HELP IM JUST A CLOWN BIMBO IDK WHAT I'M DOINGHowdy! I'm dystopyxrose, but you can call me Rose :3 I'm an independent artist who works primarily traditionally. Hoping to figure out tumblr so i can have another place to post art :)~she/her adult (unfortunately)pls do not perceive me~~BIG HYPERFIXATIONS:~𤥠clownsđď¸ mothsđ ratsđś Will Wood âĽď¸ Cryptids𩸠humorismđŞ cartoonsđď¸ writingđŞDC comicsâžď¸ autism!!!~FAVE GAMES~(In no order)â¤ď¸ Undertale/Deltaruneâď¸ Phoenix Wrightđť Sally Faceđ Night in the Woodsđą Pokemonđ Fran Bow/Little Miss Fortune(Header image made for me by @lenore-was-here !
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*Yuu, post graduation. Working*
Close Co-worker: Dang, it seems like I can't go to my sibling wedding in the Scalding sands. Airplane tickets are sold out cuz of the holidays
Yuu: Don't worry, I know a guy *Calls the Head of the Asim Family*
Yuu: My friend is asking what kinda of food you want during the jet ride.
Close Co-worker: JET RIDE?! I can't afford that!
Yuu: *Frowns* *returns to the phone*
Yuu: Kalim, said you can use the helicopter if you're in a hurry.
Close Co-worker: Huh?!!!!
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Have you seen this post?

You probably have. It currently has over 120,000 notes, largely because of this addition.

Of course it's going to get reblogged, this kind of unsourced factoid does numbers on here. But something about it wasn't quite right.
A bit of searching turned up the origin of the "fact".


Alright, so it's someone who posted this on reddit 4 years ago and somehow ended up in the search hits. And the post confuses the electric eel (from South America) with the electric catfish (from the Nile, which the Egyptians would have known about).

Reminder: this is an electric eel (Electrophorus electricus). It is from South America. (image from Wikipedia)

And this is an electric catfish (Malapterurus electricus). It is from the Nile and would have been familiar to the ancient Egyptians. (image from Wikipedia)
And then of course people were speculating in the notes to that post about trade routes between South America and Egypt. Excellent scholarship everyone.
At this point I was ready to call it another made-up internet fact that gets reified by people repeating it. But something was still bothering me.
An ancient Egyptian slab from 3100 BC. What could that be...
Oh.

The Narmer palette. It's the goddamn Narmer palette. (image, once again, from Wikipedia)
So where is this "angry catfish"?
It's not the Egyptian name for the electric catfish.
It's... Narmer. It's Narmer himself.
Narmer's name is written as above (detail of top middle of the palette), using the catfish (n`r) and the chisel (mr), giving N'r-mr. The chisel is associated with pain, so this reads as "painful catfish", "striking catfish", or, yes, "angry catfish" or other similar variants, although some authors have suggested that it means "Beloved of [the catfish god] Nar".
So.
Where does this leave us?
It would appear that this redditor not only confused electric eels with electric catfish, but also confused a Pharaoh's name with the name of a fish. And then it got pushed to the top search hits by a crappy search engine and shared uncritically on tumblr.
In short, "the electric eel is called angry catfish" factoid actually literacy error. Angry Catfish, who ruled upper Egypt and smote his enemies, is an outlier adn should not have been counted.
Also the Arabic name for the electric catfish is raad (thunder) or raada (thunderer).
References
Afsaruddin, A., & Zahniser, A. H. M. (1997). Humanism, culture, and language in the Near East: studies in honor of Georg Krotkoff. Eisenbrauns.
Clayton, P. A. (2001). Chronicle of the Pharaohs. Thames & Hudson.
Godron, G. (1949). A propos du nom royal. Annales du Service des antiquitĂŠs de l'Egypte, 49, 217-221.
Sperveslage, G., & Heagy, T. C. (2023). A tail's tale: Narmer, the catfish, and bovine symbolism. The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, 109(1), 3-319.
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Reblogging now that we have mamma leech fr đ
thinking bout floyd again...
Teehee day that ends in y. Thinking bout his birthday bloom card, and how he mentions how mama leech always calls and tells him stories from his childhood. Imagine being Floyd's significant other, meeting mama leech, and she is so happy to share all the stories with you. Now floyd has to listen to them all over again, but shrimpy's here this time
#twst#twisted wonderland#disney tw#disney's twisted wonderland#disneys twisted wonderland#disney twisted wonderland#floyd leech x reader#twst floyd#floyd leech#georgina leech#god love georgina leech
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Mera, have you read manga Obsessed Twins and a Female Sink in Copulation ~Which Do You Choose to Love?~
In short, the MC has a guardian angel who protects her from the devil who intends to kill her. And unexpectedly, the guardian angel and the devil are twins. When I read it, I could imagine Jade as the guardian angel and Floyd as the devil. I highly recommend you to read it if you haven't before~
I HAVE!!! >w< aaaa that manga is so good!!!!! I love the premise and the lore of that world's angels and devils,,, the artist who drew it does twst fanart and they draw the Leech twins quite frequently! I recommend their eel art. It's very yummy. <3
But ooooo guardian angel Jade,,, who only cares about you and your safety and well-being. No one else matters in his eyes; he is dedicated solely to you. This type of pesky angel whose dream is to become yours just as you'll become his. Acting like a shy, demure virginal angel as if he isn't the biggest pervert in all of heaven......... orz always chasing away that no-good devil,, much too possessive in his protection of you!!!
AND DEVIL FLOYB!!!!! Mischievous devil who wants to kill you and then you'll be stuck as his for all of eternity,, until he actually starts to fall for you and then suddenly he's switching motives. A shame he can't step foot in Shrimpy's house, or else that troublesome angel will give him the boot... </3 oh, it's too cruel... don't you have any pity for this lonely devil....... he's just as bad as your guardian angel!!!! >_<
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A/n: did I ask if you wanted georgina content in that poll? Yes, I did. Did I had the patience to wait for it to finish? Lmao no. Come get your content, ik y'all are starved for her
Warnings: yandere content, gn!reader, infantilization, and body horror mention.

"Quit fussing around," Georgina voice is stern, hard, as she bounces you on her lap, forcefully tucking your head into her neck as her eyes pierce down at your pouty expression. "If you were good, I'd have finished this up a lot earlier, babe."
Her tone makes a little shiver go down your spine as you try to find a more suitable position. But the sudden movement isn't unwelcome at all, as you melt onto her, a happy, soft sigh escaping your throat as the contact makes your head go hazy, and your limbs relax.
You can't help the sudden exhaustion gwaning at you, encouraging you to sleep, to fall back into a deep slumber, surrendered by her, the serene song that comes from the record player, as she reads some important documents - "for big people and not babies like you", or so she said -, you tried to get an eyeful of them but couldn't read any of it, as it was in Mer-ish language.
She starts to hum, to lull you in a sense of security and comfort as she holds you close to her yet again. The song, the warmth, everything was helping the drowsiness and exhaustion to catch you in their arms again.
"Sleep well, angelfish." She mutters.
Her voice is so far away now.
Almost a whisper.
Your eyelids close, and sleep claims you, as you curled yourself like a shrimp in her lap. So cute. So vulnerable.
So hers. Or better yet, theirs.
Georgina stares at the family portrait that stands on her table with a giant, toothy smile. You were theirs new addition to the family, even if you didn't know about that.
From the moment she first laid eyes on you when Jade was introducing his friends from school, and his voice had taken a softer tone when referring to you, she knew that there was something unique about you. Of course, the twins adored you; your skin was as soft as the meat they ripped from their prey's body. You smelled just like the sun ascending to the sky after a thunderstorm.
They had chosen you.
Her boys had chosen you, and so she and her husband chose you as well.
But there was a problem; you were human. Weak. Fragile. And they were eels. So, of course, you were meant to be protected, to be babied. You're too good for this world, making all of them giggle with your strange references, jokes, and lingo. You were a bond, gluing them even more tighter.
And if anything or anyone came up to hurt you, they would destroy them. That was something to be sure about.
So as she continues to lull into sleep, she makes plans to cut your legs and mutilate your body, to turn into a cute little eel just like them. She wonders... would you hate them for that?
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Hi I know you're not as invested in twst anymore but have you seen Trey's latest SSR đĽş
i want to [REDACTED][REDACTED][ I am being dragged off the premises]
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this may just be the longest synopsis i've ever written for a fic. ANYWAYS!!!!!! i hope everyone is ready for Hot Floyd Summerâ˘

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MERA ITS INDEED HOT FLOYD SUMMER đď¸đđđşđđş Cant wait to see what ur cooking up with the eel đ
𦹠⼠â・Ëâฺ ⥠(â¸â¸> á´â˘â¸â¸) 𦹠⼠â・Ëâฺ âĄ
HOT đ FLOYB đ SUMMER!!!!!!!!!! đ I'm cooking up lots of yummy things with this fic. >:D Italian eel, fwb, you get to meet the Leech family, Jade gets to play the role of honorary menace (as if he isn't already number one menace), a very business-like deal that becomes less about business and more about sex as the fic goes on, etc etc.
