  Neither disappearing nor changing.

Praise him

Taunt him

Insult him

So, you fortify yourself and click ‘Taunt him.’  A snear forces its way on your face and you spout, “Is that all you’ve got?  I thought we were going to get serious here?”  Now that draws a response but not the one you were expecting.  Malleus seems quite satisfied as he moves gracefully to your side and takes one of your hands, “Serious Player?  Why yes, I’m glad you asked.  I am ready for our relationship to become more serious.”  A pop up emerges letting you know you’ve earned +20 affection.  Well, that was an alarming development.

And still the options remain.

Praise him

Taunt him

Insult him

Make a Deal

Yuu walks quickly toward the lunchroom while Grim has long since abandoned them to their fate.  Azul rounds the corner, pursuing Yuu at a brisk walk and Yuu picks up the pace.  “As you can see, the terms here are quite beneficial to you.”  Yuu scowls, plants their feet and turns to confront the conman.  “Listen here Azul,” Yuu states as they jab their finger into the merman’s chest, “I’m sick of how creepy you all are with my house.  I don’t care what terms you have in that contract; I’m not letting you stay in Ramshackle over Winter Break!”

Azul desperately tugs on Yuu’s sleeve to prevent them from walking off, “Wait, wait!”  Against their better judgement, Yuu pauses to let Azul speak.  “I…I…have one more contract!”  Then Azul turns away and quickly fumbles with something out of sight before turning and dramatically presenting Yuu with a signed ‘contract.’  He shakes it under Yuu’s nose, “LOOK! You’ve already signed the contract!  Your dorm is all mine!”  Yuu rips the contract from Azul’s hand and reads, ‘Yuu will get first place on the mid-terms or they must forfeit one bajillion madol.  If the defaulting party cannot pay the fine, then they may offer private residence in Ramshackle Dorm in lieu of payment.’  Yuu rolls their eyes at Azul, “One, I didn’t sign this.  Two,” here Yuu pauses to hold up the ‘contract’ for emphasis, “This is written on a napkin.  And three, ‘one bajillion’ isn’t a real amount of money.” 

Make a bribe

A knock sounds on the door of Ramshackle and the creaky old door swings in from the force.  “I guess I’ll just come right in then!  Thanks Player!” Kalim spouts with a huge grin on his face.  Yuu gets up slowly from the sofa and ambles to the door, “Don’t read too much into it, this is just an old building.”  Kalim quickly replies, “Right, right,” but the smile doesn’t fade.  Yuu’s argument fails to convince the enthusiastic dorm leader that he hasn’t personally been welcomed inside the dorm by the great Player. 

“So…” Yuu begins leadingly, hoping to conclude what is sure to be another request to stay in Ramshackle over break quickly.  “Ah yes,” Kalim says as he sets his hands on his hips, “I’ve heard you are in need of one bajillion madol.  That’s just terrible Yuu!”  The prefect of Ramshackle is momentarily taken aback, “How did you even hear about that…You know what, I don’t care.  It doesn’t matter.  I don’t owe Azul any money and none of you weirdos are staying in my house.  Just no.” 

Breaking and entering

The snowdrifts were deep, deep enough to reach the bottom of the windowsill Epel heaved himself against.  Once, twice, thrice and then it gives and slides open with a moan.  “Welcome home to you too, Player,” Epel replies in a giddy tone before sliding into the room and shutting out the cold draft with the old window.  He is practically patting himself on the back at how he’s planned the perfect crime.  Why ask Yuu for permission to stay when everyone knows Yuu won’t be here to forbid entry anyway.  He’ll just quietly let himself in, enjoy the best Winter Break ever and then quietly leave.  No one will ever have to know.

“HEY PUNK!  What are you doing here!” shouts a stern voice from the darkened room.  Epel stumbles from the window and into a lamp.  Since he is lucky enough to have that option handed to him, he pulls the chain to allow the lamp to flicker to life.  An unbelievable sight awaits him inside the room.  “Whaaaa!!!” he exclaims before scowling back and returning the question, “What em I doin’ here?  What ere ya doin’ here!  Ace!  Deuce!  Ya ain’t supposed to be here!” 

Ace points at Epel and now everyone is pointing at each other, “Like you should talk!  We just caught you breaking into poor Yuu’s house.  Don’t you have any respect for the rules?”  Lines in Epel’s forehead deepen as he scowls more, “Rules?  Like you should talk.  You’re supposed to be in this Chapter.  What are you going to do when Yuu contacts you to save them from Scarabia?”  At this, Deuce looks guilty, “Wha…well.  Well, we were thinking we’d just pretend we were too far away to make it in time.”  Then he holds up his hand to his chest as though he’d provided an answer worthy of an honor student. 

