"Place Your Bets

"Place your bets

with Overblotees"

“I bet on losing dogs”

Perceived as laying all your eggs in one basket, so to speak. Even without confidence of your chosen competitor winning, you want to believe hopelessly that they will not fail you.

Of course you’re typically well aware of their failure before the race begins. You’d hear others make remarks about how naive it is to place your bets on such a pathetic excuse of a runner, all in hushed voices.

But it’s hope, or maybe delusion that pushes you to cheer on the sidelines.

But a losing dog is only that, a loser. It will always fail you. So stop convincing yourself otherwise.

"Silence

with Floyd Leech"

Azul had a dislike towards you. Jade had a hatred for you. Floyd had an infatuation with you.

And you didn't care for any of their opinions, honestly. At some point, you believe that you may have. But like their mixed feelings, your friends share the sentiment.

Your ears and mind would be filled with haunting stories of others' experiences with that dorm's notorious trio. And despite being Floyd's partner, you felt no sense of security. Your boundaries were pushed against, with him teetering on the line of a new fight.

Your yelling was always so amusing to him, like Riddle's, but he believed yours to be out of endearment. He was wrong. His brother and best friend saw this, but not him.

"Leave me alone." That was new. Still, he prodded at your back. A playful tap, like he always did to get you riled up. "Seriously, stop." You persisted with your agitation. And maybe he was in the wrong for continuing to press your buttons. Perhaps he didn't acknowledge your genuine anger soon enough. That's why you said it. "God, I hate you."

Mood ruined. Nothing felt funny about the sinking feeling in his gut. That wasn't normal for him, was it? His chest ached in an unfamiliar sensation and with adrenaline from the hatred of this overwhelming hurt, he left you there in his room.

You didn't know where he went. You hoped he'd get the idea to leave you alone from here on out. Floyd Leech was cruel, and he was proud. So why pretend he's anything more than that?

"You're something, prefect, and I hope for your sake that Floyd does not bite back." Hearing Jade behind you didn't send shivers down your spine like anyone else.

Turning to face him, there was no hint of a smile on his features. "He had it coming, Jade. I feel no remorse."

Oh, how lucky you were.

"Loss of power

with Jade Leech"

Mentions of nudity and the topic of sex, but so sexual intercourse

As he laid underneath you, he was stiff and clearly uncomfortable. His shirt and pants had been shed already, allowing you a clear view to the bumps across his pale skin. His breath was caught in his throat, feeling less like a partner and more like prey. \

Was this how others felt towards him and Floyd? Of course. He knew that because of his cause for his demeanor.

While Floyd was rambunctious and chaotic, reveling in the anxiety of his fellow classmates, Jade did not originally act this way out of fascination for fear. "Jade, you still have a sense of power in this. Say the word, and I'll stop immediately." He snapped out of his thoughts, almost choking from the dryness of his throat.

You still had your clothes on. You were invulnerable in this situation as he was quite literally laying on his back for you. How could you handle this state?

He felt the rush of adrenaline as you leaned a bit closer. You were asking for permission, and he couldn't react. His body felt rigid, and probably was. His heartbeat was in his ears, reminding him of that awful day.

His face was pale as your gaze was soft and direct. Why? Why couldn't he do anything? Why was he so weak underneath you, despite you being so normal about it when the roles were reversed? Sevens, how could he be so scared of a human?

He hadn't noticed you pulled away until a blanket covered him. The plush made contact with his skin and caused him to jump. You took note of it and turned to head to his bathroom. But he was quick to grab your wrist. He was trembling.

"I'd like to apologize. I did not expect a concept involving vulnerability to make me shake like prey. Perhaps we could try again sometime at a later-," you pulled away.

Your expression looked so scary, sending a shiver down his spine. He wasn't used to this feeling of cowardice. "I'm not ever planning to push you into a state of paralysis from fear, Jade. Never again."

He couldn't grab you again as you resumed your way to the door. You shut the door behind you, maybe to give him time to himself.

He felt as if he was on auto-pilot as he doubled over. A sob forced its way out of his mouth, causing him to cover his face. What the hell was going on with him now? Your kindness, and his cowardice. they were so irritating to deal with like this. All your composure in the moment of his crisis caused his cries to increase in volume.

Behind the bathroom door, you sat. Listening to the ever stoic Jade Leech hyperventilate and spiral in his thoughts. He had suggested the possibility of having intimacy where you took charge, claiming it would be interesting.

You should have known it could have resulted in this, but then again. No one could have predicted your boyfriend would experience such a severe reaction.

Maybe you should have stuck in the room to give him a shoulder to cry on, but with all that's happened? Jade may break further if you were to bare genuine witness to his wrecked state.

