Knife

One surprise drop in from you and Ortho eventually turned into multiple a month, then a few a week, until Idia was inviting you over of his own volition. As much as Ortho wanted to tease him-- even just a little-- for how close he had gotten to you, he held his tongue in fear that any sideways comment would turn Idia back to locking you out and talking to you though the tablet. But like any good little brother, Ortho noticed how Idia treated you, how he acted around you. He was more animated, willing to tell you about his hobbies, even sharing a few with you. The first time he lent you a few games to try out, Ortho thought maybe there was a glitch in his optical processors. He always assumed his brother had a crush on you, but he was willing to wait for that particular cutscene to play out on its own.

After weeks of warming up to you, Idia invited you over after classes let out to show you something he’d been working on for awhile that had come up in conversation before. A blastcycle he’d been working on, or rather, the engine. He was working on figuring out a new way to improve the efficiency of the exhaust and ventilation while also upping the acceleration. When he told you about it initially, you admitted that anything you knew about blastcycles was through osmosis from Deuce, but you thought technomancy in general sounded really cool. He tried to talk you though it with virtual diagrams, but you weren’t seeming to get it, thus the gutted engine taking up the majority of his room. He waited for you to make your way around to his desk chair before launching into his explanation, handing you things as he explained how they worked inside the engine in tandem with magic. He was getting more and more fired up as he explained everything to you, even going as far as to shuck his hoodie off to dig his arm into the engine block and answering your questions while almost resembling a puffed up peacock. And he got too excited.

As if this were some cheesy anime trope, he tripped over one of the toolboxes scattered across the floor as he went to hand you something, falling straight into you. It wasn’t a clean kiss by any means, faces smashing together at a bruising velocity, the way he immediately pushed himself off the back of the chair to fling himself away, ultimately sending you flying backwards as well. You smacked your shoulder into the edge of his bed frame while he took a gearbox to the back, the two of you groaning in pain, two crumpled piles of embarrassment on his floor.

You got up first, trying to make sure he was alright. He wasn’t, but it wasn’t from the bruise that was surely forming on his back. The second you came into view, his hair erupted with bright pink, no hoodie to hide his face in as he panicked. He tried to apologize from behind the arms he’d wrapped around his head, but all that would come out of his mouth was pathetic squeaking sounds. What a mess. There was no way you’d ever come back to see him, why would you? After this horrific display? He may as well just pack his things and move back to the Island of Woe, it would certainly be easier than the agonizing social death that surely awaited him.

“Idia, BREATHE.” He heard you near his head past his own thoughts. “It’s fine, it was an accident!”

You sounded amused. Peaking out from his arms, he could see you smiling down at him, making his face burn even hotter. Of course you would be amused, you should find this hilarious! Social reject’s first kiss was completely on accident, AND he probably hurt you in the process! Super cool, Idia!

“Oh for God’s sake, Idia, it’s fine!” You insisted as he groaned in embarrassment again, wrapping his arms tighter around his head. “Not an ideal first kiss, but we can try again!”

...

“What...?”

WHAT?!

Riddle was particular. He may have toned things down after his overblot, but he still had standards. And those standards did extend to you. It was the way he approached you every morning, straightening your tie, adjusting the way your jacket laid on your shoulders, sometimes even gently fixing the way your hair laid on your head. He didn’t even know he was just using it as an excuse to be close, if only for a moment, it just felt right to do. You were so consistently associated with Ace and Deuce that you were basically an honorary member of Heartslabyul at this point, and Heartslabyul students don’t walk around campus looking less than their best.

But Trey and Cater noticed. Of course they noticed, they picked up on it by the third time it happened, exchanging glances in a silent conversation behind Riddle’s back as he brushed Grim’s fur off your sleeve. He turned away from you just in time to watch Trey’s hand shoot up to cover a smirk, as Cater fully had to look away. He gave them a confused look before having to turn back to return your farewell, the two of them trying to stifle snickers.

“Oh, for the Great Seven’s sake, what?” Riddle huffed, turning back to his upperclassmen.

“Nothing!” Cater assured him, quickly busying himself with his phone.

“Prefect’s tie wasn’t straight again?” Trey asked, teasing etched into every word.

Riddle blinked at him in confusion for a moment. “What in the world is that supposed to mean?” He asked, arms crossing slowly over his chest as his eyes narrowed in annoyance.

“Nothing, nothing!” Cater waved him off quickly as he tried not to laugh at the expression on Riddle’s face. “C’mon, we shouldn’t be late for class!”

His little corrections came so frequently that, when you arrived at Heartslabyul with Ace and Deuce for an Unbirthday party, no one batted an eye when Riddle approached you to start his usual routine. You were dressed in an outfit that emulated the Heartslabyul uniform, but made it clear that you were a guest; something Riddle had insisted upon when you started being invited to their tea parties on a more regular basis. It had a number of pins and baubles like the typical uniform that often found their way out of position, perfect for Riddle’s need to adjust you. The two of you chatted about how your respective days went as he adjusted the pins on your chest, the lapels of your blazer. Unbeknownst to the two of you, Ace was wrestling Grim away from the pastry table nearby, reminding him for the thousandth time that he had to wait for Riddle’s okay before eating and Grim, for the thousandth time, was having none of it.

Trey, Cater, and Deuce had a front row seat to watch in slow motion as Grim jumped over Ace’s head to fly in your direction just as Riddle’s hands came up to fix your hair. They watched in horror as Grim fell a bit short, ending up using the base of your neck as a springboard to jump back towards the pastries, knocking you forward into Riddle, who-- due to his habit of fixing your appearance-- was right there. With the proximity, you didn’t have time to catch yourself before your lips smashed into his. He was only very briefly stunned before his hands smacked down into your shoulders, pushing you an arm’s length away, both of your faces the same color as his hair. Though, he looked angry. His hands stayed at your shoulders as his head whipped around to find where Grim had landed, only to find the direbeast gorging himself at the pastry table without permission. You were quick to signal Ace to get him under control again, snapping him out of his surprised stupor to spin back around to his original objective, while you handled Riddle.

“Hey, accidents happen!” You assured him quickly, gently grabbing him by the wrist before he could storm off to render judgment. “Neither of us are hurt, it wasn’t the worst outcome in the world! I’m certainly not upset, anyways...”

His cheeks grew somehow hotter, only intensified by Cater’s shout of “get it, Housewarden!” While it settled his heart to know you weren’t upset by what happened, it did not excuse Grim’s actions. He glanced between your smile and the spot where Ace was struggling to hold Grim by the scruff for a moment before sighing heavily. You thought for a moment he had calmed before he raised his staff, swinging it at Grim and shouting his signature spell, Ace’s hand quickly replaced by the heft of the collar around his neck.

“HENCHMAN!”

“Can’t say I didn’t try.”

Being essentially raised by Lilia, Malleus had a penchant for… shenanigans. Unfortunately, being as feared by the general populace as he was, he had very few chances to actually partake in shenanary. It mostly only extended to Lilia and Silver, and occasionally Sebek, though his reactions usually weren’t what he was looking for.

Until he met you.

You who had no idea who he was in the beginning, no fear of his name or status, a willingness to form a friendship with him. And your reactions were perfect for the kind of mischief he liked to get up to. He couldn’t manage it as often as Lilia, but Malleus did very much enjoy startling you. Appearing suddenly behind you while you were walking with the other freshmen, sneaking up on you outside of class. He reveled in the way you startled, more often than not smacking your ineffective hands into his chest or upper arm. But it always ended with a smile on your face, and-- as he eventually figured out-- that’s what he was truly after. There was a feeling that swelled in his chest whenever you smiled at him that he’d never felt before. He wondered if it was the joy of someone treating him like everyone else for the first time in his long life. He'd asked Lilia about the feeling, trying to see if his mentor had ever felt the same, only for the man to laugh at him as if he were still a child. No amount of asking would get Lilia to reveal what he knew, only receiving cryptic responses like “you’ll find out soon enough” and even one “you’ll learn when you’re older.” Regardless of Lilia’s reaction, it didn’t stop his antics, not if it meant seeing you smiling at him again.

Malleus had caught you in the botanical gardens, crouched in front of a patch of flowers you’d been assigned to tend to for a potionology project. You were fully engrossed in your work as you pruned the blooms, even humming a song he didn’t recognize under your breath. No one else around to ruin a good scare, it was almost too perfect. He crept up behind you as silently as he could and crouched down to your level. You didn’t even notice as he turned his head and leaned in close to speak softly in your ear.

