this is me trying

"My husband? Gone for three days and your entire marriage dissolved?" He turns his face toward Suguru, poking his bottom lip out in a sympathetic pout. "What happened?"

"Doesn't matter," Suguru says, face contorted in displeasure, eyes narrowed down at you while he clings to Satoru. "Can you order food while I take a shower?"

"You're joking," you deadpan, disentangling from Satoru to rush to the bathroom before Suguru can beat you to it. "What? Because I said I wanted to shower first? Fucking childish."

"I'm the childish one?" he asks, following directly behind you. "You're the one who's been holding a grudge for the last…"

Your argument disappears up the stairs with you, leaving Satoru standing in the entrance of your home by himself. He takes a deep breath, finally letting that smile stretch his face at the familiar throb of his cock in his pants. So good to have you two home.

Later, after the two of you have showered (together, of course, because you refuse to leave each other alone) and the takeout boxes have been trashed, you lie in bed on either side of Satoru, leaving open mouthed kisses over his chest and neck. His fingers skim your side, over your ribs and hip and then back up. You whine every time he stops short of touching your ass, nipping at his neck in protest.

His other hand is in Suguru's hair, scratching his scalp gently to hear the pleased hums that bubble up from his throat. Satoru uses Suguru's hair to his advantage, tugging at the roots to tilt his head back and slot their mouths together.

"Missed you," he mumbles against his lips, pressing another kiss to them

You sit up on an elbow and lean over Satoru's chest, grabbing his jaw with your free hand to turn his face toward yours. "What about me?" you pout, eyes soft and wide when they meet his in the dim lighting of the bedroom. Your lips trail from his cheek to his lips, pressing them firmly together.

"Missed you, too, gorgeous," he smiles, peppering a series of kisses to your lips, your jaw, down your neck.

Your hand moves down his torso under the comforter, brushing lightly over his warm skin. The gentle contact makes him shudder between you and Suguru, a soft sigh pushing past his lips. Your hand meets Suguru's wrist shoved into the waistband of Satoru's boxers, annoyance radiating into an eye roll.

"Hands off," you snap at Suguru, trying (and failing) to knock his hand away.

"Sorry, I was here first." Suguru makes eye contact with you over Satoru's chest, giving you a sickly sweet faux smile. His fingers tighten around the base of Satoru's cock, earning himself a gasp from his husband that stretches his grin wider.

You open your mouth to protest, only to be cut off by Satoru before you can get a sound out.

"Oh, c'mon. It doesn't have to be like this," he says, starting to sound a little breathless. "Why don't you two kiss and make up for me?"

You'd rather die.

You plant a hand on Satoru's chest, using the leverage to sit up, fixing both of them with your glare properly just to be met by both of the bastards smirking at you.

"[name]," Suguru says, tilting his head, exasperated by this situation at this point. When you don't budge, he sighs and flips the blanket off of himself. He stands and makes his way around the bed to your side, holding out a hand to you. "Up." He curls his fingers up a couple of times, beckoning you to stand with him.

You begrudgingly take his hand for support and stand in front of him, eyebrows raised, eyes wide and expectant. "Well?"

"Baby," it's nearly a whisper with how soft his voice is. He drops your hand to place his on your cheek, brushing a strand of hair from your eyes. "You can't stay mad forever." You can, but a piece of your resolve cracks with how gentle he's being with you, melting directly into the palm of his hand. He tilts your face toward his, slowly bringing his face to yours. "Kiss me."

It's harsh. Biting, teeth clashing, your hands roughly pulling his hair, him pulling you into his body with a little more force than necessary. But only for a moment before it softens out - lips slotting together perfectly, sliding against each other's slowly, sensually, hands softening on the other's body.

"I'm sorry," he mutters against your lips as he pulls away from you. "I don't even remember why we're fighting."

And you have to admit, "I don't either." Your face scrunches up as you say it, pulling a laugh from Suguru. "Sorry, Sugu," you say pressing your lips together again.

You tumble back onto the mattress together, your arms locking around Suguru's neck as he lifts one of your legs, slotting himself between them. His long hair curtains around your faces, blocking what little light there was in the bedroom. Your lips still locked, tongues pushing against each other. His cock is throbbing against your soaked panties, your hips rutting up into his invitingly.

"Hello? I'm still here." Satoru pushes up onto his elbows, confused on how he's suddenly been forgotten. "I didn't mean it, actually. You shouldn't make up." And then, after a moment of being ignored, a whimpered, "Please don't leave me out."

“[name]!” he had rushed over to you, worry and fear etched across his face. “I know you might not believe me and I’m not sure how I would prove it to you but… this is a dream.”

“You mean, this is like a dream?” The back of your hand failed to stop the soft laugh from escaping.

“No. It’s a dream created by Lord Malleus, who has overblotted.”

“I see.” You gaze into the distance, unfocused and dazed, believing Silver fully. After all, that was the only way to explain the distortions you had witnessed, the only way to explain the details that derailed from reality.

The cottage is supposed to be broken, the plants drying and dying, trees much taller, as if trying to make a barrier between the realm of fae and humans, you were supposed to be somewhere else.

“So we’re all asleep in the Diasomnia hall?”

Silver’s eyes widen for a split second and he lets out a sigh of relief. “It’s like you never fell asleep…”

“I did, but my surroundings felt too odd to bear. Like everything I’ve ever wanted has come true, except Malleus isn’t here.” You grit your teeth, trying to smile and prevent the stinging tears from falling. “I did research on dreams for a project, so it didn’t take long for me to connect the dots. Well, what do you plan on doing now?”

“If Malleus comes here, please buy me some time. I will try to wake up some others.”

“But your unique magic only allows you to travel to the dreams of those that you are well-aquainted with.”

“I’ll find a way.” His fingers are trembling, his tone uncertain, but his auroral eyes were determined. Silver was not willing to simply sit around.

“Okay. I’ll handle him if he comes here.” 

Silver nods, his eyes relaxing as he mouths a ‘thank you’ before walking into a space of pastel clouds and golden stairs — the corridor of dreams — leaving you alone in a place that barely exists.

.

Maybe you could take it slow for a while, imprint the scenery into your memories, take in the breeze of captivated freedom and just dream.

.

.

.

“I didn’t think someone else would find this place.” 

The little boy didn’t say a word, awkwardly shifting behind the tree. He’s dressed in black. A cape torn at the edges flows behind him, and the hood he has on has two little holes for the horns on his head.

In contrast, you’re dressed in a light green dress that just barely touches your knees, mint green floral pattern running along it. You’re holding a single, white flower in your hand, twirling the stem between the thumb and the index.

A daisy. He recognises seeing an artistic representation of the flower in one of the books at the royal library. He never imagined he would be able to see one so closely in person.

“I-I’m sorry. I’ll leave.”

“I didn’t ask you to.”

He falters, his feet feeling like they were chained. His throat croaks and he’s unable to say anything else. He’s used to people bowing to him, obeying his commands, listening to even the silliest of wishes he had. No one has ever dared to stop him, especially not so directly.

Hesitantly, he lifts his gaze to meet yours, eyes of jade staring right into yours. “Woah! Your eyes are like a dragon’s! So pretty…” 

The boy’s eyes widen for a second before he drops his head again, staring at the pebble next to his feet. “No one’s really said it like that before…” he says, barely audible.

“People just don’t have good taste then. How can they resist complimenting such beautiful eyes? What is your name, if you don’t mind?”

“Malleus… Draconia.”

“THE PRINCE?”

He is not surprised that you didn’t recognise him initially — he’s not usually allowed to go outside the castle. On the rare occasions that he does come down to the town, it’s in his chariot with his face barely visible to the neatly gathered crowd on the roadside. He’s internally begging that you don’t start apologising to him and is really glad when you don’t. Instead, you continue gushing over him.

“I never imagined I would meet the prince here! Today must be my lucky day.” You giggle, clapping your hands like any small child your age would do. Malleus thinks it’s a cute gesture filled with freedom. 

He lets out a small smile of his own as he nods shyly, finally stepping away from the tree and standing directly in front of you.

“Well then Your Highness, would you like to take a walk across this humble abode?” You extend your hand. Malleus raises his hand, but his fingers twitch when they’re about to come in contact with yours. So you catch his hand midway and drag him along. “Oh also,” you turn towards him. He’s pretty tall for your age and you have to stand on your toes for your next action.

Delicately, you tuck the daisy in your hand behind his ear, tucking a stray strand of hair alongside it. His fae ears give the little flower more space to stay there, the white of the daisy contrasting perfectly with his jet black hair.

“Do you live here?” he asks, fingertips caressing the daisy in wonder.

“No, but apparently a princess lived here once.”

“Wouldn’t your parents be worried if you stay away from home too long?”

“They’re the ones staying away from home…” You mumble. “Both are part of the royal guards. During the day, I let the squirrels and finches guide me here. There’s also the kind forest fairies.” You smile, skipping ahead.

Malleus had seen the squirrels and finches on his way, but they scurried away the minute he got too close. A few forest fairies also seemed to recognise him, being mindful of every word, every letter that passed through their lips. It makes him wonder just how different your trek was compared to his.

“Whose cottage is this? How did you find it?” He asks, trying to divert his mind from the scared animals and the cautious fairies.

“Curious about the world, dear prince?” You turn around with a smug expression, giggling.

Malleus hates how enthusiastically he nodded. He hates how he was being a bit too honest. He was letting his guard down around you.

“A princess.”

“Hm?”

You gaze into the distance, your eyes tracing the canopy as they follow a few birds jumping from one tree to another. “We’re currently at the border of the Briar Valley and the Land of Dawning. It is said that long ago, a princess was kept here to prevent her from being affected by a certain curse. She lived here with three fairies and was familiar with all the animals.”

You turn towards the cottage and Malleus follows your eyes until it reaches the wrecked front door of the tiny house.

“If we cross this patch of the forest, we’d be in a foreign kingdom…” the fae muses to himself, his jade-coloured eyes twinkling with awe.

You hum. “It’s risky though.”

“And yet you come back here.”

“It’s peaceful.”

“Does it ever get lonely?”

“Sometimes, but the animals keep me company.” And right on queue a squirrel pops up from behind a bush. It sniffs at the ground around itself, before making its way over to you. You lean down, letting it climb into your arms.

Malleus watches as you poke its nose and rub its ears. Noticing his gaze on you, you walk up to him. The squirrel snuggles into your chest, trying to keep its distance from the fae and his unfamiliar presence. You smile in response, gently rubbing the little one’s head to comfort it.

“They’re all shy in the beginning. You should try petting it. Use only your index and be as gentle as you can.”

 Malleus gulps before obliging. He barely touches the brown fur before withdrawing his hand, holding it in his other hand as if to hide the signs of him trying to pet the squirrel. He watches as its head moves in the direction of his hands, chasing the warm feeling of the fae’s fingers.

Hesitantly, Malleus brings his hand back up again. He touches the squirrel for a second before pulling away, his finger hovering above the animal’s temple. Then, he gives in, fully rubbing the little guy’s forehead. In response, the squirrel puts its little paws up, keeping the fae prince’s fingers in place.

You beam at the sight. “See? It likes you.”

“Mhm! I would love to come back here tomorrow…”

“Okay. Let’s come back tomorrow, and maybe bring a few nuts along. It’s getting late.” You lean down, letting the squirrel jump out of your arms. It rubs its head along your ankle, before turning around and disappearing into the bushes.

“Will you head back alone?”

“Will you join me?”

That’s the third thing you’ve invited him to today— the walk across the cottage, petting the squirrel, and now walking back together. He has never felt this sense of belonging before. A warm feeling bubbles in his chest and his cheek muscles hurt with how he beams. He lets out a small, excited gasp before nodding enthusiastically, feeling a bit too happy.

Perhaps this is the 'friendship' feeling he read about in books. Something he couldn’t even imagine before today.

.

.

.

The castle gates stand tall in the distance. You swallow deeply, suddenly intimidated by the thought of going over there. Only the bridge in front of you distances you from the royal palace.

You were sitting atop a tree, eating berries when you noticed the shadowy figures approaching the marketplace. Something about them made you shiver. Trusting your instincts, you leaped off the branch and ran in the opposite direction.

And you were right.

A distant scream breaks you out of your daze. You gulp before sprinting across the bridge. As soon as the guards come into view, you yell as loudly as you can. "BANDITS. IN THE MARKETPLACE. HELP."

The message seems to go across as the guard at the gate immediately sounds a horn, alerting the others around him. As you stop, finally reaching the gate, panting with your hands on your knees, a few fae on horses rush out.

You sigh in relief. Things should be fine now.

"Thank you for informing us promptly." A deep voice makes you stand up straight. The man before you has a stern face, yet the expression he wears is gentle. His long hair flows behind him, a few pink strands coming undone from his ponytail.

"I should head back now." You say, bowing to the man. But when you try to turn around, pain shoots up in your right ankle. You curse under your breath, leaning down to support yourself.

"Seems you've injured yourself. I'll have the medics treat you. Take my hand. Don't be afraid to lean on me if it hurts too much." The man extends his hand and you take it, gripping onto it for support.

He leads you through the courtyard. Now that the adrenaline has worn off, the pain feels sharper than ever. You were barely holding on. 

"Hmm maybe it would be better if the medics came to you. You don't seem to be in any shape to go up all the stairs. Here, why don't you wait by the fountain."

You nod, wincing as you limp behind. Your eyes are fixated on the ground, trying to avoid the stones. A familiar voice makes you look up. “Lilia! And that is…”

Your eyes meet those familiar lizard ones. Those soft, jade eyes that you have seen so many times on your shared expeditions to the cottage at the border. Malleus is leaning against a well with a book in hand. He closes the book as he looks at you, the brown leather firmly holding the pages within it. You just barely manage to notice that the title of the book is written in golden cursive, but the words are difficult to make out from this distance.

And ‘Lilia’? That means the man you’re currently leaning onto is… “General Vanrouge?! Apologies for not recognising you sooner.”

Lilia ruffles your hair with a smile, messing it up. “Malleus, do you mind looking after them while I fetch the medics?” Malleus nods, letting out a soft hum in response.

Lilia pats your back encouragingly, pushing you forward. You were barely halfway there when the pain makes you lose your balance. Malleus catches you midway, anchoring you up by the waist as you sling your arm over his shoulder. He holds onto you for a few seconds longer, making the General huff behind the both of you before heading into the castle.

“What happened?” Malleus asks, helping you settle down on one of the nearby stone benches. He takes a seat beside you and glances at your sprained ankle.

“I was eating berries on a tree when some shady people came to the marketplace. So I jumped off and made my way here.” You try to sound as casual about it as possible, even shrugging your shoulders to emphasise that, but the little wince you let out in between doesn’t go unnoticed.

“Jumped off a tree? I told you that you would get hurt one day if you kept doing that.”

“Did you?”

The fae prince frowns, clearly disappointed. You vaguely remember him saying something like that on one of your treks to the cottage. You would often climb up the trees to scout the area before moving forward and would leap back down as though you were only jumping down a few steps. Malleus tried to reprimand you for being so casual about it but you would shrug it off, too confident in your abilities to worry so much.

Though you would never admit to remembering his words.

Instead you try to divert the topic. “What were you reading?”

“Oh this?” he picks the book up, holding it for you to see. Then he places it on his lap, flipping through the pages. “Just a book on native flora from Ms. Fiore’s class.” He finally stops at a page and traces the dried flower placed between the pages, its white petals now turning light brown at the edges.

“This is where I first read about the various flowers. And then you showed me a real daisy.”

“I can’t believe you kept that silly little flower.”

“Didn’t wanna lose it.”

You look back and forth between the dried flower and the exquisite drawing beside it. Nothing seems to explain why he would keep the flower among the pages, not when the drawing of the same looks so much prettier.

But to Malleus, the dried daisy was more precious than any of the expensive portraits hanging around the royal palace. It’s a token of his first friendship, signifying the first time he was invited. He caresses the dried petals with stars in his eyes.

He breaks out of his daze when the nurse arrives with a medical kit in hand. Lilia follows in behind her.

The nurse crouches on the ground in front of you. “Which leg is it?” You wordlessly put your right leg forward and she gently takes it in her palm, analysing it carefully before reaching for the cotton and disinfectant.

“Maybe we should consider deploying a few guards in the marketplace. Regular patrols might not be enough, not when this is the third incident this month.” Lilia muses to himself, his fingers prodding his chin as he follows the nurse’s movements. “But we also don’t want the townsfolk to be on edge… having guards around at all times might not do well for the atmosphere.”

“I wish I was a knight. I could’ve fended them off myself. Wouldn’t even have had to jump down a tree so quickly and sprained my leg.” You murmur, turning your head away from the nurse just to hiss in pain at the unexpected sting of the disinfectant.

“Oh ho, want to be a knight, [name]?”

“Yes! Maybe if I get really good, I could serve the prince directly,” you giggle, making Lilia chuckle in response. The prince lets out an almost inaudible hum, light pink tinting his cheeks.

“Perhaps, with your parents' permission, I could let you join the official training.” the General says, playing along. He isn’t expecting you to take him up on his offer, at least not yet.

“Yes! Please do!” You kick your legs out excitedly and the nurse sighs at your response. “Oops, sorry.”

“Please stay still for this part, this can hurt more.” She says, shaking her head.

You nod. But the minute the bandage touches the wound, you hiss, dropping your head low and gripping tightly at the stone bench. Seeing your reaction, Malleus grabs your hand, squeezing it tightly. “You would make a good knight,” he smiles.

“I'll get there, just watch me.” You smile, gripping his hand tighter as you feel the rough mesh of the bandage being tightened around your ankle. Malleus stays there with you through the whole process, squeezing a little tighter when he heard you hiss at the pain. He kept your fingers intertwined for a long while, not wanting to let go even as the nurse pushed herself off the ground and bowed to him before leaving.

He never let go.

.

.

.

The morning breeze sends shivers down your spine. "Malleus," you whine, the grip on your wooden sword faltering, "when will we have another chance to go back to that cottage? I bet the squirrels and finches miss us."

It's been months since the two of you had the chance to go back there. Ever since Lilia managed to get you into the official knight's training sessions, your days were more occupied by practicing your sword techniques. Malleus had gotten busier too — since he was now older, his studies had gotten more intense. You would often notice the special tutors assigned to him entering and leaving the courtyard.

Most days you didn’t even see Malleus around. You would spend all your breaks roaming inside the castle walls and wouldn’t even catch a glimpse of the fae prince. Other days, you would be invited to the classes he had to attend because he got ‘too bored’ studying alone. You would sit beside him as he revised his notes, occasionally explaining its intricacies to you.

(This increases eventually until you had to allot a separate 'school time' alongside your training sessions. The teachers only sigh in response, but they didn’t mind having a new student in the awfully empty halls.)

The only times you even had a chance to try going to the cottage were around major events. Since everyone would get too busy preparing for the festivities, you and Malleus would get the chance to sneak off, having just enough time to feed the little animals before having to head back. After the event, while everyone was still resting, would be another chance to visit. But these days were few and far in between.

Malleus sighs, but his movements don’t falter. He braces his sword and aims near your shoulder. You barely manage to block in time, the sudden movement making you stumble.

“You wouldn’t want to get distracted in a real fight, knight,” he smiles gently, finally putting his sword away.

“‘Knight’ and I’m not even half as good as some of the other soldiers,” you pout.

“That’s still a compliment considering you’re the youngest. Come on, let’s take a break under the tree.”

You put your wooden swords to one side as you crouch beneath the canopy. Malleus rests against the bark, kicking his legs out and heaving out a sigh. “Morning sessions feel so brutal.” You follow suit and look upwards. The sunlight filtering through the leaves feels too bright, making you look away while rubbing your eyes.

Your empty hands fidget around for something to grasp at, landing at the grass beneath you. You ruffle the blades of grass, letting out another long sigh. “Why do holidays have to be so far apart?”

Malleus looks around until a small weed catches his eye, the white petals of the flower reminding him of a daisy. Maybe they are daisies, he thinks, or maybe they don’t qualify as daisies because of their smaller size. He plucks it, twirling the stem between his fingers mindlessly. “This could have been so much more peaceful if I didn’t have class in the afternoon.”

“We have class, because you begged them to let me join your tutoring sessions.”

The fae chuckles beside you. “At least I don’t have to be alone with that teacher. I almost always fall asleep in her class.”

“I think I’m going to fall asleep right now,” you mumble, eyelids already feeling heavy. The warm sun rays feel like a blanket, making you awfully comfortable and sleepy.

