rosietrace - Tumblr blog

[rosietrace]

Elodie Grace Orkin as Savannah Grayson

[rosietrace]

Feeding the girlies with this little teaser 🫡

(Shout-out to my beta readers who already know the context for this scene 🫣)

[rosietrace]

Errand Boy

Divider by @cafekitsune !

[ This short story is important to the main story of the central character ]

⊱───────────────⊰

Central Character ; 『 Sumeragi Yuuta, “The Golden Rule” 』

Mentioned (Central) ; 『 “Rei-Rei”, ‘The Secret Silly Symphony’ 』

【 This is both a short story important to the central character's story; All Ocs belong to their respective owners and will be credited at the end. 】

Synopsis: Crowley's favorite errand boy just can't catch a break, can he? Well, at least it isn't most of his errands Yuuta has to run.

Warning(s): Angst, comfort at the end(?), backstory spoilers, nobody knows it's his birthday :(, not proofread because grammarly sucks now and we die like men

⊱────────────────────⊰

Whatever they were talking about, Yuuta wasn't putting in any effort in listening. It was just how he operated most of the time.

Disassociation; a brief hum and nod as though he were paying attention; a snarky comment thrown in when he gets asked the age-old “are you even listening?”— all culminating into one of the most mundane ways for Yuuta to start his day.

Well, maybe that was a little cruel to say; Ellis and Circe seemed to be enjoying themselves just fine. Something about the former trying on a new shade of pink she, quote on quote, invented.

Yuuta sat on the couch he'd recently helped implement into Ellis' eyesore of a room, his eyes focused on the ceiling to refrain from rolling his eyes so far back they'd get stuck.

Are they done yet? Yuuta asked himself, completely disassociating from whatever conversation Ellis and Circe were currently having. He felt a little bad for being so inattentive; fashion was one of the few things he had in common with the duo.

Yet there he was, barely even paying a sliver of attention to whatever nonsense they were talking about. Something about ‘inventing new colors’, but he was too busy thinking to actually listen.

“Yuuta?”

He blinked, his gaze flitting between the pink ceiling — that he painted for Ellis — to Ellis herself. Seemed like while he was occupied with… anything other than what they were talking about.

“Hm?” He quirked up an eyebrow. “What?”

“We were just asking what you thought of this new design Ellis came up with,” Circe took hold of Ellis’ sketchbook and went over to Yuuta, handing it to him.

Yuuta got a good look at the sketch. It was good, he believed. Then again, Ellis always did have a knack for design.

“Well?” Ellis strode over to them, tilting her head to the side with a smile Yuuta couldn't dare break.

“What do you think?”

Why do you always ask me that? Yuuta thought. The praise Ellis received for her talent in fashion and all things related to it weren't unwarranted. She didn’t need to ask him, or Circe, or anyone about if a design looked good or not— there was no need to.

It was Circe's turn to raise an eyebrow. “Yuuta?” It was as though Yuuta couldn't hear them, hear anything.

Circe snapped his fingers twice, that hint of concern plastered on his face barely even comparable to Ellis’, who seemed to take that wave of concern and multiplied it by tenfold.

Yuuta couldn't stop thinking. About the day it was, about how nobody will know about the significance of it; about the errands he'll have to deal with today to keep Ramshackle afloat, about…

The buzzing noise of Yuuta's phone gave him that opening to leave as soon as possible. Better for him to complete his everyday tasks than to deal with the concern his friends had over him.

Yuuta stood, towering over Ellis but not quite doing the same for Circe. “I have to go,” he said in such a way that implied that whatever conversation they were going to have, it wasn't going to happen anytime soon, if at all.

“Huh?” Circe scrunched their nose. “What are you- No, where are you-”

“Errands,” Yuuta dismissed far too quickly than necessary, already making a break for the door before Ellis could intercept.

At least, he would have. Not until a thought popped into his head. So much so that he stood with his body halfway out of the door, frozen in place.

Circe's face contorted from silent concern, to surprise, to just straight up befuddlement. Ellis wasn't doing much better, tucking her arms behind her back with a similar expression on her face.

“What's he doing…-?” Circe whispered to Ellis, his nose wrinkling.

“I’m…” Ellis took a slight step forward, “... Not too sure.” Hence, from there, she walked up to Yuuta, tapping his shoulder with a featherlight touch to bring him back to his senses.

She could only hope that he wouldn't be like this for the rest of the day. The mere thought just made her even more worried than she already was.

“Erm… Yuuta?” Ellis called out to him, shaking him gently; body halfway out of her room, with his head hanging low. “Yuuta, are- Are you okay? Do you need a break, or something? I'm sure if we asked Crowley, he could let you take a bre-”

“Ribbon.”

Ellis blinked. “... Pardon?”

Ellis watched Yuuta turn his head to look her directly in the eye, his expression devoid of emotion.

“I'm gonna have to ask for some ribbons. Black, purple, and blue.”

⊱───────────────⊰

Crowley had been kind in the number of errands Yuuta had to run for today. Try as he may to hate the pathetic birdbrain, he could — at the very least — feel thankful.

Though…. If he continues to go on and on about his ‘kindness’, I might just punch my way through this goddamn maze.

Yuuta had already been in a questionable mood ever since the incident with Ellis and Circe earlier in the day, it just seemed like his mood worsened when he had to perform the tasks bestowed upon him by his “enigmatic” headmaster.

“Something on your mind?” Juvia asked, noting the grumbling Yuuta's been doing for the past few minutes while they assisted in painting the roses in Heartslabyul.

Juvia, bless her heart, knew that Yuuta wasn't going to be able to do everything himself, and out of the kindness of her blot-covered heart, had convinced Yuuta to allow her to help him out; well aware of his stubborn nature and his utmost refusal to receive help most of the time.

“I'm fine,” like everyone else, Juvia played victim to the dismissiveness of Sumeragi Yuuta. May the Great Seven bless her with more patience than anyone in NRC could muster.

Yuuta picked up another bucket of paint, heading for the next bush of unpainted roses with a look so nonchalant it almost disturbed Juvia to see him in such a state.

“You're clearly thinking of something.” Juvia climbed up a ladder to reach the upper parts of the rose bush she was painting; which just so happened to be next to Yuuta's. He wondered if that'd been intentional on her part.

But that thought faded very quickly. “Well, whatever I'm thinking of, it isn't any of your business.”

“I feel like as your roommate—”

“I'm basically your landlord.”

“No you're not! Crowley's the landlord!”

“Yeah, and he's a shitty one, too.”

He let out a tsk, proceeding with the tedious task of painting the roses red without staining his uniform.

Juvia’s frown deepened. “You're clearly thinking of something, y'know.”

Yuuta's eyes rolled. “And why’re you assuming that, of all things?”

“Because,”— Juvia pursed her lips in hesitation —“you have that look.”

He blinked. “What look-?”

“Y'know! The look!” To try and prove — as well as emphasize — her point, Juvia mimicked the expression currently worn on Yuuta's face.

Yuuta merely deadpanned, unimpressed by her feeble efforts at trying to get his thoughts out of him. She's too much like her.

He shook that thought away faster than the last one. No. She isn't her, and it isn't good to try and pretend that she is.

Bad, Yuuta. Bad.

Ignoring whatever Juvia had to say next, Yuuta finished his last batch of painted roses before he could leave to fulfill the rest of his errands of the day— not without taking two deliberately unpainted white roses from the bush, of course.

That was when Noriko ‘You must not bring dishonor to Lady Victoria's name!’ Dolion intercepted him on his way out.