“Child of man, what are you--”

You yelped loudly at the sudden voice at your ear, hand balling into a fist to smack whoever was there as your head whipped around to face him, your heads bumping together. No… Not quite. He had maybe gotten a bit too close, and you’d turned your head just the perfect amount to brush your soft lips against his. It only lasted a split second, but never in his life did something that quick feel like such an eternity. You backed away quickly, face burning a bright red as you stammered out frantic apologies, not meeting his eye as he watched you. As calm as he looked on the outside, his thoughts were working overtime, the same feeling swelling tenfold in his chest, every puzzle piece clicking into place as his fingers drifted up to his lips. Ah.

He cut off your stream of apologies with a call of your name, getting you to look back over at him, however hesitantly. “I apologize, that was not the intended outcome.” He said simply, raising a hand to stop you as you opened your mouth to speak again. “However, it was not unwelcome. If you wouldn’t mind, I would like to try that again. Properly.” As precious as your smile was to him, he had a new goal in mind for as long as you’d let him. Your face was quite mesmerizing flushed.

I DO NOT GIVE PERMISSION TO USE MY WORKS TO TRAIN AI

"What do you think, Jamil?" You asked as he turned away from the stove to set a pot on the counter.

"About what?" He asked, not looking up from where he was measuring out ingredients.

You pulled Kalim's notes over to you, squinting down at the page to make out the handwriting. "Lions and tigers and bears, oh my?" You smirked as he snorted out a quiet laugh.

"It's your birthday," he shook his head, looking vaguely amused, "you can get mauled by whatever you want, ya qalbi."

You didn't recognize the word, but it made Kalim's jaw drop as he stared delightedly at Jamil. Jamil on the other hand had completely frozen, staring wide-eyed into the pot, hand hovering above it still clutching the bundle of spices.

You leaned over to Kalim, bumping his arm with your elbow. "What's ya qalbi?"

"It means--!"

"Nothing!" Jamil snapped, interrupting Kalim by shoving a plain flatbread into his mouth. "Don't worry about it. Now either make yourself useful or get out of my kitchen."

You watched as he turned back to the pot, cheeks flushed as he aggressively threw ingredients into it, refusing to even catch you in his peripherals. You shrugged, getting up from the stool again.

"Fine, be that way." You said teasingly as you walked around the island to stand across from him, ducking down to try to meet his eye. "See you later, ya qalbi."

You laughed as he bristled at the word again, tugging his hood more firmly around his head as his face burned red. Maybe someday he'd tell you what it meant. Maybe someday soon if you kept calling him that.

Ya qalbi (يا قلبي) = my heart

Vil Schoenheit

You tried to sit as still as possible as Vil slathered your face in some new serum he was developing. He promised it would be safe and that he just wanted to test it out on different skin types. So you were dragged to Pomefiore before curfew to perform your typical skincare routine, Vil cutting in when it was time to test.

His smooth fingers gliding across your face did nothing for the burn in your cheeks. Not as if you were blushing, it felt tingly and hot like it was burning you.

"What do you think?" He asked, a proud smile on his face as he took a step back, capping the jar again.

You nodded slowly, trying not to let yourself tear up from the feeling in your face. "Great." You choked out, a lot more strangled than you meant to.

His eyes narrowed at you for a moment before he took another step back, tilting his head from side to side as he examined you.

"Your face is getting very red." He observed before meeting your eye with an intense stare. "The truth this time."

You hesitated for a moment, but the feeling was only getting worse. "It burns." You admitted, reaching up to fan your face.

Vil jumped in, grabbing both your hands in one of his and reaching for a pack of facial wipes with another. He sighed heavily, pulling a wipe out and pressing it to your cheek to get the product off. The cooling feeling of it made you sigh in relief as he began to diligently wipe everything off.

"Really, schatzi," he scolded softly, cupping your jaw again to tilt your head to the side, trying to make sure he got all of it, "sparing my feelings doesn't make for a better product."

You paused, furrowing your brows as he turned to grab another wipe. "Schatzi?" You parroted.

His hand paused for a moment on its way to your face, his eyes widening just a fraction. He didn't respond to the question, just did his best to finish wiping the product off. Luckily, the moment it was all off your face, the burning disappeared completely. You let out a sigh of relief as he turned to jot down something in a little notebook.

"Alright, you should head back to your dorm." Vil huffed as he glanced up at you, letting you catch the light dusting of pink across his nose. "Please call me if anything changes."

"Sure," you nodded, hopping up from the chair to head for the door, "good night, schatzi!"

You watched his face go even redder as his hand drifted up to cover his mouth. His expression was twisted somewhere between flattered and completely mortified as you left his room, leaving you with no clue to what the word meant. Maybe you'd just go ask Rook tomorrow.

Schatzi = treasure, diminutive/cutesy

Idia Shroud

You had invited Idia to start playing a sandbox game online with you, hoping playing anything non-competitive with him would help him open up a bit and just talk to you. Anytime he'd see you in person, he'd clam up and run away, leaving you confused in his wake. You'd tried to ask Ortho about it and he just suggested that maybe you needed to get into gaming. Idia did end up joining you in game, even willing to join a voice call after a few weeks of him warming up to you.

So you sat in your dorm and he sat in his, both of you perfectly content with this arrangement. You'd helped him build a base, not realizing how insanely good he already was at this game.

"Ugh, I don't have enough diamonds to build this armor." You complained, clicking through the chests in your base.

"What, you didn't count what you needed before you started?" Idia asked, practically teasing you.

"I did, but I must be horrible at math." You scoffed.

"Fine, I'll go get some for you, agapi mou--"

His voice cut out at the end, and for a second you thought your internet had gone out. But your game didn't drop and neither did the call.

"Idia?" You asked, smacking a pickax in front of his character for a second.

His character backed up to the wall before blipping out of existence, quickly followed by a fumbling sound on the other side of the call before he hung up. If he were anywhere but Ignihyde you'd assume his internet went out. You tried calling him again, only for him to immediately decline the call. You wondered what he'd called you before he cut out... you'd probably have to ask Ortho.

Over in Ignihyde, Idia was curled in a ball in his chair, hair sputtering wildly and flushed practically neon pink.

"I have to disappear," he muttered quickly to himself, absolutely panicking, "I'll be a missing persons case, maybe I can get Azul to drag me to the bottom of the ocean--"

"Idia, it's not that bad!" Ortho tried to assure him.

"Ortho," Idia shot upright, grabbing his little brother by the shoulders, "Ortho, I need you to kill me. One hit KO no respawn, quick as you can, put me out of my misery."

"Idia..."

Before he could continue his begging, a chat notification came through from you that make his hair flush all the way pink again as he screamed.

Idk what happened but you better keep your word and help me find diamonds next time! Night agapi!

Agapi mou (Αγάπη μου) = my love

I DO NOT GIVE PERMISSION TO USE MY WORK TO TRAIN AI

MASTERLIST

"Very well. Class, the rest of you are dismissed, leave your potions where they are." You heard chairs scrape against the floor and retreating footsteps. There was a long pause before the door shut, and you flinched when you heard Crewel whip his pointer against the end of the table. "How many times must I retrain you two unruly pups?! Sit and stay while I attend to your friend."

You sat stock-still, trying not to flinch as you felt your goggles being removed. You heard them clatter onto the table before there was a swish of fabric, and you felt a length of cloth being tied around your head.

"Sir?" You asked hesitantly as he adjusted the fabric over your eyes. "Why do I need to keep my eyes closed?"

"Your friends just created a potent love potion." He sighed heavily. "The potion cancels out if the person you look at is already infatuated, but regardless, I'm not about to take any chances. I will brew an antidote for you, but it will take a some hours to finish... if I start now it may be done by dinner. Until then, I highly recommend keeping this on," his voice dropped to an annoyed grumble, "unless you really feel like falling in love with Trappola."

"Hard pass." You scoffed quietly.

"That's what I thought." He huffed out a laugh before you heard his shoes clack on the floor. "Trappola, escort your friend to the infirmary then return here to help Grim clean up the mess you created. We will discuss your punishment afterwards."

You heard Ace scramble to his feet with a "yes sir" before you felt his hands on your arms, helping maneuver you out of the chair and around the tables. You listened to Grim complain about having to clean before yelping and going quiet as Ace lead you out into the hall. All you could see was the faint lights of the candles filtering through the dark cloth as you passed by as he led you around a few corners, and you nearly felt like you were losing your sense of direction.

"Ace. You're supposed to be bringing me to the infirmary, remember?" You asked as he opened a door, pulling you through it and outside. "Crewel's gonna kill you if he finds out you're parading me around campus."

He scoffed loudly, and you could hear the amusement in his voice as he spoke. "I have a WAY better plan! Faster than some antidote that's gonna take hours. Just trust me, alright?"

