Deuce Spade X Reader - Tumblr Posts

First Years with a reader who sings like the Japanese singer "Ado"

Thank you @fightmeucowardlmao for the suggestion of doing the First years for the Ado reader. Enjoy everyone :)

Ace Trapolla🍒

🍒Ace reaction was literally the shocked pikachu face when he found out that you were a singer. This whole time he has been friends with you since you first arrived to this world, and he find out NOW THAT YOU WERE A FAMOUS SINGER?!??

🍒He was a little bratty with you that you didn't tell him at first, but he got calm down after a while. You thought he was annoying at first, but he turns it up a notch to a whole other level with you as he's going to be popping up all the time whenever you are recording a song. He will literally be in the corner of the room, making silly faces at you to make you laugh or doing random card tricks to distract you.

🍒Despite that, he will be a bit more supportive and make sure you are good after a session or event since he can imagine being a very popular singer will come with problems and stressed. Expect to find a lot of notes with silly/sweet writings on them, along with some cherry flavored candies to help soothe your vocal cords.

🍒Your voice constantly plagues his mind now wherever he goes. He spends more of his time listening to your songs in class and during basketball practice then actually paying attention (but lets be honest, Ace isn't paying attention to ANYTHING in class).

🍒His favorite song of yours is a cover that you did called "Overdose" , he enjoys the beat of the song. He gets that the song is about a toxic/additive behaviors of a relationship, but that's not gonna stop him from enjoying the song.

Deuce Spade♠️

♠️It was actually accidental when Deuce discovered your talent. You were in your dorm room, hitting a high note as you were recording one of your songs until you heard the door open and saw Deuce standing there, like a dear in headlights. The both of you just stared at each other, until Deuce snapped out of it and ran out of your room yelling "SORRY".

♠️He did come back after a while and kept apologizing for disturbing you, but you said it was fine. He shyly said your singing was beautiful and you smiled and thanked him. You both chatted a bit more and he then discovered that not only did you sing very well, but that you were a very famous singer.

♠️Deuce already thought you were amazing to begin with, and now that he just discovered your singing talent, he basically idolized you. He couldn't get over how different you were when you sang, it almost reminded him in a way as he had two sides to himself (his honor student side and his delinquent side).

♠️This boy was basically a cute bodyguard for you, he would always be there to make sure you were doing well and making you some dishes that his mom always made for him, but he would also be very protective of you if a big fan ran up to you and started talking to you.

♠️His favorite song of yours is "Show", He loves seeing confidence that you display when you sing this song. Not only that but he loves the main message of the song is just being yourself and stepping into the spotlight

Jack Howl🐺

🐺Jack realized right away there was more to you that meets the eye, especially after Leona's overblot. He observed how kind and naive you were, but very strong-willed, and he respected that. Jack discovered your singing during one of his morning runs, as his ears twitched upon hearing the sound of someone singing.

🐺He scouted for where the sound was coming from, and he saw you leaning against one of the trees, with a pad + pen out, humming to yourself. Shocked was the first emotion that Jack felt when he discovered that sound was coming from you, as he had no idea that you could sing, and so beautifully at that.

🐺You heard the sound of swishing next to you as you looked up and saw that Jack was a few feet away from you with a surprised look, and his tail wagging like crazy. Smiling, you greeted him and ask if he was okay cause his tail was moving quite rapidly. Jack jumped and immediately, grabbed his tail to stop it from moving, saying it was nothing, but also looking away from you, saying that you sang really well, with a flushed face.

🐺After telling him that you were a very popular singer, Jack became more interested in your talent. He usually wasn't very interested in things other then sports or working out, but you were beginning to change his mind. Your music videos were very well animated and your voice range was insane.

🐺He would always check up on you whenever he saw you, making sure you were healthy and not straining your voice too much. He may seem like a tough guy, but his tail would always betray him whenever he saw you. His favorite song of yours " Ashura-chan", he liked how powerful your voice was in the song and how the song was about breaking free.

Epel Felmier🍎

🍎Epel could only described your singing with one word, BADASS! He was not expecting you to have such an amazing voice, and not only could you sing really well, but you could hit many different genres with your voice.

🍎Epel thought you were just a cute and delicate gal, like many people thought he was, but when he discovered your singing, you proved him dead wrong. He saw how wild and full of life you were when you singed, which he kinda envied since he couldn't be like that because of his dorm. He could sing too, but he wasn't as good as Vil or you, so he wouldn't mind learning some singing tips from you.

🍎He wonder why you didn't show your face in the music videos or concerts that you held. It worried him that it was probably a self-esteem thing, but you told him that it was what made you comfortable, so he left it alone.

🍎You offered him backstage concert tickets for your show, so he could enjoy them as well as not being noticed by someone he knew from his dorm or rook for that matter. Your concerts were the best as it was the only time he could be his true self and rock out to your songs.

🍎Epel would send you yummy apple treats + warm apple cider for you as little acts of kindness and to also check in on you since last thing he wanted was your wind pipes to be sore from performing. His favorite song of yours is "FREEDOM", he liked how it was about embracing your true self and breaking out from what people expected out of you.

Sebek Zigvolt⚡️

⚡️Hmph, Sebek wasn't really impressed with a meager human like you. He still couldn't fathom how you were still at this school, despite having no magic whatsoever, but he had seen how determined you were with certain things and also noticed how Malleus would brighten up whenever he saw you, so he suppose he could tolerate you, as long as you didn't cause trouble for the Young Master.

⚡️He discovered your singing talent when he arrived to your dorm, to return a book you had lent to him, only to hear the sounds of the shower running and you singing coming from the bathroom, and it left him stunned. Once you left the bathroom, you were surprised to see Sebek standing in the middle of your room, with shining eyes like he just found the most amazing thing ever.

⚡️Sebek ran towards you and lifted you up in the air, with a huge smile on his face. "HUMAN!! YOU DID NOT TELL ME YOU COULD SING SO WELL. I'M A THOROUGHLY IMPRESSED. OH YOU MUST SING FOR THE YOUNG MASTER WHEN IT IS HIS BIRTHDAY. IT WILL BRING HIM MUCH JOY!" After about a few minutes of him yelling in excitement and shaking you, you told him if it was possible to put you down, which he did with a red faced as he realized he probably made you a bit uncomfortable.

⚡️You told Sebek that you were happy he liked your singing so much, and that you wouldn't mind singing for Malleus for his birthday and that you could also sing one for his birthday if he wanted. Sebek widen his eyes at that as he didn't think you would sing for him as well, and he looked away, red faced saying he would enjoy that in a soft tone that shocked you as you expected him to yell that out.

⚡️Sebek later found out that you were a famous singer from your world and that you had music videos that he could watch if he wanted. Sebek wasn't into the arts/technology all that much as he was more fond of magic and strength, but he would feel it would be rude to if he didn't, so he decided to try it out.

⚡️Sebek later went from being a slight acquaintance to your biggest supporter. He would often leave very long comments in all caps on your music video showing his support, which made you smile, and he would arrive to your dorm whenever he had time to see how you were and not to push yourself since you were still human and didn't want suffering from an ailment.

⚡️His favorite song of yours is the cover of "Senbonzakura". He found the lyrics to be very beautiful and how it was about war and revolution.

(art credit to kaaaa369 on danbooru)

When your Prince Charming arrives || First Years x Reader

What if someone from RSA seemed to be your dreamed lover?

Ace Trappola

It isn’t easy to make Ace seriously worried, about something that wasn’t caused by his friends, wanting to get revenge on his poor—as they defined them—jokes.

From the first sight he knew, that a boy, who “accidentally” bumped into you, was a danger. Some kind of.

He seemed just… too perfect: tall, muscular, with beautiful hair and natural charm, charisma. His clothes complemented the colour of dark as cosmos eyes, and his manners were impeccable. Ace started doubting that even Vil Schoenheit himself could point out anything to him, but he wouldn’t bet on his arm.

With each trait, something was pushing Ace away from the boy more and more.

If he hasn't paid much attention to him, then you definitely did. By the time the day was over, you managed to tell him ten times how he helped you get up—"You fell because of him," Ace replied while rolling his eyes—and characterized the boy verbally, so that no teacher would complain about not enough words on your opinion essay.

“Agh, enough-!” Ace got upset when, even while playing cards, you didn't talk about anyone else but that handsome hero who helped you get up faster than Ace did. He got up from the floor. “Marvel at him in his face! He will certainly want to hear all these compliments in person.”

He stormed out of the room before you could stop him.

His arms were shaking once he got out of the dorm, to the Rose Maze. He emanated with anger and grief; he swore to himself, that he will kick this guy from RSA the time he sees him. Though he wasn't sure... would you be mad at him...?

“Wait, Ace!” you had to run as fast as you could to catch up with the boy and bump hard into him. You hugged his waist tight, worried that he would run away as soon as you loosened your grip. “Sorry. I really didn't mean to upset you.”

Ace turned around to see your eyes. The corners of his mouth quivered before twitched into a weak smile.

"It's alright," he said, but his voice slowly cracking. “The better one wins, right?”

"Of course," you tightened your embrace so that your cheek was pressed tightly against Ace's body. “I won't be with any guy who can't destroy a chandelier with friends.”

The boy took a deep breath before finally wrapping his arms around you.

The warmth he felt from you and the one inside him caused a strange feeling in his stomach and chest. He didn't know exactly what he felt, but he didn't mind at all.

“Out of my advantages, you chose this particular one?” He said, his face showing a mischievous, a bit mocking, but still friendly smile. "I guess it was at the top of such a long list as ‘Advantages of Ace’"

‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎‏‏‎ ‎

Deuce Spade

Deuce didn’t know what feeling was responsible for twisting his stomach, once he saw you and a boy from RSA, introducing him to some NRC classes.

Does his dark, rebellious side finally want to see the light of day?

Not as much as he wanted to hit that boy, he’d rather preferred to take you somewhere far away from him. From everybody.

“Someone's jealous!” Ace laughed when Deuce told him about his worries.

“Again, why did I come to you with this...?” The dark-haired man sighed, placing his hand on his hair and tightening it tightly. "You really think I'm, uh, jealous?"

“And not?” Ace tucked his hair back, laced the fingers of his hands together, and blinked several times. “Oh! My hero!” He said in a squeaky voice. “I will have to give up my lovely Deuce for you because you helped me up. A~aah!”

Deuce snorted and slapped Ace on the forehead. He fell onto the bed. The redhead burst out laughing as he looked at the nervous, sulking Deuce.

“Go Deuce,” he said, sitting down on the bed, still with an amused sparkles in his eyes. “Fight!”

Without waiting for any further words of encouragement, Deuce ran out of the room, towards the school. He went through all important, busier spots in the school before he found you in the cafeteria.

Of course, with that RSA guy.

He felt his body tighten like a tight string as you spotted him between the heads of the other students and waved at him.

"This is Deuce, my boyfriend," you introduced the boy to your dinner companion, and the dark-haired man looked away. So what if you guys were dating for months? The title "boyfriend" always made his heart run wild. “And this is [Boy's Name], a student from RSA.”

"Nice to meet you." Deuce reached out his hand and squeezed the boy's hand. He did it with such force that you could almost hear the crunch of bones and a soft gasp as the student jerked his hand away. “Now, I'm so sorry, but I have to take [Name] with me.”

He felt a twinge of guilt as you walked away, and the RSA boy was massaging his hand. However, now-not-yours prince charming will definitely go to the nurse, and on the way, he will surely run into one of the most beautiful students in NRC. It’s always like that in fairy tales.

You have to fight for your true love, right? They both have to find and keep the love of their lives.

‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎

Epel Felmier

Just give him a chance, and he'll definitely try to kick that fop in the knee so hard he won't get up again.

"Fight fire with fire," Vil advised him during their usual dinner at Pomefiore. Even though Epel had said nothing about his worries, Vil could still sense a depressive aura from him that was definitely ‘not beautiful’.

The Pomefiore leader was also not very happy with the arrival of some students from the RSA. But until they were more beautiful than he was—not that anyone like that existed—their presence did not irritate them that much.

Of course, you didn't forget about Epel—you felt so drawn to your new acquaintance's aura that you sometimes lost track of time, but you make sure not to skip your meetings.

He felt like a pawn in a game of chess, not a player. He was attractively dressed, and now standing next to that RSA boy who had attracted your attention all too often. He took you with him a lot, that one day he almost offered to take you with him to the RSA. It would only require some paperwork, wouldn't it?

“[Name]” Epel turned to you, his voice trembling with anxiety and anger. He took a deep breath but didn't feel any cooling down. “The final decision will always be yours. But I want to say something about it here.” He pointed at the visitor and glared at him.

He felt a sudden need to straighten his hair and his clothes as silence fell around him. All the witnesses waited for his next move, and even though no one was saying anything, he felt like he was the new hot topic of gossips.

He went over to you and locked you in a hug as if he didn't want to watch all those onlookers.

"I know you may not believe me, but I really am not sure if he can bring you the happiness you expect," he blushed here. “I-I mean… I don't know if I can offer you a life only filled with happiness you want, but… I will try… So, uh, please don't go with him…!”

“Huh? There's no way I'm going with him,” you said, tearing away from him. "I'm addicted to apples and a certain apple boy, and I won't survive without this combination."

Epel breathed a sigh of relief, feeling his cheeks flush with shame, and memories of words that even sounded too serious for him.

Even though he felt terrible in this elegant garment, he couldn't think of it as his feelings exploded in his body.

Ah, yes. He couldn't want to love anyone else that much.

‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎

Jack Howl

Jack never wanted to stop at anything other than "true love".

When you two started dating, he saw no other way than planning his future with you... But this RSA guy was never included in your plans.

"He's joining us," you told your new friend, pointing at Jack. He had his arms crossed and he was at least a head taller than the boy, so the boy had to raise his chin to see Jack's ears. “He offered to help us with cleaning.”

"Ah, yes," [Boy's Name] cleared his throat, trying to remain indifferent. He felt overwhelmed by Jack's presence and Jack made no effort to make it easier for him. Because what was he supposed to do? Squat down so that he doesn't feel trapped like surrounded by tall rocks? "We'll definitely need someone strong."

Everything went very agile and neat.

Even if you and the RSA student previously thought it would take a long, long time, in half an hour you managed to do more than you were allotted to. Maybe it's because your loved one didn't allow too long conversations between you and [Boy's Name]?

It would certainly have been hours if the two of you were left for each other. Ideally, a lot of time to make another appointment, exchange phone numbers, cancel your joint vacation plans with Jack and change your school, right?

“Thank you for your hard work” you put the broom in the storage box. Cleaning with magic was definitely simpler and easier, but as long as you can clean, magic can feel a little sloppy while comparing the cleanliness of rooms.

"Thank you for your hard work," [Boy's Name] replied, dusting his hands of the fluff. "Maybe... you'd like to go together, just the two of us," he stressed the last words, "to the cafe?”

"I'm sorry," you smiled apologetically. You looked at Jack who was just coming back and started walking towards him with a smile on your face. “You may not see it, but this one needs a daily dose of hugs because later he will be very sad.”

Jack silently denied as he turned his head to the side out of intimidation as you hugged him tightly.

… For moments like this, the existence of people like [Boy's Name] is needed.

‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎

Sebek Zigvolt

“We need your assistance, [Name]” just after taking the left corridor, Sebek appeared in front of you and a student from RSA. The green-haired man had a stoic expression and his hands were behind his back, what made him seem much more composed than he thought himself. There was so much going on in his head that it would be easier to talk about what he wasn't thinking about. “It's urgent.”

Without further ado, he grabbed your wrist, knocking the RSA student's hand off your shoulder. He gave him a frightening look before he turned on his heels and you and you walked far, far away from this place.

"Hey, Sebek," you broke the silence that had been with you since you stepped out into the uncrowded corridor. “Something happened?”

“What do you mean?” He replied in a gruff voice and picked up the pace.

"For example," you panted, trying to keep up with him, "you're almost crushing my hand."

As if on cue, Sebek immediately let you go, doing it as quickly as if he had touched hot coal. With a surprised look, he glanced at your wrist, which turned slightly red from his tight grip.

"Ah, uh, forgive me," he muttered, rubbing his temple. "I still feel sick to see that human from the Royal Sword Academy."

“You mean [Boy’s Name]?” you asked, and Sebek made a face at his name. For him, this boy will always be "human" in the worst tone and sense of the word. "Some have described him as ‘so sweet that he is so bland’”

“It suits him.”

“You don't like him too? Too cute by Diasomnia standards?” you guessed jokingly. “Or were you jealous, hehe?”

“T-that's not the point!” He growled, feeling his face flush red. You looked at him in shock, now sure, you guessed it, and Sebek felt even more exposed by it. "It's just that this human looked at you so... so strange! I didn’t not like this.”

"There is a way," you said, smiling frivolously at him. “You can invite me to tea and vice versa, and then we will not see him anymore.”

Unique Kisses: Heartslabyul!

Hearslabyul || Savanaclaw || Octavinelle || Scarabia || Pomefiore || Ignihyde || Diasomnia || Rollo, Che'nya, Neige || Honest Fellow

Riddle R. (strawberry kisses)

If it wasn’t for this situation, Riddle would consider removing strawberries from a cake a blasphemy.

Fortunately for you, and also his joy, which he could not admit to if it wasn’t the last resort, Riddle isn't sure if his judgement would be a fair one. He is drunk on the taste of strawberries and fluffy cream, but also your fragrance, which has been his favourite aroma even before he thought he would dare to confess his feelings to you.

Riddle knows he doesn’t think soberly, but also believes that Trey didn’t change a recipe for his favourite dessert.

So, it is your fault.

“You should have taken yourself a piece of cake if you crave strawberries so much,” he says, regarding how you stab a little strawberry from his tart on a silver fork. It shimmers softly with honey or frosting or whatever Trey had added. Right now, Riddle can’t remember what his favourite dessert tastes like, and it was your fault as well.

“Kitchen is too far away,” you almost sigh, but don’t do that because it’s not a reason to be disappointed. “And, by the way, you are the one eating your tart. The greater part is still yours.”

“I have an irresistible impression that my serving disappears too fast.”

“You’re such a gourmet then. You will have to take bigger pieces next time.”

You chuckle at his stern facade, face fully covered with blushes, not matching the crossed arms that were probably meant to give his figure a more serious tone.

The strawberry on the fork you put against his lips, and he - used to this, after your multiple pleas - swallows his dignity and bites the fruit enough, not to cut it in half. He blinks a little faster, a little more nervous, and can’t bear to hold your stare when you smile and put the fork aside.

And then, you bite a strawberry held by his lips. A soft crunch attends the moment where your lips brush against each other. You feel how a sweet juice fills your lips and you have to move away to not let it drain over a corner of your mouth.

Satisfied, now less frustrated with your idea, you lick your wet, slightly sticky lips.

You glance at Riddle.

It… was a surprise that he went with your idea. It was a plan to soften him up a bit and have another reason to laugh when he would scold you again for your “preposterous suggestions”.

Surely not for you to stand in bewilderment and quick-paced heartbeat when Riddle pulls out a strawberry on a fork towards you. And as his face is red, crimson almost, his gaze is tainted with warm grey.

“Now it’s your turn.”

And that was an order.

Trey C. (hand kisses)

Trey Clover is a gentleman.

He opens the door whenever you go with him. Helps to carry supplies to the alchemy room at the far end of the school. Forbids you to prepare snacks for yourself, just to serve you beautiful little tarts during a break, that can be eaten in one bite.

His love is elegant and attentive. He likes to hold you in his arms while reading books. By highlighting the most important things in notes he helps you prepare for exams. He doesn’t even complain when you rob his wardrobe and usurp his clothes. He collects - by following all the Queen's rules or while avoiding Riddle's eyesight -- and offers you roses for every greater or lesser success.

A dreamy gentleman.

The only thing that mystifies you every time, is his touch.

You always quiver slightly as he takes your hand in his and entwines your fingers. He turns it over and brings it to his mouth, kissing the back of your hand. You don't know what is more delicate: the way his fingers slide over yours, or your heart, which will probably quickly tear apart itself, not able to bear the darting beat.

It would definitely be a nice death, but more than choosing that, you'd still rather live through this moment.

Trey's lips brush against your skin and move towards your fingers. There, he places another kiss and when he finally releases your hand, he still holds you. A grip slightly tightens when you look at him bashfully.

It was a gentleman's kiss.

Or maybe not gentleman’s, but from a man who pretends. You are not sure if a gentleman would do something like that to his lady: watch her lose her mind with each kiss as she becomes more and more addicted to her gentleman who smiles with a subtle but private smile.

Even as he pulls away, you feel that the spot on your skin where he kissed you tickles you lightly.

"Good morning to you, too, I should say”, you exclaim with a big smile. But you already like that greeting very much, and you're sure Trey knows it as well, as he repeats the gesture every day.

"Ah, and that's not the reaction I was expecting," he snorted as you rolled your eyes. “You got used to this trick already. Should I stop or…” now he smiles, mischievously. Certainly not like a gentleman. “...change the offensive?”

Cater D. (kisses on the eyes)

“Smile!” and snap! With a soft sound, another photo saves itself on Cater’s phone. He immediately enlarges it with his fingers, brings the image closer to your faces and clicks his tongue with dissatisfaction, but doesn’t remove the photo. “No, that’s not it. We look lovely, but- Sweetie, come closer!”

“Yes, yes.”

You take another step towards Cater. He instantly places his arm over yours, drawing you a little closer, as he holds the phone in the other hand. He observes the preview of the photo. And then, he directs you to turn a little to the west, so the sun would colour your faces even more.

An artistic wind begins to blow and ruffles the leaves of the trees behind your back. They form your main background, which Cater wanted to expose as they were famous for their multicoloured flowers. It was the main reason to choose this park as the next place for your date. The strands of your hair began to wave, and you gently brushed a few away from your eyes.

But before Cater can snap that hundredth picture, you lower your head and put hand to your face.

“Ah, I think something is in my eye,” you murmur, with all your will trying not to rub your eyes. “Probably sand, ewh.”

“Oh, oh, wait, wait, wait,” Cater quickly tucks the phone into the pocket of his jacket and with one movement unbuckles his backpack. He pulls out a bottle of water -which he immediately hands to you - and then finds a package of tissues. “Here. Try to wash it out. And blink. You're supposed to blink a lot at times like this, right?” … Luckily for you, you don’t have to vex with it for long, because after a short while you manage to get the sand out of your eye. Cater’s phone is used as a mirror, and he checked himself if there might be any irritation visible in your eye.

You crumple a wet tissue and throw it in the trash can near your bench.

“It’s all right now, I think.”

Cater puts his stuff in his bag and gets up. With a short wave, he says that he wants you to stay where you are.

"I will cast a healing spell on your eyes," he announces and crouches in front of you. He smiles. “Metaphorical one. Please don't trust me when it comes to healing magic.”

And then he moves closer to you, and his hands are on your cheeks. They hold you in place as he gets closer and closer until he completely fills your view and asks you to close your eyes. You don’t have to look at him to know his gaze is trailing your face. And when he stops, it’s because he wanted to turn your attention to the touch as he places warm kisses on your eyelids.

These are some of the softer kisses Cater gave you. They are almost imperceptible and uncharacteristic of him, but you can feel the care in each one... and have a scent of his cologne – jasmine scent, slightly spicy in smell - that he put on himself surround you.

He steps back only when each eye receives at least three kisses.

“I think I feel better now...” You say with a smile which he reciprocates. He pulls out his phone, once again, and points its lens at you. He hums with pleasure, as he finds the perfect angle.

“So~? Will you smile for me once more?”

You can’t say no after such a satisfying spell.

Ace T. (feigned kisses)

“Hey, hey, come here, I want to tell you something...”

You tear your gaze away from your notebook, where the next line of your essay on the history of magic is now cut halfway. Ace's whisper snapped you out of the monologue you've arranged in your head, and you know you won’t recollect it soon. Not even a passive focus spell applied to the library could help, as Ace acted as a truly sterling distraction.

“Come here yourself.”

“It's important”

It’s probably not.

You sigh and shake your head. Ace does the same, but rises from his untouched textbooks. "I lack the motivation to study today," he tells you every time you drag him along to prepare for your next exam together.

He stops in front of you and turns your chair around so that you can directly face him. He smiles mischievously. Almost malevolently, but warm enough.

He places his hands on both sides of your chair and—oh, since when is he so close to you?

It's not that Ace isn’t in the habit of kissing you—he likes it as much as you do, although he never fails to roll his eyes when you ask for a kiss, or tease you ("ah, so you need more of my attention, hm? Heh~") before pressing his lips to yours.

And you are expecting the latter option until Ace stops inches from your face and snarls.

“Heh. You wish”.

He tries to whisper something more, but you don’t give him an opportunity to do so, as you throw your head back. And then he greets you with a look, you could describe as mean.

“Yes,” you admit quietly, genuinely disappointed. You turn your chair around and quickly tuck your books into your bag. Maybe you'll find Riddle or someone who can chase Ace away a bit with their presence, so you will have some peace. “But I'm feeling less and less sorry that it didn't happen. See you later, I'm off to class…”

...

Huh.

He didn’t expect that. Did you have a bad day today? Did he do something wrong or- Did you really care about getting a good grade on that essay? He couldn't guess, but he knew that if he doesn’t make a move now, you will try getting back at him.

“Hey—!” He wheezes, grabbing your hand. “You can't give up so easily. Fight for what you want!”

“Too much work.”

Ace sighs and tilts his head. He pulls you towards him by the strap of the bag you carry, almost knocking you off balance. And then, he presses your lips to his—they are unexpectedly soft and you start to wonder if it was because of the honey he added to his tea at almost every unbirthday party (to break another rule of his dorm)—and then... And then you both lost the air in your lungs that you hadn't managed to take in before kissing.

You look at him from under your lashes as you take a deep breath. “To quote, "Ah, so you need more of my attention?””

“Ughh,” Ace breathes out, and you feel that quiet sigh on the skin of your neck. He is still incredibly close, but for that moment you can’t bring yourself to push him away. “You're lucky I like you. …And, by the way, you choose very wise man’s quotes.”

Deuce S. (forehead kisses)

“…”

“...”

“...Are you asleep?”

“...No. Not yet.”

The quilt rustles quietly as you sat up on the bed. You feel tired, your head aches, and your eyes seem too heavy. You are sure you've already yawned about five times since you said “goodnight”, but even after forty—you counted each one with agony—minutes of lying down, sleep wasn't taking you away.

Neither did Deuce, and that was your current greatest comfort.

“I don't know if I'll be able to sleep tonight,” you whisper, trying to make out his features in the darkness that merge into a dark room. But you are sure that that darker patch of shadow—Deuce—is looking at you as intently as you are looking at it. “Not after the movie that Ace picked out.”

Deuce slowly gets up and you can finally tell where his face is.

“He picked the wrong title,” Deuce agrees, sighing heavily. “I don't know if I can-... Erm, I mean, I'm not a fan of horror movies, but it's not that, that, I-.”

“Yes, yes, I understand,” you interrupt him gently and squeeze the duvet lightly in your fingers. You turn your gaze to a window where a hint of light shines through the gaps between the curtains. The moon must be very visible tonight. “I didn't like that film. You know what, Deuce? We can't let Ace choose movies ever again.”

“Right,” he put his hands through the strands of his hair. And then laughs at the memory he proceeds to describe you. “...When I was younger, my mother would often kiss me on the forehead whenever I felt I was too upset to sleep. I often tried to watch horror movies on my own so I could talk about them later at school, but... Haha. Anyway, somehow it always worked because I would go back to bed later and then—I think—I would fall asleep…”

“...Do you want to kiss me goodnight?”

“Ah-! N-no! That's not what I meant!” he protests. And then tries to look at you but finds it impossible. “Ah... Was that a request or a question?”

“An offer of a lifetime.”

Deuce remains in his bed for a few more moments but finally gets up. He pushes the curtains a little more and the room becomes much brighter. You could now see the games scattered on the floor that you had vowed to clean up in the morning, the outline of your beds and finally, and most importantly, yourselves.

He approaches you, quietly and carefully. You wait with a smile that you try to hide. You straighten up, put your feet on the floor, but still sit on the bed as Deuce brings his fingers to your face, and touches it with care as if you were a porcelain doll. Or a dream and Deuce was willing to believe in both cases.

He brushes your hair from your forehead and holds loose strands with one hand; the other is placed on the back of your head. He leans in. You hear him hold his breath and feel warmer as he presses his lips to the top of your head. You are sure he must have sensed the scent of his shampoo (you had a good reason for that: you had forgotten to take your own with you) because he quivers subtly as he inhales the smell bashfully.

And he must also be glad that it was still dark in here because, when you raise your gaze, his head is titled, as he often does when conscious of his blushes.

“…Are you calmer?” He whispers the question.

You nod slowly. Deuce carefully, almost reluctantly, steps away from you and sits down on his bed. Although he is no longer beside you, you can still feel the memory of how warm his skin and lips were. You gently touch the spot on your head where he had placed his kiss.

“If we don't fall asleep in the next half hour, we're going to go get some late-night snacks,” you decide, as you lay down, and you even notice Deuce smiling.

“Okay,” he chuckles. “And we can watch a better movie. But now try to fall asleep.”

“If I fall asleep now, I'll regret it.”

“You will say something else in the morning, tired.”

TWST Husband Headcanons

All characters are adults. GN!Reader. Sorry if it's a little messy, it's my first time writing for not only just my close friend and english ain't my first language either. So apart from that I hope you enjoy it and have fun! Warning!: Slightly Suggestive(?)

·First Years·

Ace Trappola

When you recently got married he couldn't stop bragging that he was the one who married you and not somebody else.

He literally was showing off his ring and yours.

Super clingy, he will always have a hand on you or an arm around you if he's around.

Might be a little emotionally dependant of you, he needs your affection to survive, that's what he says. Tho he just wanna be pampered.

He often does the trick of 'pulling a coin behind the ear' but instead he pulls out a flower or some candy. He once just showed you his palm which he had wrote ''kiss'', just to give you a peck on the lips.

You might get into arguments with eachother but he will always be the first one to apologize, he doesn't like to see you upset.

He's still a little bit childish, sometimes doing things to annoy you just to get your attention.

Like when he has cold hands and runs them under your shirt, just to get way too touchy with you.

Deuce Spade

He cried during the whole wedding and after it too. He still can't believe he married you.

Can't leave the house without his goodbye kiss, even if he's just going to the convenience store to buy some chips.

When you both have a day off and just hang around the house, you just cuddle on the sofa watching movies or documentaries (which fascinate Deuce).

And when you get really comfy he just starts telling you how much he loves you.

He has a secret diary with all of your special days and some of the things you like.

Of course he gives you the princess treatment. Making sure you are happy is his top priority.

When you ride in his car, whenever you stop at a traffic light he can't help but give your thigh a lil squeeze and rubbing circles with his thumb, showing you his affection since he can't kiss you right now.

Jack Howl

Of course Jack would love to workout with his soulmate, it gives him a feeling of connection when you both share your hobbies.

He also adjusts his running pace, in case you are slow, he doesn't wanna leave you behind you know?

Tho when he wakes up early in the morning, he sometimes just doesn't wake you up too. Seeing your cute face sleeping, then giving you a forehead kiss before going for a jog.

Now that you are married he's more honest with his feelings but his tsundere act sometimes shows up, although the way he wags his tail happily gives him away.

He barely changed anything of how he used to treat you, since he already considered you his soulmate the moment you two started dating.

When you sleep together he snuggles his face into your neck, as well as hugging your body like it's a body pillow. His arms and legs around you and his tail giving you extra warmth.

Which is convenient for winter and colder seasons, but on summer nights it's a nightmare, prepare yourself to be drenched in sweat.

Also everytime you change your shampoo or perfume, anything that changes the way you smell, he keeps sniffing you and taking in your aroma.

Epel Felmier

The instant you marry Epel, you become part of the Felmier business. Even if you already had a job, you are now part of the family and that's it.

Epel would drive you to work in his motorcycle and then back home too. He knows you are good on your own but can't help to care for your well-being. If you work at home, he probably keeps an eye on you while working on the farm, making sure you are hydrating yourself well and not overexerting yourself.

On your days off Epel asks you if you want to help him with some farm duties, tho he always gives you the easiest ones, he leaves the heavy lifting ones to himself.

You can see how much Epel loves you and trust you when he talks to you lovingly with his county boy accent, which you find pretty cute.

When it's time to reap the harvest, Epel always offers you to be the one to be pick the apples. Making you climb onto his shoulders to reach the highest ones.

He just loves the way you smile when you pick an apple you couldn't reach before. And well, he also really likes the softness of your legs around his head.

Sebek Zigvolt

He's now really soft-spoken to you. He never raises his voice to you, not even if he is mad at you. (Unless you bad mouth Malleus or Lilia, which is not the case)

You barely get mad at him or rather you don't show it, but when you do and show it like raising your voice or glaring at him, he'd get like a sad puppy on his knees and probably pout.

You achieved a miracle with Sebek. Apart from him stopping calling you 'human', he actually says your name or calls you by cute pet names.

You stopped him from using hair gel, at least at home, he still uses it when he has to work cause he says his hair gets in the way. Praising him so much when he had his hair down turned into a successful outcome.

He would never admit it but he probably praises you as much as he does with Malleus. He is just a happy boy living in his happy world. He is that kind of boy that admires a person like an artist admires art.

Obviously he would be your knight in shining armor, if you need protection he'll be there for you as fast as lightning. He sometimes holds you real close to him to feel your heartbeating ensuring you are safe and sound.

hi!! I've been a fan of your works for the longest time!! could i request an airheaded yuu who doesn't know what they're doing half the time but they can say something randomly philosophical once in a blue moon that keeps you up at night with Riddle, Ace and Deuce? gender-neutral reader please! i thought of this one while going to bed last night so apologies if it's incomprehensible skdjksdfjkfksd

thank you!

🍭anon

Omg this was so silly… thank you so much for your request, 🍭anon! I Hope you like this!!!

Riddle, Ace and Deuce with an air-headed s/o that keeps them up at night…. (With questions)

Riddle x reader, Ace x reader, Deuce x reader

Riddle

A pair of crimson eyes tend to linger on your every step , whenever you stroll by the Heartsabyul dorm. The careful, watchful eyes of your schoolmate, Riddle Rosehearts. He is no stranger to the antics you pull, no matter if they were intended or not.

Riddle finds his reaction time improving by leaps and bounds whenever he hears your surprise. Immediately rushing to your side, ready to extract you out of whatever trouble you saw fit to land yourself in this time.

Both of his hands have long mastered the art of sliding around your waist, yanking in one smooth, fluid motion. Sometimes, the momentum gets the better of both of you, and you end up tumbling straight into his arms.

Clutching onto his shoulders, you hold him tight. Standing there in each other’s embrace, you two strike the perfect image of star-crossed lovers.

Riddle can’t help the way his lips slip upwards. A smile as sweet as ruby-red strawberry tarts. Honestly, prefect. You do enjoy having him on the edge, don’t you?

He still fusses quite a bit, though. Don’t expect to escape without a lecture. However, for all the words that fall from his lips, yours seem to have the most impact.

Odd, queer questions that would have never crossed his mind. You seem to have a knack for thinking of things people wouldn’t normally. Sometimes, he finds himself up at night pondering your queries.

Always full of surprises, aren’t you, darling?

“Hey, Riddle. Why is it that people say they "slept like a baby" when babies wake up, like, every two hours?”

“I… honestly can’t say. Perhaps it would be the peacefulness and tranquility they sleep with… no matter how brief.”

Ace

You’ll soon grow used to a weight pressing onto your shoulders. Slinging an arm around you, Ace tends to lean into you quite a bit. He tags along wherever you go, that insufferable smirk never far from his lips.

Of course, it drops as quickly as it appears whenever he has to run to wherever you’ve wandered off this time. Ace has heard of air-minded people, but this is the first time he had to deal with one. There ain’t nothing but fluff and feathers up there, huh?

For all his teasing, Ace always is there to yank you out of whatever trouble you’ve stirred up. His arm stretching out, wrapping tightly around your torso. You could feel every pulse beating through his skin as Ace pulls you close. Out of harm’s reach.