Malleus laughs. “Go ahead then, I’ll lend you my shoulder.” There’s no way you’re already feeling sleepy, not after how worked up you were during training just a few minutes ago. He thought you were just messing around with him.

But then he stiffens up when he feels your head flop onto his shoulder. Slowly, he turns his head to the side and notices your breaths evening out. His gaze travels downwards until it reaches your hand, your fingers still gripping at the grass, though your grip seems to be loosening.

You really did fall asleep.

He sighs, his hand coming up to rest over yours. His palm engulfs your knuckles and feels as your grip on the grass blades loosen, until it falls limp between his fingers.

Some of the maids walk by and they look horrified by the sight, quickly bowing to the prince before trying to reach for you. But Malleus shakes them away, bringing a finger to his lips and leaning his head onto yours. Hesitantly, the maids step back and exchange glances with each other, unsure of what to make of the situation. They bow again before leaving the two of you alone.

(He probably fell asleep soon after, because when you woke up it was already afternoon and neither of you seemed to have moved an inch, classes long forgotten. Soft snores come from your side, lulling you back to sleep once more.)

.

.

.

“Lilia has adopted a human child.” Malleus states, as though it was the most normal thing in the world.

“I am not even surprised.” You reply, just as casually.

You both had seen how gentle he has been with kids. He was an incredible father-figure to Malleus and Lilia had been mentoring since you entered the palace. Even on occasions when he visited the marketplace, the children would always follow him with glee. The two of you were waiting for him to become a father.

Everyone else, however, was in a frenzy. Especially those who knew the General, the Lilia Vanrouge from before Malleus’s egg hatched, felt like they were in a vague dream. Not only did they find it hard to believe that one of toughest soldiers the kingdom had ever seen would adopt a child, the child was human.

The man who lived through one of the worst fae-human wars adopted a human child.

Though now that you think about it that way, the ‘human’ child part does sound a little weird. A child of man.

It must have taken Lilia years to recover from Maleona’s death, and yet, when you and Malleus visit him, he cradles the little boy like he would never love anyone or anything else.

You and Malleus stand side-by-side at the entrance to his cottage, awkwardly waiting for Lilia to give you the next ‘instructions’. Having spent most of your time at the castle studying and training, neither of you had enough experience with infants. You might be able to hold the baby, lift him into your arms and just hold him for a bit, but Malleus didn’t even know whether he was supposed to enter the room or not.

Lilia chuckles, “You can come in you know. Silver doesn’t bite, not yet at least.” Malleus lets out a quiet, hesitant hum of approval. He wobbles inside, careful with each step he takes, trying not to stir the baby awake. You knew Malleus was getting taller as he grew older, but seeing him bend a little at the doorway hit differently. When did he get that tall?

“Silver huh… just like his hair.” You remark, pushing a finger against his cheek. The soft skin scrunches up, stirring the baby in his sleep. You sheepishly retreat your hand and check your nails to ensure that they weren’t long enough to hurt him.

“The colour of his hair is because of the blessing of the night. It was originally golden, like the rays of the sun.” Lilia finally looks away from Silver, meeting your eyes as he says “I’ll get you both something to eat.”

Lilia smiles as he slowly places the little boy back in his cradle and heads to the kitchen, humming a soft, familiar tune. You look around the living room. It’s not your first time visiting the General’s abode, but the place seems a lot messier today. Random wooden handicrafts and stuffed cloth balls are scattered around the place.

Malleus walks closer to the cradle, towering over Silver’s sleeping form. His eyes soften at the sight, his facial muscles relax and he lets out a quiet sigh. Hesitantly, he picks the boy up, attempting to mimic Lilia’s way of cradling him in his arms.

He seems to struggle with it in the beginning, not knowing where to place his hands or how to balance Silver on his forearm. You chuckle, picking up a star-shaped toy as you make your way over. Malleus seemed to have gotten the basics, but he was still holding Silver awkwardly, a little away from his chest. You gently push his hands inward and smile at him, trying to reassure him. You’ve seen some of the ladies hold their babies like this— close to their heart with a fond smile on their faces.

You bring the toy you picked up close to Silver’s face, letting the tassels grace his features. Silver scrunches his nose before snuggling closer into Malleus’s chest. 

“Stop, you might wake him,” Malleus whispers.

“But if he sneezes cutely because of the ticklish feeling?”

“And if Lilia gets mad?”

“Okay fair.” You sigh, but the mischievous smile never leaves your face.

Slowly, you pinch Silver’s fingers within your own and lean your forehead against his for a few seconds. His skin is still soft, almost worrying you that he would shatter like glass if you grasped his fingers any tighter. Absentmindedly, you push back some of Malleus’s stray strands of hair, letting your fingers glide over his shoulder for a second longer.

Malleus watches silently, his breathing slow and calculated to not disturb this peace. A smile makes its way to his face as he watches your gentle ministrations. He feels fuzzy inside, maybe even a little giddy, at how calming the atmosphere is. A cottage out in the woods, surrounded by the scent of wood and leaves, Silver carefully nestled against him, and you right next to him. 

Lilia is still humming the tune when his eyes meet the sight unfolding before him. The two fae he raised as his own now learning to love a human child he had taken in… he smiles at thought, feeling content. Silver could use some good role models, or well, at least he hopes that the two in front of him would be good role models (and that Malleus’s lack of expression won’t hinder Silver’s own emotions).

.

.

.

You hear the sound of wood clashing against wood long before you and Malleus reach Lilia’s cottage. The sound makes you smile absentmindedly. Silver must be practicing again. He’s determined to become a knight. It reminds you of yourself when you were younger, stumbling into the castle grounds with a sprained ankle and being taken in by Lilia.

Lilia really has a knack for adopting kids huh. 

What you weren’t expecting however, was for Silver to have found a new companion to spar with.

As you get closer, a few flashes of green catch your eyes. Those definitely weren’t leaves. And the gruffs are much deeper. Silver is usually quieter when he’s moving around. Beside you Malleus lets out a curious hum.

“That looks like Zigvolt.”

“It is! Just a smaller version, fufu.” Lilia pops up beside you, his characteristic smirk adorning his face.

(Would it even be considered ‘characteristic’ if he has only developed it in the last few centuries? After all, the General never really smiled in the beginning.)

“Smaller version?” Malleus prods his chin, his ears perking up.

“Baur wanted me to take his grandson in as an apprentice. I wonder… is it because Sebek and Silver are nearly the same age?”

“Huh?” You hum, curious at the implications of his words. “I thought Zigvolt was also a fae. Finding a fae of similar age in Briar Valley would be nothing short of a miracle. And Silver is human.” 

“Sebek is half human.” Lilia states plainly, turning his gaze to where the two children were currently play-fighting with their wooden swords.

You follow his gaze and it takes you back to the days when you had just begun your own training. You remember dreading waking up so early in the mornings. Begrudgingly, you would head over to the training grounds, where Malleus would already have finished warming up. When you still had those early morning sparring sessions, you and Malleus were around the same height. Now however… he could probably climb a tree in two leaps. 

(Or maybe you are just exaggerating there… maybe. Because it suddenly sounds plausible. But the crown prince would never indulge himself in such menial activities, not anymore.)

“Sebek must also want to become a knight then, just like Baur.”

“Well that is a reason, yes, but…” Lilia eyes you with a mischievous glint, smirking, “his dream is the same as [name]’s— to become Malleus’s knight.”

“I-I thought you would’ve forgotten that part by now! That was ages ago!” You feel your face getting warmer, ears turning red at the tips with embarrassment.

“Oh? Are you saying you don’t want to be my knight now?”

“I… Malleus, don’t twist my words!”

“Khee hee.” Lilia’s smirk grows wider. “Let me introduce you two to Sebek. Oh and Malleus, good luck.”

“With what?”

Lilia only giggles in response, skipping away happily. Malleus stood there dumbfounded, (blissfully unaware of what Sebek will bring into his life). You nudge him with your elbow before following behind Lilia, doing your best to avoid eye-contact with the fae prince.

Your grip tightens on your lax sword as you start walking, ears still tinted red while the conversation replays in your mind. “To become Malleus’s knight huh… well, I suppose I never did let go of that dream.”

.

.

.

“Malleus! Malleus!” You rush over to him the minute you notice him. His black tunic camouflaged him almost completely under the dark blanket of the night.

He was walking past a fountain, but stops when he hears your voice. A small smile tugs at his lips when notices you approaching from the thicket. “Good evening [name]. You are more excited tonight than usual. Are you finally developing an intense interest in gargoyles?”

“Uh no, but nevermind that!” You quickly avoid the fae’s proposed route of conversation, knowing that once he started, he wouldn’t stop until dawn. You flick the envelope resting between your fingers, making his eyes dart down to it. “I got an invitation from Night Raven College.”

Malleus smiles at your words, failing to conceal his own excitement. “As did I earlier this evening.” He extends his right hand forward, a green flame emerges from his palm and a letter instantly takes shape between his fingers.

The smile on your face grows wider, your cheeks aching from the grin. “We have to tell Lilia.” 

You grab his wrist, dragging him behind you. With each step as light as dance, you ramble on about the things you had heard about the college for mages. Draconia listens carefully, adding his own points in between, indulging your giddiness with a barely controlled excitement of his own. 

.

“Oh ho? A letter from Night Raven College you say? I might have received one of those as well.” Vanrouge muses, closing his front door behind his two, late night guests and heading into his room to rummage through his belongings.

“Night Raven College…” Silver repeats the words, slurring the syllables with a sleep-laden tone, as if testing the way it sounds. 

It has barely been over a decade since the first time you met him and Sebek, and yet they have grown into fine, young men, their looks resembling yours and Malleus’s in age. Jewel like irises with a fire ignited behind them, determination and strength seeping through each movement, it wouldn’t really surprise you if they were to have a small crowd of people fascinated by them following them around in the marketplace.

On that note, your gaze flicks up to meet Malleus. Sharp, green eyes gently take in his surroundings. Luscious locks of obsidian flow beyond his shoulders, a few stray strands obscuring his gaze. He’s standing tall, his posture composed of poise and grace, back completely straight, chin up, yet shoulders relaxed.

Feeling your eyes on him, he tilts his head towards you. The corners of his lips twitch upwards naturally when he meets your gaze, like a reflex. 

You feel your breath hitch, but you don’t look away. You can’t bring yourself to look away. It’s like he has you in a trance, enamoured. 

He lifts an eyebrow, curious as to what caught your gaze this time, his smile never leaving his face, soft as silk. How were you going to tell him it was his entire existence?

Looks like you didn’t have to— Lilia had returned, holding a half-crumpled envelope between his thumb and index, airing the aged linen.

You feel yourself jump slightly as Lilia approaches, quickly taking two steps away from Malleus and sucking in a long, deep breath to erase signs of your flushness.

Malleus chuckles, light and airy, butterflies fluttering their wings as they come to rest on a petal, delicate. Lilia also seemed to have noticed, his mouth shaping into a small ‘o’ as he leaned against the couch, supporting Silver’s dozing head.

Sebek had been staring outside the window, chin resting in his palm, trying to follow the fireflies as they flit about. He tilts his head, confused, unaware of the million emotions you felt in just a few minutes. He sits straighter when he notices that Lilia has returned, tugging at Silver’s shoulder to wake him up.

Lilia coughs into his fist dramatically and smirks. “Wonder if they’ll let this old man join?”

“They must! Humans must have enough common sense to not turn you down.” Sebek boasts as if it were his own achievement, chest puffed out and chin held high.

“I will also need permission to leave Briar Valley…” The General hums in contemplation.

“I am sure my grandmother would support your decision, Lilia.” 

“This would also be Silver’s first time living alone…”

“I’m sure I’ll manage, father. And if required, I’ll ask the forest fairies for help.”

“And what about Silver and Sebek’s training?” 

“I’m sure Baul could look after them for a while.” You add, turning your attention to Sebek who nodded in approval, arms crossed across his chest. 

“Alright then. I have no more concerns. I’ll reach out to the principal in the morning regarding my admission.” Lilia sighed, content. His eyes glimmered with hope and excitement as he stared out at the night sky. 

Night Raven College… Perhaps he’ll finally be able to let go of his past burdens and experience a different life.

.

.

.

You check yourself twice in the mirror, trying to pat out any creases in your clothes.

It’s nearly been half a year since you came to NRC, yet this will be the first time you will be going outside campus to explore Sage’s Isle.

With classes ending earlier than usual, you and Malleus get the entire afternoon to yourselves.

You’re practically shaking with excitement. It’s just a pity that Lilia won’t be joining your little expedition to the town.

You meet Malleus at Diasomnia’s entrance, where he’s leaning against one of the pillars while talking to the former General. His clothes are casual — just a white, turtleneck shirt, a black cardigan and cargo pants. The palace staff would probably faint if they saw the Fae prince in these common clothes. 

He looks like any ordinary boy his age, well, aside from the fact that he’s a very tall, very majestic, centuries old fae. But right now, he has none of the princely charm he encapsulates back at the castle. Right now, he’s just… Malleus.

The two guys nod in greeting when they see you approaching them. After exchanging a few pleasantries, Lilia bids you two farewell.

Doesn’t he look awfully excited for someone who’s not joining you to the town.

.

Sage’s Island is remarkably different from your hometown. 

The structures of the houses feel more modern, but still look cosier than some other establishments you have seen in photos. The placement of the plants and flower bushes feel intentional and well-kept, unlike in the Valley of the Thorns where they feel wild and natural. The colours of the displays and decorations feel warm and bright, and the marketplace (or what they called the 'town centre'), was neatly organised. Flowering shrubs lined the borders of the area, tidily trimmed, with small white, yellow and pink flowers in full bloom. 

Briar Valley has never looked as colourful as this town, especially not on a regular day. The fae living there preferred not to disturb nature too much, and so the local trees were left as they were and settlements were formed revolving around the existing ecosystem. Tree barks in different shades of brown were commonly used to make ornamentation, complimented by the leaves changing their colour based on the season.

The fae were divided into groups based on their characteristics, and their habitats represented those key features. Some areas were awfully dull, like the swamps and the coniferous forests in winters, making you glad to have been raised in more temperate areas. 

The forest fairies had rounded cottages with moss growing on their roofs and luminous mushrooms lighting the way up at night. Their abode was probably the closest to what Sage’s Island looks like. Except, the ‘moss’ are the flowering shrubs and the luminous fungi are probably the lamps that are lit at night. 

There’s a water fountain in the centre that reminds you of the one back at the palace and you feel automatically drawn towards it. You tug at Malleus’s sleeve, before dragging him to sit at the ledge of the fountain. 

“So… what would you like to do?” He asks coyly. Malleus has been looking more nervous than he usually does. Is it because he’s afraid of scaring the townsfolk? No one seems to be paying him much mind though, or maybe they just haven’t recognised him yet (and you hope they don’t recognise him, to keep your day peaceful).

You hum in contemplation. “It’s almost past the lunch hour, so why don’t we grab a quick bite first? All the classes in the morning have me starving.”

“Whatever you wish.” He opens his mouth again, as if he wanted to say something else, but he bites back his own words with a smile, drawing out a confused look from you. Seeing he was resolute in keeping his words to himself, you sigh and start looking around for a place to eat. 

You end up eating at one of the smaller restaurants to avoid the crowds. In the venture to try the local food, Malleus asked for the chef’s recommendation, and ended up with a dish that was too spicy for him to handle. You laughed at the sight of him chugging down a jug of water, trying his best to contain the flames that risked burning the entire place down. Seeing your amusement, the fae gave you an unimpressed, childish pout.

You explore the town a bit more, pointing out areas you’d like to visit the next time. 

The next time.

The thought of being able to hang out like this with Malleus, without a care in the world, and doing it again… you didn’t even dream of such a casual day back in Briar Valley. No amount of disguises would allow him to step out of the castle so freely.

The sun is already touching the horizon when you return to NRC. Everything is coated in warm gold, shimmering in the final rays of the day. 

Somewhere along the way, you and Malleus ended up holding hands while you walked. Was it when you were excitedly pointing something out to him? Or was it when the children had started skittering through the streets when the afternoon sun had gotten more merciful with its heat? 

Neither of you mention it, quietly embracing each other’s company, anchoring one-another to the present.

“You have been much quieter today. Is there something on your mind?”

“Yes, there is something uh… I would like to ask… you.” He sheepishly drags his words out.

“Hm?” You cock your head to the side, stopping in your tracks and turning to look at him. 

For a minute, it’s quiet, just the sound of rustling leaves in the wind. The silence makes you hyper-aware of your intertwined fingers and you look down to see the fae’s hand gently tightening its grip around yours. A blush threatens to creep up onto your face and you gently tug to loosen the hold. But instead, Malleus only holds on tighter and reaches for your other hand too, holding your joint hands between you as the only thing that separates the two of you in this moment.

Then, Malleus takes a deep breath in and sighs heavily, like he’s picking up little pieces of courage to finally reveal a long, deep-held secret.

“[name], I have feelings for you — have had them for a while now.”

“Oh.” 

“And I would like the permission to formally court you.” The sunset rays peep through his hair, giving it a golden glow. He looks like a prince from one of the many fairytales archived in the library. His eyes look directly into yours with both longing and confidence.

The shy boy who had made his way out to a deserted cottage, accidentally meeting you. The boy that would save you a few slices of his birthday cake and share them with you the following day because he simply couldn’t have finished it all alone.

The guy that you grew up with, sparring and studying. The guy who would invite you along for late-night walks, his eyes shining brighter than the light reflecting off the gargoyles.

The prince that everyone fussed over, ensuring that he never so much as scratched himself. The prince that everyone would be afraid of when they saw you casually approaching him, gauging his reaction to your attitude. The prince that people begged you to behave more ‘appropriately’ around.

This was him? This is Malleus Draconia? The ever-confident, ever-strong crown prince of Briar Valley? A pathetic fool in love?

You feel embarrassed when you realise you’ve been staring too long. Gulping, you let out a hum. You hate how the low sound from your throat came with broken intervals, but it was the best you could do as words completely failed you.

Malleus’s shoulders relax and a fond smile graces his features. One of his hands let go of yours to cradle your face, the tips of his fingertips gently brushing against your cheek. You subconsciously lean into the touch, feeling him rub his thumb in circles near your ear.

It almost makes you wonder if he’s done this before. Before you can stop yourself, the question slips past your lips, “Did you already have experience with this?”

“What makes you say that?”

“It’s just… it feels like you know exactly what you are doing.”

“Am I not doing the same things I always do with you?”

And that’s when it strikes you.

The shared embraces on lonely nights where he would sneak out of the palace to meet you in your room. Gently holding each other’s faces during skincare sessions, as you applied whatever herbal formulae you had learned from the forest fairies. His thumb brushing against your lower lip when he noticed a crumb of food left there. The times you injured yourself and he had to carry you. The way he would squeeze your hand underneath the table, away from people’s gazes, just to reassure you.

“So that’s why you said you were ‘formally’ asking…” Because everything so far between the two of you had not been official, but it had always been there.

For all the times you and Lilia teased Malleus for being dense, perhaps, you were the oblivious one for not noticing sooner.

Of course he knows what love is. He may not show it the way most people do today. He may still be following the rulebook from centuries ago. But he still knows what he’s doing. He knows what he wants.

And he won’t stop until he gets it.

.

You return to Diasomnia with Malleus, hands still intertwined, cheerfully talking about something.

Lilia was waiting right outside the dorm gates. Seeing your interlaced fingers, he quirks up an eyebrow and a smirk spreads on his face. Malleus stops walking when he notices Lilia. With a shy, boyish grin, he scratches the back of his neck and nods gently. 

The bat fae makes an ‘o’ with his mouth, before smiling proudly. 

Seeing their gestures, you realise that they had planned this together. No wonder Lilia was ‘too busy’ to accompany you to town today, you think.

“So, you finally confessed, Malleus. That’s good, very good. I was afraid you might chicken out. Now the pudding I made to celebrate this occasion won’t be wasted.” Lilia says proudly.

Hearing about the pudding makes the smile fade from your face. “Oh–... ah– that won’t be necessary,” you say quickly, “we had too much to eat while we were out. Maybe next time!!” You quickly tug Malleus behind you and rush inside.

Lilia calls out behind you, probably disappointed that his pudding will, in fact, go to waste. But you weren’t willing to end today by eating something that tasted poisonous enough to kill your taste-buds for two days.

Behind you, Malleus chuckles, enjoying the vivacious atmosphere.

