#thanks god for giving me soft diasomnia on my mind

[reinbouxsworld]

chapter 7 doodles + a quick thought of levan?

[felswritingfire]

April Brain Rot #10

Prompts:

36. Hatred

14. "I'm screwed."

18. “I swear, if anyone lays a hand on you, I’ll cut their arm off.”

Floyd Leech x Reader

Summery: Sometimes working customer service sucks ass- especially when creeps keep catcalling you and no one's saying anything. Good thing you have your boyfriend to come in and beat the shit out of people just in the nick of time.

TW: Incel behavior; Creeps; Cat Calling; Uncomfortable Situations; Blood; Violence; Fist Fighting; Pinning Down (Not in a good way)

Word Count: 1,152

A note from Fel: SO, TO START OFF- THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR ALL THE LOVE????? Y'ALL ARE SO DAMN SWEET, THANK YOU!!!!! But y'all are gonna turn me into a full blow slut if you keep complimenting me. Also! For those who sent in requests- rest assured they are saftly sitting in my ask box, I'm just gonna save them for after April Brain Rot so I can make sure that I have everything in order lmao. (And that person who requested more Mafia Au??? I love you- much kisses~). ALSO SINCE I WANT TO GUSH ABOUT MY GF TOO- she liked this one and I'm happy she did, I got worried that everything felt rushed, so hopefully, y'all think it's up to par too! Sorry for rambling: enjoy!

Occasionally you would work at the Mostro Lounge to make some extra cash and occasionally you would get one of… the less unsavory customers who would bother you. But, usually, your boyfriend was there to run them off.

Unfortunately, at this point in time, Floyd was out with Jade and Azul (surprisingly) hunting down a customer to give them a “nice squeeze” (as Floyd likes to put it). So, you were on your own with this guy (and his cronies, ugh).

You breathe a sigh through your nose, feeling your blood boiling as your grip on your writing pad turns knuckle white as he makes another wolf call at you. The high pitched whistle cutting through the order of the customer that you were trying to get for the third time. “Hey, baby, why don’t you come back over here and talk to some real men?” This one’s voice is loud and nauseating and you have a sudden urge to throw the note pad at him and his cackling friends.

The Pomfiore student in front of you frowns and you’re almost afraid that they're going to get out of their seat and you were going to have to break up a fight. He sighs through his nose, repeating his order and you lean closer to him and tell him you’ll give him a discount. He smiles at you.

“Damn, look at that ass!” Another one yells, an awful voice crack breaking into his words. Despite it, he high fives the others like he had just said the best thing in the history of Twisted Wonderland.

You suck in another breath, shutting your eyes in barely contained fury.

“I’ll be back with your order, sir.”

He nods. “Hang in there.”

You smile at him, an inkling of annoyance straining at the back of your mind. I wouldn’t have to hang in there if one of you would do something. Or I could kill people.

Though… you glance at the group as you pass the order to the cooks in the kitchen: the three boys who were giggling amongst each other weren’t much to look at (thin, small- you could take them out if you really needed to thanks to getting out of Floyd’s hold so many times). The one that was worrying you was the one that was eyeing you like a piece of meat. The guy was big, almost as broad chested as the twins and just shy of being as tall as them; sharp toothed and slit pupils. You were almost inclined to believe that he stole that uniform from Diasomnia if his ears weren’t pointed.

Malleus would never stand for how they were acting.

I’ll have to talk to him. You huff, balancing the new tray of food on your shoulder and hand, making your way to the table that seats three Heartslabyul students, they eyed the rowdy group nervously and urged you to go around the side furthest from him. Which wasn’t very far, it was a booth right next to theirs. They take their order gratefully.

“Hey, what about us, pretty bird?” The guy finally called out to you, his voice ridiculously deep.

You want to hurl.

You plaster on the best smile you could despite the fury growing at the bottom of your gut and turn your attention to their booth. “Do you need something, sir?”

“Yeah.” He says, leaning on his elbows as he loosely holds the menu between his pointer finger and thumb. “A date. Me. You. This Saturday.”

This mother-

“I’m sorry, sir. That isn’t on the menu.”

“No one says no to me.”

His eyebrows raised before one of the guys piped up. “Do you not have any taste? Kylan’s one of the top students in Daisomnia- anyone would want to go on a date with him-”

“Well, then, he should go and find that ‘anyone’.” You're proud of the fact that you kept your smile on your face while addressing them. Even prouder of the gawking faces of the customers. What you didn’t account for was the darkening look on Kylan’s face as his blue eyes seemed to glow in a white rage.

“Well, I just did.”

God, Azul was going to have your head. Or maybe not. He had a soft spot for you. And this guy was an ass.

His hand shot out to wrap around your arm (a few cries from the other tables breaking through the adrenaline rush in your mind), yanking you to him until your noses almost brushed and you could smell the overpowering scent of his cologne. “No one-” the grip tightened and you winced- “says no to me.”

“L…” You gulped, trying to will your voice from wavering as you continue. “Let me go.”

“No one-”

“I don’t care if no one says no to you!” You snap, trying to tug your arm away from him despite his grip steadily growing tighter. “I said no! I have a boyfriend already who’s ten times better than you can ever hope to be- so let me fucking go!”

You shriek as your world whirls before your back makes contact with the table. Dishes breaking underneath your spine and one thought shines through as hands dart to hold you down and a chorus of yells and frantic movements sound from around you: I’m screwed.

And suddenly the Daisomnia student is yanked off of you and everything swells to a whole new kind of chaos as cheers blurred together with the sound of fists hitting skin rings out. You sit up (the three other boys having ran off) and look down to see Floyd throttling the fae- his fist a blur as he keeps colliding with his face. Kylan having no time to move aside from twitch at the sheer impacts of the hits.

More and more red specks flew into the air with every hit.

Jade frantically began to claw at Floyd’s clothes to pull him off of the fae, Azul rushing to help. They finally got him off of the barely moving student; he still strained against them to jump back on him until Azul whispered something in his ear and in that moment his eyes were on your dazed form.

Jade and Azul let him go and he rushed over to you. His hands immediately touch your face, his eyes round as he looks over you. He pulls you into a hug, shivering and mumbling mildly concerning things: “I’ll kill him.” and “I swear, if anyone lays a hand on you, I’ll cut their arm off.”

“Floyd-” you whisper- “Floyd. I’m ok.” You squeeze him back as hard you can.

He suddenly bursts out laughing, squeezing you back. “Your squeezes are so soft, Angelfish!”

You sigh into his shoulder, basking in his presence, blocking out the angry yells of Azul as he scolds and threatens the group behind you.

You’re happy that Floyd was back.

<The Next Chosen Character>

Thank you for reading!

[lovee-infected]

Hello, I hope you're having a great day/evening/night♡ I wonder if I could request a headcannon with leona or malleus about their s/o touching their ears/horns ~ Thank you and I love your works💗💓💕💖

“I wouldn’t mind you touching them if you’d like. Of course, as long as you’re alright with the consequences followed afterwards. Heheh...”

First time is filled with fear and doubt. You've been fantasizing touching his horns for so long and finally, you are about to actually do it. It is a lot more stressful than what you've been having inside your brain. 'Reality is seriously different from imagination I see...'

Malleus on the other hand is intrigued . He'd caught you staring at his horns many times but you never dared to actually ask for it. Already brave enough to take the risk? Nice. He is still wondering if you'd actually do it though, you seem to be regretting it after Malleus warned you about those -certain- consequences. His expression on the other hand is unreadable; arms crossed as usual with a calm yet, malicious smile on his dark lips which you couldn't tell whether was a sign of admiration or humiliation.

You take a deep breath before reaching out your hands. He is much taller than you and you have to get on tiptoe to reach reach his head. You close your eyes just before your hands touch his horns, preparing to be striked by lighting at any second. Finally you feel something cold, hard yet smooth under your fingers "Ah-?" you open your eyes and find your hands on his horns. You did it? It feels...nice.

"Very good, child of man..."

Both you and Malleus would begin be more open and comfortable with doing so it afterwards; you're no longer afraid of him getting mad at you and Malleus, lowkey finds pleasure in you touching him . He doesn't seem to realize it himself, but the fae prince is awfully touch starved. No one ever even dares laying a finger on him let alone touching his horns ;a sign and part of his great family name and honor.