Man, have you never heard? Curiosity killed the cat. You’re so lucky he was around to help you out. So how about a kiss, for all that effort?

Speaking of effort, you’ve made Ace burn more brainpower then the entire Night Raven curriculum has in an entire year. You had a weird fondness for weird questions that keep him tossing and turning in his sleep. Do you enjoy causing him sleepless nights?

There’s really no need for the questions, then.

He’s already thinking about you all the time.

“If money doesn't grow on trees, why do banks have branches?”

“You have no idea how bad I want to kiss you right now.”

Deuce

For most of his misguided youth, Deuce was always the one charging forth, headstrong. Never stopping to think about the consequences. He would have called it courage, back then.

Now watching you leap mindlessly into mess after mess, he’s changed his mind. Deuce trails after you like a lost puppy, following your every step. His curiosity often aligns with yours, although Deuce has to admire your… bravery for just going straight in. Whenever someone catches your interest, off you go! Without a care in the world.

Sometimes, that curiosity takes you too far. Then, Deuce springs into action. Honestly, he should start timing his sprinting towards you. Deuce swears he never runs this fast on the track.

He isn’t one for niceties whenever you’re under the slightest hint of danger. Arms stretched out, he’s tackling you straight out of the hit-zone. Mid-air, Deuce’s arms snake around your torso, clutching you in an tight embrace. His own back, your shield keeping you from all harm.

Both of you end up on the floor, a panting Deuce above of you. His hands pat your face frantically, words coming out in broken, jerky stammers. You have to assure him that you’re alright before his shoulders even think about starting to relax.

He’s just happy you’re ok.

Well, Deuce would be a bit lonely at night if you got hurt. He tends to call you from his dorm for homework help, although the conversations tend to drift elsewhere most of the time. Specifically, your odd questions.

Deuce’s drawing out entire diagrams, and both of you spend hours over the phone, discussing various fantastic theories. Each one more weirder then the last.

Deuce never thought he’ll have so much fun just talking.

You’re just special, aren’t you?

“Do married people live longer than single ones or does it only seem longer?”

“Hold up, I’m opening my laptop right now-“

⛑ To The Rescue | First Years x Reader

>> requested: no >> a/n: this is based off something that happened to me this week

>> masterlist: ramshackle (misc.) >> summary: telling them that someone said their friend has a crush on you >> reader prns: they/them >> warning(s): none

>> twst taglist: @tulipluvlettr | @strawberry-hyacinth | @oseathepebble | @wisteriainslumber | @villaim | @pastelmages | @xphantasmagoriax | @atlasnessie | @divinesapph | @ze-maki-nin | @silly-ez | @l1vyatan | @savanaclaw1996 | @enigmatic-pers | @queerlordsimon | @kyraxiyn | @rayisalive | @monochromepalette | @oheyfox | @oepionie | @nem0-nee | @ruggiethethuggie

Dream a Little Dream of Me (Twisted Wonderland Cast X Reader)

Summary: A look into the future with the Twisted Wonderland cast, guest staring our favorite magicless prefect.

AN: Can you tell which of these were really hard for me to come up with? Overall I'm pretty happy with them. A few of these I feel like I could come up with full-length fics later. But, man, did I not realize exactly how big the cast was until I started writing it all. I thought I would keep them all to around 500 words but I quickly abandoned that.

Warnings: None that I can think of.

“You can see the future?” 

(Y/N) stood with Ace and Deuce, Grim clinging on to the side of the cauldron, watching the swirling purples, blues, and greens of their latest alchemy assignment come together. 

“Sort of?” Deuce said, looking into his own cauldron, one he hadn’t summoned out of thin air this time. “It’s more like what might happen in the future. Like, if you continue doing what you’re doing you’re more likely to get this result sort of thing.” 

“It's not really specific either,” Ace added. “This is kind of a standard potion for midterms. I think every year is doing it.” 

“The oracleum mycoculous mushroom,” Professor Crewel said, giving a stern eye to the chatting group. “Is said to give premonitions, depending on how it is treated. The method we are using today should give vivid dreams on future outcomes. I recommend when you go to bed tonight, focus on a certain aspect of the future you want more information about. Health, career, wealth, marriage. Something nebulous will work better with this specific concoction. It’s important to note that you will be aware that you’re dreaming, but unable to have any agency or action. Remember you’re not controlling the vision, just let it happen and see what information you can gather.”   

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to this magic stuff,” (Y/N) said, ladling their potion into a thick mug. She screwed her face up. “Or the smell.” 

“More for me then!” Grim cheered, snatching the mug out of her hands and downing the entire thing before (Y/N) could protest. As soon as he had drained the last drop, he turned a strange shade of green, despite his gray fur. 

(Y/N) pet his head sympathetically as Grim made gagging noises. “That’s what you get for being impatient.” 

As soon as the rest of the class had drunk their potion, with similar reactions to Grim, they were dismissed. The rest of the day went on as normal, or as normal as it could be at Night Raven College. 

As the sun set and students settled into their beds, some eagerly awaited the possible visions that they hoped would come to them as they slept. Others dreaded the uncertain future. Still others ignored the possibilities all together, not putting stock into an uncertain chance of a glimpse of the future, determined to make their fortune themselves. 

And so, NRC slept and dreamed. 

Ace

Ace vaulted over the overturned trash can, dashing after the culprit. His feet pounded the pavement, heart thundering in his ears with every step. The culprit looked over his shoulder to see Ace still in hot pursuit and he dashing out into the street. Cars swerved and braked hard, trying to avoid hitting him, one overcorrecting and swiping into another car. Ace ignored the angry shouts, sliding across the hood of a crashed car with single determination. 

“Ace!” Deuce’s voice crackled from the walky-talky fixed to his tactical vest. “Where are you?” 

Ace quickly flicked his eyes up to check the street signs. “Heading south down Dodgson street!” South? Was that right? It sounded like the right thing to say, and it’s not like he had time to check the position of the sun. 

“On it!” Deuce called back. 

Ace’s muscles burned, but he refused to break stride. The culprit cut through an open air market, shoving and throwing people behind him to try and slow Ace down. Ace tried to catch them while still keeping the culprit in his line of sight. Just when he felt like his lungs were about to give out, an arm shot out from the corner, clotheslining the culprit. The culprit fell back hard, his own momentum bringing him down. Deuce stepped out from the corner, cracking his knuckles. Ace slid to a stop next to them, quickly kneeling down to flip the culprit on his stomach, handcuffing his hands behind him. Stolen mage stones spilled from the culprit’s pockets. 

Later, back at the Arcane Special Defense Unit headquarters in the Queendom of Roses, everyone was celebrating. Senior officers gave hearty congratulations to the two rookies for their final take down of a mage stone thief ring that had been a thorn in their side for almost a decade. Deuce took the praise with a little more grace, demurely waving off attention, while Ace preened and basked in it. 

“Hey, Trappola!” One of the senior officers called over the din. “You got a visitor!” 

(Y/N) poked her head out from behind the officer, giving a little wave. Several of the other officers whistled and whooped, Deuce elbowing him with a smile. Ace flipped them off and jogged over to (Y/N) pulling her out of the main room to a slightly quieter hallway. 

“Hey, hero,” (Y/N) said, kissing his cheek. 

“Hero, huh?” Ace said with a crooked smile. “I like the sound of that.” 

“Don’t get a big head, now.” 

“Hey, you’re talking to a soon to be detective. That deserves some respect, right?” 

“Sure, sure.” (Y/N) flicked his chest. “You’ve always had a big head anyway.” 

“Alright, that’s it!” Smirking, Ace leaned down, slinging his arms around (Y/N)’s midsection and sweeping her up to toss over his shoulder. (Y/N) shrieked in delight as he spun around. Getting dizzy, Ace tripped over his feet, causing them both to tumble down. Ace pivoted at the last second so he landed first, softening the blow, (Y/N) landing on top of him. They both looked at each other for a moment before bursting out in a fit of giggles. 

Catching her breath, (Y/N) rested her chin on Ace’s chest, gazing up at him. He held her close, brushing a hand through her hair. 

“Marry me,” He mumbled. They both seemed shocked that he had said it, Ace immediately blushing with wide eyes. “I - I mean,” He stuttered. “I didn’t mean - I mean, I did, but I didn’t mean to say it now - Not that I wouldn’t want to or anything but -” 

(Y/N) silenced him with a kiss. “It’s okay,” She said when she pulled away, leaving Ace dazed. “I’ll wait for you.” 

Ace pulled her close, burying his face in her shoulder, purposefully ignoring the cheers from the officers who had stuck their heads out the door. He started thinking about jewelry stores nearby. 

Deuce

Deuce fiddled with the clasp on his cape. He looked in the full-length mirror in his room. His private room - some of the perks of being Heartslabyul’s House Warden. He’d been fitted for the uniform at the end of last school year, when Riddle had announced Deuce as his successor. And now, here he was, finally wearing it. It felt awkward. He looked awkward. Not for the first time, he couldn’t believe he was here, wearing it. It didn’t look right. Or, rather, he didn’t look right in it. 

There was a soft knock at his door. Deuce flinched away from fiddling with the uniform like it had burned him. “Come in!” He called. Why did his voice sound so weird? Was that what a House Warden should sound like? 

(Y/N) popped her head in, wearing the formal entrance ceremony robes. “Just me. Whoa.” She stepped inside, staring at Deuce. She looked at him in awe, a smile spreading across her face. She clasped her hands together. “Deuce! You look amazing!” 

He spread his arms wide, trying to find whatever (Y/N) saw in him. “You think so? I don’t look, I don’t know, out of place or anything?” 

She hummed, walking forward and straightening Deuce’s cape. “I think you look like a fine and respectable House Warden, one that all the new first-years are going to love. Although,” She winked at him and Deuce felt himself blush vigorously. “You’re a pretty easy guy to love.” 

“Yeah?” He said, hoping she would ignore the way his voice cracked. 

“Yeah.” She gripped his lapels and pulled him down for a kiss. He wrapped his arms around her. Couldn’t they just stay like this? Did he really have what it took to go out there and give a welcome speech to all those new students?  Not to mention all the returning students who already knew him, all his mess ups and faults and imperfections. 

“Hey.” (Y/N)’s voice snapped him out of it. “You’re getting in your own head again. Everyone’s going to be able to see you just like I do.” She brushed a lock of hair away from his face. “Strong, kind, brave, the world’s best boyfriend. That part is just for me, though.” 

He sighed, dropping his head so their foreheads touched. “I’m glad you’re with me.” 

“I always will be.” 

“Maybe I can get one more kiss?” Deuce said shyly, feeling himself blush again. “For good luck.” 

She smiled up at him. “Sure, for luck.” 

Just as their lips were about to brush, the door slammed open. “What’s the hold up, Juice?” Ace said, storming in. “The first-years are getting antsy out there and - oh, I see.” He grinned wickedly and cocked an eyebrow. “Nevermind, this is much more important.” 

Deuce grabbed the scepter that came with the House Warden uniform. He pointed it at Ace, shouting, “Off with your head!” 

Ace cringed back, arms coming up to shield himself. When nothing happened, he looked up, annoyed.“Hey, that’s not your spell!” 

“No,” Deuce said, grinning. “But I can still whack you with this thing!” 

Deuce chased Ace out of the room, waving the scepter. As Ace dashed down the hall, Deuce felt (Y/N) slip her hand into his. She kissed his cheek. “Come on, House Warden,” She said. “There’s a whole school year waiting for us.” 

Cater

“We on in three, Cater,” The producer said. Cater gave a thumbs up, occupied by the makeup team readjusting his cover so his face didn’t shine under the lights on camera. Behind them, the Shaftland’s Glass Slipper Gala was starting up, celebrities of all ilk stepping out of limos to walk the red carpet and show off the cutting edge of fashion. 

Cater took one more swig of water, brushing invisible dust from his blazer jacket, and fixed his most dazzling smile. “Alright, ready when you are!” 

“Okay, get ready everyone!” The producer said, readjusting her earpiece. “We’re a go in 5, 4, 3…” She mouthed the last two numbers, pointing to Cater as a blinking red light turned on on the camera. 

“Welcome, Shaftlands!” Cater said into his handheld microphone, winking to the camera. “It’s your favorite pop culture and social media consultant, Cater! We’re here at the Glass Slipper Gala, the annual exhibition for all things gorgeous, over the top, and innovative! Let’s see who we can find on the red carpet.” 

Cater waved over a few celebrities, getting quotes that, the next day, would be plastered on the front cover of numerous magazines and social websites. People found it hard not to match his energy, smiling and laughing along. 

Cater had just waved off a rising movie star when he saw someone familiar from the corner of his eye. Weaving their way through the throngs of media, cameras, and various fans hoping to get a glimpse of their bias, (Y/N) gave Cater a little wave. She held up a tray with three cardboard to-go cups, the symbol of his favorite coffee shop emblazoned on the front. Cater cried with delight and beelined it for her. The producer started waving frantically as the cameraman followed his movement with a questioning look. 

“We have a super special treat for you, viewers!” Cater said. (Y/N) blinked in surprise as Cater slung an arm around her shoulder, pulling into a sideways hug. “My wonderful, adorable girlfriend is here! Say hi, sweetie!” 

“Umm, hi?” She held up the tray. “I thought you guys might need a break so I brought you a pick-me-up. A blond roast with three shots of vanilla and milk, green tea with half-and-half, and,” She picked up the last cup and handed it to Cater. “An iced chai latte, size medium but put into a large size so there’s room to mix in extra cinnamon, using oat milk instead of dairy, two pumps brown sugar syrup, one pump mocha syrup, two pumps cinnamon dolce syrup, three shots espresso, cinnamon dusting, and vanilla sweet cream foam.” 

“She even knows my order!” Cater swooned, putting the back of his hand to his forehead. “Viewers, have you ever seen a more perfect person in the whole wide world?”  

“Uh, Cater?” 

“Pretty, smart, and super sweet. What more could you ask for? Well, you all know I like things a little more spicy than sweet, but my girl has that in spades, too, just between us.”

“Should you really be saying this on air?” 

Cater shrugged. “They can edit it all out in post.” “Cater,” The producer said, deadpan. “We’re live right now.” 

(Y/N) gasped as Cater blinked, staring into the single black eye of the camera. The cameraman smiled and shrugged. 

“Oh, well then,” Cater said. In a second, his sparkling smile returned. “Then we should give them a show, right?” 

“Cater, wha-” 

Before she could say anything else, Cater plucked the coffee from (Y/N)’s hands, setting it gently on the ground with his microphone. He jumped back up, taking her into his arms in a low dip, kissing her amid a flurry of flashing lights. 

Trey

The bell above the door had been ringing constantly all day. The small storefront was full to bursting, children pressing their faces against the glass display case to point at every confection they wanted their parents to buy. Shop assistants in crisp mint green and white uniforms handed white boxes over the counter to eager hands. Two others maneuvered extra seating outside under an awning to help combat the surplus customers. 

A teen with emerald green hair escaped into the attached kitchen, taking a deep breath of relief. “Well, big brother,” He said. “I think it’s safe to say the grand re-opening is a success.” 

Trey chuckled from the counter, squeezing buttercream to swirl atop enough cupcakes to feed an army. After a fire halfway destroyed this family’s bakery several months ago, there had been talks of shutting down the business entirely and joining up with some of the bigger corporate shops in town. Trey had scrimped and saved and planned to recreate the shop to his own specifics, making sure to blend years upon years of Clover secret family recipes with his new creations. They were still constructing a new upper level for a specialty dining experience. Patrons would pay a flat sum for a pre-arranged dessert tasting menu set up like a full 6-course dinner, using cutting edge technology, foams and gelatin beads and liquid nitrogen ice cream and all the works. There was already a waiting list for reservations. 

“Uh, Chef?” Another worker poked their head through the door. “You have some people out here asking for you.” 

Trey smiled, whipping his hands on his apron. He quickly directed the other pastry chefs in the kitchen then headed out. The group of Heartslabyul graduates, plus Chenya, Grim, and (Y/N), had taken over one of the outside tables. Ace, Deuce, and Grim were competing to see who could fit more cupcakes into their mouth at once while Riddle chided them. Cater was rearranging his plate of mini-tarts, eclairs, and macarons to take the best pictures. Chenya was sneaking  treats off everyone’s plate while they were preoccupied. (Y/N) noticed Trey first, smiling wide and standing to meet him. 

“There’s the man of the hour,” She said, meeting him in a hug. 

“So, Trey,” Ace asked with a sly look. “How many free samples are we getting today?” 

“Didn’t you get enough when Trey was practicing his new recipes?” Riddle scoffed. 

“You can never get enough of Trey’s baking!” Grim cheered, taking a large bite of another cream puff as creme anglaise bursted all over his furry face. 

Riddle huffed at the display of bad manners before turning to Trey with a smile. “Congratulations are definitely in order. Everything is looking even better than you described.” 

“It was a lot of hard work,” Trey said. “I didn’t think we were going to make it a few times.” 

(Y/N) shoved him. “Oh, stop. You had perfect control the whole time. No one ever doubted you. Especially me.” She pulled him down for a kiss. 

“Bleh!” Grim stuck out his tongue. “Not when I’m eating!” 

(Y/N) smiled wickedly and pulled Trey down to pepper kisses all over his face. Grim, Ace, and Deuce made mocking sounds of disgust before bursting into laughter. 

As everyone refocused on their pastries, (Y/N) leaned over to whisper to Trey. “Should we tell them?” (Y/N) asked.  

“Not yet,” Trey said, leaning down to kiss the top of her head. “I want to keep you to myself for a little while longer.” 

Behind their backs, the held hands, matching rings glinting in the light. 

Riddle

Riddle jerked awake at the feeling of hands on his shoulders. He heard an “Oh!” of surprise. A blanket slipped off his shoulders, pooling on the floor. He was sitting at a desk illuminated by a single lamp, the rest of the lights in the small bedroom turned off. Through the window blinds, he could see it was dark outside. He turned to the person behind him who had tried to drape the blanket over him. 

“Sorry,” (Y/N) said. “I didn’t mean to wake you.” Riddle rubbed at his tired eyes, peeling off a loose leaf of notebook paper that was stuck to his cheek. He looked down at the mess of notes and textbooks littering his desk. “No, it’s a good thing,” He said. “I don’t have time for sleep right now. I need to study.” 

(Y/N) frowned at him. “You need sleep, Riddle. You won’t do yourself any good if you fall asleep in the middle of the bar exam.” 

Riddle turned back to his desk, rearranging various documents on magical law and court cases. “A good lawyer needs to be prepared for whatever is thrown at him.” “A good lawyer needs to be able to balance work and rest.” 

“I-” Riddle sighed. 

“At least let me make you some tea and take a break,” (Y/N) said, picking up the blanket and folding it over her arm.

Riddle yawned, blushing at how loud it was. “That’s… a good idea. Thank you.”  

(Y/N) smiled at him, leaning down to kiss his forehead before walking over to the tiny kitchen.

Riddle looked around. They were in a small studio apartment. Riddle’s desk was shoved to one side of the room, a bed on the opposite side, blankets thrown open as if someone had just gotten out. He saw his shoes next to the doorway, neatly arranged, next to (Y/N)’s. A slightly ajar closet door showed it was split between his formal attire and (Y/N)’s clothes. They had been living together for a while, it seemed. 

The bar exam was only a few days away. Five years of grueling school was all leading up to this moment. He’d heard too many stories about how it usually took two or three tries for most people to pass. He was determined to pass on the first try, to prove to himself, and maybe his mother, that he had made the right choice. In his career, in his life, in his partner… 

Riddle looked back at (Y/N) in the small connected kitchen, making sure she was busy with the tea. He opened the top drawer of his desk, just enough to peak inside. The box was still there, small black velvet, holding the ring inside. It was plain, just a simple silver band, polished to a shine by his own hand, but it was all he could afford. Originally, he had wanted to use his mother’s ring, the ring that had been passed down his family for generations, supposedly back to the time of the Queen of Hearts herself. But Riddle’s mother hardly approved of his chosen profession over going into the medical field, much less his partner. He remembered the screaming match they had had, how she was absolutely appalled Riddle would want to be associated with someone with no magic, no future as she put it, not to mention no family lineage to speak of. Riddle hadn’t spoken to her in quite some time. 

Riddle sighed, closing the drawer. (Y/N) had worked hard these past few years, supporting the two of them while Riddle focused on school. She’d always said it was no problem, that she was happy to work whatever odd job she could so Riddle could focus all his energy on his studies. The least he could do was make a name for himself as a lawyer, provide her with the life she deserved. 

She set a tea cup down in front of him. “Here,” She said. “With honey, not sugar.” Taking her own cup, she sat on the bed facing him. “And you’re not going to look at those notes again until you finish drinking it and talk to me.” 

Riddle picked up the cup, letting the warmth of the tea soak into his hands. He cast a glance at the drawer with its loaded secret within. 

“Actually,” He said. “There is something I’ve been wanting to ask you.” 

Leona

Leona ducked, sliding across the field as a Spelldrive disk hurdled over his head. Immediately, he was back on his feet, throwing up a magical shield as the disk crashed back towards him. 

The crowded stadium roared around him, stands packed to bursting. Fans wore team colors, red and gold for his Sunset Savannah team, the Lion Guard, and icy blue and white for the Shaftland’s team they were playing against, the Draugrs. 

“Captain!” A voice called behind him. Leona turned to see one of his teammates fly next to him on a broom. “You okay?” 

Leona brushed off the grass stain on his uniform. “I’m fine. We’re starting the new play, the one we practiced yesterday.”  

His teammate balked. “Are we ready for that? We’ve only practiced it a few times, and never in a game. There’s only a minute left on the clock!” 

“Then we’re running out of time!” Leona snarled. “We’re tied. This is our chance to take the game.”

The flying teammate saluted. “Sir, yes, sir!” He flew up, whistling a code to let the other players know to get in position. A few of them cast worried glances Leona’s way, but their trust in their team captain was obvious as they quickly fell into position. 

Leona fell back as the ground members of his team made an arrow shape ahead of the opposing player who currently held the disk. Suddenly, as the flier crossed the 20-yard line, they inverted. The two flanking the point of the arrow knelt in front of the player at the tip. He jumped to their waiting hands, being launched into the air. The player with the disk reared his broom back, not expecting a ground assault. The player who had been thrown in the air took the opportunistic distraction to claim the disk, hurdling it to a flier on the Sunset Savanna team. The flier took the disk, hovering it a foot from him with magic, and shot back to the opposing team’s goal. As the Draugr broom flying players closed in on him, he dropped the disk without warning, to the waiting hands of a ground player. The ground player dashed forward, dodging tackles from the opposing team. As they closed in on him, he tossed the disk back to a flier. This repeated twice more until the opposing team got used to the play. When another ground player got the disk, sprinting to the goal, all Shaftlands players were focused on the flier hovering above him. The ground player faked throwing the disk up and the opposing team jerked their focus upward. Instead, the ground player flung the disk to Leona’s waiting hands. In the seconds it took for the other team to recognize the play, Leona was already steps away from the goal. He flung the disk, boosted with his own magical energy, and it sailed cleanly through the opposing team’s hoop.

The crowd thundered around him as the buzzer sounded, signaling the end of the game. Leona took a deep breath, throwing his head back in a victorious roar. The rest of his team joined in, supporting their captain, whooping and cheering to their heart's content. 

The team gathered together, slapping each other on the back and jumping in congratulatory victory. A few of them cast sly looks Leona’s way, and before he could question it, he was soaked with an overturned cooler of bright green sports drink. They all laughed as he flung excess droplets at them. 

As the championship cup was brought out, Leona’s ears twitched as a sound. He turned and heard them repeat themselves. “Leona!” (Y/N) ran onto the field, smiling wide. She was wearing an old jersey of his, the one he had when he first joined the pro Spelldrive leagues. She waved her hand high over her head, the light catching on a topaz and diamond ring on her finger. 

He surged forward to meet her, wrapping her in a tight embrace and lifting her up. Without either of them noticing, a camera focused on their reunion, projecting their image on the jumbotron as they embraced and shared a victory kiss.

Jack

Jack held up a hand, stopping the rest of the search and rescue team following behind him. They were trekking up the North Mountain, a popular peak in the backlands in a Shaftlands national park. The snow was more than seven feet deep, and even with their specialized snow shoes they were starting to sink down. They were on the far side of the mountain, bright sunlight blazing across the snow that had been churned up from a recent avalanche. 

“What’s up, chief?” One of the rescue workers asked, readjusting his EMT pack on his shoulders. 

Jack’s ears twitched, trying to pick up the sound he was sure he had just heard. He turned back to his team. “This is the last place the skiers were seen. Everybody fan out to your lanes and start searching.” 

The group spread out, each taking a 40 meter lane as they walked downhill. Each member of the search and rescue team held a thermal meter reader, strong enough to pierce through the snow cover up to 15 meters down. They also inspected the snow for any other sign of disturbance, trying to see if anyone was moving underneath. 

Jack’s ears twitched again, picking up on the minute noise underneath him. He checked his reader, seeing an orange mass that was quickly turning blue. 

“Spotted, 35 meters!” He called out. He unfurled a long thin pole from his pack, carefully jabbing down into the snow. When he met resistance, he slung his pack off and put together his collapsible shovel. He started scooping snow away, flakes swirling up to stick against his eyelashes. Finally about three feet down, he saw a splash of a red coat. He widened his digging circle. “Victim found!” 

The most important thing at the moment was getting the buried person an airway. Jack heaved snow away, using his hands now so he wouldn’t accidentally injure the victim. He heard another one of the rescuers repeat his cry further down, “Victim found!” 

Jack could see the victim breathing, their breath melting a small indent around their nose and mouth. Jack ripped off his glove with his teeth, feeling for a pulse on their neck. It was faint, but it was there. He couldn’t see any visible wounds. The next most important part was getting them out of the snow while moving them as little as possible in case there were any internal or spine related injuries. 

Another rescuer came over to him. “My lane’s clear, sir. Can I help?” 

Jack nodded. “Go get the sled and stabilizing bands.” He saluted, making his way back up. Their team worked with dogsleds for evacuation in these parts, since it was generally less heavy than a snowmobile, and much quieter to avoid any other disruptions. 

Soon, the three missing skiers were loaded up in the sleds. Jack ran through his paramedic training in his head, making sure he and his team weren’t missing anything before they would head back to their base at the foot of the mountain. 

Arriving down, the team moved the victims, two of whom were coming back to consciousness, into a more comfortable and much warmer infirmary. The hospital in the nearby town had already been notified and was sending an ambulance to bring them back for further care. 

After making sure everyone was stable and the victims were being treated for any signs of hypothermia, Jack stepped into the mudroom attached to their rescue station, shaking his head and stomping his boots free from snow. 

“The ambulance will be here in about half an hour,” He heard behind him. He turned, seeing (Y/N) in the doorway, holding a steaming mug of pear tea. She wore a uniform similar to his, indicating they were part park ranger, part emergency rescue team. She smiled softly and handed it to him. “They said they had to take a different route around due to the avalanche. I guess it went farther than we thought.” 

Jack sipped the tea, letting the warmth infuse into his muscles. “Once we get these guys taken care of we’ll have to head back out, then. Try to take stock of any damage.” 

“The other teams have reported back already. Everyone’s been accounted for. Looks like your lot was in the worst shape. It’s a good thing they have you looking out for them, huh?” 

Jack looked away, rubbing the back of his head. “Well, we have a big team. Everyone’s doing their part.” 

“And you're the one who trained them. You’re the one who set up this whole search and rescue station. All those people there,” she waved in the direction of the treatment beds, the people pulled out of the snow, slowly warming themselves by the fireplace and with warm drinks. “Owe it all to you. You’re allowed to brag about it sometimes, you know.” 

Jack felt his face growing hot, tail starting to wag despite himself under her praise. “Well, maybe I just have a really good team.” 

(Y/N) hummed, standing on her tiptoes and reaching a hand up, threading through his short hair to pull his face down to her level. “And I wouldn’t want to be on any one else’s,” She murmured against his lips as they kissed. 

Ruggie

Politics were messy. Ruggie always knew that, but being here in the middle of it all showed him the full web of underhandedness, plotting, and secrets. But, as the Sunset Savannah’s royal family’s, or more directly Leona’s, personal spy master, that’s exactly what he was there for. 

Now, during his days at NRC, when Ruggie first started working as Leona’s unofficial personal assistant, lurking around, being a little more than underhanded in his dealings, did he ever expect he would one day be sneaking around an embassy in the middle of a grand party, planning on swiping some important documents that could reveal plots against the crown? No, of course not. But, man, was it still fun. 

As he slunk along the corridors, Ruggie eyed the attendance, each dripping with enough jewelry and finery to feed a family of four for a year. He inwardly sneered, hand shooting out to discreetly pocket a diamond bracelet some ambassador's wife, or more likely his mistress, was wearing.  But ill gotten treasure wasn’t what he was here for, at least, not today. 

Ruggie cut through a servant’s entrance, turning his coat inside out, turning it from red velvet of party goers to the matte black of the help. He thought it was too easy sometimes. People always saw what they wanted to see. Heading up to the upper floors of the embassy, he spied some hired goons waltzing around the room he needed to enter. Ruggie stayed as far back in the shadows as he could while tracking the one guard who stood a little too close to the stairs. 

“Laugh with me,” Ruggie murmured, casting his signature spell. He jerked his body to the side, causing the goon to stumble and crash down the stairs. To anyone else, it would have looked like he had too much to drink on the job, or had simply slipped. As the other guards were busy checking with their companion, Ruggie darted behind them, slipping into the room unseen. He made quick work, sniffing out the hidden safe, and picked the lock so easily he was almost afraid he was being set up. Securing the documents in the hidden pocket inside his jacket, Ruggie effortlessly slipped out the window, down the drive, and off into the night. 

Later that night, Ruggie shook off the rain as he stepped inside the lobby of Granny Bucchi’s Memorial Home for Lost Children. It was dark, everyone fast asleep upstairs. In the morning, all the children the Home housed would wake up, eat a hearty breakfast, one Ruggie could have only ever dreamed about at their age, and go to school in the attached building. Ruggie didn’t know exactly what strings Leona pulled to get such high class teachers for the Home, but he had learned long ago not to look a gift horse in the mouth. 

As Ruggie was about to head up the stairs to the caretaker's quarters, he noticed the lamp light coming from the side sitting room. Ruggie carefully stalked over to the other room, careful to avoid the floor boards that squeaked. He peered in, the warm light of a floor lamp illuminating (Y/N) on a rocking chair, a toddler hyena beastman fast asleep on her chest. Ruggie leaned against the doorframe, smiling gently at the domestic scene. 

(Y/N) stirred, af if sensing being watched. She blinked sleepily, smiling up at him. “Welcome home,” She whispered. “Everything go well?” 

(Y/N) knew just enough about Ruggie’s work, but never pried. They both knew well enough that Ruggie would immediately spill any secrets if she fluttered her eyelashes and gave him one of those sweet smiles. “Flawless, as usual.” He stepped forward, taking the small boy from her arms. His ears twitched as he was passed between them but stayed asleep. 

“He’s finally been sleeping through the night,” (Y/N) said. “But he had a nightmare earlier. He wanted to wait for you to get home.” 

“Aww, A for effort.” 

They walked upstairs to the children’s dormitory rooms, settling the small boy in his bed and tucking the blankets over him. 

“They’re having their field day tomorrow,” (Y/N) said as they entered their shared room. She sat on the bed as Ruggie kicked off his shoes. “Will you be here? The kids always love to see you.” 

He flopped down on the bed next to her with a sigh, arms behind his head.  “Wouldn’t miss it! It’s amazing how much energy those kiddos have. You think we were ever like that?” 

“Me? No, probably not. I can see you zipping around everywhere, though.” 

“Oh, yeah, I was fleet footed. You gotta be quick to pick pockets, you know.” She halfheartedly punched him as he snickered. 

“Do you ever think-?” She stared before cutting herself off. 

“Only sometimes,” He joked. “I hear it’s a dangerous habit.” He waited for a moment then asked, “Think about what?” 

(Y/N) looked back in the direction of the children’s dormitory, each level for a set of age groups from the babies all the way to the teenagers. “You know, about having our own.” 

Azul

Azul flitted around the room, jumping from conversation to conversion, getting just enough of a word in to be memorable, to make a good impression. So far, this, the grand opening of the Mostro Lounge, was a success. More than a success, it had drawn all ilk of upper crust society. Politicians, celebrities, heirs and heiresses with nothing better to do but try and get their picture in the next tabloid. Horderves were being passed, champagne was being popped, and, subtly, between it all, waiters were gathering secrets and snips of conversations from their patrons. 

The Monstro Lounge worked on two fronts, both carefully cultivated and maintained. The first was the face, the elegant restaurant and tea room that welcomed guests to treat them with all the luxury of the world. The second was more nefarious, the dagger hidden behind the back. Important clientele meant important discussions, important secrets, and important dealings. Whether or not these things were entirely legal didn’t much matter to Azul, just so long as he was in on them. 

It was important that at least most of their patrons didn’t notice the dagger. It was better for them to let their guard down, enjoy their night of revelry and relaxation. And Azul, with his charming smile, silver tongue, and perfectly business-like attitude, acted as the perfect cover. 

Azul was mingling with a group of bankers when he felt a gentle hand clasp his arm. “Excuse me,” (Y/N) said. “I’m afraid I need to steal my fiance for a moment.” The bankers held up their glasses in a cheers as she led him away. She glittered in a black sequin dress, pearls at her throat. On her hand was a delicate pearl and pink coral ring, the coral arranged like flower petals around the pearl. 

“Is anything wrong, angelfish?” Azul asked as they strolled through the lobby. 

(Y/N) hummed. “Maybe I just wanted some time with you. I’m allowed to be selfish like that every once and a while, aren't I?” 

“Of course. I think I like when you’re selfish.” 

An ignorant observer might have commented that (Y/N) made quite the trophy on Azul’s arm, but those in the know were quick to correct any misconceptions. (Y/N) was just in touch with both sides of the Monstro Lounge as Azul, just as involved. If any of Azul’s more unscrupulous dealings or shady past came up, it was easy for one to dismiss pressing concerns. After all, look at his soon-to-be wife! (Y/N) was more than capable of smoothing over any worries or uneasy feelings. And, possibly more importantly, keeping some of Azul’s more underhanded ambitions  in check. 

“Zuzu!” Azul nearly jumped out of his skin as he heard his mother’s voice. (Y/N) took a skilled step back to allow room for Mrs. Ashengrotto to envelope Azul in the kind of hug only a proud mother could give. Of course, the hug was missing a few limbs since Mrs. Ashengrotto was currently in human form, but it was still just as tight. She kissed both his cheeks and, while Azul was always happy to see his mother and show off his accomplishments, he couldn’t help but cringe at how the act tainted the elegant and stern reputation he was building for himself. Releasing him, she turned to her soon-to-be daughter-in-law. (Y/N) accepted her hug with a little more grace, the benefit of seeing an affectionate attack coming. 

Azul readjusted his glasses, greeting his mother and step-father. “I’m glad you both were able to make it.” 

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” His step-father said, giving him a firm handshake and warm pat on the back. 

His mother had started to tear up, (Y/N) patting her hand sympathetically. “Oh, my. My little Azul, all grown up. I remember when you were just a little fry, darting in your octopot at anything. Look how big my boy has gotten! Have you been eating well, Zuzu? You look so thin!” 

“Why don’t we grab a table?” (Y/N) neatly interjected. Azul cast her a grateful look and quickly waved a waiter over who brought the small group to a VIP section. An aquarium that took up the entire back wall cast elegant blue light over the private section. 

After the waiter took their drink order, Mrs. Ashengrotto laid her hands flat on the table, looking seriously at Azul and (Y/N). “Now,” She said. “When can I expect grandchildren?” 

Jade

“Anglerfish,” (Y/N) said. 

Jade grinned, turning back to her as he held his lantern high. “What was that?” 

“Nothing, nothing at all.” 