Diasomnia feels filled with liveliness at this moment. Filled with something that you could never have had back in the uptight castle.

Youth.

.

.

.

It’s been two years since you and Malleus made it official. Silver, who joined the year after that, took the news very happily, like he, too, had seen it coming. Perhaps he and Lilia had already been pointing out the signs you displayed of mutual affection. 

Sebek only joined NRC a little while ago and he was a bit too shocked with the news. But in the end, he approved of it as well, saying that he was glad that “it was you and not anyone else”. (You had expected a more dramatic reaction from him if you were being honest, but he was surprisingly tame during the conversation.)

You casually skip through the woods, humming a tune underneath your breath as you head towards the Ramshackle Dorm. When he’s not in his room, or walking through the courtyard, Malleus could be found near this abandoned dorm at school. 

However, when you get closer, it doesn’t look as abandoned as it did a few days ago. You slow down to gentle hops before stopping completely, observing. 

There’s Malleus and he seems to be talking to… Oh! That must be Yuuken, the boy who caused trouble at the entrance ceremony.

“No wait, the gremlin that followed him was the troublemaker,” you correct yourself, recalling the night of the entrance ceremony.

You search your memory and remember that Malleus (per usual) hadn’t been able to attend the ceremony (because that careless headmaster had forgotten to invite Diasomnia’s dormhead for the 3rd year in a row). So that must mean that he met Yuuken here, which implies that Crowley is making the poor kid live here. And knowing him, he probably thinks that that is all his ‘oh so kind and benevolent and gracious self’ needs to do. 

You sigh at the conclusion. Perhaps you should try befriending the kid and help him out, like a responsible senior. Maybe you could guide him — if he isn’t scared of you fae-kind.

Well, he certainly doesn’t seem afraid of Malleus. Yuuken isn’t from this world, so it makes sense that he doesn’t recognise the prince. But to stand casually after seeing pointed ears and horns probably means that he isn’t really afraid of such features (or maybe his initial shock has already worn off).

You hear Malleus’s low chuckle, before the fae prince snaps his fingers and disappears. Seeing the confused look on the first year’s face, you decide to approach him.

“Hi! You are Enma Yuuken from… uh… Tou…” You wave, awkwardly trying to recall the place he said he was from. Damnit, should’ve first prepared my lines before jumping out.

“Tokyo, yes. And you are?”

You introduce yourself, and continue the conversation by asking him about how he has been settling in and about the people he has met.

“Speaking of weird people,” he starts, as if recalling something, “right before you came here, I spoke to a tall man with pointed ears. When I told him that I didn’t recognise him, he looked amused.” 

“Oh? And did he tell you who he was after?”

“No, he let me choose a name to call him. So I suggested ‘Tsunotarou’ and he seemed pleased with that.”

“‘Tsunotarou’?”

“Yeah, it means ‘a man with horns’ in my language.” 

You try your best not to laugh at that ridiculous name. There’s no way Malleus actually accepted that name. 

Or rather, him being amused with it does sound like him. Sebek better not find out though.

You decide against revealing the fae’s true identity, letting both Yuu and Malleus enjoy this anonymity. After telling Yuu to approach you with anything he might need, you take your leave. Your initial plan was to meet up with Malleus, and he is probably waiting for you.

Seeing that he just left Ramshackle, maybe you should try searching for him in the spots that you previously scanned. 

.

.

.

Meeting up with Yuu becomes a frequent occurrence. While Malleus only visits him at night, you tend to run into him in the corridors as well. 

You learned that he couldn’t use magic, while the gremlin (named ‘Grim’) desperately wanted to be a student at Night Raven, so Crowley allowed the two to join as a two-in-one package. As first years, Yuu and Grim often hang out with other first years, specifically the trouble-duo from Heatslabyul.

When you first learned about the overblot incident at Heatslabyul and went over to Ramshackle to check on Yuu, he politely thanked you and even invited you in to try his cooking.

“He’s a good kid,” you think aloud while talking to Malleus, before immediately changing the way you phrased it. “I mean, he’s cool.” You pick up a cotton cloth, wiping the utensils and placing them back in the cupboards.

“Do those two phrases mean separate things?” Malleus asks, amused at the way you fumbled over your own words.

“No, but the former makes me sound like grandpa Lilia.”

“I’m behind you, you know.” Lilia says, turning around to face you instead of the stove, a playful frown on his features. You glance at the brewing stew Lilia was working on and pray to the Sevens that you don’t have to taste-test it.

Sebek was ill and Lilia had decided to make him a stew to help his dry throat. You and Silver joined out of concern for the kitchen utensils and appliances, while Malleus tagged along because he didn’t have anything else to do.

While the stew Lilia has made is definitely nutritious, the texture looks way… off. The water and salt are clearly in excess. Sebek better be grateful that his illness means that he won’t actually be able to taste the stew.

“I thought you didn’t mind being called either old or young. You usually take both as compliments.” Silver asks while carefully putting the knives back in the drawers.

“That’s because I am wise and mature enough to embrace both. How would youngsters put it… ah right, you could say that I’m rather ‘whimsical’.” 

Silver and Malleus give each other puzzled looks, while you roll your eyes and chuckle at his playfulness.

You pick the mixing bowls up and identify that they need to be placed on the top shelf. It’s a little too high for you, but in a world where magic is very real, who cares about—

Malleus’s scent surrounds you before you are able to bring your magic pen out. He places one hand on your shoulder and reaches for the bowl in your hand with the other, fingers brushing past yours as he takes the porcelain and effortlessly places it in its place.

He doesn’t immediately move away, letting his arms wrap around you in a quick embrace instead. “...Malleus?” He lets his head drop, softly landing in your hair. His nose prods your head, like a butterfly landing on a flower.

“We should head back.” He abruptly turns, donning an innocent look and avoiding your eyes. 

Lilia takes another whiff of the stew before putting a lid on it. “I sure hope Sebek will feel better soon.” 

.

.

.

You stretch your arms, placing your pen down in content at your finished homework. Satisfied, you prepare to head out. You had agreed to meet up with Malleus after you finished your homework.

When you step out of the dorm entrance, dim green lights surround you, like little fireflies in the dark. The tiny lights pass by from in front of your eyes, completely drawing your attention, before aligning together to make an arrow pointing upwards.

Your gaze follows to find Malleus sitting at the edge of the roof, his index twirling around the air as he controlled the lights with a fond smile.

You reach the roof in no time, joining to sit beside him. “Didn’t visit Yuu today?”

“He’s already asleep, and I didn’t want to wake him. Mortals need proper rest, more so than us fae-kind.” 

“Mid semesters really are tiring, huh?” You sigh, leaning your head against his shoulder. Malleus responds by wrapping his arm around your side, relishing in the embrace. “It gets pretty boring around these times.”

“It does.” He agrees in a low, affectionate voice, signalling that he wanted you to continue talking, and that he wanted to continue listening to you.

“You know, we should try something different.”

“Different?”

“Yeah, like jumping off.” You say casually, like it was the most normal statement in the world. If anyone else heard that, they might have been horrified, but Malleus isn’t ‘anyone else’.

“What?” He doesn’t hold back his amused chuckle. “That’s an interesting proposal.”

“Then let’s do it.”

He isn’t really afraid of it. He knows that should anything go wrong, he can steer you both back to safety. At the same time, he trusts you. You’ve been practicing wind magic ever since back in Briar Valley, and this wouldn’t be the first time you have leaped off heights.

You have done that often enough for him to have gotten used to it. He thinks of the times you leapt off trees while scouting ahead during your hikes, or the times you trailed down the castle towers when something suspicious caught your eye. Through practice, you have turned the seemingly indifferent air around you into one of your greatest allies, and Malleus commends you for that.

You stand up and pat your clothes, dusting off specks of dust and easing out a few creases. You glance over at the moon in the sky, like sharing a mischievous look with an old friend, and then stood on the ledge, body facing Malleus and your back facing the starry sky. 

“Take my hand.” You say, and he does without hesitation. 

And suddenly you are pulling him towards you as you push yourself away from the edge. A gentle breeze immediately cuts through the fall, keeping the two of you afloat, defying gravity. Malleus floats above you, a few strands of his hair falling downward and resting against your face. Fireflies dance around you, looking like plucked out stars decorated by your hand. 

For a long moment, Malleus’s world is reduced to you and the silver moonlight lighting up your features.

He breaks out of his daze when he hears his name sounding from somewhere on the ground. 

“Lord Malleus! Where are you?” Sebek calls out. You and Malleus turn your attention to the ground to see the green-haired fae in the distance, a hand behind his back and the other curved around his mouth as he calls out to the prince. 

To not be noticed, you cut off your magic, plunging downward and landing a lot more abruptly than you would have desired. The moment your feet hit the ground, you start running deeper into the woods behind Diasomnia. Malleus takes the lead, his long legs helping him stride faster. 

You take refuge behind a thick trunk, your back against the tree and hands clasping over your mouth to stop the giggles of adrenaline. Malleus traps you there with his frame, leaning over you and checking the surroundings to ensure that no one catches you.

“This is like forbidden, runaway romance.” You whisper with a grin.

“Thankfully it wasn’t Lilia. He would surely have spotted us, and teased us about it later. Looks like Sebek didn’t notice. That would have been rather… unsightly for my status, especially in his eyes.”

“You say that like you are scared of him.”

“His devotion to the Throne does scare me sometimes, yes.”

You can’t tell if he’s serious, but you laugh anyway, trying to muffle the sound by burying your head in his chest. You feel him stiffen, breath hitching and hands rigidly still by his sides. You tilt your head up to look at him, and he’s gazing back at you with adoration swirling behind slit irises. 

“My love? Something on your mind?” The words sound so sweet coming from you, it makes him desire for things he wouldn’t have thought he was capable of wanting. Back at the castle, when he was revered as the prince, he never would have imagined that loving and being loved would be so easy.

Or maybe it’s easy only because it’s you.

So he takes a step back and graciously kneels on the ground before you. His right hand reaches for yours, leading your wrist to elegantly dip downward. Right now, Malleus looks like a picture-perfect prince, straight out of a fairytale.

“Tsuki ga kirei desu ne?” He says, before placing a kiss on your knuckles and disappearing.

‘The moon is beautiful, isn’t it?’ A phrase that the two of you first learned about from Yuu. A phrase that hid the meaning 'I love you' between its seemingly composed syllables in his language.

You never thought that Malleus would find himself an opportunity to actually use that phrase.

A heat creeps up to your cheeks and you feel your heart pounding in your chest.

It’s the first time he said that phrase (albeit indirectly) and kissed you (even if it’s just on the knuckles).

Sebek’s calls getting nearer snaps you out of your thoughts. Quickly, you climb up the tree you were leaning against. After pinpointing Sebek’s location, you use your wind magic to leap away from him and start heading towards your room, face still flushed and heart still racing. 

.

“Did something happen between the two of you?” Lilia leans against the cafeteria table. 

Silver and Malleus were standing in the line to get their trays of food and Sebek had not yet arrived after his classes. You were about to join them, when Lilia interrupted you, asking Silver and Malleus to bring his and your portions with them.

You poked the table with your index, pursing your lips and looking away. “Not really.”

“Then why have you two been so awkward with each other today?” 

“...Is it that obvious?”

“Very.”

You sigh, crossing your arms on the table and sinking your head between them. “Nothing escapes you, does it?”

“Tell me about it. It might make you feel better.”

“It's nothing bad, really. Just… um… it sounds so silly now that I think about it.” You groan and interrupt your own thoughts. Lilia waits for you to continue, but urges you with his eyes because he knows that you might not want to talk about it if any of the three boys were here.

“He told me he loved me. It was a little indirect, but it was more direct than all the other times since he asked me out. And then he… he… he um.” The faint sensation of his lips on your knuckles linger, and the more you thought about it, the more apparent it felt. It makes a red creep up your neck, a soft blush tinting your cheeks.

“Did you kiss?”

“Yes, no, kind of?” you fumble.

“Have you really never kissed before?” Lilia's ears perk up, amused. “I thought you would have kissed each other when we were still in Briar Valley.”

“Huh?” If your cheeks weren’t red earlier, they were definitely a deep crimson now. “He’s the prince, I can’t just do that.”

“He is your boyfriend. A ‘prince’ is the last thing he wants to be known as to you.”

“Yes but—”

“You were his first friend, and he really appreciated that you approached him without fear of his status. Though I can’t pinpoint when his admiration for you changed from mere companionship to that of romantic affection, I can assure you that his feelings for you have been painfully apparent for a while now.”

“Besides, there’s nothing wrong with couples indulging themselves in romantic stuff.” He finished with a shrug, leaning back in his chair with his hands behind his head.

“Thanks Lilia. I really appreciate you trying to comfort me. Though that isn’t what I was worried about. It’s just, it’ll be my first time and…” You trail off, feeling too shy to complete the thought. Instead, you choose to bury your head in your hands.

“Oh, it’s not his status you’re worried about but your inexperience.” Lilia realises, starting to feel a little silly about his monologue earlier. He ruffles your hair, like he always did when you were younger. “There’s nothing wrong with that either. You both will be learning with each other.”

“Mmm…”

“You could even watch a few romance shows to feel more inspired if you want to,” he teases, smirking. 

You mumble into your arms, “I did.”

“You did?? Really? Oh Sevens, I could never have guessed. Which one? How was it?” 

“You’re too curious about this.” You groan. You could feel that Lilia was about to probe further, but stopped upon Sebek’s arrival. 

“Greetings, Lilia. Greetings, [name].” He bows before taking a seat next to the former General. You straighten up, coughing into your palm to compose yourself.

“You’re late. Did class run too long?”

“Yes, but never mind that, what’s happening here? And where are Lord Malleus and Silver?”

“Nothing, I was just comforting [name].” 

“Oh to be comforted by Lilia himself, that sounds like such a blessing.” Sebek says dramatically, clasping his hands together.

“Why does Sebek look like he is about to cry?” Silver’s sleepy voice rings behind you. You turn around to find him and Malleus, each carrying two trays.

Silver sets one in front of Lilia and takes the seat at the edge of the table beside his father. Malleus wordlessly puts down yours in front of you and takes the empty seat beside you, still not really meeting your eyes but each of his actions carry that familiar tenderness that calms your nerves. 

Sebek straightens up immediately and stiffly. “No I am not. I would never exhibit such disgraceful behaviour.” 

“It’s okay to cry if you want to Sebek.”

“Lord Lilia!!” The alligator fae’s expression does a full 180 as he turns to face Lilia with reverence. 

The sight makes you chuckle. It really is lively with these people around. 

The others think that Diasomnia, and especially this group of boys are the sternest people around, stiff, uptight and difficult to get along with. And you feel privileged to know these other, more childish, sides of them.

.

You knock twice on the dormhead’s door, shifting in your feet with an odd nervousness. You don’t usually feel this anxious when approaching the fae prince.

“Come in.”

You open the door slightly, just enough to let you slip in and lock it from the inside. Malleus notices and sends a questioning look your way. “You seem more worked up than usual.” You nod in response, unsure of how to put it into words. 

Malleus puts aside the book he was reading, taking your hand and having you sit on the bed beside him. “Tell me about it.”

“Well… it’s nothing serious, just a little embarrassing. It’s about that night when you— oh is that my pen on your table?” You shift the conversation mid-way, chickening out. 

Truth be told, you don’t even know if it really was your pen or not, since your stationery looks similar to his. You just wanted something distracting enough to buy you more time. Damnit, I thought I came mentally prepared.

Malleus frowns at the sudden change, but decides not to question it. Based on your bashful expressions, he thinks he knows where the conversation was going.

“The one you lent me during class? Apologies, it seems I forgot to return it.”

“Don’t worry about it, I’m not that petty over a pen,” you laugh a little more awkwardly than you had intended. Before you can think the action through, your fingers twist the pen cap, removing it with a sudden pop. The tip of the pen marks  your right cheek, a sharp line swiftly inked onto your face, stinging and tickling your skin. 

“Oh, oops.” You wince, bringing your hand up to rub at the mark.

Malleus walks towards you, reaching out to hold your face and gently rubbing circles around the ink. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah.”

That confirmation doesn’t seem to be what he’s looking for though, because he doesn’t move an inch. 

“You’re staring at me like there’s something on my face.”

“Yeah, there’s an ink mark.”

You pout at him simply stating the obvious. Duh, you think, trying to come up with a witty response to lighten the weirdly tense atmosphere.

His hand shifts from your cheek to rest at the nape of your neck, humming in contemplation before leaning in. “Let me know right now if you want me to move away.”

You feel like you are surrounded by thin ice, waiting for it to shatter.

He’s so close.

You respond by wrapping your arms behind him and gazing back, tracing his features. The sharp horns on his head shine in the soft light of his room. His long ears twitch slightly at his side, fluttering softer than a butterfly landing on a flower. Green eyes and slit pupils hold you in their gaze, tender with a desire that he had never exhibited before. 

You gulp when your eyes go further downward and reach his lips, feeling your mind go blank as you finally close the distance. He responds immediately, like he was waiting, syncing his actions with yours.

It’s awkward in the beginning, and you feel unsure of what you are doing, but you don’t pull away. You stay like that until you find a comfortable rhythm, tasting the icy lemonade he was drinking earlier.

His hands find their way to your hips, resting there as he nibbles over the soft flesh of your mouth, his actions becoming firmer, more confident with each second.

You pull away when you feel like your lungs are burning, gasping for air and looking at your lover with starry eyes. He brings a hand up to cup your cheek, rubbing his thumb over your swollen lips. You lean into the touch, relishing it with your guard fully let down.

“Is that what you wanted?” He whispers against your mouth, hot breath tickling your lips.

“You are all I’ve ever wanted.” You press your forehead against his, and lean in for another kiss.

.

.

.

“Oho? It’s quite lively here.” Malleus walks into the main hall and finds you and Silver amid multiple boxes of decorations. 

Sebek, who was carrying crates of different flavoured juices to the kitchen with a few second years, immediately runs up to greet the fae prince. 

“My liege, greetings. We are preparing for the upcoming party.”

“Party?”

“Lord Lilia’s farewell party.”

Malleus’s face stiffens up upon hearing the words. “Farewell party…”

“You must have gotten an invitation too, right? I personally asked [name] to deliver it to you.” Silver added. 

“I did. Allow me to help with the preparations.” 

“Please, my liege, you needn’t trouble yourself with such trivial affairs. We’ll get it done in no time.” Malleus frowns at Sebek’s reluctance and turns to you to gauge your expression. 

You nod gently. “It’s okay, my love. We’ll take care of this part. Why don’t you think of a parting gift for Lilia? I’m sure he would appreciate that.”

“A parting gift…” Malleus contemplates, “I’ll think about it.” He crosses the hall and leaves the dormitory.

His face looked more serious than it usually did, like something was weighing on his mind. You were about to excuse yourself to follow him, to ask him to talk to you about it, when a second year calls out to you for assistance. 

“Sorry dear, I’ll try to be there as soon as I can.” you mumble, watching your lover’s back fade into the distance before heading back to work.

.

.

.

You feel it before it happens.

You had gone to the kitchen to grab more bottles of various drinks– light wine and a variety of fruit juices, to refill the fast-emptying glasses in the halls. 

Celebrations at the Diasomnia dorm were scarce, the halls rarely ever filled with gleeful chatter. 

But things suddenly go quiet. Almost in sync, your body stops moving as well, stiffening at the sudden, deafening silence. Your grip on the bottle in your hand loosens, letting go of it abruptly, causing it to stutter on the kitchen counter before going limp. Even the juice bottles stand straight, as if bracing themselves for what is to come.

“Spinning wheel of fate, spin the thread of calamity,” a low, silky voice echoes through the corridors.

“I, the king of the abyss, shall bestow this.” There’s no going back, is there?… 

“I guess I could do with some sleep.” You sigh and let yourself down on the ground, leaning your back against the wall.

“Fae of maleficence.”

.

.

.

He hasn’t gone insane, not yet.

Malleus desperately clings to the last bits of sanity left, before his overblot finally takes over.

According to the records, a looming shadow appears behind a mage who has overblotted, whispering in their ears tales of destruction. He turns around, eyes scanning the area carefully, but there isn’t anything yet. Although the sizzling green light mixed with drops of a thick, black liquid tell him he doesn’t have long.

He looks around the room, analysing the sleeping bodies, assessing their current state. It doesn’t take the fae prince long to realise that a few attendees are missing and you are one of them — you aren’t in the hall. Malleus vaguely remembers you mentioning getting a re-fill for the drinks before heading towards the kitchen. He follows your trail in a trance, anchoring himself against the wall, the tips of his fingers sliding across, slow, gentle and cautious. 