Your height difference on th other hands is sometimes a bother so he kindly lowers his head so your hands would reach his horns. You can feel a mild shiver thrilling down his body whenever you grab his horns . Not that he's surprised, but his horns seem to be really sensitive to your touch in general. You ask him about how it feels several times but he keeps on doesn't really have a clue on it: "It's an odd feeling, can't really say whether it's good or not but, it's kinda nice"

His horns also heat up really fast like when you touch his them after sitting under the sun for a while with Malleus they're burning hot- You ask Malleus if he is in pain or anything but he tells you that he's just fine. He doesn't really recognize his horns' temperature you can tell.

Other students never got a chance to get any closer than a few meters to him and seeing you holding his horns like it's nothing isn't something they can easily ignore. It's going to be a real mess if his gaurds or any other Diasomnia member catches you touching his horns, especially Sebek who finds it not only offensive, but also disgusting. You look like nothing but a parasite lurking around his master at this point.

You decide not to it in public since that'd be really troublesome, but instead you'd get to have a pretty silky time messing his hair and playfully touching his horns when you're all alone. Apparently, he really enjoys laying his head on your lap while you play with his hair. He sometimes falls asleep at how comfortable and soft it feels. If you want to give him an unexpected, yet, sweet treat here's a tip :~ Kiss his horns ~

"Ew, no way. Go touch Ruggie's if you want to, they're just the same as mine..."

He isn't really feeling like letting his guard down for such a... lowly manner. He might be the King but he's still a prince, he doesn't want to seem that approachable. He's got standards.

It's just a simple touch but if you end up liking it, which you'd most likely do, it'll be a trouble to get rid of you afterwards. He doesn't want you to mistake him with your fluffy pet cat or something...

You keep on begging him to let you do it at least once, guaranteeing that he'd definitely like it but there's no use. The only way to overcome his stubbornness is to keep going until he gets tired of holding back, not that he's being kind or any generous, more because of what a pain you'd continue to be as long as he resists. When you finally get on his last nerve, he gives up.

You have to promise not to interrupt his afternoon nap because of this or any other stupid topics ever again , and you do. If you'd get to touch those cute fluffy ears you always admired at last, it's totally worth it.

You begin with a simple pat , then slowly brush his hair with your fingers and get to his ears. 'God...he's just as soft as a stuffed animal'

It was supposed to be a simple touch but you continue to rub the back of his ears as he slowly rumbles. Wow, is he enjoying it ? His tail slowly shakes and ears begin to wag under your touch. A normal cat would've given a fickle twist in body to make you continue to play with him, but not Leona. He pulls back after a few minutes and drops his head to hide his blush: "There , satisfied?"

There's no chance of him saying it, but he's getting obsessed with you petting him. He's still being a bit cringy over showing his soft side, but he'd find a way through it. It's more like him, ordering you to pet him; lowkey makes him feel like a king being praised but in reality, it's just about a meanie kitten growling and clawing all over your sofa before coming to sleep on your lap.

He's either asleep or totally silent whenever you're playing with his ears, but his body language is loud enough for you to know that he's enjoying himself. There's an specifically sensitive spot on his ears that makes him growl even louder and shake his tail harder whenever touched. You're pretty well familiar to this spot and it's totally joyful to play with. Slightly biting/pinching his ears as well would make him melt under your hands; blushing hardly as his tail crazily shakes.

The 'No ear touching' culture is slowly replaced by 'I want my ears to be rubbed , now' in a rather short period. Know that it's just -you- who'd ever get to touch his ears like this. He doesn't want to ever trust any stranger hands with his ears / or any other part any of him except you. of You mised him never to ask him to touch his ears so you have to turn your words into a more obedient format: "Would you like me to... ?" and for Leona, it's always a yes. At some point he ended up being your fluffy pet cat...

[local-ground-apple]

Hi💗 can i request a kissing headcanon with dorm leaders please ? ❤ (english is not my native language too, is spanish XD) but i see that you are very good at it ♡

Fun fact, if I manage to sign up in time, I will be learning Spanish at uni this year

Also thank you anon 💗💗

I have no clue why Vil is quite lenghty. Oh, and I added one character to the mix 👀👀

🥀 Riddle is always tad embarrassed when you shower him with small kisses in public. His face would flush and slowly he would begin turning into rosy, blushing mess. His eyes avoid yours and he would mumble incoherently something along the lines “oh, stoph it”

🥀 Riddle even forbade you to kiss him in public,

,,Rule 812, Y/N shall not kiss Riddle Rosehearts in public”

🥀 Cater is your shipper#1 and he loves taking sneaky pictures of flushed and embarrassed Riddle, he even has a special folder for you two, (Trey often shows up in the perfect moment just right before Riddle snatches his phone and crashes it)

🥀 however, when you’re two alone, he doesn’t mind you showering him in affection and he does his best to return the favour,

🥀 Riddle is generally a bit anxious about kissing and he often gets nervous. At first his kisses are sloppy, he may accidentally bite your tongue, he doesn’t know where to put his hands....it’s a bit of a mess,

🥀 Riddle’s kisses are pretty short and sweet, really chaste and gentleman like. He loves kissing your cheeks 

🥀 after a while he gets used to showing you affection in public, but Riddle still gets pretty frustrated when you kiss him out of blue, no matter how far in relationship you are,

🦁 kisses with Leona are usually rough and passionate. He loves grazing his teeth over your lips, before slightly biting them,

🦁 his hands would be roaming everywhere around your body, literally everywhere, yet mostly stoping at your waist. Leona just simply adores holding you close and touching your soft skin while he showers just in affection, 

🦁 his kisses feels both – eager and lazy at the same time. Leona often leaves a trail of violet and red marks on your neck, before biting and nibbling on it,

🦁 he loves your neck in general. Kisses you there way more often than on your lips, 

🦁 Leona adores leaving hickeys, reddish marks and his scent on your neck, so then everyone knows that you’re his,

🦁 often buries his head in the crook of your neck when he’s sleepy and gently presses his lips to your skin. He absolutely adores when you wake up with a kiss, 

🐙screams internally each time you lean in for the kiss, 

🐙 Azul is pretty much touch-starved and he isn’t used to receiving and giving affection. He absolutely loves when you breathe compliments and praises in between your soft and gentle kisses, 

🐙 at first, he feels insecure about his kisses, often pulling away after a second, gently grazing his lips over yours and making sure you’re comfortable,

🐙 when you assure him that he’s doing great, he shall continue. At first, it all feels pretty hesitant and experimental and Azul is not entirely sure what he’s doing,

🐙 however, when he gets the hang of it, he’s the absolute god of kisses. Can and will surprise you with gentle kisses on your hand, forehead, cheeks,

🐙 Azul may be even bold enough to pin you to the wall and hungrily smash his lips on yours in desperate kiss,

🐙 won’t straight up ask you for a kiss, no, Azul will offer you a “contract”

,,Y/N, do you need help with homework?” “Yes, I would deeply appreciate it!” “Well, maybe if you kiss me…”

🐙 you both are always finding for dominance in kiss and Azul always make sure to win,

🦂 the chaotic duo is back again,

🦂 your kisses are playful and short, yet they happen at least hundred times a day,

🦂 you are often seen running up to Kalim, grazing your lips over his in ghost kiss and dashing away while giggling. To return the favour, Kalim loves surprising you by coming up behind you and planting a soft kiss on your cheeks,

🦂 he isn’t too shy to kiss you in school hallways, canteen or even classroom. Kalim always make sure to give you the affection and he’s pretty clingy, so the sight of you two sharing a kiss doesn’t shock anyone (even Crewel ships you too, so hard)

🦂 you’re just too adorable. You two smile a lot when kissing in the breaks to catch the air, before smashing your lips together one more time,

🦂  surprise kisses A LOT – you’re the definition of them,

🦂 you both like to tease each other. You would slightly brush your lips against his and then quickly pull away with giggle. On the contrary, Kalim would bite your lip without a warning and then runn away before properly kissing you (Jamil literally can’t stand you two)

🦚 Vil detests getting messy, so it could appear that he would be absolutely against long make out session,

🦚 oh, how wrong you were,

🦚  Vil knows what he’s doing and he absolutely adores long kisses. You could spend half of the day in Pomefiore chambers sitting on his lap and gently twirling strands of Vil’s hair on your fingers, while he would be gently pressing his warm, soft lips to your skin, making sure he doesn’t leave any marks,

🦚  you’re literally the only couple who doesn’t get messy and still has a perfect hairstyles and make-up after long hours of kissing. 