"I literally can't see anything, I can do nothing but trust you right now." You rolled your eyes behind your blindfold.

"This'll work! Promise!"

Riddle Rosehearts

You smelled the roses the second the feeling of going through a dorm mirror subsided, Ace dragging you along a little more enthusiastically.

"Ace, why are we in Heartslabyul?" You grumbled, trying to dig in your heels to make time to get answers.

"Because you're still trusting me!" Ace said emphatically, pulling you off the cobbled path and onto the grass.

"And I'm starting to think that I shouldn't!" You mocked his tone, the smell of roses getting stronger as he led you into the maze.

You followed him around a few turns, almost wanting to take off the blindfold just to take away what little power he had over you, before you heard someone talking softly. Ace stopped you a few feet away as the voice stopped with a heavy sigh.

"Ace, what are you doing out of class?" Riddle huffed, you could imagine him crossing his arms. "And why in the world is the Prefect blindfolded?"

"Crewel let us out early because of a potion accident." Ace said flippantly before you felt his hands on your shoulders, pushing you towards the Housewarden.

"Ace--" He didn't give you time to realize what he was doing as he tugged the blindfold down your face and off your eyes. You only saw Riddle for the briefest second-- looking entirely confused and holding two hedgehogs-- before you slapped your hands over your eyes. You were certain that would have been enough for the potion to work, but you felt no different. You peeked out from between your fingers, watching Riddle become more and more confused as he glanced between you and Ace.

"So...?" Ace spoke up from behind you as you hesitantly lowered your hand to cover your mouth, the realization making you blush.

You chanced a look back at Ace, who immediately broke into a wide grin at your red face. "I KNEW IT! See! I told you this would be faster than Crewel making you some antidote!"

"Aren't you supposed to go back and clean up your mess?" You snapped, voice cracking from the sheer strain of your nerves.

"What?" Riddle asked firmly, turning his ire fully towards Ace, who threw his hands up in defeat.

"I'm going, I'm going!" Ace conceded with a wide grin, turning to walk away. "You two have a lot to talk about anyways!"

You and Riddle watched Ace stroll away, casually whistling a tune as he went. You waited for the whistling to be far enough away before you turned to Riddle, who was letting one of the hedgehogs climb up onto his shoulder.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on, or am I going to have to get it out of Ace later?" He asked, his tone much lighter than when he'd been talking to Ace.

In retrospect, it would explain the preferential treatment you got from Riddle. You thought his patience with you had just been because you weren't from this world and didn't have magic. You always thought he was sweet, and Ace and Deuce always thought you were insane to think so. But maybe a crush made more sense between the patience and the helping hand he always had extended for you.

"Yuu?" He asked, snapping your attention back to him.

Maybe a crush made more sense for you too.

Leona Kingscholar

You knew exactly where Ace had taken you the second you stepped through the door, the unmistakable smell of the botanical gardens hitting your nose.

"If you try to shove some flower down my throat while I'm blindfolded, Crewel will be the least of your worries." You threatened Ace as he dragged you down the path.

"Relax, we're here for something else." He scoffed and you felt him slow down. "Now where..." He made a little triumphant noise before dragging you off the path and into the grass, warning you about the foliage a bit too late and laughing as it smacked you in the face.

He dragged you further along into the foliage until you tripped over something soft, hearing a grunt at your feet as you toppled to the ground.

"What the fuck are you two doing?" You heard Leona's voice snap as you scrambled into a sitting position.

You could hear Ace running away, his laughter getting further off as you sat blind in front of Leona of all people. You weren't sure if tripping over the Savanaclaw Housewarden was on purpose, but finding him definitely was.

"You smell terrible." He huffed, suddenly a lot closer than you were expecting. "And why are you lettin' him drag you around blindfolded?"

"Wait--!" You reached up to try to stop him, but it was too late. He'd lifted the edge of the blindfold just enough for you to meet his eye, and you froze.

You felt... nothing?

Huh.

Out of every one of your friends and acquaintances, Leona would've been one of the last people you'd expect to have a crush on you. He was certainly good at hiding it. The only indicator, if it was an indicator at all, would be that he seemed to be nicer to you than others. If you had been anyone else tripping over him, you would be fearing for your life. But that could've been for any number of reasons.

"Ace and Grim blew up my potion in class," you explained, pulling the blindfold off the rest of the way to fiddle with it, ignoring the heat rising on your face, "I guess he was right about this being faster than the antidote..."

Leona stared at you in confusion before leaning forward to sniff the air. His gaze drifted away as he considered the smell, then you watched realization click in his expression, eyes widening just a fraction as he put the pieces together. He clicked his tongue in annoyance, but you could see some red blossoming across the bridge of his nose.

"Go change, shit's bothering my nose." He huffed as he moved to lay back down.

"You don't... wanna talk about it?" You asked hesitantly.

"Not when you smell like that."

Epel Felmier

All you knew was that Ace was dragging you through the sun. No shade from trees giving you break as he led you across the grounds, you could feel yourself starting to sweat under the blindfold. When he eventually stopped, it was still in the sun. He let go of your arm, grass crunching under his shoes as he took a few steps forward.

"HEY!" He shouted, his shadow darting across your vision a few times as he waved an arm through the air.

The two of you stood there in silence for a moment before you heard the telltale sound of a broom approaching, followed by laughter.

"Why'd ya got the Prefect blindfolded?" Epel laughed as you heard him laugh, making you cross your arms over your chest.

"This dumbass blew up my potion in class." You offered as an explanation, swatting at the air with the back of your hand in a fruitless effort to smack Ace.

"What, again?" Epel huffed. "How many times you gonna almost kill em 'fore Crewel gets yer ass?"

"As many times as it takes." Ace joked, making you swat in his direction again, actually managing to catch his sleeve this time.

"Y'all need me to go find Vil for ya? He can probably brew ya somethin' for it, no problem."

"Nah, they're fine." Ace insisted just before your blindfold was pulled down, too quickly for you to realize what was happening. "See?"

You were blinded for a brief moment by the sun, but not enough to miss out on eye contact with Epel, confused and amused as he leaned on his broom. You blinked against the light, using the brightness as an excuse to shield your quickly reddening face from view. It wasn't as if you didn't know Epel thought of you different than the rest of your friend group, he wasn't the best at hiding it, always trying to impress you with whatever he was up to or trying to help you out with every little thing. You supposed it was just different to have the confirmation.

"Uh-huh... And you needed me to bear witness to that, why?" Epel asked hesitantly.

"Cause it was a love potion that doesn't work if who ever you make eye contact with first has a crush." Ace explained with a shit eating grin. "Have fun!"

There was a long pause as you peeked out at Epel from between your fingers, watching his stunned expression as he processed Ace's words.

"That was a joke, right?" He called after Ace, who was already a ways down the path. "Ace?!"

"It wasn't..." You sighed, dropping your hand from your face, watching his go up to cover his own. "I'm really sorry, Epel."

"Man, can't tell that jerk anything in confidence..." Epel grumbled under his breath, scratching at the back of his neck, his ears going red as he refused to look at you. "Ain't your fault... but, uh, now that you know... did you maybe want to--"

"FELMIER." Coach Vargas shouted from the field, making you both jump. "BACK IN THE AIR UNLESS YOU WANT TO BE ON MY ADVANCED REGIMEN FOR THE NEXT WEEK!"

"Shit! We'll talk later, promise!"

You gave him a wave as he hopped back onto his broom to go rejoin his class. You weren't sure whether to punch Ace or thank him, and Epel was grappling with the same question.

Lilia Vanrouge

You recognized the sounds of the main street bricks under your feet, if you had to guess by sound and your internal compass alone. There was a brief thrum of magic before Ace let out a loud yelp, stumbling backwards into you. You grabbed onto his jacket to keep you both upright as you heard familiar laughter from just ahead.

"Just where are you two off to in the middle of the day? Hm?" You heard Lilia croon from his usual spot; hovering just above eye line.

"Bringing the Prefect back to Ramshackle to rest up." Ace explained in a tone that clearly read as lying as he stepped away from you, leaving you blind in the path.

You felt a finger drag across your forehead before Lilia tutted just in front of you, nearly making you jump. "Another mishap in potionology huh? Did you forget where the infirmary is, Ace?"

"What, no!" Ace defended himself quickly. "I just got a better plan than waitin' for some antidote."

You heard Lilia hum as he examined the substance he gathered off your skin, not able to see the sly smirk that grew on his face at the realization of what exactly had happened.

"I understand." Lilia nodded, and you heard his shoes clack onto the ground just in front of you. "It's quite dangerous to go running around with a blindfold on, my dear. Here, let me..."

"Lilia, wait--!"