“Where do you think you're going?” Noriko challenged, crossing their arms in disapproval. “Housewarden Rosehearts won't exactly be pleased if he saw you with those… it violates the conduct of the Queen of Hearts.”

Yuuta chortled, brushing past Noriko and retorting back, “As if you didn't plan on doing the same thing for your favorite Fae in Pomefiore.”

And so, Yuuta left Heartslabyul with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes; with Juvia falling from her ladder, caught into the arms of a blue-haired Spade, and Noriko red in the face in shame.

⊱───────────────⊰

“You didn't have to do this, you know.”

“Yeah, well, I insist,” despite all of the errands he had to deal with earlier in the day, Yuuta had graciously offered to help Miren with two of his latest concoctions.

Some pastries, mostly cupcakes; as well as a creation so spicy it could potentially challenge Miren’s spice tolerance if he wasn't careful.

What confused Miren was Yuuta's insistence on making cupcakes while he was making that spiced up monstrosity.

“Didn't take you as much of a cupcake person,” Miren narrowed his eyes. Skeptical, and almost intrigued. At least until Yuuta got some frosting on his cheek.

Yuuta clicked his tongue. “What made you think that?”

“You don't eat sweets that much, clearly.”

“Well you clearly haven't seen me during a Heartslabyul unbirthday party.”

“That's only because your schedule's so jam-packed, you barely have time to attend them anymore,” Miren groaned out a sigh.

“Seriously, I'm starting to think you're only running so many errands for a better paycheck.”

That's one of the reasons, an unsaid reply from Yuuta. At least for today.

“Come to think of it…” Miren hummed. “You've been…. Busier, today.”

Yuuta arched up an eyebrow. “Hah?”

“You know what I mean. It's like you're overexerting yourself on purpose,” it had, very clearly, occurred to Yuuta that Miren Lockhart wasn't going to back down from this topic; possibly more so than stubborn Ellis, sassy Circe, and worrisome Juvia.

Miren leaned against the kitchen counter. It was hard to take him seriously with that smudge of frosting on his cheek, Yuuta thought.

Wanting nothing more than to just leave, Yuuta did just that. Taking the two of the dozen cupcakes he'd made, one with purple icing and the other with light blue icing, he held them with one hand to focus his free hand on lifting Miren's chin.

Once he'd done so, Yuuta had teasingly licked the frosting off of Miren's cheek. Which… just happened to be the same time Carol came in, with Mayuu and Chizuko in tow.

Carol wasn't even the least bit surprised. “I'm not even going to ask,” she said with a disapproving huff of breath as Yuuta brushed past her, Mayuu, and Chizuko.

Chizuko squinted her eyes, thinking it relevant that the look on Yuuta's was most uncharacteristic for him, indeed, but not putting in the effort to say anything about it. Simply crossing her arms and shaking her head.

Mayuu went over to Miren, slightly disgusted at Yuuta's embarrassing display. “What's going on with him?”

Miren looked off at the kitchen's doorway, his hand covering his right cheek, his face reddened with blush.

Miren just sighed, letting go of his cheek and shrugging his shoulders. Whatever bothered Yuuta about today, it was clear he wouldn't tell any of them about it.

⊱───────────────⊰

Finally, it was night. Yuuta liked late night walks; he'd indulged in them every so often with Ellis, often encountering ‘Tsunotarou’ on their walk around campus.

But tonight was a special night. A night where he wasn't burdened by a constant demand to help those around him, where it was just him. Alone. No Tsunatarou, no Ellis, no anyone.

He sighed to himself, his eyes fixated on the glimmering lights in the dark midnight sky. Gods….

He cursed to himself, far below his breath. Why had it come to this? Why was his persistence in pretending today wasn't special getting him to such a sad, pathetic, point?

He didn't know the answer to that. Yuuta didn't know if he'd ever know the answer to that. And maybe he'll know one day, and maybe he won't.

Clearly, it wouldn't be tonight.

“Maybe in some alternate timeline where I'm not… me,” Yuuta murmured, taking out a ring of keys from his pocket.

He unlocked the doors to the botanical gardens, making sure to not make the doors creak too much; Crowley had been surprisingly easy to bribe to get the keys, the old coot was even ‘generous’ enough to give Yuuta full ownership of the keys.

He made sure not to wake any of the others when he snuck out. And any opportunities to run into Malleus were quickly evaded with, in his words, “some impressive maneuvering skills”.

But that wasn't as important as what he was to do next. Other than the keys to botanical garden, Yuuta had brought a small bag containing… stuff.

He'd gone to the most secluded part of the garden, one where the glass walls couldn't see him, and a spot not even Leona knew about. A spot personal only to Yuuta.

He sat down, setting everything up with a forlorn, almost sorrowful smile on his face.

Two cupcakes with purple and blue icing respectively, with candles of the opposite color stuck on the top; two unpainted white roses with purple, blue, and black ribbons crudely tying them together.

And finally, a black rabbit stuffed animal with a blue ribbon bowtie, and bracelet.

The stuffed animal, in particular, had the added consequence of getting Yuuta relentlessly teased by his friends when they found it in his room. He never elaborated on why he got it, or where he got it, because it simply wasn't their business.

They didn't need to know any more about him than they already did.

Besides, Yuuta sucked in a breath, his throat tightening. it was her favorite animal…

Lighting the two candles of the two cupcakes together, Yuuta held in a breath, singing a soft, melancholic version of the birthday song. He sang it in such a short, hiccupped manner, that he knew — he just knew — he was on the brink of tears.

And he didn't fight them. He never fought those tears. Not when they were for her. His only true friend, his truest, kindest, friend.

A friend — a girl he saw as a sister — he'll forever miss.

“Happy birthday,” he breathed out, tears barely wiped, “to… me.”

Yuuta looked up at the glass ceiling, crying his little, broken heart out. Things couldn't be changed. He couldn't change the past for what it was, and he knew he couldn't change the way he treated her.

He wondered where she was, often. He cried himself to sleep, sometimes, at the idea she could be hurt. She didn't deserve that, she never deserved that.

Yuuta sniffled, closing his eyes after making his birthday wish. A wish he'd been making ever since her departure from his life, all those years ago.

I want to see you again, Rei-Rei. And just like all the times I've said it before, I'm sorry.

⊱────────────────────⊰

【 Taglist / Credits 】

↳ In order of OC appearances/mentions

Ellis Clawthorne — @starry-night-rose 💖

Circe Erfinderin — @geminiiviolets 👾

Juvia Yuyi Espejo — @jasdiary 🧡

Noriko Dolion — @terrovaniadorm / @hallowed-delights ‼️

Victoria Shard — Me! 😈

Miren Lockhart — @authoruio 💙

Carol Ann — @fumikomiyasaki 💚

Chizuko Minato — @sakuramidnight15 ⛓️

Mayuu — @nem0-nee ⏰

“Rei-Rei” (UNRELEASED) — @jasdiary

|| @twsted-princess || @mystery-skulls-ghost || @abyss-wonderer || @absolutelyobsessedkiya / @twistedsongstressofstarz || @spadecentral || @oseathepebble || @valse-a-mille-temps || @twst-stupid-ocs || @mintychocolate04 ||

[rosietrace]

Please reblog if you think that “they/them/theirs” is a valid set of pronouns.

this post must be reblogged by everyone

[rosietrace]

Ernest Shelley

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╔══ஓ๑✞๑ஓ══╗

“No matter what happens…

I swear my heart to you, Wife.”

╚══ஓ๑✞๑ஓ══╝

— Ernest Shelley

╔══ஓ๑†๑ஓ══╗

General Information

╚══ஓ๑†๑ஓ══╝

Full Name — Ernest Adam Shelley

↳ Ernest: Derived from the old high German Ernust, meaning “serious, earnest”. It happens to be the name of Victor Frankenstein's younger brother, Ernest Frankenstein.