It's also my first time writing a fic that's told from the pov of both the love interest and the reader simultaneously!!!! So you'll get to see Floyd's reaction to certain things alongside reader's. >:) he's falling for you and he doesn't even realize it.
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cherish the beauty, love the perfection
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I have been summoned
pspspsps floyd doodle
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Yuu petting Grim and going "who's a good kitty? Who's a great kitty?? Whos the very best kitty???"
And Grim going "I'm not a cat!!! I am the great grim!" But with like sub captions going *it's me, I'm the best kitty*
My yuu for ref
Blazer is a biiit to boig on her, but it's all she could find in ramshackle that was still in decent condition!!!!

I'm also bored so handth me thine yuusonas or twst ocs or just like general twst requests, even scenarios or whatnot đЎ


Me rn:

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I've got a pastel murder man living in my head rent free...
PAY RENT
Hetalia posting in 2025??? Idk blame @merakiui
Actually this art is pretty old I've had this for a while lmao.... but a certain writer I like posted something for Ollie recently, so here I am... posting this to tumblr...
#hetalia#2p hetalia#2ptalia#2p england#oliver kirkland#art#its my mental illness and i choose the comfort characters
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#twst memes#twisted wonderland memes#twisted wonderland#twst#disney tw#i made this on my phone#in my gallery app
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Period + Depression combo driven TWST Playful Land Rambles
I think we all deserve to ramble to our heart's content in this time. So here's my election woes/ovulation driven comfort rambles. Maybe it will offer you some comfort as well â¤ď¸
The Gino-Is-My-Son rambles:
Gino is my Itty bitty and he can do no wrong. Idc if he is actively doing wrong, he can do no wrong.
Joining the others to Playful LAND and immediately getting attached to the small beastman seemingly attached to Fellow's hip. Fellow trying to work his charm but ngl I'm basically ignoring him any and every time Gino smiles. Fellow offering to take me and my group for a personal tour, but I'm focused on seeing Gino smile. He is my boy, my son. Grim getting jealous when I tear off pieces of chicken to give to Gino instead of him.
The Floyd-Addiction-Strikes-Again rambles
Mostly sticking with Floyd while at Playful Land. Breaking off from the larger group to spend one on one time with Floyd. It's like a date. Feeding each other cotton candy. Floyd wants to try all the weird flavored snacks. Letting Floyd drag me around the park, going along with his every whim and fancy. Taking pictures of us whenever I can. He doesn't really care about the pictures, and it ends up mostly being candids of him having a good time or really blurry photos from trying to take a selfie of the two of us but he does something goofy last minute to mess it up, but I don't consider them ruined, cuz they're not. They have a Floyd Touch to them now, just makes them more special.
The Especially-Delusional rambles
The Floyd Leech of some of my yandere rambles who really wants children, even if they're not biologically his. Floyd, who sees how attached I've become to Gino, and just shrugs and goes along with it. Floyd standing by as I absolutely baby Gino. Fellow watching by, not even he is able to mask the confusion and slight horror he feels at the situation, meanwhile Floyd is playing along. Gino is also playing along, because he is Perfect Boy tm.
Even when in a cage, unable to move because of the puppetification process, still cooing over Gino and telling him I forgive him, even as I sass Fellow.
Floyd and I both, frozen in the cage, still acting like Gino's parents, Fellow regretting every major life decision that brought him to this point.
Really I just want a chance to coddle Gino, even though he could very well be older than the NRC boys??? How old is Gino???? Like they emphasize Fellow is a full on adult, but what about my boy Gino????
Whatever, I just want to coddle Gino, with Floyd humoring me and playing along with my nonsense.
~~~
Eyo I've had this one in the drafts for a bit. It is no longer election or Playful land, but know what it is?
.
#yandere#twisted wonderland#twst#yandere rambles#yandere twst#yandere twisted wonderland#disney twisted wonderland#floyd leech#my floyd addiction strikes again#playful land event#playful land's miraculous marionettes#twst gino#twst rambles
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Blood in the Water (Floyd x Reader)
Summary: You get your period and Floyd is confused.
AN: Gonna be honest, this is mostly for me. I'm having the absolute worst cramps and writing this is mostly cathartic. I need a good comfort fic every once and a while. Thanks for reading!
Cross posted on my AO3 TheGhostIsTheKitchen
Warnings: AFAB reader, she/her pronouns, menstruation, cramps, nausea, brief mention of assault but no actual assault, can be read as romantic or platonic
There was a familiar twist in (Y/N)âs gut and she groaned. Putting a hand to her stomach, she leaned against the wall in the library, sinking down between the bookstacks as her head went dizzy and a knot of pain grew in her belly.Â
When her period had started this morning, two days late, sheâd felt mostly fine. Sure maybe a little bloated and sluggish but that was par for the course. For a minute sheâd been able to fool herself into thinking this would be one of those easy periods. It would last a few days without the plummeting change in emotions, the barbed wire cramps in her lower stomach, and every inch of skin feeling way too sensitive. Now that seemed like wishful thinking.Â
The first time she got her period here she desperately looked through the stacks of pain medication at Samâs, wrestling with the unfamiliar brands to try and decipher which were good for period pains and which might make it worse. Thankfully, a trans Scarabia student had seen her struggling, pointing out which products they used. Sam had thrown in a free heating pad shaped like a huge dumpling. Sheâd almost cried.Â
She wished she had that heating pad now. She closed her eyes, thunking her forehead on her knees as she curled up. This was supposed to be a free study period, but she now suspected sheâd spend the whole hour hiding in the library, afraid to move for fear of agitating the growing bundle of pain in her abdomen. She took a deep breath through her nose, exhaling through her mouth.Â
(Y/N) sensed the presence before she saw him. Months of being startled by Lilia or Chenya breaking onto campus had sharpened her skills in being ready for surprise attacks. She cracked open an eye, catching the fleeting glimpse of teal colored hair ducking behind a stack. She pressed her lips together. She normally loved having Floyd around. She appreciated his vibrant, if not volatile, personality, how surprisingly talented he was in domestic tasks like cooking. Jade had once mentioned that (Y/N) was able to sense Floydâs mood swings with almost as much accuracy as his own brother, anticipating the shift and adjusting accordingly. And, to be honest, she loved how he would squeeze the life out of her at any given chance. But right now, when she was fighting a wave of nausea? Now was not the time.Â
She watched from the corner of her eye as Floyd stalked through the stacks, more like a shark than an eel. When she saw him ready to pounce, muscles tensing, ready to strike, she quickly held out her hand in a âstopâ motion, cutting him off mere inches from his arms enveloping her.Â
âFloyd,â She said, exhaustion seeping into her voice. âIf you squeeze me right now Iâll throw up on you. Thatâs not a threat, itâs just what will happen.âÂ
Floyd pouted, his posture deflating. âBoo,â He said. He blinked, just now taking in (Y/N)âs curled in form. âYou okay, Shrimpy?âÂ
(Y/N) chuckled mirthlessly. âAll my insides want to be my outsides, but other than that Iâm good.âÂ
Floyd blinked, wide eyed, mouth dropping open in alarm. His features almost immediately switched to steely anger. âWho hurt you?âÂ
If (Y/N) wasnât so preoccupied by the lethargy pulling her body down, she might have found his protectiveness cute. âJust Mother Nature, Floyd. And I donât think even you have much of a chance against her.â At his puzzled expression, she added, âIâm on my period.âÂ
âOh.â He stood there for a moment, long limbs awkward now that he couldnât use them for violence. He shifted on his feet before collapsing down to sit next to (Y/N). He tapped his feet, trying to dispel ounces of his endless energy. âSo, your period?âÂ
(Y/N) hummed in response. âYeah. Itâs a few days late, but itâs here. At least Iâm not pregnant, right?âÂ
Floyd jumped, eyes wide. âPregnant?â He asked, voice cracking. âYou have a boyfriend?âÂ
(Y/N) scoffed, waving him off. âGod, no. Itâs enough juggling everything else thatâs happening here without worrying about a relationship.âÂ
âThen,â Floyd thought for a second, eyebrows furrowing in anger. âIs somebody hurting you?âÂ
(Y/N) looked up at him, just now noticing his angry confused face. âHurting me? No, Iâm not - Oh, wait, no! Not like that, no! Iâd tell someone if anything like that happened, I promise.âÂ
âSo youâre just seeing someone?â He almost looked hurt with his pout.Â
âNo, Iâm not, casually or anything serious.âÂ
âBut you thought you might be pregnant?âÂ
âEvery girl thinks they might be pregnant when their period is late, even if theyâve never had sex before.â
âWhen your period is late,â Floyd repeated.Â
âYeah, itâs universal. Ask any girl. Or a person with a uterus. You know what I mean.âÂ
It was quiet again, Floyd tapping his feet more aggressively this time. Just when (Y/N) was about to ask him to stop, that the tapping sound was adding to her hammering headache, Floyd asked, âWhatâs a period?âÂ
(Y/N) turned her head from her knees to look up at him, and, realizing he was serious for once, jerked straight up. âWait, really? You never heard your mom talking about it? Or any girls you know?âÂ
