meii🍰🍓

🌹 Riddle’s POV

The Night Raven College library was a sacred place to Riddle. It seems that everyone followed rules a bit better here, right after his own dorm. A grand place where everyone could study to their hearts content. Sometimes there would be some ruckus, but nothing too out of order. Except today. Night Raven College was so kind to lend their library to a small school on the island, Lady Mystic College, now that their own library was under renovation. When Crowley announced how graciously he offered his service to the all girls school Riddle could hear several boys cheer. Behind him Ace let out a “nice!” and was eagerly waiting for his high five to be returned by Deuce. Riddle just stuck up his nose. He didn’t know much about this school, and that said enough. It was small and their students weren’t particularly known for any great achievements. Unlike Night Raven College or even Royal Sword Academy. And now these unknown students, ones Ace liked to call “Lady Mystic girls” are occupying the library like they own the place. And it’s hard for Riddle to contain his second hand embarrassment seeing his fellow students gawking at the few girls now in their presence. It’s like they have never seen girls before and they’re not scoring any points by their blatant stares. He already told several students around him to keep it down, it’s still a library. But now there is a duo of girls being awfully loud too. 

It’s remarkable how the giggling of two girls from across the room can get so easily on Riddle’s nerves. Is this how they acted in their own library as well? But seeing how they were eyeing the other students, perhaps not. Their outfits were dark purple with touches of pink, very proper and prestige. But their attitude was anything but. They were leaning close to one another, snickering and talking about surely something else than their studies. Riddle’s slammed his book down as he arose from his seat, making his way to the source of his irritation. 

Coming closer he noticed a third girl. She was smaller than her friends, her curly hair was kept in tow by two pig tails, and her eyes were nervously switching between her book and her friends. Her upper lip was resting on her braces, ones she clearly tried to hide by constantly pressing her lips together whenever she was reminded of their presence. Where her friends were clearly the trouble makers, she seemed more of an observer than anything else. Still, she could’ve warned her friends for their unwarranted behaviour Riddle thought as he came closer. 

“Excuse me.” Riddle said sharply as he arrived at their table.

The girls looked up, their giggling stopped as soon as they saw the red haired boy. “Hi! What’s up?” one said way too casually. 

“This is a library.” Riddle stated. “You are disrupting other students with your talking. Please keep it down.”

The girls exchanged glances and tried to keep their giggling to themselves. “Yeah, sorry about that!”. Her tone didn’t sound apologetic in the slightest.

“S-Sorry! We uh- we didn’t- I mean-” the third girl stammered. She fiddles with her book as she looks up at him. “We’ll be quiet, I promise!”

Riddle frowned, eventually nodded in response. She seemed genuinely sorry but rules are rules. And they all bore the responsibility of their collective behaviour. 

“Thank you.”

—-------------------------------------

🌷Prim’s POV

She felt a pit in her stomach as soon as the boy pointed out their distracting behavior. This wasn’t the first time she got scolded, but she was still new to it. Her parents both homeschooled her up until middle school, and now that she was finally attending a real school it happened more and more. She looks over at her friends, who seem to be amused by the boy correcting them, not planning to change in the slightest.

“Uhm- you guys, I think we should be silent-”

“Don’t worry Prim, we’re thilent.” that little comment both made them laugh again.

Prim loved her parents, and spending time with them. So she never felt like being homeschooled was something bad. But she always wanted to attend a real school, simply so she could make some friends. And Mallery and Selena were the first to talk to her her first day at Lady Mystic College. Mallery was her roommate and apparently she already knew Selena from the coronation. So it was a natural friendship, really. And they constantly made little jokes with one another, and sometimes one of those jokes was imitating her lisp. Prim presses her lips together. That’s what friends do, she thought. It’s normal.

Later Mallery and Selena decided that they had enough "studying" today and left with more noise than Prim would’ve liked. She could spot the red haired boy from across the room glancing daggers at them leaving another pit in her stomach. Prim decided to stay behind, she still needed to write her paper and correct Mallery's and Selena’s. She didn’t mind being alone, and now that Mallery and Selena left she could concentrate a little better. 

After a good hour of making notes and studying Prim decided to get up. She packed her stuff and looked around trying to remember where she got her book from, hoping to return it properly. The library was huge, it even had stairs going up to even more books. She snickered by her own thoughts, what else would they lead to? With her backpack and the book she borrowed she started to pace along the bookshelves. When she arrived at the correct one she stopped in her tracks. The same boy from before was exactly in front of the place she needed to return her book to. She pressed her lips together, was he still mad? One look at his furrowed brows confirmed her fear, he must be. She holds the book close to her chest and quickly made the decision to just approach him. 

“Hi!” she tried keeping her voice down.

The boy quickly turned his head towards her, startled by the sudden conversation starter.

“Uh- hello.”

“I uhm- I wanted to say sorry again. For being loud.”

The boy frowned again, like he did back at the table when he confronted them. “It wasn’t your fault. Not entirely.”

“They’re not always like that… They uhm- they just like having fun. I guess.” even she could hear the lack of confidence in her voice. The boy must have noticed, because his eyes were studying her for a moment. 

“Just make sure to not disturb others when you’re in a library. One you are attending as guests, mind I remind you.”

“Yes! Yes of course… you’re totally right. It’s basic rules.” She looks down at her book, holding it closer. “I wanted to return this one, this should be the place.”

The boy takes a glance at the book and steps aside to make way. “You also could’ve returned it at the service desk, the ghosts can return it to the right place for you.”

As she returned the book to its rightful place her face lit up. “Oh, yes the ghosts! It’s so amazing you guys have ghosts attending here! I mean attending your needs like- uhm.” as soon as she notices she might be too loud due to her rambling she lowers her voice again. “The ghosts working here, I mean… they’re very remarkable.”

That got a smile out of the boy. “They’re very diligent.”

“Yeah!” She extended her hand with a bright smile. “I’m Prim by the way!”

“Riddle.” the boy said, introducing himself. 

“Your library is very beautiful! It’s nothing like ours-”

“But it’s in renovation, yes?”

“Yes, they found mold in one of the bookcases and discovered all of them are in dire need of replacement.” she explained “But I don’t think we’ll get anything like this.”

Riddle looked a little disgusted by the mention of mold but quickly recovered himself.

“As long as it provides a good studying place..”

She saw his eyes dart to her mouth for a second, reminding her to close her mouth again. 

“Yes! Exactly."

It was silent for a second longer than she liked.

"Well uh- I have to go now. Bye… uh- Riddle!”

He simply gave a nod back as a form of farewell. 

ace, deuce, jack, epel, ortho, and sebek…and of course, grim, but you and him are essentially a no-brainer. the ‘first-year squad’, as cater had dutifully named you guys afternoon as him and trey passed by your group in the library once. 

‘oh? hey, look there, trey! it’s our adeuce combi! and all the rest of the first-years. oh em gee, it’s the first-year squad! yeah, let’s get a pic for magicam, you all look totes adorbs!’ and of course, he took multiple pictures much to everyone's dismay, posting it with the appropriate hashtags and tagging everyone.  

guess the nickname stuck around, as most of your guys’ seniors called your group as such. speaking of…

“prefect,” ace whined, laying his head on the lunchroom table, “please, tell me tonight is still on. riddle’s gonna make us study all night if we stay at heartslabyul…” 

a loud snort came from another one of the guys at your table, his arms crossed over his chest, chin held slightly up high, “hah! perhaps it’s for the best tonight gets canceled, knowing you, ace, you need that supervision,” sebek huffed, smugly smirking as ace’s head popped up, “hah? you wanna run that by me again, sebek?”

