the scent of your heart

by thefirecrest

Summary:

What could be worse than being stranded in an alternate universe and forced to attend a magical academy without any actual ability to do magic?

Ah yes. Being stranded in an alternate universe without access to suppressants.

(Or, Yuu the player tries their best to masquerade as a beta while traversing a school filled with nothing but temperamental alphas and betas. This can only end well.)

Chapter 1

It had been a trying day. And nothing sounded better in that moment than collapsing into their new bed. Quotations on the “new”. The layer of dust covering just about everything in this ramshackled building threatened to summon a second coming of allergies Yuu thought they had gotten over in high school. And with no money or possessions but the clothes on their back to their name, Yuu’s confidence in procuring a box of Claritin was abysmally low. And it was likely going to take several weeks of herculean efforts to turn this place into something even remotely habitable.

Thankfully, the ghosts were kind enough to finally tell them where the spare bedsheets and pillow cases were (after they had been fully satisfied and amused by Grim’s fire of course). Yuu could only hope that they took pity on them and left them alone for the rest of the evening. There hadn’t even been a single moment all day for them to gather their thoughts together on being transported to and stranded in a forigen dimension. Let alone acknowledging that yes, magic was real.

Yuu sighed and plopped down onto the bed. The bed frame creaked and a layer of dust shook loose from bottom, but at least the rest of it was clean. Grim was already asleep in a little nest he had made for himself at the foot of the bed, occasionally talking to himself in his sleep. Yuu had always wanted a pet cat but somehow didn’t imagine this was how it would look like. At least not with the flickering blue flames and the forked tail or the… Ability to speak.

Yuu tugged off their jacket and set it beneath the pillow, not trusting to place it anywhere else in the dusty room. Then, gingerly, they pulled their collar down so their right shoulder was reveled, flinching as the fabric pulled against the suppressant pad that had been on way too long. It wasn’t meant to be worn for more than 24 hours but Yuu had no way of knowing how long they had been sleeping in that coffin for.

They stood up and made their way over to the fireplace and wiped away the film of dust that covered the mirror hanging there. Even in the low light they could see that the skin around the square white patch was red and irritated. Taking a deep breath they peeled the patch off trying their best to suppress the cry of pain they desperately wanted to let out, lest they wake Grim.

It was as Yuu thought. The skin was still intact thankfully, but surely another day or two and it would’ve started bleeding. The chemicals they put in omega pads weren’t meant to sit and stew for an extended period of time. While they worked wonders for suppressing the scent of an omega (and thus allowing omegas to lead more stable, independent, and safe lives), the reaction with the scent gland they covered became abrasive after 24 hours. Yuu had even heard of omegas needing to be sent to the emergency room for wearing them for too long.

They sighed again as they rubbed a hand over the inflamed scent gland. It stung at the skin but helped to relieve the cramping of the muscles beneath. They would have to let it sit and breathe tonight. Hopefully the scent build up wouldn’t be too terribly noticeable. And hopefully there was a working shower in the dilapidated dorm. They just had to get up before Grim did and replace the bedsheets. That’s if the cat creature could even pick up on human omegan scent, but Yuu wasn’t going to take that risk.

They folded the old suppressant pad and placed it into the drawer next to the bed. Then they pulled their jacket out from under the pillow again and pulled open one of several inner pockets. Anxiously, they began to count how many spare pads they had on them.

No omega would dare go out without several spares, but Yuu had gotten into a habit of bringing even more just in case they ran across anyone who needed but didn’t have one. Having been caught off guard by an early heat in public once had been enough to teach Yuu that lesson. More was better and it was better to be safe than sorry.

Without knowing how long it would be until they could find a way home, Yuu calculated that they had roughly a week of suppressants. Maybe more if they stretched the usage of each past it’s recommended time. The stinging of their left shoulder seemed to protest the idea though. They also had no idea of what kind of medicine there was in this world and if they’d be equipped to handle an omega suffering from suppressant toxic shock.

It seemed their best bet was just to keep using it and hope that they either found a way home or found another solution to hide their scent. Yuu had definitely smelled alphas and betas during orientation so it wasn’t too out there to assume there were omegas as well in this world. And while suppressants were a rather new invention in their own world, perhaps someone came up with a magical solution here.

Not that Yuu could use magic of course.

With their mind swirling anxiously, Yuu finally forced themself to lay down and try to sleep. The old building creaked ominously around them and every noise made them fear that the ghosts were back again to cause mischief.

But eventually, but fitfully, they fell into the dark embrace of sleep.

~*~

Another chestnut went flying and Yuu paused again in their scrounging to sigh. It hadn’t even been 10 minutes and already Grim and Ace were at it again, chucking chestnuts at one another and arguing. Except this time Deuce had been somehow drawn into the fray. Oh, and now Grim’s chestnuts were lit with blue flames. Wonderful.

How nice it was to be so carefree. Yuu would’ve thought after the whole debacle with the chandelier and magestone and whatever that terrifying ink monster had been that they’d be over the petty squabbling. Or at least, be able to work together well enough to do something as simple as gather chestnuts. A task, Yuu reminded themself, that was being done in favor for Ace who had somehow already gotten on the bad side of his dorm leader and was now freeloading at Ramshackle.

Not that Yuu didn’t like the hot headed Heartslabyul alpha, but it was already hard enough trying to keep their designation a secret around Grim and the ghosts. That’s on top of the fact that Yuu should be in the library right now researching ways to either get home or find a replacement for their quickly diminishing supply of suppression pads, but was instead roped into trying to clean up another one of Ace’s problems.

Yuu liked their new friends. They really did. But their chaotic energy was sometimes just too much to handle.

“Guys, can we please focus so we can get back to Trey and finish the damn tart?” Yuu finally snapped when a flaming blue chestnut flew past their face. The other three froze, not expecting the normally calm and level headed human to lose their temper. “Please? Ace, didn’t you desperately want that collar off?”

“Yeesh, Yuu,” Grim drawled. “What’s up with you today- OOF!” He glared up at Deuce who elbowed the cat meaningfully..

“Sorry, Yuu. You’re right,” Deuce said.

Ace too looked guilty. “Sorry, Yuu. Yeah I do want this collar off. Thanks for helping me with this. I do appreciate it.”

Yuu sighed. “Alright. And I’m sorry for losing my temper. I’ve just got…” They thought about their suppressant problem. “... A lot on my mind.”

If the other three were curious about what they meant, they didn’t let it show. Soon they were back on task and efficiently gathering chestnuts together as a group. It took a whole 20 minutes this time for another fight to break out between Grim and Ace but Yuu could only sigh and smile. After all, they wouldn’t be them if they behaved any differently and it wasn’t as if Yuu couldn’t see them trying. And at the end of the day, that’s all they could ask of their friends.

A few minutes later Yuu noticed that Deuce had stopped collecting chestnuts. When he noticed them staring he motioned to their large pile of nuts and said, “I think we’re gonna need something a bit bigger than what we brought to carry all this.”

“They are pretty sharp to hold. Maybe we should take a break and look around for a basket,” Yuu suggested. “They’ve got to have something in the greenhouse.” They pointed at the glass building just past the apple orchard.

“Hey, what are you guys talking about?” Ace shouted at them from a dozen yards away. He ducked a (thankfully flame-less this time) chestnut. Grim cackled and quickly ran to hide behind a tree, his forked tail still in view and waving in unconcealed glee. Yuu shook their head fondly.

“We need something to carry this all in,” Deuce replied, waving a hand at their stockpile.

“I’m gonna check the greenhouse,” Yuu said, starting to walk away. After spending nearly an hour constantly bending over to pick up prickly little nuts, being able to stretch their legs left good. And the breeze was nice too. They were still feeling anxious about their suppressant problem, but they were starting to feel better about being outdoors today. It was a nice day.

The inside of the greenhouse was just as nice. Whoever cared for the garden clearly had much love for their craft, and likely magic at their disposal. The scent was soothing though Yuu couldn’t recognize even half of the plants in here. The apples outside were familiar, but in here there were fruits that Yuu never would have conceived of existing. It went beyond exotic. Like everything else in this world, the botanical garden was magical.

“Gh- ow!”

Yuu squeaked in surprise as their foot sank into something soft and pliant. They jumped back and saw that they had stepped on a hose of some sort. A furry hose…

“You’ve got some nerve stepping on someone’s tail without saying anything,” a deep voice drawled. Suddenly a young man sat up from where he’d been lying, hidden behind a large plant with flourishing turquoise leaves. Yuu was struck by vivid green eyes that felt as if they could pierce right through the soul.

And then they noticed the ears. Round and furry lion ears that twitch in the same way Grim’s did when the feline was annoyed.

“Well?” The beastman asked.

“I-I’m sorry,” Yuu stuttered, not quite knowing why they felt so unsettled.

“Hm?” He continued and suddenly the beastman was in Yuu’s space, nose twitching as he took several curious sniffs. “Aren’t you that herbivore that made a ruckus at the entrance ceremony? You have an interesting scent.”

Yuu felt themself freeze in terror, going as still as prey before a dangerous predator.

“... I really can’t smell a single spec of magic on you. Hah, how interesting,” the beastman mused to himself. “But there’s something else too-”

“A basket!” Yuu shouted suddenly, cutting him off.

“Hah? What’s this herbivor going on about now?”

Yuu paled, “I uh… I was looking for a basket to hold uh… Chestnuts in when I uh… Accidentally stepped on your tail- Which I’m really sorry about!”

The beastman looked utterly unamused by this explanation, right ear twitching irritably. “You first step on the great Leona Kingscholar’s tail and then dare to make a demand? And to think I was having such a lovely nap as well…”

“I- '' Yuu gulped, “I really am sorry about that. Also I wasn’t demanding. I just wanted to know if you had seen-”

“Another word out of you, Beta,” Leona suddenly snapped, voice low and dangerous, “and you’d better be prepared to leave a tooth behind.”

Yuu’s jaw clicked shut. The terror from before returned in full force. At least the alpha (and Yuu could clearly smell that this man was an alpha now that he was close enough) was convinced they were a regular beta. But now their bigger worry was getting out of this situation with a grumpy beastman unscathed. Those claws didn’t look like they were just for decoration and it felt like any sudden movement could set the man off. The scent of a domineering alpha filled the air, drowning out the spring scent of the garden around them. Hot and muted, like shifting grains of sands in a desert threatening to rise up in a storm.

“Leeoonaa~”

And just like that Yuu watched as Leona’s nose wrinkled in distaste and all the tension of the situation suddenly dissipated and the alpha scent with it. The man let out a noise of annoyance and flopped back onto the ground (where Yuu could now see there was a blanket laid out). Behind them an unfamiliar person appeared, skipping surprisingly merrily over to the two.

The newcomer likewise was a beastman, but his ears were larger than Leona’s. Yuu couldn’t quite place what animal he was supposed to be (a dingo? a coyote?) but he definitely wasn’t a lion like the beastman laying on the ground was. He too was wearing a yellow armband that signified a member of Savanclaw.

“You’re late for your remedial classes again, Leona,” the newcomer grinned down at the lion. He glanced over at Yuu with a conspiratorial look as if they were in on a particularly funny secret or joke despite Yuu not even knowing the beastman’s name. “If you keep on failing, you’ll end up being in the same classes as me.” He let out a particularly hiss-like chuckle.

“There seem to be a lot of annoying pests in the greenhouse today,” Leona grunted. “Perhaps it’s time I find a new place to lounge.”

“Now now, Leona,” the newcomer chastised. “No need to be that way. I’m just trying to make sure my leader passes his class.”

“I don’t need to listen to you nagging, Ruggie,” Leona snapped, though it was without heat.

“And I wouldn’t have to nag if you’d just apply yourself a little bit,” Ruggie grinned mischievously. He once again glanced over at Yuu who really didn’t know what to do with themself in this situation. “Everyone knows you’re smart enough. And it’s not as if I enjoy lecturing you, ya know. Common, let’s go.”

Leona growled but seemed to finally relent to the logic. He stood up as graceful as a cat and stretched out, then turned and looked at Yuu again. His green eyes narrowed dangerously. “Watch yourself, herbivor. You won’t be let off so easily next  time.” And he walked away, not even bothering to gather up the blanket on the ground.

Ruggie laughed and gave Yuu one final wink before turning to follow the other beastman. And Yuu was left alone at last at a loss for words.

It took a few moments to gather themself but finally Yuu remembered why they had come to the botanical garden in the first place and set off to find those baskets. Which they did eventually discover in an unlocked shed. Hopefully the groundskeeper wouldn’t be too troubled until Yuu could return it. When they returned to the orchard it seemed that they were the only one with any luck finding a basket but thankfully no one asked why they looked so pale and skittish despite the concerned glances Deuce kept shooting their way.

The trip back to the kitchens was only slightly less chaotic now that they were back amongst protected school property under the supervision of a nosy headmaster who seemed capable of materializing from thinair whenever trouble brewed. It helped that Yuu kept Grim occupied with mindless chatter which also doubled as a way for them to keep their mind off the terrifying encounter with those two Savanaclaw students.

Trey was delighted to see all the chestnuts they had gathered and the entire group quickly got to work on the tart.

Yuu had passable experience in the kitchen, favoring cooking to baking, but was somewhat familiar with tarts. They especially liked making pastry and crusts and left the filling to the other boys to deal with. Trey watched over the entire group with a critical eye the whole time and came over when Yuu started adding the butter to the flour mixture.

“You have a good hand,” he commented. “You bake at home?”

Yuu hummed. “Occasionally. My favorite bakery closed a few years ago and I really wanted their signature apple pie so I tried my hand at making my own. The first time wasn’t great but I got pretty good at making pie crusts- not that I think pie crusts are anything like tart crusts,” they quickly assured the tall beta. “I never did get to the level of my favorite bakery but I like to think I can make a pretty mean apple pie.”

“My family owns a bakery, you know,” Trey commented. “I’d also like to think my baking skills aren’t anything to scoff at, and from what I can see you seem fairly reliable in the kitchen.” Yuu felt themself flush at the praise. “The college leaves the kitchens open to students for a reason. If you’d like, you can assist me in baking once in a while. And maybe we can see about leveling up that pie baking skill of yours.” He smiled down at them with a charming grin, “Maybe I can even bake you a pie and see how it compares one day.”

With how chaotic their welcoming to this forigen world has been so far, Yuu felt particularly touched by the gesture. They smiled brightly up at the tall beta and nodded, “Thanks, Trey. I think I’ll take you up on that offer. I’d love to try one of your pies.”

He laughed. It was a full and hearty laugh. “Good to know.”

There was a clang from across the kitchen and the sound of something igniting. Ace and Grim’s voices rose up in heated argument and Trey sighed.

“I’d better go check up on that,” he said, shaking his head.

Yuu chuckled in sympathy, “Yeah, probably.”

~*~

Strangely enough, Yuu was having a hard time finding much information on omegas at all in the library. Oh they existed for sure, the term omega showing up in a sentence here or a little blurb over there, but there was nothing more substantial than that.

They had stopped by the library after they’d finished the tart with Trey’s oversight. Alone it had tasted marvelous but with Trey’s signature spell it had tasted just like the apple pie from Yuu’s memories. After thanking Trey for all his help, Yuu said goodbye to their other friends (and after extracting a promise from Grim not to cause trouble) and rushed to the library before it closed for the evening. They’d managed to pick up three books on secondary gender before the librarian had kicked them out and they rushed back to Ramshackle for the night.

Grim and Ace were likely still at the cafeteria when Yuu made it back and immediately set off to reading, the last three suppressant pads in their pocket acting as an effective motivator. They were still reading when Grim and Ace returned to the dorm, the latter bearing a take-out tray of lukewarm pasta.

“We didn’t see you at dinner,” the alpha explained with reddened cheeks. “Figured you’d be holed up at the library again doing… Whatever it is you’re always doing there.” He’d thrust the tray into their arms before they could protest or thank him. “Don’t forget to take care of yourself too, Yuu.” And with that he’d hurried off into the room they’d spent the last-minute preparing for him.

Feeling warmed by both the gesture and the meal in their belly Yuu immediately set off to read again, eyes scanning and devouring pages with a ferocity they hadn’t felt in ages. Yet page after page yielded little to no information on either of their predicaments. Despite all three books being dedicated to the topic of secondary genders, each only focused on alphas and betas almost exclusively. Information on omegas seemingly nowhere to be found…

… Except for the very last chapter of the third book.

It was well after midnight when Yuu had finally gotten to it, the final chapter titled “Magical Precaution”. Something in the first paragraph immediately jumped out at them.

“ … the disappearance of omegas is not well documented.”

Yuu shook their head and reread the paragraph. And again. And again.

Somehow and sometime in history, when magic was just becoming more widely known and used (Yuu was surprised to find out that magic hadn’t always been the norm in this universe) had correlated almost directly with the disappearance of omegas from all facets of societies. Omegas did still exist, but their existence was highly guarded and coveted and information on them tightly controlled for their protection. No one knows why or how the omegan population had declined so fast (though from what Yuu could glean, the author seemed to believe the truth of their decline was purposefully kept redacted by governing parties), but many suspected it had to do with the rise in magical usage (and a term “overblot” which Yuu couldn’t find a referencing definition for).

Whatever the reason may be, magic did not have any worse adverse effects on alpha and betas whose populations grew to fill the void the omegas left. But the author cautioned readers to still be on the lookout for any change in the way magic reacted to secondary genders, stating that magic was still highly unpredictable despite its many uses and boons to society.

Yuu finished the last page and closed the book in shock. Their fingers trembling as they ran them over the soft leather cover of the book. So that’s why they could never find anything useful on omegas and why the librarian gave them a particularly scathing glare the first (and last) time they had asked about the topic. Three things occurred to them then:

One, the library wasn’t going to be of any help in finding a solution to keeping their designation a secret.

Two, the stakes of hiding their designation just got a whole lot higher.

And three… There must be a way to hide omegas in this world if they still existed but were kept under guard.

Unless of course, the government literally kept any omegas born locked up their entire lives which was horrible and dystopian to even consider. And likely improbable due to how many different ruling bodies with conflicting ideals there were in this strange new land.

The only question now was… How was Yuu going to figure this out with a three day deadline?

~*~

The question plagued Yuu the entire fitful night in which sleep came at infrequent and easily disrupted intervals. Between that and flashes of a strange dream about cards and roses and a terrifying Queen, Yuu woke up feeling like there was an invisible hand pulling down on their entire face and their eyes were dry and sore. Grim had even commented in both a shocked and concerned tone when he’d woken up and saw them. Ace was thankfully more tactful than that and merely gave them a smile that was probably meant to look encouraging but didn’t.

Deuce knocked on their door not long after that and brought breakfast for everyone with him. Yuu smiled gratefully at him when he handed them a styrofoam cup filled with coffee and packets of sugar, touched that he remembered that they preferred it to the tea everyone else enjoyed.

Ace, Deuce, and Grim all wolfed down their breakfast like the uncultured ravenous beasts they were while Yuu picked at their food not feeling particularly encouraged. Between the unbirthday party in a few hours and their biological looming deadline and the lack of restful sleep, their anxiety and rolling stomach hardly wanted anything to do with the plate of thick cut sausages and fluffy pancakes drenched in syrup. The folks in Heartslabyul sure liked their sweets.

Still, Yuu forced themselves to eat not wanting to waste any food nor Deuce’s thoughtfulness. It was rare enough when any of their three friends did something nice for selfless reasons and Yuu wanted to make sure they all knew that they were appreciated. Plus, Yuu also knew that they would need the energy to get through the day.

Halfway through breakfast there was another knock on the door which was reveled to be Cater who was there to fetch them for the party. Or rather, fetched them to help set up for the party as was his usual M.O. Thankfully, the food and coffee had brought some life and feeling back into their body and Yuu was looking and feeling more normal. Another reason to thank Deuce. No doubt Cater would’ve taken the chance to snap up a photo of them looking absolutely terrible and sleep deprived, the menace.

They’d rushed over as a group to pick up the chestnut tart, which was just as pretty and yummy looking as yesterday. Maybe even more so now that it’s had an entire night to chill and firm up. The smell was certainly divine made obvious by how many times Yuu had to gently slap Grim’s grubby paws away as they made their way over to the Heartslabyul dormitory.

Yuu nearly dropped the tart (which would’ve been a certifiable disaster) when a second Cater greeted them at the dorm and a third threw his arm around their shoulder in greeting. Thankfully, one of the several Caters now revealed to be running around quickly liberated the tart from Yuu’s arms to be placed in a nearby fridge for safekeeping until the party.

“What’s wrong, sweetheart?” Cater number 3 chuckled from where he still had his arm slung around Yuu’s shoulders. “Cat got your tongue?” He guffawed his own joke and at the way Grim heatedly protested at how he was not a cat. Then the four of them were ushered by another Cater in a tracksuit towards the rose hedges again as the beta explained his signature spell “Split Card” to them.

The flower painting process went a lot smoother this time around and soon each and every rose was shining in a glistening rich red. The good job finished was commemorated by Cater snapping a selfie group photo of all of them and posting it immediately to whatever this world’s equivalent of instagram was. Yuu wouldn’t know. They couldn’t afford a phone yet.

And then the unbirthday party began.

Yuu hadn’t had the pleasure of meeting the infamous Heartslabyul dormleader yet and hadn’t quite expected someone so… Well… Omegan. With his soft omegan features, large cute eyes, slender frame, and short stature, him being an omega would be anyone’s first visual impression. That is, until they got a whiff of his scent.

Overwhelmingly alpha. That was the scent of an alpha meant to lead. Yuu had only met a handful of alphas who exerted such a presence and scent in their lifetime. The last had been back at the botanical garden with that Savanaclaw beastman named Leona, but even his had been more muted and laidback compared to this. It was like comparing the calm but steady scent of a warm desert -deadly but sedated for the moment- to the burning intensity of the sun above.

Yuu fought to keep from covering their nose as Riddle Rosehearts greeted his dorm residents. They felt like they were watching a procession of a king greeting his peasants. Or perhaps a queen would be more fitting considering the context. Regardless, it took all of Yuu’s willpower not to turn away to get away from the scent, their inner omega preening to come out and greet such a powerful alpha.

“Yuu? Are you okay?” Grim asked, tugging at their pants.

They just nodded at the little feline, not daring to speak at that moment. Meanwhile Cater was explaining the Queen of Heart’s decree of formal wear while Ace and Deuce admired their new duds. Trey and Riddle were discussing the party in the distance, admiring the various decorations that met expected standards. Something about jam on a doormouse's nose? Yuu couldn’t say because their brain was still swirling at the sudden introduction of Riddle’s overwhelming scent.

Riddle must’ve been putting out the scent purposefully and Yuu slowly realized why. The only people who would be adversely affected by an alpha displaying their dominance through scent was omegas. And as far as any of them were concerned, everyone here was an alpha or a beta. Considering omegas haven’t been common in their society for centuries now, they likely didn’t have the same decorum of keeping your alpha scent contained like they did in Yuu’s world. No alpha there would dare go around in public flaunting their scent like Riddle was currently doing. And it was making Yuu dizzy.

“I think I need to sit down,” they managed to choke out.

Grim made a noise of concern but followed them to a table anyways. As much as the fiery feline liked to profuse that he was independent and powerful and that Yuu was his servant, he was actually quite dependent on Yuu’s presence. Likely finding some subconscious comfort in Yuu’s suppressed omegan scent. Yuu suspected that the cat was far younger than he let on too. Likely still a child by human standards.

Grim only grumbled a little when Yuu plucked him up from beneath his arms and pulled the feline into their lap, burying their face into his soft warm fur. The cat also had that comforting unpresented scent that all children had beneath that cat smell of his. Like the scent of warm milk. It had an immediately calming effect. A balm to the agitation Riddle’s pheromones was causing.

It was when they finally felt like they were feeling normal again that Riddle’s enraged voice suddenly cut through the entire crowd.

“Rule number 562 as decreed by her highness The Queen of Hearts herself,” Riddle shouted. “One must never bring a chestnut tart to an Unbirthday Party. You dare insult me to my face in such a manner and ruin a perfectly good unbirthday party?”

Yuu glanced up to see Ace’s shocked but slowly growing enraged face

“Excuse me-” Ace sputtered indignantly. “I’m trying to apologize here. How is that even a real rule-”

Riddle scoffed. “As expected of a blatant rule breaker. There are exactly 810 decrees by The Queen and as head of Heartslabyul I have them all memorized by heart and hold all others of this dorm to the same standard. Anything less would be offensive and impermissible.” He clapped his hands together and two upperclassmen quickly rushed to his side. “Dispose of this insulting tart and have the rule breakers thrown out.”

“Whoa whoa whoa!” Grim protested from Yuu’s lap. “If you’re just gonna toss it, let me eat it!”

Ace looked just about to explode when Trey stepped in front of him, holding an arm out to tell him to stand back. “My apologies, Dorm Leader.” He began, “it was my fault. It was I who suggested making a chestnut tart. I’ll take full responsibility-”

Riddle waved him off impatiently, face scrunched up in anger. “It doesn’t matter who made the tart. What matters is that it was brought here today! Right now! That’s the issue!”

Ace, Deuce, and Grim all began loudly protesting when the two upperclassmen started to take the tart away. Yuu watched the entire scene unfold with disbelief. They thought of how much time they had spent the day before making that tart… Time that Yuu couldn’t spare but did so anyway for their friends sake because some asshole alpha couldn’t handle any perceived slight to his authority.

Fury clawed up Yuu’s throat and quelled the preening omega within them. They stood up abruptly, still careful to deposit Grim safely onto the chair as they did so, and faced Riddle with a glare. “How can you prioritize such a stupid rule over all the effort they put into making that tart for you!”

For the first time that morning, the powerful alpha’s attention was turned solely onto them.

“Stupid…?” Came the slow and dangerous reply.

Yuu heard Cater bemoaning the response and begging them to just step down but refused to break eye contact with Riddle.

“Yes, stupid. ” Yuu emphasized, undeterred. Without Grim’s soft milk scent to calm them, Riddle’s overwhelming alpha was starting to make them dizzy again but their anger helped to keep their mind clear. “Do you have any idea how long everyone worked to make that tart yesterday? All so Ace could give you a proper apology! Yet all you can do is scold him for some asinine rule that no one here but you even knows, much less cares about!”

“A beta has no right to talk to me like that,” Riddle sneered. “Have-”

“They’re right though!” Ace cut in. “Throwing away a whole tart just because of one stupid rule is literally insane.”

“As much as I hate to agree with Ace, he’s right,” Deuce said, crossing his arms. “I agree that we need to follow rules but aren’t rules meant to… Help people? I don’t see how this rule helps anyone.”

Riddle rolled his eyes. “Faulty logic of lawless fools. Rules and structure are necessary for order and peace. If even one rule is broken or allowed an exception, it all goes down the drain. Chaos is a ladder and rule breaking begets rule breaking, no matter how ‘asinine’ you personally consider the rule.”

There was nervous and halfhearted agreement from everyone else at the party, though it was clearly more motivated by fear than any real belief in the sentiment. Clear to everyone but Riddle that is.

“You see?” Riddle asked with a haughty sneer. “It is only you four who seem unable to grasp the crux of the situation.”

It all went downhill from there. Yuu stewed silently in anger but quickly realized that arguing with the arrogant alpha wasn't going to accomplish anything. Their companions on the other hand were somewhat less perceptive than that. Especially Ace who launched into an angry torrent of arguments with Grim’s occasional quip to back him up. It was only when the tart was being actively thrown into the trash can that all three got right up into the Housewarden’s face. Yuu watched as Riddle’s complexion took on a fire engine red hue.

“OFF WITH YOUR HEADS!”

There was a flash of light and the scent of roses and strawberries and when Yuu looked again Deuce and Grim were sporting identical collars to the one around Ace’s neck. More loud protesting erupted from the pack as other dorm members moved in to escort their group out.

A large warm hand fell onto Yuu’s shoulder in a firm but gentle grasp.

“I’m truly sorry about this, Yuu,” Trey said with a sigh as he began gently pushing them towards the exit of the maze garden. “I’m sure Riddle will calm down in a few days. We can try again then.”

Despite his reassurance and genuine regretful tone, Yuu still glared up at the Vice housewarden. “You need to talk to him. This isn’t right. It’s your job.”

Trey’s expression tightened and his eyes seemed to flinch away from the accusation. But he only sighed again and shook his head. “I really am sorry. But I can’t go against Riddle’s word. I wish I could.”

Exasperated, Yuu pulled themself free from Trey’s hold and turned on the beta furiously. “You can! You just won’t!”

“Trey’s right, sweetheart,” Cater’s voice came from their right. He held a squirming Grim under one arm. “He’s our Housewarden. You’re asking the impossible of us.”

Yuu took Grim from him, the feline immediately calming upon being in Yuu’s hold again. Yuu rubbed his back soothingly as they glared at the two cowardly betas. Both of them had identical guilty expressions but neither made any move to rectify the situation or say anything more. Neither could even meet their eyes directly. So with a disappointed scoff, Yuu turned on their heel and marched out to join up with Ace and Deuce who were waiting at the entrance with sour expressions.

Yuu sighed when they finally reached the two, all the anger draining out of their body and leaving them feeling tired. The last several days had just been stress upon stress upon stress. But the day wasn’t over yet.

They’d better rush back home to prepare a spare room now that it seemed they would be hosting yet another Hearstlabyul student.

~*~

Embarrassed at the collars around their necks, dinner was had in the Ramshackle common room. Yuu agreed to pick up everyone’s dinner from the cafeteria if the boys did their part by dusting and straightening out the lounge. There was some expected grumbling but they all eventually agreed and Yuu set out for their dinner. If they had to pick their favorite thing about NRC it would’ve been the cafeteria which was always serving a shockingly diverse spread of choices. And everything was always delicious.

When they’d returned with three boxes of chips and hot pastrami sandwiches (and a can of premium tuna from Sam’s) Yuu was pleasantly surprised to find that the boys had done a fairly decent job. The table was clean and the chairs and couches free of dust and the fireplace was even lit with a homely crackling fire. Looking at Ramshackle like this, Yuu could actually see the future potential of the dorm and it helped lift their spirits somewhat.

As they ate together (and after playing a few rounds of Old Maid to Ace’s insistence) they discussed how they should proceed from there. Especially considering that strange visit from that cat beastman earlier that afternoon. Chenya was their name if Yuu remembered correctly.

“It seems obvious to me that we should be tracking down Trey and asking him about this,” Deuce said. He tugged at the magic-inhibiting collar around his neck, “I cannot go through the entire school year like this.”

“I just don’t see how knowing what made Riddle such an uptight tyrant is going to help us,” Ace groused. “I bet the stupid alpha has had his entire life handed to him on a silver platter. I know the exact kind. They think they’re better than everyone else because they were biologically born to lead.”

Yuu was surprised that the familiar sentiment was coming from the mouth of another alpha. They themself had many similar thoughts over the years as they came across bold and arrogant alphas. It was more common to deal with those types when you were an omega too. Not that Yuu didn’t think Ace wasn’t a decent alpha, they were just surprised at the insightfulness.

“Whatever it may be, it’s our only lead right now,” Deuce replied. “Besides, maybe Trey knows something from their childhood that’ll help us appeal to Riddle somehow?”

Ace only looked incredulous. “Hah? Don’t you think Trey would’ve said something earlier if he knew?”

Yuu shook their head. “Not necessarily. We only know they’re childhood friends because of that Chenya person. Trey might be keeping it a secret for some reason. And regardless, he did help us. It’s just bad luck that we happened to stumble upon the one tart flavor that’s against the rules.”

“Bad luck? More like cursed,” Ace bemoaned. “If I didn’t know any better I would’ve said Trey set us up, but he’s too much of a straight man to have done that.”

Yuu laughed, “yeah. I don’t think Trey’s the kind of person either. I do think it’s a good idea to find him though. But he’s a third year and we don’t share any classes and we’re also banned from your dorm… Any ideas?”

Deuce murmured something.

“Huh? Speak up dude,” Ace said.

“...the tart book,” Deuce said. “It’s from the library isn’t it? The numbering on it’s binding looks similar to the ones on the biology books you borrowed, Yuu.”

Now that Yuu thought about it, they did remember that the book Trey was using to direct them in baking had a similar numbering adhered to the binding. They hadn’t even realized that Deuce had been paying attention to the books they were reading.

“So if we just stalk the library for a few days, he’s bound to return it eventually right?”

Yuu blinked. That was actually quite brilliant. When they said as much they got to watch as Deuce’s face heated up red and he stuttered that it was nothing. Ace laughed and began to tease the other boy and soon the two were shouting at one another, waking Grim who had fallen asleep in Yuu’s lap. Discussion forgotten and dinner finished, the night once again grew loud with excitement. Yuu could only hope that the ghosts didn’t want to get involved and that they’d be able to get some sleep tonight.

At some point in the evening, they excused themself to the bathroom and took off their jacket and pulled off their left sleeve. Then they carefully peeled back the suppressant pad they’d been wearing for two days now and threw it into the trash. The skin was only slightly pink and irritated from the over usage but nothing compared to that first night in this world.

Slowly, Yuu opened their jacket pocket and looked inside. All the warmth and giddiness at the night’s shenanigans was immediately replaced with a cold and heavy dread. They took out one of the last two pads they still had left and carefully applied it to their scent gland. If they stretched it out they’d have… Four days left at most. Five if they were willing to risk their health.

With a heavy sigh, Yuu turned off the bathroom light and turned in for bed, praying that they’d get one good night of sleep. But with all the worries on their mind they weren’t particularly optimistic.

~*~

“...His parents are quite famous aristocrats,” Trey said two days later. “His father from a long line of aristocracy and his mother… A famous omega.”

Yuu fought back a gasp.

For the past two days Yuu, Ace, Deuce, and Grim had spent every available moment waiting vigil at the library, hoping to spot the green haired beta. The other three were getting very antsy at not having access to their magic for such an extended period of time and were starting to doubt this library plan when they’d finally spotted Trey walking in with a familiar looking baking book under one arm.

They quickly swarmed and cornered him, informing him that they knew he and Riddle were childhood friends. Whether it was due to guilt or the mention of this mysterious Chenya, Trey did finally relent to giving them information on Riddle’s past.

“That makes sense then that Riddle’s mother was probably really strict,” Deuce murmured thoughtfully.

“She was,” Trey confirmed. “From dawn to dusk she planned out every minute of every day of his life. From what he ate, to what he wore, to who his friends were…” At this he looked particularly bitter and Yuu wondered at the history there. “And worst of all, she wanted him to be exactly like her. She firmly believed that Riddle was going to present as an omega like her.”

This time there were gasps, but from Ace and Deuce. Yuu looked at them in confusion.

“I don’t get it,” they said.

“It’s quite simple really,” Trey explained. “I don’t know how it is in your world, but here an omega can only be birthed by an omega. And Lady Rosehearts… Well, she was a proud omega who grew up like most others. In the lap of luxury and highly coveted but always aware of their biological duties growing up. Most omegas have many children over their life but her… Riddle’s birth caused complications. As far as any doctors were concerned, Riddle was the only child she would ever be able to have. It was a very big scandal at the time and a blemish on the Rosehearts family name.”

“Regardless,” he continued. “With Riddle’s physiology, she and the doctors were convinced he would present as an omega as well. And we all know how that went.” Trey’s voice grew dark. “He was her last chance at fulfilling her biological duty of continuing the omegan line. If I had to guess, she blamed him for failing to uphold her impossible standards, even when it came to something uncontrollable like his own biology. If things were bad before, after Riddle presented as an alpha she became far more strict on him. It’s all he’s ever known and I…”

Yuu listened in horror as they heard Trey’s voice break with sorrow.

“... I can’t bring myself to tell him off. I understand that what he’s doing is wrong and I don’t blame you for how you feel, but I just… Can’t.”

It was a harrowing tale. Yuu still couldn’t fully understand since they didn’t have context for how omegas were treated in a society where they were so scarce, but based on the looks of the others around them it was a very serious thing indeed. And if Yuu wasn’t crazy it also sounded like…

… It also sounded like the green haired beta was in love with his childhood friend.

“... Alright,” Ace suddenly said. He was looking at the floor, a shadow falling over his eyes. “So it’s his overbearing parents fault that he grew up the way he did. But…” And suddenly he glared up at Trey, eyes furious. “It’s your fault that he’s still like that today.”

Trey looked gobsmacked at the accusation.

“Sure Riddle didn’t get to pick his parents,” Ace steamrolled ahead. “But you chose to be his friend and you also chose to coddle him and stay silent everytime he did something awful! Is that really something a friend would do?”

“A-ace,” Deuce said in a tight, nervous voice. “Maybe you should tone it down. That’s a little harsh-”

“No!” Ace shouted. “Look at Yuu.” Yuu blinked in surprise at having been suddenly dragged into this conversation. “They give me a lot of heartache all the time and frankly it’s super annoying!” Yuu gave him an unimpressed look, but he just kept forging onwards. “But you know what? Yuu’s a good friend because they don’t let Deuce and Grim and I keep on doing shitty things. They care about us enough to call us out when we’re being assholes! So what about you Trey? How much do you actually care about Riddle if you can’t even-”

“ENOUGH!”

They all jumped in shock at the sudden booming voice. Dire Crowley suddenly appeared in their space looking furious somehow despite the crows mask covering half of his face.

“What are you students doing shouting in the middle of a library!”

Grim hissed at him angrily, “You’re being louder than anyone else here!”

Crowley coughed, “Ah. My apologies. But I must ask you cute kids to take whatever this is outside.” He paused and took a closer look at their sour expressions. “Now now, what’s with the long faces?”

Deuce and Ace took turns explaining to the Headmaster exactly what had transpired over the last several days, with Grim piping in occasionally to embellish the story. Yuu wished they could shut them up as they almost see the gears turning in the eccentric and nosy Headmaster’s head. They just knew whatever convoluted plot he was conjuring up was going to give them much heartache in the near future.

“Eh?! Challenge Riddle for the Housewarden position?!”

Yuu smacked their forehead with their palm and heard Trey’s sympathetic chuckle to their right. Somehow the previous ludicrous suggestion of “simply” transferring dorms was already sounding more appealing. You could always trust Headmaster Crowley to come up with the most headache inducing ideas ever.

“And if you duel, Housewarden Riddle will have to release you from his signature spell so the challenge will be fair,” Crowley chuckled to himself. Yuu glared at him, wondering if the Headmaster was trying to encourage this and what exactly his endgame was for doing so. Yuu just knew they were going to have to clean up this mess when it inevitably blew up in all their faces. No longer a janitor their ass.

“Are you guys actually serious?” Trey asked, voicing Yuu’s exact thoughts. “Even you Deuce?”

Deuce nodded gravely, “Sometimes an alpha’s gotta make a statement. Besides, if I’m going to challenge anyone, it might as well be whoever is at the very top.”

“Very well!” Crowley said cheerfully. “I’ll have all the formalities taken care of by tomorrow! Feel free to make your challenge whenever you want!”

Yuu looked at the Headmaster incredulously. Wasn’t he super duper busy all the time? Isn’t that why he was constantly roping Yuu into his ridiculous ideas and plans and dumping all his bullshit onto them? But now they’re finding that he not only has time to eavesdrop on students but also host a Housewarden challenge whenever?

He better be putting time into researching a way for them to get home, Yuu thought sourly.

~*~

The morning of the challenge was met with clear skies and gentle breezes. But Yuu couldn’t really find it in themself to enjoy it after yet another night of fitful sleep and strange dreams of cards and red queens. Not to mention, they were on their very last suppressant pad and had yet to figure out a solution to their problem.

Well… That wasn’t entirely true. Yuu was hoping that after Ace and Deuce inevitably lost their duels and they actually got around to talking things out with Riddle Rosehearts like civilized adults, they would get to ask Riddle a bit about his mother. If Riddle was raised as an omega, maybe he’d have some idea of how Yuu could handle their looming predicament.

It was probably a long shot, but frankly Yuu didn’t have any better ideas

To everyone in the Ramshackle dorm’s surprise they were greeted by an unexpected knock that morning. It was none other than Trey who came to deliver their breakfast with several Caters towing behind him assisting in carrying steaming stacks of waffles and freshly cut fruit.

At Yuu’s questioning glance he just said, “An apology for how everything turned out. Plus, I figured the alphas would need their energy today.”

The waffles were obviously delicious and Trey and Cater had even brought several different bottles of flavored syrups. Yuu had to rush to clear more space in the lounge room for their two extra guests but breakfast was a fairly light and festive affair despite the heavy event looming just ahead of them. While Cater was busy snapping photos of the delicious spread and while the rest were stuffing their faces, Yuu gingerly forced themself to eat one waffle and as many strawberries as their stomach could handle. Which wasn’t much but at least it was something.

The peace offering was happily accepted and everyone was in merry moods. And while Yuu wasn’t completely sure if they’d forgiven Trey for how the upperclassman handled the entire situation, the sincerely sorry look in the tall beta’s eyes and the memory of what he had said to them the other day made their heart melt just a little. They weren’t sure if forgiveness was on the table yet, but friendship surely was.

Besides, the cafeteria that Yuu loved so much didn’t hold a candle to Trey’s mastery in the kitchen even in spite of their inability to really hold down food that day.

Once breakfast was finished and they broke down the set up, the entire group of six made their way back to the Heartslabyul dormitory and rose garden maze. Energy was high especially in Ace and Deuce who were both hyping each other up for the upcoming challenges. They quieted down a bit when they emerged from the mirror and saw Headmaster Crowley waiting for them near the entrance of the maze. Further on in the bright red head of Riddle Rosehearts could be seen already waiting for them to arrive.

“At least you’re capable of being on time,” Riddle had commented snidely which immediately set Ace and Deuce off. Their anger, however, did nothing to rattle Riddle’s seemingly unflappable demeanor. He merely scoffed at their childish taunts and implied that he wanted to get this over with as soon as possible, making it clear that he was taking this challenge about as seriously as a lion took a kitten.

There was a brief moment of joy and relief when Riddle was forced to remove the inhibitor collars from their necks though. Grim grumbled sourly from Yuu’s shoulder and they had to fight back a laugh to avoid angering the prickly feline. The moment of respite was short lived however when not even three seconds after Crowley shattered the mirror signaling the challenge beginning it was already over.

“OFF WITH YOUR HEADS!”

Clean. Efficient. Effective. Ace and Deuce both looked shocked at the collars once again around their necks. They hadn’t even had time to get a single spell out and it was already over. Yuu wanted to say they felt sorry for them but they honestly hadn’t expected a different outcome. They just hoped there would be an opportunity now to maturely discuss.

“Hmph,” Riddle scoffed. “You dared to challenge me with such mediocracy? Aren’t you embarrassed? It’s like I’ve always known. Those who flaunt their rulebreaking are destined for inadequacy. My mother was right.”

At Ace and Deuce’s expressions, Yuu’s hope of a mature discussion was very quickly going down the drain.

A low furious rumble came from Deuce as he clenched his fist.

“You’re nothing but a tyrant!” He finally shouted. “A tyrant who hides behind his excuse of following rules!”

With a single glance at Riddle’s expression Yuu knew that all hope was lost.

“A tyrant?” He asked incredulously. “Those who break the rules are meant to be punished . I am merely upholding that reality. And in this dorm I am the law. Those they do not obey deserve to have their heads removed.”

“So what? If you say jump off a bridge, am I just supposed to blindly follow such a ridiculous rule too?” Deuce snapped.

Riddle scoffed, “If that is what needs to be done! The law is the ultimate authority. Society cannot function without rules. We learn this as children. I hate to know what kind of horrid childhood you had to be so lacking in such basic education. I can only assume your parents are to blame for your shoddy education. No doubt lawless riffraffs themselves.”

Yuu gasped and watched as Deuce’s face turned pale as a sheet to burning red in less than a second. They’d remembered him telling them about his mother and how she worked so hard to care for him and his own insecurities about how his behavior reflected on her. Riddle may not know it but he had stumbled upon a deadly landmine.

“Riddle-” They began, about to demand he apologize to Deuce when an orange blur interrupted them.

“Gahhh!”

Everyone in the clearing gasped as they watched Ace land a solid punch to Riddle’s face. Headmaster Crowley made a strangled noise at the sight.

“You shut the hell up!” Ace yelled. “You have no idea what you’re talking about! Deuce is twice the alpha you are so don’t you dare insult his mother!”

“A-Ace?” Deuce stuttered, shocked.

Riddle held his nose, eyes wide with shock. “You- You hit me.”

“I don’t give a fuck anymore,” Ace said. “About this stupid challange or about your stupid rules or your dumb childhood. So you had an obsessive and over controlling mother? So what! You’re a bastard today because you chose to be a tyrannical bastard. No matter how hard your childhood was, it’s your own damn fault for behaving the way you do now! And I’m tired of you and everyone around you making excuses because of that!”

“What exactly are you trying to say…” Riddle snapped dangerously.

“Exactly what it sounds like,” Ace snapped back. “All you have to say is ‘mama this’ and ‘mama that’. Well guess what? Children aren’t their parents! Learn to think for your damn self and take responsibility for your own actions! You’re no exalted ruler! You’re just a whiny wannabe baby who happens to be good at magic!”

The entire clearing fell silent. Yuu felt their skin begin to prickle and the hair on the back of their head standing on end. They couldn’t see Riddle’s face now as he had turned to look at the grass but they felt something sharp in the air. A static charge growing in intensity. Like there was something horrible looming just beyond the horizon yet unseen. They felt themself frown and stiffen up in anxiety, tightening their grip on Grim.

“A baby…?”

Riddle’s voice sent a shock running through Yuu and they nearly buckled at the tone. They had only heard this type of voice used once before and it horrified them that they were hearing it now. 

Alpha Command. Riddle’s tone was speckled with it, not yet fully realized but enough to shake Yuu’s omegan instincts.

“Yes, a whining baby ,” Ace taunted, unaware of the danger that was so clear to Yuu in the atmosphere.

“You have no idea what you’re saying,” Riddle said, his voice tight. “My mother was right. Which means I am right! All of you need to just get in line and OBEY or I’ll have ALL OF YOUR HEADS-”

Something white flew across the clearing and smashed into Riddle’s head with a gooey splat. Egg shells and raw egg chunks ran down through his hair. Everyone was too shocked to move. Yuu couldn’t see where the egg had come from and no one stepped up to claim responsibility.

“Now now!” Headmaster Crowley shouted hastily. “This is most unprofessional! The challenge is over seeing as the challenger has used physical force and is thus disqualified! There is no need for such-”

“The new kid is right!” Someone in the crowd shouted. “I’ve had enough of Riddle’s madness! I can’t take it anymore!”

“That’s right! Why should we have to put up with having him as our Housewarden!” Someone else yelled.

More and more voices began to join in the onslaught. Angry and dissatisfied and disgruntled students all joining in one loud cacophony of protests. Weeks of pent up resentment all pouring out at once with no hope of stopping now that the pressurized keg had finally exploded.

In all of this Riddle was just standing there silent. Yuu hadn’t taken their eyes off the Housewarden for one second. Their heightened omegan senses telling them that something very very bad was about to happen but their feet were glued to the ground.

“Heh… hahaha…” A low chuckle came from the alpha and slowly grew in volume and intensity. In a few moments the entire clearing had fallen silent again and Riddle finally threw his head back, his laugh manic and his eyes crazed. “Hahahahahaha! You can’t handle it? You think you have it so HARD?”

His head snapped forwards, his eyes wide with madness and Yuu flinched back in fear. “ I’m the one who can’t handle it anymore! It doesn’t matter what I do! Instruct you. Punish you. Take your heads off! No matter how much I try, you all just keep breaking the rules!”

“Riddle…” Trey worriedly said as he took a step towards his friend.

“Very well then!” Riddle continued. “If no one here will listen to what I have to say, then I will just have ALL OF YOUR HEADS!”

At the first instance of a true Alpha Voice Yuu’s knees did finally buckle, the omega in them demanding that they submit before a dominating alpha. Grim let out a yell of surprise when Yuu jolted forward and caught themself on their hands and knees in the grass gasping for air. All around them screams were filling the air as sparks of magic flew from Riddle. People ran for dear life as the manic Housewarden began collaring anyone and everyone in sight.

“Stop this at once Mr. Rosehearts!” Crowley shouted over the chaos.

“Yuu? Are you okay?” Grim hopped down from their shoulder and rushed to their side, paws pushing them in concern. “Somebody! Hey! Something is wrong with Yuu!”

But no one heard the little feline over everything. Hearstlabyul students were running like headless chickens trying to get away from their rampaging Housewarden. Cater and Trey were trying to talk Riddle down but he couldn’t seem to hear them in his mania. Even Deuce and Ace were too busy focusing on Riddle. No one but Grim noticed that Yuu had collapsed and was struggling to breath amidst the heavy scent of an angry alpha in the air.

“Riddle, you have to stop using magic!” Trey shouted. “You’re going to overblot!”

“You too, Trey?” Riddle yelled. “You also want to tell me how wrong I am?!”

The air in the maze became even more suffocating. What was a bright and sunny day just mere minutes ago had suddenly become dark and gloomy. Yuu’s mind was spinning but even through the dizziness and the lack of air, they could feel the patch on their neck burning. Their omega straining to come out to appease the alpha. They had never been subjected to such biological warfare before in their life. No alpha in their world would ever dare to lose control like this, especially in the presence of omegas.

“I AM ABSOLUTELY CORRECT!”

For a moment it felt as if all air had been sucked from the atmosphere.

When they opened their eyes again (they didn’t even realize they had closed it), Yuu found that they had collapsed completely to the ground. All of their limbs felt like they had been sapped of all energy and Yuu struggled to look back up at Riddle. But when they did they almost wished they hadn’t.

Riddle was… Different.

Darker.

His eyes, which had been a soothing shade of gray before, were now crimson red and glowing with an eerie malevolent light. And pouring from his entire being was a thick dark aura. Behind him was the terrifying visage of a shadowy queen that struck Yuu with a familiarity despite their dizziness. It’s head was a glass container that spilled ink as dark as night. It shared an uncanny resemblance to a particular ink monster they had encountered not too long ago.

Headmaster Crowley was sobbing with horror, “Oh what a mess! I’ve allowed a student to overblot right before me!”

That term too sounded familiar but Yuu couldn’t think of it because something more pressing suddenly made itself apparent to them.

There was another scent in the air clashing with the powerful and furious alpha that permeated the atmosphere.

It was the bitter scent of an omega in distress.

A scent coming from them.

The others were already forming a plan to deal with berserker Riddle. Crowley said something and started herding students towards the exit while Trey, Cater, Ace, and Deuce all stayed behind and faced Riddle. Meanwhile, Yuu frantically covered their neck with their hands, face pale with horror.

“Yuu?” Grim, who was still by their side, asked slowly in confusion. “What… What’s that smell?”

The others were shouting now, running circles around Riddle and dodging his magical attacks. Whatever they were doing in retaliation though seemed to have little to no effect. In the next minute all four were sent flying backwards with a dark flash of magic, followed by the scent of decaying roses and fresh ink.

There was a thump and grunt near Yuu. With their distressed omega so near the surface of their mind, the sound terrified them and sent them scrambling back in the grass. They looked and saw that it was Trey who had been sent flying by dark Riddle. He groaned and sat up, shaking his head. Then he paused, took a sniff, and his head snapped over to where Yuu was, the beta’s eyes wide with shock.

“You’re-” He began.

“What’s this I smell?” Riddle’s voice suddenly boomed. Yuu’s eyes were forced to tear away from Trey’s and to look upon the alpha who was commanding the scene. His crimson eyes met them and for the first time they truly saw them. “An omega… The Red Queen’s decree number 682: All unmated omegas must be presented before the ruler upon entry to the kingdom. Why has this omega failed to be presented before me?”

Yuu could only watch in horror as the alpha drifted closer to where they were. He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep sniff of the air and then exhaled in satisfaction. Yuu whimpered.

“Come here, omega.”

Against their wishes, Yuu’s body began to move at the alpha’s command. They stood and walked towards Riddle Rosehearts.

Notes:

I hope you enjoyed this! This story has been stuck in my brain NONE STOP FOR 4 DAYS NOW AND DEMANDED TO BE WRITTEN. And this chapter just WOULD NOT END ASDFGHJ":JASKLHFOENOIJND. Hopefully the next one doesn't run away with me like chapter 1 did (10k??? WTF. somehow I don't think I'll be so lucky next time either).

I only started playing Twisted Wonderland like a week ago and I'm already hyper-fixated. Maybe that will mean a chapter in the near future??? Who knows! Only my adhd does :)

But I do hope you enjoyed this. Please leave a comment below letting me know what you think! Also, if I do continue this i'll probably put up a poll or something on whether or not ya'll want smut in this story or not. It's rated T for now but I can bump that up if there's interest. Let me know below if you'd like to share an opinion now :)))

Chapter 2

Notes:

Wanted to get this out for those of you who were upset with the cliffhanger (LOL sorry not sorry). It's unbeta'd so I apologize for any mistakes. It's about 1 am right now for me so I'll probably do some more proof reading over the next few days. For now I'm just going to upload this. Please enjoy!

“Come here, omega.”

Fear struck through their heart like a bolt of cold ice. Yuu’s body stood and moved towards Riddle Rosehearts like a doll being puppeteered with strings. Invisible thorny vines that wrapped around each of their limbs and jerked them forwards without care for the will of their master. Inside they were screaming for their body to stop but it was as if it was no longer their own. It belonged to the alpha to command as he pleased now.

The closer they drew to Riddle the stronger and more potent the scent of decaying roses grew. Had Yuu been in control of their own motion they would’ve covered their nose and gagged. The very air itself was saturated with alpha dominance and pressing in on them from every side, suffocating their lungs and clouding their thoughts. The world  grew dim around them with only a pin point of clarity where Riddle stood floating just yards ahead of them.

“Riddle! Stop this!” A voice shouted from behind them. It took everything in Yuu to process the sound and remember that the voice belonged to Trey. “You’re going to kill yourself if you keep using magic like this!”

“Silence!” Riddle ordered. “I won’t hear another word out of any of you. I’ll deal with you insubordinate pests soon enough. For now…” His crimson eyes narrowed at Yuu, “... I must greet my omega.”

His omega , Yuu’s inner omega preened. He called us his omega! Such a capable alpha has claimed us!

Shut up! Yuu mentally snapped at their mindless base instincts. It didn’t matter how fluttery Riddle’s words unwillingly inspired in their stomach and chest, Yuu knew better than to trust this situation.

“Leave my servant alone!”

A dark black and blue shape darted past Yuu. Heat and fire swirled around the figure then shot right towards Riddle. The enraged Housewarden yelled out in fury and made a sweeping gesture with his hands. Large thorny roots erupted from the ground, dark red roses flourishing along its stems as it grew, and intercepted Grim’s path. For a moment, Yuu’s inner omega ceased it’s preening and felt nothing but terror at the sight of their cub being put in danger. Grim let out a yowl of alarm and ducked out of the way at the last moment, missing the threatening thorns by mere inches. He hissed angrily and ran out of time to duck another explosion of dark magic and decaying roses.

“OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!”

A collar wrapped itself around Grim’s throat, clicking shut. But in the next second it dissolved into an array of prismatically colored card symbols. Riddle let out another furious growl at the sight.

“You still oppose me, Trey?!” He shouted, turning on his friend sharply, voice booming and distorted with dark magic.

“You need to calm down, Riddle!” Trey yelled. Even through the fuzziness of their thoughts, Yuu could make out the obvious and deep layer of hurt and heartache that resonated through every syllable. “I can’t lose you again! You’re hurting everyone around you! You’re hurting yourself!”

“The only ones hurting me are all of you insubordinate hypocrites!” Riddle laughed. “I provide an orderly and safe home for all you ungrateful whelps and I’m repaid with a coup! To have everything I have ever worked for and provided thrown back in my face! Well no more. If you won’t obey on your own volition then I’ll make you obey. ”

Magic exploded from each as Yuu continued to obey the command and walk towards Riddle. Anything the alpha threw at Trey the beta would counter by dissolving it into colorful symbols with his signature spell. They were met at a stalemate but it was clear who was tiring faster between the two.

“Yuu! Stop!” Grim shouted from the sidelines, still being buffeted back by writhing vines.

“What are they doing?” Ace shouted, coming up behind the feline, Deuce jogging up not far behind him. “What’s happening?”

Yuu desperately wanted to answer their friends but the Alpha Command was very clear. They were to go to Riddle and their body did so with a single minded determination. But they didn’t need to answer as Trey’s voice pierced through the chaos for them.

“Yuu is an omega!” He shouted, rebuffing another one of Riddle’s manic attacks. Sweat poured down the beta’s face in rivers and his legs shook as he desperately tried to keep up with the endless barrage of fire and plant magic. “They’re being forced to obey Riddle’s Alpha Voice!”

“What?!” Ace shouted in disbelief. “How can that be-”

There was a pause. Now that they were aware of and had time to focus on it there was a strange foreign scent in the air. Saccharine and comforting. The aroma of dark chocolate, parchment, and hyacinths but tinged with the bitterness of mugwort. A scent they had never experienced before but knew instinctively what it was on a biological level. A distressed omega. And it was coming from Yuu.

“How-” Deuce began but was cut off by Ace tackling him out of the way of a rampaging vine. It tore up the ground just where they had been standing a second before. They two landed and rolled onto their feet, but their eyes were still pinned to Yuu.

Yuu finally came to a stop beneath Riddle. His attention was still caught on Trey as he slung spell after spell at the beta. With words unavailable to them, Yuu let out a pathetic chirrup to get the alpha’s attention. With all the chaos around them, leaves and vines and spells flying around, Yuu couldn’t deny that being this close to the alpha, in the calm eye of the storm, was comforting. They wanted nothing more than to bury their face into his clothes and shut out the rest of the world and allow the alpha to take care of them.

But that was just the omega talking.

At their chirrup Riddle finally glanced down at them. For a second his features seemed to soften, gentled by the presence of an omega in need of protection. He cupped their cheek in one hand and Yuu couldn’t help but lean into the touch, eyes fluttering shut.

“To think such a treasure was hiding in plain sight,” he murmured to them. The warbling of his voice and booming echo was still present, but here Yuu could almost hear Riddle’s normal voice. “You wouldn’t disobey me, would you? Couldn’t even if you wanted to. I don’t even need to collar you to make you obey .”

Yuu whined at the Alpha Voice and at the insinuation that he wanted to collar them.

But a blast of fire to his side ripped his attention from them once more, all softness dissipated with it. Riddle let out a ferocious growl and snapped his head over to where Ace he casted the spell at him. The other alpha looked terrified but there was a determined look in his eyes still.

“Leave Yuu alone, you tyrant!”

“I’ve had enough of you insubordinate pests !” Riddle boomed. “I will deal with the rest of you errant children in due time.” He raised both his hands into the air and the ground began to shake. In their hazy state, the sudden tremors frightened Yuu and they instinctively lurched forwards and wrapped their arms around Riddle’s waist, burying their face into his torso.

All around them thick impenetrable vines began to sprout up out of the ground, encircling the two. Shouts of alarm came from those on the other side who were quickly becoming cut off. They rushed forward but could do nothing as long sharp thorns and roses began sprouting all across the wall of vines repelling them back. They could only watch helplessly as it began to swallow up all vision of Riddle and Yuu.

“Yuu!” Trey’s voice pierced through the deafening rumble of the roots and the groaning and snapping of the foliage, exhaustion clear in his tone. “You have to calm him down! Remember what I told you! Please! Please save him!”

It was the last thing Yuu heard from the outside as they were swallowed in darkness; only Riddle’s burning red gaze to light up the dark. His dark aura spilling and swallowing up everything else leaving them in a pitch black abyss.

What did Trey mean by remember? Remember what? Riddle’s childhood? Something else Yuu’s addled mind couldn’t hope to remember? They vaguely remembered Trey mentioning that if Riddle kept using magic in this state (overblot?) he was going to die. Were they going to die here too? In the dark and an unfathomable distance from everything they’ve ever known and loved? In a world wholly unfamiliar to them?

And yet… Not everything was unfamiliar was it? They spoke the same language. Ate similar foods. Had similar technology despite the mystifying existence of magic. Here alphas and betas and omegas existed. Here Yuu’s own biology could be affected and commanded by others just as it could in their own world. There existed in this world the Alpha Voice.

“Alone at last , omega ,” Riddle murmured to them in the dark. He ran his hand through their hair, brushing it out of their face. His voice was soft now but still filled with mania. His magic and his alpha had taken over. Something tickled at the back of Yuu’s hazy thoughts. Something important.

“Such a good omega for me, treasure,” he told them. “Made specially to obey. Made specially for me . ” Yuu whined as he continued to brush their hair. It had been a long time since an alpha had done so for them. Not since the last time their mother had groomed them as a child.

It was so comforting. How strange that in a place so foriegn and in a situation so dire, their basest instincts could still be soothed by mere biology. The tickling at the back of their mind grew stronger.

Yuu’s eyes snapped open with sudden clarity.

Sensing the sudden change in them, Riddle's hand froze. He gazed at them with curious and manic eyes, a smile tugging at his blackened lips. “What is it, treasure?” Yuu shifted so they were looking right up into his face. Fear was still present but it was more muted now in the face of their sudden realization and determination. Riddle watched with rapt attention as Yuu disentangled their arms from around his waist and slowly brought them up to his face.

Yuu’s fingertips pressed against his soft cheeks and they cupped his face with both their palms. It took a second more for Riddle’s eyes to widen with his own realization, but before he could push them away Yuu forced their own omega closer to the surface of their mind and pushed.

If Riddle’s alpha could affect them in this world it only stood up to reason that they too could affect him back.

After all, an omega was not a pointless helpless creature. And their biology was a two way street.

Riddle could do nothing as Yuu forced an ephemeral bond to open up between the two of them.

~*~

In all of Yuu’s many years of life they had only formed an ephemeral bond once before. It had been when they were still a teen and had gotten into a hurtful argument with their then significant other. Yuu could no longer remember what they had really been arguing about but the hurt feelings had run deep for each, and neither were fully to blame as was often the nature of young love. The alpha, who had been their close friend for many years and who Yuu had once thought they would grow up to mate, hadn’t spoken to them in weeks and it had been tearing them apart.

When sobbing to their father he had made a suggestion to them, advice that had gotten him and Yuu’s mother over their own relationship issues. He suggested to them that they perform an ephemeral bond.

Unlike a mating bond and as its name suggested, an ephemeral bond was fleeting and impermanent. It allowed people to open up their minds to one another and see into their hearts. It was something only omegas were capable of doing and was a deeply intimate act.

Under supervision and with the consent of all parties involved it could be a very beautiful and bonding event. Yuu and their longtime friend and significant other had agreed to do so while Yuu’s omega father oversaw it. It had been eye opening and many tears had been shed that day. They had made up. And while they did eventually decide to no longer see each other a year later the two have remained very close friends since.

But that had been a consensual exchange. Hearts opening up to one another. What Yuu was currently doing was forcing an ephemeral bond onto Riddle. In any other situation they would never have considered doing so. In fact, it was a heavily punishable offense under the law if an omega was found to have done it on an unwilling participant without due cause, equal  under the law to an Alpha abusing their alpha command. A forced ephemeral bond could be a very dangerous thing under the wrong circumstances and it was by far one of the most invasive things an omega could subject to an alpha.

But this wasn’t any other situation. Riddle’s life was in danger if Trey was to be believed. And Yuu did believe him. The fear and desperation and heartbreak in his voice was sincere and heart wrenching. Riddle too was hurting and broken in a way Yuu could not see from the outside. His alpha lashing out in anguish and hurting everyone around him as well as himself. No one lost control like Riddle has unless they were truly hurting inside. And while Yuu had only known Trey and Riddle for a few days and had no responsibility to either of them, something inside them desperately wanted to help them and repair whatever had been broken so long ago.

This bonding process was unlike anything Yuu had ever experienced before. It was completely different from the last time they had performed one. It felt like crawling through a thick growth of thorny vines trying desperately to keep them out. It was painful in a metaphysical sense and mentally taxing, but Yuu knew that if they gave up now Riddle’s life (and possibly their own) would be forfeit. Determination in the face of strife kept them pushing forward, ignoring the thorns that dug into their flesh as they fought their way into the deepest part of Riddle’s heart.

The stench of ink and decaying roses was overwhelming the deeper they forged ahead but soon something else began to dance across their senses. Something sweet and lovely growing stronger with every step.

Strawberries.

Yuu took another step forward and suddenly found themself stepping into empty air. They couldn’t even gasp as they were sent plunging into darkness, the thorny hedge above them disappearing fast into the distance.

And then they collapsed onto something soft and bounced once. Twice. Heart still pounding in their chest, Yuu laid there for a moment just to catch their breath. Their hands wandered the softness of what they laid on and they realized they had landed on a bed. The world snapped into focus around them and Yuu saw that they were in a room.

“Come on, Riddle!”

Yuu sat up with a start. The motion would’ve normally made them dizzy but in this dream-like world their senses were clear and aware. Across the room (which they could now see was spot-less and organized, shelves dotted with neatly lined books) Yuu could see a smaller figure leaning out an open window. It was his red hair that gave him away.

Riddle Rosehearts.

“Shh! I’ll be out in a second!” Younger Riddle whisper-shouted. “Be more quiet or my mother will hear!”

There was a delighted laugh from outside, quieter this time, and Yuu watched as Riddle turned on his heel, a giddy smile on his blushing face. He looked to be around thirteen.

About the time most children present, Yuu realized. I wonder what memory this is?

As memory Riddle rushed around what was presumably his room gathering miscellaneous things, there was a sudden strong gust of wind from the open window. It was so strong it made Yuu flinch back for a second yet they realized that the wind didn’t seem to affect anything else in the room, only themself. They watched with rapt attention as the window seemed to distort and expand to swallow the world, the sunlight from outside growing so blindingly bright that Yuu was forced to close their eyes.

The wind died down and a gentle breeze caressed their face.

When Yuu opened their eyes again they were no longer in young Riddle’s room, but standing on a grassy hill. Green and golden fields stretched out in the distance in something that looked straight out of a ghibli film, with clear blue skies and silhouetted mountains on the horizon; it was a gorgeous day out. Yuu kept looking around and finally their gaze came to rest on a large tree at the top of the hill. Three little figures gathered beneath it, lounging on a checkered blanket, a basket between them all.

As they approached the tree the conversation between the three grew clearer and Yuu suddenly realized that they recognized the other two boys in the memory.

Sitting to the far right was a child with lavender hair and similar cat ears; it was Chenya.

And sitting right between Chenya and Riddle was a familiar head of green hair. Even back then he was wearing glasses and his smile and gaze was just as warm and kind as Yuu knew in the present day. Trey Clover was laughing freely with Riddle and Chenya.

“... brought something from my family’s bakery!”

Riddle’s eyes widened in surprise. He blushed, “Y-you didn’t have to bring me anything!” He ducked his head bashfully and even now Yuu could recognize proper omegan manners in his body language. He really was raised to be an omega.

“You think too lowly of us, Red,” young Chenya teased. “Of course we’d bring something to celebrate your birthday ksksksks~” His tail waved around in mischief. “And by us… Of course I mean Trey.”

Trey coughed into his fist, his face red. “Also I made it for you myself. It would be a waste not to give it to you.”

“Trey…” Was all Riddle could say in reply.

Trey opened and gingerly reached into the basket between them and carefully pulled something out. Yuu watched as the young boy set a gorgeous looking strawberry tart onto the picnic blanket. The strawberries on top were glistening like perfect rubies and glazed with a red sauce and each was nestled in a dollop of cream. They were set in a slightly skewed circle but given Trey’s age in the memory Yuu was impressed nonetheless.

It seemed Riddle was as well because he gasped in delight and to Yuu’s alarm tears began to fill his big gray eyes.

Trey made a noise of alarm as he waved his hands around uselessly. “W-why are you crying? I-I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to make you cry! Do you not like strawberries?!”

Young Riddle hiccuped then laughed through his tears. He brushed them away with the back of his hand but it was clear the young boy was still overwhelmed with emotion. “It’s not that! It’s just- I… I can’t believe you remembered… this… This is the best day of my life.” He let out another uncontrollable sob but was grinning all the while. Yuu felt their heart throb at the sight.

Trey still looked uncomfortable at having made his friend cry, even if it was tears of joy. All he did was put a hand on Riddle’s back and rubbed circles in a gesture of comfort.

“Yay!” Chenya cheered. “Now let’s dig in before the ants get to it! And then we can play croquet afterward!”

There was another strong gust of wind that made Yuu instinctively close their eyes and shielded their face with an arm. When the wind died down and they looked back up again the sun had moved across the sky, stretching the shadows. The tart was almost entirely gone now and Chenya was nowhere to be seen. It was just Riddle and Trey now, talking softly to each other.

“Trey…” Riddle began.

“Hm?” The other boy hummed.

“I…” Riddle trailed off, his face suddenly becoming flushed. Then, with a deep breath, he quickly said, “WhenIgrowupIwannabeyouromega!” He squeaked and covered his face, curling up into a ball and turning away from Trey who sat up in shock.

“W-what?”

Riddle groaned, “D-don’t make me say it again!”

Yuu saw that Trey was blushing too. Both boys stewed in silence for several seconds before the beta finally broke it.

“Riddle…” He began, voice trailing off with a tone of dejection. “You- You’re a Rosehearts. And I’m just some baker’s son! Plus, I’m a beta. I couldn’t possibly support you like an alpha could-”

“That’s not true at all!” Riddle shouted, suddenly sitting up and facing his friend. “You are so much nicer and better and more wonderful than all the alphas my mother and father have ever introduced me to! I don’t care that you’re a beta! I- I want to spend the rest of my life with you!”

Trey was left speechless. He swallowed and shook his head, face just as red as Riddle’s. “I- I want that too…” Riddle’s face lit up, but only for a moment until Trey continued. “... But your parents will never approve of me. You’re going to be an omega , Riddle. I…”

“I know what my mother says,” Riddle said, cutting Trey off. “But… But she’s wrong. ” Yuu’s eyebrows shot to the top of their forehead. “She hasn’t met you yet! She doesn’t know how… How perfect you are!” Trey’s face grew more red somehow.

“I know if she got the chance to meet you she would see exactly what I see!” Riddle proclaimed. “My mother, she… My mother…” His eyes suddenly widened in shock and terror. “Oh no.” His head snapped up to Trey’s who looked bewildered at the sudden change in mood. “Trey! What time is it-”

“RIDDLE ROSEHEARTS!”

Yuu spun around and saw that a beautiful woman was making her way up the hill. They couldn’t see her face but could tell that it was just as lovely as Riddle’s. The picture of a perfect omega.

But something else caught their eye as well. Something further out in the field behind her; another figure was standing amongst the rolling grass that was slowly being dyed orange by the setting sun. The light caught his crimson hair and Yuu found their feet moving on their own. Yuu and Riddle’s mother walked right past one another as the memory of her continued up the hill shouting and screaming in fury. Young Riddle’s voice could be heard stammering in fear as he tried futilely to explain himself. Meanwhile, Yuu made their way towards where the real Riddle stood waiting for them.

He wasn’t even looking at them when they finally came to a stop before him. He was still staring past Yuu and up towards the tree, a distant and forlorn look in his thankfully gray eyes. Here, without the levitating of dark magic, Yuu stood nearly half a head taller than Riddle. They waited silently until he was ready to speak.

“That was the last time I saw Trey,” Riddle finally said, breaking the silence. “Until Night Raven College of course. But by then everything had changed… I had changed. But Trey… He was still himself. Still kind and selfless. Do you know he greeted me with a smile on the first day of school? As if I hadn’t spent the last four years ignoring his very existence?”

Yuu wanted to say that it wasn’t true. Riddle didn’t actually ignore Trey’s existence. He was only trying to survive the best he could as a child in an impossible situation. But they also knew that this wasn’t their time to speak. No yet at least.

“She was so furious,” Riddle said with a humorless laugh. “I’d never seen her more angry in my life… And when I stupidly tried to explain that I wanted Trey as a mate-” He laughed again. “Well… It doesn’t matter anyhow. I ended up not being an omega and Trey has long since moved on.”

That wasn’t true either but that also wasn’t Yuu’s place to tell him. There was only one person in the world who could divulge that truth.

“And then a week later,” he continued. “When I was starting to think my mother might forgive me for breaking the rules, for eating tarts and skipping my classes, I finally presented. But I didn’t present as an omega like I was supposed to. Mother she… She couldn’t even bring it in herself to yell at me again. And I knew that it was my punishment. My punishment for not following her rules. She was right and this was what I reaped…”

Suddenly his voice broke and Yuu watched as Riddle began to cry. Thick tears rolling down his reddening cheeks. “But I- I just want to know why. What do I need to do? Why does it all hurt so much? Why can’t I have friends? Or eat tarts? Or play croquet on sunny days? What rule do I need to follow to make this unbearable pain go away-!”

Yuu’s body moved on it’s own as they lunged forward and swallowed the smaller alpha up in a hug. They pressed their head down onto his as he began to wail in their arms. Fat tears rolling down his face and soaking into their sleeves. But Yuu continued to hold him with all their might, letting out comforting omega pheromones to remind him that they were here for him.

They stood there in the memory field for what felt like a long time with Yuu simply holding him close and allowing him to cry his heart out. And when it finally seemed like he had let enough out, they said, “You’re allowed to want things. You’re allowed to dream and be your own person. You aren’t your mother. You never were and you never will be.”

Riddle hiccuped and Yuu squeezed him just a bit tighter.

A wave of dizziness passed over Yuu’s head and they knew their time in Riddle’s mind was coming to an end. Their father had warned them of this. Usually, during an ephemeral bond, there was a mediator who stood by to watch over the couple. It was a mentally taxing operation and sometimes it was necessary for an outside party to intervene and end the bonding. However, Yuu couldn’t leave yet. They needed to hold on just a bit longer; for Riddle’s sake.

“But these walls you build around yourself,” they pushed on. They thought of the thorny growth that had tried so hard to keep them at bay, that had wrapped so tightly around Riddle’s heart. “These rules and walls you’ve built so high and tight around you… They not only keep out the people you so desperately want to be with, they’re also squeezing the life out of you. Your own thorns are piercing your heart and you don’t even realize it.”

At last, Yuu felt Riddle’s hands come up behind them and return the hug. He buried his face into their neck and asked, “then what am I supposed to do?”

Yuu smiled into his hair.

“I know it’s scary… But you have to let go. Let the vines crumble to dust.”

For a moment there all was silent.

And then the world around them began to shake. Another wave of dizziness passed over Yuu and they staggered in the dream. But before they could fall, Riddle’s arms around them tightened and he caught their weight. When they looked back at his face it was still wet and red but he was also smiling. They smiled back at him as another wave of darkness passed over their vision. They could no longer tell if the tremors they saw were the result of their own eyes or the dream world around them coming apart.

“Thank you, Yuu.” Was the last thing they heard before darkness took them.

~*~

There was a shuffle of fabric and something warm was wrapped around their waist. Yuu groaned as sleep slowly left them and they shifted in the bed, memory still eluding their mind. They felt like they had been doing something important but could not remember what it was. They shifted again and blinked their eyes open. An unfamiliar bed canopy was stretched out above them.

There was a shifting behind them and when Yuu turned to look they saw a familiar head of red hair. They blinked in confusion. Why were they lying in bed with Riddle Rosehearts? And why was this not super alarming? Instead all they could feel was a warmth in their chest and tingling comfort where Riddle’s arm was wrapped around their torso.

A second later they watched as Riddle’s eye fluttered open, dark lashing revealing stormy gray eyes. Riddle looked at them for a second and then he smiled.

“Good morning, Yuu,” he said.

Yuu’s mouth opened soundlessly then shut again, unable to find words. They still had no idea what was going on and could not figure out why they weren’t freaking out at the situation. Every instinct in their body was telling them that they were safe and protected here… Wherever here even was.

Riddle finally released them and sat up in the bed, taking a moment to stretch out. As soon as his warmth left them Yuu uncontrollably let out a whine of loss then slapped a hand over their mouth in mortification. Where had that come from?

Riddle just looked down at them amused and laughed. It was so light and carefree and so very different from how he had been before… There was something there that Yuu knew they were forgetting… How Riddle had been before…

Oh. Their eyes widened. That’s right. The Housewarden challenge. The rose maze. The overblot.

The ephemeral bond.

Before they could launch into a torrent of questions Riddle stood up from bed and asked, “Do you take your tea with sugar?”

Yuu looked at him gobsmacked. Their memory was still fuzzy. What had happened after they went into Riddle’s mind and heart again?

“I-” They cut themself off, thoughts still whirling at a thousand miles a second. “I uh… I actually don't drink tea… I prefer coffee…” Actually, maybe they shouldn’t have said that? Riddle was probably going to get upset that they weren’t following some kind of tea rule-

“Ah, no problem then,” he said. “Let me just go get the others so we can catch you up on everything. I’ll have Trey make you a cup of coffee while I do that. What do you take in yours?”

Without knowing how else to answer such a bizarre question they just said, “O-one cream one sugar please…”

~*~

Several minutes later the door to the room swung open with a bang and in rushed Ace and Grim followed closely by Deuce at a more sedated pace. Further behind them was Riddle and Trey who were both carrying platters. Riddle shook his head in annoyance at the door being so roughly handled but didn’t say anything.

“Yuu!!!” Grim wailed and launched himself into their arms. Yuu caught the sobbing feline with an oomph and immediately began to pet his fur comfortingly.

“Yuu! You’re finally awake!” Ace cried out in relief.

“We’re so glad to see you’re okay,” Deuce said, coming up next to the bed.

Riddle sighed in annoyance. “Alright alright. Give them some space. They just woke up and you're already being incredibly loud. Also this is still my room, I expect you three to treat it with a little more respect.” He walked to the other side of the bed and sat down with the tray.

Ace and Deuce looked properly chastised and mumbled some apologies beneath their breaths but Yuu was still stuck on the last thing Riddle had said. This was his room? As in they were currently laying in his bed? Now that they actually took the time to think about it, everything in here smelled of the comforting and familiar scent of roses and strawberries. And the decor was very obviously Heartslabyul themed.

As Riddle took the cover off the tray and revealed a bowl of warm steaming oatmeal with fresh berries piled atop, Trey squeezed past the other two alphas in the room and gently set a bed tray over Yuu’s lap and placed a saucer and tea cup filled with aromatic dark roasted coffee in it.

“You should eat something,” Riddle said, coming up next to them. Yuu couldn’t understand why his physical presence was so comforting. All they knew is that they wanted him to press even closer even though the thought was absolutely ludicrous. They didn’t even know this man!

Yet something inside them was telling them that they did.

The smell of the food was incredibly appetizing and Yuu suddenly realized that they were incredibly hungry. But they forced themself to ignore the food and take stock of everyone’s face.

“What’s going on?” They finally asked.

Riddle sighed, “You aren’t going to eat until we explain, are you?”

Yuu crossed their arms.

He sighed again, “Very well. Stubborn the lot of you.” But he was shaking his head fondly. Yuu watched in confusion as Trey let out a laugh at that. The atmosphere here was so different from what they remembered. So much lighter. What exactly happened?

“Where should we start?” Riddle asked, mostly to himself.

Yuu narrowed their eyes. “How about what I’m doing in what is apparently your bed?”

At this Riddle flushed deeply. As did everyone else apparently. Yuu took a look at everyone and nearly all of them were refusing to meet their gaze.

“Ah…” Riddle coughed. “That.”

“Yes. That ,” Yuu said with emphasis.

“Umm… Okay well… How much do you remember from that day in the rose maze?”

Yuu took a minute to think really hard about it. The memory was still fuzzy, likely because of Riddle’s overwhelming alpha scent that day which he was thankfully keeping underwraps currently.

“You lost control and something called ‘overblot’ happened,” they began and was met with several nods and an embarrassed look on Riddle’s face. “And then I… Oh.” They suddenly remembered. “You guys found out that I’m…”

“... that you’re an omega?” Trey finished for them, a sorry smile on his lips. “Yeah. We know.”

Cats out of the bag then, Yuu thought with some dread. But frankly they were too tired and hungry to dwell on it at the moment. What’s done is done.

“But we’re the only ones who know!” Ace threw in with an encouraging smile. “Well… Us and Headmaster Crowley. Oh! And Cater too I suppose.”

Yuu blanched, “Cater too?” That was quite possibly the worst news ever.

Riddle huffed, “Don’t you worry, Yuu. We’ve sworn that shameless gossip to silence.” He smiled but it was full of knives, “He won’t think twice about sharing that tidbit.” If this had been anyone else, Yuu might not have believed them. But somehow because it was Riddle they were sure that Cater wouldn’t be telling a soul.

“That’s good,” they sighed. “Okay then… I also remember…” They peaked over at Riddle shyly, feeling guilty all of the sudden. “... I forged an ephemeral bond with you.”

He nodded, “you did.”

Guilt crawled up their throat. Never in a million years would they have thought they would ever force a bond onto someone. It was literally unthinkable. Sure it had been a dire situation but did they really think of every possible choice before resorting to that one?

“I’m so so sorry-” They began, not feeling like they could ever even begin to apologize enough. But Riddle held up a hand and shook his head.

“Don’t apologize,” he said. “I know what you’re thinking but I’m not upset. You did what you needed to do to protect yourself. To protect everyone else. To protect me .” Riddle looked them straight in the eye with a serious but sincere gaze. “If anyone needs to apologize, it would be me. And I am sorry for everything. I will never be able to apologize enough for what I put you through. And if anything, I was using my Alpha Voice on you. So we’re even in that regard if that helps to put your mind at ease.”

It didn’t.

“Also…” Riddle continued. “I want to thank you for doing so regardless.”

Yuu blinked in shock.

“You did what no one else,” he said, “not even myself could accomplish. You owed me nothing yet you risked your life to reach in and pull me from the dark. You saved me , Yuu. You freed me from myself.” His eyes suddenly began to water. A tear escaped and slipped down his face. “You freed me and I can never repay you for that kindness. So don’t you dare blame yourself, Yuu.”

A warm hand placed itself onto their right hand and Yuu turned and saw that Trey was leaning in close to them with a warm smile on his face.

“I need to thank you as well,” he said. “You all were right from the beginning. I was a bad friend. But you did what I couldn’t, Yuu. Thank you so much for saving Riddle.” He then took their hand in his own and pulled it up to his mouth, pressing a kiss to their knuckle. Yuu felt themself flush red.

“Cut that out, four-eyes!” Grim complained from where he was curled up next to Yuu.

“You are not a bad friend,” Riddle snapped at Trey over Grim’s bellyaching. “ I’m the bad friend!”

Trey only laughed, “I suppose we’ll just have to agree to disagree, Riddle.” His eyes were teasing and warm and Yuu suddenly felt like they were interrupting a very private moment.

Riddle huffed but his cheeks flushed red. “At least we can both agree we owe Yuu everything.”

“I wouldn’t go that far,” Yuu chuckled nervously. “But anyway… What um… What happened after the bonding. You guys still haven’t answered why I’m here in your room.”

“Ah right,” Riddle said. “That would be my fault… Well actually, it might be a bit of both our faults, but mostly mine. Between my alpha pheromones going out of control and your ephemeral bond we kind sent you into a… pseudo-heat.”

Yuu’s eyes bulged. “WHAT!”

Riddle flinched but held his hands up, “It’s not what you think. It wasn’t a real heat with…” He flushed. “... With slick or anything like that. You just entered a deep omegan sub-space and needed a lot of skinship with the person you just bonded with. Obviously if we had bonded for real you probably would’ve been sent into a real heat but since it was just a temporary one all we had to do was build you a nest and take care of you for a few days until you came out of it.”

“And by we Riddle means himself,” Deuce said with a hint of annoyance. “You would cry and whine whenever he left the nest too long and you got upset when others got too close.” Yuu blushed in mortification. If the starvation didn’t kill them surely embarrassment would before the end of the day.

“Except for me!” Grim shouted proudly, puffing up his fluffy chest.

“That’s because you’re just a snot-nosed cub,” Deuce snapped irritably. “Not even an omega in heat finds you intimidating!” They two started arguing but a stern look from Trey shut them both up.

“And Trey too for some reason,” Ace added. “You would let him dote on you and Riddle and bring you food whenever you indeed it. Maybe because he’s a beta or something.”

Yuu had another theory on why their inner omega had allowed Trey to enter their nest but they weren’t about to say it aloud. Like they had thought before in the ephemeral bond… It wasn’t their secret to divulge.

“Well then!” A new voice suddenly pierced through the air. “Now that we’ve gotten explanations out of the way it’s time to discuss our new situation!

The entire group snapped over to the center of the room. None of them had heard the door open and yet, somehow, Headmaster Crowley was standing there in the middle of the room with his hands pressed together and a shiteating grin on his face.

“Yuu, you naughty student of mine,” Crowley said. “That was quite a dangerous secret you’ve been keeping from your benevolent Heademaster! Let’s all talk, shall we?”

Chapter 3

Notes:

Once again, not proof-read. I'll be re-reading this chapter over the next few days to fix anything I missed during the initial writing. Please enjoy!

A few weeks had gone by since the chaos of Riddle’s overblot (which Yuu had come to learn was a dangerous life-threatening accumulation of negative magical energy) and the subsequent reveal of Yuu’s true designation of omega.

Headmaster Crowley had ‘benevolently’ allowed them their respite during which they were out of commission due to an unintentionally induced pseudo-heat. But upon waking he popped up into Riddle’s room for that “talk” of his (shady bastard). His point being that he couldn’t “allow someone of such a protected class to wander unprotected on my campus!” Then he sprouted some unintelligible jumble of legal worries that Yuu couldn’t hope to decipher. The general gist of the situation was that omegas of this world were definitely not treated the way they were in Yuu’s world. As a matter of fact, everyone in the room had been very keen to know just how exactly had Yuu managed to keep their designation a secret for so long. To which Yuu explained:

“I used a suppressant pad.”

Their jacket, which carried their final suppressant pad in, had been used by the boys to help construct their nest in Riddle’s bed (along with articles of clothing donated by Ace, Deuce, and Trey and one of Grim’s spare ribbons much to Yuu’s continued embarrassment). They took out the white packaging and showed it to everyone who were both intrigued and somewhat horrified at the explanation. Not that Yuu could fully explain how the suppressant technology worked (they weren’t a chemist afterall).

“It’s my last one,” Yuu said dejectedly. “I was hoping that Riddle might be able to tell me something about how omegas hid their scents here.”

This statement was met with even more incredulous reactions. Apparently it was utterly unheard of for an omega to have to cover up their scent. In this world it was seen as an honor to present as an omega, and the thought of covering it up and hiding that fact was borderline blasphemous. When pressed for a reason Yuu explained:

“Omegas make up 20% of the population in my world,” they said. “We aren’t… Special or anything. But we are biologically easier to be taken advantage of and discriminated against in the workplace. Omegan rights are still in their infancy with the first major laws only being passed in my country less than three decades ago.” Everyone looked absolutely horrified at this which made Yuu somewhat uncomfortable but they continued to explain. “Suppressants were invented maybe… 13 years ago? They’ve allowed us to be able to present ourselves as betas and safely navigate the world without fear of prejudice or retaliation. It obviously isn’t a perfect solution, but it’s the best we have for now.”

At everyone’s shocked and horrified expressions Yuu furrowed their brows and asked, “Then what do you guys do here to prevent attacks and forced matings on omegas?”

This was apparently the wrong thing to say because suddenly everyone erupted into a cacophony of loud protests and enraged reactions. Riddle’s entire face had turned bright red again that made Yuu’s inner omega begin fretting over his blood pressure. Headmaster Crowley’s expression was even pinched and unnerved. Even Trey, who was normally the calm and collected one of the Hearstlabyul dorm, clenched his fist and let a particularly low growl rumble through in his chest.

It was apparently utterly unimaginable to them that anyone would ever even consider attacking an omega. The only danger possibly posed to omegas from other people was an alpha entering rut, but seeing as every omega was granted the highest level of care and security from birth (even before presentation as one of their parents was guaranteed to be an omega too) this scenario was highly unlikely to occur. No one dared lay a malevolent finger on an omega.