Floyd shrugged, looking away and rubbing the back of his head. âIâve never heard mer-girls say anything about it. And youâre really the only human girl I know.âÂ
(Y/N) had momentarily forgotten that her and Floydâs biology was far more different beyond physical sex. Now that she thought about it, it would make sense if mermaids didnât have periods, right? She found it hard to believe that Floyd could be willfully ignorant of something that affected half the human population, (come to think of it, did beast women have periods? Or fairies?) but if he didnât have extended contact with humans who suffered monthly, his confusion and concern would make sense.Â
âOh,â (Y/N) said, feeling herself blush. âI didnât think - yeah, no, Iâm fine. This is normal. It sucks and hurts, but itâs normal, I promise.âÂ
âItâs normal to hurt without getting hit or something?â
âYup. Totally normal. Did you⌠want me to explain it to you?âÂ
Floyd cocked his head, peering at her. âWell, if itâs important to Shrimpy then itâs important to me, right?âÂ
(Y/N) huffed a laugh and said. âYeah, sure. Okay, human biology 101.â (Y/N) held out her fist, pinkie and thumb extended. âOkay, so biological females have an organ called a uterus, down in the lower abdomen right above the pelvis. Branching out from the uterus are fallopian tubes connected to ovaries on either side.â She wiggled her pinkie and thumb to demonstrate. âThe ovaries have eggs, not like chicken eggs or fish eggs. Itâs a cell, like a skin cell or blood cell or something. During the month, the uterus builds up this cushioning of blood and tissue and an egg gets sent down from the ovary. If the egg isnât fertilized by a sperm cell to make a baby, then the body needs to get rid of that tissue. So the uterus contracts,â (Y/N) opened and closed her fist to demonstrate. âAnd pushes all that out through, uh, the vagina. You basically bleed for three to seven days down there, depending on the person.âÂ
âYouâre bleeding?â Floyd said in shocked horror. His eyes darted down to (Y/N)âs lap before quickly cutting back up.Â
âYup. Mine usually last four to five days.âÂ
âAnd youâre bleeding the whole time?â (Y/N) nodded. âWow, youâd be calling every shark from miles around in the ocean.âÂ
(Y/N) smirked. âThen I guess itâs a good thing mermaids donât have periods.âÂ
âSo how do you, like, stop it? Are you bleeding right now?âÂ
âPad or tampons, mostly. I know some people who use a cup but Iâve never tried one.â At his blank look, she continued. âPads are like a flat piece of cotton. One side is sticky so it stays on your underwear. Tampons are cotton cylinders you wear internally. So if I did want to go swim in the ocean Iâd wear one of those. Not sure if a shark would be able to smell me though. You mostly just have to watch out for toxic shock syndrome.â Â
âSounds like something from a jellyfish.âÂ
âItâs a little more intense, although I guess that depends on the jellyfish. Itâs blood poisoning or a bacterial infection, I think? If you keep in a tampon for too long you can get toxic shock syndrome, and that can lead to hospitalization, amputation, or death. I think youâre only supposed to have a tampon in for up to eight hours. Everyone who uses tampons that I know was terrified of it. Itâs really rare though. After a while you kind of get used to wearing stuff, but itâs always at the back of your mind.â (Y/N) looked over at Floyd and laughed at his pale shocked face. âNot what you were expecting, huh?âÂ
He shook his head slowly. âSo thatâs whatâs making you hurt?âÂ
âNo, not that. Like I said, the uterus contracts getting all the stuff out so it causes cramping. It can also make you feel really nauseous, which is whatâs going on with me right now. It could be worse. I knew a girl back in my world that had endometriosis. Thatâs when all that tissue I was talking about grows outside the uterus instead of inside. It can be super painful. But even if you have a normal period itâs a pain. Your hormones get all thrown out of whack. Some people get angry real easy, but I just end up getting really teary. If I ever just burst into tears for no reason it might be because Iâm on my period. But never ask a girl if theyâre on their period if they're angry or sad or something. Thereâs this whole thing where people dismiss any extreme emotion a girl has as being because of her period and not a valid reaction to something. Itâs super annoying. To be fair, this world seems more up to speed with gender equality, so maybe itâs not that big a stereotype here.âÂ
Floyd didnât say anything, stuck in a rare contemplation. âCan I help?â He asked.Â
(Y/N) smiled softly at him. âThis kind of help, just talking about it. Heating pads help too. Having that pressure helps ease the cramps.âÂ
Floyd hummed in thought. He reached over and tugged her blazer. âScoot forward.â (Y/N) quirked an eyebrow at him but did as he asked. Floyd slipped in behind (Y/N), long legs stretching out around her. He pulled her back into his chest, his hands coming down to gently press against her stomach. His thumbs rubbed in small circles. âDoes this help?âÂ
(Y/N) leaned her head back against his chest, closing her eyes. âYeah, thanks.âÂ
~
A few days later, (Y/N) was hanging out with Ace and Deuce on the quad. They were talking when they heard a loud, âShrimpy!â Ace and Deuce flinched back as Floyd bounded over. He stopped abruptly a breath away from (Y/N), arms outstretched.Â
(Y/N) laughed and held out her arms. âGo ahead, I finished the other day.âÂ
Floyd gave a cry of delight and immediately scooped (Y/N) up in a huge squeezing hug, tight enough to make up for the last lost few days.
#twisted wonderland#fanfic#wafflefriesfic#twst#twst x reader#floyd leech x reader#reader insert#comfort fic#twisted wonderland x reader#period comfort
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Sick Day, But Cute (Multi TWST Cast X Reader)
Summary: A magical illness is spreading through NRC, with some... rather adorable symptoms. AKA, all your friends are suddenly toddlers?!
AN: I actually ended up starting this waaaay back when I started writing fanfiction again, but sort of forgot about it and found it again recently. It's kind of at this point where I realized a lot my tics in writing. Thanks for reading! Cross posed on my AO3 TheGhostInTheKitchen.
Warnings: Fluff, platonic relationships, AFAB reader, She/Her pronouns
From âPerfect Prefectâ: omg, omg, omg
From âJackedâ: Whatâs up?Â
From âJuiceâ: Is there another overblot?!Â
From âAces Highâ: Iâve got ten madol that itâs someone from Diasomnia
From âCrocodile Tearsâ: As if! Diasomnia students are far too refined and disciplined for that!Â
From âEple Pieâ: Iâll match that bet, Ace!
From âCrocodile Tearsâ: Hey!
From âAstro Boyâ: What happened, (Y/N)?Â
From âPerfect Prefectâ: Look who I found!Â
From âPerfect Prefectâ: Picture sentÂ
From âJuiceâ: âŚ
From âEple Pieâ: omg is right.Â
From âJackedâ: Is thatâŚ?Â
From âAces Highâ: On my way!Â
Despite the vast campus of Night Raven College, the group of first years convened on the Ramshackle dorm within minutes of the picture being sent.Â
âGrim,â (Y/N) called out to her fireball cat monster roommate. âCan you make sure the front door is unlocked? I donât want them busting it down like last time.âÂ
âCanât you do it? Iâm still scrubbing ink out of my fur!âÂ
(Y/N) lifted the bundle in their arms, the cause of the excitement. âSort of got my hands full here.âÂ
A slam and the sound of cracking wood emanate from the front hall, followed by, â(Y/N!)âÂ
The prefect sighed. âToo late.â Â
Ace, Deuce, Jack, Epel, Ortho, and Sebek practically tripped over each other as they rushed into the sitting room, freezing in their tracks when they saw the Prefect and the small purple-and-white form they were cradling.Â
âSo,â (Y/N) said, breaking the shocked silence. âIâm guessing this is one of those weird magic things?âÂ
A large pair of blue-gray eyes peeked out from a mass of dark purple tentacles twisted around (Y/N)âs arms, gripping for dear life, before quickly ducking back down in hiding. The small figure emitted a small wail. (Y/N) bounced the tiny octopus-mer in their arms. âShh, itâs alright, youâre okay, Iâve got you.âÂ
Jack took a cautious step forward, reaching out a nervous hand. âIs that⌠really Azul?âÂ
(Y/N) shrugged. âI mean, it has to be, right?âÂ
âIt has to be?â Epel echoed. âWhat the heck happened?Â
âI was hoping you guys would be able to help me figure that out. Azul came over this morning to talk about a bill someone had racked up at the Monstro Lounge.â (Y/N) not so subtly glared at Grim, who rolled his eyes and kept scrubbing at his octo-ink stained fur. âI left the room for just a second to get some tea and when I came back, boom! Baby Azul.âÂ
âOh, man, this is great,â Ace snickered while pulling out his phone. âThisâll be great blackmail the next time he tries to get us into a stupid contract.âÂ
âAce, wait-!âÂ
Before (Y/N) could warn them, Azul reared back and spit a large black glob of ink at Aceâs phone, covering his phone and hands and splattering his uniform.Â
âYeah, he doesnât really like having his picture taken.âÂ
âUgh!â Ace waved his hands, sending ink spraying the other first years with black goop. âYou got a picture!âÂ
(Y/N) shrugged with a smirk. âMaybe he just likes me more.âÂ
Ortho cautiously hovered closer. âMy scans indicate this is in fact Azul Ashengrotto. There is some sort of magical residue surrounding his body.âÂ
âYou think someone cursed him?â Deuce asked. âHey, stop!â He shouted as Ace tried to wipe the ink on his jacket.Â
Sebek crossed his arms. âI wouldnât be surprised, considering what he tries to get away with.âÂ
Azul started sniffling. âHey, knock it off!â (Y/N) defended.Â
Ortho tilted his head, examining Azul closer. Azul reached out a hand, fascinated by the lights on Orthoâs body and glowing hair. âI donât recognize this kind of magical resonance from any curses,â Ortho said. âBut I can research and find out! Idia might know something!âÂ
âWhat are you going to do with him?â Jack asked, poking a tentacle that was wrapped tightly around (Y/N)âs arm.