↳ Adam: The Hebrew word for “Man”. In the Genesis in the Old testament, Adam was made from the earth by God, said to supposedly be the first human; Adam is also the official name of “Frankenstein’s Monster”.

↳ Shelley: Derived from an English surname that originally derived from a place name meaning, “clearing on a bank” in Old English; The most famous bearers of this surname were Percy Bysshe Shelley, and his wife, Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein.

Japanese ver. — エルネスト アダム シェリー

Romaji ver. — Erunesto Adamu Sherī

Twisted from: The Creature

❐ — The Creature (Lisa Frankenstein/リサ・フランケンシュタイン)

V/A(日本語): Hidenobu Kiuchi (木内 秀信)

↳ voices Victor Van Dort, Corpse Bride

V/A(英語/EN): Chris Sarandon

↳ voices Jack Skellington, The Nightmare before Christmas

Age: 19 (Biologically), ??? (Chronologically)

Birthday: February 14th

Horoscope: Aquarius ♒

Species: Human, Reanimated Corpse

Height: 186 cm

Hair color: Black

Eye color: Sea Green

Gender/Pronouns: Male, He/They

Sexuality: Demiromantic

Dominant hand: Right

†•°•══════ஓ๑𓄿๑ஓ══════•°•†

╔══ஓ๑†๑ஓ══╗

Extra Information

╚══ஓ๑†๑ஓ══╝

Homeland: The Queendom of Roses

『 Family:

Elizabeth ‘Lizzie’ Shelley — “Wife”

William — Older brother †

Viktor — Second older brother †

Lizabeta — Sister-in-law † 』

Dormitory: Terrovania (@terrovaniadorm / @hallowed-delights )

School Year: 3rd

Class: 3-B (seat no. 31)

Club: Literature Club

Best class(es): Music, Literature

Worst class(es): Alchemy, all things scientific

Like(s): Lizzie, piano, sheet music, waltzing, late night walks, dressing up, poetry, writing, calligraphy, axes /j

Dislike(s): Not being around Lizzie, losing a limb, not being able to speak, “electronic devices”, being talked behind his back, Lizzie's stepmother, Lizzie getting hurt, badly written poetry, Rook /j, memories of his parents, literally anything involving the sciences

Hobbies: Tanning /j, pianoforte, writing sheet music, poetry writing/reading, late night walks, late night dancing

Talent(s): Pianoforte, literature, writing sheet music, waltzing, (ax murdering)

Flaw(s): Codependent, overprotective, judgmental, “over emotional”, old fashioned (to some degree)

†•°•══════ஓ๑𓄿๑ஓ══════•°•†

╔══ஓ๑†๑ஓ══╗

Personality

╚══ஓ๑†๑ஓ══╝

Ernest is a man of his word. Whatever promises he's made to the people in his life, he'll go take that promise to the grave; for that is how he expresses his loyalty to those he loves and cares for.

He has a very expressive face, many people have noted. Though he cannot verbalize his thoughts now, he can convey them through the means of physical emotion.

Though very, very quiet in ways other than his… lack of a voice, Ernest is quite passionate once you get to know him! He finds great passion in what he's good at, and is easily flustered by those — Lizzie, especially — who compliment him for his talents.

It's best to not get ahead of oneself with Ernest, however. He's actually rather sensitive, over-emotional to such a degree that he can't help but shed a few acid tears every now and then; and no matter how hard he tries, he can't seem to maintain control of them.

He loves and cares wholly, wholeheartedly; and those who dare hurt the people he loves shall meet the inevitable consequences. Ernest's devotion to those he loves knows no bounds, and he isn't afraid of taking certain measures to ensure their safety.

†•°•══════ஓ๑𓄿๑ஓ══════•°•†

Unique Magic: 『 Strange… it is unlisted 』

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╔══ஓ๑†๑ஓ══╗

Thoughts on them

╚══ஓ๑†๑ஓ══╝

『 This file is currently unavailable 』

— Maxwell Murray, Ernest's housewarden (Oc by @/terrovaniadorm)

“Peculiar, that he is… oh how I desire to run a test or two on his autonomy… alas, that is not possible. For now.”

— Walton Morrigan, Ernest's dorm mate

“Oh Ernest! He’s… alright! Truth be told.... I knew him before. I was to be engaged to him. He was pleasant but we were only following our parents’ wishes. We came to the conclusion we were incompatible and the marriage fell through. I wonder if he remembers… I’m glad to see him happy.”

— Lilith Winchester, Ernest's dorm mate (Oc by @/starry-night-rose)

“Ernest… How do I even begin? I’ve always felt drawn to him, ever since I saw that bust of him on top of his grave. He was a real piece of work back then, missing an ear, a hand, you know that sort of stuff. He’s a really emotional guy and I relate to that. He let me be myself around him, something I wasn’t able to do for a long time. He’s been there for me for my highs and lows. I think… I think I love him.”

— Elizabeth “Lizzie” Shelley, Ernest's ‘wife’ (Oc by @starry-night-rose)

†•°•══════ஓ๑𓄿๑ஓ══════•°•†

╔══ஓ๑𓄿๑ஓ══╗

Additional Trivia

╚══ஓ๑𓄿๑ஓ══╝

✑ Main Theme: The Finale/“We’re simply meant to be” from The Nightmare before Christmas

✑ Backstory: 『 Unnamed Gentleman 』

༝ㅤ･ㅤ˚ㅤ。ㅤ.ㅤ⋆ㅤ• 　。·　『✞』

✞ Ernest doesn't remember his name. He likely would have remembered it, had it not been for his unnamed grave.

✞ He, also, doesn't remember his birthday! Lizzie was the one to declare his “new birthday” to be Valentine's Day.

✞ Due to his… predicament, Ernest is unable to verbally communicate; he compromises by communicating with Lizzie with disgruntled grunting, sign language, and writing things down on paper, or on her hand.

✞ Incredibly protective of Lizzie. She gets a papercut and he's treating it like she got stabbed in the abdomen and is taking action in making sure she gets better!

✞ Never quite had a good relationship with his parents… or his brothers.. or just his family, in general; he was — at least — on agreeable terms with his sister-in-law.

✞ While he isn't bad with technology, Ernest doesn't like using it all that much; the most you'll see of him ‘typing’ is him using a typewriter Lizzie got for him.

✞ Almost every single one of Ernest's poems, writings, even the titles of his musical pieces, are dedicated to Lizzie.

✞ A ride or die kind of friend. In Lizzie's case, he's a ride or die “husband”. Oh, she committed a murder? God forbid, women do anything!

✞ Surprisingly feminist for someone born in the 1800s!... He can't help but still have some old fashioned views that he needs to unlearn, however. Fortunately, Lizzie's there to help him along the way.

✞ His face is comically expressive. Anything Rook says that sounds like an attempt at poetry, Ernest's face contorts to making him look like he just developed an aneurysm.

↳ Safe for certain, Ernest really doesn't like Rook 😭

✞ Ernest finds it incredibly reassuring that Lizzie doesn't care that he isn't all that scientific of a man. It was something he was deeply insecure about when he was still alive, something he was ashamed of— and he felt himself fall in love with her even more for her acceptance of him.

†•°•══════ஓ๑𓄿๑ஓ══════•°•†

Appearance

†•°•══════ஓ๑𓄿๑ஓ══════•°•†

Ernest's Tags

#ernest shelley • #『 ernest 🪓 』 • #『 the shelley couple 🪓 』

†•°•══════ஓ๑𓄿๑ஓ══════•°•†

[rosietrace]

🐹 😘

HDJSHFJSHD TY FOR THE ASK YAN

I'm a hamster now >-+0 that's my fate

[rosietrace]

How Intimidating Am I?