“That’s so stupid.  Even for you,” comes a taunting voice from deeper in the hall.  Jack saunters in the room with a cactus under each arm.  Then he carefully sets them up near the windows for sunlight and turns to address his classmates, “Look, I don’t think any of you should be here.  This isn’t respectful of Yuu or the Player.  You should go.”  Ace and Deuce momentarily shocked by his audacity before teaming up to accuse him, “Us?  You’re here too!  How do you figure you can be here and we can’t?  We know Yuu didn’t invite anyone to stay.  You’re intruding too!”  Jack puts on a smug grin, “Not so.  I asked Yuu to watch my plants for me.”  Then he taps the little cactus pots for emphasis, “Only now poor Yuu isn’t able to watch them, so what can I do?  I need to help my friend out by taking care of their obligations instead.  Its just what friends would do.”  Now all three other freshmen are shocked.  “THAT’S NOT A REAL THING!” They shout together.

“QUIET!” booms a voice from the top of the stairs, “HOW AM I TO GUARD THE DOMOCILE OF THE PLAYER WITH ALL THIS NOISE?  I COULD BE MISSING THREATS TO THE PLAYER WHILE YOU ARUGE ABOUT SUCH NONSENSE!”  Now Jack seems shocked as well.  The whole crew unties to point at Sebek, “WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!?”  Now Sebek seems shocked, “What..What do you mean?  I have to be here to guard the Player.” He gently rubs the banister of the stairs, “What would happen if someone tried to harm the Player while Yuu was away?  I…I just can’t take it!”  Now the crocodile fae holds his hand to his hair as he tearfully shakes his head as though the thought of it was too much for him to bear. 

Epel sucks on his teeth, making a tsk sound.  “So what are we gonna do bout this situation?”  No one answers.  Each boy knows that speaking up to demand others leave only increases the chance they will demand he leaves as well.  No one is willing to risk this golden opportunity to stay in Ramshackle (with the Player!) for the rest of Winter Break.  The standoff is broken by a resounding crash from upstairs.  The first-years gasp and then each take off running toward the sound.  What if the Player needs help?

They burst into a room and take in the scene.  A random assortment of furniture crowds the space leaving very little room to maneuver.  They cautiously push their way into the room and search the scene until Jack sighs and crouches down, “Here is the culprit.”  He stands holding a large textbook that had fallen from the bookshelves.  “So…I guess it was nothing,” Deuce says with a bashful blush beginning to coat his cheeks.  How could he overreact in front of the Player like that?  “Wait,” Ace says as he waves his hands, “It can’t be nothing.  It’s the Player!”  

They desperately gaze about the room, hoping for some sign that the Player has left for them.  One by one, they draw a blank.  Each slowly returns to looking at each other in puzzlement.  “WAIT!” Epel shouts excitedly.  They look at the small boy with hopeful eyes.  “One, two, three, four…” he trails off.  “Five,” Sebek finishes softly, “Five couches.”  Deuce rubs his head in wonderment, “Why are there so many couches in this room?  It seems excessive.”  There really was no explanation why the guest room of Ramshackle contained so many random couches.  But to the eager boys, this was an invitation.  “It’s like the Player wants us to stay here, right?” Ace says connivingly, “They called us into this room to show us this, right?  So, they want us here.  And if the Player want us here…”  Sebek smiles, “THEN WE ARE INVITED TO STAY!” 

Choosing a bed

Everyone knows that there must be a room in Ramshackle that is THE BEST and everyone wants to choose that room.

Only, it isn’t quite clear what makes a room the best.  Clearly, they want the room the Player prefers but how can they determine which room that is?

Each student ends up in a different room.  Each choice is based on some trivial factor, like a board squeaking when they walked into the room, but that was clearly a sign from the Player to sleep there!  In the end, everyone is satisfied that they have secretly been chosen by the Player to stay in their FAVORITE room.

Azul hurries from room to room, understanding the need to quickly assess the value of each and make his choice ahead of the competition.  He goes quickly but still each other student he passes in the halls fills him with worry.  What if he doesn’t find the Player’s favorite room?  No one really understands what the great Player thinks, and you are unable to voice those thoughts directly. 

The anxiety blooms even deeper each time he hears a (hasty and negligent) student yell that they’ve claimed their room.  Why, Azul has barely been through half the rooms.  There is no way some slacker like Ace has been able to divine the Player’s preference faster than him after all his research into your Greatness!  “Give me a sign, please…” he mutters in desperation as he throws open the next door and enters a drafty room with a slight hole in the roof over the bed. 