Jade smiled, looked down at (Y/N) as she zipped their tent closed. The cool spring night air swirled around them, moon bright and sky clear. 

While Jade mostly lived in the Coral Sea, studying with his parents to prepare to take over the family business, part of his heart would always remain up in the mountains. He’d published a book last year, Roots of the Earth: Flora, Fauna, and Folklore of the Bald Mountains, which had become a bestseller almost overnight. In depth discussions and depictions of dry land environments were apparently pretty popular underwater. His publisher had been eager for a follow up. Which led him here, camping in the Mount Moln mountain range, ready to set off on an overnight exploration. 

He didn’t, however, expect certain company. Not that he minded (Y/N)’s presence. Quite the opposite in fact. 

While she hadn’t been an official member of the Mountain Lovers club back at NRC, she had participated in a few hiking trips, whenever her schedule, or Crowley, would allow. They hadn’t seen much of each other in person since Jade graduated, but they did exchange correspondence regularly. Jade knew that (Y/N) kept up with everyone from NRC in a similar fashion, but couldn’t help hoping that his particular letters were a little special. At least, the ones he sent back to her were. 

When Jade had arrived in Harveston the day before his expedition, he was surprised to see her with the lilac haired Felmier family. (Y/N) had cried in delight and thrown her arms around him, making his heart speed up in a not unpleasant way. Over tea, (Y/N) had told him that she had mostly been jumping around Twisted Wonderland, still trying to find a more permanent place in a land she wasn't native to. With the apple planting season coming up, Epel’s family had offered a position, one she had eagerly accepted. And, when he slyly implied that he would need assistance traversing the mountain and keeping track of his gear and research, she had enthusiastically agreed. They both decided to ignore the knowing glances from Grandma Felmier. 

They had risen before the sun that next morning, beginning their trek up Mount Moln. While the weather was defiantly warming, small clumps of snow still stubbornly clung on the higher they climbed. They’d made camp early, with the sun still up, digging into warm soup the Felmier’s had prepared for them, before turning in. They knew they would be getting up in the middle of the night, so they tried to get as much sleep as possible beforehand. 

Which brought them back to the present, Jade sweeping his lantern across the trail with (Y/N) staying close behind. 

“So,” (Y/N) said. “Remind me what we’re looking for?” 

“Panellus pusillus,” Jade said. “Otherwise known as the little ping-pong bat mushroom.” 

(Y/N) snorted a laugh. “That’s pretty cute.” 

“They are bioluminescent. During the day they look like normal white fan-like mushrooms. But at night they glow beautifully. They wrap around tree branches so they often look like string lights. I’ve been wanting to take back a few samples for my project back in the Coral Sea.” 

“For your next book?” 

“That, and something else. I’ve been working on an underwater biome meant to replicate various ecosystems from the mountains I’ve traversed here on land. It would allow sea-dwellers a chance to experience environments they normally wouldn’t be exposed to. I’m still gathering funds, but I think it will be a fascinating experiment when completed.” 

“Sounds like a big undertaking.” 

“Definitely.” Jade cast a glance over his shoulder, meeting (Y/N)’s eyes. He quickly looked away again, holding the lantern out a little farther so (Y/N) wouldn’t notice the red tint to his cheeks. He only ever had to worry about that in human form. “I’ve actually been gathering a team to help me set everything up. Having someone native to land would provide a unique perspective. If you would be interested, after your work in the orchards here. I wouldn’t want to impose on any previous commitments.” 

“I don’t think you could impose on me even if you wanted to.” Jade stopped, turning around to fully face her. He watched (Y/N) gulp, readying herself, before she took a step forward. They were just a breath apart from each other now. Her hand reached out, stopping between them. “I - I’ve really missed you. I didn’t expect to this much, but then you showed back up and it kind of punched me in the gut all at once. Sorry, I feel like I’m not saying this the right way. But… I really missed you.” 

Jade let the silence sink in as his thoughts turned in his head. Crickets, owls, and other night creatures filled the air with their songs. (Y/N) looked down, shuffling her feet. Jade transferred his lantern to his other hand, reaching forward and taking hers. 

“My,” He said with a teasing grin. “This is certainly unexpected. Not unwelcome, of course. What would you do if I said I harbored similar feelings?” 

Underneath the soft glow of mushrooms overhead, (Y/N) stood on her toes and kissed him. 

Floyd

Suffice to say, most people were pretty surprised when Floyd decided to take an engineering course for the first leg of his NRC 4th year internship. With his happy-go-lucky and action-first personality, it was easy to forget that he was surprisingly good with technical skills. Even still, most people assumed he would get bored soon, skipping off to a more physically exciting internship for the next quarter. However, he stayed for the entire year. It definitely helped that the particular engineers he had partnered with specialized in roller coasters. 

And now, here he was, standing in the middle of a brand new theme park just a few weeks away from opening. When he had first approached Kalim for funding for his dream project he hadn’t expected much resistance. After all, both boys could appreciate a good time, whether from an over-the-top party or an exhilarating thrill ride. 

Floyd’s specific idea was for a theme park both land dwellers and merpeople could enjoy simultaneously. This led to the unique structure of Marine Canyon. The theme park was nestled perfectly in a natural canyon carved out thousands of years ago by glaciers. A slim river still ran through the canyon. Half the park was located in the canyon while the second half descended underneath the water of the sea the river emptied in. Guests would be able to easily traverse either side, either by assistance of underwater breathing potions, temporary form transformation potions, or a clever half-scuba half-submersible vehicle Floyd had designed when (Y/N) first met his parents.  

He stood with his hands on his hips, watching the cars roll along the track of one of the premier coasters in a test run. Everything was going perfectly. In a few days, Kalim would be coming out for the last run-through of testing and they would launch for a media day before officially opening the park. 

“Papa!” 

Floyd turned, wide smile getting even bigger. He crouched down, opening his arms, as one of his sons rushed to meet him. He swept Argonaut up in his arms, spinning him around as the boy cackled. He threw his arms around Floyd’s neck, waving at the two others approaching. (Y/N) waved back, walking over with their other son, Caspian. 

“Do we get to ride it now, Papa? Can we, can we?” Argo asked giddy, bouncing up and down. 

Cas cast a wary look up at the empty car plunging down the coaster track. “Can we go in the dark ride first? The pirate one?” 

Floyd ruffled his hair as (Y/N) answered, “We still have to wait for the safety checks to make sure everything is working properly.” 

“But,” Floyd told the twins. “The water park part is ready! And we need testers to make sure it’s fun for humans and mers. Do you know anyone who could help me with that?” 

“Me, me, me!” 

“We can do that! We’re human and mer!” 

The boys wiggled their ways out of their parents arms and dashed off, already kicking off their shoes in anticipation for changing from their dry land form to their eel-mer hybrid form. 

“Be careful running!” (Y/N) called after them. She sighed as Floyd came over, wrapping her in a backwards hug and resting his chin on the top of her head. “They really do like going between the land and sea. Do you think they have a favorite form?” 

Floyd hummed. “Don’t know. I like both of them. It’s just all different, you know? But they can use both their forms here. They can be with all their family and friends at the same time.” 

“Is that why you wanted to build it like this? You’re really kind, aren’t you?” 

Floyd grinned. “Only for Shrimpy and the guppies. Don’t let anyone else know, okay? I still have a reputation, you know.” 

(Y/N) poked his side. “Ooh, scary Floyd Leech, big bad family man. Don’t think I don’t remember you crying on the boys’ first day of school.” 

Floyd sniffed. “My guppies aren’t going to be guppies any more! What am I going to do when they get too big to carry, or when they go to NRC and we can’t see them everyday?” 

(Y/N) took his hand and started pulling him in the direction the boys had darted off in. “Then I guess we just need to make the most of the time we have with them now, right?” 

Floyd tightened his grip on her hand, smiling wickedly. “Or we could just make more guppies.”  

Kalim

“Mr. Al–Asim, I need your signature here, please.” 

“Mr. Al-Asim, when would you like to schedule our shareholder meeting?” 

“Mr. Al-Asim, I have those reports and next quarter’s budget for you to review.” 

Kalim was drained. While he was more than proud that he had managed to expand his family’s business to not only the sea but also the Briar Valley, he didn’t quite anticipate all the paperwork that would come with it. Now that Jamil was off leading his own life outside of the Asim influence, Kalim had taken on more responsibilities. Not that he wasn’t happy for Jamil, of course. He was thrilled when his friend told him of his plans after graduating NRC, even if those plans didn’t directly involve Kalim. Kalim was mostly just happy that Jamil seemed happy. But he did still miss Jamil’s presence, his guidance, how he always knew what to say. 

Kalim groaned, falling face first on his bed, not bothering to change clothes. Warm evening sun streamed in from the balcony windows, casting golden rays across the room. (Y/N) blinked at him from her side of the bed, sliding a bookmark in her book. She leaned over to him, gently petting his hair. 

“Rough day?” She asked. 

Kalim groaned again, twisting to catch (Y/N) in his arms so they crashed down together in a tangled hug. “There’s so much paperwork!” He lamented. “Why do we still even have so much paper? Isn’t it better for the environment if we use digital or something?” He sniffed, eyes watery. “Just think of all those birds whose trees we cut down.” 

“With great accomplishment comes great busy work,” (Y/N) nodded sagely. “It just shows how much so many people are relying on you.” 

“I guess,” Kamil muttered into her hair. He suddenly perked up. “Oh! I own the company, so maybe I can just tell everyone they have the day off tomorrow!” 

“Maybe, but then you and everyone else would just have a backlog of work when they come back.” 

Kalim face planted back onto the bed. (Y/N) regarded him for a moment before sliding out of bed. “Wait here, I’ll be right back.” Kalim gave a half-hearted thumbs up. 

As (Y/N) padded out of the room, Kalim kicked his shoes off, curling up on the bed. He grabbed her plush pillow, holding it to his chest. Hints of her fragrant shampoo still clung to it. 

Kalim didn’t think he could ever really express how grateful he was to have (Y/N) with him. Not only had she worked hard to repair his and Jamil’s relationship at NRC, but she gave him the in that helped him bring the Asim name to the Briar Valley in the first place. The land of night fairies was notoriously difficult to expand foreign trade to. But (Y/N) with her easy way of making friends and stubborn determination had given him the connections he needed to do something no other Asim had. He signed again, happily this time. It was just another reason he was so glad that she was going to marry him. 

(Y/N) nudged the door open with her hip. She carried a large silver tray holding a pot of spiced hot chocolate and several small plates with cake slices. “We still need to choose a wedding cake flavor,” She said. “Your mom has been asking me about finalizing details. We’re going to look at takchitas this weekend.” 

Kalim popped back up, a wave of fresh energy zipping through him. A party! This he could do. Not just any party, but possibly the most important party of his life! He and (Y/N) spent the next hour discussing wedding plans, colors and flowers and music. In between, they would eat bites of cake, chocolate, champagne strawberry, vanilla with raspberry filling, orange olive oil. At one point, Kalim smeared some frosting on his nose. At  her laughing, Kalim took a forkful of fluffy buttercream and painted it across her nose. They collapsed together in a giggling fit. 

“How about I come with you tomorrow?” (Y/N) asked. “I should start learning everything anyway. I want to be helpful to you.”

“You’re always helpful! Look, I'm feeling way better already!” 

“I think that might be the sugar rush.” 

As the sun set, the two of them lay together, crumbs of cake and the empty chocolate pot soon forgotten. As (Y/N) fell asleep in Kalim’s arms, he quietly said, “I can’t wait to be married to you, azizati.” 

Jamil

The air conditioning in the dance studio had gone out a few days ago and it quickly became sweltering with the aerobic activity. (Y/N) had drug in a large swiveling electric fan at some point that was working overtime to try and cool the room. Jamil whipped sweat off his forehead, watching the soon to debut idol group run through their routine again. Jamil had been working as the lead choreographer for Corona Talent for about a year now. While the agency was still relatively small, they were picking up preeminence, especially with their stylized music videos. 

“Figaro,” Jamil said to a cat beastman with black and white hair. “You need to work on controlling your tail. Having it flick around like that makes you look nervous. Sebastian, I know you’re still getting used to your land legs but remember to not lock up your knees, it makes you jerk and you’re more likely to fall. Let’s go back to just before the switch line and take it again.” 

While Jamil’s teaching style could easily be described as strict, no one could deny his results and the quick time in which he produced them. 

A little while later, and combating fears of overheating, Jamil called a water break. The group of boys formed a semicircle around the fan waiting for it to oscillate over their faces. Jamil watched them chat in benign amusement. They were about as old as he had been during the Song and Dance Championship at NRC. Jamil would never admit it, but he had recycled some of Vil’s methods during their training in the Ramshackle dorm. 

And speaking of NRC, his phone pinged. Jamil knew who it was before he even looked at the screen. 

Kalim: Jamil! I had an idea for the wedding! What if we have a grand entrance with you riding an elephant? 

Jamil: You know (Y/N) and I aren’t even engaged yet. 

Kalim: I’m planning ahead! It’s good to be ready. 

Jamil: No elephants. 

Kalim: What about peacocks? Or birds that warble on key? Or a tiger! 

Jamil: Do I even want to know where you’re getting these animals? 

Kalim: ~Secret~ 

Jamil laughed under his breath. Ever since he and (Y/N) had started dating during her last year at NRC, Kalim had basically been planning their wedding. When he had given Jamil two tickets on a week-long river cruise for his birthday last year he had called it a pre-honeymoon. 

And speaking of…

Jamil’s phone pinged again with a video attachment from (Y/N). The video showed (Y/N) next to a perch with a red and green macaw parrot. “Come on, Alfie,” (Y/N) prompted. “Show Dad your new trick.” 

The parrot tilted his head to think for a moment before tilting to the side and raising a claw in a wave. “Love Dad!” It croaked. He then started vocalizing to the tune of one of the first songs Jamil choreographed for, bobbing his head and side stepping. (Y/N) hummed along, nodding encouragingly. The macaw stretched his wings wide and gave a victorious cry. 

“Good job, Alfie!” (Y/N) praised, giving him a treat. Alfie shuffled onto her shoulder, nibbling the treat. “See you soon, Jamil. Love you.” (Y/N) blew a kiss to the screen, Alfie mimicking the sound. The video ended on a still frame of (Y/N)’s smiling face. Jamile smiled, content. Warmth, having nothing to do with the heat of the studio, filling his chest. 

“Ooh,” One of the idol’s said, wiggling his eyebrows in Jamil’s direction. “Was that your girlfriend, Coach?” The other boys cooed and whooping in good natured teasing. 

“Alright, Sven,” Jamil said, standing back up. “You just earned everyone another round of drills. Come on, on your marks.” 

The boys groaned, taking their places. As they began stretching and doing calf raises, Jamil texted Kalim. 

Jamil: Do you still have that jeweler’s number? 

Kalim: :D

Vil

Vil double checked his lipstick in a compact mirror from the backseat of the limo. His eyes cut across the back cab to (Y/N) fiddling with the hem of her dress. “Stop fidgeting,” He said. “You’ll wrinkle your dress.” 

(Y/N) jumped, smoothing her dress. “Sorry, just nervous, I guess.” 

“Nerves cause wrinkles, too. Besides, there’s nothing to fret over. Star Crossed is destined to be a hit.” 

Star Crossed was to be Vil’s first directorial debut, with (Y/N) taking a lead writing role for the script. The idea had come when the two had been discussing media back from (Y/N)’s world during one of Vil’s photoshoots. (Y/N) had been acting as somewhat of an unofficial assistant then. Although, and Vil would never admit this, he more just wanted an excuse to have her around. As they talked, (Y/N) made references to classic story ideas shared between both worlds, focusing on ideas of forbidden love. She gave a lyrical and poetic soliloquy, one that Vil immediately latched on to. She explained it was from a play called Romeo and Juliet, one of the most famous plays in her world and a story that had been retold countless times. She said it was standard school curriculum in her world and had memorized several passages for homework. Canceling the very hard to get dinner reservations the two had, they instead worked deep into the night, reworking the romantic tragedy between their two world’s cultural differences, writing the first draft of what would end up becoming Star Crossed. 

“What if they don’t like the ending?” (Y/N) worried. 

“Then they’re fools with no sense of depth.” 

“But won’t that look bad for you? I don’t want a box office bomb to affect your career.” 

“I assure you, nothing I’m associated with could bomb.” Although Vil wasn’t in the starring role for this film, instead preferring to focus on directing, he did keep a cameo as the rewritten Prince of Veronia, now the Prince of Fleur City. 

“We kept a lot of the traditional language,” (Y/N) continued as if she hadn’t heard Vil. She looked out the window, the tall buildings and bustling crowds as they got closer to the theater. “Not word for word of the monologue, but still. You don’t think it was too old-fashioned or metaphorical?”

“Sweet potato, we’re going to the premier, you know. It’s a little late to be thinking about rewrites.” 

(Y/N) sighed again, flattening her hands against her lap. “Yeah, you're right. The costumes were amazing, though.” 

“That’s thanks to you as well, you know. Professor Crewel wouldn’t be willing to design for just anyone.” 

(Y/N) smiled weakly. She fidgeted in her seat. She switched sides to sit next to Vil instead of across from him. He raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow but didn’t say anything. 

“Vil,” She said, choosing her words carefully. “I really liked working with you on this.” 

“Well, you’re not the worst person to collaborate with either, (Y/N).” 

“Would you want to, I mean, maybe later if you don’t have other projects already lined up, do you want to work together again? I mean, there’s a ton of Shakespeare plays. I don’t know all of them by heart or anything, but I know a good couple. Hamlet is dramatic with political intrigue, Much Ado About Nothing is a romantic comedy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream is another romantic comedy with magic and everyone falling in love with the wrong person, well, that one has fairies so I don’t want to offend anyone or anything, oh, and Macbeth is all dark about going mad with power - people said it was cursed back in my world even if we didn’t have real curses, it was just something people said, you know, but I was also thinking maybe we could do others like Pride and Prejudice or if you want to do something completely different there’s this series called Star Wars that-” 

Vil abruptly cut off (Y/N)’s ramblings with a kiss. There, in the back of the limo, it was just the two of them, alone in the world. No fans, no expectations, no competitions. Just them, and a warm growing feeling between them. 

Vil pulled back, taking a moment to appreciate (Y/N)’s dazed face and bewildered smile. “I would love to work with you again, (Y/N). I’m not sure I would ever want to work with anyone else. Come, we’re here.” 

An attendant opened the door of their limo, the roar of fans and flashing lights breaking the stillness on the cab. Vil stepped out in one graceful movement, lifting a hand in greeting. A red carpet stretched out before them, littered with other actors from the movie or celebrities there to give support. Vil leaned back, offering (Y/N) his hand. She stepped out of the cab, blinking at the sudden lights.

Vil tucked her arm through his, whispering, “Stick with me. I’m certain we can get through anything together.” 

Rook

Rook flicked on his flashlight, illuminating the cavernous chamber. His team of archaeologists and researchers followed behind him, sliding down a rope through a ventilation shaft into the long buried and forgotten temple underneath an old gnarled tree. 

“Is it what you thought it was, Hunt?” A fellow archaeologist asked him, shining her own light around the foreboding space. 

“I’m not sure yet,” He replied. “But I think… Ah ha!” Rook cheered, bounding over to the far wall. He took out his magical pen, casting a fire spell into a trough of dark liquid that ran the perimeter of the chamber. It caught alight, flooding the room to showcase the detailed carvings and relief work decorated on the walls. The team gasped, immediately taking detailed notes of the pictographs and images. Carvings of mermaids in a grotto, a pirate ship looming off the coast of a tropical island, and what appeared to be a flying boy with his arms outstretched were just a few of the designs that had been painted and carved on the walls millennium ago. 

“Magnifique!” Rook breathed in awe. “The Temple of the Second Star! Just as we thought!” 

“Just as you thought, sir,” A stoat beast-man researched said. “Your instincts were spot on again.” 

Rook preened but brushed off the comment. “Non, non, we’ve all put so much work into this discovery. You should be proud of what you’ve accomplished, n’est-ce pas? But, we’ve only begun our exploration. There’s something very important here I need to find.” 

“Is that safe, sir?” The archaeologist asked him. “We haven’t mapped anything out yet, who knows what it’s like down there?” She nodded her head to a dark doorway leading further into the temple. 

“Ah, but what is our profession without the allure of danger? Allons-y!” Leaving the others to their detail oriented inspection, Rook bound down the adjoining hall into the depths of the temple. 

Rook traveled down the halls, stopping only briefly to poke his head in adjoining rooms, none of which held what he was looking for. He paused every so often, checking a trap or pitfall that had been left how many hundreds of years ago. Finally, he came to a split in the corridors. 

“Hmm,” He muttered to himself. “I believe it was… Second star to the right.” He chose the right passage. 

The passage led him to a large stone door, once more inlaid with gem studded pictographs. “Ah,” he said. “A clever lock. Let’s see if I’m more clever.” He looked closely at the depictions. A group of four children flying over a cityscape, a towering clock with a large round face, a sun and moon arranged on either side, and, of course, the signature stars. He noticed several of the gem motifs could be moved. He suspected the right one would unlock the door, while the others might lead to disaster. And, as thrilled as he was to see what kind of disaster it could be, he was on a mission. “Second star to the right,” He said to himself again. “And straight on till morning!” He adjusted the hour hand on the clock face, changing it from pointing at the moon to the sun. A mechanism groaned and the door slowly fell open. 

He swished his flashlights around the chamber. It was littered with jars upon jars on a sparkling yellow dust. He tapped the glass on one of the jars, feeling lighter, his hair floating around him. And, while this was a fascinating discovery, and he would definitely have to report back to the Roi de Dragons that their study of ancient fairy lore had been a success, there was something more valuable than pixie dust he was after. There, in the center of the room, was exactly what he was looking for. An acorn and thimble dangling off a delicate chain - the ancient symbols of a pure kiss. 

As Rook turned to confront the mechanical crocodile that had emerged from its hiding place, a clock ticking in its chest, he tucked the treasure into his pocket. He shrugged his bow from his shoulder, knocking an arrow, thinking about how beautiful the necklace would look on (Y/N) when he proposed to her. 

Epel

Epel undid his tie for the third time. Nothing was looking right. Should he keep his hair up like this, in a high ponytail that cascaded down his back? Was his suit not fitting right, stretching over muscles he had worked so hard for so long for? 

That was one thing directors loved about him, how he could flip from appearing sweet and docile to ablaze with righteous fury in a second. It helped boost his popularity at the box office, his latest action movie breaking records. But that limelight also came with its drawbacks. Like how today, possibly one of the most important days of his entire life, Epel had been distracted with checking with security at every odd occurrence. They had already kicked out a couple of unscrupulous paparazzi the other day. Epel was glad he was back in Harveston for something so monumental, surrounded by his family, but he couldn’t help but feel a little guilty at the strain he was putting them all through. But they would always wave him off with smiles, saying that it was the least they could do for all the publicity he had brought to their farms. And besides, what was family for, if not to lend a hand on your wedding day? 

There was a knock and the door opened before Epel could reply. Vil stepped in, checking a clipboard with a meticulously maintained schedule. “The cake finally got here, thank the Seven,” he said. “Everyone’s taking their seat. I knew people would be late - that’s why you put the ceremony time on the invitation a half hour before you actually want it to start. Now we just need to-” He stopped, looking up, and glared at the cloth around Epel’s neck like he had glared at Epel himself so many times during their NRC days. Vil sighed, setting the clipboard down and pulling at Epel’s tie. “Honestly, have none of my lessons stuck with you?” 

Epel felt a momentary sense of pride against the scolding as Vil had to look up to speak with him. “Nothing looked right,” He said. “I wanted it to, you know, look right.” 

Vil hummed. “Are you sure that’s what this is about?” Epel didn’t reply. “You’re not getting cold feet, are you? I’ve never known you to be one who runs away from problems.” 

“No, never!” 

Vil gave a final tug on the eldredge knot. “Well, that’s the only thing that matters, isn’t  it?” He gave one of his rare sincere smiles. “And she chose you, Epel. Remember that.” 

Epel shrugged. “It’s a lot to live up to.” 

“And you’ll rush to meet those expectations with flying colors. Now hurry up, we have a schedule to keep.” 

They had set the ceremony space in the middle of the apple orchard. Soft pink apple blossom petals swirled around the air, beautiful organic confetti cascading over each guest as they took their seat in the circular audience. Epel looked around, smiling back at friends and family beaming at him. His mother hadn’t stopped crying happy tears since before breakfast that morning. His grandmother reached out and squeezed his hand as he walked past. 

A group of local boys had been recruited to play music for the wedding. As Epel took his spot under the flowery arch up front, they began playing. Epel felt his heart thundering in his chest, jumping like a jackrabbit. He felt more nervous now than he did at his first premier. 

Everyone stood, looking towards the back of the aisle as the bride started to walk down, billowing white dress, cascading flower bouquet, lace veil covering her face. It felt like forever, Epel transfixed. She stepped up to the alter and Epel gently lifted the veil away from her face. (Y/N) smiled up at him. 

“Dearly beloved,” The officiant started. Before he could get another word in, Epel surged forward, kissing his bride. (Y/N) started laughing, wrapping her arms around him to return the kiss. 

“Hey!” Vil called jovially from the crowd. “You’re ahead of schedule!”  

Idia

Idia was curled  up on the couch, the room dark, light from the three computer screens in front of him illuminating the space and searing his eyes. He chewed on his bottom lip, writing code only to immediately delete it. 

He sighed, rubbing his eyes. Blinking away dark spots in his vision, he glanced over at the left computer screen where he had taped a photo of Ortho and their parents. Ortho was wearing a director’s coat, showing off for the camera. Idia smiled, straightening the photo. At the time, when Ortho had volunteered for the position of S.T.Y.X. junior director in Idia’s place, Idia didn’t expect the rush of relief that swept through him. It had been about a year so far and the two brothers talked almost every night, Ortho regaling him with stories of new advancements and studies they had made, his enthusiasm peaked in every word. 

But what Idia hadn’t expected was the sudden sense of helplessness, like he’d been cut free of some invisible tether. He’d just hang around for a while, working in this tech company, that cyber security industry, before he got bored. He was able to improve every company by leaps and bounds before deciding to drop it and head somewhere else whenever the mood took him. A few military weapons companies had tried to recruit him, but he’d swiftly rejected their offers. 

Eventually, a small group of eager indie video game developers had reached out in an email he had almost deleted without reading. He knew a few of the names from discussion boards on Star Rogue fan sites. They asked if he had wanted to join them for a new project and, having nothing else pressingly important going on, he’d agreed. Soon, however, he’d found himself absolutely engrossed with the game, bringing in more money and resources than any of the other teams members had ever seen for a similar project. 

And now, here he was. Stuck. The team couldn’t figure out their next steps, couldn’t solve problems with the set up and coding. They had hit a wall. Idia had hit a wall. 

He heard movement from the bed behind him, a sigh of someone waking up. “Idia?” A sleep addled voice called. He didn’t move, fingers clacking on the keyboard. He heard movement behind him, getting out of bed and dragging the blankets with them. 

(Y/N) tumbled onto the couch next to him, leaning her head on his shoulder. “You said you were going to come to bed like,” She squinted at the clock. “Four hours ago. Idia! You need sleep!” 

“Want to get this done,” He mumbled back. 

“It’ll still be there in the morning.” 

“I have to work on it now or I’ll lose momentum.” 

“You’ll lose your eyes if you keep working in the dark like this. And I like your eyes. And your hair. And your smile. And your-” 

“This code is a total mess. It’s full of redundancies. There’s an explote here that would basically make you able to walk through any wall no problem. And they’re focused too much on feature creep, it’s like they want to add a cool new gimmick every day. Like, yeah, connecting to the microphone during the stealth section so if the player is loud the enemies can find them easier is cool, but it’s only in that one part of the game and it’s making a whole bunch of unnecessary complications. Or there’s this part with the poisoning spell basically breaks the game if you unlock it too early. Or this part with the character modeling where-” 

“Idia!” Idia startled, blinking at (Y/N). “Your girlfriend is asking you to come to bed with her.” 

Idia’s hair immediately burned bright pink. “Oh, yeah, okay.” 

Silver

Silver rolled his shoulders, adjusting the weight of his heavy armor. He was in a tent, getting ready for his bout of jousting for an annual tournament in the Briar Valley. This wasn’t the first tournament he’d participated in, of course, but there was always a nervousness that built up in his stomach, an eagerness to prove himself as worthy of being Malleus’s retainer, Lillia’s son, a loyal knight of the fae kingdom. 

“Knock, knock.” He turned to the front flaps of the tent. (Y/N) pulled aside one of the flaps, sticking her head inside. “Sorry, there’s not really a place to actually knock or ring a bell or anything…” She cleared her throat, stepping inside. She wore a traditional Briar Valley dress. “Wow,” She breathed, taking in Silver in his armor. “You look like a real knight! Not that you aren’t, usually, I mean. It’s just really formal now I guess. I’ve been able to see everything from up in the royal viewing box with Hornton and Lillia. It’s great watching you and Sebek, competing and everything. It’s like a whole Renaissance fair out there.” 

Silver set down his helmet. “Is that something from your world?”

She nodded. “I’ll have to tell you about it some time. They were always fun.” She looked away nervously, trying to find the right words to say. “There was this kind of tradition, at the Renaissance fairs, for knights. I think it went back to medieval history in my world. I was hoping you could help me with it.” 

“Of course,” Silver said. He took a step forward, closing the distance between them, gently reaching out to take her elbow and turn her back to him. They were so close their bodies nearly brushed each other. “Whatever you need.” 

She hesitated for another second before reaching up and pulling a ribbon out of her hair. He noticed it was (favorite color) instead of a matching shade to her outfit. “When knights would go for tournaments, they would wear a token or flag from their partner. It’s for good luck or something.” She twisted the ribbon around her fingers, not meeting his eyes. “I was hoping…” 

Silver untangled the ribbon from her hands, tying it around his forearm. He felt a swell of pride at how it stood out from his armor, gently waving in the breeze. “I’d be honored,” He said. “To wear your token.” 

(Y/N)’s eyes lit up, a smile blossoming on her face. “Okay, yeah, sure, of course! I’m glad you like it.” She pressed her lips together, considering something, before adding. “Would it be okay if I gave you another token? For good luck. Not that you need it or anything, you’re going to be great.” 

Silver smiled at her nervous deflection. “I’d love anything from you.” 

(Y/N) looked around nervously again, fiddling with her fingers. Just as Silver was about to speak, she reached up, wrapping her arms around his shoulders, and pulled him down for a kiss. 

Lilia

Lilia leaned against the railing of the barge, watching the glowing red lanterns float gently above the river, their reflections casting ruby ghosts against the dark water below. The Floating Lantern Festival in the Land of Red Dragons never failed to excite, but this year was especially memorable. 

“It’s even more beautiful that you describe it,” (Y/N) breathed in awe next to him, stretching out over the barge railing to take in every sight and sound around them. Her eyes trailed the parade along the banks of the river, party goers dressed in red hanfu carrying more lanterns and a long red paper dragon on tall sticks. 

“The best stories are the ones you experience in person,” He said. 

They’d been traveling together for a while now, by boat, by train, on foot, exploring the whole world. (Y/N) had always been bothered that she had no frame of reference for the world of Twisted Wonderland, no practical understanding of its cultures and countries. Lilia tried to alleviate some of her frustrations with stories about his numerous travels before finally deciding a more hands-on presentation would be a better fit. 

Lilia snuck up behind her as she marveled at the lanterns drifting into the night sky. He suddenly grabbed her shoulders, as if to push her off. She gasped and turned to give him a halfhearted glare as he laughed. 

“Well?” Lilia asked. “Do you feel more prepared to conquer the world now?” 

(Y/N) frowned. The Land of Red Dragons was meant to be the last stop on their tour. (Y/N) had said she had no real plan for after the journey. While the multitude of friends she had made during her years in school were more than happy to lend her a place to stay during their travels, (Y/N) had confided in Lilia that she felt like she was taking advantage of their good nature if she lingered to long, without finding work or direction in this strange world. Maybe she would return to NRC to see if Crowley had any work for her? (He always did.) 

“I mean, I suppose?” She said. “Everything has been so wonderful. It’s almost a shame to be stuck in one place after all this.” She gave a mirthless laugh. “I can see why you like moving around so much.” 

Lilia hummed, leaning back against the railing. He turned, considering (Y/N)’s profile, lit against the red glow of the lanterns. He felt himself pause, lost in the marvel of her eyes, full of delight and wonder at everything around them. There was a strange stirring in his chest, one he had experienced multiple times over their journey together, a feeling he hadn’t had in almost 500 years. 

Lilia shook his head, trying to reign his focus back in. “You know,” He said, casually. “I’ll be heading back out again soon. Malleus came up with the idea of sending out ambassadors from the Briar Valley, trying to strengthen relationships between fairies and the rest of the world.” 

(Y/N) nodded. “That seems like something he would do. You’re going to be the first one, then? It seems like a good job for you.” 

“Not necessarily the first.” (Y/N) turned to look at him and Lilia felt himself squirm under her direct gaze. Goodness, he would have thought he was a lovestruck teen of 200 years by the way he was acting. “I proposed that you should join me as an ambassador. I thought it might make things easier, having a fellow human to represent dual interests. And, I must admit,” He purposely looked away. “I’ve grown fond of our time together.” 

When (Y/N) didn’t reply he looked back at her. She was smiling up at him and he felt his heart stutter. “I’d like that a lot,” She finally said. Which part she didn’t specify. He didn’t need her to. 

As they watched the lantern festival continue around them, their hands slid together on the railing, fingers entwining.  

Sebek

Sebek’s heart was beating a mile a minute. He knelt in front of Malleus, in the grand throne room, crowds of nobles eagerly watching his knighting ceremony.  

Malleus, regal sword in hand, stood over him. “Sebek Zigvolt,” He said, voice echoing around the chamber. “Do you so solemnly swear to uphold the code of knightly honor, to defend the Briar Valley with all your might, your will, and your faithfulness?” “I do,” Sebek replied, trying to keep his voice to a reasonable volume, not letting his giddiness shine through. 

“Do you so solemnly swear to serve your king and country and never waver from your duty?” 

“I do.” 

“And do you so solemnly swear to be truthful to yourself, loyal to your loved ones, and show bravery in the face of doubt and fear?”

“I do!” 

Malleus smiled down at his friend, pride for his retainer crinkling the corners of his eyes.  “Then, as rightful king and ruler of the land of night fae and the Briar Valley, I hereby dub thee, Sebek Zigvolt, high knight and warrior to the crown.” Malleus lowered his sword against Sebek’s shoulders and the crown of his head. “Stand and receive your blessing.” 

Sebek stood, fist thumbing against his chest. Cheers started up from the assembly. Happy tears pricked the corners of Sebek’s eyes, his smile wide as he tried to keep a serious face for the occasion. 

After the ceremony, everyone congregated in one of the grand ballrooms of the palace. Sebek stood with his mother, father, and grandfather. His mother was flitting over him, brushing away an invisible speck of dust every other second. 

“My darling boy!” She cried. “Look how big you’ve gotten! Oh, you’re so official now! Dear, what happened to our little Sebek?” 

“You’ve done a lot of hard work, Sebek,” He father said, nodding proudly. “You should be proud of everything you’ve accomplished.” 

“Of course he’s proud,” His grandfather scoffed. “He’s a Zigvolt! Greatness and duty is embedded in our history!” 

His mother rolled her eyes. “Yes, yes, Papa, so you’ve said many times.” Her eyes cut behind Sebek, smiling and taking hold of either of the two men’s arms. “Well, we wouldn’t want to monopolize your time, Sebek. There are many people who want to congratulate you, after all. Come along, dear, Papa!” Ignoring their protests, his mother dragged them away. 

As Sebek waved in a confused good-bye, he felt a thump on his back. “Look at you!” He heard a familiar voice say. “So do I have to call you Sir Zigvolt now or something?” Sebek turned to see (Y/N) beaming up at him. It was surprising enough to see her here, but Sebek’s breath caught in his throat as he saw her dress. Zigvolt colors. She was wearing Zigvolt house colors. 