Send 🐹 for “You? Intimidating? Hell no.”

Send 🐰 for barely intimidating

Send 🐭 for slightly intimidating

Send 🐱 for moderately intimidating

Send 🦊 for fairly intimidating

Send 🐯 for very intimidating

Send 🐻 for “MOTHER OF GOD PLEASE DON’T EAT ME–”

[rosietrace]

Ernest Shelley

†•°•══════ஓ๑𓄿๑ஓ══════•°•†

╔══ஓ๑✞๑ஓ══╗

“No matter what happens…

I swear my heart to you, Wife.”

╚══ஓ๑✞๑ஓ══╝

— Ernest Shelley

╔══ஓ๑†๑ஓ══╗

General Information

╚══ஓ๑†๑ஓ══╝

Full Name — Ernest Adam Shelley

↳ Ernest: Derived from the old high German Ernust, meaning “serious, earnest”. It happens to be the name of Victor Frankenstein's younger brother, Ernest Frankenstein.

↳ Adam: The Hebrew word for “Man”. In the Genesis in the Old testament, Adam was made from the earth by God, said to supposedly be the first human; Adam is also the official name of “Frankenstein’s Monster”.

↳ Shelley: Derived from an English surname that originally derived from a place name meaning, “clearing on a bank” in Old English; The most famous bearers of this surname were Percy Bysshe Shelley, and his wife, Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein.

Japanese ver. — エルネスト アダム シェリー

Romaji ver. — Erunesto Adamu Sherī

Twisted from: The Creature

❐ — The Creature (Lisa Frankenstein/リサ・フランケンシュタイン)

V/A(日本語): Hidenobu Kiuchi (木内 秀信)

↳ voices Victor Van Dort, Corpse Bride

V/A(英語/EN): Chris Sarandon

↳ voices Jack Skellington, The Nightmare before Christmas

Age: 19 (Biologically), ??? (Chronologically)

Birthday: February 14th

Horoscope: Aquarius ♒

Species: Human, Reanimated Corpse

Height: 186 cm

Hair color: Black

Eye color: Sea Green

Gender/Pronouns: Male, He/They

Sexuality: Demiromantic

Dominant hand: Right

†•°•══════ஓ๑𓄿๑ஓ══════•°•†

╔══ஓ๑†๑ஓ══╗

Extra Information

╚══ஓ๑†๑ஓ══╝

Homeland: The Queendom of Roses

『 Family:

Elizabeth ‘Lizzie’ Shelley — “Wife”

William — Older brother †

Viktor — Second older brother †

Lizabeta — Sister-in-law † 』

Dormitory: Terrovania (@terrovaniadorm / @hallowed-delights )

School Year: 3rd

Class: 3-B (seat no. 31)

Club: Literature Club

Best class(es): Music, Literature

Worst class(es): Alchemy, all things scientific

Like(s): Lizzie, piano, sheet music, waltzing, late night walks, dressing up, poetry, writing, calligraphy, axes /j

Dislike(s): Not being around Lizzie, losing a limb, not being able to speak, “electronic devices”, being talked behind his back, Lizzie's stepmother, Lizzie getting hurt, badly written poetry, Rook /j, memories of his parents, literally anything involving the sciences

Hobbies: Tanning /j, pianoforte, writing sheet music, poetry writing/reading, late night walks, late night dancing

Talent(s): Pianoforte, literature, writing sheet music, waltzing, (ax murdering)

Flaw(s): Codependent, overprotective, judgmental, “over emotional”, old fashioned (to some degree)

†•°•══════ஓ๑𓄿๑ஓ══════•°•†

╔══ஓ๑†๑ஓ══╗

Personality

╚══ஓ๑†๑ஓ══╝

Ernest is a man of his word. Whatever promises he's made to the people in his life, he'll go take that promise to the grave; for that is how he expresses his loyalty to those he loves and cares for.

He has a very expressive face, many people have noted. Though he cannot verbalize his thoughts now, he can convey them through the means of physical emotion.

Though very, very quiet in ways other than his… lack of a voice, Ernest is quite passionate once you get to know him! He finds great passion in what he's good at, and is easily flustered by those — Lizzie, especially — who compliment him for his talents.

It's best to not get ahead of oneself with Ernest, however. He's actually rather sensitive, over-emotional to such a degree that he can't help but shed a few acid tears every now and then; and no matter how hard he tries, he can't seem to maintain control of them.

He loves and cares wholly, wholeheartedly; and those who dare hurt the people he loves shall meet the inevitable consequences. Ernest's devotion to those he loves knows no bounds, and he isn't afraid of taking certain measures to ensure their safety.

†•°•══════ஓ๑𓄿๑ஓ══════•°•†

Unique Magic: 『 Strange… it is unlisted 』

†•°•══════ஓ๑𓄿๑ஓ══════•°•†

╔══ஓ๑†๑ஓ══╗

Thoughts on them

╚══ஓ๑†๑ஓ══╝

『 This file is currently unavailable 』

— Maxwell Murray, Ernest's housewarden (Oc by @/terrovaniadorm)

“Peculiar, that he is… oh how I desire to run a test or two on his autonomy… alas, that is not possible. For now.”

— Walton Morrigan, Ernest's dorm mate

“Oh Ernest! He’s… alright! Truth be told.... I knew him before. I was to be engaged to him. He was pleasant but we were only following our parents’ wishes. We came to the conclusion we were incompatible and the marriage fell through. I wonder if he remembers… I’m glad to see him happy.”

— Lilith Winchester, Ernest's dorm mate (Oc by @/starry-night-rose)

“Ernest… How do I even begin? I’ve always felt drawn to him, ever since I saw that bust of him on top of his grave. He was a real piece of work back then, missing an ear, a hand, you know that sort of stuff. He’s a really emotional guy and I relate to that. He let me be myself around him, something I wasn’t able to do for a long time. He’s been there for me for my highs and lows. I think… I think I love him.”

— Elizabeth “Lizzie” Shelley, Ernest's ‘wife’ (Oc by @starry-night-rose)

†•°•══════ஓ๑𓄿๑ஓ══════•°•†

╔══ஓ๑𓄿๑ஓ══╗

Additional Trivia

╚══ஓ๑𓄿๑ஓ══╝

✑ Main Theme: The Finale/“We’re simply meant to be” from The Nightmare before Christmas

✑ Backstory: 『 Unnamed Gentleman 』

༝ㅤ･ㅤ˚ㅤ。ㅤ.ㅤ⋆ㅤ• 　。·　『✞』

✞ Ernest doesn't remember his name. He likely would have remembered it, had it not been for his unnamed grave.

✞ He, also, doesn't remember his birthday! Lizzie was the one to declare his “new birthday” to be Valentine's Day.

✞ Due to his… predicament, Ernest is unable to verbally communicate; he compromises by communicating with Lizzie with disgruntled grunting, sign language, and writing things down on paper, or on her hand.

✞ Incredibly protective of Lizzie. She gets a papercut and he's treating it like she got stabbed in the abdomen and is taking action in making sure she gets better!

✞ Never quite had a good relationship with his parents… or his brothers.. or just his family, in general; he was — at least — on agreeable terms with his sister-in-law.

✞ While he isn't bad with technology, Ernest doesn't like using it all that much; the most you'll see of him ‘typing’ is him using a typewriter Lizzie got for him.

✞ Almost every single one of Ernest's poems, writings, even the titles of his musical pieces, are dedicated to Lizzie.