A few Diasomnia students lie limp just outside the kitchen, presumably struck while trying to escape. Based on the juice spilled on one of their uniforms, they must have been trying to help you with the drinks. 

With a flick of his finger, Malleus re-arranges the fallen bodies so that they’re lying more comfortably beside each other. His steps don’t falter as he continues ahead until he is inside the dorm kitchen.

You are sitting in a corner, back against the wall, head inclined and resting against the wall on your side, knees pulled close to your chest, your arms wrapped around your legs as your face lay in the gap between your knees, snuggling comfortably.

Malleus feels a weight settle in his chest. Seeing you in a foetal position, sleeping comfortably… you saw it coming, didn’t you? Most would say that this reaction of his was unpredictable, but seeing you right now would prove otherwise.

He walks over carefully, as if trying not to wake you (though he wishes that you do wake up, that all of this is just a bad dream, that things never escalated this far). He leans down beside you and brings a finger to your face, gently caressing your cheek.

The action draws blood and he quickly retracts his hand to stare at his growing claws. His eyes widen at the sight, lips parting in shock and fear. He clenches his fist and swallows the lump in his throat.

His head hurts now, needles stinging from all sides. Absentmindedly, he leans closer to your face and licks at the blood, weak healing magic flowing into the wound, repairing the skin painfully slowly. Did he do it because you used to lick wounds when you were younger? Claiming that the gesture was ‘soothing’ and the saliva’s antiseptic properties will help? Or did he do it because he is finally losing his mind? Animalistic tendencies growing stronger by the minute?

His mind starts blurring and he can feel a presence forming behind him. In his daze, he lifts you in his arms, standing up carefully, yet nearly tripping over his own tail. “When did that come out?...” 

He tilts his head towards the fridge and his figure in the metal exterior stares back at him. His horns were a lot larger, a lot sharper at the ends, blinding green light seeping through the cracks. Black webs resembling thorns and petals grew on the side of his face, slowly encroaching his features to highlight the ugly, newly formed scars. His chest also had similar lines growing across the skin, the thorns and vines encompassing his racing heart, throbbing in his ribcage like it was trying to push outward. And despite the translucent reflection not being able to distinguish all colours, he could tell that his skin complexion had also changed to an inhumane shade. 

He wishes he were blind. 

Unable to look at himself any longer, he turns away, making his way to the dormhead’s room. He had heard that human mages go berserk almost instantly, immediately bringing upon the destruction of everything in their sight. Watching you limp in his arms, leaning against his chest and squirming in your sleep, he cannot tell whether being able to maintain bits of his sanity for a few more minutes is a blessing or a curse. 

Especially when he knows that his overblot will take over him soon, regardless of whether he struggles against it, or gives into it willingly. He cannot undo the events of the evening. The curse has been placed and the looming presence grows stronger, slowly guiding him into the depths of insanity.

There is no going back.

He lowers you onto his bed and sits beside you at the edge. His fingers twitch towards your face, but he dare not caress your face the way he wishes he could, not when the cut from earlier has etched itself into his mind.

The darkness gnawed at him, dragging him away, down into the depths of the abyss of his mind. He felt like he was physically fighting against the encroaching vines, each thorn as heavy as iron, trying to pierce him apart from inside-out.

His headache has gotten worse and vision blurrier. He knows he is almost out of time.

With the last bit of his strength, he places his palms on the sides of your head. Eyes unfocused, his vision starts fading around the edges. He can barely see you anymore. A tear falls on your face, black like an ink drop in water.

“Maybe… “ he mutters under his breath, “just maybe…”

His movements are desperate, unsteady, uncouth, and nothing like the sophisticated noble people know him as. But as he closes the gap, his mannerisms and posture are the last thing on his mind. He lets go of all restraints for a moment, begging for even a flicker of hope.

Your lips taste like apples, the tangy flavour sting Malleus’s tongue. He feels more tears glide down his cheeks as he presses his mouth further onto yours, trying to deepen the kiss, desperation and longing painfully evident, like a little child trying to grab at the helium balloon that escaped his grasp, clawing at the string that keeps passing through his tiny fingers, intending to never return.

“With a true love’s kiss, the prince broke the curse.” Lilia’s voice echoes in the back of his mind, as he recounts the fairytales he was told when he was younger.

But you don’t even stir in your sleep.

Who was he kidding, of course you don’t.

A bitter smile stretches across his face, his fangs dipping into his lower lip, drawing blood. More tears flow through his eyes, the eerie black liquid pouring onto your sleeping face.

Malleus takes a deep breath, humming a familiar tune as he surrenders himself to the darkness.

.

.

.

You feel his presence before his arrival becomes obvious. 

There is the slightest change in the air, a little more electrifying than before, but it’s subtle enough for even the animals surrounding you to ignore. But for someone as hyper-aware of the situation as you are right now? This seemed both like an opportunity and your doom. 

The squirrel you had just stopped petting pushes its head against your palm, quietly asking you to continue rubbing its head. You oblige, trying to calm your nerves and look as normal and as lost in a dream as possible.

A soft shuffle of grass draws the attention of the little hare resting near your knee and you follow the direction of its pointed ears to meet a familiar figure.

He’s here. And he’s not a lie woven by the dream. He is the real Malleus Draconia.

“Malleus! You’re finally here!” You say cheerfully, a complete contrast to how you were truly feeling.

He doesn’t notice. Oh thank the Sevens, he isn’t suspicious of you (yet).

“You’re late. I thought you said that the meeting with the delegates wouldn’t take too long.” You quickly think of a scenario, an incident from years ago, a peaceful memory from a distant time.

“My bad, the debate went on for a little longer than I had hoped.”

“At least you’re here now. Come, join me.” You hold your hand out.

He nods as he takes it, and you pull him down to sit beside you. A few finches quickly hop up to him, poking Malleus’s knee before rubbing its head against him. His lips quirk upwards as he softly rubs the finch’s head.

Watching the animals get comfortable with him makes you smile, while also making your chest tighten. You subconsciously grab onto your clothes, twisting them in your fist at the uncomfortable comfort of the scene before you.

It’s just a dream, woven from lies and grief.

Malleus notices that you go quiet, quieter than he would like. “Is something bothering you, dear?”

“Huh? Oh.” A single tear rolls down your cheek, a result of the storm hidden underneath your calm demeanor. “Nothing,” you say, softer than you intended to.

He neither questions you, nor pushes you to speak more and you are thankful for that, because if he did you’re sure you would expose the fact that you’re wide awake in this dream. 

That you are dreaming of this being the reality. 

“Would you like to share a dance, my love?” He asks, standing up and extending his hand out for you.

“Right here?”

“Right now.” He smiles, pulling you up with the same mischief as you did when you pulled him down to sit beside you.

Seamlessly, his one hand finds your hip while the other catches your palm, interlacing your fingers. 

Of course, this is just a dream. The animals don’t welcome Malleus’s presence this openly, let alone hum a melody in tandem as you sway under the canopy, across the long blades of the forest grass and wild flowers. You feel more tears well up. How you wish this was the reality, rather than being just a dream.

In an attempt to hide the surge of emotions, you lean your head against him, resting your head right where his heart is. It’s steady and comforting. If it were any other day, you would have fallen asleep to the sound of it. Still, despite the gravity of your current situation, you let yourself relax in his hold, nuzzling further and embracing the warmth.

He presses a kiss to your forehead and wraps his arms around you. You stay like that for a while. Malleus slows down, opting to gently sway you with the wind so as to not disturb you too much, nearly lulling you to sleep.

But then his soft ministrations suddenly stop.

You feel him form a fist near your hip, bunching up your clothes. 

That’s odd, you think. Given the atmosphere, it’s definitely not an action meant to result in something more than just simple affection. Not like Malleus ever seemed interested in that anyway. Nor did the action seem soft enough for it to be a physical expression of the fae’s giddy admiration. Your eyebrows knit together in confusion. Something doesn’t feel right about this.

“Malleus?”

“Shroud.” He growls under his breath.

“What?” You pull away, the smile fading from your face.

It doesn’t take you long to connect the dots. Silver was trying to wake the others up, and he must have been able to rope Idia in. 

You can only hope that your expression doesn’t give away your realisation.

“You…” Malleus starts, unsure of how to put his next words together as realisation and anger, pain and betrayal, stretch across his face, “You’ve been awake this whole time…”

There’s no way he has realised it, you hope. Maybe his anger is directed towards Idia. And since he hasn’t left, maybe you could buy those guys some more time to—

“...haven’t you, [name]?”

You flinch. A chill runs down your spine and a gasp leaves you before you can hold it back.

“Malleu—” You are cut short when he suddenly grabs your chin, pulling you closer and glaring at you to confirm his suspicions.

“My love,” his tone is vile, “I only wanted you to have sweet dreams. I would have dragged the heavens down from the skies for you.” He raises his voice, a low, rumbling sound from his throat, hoarse at the edges.

The Malleus you know would never address you like that. You know it’s the darkness at work, the overblot. You know that, and yet, it hurts.

“Tch, I would have loved to tuck you back in bed but I cannot waste any more time” He grits his teeth and pushes you back.

You stumble to the ground, eyes still widened in shock. You’re trying to think of something, anything, that could stop Malleus for just a little longer. But before you can move, you feel the little animals surrounding you, trapping you in a cage of blackening fur. 

You try calling out to him again, but you don’t hear your own voice, feeling as though you’re being dragged somewhere distant against your will. Resisting only makes it worse, like being caught in quicksand. 

Your vision goes black.

.

.

.

Your eyes stutter open, like a butterfly landing on a petal. The moonlight filters through the white, webbed curtains. “Guess they succeeded at whatever those guys were planning,” you mutter. You sit up and try to get off the bed, but vines tug around your arms, holding you in place. You don’t resist.

The screams of other students slowly fade into the distance. You look outside the window and notice huge groups of people from various dorms making their way away from Diasomnia, led by their respective vice-dormleaders.

A rough, screechy scream echoes through the halls. “The thorns! They’re digging into me when I move! It hurts!” Ah, that must be Grim. 

You rub your eyes with the back of your hand, still feeling groggy. Did everyone else wake up before you?

Your eyes scan around the room and you instantly recognise it as Malleus’s. “Did he bring me here?...” 

Suddenly, a low rumble arises near the door. You whip your head around and come face-to-face with a dragon. Its large body barely fits in the surroundings, scales glistening under the moon. The large horns on its head look like they could pierce through the ceiling if it lifted its head any further.

“Malleus.”

A faint flicker of recognition flashes in the dragon’s eyes. You dare to believe that he recognises you. A low rumble arises in his chest as he hesitantly makes his way towards you.

Your hand reaches out to stroke its face, rubbing above its large, v-shaped mouth. In response, the vines wrap around your upper arms, adorning it like armcuffs of thorns, digging into your skin, piercing your forearms. Drops of blood stain the sheets and tiles below you. You hold in a hiss, trying not to acknowledge the pain, not to let Malleus’s attention divert towards the metallic scent.

You have seen Malleus in his dragon form before, but this was completely different. His scales felt more gooey, gross, as if it’s been smeared with blot. His pupils are dilated, unfocused, much sharper and much less welcoming than normal.

And the way he folds under your touch isn’t like him at all. It’s more animalistic, wild, like one mistake would be enough for him to rip off the arm petting him, to send you to your death.

“Where is Idia? Don’t tell me he’s taking another nap.” An irritated voice sounds from the grounds, pulling Malleus out of his trance. He pulls away from you, the rage in his features returning after the momentary calm. 

The dragon lets out a snarl, a warning, before plunging towards the window, half-burning half-ripping the curtains apart. The glass shatters around you and you instinctively bring your arm up to shield your eyes. The thorny vines and shattered glass pierce through your skin, leaving behind multiple deep cuts. You open your mouth to scream, maybe you do scream, but you can’t hear yourself. Your lungs feel like they’re breaking apart, collapsing and your throat runs dry. It hurts.

The clash of armour drags you back to reality. You hear the crackle of flame, a sharp sound of thunder and heavy grunts. “Young Master!”

Silver and Sebek.

They’re still fighting.

You can’t stay stuck here, waiting for things to die down.

“Flame magic.” You quickly utter, watching as the fire burns at the edge of the mattress, being put out almost immediately by the fast-regenerating vines. 

If they can’t be burned away, then you’ll just have to squeeze out of them.

You close your eyes and take a deep breath in, bracing yourself for the next wave of thorny agony. “Wind, support me.” A gush of wind pushes you outward, the thorns dragging along your skin, clawing at you to hold you back.

As soon as your leg touches the windowsill, you push yourself outward, your hands aligning to maintain the wind pressure below you to keep you afloat. The ivy laps forward, creeping up alongside the broken window. How persistent.

You glance down, assessing the battlefield. Sebek seems to be holding a shield. The green ornamentation sparkles on the silver, taking on Malleus’s flames head-on. Is that… mystium?

From the corner of your eye, you notice the outgrowth coming at you, the sharp ends aiming for your eye. You just barely manage to get out of its way, cutting off some part of it and bringing it to your eye-level for inspection. 

The ivy wiggles mid-air like it’s alive, trying to grow out from the point where it was cut. It struggles against your magic, grasping and clawing at the invisible cage it finds itself trapped in. You break off a tendril, watching it as it starts growing into a long rope covered with thorns. You could use this.

You dive downwards, ivy in tow, planning to aim straight at the dragon’s legs. The flames from Malleus’s attacks seem to have increased the air pressure in your surroundings, and you let it aid you in your levitation, letting your body feel light above the rising black-green smoke, like resting on fluffy clouds that burn your lungs with each inhale.

Sebek is holding his shield up, barely keeping up with the flame’s force, while Silver stands behind him, sword braced and waiting for an opening. Idia is standing in a corner, his fingers gliding over his digital screen as he monitors the situation.

You press your thumb against your index, creating a make-shift eyepiece as you lock onto your target. Looking through the gap between your fingers, you adjust your aim, shooting the vine you dragged with you at the dragon’s legs. The ivy wraps around its knees, growing alongside it and creating a tangled web underneath the dragon’s large body. It causes him to release a larger puff of flame as it exhales in pain.

Sebek gets blown away in the process, his armour and shield landing with a loud clank. Silver immediately takes Sebek’s place, his sword lighting up with energy. He glances up towards you, acknowledging your assistance with a nod. You nod back, preparing to shoot more vines to cage Malleus. 

Silver brings the hilt of the sword close to his chest, closing his eyes and concentrating all his energy into the weapon, preparing to strike. He cannot miss, because his sword is the only thing on the battle-field capable of even scratching Malleus’s stone-hard horns. Malleus doesn’t take long to recover either, his scales of amethyst and jade reflect his fiery breath, generating another wave of his green beam. 

Green and smoke cloud Silver’s vision, feeling over-whelmed by the dragon’s strength. But he hasn’t lost yet. He steadies his grip, clutching the sword with both hands and analysing for any openings that could get him closer to destroying Malleus’s horn.

Sebek weakly attempts to push himself off the ground, muttering curses under his breath at the pain. He tries reaching for his shield, preparing to defend from the dragon’s attacks once more.

Just as you ready to entrap Malleus further, hoping the sharp thorns can pierce through his scaly wings, a figure runs out of the dorm gates, his over-sized coat flowing madly with the wind. Clutching his abdomen and coughing with every other step, he limps across the field, grunting each time he came too close to tripping over the debris. 

“No wait—” You try calling out, but it’s too late.

He has gotten too close, too deep in the heart of the battlefield that Diasomnia has become.

You quickly hurl a small mass of ivy to wrap around Draconia’s wings. The thorns start digging itself wherever they clutch, anchoring and growing along the scales. Malleus wavers a bit, stumbling back a step, his wings frantically flapping behind him.

Sebek, too, has gotten a grip, as he forces the shield upright and forward — his right leg pushing him forward, his left knee sliding on the ground.

“Stop!” Lilia lunges forward, throwing himself near the tip of Silver’s sword, causing it to slip out of the silver-head’s hands, falling to the ground with a loud clink.

Sebek barely pushes through the last inch, deflecting some of Draconia's flames towards a nearby tree, burning it to a crisp. The mystium armour stands tall between the dragon and the knights. Malleus’s laser crashes against the metal at an angle, reflecting back, directed straight towards his eyes. His own flames blind him as he howls in pain.

“Now!” Shroud’s fingers glide over his screen with quick precision. He gains control of Silver’s limp sword, neatly aiming for Malleus’s horn. Like a gun whistling through the wind, the blade clashes with the dragon’s horn, slicing through it with calculated ease.

The broken obsidian tip explodes, sending sparks of magic flying in all directions. Before you can process it, you’re already plunging towards Malleus, arms extended, as if catching him could soften his fall. Your skin meets burning flesh and icy scales as Malleus’s body collapses over yours. Dust, smoke and debris cloud your vision and seize your throat.

For a minute, everything goes silent.

“Fa–...” A hiccup sounds somewhere not too far from you, followed by a sharp inhale and a broken sob.

“Is Lilia…” Grim’s coarse voice breaks through the curtain of smoke. 

As the dust settles, you bury yourself in Malleus’s torn sleeve, clutching his arms and refusing to look up.

A mental image of Lilia’s limp body in Silver’s arms starts forming in your mind, and you weren’t willing to let that vision manifest entirely, to let it embed itself in your memories.

As if that would change the bitter reality. 

.

.

.

Twenty years ago, if someone asked you, “Is it worth resisting death?”, you would have answered “no.” 

The most you can do is delay the inevitable, but death will reach out with its claws, grasping at you and eventually dragging you down.

As a knight, you had seen others glorify death. In battle, for the winning side, dying was a noble sacrifice, a commendable deed worthy of acknowledgement. For the losing side, it signified that you fought till the bitter end, never backing down, standing your ground. When it came to punishments, execution was a mercy. And if you reach the end as a result of senility, you must have had enough to pass on your legacy to the future, immortalising your name.

Maybe you would have given this same response four years ago as well. After all, your view only changed when you entered Night Raven College.

Heartslabyul, a dorm that prided itself on following the Queen of Heart’s discipline, started off as an unruly mess of disorder and chaos. When the tyrant that rose from among them had his dominion questioned, he lost his authority but gained an amicable love that he had never before received. 

Savannaclaw, in order to win just one last tournament, put their own integrity and loyalty on the line, only to come out with bonds stronger than ever before.

For his little brother, the big brother was willing to burn the world down. When the little one died, the older went as far as to make the world’s most advanced humanoid machine, all so he could continue making memories with the boy he couldn’t protect. 

When the Underworld threatened to bestow devastation upon the world, starting with the Pomefiore members who were closest to the potential outbreak, their leader, the man who cared for his own beauty more than anything else in the world, sacrificed it all to keep his friends safe. He returned, wrinkled and senile, the pain of parting with his youth etched on his face, but with no regret in his tears.

Time and time again, you had the chance to watch humans grow. Due to their short lives, they evolve at a much faster pace, experiencing things at the speed of light. For fae, a decade passes by in the blink of an eye. But in those same ten years, ordinary mortals live ten different lives.

Now, if someone asked you the same question, you would glance around your surroundings, breathing in the flowing youth and unexpected encounters, and say, “Yes, because every second longer that you spend with those you love will be worth it.” There are people waiting for you to return home. Bruised and battered. Betrayed and broken.

But not dead. 

They’ll nurse you back to health. Celebrate your victories with you. Listen to your tales, adding their own in between. They’ll learn and grow from you, with you, alongside you.

They’ll stay.

You hum casually, kicking pebbles near your feet, twirling your magic pen in hand as a few boxes float behind you. You are stiffer than usual, the bandages draped around your arm and chest restricting your movements. Ideally, you should also be in the hospital downtown, resting and recovering, conversing casually with Silver, Sebek, Lilia and the attending nurses.

But you chose to come back early, to be here and help with the reconstruction. You feel partly responsible for Malleus’s overblot. Thoughts like “if I spoke to him earlier, let him talk about his feelings, maybe…” and “if we had discussed it all earlier…” plagued your mind. And you couldn’t just loiter away in the hospital bed in the name of ‘recuperating’, not when you were able to move around just fine.

(Truth be told, the many cuts splayed across your body stung with each flex of muscle. But the longer you stayed, conversations regarding the overblot incident resurfaced more often. And you needed to do something to take your mind away from it, to think of something else, to return to your ordinary life.)