He pulled the blindfold up, smiling warmly at you as you realized just how close he was. And subsequently realized how not overcome by the effects of a love potion you were. You never would've guessed Lilia had a crush on you, he was just as friendly with you as he was with anyone, in your opinion. You couldn't say you were disappointed, however. Lilia had a knowing look in his eyes as he gently pulled the fabric off your head.

"There, now you'll have no trouble getting back to your dorm." He said softly, pressing the blindfold into your hand.

"Well, that worked." Ace shrugged before turning to head back towards the main building. "See ya later, Yuu!"

Neither of you turned to wave him off. Lilia dusted off the front of your jacket and shoulders as you stood in stunned silence.

"Love potions are such intriguing things, aren't they?" He asked so casually, smirking up at you. "They can tell you all sorts of things about a person."

Ace Trappola

Ace managed to drag you all the way back to Ramshackle, the creaking floorboards and familiar smells welcoming you home as he led you inside. He pulled you along into the lounge, sitting you down on one of the couches before plopping down next to you.

"Ace, why are we here and not just in the infirmary?" You sighed heavily, crossing your arms over your chest.

"Cause this'll be faster than waiting for Crewel, and you're coming to my game tonight." He huffed back, you felt the couch cushion shift as he squirmed in his spot. "Just... don't make this weird."

"What are you talking about?"

In lieu of an answer, you felt his arms go around your head, untying the blindfold from you. He slowly removed the cloth from your face, giving you a nervous look as you made eye contact with him, his face already bright red.

"Don't make it weird, you're gonna be there to watch me win tonight." He said in a highly serious tone.

"Yes, I will be at your game." You snorted out a laugh at his intensity. "...Unless you get detention from Crewel cause you didn't go back to help clean."

"Shit!" He hissed before jumping to his feet, already halfway to the door by the time you called after him.

"We're not done talking about this!"

"DON'T MAKE IT WEIRD."

I DO NOT GIVE PERMISSION TO USE MY WORK TO TRAIN AI

He scoffed, rolling his eyes as he turned into downtown. “I didn’t even want to come in the first place, why the hell would I care about staying?” He glanced over as your phone started to buzz again. “Just answer it. Put some minds at ease so they’ll leave you the fuck alone.”

You sighed heavily before nodding, answering the video call. Immediately three voices shouted through the silence of the car, making you flinch.

“You’re going to get arrested if you do that, dude!” Deuce shouted from the background.

“Yeah, and?!” Ace shot back, also in the background.

“Henchman!” Grim said excitedly, grinning as he saw you, probably having stolen Ace’s phone. “Where are ya? We’re gonna come pick you up!”

“Don’t worry about it, guys.” You sighed, pinching the bridge of your nose. “We figured it out... well, Leona figured it out.”

“Prince lazybones himself?” Ace scoffed from the background. “Yeah right!”

Leona reached over, grabbing your wrist to put the camera in front of him. “Watch your tone, frosh.” He glared at them through the camera for a second, making Ace jump back as if he could reach through the phone.

You pulled your hand back, smacking him lightly as you did. “It’s fine, I’m fine, you don’t have to come get me. We’re not staying at the palace anymore.”

“You know we’ll come get you if you need us to, right?” Deuce asked, leaning into the frame. He looked worried.

“I know, and I appreciate it, but it’s not necessary right now.” You sighed, trying to give them a reassuring smile. “You’ll be the first to know if that changes, promise.”

“And you’re not just saying that because Leona’s right there, right?” Grim asked hesitantly.

“No, I’m not just saying it because Leona’s right here.” You scoffed. “I’m fine, I promise. Sorry for freaking you guys out.”

“Alright... keep us updated, got it?” Ace said, shucking off his jacket again.

“Got it. Good night boys.”

They said their good nights before you hung up the call, sighing as you plopped your phone back into your lap, turning to watch the city go by.

“Shame they’re not better mages,” Leona mused casually, “I’m pretty sure they’d be willing to kill someone for you.”

You grinned at the jab, and the thought. “Yeah, I know.”

..

Leona stopped at a hotel on the opposite side of town, different from the one you’d stayed at when you were in town for the Cloudcalling. He got out first to speak to the valet, who looked entirely flustered to be talking to one of the princes. You opened your door and Leona took a step back towards you, holding a hand out to help you out without breaking eye contact with the valet. As you took his hand, he tossed the valet his keys and turned to pull you to your feet before reaching his arm around to put a hand on your back to guide you into the building. The staff immediately perked up when he walked inside, the woman at the counter looked like she might bolt as he approached. You hung back slightly as he went to talk to her, crossing your arms over your chest as you looked around. It was definitely a nicer hotel, nicer than any you’d ever been to outside the Sunset Savanna anyways. You followed after him when he motioned to you, letting him lead the way to the elevators, not having to wait for it when you got there. The two of you fell back into a tense silence as you rode the elevator up to the top floor, Leona leading you to one of the two rooms there. Either by quick hands or magic, your bags were already waiting for you in the room that looked more like an apartment than a hotel. Bar, huge couch, long dining table, there was even a terrace with a hot tub that overlooked the savanna beyond the city. Leona scooped the bags off the floor and carried them into another room, leaving you to look around, almost afraid to touch anything. You were peeking in the fridge at the snacks and drinks the hotel had when Leona came back, sitting at a stool at the island behind you, tucking his hand against his neck to lean into his arm on the counter.

“He’s full of shit, you know.” He mumbled as you closed the fridge and turned around to join him.

“Who, Falena?” You asked, crossing your arms onto the counter to lean across from him.

He nodded slightly, looking out the window. “Just wanna make sure you know that.”

You sighed, turning your head to look out the window yourself. “Is he, though?” You asked quietly, not turning your head as you felt his eyes on you again. “I mean, it’s not like we’re dating, so he wasn’t wrong to say I’m not your mate. I don’t even know what constitutes a “proper mate” so I have no idea if he’s full of shit on that front.”

You could just barely hear a little growl behind his scoff, glancing over for a second to see one of his flattened ears twitch irritably. “Archaic bullshit that he didn’t even follow is what constitutes a “proper mate.” Hard to tell if he thinks you’re not good enough because you’re human or because you’re from a different world.”

You hummed slightly in understanding. “Sucks though... I thought they liked me.”

“Fuck em.” He spat, his tail swishing softly against the back of the stool. “Their opinion doesn’t fucking matter.”

“It does to me.”

“It shouldn’t because it’s wrong.” He snapped, getting you to look at him finally. There was an intensity behind his eyes that you hadn’t seen since just before his overblot, but this felt different. “Who gives a shit that you ain’t a lioness or that you’re from some other world? Not me. So it shouldn’t matter to them either.”

“You’re getting worked up about this.” You muttered, keeping your voice cool.

“Because I’m pissed.” He snapped back, glaring out the window again. “Bastard can’t just let me make decisions with my life, always has to have some fucking complaint about it.”

“I’m a decision?”

His eyes snapped back to yours at a speed that couldn’t be mistaken as casual, hesitating for a second before clicking his tongue and looking away again. “’S late, I’m tired. C’mon.” He rose from his stool, motioning for you to follow him.

You hesitated for a moment before pushing off the counter and moving to follow him back into the bedroom, barely through the threshold when he tossed your toiletries bag to you. You rolled your eyes at him, giving him a little smirk before moving into the bathroom to get ready for bed. You’d just gotten the last of your makeup off when Leona came in to join you at the other sink to brush his teeth, the two of you getting ready in silence. You waited until he had moved on to wiping off his own makeup, spitting out your toothpaste and looking at him in the mirror.

“You didn’t answer my question.” You pointed out softly as you rinsed your toothbrush.

“Was a dumb question.” He huffed, tossing the used makeup wipe and reaching behind his neck to unclasp necklaces.

“I’d still like an answer.” You sighed, shuffling over to take out his braids.

He hesitated for a second, looking over your face as he pulled a necklace off to toss on the counter. “I can’t.”

“Why not?” You asked, watching him shiver as you carded your fingers through his hair to pull loose the last of one of the braids before moving on to the other.

He caught your hand before you could get to it, holding it between the two of you for a moment before pulling it to his chest, eyes boring into yours. “He wasn’t wrong about me not wanting to claim you as my mate, but he was wrong about the reason.”

“What’s the reason?”

“You’re leaving.” He growled softly, looking almost hurt. “How do you expect me to put all my love and trust into someone who ain’t even gonna be here by the time summer rolls around?”

“You’re putting a surprising amount of faith in Crowley.” You joked softly.

“I’m serious, Yuu.” He leaned in closer, trapping you against the counter. “The only reason I don’t claim you right now is because you being here is fucking temporary, and we both know it. I can’t bet everything I have against Crowley figuring it out.”