“H-hum- Er, (Y/N)? What are you doing here?” 

“Horton invited me! Or, I guess I should say King Malleus here, shouldn’t I? Well, either way, he told me you were having your official knighting ceremony. And I got a letter from your mom, too! She thought it would be a fun surprise to have your friends from school show up to support you.” She indicated one of the banquet tables across the room. Sebek saw Grim, Ace, Deuce, Jack, Ortho, and Epel milling around, all dressed in their own formal wear, catching questioning glances from the various fae knights and nobles. 

But they weren’t wearing his house colors. So why was she? And why did it make his heart thrum like that? 

A band started up, couples taking their places along the dance floor. “Ah, would  you…?” Sebek felt like he could’t find the right words. He couldn’t understand why he was suddenly falling all over himself like this. 

(Y/N) clasped his hands in hers. “I’d love to dance! I might not know all the steps, since this seems pretty fancy and formal, but you’ll just have to show me, okay?” Sebek nodded stiffly as she pulled him to the dance floor. 

Sebek took one of her hands in his, his other settling on her waist. He felt it burn with the contact. As he swept her along the floor, he finally said, “Your dress…” But couldn’t manage to finish, his thoughts tumbling around. Had it really been so long since graduation? Since he had last seen her? Sure, they had written multiple times, he kept up correspondence with many NRC alumni, but how had she changed this much since then? Had her eyes always shined that way? Was her hair that beautiful? Was her smile that dazzling? 

“Oh, your mom lent it to me,” She said. “I didn’t have anything that would fit, so she lent me one of her old ones. Although with all the adjustments I think it might just be mine now. Do you like it?” 

“You look like a Zigvolt,” He said. 

“Oh.” She seemed surprised at that, heat rising to her face. They turned around the floor a few more times. “You know, you’ll be seeing a lot more of me soon.”

Sebek felt his heart flip. “I’ll have to put up with you more, you mean.” 

(Y/N) stifled a laugh and gently hit his chest. “Rude. I mean Horton offered me a position here. Ambassador for human and fairy relations. I’m not totally sure what it will be like next, but he’s given me a townhouse just next door. It’s near your parents, I think. So, you know, I’ll be around. If you ever want to see me or anything. Or I guess if I want to see you, I’ll know where to come to bug you.” She laughed awkwardly. 

Sebek unconsciously tightened his grip on her hand. “I think I wouldn’t mind that. It’s a knight’s duty to look after those he cares about, after all.” 

Malleus 

Malleus turned over in his bed, hands crumpling the sheets next to him. He was in his chambers back in the palace in the Briar Valley. The bed next to him was cold. Cool dawn light was just beginning to spill through his window behind the heavy velvet curtains. 

The dreaming Malleus, the one all too aware this was a premonition of a possible future, sighed. He had completed this potion many times, both at NRC and in his private education in the Briar Valley. And, no matter how many times he drunk the noctious concoction, his future always remained the same. A lonely bedchamber, government work, fawning lords and ladies vying for his favor. If he was lucky, he would get to interact with Lilia, Silver, or Sebek. Although he dreaded the times when he could clearly see age lining their faces while he remained the same. 

The door to his chamber creaked ever so slightly. Someone was entering. The dream Malleus, the one projected in this future vision, tensed in his bed. The dreaming Malleus, forced to watch everything unfurl, was confused. Was this some sort of half-baked assassination attempt? Had relations between the country of fae and the rest of the world degraded to such an extent under his reign? Was he destanted to watch his own death? 

The dream Malleus closed his eyes. There was a sound of soft padding feet, a giggle, then a sharp hush. The intruders were right next to him now. 

“Ready?” A voice whispered, familiar but changed with time. “One, two, three…” 

“Happy birthday, Papa!” 

The dream Malleus opened his eyes, a slow and easy smile crossing his face. The curtains were thrown open, revealing the three young boys standing at his bedside, rosy cheeked, green eyed, and horns curling up from their ebony locks. One of them held a plate stacked high with pancakes, dripping with strawberry syrup. Another held a party popper, which he pulled releasing a torrent of confetti and ribbons. The third held a paper card tightly in his hands, his grip causing it to crumple at the edges. 

“Did we wake you up, Papa?” The boy with the card asked in a concerned voice, pouting. 

Malleus smiled, sitting up in bed as the young boys climbed up to sit around him. “Not at all, Grimwald. What’s that you have there?” 

Grimwald shyly held the card out. Malleus gently pried it from his fingers. It was obviously homemade, colored pencil drawings of a family of five holding hands across the cover, four with Darconia horns crowning their heads. He opened the card. There was a large birthday cake drawing inside, with the words ‘Happy Birthday!’ in large blocky lettering above it. Around the cake, the artists had scribbled their names: Grimwald, Lilianos, and Malachite. 

“They wanted to surprise you,” A soft voice said. Malleus, both in and out of the dream, felt his heart skip a beat as (Y/N) came around the bed. She sat down at the edge, catching the plate of pancakes from Malachite so they wouldn’t splatter on the floor. She turned to him, carding her fingers through his hair, and leaned forward to kiss his forehead. “Good morning, Horton. Happy birthday.” 

“We made them ourselves!” Malachite proudly proclaimed. “Grandpa Lilia showed me how!” 

“Don’t worry,” (Y/N) whispered to him. “I supervised.” 

“Do you have to work today, Papa?” Lilianos asked. “You can’t ‘cause it’s your birthday, right? You have to stay and play with us today.” 

Malleus gathered his boys together so they all fit on the bed. “Birthdays are family days. I’d love nothing more than to spend the entire day hearing about  how you’ve been terrorizing the palace.” 

“Oh, oh!” Malachite called, hand shooting up. “I breathed fire and it burned up the curtains in the grand dining room!” 

(Y/N) looked at him sideways. “On accident, right?” 

Malachite blushed. “Yes, Mama.” 

“Can we go watch the knights train?” Lilianos asked. “Uncle Sebek and Uncle Silver said they would teach us to ride a horse!” 

“Why would you want to ride a horse when you can fly?” Malachite said, spreading his arms wide. 

“I want to go to the menagerie,” Grimwald added. They began to talk over each other, making plans for their father’s birthday without his input. 

Malleus smiled, watching his family. He turned back to (Y/N). She smiled at him, as glorious and warm as the sun after a year of frozen nights. He reached up, cupping her face, and brought her close. 

“I always knew my future would bring me to you.” 

Ok, now this is the type of friendship I really like to see when writers potray the ADeuce duo+Mc.

The type of platonic bullshit that makes me giggle and kick my legs

I love romantic adeuceyuu as much as the next person (seriously they are my OTP/OT3) but platonic adeuceyuu is everything. Even when I ship Yuu with others, those two will always be two of the most important and significant people in her life.

Ace and Deuce are definitely the type of people who take their status as Fem!Yuu’s/reader’s best friends so seriously. Even if she/you aren’t romantically dating them, they’ve/you’ve been through enough together for everyone else to understand that those two idiots are her/your ride-or-die platonic soulmates. Sure, the three of them would decrease the PDA if it makes Yuu’s/your boyfriend uncomfortable and they can tell that whoever she/you chose is making her/you happy (and she/you deserve every bit of happiness the world has to offer) so they’ll ease off on them but they need to understand that those three have a bond unlike any other, even though there are absolutely no romantic feelings involved.

Ace and Deuce: *To the boyfriend, five minutes after the relationship is revealed* You may be the boyfriend but we’re the best friends. You know what that means?

Yuu’s/Reader’s Boyfriend: What?

Ace and Deuce: We will always be invited to her wedding but we can’t guarantee that you will.

Forget about Papa Crewel, Grandpa Trein, Uncle Vargas and Cool Older Shadow Cousin Sam - these two card soldiers that share half a braincell between them would give her/your suitor the worst shovel talk of all. They would make even Malleus quiver with fear. Unlike the adults, they’ve seen you at your lowest and they’ve seen you get hurt on numerous occasions. And they’ll do whatever they can to make sure that their best friend, who considers them as part of the only family she has, never sheds a tear again.

Falls First, Falls Harder ✧ All Dorms

Notes: This took so long to finish, goodness... it's pretty long too, but it's really cute IMO.

Also, I would be remiss if I didn't say this--thank you guys so so so much for 500 followers! My heart is melted from all the positive feedback I've received on my posts! You guys are just so sweet; I adore each and every one of you!

I hope this post counts for a good celebration--I included all our beloved NRC boys, that way I could make sure to show a little love to each of your favorites, y'know? Plus this prompt is super self indulgent and cute, I hope you like it.

Much love to all of you, and enjoy! ♡

(Oh, by the way--I tried to go back and make sure it's pretty even between you falling first and the other boys falling first. There's 21 characters here, and you fall first 11 times. If I make a part two it'll be 10 times and the boys will fall first 11 times... which after writing this I'm highly considering. I hope that makes sense? Enjoy!)

Ace:

Falls First: Ace ✧ Falls Harder: You

Ace really has no choice but to fall first--and he's obvious about it too. Did you really think all that flirting was just his personality? Sure, he can be a little flirtatious now and then, but he lays it on real thick for you.

Besides--with the way he insults Deuce and Grim, you have to know that you've gotten special treatment from the start. Heck, the whole reason he started taunting you on the first day of school was because he thought you were cute!

You've just made him fall more and more every day since. Your courage, your determination, your logic in times of fear--in his eyes, you were a warrior. He'd follow you anywhere.

It's only a little while later that you fall harder.

You start to notice this feeling during Riddle's overblot--the way Ace jumps in front of you to protect you, and the way his first instinct after the battle is to make sure you got out safe. The moment was so intense that it wouldn't surprise you if you were entirely forgotten about, but Ace never left your side, even when the battle got rough.

Then you notice how he's the first to defend you in any situation--not just physical fights, but verbal spats as well. If anyone gives you lip you're certain Ace is gonna mouth off right back, and he's practically an expert at making even the most confident people feel ashamed of themselves.

Aside from all of that, he's always there for you, emotionally and otherwise. He notices when you're upset or stressed or furious and he knows just what to do to help you feel better. He doesn't give up on you until he knows you're okay, and you've come to find he's the most reliable person you have.

It was when he told you he'd make sure to find you a way home that you finally gave in--you fell the hardest. Even though he didn't hide the fact that he wanted you to stay--that he wanted to keep you in Twisted Wonderland for as long as possible--he knew you had a life in your other world that you missed. Before his desire to keep you came your happiness, and so even if that meant losing you, you still had his services.

...of course, the situation would never come to that. If you managed to get to Twisted Wonderland once you'd be able to do it again, and there's no way you could completely forget about this world now. Sure, your old home has a place in your heart, but so do your friends here at NRC, and most importantly, so does Ace.

You two have each other's backs, and as far as you're both concerned, that relentless love was there to stay.

Deuce:

Falls First: Deuce ✧ Falls Harder: You

Oh, you know Deuce went through the whole 'I've fallen in love with my best friend!' arc in the most panicked way possible.

He realizes his feelings fast. Remember that chicken conversation? Where you told him even honors kids defended themselves? Where you supported him, even after learning his dark little secret? He's pretty sure that's when he fell... and it's his next conversation with his mom that causes it to dawn on him.

He was only trying to tell her about you--describing the way you've supported him, what you meant to him, and how smart and kind and bold and beautiful you were...

He spends every moment after trying to keep his feelings under wraps, but he just can't.

He looks out for you--he's tries to avoid picking fights, but he can't help it when it's you who's getting picked on.

He confides in you--it's just too easy for him to place his heart in your hands, and no matter what he tells you he knows you'll guard it with your heart.

You were just... perfect.

But oh, when you realize your feelings for Deuce?

His presence becomes a constant in your life before you know it--walking you safely back to Ramshackle every evening, studying for tests together, sharing food in the cafeteria--whether it's a month or a week or even a day, long times without seeing him just become too long.

He's so determined and so full of love. He's fiercely loyal to his friends, he has such a pure love for his mom, and he's always standing up for those in trouble. It doesn't matter if he knows them or not--if someone's getting picked on, he rushes in to save them.

And goodness, his smile? It's a constant in your life. Seeing the way he lights up when you enter the room melts your heart every time.

Of course, the list of reasons to fall in love with him is endless--what matters is that you realize it. It hits you when he left for Winter break, and it strikes again when he comes back, early, having left his time with his family to come check up on your safety. Even then, he never complained--he showed no regret in coming back, even when he knew you were safe.

The love you two share is something reliable, trustworthy and enduring--there's no doubt by you or anyone else that it will forever stand the test of time.

Riddle:

Falls First: You ✧ Falls Harder: Riddle

It wasn't out of love that Riddle fussed over you, but that was probably the first thing that caused your heart to skip a beat.

Well, that was part of the reason anyways. The part of him that really caught your attention was his growth; after his overblot, he was truly a changed person. He was more understanding, more patient, more playful, and best of all--more open with his feelings.

He learned to open up and experience a world outside of the abusive shell he was raised in. He found joy in friendships with his dorm mates that once held nothing but fear and contempt for him. He learned to take criticism without entirely brushing it aside and claiming he was in the right, but he didn't lose his old self entirely either. He kept the charm.

He kept his diligence. He remained as hardworking as ever, and his academic prowess proved it. He was still a great leader, running a tight ship and bringing the best out of his dorm. He was just... incredible.

You found yourself treasuring every moment with him in your heart, and all those sweet memories shared between the two of you built up into what you could confidently say was love. A part of you knew you'd fallen too quickly for him though, and so while you enjoyed every interaction with him you held your feelings close to your heart and kept them there.

That is... until Riddle had fallen as well.

The first signs were through his actions. He had a tendency to fuss over you before, but now it was like you had your own personal spotlight--and not necessarily in a nagging way. Sure, he'd smooth out the tie of your uniform now and again, but what really caught everyone's attention was the way he'd fume if you visited Heartslabyul without being served tea, or the way he'd insist on walking you to dorms and classes incase someone tried to mess with you. He was just... doting, and protective, and all those other sweet things that caught his dormmates by surprise.

The next signs came after he realized his feelings--it just dawned on him one day, with the help of Trey and Cater spelling it out for him. After that, he could hardly look you in the eye and his face was always--always--red.

Still, the doting habits never left, so while he would blush and stutter he still always walked you to class, looked out for you and made you feel as welcome as possible whenever you'd drop by.

Once you two got together, it only got sweeter from there. Riddle and you have a supportive kind of love--you bring out the best in each other and encourage each other. You share dreams and aspirations and believe in each other's worth, and are always there to remind the other if they ever forget.

More concrete than any rule or law is the foundation of love the two of you share together--with Riddle, it was perfect.

Cater:

Falls First: You ✧ Falls Harder: Cater

When you first met Cater, you got butterflies.

He was just so... charming. Charismatic. Brilliant. Even in a world you barely knew with disaster around every corner, you could have a single conversation with him and feel safe.

Of course, most of it's a ruse. Cater is not as chill as he seems--he hides his opinions and keeps his cards close to his chest, though with the way he acts you'd never know unless you bother to observe him.

Still... even if it's an act, you find it admirable. He's kind and funny and sensitive to the feelings of those around him, and so in your opinion it doesn't matter how 'fake' he probably thought it all is; he's a good guy, a guy with a good heart and great skill and an insane amount of charm. He would invite you to hang out with him, pull you closer for spontaneous selfies and always hype you up when you were at your lowest.

You wanted to get to know him more, so you did. You showed him the hidden parts of yourself in hopes that he would do the same, but even if he didn't, you still saw through the mask once in a while.

You loved every new thing you learned about him and, well, you loved him in general. He was your person, you were certain of it.

Initially Cater wasn't uneasy about your vulnerability, but he did feel guilty over it.

It was natural for people to open up to him--it was a side effect of his personality, he supposes. Being so extroverted and cheerful all the time caused him to accidentally lead people on, and make them think he was more fond of them than he genuinely felt.

Of course, he wished he could be that guy! He tries, but he just can't bring himself to feel the same way. He had people around every corner claiming him as their true love, their best friend, their partner in crime--and yet amongst dozens of supposed 'best friends', there wasn't a single one who seemed to care about the real him.

Well... except you.

You stuck around longer. You asked questions no one else bothered to. You complimented the parts of his personality that even he forgot about, the parts that weren't all about his charisma and enthusiasm--and despite how much he tried to keep up his usual self around you, he felt it start to crumble.

You were a really sweet person--that was his first thought, and at first he wished it would remain that way. You were just sweet--that was all there was too it. But then you became a friend. You became a person who could read when he wasn't feeling like his usual self. You became someone who could catch onto even the littlest hints he dropped, like the way Trey found out he doesn't like sweets. You became that person who--when he was uncomfortable, when he felt awful for leading people on, when he didn't have the energy to be so jovial--you would always slyly make excuses for him and help him escape those awful things.

Then you became his person.

You fell first, but Cater fell harder. Whoever said you can't love someone until you love yourself is wrong, because Cater was head-over-heels for you even before you helped him learn to love himself.

His behavior isn't so different--he still takes photos with you, drags you everywhere, and hypes you up any minute of the day. This time though, it's not an act--it's pure, smitten love.

Trey:

Falls First: Trey ✧ Falls Harder: You

At first, Trey admires your friendship.

He sees it every day: the way you care for Ace and Deuce, the way you care for Grim, the way you always seem to go the extra mile for them even when it seems unnecessary. He finds your crew to be incredibly lucky, because it doesn't take a genius to tell that you're full of love and loyalty for those lucky few you consider friends.

At first, Trey wants that friendship for himself.

He starts by inviting you to bake with him. He invites you to Unbirthday parties as well. He'll walk you through Heartslabyul traditions and rules, which not only pose as a way to bond with you but also get you in good graces with Riddle--which ultimately leads to you being invited to the Heartslabyul dorm even more.

You befriend him quickly, and Trey loves that you consider him a close friend... but there's still something missing, because when he's with you he still wants more. It takes him a while to identify it, but when he does, it all makes sense.

He fancies you.

No, that's not right--it's grown beyond a crush at this point. He's in love.

You don't fall for Trey because of the way he suddenly dotes on you more and more; it's more like you fell for him because he revealed himself more and more to you.

At first, it's easy to dismiss Trey as a cliche older brother type--too mellow and too well-behaved to catch your eye, which regrettably was your impression for quite a bit there.

After all, compared to the other chaotic students in Heartslabyul, Trey seemed to be the only one who wasn't entirely off his rocker. It made him stick out, but not in an interesting or exciting way.

Then you realized that, no, Trey wasn't just mellow and passive, nor was his head as attached to his body as it seems; he was playful and chaotic in his own way, but he was so smart about it that he could get away with almost anything.

...and when he was fond of you? He'd pretty much help you get away with anything too.

You caused quite a lot of chaos together under Riddle's nose. Trey would use his unique magic to pull subtle pranks, kidnap you from your dorm to bake the sweetest snacks, and teach you how to break rules without getting collared.

He'd make sarcastic or cynical jokes under his breath just for you to hear, propose rebellious ideas to you out of earshot, and teach you how to get revenge on those who mess with you in the sneakiest, funniest way. And, on top of that, he still has his responsible charm--he does well in school, is beloved by teachers and students alike and can solve any problem he's presented with. It's fascinating.

You'd never have predicted it, but you fell for Trey hard. Love with him is safe and trusting, but at the same time, it never loses its spark.

Leona:

Falls First: You ✧ Falls Harder: Leona

You have no idea why you fell for him. He's arrogant and lazy and crass and... and...

And amazing, at literally everything he puts his mind to.

Your love starts out as admiration. You love his brain, his talent, his magical abilities, his athleticism, his wit, his charm, his audacity. He's confident in himself and he has every skill necessary to back it up. If he actually gave ambition a go, the world wouldn't stand a chance against him.

Eventually, you start to see the reality. He's lazy, insensitive and plays the role of the bitter prince. He acts like he doesn't care and then gets picky over the dumbest things. Your admiration turns into understanding, but the love hadn't developed yet.

You truly fell when he let you in.

Maybe it was the whole overblot thing, or maybe he started to respect you after that whole schtick with Azul, but Leona no longer acted like your presence was a bother--rather than kicking you out of his room, he'd greet you lazily and roll over on his bed, implicitly inviting you to join him for a nap. Whenever he did show up for lunch, he always sat next to you, not saying a word about it and only opening up when you initiated conversation. When he caught you in Savanaclaw--it happens quite a lot nowadays--he'd growl at those other students who harass you and welcome you to 'hang out wherever you want, as long as you don't cause a fuss'.

Romantic, right? Your heart seemed to think so. Leona's actions always spoke louder than his words.

Eventually, you were willing to admit you fell for him. While you didn't flirt outright--you weren't quite ready for him to tease you over your feelings--you started to show you cared for him in more platonic ways.

That was the catalyst to Leona falling for you.

What really won him over was the fact that you saw him. You recognized him as someone worthy of praise, and you saw value in all the qualities that people back at home would criticize.

You cherished his magic, telling him that not only was it powerful but that it had saved you at one point, during that whole thing with Azul. It was a wonderful unique magic, and he should treasure it.

You praised his intellect, his athleticism, his magic, his talents--you even told him you were impressed with how quickly he could fall asleep. His skills often went unrecognized, but you saw them all.

And... let's face it, you were amazing in general. He would have been impressed if you handled all those overblots with magic, but you've made it out of every one of those disasters magicless and still kickin’. Even though you were magicless in a school full of mages, you walked around with your head held high, like you could conquer them all; honestly, you probably could.

Sans Leona of course. He wouldn't be outdone by such a magicless little herbivore.

...but he did genuinely admire and respect you. That only made him love you more--you were his equal, his motivation, someone who gave him reason to try and someone who worked hard right along with him.

You were inspiring, and motivating, and... gosh, he loved you.

He doesn't verbalize it well, but he shows it--the love you two share is the kind of love that you can feel down to your bones, a love no lack of self esteem or anxiety could ever make you question. You could trust in Leona's love like you trusted the sun to shine in the sky each day; it was constant, powerful and simply wonderful.

Ruggie:

Falls First: You ✧ Falls Harder: Ruggie

You have to fall for Ruggie first. It's the law.

See, Ruggie lets you know who he is right away. He treats himself like a walking resume, and thus every action, every word, every moment is used to show off who he is, what he can do, and how good he is at doing it.

His talents and work ethic aside, he's open about his personality and past too. He talks about the more vulnerable aspects of his life like he's talking about the latest episode of a TV show, and he's even honest about his more sneaky and underhanded nature--what are ya gonna do about it, stop him? He's too capable to be worried about that.

But you know, Ruggie tells you lots of things. He tells you about how he looks after the neighborhood kids back at home, about the struggles he's had to overcome growing up, about how and why he learned all the skills he did--sometimes they're funny stories, and sometimes they're so sad they make you wonder how someone like him can grin so brightly all the time.

You fall for him fast--even when he's pretty verbal about not being interested in anything besides spelldrive, food, and making money. You can't really help it.

...and when he starts to consider you a friend, telling you that you need to be a little more selfish and underhanded for your own sake, you fall more. Being one of those people Ruggie will put his selfishness aside for is a big deal, and it means a lot to you that he'd care for you in such a way.

Ruggie is slower to fall in love, but when it hits him, it hits like a brick.

At first, he thought you were naive--maybe a good person to steal food from, but no one worth bonding with. He'd let you follow him around since you seemed pretty fascinated by him, but he wasn't going to engage too much. You were a little freshman in a world you didn't know--you probably thought he'd help you out or something, but he wasn't going to be doing any favors for free.

You... never really asked him to help you out, though. Sure, you'd talk about your problems to him, but you were mostly making conversation. Your life at NRC was pretty exciting--well, if you consider constant fights, life-or-death situations and drama with nearly every big personality in the school 'exciting'. He didn't know how you could handle it all.

He respected you with the way you took all those challenges head-on. With you being around him so often, he saw the skills you brought with you from your own world and thought they were fantastic--what was even more interesting was how you used your own skillset to take on these situations. You weren't the most underhanded person (at least, compared to him) but you were competent.

He probably fell for you, though, because you weren't just around him for favors or entertainment. In fact, he's received more favors from you than he’s ever considered returning; you wouldn't accept any help he offered (whether it came with a price or not), but you were bossy and insistent when it came to being kind to him.

Take this moment for example--you had come to hang out in the stands during his spelldrive practice, and Ruggie stopped to say hi. You had snacks and Ruggie was hungry, so when he jokingly offered to 'owe you one' in exchange for something to eat you just... handed the food to him?? Like, with nothing in return? You just went, "You’re hungry, so take it. Why wouldn't I just give it to you?"

You were a strange one. A strange, wonderful one that Ruggie found himself treasuring more and more.

Eventually, it wasn't you following him around anymore--it was him that was dragging you into shenanigans, even popping by to spoil you himself. He's been pretty decided about his future since he was little--just himself with some grand job, but now he just couldn't picture it without you, however that would turn out.

Your love, contrary to his nature, is selfless. You look out for each other, spoil each other and don't seem complete without the other nearby; it was a love you didn't expect to find, but one that was always meant to be.

Jack:

Falls First: Jack ✧ Falls Harder: You

Just ask Ace and Deuce--watching a tsundere pine is like watching a house cat try to open a locked door. It's endearing to a degree, but also very hard to watch.

Jack has been pining for a while. No one can really tell for sure when it started--early on during the anemone fiasco perhaps, or maybe even earlier during the Spelldrive incidents.

After all, you didn't go about trying to cheat on your exams--even though you probably had more of an excuse than anyone, not being an actual mage and all. You didn't try to hide or fake any aspects about you--you were just genuine and kind and loyal and oh great seven he was in love.

You suppose you fell for Jack for a similar reason; he was principled and hardworking, talented and genuine, considerate and gosh--just the cutest guy ever, right??

I mean, he doesn't really consider himself the 'cute' type, but he's totally cute. Totally.

You did a lot of bonding during the whole Azul thing--by then Jack knew he was in love with you. You were a little slower, but let's be real--you didn't take too long to fall either. Going through a life-or-death situation like that got you two pretty familiar with each other pretty quickly.

Jack was just a big softie--and he was softest for you, just ask anyone. He’s protective and concerned for you, and no one can threaten you at this point without him glaring daggers over your shoulder. 'Scary dog privilege' isn’t just a joke with him--as soft as he is for you, he’s not above ripping someone's throat out.

For all his track meets, any game of spelldrive he'd play, pretty much any activity he partook in, you were in the stands cheering him on. You'd run up to him immediately afterwards and tell him how well he did, and his tail would wag every time.

You were painfully obvious about how much you loved each other, even before you were together. Ace and Deuce complained constantly because you were the type of people to make goo-goo eyes at lunch, totally unaware of how sappy you looked. Once you did get together, it wasn't just goo-goo eyes--you always ate lunch with Jack, he always tried to walk you to class, and Jack had an unofficial room in the Ramshackle dorm, which he frequented almost as much as you frequented Savanaclaw.

Jack lent you his shirts and hoodies, studied with you for every exam, and texted you goodnight before he went to bed each night; those texts were always sent almost exactly at 9:59pm, just before he goes to bed. He’s so rigid with his schedule—it’s endearing.

It’s the love you’ve always dreamed of having--the kind of love that makes single people cringe, but you know what, who cares? Wolves tend to mate for life, and it was obvious Jack had chosen you.

Azul:

Falls First: You ✧ Falls Harder: Azul

It was a close call as to who fell first--just like with the contract thing though, you bested Azul by a narrow margin.

He was just so charming.

Sure, he had this suave businessman thing going on--and to be frank, you loved that part of him. You admired his charisma, his hard work, his sharp mind, his schemes. Your favorite part probably had to be his awkwardness though--that was the most charming thing about him.

It was a rare treat to see Azul truly awkward--he almost always had the self-control to present himself composed and competent, but on the rarest occasions he'd slip up and be a frazzled mess until he could flee to his office. Luckily, Jade and Floyd were more than happy to help you reduce Azul to such a state, and every time it happened it made your heart grow fonder.

After his overblot, you knew for certain you had fallen for him. Prior to, he'd been a huge source of anxiety; now that it was over, the way he turned his business around was just so... amazing. He still made deals and used his magic to his advantage, but he was more upfront about it, and the manipulation no longer became a concern.

Learning about why he did what he did made your heart bleed too. You cared for him deeply, and of course, you weren't shy about expressing it--after all, it let you see his cute flustered face even more.

Azul wasn't used to feeling so treasured by someone before.

Even Floyd and Jade were wild cards--they were loyal and good friends (despite acting like they'd ever drop him if they got bored), but you... you were certain about caring about him. You made it no secret that you thought he was smart and talented and charming and valuable and so many other wonderful compliments. At first, it almost felt like you were trying to get some sort of revenge on him, making him addicted to your presence or something.

The worst part? It was working.

Eventually, he gave in to what he wanted and started inviting you around more. He made Jade and Floyd notify him when you came to the Mostro Lounge, and when you did he always emerged from his office to serve you personally. He gave you free drinks and meals (which was not the Octavinelle way, but... don't think about it too much), let you hide out in his office with him, and offered his services whenever you struggled with school.

Jade and Floyd loved how hard Azul fell for you--there wasn't anything more entertaining in the world, because while you were always upfront about how you felt, Azul would dare try to play the denial game. Yes he was fond of you, but the L-word? Already? What... What are you talking about? Of course he wasn't... well....

And yet, his feelings always bled through anyways. He was clingy, but not in an unwelcome way--he just loved having you around and always let you know his door was open. He'd spoil you constantly, like he was trying to both show off his resources and express his lov--his fondness for you.

Eventually the awkward octo learns how to actually say the 'L-word' and when he does--boy, do you hear it often. Yes you fell first and you fell hard, but this once--just this once--Azul has you beat.

You're his heart's favorite. That's all there is to it. You're precious and lovely and great seven does he want a future with you...

...and despite you saying you weren't gonna make a deal with him again, that was one you could agree to.

Jade:

Falls First: You ✧ Falls Harder: Jade

Jade is... interesting.

You're not the type to fall in love over a little intrigue of course, but it does help. From the moment you met him Jade caught your eye, and he obviously knew he did--for his own amusement, he let you follow him around. He even invited you to, in some cases.

Of course, there was the whole... Azul thing. That was a small rift in your developing affections, but even then, you got to know Jade better. You loved seeing him in the Coral Sea, seeing where he grew up, understanding the life he knew up until going to NRC. That picture Azul had you going after was really adorable too--the little Octo-trio kids were as cute as buttons, but Jade's smiling face had been your favorite amongst them.

Once Jade was no longer obligated to harass you as part of your contract with Azul, he was happy to have you around without implied hostility. When you visited the Mostro Lounge, he'd spend extra minutes at your table, talking with you and making coy remarks. When he went on excursions for his club, he'd invite you along and--hey, how could you refuse him when he was just so charming?

Jade wasn't someone you had to understand to love. He would always have an air of mystery around him--in your opinion, he was even less predictable than Floyd. After all, he posed the perfect gentleman, ever-loyal and ever-helpful, but at the same time he made mischief his right hand man. Every new thing you learned about him made you curiouser, made your heart pound more and--after just a short while--made you fall more in love.

As for Jade... he fell in love slowly. Agonizingly slow. Then again, once he fell, it was less than graceful--it was trademarked Leech chaos, to put it simply.

At first, he thought you were boring. Then, he thought you were interesting and charming, but in a quaint way. He was amused by you, but could've done with or without you for a while.

Then you became friends with him and his twin--that surprised him, because he was certain they'd have scared you away by now.

You weren't like the others. You didn't run from him--you had to be dragged away by your friends, and yet you kept coming back. You'd grown used to his mischief, and you knew how to handle the chaos he and Floyd caused without getting hurt. In fact, you were happy to indulge in chaos with them, much to Azul's chagrin.

Friendship turned into platonic devotion--an agonizing step, because he knew well enough at this point that you were in love with him. At this point, though, he didn't want to lose you, so he handled your feelings delicately and let you remain by his side. He was loyal, and doting, and would go through every effort to make you smile, which wasn't helping you suppress your feelings, not at all.

After all that, though, Jade fell--he realized when he heard you talking about your home world. He wasn't a part of the conversation, but you were talking in the Mostro Lounge and he always kept tabs on you while you were there--he was fond of you after all.

You were talking with Jack, a friend of yours that you'd bonded with because of the distress Jade and Floyd caused. You had been explaining to Jack that things were still so different here--so fascinating and new, and Jade listened as you gush and gush with curiosity and wonder about this new world around you.

That's right--you and Jade weren't so different after all. He'd never really thought about it before, but he had a similar experience coming from the Coral Sea. While he was getting used to the concepts of walking and flying you were getting used to the concepts of magic, which probably blew your mind just as much as having legs blew his.

And for you to be so curious? Well, he related to that part especially well.

His mind was suddenly filled with daydreams of exploring the world with you, and from that moment on his future didn't seem right without you in it. He wanted to keep you at his side, to learn more about you and the world around you and every other world you could travel to... and knowing you loved him in return, there was nothing that was going to stop him from trying to achieve that reality.

Your love was the kind of love that was constant no matter what was around you. In the sea, on land, in the sky, in worlds with magic and worlds without, you were hopelessly in love with each other, and with every challenge that came the two of you would always face it together.

Floyd:

Falls First: You ✧ Falls Harder: Floyd

Look, you're not an idiot by any means, but... your heart had a little idiotic moment there, falling for Floyd. At least, that's what your brain told you; for the first time ever, your heart and brain were having a feud that they just wouldn't let go.

Loving Floyd wasn't logical--he was dangerous and chaotic, and he took great delight in messing with you. He was much more than that, though, and that's what gave you the courage to not run away and give bonding a shot... and great seven, was that a great decision.

Floyd decided you were friend material almost instantly. On top of his adorable nicknames, he was the type of guy to scream hi to you across the hall despite the dirty looks, the type of guy to invite you to join him for all his impulsive schemes, the type of guy who expressed affection in so many ways it made your head spin: hugs, silly little gifts, affectionate nicknames and greetings, adventuring together...

This guy who was once a source of anxiety for you became your place of peace. Even if his mood swings were sudden and not always easy to deal with, you made the effort to understand and accept him, mood swings and all; it got easier and easier as time went on. Floyd... he was so precious to you, he practically had your heart in his hands.

Floyd didn't like you as more than friends for a while though.

In fact, it took him a while to even realize you were a friend for life--his attention was hard to keep, but after you stuck around long enough he realized he just wasn't going to get bored of you. He could hear you repeat the same stories over and over again and he'd happily listen each time, so it was pretty decided at that point that he wanted you for the long run.

The love came a little bit later, but when it did he fell hard. Even Jade could tell you the moment Floyd knew he was in love, and that's because that precious moment had been in the Mostro Lounge.

"You're so thoughtful."

Imagine that--Floyd Leech and thoughtful, a pairing no one else in school would have even considered. Even Floyd thought it was ridiculous; he almost thought you were messing with him.

Floyd was impulsive... and chaotic, childish, the list goes on. He doesn't give boring people the time of day, lacks all the tact his twin has and wasn't always the most sensitive fish in the sea... so how on earth did you think he was thoughtful?

"You always look out for the people you care about," you continued. "Like the way you you'll bully me into eating enough and getting enough sleep, or the way you bring me little gifts when you think of me."

You lifted your wrist as you said it, showing off a clunky bracelet he'd made you during class out of boredom. It was really nothing more than knotted string with a few makeshift beads, but you had accepted the gift with stars in your eyes anyways.

"It's not just me of course. You do it with Jade and Azul too. Others too, like Riddle and Ace and Jamil... and you know everyone that you care about so well, it's sweet that you make such an effort to understand them the way you do. I just think... I don't know. I just wanted to say that, I guess."

His heart was beating so much he thought he was sick. You thought he was thoughtful? Maybe he was, but... no one really thought of him like that before. You made such an effort to understand him that you could say something like that?

...oh, he's in love.

The love you two share is something no one else seems to understand--they don't get how you could fall for him or how he could fall for you, but neither of you care what others think. Your love is certain and long-lasting, and great seven is it interesting, because with Floyd by your side there's no such thing as a dull moment.