“ace, cut it out,” deuce said, turning to his friend. “at this rate, she’s going to cancel tonight if you keep acting out like this. and it wouldn’t be a bad idea to get a little studying in…” the heartslabyul first-year with the spade eye makeup said, which just resulted in a snarky comeback from ace, which led to more bickering. 

saved by the hypothetical bell at least— the remainder of your friends made their way to the table, having gotten stuck in their respective classes. sometimes you all would sit with different groups at lunch, but the majority of the time you all have taken to sitting together. 

grim in usual grim fashion was trying to swipe everyone’s food as ‘payment’ for being late, even if he was also late. jack resulted in lecturing grim, ortho and epel were trying to catch up to whatever chaotic mess they came back to. yep, same old same old…

“say, prefect. is the sleepover at ramshackle tonight still awn?” epel asked, straightening up and glancing around to make sure his housewarden (and vice-housewarden at that) didn’t hear his slip in accent. ortho perked up, the little flame over his heart flicking just a bit, “ouu! i can bring this new multi-player game my brother and i were trying out last night!”

you nodded at your two friends, but it seems like everyone else was distracted. you cleared your throat, fist covering your mouth, “hey, guys. remember, sleepover at ramshackle today if your housewardens said yes.”

“and you have to bring a ten-can-of-tuna-entry-fee!” grim said triumphantly, standing up with one paw in the air. you quickly put your hand in front of him, pulling him down the table, “no, you do not,” you deadpanned. 

“you two, cut it out! save it for spelldrive or something!” jack said, turning to the still bickering heartslabyul duo before scratching his head, “actually, that wouldn’t work. you two are in the same dorm…save it for beans day or something, just hope you get put on separate teams…” he trailed off. 

“i never really understood some of the events at night raven…” you added, “i mean, from what you guys have told me, beans day sounds a little similar to something the seniors did at my school.” the guys all turned to face you:

“really? that’s pretty cool! what was that like?” ortho asked.

“well, it was this thing called senior assassin. it wasn’t school sponsored, but the seniors would all be assigned random targets either in duos or a free-for-all, depending what rules the seniors chose that year. basically, they had to ‘take out’ their targets with a water gun. there were some places of immunity like school, anywhere else they had to wear like arm floaties or goggles. it would get pretty intense,” you explained, “oh! and there was a betting pool involved from a registration fee, it could get up to three-hundred to four-hundred depending on the senior class size.”

if possible, you could definitely see thaumark signs over ace’s pupils, “heyy, we should totally do that—” he said before sebek cut him off, “no way, human! she just said it was a senior activity. either way, the great malleus would dominate in such a trivial matter if it was conducted in this school!” he boasted. 

“prefect, are there any other things they did at your school?” deuce asked as epel nodded his head in agreement, “yeah! please tell us, we’d love to hear more about your world’s customs!”

you scratched your temple, “i mean, there wasn’t really much…i feel like everything is boring compared to the things done here.”

after some insistent nagging encouragement, you told them about a few things you could name off the top of your head: homecoming (the game and the dance), prom, certain club events, anything you could think of, even if much wasn’t coming to mind.

“oh! i completely forgot, this actually happened a little before i was transported here. we had an anonymous confessions account.”

most of the guys tilted their heads, “an anonymous what…?” ace asked, raising his brow.

you clapped your hand, “okay, so, basically, someone made an account on our social media, think of it like magicam. people would send in anything. think confessions, rumors, complaints, dating attempts, shit-talking, you name it, someone probably sent it in. the account would post these, most of the time people chose to stay anonymous but some people would put their names, or frame others.” 

“did nobody find out who it was behind the account?” ortho asked, suddenly a lot more invested with the whole mystery. 

shaking your head, you responded, “nope. not that i’m aware of, at least. it was the most recent thing happening before the black carriage ran me over on my way home one night.”

“i’ll say…that must’a gotten around real quick,” epel said while deuce nodded his head

“what a bunch of cowards,” jack said, shaking his head and crossing his arms over his chest, “if they had a problem with each other, no better way then to say it straight to the face, why hide behind—” 

“I COMPLETELY AGREE, JACK!” sebek shouted, startling not only your table, but alerting most of the lunch area, “WHAT COWARDLY BEHAVIOR, ONLY FOOLS WOULD HIDE BEHIND AN ANONYMOUS ACCOUNT TO SPEW RUMOR AND NONSENSE OF OTHERS.” 

…right…

“talk about passionate…” deuce said, his eyes darting around the lunch area. honestly, you could feel a lot of familiar eyes staring right at you guys…“by the seven, sebek, you’re loud as hell.” ace sighed, shaking his head.

“I AM NOT!”

“buddy…” grim shook his head, and some of you laughed it off. lunch wrapped up quick after that and you all planned to see each other later at ramshackle. 

sleepovers at ramshackle were…chaotic to say the least. imagine: you’re putting eight of night raven college’s notorious troublemakers unfortunately-involved-in-conflict students in a room for a night, with no ‘true’ housewarden supervision as you’re acting head (and let’s be honest, you enjoy most of it). you can imagine.

except its not that bad. swear on grims tuna!

at least tonight, it’s been pretty chill. grim is obviously swiping all of the snacks the others had brought, ortho true to his word brought a video game for everyone to enjoy along with some board games. there genuinely was an intention to do some studying, but ace said, and quote, ‘we are not doing grandma activities at grandma hour!’

card games was a huge thing for you guys, even the early sleepers jack and sebek would stay wide away for your guys’ tournaments. sometimes it was spoons, other times it was bullshit, occasionally it was a big spit tournament, and recently, uno got banned from the ramshackle household for the foreseeable future as a certain someone broke furniture last time and you were not having it. 

tonight, it was a match of spoons. strangely enough, deuce was knocked out of the competition first round, much to his dismay and much to grim’s contentment, as it was usually the little feline that got knocked out first round due to not being able to reach fast enough (even when given the ‘you can sit closer to the spoons’ advantage). 

sebek proudly held up a bent metal spoon as he took ace out of the second to last round, leaving him and ortho as the final two. you can add this to the growing pile of ‘spoons that have been bent due to the first-year squad™’  “alright, that’s enough. it’s BYOS—bring your own spoons— next time!” you sighed, quietly mourning your metal spoon.

grim snickered, “hey, deuce, since you lost the first round, you need to bring the replacement spoon. off you go, my little lackey!” 

as ace begrudgingly shuffled the deck, everyone looked over at deuce who had…fallen asleep? he was slumped over the coffee table, his phone laid next to him, quietly snoring. “it is not sleeptime! even jack and sebek are still awake.”

epel shrugged, looking at everyone, “he’s prolly just tired. get a picture though.” ortho was quick to snap a few pics at nice angles. he went over to ace, and they shared a look, the look. 