âIâm going to drop him off with Jade then let the Headmage know whatâs going on. You know, see if he actually has any answers for once.â
âMrow!â Grim yelled, frustrated, throwing down the ink-stained rag he had been desperately using to try and clean his fur. âI donât know whatâs wrong with him, but that octo-punk is gonna pay for ruining my perfect fur!âÂ
Epel sighed. âHang on, Vil taught me some ways to get stains out. Maybe I can help. Prefect, do you have hairspray?âÂ
âCheck the upstairs bathroom, Grim can show you. Ortho, let me know if you find anything out, okay?âÂ
Ortho saluted. âRoger that!âÂ
Sebek rubbed his chin in thought. âLilia might know something. And if anyone can reverse a curse, it would be Lord Malleus! Ashengrotto should be eternally grateful for the future kingâs assistance-!âÂ
âIâll come with you to Octavinelle,�� Jack cut in, purposefully ignoring Sebekâs offended look at being interrupted.Â
âDeuce and I have to report back to Heartslabyul,â Ace said as the two card soldiers flicked ink at each other. âIf Riddle sees us like this weâll be on hedgehog duty for a month.âÂ
(Y/N) nodded. âSounds like we have a plan, then. Let me know if anyone hears anything. Or maybe sees anymore babies.â They rubbed their nose against baby Azulâs, causing the little house warden to giggle.Â
The first years all went their separate ways, Jack, (Y/N), and their squirming package headed to the mirror chamber.Â
âDo you think he needs water?â Jack asked. âHeâs a merman after all.âÂ
(Y/N) carded their fingers through Azulâs soft, fluffy hair. âI gave him some earlier and he seemed okay. Iâm sure the less time out of water is better though. We donât want any octo-jerky, do we, Azul?â They tickled him under his chin.Â
Jack couldnât help the smile that stretched across his face. As many problems as he had with the cunning and scheming house warden, he couldnât help but be reminded of his younger siblings back home. âYouâre good with children.âÂ
The prefect blinked up at him, surprised. âYou think?âÂ
âYouâve managed to keep a rein on that one, at least. He looks like heâll burst out crying the second you stop paying attention to him.âÂ
âHmm. Maybe Iâm just spoiling him, then. Thatâs okay, though, right, Azul? Youâre cute enough to spoil, right?â (Y/N) held him up, his tentacles wrapping tight around their arms. He made grabby hands to come back closer, giggling and basking in the attention. Jack chuckled and (Y/N) mockingly glared at him. âWe never say a word of this when he turns back, of course.âÂ
Jack nodded seriously. âOf course.âÂ
â(Y/N)! Jack!â The two stopped. Kalim waved at them, jogging over with Jamil following behind. âHi! Whatâs going on?âÂ
âI would love to know,â (Y/N) said, shrugging.Â
Kalim stopped in his tracks, causing Jamil to almost crash into him, as he spied Azul. Kalim practically squealed with delight and rushed over. âOh my gosh! How cute! Does Azul have a little brother?âÂ
âNot⌠exactly,â (Y/N) said. She quickly summarized the situation.Â
While Kalim gushed over the toddler, Azul was more interested in Jamil, reaching out with his chubby hands and tentacles to try and wrap around his hands. âAww,â Kalim said. âHe remembers you!âÂ
âI donât know how much of that is a good thing,â Jamil scowled, torn between jerking his hands away and indulging the mer-boy in his exploration.Â
âJamil, you know everything, got any ideas?â (Y/N) asked.Â
Jamil huffed, a small smile playing on his lips. âNot everything, apparently. Some sort of curse, obviously, but other than that Iâm sure you would need to do some type of testing.âÂ
âYeah, thatâs kind of what we thought.âÂ
They said their goodbyes, Kalim waving enthusiastically at Azul who really didnât seem to know how to respond to his exuberance.Â
The trio arrived at the mirror chamber, stepping through to Octavinelle. The temperature immediately dropped several degrees due to the water surrounding the dorm, suspended in the air around the building and walkways. The light took on a cool blue tint, interrupted by the shadows of fish darting through the water. (Y/N) often wondered if the dorm was actually underwater or if this was some sort of illusion to help the mer students that made up the majority of the dorm feel more at home.Â
âI have to admit,â Jack said, looking around for either of the Leech twins. âThe more I think about leaving Azul here, the more nervous I get.âÂ
(Y/N) shrugged. âJade is good in a crisis and Floyd is surprisingly gentle with kids. Plus, they were all friends when they were little, maybe Azul will recognize them or something.â She frowned in thought. âAlthough, now that you mention it, I do suppose this would be a perfect opportunity to take advantage of.âÂ
âMy, I didnât realize you had such a low opinion of us.â (Y/N) and Jack jumped, spinning to face the Ocatvinelle vice-housewanden. He was smiling slyly but wiped away a fake tear from his eye. âAnd here I thought we had built a trusted rapport.âÂ
âDepends on the crisis, maybe,â (Y/N) said. âOr the potential reward.âÂ
âOoh, are we talking about rewards?â Floyd slid next to (Y/N), throwing a causal arm around their shoulders. âNot sure if itâs worth the effort, but Iâll take-â He cut himself off, eyes growing wide. He jerked forward, putting himself nose to nose with the tiny octo-mer. âNo way, no way! Jade, check this out!âÂ
âOh dear,â Jade said, stepping forward. He actually looked surprised for once. âIsnât this a blast from the past?âÂ
Azul let out a small wail as Floyd started poking at him and tugging his tentacles. (Y/N) smacked his hand. âHey, cut it out! Poor thing is having a hard day.âÂ
âWhat exactly happened?â Jade asked. He chucked as Azul puffed up his cheeks in annoyance.Â
âWe were hoping you might have an idea,â Jack said.Â
âHe showed up at Ramshackle today normal, then, well⌠I didnât see when it happened.âÂ
Floyd snatched Azul out of (Y/N)âs arms, ignoring their protest, and held him high up. âAww, arenât you a cute little guppy? Maybe we should just keep you like this for a while. You donât yell at me nearly as much!âÂ
Azul puckered his lips in a now familiar motion. âFloyd, look out-!â (Y/N) tried to warn.