Kalim:

Falls First: Kalim ✧ Falls Harder: You

Duh.

No matter what your opinion on 'love at first sight' is, Kalim is your classic fairy tale exception--you don't need a second interaction for him to know. He's bright and bubbly to even the most prickly of strangers, but he knows a real connection when he sees it. You and him... he could picture so many adventures with you already, and he's already planning several.

He’s just sweet enough that you'll go along with all those plans. Well, most of them. He is a little grand and gratuitous sometimes.

Still—every time you agree, Kalim lights up. He loves seeing you in all sorts of situations—he falls in love with the way you dance, the way you eat, the way you tell stories and the way you listen to them… he’s smitten so quick, and it just grows and grows with each new 'adventure' together.

You fall a little bit later, but you fall hard.

At first, Kalim just seems like a airheaded rich boy--the type oblivious to the feelings of those around him, but that was far from the truth.

You noticed it during one of the many parties he invited you to.

That day, you were feeling homesick--and not just a little ache in your heart, but full-blown devastation at the notion that you may never see your home again. You tried to hide it at the party, and in all honesty, you did it pretty well; No one had been onto you, not even your best friends noticed how you were a little more glum that day.

Kalim did.

He invited you to dance with him, and all it took was your slight hesitation to agree that let him know something was wrong. He pulled you away from the crowd, offered his listening ear, and spent the rest of the evening just the two of you. He let you cry into his shoulder, groan about your plight and get mad at Crowley's negligence, and he stayed through it all, helping you feel better to the best of his ability.

He spoils you rotten--with gifts, with attention, with compliments, with affection, you name it. He's an ever-flowing fountain of love, and the fact that he's given his heart to you makes you feel like the luckiest person alive.

He's someone you can love on as much as you want and never be made to feel unwanted, annoying or ridiculous. Loving him is the type of love where you can use the cheesiest pet names, hold hands wherever you go, write each other the most ooey-gooey love letters and just... be cheesy. It's sweet and silly and romantic, a precious and pure type of love that's as rare as it is beautiful.

Love with Kalim is cliche and deep. The 'I've found my other half' kind of cliche, the type that makes you believe in tales like the red string of fate and soulmates and all those other stories. He's your fairy tale, and to him, you're his happy ending.

Jamil:

Falls First: You ✧ Falls Harder: Jamil

Jamil makes it a point to conceal several aspects of himself, and so getting to know him on a genuine level is a hard task for anyone.

Although the Scarabia incident was stressful, it did give you an opportunity to see the side of Jamil that he kept so hidden--the good and the bad, the impressive and the disappointing, the best and the worst. You had the opportunity to see Jamil realize he could show off his skill, he should speak up about how he felt and he should let himself be selfish. He traded in his polite smile for a snarky smirk, and even if his words became sharper and his hatred became visible he was still just... lovely.

What it took others a while to see, you saw right away. Jamil wasn't just some bitter servant--he was a beacon of talent, a disciplined worker, a thoughtful soul. He was wise and powerful and tactful and considerate and passionate and witty and clever and so many wonderful, beautiful things, each one a reason for you to fall for him harder and harder.

As hard as you fell for him, though, it was nothing compared to how hard he fell for you.

You were different--not by being some sort of golden-heart or eternal optimist, nor were you a renowned academic or athlete, but you caught his attention through the casual means through which you showed your support.

You offered your help with some of his responsibilities. You gave him casual compliments on his many talents--talents he had, at one point, done his best to hide. You didn't just give him space when he needed it, you created space for him as well--you offered up Ramshackle to him if he ever needed a place to get away, you would entertain Kalim for awhile so Jamil could rest easy, and you'd always find ways of directing the conversation so he could escape. He wasn't an idiot--you never did any of this outright, it was just subtle acts of kindness that filled his stomach with butterflies every time.

Jamil never lost his composure, never--at least, that's how it was before he fell for you. Something changed with his feelings for you, and suddenly he felt shaky and flustered and nervous whenever you came around. At the same time though, he was addicted to your presence; it was no longer Kalim who invited you to parties or welcomed you into their dorm, but Jamil.

Jamil, who brought you leftovers from meals and parties, just for an excuse to see you. Jamil, who would keep his eye out for clear skies and starry nights so he could invite you for sight-seeing. Jamil, who would shyly tell you when he had a basketball game coming up, because he knew he would see you in the stands every single time.

You were his weakness in the very best way. Love with him was soft and sweet--as sharp as he could be with others, you were his exception. Even in moments where he nagged you or teased you, there was a certain softness to his words that he reserved just for you.

You made him feel valuable--like he was the only person in the world, first place, a wonder, a treasure, a winner. He, of course, made you feel the very same; there was something precious about what the two of you had, a love you could trust would last forever.

Vil:

Falls First: Vil ✧ Falls Harder: You

A critical eye is still an admiring eye, just an eye that is more selective with where it finds beauty.

Vil was very critical, but that didn't mean he wasn't paying attention. He searched for beauty, polished or not, and he was not so haughty that he wouldn't recognize it when it was right in front of him. In fact, when he saw the potential for beauty, he seized it.

You were one of those beautiful things that caught his eye--not just physically, but everything about you: your determination, your hard work, your humor and wit and charm...

It frustrated him to know end that you didn't apply that hard work in the same way he did. You'd pour all your effort into your responsibilities and hobbies, and your appearance took a back seat to the things that you deemed more important. You became his personal mission--he'd lure you in with his own charm and wit, spoil you with products and clothes, and try to get you to follow in his footsteps, but another beautiful thing about you was that you weren't so easily influenced.

You did your own thing and didn't conform no matter what kind of pressure was on your shoulders.

It drove him crazy, but at the same time, he was falling for you more and more.

At first, Vil was annoying to you. You found him conceited and clownish, thinking he took his obsession with beauty way too far. It irritated you when he tried to pull you into his regimen, but you admittedly did understand his charm, and so you gave him a chance.

Vil had to work to soften you up. To the rest of Pomefiore, it was almost unbelievable that he'd become the chaser rather than the one being chased--but he did it, and you started to fall for him.

You saw him not for his makeup and poise, but for his heart. He was a hard worker--disciplined and detailed--and he had such immense amounts of talent. He was good with people, good with kids, good with sciences and arts and the list goes on...

He was also very funny. It wasn't something just anyone got to be privy to, but since he let you close to him, you got to hear it: those comments he'd utter under his breath, some of them about his rival Neige, others about the other dorm leaders, others about teachers and students and anyone else who crossed his path.

You two learned how to bond, and that's when you started to fall.

Vil would woo you with his humor--he'd sacrifice his perfect schedule to hang out with you in childish ways, ways that were whimsical and fun and quite different from the disciplined upbringing he had. You saw him let his guard down and enjoy things from your perspective, and in the same manner you'd lower your walls and try things out his way.

You guys were the definition of 'opposites attract'. You didn't have to share goals and interests for you to be in love--if anything, your differences made you better together. Once together, you guys became the epitome of a 'power couple', in school and elsewhere.

Your love was confident, and inspirational, and openly adoring. Vil Schoenheit didn't give praise where it wasn't due, but he had no shame in telling the world about his amazing partner... and of course, as the partner of Vil Schoenheit, how could you not brag yourself? You two were so proud of each other, so encouraging and supportive, that you'd never feel unloved for the rest of your life.

Rook:

Falls First: Rook ✧ Falls Harder: You

There's no question--Rook was quick to be smitten with you.

Imagine Rook the way he treats literally everyone, and then multiply that by thousands. He was everywhere--inviting you to spend time with him, complimenting everything from your test scores to your outfits to the shape of your nose, gifting you wildflowers and love letters and just about any sort of trinket you could think of.

He comes on strong--his restraint comes from not wanting to scare you away, but he's not the type to remain quiet when he likes something.

You know he's fallen for you long before you started to fall, because he keeps it no secret. When you don't return his feelings, he's respectful, but he doesn't change his tune or go back on his feelings--he loves you. That's how things were.

He comes on so strong you're a little wary of him at first. It takes some serious bonding--you start by adventuring with him in a crowd, often hanging out with him whilst Vil and perhaps even Epel were around. Then, you go on small excursions together--trips to the Mostro Lounge, watching the games and competitions your friends partook in, things like that.

Rook was sweet--he didn't care just for you, but for those people and things that were important to you as well. He tried to bond with Grim (who wasn't keen on bonding with a hunter), made efforts to get to know your friends and was willing to try out all your hobbies and traditions.

You severely misjudged him. He wasn't some flamboyant creep--he was a lover of beauty, and someone who wasn't scared into hiding his thoughts or feelings on the matter.

You spent even more time with him, falling for his humor, his wit, his beautiful words and the way he saw the world. All the while he treated you as someone precious to him, happy to spend time with you no matter how idle or strange the activities seemed. He was... peaceful, in a way.

He did have his moments, though--you suppose it was these less peaceful moments that really made you fall.

See, as a magicless student in a school of mages, you automatically get a target on your head for harassment. Your personality, quirks and involvement with drama wasn't helping the situation. Rook never struck you as the protective type (heck, you might've assumed he'd find some sort of 'beauty' in the situation), but he proved you wrong yet again.

He was fiercely loyal to you, and that included protecting you when he had the ability. Sure, you could handle yourself--even he acknowledged it, but he got a silly little joy out of playing knight for you once in a while. Besides, it gave him an excuse to show off in front of you, so why wouldn't he protect you?

He made you feel so, so loved, and you ended up loving him just as much. Your love was timeless and youthful, adventurous and freeing. As far as you were concerned, there was no one in both wide worlds that was a better match for you than Rook Hunt.

Epel:

Falls First: Epel ✧ Falls Harder: You

At first, Epel loves you as a friend--that's where all the best relationships start out.

You share food at lunch, gossip about dorm leaders and other drama-causers, slander your teachers and get into all sorts of shenanigans together. You'd pass notes in any classes you shared together, tease each other to bits and pieces, and basically live every moment with each other to its fullest.

You were already so close that Epel couldn't tell you when he fell in love with you, but once he recognized it, there was no denying it.

He was the type to be determined to win you over. He'd invite you to his spelldrive games just to show off, offer to carry your things to your classes, disrespectfully tell anyone who messed with you to back off, and basically tried to fulfill this image of 'prince charming' he concocted in his head.

You didn't want prince charming, though. You wanted someone else--someone you learned to be Epel all along.

You also had a hard time recognizing when exactly you fell for him--he was just such an important person to you already, to the point where everyone else around you just assumed you were together.

You started to hold hands more and more, convincing yourself that this was things friends did and there was no romance budding, none at all. Hugs became common too. Eventually, you two braved kissing each other on the cheek or forehead now and again, telling yourselves it was all for platonic affection, that you weren't craving anything more.

You obviously were, though.

Confessing your feelings was more like realizing your feelings out loud. Epel was delighted--he immediately insisted on being your official partner, talking excitedly about all the things he wanted to do with you now that you were together. Oh, and the best part? He's got a partner before Vil. Ha!

Together, you guys are very affectionate. Dates with each other are more about being with each other than about what you were doing, because whether you were on a walk together or curled up for a movie night, the world around you always seemed to disappear.

Epel's convinced you're his soulmate. He writes home about you, brags about you to anyone who will listen and automatically offers his home up to you after graduation, if that's something you would like. You're in this together, as far as he's concerned--even if that means going back to your world with you, a world without magic (as lame as he thought that sounded, he'd do it).

Congratulations! You had your very own 'friends to lovers' arc with Epel, a sweet and endearing love story that was worth bragging about. Love with Epel was strong, fiery, and exciting--there would never be a dull moment with your best friend at your side.

Idia:

Falls First: Idia ✧ Falls Harder: You

He knows immediately when he falls for you and he hates it.

He's such a huge grouch about it--and even though he won't tell you why, he gets cranky around you too. You're just too cute for your own good, you know that? At least, he thinks so.

Like, what is he supposed to do when you're sitting there all lovely and whatnot, and he wants to kiss you, but doesn't have half the courage he needs to make that sort of mood?

He doubts you'd ever fall for someone like him anyways, so while he still invites you to his room for games and movies and other fanboy things it grinds his gears that he just can't seem to level up your relationship.

Unbeknownst to him, you weren't far behind in falling for him.

Knowing Idia as well as you did was a rare luxury--almost no one could claim to have that same level of friendship as you had with him, and as a result you got to see many sides of him beyond his shut-in reputation. You loved seeing him get animated about something--whether it be an idol group, an anime, a game, cats, anything he might be interested in.

What was even more fun was spoiling him with affection. You were convinced this guy's never been properly hugged in his life, so of course you we're going to offer him that kind of affection on the daily. He flusters easily, but he also lets you know he's grateful for it, in his own grouchy way.

Your heart knew you were in love with him before your mind caught up, because realization came when you were on a call with him and ended it by saying "Love you". You weren't sure who ended the call then, because as far as you knew both of you we're wildly flustered at the admission.

Even though he fell, it took him a while to say it back--partially because he thought it was too good to be true, but partially because, well, it's his nature. He's just not used to the 'ooey-gooey normie nonsense' yet.

He's working on it.

Literally no one understands the two of you together; you're one of the school's biggest personalities, having dealt with overblots and Crowley's impulses time and time again, whereas Idia won't even bother to show up in person for classes. He's grouchy and catlike and doesn't seem like the type to ever warm up to you, and you're not the type to beg someone for the time of day, so in the minds of others the fact that you're together is frankly unbelievable.

Still, who cares what the normies think, right?

Love with Idia is different--it's refreshing, because neither of you go by the book. Every gesture comes from the heart, and every expression of love is in a language the two of you understand, regardless of how the rest of the world perceives it. Cosplaying characters together or staying up for gaming marathons might not be everyone's ideal date, but to Idia, it's further proof you're the one for him.

You both love each other dearly, and neither of you ever want to let the other go ♡

Malleus:

Falls First: Malleus ✧ Falls Harder: You

You know good and well when he's fallen for you. If your time at NRC was a TV show, he'd be in love within the first few episodes.

He's not the type to fall in love on a whim, though. He gives it very serious consideration, and so once he attaches the word 'love' to his feelings for you, he's certain about it.

He gets his dating advice from Lilia, so he's... old-fashioned, to say the least. Love letters are a personal favorite of his, and he always signs his letters with a playful 'Tsunotarou'. Flower bouquets and nighttime walks together are other tactics he frequently tries to bring to fruition.

You... you're a little to wrapped up in overblots and drama to give love any serious thought, but every time you get a break Malleus is there, waiting.

He always seems to be there when you need him. He's wise and doting, and it's hard not to fall for him too. He's so romantic it would make even the most straight-faced fellow blush, and he gives you such a sense of peace that you hate when you have to leave his side. It's like you belong together, physically and otherwise.

Sebek's protests in the matter almost make your love story more romantic. Forbidden love, anyone? Faes and humans, falling in love despite the wishes and opinions of those around them. How dreamy!

In fact, you two embrace each other's differences. Malleus tells you tales and tales of the fae world, wooing you with the most incredible traditions and stories. In return, you tell him stories from your own world, anything he might be curious about--the history, the culture, stories from your childhood, the list goes on.

You're his treasure. Malleus is protective of you and supportive of you, and if he were being honest, he never wants you to leave Twisted Wonderland--after all, as a prince, he can't easily follow after you to your own world, as much as he would like to. Still, he loves you so much that he'd never stop you; either way, you'll have his heart in your hands, and he's willing to try to make any situation work. He adores you that much.

Competitively, you tell him you love him more. He doesn't believe it, but that doesn't stop you from trying to prove it. In fact, with the stunning romantic gestures you two do, it wouldn't surprise anyone if it did turn out to be a competition. You're always one-upping each other, and as a result, your love never loses it's spark.

It's a love that makes you feel like you can conquer the world. Then again, what's the point of conquering the world when your world is standing by your side, talking about gargoyles?

Lilia:

Falls First: You ✧ Falls Harder: Lilia

You fall first, and he knows right away. It's frustrating.

He doesn't tease you about it though--some part of him compels him to treat your feelings gently, and so even though you know he knows your feelings, he never brings it up. He teases you about the drama you get wrapped up in and the silly shenanigans you get up to with your friends, but never your feelings.

And that stupid consideration just makes you fall more.

You confront him about it too--he knows about your feelings anyways, so why not make a joke out of it? Coping mechanisms, everyone. Humor is your default.

So you complain to him sometimes, about him being "too cute" or "too witty" or "too beautiful". He'll snicker at the compliments, agreeing with you and telling you it comes with the job description. He's so freaking playful, how are you supposed to un-fall in love with this man?

Luckily, you don't have to. Instead, Lilia ends up falling for you.

Like Malleus, Lilia takes romance seriously, so he's not going to fall for you without caution. He can't help it, though--you're just so perfect, perfect for him anyways.

In the end, he starts to be the one complaining about his love for you.

"You're just gonna steal my heart like that, huh?"

Once you're together, the complaining continues. Well, it's beyond complaining at this point. Now it's just blatant flirting, the kind that's so cheesy that Ace and Deuce will make faces when they're in earshot.

"Can't believe you're gonna make me fall in love with you and then not come kiss me right now."

Lilia genuinely does not care about PDA. Dude makes it a point to gross other people out at this point. He's going to love you to the ends of the earth and he's gonna be a menace about it too.

In between moments of cheesy movie moments, though, he has his times of genuine, thoughtful romance. He's still quite old fashioned, and so he walks you to your dorm every evening and says goodbye with a kiss and makes sure to text you a 'good morning' or 'I love you' whenever he can.

Still, Lilia has both serious and playful moments, and so while one moment he's wooing you with love letters he could very well joke about you falling for a 'single dad' or 'batty old man' the next. As mentioned above--he's a menace.

Such a lovely menace though.

Congratulations, Shrimpy--you've wooed the mysterious fae-dad of the Diasomnia dorm. I hope you're willing to deal with the consequences ♡

Silver:

Falls First: You ✧ Falls Harder: Silver

✨Silver✨

He's just so, so lovely, isn't he?

He doesn't hide his personality--he's pretty open to you from the start, in fact it's almost instant chemistry between the two of you.

Of course, his ethereal beauty and dreamy, sleepy presence wasn't all that won you over. He's devoted and serious and loyal, and his naivety is unexpectedly charming.

The falling in love part probably started with him becoming your go-to for when you were stressed out. Silver has the capacity to be chaotic if Malleus is threatened, but the majority of the time he exudes an almost sleepy sort of peacefulness from him, and he lets you join him for studying or napping or sometimes even training if you're up for it.

Silver understands you more than others at NRC, in a way--you were a nonmagical human in a world full of mages, and Silver was a human who grew up surrounded by powerful fae, so... there's some bonding to be had there? He sympathizes with your plight and lets you come to him for comfort whenever you need it, and there aren't many at NRC who will handle your feelings as gently as he would.

He became your comfort, your peace, and eventually, the love of your life. You didn't expect Silver to fall for you in return, but time told a different story.

See, Silver sometimes needed comfort too. He stressed himself out about his service to Malleus, constantly questioning whether he was being good enough, if he was too overprotective or underprotective or lazy or anything else. He found that you were a source of comfort for him as well, and being able to have that level of vulnerability around you fostered a fondness for you in his heart.

He likes a lot of things about you, actually--he admires your ability to conquer problems head-on, the way you're loyal and protective of your friends, the way you can bond with nearly anyone at NRC. You're so good at earning respect that even Sebek has learned to acknowledge you, which is a rare occurrence indeed.

It's not until Lilia spells it out that Silver realizes his feelings, and even then, he's a little slow. Love with him is slow and steady, but alluring and healing, like the feeling of laying down for a nap after a long day. You two long for each other like two halves of a whole, and it's only when you're by each other's side that you're complete.

It's a pure love, a gentle and devoted love. Even outsiders can tell that you two would do anything for each other, and best of all, the Diasomnia family has given the two of you their stamp of approval (even Sebek, only after he heard his Waka-Sama talking about how wonderful you were for each other).

In short, loving Silver was a dream come true.

Sebek:

Falls First: You ✧ Falls Harder: Sebek

You and Sebek started off... not so nicely with each other. In fact, it took a while for you to even become friends.

However, after dealing with so many overblots, surviving through so much chaos and showing off a huge range of skills, you seemed to impress him enough for him to stop boxing you in as some sophomoric human and call you by your actual name, or 'Prefect' if he was feeling particularly respectful.

It was a huge step in your relationship, because once he started treating you like you weren't an inferior, you quickly reevaluated your impression of him.

See, Sebek wasn't just some... bratty, screaming fae who only spent his time groveling at Malleus's feet; he was a hard worker, a half-fae of many talents, a rather kind and sweet boy once you got to know him. He was proud of himself and where he came from, he loved his mother and siblings dearly, and he gave great respect not just to Malleus, but anyone who earned it. He was extremely passionate, never cutting corners or slacking off in order to be the best knight he could be. He had hobbies and preferences just like anyone else, it just takes a little longer to learn about them because he loves what he does so much.

It's kind of... endearing.

Okay, it's a lot endearing. Not to mention, Sebek eventually goes out of his way to look out for you. If he sees you struggling he'll volunteer his services, arrogantly proclaiming his wide skillset and assuring you he was more than capable. Every time you thanked him or praised him, he'd get a stupid grin and puff out his chest and start to shyly agree, though he'd quickly hide his face n his hands so he could keep up is gratuitious self-confidence schtick. Your praise must have meant a lot to him though, because he made it a point to start impressing you. It worked, because you'd fallen for him first, and you fell hard.

Now Sebek... Sebek never saw himself falling for a human. In fact, once he started to question his feelings for you he'd get so worked up that even Lilia couldn't talk to him without him jumping ten feet in the air. It was almost.... scary for him. After all, it would be a complete negligence of duty, right? He shouldn't be chasing after some human anyways....

...and yet, that's what he found himself doing.

Begrudgingly, he gave into his feelings and started off by writing you a curt love letter. He was surprised when you replied, and upon reading all the love you filled your letter with... well, he craved more. It became a common exchange between you two, and as much as he denied it, he was the sentimental and romantic type of guy who kept all the letters you sent him. He remembered the things you wrote even better than you did sometimes.

Once he starts to let you in, he falls harder and harder. You're so different from what he expected; he finds himself admiring you, enough so that he starts studying and training with you, if you're open to it. He thinks your own passion and determination is admirable, not to mention how amicable you are with so much of the student body. He doesn't blame everyone else for being soft for you--after all, he's the softest.

Sebek is very romantic, and even the smallest gestures leave him a flustered mess. He's the type to write home about little things like hand-holding and pet names, so any grand gesture is sure to leave him stunned and stuttering. Still, he absolutely won't be outdone by you in the world of romance; every gesture from you is a challenge for him, and he constantly tries to one-up you, as if it's the only way to prove his love and devotion.

He's sworn loyalty to Malleus, so an insecure part of you tells you to not expect much--still, Sebek doesn't just settle for you being a side-part of his life. He wants you in it for the long haul, so if he has to constantly assure you he has every ability to protect you and look out for you and love on you while serving Lord Malleus, so be it.

Love with him is passionate and romantic and very loud, because he's not going to be with someone he'd ever be ashamed of. He's proud of you despite his initial prejudice against humans; he supposes his mom was onto something after all, falling for one.

With Sebek, all the world will know about your love. It's the kind of love they write stories about, and you two just so happen to make the best story of all.

Slasher!twst introduction…graphic for those who are sensitive to murder and overall fucked up shit in general.

I do not condone or support this behavior in any way, this is for entertainment purposes and for those who enjoy slasher films (it's where I got inspired off of) and not glorify actual serial killers.

basic tw. murder, human trafficking, abuse of power, clearly unhinged and purposely not good characters, mentions of snuff films, stalking, cannibalism, mentioned beheading.

Note: might come back to add more stuff and fix grammar lolz

Riddle

A doctor who craves to see his patients insides. Riddle finds everyone to be unique, during his years in the medical field he’s seen it all. Unlike most people he’s intrigued on the human body, almost taking the role as a psychiatrist but it’s nice to be up and personal with a corpse.

He wishes to understand every single aspect of the human body and brain, there is so much to learn and see. He’s kept a couple of his patients eyes in his lab, staring back at his favorites in remembrance of their once living memory.

Hot tempered however. Abuses the power that he’s a doctor, someone you should trust in health and well being. It kinda gets him off. Besides that he can’t stand patients who don’t listen, snobby and lack manners when he’s asking questions. An easy killer to avoid, just don’t catch his attention.

Trey

Did you see it coming? The friendly baker who’s pastries taste so good yet different no matter the brand. Trey is great at avoiding conflict, his victims are loners, people who don’t have much of a name. No one would suspect him because Trey made it his duty to befriend the law, clean from their records.

Trey had killed off a classmate that bothered him or snuck their nose in places it shouldn’t be. Resulting his decision to hide the evidence by making it into deserts. Or better, meals prepped for guests he plans on bringing over. When he doesn’t need to use his unique magic he eats it as it is. Human flesh doesn’t taste as bad as media says.

Calm and friendly. Someone you wouldn’t expect. Probably lures his victims by giving false hope, he can help you with anything you need. Seduction if needed, get you to isolate yourself so no one would suspect he was behind it. Another easy killer to avoid, don’t pry into his business.

Cater

Makes snuff films. Pretty popular for his cherry attitude and quirky kills. Got into this kind of stuff in high school, at first he was disturbed, but it grew on him the more his curiosity got the better of him. Becomes more self aware of people’s likes and dislikes, this sick thought that he can harm someone. Kill, someone’s daughter, son, and baby he could kill. With hopes and dreams, he can take it all.

Two-faced, he’s great at pretending, a little too good at being your trendy friend who enjoys giving his fans what they want. And he does exactly that. It was the attention he never thought he’d be addicted to. The praise and vulgar language, amusing.

Victims range from how popular and known you are, or if you really caught his eye and he thinks you can scream just right. His unique magic makes great use, multitasking on being in places he shouldn’t be, getting information and learning his victim’s routines. Those who love dressing cute, may you never cross this man.

Ace

A shitty killer, does it for fun. There’s nothing tragic for him he just thinks breaking the law is great….when he’s not caught, thanks to a little friend of his. Likes the adrenaline of a fight, resistance gets him off badly. Pants like a fucking dog if you’re bitchy, finds it hot when his victim can bite back. Brings him more of a challenge.

Picks up his victims from diners or the bar late at night. He’s got charm, unlike his high school years he’s learned to bite back his tongue and instead seduce his way through in situations. Here to impress, after a couple of failed attempts he’s gotten rid of he knows how to play his cards.

Gotten away with a lot of things. Like Trey he has befriended the law, the more corrupted side. The one that enjoys hurting the innocent, that understand the power trip of accusing and punishing. Deuce is his partner in crime, the two are almost regularly seen together.

Deuce

Genuinely wanted to help those in need. He saw himself as the savior in the story, he’s doing good by getting rid of the bad guys. But it’s starting to get boring. No matter how many times he’s slapped himself with water or stare at the cells. The way some more of his aggressive officers handle their suspect started to irl him. In a way others would deem normal.

Man did he miss the feeling of slamming his fist into another’s, the crunching sound of his knuckles and their jaw was exciting. Like a rush of youth, their cowering expression brings him memories that he didn’t know existed. Who is he to lie to himself that what he’s doing is wrong, it feels right to put criminals back in their place.

Respected by all. No one would bat an eye regarding his past records of violence during his school years. Deuce is a changed man they say, even when he’s with that play boy friend of his. He’s gotten better at controlling his bloodlust, the law honors a great officer like him.

Leona

It’s gotten rather lonely and boring lately. Leona had gone into some shady places to get the things he wanted. He’s no stranger to things such as assassins and human trafficking. That was something he was interested in, you only live once to do something fun. Such as owning a person. He’s a prince, it’s the least they can do to shut their mouth and let him have this moment.

Just as him, his family is corrupted, turning a blind eye to Leona’s hobby in collecting different types of victims to play with before discarding. Too many times did he wash the blood away and under his nails. Ravishing in their cries and last moments before taking it. Maybe it was the hunt he was after, but thinking about it that way reminded him of that hunter. Possible chance of them hunting together for sport.

No law can touch him. Not when hush hush money is being covered. Every eye witness is ordered to be silenced with threats and a wad of cash hovering above. Leona takes great interest in enthusiastic people, they rub him off in a nice way that makes him want to see them squirm.

Ruggie

Works for Leona. When Leona doesn’t find the time to buy his next toy that’s where Ruggie comes in. Ruggie has a good eye for candy that’s either sweet or sour, didn’t matter as long as they’re warm and breathing. Ruggie had dug himself deep into things he shouldn't at a young age, but the money was tempting, food was scarce so often relied on the dead people left behind after harvesting their organs.

Leona often gives him a treat for a job well done, getting rid of witnesses or naughty toys. Hyenas have teeth that can easily chew through bone, he's basically a garbage disposal for him. Not that he minds. In fact he loves the lifestyle he has at the moment.

This can go multiple ways, Ruggie is either Leona's personal assassin/helper or a cannibal by heart. But he prefers to work in the crowd, working all alone can have it's flaws, no better way than to have easy access. It's simple, when Leona is happy so is he.

Jack

Some sort of vigilant. Unlike the rest, he beats himself up for not controlling his emotions better. His more animalistic side gets the better of him when he sees the weak get pushed around. Multiple times has he actually tried to stop and get help, but his brain mushes and stretches each time he's seen something dead, unmoving, bloodied and crying in front of him. As if it was right to hurt them. There's so many people who are bad, he'll do the right thing by getting rid of them one by one.

This doesn't go as planned, he's built up some degree of blood lust, a need to excuse his behavior. Slowly getting into denial that what he's doing is ok, as long as no one knows. From killing off bad people to taking in those he deemed interesting. It was normal he said, a wolf needed to protect the weak. Whether they want it or not.

Jack isn't dumb but his victims are usually scared shitless to reason with him. But with a more collected person they can try talking it out with him. Jack however can get possessive because said victim has a point. You understand Jack, you helped him with all the burden and worry. He can't let you leave now tho...

Azul

Everything Azul had was all built up from scratch. He's made some unpleasant decisions to get to where he is now. High off of power and greed he cared little. His morals stripped the second he shakes hand with governments officials. They pay large sums to trade, buy, and sell things for the sake of their country. Organs play a great game into his empire, with the help of the twins social net work he was able to be top dog. Yet up in the surface he's nothing but a gentleman.

Azul gets his hands dirty by obtaining illegal substance and trafficking. Getting himself into these types of business opened his eyes to a whole new world, people are willing to do anything to survive, it's horrible and harsh. But it's starting to grow on him.

He's built connections with corrupted officials for the sake of enjoyment, it's nothing but fun for his customers. He's all too happy to supply them with things that'll keep them satisfied. All of this influenced him to have a cute thing of his own. Wouldn't it show just how much power he has?

Jade and Floyd

They work for Azul, he's just full of surprises! Jade and Floyd are kept busy with doing Azul's dirty work, relieving in targeting their newest victim so they can be sold off. Or knocking at a mans doorstep because he didn't pay Azul back on time. It's a sense of rush, the urge to harm and cause chaos among the innocent. Their job is to keep tabs on clients for any potential scammers, snatching people off the street in the middle of the night, sort of like the mafia but worse.

There is a low chance in encountering them or becoming their victim because of connections to their business. Alter egos, well associated with celebrities or people in power. And they're mostly seen with Azul as body guards, the ones actually doing the more "dirty work" for him. Discarding bodies or simply eating them to quickly get the job done.

Jade is interested in keeping something for the sake of experimenting or true relations. Floyd often have quick hook ups with people he finds interesting before getting bored again. Horrible and cruel with their things, none yet to survive, their parents have yet to complain in need of grandchildren and to further expand family business.

Kalim

Has some type of connection with Azul. Not much besides the trafficking. Something much more sinister under all those smiles, either because of his position or he's great and should do theater is the reason he faces no consequences. Family like the Leech are similar when it comes to traditions, keeping those in power satisfied with twisted and inhumane products. Kalim is probably desensitized, because at a young age it was taught to be normal to traffic those paid high enough. No longer seen as human.

Still very kind to others however, just much more aware and less dense when it comes to more darker subjects. Doesn't get his hands dirty, controls what route or person is taken in, receipts and what not. No hard feelings, maybe just don't be poor/jk

Encountering him is hard, must be related through connections or snooping too much. Like Leona, had many playthings in the past almost like a harem of those who passed his test. Nothing but sweet to his victims because he believes they get to experience pleasure before dying.

Jamil

Plays the same role in canon, Kalim's bodyguard/servant. In this AU he has not yet to envy Kalim as they set foot in the same page. Instead understanding each other through words and acts of loyalty. Has killed at a young age in order to protect Kalim, finds it his purpose to enjoy life while he has the chance. Disturbingly enjoys his job because he has an urge for bloodlust, possible sociopath. Helps get rid of unwanted enemies that are after Kalim in revenge.

Taunts his victims a lot, usually uncaring unlike Kalim. Innocent or not he's ruthless when it comes to disposing of them, gives him a sense of adrenaline in hurting those who did no wrong. Power abusing his status and strength for the fun of it. When not protecting Kalim he goes on his way to meet potential clients who wish to buy someone off or have them killed.

Stalks his victims and always a step ahead, interestingly enough if he finds them intriguing he might just keep them alive for a while. It's nice getting to know someone unwillingly before taking their lives, the thought of their future and life in his hands irks him to continue. Until he gets attached.

Vil

A killer who nobody would suspect as well. Vil is a famous and well known celebrity, who knew his hobby was stalking some more attractive fans and committing unspeakable crimes. Started this hobby in high school. Was somewhat detached as a child as he used to kill small rodents and was home schooled by private and strict teachers. As an actor he does an amazing job in not getting suspected of things people wouldn't think he had the guts to do.

With his magic in going undercover the paparazzi have trouble finding him, they're exhausting so he takes out his frustrations by eyeing pretty things that either adore him or unsuspecting. His reasons are fueled with envy towards those who are kind and considerate, a nobody that catches his eye. So he starts going for both.

Money can do a lot to satisfy his killing spree taking those he favorites and keep their bodies somewhere in one of his penthouses. In a room hidden underground, their body is plastered in a way he'd call art, hanging on the ceiling or kept in glass containers.

Rook

Family tradition to take unsuspecting hikers or foreigners as a sport. Instead of hunting for animals they hunt for people. Once a year the Hunt family meet up with their victims to set them free in whichever area was picked to search for them later on. A game of cat in mouse and usually Rook beats his siblings to these types of games. Can get very attached to his victims, finds every one of them beautiful when alive and dead.

He lives rather far from the city, having to move place to place because of his family's games. This gives him more opportunities to meet new people and find potential victims. Like any hunter, he's sharp and gets straight to the point, police have trouble finding the killer that's been abducting random hikers.

Pretty basic to encounter, because he spends most of his times living in the middle of the woods far away from civilization. I've seen the trend of Rook being a slasher like ghostface and I'm here for it, this is just my take on him in this au, much more darker.

Epel

The type of slasher to get away with everything because of pretty privilege. In this au Epel willingly cross dresses to trick his victims. Bias he was inspired to become a slasher because of movies. What exactly spiraled him to get into these type of things was for the sake of petty revenge. Tired of being seen as weak and fragile, he finds it amusing to see the confused and terrified look on their face when he's revealed to be their misfortune.

He gets really into his hobby, deceiving men who assumed he was a girl and easily befriending their families in case fingers were pointed at him. In fact Epel actually has several identities regarding cross dressing. He doesn't stay very long in places and tends to move when he can.

Victims? Majority are men he dislikes when first meeting. It's rare of him to go after girls, at times he will correct them if they misgender him or he plays along. Meaning putting up the act of a girl best friend. This usually happens if he's interested.

Idia and Ortho

Corrupted during his childhood. Had access to the internet and parents just weren't watching what he was looking at. Idia has seen it all, with the murders, snuff films, and inappropriate ads. It stuck with Idia through adult hood, all his years he's lived in guilt and fear, he's more unstable and lets his thoughts get the better of him. And Ortho makes it worse. It's unsure if Idia is seeing Ortho and hallucinating his voice, he blames that he's the source for all of his killings. All of the failed experiment and loved ones that "passed" away.