“hey, maybe we should move him—” jack said, starting to push up from the floor to move his sleep-ridden friend, but ortho hovered over, silently cackling behind his hand as he blocked jack’s route.

ace straighted up, clearing his throat, “wow guys! i suuuuree am happy we studied for that extra hard exam we have tomorrow for history of magic! i would hate to be sleeping…this exam is worth half our final grade!” ace said, enunciating certain words as he held his phone, the camera pointed towards his friend.

seemingly, some words got through to your dear friend, as deuce shot his head up, hair already in dismay as he frantically looked around the room, “no way! i can’t afford to fail, then i really won’t be an honors student!” he panicked, grabbing the nearest book, frantically skimming through it.

“hey, loosey-deucy~” ace called out, “look over here!” 

before deuce could even react, a flash of light blinded him, his eyes wide as he had yet to register what was going on.

“pfft—” grim laughed, covering his mouth with his paw. “deuce, you idiot!” 

you sighed, shaking your head. one of your hands reached your temple, rubbing small circles at your friends. you looked around, at least hoping someone was taking this a little more seriously, but you couldn’t help but start laughing alongside everyone. hell, if sebek and jack were stifling laughs, that just told you it was funny. 

“awe man, i’m gonna bust a gut!” ace hollered, holding his phone away as he rapidly started tapping his screen, trying to keep it away from his now angered friend. deuce angrily gritted, getting up to go after ace, but ortho came and held him back. 

seven phone notifications went off at the same time in the living room as ace happily tossed his phone to the side. his bubble of happiness soon popped as deuce finally got past ortho and was shaking ace by his collar. of course, ortho recorded that. you looked down at the notification you got on your phone, it was from magicam:

ace_trappola_ tagged you in a story.

before you could open the notification, epel elbowed your arm, tears in his eyes from his laughter as he showed you the post:

(please click, it’s a video)

eventually, everyone settled down — kinda. at least there were no more casualties in the form of spoons (for now). as per usual, sebek and jack called it earlier than the rest of you, sebek sitting up every few minutes to lowly, “SHH. CEASE YOUR CHATTER!” which got him a pillowfull from jack the last time around. 

everyone finally settled for bed, everyone was accounted for, except for one sneaky heartslabyul first-year that probably went to the bathroom. the living room was dark, except for the moonlight filtering in through the window. nights like these really made being transported to twisted wonderland worth it…

except there was a small led light that turned on, you flipped to the side to see epel on his phone, “you okay, epel…?”

“oh! yeah, everything’s good. i’m just makin’ sure vil doesn’t know how late i‘m stayn’ up. he’ll really have my head,” epel said quietly, locking his screen, giving you a quiet goodnight. 

right before you drifted off to sleep, you felt your phone vibrate. you grabbed it from underneath your pillow and dismissed the spam email. however, you noticed you had missed a notification from magicam, when did that come in…? nrc.confessionz started following you.

previous: promo post <- masterlist -> next: a bald accusation (to be posted).

taglist (open!): @yyuangss @shikiyomizu

note: i’m ngl ive had that smau post of deuce done for a week and i giggle everytime i watch it again i hope you guys find it funny :( first twst writing WOOO im so hype.

check out the promo post to see how you can be involved in the story!

ace, deuce, jack, epel, ortho, and sebek…and of course, grim, but you and him are essentially a no-brainer. the ‘first-year squad’, as cater had dutifully named you guys afternoon as him and trey passed by your group in the library once. 

‘oh? hey, look there, trey! it’s our adeuce combi! and all the rest of the first-years. oh em gee, it’s the first-year squad! yeah, let’s get a pic for magicam, you all look totes adorbs!’ and of course, he took multiple pictures much to everyone's dismay, posting it with the appropriate hashtags and tagging everyone.  

guess the nickname stuck around, as most of your guys’ seniors called your group as such. speaking of…

“prefect,” ace whined, laying his head on the lunchroom table, “please, tell me tonight is still on. riddle’s gonna make us study all night if we stay at heartslabyul…” 

a loud snort came from another one of the guys at your table, his arms crossed over his chest, chin held slightly up high, “hah! perhaps it’s for the best tonight gets canceled, knowing you, ace, you need that supervision,” sebek huffed, smugly smirking as ace’s head popped up, “hah? you wanna run that by me again, sebek?”

“ace, cut it out,” deuce said, turning to his friend. “at this rate, she’s going to cancel tonight if you keep acting out like this. and it wouldn’t be a bad idea to get a little studying in…” the heartslabyul first-year with the spade eye makeup said, which just resulted in a snarky comeback from ace, which led to more bickering. 

saved by the hypothetical bell at least— the remainder of your friends made their way to the table, having gotten stuck in their respective classes. sometimes you all would sit with different groups at lunch, but the majority of the time you all have taken to sitting together. 

grim in usual grim fashion was trying to swipe everyone’s food as ‘payment’ for being late, even if he was also late. jack resulted in lecturing grim, ortho and epel were trying to catch up to whatever chaotic mess they came back to. yep, same old same old…

“say, prefect. is the sleepover at ramshackle tonight still awn?” epel asked, straightening up and glancing around to make sure his housewarden (and vice-housewarden at that) didn’t hear his slip in accent. ortho perked up, the little flame over his heart flicking just a bit, “ouu! i can bring this new multi-player game my brother and i were trying out last night!”

you nodded at your two friends, but it seems like everyone else was distracted. you cleared your throat, fist covering your mouth, “hey, guys. remember, sleepover at ramshackle today if your housewardens said yes.”

“and you have to bring a ten-can-of-tuna-entry-fee!” grim said triumphantly, standing up with one paw in the air. you quickly put your hand in front of him, pulling him down the table, “no, you do not,” you deadpanned. 

“you two, cut it out! save it for spelldrive or something!” jack said, turning to the still bickering heartslabyul duo before scratching his head, “actually, that wouldn’t work. you two are in the same dorm…save it for beans day or something, just hope you get put on separate teams…” he trailed off. 

“i never really understood some of the events at night raven…” you added, “i mean, from what you guys have told me, beans day sounds a little similar to something the seniors did at my school.” the guys all turned to face you:

“really? that’s pretty cool! what was that like?” ortho asked.

“well, it was this thing called senior assassin. it wasn’t school sponsored, but the seniors would all be assigned random targets either in duos or a free-for-all, depending what rules the seniors chose that year. basically, they had to ‘take out’ their targets with a water gun. there were some places of immunity like school, anywhere else they had to wear like arm floaties or goggles. it would get pretty intense,” you explained, “oh! and there was a betting pool involved from a registration fee, it could get up to three-hundred to four-hundred depending on the senior class size.”

if possible, you could definitely see thaumark signs over ace’s pupils, “heyy, we should totally do that—” he said before sebek cut him off, “no way, human! she just said it was a senior activity. either way, the great malleus would dominate in such a trivial matter if it was conducted in this school!” he boasted. 

“prefect, are there any other things they did at your school?” deuce asked as epel nodded his head in agreement, “yeah! please tell us, we’d love to hear more about your world’s customs!”

you scratched your temple, “i mean, there wasn’t really much…i feel like everything is boring compared to the things done here.”

after some insistent nagging encouragement, you told them about a few things you could name off the top of your head: homecoming (the game and the dance), prom, certain club events, anything you could think of, even if much wasn’t coming to mind.