In the next second, Floydâs face was covered in black ink. Jack and (Y/N) froze in tense anticipation. Floyd blinked before his sharp toothy smile split across his face. He burst out laughing, cuddling Azul, who was writhing in a desperate attempt to escape. âYou havenât done that since we were kids!âÂ
Jade gently pried Azul away from Floyd, using a handkerchief to dab away dribbling ink from Azulâs face. âPerhaps I should bring him to our swim tank. Floyd, would you mind grabbing a pot and lid from the Monstro Lounge kitchen?âÂ
Floyd frowned. âAww, but if he hides I canât pinch his big cheeks anymore!âÂ
âThatâs exactly the point.âÂ
(Y/N) took a step back, worry about Azulâs condition and care growing smaller but not disappearing completely. âIâm going to go ask Crowley if he has any idea whatâs going on. Iâll let you guys know once I know something.âÂ
Jade waved a hand. âPlease, take your time. I think weâll have a fine time together, wonât we, Azul?âÂ
âUh, yeah, weâll leave it to you guys, then.â (Y/N) ruffled Azulâs hair. âBye, buddy. Iâll see you soon and hopefully weâll get back to normal.âÂ
Floyd hummed thoughtfully. âHey, how much do you think heâll remember when he turns back?âÂ
As Jack and (Y/N) left Octavinelle, Jack decided to go back to Savanaclaw. âIâll ask Leona if he has any idea about this, too. He may not like putting effort into things, but he is probably one of the most talented mages here.âÂ
âSounds good. Thanks for your help.â They parted ways and (Y/N) headed back to the main school building to talk to Crowley. Heading up the stairs, their phone rang, #CayCay showing up on the caller ID. âHey, Cater, whatâs up?âÂ
âUh, hey,â Cater said, slightly panicked, although he was clearly still trying to sound carefree. âAce and Deuce were with you earlier, right? Were they, uh, okay?âÂ
(Y/N) blinked, a nervous churning settling in their stomach. âYeah? Ace kind of got, uh, in a mess, but they were okay when they left. What happened?âÂ
âOh, you know, itâs probably fine, Riddleâs looking into- No, wait! Deuce, donât put that in your mouth!âÂ
The line suddenly went dead. (Y/N) spun back down the stairs and sprinted to the Heartslabyul mirror portal.Â
Stepping through the mirror portal into Heatslabyul immediately assaulted (Y/N) with the scent of roses laced with sugar. Much brighter than Octavinelle, it was more confusing in its layout, with twisting paths that often doubled back on each other and confusing topiary walls. But (Y/N) was able to beeline to their destination, following the alarmed yelling.Â
âIâm here, Iâm here!â She said, sliding into part of the garden where they often held unbirthday parties. âWhat happen- oh.âÂ
(Y/N) had gotten used to the sight of a younger Azul, but the child Ace and Deuce sent a whole new wave of confusion and dread through them. The two of them were wrestling, getting grass stains on their uniforms with cake smooshed on their faces. Cater cooed from a distance safe from cake splatter taking pictures with his phone.Â
â(Y/N)! There you are!â (Y/N) turned to greet Trey but froze. He held a small, scowling redhead child.Â
âOh. Oh, no.âÂ
âThatâs not an inaccurate read of the situation,â Trey said, chuckling as the little Riddle yelled at Ace and Deuce to stop roughhousing and getting dirty.Â
(Y/N) quickly explained the situation that had happened that morning with Azul. âThey were fine when they left! It wasnât even an hour ago.âÂ
âWeâre not sure what happened either,â Trey said. âAnother student came to get me a minute ago. He said Riddle was lecturing Ace and Deuce for getting their uniforms dirty with ink, however that happened,â (Y/N) gulped and looked away. âThen there was a crash and they were just like this.âÂ
(Y/N) sighed and put their hands on their hips. âAt this point I kind of just accept this magic nonsense can do anything.âÂ
âHave you asked any of the teachers about it yet?âÂ
âI was heading to Crowley when Cater called me. Hey, Cater, did you see- Oh, come on.â Cater had now joined Ace and Deuce playing on the lawn, albeit in a much younger form. He tapped the screen of his phone hard, seemingly taking more delight in the random colors and shapes than the actual function of anything.Â
âAlright, this is getting ridiculous. Come on, Trey, letâs bring them to the Headmage, or the infirmary at the very least. Trey?â (Y/N) closed their eyes, taking a deep breath. âIf I turn around and you're a kid, Trey, I think I just might scream.â They opened their eyes and looked around. Riddle and a tiny Trey, with glasses too big for his face, were hiding under the white metal table in the garden, playing cards. âOkay, fine, itâs too cute for me to scream. But Iâm still very annoyed.â They snuck their phone out to get a couple of quick snapshots of the Heartslabyul children. Thoroughly documented for future reference, and future embarrassment, (Y/N) leaned under the table. âRiddle, sweetheart, can you help me get everyone in order? Weâre going on a little field trip.âÂ
Riddle jumped up to attention, tiny face set in determination. He raced out, corralling Ace, Deuce, and Cater over to (Y/N). Ace and Deuce raced around their legs before Ace tripped and fell. His eyes started to well up with tears. (Y/N) quickly leaned down and swept him up in their arms. They decided to ignore how Ace stuck his tongue out at Deuce. Compromising by holding Dueceâs hand, she lead the small group back through the mirror portal to the Headmageâs office.Â
She had to use her foot to kick open the door. âCrowley, weâve got a problem.âÂ
âI am perfectly aware of the situation! Oh, it appears I am not perfectly aware.âÂ
(Y/N) stopped to take in the chaos of Crowleyâs office. Not only was a tiny Vil with perfect posture scolding a roughed-up-looking Epel with Rook, his hat engulfing his now little head, tugged on Vilâs sleeve for his attention, but a small Leona was curled up in a patch of sunlight snoozing. A young Ruggie was sneakily going through drawers on Crowleyâs desk, and a child Jack was gently petting a tiny charcoal kitten with a forked tail and blue flames coming out of his ears munching on cookies. A toddler Jamil was hovering over a small and smiling Kalim who was drawing with markers on what looked like important school paperwork. Although, there was more drawing on his and Jamilâs skin than the actual paper. Possibly most surprising, however, were the three pre-teens and an exhausted-looking teenager around the room. They also looked concerningly familiar.Â
(Y/N) blinked, setting down Ace and Deuce who rushed off to play with a rambunctious Epel. âProfessors? Coach? Sam?âÂ
The much younger Professor Crewel huffed and put his hands on his hips. âIf one more person calls me âprofessorâ Iâm going to scream.âÂ
âCome on, Divus!â The younger, but still surprisingly buff, Coach Vargus said. âHave an adventure! This isnât all bad!â Vargus fell on his back, scooping up Kalim and Cater who were running around and used them as press weights while the two giggled. A young Sam was listening very intently to Vil and Rookâs conversation, even if most of it was incoherent babbling.Â
âSo,â (Y/N) said hesitantly. âThat would make youâŚâ They looked at the person who had been reduced to around their age.Â
âMozus Trein,â He said matter of factly. He held Lucius, still a full-grown cat who looked even bigger in the young boyâs hands. âI take it I am a teacher here as well?âÂ
âUh, yeah. You donât remember?âÂ
He sniffed. âI canât exactly remember something that hasnât happened to me yet, now can I?âÂ
âSo you all have just always been like this. Okay, cool. Crowley?âÂ
Crowley looked up from playing with Deuce, who was fascinated by the formerâs mask. âHm? Oh, yes, well, as near as I can understand, there seems to be some sort of magical virus curse. Itâs spread through contact, so our best bet of minimizing effect would be to enact a quarantine.â He lifted Deuceâs hands in celebration. âSleepover! Yay!âÂ
(Y/N) rubbed the bridge of their nose, feeling a headache coming on. âOkay, I get how that might have happened to these guys, but what about the professors?âÂ
Crowley waved a hand. âBucci came to my office earlier with Kingscholar and Howl. Immediately sensing the issue at hand, for I am intuitive and precise, I called forth our faculty to help round up any other signs of infection. Although, it seems our virus is more contagious than I first thought.âÂ
(Y/N) scratched behind the kitten Grimâs ears. He blinked up at them with large blue eyes and let out a tiny, âMew.â (Y/N) felt their heart melt a little.Â
âWhat about me?â She asked. âIâve been in contact with everyone whoâs changed but Iâm still fine.âÂ
âI would assume the virus spreads through magic,â The young Professor Trein said. âIf you have no magical ability, youâre cut off from the method of infection.âÂ
âIt also appears not all of us have been reduced to the same age,â Boy-Professor Crewel added. âIt probably has something to do with how old we all were originally, cutting back by a set number of years.âÂ
âAnd any idea how long it will last?â (Y/N) asked hesitantly. âNo idea!â Crowley said, with not nearly enough seriousness that the situation required, lifting Ruggie into the air, his pockets bursting with various office supplies he had plundered from around the room.Â
âOh, man,â (Y/N) groaned. They jerked back to attention. âOh, man! I left Azul with Jade and Floyd! If heâs patient zero heâs probably spread the infection already!âÂ
Crowley nodded. âIt would be imperative to retrieve them, as well as anyone else infected. Weâll meet in the gymnasium until we have a further understanding of how long this should last.âÂ
âAlright, Iâll go get them and- Wait! Sebek! He was heading back to Diasomnia! He might have infected someone else. Iâll check there then- Really?â
Now, a boy about fifteen in a long feathered coat with a black bird mask bounced Ruggie on his knee. âHmm? Did something happen?âÂ
âDonât worry,â Professor Crewel said, even if it felt strange calling him that when he appeared so young. âWeâll take care of it. Weâll meet you in the gym.âÂ
(Y/N) nodded. âAlright, team, weâll all meet up in an hour at the gym. Coach Var- uh, Ashton? Can you stop by the kitchens to ask the ghosts to make us something for dinner? If weâre all quarantined we wonât want to stop by during rush hour in the cafeteria. Sam, check out the infirmary and grab blankets and anything else thatâll make spending the night more comfortable. Weâll work on a more permanent solution tomorrow. Mozus, Divus, and Crowley, Iâm trusting you three to keep all the kids in order and get them to the gym safely.âÂ
âGo, Team, go!â Ashton shouted, encouraging the other children to cheer. He swept the sleeping Leona up, who growled and kicked at the older boy.Â
âGo, team,â (Y/N) echoed weakly.Â
Nervously leaving the group to migrate to the gym, (Y/N) made their way back to Octavinelle to see if the, admittedly kind of funny and cute, virus had spread further. On their way across campus, (Y/N) pulled out their phone and fired a quick text to Ortho.Â
From âPerfect Prefectâ: What are the chances you havenât made it back to the dorm yet?Â
From âAstro Boyâ: Poor! Iâve been back for 23 minutes and 15 seconds!Â
From âPerfect Prefectâ: And Iâm guess Idia is a lot smaller now?Â
From âAstro Boyâ: Picture sentÂ
(Y/N) tapped open the attached picture. It was a selfie of Ortho, his eyes twinkling brightly in enthusiastic excitement. He held the phone up high, capturing the image of him holding a toddler sized Idia practically swimming in his already oversized jacket. The tiny Ida had tears pricking the corners of his large yellow eyes, clutching a soft purple demon-looking plush.