🦚 well, practice makes perfect, right? You and Vil were diligent enough to master that technique after spending long hours practicing,

🦚 Vil’s kisses are soft and they last for long. He makes sure he doesn’t bite you or leave any marks on you. You often taste each other’s lipstick and try to guess the flavour, 

,,Was that peachy lipstick?” “Try again darling” “Cherry?” “You’re so bad at this Y/N, maybe I should start referring to you as potato if you don’t get it right this time, hmm?”

🦚 you don’t mind Vil calling you potato again, you just want to continue kissing his lips,

🦚 slowly drags his hand down your back and it gives you shivers, before his glossy lips gently captures you. He’s very sensual yet soft at the same time, making you melt in his kisses,

🦚 Vil occasionally pulls away, breathing compliments and praising you,

,,You’re absolutely dazzling, darling”

🦚  when you are in public Vil loves holding your hand and rub it with his thumb, tracing gentle circles while he leans in for a brief kiss,

🦚 you are always watched by Rook who coos at how cute you both are,

,,Oh, Roi de Poison et le petit lapin~~~~Quel beau couple vous faites~~”

💀 someone please help this poor, unfortunate soul. He has no clue what he’s doing and even anime can’t save him at this point,

💀  he’s so nervous and frustrated at the mere mention of you wanting to shower him with kisses. So you take it slow,

💀 while kissing you, Idia often has to stop, so his brain can proceed the fact that he’s actually kissing you. He often can’t believe it and you always giggle when he does that,

💀 awkwardly places his hands on you shoulders, closes his eyes really tight and leans it…it’s a mess, he may bite your tongue accidentally, but don’t worry, when he gets the hang of it….

💀 his sharp teeth are going to start playfully biting your lips, nibbling on your skin and generally leaving marks whenever you two are in his room, of course,

💀 Idia doesn’t like sharing kisses and holding hands in public. He’s always embarrassed and he prefers keeping your relationship as private as he can,

🐲 when you two started dating, Malleus would always ask for your permission before his soft lips gently crashed on yours,

,,May I kiss you, dearest Y/N?”

🐲 you always giggle, before shyly nodding,

🐲 kisses with Malleus are always meaningful and intimate. With each kiss Malleus wants to express his undying and eternal love to you,

🐲 he takes his time, carefully dotting on your skin, leaving a trail of gentle kisses. Malleus doesn’t mind if you play with strands of his long, silky hair while you sit on his lap and he presses his lips against yours,

🐲 Malleus loves holding your cheek and staring in your beautiful eyes for a moment before his cold lips are met with yours. He holds you if you were the most fragile person in whole universe,

🐲 often kisses your forehead or hands, which always make you a bit frustrated,

🐲 every single kiss is so special and meaningful to him. Malleus is quite touch-starved and he is more than eager to shower you with affection. Quite frankly, he will remember every single kiss you two had shared,

🐲 prefers to kiss you passionately in his room or in the safety of Diasomnia dorm’s walls (even if it means hearing Lilia nonstop cooing how adorable you both are)

,,Oh, great lizard! You’re finally in love, you’ve grown up so much”

🦇 this self-proclaimed father of Diasomnia knows exactly what he’s doing and there’s no denying,

🦇 Lilia loves teasing you. His sharp fangs are grazing over your lips in ghost like kiss before harshly biting down, drawing crimson droplets. He adores licking off your blood from you while he gently presses his warm lips against yours,

🦇 you soon begin to associate the pain of his bite with pleasure,

🦇 Lilia often buries his head in your neck, leaving a trail of bloody marks. Don’t worry, he will make sure no crimson droplets of yours will be wasted. He licks the bites and violet, reddish marks he had left, so supposedly they could heal better,

🦇 his tongue often brushes over your lips few times, before actually kissing you passionately,

🦇 Lilia has no shame, absolutely no shame,

🦇 he doesn’t mind appearing suddenly, hanging upside down from the ceiling and roughly pressing his lips against yours in reverse kiss (spiderman style kiss) while literally half of the canteen is looking,

🦇 he’s the best kisser ever

🦇 Silver will never, ever, get used to seeing this old man kissing you and being affectionate/touchy with you

,,Could you both…hmm… NOT?!” “But not what?”

[lastluvbug]

Oh my god I read the one about Kalim’s suicide after waking up and got emotional all morning. The angst hurts but I can’t have enough of your writings. Can I have a continuation of it, with Kalim’s friends (the second years, the light music club, even Vil) after the whole thing? Like they try to go on with their life but it’s clear that nothing’s the same anymore and they miss the sunshine boy more than they thought they would? Thank you so much!

Toxins (Part 2)

Here we are, love! Hope you enjoy!

Warnings: Language, referenced suicide

Crying wasn’t like Cater.

But after Kalim’s school-held funeral, that was all anyone could ever see him doing.

Oftentimes, it was silent sobbing into his hands, makeup streaked and runny, hiccups stifled. Comfort did little to provide solace, as he’d simply wipe away the water still leaking from his eyes, smile, and pretend like nothing ever happened. By the outside... it almost appeared as if nothing had ever happened. He was still as camera addicted as usual, still attended class and mingled with his fellow students.

The only difference was perhaps the breaks he had to take between every period, when he’d run to the bathroom to clear his eyes of the built up liquid they’d collected, or maybe it was the way his laughter felt dull, robotic even, or the way he began eating bigger and bigger portions at mealtimes. No one batted an eyelash at Cater when he had to be wrestled out of the mess hall by Trey, who already had himself busy with tending to a Riddle Rosehearts who’d become increasingly strict in upholding the Heartslabyul rules once again.

The serene noiselessness that enveloped the Music Room seemed all but soothing, a vacant memory filled with empty afterthoughts of what it used to be.

Sitting before Kalim’s abandoned drum set, Cater stared at his foggy reflection in the suspended cymbals, inept hands clutching drumsticks that should’ve been used to make a song. Eyes slitted, Cater cried once more, beads of translucent agony dripping onto the forgotten brass.

“...Cater? What are you doing here?”

The ginger looked up stiffly, the lights flicking into action as he made brief visual contact with the last remaining member of his club, Lilia Vanrouge. The shorter tilted his head slightly, standing at the foot of the door, as Cater exhaled a breathy laugh like he’d been so accustomed to doing. “Lilia... I just... needed some time alone, is all. Nothing to worry about.” He grinned, betraying the droplets that formed pretty trails over his visage.

“It’s... It’s about Kalim, isn’t it?” Lilia prodded, voice low as he stepped fully into the room. He didn’t require a reply, as Cater’s sagged shoulders and clutched drumsticks revealed everything he wanted to say. Solemnly hanging his head, Diasomnia’s vice lumbered over to his grieving peer, placing a gloved hand on his shoulder.

“It’s not fair...!” Cater wailed before Lilia had even touched him. “Kalim, he’s—he’s not here anymore, and it seems like I’m the only who cares! He was suffering, so much... and I didn’t... didn’t have the brain to see it!”

Lilia’s wide magenta orbs locked onto the weeping boy, whose blood red diamond had nearly been washed away thanks to the water pouring over it. Kneeling, he gripped his shoulders firmly, forcing Cater to meet his stare. “Cater, you can’t blame yourself for this. You couldn’t have known what he was feeling, none of us could. It’s a tragic thing, to have lost someone full of so much light, but you have to understand that—“

“...You don’t get it either... didn’t he mean anything to you people?!” Lilia froze midsentence, his hands pushed away harshly. “Why? Why am I the only one who cries over him?! I didn’t even know him that well... but I don’t want Kalim to be forgotten! I don’t want to wake up everyday, knowing he’ll never speak to me again! Never make music, with these stupid sticks!” He lamented, tossing said drumsticks away, the carved wood skidding across the hard flooring.