“oh! i completely forgot, this actually happened a little before i was transported here. we had an anonymous confessions account.”

most of the guys tilted their heads, “an anonymous what…?” ace asked, raising his brow.

you clapped your hand, “okay, so, basically, someone made an account on our social media, think of it like magicam. people would send in anything. think confessions, rumors, complaints, dating attempts, shit-talking, you name it, someone probably sent it in. the account would post these, most of the time people chose to stay anonymous but some people would put their names, or frame others.” 

“did nobody find out who it was behind the account?” ortho asked, suddenly a lot more invested with the whole mystery. 

shaking your head, you responded, “nope. not that i’m aware of, at least. it was the most recent thing happening before the black carriage ran me over on my way home one night.”

“i’ll say…that must’a gotten around real quick,” epel said while deuce nodded his head

“what a bunch of cowards,” jack said, shaking his head and crossing his arms over his chest, “if they had a problem with each other, no better way then to say it straight to the face, why hide behind—” 

“I COMPLETELY AGREE, JACK!” sebek shouted, startling not only your table, but alerting most of the lunch area, “WHAT COWARDLY BEHAVIOR, ONLY FOOLS WOULD HIDE BEHIND AN ANONYMOUS ACCOUNT TO SPEW RUMOR AND NONSENSE OF OTHERS.” 

…right…

“talk about passionate…” deuce said, his eyes darting around the lunch area. honestly, you could feel a lot of familiar eyes staring right at you guys…“by the seven, sebek, you’re loud as hell.” ace sighed, shaking his head.

“I AM NOT!”

“buddy…” grim shook his head, and some of you laughed it off. lunch wrapped up quick after that and you all planned to see each other later at ramshackle. 

sleepovers at ramshackle were…chaotic to say the least. imagine: you’re putting eight of night raven college’s notorious troublemakers unfortunately-involved-in-conflict students in a room for a night, with no ‘true’ housewarden supervision as you’re acting head (and let’s be honest, you enjoy most of it). you can imagine.

except its not that bad. swear on grims tuna!

at least tonight, it’s been pretty chill. grim is obviously swiping all of the snacks the others had brought, ortho true to his word brought a video game for everyone to enjoy along with some board games. there genuinely was an intention to do some studying, but ace said, and quote, ‘we are not doing grandma activities at grandma hour!’

card games was a huge thing for you guys, even the early sleepers jack and sebek would stay wide away for your guys’ tournaments. sometimes it was spoons, other times it was bullshit, occasionally it was a big spit tournament, and recently, uno got banned from the ramshackle household for the foreseeable future as a certain someone broke furniture last time and you were not having it. 

tonight, it was a match of spoons. strangely enough, deuce was knocked out of the competition first round, much to his dismay and much to grim’s contentment, as it was usually the little feline that got knocked out first round due to not being able to reach fast enough (even when given the ‘you can sit closer to the spoons’ advantage). 

sebek proudly held up a bent metal spoon as he took ace out of the second to last round, leaving him and ortho as the final two. you can add this to the growing pile of ‘spoons that have been bent due to the first-year squad™’  “alright, that’s enough. it’s BYOS—bring your own spoons— next time!” you sighed, quietly mourning your metal spoon.

grim snickered, “hey, deuce, since you lost the first round, you need to bring the replacement spoon. off you go, my little lackey!” 

as ace begrudgingly shuffled the deck, everyone looked over at deuce who had…fallen asleep? he was slumped over the coffee table, his phone laid next to him, quietly snoring. “it is not sleeptime! even jack and sebek are still awake.”

epel shrugged, looking at everyone, “he’s prolly just tired. get a picture though.” ortho was quick to snap a few pics at nice angles. he went over to ace, and they shared a look, the look. 

“hey, maybe we should move him—” jack said, starting to push up from the floor to move his sleep-ridden friend, but ortho hovered over, silently cackling behind his hand as he blocked jack’s route.

ace straighted up, clearing his throat, “wow guys! i suuuuree am happy we studied for that extra hard exam we have tomorrow for history of magic! i would hate to be sleeping…this exam is worth half our final grade!” ace said, enunciating certain words as he held his phone, the camera pointed towards his friend.

seemingly, some words got through to your dear friend, as deuce shot his head up, hair already in dismay as he frantically looked around the room, “no way! i can’t afford to fail, then i really won’t be an honors student!” he panicked, grabbing the nearest book, frantically skimming through it.

“hey, loosey-deucy~” ace called out, “look over here!” 

before deuce could even react, a flash of light blinded him, his eyes wide as he had yet to register what was going on.

“pfft—” grim laughed, covering his mouth with his paw. “deuce, you idiot!” 

you sighed, shaking your head. one of your hands reached your temple, rubbing small circles at your friends. you looked around, at least hoping someone was taking this a little more seriously, but you couldn’t help but start laughing alongside everyone. hell, if sebek and jack were stifling laughs, that just told you it was funny. 

“awe man, i’m gonna bust a gut!” ace hollered, holding his phone away as he rapidly started tapping his screen, trying to keep it away from his now angered friend. deuce angrily gritted, getting up to go after ace, but ortho came and held him back. 

seven phone notifications went off at the same time in the living room as ace happily tossed his phone to the side. his bubble of happiness soon popped as deuce finally got past ortho and was shaking ace by his collar. of course, ortho recorded that. you looked down at the notification you got on your phone, it was from magicam:

ace_trappola_ tagged you in a story.

before you could open the notification, epel elbowed your arm, tears in his eyes from his laughter as he showed you the post:

(please click, it’s a video)

eventually, everyone settled down — kinda. at least there were no more casualties in the form of spoons (for now). as per usual, sebek and jack called it earlier than the rest of you, sebek sitting up every few minutes to lowly, “SHH. CEASE YOUR CHATTER!” which got him a pillowfull from jack the last time around. 

everyone finally settled for bed, everyone was accounted for, except for one sneaky heartslabyul first-year that probably went to the bathroom. the living room was dark, except for the moonlight filtering in through the window. nights like these really made being transported to twisted wonderland worth it…

except there was a small led light that turned on, you flipped to the side to see epel on his phone, “you okay, epel…?”

“oh! yeah, everything’s good. i’m just makin’ sure vil doesn’t know how late i‘m stayn’ up. he’ll really have my head,” epel said quietly, locking his screen, giving you a quiet goodnight. 

right before you drifted off to sleep, you felt your phone vibrate. you grabbed it from underneath your pillow and dismissed the spam email. however, you noticed you had missed a notification from magicam, when did that come in…? nrc.confessionz started following you.

previous: promo post <- masterlist -> next: a bald accusation (to be posted).

taglist (open!): @yyuangss @shikiyomizu

note: i’m ngl ive had that smau post of deuce done for a week and i giggle everytime i watch it again i hope you guys find it funny :( first twst writing WOOO im so hype.

check out the promo post to see how you can be involved in the story!

Foothill Town and Night Raven College jointly presents: “Rediscover the local area’s charm points!” Select an outfit that catches your eye from one of the options provided by the town’s tailor, and showcase a place on the island you’d recommend. The long-standing pâtisserie, Bonbon Recette, will also have a birthday cake prepared for you. Please, we hope you have a spectacular birthday on Sage’s Island!