From âAstro Boyâ: Now Iâm the big brother!Â
From âPerfect Prefectâ: Crowly says itâs a virus. Iâm guessing itâs a safe bet that Idia hasnât been around anyone recently? Weâre quarantining in the gym till we figure this out.Â
From âAstro Boyâ: Iâll bring games!Â
(Y/N) jogged back to the mirror chamber, bursting through the portal back into Octavinelle. She did a quick sweep of the Monstro Lounge, interrogating a few confused student-waiters, then headed to the dorm proper. Nothing in the main lobby, a few clusters in the study room, just drying clothes in the laundry room. She just about missed the kitchen, swerving so hard she thought she might have given herself whiplash as she turned.Â
There was a crowd of Octavinelle students, dressed in their crisp lilac and black uniforms, standing in a rough circle, looking at something on the floor. She just caught the end of a flailing green tail as a student reached down to touch the wiggling mass.Â
âDonât!â She yelled, causing the whole ensemble to jump. She steadied herself with her hands on her thighs, breathing heavily now that the adrenaline had caught up with her. âDonât,â She said again. âThey might be contagious.âÂ
The gathering flinched away as (Y/N) made her way to what they had been surrounding. There was the familiar sight of the squirming Azul, cheeks puffy with a pout and crossed chubby arms. His tentacles were all tangled up with two long string-bean eels, fluctuating their bodies like ribbons on the linoleum floor. Even as children, mirror opposites of each other, it was pretty easy to tell who was who from their actions. Floyd has wrapped himself around one of Azulâs many limbs, gnawing at one. Jade is also wrapped in his tentacles, but it looks like he draped them over himself. He chatted at Azul in a mixture of child-babble and what sounds like local mer dialect. (Y/N) squatted down, hand covering her mouth, as she contemplated the situation. Azul spotted her, raising his arms up and looking at her in a way that made her heart clench. Floyd and Jade matched his pose, their cries more delighted and excited than Azulâs worried ones.Â
âAlright, come here,â (Y/N) said, gathering the trio of slippery mer-babies in her arms. âI donât suppose you guys have a tank around here somewhere? And maybe a trolley or wagon?âÂ
The, still confused but helpful, students rushed around. After a few minutes, two of them carried a large fish tank between them, another pulling a small black flatbed cart behind them. (Y/N) loaded the kids into the tank, having to tug and pull to extract them from their tight grip on her, Azul leaving little circular suction marks on her hands and arms. With a hand on her hip, she pulled the faucet from the sink and filled up the tank.Â
She gave her number to a couple of third years who had stepped up in a semblance of a leadership role, telling them to text her if anyone else came down with symptoms. After reassuring the Octavinelle students, as much as she could considering she herself was trying not to panic, (Y/N) pulled her new load out through the mirror portal to the gym.Â
She felt a splash of water on the back of her head, turning to see the three of them ducking back down into the water, giggling mischievously. âUh-huh,â (Y/N) said, wiggling her fingers at them. âI see you.â No sooner had she turned back to start walking than another cold splash of water soaked her head. She whipped back around, jumping near the tank with a big smile and hands up in claws, much to the shrieking delight of the small children. Even Azul had started to smile, laughing along and swimming around with Floyd and Jade.Â
(Y/N) saw Ortho flying across campus, a thick dark blue bundle securely in his arms. A Premo branded canvas back was slung over his arm, packed with board and card games, and a few gaming systems and cartridges. She called his name and waved, Ortho stopping to wait for her to catch up.Â
âLet me see, let me see,â (Y/N) said. Ortho was just as giddy as he held up the small toddler. Even when he was young, Idia still had his long fiery blue hair. His bright yellow eyes were huge in his puggy face, cheeks looking like he was hiding giant marshmallows in his mouth. He blinked up at the two of them, face scrunching up before sneezing. His hair flared for a second before sighing and rubbing his face. (Y/N) and Ortho both âawwâed as Idia tried to hide by burying his face in Orthoâs glowing chest.Â
âThink you can take care of these guys, too?â (Y/N) asked. âI still need to check on Disomania. Iâve tried texting but havenât heard anything back from them.â Ortho saulted, taking hold of the flatbed handle. The three tiny mers splashed, trying to catch the glowing reflections of Orthoâs and Idiaâs hair on the water.Â
(Y/N) had to run interference back on her way to the mirror chamber for the umteenth time that day. By that point, most of the campus had heard about the magical virus, and the rather adorable symptoms. She reassured them that yes, they had everything under control. Yes, they were keeping track of who was affected. Yes, classes were canceled for the rest of the day. Yes, it was all going to be solved pretty soon. Probably.Â
She paused back in the mirror chamber, taking a second to catch her breath. Steadying herself for whatever trouble she would find in the Thorn Fairyâs dorm, she pushed through the Magic Mirror. She blinked in the diminished light, the sky perpetually covered by threatening storm clouds. The dorm loomed over her, reminiscent of some twisted gothic cathedral. The interior did nothing to diminish this facade, all marble floors, large arched windows, and dark stone walls with green fire sconces.Â
âPsst!â (Y/N) stopped in the strangely empty common room, looking around for the hissed whisper. âPsst! Prefect! Over here!â A first year was frantically waving to her from his hiding behind a massive tapestry. Now that she was paying closer attention, she was able to pick out more and more students, trying to dart between hiding places to make their way through their own home.Â
âWhatâs going on?â (Y/N) asked. âDid you guys hear about the virus?âÂ
âVirus?â He repeated. âNo, I just wanted to warn you that you need to be careful. Vice-Housewarden Lilia is - Ack!â He cut himself off, darting off and slamming a door behind him down the hall as he escaped.Â
Brow furrowed, (Y/N) turned, freezing just as a cold razor sharp edge met her throat. Her eyes traveled from the jade colored oversized cleaver down the arm that held it up effortlessly, to the familiar yet strange face of the person who held it. It certainly looked like Lilia, for the most part anyway. The same large ruby eyes, now narrowed and sharp, the same mouth with fangs peaking over the edge to bite into his lower lip, pulled into a frown, the same bi-colored hair, now much longer and a deep red pigmentation instead of the soft pink.Â
(Y/N) put her hands up and tried to look as non-threatening as possible. âLilia,â She said, willing her voice not to shake. âI know youâre probably confused right now, but I-âÂ
âQuite, human,â He snapped, to which (Y/N) immediately obliged. âYouâre not going to try and confuse me more than I already am.â
âOkay, yeah, sure. But, and this may surprise you, this is not the first, nor probably the last, time Iâve been in mortal peril, so the effect has kind of lost its edge. Present company notwithstanding.â She pushed away the massive weapons with one finger on its slicing edge.Â
Lilia scowled and pushed the magearm back. âI said quite. I need to think. One minute Iâm in the Briar Valley overseeing training and the next Iâm⌠wherever this is.âÂ
âNight Raven College, if that helps.âÂ
Lilia scoffed. âI told you all I wouldnât accept your enrollment invitation. Does such a âprestigiousâ school resort to kidnapping now?âÂ
âI wouldnât put it past them, really.âÂ
âListen here, human-â
âPapa!âÂ
Both of their eyes snapped down. A small boy with silver-white hair was tugging the hem of Liliaâs shirt, rubbing his eyes with a tiny fist. He reached up, grabbing at the air. âUp, up!âÂ
Lilia looked from the small Silver back to (Y/N) several times before renewing his scowl. âWhat is this? Some kind of human trick? You use children in your schemes now?âÂ
âI think he just wants you to hold him for his nap.âÂ
âListen you-â
âPapa?â They both looked down again, Silverâs arms still extended, waiting. His tiny, cherubic face has started to crumble, lips wobbling in confusion, tears gathering.Â
Lilia hissed in a sudden breath. Taking a step back, he leaned down, keeping his eyes and weapon trained on (Y/N), and scooped Silver up with one arm. He cradled the boy close to his chest. Silver sighed contently, wrapping his chubby arms around Liliaâs neck and snuggling into his chest.Â
âI-â Lilia started, trying to regain some of his bravado despite the napping toddler he was gently holding.Â
âSilver!â A boisterous voice echoed down the stairs. âWhereâd you go? We gotta keep training so we can defend the Briar Valley! Iâm gonna win this time, just watch!â He tripped down the last few stepped, falling hard on his knees.Â
âSebek!â (Y/N) called, taking a step to him before being cut short by Lilia rushing forward.Â
Sebek sniffed loudly, pushing himself up, face turning red at the effort of keeping his tears at bay.Â
âThere now, soldier,â Lilia said, kneeling down. âA warrior of the Briar Valley must keep his composure in the face of battle, yes?âÂ
Sebek looked up and gasped. He jumped up to attention, retrieving the fallen play sword he had dropped. âYes, sir, General Lilia, sir!â He said, saluting.Â
Lilia chuckled, ruffeling Sebekâs hair. âBy any chance, young one, youâre not related to Baur Zigvolt, are you?âÂ