Diasomnia is livelier these days with everyone eagerly helping in the reconstruction process and organising a 'return party' for Lilia. Occasionally, you’d spot a few uniforms of the other dorms as well, scared, hesitant, but wanting to assist. 

Someone offers to take the wooden boxes for you. You decline with a slight shake of your head, easily placing the bundle near the entryway. Someone else offers you a carton of juice they got for refreshments, and you take it with a polite smile. 

“You know, the party won’t just be to celebrate Lilia’s return,” a student says, leaning against the railing, taking a sip from his juice carton, “we also wanted to celebrate the victory.” 

“Yeah,” another one chimes in, his tanned skin coated with sweat, earrings hanging from his long ears, “and you were huge in the battle so we wanted this to be a gift for you too, a surprise.” He ends sheepishly, his right hand scratching the back of his neck.

“Oh? Are you saying you don’t want me here right now?” You tease with a smirk, swirling your juicebox lazily. 

“N-no we don’t mean it that way…”

You hum, cutting the boy off mid-sentence. He doesn’t need to finish it, you know what he means.

The whole school was ecstatic when they heard of Lilia’s return to academics.

You look down at your twitching hands, still trembling with the emotions from that night– fear, sorrow, delight, happiness– everything at once.

You remember Malleus’s loud wails when he realised what had happened, Sebek’s desperate pleas as he watched Lilia’s limp body trembling in Silver’s unsteady grasp. But then, by some miracle, Silver and Malleus had not only managed to drag him back from the dead, but the reaction had caused magic to flow through his veins once more, extending his life for a little longer. 

“I am glad that you were thinking of me too, but I think I’m happier helping you all organise this. After all, Silver, Sebek, and the Ignihyde brothers deserve the most credit. They deserve this more than anyone else.” 

“Yeah, them and definitely not Crowley!” The group surrounding you bursts into laughter at the second year’s comment. You laugh as well, without restraints, without the burdens of that never-ending night. 

You only wish Malleus was here right now with you. Laughing. Unburdened. Free.

And yet he was out there running from place to place, apologising for feelings he couldn’t control, for the pent-up emotions no one knew he held within him, for the neglect no one acknowledged.

He has always wanted to be able to mingle with others freely. Without them having their guard up against him. Without them refusing to look at him due to fear. Without them shuffling their feet, treating him like he was a god from another world.

And yet, his overblot has only made people more scared of him.

There are mixed views about it.

“He’s only human— I-I mean, he’s just another living being, and all living beings make mistakes. This just proves he’s normal, like the rest of us. He’s normal for his emotions, for his reactions, for feeling.”  “Draconia caused a large-scale disaster on a whim. He’s a lethal weapon. A walking death sentence. He’s far too dangerous to be roaming around freely.”

He’s probably going to slip into his room in the dorm once he’s sure everyone is asleep. You noticed him yesterday, treading carefully, quietly, through the blanket of the night, unaware that you had caught him. And you’re sure he’s going to do it again tonight.

Perhaps you could buy a tub of ice-cream and wait for him. The only question is, where are you going to find a flavour that he has never tried before?

.

.

.

You tidied the dormhead’s room in the evening.

Cleaning away the remnants of the vine. Putting the scattered items back in their places. Replacing the torn, white window curtains with a green one made of a thin, feather-light fabric. Changing the burnt, blood-soaked bedsheet to a simple, soft black one with gold linings. 

But that didn’t feel enough. Surely Crowley would allow you to take a quick trip to Briar Valley on such short notice, right?

You donned an innocent expression, heading straight for the Mirror Chamber. And as fate would have it, the Headmaster also happened to be there.

“A-ah [name]! What brings you here?” He said, rubbing his palms over each other, a sheepish smile spread across his face.

“Headmaster! I was looking for you. This just saved me the trip to your office. Won’t you be oh-so generous and let me pass through the mirror for a quick trip back home?” 

“Well…”

“Surely you couldn’t decline this, almost insignificant, request from someone who actually helped during the overblot, right?” The air around you shifted, faint flickers and crackles dancing in the wind as your smile widened, adding pressure on Crowley. 

“Yes of course, for I am so benevolent.” He spread his arms, as if embracing the idea with trembling words and mock confidence. He seemed like an injured crow, desperately flapping its broken wings, watching as his feathers are plucked away one-by-one.

You pulled your hood low over your head, tugging at it twice for good measure. With a deep breath, you passed through the ivory surface. A chill runs across your body as the solid mirror feels like it is softening into a thick liquid.

A fresh breeze welcomes you, calming the nerves. The distant smell of spices and fresh fruit floats in the air. The echo of the crowds are duller, more sombre than you remember. 

It’s a short trip home, and you wish to make it as short as possible.

You walk through the town in steps more confident than you feel, back straight to avoid people from picking up on your insecurity. Hood conveniently hiding your identity but showing just enough of your face to avoid suspicion.

Your legs take you through the alleys with muscle-memory, but your mind feels like you have arrived in a foreign place. The solemn atmosphere, the tension pricking the air makes your hometown feel completely unfamiliar.

Your pace quickens, as you quickly scan through the items in the market. You don’t buy much, just a few essentials lost to the chaos of the overblot, and a few ornaments to decorate the room with.

One particular shop catches your eye. It's one of the few shops in the area that has retained its antique appearance. The signboard has long been worn-out, and the glass windows are cracked and fogged up. Soft honeydew tinged with citrus tones fills up the warm air emitted from the cabin.

There’s no mistaking it — it has to be elf Fiore’s shop. She was Malleus’s herbology instructor. Even when you attended classes with him, Fiore often focused more on Malleus and let you have a break. You already knew a lot more about plants, having spent a lot of time with the Forest Fairies, so you spent this time honing your sword instead.

You vaguely remember picking flowers with her as a child, when she had caught you and Malleus hanging out in your secret cottage long before Malleus was allowed to roam freely. It was Malleus’s first practical session, and seeing his improved learning efficiency, it led to him slowly being allowed to go outside the castle and gain more freedom.

You never really interacted with her much, but you still feel like you owe her an apology for all that has transpired. After all, you were closest to him, you always have been. Maybe you could have stopped him, at least tried to stop him. 

You have to duck low as you enter. A surge of fragrances stimulate your senses. Bottled scents are kept neatly on the shelves, a few decorated with ribbons, a few with jute.

“Welcome!" A croaky sound echoes in a cheerful greeting, as though greeting her first customer in days. And then softer, familiar, “Welcome, [name].”   

“Ms. Fiore.” You pull your hood back, confident that no one could see you from the outside, and that no one would harm you inside this shop. A soft, apologetic smile graces your lips as you place your right hand over your heart, its fast pace like a hammer against your ribs. “I’m sure you have already heard about what… happened. And I would like to apologise, on his behalf and… my own… for not seeing the signs a little earlier. Maybe, I could have tried to not let it escalate.”

“Even if you had seen the signs, you could not have stopped it, child. The roots of this calamity go back to when he was still a young boy at the castle.” The elf says calmly, her nimble fingers working with yarn.

You look around and realise that in place of the natural flowers, there now seems to be artificial, scented ones on display. Sensing your confusion, the old lady speaks up again. “I have gotten too old to go pick out fresh flowers now, and visitors have grown scarce. At least these artificial flowers will last a little longer.”

Artificial flowers will last a little longer. And they look pretty too. And their fragrance would definitely help in further diluting the stench of burnt blood. 

“Ms. Fiore, may I purchase a vase?  And perhaps you can pick out a few flowers that would mean something… for him.” Fiore’s eyes soften as she places her knitting needles away. “It doesn’t even have to look pretty, I just…” 

“I’ll give you a discount. Normally, customised orders cost extra but I’m getting too old to care about the extra money. Besides, I would like to give him something too, to let him know that we are still here for him.”

You smile in thanks.

.

You return to Diasomnia satisfied with the short shopping expedition. Now all that was left was to add the finishing strokes to the renovated room and wait.

You left Ms. Fiore’s vase for the end, slowly admiring it before placing it down on the bedside table. You kneel on the ground and rest your face in your arms, looking up at the fluffy petals and taking in the calming fragrances of the flowers.

White lilies and tulips. Orchids and daffodils.

Resilience, renewal and redemption.

Rebirth and new beginnings.

And beside that is a smaller vase filled with daisies, the flower that began your friendship with the fae prince. 

The daisies are the result of an impromptu decision you made just as you were leaving Fiore’s shop. It was the smallest, least decorated vase placed on the windowsill. While most were artificial, you had gone out of your way to collect a few fresh daisies and laced them with mountain grass to add to the bouquet (and also collected a few herbs and flowers for the old elf before finally returning to NRC).

The familiar, soft scent of mountain soil alongside the daisies’ subtle, grassy smell brings back memories from centuries ago. And the tranquility brings with it the fatigue of the many days and nights you spent unconscious, fighting in a nightmare.

You feel yourself dozing off, eyelids heavy after days of toil, when the doorknob clicks. 

Malleus slips in quietly, locking the door behind him, head held low and exhaustion written all over his face. His eyes widen at the sight of you dozing off against the bedside table, heart dropping as he remembers your limp figure on the night of the overblot.

“Malleus,” You yawn, stretching and pushing yourself off the ground, “you’re finally here.”

“Yes, I am. But no wait, you weren’t supposed to know I would be.” He stutters.

“I caught a glimpse of you sneaking into your room last night, and I was sure you would return.” 

Malleus looks around the renovated room, jade eyes scanning the changed drapes and new ornaments. “Did you… do all of this by yourself?” his voice breaks, a single tear rolling down his cheek. “I’m- I’m sorry for all the trouble I’ve caused. I didn’t want to, I–” 

This is the second time you’re seeing him cry since you came to NRC.

You let him, simply crossing your hands behind your back and smiling. “It was no trouble at all. I like doing these little things for you.”

“Despite everything that just transpired? The- the -...” The overblot.

You move closer to him, slowly, softly, letting him decide whether he wants to finish that sentence or not. You swipe at a single tear resting on his eyelid, about to roll down.

“The Fae prince, one of the strongest mages in the world, the next ruler of the Valley of Thorns, a descendant of one of the Great Seven, the successor of the Witch of Thorns, a walking calamity, dormhead of Diasomnia…” You drone on, dramatically swaying your finger around with each name he’s known by.

With each one of his titles, Malleus winces a little more, like the words physically hurt him. He lowers his head, ashamed, embarrassed, unsure of who he is and who he wants to be. 

“You are none of that to me. To me, you’re just Malleus, the boy I love.” You cradle his face, fingers softly grazing his jaw before pecking his lips.

He leans in again, but you move away, grabbing the bag of food you had prepared for tonight. “You can have more kisses later, but first you need to get some food in you and rehydrate. You have been working hard. I watched your interview with the media. Facing the world couldn’t have been easy, and you need to rest while you can. Look, I got a couple different flavours of ice-creams for us to try out together~”

Malleus smiles coyly, and right now, he looks like the most ordinary of high schoolers. His boyish grin makes butterflies erupt within you. It’s contagious and you find yourself beaming too (whether out of happiness or to hide the embarrassing red that crept up your neck, you weren’t sure).

He doesn’t speak much. And even with the two of you combined, you barely get through half the food stash you had prepared for tonight. To store the remaining, you head downstairs to the dorm’s kitchen. By the time you return, Malleus is already dozing off, with a blanket loosely draped over him and space left for you to fit into beside him.

He doesn’t sleep as much as most others do, so seeing him so tired and vulnerable makes your heart soften. These last few days really have taken a toll on him, huh…

You tread quietly, closing the windows and darkening the room, before taking your place beside him on the bed. Embracing the warmth, you snuggle closer to his chest. He responds by lazily pulling you even closer and tightening his grip around you. It feels like it’s been forever since you last got to cuddle to sleep. 

“Good night, Malleus.” You whisper, pressing a soft kiss to his forehead before succumbing to slumber.

You hope that he has the sweetest of dreams tonight.

• "I'm just saying, we don't know if--" "We do know. Megalodons are extinct. They literally cannot survive in the oceans today," he stares you down, hands clasped together in prayer as you can see him desperately trying to keep his cool. "We would know if they still lived."

• "But how could we know, if the ocean still isn't fully explored?" You insisted, watching his eye twitch as you tried to suppress a smile. "Maybe it's just really deep down."

• "That's not possible. The water pressure only allows for microscopic beings to live at that depth, something as big as a megalodon couldn't--"

• "What if they evolved?"

• "Evolved? Faster than they could die out? How long do you think evolution takes?" His pitch raises at the end of his sentence, and you hum, rolling over onto your back to stare at the ceiling from the couch you laid on.

• "Can't viruses evolve in, like, 10 years?"

• "Viruses! Not sharks!"

• "But we don't know that for sure--" "YES WE DO!"

LEONA KINGSCHOLAR

• Leona finds watching you ragebait others endlessly entertaining. He'll even join in. You once pretended not to know the difference between concealer and foundation while speaking to Vil, and Leona played along, also acting confused by his fellow Housewarden's increasingly frustrated explanations.

• However, Leona himself is deceptively easy to ragebait as well. He can't take what he dishes out. He'll try to act like it isn't getting to him, but it really, really is.

• What gets to him the most are thinly-veiled insults to his pride, and lose-lose style questions. Stuff like "what would you do if you were athletic?" and "would you rather have never met me or cheat on me right now?" really piss him off, but again, he'll attempt to act unbothered.

• "Leona," you shake him a bit, and he grunts, thankfully not asleep yet as he opens one eye and tilts his head back to look at you. "If I had an identical twin, would you be attracted to them?"

• He stares at you for a long moment before rolling back over. "Good night."

• "Leona." You shake him again, harder when he doesn't respond. "Leona. I'm gonna yank on your tail if you don't answer me."

• "Try it," he growls, and you just grin.

• "Answer me. If I had an identical twin, would-"

• "No." He finally says, and he doesn't get the silence he hoped for.

• "So you don't think I'm pretty?" "Seven..." "You think I'm ugly?" "Go to sleep."

AZUL ASHENGROTTO

• Another hypocrite who thinks it's funny to help you ragebait others, but is very prone to it himself.

• He's especially susceptible to teasing. Azul is quite easily flustered, and as funny as it is to watch him get mad, it's adorable to see how embarrassed he gets when you get all touchy with him out of nowhere, point out how good he looks in a certain outfit, or call him some ridiculous pet name in front of Jade and Floyd. That specific time earned you the silent treatment.

• On the subject of Jade and Floyd, they'd adore you if you were to join in on their occasional team-ups to tease Azul.

• "Zu-zu, can you get me a glass of water?" You ask, watching as Azul's face burns pink and Jade and Floyd both turn to look at him with smiles on their faces.

• "Well? Don't keep them waiting."

• "Right, don't you wanna be a good boyfriend, Zu-zu?"

• After giving Floyd a pointed glare for repeating that nickname, he sighs and stands from his chair. "...Yes, of course." Walking all the way over to the kitchen, pouring a glass of water and bringing it to you, Azul is still clearly a bit flushed by the time he places it on the table in front of you. "Here you are, then."

• You smile with all the glee of a mastermind whose plan just came to fruition as you respond with, "Good boy."

• His face lights up in about 50 shades of red as the twins snicker behind him. "Wooow, they've got you trained real well, huh?"

• "It appears so. Can you make him do any other tricks?"

• "Shut up!"

JAMIL VIPER

• You'd think he'd be better at dealing with ragebait given his experience with Kalim, who has seemingly done nothing but infuriate him every day of his life. But given Jamil's interactions with Azul, I do think he's still affected by ragebait, he just won't actually lose his cool over it most of the time.

• You learn pretty quickly not to get in the way of his work. It pisses him off in a very not-fun way. You once hovered about him as he tried to cook in the kitchen and he was the most irate you'd ever seen him for the rest of the day.

• The most actual fun you can have with him is mutual banter. That way, neither of you get seriously angry at the other. As well as the occasional including him in your antics.

• "How are things going over there?" You ask, eyes glued to your phone as you lounge around on the couch, Jamil busy mopping the floors. He turns his head in your direction and narrows his eyes.

• "You planning on actually helping me?"

• "Not my dorm," you shrug noncommittally. "Not my problem." He rolls his eyes.

• "Yeah, it's not your dorm, which is why I can kick you out if you don't make yourself useful."

• "You're saying just having me here as motivation isn't enough for you? What if I said I'll give you a kiss when you finish?"

• "Creative. What if I said you'll get a foot up the ass if you keep being dead weight?"

• "Hmmm," you lay your head back on the armrest, looking straight up. "I think I'd be more motivated if you promised a reward. Like if you said you'd wear a dress for me if I help out."

• You get hit in the face with a cloth then and break into laughter. "Freak," he scoffs, but as you lift up the cloth, you see a twinge of an amused smile on his face. "Now, seriously. Get up and work."

VIL SCHOENHEIT

• Vil enjoys flirty banter. He'll joke around with you and is fine with light-hearted teasing, as long as it's all kept private. At most, he'll sigh and shake his head at any dirty jokes you make, but that's about it.

• It's an entirely different story when you try to outright ragebait him. I'm sorry to say, but Vil stands on business and is genuinely quite intimidating when he wants to be. If you pull something that he does not like, he makes it very clear that you are never to do anything like that ever again.

• Most of what would provoke that reaction is just trying to embarrass or annoy him in public, however. I see him as loosening up a lot when it's just you two, and there's a lot more he's willing to tolerate when there's no-one else around to witness it. He actually humours you a surprising amount.

• "Would you still love me if I was a worm?" You ask suddenly, and he sighs, cupping your face to tilt it back towards him as he starts to apply blush to your cheekbone.

• "No, dear." He responds, and you fake offense, dropping your mouth open before he promptly closes your jaw again.

• "You wouldn't love me?"

• "Would you love me if I was a worm?"

• "Of course." You say, with an indignant tone as if it's the most obvious answer in the world. He turns your head to the side to apply blush to your other cheek.

• "Well then, why didn't you just find a worm to be your boyfriend instead?"

• "It wouldn't just be a random worm. It'd be me. Like, you'd know it's me."

• He smiles a bit. "Take it as a compliment. Maybe I just like you so much as you are, that I wouldn't be able to stand it if you changed."

• "'Maybe'? Maybe you like me as I am?"

• "Ah-ah, no more talking. I'm applying lipgloss now."

IDIA SHROUD

• Also a ragebaiter. Not only would he ragebait you right back, but he's yet another one on this list who would be quite entertained watching you torment somebody else.

• If there's one thing he doesn't play about though, it's animanga and gaming opinions. Although his reactions are hilarious, I wouldn't recommend actually pissing him off this way because he gets unreasonably mad over it for a very long time. It is that serious to him and it's just not worth dealing with the fallout.

• He definitely trolls random people in online games over voice chat, it's a bonding activity between you two. But once again, he's throwing rocks from glass houses.

• "What is that," you can hear the mocking grin in Idia's voice as his avatar approaches your base. "What is that?"

• "It's my Minecraft house," you say, placing the last bit of dirt down at the entrance. It was a humble little dirt shack, but you made do with what supplies you had. "Do you like it?"

• "Why are you building like we're in poverty? You have diamond armour, you can't be a total noob at this," his high-pitched giggle echoes through your headphones and you wait for him to get closer, which he finally does, opening the oak door to take a look inside. "This is just so sad--"

• He steps on the pressure plate, something beneath the ground sizzles, and the entire structure goes BOOM.

• It does a little damage to you as well, but you survive. Idia was not so lucky. Your screen lags a bit and you realise you probably got a little too eager with the amount of TNT you'd hidden underground, as you can hear him yelling over the call but can barely make out any sentences due to the sudden lag.

• "WHY WOULD--" "--I HAD--" "--YOU'RE A--" You cackle loudly over the small parts of Idia's angry rant you can actually hear, and despite knowing you're going to have to deal with his revenge later (and what revenge it will be - he's very petty and far better at the game than you), you decide this has been worth it.

MALLEUS DRACONIA

• A strange case.

• I don't think he's necessarily immune to being ragebaited - reference back to the Halloween event where he wanted to kill three children - but I do think he's weirdly impervious to it when it comes from you.

• Malleus has three possible reactions to you being a nuisance to him. One; he takes it as banter and will play your game, matching your energy. This includes if you play any kind of prank on him, he may play one back on you just because he thinks that's what the "game" is supposed to be. Prank wars are very possible with him, just know you'll lose.

• Two; he finds your boldness cute and isn't affected by your attempt to make him angry at all. It's a little condescending, which I think is a habit Malleus is unfortunately prone to, but this often ends with him chuckling, patting your head and making some kind of comment about how you're the only human who would dare say anything like this to him.