[Main Street]

Sebek: I'm to introduce a spot I recommend, hm…? I have little experience when it comes to filming, but I will get this done as perfectly as I can.

Sebek: I see you are to join me as my assistant today. You better not slow me down, [Yuu]!

[Yuu nods]

Sebek: First, we'll go select my outfit for today. I must wear the proper attire for this event.

[Sewing Room]

Sebek: Ohh! All of these clothes here make for quite a spectacle.

Sebek: There are shirts, jackets, and slacks… Heh, it seems they've gathered together the styles and designs that I prefer.

Sebek: Do I like a crisp, more formal outfit? Obviously. As one of my liege's guards, I can't go around dressed slovenly!

Sebek: Even when it comes to my personal tastes in clothes, I tend to be neat and tidy, as well. That way I can stand tall with pride.

Sebek: Oh, this black jacket isn't bad at all. Don't you think so, [Yuu]?

1. It might not suit the season…

Sebek: Urgh… You're right. Whether or not an individual is capable of selecting an appropriate outfit for the occasion is a factor in discerning their character. Sebek: Well then, I'll select something else. I have to suit the season… If I were to embody spring, I suppose I would require a more vibrant color.

2. I feel like a crimson jacket would suit you.

Sebek: Crimson…!? Wouldn't that be too vibrant? It would defeat the purpose of showcasing a shop if I were to stand out too much. Sebek: Fine, I'll at least try it on. …Hm? Oh, it's actually not that bad of a look.

Sebek: Now I'll need to find inner and bottom layers to go with this jacket, as well as accessories.

Sebek: We have no time to dawdle. If you see anything good, bring it to me immediately. Understand, human!?

Sebek: Alright, I've finished changed. …It suits me? Heh, I completely agree. Looks as though your opinion can actually be useful at times.

Sebek: The fabric I have on my waste is something called a tiered design. This is the first time I've worn something like this, but it works as a colorful accent.

Sebek: I chose to also set my hair in a different style than usual. I don't often let my bangs hang down, so it's a nice change of pace.

Sebek: I believe I've come out looking perfect for a video shoot. Now, time to quickly head into town!

[Sage‘s Island – Foothill Town]

Sebek: Whew… The town is always bustling. It's a strange feeling to see it so filled with people during the day.

1. Is it different back home? 2. What do you mean?

Sebek: I was born and raised in Briar Valley, you see, where it is mostly inhabited by faes. Most of them awaken after the sun has gone down.

Sebek: That's why it is quieter during the day. The only places where shops are open while the sun is still up are those where humans tend to gather.

Sebek: My father is a dentist there, as well. In order to make the lives more convenient for those who cannot use magic…

Sebek: …There are basic infrastructure like water and electricity present. However, there are much less people and shops when compared to Foothill Town.

Sebek: I never had trouble shopping for groceries or other necessary goods… But it could take some time for me to obtain a book that I had been eyeing.

Sebek: Nowadays, I am able to use both the school library, as well as the town bookstore. This environment is not so bad for being able to fully enjoy my hobbies.

???: Oh hey, Croc-chan. You got a real stylish red jacket on, don'tcha?

Sebek: WAAUGH!? DON'T JUST COME OUT OF NOWHERE, FLOYD-SENPAI!

Floyd: Looove that big reaction～ And seein' Shrimpy-chan jump like that was awesome, too. If you're wearing that outfit… Does that mean you're filmin' that one thing?

Sebek: I HAVE NO REASON TO EXPLAIN MYSELF TO YOU!! We're going, [Yuu].

[Yuu nods]

Sebek: I was worried what might've happened after running into that troublesome fellow… But it seems we've arrived safely. This is our final destination.

Floyd: Oooh, a shoe store, huh. I wasn't expecting you to like shoes, Croc-chan～

Sebek: I wouldn't say I like them per se, but I like to dress well all the way down to my toes. As my lord's guard, it's only natu…

Sebek: YOU!! WHY ARE YOU HERE!?

Floyd: Ain't got a reason, I just followed you, is all～ I got curious to know where you were headed.

Floyd: The entrance is a bit small, but it's actually pretty big on the inside. Oooh, that's an interesting sneaker design.

[Floyd wanders off]

Sebek: He just followed us on his own, and then wandered off on his own… This store has a wide selection. I'm sure we won't be coming back anytime soon.

Sebek: They of course have loafers and sneakers, but they also deal in sports shoes, as well.

Sebek: Previously, when I ran into Deuce here, he was trying on some sneakers with loud colors.

Sebek: …Ah, this isn't the time for idle chit-chat. We should start filming quickly.

Sebek: It'll be more than troublesome if that human comes back. Hurry, [Yuu]!

[Yuu nods]

[Sage‘s Island – Foothill Town]

Roll camera!

Sebek: Ahem. Today, I shall be showcasing this shoe store in Foothill Town. The entrance may be a little out of the way…

Sebek: But as you can see, the store is considerably deep. They carry a plethora of different styles of shoes. For examples, they have this pair of sneakers that…

[Floyd jumps in front of camera]

Floyd: Yo, these sneakers have clear soles. They look like sea cucumbers that you could find in the depths of the ocean!

Sebek: Hey, you! I'm filming! Don't come between me and the camera!

Floyd: That’s why I'm showin' off these sneakers for you. Don'tcha think this design is killer?

Floyd: Ooh, this one's got a sandal-like look to 'em. This one's prolly better to buy right now, whaddya think, Croc-chan?

Sebek: Ignore him… Ignore him, [Yuu]. We can't let this guy throw our whole event into disarray.

Floyd: Meeeh, not that I really care what you think, so. Ooh, those high-top shoes over there look cool too～

Sebek: [silence]

Floyd: But I think these might be a little too small for me. Maybe they got other sizes in the back.

Sebek: HEY! DON'T JUST GO INTO THE REAR OF THE SHOP ON YOUR OWN!

Sebek: Ack. I didn't mean to say anything, but after witnessing that moment of sheer audacity, I just… Fine then.

Sebek: Just call for a salesperson. They'll get you the correct size, as well as check to see whether the shape fits your feet.

Sebek: This shop isn't just known for their vast selection. Their staff is also top notch.

Sebek: They even offer a service where they'll help select shoes that would best match your needs and walking habits.

Floyd: Oooh. You sure know your stuff.

Sebek: Hmph. Naturally. I have my own pair of shoes that I've had made here before.

Sebek: Shoes are just as much of a vital part of your altogether appearance as your hair. You cannot slack on setting either.

Sebek: Wearing shoes with peeling tips, or scuffed sides is completely preposterous…

Sebek: IT WOULD BRING SHAME TO MY LEIGE IF I WERE STAND BEHIND HIM WITH SHOES IN SUCH A STATE!

Sebek: These loafers are the same style as the one I bought previously. They aren't extremely fancy, but see how it has an elegant shape.

Sebek: This cream would be best used to maintain them. I would recommend purchasing them alongside the shoes. Also…

Sebek: None of that footage was any good because you kept bothering us! We'll have to reshoot it aga… Hm?

Sebek: It actually turned out well? …Hm. You're right, my explanations seemed to end up flowing very smoothly.

Sebek: I was worried for how disastrous it would have ended up, since Floyd-senpai kept barging in, but I suppose there was some silver lining to it all.