Draping his palms over his face, Cater sniffled, Lilia speechless on his knees. Huffing a petulant sigh, the ages-old student spoke quietly, as if afraid to shatter the glass he knew he treaded upon. “Cater, in all my years... I’ve seen my fair amount of demises.”

“H... Huh?” Cater stopped, makeup-blackened tears ceasing as well.

“I’ve had to watch friends, loved ones, even family, fall. Some by the hands of fate, and some by their very own. And thus, I’ve seen how humans react when it comes to such occurrences. You aren’t the only one who cries over the loss of Kalim, I guarantee it.”

“Th-That’s...” He trailed off, squeezing his eyes shut. “That’s not true! Riddle does nothing but hole himself away in his room and behead people anymore! You can’t call that coping!”

Lilia stared him in the eye, words frank and pithy. “Cater, tell me, what do you think he does behind those closed doors? Why do you think he’s become so sensitive to even the smallest of mistakes?”

“Because...! Because...” Cater caught himself, finding that he had no answer to retort with. “...I don’t... I don’t know.” He responded after a pause, holding his head in his hands.

“This is Riddle’s way of coping. Kalim was a dear classmate to him, and now, there’s no getting him back. He’s gone, we have to live with that truth.”

“Then what about you?! Why aren’t you reacting at all? Wasn’t he a dear clubmate to you?” Cater shot, voice thick with emotion as he felt the weight of Lilia’s authenticity asphyxiate him.

“Simply because I know that wherever Kalim is now, he’s happy,” he smiled softly, folding his hands in his lap, “I didn’t know that Kalim was suffering so, but now he’s cradled by the arms that come past death. He can finally rest easy, the way he was meant to in the first place.”

Cater looked down to Lilia, glassy eyes widening to see the glittery tears that pooled in the corners of the other’s, a soft smile at his lips. For a split moment, Cater could see no one but Kalim as Lilia opened his arms, amaranth streaked hair and magenta eyes shifting into pure white and candy red.

Hiccuping, Cater fell from the seat before the drums and onto his knees, being carefully pulled to Lilia’s smaller, yet wonderfully soft frame. Hit like a bag of bricks to the stomach, misery stole Cater’s oxygen as he sobbed, clinging to Lilia like a petrified animal.

“Don’t worry guys! We’ll do great at the performance tomorrow!”

“Keep it up, Cater! You sound amazing, just one more practice song!”

“Oh, a picture? I want in! Haha, cheese!”

Kalim’s childish voice echoed in the room, the ghost of a caress against his cheeks making the ginger bury himself under his peer’s chin. He felt as if he’d never forgive himself for overlooking Kalim’s pain, every heartfelt compliment or encouragement from him becoming bland and tasteless upon the realization that they were all empty words, meant to fill him up with false courage.

“Cater, he may be gone, but as long as he stays tucked in here,” Lilia tapped on his head, stroking his messy orange hair, “the magic will keep his memory alive. That’s perhaps the best gift we can give him; the guarantee that he won’t be forgotten. Not as long as you, and I, remember him, right?”

Cater inhaled a quivering breath, nodding as he parted from Lilia’s warm arms. “R-Right...” He nodded, using the back of his hands to clear away his streaked makeup, leaving a smudged mess instead.

“Let’s get you back to Heartslabyul. It sounds to me as if you could use a little conversation with your dorm leader.” Lilia prompted, standing and offering his hand, to which Cater accepted.

“If I must... oh! I need to get those first!” He cried, spinning on his heel and traipsing over to the discarded drumsticks. “I’ll keep them safe for him.” He grinned, earning a sly smirk from Lilia, who now stood outside of the club room.

Joining him, Cater sent a glance over the lone drum set, replaying the times from when Kalim would lean over them with a smile, waving as he entered, guitar strapped across his back. It didn’t hurt any less, but it reminded him that somewhere out there, Kalim was waiting for him, for that day when he’d return his drumsticks.

Switching the lights off, Cater shut the door cautiously, heart simultaneously lifted and sinking as he left, those invisible hands drifting away as he strode farther from the Music Room.

<————>

Treading down the busy hallway felt more like wading through swamp water to Silver, each student seeming to obstruct his path in any way they could.

Heading by the open walled courtyard, the grey haired Diasomnia boy’s gaze softened, looking to the vacant blue sky holding the warm sun as it’s only attraction. Running a finger over the rim of his grasped textbook, Silver sighed out of a brew containing both frustration and awe, feet instinctively guiding him about the corridors as his mind wandered elsewhere.

Every single waking day had been the shining example of a picture perfect storytelling, like something that had hopped from the pages of a fairytale since Kalim’s overcrowded funeral. No rain, no clouds, just the pure sky and the giggling sun.

Silver had half of a mind to call it unfair, for a tragedy to be celebrated and honored with such weather. Though, he had to admit he didn’t know Kalim as well as he wished. The boy had waltzed into and out of his life with alarming ease, both of them sharing the same class together and bonding over their blatantly oppositional personalities. If it weren’t for Kalim’s persistence, Silver probably wouldn’t have even remembered his name, let alone dig himself deep enough to call him a friend.

After his passing, Silver’s academic world just went... dull, following the same drearily tedious routine, and beginning to fall behind in even the most basic of lessons, simply because he found it impossible to keep himself awake for more than five minutes at a time.

Kalim had been the one to help him in class, had been the one to discover how to shake him to consciousness, both physically and mentally. Whenever Kalim was around, Silver wanted to skip his unhealthily long naps, painstakingly addicted to the boy’s light that practically radiated from him, filling any room he set foot in with warm magic.

Now that he laid still, taken by the hand of never ending slumber, Silver felt blank, like he was caged in the perpetual state of an emotional reset that declined progression.

So lost sorting through his muddled mind, Silver nearly fell backwards as he slammed headfirst into something firm, making his eyes water as he rubbed the liquid away, a yawn escaping his throat. “Hah? What’s this?” Growled a scratchy voice, making Silver snap to attention. He came face to face with a brawny Savanclaw lackey, a freakish two heads taller than Silver, the student nearly shrinking into a ball at the murderous glare sent down his direction. “Ah, it’s one of those Diasomnia pricks. What, beating us to a pulp in Magift and trampling over our test scores isn’t enough? Now you gotta own the whole damn hallway?”

“H-Hey, I’m sorry, I don’t know what you’re talking about... If I could just—“ Silver attempted to reason, trying to get past the wall of muscled students, all bigger and stronger than him.

“You wanna play dumb now?” The other rasped, grabbing Silver by the collar of his uniform and lifting him in the air as he stalked dangerously close. “Listen here, bastard, just because my dorm leader tucks his tail at the sight of you doesn’t mean I’ll do the same! I have no idea who you think you are, but to me, you’re no better than baby cats who yip—“

“Alrighty fellas, that’s quite enough!”

Twisting with what little leeway available to him, Silver found the source of the voice to be Ruggie Bucchi, another member of the beastly dorm. “Ruggie? The hell do you think you’re doing?” The bigger boy barked, tightening his grip on Silver.

Crossing his arms and smiling slyly, Ruggie marched over to him, not an ounce of fear on his baby-face. “Look at him, bud. The poor guy’s practically shaking in his shoes! I think you’ve done enough to scare him, so put him down, you’re tarnishing the Savanaclaw name.”

“Enough? He ran into me! If I don’t threaten him now, then who’s gonna put him in his place later?!”

Ruggie clucked his tongue, floppy ears twitching in annoyance. “Let’s get one thing straight here; you weren’t threatening him, you were aggressively complaining. First, comparing him to a baby cat, which by the way, would be called a kitten, is neither intimidating nor masculine. Second, dangling him in the air like a doll proves nothing more than what you lack in brain, you make up for in brawn, hence why you’re practically a brick wall of muscle. Third, if you’re going to threaten someone, do it properly, you brutish simpleton.” Ruggie smirked, standing on his tip toes as he narrowed his eyes.

“Now, I suggest you tuck tail and scram before you show everyone here that you’re as composed as a bitch in heat.” He threatened, hands on his hips as the animalistic boy’s ears drooped, heeding the maliciously ingenious hyena and dropping Silver, who was close to choking thanks to the constricting pressure on his throat. Legs too weak to stabilize his body, he collapsed in a heap on the ground, textbook flying a few feet away, hacking his lungs out while trying to drink the sweetly refreshing air.