• Three; he just doesn't get it at all. He doesn't understand what you're saying, why you want to make him mad or doesn't get the joke. This is the worst one because it makes you feel bad.

• There is one specific thing you can do though.

• "Gargoyle!" You shout, pointing excitedly at a statue nearby much like a child. Malleus turns his head and leans over, trying to get a look for himself.

• It does not have a water spout. That is not a gargoyle.

One of your fellow students seemed to have the same idea, because he squeezed himself beside you, so he could catch his breath for a moment.

"What is going on? Why is everyone running?" you asked him, seizing the opportunity to get answers without needing to possibly get involved in the chaos.

The unknown student took a few heavy breaths before answering. "An attack! Someone is freezing the cafeteria. I think some students even got frozen."

"What?" You were in disbelief that it was really that bad. "Are you sure it's not just a prank from a few mischievous students or ghosts?"

"I know what I saw. That definitely wasn't a prank!" the student said, clearly offended you’d even suggest it.

You turned to the entrance of the cafeteria when you felt the temperature in the hallway drop. You couldn't see anything from your place. But you could feel the pressure of magic in the air. It felt powerful. So it must be true what the student said. But there were only a handful of things that could charge the air with this amount of magic.

"Was it an Overblot?" you asked the student, now sharing his panic.

"I don't know. Do you think I stayed long enough to check?" he snapped at you, before his voice returned to a more civilized tone. "I don't think I saw blot ink or a phantom anywhere... But does it even matter? We should get outta here and let someone else deal with whatever is in the cafeteria."

The student didn't wait for you and instead sprinted off. You wanted to follow, but stopped when you suddenly heard what sounded like the hysterical cry of a child.

Your breath hitched as the temperature dipped again, cold nipping at your cheeks and frosting the edges of the hallway tiles. The crack of ice spreading echoed faintly from the cafeteria doors. And then that cry came again.

Who would bring a child to Night Raven College? And why would they be alone?

The impulse to run warred with your instincts. But something about the sound rooted you in place. A chill that had nothing to do with ice crept up your spine.

So once again, throwing any sense of self-preservation out the window, you decided to investigate the cafeteria.

As you approached the entrance, a thin layer of ice curled and crept across the floor beneath your feet. The temperature was dropping as if the air itself recoiled with sadness.

And then you saw it.

The cafeteria doors were open, hanging slightly ajar, frost spiderwebbing from their hinges. The cafeteria was a frozen winter scene. Tables were rimmed with rime. Plates of forgotten lunches sat frozen mid-bite. Students who hadn’t escaped in time were partially encased in thick magical ice. Thankfully, it didn't seem like they were injured. They are just trapped.

And in the center of it all, curled up and trembling within a growing circle of frost, was a boy.

He couldn’t have been older than five or six. His hands covered his face as sobs wracked his tiny frame. You were struck by the sight of such a young child in this place. A child who seemed so out of place amidst the suffering he unintentionally caused.

The ice creeped outward with each of his hiccupping sobs, the magic surging with raw, unchecked emotion. His hair shared the same color as yours. Small horns peeked out from beneath the tousled locks. They were curved, and unmistakably draconic.

Your breath hitched.

Horns.

The resemblance to Malleus was impossible to ignore. Not just the horns, but also the gentle curve of the boy’s brow, and the elegant bone structure of his tear-stained face. But there was something in his eyes, when he finally looked up at you. They were wide, watery, and impossibly green. But lacking the sharp edge Malleus would have had. The boy's eyes were softer and his nose cute. That hit deeper.

Not like Malleus. Like... you.

You looked at the boy in silence for a few moments, not sure what to say. "Eh... Are you hurt?" you asked eventually your tone of voice awkward, as you tried to smile reassuringly at him.

The boy's big, round eyes were staring at you. He blinked a few times. "M-mother...?"

Huh?

Before you could ask or clarify anything, the boy ran toward you and launched himself into your arms. His tiny frame seemed to hide an impossible strength, because you felt like he would actually snap your spine if he hugged you any tighter. "Mother!!"

You were as frozen in place as the unfortunate students, who didn't get away in time. You didn't know how to handle this situation. You were pretty sure you didn't spawn a child in your time in Twisted Wonderland. The only thing coming close to a child you took care of was your ever-hungry cat-weasel companion. Certainly not a real breathing kid.

Despite your inexperience with children, you could tell that explaining to this traumatized, and very much powerful little boy, that you can't be his mother, wasn't a smart idea. So you just told yourself that he just called every woman 'mother'. That's something children do, right?

You patted the boys back in hopes his crushing grip on you would loosen at least a little. "There, there. Everything is fine."

Well, actually, nothing was fine, but you also needed the reassurance of your own words.

You gently pried his arms away enough to kneel down in front of him. "Can you tell me what happened here?"

"Everything was different and strange. Not like home. I was here, and there were so many people and-" His words were interrupted by a wrenching sob. "I was scared, and I didn’t mean to! I just wanted you, but-b-but you weren’t there, and then everyone started running and they yelled at me, and, and-"

As the coldness in the air heightens again, you rub the boy's shoulders gently, despite feeling slightly panicked that he might freeze the entire school. "It's fine. It's fine. You were just scared. No one will get angry with you," you smiled at him. "Do you maybe know a way to fix this?"

He shook his head. "No. Father always does."

"Well, it's not that important anyway. The Headmage will figure something out... Probably," you say when you saw his face twisting with guilt. Although you could feel the stare of a frozen student nearby, who definitely does not agree with you.

The boy nodded at your words.

You paused. You didn’t even know his name. Just calling him 'boy' is certainly weird. "Say, do you remember your name?"

He looked at you in silence before suddenly beginning to cry again, leaving you very confused. "Why are you acting like you don’t know me? I don’t like this game!"

Someone seemed to be sensitive. While you had no experiments with children, Grim certainly taught you how to deal with sudden mood swings and tantrums. Although using tuna as a distraction probably won't work.

"But how can I be sure you are the real you and not a spy, if you won't tell me the right answer?" you replied playfully, poking his stomach. "So? What's your name?"

He giggled when you poked him and stopped crying. "You are being silly, Mother," he said. "My name is Maledor, of course!"

You nodded, as if you knew that as well. Hoping that he didn't turn the tables on you to test you, and said the wrong name. But certainly a child wouldn't do that, right?

"Aha! Maledor. That’s a perfectly real name. You’re clear. No spy here."

You think about what you should do next. Seeing that no help or rescue had come in all this time, you could assume that none of the students who got away actually told the staff. You shouldn’t be surprised by that. After all, this was a school full of self-centered and mischievous students.

You couldn’t leave Maledor alone. And you had little faith that going to Crowley for help would do anything. He would end up dumping the work on you anyway, so you might as well search for a solution on your own, before Ramshackle gets a new member. 

By Maledor's pointy ears and little horns, it wasn’t hard to tell that he must be a fae. So, going to Diasomnia is probably the best course of action. Maybe someone there knew who this little boy belonged to. And maybe Malleus or Lilia can defreeze the cafeteria. 

You took Maledor by the hand as you led him to the Diasomnia Dorm. Every so often, his grip would tighten, like he was making sure you wouldn’t suddenly disappear. As soon as you went through the mirror and arrived on the bridge that led to the castle, which was the dorm, you could feel Maledor visibly relaxing.

"This is better! I like it here. It looks like home," he said with a cheerful voice. Seemed like you did good by bringing him here. 

Right when you were about to enter the dorm, Sebek suddenly crossed your path. His sharp eyes fell upon Maledor. "Human! Why do you have a fae child with you?!" he demanded. Then somehow jumped to: "Have you kidnapped him?! Hand over the child at once!"

"When do you think I kidnapped a magical fae child, from its magical parents?" you shot back. "Do you think I walked to Briar Valley and back in an afternoon?"

Sebek didn’t listen to your words to hung up on the idea that you kidnapped a child. Like that wasn’t something faes usually did to humans, right?

"I said hand over the child!" he shouted, before trying to grab Maledor.

You didn’t know why, but a sudden protective streak came over you, and you stepped in front of Maledor, blocking Sebeks' hand. "Don’t just grab a child!"

Sebek recoiled, shock flickering across his face at your boldness. "Are you impeding one of Lord Malleus' loyal knights, human?"

Sebek tried to grab Maledor again, not listening to you. Maledor, on the other hand, obviously did not want to be grabbed by Sebek and was hiding further behind you, grabbing your jacket. "Mother, I don’t want to go…!"

When Maledor said that, Sebek paused. "M-Mother..?" he repeated, shocked. For a second, you think Sebek might actually let you explain the situation, but he immediately began shouting again. "How dare you steal away a fae child and then confuse it so much?! What wicked human trickery have you used?!"

You grit your teeth, trying hard not to let Sebek's ear-splitting accusations break your patience or your eardrums. "I didn’t do anything to him! And can you not yell? You’re scaring him."  You glance at Maledor, who is now peeking nervously from behind your leg, clutching your jacket tightly. 

Sebek falters only a split-second before putting himself between you and the entryway. This standoff would be comical if it weren’t so tense. "I will not allow a potential kidnapper entrance to Prince Malleus’s domain!"

"Look, I didn’t kidnap anyone," you said. "He appeared in the cafeteria, scared, and accidentally froze half the room. I thought someone in Diasomnia might recognize him or help fix the mess."

Sebek’s eyes darted from you to Maledor and back. "You expect me to take the word of a human? Of Night Raven’s resident troublemaker?"

Sebek's next rant was kept short when suddenly Lilia appeared swinging between the two of you. You screamed. Then Sebek screamed. And Maledor giggled. 

Lilia landed lightly between you and Sebek, his eyes glinting mischievously as always, although there was a subtle alertness there. "My, my. Such excitement at the gates! Am I crashing a secret meeting?" he laughed.

You tried to catch your breath. How did Lilia always manage to appear exactly when you least expected it? "Lilia! Don’t sneak up like that," you gasped, half-laughing but mostly frazzled.

Sebek, who was embarrassed for also screaming, now tried to act as if he didn’t. "L-Lilia! The Prefect has procured a fae child and refuses to answer for it!"

"Oh? My, what an adorable little visitor we have…" Lilia said, studying Maledor’s face with recognition. He seemed to be delighted by Maledor. 

"Uncle Lilia!" Maledor said, before coming out from behind you. 

"Uncle?" you repeated, flabbergasted as you watched Maledor and Lilia interact as if they were long-lost family. "Do you know Maledor, Lilia?"

Lilia’s smile widened, a spark of mischief glittering in his eyes as he knelt down to Maledor’s level. "Of course I know this one," he said. "It’s been some time since we’ve had such a precious visitor from, shall we say, afar."

Maledor’s worry seemed to melt under Lilia’s reassurance. "Uncle Lilia, where’s Father?" he sniffled, rubbing at his eyes. "Everything’s scary and cold."

You blinked, looking between the two of them, feeling very much like you’d accidentally walked into someone else’s family reunion in the middle of things. "Wait, you really do know him?" you asked Lilia, carefully keeping your voice level. 

Meanwhile, Sebek had gone uncharacteristically quiet, torn between his usual outrage and a suspicion that something much bigger than an abduction was happening.

Lilia stood up. His gaze softened as he addressed Maledor. "Don’t worry, Maledor. Your father is very busy today, as are all great kings-in-training. Why don’t you stay with your-" Lilia’s eyes danced over to you, and the corners of his mouth twitched as if privately amused by some secret. "beloved caretaker for now? I’m sure they’ll keep you safe."

Sebek straightened, suspicion not quite dispelled. "Are you certain, Sir, that the Prefect has not enchanted this child into believing-"

"Sebek," Lilia interjected. "Surely you would not accuse our dear Prefect of such underhanded magic?"

Sebek’s mouth opened and closed, before he replied. "I…I would never dare suggest you are incapable of seeing through such tricks, Sir! But this situation is most unusual. We must consider the safety of Prince Malleus. And yet the Prefect is still refusing to offer a proper explanation!"

Sebek puffed out his chest but glanced uneasily at Maledor, who peeked from behind you, still clutching your jacket. Despite his horns and emerald eyes, Maledor looked anything but menacing. Nevertheless, Sebek clung to the role of vigilant sentinel.

You took a deep breath, trying not to get annoyed. "I already told you that I found Maledor in the cafeteria, scared and alone. I don’t know anything else. And anyway, if he were out to get Malleus, freezing the cafeteria wouldn’t exactly be subtle, right? And who would send a child in the first place?"

Sebek seemed ready to continue his barrage of suspicions, but Lilia only chuckled. He bent down, gently patting Maledor’s shoulder while casting a reassuring glance your way. "I think what we all need right now is some warmth and a calm mind. The hallway is no place for important discussions or guests. Why not bring our little visitor and the prefect inside? Come, let’s have tea. We can sort out facts and fancies over something sweet, hm?"

Maledor’s eyes brightened at the mention of sweets. He nodded, tugging lightly at your sleeve as if afraid you’d vanish again. 

All of you headed inside. When Lilia offered to brew the tea and bring some sweets, you immediately volunteered to do it instead. After all, the first rule to surviving a visit to Diasomnia was: Never eat or drink something Lilia made. 

"I’ll handle the tea," you say quickly before Lilia’s hand can get anywhere near the kettle. Your voice is a bit brighter than usual, and you offer a smile to Lilia that’s ninety percent nerves and ten percent sincere gratitude.

"Oh, are you sure? I was hoping to try a new blend…" Lilia said.

"I insist," you reply, perhaps more quickly than you mean to. "It’s the least I can do after all the chaos."

After returning to the lounge room with the tea and sweets, you all sit down. Maledor is quick to take a seat beside you, while Lilia has to urge Sebek to sit down as well instead of standing guard by the windows. 

Steam rose from the cups you carefully poured. Maledor watched you, swinging his little feet under the chair, his misery momentarily forgotten in anticipation of sweets.

As you sit down as well, Maledor asked. "Can I take a cookie, Mother?"

The repeated use of the title 'mother' still caught you off guard every time, as did Maledor asking you if he was allowed to eat a cookie. You nodded eventually. "Yeah, sure."

Maledor’s face lit up as you granted him permission. He snatched a cookie with both hands and promptly stuffed half of it into his mouth, crumbs dotting his cheeks as he beamed triumphantly.

"Say, Maledor," Lilia began, tone filled with curiosity. "it must have been quite an adventure to find yourself here, hm? Do you remember anything? Anything at all about how you arrived at the cafeteria, or where you were before?"

Maledor looked down, chewing his cookie with squirrel-like intensity. Then, after a moment's hesitation, he swung his legs and frowned in concentration. "I… I was in the castle. Not this one… my home. Father was teaching me magic because I wanted to be big! Like him. And then…There was this bright green light, all swirly. It was so pretty, but it got really loud and windy. I called for you." he looked up at you. "But I couldn’t find you or Father, and then I was here. It was scary. I didn’t like it. I just wanted to go home."

You picked up a napkin when you saw that Maledor had finished eating. You cleaned his chocolate-covered fingers and mouth. To which Maledor reacted with a 'Thank you, mother,' after you were done. 

Sebek, in the meantime, asked. "Who is your father? Can you say his name?"

Maledor brightened, as if relieved to be asked something simple. "My Father is Malleus! Malleus Draconia."

You barely had time to process Maledor’s answer before the tea caught in your throat, a cough sputtering out of you in disbelief. You blinked hard, as if somehow the world would flicker and correct itself. Instead, the bright-eyed boy just looked up at you, awaiting your response with absolute trust.

Lilia’s eyes sparkled with a private, knowing delight, a sly grin playing at the corners of his mouth as he watched the chaos unfold with all the satisfaction of someone who had seen the punchline coming a mile away.

Sebek, on the other hand, was completely stunned. The rigid guard posture dissolved into total shock. His mouth dropped open, then snapped shut in a series of fishlike gasps. He gripped his teacup so tightly it threatened to snap in half. He blinked, then searched Maledor’s face. His gaze darted between the delicate, unmistakable horns and those deep, green eyes. For a second, you wondered if Sebek was about to faint. "Malleus… Draconia?" he finally choked out. "Impossible! The Young Master has no offspring! There must be a mistake. Some… imposter trickery!"

"Wait, wait," you managed, gesturing rapidly between Maledor and Sebek. "Hold on, Maledor. You said your father is Malleus Draconia. You mean, the Malleus? Diasomnia’s Malleus? Tall, horns, kind of brooding, makes storms when he’s in a mood: Malleus?"

Maledor blinked up at you. His head cocked with innocent confusion, as if he couldn’t comprehend why you were asking something so obvious. "Of course, Father is Malleus Draconia!" he said, the words sounding so simple, so certain, as if you’d just asked him whether he liked cookies. "You know that, Mother… Why are you pretending?"

You sat, frozen in your seat, Maledor’s certainty striking through you more powerfully than any ice he could have summoned. Your brain scrambled wildly for any logical explanation. Was this a trick? A dream? Did the world flip upside down when you weren’t looking?

"IMPOSSIBLE!" Sebek barked, jumping up so quickly his chair almost fell. "You must be mistaken! The Young Master does not have, could not have, a child without telling his loyal knights!" He pointed a finger at you. "And you, Prefect! What have you done to this child?!"

"I swear, I’m not lying!" you answered, finally finding your voice. "I didn’t do anything to Maledor. He called me mother from the start. Before I even knew his name!"

Sebek, torn between devotion and confusion, snapped. "This cannot be! The Young Master would never keep such secrets. And…" His mind worked frantically. "The time makes no sense! My Liege and the Prefect… you… are not even married!"

You flushed, mortified and indignant. "Excuse you! We’re not anything." You glanced at Maledor, lowering your voice. "Not like that. Just friends, really."

Lilia clapped his hands softly, his voice clear and sure in the commotion. "No need for dramatics. You know, Sebek, sometimes the wind brings secrets from times yet to come. Briar Valley holds many old mysteries, does it not?"

Sebek bristled, trying to regain composure. "Sir Lilia, with all respect, how can we trust-"

Lilia cut him off with a gentle but authoritative voice. "Sebek, look at the child." Lilia turned to Maledor. "You were frightened, weren’t you? Do you remember any enchantments or trickery? Did anyone put strange ideas in your head?"

Maledor shook his head. "No. I just wanted Mother. And Father." He glanced sidewise at you, hope flickering in his green eyes. "I’m not lying. I promise."

Lilia patted his shoulder. "Of course you’re not. Sometimes things happen that even us grown-ups do not immediately understand. Time, magic, fate. I think our little prince here is simply… lost between stories."

"But what does that mean, Lilia?" you asked for clarification, not being able to wrap your head around this situation. "Is Maledor truly Malleus... And my…" You didn't finish your sentence with 'child'. It just sounded too weird. 

"Sometimes, the river of time chooses curious eddies," Lilia mused with a gentle smile. "A leaf from tomorrow might find itself drifting among the branches of today. If it’s not a trick, not a spell, and not a child’s tale, perhaps we must accept that sometimes, the world permits a riddle to live before its answer."

You stared, mouth poised between laughter and a plea for sanity. "Are you saying… he’s from the future?" The words felt ridiculous as they left your lips.

Lilia shrugged lightly. "Magic has never cared much for clocks or calendars. Wouldn’t be the first time something important arrived a little ahead of schedule."

While you were still trying to wrap your head around this, Sebek seemed to accept Lilias' words in a split second.  "My Lieges…" Sebek’s voice faltered, then swelled with fervor. "My Liege's heir! Of course! There can be no other explanation befitting Prince Malleus’s unparalleled greatness! Only Prince Malleus, scion of the glorious Draconia line, could sire such a prodigy! Such strength, such majesty, even at such a young age. Freezing the entire cafeteria! Behold, the testament of our great lord’s power!"

"You are the proof of Prince Malleus’s supremacy. Even time itself cannot contain his legacy!" he gushed. "A scion born of unmatched power and noble heritage! To think, I am in the presence of my Liege's heir -his magnificent progeny!"

"Forgive me, young prince!" He dropped to one knee before Maledor, completely ignoring you now, and offered a bow so deep it was a miracle he didn’t hit his head on the floor. "Forgive me for doubting your identity for even a second. I, Sebek Zigvolt, am at your service, just like I am at your glorious father's service!"

Sebek’s 180-degree turn gave you mental whiplash. Two minutes ago, he was about to lock you up for kidnapping a child. And now he was praising Maledor as if he was the second coming of Jesus. And anyway, where was your praise? After all, if Maledor was yours and Malleus's child, you had also contributed half to this cute little boy.