Floyd: That's nice, Croc-chan. Y'know, you should thank your elders properly, hmm?

Sebek: As if I would! Sheesh, there's no end to the annoyance…

Floyd: Yeah, yeah. Anyway, check out these sandals. Aren't they super rad?

Sebek: WHO CARES!? …Though, I suppose they're not that bad.

Floyd: They brought out a ton more than the ones I was looking at earlier. They fit nicely, and I took a liking to 'em, so I bought 'em.

Floyd: If I complained 'bout how lame it looked, or tight it felt, they'd bring out a new one in a snap. I think I get why you like 'em so much, Croc-chan.

Sebek: Right. I will agree with you on that point. That shop owner gives fantastic advice, for a human.

Sebek: Back when I first came to this shop, it was all thanks to him that I was able to find a high-quality pair of shoes. After that, I continued to patronize this shop.

Sebek: Good shops should receive credit where it's due. That is why I chose this place to showcase.

Sebek: In any case, that ends our shoot. Hmph, next time I visit, it will be as a customer.

[Sage‘s Island – Bonbon Recette]

Sebek: …Whew. Am I tired? You really shouldn't have to ask me that. Because…

Floyd: I was about to buy something real cool 'cause I followed after you, and now I get to eat cake. Lucky me!

Sebek: …I didn't think Floyd-senpai would follow us here, as well. Well, whatever. Time for my specially made cake.

Sebek: Oh, this… is a strawberry tart. The fruit looks so succulent and bright. I'll dig in right away.

Sebek: …Mmm! The rich sweetness and strawberry scent melts in my mouth… It's delicious!

1. Happy Birthday! 2. That looks so tasty!

Floyd: Happy B-Daaay. Mmkay, then I'll have a bite of cake too. I'll start with… Ooh, that looks good.

Sebek: Seriously, he knows nothing of restraint. I'm completely exhausted now, and it has nothing to do with the filming itself.

Sebek: Well, whatever. You eat too, [Yuu]. Everything finished smoothly thanks to your help. So… Thank you…

Sebek: …This turned out to be a livelier birthday than I expected. I will devote myself into making sure this is yet another fruitful year.

Uh-oh!  Your  plans  go  awry  right  in  the  midst  of  your  semester  when  the  headmage  insists  you  all  opt  for  joining  a   club.  You  want  to  lay  low,  but  your  grade  depends  on  your  extracurricular  activities,  so  poor  little  you  has  to  drag  yourself  out  of  your  spot  by  a  random,  murky  tree  and  comply. In  the  distance,  you  hear  Yuu  pick  the  basketball  club,  ever  so  happy  with  their  ragtag  bunch  of  companions. 

As  the  twisted  breeze  whistles  past  your  face,  you  find  yourself  at  a  stalemate:  wavering  between  the  clubs  labeled film studies  and  mountain  lovers;  the  only  clubs having  a  single  member.  You  vacillate  between  Vil  and  Jade;  and  from  what  you  can  remember,  neither  of  them  are  much  fun.  Though  it’s  clear  you  don’t  have  to  exert  yourself  over  it  much  longer,  because  when  a random  boy  bumps  by  you,  ink  blots  and  smudges  out  the  ways  of  the  mountains, already deciding your fate for you.

The meeting spot is somewhere behind somewhere, you keep your head down all the while, even as the silence flourishes into thickness, even as the man of your nightmares sits silently at the far end and grins that cathedral of sharp teeth, just shy of crushing your spirit.

“A member?” Suave as he is, you don’t miss the glister of disappointment in his eyes (expecting someone else, someone named Yuu). Jade is far prettier in person, but you don’t dwell on it for long. “How unexpected.”

He does not deign to ask your name, a reason for gratitude, and so your woebegone, mundane routine continues. You find his composed and charming exterior belies his passion for mushrooms beneath, and it becomes a habit of yours to put an end to him prating before he’s left unchecked forevermore. He rewards you with a cool chuckle, streaks of noctilucent teal slanting along with the tilt of his head. It’s all rehearsed, isn’t it? Jade, even when he acknowledges you, couldn’t be any more robotic.

“During my usual trek,” Jade explains, lashes dipping towards a pale cluster of such umbrella-shaped bodies. “I happened to come across these earlier. You’ll find they grow in peculiar places.”

“Everything here grows in peculiar places,” The forest scent floods your nose as you breathe in. “That’s kind of the brand.”

Jade’s smile does not falter. “How delightfully pragmatic.”

You reach out and poke one of the mushrooms. It yields under your finger, the texture oh-so real, even as it springs back. Vaguely recalling a bad ending recalling spores, you add: “Don’t eat that.”

“I hadn’t intended to,” he replies, and you don’t miss the flicker of surprise coursing through his mismatched gaze. If you didn’t know any better, you’d say the reaction was authentic. “Though I appreciate your concern.”

“It’s not concern,” You turn away, and Jade’s stare scorches the fabric of your clothes. Moisture-laden grass squelches beneath the accidentally aggressive tempo of your boots, and you hope he doesn’t store the sound away as emotion. “If you die, I have to find a new club.”

When your ears crane for the sound of his approaching footsteps, you get a soft chuckle in its stead.

“How reassuring. I shall endeavor to remain alive, then.”

And to think he still doesn’t know your name.

That’s how your days go, and that’s all they’ll be limited to. On Tuesday, you take a tour of Main Street again, and find the eel inexorably staring at the visage of the prefect, so vehemently absorbed in his thoughts as they chatter off to someone faceless. You move, and Jade does not, staying true to the script. You almost feel bad, until the bell rings and you’re forced to take another lesson of flight, listening to Vargas yammer and run his mouth. Strangely so, even the teacher is not privy to your name. How delightfully pragmatic. In turn, you find yourself foraking your duties to Jade’s mushroom lineage.

“Evading your club activities?” You flinch awake from your near nap, head lolling to the side. The familiar voice somehow chimes in even as you sink into the shadows. Jade must be passing by, you think, there’s no other reason he’d willingly approach you. “Dare I ask, are you perhaps displeased with me?”

“Nah.” You quirk a brow at him. Displeased? Of what? “Just needed a break.”

“Ah.” The corners of his lips unravel to reveal that pointy smile you hate. “That certainly eases my worries.”

Standing up, you shrug off your drowsiness. But just as you move — snip — your foot catches on the edge of the bench, and you’re sent headfirst into the ground.

“Careful,”

A firm hold seizes your arm. Bleary-eyed, you blink up at Jade in a daze, the sunlight pooling over the panes of his complexion. “I would hate for my only club member to injure themselves.”

“Your only club member would hate that too.”

A small incline of his head.

“How fortunate we are in our alignment.”

He releases you, the pressure ebbs away as his tall stature’s reduced to a tiny little speck in your vision.

On Wednesday, you willingly skip out on the club meeting and decide to hone your flight skills once more. You catch sight of the prefect sauntering off elsewhere, and trailing after them is one more anomaly. Surprisingly so, Jade does not approach you again, a confirmation that he had not indeed sought after you yesterday. It was more so a twist of fate, and you wonder if he’s already occupied in seeking the prefect out.

Nevertheless, you digress. You abide by your flight class regulations. Until, well... something bonks you over the head and you get a concussion.