After the roughly uncivilized students scampered off, whispering curses and profanity Ruggie scoffed at, he huffed, bouncing over to Silver and extending a single gloved hand. “Um... you okay? They didn’t hurt you, right?” He asked.

Spluttering into his elbow, Silver took the hand, brushing the dust off of his black school suit and suppressing the yawn that fought to rise in his newly released esophagus. “...I’m fine. Thanks for the save...” He bowed awkwardly, avoiding the shorter’s stare. Without anything left to say, he stood turning away. “See you.” He sluggishly bid, starting to leave.

Ruggie was inches away from letting him go, until he tossed his glance to the floor, noticing the thick book fallen face first a few steps from him. Scooping it up, he flipped through a few of the pages, hoping to find something interestingly personal before returning it to the original owner. What he found was... beyond what he’d imagined.

It was a history textbook, the very first page carrying Silver’s signature, a cursive so intricate, it bordered calligraphy with all of its whorls and intercepting lines. At a glance, it didn’t look anything worthwhile, a few scribbled notes here and there but nothing out of the ordinary. Secrets weren’t revealed until Ruggie flipped to the center of the book, his normally neutral face contorting out of shock and intrigue.

The writing on the edges of the paper, where the fine print of knowledge past left indents and gaps of white space lay, were little notes penned in two vastly different handwritings, one quite obviously belonging to Silver. The other was unrecognizable to Ruggie, but reading the script was what led to him the creator.

“Silver-kun, Silver-kuuuuun! Did you hear what Trein said? I was too busy doodling!!”

“Kalim, you’re going to fail the class if you keep nodding off, y’know.”

“Yeah, I know I know..... but at least I stay awake most of the time!”

“Pssh, so mean, using that against me! Sit with me at lunch today, and maybe I’ll share my notes.”

“Oh! Alright, Silver!”

Ruggie was blown away by the authored conversation he stumbled upon, reminded of the distance growing between owner and eavesdropper as he sent a startled look up from the book. “H-Hey! Silver!” He called, having learned the sleepy Diasomnia student’s name.

The other paused, looking over his shoulder to watch as Ruggie weaved through the river of people, holding out the textbook once he’d managed to stand beside the grey haired. “You dropped this back there... it is yours, isn’t it?” He asked, feigning an ignorance Silver doubted.

“Yes, thank you very much. But... how did you know my name?”

“Eh, you’re from Diasomnia. I bet the whole corridor of people here know your name.” Ruggie waved, almost sweat dropping.

“...If you say so. Thank you for returning my book... I’ll be out of your hair now.” The other sighed, tucking said book under his arm while wearing an expression that simply felt subdued.

“Ah—wait! I’m pretty sure you’re a second year, can I walk you to class? Wouldn’t want to run into someone again, right?” Ruggie wasn’t given a verbal response, only a hitch in Silver’s movements and a mild nod.

With his arms fanned out from his head, Ruggie walked alongside the enigmatic teen, who remained eerily silent, his hazy eyes and apathetic stare giving him the hint that he was lost deep in thought, a thought that must’ve been distasteful. All too altruistically eager to break the silence, Ruggie brought up thr only topic that seemed to occupy anyone’s mind. “So... you were friends with Kalim?”

Silver flinched, directly halting in his tracks, eyes hidden by his overgrown bangs. “W-What... What did you know about him?” He asked, the flow of students never once ceasing around them.

“I... well, other than the fact that he was rich... not much.” Ruggie admitted, fiddling with an ear.

“That’s it? That’s all you knew about him, even as a second year yourself?”

“Wait, how did you—?”

“He talked about you like you were some kind of idol. He talked about everyone that way.” Silver whispered, eyes still hidden. “He was what everyone wanted to be, the only real person here who didn’t carry any ill intentions for anyone. Even that Viper, who used him for what? Years?” He continued, hands clutching the fabric of his shirt.

Ruggie had nothing to say. What could he say? Kalim, to him at least, was a fun acquaintance, a buddy he’d occasionally fall back on for spare change or home cooked meals, of which were made by Jamil Viper, the Viper that Silver was quite obviously placing the entirety of the blame upon.

While drama wasn’t something Ruggie was aiming to stir up, the hyena had to admit... he didn’t find anything Jamil did to be wrong. Kalim had ideas, grand as they may be, but he hadn’t the skill or the focus to execute them, pushing the work onto Jamil and Jamil alone. Ruggie saw no problem with the vice using his talent the way he did.

“I wonder how he feels now... knowing that he’s the one who drove Kalim to such measures. But... I can’t say I’m any better. How could I have been so ignorant...? I may as well have damned him to death too, watching him deteriorate every day. Watching him... fake that cheery smile, and never doing a thing about it.” Silver seemed to be working himself into a craze, hands covering his ears as he squeezed his eyes shut.

“Hey, don’t take this on yourself y’know...”

“Why not? Tell me Ruggie, why. Not? My ignorance is what killed him, and now, I have to sit through class after class after class of reminders. Reminders of how I failed my duty to—“

“Geez, you’re annoying,”

“H... Huh?” Silver froze, finally opening his eyes to meet Ruggie’s cheeky grin.

Ruggie offered no explanation as he grabbed a hand, dragging him off through the hallway. “I may not be the best at comforting, and I’m certainly no Kalim, but... I think it’ll be okay. That’s what he liked to say, right? Yeah, he’s not here anymore, but are you really going to let what he believed in die?”

Struck speechless similarly to his rockstar guardian, Silver gaped like a fish out of water, silently allowing Ruggie to pull him along. “He knew there was good in everyone,” Except himself, Ruggie thought, but had the brain to hold his tongue, “he’d want you to move on, to love in his place. This, what you’re feeling now, is the farthest thing from what he wanted. So... you should smile. You can live without Kalim, you’re stronger than that.”

Ruggie stopped, a few steps away from Silver’s designated classroom, holding his clutched hand up as he spoke, smiling gently, like he actually believed the speech he by chance strung together. Still, any excuse for a better hope was a good one to Silver, so, he ducked his head, forcing out giggles that after a minute, ended up too real. “U-Uh... did I say something funny?” Ruggie stammered, eyes wide in confusion.

“No, it’s just—“ Silver let go of Ruggie, lavender eyes shiny with the aftermath of laughter, “—you remind me of him.”

Ruggie flushed, turning red to his ears as he spun away, covering his mouth and pretending to cough. “Y-Yeah, sure, whatever. Come on, let’s get you to class!”

Chuckling, Silver sped up to close the rapidly growing space between them, running a clammy hand through his argent hair. In complete honesty, he meant what he’d said.

Albeit too assiduous and orderly to be a carbon copy, Ruggie held one same trait that so painfully reminded him of Kalim; his confidence. While Kalim was a leader, Ruggie preferred to follow. While Kalim was extravagantly grandiose, Ruggie was self-effacing and simple. While Kalim had dreams of far off lands and magic carpet rides, Ruggie stayed firmly planted on the ground.

But for certain, the one thing they both shared the same substantial confidence to just... be themselves.

And it was that confidence that made Silver wish to cling to Ruggie, protect the light that he failed to do before.

“Oi! Silver! You coming?” Ruggie called hands on his knees as he waved from further down the hall.

“Hm? Oh, yes, yes I’m coming!” Silver smile back, having realized he stood alone in the middle of the passage. Once again dashing to join the hyena, Silver made a vow, a vow that no one would hear other than himself.

“I promise Kalim, I’m not forgetting you. I’ll never forget you. But this time... this time I want to do things right.”

<————>

The rushing of water from the tap was the sole sound in the Mostro Lounge, accentuated only by the brisk chill that followed the lifeless restaurant-esque space.

It’d been that way since morning, the hollow flooring catching the footsteps that walked over it and tossing the sound against the walls, creating an echo Floyd Leech didn’t think was possible, what with the amount of furniture and decor lined about. Switching off the water, and the only audible commotion in the lounge, he tossed himself onto a stool before the polished bar, setting his hat aside as he laid his head within his large, white gloved hands. A sigh escaped him as he threaded his fingers through his deep teal hair, almost feeling as though he was glued to his seat.