Ortho is dead in this au, Idia just can't accept that. But this forms him into who he is now, his family cover up whatever shit he's done, in fact they encourage Idia to do what he must if it made him happy. I wouldn't say they are shitty, because they know exactly what they're doing.

Idia had grown an obsession with trying to revive the dead, or make humans stay longer, he already failed with Ortho and is willing to spare more lives for the sake of science. His victims are people he met online, trollers or crushes to be exact.

Malleus

Malleus is a powerful fae who is influenced by his status, with that power comes a tendency for arrogance and a sense of being above the rules and law. This can be seen in his treatment of others in his kingdom, but it's (not) safe to say he prefers to go after humans instead. it could certainly lead to a sense of entitlement and a lack of regard for the lives of others. Additionally, he is a very passionate character who can easily become consumed by his emotions, and if those emotions are negative, it can lead to a desire for revenge or a need to assert his power and authority through violent means.

After years of being neglected only anger was left, he doesn't see people around him as equal rather than pawns. It's due to jealousy does he tend to lash out on those who either wronged him, throwing fits and tantrums when things don't go his way. Malleus has a glimpse of a child-like behavior when consumed by these emotions, having to replace one too many maids when crossed his paths.

He may be attracted to targets that are also powerful or notable in some way. This could include powerful magic users, royalty, or prominent figures within the magical community. Alternatively, he may also target those who have wronged him in some way, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

Lilia

war veteran that craves the glory and violence when it came to the human and fae war. He’s not like crazy sadistic or anything but killing when “necessary.” Which is a bad excuse because he doesn’t feel bad when harming bystanders that accidentally trip their way into his business. Also being a war veteran he’s highly respected so no one is on his ass when suspecting.

I’d say he’d miss the way skin goes under his nails, having a life in your hands is exhilarating to say the least. It’s almost comforting to him because of how harsh his days were back then. Headcanon that Lilia fought in war at a very young age, traumatic yet he’s addicted to the very thing that harms him. It’s unhealthy but I think he’s in a position to not care, being highly respected of his status is a free way ticket.

Silver

Not a slasher. A poor unexpecting citizen who’s friends with psychos. Silver is kind of a victim in this AU…? Sometimes Silver finds things he should’ve left behind, but in the goodness of his heart he seeks out the problem of his “friends” disappearance. Because of this Lilia regularly has to keep up with Silver so he doesn’t make those mistakes again. Using magic to reduce his memory of the night he saw a woman get beheaded, his son too kind for this world.

But he can be your friend in here!!! Befriending Silver is almost like a golden token, less likely to be victim depending on who’s eye you’ve caught. Some won’t care if you’re under his protection and Lilia’s. Silver could get attached to you tho, causing him to get unpleasant thoughts of wanting to keep you safe, even by force.

Slasher of a making? Lilia would find this an opportunity to fill his head with scenarios and create a false impression of his doings. He’s right to keep you, it’s for your own good and everyone around him keeps leaving. You’re all he has left.

Sebek

By slasher I mean background character lmaoo. As usual, works with Malleus as his personal guard. You could’ve been so many things to get in a situation with Sebek/Malleus, having been bought or maybe a friend of Malleus that he grows to resent. Sebek knows better then to let anger get the best of him, having blood on his hands are a normal occurrence especially when assassins tend to come left and right. So he’s always alert and very distanced when it comes to forming a relationship.

Some sort of executer, gets rid of any evidence from either within the castle or a good hunt. Much more connected to his animalistic urges but can easily overcome them. Anything grotesque sets him off to harm those around him. His hunger for any sort of flesh is unmatched, worse than any other beastfolk as he consumes it raw and alive.

Sebek would be the last person you’ll ever meet because encountering him is very very random. He’s a busy person who is barely seen in public unless it’s for important events that includes Malleus being there.

Adeuce and the Road to El Dorado 🌋🐎🐆

Part 2 can be found here

Based on shitposts from @wolken-himmel and some Anons so I had the idea to make an edit out of it lmao.

And since I actually rewatched the movie, I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to do this. Don’t come for me please.

Give this amazing woman an Oscar or whatever award that exists for this masterpiece NOW 😤❤️💗

In which Princess (Y/n)'s parents and friends get turned into stone when she refuses to marry the evil yet love-sick sorcerer Malleus.

Now, she and her companions — a pegasus, a stray cat, and her new friend — embark on an adventure to forge a Wand of Light to overpower Malleus' magic before it is too late.

[Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus AU]

Part 1: During a celebration for Princess (Y/n)'s seventeenth birthday, a stranger shows up and introduces himself as Malleus, her future husband. When he is rejected, he turns everyone into stone, and (Y/n) barely manages to escape with the help of a mysterious pegasus.

Today was a particularly hard day to sneak past your protective parents with how every single guard in this castle seemed to be more on edge than usually. The stray cat with thick grey fur, which had stumbled in front of you earlier while you had been out ice-skating on a frozen-over lake, sat snugly in your arms, enjoying the warmth you provided.

The runners of your ice-skates clicked against one another ever so slightly whenever you ducked behind a column to avoid being spotted by any of the guards and maids. So far, so good.

Just as you had thought you had managed to get away without consequences, ascending the grand staircase that would lead to your bedroom if you took a turn to your right, you let out a relieved sigh, and a small smile appeared on your lips. You never had understood why your parents wouldn't let you go outside, and they would never tell you their reasons either — so there was no other choice for you but to sneak out to skate on the lakes that froze over during the everlasting winter in this kingdom.

"Young woman!" It was a shrill voice that belonged to the speaker. "Where have you been?!"

You winced and jumped in your place, squeezing Grim so tightly that he let out wheezes and whines. The angry glares of your mother and father, the queen and king of this castle, made your movements stutter in fear; it was only through slow and ragged steps that you managed to turn around to face their wrath.

"Mother!" you exclaimed with a nervous smile on your face. "I was just on my way to my room—"

Queen Cater looked like she was about to faint with how she had her hand dramatically placed on her forehead, panting so heavily that King Trey turned to her and shot her a worried look. Your father's eyes hardened again when he returned his attention to you once he had made sure his wife was alright. 

"(Y/n), how much more do you want to scare your poor parents like this?" King Trey asked, his usually so soft voice suddenly full of anger that made you lower your gaze to the carpet in shame. A sigh escaped his lips — one that allowed you to feel his disappointment. "There is a reason why we do not let you out by yourself—"

"It is my seventeenth birthday today, for God's sake!" you cut in, your head suddenly snapping upward for your gaze to meet your parents'. The queen and king looked horrified at the anger and exasperation that swirled deeply in your (E/c) eyes burning intensely. "I am no longer a young girl… and I can protect myself!"

"(Y/n)," Queen Cater whispered while clutching her heart, as if wanting to tell you something she couldn't; so, instead, she shook her head and gave up again — like countless times before. "You don't understand."

A groan escaped your lips. "You never tell me anything, anyway! I'm sick of having to stay inside all day long…"

King Trey pursed his lips, just as conflicted as his wife was. They both shot each other a look, quietly communicating with one another to decide their next course of action. Finally, they nodded to each other and turned their attention to their rebellious daughter again. "We are simply trying to protect you!" King Trey exclaimed, pushing his glasses up. You jerked back, surprised that your father had raised his voice at you. "Now, up to your room! You will not leave your room for the rest of the week!"

Your surprise soon turned into anger again. "I hate you!" you bellowed before promptly marching off to your room, your ice-skates and your cat companion tightly clutched to your chest. There were tears burning in your eyes, and you were even more determined to attend the ice-skating festival held for your seventeenth birthday in a few hours. Why should you listen to your parents? You were old enough to protect yourself!

"(Y/n)—" Queen Cater stepped forward and extended her hand to reach out towards you, but her husband held her back. 

"No, Cater," King Trey whispered, disheartened, "it is for the best…"

The pair of rulers soon turned around and silently retreated to wherever they had been before they ambushed you. Your eyes burned with hatred as you watched them depart completely. Only when the hem of your mother's red dress disappeared around the corner did you jump out of your cover and lower Grim to the ground, who eagerly yapped for air after how tightly you had cuddled him.

An apologetic chuckle escaped your lips, and you leant down to pat his head, to which he replied by eagerly leaning into your touch. The stray cat you had picked up was quite large, which is why you had mistaken him for a bear cub at first — but on second look, you had realised that he was just a grey cat.

"Let's go, Grim," you whispered and straightened your back again to venture to the grand exit of the castle. "Let's have some fun tonight."

The walk to the frozen-over lake where the festival was held was very short and of no special importance. Grim lazily trotted beside you, sometimes pawing at your legs to be picked up; eventually, you grew so annoyed at the cat that you really bent down and pulled him up into your arms. He was rather heavy, but it was nothing you couldn't manage.

Once you arrived at the festival, you hid behind a bush and slipped off your boots to put on your trusty old ice-skates. You made sure to have the straps and ties tied correctly before you slid out from behind your cover and made your way to the lake, out in the open now.

Heads turned your way, and people that were formerly skating around the lake in pairs or alone shied away from your presence. Your entrance made people gasp, a circle of people soon forming around you with the band standing in the gazebo not too far away stopping their cheerful playing. All eyes were on you, and you blanched slightly.

Etiquette lessons had taught you to always greet your subjects and be polite, as expected of the only princess of this kingdom. After having set Grim down onto the ice, who then began skidding around clumsily with his paws and claws, you raised your hand and waved at the other people sheepishly.

Much to your luck, a small boy with bright blue hair soon came sliding towards you, not afraid or fearful of you like all the other adults were. He seemed skilful as he came to a stop in front of you and offered his hand to you, shooting you the brightest and most innocent smile you had ever laid eyes upon. "May I have this dance, Princess?" he asked giddily.

You giggled in amusement and eagerly put your hand into his, soon skating off into the middle of the lake with your hands locked. "Of course," you whispered, which made him laugh in happiness. You still felt a little bit awkward about the way everyone stared at you as if you were an alien — well, a princess. So, shooting them a sheepish smile, you flicked your wrist. "Oh, you may resume!"

You had the fun of your life, skating around with the brave boy and seeing other people enjoy this wonderful evening, too. The music in the background made you feel more alive than ever in this boring and grey life of yours. Grim often stumbled across you, still a little bit clumsy on his paws, and you made sure to avoid him unless you wanted to fall on your bum again like you had when first meeting and finding him earlier this day.

Eventually, you parted ways with the young boy to skate a few rounds on your own. Spins and jumps — all of those managed to make people stop in their movements to watch you skate around the area, skilful and elegant on your feet as if you had done this countless times before, which yes, you had. You were so immersed in your skating that you didn't spot how the sky darkened ominously and a green fog lay itself over the lake. The night sky that had previously been without a single spot of cloud was now covered in a thick blanket.

It was soon that a man riding a griffin appeared from between the heavy clouds and descended towards you, the rider's green eyes wholly focused on you. You didn't really notice as he landed on the ice and gracefully climbed off his companion, the end of his large staff clicking against the hard ice. People stared at him and shied away, and the music once again stopped playing.

It was only when you heard ominous clapping that you snapped out of your trance. Your eyes fluttered open, and you found the citizens of your kingdom standing on the sides while in the middle of the lake, a tall young man stood with his head held high. His gloved hands still were clapping, and a large grin adorned his face as he ventured toward you in an elegant fashion.

You froze in fear and immediately picked up Grim when he began pawing at your legs. The young man exuded an intimidating a scary aura, so much that you had to control yourself from running away when he came to a stop in front of you and bowed politely, yet still staying silent as ever.

Concerned by his strange behaviour, you finally managed to croak out, "Who are you?"

The stranger straightened his back again and rose to his full height, forcing you to crane your neck to be able to look him in the eyes. It was only then that you noticed the pair of horns protruding from his black hair, winding intricately. He used your temporary moment of distraction to step even closer and grab your chin with his slender fingers. "You truly are the most beautiful gem I have ever laid eyes upon," he cooed, his voice deep and velvety, as he tilted your face left and right, delighted. "Ah, the wait truly was worth the wait."

You forced your chin out of his hold and narrowed your eyes at him, only clutching your unnerved cat companion closer to you. "Who are you—?" you asked once again, which made him chuckle in amusement.

"Ah, how rude of me." His slitted eyes peered down at you, amused and excited. Putting one hand on his chest, he bowed his head and confidently announced, "Greetings, I am Malleus, your future husband."

Splutters of confusion escaped your lips, leading you to eventually scoff, "I don't think so."

The man with pointy ears didn't seem disheartened by your rejections at all, only finding them amusing, much to your frustration. "Oh? Feisty. I like it." A genuinely happy smile appeared on his lips as he extended a hand to pat your head, treating you like a small child. He exhaled in fondness, and his eyes were full with nostalgia as he looked down at you lovingly. "You've always been a stubborn one, (Y/n), my dear treasure. Despite your brother's dislike of me, you still snuck out to meet me."

"I don't have a brother." You were growing more and more confused by the minute, and it didn't help that Malleus wouldn't explain a thing, instead acting as if you knew what he was talking about. When he tried to take your hand into his, you immediately pulled it out of his grasp again and skated a few metres away from him. Your eyes were burning with fury as you screamed, "And leave me alone!"

Malleus frowned while he stepped closer to you again. "That is no way to talk to your future husband."

"I am not marrying anyone!"

The mysterious man quirked an eyebrow at your defiance. "Oh? What a shame… I have been waiting a long time to come back for you to fulfill your promise, but now that you are about to break it?" he drawled, a little bit frustrated by your continuous rejections now. You shrank back in fear when his eyes darkened in anger. "Do you know what happens when you break promises, Princess? As a punishment, I shall turn everyone you love into stone until you decide to keep the promise you made to me by marrying me."

You shook your head while doing your best to not let him intimidate you too much. "I never made any promise to you—!"

Malleus opened his mouth and was about to reply to your accusations, but was interrupted when a carriage with guards — and surprisingly, your parents — arrived by the road to the lake. The king was the first to storm out of the carriage, a sword in his hand as he hurried towards the mysterious stranger trying to close the distance between you two. The queen followed behind, a worried frown on her face.

King Trey glared at the stranger and pulled you behind his back when Malleus was daring enough to try and get a hold of your hand again to force a costly-looking ring, an emerald embedded into the golden metal, onto your finger. "Malleus, get away from our daughter!" King Trey exclaimed and pointed the tip of his sword at him.

Your eyes were wide in surprise in wonder that your parents truly seemed to know this stranger. Simultaneously, you grew angry that they had never told you about this.

Malleus merely chuckled and pushed the sword out of his face, swatting it away as if it were a pesky little hindrance. Once he stood face to face with your mother and father, he bowed in a mocking way and murmured, "Ah, King Trey and Queen Cater, my future parents-in-law… so we see each other again."

King Trey narrowed his eyes, a rare sight for the people that only ever saw him treat even criminals with nothing but kindness and compassion. "Do not call us that, evil sorcerer."

Malleus exhaled in feigned hurt and put his hand to his forehead. "Oh, you wound me…" he cried out before he pried one eye open to gaze at you again, whom your father tried to hide behind his back as best as possible. You were still clutching onto your cat companion ever so tightly. A vicious grin appeared on Malleus' lips. "Anyway, back to the matter at hand." He extended a hand out to you, his unwavering gaze glued to you. "Keep your promise and marry me, (Y/n)."

"Please," Queen Cater cried out softly. "Please, Malleus! Leave her alone! You already took Riddle from us."

Malleus clicked his tongue and let his hand retreat to his side again, dissatisfied by the answer your mother had given him. He shook his head and let out a drawn-out sigh that had everyone in his near proximity sitting on the edge of their seats. "Ah, I am afraid we have to do this the hard way then…" he said, his voice resonating with feigned sadness even though his face was contorted into a twisted grin. His eyes still fixated on you, he slammed the end of his staff against the ice. "Say goodbye to everyone you love, (Y/n)! And if you do not marry me in three days, they shall stay like this forever."

You gasped when you looked to your left and right to find people turning into stone, frozen in their movements — your father trying to attack the perpetrator and other people trying to run away — like statues of stone. Tears were threatening to run down your cheeks when you turned in every direction to find yourself alone with the mysterious sorcerer. Even your parents weren't spared from becoming stone.

"No— Father, Mother!" you cried out as you skated over to your parents, watching their frozen bodies in horror — and to think that all of this was your fault.

A hand wrapped itself around your upper arm firmly, making you wince at the thought of it leaving a bruise there later. You were whirled around to come face to face with the evil sorcerer that had just cursed your parents and every citizen of your kingdom. A large smile adorned Malleus' face as he pulled you closer to him, drawing a yelp from your throat when you collided with his body. Grim, too, seemed frightened with the way he had his face buried in your chest.

"Now," Malleus cooed as he bent down, his face closing in on yours eagerly. "Come here, my dear."

You tried to pull away, but his hold on you was strong. It looked like his lips were about to collide with yours — but before that could happen, Grim brought his paw forward and slapped him with as much force as he could. Malleus was sent tumbling back, not because Grim was particularly strong but because of the surprise that made his eyes widen in horror.

You used the chance of freedom to skate away, but knew that Malleus would catch you sooner or later with the griffin that bared his teeth at you, ready to pounce should his master give him the command to. Yet, before all hope died down, you looked up to find a winged horse descending from the cloudy sky. The animal's red fur immediately jumped into your eye, and you grew even more surprised when the horse yelled out, "Hold on tight!"

You readied yourself to climb onto his back should he be close enough. And indeed, you somehow managed to jump and grab onto his mane, Grim clinging onto your arm in desperation and fear. A deep breath of relief escaped your throat when you sat on the pegasus properly and finally allowed yourself to turn around to see if the evil sorcerer was following you.

Malleus' griffin looked like he was about to take off into the sky and chase after you. Much to your luck, Malleus stopped him by putting his hand on his companion's wings before the beast could jump up into the sky. "Do not, Sebek," the sorcerer said in a still hopeful tone. "(Y/n) will eventually come back once she realises that she loves me. We are soulmates, after all."

Malleus watched you disappear from his sight with a heavy heart before he swung himself onto his griffin and flew off into the darkness of the night, retreating to plan his next move on how to win your heart.

Meanwhile, the pegasus had carried Grim and you high up into the sky, until you could no longer see the earth beneath you with how thick and white clouds covered the sky like a carpet or floor beneath you. Once you had regained your breath and composure from this sudden encounter with the strange sorcerer, you peered down at the pegasus, grateful yet suspicious. "Where are you taking me? And who are you?"

The pegasus seemed reluctant to answer you at first but soon couldn't bear to stay silent anymore. Although he kept his gaze trained forward sternly, he calmly explained, "I am Riddle, and I am taking you to the Cloud Castle, my home. Cloud Queen Acette should be able to give you shelter."

You bit your lip, about to protest and tell him that he should take you back to the lake — but you soon realised how stupid that request truly was. Instead, you decided to not be fully unreasonable. "I… have to thank you for saving me from Malleus…" 

"It is something that I should have done ages ago and failed to do. But now, I at least think I managed to correct my mistake before he could take you once and for all."

"I am afraid I do not understand," you replied and tilted your head to the side in confusion.

"You will," Riddle whispered with a heavy heart, "in no time."

He didn't say much more afterwards, and the only sound audible was his strong and majestic wings carrying you across the shimmering night sky. You exhaled and thought about his words, but they only caused a throbbing headache to form in the back of your head. Thousands of thoughts began flooding your mind — from regret of sneaking out tonight to questions that piled up in your brain.

"Who even is this Malleus?" you eventually blurted out, too curious to keep it in any longer — especially since Riddle seemed to know him with how he spoke of him.

Riddle clicked his tongue and shook his head in distaste at you even mentioning that name. "Malleus is a powerful prince and wizard from a foreign kingdom," he muttered, as if holding a personal grudge against the sorcerer. "He is feared and cruel…"

You hummed quietly, not wanting to pry any further with how irked the pegasus seemed with just such a simple question. And you didn't get to think about today's events much further when the beautiful sight of a castle up in the clouds came into your vision. A gasp escaped your lips, and even Grim, who had managed to fall asleep during the ride on the pegasus, woke up again to marvel at the sheer beauty of the castle.

Riddle entered the castle and expertly flew through the wide and high corridors. Your eyes grew wide at the interior that seemed even more beautiful than the outside of the large building. The sound of more pegasus wings flapping up and down snapped you out of your trance; looking left and right, you found three boys riding their own pegasi. One boy looked cheerful, the other looked serious, and the last one looked to have fallen asleep on his pegasus.

"Riddle, you're back!" the cheerful boy exclaimed in excitement, especially when his bright red eyes fell on you and your cat companion. "And you have someone with you!"

Riddle smiled at the three boys as they guided and accompanied you through the corridors. "Hello, Cloud Princes Kalim, Leona, and Jack," your pegasus muttered, a little bit tired and on edge with the sudden turn of events. "May you take us to the Cloud Queen?"

Jack nodded politely. "Of course."

It wasn't before long that the four pegasi arrived in what looked to be the throne chamber of the whole castle. The three smaller pegasi retreated to their resting places up at the ceiling of the palace, and the three cloud princes now stood behind you curiously. Your legs trembling, you climbed off of Riddle's back and lowered Grim to the floor, who immediately clung to your leg again.

Soon, the woman you assumed to be the Cloud Queen stepped out from behind a corner and skipped towards you, a bright and energetic grin on her lips — just as colourful as her bright red hair. She immediately ventured over to Riddle and wrapped her arms around the pegasus, who only replied with a few annoyed huffs through his nostrils.

"Riddle!" the Cloud Queen cried out dramatically. "I was afraid you would not return."

The red pegasus sighed and pushed her away to be able to look her in the eyes again. A little bit exasperated, he nodded over to your direction, and it was only then that the Cloud Queen finally noticed your presence. Curious, she approached you, looking you up and down in concern at the way you were trembling and shaking. "I had to save (Y/n) from Malleus, Cloud Queen Acette," your saviour pegasus explained, his tone grave and heavy.

The Cloud Queen pursed her lips and crossed her arms. "Malleus, that bastard, struck again?"

"Yes…" Riddle bowed his head, still a little bit shaken up by your narrow escape. "And I came just in time."

"I see…" the Cloud Queen trailed off before throwing her arms into the air, very exasperated and worried at the news of her most powerful opponent returning from years of laying dormant. "What did Malleus do this time…?"

"It is horrible! My parents and everyone else — he turned them into stone!" you explained, close to breaking down into tears since; now that you had to say it out loud, the feelings you had pushed down came back tenfold. You buried your face in your shaking palms, and Grim cuddled up to your feet to cheer you up a little bit. "And they will forever stay that way if I do not marry him in three days…"

The Cloud Queen sighed and put a hand on your shoulder. "I… am so sorry," she whispered before guiding you deeper into the castle. "Well, come with us."

The cliffhanger tho–

Malleus bout to come for our asses y’all 😭😳

In which Princess (Y/n)'s parents and friends get turned into stone when she refuses to marry the evil yet love-sick sorcerer Malleus.

Now, she and her companions — a pegasus, a stray cat, and her new friend — embark on an adventure to forge a Wand of Light to overpower Malleus' magic before it is too late.

[Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus AU]

[Masterlist] Part 2: Seeking refuge within the Cloud Castle, Princess (Y/n) is safe to hatch out a plan to defeat the evil sorcerer Malleus: They need to build a Wand of Light to overpower his powerful magic.

About an hour later, all three Cloud Princes and Riddle had retreated to the sleeping chamber all of them shared, and Grim had accompanied them. The Cloud Queen had pulled you away to put you into a new dress that was much warmer than your previous clothing, along with a pair of warm boots. After getting new clothes and tying your hair together with your trusty (F/c) hair ribbon, you felt much better already.

When you entered the resting chambers, you found Cloud Prince Leona already sleeping in his bed while Cloud Princes Jack and Kalim were both busy caring for Riddle, brushing his red mane and putting accessories into it.

Cloud Prince Kalim immediately turned towards you and shot you a giddy smile. "We never had a real person here," he cried out in utter excitement while clapping his hands together. The innocent smile on his face made your mood rise again. "This is so exciting!" 

Cloud Prince Jack nodded gruffly, although he casually chimed in, "Well, except for your brother, of course."

"Brother?" you repeated and quirked an eyebrow. Malleus had mentioned a brother of yours earlier, too — but you couldn't remember ever having a brother. Granted, most of your memories from your childhood were a little bit fuzzy and blurry here and there, but you definitely couldn't recall ever having a sibling: Ever since you could remember, you had been alone in the castle, confined by your overprotective parents.

"Are you daft?" Cloud Prince Leona grumbled and pried one eye open to glare at you before he let his eyes flutter close again. "Riddle is your brother."

Your eyes grew in surprise, and you immediately turned your head into the direction of the pegasus that had saved you earlier. When he wouldn't deny Cloud Prince Leona's words, your jaw fell down in utter shock. "Riddle?" you croaked out, your voice breaking at the end. "You are my brother?"

Riddle averted his gaze but nonetheless muttered, "Yes…"

"How?!"

The Cloud Queen saw Riddle's hesitancy for speaking about this particular topic, but being as direct and brash as she was, immediately chimed up to explain, "He tried to protect you from Malleus." Riddle raised his head to glare at the Cloud Queen, but couldn't do much since sadly, she was much stronger than him — physically and magic-wise.

Everything suddenly made sense to you: Why Malleus spoke about you like he knew you from the past, and why Malleus acted like you had promised something to him that you couldn't remember ever promising. "So I really knew Malleus before?" you asked yourself and scratched your head sheepishly. A long sigh escaped your lips, and you suddenly felt frustrated for not having found out about this earlier.

Riddle shook his head and shot you a pained look. "You couldn't have remembered him. After all, the head-injury you sustained because of him made you forget everything up until that moment," your brother exclaimed, which made your eyes grow in size. Riddle huffed and sighed to himself, squeezing his eyes shut. "That was the last straw for me… I pulled him aside and forbade him from ever talking to my dear sister again."

"So we were childhood friends?"

"Correct. You found him on a frozen lake one winter while you were out ice-skating with me… and you just stumbled upon this small boy," Riddle continued with his face contorted into a large grimace that made you feel guilty. "I told you not to become too attached to him, but you did not heed my advice. When I found out that you promised to marry him once you were seventeen, I was furious."

By now, your eyes were threatening to fall out of your skull with how much you were staring at your brother. So many consecutive revelations coming after one another, causing your brain to feel like scrambled mush. You buried your face in your palms, really feeling stupid as you cried out, "So he really did not lie, huh?"

"Sadly, he did not." Riddle scoffed, clearly disliking Malleus — and well, you were about to understand why your brother harboured such a strong resentment towards the powerful sorcerer. "Well, after I forbade him from ever seeing you again, he was so angry that he turned me into a pegasus… I remember his words after the irreversible transformation was complete: 'Do not weep! You have not lost a son but gained a pet.' How humiliating…"

"Riddle," you whispered, your voice breaking  as you stepped forward and patted his head. "I am so sorry…"

Riddle avoided your gaze as he continued, "Father and Mother tried everything to turn me back into a human, but nothing worked." One could hear the pain that truly resonated with his voice, and even you could feel yourself wince at the raw sadness his words held. His eyes were full of shame and anger — at himself and Malleus, too. "So, I eventually fled to the Cloud Kingdom, and the Cloud Queen took me in with open arms. Ever since then, I have been living up here, anxiously waiting for the day when you would turn seventeen."

All the new information was too much for you, and you felt like the world you had known was breaking down on you all at once. "Why did no one ever tell me…"

"They wanted to keep it a secret," Riddle whispered and nudged your arm to cheer you up. "When you awoke from your coma and consequently lost your memories, Father and Mother moved to the farthest edge of the kingdom and built a castle — no, a fortress…"

"I… should have listened to them… They were only trying to protect me… Ugh, I'm so stupid!"

"No, don't blame yourself…"

"Is there nothing we can do?!" you suddenly yelled out, all your pent-up anger and stress coming out all at once. Everyone shot you a surprised glance, but the Cloud Queen smiled at your determination and courage, yet that smile quickly vanished when you turned to her with a look that sought out her help.

The Cloud Queen shook her head and shrugged her shoulders, a sad frown on her face. "I am sorry, but Malleus is too powerful— even for me."

Cloud Prince Kalim gasped, having a brilliant idea, before yelling out, "What about the Wand of Light?"

"Shh, Kalim!" Cloud Prince Jack hissed as he clasped his hand over his friend's mouth, a sheepish look on his face as he turned to the red pegasus standing right next to them. "You know Riddle does not like to talk about it…"

"A Wand of Light?" you asked, your curiosity now piqued. "What is that?"

"A Wand of Light has the most powerful magic out of all, which even overpowers Malleus'," the Queen Cloud explained with a thoughtful and hesitant frown on her face. "Sadly, nobody knows how it is built."

You quirked an eyebrow. "Really?"

She nodded, deep in thought. "Well," she began eventually, "myths say that it is built from a measure of courage, a ring of love, and a gem of ice that is lit by hope's eternal flame."

A gasp escaped your lips once she finished talking, and for once, you could feel hope burning in your heart — even if it was only a small ember that needed to be fanned. You clasped your hands together and shot your brother a large smile. "That's just three things! It can't be too hard, can it?" you exclaimed, your hopeful voice instilling some sort of faith in the pessimistic pegasus.

"It does not exist!" Riddle cried out nonetheless while slamming his front hooves against the marble floor, which made you wince back in surprise. His face spoke of exasperation and deeply ingrained hopelessness — a result of years of failure. Riddle had an angry grimace on his face. "I tried for years… without success.."

"Come on, Riddle." You sighed and wrapped your arms around his neck, resting the side of your head against his. Riddle eyed you sceptically; his face spoke of fury at your unrelenting determination, angry that you would not listen to him. Truly, it was your naivety and positive outlook on life that was the reason all of this happened in the first place. Yet, you held a strange endearing innocence to you as you raised your gaze and exclaimed, "We can do it together!"

Riddle sighed, torn. "(Y/n)..."

"I am going to build a Wand of Light! Somehow."

"Well…" he trailed off and shot you a crooked smile, but a smile nonetheless. There wasn't much more you could do: Either stay here at the Cloud Castle forever, or try and build a Wand of Light. Although Riddle would have preferred the first option, since it would keep you safe from Malleus, he was aware that you could never live with the guilt of being the reason why your parents and everyone else would be frozen forever. So, admitting defeat, he nodded. "Alright… let us embark on our journey…"

You laughed in joy, wanting nothing more than to jump and celebrate your success — but you had more important things to do and even less time to accomplish your tasks. "Do you know where we need to go first?" you asked your brother.

"The deepest, darkest part of the Forbidden Forest…"

Meanwhile, in a dark castle sitting on an island shrouded with ominous fog and clouds to shield it from passersby's views, a young prince sat on his throne, his three retainers by his side and all of them attempting to cheer him up. The griffin named Sebek tried to nudge his young master's arm, but was ignored — as were the silver-haired and black-haired servants' efforts to cheer their lord up again.

Malleus sat slouched forward, his cheek resting in his palm and his elbow planted on the armrest of his throne made out of thorns. His pale face was contorted into a large frown, and here and then, one could witness as he exhaled longingly.

The small boy with short black hair sat on the other armrest that his young fledgling didn't occupy. He had a playful pout on his face at the gloomy mood that occupied the whole castle — and no one dared to disturb their master as he was busy sulking and impatiently waiting for three days to pass by.

"Malleus, dear!" the sorcerer's guardian cried out. "Stop sulking…"

Malleus begrudgingly lifted his head, his eyes narrowed in pain and agony. He clutched his tall staff close to him, but even that couldn't cheer him up as he gazed at his caretaker. "Oh, Lilia…" the prince whispered, his voice hoarse and vexed. "Why does she not love me?"

Lilia immediately floated to his feet again and wrapped his arms around Malleus, who accepted the hug eagerly. The wise fae ran his hand up and down his young child's back, a small smile on his face as he stayed optimistic despite the knowledge that things looked grim. "She does! I am sure!" Lilia cooed in a soft tone, his voice so honey-like that Malleus could feel his mood shifting for the better. "She just needs to remember how much fun you two had as children!" 

Malleus, although in a slightly better mood now, still didn't seem wholly convinced by his guardian's words. A wistful frown on his face, he muttered, "I patiently waited for more than a decade to hold her in my arms once again." His other two retainers couldn't bear to see their young master like that and averted their gazes in pain. Malleus let his eyes flutter close and exhaled. "Maybe I really deserve to be alone forever…"

"No," the silver-haired human cut in, "don't say that, young master."

The sudden interruption made Malleus raise his gaze to look at his knight in surprise. Lilia, too, scooted away and went back to pestering Sebek, the loyal griffin. As the two were busy with jabbing one another, Malleus ignored them and instead shifted his whole attention to the human. "Silver, should I have done anything differently?" Malleus asked, a frown on his face.

Silver nodded hesitantly, softly exhaling before he, as gentle as he could be, explained, "You did not have to stroll up to her and demand her to marry you like that."

Malleus' eyes grew in desperation. He shot up from his throne and yelled out, "But she promised—!" His chest was heaving up and down as he threw himself into his seat again, burying his grimacing face in his trembling hands. Every one of his servants was aware that he had been looking forward to this day with a feverish excitement… and to think it would end this tragically.

Silver sighed and patted his master's shoulder in an attempt to lend some comfort. "Still, you frightened her and everyone else," he muttered with a small smile on his lips that in no way should patronise the young prince. "Maybe taking a more calm approach would have done it."

Malleus removed his hands and shot Silver a crooked smile. "I am sorry…" he whispered, embarrassed. "Maybe I was too excited…"

"Ah, do not worry about it, Malleus!" Lilia exclaimed as he jumped behind him in order to not be torn into shreds by the agitated griffin. A giant grin was on the wise retainer's lips as he let out booming laughter that brought hope and comfort to the lonely sorcerer. "Not all is lost, yet!"

Malleus nodded and smiled at his three retainers that were something akin to his family by now. He straightened his back again to a posture more fit for a regal prince. "I will try to be hopeful, Lilia… Thank you, you three…"

H E L L Y E A H ! !

HOMEBOY DEUCE HAS FINALLY ARRIVED 😆😭

In which Princess (Y/n)'s parents and friends get turned into stone when she refuses to marry the evil yet love-sick sorcerer Malleus.

Now, she and her companions — a pegasus, a stray cat, and her new friend — embark on an adventure to forge a Wand of Light to overpower Malleus' magic before it is too late.

[Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus AU]

[Masterlist] Part 3: To find the three components needed for the Wand of Light, Princess (Y/n) and her companions head to the Forbidden Forest, where they meet an enigmatic young man by the name of Deuce.

The moment you jumped off of Riddle's back after having arrived in the Forbidden Forest, you knew that there was no going back, even if Riddle voiced his second thoughts here and there as you trudged through the darkness. Dark and tall trees covered the sky and thus prevented any sunlight from reaching you. There were shadows everywhere, and you swore you could hear footsteps thumping close by whenever you sharpened your hearing.

Yet, when you turned around, you only ever found empty air.

A sigh escaped your lips as you let your eyes wander around the dark area, everything looking the same to you: bleak, sad, and dark. This was the place where you would find the measure of courage? Things didn't look too optimistic…

"This place surely lives up to its name…" Riddle muttered and gestured you to keep close by, afraid you would never find one another again if you lost track of each other now. You obeyed and walked so closely that your hand brushed against the soft feathers of his wings. 

Sadly, Grim seemed to be the most frightened out of you three, his paranoid eyes snapping from one shadow to another; he looked like he would bolt out of fear anytime now. 

"Yes…" You nodded and let out a few chuckles. "We better tread carefully—"

A startled gasp escaped your lips when you suddenly felt soft fur brushing against your ankles, the hem of the long dress that the Cloud Queen had given you to wear billowing up slightly as Grim dashed right through your legs and ran ahead of you. You quickened your pace and tried to run after him. "Grim!" you cried out, too worried for your companion to be mindful of traps. "Hey, where are you going—?"