You sighed, prying your hand out of his grasp. He took a half step back, expecting you to leave, eyes drifting to the counter as he did. But, to his surprise, you reached up, pulling the clasp off the other braid and gently untwisted it. The hand that was still leaning on the counter slid over to land on your hip as you dragged your fingers through his hair.

“Would it change anything if I told you that I have zero faith in Crowley at this point?” You whispered, reaching around his neck to take off the last of his necklaces as he stepped back into place to trap you against the counter. “Motherfucker’s on another tropical vacation for the holiday. And every time I’ve asked about him finding me a way home, he gets this look on his face like he forgot about it. So I stopped asking.” You rolled your eyes, setting the last two necklaces on the counter. “I started actually taking my classes seriously back before the winter holiday cause I’m almost a hundred percent sure I’m gonna be here next year, Epel, Ace, and Deuce are making plans for me to bounce between their houses during summer vacation. I was gonna ask Shani what she thought about me staying with you guys for a few weeks during the summer, but I guess that’s off the table now.” You looked up, catching his eye again and giving him a small smile. “I don’t know what the hell I’m supposed to do about after graduation, but I’m sure I’ll figure something out.”

“That doesn’t change anything.” He sighed, hand flexing at your hip for a second as he thought. “If he finds you a way home, why wouldn’t you take it?”

You thought for a second, reaching up to slide the shawl out of his jacket. “Have I told you my biggest fear?”

“Don’t change the subject, Herbivore.”

“I’m not, I swear!” You chuckled, carefully folding the shawl as you spoke. “My biggest fear is that Crowley finds me a way home and there’s just... nothing there for me anymore. Everyone thought I was dead and moved on, or maybe this is some isekai situation and I did die, and if I go back they’ll wonder how I crawled out of the grave, and I’ll have the same problem of not existing there that I do here. And that I left this world, with the best friends I’ve ever had, for nothing with no way back.” You huffed out a humorless laugh as you reached back to set the shawl on the counter next to his jewelry. “I worry about it every day. I don’t know how I’d tell him no if he offered me a way back at this point, but... the longer I go without a way home, the less I want to find one.”

“So what’s your answer?”

“I… I think at this point if Crowley found me a way home, I would probably say no.” You explained slowly.

“You think?”

“I’m so scared of going back to nothing.” You whispered, as if you were afraid to face it. “I have a home here, Grim is my family at this point, I have actual ride or die friends here... You’re here. I don’t want to leave everything behind, never to return, I don’t think I can do it again.”

“Swear.” His fingers suddenly tightened on your hip as he stared into your eyes, trying to find any indication you were lying. “Swear that if he gives you the option, you won’t take it.” It was the biggest promise of your life, it would change everything.

You didn’t hesitate in making it. “I swear.”

You barely got the words out before his lips crashed into yours, hungry and desperate like he’d been waiting for the excuse. His free hand reached up to tangle in the hair at the nape of your neck as he deepened the kiss, fingers digging into your hips, sharp teeth grazing against your bottom lip. When you managed to pull away for air, he trailed kisses across your jaw and down your neck, tilting your head to the side to give him more space. He hesitated at the bend between your neck and shoulder, nuzzling into it for a moment.

“You’re staying?” He muttered against your skin as his hand moved from your hair to your other hip.

“I’m staying.” You reassured him, reaching up to card your fingers through his hair.

“You’re staying with me?”

“If you let me.”

He leaned back to look you in the eyes again, noses brushing against each others. “Claiming you as my mate ain’t like dating.” He explained, pushing forward so his lips brushed against yours as he spoke. “You would be mine, and every beastman and merperson and fae would know it.”

You reached up, cupping his jaw in your palms to pull him back slightly, looking him in the eyes. “I’m already yours.”

There was a light rumble in his chest as he bent down slightly to hook his hands under your thighs, hoisting you up onto the counter. He stepped between your legs, grinning as he ducked back into the bend of your neck. “Say that again.” He practically purred.

“I’m yours, Leona.” You rested your head against his, whispering it into his ear as he kissed up and down your neck.

When he got back down to the bend of your neck, you yelped as he bit down hard, hard enough to bleed. His fingers dug into your thighs as you squirmed at the sensation of his teeth sliding out of your skin, quickly replaced by his tongue gliding over the wound. A whimper slid out of your throat as he kissed back up your neck, stopping to nip at your earlobe as he pulled you to the edge of the counter, grinding his hips into yours.

“You’re mine.”

::

When you woke, Leona was draped over you, head on your bare chest, arms locked around your torso, legs tangled together under the blankets. You threaded your fingers into his hair, pulling loose a few knots he’d gotten in the night. As warm and as comfortable as you were, you had to nudge him, pulling your legs free from his.

“Leona, I gotta get up.” You mumbled into the top of his head, not missing the rumble from deep in his chest. “I swear to god, I will piss on this mattress.”

He sighed heavily, releasing your body and lifting his head to let you roll out of bed. When you came back, he was laying on his side, scrolling through his phone. He glanced up as you moved over to your suitcase, pulling out new clothes.

“We literally have nothing to do today, get back over here.” He huffed.

“Excuse me for being hungry.” You scoffed, glancing back at him for a second as you dug for a pair of socks, noticing the smirk on his lips as he admired your figure.

“Food service is coming, they’ll leave it in the other room. C’mere.”

You sighed, dropping your clothes back into the suitcase and walking back over to the bed. He smirked up at you for a second before wrapping an arm around your thighs, pulling you back down onto the blankets. You laughed as he pulled you back over to him, tossing his phone behind him to wrap both arms around your waist. Once the two of you were settled, his eyes drifted to the bite he’d left, a satisfied hum leaving his throat as he reached up to brush a thumb around the scab.

“You better not regret this.” He mumbled, not tearing his eyes from the bite.

You chuckled lightly, pressing a gentle kiss on the corner of his mouth. “I’ve been waiting for you to make another move since the Cloudcalling.”

“What, really?”

You nodded as he finally looked back up into your eyes. “I was worried I was reading you all wrong, that you weren’t actually interested.”

He barked out a sharp laugh. “I knew you were dense, but that’s kinda sad. Even Jack knew I was into ya, I had to threaten him not to say anything.”

“Stop threatening my friends!” You laughed, smacking his chest lightly.

"Tell your friends to stop being easy targets." He shot back with a sharp grin.

..

The comfortable silence you were sharing was broken by a knock on the door. Not the hotel door, the bedroom door. Leona propping himself up to look at it in confusion.

“Leona, Yuu?” A familiar voice called out from behind the door, causing Leona’s expression to drop into a tired scowl. “Your breakfast is here, you may want to come get it before Cheka does.”

Leona growled quietly as he threw the blanket off his legs, moving over to the bags. He grabbed the clothes you’d been pulling out for yourself and tossed them to you before moving to his own bag. You pulled your clothes on quickly, wincing slightly as the collar of your shirt rubbed against the bite. You got up to make the bed as Leona pulled his shirt on, and you admired for a brief moment how rare it was to just see him in a t-shirt and jeans, despite it being the base for his dorm uniform. He caught you admiring, smirking as you tried to play it off by adjusting the blankets on the bed. He wandered over to the other side to help, grabbing his side to spread them out before tossing the pillow back into place. Once the bed was made, he wandered over to you, catching you by the waist to look you in the eyes before placing a swift kiss on your lips.

“C’mon,” he mumbled, kissing you one more time, “before the brat eats everything.”

“I’m ready, you’re the one who’s not moving.” You teased, poking a knuckle into his side as you slipped out of his arms and to the door.

In a turn that surprised both of you, once the door opened, Cheka ran straight to you. He grabbed your hand, swinging it very slightly as he moved to stand next to you. You looked down at him, chuckling as you reached down to hook your finger around his necklace and gently pull it out of his mouth, Leona sliding past the two of you to get to the food cart.

“Hey Cheka.” You smiled at him before glancing around the room. “Where’s your mom?”

“Out there.” He said as he pointed to the terrace where, sure enough, Shani was sitting on the end of one of the lounge chairs. “Auntie, why are you sad?”

“I’m not sad, buddy.” You assured him, scooping him up to rest him on your hip. “I was sad yesterday, but I’m not sad today.”

“That’s good.” He nodded as he pulled his necklace back up to chew on the beads again, which you casually pulled back out as you walked over to Leona. “Mama said you were sad, and that’s why you and Unca aren’t staying at the palace anymore. But if you’re not sad anymore, you can come stay at the palace again, right?”

“Nope.” Leona spoke up from where he was fixing the two of you plates. “We stayed there for a week and now we’re gonna stay here for a week before we go back to school.”