It was damp and cold inside.  The bed was so waterlogged you might wonder if it was better to sleep on the floor.  Azul lets his eyes sweep over several dust-covered furniture pieces, searching for that hint of presence that would lead him to what he desires.  Suddenly a shutter on the broken window slams into the side of the house.  Azul jumps and tumbles into the soggy bed.  The chill and damp immediately surround him, but he is overjoyed by this turn of events.  “Ha ha!” he laughs joyfully, the anxiety leaving him, “You are so right, Player!  This is the perfect room for a mer from the Coral Sea.”  He flushes just a tiny bit as he mutters under his breath, “You know me so well…”  Then he shouts out to claim his room (the BEST ROOM)!

Making snacks

Everything tastes better when its burnt, right?  They want you to help so bad but you are a house and there isn’t really much you can do about it.  So maybe letting you be the one to decide when the popcorn was done wasn’t the best idea.

Strangely enough, everything does taste better when its been burnt…by the Player!  There are other snacks laid out, but everyone chooses one the Player ‘helped’ with.  It’s the taste of love?

The microwave dings and a cloud of black smoke comes rolling out when Trey opens it.  Riddle tentatively opens the bag of popcorn and pours it into the waiting bowl.  Or at least he tries too.  The burnt mass takes a little coaxing from the two Heartslabyul students to detach itself from its charred coffin.  A cabinet door swings open with a squeaky moan.  Riddle and Trey meet eyes and then Riddle nods.  “Right,” he says as he reaches into the bowl and pops a handful of charred popcorn into his mouth.

Riddle crunches the over-done popcorn in his mouth with a curious look on his face.  After a moment, having been unable to decipher the expression, Trey asks, “How does it taste?”  Instead of answering, Riddle passes Trey the bowl and the vice-dorm leader takes a sample of his own.  The same curious expression crosses his face, as though not exactly sure how the popcorn does taste.  After a silent moment where the crunching of popcorn is the only sound to be heard, Riddle swallows with some effort and gives a small cough into one gloved hand.  Then he offers slowly, “Like love?”  Trey chokes down his mouthful and nods in agreement, “I think you are onto something.  Great job, Player.”  Then he carefully sets a single kernel of burnt popcorn in the open cabinet (for the Player) before gently closing the cabinet door. 

Then they both went in for another mouthful.  It was actually good when you ignored the taste entirely and remembered it was made by the Player.  Quite good.

Games

Finding a game to plan can be a bit challenging.  No one is interested in playing any games that don’t include the Player…who is temporarily a house.  So all games must somehow include the dorm itself.

When Epel suggests 7 Minutes in Heaven, everyone is immediately onboard.  A search is put on to find just the right closet that has that “Player” feeling. 

When the bottle is spun, some lucky student then gets the privilege of sitting alone…in the closet.  But, it’s the Player’s closet!

Ruggie sits down carefully and gives Jack a thumbs up as the door closes, which earns him a deep frown from his junior.  “Keep it decent in there!” Jack admonishes as the darkness settles in.  “Sure thing, shishishishi!” Ruggie calls out.  Then his eyes narrow slowly, he was finally alone with the Player. 

He sits for a moment, unsure of how to continue.  Then, he decides a little conversation might be in order.  “So, you come here often?” he says before cringing.  “Of course you come here all the time.  It’s your house.  Forget I said that.”  When there is no mocking laughter in response, Ruggie sighs in relief.  “Thanks, Player, I knew you’d understand.”  Then he gently runs his hand over the dusty floorboards, feeling their cold smoothness.  Then he stills his hand, placing it possessively over a swirl in the woodgrain that catches his eye.  “Hey, Player,” he says quietly, “Mind if I tell you something a little secret?”  He rubs the floorboard softly, “I think you are pretty great.  I’ve always wanted to tell you that.”

The old floorboards squeak when he lays down, “Yeah, I feel it too.”  Then in a bit of a fluster he sputters, “Say, I don’t want to mess up the moment or anything but…oh damn, I don’t know how to say it but…can I…I mean…well, I’m going to kiss you now.”  When there is no objection from the closet, Ruggie flushes deep crimson and tips his head until his pursed lips make contact with the floor.  Then he smiles triumphantly and laughs in joy.  “That was perfect, Player.  So perfect,” he drapes an arm over his eyes but it does nothing to block out his enormous smile. 

A beep of an alarm is heard thought the muffled door and it is immediately thrown open by a disgruntled Sebek, “YOU THERE!  WHY ARE YOU MAKING THAT FACE?  I DEMAND TO KNOW WHAT YOU’VE BEEN UP TO IN THIS CLOSET!”

Hide and seek (until morning)

As the night goes on, it’s harder and harder to find games that include the Player.  Even though it is a childish game, the cast agrees to Hide and Seek just because it gives you time alone in the dorm to bond with the Player.

They draw lots to decide on who is “it” for the game.  Silver gets the short stick and ends up being the first “seeker.”

This proves to be a bad decision as Silver finds no one before succumbing to sleep. 