There’s a face above you now, bright and frantic and entirely too close. Sunlight halos his warm visage, and the red pools cast your own likeness back at you.

“Ah—! Wait, wait, are you okay?!”

“I didn’t see you! You just kind of— appeared— no, that sounds like I’m blaming you, I’m not blaming you— are you hurt?!”

You blink once, wondering if you should offer formalities to your housewarden.

“…You hit me with a broom.”

“Yes! No— I mean— I did, but not on purpose!”

“…That doesn’t make it better.”

“I know!! I’m sorry!”

You soothe his worries, and he seems ever so desperate to call for Jamil and seek the aid of someone more well-versed in... well, whatever this is. He doesn’t know what to do, you tell yourself, and somehow, that’s how you find yourself back at Scarabia as Kalim accompanies you to the building, fussing over you and the growing bruise on your temple.

Kalim hands you tea, atypical of him even in the absence of his other companion. The padded seats have you all warm and comfortable, and soon enough, you find yourself lost in a one-sided conversation entirely (deprived of something as normal as this for a long, long time).

“You look kind of familiar,” He smiles and your shoulders loosen. “Have we met before?”

“You’re my housewarden.”

“Ohh! That’s why!” The touch of happiness is not scrubbed off his face, even at the tip of your bluntness. It’s a pretty smile, you think.

“Yup..”

“Yes!” He mimics. “I’m Kalim Al-Asim! Oh— wait, I should’ve started with that, sorry— what’s your name?”

You freeze.

A simple, harmless, entirely normal question, yet you find yourself prodding for its reason all the more.

“…Why?”

He blinks.

“Why…? Because I just hit you with a broom.”

“That’s not usually when people ask.”

“Well, I feel like I should know who I’m apologizing to! That’s just polite!”

"I am perfectly capable of holding my own stuff, Sebek. You really don't have to–"

The words didn't even have a chance to leave your mouth before the bag was removed from your shoulder at a speed so alarming, you would almost think the bag carried a weapon and not two measly notebooks and a can of tuna you had found on clearance for Grim.

"NONSENSE." Sebek loudly declared, making several nearby students jump a mile high. Sebek carefully slung your bag over his own shoulder, all while glaring you down as if you had personally offended his entire bloodline.

"You need not burden yourself with unnecessary physical exertion! This is but one of the many duties any respectable knight should carry out!" He held his head high, clearly not seeing reason. He was being ridiculous, and you couldn't help but narrow your eyes at him.

"Uh huh... well, thank you Sebek. However would I have carried that incredibly heavy bag without the help of a strong, trustworthy knight? I may have threw my back out." Your words were laced with sarcasm, yet Sebek only took your words as the highest of praises. His cheeks dusted pink, and he immediately turned his head away from you so that you couldn't see the proud look on his face.

"Of course you would have! Humans are such fragile creatures, after all." He came to an abrupt halt as you reached your classroom, opening the door for you and ushering you inside so he could drop the bag off at your seat before rushing to his own class.

You tried to ignore Ace and Deuce's shit eating grin as they enjoyed watching you and your new personal escort.

"Right then! I shall return after class to ensure you reach your dorm safely. DO NOT TRY AND PICK UP THIS BAG IN MY ABSENCE, I cannot allow for your back to give way! In the meantime, study diligently." His gaze fell upon the two Heartslabyul first years, and with a clenched jaw he barked out at them "AS FOR YOU TWO– REFRAIN FROM DISTRACTING THE PREFECT WITH YOUR USUAL FOOLISHNESS."

And with that, he made his exit. Leaving you to sink further in your chair as the entire class silently stared directly at you with wide eyes. Some of them were confused, others were entertained, and the rest had half a mind to ask you to "blink twice if you need help."

Ace was the first to break the silence.

"Huh! I didn't know you adopted a new dog, prefect! Have you tried teaching him to roll over yet?" You elbowed him in the side, making him flinch back. "Ouch–! Hey, not my fault you managed to rizz up the weirdest guy in the whole school. You're probably stuck with his shadow looming over you for life now, bro."

"It is a little strange to see Sebek giving you royalty treatment. It's not as bad as he is with Malleus, but still." Deuce chimed in, looking at you with more sympathy than Ace had. Though, he couldn't help but admit he was also pretty amused by the entire situation. You let out a groan, dropping your face into your hands.

"I don't know what I did to get here. But can we just drop it for now? I need to focus on something else or my head might explode."

Deuce nodded, agreeing to your wishes immediately. Ace hesitantly dropped the subject, but he was going to make sure to mess with you about this for months to come.

You were so cooked.

The second observation was arguably stranger. And possibly borderline creepy, had it been coming from anyone but Sebek.

You began receiving letters. Handwritten letters that spoke of you as if you were an angel sent to Twisted Wonderland from the divine themselves. At first, you had your doubts that they were actually coming from Sebek, and you almost wondered if someone was pulling a prank on you.

That is, until one of the letters came with a picture. Of him...smiling?

Dear Prefect of Ramshakle Dorm,

Someone has brought it to my attention that you may not be used to recieveing a physical missive from the heart. However. Though I often speak my mind without second thought...for some reason, when I come face to face with your everlasting radiance, I almost find myself unable to express what I truly wish to say to you.

This is no excuse on my part. You are most deserving and worthy of high acclaim. I will do better from here on out to shower you with all the words you must hear about yourself on a daily basis. This includes topics on your emotional strength, your kindness and generosity, your breathtaking beauty. And... your courage. Which you often seem to doubt that you have.

You see, I always find it hard to believe that someone who demonstrates such remarkable courage would often diminish their own worth. Yet, you continue to surprise me. I have decided that I must take it upon myself to correct this at once.

Most mere humans cower away in fear when faced with the disasters that have begun taking place in this school as of late. However, In order to assist your peers, you have put yourself in the face of danger multiple times, despite your lack of magic at that! (Much to my immense worry for you.)

You have the commendable heart of a warrior. Not of a cowardly human. Please remember this when you are feeling less than what you truly are.

I shall begin to wrap this missive up. There is more I would like to say to you, but I know some of it should be said in person. Just know that I admire you, greatly. Far more than what may be considered appropriate.

Inside this envelope, I have attached a photo of my smiling visage for your viewing pleasure. Do with the photo what you will. And perhaps, if you wished to send a photo of yourself back...I would quite enjoy that.

From,

Sebek Zigvolt of Diasomnia Dorm.

Your jaw was practically to the floor as you read the letter to the end. You couldn't believe your eyes.

Sebek wrote all of this for you?! You didn't know he could be so...

Endearing?

You pulled the photo out of the envelope, unable to stop the snort that came out the moment you laid eyes on it. The photo was a tad bit stiff, but he held an honest smile in what looked to be a picture that someone else took for him. Did he have an entire photo shoot for this? The mental image had you wanting to double over in laughter, but you tried to compose yourself. He had pure intentions, after all.

You smiled fondly as you reread the letter, before grabbing your camera and stepping somewhere into the best lighting you could find in the dorm. You'd give him the photo he wanted next time you saw him.

The following day, you felt nervous as you walked side by side with Sebek to the cafeteria. Well... "walked" was putting it lightly. With the way Sebek stood with his back standing impossibly straight, and his eyes scanning his surroundings as if he was waiting for someone to jump out at the both of you with an axe... once again, you felt more like royalty being escorted by their trusty guard dog than a student walking around the school hallways with a friend.