“Oh...” Cheka sighed dejectedly. “Are you still gonna come visit?”

“I think you and your mom might come visit us.” You told him. “And you can ask if you can go with Kifaji to see us off when we leave.”

“Okay...” He grumbled before wiggling to get out of your hold.

You set him back on the ground, laughing as he immediately went over to Leona and tried to swipe a piece of bacon off the tray, getting his hand smacked away by a pair of tongs without Leona even having to look at him. You left them to their usual antics as you headed out to the terrace, Shani’s head snapping up at the sound of the door opening.

“Morning.” You said simply as you closed the door behind you, moving to sit with her in the sun.

“Good morning.” She sighed. “I’m sorry to use the queen card to intrude on the two of you so early, I just had to come to offer my apologies. To you both.”

“It’s okay, Shani, I get it.”

“It’s not okay.” She sighed again, rubbing at her temples. “The nature of your relationship is none of our business, and Falena shouldn’t have gone around acting like it was. Or rather, dismissing it completely. He runs his mouth when he gets any amount of wine in him. I’m not sure if those were his true feeling about it, but judging by the bloody nose, I’d guess they probably were.” She reached out, placing a hand lightly on your knee and smiling. “I assure you, it is a sentiment we do not share.”

“That... actually does make me feel better.” You huffed out a quiet laugh, turning to look out at the view of the savanna, spectacular in the light. “It really sucks that Falena doesn’t actually like or approve of me, but... I’m glad it’s just him, I guess?” You turned back to her with a smile, which fell as you realized her eyes were on your neck. On the bite.

You didn’t get a chance to say anything as Cheka opened the door to the terrace, Leona walking out with two plates before he closed it again, running over to sit next to his mom.

“Really sticking it to the man, huh Leona?” She teased, gesturing to the bite with a smirk as Leona walked over and handed you one of the plates before sitting down next to you.

“He has nothing to do with my decision,” he growled, glaring at her slightly, “but maybe I should thank him for inspiring the conversation.”

“I’m afraid of that ending in another fist fight.” She laughed.

“Wasn’t much of a fight.” He shrugged noncommittally before turning his attention to his breakfast.

“Perhaps you should consider returning to the palace for an afternoon…” She mused, glancing between the two of you.

Leona glanced up, the barest amount of confusion in his eyes. “What, you want to watch your husband get smacked around some more?”

“Not for him.” She corrected quickly as Cheka shuffled over to you, eyeing the bacon on your plate. “I mean you should consider telling your father.”

“Why? So he can voice his displeasure about my life choices too?” Leona huffed irritably, rolling his eyes as he ripped into a sausage. “Pass.”

“He may just be happy to see that you’re happy.” Shani offered as you handed Cheka a piece of bacon, too interested in the conversation to worry about where your food was going.

Leona scoffed, shaking his head as he glared at her again. “You wouldn’t be saying that if you ever got to talk to the old man. Where do you think Falena learned it from? Sure as sh—” He cut himself off, glancing over at Cheka who looked back up at him with a curious expression, “Sure wasn’t Mom.”

“I won’t press the issue, but you should think about it.” She sighed. “Regardless, I am sorry for what happened last night. Falena shouldn’t have been going around acting like your relationship was any of his business.”

“Not your fault.” He shrugged, turning back to his plate.

“I already told Yuu, but it is not a sentiment I share. I am happy for the both of you. If you would like to return to the palace at any point, I will deal with Falena. It is your home as well.”

Leona let out a short and dismissive hum around the food in his mouth, prompting her to stand. Cheka followed after quickly, grabbing her hand as she stepped off to the side.

“Cheka and I will be at the mirror to see you off next weekend,” she said with a light smile, “just let me know if you’d like to meet for lunch while you’re still here.”

“Thanks for coming by, Shani.” You said sincerely.

She nodded, glancing to Leona for a second before turning to leave. He didn’t look up at her, waiting a few moments after the terrace door closed to tear his attention away from his plate, looking at the empty spot she’d been sitting in. You didn’t press, moving to eat some of your own food as his thoughts seemed to wander away. You had wondered about his father, of course. The actual crowned king of the Sunset Savanna, Falena ruling in his father’s place since he became ill. You’d heard a bit about the situation from Kifaji, but never thought it was really your place to ask questions about it. You didn’t know how sick he was, what kind of condition he was in, how long he had left, you didn’t even know his name. You watched Leona picking at his food out of the corner of your eye, wondering if you should even ask what he thought about it.

“My mom would’ve liked you.” He said suddenly. It was quiet, but not sad or longing, more like he was just stating a fact. You didn’t know anything about her either, so you supposed he could’ve been for all you knew.

You leaned over slightly, pressing your shoulder into his bicep as you took a bite of your toast. He wiped his fingers on the napkin on his knee before wrapping his arm around you, pulling your head down into his shoulder and kissing the top of it. As much as you wanted his family to like you, it didn’t matter as much as what he thought. And if he liked having you around enough to make you his mate, then that’s all that mattered.

I DO NOT GIVE PERMISSION TO USE MY WORK TO TRAIN AI

pt.1 :: pt.2 :: pt.3 :: pt.4

MASTERLIST

She went overboard, you kind of expected she would. You’d left with her just after breakfast and didn’t arrive back until just before dinner. She dragged you to high end boutiques-- attendants and guards in tow, of course-- herding you into the dressing rooms and bringing you literal piles of things to try on. By the time you stopped for lunch, you felt dizzy at the sheer amount of money she’d spent. And she didn’t stop at clothes, because of course she didn’t. She bought you shoes and makeup and perfume and accessories and various snacks she just wanted you to try. When you got back to the palace, you ran into Leona in the hall, and he snickered at your bewildered face as Shani directed attendants to bring the bags to your room. You thanked her profusely-- as you had been every time her card was swiped-- and she waved you off, as she did every time.

“Think nothing of it.” She assured you, beaming as she put a warm hand on your shoulder. “I was glad to spend the day with you.”

She squeezed your shoulder once before turning to walk off down the hall, you still dizzy and confused in her wake. You slowly turned to Leona, who was still looking highly amused at your baffled expression.

“She ain’t great at taking no for an answer.” He huffed in explanation.

“She just dropped more money on me than I think I’ll ever see in my life.” You mumbled.

After dinner, Cheka dragged you off to show you his room, Leona reluctantly following after the two of you when you gave him a pleading look. Cheka’s room was-- for lack of a better word-- opulent, for a five year old. A typical large room you’d seen in the palace painted with images of what was depicted at the fountain. Light and bright and colorful, and more gold than any five year old would really ever care about. He sat you and Leona on the floor and started running around the room, stopping in front of you to drop piles of toys at your feet. You did the appropriate amount of oohing and ahhing at his collection as he explained each figure, gave you the names of all his stuffed animals. Leona watched in silence at the interaction, showing a tremendous amount more patience for Cheka than you’d seen out of him previously. At most, he gave a little hum and a nod as Cheka would hand him something, waiting for the boy’s back to be turned to put it down on the floor. He watched as you nodded along with what Cheka was telling you, repeating things back to keep him interested. You smiled as he darted off again, glancing over to Leona for a moment before he darted back and grabbed your wrist with his little hand.

“And this one is my favorite!” Cheka explained, carefully putting a figure in your hand. “Mama says I’m not supposed to play with it ‘cause it’s fragile—” he leaned in conspiratorially, “that means it breaks easy.” You nodded in exaggerated understanding before looking down at what he’d handed you. “I still play with it sometimes, but I try to be extra careful. Kifaji already had to glue the tail back on, see?”

It was a glass-- maybe crystal, considering where you were-- lion, no bigger than the length of your hand. Obviously made to go on display somewhere, not in a child’s bedroom. Sure enough, there was a small crack in the tail, lovingly patched back together with glue.

“Isn’t it pretty, Auntie?” Cheka beamed at you.

“It’s very pretty.” You agreed, holding it back out for him. “But we should maybe put that one back since it’s so fragile and important, we don’t want to mix it up with all your other toys.”

He nodded quickly before carefully wrapping both hands around it and running back to where he’d gotten it from. You turned back to Leona, giving him a questioning look as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

“I got them that to put in the nursery for his first birthday,” he huffed quietly, “not for him to play with.”

“Aw, that’s really sweet.”

He clicked his tongue irritably. “Some cheap mark a dozen trinket from the town. Guess it won’t be my fault if he ends up shatterin’ it and needin’ stitches.”

You stared at him for a moment before snorting out a small laugh. “Way to kill a cute moment.”