No one cares as each student is perfectly content to lay in their hiding spot thinking about the Player until sleep claims them too.

Malleus wanders quietly in the gardens below Ramshackle dorm.  He hadn’t been invited to the great sleepover (of course), but he didn’t truly care.  Wandering in the moonlight with the Ramshackle dorm (and the Player) looming over him was far more enjoyable anyway.  The wind blew wildly across the field creating a series of creaks and groans from the old dorm.  Malleus supposes this is some form of language you share only with him.  He can’t yet decode it, but he would wander alone for hours to hear you talk so sweetly. 

A single light illuminates the halls of Ramshackle.  Perhaps the students have gone to bed?  He’d certainly not have given up such a precious opportunity so easily.  Malleus stands in the night contemplating the dorm and finally, his curiosity gets the better of him.  He glides carefully to the illuminated window and peers inside.  The main room of Ramshackle stands empty, the signs of earlier activities scattered about haphazardly.  A flickering light draws the fae’s eyes.  Cater lays behind a sofa smiling happily in his dream as his phone continues to play a video where it has fallen, still gripped loosely in hand. 

But where are his retainers?  The thought crosses his mind and takes hold enough for him to choose to seek them out.  Levitating gently to the second story, Malleus peers into a window to see Silver slumped over on a bed.  Some sheets are still clutched in his hand as though he was in the act of pulling them back when he was overtaken by slumber.  Although not in any conventional sort of sleeping form, the way he was nestled on the bed seemed rather cozy.  Feeling a gaze upon him, Malleus lets his eyes drift up to where he can make out Lilia expertly perched on the beams of the ceiling.  Lilia gives him a sleepy smile and a little wave before closing his eyes again, seemingly content to remain where he is. 

As sort of a test, you hesitantly spoke, “Deuce?”  The black-haired boy, Deuce, looks at you and you think him on the edge of tears.  “Thank Sevens!” he whispers as rubs your arm comfortingly.  The red-haired boy slides the last distance to reach your side in an anxious kneel.  “Ace?” you confirm groggily.  Ace looks at you with what you feel is fear in his eyes, and when he speaks, it is towards Deuce.  “Just what were you thinking?  You know the Prefect doesn’t have magic!”  Deuce looks away, it is certainly guilt on his face.  “I didn’t mean to throw it that hard.”  Ace scowls at Deuce and shouts, “Well you did and see what a mess you’ve made!”  You force yourself to a sitting position and wave Ace down.  “I’m fine, I’m fine.”  Then, still feeling a bit woozy, you amend, “Well, I think I’m GOING to be fine.”

Ace looks at you with concern and says, “I’m taking you to the nurse’s office.  Right now.”  Deuce intervenes, “I’ll do it.  It was my fault for throwing that disk so hard.”  Ace appears ready to retort angrily, so you wave them both away.  “I’ll go myself.  Or you can both come with.  We’re all buddies here, right?”  You watch them cautiously to confirm that this is the case.  After all, you weren’t pulled into a game every day.  Who knows what might be different.  Deuce answers you right away in a relieved affirmative while Ace only frowns mildly.  “Ok, but if you feel bad at all, I’m carrying you.  No complaints.”  You give him a shaky smile and let them guide you to the nurse’s office. 

It’s a little embarrassing, but there is so much that you don’t know about Night Raven College, that you end up claiming selective amnesia from the impact.  Your professors appear suspicious, but no one can offer an alternative reason for why you’ve forgotten so many simple things, like the layout of the school, while retaining such vivid memories of other experiences, like Riddle’s overbot incident.  So ultimately, they accept this odd explanation from you and assign your friends Ace and Deuce to once again play your guide at NRC.  The cast slowly re-introduce themselves to you.  Some find it remarkable and others unbelievable.  Idia finds it amusing, “Khee he he.  This is just like the plot of the manga Ramen Shop Summer where the protagonist gets in an accident in gym and forgets their crush!  But then they end up working together over the summer in a ramen shop, and Boom Badda Bing, romance!”  Then he shyly adds, “Maybe you’ll have your own summertime romance.  All the tropes are right for it.”  You chuckle with him but privately think, ‘If only you knew.’

A few days later at lunch, you were sitting at a table and rubbing your bandaged head softly while eating the sad sandwich you’d been able to cobble together with the junk in the fridge back at Ramshackle when your friends slam a plate down on either side of you, “Here Prefect, eat this,” and “I got something special for you,” come out of their mouths at the same time.  You look up at them surprised.  Deuce looks at your hand on your head and adds in a soft voice, “I feel bad for what I did so I thought this would help make up for it.”  Ace scoffs and interjects, “I know what the Prefect likes best.  Don’t worry about it and let them eat mine.”  You look at Ace’s plate and somehow, he is right, he has gathered one of your favorites to eat.  “Actually, this looks pretty good.”  Then you turn and reassure Deuce, “I appreciate the offer too, but you don’t have to feel bad.  I know it was an accident.”  They both seem happy at the outcome, and you enjoy a nice lunch.