✞ A ride or die kind of friend. In Lizzie's case, he's a ride or die “husband”. Oh, she committed a murder? God forbid, women do anything!

✞ Surprisingly feminist for someone born in the 1800s!... He can't help but still have some old fashioned views that he needs to unlearn, however. Fortunately, Lizzie's there to help him along the way.

✞ His face is comically expressive. Anything Rook says that sounds like an attempt at poetry, Ernest's face contorts to making him look like he just developed an aneurysm.

↳ Safe for certain, Ernest really doesn't like Rook 😭

✞ Ernest finds it incredibly reassuring that Lizzie doesn't care that he isn't all that scientific of a man. It was something he was deeply insecure about when he was still alive, something he was ashamed of— and he felt himself fall in love with her even more for her acceptance of him.

†•°•══════ஓ๑𓄿๑ஓ══════•°•†

Appearance

†•°•══════ஓ๑𓄿๑ஓ══════•°•†

Ernest's Tags

#ernest shelley • #『 ernest 🪓 』 • #『 the shelley couple 🪓 』

†•°•══════ஓ๑𓄿๑ஓ══════•°•†

[rosietrace]

Ernest Shelley

†•°•══════ஓ๑𓄿๑ஓ══════•°•†

╔══ஓ๑✞๑ஓ══╗

“No matter what happens…

I swear my heart to you, Wife.”

╚══ஓ๑✞๑ஓ══╝

— Ernest Shelley

╔══ஓ๑†๑ஓ══╗

General Information

╚══ஓ๑†๑ஓ══╝

Full Name — Ernest Adam Shelley

↳ Ernest: Derived from the old high German Ernust, meaning “serious, earnest”. It happens to be the name of Victor Frankenstein's younger brother, Ernest Frankenstein.

↳ Adam: The Hebrew word for “Man”. In the Genesis in the Old testament, Adam was made from the earth by God, said to supposedly be the first human; Adam is also the official name of “Frankenstein’s Monster”.

↳ Shelley: Derived from an English surname that originally derived from a place name meaning, “clearing on a bank” in Old English; The most famous bearers of this surname were Percy Bysshe Shelley, and his wife, Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein.

Japanese ver. — エルネスト アダム シェリー

Romaji ver. — Erunesto Adamu Sherī

Twisted from: The Creature

❐ — The Creature (Lisa Frankenstein/リサ・フランケンシュタイン)

V/A(日本語): Hidenobu Kiuchi (木内 秀信)

↳ voices Victor Van Dort, Corpse Bride

V/A(英語/EN): Chris Sarandon

↳ voices Jack Skellington, The Nightmare before Christmas

Age: 19 (Biologically), ??? (Chronologically)

Birthday: February 14th

Horoscope: Aquarius ♒

Species: Human, Reanimated Corpse

Height: 186 cm

Hair color: Black

Eye color: Sea Green

Gender/Pronouns: Male, He/They

Sexuality: Demiromantic

Dominant hand: Right

†•°•══════ஓ๑𓄿๑ஓ══════•°•†

╔══ஓ๑†๑ஓ══╗

Extra Information

╚══ஓ๑†๑ஓ══╝

Homeland: The Queendom of Roses

『 Family:

Elizabeth ‘Lizzie’ Shelley — “Wife”

William — Older brother †

Viktor — Second older brother †

Lizabeta — Sister-in-law † 』

Dormitory: Terrovania (@terrovaniadorm / @hallowed-delights )

School Year: 3rd

Class: 3-B (seat no. 31)

Club: Literature Club

Best class(es): Music, Literature

Worst class(es): Alchemy, all things scientific

Like(s): Lizzie, piano, sheet music, waltzing, late night walks, dressing up, poetry, writing, calligraphy, axes /j

Dislike(s): Not being around Lizzie, losing a limb, not being able to speak, “electronic devices”, being talked behind his back, Lizzie's stepmother, Lizzie getting hurt, badly written poetry, Rook /j, memories of his parents, literally anything involving the sciences

Hobbies: Tanning /j, pianoforte, writing sheet music, poetry writing/reading, late night walks, late night dancing

Talent(s): Pianoforte, literature, writing sheet music, waltzing, (ax murdering)

Flaw(s): Codependent, overprotective, judgmental, “over emotional”, old fashioned (to some degree)

†•°•══════ஓ๑𓄿๑ஓ══════•°•†

╔══ஓ๑†๑ஓ══╗

Personality

╚══ஓ๑†๑ஓ══╝

Ernest is a man of his word. Whatever promises he's made to the people in his life, he'll go take that promise to the grave; for that is how he expresses his loyalty to those he loves and cares for.

He has a very expressive face, many people have noted. Though he cannot verbalize his thoughts now, he can convey them through the means of physical emotion.

Though very, very quiet in ways other than his… lack of a voice, Ernest is quite passionate once you get to know him! He finds great passion in what he's good at, and is easily flustered by those — Lizzie, especially — who compliment him for his talents.

It's best to not get ahead of oneself with Ernest, however. He's actually rather sensitive, over-emotional to such a degree that he can't help but shed a few acid tears every now and then; and no matter how hard he tries, he can't seem to maintain control of them.

He loves and cares wholly, wholeheartedly; and those who dare hurt the people he loves shall meet the inevitable consequences. Ernest's devotion to those he loves knows no bounds, and he isn't afraid of taking certain measures to ensure their safety.

†•°•══════ஓ๑𓄿๑ஓ══════•°•†

Unique Magic: 『 Strange… it is unlisted 』

†•°•══════ஓ๑𓄿๑ஓ══════•°•†

╔══ஓ๑†๑ஓ══╗

Thoughts on them

╚══ஓ๑†๑ஓ══╝

『 This file is currently unavailable 』

— Maxwell Murray, Ernest's housewarden (Oc by @/terrovaniadorm)

“Peculiar, that he is… oh how I desire to run a test or two on his autonomy… alas, that is not possible. For now.”

— Walton Morrigan, Ernest's dorm mate

“Oh Ernest! He’s… alright! Truth be told.... I knew him before. I was to be engaged to him. He was pleasant but we were only following our parents’ wishes. We came to the conclusion we were incompatible and the marriage fell through. I wonder if he remembers… I’m glad to see him happy.”

— Lilith Winchester, Ernest's dorm mate (Oc by @/starry-night-rose)

“Ernest… How do I even begin? I’ve always felt drawn to him, ever since I saw that bust of him on top of his grave. He was a real piece of work back then, missing an ear, a hand, you know that sort of stuff. He’s a really emotional guy and I relate to that. He let me be myself around him, something I wasn’t able to do for a long time. He’s been there for me for my highs and lows. I think… I think I love him.”

— Elizabeth “Lizzie” Shelley, Ernest's ‘wife’ (Oc by @starry-night-rose)

†•°•══════ஓ๑𓄿๑ஓ══════•°•†

╔══ஓ๑𓄿๑ஓ══╗

Additional Trivia

╚══ஓ๑𓄿๑ஓ══╝

✑ Main Theme: The Finale/“We’re simply meant to be” from The Nightmare before Christmas

✑ Backstory: 『 Unnamed Gentleman 』

༝ㅤ･ㅤ˚ㅤ。ㅤ.ㅤ⋆ㅤ• 　。·　『✞』

✞ Ernest doesn't remember his name. He likely would have remembered it, had it not been for his unnamed grave.

✞ He, also, doesn't remember his birthday! Lizzie was the one to declare his “new birthday” to be Valentine's Day.

✞ Due to his… predicament, Ernest is unable to verbally communicate; he compromises by communicating with Lizzie with disgruntled grunting, sign language, and writing things down on paper, or on her hand.