Which of course, brought up Crowley’s biggest concern.

“Well I certainly cannot allow an unmated omega to wander around campus with a bunch of unruly alphas and betas,” Headmaster Crowley exclaimed. “That would be a recipe for disaster! Imagine how much trouble I would get into if anything were to happen to you!”

“But you all just said that no one would dare hurt an omega,” Yuu pointed out.

“Yes yes, but that’s only true because every kingdom keeps a close eye on their omegas,” he replied. “Even if all my boys were on their best behavior,” Crowley’s tone insinuated that he didn’t have much faith in this, and what Yuu had seen so far from NRC they were inclined to agree, “accidents still happen. I cannot guarantee your safety on this campus any longer. And if any fall were to befall you, it would be my head on the chopping block!” At this he let out a forlorn sigh and let out fat crocodile tears. Yuu was decidedly unimpressed.

“Where else would I even go?” Yuu finally asked sourly. They had just barely started getting used to this new life. They had made friends and was still in the process of restoring and re-furnishing Ramshackle dorm. And from what it sounded like, sending them away for some governing body to care for was going to severely limit their freedom to a stifling extent. Sure omegas weren’t persecuted in this world but so far it didn’t sound like they were much better than pampered and infantilized second class citizens. Maybe omegas in this world were fine with it but Yuu definitely did not have the luxury of growing up under such a system. They’d rather take their chances on their own than give up their freedom.

At Yuu’s question Crowley said, “ That would be our second big issue.”

“I could contact my father,” Riddle said. “I’m sure the Rose Queendom would be more than willing to take in an omega. Even one who isn’t a Rose citizen.”

Yuu growled, “But I don’t want that. I can’t- I don’t want to leave.”

Riddle’s brows furrowed. “Yuu… It’s for your own safety.”

That made fury flare up inside of them but before they could argue back against the alpha, Crowley spoke up again.

“Unfortunately, Mr. Rosehearts, even that would pose an even greater problem,” he said grimly. “Politically speaking, omegas aren’t ever given to one nation or another.” Yuu huffed at this, unhappy at how they were practically being referred to as an object. “Night Raven College, along with our brother academy Royal Sword, were founded on the premise of unity, yes, but ultimately neutrality . If we are found to have sent a mysterious omega with no known history or origin to The Queendom of Roses over any others, who knows what kind of political upheaval that would cause!”

“ And, ” Yuu cut in pointedly, “more importantly I’m not some political tool to be passed around as anyone pleases. I understand that this is your school, Headmaster, and if you want to kick me out fine . But the decision of where I go is ultimately my choice .”

They gave everyone a stern look one by one, daring any of them to argue back against them. When they finally reached Riddle last he met their gaze head on for several seconds but eventually sighed.

“I’m sorry,” the alpha said. “You’re right, of course. I’m only starting to learn that not everyone was brought up in the same way I was and that I cannot force my own beliefs onto anyone else, even if I feel it’s for their own good.” Yuu raised a brow at this, and he coughed, flushing. “ But as I said… It is not only my opinion that matters and I certainly do not own you. You are your own person and I’ll support whatever decision you decide on, Yuu.”

His voice trembled as he made the declaration and Yuu’s hardness melted away. That must’ve been hard for him to say. An ephemeral bond was definitely a helpful tool in unlocking the deepest most painful parts of our hearts, but it wasn’t a magical fix-all. People still had to put in work to better themselves and Yuu could clearly see that Riddle was trying . And that was really all they could ask of the alpha. They placed a hand on his and smiled at him to let him know all was forgiven. The skin contact sent a jolt of pleasant feelings through their body.

Headmaster Crowley clicked his tongue and shook his head dramatically, “Oh, Yuu, my cute troublesome student… You have put me in quite a predicament. I cannot let you stay on campus with your omegan status on display and yet I cannot just throw you out onto the streets! What to do… what to do…”

A cough brought everyone’s attention onto Trey.

“I may have an idea, Headmaster,” he said. He walked over and sat down on the bed next to Yuu. “May I?” Trey asked, staring into their eyes for confirmation. Yuu didn’t know what he had in mind but felt that after everything they could trust this man.

So they nodded.

Trey smiled and brought his hands up and placed them on both of Yuu’s shoulders. He closed his eyes and concentrated for a second; then suddenly there was a burst of light and the scent of marigold and freshly baked bread. A pleasantly warmth sensation spread through Yuu’s body and they had to fight to keep back a noise of contentment.

When Trey lifted his hands again and the magic faded Yuu immediately noticed the difference. Their eyes widened.

“I- I smell like a beta again.”

Trey smiled at them, expression suddenly tired. “You all remember my signature spell ‘Paint the Roses’ don’t you? I’ve made it so that your omegan scent smells like a neutral one to everyone.”

“Trey, that’s brilliant !” Ace exclaimed, sniffing with his nose up in the air.

“Of course, it won’t last forever,” Trey said. “Olfactory senses are a little trickier to change indefinitely but if I concentrate and use my magic a bit more conservatively I think I can manage to make it last 12 hours at a time.”

At this Yuu’s eyes were immediately drawn to his magestone and they were aghast to find that it was quite dark after that single casting of magic. They looked back up at him worriedly, “I- I can’t ask you to do that for me!”

“And you don’t have to,” he replied. “I want to do this for you, Yuu. Even if it wasn’t my civil duty to assist an omega in need, I’d still want to do this for you.” His smile fell and his expression hardened; he was making it clear that this was not up for discussion.

“Oho! Very clever, Mr. Clover,” Crowley said. “Yes, I do believe this would be an adequate solution for the moment and in fact… Yuu, if you’d be so kind as to let me see that fascinating little piece of technology you have?”

Yuu’s expression grew confused and they gestured to the suppressant pad they still held in their hands. At Crowley’s encouraging nod they slowly and reluctantly handed it over. The headmaster quickly snagged it up and fiddled around with the pad, observing it from every angle with a critical eye.

“In exchange for benevolently allowing you to stay on campus despite the risk to my own health and safety,” he said. “I will be informing my dear Professor Crewel of your ah… Little predicament .” Yuu opened their mouth to protest but Crowley held up a finger to shush them, “It’s for your benefit really, Yuu. I require another professor to be aware of the situation and I’ll even ask Crewel to study this exciting piece of technology and possibly reverse engineer it. Should he be successful, you’ll no longer need to rely on Mr. Clover to be around to hide your scent. Really it’s a win-win scenario, would you not agree?”

Yuu wanted to grumble at the shiteating grin on his face and the crafty tone of his voice but couldn’t find any fault with his logic. It would be good to have access to suppressants again. They not only hid their scent but made their heats milder and less frequent. Also, masking their scent seemed to take a lot out of Trey and if they could avoid that necessity (also if Trey was ever out of commission for whatever reason) all the better.

There was really no reason to disagree no matter how infuriating the expression on Dire Crowley’s face was. So Yuu relented and nodded their assent.

That had been nearly three weeks ago.

For the first two nights following them waking up, Yuu had stayed at the Heartlabyul dorm in Riddle’s room. Being too far from the nest still made them feel nauseous and uncomfortable . Riddle had offered to stay in a spare room now that they were awake but Yuu didn’t want to kick him out of his own bed and had said with a red face that he could stay if he wanted to. They conveniently left out that they also really enjoyed the feeling of his arms wrapped around them while they slept.

The only thing they had been really worried about was Trey. They didn’t want to make the kind beta feel like they were stealing the man he loved or something, but nothing in his scent or expression ever gave away that he felt even an ounce of jealousy. In fact, it was often Trey who was scolding them for being out of the nest when he caught them sneaking out into the Heartslabyul kitchen for snacks. He’d put a firm warm hand on their back and gently lead them back to Riddle’s room and then went to fetch the snacks himself.

As much as Yuu disliked the stereotype of being a helpless omega who needed everything done for them, it felt really nice to be pampered for once.

One time, after playing several rounds of Old Maid and after Ace, Deuce, and Grim had to rush off for their first year classes, leaving Yuu with Trey and Riddle. Yuu who was still tired from everything fell asleep not long after that, curled up in their makeshift nest in Riddle’s bed. When they had woken up an hour later though, they had discovered that they were sandwiched between a slumbering Riddle and Trey. They both looked so peaceful and content, fingers brushing up against each other where their hands rested on Yuu’s hip. It had sent the strangest emotion spiraling through them and Yuu quickly decided to not dwell on that particular train of thought.

Thankfully, after a few more days of lounging around feeling useless and bored in the Heartslabyul dormitory Yuu was finally able to head back to Ramshackle. The ghosts, despite the pranks they had pulled, were delighted to see them return. And collapsing onto their own bed felt heavenly (even though a part of Yuu missed having someone else wrapped around them at night). It was good to be home.

Over the next several weeks, things slowly returned back to normal with the exception of a few key differences. The first major difference was that every morning, without fail, someone from Heartslabyul would come knocking on Ramshackle’s door (usually Ace, Deuce, Trey, or Cater or some combination of those) and escort Yuu over to Heartslabyul where Trey would cast his signature spell on them for the day. After that they would head down to the cafeteria with Grim, Ace, and Deuce for breakfast and then head to classes.

Despite not being a member of their dorm, Yuu was starting to feel like a sort of honorary Hearstlabyul student. The other dorm members didn’t quite know what had happened during Riddle’s rampage (apparently, Crowley had somehow kept the ‘overblot’ angle of it underwraps) but they knew that something had changed. Part of it was due to Riddle’s own more lenient behavior and efforts to be a more supportive Housewarden. Another part was Ramshackle’s Prefect being often seen hanging out around the Heartslabyul leader core, be it walking to classes with vice-Housewarden Trey, or hanging out with Cater, or even having tea with Housewarden Riddle in the common room. When walking around now, Yuu found themself being greeted by Heartslabyul students by name. No one knew why but the magicless Prefect of the rundown dormitory was now unofficially under Riddle’s protection, and his dorm members acted like it.

Overall, the following weeks were fairly peaceful in Yuu’s humble opinion. Despite the small changes in the way their friends were now treating them now that they knew they were an omega (Yuu thought it was funny because somehow this translated to less swearing for Ace and Deuce when they were around them), they were enjoying themselves a lot.

This naturally meant that it was about time for chaos to reintroduce itself into their life.

~*~

“Spelldrive?” Grim asked.

“Yeah,” Ace said. “You know… Spelldrive!”

Yuu and Grim both looked confused as they stood in Headmaster Crowley’s office.

“I get why Yuu doesn’t know,” Deuce said, “but why don’t you, Grim? It’s a super famous sport. There’s a pro league and everything.”

Grim scowled, “so what if I don’t! Just explain it already!”

“Relax, cat,” Ace grinned as Grim hissed in displeasure. “It’s very simple. Two teams of seven run around a field and try to throw a disk into the other team’s goal to score points.”

That sounded an awful lot like football or hockey, Yuu thought. But what did they mean by disk? A puck could be considered disk-like but they somehow doubted Ace was describing hockey. But they supposed it made sense that a magical school had a sport.

“Would be hard for Yuu to play though,” Deuce commented. They gave him a questioning look and he shrugged. “You control the disk with magic and use magic to defend against and attack the other team.”

Ah. Magic. How could Yuu have ever assumed otherwise?

Headmaster Crowley went on to explain that it was a very big event, even if it was just Night Raven College’s inter-dorm tournament. Yuu watched with some dread as he explained how the event attracted spectators and recruiters from all across the world and how Grim’s forked tail began twitching in excitement and the flames in his ears flared up at intervals. It was when he went on to explain how it was broadcasted world-wide that Grim’s eyes widened with greed and Yuu knew that they were doomed.

Inter-house meant dorm vs dorm… Ramshackle only had two members and one couldn’t use magic and the other was a magical cat that had only learned about the sport less than 20 minutes ago. Somehow Yuu knew those facts weren’t going to be enough to dissuade Grim.

Yuu sighed in relief when Headmaster Crowley brought up the issue himself.

“Okay so… Why are we talking about sports again?” Yuu asked.

“Always to the point,” Crowley sighed in that typical insincere and annoying manner of his. If he wasn’t Yuu’s best hope of getting home they would’ve strangled the infuriating feathered man. “Very well then. The reason I have brought you all here today to discuss is because…”

Yuu was already groaning before he even finished, sensing exactly what he was going to say just based on the tone of his voice.

“... I need you to investigate a series of strange accidents around the school!” He finished cheerily.

They really should’ve known when he asked them to come to his office today. Nothing good ever came of Crowley wanting to meet. Last time he had stuck his pointy raven beak where it didn’t belong, it had ended up with Riddle overblotting and Yuu’s secret being exposed and them being sent into nearly four days of a pseudo-heat. How the feathery bastard had managed to keep this school together in one piece before he had Yuu around to toss his messes onto was a mystery they would never figure out.

Deuce raised a brow and crossed his arms, “What do you mean by ‘accidents’?”

“Hmm… Falls, burns by boiling water, slipping in bathrooms…” Headmaster Crowley continued to list off in that cheerful tone of his as if he wasn’t describing a series of horrible accidents. “While not unusual, the sheer number of students that have been sent to the infirmary in the last week is becoming suspicious.”

“So you suspect foul play?” Deuce asked.

“Perhaps. There’s also the added factor that most of the injured students have been Spelldrive players in the running for their dorm teams.”

That was certainly suspicious.

Crowley shook his head and raised both his hands and shrugged. “But as I said, I need someone to investigate this for me. As far as we can tell, these have all been accidents. I simply don’t have enough evidence to say one way or another, nor do I have a suspect or motive.”

Grim huffed and crossed his arms, “Well I don’t see why this is our problem. It’s not like you can kick Yuu out of school even if we don’t agree to do this.”

While a pretty harsh and uncaring thing to say, Yuu had to admit that Grim did have a point. And quite frankly they were tired of being dragged into Crowley’s shit. But then they looked at the grinning expression on the Headmaster’s face and felt themself overcome by dread.

“I thought you might say that…” Crowley crooned, “So I’ve decided that… Should you catch the perpetrator I will generously allow you to compete in the inter-dorm tournament! I’ll even find members to fill the ranks of your dorm’s team! You’ll have the opportunity to be on TV and have the world witness your prowess! How does that sound, Grim?”

Yuu’s jaw fell to the floor. How dare he? The scheming crook knew that he had nothing over Yuu at this point to get them to do his bidding. So instead he was appealing to Grim’s ego and selfish nature knowing that Yuu wasn’t going to be able to say no to the small feline they had practically adopted (lest they have to put up with Grim’s whining and troublemaking for weeks on end). The sheer audacity of this man! He wasn’t even looking at Yuu as he and Grim agreed to the deal.

Yuu sputtered but found that nothing they could say was going to convince Grim otherwise now that the feline had gotten it into his tiny cat skull that he was going to be a spelldrive player. Brilliant. Just great.

Yuu was 100% going to murder that bird bastard.

~*~

Seeing Yuu’s growing thundering expression, Ace and Deuce took pity on them that afternoon and agreed to finish accompanying Grim in the rest of their investigation for the day (which they had thus far gathered little to no useful intel). The fact that all four had History after lunch with Professor Trein and they were skipping it to conduct the investigation had nothing to do with their decision of course . But if it saved Yuu a few hours of headache, they’d happily take it.

It was Friday so every grade had their lunch at the same period that day so Yuu bid goodbye to the other three and quickly made their way over to the cafeteria, keeping and eye out for two familiar heads of hair.

Trey’s was the easiest to spot in a crowd seeing as the beta was absolutely gigantic. But when Yuu rushed forward they could soon see Riddle’s familiar red hair peeking out between wandering students. It was probably just the lingering effects of the bond, but Yuu really enjoyed spending time and being close with the alpha and his chosen beta mate (not that either of them had gotten around to confessing to each other yet much to Yuu’s continued exasperation). Thankfully, both seemed just as happy to see them too with Trey giving them a warm smile and Riddle’s normally sour face immediately lighting up.

“Yuu, how were your classes this morning?” Trey asked.

Between the investigation and Grim’s constant yapping about spelldrive and his guaranteed fame and fortune, Yuu could hardly remember anything for the first few periods. So they just gave the beta a weak smile and said, “Fine. A bit tiring, but fine.”

“That’s good,” Riddle said. “Trey and I were actually just about to head to the second year alchemy room to pick up my project. Then we’re heading over to the field to practice spelldrive. Would you like to accompany us?”

The question probably shouldn’t have sent butterflies flying around in their stomach, but Yuu flushed slightly and agreed. If either of the two Heartslabyul students noticed their redder than normal face, neither of them made a comment. They simply began to walk towards the second year classrooms while chatting amiably.

It was when Riddle was explaining the etymology behind his horse Vorpal’s name and they were walking back down the staircase that Riddle suddenly jerked awkwardly. Yuu barely had a single second to process what was happening when Trey’s green blur darted forward and caught Riddle, pushing him back. Riddle staggered and fell onto his butt on the steps, uninjured.

It was Trey, with his momentum, that tumbled down the long staircase before landing at the bottom with a sickening thump and groan.

Yuu couldn’t control the horrified yell that escaped them. Noises of alarm came from students who were in the area. With a quick look to make sure Riddle was unhurt, Yuu rushed down the stairs and fell to their knees by Trey’s side, eyes immediately trying to catalog what injuries he might’ve sustained, paying particularly close attention for any head injuries. Yuu had their fair share of sporting accidents in their own world and could perform basic first aid if needed.

“Trey?” They asked worriedly, “Can you hear me? How many fingers am I holding up?” They dared not to lift his head and hovered over him fretfully. When he answered correctly they followed up with several more questions to ascertain his level of alertness as they started to gently prod various spots on his body, searching for injuries.

“Dear hearts, is he okay?” Riddle demanded, coming down the stairs behind them. But Yuu ignored him in favor of concentrating on their task.

Trey finally hissed in pain when they reached his right ankle and Yuu immediately pulled their hand back. They gently rolled back his slacks to reveal his ankle which was already turning red and starting to swell.

“It’s sprained,” they said. “Maybe broken.” They quickly looked at Riddle, “Can you help me bring him to the infirmary? He can’t put pressure on his right leg.”

Despite Trey’s reassurances that he was fine (he was not) and could walk by himself (he definitely could not), Riddle and Yuu managed to get under one arm each in spite of his gangling height and carry him all the way to the healthroom. The nurse took one look at the three of them and let out an exasperated groan (Yuu had to tell Riddle to calm down at that) and directed them to set Trey down on one of the few spare beds left in the hall. Now that Yuu was here, they could see why Crowley was suspicious of foul play. There were a lot of students injured.

The nurse then kicked Riddle and Yuu out of the room, citing that he already had more than enough students taking up space, and that he would let Mr. Clover leave when he was ready. So they both sat down on one of the benches outside and waited.

They sat in silence for a while until Riddle broke it with, “How did you know what to do?”

“Hm?” Yuu hummed. “Oh… You mean the first aid?” They smiled even though they were feeling really anxious, but they knew Riddle would need the upbeat support. “You folks in Twisted Wonderland aren’t the only world with sports you know. And we don’t have magic in our world to just fix up serious injuries on the spot. First aid is a pretty important skill for an athlete to know.”

“Oh,” Riddle said with surprise. “So you play a sport then? I can only assume it isn’t Spelldrive.”

Yuu laughed, “No. It definitely isn’t spelldrive. It’s-”

But they didn’t get to finish their thought. In that moment three familiar faces rounded the corner. Ace, Grim, and Deuce had apparently decided to come and question the students in the infirmary when they had spotted Riddle and Yuu waiting outside. This led to many concerned questions to which Yuu explained why they were there. And that led to them having to explain to Riddle (in hushed tones of course) the investigation Crowley had assigned them.

Riddle’s face had darkened and his eyes grew stormy with each word until Yuu finally finished. He was silent for several seconds before suddenly reaching into his school coat and whipping out a cellphone that Yuu didn’t even know the very traditional young alpha even knew how to work. They gave him a very curious look.

“I’m messaging Cater to meet us back at Heartslabyul,” he explained in a dark voice. Not even two seconds after Yuu watched him hit send, a notification of response popped up on his screen. “Once Trey is out of the infirmary, we’re going to all sit down and figure this out.”

~*~

It did turn out to be a sprained ankle as the omega had suspected. The nurse’s magic wasn’t able to completely heal it so he let Trey leave after putting his right foot in a brace and sending them all on their way. They all missed their afternoon classes but they did all eventually make it back to Heartslabyul where Cater stood waiting for them with a triumphant look on his face.

Yuu hadn’t had much contact with Cater since that day at the maze. It wasn’t that the beta was avoiding them persay, but Yuu suspected that he might’ve been a bit uncomfortable by the truth of their designation. Cater was very open and touchy with everyone, and had been very open and touchy with Yuu. But now that he knew they were an omega he seemed to be keeping his distance which was somewhat disappointing as Yuu enjoyed the beta’s high energy (in low doses of course).

Still, he greeted them all at the gate of the dorm with his signature cocky smile plastered on his face and his phone held in one hand.

“What have you found?” Was all Riddle said in lieu of a greeting as he walked past the beta with a determined gait. 

“I already have a list of potential future victims,” Cater replied with a grin.

Deuce and Ace had been tasked with helping Trey to the dorm and Yuu hovered just behind them as they walked in just in case anything happened or they needed sudden assistance. Trey’s ankle might’ve been the worst injury, but now that some time had passed Yuu could see ugly blue bruises forming across certain sections of his skin. Their heart clenched at the sight.

To their surprise though, Riddle led the group into his room and motioned for Cater to shut and lock the door behind them. Ace and Deuce set Trey down onto the bed. Yuu’s nest had been taken down weeks ago by now but Yuu could still detect just a hint of their own scent lingering in the mattress and pillows. They were almost sad to see it gone.

Trey continued to insist that he was fine but it was clear to everyone that being able to lay down again was a relief.

“So what’s this about?” Ace asked as they all settled down around the room. Yuu found themself taking a seat on the edge of the bed next to Trey.

“When you all told me about the Headmaster’s request,” Riddle said. “I had Cater here start an investigation. Though, to be honest, I had already had my suspicions about someone potentially sabotaging opponents for a while now.”

“Right-o, boss,” Cater said with a wink. “I’ve put together a list of potential victims.” He expertly flipped out his phone and began to show them a scrolling document filled with social media posts, bullet points, and pictures of students Yuu hadn’t met yet. It was a staggering amount of information to have been collected in the short period of time since they brought Trey to the infirmary to now. Yuu secretly wondered if Cater’s signature spell wasn’t Split Card after all but some kind of technopathy. It was very impressive.

“Why the sudden interest though, Housewarden?” Deuce asked suspiciously. “I get that Trey got hurt but he isn’t a Spelldrive player.”

“That’s because he was protecting me, ” Riddle grimly replied. “I can’t explain it but for a moment there on that staircase it felt like I wasn’t in control of my own body. If Trey hadn’t pushed me away it would’ve been me with the sprained ankle.” His entire face was casted in a stormy shadow. Yuu could smell his brewing anger from all the way across the room.

“That certainly explains it…” Ace murmured.

Riddle shook his head though. “Regardless, this was always going to be an issue eventually. If someone is targeting spelldrive players, I have a responsibility to make sure my players aren’t getting hurt. So far Magnus and Finch have both been sent to the infirmary.” Yuu vaguely recognized the names of a third and a fourth year Heartslabyul students. They’re sure they had probably met them once or twice. “If this continues on, more people are going to get hurt.”

“So you want us to tail the potential victims then?” Yuu asked.

“I want Ace, Deuce, and Cater to tail potential victims,” Riddle corrected. Yuu jerked back in confusion, furrowing their brows.

“Uh… Then what about Grim and I? This is technically our assignment from Crowley,” they said. “Ace and Deuce only agreed to help us out.”

Riddle shook his head with a frustrated sigh. “I have no idea what that enigmatic man was thinking telling you to investigate this… It’s out of the question for you to be put in such a dangerous situation. If the perpetrators are willing to go to such lengths to take out potential competition, who knows what they’ll do in retaliation if they find out you’re investigating them.”

“What!” Yuu shouted incredulously. “So you’re fine with those three getting hurt then?”

“That’s not it at all. Obviously I don’t want them getting hurt but I refuse to put you in the path of danger,” Riddle explained. “If you really want to be involved in the investigation, you can stay here and do research on social media with Cater.”

“Things would go a lot faster the more eyes we have on multiple targets,” Yuu shot back sharply. “I’m an omega, not an invalid. None of you had issues with me doing potentially dangerous things before you found out my designation! Besides, I don’t even have a phone and Cater is much better at that than I am!”

“Yuu…” Riddle said with an exasperated tone. “I’m not- I’m not trying to call you an invalid . I of all people should know how capable you are but-“ He broke off with a frustrated groan. “What kind of alpha would I be if I put my- If I put you in danger like that? What am I supposed to do if you get hurt?”

“The same thing you’d do if any of them got hurt!” Yuu snapped, waving an arm at everyone else in the room. “Stop treating me like a child! This is my investigation!” Actually, it was technically Grim’s but they weren’t about to tell the infuriating alpha that. “If having your help in it means that I’m going to have to be treated like this then I’d rather do this without you!”

Their voice rose in a furious shout and rang out in the silent room. Everyone was glancing nervously between the Ramshackle prefect and Heartslabyul Housewarden, waiting for a reaction.

“You…” Riddle began. “Gah! You can be so infuriating sometimes, Yuu!” They blinked in surprise at him, seeing as he had never once raised his tone with them before. “Stubborn to a fault and so absolutely different than how any omega should behave! I would know!”

Yuu just jutted out their bottom jaw and crossed their arms. “So?”

They both glared at each other, lighting sparking between their gazes.

“Alright alright you two,” Trey suddenly said. “Let’s cool things down for a moment.” He chuckled when they both pouted. “Riddle… As much as I also want to protect Yuu, do you really think they’re just going to sit back and let us do all the dirty work for them?”

Riddle huffed and crossed his arms too. But after a moment he reluctantly said, “I suppose not.” He angrily blew a strand of red hair out of his face.

Trey chuckled. “How about a compromise?”

Yuu glowered, “I don’t see why I should have to…” But there was a part of them that was feeling just a tad guilty. Afterall, Riddle probably wouldn’t feel so strongly about it if Yuu hadn’t forced an ephemeral bond between them. Hearts and souls don’t get to just meet in such an intimate way and then go their separate ways. As infuriating as his over-protectiveness was, Yuu could understand why he felt so strongly about them as loath as they were to admit it.

“Fine,” they finally snapped. “What do you have in mind?”

The solution they eventually settled on was a buddy system. Seeing as Trey was out of commission and Riddle was so adamant about Yuu’s safety the teams ended up being split up like this:

Ace, Deuce, and Grim were to investigate Rook Hunt of Pomefiore.

Yuu, Riddle, and Cater to tail the twin meneces of Octavinelle, Floyd and Jade Leech.

Personally, Yuu thought it would be more efficient to split the teams up once more for three teams of two, but Riddle’s blood pressure didn’t seem like it was going to be able to take it. Plus, this arrangement had some benefits too. Such as having Cater there as a buffer between Yuu and the alpha because frankly they were this close to snapping him.

And to think they were having such a lovely conversation earlier that afternoon.

Yuu had only seen a handful of Octavinelle students in their time at NRC. They tended to be a little stand-offish and, from what Yuu had gleaned from watching the first years they shared classes with, were strangely unsteady on their feet. They had certainly seen more than one lavender-adorned first years stumble over their own feet and slip. Some of them also had particularly sharp teeth which made Yuu wonder if they were perhaps some variant of beastmen? Twisted Wonderland sure had many veiled mysteries to explore.

Cater fiddled around on his phone for about a minute before stating that the Leech twins had last been seen near the courtyard and started leading the way as Riddle and Yuu followed behind, still stewing in awkward tense silence.

“Ah! Yuu! Before I forget!” Cater said, turning on his heel and flashing them a grin. “Our thoughtful Housewarden had me order this for you. He didn’t know what brand was best so left it up to me! Here you go!” Yuu watched in shock as he pulled out a brand new phone from his jacket's inner pocket and handed it to them. “I wasn’t sure what kind of technology you had back in your own world so I took the liberty of setting it up myself. You should find all our contacts already on there! I also downloaded some apps I thought were important for you to have, like MagiCam. Don’t forget to add a password and ask if you need help!” He winked.

Yuu’s eyes were wide and overwhelmed as they held their new phone. It took them a second to realize the case on it was even in their favorite color. They looked between Cater and Riddle feeling bewildered. The former just grinned at them and turned to keep walking while the latter had turned to look away from them, but they could still see that his ears were burning.

Riddle coughed, “No need to say anything. My family can more than afford it and you should have the ability to contact us if you need anything.”

Yuu’s previous anger melted away even though they really wanted to stay angry at him ! But gosh darn it if he wasn’t the cutest alpha they had ever met. As pretty as an omega and just too cute when he was pouting. It wasn’t fair. How was Yuu supposed to stay mad at that face and reaction? No wonder Trey was so hopelessly smitten.

Instead of saying any of that out loud though (they’d rather jump in a hole and die), Yuu simply said, “Thank you.” Riddle grunted in reply and sped up his gait to catch up with Cater.

As they made their way through the mirror portal and began heading towards the courtyard, Yuu couldn’t help but begin to fiddle with their new phone. God did they miss their cell phone! Say what you will about Yuu’s generation and their reliance on technology but having a device in their hand again felt so right . They were never going to make snappy judgements about Cater ever again when he obsessed over his own phone.

Yuu bit back a snort when they saw that Cater had even taken the liberty of adding a contact photo for everyone. Somehow he had gotten the most ridiculous face shots of everyone. The ones for Deuce and Ace were clearly from the same moment with their eyes angry and mouths wide in some forever memorialized argument. Trey’s photo showed his face half covered in what Yuu assumed was flour and his expression caught in the middle of an aggressive sneeze. Riddle’s was just his typical unimpressed RBF facing directly at the camera. Cater’s was the only flattering profile photo where he had clearly chosen to use a well taken grinning selfie.

With some dread, Yuu suddenly wondered what their own profile pic on Cater’s phone was.

Lost in thought and attention focused on their new toy, Yuu failed to pay attention to where they were walking and bumped right into a soft but unyielding wall of flesh.

“Ooo~ Look, Jade. What a cute little shrimpy~!”

Notes:

I REALLY wanted to get to my Savanaclaw boys but this chapter was already getting too long ;_;

But I PROMISE some Leona, Ruggie, and Jack content in the next one (and Leech twins 😉!) along with a scene I've been very excited to write about since I started this story!

Also, some of you may have noticed, I changed a few things, like: Trey not being a Spelldrive player in this, Ace and Deuce being a part of the investigation from the beginning.

I'll be adding more of these little changes as the story goes along for, what I feel, is a more smooth storyline for what I want to write. I hope no one minds~!

I hope you guys enjoyed! Please leave a comment below they are so yummy and im hungry ;_;

(ALSO FUCKING YES BOOK 3 PART 2 WAS ALL I WANTED NOW I JUST NEED THE REST OF BOOK 3 PLEASE AND THANKS TWISTED WONDERLAND ENG DEVS!!)

Chapter 4

Notes:

*Drops another chapter*

Yoooo where the fuck do these keep coming from?????? Brain, what's up??? It's been years since you've been able to write like this!

“Ooo~ Look, Jade. What a cute little shrimpy~!”

Yuu panicked and nearly fumbled and dropped their brand new phone. In their fluster in trying to catch it, added with the sudden backward momentum of bouncing off an extremely large person, Yuu found themself with a sudden stomach dropping sensation as they tripped over their own feet.

“Yuu!” The combined voices of Cater and Riddle shouted in concerned unison.

A large arm braced against their back, halting their momentum. Yuu’s heart was pounding deafeningly in their ears and when they could finally force themself to move again they looked up. They saw that it had been the person they blindly ran into: an extremely tall alpha with turquoise colored hair was grinning down at them with half lidded eyes and a mouth filled with razor sharp teeth. Yuu couldn’t prevent the terrified squeak that escaped them.

“Careful, little shrimpy~” The alpha cooed. His demeanor was incredibly off putting. “Wouldn’t want to trip and squish yourself on the floor~”

“T-thank you,” Yuu stuttered out. His mismatched golden eyes seemed to twinkle at this, one brighter than the other. Yuu was still standing at an angle, with the majority of their weight still being supported by the alpha. They adjusted themself and prepared to get up and relieve the tall boy of his burden when Yuu suddenly felt his grip tighten on their arm, preventing them from pulling away. He grinned down at them with that sharp smile of his, as if he knew exactly what was going through their head.

“Now now, Floyd,” a new voice came. A second alpha, identical to the first, stepped out from behind him. His eyes seemed more alert to Yuu but they felt no less unnerved by his gaze, sensing immediately that these two alphas were not people to be trifled with. “Take a closer look at who you’re holding. It’s the new magic-less Prefect. Azul would be most displeased if you squeezed them so soon.”

Azul? Squeeze? Yuu’s eyes widened in confusion and a vague sense of terror.

“Floyd, Jade, I demand that you release Yuu this moment,” Riddle’s thunderous voice suddenly sounded. They glanced over and saw that the red headed alpha was watching the entire exchange with a furious expression, his entire face starting to turn red. But there was something else in his gaze…  Was he nervous?

Scared?

“Ahhh~ The Goldfish is here,” Floyd crooned. He had yet to lessen his grip on Yuu even while he leaned forward to get a closer look at Riddle, forcing Yuu to press closer into the front of his school uniform. The alpha’s scent was even stronger at this distance. He smelled of coffee beans and black licorice, with just a hint of something briny beneath all of the earthiness.

Riddle took a reactive step back, body immediately tensing up in defensiveness. The reaction was making Yuu incredibly nervous. Riddle, since the day they had first seen him, was always so strong and in control. He commanded every room he stepped into, and had a seemingly bottomless well of power all contained within that small frame. What could be causing him to act so skittishly before these gigantic and, admittedly, terrifying alpha twins?

“Floyd, I told you not to call me by ridiculous nicknames,” Riddle snapped, his voice just as tight as the rest of his body language.

“But you’re so tiny and red, like a goldfish~” Was all the strange alpha replied with.

“Um… Mr. Floyd, sir? Could you please let me go?” Yuu finally got the courage to speak up. They shifted uncomfortably in his arm, legs starting to feel fatigued at being forced into this frankly very awkward position for an extended period of time. They almost wished they hadn’t said anything though when Floyd’s attention shifted back onto them with all it’s terrifying intensity. It didn’t seem right that someone with such droopy and tired looking eyes could appear so scary.

“But how else will I be able to squeeze you if I let you go, shrimpy?” He asked. His grip tightened again and Yuu realized that it was maybe starting to get a little painful.

“Floyd, stop this at once,” Riddle’s voice cracked and echoed through the courtyard like lightning. It’s intensity startled Yuu who hadn’t heard him this legitimately angry since the day he overblotted.

Then suddenly someone gripped Yuu around their left wrist and tugged them sharply, pulling them out of Floyd’s hold. Yuu stumbled forward and was caught and steadied by two hands on each shoulder. Jade Leech smiled down at them and patted down their sleeves once he was certain they were steady on their feet. Somehow, the kind act didn’t feel like it had been done for their benefit. Floyd grumbled and pouted behind them.

“I wasn’t done playing with the shrimpy,” Floyd sulked.

Jade simply flashed his brother a closed eye and closed mouth indulgent smile, “Boss made things very clear, Floyd. I’m sure you’ll have the opportunity to play with Prefect Yuu in the future.” This statement sent a cold shiver through Yuu and everything in their body was telling them to get away from the two terrifying alphas, but their legs felt locked in place.

“Yuu?” Cater asked in concern. Riddle meanwhile seemed too furious and unnerved to get another word out.

“Why don’t we all relax?” Jade suggested amiably. He laid a single gloved hand on Yuu’s shoulder and turned them to face their friends. His scent was similar to his brother’s though, for some reason Yuu couldn’t explain, it came off slightly more savory than sweet in comparison to Floyd’s. Either way, the alpha stench was just a tad too strong for their sensitive nose. It was clear that the two alphas were used to (much like Riddle before he had found out Yuu’s designation) displaying their designations as a form of dominance and status. This fact coupled with their unnerving demeanor was not boding well for Yuu’s ability to wrangle their frightened instincts under control.

Fight. Flight. Freeze. Much like that day in the rose garden, their instincts chose freeze.

“Your little beta friend is alright,” Jade continued with a pleasant smile. “My brother just likes to joke around.” Floyd could still be heard grumbling beneath his breath. “However, before I release them back into your protective custody…”

Riddle’s hackles rose at that.

“... I do wonder what you three are doing?” Jade finished.

Cater let out a friendly laugh, but even Yuu could see that his eyes were tense, “We were just showing Yuu around campus. They’re still new after all and we at Heartslabyul pride ourselves in being cool and totes helpful upperclassmen!” He flipped his hair in a flippant gesture, “And since Yuu just got their new phone there’s absolutely no way I couldn’t make sure they knew all the best spots for taking MagiCam photos.”

Jade’s smiling expression didn’t seem to move an inch, “Is that so? And here I was under the impression that you all were… Spying on us. Perhaps about something to do with a certain Spelldrive tournament? And we don’t take very kindly to spies, do we Floyd?”

Floyd chuckled, “Ah~ I don’t know… I think I’d like to squeeze a spy though~” His golden mismatched eyes were shining in cruel amusement.

“No way! You’ve got us all wrong!” Cater interjected. He was smiling bashfully and clearly trying to cool the situation down, though Yuu could see slight perspiration forming along his temple.

“Oh?” Jade asked.

“Of course!” Cater continued with a laugh. “What kind of terrible spies would we be if we ran face first blindly into our targets!” Yuu’s face flushed with embarrassment. This was their fault after all.

Jade hummed, “I suppose you would have to be pretty terrible spies to do something like that…”

“Right. So if you know we’re not doing anything underhanded, I’ll ask you once again to release our friend,” Riddle said with deadly cold fury.

Jade let out a dramatic sigh and said, “Very well.” He gently pushed Yuu forward with the hand he had on their shoulder while Floyd made a pouting noise from the side. Yuu’s locked legs were forced into motion and despite the surprisingly gentle way Jade had nudged them, they still found themself stumbling forward. Riddle lunged forward and pulled them towards him and immediately tucked Yuu against his side despite the fact they were significantly taller than him.

Yuu fought back the omegan instinct to tuck their face into the shoulder of a protective alpha. They were already mortified enough and shaking from the entire exchange. Nothing bad had even happened and yet… There was something about these twins. There was an invisible dangerous intent that no one could point out but everyone could sense in their most base instincts.  And it screamed “DO NOT CONFRONT!”

“Well then,” Jade said, not even looking the slightest bit insulted at Riddle’s protective behavior. “If there’s nothing else, I think my brother and I will take our leave.”

“Aw~” Floyd whined. “Already? I didn’t even get to play with Goldfishy.”

As the two turned to walk away Jade suddenly paused and turned to look straight at Yuu. “Our boss has expressed interest in meeting the Prefect of Ramshackle dorm. If you’d ever like to meet, you can always find us at the Mostro Lounge. And since this is an invitation, your first drink and meal will be on the house. We hope to see you soon, little Prefect.” And then he turned and the two brothers walked off into the distance.

Mostro Lounge? Drink and meal on the house? Yuu suddenly felt equally as confused as they were unnerved. Despite Riddle’s familiar strawberry and rose scent and his arm firm around their shoulders, Yuu was still trembling slightly. The suppressant patch would’ve helped with stuff like this, and unfortunately Trey’s spell was only capable of masking their scent.

They suddenly felt ridiculous and ashamed. They had wanted to do this alone . Had told Riddle off for daring to insist they couldn’t come along due to being an omega. And yet here they were trembling and frozen and acting useless to the investigation. They had gotten into trouble almost immediately and if the other two hadn’t been there Yuu wasn’t sure what would’ve happened-

“I’m sorry,” Riddle said, cutting off Yuu’s train of thought. “I shouldn’t have brought you here.”

Despite their internal dialogue, the idea that Riddle was about to say he was right all along still made them rankle inside-

“I should’ve sent you with Ace and Deuce to Pomefiore,” he finished with a sigh. Yuu’s eyes widened and they looked down at the alpha. Riddle’s eyes were closed and his face was scrunched up in conflict. “I’d forgotten how terrifying those two could be. If we were going to attempt to tail them, we should’ve brought everybody along.” Yuu’s shock was through the roof. Riddle admitting that he couldn’t have faced those two alone? Just how infamous were the Leech alphas?

“And to be fair,” Cater added. “It was probably a stupid lead to pursue anyway. No one would dare mess with those two. Our bad.” The beta shrugged.

And against their will and despite the recent feelings of terror (or maybe even because they were so terrified), Yuu’s shoulders began to shake with laughter; and with it the tension in the group seemed to dissipate.

~*~

With Yuu’s consent, the group continued to interview injured students and witnesses and tail potential victims until the late afternoon. They met up back at Heartlabyul with Deuce, Ace, and Grim who also had nothing to show for their efforts. Everything they heard matched what they had heard from Headmaster Crowley and what they had personally experienced during Riddle and Trey’s incident. A feeling of not being in control of their body and looking like nothing more than a clumsy accident.

Riddle asked with red cheeks and a forced indifferent expression if Yuu wanted to sleep over that night considering everything that had happened. But Yuu kindly turned him down citing that they had made plans with Grim, Ace, Deuce, and the ghosts to have a movie night. Besides, Trey was injured and staying over so Riddle could watch over him in his room and that was such a perfect opportunity for both of them to finally move forward in their frustrating “will they won’t they” relationship rut. And Yuu was not going to let Riddle jeopardize that just because the alpha was letting his instincts fret over an omega.

And to be fair, they had been planning the movie night for several days now. Ace, who watched a lot of movies with his family, was aghast to find out that neither Yuu nor Deuce had seen some of the more famous supposed “must-sees” of Twisted Wonderland. Yuu reminded him that they weren’t from here and Deuce just grumbled that he never had the time and that his mother preferred to take walks in the park to watching TV, so that’s what he did instead. Deuce had been embarrassed to admit it and acted grumpy about it, but the confession made Yuu’s heart melt and Ace even blushed and stuttered out an apology.

Regardless, movie night was on, ongoing investigation or not.

Over the last few weeks, Yuu had gotten several new shipments of furniture sent by Dire “What Kind of Person Would I Be to Let an Omega Live in Destitution” Crowley and they’d spent every available moment they weren’t in class, with friends, or wrangling in Grim’s chaotic tendencies fixing up Ramshackle. They’d managed to finish dusting all the main rooms and halls and half of the individual rooms (the attic has remained untouched, who knows what horrors hid there). And recruiting the assistance of the ghosts and their Heartslabyul friends, had managed to get at least the lounge and their own room looking good with both brand new and refurbished furniture. Being a broke college student who rented a shared apartment with several other broke college students back in their home world, the ability to fix up a place and really make it their own was practically a dream come true.

Cater, upon hearing about the movie night, shamelessly invited himself along. Yuu obviously didn’t mind but none of the others could complain once Cater cheekily ordered a bunch of delivery from his favorite restaurants (the boys salivating as they took peaks over Cater’s shoulder at whatever delivery app he was using). Yuu hadn’t even considered that they had food delivery apps in Twisted Wonderland, much less delivered to a dorm in a remote school. They had been even more shocked and impressed when, 20 minutes later, boxes of takeout began to literally appear on Ramshackle’s front porch in bursts of colorful sparkles that momentarily spelled out the name of the restaurant before fading away.

It was moments like these that Yuu felt jealous they couldn’t do magic.

Ace and Deuce had been particularly excited by a selection of food Cater ordered from a famous restaurant from some place called Port ‘O Bliss. When they’d opened the containers Yuu was immediately bombarded by the salivating fragrances of cajun seasoning and spices. They were surprised to find that the restaurant served what was basically just creole and Louisiana style cuisine, which Yuu rarely ate but always enjoyed back at home. The gumbo was particularly satisfying, especially after such a trying day.

With the food set up, courtesy of Cater, they laid out spare blankets and duvets around the lounge and pushed together the new couches and loveseats Crowley had sent. Yuu opened a can of premium tuna for Grim and they all sat down as Ace fiddled with a device (magical obviously) that projected a screen out into the middle of the room like a hologram.

To Yuu’s endless amusement, Ace’s favorite “must-see” movies to watch with his family were actually a bunch of old black and white romance dramas, especially since they had expected his tastes to be something more along the lines of Marvel movies. Yuu imagined that Ace would really enjoy movies in their own world such as Casablanca or Gone with the Wind. Cater was immediately bored but seemed content to just be on his phone the entire time as they marathoned several movies (Yuu suspected the beta just enjoyed the company as they rarely saw him hang out with anyone else except Riddle and Trey despite being a certifiable social butterfly).

To Yuu’s surprise though Deuce was absolutely taken with every film Ace put on. Yuu enjoyed the movies just fine but Deuce was absolutely engrossed in it, tearing up and biting his lips to prevent outright sobbing during the emotional parts. During the downtime between when one movie ended and the next one was put on, he and Ace would begin animatedly discussing what they had just watched. Deuce lamented that he had never seen these before and vowed to watch some of them with his mother next time he was home. Yuu had no idea the two alphas were such hopeless romantics.

Sometime during the night, Trey’s spell ended its 12 hour duration and Yuu could smell their actual scent return. Normally they would be in the privacy of their own room when this happened, with no one but Grim to scent them. It was obvious that everyone else sensed the difference as soon as the spell faded but they all made a valiant effort to act like they didn’t notice anything. Yuu felt grateful.

But as the night progressed everyone else in the room seemed to naturally gravitate towards Yuu. Ace laid his head on Yuu’s lap and propped his feet up on Deuce’s, stretched out between them. Grim, who’d fallen asleep out of boredom several movies ago (and because of a tuna-induced food coma), slept curled up in a ball on the couch right behind Yuu’s head. Cater had also migrated to the ground and leaned up against Yuu while playing on his phone. At one point, he nudged them to get a movie night selfie (which, to Yuu’s relief, he immediately set as their contact photo in his phone). Yuu was glad the outgoing beta was feeling more comfortable around them.

At some point, everyone else had fallen asleep except for Yuu who couldn’t seem to relax enough to do the same. Their stomach suddenly growled in complaint and Yuu sighed. They carefully lifted Ace’s head and set a pillow beneath him and stood up. They paced around for a moment, not knowing exactly what to do with themself. Eventually they settled on making sure everyone had a blanket on them and grabbing a blanket themself (and a box of leftover fruit danishes Cater had ordered) and stepping carefully and quietly outside into the cool night air. Then they began to take a small midnight stroll around the grounds belonging to Ramshackle, snacking on danishes as they went.

The moon was full above them and here there were no city lights to drown out the sparkling of the stars that winked down at them playfully. Yuu sighed in content as the breeze blew past them. It was a peaceful night. A stark difference to the chaos of the day.

“Hm. An omega. How peculiar…”

Yuu startled and nearly dropped their box of danishes. They whirled around, clutching their blanket tighter around them with one hand, and saw that there was a dark figure leaning against the single barren tree that grew on Ramshackle’s grounds.

Terror laced it’s way through them. Who was trespassing in their dorm? They had scented Yuu. They knew Yuu was an omega. What did they want? What was going to happen?

“Relax, child of man,” the figure said, stepping out into the moonlight. The cool blue light caught the angles and grooves of his pitch black horns and Yuu was struck by a piercing toxic green graze that glowed in the darkness. “I was merely resting…”

“W-who are you?” Yuu demanded, not knowing whether they should channel fear or anger. Not knowing if they could even choose which feeling to express.

The man, now revealed in the moonlight, was dressed in an NRC school uniform accented with green. Yuu felt as if they should remember which house that was but their mind was too occupied by panic to recall it. His skin was so pale it was almost luminescent. He looked like a dragon.

“You don’t know me?” He asked, tone surprised. “Truly? Hm…” He trailed off thoughtfully. “Though, I must confess that I too am surprised at your presence. A child of man who is an omega no less… This one feels as if I should’ve known of your existence. And yet here you are… Unknown to  me.”

Yuu shivered in fright and in a small pleading voice said, “Please don’t tell anyone.”

He raised a perfectly plucked brow. “That you are a child of man? Or that you are an omega?”

“That I’m an omega,” Yuu snapped upset.

“I meant no offense, child of man,” he said. “I truly did not know…” He cocked his head to one side, eyes falling shut as if to think. Yuu noted mindlessly that his black eyelashes were very long. “Yes. I suppose I will keep your confidence. I see no reason to deny your request, though…”

He trailed off and Yuu clenched their blanket tighter. Did he want something from them then? In exchange for his silence?

“... I must caution the omega on using dangerous terms such as ‘please’,” he finished, eyes opening once more to reveal those stunning green orbs. At Yuu’s confused and tense expression he explained, “Children of men should be taught more carefully in making potential binding promises to beings they do not know the nature of. If it had been my guardian instead of myself, he surely would’ve bound you to a promise. It is in the nature of most faes… But not me.”

Every word he spoke only served to further Yuu’s confusion. But, for some reason, they were starting to believe that the strange person wouldn’t go ratting them out. From this distance, and from the direction of the wind, they couldn’t scent him either to determine a designation. Though his tall frame suggested he may be an alpha.

As they stood frozen, the strange man continued to talk, mostly mumbling to himself. Yuu caught a few words that seemed to suggest to them that he was unhappy Ramshackle was now occupied with people. He had a small frown on his lips but his expression suggested no anger or ill intent. He seemed genuinely sad that he no longer had a peaceful place to escape to (if Yuu was hearing things correctly), which was something they could relate to. It was, after all, why they were out taking a stroll currently (which they were likely going to stop doing after tonight).

“W-what’s your name?” The words burst out of Yuu’s mouth before they could think twice.

The horned man paused in his mumbling and looked back up at them curiously.

“You are most uneducated in the ways of the world,” he said, not unkindly, but like he was pointing out a mundane truth such as the grass was green. “Names have Power, child of man, and it would behoove you to beware when you share them.”

Yuu furrowed their brows in even more confusion. Didn’t… Didn’t Night Raven College do roll calls?

“I shall not tell you my name,” he said with a finality. “But… You may call me whatever you wish.”

Yuu was starting to wonder if maybe they did fall asleep in the lounge after all and were having a particularly strange dream fueled by eating too many danishes before bed.

“The night grows old and my peace is broken,” the man said. “It was an interesting meeting, child of man. But I believe I will bid you adieu.” He bowed his head in a small acknowledgement and in the next moment he vanished in a spark of green light, leaving behind tiny glowing wisps that fluttered for a moment and dissipated.

Yuu was left confused by the entire exchange. They didn’t know if it was the bizarreness of what had happened or exhaustion or some other reason they couldn’t name, but they didn’t feel the level of panic or urgency they felt they should be feeling after being discovered by a nameless stranger.

A nameless stranger who apparently preferred Yuu to name him than to give them his real one.

This world was so bizarre.

~*~

Grim’s shouting woke them all up.

“THE DELUXE GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH!”

“Aiyah,” Cater groaned, cupping his ears with his hands. “Why is the cat being so loud first thing in the morning? I still have a food hangover…”

Grim started to go on an unintelligible tangent about a grilled cheese sandwich and something about a deal and frankly Yuu was just too groggy to understand even a single word of what he was saying. So they stumbled to the locked cupboard where they kept Grim’s tuna (locked for good reason) and opened one and asked him to wait until the rest of them had a chance to properly wake up. Grim begrudgingly sat back down on the couch and ate his tuna, mumbling grumpily.

Yuu went through the motions of getting ready for the day, washing their face, brushing their teeth, donning fresh clothes… When they came back downstairs, the boys had mostly finished folding and stacking up the blankets and pushing the furniture back into their proper places. It was the weekend so everyone took their time to get ready, but it was still relatively early so they could get to Heartslabyul before the other students started to wake up.

As part of their plan to keep Yuu’s omega status a secret, Headmaster Crowley had begrudgingly allowed them to install a temporary mirror in Ramshackle that connected to one near Riddle’s room at dorm Heartslabyul. And by begrudgingly, it meant that Crowley was going to do it regardless but just wanted to make a big fuss for no reason because he’s an attention whore. While somewhat pricey, magic transport mirrors weren’t difficult to obtain or install. And Riddle made it very clear that no student was allowed in the particular corredor they had installed the twin mirror in (in addition to locking it and only allowing Yuu, Trey, and himself to have copies of the key) under the threat of certain beheading . No one else knew about the mirror but they all knew that it was the one rule Riddle made absolutely no exceptions on.

“I’ll stay quiet for now,” Grim huffed as they walked to the mirror, stuffing his face with his second can of tuna that morning. Deuce had to practically restrain Ace from lunging at the feline when Grim started being very loud again and Yuu had to bribe him with another can of tuna. “But only until Yuu gets their spell from four-eyes. Besides, I think Riddle will want to hear what I have to say anyway.”

He seemed particularly adamant that he had something important to say which made Yuu feel kinda bad that they all basically told him to shut up. Though, to be fair, Grim often boasted that he had very important knowledge and it usually ended up being nothing. Not to mention, they were all exhausted from the late night of food and movies and none of them were ready to deal with Grim’s loud exuberance.

As they all stepped through the mirror, Yuu could hear Ace and Deuce discussing in the back about one of the movies they had watched last night. Yuu couldn’t remember which as even they had lost interest after a while but Deuce and Ace had been hyper focused on every movie that came on. Yuu smiled. It was nice that they had something to bond over like that. Who knew the way to make the two hotheaded alphas get along was old black and white romances?

When they got to Heartslabyul, Yuu unlocked the offlimits corridor door and quickly made their way over to Riddle’s room who was already awake and dressed and ushered everyone in. Trey greeted them from where he still laid in Riddle’s bed, right ankle propped up by a pillow. He smiled at Yuu when they approached and sat down on the bed next to him.

“How was movie night?” He asked, putting his hands on Yuu’s shoulders.

“Fun,” they replied, returning the smile. “Cater ordered us a lot of delicious food from around the world. Deuce found a new love for old movies.”

Trey chuckled and Yuu began to feel what they now intimately knew was Trey’s magic flowing through them like a warm shower. His comforting beta scent filled their nose. In a few moments, their own omegan scent was replaced by the fake beta one and perspiration had broken out across Trey’s forehead. He let out an exhausted sigh and Yuu immediately felt bad.

It must’ve shown on their face because Trey shook his head at them fondly and patted Yuu on the cheek.

“Alright! My turn!” Grim shouted, jumping up onto Riddle’s very nice tea table much to the Housewarden’s furious shock.

Between Riddle’s red faced yelling and threats of taking his head off, and Grim’s cheeky scampering around the room (occasionally lighting things on fire that Ace rushed to put out with his wind magic), it took nearly half an hour before they got a coherent explanation from Grim.

It must’ve been when Yuu was still in their pseudo heat weeks ago, but apparently some guy from Savanaclaw had used some kind of magic to force Grim to give him a grilled cheese sandwich. Magic that Grim described as having his body puppeted by another person. Yuu was darkly reminded of how it felt to be under the influence of an Alpha Command.

“That kind of magic is extremely difficult to master,” Cater pointed out. “If it’s a student… It could only be their signature spell.”

“I do remember that day!” Ace said, “It looked like Grim and that hyena kid were mirroring each other’s movements!”

Riddle crossed his arms thoughtfully. “In that case… It does make sense. I didn’t feel like my mind was being controlled but my body did move without my wishes. If this Savanaclaw student had forced me to mirror him… So long as he was hidden from view he could’ve easily made me falling down the stairs look like an accident. All the others as well.”

“Not to mention that Savanaclaw has a good motive too,” Cater added, scrolling through his phone. “They’re a very athletic house and yet they’ve lost the inter-dorm spelldrive game in the first round two years in a row to Diasomnia. Though… To be honest it isn’t a particularly unique gripe to Savanaclaw.”

Riddle huffed angrily, “Of course. Malleus is a beast.”

Yuu wasn’t exactly sure what all of that meant but it seemed that the older students were in on a particularly well known school fact. Yuu wondered who Malleus was.

Cater shrugged, “But they do have more reason to be upset and want to cheat.”

“Let’s go then!” Ace shouted. “We can go over the Savanaclaw now to do some reconnaissance.”

Yuu looked over at Riddle, wondering if he was going to demand they stay behind again today. They still wanted to go and would be upset if he denied them, but after the entire thing with the Leech twins yesterday they weren’t sure if they would disobey him if Riddle did tell them not to go. Sensing their gaze on him, Riddle glanced up at Yuu’s imploring eyes.

He sighed.

“Very well,” Riddle said. “The five of you should go and scout out Savanaclaw. I will stay here and tend to Trey. I also have Housewarden duties that I can no longer neglect so I won’t be able to join you.”

That made Yuu a little nervous. They trusted their friends well enough but they enjoyed having the small yet powerful alpha near even if his overprotectiveness was a bit stifling at times.

“However,” Riddle suddenly snapped. His hard stormy eyes passed over everyone but Yuu, “If any of you allow Yuu to be hurt, I will have all of your heads . Am I understood?”

To Yuu’s surprise there was an enthusiastic and resounding “Yes, Housewarden” from all of them. Their inner omega preened at having such a protective and closely bonded pack, no matter how much Yuu snapped at it that they weren’t actually a pack.

Still, it felt nice.

~*~

Savanaclaw was like nothing Yuu had seen of their world so far.

Thus far they had only seen the campus grounds, their own dorm, Heartslabyul, and that weird mine Crowley sent them to. All of which were of similar climates with plenty of greenery and mild but pleasant weather. Savanaclaw was the opposite of all that. The moment they stepped through the magic mirror, Yuu was met with a blast of dry air and the visage of an arid landscape. Savanaclaw was an oasis in a desert and Yuu wondered if they were even on the Isle of Sages anymore.

It was still an early Saturday morning so the dorm grounds were entirely void of students. However, far off in the distance at what looked to Yuu like a… Stadium? They could see a lone figure jogging on the track surrounding the field. The person’s bright white hair caught the sun’s glare like a beacon across the desert landscape.

“Looks like Jack Howl,” Cater said. “He’s a firstie like you guys, and a serious contender for the Savanaclaw Spelldrive team. I had him on my list of potential victims.”

Not knowing exactly what to do, the group made their way over to the field and Yuu soon realized that not all of that massive white hair on Jack’s head was actually hair at all. Upon closer inspection, they realized it was actually ears . Magnificently large white wolf ears and a fluffy white tail to match. Despite being in the same grade, Yuu didn’t recognize the beastman from any of their classes. They were sure they’d remember him otherwise.

“Well I can see why he’s a contender,” Ace said beneath his breath. “He’s massive .”

“Yeah, and who wakes up this early to exercise?” Grim complained.

Yuu, who was an athlete themself back in their own world, laughed. “People who take their sports seriously. I used to go on morning jogs too in my own world. They were nice.” Not that they could risk doing so anymore without suppressants, especially after what happened last night (Yuu was still debating whether they dreamt it up or not).

At that moment Jack seemed to spot them because his jogging slowed for a second and, after another second of debate, he started heading towards them.

“Uhhh…” Yuu said, “Any idea what we’re supposed to say?”

The others shrugged.

“Before he gets over here preferably-” Yuu cut themself off because Jack had reached the group much faster than they expected. And upon looking at him this close the reason was obvious. He really was absolutely gigantic. Yuu realized with a start that he was probably as tall, if not taller, than the Leech twins.

“What are you guys doing here?” Jack said gruffly. “Don’t you know members of Savanaclaw are notoriously territorial and don’t take kindly to trespassers?”

“Is that some kind of threat!” Grim hissed.

Jack looked confused for a second at where the voice had come from but eventually spotted Grim on the ground, way far below his line of sight. He sniffed the air and grimaced. “And why did you guys bring a cub with you?”

“I’m Grim! The greatest mage in the world!” The feline declared. “How dare you look down on me!”

Yuu sighed and bent down to pick the fussy feline up. Grim hissed at them but didn’t do more than that, begrudgingly allowing the human omega to hold them. “Sorry about him. We actually just came to ask you a few questions.”

Jack narrowed his eyes at them, “I’m not in the mood for an interview.”

“Actually!” Cater cut in, “It’s about the uh… Accidents. I’m sure you’ve heard the rumors. We just wanted to see if you might’ve known anything. Seen anything? Felt any weird movements recently?”

“No,” Jack snapped. “You’re wasting my time and you're going to get yourselves all into trouble if you stay here.”

“Okay well, before we leave then,” Yuu cut in hastily. “Do you know anything about a particular hyena beastman? He might have sandy colored hair? We’re looking for him-”

“Looking for me? Did you hear that, Leona~ They said they’re looking for me.”

The new voice came from behind them and when the group turned around they saw that two new beastman had snuck up behind them followed by several more students. They were all dressed in exercise gear. Yuu realized with a start that they recognized the two at the front of the pack. And even if they didn’t remember what they looked like there was no way Yuu could forget that domineering alpha scent coming from the one with long braids and a scar across his left eye. The sensation of shifting grains of sand on the cusp of turning into a sand storm.

“Hah, what kind of annoying pests have you been attracting, Ruggie?” Leona said, scratching the back of his neck. Despite his laidback lazy demeanor his eyes were sharp as he cataloged each of them in quick succession. He paused on Yuu, “I remember you. You’re that annoying herbivore that stepped on my tail in the greenhouse.”

At their friend’s questioning gazes Yuu blushed and wished the floor would open up and swallow them. “I d-did apologize for that. Several times, I might add.”

“Hn. Well now you’re also trespassing in our territory and interrupting our spelldrive practice,” he replied. He leaned forward so he was right in Yuu’s face, trying to intimidate them with his height and alpha scent. “So what do you think I should do about this, beta herbivore? Sorry isn’t going to cut it this time. I believe I told you to be ready to lose a tooth if you bothered me again.”

Ace and Deuce immediately began growling and moving in to place themselves between Yuu and the perceived threat. Unfortunately, Leona didn’t seem particularly intimidated by the act. He just chuckled and leisurely stepped back again, as if to say he could take his time because they posed no real threat to him.

“I see you’ve got yourself a couple of baby alpha bodyguards,” Leona chuffed. “Maybe you aren’t a herbivore afterall. A hunter then? No no… An alpha tamer? Heh. How did you do it, little beta? Did you seduce them?”

Yuu knew at this point that his words weren’t aimed at them anymore despite being addressed to them. He was trying to rile up Ace and Deuce and it was working . Both alphas gnashed their teeth and bared their fangs at Leona. Yuu quickly realized what was happening.

He wants them to attack first so he has an excuse to fight back.

“Ace. Deuce. Calm down,” Yuu snapped. At the realization of the danger they were in (Yuu eyed the large group of beastmen behind Leona, most of them were alphas), they felt that rare omegan instinct to take charge of those under their care surface. Alphas were usually the commanding ones, but under certain circumstances a single omega could bring an entire room of alphas to heel. Yuu was trying to channel that right now. “Don’t give him what he wants.”

“Oh?” Leona raised a brow at them, “And what exactly do I want, little beta minx?”

Don’t rise to the bait , Yuu reminded themself. They met the alpha’s green eyes head on and refused to back down. His eyes were intense as they stared Yuu down but they thought they might’ve seen respect flash in them for just a second.

Ace and Deuce were clearly having trouble controlling their anger and Yuu knew they needed to get out of this fast.

“We’re just heading out,” Yuu said. “We didn’t come to make trouble.”

At this Leona threw his head back and laughed, his long hair flying with the motion. “You really think I’m just going to let you brats leave here without punishment for trespassing?”

“Students aren’t allowed to use magic to fight on campus,” Yuu reminded him. “From my point of view, there’s nothing you can actually do to stop us without getting in trouble. Sure would suck to be disqualified from the tournament, wouldn’t it?” Their palms felt sweaty just managing to say that. Leona immediately stopped laughing and fixed Yuu with his intense gaze.

“I suppose not,” he replied, voice suddenly devoid of all previous humor. Yuu watched nervously as his tail flicked in agitation. The same tail they had trampled on nearly a month ago now. “But who said anything about fighting with violence? There’s a perfectly legal way to settle this score with magic.” He grinned, putting his sharp lion fangs on show. “How’s about a game of spelldrive?”

Yuu felt taken aback for a second. Spelldrive? They didn’t understand how this changed anything. They could still refuse and leave-

“You’re on, bastard!” Ace roared.

“We’re going to take you down,” Deuce said, cracking his knuckles. And in Yuu’s arms Grim began to cheer at the declarations of violence. They glanced between all their friends in alarm but it seemed like only Cater was on the same page as them. He just sighed and shrugged as if to say “alphas”.

“Well how about it then, little beta?” Leona asked with his cat-got-the-canary grin. “Your pet alphas want to defend your honor. Are you just gonna make them back down?”

“Yuu doesn’t own us,” Ace snapped. “They can’t make us back down! And we’re going to take you down, you overgrown cat!”

With the entire situation suddenly completely out of their hands, Yuu glanced around helplessly and then looked back at Leona who had the most smug expression on his face. Yuu suddenly got the sense that this alpha, despite seeming so lazy that first day they’d met, was actually terrifyingly intelligent. With only a couple of well placed insults and sentences he had wrested all control from Yuu’s hands and gotten exactly what he was after.

With a couple more insults from both sides (Ace’s and Deuce’s mostly loud while Leona’s sharp and deep cutting), they went to their respective sides of the field in preparation for the sudden Spelldrive game they were involved in.

“We don’t even have a full team,” Cater lamented. “This totally sucks.”

“Pft, we’re only short two players,” Ace said. “We can totally beat those assholes like this.”

Cater glared at the alpha. “Firstie, are you forgetting that Yuu cannot do magic and Grim is literally a cat .” Grim started loudly protesting at this and the look on Ace’s suddenly slack face said that no, he had not considered that.

“Oh,” was all he said in response. Cater groaned in frustration and started muttering about stupid alphas.

“I told you guys to leave.”

Yuu turned around and saw that Jack Howl had approached the group, his expression annoyed and disappointed. Yuu sighed, “I tried.”

The beastman sighed as well. “I don’t understand why Leona is doing this. Where’s the pleasure in stomping a bunch of newbies?” At Ace, Deuce, and Grim’s angry protests Yuu quickly shut them up with a glare. They had done quite enough damage for one morning. “Well. My honor isn’t going to let this slide so I’ll be joining your team for this game.”

Everyone’s eyes bulged at the same time. “What?!”

“Don’t make me repeat myself,” Jack grumbled. “I just think it’s dishonorable to play such a one-sided game. I’m not doing this to help you guys, so don’t get the wrong idea.” He huffed and looked away.

As the boys were using magic to change into sports wear, Cater came up to Yuu and said, “You should probably sit this one out. You can maybe help out by watching the game and calling out commands or something.” Yuu nodded in agreement. They didn’t have magic afterall.

“How does this game work anyway?” Yuu asked.

“Yeah! Tell us!” Grim cheered.

Jack got the most incredulous look on his face. “You agreed to this game and you don’t even know how the game works?” He groaned and ran a hand across his face, possibly starting to regret offering to join their team. “Fine,” he finally snapped. “Come here and I’ll explain.”

He pulled open a duffle bag and put aside some water bottles and then pulled out a very familiar looking object. Yuu’s eyes widened.

“This is the disk,” Jack explained, holding up two frisbees, one red and one blue. “The basic gist of the game is to control these with magic and to try and get them into the enemy’s goal to score points. There are other rules that dictate how you can use your magic to defend against or interrupt your opponent's plays.” As he continued, Yuu’s original down demeanor began to shift and very quickly a growing grin appeared on their face, getting larger with each description.

Cater noticed and shot them a very strange look but Yuu ignored it and waited for Jack to finish explaining before raising a hand to ask a question. Jack looked confused at that but awkwardly pointed at Yuu, coughing, “um… Yes?”

“Are players allowed to hold the disks with their hands?”

Jack seemed confused by the question and thought for several seconds. “I um… yes? I think. It’s not against the rules to my knowledge. It can just be dangerous because magic is used to steal and deflect the disk, and holding it can be risky to the player.”

But that was really all Yuu needed to hear. They turned to Cater happily and said, “I don’t think I will sit on the sidelines after all.”

At everyone’s confused looks Yuu asked:

“Have I ever told you guys about my frisbee golf trophies?”

Notes:

I like how I promised Leona and there was barely any Leona in this chapter LOL. It just got so long again and I was actually debating cutting it off at 5k words but decided that NO. I promised Leona so I was going to DELIVER LEONA GODDAMNIT. So I stayed up for another 2 hours until 2 am to finish this chapter lol. I hope it was worth it.

I'VE HAD THE FRISBEE GOLF ANGLE IN MY HEAD SINCE THIS STORY WAS CONCIEVED!!! I myself do not play frisbee golf but the idea that the MC is just like... "Oh, y'all magical ultimate frisbee? Bitch please, I got this" would not leave me. I was actually supposed to get to the game in this chapter but I didn't. Next chapter it is then :P

ANYWAY! Hope you enjoyed! I hope y'all have a wonderful weekend! The 2-3 day updates will probably cease after this since I have a very long and intense trip in a few days and won't have access to my computer everyday. I'll still try to write from my phone but that is a much slower and labor intensive process than typing from a keyboard so.... We'll see.

PLEASE leave me a yummy yummy comment and let me know what you think!! 💖

Chapter 5

Notes:

I lied. Here's a new chapter.

I'm not sure if I'm happy with how this one turned out. I wrote almost all of it on my phone during my airplane flight that's why so... I'm still not sure. But I hope it's still good enough to enjoy.

Apologies if there's more mistakes and typos than normal. Most of it was written on my phone like I said before lol

Yuu had never had the opportunity to play ultimate frisbee before (not for a lack of interest, there were just never any teams in the city they grew up in) and they wouldn’t exactly consider themself the most athletic person in the world. Light jogging and sporty extracurriculars took up a good chunk of their free time growing up but nothing to the level of people actually big into sports like baseball or international football. However, that didn’t mean Yuu had no experience.

Afterall, lining the shelf hanging above their bed back in their own world were years worth of trophies and ribbons commending their achievements in the sport of disc golf.

Yuu’s friends seemed dubious at their excited explanation of their favorite sport. Apparently most physical sports in this world have long since been played with the inclusion of magic (with exceptions like hedgehog croquet and horseback riding that Riddle enjoyed) and they were somewhat baffled at Yuu’s surety that they would be able to keep up just fine. Yuu had to reassure Cater several times over before the beta finally relented and spelled them into some clothes more suitable for movement. And then their team took to the field.

“Eh~” Ruggie gasped with delight when he spotted Yuu. “The magic-less human is joining us? Shyeheehee…” He covered his mouth as his shoulders shook with laughter. “Nee, Leona~ Maybe we’re being too hard on them.” Despite his words, his tone was clearly amused and laced with insult.

“If they wanted a handicap they shouldn’t have come onto our turf,” was Leona’s only amused retort.

Yuu narrowed their eyes at their opponents and declined to say anything. They were a little nervous about playing with the involvement of unpredictable magic but wanted their abilities to speak for themselves. Besides, what kind of friend would they be if they sat back and let everyone else get hurt in their stead? Regardless, it was a good thing that their opponents were underestimating them.

“Standard mid length match,” Leona barked, voice suddenly serious. “First team to four out of seven points wins.” His condescending grin returned, “I’ll even let our guests have offense first.” His entire team started snickering.

“Let’s just get going,” Jack growled unhappily. Yuu wondered at the beastman’s motives and why he seemed so upset with the entire situation. He took the blue disc from Leona and started marching gruffly down towards their half of the field. Leona watched his underclassman with a narrow eyed expression before giving an annoyed tsk and heading towards their own side. Yuu and the others quickly hurried to follow Jack.

One of the Savanaclaw students stood to the side of the field with his wand and arm raised high into the air. When everyone had taken their proper places and waited with a bated breath, he let out a shout and a bright spark shot from the magestone into the sky. Everyone burst into motion.

Taking a gamble that no one was going to bother with them, Yuu immediately sprinted down the field, bee-lining for the halfway mark and off to the side to take stock of the situation. Spells were already flying from Leona’s defending team as Jack charged forward, disc held aloft by a spell. As predicted, no one paid Yuu any mind.

“Jack! I’m open!” Ace shouted from further down the field as Jack dodged a spell fired by the enemy team. Without even an assenting nod, he flicked his wrist and the disc spun out of his spell range and flew towards Ace. Several of their opponents tried to magically intercept it but Jack’s throw managed to out speed their spells and Ace just barely caught it with his own as he immediately set off into a sprint.

Yuu watched as the disc was passed from person to person. Ace to Deuce. Deuce to Grim. Grim back to Ace. Ace to Jack. Jack to Cater. All this while dodging and weaving through the attacks from their opponents, until finally they neared the midfield line. But now Leona’s team were closing in and opportunities to pass the disc dwindled and Cater was suddenly caught in a position surrounded at nearly every side.

“Cater!” Yuu shouted at him from several dozen yards away. His eyes flickered over to them and for a moment he looked hesitant, but half a heartbeat later he flicked his wand and suddenly the disc was flying for Yuu. They jumped and caught it, regretting for a moment of not having the foresight to ask Cater to spell them some sporting gloves as it impacted somewhat painfully into their palms.

And just like that Yuu was back in their own world at one of their competitions, every sound but the pounding of blood in their ears became muted. Their vision narrowed until the circular goal post at the other end of the field became the only point of clarity. They took a deep breath, twisted and tensed their body into a familiar position, and they let the frisbee fly.

No one on Leona’s team even had a chance to reach them. The blue spinning disc flew fast and true in a straight line. Across an entire half of the spelldrive field and through the practically pin needle sized hole from this distance and flew for even longer after that before finally landing in the dirt a fair distance away from the play area. Yuu was breathing heavily but felt a grin appear on their face. It had been a while but they still had it.

Everyone on the field was silent. And then after a moment the stuttering voice of the Savanaclaw referee shouted, “P-point one for guests!” He fired blue sparks into the air and suddenly the scoreboard changed its display: 0-1.

Yuu heard the pounding of feet and watched as their friends jogged up to them. Ace’s eyes were wide as he exclaimed, “Yuu! How the hell did you do that?! You did that… Without magic?!” His voice clearly stated that he was still in disbelief at what he saw.

“You threw that thing across half a field by hand and it still made it into the hoop,” Jack said. His voice was still as stoic as before but Yuu could hear a layer of shock beneath it.

They just grinned at everyone. They usually weren’t a smug or boastful person, but this was something they were particularly proud of and they weren’t about to pass up a chance to show off their hard earned talents. “I hold the tenth place record for longest disc throw for betas in my state for a reason.” And likely number one if there was a category for omegas, but Yuu wasn’t about to share that emotionally sore tidbit.

“So then… Not the helpless herbivore I thought you were.”

When Yuu glanced to the side they saw that Leona had walked up to their little gathering. His previous demeanor had been keen but largely laid back and uninterested; his entire body language had screamed that this was nothing more than child's play for him. That he was humoring them. Playing with his prey. But now his gaze appeared sharper and Leona seemed to be looking at them with a new set of eyes.

Feeling playful and energized by endorphins Yuu replied cheekily, “A predator should never underestimate their prey.”

“Ho?” His green eyes widened for a moment but he was suddenly grinning at them. “I suppose I should stop playing around then and actually take this seriously. As impressive as that throw was, little beta, I’m afraid you won’t be scoring another point this match.”

Yuu narrowed their eyes. “We’ll see about that.”

Leona only threw back his head and laughed.

They took their places on the field again. However, now that the enemy team was aware that Yuu wasn’t an opponent so easily dismissed they were more diligent in blocking passes to them. Yuu themself was having a difficult time in the defending position considering physical contact would result in a foul and they had no magic whatsoever to force their opponent to drop the disc. The next three rounds resulted in points scored for the home team.

But neither Yuu nor their friends were ready to throw the towel in yet.

“Yuu!” Deuce shouted when he spotted an opening to them. Yuu’s eyes darted across the field and they saw that Ruggie was darting forward shockingly fast to intercept the pass. So they threw their hands down low as they ran and hoped that Deuce got the message.

He did. With a nod, he flung his arm downward and flicked his wrist down low so that the disc flew towards Yuu just inches from the ground. Ruggie growled and overshot, not expecting such a low pass, cursing beneath his breath. Yuu nearly fell trying to catch the disc but managed to get upright despite the dangerous momentum, prize in their grasp. Once again, the goal was a clear shot ahead of them, but only a quarter of the field away this time.

But when Yuu drew their arm back to throw the disc, Leona suddenly appeared several yards away, right on the path of interception. He raised his hand in preparation to spell cast.

He was grinning maniacally at them, “What’cha gonna do now, little beta minx?”

Without pausing to answer, Yuu quickly surveyed the scene and made fast calculations, making minute adjustments to their body as they did so. Then they launched the disc to their left despite no one being there to catch it. Leona looked confused for a second as he watched the wide miss, then he grinned again and laughed. “Hah. You’d rather take a foul than let me steal your kill? A beta after my own heart.”

But Yuu was ignoring him, eyes trained on the disc. Leona’s smile fell and he whirled around, green eyes tracking the path of the frisbee. With the slight downward tilt Yuu had given the disc’s spin when they released it, it flew off to the left at an angle where no one could possibly catch it, true. But then, just moments later, it’s pathing bent and suddenly it was curving sharply to the right. Yuu held their breath and hoped that their projections had been correct.

The disc took it’s curved path and entered cleanly through the goal. A moment later, a blue flash came from the referee, signaling their point.

“What in the world?” Leona asked himself in disbelief. “You bent the disc’s path without magic.”

“It’s called an outside-in throw,” Yuu explained with a pleased smile. “I had to use it a lot during my disc golf competitions to get around trees and other obstacles. Or in this case… A grumpy lion.” In the back of their head, they knew they were poking a hornet’s nest and being a little too over confident but the pure adrenaline from all the running and being able to play with frisbees again was overshadowing their usually stronger common sense. They couldn’t resist teasing.

But thankfully it seemed Leona was no longer taking offense to their comments. His eyes were shining with competitive spirit as he appraised them. Then suddenly, when Yuu wasn’t paying close attention, he closed the distance between them and stood a little too close for comfort. His scent of hot desert air coiled around them.

“You know, beta,” Leona’s voice practically purred. “If you wanted to flirt, you should’ve just said something sooner instead of coming all this way to cause trouble.”

Yuu blinked, the words taking several tics longer than it should’ve to fully process. When it finally clicked what Leona said, Yuu instinctively squeaked as their face flamed up crimson. They held their hands up and recoiled away from the looming alpha. “I wasn’t flirting!”

“Of course, if you want my attention so badly, you’re going to have to try harder,” Leona continued, ignoring what they said completely. “Back in Sunset Savanna, this grumpy lion is the second born prince and has his pick of royal omegas. A little beta like you is going to have to work hard if they want to keep up. But I do enjoy a challenging hunt.” Leona’s eyes were intense as they stared Yuu down, and Yuu was left confused at his entire change in demeanor. They swallowed nervously as they noticed just how sharp his fangs were.

“Leona, are we ready to keep playing or what?” Came an annoyed voice.

Leona’s grin fell into an exasperated frown and he finally stepped back, giving Yuu some much needed space. He closed his eyes and ran a hand through his long hair and sighed, “Yeah yeah, Ruggie. I’ll be right there.”

Ruggie frowned at him but when he noticed Yuu watching, his mischievous smile immediately returned to his face. He winked at them, much like he did the first time they’d met, as if the two of them were in on a particularly funny secret. Then he and Leona started their trek back to the rest of their team.

The beginning of match six was met with the introduction of fliers and brooms to the game. Jack had said during his Spelldrive explanation that a typical game was played in nine rounds, and that the last three is where brooms tradiationally became involved. Some people preferred to just play with brooms the entire way through but this wasn’t typical for official events. In a mid-length game (like they one they were playing) it was the last 2 out of 7 matches. And in a short game of 3 matches, only the last round would be when fliers took to the field. Supposedly it was to help keep the game dynamic and interesting the entire way through. Strategies that worked in the first two thirds of the game may not be at all applicable in the last third. Teams with exceptional fliers often managed to turn the tides of the game if they were behind early game.

And unfortunately for Yuu’s team (who were already losing 3-2), Ruggie Bucchi was an exceptional flier. Unlike big players such as Jack, who excelled best on the ground, Ruggie was light and nimble and even more so when given the freedom of flight. It was the reason, Jack had explained, why most teams consisted of 5 alphas and 2 betas. Alphas made the best field players while betas made the best fliers.

Cater begrudgingly agreed to be a flier despite his complains of the wind messing up his hair. Ace and Deuce played rock-paper-scissors to decide between them and Ace ended up being their second flier. Neither Yuu or Grim could use a broom and it was obvious why Jack should stay on the field. Yuu might have the farthest and most accurate throw even without magical assistance, but Jack was their fastest runner, able to clear vast distances in seconds and dodge and even bulldoze through weaker spells if necessary.

Still, even with fliers of their own it was an entirely different game when Ruggie took to the skies. Any obstecles or intercepting spells Ace and Cater shot at him the hyena seemed to effortlessly weave around. And when they inevitably ended up back in a defensive position, neither of them could do anything from stopping Ruggie from harassing the field players. Round six was the fastest match to date in favor of the home team and everyone on Yuu’s team were starting to feel exhausted and beat up by the merciless onslaught from Savanaclaw.

 “We need to re-evaluate,” Jack said gasping as they returned to their end of the field. They were on offense once more. “You two have to do something about Bucchi.”

“Do you think-“ Ace gasped for breath, sweat pouring down his face as he flew down to meet them. “That we aren’t trying?”

“That guy is a demon in the sky,” Cater complained, also breathing heavily. “Can’t we just forfite? We’ve already lost 4-2. Playing another round won’t make a-“

“No!” Came the unison shout from Ace, Deuce, and even Jack much to Yuu’s surprise.

“We have to see this through!” Deuce declared. “We just gotta score one more point! Even if we’re going to lose anyway!”

“Ehhh- But I’m dead on my paws,” Grim panted. “So is Yuu! And they’re the only one who’s scored any points so far!” He wasn’t wrong. Yuu’s legs were feeling like jelly and their lungs felt like it was on fire. Frisbee golf was a sport, yes, that required players to be fit but it wasn’t one that required the level of cardio they were currently needing to exert. Especially since it had been quite a while since they’ve last exercised. They felt like they were going to pass out fairly soon.

“We just need one opening,” Jack said. “If we could just take Bucchi out of the equation…”

They all fell silent, considering the bleak situation. It was nearly time for the final match to begin and Yuu wasn’t feeling particularly good about their chances. Savanaclaw had been ruthless in their attacks and Yuu, along with everyone else, were beat up and tired and had minor bruises and singes across their bodies from exceptionally volatile spells. Nothing against Spelldrive regulation rules, but definitely toeing the line. Yuu hoped that Riddle wouldn’t notice later, for the sake of his own blood pressure.

“Prefect.”

At Jack’s sudden call, shattering the silence, everyone turned to look at him curiously. There was a determined gleam in his eyes despite the usual stoicism of his expression.

“You can just call me Yuu,” they replied with a small smile.

He nodded. “Yuu then. I have an idea, but it might not be…” He shook his head and clenched his fist, “It may not be the most honorable thing to do but… I don’t want to lose.”

“We’ve already lost,” Cater said exasperatedly at the same time Ace shouted, “Who cares if it’s honorable or not! Tell us!”

Jack looked conflicted despite the fact he was the one to bring the topic out. But after a moment he sighed and continued, “Yuu. I want you to open this time.”

“Huh?” They replied in bewilderment. Jack had opened every time they were on offense, meaning he was the first to have the disc. It only made sense. He was the fastest and could cover the most ground. But Yuu on the other hand was clearly most suited for finishing and scoring goals.

“Are you sure?“ Yuu asked, furrowing their brows. “I’m dead tired and my legs are shaking. I don’t think I’ll be able to run very far.”

The others voiced similar concerns but Jack just shook his head. “I think it’s the best shot we’ve got.” He sounded confident that this was true and he did have the most experience out of any of them… But Yuu was finding it difficult to believe it.

At everyone’s dubious expressions Jack motioned them to all huddle up. But not before taking a quick look up, ear flickering back and forth like large radars, to make sure no one was listening. Once he assertained that no one was he to quickly bent back down and began to explain his plans in a low voice.

It was… Definitely ethically dubious. But Yuu trusted that the wolf knew the rules well enough for it to past scrutiny. After all, if Savanaclaw could get away with some of the spells they were using, surely they could get away with this. And aside from the legality of the play Jack proposed, it was also going to require a lot to go right to be pulled off. It was a long shot for sure.

But at this point, they needed it. All Yuu knew was that Savanaclaw wouldn’t know what hit them in the face.

~*~

They took to their positions again but now with Yuu in the center spot, blue disc in hand. Even across the entire field, Yuu could see Leona’s ears perk up in interest as he realized the last minute change in formation. He flashed his fangs at them in a vicious sneer.

The referee fired sparks into the sky and they were off.

All except for Yuu.

Yuu stood their ground as their team shot towards center field to meet their opponents head on. Ruggie sailed smoothly through the air, as fast and natural as any bird, and grinned when he saw Ace and Cater gunning for him, wands held at the ready. He ducked at the same time they swerved away and Ruggie righted himself in confusion as Ace and Cater went for the field players instead, having fallen for the feint. He growled with annoyance and then noticed that Yuu remained unmoved from their starting position.

A grin returned to his lips and he sped off towards them, easily dodging spells from Grim, Deuce, and Jack as he sailed over them.

With Ruggie gunning for Yuu, Ace and Cater had a much easier time fending off Savanaclaw’s only other flier and making a nuisance of themselves for the rest of the field players. Savanaclaw players began falling behind as Ace bombarded them with wind magic, blinding them and pushing them around. Leona growled and fired a fire spell at him, clipping the back of his broom. Ace went crashing towards the field.

With Ace down, Cater tried his best to fend them off but was quickly being overwhelmed. Stronger runners like Leona cleared the fray and had already reached the midline where they clashed with Deuce and Grim. For someone of Leona’s skill, their magic just wasn’t enough and he cleared their line of defense without breaking a sweat.

With Yuu waiting with the disc at the guest end of the field, there was no back and forth trading of offensive and defensive positions. It was a ballsy, highly unorthodox, and highly risky play. If they didn’t pull this off just right, Savanaclaw (and likely Leona specifically as he was running at the front of the pack) would have no problem scoring the final point seeing as Yuu had no magic to defend their goal.

But it was exactly this fact that was going to give them their only fighting chance.

Ruggie reached them in record time and began firing spells down at Yuu who tried their best to dodge out of the way. As a flier, he lost the ability to be able to move the disc himself as only field players could legally do so. The only course of action he had was to try and knock the disc out of Yuu’s hand or intercept it should Yuu try to throw it across half the field (which they already established the Prefect was perfectly capable of) and wait for Leona to arrive to steal it.

This was another reason Yuu hadn’t moved. By waiting they still had enough energy left to duck out of the way of Ruggie’s spells. But it was quickly tiring work and more than once Ruggie nearly singed Yuu with a cackle and fire spell.

“Don’t you firsties know you shouldn’t stick your snout down a badger’s hole?” Ruggie teased playfully as he fired another fire spell down at them. Yuu leaped out of the way and it dissipated upon impact with the magic-absorbing turf (no point in having a Spelldrive field that could be easily destroyed by magic after all). “I wonder why you guys wanted to find me so badly?”

Yuu glared at him, remembering their terror at watching and listening to Trey tumble down the stairs and hit the floor below. They were all lucky the vice-housewarden didn’t suffer a head injury or worse. But Ruggie’s tone suggested he knew exactly what this conversation was about. Between that and Grim’s testimony, Yuu had a gut feeling they had found the suspect responsible.

“You know exactly why we’re here,” Yuu snapped, spinning out of the way of another spell. They sensed that Ruggie was still just playing around; that if he was actually serious they’d be having a much harder time dodging his attacks.