As you are leaving the lunchroom, you pass a floating tablet (Idia you know), and it surprisingly speaks to you. “It’s just like my manga,” Idia comments.  You turn and look at the tablet quizzically and it prompts him to continue, “If this was a story, that would be a flag event between the Male Lead and Second Male Lead for your affection.”  You stumble over your reply, “But..but it isn’t a manga.”  The unsettling, “Kwee he he,” that emerges follows you all the way to your next special lesson. 

You were used to thinking of special lessons as when Crowley randomly shows up to class and everyone suddenly finds the motivation to pay attention, but apparently, this was a Very Special Lesson that they wouldn’t give the students any prior details on.  The older students seemed to know what it was about as the first year’s had gotten several secretive smiles and leading comments.  Rook passes you right before you enter and remarks with an expression both sly and amused, “It is a fine day for fate, is it not Prefect?”  You look at him puzzled as he continues past you to class, and you shrug as you enter the room and sit beside your friends.  Ace scowls and remarks, “They’ve been doing that all day and it’s getting on my nerves.”  Deuce is fidgeting more than usual, and you raise an eyebrow as thought to ask what’s up.  “What if it’s a test?” he asks nervously before flipping open a notebook.  “A little late to study then,” Ace scoffs before looking at you out of the corner of his eye.  “Don’t worry, you’ll be fine.  I’m sure it won’t be a test.”  You smile at his gesture.  Tests haven’t been easy for you these past weeks as you’ve not actually studied any of the curriculum for the classes. 

When Crewel stomps into class and sets a crate of potions on the desk, it startles you out of your thoughts.  You hear gasps from around the class and realize that most students seem to understand what is happening.  It is only you in the dark.  Then the Professor smiles slyly and declares, “It’s Matching Day.”  An eruption of conversation spreads across the room and Professor Crewel, appearing as excited as the students, surprisingly allows it.  ‘I can’t believe its today!’ and ‘I wonder if I’ll meet my pair!’ reach your ears.  You turn to Ace and find him looking at you with an expression you just can’t place.  You nod towards the Professor and ask, “You know what this is about?”  He looks at you startled, “You don’t know?  Its Matching day?”  When you shrug and continue to look at him with questions in your eyes he goes on.  “You know, the day you can take the potion to manifest your red string and try to find your Soulmate.  Matching Day!” 

It hits you suddenly like a blow.  ‘My god,’ you think, ‘This isn’t TWST at all.  Idia was right, there are too many tropes in this story.  I’m in someone’s Fanfic!  This is a damn Soulmate AU story!’  You weren’t sure what to say, but luckily, Professor Crewel had decided he’s allowed the pups to misbehave enough and cracked his whip over his gloved hand, “Settle down you mutts.  Good pups need to know how to behave properly if they are going to impress their mate!”  Silence is quickly restored as the excited students obediently wait for the Professor to continue.  “Come up when I call your name.  I don’t think I should have to explain, but just in case, let me remind you what you can expect.  When you drink the potion, you’ll feel a tug on your heart as your soul manifests your bond to your Soulmate.  After that, you’ll be able to see your red string in the general area of your pinky finger.”  A groan comes from an over-excited student, “We know, we know.” 

Crewel doesn’t take the interruption well this time and cracks his whip again, “STAY!  Pups need to learn to take instruction before receiving a treat!”  The student bashfully looks away and Crewel continues, “Remember to not get your hopes up.  It is very rare to find your Soulmate the first day you take your potion.”  This sobering comment seems to bring down the mood of the students.  Crewel smiles more gently at the students he’s fondly guided, “But be happy you are proud students of Night Raven College.  Many mages find they have Soulmates who are also proficient in magic, so your chances of meeting your Soulmate while in school here are raised.”  You turn to see how your friends are taking this news.  Deuce is looking intently at his hands, as though he will find his courage in the focus.  Ace is only looking at you, again with a look you just can’t read.

“Now, come to the front of the room as I call your name,” Crewel instructs.  It appears the students are being called alphabetically.  You wonder when you might be called as you don’t recall “Yuu” having a last name.  You focus a long time, making sure you don’t miss it but before your turn, your friend gets called.  “Deuce Spade!” Crewel summons loudly.  Deuce gulps beside you and stands suddenly.  Then he holds his hand up as though trying to fire himself up and marches determinedly to claim his potion.  He drinks it down and you wait with interest to see how Deuce would react.  You’d seen several others take the potion at this point, but this wasn’t just some NPC, it was your friend.  He concentrates nervously for several seconds before gasping and grabbing his chest.  Then he looks down at his hand and makes a sound between a sigh and a laugh.  “There it is!” he says and looks out the door where the string must lead.  Then he laughs again and looks toward where you and Ace sit with a smile and makes his ‘honor student’ pose.  You give him a thumbs up and pat his back as he rejoins you.