Despite the deafening quiet that would blow any normal person’s eardrums out, Floyd closed his eyes, heavy from premature exhaustion, and heard not the empty silence, but instead voices. More specifically, he heard Kalim’s voice; his cheering, the laughs and giggles that seemed reserved for Floyd and Floyd exclusively, even his sobs after he was thrown across the desert by one of his trusted companions.

Swimming through the sea of his memories made his eyes burn with an indescribable solemnity, his hands tugging rather roughly at his hair as the memories grew into a thousand pictures behind his shut eyelids, each of them painting Kalim an angel in all of his bubbly optimism. And while Floyd was naturally agile in water, even he found himself drowning in the sorrow that replaced a past stemmed from charm and delight.

Broken like a hammer through glass, he was all but ripped from the isolation of his over imaginative brain by the doors of the Lounge being thrown open, the conversation of the two welcoming themselves in drifting over to his sensitive ears. He paid them no heed as he slumped on the bar counter, inexplicably cold while heartache whittled away at his chest.

“Ah, Floyd. Jade and I were just discussing, and there’s been an alarming drop in the amount of customers attending— Floyd?” Azul faltered, cutting his debriefing short as he noticed the state of the lithe eel.

Hunched over, head collected in his hands as he carded his fingers through his hair, Floyd looked the model of a kicked puppy, not a trace of his carefree smile on his lips. Beyond confused, Azul turned to Jade, who simply folded his hands and smiled politely, mincing over to his brother.

Jade didn’t need to do too much investigation to find the source of Floyd’s troubles, already knowing full well that the reverse of his brother’s attitude was a byproduct of Kalim Al-Asim’s death. The funeral was what sealed the transformation, Floyd’s laugh disappearing altogether as he turned away from the outside world, whether he was aware of it or not. Most days, he tucked himself away in the Mostro Lounge, polishing the same glass until in could be used as a mirror, or staring blankly into the distance, becoming especially clingy to both Jade and Azul. Any prodding was met with a lackluster response, any attempts to push him towards re-venturing back into the convoluted world of society with dejected refusals.

Sitting in the stool beside the mourning boy, Jade reached out, settling his hand on Floyd’s back as the other jumped at the touch. “Floyd?” He asked, earning his brother’s familiar glazed attention.

“Jade...? Oh, Azul, too... I’m sorry, did I do something wrong~? You guys look like you’ve seen a ghost...” He laughed unimpressively, placid smile not quite reaching his dual colored eyes.

“Floyd, please explain what is troubling you. I hate seeing my brother this way.” Jade pleaded, leaning on a fist as he expectantly stared at him.

“E-Eh? Where’d you guys get that idea from? Hehe, I’m alright, Azul, Jade.”

“No, Floyd, you’re not. As your colleague and friend, I ask that you indulge us on your turmoil.” Azul chimed in at Floyd’s nonchalant display, years of memorizing his roller coaster-like moods revealing the cracks in his façade.

Drooping defeatedly, his smile vanished as he fell onto the counter, tracing imaginary shapes into the smooth marble. “I... I miss him...” Floyd whispered, only audible because of the noiselessness.

Jade perked up, sharing a pitiful look with Azul before rubbing circles onto Floyd’s back. “You’re referring to Kalim, correct?”

The other nodded, sighing heavily as he hazed blankly at the positively reflective surface below him. “It’s—I just can’t... wrap my head around the fact that he’s gone... Sea Otter is gone, and there’s nothing anyone can do about it.” He said quietly, the sting in his eyes returning as he swallowed thickly.

Azul tipped his hat as Jade’s circles ceased. The passing of Kalim hadn’t particularly affected Azul, as ashamed as he was to admit it. It, at the very least, was supposed to attract more customers, in need of a distraction in the form of fine food and drinks. But for Floyd to have lost his spark... the cogs in Azul’s brain couldn’t comprehend how the two had even managed to become close after Jamil’s overblot.

“I remember,” Floyd started, sliding a thin finger over the edge of the counter, “how he used to laugh at everything. Sea Otter was so energetic~! Always bouncing to and fro, like a hyper little siren. When did... when did that all stop? Why did it all stop? Is it a curse from land-dwellers to feel this way...?” Floyd asked his friends, seeking genuine answers to his inquiries.

“Floyd, what you are feeling is grief. You are mourning over the loss of a... a comrade.” Jade hesitated, speech for once unrehearsed.

“But he was more than a comrade to me, Jade! I didn’t feel so... out of place with Kalim. He embraced the world around him, in all of it’s cruelty, with open arms. I don’t get it! He—he... he...!” Floyd wavered, hand reaching up to prod at his gold eye, which now spilled thin water over the rim of his cheekbones.

He was... crying? Why was he crying? Wasn’t that something said to be impossible for merfolk to accomplish?

“Hey, Azul... what’s this?” He asked with a joyless laugh. “Am I melting...?” He smiled bitterly, the current dribbling down in an irritatingly slow pace.

Not half a second was given to Floyd before he was enveloped by two arms, in all of their lissome strength. Azul couldn’t think of another thing to do; he’d never seen him genuinely cry before. “No, you’re not melting, Floyd.” The hug was stiff, the tallest eel’s hands on the edge of his seat while water scattered about.

“I’m scared, Azul...” he whined, sniffling. Jade flinched, the downright hopelessness of Floyd’s tone striking a place in his heart that nearly brought him to tears as well. “I can’t—I can’t lose you two. I can’t. Please, promise you won’t leave me, like Sea Otter did?” The very thought of being alone was enough to bring Floyd to trembles, was enough for him to toss away his pride as he looked to his brother, his friend.

Moving as swiftly as the flowing waters of the sea, Jade lifted himself from his seat, twining his arms around both Azul and Floyd, most of the focus turned towards the latter. “Don’t be ridiculous. As your brother, it is my responsibility to always be by your side. Always. The death of a friend doesn’t change that, nor will anything else.” Jade soothed, pressing his forehead to Floyd’s.

“Ah, Jade is right. While I may not share familial ties, I believe it is my duty to stay with you two. After all, who else would have the impertinence to stand up to your spontaneity, Floyd? Certainly no one from around here, I’ll say that much.” Azul added, earning a chuckle from the comforted.

“So... it’s a promise then? You won’t leave me?”

“Never,” Jade and Azul replied confidently, successfully sealing off the last of Floyd’s tears as he used his gloves to soak up the excess.

Finally returning the hug with ten times the force, Floyd sighed out of relief. Though, he still felt the incomparable pang of gloom over the loss of one of his companions, the twang was cushioned by the soft words of his near-family, their eager reminder that even if their world was changing, they’d have one another to rely on.

Nothing could replace a life, Floyd knew that eerily too well, but that doesn’t mean that he couldn’t move on. It might take a week, it might take a year, but as long as he still had them to guide him, then maybe the pain would ebb away in a matter of months.

With their promise written across the slate of his heart, Floyd let his laughter splash across the lounge.

Some part of him felt that if Kalim could see him, hear him right now, he’d been laughing too.

<————>

“Roi de Poison, may I come in?”

“Door’s unlocked, Rook.”

Granted access by the curt invitation, Rook welcomed himself into Vil’s room, having returned from yet another rowdy wrangling session of dealing with Epel. The blonde was expecting to see his dorm leader fussing over his presentation, either in the form of reestablishing his blade sharp cosmetics, or redoing his naturally flawless locks. Instead, he was met with a scene that broke his fully enchanted heart, the magical symphony in his ears screeching to a halt.

Vil sat at his elegantly carved vanity, a thick book with yellowed pages flipped to somewhere close to the center spread before him, twisting an equally as golden bottle in his hand while the other tousled his loose hair, free of it’s usual braided crown. What perhaps made Rook double-take the most was the all natural look Vil wore, the tips of his nose and ears dyed an unhealthy red as not a smear of makeup hid the semi-wet trails reflected in the spotless mirror.

“Vil? Fairest, what ever is the matter?” Rook inquired hastily, skidding over to the beauty’s side and kneeling before him, feathered hat temporarily set on the floor while his head of canary hair still rose beyond the edge of the vanity table. “Vil...?”