“I do?” He curled up his fingers in front of his mouth and cackled again. If Yuu wasn’t so furious at what had happened to Trey, they might’ve found it cute.

“You-“ Yuu cut themself off when they saw movement out of the corner of their eye. Leona Kingscholar had arrived.

“What are you two betas yapping about?” He asked, slowing from a sprint to a leisurely walk. With only the magic-less Prefect here and everyone else on their team preoccupied center field, he felt no rush. He was smirking at Yuu.

“I think the firstie fancies themself a detective, Leona. Shyeheehee~”

Yuu bit their cheek, wondering if now was really the time to be discussing this and poking the proverbial hornet’s nest. Riddle’s concerns about what the perpetrators may do in retaliation if they knew someone was investigating them echoed in their head. Leona and Ruggie were playful now, when Yuu was a spelldrive opponent who posed little threat, but how fast could that change?

Yuu was no dummy. Ruggie was likely the person responsible for the accidents around campus but they’d seen the way Ruggie and the others deferred to Leona. There was no way someone as sharp as Leona, and someone as head alpha of his pride, missed the clues that even Grim had figured out. He was either ignoring the sabotage willfully or he was directly in charge of it. The more likely answer was obvious between the two.

But… If not now, then when?

Plus, Yuu needed to make Leona mad anyways. An opponent who lost their cool was an opponent you had an advantage over. A tactic as old as time and one even Leona himself used earlier on Ace and Deuce. Yuu made up their mind. It was now or never.

“Unfortunately for you, this detective ,” Yuu emphasized. “We already know that you guys are responsible for sabotaging other spelldrive players around campus. Does the term deluxe grilled cheese ring any bells?” They eyed Ruggie’s livid expression and tensed their body, readying all their muscles to spring into action. They narrowed their eyes at the two beastmen, “And Headmaster Crowley will know by the end of the day.”

Take the bait , they thought desperately, fighting hard to keep the terror from their face.

At Yuu’s declaration Leona and Ruggie immediately stopped laughing and fell silent. All humor and playfulness disappeared and the scent of an oncoming sandstorm started picking up again.

“Is that so?” Leona asked slowly. Carefully. Shifting his shoulders forward and tilting his head dangerously. He suddenly looked the image of the terrifying lion he shared characteristics with. “And what evidence do you have for such a dangerous accusation, little beta?”

Bluff! Yuu thought desperately. Outwardly they narrowed their eyes and let a smile come onto their face, “Why don’t you come and get it out of me, grumpy lion.”

A charged moment of silence passed between them.

And suddenly caught between an excited grin and a look of absolute fury, Leona snarled and lunged for them, brandished wand glowing with magic.

Now! Yuu thought.

They ducked as Leona fired a spell in their direction and, to his shock, used their smaller frame to lunge beneath his outstretched legs. A shadow fell over Yuu’s face as Leona’s large height blocked out the sun.

But he was also blocking Yuu from Ruggie’s line of sight.

In one move, Yuu slid beneath and out behind Leona, flicking the disc up into the air as hard as they could with their thumb and two index fingers. Ruggie made a noise of alarm but was too late to realize what was happening when the disc hit him square in the face with a painful crack.

Yuu knew exactly how it felt to take a disc at full speed to the face. It was very painful. But they couldn’t find it in themself to feel too terrible; this was also payback for hurting Trey.

As soon as they had their feet square beneath them again Yuu immediately broke into a dead sprint, feeling disoriented because of both the sneaky maneuver they just pulled off and because their head was still tilted into the sky searching for the falling frisbee.

Ruggie let out a yell and clutched his nose, stunned and unable to do anything for the moment. But a moment was all Yuu needed. They caught the falling disc just as Leona whirled around in shock and anger.

“JACK!“ Yuu screamed across the field, drew their arm back, and let the disc fly true.

Let this please work!

Down near midfield and out of the chaotic frey of spell casting Jack stood waiting for this exact moment. His ears rotated in Yuu’s direction and he broke into a sprint himself, eyes tracking the frisbee flying towards him, wand and spell to catch it at the ready. No one had even noticed he caught it a second later, sure that Leona and Ruggie could easily handle the magic-less prefect. Jack’s strides covered so much of the field so fast that by the time anyone else on Savanaclaw even noticed he was halfway down their side, and it was already too late to stop him.

Yuu slowed to a stop and watched with a bated breath as Jack waved his wand and the disc flew once more.

It entered the goal.

The game was over.

Except the excitement wasn’t.

A moment later a hand roughly grabbed Yuu by the back of their shirt and violently wrenched them back. Yuu let out a terrified noise of alarm and came face to face with Leona’s furious expression.

“You have some nerve, beta,” he spat into their face. Next to them Ruggie landed his broom, one hand still clutching a bleeding nose. He was glaring at Yuu.

“Yuu!“ They heard their friend’s shouts of alarm from further out in the field, but it would be a little bit before anyone reached them.

“Everything I did was within spelldrive rules,” Yuu retorted, voice sounding braver than they felt. They knew their forced bravado wasn’t going to last long though in the face of a furious alpha. “Physical contact is prohibited. But only body to body , Jack assured us. It’s not my fault Ruggie got physically in the way of my disc pass.”

“What do you mean disc pass!“ Ruggie shouted indignantly with a muffled voice. “Who the hell were you passing to? The sun?! ”

But Leona held up his spare hand (the one not holding Yuu hostage) to tell him to shut up. His fierce green gaze never left Yuu’s for a second.

“What evidence ?” Leona growled low in his throat, a bit of unintentional alpha voice leaking out with it.

Yuu swallowed but refused to be cowed, even as the alpha voice pulled the truth from them. “I- I don’t have any. It was a bluff.” They paused, then said a little spitefully, “But thanks for confirming my theory for me.”

Leona’s eyes narrowed and they just stared at each other. They stayed in that position for several silent moments, the sounds of Yuu’s frantic friends growing louder with each that passed.

Then suddenly Leona’s shoulders were shaking with laughter. Yuu’s eyes widened and Ruggie’s brows furrowed. Leona bent his head forward, still clutching Yuu’s shirt, laughing the whole while. Finally his head snapped up and Yuu wasn’t sure what to make of the look in his eyes.

“Let Yuu go!”

Their friends had finally arrived.

Leona’s laughter subsided but he was still chuckling. Yuu had absolutely no idea what was going through the alpha’s head. At last, he released them and Yuu collapsed to their knees on the ground. Leona stood and brushed a hand through his sweaty hair and sighed loudly.

“Housewarden, this behavior is unacceptable!” Yuu heard Jack yell. “You cannot physically retaliate against an opponent just for outsmarting you. Besides, it’s not as if it made a difference. Your team still won.”

“Shut up, you dumb wolf,” Leona drawled. His tone was suddenly uninterested again, all energy and humor leaving him. Yuu was starting to get whiplash from the sudden changes in his demeanor. “I didn’t hurt the little beta.” He grinned down at Yuu again but it didn’t reach his eyes, “Already collected another alpha huh, little minx? I’m not sure if I approve of you poaching from my turf.”

Yuu didn’t answer him, just watched him very carefully, instinctively afraid to move a muscle. His smile fell.

“It’s your lucky day, herbivores. I’m tired and need a nap, so you’re all free to go,” Leona said.

“Leona!” Ruggie exclaimed angrily.

“Shut up, Ruggie. I told you I don’t need to hear your nagging. We already beat them, though it was never in doubt.” Leona closed his eyes and cracked his head side to side. Then he looked back down at Yuu with that same mirthless smile tugging as his lip, “You’re damn lucky you’re cute, beta. But don’t think you’ll be so lucky the next time you poke your snout where it doesn’t belong. Some friendly advice since you’ve managed to impress me: It won’t do you any good to put your toe out of line. The world always finds a way to remind you of your rightful place.”

Yuu watched them leave the field without another word, a strange feeling building in their chest as they tried to process the cryptic words Leona left them with. Something itched at the back of their head; something about this felt familiar in a very foreboding way. Ruggie looked wholly unhappy as he followed behind his Housewarden but kept silent despite being disgruntled. Yuu almost felt bad when they spotted his bleeding nose again, but then remembered the state of Trey’s leg and hardened themself against any feelings of guilt.

Cater and Deuce came over to help Yuu stand up, which they did with some trouble now that the adrenaline from the game had passed. Yuu let out a shaky laugh when their legs almost collapsed beneath them again and leaned against Deuce for support, “Oh wow. That’s going to be sore tomorrow.”

“You’re telling me!” Grim whined. “I’m the one with the shortest legs of them all!”

“You’re also the one who wanted to be a spelldrive player,” Yuu reminded him pointedly.

“I can’t believe your plan worked, Jack,” Ace said. “You’d make a pretty good team captain.”

Jack coughed and looked away bashfully. “We got lucky, is all.”

“Luck would be managing to score even one point against Savanaclaw with this shoddy team,” Cater commented dryly. “We managed to score 3 out of 7 points and your strategizing had a lot to do with it.” He then looked over at Yuu with interest, “you’re also going to have to explain to me again what this frisbee golf is, sweetheart. Those throws were beyond impressive. I’ve gotta get a video of it for my MagiCam!”

It was Yuu’s turn to flush. “Thank you… But…” They glanced around at everyone’s beat up bodies and to their own singed skin and bruised knees. “Uhh…. How are we going to explain this to Riddle?”

~*~

The answer to that was: they didn’t. There was no time given for explanations. The moment Riddle spotted their sorry selves returning to Heartslabyul and spotted the state Yuu was in, his face had turned more red than Yuu had ever seen it before. Cater didn’t even get the chance to open his mouth fully before every single one of them were collared. Except for  Yuu, who was gathered into Riddle’s arms and escorted into his room. They decided against pushing him for now and simply allowed the furious alpha to fuss over them until he eventually calmed down.

Now Yuu was gathered in the middle of Riddle’s bed hissing in pain while Trey tried his best to gently dab some ointment on their face. With the adrenaline from before, Yuu hadn’t realized just how roughed up they were with cuts and scrapes everywhere. It was a fun experience, but very very sore. Trey only smiled ruefully at them and continued his mindful ministrations.

“You’re staying here tonight,” Riddle snapped, tone offering no room for argument. Especially after Yuu was forced to explain the last confrontation with Leona and Ruggie in order to justify their sureness that they had found the right target. He worried that Yuu wouldn’t be safe alone at Ramshackle now that a target had been painted at the back of their head. Yuu wasn’t too sure about that though. Something about their interactions with Leona made them think that the lion wasn’t going to retaliate. But there was nothing they could do to convince Riddle other than inform him of their gut feeling, which obviously wasn’t enough for the disgruntled alpha.

Their collared friends were all ordered by Riddle to do various chores to make up for their inability to make sure Yuu didn’t get hurt. It didn’t matter to him that Yuu insisted on getting involved themself and everyone eventually realized arguing was going to do nothing for now except make Housewarden Riddle Rosehearts possibly have an aneurism. He didn’t even allow them to clean up after themselves and get first aid before he sent them off to do their tasks.

Yuu, feeling guilty for the treatment, asked Grim to fetch some spare clothes and their blanket from Ramshackle, hoping that the ease of the task would help alleviate some burden from the feline they had taken into their care. Grim still grumbled but Yuu could see that he was secretly relieved to not have to do chores like Ace and Deuce were stuck with (Yuu wasn’t sure what Riddle had told them to do, but the bright pink leopard print suit Deuce was wearing had sent Yuu into an uncontrollable fit of laughter).

But being in a nice large bed that smelled comfortingly of strawberries and fresh bread was too much for Yuu’s exhausted body to resist and soon they fell asleep, tucked against Trey’s side with the beta rubbing circles soothingly into their back.

Only to be awoken half an hour later by Riddle’s booming wrathful voice.

“How dare you come here! I won’t let you lay a single dirty paw on Yuu!”

“It’s not what you think!” Grim’s hasty voice floated to Yuu’s still sleepy ears. “He’s not working for them!”

Yuu pulled themself up into a sitting position slowly, muscles aching and protesting the movement. They looked over to the entrance of the room and saw that Riddle was practically screaming at someone and Grim was waving his paws around frantically trying to explain himself and argue back. The door was mostly hiding whoever it was, but Yuu got a peak of white furry ears pointed to the sky that were also twitching in irritation.

With Trey’s help, Yuu managed to calm Riddle down long enough to explain that Jack Howl had helped them back at Savanaclaw and that he wasn’t here (hopefully at least) to retaliate against the investigation. Riddle didn’t look very convinced but he at least was willing to hear Jack out now. Yuu was also curious to know why Grim had found the beastman wandering around Ramshackle when he went to fetch Yuu’s things.

And Jack certainly had a lot to say.

He confirmed that Ruggie’s signature spell ‘Laugh with me’ had been used to sabotage other top tier players from other teams and that the entire Savanaclaw Spelldrive team was in on it, including Housewarden Leona Kingscholar. When pressed by Riddle for why he was willing to sell out his own teammates, Yuu was shocked by the angry tangent Jack suddenly went off on. He was furious at what he considered cowardly behavior by the Housewarden he looked up to, affronted that all his hard work to get into NRC and place on the team was now sullied by underhanded tactics. It certainly explained why he had been so hesitant when he suggested Yuu hit Ruggie in the face with the frisbee during the game, even if it wasn’t technically an illegal move.

“I get that now, but why help us ?” Yuu asked.

Jack huffed and crossed his arms, cheeks darkening just slightly. “You guys proved yourselves to me. Despite the odds being stacked against your favor and despite knowing we were going to lose, you still pushed through to the very end. It was… Honorable. I wasn’t sure what ulterior motives you all had for investigating us but now that I’ve played with you… I want to help.” His voice was filled with determination. “And I also don’t want to see Leona stoop to such low levels. I still believe he’s better than this.”

It was… Heartwarming to hear. Yuu had known Jack for less than a day, but the stoic wolf clearly had a strong heart behind his stony exterior. Even willing to go behind his entire house pack to do what he believed was right. And he still believed in his leader even after everything that had happened. Yuu felt touched by it all.

Riddle begrudgingly agreed to believe the first year alpha as well, as even he could sense the sincerity in Jack’s words.

“Alright, then tell us everything you know,” Riddle ordered. “We need to make a plan of action before the tournament next week.”

And Jack did.

Notes:

Comments. Feed me.

Chapter 6

Notes:

My trip is going well! I'm finally done with my 30+ hours of travelling and have set up my computer :)

Half of this chapter was written on my phone so apologies for any mistakes. Also, thank you so much for all the thoughtful comments. I haven't had the time to go through and respond to all of them yet, but I'll get to that now. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Very excited for the rest of Book 3 later this week! Imma be spending all my gems and hard-earned money on Azul's (my beloved) banner. ;)

Unfortunately, even with Jack’s testimony there really wasn’t any actual evidence proving Leona was involved in the accidents. Nothing that Headmaster Crowley would be able to use to suspend the Savanaclaw team or punish the perpetrators without risking the wrath of the Kingscholar royal family. This was something that Yuu was just finding out. That offhand comment Leona made to them about being a “second born prince” with his “picking of royal omegas”? Yeah. Not a figure of speech apparently. Crowley’s hands were tied unless they found something more concrete to pin on the alpha.

And Yuu thought the whole omega politics were complicated enough. Was this what was going to become of their life? Carefully trying to avoid one political disaster after another? 

Apparently so, especially considering where they were now.

“Hm,” the strange alpha with a gothic punk aesthetic and hot pink streaks in his pixie cut said. Yuu couldn’t pinpoint it but his alpha scent seemed… soft. Like it had years to mellow out into something more steady, less abrasive, but no less powerful. Also, was he wearing two belts over a corset?

“We just need to talk with him, preferably over some tea,” Riddle said with a sigh. “I assure you that it is of the utmost importance.”

“Malleus isn’t home right now,” Lilia Vanrouge said smiling. Initially, Yuu had been taken aback by his low voice in contrast with his youthful face, but the more they listened the more they felt like it suited him strangely enough. “But you’re welcome to come and have a seat. I’ll have one of the children bring some tea over.” He flashed them a playful wink and started directing them towards a seating area near the back wall of the room.

Yuu looked around feeling a bit overwhelmed. Diasomnia certainly had a very… Interesting aesthetic. Yuu didn’t dislike it , but it certainly wouldn’t be the way they’d choose to decorate Ramshackle.

As they took a seat, Yuu nearly jumped out of their skin in surprise when Lilia suddenly plopped himself in the chair right next to Yuu and leaned in close. His large crimson eyes were scouring Yuu’s face with interest. A moment later he grinned and pulled back.

“I can see why he likes you already,” Lilia said. Yuu tilted their head in confusion and peaked over at Riddle who was busy scolding Ace about the way he was sitting (“Cross your legs, you brute! Why do you need to take up that much space? You’re giving alphas a bad name!”). Was he referring to Riddle? Yuu couldn’t think of who else Lilia might be talking about but was still left confused by the statement.

“Oh? You’ve got a couple of bruises on your face, my dear,” Lilia pointed out.

“I was caught up in a spelldrive game the other day,” Yuu explained bashfully. “Savanaclaw isn’t the ah… Most forgiving opponents to have.”

“I wouldn’t know,” Lilia replied with a grin. “Malleus didn’t even give them a chance to show off. Though… I am surprised that someone without magic dared to participate. I wonder how such a thing came to be~”

Yuu laughed, “We just found a sort of loophole. It apparently isn’t against the rules to hold the disc without magic.”

“You don’t say,” he replied. “Well… It’s a shame your retainers allowed something as precious as you to be hurt, though I can understand the need for one to prove themself. Why don’t I fix that up for you, my dear?” And before Yuu could even respond to that, Lilia brought a hand up to their cheek and warmth bloomed at the point of contact. A moment later he drew away and Yuu realized they hadn’t even noticed the muted stinging of their cuts until the sensation faded completely. “Much better.”

There was silence and Yuu noticed that Riddle and Ace had stopped talking and were now staring at the two of them.

“Right then!” Lilia cheerfully said when the tea had been laid out before them along with a tray of some very delicious looking finger sandwiches. “What is it that brought you to our doorstep today, Housewarden Rosehearts?” He gingerly picked up a cup of tea and stirred in cubes of sugar.

That seemed to be an open invitation for the rest of them to partake in the presented refreshments. Yuu was disappointed to find that there wasn’t any coffee amongst the offerings, only tea, but didn’t want to make a nuisance of themself so they settled instead for filling their cup with more sugar than was probably socially acceptable (if the silent-side eyeing Riddle was giving their tea was of any indication). At least the sandwiches were delicious.

Their group began carefully explaining the events of the last several days, starting with Headmaster Crowley’s request of Yuu and Grim, and moving on to the events from two days ago with the Spelldrive game and Jack Howl’s testimony. Lilia listened silently through it and Yuu watched as his eyes narrowed dangerously when they got to the part where Leona planned to hurt Malleus.

“Hm… Well we certainly can’t have that,” he said at last, setting his empty tea cup onto it’s saucer. Lilia then folded his hands together into his lap, and despite looking like he was drowning in his giant coat and with feet barely touching the ground, Yuu found that the small alpha struck a very intimidating image. “I assume you have a plan if you’ve come to us?”

“We do,” Riddle nodded. “But we require the cooperation of House Diasomnia.”

“That could be arranged…” Lilia said carefully. “But…”

But? As far as Yuu was concerned weren’t they the ones doing Diasomnia a favor by bringing them this information and offering their assistance freely? Internally, they rolled their eyes. More of this politics bull. Who knew a magical wonderland would be so full of it.

“… I’d like Prefect Yuu to exchange contact information with me in exchange!” Lilia finished cheerfully with a closed eye smile.

“Huh?”

Lilia let out a dramatic sigh, “The students here at Night Raven are so intimidated by my children. No one dares approach them and I’m afraid they’re too shy to make friends.” Yuu blinked slowly, feeling baffled at the strange choices of words. Children? They would’ve guessed Lilia was a first year student if they hadn’t been told otherwise. “But! Prefect Yuu is new to campus and doesn’t hold similar prejudices. I have a feeling you’ll get along very well with my boys.”

Riddle opened his mouth, looking like he was going to object, but Yuu quickly cut him off with, “That’s acceptable. Though I don’t see why you’d like me in particular. I’m not special or anything. I’m sure any one of my friends would be just as willing to befriend your ah… Dorm members.” They were not about to refer to all of Diasomnia as Lilia’s ‘children’.

“You underestimate myself, my dear,” Lilia said. “Don’t think it hasn’t escaped the notice of the other houses the way Heartslabyul has changed since your involvement in… Whatever happened that day.” His crimson eyes were sparkling with mirth, “Rumors spread and I have a good feeling about you. And I’ve lived long enough to trust my gut on these things.”

Yuu was left at a loss of words. They weren’t used to being on the receiving end of praise, especially not from total strangers. This small alpha was possibly the strangest character they’d met in this world yet.

“Besides!” Lilia exclaimed, “My online gaming friend and I need an extra player for a dungeon we’re running later this month and I can’t convince my cute children to join me.” He pouted. “All I’m asking for is an offering of friendship and Diasomnia will do all in our power to assist you in whatever crazy plans you’ve conjured up.”

There really wasn’t any reason to disagree even though Yuu felt like Diasomnia was already getting ahead in this arrangement. Make nice with some of Lilia’s… children, and play some video games (hopefully it was a phone game, Yuu probably couldn’t afford whatever equivalent to a computer they had in this world yet) with Lilia. As far as deals went, this was hardly bad. Definitely nothing as insidious or troublesome as haggling with Headmaster Crowley, that’s for sure.

So Yuu agreed and quickly exchanged contact info with Lilia. The short alpha was incredibly hyper at the agreement and insisted they both pose for profile pictures. Yuu was taken aback when Lilia hung himself upside down in the air for his pose, long fangs flashing with his smile. Very strange alpha indeed.

By the end of their visit to the Diasomnia dorm they were left with a rough plan with some smaller details still left to hash out, and Yuu with a new face in their contacts. They still weren’t sure why Lilia was so insistent on befriending them specifically but if it meant things would go smoothly then it was well worth it. 

That night they spent back in Ramshackle with Grim. It had only been a few days but Yuu was just feeling a tad overwhelmed by the amount of people they had been around non-stop. Between the movie night sleepover and then Riddle’s overprotectiveness (it had been nice to spend a couple nights with Trey and Riddle though even if Yuu felt like they were interrupting and third wheeling), they hardly had a moment to themself. As wonderful as their friends were, Yuu couldn’t help but feel just a little bit stifled. It was nice to get back into their own space and maybe have it quiet for once.

But unfortunately, it seemed that a quiet evening still wasn’t in the cards for them.

“ACHOO!”

Yuu cringed back as a spray of hot blue flames came shooting from Grim’s nose, dangerously close to their face. The monster sniffled pathetically and rubbed at his face with his paws, looking incredibly pitiful. It hadn’t even occurred to Yuu that monsters could get sick and they weren’t sure if the infirmary would have anything for the poor thing (not that the infirmary was open this late at night and Yuu wasn’t about to invoke the wrath of the nurse by calling the emergency number listed on the door for a cold). In the end, they decided it was better to just watch and care for Grim tonight and wait until the morning to take him to see the nurse if it was still bad.

“What did you even do?” Yuu asked, exasperated as they tucked the feline into his nest. His child-like milk scent was tinged with the bitter flavor of sickness and Grim’s ears were pinned flat to his head as he looked at Yuu pathetically, blue flames flickering more than usual and dimmer than Yuu preferred.

“I-It’s that s-stupid Riddle!” Grim whined, “Making me c-clean out the pool with Ace and Deuce! It was horrible, Yuu! The water was so dirty! And then Ace shoved me in-”

Yuu’s head snapped up, eyes narrowed, “He what?”

“Shoved me in! It was so gross and- ACHOO!”

Another spout of blue flames and Yuu sighed, closing their eyes and massing their temples. They were going to need to have a word with Ace about thinking before he acted and the amount of pranks he’s been pulling on Grim lately. Yuu didn’t know anything about monster biology but it couldn’t be healthy for Grim, a creature of fire, to be submerged in water. Grim usually wiped himself down with wet towels to bath as far as Yuu knew. And they were probably going to need to talk to Riddle too about dolling out punishments to their dorm student. Grim belonged to Ramshackle, not Heartslabyul.

With Grim properly situated in bed, hot towel over his forehead (Yuu honestly didn’t have the faintest idea of how to care for a magical fire cat), Yuu decided to set out to get him something to eat. Soup was probably a good idea and Yuu remembered the ginger and fish broth their father used to make for them when they got sick as a child. It was healthy and was probably something Grim wouldn’t complain too much about eating. Unfortunately, the cafeteria was closed for the evening but at least Sam’s would be open for another few hours so Yuu started making their trek for the shop.

Sam greeted them with his typical “little imp” and wink and cheerfully directed them to the back of the store when they asked if he had any fish. He told them he didn’t usually carry fresh fish (“stinks up the place!”) but had a couple of things that would go excellently in a soup if Yuu was looking to help someone get over a cold. As he was pointing out the different mushrooms and dried vegetables that he recommended, he also told Yuu in a conspiratorial voice that he saw the kitchen just get a new shipment of seafood.

Students were freely allowed to use the kitchen, but usually shipments like those came later in the evening for the express purpose of still being available for the cooking staff to utilize the next day before the students woke up. Yuu did recall that there were several seafood dishes on the menu for next week; something about celebrating a major holiday of Atlantis or something? Yuu was sure they wouldn't miss a single fish though.

Sam flashed them an apologetic smile when the bell’s front door rang and he rushed off to greet the newcomers, leaving Yuu alone to make their selections. They would have to hurry up so they could finish the broth before Trey’s spell finished its duration.

It was when Yuu was placing a package of shiitake mushrooms into their bag that their ears picked up a familiar voice.

“Just hurry up. I’m starving.”

Was that Leona?

“It’s not my fault you practiced so late that you missed dinner, Leona~ Shyeheehee…”

Yuu glanced up curiously, too short to see past the tall shelves but on their tippy toes they could just barely see a familiar pair of lion ears peeking over the top. They were sure those were Leona and Ruggie’s voices. What were they doing here so late?

“I don’t need to hear it, Ruggie,” Leona said irritably. “Just hurry up with that stew. I’ll be waiting back at the dorm. Don’t take too long.” There was the sound of footsteps followed by the ring of the bell above the door again.

Yuu heard Ruggie’s muffled grumbling once Leona left, coupled by Sam’s awkward laughter as he tried to engage the beastman in small talk. A moment later, Yuu could hear sounds of footsteps heading down the aisles in their direction. Yuu gave a start and quickly whirled around and pretended to still be browsing the available stock, as if they hadn’t just been eavesdropping. Ruggie stepped around the corner, spotted them, and froze.

Yuu peaked at the beta from the corner of their eye and saw that his nose was now bandaged, red with irritation around the edges even two days later. Ruggie’s already sour expression fell further upon seeing them and the beastman scowled. But clearly unwilling to back down he entered the aisle and began browsing the selections as well. They fell into a very charged silence, so quiet you could’ve heard a pin drop.

Yuu bit their lip as they examined a package of dried seaweed (“premium, straight from the coral sea!”), guilt swirling in their gut. They’d been pretty angry the day of the spelldrive game when they’d realized they found the person responsible for hurting Trey but now that they had a few days to cool down… Ruggie’s nose definitely looked painful. They couldn’t help but feel bad.

Yuu took a breath, steeled themself, and whirled around before they could change their mind. “I’m sorry!”

Ruggie went completely still at the sudden outburst, then looked over his shoulder at Yuu. His expression clearly said he was still angry, but there was something else there too; an air of curiosity. He waited there in silence, just watching, so Yuu continued with a sigh.

“I’m sorry for hitting you in the face so hard the other day. I was really mad,” they admitted. “But I honestly didn’t mean to hurt you… At least not that badly. So I’m sorry.”

Ruggie’s nose twitched up into a half sneer as he examined their face for sincerity. But after a moment he exhaled loudly and shrugged, “Ok. Whatever.” He turned back to his shopping.

Another minute of tense silence passed between the two but Yuu just couldn’t help the unknown anxious emotion swirling in their stomach. Were they a busy-body for always getting involved in other people’s business? Maybe. But Yuu just couldn’t resist what they said next.

“You don’t have to let him talk to you like that, you know,” Yuu said without looking back at him. It would’ve been too nerve wracking to do so, so they just kept staring at the selection of dried seaweed brands. 

“… Excuse me?”

Yu swallowed. They’d already opened their fat mouth, so there was really no use in backing up now. “Leona,” they forced themself to continue. “The way he orders you around… It isn’t right.”

Silence. And then Yuu heard a scoff.

“What do you know?” Ruggie replied irritably. “Aren’t you friends with Rosehearts anyway? A bit hypocritical to be lecturing me about putting up with demanding alpha jerks.” Yuu heard Ruggie grab something off the shelf a little more aggressively than he probably ought to and shove it into his bag.

Yuu frowned, feeling a bit offended on Riddle’s behalf, “Riddle has been trying to curb that behavior though.” They made a mental reminder to not forget about having that conversation with Riddle about ordering Grim around. “Besides, I don’t put up with it when he’s being unreasonable. I call him out when I think it’s necessary or when I think he’s being an ass.” And likely will many times again.

Something was slammed into the shelf aggressively. Sam at the front of the store made a noise of concern.

“So what then?” Ruggie snapped, spinning on them angrily. “Are you trying to say that I’m a weak wimpy beta who just lets people walk all over me? Do you think you’re better than me or something?”

Yuu flinched back at the accusation,eyes wide with shock. “No! Not at all!” They bit their bottom lip, feeling guilty, “I’m sorry. That came out all wrong. I promise I’m not trying to blame you. I just don’t like hearing the way Leona talks to you. It’s wrong. He’s your Housewarden and he’s supposed to watch out for you guys. Not treat you guys like his own personal servants.”

“So?” Ruggie demanded. “Why do you care? Besides, that’s just how pampered rich people are.” He huffed irritably.

Yuu was caught off guard by the comment. They reminded themself of the conversation they had with Crowley and the reveal that Leana Kingscholar was an actual prince. It certainly explained some of his behavior. Yet another thing their worlds had in common if Ruggie’s irritated and exasperated expression was anything to go off of. Rich spoiled brats were apparently the same in every universe.

Yuu was unable to help themself when a laugh came bursting out at the thought, which quickly turned into an awkward cough when Ruggie eyed them suspiciously. Yuu brought an arm up to cover their mouth, turning their blushing face away awkwardly, “You’re not wrong… Rich kids do be like that.” They couldn’t help another chuckle that escaped them as they remembered one of their friends from back in high school who had been such a stereotypical spoiled rich girl. Yuu had loved her to pieces but man oh man was she sometimes a bit much.

Ruggie was still giving them a suspicious stare as if trying to figure Yuu out, but the tense air had dissipated between the two. Then after a moment he pointed to the bag of dried seaweed they were still holding and said, “FYI, those aren’t going to work for fish broth. These would work better.” He leaned past them and quickly selected a different brand, dropping it into Yuu’s bag before they could say anything.

“Eh?” Yuu glanced down at the seaweed suddenly in their possession, then back up at Ruggie with a bewildered stare. “… How did you know what I was going to make?”

He shrugged and then, after a moment of conflicted debate, grinned at them with one open eye. “I’m pretty good at cooking so it was obvious based on the ingredients you picked.”

~*~

Yuu wasn’t sure how it had happened. One moment they were in a tense conversation with Ruggie, trying their best to not insult him anymore than they already had, and the next the two of them were walking together towards the kitchen talking and sharing various recipes. Ruggie hadn’t been joking. He was incredibly knowledgeable.

Of course, Yuu wasn’t sure if Ruggie had accepted their apology and forgiven them. Then again, they also weren’t sure if they had really forgiven the beta either (especially since he hadn’t apologized for hurting Trey). But Yuu was pleased with the amiable conversation they shared as they made it to the empty kitchens and began gathering together ingredients. Ruggie was quite the joker when he wasn’t actively trying to insult and sabotage you.

“Really?” Yuu asked in surprise as they brought their pot of boiling broth down to a simmer. Ruggie had been explaining to them the dynamics of primary genders in he and Leona’s home country. Apparently women were usually the more dominant gender, and often physically stronger. “To be honest, I haven’t actually met any women in this world yet.”

“That’s too bad,” Ruggie said with a wink. He was busy chopping up carrots to add to his already bubbling pot of liquid and meat juices. “They’re intimidating, sure, but a sight to behold. I wouldn’t mind having a big strong mommy to take care of me-” He paused, processed his words, and immediately turned beet red. “I’m sorry. Please pretend I didn’t say anything.”

Yuu just laughed, picturing slim Ruggie being carried bridal style and blushing by an ultra buff lioness beastwoman. It was a very amusing mental image. “I’m sure they’d be very pleased to have a cute beta husband who can cook for them. That smells absolutely divine, Ruggie.”

He waved his knife at them menacingly, face flushed. “I hate you,” he growled without any real heat. “I…” He paused. “… I don’t get why it’s so easy to get along with you. I should be getting you back for this,” he pointed at his bandaged nose. “Maybe Leona was right about you stealing and amassing an army of alphas.”

Yuu choked. “He said what about me now?!”

Ruggie put his hand up to his face in his signature chuckle, “Exactly what I said, beta minx . It’s actually a little annoying how often he just randomly brings you up in conversation, to be honest.”

Yuu coughed, really not knowing how to respond to that . Instead they quickly changed the topic, “H-how are you so good at cooking anyway? I only know what I know because I had to learn quickly once I started living on my own, and it honestly isn’t a lot. The only thing I really know how to cook is an apple pie… Or bake, I guess.”

Ruggie hummed, “My grandma taught me.” He moved about the kitchen as if he was in his natural element, skillfully gathering together the rest of his ingredients and cutlery and expertly adding things into his pot of amazing smelling stew. He didn’t even need to use measuring cups, just eyeballing everything. Yuu felt very envious. “I’m not the best at baking, but I know a lot about cooking.”

“Do you want to be a chef when you get older?” Yuu asked.

Ruggie paused at that question, looking down at his shoes. “I’m… I’m not sure. To be honest, I didn’t even think I’d make it into NRC, much less plan out what I’d do afterwards.”

There was a layer of self consciousness to his tone as he said it, as if he expected Yuu to start lecturing him again or say something negative. But Yuu only smiled and hummed in response, returning to their stirring. “I get that. I’m not sure what I want to do either. I like disc golf and it’s really the only thing I excel at but… I’m not sure if it’s something I’m good enough at to do for a living. But I also can’t wait forever to choose. Money doesn’t grow on trees after all. Of course, that’s all dependent on if I can even get home.”

Silence fell between them again, this time more thoughtful instead of tense. Only the sounds of their bubbling pots filled the air.

“Ahh, it sucks not being rich,” Ruggie bemoaned, finally breaking the silence.

Yuu broke out into a peel of laughter, “Something we can both agree on!” The two of them continued to laugh and joke around as their meals cooked to completion.

An hour later saw Yuu and Ruggie leaving the kitchen (both loaded with containers filled with the fruits of their cooking efforts). Ruggie turned to Yuu awkwardly when they stepped out of the building.

“Just so you know,” he said carefully, not meeting their gaze. “We’re still enemies.”

Yuu just looked at him amused, “If you say so.”

He scrunched up his face at them, “I’m serious! And just as a reminder to you, I’m a beta so don’t go trying to use your alpha-seducing magic on me, firstie! And don’t use them on Leona either for that matter. Gods know how much trouble I already have to put up with from him!”

Yuu considered being offended by the comment for a moment but just shook their head and rolled their eyes. They thought of Headmaster Crowley and his continuous and ever growing list of ridiculous requests he kept making of them and sighed with sympathy. If they didn’t know any better they would’ve said that Crowley was a demanding alpha himself except they honestly could not get a read on his designation. His secondary sex was as enigmatic as the man himself.

“Goodnight, Ruggie,” Yuu said instead of commenting. “And please… Try not to let Leona talk to you the way he does…”

“Didn’t I already warn you before not to stick your snout into a badger’s hole?” Ruggie asked, but it was with a smile. “Whatever, beta minx ,” he cackled at his own joke and Yuu scowled at the nickname. “I guess I hope you have a goodnight too. Try not to get sick and die from taking care of that annoying weasel of yours until I can destroy you again in spelldrive! Shyeheehee~” He waved a hand at them then hurried off with his stew, tail wagging around adorably.

Yuu just shook their head and began their own trek back to Ramshackle.

~*~

Grim was, in fact, feeling much better by the time morning arrived. Meanwhile, Yuu was feeling pretty terrible from having to keep getting up throughout the night to check up on their charge. To their surprise Grim, in his sickness-addled delirium, didn’t put up much of a fuss at all when Yuu sat him up to eat the fish broth. His body beneath the fur had felt hot much to Yuu’s concern (could a fire monster even get a fever???), but Grim had eaten every last drop of soup and morsel of fish that Yuu put in front of him and then curled up into his blankets and began purring . Grim never purred and Yuu made sure to get a video on their phone despite their general anxiety of the whole thing. It was too cute not to.

But morning came and Grim’s “fever” broke and the monster was just as energetic as ever. Meanwhile, Yuu felt dead on their feet and wanted nothing more than to fall into bed to sleep. They quickly decided that neither of them were going to attend classes that day. They sent a quick text off to Trey to let him know they wouldn’t be coming in, grabbed Grim before the little troublemaker could run off, and tucked the protesting monster into their side as Yuu curled up to get some well deserved naps. Grim only put up a halfhearted amount of afford before giving up and allowing Yuu to smother him. His scent, now thankfully free of the bitterness of disease, soothed them into a deep slumber.

To Yuu’s surprise, it was Riddle who showed up at Ramshackle later that afternoon to check up on them. He was usually so busy with his dorm leader duties that it was almost always one of the other Heartslabyul boys who came by. But there he was, soft omegan yet regal features, standing and looking very out of place amongst the well… Ramshackle -ness of Ramshackle dorm. He’d been worried about them though when they told Trey they couldn’t make it.

Despite this, Yuu still took the opportunity to have that talk with him about ordering Grim round. Riddle was well used to Yuu criticizing some of his decisions at this point and took a few minutes of silence to try and parse out if he really was being unreasonable or not. After those seconds he sighed and nodded, expressing that he hadn’t meant to be overstepping his boundaries.

“He’s your charge,” Riddle stated. “I should’ve known better than to get between and omega and the care of their cub. I hope you can accept my apologies, Yuu.”

There was nothing to forgive, of course, and they told him as such. That Riddle was taking the time to think things through and see things from others perspectives was all Yuu could ask of the small alpha. And aside from being dunked into the water, Grim probably needed the punishment anyway, something that Yuu had been too lenient on if they were being honest. This was all said well out of range of Grim’s selective hearing of course.

Riddle still promised, with that menacing but adorable expression of violence on his face that Yuu was coming to be very fond of, to have a stern conversation with Ace about his behavior and lack of common sense. Yuu laughed and hoped that Riddle wouldn’t be too hard on the younger alpha. Ace, like Grim, sometimes needed to taken down a peg or two though, but he was good at bouncing back so Yuu wasn’t terribly worried.

The next day Yuu and Grim were back in classes (much to Grim’s complaint) where Yuu was greeted by a worried Ace and Deuce. They told Yuu they would’ve visited yesterday but had been stopped by the threat of certain beheading if they went over and bothered Yuu while they were resting and recovering. It was sweet seeing their concern.

“Ah! Maybe we can all watch that movie I was telling you about, Deuce!” Ace exclaimed. They were currently walking back from the fields for their next period. Flying class was generally very relaxing for Yuu who only had to sit to the side in the grass and watch Grim struggle to get his tiny legs around the broom (unless Professor Varges was feeling particularly exuberant that day, then Yuu would be forced to run laps).

Deuce made a noise of interest, “the one about the omegan mermaid princess and the alpha human prince?”

That story sounded… Vaguely family, Yuu thought. Like a fairytale from their own world they’d heard as a child. Wasn’t there something about a sea witch too? Yuu couldn’t recall.

Apparently Ace and Deuce had agreed to have a movie night once a week and begged Yuu to allow them the use of Ramshackle. Since the two already practically lived there half the time anyway, Yuu really didn’t see any reason to say no. Though, they declined to mention that these movie nights Ace and Deuce were planning were sounding more and more like dates. Yuu didn’t think either of the hardheaded alpha realized it and had to force several snorts of laughter down whenever one of them would make sparkly eyes at the other. What was it with Heartslabyul boys and being unable to recognize romantic interest? But Yuu just walked in silence and enjoyed the fact that alpha-alpha relationships weren’t frowned upon in this world like they were in their own world.

Something was nagging at Yuu’s brain though as they walked back to the main building. It was awfully quiet…

“Eh? Where’s Grim?” Yuu looked back and forth and all around them and realized the little fire monster was nowhere to be seen.

Ace let out an annoyed groan. “Ugh! Its because we have History next! That little bastard is always doing this!” He wasn’t wrong; Grim did have a terrible habit of making them all chase him when he realized they were going to History. He’d just never been this quiet about his getaway before, preferring to yell and taunt them from a distance. Yuu would’ve been impressed if they weren’t super frustrated.

“You guys don’t have to search with me,” Yuu told them irritably. “I don’t want you to get into trouble with Professor Trein.”

“We’re not going to let you hunt the brat down all on your own, Yuu,” Deuce said. “Come on. We can split up and look. He couldn’t have gotten that far. He’ll probably start making a ruckus the moment we get close anyway.”

With an agreement to text one another when the first person found Grim, they all set off jogging in different directions. Ace toward the courtyard. Deuce towards the orchard. And Yuu towards the botanical gardens.

The last time Yuu had been here was several weeks ago before Riddle’s overblot. It was just as beautiful as they remembered the moment Yuu pushed open the doors and was bombarded with a gorgeous array of colors and scents. They had entirely forgotten about the garden during the chaos of everything in the last few weeks and now made a mental note to visit more often. With some pastries and some coffee, it would make for a really nice place to study. They should also find the groundskeeper and ask about the fruit in here and if students were allowed to eat them (and if they were even edible in the first place).

“Ouch!”

Like deja vu, Yuu’s foot sunk into something soft and they jumped back in shock.

“You have some nerve, beta minx, for stepping on my tail again.”

Yuu squeaked when Leona suddenly sat upright, revealing himself from behind that very same turquoise plant he’d been hidden behind the last time.

“I-I didn’t see you there!”

Leona cracked a wry smile at them. Despite looking like he’d just woken up, he somehow made the tousled long hair and dark eyebags look work for him. “I know. I was watching you bumble around in here like a mindless herbivore.”

“You-!” Yuu paused as his words processed. They then gasped in an accusatory tone, “If you were watching me this whole time then you could’ve warned me before I stepped on you!”

“Hm? I can’t hear you, herbivore,” he said, scratching his right ear and yawning. “I was just woken up because someone has the gait of a baby giraffe, so you’re gonna have to help me out here. Come closer.”

Fuming, Yuu took another step closer to the infuriating alpha and opened their mouth to retort when suddenly Leona grabbed their wrist and tugged them downward. Yuu let out a strangled yell of surprise and landed on something soft; a towel laid out on the ground. They heard Leona shifting until suddenly the alpha was perched above them, long braids and hair falling around their faces like a dark curtain, grinning down at Yuu with a shiteating smirk.

“There,” he purred. “I can hear you much better from here.”

“You-!” They began again furiously.

“Yes, I’m aware that’s your name, beta minx,” he cut them off, laughing as they scowled at him. “Contrary to popular belief, I’m not stupid nor unaware of my surroundings.”

“I know that,” Yuu snapped, remembering how Leona’s sharp emerald green eyes had easily dissected his opponents out in the Spelldrive field. A few seconds of silence passed between the two, and Yuu asked stony faced, “Can I get up now?”

Clearly not phased by their deadpan tone (and possibly even invigorated by it if Leona’s widening grin was an indicator), he replied, “Ho? Is the prey asking the predator to let them go? That’s a first for me.”

Yuu stuck their nose up, “don’t you have a nap to be getting back to, lazy lion?”

He guffawed and finally rolled off of them, laying back down onto the ground with his hands behind his head. Yuu sat up and just stared down at the enigmatic beastman, wondering what was going through his head. Thoughts swirled inside their head and Yuu bit their bottom lip, a familiar anxiety of being a busy-body rising up inside of them.

Yuu knew they probably shouldn’t push their luck, especially considering Leona had shown himself time and time again to be fully capable of hurting others if it got him his way, but there was just something about his scent that told them he wasn’t going to hurt them. What was normally the scent of a moving desert on the cusp of turning into a sandstorm was now just swirling sand, lazily gliding over a hot desert landscape.

“You should be nicer to Ruggie, you know…” They finally said, before their nerves could get the better of them.

“Hm?” Leona responded without opening his eyes. “Ah. I thought I might’ve smelled a particularly enticing scent when that nagging hyena brought me my dinner last night.” Now he cracked open an eye and looked at them, the corner of his lip tugging upwards, “what were the two of you doing having such a late night rendezvous? Didn’t I already warn you about poaching from my territory, minx?”

Yuu frowned, “I’m serious, Leona. Questionable orders aside, even I can see he does a lot for you. You should treat him better.”

Leona groaned in annoyance and covered his eyes with his forearm, “I already have to hear nagging from Ruggie on a daily basis, now I have to hear it from you too? Why are you defending him anyway,” he peaked at them from under his arm and smirked again. “Are you trying to make me jealous?”

“Leona, please be serious-”

In a sudden move as fast that Yuu didn’t even register it until it had happened, their back was once again flat against the ground with Leona above them again, pinning their wrists to the towel. But the playful grin was gone from his face.

“I don’t think you know what you’re asking for,” he said in a flat tone. “You don’t want to see me when I’m serious.” Yuu’s inner omega flinched back in fear as that scent of a rising sandstorm returned, coy and looming just beyond the horizon. His green eyes were piercing into them with an intensity that left Yuu feeling breathless. A strange emotion, part fear and part something unnamed, rose up within them.

“I wonder what it is about your scent,” Leona murmured, but Yuu got the impression that he was more talking to himself than to them directly. “I wasn’t joking when I said I have my pick of royal omegas, all of their scents far sweeter and more alluring than yours and yet… You, just some magic-less beta herbivore, have the most vexing scent that has ever assaulted my senses from a beta in my life. Even that first day I met you…”

Yuu didn’t know what to say to this, didn’t even know if they were capable of formulating words at that moment, so they stayed quiet and just stared up meeting Leona’s intense stare with wide eyes. His gaze caressed their face as he searched their expression for something . But neither of them moved from that position for several long, silent, and intense moments.

Suddenly, Yuu felt a buzz from their jacket pocket and the sound of a text notification pierced the thick silence. They suddenly remembered why they had come to the botanical garden in the first place. One of the others must’ve found Grim. They moved one of their hands, wrist still beneath Leona’s hand, to grab it but he tightened his grip and pinned them even more unyieldingly into the ground. Yuu’s eyes widened.

“Don’t,” he said. “Ignore it.”

Yuu’s mouth opened. Then clicked shut. Another buzz and text notification came from their jacket.

Finally Yuu stuttered out, “I-I have to get to class.”

For a tense moment Yuu thought Leona was going to refuse their request again and not let them up, but a second later he sighed and rolled off of them, freeing their wrists. Yuu quickly scrambled to their feet, heart pounding in their chest and an unnamed emotion churning in their gut. When they looked back down at Leona, all intensity had left him and his alpha scent and he looked once again the picture of the slothful lion trying to get some shut eye.

Without his intensity freezing them in place, Yuu quickly pulled out their phone and looked at it.

Deuce: I caught the little bastard

Attached to the text in their group chat was a picture of Grim looking decidedly pathetic and grumpy, being held by the scruff of his neck. On the ground behind him were fallen apples. So he had escaped towards the orchard. Likely planning on snacking and gorging himself the entire period of History.

Normally the picture would’ve made Yuu laugh but they couldn’t find it in themself to conjure up the mirth. Instead they looked up from their phone and over at Leona not knowing what they should be feeling. Yuu couldn’t explain it but there was just something… Sad about the alpha. Like a powerful beast resigned to a doomed fate. His words to them the other day at the spelldrive field rang in their ears and Yuu wondered what it could all mean.

“Have- Have a good day, Leona,” they said to the alpha softly. To their surprise, he briefly raised his hand in acknowledgement and immediately returned to his nap. Yuu waited for a second longer before turning and rushing out of the greenhouse. Hopefully Professor Trein would be understanding of their tardiness.

Notes:

Yay for Lilia's introduction! And also more cute Ruggie at last ;_;

I hope the flirting between Leona and Yuu wasn't too weird. I'm either a smut writer or a Gen writer, so it's been years since I've taken the time to write romance. Obviously this is Yuu/Everyone so there will be more romance in the future but Leona is just the least afraid of being forward of all the boys so far ;)

ALSO, I'll address this again next chapter but let me know if Leona/Ruggie should be: a) romantic, b) platonic, or c) ambiguous. So far I've been planning on leaving it ambiguous but I'm not sure what ya'll want. I might make an official poll if I can't decide.

I hope you enjoyed and thank you guys again for all the lovely and kind comments <3

Chapter 7

Notes:

TW// Some blood and possible canon-typical body horror? (Leona's magic is pretty scary and destructive after all)

I'm not sure if I'm happy with how this chapter came out. The first 3000 words came pretty easily but the last 4000 was written in 2-3 paragraph spurts so I'm worried it might make it sound a little disjointed :\ But I also don't have the patience to rewrite this entire chapter so I'm going to post it as it is.

Thank you again for all the kind and lovely comments <3

I think I've decided to leave Leona/Ruggie as ambiguous. They'll still have a very close and intimate relationship and it's free for the reader to interpret that as they please (platonic or otherwise), but nothing concrete will happen during the course of this story. It is totally up the reader whether their relationship blooms into anything more after they graduate from NRC though. Thank you all for your input :)

ALSO GUESS WHO GOT MY MAN AZUL ON THE VERY FIRST 10 PULL ON HIS BANNER LAST NIGHT!!!! THIS AUTHOR!!!!!!!! (azul my beloved ;_;)

The rest of the week leading up to the inter-house Spelldrive tournament passed by in a flash. Between classes and hashing out the finer details of their plans with Diasomnia (whom they had yet to meet the Housewarden yet) things were ramping up to a crescendo. It took the collective efforts of Trey, Riddle, and Yuu to stop a pouting Cater from posting pictures of himself in the Diasomnia uniforms and extract a promise to wait until after the plan had successfully went through. The beta still looked dejected at having to restrain himself but agreed nonetheless.

Yuu hadn’t seen hide or tail or either Leona or Ruggie since their unintentional run-ins with each and had refrained from telling the rest of their friends about the meetings. Thankfully neither Deuce or Ace were particularly observant alphas and didn’t pick up on Leona’s scent all over Yuu that day in the botanical garden. The entire encounter still had them feeling baffled and strange and Yuu was somewhat dreading their inevitable confrontation with the Savanaclaw Housewarden again. They couldn’t shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen when they ruined all his efforts and plans (even if it was well within their rights to do so).

Who they had seen a lot of from Savanaclaw  though was Jack, who frequented their meetings with Lilia and was their eyes and ears within Savanaclaw. He’d been kicked off his dorm’s Spelldrive team to absolutely no one’s surprise but Jack seemed to take it in stride, more determined to fix the situation than upset by how he’d been personally affected. As stoic and gruff as his exterior personality was, Yuu got the sense that he had a good heart and a stronger sense of morals and priorities than most people. Plus, the hulking alpha looked extra adorable whenever one of the Heartslabyul boys or Lilia managed to ruffle his feathers (which was apparently very easy to do - Jack was weak to teasing). Yuu thought they should’ve felt bad but honestly it was very fun to watch Jack squirm and blush.

Trey was finally able to bear weight on his injured ankle but was under strict orders from the nurse not to overdo it. He still had to wear a boot and couldn’t do more than walk from class to class, preferably with someone else if anything happened. As the only one of two third years in their friend group this posed a bit of a problem, but they all tried to make do and assist the older beta whenever they could. Thankfully, the other third year Heartslabyul students were more than willing to help Trey out. And it allowed Yuu to get a view of Riddle’s jealous expression anytime they spotted Trey being supported by some unnamed third year. Not that the small alpha ever realized he was making those expressions of course.

Because of his injury though, Trey was unfortunately not allowed to join them the day they executed their big plan. He’d been a little stubborn when they told him as such but eventually gave up when both Riddle and Yuu glared at him and pouted. Maybe it was a cheap trick, but Yuu knew well and good by now that Trey was very weak to omegan pouty eyes which Riddle and Yuu both had in spades (Riddle a bit more than Yuu if they were being honest). If it meant making sure he stayed safe though, Yuu was perfectly willing to resort to adorable underhanded tactics.

Still the days passed and their plans came together and before anyone knew it, the morning of the inter-house tournament dawned on Night Raven College.

There was a knock on Ramshackle’s door earlier than Yuu had expected. They were still in the middle of getting dressed (in their PE uniform today just in case they’d need freedom of movement) and glanced up in confusion when they heard it. It was about 40 minutes earlier than their friends usually showed up to escort them to Heartslabyul. But Yuu just shrugged it off, chalking it up to it being such an important day and shouted down, “Be right there!”

Yuu was very wrong.

Because the moment they opened the door and saw Jack Howl waiting for them on the porch, his nose twitching as he started to pick up on a foreign sweet scent, they knew they fucked up.

Yuu gaped up at him, brain short-circuiting and unable to come up with a plan or what to do or literally anything to help them figure out how to handle this sudden pressing situation. Jack looked confused for a second as he took deep sniffs of their air and then he too suddenly looked like a deer caught in headlights as he stared down at them with unrestrained shock. You could see the exact moment the puzzle pieces clicked together in his head.

“Yuu, tell them to go away and come back later,” they heard Grim complain sleepily from the top of the staircase.

“I-” Jack cut himself off as he caught another deep whiff of Yuu’s unconcealed sweet omegan scent. He continued in a strangled voice, “I was taking my- My morning run and thought I’d stop… by…” He couldn’t even blink as he stared at them.

“Yuu?” Came Grim’s voice again, coming down the stairs now.

This was not how Yuu imagined this day would start.

~*~

To say Riddle was furious would be an understatement. Yuu hadn’t even bothered to wait for the others to show up, just dragged Jack into the dorm and through the mirror (Grim trotting along very confused and alarmed behind the two of them) and made a bee-line for Riddle’s door. Their frantic energy must’ve been coming out because they rapped harder and faster on Riddle’s door than necessary. And when the red-headed alpha had finally answered, his face morphed immediately from annoyed, to surprised upon seeing Yuu, and then immediately to red and furious upon seeing Jack standing very confused behind Yuu. His nose picked up on Yuu’s distressed scent and saw their pinched expression and that was it.

Jack had a collar around his neck before anyone could even say anything. The tall alpha didn’t even protest when it happened, just wordlessly followed them into the room as Riddle slammed the door shut behind them. Yuu couldn’t help but practically race straight for Riddle’s bed and wrap themself up in his blankets in the middle of it, his familiar rose and strawberry scent immediately helping them calm down.

“What happened?” Riddle barked when he turned around. At Yuu’s frightened flinch he reeled back, took a deep breath, and then tried again in a calmer voice, “What happened?”

It took quite some time for distressed Yuu and shell-shocked Jack to get themselves together enough to actually explain the situation. Grim hadn’t known and kept shaking his head and shrugging his shoulders every time Riddle pressed the monster for answers. But in the end there really wasn’t much to say. Yuu thought either Ace, Deuce, or Cater had come to fetch them from Ramshackle but it had been Jack instead. It was an honest mishap and there was nothing to be done about it.

Riddle didn’t look entirely convinced, shooting suspicious glares at Jack for the entire explanation (who, for the first time since Yuu had met him, had his ears pinned back against his head in a sign of distress). The taller alpha didn’t even defend himself, just sat there confused and shocked at the entire situation.

“How… How are you an omega?” He had eventually asked. Jack’s golden eyes gazed upon Yuu with a sense of curiosity and awe and shame, as if he felt unworthy of even being in the same room as them. It bothered Yuu that he was looking at them so differently but couldn’t find it in themself to comment on it at the moment.

It was when they were in the middle of explaining to Jack about themself and about omegas and the world they came from that Trey arrived at the room with Cater supporting him. Riddle must’ve texted them earlier. Yuu nearly flinched back when they saw the dark look in Trey’s eyes as he took in the situation. But his expression softened when he approached them and sat down on the bed, hands slowly coming up as if asking Yuu for permission. At their nod, he placed his hands on their shoulders and the familiar feelings of his magic coursing through them rose up. A moment later their scent shifted from sweet omegan to plain beta.

Jack made a noise of alarm as his nose picked up on the change.

“How- Why are you doing that?” He demanded with narrowed eyes. Everyone in the room except for Yuu and Grim raised their hackles at the comment, glaring at the wolf beastman. “If Prefect Yuu is an omega, you shouldn’t be hiding that fact. They shouldn’t even be here. They should be under the protection of the-” He cut himself off, aghast. “… We even allowed them to play spelldrive the other day… I had them face off against Kingscholar and Bucchi alone…”

“Jack,” Yuu said sternly, trying not to get upset at his words. He didn’t know any better, they reminded themself, even if it stung to hear. “I understand that omegas are treated differently in Twisted Wonderland but… That’s not who I am. I’m not from here . Where I come from omegas need to hide out designations for our own safety. I’m not special. And I certainly don’t need coddling or for other people to make decisions for me.”

“But-” Jack started but Yuu cut him off with an angry shake of their head.

“No, Jack,” they said firmly. “I’m serious. I understand that your upbringing is telling you that I need to be protected and sheltered and… Worshiped or something.” Even saying that word aloud left a sour taste on their tongue, “But I won’t be forced to live like that. You have your own priorities and I have my own. And I won’t have you leaving here to tell the world about my secret just because you think it’s what’s best for me!” Yuu couldn’t help the tears of frustration that came to their eyes as they shouted this last part. Worshiped or taken advantage of, in both worlds it seemed like they were forced to hide themself for two vastly different yet similar reasons.

“Yuu…” Jack said uncomfortably. “I wouldn’t stoop so low as to tell your secret. I cannot imagine a world where omegas aren’t treated as the priceless jewels they are.” Yuu crinkled their nose at this description, “but I also wouldn’t betray your trust in such a way… It’s true that I don’t understand why you are hiding your omegan status but… I would never think to put my own priorities above your own. I hope you can believe me.”

“I…” Yuu trailed off, still sniffing with unshed tears. Did they believe him? They looked into his golden eyes and searched them for any sign of deceit, fear thick in their throat. If the truth got out, Yuu would never know a moment of peace in this world again… But as they looked, Yuu couldn’t find anything. Jack stared at them as earnestly as he did with everything in life. He was clearly uncomfortable with the request, but somehow Yuu knew in their heart of hearts that the alpha wouldn’t betray their trust. “Okay,” they said reluctantly. “I believe you…”

“Are you sure, Yuu?” Trey asked, placing a gentle hand on their shoulder. Yuu sighed and leaned into his touch, pressing their body into his side and allowed the large beta to wrap his arm around them comfortingly.

“I trust Jack,” they said, eyes not leaving Jack’s golden ones. He nodded solemnly at them in response.

Riddle huffed and crossed his arms, “I don’t. But I trust you, Yuu. If you trust this mangy mutt, I’ll defer to your judgment.” He didn’t sound very happy about it, but it still made Yuu smile.

“Well, now that that’s settled,” Cater said with a forced cheerfulness that cut through the heavy mood in the room. “I do believe it is time to start preparing for the tournament today?” He waved his wand around playfully, grinning at everyone.

Jack sighed. “And I assume you are still planning on joining us in the field?” He asked, staring at Yuu.

They stared back at him unflinchingly, earlier distress vanished with his solemn promise to them. “I am. You knowing the truth hasn’t changed anything.”

Yuu could tell that the alpha was biting his tongue to keep from arguing back. It was frustrating having to deal with the cultural differences but Yuu supposed they couldn’t ask for more than an effort on their part. Yuu just hoped that this lingering awkwardness and formality would disappear with time and they and Jack could go back to the casual comradery they’ve shared in the last week. Jack would come to see that Yuu had always been an omega and this truth didn’t change anything. That they were still the same person he’d gotten to know and play spelldrive with. At least… Yuu hoped that’s how things would turn out. They enjoyed the wolf’s company and would be sad to lose it over something so ridiculous.

A buzz came from their jacket and Yuu shifted out of Trey’s arms to fish out their phone. An upside down face greeted them in their notifications.

🦇Lilia🦇 : My children and I are ready whenever you are, my dear 😘

“Vanrouge?” Riddle asked and Yuu nodded in confirmation. They pocketed their phone again and gave everyone a serious look.

“Shall we?”

~*~

With Crowley and Professor Vargas’s assistance, the Diasomnia and Heartslabyul Spelldrive teams were placed in the same holding area beneath the stadium as the stands began to be filled in. Several Caters were standing around striking poses as other Caters snapped photos of himself in Diasmonia’s outfits.

“So I can post these as soon as the action starts, right?” Cater asked while snapping another selfie, not even bothering to look away from his phone. Riddle just sighed deeply, one hand to his forehead, and gave a verbal confirmation. All the Caters cheered in celebration and Yuu couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight. Yuu thought that Cater could probably make for a very effective one-man cheerleading squad. They’d have to remember to bring it up to him.

“A very amusing signature spell, is it not?” Lilia said, popping up upside-down right next to Yuu’s face without announcement as he had been in the habit of doing. It never failed to make Yuu jump, startled, and that never failed to make Lilia break out into a fit of laughter. Yuu swore that the tiny mischievous alpha was going to give them a heart attack one of these days.

“What’s your signature spell?” Yuu asked, suddenly curious. But Lilia only gave them an indulging grin in return.

“That, my dear,” he sang. “Would be telling ~” He held one black painted finger up to his lips and playfully winked at them. Yuu just rolled their eyes at the small alpha’s antics and Lilia giggled again.

“I’ve been working on getting you a computer,” Lilia said with excitement. “There’s a special event happening on my server in a few weeks and I think I should be able to get it delivered to your dorm on time.”

“Lilia…” Yuu frowned. “You really don’t have to…”

He just shook his head and gently patted their head from where he was floating above them. “None of that, my dear. Besides, my online friend is very excited to meet you! I’m afraid the poor thing is just as shy as my children. Won’t even accept my in-game marriage proposal.” He pouted just as Yuu choked on air. In-game marriage proposal? “Our characters would look so adorable together but alas . But knowing you, dear Yuu, you’ll help him open up a bit won’t you?”

“I- I can try?” Yuu replied, feeling a bit overwhelmed. They didn’t even know the name of this game Lilia liked to play so much. They were still baffled as to why the Diasomni Vice-Housewarden was so insistent that Yuu in particular could help his friends open up more.

A series of horn blows from the outside followed by the roar of the crowd silenced everyone in the holding area. Yuu looked up as the ceiling vibrated with the energy and sound waves, sending some dust raining down here and there.

“That would be our cue, I believe,” Lilia mused. He gave Yuu one last playful wink before floating into the middle of the room. “Look alive, children! Everyone remembers their jobs, correct?” All of the Diasomnia players were immediately at attention. Yuu looked around the group, trying to spot their illusive Housewarden but couldn’t find anyone in the bunch that matched his description. They wondered when they were going to be able to meet this Malleus that Lilia liked to gush about all the time.

Jack came up next to Yuu as they watched everyone scramble to get ready for the upcoming action. He looked down at them with concern, “You going to be alright?”

Yuu nodded.

“Well…” He pursed his lips, ears flickering. “Just… I know you want to do things on your own terms and… I’m not trying to overstep that but…” He trailed off, tone turning somewhat frustrated as he tried to find the right words. “Just… I’ll be right there if you need me, alright? So don’t hesitate to ask me for help.” Jack blushed and glanced off into the distance, unable to meet their gaze.

Yuu smiled and felt warmth flood their chest. “I’ll be sure to do so, Jack. Thank you.”

To Yuu’s relief, Ace, Deuce, and Grim finally showed up by the time the gate started to open and the Caters (disguised as Diasomnia players) started to walk onto the field. Ace and Grim had been adamant about stopping to get some snacks from the concessions before all the action began and Deuce tagged along to make sure the two didn’t get into too much trouble. Riddle hadn’t been happy with what he considered reckless behavior on such an important day but allowed them leave anyway (probably to get some peace and quiet for a few minutes was Yuu’s amused guess).

“Here you go,” Ace said, pushing a cup of something cold into Yuu’s hand. “You were staring at this earlier when we were walking through the stands, right?”

Yuu blinked down at the cup of boba milk tea in their hands. They had been staring at the boba stand they were surprised to see earlier (then again, this dimension also had creole cuisine and tarts so why not boba as well? Yuu didn’t think they were ever going to figure out the logistics of how this world worked). But they hadn’t realized that Ace had been watching them nor that he’d been insightful enough to notice their silent craving. Sometimes the hardheaded alpha had these surprising moments.

Yuu took a sip and nearly melted at the familiar creamy milk-tea flavor that flooded their taste buds, followed by the jolt of brown sugar notes as the boba came up. It was soft and perfectly cooked and still slightly warm from preparation.

“You like it?” Ace asked, cheeks turning slightly pink.

“Love it,” Yuu confirmed. “Thank you, Ace!”

He coughed, “You’re welcome.” Then glared at Deuce when the other alpha nudged him in the ribs with his elbow, a knowing smirk on his face. Yuu pretended not to see the interaction and focused instead on their treat.

As Lilia and that other two important members of his dorm (Silver and… Sebek was it?) started directing the Diasomnia players up into the stands, the rest of them in the holding area gathered by the now open gate and watched as the different Caters put on a show for the crowd as he walked to the center of the field. Any moment now and things would start getting heated.

It was when Yuu was halfway done with their drink that they heard it. Voices in the crowd began to rise up in nervous tones and the cheering dimmed a fraction. A few seconds later, screams began to erupt from the stadium as the stampeding of feet began to resonate in the seats down towards the field. An energy of panic filled the entire stadium.

“There he is,” Jack said, pointing to the edge of the field, his ears standing up at attention. Yuu squinted their eyes and saw a figure in the distance moving erratically. It was Ruggie.

“Your intel was right then,” Riddle said haughtily,  arms crossed and nose in the air.

The insinuation was not lost on Jack who growled in response. “Of course it was. I wouldn’t jeopardize this operation by feeding you lies.” Yuu glanced between the two prostrating alphas with wide eyes and declined to comment. They could figure it out themselves… At least, Yuu hoped so. They nervously finished drinking the rest of their boba, waiting for the next cue.

Even knowing the magically disguised Caters on the field were just a projection of magic, it was still alarming to watch the crowd of stampeding stadium goers run over them. Cater made a good show of it though as his doppelgängers were “trampled” to their “doom”, screaming and crying out as they were swallowed by the crowd; maybe too good of a show. Yuu couldn’t help but flinch back as they watched it all unfold before their eyes. At least Cater (the real one) was having a good time as he laughed and filmed the whole thing from the safety of the sidelines.

A movement from the corner of their eye caught Yuu’s attention, and a familiar hot desert-y scent hit their nose even from this far distance. They looked over and down the field, walking out of the Savanaclaw holding area was Leona who had the smuggest grin across his face. Yuu felt their heart clench at the sight. They hated this… Baseless violence. And while they couldn’t understand why they felt so strongly about it, Yuu hated even more that it was Leona who was reveling in the chaos.

In moments Ruggie was jogging across the field with bright eyes and a wagging tail. Yuu couldn’t hear what he was shouting at Leona from this distance but watched as the two high-fived.

“Let’s go, my dear,” Yuu heard murmured next to them as Lilia placed a gentle hand on their back and started guiding them towards Leona and Ruggie. The rest of their group followed. Yuu swallowed back their nerves but couldn’t keep down the dread steadily building in the pit of their stomach with every step. In moments, Leona spotted their approach and glanced up at them. He smirked at them like the cat that ate the canary. Little did he know that somewhere above them, Headmaster Crowley was watching every second of this unfold until there was irrefutable evidence of Savanaclaw’s treachery.

“With your precious Malleus done for, this year’s crown belongs to us,” Leona taunted Lilia as they came within earshot. His eyes narrowed as he spotted Jack amongst their pack, “and our very own first year traitor too.” His green eyes flickered over to Yuu for a moment, “Did you let the little minx hunt you down too?”

“You’ve got some nerve, Kingscholar,” Riddle hissed. “We’ve heard everything. And as Housewarden of Heartslabyul, I won’t rest until I see you punished for your wrong doings.”

Leona chuckled as the rest of his dorm members stepped out from their holding area and gathered behind him in a menacing horde. “You and what army, tiny alpha? You think you can just come onto my territory with such a pathetic showing and dare dream of besting me? With what? A handful of baby alphas and a magic-less beta herbivore? Don’t make me laugh.” Yuu fought back a flinch at that, mind trying to reconcile the playful alpha they had traded snipes with in the garden to this cruel beast before them.

Yuu glanced over at Ruggie who was smirking at their group but seemed to refuse to meet Yuu’s eyes when they tried to catch his gaze.

“Go have fun, boys,” Leona waved to his players. “Make them pay for coming onto our turf.” He too refused to meet Yuu’s gaze again as his dorm members advanced on them.

Lilia pulled Yuu back behind him as Riddle took to the front of their group. Yuu watched as Deuce, Ace, and Jack all took up defensive stances in front of them, but it was ultimately unnecessary as, with only a few decisive flourishes of his wand, Riddle collared the incoming Savanaclaw students. They recoiled back as the magic-inhibiting collars snapped shut around their necks and Leona growled in annoyance.

“Pests!” He snarled.

“It’s alright, Leona~ Shyeheehee,” Ruggie piped up. “Even if they tried to stop us, it doesn’t change the fact that Malleus is down for the count.”

But as he said that two figures came rushing down the now empty stadium stands, vaulted over the railing, and landed neatly before Yuu and Lilia. The taller one (the alpha with the mint colored hair) bowed at the waist with a bellowing, “Master Lilia. We have finished assisting the young master in guiding the crowd to safety. We await further instruction from you.”

“Very good, Sebek,” Lilia praised.

But Yuu was no longer paying attention to the Diasomnia students, their eyes were solely on Leona who was staring at the new arrivals with shock. His alpha scent spiking in the air and the pungent odor of a brewing sandstorm began to roll off of him in waves, ozone sparking with each ripple. But it seemed like only Yuu, with their heightened omegan senses, was able to register the dangerous shift in scent.

“What is the meaning of this…” Leona growled in a low flat tone. “I saw the lot of you lost to the stampede.”

Lilia made an indignant noise, “Hmph. As if we’d allow our prince to be harmed by such low tactics.” When he grinned at Leona, it was sharp and full of flashing fangs, “with Heartslabyul and Prefect Yuu’s assistance, we were able to place decoys on the field. Not a single hair on anyone was harmed today.”

Yuu squirmed at being brought into the conversation when Leona’s piercing gaze shifted rapidly to them and burned into their skull. They didn’t understand why it made them feel like withering into nothing when he stared at them like that. Leona should’ve known they were going to do everything in their power to stop him. He had no one to blame but himself.

And yet… Even as Yuu told themself this, they couldn’t help but pick up on the scent of hurt just below the overwhelming fury of his alpha. And they couldn’t help the hurt that bloomed in their chest in response.

“Heh… I suppose that’s it then,” Leona said looking down at the ground. Yuu watched as everyone exchanged relieved and smug looks, thinking they had won now that Leona had admitted defeat. But his scent… It was still spiking every few seconds, growing with terrifying intensity. How could they not sense it? Yuu whimpered in fear.

It was Ruggie who responded upset to Leona’s perceived defeated tone. “What do you mean ‘that’s it’, Leona?”

“I mean that’s it,” Leona said with a dead voice. “With Malleus still capable of playing there’s nothing we can do. Our fate is sealed. We’ve lost.  I was a fool to think we could’ve changed anything.”

 Ruggie growled furiously at that, and even behind the protective barrier of their friends Yuu could see the unshed tears of frustration in the beta’s eyes. “You can’t be saying you’re giving up! Not- Not after everything we’ve done! All the hard work we put in-“

“It’s over, Bucchi!” Leona snapped, and the hyena wilted, ears pinned back against his head. Like the last time they had been on this field, a bit of Leona’s alpha voice leaked into his words. But with it came something else even more alarming and in Yuu’s mind’s eye they could see it; the storm was finally breaching the stillness of the desert horizon.

The air in the stadium began to grow dusty as the wind picked up and Yuu brought up an arm to cover their mouth, eyes squinting as microscopic debris began to assault them from every angle. It was only now that the others started to pick up on the fact that something might not be right as people all around them began to cough at the sudden change in weather.

Leona started laughing but it was void of all humor and filled with malice and Yuu was once again reminded of a giant wounded beast resigned to its doom. “Don’t you understand yet, you stupid hyena? You’re nothing but street scum, a worthless beta from the slums.” He approached Ruggie menacingly and roughly grabbed the other beastman by his wrist. Ruggie let out a pained whine but Leona didn’t release him no matter how hard he struggled against his Housewarden’s grip. “It doesn’t matter how much you try to claw your way out, you’ll never be able to outrun that truth about yourself,” Leona snapped. “Your worthlessness is carved into your very being.”

“Y-you’re wrong-!” Ruggie growled as he struggled, but it was clear by his voice that the beta was filled with terror and horror. He clawed at Leona’s relentless grip but he might as well have been trying to fight against a steel statue for all it accomplished.

“Just like I’m nothing but the hated second-born prince,” Leona said, voice dark and low. “We’re the same, Ruggie, you and I. We’ll never amount to anything. We’ll be worthless scum until the day we die. No matter how hard we work, the world will always rise up to push us back down again. It’s all pointless.”

Suddenly Ruggie let out a gruesome scream of pain and Yuu watched in helpless horror as the skin along his arm where Leona touched him began to dry and crackle. Yuu gasped as all the air seemed to leave their lungs, their legs frozen in place yet aching to run forward to put a stop to this madness . That playful flirting lion was gone and in his place was a terrible monster capable and willing to hurt anyone and everyone around him.

“That’s Kingscholars signature spell-” Lilia said with a grimace, voice free of his usual teasing lilt for the first time. “King’s Roar. He can turn anything to sand. That beast is out of control.” Despite his much shorter height, he still kept a protective hand on Yuu’s arm, keeping himself between them and the source of danger. “Sebek, Silver, this is getting out of hand. Start getting our students to safety and please escort Prefect Yuu-”

Before the small alpha could finish his order, Yuu suddenly found the will to make their legs move despite the fear of their inner omega trying to claw its way to the surface of their mind. With Ruggie’s pained cries as fuel, they pushed around Lilia before they could think twice and rushed to the front of their group. They reached Riddle just as the Heartslabyul Housewarden waved his wand once more with an enraged, “OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!”

Leona snarled as the collar clicked shut around his throat. He reached up to grab it, releasing Ruggie in the process who collapsed to his knees with a cry and scrambled away on all fours, still staring up at Leona from the ground with horror. His arm was red and wet with blood from where Leona had used his destructive magic on him.

For a moment, the air seemed to clear up and the darkening skies lightened (Yuu’s mind was too frazzled to remember why this felt so horrifyingly familiar). But then everyone watched in horror as the collar around Leona’s neck began to crumble into dust. Yuu heard Riddle suck in a sharp breath in shock. The moment the spell was gone it was like all hell reigned loose.

The storm of dust and debris picked up with such a vicious vengeance that Yuu could no longer see the Spelldrive goals at either end of the field. Their tongue felt dry and they felt like heaving and coughing with every laborious breath. That was not even to mention the overwhelming alpha scent rolling off of Leona, threatening to bring Yuu to their knees. They had to grab onto Riddle to keep from collapsing as the furious and anguished pheromones assaulted their senses, but even pressing their face into his neck and trying to breath in his comforting rose and strawberry scent wasn’t working. It was drowned out by Leona’s overwhelming sand storm.

“How dare you collar me, Rosehearts!” Leona snarled. “Prodigy you may be but you are a thousand years too early to ever hope of standing up to me! I can see it in your eyes, every single one of you hate me.” Yuu could barely even look up at him with the dust furiously flying around them, but even through squinted eyes they could see that Leona’s piercing green gaze was glaring right at them. “That’s fine. I’m used to being hated. It’s the hand I was dealt at birth, but… ”

Yuu felt the hairs on the back of their neck stand on end. Something horrible was coming. Something they had instinctively known was looming this whole time but could never put their finger on.

“He’s-” Riddle managed to get out with a strangled voice. He too was covering his face as sand and dust assaulted him from every side. “He’s about to overblot! We need to get back!”

“Someone needs to get the professors!” Yuu heard Cater yell from somewhere behind them as their entire group began to slowly move away from the negative aura swirling around Leona, kicking up dust as it spun around him picking up speed. Yuu’s legs were all but jelly at this point and they were forced to lay most of their weight on Riddle. The collared Savanaclaw students were all running away from their Housewarden as well in every direction.

“Lilia!” Riddle yelled. “Go get the Headmaster!”

“On it,” Lilia replied, voice also strained.

Riddle grabbed Yuu’s arm, “and get Yuu to safety-”

But at that moment Yuu’s sensitive ears picked up another noise. A whine of fear and pain. They forced themself to look up and saw that Ruggie was still collapsed to the ground, too close to Leona. Even through the haze of the dust flying around they could see that his skin was drying out painfully at the proximity, but it seemed the beta could not move even if he wanted to.

Yuu didn’t think. They only allowed their instincts to guide their next action as they pushed off of Riddle with the very last of their strength and bolted mindlessly forward towards the beta in danger. Riddle shouted out in alarm but was too late to pull them back as Yuu pushed past the whipping winds and into the eye of the storm. They raced forward with a one-track-mind determination and reached Ruggie just as the world around them reached a climax. Yuu threw their arms around the frightened beta just in time for the world to explode .

” … I’ll reduce it all to sand. ”

Everything was black.

There was a ringing in their ear and their body felt weak and their skin felt dry and painful. Yuu was only half aware of the pain radiating from their neck as their skin crackled and beaded with sand. They whined pitifully and it took several more seconds until they realized that the blackness of the world was due to their eyes being squeezed shut. Yuu forced themself to open their eyes.

The world around them was a dark muted orange and the sun was completely blotted out. Yuu could hardly see five feet in front of them and their throat clenched up in an unfamiliar feeling of claustrophobia. To be outside yet feel so boxed in was wrong in a way they couldn’t hope to explain.

There was a groan beneath them and Yuu realized that they could smell the scent of blood and something cloyingly sweet. With what little strength they had left in their limbs, Yuu shifted off the body they had shielded and saw that Ruggie was beneath them. His skin still dry and cracked from where he’d been exposed to Leona’s destructive magic but the last rational part of Yuu’s mind was relieved to see his injuries were no worse than they’d last seen. They themself on the other hand were sore and in pain all over. It hurt to move as it felt like their skin was made of dried paper that cracked and threatened to split as it moved across their body.

“Y-Yuu?” Ruggie stuttered as his eyes fluttered open and saw that they had shielded him from whatever blast of magic had come from Leona.

Yuu, whose throat was dry and hurting, could do nothing but whine in response. It didn’t help that their base instincts were threatening to overwhelm all rational thought at the imminent danger all around them. The last time they had felt their omega this close to the surface of their mind was over a month ago now and even that was far sooner than they’d ever imagined they’d have to go through this again.

“Y-your scent- It’s-!” Ruggie was cut off by a painful cough that wracked his entire body. Yuu chirruped and nuzzled their face closer to him, their omega telling them to use their scent to sooth the beta.

In the back of their mind, Yuu was reeling. Somehow Leona’s explosion of negative and destructive magic had blown away the last traces of Trey’s magic under their skin. In fact, the scent of blood they could smell, acrid and metallic, was not just coming from Ruggie. When Yuu brought a shaky hand up to their neck where their scent gland was the skin cracked and broken, and their fingers came away wet with blood.

Not that it mattered in the end. Trey’s magic had none of the chemical properties their suppressants had to keep their instincts at bay. And the catastrophe in the rose maze had proven that their suppressants weren’t capable of withstanding the biological assault of an overblotted alpha anyway. If the overwhelming alpha scent tinging every molecule in the air wasn’t indicative enough, then the sickly scent of fresh ink told Yuu that this was indeed an overblot.

But through the dust storm, Yuu couldn’t see where Leona (or anyone for that matter was). It was only themself and Ruggie, alone together in a sea of swirling chaos.

“O-omega,” Ruggie managed to say once his coughing fit died down to something manageable. He shifted slowly, clearly in much pain, until he was in a sitting position and pulled Yuu off of him and onto his lap. They grabbed onto his arm in a death grip, terrified of letting go. “Why- Yuu, why would you protect me ?” He whined in terror, “why would you put yourself into danger , you stupid idiot!”

Yuu couldn’t answer even if they wanted to and only made a pathetic noise in response. They pressed their face into his shirt feeling absolutely miserable but at the same time absolutely relieved that the troublemaking beta was alright. They didn’t know why they shielded Ruggie with their own body, but in the moment it had felt like there was nothing else they could do . Every instinct in their body telling them to protect him from Leona.

“W-we have to get- get out of there,” Ruggie said with great effort. He tugged at them, trying to pull Yuu to their feet, but even his legs gave out within moments. The beta let out a cry of frustration that made Yuu burrow even closer to him, now wrapping their arms around his slim torso. “I can’t believe L-Leona would-“ His voice broke into a half sob.

In the distance (how far, Yuu couldn’t tell with the howling of the wind) the sound of shouting came to them. Ruggie’s ears perked up and flickered in the direction of the noise, but neither of them were in any condition to move even if the elements weren’t assaulting them from every side. He tried to yell for help but only succeeded in swallowing another mouthful of sand and broke out into a coughing fit again. Yuu gently cupped his face in their hands, trying to wordlessly tell him that it was going to be okay. He just looked at them with red teary eyes and bit his bottom lip. He opened his mouth to respond.

But in that moment a deafening roar vibrated the atmosphere, shaking them to their core. The wind picked up again, even more violent than before and Ruggie and Yuu both ducked their heads, holding onto one another for dear life. When the wind finally died down again to something more manageable they looked up and saw that the flying dust had been cleared in the general vicinity of a few hundred meters. The source of the sudden clearing was immediately apparent.

Leona stood floating in the center of the calm, a familiar dark visage looming like a demon guardian behind him. His eyes were lifeless but glowing with a yellow madness that struck a deep primordial fear straight into Yuu’s heart. The scent of fresh ink and ozone was even more overwhelming now and Yuu could smell their own bitter distress rise up in response.

“Yuu!”

With some struggle, Yuu managed to locate the source of the shout and saw Riddle on the other side of the clearing staring at them with horror. His voice was nearly carried away by the wind but Yuu could still hear the fear in his tone as he tried to rush to them. But with every step he tried to take, he was rebuffed back by a gale of wind and sand. The others too were running around with wands raised, trying to cast magic but unable to penetrate the unyielding wall of swirling dust that surrounded them, keeping them all trapped within. Yuu blinked dizzily and wondered if they were hallucinating when they saw a giant white wolf trying futilely to charge through the barrier.

“Insects!” They heard Leona’s voice boomed through the clearing. “Insignificant. None of us can run from our fates. Scuttling around won’t do you any good, so you might as well accept that nothing you do will ever allow you to outrun who you are. I’m doing you all a favor by turning it all to sand, like wiping away to a clean slate…”

He paused, nose upturned as he took a deep whiff of the air. Yuu felt Ruggie’s grip on them tighten in fear when Leona’s dead madened eyes suddenly turned to them.

“Beta minx…” He murmured, and for a moment Yuu thought they might’ve heard a note of clarity come to his voice. But it was so brief they couldn’t be sure because his voice returned to its previous madness not a moment later. Leona chuckled, and the sound of it rang out in the clearing dark and heavy. “So not a beta minx after all… I understand now. Poor little omega trying to outrun their own fate.”

Yuu whined and clutched tighter to Ruggie as the full force of Leona’s alpha was turned onto them.

“Don’t worry, little omega. No more playing pretend. I’ll show you where you truly belong .”

Chapter 8

     “Don’t worry, little omega. No more playing pretend. I’ll show you where you truly belong.”

    Yuu could hear Ruggie’s heartbeat fluttering in his chest as fast as a rabbit as Leona’s dark visage floated in their direction. His voice was ruined and raspy from all the sand he’d inhaled but he still whispered into their ear urgently, “You need to run .”

    Yuu shook their head both in an effort to communicate that they couldn’t physically move even if they wanted to but also that they refused to leave him here to face the terrifying wrath of an overblotted mage, hellbent on reducing all in his path to dust. They pressed closer into Ruggie’s shirt and tightened their grip around his waist and the beta let out a panicked growl of frustration. He tried to pry their arms off of him but Yuu refused to let go and he eventually gave up as the strength in his fingers failed him. They made a pathetic mewl at him as if to say: don’t leave me alone!

    “Yuu…” Ruggie said, clearly trying to hold back sobs of fear and frustration.

    “Omega.”

    The world around them darkened and Yuu desperately wanted to keep burying their face into Ruggie (his neutral beta scent smelled of rosemary and other herbs a source of calm amidst all the chaos), but the alpha command took hold of them and Yuu was forced to pull away and look and acknowledge Leona. The alpha gazed down at them with dull eyes that sent Yuu’s heart pounding away with concern despite the situation. Alpha was hurting and it was their job to help sooth him.

    But Alpha also hurt them. Alpha hurt their pack. Alpha hurt the trembling beta they held in their arms who was supposed to be under his care and protection.

    The bitterness of their distressed omega filled the air and struggled against Leona’s alpha scent, each vying for dominance in the surroundings. Leona’s expression became pinched as he picked up on it, and for a moment the tiniest spark of life returned to his dead eyes. The corners of his lips pitched downward as he gazed upon them.

    “Poor, Omega,” he murmured at them, voice surprisingly soothing despite the booming echo that resonated in the stadium with each syllable. Leona leaned down close to them and Yuu whimpered fearfully. “Didn’t I tell you before that there was no use in putting your toe out of line? That the world would put you back into your place? It’s time for you to end this ridiculous farce, Omega, and submit to an alpha like you were born to.”

    Ruggie snarled and tightened his grip on Yuu, “L-Leona! Stop this! You’re hurting them! You’re hurting us !”

    “Silence, hyena,” Leona growled. “If you need me to reteach you your place in the world, you will have to wait. For now, I have a troublesome omega to re-educate. Now, Omega. Come to me.”

    “Yuu, don’t-!” But Yuu was already distangling themself from the distraught beta, pulling their arms free from his torso despite the painful protesting of their limbs. Ruggie tried to grab onto them and pull them back to him but one withering glare from Leona (his inky dark magic, rising up threateningly) was enough to have the poor beta flinching back and curling in on himself. Yuu struggled to their feet but they didn’t even manage to stand up fully before their weak shaking knees buckled.

    Powerful arms caught them before they could hit the ground and suddenly Yuu was being pulled against a firm and hot torso. The scent of fresh ink and ozone so overpowering and oppressive at this distance that Yuu couldn’t help the cry that left them. A large hand ran itself through their hair and they heard Leona shushing them from above.

    “There you go, Omega,” he murmured, pressing his lips to the crown of their head. And in spite of everything, Yuu was soothed by the action and couldn’t help but lean up into the kiss, melting into his hold. Leona chuckled against their hair, “Isn’t it so much better once you give in and stop fighting back? There’s no use in struggling futilely. The only thing you’ll win is heartache. It’s much easier to just accept your fate. Isn’t that right, little minx?”

    At the familiar endearment, Yuu felt themself purr in response. Their body ached and hurt and felt so weak but here in Leona’s arms, surrounded by his scent and his protectiveness, they felt like they could’ve fallen asleep. Why were they upset again? As long as Alpha was happy they would be happy. Alpha would take care of them. Protect them. He was right. Why fight? Everything hurt when they tried to fight. So they should just let Alpha take care of everything, right?