You want to ask him what it was like but the next name, “Ace Trappola!” breaks your concentration.  You hadn’t realized your other friend would get his turn so soon after.  You turn to Ace and give him an encouraging smile.  Ace looks deep into your eyes for a long moment before giving you a mischievous grin, “Wish me luck, Prefect!”  You give him an excited smile and some jazz hands to cheer him on and he goes happily to the front of the class.  You watch as he takes the potion and waits in a quiet meditation before he makes a gasp and grasps at something that only he can see.  Then he looks up and smiles over in your direction happily, “I knew it!” he laughs happily.  He returns to his seat with a bounce in his step and you look at him eagerly.  “Was it cool?” you ask.  He smiles at you, “It was the coolest thing ever.”  You have a million questions that come to mind, but you ask none of them as Deuce taps you on the shoulder.  You turn to look at him and he nervously tells you, “Prefect, it’s your turn.”

You look up at Professor Crewel who seems none too pleased to have you ignore his summons.  Great.  Somehow, you’d missed your turn being called and garnered his ire.  You gulp and stand to answer his summons.  When you grasp the potion, a question occurs to you and you ask, “Will this work for me?”  Professor Crewel smiles at your worry, “Not to worry, Prefect, even people without magic have Soulmates.”  It was more that you wondered if people from other worlds had Soulmates but you figured that wasn’t a conversation to have right now.  So, you smile at him as though satisfied with his response and drink the potion down.

At first it was nothing but bubbly in your stomach and then you felt giddy.  Like a drunkenness that had nothing to do with alcohol which rose from your stomach to take hold of your whole body.  Your heart beat faster and faster until you feel as alert as though you were running for your life.  Then, it was gone.  Mostly gone.  A tiny tingle remained, and you followed the sensation down to see the bright red string wound around your pinky.  It really worked. 

You looked toward your friends, wanting to share the moment with them and felt the weight of Ace’s gaze.  He was looking at you so intently it was startling.  You couldn’t break eye contact for a moment.  Then you felt a small tug and looked down at your finger.  The red string was tugging slightly, as though wanting you to follow it.  You didn’t have far to go.  You raised your eyes and found Ace holding his red string in his hand and you knew it connected to your own.  Well, that did make sense in a way.  If this was a TWST fanfic, your Soulmate had to be a member of the main case.  And now you knew, it was Ace.  You looked at Ace clutching the red string and thought that he held it like it was a lifeline, something he couldn’t live with if he let go.  Well, that was silly.  You were right here.  Perhaps it was due to the plot of the story, but you suddenly felt like you couldn’t bear to see him worried like that.

You went to him and stood in front of him, “So, you and me, huh?”  He looked up at you and said in a chocked voice, “Yeah, you and me.”  A clapping sound comes from behind you and then all around.  You are embarrassed to find that all your classmates are celebrating your union with Ace.  “What a fine surprise,” Professor Crewel says with a smile.  You don’t know what to do but Ace has no such qualms.  He grabs onto you and pulls you into a side hug with one arm will giving a V with his other hand.  You bashfully wind your arm around him and repeat the gesture yourself.  It seems like you’ve really fallen into the perfect romance fantasy.

The transition from friend to significant other was jarring but anytime you felt unsure about your new ties to Ace, you had only to look at him to feel reassured.  He was always holding the red string.  It was cute in a way, as though he thought about you so often, he had to hold onto the string to remind himself you were there with him in spirit.  You still felt safe seeing the string in his hand back then.

Why is Crowley always at the start of all your problems?  On a late spring day, the headmaster summoned you to his office.  You found it was never good news when he did this, and this time would prove no exception.  “Ah Prefect, how lovely to see you today,” he began carefully, as though sizing up how big a fuss you would kick up this time.  You hummed at him in a noncommittal way.  “Indeed,” he acknowledges your evasion and gets right into his secret business.  “I was wondering what you planned to do over Summer Break.”  You look at him deadpan, “Not do chores for you.”  He huffs at you in pretend amusement, “Ah HA ha.  Uh-hem.  That is to say, where do you plan to go while the campus is closed?”  Now this was actually news to you.  “What do you mean closed?  I’ll just stay here like I did over Winter Break.”  Crowley turns, unable to meet your eye, “Ah-HA hem, its just that we do the annual fumigation over summer so we need all living residents to be off-campus.”  Then much quieter, “The insurance wouldn’t allow it…I checked.”