Before you could get a hold of Grim, he managed to trip onto a slide made out of a carved out wooden lodge, leading down into an abyss of darkness. Unfortunately, Riddle and you managed to activate a trap and were pulled up into nets. An exasperated scream escaped your lips as you swung back and forth in your own net while looking to Riddle, who was stuck in another trap, in panic.

Riddle, too, seemed taken aback, although he was much calmer than you were. "A trap?"

"I need to get to Grim—" you cried out and wrapped your fingers around the strings of the net to somehow fight your way out, shaking the strings back and forth as if you were a lunatic. "Grim, hold on! I'm coming—!"

"Hush," Riddle hissed, his ears raised in alarm, "someone is coming…"

And he was right: Soon, a young man stepped out of the shadows and revealed his striking blue eyes to you. He led a horse by its reins as he ventured towards you, eyeing you with curious and surprised eyes. You furrowed your eyebrows in frustration, especially when his moves were slow and calculated — you had a cat to save!

"What an interesting catch," he said with a serious frown on his face. Pushing a strand of his dark blue hair out of his face, he clicked his tongue and shook his head. "The Forbidden Forest is no place for a princess like you."

"Tsk, I hadn't noticed," you retorted with a roll of your eyes. "Could you please get us out of here?"

The stranger clicked his tongue once again as he unsheathed the shimmering sword from his belt and ventured over to the rope that held up the two nets you and your brother were caught in. With one easy swing of his weapon, the sharp blade cut through the coarse rope easily. A loud scream escaped your lips as you gracelessly dropped to the floor, scrambling to get back to your feet again.

As you lay on the ground and worked on getting up again, the blue-haired male loomed over you with a suspicious look in his eyes. "Why did you come here?" he asked while watching your every move, alarmed and ready to strike with his sword if you should try anything funny. Riddle recovered much quicker than you, anyway. You groaned and rose to your feet, then dusted off your dress. "Only idiots enter the Forbidden Forest."

A sarcastic chortle escaped your lips as you shot back, "And yet, you are here!"

His eyes grew to the size of saucers, and he seemed taken aback for a moment at your wittiness. It seemed like he wasn't the brightest, but you had to admit that he was quite adorable when he was thinking hard to throw back a response. "Well, uh—" he stuttered out eventually and stopped rubbing his head sheepishly. The small glare he shot you made you cross your arms triumphantly. "But I was not swinging from a tree!"

"Thank you, sir," Riddle cut in before you could throw back another retort. You merely scoffed and turned your head away in a haughty manner.

"Sir?" the stranger repeated with a quirked eyebrow, obviously very sceptical of the way he had just been addressed. A small chuckle escaped his lips, and he shook his head in amusement. "I'm Deuce."

"I'm Riddle, and this is my sister (Y/n)."

"Sister?" Deuce let out a hearty laugh, one that made him come off as genuinely friendly despite his serious facade. He put a hand over his mouth as he pressed out between wheezes, "I can see the resemblance."

You gasped and glared at him. "Hey!"

His snickers soon died down, although he still was quietly chuckling to himself when he removed his hand from his mouth to shoot you an apologetic smile. "Oh, I'm sorry—" he muttered timidly as he bowed awkwardly, which made you tilt your head to the side in amusement. "I didn't mean to offend you."

You were about to throw back another remark, but quickly shut your mouth again when the panic from earlier seeped in again: You still hadn't found your cat companion. Quickly snapping around and marching away, which surprised Deuce, you looked around the area, your hand pressed against your forehead. "I can't find Grim!" you cried out while strolling to the edge of the platform you currently stood on to spot the wooden slide you had seen earlier already.

Deuce quirked an eyebrow and walked closer. "Who's that?"

"My cat…" An exasperated and concerned sigh escaped your lips as you quickly pointed at the slide that you suspected would lead you to your missing friend. Your eyes turned to Deuce, who furrowed his eyebrows at you. "Where does this slide go?"

"To danger," he answered, nothing less and nothing more. His reply angered you, especially when he turned around and led his horse away, probably about to disappear to where he had come from in the first place. When he couldn't hear you reply, he briefly turned around to shoot you one last warning. "You should step away from it and forget about your cat."

"Fine, don't show me," you grumbled and crossed your arms, intending to prove him wrong and find your friend at the same time. A smug grin made its way to your lips as you stepped forward and let yourself fall onto the slide. "I'll find Grim myself!"

Deuce gasped and darted over to you upon realising that you were sliding down the slide. "Hey— you can't just—!" he screamed after you and even extended a hand to grab you and pull you up again, but you were too far gone already. So, he merely sighed in resignation and turned to your brother, shooting him a look of disbelief.

Meanwhile, you were sliding down the curvy slide that took you down multiple metres until it ended just above a metal pot that seemed to be used for cooking. You landed on your behind and let out a series of groans at the throbbing pain in your back. When your eyes fluttered open again, you found soft paws nudging your side in the hope of waking you up again. Your eyes fluttered open, and a giant smile spread on your lips upon having found Grim again.

You exhaled in relief as you picked him up into your arms and cuddled him close to your chest. "Grim, there you are…" you whispered into his fur, a large smile blossoming on your face. Once you had recovered from your initial surprise, you rose to your feet and looked around the area with the intention of finding out where you were.

Like you had observed earlier, you were standing in a large metal pot. The sound of fire crackling and the bottom warming up comfortably, so much that Grim wiggled out of your arms to enjoy the warmth of the bottom. You let out a little chuckle and turned back to the walls of the pot, thinking of a way to get out — sadly, the walls were too high and too smooth for you to climb up on. But! The hook that connected the handle to the pot looked like it would be helpful for an escape.

Before you could work on your plan any further, the sound of loud footsteps and stomping filled your ears, causing you to wince in fear. Upon getting onto your toes, you managed to sneak a peek at the giant entering his little hut with vegetables in his arms. He threw them down on a nearby cutting board before walking over to the pot over the fireplace and peering inside with a large grin on his face.

"More lunch for Ruggie!" the giant with fluffy hyena ears exclaimed in an overjoyed tone, rubbing his stomach with his hands. He grabbed onto the edge of the pot and tilted it over to his side, so that he could get a better look at you. "I like lunch!"

You gulped when he let go of the pot again, causing you to lose your balance and stumble back and forth until you had regained your footing again. You didn't plan to be devoured by a ravenous giant for lunch today, so you had to come up with a plan real quick.

Ruggie hummed the tone of a child's lullaby, never really hitting the correct notes, as he chopped up the ingredients he planned to boil along with you. A hearty laugh escaped his lips as he grabbed a handful of vegetables that were the size of Grim and threw them over his back, most of them landing in the pot. You covered your head when carrots rained down upon you. "Carrots!" Then, more ingredients followed. "Turnips and onions!"

A relieved gasp escaped your lips when finally, the rain of vegetables had come to an end. The ambush of food hadn't been so bad, after all, either! You finally had something that you could use as a hook along with the (F/c) ribbon that tied your hair together. Picking up a carrot that lay by your feet, you promptly wrapped one end of the ribbon around it and tied it into a tight knot — there, your grappling hook was finished. Now… you just needed to distract Ruggie.

"Oh, poor Ruggie!" you yelled out, which made the giant stop with cutting his vegetables and venture over to the pot instead upon hearing his name being called out. His giant face loomed over you and Grim, who clung to your leg in fear. Ruggie shot you a questioning look, wanting to know why you had called for him. You cupped your hands around your mouth and began to laugh. "Maybe after you eat us, you won't be so weak and scrawny!"

"Ruggie scrawny?!" The giant gasped, offended, and began to glare at you. "Ruggie is not scrawny! Ruggie strong!" The angry look he sent you made you shrink together in fear, but at least he looked determined enough to fall right into your trap. He put his hands on his hips and cried out, "How can Ruggie prove?"

"Can you break a log apart with only your jaw?"

Ruggie rolled his eyes and stepped away to grab a log. "Of course!" he exclaimed proudly before opening his mouth wide open and putting the log between his rows of sharp teeth. With little effort, he managed to snap the sturdy lodge into two with mere jaw strength.

"Wow… but I bet you can't do it with that whole tree log over there!"

Ruggie spit out the pieces of wood and marched over to the largest log in his possession, one that was almost as tall as a tree and could actually count as a whole tree trunk. He rolled his shoulders before opening his mouth once again to place the humongous log into his mouth, his teeth clamping down to the point where you could hear the faintest cracking noises. "Watch and see," he said, his voice muffled. Then, he pressed his eyes shut and began increasing the force of his jaw. He required the utmost concentration and strength for this task.

You hummed in satisfaction upon seeing him so distracted. The grappling hook you had crafted earlier in your hands, you bent down, so that Grim could climb onto your back. "Come on, Grim…" you cooed, and he didn't let himself be told twice as he eagerly jumped on and dug his claws into the fabric of your dress. Your eyes trained on the hook where handle and pot conjoined, you threw the carrot and let out a happy gasp when it lodged itself into the hook. "Let's get out of here!"

"See? It's close to breaking!" Ruggie exclaimed proudly, although the lodge barely had any cracks yet. The pride on his face immediately disappeared when he finally noticed you climbing over the edge of the pot with your makeshift grappling hook. Unbelievable anger filled his eyes. "Hey, where are you going?!"

You hurried and unwrapped your ribbon from the carrot to throw it back into the pot. Once that was done with, you jumped down from the edge of the pot and made a run for the door with Grim clinging to your back tightly. "See you, Ruggie!" you shouted out as the giant tried to chase after you.

Ruggie had great difficulties with how he couldn't look down properly since the lodge was still firmly lodged between his teeth, so much that he couldn't remove it even if he wanted to. He was close on your tail, and the ground shook with vibrations whenever he stomped down. Angered, the giant tried to follow you out of the door that served as an exit for his hut. 

In his blind fury, he forgot that he had the wooden lodge still between his teeth, and thus he attempted to run through the door, too. The ends of the lodge collided with the door frame, too big in width to let him pass through the door without a problem. The force sent him tumbling back and falling to the floor, his eyes dazed and his vision blurry.

"No, come back here!" he whined as he lay on the ground, unmoving with how heavily his head spun. "Ruggie wants lunch!"

Not listening to his pitiful pleas, you ran and ran without looking back. It didn't take long until you rounded the corner and entered a deeper and darker area of the forest again, one where you were certain that Ruggie couldn't follow you to, even if he had recovered and was now searching for you.

Your chest heaving up and down, you placed your hands on your knees and breathed raggedly. Grim jumped off your back and threw himself to the floor, his limbs sprawled out in relief at the closeness of the situation.

Much to your surprise, you could soon hear the sound of footsteps approaching. You raised your gaze to find Riddle, as well as Deuce and his horse, approaching you.

"(Y/n), you're alright!" Riddle cried out in happiness. "And you have Grim!"

Deuce, on the other hand, looked much more sceptical and less happy than your brother did. An annoyed frown appeared on his face, and Deuce made sure to give you a disapproving look. "You made it out yourself, huh?" He scoffed, causing you to cross your arms and glare at him challengingly. In response, he merely shrugged and clicked his tongue. "I was going to rescue you. Again."

You waved him off with a flick of your wrist before presenting the ultimate weapon that had gotten you out of there: your hair tie. A proud smile on your lips, you presented the long strip that usually tied your hair together to your companions. "I got out with my ribbon!" you exclaimed, to which Grim nodded eagerly.

"Wow…" Deuce quirked an eyebrow and let out a little whistle. "That's impressive."

You were about to rub it under his nose when the pegasus interrupted you with a surprised gasp, his eyes bright in realisation and excitement. All eyes now on Riddle, the pegasus nodded at the exact length of the tie you were holding up. "Wait— the ribbon is as tall as you!" he explained, unable to hold his thoughts to himself any longer. "It's your measure… your measure of courage!"

As if on cue, the long tie for your hair turned into a (F/c) staff that was much shorter but of course heavier than your ribbon. Your eyes were wide in shock as you clutched the staff in your hands, letting your fingertips run over its smooth surface.

"Wow, we got the first component!" you cried out in happiness, and Grim soon joined in on the cheering. A triumphant grin on your lips, you raised the staff into the air with newfound strength and hope — maybe your task that other people deemed impossible wasn't that impossible after all. "Now we only need a ring of love and a gem of ice, lit by hope's eternal flame!"

"You want to build a Wand of Light?" Deuce asked with a raised eyebrow and crossed arms, to which you responded with an eager nod. A scoff left his lips, and he merely rolled his eyes at the innocent and naive shimmer in your eyes. "It's just an old fairytale."

"Did you just see what happened to my ribbon? It turned into a staff!"

Deuce pursed his lips and stayed silent at how he couldn't find a logical explanation to counter your words. Sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck, he sighed and admitted, "Alright… maybe that was strange." Before you could sneer at him for being wrong, he narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth again. "But nothing is too strange in this forest. This doesn't have to mean that a Wand of Light truly exists."

Before you could counter his statement with another argument, he briskly turned around and led his horse away from you, silent all the time. Your eyes grew at his sudden retreat, and you stepped forward to cry out, "Wait, where are you going—"

Although he stopped in his move, he didn't turn around as he stated, "Home." When you couldn't find any fitting words or anything to say, Deuce took it as a signal to further retreat from your sight.

"He's such an idiot!" you cried out, exasperated.

Riddle chuckled at your frustration and wiggled his eyebrows at you teasingly. "But cute, right?"

Your brother's teasing made you avert your gaze to the floor in embarrassment and cross your arms to shield yourself from the pegasus' mocking glances. "M-Maybe?" you stuttered out with a shaking voice that was also an octave higher than usually. Your feet prodded one another, and you suddenly felt the need to hide your face from your smug brother. "I didn't notice…"

"Go!" Grim cried out as he pawned at your legs, not wanting Deuce to go.

You gulped and swallowed your pride, knowing that your cat companion was right. Taking one last breath, you then reached out towards Deuce and yelled out, "Wait, Deuce!"

Deuce sighed and snapped around, an irked frown on his face. "Do you need something?" he snarled, which caught you off-guard. His glare softened when he realised how much he had frightened you. You nodded timidly, your eyes avoiding his gaze and instead focused on the sword on his hip. Deuce took notice of it very quickly, amused by your staring. "You seem to be interested in my sword. I made it myself."

Your eyes grew in size at how much of a help he could be when you needed the Wand of Light to be forged together from all three loose components! A determined look flashing over your face, you raised your gaze and looked him dead in the eyes. "Then we need your help!" you exclaimed, your voice desperate and loud.

Deuce furrowed his eyebrows. "Why…?"

"Once we have all three components of the wand, we need a smith to put them together!"

The blue-haired male seemed hesitant with the way his grip on the reins tightened. Eventually, he sighed and turned away from you, merely stating, "I'm busy." He got into motion again, walking away without sparing you a second glance.

You shook your head and took several steps towards him. "Please, Deuce. My time is running out!" Your voice broke at the end, and it turned meek and quiet again. The tears began to well in your eyes again. Clutching your staff close to your chest, you let out a long sigh. "I made a mistake… and I need another chance…"

"...another chance?" the male repeated, to which you hummed in a grave tone. He seemed conflicted by your words, suddenly torn if he should aid you in your quest. His eyes were closed, and he bit his lip, thinking deeply. Eventually, his eyes fluttered open again and, having made up his mind, he turned around to face you again with a slightly less serious and hostile frown on his face. "Alright fine, I will help you."

You shot him a grateful smile. "Thank you, Deuce."

"Don't mention it."

Thanks for the tag @twstsimp and @i-exist2spite-god, you guys are amazing!

Vs

THE IRONY 💀

I know I’m always bullying Ace but I may have a crush on him. At the same time, Deuce would make such a good boyfriend my heart can’t handle this

Tagging: @leonakingscholarship, @skzskrt, @wolken-himmel, and whoever wants to join!

Btw sorry if you have already been tagged, you can just ignore this.

Tag Game!

the character you ship yourself with VS. the character you’d actually be in the best, healthiest relationship with!

I’ll start!

@axelsfirecracker @gatlily @lunarshinsuke @melanimed and anyone else

@wolken-himmel Same here girl! My favorite blooper though was when Aidan dressed up as a clown, considering Deuce is already one himself 🤡

Deuce: Please wake up, I need you.

Y/N: Uhhh... Deuce?

Y/N: Pfft- WHAT ARE YOU WEARING?! HAHASDFGHJK

Deuce: Let’s cut the line, it’s not working for me lol.

Crewel: Spade, I appreciate the dedication to your role but PLEASE TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY!

Laurie, I can’t help but praise you for your casting of the characters, it’s so spot on! I never thought Ruggie would be Ollie, that’s honestly really cute 🥺

The first time, I thought it was gonna be Vargas since they’re both muscular and a bit of airheads so I made this scenario in my head.

Crewel, as the director: Cut!

Y/N: What is it, Dad?

Crewel: Who wrote this part in the script, I specifically remembered cutting it out.

Crowley, as the editor: Well, I added it back in since I think it should be accurate to the original movie.

Crewel: Dire, there’s a reason why I changed it–

Crowley: Why? Because my writing isn’t good enough for you?

Crewel: NO, BECAUSE I DON’T WANT TO WATCH HER UNCLE EAT HER!

Crowley: But you obviously know how the movie goes–

Crewel: IT WILL GIVE ME NIGHTMARES FOR WEEKS! Anyways, if we’re going to keep this part in, I’ll give the role to Ruggie instead.

Y/N: What did I just witnessed?

AUSHJAHS This fits so well with the outtakes part at the end of the movie. Ollie ice-skating and doing spins is something I never knew I needed 😭

Ayo, Y/N and Deuce’s interactions with each other tho–

Very cute uwu

In which Princess (Y/n)'s parents and friends get turned into stone when she refuses to marry the evil yet love-sick sorcerer Malleus.

Now, she and her companions — a pegasus, a stray cat, and her new friend — embark on an adventure to forge a Wand of Light to overpower Malleus' magic before it is too late.

[Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus AU]

[Masterlist] Part 4: Having found the first needed component to assemble the Wand of Light, Princess (Y/n) now needs to find the second one. A shady trader by the name of Azul seems to know where to find it.

"Where are we?" you asked your new companion as he led you into a small shack.

The walls of the interior were filled with trinkets and knick-knacks, and when you focused your gaze forward, you found a young man sitting behind the counter, eagerly counting the coins in the many pouches that sat on the shelves under his counter. The man hadn't noticed you yet, too busy enjoying the sound of coins clinking against one another.

Grim had found entertainment in jumping onto the shelves and tables to ogle the various trinkets — some of them pretty and some of them scary. He often touched them with his paw, but always made sure to not bring up enough force to send them tumbling over the edge.

Deuce leant closer to you and whispered, "He will probably know the location of the gem you need." A smile appeared on your face at his words, and you were about to venture forward and approach the trader, but Deuce stopped you by grabbing your forearm and sending you a concerned gaze. "But be careful, he's… not very trustworthy…"

You nodded and were about to ask him more questions, but it was then that the strange trader finally noticed your presence in his abode. The silver-haired man beckoned you two to the counter with a charming and slick smile on his lips. "Welcome to my humble shop! Deuce, is this you? We haven't talked in such a long time!" the man cried out as he pushed his glasses up. "What is it that you need? Or maybe the lovely lady accompanying you needs something?"

Deuce forced a smile onto his lips as he stepped forward. "Hello, Azul." Then, your companion turned to you and silently asked you to state your business to the scummy businessman.

Shooting the trader a small smile, you said, "We are searching for an ice gem that is lit by hope's eternal flame. Would you know where it is?"

"I do." Azul hummed and nodded eagerly, but the twisted grin on his lips unnerved you greatly. You kept your guard up and stayed as close to Deuce as possible, especially when Azul tapped his finger against his chin impatiently. "But I think I forgot… maybe you could give me something in return to spur my memory?"

Deuce sighed and his gaze trailed to the sword on his hip. He was about to unsheathe it and hand it over to Azul in order to get him to talk, but you put your hand onto his before he could unsheathe it fully. "No, Deuce," you muttered when he looked at you in surprise. The smile you sent him made him furrow his eyebrows even more, especially when you stepped up to the counter and lay down something out of your own possession. "Here, I offer you my ice-skates, Azul."

The businessman hummed ambiguously and greedily took the pair of skates into his hands to raise them up into his air, inspecting them meticulously. "Handcrafted… precious metals," he muttered to himself, his eyes darting from one point of interest to another. After a while, he turned to you and nodded. "Yes, I accept."

Deuce, annoyed that the trader was being so scummy again, hissed, "Now speak."

"Alright." After he had safely stowed away his newly acquired pair of ice-skates, he clasped his hands together and began telling, "A treasure-hunter came by not too long ago. He spoke of a rare gem, blue as ice and brilliant as a diamond, located somewhere in a chest that he marked with a red flame."

"Woah—" Your eyes bright in happiness, you turned to the male by your side and shot him a relieved look. "That's it, Deuce!"

He didn't look as convinced as you were, having known Azul for a long while now — well enough that he was greedy enough to take things for himself upon finding out about their existence. So, turning to the businessman, Deuce asked, "Then, how come you haven't found it yourself yet, Azul."

Azul's gaze shifted left and right, as if he was a criminal surrounded by guards. He beckoned you closer, and you hesitantly obeyed. "The treasure-hunter… turned into ashes the next day." His voice was quiet and meek, so much that you couldn't think he wasn't genuine with how afraid he seemed. Then, he hastily pulled out a slip of paper out from under his counter and slid it over to you, dismissively waving it off. "He left this… Take it! I don't want anything to do with it."

"Thank you," you said and gratefully took what seemed to be a map. "Goodbye, Azul."

He murmured a small goodbye under his words, on edge because of something you weren't aware of, as he watched you pick you up your grey cat and leave his shack with Deuce close by. Grim let out a few whines when he had to leave the comfortable warmth of the shop, but you couldn't let him run back and disappear through the closing door.

Deuce and you quickly got onto your steeds again to ride off to wherever the map would take you.

Just as you rode off into the snowstorm that shrouded your silhouettes from anyone's view, a griffin and his rider descended from the cloudy sky: Sebek and Malleus. The sorcerer had an annoyed frown on his face as he gracefully climbed off his loyal companion and ventured to the entrance of the shop. The force he used to throw the door open with almost caused the door to fall out of its hinges.

"Malleus—!" Azul cried out in excitement when he spotted the horned fae in the doorframe. "You came!"

"You sent word, did you not?" Malleus asked nonchalantly as he stepped inside and closed the door with his magic. His staff clicked against the wooden floor with every step he took, and he stopped in his tracks when the shop owner immediately came scrambling over to him. Malleus peered down at Azul, dislike clearly clouding his eyes. "It better be worth my time. I am very busy with other matters right now."

Azul had a giant grin on his lips as he held the pair of ice-skates he had just traded in for information hidden behind his back. Malleus couldn't deny that his interest was piqued. "Of course! I sent word to you when I saw them approach, for I knew that it would interest you." Azul paused ominously to create more tension before he pulled out the pair of ice-skates from behind his back and presented them to his old friend. "See what I have here."

Malleus' eyes grew in surprise, and he immediately extended his other free hand to lift the pair of ice-skates out of the greedy trader's hands. Azul would have protested if it were anyone less intimidating and powerful than Malleus. An excited smile spread on the fae's lips. "Oh? How peculiar…" he whispered under his breath, clearly recognising the footwear. "These are (Y/n)'s, aren't they?"

"A lovely young woman came by, and I knew that she was the one you were looking for."

Malleus quickly lowered the ice-skates again, keen on keeping them by summoning a few bags of coins onto Azul's counter. The businessman looked ecstatic at the new addition to his wealth and nodded in agreement to the trade. Malleus tilted his head to the side, eagerly asking, "What business did she have with you?"

Azul exhaled, long and drawn-out, as he scratched his head in embarrassment. "Ah… I fear I can't remember. Maybe… a few more bags of Madol could spurt my memory?" Malleus merely rolled his eyes at the trader's never-ending greed, but nonetheless decided to entertain his whims due to how helpful he would be in finding his treasure once again. With a flick of his staff, more pouches of money appeared on Azul's desk. "Thank you, oh generous prince!"

Malleus narrowed his eyes. "Now make haste."

"She and her companion asked for a gem of ice, lit by hope's eternal flame."

The fae's eyes grew in size at the sudden revelation. He pursed his lips, immediately knowing what you were up to with that exact component — it could only be one thing. "...you're trying to build a Wand of Light, aren't you, (Y/n)?" he whispered to himself, his heart heavy in fear of losing you forever if you were so determined to defeat him. To get rid of those ugly thoughts, he merely shook his head and gazed down at your ice-skates again. "Then I have to prevent that from happening if I want my happy ending…"

•••

"Deuce, this is it!"

A large smile graced your lips as you stepped out onto the platform, out from the cave you had used last night to rest, and found a large iceberg standing in the distance, tall and mighty. Your eyes moved from the map in your hand to the large iceberg, and you found the drawing and mountain to be identical in shape.

Truly: a gem of ice, lit by hope's eternal flame. The iceberg was illuminated by the sunlight that came from the shimmering sun behind it.

Deuce yawned and crawled out from the cave behind you, along with Grim and Riddle. A smile blossomed on his face when he peered over your shoulder to indeed find the sketch and real thing to be identical. "Luckily, we camped here yesterday after the snow storm got too bad…" he muttered to himself, relieved that fate seemed to be on your side. "A gem of ice… lit by hope's eternal flame, yes."

You turned to your brother to ask, "Riddle, think you can carry us across the canyon?"

"Of course." Riddle nodded and gestured all three of you to get onto his back. Deuce climbed on first, and was now waiting for you to join him. First, you had to grab Grim and raise him up into your arms; then, you climbed on, too, for which Deuce graciously made place by scooting to the back. A little giggle escaped your lips when you felt his arms loop around your midsection, his arms trembling and his pale face a bright red. Before you could tease him about it any further, Riddle exclaimed, "Hold on tight!"

The pegasus began galloping forward and jumping off the cliff, which drew squeals from you when you could feel the cold wind whipping past your head. Deuce's arms tightened around you, afraid you would fall off. Grim, too, had his arms looped around your neck to the point where he almost suffocated you. Luckily, the period of falling was only brief, and Riddle managed to, although he still was shaky, flap his wings with enough strength to carry you upward again.

You patted his mane and cheered, "Good job, Riddle!"

Riddle neighed proudly and continued to carry you towards the large iceberg in the near distance. Deuce kept his arms tightly looped around your waist despite the imminent danger having already passed — not that you would have told him off, anyway. In truth, you enjoyed being this close to him, but you weren't sure if he felt the same with how abrasive and nervous his replies were.

It was soon that Riddle's hooves landed on the snow-covered platform that surrounded the tip of the mountain made out of ice. Deuce made no attempt to climb off first, too nervous by how your back was pressed against his chest so tightly and how his arms still sat frozen around your stomach. You giggled and turned around to shoot him a smile, a light blush dusting your cheeks, too.

That managed to snap Deuce out of his trance, and he clambered off the pegasus with clumsy steps. Splutters of excuses left his lips, and he always avoided your gaze, even once you had climbed off of Riddle, too. Instead, he marched straight to the centre, where the tip of the iceberg protruded.

You followed closely behind but couldn't find an entrance whatsoever. Only upon closer look, you could find a patch where the thick layer of snow seemed less prevalent, like someone had wiped at that exact spot some time ago. You extended your hand to rid that space of the snow, and thus, letters you couldn't read were revealed to you.

Deuce noticed, too, and peered over your shoulder. "Beware," he read out with a few struggles here and there, "take only what you need, but never from greed."

On cue, a staircase appeared in the floor, leading down deeper into the iceberg itself. All of you shot each other surprised glances, all of them focused at the blue-haired young man.

"Woah, that did it!" you exclaimed, your eyes sparkling with genuine admiration that made Deuce chuckle sheepishly, although he had to admit that he liked it whenever you praised him for his intelligence since he never really got compliments for his wits and only for his brawn. You tilted your head to the side and smiled up at him in curiosity. "Where did you learn that?"

Deuce laughed in amusement and was the first one to descend the staircase. "One has a lot of time in the Forbidden Forest," was his mere reply before he disappeared from your view.

Once you snapped out of your trance, Riddle and Grim had followed after him already, and you were the last one to enter the iceberg as well. Taking one deep breath, you carefully descended the staircase to catch up with your party, all of you careful to not slip on the sometimes slippery ice floor. Some passages were especially tricky and dangerous — narrow and thin — or bridges without a railing. Riddle seemed to struggle the most with his size and his four legs, but at least he could fly if he ever fell.

After a long journey through the large ice cave, your nerves were at their end when you finally descended one final staircase to find a cavity full with precious gems that looked like diamonds made out of ice — jackpot.

"Woah, there's tons of them!" Riddle marvelled as he stayed at the entrance, his gaze stern and strict as he watched Deuce, Grim, and you wander into the main area to watch the piles of gems. There were many mountains, but only few gems were hit by a single ray of sunlight — lit by hope's eternal flame. Riddle seemed nervous as he watched you spread out. "But don't touch any, alright? We must only take what we need."

"Understood," Deuce and you chimed simultaneously. 

You had your sights set on one special gem, the one that sat atop a mountain of its kind, illuminated by a ray of sunlight that came from the small holes in the ceiling that let in light from the outside. The gem shimmered brilliantly, calling out for you to take it. You took one deep breath as you extended your hand. "Take only what you need… but never from greed…" you muttered to yourself while only thinking about saving your parents and people — and indeed, when you plucked the stone off, nothing happened. You let out cheers of relief. "Yes, it worked— Deuce—?!"

You turned to your friend, only to find him taking a gem for himself, too. The horrified look you shot him passed once the cave didn't collapse into itself. The questioning frown he shot you made you laugh sheepishly. "What? I didn't take it from greed," he said, not explaining any further.

"Great, then we can—" You were interrupted by the first ice spikes falling from the ceiling and the entire cave beginning to shake and tremble in a frightening way. All your heads snapped to the grey cat that sat on the floor not too far away, three or four gems in his arms. An exasperated cry escaped your lips as you picked Grim up and shot him a reprimanding glare. "Grim! No!"

"Everyone get on!" Riddle yelled out, and you did as he said.

Once everyone safely sat in his back, the pegasus pranced up the staircase and took off when he arrived in the humongous main chamber of the ice cave again. The escape was hindered by large ice spikes and heaps of snow falling down, but Riddle managed to evade the dangerous rain of obstacles as best as he could. You tightly clung onto Deuce and buried your face in his back, same as Grim, who held onto Deuce as tightly as possible, too.

Eventually, you managed to escape the collapsing cave to emerge into the sunlight again, just in time for the staircase you entered the iceberg with to disappear into the floor again. Still trembling, you held onto Deuce and looked back at the cave of death you just managed to escape. What a pity… but at least you had managed to retrieve a gem of ice, lit by hope's eternal flame.

"Phew, that was a close one…" you whispered into Deuce's shirt, his warmth somehow managing to calm you down. Even when Riddle landed on the platform that served as an entrance to the cave you used as camp, you still didn't budge away from Deuce. A little bit awkward, Deuce got off first and put his hands onto your waist to help you off Riddle's back. Grim shrank away, hiding behind one of the pegasus' long legs.

"Hey, (Y/n)," Deuce said when you still clung to him wordlessly, your arms tightly locked around his neck without any signs of loosening up. He sheepishly patted your back. "It's alright… We managed to escape. Everything is alright."

You nodded, sniffling. "Thank you, Deuce," you whispered as you pulled away with slightly teary eyes and trembling lips. Deuce shot you a smile, so genuine and bright that it made your heart skip a beat. Yet, the mood soon took a turn for the worse as you turned to the culprit, a furious scowl on your face. "Grim! I can't believe you almost killed all of us!"

Grim further shrank away from your view. Riddle sighed and nudged his cheek, trying to calm him down and stop the tears from streaming down his cheeks and mattening his fur. Although he wanted nothing more than to scream at the cat and behead him for his stupidity, Riddle still felt pity for him… everyone made mistakes, after all. "At least we got what we needed…" Riddle said to you, and you soon calmed down.

"S-Sorry…" Grim managed to stutter out as he bolted over to you and clung to your leg with a vice grip. There were sobs escaping his lips, and you couldn't really be angry at your companion, either.

"It's alright, Grim…" you muttered and bent down to pat his head, a small smile on your lips.

"Now we just need to forge a ring and then we have a Wand of Light," Riddle exclaimed, excitement written all over his face as he turned to the blacksmith of the group. "Deuce, you can do that, right?"

Deuce nodded, as serious as ever, as he took the gem and staff you handed over to him. Your fingers brushed against his ever so slightly, and the two of you looked away, bashful and embarrassed — to which Riddle and Grim began laughing to themselves. Once Deuce had managed to regain his composure again, he exclaimed, "Yes… of course. It should be done when the sun rises tomorrow."

Without another word, he entered the cave again, where his trusted steed was currently resting. Riddle, Grim, and you remained outside since none of you wanted to disturb Deuce as he worked on the meticulous task of forging the Wand of Light together. Yet, after about an hour of anxious waiting, you could no longer take it: The brief visits you had given him wouldn't cut it anymore.

So, you ventured into the cave, a small smile on your lips when you spotted Deuce hunched over the fire, poking the flames with a stick. You had to admit that the ever so serious and sometimes snarky idiot had grown on you; also, had he always been this handsome? Ragged blue hair and determined blue eyes — truly enchanting.

You didn't even notice that you had been staring at him for a few minutes now. Only when he raised his gaze to meet yours did you snap out of your trance. A sheepish giggle escaped your lips as you approached him until you stood next to him. At first tense, he soon seemed to relax as he returned to work. You watched him with amazed eyes, and eventually simply blurted out, "Deuce, I have a question."

"Yes?" Deuce temporarily stopped with maintaining the fire but continued to stare at the crackling embers. His lips turned into an amused grin as he briefly looked up to gaze you in the eyes. "And if you want to ask if the fire is any hotter now. No, it wasn't hotter than it was fifteen seconds ago."

Laughter escaped your lips when you shook your head, as amused by his joke as he was. "Ah no…" you whispered, trailing off unsurely. Deuce put the stick he used to stoke the fire with aside now that you fully had captured his attention. Once your eyes met again, you couldn't contain your curiosity any longer. "I was wondering why the cave didn't collapse when you took your own gem. Why did you take it?"

A frown appeared on Deuce's face, and for a moment, you thought you had overstepped your boundaries. Luckily, he merely sighed before beginning, "Well… you know, I made a mistake, too. All the way back then." His voice seemed to be wavering and weak — you had never seen him like this before. "I… disappointed my mother. She always was hardworking and did her best for me without anyone else's help, working as a smith. She taught me the trade."

"I see…"

"Well, instead of being a good son, I hung out with the wrong people and caused a lot of trouble," he said, his voice merely above a whisper. "My actions cost her a lot of money… she had to pay a lot of reparation to the people I hurt and things I destroyed — a lot of fees, too, to keep me away from jail."

You put a hand on his shoulder, frowning in pity. "Deuce…"

Yet, he wasn't done yet. His eyes never met yours, too afraid to see you disappointed to find out about his dark past like that. Why was it that he cared so much about what you thought of him? So, to distract himself, he began poking around the fire again. "I… knew she was disappointed in me; I wasted all our money and caused her nothing but trouble." He squeezed his eyes shut, close to tears. "That's why I ran away… because I couldn't bring myself to face her again."

"I'm so sorry…" you whispered and bit your lip, seeing that he clearly was in a lot of pain. So, you knelt down beside him and wrapped your arms around his shoulders to put your head on his shoulder. His muscles tensed up, and his face heated up — but he did nothing to push you away. Your curiosity was spilling over by now. "But then, why did you come with us if you didn't believe in a Wand of Light?"

"Because…" As Deuce spoke, his voice broke. "Everyone deserves a second chance…"

"You, too, Deuce. You deserve a second chance  too," you whispered before you pulled away again and rose to your feet, a small smile on your lips. Deuce didn't respond, but you knew he had heard you. His eyes were distant, and his mind was mush because of you, in a good way — but he appreciated your comforting words nonetheless. To change the awkward topic, you tilted your head to the side when he unsheathed his sword and held it into the crackling flames. "Wait, what are you doing—"

"Using my sword to make a ring."