    No! Yuu screamed in a weak, near silent, voice in the void of their mind. We can’t give up! He’s hurting our friends!

    “I should’ve known from the very beginning,” Leona murmured. His chest rumbled with a deep content purr as he continued to pet Yuu’s head. “Your scent was always so vexing. It plagued my mind night and day. Why did you try so hard to hide from me, little omega? You were born into this world to be cared for. So just let go.”

    His words were so tempting and with each deep honeyed syllable bursts of dopamine and oxytocin exploded between the synapses of Yuu’s brain. Pleasant waves of pleasure and contentment rolled through them, washing away the aches of their limbs and the burning pain of their dried skin. Slowly, their scent shifted from bitter distress to something more saccharine and pleasing; notes of dark chocolate and fresh parchment and blooming hyacinths began to fill the air, mixing and dancing with the stormy ozone and sand. Leona, despite his dead maddened eyes and dripping ink, made a pleased and encouraging noise as he sensed the shift.

    Inside, Yuu's panicked voice of reason was growing quieter and quieter.

    “Let them go!”

    A howl cut through the air and suddenly Yuu was being jerked to the side as Leona growled and twisted his entire body. A white blur shot past them and through Yuu’s blurry vision they saw a large white wolf land a few yards ahead, a familiar shape perched on it’s back.

    “Cauldron!”

    Deuce waved his wand and suddenly a shadow fell over Leona and Yuu. The berserker alpha snarled with fury and waved his hand. Wind whipped past them and a large black cauldron went flying into the distance, already half dissolving into sand. Leona waved his hand again and splatters of ink and sand flew towards Deuce and the wolf he sat upon, the two leaping out of the way of the attack at the last moment. The sight made something within Yuu snap to attention, a brief moment a clarity jolting them out of the haze of pheromones.

    Stop! They tried to shout as they saw Deuce come so close to harm, but all that came out was a choked and pathetic whine.

    More bursts of magic and light came from around them, causing Leona to snarl and wave each attack off with his own more destructive spells. Yuu could now see that their other friends had managed to close the distance and were now circling Leona, careful not to get too close lest they be turned to sand. It didn’t seem to be doing much but it was making Leona more agitated. A burst of blue flames to their right had Yuu struggling in the alpha’s grip when they recognized the magic of Grim. Who allowed the cub to be here, they wanted to shout in horror.

    “Be still, Omega,” Leona growled, not taking his eyes off his opponents, and Yuu felt all their muscles instantly relax against their will.

    Something was needling at Yuu. Something important.

    Grim, too bold for his own good, charged a little too close into the fray and Yuu watched with silent horror as a blast from Leona sent the little monster flying backwards, leaving behind an arc'd trail in the air as the tips of his fur began to dissolve into sand.

    Yuu snarled then, momentarily regaining control of their muscles despite the Alpha Command, and pushed against their captor. It was when they pressed their palms against the wide expanse of his chest that it came to them. Memories of the last time this had happened flashed in their mind and Yuu’s eyes snapped up to Leona’s face. Riddle’s own overblotted visage overlaid over Leona’s, his scarlet eyes terrifying and intense, and his alpha scent overpowering. And Yuu suddenly knew instinctively what they had to do.

    They reached their hand up for Leona’s face, fingers tingling with the beginnings of an ephemeral bond.

    But before they could touch him, Leona’s dead maddened eyes snapped down to their face. His green eyes narrowed and his upper lip curled in a half snarl.

    “You dare try to bend me to your will, Omega?”

    A harsh shove had Yuu falling backwards and they hit the dissolved turf of the field with a soundless cry, rolled once, and crumpled in on themself. Two sides inside of them were warring, one trying to submit and appease the furious alpha and the other struggling to protect their pack. A migraine was forming behind their eyes and Yuu subconsciously knew it was only a matter of time before they passed out from the physical and mental overexertion.

“It is your place to submit to your alpha,” Leona’s warbled voice echoed and boomed with dark intent. “Just as it is the place of slum rats to wallow in destitution and the place of the spare prince to toil away in shadow and contempt. Stop trying to fight against this, Yuu.” Was it just their imagination, or did his voice crack when he finally said their name? “I’m only doing my princely duty and protecting you.” The tone of his voice shifted again, growing darker and more deadly; the skies around them falling even deeper into shadow as the odor of fresh ink grew in intensity. “But if you won’t listen to my words, I’ll just make you listen.”

Leona raised arm, outstretching his hand which was curled in, sharp claws flashing as it caught what little light was left in the stadium. Yuu weakly followed its trajectory and saw that at the end of it was Grim’s collapsed form, the monster clearly unconscious.

All the breath seemed to leave Yuu’s lungs.

“I’ll reduce everything to sand until you learn to submit.”

For a moment Yuu was ready to watch something they’d never be able to scrub from their mind. Their heart clenched painfully and time seemed to freeze but there was nothing they could do. No one was near enough to Grim to pull him to safety and Leona’s mind was far too gone, lost to the overblot and his alpha, to recognize the irrevocable crime he was about to commit.

“LEONAAAAA!”

Leona’s arm suddenly bent at the elbow with an unnatural movement, twisting upward and away from Grim. One of the stadium flood lights above them began to crumble to dust as his magic was redirected upward. Yuu heard the pounding of feet and watched as Ruggie launched himself into the air, body lithe and athletic from years of competitive sport, and wrapped himself around Leona, clinging onto his back. Even in spite of the fear evident in his eyes at the terrifying overblot manifestation looming just behind him, Ruggie held on and he stared right at Yuu. Leona roared and twisted his body, trying to buck the beta off of him but Ruggie’s grip was unrelenting.

“Whatever you need to do! DO IT!” He shouted at them, “Stop him! SAVE HIM!”

The desperation in his voice cut through the fog and exhaustion of Yuu’s mind like a hot knife. It was the last push they needed to silence that damnable part of their own biology that demanded that they submit and summon the very last reserves of strength they had left in their worn body. Yuu was on their feet in an instant, sprinting for Leona and Ruggie, nearly tripping in the process but blessedly managing to stay upright. Ruggie’s face was covered in sweat as he forced Leona’s body to his own bidding and Yuu could see that his own magestone was darkening terrifyingly fast with the effort.

Yuu leaped into the air. Leona’s eyes caught their determined gaze and they widened just as Yuu’s finger tips grazed his cheek.

~*~

Yuu was falling through the air.

The wind that whipped past them was hot and dry and the blue sky above them was void of any clouds. But Yuu felt no butterflies in their stomach that they would’ve associated with falling so fast. There was no fear. No rejection of the world they’d suddenly found themself in.

And then they hit the ground.

When Yuu sat up they felt no pain from the impact, but the sun above was baring into them with an intensity that seemed intentionally hostile. Yuu stood up and took stock of their surroundings and found that they stood in the middle of an arid savanna that seemed to stretch endlessly in all directions. The bare tufts of grass that stuck out from the ground were sparse and brown with dehydration and Yuu could count on their fingers how many naked trees they could spot. The world around them might as well have been empty for all it held.

The heat of the sun was already making them feel dizzy despite this being just a dream manifestation. Yuu was reminded of the thorny overgrowth that protected Riddle’s heart from penetration and knew that they’d have to find their way through this arid landscape before they could reach Leona.

Yuu barely took a single step when they heard a thump on the ground next to them. They gave a start, jumping forward and turning sharply around. A figure laid slump on the ground but was already shifting as they got into a seated position. Large brown ears peaked out from sandy hair and Yuu’s eyes widened in shock.

“Ruggie?”

How was this possible? Why was Ruggie here? Was this another manifestation of Leona’s unconscious defense mechanism?

“Ugh,” the possible-dream-Ruggie groaned as he rubbed his head and sat up. He sniffed the air and suddenly his head snapped up towards Yuu. Both of them looked at one another with wide shocked eyes. “... Prefect? What- ugh.” He held his head again and made a noise of pain. “What’s going on…? I don’t remember. Why do you smell like-”

“Are you real?” Yuu couldn’t help but ask.

“Of course I’m real,” he snapped. He struggled to his feet and gave them a suspicious look, “You’re… You’re an omega?”

“You don’t remember?” Yuu asked in concern, “The spelldrive tournament? Leona he- Leona… overblotting?”

“What are you talking about-” But Ruggie cut himself off as another wave of dizziness seemed to pass over him. After a few seconds he stopped holding his head and just stared down at his feet in a daze, “Oh…”

Yuu just waited as the beta gathered himself and sorted out his thoughts. They weren’t sure what they could even say anyway. This was entirely unprecedented. Sure they only knew what they did about ephemeral bonding from what their dad had told them and the two times they had performed one but… Perhaps they should’ve asked more questions. Nothing their father had ever told them explained why Ruggie was here with them in Leona’s mind. Yuu hadn’t even been aware that betas could be a part of an ephemeral bonding process.

“You protected me from Leona’s magic,” Ruggie finally said after a moment. “And you did something after that, something that made him push you away. Is that where we are?”

Yuu nodded, “I uh… I performed an ephemeral bond on him. It’s something only omegas can do and well… We’re currently in Leona’s mind right now. I wouldn’t have done it if I thought I had any other choice but he- He was going to-” Their voice faltered as a sob threatened to choke them up at the memory of playful flirting Leona threatening to destroy everything and everyone.

“Yeah…” Ruggie said in sympathy, his voice sounding somewhat choked up as well. “I had no idea he felt this way. I know he’s a spoiled rich bastard but I really thought… I really thought we were closer than that. But I had no idea he’d crack like this…” The beta clenched his fist at his side. “And you-!”

Yuu looked up startled at the suddenly angry tone.

“How dare you try to protect me!” Ruggie snapped furiously, tears in the corner of his eyes. “I don’t need your sympathy. Especially knowing now that you’re actually an omega !” He said this last part in open disbelief, “Don’t you have any self preservation? How could you put yourself into danger like that! You stupid idiot!”

Yuu opened their mouth to protest but Ruggie cut them off angrily.

“Imagine if my grandma found out!” He exclaimed, “That I let an omega take the brunt of an injury. She’d have my hide! You are absolutely the most idiotic stupid human I’ve ever met in my entire life! I’m just some no-good worthless hyena from the slums and you’re a precious omega. Even thinking about what happened is outrageous- !”

Yuu shut him up by lunging forward and wrapping their arms around the beta as he began to sob, tears running down his face. They pulled him tight against them and refused to let go even as he began to tearfully protest and push back.

“Stop that,” Yuu said. “You’re not worthless! You’re you. You’re worth something. So stop it! Stop saying these awful things about yourself.” Their own voice became cracked with a sob as they tried their best to hold back tears. “Leona is wrong. He’s just hurting and lashing out but he’s wrong about you. So please please stop it.” At this they couldn’t help it when the floodgates finally opened and the uncontrollable bawling began.

“You’re such a dumb busy-body,” Ruggie cried, but his arms came up around Yuu as well and they just clung to each other and sobbed their hearts out.

Yuu had no idea how long they stood there in that empty savanna just holding onto each other and crying. But the tears came freely and by the time Yuu felt like they’d gotten most of it out of their system, their eyes were puffy and sore. But at least, Ruggie’s trembling had stopped. As tough and carefree as the beta liked to present himself as, he was surprisingly sensitive.

“You’re getting my scarf all wet,” Ruggie finally grumbled after several minutes and Yuu let out a wet laugh and pulled back. Ruggie refused to meet their gaze but his eyes were red and his cheeks damp. “So where exactly are we anyway aside from ‘ in Leona’s mind’ - which is batshit crazy by the way! Are you sure you don’t have magic?”

Yuu rubbed their nose and giggled, “I’m sure. This is something every omega can do. And we’re…” They looked around at the inhospitable landscape once more, “We’re still on the edge of Leona’s mind. We have to cross this savanna to get to him, but it’ll try it’s best to keep us out since this wasn’t a mutual bond.”

Ruggie shivered, “Omegas are surprisingly terrifying. To think you can just enter someone’s mind without their consent.”

Yuu only smiled sadly at him. “I don’t know about how it is in this world, but what I’m doing now is considered a very serious crime in mine. I wouldn’t have done it if it wasn’t a life or death situation… But we should hurry regardless. It’s dangerous for Leona and I- and probably you too now that I’m thinking about it- to keep this bond open for too long.”

They barely took one step when they heard Ruggie click his tongue in annoyance.

“Are you dumb, Yuu?” He asked. “You can’t just go waltzing around the savanna exposed to the elements like that.” He pointed at the sky, “The sun’ll knock you out before we even get anywhere.”

Yuu flushed and puffed their cheeks out in a pout, “I grew up in the city… How was I supposed to know that…”

Ruggie just rolled his eyes and shrugged off his vest, tossing it to them. “Keep the top of your head covered so you don’t overheat, human. What would you have done if I hadn’t been here?” But his eyes were sparkling with mirth as he started forward, “coming?”

It was Yuu’s turn to roll their eyes. “You don’t even know where we’re supposed to go.”

“Shyeheehee~ Then you better get a move on then, Omega~”

Time moved differently in this dream world than it had the last time Yuu had formed an ephemeral bond. Maybe it was the heat or just something different about Leona’s personality, but time seemed to stretch out in comparison to how it had felt in Riddle’s mind. Yuu and Ruggie trekked through that savanna for what felt like hours but Yuu knew that couldn’t have been true in the waking world. The bond would’ve broken on its own within the hour.

Unlike Riddle’s thorns that actively hurt and pierced any intruders, there was nothing in Leona’s defenses that actively tried to hurt them. But the longer they walked, the sun’s heat baring ceaselessly down on them, the more Yuu was of the opinion that it was the very environment itself that was trying to dissuade them. Sure nothing actively tried to harm them as they walked through this world, but between the heat and dryness and lifelessness, it was as if the very world itself was trying to convince them to give up. And it was very effective at this as Yuu and Ruggie wandered aimlessly through miles and miles of identical arid savanna.

But Yuu knew they couldn’t give up. To give up now would mean disaster. It could mean certain death.

It was only when Yuu felt like they were on their last legs that their nose finally picked up on something different. The smell was so faint that Yuu thought they might’ve imagined it at first, but soon they knew that it was actually there.

Fresh water.

Ruggie couldn’t pick up on what Yuu was smelling but that might’ve just been because his beta nose was less sensitive to pheromones or it could’ve been because it was Yuu who was conducting this ephemeral bond. Regardless of the reason, Yuu let their nose lead them as Ruggie curiously followed. The both of them were dead tired at this point, but the sudden shift in this unchanging barren landscape brought forth a new burst of energy between them.

Soon the scent of fresh water grew stronger and stronger and Yuu knew in their bones that they were finally headed in the right direction.

They crested a particularly steep hill, legs and muscles threatening to give out, and came upon a gorgeous sight. On the other side of the hill and stretching out down before them was a beautiful oasis. Plant life and greenery flourished at the water’s edge, and the pond at the center was so clear and blue and still it could’ve easily been mistaken for a mirror.

“That’s… Something,” Ruggie panted. “Can we drink it?”

“I think we’re supposed to jump into it,” Yuu said. They weren’t sure how they knew, but it felt as if the truth sprang to them from a deep primordial part of themself. Yuu just knew. Ruggie gave them a particular look and then shrugged. He knew better than to question Yuu’s logic in this strange dream world at this point.

In less than a minute the two of them were standing at the still water’s edge, watching their own perfect reflections stare back up at them. Yuu and Ruggie both shared a look and, without words, clasped hands and leaped.

The water shattered like glass beneath their feet and they were plunged into darkness.

~*~

Like dejavu, the end of Yuu’s journey through the void was landing on something soft and bouncing twice. But this time, unlike before, a second figure fell right alongside them, hitting the bed with a muffled thump. Thankfully, the mattress was large enough for the two of them and probably even more. The sheets beneath Yuu’s fingers were as soft as a dream and, upon closer inspection, probably worth more than Yuu’s entire last semester of college tuition. As they sat up Yuu was frozen in awe at the sight of the luxurious room stretching out before them.

Ruggie scoffed as he shimmied off the royal bed, crossing his arms as he looked around the room. “This must be Sunset Palace. Shyeheehee… It’s just as rich and stupidly expensive as I expected from the outside.”

“I think this is Leona’s room,” Yuu said as they glanced over at a picture frame next to the bed. Little Leona was grinning in the photograph, likely no older than seven years, and surrounded by three other figures that Yuu took to be his family. There was a proud woman with a mane of glorious red hair, a golden crown nestled amongst the thick locks between round golden ears. Next to her was a slighter looking woman with a sweet subdued smile and familiar eyes that twinkled with warmth and kindness. The second woman looked the splitting image of Leona with her dark tresses and braids and almond brown eyes and darker colored lion ears. She too wore a crown, but it was clearly designed to be more delicate and feminine than the other.

Right next to young Leona was an older looking boy whose complexion and mane of red hair more closely resembled his alpha mother. He had an arm wrapped around Leona, pulling his younger brother close to his side. Both boys had wide happy grins in the photo. Yuu noted with interest that Leona didn’t have a scar over his eye yet in this photo.

But if this was Leona’s room… Where was Leona?

Just as the thought came to their head, the door to the room burst open. Instinctively, Yuu tried to scramble to hide but then realized and remembered very quickly that the people in these memories could not see them. A teenager tore into the room furiously, his dark brown tresses bouncing behind him with every harsh step. This Leona must’ve been between 13-14 years old, Yuu thought.

“Leona! Why are you so angry?” A new unfamiliar voice came from the doorway. A new figure walked in, a young man with a mane of red hair and a crown that Yuu recognized from the photo on his head.

“Stay out of my room,” Leona snapped. “Oh? Actually I apologize, your majesty. Afterall, a king is allowed free reign of anything the light touches, right? I apologize for my presumption. Please, feel free to take my room for your own as well.” Even at this age his words were well chosen and scathing judging by the flinch of his older brother.

“Leona…” The older alpha said sadly. “I’m not going to- Listen, I won't come into your room without permission again. But we need to talk about this.”

“You can do whatever you want. You’re the king after all,” Leona hissed. “But we ,” he gestured between the two of them, “have nothing to talk about.”

“Mama wouldn’t want us to fight like this-” The older one started but was immediately cut off by Leona.

“Don’t bring Mama into this, Farena! You have no right !” Leona snarled. And as he spun around Yuu saw that, unlike in the photo from when he was younger, this Leona did have the scar across his left eye. “Stop trying to lecture me. You’re already king , you’ve already won! It doesn’t matter how hard I work or how much better I excelled in lessons than you, how much more serious I take things, I’ll always be second to you! Even Mama and Mother loved you more than me. I’m just the fucking spare. ” In his anger, Leona kicked the ornate chair at his desk and it went skidding across the room, wood splintering where he’d impacted it.

“That’s not true!” Farena cried, “Mama loved you the most ! Mother was always proud of all you accomplished!”

“And yet you are the one to be rewarded for the brilliant accomplishment of being born first,” Leona growled. His fist clenched and Yuu suddenly smelled ozone rising in the room bringing every hair on the back of their neck to attention. Even Farena, despite being the older and larger alpha, seemed unnerved by the sudden shift. “See? Even you’re scared of me. Everyone hates me . Everyone blames me for Mama even though we both know it was your fault . And the only reason no one will believe me is because you're the first born and can do nothing wrong.”

“That- That’s not true…” But even Farena’s voice was faltering now. “Everyone knows what happened to Mama was an accident. Is this about the rumors? I’ll make sure the palace staff stop gossipping-”

“Enough, Farena,” Leona said, and for the first time since he entered the room his voice lacked any anger. He just sounded… Tired. “Just forget it, you’ll never understand. Don’t bother with the servants, they’re all just mindless herbivores so why should I care what they say. I just… I give up.”

“What do you mean give up, Leona?” Farena said with concern.

“It means I give up,” Leona sighed. “Just… Get out of my room and leave me alone. Haven’t you taken enough from me already? Now you want to take the rest of my time as well?”

“I- I’ll leave, Leona,” Farena finally said after a moment of tense contemplation. “But… Just know that I’m here for you if you need me. That no matter what happens we’ll always be brothers, Leona. I’ll… I’ll make sure to talk to the staff again and dole out punishments to the gossipers.” And in a meek motion that was at odds with his large and kingly form, Farena shuffled out of the room with a sad frown on his face. Teen Leona didn’t even bother to look up, just continued to stare out the window at the setting savanna sun.

Yuu scrambled out of the way when the memory of Leona suddenly started towards the bed. He stepped past them and climbed onto the mattress and just… Laid there. Yuu looked up and saw that Ruggie was looking at them from the otherside of the bed, a strange look in his eyes.

“What- What happened to his mother?” Yuu asked. They slowly rounded the bed and came to a stop next to Ruggie who had a contemplative expression on his face.

“I don’t know the exact details,” Ruggie finally said. “I was still pretty young at the time but there was some kind of accident or something when the royal family was out… The Queen died. She was a pretty well liked omegan queen too so it was something of a national tragedy, though… I guess not as tragic as it was for her children.” His gaze was still settled on teen Leona.

So even Ruggie didn’t know… Yuu silently hoped that these memories wouldn’t take them to what seemed to be such a traumatizing moment. Whatever happened that day, it seemed only Leona and his brother knew the full truth. And their alpha mother… If Farena was king, it could only mean one of two things. She retired the crown and the title of King to her eldest son, or…

Yuu shook their head, not daring to think about it. They still had both of their parents alive and well back in their home world (part of the reason they so desperately wanted to get back) and couldn’t even imagine how it would be like to lose one or both of them. And to have people blame the child… It was a fate Yuu wouldn’t wish on their worst enemy. Even if the child had been responsible for the accident, he was still a child . People could be cruel…

Ruggie suddenly stuck his nose into the air and took several curious sniffs. His eyes snapped open and Yuu gazed at him curiously.

“What is it?”

“Don’t you smell that?” He said, climbing to his feet and wandering towards the back of the room towards the closet. Yuu tilted their head curiously and began to sniff the air as well. As an omega they were more sensitive to pheromones than the other sexes but they were sure that Ruggie’s hyena traits made him far better at scenting other things than their own dull human nose. But as Yuu took deep sniffs of the air they could smell something…

Someone was cooking something delicious.

When Ruggie reached the back of the room, he began intently examining the wardrobe pushed against the wall. Yuu curiously followed behind him and gasped when Ruggie threw open the wardrobe doors.

Inside was not filled with clothes as one would’ve expected. Instead, the wardrobe stretched further on in and into a cluttered looking hallway, fabrics and beads hanging from the walls and ceiling. Further on back, there was an archway that led into another room where steam was lazily floating out of. It was the source of the mouthwatering smells.

Like something straight out of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe , Yuu thought with awe as they followed Ruggie past the doors of the closet. Yuu held onto it’s wooden sides and ducked their head as they stepped into an entirely different room. Gone was the reflective marbled floor and golden wall trimmings, and replacing it was a dirty concrete floor and a hallway filled to the brim with miscellaneous household objects. A basket of some foreign fruit here. A dubiously secure stack of plastic bags and boxes over there. There was a drying ring hanging from one of the doorways, several well-worn articles of clothes clipped to it.

“Where are we?” Yuu wondered aloud, trying to figure out which memory of Leona’s could’ve taken place in such a homely building, so different from what they’d seen so far of the Sunset Palace.

“My house,” came Ruggie’s reply and Yuu’s head snapped to him in shock. “That’s my grandmother’s cooking we’re smelling.” His voice shook as he explained.

Ruggie moved through the clutter with the ease of familiarity, making a bee-line for the kitchen.  Yuu followed with a bit more difficulty but quickly realized that it didn’t matter if they knocked into any of the precarious piles of things, their presence here wouldn’t affect the memory. And soon they were ducking under and past the colorful fabric that hung in the kitchen archway.

Inside there was a stern looking old woman poised atop a step stool, leaning over a large steaming pot of something that smelled sweet and savory and absolutely divine . Her long graying hair was tied back into a braid and Yuu noted with some interest that her round hyena ears and tail were also graying at the fur.

“Bibi! I’m so sick of this!”

“Hah? What did you say, brat?” The old woman said without looking up from her cooking.

From the same doorway that Ruggie and Yuu had entered from, a familiar figure, younger though, came bursting through, causing the beads hanging at the arch to clatter with the movement. A younger Ruggie, who must’ve also been roughly 13 or 14, stormed into the kitchen with a furious and upset expression. He was wearing some sort of school uniform, though it had clearly seen better days with patches all along its length and a rough texture from years of use. Likely a second-hand… Or possibly more hands than that, Yuu idly thought.

“Oh lord…” The real Ruggie sighed from across the room. He was leaning against the back wall watching this all unfold. “I remember this…”

“I said I’m sick of it all!” Teen Ruggie yelled, pulling his over-shoulder bag off and throwing it onto the floor with an angry huff. “I can’t keep going to Silver Fields!” He aggressively pulled out a chair at the kitchen table and threw himself down into it, crossing his arms and pouting. His ears were flat against his head and Yuu couldn’t help but find the sight unbearably adorable.

Ruggie’s grandmother huffed, “You dare take such a tone with your Bibi? I thought I raised you better than that, boy!” She lifted the wooden ladle out of the pot (something yellow and starchy and covered in sauce falling off of it back into the pot. Curry? Yuu wondered) and wielded it menacingly towards teen Ruggie, her face scowling which pulled the liver spots dotting her skin downward. “And I’ll hear nothing of this nonsense. You have a great gift of magic and are lucky to have been accepted at Silver Fields! And in a few years I suspect you’ll find your place at Night Raven too.”

“I don’t want to go to Night Raven,” Ruggie scowled. “Why would I want to go where all those stuffy rich assholes go- OW!”

Grandma brought her wooden ladle down on his lap with a sharp twack. Ruggie jumped in his seat, immediately sitting upright and glared over at her.

“You know better than to use that kind of language in my kitchen,” she scowled. “Now hurry up and wash up. The stew is almost done and I need you to check on the greens.”

Ruggie scowled right back at her but obediently stood and slunked over to the sink and started washing his hands. When he was done, he joined his grandmother by the stove side and immediately started tasting from the various steaming pots and pans there. After this was done he turned to his grandmother cheekily and said, “you forgot to salt the collards, Bibi.”

“I won’t have you sassing me, boy,” she snapped back without missing a beat. “You have two good working hands don’t you? Don’t stand there bellyaching at me and make yourself useful.” Ruggie scowled at her again but obediently grabbed from the rack of many assorted spices and started adding things into the cooking dishes.

The aroma in the room was heavenly and Yuu desperately wished that they could eat what the two Bucchis were cooking up. They had no idea what kind of cuisine this was (would the Sunset Savanna even have an earth-equivalent cuisine?) but the fragrance of it was sending every pleasure node in their brain firing on overdrive.

“So who’s giving you problems this time?” Ruggie’s grandmother finally said after several minutes of silent cooking.

The memory of Ruggie seemed to shuffle his feet, his expression falling even further until the poor thing looked absolutely miserable. His tail flicked irritably and Yuu wondered for a moment if he was just going to ignore the question.

“Everyone…” Ruggie finally admitted. “The boys at Silver Field. The kids back here. Over there I’m just a dirty slum-rat. But when I come back from school some of the boys start chasing me and bothering me about acting like I’m ‘better than them’, when I’m not .” He slammed a lid down on a pot a little harder than necessary. “I don’t want to deal with it anymore. I feel like I’m trapped in between and don’t belong anywhere. It’s not like going to SF or NRC will change anything anyway so… Why can’t I just go to school with everyone else here, Bibi…”

His grandmother was silent for a moment, just stirring her pot of sweet smelling stew. But eventually she let out a thoughtful but serious hum. “Ruggie, you have been given the opportunity few have where we come from. You have powerful magic and a strategic and intelligent mind.” She took her ladle out, knocked it a few times on the edge of the pot before laying it over it, then turned to look at Ruggie earnestly, “You say nothing will change but you are wrong, boy. We weren’t placed onto this savanna to scrounge for every meal and grovel at the feet of those more privileged. Everyone born in this land is given a gift, be it magic or something else. If we were meant to stay within the roles given to us from birth, the great lion would not have gifted us with free-will and the ability to change.”

Teen Ruggie rolled his eyes, “The great lion is just a fairytale, Bibi. I’m not five anymore.”

“Don’t interrupt me, brat,” she scowled. “The point is that you aren’t bound by the circumstances of your birth and environment. And for you, my Ruggie, the proof is in what you’ve already accomplished. I’ve known since the day your mama first introduced you to me that you would accomplish so much. But life does not come to us for free. I’m sorry the boys are mean to you, but one day you’ll outgrow our dreary slum. Do you hear me, Ruggie Bucchi? You are more than they try to make you believe you are.”

Memory Ruggie stared at his grandmother for several long moments, and Yuu could see that his eyes had started watering just a bit but he refused to let a single tear escape. After a few seconds he hastily returned to his bubbling pots and tried to hide a sniffle. “You being so optimistic is creepy, Bibi. You should save the sermons for the royal family on TV.”

His grandmother scoffed, “See if I ever say another nice thing to you again, boy!” But even Yuu could see that there was a smile tugging at her wrinkled lips.

“I forgot that speech she gave me…” The real Ruggie suddenly said. He too looked like he was trying to hold back tears and Yuu’s heart melted. “She… She really believes in me and I… I always kind of took that for granted…”

“She’s right though,” Yuu said slowly, not wanting to overstep or offend. “You’re so much more than what people who try to put you down say you are. And I should know, I’ve been trying to put a stop to your scheming for a week now.” Yuu scrunched up their nose at him but was happy to see that Ruggie smirked right back at them.

“Watch it, Prefect,” he curled his hand in front of his face in his signature laugh. “I warned you about putting your snout down a badger’s hole twice already-”

“What is going on here?”

Yuu whirled around in surprise. Standing in the kitchen archway was a familiar looking face. Leona stood there looking decidedly out of place amongst the colorful clutter of the Bucchi household. Yuu furrowed their brows in confusion.

“You knew Leona before NRC, Ruggie?” They asked.

“Uhh… No?” Ruggie replied, just as confused.

“Hah?” Leona said, his eyes narrowed at the two of them. He could see them Yuu realized with a start. This was no memory of Leona. “What are you two herbivores talking about? Care to explain what’s happening here?”

Notes:

This chapter started getting really long lol. I wasn't expecting to add some of the scenes here and had initially thought I'd finish the overblot by the end of this chapter. Guess not. Whoops. 👀

On the upside, I was surprised at all the Ruggie character development in this chapter. He was NOT supposed to join Yuu in the ephemeral bond during my initial planning for this arc and yet... Here we are?????? This rascal just keeps inserting himself into my plot and I have NO IDEA how he keeps doing it smh. Hopefully ya'll like Ruggie because he's apparently going to be here way more than I planned!!! Lmaooooo

Thank you guys for reading and always leaving such thoughtful comments! I'm still stuck in quarantine due to travel restrictions so waking up to comments from you lovely folks every morning is really a highlight of my day so thank you ❤

Chapter 9

Notes:

A slightly shorter chapter than usual but I felt like it was a good place to cut it off.

The power was out almost all of yesterday (can you guess what country I'm on vacation in? lolol), so the first half of this was written almost exclusively on my phone (and what a champ she is, managing to stay alive all day for me). As always, mistakes abound but I will be rereading this chapter over the course of the next few days and updating corrections and edits accordingly.

Please enjoy :)

Yuu’s mind was spinning a mile a minute as they tried to figure out what exactly was happening. Running into Leona wasn’t the issue— Yuu had expected this. But between Ruggie’s appearance in this dreamscape and suddenly being in a memory that didn’t belong to Leona, Yuu was struggling to parse out what was what. Clearly there was a lot more to ephemeral bonding than they knew. How much more didn’t they know as they’ve been going around recklessly performing them (life-endangering circumstances aside)?

Ruggie was right , they thought a bit hysterically, omegas are kinda terrifying.

Leona sniffed the air again, likely trying to differentiate between all the various clashing aromas dancing around the kitchen. But one scent did make him pause and he looked over at Yuu with narrowed eyes.

“You have got to be kidding me,” he said. “You’re an omega?”

“You… Don’t remember?” They asked.

“I think I would’ve remembered if I randomly met an omega at school-” Leona snapped but then, like what had happened to Ruggie earlier, a wave of dizziness seemed to pass over alpha as he clutched his head in one hand. He leaned against the frame of the archway breathing hard for a minute, during which time the only other sounds that could be heard were the memory of Grandma Bucchi and teen Ruggie at the stove, but eventually he looked up again, a dark expression on Leona’s face.

“What exactly is going on here?”

At some point, the three of them ended up seated around the tiny kitchen table of the Bucchi home as Yuu tried their best to explain everything from Leona’s overblot to the ephemeral bond Yuu was forced to perform to the journey across his dream savanna. Leona listened to the entire explanation with near silence, only cutting in occasionally to ask for clarification, but other than that he was mostly quiet. It seemed, like Riddle, he could hardly remember even bits and flashes of his overblot. But his face darkened with every word until finally Yuu was done and he just leaned back in his seat and sighed, dragging one gloved hand down his face.

“You’re… not mad?” Yuu meekly asked, unable to help themself as the guilt of performing yet another non-consensual bond ate at them from the inside.

Leona just shot them an incredulous look. “Why would I be mad at you, beta minx-“ He caught himself and paused, then shook his head and continued. “Just minx now I guess… You said it yourself I was hurting people. I actually overblotted.” He groaned again, and to Yuu’s surprise they could detect a layer of shame lining every syllable of every word as he said this. “And you-!”

Leona suddenly sat up and glared at Yuu, hands coming forward to cup their cheeks so fast Yuu didn’t even have the chance to pull back until they were stuck at his mercy. His fingers dug into the hair at the sides of their scalp, but the grip was surprisingly gentle. “You’ve been an omega this entire time and you dare put yourself into harm's way? What were you thinking, little minx?”

“Shyeheehee~ That’s what I told them too,” Ruggie said to their right. And Yuu would’ve glared at the hyena if they could’ve turned their head, but instead they were stuck staring straight into the withering expression on Leona’s face.

“I- That’s hardly important right now, isn’t it?”

Leona scoffed and Ruggie chuckled even harder from the other side of the table. “Hardly important- You should be living in a palace currently. Waited on hand and foot by servants with nothing to worry about in life. You should be lounging around without a care. You should especially be out of danger and not prancing around a campus filled with unruly alphas and betas roaming around every corner!”

Yuu tried to pull their face out of his grip but Leona was unrelenting. “We’re aren’t here to discuss me- We’re here to help you ! Overblot? Remember that? Kind of a pressing issue!”

Leona raised a single eyebrow so high it nearly touched his hairline. “Have your caretakers taught you nothing about being an omega?”

It was Yuu’s turn to shoot him a withering glare. “My caretakers were my parents and they taught me everything I needed to know.”

“Clearly not everything, minx,” he scowled right back at them. “Considering the fact that you seem unaware that this bond isn’t a one way street.” Yuu opened their mouth to let him know that they knew that perfectly well, but Leona just steam rolled ahead without stopping. “Ephemerals are meant to bring the inner truths of everyone involved forward. Which is why we’re currently clearly in one of Ruggie’s core memories and not mine which- Where exactly are we?”

Yuu had a sudden sneaking suspicion that Leona wasn’t being entirely forthcoming. His words rang true enough but the way that he kept diverting the topic away from himself— riling them up by making an offhand criticism of Yuu’s parents, and for what? To make Yuu angry enough to forget the whole reason they were here in the first place? Yuu reminded themself not to forget just how good Leona was at manipulating people and situations to his advantage. But… They also had another sneaky suspicion that just directly confronting him about it wasn’t going to work. If he wanted to play coy, then fine. Yuu would play along for now. It was a strange day indeed when Yuu admitted that handling Riddle’s internalized struggles was easier than Leona’s.

“Mine and my bibi’s house,” Ruggie answered. “We we’re just…” He trailed off and Yuu wondered if he just didn’t want to relive the memory or if he didn’t want to retell the memory to Leona specifically. “Anyways, it doesn’t matter. Memory over and whatever. You two seem to be the experts of this terrifying omega magic so what next?”

“I don’t think it’s over yet,” Leona said dryly, finally releasing Yuu and pointing to the figures of teen Ruggie and his grandma. They were starting to lid up all the pots and pans on the stove and carefully started loading them onto a worn red wagon young Ruggie had rolled into the kitchen. Leona stood and walked his way over to Grandma Bucchi, leaning over her pot which was the largest and the last to be sealed. “Is that… Matoke?”

Ruggie chuckled, “didn’t think a blue blood like you would even know what that is, shyeheehee…”

Leona scowled back at the beta, “One of my nannies used to make it all the time. My mama said it was the only thing my brother and I would eat some days. Farena always preferred to eat matoke stew on its own, but I always ate mine with coconut rice...”

“Wow, coconut rice, how fancy~” Ruggie teased.

But it seemed Leona was already too engrossed by the food to retort as he started following the memory of teen Ruggie and his grandmother out of the kitchen, now laden with all the various pots and pans and fruits of their efforts. As soon as he left the room, Yuu watched the playful smile on Ruggie’s face immediately fall.

They shuffled over to him in concern and when he didn’t meet their gaze Yuu took a risk by grabbing his hand. He looked over at them with conflicted blue-gray eyes and they gave his hand an encouraging squeeze, “Are… Are you okay?”

Ruggie breathed in deeply through his nose and then let out a shaky breath, “… No.” Yuu could see in his eyes that he was still scared and likely deeply hurt by everything that had just transpired in the waking world. But after a moment, they felt him squeeze their hand back. “But I’ll be fine… I warned you about being a busy-body, didn’t I?” But his voice had a teasing lilt to it again. “Come on, let’s catch up.”

The memory of Ruggie and his grandmother led them outside and down a narrow dirty street. Yuu looked around curiously at the many clothing lines and colorful fabrics crisscrossing and weaving through the empty space above them, nearly blotting out the sky from view. They also noted with a start that the majority of the beastmen (hyenas mostly, though Yuu saw some other animals too) that seemed to populate this dream world had no faces; if you didn’t look directly at them nothing seemed amiss, it was only upon closer inspection that it was noticeable. As alarming as that revelation was, Yuu couldn’t help but be entranced by how different this city looked from the one they had known all their life. It was exactly how Yuu might’ve pictured an impoverished city in a third world nation to look like. They realized with a start that they had never actually seen what true poverty looked like before. It was one thing to watch footage in a highly edited documentary. It was another thing to stand in the middle of it.

Leona, too, had very curious eyes as he took in the world around him. As opposed to how his demeanor usually was, now the alpha stood in an alert stance with shoulders back and eyes open.

“I’ve never been to this part of the Shadowlands before,” he said aloud. A faceless group of children ran past him, their faces gaunter than Yuu thought they should’ve been and they were all dressed in clothes that looked just as worn as everything else in this city, but they still laughed and giggled as they played. Leona watched them disappear down the street with sharp eyes, gears seemingly turning in his head. “Where are you and your bibi going?” He asked.

Ruggie looked surprised at being addressed but answered, “We’re almost there... You’ll see.” There was a neutrality to his tone that was both out of character for the often grinning hyena and very obviously forced. But thankfully Leona didn’t press him for a more clear answer like Yuu thought he would.

But Ruggie was right. Soon, his younger self and his grandmother were coming upon a set up of tables and other faceless beastmen who greeted the pair kindly. Many hands started lifting the pots and pans onto the table and soon it became obvious what was happening.

It’s a soup kitchen , Yuu realized. Faceless people were beginning to line up and soon an almost festive engagement began to take place as volunteers cheerfully ladled food into the bowls of hungry looking folks. Yuu was alarmed to see how many of the people in line were actually children themselves, bringing their own bowls and excitedly chattering to one another, and sweetly calling out their thanks as Ruggie’s Bibi ladled whatever this matoke was. Now that it was in bowls, Yuu had better sight of what it could be and was surprised to find that the white chunks in it they had originally thought to be potatoes looked and smelled like bananas.

Banana and meat stew? They wondered with pleasant surprise. I wonder what that tastes like. Judging by the huge smile on all the children’s faces as Grandma Bucchi served them all the stew, it must’ve been good.

Leona however had a very queer expression on his face. His brows were furrowed as he took the entire scene in. “You’re… Giving away all that food you spent so long preparing?” He glanced over at Ruggie who just stared back at him. “But why? Why put in all that effort for no reason?”

“It’s not for no reason,” Ruggie said slowly. “Look at them-“ He gestured to all the grinning children running around with bowls of hot matoke and collard greens and so many other assortments of delicious looking dishes Yuu couldn’t hope of recognizing. “These street rats probably would’ve gone hungry tonight if we hadn’t fed them.”

Leona narrowed his eyes. “I know you, Bucchi. You and I are the same and I know you wouldn’t do anything unless you knew you’d get something in return. It’s why we get along so well. We both understand that I need you to do my dirty work and you need me for my social standings and power.” Yuu didn’t know if he was just stating a fact, trying to convince Ruggie, or trying to convince himself .

Ruggie didn’t deny anything Leona said though, and Yuu wasn’t sure what that emotion in his stormy eyes was.

“That’s… That’s only at school,” the beta finally said. “I don’t know how you think it works, your highness , but out here?” There was a sudden bite to his words as Ruggie gestured at the dilapidated city rising up around them. “We need each other to survive. We help each other, feed the helpless , because it might be us in that very same position tomorrow!”

“So that’s it then?” Leona asked, tone flat and unimpressed. “It’s just like I said. It’s an exchange. You help them today and they help you tomorrow. It’s an insurance policy.” Yuu didn’t understand why the alpha was being so confrontational about this or why he seemed to be getting upset.

“Insurance- Ugh!” Ruggie growled. “Do you even hear yourself? My bibi isn’t out here feeding children because she thinks she’ll get something in return !”

“Seems obvious to me that she knows these brats will return the favor when she’s too old to work,” Leona said.

“ Don’t you dare say that about her!” Ruggie snarled and suddenly he was right up in Leona’s face. “You don’t know anything ! Not everything in life is a give and take and sometimes people just do things without expecting something in return!”

There was a tremor that passed through the ground and rattled the world around them and to Yuu’s alarm the sky seemed to darken. Was the bond ending already? No. This was something else. Ruggie was still yelling at Leona, blind with fury at the insult to his bibi, and unaware of the sudden shift to the dreamscape. Bonds were supposed to be about healing and understanding and this accumulation of negative emotion was making this world unstable.

Leona’s eyes shifted around as he cataloged the tremors and in a serious tone he said, “Ruggie. You need to calm down now. You’re causing the bond to become unstable.”

“Oh that would be so convenient for you wouldn’t it?” Ruggie snapped. “You want to talk about give and take? How about we talk about how I have done everything you’ve ever asked me to do and in the end you just threw me aside like it was nothing!”

“I was in the middle of an overblot,” Leona sneered. “What would you have me do, Bucchi? Turn back time?”

Ruggie looked ready to murder the alpha and with the tremors in the world getting even worse, Yuu’s vision starting to spot black, they knew this had gone to far.

“ Enough !” They yelled, pulling the two men from their intense argument. Yuu glared at the both of them, but was particularly scathing when they stared down Leona. “Leona’s right, Ruggie, you need to take a moment and calm down.”

Ruggie opened his mouth to argue but Yuu shook their head. They walked up and placed themself physically between the two beastman, willing out and releasing calming pheromones, hoping to ease some of the tension. They turned and glared at Leona, “You need to apologize to Ruggie. Now.”

“Excuse me?” Leona’s upper lip curled up in offense, “I was overblotted. What do you expect me-”

“Stop making excuses,” Yuu snapped. “For once in your life, take responsibility. It doesn’t matter that you were out of your mind, you still hurt us . You tried to-” A sob snuck up on them as they remembered that heart-stopping second that seemed to stretch out into eternity when they believed that Grim would be lost to them forever. “You just need to apologize. Stop trying to push people away by pretending you don’t care about anything. Please, Leona .”

Whether it was their words or the shaking of the world around them or the fact that Leona knew the truth of their secondary biology or that Yuu looked ready to cry , but his expression became stricken at the last two words of their plea. He glanced between Yuu and Ruggie rapidly, appearing conflicted before finally sighing and running a hand through his hair.

“Ah, so troublesome,” Leona drawled. “Look I-” He caught himself, pausing for a moment.

Yuu watched as he refused to meet their gaze but instead took in the dirty city street around them. His gaze settled on a group of little hyenas sitting on the side of the road, feet bare and dirty and clothes practically falling apart of the seams, but they laughed and giggled as they ate their food. Leona watched as the memory of teen Ruggie snuck up behind the giggling children, mischievous smile across his face, then suddenly started tickling the middle one. The child screeched in delight and all the children fell into a fit of laughter. Even back then Ruggie was already doing his signature hand in front of his mouth snicker.

In the distance, the setting sun dyed the entire street in shades of gold and orange.

Without looking away from the faceless children, Leona said, “I’m sorry. If I could take back what I did, I would. I never meant to hurt you.” He finally looked back up at them, but his gaze was on Ruggie. “ Either of you. I admit that I’m a no-good bastard. Always have been, always will be. But I would never willingly hurt those under my care. So I’m sorry.”

Ruggie stared back at him silently and Yuu wondered if he was going to start shouting again. The stormy expression in his eyes gave nothing away about how he felt about the apology. But the world had stopped it’s tremors and that must’ve meant something.

“I guess that’s a start,” Ruggie said. He rubbed his arm where Leona had grabbed him earlier and started drying out the flesh. In this dream world, none of them could truly feel pain and sustained no physical injury from the waking world, but Yuu was sure he was feeling phantom jolts. They themself could still vividly recall the ache of Leona’s destructive magic.

Leona hummed in acknowledgement but didn’t say anymore.

“And you’re right about being a bastard,” Ruggie said. Yuu blinked at him but found that his expression had lost its sternness and began just a little bit teasing once more. They couldn’t tell if he was forcing it or if Ruggie really was the kind of person to be so quick to forgive and forget. Yuu was reminded of the night they ran into him at the school store. “I expect a nice expensive meal or something once we get out of this mess. Maybe a new coat.”

Leona just stared at him for a moment but then smirked, accepting the olive branch. “So much for not expecting anything in return. You can be real ruthless and drive a hard bargain, Bucchi. But I suppose I can’t refuse.”

“You almost turned my arm to sand,” Ruggie replied flatly.

“So dramatic.”

Ruggie snickered then turned to Yuu and said teasingly, “And don’t you think I’ve forgotten about my nose either, Prefect. Omega or not, I expect some compensation for my struggles. Do you know how hard it is to cook without being able to smell properly?”

Even though he was teasing, Yuu couldn’t help the warm expression that felt impossible to keep off their face and they smiled at the beta. The relief they felt at his personality returning back to its normal playfulness (even if it was somewhat forced) was elating. This clearly wasn’t the response Ruggie was looking for, who was used to Yuu sassing him right back, and Yuu got to watch as the beta’s face flared up red and he looked away, grumbling beneath his breath.

Leona chuckled in Yuu's ear, closer than they had expected, which made them jump in surprise. “I should’ve known you were an omega by your habit of collecting members for your harem.”

Yuu yelped and turned on the infuriating alpha, “W-what are you talking about! I’m not c-collecting a-”

“No need to get your pants in a twist,” Leona drawled. “It’s perfectly normal for omegas to collect many mates in their lifetime. Though, like I told you before, minx, you’ll have to work harder if you want to compete against all the omegas I have at my choosing. I’m not so easy to be hunted as your other alpha pets.”

“You’re a pig,” Yuu snapped.

“Actually, I believe I’m a lion,” he replied, grinning sharply. But suddenly his ears perked up and his grin fell. He looked off into this distance as if he could hear something.

At the sudden shift in demeanor, Yuu opened their ears and tried to listen to whatever Leona was hearing. But all they could hear was the sounds of the busy street and the clang and clattering of cookware and utensils and the upbeat chattering of the people gathered. They glanced back at Leona but it was clear that he was very taken with whatever he was hearing.

“What is it?” They asked.

“I hear a crying baby.”

Ruggie came up next to them with a confused expression, “I don’t hear any babies.” His ears were twisting around like little radars on his head, trying to pick up on this mysterious sound. When he didn’t hear anything he turned over to Yuu and shrugged.

“Come,” Leona suddenly said and immediately set off into the distance, further down the street.

Ruggie groaned in annoyance, “Is he going to keep doing this the entire time? Bossy bastard.”

“I heard that, Ruggie,” Leona called from up ahead without even bothering to look back.

Yuu and Ruggie shared one last look before jogging to catch up with the alpha.

~*~

When Leona ducked into a random building Yuu had been expecting more dilapidated walls and cramped spaces, but instead they appeared to be back in what Yuu was coming to recognize as the Sunset Palace. It was night now, a cool breeze blowing in from the open wall that led out to the balcony; the stars and moon hung glittering in the clear night skies.

Yuu stared in confusion at a strange hashed pattern that was stuck to the balcony railing, but as their eyes adjusted to the dark and they took in more of the room Yuu quickly realized what it was. Baby guards , Yuu realized. Those are there to keep children from slipping between the rail posts . It was now that Yuu could hear a soft hiccuping and cry of a baby. And sure enough, in the center of the room was a wooden, elaborately carved, crib.

A silhouetted figure stood over it.

“Stop crying,” a young Leona said flatly down into the crib. He looked roughly the same age as he did in the previous memory, maybe a year or two older at most. “What do you have to cry about when you’re the one who stole everything from me.”

The crying of the child grew louder and Yuu could feel their biological instincts kickstart and they instinctively drifted over to the crib, peering down into it. A bawling child with red cheeks, even redder hair, and tiny lion ears was laying in the center of it. A stuffed lion toy was knocked over onto its side and out of reach of the baby. There was a line of red ink crudely painted across their forehead.

Suddenly Yuu’s vision went dark as someone placed his hands over their eyes. They made a concerned noise, “Leona?”

“I don’t want you to watch this,” his voice sounded from behind them. The tone of his voice made Yuu feel particularly concerned. What didn’t he want them to see? What could be so horrible in this memory that would make Leona Kingscholar sound so ashamed?

“Shut up already,” the voice of young Leona came from the otherside of the crib. “You’re going to be our future king aren’t you? A king can’t be a crybaby. Though… As first born I guess it doesn’t matter does it? You can be a crybaby or useless or weak and it wouldn’t matter in the end. You’ll still be king.”

There was a shuffle of fabric and Yuu realized with alarm that it was the sound of someone picking the crying baby out of the crib. Their heart leaped into their throat. Why wasn’t anyone watching the child to make sure they were okay? What was Leona going to do to the baby? Yuu ripped present Leona’s hands away from their eyes in a panic even though they were terrified at what sight would greet them.

But it was just teen Leona cradling the baby. The baby which had been crying just a moment but now only gurgled curiously up at their uncle, uncoordinated hands and fat fingers trying to grab onto Leona’s braids as the teen stared unimpressed down at them. Yuu felt their blood pressure return down to a more normal level but their sense of fear hadn’t fully left them yet.

“Did you enjoy the ceremony?” Memory Leona asked the baby. “It was held just for you, you know? So the whole world could know that you are the heir to the throne despite being nothing but a drooling mindless animal, only capable of eating and shitting. Who can know if you’ll make a good ruler? Ah, but I suppose it doesn’t matter…”

His tone grew darker and Yuu realized with horror that they could once again smell of ozone rising in the air.

“A special celebration just for you,” Leona continued. “You’re crying despite having an entire day dedicated to you being named heir; meanwhile, for me, this was the day where I finally lost my last claim to the throne. Life is truly unfair-”

A peel of laughter split through the room and just like that the smell of ozone dissipated and the younger Leona blinked, seeming to come back to himself. The child had finally managed to wrap their sausage fingers around one of Leona’s braids. They tugged on it and Leona hissed in pain, but otherwise let the child continue to play and laugh at their new toy.

“Your first laugh,” memory Leona commented dryly. “Your Papa and Mama would be pretty upset if they found out they missed it. Are you having fun, little prince?” Another peel of laughter from the child as he tugged at Leona’s braids again. “Man, Farena would be pretty jealous to find out his precious little Cheka preferred the company of mean old uncle Leona to him. How about we keep this our little secret then, brat?”

Yuu watched in wonder as this memory of Leona continued to hold Cheka for several more minutes, allowing the child to play with his hair until his heart’s content. And when Cheka started to yawn, laughter dying down to sleepy little gurgles that squeezed at Yuu’s heart, Leona placed him back into his crib with a surprising gentleness. Cheka was asleep the moment he touched the blankets. And in another shocking show, Leona also picked up the upside down stuffed lion and placed it upright and within reach of the slumbering baby.

Teen Leona seemed to catch himself then, freezing in place as he gazed down at his sleeping nephew. Heavy emotions seemed to swirl around in his eyes but eventually he sighed and stepped away from the crib. And then he left the room all together, without another word spoken.

“Ahh… How embarrassing,” the real Leona drawled from behind Yuu.

They spun around and glared at him angrily. “You scared me! Why did you make it sound like- like-!” Yuu huffed angrily, “All you did was rock him to sleep!”

“What?” He asked with a small smirk, “Did you think the big bad lion was going to hurt the little cub?”

No, Yuu didn’t think he would. But the way he had covered their eyes and whispered in their ear so ashamed. How else were they supposed to interpret that! They glared up at the alpha and crossed their arms.

“Now now, little minx,” Leona teased, attempting to pinch their cheeks. Yuu expertly dodged out of the way of his grubby fingers. “I may be a shady bastard but I wouldn’t hurt a cub, no matter how annoying Cheka is. Though…” And he smirked now, “it was adorable watching you let your omega get all protective and huffy at the sight. Do you want a little lion cub of your own, Yuu?”

Yuu’s face heated up bright red and they could only glare as Leona burst out into laughter.

An awkward cough on the other side of the room brought them out of their focus. Ruggie stood there staring at them with one raised brow. But of course Leona, shameless bastard that he was, only smirked while Yuu glanced away with reddened cheeks.

“I was wondering, Leona,” Ruggie said, voice teasing. “What exactly were you getting out of this arrangement with the newborn? I mean… You rocked him to sleep and gave him his toy. But I’m having a hard time figuring out how a baby is going to return the favor shyeheehee~”

Leona scowled at him, “Alright alright. I get it already, Bucchi. Why do I gotta listen to you nag me in the waking world and now I gotta listen to it when I’m dreaming too?”

Ruggie only snickered in return. But suddenly he stopped and swayed on his feet. He staggered a bit and then sat down on the ground, “Wha-what’s happening? I feel dizzy…”

Yuu felt it too. They quickly grabbed onto the edge of the crib to stabilize themself before they could fall. Was the bond ending already? Had they done enough? The last time they’d done this with Riddle they had shared words with him, soothing the distraught alpha as he cried his pain out in their arms. Gave him advice when he cried out for help.  Had they done enough for Leona? What could they even say to him?

Another wave of dizziness passed through them and black spots dotted across their vision. Yuu staggered again but thankfully a strong set of arms caught them before they could fall over. They looked up into Leona’s green eyes and immediately knew that, despite their worries, no words needed to be spoken. Everything would be alright.

All around them the world began to break apart as the ephemeral bond ran its course.

Leona’s eyes were surprisingly warm as he gazed down at them, running a hand comfortingly through their hair. Yuu purred. “I’m sorry for everything, little minx. And thanks…”

His words faded along with the rest of the world.

And Yuu knew nothing more.

~*~

Yuu was having a very particular dream. They knew it was a dream because animals couldn’t talk (to them at least, and not counting Grim either) and animals certainly didn’t have emotional and dramatic royal intrigue involving the succession of a crown. In fact, Yuu was pretty sure this was just the plot of Hamlet with a furry overcoat of paint.

And while these were all very peculiar facts about this dream they weren’t what made it a peculiar dream . Yuu couldn’t explain it but the dream just felt strange, stranger than their usual dreams. The last time they’d felt this way they had been dreaming about cards and a very angry queen. That one possibly had talking animals in it too. Yuu was starting to sense a pattern.

The dream started to fade away though, falling through their fingers like water no matter how hard Yuu tried to hold onto the memory of it. The talking lions dissolved into the wind and all Yuu was left with as they started to wake at last was a vague sense of pity for the lion with the black mane and the scar across his eye.

Something tickled their nose.

Yuu groaned and shifted, bringing an arm up to rub their nose before they sneezed. They blinked several times, eyes trying to adjust to the light. An unfamiliar room greeted them but Yuu wasn’t alarmed by this fact. They couldn’t exactly remember why at the moment but they had expected this.

They also saw what had tickled their nose.

“Ruggie?” They asked groggily. The beta was still sleeping, curled up in what was clearly an omegan nest. He had his arms wrapped around Yuu’s waist and his head pressed just below their chin. It had been his hair that had been irritating their nose. Yuu blink lazily and glanced down at the beastman’s arms. When they saw unblemished skin a deep sense of relief passed through them and Yuu suddenly remembered why.

The spelldrive tournament. An ephemeral bond. I must’ve gone into another pseudo heat. Which means that this room must belong to…

“Awake, minx?”

Yuu yawned and twisted towards the door of the room where the voice had come from. Leona was entering now holding a large brown paper bag. His fresh scent filled the air, lazy and calm without a single hint of ozone to it. Yuu hummed contentedly, hoping that he would hurry up and come rejoin them in the nest. They then caught themself with the thought and mentally groaned. This damnable world was making them way too comfortable with cuddling.

“Ordered lunch,” Leona explained. “You shake out of that funk yet or you need me to hand feed you again, omega?”

Yuu scowled at him and Leona laughed.

“Awake and aware then,” he drawled teasingly. He reached into the bag and pulled out a familiar looking take-out box. “Diamond told me that you liked the food from this restaurant. Just try not to make a mess on my bed, or I’ll make Ruggie clean it up.”

“Like hell you will,” came a groggy snappy voice. Ruggie pulled himself free from Yuu and they immediately missed the closeness and warmth, instinctively whining before they could stop the noise from coming out. Ruggie glanced down at them and snickered and Yuu buried their face in their hands, embarrassed. “Looks like someone is finally awake.”

“See if I ever help you guys out again,” they said sourly.

“Stop teasing the omega and eat something before the food gets cold,” Leona said. Ruggie stuck his tongue out at his Housewarden but climbed out of the bed (careful not to crush the walls of the nest) and went over his side and peered into the bag. Ruggie whistled.

“Wow, boss. You really got the good stuff this time~”

Leona glowered at him, “Clover had an early engagement today and couldn’t make food. Cater told me that the Prefect liked the food from this restaurant. Now hurry up and eat it before I change my mind about sharing.”

Ruggie snickered again but grabbed a box himself. When he opened it Yuu was hit by the mouthwatering smell of creole and Louisiana cuisine. They sat up quickly, sniffing the air with interest and trying to ignore the way that both Savanaclaw students began to chuckle at the sight. They grabbed the box Leona pulled out for them and opened it up, revealing the steaming jambalaya hidden within. Bless Cater and his perfect memory of everyone’s likes and dislikes.

Leona’s chest rumbled with a pleased purr as he watched the omega dig into the food he had presented them. Yuu looked up at him when they heard the sound and quirked an eyebrow, mouth still filled with delicious cajun spiced rice and shrimp. They swallowed it down and gave him a narrowed eyed look before finally patting the side of the bed and saying, “Are you just going to keep standing there or come sit with me? Shouldn’t you be taking responsibility for sending me into a pseudo-heat, lazy lion?”

Leona threw his head back and laughed. Yuu was often reserved and easily embarrassed but every once in a while they had these moments where they’d be a little bolder than usual. They were still embarrassed, but they also weren’t going to deny anymore that they craved skinship. With Ruggie out of the nest, Yuu was already feeling needy.

Besides, they reasoned to themself, this wasn’t like with Riddle and Trey who only let them butt into their space because they were an omega and because the two of them felt indebted to Yuu. But Leona had never been shy about expressing his interest in them, even before knowing they were an omega. Yuu was embarrassed of course, but they aren’t a naive child. And Leona was a very attractive alpha, questionable personality aside.

Said alpha slunk around the bed and carefully crawled in, settling himself behind Yuu so that they were sat between his legs. Here, Yuu could hear his purring even louder and feel the rumbling of his chest against their back. Refusing to let their own embarrassment hold them back, Yuu leaned back into it and immediately melted into the touch. Pseudo-heat indeed. Just being in contact with the one they had bonded with was enough to make every muscle in their body relax.

One of two , Yuu reminded themself. Ruggie was there too somehow .

When they’d finished eating and Ruggie had collected all their empty boxes from the bed, Yuu called out to him before the beta could slink out of the room.

“Beta,” they called sweetly, holding out their hands. They could feel embarrassed about behaving this way later. Ruggie paused at the door, looking like a deer that had been caught in headlights. He looked at them and then looked past them at Leona, likely for confirmation. When the alpha nodded, Ruggie carefully made his way back over to the nest and climbed it.

Yuu quickly pulled the beta against themself and lied down. They remembered liking this position as well in Heartslabyul, with Trey spooning them from behind and Riddle hugging them from in front. The scent here was different but no less comforting. Rosemary instead of roses and soft sand instead of flour.

And I don’t have to feel bad about getting in between them , Yuu thought to themself sadly. It had been bothering them for a while already, how often they were between Trey and Riddle. In the beginning it had been understandable but as time went on Yuu was feeling more and more like an obstacle between the alpha and beta. Their friends were just too nice to say anything about it.

Yuu vowed to distance themself a little more even though they knew they would miss the closeness with Riddle and Trey. It was for the best.

“You’re overthinking something again aren’t you, minx?” Leona said against the crown of their head. “Just don’t worry about it and relax. We can deal with it tomorrow morning.” They felt a kiss being pressed against the top of their head and nearly melted at it, “Go to sleep, Yuu.”

And so they did, tucked safely between Ruggie and Leona.

Notes:

And thus ends Book 2. There's a few more things to cover before we jump forward in time, but that should all be handled in the next chapter. I hope the conclusion of the ephemeral bond was decent. I tried my best to get some set up for Leona's character growth and motivations (which, as much as I love the game, I feel like was... Kinda missing??? Leona never really changed much after his overblot besides admitting that he has friends he'd be willing to help out lol, and there was never really any reason or motive for him wanting to be king and i desperately want to correct that).

And I'm terribly sorry for the copious amount of Ruggie and Leona in the last few updates lol. I can assure you we'll be getting back to the wider cast in the next chapter. I was actually considering posting an omake that took place between the two arcs in lieu of this chapter, but ended up finishing the chapter first so that's what I posted. I do miss the other boys terribly though and can't wait to get back to them!

A reminder that this story is in third-person limited! Yuu is not a reliable narrator ;)

Thank you so much for reading! ❤ I'll try to get to all your comments from the last chapter before I post the next one. Very excited for Octavinelle!!!

Chapter 10

Notes:

I may have accidentally implied somewhere in this chapter that Crewel and Crowley were fucking- This was 100% UNINTENTIONAL but I decided to leave it. You the reader can come to whatever conclusion you want to because I won't be expanding on it 😂

Anyway~ We get to finally check up on the rest of the boys~

“Ah! Good morning, puppy! Come in, come in! Let’s update you on that patch of yours.”

Professor Crewel, fashionable in his heavy fur coat as always (how he didn’t overheat in it was a mystery to Yuu), ushered Yuu into his office and closed the door behind them. They had rarely been in this room on account of the fact that Crewel kinda unnerved the heck out of Yuu (was he aware of the big dominatrix energy he gave off?) so they usually only stopped by for these weekly updates, preferring to ask Riddle if they needed help on an alchemy assignment. Still, they appreciated the effort the man was putting into figuring out an alternate solution for their suppressants even if he was kinda weird (then again, who in this world wasn’t ).

He had them sit down at his desk as he went to pour both of them something to drink. Tea for himself and coffee for Yuu. Yuu expertly averted their eyes when Crewel poured a little something extra into his own out of a fancy canteen – probably not within school code, but Yuu wasn’t going to say anything. Especially with the way Professor Crewel, beta though he may be, had this dangerous air about him as if daring his students to say a word, with a sharp smile on his face. No one was going to get between this man and his scotch.

“I think I’ve identified the primary chemical component in the suppressant,” he began as they settled into their seats and began to sip at their drinks. “I must say that I’m intrigued, you say these are common in your world?”

Yuu nodded, “As of the last 13 years or so, give or take.”

“Interesting,” Crewel hummed. “Well, the chemicals in the patch you provided react remarkably similar to a specific rare salt that grows in the Coral Sea. It’s used often in high end cooking and is quite expensive actually, though I’m not sure what the merfolk use it for. I myself have only been able to work with it in the alchemy lab a handful of times. But it’s magic is potent, and azure salt is one of the primary ingredients in potions used to cure overblot.”

Yuu looked up in interest, “Curing overblot?” That made some sense. So far in both Riddle and Leona’s cases, their overblot was accompanied by losing control of their inner alphas. While the biology was hardly the same, scientists have been hypothesizing since the theory of evolution that heat and rut may very well have once been a single thing that split as secondary sexes emerged.

“Indeed,” Crewel answered. “I believe your two friends likely took some potions to help them recover from any lingering effects?” Yuu cocked their head. Was he talking about Riddle and Leona? “Those would’ve used azure salt, though… Considering their families, it’s hardly surprising that they could afford them. I believe I could synthesize the suppressant in the form of a potion, but I’m afraid gathering together the ingredients necessary would pose some difficulty. My apologies, puppy.”

Yuu looked at their professor crestfallen and Crewel offered them a sympathetic look in turn, placing a red gloved hand on their own in comfort.

“All hope is not lost yet,” he soothed. “I’ll have a talk with the Headmaster and see what can be done. Considering the… delicate politics surrounding your place at this school and within our world, I’m sure we’ll figure something out.”

“Thanks, Professor,” Yuu replied feeling dejected.

Crewel hummed and pulled his hand back, taking another sip of his spiked tea. “Speaking of suppressants and delicate politics… Have you thought of what you will do during your heat?”

Yuu blushed. It was such an awkward question to hear, especially from a professor, but they supposed it was unavoidable. Professor Crewel did offer them an apologetic smile, as if saying sorry for bringing it up.

“I- I suppose I’ll just sit through it at Ramshackle,” they muttered, embarrassed. “I’m sure Ace or Deuce will be more than willing to babysit Grim for a few days. The ghosts though…” They trailed off, unsure.

“In that case, I’ll be sure to let the Headmaster know so we can arrange something ahead of time,” Crewel said. “We’ll make sure the ghosts are out of the building for the duration of your heat and put up extra precautions to keep students from wandering too close to the dorm. Make sure to keep the both of us updated. Dire did remember to give you his contact information incase of an emergency didn’t he?”

Dire? Who was that again? Yuu cocked their head in confusion.

“My apologies, I’m referring to Headmaster Crowley.”

Yuu shook their head negatively.

Professor Crewel muttered under his breath in annoyance and Yuu thought they might have caught the word “whip” and “punishment” in there and blinked with wide eyes. Eventually he sighed and pulled out his own smartphone (the case black and white in theme with the rest of his aesthetic) and motioned for Yuu to take theirs out. He quickly told them Headmaster Crowley’s contact info and warned them only to use it in cases of emergencies. Yuu nodded because of course they wouldn’t abuse this information. It wasn’t like they were Ace or Ruggie.

With a couple more thank yous and goodbyes, Yuu finally left Professor Crewel’s office. They sighed as soon as the door closed behind them, mind swirling with anxieties. It had been a long time since they last had their heat, since one of the purposes of suppressants was that heats were milder and less frequent. Yuu had heard from other omegas that the first heat coming off suppressants was the worst, especially without a partner to help them through it. Yuu hadn’t dated for years so that was out of the question.

They had a feeling the next several weeks were going to be exhausting.

~*~

Upon regaining consciousness from their pseudo-heat, Yuu had spent most of the day in and out of sleep, still trying to shake off the hazy funk. But on the second morning they finally got around to asking about what exactly had happened and checking on their phone. To Yuu’s shock there were dozens of missed calls and texts from their friends. When pressed for an explanation why Leona hadn’t been keeping them updated he just shrugged and said:

“I don’t see what the issue is. I let Trey bring you food everyday, that should be enough for them to know you’re fine. Why should I bother with a bunch of loud and troublesome herbivores when I’ve got a cute omega to take care of?”

Yuu hadn’t let the compliment deter them from glaring at the alpha and poking him in the chest, warning him that he hadn’t gotten away with this. He just cracked a single eye open and grinned back at them lazily, not at all concerned about the threat. Yuu had huffed and proceeded to call Trey, knowing that he’d probably be the most reasonable person to communicate with if those increasingly frantic texts they had been getting were of any indication.

Trey had been relieved to receive the call but it was as Yuu expected.

Riddle was furious .

It had taken everything in the beta’s repertoire of Riddle-calming-skills to convince the alpha from storming right into the heart of Savanaclaw and taking Yuu back right then and there. And by the way Leona had been chuckling as he eavesdropped on the phone call he knew exactly what he had done. Yuu was absolutely going to get him back for this.

Ruggie hadn’t been much help either, snickering when he’d come into the room and watched Yuu berate Leona and kick the alpha out of their nest. The lion looked somewhat grumpy about this and even more when Yuu asked Ruggie to cuddle them in lieu of him, which the beta gladly agreed to. It was then that Yuu finally got a more thorough explanation for what had happened after the bond ended.

“After Ruggie and I woke up you were still out like a light,” Leona explained from the chair across the room he had been exiled to. “The event was put on hold for a few hours while things got cleaned up. Headcount of students and making sure visitors were all accounted for and safe. Crowley had been in near tears at the mess of it all and banned Savanaclaw from competing.”

“Hm, well I’m sure you guys learned your lesson about cheating,” Yuu huffed cheekily.

“I’ll say,” Leona groaned. “After we snuck you to the infirmary- Oh, the nurse knows now by the way.” Yuu’s mouth fell open in disbelief and they made a noise to say that they needed come clarification on that sudden information bomb , but Leona just plowed foward without stopping. “By time Ruggie and I made it back to the field – after cleaning off your scent of course,” he assured. “Apparently the other Housewardens had petitioned to allow us to compete and the bird agreed.”

“Huh? Why?” Yuu asked in confusion.

“Why do you think?” Leona muttered grumpily. “Payback. I don’t think I’ve ever played that many brutal games of spelldrive back to back before. Rosehearts was relentless. He might be small and omegan looking but he’s actually pretty terrifying. I’m still sore.”

“He made your assault on my nose feel like a gentle tap,” Ruggie bemoaned.

“Well serves the two of you right,” Yuu said dryly. They then paused and thought about it for a moment, then in an outraged voice said, “Wait! Is that why you neglected to let any of them know what was happening with me? They were all worried sick!”

The dual maniacal chuckles from both beastman in the room confirmed it. Ruggie only shrugged when Yuu looked over to him in shocked disbelief.

Needless to say, neither of them were allowed in Yuu’s nest that night.

The following days had been spent recovering. Leona did eventually relent and give into Yuu’s prodding and told them that their friends could come “invade” his space but that they were under no circumstances to make a nuisance of themselves. Yuu just rolled their eyes because they knew Leona wasn’t actually going to do anything about it, lazy bastard he was. And besides, there was no way Yuu was capable of keeping the Heartslabyul gang quiet. They weren’t sure if such a feat was even possible with magic.

So when Ace and Deuce were led into the room by Ruggie and, to Yuu’s surprise, Jack Howl, Yuu immediately smiled at them. And then they saw Grim’s flaming ears peeking out from behind Deuce and their grin widened further. The little monster complained the entire time Yuu manhandled him and pulled him into their lap, but he didn’t otherwise put up much of a fight. The omega knew he missed them too, though Grim would never admit it.

His scent was just as calming as it always was, especially so soon after a heat.

But there was something else there too…

A faint hint of… Ink?

The smell of it made the hairs on the back of Yuu’s neck stand to attention and they suddenly remembered that the last time they’d seen the monster had been during the tournament when Leona had nearly killed him. That must’ve been the reason for the smell, some inky residue from enduring the brunt of one of Leona’s overblotted attacks. Though, Yuu was confused because neither they themself nor Ruggie or even Leona for the matter had retained any inky scent. Perhaps it had something to do with monster biology?

Regardless of the reason, it reminded Yuu to extract another apology from Leona. He’d apologized to Ruggie and Yuu, sure, but he didn’t seem all that sorry about having hurt the others. Yuu supposed they couldn’t ask for too much this early on from the aloof alpha but at least in this they were determined to get him to say sorry to their charge.

Grim apparently didn’t remember being this close to being turned into monster chow by Leona and had let out a particularly alarmed “hieeee!” when Yuu asked Leona to apologize. And judging by the shocked expressions on Ace, Deuce, and Jack’s faces, it seemed only Yuu and Ruggie had seen it unfold.

Leona clicked his tongue in annoyance, running a hand through his hair, “Man… Didn’t I already say I was sorry?”

“Not to Grim,” they retorted easily.

“I was overblotted, not exactly an easy-”

“Leona,” Yuu snapped, eyes narrowing at the alpha. He sighed again, being very dramatic about the entire thing. Really , Yuu thought exasperated, it’s just an apology. He’s acting like I’m asking him to give up his first born or something .

“Fine fine,” Leona drawled. “Seeing as my omega wants me to apologize to their cub… Sorry, Grim for… Trying to kill you, I guess.”

“Wow, a real charmer this one,” Grim dryly commented while Ace and Deuce got their hackles all raised up about Yuu not being Leona’s omega. Leona only chuckled at the two alphas and verbally taunted them while Jack stood to the side with his face in his hand. But when he noticed Yuu looking at him, he awkwardly shuffled over.

Yuu patted a spot on the bed next to their nest and Jack looked distinctly uncomfortable, but did sit down obediently. Yuu had to stifle a giggle as the image of an obedient puppy came to mind. Oh god, Professor Crewel is becoming such a bad influence.

“How are you, Jack?” Yuu asked the alpha in concern.

He shrugged, “It’s been difficult working with Bucchi to keep the students away from this part of the dorm, but we’ve managed. I’m glad that Housewarden Kingscholar is taking responsibility and providing you care at this time, because he’s otherwise been pretty unhelpful.” Jack grumbled a bit under his breath, about how he didn’t understand why Leona couldn’t act with the same motivation off the field as he did on the field. Yuu knew that the answer to that was very complicated and very personal, so they just gave Jack a sympathetic smile.

“Oh! Yuu!” Grim suddenly piped up, excited. “I got to play spelldrive at the tournament! I scored a point!”

“It wasn’t for competition though,” Ace said, coming up next to the bed now. “But Crowley did follow up on his promise and let us play the opening game once the stadium was back in working order.”

“Jack scored the other two points though,” Deuce added.

Yuu looked around at them with an aghast expression and their friends looked back at them with confused ones.

“You guys played without me !”

Leona’s laughter could be heard over the exasperated groans from their friends, and he quickly padded across the room and sat down next to Yuu, pulling the omega against himself. “That’s my fierce kitten,” he purred, and Yuu scowled up at him. “Don’t worry your pretty little head off, Prefect. There’s still the interscholastic games in May.”

Yuu twisted their upper body around and gave Leona a curious look. “Interscholastics? Ah right. There are other schools here too, right? I think I met someone from Royal Sword.”

Ace groaned in annoyance, “Ugh. That weirdo right? What was his name again…?”

“Chenya, I think,” Deuce replied.

“Ugh,” Leona sighed, rubbing his temple as if he suddenly had a headache. “Royal Sword Academy is basically our rival school. NRC is always paired up against them. It’s a school filled with nothing but pompous assholes.”

“I believe NRC has lost one hundred years in a row to them,” Jack pointed out.

“Ninety-nine, freshie,” Leona growled. “Get your facts right. And we’ll win this year for sure. Since it’s interscholastic, a player from each dorm is picked, though… This year we have eight dorms so tryouts could be interesting.” He looked down at Yuu with a gleam in his eyes.

“Ah! That means I have a chance of playing!” Grim yelled, throwing his paws up in excitement.

Leona’s upper lip pulled up in a sneer, “Sorry, cub. I was more so referring to little minx here.” He looked right at Yuu, suddenly excited. Grim just huffed about dumb beastman not being able to recognize talent. “If you can hone up your physical endurance we could use the art of surprise to our advantage. With those fancy throws of yours, I’m sure we could score a few points before RSA even knows what hit them.”

“Oh?” Yu asked and grinned up cheekily, “Like I did with you?”

Instead of scowling and rising up to the bait like Yuu expected, Leona’s grin just grew larger and sharper. “Yes, Kitten. Exactly like that,” he purred. Yuu flushed red and quickly looked away as Leona laughed again. Everyone else in the room stood around awkwardly at the blatant flirting.

After that the conversation quickly devolved into talks of Spelldrive. For Yuu, who played disc golf but wasn’t as big of a fan as everyone else in the room, they started to become sleepy again and pretty soon Leona was grumpily kicking everyone out. However, he begrudgingly allowed Grim to stay even though he muttered under his breath about “pet fur”. This was something Yuu felt was particularly hilarious considering the main species that populated Savanaclaw was beastmen.

The next few days passed by quickly and pretty soon Yuu was gathering up their stuff and saying goodbye to the Savanaclaw dorm. But not before Leona told them that they could visit whenever they pleased with that stupid sexy smirk of his. Ruggie snickered at Yuu’s flustered angry expression but Yuu knew exactly how to shut the beta up and wrapped him up in a tight hug, only releasing the hyena once he started sputtering and complaining. And then they were back in their own dorm.

Yuu was a little sad that Riddle never visited them at Savanaclaw but figured that he was probably busy as usual with his Housewarden duties and probably something to do with interhouse politics too or something. Regardless, Yuu made it their first mission to visit Heartslabyul once they had gotten all their things settled at Ramshackle (the ghosts being unusually helpful in assisting them in putting everything in its proper places).

As they made their way over to Heartslabyul early that morning, Yuu had to remind themself of their vow to stop inserting themself into Trey and Riddle’s business more than necessary. The two men were always considerate and attentive and never made Yuu feel like they were third-wheeling, but Yuu knew they couldn’t keep taking advantage of their friends like they have been. They would still be friends of course, but Riddle and Trey deserved space from them too. So it was irrational for Yuu to be feeling so sad about not really seeing either of them during their entire stay at Savanaclaw.

They had barely touched the handle to Riddle’s room when the door was suddenly swung open, revealing Riddle standing there looking at them with wide gray eyes. To Yuu’s shock, they seemed to fill with unshed tears and the small alpha pulled them into the room and into a very tight hug.

“I missed you, Yuu,” he murmured against their neck. His familiar and comforting rose and strawberry scent made Yuu feel overwhelmed as well as they started tearing up too. They quickly returned the hug, wrapping Riddle up in their arms and melting into his hold.

I’ll distance myself after today , they told themself. Let me just enjoy this for now. One last indulgence.

“I was so worried about you,” Riddle murmured.

Yuu rubbed a hand comfortingly over his back, “I’m sorry. I’m okay now though. I’m back.”

Riddle laughed, but it was wet and made Yuu’s heart clench in sorrow. They hadn’t meant to make him this worried, even though technically it was Ruggie and Leona’s faults. They’d have to find some way to further punish the two scheming Savanaclaws. Yuu was just much too soft when it came to Riddle crying. Their heart couldn’t take it.

Trey was waiting silently sitting by the coffee table and Yuu only noticed him once Riddle seemed calm enough and they pulled out of the hug. Trey just smiled at them in that comforting and warm smile of his and Yuu felt butterflies form in their stomach as warmth filled their heart. On the coffee table he had already prepared breakfast for the three of them to enjoy together.

Trey and Riddle caught Yuu up on what they had missed while they were out of commission, and Riddle had even taken time out of his schedule (with the recruitment from Ace and Deuce) to put together a study guide for class work Yuu had missed during their heat. Yuu shot him a bewildered look. He was so busy with his own school work and his Housewarden duties and yet he had done this for them?

“Finals are in a month,” he replied with red cheeks. “I promised to watch out for you even though you aren’t a member of my dorm. I’m only following the rules I set for myself.” Despite his attempts at downplaying his efforts, Riddle still allowed Yuu to swallow him up in another big hug as thanks. It always felt nice when the small alpha melted into their embrace.

When they parted, Yuu was caught by the scent of something new and glanced curiously over at Trey. While Riddle and Yuu had been preoccupied, he had reached into his basket and pulled out a very delicious smelling pie and set it on the table.

“I’m sorry that I didn’t wait to make it with you,” Trey said, crossing his legs and leaning back in his seat. “But I wanted to surprise you with a treat when you came back. We can make an apple pie together next time.” He nodded towards the baked good as if encouraging Yuu to start digging in and enjoy. Riddle shot the beta a sly grin.

The pie tasted amazing. Each apple slice tart and sweet and still firm and crisp enough to give some resistance on the first crunch, just the way Yuu liked. It didn’t taste like the apple pie from their favorite bakery, but they could taste the love and care in every bite.

Yuu didn’t know what they had done to deserve such wonderful friends.

~*~

A couple weeks later saw Yuu dropping by Crewel’s office to receive his update on his research where he told them about this mysterious azure salt. It was a Friday which meant movie night at Ramshackle so Yuu had left the others back at the dorm to head out on their own.

The trek across campus this late in the afternoon on a weekend night was pretty peaceful. With midterms finished, students were just cruising in this middle part of the semester. The courtyard in particular saw a lot of traffic, with NRC students taking advantage of the cool autumn weather to sit out in the grass either doing school work or just hanging out. A few of the first-years that Yuu recognized from class waved to them as they passed by.

Yuu knew that Cater was probably going to order out again (that boy really needs to learn how to be a little more financially frugal) but Yuu had spotted a visiting sandwich stand by the cafeteria on their way to meet with Professor Crewel. They had a few thaulmarks left over from their weekly stipend from the school and figured they’d pick up a special treat to celebrate getting through the school week alive. Plus, they saw that the business had a deal on a baker’s dozen of sugared donuts and had immediately started craving one.

They quickly texted Cater to let him know not to order in too many desserts as they would be bringing some back. Also, Grim would probably appreciate one of those roast beef sandwiches they had and maybe save Yuu’s wallet from having to buy so many damn cans of premium tuna. For such a tiny monster, he was really quite high maintenance sometimes. But Yuu loved Grim nonetheless.

Unfortunately, when Yuu arrived at the shop they were already closing up.

Which was very confusing because Yuu could clearly see that there were still baked goods and ingredients laid out on the makeshift counters and in the display case, and the fold up sign clearly said they would be open until 5pm.

It was then that a very strange smell hit Yuu’s nose.

They couldn’t help gagging at the unexpectedness of the foul smell, bringing a hand up to cover their mouth and nose as their eyes began to water. They looked around for the source of the stench and saw that it was coming from the store. Did something go bad? Is that why they were closing early?

But no, now that Yuu was paying more attention they could tell that the smell wasn’t coming from the sandwich shop. Instead, it was coming from the person standing in front of the shop.

His back was to them but Yuu was familiar enough to recognize the lavender tassel and white magestone that signified House Octavinelle. The store keeper who was speaking with the student didn’t seem to smell what Yuu was smelling. In fact, none of the students walking around in the area seemed to be affected by this awful stench coming from the Octavinelle student.

They decided to just turn around and leave before the wrongness of the stench gave them a migraine, but in that moment the student seemed to notice them out of the corner of his eye and turned. He had steel gray eyes lined with purple kohl and his hair was only a few shades of steel lighter. There was a mole beneath his curiously upturned lips. His eyes were lit with recognition.

“Ah, my apologies. Were you hoping to make a purchase?” He asked them. “I’m afraid you’re a little too late, but if you’re looking for a place to dine might I suggest the Mostro Lounge?”

Mostro Lounge sounded familiar, but Yuu was using too much of their brain power to keep from gagging in disgust to figure out where they’d heard that name before. It wasn’t even that it smelled bad in the way rotten eggs or sewage smelled bad. But there was something about this man’s scent (he was an alpha, Yuu could tell now) that screamed wrong . It set Yuu’s every instinct on edge and they wanted nothing more than to evacuate themself from the vicinity immediately.

“Ah- It’s no problem,” Yuu said with a tight smile. “I actually have food waiting for me back at my dorm. I’m just-” Shallow breaths. Shallow breaths. “I was just going to buy some donuts for dessert but it’s not important. I can always get it next time they’re at school.”

“Ah, you seem to be mistaken,” the alpha shook his head. “This shop will no longer be in operation on campus. But if it is something sweet you’re looking to snack on, the Mostro Lounge has a wide array of options to pick from – including donuts.” He smiled pleasantly at them.

Why does he keep insisting on this Mosto Lounge place? Yuu wondered somewhat irritably. The smell was becoming only slightly more bearable now that they had some time to acclimate to it (like spoiled umami and something sickly sweet), but Yuu also didn’t want to spend anymore time around it. However, for the sake of politeness they said, “That uh… Sounds nice? I’ll think about checking it out um… Who are you?”

He chuckled and pressed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “I apologize for not introducing myself. I am Azul Ashengrotto, Housewarden of Octavinelle. However, I already know who you are. Your reputation precedes you, Prefect Yuu of Ramshackle dorm.”

Azul. That name sounded familiar as well, though Yuu figured they must’ve heard it in passing somewhere if this guy truly was a Housewarden. A sense of unease passed over Yuu. So far their track record for run-ins with Housewardens hadn’t been the best – considering the last two both ended in an overblot (a supposedly rare occurrence). Coincidence or not, it was probably in Yuu’s best interest to steer clear of Housewardens from here on out. And frankly, Riddle and Leona were enough of a handful anyway. Yuu didn’t need anymore problems in their already chaotic life.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Yuu replied amicably. “I should probably get going though… Before the food back at my dorm gets cold…” It was a little white lie (Cater wouldn’t order anything for a while yet), but anything to get away from this alpha’s severely off scent.

“Of course,” Azul said with a smile. “And should you ever need any help, Prefect Yuu, Octavinelle is always open for business. We deal in more than just excellent food and even more excellent service. We also provide assistance to requests from the student body and are well known for helping to fix problems. Should you ever find yourself with a conundrum, please do not hesitate to reach out.” And he reached into his school jacket and elegantly flicked out a business card between two fingers and handed it over to Yuu.

Yuu took it with a strange feeling. What did he mean by solving problems? And if such a service was really offered on campus then why did Crowley treat Yuu like his own personal errand monkey? This all seemed rather sketchy but Yuu wasn’t going to say that outloud. So they just gave Azul a strained smile and pocketed the card.

“Boss, there you are~ The little mackerels are making a ruckus again and Jade is about to explode~”

Yuu felt a shiver go up their spine as the familiar voice echoed through the clearing. Azul looked up and had an immediately annoyed look on his face as Floyd Leech approached him with a lazy grin. The larger alpha saw Yuu standing there and his lazy grin grew wider.

“Azul, you found a Lil’ Shrimpy~”

Yuu took an instinctive nervous step back. They felt a phantom ache on their arm where Floyd had held them tight the last time they’d had a run-in with this unnerving alpha. His mismatched golden eyes were just as alarming as the last time they’d seen them.

“Floyd,” Azul sighed in annoyance. “What are you doing away from the Lounge. Why do I hire the two of you for if you cannot do your jobs while I step away.”

Floyd only chuckled, utterly unaffected by the scolding he was receiving. Instead his eyes were still on Yuu who was now even more desperate to get out of this situation. Between the horrible scent coming from Azul and Floyd’s piercing gaze, this was starting to feel like a very hostile environment for them to be in.

“Hey, Lil’ Shrimpy~ How’s Goldfishie doing? You spend time together right?” Floyd asked with a lazy grin.

Golfishie? Was he referring to Riddle? That was almost a month ago now and Yuu was having a hard time recalling details between everything, but they thought they might’ve recalled Riddle being particularly upset with a nickname.

“I-” Yuu began, voice catching in their tightening throat.

“That’s enough, Floyd,” Azul said irritably. “I’ve warned you again and again about bothering patrons without cause. Let’s just head back already so I can clean up whatever mess you two were unable to handle.”