You kept sneaking glances at him through the corner of your eye, hand fidgeting with the envelope you shoved in your pocket, that held the photo you took for him.

And much to your dismay, you heart had begun doing something very inconvenient ever since you read his letter to you the night before.

Because the thing about Sebek was that he never lied or played around. Sure, he may seem to exaggerate sometimes, but you knew him well enough to know by now that whatever he said was exactly how he felt.

"You appear distracted." Sebek brought you out of your thoughts with a voice that was oddly gentle coming from him. "If something troubles you, you need only to say the word."

"No, no. Nothing like that." You attempted to reassure him, but you could tell he wasnt buying it by the way his brows furrowed together. "Actually..."

You pulled out the envelope from your pocket, hand shaking slightly as you held it out to him. His eyes widened for a brief moment, looking at you with uncertainty.

"This is for you." He blinked, breath hitching in his throat as he slowly reached out to accept the envelope like it was a sacred offering from Malleus himself.

"For me?!" You quickly nodded, suddenly very interested in the patterns on the floor's tiles. He carefully began to open the envelope up, and you refused to look up at his reaction.

What if he thought it was strange? Or that you were mocking him? He was so sincere, what if you–

"I SHALL RUN TO DIASOMNIA AT ONCE TO HANG THIS PHOTO UP!" You jumped at his sudden declaration, eyes snapping to look over at him. He held a wide smile on his face, holding the photo of you up like he was looking at a priceless artifact instead of you smiling inside of your dump of a dorm.

He turned the photo around, reading the words you scribbled on the back.

For your viewing pleasure.

"You uh– you don't have to hang it up, it might cramp your gothic style and Malleus bedroom theme you have going on. It was just a silly photo–"

"You and lord Malleus both hold great importance to me. I will treasure this photo until the day I cease my breath." He cast simple magic on the photo to keep it safe, before placing it in the pocket of his uniform. You let out a sigh, shaking your head fondly at his nonsense.

"If you say so. Can I come with you back to Diasomnia, then?" You felt him stiffen, before he took in a deep breath.

"Though I would be honored to take you, I instead have a request of you." He suddenly appeared bashful, and your head tilted in curiosity as the tips of his ears turned red. "I originally wanted to wait until I could take you back to Brair Valley for this, but Lilia told me that he had a change in his wisdom and that there was no time like the present to do this...so, prefect...if you would meet me on the courtyard's bench tonight when the clock strikes midnight...there is something I wish to tell you."

You felt your heart flutter nervously in your chest, stomach twisting as your mind raced with possibilities of what he may say.

Was he going to...

"With that, I will see you tonight if you accept!"

And before you could reply, he was gone. Taking the photo of you with him.

By the time night rolled around, you were a wreck.

"You've been pacing for twenty minutes!" Grim spoke between bites of the discount tuna you gave him, watching you with an unimpressed stare. "You're makin me dizzy over here."

"I can't help it, Grim! Sebek will be here in just a few minutes. What if he wants to tell me all of this is over? That his letters to me were a mistake and he never wants to carry a book or bag for me again ever in my feeble human existence?"

"Listen up, henchhuman! I'm only gonna say this once!" Grim suddenly declared, pointing a paw at you as he stood up like he was about to give you a grand speech for a pep talk. "Take it from me, the great love expert! You're way too good for that guy. There's no way he's just gonna up and leave you, unless he just wants to die alone. If anything, you should tell him to give you compensation for your time."

You looked at Grim through narrowed eyes. "Love expert my ass! I'm not asking him to pay me for going out with him."

Your gaze shifted to your watch, and with a heavy sigh, you flick your hand at Grim, shooing him off. "Alright. Time's up. Go hide behind a bush or something and DON'T say a word, or set anything on fire unless you want to be scrubbing the campus toilets for a month straight."

"You wouldn't–!"

"Crowley would love to put you on janitor duty again. Don't try me." Grim heeded your warning, for once.

You sat yourself down on the bench as midnight approached, your hands fidgeting with each other as you attempted to calm yourself down.

You knew you were overthinking.

Sebek may be considered rude to those who didn't know him well, but he wouldn't drag you all the way out here just to say something cruel and hurt your feelings. You knew he wouldn't.

So then why were you so...

"PREFECT!" You flinched, the man of the hour suddenly appearing before you. You couldn't help but notice how...polished he looked.

Did he style his hair more than usual? And his outfit...

You had to try and stop the amused smile from spreading on your face. He really went all out for this.

"Thank you for accepting my request to meet me here tonight." He cleared his throat, taking a seat on the bench beside you, with enough space in between you for a whole other person. You opened your mouth to comment on it, but he continued speaking.

"As of late, I've been thinking a great deal."

"Oh? How dangerous." You shot back to tease him, which he decided to ignore. But not before throwing you an unimpressed side eye.

"For many years, my life has had a singular purpose. To serve and protect Lord Malleus. To become a great knight, so that I could protect Briar Valley." That much you already knew. It wasn't like he didn't talk about that constantly. "My loyalty to him will never waver, for it is my greatest honor to stand at his side." You nodded, and then Sebek's voice softened.

"However, recently...my attention became divided. I found myself distracted with thoughts and feelings I had never experienced before. And at first I thought I must have grown ill."

Your heart stuttered, urging for him to continue. His gaze landed directly onto you, and very cautiously, he slid one of his hands into yours. They were rough and calloused...as well as a bit sweaty from what you assumed were nerves.

"But then Lilia informed me that the symptoms I was experiencing was...romantic affection. Towards you."

"Sebek, I–" you couldn't finish your thought. In all honesty, you were speechless. Of all people you could pull in Twisted Wonderland, you never would have guessed it would be him.

"I will admit, I did try to correct these feelings. But I failed. The situation only worsened, and soon I felt consumed by thoughts of you."

"Consumed, huh? Is that why you started stalking me everywhere?"

"I– STALKING?! I WAS ENSURING YOUR SAFETY, HUMAN!" You let out a laugh at how flustered he suddenly became, and Sebek sighed. You were impossible.

"If that's what you wanna call it."

Sebek may have looked annoyed at your teasing, but the way his thumb tenderly brushed the back of your hand was enough to tell you that he didn't mind. He adored you, hopelessly so.

"I admire you." He spoke out. "I often wondered to myself how someone with so little power in this world could possess the strength that you do. Every day I see you doing your best, even when everything seems against you."

"And...?" You were beginning to get impatient, waiting for the words you so desperately wanted to hear–

"And. I love you, prefect." He finally ripped the bandaid off, and you swore you could almost cry. "There is no one else who could be worthy of my affections in the way that you are. I do not expect you to feel the sa–"

You grabbed onto the collar of his shirt, pulling him closer to you and pressing a soft kiss to his cheek. His eyes widened, and you swore he looked like he was going to explode.

"I love you too, Sebek. Very much so."

And in the background, a very unimpressed Grim watched the scene unfold, unsure if he was happy for you or disgusted by all the mush he was witnessing.

He certainly wasn't looking forward to Sebek being at Ramshackle more often.

Dividers by priestboy

Do not steal or use my work for ai purposes. I will eat you.