He wanted to be more than just a predator, to understand your side to the relationship. But he failed, so horrendously. How pathetic. All due to his past of being prey as a child. The memories that would cause him to wake up in a cold sweat, have been the cause of the rift in your bond. At least, that's how he felt.

"Flufftober 2024 (Leaves)

with Vil Schoenheit"

He gently scolded you just minutes before about before careful not to trip in these woods. With all the leaves, it was easy to slip and lose your balance.

But you never listened, did you?

You grabbed the third year's hand and pulled him along in a small run, much to his protest. It must've been ingenuine with how quick he was to follow you. It was common nature for him to follow you where you went. It was an unspoken fact. He adored you much more than others. He didn't mind a small chase for your enjoyment.

He yelped a little as you pulled him down with you. Of course you tripped over a tree root. It appeared his warning fell on deaf ears yet again. He fell beside you into a surprisingly large pile of autumn leaves.

He was ready to lecture you, but he paused abruptly with his mouth agape. You looked shocked, still holding his hand a little tighter then before. You glanced at him, or stared. It felt like you were analyzing him for those 11 seconds he counted. Then you startled him again as you burst out in such a joyous display.

You were laughing. Not just that. You were laughing by his side. Like you were unafraid of him. This whole time, this little date you arranged for the two of you around the ramshackle woods, you never seemed to notice or even care about his face. There was no makeup on his face, and you didn't appear fazed.

So caught up in his own thoughts, he didn't notice the leaf you'd brought up to the side of his face. "It looks like you."

His gaze shifted to the dead piece of plant. If you were any other person, he'd be offended, but he couldn't bring himself to. Not with you. It was a yellow leaf with brown spots dotting it.

"It's my favorite that I've seen, you know." Looking each other in the eyes, he felt his breath get caught in his throat. This wasn't normal for him. "Most people enjoy reds and oranges, but I prefer the yellows and browns. Reds and oranges are what is shown to the public eye, due to the seemingly crisp and prefect nature of them," he didn't stop you when you reached a hand to cup his face. He watched with narrowed eyes as you continued, "but yellows and browns show more character behind them. All the markings are ugly to some, but so beautiful to me."

"Dear, don't tell me you view any aspect of me as ugly, or perceive it as ugly to an audience."

You smiled at his false annoyance. He really didn't do well with being shown such affections. "No, Vil, but I believe you perceived it as so." You pushed the leaf into his free hand that wasn't holding your own. "After all, this is the first time you've allowed me to see you in such a state, with all your internal and maybe even external markings."

So you did notice his lack of makeup.

"But I find all leaves beautiful, you know." You looked at your intertwined hands. "Though this little tangent of mine wasn't just about fall's blessings."

"How to care

with Riddle Rosehearts"

Sitting in his dorm room, trying to fulfill his nightly routine, regret was evident from the slight tremble in his fingertips. It typically happened at the first sign of agitation.

As he replayed all that happened in his head, he couldn't identify the cause for his unrest. The only eventful result from this day was the fact that you both had chosen to split up. But why would that bother him? He was the one who claimed he'd prefer to be alone to focus on academics.

Maybe it was your demeanor that haunted his body. How conflicted you appeared. It wasn't like you were shocked, at least you didn't show it. It was more akin to acceptance, or the struggle to accept the current circumstances.

"If that's what would be best, I won't stop you from leaving," you paused briefly before continuing again, "but I won't be here waiting for you to choose to play that role again."

A curt nod was all you received before he turned on his heels and left you on the steps leading to ramshackle.

He didn't feel much after the interaction until he got back into his dorm. More irritable and agitated, most of his dorm appeared to avoid him actively. That was fine. He'd be fine. He always was.

Epel/Ruggie rambling

I already made a small drabble on this, but I associate Epel's guardedness towards Vil/Ruggie's hesitance towards Leona as the a specific phrase.

"I'll bite the hand that feeds."

Typically used in medias for familial bonds or animals, I admire the concept of someone of less "power" or "status" being more aggressive or passive towards another in the opposing position.

Typically in animals, namely dogs, they aren't aggressive by choice necessarily. Not towards those they value in some form or another. Unless they find it as needed, they try to stay in good graces to ensure they're kept well-fed or stable.

But, how does that change when it's weighed over their head, or used as a tactic of what FEELS like manipulation? The answer is defense. Fight or flight, with their freedom seeming to be the necessity at that very point.

"Maybe I'm afraid of you

I'll bite the hand that feeds me"

Neither are in a dangerous situation, but when it comes to their freedom or rather debts, they feel trapped. People and animals alike do irrational things when they feel afraid.

Even as Vil or Leona try to insist that they live free as they'd like, that underlying belief that it's all fake leaves the younger two feeling like they need to be on guard.

Just a small drabble while I'm half asleep