You felt bad that he had to sacrifice his sword for your endeavour… and you were about to intervene — until Riddle beat you to it. "Wait, I want you to use my crown," he announced as he pranced into the cave, the flames illuminating his face that was inhabited by a fierce and determined expression.

Your eyes grew in size at his proposition: The crown was the last thing that he had of his old life as a human prince — and he wouldn't get it back if this failed. "Are you sure, Riddle?" you asked, torn and conflicted.

"Yes…. I am sure." Riddle nodded and bowed his head, thus gesturing you to remove the costly crown from his head. "These are my people too that we need to save. And, Sister, you've given me hope that maybe, we can succeed in our quest to defeat Malleus. I want to show my gratitude this way."

"Alright." Deuce looked just as sceptical as you did when you were about to hand him the crown. "If you say so."

Your eyes lit up in realisation when Deuce brought forth the staff and gem while you held out the crown — all three components began glowing in unison, giving off a feeling of harmony and peace. A cry of happiness escaped your lips. "Wait, nobody said it had to be a ring for your finger! A crown counts, too!" The others chimed in on your cheering, even Grim, who had recently entered the cave to flee from the cold. "We have all the components we need, hooray!"

Deuce, too, smiled a rare smile. "Now all we need to do is put them together," he said as you eagerly handed him your brother's crown. "And voila, we have your Wand of Light."

Damn, not me having to choose between Deuce and Malleus–

In which Princess (Y/n)'s parents and friends get turned into stone when she refuses to marry the evil yet love-sick sorcerer Malleus.

Now, she and her companions — a pegasus, a stray cat, and her new friend — embark on an adventure to forge a Wand of Light to overpower Malleus' magic before it is too late.

[Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus AU]

[Masterlist] Part 5: At last, the Wand of Light has been assembled, and all Princess (Y/n) needs to do now is return to the people turned into stone. Unfortunately, they are ambushed on her way there and she is abducted by the sorcerer Malleus.

"I cannot believe we did it…"

Deuce stared at the finished Wand of Light in wonder, the scepticism he would have expressed earlier now almost entirely gone. Morning had risen, and he had worked hard all night long to bind the three components into one Wand of Light. Once he had handed it over to you, you twirled it around, close to tears in disbelief at your success.

Before you could get too ahead of yourself, Deuce curiously asked, "How do we know if it will work?"

You hummed and temporarily lost yourself in deep thought, wondering how exactly you could test if the Wand of Light worked — was it even powerful enough to cancel out Malleus' magic? That's when your eyes landed on Riddle, who had been cursed to be a pegasus by Malleus more than a decade ago. "I have an idea on how we could try it out!" you cried out, giddy and excited to bring your theory to the test. You aimed the wand at your brother and closed your eyes. "Oh, Wand of Light, please cure my brother from Malleus' curse and turn him into a human again!"

Riddle watched with wide eyes as he was raised up into the air, now surrounded by sparkles and lights that were so bright that they were almost blinding. Grim, Deuce, and you witnessed the spectacle unfold in front of you, some of you even covering your eyes to not be blinded uncomfortably. After a few minutes, the sparkles vanished, and only a rather small human boy descended to the ground again.

"It worked!" Riddle cried out while gazing down at his human hands, then running his hand through his tufts of bright red hair. A giant smile occupied his face, so large and unwavering that you could feel your heart melt. Although he was approximately five years older than you, he was only a little bit taller than you — and of course, he was much smaller than Deuce. Nonetheless, Riddle clasped his hands together and bowed in gratitude. "Thank you, (Y/n)! And you, too, Grim and Deuce."

Deuce shook his head playfully. "I can't believe it worked…"

"Well, it did." Riddle put his hands over his heart and exhaled in pride, just relieved to have regained his human-form again after so many years of countless failures. Well, there was a small downside to being a human again… "But now, I can no longer fly."

You pursed your lips and frowned. "Yes, that's a hindrance."

"Do not worry, I shall ask Cloud Queen Acette for help," Riddle replied, remembering that the oh so generous Cloud Queen had allowed you to call for help should you need it, and she would then do her best. Riddle took one deep breath before he cupped his hands around his mouth. "Cloud Queen Acette, send us pegasi, or else it's off with your head!"

You winced at the harshness of his tone and how aggressive such a small human could be, but indeed, soon, two pegasi came flying towards you after they emerged from the cloudy sky. "Woah, Riddle," you marvelled when the two majestic winged horses landed on your platform and bowed their heads as a greeting. "It worked!"

Deuce had a slightly forced smile on his face; he knew that it was time to part ways with you, no matter how much he had grown to like you over the course of just two days. Once you were done with greeting the pegasi, he stepped forward and shot Riddle, Grim, and you a curt nod. "I guess this is goodbye now, isn't it?" he asked a little bit awkwardly.

You nodded with a heavy heart but smiled nonetheless. "Thank you, Deuce! Thank you so much. We wouldn't have this without you," you muttered with a wavering voice as you held the Wand of Light into the air proudly, a rush of happiness coming over you at the sight of seeing your success embodied by this magical wand.

"Yes…" Deuce trailed off.  "I… wish you good luck on your mission."

You smiled and temporarily handed the Wand of Light to your brother, so that you could properly say goodbye to the boy you had grown fond of so quickly. Once you stood close enough to him, you took his hands into yours and gave them a light squeeze. "Thank you, Deuce," you whispered softly and began to laugh when a light blush dusted his cheeks. You knew already that you would miss him terribly. "I hope we see each other again some time…"

"Yes, thank you," Riddle said with a smile on his face as he bowed once again to thank Deuce for his services. Yet, an impatient twinkle flashed over his eyes as he turned his attention to you again. "(Y/n), it's time to go."

You pulled your hands out of Deuce's with a heavy heart. "Ah, of course," you whispered in a sad tone, and Deuce, too, looked saddened by this parting.

"Goodbye, Deuce." You gave him one last wave as you swung yourself onto your (F/c) pegasus, Grim sitting with your brother while the Wand of Light was returned to you. Deuce watched with a small frown on his face as Riddle and you took off into the sky and disappeared into the distance, far out of reach.

Deuce sighed and got onto his own horse, too, to ride back to his own home in the Forbidden Forest. A wistful sigh escaped his lips, and he could already tell that he missed you most out of all of the new friends he had made. "Farewell…"

Riddle and you laughed as you zoomed across the sky on your pegasi, and Grim, too, seemed to have the time of his life. The cat rode with Riddle while you clutched onto the Wand or Light tightly, still unable to completely comprehend that you somehow had managed to do the impossible: build a Wand of Light. A large smile bloomed on your face, and you could barely believe it since things had been far too easy. 

All you needed to do now was to return to your parents and people frozen as stone and use the Wand of Light to return them to normal. Yet, the sound of thunder striking and the clouds darkening snapped you out of your euphoria again.

You whipped around to find a griffin appearing from a thick cluster of clouds, the face of his rider making a horrified shiver run down your spine. Riddle, too, gasped in surprise and shot you an alarmed look. The two of you immediately tightened your grips on your reins and spurred your pegasi to their maximum. 

Malleus laughed in amusement as he closed in on you. "Oh, look what we have here—?" he cooed, his eyes shimmering in excitement when he caught sight of your (H/c) hair, a large contrast to the snowy white heaps of your environment.

"Riddle, hurry up!" you cried out and gestured for your brother to follow you into the canyon, where you hoped to lose your pursuer. "Let's go!"

You flew around tall rocks and through narrow passageways, your pegasi growing more and more exhausted by the second. Riddle followed behind you closely. His face was panic-ridden, and his chest heaved up and down in anxiety and fear. He didn't dare to turn around in fear that the evil sorcerer was directly behind him already.

Malleus let out blood-curdling laughter that left your hands trembling. "You cannot escape for a second time, dearest treasure!" he thundered, which Sebek underlined by roaring loudly.

The fae raised his mighty staff and pointed it at your brother, who always flew into the way whenever the wizard aimed at you. With an annoyed click of his tongue, Malleus had enough and simply shot a beam of green light at Riddle's pegasus, causing it to swerve dangerously until it lost control completely and fell off the sky and down towards the ground inside the canyon.

"Riddle!" Your eyes were wide in horror as you saw your brother and your cat friend land on the floor, their fall luckily cushioned by the snow. Your pegasus, too, soon began to struggle when it sustained a small leg injury. A scream escaped your lips as your steed tumbled towards the floor; you fell off and landed face-first in the cold snow. "Ugh…" A frustrated groan escaped your lips while you raised your gaze.

The sound of wings flapping and the feeling of the ground shaking made you shoot up in alarm. Indeed, Malleus had climbed off his griffin and was now advancing towards you. Your gaze flickered around the area: To your left, you found Riddle and Grim, unconscious, while to your right, the Wand of Light stood upright within the masses of snow.

"So we see each other again, my dear," Malleus exclaimed in a giddy tone, snapping you out of your thoughts again. "Did you miss me as much as I missed you?"

You furrowed your eyebrows and let out a low growl. "You hurt my friends!" you screamed out at the top of your lungs while pointing at the unconscious beings laying a few metres away from you. Malleus winced when you rose to your feet again, your fists shaking and your face red in anger. "How dare you?!"

Malleus tilted his head to the side, concerned. "Well, they got in the way."

His calm demeanour enraged you even more. In your blind anger, you scrambled away from him and towards the Wand of Light. "You'll pay for this!" you hissed out venomously once your fingers curled around the staff. Malleus' eyes grew wide in size when you pointed the wand at him, your eyes blazing with fury that made him shrink back in fear. "Wand of Light, destroy Malleus!"

Despite the aggressiveness of your tone, nothing happened.

Malleus quirked an eyebrow at your legendary weapon, surprised and amused that it wouldn't work in such a tense moment. You, too, seemed surprised but mostly frustrated as you shook the staff back and forth in wonder why it simply wouldn't work. 

"Oh— how peculiar," Malleus drawled and began to laugh, much to your irritation. Putting his free hand on his hip, he shot you a belittling look. "Your Wand of Light seems to be not working, dear."

"I-I don't understand!"

"Did you really think you would succeed?"

His words caused you to shirk back in embarrassment in realisation that he was right. Yes, how come you could have even considered defeating the most powerful sorcerer in the world? A defeated sigh escaping your lips, you raised your gaze to finally meet his. "Alright… fine, you win," you whispered under your breath, ashamed. "Release my parents and the others… I'll marry you, Malleus."

A smile grew on the fae's lips at your words, and the aura he exuded seemed more child-like than threatening. You had to admit, he didn't seem frightening at all when he smiled like this — no, he actually seemed quite adorable and friendly. "Ah, finally you've come to your senses! I knew you would change your mind!" he cheered and spread his arms wide open for you to enter his embrace, but you stayed frozen in your place. He didn't seem to be fazed at all by your hesitancy. "Come here, dear. I have been waiting for decades to embrace you again. But first—"

Malleus chuckled darkly as he pointed his own staff at you to pull the Wand of Light out of your grip. Once it was close enough, he caught it with ease and began twirling it around in amusement. Your hands felt awfully empty when you cried out in frustration, "Hey!"

The sorcerer clicked his tongue and waved your concerns off. "You won't need it anymore, precious treasure. I will protect you from now on. No Wand of Light needed." With a large smile on his lips, he advanced towards you with large strides and outstretched arms. "Now, do not be all sad, alright? We are reunited now!"

The moment he wrapped his arms around you, you squeezed your eyes shut in fear. Especially when he began running his large gloved hand through your hair did you feel close to crying to yourself, weeping for your failure and everyone you had disappointed. Your sobs were muffled, drowning in his chest with how his hand lingered on the back of your head to press you close to him. He didn't seem fazed at all with your unresponsiveness, and only continued to cradle you like a frail doll.

"Riddle and Grim…." you croaked out when you finally managed to lift your gaze and avert it to your two friends, who still lay on the snow, unconscious. "Will they be alright?"

Malleus hummed while picking you up, one arm looped beneath your torso and the other beneath your knees. The staves he now owned gave off horrible screeching sounds whenever they bumped against one another, but that was the least of his worries right now. The sorcerer peered down at you lovingly, and he would have wiped your tears away if he could. 

"More or less. Your idiot friend is coming, so we better go," he explained gently when he set you down on his griffin, who growled at you in a menacing way. You winced and shrank back into his arms, seeking safety there. Although pleased and amused, the prince merely patted your head and let you cling onto him without any resistance. "Oh, don't be afraid of Sebek. He is actually really nice."

"He—" you cried out, shaking. "He won't stop growling at me!"

Malleus frowned, unable to see you so frightened and uncomfortable. Once he sat on the griffin behind you, he wrapped his one arm around you to ensure you would feel safe and warm. "Sebek will not hurt you. Or else he will face my wrath," he whispered into your ear, and you jolted away — or at least you tried to — when you could feel his breath fanning over your ear. The sorcerer merely laughed in amusement and pulled away again. "Now, you better hold on tight if you do not want to fall off."

"Yes…" You exhaled in hopelessness, watching Riddle and Grim until you could no longer see them from how far Sebek had flown already. When the dark clouds of the weeping sky finally shrouded you, you squeezed your eyes shut and let out one last whimper at the way Malleus' arm tightened around you, as if afraid you would run away again.

Just as the griffin carrying you two disappeared behind a blanket of clouds, a new person came riding towards the scene you had left behind. Deuce's eyes were wide in horror as he climbed off his horse and scrambled over to a barely conscious Riddle and a panicking Grim. "Riddle! I heard screams and had to come back!" the blue-haired male cried out while letting his gaze wander around the area in a feverish search for you — but he couldn't find you. "Where is— Where is (Y/n)?"

Riddle groaned and sat up. "Malleus… he must have taken her with him!" he exclaimed with his blood freezing in his veins, eyes ripped wide open in horror. "Along with the Wand of Light!"

"We have to save her—" Deuce proposed immediately when he saw the pegasi Riddle and you had ridden rise up from the snowy floor again, seemingly unharmed. "We can follow him to his hideout if we're quick enough!"

"Let us return to the Cloud Queen first, so that Grim and I, along with the pegasi, can recover."

Deuce, worried out of his mind, raised his gaze at the cloudy and thundering sky, and yelled out, "(Y/n), we're coming!"

Thank you queen, this is literally the best ending anyone could ask for ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

But Ruggie ice skating at the very end would be everything, change my mind

In which Princess (Y/n)'s parents and friends get turned into stone when she refuses to marry the evil yet love-sick sorcerer Malleus.

Now, she and her companions — a pegasus, a stray cat, and her new friend — embark on an adventure to forge a Wand of Light to overpower Malleus' magic before it is too late.

[Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus AU]

[Masterlist] Part 6: Stuck with the sorcerer Malleus, Princess (Y/n) has given up on ever turning her parents and people back to normal. But in a turn of events, her friends come to save her — but can she convince Malleus to stand down and return the Wand of Light to her?

"Do you know how happy I am, my dear treasure?"

You exhaled at his rhetorical question, not really wanting to answer since it was obvious that everyone had noticed how Malleus had been in high spirits ever since he had returned to his castle with you. Lilia and Silver seemed relieved at the way their young master had been smiling since yesterday already, practically inseparable from your side. 

Just as right now, where he lounged on his throne with you in his lap, your head resting on his shoulder in exhaustion. 

"Uh yeah…" you whispered awkwardly, your eyes slowly fluttering open to meet glowing green ones peering down at you affectionately. "I kind of noticed."

"Finally, he's stopped sulking…" Silver whispered to Lilia, a relieved smile on his lips. He probably was the only one out of Malleus' three retainers that felt bad for your predicament, clearly able to see how uncomfortable you were around Malleus, but there wasn't much he could do. He watched, relaxing, when the prince of the castle planted a shy kiss on your cheek, to which you actually began to laugh at how innocent the gesture had been.

Lilia swooned and clasped his hands together in happiness. "And the storms have stopped, too!"

"You seem unwell, (Y/n)," Malleus cooed while cupping your cheek with one hand, rubbing circles onto your soft skin. You winced but soon eased into his touch, especially with how soft and worried his voice sounded — like honey dripping from his lips. "What is wrong? I want this place to be your home, too."

"Sebek…" you croaked out and turned your head to look at the griffin that lay right next to the throne, at his master's feet. A shiver ran down your back when the beast perked up at his name being mentioned; he growled viciously when he laid eyes on you. You once again winced and buried your face in the sorcerer's chest. "He scares me."

Malleus chuckled and wrapped his arms around you, nuzzling his nose in your hair. "Oh, he is harmless!" he murmured with a sheepish smile on his lips.

"He tried to bite me earlier when you looked away!"

"Did he really, now?" Malleus seemed a little bit less amused and more concerned now with the way he tightened his arms around you and narrowed his eyes at his beastly retainer. His foot shot forward to kick Sebek in a reprimanding way, but not too much to leave any bruises. "Bad griffin! Do not hurt my precious treasure, understood?"

Sebek let out a whine and rose to his feet to trot away to somewhere he could sleep peacefully and wouldn't have to face his master's wrath anymore. Once the beast lay down by the window of the throne room, you loosened up considerably at the distance between you.

"Does that mean he will leave me alone now?" you asked and looked up at Malleus with relieved eyes.

"Yes." Malleus patted your head, beaming down at you happily. "But if you try to escape — which I know you will not — he will not hesitate to pounce on you and drag you back to me."

You gulped while turning away from him, a little frightened by that eerily large smile on his face now. "That's… calming," you pressed through clenched teeth, once again feeling uncomfortable in his embrace. This man was a constant box of surprises — for the better or for the worse, one could never really know.

"I am happy that I could alleviate some of your concerns!" Then, he paused, suddenly struck deep in thought. You used his moment of distraction to close your eyes again and hopefully catch up on some of your well needed slumber that you hadn't gotten yesterday. This castle truly was scary with its winding corridors and dark corners. Eventually, Malleus hummed once again and peered down at you with a sad smile on his lips. "You know, I really wish you would remember the times we played together when we were younger."

"I cannot recall anything."

He frowned, although he knew that he wouldn't have received another answer, anyway. "I am aware. Head-injuries are not for the faint of hearts, after all," he whispered, sounding genuinely apologetic for what had happened. You couldn't really remember anyway, so it wasn't like you were angry at him for that — which he feared would be the case. "I am quite sorry I pushed you that day. We were just playing tag… and I underestimated my strength as a child."

Your eyes grew in surprise when he began sniffling, close to sobbing. "Malleus, it's alright," you began with furrowed eyebrows, taken aback that he would ever show you such a sensitive side of his. "I'm not angry—"

"After I hurt you, I hated myself. I wanted my powers gone, so that I would never hurt you again," he continued on. Then, a smile appeared on his face as his gaze finally met yours again, even more determined to keep you close to him now than before. "But then, I realised that I could also use my strength to protect you from now on onward."

The smile you gave him was an uneasy one. "Malleus, I appreciate it… but—"

You were silenced by the finger being pressed against your lips and the intense gaze that bore into your eyes. "There are no 'buts'," Malleus cooed, chuckling to himself when you furrowed your eyebrows at him in a fashion he found particularly adorable. "No one stands in our way any longer — not your parents, not your brother, not your duties as a princess. I finally bested cruel fate to be with you again, my dear."

That was when your eyes grew in horror and realisation at what he was implying. You finally summoned enough courage to push his wrist away from your face, which caught him off-guard. After you had been so submissive and compliant, he hadn't expected you to lash out at him so suddenly like that. Your eyes trained at the floor in disbelief, you cried out, "My parents… So you won't turn them back?"

His eyes grew, and he finally realised what the reason for your sudden anger was. He never really had spent a lot of time with his own parents, so he couldn't really understand why you cared for your parents so much when you could be happy with him. The prince tilted his head to the side and frowned when you began to glare at him and his unresponsiveness. "Oh, do not be sad," he cooed and tried to distract you by playing with your longer strands of hair. "They would only try and hide you from me again, and we couldn't have that, could we?"

You were a seething mess by then, cursing him under your breath as he continued rambling on about how you two would have a happy family of your own if you wanted to. Once again, you swatted his hand away from your hair and glared at him, disappointed and furious at the same time. "This means you broke the promise you made to me: If I agreed to marry you within three days, you would turn them back to normal."

Malleus, again, was taken aback at your act and words of defiance. The smile on his face soon vanished and was replaced by a large frown that was so cold that you swore it could freeze people into ice statues. "Oh, so I am the villain of the story now?" he said in a hostile tone, the calmness of his voice making him sound even scarier. Suddenly, his hand shot forward to grab your chin, which caused you to cry out in pain. He ignored your protests and tilted your face until your eyes were watching the sunset from the large window in the throne room. "Three days are over already. Do you see the sun sinking from the sky?"

"Not yet—!" you yelled out, determined and hopeful. "The sun has not completely set yet!"

Malleus' eyes softened, although his face adopted an annoyed twinge. "You are too hopeful," he snarled in amusement when you fought your way out of his arms and tumbled out of his lap. His knights were about to restrain you, but their master raised his hand to make them stay still. The fae prince tilted his head to the side and smiled at you when you began to glare at him. "That makes you quite adorable, I have to admit."

"Liar!" you threw at him before you turned around and swiftly stomped out of the throne room — just out of there.

Malleus' eyes grew in surprise since he hadn't actually expected you to leave his presence, thinking you were more bark than bite; he had just been proven wrong. "Where are you—" he cried out after you, but was interrupted when you rounded the corner and disappeared into the distance. The griffin by the corner of the throne room looked like he was about to jump up and chase after you, but begrudgingly laid down again when his master glared at him. "Sebek, leave her alone."

Malleus, who had jumped to his feet in surprise, slumped into his throne made out of thorns again. His posture was slouched forward, and he buried his face in his trembling hands.

Lilia winced in shared sadness as he stepped forward to put a hand on his fledgling's shoulder. "Malleus—"

"Lilia," he croaked out pitifully, "why does she not love me?"

"Because," Silver replied in Lilia's stead, "you won't keep your promise."

Malleus raised his gaze to meet Silver's, his own confused and surprised at his sleepy retainer's boldness. He opened his mouth, but nothing really came out since his vocal cords seemed to be frozen by sadness. "But— her parents would hate me and take her away from me again." The sorcerer exhaled, suddenly feeling so powerless all out of a sudden; never in his life had he felt this pitiful before. "I cannot risk that…"

"Then you risk her hating you forever."

Malleus stayed silent after Silver's words, and he continued to contemplate in silence. His eyes wandered around the area of his throne room, and he could feel his eyes staying glued to the miracle creation you had managed to put together in less than a few days. "What a dilemma…" he whispered to himself as he raised his own staff to make the famed Wand of Light float over to him. The wand didn't feel any special in his hands, piquing his curiosity. "They say a Wand of Light can do anything…"

"I never — in all the centuries I have lived — thought I would get to see one," Lilia marvelled, his eyes glued to the ice gem at the top. "Truly stunning."

Malleus rose to his feet once again and set aside his own powerful staff to grip the Wand of Light with both of his hands, closing his eyes and pouring in every ounce of his existence into the following cantation: "Wand of Light, make (Y/n) forget about her damned parents!" His eyes stayed closed for several seconds until he couldn't stay put anymore and opened his eyes to find the wand not looking anything special. Disappointed, he threw the wand at Silver to catch. "Useless thing… of course it would not work…"

"Should I bring it to the treasure room?"

"Yes," Malleus growled like a vicious beast as he lowered himself into his throne again, yet pouting like a small child. "I do not want to see that damned Wand of Light ever again."

•••

The fresh air out on the balcony did well in calming you down from your raging anger towards the fae that had tricked you with promises he wasn't ready to keep. A helpless look flashed over your (E/c) eyes as you stepped closer to the edge of the platform, from where the cliff led into an abyss of darkness. There was no such thing as a railing, causing you to gulp and immediately venture back.

Your eyes stayed glued to the horizon; the sun was setting, drowning the sky and clouds in orange and pink hues that you would have thought beautiful if it weren't for them signalling your eternal loss of your parents and people.

"What a bastard…" you whispered to yourself while watching the clouds pass by, wondering when the clear sky had become so cloudy over the last seconds. The amount of clouds was so dense that it seemed unnatural and suspicious — but maybe it was just Malleus' feelings and thus the weather acting up again. "I thought… I thought he cared about me— but all he does is care for his own happiness!" A hiss escaped your lips as you pulled back your right foot and kicked a small pebble off the cliff. "And here I was… thinking that maybe he wasn't all that bad…"

"Hm?" it came from inside, causing you to turn around and gasp when you found a familiar grey cat's head poke out from the heaps of golden coins and other treasures that sat in the prince's treasury.

"Grim!" you cried out in disbelief as said cat jumped out from the mountain of coins and dashed over to you. A loud giggle left your lips when he leapt up and nestled himself into your arms. You exhaled in relief at seeing a familiar face again and calmed down when you were able to feel his soft fur rub against your skin. "What are you doing here?"

You put your hands around Grim's midsection and raised him up into the air, to which he began to laugh in happiness.

That was when realisation dawned upon you. Hope shimmered in your eyes when you cried out, "If you're here… are Riddle and Deuce with you, as well?"

"Hm!" Grim nodded eagerly and began thrashing around, demanding to be let down again. You obeyed, and he immediately shuffled off into the treasury again while gesturing you to follow him. Your feet were still a little bit slow since you were having a hard time comprehending the fact that your friends had come to save you. Grim got onto his hind-legs and began waving his arms around. "Find— Find wand!"

"Yes, Grim!" The smile on your face was radiant when you finally got a move on and hurried into the treasure room, which was connected to the balcony, that strangely had no guards protecting it — and no one seemed to be in near sight, too. Your eyes wandered over the vast riches that lay on the ground, piling up already. "Let's go find the Wand of Light. It must be somewhere on those piles of golden coins."

Grim nodded and immediately leapt behind an especially large mountain that actually managed to hide him from view completely. You hummed, turning around to search in the other half of the room. 

There were some portraits that actually managed to catch your curiosity: The first one had a young boy, which you were sure to be Malleus, with horns and a horned woman in it — she looked too young to be his grandmother, so maybe his mother? The second one managed to steal your breath away — the same horned boy was in it, but this time, a young girl with (E/c) eyes and (H/c) hair stood next to him. You furrowed your eyebrows, wondering how much you must have meant to Malleus if he had a portrait of you in his treasury.

"Here!" Grim cried out, managing to snap you out of your thoughts. You snapped around to find him holding the Wand of Light in his paws. "Found it!"

A relieved breath escaped your lips while you scurried over to him and gratefully took it out of his hands. As you were about to ask if he knew where Deuce and potentially Riddle were, the sound of light yet intimidating footsteps clicking against the cold marble floor from outside the treasury made you gasp in fear. At once, you grabbed Grim and dove behind a large mountain of golden coins and other precious and costly things.

One second later, a large person strolled inside. From where you hid, you could see the peaks of black horns. A sigh escaped the newcomer's throat, and a hearty and regretful one at that. "(Y/n)? Are you here?" he called out, and you immediately knew it was the prince of the castle. "I am sorry for being so mean earlier. You must think that I do not care about your well-being at all when in truth, that is absolutely not true."

Grim looked angry, like he was about to leap out from behind the pile you were using as a hiding place to tear out Malleus' throat. Yet, you managed to calm him down and clasp your hand over his mouth before he could begin hissing. "Shh," you whispered, and he obeyed with a roll of his eyes.

"I love you. I love you so much that it hurts," Malleus continued, his voice breaking the more he continued. "So please… come back to me! I shall treat you like a queen— I will give you anything you want…"

"Stupid griffin, get off me!"

Malleus gasped and snapped back around, his eyes wide in surprise. Truly, he could have continued talking about his love for you, and you didn't think you would have been able to listen for much longer with how horrible they made you feel. Forgetting about his quest of searching for you and persuading you to come back to him, the prince aimed for the exit of the treasury again. "An intruder?" he muttered to himself as he quickened his pace. "Sebek must have taken care of him already…"

Once the sound of his footsteps faded away to the point where it was a faint echo, you rose from your ducked form and shot Grim a relieved smile. The cat stretched lazily and rubbed his face with his paw to get the fur on his face into its original position again after you had clasped your hand over his mouth. 

"Phew, he is gone…" Overjoyed, you raised the Wand of Light into the air with such force that the loose gem on top fell off and zoomed right out of the treasury and out to the balcony. A look of horror flashed across your face as you stormed outside, just in time to watch the stone tipping over the edge of the platform and falling into the darkness. You cried out in frustration, and Grim, too, lowered his head. "Oh no, the stone!"

You sank to the floor, unable to believe that fate would be so cruel to you: First, tempting you with the slight hope of succeeding again, only to rip your hope into shreds mere seconds after that. Your cat companion joined your side and nudged your side in the hope of cheering you up again.

At a loss for words, you were about to break down crying because of this vexing twist of fate. "(Y/n)! Are you in here?" a familiar voice called out, one that made your eyes grow in surprise. It was a male, but it certainly wasn't Malleus — no, it was Deuce!

You choked on your own breath when, indeed, the boy you had grown so fond of appeared in the doorway to save you from your predicament once again. At the sight of him, your eyes began to water in happiness. "Deuce!?" you cried out as you picked yourself and dashed over to him to throw yourself at him. He chuckled and wrapped his arms around you, too, an exhausted smile on his face. "You are alright? I was worried—"

"Yeah…" Deuce chuckled sheepishly when you pulled away again to look him in the eyes, holding back tears when you finally could gaze into his ever so calm blue eyes. His lips were pursed into a thin line, but one could see that he seemed much less on edge than before. "That annoying griffin thought he pushed me off the cliff… but I'm not that easy to kill…"

You grabbed him by his shoulders to shake him back and forth, a giant and excited smile on your face — so much that his face grew red in embarrassment. "I am so glad you are alright!" you exclaimed in happiness, yet your high mood didn't last long. Quickly, a frown appeared on your face as you brought forth the incomplete Wand of Light to your friend. "Look, we found it! But… the stone is gone…"

"Don't worry…" Deuce put his hand on yours that clutched the staff of the wand while the other one reached into the pouch attached to his leather belt, rummaging inside it with a determined look on his face. You tilted your head, wondering what exactly he was planning. He chuckled and merely requested, "Give me the staff."

You handed the wand to him without second thoughts since you trusted him wholly and without any doubt. Your eyes grew in size when he finally found what he was looking for in his pouch: the ice gem, lit by hope's eternal flame, that he had picked himself. He was about to place the gem on the top of the wand, but you stopped him by grabbing his wrist. "Deuce, but that is the stone you got for your mother," you protested, suddenly feeling guilty. 

Deuce shook his head and shot you a gentle smile that really showed you that he didn't mind. "Your mission is much more important," he said while he twisted the gem into the upper part of the staff and the ring. Your hand still stayed glued to his arm, your eyebrows furrowed in uncertainty. "It's alright. Don't worry about me."

Once the Wand of Light was complete again, it gave off a bright glow that blinded you temporarily. Your eyes blinked owlishly when Deuce grabbed your hands to plant the finished wand into your palms, his own fingers remaining curled around your hands for a while too long. You didn't mind at all and only brought your face closer to his, about to envelop his lips in a kiss. "Thank you, Deuce..." you whispered as your eyes fluttered close and your lips were about to meet.

The clear sound of clapping snapped you out of the moment, and you immediately bolted back to shoot your friend a sheepish smile that he returned. That dazed smile on your face soon turned into a look of horror when you found Malleus and his three retainers standing in the doorway to the treasury, all four of them filing in one by one.

"Oh, what have we gotten here?" Malleus asked with a calm smile on his face, yet one could easily see that he was doing his best to not leap at Deuce and tear his throat out. "The foolish hero has come to steal my most prized treasure?" 

You clutched the Wand of Light close to you and pulled Deuce and Grim behind you, knowing this was a fight between Malleus and you. And he, too, knew it when he finally tore his angry gaze away from Deuce to instead look at you, his eyes narrowed in fury and disappointment.

With a simple wave of his staff, he managed to pull the Wand of Light right out of your hands and into his own. A distasteful frown occupied his face as he caught the (F/c) staff and shot you a mocking grin that managed to enrage you even more.

"No!" you cried out in frustration. "Give me back the wand, Malleus!"

Malleus clicked his tongue and silenced you with a glare of his own — one that was so incredibly hurt and angered that you shrank back in horror. "It wounds me that you tried to betray me." A wistful sigh escaped his lips and the anger on his face soon evaporated to leave behind nothing but sadness and melancholy. He lowered his gaze at the floor. "So it is true that I will never get a happy ending, huh?"

You shook your head and took a courageous step towards him, which made his gaze snap upward again, his eyes alarmed and suspicious of your every move after your betrayal. A sigh escaped your lips while you raised your hands. "Malleus, please! Don't be like this!" Your frown softened, and the anger from your face disappeared, too. Your voice adopted a determined yet imploring tone. "Give me back the wand so I can turn my people and parents back to normal again."

"And why would I do that?" Malleus snarled, his voice dripping with venom. "You would surely leave me."

The way he only thought about himself pained you to no end — he was incredibly selfish. You exhaled and shot him a hurt look that made his heart lurch in pain, too. "Malleus, do you not care about my happiness?" you croaked, which made his eyes soften in realisation. He bit his lip, and it seemed like he lost himself in thoughts. "All this time, you have been talking about how happy you were— yet, you were blind to my misery."

"Perhaps…" he said after a while, "I was too selfish."

You nodded softly in an understanding way and continued, "Give the wand back to me, and everything will be alright." His grip around the Wand of Light was trembling, and you could see that he truly was conflicted about the whole situation. A small smile appeared on your face, one that you hoped would cheer him up and give him a push in the right correction. "I will forgive you for everything because truly, I do not think you are a bad or evil person… you are merely misunderstood."

Finally, Malleus looked at you with wide eyes. His gaze was as adorable and innocent as that of a child, a large contrast to his threatening demeanour just a few minutes ago. His chest heaved up and down in disbelief as he croaked out, "You… You really are not afraid of me like everyone else is?"

"No, Malleus, I am not afraid of you," you said without wasting any time while continuing to approach him, which he did nothing against. Eventually, you arrived in front of him and put your hands on his shoulder, making no effort to yank the Wand of Light out of his hands. "You are just a person too… and, although you have caused me a lot of frustration and pain, I wish to be closer to my childhood friend, too, if this ordeal ends without anyone being harmed."

The sorcerer looked you deep in the eyes and tried his best to search for any indication of lies in your shimmering E/c) eyes, but much to his amazement, he could find none. No, your eyes burnt with genuine truth — so much that he extended his hand that gripped onto the Wand of Light tightly.

"...Here," Malleus muttered weakly. "Take the wand."

A large smile on your lips that assured him he had done the right thing, you then took the Wand of Light out of his hands. Before his hand could retreat entirely, your own shot forward to grasp it and give it a gentle squeeze. He eyed you with wide eyes, surprised you still treated him so kindly after he had given you what you wanted. "Thank you, Malleus. You truly are benevolent at heart."

"I am sorry for forgetting about your happiness, (Y/n) my treasure," he whispered and lowered his gaze to the floor in shame. "I… just wished for us to be happy together."

You nodded in understanding. "Do not worry, Malleus. It is alright." The smile you aimed at him made him feel as if things would be alright — that it wasn't too late yet to own up to his mistakes and be with you in an honest way. His newfound courage allowed him to intertwine his fingers with yours, and he was ecstatic when you didn't pull away.

Grim and Deuce, as well as Sebek, Lilia, and Silver watched your exchange with wide eyes, none of them having expected such a peaceful outcome.

"You do not hate me, do you, my treasure?" Malleus asked, hopeful that he hadn't ruined things between you two forever.

Smiling softly, you shook your head. "No… for everyone deserves a second chance."

Adeuce and the Road to El Dorado; Part 2

Part 1 can be found here

Behold, the second part of this cursed AU that everyone has been waiting for! Sorry for the long wait y’all 😖

I had a lot of scenes edited but since there’s a 10 image limit, I tried fitting all of the best ones in here.

Btw can someone PLEASE draw our two favorite idiots in their god outfits? I would be so happy if you did–