You left the office not certain which was worse, that the headmaster actually considered leaving you in a poisoned campus over break or the fact that you suddenly had no where to go.  You walked lost in thought, mechanically headed to lunch when you hit something solid, and a hush fell over the room.  You felt a moment of worry until you looked up and into the quizzical face of Malleus and smiled.  This might seem like a dangerous occurrence to the random students around you, but it was nothing alarming to you.  “Hi there Hornton,” you warmly greet your fae friend.  He puts a finger to his chin and ponders to himself, “You seem quite distracted today, Prefect.  Is anything the matter?”  Happy to have someone to discuss it with, you give him a run-down on your situation.  “And so, I just have no idea where I’m going to go!” you finish in a flurry.  “Hmm,” Malleus hums in consideration, “That is a quandary.  I’d invite you to join me in Briar Valley but unfortunately Lilia has decided we are to take a, how do you call it, road trip this break.”  You can practically hear the air quotes in his voice as he says, ‘road trip.’

You give your friend a small understanding smile, “I get it.  I’m fine.  I just need to figure this out.  I’ll find what I’m looking for, I’m sure.”  This seems to perk your friend up, “Why yes, that might work.”  Then he saunters to a nearby table and picks up a vile of liquid.  You weren’t sure if this was part of someone’s lunch or classwork.  Sometimes it was like that at magic school.  As Malleus holds the vile, a green magic seeps from his fingers to engulf it and the liquid inside boils ominously.  Then the magic fades and the boiling stops.  He hands you the vile and instructs, “I will bestow a boon upon you.  Pour this tincture upon a mirror and the knowledge you need will be summoned forth.”  Great.  This was even better than posting an ad online.  You thank Malleus and give him a grateful smile. 

That is when you feel an arm slip over your shoulder and Ace appears at your side, “Say Prefect, what is going on here?”  You merely gesture as thought to say, ‘I’m talking to Malleus.’  Ace gives your friend a look that is downright insolent and you mentally scoff that only your Ace would be so bold as to have such an attitude with Malleus Draconia.  “Thanks for your help,” you offer your friend to give him an easy way to end the conversation.  Regardless of Malleus’s wishes, Ace jumps in and distracts you easily, “Hey Prefect, I heard you can’t stay over break this year.”  It’s a relief to talk it out with another person and you turn to tell your beau all about the chat in Crowley’s office.  By the time you pause to take a breath, Malleus has departed unnoticed.  You grip the flask, resolving to thank him more earnestly later, and slip it in your pocket.  Then you let Ace lead you away to your next class.  He obliges you by listening to all your complaints and agreeing in all the right places.  Not that it solved the issue at all, but it did make you feel better to have someone fully on your side to complain to.

After class, you automatically hold out your hand to walk with Ace to the alchemy lab, but he asks you to go on ahead instead.  It’s an unusual request but the mystery is cleared up before Professor Crewel arrives to begin your lesson.  “Hey Prefect, great news!” Ace shouts as he slips into the seat next to you, “I called my mom, and she says I can bring you home with me over break!”  At first, all you feel is the pressure being lifted.  Then comes the guilt.  “Are you sure I wouldn’t be intruding?” you ask nervously.  “Nah,” Ace assures you, “Mom already knows about this.”  Then he holds up his hand where he is gripping the red string, “So it was easy to convince her.”  Then he gives you a mischievous smile, “Plus my bro has been away since he graduated, and I think Mom is getting lonely.  Won’t you come cheer up a poor lonely old woman, Prefect?” Ace says in mock sadness.  You swat him, smiling and chide, “Don’t talk about my future mother-in-law that way.”  Then you both laugh. 

Things seemed to finally be going smoothly, but of course, that couldn’t last.  The alchemy lesson had barely started when Headmaster Crowley arrives by bursting in through the skylight.  He was just as extra in-person as he was in game.  You chuckle to yourself as the rest of the class appears to become hyper-focused on the lesson.  Then, right before leaving, Crowley stops in front of your caldron and remarks, “Ah Prefect, will you stop by my office after your lesson?”  Ace leans in as Crowley retreats and whispers, “What is that about?”  You can only shake your head, “I have no idea.  Want to come with and find out?”  Ace gives the thread a stroke with his thumb, “Of course.  I can’t let a troublemaker like you out of my sight.”  You laugh at his joke and pat his arm, thankful for his backup.  You are sure you will need it.

When you and Ace arrive in the headmaster’s office, he looks up from his desk and lets out a squawk of surprise, “Ah!  Trappola, uh, I was not expecting you to be here as well.”  You feel like you’ve made the right choice in bringing him along.  “So, Headmaster, what’s this business you have with me?”  He looks away, avoiding your eye.  “Well, that.  So, you see…it turns out that our contract for the fumigation this summer does not include covering important school property with protective sheets.  Can you believe that!  Ah-hem, anyway, I’m going to have to ask you to stay until after the rest of the students have departed and cover the furniture in the classrooms before you go.”  The response from your boyfriend is immediate, “No.”  You pull back a smile you feel forming on your lips, “Well, there you have it.  I also have made plans for break, since you have so cruelly abandoned me.”  You can see the gears in his head turning as he thinks over the situation.