No, on a second thought, you'd rather not be the subject of Sebek’s loud and lavish praise. You were still in denial about all of this. Honestly, you were just surprised by Sebek’s sudden turn. Like, wasn’t he super concerned that Malleus and you weren’t even married a second ago? As if Sebek thinks children could only be conceived if their parents really love each other and wish for one. He was so innocent. 

"This must be announced at once! The other knights deserve to weep at this glory. Everyone in Diasomnia needs to know. No, the entire College must know. Briar Valley must be informed. And the Young Master!"

Sebek’s words left you even more mortified than the entire situation already did. You are vaguely wishing the frosted cafeteria had swallowed you whole. You couldn’t face Malleus right now. What were you supposed to say? You rather die than face that embarrassment. 

"No! We can’t tell anyone! Especially not Malleus," you interrupted in a voice that could rival Sebeks, before clearing your throat and continuing in a normal voice. "What I mean is, how are we going to explain this? Like, no one is going to believe that a child just showed up from the future, right? They will think Malleus had a secret love child or something."

"I can’t keep the Young Master in the dark about his own flesh and blood. It is my knightly duty to inform him about everything that is happening in his absence!"

Sebek, as always, did not listen, and Lilia was just enjoying the drama for now. In a burst of desperation, you grabbed a cupcake and threw it across the table at Sebek. He stood there, utterly stunned. A thick glob of icing clung to his cheek and crumbs slided down his jacket. He blinked, still processing your audacious cupcake attack. Meanwhile, Maledor, not understanding anything, laughed at that.

"Seems like you can’t go to Malleus now. You wouldn’t stand before your Liege covered in icing, right?" you said, trying to buy time.

"H-How dare you assault one of Prince Malleus’s loyal knights with pastries, human!" he barked. 

The feeling that you brought the situation under control immediately vanished when the door opened. There, calmly and tall, stood the regal figure of Malleus, as if the universe liked seeing your misery. Those sharp green eyes found you immediately and lingered for a breath before shifting to Maledor.

"Father!" Maledor’s cry rang bright and clear. His little legs scrambed down from the chair. He rushed to Malleus with unerring speed, arms stretched wide open.

Malleus knelt smoothly. His regal composure melting enough to open his arms and receive the child -his child- into a gentle embrace. "So it was you I sensed. A presence so like my own, yet unlike any I have felt before."

Heat flooded your face as the initial shock passed. Your first instinct was to bolt from sheer embarrassment. Somehow, you managed to find your voice. "You’re not surprised, Malleus?"

"Surprised?" he repeated "No, not at all. I recognized the resonance of my own magic the moment Maledor appeared." He regarded you calmly. "You seem greatly unsettled. Is it so shocking to you?"

"I mean, yeah! Everyone would be shocked," you replied honestly.

"You truly cannot feel it?" Malleus asekd. "Even now, the air shimmers with our blood intertwined. A melody only you and I could create."

You thought about his words for a moment. Putting it like that, you suppose you did feel something. Although definitely not as clear as Malleus did. "Still, shouldn’t we be more concerned?"

"Concern is natural. But you underestimate the strength of the Draconia blood. And your own as well. Our child would never be so easily lost to time without reason. He will return," Malleus said, voice absolute. "The magic that called him here is already unraveling."

"So the problem will fix itself?" you question. That sounded like better circumstances than most problems you have run into in Twisted Wonderland. "Everything will go back to normal soon?"

Malleus nodded. "Yes. This visit, while precious, is unintended. The magic that summoned him here is unstable and will not last much longer. The world has its ways of correcting itself."

Some of the tension in your chest loosened at his certainty.

Lilia, barely restraining a wide grin, chimed in. "It seems time itself favors your union, hmm?"

Your face went hot again, just as your flustered heart was about to calm down a little. "Y-You can’t just say something like that out of nowhere…!" you stuttered. Your voice sounded more like a nervous squeak. 

"But it's a wonderful thing, isn't it?" Lilia replied. Beneath his light tone, you could sense the sincerity in his eyes. Like a guardian who is relieved to see his forsterling in good hands. 

Malleus regarded Lilia for a moment, then turned back to you, his emerald gaze gentle but searching. "Does it trouble you?" he asked. "If such a future would come to pass would it be so unwelcome?"

Despite your flustered state it didn’t take long for you to shook your head. "No… It wouldn't be unwelcome."

Maledor, oblivious to the tension and simply happy to be near both his parents, studied your face. He shuffled over from Malleus’s embrace and returned to your side, hugging you tightly enough to drive the air from your lungs. "Your face is all red, Mother! When Sebek gets red he gets loud. When Mother gets red she gets quiet," he commented, which made you only more flustered. "I think ice cream makes everything better. Can we eat ice cream?"

You softly pinch Maledor's cheek. "I think someone already had enough sugar for a day with all the cookies and cupcakes."

Maledor’s smile faltered for half a second, his wide eyes shimmering with a betrayed kind of innocence that only a child could muster. Then, with all the cunning of someone who’d clearly inherited far too much of Malleus’s intelligence and dramatic tendencies, he turned slowly toward his father.

Malleus tilted his head. His expression was calm and unreadable. Maledor’s lip trembled just enough to be convincing. "Father..." he began, voice so heart-wrenchingly sweet it could’ve earned him ten free sundaes anywhere in Twisted Wonderland. "Mother said no to ice cream."

The underlying message was clear: Mother rejected me. Only you can right this cruel injustice, Father.

"A most tragic betrayal," Malleus said solemnly. "To be denied joy by one’s own mother. This is indeed a grievous matter."

"Are you siding with him?" you asked, eyes darting from dragon fae to dragon fae. "He’s a little sugar gremlin who just weaponized his cuteness!"

"I am merely acknowledging his diplomatic tact," Malleus replied with a perfectly neutral expression, though the slight twitch of his lips betrayed his amusement. He patted Maledor’s hair, then gently guided him back to your side. "A future prince must know how to plead his case with grace and strategic flair."

"Don’t encourage him," you grumbled, though your lips tugged up in spite of yourself. This entire situation defied logic and physics, maybe even sanity, but somehow... it wasn't as terrifying as it first seemed, not with the way Malleus stood beside you like an unwavering anchor in a storm, and how Maledor leaned against you like he had always belonged there.

"He encourages me," Maledor beamed up at his father.

"I do," Malleus agreed without hesitation.

"I manipulate Mother."

"You do," Malleus affirmed with serene approval.

"You are literally both saying the scheme out loud while I’m right here!" you pointed out. "You’re not supposed to straight-up say it’s manipulation!"

"Don’t worry, Father. Mother always forgives you when you hug her from behind. You do that a lot in the future," Maledor said to comfort Malleus after seeing your grumpy reaction.

Your soul nearly left your body.

Malleus blinked. Then turned to look at you intensely.

You snapped your head toward the child in horror. "Maledor!"

"What?" he asked, blinking up at you with wide, guileless eyes. "It’s true. When you get all ‘grumpy-grumbly’ and tell Father to leave you alone, Father just hugs you from behind, really slow and gentle, and you get all red and mutter something like, 'You know I can’t stay mad at you.'"

"Slow and gentle, you say," Malleus repeated. His expression was thoughtful, as if he was memorizing every word Maledor said. "Hmm. So gentle physical affection dissolves your irritation. I will need to remember that approach."

"That is not the takeaway here!" you interrupted.

"I am merely collecting useful knowledge of what pleases my future consort," Malleus responded smoothly. With almost academic intrigue. "Maledor’s insights are quite enlightening."

Sebek’s complexion was caught somewhere between ghostly pale and tomato red. "Y-Young Prince! This is hardly appropriate information to share in a public setting!"

Maledor blinked at Sebek, completely unbothered. "But Sebek, you said it’s a knight’s duty to speak the truth and uphold honor. I’m just being helpful."

"Yes, but there are degrees of helpfulness...! Some truths are best kept private, especially when discussing the... the subtle... the-" Sebek finally broke eye contact and wheezed, "hugging techniques."

"I agree! We should just stop talking about this," you agreed, hoping the embarrassment would be over now, but then something came to your mind. "No, wait. It is only fair if you also share embarrassing things about Malle- Eh, your Father, Maledor."

Sebek, still recovering from the previous exchange, audibly gasped. "Y-young prince! The Young Master is above embarrassment!"

"No, he’s not," you said flatly.

"Well, Mother says it’s fair," Maledor chirped. "So. When you’re not around, Father gets really weird."

"Weird?" Malleus repeated. His tone remained level, but one graceful brow arched inquisitively.

"Mhmm. Sometimes he just stands in the hallway. Just... standing. Staring out a window. All dramatic and sad," Maledor said before adding brightly. "Oh, and when you come back, even if it’s just from the bathroom, he teleports to your side and says 'Ah, as I suspected, the world only feels whole in your presence again.'"

Malleus remained unshaken, which somehow made it worse. "There is no shame in expressing adoration," he said. "Is it so strange, to long for the presence of the one who stirs your soul?"

Somehow, your idea backfired on you. Not only was Malleus not the least bothered by Maledor's revelations, you are even more flustered now. You didn’t even know what to say, but thankfully Maledor filled the silence again. 

"And one time. Mother kissed Father’s cheek right before a council meeting, and he smiled the whole time. The old scary ministers freaked out and thought Father was about to declare war because he never smiles like that during council."

"Alright, that's enough glimpses into the future!" you interrupted hastily, cutting off any further soul-exposing anecdotes. "Didn’t you say you wanted ice cream, Maledor?"

"Yes, ice cream!" Maledor shouted excitedly. 

"If it pleases the young prince, I shall fetch the finest ice cream the college kitchens offer," Sebek declared utterly serious, though his face was still visibly red from the "inappropriate" things Maledor revealed. 

Lilia, who looked like he was thriving in this chaos, leaned back in his chair, arms crossed behind his head. "This might be the most entertaining thing I’ve seen in a hundred years. And I fought a manticore while wearing a tutu once."

"...Why?" you couldn’t help asking.

"There was a wager. Long story." He winked.

You just accepted what Lilia said without further questions. In a room together with your future child, that just appeared out of thin air, Lilia might still be the biggest enigma. 

You all find your seats at the table again. It didn’t take long for Sebek to arrive with the ice cream. Maledor’s eyes sparkled as he eyed the huge bowl full of brightly-colored ice cream that you placed in front of him. Despite his eagerness, he still waited quietly until you gave him permission to begin eating. Seated beside him, Malleus also seemed to enjoy his bowl of ice cream with quiet contentment. You had the suspicion that he also wanted one from the beginning. 

As you also began eating your ice cream, you began to really process what was happening. Does this encounter mean that your future was now predestined? Does this mean you will stay in Twisted Wonderland and never find a way back home to your world? Will you become the consort of one of the most powerful mages in the whole world, reigning beside him? They were all worthy, existential questions, but one in particular rose above the rest in your mind. 

"Wait. Isn’t it a thing that dragon faes hatch from eggs? So… does that mean I'm going to lay an egg someday? Or is this a seahorse type of situation, and Malleus will lay the egg?"

The room was silent for a moment, but before anyone could answer that very crucial question, Sebek raised his voice. "Seahorse? How dare you compare the Great Malleus Draconia with an unremarkable creature such as a seahorse?!"

Leona Kingscholar

After the breakup, Leona made it his personal mission to convince the entire world—Ruggie, his dorm, the mirror in his room, the literal wildlife outside—that he did not care.

He went around saying things like, "Tch. Good riddance," and "Like I got time to babysit someone who cries over movies," even though no one had brought you up. He slept more. Talked less. Got moodier, which no one thought was possible until he started growling at actual potted plants for existing near his nap spots.

Whenever Ruggie so much as hinted at your name—usually while dancing around some scheduling conflict or trying to explain why Leona's mood had tanked again—he'd get cut off mid-word.

"I wasn't even talking about them!" Ruggie would complain.

"Then stop thinking about them so loud," Leona snapped, face buried in the crook of his arm like the concept of you physically hurt his eyes.

But of course, the moment your name stopped being brought up, that became a problem too.

He started acting restless. Less asleep all the time and more awake and clearly trying to look like he's not looking around for someone. He'd frown when someone laughed in the hallway, then look annoyed when it wasn't you. He started showing up to classes he normally skipped, sitting in the back with his legs stretched out and arms crossed like he was doing the entire school a favor just by existing in the room.

And then the things started appearing.

First, it was his jacket—left casually across the back of your desk chair, like maybe gravity had just pulled it there on accident. Then his spellbook, shoved between your textbooks in a way that definitely required premeditated effort. Then a sandwich. An entire sandwich, wrapped up and labeled "Not Yours."

He denied all of it, obviously.

"Must've been Ruggie," he said, regarding the jacket that literally smelled like him.

When confronted about the book: "I don't even read, what're you talking about."

As for the sandwich? "You're imagining things. I didn't make that for you."

By that point, no one believed him—not even himself.

The final blow came in the form of a confrontation you hadn't expected. Late evening, when you were walking back to your dorm from the library. You were alone, or you thought you were, until you turned the corner and found him there—half in shadow, arms crossed, gaze trained somewhere just over your shoulder.

He didn't say hello.

Didn't say anything actually.

Just let the silence stretch until it started fraying at the edges, and then muttered, voice low and rough:

"You still want this, don't you?"

You stared at him. He didn't flinch, but you could tell he wanted to. He held himself like someone who didn't expect the answer to be yes, but still desperately needed to hear it before he gave up entirely.

And you realized somewhere between the jacket, the sandwich, and the way his voice cracked at the end of the sentence—that for all his snarling and attitude, he never stopped loving you.

He just didn't know how to ask you to stay without sounding like he might actually need you.

Which, of course, he did. Not that he'd ever say it out loud.

Not yet, anyway.

But the next time he leaves something behind, you think you might return it in person. Maybe even stay awhile.

Azul Ashengrotto

Azul handled the breakup the only way he knew how: with spreadsheets, surveillance footage, and a truly unhealthy amount of denial.

He claimed to be fine, of course. Said it with a straight face while color-coding inventory spreadsheets and inputting customer satisfaction data at four in the morning like a man unburdened by heartbreak. But when the tweels found the Lounge security footage paused—again—on a scene of you laughing near the bar, they stopped asking.

He'd memorized the timestamp.

And no, he didn't want to talk about it.

Azul had always been prone to spiraling in a unique way. After the breakup, that tendency mutated into something truly concerning. He didn't cry. He didn't wallow. Instead, he opened a blank document and began calculating. How many hours you'd spent together. How often you laughed in his presence. What the average rate of eye contact was in happy couples versus yours. There were charts. Graphs. Some kind of weighted affection index.

Unfortunately, Jade opened the file looking for the March sales report and instead found a document titled:

"Projected Probability of Them Still Loving Me (v6)."

He would not let him live it down.

"Idea," Floyd said. "You wanna run those numbers again but include the variable where you're super pathetic lately?"

Even Jade raised an eyebrow. "The correlation between desperation and appeal might not be as linear as you'd hope."

Azul tried to brush them off. He even lied (very badly) about what the spreadsheet was for ("Just… tax optimization. Personal hobby. Totally normal."), but the damage was done. The eels were smug. He was mortified. And worst of all, he still couldn't stop thinking about you.

So he pivoted.

If direct emotional vulnerability had failed him, perhaps passive-aggressive marketing would do the trick.

You started receiving coupons. Neatly folded, hand-delivered, no return address—but you recognized the ink. And the handwriting. And the aggressively formal tone that somehow still managed to sound like begging.

"One (1) free drink of your choice at the Mostro Lounge. Offer valid for exes statistically proven to be an optimal match."

Another read:

"Your preferred drink has been discontinued. Kidding. Please come back."

And your personal favorite:

"A reminder that our pairing was 94.3% ideal. Come back. For research."

You didn't respond. He didn't expect you to. But every week, a new coupon showed up—some increasingly ridiculous, some borderline romantic, all of them signed with that same flourish he used when pretending he wasn't panicking.

You weren't sure if it was pathetic or endearing. Probably both. The coupons had piled up in a drawer now, next to a coaster you never returned and a little napkin with a sketch he once made of you during a slow night.

You told yourself it was nostalgia. Curiosity. Scientific inquiry, if anything.

And one slow afternoon, you found yourself digging through the drawer, smoothing out the least crumpled coupon, and thinking—just for a moment—that you might stop by.

For research. Obviously.

Kalim Al-Asim

Kalim took the breakup as well as someone who had never actually took a negative emotion in his life to heart could. Which was to say: terribly.

He cried. A lot. At first, it was appropriate—private tears, sniffles in the dorm room, a distant gaze over his drink. But then it started happening at other times. Like during an ad for laundry detergent where the happy couple folded towels together. Or during a weather report where the forecast mentioned rain, which, apparently, you once said made you sleepy. Or during absolutely nothing at all, except that the sun was setting "a little too much like that one day you held his hand, remember?"

He insisted he was fine.

"Totally fine!" he chirped, voice three octaves higher than normal, eyes red-rimmed and suspiciously glossy. "Breakups happen all the time, right? We're both growing and learning! It's healthy!"

No one believed him.

Jamil looked like he was considering reporting you to the disciplinary committee just to end Kalim's reign of emotionally unhinged sunshine. Even Grim asked if someone should "turn him off and back on again."

But Kalim doubled down. If he couldn't be fine naturally, he'd brute-force his way into happiness. Which, in his mind, meant: throwing parties. So many parties. For no reason. His calendar suddenly became a horror show of "themed celebration nights" and "spontaneous joy hours," all of which were weirdly tailored around your favorite things.

"Here!" he said brightly, handing out goodie bags. "Everyone gets this specific brand of chocolates and stickers! Because those are just objectively fun! Not because anyone used to love them or anything!"

It was transparent. Alarmingly so.

Even when he gave someone a little clay charm that looked exactly like the one you wore on your bag, Kalim waved it off with a too-wide smile. "Just spreading the joy! It's important to stay positive, right?"

Everyone knew it was a cry for help. The kind that sounded like party poppers and glitter and repressed sobbing in the school gardens.

The turning point came on a quiet afternoon when he showed up at your door holding a tiny cupcake. It had a frosting heart on it. His hands shook slightly.

"I know this is weird," he said, already teary. "I didn't wanna make you uncomfortable. I just—"

He swallowed, voice cracking like something inside him was giving up the act for good.

"Even if you don't love me again," he said, "can we still be something?"

You looked at him—his earnest eyes, his trembling lower lip—and you felt something soft and painfully familiar unfurl in your chest.

Because Kalim didn't know how to lie to the people he loved. Not well. Not really. He was all impulse and heart, the kind of boy who loved too loud and too fast and never quite knew how to stop once he started.

And maybe you weren't ready to be what you were. Not yet.

But looking at him, at the little cupcake with the slightly smudged heart and the the way he was holding it like he might shatter if you didn't take it—

How could you say no?

You took the cupcake. And maybe his hand, too. Just for a moment. Just to see if something could still bloom.

Vil Schoenheit

Vil did not mourn the breakup. Mourning was for people who couldn't maintain composure under pressure. For people who let emotion smudge their mascara. He was not one of those people.

At least, not publicly.

He was flawless. Unbothered. The exact picture of someone thriving post-relationship, thank you very much. His interviews were polished. His smiles were poised. His posture was impeccable. If anyone noticed that his usual acerbic wit had gone curiously blunt, no one said anything.

They wouldn't dare.

Privately, though, when the cameras were off and the spotlight blinked out, Vil cracked in very small ways.

He started using your favorite perfume. A subtle layer, never enough to be obvious, but just enough to make him feel like you were still somewhere in the room. Like maybe if he breathed in deep enough, he could hold onto something.

He flipped through magazines during lunch breaks, claiming it was for "market research." But every time he lingered on a movie review or a lifestyle spread, it was with the faint, ridiculous hope that you'd read it too. That your fingers might have touched the same paper. That your eyes caught the same line he was rereading for the fifth time.

He knew it was foolish. But Vil had always been prone to beautiful illusions. It was sort of his thing.

The unraveling came, ironically, in the most public of places: a toothpaste commercial.

He was halfway through filming, mid-speech about the importance of a radiant smile, when something in the script triggered a memory—something you once said about how his laugh.

He kept talking.

Kept improvising.

Went off-script entirely.

The crew let him go for a minute—Vil was known for his "emotional depth," after all—but when he hit the line "even the most polished smile can still ache when it remembers someone who made it feel real," the director had to call cut.

"Vil," they said gently. "It's a toothpaste commercial."