“Ahh, but you’re so strong Boss,” Floyd drawled and grinned. Yuu had forgotten how razor sharp all of his teeth were. Like looking into the mouth of a shark. Azul shook his head at the taller alpha and set off without another word. Floyd looked over at Yuu, “See ya’ Shrimpy~” And he turned to follow after his dorm head.

Yuu was left feeling very very strange. With Azul gone, the scent of the air became clear and bearable again. And without Floyd Yuu could actually get their leg muscles to work. They took a moment to gather themself and then immediately started heading back towards Ramshackle, determined on making no more pit stops.

What was it with every Octavinelle student they’ve met so far being absolutely off putting in various ways?

Yuu shook their head and pulled out their phone, texting Cater to let him know that they had failed in their task to procure donuts. He responded almost immediately with confirmation and to ask what flavors of danishes they would like. Yuu just smiled, feeling marginally better now, and told him to surprise them. Cater responded with a winking face.

~*~

When Yuu opened the door to Ramshackle it was to a furious Ace chasing a cackling Grim around the house while Deuce chased Ace to try and get the other alpha to calm down. Cater was straddling a chair backwards, his arms crossed over the back of it, and filming the chaos as it unfolded. And standing by the door with a constipated expression on his face was their newest member to movie-night, Jack.

Jack had been reluctant to accept when Yuu asked him the first time but, with just a little bit of teasing and prodding from Ace, eventually relented and agreed to join them last Friday. He wasn’t as big of a movie buff as Ace and Deuce, but he seemed to enjoy it nonetheless much to his chagrin (Yuu really was going to have to tell Ace to tone it down a bit, they weren’t sure of Jack’s surprisingly sensitive heart could take all the teasing like everyone else could). He’d even made a few movie suggestions of his own, though none of them were the oldies that Ace and Deuce preferred. The two of them were outvoted by everyone else though on account of the fact that they couldn’t keep hogging the movie-night roster. Grim in particular much preferred the action movies Jack favored.

Yuu was very annoyed to find out that none of them had bothered to set up the living room while they’d been gone to meet with Professor Crewel. They snapped angrily at the three running around the dorm and making a nuisance of themselves, threatening Grim with lower quality tuna brands if he didn’t knock it off. The feline monster bemoaned that his “servant” shouldn’t be talking to him like that, but all three boys got in line and listened eventually. Jack gave Yuu a particularly impressed look at this and they only smiled smugly back.

Their ability to wrangle idiots was the whole reason Crowley had let them into this school in the first place, and they were damn proud of their ability to do so.  Ace, Deuce, and Grim shared one brain cell between the three of them and it took a special talent to be able to deal with the idiots.

Idiots that Yuu affectionately loved of course, even if they wanted to strangle them on occasion; which was a perfectly understandable feeling to have according to Cater. Sometimes Yuu thought the universe had placed Ace and Deuce in Heartslabyul specifically to challenge Riddle. Like… They literally made the poor alpha overblot within the first week of school. That had to be a record or something.

But with minimal directions, all six of them managed to rearrange the furniture in the lounge and lay out blankets and pillows on the floor. Yuu would never verbally admit it, but they went around adjusting everything until their inner omega was satisfied that everything was perfectly comfortable and soft and perfect . If the others noticed the behavior they all smartly stayed quiet about it.

And then they all piled in and started the first movie, only waiting now for the food deliveries to magically show up on the porch.

They agreed to start off the movie with something everyone could enjoy and wind down the night with the older films that Ace and Deuce liked. Tonight Cater had picked the first in their program: some queer teen drama about two female alpha high schoolers. One was a bank geek and the other was head of the cheer squad and they started off in the movie hating each other but eventually teamed up to take down their rival school competitors. Yuu thought the movie was very cute.

Grim was the only one who really didn’t like the movie (even Jack seemed pretty engrossed). Yuu was amused to see that, though they both seemed to enjoy it, Ace and Deuce were blushing as the movie got to more heated and romantic scenes between the leads. There was a tense space between the normally boisterous and loud alphas and Yuu was living for the irl drama.

Cater obviously adored the movie, especially the scenes with catty verbal spars.

The food arrived not long after that as Ace pulled up Jack’s choice, an action movie that Yuu could only describe as ‘Mission Impossible with Magic’. Yuu was surprised to see that the omega character in this movie took on a more active role than they were used to seeing from the past several movie nights. The last time they’d seen an omega character with this much agency had been in that old flick Ace loved about that mermaid princess and the human prince.

At Yuu’s curious glance, Jack explained with a blush that the movie had garnered some controversy when it came out by having an omega take on life-threatening missions, but had made lots of money and got decent ratings for an action flick so nothing really came of it. In fact, the controversy probably helped the movie sell tickets. Yuu reassured him that their world wasn’t much different in this regard, omegas only being allowed to serve in the military as of 10 years ago, and understood the progressiveness of the film. They also assured him that they liked the movie he picked and Jack seemed pleased by the praise, his tail moving subtly to Yuu’s amusement.

Cater’s selection of food was as amazing as ever. Yuu didn’t know how he afforded take out this often but wasn’t going to complain when they had a hot plate of garlic fettuccine from some restaurant from the Coral Sea. This reminded Yuu of what Professor Crewel had told them earlier that day about azure salt. And that reminded them of the encounter they had with Floyd Leech and that guy Azul Ashengrotto immediately after.

During the scene in which the main character was trying to escape a room slowly filling with water without the use of their wand, Yuu leaned over to Cater and asked in a whisper, “Do you know who Azul Ashengrotto is?”

The beta turned to them with a raised brow, “Hm? Why do you ask, sweetheart?”

Yuu shrugged, “I ah…” They decided it was best not to bring up that they had run into him and one of the Leech twins, especially not after the last debacle. “I just heard a rumor that he could solve any problem someone brought to him. Is there any truth to that?”

“Ehhh…” Cater scratched the back of his head, “I guess that’s technically true. Ashengrotto is the Housewarden of Octavinelle and he’s pretty famous on campus for making the impossible possible. But like…” He grimaced. “I definitely wouldn’t take him up on any of his offers. He’ll get the job done for sure but any deal made with Ashengrotto is shady af. You might get what you wanted in the beginning but he’ll totally get the better end of the stick. Not worth it in my opinion. Also, he’s got the Leech twins as his bodyguards so I’d steer clear.”

So that strange alpha hadn’t been lying then. But frankly Yuu didn’t need the warning to know to keep a wide berth after that run in with them earlier in the afternoon. Even if Floyd hadn’t shown up, Yuu would still be hard pressed to go anywhere near that off putting scent.

“Have you met him before?” Yuu asked.

“For sure,” Cater replied, taking a sip from his cotton candy milkshake before continuing. “Here and there, especially if I’m helping Riddle out with any Housewarden stuff.”

“Have you ever noticed… Anything off about his smell?”

Cater cocked his head to the side curiously. “No. Why? Wait- Did you meet him? You didn’t make a deal with him did you?” His voice got very nervous then.

“No no, nothing like that,” Yuu said with a reassuring laugh. “I had a brief run-in with him. I just thought I smelled… Nevermind, it isn’t important. I can promise you that I don’t plan on making a deal with him anytime soon.”

“Good,” Cater said with a relieved sigh. “Because I don’t know what Riddle would do to me if he found out we let you make a deal with Ashengrotto.”

“That bad, huh?”

“Let’s pray you never have to find out, babe.”

They both shared a laugh and returned to their dinner and the movie. The protagonist had managed to macgyver themself out of the watery trap of doom and had rejoined with their group, sharing a particularly searing kiss with the omega that made everyone in the room (besides Cater) blush. But if either Yuu or Cater had been watching their surroundings, they might’ve noticed Ace, Deuce, and Grim paying particular attention to their conversation.

Notes:

I hope you enjoyed~ AND THANK YOU GUYS FOR 500 KUDOS!! I cannot believe how much traction this fic is getting tbh, but I'm glad to be able to write something that so many of you can enjoy ❤

I hope you guys have a wonderful weekend~ See you next update :)

(Also, my *surprised Pikachu face* when I realized that Floyd/Riddle was more popular than Riddle/Trey which... Now that I'm reading more vignettes I get it, but I think I'm still in a bit of shock LOL)

Chapter 11

Notes:

Yuu has picked up painting as a hobby in this chapter. Why? Because I couldn’t stop staring at the canvas in the Ramshackle bedroom background in the game lol. So I added it

Exam season was upon them.

In both a blink of an eye and seemingly forever, Yuu had already been in this world for over three months. The whirlwind of classes, overblots, spelldrive, movie nights, and enough chaos to last them for the rest of their life all culminated in the looming winter break and the antsy sleep-deprived student body that came with it. Things were ramping up around Night Raven College and the library saw it’s highest volume of students yet, all cramming last minute before the inevitability of the dreaded Finals Week.

Yuu wasn’t feeling particularly nervous themself . There’s something to be said about having magic as a study subject that was just very easy to get engrossed in. The same could hardly be said for the rest of the student body who had grown up with this as their norm. In this way, Yuu felt like they were particularly lucky. Yuu would be hard pressed to think of a single person from their own world who wouldn’t be interested in the Great Dragon Wars of 800 RM (or roimh magick; before magic) or making magic potions in alchemy (which was actually a class that Yuu could largely participate in).

What Yuu was feeling nervous about was the fact that none of their first year friends, sans Jack, seemed to be interested in studying for said dreaded finals.

“Grim, you’ve failed the last three tests in a row,” Yuu grumbled, “I don’t want to be held back just because you’re too lazy to put in extra hours. Or have you forgotten that we share one enrollment?”

“You worry too much, servant,” Grim dismissed, waving one paw at them lazily while the other was busy stuffing his face with another pawful of tuna. Yuu scowled at the monster and had half a mind to confiscate the food right then. Grim had done nothing but lollygag around for the past week no matter how much Yuu tried to hound him into studying.

“If you don’t pass 3/4ths of the tests next week, I’m not buying you anymore premium tuna,” Yuu threatened, angry at being so blatantly dismissed. Was this what it felt like having a younger sibling?

They expected Grim to be up in arms at the threat but to Yuu’s surprise the monster just waved his paw at them lazily again with a, “Don’t worry about it. I’ve got this.”

Yuu had no idea where this confidence was coming from considering they spent practically 24/7 around the little feline and knew perfectly well that he hadn’t cracked open a single textbook since exam announcements were made. Yuu had been over to Heartslabyul several times over now to join in with the Riddle-Trey-Cater study group themself, but no matter how much they tried cajoling Grim (and Deuce and Ace for that matter) into joining, it was always met with flippant refusal. And Yuu frankly felt like they were at the end of the rope at this point.

He is so going to fail , Yuu thought dryly. Ah well. That’s more thaulmarks in my pocket. Maybe Headmaster Crowley will just let me take purely theoretical second year classes next year.

Yuu suddenly caught themself as the thought came to them. Second year? Were they really feeling so comfortable in this world that they were considering even staying that long? Would they have to stay that long? When Yuu had first arrived via coffin to NRC they had assumed, whether through denial or optimism, that they would be safely back at home within a few weeks at most. But now the first semester was nearly over, and here they still were.

Yuu didn’t know whether they should be disturbed or not by the thought, but decided to shelf that box of worms for another less stressful day. For now, they needed to get out of the house before they strangled their infuriating monster charge.

They made one last irritated noise to let Grim know of their displeasure (which the feline ignored) and Yuu stormed out of the bedroom. They picked up their painting kit and an unfinished canvas before leaving; maybe sometime outside and art would help them clear their mind.

As Yuu walked through Ramshackle, they passed by the finally cleaned out rooms and hallways and the various pictures and paintings they’d managed to hang up over the last few months. Ramshackle was at last looking like a habitable place and the last frontier left to be conquered was still the attic. One of these days, Yuu was going to trick one of the boys into venturing up there for them because they certainly weren’t going to do it themself (Yuu sometimes heard weird noises and bumps from the attic at night to which the ghosts swore wasn’t them). But that day was not today.

The breeze was nice when Yuu finally exited the building into the cool morning air. The chill was biting but Yuu had been wearing an extra large and warm windbreaker that Lilia had lent them some weeks ago when they’d mentioned to the alpha they were starting to feel the winter chill; so Yuu didn’t mind the chilly winter breeze as it blew past them. The jacket wasn’t their usual choice of style, but Yuu rather liked it nonetheless.

Speaking of Lilia, Yuu’s phone buzzed right then and they saw his familiar upside-down face pop up on the homescreen.

🦇Lilia🦇 : Wanna play? Gloomurai said he’d be on in a few minutes~

Yuu rolled their eyes. “Gloomurai” was the online friend Lilia had wanted them to meet and play with which, as per the exchange for Diasomnia’s assistance during the inter-dorm tournament, Yuu had done so once they received the computer Lilia sent them. And while the game wasn’t really Yuu’s typical cup of tea, they could admit that they have enjoyed playing it. Gloomurai was also nice to talk to. Not only was he very good at the game, but he was also very patient with a noob like Yuu.

Yuu couldn’t say that they were friends with Gloomurai per say, like Lilia wanted, but they did enjoy playing with him. Sometimes they sent each other artwork they’d done on their voice chat server. Gloomurai had some very lovely sketches.

They quickly let Lilia know that they had other plans for the day (in particular, putting as much distance between themself and their infuriating charge) and then set off. The main castle of NRC loomed up to their right, casting a shadow over the entirety of Ramshackle. It was the Saturday before Finals Weeks and most students were either holed up in the library studying or sleeping away their last few hours of peace before the chaos unfolded on Monday. There were still some students here and there though, out to enjoy the cool morning like Yuu was.

And despite having not been to Heartslabyul to see Trey that morning, Yuu had no fear of anyone they passed by discovering their true designation as a coveted omega.

The reason for their confidence was a little vial of salty-sweet shimmering blue potion that they had downed earlier that morning.

Headmaster Crowley had actually come out in clutch for the first time, helpfully arranging something with Sam the shopkeeper to procure enough azure salt for Professor Crewel to experiment with.

Yuu had no idea that the popular and delicious dubbed “Mystery Drink” that Sam sold in heaps at the school shop contained the expensive ingredient. Yuu was shocked to find out that they had been consuming the stuff (albeit in small quantities) for weeks now as they too got swept up in the hype for this drink. It reminded Yuu a bit of boba with it’s little tasty pearls (the blue colored one apparently containing azure salt) submerged in sweet liquid. But it was different and, dare Yuu say it, better than boba by far. Frankly, it was probably Yuu’s favorite drink now right behind coffee.

Apparently the shopkeeper had some sort of deal with a supplier in the Coral Sea and, through some negotiating, agreed to supply a small quantity of azure salt to Professor Crewel. And just last week, Crewel had finally perfected what he called the world’s first omega suppressant. During that meeting between him, Yuu, and Crowley, the Headmaster had reminded him that maybe calling it that was asking for trouble and “gently” (with that off kilter smile of his) suggested Crewel spend some time thinking of a less politically-charged name for the potion.

Regardless, Professor Crewel only had enough azure salt to finish developing the potion and produce three vials of the stuff. One that Yuu tested out the other day with the oversight of the school nurse and Crewel himself, one Crewel kept for his own research purposes, and one that Yuu was given to use whenever they pleased. And they had picked today.

They picked today because the potion (unlike the patches from their world) lasted 48 hours. And this weekend was likely the last days that Riddle and Trey were going to be able to spend together before the chaos of Finals Week . And while there was still another week after that before winter break, most Housewardens and their deputies would have their hands full with organizing move out and other dorm duties; afterwhich, they would be headed back home for winter vacation. Riddle also mentioned that he needed to have an important talk with his mother and Yuu wasn’t sure if he would be safe to see Trey over the break either.

Whether intentional or not, Riddle’s mother had created a very abusive environment for her son and Yuu expressed that if he ever felt unsafe in that house, especially once he finally pushed back against her, that he could always rely on them or Trey. They would always be there to help him.

That conversation had been had last week and had been very tearful on everyone’s parts. So Yuu was determined to make sure the two oblivious idiots got to spend as much time together as possible before the inevitable confrontation. They just knew that if Riddle knew that Trey still wanted him in spite of Riddle no longer being an omega, it would help give him extra strength when standing up to his mother. But, as always, it wasn’t their place to force that relationship to bloom. They’d leave it up to the alpha and beta to figure out.

Trey had still texted them to say that they were perfectly welcome to swing by even if they didn’t need to see him for his spell, but Yuu gave him a gentle excuse about studying and told him they’d stop by early Monday morning.

Yuu: Make sure Riddle doesn’t get too stressed out before exam week tho lol

Trey🍀: lol i’ll try, but somehow i dont think that will be so easy. be safe today okay?

Yuu knew that their friends had concerns about the new suppressant despite Divus Crewel holding a Masters in Potionology and being one of the most respected potioneers in the world. But they had assured them many times before that the testing went well and all was looking good. Their concern was very touching though

Yuu: I will <3

Yuu walked towards the gate to Ramshackle pausing briefly by the large tree (still no leaves, but that was to be expected for winter). There was a hint of a scent here, too faint to really make out anything about it other than someone had been here recently. Yuu wondered if their mysterious midnight loiterer had been around again. They’d spotted him on occasion out of the window, just strolling under the moonlight, but hadn’t tried to make contact again. But seeing as rumors weren’t flying around about their true designation it seemed their midnight stranger had kept his promise to them, so Yuu felt no need to cause a fuss. If he wanted a quiet night stroll he was welcome to it as far as they were concerned.

They pushed past the gate and closed it behind them.

They planned to head out towards the edge of the plateau Night Raven sat atop, near the path that led down to the rest of the island. A few students in the art club (which Yuu had become an unofficial member of a few weeks back during club fair) had shown them the spot which had a gorgeous view of the entire Isle of Sages, with the town and small port stretched out far below them and the white towers of Royal Sword catching the light at the far end of the island.

None of this was able to be seen from within the gates of NRC so Yuu hadn’t known. Maybe this winter break, once they no longer had any more school responsibilities to uphold, they’d visit the village and see what it had to offer (once they managed to procure another vial of suppressant from Crewel of course, which was a pressing issue since Trey wasn’t going to be around).

On their way down the path that would take them past Sam’s shop and towards the school gate, Yuu passed by the botanical garden. By habit, they paused to duck in just to check if Leona was there. Yuu didn’t much like going to Savanaclaw (too dry and the students a bit too aggressive for their liking) so they prefered to run into Leona in the green house instead. Unlike the first time they’d met, now he always welcomed them when they did find him hidden amongst the greenery (with far less tail stepping on their part now too).

To Yuu’s disappointment Leona wasn’t in the garden today, but they did spy his favorite lounging blanket laid out behind some plants. Why the groundskeeper didn’t confiscate it when Leona constantly left it lying around was beyond Yuu. But it likely meant that the Housewarden would be around later today sometime, so Yuu would check again on their way back.

After the quick detour they hurried back onto the path that would take them to the school gates. It was when they were passing by the Hall of Mirrors that Yuu spotted a familiar figure jogging towards them.

“Jack!” They called out waving a hand but then paused when they realized the first year beastman wasn’t alone. Running besides Jack was a very tall, very gorgeous , blonde human.

The pair slowed to a walk as they approached Yuu and the omega purposefully kept their gaze locked onto Jack. They couldn’t help but feel somewhat intimidated by the beauty that accompanied him. Even in a tracksuit, this stranger looked like a supermodel, not a single hair out of place despite just having been exercising. Possibly the most beautiful person Yuu had ever met in their entire life, and strangely familiar too…

“Good morning, Yuu,” Jack greeted and Yuu flashed him a small smile. He glanced between Yuu and his jogging partner and then added, “Ah, this is my friend Vil. He’s from Pomefiore. Vil, this is Yuu from Ramshackle dorm.”

Vil flashed them a dazzling smile and Yuu swore for a second they could see sparkles around his face. “Pleasure to meet your acquaintance, Prefect Yuu. And Jack, darling, I’m not simply from Pomefiore. I am Pomefiore’s one and only Housewarden. Please don’t sell me short.” He tossed his hair back.

Yuu blinked. They wouldn’t have expected in a million years for gruff but easily flustered Jack to make friends with someone this… Flamboyant?  They weren’t sure how to describe the beauty standing before them. Feminine…? No, that was quite right either. There was something distinctly…

It hit Yuu then.

There was something distinctly omegan about Vil’s mannerisms. Not in a traditionally submissive way, but the way he held himself and moved mirrored the way out and confident omegas might’ve back in Yuu’s world. Vil’s scent, now that he was close enough, told Yuu that he was an alpha but he carried himself in the same out and proud fashion many omegan influencers of Yuu’s world did. For Yuu, who had grown up masking as a beta, they’d always felt both envy and respect for those instagram-famous omegas who never seemed afraid to be what they were.

And speaking of social media, Yuu finally realized why Vil looked so familiar too.

“Ah! You’re on Magicam!” Yuu suddenly blurted out, but then held up a fist in front of their mouth in embarrassment. Wasn’t it super rude to call out famous people like that? Cater had helped them set up their magicam account and it had been the beta who followed a bunch of people for them. One of those accounts was @VilScho. And if Yuu recalled correctly, he probably had a few million followers or something. Now they were really baffled how Jack had befriended someone like this.

To their relief though, Vil just threw his head back (gracefully) and laughed, not seeming to be offended in the least. When he looked back at them with those lovely lavender eyes shining with mirth he asked, “A fan of my work then, Prefect? I’m upset that Jack failed to introduce us sooner. I love your outfit by the way – where did you get that gorgeous jacket?”

Yuu, who was wearing some new overalls they’d bought specifically for painting that was covered in paint splatters and the windbreaker that Lilia had lent them, blushed. “Oh… Uh, my friend Lilia lent me this- I didn’t exactly bring a wardrobe with me to this world and haven’t had much opportunity to go shopping so…”

“Lilia Vanrouge?” Vil’s eyes seemed to flash in interest.

Yuu coughed awkwardly and nodded, then turned to Jack hastily. “Uh… How come you’re out jogging so late, Jack? Don’t you usually leave before dawn?”

Jack huffed, “I would’ve but I’ve been waiting two weeks now for a textbook I need to be returned to the library. The librarian told me it would be back in circulation by today so I had to rush over as soon as the library opened to borrow it.”

“I wish Ace, Deuce, and Grim would be as diligent about their studies as you,” Yuu replied dryly. “I can’t seem to convince any of them to crack open even a single book to study and exams are on Monday. You’d think Deuce at least would care but…”

Jack shot them a sympathetic look.

“Well,” he said awkwardly. “We should probably leave you to whatever you were doing.” His eyes flickered down to the painting kit and canvas tucked under Yuu’s arm, “I’ll see you Monday then?”

“Of course,” Yuu replied happily then, to Vil, added, “it was really nice to meet you!”

Vil smiled back at them pleasantly, and it was such a picture perfect smile that Yuu’s fingers itched to paint his portrait (not that they would do him any justice). “You as well. Oh, and before we part ways, from what Jack tells me you are quite the spelldrive player?”

Yuu shot Jack a curious look. So he had talked about them to his other friends? That was sweet. Jack blushed under the sudden attention.

“I wouldn’t say I’m exceptionally good,” Yuu flushed. “I just have a few tricks from my own world that other players don’t expect.”

“Well, even if that’s the case,” Vil said. “You should join us on our morning jogs sometime. I’d love to get to know some of Jack’s other friends better. He’s incredibly shy, you know. I was afraid the poor thing would never make any friends.”

Jack blushed harder and started grumbling beneath his breath and Yuu laughed.

“He is,” they agreed with a playful chuckle. “And sure that sounds nice…”

“I’ll send you a follow request on Magicam and DM you about it then,” Vil said with a wink. Then he nudged the still flustered Jack with his elbow, “Come on you overgrown dog. We’ve still got another three laps to cover.” And they were off.

Another three laps? Yuu blinked. Around what? The entire campus? Oh dear. What had Yuu possibly signed themself up for?

Yuu was left out in front of the Hall of Mirrors feeling distinctly overwhelmed and dazzled at the same time. It took some time before they were able to get moving again, just watching as the two alphas disappeared around some trees, and started heading off themself towards the gate. Their mind was still stuck on trying to figure out how the heck Jack could’ve come to be friends with a celebrity like that. And also…

It should be illegal for an alpha to be that pretty.

~*~

Yuu was feeling physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted. And they’d probably spent more thaumarks at Sam’s on lattes in the last week than they had the entire semester thus far. But finally, thankfully , exam week was over. All that was left now was to see the damage.

When Professor Crewel called Yuu’s name and handed them their graded exams, he smiled down at them with a, “Good job, pup.” Yuu rushed back to their desk feeling excited. They had been studying their ass off for the past two weeks after all. Deuce and Ace both leaned over curiously as Yuu flipped open their paper.

Yuu’s grin widened. A large circled 95 sat at the top of their page. Even compared to how they did back home this was a vast improvement on their grades. They couldn’t wait to tell Riddle and Trey!

Professor Crewel continued to pass out exams until everyone had theirs and allowed them all to discuss. Everyone immediately broke out into excited whispers. Yuu glanced over at Grim’s paper, the handwriting was atrocious but that was only to be expected when he only had paws to work with, and they felt their eyes widen in shock.

“Grim?” Yuu gasped in disbelief. “You got an 85?”

The monster stuck his nose up into the air smugly, “Of course. I’m hurt that you ever doubted me, Yuu. A servant should never doubt their master! I’m the one and only great mage Grim after all!”

Yuu rolled their eyes at his typical antics but continued to look at his paper in disbelief. It was a little difficult deciphering the handwriting but Yuu could see that it was true; the majority of the answers he wrote were correct. Had he somehow managed to cheat under Crewel’s keen eye? Yuu knew they probably shouldn’t doubt their charge, but this was honestly unbelievable given everything they knew about the study-repulsed monster.

“Whoo! 92!” Ace shouted.

“I got an 88,” Deuce murmured, voice excited.

Yuu glanced between all their friends bewildered. How… They knew they should feel happy for them but after all the heartache of trying to get them to study and being rebuffed again and again, Yuu couldn’t help but feel slightly salty that they had done well. And then that made them feel immediately guilty because these three getting passing high grades was a good thing. Yuu just couldn’t help feeling like their pride was somewhat bruised, even if they did score higher than all of them. It wasn’t like the exams had been easy…

Professor Crewel interrupted everyone’s revelry by saying he was proud of them all for finally studying, and then announcing that the class averages had risen across the board, sitting at 90 for Alchemy. Yuu couldn’t help but feel a little dejected at that after having put in so much effort into studying. While rankings had never really mattered to them before, Yuu had hoped that they might be able to make it into the top 50 for finals, especially since they had come pretty close during midterms. But with Crewel’s announcement, that didn’t seem very likely anymore.

They finished Alchemy up with Professor Crewel passing out winter break homework and explaining how to complete it (this was met initially with much grumbling, which was quickly silenced by a loud whip of Crewel’s pointer pen across the blackboard and a terrifying smile that promised pain stretched across his face). When class was finally over, Yuu left the room with Ace, Deuce, and Grim, feeling somewhat dejected.

The rest of the day passed similarly. Yuu scored well on every exam but usually only just slightly above average. Meanwhile, Ace, Deuce, and Grim continued to shock them with significantly higher than their usual scores.

So by time classes were finally over and they (and the rest of the student body) were gathered in front of the posted ranking boards out in the hallway, Yuu was already feeling pretty crabby. Bitter that their scores didn’t seem much better than others despite all the effort they had put in and then guilt for feeling that way. It was overall turning out to be a pretty shit day.

As Yuu had expected, they didn’t even come close to making it within the top 50. Their ranking didn’t seem to have moved at all since midterms despite all the extra effort they’d made. In fact, the top 30 students in the first year rankings had perfect scores. Had the exams really been that easy? Yuu bit their bottom lip, feeling silly and upset.

To no one’s surprise, Yuu quickly spotted Riddle’s name high up on the second year’s rankings. He’d scored a perfect 500 as expected. While happy for him, Yuu couldn’t help but feel slightly sad at seeing his name. After everything he’d done to help them prepare for finals, they couldn’t even make the ranking.

What was to Yuu’s surprise though was Deuce, Ace, and Grim’s interest in finding their own names. They seemed to think they would make top 50 like Yuu did, but considering Yuu had scored higher than them and hadn’t made it themself it was already obvious the three hadn’t either. This sudden interest in ranking confused Yuu though. Shouldn’t they be happy with just passing? They’ve never cared about rankings before.

Yuu was about to suggest that they all hurry and get lunch when, suddenly, voices of alarm began to break out amongst the students gathered in the hallway.

“AHH! W-what’s on my head?!” Grim cried. Yuu looked down at his panicked voice, wondering what could be the matter, and paused at a very peculiar sight.

There was a purple anemone growing out of the top of Grim’s head.

No. Not just Grim. There were anemones growing out of a lot of people’s heads, including Ace and Deuce now that Yuu was glancing around with wide eyes. What in the world was happening?

“You guys made contracts with him too?!” Ace cried out at the other two.

“What’s happening here?” Came a voice from behind them.

Yuu spun around in confusion and saw that Jack had approached the group. He, at least, didn’t have a strange growth on his head like so many of the others. His startled expression as he took in the chaos of the scene reflected exactly how Yuu was feeling.

“Ah shit-” Ace cursed, as the anemone on his head started to twitch and move. That was actually quite terrifying. Was this some kind of magical disease in Twisted Wonderland? Should Yuu be worried? “It’s pulling me! This really hurts!” Ace began to hurry in the direction the anemone had settled on.

In fact, everyone’s anemones were pointing in the same direction. Yelps of pain echoed down the hallway as everyone began to rush in the same direction. Before Yuu could say anything, Ace, Grim, and Deuce had also began hurrying away.

“I-” Yuu’s mouth opened and then clicked shut in shock. They were having a lot of trouble trying to process what exactly was happening. They began to step forward, “I-I should follow them-”

A hand landed on their shoulder and Jack looked at them with a grim but concerned expression. “Are you sure? Maybe we should find a teacher first.”

Yuu bit their bottom lip, “But what if something bad happens while we’re gone and then we can’t find them again?”

Jack sighed, seeming to take a moment to think, and then he nodded.

“Alright. But I’m coming with you.”

~*~

Octavinelle was not what Yuu was expecting when the two of them had followed the anemone’d students through to the Hall of Mirrors. Jack seemed just as awed as them when they’d stepped out into the shining entrance hall of the dormitory only to discover that the entire dorm was literally underwater .

Yuu walked over and pressed up against the floor-to-ceiling window that stretched the entire length of the hall’s southern wall, taking in with wide amazed eyes the colorful sea floor that painted the scenery before them. They must not be terribly deep because sunlight still filtered down and reached them in rippling waves. Yuu was reminded of those extravagant underwater hotels from back in their home world; except this was a million times more impressive. Somehow, through magic likely, the lighting down here was clear and lacked the blue desaturation that usually came with being this far below the water. Yuu could clearly see every pore and every vibrant pigmentation that painted the coral dotting the sea floor.

How lucky Octavinelle students were to be able to see this on a daily basis. Amuse, Yuu wondered if it would be possible to transfer. But they quickly dismissed the silly thought and reminded themself of the strangely scented Housewarden of the dorm. Not to mention his two henchmen that even Riddle was weary of. As lovely as the dorm was, beauty in nature often belied a far more deadly truth. Yuu shuddered as they remembered their first run-in with the Leech twins.

“Yuu, they’re all heading that way,” Jack whispered to them, bringing them out of their inner monologue, pointing down the hall to where the nervous students were being herded towards by the anemones on their heads.

Anemones and an underwater dorm. That could not be a coincidence, they thought.

Whatever awe they had previously felt was washed away by a feeling of dread as Yuu and Jack started following the students again. Yuu glanced around the crowd nervously but couldn’t spot their friends or their feline charge anywhere. They hoped that Grim was okay and hadn’t gotten hurt or trampled on in the stampede. He was so small.

The large windows looking out into the ocean disappeared as they ventured deeper into the dorm and the hallway they traversed down grew dark. The echo of their voices and footsteps changed to muffled and muted as the hallway narrowed and the marble flooring changed to luxurious carpet. Yuu had to wonder where the school was possibly getting all this money from to keep a dorm so richly decorated when Headmaster Crowley had shown himself to be a stingy bastard at every turn.

Yuu cocked their head in interest as they came to a large set of open doors. There was a podium out front and a fold up blackboard sign next to the entrance all the students were filing into.

“I smell… Cooking?” Jack noted with a curious tone.

As they drew closer Yuu began to pick up on what Jack was talking about. Between the mouthwatering fragrance of food (Yuu was suddenly reminded that they hadn’t had lunch yet) and the decor, Yuu was given the impression of a lavish restaurant. But why would there be a restaurant in the middle of a dormitory?

The answer came to them a moment later, in the form of an elegant golden script carved into the front panel of the podum.

Mostro Lounge

What had started off as a pretty normal day with classes and regular school antics was quickly becoming stranger and stranger by the second. The feeling of unease in Yuu’s stomach tripled in sensation and they found themself pressing up closer to Jack, seeking the comfort of a familiar presence. They didn’t look up to see Jack’s reaction to this (likely flustered) but the beastman made no protest as they continued on through the open doors of the Mostro Lounge.

To Yuu’s shock there must’ve been at least a hundred students of all grades and houses gathered in here, with more still filling in, packing into the room like sardines. Everyone was murmuring restlessly and nervously and the scent of distress was obvious in the air. Yuu still could not spot their friends in the crowd anywhere.

Mostro Lounge, like the dorm itself, was unlike anything Yuu had expected. Though, to be honest, Yuu hadn’t actually expected anything. Aside from Azul bringing the name up when they’d met him a few weeks ago, Yuu hadn’t given much more thought to the name Mostro Lounge . But even if they had, Yuu didn’t think they would’ve pictured anything close to what it actually was.

Crystal lighting fixtures in the shape of jellyfish hung above intimate booths of dark red leather and rich mahogany wood. In spite of yet another floor-to-ceiling window looking out onto the ocean floor, the lighting in here still managed to maintain a moody dim ambience. And even though the establishment was clearly decorated with a deep-sea gimmack in mind, it managed to be distinctly un-gimmicky ; instead, the entire place oozed a certain classiness that Yuu was having trouble associating with the chaos of NRC.

“Have you ever been here before?” Yuu whispered to Jack. He shook his head.

“I’ve heard some people at Savanaclaw talking about it,” he replied. “And I think Vil has mentioned coming once or twice, but I’ve never been myself.” Then, with a nervous glance around, he added, “maybe we should stick to the side and just watch.”

Yuu nodded and the two of them quickly maneuvered to the edge of the crowd and stood by the back wall of the lounge. And then they waited.

For several more minutes, students with anemones on their heads continued to pack into the already crowded establishment until the crowd swelled to what must’ve been a few hundred people. But eventually the flow of students trickled down to a last few strangers, all with either grim, teary, or just straight up confused faces. And at last the door to the lounge shut, seemingly on its own. Several voices of alarm rose up at the sound.

“Good afternoon, dear clients! How wonderful to see you all gathered here today!”

A strong alpha scent hit Yuu, assaulting their senses with it’s sense of wrongness , and they quickly held up a hand to this nose. Jack glanced down at them with concern, unable to smell it himself.

Azul Ashengrotto, flanked on either side by the towering Leech twins, stepped out onto the upper level of the raised floor plan. Instead of school uniforms, all three were dressed in finely tailored suits, bowties and fedoras and all. Yuu was aware that each house at NRC had certain dorm uniform parameters, but this… They couldn’t shake the sudden impression that a mob boss and his henchmen had arrived to greet the rabble.

“What is the meaning of this, Ashengrotto!” Someone in the crowd growled, “What is this thing growing on my head!”

“Now now, all in good time,” Azul smiled down at whoever it was pleasantly. “However, I think it would be more appropriate to refer to me as ‘Master’ now, considering you poor unfortunate souls have failed to uphold your end of the bargain.” He let out a dramatic sigh, shaking his head and shrugging.

“Hey! Hold on now!” A familiar voice shouted and, sure enough, Yuu could see Ace’s fiery hair at the front of the crowd, nearest to the Octavinelle trio. “What kind of bullshit is this! I’m not going to call you ‘Master’ you slimy crook!”

Yuu stood up on their tiptoes and saw with relief that Deuce was also there near the front, a similarly upset expression on his face. What had these two gotten themselves caught up in this time? Yuu just hoped that Grim was there with them too.

“Calling me a crook is rather rude, Mr. Trappola,” Azul tutted. “Considering I so graciously provided a study guide that would guarantee you a passing grade. Can anyone here contest that my notebook did not allow them to pass their exams?”

Despite the grim atmosphere, not a single person spoke up and a satisfied grin stretched across Azul’s face.

“But if we’d known you were going to give out study guides to this many people, there’s no way we would’ve made a deal with you,” Deuce said. “You knew perfectly well that making top 50 would be impossible with this many people scoring so well!”

“I’m afraid, Mr. Spade,” Azul said sadly. “That is not my concern. As I pride myself in being an excellent business partner, I would never stoop so low as to share details of my other clients. In fact, such a clause of confidentiality is stated in each and every one of your contracts! At the end of the day, it was my duty to provide you with excellent study material – which I did. And it was your duty to rank within the top 50 or pay the required penalty.”

Yuu’s mouth fell open. Ace was right, this guy was a complete shady crook and scam artist. No wonder Cater had been so nervous when they told him they’d spoken with the Housewarden.

Also, was Yuu hearing this right or had Ace, Deuce, and Grim all made a deal with this shady bastard in order to pass their exams? That’s why they had been giving them so much heartache over studying for weeks now? And what exactly was in this ‘study guide’ of his? Test answers? Yuu felt their previous crabby mood at their exam results plummet even further. While it was alarming that this creep Azul had something over the rest of their friends, once they figured this out Yuu was going to tear the three of them a new one.

No – scratch that. Yuu was going to spill the beans to Riddle Rosehearts and let him tear them all a new one; permission to dole out whatever punishment he saw fit to Grim given.

“Regardless,” Azul continued. “From this day until the day you graduate, you will be working for me and you will obey my every order as stated by the contracts you all made with me.”

“I- I just want my signature spell back!” A random student in the crowd cried out, sounding near tears. What exactly did that mean?

“And you will have it back,” Azul genially said. “... On the day you graduate and fulfill your end of the contract. On that day, I will gladly return to you your signature spells. But until then, I must have collateral to make sure I don’t get taken advantage of.”

This guy had a lot of nerve to be saying anything about being taken advantage of, Yuu thought darkly. And what exactly was this about having signature spells as collateral? Was that even possible ? Yuu glanced up at Jack with a questioning expression but he just continued to look up at Azul grimly.

Anyway, Yuu had heard enough. This had to be against school rules, especially since it was sounding like they had a mass cheating scandal on their hands. Yuu’s fingers twitched towards the phone they kept in their blazer’s inner pocket. This was emergency enough to text Crowley about right? Yuu glanced over at the closed doors to the Lounge and wondered how they were going to be able to get out of here without being seen.

But right as they did, they felt the phone suddenly begin to vibrate in this jacket, a jazzy little jingle ringing out. A jolt of panic shot through Yuu and they hastily pulled it out and pressed the button to decline the call ( Cater, worst timing ever! ), but the damage was already done. Several people near them were glancing over curiously at the two students without anemones hiding in the corner. Up near the front of the crowd, Ace and Deuce had looked back at the familiar ringtone, eyes wide.

Worst of all, Azul Ashengrotto was staring straight at them, an unnerving glint in his eyes. Next to him, Jade Leech held a hand up to his lips and a terrifyingly sharp smile spread across his face.

“Look, Azul~ Lil’ Shrimpy has come to play with us~”

“So it appears,” Azul chuckled, eyes not leaving them. “I’m afraid it’s a little early for guests to be arriving just yet, especially considering we still have so many new workers to train.” His eyes flickered briefly to the crowd, amused. “But I suppose I cannot turn away valued clients… Floyd, why don’t you show our guests to the VIP room. Jade, I’ll leave the training of the new workers in your capable hands.”

Jade Leech held a hand to his chest and bowed, “Of course, Azul.” Then he turned his dangerous gaze onto the crowd of students.

Yuu nervously glanced back over at the closed doors of the Mostro Lounge, wondering if it was already too late to run. They felt Jack shift and move in front of them, mouth set in a grim line and ears pressed back against his head, as Floyd Leech pushed his way through the crowd towards them.

“I’ve heard rumors about Ashengrotto,” Jack growled low in his throat. “Leona especially likes to complain about him. Whatever happens, don’t agree to or sign anything.”

Yuu gulped, but nodded. “I wasn’t planning to.”

Floyd finally reached the two of them, glancing between them with amusement in his mismatched eyes.

“Hi again lil’ Shrimpy~”

Notes:

not much to say~ but please let me know what you think and thanks for reading <3

 

i'll get to responding to your comments from last chapter soon, i've just been very exhausted lately lol

but thanks for sticking with me this far <3

Chapter 12

Notes:

I drew Yuu how I imagined them below!! (You can imagine them different from me of course, this is just my headcanon Yuu :3).

I also made a Twitter (@thefirecr3st) where I may or may not post artwork in the future lol and probably chapter updates too. So give me a follow if you'd like and talk to me on there maybe :0

I hope you enjoy this chapter <3

While Yuu knew logically that Azul couldn’t actually do anything truly harmful to them (there were roundabouts to this though as proven by their very first visit to Savanaclaw, now feeling like so long ago), it still didn’t stop a general anxiety from bubbling up in their throat as Yuu and Jack sat waiting in this ‘VIP room’.

Floyd had excused himself a minute ago. Well, it was more like he cheerily announced that he was going to get some snacks and then just left the room after leaving them here, but basically the same thing. Regardless, Yuu pulled their phone out as soon as the door closed behind the alpha, intent on texting Trey to let the beta know what was happening.

But then Yuu immediately caught themself. The conversation they had with Cater during one of their movie nights replayed in their head. Yuu wasn’t sure how long they would be stuck here and no doubt if they told Trey he would tell Riddle and the high strung alpha would be left stressed out the entire time. Yuu really had to inquire about blood pressure medication in this world.

They ended up deciding that it would be better to wait until later to let their friends at Heartslabyul know what’s going on. They would know soon enough anyway once Yuu tattled on Deuce and Ace (which they were still very upset about even if they were worried!).

Instead, Yuu scrolled down to where Ruggie’s contact was and quickly texted him to explain what was going on. So at least, if something happened, someone would know where they were. This was a habit Yuu quickly learned once they presented that paid well to keep, and it wasn’t one that they were going to pass over now.

About a minute after they sent the text off, a reply came.

Ruggie: This is Leona. If u don’t call back within 30 minutes I’m coming over to get you.

Yuu blinked at the message on their screen. Oh. Of course. They should’ve known that Ruggie would be with Leona at this time. They wondered why Leona didn’t just text them from his own phone then chuckled to themself when they theorized that he was probably just too lazy to grab it off his desk or something.

Still, this was a good thing. At least two people knew what was going on and where they were. Yuu debated just texting Headmaster Crowley next when the door behind them opened again. They quickly slipped their phone back into its blazer pocket and turned around. Azul stepped into the room followed by Floyd and some poor Ignihyde student with an anemone on his head, carrying a tray of drinks.

Yuu bit their bottom lip as that abrasive alpha scent hit them again.

Azul took a seat behind the large dark wood desk at the end of the room while the nervous Ignihyde student placed the tray onto the table in front of them, Floyd watching his every move with a lazy grin. Upon closer inspection it wasn’t just drinks on the tray.

There was also a plate of sugared donuts.

Yuu blinked. Azul had remembered something so minute and insignificant from a brief conversation weeks ago? And why make the gesture anyways? He should know that after that horrifying showing earlier that he was hardly going to ingratiate himself to them. And why would he want to ingratiate himself to Yuu anyway?

“No need to look so suspicious, they’re just donuts,” Azul’s voice floated over to them, chuckling. Yuu glanced up and stared right at the strange alpha that had brought them to this room. What did he want from them? “If you’re worried about a price, I can assure you these treats are being offered free of charge. I believe Jade did extend an invitation to Yuu of Ramshackle some time ago?”

That sounded familiar…? Though, to be honest, that entire encounter with the Leech twins was a blur of tension and nerves.

Floyd threw himself down into the seat next to Yuu and Jack immediately growled. Sitting between them, Yuu could now see that Floyd was just perhaps slightly larger than Jack which was really saying something. The larger alpha grinned over lazily at the beastman and Yuu had to lay a hand on Jack’s thigh as a reminder to remain calm.

“What do you want from us?” Yuu finally asked, staring Azul right in the eyes.

“Oh? So right down to business then? I had wondered what kind of person the Prefect of Ramshackle would be like,” Azul smiled at them. “I’m glad to have my curiosity satisfied. You have been quite the talk around campus, you know? A magic-less stranger from another world, who has been at the center of several chaotic events this semester, and who can call many powerful people on campus, including two Housewardens, friend. So you must forgive my eagerness to meet you.” He clasped his gloved hands before him, elbows on the desk, and leaned forward with another friendly smile. Yuu didn’t trust it one bit.

“While that’s all well and good,” Yuu said carefully. “... I’m actually here to inquire about why you’ve enslaved my friends – and several hundred other students for that matter.” They narrowed their eyes accusingly at him.

Azul wasn’t phased by the look at all and softly laughed again. “Ah, well as you’ve heard from my speech all those enslaved students, so you’ve described, have made a very clear cut deal with me – one they failed to uphold their side of the bargain on. I’m simply extracting my payment in the arrangement.”

“It sounds more to me that you’ve scammed a bunch of people out of their magic,” Yuu snapped. “And then threatened them into cooperation. Are you a Housewarden or a member of the mob?”

A loud snort came from Yuu’s right and they realized they’d somehow forgotten Floyd’s presence right next to them. Something about what they had said set the alpha into a fit of laughter.

“Floyd,” Azul said in a clipped tone. “Be mindful of our guests, please.”

Floyd wiped a tear from the corner of his eye, lazily grinning down at Yuu who pressed even closer to Jack’s side. “Lil’ Shrimpy is just so funny~ Is that why you and Goldfishie always hang out? You guys act so similar when angry, it’s adorable. It makes me want to squeeze you~ ”

“Floyd.” Azul snapped again, a little more angry this time. “If you cannot behave yourself, then please leave and go assist Jade out in the lounge.”

“Ahhh~ You're no fun, Azul,” Floyd pouted. But he stood up nonetheless, leaning over the table and snatching up one of the sugared donuts and winking at Yuu, “Make sure to eat your treats. Bye, Lil’ Shrimpy! Bye, Sea Urchin~” He gave them both a little wave and left the room. Yuu fought back a shiver.

“I’m afraid you’ll have to excuse Floyd,” Azul sighed. “He’s a reliable helper but less couthed than his brother Jade. As to your question, Prefect… Isn’t it a bit rude to be calling me a mobster? I understand that your three little friends have gotten into a bit of a bind, but it’s their own fault for failing to adhere to the stipulations of their contracts.”

“I’m well aware how badly they messed up, Housewarden,” Yuu snapped, quickly losing patience by the minute. “And they’ll all have to deal with my wrath once we get out of here. But that doesn’t change the fact that you are handing out cheating material -”

“Hold on just a moment,” Azul said, voice suddenly serious. “I won’t have my honor be called into question. I would never be so plebeian as to simply give out cheats for my clients to utilize. My study-guides are 100% authentic and worth every ounce of magic those lazy fools signed over to me as collateral. Why don’t you see for yourself if you’re so doubtful, Prefect?”

He reached beneath his desk and pulled out a thin binder and set it on the desk before him. Yuu glanced between him and it, then over at Jack, before slowly standing up and walking over. Azul just watched them silently, a smug expression on his face as they drew nearer. It took all of Yuu’s willpower to keep the cringe off their face as his unpleasant scent intensified with the closing distance. Finally, Yuu picked up the binder titled “First Year” and opened it up.

At first Yuu was somewhat confused at what they were looking at, but as the minutes stretched on Yuu couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe enter them. Azul was right. This was not the test answers they’d been expecting, and even just flipping through it Yuu could see how it could help even Grim, who’d failed most of his tests this semester thus far, achieve a score of 85 in Alchemy. This wasn’t just an extremely good study-guide. It was practically inspired .

“How much time did you spend on this?” Yuu asked without thinking, voice in awe. If they had access to something like this, Yuu knew without a doubt they would’ve scored 100s across the board. Not only were the topics being brought up shockingly on topic for what had been on the exams (but strangely not in a way that suggested he’d seen the tests beforehand). But the way concepts were explained in this showed an in depth understanding of how people learned. Was Azul some kind of educational prodigy? Every school in the world should be implementing this study method.

Azul chuckled at their reaction, “Unimportant. But as you can clearly see, I never passed out cheating material, and I’m still quite offended that you’d even suggest it.”

Yuu snapped back to reality upon hearing his voice. They slammed the book shut and handed it back to him with a glare, “If you’re looking for an apology, I’m not offering one. This doesn’t change the fact that you manipulated a bunch of people into servitude.”

“Unfortunately,” Azul said, gracefully placing the binder back into his desk. “There isn’t anything you can do about it.”

“I can bring this up to the Headmaster,” Yuu snapped.

Azul barked out a laugh, and it was by far the most inelegant thing he’d done since they’d met him. He was still chuckling as if Yuu had made the funniest joke in the world when he looked back at them. “You’re free to try, dear Prefect. But I’m afraid you’ll find yourself disappointed.”

“Then why are we even here talking then!”

“Why don’t you have a seat and relax and I’ll get to that,” Azul said, gesturing to the couch. “Sit and eat something. You and Mr. Howl must be famished considering the time. I promise you that our pastries are excellent.”

Yuu glared at him. If he wasn’t going to listen to them, then they were just wasting their time. “Jack, we’re leaving.”

Jack grunted in acknowledgement and stood. He glared over at Azul as well, “Are we even free to leave?”

“Of course,” Azul replied amiably. “What kind of monster do you take me for? I am sorry that we couldn’t come to any kind of understanding and I wish you both a wonderful day. And…” He trailed off, eyes still locked onto Yuu with that same unnerving gleam shining from behind his glasses. “... Remember that my doors are always open to those who find themself in unfortunate situations. My prices may be high, as you have seen, but I can guarantee successful results should you ever need assistance.”

“Thanks, but no thanks,” Yuu said sternly and then marched for the door, drinks and sugared donuts left untouched on the table.

~*~

Grim, Deuce, and Ace were all too preoccupied running around Mostro Lounge with the rest of the swindled students to notice Jack and Yuu passing by. Yuu was still pretty furious with them for everything so left without another word. Maybe a day’s worth of hard labor would make them rethink pulling dumb shit like this. They love their friends but gosh . How many times does this incident make now for those three managing to get Yuu involved in the most ridiculous of things?

When Jack and Yuu stepped out into the Hall of Mirrors again, a figure popped up in front of Yuu with a grin.

“What’s up, kitten?” Ruggie snickered at Yuu’s surprised expression, laughing even harder when they scowled down at him.

“Did Leona send you?” They asked him dryly.

“I’m hurt, Yuu,” Ruggie dramatically sighed. “I was worried for you too, you know?” At Yuu’s deadpan stare he chuckled again, “But yes. Leona sent me to make sure you came out of Octavinelle within the time limit. Come on. Let’s go.”

Yuu raised an eyebrow, “Let’s go?”

Ruggie just rolled his eyes. “You really didn’t think you could just send us a text like that and not stop by so we can make sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine ,” Yuu grumbled. “Just extremely frustrated. I need to go speak with the  headmaster anyway. If Leona wanted me to come over so badly, he should’ve come himself.”

“And who says I didn’t, herbivore?”

Yuu made a noise of alarm and jumped at the voice. All three of them looked over at the mirror that led to Savanaclaw and there Leona was, leaning up against it, watching them all with keen eyes. Yuu scowled at him too, really not in the mood for anything in the moment other than a date with their own bed in their own dorm. They certainly weren’t in the mood to put up with Ruggie and Leona’s troublemaking.

“What’s with that look, little minx?” Leona asked, smirking. He uncrossed his arms and made his way over to them, “Not happy to see me?”

“Nope.”

“Someone’s feeling feisty today,” he teased, throwing an arm over Yuu’s shoulder and beginning to lead them towards the Savanaclaw mirror. Yuu glowered at him but otherwise didn’t protest. They’d never admit it out loud, but his lazy desert scent was a balm to them after the day’s maddening confusion. Leona chuffed when Yuu leaned further into his hold despite their grumblings, but when he leaned closer his amusement quickly turned into a scowl. “You smell like that cephalo–bastard.”

Yuu grabbed the lapel of their school blazer and sniffed it, brows furrowed in confusion. “I do?”

“An alpha can always tell when his omega has been spending time with another alpha,” Leona said wisely.

Yuu scowled at him again, fighting the temptation to give him a good slap in the stomach. “Leona,” they snapped. “We’re still outside, don’t say that when someone could overhear!” But Leona grinned at them again as he led their group through the Savanaclaw mirror.

While Yuu did not come by Savanaclaw nearly as often as they hung out at Heartslabyul, they were still a pretty frequent face around here especially since students seldom went to other dorms uninvited. But unlike Heartslabyul where it’s students recognized Riddle’s ironclad rule, Savanaclaw was a bit different.

No one dared challenge Leona outright as they all knew they’d lose, but that didn’t mean that the pecking order wasn’t constantly in flux. Yuu had been reassured by Ruggie that this was fairly normal and that as long as you kept on your toes nothing no one would be able to usurp your position in the pack hierarchy. They all seemed pretty nonchalant about the whole thing, even no-nonsense Jack, so Yuu just accepted it as a weird cultural difference even though the entire thing sounded stressful as hell to put up with. Is that why Leona is constantly sleeping?

For Yuu though, a random outsider who seemed to have somehow won the loyalty and protection of their house leadership core, things were a little strange. It wasn’t like Heartslabyul where Yuu was greeted kindly by all the students there and had come to be on rather friendly terms with several of them. In Savanaclaw, the respect Yuu received only went as far as the respect they had for Leona. Should Yuu ever fall out of favor with him or should Leona ever be dethroned, all that would disappear in the blink of an eye. The respect Yuu got at Savanaclaw wasn’t one that they had earned themself so it was tenuous at best. And it created a weird sort of tense atmosphere that Yuu didn’t particularly like to be around. Which was why they preferred to meet up with their Savanaclaw friends outside.

Still, it wasn’t all bad. The students here might not be all that open and friendly but Yuu had gotten to know a few of them outside of the dorm too, usually from classes. And in Leona’s room there was no one around to stare at them like prey.

“So you wanna tell me what exactly happened, minx?” Leona said once he had finally plopped himself down on the bed.

Ruggie eagerly stole the only chair in the entire room while Jack went to lean by the wall. Yuu didn’t even debate before climbing into the bed as well and stealing one of Leona’s very soft and luxurious pillows (must be duck down or something, silver-spoon bastard) and clutching it for comfort.

“Not much to explain,” Yuu muttered into the pillow. “My three idiots made a deal with Azul, along with like a quarter of the student body or something, and are now stuck in eternal servitude to Octavinelle. Basically what I texted Ruggie earlier.”

“Can’t say I’m too surprised,” Leona muttered, coming up behind them as he started mindlessly playing with a lock of their hair. “Azul is a ruthless bastard, alright. The best way to deal with him is just to not deal with him altogether.” A tugged a lock and made a noise of interest, “Your hair is getting long, kitten.”

“You’re one to talk.”

He huffed with laughter and then started pulling and separating strands of their hair before expertly beginning to braid them. The gentle and repetitive motion was soothing and reminding Yuu of being a child again.

“It just rubs me the wrong way,” Jack said. “Why would anyone take such a cheap way out? And the people enabling that behavior are even worse.”

Ruggie cackled at that as he shot Jack a sly look, head on his arms over the back of the chair. “That’s the problem with people like you. Too honorable. While I wouldn’t be caught dead dealing with those crooks, it's obvious why so many people flocked to them this year as they did.”

“Of course you’d think ‘too honorable’ was a bad thing, you sneaky little hyena,” Yuu shot cheekily at the beta, and he chuckled in response.

“At least I’m not a nosy busy-body human,” he easily shot back.

Yuu huffed in dramatized offense. “I am not!”

“Please,” Leona muttered from behind them, somewhat exasperated. “We all already know that you’re going to get involved in this even though it isn’t your mess to sort out. It’s a wonder how Rosehearts hasn’t put a leash on you.”

Yuu sputtered, going red in the face, but not daring to turn around when Leona still held several locks of their hair hostage. “That’s not- Riddle would never-! I-” They couldn’t help but trip over their words as the ridiculous image of Riddle holding a leash linking to them popped up uninvited into their mind. Nope. Absolutely not. They were not going to think about that ever again. “Also, you’re just assuming that I’m going to get involved.”

Leona and Ruggie looked at each other and then the two burst out into laughter which made Yuu’s face burn even hotter.

“Is that right? Well then prove me wrong, little minx,” Leona jeered. “Tell me that you’re going to have nothing to do with that cephalo-bastard.” He stopped talking, waiting in smug silence. His fingers even paused in the middle of their braiding.

Yuu wanted to open their mouth and tell him exactly how they weren’t going to get involved, just to prove the smug bastard wrong. But the words wouldn’t come to them. And as the seconds grew longer Ruggie’s muffled cackling could be heard growing in intensity. Finally Yuu snapped hotly, “Alright, fine. I’m a busy-body. But I can’t just leave my friends out to dry. I have to try to do something .”

Leona hummed in satisfaction, continuing his skillful braiding.

“No you don’t,” he said. “But I know you’re going to anyway. And I also have to assume you haven’t told Rosehearts about any of this?” Was it just Yuu’s imagination, or was there a hint of smugness as he asked this?

“I… Haven’t,” Yuu replied with a sigh. “He’s got enough on his hands with end of the semester Housewarden duties. I don’t need to burden him with anything else. Especially not after everything he’s already done to help me.” They thought of the entire spelldrive debacle, constantly helping them prep for exams, being there to talk to Yuu about omega-related things they use to only be able to talk about with their dad, and just genuinely always being there for them… He deserved a break from the craziness that seemed to stalk Yuu like a poltergeist.

Leona finally finished with the last of the braids he was working on, tying them off with some rubber ties and beads. Then he said, “It’s probably for the best. I’m honestly surprised he even let you be there when you nosy bastards confronted us during the inter-dorms knowing you were an omega already; especially considering how strict and protective the Queendom of Roses is of it’s omegan population. Would’ve thought for sure he’d have locked you up in a tower or something.”

Yuu scowled at him, “Riddle isn’t like that. He’s protective, but he doesn’t deny me my agency.”

He only shrugged in response. “I’m just pointing out what I know about their country. Too conservative in my opinion, unlike the Sunset Savana.”

“And what about you then?” Yuu asked. “Are you going to try and stop me from confronting Azul?”

Leona grinned widely at them, suddenly leaning up close so their noses were almost touching, and purred, “Kitten, if you want me to put a leash on you, you only need to ask. But I’ll do it only when you ask me to.”

“I’m leaving,” Jack said in a tight embarrassed voice and Yuu could hear the door to Leona’s room hastily open and close. Meanwhile, Ruggie was back to cackling again.

Cheeks still red, Yuu pushed Leona’s face away from theirs, and leaned away for some much needed space. Sometimes Leona’s flirting was really just too much for them to handle and they weren’t sure how to deal with the excited butterflies that bloomed to life in their stomach when he said stuff like that.

Yuu coughed, “A-anyway. If you won’t stop me then… Let’s brainstorm some solutions.”

~*~

Since they got their exams back on Friday, this meant that it was supposed to be another movie night. But for obvious reasons, things likely weren’t going to go ahead as planned. When Yuu had finally gotten around to returning Cater’s call, that had apparently been what he had wanted to ask them about. He apparently wanted to try out a new restaurant but needed to know early enough if there was enough interest to put in the order. Unsurprisingly, when Yuu didn’t answer he went ahead and put the order in anyway.

They had quickly filled him in on what they heard in the Mostro Lounge and what was happening with one-brain-cell-trio (carefully leaving out the parts where they themself had been involved – Cater would no doubt bring that information directly to Riddle). Cater had found the entire situation hilarious and said that they should have lunch at Mostro Lounge just to get a few pictures of the boys for Magicam. Yuu was fairly quick to shoot down that idea. Cater still agreed to drop by so they could see what they could salvage of the night.

Yuu did take half an hour to drop by the Headmaster’s office, just to see if they couldn’t convince Crowley to do something about the entire thing. To their surprise though, Crowley actually seemed nervous when they asked him about it.

“Unfortunately, Yuu, he hasn’t actually done anything against school rules and well,” Crowley bumbled out as he ran around his shockingly messy office. So apparently the man could be busy and wasn’t immune to the chaos of end-of-term. “Mr. Ashengrotto is a very industrious and persuasive young man! And how could a proud Headmaster, such as I, act to discourage such independence! It just wouldn’t do!”

Yuu shot him a deadpan stare. “So you mean he bribed you or blackmailed you into staying out of his business.”

Crowley tutted his tongue at them. “Such barbed words from my beloved student! You wound me so, precious Yuu! I care for the wellbeing and achievements of all my cute students! But… Yes. Mr. Ashengrotto has convinced me to not meddle in his affairs. It wasn’t nearly so bad last year but I suppose he has expanded his business this semester. If I’d known…” He sighed dramatically, “Well, it’s out of my hands at this point. I am terribly sorry, Yuu.”

He didn’t sound particularly sorry at all.

After that, Yuu once again tried to prod the man into telling them anything about his progress in sending them back to their home world and Crowley quickly started spouting off a bunch of different things he was very busy with. Apparently he had an important excursion (read: vacation) to the summer-y islands down south he needed to finish prepping for so he hurried Yuu out before they could get another word in, practically shutting the door in their face.

By the end of what had turned out to be a very long day, Yuu finally made it back to Ramshackle. The ghosts had apparently let Cater in and he was already seated in the living room.

With two familiar faces.

“Eh? Trey? Riddle?” Yuu asked, shocked when they saw the beta and the alpha sitting in the middle of the Ramshackle common room. Yuu had seen both of them at their dorm before but always separately; this was the first time they were here in this room together.

“I like what you’ve done with the place,” Riddle said, gesturing to the no-longer peeling wallpaper and the clean and well furnished rooms.

“Thanks?” Yuu said, not meaning to phrase it as a question, but they were honestly in a shock. There were probably too many surprises for them today than was probably good for their health. “But uh… Not that I’m not happy to see you both but why are you here?”

Riddle huffed, cheeks turning red. “We can’t come visit you? Even after I let you come over to my dorm whenever you please?”

Trey just chuckled and gently nudged the alpha with his shoulder, “What he means, Yuu, is that we missed you and haven’t seen you around much lately. Cater mentioned some plans for a movie night falling through and thought to invite us.” He gave them a sad look that was totally unfair on Trey’s normally warm and welcoming face, “We can leave if you want us to…”

“No!” Yuu hastily said. “Not at all. Please, stay. I missed you guys too.” They did. They really missed them even though they saw Trey and Riddle basically every morning before classes. But it just wasn’t the same as spending time and hanging out.

They quickly put their things away and rushed back down to the common room where Cater, who was familiar with movie night traditions, had already told Trey and Riddle how to help set up the blankets. Yuu paused on the staircase when coming down just taking the scene in. Something about seeing Trey and Riddle safely tucked away in blankets within the walls of Ramshackle made something satisfied settle within them. When Trey looked up and met their eyes and winked, Yuu flusteredly resumed back down the stairs to join them.

“Thank god for no oldies!” Cater cried out in relief. Yuu just chuckled because the beta really just didn’t have any patience for older black and white films.

Yuu pulled out the Ace’s projector they now always kept on the bookshelf in the hallway and quickly set it up. Then they all passed out the food that Cater had ordered in (the special dish he apparently needed to order hours ahead was apparently a huge platter of sushi and sashimi, straight from a restaurant in the Coral Sea) and then got comfortable amidst all the pillows and blankets they’d laid out. Yuu somehow ended up smooshed between Trey and Riddle as they talked over them about Housewarden duties they needed to finish up.

“Aren’t you guys super busy?” Yuu asked, looking up at Trey worriedly.

“We are,” he replied with a gentle smile. “But it’s important to find time for friends too.”

Riddle grabbed one of Yuu’s hands and intertwined their fingers and Yuu fought the urge to purr at the gesture. “You should know best, Yuu. Weren’t you the one to help me realize that?”

Yuu laughed and squeezed his hand back, watching in delight as Riddle’s cheeks flared up pink, “I suppose I did. I just get worried about you sometimes. You work so hard.” Yuu frowned and thought of all the stuff these two would have to do to make up for tonight's lost hours.

Darkness suddenly covered their vision and Yuu made a startled noise when they realized that Trey had sneakily shoved his fedora onto their head. They shoved it back and pouted up at the laughing beta.

“Don’t worry about it, Yuu,” he gently teased. “We didn’t come over to make you anxious. We came over to enjoy some time with you.”

“And to celebrate the end of the semester!” Cater exclaimed. “And we are watching nothing but Schoenheit movies tonight!”

Riddle snapped at the beta about raising his voice but Cater’s infectious upbeat personality was not to be beat as he excitedly started putting on the movie he had picked. Yuu couldn’t help but smile at the entire exchange. They really had missed this.

“So… What exactly happened with the idiot trio?” Riddle asked with a dry voice. “Cater gave us the details but I’m still a little lost…”

Yuu fought to keep the grimace off their face. This awful day was turning out to have a rather nice ending and surely telling Riddle would ruin the mood. He was looking more relaxed than they’d seen him in weeks with the craziness of the semester’s end taking its toll on everyone – especially the Housewardens. Not to mention, the poor alpha was probably worried about how he was going to be able to confront his mother in less than two weeks. Would it be right to pile even more onto his plate? Even if Riddle would likely insist that he wanted them to tell him.

And of course, Leona’s words about Riddle leashing them suddenly popped into their mind uninvited again. They knew that he wouldn’t but still…

“It’s…” Yuu began, and then finally made up their mind. “It’s not important. Those three made a dumb deal with Azul Ashengrotto and are paying the price for it. Deuce texted me to let me know that Grim would be home late tonight. But it’s no big deal.”

Riddle scowled at the mention of Azul, “You’d think those three would learn one of these days.

Yuu laughed nervously, feeling somewhat guilty for their white lie, “Yeah…”

“Well, that’s that then,” the alpha huffed. “As long as they stop dragging you into their messes I’ll just let the consequences of their own actions teach them.”

“Yeah…”

Thankfully, the movie started to play then and Yuu was given a distraction from their guilty conscience and thoughts. They told themself that it was better this way. Riddle already had too many things to worry about and Yuu was perfectly capable of handling it on their own. And it wasn’t as if they didn’t have any help available to them. Leona and Ruggie would probably be willing to assist if push came to shove and Jack had proven himself again and again to be a very reliable friend.

“Wow, he oozed so much confidence and fashion sense even back then,” Cater sighed as the villain of the movie finally came onto screen.

Yuu blinked in surprise.

“Eh? Isn’t that Vil?”

It had to be. It must be. That was the same gorgeous facial proportions, perfect skin, platinum hair that faded into a gorgeous shade of lavender, and those startling purple eyes. He was younger, yes, but that was 100% Jack’s friend Vil. No wonder the guy had like five million followers on Magicam. He was an actual celebrity apparently.

“Isn’t he amazing?” Cater sighed in admiration. “Did you know he actually goes here, Yuu? He’s actually the Housewarden of Pomefiore.”

Yuu laughed, “Yeah I know. I ran into him and Jack out jogging the other day.”

Cater looked over at them with a raised eyebrow. “Jack? As in alpha freshmen Jack Howl who sometimes joins us for movie nights?”

“The one and only. Jack called Vil a friend and Vil didn’t correct him.”

“Oh wow, I wonder how that happened,” Cater said with an impressed whistle. “I’m totally jealous. I’d love to be friends with the Vil Schoenheit. Part of me was always so sad that the magic mirror didn’t put in Pomefiore. Sorry, boss,” he added with a wink at Riddle who just shook his head. “But yeah. I’d sell my firstborn for a follow request from him on Magicam.”

“If you’d like, I can ask if you can join us for a morning jog once in a while,” Yuu suggested.

Cater just shot them a confused look, “What do you mean, sweetheart?”

“Jack and Vil invited me to join them once in a while on their morning jogs,” they explained. “He added me on Magicam so I can ask him for you if you’d like.”

Cater just stared at them

Unnerved, Yuu quickly pulled their phone out and flipped over to their Magicam tab and opened it up. Sure enough, there in Yuu’s dms was a short conversation between them and @VilScho about jogging. Vil had also asked for a photo of the jacket Lilia had lent them and Yuu had sent it. Cater’s eyes bulged.

“WHAT?!”

“Cater if you do not lower your voice I am going to have your head,” Riddle hissed angrily, but Cater was no longer paying any attention to anything but Yuu’s phone.

“Oh my god! How did you do this! Where is Jack? I demand to know how he became friends with Vil Schoenheit! How dare he not show up to movie night tonight!”

Movie night ended up being very loud despite the fact that Ace, Deuce, and Grim were not present but, honestly, Yuu wouldn’t have had it any other way. And after such a trying day, it felt nice to finally be able to be with their friends again. They all eventually fell asleep in Ramshackle’s common room, with Yuu comfortably pressed between Riddle and Trey, one hand interlocked with Riddle’s the entire night.

~*~

Another doodle of Yuu I did while practicing my Chinese lol

 

Notes:

I haven't read any vignettes of Cater and Vil interacting so idk if they do or how their canoncial relationship is. I just know that Cater deeply admires Vil. So correct me if I'm very off in their dynamics lol.

This arc is starting off a lot slower than I was anticipating. Hopefully things will get ramped up soon. But of course, it's always a balance of having the school slice-of-life and the chaos of canon. I'm not sure if I always succeed in striking that balance but I try. Once again I hope you enjoyed <3

Chapter 13

Notes:

HAPPY ONE MONTH-A-VERSARY!! I can't believe we've come this far and almost at 100k too ;_;

Thank you for all my new readers and thank you to all the ones who've been with me this entire time. Your comments and support have given me the motivation to keep writing every day after having writer's block for literally an entire year. ❤

“Uh… Deuce, are you okay?”

Deuce jerked up at the sound of Yuu’s voice, looking back and forth confused before seeming to remember where he was. He sighed and rubbed a hand across his face. He looked utterly exhausted and miserable.

The two of them were gathered in the Ramshackle common room, sitting on the dining table that Crowley had finally gotten around to ordering for the dorm last week. It arrived this morning and Yuu was having trouble trying to get the giant thing into the building by themself, especially without magic. Thankfully, Ace and Deuce overheard their troubles and offered to help out despite being exhausted by their shifts over at the Mostro Lounge.

Yuu’s fury at the three of them practically cheating (while it wasn’t technically cheating, they had no doubt that had Azul offered cheat material the trio would’ve still signed it in a heartbeat) had faded pretty quick upon seeing the exhaustion in their eyes. Grim had been whining miserably all weekend long and his usual soothing unpresented scent was buried under an overwhelming smell of soap. When pressed, he just said that he’d broken so many plates that the Leech twins had assigned him to “dishwashing” duty.

Yuu was struggling to figure out how the smell of soap could so deeply penetrate into his fur if he was simply washing dishes. They were reminded of how Grim had gotten sick a few months ago after being fully submerged in water. The fact that the little monster seemed to be sneezing more than usual was setting every alarm bell off in Yuu’s head.

So while Grim was upstairs resting his break away (he even seemed less enthused about tuna this morning), Yuu was downstairs with Deuce waiting for Ace to return with breakfast from the cafeteria (to christen the new table of course). Yuu had insisted on getting it themself, but Ace just waved them off spouting some bs about his alpha honor. Normally Yuu would’ve pressed, but Ace looked so tired and grumpy and so unlike his usual upbeat self that they didn’t want to argue back. So off Ace went.

Meanwhile, Deuce was practically dead on his feet, literally falling asleep right there at Yuu’s brand new dining table until they gently shook him awake.

“I’m sorry,” he muttered tiredly. “I’m just… Ugh.” He groaned and held his face in his hands, “I don’t know how much more of this I can take. The Leech twins are killing us.”

Yuu patted him on the back, feeling sympathetic (but less so than they would’ve if he hadn’t basically brought this upon himself), “At least it’s almost break. You’ll get a few weeks off and we can try to figure something out in the meantime.”

“That’s just it though,” Deuce said. He pulled his head out and looked right at Yuu and they were struck by the deep misery there. It had only been two days, how could it be so badly affecting them already? “Ashengrotto said that we have to stay during break to work the lounge! And I have to do this until I graduate? Did you talk to the Headmaster? What did he say?”

Yuu flinched back, and shook their head, “He was about as useful as he usually is. Says he can’t do anything. I’m pretty sure Azul has something on him.”

“Great.” Deuce’s head fell onto the table again, very dramatically, and Yuu fought back the urge to scold him for abusing their brand new table. The alpha sighed with deep melancholy, “Ah well. I was really looking forward to vacation. Like really looking forward to it. I know I told you before that I want to start being a good student but… Sometimes I don’t think I’m cut out for school…” There was a note of shame in his voice.

“That’s not true,” Yuu said, placing a hand on his shoulder. “I’ve seen how hard you try, though – it isn’t great when you try to take short cuts of course.”

Deuce looked up at them and chuckled, “We got ourselves into a real mess this time, didn’t we? I’m sorry we’re always dragging you into our messes, Yuu.”

Yuu couldn’t help the crinkling at the corner of their eyes, “I don’t know if you guys would be you guys if you didn’t.” They squeezed his shoulder reassuringly.

Deuce folded his arms beneath his chin and sighed again. It was kind of upsetting to watch him look so down. Deuce wasn’t as prone to smiling or loudness as Ace and Grim were, but he had his own sort of high energy that they just weren’t sensing at the moment. He seemed utterly drained.

“I’m going to have to tell Mom I’m sorry for not being able to visit,” Deuce muttered.

Oh right. His mother. Yuu had forgotten about that. They knew that Deuce was very close to her and felt a lot of responsibility when it came to her. They wondered when the last time he had spent so long away from her and asked him as such.

“Never this long,” he replied. “Night Raven is the first boarding school I’ve ever been to.”

Yuu frowned. If he stayed over for winter break, it’ll have almost been a year the next time he gets to see her. Yuu themself was already desperately missing their parents but was already used to being away from home for months at a time. That first semester after high school was probably the hardest when they started dorming. But even then, they visited home for Christmas and stuff.

“Phone?” They asked and Deuce shook his head.

“I told you before, she’s terrible with technology,” he explained. “She’s an old fashioned lady. That’s part of the reason why I wanted to show her some of the movies we’ve watched this semester. I know she’d like them if she gave it a chance.”

Yuu laughed, “Knowing you, if you’re anything like your mother, she’s probably a romantic at heart.”

Deuce blushed prettily and glanced away, practically hiding his face in his arms so that the spade over his left eye was hidden, muttering about how he wasn’t a romantic, but Yuu knew better. The way he and Ace chittered on and on about those old romances?

Thankfully, Deuce was saved from any further embarrassment by the arrival of Ace and breakfast. The redhead looked tired but triumphant, holding up his catch: blueberry pancakes that filled the entire dorm with its mouth watering aroma. These sweet-toothed Heartslabyul boys were a terrible influence for Yuu’s oral hygiene. What was so wrong with a nice steaming bowl of rice and some fish?

As they ate and talked, Yuu grew silent and simply watched the two alphas converse. Any attempt to summon the anger they had felt the other day was met with it quickly fizzling out and instead all Yuu felt was worry.

Well that wasn’t entirely true. There was anger there still, but it was no longer directed at Ace and Deuce and Grim. But what could they realistically do to help out aside from making a deal with Azul? Yuu didn’t think there was anything they had to offer at any rate that would make the scheming alpha release all the people he’d tricked into his service.

Yuu sighed loudly and ignored the strange looks the two alphas shot them.

Ruggie was right. Yuu really couldn’t mind their own business could they?

~*~

With finals all finished up, the last week and a half of the semester was spent on makeup work and any other things students and professors alike needed to accomplish before the break. Because of this, a lot of clubs held meetings during this period of time to discuss plans over break and the like. Yuu found out that Ace was actually on the basketball club this way when they asked him why he wasn’t going in for his normally scheduled shift at the Mostro Lounge.

Apparently Floyd Leech was a member of the school basketball team (a sport not popular enough in this world to justify a unique team for each dorm like spelldrive was), and Ace had received special permission to attend their meeting instead. Deuce, who was a part of track and field with Jack, was a little less fortunate in this regard – something which left the alpha even more depressed than usual.

As an unofficial member of the art club (their hours just didn’t mesh with Yuu’s chaotic schedule unfortunately), Yuu did manage to join up with them Monday morning; all of them gathered in a circle out in the courtyard, with some folks lounging on towels. Since most students were going home for vacation, they were discussing maybe having everyone do one or two themed assignments to bring back and share next semester. For students that were staying on campus (while the art club was fairly small, there were still enough people for Yuu to notice a strange trend of Scarabia students intending to stay over break), the club leader was trying to arrange a group hike with the Mountain Loving club to do some naturescapes.

The scent of tea, brine, and black licorice hit Yuu’s nose and they realized with alarm that the founder of the Mountain Loving club was none other than Jade Leech himself, who introduced himself to the group magnanimously. Yuu wasn’t sure if his infamous reputation was simply something known better among the leader core of the school or what, but none of the other students in the art club seemed to be as on guard as Yuu was in his presence. In fact, Jade Leech was very open and accommodating as students asked him questions and made suggestions and everyone seemed to like him just fine.

Yuu was, despite their initial trepidation, finding themself becoming engrossed in Jade’s detailed descriptions of various hikes that he’d been on that would provide excellent scenery to paint. The giant alpha was terrifying yes but seeing him like this, still subdued but his passion evident in his every word and gesture, it was hard to keep seeing him as just Azul’s intimidating henchman. The Mountain Loving club was even smaller than the art club, boasting less than 10 members, so they left most of the talking to the founder.

With decisions finalized (anyone who wished to attend would meet up at a hiking trail Jade had suggested) club members either began to mingle or disperse. Yuu planned to quietly make their way out but realized that they had caught Jade Leech’s attention. He smiled pleasantly at them and Yuu sighed.

“Good morning, Prefect,” Jade greeted as he approached. “I wasn’t aware that you were a part of the art club. We meet with them every so often so I was surprised to see your face here today.”

Yuu took him in, body tensing in preparation for anything, but it was ultimately unnecessary. They couldn’t pick up any ill intent on him nor did he seem to be using his height or gaze for intimidation as they were used to being displayed by the Leech twins. So Yuu just shrugged and answered, “I’m not actually a member. Painting seemed fun so I decided to try it out… Is there something I can help you with, Mr. Leech?”

“Just Jade is acceptable,” he replied with a closed eyed smile. “I understand that we may have gotten off on the wrong foot, but as leaders of our respective dorms I feel that we should try to get on. So I apologize if I’ve offended you in any way, Prefect Yuu.”

Yuu couldn’t tell if he was being sincere or not. And not to mention Ramshackle wasn’t exactly a bustling dorm, so implying that Yuu had a place amongst the other Housewardens and Vice Housewardens was a little laughable. It seemed rude to point that out though.

“I’m mostly unhappy with your boss,” Yuu said dryly.

Jade chuckled, holding a hand up to his lips, giving Yuu a little peak of his sharp teeth, “Ah. Yes… I had heard that you stormed out of the VIP room rather upset the other day. If that’s the case, then I must also apologize on behalf of Octavinelle as a whole.”

“That’s not really something you can do though, is it?” Yuu asked. “I can’t just accept your apology, especially since the damage is still being done which-” They narrowed their eyes at him quickly, “I actually do have a bone to pick with you.”

His grin widened, “You do? Please. I’m all ears, Prefect.”

“Grim is a fire monster,” they said sternly. “He gets sick when submerged fully in water. And he’s been coming home smelling of soap and sneezing. This entire situation is already sick enough already and I won’t sit back while you abuse my friend.”

To Yuu surprise Jade dipped his head in acknowledgement, “That’s understandable. I hadn’t been made aware of Mr. Grim’s physiological limits. I’ll be sure that he is no longer placed on dishwashing duty.”

Yuu had opened their mouth with the intent to argue back but found it hanging open uselessly until they snapped it closed again. That was… Shockingly agreeable. Azul’s comment about Jade being more couthed than his brother rang in their ears. At a loss for words, Yuu just sort of stared at the large alpha silently and the corners of Jade’s eyes crinkled.

“I do want for us to get along,” he said, his smile falling just a bit.

“I don’t think that’s going to be possible with everything going on in your dorm,” Yuu replied without missing a beat. “What you guys are doing… It’s wrong. I don’t know if it’s that you can’t see it or if you just don’t care, but you’re hurting people needlessly.” Deuce’s sad smile and Ace’s exhausted face from yesterday came to mind.

Jade hummed thoughtfully, “I see the rumors were right then. You have a very generous heart, Prefect.”

Yuu took in a small breath of surprise, furrowing their brows up at the alpha.

“I find that those with generous hearts,” Jade continued. “Often find themselves being in positions to be taken advantage of. And yet, you also strike me as someone who is cautious when making decisions.”

Yuu narrowed their eyes at him, “I’m not sure if you’re trying to complement me or insult me.”

“Neither, Prefect,” he said with another closed eyed smile. “I’m merely stating a general observation. But perhaps you’d like a word of advice?”

“... What will it cost me?”

Jade’s eyes opened, his single golden iris flashing at them. And for the first time since this conversation began, Yuu felt a chill go up their spine and a sense of danger rose up within them.

“I’m not Azul, so nothing,” he said. “And speaking of Azul, I’ve heard him express interest in opening a second location recently. Doing so would bring in a lot more revenue. Knowing him, he’d be willing to part with quite a bit to get his hands on such a location…”

Yuu’s mind was spinning. What was Jade talking about? A second location? His tone was pointed but flippant at the same time, and it was obvious to anyone listening that he was trying to insinuate something. So what then? And why?

Why would Jade Leech try to help them?

Or pretend to anyway , Yuu thought darkly.

“It’s just a thought,” Jade said. “Anyway, I must be wrapping up here. Floyd will get into one of his moods if I don’t make it back to the Lounge in time to help him out.” His expression seemed to get annoyed at that. So even terrifying mafia-esque hench folk could get annoyed with their siblings? Good to know. Jade looked back down at Yuu, a courteous smile returning to his face, “I hope to see you for the hike then this break?”

“Sure…” Yuu answered slowly because they weren’t sure what else to say.

Jade nodded his head in acknowledgement again and then began walking away. Club members, art and mountain loving alike, waved their goodbyes to him. It seemed that no one had overheard their conversation. Or if they had, no one made any outward show of it.

Whatever Jade Leech’s intentions were though, he had certainly given Yuu a lot to think about.

~*~

“That sounds 100% like a trap!” Ace exclaimed.

“That’s what Jack said too,” Yuu said, hissing as they stretched their very very sore legs.

They’d finally gotten around to jogging with Jack and Vil Tuesday morning and it had been even worse than Yuu had expected. Not only did these two insane people apparently do five laps around the main campus (starting at dawn mind you), but they were also two extremely tall people. Yuu, with their less than 6 foot height and practically dwarf legs by comparison, struggled immensely in keeping up with the two.

And by the end of the journey, Yuu looked like a melting ice cream cone some poor kid had dropped on the pavement on a hot summer’s day; meanwhile, Vil still somehow looked like he’d just walked off the set of a hair commercial. Yuu’s only saving grace was that Jack looked somewhere between the two opposite ends of the spectrum, though even he seemed only winded whereas Yuu had practically been coughing out their lungs.

Vil had been sweet about it though, surprisingly, not commenting when Yuu needed to take several breaks along the way. Yuu had expected, based on his rather sharp and buffer-less manner towards Jack, that he’d be just as critical of Yuu. But he’d been surprisingly nice and Yuu had to wonder if it was because he didn’t want to scare off one of Jack’s few friends. Not that Yuu would let a couple of mean words and prickly attitudes chase them away. Jack was stuck with them one way or another. It was still sweet though.

Regardless, it wasn’t an activity Yuu was planning on doing any time in the near future. Especially since they had to ask Trey to get up before dawn to cast his spell on them (which was the main reason Yuu had almost declined the jogging invitation). They had felt like they were made of putty the entire walk back to Ramshackle with Jack.

When they’d told the beastman what Jade had mentioned to them, like Ace, he had immediately said that it was a trap. Yuu had figured as much.

After Jack left them (he mentioned something about cacti?), Yuu decided to stretch out their worn out muscles, internally apologizing for neglecting to exercise for so long. Ace had come in around that time and that’s when Yuu told him what they’d known.

“Don’t get me wrong, Yuu,” Ace said. “I’d be stoked if you could actually do something about this, but I know better than anyone how crafty that bastard is. Who knows what he wants from you.”

Yuu had figured it out by this point.

“Ramshackle,” they said blandly. “Azul thinks he can open a second Lounge location here or something. For obvious reasons I can’t just give up the dorm.” Not just because it was their home as of the last several months and the perceivable future, but Yuu didn’t have anywhere else far enough away from other people to keep the fact that they were an omega secret. Staying in Riddle and Leona’s rooms for a handful of days was one thing, but hardly a sustainable one. Especially not with winter break about to start.

“Alright, so there’s nothing you can do then,” Ace said, shrugging. Despite his nonchalant attitude though, Yuu could still hear a note of disappointment in his voice.

“Not necessarily,” Yuu replied. “I’m not going to give up Ramshackle, but that doesn’t change the fact that I have something Azul wants. This means I have something to bargain with. And that’s more than anyone else, even Crowley, has to offer.”

“That sounds… Risky,” Ace said with a tone of trepidation. “Like this is coming from me, Yuu. Have you talked to Riddle about this?”

Yuu groaned, “If even you’re trying to discourage me, how do you think Riddle is going to react?”

“You have a point,” he muttered. “But I still don’t like this-”

It was then that the front door burst open and in came Deuce closely followed by none other than Jade Leech himself.

Yuu and Ace both stood up from their chairs abruptly, startled at the sudden noise and on guard at the sight of one of the Leech brothers. And then Yuu saw the pitiful little figure limp in Deuce’s arms.

“Grim!” They gasped and rushed forward to pull the sopping wet feline into their own arms. The scent of soap hit them so hard that Yuu nearly gagged. “What happened!”

“That would be my fault,” Jade said apologetically. “I was running errands for Azul this morning and neglected to inform my brother of what you had told me yesterday.” Yuu’s eyes shot to his mismatched ones, glaring and searching for any sign of deceit. But his face was a blank canvas, giving nothing away.  “From what the students told me, Floyd may have gotten a little over eager and your charge ended up… Well, you can see for yourself.”

“Grim?” Yuu asked, gently petting the monster on his head, careful to pet around the anemone still wiggling around there.

“Yuu-” Grim began to whine pathetically before it was cut off by a bone-rattling sneeze that shook his little body like a ragdoll. Yuu watched nervously as the fire on his head sputtered slightly with the motion. “I don’t feel very good… Do we have any premium tuna?”

Well… Maybe he was playing it up a bit. But that still didn’t mean he wasn’t clearly going to get sick again or that Yuu wasn’t very nervous about his health. They quickly asked Ace to get some spare towels and the alpha immediately went off, taking two steps at a time up the stairs.

And then Yuu turned onto Jade furiously.

“How could you let this happen!”

Jade just shook his head, “My sincerest apologies, Prefect. It was an oversight on my part.”

“I don’t need your apologies,” Yuu snapped. “This goes way beyond a simple oversight. Can’t you guys just cut it out already? This whole charade is getting ridiculous!”

The tall alpha just shot them a rueful smile and shrugged, “I’ve already told you that I cannot do anything about this, even if I wished to. My loyalty is to Azul and it is his magical prowess that keeps these poor unfortunate souls in line. If you wish to bargain, then you must speak to him.” But even Jade couldn’t completely keep the small tilt to the sides of his lips when he said this, amused glee peeking through the holes of his poker face.