“Do you know... what this is, Rook?” Vil asked out of the blue, holding the golden vial to the light.

“...If I had to guess, I’d say that would be an antidote.” Rook responded, having studied nearly as hard as Vil on the subject of poisons and cures.

“Correct. This... This is the antidote that could’ve saved him. I could’ve saved him.” Rook could taste the burn of Vil’s self doubt, the blame he took upon his shoulders as he desperately tried to look into Vil’s lavender irises.

“Non, Vil. It’s been said before, and I’ll not stutter when I say it again. You cannot control anyone but yourself. What Kalim did was of his own volition, you could not have done a thing to prevent it.”

“Do not lie to me, Rook Hunt!” Vil shrieked, rattling the table after he slammed his fist onto it. “If it weren’t for the poison I handcrafted, Kalim would be alive right now! If I would’ve chased after him the minute I realized the bottle was missing, then maybe—no, he would not have had the opportunity to use it! It’s my fault this happened, and now the blood’s on my hands!” Vil shrilled, delicate hands concealing his face.

Struggling to create a refute, Rook placed his hat back onto his head, standing to his full height. Circling behind Vil, he stared into the mirror, at the broken beauty who wallowed in the depths of his own despair before him. He loathed seeing Vil in such a state, poise and elegance replaced with a fiery fury aimed at no one but himself. He couldn’t bear to see him tear himself down.

Exhaling quietly, Rook laid his gloved hands over Vil’s, gently prying them away. Picking up a brush, he let it hover above his mauve-and-platinum hair, only setting it down on his scalp when Vil nodded ever so marginally. “Vil, my king, the fairest of us all, it pains me to no end to see you like this. Do you realize how dishonest it is to harbor this blame?” Rook rhetorically asked, noting the way his green orbs locked with purple for a split moment.

Brushing through the last section of Vil’s thin hair, he set the brush aside, peeling off his gloves to instead grab a comb, folding and looping the strands as he continued to speak. “What Kalim did was out of your jurisdiction. Yes, you may have made the poison, but he was the thief who stole it. Yes, you were too late to have realized it was missing, but had you sent me after him, he would’ve drank it before I could save him.” Rook assured, sealing off the crown and moving onto the next area in need of his expertise.

Lifting Vil’s chin with a curled finger, Rook brought a new besom to his eyes, painting on a deep violet shadow over the lashes, of which he diligently extended with top of the line mascara. Having someone else so casually apply his cosmetics made Vil’s shoulders sag as they released their tension, almost leaning into the affectionate sweeps were it not for his budding insecurity.

“How can you say that when it’s quite obviously my fault?” Vil murmured once his vice paused to reach for a shimmery lipgloss.

“Don’t you see? Kalim would’ve found a way to end his life with, or without your assistance. You were just naive enough to fall for his game, and thus, you now hold within you a guilt that doesn’t belong. Mon ange, let this grief go.” Rook finished, capping the gloss and smiling broadly, waving towards the mirror.

Turning to his reflection, Vil did nothing to hide the satisfied grin that formed, appreciative of the effort the blonde-haired hunter was investing to comfort him. “What if... deep down, I still blame myself, at the end of the day?” He asked, twirling a section of his hair around his painted nail.

“Fret not! I shall sing you lullabies until you can rest soundly at night. This tragedy will be a memory far faded after I’m done!” Rook sang, offering a hand as he bowed.

“Alright, Rook...” Vil chuckled, taking his hand and squaring his shoulders as he stood, balancing on his thin heels. “...I hope you will make use of that promise.”

“Anything for you, Vil. Now let us depart for supper, the dorm was ordered to keep their paws to themselves until you arrived.” Rook urged, spinning over to the door. Swinging it open, he gestured out to the hall, smiling. “Shall we?”

“Indeed. Let’s go.” Vil nodded, clicking out as Rook followed close behind.

Kalim still weighed on his mind, the boy’s peacefully shut eyes as he laid in that glass casket forever an image burned into his brain. He made a dire mistake that day, leaving the poison unguarded in his bathroom, even just creating it in the first place, but Rook helped Vil realize a truth that eased the sting, if only lightly.

He hadn’t known Kalim well, the first full conversation between them only occurring the day of his demise. Part of Vil found solace in the fact that Kalim’s death was quick, a brighter alternative to anything else Kalim would’ve attempted. The other part wept for what his knowledge of poison brought, the pain he’d inflicted on not only Kalim, but the rest of the school in tandem.

Still, holding his head high, Vil wasn’t going to let the suffering crumble him. Antidote clenched in a fist, Vil dropped it in his concealed pocket, the vision of elegance and poise.

Though he may have had a hand in Kalim’s downfall, he wasn’t going to let himself make a foolish mistake like that again.

<————>

Kalim Al-Asim’s death did not come in an ear piercing bang or an uproarious festival. It came not in sweet whispered nothings or love brimmed words. It came not as peaceful or soothing, but by preference spotlighted with nothing except a dark room, a clear night, and the whitest moon the sky had to offer.

Time had been at fowl play, some days passing within the sound snap of a finger, and some lasting for aeons painted in dull colors of anguish and shame. The people were mortified by the discovery, even more so to find that the act hadn’t been committed by the sinful nature of another, but instead the self destructive hatred of himself. Blame had been a projectile, shot into anyone who even held his name inside the confines of their brain, running amongst them like a smooth stone over a pond of ice until there was no one left to terrorize.

The wayward mechanism of coping bore down on everyone, weighing them with ten thousand pounds of a hopelessness they could neither hide nor run from. At their darkest hour, the entire venerated school of Night Raven College was brought to their knees by the passing of optimism personified, their trust a fractured knife used to stab skepticism and condemnation into the hearts of anyone who dared raise their bowed heads.

But even the dark of night must soon come to an end, the sun of a new day bringing a dusk painted in the hues of resumption over a horizon of black. It started with an idea, a finicky thought that grew until it could no longer be held within the sole mind of the creator, escaping from a pair of lips upturned in a rare smile that shortly spread to the listeners.

The idea spread like a contagion, from one to another, dorm to dorm, student to teacher, until every person shared the unison objective, some setting upon a laborious work to meet the desired outcome. Tirelessly, the students used the extents lf the gifts bestowed upon them, whether that be the farthest reaches of magic, or the unique skill to create banquets of delectable food.

It was far from a single day job, many returning to their rooms with sore muscles and blistered hands, the only thing driving them through their hard hours being the vision of the payoff come the conclusion. The prize of their exertion was a spectacle even a stranger would find extraordinarily echanted.

On a pedestal above the normal person’s head, crafted from the best brass up for the taking, stood a perfect recreation of Kalim Al-Asim, each detail scrutinized by the expecting eyes of none other than the mourning Jamil Viper.

Though he took it upon himself to mold the finer minutiae, he accepted every numerous offer of assistance with the bulky creation of the base, sending out handwritten thanks to each participant. Using too many sleepless nights, Jamil poured his strength, his breath, his heart into smoothing out the edges, refining the statue until it looked so real, he wouldn’t have been surprised if it up and moved.

The unveiling had been as palatial as Kalim would’ve wanted it to be; Jamil planning and throwing a celebration that welcomed nearly every resident of the campus, brandishing and explaining the statue in a way that made even Mozus Trein’s heart of steel melt.

Still... standing before it felt surreal, almost sorrowful. Dressed in his dorm garb and clutching his signature staff in his left arm, he waved out to the Scarabia he protected with his free one, a broad smile swelling his cheeks, eyes wide and curious. It had been the students’ choice to place him at the entrance of their dorm, believing Kalim’s face a fitting first sight upon entrance.

Drenched with gold in the early morning light, he smiled angelically as a lone figure knelt before the pedestal, hand tracing over the plaque carved into the stone base.

“I hope... I hope this did you justice. It was all I could give you for now; I know it’s not much, but this way, your legacy will carry on.” Jamil whispered, laying his forehead on the smooth metal.

Though he may not live to see it, Jamil wished with the very power of his soul that Kalim’s statue would last a lifetime, perhaps even longer as he stood and left, the words engraved finally visible:

He who breathed laughter,

He who stood proud,

He who was strong as the current of the ocean.

In fond memory of Kalim Al-Asim, the light in a world of shadow.

May we all discover the same strength he held.