He didn't speak for the rest of the shoot. Just touched up his own makeup in silence, eyes a little glassy.

It took him another week to knock on your door.

He showed up in a soft sweater, smelling faintly of something familiar, holding his own hands like he didn't know what else to do with them.

He didn't ask for much. Didn't ask for forever. Just quietly, cautiously:

"Would you like to try again?"

And you thought—looking at him, at the person who once swore he'd never show up like this for anyone, at the vulnerability hiding under all that polish—

Maybe this time, you could make it work.

Idia Shroud

Idia handled the breakup the way he handled most things in life: with a complete and total digital meltdown, buried under forty layers of denial and an emotionally scorched Discord server.

He didn't text. Didn't call. Didn't even leave passive-aggressive emoji reactions on your old posts like a normal ex with unresolved feelings. He simply… disappeared.

Vanished like a ghost into his room, into his code, into the vast and uncaring expanse of the internet, where feelings didn't exist unless they were typed in all caps or conveyed through a crying anime girl gif.

And for a while, it was total radio silence.

Until you logged into that game.

The shared one. The one you used to play together after class, where the two of you ran a little shop in a pixelated fantasy village and spent an embarrassing amount of time farming digital potatoes.

Your shop was still there.

But now there was… a shrine.

Your character's pixel art face, recreated painstakingly in custom tiles and surrounded by in-game flowers, torches, and glowing pink mood crystals that did not exist in the vanilla version of the game.

He'd modded it.

There was a sign in the middle that just said:

"Here Lies Happiness (RIP)"

You stared at it for a long time. Then, just to confirm the ridiculous suspicion building in your chest, you checked the nearby player list.

Sure enough, his username had changed too:

"SadBoy420"

Online. Loitering.

You didn't message him immediately. Mostly because you weren't sure what to say to someone who had quite literally built a shrine to your relationship in a farming sim. But still—you lingered. Logged in more often. Left offerings of rare items near the shrine like it was some strange, silent conversation.

Idia never spoke to you directly, but you noticed the shrine changed a little every day. One day it had a sign that said "I'm Fine." The next, it was replaced with a drawing of your characters fishing together. One morning it was just a massive, pixel-art rendition of the word "SORRY" in bold letters with a sad face emoji.

Outside the game, his silence continued.

But Ortho?

Ortho was not subtle.

"Did you know my brother has been listening to the voicemails you left him on loop for the past 72 hours?" he chirped once in the cafeteria. "Not that he's, like, sad or anything! Just nostalgic. Definitely not crying."

Later: "He made your favorite NPC in our custom server the town mayor! Isn't that cute? I mean, objectively, not emotionally, haha."

Eventually, you got the call.

Your phone lit up with his name and you answered before you could talk yourself out of it.

"Uh—hey," Idia said, voice barely above a whisper. "I didn't, like, mean to call. Or—I did, but. Crap. Okay. Hi."

You waited.

He took a breath.

"I was just wondering," he said, "if you maybe wanted to talk again. Or, y'know. Game. No pressure or anything. It's fine if you're, like, over it and I'm just like a pathetic ghost haunting your social life, haha, classic tragic NPC vibes—"

"Yes," you said, before he could spiral into apologizing for existing.

He paused. Long enough that you thought the call had dropped. Then, quietly—hopeful, almost disbelieving:

"Wait. Really?"

You smiled, even if he couldn't see it.

"Yeah," you said. "Log in."

Malleus Draconia

Malleus did not understand how something so radiant could simply… end.

He didn't throw a dramatic tantrum after the breakup. He didn't disappear in a swirl of thunderclouds or curse the moon or anything out of a tragic love story.

He didn't so much as frown in public, because the full gravity of the breakup hadn't quite hit him yet. Instead, it settled in stranger places—quiet things, strange habits.

Like how he started speaking to the plush bat you gave him on his last birthday as though it were you. Not in a creepy way, more like someone who didn't know what to do with the empty space you left behind.

He asked it questions. Told it how his day went. Laughed, sometimes, as if it had told him a joke—low and fond, the kind of laugh only you had ever coaxed out of him. And when he sat beneath the stars, plush cradled carefully in his lap, he whispered to it with a gentleness reserved only for the lost.

The gargoyles? They weren't even sentient, but even they seemed exhausted. Every night he stood in front of them, musing out loud about the way you smiled or how you always called him weird little nicknames. One of them lost a nose—maybe unrelated.

Lilia, bless him, said nothing for a long while. He simply watched as Malleus wilted, quietly and beautifully, like a flower sealed in ice. But one evening, after Malleus asked in the softest voice, "Do humans ever come back when they leave?", Lilia did not answer. He only wrapped his arms around his ward and held him close.

At some point, he started writing letters. Not to send, just… to say things. Things he didn't know how to tell you, or hadn't said enough when he could. Some were serious. Some were barely legible thoughts written in the middle of the night. But he kept them all, folded neatly in a box that lived under his bed.

And then, of course, Silver found the box.

Silver, ever helpful and half-asleep, assumed it was mail Malleus meant to send and delivered the whole thing to your dorm like it was completely normal to get a hand-bound novel of unsent love letters dropped off on a random day.

You read them all.

You didn't say anything at first. You weren't sure what you were supposed to say. But that night, you left your window open—just a little.

And sure enough, just past midnight, Malleus appeared outside your dorm. Just… standing there. Looking up.

He didn't ask to come in. He didn't even call your name. He just waited. Like maybe you'd hear the quiet, and somehow understand.

And when you finally stepped outside, he looked at you like he'd been waiting centuries.

"May I court you again?" he asked softly. "From the beginning."

And really… how could you say no?

• So, yes, inexperienced kisser for obvious reasons. You'd probably have to take the lead, which he'll let you do, because he just isn't sure what is and isn't acceptable. He'll mirror your actions - if you hold him, he'll hold you back - and before you know it, he's actually learning.

• He was just about getting the hang of it when you two were interrupted by-- "Whoa."

• Riddle's eyes snapped open in an instant, meeting Ace's wide-eyed, jaw-dropped expression. He takes a second too long to actually push you off of him, his face burning as the first year continues to just stand there in shock.

• "Get OUT!" Riddle shrieked, and that seemed to snap Ace out of whatever daze he was in, because he raised his hands in surrender and slowly backed out of the room like he was trying to escape a wild animal.

• "Don't EVER come into my room uninvited! Have you any clue how rude that is?!" - "Dude, I'm sorry!" - "A-and the audacity to just stand there and gawk-- if you tell anyone, Trappola, by the Seven, I won't just be using my Signature Spell to remove the head from your shoulders!"

• Just when you think Ace is finally leaving and Riddle is going to close the door again, the boy just had to get one final quip in. "Didn't know you had it in you."

• Riddle turns impossibly redder at that and marches right back out the door to chase Ace down, and you sit with your head in your hands, knowing you'll have to continue where you left off some other day.

LEONA KINGSCHOLAR

• Leona, despite spending most of his days lounging around, is near constantly stressed out and exhausted. Of course, he's got his Dorm to fret over, as well as the Spelldrive team, but most of it comes from being way too in his head and having no-one around to take him out of it.

• This changes in a relationship, and I have no idea what the popular consensus is on Leona as a boyfriend; but I see him as surprisingly clingy.

• Not in public, but I mean that whenever you're around him, he'll pull whatever tricks he has to in order to make you stay. He's a terrible influence on this front because he will encourage you to skip classes and any other responsibilities too.

• Leona is honestly kind of manipulative lmao. If you two are cuddling and you need to leave, his strategies for making you stay vary. Sometimes he'll try to act "cute". I mean talking very softly in your ear, suddenly deciding he wants to lay his head on your chest or in the crook of your neck (and he's just sooo comfortable now, please don't disturb him), big cat-like stretching, intentionally swishing his tail a bit, overall playing it up in the hopes of tempting you into staying for longer. And no, he does not feel any shame about this.

• Other times, he takes a more direct approach. Why would you ever choose to go to your boring-ass classes over making out with your very attractive boyfriend? Do you like history more than having his tongue in your mouth? I didn't think so.

• The problem with doing this in the botanical garden is that it is a very public and easily accessible area. And there are certain people who know they can find Leona there.

• "Leonaaa! C'mon, time to get up, you've got-- Oh."

• Leona turns his head, keeping his arms around your hips, not bothering to move you off of him. He sighed, exasperated. "Leave, Ruggie."

• "Shishishi, no need to get all aggro on me! I'm only here 'cause you're gonna miss another Alchemy class - not like I could've known you were getting busy in here."

• Leona scowled, and to your surprise and slight mortification, he grabbed your face and went right back to kissing you as if there wasn't a live audience stood right there. Thankfully, this seemed to have the desired effect, because the next thing you heard from Ruggie was a loud "ew, man! Fine! No skin off my back!" Followed by him quickly scampering away.

AZUL ASHENGROTTO

• Azul is a lot of fun to distract.

• He doesn't mind having you in the same room as him as he goes through the Mostro Lounge's necessary paperwork for the day, he's good enough at multitasking that he can usually hold a conversation with you while he works. But when it's been a while since he's last looked up at you, maybe you start to feel a little neglected.

• You move your chair closer to his and he goes stiff for a brief second when you rest your head on his shoulder, but relaxes soon after. Just as he starts to write again, you snake your arms around his waist, lips pressing against his neck.

• He goes still again, face burning up as he tries to look like he's casually re-adjusting his glasses. "What are you up to?" You don't miss the way his voice wavers, and he finally meets your eyes, blushing more at the realisation that you've been staring at his face.

• "You're not paying attention to me." Azul gives a shy little laugh at that, turning around in his chair to face you. "Well, I am now."

• You kiss him, and he kisses back, either pulling you closer to hold in his lap or, if you're taller than him, being the one held in yours. Things were just barely getting started when you hear the door creak open and he shoves you away in record time.

• "Oh my," Clearly his save didn't do much though, because Jade can still see the two of you standing there red-faced and dishevelled, and puts the pieces together on his own. "I'm sorry, am I interrupting something?"

• "No," Azul claims, fixing his glasses that were hanging lopsided on his face. "What do you want?"

• "Oh no, I'm sure it can wait until you two are done here. Clearly this is more important than customer feedback." - "Jade, just tell me what it is." - "It is not as if Floyd and I were working ourselves to the bone running the Lounge in your absence while you were busy entertaining yourselves in here." - "Jade."

• By the way, yes Jade will tell Floyd about this, and no you both will never escape the teasing.

JAMIL VIPER

• Jamil is often too busy to have as much alone time with you as he would like, and given a lot of his job is dedicated to making sure Kalim doesn't die, he can't really afford any distractions. Though he has absolutely considered leaving the Housewarden to his own devices for a while so that he can sneak off to be with you, the fault would be entirely on him if anything did go wrong, so alas.

• Still, there are moments where he can have his guard down. As long as there's no threat of any potential danger, and his work then more-so becomes making sure the dormitories are clean. He really would much rather be spending his time with you on the occasions you visit the Scarabia dorm though, which is why he doesn't complain when you shove him into a nearby broom closet, close the door behind both of you and start kissing him.

• He knows he can't remain in here with you for long, so he's making the most of the time he does have. Jamil likes to be the one taking the lead, so that's exactly what he does, and no words are exchanged as he passionately steals kiss after kiss from you, with a kind of hunger you've seen on him plenty.

• The problem with getting too lost in the moment, is that neither of you notice the footsteps approaching the broom closet until it's too late and the door opens, revealing none other than Kalim.

• Jamil detaches himself from you, practically hugging the wall behind him to put as much distance between the two of you as possible, as Kalim's expression morphs quickly into one of pure shock-horror.

• "SORRY!" He yells, far too loudly, and Jamil winces at the thought he may have alerted some of the other students. Kalim slams the door again, though you can still hear him behind it. "Sorry! I'm so so sorry!"

• Silence falls then. Jamil sighs, running a hand down his face. Thinking you were alone now, you whisper, "So... You wanna keep going?"

• Before Jamil can answer, there's a knock on the door of the broom closet. "Jamil, can you give me the brush and shovel from in there? You can just slide it under the door if-"

• "Kalim! Go away!"

VIL SCHOENHEIT

• This actually happens quite frequently to the point you don't even question it anymore.

• It doesn't matter how private you two think you're keeping it. You could be in his room, knowing for certain that there's no urgent business or anything that can interrupt you, and you could even be absolutely sure that nobody saw you entering the Pomefiore dormitory and making your way to Vil's quarters.

• Because as you're on his bed, back against the headboard as he straddles you, you have full view of his bedroom window behind him. Usually, you wouldn't be looking anywhere but his gorgeous face; but you can't help it when you notice what look like a pair of eyes standing out amidst the trees and the dark of night.

• Your stomach drops and he seems to notice your gaze has drifted elsewhere. He turns around himself to see it. "What?- Oh, for the love of..." Vil groans, moving off of you and walking over to the window, rapping his knuckles angrily on the glass. The eyes retreat, shooed away like a startled bird, and he pulls the curtains closed, lips still pressed into a thin line when he turns back to see you.

• "Was it Rook again?" You ask, and he sighs deeply, returning to his bed.

• "Of course it was. Who else?"

• "You should really talk to him about doing that." You say, and he kisses you again, effectively silencing you.

• "No more talk of Rook, dear," he murmurs. "I'd much rather focus on you tonight."

IDIA SHROUD

• Idia is not a romantic. He frequently refers to you as "bro," "dude," has called you "oomf" over messages before and one time even called you "chat". Like a streamer. He's definitely the kind of guy to make fun of couples who do overtly romantic things, like pet names or holding hands, and I also have my own thoughts on his sexuality that I'm not gonna fully get into here.

• Basically, I don't think he's a very romantic or touchy person, and he won't be the one to initiate anything with you. He's more reliant on emotional connection rather than physical (and is quite needy on that front).

• That's not to say he's against it if you are the type to initiate make-out sessions with him. Just be aware that he is embarrassingly inexperienced, and nowhere near as adept at just picking it up as you go along as Riddle is.

• The ends of his blue hair flare pink as you kiss him again and again, not minding in the slightest the sloppy way in which he tries to return them. Eventually, Idia will ease into letting you do all the work, figuring that he's better this way, too.

• When he gains the courage to open his eyes, he tries not to snicker at how silly you look with your eyes closed and your face so close to his, and just as he's comparing it to those 0.5x zoom pictures of cats in his head, the door to his room opens and in comes Ortho.

• "Big brother?"

• "MMMH!" Idia shrieks against your lips, scrambling away from you, pulling his bed sheets up to his face as if to shield him. Still, Ortho doesn't appear to react to what he just saw, continuing as normal.

• "Can I go to an arcade with Deuce, Jack and Epel? It's off-campus, but nearby!"

• "Y-y-yeah, yeah, go... ahead..." Idia nodded, wide-eyed, the pink burning at the ends of his hair slowly spreading upwards. Ortho beamed.

• "Thank you!" And with that, he left. To be honest, you thought this went over remarkably well, until you heard a loud squeak come from Idia.

• "Oh nooo..." He whines, flopping down on his back with his hands covering his face. "He s-saw everything! And he's just gonna try to ignore it! Ouuuuh, t-this is gonna be so awkwaaard...! H-he's too young to have been exposed to something like that... I can never face him again...!"

MALLEUS DRACONIA

• Malleus' affection is almost annoyingly proper.

• He does like to touch you, but it often feels more like you're being pet, if that makes sense. He never really initiates anything more intimate on his own, though you've discovered that he likes hugs.

• So, one day you snap and the next time he tries to (almost condescendingly) pat your head, you grab him and pull him in for a kiss. He makes an adorably startled noise, but then you can feel him chuckling a bit as he wraps his arms around you, kissing you back.

• You pull back and he smiles at you, tilting his head. "You're bold," he purred. "For a human to yank me around like that..."

• "Shut up," you mutter, meeting his lips with your own again. He hums, and the moment is blissful, but it doesn't last.

• "My Liege! Ah, there you are! Lilia has been looking for--" Malleus turns his head, and you look over his shoulder at the disturbance. "E-EH?!"

• "...Sebek," Malleus didn't let go of you as he spoke. "Could you leave us? Let Lilia know I'm... occupied."

• "Y-yes... o-of course," Sebek nodded his head, bewildered and red-faced as he glanced between you and his Lord, still in each other's arms. "I-I'll do that right away!"

• And then he runs off, stumbling a bit on his way. Malleus watches him leave for a moment, then lets out a single soft, amused laugh. "My, he seemed startled. I wonder why. Is it really so shocking to see me with you?"

• "...I think he just wasn't expecting to interrupt us. He's probably mortified."

𝐕𝐈𝐋 𝐒𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐄𝐍𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐓 ✉︎

HE LOST COUNT WHEN SEEING YOU SLIDE THE FIFTY TOWARDS HIM. vil pauses, completely composed but there is a glint of confusion on his face.

he looks up at you and blinks once, eyes sharp and posture straight.

"my dear, what are you doing?"

you explain, in the sweetest tone, how you wanted to help him pay the bill.

he doesn't even let you finish, already sliding the bill back at you──shaking his head sternly.

"oh, nono please, put that away."

you forcefully pull the cash back towards you, blinking up at him as he finishes collecting the cash and placing it on the bill given.

"generosity is admirable, but let me treat my beloved whenever i please~ you deserve to be spoiled, and i intend on fulfilling it."

𝐀𝐙𝐔𝐋 𝐀𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐍𝐆𝐑𝐎𝐓𝐓𝐎 ✉︎

HE DOESN'T EVEN LOOK UP AT YOU, azul just flicks the bill back toward you and you slide it back.

a smile forces its way to your lips when he finally grabs the bill and twiddles it between his index and middle finger.

"my pearl, are you trying to make me laugh?"

his eyes are narrowed, posture confident and a sly smirk on his face. you say you wanted to help pay the bill, and he chuckles.

his polite laughs just sounds like money is raining before him, and he slides the bill back in your direction on the table and pays for the dinner from his card.

he'll take your hand and kiss your skin gently, eyes glaring behind his glasses as he smiles fondly.

"what a lovely gesture, my dear, but you need not worry about money as long as im with you~"

𝐈𝐃𝐈𝐀 𝐒𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐃 ✉︎

HE'S ALREADY HUNCHED OVER AT THE TABLE, hair styled to show his face, suit ironed and fitted, poking at his food unable to make eye contact with anyone other then you─he even had a hard time ordering his plate.

he's already awkward as is, so when idia sees you slide over a fifty he immediately flinched.

what are you doing? why are you handing him a fifty? do you think he's broke?

he blinks once and immediately drops his fork with a clank. "wh―what are you doing ?..." you explained softly, smiling so much he can feel it in his soul.

idia shook his head, immediately wiping out his wallet and fumbles for his cash while panic explaining, "but―but i asked you out, you can't pay ! this isn't how it was supposed to go, put that away and just let me pay... please?"

at the end of it, he ends up paying and secretly sliding a few extra hundreds in your purse when you excuse yourself to go to the bathroom―never will he let his woman pay for a meal.

𝐌𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐔𝐒 𝐃𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐈𝐀 ✉︎

WHEN YOU SLIDE THE FIFTY ACROSS THE TABLE CLOTH, malleus doesn't even bat an eye. he simply watches you retract your hand and smiling sweetly up at him.

"...what gesture is this?" he asks, curious as a child, tilting his head while he already planned to pay ahead.

you say you wanted to help with the bill, and malleus smiled. he's not offended, but more amused.

"your offering?"

little do you know, malleus already has the cash ready to hand over to the waiter.

as you nod your head, malleus already took the bills from his wallet and placed it into the billfold, taking another hundred and hands it to you back with the fifty.

"don't make me laugh, my love. it's said the man pays for the woman, yes? as future king and queen of briar valley, please, take the money, you deserve all the wealth in the world~"

𝐊𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐌 𝐀𝐋 𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐌 ✉︎

HE'S EXPECTING TO PAY FOR THE BILL, kalim doesn't register the fact you slide a fifty forward until he finally looks down.

he was mid-ramble, saying how good the food was―jamil having to be convinced multiple times─when he cuts himself off at the sight of your money.

he blinks, eventually understanding your intentions.

kalim gasps slightly, shakes his head and immediately pushes the cash back to you. "oh, no baby, you don't have to do that! it's my treat, don't worry!"

no matter how hard you try and say otherwise, kalim ends up paying for your meal and even sends you an extra two hundred for shopping<3

"let me treat you, okay? you deserve all the riches in the world ! besides, my mother wants you to shop at this store, she says you'll look beautiful in their clothes!"