“Well,” you comment over your shoulder as you shake out a sheet over a cauldron, “At least he is paying us both to do this.  Thanks for keeping me company.”  Ace grins at you, “I can’t abandon my darling Prefect to be all by their lonesome right before a family trip!”  Then he sheepishly adds, “Plus I can use some extra pocket money to buy you a treat when we are back home.”  A family trip.  It had a nice sound to it.  You hum as you continue covering cauldrons with the large tablecloths Crowely had supplied.  “There,” you say and clap your hands once for emphasis, “That is the last one.  And…I think that is all the alchemy rooms.”  Ace gets a thinking expression, “Ah…so that leaves the elective rooms in the Senior’s tower and the botanical gardens.”  You shrug, “Wanna split them?”  Ace nods and you agree to cover the worktables in the botanical gardens while Ace climbs the tower to handle the senior’s classrooms. 

There are far fewer tables in the botanical gardens, so while it was a hike to get there, you finished fairly quickly.  When you add that to the fact that the mirror chamber was nearby, it didn’t surprise you that you arrived ahead of Ace.  Your small bag of clothes sat in the corner, ready to be taken through the mirror to the Queendom of Roses with Ace.  Until then, you had nothing to do here.  You circle the room, looking into the various mysterious mirrors.  Make a few faces and poses to pass time.  It was so boring.  You turn out your pockets, just looking for something to occupy your time and find two items inside.  One is the vial Malleus had given you to help you find a place for Summer Break.  The other was a candy wrapper.  You frown as you look at it.  This wrapper was left over from a candy you had on you when you arrived in Twisted Wonderland; one of the last ties to your old world that remained.  You haven’t thought about the old world for a while now.  Not since before you’d found your Soulmate.  Now, a feeling of melancholy washes over you.  Why had you stopped looking for a way home?  You didn’t even remember consciously giving up on that dream.

You hold the vial and consider it carefully.  What exactly had Malleus said this did?  Something about helping you find what you needed when you poured it on a mirror?  Well, there were plenty of mirrors available and you had time to kill.  Maybe, if you poured the potion, it would give you a clue on how you could return home someday.  You walked to the nearest mirror and uncorked the bottle.  The liquid flowed slowly out of the container as though it was molasses.  When it touched the mirror, it seemed to slip inside until a glossy shimmer coated the surface.  It rippled and you were aware that there were words to be seen inside.  You leaned closer and read the message.  Then you read it again.  And again.  By the fourth time, you were shaking so badly you could no longer read it.  It wasn’t a way to get home.  It was the summary of the fanfiction you were in. 

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The Chain That Binds

When the Prefect of Ramshackle dorm is invited home with their Soulmate to visit the family, they never suspect the plan Ace has in store for them.  Sometimes the chain that binds you to a partner also binds you to a darker fate. 

TW Yandere, TW Imprisonment, TW Kidnapping

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Just what kind of sick story was this? 

A click sounds behind you as the door closes.  Never had you heard a sound so ominous.  “Something wrong, Prefect?” Ace says carefully.  You notice he is gripping the string of fate tightly.  It no longer felt comforting but more like the hold a master would have on a dog’s leash.  “You seem kind of agitated.”  You try to downplay it, “Oh no, its nothing.”  He tilts his head, attempting to see past you and into the mirror.  You sidestep to make sure the view was blocked.  He gives you a cold smile, “Are you sure because I can feel your fear through the bond.”  You meet his eye for a moment and then bolt.  Ace is so much faster than you that you never had a real chance.  You scream out for help and Ace laughs and shouts with you, “Help! Help!”  You look at him in horror.  “Who do you think is left here to hear you, Prefect?  Its only us now.”  Then he pulls out his magic pen and casts a binding spell on you. 

You can only lay limply as Ace steps over to the mirror and reads what is inside.  “Hmm,” He finally says, “I don’t know where you get these ideas from, but I don’t think they are healthy for you.  You should stop consorting with people who put these things into your mind.  I’ll talk to my mom when we get home.  I’m sure she wouldn’t mind if you stayed there instead of coming back to school.  That will take care of all these intrusive thoughts you have.”  His grip on the red string was so tight that you were beginning to feel it like a phantom pain in your heart.  “Don’t worry about a thing, Prefect.  I’m going to take care of you.  I know what you need,” then he turns and looks coldly into your eyes, “you were made just for me after all.  You’re supposed to be mine alone.”