“You’re terrible,” Yuu hissed and Jade’s single golden eye seemed to flash in response.

Ace came back down the stairs, taking way more steps than was probably safe but he got down alright, holding a stack of towels in his arms. Yuu shot one last glare at Jade before turning to Ace and quickly helping him bundle Grim up in towels, trying their best to dry him off. Grim sneezed again, eyes drooping and looking absolutely miserable.

Once he seemed appropriately dry, Yuu stood again and turned back to Jade, mind made up. Trap or not, this could not go on.

“Fine. Take me to Azul.”

~*~

Deuce and Ace insisted on coming with but Yuu told them to wait and watch over Grim and monitor his condition. Upon further prodding Yuu finally relented and allowed Deuce to come along. All the while Jade Leech waited patiently outside of Ramshackle with a smile for them.

Yuu was now once again seated in the middle of Octavinelle’s VIP room. A platter of drinks was placed before them, no sugar donuts this time, but it didn’t escape Yuu’s notice that Deuce had been served tea while they had been served coffee.

I wonder if Azul knows that stalking is hardly the best method of currying favor with someone , Yuu thought to themself blandly.

The front of Deuce’s shirt was still wet from where he had carried Grim all the way to Ramshackle and he was shivering from being in the air conditioned room and already taking hasty sips of his hot tea. Yuu was somewhat chilly themself but wasn’t feeling particularly receptive to their host’s hospitality at the moment and so didn’t touch their own drink.

Though, whoever had done the latte art in the shape of a very cute octopus with the foam was very talented. Yuu might’ve been excited to snap up a picture and post it on magicam (Cater would be so proud) had this been any other occasion.

After several minutes of waiting in tense silence (in the end, despite their protests, Yuu was glad to have a friend here with them) the door finally opened again and in walked Azul, his coat hung from his shoulders and swayed with each step he took. He hardly seemed to acknowledge their presence as he made his way to his desk, the picture of grace and power, this time accompanied by both Leech twins. But unlike the previous occasion, the brothers took their seats across from Yuu. Floyd grinned widely at the sight of Yuu as he sat, arms spread across the back of the coach and his left food balanced on his right knee.

“Shrimpy~ You came back to play with us!”

Jade, who was seated far more gracefully than his brother, chuckled indulgently.  “You’ll have to forgive Floyd. His nicknames are reserved for those he finds interesting and he’s been rather excited to see you again, Prefect.”

“That’s right,” Floyd practically sang. “And next time you should bring Goldfishie too~ Mackerel here is no fun at all.” He seemed to pout as he looked over at Deuce who looked indignant at the title.

“I’m not a mackerel!” Deuce protested while Yuu said at the same time, “I didn’t come here to play. You nearly drowned my cat.”

“Eh? You mean baby seal~?” Floyd chuckled but his eyes had a dangerous glint to them, “Baby seal was making such a fuss though. He was putting me in a bad mood. I thought that maybe a swin would help him cool off~”

Baby seal?

“Grim is a fire monster,” Yuu said sternly. “He can’t be completely submerged in water. It makes him sick.”

Floyd’s smile dropped and morphed into a pout as he crossed his arms. It looked strange on the face of such a large and intimidating alpha. “I didn’t know that,” he practically whined. “But baby seal is just fine, right? We were just having fun~ But if it makes you that upset, little shrimpy, I’ll make sure to squeeze him instead next time~”

Yuu practically bristled at whatever insinuation he was making. They reminded themself of how Floyd seemed to enjoy riling Riddle up that day several months ago, likely to see his reaction. But even knowing that he was taking joy in seeing Yuu flustered and angry, they still couldn’t help feeling worked up at his playful yet threatening tone.

“Floyd, that’s enough,” Azul’s voice cut through the room. The Housewarden gave the twins a stern and meaningful look. No words were exchanged but Yuu sensed that something was communicated there. In the end, Azul turned his attention back to them, not even bothering to acknowledge Deuce. He only had eyes for Yuu. He smiled that smile that Yuu knew better than to trust.

“I’m overjoyed that you’ve decided to return,” Azul said to them. “So tell me, dear Prefect… What can Azul Ashengrotto do for you?” He leaned forward, placing his chin on his folded hands, and gazed straight through them with those piercing ocean-gray eyes.

Yuu licked their lips and considered what they should say. They’d been mulling it over since their conversation with Jade the other morning but even so… It was difficult to gauge how to go about this in a way that wouldn’t give Azul an unfair advantage over them. Not that Yuu was under any assumptions that he wasn’t already – they knew perfectly well that he held practically all the cards. He had what they wanted: releasing the contracts he tricked their friends into making. And while Yuu had Ramshackle, it was hardly something they were willing to lose . Not just for the fact that it had become their home in the months since they’d been displaced into this world, but also the important fact that Yuu had no other place to safely sleep in order to hide the fact that they were an omega.

Yuu really wasn’t cut out for this poker-face negotiation nonsense.

“I want you to release the people you tricked into working for you,” Yuu said.

“A tall order,” Azul replied. “I believe we’ve already discussed that in our previous meeting. There’s nothing you can do to help them.”

Yuu frowned at him, “You said that you could do anything .”

“ Anything within reason,” he corrected with a laugh.

“I hardly see how anything you’ve done has been reasonable,” Yuu snapped and then sighed. They reminded themself not to get emotional and upset. They’d learned this lesson well enough with Leona. The person to first lose their cool would be at an inherent disadvantage. They took a breath and recollected themself. “... Didn’t you say that you had some kind of proposition for me last time I was here?”

For a moment there seemed to be a crack in Azul’s poker face. A brief glimpse of… Anticipation? Excitement? It was gone too fast for Yuu to truly catch what it was. They watched as Azul clicked his tongue, seeming to debate silently with himself for a moment.

“There was… something,” he said slowly, carefully . “But it’s unimportant now. For now, you must understand that if you want something from me, you must be willing to put something on the line. Something of equal value or more to what you desire.”

Or more indeed , Yuu thought sourly.

“... You like games right,” Yuu said carefully. “Games with stakes?”

Azul’s eyes flashed in interest at that. His lips curled up into something a little more genuine, a little more sinister , than before. “I’ve been known to take an interest in gambling.”

“I’m willing to…” Yuu trailed off, wondering if this was the right thing to do. No one else seemed interested in fixing this situation. Headmaster Crowley was even more useless than usual about the issue. They thought of Grim and his pathetic little sneezes and to Deuce and how sad he’d looked when he realized he wasn’t going to see his mother over break. If not Yuu, then who would be willing to help?

“I’m willing to put up Ramshackle as collateral,” Yuu said. Deuce made a choked sound of alarm but Yuu ignored him. “You know perfectly well that I’m not willing to trade it away so you must already have something in mind to get it. So let’s stop wasting time and tell me what you want me to do.”

Azul laughed, and for the first time since they’d met him, it sounded genuine.

“Not the fresh-faced first year then,” he said, almost delighted. “I see my men have had some loose lips recently.” His eyes flickered to Jade who grinned slyly in return. Yuu almost wanted to roll their eyes and tell them to stop pretending as if he hadn’t told Jade exactly what to say. Loose lips their ass.

“So?” Yuu asked.

“Hmm… It’s an interesting proposal,” Azul mused. “And you aren’t wrong. I do have something in mind.”

“Yuu, are you sure about this?” Deuce turned to them with a worried look on his face. “I wouldn’t trust this guy any farther than I could throw him. I mean- Ramshackle? You can’t be serious, Yuu!”

Yuu looked back at him with wide but serious eyes, “I want you to be able to see your mom this winter, Deuce. Headmaster Crowley won’t even help you. If not me then who?”

“But…” Deuce trailed off. He seemed to clench his jaw but his eyes were filled with unspoken emotion.

“As touching as this all is,” Azul’s voice floated to them again. “Would you like to hear my proposal now, Prefect?”

Yuu glared at him but nodded all the same.

“Good,” he said with a pleased grin, the mole beneath his lip flexing upward with the expression. “There is something that I need retrieved within three days. A photograph from the Atlantica Memorial Museum.”

“I’m not going to rob a museum for you!” Yuu immediately shouted incredulously. Wasn’t he just the one mentioning requests ‘within reason’?

Azul just laughed though and shook his head, “No no. You mistake me, Yuu. The photograph I want you to pilfer is hardly a priceless piece of artwork. In fact, you’ll hardly need to walk further in than the entrance of the memorial to find it. I want you to bring me the commemorative photo of Prince Rielle’s visit to the museum ten years ago.”

That… Didn’t sound so bad. But Yuu’s brows still furrowed in confusion. This was too deceptively easy. And why them specifically? Azul could probably get any number of people to do this for him. The Leech brothers would probably do it for free.

“Your expression tells me you have doubts,” Azul chuckled. “Go on, ask your questions, Prefect.”

“I don’t get why you want me to do this,” they said slowly. “You could have anyone run this errand for you.”

“Ah, but where would the fun be in that?” Azul asked and suddenly Floyd and Jade were both chuckling. Yuu glanced between all three of them suspiciously. “You said it yourself- I enjoy a good game with high stakes. Bring me the photograph and I’ll personally see to it that all your little friends, and all the poor unfortunate souls stuck with them, are freed from their contracts. Fail, and Ramshackle is mine to keep.”

Yuu thought about it carefully.

“No,” they replied.

“No?” Azul raised a curious brow at them.

Yuu bit their bottom lip, feeling extremely out of their depth here, but knew that there was really no backing out at this point. “This is still a negotiation right? Despite what you’ve told me, I still don’t trust you. Give me five days to complete the assignment and… Isn’t Atlantica under water?” The name sounded remarkably close to Atlantis which they knew was the capital of the Coral Sea. Was that how Azul was trying to catch them? By sending them to an underwater location they couldn’t survive in? “... I need a way to breathe underwater if it is.”

“But of course,” Azul replied, which surprised Yuu. “The memorial museum is underwater as you have mentioned. I will of course be providing you with the means to travel to such depths. I would never do anything by half measures. As for your request for a longer deadline…” He hummed thoughtfully, but didn’t give an answer immediately.

“Ramshackle is my only home on campus,” Yuu said. “I’d argue that it is worth far more than you are losing. Especially considering the amount of profit you’d generate if you had a location near the school store. I’m already losing out far more than I’m gaining with this.” Which wasn’t entirely true actually. In a material sense, yes, Yuu was giving up much more than they were gaining. But in terms of the relief and happiness they’d be able to bring to hundreds of students and to their beloved friends… That was more than money could buy. And something Azul hopefully wouldn’t consider too highly.

“Very well,” he finally said. “I’ll grant you your request…” Azul paused again, another smile coming onto his face. “On the condition that… We have a toast! To striking a profitable deal and an excellent negotiation!”

Yuu looked down at their untouched latte, which was probably only lukewarm at this point, then back up at Azul. He smiled at them patiently. Yuu sighed. What a self-important asshole. They picked up the cup by its handle and nodded.

“Fine,” Yuu agreed. They held up the cup, “to excellent negotiations.”

Deuce looked down at his own empty cup awkwardly, “Uhh…”

Jade Leech only chuckled and stood, walking to the corner of the room where there was a pot of tea sitting. He came around the table and refilled Deuce’s cup and then to Azul’s desk and poured a fresh cup for him as well. When he retook his seat, Azul lifted his own cup in toast.

“To our contract,” Azul said and brought his cup to his lips.

Yuu lifted their own cup and took a deep long sip of the latte. It was lukewarm as they had expected, but Yuu’s eyes brightened with surprise as the rich creamy flavor of the milky espresso flowed across their tongue, alighting every taste bud. It was possibly the best cafe latte they’ve ever had. Before Yuu knew it, half their cup was drained.

“I see you liked it,” Jade said, chuckling. Yuu set their cup down and looked at him. “I’m more adept at tea brewing myself, but I have been dabbling in espresso recently. I’m glad to see my efforts are not in vain.”

“I made the octopus latte art~” Floyd cheerfully added in, “Isn’t it cute? It reminds me of Az-”

“Ahem.” Azul cleared his throat pointedly, cutting Floyd off. Floyd pouted but didn’t say another word as Azul glared over at him. Yuu glanced between them with confusion but neither of them offered an explanation.

“Anyway, if that’s all taken care of,” Azul continued, setting his own empty cup down. “All that’s left is for you to sign the contract.”

With an elegant flourish of his hand, a golden scroll materialized out of thin air, floating right before Yuu. The room seemed to darken as whatever glowing material it was made of shone with dazzling golden rays. Jade had somehow silently made his way next to Yuu and handed them a feathered quill, already dipped with some sort of shimmering ink.

Yuu took it from him with trepidation, eyes scouring the contract for any sign of deceit. Their mother’s voice rang in their head, telling them to always take the time to hire a lawyer before signing important contracts. Yuu didn’t know where they’d even find a lawyer in this world. And something told them that Azul wouldn’t be so lenient with the terms if they delayed this any longer.

With a heavy sigh, Yuu took the plunge and signed the dotted line at the bottom, watching as their name shone for a moment and the next moment the contract had disappeared. Was this how Chihiro felt when signing away her name to the bathhouse witch?

“Excellent,” Azul practically purred.

Yuu hoped that they had made the right decision.

~*~

Deuce looked guilty the entire way back to the dorm, and no matter how Yuu tried to tell him that he didn’t need to feel that way, that they’d made the decision on their own, it didn’t stop him from looking like a kicked puppy the entire time.

Things only got worse from there.

Sometime later that day, right after the sun had set, Yuu heard a firm but calm knocking on their front door. This was alarming for several reasons.

One, they’d gotten up at dawn to jog so Trey’s spell was probably going to end it’s duration fairly soon.

And two, the scent on the other side of the door was none of Yuu’s friends.

In fact, they’d scented them only earlier that day. Brine and black licorice and the scents of coffee and tea. Jade and Floyd cheerfully smiled down at Yuu when they answered the door. Dread filled every corner of Yuu’s heart.

“What are you two doing here?” They demanded.

“Oh? Whatever do you mean, Prefect Yuu?” Jade asked as Floyd pushed past them into the dorm without even asking. “You have signed over Ramshackle dorm as collateral. As Azul’s right hand men, we are here to collect.”

Yuu’s face paled.

How could they have been so stupid as to have overlooked that?

“Not to worry though,” Jade said, chuckling as he took in their ashened expression. “We wouldn’t be so cruel as to kick you out tonight. Floyd and I are simply taking stock of our most recent acquisition and will be spending the next several days here. I apologize for any inconvenience this is to you.”

“I-” Yuu was cut off by a loud noise from the common room. They whirled around to see that Floyd had collapsed onto the couch with a satisfied exhale.

“Little Shrimpy~ I like your house,” he called to them with a big grin. “We’re going to have a sleepover tonight right?”

Yuu felt flustered. Silly and embarrassed for not foreseeing this outcome. Panicked and upset at not knowing exactly when Trey’s spell would end. They only knew that they needed to get out of here now .

“What’s the matter, Prefect?” Jade asked with faux concern. “Your face has gone from white to red.”

“I-I’m fine,” they managed to choke out. Was it just them or was it getting hot in here? “I- If you two are going to be here, I’m taking Grim and staying somewhere else tonight.” Perhaps they had a much too long day. Between the early morning jog and the shock with Grim and the deal with Azul and now this , Yuu was feeling too lightheaded to be combative.

“Oh? My apologies for making you uncomfortable, Prefect,” Jade said, turquoise brows furrowed. “As I’ve said before, you are still welcome to stay here. But Azul likes to get things done quickly and I’m afraid that Floyd and I will be surveying the dorm for the next several days. I hope you don’t mind terribly.” Once again, he could barely keep the sharp grin off his face as he said this.

Yuu didn’t even have the energy to glare at him anymore. “I do mind but… It’s whatever. Do what you want.”

They rushed up stairs and roused Grim from his sickness-induced slumber. He woke up groggily and sneezed and Yuu apologized to him softly, pulling the feline into their arms.

Yuu quickly got to work, gathering what they would need and sending a quick text off to Ruggie to let Leona know that they needed a place to sleep tonight. They would’ve texted Leona but knowing him he was probably sleeping already. Ruggie responded promptly, not even asking why but telling them to come on over.

Yuu knew that Riddle also would’ve agreed to house them without a second thought, but the idea of having to explain to him how badly they messed up weighed heavily. Maybe Grim’s sickness was contagious because Yuu now wasn’t feeling so great themself either and they weren’t sure if they could handle Riddle’s angry or even disappointed look at the moment.

On second thought, Yuu gathered up all their blankets and pillows and bedsheets and tried their best to stuff them into some bags. They hoped that the Leech twins wouldn’t come into their personal room, but it was better safe than sorry especially when all their bedding smelled undeniably of omega. And then they left the dorm without another world, ignoring Jade and Floyd’s teasing calls. Grim was hardly awake enough to notice the ruckus, and slept fitfully in Yuu’s arms the entire hurried way to Savanaclaw.

Ruggie met them in the Mirror Hall and when he saw how flushed and tired Yuu looked, his grin immediately fell and he helpfully took Grim from their arms.

“Are you okay, Yuu?” He asked.

They shook their head, “I’ll explain inside. I don’t know when Trey’s spell will end.”

Ruggie sniffed their air and shook his head. “Probably soon,” he said grimly. “You smell weird already.”

They rushed on through the mirror that took them to the arid savanna that the dorm build on and hurried to Leona’s room as fast as they could. Leona was already waiting at his door, a stern look on his face. His expression fell further with displeasure when he caught sight of them rushing towards him.

“What happened, minx?” He asked as he held the door open for Ruggie and Yuu. “Why can’t you stay at your dorm?”

Yuu collapsed exhausted onto the bed and held their head in their hands. Maybe they shouldn’t have rushed so fast. They felt dizzy. But they pushed past the feeling to explain everything that had happened that day.

Leona only clicked his tongue, displeased, “I warned you about that cephalo-bastard. He’s probably got something else up his sleeve too.” He padded over and sat down next to Yuu, “So you have five days? I’m sure we can figure something-”

He froze, stopping suddenly in the middle of his sentence. Despite Yuu’s sudden strange exhaustion, they looked up at him with concern, furrowing their brows.

“What’s wrong?”

Leona didn’t answer, he just leaned in closer until his face was practically buried in Yuu’s neck, nose pressed to their scent gland. Even for Leona this was particularly intimate and Yuu sputtered and tried to push his head away but froze when Leona nearly growled at them. After a few seconds, he finally pulled back on his own but when Yuu looked into his cat green eyes, the pupils were dilated and wild.

“Kitten, when were you going to tell me that you were about to go into heat?”

Notes:

For those of you who are new to this fic or have missed out on the memo, I will be writing smut canonical to 'the scent of your heart' but posting it separately. Rating for this fic will not be going up anytime in the future. I'd like to keep this fic sfw for all those folks who don't want to be reading stuff like that lol.

But it is a/b/o for a reason so hopefully that doesn't upset too many folks. I'll admit, I've been back and forth on the decision whether sex was going to occur between the characters (whether on screen or not) since the early chapters, but we've come to a point where I have to make the decision. It's sort of integral to the plot at this point so this is where we've landed.

Hopefully that's okay. I'm been very nervous about this part of the story for sometime, but I have to accept that I'm not going to be able to please everyone so... Thank you for sticking by me through this entire fic so far. I really appreciate all the support <3

And a reminder to please mind the tags. I will be reposting any trigger warnings at the beginning of chapters that I feel require them (all implied sexual encounters in this fic will be completely consensual though!! I can 100% promise that right now despite what I normally write). And please remember to consume fanfiction safely <3

And I hope you all have a lovely day <3

Chapter 14

Notes:

I'm so sorry for the long ass wait you guys. Depression hit me HARD and I haven't really been able to do anything except sleep for the past 2 weeks. I've literally rewrote this chapter FIVE times and just... Ugh. Depression is a fucking bitch. This chapter was meant to be longer but I really just wanted to get out what I had.

IMPORTANT: About halfway through this chapter I've left a note where the smut is supposed to fit in. If you'd like, you can click the link to the series this fic belongs to and direct yourself to the fic 'the scent of your heat' now and save it for when you reach that part of this chapter.

Thank you for all your patience, and I hope the wait was worth it.

“Kitten, when were you going to tell me that you were about to go into heat?”

Yuu threw their hands over the junctions between their neck and shoulder and looked up at Leona with wide bewildered eyes. What did he mean by heat? Surely their heat was still weeks away, even without the intervention of their suppressants.

Leona was teasing them again. There was absolutely no way they were in heat. The mere suggestion was ridiculous.

But Leona wasn’t laughing.

His eyes were practically blown out as he pinned them down with his stare. His ears twitched with agitation and he appeared to be attempting to take shallow breaths with each flare of his nostrils. The heady scent of a swirling dust storm was picking up and suddenly Leona looked every bit the predator he shared biology with as he loomed above Yuu. But he was still as stone, not a single muscle twitching towards their direction.

“T-that’s not possible… My heat isn’t for another…” Yuu began saying, but even these words died on their tongue as another wave of nausea and molten fire ran through their body, setting every nerve alight. It was a sensation they were familiar with but intensified to a degree that left Yuu feeling like they were reeling.

Surely there must be some kind of mistake.

“Yuu… Your scent…” Ruggie, whom they had forgotten was still in the room with them, said quietly.

As the last spells of Trey’s spell left their skin, the cloying sweetness of their true scent returned. The intensity of it hit Yuu unexpectedly, stronger than usual, and they flinched back when a low growl rumbled at the back of Leona’s throat when he scented it as well. Dark chocolate and parchment and the overwhelming sweetness of hyacinths began to fill the space around them.

Yuu knew it wasn’t heat. Not yet. But Yuu could no longer deny the truth right beneath their nose. Every minute that passed their scent was growing in intensity as their body prepared itself for a mating, regardless of its owner’s intentions. Biology at the purest and most primal. Professor Crewel’s question about their plans for their heat rang in their ears. But Ramshackle was no longer safe. Yuu had nowhere to go.

Oh god. And they may never get it back at this rate. The rising discomfort in their body (a spine-chilling wetness that Yuu refused to acknowledge) meant that they would not be in commission for nearly a week. A week spent in agonizing neediness and longing. Yuu hadn’t even had time to look into heat aides for themself yet.

“Breath slowly , Yuu,” a heavy labored voice rumbled near their left ear. Strong hands clasped over Yuu’s shoulders and they saw that Leona, despite looking like he was struggling to maintain composure, was trying to steady them. Yuu hadn’t even realized that they’d started to hyperventilate until his burning presence reminded them of where they were. Leona gazed into Yuu’s eyes with so much intensity that they wanted to shy away, but something inside of them was preening. It felt good to be touched.

Yuu breathed in shakily, attempting to remain calm, but it was a difficult process. This was just as bad as that time – Yuu shivered as they remembered. The panic familiar and unwelcome, but no matter what they did it wouldn’t go away.

“In and out, kitten,” Leona murmured, his thumbs rubbing soothing circles into their shoulders. Yuu latched onto his voice and did as he said.

In.

Out.

In.

Out.

Their mind was still fuzzy from the pre-stages of heat, but Yuu was slowly able to clear their mind and think rationally. They still shivered despite themself and wanted desperately to burrow into Leona’s arms and feel his body heat envelop them wholly. But Leona’s eyes were still dilated and feral and he still held them at arm’s length with an iron grip, refusing to let Yuu get any closer. Yuu both cursed him and thanked him for it.

“You can stay here for your heat,” he slowly said, careful not to breathe too deeply, lest he get another lungfull of Yuu’s beguiling scent. “No one will come in here to bother you. Ruggie will bring you food and water. I’ll sleep somewhere else.” Yuu just stared at him with eyes so wide that he added in a more forceful tone, “ Omega , you will be safe here .”

Yuu couldn’t help the soft whine that escaped them at that. Safe. They would be safe here. Alpha promised. But that wasn’t the only issue. They couldn’t stay here for an entire week. They had five days to get that photograph or they’d lose Ramshackle forever. Five days to win the gamble with the foul-smelling alpha or they’d not only lose their home and only place of comfort, but they’d be unable to save their pack. Their cub was literally panting with sickness mere meters from them.

“What’s the matter, Omega?” Leona asked when Yuu’s eyes teared up.

“I can’t ,” they managed to get out past a sob that had crept up on them. “I can’t have a heat now. It’s too soon. I still have to get the photograph- There’s no nest here. I don’t even have any heat aides!” The panic in their chest was rising again, threatening to overwhelm them. Yuu’s every emotion and hormone was running on high and Yuu felt like they were already spiraling out of control.

Logically Yuu knew that an omega should never start a heat in such a state of distress. With so many chemicals running amok in the body, it could be akin to having a very bad trip. Omegas should always strive to be safe and comfortable in the days leading up to a heat, with loved ones and family members dotting and contributing tokens of their scent for the omega’s use. Most spent that time nesting and making sure their nest was just right, familiarizing themself with every corner of the place they’d be spending the next several days in a very vulnerable state. A good preparation could lead to a very pleasurable time, even without the assistance of a partner.

But a distressed omega on the cusp of heat was asking for trouble.

“You’ll have your nest,” Leona promised in a firm voice. “Ruggie and I will make sure you get things from all your pack members.” At the back of Yuu’s mind they were surprised that Leona was acknowledging their friends as such. He never had before. He was usually so dismissive or teasing, grumpy and territorial whenever someone from Heartslabyul stopped by, but now he was being so gentle with them despite the want they could clearly see in his eyes. It was clear that he was forcing himself to not pounce on them as their heat scent wrapped around him. “And I’ll make sure to get your heat aides…”

“Leona?” Yuu whispered quietly when Leona trailed off.

His handsome face contorted into something angry and conflicted. He closed his eyes to think and Yuu felt the urge to run their fingers over his eyelids, to trace the scar that ran down his left eye. Finally, he looked at them again and sighed.

“Yuu,” Leona said with a seriousness they didn’t associate with him, the use of their real name startling them. It was so startling that Yuu couldn’t help but pay rapt attention. “I’m gonna ask something now and I need you to know that I’m not doing it to take advantage of you. But I need to ask while you can still answer rationally. Do you remember me mentioning the omegas of my country?”

Something green and bitter reared up inside of Yuu as they remembered how he’d teased that he had his ‘pick of royal omegas’. They couldn’t stop the displeased noise they made and Leona’s firm expression broke for a moment, a small tilt coming to his lips.

“I remember,” Yuu replied, embarrassed but also irrationally irritated at the same time.

“Good,” Leona practically purred and Yuu felt themself flush even more. “All Sunset Savanna omegas are royalty under law, their status just below the main royal family. A lot of them live in the Sunset Palace where I grew up.” Yuu remembered the beautiful rooms in Leona’s memories, with its golden trimmings and the ornate furniture. “Tradition dictates that the royal family care for our omegas… It’s less fashionable now but it’s always been hammered into my head as my royal duty. So since I was old enough I’ve offered my services to any palace omega willing to have me during their heats.”

This new information swirled in Yuu’s mind, shocking them.

“That’s…” They trailed off, having a hard time finding the right words. Yuu, with a red face, finally settled on, “That’s definitely not how it’s done in my world…”

Leona actually barked out a laugh at that. “Most places here don’t either, but we of the savanna treat our omegas differently. If an omega desires a harem of mates, they will have it. If an omega wants a prince or a king to assist them in their heat, they have the privilege to request that. There is very little we’d deny our omegas. And I’ve taken my duty to them very seriously.” He licked his lips at this, and Yuu couldn’t help but trace the movement of his pink tongue, entranced.

“So then, you’re bringing this up because…” Yuu couldn’t bring themself to finish the sentence, turning even more red with mortification. At this rate, they were going to be giving Riddle a run for his money. But what Leona was suggesting… Yuu squirmed in their seat.

“I’m offering you my princely services,” Leona chuffed. “If you’ll have me, Yuu, I’d be honored to assist you through your heat.”

If he did, Yuu knew that the duration of their heat would be cut down by several days. But to spend a heat with someone…

Yuu was no stranger to sex. They’d messed around a few times with alphas and betas and omegas alike, but they’d never done so during a heat before. The idea of assisting someone through a heat or a rut was incredibly progressive and culturally not accepted where Yuu was from. Heat and rut were seen as things you did when you mated. To do so without the intention of mating was seen as a far worse sin than sex out of wedlock. Not that Yuu was particularly religious, but the cultural impact of such beliefs were widespread and ran very deep. What Leona was suggesting was something Yuu had only ever considered in the realm of shameful fantasy before.

And yet here he was, this gorgeous alpha, offering them that exact sinful fantasy.

“I- I can’t mate with you,” Yuu stuttered out, wanting to set the record straight. “I’m still planning on returning to my own world.”

Leona’s cat green eyes flashed with want but he only chuckled teasingly at Yuu’s words. “Kitten, I’m not asking you to let me sink my teeth in and bond you. I’m only offering to help you with your heat. Though, if that’s ever something you’d like to consider down the line…” But his words were teasing.

“I…” Yuu trailed off again. They felt so out of their depth. This day was turning out to be the most confusing and tense day of their entire life. All of their upbringing was telling them to say no. They’d handled every heat their entire life without the aid of a partner before and they could handle this one too. It felt wrong to even be considering what Leona was offering. Heat was an intimate private thing. Skin-ship with a pseudo heat was one thing but this…

Another part of them was telling them to ignore all that. Yuu could no longer deny that they wanted Leona . The sexy stupid beastman who had caused them so much heartache and trouble and had teased and flirted with them even when he thought they were only a beta. Who had this deep well of hurt inside of him that he didn’t even fault Yuu for forcing him to reveal. Who, despite his general lazy disposition, had never hesitated to help Yuu when they asked for it. Leona with his gorgeous glossy brown hair and braids and his stunning emerald eyes that told Yuu that he wanted them .

I want him too , they thought.

Then take the plunge , that voice in their head urged.

So they did.

“ Alpha ,” Yuu cooed coyly up at him and watched with delight as Leona’s pupils once again dilated with undisguised lust. “Will you stay with me?”

Leona nearly growled.

~*~

(A/N: For those of you who wish to read the smut portion of this fic, please direct yourselves to Chapter 1 of the other fic in this series titled 'the scent of your heat' first. Then come back to finish this chapter. For the rest of you, please read on ahead <3)

~*~

The ocean was a vast beautiful thing. Powerful and all consuming yet somehow gentle as it cradled Yuu’s body in its unfathomably powerful embrace. All sense of time left them as Yuu laid floating on the slowly rolling surface of the sea, listening to the barely audible sound of music somewhere deep below them — so faint they wondered if they could be imagining it.

It was so calming and so peaceful that when the first crack of thunder resonated through the atmosphere Yuu nearly felt like they’d also imagined it. But they were not such fortunate a person.

In the blink of an eye the ocean, once a nurturing friend and guardian, had become a deadly foe hellbent on dragging Yuu below its surface and drowning them in its pitch black depths. They gasped and struggled as towering waves crashed down onto them, nary giving them even half a second to orient themself in the suddenness of the chaos. The sky was dark and lit only by occasional blinding flashes of lightning that were followed by violent cracks of thunder — Zeus himself, wrathful, and seeking to smite those who had slighted him.

Despite the brine that stung at Yuu’s delicate eyes and sought to fill their lungs with every desperate gulp of air, they could still just barely make out a figure in the distance. A leviathan, silhouetted by bursts of electric fire and ozone, loomed from in the distance, rising from the depths of the sea, its crown scraping the dark clouds that gathered in the once clear skies. Fear of the ocean turned to terror at the sight of the titan that meanced the horizon line between the agitated sea and the darkened skies. Such fright stole the last waning breath from Yuu’s lungs that could hardly see what happened next.

A ship had emerged from between two towering waves, beaten and ravaged by the sudden storm. However, despite the chaos that had befallen the world it still steered true. Yuu watched with awe and horror in equal measure as the ship steered right into the titan, spearing it through with a deafening crash. Lightning lit the world in stark shades of black and white.

Yuu shot up with a gasp.

A groan of annoyance sounded from their right and an arm (that Yuu now realized had been wrapped around their waist) tugged insistently at them. The deafening roar of the sea and the storm faded to the soft buzzing of insects and a gentle breeze from the balcony. Brine and ozone vanished until all that was left was soft swirling sand and a lingering sweetness of hyacinths. 

“Go back to sleep,” Leona’s voice sounded in the dark and Yuu suddenly remembered where they were.

Memories of the last thirty-six hours flooded back to them.

Yuu grabbed onto those soft locks and pulled the alpha closer to them. This time Leona went willingly, dropping his head down and slowly, finally, their lips met. Satisfaction and excitement exploded behind Yuu’s eyes as Leona finally covered their mouth with his. He was soft and warm and perfect in every way and Yuu wondered why they hadn’t kissed him sooner. Their lips came together again and again, just slowly kissing one another for a minute, before Leona’s hot tongue slipped out and traced the curve of Yuu’s lips, playfully asking for entrance.

“Alpha,” Yuu cried out. “Please!”

Leona growled at that, pressing another hot wet kiss to them, swallowing up the omega’s desperate cries. Yuu tightened their fingers in his hair, desperate to both pull him closer and push him away.

The memories came with a clarity that Yuu didn’t associate with their heats. Yet, each and every moment they had spent with this infuriating, wonderful , alpha seemed seared permanently into their brains. Could it be a result of having a partner? For what was hardly the first time in their life, Yuu cursed the lacking sex education of their home country. The memories came to them easily and readily, filling Yuu’s exhausted body (that they were suddenly becoming aware of) with a hot flush.

A tired chuckle rang out to them in the dark as Leona shifted in position and tugged Yuu once again towards him. Now aware of how sore and tired they were, they allowed themself to be pulled back down into the sheets (clean, with the neutral and calming scent of detergent – Ruggie must’ve changed them out) as Leona readjusted his hold on them. He was still shirtless (Yuu themself was dressed again) and Yuu enjoyed the feeling of his bare warm skin against their body, allowing it to lull them back into drowsiness.

“What were you thinkin’ about, kitten?” Leona murmured. His words were slurred and his throat rough with sleep. Yuu felt bad for waking him, especially since it was obvious the sun had yet to rise.

“Nothing,” they whispered back up to him in the dark. “Just a bad dream…”

Leona hummed and rubbed a soothing circle into their hip bone and Yuu burrowed deeper into his hold. They didn’t even realize they’d fallen back asleep again, thankfully dreamless this time.

When Yuu woke again, it was to the aroma of food wafting and coiling around their nose. Their stomach grumbled before they’d even mentally registered what they were scenting and there was a soft cackle from across the room.

“Someone’s hungry.”

Yuu blinked open their eyes blearily, flinching as the brightness of the sun’s rays assaulted their retina. They groaned and rolled over, pulling the blanket over their face.

“Shyeheehee~ You’re getting as bad as Leona, kitten.”

There was a soft growl in response to that, also from across the room.

“You nag me enough as it is, Ruggie. Don’t nag my omega too.”

Between the bantering and the seductive smell of breakfast, Yuu reluctantly forced themself to sit up (wincing at the soreness of their muscles as they did so) and open their eyes. The sun was still far too bright, but Yuu was treated to the sight of Ruggie and Leona sitting across from one another by the couch, already chowing down on whatever smelled so tempting.

At the sight of Ruggie, Yuu’s sleepy brain snapped into focus as another memory from the past day and a half sprung up.

“Beta?” Yuu cooed over at the hyena beastman and watched in satisfaction as a look of want appeared in his green-gray eyes.

Leona laughed as he left the room but Ruggie and Yuu both ignored him as the beta hesitantly approached the nest and crawled into it. His eyes were pinned to Yuu’s face and he licked his lips nervously. Yuu only smiled encouragingly and pulled him closer until he was leaning above them.

“Can I kiss you?” Yuu asked softly and Ruggie nodded.

Yuu laughed and leaned up, catching the younger man’s lips with their own, swallowing up his gasp. That seemed to be all Ruggie needed as motivation as he surged forward and pressed hard into Yuu, causing them to moan in delight.

When they both pulled apart with a gasp for air, Yuu was greeted to the sight of Ruggie’s half lidded eyes and mussed up hair and flushed face. He looked utterly delightful and they wanted nothing more than to eat him up at that moment.

Yuu flushed a deep red and suddenly didn’t feel like looking in the direction of either beastman anymore. It was one thing to talk to Leona post-heat in the darkness of night. It was another thing to sit here in broad daylight and look at the two men they had allowed to partake in such an intimate and vulnerable event. Ruggie hadn’t exactly been an expected addition, but hardly an unwelcome one either. Even as Yuu felt mortified at the memories cropping up like roaches in the dark, they couldn’t help but still feel the urge to kiss either of them. Both of them. They knew it was ridiculous to feel so flustered after everything they’d done but Yuu couldn’t help it.

“Cat got your tongue, minx?” Leona called over with a smirk, and if Yuu wasn’t so exhausted they might have been tempted to smack it off his face. Or kiss it off. Whichever they felt more like doing in the moment. Instead they settled for a scrunch of their nose and a glare which only made the alpha more amused. He gestured with his head towards the table. “Ruggie brought breakfast. You good to come over or you want us to bring it to you?”

Yuu shifted in the bed (they noted with some disappointment that their nest was gone, likely having been dismantled by Ruggie the same time he’d replaced the bedsheets and blankets) and noted with a grimace that their legs felt weak and sore. The last time they’d felt even remotely close to this was after playing spelldrive for the first time. Heat usually took a lot out of them and Yuu knew enough from experience that they wouldn't be walking much at all today.

“Could you bring it to me please? Thanks.”

Leona nodded and picked up one of the containers laid out on the coffee table and padded across the room. When Yuu reached forward to grab it, he quickly tugged it away with a playful grin. “You sure you don’t want me to feed you, kitten? You were so good for Ruggie yesterday.”

Yuu’s face turned red with mortification as they’d remembered exactly what Leona was referring to. Ruggie had been incharge of making sure the two of them kept hydrated and fed for the duration of the heat (which thankfully dissipated last night). When he’d brought them breakfast and lunch and dinner, Yuu had been too tired to feed themself and Ruggie had diligently done it for them. Yuu knew that the same had probably been done for them during their pseudo-heats but they didn’t have the misfortune of remembering those moments .

“I can feed myself, thank you very much,” Yuu huffed and reached forward again to grab the container. This time Leona allowed them to take it and, much to Yuu’s further embarrassment, they nearly fumbled and dropped it as their shaky fingers momentarily lost their grip. They refused to meet Leona’s no doubt amused gaze and instead turned to their food and opened it up, excited to get to know whatever that smell had been teasing them had been.

A gloriously golden half-moon omelet greeted their eyes, with creamy yellow cheese flowing from the seam and hints of onion, peppers, and pieces of ham buried within. The chives sprinkled atop gave that aromatic fragrance that had been teasing Yuu since they woke up. The first proper meal after a heat was always glorious, but this was truly above and beyond.

“Was this from the kitchen?” Yuu asked after they had taken a couple of bites, struggling to keep from moaning with every morsel that greeted their taste buds.

“I made it,” Ruggie announced smugly.

Yuu smiled at him, “Of course you did.” They watched in delight as he blushed and glanced away. It reminded them of how he had looked when they’d first asked if they could kiss him. It was a delightful expression that they wanted to tease out of the younger beastman more often. Proud as he could be, Ruggie was just as prone to teasing. Still, they didn’t miss the soft smile that he tried to hide. Yuu reminded themself to praise him more often. Lord knows Leona wasn’t going to do it.

“Thank you, Ruggie,” Yuu said when they’d finished cleaning off their entire plate. They smiled at him and tried to pump as much sincerity and affection as they physically could into the expression, “And thank you for taking care of me during my heat.”

Ruggie made a poor attempt at looking casual and unaffected by the praise but was given away by the flush in his cheeks and his inability to meet Yuu’s eyes straight on. He only coughed and replied, “It was no problem. My Bibi raised me to be better than to abandon an omega during a heat.”

“You’ve never even met an omega before them,” Leona said dryly.

Ruggie scowled at the alpha and jutted his lower jaw out at him, “I- So what? Not all of us need to be princes with harems of omegas to know how to be a gentleman. Even slum rats like me know basic decency.” He crossed his arms and stuck his tongue out at Leona.

“Well thank you anyway,” Yuu said. “You’re always so busy and I know how much work it is to take care of someone in heat. I really don’t know what I would’ve done without you. Both of you ,” they added with stress. Their lower lip wobbled as a sudden powerful bout of emotions welled up inside them. “Seriously. I don’t know why my heat came when it did and if it hadn’t been for you guys spending it with and taking care of me… I don’t know how I would’ve gotten through this week. So thank you .”

Both Leona and Ruggie just stared at them with open disbelief. Even Leona’s face became slightly flushed as he glanced away bashfully.

“It was our pleasure, kitten,” he said, coughing into a hand. “Like I told ya before. I’ve been doin’ this for years.” Leona glanced over so that his piercing green eyes met Yuu’s. “I might be a bastard but… I promise to help you out whenever you need it – no strings attached.”

“That’s honestly like winning the lottery with Leona,” Ruggie drawled, which won him a glare from said alpha. Yuu only laughed in response.

~*~

Leona, as it turned out to no one’s surprise, was just as exhausted as Yuu from the entire event. After breakfast, Ruggie cleaned up and went off to do whatever other vice housewarden duties he needed to complete. Meanwhile, Leona crawled back into bed and demanded that Yuu take a nap with him. Considering how much he slept on a regular basis, it really wasn’t a surprise that he ended up sleeping the entire day.

At some point, Yuu found themself gently tracing the curvature and lines of his face as he slept. They honestly couldn’t believe that such a beautiful alpha was interested in little insignificant them. Leona was far from a perfect person, but there had always been something about him that drew Yuu in. The fact that he was absolutely gorgeous was just the cherry on top.

Yuu’s fingers began to trace his browline, admiring the soft smoothness of his skin and wondering whether he got his eyebrows done or if they were just naturally so perfectly shaped, and paused when their thumb landed on the top edge of the scar that ran down his left eye. Yuu’s breathing caught in their throat as they stared at the scar and, not for the first time, they wondered how it had happened. Without thinking, they began to trace the length of the scar with the pad of their thumb, running it gently over his closed eyelid.

A hand suddenly snapped up and caught their wrist. Yuu sucked in a sharp breath.

“What part of the word nap do you not understand, kitten?”

Yuu immediately felt bad and started to apologize but Leona just opened his eyes and shook his head at them.

“It’s fine, minx,” he assured, releasing their wrist. “I’m just teasin’ you as usual.” They still felt guilt eat at them from the inside. Why did they do that? “Did you wanna know how I got it?”

The apologies died on Yuu’s tongue and they blinked at him with owl-like eyes. Leona only smirked at the expression.

“Use your words, kitten.”

“Is… Are you okay with that?” Yuu asked in response. They couldn’t deny that they were curious about the scar. But something in Leona’s gaze told them that it wasn’t just something that he got in a random accident. A part of them had always known that, which was why Yuu had never broached the topic before. Guilty ridden, they quickly added, “You don’t have to if you’re not comfortable… Please don’t feel pressured.”

Leona only huffed a breath of amusement in their face and tightened his grip around their waist, pulling Yuu closer to him beneath the covers.

“If it bothered me I wouldn’t have offered, minx,” he said. “I normally don’t like annoying herbivores askin’ me about it but, if it’s you…” He trailed off and stared imploringly into Yuu’s face.

Leona being this sincere was such a rare occurrence that Yuu couldn’t help but feel butterflies rise up in their tummy. Though they had shared an ephemeral bond, Leona still wasn’t a very open person. Unlike Riddle who had very quickly opened up to Yuu about many aspects of his life, fears and wants and everything in between, Leona had always stayed very private. He’d never failed to make his attraction to them apparent, but when it came to anything more than that he’d always managed to change the subject. And Yuu had never pressed.

That he was offering to open up now to them of his own accord spoke volumes.

Yuu swallowed a nervous gulp and shyly nodded. “I would like that… Yes.”

Leona was silent for a moment, just staring at Yuu’s face. It was long enough that Yuu started to feel a little bit self conscious and wanted to look away. But then Leona shook his head a huffed fondly, bringing a hand up to cup Yuu’s cheek tenderly.

“You have no idea the shit you make me feel,” Leona murmured. “I really should make you take responsibility, but you’re too goddamn cute.” He leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to their lips and Yuu melted into it, kissing him back with just as much tenderness.

When they pulled apart, Leona sighed and closed his eyes, suddenly looking conflicted which made Yuu immediately feel concerned.

“I think…” He began slowly, “It would be best if you saw it in person. I haven’t actually talked about this with anyone and… Well. You’ll see.”

Yuu cocked their head in confusion. “In person? What do you mean?”

Leona cracked open one eye and smirked at them, “Come on, kitten. I know you’re smarter than that. What do you think I meant?”

Yuu’s mouth turned into an O in surprise. Was he serious? He actually wanted them to perform an ephemeral bond with him? Consensually this time? Yuu wondered if that was such a good idea without a chaperon and voiced that concern. Leona only scowled in response.

“I don’t get how you can have so many omegas in your world and still be so clueless on how your own biology works,” the alpha grumbled. Yuu pouted in response. It wasn’t their fault their home country’s sex education was dog water. “Don’t give me that look. One of these days you’re gonna have to give me a more in depth rundown on exactly how things are over there. Honestly I’m shocked you even want to go back.” Leona’s tone took on a hint of anger that Yuu was familiar with, as it was the expression of everyone in Twisted Wonderland they’d explained how omegas were treated back in their dimension of origin.

“All my friends and family are there…”

At their small sad voice, Leona sighed. “I’m only kidding, little minx. I know you gotta go home. It just pisses me off thinking about the stuff you’ve mentioned before – Anyways, we gonna do this or what? Don’t worry about a chaperon. That’s only important for kids who’ve recently presented. I know what I’m doing and I trust you do too.”

The abrupt change of subject told Yuu that Leona was growing uncomfortable with the subject matter. Or maybe he just didn’t want to appear too angry in front of them. After all, Yuu had seen Leona at his angriest and it was a definitely contender for the most terrifying thing that they had ever experienced. Regardless of his reasons, Yuu gracefully took the opportunity to change the subject as they too were uncomfortable talking about the way omegas were treated back home.

So instead, Yuu leaned forward and touched their forehead to Leona’s. They still weren’t 100% certain about doing this without a chaperon overseeing it, but they also knew that by this point they implicitly trusted the beastman. They closed their eyes and focused on Leona’s hot breaths in their face and slowly steadied their own breaths to match his.

And then they allowed the bond to bloom between them.

~*~

Unlike the previous two times, Yuu didn’t find themself falling and crashing down into an inhospitable landscape. In fact, they didn’t fall at all. To Yuu, it merely felt like closing their eyes and opening them again. The change was so imperceptible that Yuu wondered for a scant second if they had performed the bond wrong.

That wasn’t true of course, made obvious by the fact that they were now laying in a bunch of unfamiliar pillows that reminded Yuu of that scene in Spirited Away when Chihiro hid in the witch’s nursery. Yuu glanced to their left and saw that Leona ( their Leona – not a mere memory) was already sitting upright with a thousand yard stare. Yuu opened their mouth to ask him where they were when a wave of dizziness and nausea passed over them. It was at this point that they realized that the ground was rocking back and forth, causing motion sickness to rise up inside them.

“What’s wrong?” Leona asked them in an amused voice when he finally tore his gaze away from whatever he had been looking at. He brushed a hand through Yuu’s hair as they let out a miserable groan. He barked out a soft laugh, “First time on an elephant, minx?”

That was shocking enough to get Yuu’s butt into motion as they pushed past the motion sickness to assess their surroundings. Leona was right. They were at eye level with second and third story buildings and Yuu realized with shock and amazement that they were in a palanquin strapped to the top of a towering elephant, like something straight out of Arabian Nights. If Yuu wasn’t already aware of the class difference between Leona Kingscholar and the rest of their band of friends, they certainly were now.

“The palanquin was gifted to us by the Sultan of the Land of Hot Sands,” Leona explained while rubbing soothing into Yuu’s back. “Mother, of course, gifted 30 elephants in return to their royal family. Especially since my mama always loved riding in them…” He trailed off and suddenly he had that long distant look in his eyes again. Yuu followed his gaze.

There, near the front of the palanquin, nestled amongst the finely embroidered pillows and blankets, was a familiar figure that Yuu recognized from the picture frame in Leona’s childhood room.

Leona’s omegan mother was more beautiful and breathtaking than anyone Yuu had ever had the pleasure of setting their eyes on. Perhaps only Vil Schoenheit came close, but even he would be hard pressed to hold a candle to the goddess personified before Yuu. Her skin was just as dark and smooth as Leonas and Yuu could immediately see where he got his razor sharp cheekbones and glossy dark hair. The resemblance between mother and child was clear as day with the only difference being that Leona obviously hadn’t inherited his striking emerald iris from her. Hers were a dark warm brown that seemed to have an endless depth to them.

“Watch it, little minx,” Leona’s teasing voice whispered into Yuu’s ears, causing them to jump, “That’s still my mama you’re ogling there.” Yuu glared at him but couldn’t help the hot flush that came to their face. It wasn’t fair how damn attractive Leona and his family were. Yuu felt unworthy just being in the presence of the queen’s memory .

“She’s beautiful,” they said instead and Leona nodded sagely.

“Mama is the most beautiful woman to have ever graced the earth,” he said, looking back over at the older omega. She was gazing off the side of the palanquin, downwards where Yuu couldn’t see. They might’ve gotten up to look just to sate their curiosity, but felt like if they attempted to they’d sooner throw up. Could someone even throw up in an ephemeral bond?

“Where is everyone else?” Yuu asked, for it struck them as strange that the lovely queen of the savanna would be out on her lonesome.

As if summoned by the thought, there was a gust of wind to their right and Yuu watched in amazement as another familiar looking woman with stunningly bright red hair rose up, literally held aloft by the wind itself. Her signature spell, Yuu wondered? And then they saw the two squirming shapes tucked beneath each of her arms.

“You found them, my love,” the Queen giggled into her hand and reached out to greet her family. The king gracefully stepped onto the palanquin and the gusting wind vanished. She then set her two squirming sons down onto the blankets.

As soon as younger Leona touched the floor (he must’ve been 12 here), he immediately jerked away from his mother’s grip and curled in on himself at the edge of the palanquin, expression sulking.

“Hey now,” the King said in a gruff chiding voice. “Is that anyway to greet your Mama after all the worrying she did for you?”

Young Leona only raised his head and bared his teeth at her and then tucked himself back into his arms. Present Leona merely groaned and muttered beneath his breath about how embarrassing this was. Yuu couldn’t help but find it adorable, though they wondered what could’ve made this kid so upset.

“Don’t worry about it, Uru,” the Queen said gently, then she turned to Leona and in a soft loving voice said, “come here, my darling. Won’t you give your mama a hug?” She opened her arms and Yuu watched mesmerized as the silks she was wearing shimmered with the motion.

Leona did not hiss at her but he also didn’t move from his spot. King Uru huffed and crossed her arms but was chastised by a quick glare from her wife.

“You’re too soft on the boy, Ahadi, my love,” King Uru said. “Honestly I should be punishing him for causing such a ruckus, not coddling him with affection.”

“Hush, Uru,” Queen Ahadi gently snapped. “Don’t forget that Falena also ran off. If punishment is to be doled out, let them both suffer the consequences of their actions.” Said older boy, who had up until this point remained largely uninvolved, flinched at that, his bright golden ears pressing back against his head.

“I was just tryna find Leona…” Falena murmured, trying to defend himself.

“I didn’t want to be found,” Leona snapped. “Just leave me alone!” But even now Yuu could see tears pricking at the corners of his eyes.

“Alright, my loves. No one is going to get in trouble,” Queen Ahadi soothed, shooting another pointed look at the King who smartly kept quiet this time. “I suggested this outing so we could have a wonderful time together as a family . Not to make anyone upset. So how about it, my little lion?” She looked over at Leona again, her dark eyes emanating such motherly love that Yuu suddenly missed their own parents. “You don’t want to leave your poor mama all cold and alone would you?”

To Yuu’s surprise, young Leona finally uncurled himself and shuffled over to her. His expression was still sour but he allowed Queen Ahadi to fold him up into her arms. She purred in content and then looked over at her older son.

“You too, cub,” she said, holding one arm open. “Mama loves both her precious boys.”

Falena, though he was clearly in his teens, perked up immediately and eagerly allowed her to wrap him up as well. Leona hissed when his brother came in close but soon all three were wrapped up in one another while King Uru looked on at her family fondly.

Yuu glanced up at their own Leona but his face was devoid of all emotion as he took in the scene. Something was swirling in his eyes but Yuu couldn’t decipher what it could be. Feeling their gaze on him, Leona looked down at them and a small smirk came to his lips. It felt forced, but Yuu didn’t call him out on it.

“Still feeling sick, minx?” He asked. Just as he did, another wave of nausea came over their head and Yuu groaned. Leona laughed. “I guess we should head to the next point of essence then.”

Yuu tilted their head in confusion and Leona once again grumbled beneath his breath about their lack of proper omega knowledge.

“One of these days, kitten,” he said sourly. “I’m gonna hire you a royal tutor.”

~*~

(Some more art dump below i did of my headcanon Yuu, hope ya'll don't mind :P)

 

(this one's still a Dorm-Uniform Yuu WIP)

Notes:

Again, sorry for the long wait. This chapter was supposed to be much longer but I needed to just post what I had already. We'll get back to Azul and the Tweels soon. I've been very excited reading everyone's theories on what they think happened!! Also, I apologize but I don't think I'm gonna be able to get to all your comments from last chapter either. Usually I try to reply to everyone but I'm just... So tired. I did read and appreciate all of them though <3

I don't know when the next chapter will be out. I think I'm finally shaking off my depressive funk but... It's been hard. I love this fic to pieces and I want to keep writing and sharing all this brain rot in my head with all of you. I'm probably not going to be able to keep ya'll on the same 2-3 day drip like before haha. Thank you all for sticking with me this far though <3333 I truly appreciate all the love and support and excitement.

Which!! On that note!! I got my first piece of fanart ever?????? Go check it out!! https://twitter.com/YumeHanachono/status/1504512300987953157?s=20&t=9Qs9EOOrvIvEOltuHpPWSA I'm really flattered that someone liked my fic enough to draw art for it in their spare time 😭 so thanks!!!

Chapter 15

Summary:

I did not proof-read this chapter. I had a feeling if i did it would be another week before I posted it because I would begin second guessing everything lol.

This chapter is a little heavy! Mind the trigger warning below!

TW: Slight violence against a child, themes of depression, allusions to deep trauma.

I think a bit of my mental health poured into this chapter tbh 😬. Hopefully we can get onto something lighter hearted next chapter as we get back on track with canon events! Thank you for all your lovely comments and thanks again for sticking with me this long <3

Yuu could never quite get a proper bearing on the inner worlds ephemeral bonds allowed them into. Even their very first time was wrought with confusion and aimless meandering, wandering from memory to memory with little understanding for where they were going. Yuu knew that most people could control their inner world when they invited someone in (such as Leona was currently doing), but for Yuu this was almost a foreign concept. They wondered what it said about them that they had no control over their mind.

Still, time and time again had proven that they weren’t helpless here. They could still navigate the dreamlike logic of the world just fine. It was simply… Not in a typical manner.

And so when Yuu first saw a strange building, poking out amongst the gorgeous red and orange and blue roofing that colored the city skyline, it’s reflective glass windows sticking out like thumb, their heart nearly stopped. They knew the shape of that building, remembered with terrible clarity the last time they’d seen it, and knew it had no place in Twisted Wonderland, much less Leona’s memory.

Its sudden presence called to Yuu, beckoning the wandered of this bond to witness it. Leona had yet to spot it.

Yuu immediately pointed to a stall across the street selling some kind of food and inquired about it. The suddenness of the question made Leona raise an eyebrow, but he otherwise didn’t press them on the sudden change in demeanor.

Leona had guided them off the palanquin some minutes ago and started in the direction where he said the next memory would likely reside. His ability to navigate this world with such ease made Yuu feel somewhat jealous, especially since it was supposed to be an omega specialty. They didn’t voice this though, lest Leona start again about their lack of proper sex education. He meant well of course but sometimes Yuu really felt the urge to swipe that smug smile off his face.

So off they went, down various twisting streets reconstructed from Leon’s memories. Even without knowing that Leona was royalty and lived in an expensive area, at a glance the difference between these streets and the one from Ruggie’s memory was already obvious. Colorful roofing tiles of oranges and bright blues replaced the thatch and mangrove poles from the slums. Building here were constructed of white limestone that caught the sun’s rays as opposed to concrete and other miscellaneous materials. Whereas the slums had been vibrant and colorful by way of fabrics and clothes being strung up between the buildings to dry, here the vivid streamers and fabrics that decorated the streets were placed for pure aesthetic rather than out of necessity. And while Yuu didn’t have reference for how much it would cost to live in such a neighborhood (they had hardly grasped the value of thaumarks in general), they were willing to bet that they wouldn’t be able to afford the rent at anypoint in this lifetime.

It also did not escape Yuu’s attention that they had yet to see a single hyena amongst the faceless beastmen that roamed the streets, dressed in clean and fashionable clothes.

“It should be up here,” Leona said, drawing Yuu out of their thoughts. His voice was suddenly pitched downwards and Yuu glanced up at him nervously, watching as his ears and tail flickered with agitation. Gently, they placed their hand in his and Leona looked down at them.

“Are you sure?“ Yuu asked, furrowing their brows. “Because you can still say no. If you’re not comfortable we can stop this right now…”

Leona stared down at them for a moment then sighed, running a hand through his hair. “It’s… It’s fine. Like I told ya before, if I didn’t want you here we wouldn’t already be here. I never actually thought I’d share this with someone… ever. But if it’s you…” When Leona looked back down at them, Yuu was starstruck by the amount of emotion swirling in there. Was this really the same guy who had overblotted a few months ago?

“Thank you,” Yuu said, trying to pump as much sincerity and heartfelt into the words as possible. Leona only coughed and glanced away, his cheeks turning a darker shade. The pair continued their trek forward.

“So why exactly did you and your brother run off in that last memory?” Yuu asked.

“It’s not anythin’ especially spectacular,” Leona mumbled. “You could probably figure it out yourself… That was the day after I found out that my brother was going to be heir to the throne.”

Yuu had figured as much, but it was nice to get confirmation. They gave Leona’s hand an encouraging squeeze. It was obvious by his pinched expression that this was still hard for him to talk about.

“Mother told us our entire lives that she’d been selected as king by Grandfather because she was the most worthy of her litter. She spent our entire childhood teaching us how to be a good ruler.” Leona shook his head and bared his teeth as he recalled. “With everything that I had been taught, how was I supposed to know that I wasn’t even in the running to be king? And that the only way I’d be eligible was if Farena died. And when she told us the day before… It was like my whole life had been a lie.” His words took on a biting tone and the years of bitterness were obvious in each syllable he spat out.

“So then the Queen suggested a family outing to keep the peace?” Yuu asked. It was a very omegan thing to do when there was sudden strife in a pack.

Leona nodded, “Mama meant well. But this wasn’t somethin’ that was gonna be fixed in a single afternoon. There isn’t any solution so simple when you’ve lied to a child for his entire life.”

Yuu gave his hand another encouraging squeeze. Leona only glanced down at where they were touching and huffed and shook his head, but otherwise didn’t pull away from them. The gesture filled them with a warm sensation that they usually didn’t associate with the temperamental alpha. Usually it was all low heat and stomach tingling butterflies when it came to Leona, but this… It reminded them of being with Trey and Riddle.

As soon as the comparison popped into their head, Yuu’s teeth clenched as something sour seemed to get lodged at the back of their throat. With everything that had happened in the past few days they were already missing the beta and alpha. But the sudden yearning came with the recently familiar sensation of guilt. The want to be close but the knowledge that they kept constantly involving them in their problems.

Yuu couldn’t help but wonder if Riddle and Trey might've already confessed to one another and gotten together if it wasn’t for the two constantly worrying about and fussing over Yuu. It was a familiar intrusive thought that never failed to pop up at the most inconvenient of times and riddle Yuu with a myriad of anxiety. It always felt good to spend time with them, but the worries and guilt never failed to plague Yuu immediately afterwards. It made spending any extended period of time with either Trey or Riddle an exercise in discomfort.

And as headstrong as Yuu liked to imagine themself to be, they knew deep inside they had their fair share of problems they’d rather avoid than to ever confront. It was just easier to avoid them sometimes. They were simply lucky enough not to have magic and the fear of overblot to give themself away.

A shout brought Yuu out of their thoughts.

Leona had guided them to the back of some alleyway. Ahead, Yuu could see a younger Leona looking frantically around. He looked around the same age as the previous memory but it was obvious some time had passed as his hair had been cut short. On his arm was an armband with a familiar design on it.

“Isn’t that the design of your tattoo?” Yuu asked in surprise, glancing up to see that, yes, it was identical to the black inking on Leona’s left bicep.

Leona hummed in acknowledgement, eyes refusing to pull away from his younger self. “It’s the symbol of the Lion Guard, the highest appointed group within our military. They handle the protection of the royal family directly.” He pointed to the armband on younger Leona’s arm, “That’s when I was training to be in the guard.”

Yuu blinked up at him, “You’re in the military?”

He scowled. “It’s only a ceremonial position. Something Mother and Farena came up with together as a consolation prize after announcing that I’d never be king. Not that I didn’t surpass all my peers in the guard, of course.” Yuu rolled their eyes at his brief smug grin. “But at the end of the day, neither of them could understand – refused to understand why it was so insulting. And this…”

Leona nodded back at the memory unfolding before them. Young Leona was still frantically looking around, the worry on his face making him look even younger than he was and Yuu felt the urge to wrap him up in their arms and comfort him.

“FARENA!” Young Leona shouted. His expression and tone were simultaneously frustrated and panicked.

Just then, Yuu heard a sudden scuffle behind them. They whipped around just in time to see a dark shape darting past the entrance to the alleyway. For a second they weren’t one-hundred percent positive they had seen it correct.

Was that not a teary-eyed Farena gagged and tossed over a masked man’s shoulder?

The memory of Leona shouted in alarm and gave chase, running straight through Yuu and present Leona as if they were nothing more than a mirage. Yuu looked up at the alpha with horror. Was this what this memory was leading up to? Had Leona gotten that scar as a child attempting to rescue his brother from a kidnapping? But to Yuu’s surprise, Leona’s grim expression didn’t seem exactly right for such a situation. There was something else there. Something they weren’t seeing yet.

“Let’s follow,” was all he said as he tightened his hand around theirs and jogged ahead.

When they turned the corner of the alley the scenery changed. Yuu remembered entering into it from a busy street, but they were now running out onto a beautifully designed courtyard that overlooked the city. Wind whipped past their faces and Yuu nearly ran right into the stone railing that separated them from a steep drop had it not been for Leona tugging them back. Yuu knew that they wouldn’t actually be hurt from the fall, but the idea of tripping over a sharp overlook like this was still terrifying and they had no idea how this dream world would correct for such an event.

They must’ve jumped forward in time again because Farena was on the ground, thankfully out of the hand of his would-be kidnapper, and guarded by a snarling Leona who faced off against the masked assailant.

Everything happened so fast from that point.

On the other side of the courtyard Queen Ahadi rushed in on foot, flanked on all sides by soldiers that all sported a familiar tattoo on their left biceps. She called out for her sons in a terrified voice at the same time Leona snarled at the kidnapper and raised his hand, his palm swirling and alight with magic.

“Leona wait!” Farena suddenly cried out, standing up and pulling the cloth gag from his mouth even though Yuu was positive that his hands had been bound behind his back not a moment ago. “It’s just pretend! It’s just Beshte!” But Leona wasn’t listening to his brother and the sharp scent of ozone flooded the atmosphere.

And in a scene that reminded Yuu terrifyingly of when Ruggie had deflected Leona’s spell from hitting Grim, Farena suddenly charged into and tackled his younger brother, sending them both spirling. The King’s Roar still shot off but missed its intended target, the kidnapper – or Beshte? Everything was happening too fast for Yuu to process what that meant.

And just like that horrible day in the Spelldrive field, the spell did not disperse upon missing its target. It still had to hit something. And hit something it did.

Queen Ahadi, who had been sprinting in a fearful panic ahead of her entire entourage of guards, stumbled when her son’s spell hit the ground at her feet, causing it to tremble. She lost her balance and caught herself on the guardrail, terrified brown eyes never leaving her sons for a single moment.

And then the ground crumbled to sand beneath her.

Yuu wasn’t even given a moment to gasp, and there was even less time for anyone to grab onto the Queen when she was pulled down by the force of gravity and disappeared out of sight without so much as a shout. The courtyard grew silent and everyone stared at the spot where the Queen had stood not a few seconds before. No one was more intent than the two brothers, sprawled on the ground, eyes glued to the gaping hole still crumbling with sand.

~*~

Leona’s grip on Yuu’s hand was tight, borderlining painful, as they watched Farena wail at where his mother had fallen, being held back by the very same guard that had disguised himself as a kidnapper. The memory of Leona, on the other hand, stood silent without blinking. His face was slack and his eyes held perpetually wide. He hadn’t uttered a single word or sound since watching his mother disappear.

Things only grew worse when King Uru arrived in the ruined courtyard, flanked by her own set of guards. Her eyes grew wide as she took in the scene.

“What- what has happened here?” She asked in disbelief, green eyes darting from son to son. One wailing and inconsolable and the other shell shocked and silent. “Where is your Mama?”

Yuu could hardly bear to watch as some of the guards began to explain what had occurred, seeing as neither of the princes seemed capable of producing a single coherent word at the moment. Yuu desperately wished to look away but knew they should not. They’d asked Leona and he had agreed to bare this painful and deeply raw part of himself. They owed him everything to not look away now. They only had to witness afterall, whereas Leona actually had to live through this.

Yuu could not help the horrified gasp that escaped them though when King Uru, upon hearing the final conclusion of the guards, marched up to Leona and slapped him hard across the face, her claws flashing in the sun. Leona collapsed to the ground soundlessly.

The sound of flesh colliding with flesh seemed to snap Farena out of his hysterics. The older teen struggled out of his guard’s arms and ran to his mother, throwing himself onto her arm. King Uru’s face was red and streaming with tears and she was breathing hard as she stared down at the fallen form of Leona. Her wild red hair was blowing in the wind and she hardly seemed to notice her eldest sobbing and clinging to her.

“Mother stop! It’s my fault! Leona was just trying to protect me!” He cried.

When Leona finally lifted his head off the ground and looked up at his mother and brother, Yuu saw that there was finally emotion on his face. His eyes were red and bloodshot and tears were starting to fall. But only from his right eye. His left eye was forced shut by the crimson slash that ran from brow to cheek. Tears and blood mixed to create a pale pink liquid..

When King Uru saw this, her eyes widened with shock and she looked down at her hand where her claw was shining with blood. From her too, Yuu could begin to smell a thick scent of ozone and distressed alpha. Yuu had never had to be in the presence of a person who had lost their mate before and decided that the smell of a broken bond was the worst thing in existence.

King Uru said not a word. She only looked with horrified eyes that didn’t seem to actually see anything. And then she shook off Farena and turned, practically running out of the courtyard, leaving her two sons alone with the guards.

It was then that Yuu realized that their own Leona was shaking. His grip on their hand was so tight that their fingertips had gone completely white. A glance at his face made Yuu realize that he wasn’t going to be able to watch much more of this. So gently, they began to tug him away. And to Yuu’s surprise, he followed. Behind them, Yuu could still hear Farena’s sobs and, finally growing louder, Leona’s.

Yuu walked aimlessly until they’d left the memory behind and then they kept walking, just touring the streets of the Sunset Savanna’s capital city until Leona’s hands stopped trembling. After several minutes, he seemed to finally come back to himself. His grip on their hand loosened and he finally let go.

Leona looked down at Yuu’s hand and grimaced, “Sorry about that, minx. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

Yuu shook their head, “You didn’t. I’m fine. See?” They held their hands up in front of their face and wiggled their fingers to showcase that, yes, their hands were perfectly functional. The silliness of the act made Leona softly snicker. The heaviness in his eyes didn’t leave but at least he didn’t seem seconds away from breaking.

“I suppose some explanations are in order,” he said.

“We don’t… Have to,” Yuu replied, worried.

Leona only scoffed in response, gently swatting the back of their head. “We’ve already gone over this, little minx. It’s fine. Besides, I’m offended that you think I’m so fragile.”

Yuu scowled, “I don’t think you’re fragile.”

“Good,” he purred. He was obviously trying to put on a brave face and Yuu wasn’t about to call him out on it. They merely smiled cheekily at him and waited for Leona to continue. After a moment, he did.

“It was obvious to everyone that I wasn’t taking my new position in the Lion’s Guard… Well,” Leona began slowly. “Farena got it into his head that I just needed motivation – somethin’ to be proud about.” He grimaced and the picture slowly started to paint itself in Yuu’s head.

“He didn’t,” they gasped, eyes practically bulging out of their skull as they realized what Leona was getting at.

“The bastard thought that if I was given a chance to rescue the future king from a kidnapping attempt, I’d feel worthy or somethin,” Leona muttered. “I’ve mentioned before that I’m smarter than my brother right?” Actually, Yuu was pretty sure he mentioned it more than often. “Farena is an idiot and well… You just saw how his plan played out. He had his favorite guard, Beshte, ‘kidnap’ him during one of Mama’s outings while it was just the two of us away from the other guards.”

“You didn’t call for help?” Yuu asked and then immediately regretted it. That was such a thoughtless thing to say.

Thankfully, Leona didn’t seem offended. He just chuckled fondly at their guilty expression and patted Yuu on the head as if to say he wasn’t upset with them. “Honestly I don’t remember why I didn’t immediately call for help. Maybe I had somethin’ to prove. Regardless, it ended up with me killing my mama.”

“You didn’t kill her!” Yuu reflexively said and then blushed and cleared their throat, starting again. “I mean… I saw what happened. It was an accident. A tragic accident but an accident nonetheless. You were just a boy. You were just trying to save your brother. I would’ve done the same.”

“Maybe,” Leona said dubiously, clearly not believing Yuu at all. “I blame Farena too, of course. But I don’t think this is something I’ll ever forgive myself for no matter what anyone says.” He covered his face with one hand and laughed bitterly, “Man… I can’t believe I’m actually talkin’ about this shit. I’m actually a little surprised seeing that memory again it… It wasn't exactly like I remembered.”

Yuu titled their head curiously.

“I think after all these years of hearin’ people talking behind my back… The rumors about me killin’ her,” Leona said. “I think at some point I actually started to believe it all… I still blame myself but… It’s a little relieving to see that it actually was an accident.”

There was a lot there that Yuu wanted to talk about. Mainly about Leona’s guilt and self hatred associated with the entire thing but… They had a feeling that they shouldn’t push him too hard. Self-love and forgiveness wasn’t something won in a single afternoon with someone else trying to convince you with words. Yuu knew this well. Reality wasn’t a shounen anime afterall where friendship and words could cure decades of abuse. Trauma took time to heal and Yuu wasn’t about to cheapen this experience by bombarding Leona with weightless words and platitudes.

They did lean forward to give him a hug though and nearly purred in content when Leona’s strong arms wrapped right back around them. They stayed like that for a while.

It was only the tensing of Leona’s body that alerted Yuu to a sudden change in their surroundings..

They glanced up at him questioningly and saw that he was looking off into the distance behind Yuu. He had one elegant eyebrow rose in question and Yuu followed his gaze and felt every blood cell in their veins freeze.

About half a block away, there was a convenience store in the corner of a building looking decidedly out of place amongst the limestone and stone streets. Its chrome and colorful lights sticking out like a sore thumb amongst the more traditional aesthetic of the city.

 

It was obvious to both of them that it was something from Yuu’s own mind – from Yuu’s home world. On its own there was nothing special about it. Convenience stores just like it dotted the city the human grew up in. And yet, the sight of it was enough to send a bullet of pure ice straight into Yuu’s heart. While these stores were a dime in the dozen, this particular one was one that Yuu knew well, for it was one they frequented for many years during their childhood. It was a store that Yuu had long since gone out of their way to avoid for very particular reasons.

Leona took a curious step towards it but was stopped by Yuu’s hand suddenly pressing upon his chest. He looked down at them and then paused when he saw the shaken look in their eyes.

Yuu’s voice trembled uncontrollably as they explained, “I-I’m sorry. I’m not…” They swallowed nervously, feeling a myriad of emotions that they wished they didn’t have to deal with. “You showed me something so personal and hurtful but I- I can’t go there. I’m not ready.” Their fingers shook as they clenched tight and gripped onto Leona’s shirt. They couldn’t even muster up the ability to explain what the store even was, but it seemed the alpha didn’t need an explanation.

“Hey, it’s alright, kitten,” Leona soothed, taken aback by the sudden change in the omega’s demeanor. “I wanted to show you where I got my scar. You don’t owe me jack shit, minx. Alright? Yuu?”

At the sound of their name on his lips, Yuu managed to shake off some of the sheer terror gripping their soul and paralyzing them in place. They let out a shaky breath and nodded, trying to fight back tears. “Y-yeah.”

“Alright then, kitten. Why don’t we get out of here and make Ruggie bring us a nice hot lunch, hm?”

Yuu released a weak laugh but nodded all the same.

Behind them, the light of the convenience store burned bright.

~*~

The sun wasn’t up yet as Leona, Ruggie, and Yuu trekked across the back garden of Heartslabyul. Jack had scouted the way ahead to make sure no wandering students would cross their paths – the main reason they had gotten up this early in the first place. If Yuu had had access to their transport mirror in Ramshackle this wouldn’t’ve been an issue, but with the Leech twins still skulking around that was hardly an option. The second reason was, of course, that they had three days to complete their contract with Azul, and it was imperative that they get Trey’s spell done asap.

Ruggie and Leona made faces the entire time they walked through the garden. Yuu rather liked all the roses but the two beastmen seemed perpetually in a state of criticism when it came to Heartslabyul which Yuu found to be both amusing and exasperating. It was a wonder how Savanaclaw stayed afloat with its leadcore being so prickly. To each their own, Yuu supposed.

In their arms was Grim, who was crabby after a few days of sickness and from being woken up so early in the morning. Jack had been gracious enough to care for the monster during Yuu’s indisposed state but he seemed at his wits end by the time he had handed Grim back to them this morning. Yuu owed the wolf beastman big time for the favor and promised to make it up in some way which he only muttered wasn’t necessary. Regardless, Yuu was very thankful for his help knowing how much of a handful Grim could be. Jack had done a great job as Grim no longer seemed sick at all. Though, for some reason, the monster kept complaining about cacti and Yuu couldn’t figure it out for the life of them.

It was just great to be able to be out and about again. Yuu had feared for the worst when their heat came, knowing that it was going to be the most difficult one they’ve experienced in years due to suppressant usage. This has been proven true. This heat had been the most intense one Yuu had ever experienced. Thankfully with Leona’s help it had been cut short by several days. Yuu would’ve liked another few days to recover from it all, but time was not on their side. So they pushed through the soreness and mentally prepared themselves for what was yet to come.

As they rounded a corner of the rose maze, two familiar figures could be seen in the distance talking to one another. Yuu immediately lit up upon the sight of Trey and Riddle. Riddle was seat at one of the tables Heartslabyul used for their unbirthday parties, looking as sophisticated and regal as usual. Trey was standing besides him like a loyal guardian.

Yuu was about to call out to the two when something stopped them dead in their tracks.

Trey and Riddle didn’t seem to have noticed the group approaching them yet and were still engrossed in their own conversation. Trey said something Yuu couldn’t hear and, to their delight, watching as Riddle laughed up at the beta.

And then Trey leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to the alpha’s lips. Riddle leaned up eagerly, pressing back.

There was a noise next to Yuu and they glanced up to see Leona watching the pair with a strange look in his eyes. There was a slight upwards tilt to his lips but Yuu couldn’t figure out what the alpha was thinking at all. He caught them in the corner of his eyes and glanced down with a smirk but refused to expound upon his reaction. Yuu only rolled their eyes.

As long as he wasn’t scheming anything that would hurt their two friends, Yuu didn’t care. They were too caught up in their elation that Riddle and Trey had apparently finally gotten together sometime in the past week. Yuu wondered how it all went down and they were excited to celebrate the new relationship.

They firmly ignored the strange tightness in their chest.

Riddle noticed them first, pulled away from his intimate closeness with Trey with a red flush, patting down his dorm uniform so that not a single hair was out of place. Trey straightened out and Yuu watched as his warm expression immediately cooled.

“Yuu, I’m glad to see you’re okay,” Riddle greeted them when they came within speaking distance. He smiled but there was a strange coolness to it. It looked forced. Like a smile you might give to a stranger. Yuu fought the immediate urge to frown.

“I’m fine,” they replied.

“Better than fine, I’d say,” Leona purred, throwing his arm around Yuu’s shoulder and pulling them close. Trey and Riddle both tensed. Yuu shot a glare up at Leona knowing he had done that just to piss the other two off. Leona only smirked at them though. “I guess I should be heading back to my dorm. I only came to drop the kitten off.” He turned his smirk over to the other two, “Make sure to take good care of my omega for me, alright?”

Riddle seemed to bristle but he otherwise didn’t say a word.

Yuu shoved Leona off of them with a roll of their eyes.

“Don’t be an ass,” they warned him without any real heat. “Also I’m not your omega, stupid alpha.” They knew he wasn’t serious but that didn’t mean they were gonna let him get away with teasing them like that all the time.

“Very well, little minx,” the alpha chuckled. “Be safe. Call me if you need any help. I’m leaving Howl with you to make sure you don’t get yourself into any more trouble. But know that Savanaclaw is always open to you.”

The teasing nature of his tone changed to something more soft and sincere and Yuu felt their hardness melt away and they smiled up at the beastman warmly.

“I know. And thank you again, Leona.”

Ruggie and Leona made their exit soon after that, leaving Yuu with Riddle, Trey and Jack – the latter hovering at the edge of the clearing looking decidedly uncomfortable. Grim was still out like a light.

“I’m so glad to see you two. I missed you guys,” Yuu said, taking a seat.

Riddle returned the expression, smile looking decidedly warmer than it had earlier. “We missed you too. You should’ve told us what was going on. We would’ve gladly helped out.” Despite his kind expression, Riddle’s voice was tight. But it was only slightly, as if the alpha were trying to keep it from showing. This struck Yuu as strange. They’d honestly expected him to blow up at Leona as soon as the other Housewarden came within sight.

“I didn’t want to bother you guys,” Yuu said, frowning. “You guys are always getting caught up in my problems. I know how busy you all are and I figured-“

A scoff cut them off. To Yuu’s shock, the sound had come from Trey. The tall beta’s arms were crossed and he was purposefully not looking at them. His lips and brows were set in a grim line. Yuu looked at him incredulously.

Was Trey upset with them?

No one said a word. Yuu was too bewildered to ask what the hell that had been. They felt like they had fallen down a rabbit hole into a strange land where Riddle was the one looking uncomfortable and apologetic while Trey Clover was the angry one. Was he angry? Yuu honestly couldn’t remember having ever seen the third year get actually angry before. Annoyed? Sure. Disappointed? Absolutely. Practically on a daily basis due to the chaotic nature of his dorm mates. But actually angry? Never. But that seemed to be exactly what his expression was conveying. It looked wrong on his face.

When no one said anything for several tense seconds, Trey finally uncrossed his arms and walked purposefully over to Yuu’s side. His muted beta scent, flour and marigolds, was tinged in a sharp bitterness that could only mean he was angry.

Not just angry. He was furious .

“Well, hurry up then,” Trey said. “Tilt your head so I can apply the spell.”

Yuu didn’t move. They only stared up at the furious beta with wide dumbfounded eyes. They somehow managed to find their voice, “Trey? Are you upset-“

“You’re busy, aren’t you?“ Trey said. It wasn’t exactly a snap, Trey was too laidback to snap at anyone, but the sharpness behind his tone made something inside Yuu wither and cringe back. “Let’s just hurry this up so you can get back to whatever it is you need to do.”

“Trey…” Riddle said with a sigh, but his Vice housewarden ignored him.

Reluctantly, Yuu tilted their head and allowed Trey to place his hand over their scent gland. The familiar warm sensation of his magic flowed through them and in moments their sweet omegan smell was gone, leaving behind only a muted beta and the faint scent of Leona on their skin — the latter becoming more apparent as their scent changed to a beta one.

Before Yuu could get another word in, Trey turned sharply on his heel and marched away, disappearing into the dorm. The omega watched him leave with a deep sense of hurt.

What the hell just happened?

Riddle cleared his throat, drawing Yuu’s attention to him. The alpha looked uncomfortable with the entire situation but when Yuu looked over at him he sat in silence, offering no explanation for what had just occurred. They could see conflict clear in his stormy gray eyes.

“Is… Is he mad at me?” Yuu finally broke the tense silence.

Riddle flinched and fidgeted in his seat. He, too, seemed reluctant to meet Yuu’s eyes.

“Trey is…” Riddle started but then trailed off with a stilted expression, trying to choose his next words carefully. “He’ll get over it. He’s not well…” Finally Riddle looked up, meeting Yuu’s eyes at last. They were taken aback by the furrow in his brow and the tired expression on his face. “Honestly, Yuu. We’re just hurt that you didn’t come to us when you needed help.”

“I told you already, I didn’t want to trouble you two-” Yuu started to defend themself when Riddle cut them off with a firm shake of his head.

“I don’t doubt your intentions,” he said. “But honestly… After everything we’ve been through. After everything we’ve shared and done…” Yuu realized with a rising alarm that Riddle’s eyes were glossy with unshed tears. “Obviously you don’t owe us anything. If you want to keep secrets… That’s your choice. But that doesn’t change the fact that Trey and I both believed us to be closer than that.”

“I-” But the words got caught in their throat. Yuu wasn’t sure what to make of this situation. What were they supposed to say to that?

Riddle continued on though, “If we- If I ever made you feel like you couldn’t come to me with things then I’m sorry. But this-” He sighed and rubbed at his arm awkwardly – his gaze falling to stare at the table. “We care so much about you, Yuu. But I guess it was unfair to project those feelings onto you and expect you to just reciprocate them.”

That sounded like there was more to that than Riddle was saying aloud. For a moment Yuu wanted to protest that they cared about Riddle and Trey but those words also died on their tongue. Yuu wasn’t sure what to feel. Their chest felt tight with so many emotions at once. Hurt. Anger. Guilt.

Was Riddle right? Was it fair for them to interpret Yuu’s actions as not caring about them ? As… what? Not trusting them? Yuu knew they trusted Riddle. That they trusted Trey. Didn’t they? That he was throwing all this at them right now during such a stressful time – after their heat and while in the middle of a conflict with Azul – felt so unfair .

But Yuu couldn’t shake the feeling deep beneath all that hurt they were suddenly feeling that maybe there was a grain of truth to what Riddle was saying.

Riddle looked up again and seemed to see the conflict written all across Yuu’s face. He grimaced and sighed again.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “Look. You should go and do whatever it is you need to do. It’s probably for the best that we take a few days to cool off and talk about this together when feelings aren’t running so high. After all, I remember the last time I let things bottle up for too long.” He let out a mirthless laugh at that and then looked back up at Yuu, gray eyes swirling with emotion. “Heartslabyul is still always open to you, Yuu. I can’t promise Trey will be in a better mood tomorrow, but he won’t turn you away if you need his signature spell.”

Yuu only nodded. They knew Trey would never do something like that, but the fact that Riddle felt like he even needed to say it made a thick lump grow and lodge itself in Yuu’s throat. They felt like crying to be honest.

Riddle offered them one last smile after that, one that didn’t reach his eyes, and then left to go back into the dorm. The sun was just beginning to rise. Yuu watched the small alpha walk away with a detached sensation. Despite the hurt they were feeling, anger and guilt, they couldn’t help the sudden longing when they realized Riddle hadn’t even given them a goodbye hug like he usually did. One would think that after a heat, Yuu would be good on skinship for a long while. And yet…

Grim yawned and murmured something about tuna in his sleep while Yuu just sat there in abject silence. They almost didn’t notice the sound of Jack approaching by the footfalls in the grass. He stood next to them awkwardly, clearly having heard or at least saw the entire dramatic exchange. Thankfully, he didn’t say anything about it.

“So…” Jack began, “To the museum?”

Notes:

Feed me comments? 🥺 👉👈

Chapter 16

Summary:

A little shorter than normal but I felt like it was a good place to end it~ This arc is turning out a lot longer than I thought it would lol. But because the cast is getting bigger with each arc, I'm having to devote more time and opportunity for each character to be fleshed out. Also a surprise new character this chapter I've been excited to explore~

I hope you enjoy~ And feel free to point out any spelling mistakes or egregious grammar mistakes I've made. This is another unedited chapter. I usually go through these once or twice in the week following update to clean up but I always miss things~

Deuce was waiting for them in the Mirror Chamber (not to be mistaken with the Hall of Mirrors – something Yuu had confused several times over the semester) when Jack and Yuu arrived. He stood leaning against a pillar with a constipated expression on his face and his foot tapping anxiously on the black marble floor, the sound echoing throughout the empty hall.

A few minutes ago, Jack and Yuu had made a brief stop by Ramshackle so that they could grab anything they needed before setting out. They were surprised to discover that neither of the Leech brothers were present. To Yuu’s surprise, the dorm appeared mostly undisturbed (save for the mess in one of the spare rooms that Yuu assumed Floyd must’ve claimed for his own). Their own room seemed to be untouched as well but Yuu was still cautious, especially considering they hadn’t had the opportunity to change out their bedsheets before running out the other night in a panic. The smell was faint, but within a few feet it was hard to miss the sweet scent of hyacinths settled in the fabric. Whether or not Floyd and Jade knew what to make of the scent from such a distance, nor whether they had stepped into their room at all, was unknown. Yuu certainly hoped not, but after everything that had happened they wouldn’t put it past the twins.

Regardless, Yuu quickly grabbed their things and headed to meet up with Deuce who agreed to deliver the underwater breathing potion to Yuu once Azul finished brewing it, seeing as he worked in Mostro Lounge. They were supposed to have picked it up personally two days ago, but that obviously hadn’t happened. They weren’t sure what kind of excuse Deuce and the rest of their friends had conjured up for Azul as to their sudden indisposed state, but thankfully it seemed thus far that everything was sort of working out.

“Yuu!” Deuce started when he spotted them rushing into the hall. He pushed himself off the pillar and jogged to meet them. “You’re okay! When we heard what happened Ace and I were really worried! That beastman bastard didn’t take advantage of you did he?“

Jack growled in annoyance while Yuu flushed and shook their head.

“Er… No. I’m perfectly fine,” they said. “See? Besides, Leona didn’t do anything like that. The Savanaclaw dorm was very accommodating.” Emphasis on the very , Yuu remembered with a hot flush. Deuce must’ve noticed the expression on their face because he started to cough, face red as he glanced away awkwardly.

“Oh. Well… I hope you got some use out of my jacket…” He said.

Yuu grinned at him, “I did. Thanks for always letting me pilfer your stuff for my… Well, you know.” Even if it appeared like they were alone, there was no need to say ‘nest’ aloud in such an echo-y room. “But anyway- You have the potion, right?”

“Oh right! Yeah, I do,” Deuce said, starting to dig through his blazer pockets and eventually producing a glowing green flask in the shape of a nautilus shell. Yuu took it from him and was surprised to find that the flask was ice cold to the touch despite its radiated appearance — yet no condensation gathered on the outer glass. They found themself once again pondering on the strangeness of magic.

“I should be getting back to the Lounge,” Deuce continued with a grimace. “I’m just glad that neither of those two giant menaces are there today. Maybe we’ll finally get a break.”

At this, Jack made a very concerned noise, his brow furrowing. “The Leech brothers aren’t there?”