Oki dokes! I didn’t originally plan for a continuation, so it took a little long bit to spark my ideas.

Regardless, I hope you enjoyed, and thanks for reading! Special thanks to @lionheartanotheraccount for the request!!

Stay lovely!

[ji-yaaan]

𝕯𝖆𝖓𝖘𝖊 𝕸𝖆𝖈𝖆𝖇𝖗𝖊

A Lilia Vanrouge x Reader Oneshot

Note: Jk guys this is just a drabble I made while I drank a bitter gross black coffee just for kicks :'( Also this is my first time making a fanfic so yes, it's kinda OoF and is probably bad but why not? Emirite???? This is the last braincells I have and I hope y'all enjoy it :'))))))

Mistakes were made under the cut!^~^

It was a peaceful afternoon with the beautiful sunset hues that illuminated your room. Ah..... how nice, the room feels alive again a smile graced your lips, as a silent creak of the door alerted you that someone has come to your room. You knew well who that person is. Just by thinking about him makes your heart flutter. "Lilia, love!" You cheerfully exclaimed at the small fae that stood before you."I'm back, little lamb." he smiled.

A moment of silence passed by, with you and Lilia looking at each other's eyes. Just by the view of the beautiful fae illuminated with rose tinted hues was enough to give you butterflies. Ah..... as expected from my lover! you thought. The two of you basked in the soft light that illuminated your room, how peaceful this moment is...

But that peace was soon broken when the fae said "I'm sorry my love..... I still haven't found the potion yet..... But worry not. I have taken care of the bastard that dares to mock-"

"shhhhhhh" you silenced the fae. "Everything's alright.... but can we talk about more happy things? If I were to die at any moment, I'd like to experience the most happiest moments in life in each passing second!" You jokingly said.

You sigh in dissapointment as you recall of the events that have unfolded a month ago. It was just a normal and happy day for you. You were so excited to visit the Diasomnia Dorm and most importantly, your lover, Lilia Vanrouge. This expedition of you was a normal occurence, rather, a routine that started when you started to like Lilia. But something feels weird, the Diasomnia dorm is awfully quiet today.....Your mind went blank, as a bright light blinded your eyes, you felt a sharp painful sensation in your chest, that caused you to faint.

Now why were you targeted? That is an obvious question to be answered "Because you are closeley affiliated with malleus and I. I didnt know there are still morons in this world that are stupid enough to mess with us, moreover, they harmed you...." Lilia said with anger and pain present in his eyes and a dark expression covering his face.

You woke up in a unfamiliar room, and to your demise, Malleus said the bright light that hit you was a curse resulting eventual death upon the victim. Thankfully, Malleus was there to stop the curse..... But not entireley. Magic can only do so much for a strong ancient curse.

Soon, day went by, weeks went by, with Lilia trying to find the potion to cure his lover, only to be left empty handed each time he comes home. It's an ancient curse that requires a certain potion in order to break it, naturally with ancient curses, the cure is very hard to find. That's why in the few remaining days of your life, you wished to make the most of it.

Waking up was difficult due to the fact that you knew you could die any momet, it was a happy and scary feeling..... You were thankful you woke up from slumber, but at the same time, you were afraid that you might dissapear from the world in any moment..... It sure was a mind baffling experience.

But now, you feel like you've reached your limit. It feels like your nightmare is finally taking form. Your eyelids are growing heavy from strain, your body is starting to feel numb minute after minute, and eternal slumber threatens to devour you in any moment. But there you are, staring straight at Lilia, the most precious person in your life. You feel alive again.

"(Y/n) I love you" Lilia said as your lips curl up to form a weak smile "I know..... But i love you more! hehe" Your knees started to feel weak and you fell unto the ground. Your hands started to feel numb as you cough up blood.

As odd as it sounds, this occurence is normal now, due to the fact that you are walking in the border between life an death.

The crimson blood that laced your fingers made you chuckle, it reminded you of Lilia's beautiful eyes that sparkled like rubies. Soon enough, those eyes are now looking at you with worry and demise clearly present in the fae's eyes. "Hehe, Lilia I think I'm starting to feel a bit drowsy now. But I dont want to sleep yet, can we dance?" You left out a weak laugh trying your hardest to look happy and strong in front of lilia's eyes. To your surprise, you see Lilia with a pained expression you've never seen before. "Dear, what have you done to me? You're just a weak little human that piqued my interest before. But look where we are now, I just averted my eyes for a brief second, and now they did this to you because of me.....I-....... Promise me that in your next lifetime, don't flock yourself with dangerous people like me alright?" A whine escaped you lips as your vision started to get blurry from the tears that are welling up in your eyes... "Hey Lilia darling, I just asked you for a dance right? I won't look cool if you turn me down like this..."

Frustration, worry, anger, and guilt welled up in Lilia's heart as his dear (y/n) stared at him sitting on the ground in front of him. He truly felt guilty that he was the reason why his lover ended up like that. (Y/n) deserves better than this. he thought. But now, he is so frustrated to see his darling helplessly smiling at him, pretending that everything is alright. It pained him to see his love slowly succumbing to the hands of death. A danse macabre indeed..

The look of strain and fatigue plastered all over (y/n)'s face made his heart drop. Lilia then stood up on his feet and asked "(y/n) darling, May I have this dance?"

Lilia then picked you up with your hands and the both of you waltz across the large bedroom illuminated by the bright hues of the sky, with lilia humming a familiar tune, you felt very relaxed in his grasp, you thought to yourself it would be nice if time were to stop at this moment, how romantic..... You giggled at your silly thoughts of a pipedream. "What is it little lamb? Falling for me harder now huh?" You started giggling like a little girl with Lilia's comment.

That is until a sharp pain in you chest started devouring you, making your legs feel numb and weak as the two of you fell onto the soft sheets of your bed. The look of pain plastered all over your face, with each second that passed, it feels like hell is devoring your soul,but when you look up, you see lilia with his worried and pained expression, his eyes glossy due to tears forming in his eyes. his biggest fear has finally begun to unfold right before his eyes. On the other hand, you felt your body started to grow numb with each second.

Pinning you from the bed, Lilia grabs your hand and squeeze it tightly, you felt like your fingers could break any second, but oddly enough, it felt pleasant and reasuring this pain is the feeling of being alive huh? Thank God I'm still alive you thought to yourself. "Dont go (y/n)! you're not allowed to leave me." Salty tears fell on your cheeks, as you felt your heart dropped feeling weak in death's grasp. The fae trailed kisses after kisses in your neck, tears began to fall, as his voice cracked and said "(y/n) , in all the years I've lived, you are the best thing that happend to me, you made me feel alive again, you're the most precious person I love, and I will keep you in my heart forever, I love you so much....... please don't forget that" hearing this is one of the best feelings in the world, you truly felt that it would be nice to die like this........ But maybe... just maybe... you can stay just for a bit longer.

"Lilia, if I ever get to have the power to go back in time where I first got here in twisted wonderland, do you know what I'd do? I would change nothing! Hehe! I would gladly meet you again and love you again! That would be like a treat for me! I get to relive all the best moments of my life all over again. I won't ever regret loving you, my darling....." A weak smile formed in your lips as you continued "if I were to get reincarnated, I wish that I will meet you and love you all over again! So you've gotta wait for me! And...... I love you too lilia Vanrouge senpai..." A dull pain in your chest started to hurt you again but soon enough, Lilia pressed his lips unto yours, tasting the salty tears mixed with the distinct flavor of licorice, you chuckled to yourself. The two of you embraced watching the sun finally set.

As the sky turned dark with the stars twinkling in the sky. "Lilia, you know, I feel very sleepy now, I'm really tired now..." You felt Lilia embrace you tighter as your vision gets blurry, and you feel every part of you has now grown numb.

"I hope you dream lots about me my sweet little (y/n)....." Your senses are now starting to shut down as you feel eternal slumber could devour you any moment "I love you lilia..." You finally felt you've crossed the border between life and death

"I love you too..." A weak smile graced your face as the cold night finally settled in.....

-The End-

So yes guys, this is me chilling here trying to delay and procrastinate on the rotting fanarts I'm making. If i look at my drawings, they would look at me judging my dumb decisions but oh well......