✞ Incredibly protective of Lizzie. She gets a papercut and he's treating it like she got stabbed in the abdomen and is taking action in making sure she gets better!

✞ Never quite had a good relationship with his parents… or his brothers.. or just his family, in general; he was — at least — on agreeable terms with his sister-in-law.

✞ While he isn't bad with technology, Ernest doesn't like using it all that much; the most you'll see of him ‘typing’ is him using a typewriter Lizzie got for him.

✞ Almost every single one of Ernest's poems, writings, even the titles of his musical pieces, are dedicated to Lizzie.

✞ A ride or die kind of friend. In Lizzie's case, he's a ride or die “husband”. Oh, she committed a murder? God forbid, women do anything!

✞ Surprisingly feminist for someone born in the 1800s!... He can't help but still have some old fashioned views that he needs to unlearn, however. Fortunately, Lizzie's there to help him along the way.

✞ His face is comically expressive. Anything Rook says that sounds like an attempt at poetry, Ernest's face contorts to making him look like he just developed an aneurysm.

↳ Safe for certain, Ernest really doesn't like Rook 😭

✞ Ernest finds it incredibly reassuring that Lizzie doesn't care that he isn't all that scientific of a man. It was something he was deeply insecure about when he was still alive, something he was ashamed of— and he felt himself fall in love with her even more for her acceptance of him.

†•°•══════ஓ๑𓄿๑ஓ══════•°•†

Appearance

†•°•══════ஓ๑𓄿๑ஓ══════•°•†

Ernest's Tags

#ernest shelley • #『 ernest 🪓 』 • #『 the shelley couple 🪓 』

†•°•══════ஓ๑𓄿๑ஓ══════•°•†

[rosietrace]

“I wish I was with you.....six feet under the ground”

Character Playlist / Character Inspirations

Full Name: Elizabeth Heather Shelley

Nicknames: Lizzie (herself, family, others), Beloved Bride (Ernest, belongs to @rosietrace ), Missy (Trinity, belongs to @rosietrace ) Mademoiselle Couturière (Rook)

V/A: Minami Tanaka (JP) Kathryn Newton (EN)

! Twisted from Lisa Swallows from Lisa Frankenstein !

Age: 18

Birthday: January 1st

Horoscope: Capricorn

Species: Human

Gender: Female

Pronouns: She/her

Height: 154 cm (or 5’1)

Hair Color: Chocolate Brown

Eye Color: Dark Blue

｡.•*¨*•♬✧

Homeland: Shaftlands

Family: Unnamed Mother (deceased), Unnamed Father, Unnamed Stepmother, Unnamed Stepbrother, Unnamed Step Sister. Ernest Shelley (“Husband”)

Dominant Hand: Left

Dormitory: Terrovania (belongs to @terrovaniadorm / @hallowed-delights )

School Year: Third Year

Class: 3-B (no. 13)

Best Class(es): Alchemy, Potions, Astronomy

Worst Class(es): P.E

｡.•*¨*•♬✧

Favorite Food(s): Gummy worms, Pizza, Lollipops, Cherries

Least Favorite Food: Steak

Hobbies: Watching Silent films, reading/writing poetry, singing, listening to vinyls

Dislike(s): real Bugs, Cheerleading, Hot Weather

Talent(s): Sewing, Fashion Designing, Reanimation

Sexuality: Bisexual

｡.•*¨*•♬✧

Personality: Lizzie is a very eccentric girl who seems to always have her head up in the clouds. Lizzie can however be very quiet and a bit of a recluse, seldom speaking until she feels comfortable. Once out of her shell, Lizzie is a very passionate and much more lighthearted! She can be very energetic at times when excited. Lizzie can be seen as a girl with many quirks who likes to do things her own way. She hates it when people tell her how to live her life and will do anything to break free from their confinements. Lizzie cares for her loved ones fiercely as they mean everything to her.

｡.•*¨*•♬✧

TW for Parental Death, and mentions of corpses

Backstory: Lizzie was born to two loving parents in the Shaftlands. Her father was the groundskeeper for a historic cemetery and as such, Lizzie was exposed to the macabre from a young age. To her, the cemetery grounds was just one giant park for her to play in! Life seemed idyllic until it was all shattered in an instant. Lizzie was in the car with her mother when they got into a horrible accident leaving Lizzie the only survivor. Lizzie was crushed by the passing of her mother, becoming more of a recluse and diving more into the macabre. Shortly after, her father shockingly remarried another woman with two children of her own already. This gave Lizzie a whole new stepfamily which enraged her. She felt like her father had seemingly moved on quickly from a woman who seemed like the love of his life. Lizzie’s new stepmother did not tolerate Lizzie and as such, Lizzie would seek solace in the cemetery. She soon had a favorite tombstone, complete with a lifelike bust statue of the deceased. His name was “Ernest” according to his tombstone and had died unmarried. Lizzie would spend all of her free time at his grave, finding his “company” pleasant

One starry and clear night, Lizzie made a wish upon a star over his grave stating “I wish he were here with me” and promptly left when it suddenly started thundering despite there being no warning in the forecast. While at home alone, all cozy in her pajamas, she heard a knock at the door. Expecting to see the pizza delivery guy, she opened the door to find a tall, filthy, and rotting corpse standing outside. Terrified, she screamed, slammed the door, and ran for her life. Though, once she remembered the corpse’s face, it all made sense to her. Lizzie’s wish had come true! He was here with her. Feeling remorseful for how she acted just then, she opened the door and let Ernest in. The pair soon became oddly close with Lizzie fixing him up as best she could. There did come a problem however. Ernest seemed to be missing vital “parts” such as a hand or an ear. To combat this problem, Lizzie and Ernest stole from the mortuary on the cemetery property, using the body parts to add to Ernest. These new parts were somehow solidified by using Lizzie’s stepmother’s tanning bed surprisingly. When the time came for Lizzie to return to NRC, she brought along Ernest with her, having him pose as another student.

｡.•*¨*•♬✧

Triva!

The necklace with the pendant that she wears was from her late mother. She almost never takes it off

Lizzie has a less strained relationship with her step-siblings, they mostly leave her alone

Lizzie is almost never seen without her sunglasses! She has a distaste for the sun

Lizzie is a great poet and has even had a few of her poems published before in the town newspaper

She’s always seen with Ernest in tow, the pair is almost never seen apart

Lizzie often is experimenting with different makeup looks! Ernest does fall victim to her experimenting most of the time

Lizzie is shockingly good with an axe!

[rosietrace]

So,,,,,,

SWIFTIES HOW WE HOLDIN UP AFTER TTPP.........

[rosietrace]

I know I'm alr like, half dead on this hellsite

But if y'all don't see me on here for a while, automatically assume its because I'm weeping over TTPD

[rosietrace]

Twisted Wonderland OC Questions:

Do you have a song that represents your OC, if so why?

Who is your OC’s closest platonic friend?

Tell us about a complicated relationship your OC has with another character?

What are your OC’s minor fears?

What is your OCs best class?

What is their worst class?

Why did they join their clubs? 

Is there a character your OC doesn’t like, if so why?

Who is their favorite staff member? Why?

What dorm would your OC be sorted into besides their current one?

Is there a character your OC sees as a sibling?

What is your OC’s favorite event(s), what was their role?

If your OC could physically fight another character, who would it be and would they win?

What are your OC’s grades like?

What is a secret not many characters know about your OC?

How would your OC describe their entrance ceremony from their POV?

What does your OC think of the Ramshackle ghosts?

What is the hardest thing to adjust to at NRC? The magic? Being away from their family? Ect.