“Uhh… No,” Deuce said. “Honestly I thought it was strange too. They were there the other two days but I didn’t see them this morning when I went in for my shift- Speaking of which, Azul told me to tell you that he’ll allow Grim to rest until the contract is over. He says he feels bad about what happened to him.” The alpha’s tone clearly implied that he didn’t believe a single word of this. And neither did Yuu.

 They narrowed their eyes at the information and scoffed, “I don’t get what his game is, but if he thinks this is going to ingratiate him to me or something he’s seriously got another thing coming.” In spite of their suspicions though, Yuu actually was relieved to hear that Grim wouldn’t be setting a single paw into that establishment anytime soon. It was probably due to just having their heat, but they were feeling extra protective of the cub today.

Grim himself was probably lounging back in his room, sleeping off a few cans of tuna. Yuu decided to leave him at Ramshackle after seeing that neither of the twins were there. They couldn’t very well take him down into the ocean with them after all given the circumstances surrounding him getting sick in the first place. Grim was all too willing to comply with this. They could only hope that the Leech brothers didn’t make an impromptu arrival from their strange disappearance before Yuu could fetch the monster.

“I do think it’s strange the way Ashengrotto is behaving,” Jack murmured. “And I’m worried about the implication of Jade and Floyd being missing in action. We should proceed with caution.”

“Agreed,” Yuu replied, and turned to face their Heartslabyul friend again. “And thanks again, Deuce. I appreciate all the help.”

He only scratched the back of his head, “No. You’re the one who’s helping us out. I’m sorry for getting you dragged into all this. I feel like we’re always getting you caught up in our shit.”

“Don’t worry about that,” Yuu said quickly in reassurance, “I want to help. I care about you guys a lot. And while it can get crazy sometimes I’m glad you guys trust me to help-”

Their words suddenly got stuck in their throat. Deuce and Jack gave Yuu curious glances but Yuu only swallowed and shakily continued. There were more pressing issues to think about right now than that .

“... I’m happy to help,” Yuu continued in a quieter voice. They steeled themself and pushed back the anxiousness they could feel trying to crawl its way up their throat, “Anyway… Jack and I better get going. Azul made this sound easy, but if he’s giving us this many days to get this done then I’m sure there’s a catch.”

“There’s always a catch when it comes to that bastard,” Deuce grumbled sourly.

They finished off their goodbyes after that, watching as Deuce left the Mirror chamber, and with a sure nod to one another Jack and Yuu both took sips of the potion. At first there was no noticeable change but within seconds they both realized that it was growing increasingly hard to breathe the air. So quickly, they stated their destination to the Dark Mirror and stepped through.

~*~

There was an initial panic that came with water pouring into Yuu’s mouth and lungs. For a brief moment, they were taken back to that strange dream they had a few days ago wherein the ocean tried to drown them beneath its tempestuous waves. So it was no surprise that being suddenly transported to the bottom of the sea and swallowing down copious amounts of water was more than startling.

But as the last of the air in Yuu’s lungs floated up in a stream of bubbles and water filled every cavity of their respiratory system, they were surprised by the seamlessness of it all. They could feel the water entering and exiting their lungs just as air might, but it was like the water was air itself – the only difference being that it was heavier and colder. And when Yuu made a surprised noise, the sound carried like normal. It was altogether a very strange experience.

But it was not just sound.

The scent of something delicious wafted through the water into Yuu’s nose. They realized they could smell in the water. Yuu felt like everything they knew about how the world worked was being turned on its head.

The smell was coming from a store that was selling cookies of all things. How that worked was yet another mystery. Regardless, the scent of the baked goods made Yuu pay more apt attention to their surroundings now that their mind was no longer occupied by their sudden ability to breath water. Jack and Yuu had been transported by the mirror to a bustling underwater city. And it was more gorgeous than Yuu could’ve imagined.

The architecture below the sea was unlike anything Yuu had ever seen on land before. Without gravity to keep its denizens grounded, buildings rose up high and were built in strange foreign layouts and were rich and vibrant in colors and textures. There was an almost Grecian feel to the architecture, with white pillars and flourishing coral ornaments. There were streets and avenues but there was a distinct lack of road and pavement. Doorways and entrances were no longer things that existed on the ground floor, but littered the sides of buildings as merfolk exited in and out of them.

Speaking of the merfolk, many of them that were milling around occasionally stopped to gawk at the two land dwellers in their midst. Yuu and Jack were just as taken by the colorful array of merfolk that swam around. They ranged from all skin colors and tail colors. Some looked human from the waist up, with typical brown, peach, and tan colorings. Others were different colors entirely – green or blue or red from head to tail fins. While the majority of the merfolk they saw were some sort of sea mammal or fish, Yuu could also spot some folks with tentacles and even stranger tails – though these were far more rare.

If they were on such an urgent mission, Yuu would’ve loved nothing more than to explore. Jack had similar thoughts.

“We should ask someone how to get to the museum,” he said. Jack was trying to keep an unflappable exterior but Yuu could clearly see in his eyes and body language that he was just as amazed by this underwater world they’d found themselves in.

“Where are we anyway?” Yuu wondered aloud.

“Probably somewhere in Atlantis. The museum must be nearby if the mirror dropped us off here.”

With a plan in mind, they started off. Compared to the merfolk around them, Jack and Yuu must’ve looked downright clumsy and ungangly. And between the two of them, the beastman was clearly having a rougher time with his larger frame and all that extra fur to slow his movement through the water. Yuu might’ve been tempted to laugh at him if they weren’t also struggling to cut through the water. They might be doing okay now, but Yuu realized with a start that this was going to get pretty exhausting in a while. Water was way more dense than air and their muscles were not trained to do this all day, especially after just going through a heat.

No wonder Jade and Floyd were so strong.

Deciding that a store would be better than asking a random merperson, Yuu led Jack to that cookie store they’d smelled earlier. The shopkeeper had been surprised to see two land dwellers in her store but had been more than happy to tell them where the museum was. She’d even offered them a free sample of her cookies which Yuu’s curiosity could not say no to.

Now knowing where to go (“just two blocks to the north and take a right down Andrina avenue and it should be at the end of it!”), the two of them set off again. Jack had declined a cookie but Yuu happily gave theirs a try, needing to know how one could enjoy a cookie underwater. They took a bite and were delighted to discover that the cookie was soft and crumbly and not at all soggy. As with everything else in this world, Yuu chalked it up to magic and happily finished their underwater cookie.

Following the shopkeeper’s direction, Yuu and Jack found themselves swimming down Andrina avenue. Despite the large size of the “road”, the buildings along its sides grew more sparse the further along it they traveled. But eventually they could see a sparkling building in the distance at the end of the road. Its gold and white peaks stood out like a beacon.

“That’s got to be the memorial,” Jack said.

“I think so too,” Yuu replied. “Maybe we’ll actually be able to do this-”

Yuu cut themself off when a sudden smell reached their nose. Was that… Tea and black licorice?

“Well, well, Floyd. Look who finally decided to show up.”

Jack growled low in his throat and Yuu looked on in horror as two very long, very large , figures emerged from somewhere above them. Yuu nearly didn’t recognize them now that their skin was completely blue-gray and they each had identical long flowing tails trailing beneath them. But their scent and that voice was undeniable.

“What- what happened to your appearances?” Jack asked in shock.

Jade held up a hand to his sharp grin and chuckled mockingly. “Why, whatever do you mean? This is how we naturally look as moray eel merfolk. We use a potion to change our appearance to walk on land, of course.” He gave them a closed eyes smile.

Despite the dangerous tone in Jade’s voice, Yuu’s attention was drawn to his brother. They were surprised that Floyd had yet to speak up seeing as he was usually so hyper whenever they saw him. But looking at him now, Floyd looked… Sad? No, that wasn’t quite the right word. His brow was furrowed and there was a dangerous glint to his eye that made Yuu’s neck hairs stand on end.

Noticing their gaze on him, Floyd stared right into Yuu’s eyes and pouted .

“What do the two of you want?” Jack growled. But that answer was already obvious to everyone there.

“We’re here to get in your way,” Jade replied with that same sharp dangerous smile that never seemed to leave his face. “Oh… And, well, you see poor Floyd here has been in such a terrible mood these past few days. I figured this outing might also serve to cheer him up a bit.”

Floyd finally spoke up at that, still pouting and glaring at Yuu. “How come Shrimpy didn’t stay with us for a sleepover? I was all excited too. You really hurt my feelings, little shrimpy. Most people know better than to ruin my mood.” He crossed his arms.

“Maybe you shouldn’t have taken my dorm,” Yuu snapped, remembering that all this bullshit from the last few days could’ve been perfectly avoidable if not for these two and their boss .

“That’s not very fair of you, Prefect,” Jade said with faux sadness. “We were only trying to help you out. Azul even went out of his way to give you such a generous offer to release, not just your friends but, everyone under contract. In all honesty, I believe we have been quite accommodating to you.”

“Maybe if I give them a little squeeze, Lil’ Shrimpy will be more appreciative?” Floyd wondered aloud.

Jade smiled benignly, “Why, what an excellent suggestion, Floyd. Just make sure not to squeeze them too hard.”

“Like hell I’ll let you do that,” Jack snapped his teeth at them and brandished his wand. Jade only rose one elegant brow at that, looking utterly unphased by the growling alpha beastman. “Yuu, get behind me.”

Yuu did not need to be told twice. They didn’t have magic to defend themself with, and here off of campus grounds there was no telling what the twins would be willing to do to get their way. They crowded behind Jack’s intimidating form and narrowed their eyes at the two mermen who stood between them and their target. Floyd’s mismatched eyes were still pinned to Yuu, gleaming with twisted excitement.

At the first sign of movement from the brothers, Jack flicked his wrist and a shard of ice sliced through the water towards the eels. For a moment it seemed like it was going to land a direct hit on Floyd, who didn’t seem to have any intentions of moving out of the way. But to both Jack and Yuu’s shock the spell suddenly curved, shooting off to the side as if caught in some invisible current, and dissipated on a clump of coral that was now covered in frost and sharp icicles.

Jack shot off another spell before anyone could say anything. The result was the same as before, the spell curve just as it reached the brothers and spinning off in the wrong direction. The beastman growled in frustration.

“Oh my, I would’ve thought such a star player of the Savanaclaw Spelldrive team would be a more accurate shot,” Jade chuckled to himself, shooting Jack a pitiful expression. “You would have much more luck if you actually tried to hit us.”

As Yuu gazed up at Jack’s frustrated expression, they imagined that he would be sweating if they weren’t underwater. His amber eyes briefly flickered down to Yuu.

“It’s some kind of spell,” he muttered under his breath to them. “I don’t think we’re going to be able to win here… On my signal, swim as fast as you can back to the main street.” Yuu’s eyebrows rose to the top of their hairline. They opened their mouth to argue but Jack just growled. “They’re after you- Not me.”

“Hey hey, don’t you know it’s rude to whisper in front of friends,” Floyd called out to them. “Urchin and Shrimpy should share with the class and come play with us~”

“On my signal,” Jack repeated, and raised his wand arm again. Yuu reluctantly braced themself.

“Urchin isn’t very smart,” Floyd said dryly. “Didn’t he learn that isn’t going to work anymore-”

Before he could finish his sentence, Jack launched another spell. But this time, instead of heading for the twins, the spell hit the ground at their feet which rumbled and cracked. And surging from the cracks were large flourishing green leaves and vines that created a curtain of plant life that momentarily blocked them from the tweels’ view. Yuu’s body moved before they had even registered the signal and they began swimming back the way they had come as fast as their human arms and legs would carry them. Behind them they heard an exasperated and annoyed grunt.

“As a beastman, you should know better than to allow prey to run in the presence of predators,” Jade’s voice floated from behind them, followed by a bunch of chaotic noises Yuu couldn’t place. They were tempted to turn and see what was happening but knew better and kept swimming as if their life depended on it. And maybe it did.

“Oh no you don’t!” They heard Jack shout, followed by the sound of magic slicing through the water. The ground rumbled again. “Your opponent is me!”

There was a peel of laughter from Floyd. “Shrimpy~ Come on back and play with us~ Don’t think I’m going to let you run away a second time~”

His voice still sounded far away, but Yuu was still too far from the main road where all the other merfolk were and where they’d have safety amidst public eyes. And between their pathetic human limbs and the twin’s powerful tails, they had no hope of actually getting away once either of them got past Jack.

Mind racing, Yuu looked around desperately for something to assist them. And then they saw it.

To their left was a long patch of coral clearly meticulously cultivated to be aesthetically pleasing. It stretched the entire length of the avenue and had numerous divots and cavities that someone small, like Yuu, could possibly hide in.

It was a long shot, but Yuu frankly didn’t have a better option. They immediately changed their course and swam for the coral patch just as they heard a grunt of pain from Jack. They looked back instinctively and gasped when they saw that Jade had wrapped himself around Jack and was seemingly playing with the beastman. Their worries for their friends were immediately replaced by sheer panic when they saw that Floyd had spotted them and was beginning to swim in their direction with alarming speed now that Jack was too preoccupied to keep him at bay.

Without a second thought, Yuu darted into the maze of coral and began to push themself along with their hands, hoping to lose the merman amongst the living stone.

~*~

Night Raven College – Savanaclaw Dormitory

“You think they’ll be okay?” Ruggie asked.

Leona glanced over at his vicehousewarden and made a noncommittal noise at the back of his throat and then returned to his game of chess laid across his bed. He was playing on the hardest setting the magic of the board had to offer and thus far the black pieces on the invisible foe’s side were even with the white pieces he himself had captured. But Leona still found himself in a tough position, with the white queen threatening his king and only his knight in place to hold her back.

“Howl will do fine in protecting them,” he finally answered, tearing his eyes away from the board. “I’m more worried about what that cephalo-bastard is plotting.”

“Is that why you’re here instead of with the Prefect now?” Ruggie asked teasingly and Leona scowled at him.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” he snapped. “You know perfectly well I hate getting my hair wet if I can avoid it. Besides, Kitten is perfectly capable of handling themself and Jack knows better than to let anything happen to them. And at any rate…” Leona trailed off thoughtfully, fingers playing with his own black queen, debating whether to move her or not. The enemy King was well protected within his castle and his sharp eyes were scouring the board for any sign of an opening. “... Azul won’t hurt Yuu.”

Ruggie made an intrigued noise as he folded up some clothes. Yuu’s clothes to be exact. Ones that he hadn’t gotten around to washing before they had left. Not that it mattered, seeing as they were probably going to be staying at Savanaclaw again tonight – especially considering that intense atmosphere from the Housewarden Rosehearts and his right hand man when they’d dropped the omega off this morning.

“You suspect something,” Ruggie stated.

“I have a theory,” Leona confirmed. He carefully picked up a pawn and moved it a space ahead only to watch as the opponent’s bishop swooped it and ate it. He scowled at the board. “Azul plays for keeps, and it’s obvious from anyone who has witnessed his dealings first hand that the game he’s playing with Yuu is strange. While the bastard always makes it seem like he’s giving you the upperhand, even this is too good of a deal to be true.”

Ruggie hummed in agreement. “So what then? I assume you have a plan?”

“Not yet,” Leona said, once again playing with his queen and wondering whether or not to move it. It was his most powerful piece and, despite what his personality may suggest, he was very careful in using it and only did so when he was sure victory would be within his grasp. The King was precious but useless, but the Queen was the powerhouse that could change the tide of the game completely with enough clever positioning of her pawns. Still, he was unsure of how to proceed. “But… I think it’s about time that I paid Ashengrotto a visit.”

“Yuu won’t like you meddling in their stuff behind their back,” Ruggie warned, but there was a cheeky grin on his face that Leona returned. 

“What our little minx doesn’t know isn’t going to hurt them.”

~*~

Yuu was growing tired pretty quick. Thankfully, all this movement was keeping their body warm in this otherwise chilling environment (Azul’s potion must be helping them regulate their body temperature too), but that was probably the only upside to this entire situation. Especially since they no longer had their blazer on. Hopefully, Headmaster Crowley wouldn’t put up too much of a fuss about getting a new one – it was going to a good cause afterall.

They had quickly discovered when deprived of visual tabs on Yuu, Floyd was quick to adjust to using his sense of smell; which was apparently much stronger in his natural form considering all the close calls and heart attacks Yuu had to put up with in the last fifteen minutes alone. Floyd wasn’t small enough to squeeze himself into the reef like Yuu, but he had no problem keeping up with them by his cheerful and demented calls and that damnable nickname . Yuu was suddenly starting to understand Riddle’s exhaustion with the merman. Yuu wasn’t going to be able to eat shrimp for years after this experience.

But with their revelation of how Floyd was tracking them came an idea. After weaving through a particularly difficult section and trying to put as much distance as possible between themself and the alpha, Yuu kept an eye out for any seaweed or plants that were moving in a way that’d suggest a current. When they’d found one, they’d quickly divested themself of their blazer and mournfully gave it up to the currents. And then immediately backtracking the way they had come, hoping that their plan would work.

Within a minute, Yuu heard Floyd’s voice nearing and pressed themself into the shadow of a large coral growth and held their breath.

“Lil’ Shrimpy~ Come out, come out, wherever you are~” Floyd cackled to himself. “You should’ve told me you wanted to play hide-and-seek! I would’ve played with you sooner if I knew!”

His voice floated dangerously close, right above them, but then moved on past in the direction Yuu had doubled back from and even further on. When his voice had passed, Yuu let out a relieved sigh and kept on going.

They made their way to the edge of the reef and peaked out onto the empty avenue. They were close to the buildings now but still a ways away. They glanced back in the direction they’d left Jack but, with all the hills and dunes and shelfs of coral, it was impossible to see either him or Jade. Yuu hoped their friend was alright.

There was no telling when Floyd would figure out the deceit, and while traveling through the coral gave them cover it was also painfully slow and disorientating. It was obviously not meant to be traversed through by whoever had designed the road-side coral garden. And besides, Yuu would have to come out eventually and likely be immediately caught.

No. Instead of going back in, Yuu was going to risk swimming right down the road as fast as they could until they could reach others. Maybe ask that cookie shopkeeper what the Atlantis police equivalent was.

They started swimming, keeping low and close to the coral just in case they needed to dart back in at a moment’s notice. But thankfully, they didn’t see Floyd anywhere.

Another few minutes of this and Yuu was starting to near the first of the buildings. Elation filled their heart and they began to swim faster. Soon they’d be able to get help and find out some way to help Jack-

“There you are, Little Shrimpy~”

Yuu let out an undignified scream of alarm. Out of the corner of their eye, Floyd seemed to pop out of nowhere and started giving chase. If his speed alone wasn’t enough to get Yuu moving then that row of razor sharp teeth in his smile would’ve done the trick.

They weren’t sure how they managed to make it to the first of the buildings without being caught (they could practically feel the alpha breathing down their neck), but as soon as Yuu crossed the building they managed to spot a group of merfolk congregating nearby and made an immediate beeline for them.

In their panic, they hardly took notice of the rather regal attire these merfolk were sporting as compared to the rest of the people they’d seen thus far, nor the long weapons and steel plating they were adorned with. It wasn’t until those very same weapons were pointed right at them that Yuu stopped dead in their tracks and realized that these were not regular merfolk after all.

“Halt! Keep your distance from the crown prince and state your business immediately!” The older merman directly in front of Yuu growled, brandishing his lance menacingly towards them. “Or face the justice of Triton himself!”

Yuu’s hands immediately came up next to their head as their eyes bulged. “I- I need help! I’m being chased-“

“Likely story, human beta,” another soldier hissed. “What is something like you doing skulking down in the Coral Sea for? And on the same day and place the Prince decided to venture out? I don’t believe a word this land rat is saying, Captain!”

“P-please!” Yuu stuttered out, unable to tear their eyes away from the sharp weapons so dangerously close to their soft fleshy body. “I’m not lying! I really am being chased!”

Just as the mer who seemed in charge was about to speak again, another voice spoke up; this one softer and more pleasant.

“Oh, I recognize that uniform! You’re a student of Night Raven, aren’t you?”

Yuu couldn’t see who was speaking to them past all the menacing guards but caught a peak of brilliantly bright red hair.

“Your highness,” the Captain said with a sigh. “You mustn’t be so trusting of strangers. Especially land-dwellers.”

“Don’t be silly, Frederikke,” the kind voice replied. It sounded somewhat masculine though Yuu couldn’t be 100% sure without seeing the person. “I’m almost always on land these days and I’ve never come across anyone so cruel. Besides- It’s not like anyone would actually try and harm an omega.”

Yuu couldn’t help but raise their eyebrows high at that. An… Omega? Truly? It had been months since they had seen, let alone talk , to another omega. They were so scarce in this world. Yuu suddenly understood the dangerous and suspicious glances all this soldiers ( guards ) were throwing in their direction.

“Alright, alright, at ease please,” the omega continued, this time in a more impatient voice. Reluctantly, the soldiers all lowered their weapons and stepped to the side. Yuu took in their first sight of another omega in what felt like forever.

They, he , was lovely. Not nearly as lovely as Riddle but that was a hard comparison to beat. His vibrant red hair fell in elegant waves across his scalp and was pulled back in a princely ponytail. His eyes were large and round and a stunning shade of teal. Despite his soft appearance though he was actually half a head taller than Yuu, but still retained that typical soft omegan stature that Yuu themself didn’t really possess.

“Hi there!” The prince greeted, “You said you were being chased right? I’m Prince Rielle. What seems to be the problem…?” He trailed off, as if waiting for a name.

“Uh… Oh!” Yuu shook their head, snapping themself out of their trance. The shock of finally seeing another omega (that smell was definitely omega) was making them feel all sorts of emotions. Obviously sex shouldn’t be the defining thing to a person, but there was just something about being among other people who knew what it was like to live the life you had to live. To understand in a way the other sexes just couldn’t… Not that this Prince Rielle knew that Yuu was an omega of course.

“I’m sorry,” they continued nervously. “I’m Yuu. And yeah, I’m an NRC student.”

“You said you’re being chased?” He asked in concern.

Yuu nodded desperately, “I don’t know how to really explain this but I really need help. My friend is in trouble and-”

They were cut off when Rielle made an intrigued noise and glanced over Yuu’s shoulder. His sudden distracted behavior made Yuu blink in surprise but they saw that the guards behind the Prince all shook their heads in exasperation – implying this was a normal occurrence.

“Jade? Is that you?” The Prince asked in shock and excitement.

At the name, Yuu spun around in fear and saw that it was Floyd – not Jade– that was hovering several yards behind them with his arms crossed and his face set to annoyance. In his left hand was a familiar black blazer.

“Little Shrimpy forgot their jacket,” he said sourly. Yuu wondered why his previous elation at the chase was all gone. Was it because he couldn’t do anything to them in the presence of other people? Well that’s too bad for him then, they thought vindictively.

“Ah! It’s Floyd!” Prince Rielle exclaimed, “My bad, Floyd! Oh my gosh, it’s so good to see you again!”

At last, the eel looked over and acknowledged the excitable omega and his expression seemed to fall even further. Yuu just glanced between the two with bewildered eyes, wondering how in the world they knew one another, and on the chances that all three of them would have a run in together like this.

“Oh. Hi again, Koi fish,” Floyd said in a dead tone.

“Ah! Are you friends with Floyd, Yuu?” The Prince asked.

“Uh-” Yuu was about to say exactly how they weren’t friends with the assholes who kept trying to mess with them when said asshole swam up besides them and threw an arm around Yuu’s shoulder, much like Leona did on a daily basis.

“This is actually my little friend,” Floyd said, suddenly with renewed cheer. “Little Shrimpy and I are dating.”

“What-” Yuu said incredulously at the same time Rielle exclaimed, “Wow! That’s amazing news, Floyd! Congrats to you two!”

“That’s right~” Floyd said smugly. “Shrimpy is also dating Jade too, but he’s a little preoccupied right now so couldn’t join us on our date. We wanted to show Shrimpy our home town~” There was a dangerous undertone to the way he said preoccupied that had every hair on Yuu’s body standing on end. They shot a glare up at the merman, trying to figure out what his game was.

“That’s really amazing!” Rielle said. “I’m so happy for you two- Oh! I know! I don’t want to interrupt your date or anything but if you’d like, I’d be happy to show you and Yuu around a bit! We could use this time to catch up!”

Floyd’s expression immediately fell again, “Hmm. I’m not really in the mood-”

“That sounds like a wonderful suggestion, Prince Rielle!” Yuu immediately cut in, trying to ignore Floyd’s sudden intense stare burrowing into the side of their head. “I’d love to see more of this place. In fact, I was thinking we could go to the muse-”

“Musicals~” Floyd cut back in, “Shrimpy loves watching musicals. They kinda put me to sleep but I promised I’d show them the Atlantis opera house~” Yuu shot him another glare.

Rielle glanced between them with confused eyes but then smiled after a moment.

“That sounds like a plan! Oh my gosh, I can’t wait to show you all the amazing things down here, Yuu,” he said excitedly. “And maybe you can tell me a little bit about where you come from. You see, I’m terribly fascinated by the overworld!”

The guards all groaned but diligently started following the merprince as he started leading their entire group forward. Before Yuu could move to follow, Floyd leaned down and whispered in their ear.

“Play along with me for a bit, Little Shrimpy~ You gotta make up for ditching on our sleepover. It would be so terrible if Jade squeezed Urchin a little too hard.”

Yuu glared at him again and tried to duck out of his hold, but Floyd’s grip was iron tight. They eventually gave up and sighed.

“Fine,” they snapped. “But if I find out you guys have hurt Jack in anyway-”

“Don’t worry, Shrimpy~” Floyd sang. “Let’s just have some fun and everything will be alright~” He grinned at them, his serrated teeth far too close to their face for comfort.

Reluctantly, Yuu moved to follow Rielle and the rest of the omega’s entourage.

Notes:

I'M SO MAD WE WERE DEPRIVED OF RIELLE IN CANON THUS FAR 😭

There's so much potential for his character and I really wanted to include him in this fic! Plus! Yuu finally has another omega to talk to!!!!! Not that Rielle is aware of their true designation of course 🙃

Thanks again for reading and please leave a comment if you enjoyed this chapter~ They mean the world to me and give me the motivation to keep writing~ I read and appreciate every single one even if I don't always get around to responding. Have a wonderful week, you guys~

Chapter 17

Notes:

Apologies for another 2 weeks between updates. But I'm happy that I took my time with this chapter, or else I don't think I would've liked how it came out. I'm rather happy with how it is now though (still unbeta'd though lol).

Please enjoy :)

Rielle made for a passionate guide and clearly knew his way around Atlantis despite having what was presumably a very sheltered upbringing (if the guards eyeing Yuu and Floyd suspiciously were of any indication). He flittered to and fro, as excitable as a puppy, as he happily described the places and areas they ventured into.

The location the Dark Mirror had dropped them off at was apparently near the fringes of the city – high value but sparse. As they moved further on into Atlantis, the buildings around them grew in size and in the strangeness of their shapes. Rielle must’ve seen an equal mix of confusion and awe in Yuu’s eyes because he was quick to strike up conversation.

“You know, I’m always trying to get my friends at Royal Sword to come visit me down here,” he said. “None of them have taken me up on the offer yet – not that I can blame them. Most land-dwellers are pretty scared of the ocean.” He giggled to himself at that, as if it were such a silly idea. As a “land-dweller” themself, Yuu thought it was a very logical fear to have.

“That’s because most people are weaklings~” Floyd said with a grin. Rielle, though tall for an omega, still had to crane his neck to frown at the other merman.

“That’s not very nice, Floyd,” he said. “People just get scared of the unknown. A lot of merfolk are scared of the land too even though it’s amazing up there!”

“Merfolk are weaklings too,” Floyd easily replied.

“Those two categories include everyone ,” Yuu pointed out dryly.  Floyd only smirked at them and shrugged.

“So how long have you two known each other?” Rielle suddenly asked. His teal eyes were bright with excitement. Yuu only looked over at Floyd with one brow raised expectantly. This was his fib after all, and Yuu wasn’t feeling like being very helpful at the moment.

But it seemed Floyd had no issues in coming up with a tale.

“Shrimpy made a very big entrance during the opening ceremony,” Floyd said, practically giggling to himself. “Ahh, it was so much fun~ Much more fun than last year’s entrance ceremony. I thought I was going to die of boredom until they showed up. Someone was impatient and left before the ceremony began, then came barging in late with the Headmaster. And then their pet baby seal started setting fire to everything and making all the housewardens run around like headless guppies! It was completely crazy~”

Yuu flushed a bright red with embarrassment as Floyd started laughing to himself. Did he have to make them sound like such a delinquent? It wasn’t their fault that they were mysteriously dragged into this world and that Grim was an agent of chaos.

“Wow! That does sound fun!” Rielle said with wide eyes. “I don’t think we’ve ever had something like that happen at RS! I can’t even imagine how it would go down — and did you say a fire breathing baby seal? I’ve never even heard of such a creature!”

“Grim’s not a baby seal,” Yuu explained. “That’s just another one of Floyd’s weird nicknames. Grim is a feline fire monster. And I had nothing to do with the chaos of that day!“ Yuu added hotly.

“That’s still really cool!” Rielle exclaimed. “So then was it love at first sight? Like in the story about the mermaid princess and the human prince?”

“Hah?” Floyd snorted, flashing the prince a condescending grin and shook his head. “What are you talking about, Koi fishy? That’s silly~ No one falls in love at first sight.” He chuckled to himself while Rielle’s face seemed to fall a bit. “Nah. I like Shrimpy because they’re powerful.”

It was Yuu’s turn to snort.

“You don’t agree?“ Rielle asked with a concerned tilt to his head.

“Oh-“ Yuu honestly hadn’t meant to let that snort out, and coughed awkwardly. “Er… Well it’s just that… I actually… don’t have any magic.” At the other omega’s confused look, they hastily added, “Yeah I don’t know either. Not even the headmaster can figure out how I ended up at NRC. I just showed up. But yeah. Just your plain ol’ magicless human here. Floyd is just messing with us.” Like he always does.

“No, it’s true,” Floyd said, with a surprisingly level tone. “Sure Shrimpy here would lose if I ever tried to actually squeeze them, through magic or physical prowess, but Shrimpy has got like… Three housewardens? Under their thumb. Like sure that’s not physical power, but I can still respect that kind of ability. I never thought anyone would be able to tame Goldfishie and Sea Lion.”

Yuu already knew who “Goldfishie” was and it was obvious who “Sea Lion” was referring to. But what did he mean by “three”? Was he including Trey in there?

“I didn’t tame them,” Yuu said defensively. “They’re my friends and I just care about them. And they care about me too.” Even when they were angry with them for reasons Yuu wasn’t emotionally ready to tackle yet. “You don’t need to tame friends.”

Floyd shrugged, “I don’t care what you wanna call it. Being able to get powerful predators to obey you is powerful. Not that you’ll ever be able to tame me of course, Little Shrimpy~” He flashed them a razor sharp grin.

Yuu returned a deadpan stare, “I don’t think anyone can tame you or your brother. Not even Azul-“

“Eh? You know Azul too?“

Yuu looked over at Rielle in surprise. His voice, which had been cheerful and upbeat this entire time, even when he was expressing worry, suddenly took a more hesitant and reserved tone. At the sudden change in his body language his guards, who had previously been leaving the three students with space and the illusion of privacy, seemed to tense and move in just a bit closer.

“Oh… I don’t really know Azul-“ Yuu began. But they were cut off by Floyd with a surprisingly flat tone.

“Hey, Koi fishie. Do you really think you should be asking about Azul?”

Yuu shot him a stern but curious look while Rielle seemed to shrink in on himself a bit. His entire demeanor had shifted upon the mention of Azul and only grew worse with Floyd’s sudden input. The older head of the guard swam up beside them and glared at Yuu and Floyd, “Are you alright, your highness? Do I need to remove these two from your presence?”

“O-oh no,” Rielle flashed him a weak smile. “That isn’t necessary at all! I just stumbled a little over my own words- you know how I am! Always sticking my own tail fin in my mouth!” He laughed but it was obvious to anyone listening how forced it was. The head guard did not look convinced at all.

“Prince Rielle, it is our job to look after your wellbeing. You are sometimes too kind for your own good. If these two are bothering you, say the word and I’ll have them removed.”

Yuu felt themself bristle upon hearing that. Of course they had only just met Rielle but who did this knothead think he was trying to dismiss what the omega just said? Rielle had clearly told him that it was just a misunderstanding. Yuu wasn’t sure what that exchange between him and Floyd had been about, but it wasn’t like they were posing a threat to the omega. Who was this knothead to act like Rielle didn’t know how he himself was feeling.

Was this how all omegas were treated in this world? Cherished and protected but treated as if they had no autonomy of their own? That they weren’t capable of knowing better for themselves?

It made everything inside Yuu burn with fire.

“-promise. I’m really fine!” Rielle continued, still smiling and his body language soft and placating. “Honestly. Floyd here is a childhood friend. I promise I’ll let you know the moment I don’t feel comfortable!” It took a few more of these upbeat promises until the head guard finally relented and backed off. He shot Yuu and Floyd one last warning glare before swimming back into formation several yards back.

“I’m really sorry about that,” Rielle said to the two of them with that same forced smile on his face. It took everything in Yuu not to frown in response.

“Ahh,” Floyd hummed and grinned over at Rielle. “I see you’re as weak as ever, Koi fishie~”

To Rielle’s credit, he didn’t falter in his bright smile for a single moment upon having that spat into his face; that would’ve brought the head guard running over again. But Yuu had no such complication holding them back.

“Floyd,” Yuu snapped furiously. “That was completely uncalled for. Don’t say that.”

If anything, Floyd’s grin seemed to widen.

“Okay, okay~ Just for today, anything for you, Lil’ Shrimpy~ I’ll keep my mouth shut.”

~*~

Rielle reminded Yuu a bit of Cater with his constantly upbeat personality. The sudden fiasco from earlier in the day didn’t keep him down, and before long he was back to his cheerful self as he led Yuu and Floyd around Atlantis.

They did, in fact, stop by the Athena Memorial Opera House. Rielle explained that it was the oldest opera house in all the seven seas, and a gift to King Triton’s wife, Queen Athena, hundreds of years ago. Yuu was a bit of a Greek mythology buff and so of course immediately recognized the names of both the son of Poseidon and the Goddess of War and Knowledge. Which struck them as very strange because Poseidon and Athena were famously bitter rivals in Greek mythos, and each did quite a number of nasty things to one another and their proxies (poor Medusa). Yuu wondered at the connection there between their own world and Twisted Wonderland.

When explaining this to Rielle (who was just as excited to learn that Yuu was apparently an interdimensional traveler — no matter how unwitting), the two immediately jumped into an avid conversation discussing various names and historical figures to see if there was anything else that Yuu might’ve recognized. To their surprise there were many connections between this world and theirs. This revelation had sparkles partially leaping out of Rielle’s eyes.

So the Greek pantheon existed in this word. But they weren’t just myths here. They were real. Yuu suddenly wondered how many other interdimensional travelers there had been before them for stories to be shared in such a way. The stories were obviously twisted a bit in travel and through time, but Yuu had a pretty well supported hunch that perhaps many of the myths on Earth were a product of actual events that had happened in Twisted Wonderland — and perhaps even more worlds beyond that.

But that could only mean that there must be a way for Yuu to get back home! They’ll have to talk to Headmaster Crowley about this revelation a soon as they were done with this quest. Which seemed like it wasn't going to be anytime soon considering Yuu’s unexpected babysitter for the day. Speaking of…

Floyd was practically bored to tears as Yuu and Rielle excitedly discussed Greek mythos and historical figures. He muttered something about how he should’ve swapped places with Jade and played with Urchin instead. Yuu honestly wasn’t sure if they would’ve preferred that or not. Floyd was a bit unhinged and could be scary when he was feeling like it (and Yuu was starting to discover that he had these mood swings and could be pretty neurotic when he wasn’t feeling up to something), but Jade was a whole other can of worms and honestly kinda scared Yuu more.

And despite being the one to suggest the musicals in the first place, he was even more bored when Rielle was giving the two the grand tour (there were apparently boons to being Prince considering the opera house was closed to the public before 4pm). Soon his complaining voice could be heard echoing throughout the entire empty auditorium, bemoaning how lame this all was. This garnered them quite a few more nasty glares from the guards tailing them. But Rielle took it all in stride, laughing and reminiscing about how Floyd had always been that way, even back in elementary school.

He didn’t bring up Azul again.

At some point, Floyd began to complain about his empty stomach and began making insinuations that he would be forced to eat Yuu and Rielle if he didn’t get something inside his belly asap. This went about as well over with the soldiers as one would expect, and once again Rielle was forced to play peacemaker between his own guards and one moody moray. Floyd seemed to take their increasingly verbal hostilities as a challenge and it took many stern looks and biting remarks from Yuu to keep him from sparring with the tense bunch.

Yuu was actually surprised by how… Normal Floyd was behaving. Not to say he was normal because the Leech twins were about as far from normal as Yuu could think of — which was saying something considering all the colorful characters they’d met so far at NRC. But rather, they were surprised by how… Indifferent he was to Rielle’s designation.

He treated him like he did basically everyone else Yuu had seen him interact with — themself included. One part intimidation and one part playfulness. The only two people Yuu had ever seen him behave differently around were Azul and Jade and even then it was a barely noticeable difference. In comparison to how Rielle’s guards treated him or heck, even how most people initially treated Yuu upon first discovering that they were an omega — it was shockingly refreshing. He seemed oblivious to anything other than how annoying he perceived someone to be or how powerful they were as an opponent.

And dare Yuu admit it? They might have been enjoying his company, even just a bit. It was a strange notion considering they’d basically been blackmailed into this outing and still had no idea if Jack was doing alright or not.

Yuu ended up discreetly asking about this when the three of them had finally been “seated” down at a restaurant. The chairs were clearly made for a regularly sized merperson and was a bit weird to sit on as a human. Even Floyd’s extremely long tail didn’t exactly fit beneath their table.

“How’s Jade and Jack by the way,” Yuu inquired offhandedly, picking at their salad bowl that consisted of underwater plants Yuu recognized and several they didn’t. It tasted good though.

Floyd had been in the middle of taking a huge bite out of a very large filet of raw fish and paused comically. “Eh?” He said with a mouthful, his teeth still buried to the hilt in the pink flesh, sounding muffled. He finished ripping the chunk out (much to Yuu’s equal disgust and fascination) and swallowed, then tilted his head in thought.

“Oh. They went back to school like two hour ago or something,” he shrugged. “Jade texted me about it a while ago. Totally forgot though.”

“What,” Yuu snapped, feeling their jaw drop down. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner? You had me worried this whole time for no reason! He’s not hurt is he?“

Floyd shrugged again, scratching behind his ear with a dangerously sharp claw, “Ehhh. I was too hungry to care. Honestly I don’t really care now either. Sea Urchin is probably fine. Jade basically told him about you what I told you about him. So he went home no problem~”

Yuu should’ve guessed. So they’d basically wasted their whole day, which was the brothers’ intent in the first place. Of course Jack was fine. He probably still thought Yuu was in immediate danger though. Poor thing. They’ll have to hurry back and let him know. Too bad their phone isn’t waterproof.

“Wait- You said Jade texted you?“

“Yeah? Why?”

“ How ? We’re under the ocean!”

Floyd burst out into laughter and didn’t stop until Yuu was burning with embarrassment. He looked at them and laughed again, having to wipe an invisible tear from the corner of his eye. 

“Shrimpy~ Don’t be stupid. Of course merfolk have cellphones that can work under the water,” he said once his laughing fit finally died down. “How did you think we communicated?”

Yuu flushed further with mortification. In hindsight it was pretty obvious but it’s not as if they exactly had a point of reference to go off of in this world as a basis for common sense! As far as they knew, people could’ve just used magic to communicate or something! The fact that cellphones and computers existed in this world was still mind boggling to them.

“I think I’m missing something…” Rielle’s voice floated over to them. Yuu had almost forgot the other omega was even there. “Uh… What’s up with Jade? And who’s this Jack… Sea Urchin person? Is he okay?”

Yuu glared at Floyd, once again not feeling particularly helpful at the moment. Especially after finding out that he’d been withholding vital information for hours about the health and safety of their friend .

“Ehhh, I’m not in the mood to explain anymore. I’m hungry~ ” This was the last thing Floyd said before ripping into the rest of his meal and ignoring them. Yuu rolled their eyes and sighed.

Well. It wasn’t as if Jack was in any danger at the moment. There was nothing to force them to keep up this ridiculous fib that they were starting to suspect Floyd made up at the moment because he thought it was funny .

“Jack is my friend from school,” Yuu told Rielle. “He and I are supposed to be completing a task down here but someone -“ They shot a glare over at Floyd who was still not paying attention to anything but the fish before him. “-has been getting in our way all day. We got separated and Floyd chased me for like fifteen minutes straight and then blackmailed me by threatening Jack.”

Rielle listened to the entire explanation with wide shocked eyes. His pupils flickered over to Floyd (still ignoring them) and then back to Yuu. “Wait… So when you said you were being chased before-“

Yuu nodded and clicked their tongue, “Yup. All Floyd.”

“And you guys… Aren’t dating?”

Yuu scowled, “Absolutely not. That’s just Floyd messing with us again.”

“Oh.” Rielle blinked several times in rapid succession and Yuu could practically see the gears turning in his head. “That’s… Huh.” He looked over at his guards who were waiting patiently outside the restaurant for them to finish dining, then over at Floyd. And then he leaned forward carefully and whispered, “Are you in danger?“

Were they? Yuu probably would’ve said yes in a heartbeat a few hours ago. But now… After spending an entire day listening to Floyd’s off kilter manner of speaking and strange sense of humor and getting to kinda figure out what made him tick… Yuu actually didn’t think he would hurt them. Not unless Yuu egged him into it.

They sighed in annoyance and, with great reluctance, said, “No. I’m not in any danger. I’m just annoyed at having wasted my entire day. I only have a few days to complete this task.”

“What task?”

That was something Yuu wasn’t sure if they should admit to. While Azul had assured them that the item they were retrieving was of no significance or value, they weren’t sure if telling the Prince of Atlantis that they wanted to steal from a museum was the brightest idea.

The best lies are those buried in truth , Yuu thought to themself then said aloud, “I just have to get a picture of something from the memorial museum.”

“Oh!” Rielle exclaimed, “Wasn’t that where we ran into each other this morning?”

Yuu scrunched up their nose, “Yup. Why do you think Floyd was chasing me?”

Rielle looked back over at Floyd and then giggled. Then he leaned forward again so only he and Yuu could hear him. “How’s about this? I’ll take you there myself! When is your deadline?”

Yuu also snuck a peak over at Floyd. He was still enraptured by his quickly vanishing meal. “Sunset the day after tomorrow.”

Rielle grinned at them, “Perfect! We’ll go that morning then!”

Yuu titled their head in confusion, “Eh? Why then?”

The other omega shot them a mischievous grin as he pulled back. “Museum is closed that day for a national holiday. But…” He wiggled his bright red eyebrows at them, not finishing his sentence but his meaning was clear enough. Yuu grinned conspiratorially back at him.

“Anyway! We should all exchange numbers!” Rielle exclaimed as he sat back in his seat, drawing Floyd’s attention now that he had finally sated his appetite and was leaning back and patting his belly. Floyd grinned lazily over at the prince.

“Eh? Phone numbers? Nah~ I don’t like people bothering me for no reason,” he said, yawning. Rielle pouted at him but then turned to Yuu with an expectant smile.

Yuu quickly gave him their number while Floyd watched on in amusement.

“Alright then,” Yuu said, standing from their seat (or rather, floated up from their seat would be a more accurate statement). They stretched out their sore and tired muscles from a long day of swimming and groaning in satisfaction at the pops of their joints. “I’m exhausted. Can we go back to school now, Floyd? I assume you’ve been thoroughly entertained?”

“Wow, Shrimpy~” He sang, gazing at them intently with those droopy mismatched eyes of his. “You know me so well~ Yeah. I guess I had plenty of fun today. We can go home if you wanna.”

“I’ll drop you guys off at the nearest Mirror Gate!” Rielle exclaimed. “It was really fun to hang with you two! And it was super cool to see you again too, Floyd. Tell Jade I said hi.”

“Sure thing, Koi fishie~”

~*~

The first thing Yuu did upon returning to NRC was rush over to Ramshackle to check up on Grim, dragging a grinning Floyd behind them. There was no chance in hell he was leaving their line of sight until they’d made certain that Jack actually was on campus safe and sound. When they arrived though, Grim was nowhere to be found. The building was empty.

It took some needling but Floyd eventually relented to texting his brother. Jade was apparently far more reliable than his twin because his response came almost immediately. He was back at the Mostro Lounge and Jack had picked Grim up upon returning to campus. The relief Yuu felt upon hearing that was palpable and almost all at once they felt the exhaustion from the day’s excitement creep up on them.

Thankfully, Floyd had to go back to the lounge to help out and allowed Yuu to have their dorm to themself for a few hours to rest (but not before forcing the alpha to let them text Jack about their safety and whereabouts — they were lucky Floyd was in such an agreeable mood). They weren’t planning on sticking around long enough for the tweels to return to Ramshackle, but after spending so many days in Savanaclaw being on their own bed again was a comfort.

To their relief, they scented no hint that either of the twins had been in their room.

By the time Yuu had woken up again, the sun was near setting and they knew they’d have to get going before they ran into the twins again, lest Floyd demand another “sleepover”. Now that they had time, Yuu gathered up anything they may need at a more leisurely pace. Ruggie had already got most of their toiletries and necessities but there were still a few small things that they wanted to bring along (and stuff they’d rather no one mess with either).

Strangely enough, the ghosts were nowhere to be found and Yuu wondered if the twins had somehow managed to do the impossible and scare them off. Yuu hoped not. The ghosts had actually grown on them quite a bit since their initial trolling and were actually quite helpful when needed (including keeping Grim occupied when they desperately needed a break from his chaotic energy). 

They gathered up the last of their things and headed out, walking down the familiar path towards the gate of Ramshackle, and then pausing at a familiar sight.

Their mysterious loiterer was back, leaning against his favorite tree and gazing out at the setting sun, the light catching the angles of his horns until they were lit with fiery shades of orange. Yuu hadn’t seen him in a while and certainly not this early in the day.

He must’ve felt their gaze on him because he suddenly looked over, a neutral expression morphing into a pleasant smile.

“Good afternoon,” he greeted.

“Good afternoon,” Yuu replied. “You’re here early.”

He glanced over at the house behind them, his smile falling and brows furrowing. “I noticed a few things recently amiss. I normally come for some peace and quiet but things have not been so the last several days.”

Yuu flinched, and rubbed their arms slowly. “Yeah… That’s a bit of a long story…”

“I was also worried for your well-being.”

Yuu glanced up in surprise but the other student only smiled pleasantly at them.

“I could not sense you on the grounds,” he continued.  “With the presence of Octavinelle’s infamous brothers, I found myself worried. I assumed you would not share your secret with the likes of them so easily. To discover them in your place of refuge was… Concerning.”

“I may have gotten mixed up with Ashengrotto,” Yuu grumbled sourly. They weren’t sure why they were sharing anything with their mysterious stranger, but something about his presence put them at ease. It felt safe to tell him these things. Maybe it was because he’d known and kept their secret for so long already. “My secret is safe though. I’ve just gotta put up with a couple of freeloaders for a few more days until I can deliver on my side of the bargain. So… No need to worry.”

Despite their reassurances, the frown lines on the alpha’s face grew stronger.

“Ashengrotto… Trickier than a fey, that one,” he said.

“Have you had any personal dealings?” Yuu asked dryly. To their surprise, he laughed in response.

“No. No I have not,” he replied with a few more chuckles. “Though… The gargoyles look quite lovely in the setting sun.” Gargoyles? “Perhaps I will have to come earlier in the future. The lighting makes it seem like a different place altogether, though… I suppose this place shall soon be overrun by troublesome and noisy folks. I’ll have to find elsewhere for my peace.”

“I’m glad you have so much faith in me,” Yuu dryly said. “I’ll have you know, I plan on winning my end of the bargain no matter how stacked the odds are against me.”

He chuckled, holding a hand up to his lips that was reminiscent of Jade Leech. “I don’t doubt your capabilities, child of man. But one must always be weary of tricksters. Fey will never lie to you directly, but their words are often shrouded in deceit. And before any weary mortal can know better, they’ve been swindled out of more than they were willing to sacrifice.”

Yuu watched his face carefully, the gears of their mind spinning in overdrive. They wondered if he was being elusive in his meaning on purpose or if it actually had something to do with being a fey being. Their own world had stories of fey creatures of course, but none that Yuu was terribly familiar with. What was he trying to tell them? That… Azul was after something more than just Ramshackle?

Yuu wanted to sigh. And this is why one always hires a lawyer before signing a contract. Legalese can go and burn in a fire, especially magical legalese .

“Tha-” They caught themself before the ‘thanks’ could come out, remembering their last encounter with the strange fey alpha. A proud grin spread across his face and Yuu was struck by how pretty of a picture their stranger made in the sunset. They coughed and cleared their throat in embarrassment. “I-I’ll take your words into consideration. Any other words of wisdom you’d like to impart into the world?”

He laughed again. It was melodic and full. Yuu could easily see how folks could be so easily dazzled and swayed by such creatures. “Nothing. I was simply admiring the gargoyles poised atop the dorm.” He’s talking about gargoyles again. “Strange how they appear so intimidating and frightening yet their true purpose is to shelter from the elements. To drain water and protect that which it sits upon.” His green irises seemed to flash at them as he looked Yuu right in the eyes, “Like you, things are often the opposite of how they appear.”

A moment of thoughtful silence passed between them. And then Yuu said, “You’re a pretty strange guy, Odysseus.”

His eyes widened in surprise and Yuu felt a strange sense of accomplishment at having blindsided this elusive and seemingly unfappable alpha.

“Odysseus?” He echoed, in confusion.

Maybe it was because Yuu had spent quite a few hours discussing greek mythology with Rielle earlier in the day, or maybe because they were just tired of referring to the alpha as ‘mysterious stranger’ in their head, but they found that the name suited him. Odysseus was ‘nobody’ just as this strange alpha had no name and no identity known to Yuu. So until they discovered his name, he could be their ‘nobody’.

Yuu merely smiled cheekily at him and refused to elaborate. After a moment, Odysseus began to chuckle again, shaking his head in amusement.

“Very well,” he said. “I suppose I did give you permission to call me as you please. Then to you only, I shall be Odysseus. Now then… I believe it is time I made myself scarce.”

Yuu, who was finding themself enjoying his company, felt a little disappointed at that but reminded themself that they still needed to vacate the Ramshackle grounds before the Leeches returned. So they nodded.

“Goodnight, Odysseus,” they said.

“Goodnight, child of man,” he replied, and then vanished once again in a familiar burst of green sparks.

~*~

Leona’s room, much like Riddle’s, was situated in a hall seperate from the majority of the students; a luxury for Housewardens and their vice leaders. So Yuu was rather surprised to hear multiple voices speaking as they approached his room, hands still full of the stuff they’d gathered earlier in the day. The voices grew hushed as Yuu knocked and made themself known. A moment later it swung open and Jack was standing there, looking concerned.

“You’re okay!“ Yuu said, launching themself forward before they could think better of it and wrapping their arms around the caught-off-guard alph. Jack made a strangled noise but didn’t push them off. There was a difference between knowing he was okay and seeing it.

When Yuu pulled back he sighed and ran a hand through his hair, looking off to the side blushing. “I’m glad to see you’re okay too,” he responded gruffly. He couldn’t hide the slide wag of his tail though.

“Yuu!” A smaller form latched onto their leg and Yuu was quick to bend down and scoop Grim up into their arms. He no longer looked utterly exhausted. His blue flames were flickering with their usual intensity and his eyes were wide and alert – his grin mischievous and energetic. Yuu couldn’t help but bury their nose into the softness of his fur despite Grim’s vocal protests and just breathe in his comforting unpresented scent. “Cut that out, Yuu!” He complained, wiggling in their grasp, but it was obvious to everyone by his loud purring that he was enjoying the attention.

“How cute,” came a familiar voice.

Yuu finally glanced up and took in the rest of the room in shock. Jack was an unexpected but not a strange sight to see in Leona’s room.

Lilia Vanrouge, however, was unexpected.

“Eh? Lilia?” Yuu blinked in surprise and set Grim back down onto the floor.

Lilia was seated at Leona’s table across from Leona himself, while Ruggie leaned against a near wall with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face.

“I had wondered why you missed our dungeon raid the other night,” Lilia said pleasantly, tapping a finger against his cheek. “Gloomurai was so disappointed. But then I heard a nasty rumor that you’ve gotten yourself swept up in Ashengrotto’s business.” Was it just them or did his ruby eyes seem to flash? “I, of course, have already doled out punishment to my naughty kids who’d dare stoop so low as to bargain with him to get ahead in exams — my Diasomnia babies should know better. I was very sad to hear you didn’t wish to reach out to me for help.”

“Oh-“ Yuu wondered how much he’d heard. What rumors and how far had they spread? It sometimes felt like they were always caught up in the rumor mill in one way or another. They didn’t really mind so long as the subject involved stayed away from their designation. “I mean… I know better than to ask a fey for help without already having something in mind to offer. Plus I’ve kinda got my hands full with bargains already,” they added dryly.

Lilia laughed delightfully, “Very astute of you, my dear. But fear not. I came to you today to gift you something.” He leaped to his feet, as spry as a pixie, and made his way over to Yuu ignoring the way Leona growled beneath his breath.

“A gift?”

“A fey is free to bestow gifts upon those they deem worth,” Lilia explained with an adorable grin. “So you needn’t fret about owing me any favors for this. Besides- I’ve told you before. I think you’d make a great influence on my charges-” The short alpha winked at them, “So it’s in my best interests to make sure you come out of this chaotic school unscathed.”

Yuu tilted their head and then glanced over at Leona who was watching the entire exchange intently. Upon feeling their gaze on him, he only shook his head an exasperation but otherwise didn’t voice any protest.

It wasn’t that Yuu didn’t trust Lilia. They’d spent plenty of time with the vice-housewarden at this point – albeit, mostly online. They simply trusted Leona more, and he was far more versed on the ins-and-outs of this world than them. He seemed grumpy at the small fey’s presence in his dorm, but didn’t seem otherwise aggravated. Leona was always grumpy when other people were in his room.

“By all means then,” they told Lilia who grinned in response.

“Wonderful!” He sang. “This is for all your ears, so listen closely, children~” Leona rolled his eyes and Ruggie and Jack both seemed to bristle at being referred to as children. Lilia, however, didn’t seem to notice or care and continued on without a hitch. “Azul is a formidable foe with unique and powerful magic. At a glance, it may seem unbreakable but as students here you should all be intelligent enough to know that all magic has a catch. There is nothing that is truly indestructible. Even a sleeping curse may be broken by true love’s kiss. And Azul…” Lilia trailed off thoughtfully, “Well. Let us just say that he is an adept actor – a shame he wasn’t born a fae.”

Lilia sighed and shrugged regrettably.

Something about what he was saying rang familiar in Yuu’s head. For some reason they kept remembering the conversation they had just had with Odysseus and how he kept talking about gargoyles. About the duality of their perceived appearance to their actual function…

“I’m afraid that’s all I can impart unto you though,” Lilia said with a wink. “The rest, you adorable children will have to figure out on your own.” He then chuckled to himself and murmured in a voice so low Yuu could just barely make it out, “Silly child. I would’ve helped them regardless.”

Sometimes Yuu wondered if Lilia was the most enigmatic person they’d ever met. But then they remembered that Headmaster Crowley existed.

“Well then,” Lilia said, clapping his hands together. “I will bid you children a wonderful evening. Yuu, my dear, don’t forget about our next dungeon raid this weekend – though I understand if you’ll be otherwise preoccupied. Oh!”

He paused suddenly and turned to face Leona with a sharp grin.

“I’m very glad to see the young Kingscholar prince has been taking his responsibilities more seriously. Perhaps you will yet be a worthy equal to my dear Malleus,” he said. Leona glowered at him in response but it hardly seemed to phase Lilia at all. With one last  wave and a “farewell” Lilia seemed to vanish with a sudden shower of dark purple sparks that Yuu had come to recognize as cosmic magic, in a manner reminiscent of Odysseus.

“I hate the fae and their irritatin’ habit of poppin’ in and out,” Leona grumbled to himself before finally standing and prowling over to Yuu. At the sight of the alpha they had just spent their heat with, Yuu instinctively preened and leaned into him when he bent down and pushed his nose into their hair, inhaling deeply. “You smell like that fucking irritating eel, minx”

“I assume Jack has already filled you in,” Yuu said as he pulled back.

“I shouldn’t have let you go alone,” he said with a sigh.

“You’re just feeling protective because of the pheromones,” they reminded him and Leona huffed but didn’t disagree. “I ended up being fine. I don’t think Floyd or Jade were ever actually going to hurt me.” They glanced over at Jack in concern, “Jade didn’t hurt you too bad, did he?”

Jack cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders, “Nah. I’m just a little sore from all the swimming. Those two can pack a punch but… I think you’re right. Jade didn’t actually hurt me – not like I think he could’ve, as ashamed as I am to admit it. I still don’t think they’re going to let us anywhere near that museum though.”

“Everything about this is strange,” Yuu said, sighing and moving past Jack and Leona and plopping down on the bed.

“Agreed,” Jack nodded.

“Oh, does anyone have my phone?” Yuu asked, suddenly remembering.

Grim laughed and jumped onto the bed, presenting Yuu’s phone to them with a triumphant grin. “Got it right here! Once again, the Great Grim always comes prepared!” Yuu rolled their eyes but thanked the monster and retrieved the item from him. They unlocked it and saw a couple of texts from an unknown number. Must’ve been Rielle.

“Well, I’ve got a plan for the day after tomorrow,” Yuu said.

“I’m wondering more about what Vanrouge wanted with us,” Ruggie suddenly said, joining the rest of the group in the middle of the room. “Man. Why do fae always gotta be so cryptic? It’s creepy.” He clutched his arms and gave a dramatic show of shivering.

Yuu was wondering about that too. The entire group fell silent as they considered the Diasomnia vice-housewarden’s words. Both Lilia’s and Odysseus’s words swirled inside their head while a silent voice nagged at the back of their mind. Yuu was missing something. Something vital.

“What if…” Yuu began, snagging onto a train of thought but unable to clearly see where it led yet. “What if he means there’s a weakness to the contracts? Actually…  Why even have contracts at all if what is binding is his magic?”

“Hm…” Leona hummed, “The idea has merit. That might just be what that fae-bastard was trying to infer.”

“Must you call him that?” Yuu asked dryly. “He’s my friend, you know?” Leona only grinned at them and didn’t correct himself, the shameless and unapologetic bastard that he was.

“You said you had a plan, Yuu?” Jack asked.

“I do,” Yuu said, checking their phone just to confirm. Rielle had texted his name to let them know it was him and also left a very sweet message about how much fun he had today as well as information on where to meet him. “But it can’t happen until the day after tomorrow.”

“Oddly specific,” Ruggie noted. Yuu grinned at him.

“Trust me. If all goes well, this’ll all be over soon,” Yuu said determinedly. “But…”

“... What if things don’t go well,” Jack finished for them and they nodded.

“We make alternative plans then,” Leona said. “A good predator always has an escape route in mind even while on the hunt. If your idea cannot happen until then, we should be makin’ the most out of tomorrow and scope out that cephalo-bastard.”

Grim made a noise of alarm, “I don’t want to go anywhere near those two giants again!”

Leona crossed his arms and smirked, “Don’t be ridiculous, furball. We’re not just going to waltz onto enemy turf like bright-eyed and naïve rabbits – unlike some folks have been known to do.” He shot Yuu a knowing look and they responded by sticking their tongue out at him. “We’ll need a distraction.”

“I’m not sure if I like where this is going…” Grim grumbled.

Yuu sighed.

What was another day of swimming?

Notes:

Yay Malleus is back! 😭 Been severely deprived of him. Rielle has really grown on me as a character and I hope to include him more!!

A lot less fluff in this chapter than usual, but I gotta start hurrying the plot along LMAO. This is getting to be way more slowburn than I thought. I seriously believed I would be done with Book 3 by now 😂 how naïve of me lmao. Anyways...

Thank you for reading!! Let me know your thoughts below <3

Chapter 18

Notes:

Longer chapter than usual (about 9.3k words omg)! Hopefully to make up for the 3 weeks since the last update whoops lol.

Please enjoy and mind the trigger warning below!!

IMPORTANT!!!!:

TW// References to dubious consent

I’m adding this to the beginning notes because I really want to drive this home without too many spoilers. There WILL be references to dubious consent in this chapter. It will not be pretty. The implications are dark.

But be aware that this is a different dimension where omegas are a minority. We are better educated today on the struggles minorities and infringed groups have to deal with, but for much of human history those struggles were not seen and trivialized. It takes exposure and education for people to learn and grow and realize how fucked up their perception of the world and their biases are.

I’ve not shied away from allowing characters in this fic to behave in sexist ways, but I will always give the the opportunity to grow and learn. It is just that the degree of ethical dubiousness is turned up in this next part of this arc.

But I promise it will be addressed. But if this starts making you feel uncomfortable in anyway, I encourage you to skip this chapter. Ask, and I will leave a synopsis for you.

Please consume media safely and consider your own mental health first.

(It not as bad as I’m making it seem, but I feel like it’s my duty to emphasize this for my readers ❤️)

Yuu walked into Heartslabyul alone in the early morning. While the others had offered to accompany them as before, Yuu kindly turned them down but offered no other explanation. The look in Leona’s sharp cat-like pupils said that he knew the reason but didn’t say it aloud. He merely patted them on the head and told them not to take too long and waste his day.

So Yuu ventured into the hedge maze of roses alone with nothing but the soft blue early morning light to accompany them. It was a crisp morning with only a few scant clouds dotting the sky. It was only too bad that they’d be spending the majority of their day once again under the ocean and away from the beautiful day. Still, they would enjoy the roses and the dewy morning while they could.

Riddle Rosehearts was seated as his usual table in the maze garden when they arrived at the center of the maze, one leg propped elegantly across the other so that Yuu could see the bronze bottom of his heel. He looked every bit the Queen he idolized— poised and regal, a force not to be trifled with. Trey Clover stood vigil by his side, an ever comforting and protective presence. They both looked up in tandem when they heard Yuu’s footsteps in the grass approach, expressions neutral but clearly conflicted. Yuu imagined that their own expression appeared much the same.

Yuu faltered a bit as they got within a few feet and had to force their legs to keep moving until they were finally standing awkwardly before the Queen and King of Heartslabyul. Unconsciously they brought up a hand to rub at their arm, just any kind of physical stimulation to keep from being overwhelmed by the racing thoughts in their head. Riddle and Trey had been a steady and supportive presence in their life from nearly the very beginning of this strange adventure. To now have this… suffocating tension stretched out between them like an insurmountable chasm was nearly more than Yuu could bear.

Their only saving grace was seeing and knowing that the other two felt exactly the same.

When no one spoke for a good fifteen seconds, Riddle finally shook his head and gave Trey’s ribs a meaningful nudge with his elbow, shooting a silent look up at the tall beta. Had Yuu not been the subject of their troubles, they might have laughed at the role reversal as it was usually Trey, not Riddle, keeping the other in check. Trey glanced up hesitantly at Yuu and their heart nearly melted at the sorrowful look in his amber eyes.

“Yuu…” He began slowly. He rubbed the back of his head, taking his fedora off with his other hand and placing it onto the table. “I… I need to apologize for the way I behaved yesterday. I was upset – still am, to be completely honest. But as a vice housewarden, as an older brother who should know better – as your friend … I shouldn’t have taken out my frustrations on you. I’m really sorry.”

Yuu’s bottom lip trembled. They weren’t sure what they were expecting coming here but it certainly wasn’t an apology right off the bat. The tight waves of sorrow rising up in their chest made them want to rush over and pull the giant man into a hug, but their feet were frozen in place. In fact, their tongue felt lethargic as well and they weren’t sure what to say at all.

“In truth,” Trey carefully continued when they didn’t respond. “I’m not even upset with you – not really. I’m upset at the situation. And you’ve just been-” He cut himself off before an accusation could fly off his tongue. He glanced away guiltily. It was so very unlike him. Yuu hated seeing the normally laid back and unflappable beta seem so unsure of himself.

“I’ve been distant…” Yuu finished for him, finally finding the words that needed to be said.

Trey looked up, finally meeting their gaze. He gave a nearly imperceptible nod.

“You have… But that’s no excuse for my behavior.”

Yuu bit their lips and swallowed back the tears that wanted to come out. So apparently they were way more hurt than they had originally thought and now that things were being talked about it felt like holding back a tsunami. Yuu was pretty sure they weren’t in a position to break down and have a crying session right now though. Maybe the day after tomorrow. But they certainly couldn’t be emotionally compromised while still under threat of Octavinelle.

And by the bags beneath both of Riddle and Trey’s eyes, neither of them were either. It was actually surprising to see Riddle looking so exhausted. He hadn’t even taken the time to do his makeup before leaving his room as he usually did. No red kohl lined his eyes and the exhaustion in his face was clear for anyone to see.

“So now that we’re all on the same page-” Riddle began, uncrossing his legs and sitting up straighter in his seat. “Would you like to sit and have a conversation with us, Yuu?”

Truth be told, they’d love nothing more than to crawl into Riddle’s lap at that very moment and bury their face into his shoulder and spend the rest of the afternoon cuddling with the alpha and beta as if nothing were wrong. But, as much as it pained them to admit, things were coming to a head and Yuu knew that they couldn’t afford to allow themself to become distracted.

“Yuu?” Trey asked, when they stayed quiet and unmoving.

“I think…” Yuu began then shook their head and reorganized their thoughts. “I do. I really want to sit down and talk about things. I’m starting to realize that maybe I’ve…”

“Not just you,” Riddle said with a firm head shake. “I think we’re all guilty of doing and saying some rather inconsiderate things lately. Which is why we should talk about it and lay out some… Boundaries.”

“I- I do want that,” Yuu managed to get out. “I just don’t think I can right now. Would you be willing to give me some time?” Just a few days. Just until they could finish dealing with Azul and get that damn photo from right beneath the Leech brother’s noses.

Riddle and Trey glanced at each other and their faces became pinched. Despite their overall discomfort with the entire situation, Yuu still found themself marveling at the way the two men were able to seemingly communicate without talking. They had come so far from where their relationship had been at the beginning of the school year.

Finally Riddle turned back to face them, “Be honest with us, Yuu… I’m not completely caught up with all the details but this has to do with whatever is going on with Ashengrotto doesn’t it? That’s why you need time.”

Yuu wasn’t surprised that he knew at this point, with how out of hand everything had gotten. They still wished that neither of the two boys would’ve ever found out about the whole debacle, and Yuu still wasn’t completely sure if they were actually in the wrong for keeping it from them but… The omega also wasn’t a stranger to being wrong before. Of course Yuu was willing to hear Riddle and Trey out on their grievances on how they’d handled everything just as they hoped the two would also hear them out.

Regardless, the cat was out of the bag. There was no point in keeping it a secret anymore.

“It is,” Yuu said with a nod. “I- I just need you both to know that I care about you a lot.” The words came out in a fountain of syllables, pouring forth before they could second guess themself. “And I will absolutely sit down and talk things out because you both mean so much to me and it’s the least I can do after everything we’ve been through.” Yuu had to force themself not to look away flustered when Riddle’s eyes widened and a rosy flush dusted his cheeks. Even Trey looked mildly affected by their words.

“When this is over,” they continued. “I promise we will talk. But I just ask that you let me handle this for now… I get the irony of that. I’m not completely stupid, I know you’re both upset at me for keeping things secret and I… I promise I’ll hear you both out as long as you give me the same courtesy. But only after I’ve sorted all this out.”

“You’re not stupid at all, Yuu,” Trey said sternly. “We’ve never thought that. And of course you’ll get to say your piece. The last thing I want is a breakdown of communication and one sided accusations… My atrocious behavior yesterday is a testament to that. It solves nothing.”

Yuu’s bottom lip wobbled again.

“So then… You’ll agree to hold off on the talk?”

Riddle’s stormy gray eyes seemed to soften, “Of course.”

It was taking a herculean amount of effort not to cry right then and there. But Yuu did manage to get out a rather shaky and quiet, “.... can I hug you?” To which Trey laughed and nodded, the warm baritone of his voice a soothing balm for Yuu’s ears.

They crossed the space between them in two large steps and wrapped their arms around Trey’s thick torso, feeling an instinctive relief at the comforting skinship. Trey in turn wrapped his arms around them and held them close and Yuu got a nose full of his comforting beta scent. It didn’t hit them until just then just how alarming Trey’s anger had been and how badly it had actually affected them.

“I’m sorry I hurt your feelings,” Yuu murmured into the lapel of his uniform. They couldn’t see his face, but they felt his warm breath and the vibrations of his chuckle against the crown of their head.

“I’m sorry too,” Trey murmured back.

Yuu stayed there longer than they probably should’ve considering they had a timetable to keep. By the time they’d finished hugging it out (and after Yuu had given Riddle his cuddle as well) it was already a fair bit past dawn. Trey casted Paint the Roses on them, muting their omegan scent to a nondescript beta, and then they said their goodbyes.

“Please, Yuu,” Riddle suddenly said, catching Yuu’s right hand before they could leave. “Be safe.” He then released them.

They flashed him a reassuring smile, “I will.”

~*~

Leona watched as Kitten and their entourage of Heartslabyul alphas disappeared into the Black Mirror. Leona was sure he knew their names but couldn’t be bothered to remember them at the moment. The two loud ones, one with dark blue hair and the other a ginger.

To be honest, Leona was surprised he was involving himself in any of this at all. And even more surprising was that he didn’t seem to mind. Sure he’d verbally complained a bit but that was mostly just to keep up a veneer of indifference. Yuu had seen right through to him though, with that telling glint in their eyes and a raised brow, and that was yet another surprising thing — that he’d found himself pleased the way the omega read him like an open book instead of being pissed off.

He touched the pads of his fingers to his lips and smirked as he remembered Yuu’s flustered expression when he’d pulled them in for a kiss right before he’d sent them on their way. That omega had absolutely no business being as infuriatingly stuck on his mind as they were, and yet Leona couldn’t bring himself to be upset with how everything had turned out. And seeing the way Yuu’s two Heartslabyul alphas had bristled at the sight but couldn’t say anything was just the cherry atop his cake.

Those two could be as angry as they wanted. Leona honestly didn’t care what they thought of him so long as they did their job and kept his kitten safe. Especially since he needed Jack for his side of the ploy and couldn’t rely on the giant alpha to watch over Yuu as before. As capable as the omega was, Leona wasn't about to make the stupid mistake of underestimating that cephalo-bastard and his two, frankly, terrifying moray henchmen. If there was one group of people Leona didn’t mess with on campus, it would be those three. It was only his luck that those were the exact folks Yuu’s gotten themself caught up in with that stupid bleeding heart of theirs. There was a good reason he’d told Ruggie to steer clear of the twins back when they were scheming for the spelldrive tournament.

Speaking of Ruggie. The beta was stuck with the duty of rounding up all the annoying herbivores in their dorm for the next part of their plan. The hyena had shot Leona the most betrayed and frustrated look he’d ever seen on the younger beastman’s face when he’d given him the assignment. But that’s what he’d signed up for when he agreed to be Leona’s right hand man. The Prince couldn’t be bothered with something as beneath him as herding a bunch of brain dead jocks. That was strictly under vice Housewarden duties.

Jack, meanwhile, was on guard duty right outside the Dark Mirror chamber, making sure no one saw them entering and leaving with his enhanced hearing and sense of smell. Annoyingly loyal and strictly moral people like Jack Howl usually pissed Leona the fuck off but… He had to admit that the wolf performed well and produced excellent results and was very talented both athletically and magically. If all went well in the next few years, Leona was possibly considering inviting him to join the Lion Guard.

Or even something else… Leona wasn’t sure yet. The last few months had been an absolute headfuck, courtesy of the sweet but infuriating omega he’d found himself fixated on. And try as he may, Leona knew he could no longer lie to himself about his future. Things had to change — have already changed. But… That was a thought for another day.

Now, he needed to make sure said omega didn’t get fucked over by that cephalo-bastard.

“We should be good,” Jack informed him as Leona walked up to him. “I haven’t scented anyone near.”

“Good,” Leona hummed, gracefully pulling his cellphone from his back pocket and double checking the confirmation text Ruggie had just sent him. “Let’s get goin’ then.”

~*~

Predictably, Ace and Deuce were just as taken, if not more, by the sights and smells of the Coral Sea ocean floor and its colorful array of fantastical buildings. There was something off-kilter about it all but in a breathtaking way. Even after having spent nearly the entire day before exploring Atlantis, Yuu was still blown away by the underwater scenery.

The Dark Mirror landed them roughly around the same place as it did the day before, near the edge of the city with vast swaths of empty ocean floor dunes and newer buildings and what Yuu could only assume to be public art projects — so not very unlike their own human cities.

Deuce and Ace’s excitement was contagious and Yuu found themself grinning ear to ear watching the two puppy-like alphas excitedly swim around to take in the sights. Unlike Jack, who remained stoic and focused on the task at hand from start to finish, Yuu knew that they’d have to be responsible for reigning the two in and keeping them on track.

“This is nothing like in the Mermaid Princess!” Ace exclaimed, swimming up close to a misshapen building made up of lavender coral. “There isn’t even a door!”

“Look up,” Yuu dryly said, but couldn’t help but chuckle at Ace’s follow up exclamation.

“To be fair,” Deuce chimed in. “The Mermaid Princess took place hundreds of years ago. Also it probably isn’t historically accurate.”

Ace glowered at him, “That movie is a masterpiece and I won’t have you slandering it in front of me, anemone head!”

Deuce sputtered indignantly, “You have an anemone on your head too! And I wasn’t slandering the movie! I’m just pointing out that a lot of period pieces tend to be historically inaccurate-“

“Oh please,” Ace scoffed, “you’re talking to the master of old films! Who do you think taught you everything you know, Deucy? The apprentice should know better than to try and challenge his master.”

The two continued to squabble but it was clear by the large grin on Ace’s face and the one Deuce was trying desperately to hide behind a scowl (and failing) that they were enjoying themselves. Yuu was almost tempted to let them at it, especially since it would be hilarious to see them both embarrassed once they realized they were getting weird looks from the merfolk around them, but… As Yuu said before. Pressing matters.

“Alright, you two,” they interrupted with an exaggerated eye roll. “Museum’s that way. I believe the plan was the stay inconspicuous to avoid letting the Leech brothers know where we are?” Not that Yuu actually believed they’d be able to hide nor run from them, but that was besides the point.

“Yeah, Deucy,” Ace teased, throwing an arm around Deuce’s shoulders. “You gotta be more inconspicuous ~”

Deuce shoved the other cackling alpha off of him, which was far less effective than on land considering Ace merely glided backwards in the water, “Take your own advice, asshole!” Deuce snapped, but he too was grinning ear to ear.

Yuu was reminded of the last meaningful conversation they’d had with Deuce and how upset he’d been at the thought of not being there for his mother over the break. To see him and Ace, despite looking exhausted at how hard Mostro Lounge had been running them, laughing and smiling and joking around made a warm tingling sensation burst to life inside of Yuu. They were reminded of exactly why they were going through all this effort and heartache in the first place.

Yuu didn’t care if the stereotype was that alphas were protectors and omegas were nurturers. They were going to protect those smiles to the best of their abilities, designations be damned.

It took some time but Yuu was pretty proficient in wrangling the members of the one-brain-cell-trio, and soon they were on their way towards the museum again.

If by some miracle neither of the twins were there to stop them, then the picture was as good as theirs. Yuu was fairly confident this would not be the case, at which time they would have to do their best to distract the twins while Leona and Jack carried out their side of the scheme.

Deep inside of them though, Yuu was reminded that luck hated them and their plans almost always fell through in the most disastrous of ways. Murphy’s Law stated that anything that could go wrong would, and somehow Yuu was the physical embodiment of this. Or merely the catalyst? Whatever the case, there was no way to really prepare for such a catastrophe so all they could do was push down that biting anxiety and cross their fingers and pray.

They didn’t even get close enough to see the museum this time when two familiar long shadows fell over them, blotting out what little sunlight managed to reach these depths. Ace and Deuce were both immediately on guard while Yuu only sighed.

“Really, Shrimpy~ Would’ve thought you’d be smarter than to come back again!” Floyd’s lazy and melodic voice floated down to them as Yuu glanced up and saw the brothers descend upon their group, swimming circles like sharks that have caught the scent of blood. “Or… Did you really just miss me that much~? I’m flattered, Shrimpy!”

“Hello to you too, Floyd,” Yuu said dryly. “Jade.”

“Prefect,” Jade greeted with a polite nod that was at odds with his sharp and hungry grin. “I see you have brought new companions today. What happened to Mr. Howl?”

“Didn’t want to get his fur wet,” Yuu quipped easily.

“I don’t blame him, that wet dog smell…” Jade mused pleasantly, then turned to face Ace and Deuce. “My my, I’m beginning to grow concerned about the training quality at the lounge. The two of you should know better than to skip out on your shifts.”

“It’s our day off,” Deuce groused.

Jade’s one golden eye seemed to flash, “Is that so?“

“That’s right!“ Ace shouted. “You fancy thugs can’t mess with us today! All you two know how to do is bully other people down! It’s sick!”

“Who said anything about messing with you?” Jade asked with a sad shake to his head. “I’m quite hurt by such an accusation. Floyd and I are merely here to… Have some fun.”

“That’s right, Jade~” Floyd practically sang. “It’s our day off too, ya know! We wanna have some fun too~ Yesterday was so boring . All I did was swim around doing absolutely nothing .” Yuu wasn’t sure if they should feel offended or not considering he’d spent the entire last day with them . “I wanna play with the loud angry ones this time~” He winked at Yuu, “No offense, Shrimpy~ But fighting you would be like picking on a guppy. I just don’t think it’s fair Jade got to squeeze Urchin and I didn’t.”

Yuu gave him a deadpan stare, “None taken.”

“Hey,” Ace whispered into Yuu’s ear. “How are you so calm right now?” His voice sounded tight.

Yuu wasn’t sure how to explain that they were positive that Floyd and Jade wouldn’t actually hurt them. Not without being provoked into it of course. And they weren’t sure how to explain this to Ace right in front of the tweels without that in itself goading them into starting a fight. Maybe not Jade but Floyd for sure would interpret that as a dare.

“Whispering again? I thought we’d already discussed this just yesterday,” Jade said, holding a hand up to his mouth to hide that shit eating grin of his. “Perhaps it’s a good thing Azul will be taking charge of Ramshackle dorm soon enough. Its leadership appears quite… Lacking.”

Yuu finally found themself scowling and glaring at the mer in earnest at that comment.

“Fat chance,” the omega snapped.

“Oooo~ I think you struck a nerve there, Jade,” Floyd sang. “Don’t be so mad, Shrimpy~ You really should’ve known better than to try and win a bargain with Azul. But don’t worry~ I promise we’ll take good care of you~ Think of all the time we’ll get to spend together! Maybe we’ll even become best friends~”

Most of Floyd’s words washed over Yuu as they found themself caught up in a very specific thing he’s said. Their annoyed expression was wiped from their face and replaced with bewildered confusion.

“What?” Yuu asked in confused disbelief. “Hang on. Go back. What do you mean you’ll take good care of me?”

Jade and Floyd looked at one another and then, in perfect sync, burst into chuckles. Despite their near polar personalities, it was obvious in that moment that they were in fact twins. As the laughter went on Yuu found themself losing patience quickly.

“What. Do. You. Mean.”

“Someone didn’t read their contract closely enough~” Floyd sang.

“Really, Prefect Yuu,” Jade grinned at them. “Did you think we’d be so heartless as to throw out the homeless human to fend for themself? Of course not. Azul put a clause specific in your contract just for that reason. You, as a member of Ramshackle, belong to that dorm. Thus, when ownership and leadership of that dorm is transferred to Azul… So do you.” At Yuu’s horrified expression, Jade shook his head and tutted pitifully. “As I said, this really is a favor to you. Azul is being quite generous. He could’ve just left you to fend for yourself, would save us the paper work.”

Yuu knew exactly how “generous” Azul could be. Generous in the way that he always got more out of a deal than he was giving, one way or another. They may not have known Azul long or even spoken to him more than a handful of times, but Yuu was 100% certain that whatever intentions Azul had for including that in their contract was far from generous.

Yuu opened their mouth to say something but was cut off by a burst of ice magic that shot past them and burst into an array of crystals just behind them. Deuce was forced to leap out of the way at the last moment as he shot an incredulous look over at Floyd Leech, the one responsible for the unexpected assault.

Jade, too, was looking over at his brother with an unimpressed expression. “Floyd. We were in the middle of a conversation.”

Floyd merely yawned and stretched his arms, giving everyone a better look at the blue scales and gill slits lining his rib cage. “Got bored. I wanna cut loose already. Oi~ Mackerel! Crabbie! Let’s play~”

Ace and Deuce both looked identically alarmed at being called out so suddenly. But seeing as Floyd was already raising his wand for another spell, they both jumped into action, pulling their own pens out. But without their signature spells (and even if they did still have them), Yuu knew they stood little to no chance against Floyd.

“Floyd,” Yuu snapped as they swam out of the immediate zone of fire..

Floyd barely glanced over at them, clearly too preoccupied by the idea of a good fight, but still threw them a distracted, “What’s up, Shrimpy~?”

“You hurt them and you deal with me,” Yuu said dangerously, despite knowing that there really wasn’t a threat there. There wasn’t much Yuu could do to Floyd that actually hurt him… Probably wouldn’t even inconvenience him. But they’d still try their best.

At the non-threat though, Floyd did finally deign to look over at Yuu, flashing them a sharp grin and gazing at them with that somehow simultaneously sleepy yet piercing gaze of his. “Promise~?”

Yuu narrowed their eyes at him. 

He cackled. “Alright, Shrimpy~ I won’t maim your pets too badly~ I’ll just play a little rough that’s all~”

Yuu supposed that was the best they were going to get out of him. They just needed Floyd preoccupied for a few hours. Silently in their head, Yuu begged both Ace and Deuce for their forgiveness for foisting the unstoppable force of terror that was Floyd Leech onto them.

And then they turned to look at Jade who was still smiling and waiting patiently for them.

“Just you and me today then, eh Jade?“

~*~

Ruggie disliked the Mostro Lounge. There was nothing like it back home and in general he made it a point to dislike anything so ostentatiously expensive. Just looking at the menu was pissing him off. The amount of thalmarks Ashengrotto was charging for a single beverage probably could’ve fed him and Bibi for an entire week. Okay well… Perhaps that was a bit of an exaggeration. The point was that Ruggie did not like being in the lounge.

The rest of Savanaclaw seemed to be living it up though, especially considering Leona was paying for everything – stupid rich golden-spoon knothead. They were loud and boisterous and demanding and, most importantly, running the dining service ragged. It was absolute chaos in there and actually reminded Ruggie a bit of Spelldrive nights on his street – when one of the older alphas would always set up a projector and large screen and all the kids would gather to watch the game.

Still. Watching the sheer number of thalmarks being put onto the tab was going to drive Ruggie crazy. He impatiently tapped his foot, looking around, waiting for his target to show up. Ashengrotto sure was taking his sweet time. No matter, Leona had planned ahead for this as well. Ruggie kicked the student sitting across from him at the table and gave the bear beastman a pointed look. Despite being a year above him, all the students knew better than to challenge the hierarchy and Ruggie was firmly in place at the top. The bear didn’t complain about the kick and nodded before standing up.

He approached another table right as an Octavinelle student was carrying over a tray of meats and quickly swiped the entire thing from him. Another Savanaclaw student, a rodent beastman, stood up abruptly with a furious expression.

“Hey! That’s mine!”

“Oh yeah?” The bear taunted, staring down the smaller man. “I don’t see your name on it.”

And just like that, the two were screaming in each other’s faces which quickly developed into shoving until the two were full on brawling in the middle of the crowded establishment. The Octavinelle server scrambled back and clearly didn’t know how to handle the sudden violence before him. Ruggie had to hold back a chuckle at the sight. This was hardly a rare sight to see in the Savanaclaw dorm but these meek Ocavinelle students obviously had no experience in such things and were now running around like headless chickens.

Ruggie easily made his way through the chaotic crowd (the fight had predictably gathered a circle of cheering students egging the two brawlers on), fingers twitching with barely concealed excitement.

There was a flash of silver and Ruggie “accidentally” bumped into someone, his sticky fingers easily slipping in and out of Azul’s coat and then just as easily slipping the key he had pilfered into his own pocket. Azul barely noticed him as he said a hasty apology and continued on to yell into the crowd and Ruggie let a lazy grin spread across his face as he walked away, none the wiser.

Still got it , he thought to himself smugly.

Leona and Jack were waiting near Ashengrotto’s personal office and when Ruggie held up the shining key between two fingers, he was graced with one of Leona’s rare impressed grins.

“Good boy,” Leona purred as he took the key from Ruggie. “You and those sneaky hands of yours.”

Ruggie only shrugged, but basked in the praise anyway.

They filed into the office quickly, Jack taking his position vigil at the door. Leona gracefully rounded the edge of the office and made his way to the back where the safe was. A key turn later and the door was swinging open, revealing to them stacks and stacks of glittering golden contracts. Leona made his way over to the Y section and began to sort through it, sharp eyes scanning contract after contract at a speed so fast Ruggie could only be left impressed.

If only Leona would apply himself like that in school as well. It might just save Ruggie a whole lot of heartache. Sometimes he felt more like a nanny than a vice Housewarden.

Eventually Leona had a contract in hand and was devouring the words on it at an incredibly fast rate, his expression growing darker and darker with each paragraph. Ruggie wondered what it said. He only knew what Yuu had told them and wondered what on the contract could be inspiring such an expression in Leona.

For a moment, Ruggie felt a tightness in his gut. That human omega… He’d never expected to come to care for someone who wasn’t a member of his community before. In fact, he didn’t like the Prefect at all when he’d first met them. But now, all he felt was a familiar warmth he’d only ever associated with his Bibi when he thought about them. And with that warmth came an instinctive worry. Ruggie found himself wishing, not for the first time nor the last, that Yuu might learn to be a little more selfish one day. He knew Leona felt much the same.

“In coming,” Jack’s voice suddenly came to them. “I smell Azul coming in this direction. I don’t hear the distraction anymore.”

“Alright, well let’s get that contract and get out of here-” Ruggie began, but was surprised to see Leona shaking his head.

“Change of plan,” the lion alpha said. His tone was low and dangerous and Ruggie felt frightened for a second by that terrifying look in his eyes. He was, for just a moment, taken back to the Spelldrive field when the overblot had happened.

“Housewarden?” Jack asked in confusion.

“We’re staying,” Leona said, tucking Yuu’s contract into his vest. “You’ll understand after I talk to Ashengrotto.”

Ruggie reared back in shock. “You want to do what ? The whole plan was to get info and get out! Azul is going to be more on guard if he catches us snooping-”

“That was the plan,” Leona said and didn’t expand upon himself further. He merely propped himself against the doorframe of the vault with his arms crossed and waited. Ruggie and Jack exchanged concerned glances but otherwise didn’t argue back against their Housewarden. Leona, despite his selfish and lazy disposition, had proven to know what he was doing when it came to situations such as this.

Especially when it came to the human Yuu. Ruggie knew his faith wasn’t misplaced.

They waited for a few moments and soon Jack’s sharp nose was proven as reliable as always when Azul Ashengrotto pushed open the door to his own office and froze at the sight of the three of them. Ruggie watched the panic enter the Octavinelle Housewarden’s ocean-gray eyes only to be quickly hidden by a carefully crafted mask. Azul relaxed his posture and casually readjusted his bowtie and cleared his throat.