The rest of the week was largely the same, Shani bringing you out on nice days to see the garden in the courtyard, Cheka dragging you to every end of the palace to show you all his favorite spots between his lessons, even Kifaji brought you with for your opinion on the preparations for the “gathering” that was supposed to happen over the weekend. You didn’t see Falena often, mostly just during meal times. It wasn’t surprising, the crown prince and acting ruler of an entire nation had to be busy. Conversations with him were usually just small talk. For the most part.

“So, Yuu,” he started after dinner was served on your fourth day there, quickly catching your attention, “I apologize for not asking before, but where are you from?”

You shot a glance at Leona across from you. When he met your gaze, he just shrugged as if to say it was your decision.

“That’s… a long story, actually.” You chuckled awkwardly.

“What, Briar Valley?” Falena asked with a wide smirk. “The islands to the west of the Shaftlands?”

“No, uh…” You hesitated a moment at the implications of telling someone outside Night Raven College about your circumstance. But Falena was kind, and if he was anything like his wife, you didn't think he would just brush you off as insane. “I’m not from Twisted Wonderland.”

There was a short pause as Falena and Shani glanced at each other, then to Leona, who simply nodded at them before going back to his dinner.

“How… does that work?” Falena asked slowly.

“The Dark Mirror transported me here from my world at the beginning of the school year.” You explained awkwardly. “Crowley doesn’t know how how or why it happened, or how to send me home. It’s why I’m at Night Raven despite having no magic in me whatsoever. I deal with… problems for the Headmage and he works on finding me a way back… In theory…” You muttered the last comment under your breath as you turned to your plate.

Shani nodded slowly at the realization. “That’s what you were talking about when I was dressing you for the Cloudcalling.”

“Yeah, he keeps saying he’s working on it but…” You trailed off with a light shrug.

Falena folded his arms over his chest as he leaned back in his chair, examining you for a moment. You squirmed slightly under the unexpected scrutiny. “Another world?”

“Yes. Magic doesn’t exist there… a lot of things here don’t exist there.”

“Interesting… I wonder if there's anything in our libraries on this matter…” He mused.

“There's not.” Leona chimed in gruffly, not looking up from his food.

The table was awkwardly silent for a moment, Falena’s eyes locked on you as you ate. Even here, even with the overblots, you’d never felt smaller. Despite seeming unfazed, you could see the tension in Leona’s posture, even catching his ears twitch back against his skull for a moment. You watched Cheka’s eyes flick between you, his parents, and Leona next to him.

“Regardless, we are glad to have you here now,” Shani said to break the tension, placing a hand on Falena’s arm, “right darling?”

“Of course!” Falena replied quickly, tone quickly changing back to its usual boisterousness. “I suppose I’m just… amazed. I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

::

Looking back, you suppose you should have checked with Leona or Kifaji on what constituted a “small gathering” in a royal household. On Saturday after lunch, Shani followed you to your room, pulling out the dress she’d picked out for you for the event, matching accessories and shoes to it as she shooed you into the bathroom to do your makeup. Looking over the spread on the counter made you nearly as nervous as when Vil picked out a basket of skincare supplies for you after everyone’s return from Styx as a thank you. Not that you didn’t know what products did what or how to use them, but just looking at them, you could tell they were worth more than Ramshackle was before the renovations. Shit, maybe even after the renovations. Even with that horrifying revelation, you did as requested and did your makeup. You were only about halfway through when Shani came in with the full outfit, laying out jewelry on the other side of the counter before handing you the dress and leaving the room. You smirked at the familiarity of it as she closed the door behind her. You changed into the dress quickly, frowning as you looked yourself over in the mirror. The dress was just black and gold, but something about the cut was something you just wouldn’t wear of your own volition. It wasn’t by any means uncomfortable, it fit perfectly, the fabric was buttery smooth, there was only a tasteful amount of leg, and it was objectively gorgeous, but it just felt wrong on your body. Nevertheless, you let Shani back into the bathroom, letting her gush and fawn over you for a moment before going back to your makeup. Once you were done, you slipped on the jewelry she’d picked out and stepped into the shoes. You let her fuss with your hair for a bit before she settled on just keeping it down. She gave you one more look over, beaming excitedly as she did.

“Now that you’re ready,” she started slowly, leading you back into the bedroom where a second outfit was waiting on the bed, “I hoped you could do me a favor.” You watched her curiously as she moved over to the bed, gently scooping the suit off the bedding and giving you an awkward smile as she presented it to you. “You’re the only one here who has a chance of convincing him to wear this.”

The suit, as Shani had done for the Cloudcalling, matched your dress. Black and gold but still muted and classy. Still laying on the bed next to where the suit had been was a neatly folded shawl with a pair of black dress boots on top.

You huffed out a little laugh before carefully taking the suit from her. “I’ll do what I can, but I can’t make any promises.” You assured her, watching her theatrically deflate with relief.

“That is all I ask.” She sighed, giving you a warm smile. “People will start arriving in two hours, so I need to go get Cheka ready. He has the sweetest little suit, I cannot wait to show you!”

Her excitement was infectious as she gave a little bounce on her way out of the room. For a crown princess, in private, she acted like a school girl sometimes and it was completely endearing. You chuckled to yourself at the thought as you carefully draped the suit over your arm to pick up the shawl and boots, adjusting your hold as you felt jewelry folded carefully into the fabric. After making sure you hadn’t dropped anything or left anything behind, you made your way down the hall to Leona’s room, nodding to a pair of passing guards as you went. You knocked on his door and waited a moment, not hearing any movement inside, before letting yourself in. As expected, Leona was sprawled out on his bed, his tail twitching lightly at the sounds of your footsteps. You rolled your eyes fondly as you closed the door behind you, crossing the room to set his outfit down on the dresser.

“Leona.” You called out softly as you moved over to his bed, perching on the edge to lightly shake his shoulder.

You barely had to touch him before he cracked one eye open. His annoyed expression from being woken up quickly melted away to confusion as he looked you over.

“The hell are you wearing?” He grumbled, his voice deeper from how long he’d been asleep.

“Shani picked it out for the party tonight.” You explained before pulling a sly smirk. “Wanna match in public again?”

He pulled his head up off the pillow, turning to look at the suit you’d hung from one of the drawers before grumbling loudly and plopping back down. “Great, so we’re keeping up appearances tonight...” He sighed in realization.

“What do you mean?”

“The last time they made me wear that was when they announced our father’s illness and Falena as the acting king.”

“Oh…” you glanced back at the suit for a moment, “well, Shani did say there was going to be some council members coming.”

He scoffed heavily, closing his eyes again. “What a pain…”

“If it’s too much of a pain, we can just ditch.” You offered with a smirk, gently shoving his shoulder again.

“I’m holding you to that.”

Once Leona was dressed in his suit, he came back out to sit next to you on his bed, tucking the shawl into the suit jacket as you reached over to put in his usual braids. He handed you gold clasps to cover the hair ties as he untangled the assortment of necklaces that had been in the bundle. You’d seen him dressed up before-- the ceremonial robes, the liongarb-- but he’d never looked so… regal. You tore your gaze away to focus on the second braid, tying it off and snapping the clasp into place. You sat back to examine as he slid on the provided rings, watching him flex his fingers with them on. For the first time since you’d met him, he actually looked like the prince that he was.

“What’s that look for?” He asked without looking up.

“Nothing… You look nice.”

“Don’t stare too much, Herbivore,” he smirked, glancing up at you for a second, “I’ll get terribly embarrassed.”

"Oh fuck off!" You laughed, rolling your eyes.

::

It had already been a long night of meeting way more people than you'd expected from a "small gathering" when Cheka found you chatting with a few of the Kingscholar cousins, tugging on your sleeve to get you to lean down to him. You crouched next to him, leaning in for him to speak in your ear as he waved you over.

"I can't find Mama..." He muttered to you. Upon closer inspection, he looked completely nervous, teary eyed, wringing at the hems of his jacket and the sleeves as he glanced around.

"It's okay, Cheka," you assured him just loud enough for him to hear, rubbing his back gently, "I saw her just a little bit ago. Do you want me to help you find her?"

He nodded slowly, shuffling forward to wrap his arms around your neck. You stayed crouched there for a moment before realizing he was not about to let go, too nervous to stay down at knee level anymore. You pulled him a little closer before scooping him into your arms and standing up, turning to give the Kingscholar cousins an apologetic look only to find they had already moved on. No huge loss there. You could hardly blame Cheka for getting lost, the courtyard was huge, especially with so many people milling around. It took longer than you'd been expecting to find his parents. You felt like you'd circled the place at least twice by the time you heard Falena’s boisterous laughter coming from near the fountain. You set Cheka down to lead him over by the hand, slowing to a stop when you heard part of Falena's conversation.