âIs Grandpa here? Iâm gonna show him how strong I got! Look, look!â He exaggerated flexing. Noticing Silver fast asleep, he frowned, an impressively frustrated look for such a small boy. âSilver! Youâre sleeping again!âÂ
âNooo,â Silver whined, burying himself further in Liliaâs chest.Â
Sebek kept jumping up to tug on Silverâs shirt until Lilia set him down. Sebek immediately grabbed the still sleepy boyâs hand and dragged him away, waving his sword at the various still hiding Disamonia residents and talking about all the adventures they were going to have. Lilia watched them wreak havoc, a small content smile making its way on his face without his noticing.Â
He schooled his features back into stoney fury when (Y/N) sidled up next to him, clearing her throat. âSo, I bet you have some questions.âÂ
While Lilia was skeptical about (Y/N)âs explanation, he was more acceptable to going to a more secure location. They went to the gym, Lilia holding Silverâs hand in one of his, his large magearm slug over his other shoulder. Sebek kept watch in front of the group, jumping and swinging his sword and marching while promising to protect them and become a great knight. The sun had dipped below the horizon, casting the campus in warm gold and pink light, stretching shadows along the pathways.Â
(Y/N) pushed open the doors of the gym, the clatter and cacophony of excited children immediately pouring out. Ortho was playing some high energy kind of childrenâs music from his built-in speakers, flashing colorful lights to the beat. Jamil and Cater were dancing, holding hands and spinning around and around until they got so dizzy they collapsed in a fit of giggles.Â
Idia was sitting in front of the water tank, a board game laid out in front of him. Azul had his face pressed closed to the glass, pointing to indicate his moves for the game. Frustrated at a move Idia, who smirked triumphantly, made, one of Azulâs tentacles shot out of the tank to aggressively move his piece, crossing his arms with a self-satisfied smirk.Â
On the other side of the tank, Riddle and Trey were throwing a ball between each other then into the tank where Floyd would whack it with his long tail sending it carrining back out of the water. The two other boys would squeal and run around, trying to catch the ball and smack it back up before it touched the ground.Â
Jack was sitting with his back against the tank, a large seek-and-find picture book open on his lap. Jade was leaning half way out of the tank, occasionally dipping back down to look over Jackâs shoulder. Jack would lift the book up for Jade to get a better look at and they both would point out the various hidden objects.Â
Vil was sitting on his knees, braiding Leonaâs hair. Leonaâs tail twitch. He snapped his teeth at Vilâs hands. âStop!â Vil said, commanding even as a child. Leona nipped again, half-heartedly. Vil huffed, fists on his hips. âStop!â Leona rolled his eyes, yawned loudly, then rolled over, letting Vil continue unbothered.Â
Rook, Kalim, Ruggie, Epel, Ace, and Deuce were all involved in an intense game of freeze tag, supervised by Vargus. Seeing the newcomers, Ace cheated and broke his freeze by running over to them, grabbing Sebek and Silverâs hands and pulling them into the game. Sebek yelled in protest but made no attempt to avoid joining. Silver waved goodbye to Lilia before tagging Epel back into the game.Â
Sam and Trien were at a makeshift cooking station, a couple of portable food warmers under disposable aluminum foil trays, dividing up dinner of spaghetti, garlic bread, and a thrown together salad to try and pretend they were being healthy. This idea was quickly dismissed as Sam took off the cover of a tray of thick fudgy brownies. Kitten Grim would jump on the table and try to shove his face into the trays to get an early bite, only to be gently pushed off, where the process would repeat almost immediately. Crewel was rolling out mats and sleeping bags in another corner of the gym, rolling his eyes at Crowley who was giving some dramatic speech.Â
âThisâŚâ Lilia started. âIsnât exactly what I imagine Night Raven College to be like.â
âYeah,â (Y/N) said. âUsually things are more on fire.â She couldnât help but smile at Lilaâs baffled expression.Â
She started counting heads, rounding up each dorm as the children all gathered together to get their dinner. She frowned, her suspicions confirmed.Â
âWeâre missing one.â
âHmm?â Crowly said. âI canât think of anyone else.âÂ
âYeah, that tracks. Sit tight, I think I know where he is.âÂ
A wind has started to blow across campus, twirling fallen leaves and casting a chill across (Y/N)âs exposed skin. Soon, the gloomy facade of Ramshackle dorm loomed on top of the hill. She opened the old iron gate, scanning around the yard. And there, just like she knew he would be, was a young boy with black horns.Â
He was staring up at the eaves and roof of the old house. To anyone else, it would have looked like he was watching the appearing stars in the sky, tracking constellations. But (Y/N) knew better, matching his gaze to the various gargoyles arranged around the dorm. She ducked inside, grabbing a quilt from one of the couches in the sitting room. She draped the blanket over his shoulders, crouching down next to him. He didnât look away, only moving to clutch the quilt tighter over his slight frame.Â
âTheyâre pretty cool, right?â (Y/N) said.Â
âI like that one,â Malleus says, pointing to a gargoyle on the corner of the roof, crouched like a frog with stone wings forming an umbrella over his head, mouth open in a ghoulish grin.Â
âI call him Clyde. He doesn't really work anymore though.â
âOh,â Malleus said, disappointed.Â
âRobins build their nest in his mouth. A friend of mine helped me block off the drain pipe so the birds wouldnât get flushed out without hurting the statue. He really likes gargoyles, but we both thought the sacrifice was worth it.âÂ
âOh,â Malleus said again, more intrigued. âAre there babies?â
âYup. Theyâre all bald with big eyes and their mama will swoop at your face if you get too close.â She replicated the swooping motion with her hand, ending with a boop on Malleusâs nose.Â
Giggling, Malleus points to another beastial gargoyle. âWhat about that one?âÂ
âThatâs Fredrick, but we call him Freddie. See how heâs facing that other one on the other roof? Sheâs Isabella and theyâre hopelessly in love. A little while ago, they had a fight and Isabella turned around. Which was kind of a problem because then all the water she was draining away went right into the second floor bathroom. It was a really cold shower.â She exaggerated shivering, rubbing up and down her arms.Â
She continued pointing out the various sculptures around Ramshackle dorm, retelling Malleus all the stories and facts the older version of him had told her what seemed ages ago. The child Malleus would occasionally cut in with facts about gargoyle construction or history, enthusiastic to be sharing his precious information with a fellow gargoyle appreciator.Â
âYou know,â (Y/N) said, the two of them sitting on the lawn, fireflies gently floating around them. âI met a gargoyle that could talk once.âÂ
He gasped, jolting up on his knees. âReally? Where, where? What did it say?âÂ
âWell, we were kind of in the middle of something important when we first met. But after we got all of that sorted he was really nice! He lived in a big bell tower that looked over the whole city and told us all about his friends who lived there. He had one friend who was really sad, and being sad made him angry. But the gargoyle helped us understand what his friend was feeling and helped us make everything better. And now weâre all friends! I think so, anyway. Not sure if Rollo would agree if I asked himâŚâ She trailed off, speaking the last part mostly to herself.Â
Malleus sat back down. âI donât have many friends,â He said in a small voice. âThe palace is really big and thereâs not a lot of people in it. Do you think heâd be my friend too?âÂ
Imagining the scowl Rollo would probably give her for her answer, (Y/N) smiled and said, âAbsolutely. I can be your friend, too, if you want.âÂ
âReally?âÂ
âItâs a promise. And I know some other people who would want to be your friend, too. Theyâre with Lilia in-â
âLilia is here?â Malleus jumped up, eyes wide and smiling. âWhere, where? Did he go traveling again? Did he bring me back a present? He brings me flags from all the places heâs been! Theyâre called, uh, theyâre calledâŚâ He frowned, thinking hard.Â
âPennants?âÂ
âYes, pennants!âÂ
âWell, I donât know, but heâs at a party right now and wanted me to come get you.â She could practically see the stars in his eyes as he hopped up and down. She stood, holding out her hand. âCome on, we donât want to be late.âÂ
He grabbed her hand, pulling her down the road. âCome on, come on! Itâs rude to be late when youâre invited somewhere!âÂ
She laughed at his eagerness, despite not knowing exactly where he was going. Suddenly, she felt her skin prickle, like she had just been hit with a blast of cold air without the actual temperature change. âHornton, I mean, Malleus, what-â Before she could say another word, they both were encased by a shimmering yellow-green light, vanishing and reappearing several feet down the road. (Y/N) felt a wave of vertigo at the sudden teleportation, not extremely dissimilar from when she went through the mirror portal for the first time.Â
After a few more overly excited teleportations, and (Y/N) gently redirecting them back in the right direction a few times, the duo arrived back to the gym. Malleus was hopping up and down in anticipation, but froze when she pushed open the door. His wide eyes darted around to each group playing.Â
âWhatâs wrong?â (Y/N) asked, kneeling down to him.Â