Do they trust Crowely?

What chapter does your OC get the most personal character development?

[rosietrace]

Jojo Siwa's rebrand is really giving the gays a bad name

Like, please don't bring us alphabet people into this, Jojo ☠️

[rosietrace]

PLEASE PLEASE DON'T STOP SAYING THEIR NAMES. DONT LET THE CONVERSATION WITHER, WHEN ITS ALL THEY HAVE. IT'S NOT HARD.

THE CONGO REPUBLIC, PALESTINE, SUDAN, SYRIA, UKRAINE, AND ANYWHERE ELSE. THESE ARE PEOPLE. THEY DESERVE TO BE TREATED LIKE IT.

[rosietrace]

Errand Boy

Divider by @cafekitsune !

[ This short story is important to the main story of the central character ]

⊱───────────────⊰

Central Character ; 『 Sumeragi Yuuta, “The Golden Rule” 』

Mentioned (Central) ; 『 “Rei-Rei”, ‘The Secret Silly Symphony’ 』

【 This is both a short story important to the central character's story; All Ocs belong to their respective owners and will be credited at the end. 】

Synopsis: Crowley's favorite errand boy just can't catch a break, can he? Well, at least it isn't most of his errands Yuuta has to run.

Warning(s): Angst, comfort at the end(?), backstory spoilers, nobody knows it's his birthday :(, not proofread because grammarly sucks now and we die like men

⊱────────────────────⊰

Whatever they were talking about, Yuuta wasn't putting in any effort in listening. It was just how he operated most of the time.

Disassociation; a brief hum and nod as though he were paying attention; a snarky comment thrown in when he gets asked the age-old “are you even listening?”— all culminating into one of the most mundane ways for Yuuta to start his day.

Well, maybe that was a little cruel to say; Ellis and Circe seemed to be enjoying themselves just fine. Something about the former trying on a new shade of pink she, quote on quote, invented.

Yuuta sat on the couch he'd recently helped implement into Ellis' eyesore of a room, his eyes focused on the ceiling to refrain from rolling his eyes so far back they'd get stuck.

Are they done yet? Yuuta asked himself, completely disassociating from whatever conversation Ellis and Circe were currently having. He felt a little bad for being so inattentive; fashion was one of the few things he had in common with the duo.

Yet there he was, barely even paying a sliver of attention to whatever nonsense they were talking about. Something about ‘inventing new colors’, but he was too busy thinking to actually listen.

“Yuuta?”

He blinked, his gaze flitting between the pink ceiling — that he painted for Ellis — to Ellis herself. Seemed like while he was occupied with… anything other than what they were talking about.

“Hm?” He quirked up an eyebrow. “What?”

“We were just asking what you thought of this new design Ellis came up with,” Circe took hold of Ellis’ sketchbook and went over to Yuuta, handing it to him.

Yuuta got a good look at the sketch. It was good, he believed. Then again, Ellis always did have a knack for design.

“Well?” Ellis strode over to them, tilting her head to the side with a smile Yuuta couldn't dare break.

“What do you think?”

Why do you always ask me that? Yuuta thought. The praise Ellis received for her talent in fashion and all things related to it weren't unwarranted. She didn’t need to ask him, or Circe, or anyone about if a design looked good or not— there was no need to.

It was Circe's turn to raise an eyebrow. “Yuuta?” It was as though Yuuta couldn't hear them, hear anything.

Circe snapped his fingers twice, that hint of concern plastered on his face barely even comparable to Ellis’, who seemed to take that wave of concern and multiplied it by tenfold.

Yuuta couldn't stop thinking. About the day it was, about how nobody will know about the significance of it; about the errands he'll have to deal with today to keep Ramshackle afloat, about…

The buzzing noise of Yuuta's phone gave him that opening to leave as soon as possible. Better for him to complete his everyday tasks than to deal with the concern his friends had over him.

Yuuta stood, towering over Ellis but not quite doing the same for Circe. “I have to go,” he said in such a way that implied that whatever conversation they were going to have, it wasn't going to happen anytime soon, if at all.

“Huh?” Circe scrunched their nose. “What are you- No, where are you-”

“Errands,” Yuuta dismissed far too quickly than necessary, already making a break for the door before Ellis could intercept.

At least, he would have. Not until a thought popped into his head. So much so that he stood with his body halfway out of the door, frozen in place.

Circe's face contorted from silent concern, to surprise, to just straight up befuddlement. Ellis wasn't doing much better, tucking her arms behind her back with a similar expression on her face.

“What's he doing…-?” Circe whispered to Ellis, his nose wrinkling.

“I’m…” Ellis took a slight step forward, “... Not too sure.” Hence, from there, she walked up to Yuuta, tapping his shoulder with a featherlight touch to bring him back to his senses.

She could only hope that he wouldn't be like this for the rest of the day. The mere thought just made her even more worried than she already was.

“Erm… Yuuta?” Ellis called out to him, shaking him gently; body halfway out of her room, with his head hanging low. “Yuuta, are- Are you okay? Do you need a break, or something? I'm sure if we asked Crowley, he could let you take a bre-”

“Ribbon.”

Ellis blinked. “... Pardon?”

Ellis watched Yuuta turn his head to look her directly in the eye, his expression devoid of emotion.

“I'm gonna have to ask for some ribbons. Black, purple, and blue.”

⊱───────────────⊰

Crowley had been kind in the number of errands Yuuta had to run for today. Try as he may to hate the pathetic birdbrain, he could — at the very least — feel thankful.

Though…. If he continues to go on and on about his ‘kindness’, I might just punch my way through this goddamn maze.

Yuuta had already been in a questionable mood ever since the incident with Ellis and Circe earlier in the day, it just seemed like his mood worsened when he had to perform the tasks bestowed upon him by his “enigmatic” headmaster.

“Something on your mind?” Juvia asked, noting the grumbling Yuuta's been doing for the past few minutes while they assisted in painting the roses in Heartslabyul.

Juvia, bless her heart, knew that Yuuta wasn't going to be able to do everything himself, and out of the kindness of her blot-covered heart, had convinced Yuuta to allow her to help him out; well aware of his stubborn nature and his utmost refusal to receive help most of the time.

“I'm fine,” like everyone else, Juvia played victim to the dismissiveness of Sumeragi Yuuta. May the Great Seven bless her with more patience than anyone in NRC could muster.

Yuuta picked up another bucket of paint, heading for the next bush of unpainted roses with a look so nonchalant it almost disturbed Juvia to see him in such a state.

“You're clearly thinking of something.” Juvia climbed up a ladder to reach the upper parts of the rose bush she was painting; which just so happened to be next to Yuuta's. He wondered if that'd been intentional on her part.

But that thought faded very quickly. “Well, whatever I'm thinking of, it isn't any of your business.”

“I feel like as your roommate—”

“I'm basically your landlord.”

“No you're not! Crowley's the landlord!”

“Yeah, and he's a shitty one, too.”

He let out a tsk, proceeding with the tedious task of painting the roses red without staining his uniform.

Juvia’s frown deepened. “You're clearly thinking of something, y'know.”

Yuuta's eyes rolled. “And why’re you assuming that, of all things?”

“Because,”— Juvia pursed her lips in hesitation —“you have that look.”

He blinked. “What look-?”

“Y'know! The look!” To try and prove — as well as emphasize — her point, Juvia mimicked the expression currently worn on Yuuta's face.

Yuuta merely deadpanned, unimpressed by her feeble efforts at trying to get his thoughts out of him. She's too much like her.

He shook that thought away faster than the last one. No. She isn't her, and it isn't good to try and pretend that she is.