“Well, surely she isn’t Prince Leona’s mate.” An older gentleman huffed, a note of distaste in his tone. You thought you recognized him, a family friend? Maybe a council member? You’d met so many people today.

“Oh, come now, he’s still young! Still in school even!” Falena brushed the man off with his usual smile, you barely noticed Cheka let go of your hand to run and join his parents. “Let the boy have some fun before he rejoins the real world! I’m sure he’ll find a proper mate eventually!”

Your heart sunk to your toes, the bright tone you’d gotten so used to sounded sour now. You weren’t sure why it hurt so bad, it wasn’t as if he was insulting you as Leona’s partner. You weren’t Leona’s partner. You were friends who flirted at the very best, you weren’t even sure if Leona wanted anything more. Maybe it hurt so bad because you now knew if that changed, if Leona did want to be with you, that you weren’t actually accepted by his family. You flinched as you watched Shani smack his arm, glowering at him as she spoke under her breath before Falena’s head snapped over to you. You only froze for a second, watching his expression turn guilty before you disappeared into the crowd. You needed to get out of here, out of the throngs of people, out of the palace, out of the Savanna. You were nearly to the door of the courtyard when someone caught your arm, causing you to swing back around.

“There you are, Herbivore.” Leona grumbled, glancing around at all the people. “I swear, these people get more insufferable every time I come to these things...” His eyes flitted back to you as you tried to level your expression, making him furrow his brows. “What’s wrong?”

“I just remembered I forgot to call Grim,” you lied quickly, “we promised to call every other night. I’ll be right back, okay?”

The lie was weak, forced, he could see the glassiness in your eyes, but Leona figured if it was enough to lie to him about, he should just let you leave. He pulled you in a little closer, lowering his voice. “I’ll meet you in my room in ten, got it?”

You nodded reluctantly, prompting him to let go of your arm. Once his grip was off of you, you gave him a smile that didn’t quite reach your eyes before booking it out of the room. He watched you leave, confused, before turning back to the crowds. It didn’t take him long to find Falena and Shani, Falena obvious getting an earful from his wife while Cheka watched the fish in the fountain.

“...and why does it matter to you who he takes?” He heard Shani growling quietly as he approached. “What business is that of ours, huh?”

“The fuck happened?” Leona hissed quietly when he got close enough, making Falena turn to face him.

Falena groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. “She wasn’t... meant to hear that.” He grumbled.

“Hear what?” Leona snapped, ears flattening against his head. He should’ve known Falena had done something.

“Perhaps you two should take this elsewhere.” Shani snapped, glaring at either of them. “If this comes to blows, I won’t have it be in front of guests.”

“Yes, my love.” Falena sighed before turning to Leona, gesturing for him to follow.

He lead the way out of the courtyard, back into the palace and down a few doors to a lounge off the main hall, a pair of guards moving to post up at the door. Leona could smell the wine drifting off his brother as he walked past to stand in the middle of the room, arms crossed as Falena closed the doors behind them.

“Well?” Leona snapped.

“Come on, brother,” Falena rolled his eyes as he turned around to cross the room, keeping his tone light, “you can’t find fault with my words on this one! Yuu is a nice girl, but let’s be honest, she isn’t exactly mate material!”

Leona’s eyebrows shot to his hairline. “Excuse me?”

“You won’t even acknowledge her as such! I’m sure that’s because you know it too!” He continued, Leona’s glare getting more murderous as he kept shoving his own foot in his mouth.

“And she heard you telling people that?” Leona growled from deep in his chest, tail flicking wildly, pinching the bridge of his nose in irritation. “How many people have you gone around spouting that bullshit to?”

“The few who have asked who she’s supposed to be.” Falena waved him off, rubbing at his forehead. “I’m all for you having fun at school, Leona, I encourage it even! But people are curious, and they know they’re not going to get an answer from you.”

“And what if I had come in here and announced her as my mate?” Leona challenged. “I have no claim to the throne anymore, there’s no need for me to keep up appearances, I can take whoever I want to as a mate.”

“I suppose you can, but her? The magicless human from nowhere?” He scoffed, giving him an incredulous smile. “Leona, she’s just a fun school days’ plaything, not a future wife to a prince!”

“Don’t talk about her like that.” Leona growled again, fists balling up at his sides.

“She is a stepping stone to someone better for you, not--”

Falena didn’t get to finish his sentence as Leona’s fist cracked across his face, sending him stumbling backwards. Before he could even recover, Leona grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, dragging him to eye level. His nose was bleeding, blood dripping down to his chin and onto his shirt as they stared each other down.

“Stop talking or so help me I will make Cheka king before he reaches six.”

“Leona--”

“Shut up.” Leona hissed before tossing him aside to storm out of the room.

He’d wanted an excuse to be done with this whole charade, but not at your expense. He quickly made his way through the palace towards his room, ignoring the few people milling about in the halls. He wasn’t entirely surprised that you weren’t there, in all honesty. You’d probably holed up in your own room to wait everything out. He made his way to his closet, pulling out a suitcase to pack for the foreseeable future. He wasn’t planning on coming back if he could help it, not unless you begged him to. He filled the suitcase with everything he’d need-- clothes, toiletries, chargers, the few trinkets he didn’t want to leave behind-- before tossing it over his shoulder, pocketing his wallet and phone, and heading back out into the hall to head for your room. The guards eyes followed him as he went, obviously curious, but said nothing. He stopped at your door, knocking twice before entering. You turned your head away as he walked in, swiping the sleeve of your shirt across your face as you did. You’d changed out of the dress you’d been in, obviously just throwing on whatever you could get your hands on first to get out of the outfit. The dress was left crumpled on the floor in front of the closet, and the jewelry was scattered across the bed. Leona only barely acknowledged them before putting his suitcase down next to the door as he shut it. He approached you carefully, sitting slowly on the bed next to you and putting a hand on your back.

“Pack your shit, we’re outta here.” He mumbled, dragging his thumb up and down comfortingly.

“What? No, I’m sure I just misunderstood--”

“You didn’t.” He cut you off with a sharp huff of breath. “Sides, it’s too late for understanding, I already decked him.”

“What?!” You exclaimed, turning to face him, eyes red and makeup hastily removed. “Leona, you didn’t!”

“I did.” He said seriously. “He’s my brother before he’s my king, which means I get to put him in his place when he says stupid shit.”

“But... he’s not wrong, I mean--”

“No, he is. Even Shani was tearing him a new asshole.” He huffed, rolling his eyes. “You want help packing?”

You sighed heavily, swiping at your face again. “I’ve already got it all.” You mumbled and he followed your gaze to your suitcase by the bathroom door. “I was thinking about just going but... I didn’t know where to even go. I just didn’t want to go back to the party.”

“I got a plan.” He stood, offering you his hand to follow. “Double check that you’ve got everything, we ain’t comin’ back.”

You took his hand, letting him help you to your feet and stuffing your phone into your pocket before going to check the bathroom to make sure you had everything. He grabbed your suitcase, slinging it over one shoulder, then his own which went over the other. After a moment, you came back out to check the closet and nightstand before joining him at the door. The only things you’d left behind were what Shani had bought you that first day. It didn’t feel right taking any of it with anymore. You followed him silently as he led you through the halls, not saying anything when he glared at anyone who looked at you too closely. He led you out the side exit to the palace’s retinue of cars, stopping behind a black sedan and setting the bags down. He ducked into the driver’s side, pulling the keys from the visor to start the car and crank the heat before motioning for you to hop in. You climbed in the passenger side while he slid the bags into the trunk and pulled out his phone to make some calls. He’d pulled up the number for a hotel, stopping just short of dialing as he heard footsteps jogging to meet him.

“What?” He snapped, glaring up at Kifaji as he stopped next to the car.

“What happened?” Kifaji asked, sounding more tired than anything.

“Falena is a jackass, that’s what happened.” Leona scoffed, shutting the trunk and turning to get into the car. “I’ll call to have someone come get the car after we leave.”

“Leona, please.” Kifaji sighed, stopping him before he could open the door. “Drinks are flowing, I’m certain Falena meant no harm--”

“Doesn’t matter what he meant. He made Yuu cry, I’m not gonna make her put up with his shit for a second longer than she has to.” Leona continued to the driver’s seat, looking back at Kifaji for a second before getting in. “Ask him yourself, if you’re so damn curious.”

Before Kifaji could get out another word, Leona shut the door, neither of you saying anything as he backed out of the parking space and drove off into the night. You watched Kifaji sigh heavily and slowly shake his head in the rearview before disappearing from sight.

I DO NOT GIVE PERMISSION TO USE MY WORK TO TRAIN AI

pt.1 :: pt.2 :: pt.3 :: pt.4