âWhat if they donât like me?â He said in a small voice. (Y/N) felt her heart break a little. âWhat if theyâre scared of me?â Okay, now her heart was fully broken.Â
She turned him so they were face to face, taking his hands in hers. âMalleus, itâs okay to feel nervous. A lot of new things can seem pretty scary at first. I know I was really scared when I first came here. But you know what? The people I met here are my best friends in the entire world. They can be prickly and stubborn and rough around the edges. But theyâre also brave and generous and kind, even if they wonât admit it out loud. Youâll never find a better group of people to go through a storm with.âÂ
Malleus squeezed her hands back, setting his face with determination and nodded once.Â
âThereâs my brave prince. Come on, I know just who to introduce you to.âÂ
The bed area that Crewel had so deliberately laid out earlier had been torn up. Blankets and pillows were stacked high in two barriers facing each other across the gym. The tiny pillow fort soldiers raced behind their barricades in oversized t-shirts and sweatpants as improved pajamas. Â
âHey, there,â (Y/N) said, stopping Kalim running by with a touch on his shoulder. âNow what kind trouble did you all get into while I was gone?âÂ
âWeâre having a pillow fight!â Kalim said, clutching a bright blue seat cushion to his chest.Â
âItâs a war!â Epel yelled from his side of the barricade.Â
âFloyd threw a ball at Azul and Idiaâs game and Idiaâs hair went all âwhoosh!â and that woke up Leona so Leona stole the ball and popped it, and then Riddle got mad and tried to do his collar anti-magic magic on him but he missed at hit Vil and that made Rook sad so he tried to pull the collar off but it wouldnât work, so then Jack tried to pull it off cause Jackâs much more stronger but it wouldnât work and he let go too fast and he hit Sebek, so now weâre all at war!â Kalim said all in one breath.Â
âItâs not a war!â Epel yelled, waving two pillows in the air. âItâs a massa- a messacu- a massecure - youâre gonna lose!âÂ
Pillows and balled up blankets started flying like snowballs. As the puffy projectiles flew, one veered off course, smacking right into Malleusâs stary-eyed face.Â
Everyone froze. The pillow seemed to be stuck to Malleusâs face for a few comical seconds before dropping, revealing his blank expression. A slow, eerie smile stretched across his chubby child face.Â
âAh, so this is how other people play, is it?â He said. He started to hover several inches off the ground, discarded pillows rising up around him, surrounded by a holographic green light. (Y/N) could have sworn the lights started to flicker. âThen, letâs continue with the game!âÂ
Levitating pillows flew through the air, zipping around like homing missiles. The children shrieked and laughed as they dove for cover or tried to swat away the projectiles with their own pillow weapons. Ace dove in front of Deuce to block and attack, Deuce dramatically falling to his knees to hold Aceâs overdramatically âdeadâ body after. Jamil stood in front of Kalim, wielding two pillows like nunchucks to bat away incoming pillows. Kalim just jumped up and down, clapping his hands in joy, not noticing Jamil rolling his eyes. Ruggie was taking advantage of the bedlam to sneak past the teen chaperones, who werenât doing so much chaperoning as taking bets as they watched. Ruggie pulled down the tray of brownies, snickering as he darted off to enjoy his spoils. Azul was at the top of the tank, head whipping back and forth to follow the attacks. Rook threw a pillow at him, smacking the octopus mer before it got waterlogged and sunk in the tank. Azulâs face started to crumble and he sniffed, holding back budding tears. Floyd and Jade zipped to the side of the tank, rearing up and spitting out two streams of water. Rook cried out at suddenly getting wet, running in circles. Idia had climbed up on Orthoâs shoulders, who was flying above the fluffy carnage.Â
Leona jumped up, grabbing a pillow midair, sinking his teeth into it and shaking until stuffing started to pop out. He spit it out, holding his own pillow aloft as he pointed at Malleus with all the authority and bravado of a decorated general on the battlefield.Â
âCharge!â He yelled.Â
âIâll protect you, my liege!â Sebek shouted, he and Silver jumping in front of Malleus, one pillow held out like a shield and another above their heads like a squishy square sword.Â
(Y/N) picked up kitten Grim, scratching under his chin as he purred. She sat crossed legged next to the professors and Lilia. âSo, I think itâs going pretty well so far.âÂ
Lilia was staring at Malleus, who cackled in delight at the retaliation. âHeâŚâÂ
(Y/N) nudged him with her elbow. âHe looks just like his mom, huh?âÂ
âHis-?!â He relaxed, smiling fondly. âYes, he does.âÂ
After the battle, which would be spoken about in legends for generations to come, finally petered out, (Y/N) started gathering the exhausted children to the bathroom to brush their teeth. Trey darted between sinks, double checking that everyone was flossing as well. Back out in the gym, they all climbed into their makeshift beds, snuggling down and yawing wide.Â
âWait!â Deuce called out as (Y/N) stood up.Â
She knelt back down next to him. âYeah? Whatâs up, bud?âÂ
Suddenly bashful, Deuce crumpled his blanket in his hands. âI, um, I need a good night kiss! My mom always gives me a good night kiss and makes sure Iâm all tucked in so the monsters canât get me!âÂ
âHey!â Ace said, jumping up. âI want a kiss, too! Cause of the monsters, nothing else!âÂ
Soon, all the kids were back wide awake, clamoring for attention and kisses.Â
âDown, down!â Crewel shouted. He sighed in frustration. âHonestly, youâre all like overexcited puppies.âÂ
(Y/N) laughed as the kids grumbled back to their beds.âDonât worry, Iâll make sure no monsters get anywhere near you.â She knelt down, kissing the top of Deuceâs head. Deuce blushed, diving under his blankets, pulling them tight over his head. Ace huffed, crossing his arms in the pinnacle of frustration. (Y/N) kissed the top of his head too, and he turned red, hiding his face in his pillow.Â
(Y/N) made her rounds, saying good night to everyone individually, giving them a kiss on the head or cheek. Some were excited, Cater, Ruggie, Kalim, and Floyd, while others were more bashful, Riddle, Azul, Idia, Epel, and Sebek. When she kissed Rookâs forehead, he jumped up, saying, âPlus! Plus!â She peppered his chubby cheeked face with more kisses as he giggled victoriously. Silver was already asleep, curled up on Liliaâs lap, but sighed happily as she pressed a kiss to his temple.
âWhat a strange human ritual,â Lilia said, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible. âI⌠I suppose I should participate as well, shouldnât I?âÂ
(Y/N) laughed. âOf course, general,â She pressed a kiss to his cheek. He stiffened and turned his head to hide his blush.Â
âLeona?â She asked, kneeling next to the lion princeâs bed. âDo you want a good night kiss, too?âÂ
âHmph,â He said. âI donât need it. Iâm too big for that baby stuff.âÂ
âIf heâs giving up his share,â Malleus said, tugging on (Y/N)âs arm. âIâll gladly take it instead.âÂ
Leona threw himself across (Y/N)âs lap. âNo! You canât give the lizard more than you give me! (Y/N)âs mine!â He tried to roar, which sounded more like an angry wet cat than the king of the jungle.Â
They each grabbed one of her arms, tugging viciously. âOkay, okay! Donât worry! You both can get as many good night kisses as you want.âÂ
âMe first!â Malleus said.Â
âNo, me first!â Leona countered.Â
âEasy, boys, no need to fight.â She took their hands, putting them together palms facing her, then kissed them both. Leonaâs ears flicked up and back, tail whipping around, forcing himself to look indifferent despite how much he obviously cared. Malleus just beamed. She kissed each of their foreheads and tucked them back into bed.Â
Finally, with everyone satisfied with their kisses and tucked in, (Y/N) turned off the lights in the gym, leaving one on in the far corner to act as a night light. She scooped up Grim, cradling him in her arms, and slipped into her own bed.âGood night, everyone.âÂ
There was a sleepy chorus of âGood night,â before silence filled the air, interrupted only by soft snores. Cuddling Grim close, (Y/N) closed her eyes and let all the exhaustion of the day drag her down into sleep.Â
(Y/N) was woken abruptly the next morning by a pillow being thrown in her face. She let out an âOufâ as Grim, now full sized again, jumped out from her hold and off her stomach to escape getting hit. She sat up quickly, just in time to catch another pillow being thrown.Â
âI said get off me!â Jamil said, shoving a confused and bleary eyed Ruggie off from on top of him.Â
âWhy am I soaked?â Azul said, wringing out his shirt as a pool of water formed around his, Jade, and Floydâs feet, the water tank overturned next to them.Â
Around the gym, everyone had reverted back to their normal ages, untangling themselves from their flat beds and trying to recollect the events that led them there. The professors had also reverted to their previous size, spilling out of their own beds they had quickly outgrown.Â
âI guess none of you remember what happened yesterday?â (Y/N) said.Â
Jack rubbed his temples. âSomething about a virus? I think? AndâŚâ He trailed off, looking over at Azul and lowering his voice. âWhy do I want to call Azul cute?âÂ
âAck!â Cater yelled in surprise. âWhy is my phone all sticky?!âÂ
âForget your phone!â Grim said. âWhy are there ink stains on my beautiful fur?!âÂ
âOh, donât worry,â (Y/N) said, standing with a mischievous smile. She pulled out her phone, opening up the photos app. âI took a very detailed record of everything.â
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