Bad, Yuuta. Bad.

Ignoring whatever Juvia had to say next, Yuuta finished his last batch of painted roses before he could leave to fulfill the rest of his errands of the day— not without taking two deliberately unpainted white roses from the bush, of course.

That was when Noriko ‘You must not bring dishonor to Lady Victoria's name!’ Dolion intercepted him on his way out.

“Where do you think you're going?” Noriko challenged, crossing their arms in disapproval. “Housewarden Rosehearts won't exactly be pleased if he saw you with those… it violates the conduct of the Queen of Hearts.”

Yuuta chortled, brushing past Noriko and retorting back, “As if you didn't plan on doing the same thing for your favorite Fae in Pomefiore.”

And so, Yuuta left Heartslabyul with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes; with Juvia falling from her ladder, caught into the arms of a blue-haired Spade, and Noriko red in the face in shame.

⊱───────────────⊰

“You didn't have to do this, you know.”

“Yeah, well, I insist,” despite all of the errands he had to deal with earlier in the day, Yuuta had graciously offered to help Miren with two of his latest concoctions.

Some pastries, mostly cupcakes; as well as a creation so spicy it could potentially challenge Miren’s spice tolerance if he wasn't careful.

What confused Miren was Yuuta's insistence on making cupcakes while he was making that spiced up monstrosity.

“Didn't take you as much of a cupcake person,” Miren narrowed his eyes. Skeptical, and almost intrigued. At least until Yuuta got some frosting on his cheek.

Yuuta clicked his tongue. “What made you think that?”

“You don't eat sweets that much, clearly.”

“Well you clearly haven't seen me during a Heartslabyul unbirthday party.”

“That's only because your schedule's so jam-packed, you barely have time to attend them anymore,” Miren groaned out a sigh.

“Seriously, I'm starting to think you're only running so many errands for a better paycheck.”

That's one of the reasons, an unsaid reply from Yuuta. At least for today.

“Come to think of it…” Miren hummed. “You've been…. Busier, today.”

Yuuta arched up an eyebrow. “Hah?”

“You know what I mean. It's like you're overexerting yourself on purpose,” it had, very clearly, occurred to Yuuta that Miren Lockhart wasn't going to back down from this topic; possibly more so than stubborn Ellis, sassy Circe, and worrisome Juvia.

Miren leaned against the kitchen counter. It was hard to take him seriously with that smudge of frosting on his cheek, Yuuta thought.

Wanting nothing more than to just leave, Yuuta did just that. Taking the two of the dozen cupcakes he'd made, one with purple icing and the other with light blue icing, he held them with one hand to focus his free hand on lifting Miren's chin.

Once he'd done so, Yuuta had teasingly licked the frosting off of Miren's cheek. Which… just happened to be the same time Carol came in, with Mayuu and Chizuko in tow.

Carol wasn't even the least bit surprised. “I'm not even going to ask,” she said with a disapproving huff of breath as Yuuta brushed past her, Mayuu, and Chizuko.

Chizuko squinted her eyes, thinking it relevant that the look on Yuuta's was most uncharacteristic for him, indeed, but not putting in the effort to say anything about it. Simply crossing her arms and shaking her head.

Mayuu went over to Miren, slightly disgusted at Yuuta's embarrassing display. “What's going on with him?”

Miren looked off at the kitchen's doorway, his hand covering his right cheek, his face reddened with blush.

Miren just sighed, letting go of his cheek and shrugging his shoulders. Whatever bothered Yuuta about today, it was clear he wouldn't tell any of them about it.

⊱───────────────⊰

Finally, it was night. Yuuta liked late night walks; he'd indulged in them every so often with Ellis, often encountering ‘Tsunotarou’ on their walk around campus.

But tonight was a special night. A night where he wasn't burdened by a constant demand to help those around him, where it was just him. Alone. No Tsunatarou, no Ellis, no anyone.

He sighed to himself, his eyes fixated on the glimmering lights in the dark midnight sky. Gods….

He cursed to himself, far below his breath. Why had it come to this? Why was his persistence in pretending today wasn't special getting him to such a sad, pathetic, point?

He didn't know the answer to that. Yuuta didn't know if he'd ever know the answer to that. And maybe he'll know one day, and maybe he won't.

Clearly, it wouldn't be tonight.

“Maybe in some alternate timeline where I'm not… me,” Yuuta murmured, taking out a ring of keys from his pocket.

He unlocked the doors to the botanical gardens, making sure to not make the doors creak too much; Crowley had been surprisingly easy to bribe to get the keys, the old coot was even ‘generous’ enough to give Yuuta full ownership of the keys.

He made sure not to wake any of the others when he snuck out. And any opportunities to run into Malleus were quickly evaded with, in his words, “some impressive maneuvering skills”.

But that wasn't as important as what he was to do next. Other than the keys to botanical garden, Yuuta had brought a small bag containing… stuff.

He'd gone to the most secluded part of the garden, one where the glass walls couldn't see him, and a spot not even Leona knew about. A spot personal only to Yuuta.

He sat down, setting everything up with a forlorn, almost sorrowful smile on his face.

Two cupcakes with purple and blue icing respectively, with candles of the opposite color stuck on the top; two unpainted white roses with purple, blue, and black ribbons crudely tying them together.

And finally, a black rabbit stuffed animal with a blue ribbon bowtie, and bracelet.

The stuffed animal, in particular, had the added consequence of getting Yuuta relentlessly teased by his friends when they found it in his room. He never elaborated on why he got it, or where he got it, because it simply wasn't their business.

They didn't need to know any more about him than they already did.

Besides, Yuuta sucked in a breath, his throat tightening. it was her favorite animal…

Lighting the two candles of the two cupcakes together, Yuuta held in a breath, singing a soft, melancholic version of the birthday song. He sang it in such a short, hiccupped manner, that he knew — he just knew — he was on the brink of tears.

And he didn't fight them. He never fought those tears. Not when they were for her. His only true friend, his truest, kindest, friend.

A friend — a girl he saw as a sister — he'll forever miss.

“Happy birthday,” he breathed out, tears barely wiped, “to… me.”

Yuuta looked up at the glass ceiling, crying his little, broken heart out. Things couldn't be changed. He couldn't change the past for what it was, and he knew he couldn't change the way he treated her.

He wondered where she was, often. He cried himself to sleep, sometimes, at the idea she could be hurt. She didn't deserve that, she never deserved that.

Yuuta sniffled, closing his eyes after making his birthday wish. A wish he'd been making ever since her departure from his life, all those years ago.

I want to see you again, Rei-Rei. And just like all the times I've said it before, I'm sorry.

⊱────────────────────⊰

【 Taglist / Credits 】

↳ In order of OC appearances/mentions

Ellis Clawthorne — @starry-night-rose 💖

Circe Erfinderin — @geminiiviolets 👾

Juvia Yuyi Espejo — @jasdiary 🧡

Noriko Dolion — @terrovaniadorm / @hallowed-delights ‼️

Victoria Shard — Me! 😈

Miren Lockhart — @authoruio 💙

Carol Ann — @fumikomiyasaki 💚

Chizuko Minato — @sakuramidnight15 ⛓️

Mayuu — @nem0-nee ⏰

“Rei-Rei” (UNRELEASED) — @jasdiary

|| @twsted-princess || @mystery-skulls-ghost || @abyss-wonderer || @absolutelyobsessedkiya / @twistedsongstressofstarz || @spadecentral || @oseathepebble || @valse-a-mille-temps || @twst-stupid-ocs || @mintychocolate04 ||

[rosietrace]

My biggest flex is that my birthday is a week away from the release of The Tortured Poets Department