“Leona Kingscholar,” Azul greeted, then to both Ruggie and Jack with a nod each, “Mr. Howl. Mr. Bucchi. Whatever… Brings you to my office?” He paused as he took in the sight of his contract vault standing wide open and exposed, “I’ll have you all know that trespassing and breaking and entering is a serious offense…”

“So is trying to coerce an omega,” Leona shot back.

Ruggie sucked in a sharp breath and snapped over to Leona with an incredulous expression, but the alpha didn’t look over at him, keeping his gaze settled firmly on Azul. The other Housewarden looked taken aback for a moment, blinking in surprise before his expression morphed into a dark scowl.

“I have no idea what you are talking about,” Azul said coldly. “Now, I’d kindly ask that you return my property to me and vacate the premises before I have you all thrown out.”

Leona threw his head back and guffawed, “You and what army, Ashengrotto? Neither of your pet morays are here to help you out and you and I both know that you won’t be able to beat me in a fight alone.”

“So you’re working with the Prefect to this extent…” Azul muttered, more to himself than towards the rest of them. He clenched his jaw and glared up at Leona from the brim shadow of his hat. “I’m surprised the great and aloof Kingscholar would bother to lift a single paw to help someone not himself. I thought you and I had an understanding about staying out of one another’s business.”

“Things change when you threaten my omega ,” Leona practically growled. Ruggie was still looking at the alpha in alarm at the open admission before an enemy. Yuu was trusting them to keep their secret, not let it spill out into the open!

Azul sighed dramatically and shook his head, “As I’ve told you before, I have no idea what you’re talking about-”

“Don’t play coy with me now, cephalo-bastard,” Leona said, he pushed himself up off the wall and began to pace leisurely around the edge of the room. Ruggie was reminded of a predator on the hunt. “I’ve been mulling over things for a few days now… Ever since my poor omega came wandering into my den smelling thick with heat. You see, things just weren’t addin’ up. And then I read this-” He pulled Yuu’s contract from his vest and held it up, “And stuff started to make a bit more sense. I just wanted to run a few facts by you first before I did anything drastic… ”

Azul visibly stiffened upon seeing the contract in Leona’s grasp. “I’d argue that breaking into my private property and pilfering my private belongings is drastic enough.”

Leona paused in his prowling and settled a sharp glare onto the other housewarden.

“Let’s stop playing games, Azul,” he said. “Let’s make this simple before I lose my temper. What did you do to Yuu three nights ago?”

“How many times do I have to explain this, you overgrown cat. I haven’t the faintest clue what-”

Leona’s free hand twitched and Ruggie flinched back as the lamp on the desk crumbled to sand and the thick scent of ozone and a furious alpha filled the room. As the leader of their pride, Leona’s furious scent was more acute to Ruggie’s senses than others – even if he didn’t have trauma associated with that smell. He and Leona had sorta worked things out over the past few months with Yuu mediating between them, but being so keenly reminded of that horrible day in the Spelldrive field had every hair on Ruggie’s neck standing on end and his ears pressed flat against the top of his head.

“Stop that!” Azul’s voice cracked through the air, its usual composed quality gone in a surge of panic. His eyes darted nervously towards the still open vault.

“Oh? Was Vanrouge right after all?” Leona chuckled darkly as he watched Azul’s collected demeanor fall apart at the sight of King’s Roar. “Let’s make this easy then. You induced Yuu’s heat didn’t you?”

Ruggie’s head was swirling with shocking revelation after revelation. Between Leona casually mentioning Yuu’s true designation and now this… Was it even possible to induce an omega’s heat? As far as Ruggie knew, such magic and technology didn’t exist – and why should it? Omegas were precious and protected and there were so few of them.

Though… Ruggie considered the panicking Azul darkly. If it was Ashengrotto, then perhaps it was possible after all.

“You induced Yuu’s heat in order to bond them and tie a free omega to you,” Leona continued in his accusations. “And why not? After all, this is a once in a lifetime – Nah. A once in a millenia opportunity for an opportunistic alpha like you. To have an omega bonded to you, well… That’s a status symbol most people in this world ain’t got a claim to.” Leona’s tail flicked in agitation and his eyes seemed to glow green with malicious magic. “Ain’t that right, you cephalo-bastard?” His fingers twitched again, amber magic swirling arounds the tips.

The sound that came from Azul was a shocking cross between a whine and a shout that had Ruggie’s eyes wide with surprise.

“FINE!” Azul cried. “You want me to admit it?” The alpha looked unhinged, pushing his hat back and gripping his hair as he burst into manic laughter. “Very well. I knew all about the human’s true designation. And yes , I induced their heat in order to get them under my control.”

“And if that failed – which it did because you didn’t expect me to get so involved,” Leona growled. “If that failed, your backup plan was to take control of Ramshackle and of Yuu, presenting more opportunities to carry out your plans.”

“ Yes ,” Azul hissed furiously. “But you have no evidence of any of that. Heat inducers don’t even exist . You have nothing to pin on me. So if you’re satisfied, Kingscholar, get out of my dorm !”

Ruggie looked over at Leona who let out a sigh and closed his eyes, appearing deep in thought. Anyone else who didn’t know the beastman as well as Ruggie did might’ve thought he was frustrated, but the hyena could see in the lines of his face that Leona was satisfied . Ruggie’s mind flashed back to the chessboard Leona had been playing with yesterday and the way Leona always looked when he finally figured out a tricky opponent.

Checkmate .

Leona opened his eyes and smirked at Azul.

“Good talk, Ashengrotto.”

And then he proceeded to reduce each and every glittering golden contract in the room to dust.

~*~

“Not going to try and run today, Prefect?”

Yuu looked up at the smiling merman and rolled their eyes, returning to their task at hand: Picking out some cookies from that seller they’d met yesterday.

“Why bother?” Yuu said. “I can’t outrun you. Besides, I’m too tired from swimming so much to do anything too strenuous. Also I saw these yesterday and wanted to buy some to share with some friends.” They picked up a sample of a seaweed snickerdoodle and held it up to Jade’s face, “Cookie?”

Jade Leech regarded Yuu with a particular glint in his mismatched eyes but then nodded and took the cookie from them with a polite thank you. By his thoughtful and pleasant expression, Yuu gathered that he must’ve liked it. Though it was kinda hard to tell with Jade, because unlike his brother who wore his every mood and emotion on his sleeve, Jade was much more prone to masking.

Yuu selected several baker’s dozens of various cookies they found interesting and figured that their friends (Cater in particular, especially the more strangely savory ones) might enjoy. Seaweed snickerdoodle. Oyster chip gingersnaps. Seasalt peanut butter shortbread. Sweet crab wafers. A fish flake, seaweed, and coconut shaving cookie drizzled in a chocolate oyster sauce that Yuu thought looked suspiciously like a samoa that girl scouts sold (so apparently Trey’s one time joke about adding oyster sauce to tarts wasn’t so far from the truth after all considering the sample Yuu tried was delicious).

And, of course, when they saw that they had strawberry and catfish-based custard macaroons, Yuu knew that they just had to get some for Riddle. They’d be having that conversation in a few days and figured that they would all need some emotional comfort pastries.

The storekeep happily boxed up all of Yuu’s choices and bagged them up for ease of carry. Yuu was surprised to see that the shopping bag wasn’t so much a bag as it was a net, which made sense considering it would probably be really inconvenient to be swimming around with a shopping bag that kept filling up with water. Everything about Atlantis was super intriguing. Yuu reminded themself to set up another get together with Rielle after everything and have the other omega show them some more places. It was practically a crime that Yuu had been in a foreign magical dimension for almost half a year now and had seen basically none of it .

Jade, in a surprising gesture, offered to carry some of Yuu’s bags for them. They glanced at him dubiously for but a moment before shrugging and handing off half of their burden onto the large mer. If he was going to make a nuisance of himself and bar them from their task, the least he could do was help them carry some of their shopping bags. Jade seemed perfectly happy to do it though and Yuu, not for the first time, thought the alpha’s mannerisms made him appear suspiciously like a butler.

At Yuu’s curious glances, Jade merely smiled and remarked, “I’m often the one accompanying Azul on his shopping excursions. My brother couldn’t be bothered so it was usually left to me to assist in carrying things. It’s no trouble at all.”

Yuu thanked the shopkeeper once again and the two of them swam out of the store.

“Does Azul do a lot of shopping?” Yuu asked, not really curious but simply to keep up the conversation. To their surprise, Jade was ready with an answer.

“I’m sure you’ve already heard some rumor of Azul’s potioneering talents,” he said. “A lot of ingredients he requires are hard to come by in regular stores – and certainly not on campus. It’s not unusual for him to ask me to accompany him somewhere on a weekly basis. And, of course, there’s the frequent trips to test out new ingredients and dishes that Azul wants to add to the Lounge’s menu.”

Yuu hummed thoughtfully. As loath as they were to admit it, Azul… Impressed them. Yuu knew people with way more years and life experience who didn’t know nearly as much as the strange alpha nor was as business savvy and dedicated to his work. Was Azul underhanded? Oh absolutely. Yuu knew that very well . But they couldn’t deny that Azul worked hard, harder than most people. They remembered the study guide he’d shown them that first time they’d barged into his office and how inspired it had been.

“Well… For all your infuriating faults, at least you three sound like good friends,” Yuu commented.

To their surprise, Jade began to chuckle and they saw that his eyebrows were pushed together in that expression of his that always managed to look super condescending. Yuu raised a brow at him in question.

“Are you… Not friends?”

“Friendship is…” Jade hummed thoughtfully. “Our relationship cannot truly be defined in such terms. You could say that we have an… Understanding. Floyd and I are predators and we’d hardly obey the commands of someone who was lacking in some way. Azul, as well, would not allow us so close if he did not have confidence in his own abilities and our abilities as well.”

Yuu gave him a confused expression, not fully understanding what the alpha was trying to convey. “Okay… So what? If one of you fails to… Be competent? You would what? Ditch them?”

“The ocean is a cruel mistress, Prefect,” Jade said pleasantly. “A more appropriate term may be that we’d simply… Eat the weakest link.”

Well that certainly wasn’t ominous or disturbing or anything, Yuu thought dryly. But it still didn’t feel entirely true either. Yuu hadn’t had the misfortune of being in the three’s company too often, but even so they could see that there was something more to the relationship between them than what Jade was entailing.

“Sorry but… I feel like you guys are way closer than that,” Yuu said. “I don’t think you’d actually ‘eat’ Azul if he ever failed to meet your expectations.”

“You’re correct,” Jade replied. “Just because we’d tear down whoever failed to uphold their end of the relationship doesn’t mean it will ever actually happen. Azul isn’t capable of failing in such a way. So it’s not a concern.”

Yuu blinked in surprise, not having expected that answer.

“Alright… Why are you telling me this anyway?” They asked in confusion. This topic they’d somehow stumbled upon was far more intimate and personal than they knew someone like Jade would ever just tell someone for no reason at all. Their previous suspicion rose up inside of them.

“That’s because, Yuu,” Jade said, leaning in close and smiling at them, flashing his serrated teeth. The sudden use of their name when he was usually so formal had Yuu rearing back. “Soon, one way or another, you will belong to Azul. And Azul belongs to Floyd and I. It’s only fair that you be intimately familiar with the way our relationship works, no?”

Yuu’s mouth fell open in shock, not knowing how they were supposed to respond to that . They wanted to snap that they didn’t belong to anyone but found that the words were stuck on their tongue. They could only look up into Jade’s mismatched eyes in a frozen stupor.

Thankfully they didn’t need to come up with a response, because suddenly familiar voices were calling to them.

“Yuu! Look! They’re gone!” Ace shouted from several buildings down as he swam excitedly over to where Yuu and Jade were waiting.

For a moment Yuu was confused as to what he was referring to but then realized with a start that the purple anemone that had been stuck on his head for over a week now was gone . Deuce, who followed behind the other alpha, was also missing the anemone. For a moment Yuu felt elated for them and smiled, but then that smile quickly fell as a sudden overwhelming feeling of dread came over them.

What happened at Octavavinelle for this sudden change?

Are Leona, Ruggie, and Jack okay? Was Yuu’s second terrified thought.

Floyd Leech, with his elongated moray body and tail, swam fast ahead of the two land-dwellers and reached Yuu and Jade in record time. Yuu was surprised to find that his expression was dark and missing its usual either excitement or neuroticism. For the first time, Floyd Leech looked serious .

“Jade, something is wrong.”

Jade appraised the situation, his own expression falling into something thundering.

“We need to get back to Azul. Now.”

~*~

Floyd and Jade had hardly waited for the three of them as they all raced across campus towards the Mirror Hall. Yuu struggled to keep up with the two tall alpha with unfairly long legs and was thankful that their jogging sessions with Jack and Vil seemed to be paying off at least somewhat.

It was obvious something was wrong even before they got to the Octavinelle mirror. The Mirror Hall was flooded with terrified Octavinelle and Savanaclaw students, all pouring out from the Octavinelle mirror. The scent of this many distressed alphas and betas all gathered in one place made Yuu’s nose irritated and they had to hold up their jacket to cover their face just to keep from getting too dizzy. But they still managed to push past all the students and follow Jade and Floyd into the dorm, Ace and Deuce following close behind them still confused at the panic.

Yuu was just worried for Jack, Leona, and Ruggie. And even more so now that they were catching hints of a scent that they’d come to associate with terror.

Ink .

When they’d stepped through the mirror and onto the familiar white marbled floor of the underwater dorm, Yuu was instantly aware of the wrongness. The air was thick with distress and the scent of ink and decay. The colorful bright lighting that filtered through the windows was darkened to an ominous purple and Yuu was actually struggling to adjust their eyes to the sudden darkness.

What they could see were the last trickle of students rushing out from the hall they knew led to the Mostro Lounge. Some students were assisting others that were clearly unconscious and dragging them desperately towards the mirror that would take them back to campus.

Through it all, Yuu had yet to see hide or tail of their three missing Savanaclaw boys.

Neither Jade nor Floyd were anywhere to be seen but Yuu knew exactly where they had gone. So with a deep breath, Yuu plunged forward down the hall, past panicking students and into where the atmosphere grew thick with the scent of fresh spilled ink.

In their panic, Yuu nearly didn’t realize what was feeling so off about it all. Something kept nagging at the back of their head as they rushed as fast as they dared down the dark hallway, one hand pressed against the wall for balance and navigation. But they soon realized exactly what was wrong – what was different .

Unlike the other two times Yuu had been witness to an overblot, there was no overwhelming stench of an out of control alpha. Yuu’s mind and instincts, despite the instinctual fear, was clear and in control. There was no pheromonal warfare being waged on their senses and Yuu wondered what it could all mean.

The Mostro Lounge was deserted when they finally made it to the room. Tables and chairs were knocked over in the panicked rush of students trying to get away, food and drinks left sitting or spilt across the hardwood floor. Yuu didn’t bother to take more than a second to take in the sight before continuing their rush forward towards the back of the restaurant where the stench of ink was the strongest.

When Yuu rounded the corner they almost wished they hadn’t.

Jade and Floyd were standing with identical frustrated expressions on their faces yelling and trying to reason with a giant writhing shadow in the middle of the room. It took Yuu several seconds to understand what they were seeing.

The giant writhing shadow was Azul Ashengrotto . Gone were his human legs, and in their place were eight giant octopus tentacles as dark as ink and writhing and slamming against the walls of the room. His complexion had lost its peach coloring and was instead a pale lavender and he was covered in dripping ink and he wore a spiked crown of black that stood stark against his silver hair. Behind him was the familiar visage of a shadowy demon that dripped ink from its every pore.

It was then that Yuu noticed the three struggling forms in the air, held aloft by curling and squeezing tentacles. Yuu let out a horrified gasp when they realized the three forms were Leona, Jack, and Ruggie – held captive by an overblotted Azul.

“Give it to me! Give me all your powers!”

Leona let out a strangled cry that made Yuu’s heart clench in terror and for a moment he was doused in dark purple magic that seemed to siphen something from him to the nautilus shell at Azul’s chest. It flashed gold for a moment and the entire room was treated to a booming laughter that shook the foundations of the dorm as Azul burst into unhinged laughter.

He raised a tentacle and slammed it into a drink cabinet behind the bar and Yuu watched with undisguised horror as it crumbled to dust.

“Yes! Yes! Give me more ! Give me everything you have! ” Azul cried out as another wave of Leona’s magic lept from a free tentacle and reduced a booth on the other side of the room to dust.

Yuu’s mind was reeling. Azul didn’t need a contract to take someone’s spells. Lilia’s words echoed in their head, about how all magic has conditions and loopholes. The horrifying realization came to them then.

The contracts were for their protection . To keep Azul from going out of control with his unhinged and overpowered magic. With nothing but a twist of his hand, he had stolen King’s Roar from Leona like it was nothing.

“Azul, this is super lame! Stop it already,” Floyd shouted up at the Housewarden.

“Floyd is right, Azul. You are going to destroy the Lounge and seriously injure yourself,” Jade called. “Please come to your senses!”

In response, a dark tentacle came crashing down between the two brothers who both deftly leaped out of the way and landed with identically thunderous expressions.

“Not cool, Azul,” Floyd muttered darkly. “If you wanted me to cut loose, you should’ve said so sooner…” He stood and cracked his neck and knuckles, smiling twistedly up at the overblotted mer.

There was another strangled cry, this time from Ruggie, and Yuu realized that with every attack Jade and Floyd launched at Azul it was causing his tentacles to clenched dangerously tight around his three hostages. If this kept up he was going to squeeze them to death!

“Azul!” Yuu shouted into the room, not knowing what else to do but knowing that they needed to do something .

To their surprise, the dark visage of the octopus mer paused in his retaliation against the twins and looked over at Yuu, having just realized that the omega had arrived. His unhinged grin grew wider and he spread his arms in greeting.

“Ah! The guest of the hour has arrived!”

Notes:

OB Azul has finally made his entrance! He's been a bad boy but... Don't worry, that gets solved as well. I don't want to spoil, but let's just say that due to the lack of omegas in TW, some people have a less educated opinion on what is right and what is wrong.

I just wanted to put that in case anyone is seriously squicked out by what is happening. I promise that it WILL BE ADDRESSED with all the seriousness this topic deserves.

Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed and I'll see you next update <3

(Also, if you didn't notice, Azul/Jade/Floyd has been added as a relationship tag. It WILL be canon unlike how Leona/Ruggie is left ambiguous and up for reader interpretation)

Chapter 19

Notes:

This chapter REFUSED TO BE WRITTEN! It was so difficult! I'm dreading it because there is still a few more heavy scenes to get through before we can get back to the fluffy school slice-of-life stuff. But I gotta do it so I'll keep pushing through.

I was originally going to post this all as one big chapter, but decided to split Azul's ephemeral bond up into two smaller chapters. Can't promise when the next one will be out though. Hopefully not another entire month *sad author noises*.

“Ah! The guest of the hour has arrived!”

Once more Yuu was faced down against the intensity of an overblotted Housewarden. Azul’s gaze, which was once a soothing ocean-gray, now glowed with a frosty-blue as sharp and cold as the winter – and framing it, a malevolent violet aura. Even with the curious lack of oppressive alpha pheromones, the vision of Azul alone and his thrashing tentacles of ink was enough to strike fear into the deepest core of Yuu’s heart. They knew this would not be a sight they’d be able to forget for years to come. The inky monstrosity that loomed like a specter behind him struck something so primal and fearful within the omega that they could not even bear to look at it, and so kept their gaze pinned squarely on the berserked Housewarden.

Yuu’s only saving grace was that Grim was not here to witness such horror incarnate and was safe back at the Savanaclaw dorm.

The same, however, could not be said for Ruggie, Jack, and Leona.

“Azul…” Yuu said carefully, holding both of their hands up in a placating gesture. The man’s eyes followed the movement with a mania that set Yuu’s teeth on edge but they fought back their flinch of discomfort. As long as he kept his attention on them it seemed to buy some time for their friends as his writhing appendages calmed to a degree; not enough to release his captives, but enough to keep from squeezing the life out of them. “Whatever happened… You need to calm down. This isn’t you.”

Azul’s manic grin immediately fell and Yuu realized their mistaken choice of words too late. Whatever degree of control he exhibited upon Yuu grabbing his attention was lost with an uncharacteristic wail and whine, bereft of his usual poise and grace. His tentacles trashed, slamming into walls, shaking the entire building. Yuu grabbed hold of a table to steady themself through the tremors and casted a nervous glance over at the floor-to-ceiling aquarium that took up the center of the cafe. They would all be in a world of trouble if it were to crack open.

“I’m disgusting!” Azul cried, clutching onto his face. “Gone! GONE! All my hard work. All my contracts. My beautiful body-! It’s all gone-” He paused, and peaked up at Yuu from between curled fingers. Yuu reeled back with whiplash when his tone immediately transformed from anguish to a delighted purr, “Pretty little omega~” Yuu’s eyes widened in shock. “Give it to me~ Won’t you give me your body!”

A black tentacle shot forward with blinding speed and Yuu barely had a moment to gasp when a hard shape tackled into them, moving them out of the path at the last moment. Yuu’s fingers instinctively clutched onto the lapel of Jade Leech’s jacket as their mind worked overtime to process what they had just heard.

Omega. Azul knew I was an omega.

“Now now, Azul,” Jade’s voice rumbled just above Yuu’s head as he held them steady, and it was only due to their proximity to him that they could hear the tightness in it. “If you keep on using It’s a Deal unrestricted like that, you are going to die a very painful death.”

“Are you hindering me , Jade? I thought you were on my side! ” Azul cried out, clenching his hands into fists and swinging them in a manner reminiscent of a toddler throwing a tantrum. “I need your magic! I won’t go back to being that useless crybaby octopus! This horrible idiot-! ” The tentacle that held onto Leona shook furiously and Yuu watched in horror as Leona groaned in pain, looking like he would pass out at any moment. “He took it all from me! Destroyed my contracts! And now they’ll all look down on me again! I refuse to go back to that life! ”

There was a… Spark then, in Yuu’s mind. Some forgotten synaptic cylinder firing off, connecting those distant clues until the picture finally snapped into place and was made clear. The contracts. His ability. Yuu’s biology .

“You… You’re not an alpha…” Yuu whispered, mostly to themself. Yet, the words managed to reach Azul’s ears in the midst of his tantrum and his manic gaze snapped back over to them, terrifying in their intensity. He suddenly grew terrifyingly still.

“No…” His voice was chillingly soft. He was looking at them with something that looked simultaneously like worship and hunger – but not the kind of hunger the omega had long since become accustomed to. This hunger was greedy and green . It wasn’t the crimson lusting Yuu knew and hated. This was something else entirely.

Envy .

And they didn’t know if this strange new hunger scared them more or not.

“D-Don’t trust the b-bastard, Yuu!”

Their attention was immediately drawn to Leona who struggled to split out the words even as Azul squeezed him for all he was worth. They’d never seen the powerful and confident beastman so defeated and helpless before, but still Leona fought to stare right into Yuu’s eyes with an intensity that left them near breathless.

“This bastard induced your heat- !”

Leona was cut off by another furious wail from Azul who shook him like a ragdoll, throwing the appendage and its captive against a wall that shook the entire room again. Spine-chilling sounds of crackling glass echoed throughout the cafe. Leona let out a pained groan and then slumped over unconscious.

“Stop that!” Yuu found themself crying out before they could think better. They struggled out of Jade’s hold, feeling panic crawling up their throat. “Leave him alone! It’s me you want!”

The words came spilling forth before they could even fully register what they had said. And yet, their subconscious must’ve drawn the conclusions long before they understood the situation at hand. Between Azul’s greedy glances and the entire clown show that had led up to this moment… Between the fact that Azul was pretending to be an alpha and the horrible thing Leona had said.

This bastard induced your heat!

Yuu didn’t have the mental capacity to process all these things and felt as if, at any moment now, they would begin to flounder and lose all control. Their thoughts were beginning to spiral and Yuu knew that they had to keep it together long enough for something . They had to ignore the racing thoughts long enough to come up with a solution – any solution. They didn’t have time to even consider the horrible implications of what Leona had said. Not when the very same man was slumped over unconscious and on the brink of possible annihilation. Not when there was a magic-drunk mage on the path of self-destruction (as yet another result of repressed childhood trauma, Yuu was sure) threatening to take the entire underwater structure down with him.

Yuu didn’t understand why this kept on happening to them. This was the third time they were witness to an overblot, which was supposedly a rare phenomenon. The third time people they cared about were being put into grave danger from an affliction that was meant to occur so infrequently most people in Twisted Wonderland went their entire lives without witnessing one.

The last two times had been solved with ethically-dubious applications of an ephemeral bond in order to calm them and snap them out of their magic-induced berserking. But in Riddle and Leona’s situations, they had been alphas . Their biology was compatible with Yuu’s. The only time a beta had been involved in the process had been a fluke that Yuu still didn’t fully comprehend, when Ruggie had fallen into Leona’s mindscape with them.

But Azul was not an alpha.

Yuu’s one trump card they’d relied on in every overblot thus far was not going to work this time.

But they were also out of time to think.

“Let’s make a deal!” Yuu found themself shouting, desperation over thought.

“Yuu, no!” Ruggie growled as he struggled against his restraints. He looked physically ill and kept throwing nervous glances over at Leona’s slumped form. Yuu ignored him, keeping their eyes firmly pinned onto Azul.

“Let’s make a deal…” Yuu repeated, softer this time. They pushed away from Jade who hovered behind them and took a few cautious steps towards the crazed mer. Azul considered them for a moment and then smiled.

“Yes… A deal,” he nodded to himself. And to Yuu’s relief, his thrashing tentacles calmed. “After all the resources I’ve thrown into your investment… Yes. You can save me .” There it was again, that sickening worship in his tone. Azul Ashengrotto was a far better actor than Yuu had previously given him the benefit of if he had been able to hide this… Rot . “Come to me, omega.”

“I would highly suggest against this, Prefect,” Jade whispered sternly from behind Yuu, tone for once bereft of any hidden agenda or coy intent. “Even if you give Azul what he wants, it will not quell his overblott. You’ll only succeed in putting yourself into harm’s way.”

Yuu risked a glare back at the alpha. “Don’t act as if you care what happens to me now,” they hissed. “And I’ll do anything to protect my friends .”

To their surprise, Jade didn’t push the point. He merely took a step back and nodded at them, face uncharacteristically serious.

“Very well then, Yuu,” he said, surprising them with the use of their name. “And while I know it is shameful of me to ask this of you now… Please save our Azul as you have done so for the others before.” He held a hand up to his chest in a familiar gesture. This time, however, it lacked its usual mocking politeness and Yuu got the strange sense that they were being saluted.

But they were also still feeling furious and frightened and every other negative emotion under the sky and merely shook their head and returned their attention to the threat at hand. Azul was high above the rest of them, held aloft by his own free tentacles and the tentacles of the shadow apparition that loomed behind him. Those maddened frosty eyes were waiting expectantly and Yuu cautiously approached.

“Jade! You can’t just let Shrimpy take on Azul all alone, he’ll squeeze them flat for sure,” Floyd called out from across the room. And just as how uncharacteristically serious his brother was acting, Yuu was surprised to hear the frustration in Floyd’s voice. They got the sense that he wasn’t used to not being able to physically brute force his way through problems.

If Jade responded to his twin, Yuu didn’t hear it as their focus completely honed in on Azul who lowered himself so he was within reach. His smile was so wide that Yuu wondered how it didn’t hurt his jaw.

“Omega,” he purred and Yuu couldn’t help but shiver in spite of themself. The thick scent of fresh ink wrapped itself around them making them feel dizzy.

“What do you want from me, Ashengrotto?”

“I want what you have ,” Azul crooned. “I know you want to save your friends, pretty omega.” Three of his tentacles came closer and Yuu was greeted to front row seats to Ruggie and Jack struggling in their restraints, shooting worrying glances down at the omega, and of Leona, still slumped and looking pale. “I’ll free them and give them safe passage out of the dorm… in exchange for something only you can give me.”

Yuu squared their shoulders and glared at him, hands clenched into fists at their side. They took a deep breath and sighed, resigning themself to this fate.

“Name your price, Ashengrotto.”

“Please,” he crooned once more. “I believe I told you to call me Azul…” At their glare and silent response he let out a dramatic sigh and shrugged. Yuu watched his movements with a keen eye, preparing themself for when he would inevitably lose control of himself again. It felt as if any little thing could set him off. Azul Ashengrotto wasunhinged, and Yuu got the sense that it wasn’t just because of the overblott.

“Very well… Straight to business then,” Azul murmured. “Then I’ll give you two choices, omega . You can either bond with either Jade or Floyd or… You can give me your biological designation right now.”

Suspecting the truth and hearing it were two very different beasts and Yuu still couldn’t help but take in a sharp breath of air, feeling as if they had been slapped across the face. Not even in their worst nightmares had they ever imagined they’d be put into this situation. This was a speech you heard only from dastardly villains in movies who held the lead omega captive, not something to actually be said in real life. Then again, since when has Yuu’s life ever been so simple.

But a question still lingered on their mind.

“Why… Why bond me to the twins?” Yuu murmured then paused. “You want me. Or… rather, you want the prestige that comes with my designation.” Even saying so left the taste of ash on their tongue. Yuu was never under the impression that Azul wasn’t using them for his own gain but this… This was far worse than merely coveting their home Ramshackle. To Azul, Yuu was merely a tool to be used— less than a person— and he attempted to do so in the most horrific way imaginable. “Why not just… Take my designation and be done with it?”

Azul gave them a curious look, and for a moment Yuu thought they might’ve seen a glint of rationality there. That familiar peak of pride and curiosity they’d witnessed when Azul boosted about his study guide. But it was gone in a flash as his smirk and the mania in his eyes returned.

“You’re right. I could just take what I want from you now,” he said. “It would be so easy. Just a snap of my finger and you’ll be the pathetic beta while I’ll be the coveted and respected omega. However…” He trailed off thoughtfully, “It would be far more beneficial to me to have an omega. Me, the pathetic crybaby octopus with an omega? No one could ever look down on me again!”

His tone once again took on a hysteria that made every hair on Yuu’s neck stand on end. If they didn’t need to appease the monster, they would’ve liked nothing more than to get as far away from him as possible.

“There are… Disadvantages if I were to be an omega,” Azul continued explaining. “My freedoms and decisions questioned. My every move monitored… So yes. While I could take it from you at any moment, it suits me better to have you cooperate with me.” His tone grew soft again and he reached out a hand to caress Yuu’s face. They fought from flinching away as his cold clamming skin touched their cheek.

“That still doesn’t explain the twins.”

Azul let out a smug laugh, pulling his hand back. “That’s the ingenious part of my plans. I can’t bond you directly as a beta, but-“ He cackled, laughter growing louder and more manic. “I can take the bond you have for my own!”

Oh.

And suddenly, it all became clear to Yuu.

“So then, my dear omega,” Azul was crooning at them again. “What is your decision? Shall I punish those that defy me and take what I want by force? Or will you willingly become my omega ?”

Yuu’s mind raced at a hundred miles per second. Their eyes darted between Azul’s face and the pale expressions of his captives. Ruggie and Jack were both staring right at them despairingly and Leona was still unconscious.

Then the memory of Azul so easily pulling Leona’s magic from his very being flashed in Yuu’s mind and suddenly they knew exactly what needed to be done.

“Obviously I want to save my friends,” Yuu snapped. “But-“

“But?”

“But…” Yuu repeated carefully. “My heat is over. And I won’t be able to bond with anyone until my next one.”

Azul shook his head, “No matter. It is trivial for me to brew another inducer.”

The causality in the way he said this felt like a gut punch. Did he really not understand the gravity of what he planned to do? Or was he truly just such an awful person? Yuu didn’t know but they didn’t have time to dwell on such thoughts.

“I wasn’t finished,” Yuu forced themself to continue. “You could do that…” They sincerely hoped not. Yuu never wanted to be anywhere near another heat inducer for the rest of their life. “Or… You could simply take Leona’s side of the bond we forged during the last heat.”

Azul blinked at them. “You… You and Kingscholar bonded?”

“Is that really so surprising?”

The half-lie slipped off their tongue easily.

Azul glanced over at his unconscious captive, at the man he had assumed would never in a million years put himself through so much trouble for anyone else but himself. Despite everything, Leona’s upbringing, his trauma, his walls and aversion to any possible hope for a better future… He still came to Yuu’s aid.

So no. It shouldn’t be so surprising. Azul’s downfall will always be that he assumed the worst of Leona and Leona had proved him wrong. Leona was a selfish creature, molded from years of neglect and hurt, but he was in Yuu’s corner at the end of the day just as Yuu would now be in his.

“Very well then,” Azul said, accepting the arrangement. “That would make things simpler for myself, especially considering Jade and Floyd have decided to stand against me.” His tone grew bitter as he shot a manic glare past the writhing tentacles keeping the twins at bay. Yuu thought they might’ve heard something akin to hurt in his voice. “You have yourself a deal, Yuu the human .”

He lifted a hand and a sickly purple glow lifted from the shell on his chest and floated towards Leona. Yuu watched this all with a baited breath, unsure if it would work. The violet magic touched and surrounded Leona’s form and suddenly Azul was grinning.

“So you weren’t lying... You really did bond,” he laughed.

The seconds seemed to stretch out into infinity as Yuu’s gaze followed the path of magic siphoning form Leona’s slumped body until it at last returned the shell and Azul shuddered as the magic and Leona’s side of their lingering ephemeral bond touched him.

The moment it did, Yuu reached deep down inside of them to that warmth and comfort and butterflies they had come to associate with Leona. They reached for that closeness, the vulnerability and trust they had shared, to the lingering glow of hot embers from the ephemeral bond just waiting to be stoked into a roaring inferno and allowed it to bloom .

~*~

The world was cast into darkness. Yuu shivered from the bitter cold that suddenly stung at their skin, the sensation strange yet familiar, and came to the startling realization that they were underwater. Their eyes fluttered open though it did little to brighten up the world that was still cast in dancing shadows, moving with the invisible ripples in the water.

As their eyes adjusted to the dimness, the strange texture of the walls grew apparent and Yuu soon saw that they were standing in the middle of a cave with walls made of bleached coral and limestone. And beyond that there were things flashing in the dark, catching what scant light there was and shining back into their eyes. From near floor to ceiling, the room was filled to the brim with glittering baubles and trinkets. Treasure, gems, strange contraptions, random assortments of miscellaneous household objects tarnished with age, whirling mechanisms strung from the walls and ceilings, and so much more than Yuu could make out in the dark. While chaotic, further inspection revealed some sort of method to the madness and a meticulous organization of the strange collection that filled the room.

It was so chaotic that Yuu nearly missed the figure slumped against the back wall.

Azul let out a heavy sigh when Yuu’s gaze fell upon him, uncrossing his arms as he pulled himself away from the wall. His inky black tentacles seemed to ripple around him like a living shadow, nearly blending into the scenery. Overall, he lacked the mania that he’d embodied when Yuu had last seen him in the Mostro Lounge. This, however, did not stop the deep sense of unease that lingered in their soul.

“So this is an ephemeral bond…” He murmured, surprising Yuu with his clarity. Both Leona and Riddle took a few minutes to piece together their memories. “I have to admit, Prefect. You are more devious than I gave you credit for. That was a spectacular use of word manipulation in order to trick me. Though, I suppose I must thank you for snapping me out of my overblot. How pathetic of me to have succumbed to such a thing…”

At the sound of his voice, Yuu’s previous anger rose up inside them so fast and hard that they were left nearly dizzy at the intensity of it.

“I wouldn’t have had to manipulate you,” Yuu spat the word out with all the disgust and fury they felt inside them. “If you hadn’t tried to forcefully bond me against my will! ” The walls around them shook just slightly but Yuu ignored it in favor of stoking their white hot anger. “ We are not the same. I did what I had to while you- You just-!” They could barely force the words out, feeling as if they would burst into angry tears at any moment.

Azul eyed the tremoring walls dubiously, “While I… agree that your anger is not unwarranted, I would suggest that you calm yourself down, Prefect. I’ve heard tale of unstable bonds before-”

“Calm down?” Yuu hissed. “You want me to calm down ?! After everything you did to me? You were going to take me against my will-” Yuu took a furious step forward and nearly tripped over a bronze spy glass loose on the floor.

“Such theatrics ,” Azul interrupted with an exaggerated eye roll. “Please, human. You act as if I killed your favorite pet. I’m a businessman , hardly the monster you’re making me out to be. What I did was a simple business deal to further my own goals. Practically harmless in the grand scheme of things. I wasn’t going to abuse you under my care. Or is the thought of being with me really so horrible to consider?” His tone took on a bitter note towards the end.

Yuu could not believe their ears. The flippantness in which he was trying to excuse his own heinous behavior – of trying to forcefully mate an omega as if it were no worse than stealing from a cookie jar.

“Am I really so revolting that you feel the need to react in such a manner?” Azul continued. While before he had sounded collected, now his tone grew more unhinged. Yuu was starting to realize the Azul they’d met before was only a mask, held together by fraying seams. Now his body language grew insecure as he appeared to hunch in on himself, slate fingers digging into his arms and charcoal tentacles pulled in tight around him – almost as if Azul were attempting to curl up into a ball. “Or is it just because I’m a beta after all? Can’t stand the sight of-”

“What the hell are you talking about!” Yuu snapped furiously. “ Stop trying to act like the victim here! This has nothing to do with your secondary sex!” The tremors of the world around them grew stronger, unstable as the bond participants lashed out at each other. “You induced my heat! Were going to have Jade and Floyd force themselves on me-!”

Azul gave a start, realization and a look of disgust coming over his face.

“What? Don’t be ridiculous-” He snapped back. “As if I’d be so uncouth. I don’t know how things work in your world, human, but we don’t treat our omegas in Twisted Wonderland in such a fashion. I needed your mating bond – nothing more. And that can only be achieved when an omega is in heat or an alpha is in rut. To even suggest that I’d-” He shook his head, cutting himself off, and scoffed, “I’m offended you’d even consider such a thing.”

It was Yuu’s turn to give a start, feeling as though they’d been sucker punched. They made an incredulous noise, clenching their fists at their sides. This reaction seemed to spur Azul on further, as his fingers tightened on his biceps anxiously, digging in until groves and marks were left in their wake.

“You’re just like all the rest afterall,” he said, almost to himself. “Always looking down on me. Always assuming the worst of me . You want me to admit it? Fine. I manipulated you for my own personal gain! But honestly I was doing you a favor .” Yuu’s eyes widened in audacity. “An unmated and unclaimed omega in this world? Sooner or later your existence was going to be discovered, no matter how confident Headmaster Crowley is in covering it up, and the political landscape would be torn asunder – with you caught in the middle of it. At least with me you’d have capable and powerful people watching out for you. Capable of protecting you . Or, at the very least, you could’ve traded me your designation and lived freely as a beta and avoided the mess entirely! Haven’t I been kind and generous to you? Yet you turn around and throw my benevolence back into my face with such heinous accusations! ”

As Azul’s tangent went on, his voice grew increasingly hysterical. Yuu was starting to realize that perhaps this was the real Azul Ashengrotto after all. The one hidden behind the veneer of smug confidence and above that, faux benevolence and generosity. Layers upon layers of masks and it was only now, after losing control completely, that Yuu was finally getting a glimpse of the real man behind the many faces he wore.

Insecure. Scared. Someone lashing out at the world and doing everything possible to hide who he really was – even from himself. Be it putting on a face or pretending to be an alpha.

And in any other situation Yuu might’ve have felt moved. The hurt they could now see in Azul’s every expression and body language was clear as day and ran deep. But what he had done to them… Their heart was a stone wall in the face of Azul’s deeply seated trauma.

This wasn’t a situation like with Riddle or Leona. They had done bad things, sure. But their truly heinous acts had been performed under the derangement of overblot while Azul had done so with a clear-headed and cold calculation. He’d planned and plotted to strip Yuu of their autonomy for weeks before the overblot. And now he had the audacity to call it benevolence?

No. Yuu would not be moved.

“Are you done?” Yuu asked fridgidly.

“... Excuse me?”

“I asked if you were done blaming everyone else for your own shortcomings,” Yuu snapped.

Azul hissed furiously in return, the sound accompanied by the trembling of the floor. “You have no idea what you’re talking about!” He snapped back, “You don’t know the first thing about me! What I’ve had to endure!”

“Your struggles don’t mean that you get to take advantage of others and turn around and call it kindness ,” Yuu’s voice cracked through the water. “Stop trying to blame me for what happened to you when you were the one who hurt me!”

Azul’s mouth opened to retort but a sudden new noise momentarily snapped the two of them out of their argument as they both turned to look at the entrance to the cave. Azul’s expression looked stricken as he watched as two small forms, laughing and giggling, swam into the room.

“I’m so excited to add this one to my hairbrush pile!”

Yuu gave a start when they recognized that bright red hair and the voice, though much younger, and the familiar cadence of it.

Prince Rielle, with his seafoam green tail and shockingly vibrant hair, swam into the room. He looked to be around six years old in the memory. His hair was short and its curls bounced in the water, yet to grow into the long elegant waves that Yuu knew him to have in the future.

Besides him, looking roughly the same age, was none other than a baby Azul with his small, plump, and adorable octopus body. He had both hands clenched together in front of him anxiously and he was shooting shy glances over at the more outgoing and extroverted boy.

“Um… ‘Elle, I already told you before that those are forks…” Baby-faced Azul said in a quiet voice.

Rielle merely looked over at him and grinned, taking the elaborately decorated golden fork in his hand and running it through his red hair in demonstration, the prongs surprisingly not catching on any curls. “Then why’s it so good at brushing hair, huh? Anyway! You gotta show me what you found this time!” He tossed the fork over into a corner where Yuu could now see was an entire collection of human silverware, all haphazardly piled together. He excitedly grabbed onto Azul’s arm and pulled the other boy towards the center of the room.

Azul allowed himself to be dragged over, but he seemed to vibrate with a similar excitement despite his reluctant body language. As Rielle laid down on the ground and crossed his arms beneath his chin, Azul slowly pulled off a satchel slung around his shoulder and began to rummage through it. Rielle’s eyes were practically sparkling.

Yuu snuck a glance over at the real Azul, finding it difficult to marry the image of the sweet and shy and innocent octopus child to the man who had tried to do the unspeakable to them. They weren’t sure what they expected when they looked over, but it wasn’t to see the absolutely stricken expression plastered across his face for anyone to see. Azul’s gaze was firmly locked onto the two children and it seemed, for the moment, Yuu’s presence was forgotten.

There was so much Yuu wanted to say, so much they wanted to scream out into the void of the universe to vent their frustration and hurt and about how unfair it all was. But another part of them, the curious nosy part that Ruggie loved to tease them for, wanted to know why Prince Rielle was featured in one of Azul’s core memories and how the two knew each other. Echoes of the awkward exchange between Floyd and Rielle came up in their mind and Yuu felt that familiar hungry curiosity bubble up within.

“It’s called a music box,” baby Azul said as he finally pulled out his prize. Held carefully between two of his tentacles was a bronze box that looked tarnished with age and weathering by the elements. Rielle gave an exaggerated ‘ooo’ which made Azul blush and giggle despite himself. “Land-dwellers use it to play music! It took a while but I think I finally got it to work!”

“Show me! Show me!”

The two children gathered around excitedly as Azul used a third tentacle to wind the box up and a fourth to open up the lid.

As the tumbles and gears began to turn, a slow melody of delicate notes began to resonate through the water. It was a lullaby. A ballerina missing an arm sprung up from within the box and began to turn and dance to the music. The melody was unfamiliar to Yuu but they found themself enraptured by the sweet but somewhat melancholy tune the box played. Both of the boys were similarly captivated by it and watched in rapt silence until the song played its course and then some.

Azul gently closed the box with care and then, with a shy glance at Rielle, slowly extended his tentacles out and presented the music box to the other boy. Rielle’s eyes widened and he blinked at Azul, his mouth open in the shape of an o.

“I wanted you to have this…” Azul murmured bashfully, twisting his hands around and fisting one of his tentacles as if it were a safety blanket. “You know… As thanks for being my friend…”

“Azul…” Rielle’s bottom lip wobbled and then he burst out into tears and launched himself at the other boy, catching Azul off guard, as he slung his arms around him and pulled Azul into a tight hug. “Thank you so much! And of course we’re friends! We have to be best of friends! We’re engaged and gonna get married after all! Papa said so!”

Yuu’s jaw fell open.

Engaged? Azul was engaged to the omegan prince of Atlantis?

“Boys! Are you in here?” A new voice came from the passageway that led to the cave. “Your tutor is going to be arriving in an hour, Prince Rielle! And your parents are looking for you, young Ashengrotto! Hurry on out!”

Rielle made a face but then smiled when he looked back at Azul. He gave his friend one last hug and took the music box and swam over to a side of the room where there seemed to be makeshift shelves in the form of holes in the wall. He delicately placed the music box in one of the center holes and swam back to appreciate the sight.

Whoever was outside called out again and soon both boys were rushing out, laughing and smiling at one another, leaving Yuu and the adult Azul alone once more.

Yuu was still feeling angry, but it had dimmed to a smoldering fire than the raging mindless inferno it had been several minutes ago. It was always hard for them to remain angry when there were children around. The fact that one of said children was the younger version of the man who’d tried to forcefully bond them was making Yuu’s heart and emotions feel conflicted, as they flipped between sweetness to anger to guilt and back again.

“Floyd told me that… You met Rielle,” Azul suddenly said.

Yuu glanced up at him with narrowed eyes, but was honestly feeling too exhausted from everything to start screaming at him again. A part of them wanted to ignore him, another wanted to keep screaming, but a third part of them merely sighed and decided that, if they were going to be stuck in here with him regardless, they may as well sate their curiosity while at it.

“You and Prince Rielle are engaged?” Yuu asked, tone still tight with caution.

Azul didn’t seem able to meet their gaze, but they could see his hand clench into his fist at his side. “Were,” he corrected. “The engagement broke off when… It was broken off many years ago. Not long after this memory.”

Yuu was surprised he was being so forthcoming with information. Though Azul probably knew that it was inevitable for them to find out the truth while stuck in an ephemeral bond like this.

“We should keep moving,” Yuu finally said. “The sooner we get through these core memories, the sooner I can get out of your head and away from you.”

Azul did not reply.

Notes:

Just finished Part 1 of Book 5 in game~ I'm so excited for this training arc and the Pomefiore plot! I also heard rumor that maybe Ghost Marriage is coming in July? 0.0

If so, I can't wait to snag myself a groom Ace~

IMPORTANT QUESTION: I have started writing a Fairy Gala omake for this fic (because it's my favorite event so far and Gala Leona has graced my phone screen ever since he came home to me), which I'll post after we finish off Scarabia's arc. Let me know if any of you are actually interested in reading such a thing? And if you are, should I post it as an interlude in this official story or post it as it's own separate fic?

Thanks again for reading! And I'll try and get the next part out soon! Within a week hopefully!

Chapter 20

Notes:

Not sure if I'm happy with how this chapter turned out. But I wanted it out.

I did minimal proof-reading on this seeing as it is 3AM as I post this LOL.

!!!IMPORTANT!!!

Trigger warning: Implied SA (nothing on screen, but it is heavily implied and characters discuss it)

A current caught their body the moment they stepped through the entrance to Rielle and Azul’s treasure cave. Yuu’s gasp was cut short when they were taken by the stream of fast flowing water, pulling them through so fast that the dream world around them was blurred and indecipherable. Instinctively Yuu grabbed onto the nearest form of solid support which happened to be Azul himself, also at the mercy of the currents. They would be mortified about it later, but in that moment Yuu clung to the mer for dear life.

The waterlogged tunnel of death ended as abruptly as it had appeared, shunting its two unwilling passengers across a stretch of ocean, tumbling over themselves, until they finally managed to stop their momentum and gain their bearings. At which time, Yuu let go of Azul as if they’d been touching a hot poker and pushed away to place distance between them. The octopus mer shot them a resentful look but otherwise didn’t comment as the two of them began to look around and decipher where the bond had dumped them this time.

Yuu also took this time to gather up their muddled thoughts. Something about the way they seemed to be at the whims of the bond made Yuu wonder about its nature. They felt out of control and knew that Azul certainly wasn’t willingly showing them these memories. But logic told them that if this was a mutual bond, seeing as Azul took it from Leona, then shouldn’t Yuu be able to decide where they went? With Leona the second time they’d shared a bond, he’d been able to walk them around and show them things he intended on showing them. Was it merely because he had more experience in such things than Yuu? Or did it have something to do with the participants themselves and the state of their relationship? Which in this case could hardly be called a relationship at all.

Frankly Yuu wanted to strangle Azul if they didn’t need him alive to get out of this mess. Surely physically assaulting your bond partner in the middle of an ephemeral would have bad consequences. Yuu wasn’t going to test it out, but the idea was tempting.

It did help in curbing the temptation now that Azul lacked his previous smug expressions. He just looked… Sad now. The look in his iceberg blue eyes appeared to be far away, and Yuu had a feeling that he was still back in that previous memory. They too could still faintly hear the echoing notes of that melancholy lullaby vibrating in their head. Rielle adored that music box and seemed to adore Azul as well.

In spite of all of Yuu’s anger, they wondered how that relationship came to fracture.

Rielle had asked for Azul, Yuu faintly recalled, last they saw him. Floyd’s scathing response had certainly left Yuu feeling more than curious at the story there, but there had been more pressing concerns at the time. Rielle certainly didn’t seem like the type of person to cut someone he cared about off, especially not if he was asking for them years later and yet…

Floyd had certainly been displeased with the question. It reminded Yuu of Jade’s own comments about Azul and the trio’s relationship. The twins, despite their flippant ways of describing their relationship to Azul and masquerading it as a predator-prey, boss-lacky, type association, were strangely possessive of their so-called “boss”. The way Floyd had reacted to Rielle mentioning Azul was personal .

There was so much to unpack here and Yuu didn’t know if they had the emotional capacity to see this entire thing though. But fortunately for them, the overblott and the bond would ensure that they’ll have to regardless of how much Yuu just wanted to go find Riddle and Trey and bury themself in the two boys’ familiar and comforting scents. Their conversation from this morning seemed so far away now.

Lost in thought, Yuu nearly missed the enticing scent of something delicious teasing at their olfactory senses.

The bond had left them in the middle of the open ocean with nothing significant in sight except, what Yuu now noticed where the scent was wafting from, a large crevice in the earth. From the angle they’d been at earlier, it hardly looked more than an insignificant feature of the seafloor but, as they drifted closer and higher up, what looked like a small crack revealed itself to be an intimidating fault in the ground. A ravine that stretched down into the darkness so black that Yuu couldn’t even see the bottom. Just uneven cliff walls, occasionally dotted with coral and other ocean flora, stretching down until they were swallowed by shadows. The sight alone was enough to bring a chill to Yuu’s bones. What memory would bring Azul to such a place?

“Where are we…?” Yuu couldn’t help but ask. They were terrified of that sheer drop into pitch dark yet couldn’t bring themself to tear their eyes away.

The masked terror in their tone must’ve been obvious enough because Azul’s response was, “There’s no need to be afraid. It’s only my parent’s restaurant.”

The answer caught Yuu so off guard that they instinctively looked over at Azul with an incredulous expression. They weren’t sure what answer they had been expecting, but certainly nothing so mundane when compared next to the unfathomable abyss before their very eyes.

“It’s over there,” Azul said, pointing with a tentacle. As loath as Yuu was to listen to him, they followed the direction with their gaze until it rested upon a strange feature in the furthest wall side of the ravine. It took a few seconds of examination before Yuu began to pick up on the familiar architectural patterns they’d seen throughout Atlantis, though this building was built straight into the cliff wall instead. And upon further inspection, Yuu could see that there was movement from within. People. Merfolk.

“A restaurant?” Yuu couldn’t resist asking. “But we look like we’re in the middle of nowhere.”

“It’s comments like those that make it obvious that you aren’t from our world,” Azul said. Whether he meant it in an insulting way or not was lost on Yuu, but they still shot him a nasty glare which he mostly ignored with the exception of furrowing his brows a bit. He continued regardless, “The Sea Witch Grotto is a world famous restaurant owned by my parents. So it is only natural that we have a magic mirror chamber for guests to use.”

The two began towards the Sea Witch Grotto. It was clear that the next memory was meant to take place here. Yuu was careful not to look down as they passed over the edge of the ravine edge. Though they could swim, it still didn’t stop the fear from creeping up their spine knowing that beneath them was an unfathomable number of miles of open dark waters, hiding who knows what within its murky depths.

“But why have a restaurant… here of all places?” They asked, mostly to have something to keep their mind off the instinctual terror they could feel crawling up their throat.

Azul sighed. Perhaps he was tired of answering their questions, Yuu thought irritably. After everything he’d done it was the least he could do. It’s not like Yuu wanted to know about his life in the first place. They were stuck for the time being – something that was his fault as well, they mentally added.

Still, Azul did answer after a moment. “This land… Belongs to my family, the Ashengrottos. It has been in our family for generations, as far back as when the Sea Witch herself still lived. Once it was her land and then it was passed down from generation to generation until my parents eventually came into possession of it.”

Yuu blinked in surprise. Was Azul suggesting that he was a descendant of one of the Seven?

“No need to look so shocked,” Azul’s bitter voice sounded. “I wouldn’t look up to simply anyone, and everyone in my family, myself included , are very proud to continue her bloodline and uphold her principle of generosity.”

Yuu scoffed, not meaning to but it came out all the same. Azul bristled in response.

“And what would you know?” He snapped. “I don’t even know why I bother telling you anything. Realistically, all this information I am imparting onto you for free should be incurring a charge-”

Yuu whirled around, no longer caring that they were stopping dead center above the dark abyss, and shoved a finger into Azul’s chest who jerked as he was stopped so abruptly.

“Let me make one thing very clear, Azul Ashengrotto,” Yuu hissed. “You will never be able to make up for what you have done to me. As far as I’m concerned, as far as universal karma is concerned, I’ve more than paid any price you could possibly name. That isn’t even to mention that we are stuck in this ephemeral bond because of you . Because you overblotted and I’m stuck dealing with the fallout!”

He glared down at the finger still poked into his chest as if it were something very offensive and scowled. “I would not have overblotted if your precious beastman hadn’t disintegrated all of my contracts-”

“Leona did what he had to to protect me! And you responded by absolutely losing your shit and nearly killing him and everyone else in the Mostro Lounge, including, might I add, your own alphas Jade and Floyd!”

Your own alphas. The words accidentally slipped through. Yuu had no proof but the way they’d seen the twins talk about Azul. But they were surprised when Azul didn’t bother to correct them when he responded.

“He took something irreplaceable from me!” Azul shouted. “And you never seemed to mind before when you had to ‘deal with the fallout’ of both Rosehearts and Kingscholar. Why am I the exception?”

“Are you stupid?” Yuu asked, to which Azul reared back in insult. “ You tried to take something irreplaceable from me . Why would I ever want to help you ?”

That seemed to shut Azul up. He took a deep breath through his nose, the faint gill lines over his ribs flared in agitation but Yuu would not be cowed as they stared him down.

“I…” Azul began again slowly, voice still tight with tension as he carefully tried to pick his next words. “I wasn’t taking anything from you. Not anything that I couldn’t give back in any case. You accused me of forcing the twins on you – fine. I can understand your fear and anger if that were the case. But you keep on accusing me of things I’ve never done and never planned on doing.” His voice rose to a whine, and Yuu watched as a mortified purple blush came over his face as Azul tried, and failed, to regain his composure.

“A mating bond is for life!” Yuu hissed. “You’d have doomed me to be stuck with a man who’d force me into a life against my will for the rest of my days. To never be able to return back to my own world – to my life and my parents! All for your own selfish desires! ”

Azul blinked at them, mouth slightly agape until it clicked shut a moment later. He breathed out sharply and said, “Mating bonds are easily broken. I only needed you long enough to get what I wanted. I wasn’t- I wouldn’t have done… Those things.”

But Yuu couldn’t hear anything past ‘Mating bonds are easily broken.’

In their home world, such a thing was an impossibility. For centuries, since the dawn of human civilization, omegas have been subject to forceful bondings – tethered for life to the selfish monsters who saw them as nothing more than pretty tools to be used. Omegas have been used and abused for all of human history and, in the worst fashion of all, the finality of an unwanted mating bond. To have your body and soul bound to another person so intrinsically that you could not stray away from them for more than a few years without risking excruciating pain and even death.

It was the one thing all children who presented as omegas learned to fear most. Anything else, no matter how harrowing, was fleeting. Only death, with its infinite permanence, could hold a candle to the severity of a mating bond.

With the one you loved, it could be a beautiful thing, just as it was when Yuu watched their mother and father gaze adoringly at each other, even so many years into their marriage. Mating was romanticized and glamorized throughout all of human history, but no matter how much it was glitzed up, the dark truth of how so many omegas ended up could not be hidden. It was the reason why Yuu so desperately hid their true designation. The mating bond, above all else, was the thing all omegas feared the most.

Yet, in just five easy words, Azul shattered this universal truth.

It isn’t fair , Yuu found themself thinking hysterically. It isn’t fair that my world cannot have that too.

~*~

Azul made a noise of concern when Yuu remained silent for an elongated period of time. His body language was still tense and distrustful, but strangely enough found himself leaning forward as the human continued to stay silent.

Azul Ashengrotto was not a slow-witted man, far from it. Even in spite of his frazzled disposition, it was mere child’s play for him to piece together the reason for the Prefect’s sudden change in behavior. And the realization of it made something bitter and heavy drop into the pit of his stomach that the mer was bent on ignoring.

“I suppose it makes sense that a world without magic would not have such a thing…” He said slowly, afraid that anything could set the human off again. It’s not my fault , he’d tell himself but the words became less and less believable the more he had to remind himself. “I’m sure you’re already aware of the scarcity of omegas in Twisted Wonderland… It was only natural that someone eventually came up with a spell to prevent omegas from being trapped with abusive and dangerous alphas. It… It hadn’t occurred to me before this moment that the same could not be true for your world…”

“I guess a lot of things don’t occur to you, do they?” Yuu finally said, though it was with a soft and dead tone, lacking any of the heat from earlier. Azul’s brow furrowed in response and suddenly he wasn’t sure which version he preferred: the spitting angry omega or this seemingly defeated human.

“Let’s just get going,” Yuu continued after another moment of uncomfortable silence. “I just… I need a moment.”

For once, Azul didn’t have any response.

~*~

The inspirations for the Mostro Lounge became obvious the moment Yuu stepped through the front door of the Sea Witch Grotto. The delicate blue and purple lighting gave the entire establishment an almost smokey mysterious vibe. Yuu spotted what appeared to be the very same red-leather seating further into the restaurant.

There were obvious differences though, of course. For one, the Sea Witch Grotto was much larger than the cafe in Octavinelle. For another, the food being carried on platters by faceless merfolk servers was much more expensive looking than even what Azul served at his place.

In fact, Yuu recognized the octopus logo hanging above the main entrance in the waiting room. It was the very same one that had been on the take-out box for that platter of exquisite sushi and sashimi that Cater ordered during their last movie night. The memory seemed a life-time ago now but Yuu could still remember being pressed comfortingly between Trey and Riddle as they watched movies featuring Vil all night, long until they all inevitably fell asleep – Riddle and Yuu’s hand clutched together. They could feel the tingly imaginary warmth on their palm now.

And Yuu definitely remembered the delicious sushi that they’d practically wolfed down. The one that Cater apparently needed several hours ahead of time to place an order for.

And looking at the bustling place with its expensive decor and even more expensive servings, Yuu was no longer surprised. Also, was that a terrarium with trees and deer in the middle of the dining room? The fact that they were seeing deer munching on grass this far below sea level was leaving Yuu’s mind boggled.

There was a sudden commotion from the farthest end of the restaurant. Muffled voices rose up in shouts and the entire dining room grew silent as everyone turned to look. But whatever was happening, was happening behind closed doors.

“I remember this day,” Azul suddenly said, voice tight. “I- I don’t want to see this.” This voice wobbled.

Yuu hated that their immediate reaction to hearing the sheer panic in his voice was the clenching of their heart.  Azul was terrible and they wanted to stay mad at him – they were still mad at him, but Yuu didn’t want to also have to feel sorry for him. And yet the sound of his panic sent a bolt of pity through the omega’s heart and they cursed themself for it. It wasn’t fair that they still had to feel bad for him after everything he’d done.

“I don’t think we have much of a choice,” Yuu muttered bitterly. “Leona is the only person I’ve met who’s been knowledgeable about ephemeral bonds beyond its basic functions. As it stands, I don’t know how to end it on my own or how to leave. The only way I know how is to get through the core memories the bond seems to think we need to see in order to…” They scoffed as the next words left their lips, “... better understand one another. Or someone on the outside wakes us up.” Like their father did for Yuu and their partner the first time they’d performed one.

“...” Azul’s silence was deafening and he still hadn’t torn his wide eyes from the double doors at the other end of the dining hall.

Yuu didn’t want to be here anymore than he did, but it was clear that Azul wasn’t going to move on his own. So with a heavy sigh, they grabbed onto his wrist, fighting back a repulsed flinch as their skin met his, and began to pull him across the room. Azul allowed himself to be dragged through the water but otherwise did not move.

“I don’t want to be here anymore than you do,” Yuu explained brusquely. “But I also don’t want to be trapped here or worse. Our best hope is for Leona to wake up and wake us up himself, but considering how you knocked him unconscious that may be difficult to accomplish. For now, we’ll just have to keep moving forward and hope for the best.” Their voice rambled on, and part of Yuu realized that they were only doing so to keep their mind off the various revelations and negative things they were feeling.

Soon the two came upon the double doors that seemed far more ominous up close, especially with the way Azul’s voice hitched in fear and his body began trembling beneath Yuu’s hand. Their heart clenched again but Yuu stoutly ignored it and pressed on. Fingers brushing against the treated wood of the door (to keep it from water damage?) and pushed.

It was a luxuriously decorated office, and the first thing that hit Yuu was the overwhelming scent of two alphas.

There was a gorgeous woman with flowing silver hair, pinned up with shells and pearls, and the lower body of a dark amber octopus that stood at one end of the office, glaring with her arms crossed.

On the other end of the office, with pitch dark hair and a matching octopus body, was a man, similarly distressed.

Yuu was caught off guard by the absolutely overwhelming alpha pheromones both were emitting, even within a dream. It was so overpowering that Yuu nearly missed the cowering child seated behind the desk, his inky black tentacles curling around himself anxiously, as if he were trying to curl up and disappear. Yuu didn’t blame him. Under such intense scrutiny and ire from two powerful alphas, Yuu would’ve wanted to disappear as well.

The boy, of course, was Azul Ashengrotto. He looked maybe a year older than the previous memory, but it was him all the same. The only major difference was one that Yuu nearly couldn’t detect beneath all the alpha pheromones.

Beta.

Yuu gave a start, questions instinctively spilling out before they could stop themself. “How did you present so young? That can’t be right.” Eleven to fifteen were the ages most children presented their secondary sex, with the majority falling within twelve and thirteen years of age. Azul in this memory couldn’t have been older than eight years old – nine if Yuu was willing to stretch their imagination. He looked so small and terrified .

“I- Merfolk… We-” Azul kept cutting himself off, and it was only now that Yuu realized that he could barely raise his head, his eyes wide with fright and his tentacles once again wrapping around his body anxiously, much like the memory of his younger self. “The sea is a d-dangerous place,” he stuttered. “M-merfolk evolved to p-present at a much younger age t-than land-dwellers…” He wouldn’t even look up to meet their eyes.

He physically flinched when the woman opened her mouth and spoke.

“We have to tell his Majesty,” she said, voice barely able to contain a growl. It was clear by her body language and scent that she and the alpha man across from her were just barely keeping from attacking one another. Her fiery tentacles trashed irritably and the other alpha was barely doing better than her.

“This is preposterous,” he snapped his teeth. “How could he possibly be a beta! You must’ve lied to me and diluted the genepool-”

The woman snapped her teeth in response, growling and spitting, her alpha pheromones rising until it was so overwhelming that Yuu knew they’d already be on the floor whimpering if this hadn’t been a memory. Baby Azul let out a pathetic whine and shout of surprise when the woman did this, and suddenly there was a cloud of dark ink around him.

Stop scaring him! Yuu found themself shouting inside of their head. He inked himself in fear – a defense mechanism octopus only used when they feared their life was in danger. He was only a child .

“How dare you accuse me of such a thing!” The woman snarled. “Don’t you forget that it is you who benefits from my Ashengrotto name! And I would not stoop to ruin my family’s bloodline!”

“Then explain how Azul is a beta! ” The man snarled back. “You’re the one who carried him to term! The only way possible is if you allowed some filthy beta to infect you with his genetic DNA! This is not my child!”

Both Azuls simultaneously flinched. The younger one began to tear up and cry.

“Be quiet, Azul,” the woman snapped at him. “You know better than to conduct yourself in a manner unfitting of an Ashengrotto.”

A picture started to paint itself in Yuu’s head with horrifying clarity as they watched this horror show play out before them. They had heard rumors of some rich families doing this but they’d never actually seen it in person before.

“You’re… You were supposed to be a pureblood alpha,” Yuu said dazedly.

Pureblood alphas were a rare breed of alphas that were supposedly more powerful than other alphas. There was no real science to back it up, but it’s a belief that has been in practice in their own homeworld for centuries. Rich families prided themselves in producing powerful alphas, and none more than a pureblood alpha . One born to two alpha parents, wherein an alpha male succeeds in impregnating an alpha female the result is almost always, due to the nature of genetic inheritance, an alpha themself.

But as said before, there was no actual science to back this theory up. Only centuries of sexist beliefs and archaic practices. It was not only nearly impossible for an alpha female to fall pregnant, but extremely dangerous as well. Her body would treat any foriegn alpha genetic material as an invader and react aggressively. Most fetuses were rendered un-viable within weeks of conception as the body attacked its cells. Beta male and alpha female couples had much better luck on this front, but it was still very difficult.

It was not unheard of for an alpha-alpha couple to birth a beta or even an omega. But the chances of it happening were astronomical . From what Yuu had learned and gathered, probably even less likely than the birthrate of omegas in Twisted Wonderland. And considering how difficult it already was for alpha females to fall pregnant, and if Azul’s mother was telling the truth, then Azul’s existence was a statistical wonder.

“This is an absolute disaster,” Azul’s father growled. And from this angle, Yuu could see that he had the very same ocean-gray eyes as Azul. “I want Azul to be tested by a certified mage! And if I discovered that you have lied to me , then I demand compensation for the years I’ve wasted on this partnership!”

Azul’s mother harrumphed, crossing her arms and regarding her husband haughtily. “Do as you like. I told you the truth . And seeing as my family has successfully produced pureblooded Ashengrottos as far back as the Sea Witch herself, I’m inclined to believe that it was your subpar genes that resulted in Azul’s failure to present as an alpha.”

Yuu watched in horror as the two parents continued to snipe at one another, neither bothering to pay any attention to the small trembling boy who sat curled up in the office chair trying desperately, and failing, to hide his bubbling tears that diluted the water around his face.

The real Azul was still stiff and unmoving beside Yuu, his eyes pinned firmly to the ground. And that was when Yuu knew they couldn’t stay here a moment longer. The ephemeral bond be damned. Their anger at Azul be damned. At that exact moment, they just needed to leave.

So Yuu grabbed hold of Azul’s arm again, surprising themself when they didn’t flinch at the contact and pulled him back out the double doors. Like before, he came with them without protest and allowed Yuu to carry him through the water.

When they opened and exited the doors again, Yuu wasn’t even surprised to see that they were no longer in the restaurant, the scenery having changed with the dream-like logic of this world. Instead, it looked as if they had walked straight into an elementary school classroom – albeit, an underwater one.

A familiar flash of red caught Yuu’s eyes.

Rielle was in this memory again, as were several other faceless mer children. Yuu was reeling in shock when they realized that they could smell all of these children, that they had all already presented at such an incomprehensibly young age. They glanced around looking for baby Azul, brows furrowing when they couldn’t spot him anywhere.

“Stupid crybaby beta!” A child jeered, puffing up when the children around him chittered and giggled in response. Rielle, who stood in the center of the children, looked uncomfortable. He clutched something in his hand that took Yuu a few seconds to recognize.

The music box from before.

“Common, Prince ‘Elle!” Another child shouted. “Get rid of it! It’s probably got crybaby octopus’s gross beta ink all over it anyway! Throw it away!”

This confused Yuu, because they were fairly certain that the child who spoke was also a beta. In fact, most of the children in the room were betas with a few alpha exceptions. Yuu actually blinked in surprise when they realized that they recognized the two identical toddlers with long tails sitting near the back of the room, watching the entire scene play out with intrigued mismatched eyes.

“Stupid crybaby!” The first faceless child jeer again, “You’re an embarrassment to the Sea Witch! Why would Prince Rielle ever want to stupid crybaby like you?” He laughed and crossed his arms, looking proud of himself. Kids could be cruel. “Being a beta suits you though! You were always a useless crybaby!”

Yuu still couldn’t see where Azul was, but suddenly they realized that there was a pot in the middle of the room surrounded by the children. They couldn’t have… Yuu swam closer for a look, letting go of the real Azul’s hand.

They gasped.

Sure enough, squeezed into the little pot was none other than a teary-eyed Azul, his face completely flushed with purple and eyes swollen with tears. He was squeezing and wringing one of his tentacles between his two hands in a painful looking manner that made Yuu want to rush forward and tell himt to knock it off. Yuu just wanted to step in and tell all of these kids to knock it off. Where were the fucking adults?

“Come on, Prince ‘Elle,” another student pressured. “Teach the stupid beta a lesson for thinking he could have an omega when he’s so pa-the-tic.” Each emphasized syllable made Azul burrow deeper and deeper into his tiny octopus pot.

“Yeah come on, Prince!”

“Show him, Prince Rielle!”

The children’s shouts turned into an enthusiastic chant. And for Rielle, who must’ve been seven at the time of this memory, the mob mentality and peer pressure must’ve just been too much. Yuu instinctively knew what was going to happen next but could help but mentally beg the small omega not to give in.

Rielle closed his eyes and threw the music box Azul. It knocked surprisingly hard into the side of the pot which toppled over, causing Azul to half spill out of it. The music box, which was already in rough condition from age and weathering, made a sad musical clang against the side of the box and then the lid fell open and several tumbles and gears dislodged from within and came loose. The box and its ruined contents floated uselessly down to the floor, all while Azul looked on with wide hurt eyes.

“D-don’t,” Rielle began, seafoam eyes wide and bottom lip trembling. “Don’t talk to me ever again you crybaby beta!” He declared in an unconfident voice, but all the children cheered anyway. There was nothing Yuu could do as they helplessly watched the children continue to jeer and mock Azul, who had begun sobbing in earnest again, until at last an adult entered the room and told them it was recess. The children began to excitedly file out of the room, completely forgetting Azul immediately. Rielle paused for a brief moment to look back at the other boy, but he too quickly swam up to catch up with the other students.

Only Floyd and Jade stayed behind a moment more to look at Azul, possibly to see what he would do, but they took left not long after that leaving Azul to crawl back into the pot and start sobbing again.

Yuu hardly realized that they’d begun to cry watching this all unfold before them until they realized the water in front of their eyes was becoming distorted by their tears. They furiously wiped at their face, hoping the real Azul didn’t see, cursing the world for being so unfair.

It was unfair that Azul had to go through such things. It was unfair that Yuu had to feel bad for him after everything he had done to them. Everything was unfair and Yuu hated it and just wanted to cry.

But they couldn’t.

Because as the minutes ticked by and Yuu and Azul remained in that room, nothing seemed to change. The dream world didn’t fade. They didn’t wake up. Yuu was sure that this was supposed to be the end of it. The bonds always seemed to end when Yuu had been shown the heartbreaking moments that defined their bond partner’s life and trauma. So why were they still here?

“What else is there?” Yuu found themself demanding.

Azul, who’d seemed to have gone catatonic at being forced to relive these moments, looked up in confusion. His eyes were shimmering with unshed tears and he seemed too embarrassed to even look at Yuu properly.

“What do you mean, what else?” He asked in a soft voice. “What more do you want? I’ve been forced to reveal all my dirty laundry to you. What more do you want from me? That’s it. That’s all there is.”

These words rubbed Yuu the wrong way for some reason and they found themself bristling up again, previous anger flaring up inside of them.

“Stop acting like I forced you into this,” Yuu snapped. “You forced my hand. I’ve already told you I didn’t want to be here anymore than you did! There must be something else if the bond still won’t let us out! We can’t just be stuck here . Did you think that I wanted to feel bad for you or something? The last thing I want is to have to pity the bastard who tried to force me into a bond-”

“I already told you it wasn’t. Like. That.” Azul’s voice grew frustrated which only served to stoke Yuu’s anger even further. “Bonds can be broken. I had every plan to let you go after you’d helped me to show the rest of those monsters -!” His voice cracked with emotion as his eyes darted towards the door, “The error of their ways. Why do I have to keep explaining myself? I was trying to help you! I would’ve expended every resource to keep you safe once your existence was discovered. Or-! Or you could’ve taken me up on my other offer since you seem so keen on pretending to be a beta anyway! I could’ve made you a beta for real! And yet you still spurned me-!”

“Stop it!” Yuu shouted. “That isn’t for you to decide! None of that is for you to decide! It’s like nothing gets through that thick skull of yours! What will it take to make you understand -!”

Yuu cut themself short, starting realization coming over them.

Understand. Understanding .

Ephemeral bonds were about understanding your partner. About sharing the things that were hard to share. To open your hearts and souls up to one another in the most intimate way possible – all for better understanding .

Yuu understood. Yuu understood very well where Azul’s pain had come from. It was written across his face and in the horrible way everyone had treated him as he grew up, including his parents and his best friend. And it was in the way Yuu’s heart clenched despite all their pain and fury and determination to remain cold before anything and everything – and failing.

Yuu understood .

Azul still did not.

It was at that moment that a spot of light caught the corner of Yuu’s eye from outside the window. A familiar green fluorescence that, even alone, was capable of shaking Yuu to the very core of their being. The light fluttered in softly from the window and Yuu swallowed hard.

“What is it?” Azul asked bitterly.

“You don’t understand,” Yuu repeated, softer this time. “You refuse to. You’re so… Stuck in your own pain that you refuse to see what is right in front of you. That you refuse to recognize that I’m also a person with trauma and hurt and you can’t just bend me to your will like some… Mindless puppet to be used.”

Azul stared at them wordlessly, unsure of how to respond to such a thing.

“But…” Yuu swallowed again hard, and then steeled themself as they made a final decision. A decision they hoped they would not regret. “I’ll show you. I’ll make you understand.”

~*~

The convenience store interior was just as Yuu remembered it in their nightmares. The layout was the same, down to the little gray scuff on the ceiling from where some kid had thrown a dirty basketball at the spot one time. Though, seeing the entire place underwater was very eerie and it made the way the lights from the ceiling and the refrigerators refracted through the water completely different.

Yuu saw themself, younger, much younger, browsing through the aisle with chips. They remembered the day with horrifying clarity, down to the very last detail. They had stopped to buy snacks on their way home to surprise their dad during movie night.

“That’s… You,” Azul said, drifting in the water behind them. He sniffed the air, “You smell… Strange.”

Yuu’s eyes were still pinned to their younger self, unable to bring themself to look at the woman behind the counter, dressed in the store uniform, that they knew was also staring at them. She was always staring at them. Yuu just didn’t know at the time to be weary of such a thing. Too young. Too naive to know that not every friendly smile had good intentions behind them.

“That’s because you’ve probably never smelled an omega about to present,” Yuu said. Azul made a startled noise at that, staring at them with wide eyes and then turning to look at the memory of Yuu.

And then his eyes narrowed as his head snapped over to the alpha cashier who still hadn’t looked away from teenage Yuu. Yuu never actually saw her eyes, but the memory did a good job of reconstructing what they imagined those eyes might look like.

Hungry .

Azul’s sharp expression faltered when he stared at the woman too long, recognition followed by shame coming over his features. His mouth opened useless, “Yuu…”

“Not yet,” they said, cutting him off. “Wait. You need to watch. You need to understand .”

Younger Yuu picked up some things and went to the cashier. They were the only two people in the entire store aside from the intangible specters watching the memory unfold before them. As the woman began ringing up Yuu’s things, she paused and sniffed the air.

“Did you find everything okay today too, Yuu?” The alpha asked.

“Yeah. Dad and I planned a movie night tonight,” younger Yuu explained with a grimace. “But I don’t… I actually feel kinda weird. Sorry to ask, n̴̛̖͈͎̥̟͈̉̇̂̅͐̃̏̅͐̕ả̴̠̭̗͔͎̤̽ͅm̸̺͚̯̣̦̗̻̥̝̳̅̇e̴̡̧̙̲͚͖͐͘̕, but do you have anything for a stomach ache?” No sound came out of the younger Yuu’s mouth when they said the name. Which only made sense, as Yuu has tried very hard over the years to purge it from their memories.

The older teen licked her lips as she finished ringing Yuu up, “Yeah. Sure, kiddo. I’ve probably got something in my bag. Why don’t you come back… and I’ll get you something?”

“Oh? Is that okay? I don’t wanna get you in trouble-”

“It’s no problem, kiddo,” the alpha hastily said. “We’ve known each other for a while now. You trust me don’t you? I promise I won’t get in trouble.”

“I trust you, n̴̛̖͈͎̥̟͈̉̇̂̅͐̃̏̅͐̕ả̴̠̭̗͔͎̤̽ͅm̸̺͚̯̣̦̗̻̥̝̳̅̇e̴̡̧̙̲͚͖͐͘̕!” Yuu exclaimed. “Thank you! I appreciate it! Let’s be quick though, I wanna hurry home. I don’t want dad to worry!”

“Of course!”

It was at the moment that the older teen started to lead Yuu towards the employees only door that the real Yuu couldn’t handle it anymore. They turned to Azul with a determined but terrified look in their eye.

“I can’t watch,” they told him, begging him with their eyes to understand. “I can’t follow them. I’ve already relived this moment in my nightmares enough to last me a lifetime. But you owe it to me to see this through. Do you understand? I have never shown anyone this. But it’s the only way you’ll understand-”

“I will.” Azul cut their increasingly panicked ramble off. He too was giving them a wide-eyed stare, but there was something new in his gaze too. “I will… See this memory through.”

Yuu just stared at him for a moment and then took a deep breath and sighed. “O-okay.”

Time seemed to be put in fast forward from that moment on. Yuu stepped outside of the convenience store while Azul followed the memory of their younger self further on into the nightmare that had plagued Yuu for years. The truth of what it meant to be an omega in this awful world. The sickness and rot manifested and lingered in Yuu’s mind like a tumor they’d never be rid of.

Of course, Yuu was luckier than many. For Yuu had one thing they didn’t.

It wasn’t long until Yuu saw their dad sprinting down the street towards the convenience store, pushing faceless pedestrians out of his way. The sight of him right before them, after months of being away from his comforting omegan smell, nearly brought Yuu to tears. Even till this day, Yuu never truly understood how he knew that they were in trouble. He had always just explained it as a gut feeling, a sixth sense that told him his pup needed him right then and there.

The memories of this day would traumatize Yuu forever more. But it was also the first time they’d seen the true strength of an omega. Hell hath no fury like an omega whose pup was being threatened.

Yuu waited outside and before long the police were there, and after that a bloody and bruised alpha was being led away in cuffs. Meanwhile, Yuu watched as their dad carried a sobbing younger version of themself out of the store, bundled up in his jacket.

Yuu had been lucky. They had escaped largely physically unscathed. But the scent of a newly presented omega in distress and heat was vile and irritating. Several cops covered their noses as Yuu’s dad walked past them all, face stern and covered in a few bruises himself, in order to carry his pup home safely. Anyone who saw him that day could never say that omegas were weak again.

There was a reason Yuu always carried many suppressant pads on them.

Azul emerged soon after that. Yuu watched as he drifted close to them, the memory of Yuu’s city still submerged in water, until he sat down on the sidewalk beside them, tentacles sprawled out almost comically against the concrete and asphalt. Yuu noted with numb interest that he seemed to be shaking, but there was also a new light in his eyes.

“She tried to bond you,” he began after several moments of silence.

Yuu nodded. “She did.”

“And you…” Yuu was surprised to watch as his teeth clenched and his eyes began to tear up. “Your world isn’t… You would’ve been stuck with her. After she did those… things . After she tried to… Force herself on you,” his words echoing the ones Yuu had previously used to describe his ploy with Jade and Floyd. “And you would’ve been stuck with her… Forever.”

“I would have. If my dad hadn’t saved me, I would’ve been stuck with her until the day I died.”

Azul took in a shaky breath. “That’s…” He released his breath but seemed to become overwhelmed with emotion. “How could anyone- I mean…” He looked up into their eyes imploringly, horror and despair reflected each ocean-gray iris. “You know that I would have never done anything like that to you – to anyone .”

Yuu raised an eyebrow at him.

“Do I know that?”

“I-” Azul’s voice seemed to become stuck in his throat. And suddenly his body tilted forward unsteadily.

A similar wave of dizziness came over Yuu. As emotionally exhausted as they were, all they could muster up in their head was a relieved finally .

“Yuu,” Azul’s slurred voice came again. He looked them straight in the eyes and Yuu was nearly left breathless at the emotion they saw there, so different from the mindless anger and refusal from before. “Yuu. I’m sorry .”

Yuu clenched their teeth, feeling their heart ache and their eyes water up.

“I don’t forgive you.”

~*~

Consciousness came coyly, tip toeing on the edge of sleep and wake, until Yuu realized that they could smell something. The scent was familiar, but strangely enough Yuu didn’t feel like recoiling back like they felt like they should’ve. They buried their face into the scent and took another breath.

Seasalt. Beta.

Yuu’s eyes snapped open with realization and they scrambled to get off and away from Azul Ashengrotto who was also just rousing from unconsciousness. They felt unsteady on their feet and nearly fell over when a large warm form caught and steadied them. Yuu glanced up and saw Jack’s concerned face peeking down at them. His golden eyes were wide and his large ears were pressed back against his head in distress.

Slung over his back, as an unconscious Leona.

“You- You’re awake,” he said in surprise and obvious relief. “We couldn’t get to you before. That giant overblot monster only just disappeared before you woke up-!”

“Enough talking, Howl!” Ruggie snapped. Yuu watched in horror as he limped over to them. “We need to get both of them to the health ward immediately!”

At the order, a determined look came over Jack's eyes and he nodded seriously. “Yes, vice-Housewarden!”

“You guys are alright…” Yuu’s words slurred as the exhaustion in their entire body suddenly made itself known as they nearly fell over again if not for Jack’s hands keeping them steady.

“Nothing from you either, Yuu!” Ruggie snapped. “Goddamn it. You are such a busy-body! When will you learn to stop putting yourself into danger! ” To Yuu’s alarm, they saw that tears were starting to build up in his eyes. The beta rubbed at his eyes furiously and then glared at them.

“You were… In danger,” Yuu murmured. “Had to… Do something…” They shot Jack and Ruggie an exhausted smile, “Because I love you guys…”

Jack’s face became flushed but Ruggie only sputtered and began to scold them louder.

Soon Yuu, Leona, and Ruggie were all atop a giant white wolf (Yuu was too tired to demand why no one told them that Jack could apparently do this). And as they were leaving Octavinelle and Yuu’s eyes were just fluttering shut again, they briefly caught sight of both Jade and Floyd over Azul, helping the Housewarden stand up.

And just before the darkness took Yuu once more, they met gazes with Azul Ashengrotto who watched them leave with an indecipherable expression on his face.

Notes:

Yikes. That got... Heavy. I envisioned this as the direction I was taking this arc of the story for months now but I honestly didn't realize it would get this dark and heavy. But at a certain point, I couldn't really backtrack and I couldn't lighten up the subject matter anymore without risking trivializing it. I PROMISE MORE FLUFF AND HEALING AND CUDDLES IN UP COMING CHAPTERS TO MAKE UP FOR ALL THE DOOM AND GLOOM!!

That being said, Azul's journey to redemption is far from over. He and the twins, like in canon, play important roles in the upcoming arc. Azul has some serious reconsidering to do and Yuu is not ready to forgive him anytime soon (if ever). I do intend on giving him that redemption though. This story is told through Yuu's eyes so obviously their hurts and traumas and feelings will be at the forefront, but I really do want to emphasize that Azul truly was not aware of the damages he was doing. Does this make his actions okay? Absolutely not. But I feel it does offer a lesser degree of accountability than if he knew exactly what he was doing.

I'm a firm believer that no one is perfect and we have all been ignorant of other people's sufferings because it does not affect us directly. It's a hard mindset to unlearn and requires a lot of self awareness and self accountability -- something which Azul is only just starting to learn. Azul did terrible things, and you can probably argue that he's kinda a shitty person, but I hope I have succeeded in writing him as someone who isn't irredeemably bad. He's a flawed person who has done bad things, but he isn't a bad person.

ANYWAY. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, no matter how dark and heavy the subject matter was. This entire arc has been emotionally draining on me (whoops lol), and I'm seriously excited to get back to lighter fluffier stuff. And first on the list is probably Trey and Riddle whom Yuu has been missing. See ya'll then. <3

Chapter 21

Notes:

It's been a month! I'm terribly sorry! Most of this was actually written within the first week but lots of things happened after that (things in my own life... Technoblade's passing...) and I just never had the energy to finish up this chapter! Major apologies on my part. >_<

Please enjoy though! I'll try to get the next one out sooner!

Once again, this is largely unedited and I'll do corrections over the next week or so. <3

Sometimes, when one has been through a traumatic life-altering experience, the world turns into disjointed fragmentation of colors and emotions, flashing by your eyes at indecipherable speeds. Words are spoken but none are registered. The scenery passes your eyes without context. You drift in and out of consciousness and understanding. The ebb and flow of an iridescent lake – the colors swirling and beautiful, but ultimately intangible as they slip  through your fingers.

Yuu would only learn of their journey out of Octavinelle later, when they were more awake and alert. Mostly they remembered nothing except flashes of sounds and colors and the twisting fragrances of people and things around them. They were simply too exhausted to keep conscious for long enough to be aware of anything more than that. At some point Yuu thought they might’ve heard Ace and Deuce’s worried notes in familiar rumbling tenors, mixing and clashing with Ruggie’s insistent cadence. Later, Yuu would learn that the two alphas had been barred from entering the Mostro Lounge due to fallen debris caused by Azul’s rampage and Octavinelle’s failing structural integrity. They were all just fortunate that the glass holding the sea at bay had not failed too.

Yuu had completely forgotten about the two alphas in their panic to get to the Lounge and felt particularly bad about this fact later. Neither Deuce nor Ace would hold it against them of course, but that didn’t stop Yuu from feeling guilty about letting their existences slip from their mind. It was probably a good thing that the two hadn’t been able to follow though. When the hallway to the Lounge had collapsed, Ace immediately set off to work in clearing the debris and Deuce had run off to find the Headmaster. Crowley’s appearance not too long after that was critical in clearing the path. So when Jack came bounding by in his wolf form, they were able to get Leona and Yuu to the school infirmary as soon as possible.

This was very fortunate considering Leona wouldn’t wake even the next morning. Yuu hated to imagine how much worse his condition could’ve been if they had to wait even longer to get him to urgent care. His condition, out of all the students who’d been injured trying to escape the rampaging Housewarden, was the worst— bruising and fractures due to Azul’s squeezing tentacles. It seemed between Ruggie, Jack, and Leona, the latter had garnered the brunt of the berserkd mage’s wrath. Yuu at least only suffered from mental exhaustion and came out of the experience only slightly worse for wear. Once they’d rested enough and had regained consciousness, the school nurse had been quick to send them on their way as he had many more patients in far more dire need of attention and only so few beds to go around.

Yuu did not want to leave Leona’s side, but it was out of their hands. And it wasn’t as if they could stay past the time constraint of Paint the Roses regardless. So with one last heavy squeeze of Leona’s unresponsive hand, Yuu reluctantly followed Ace and Deuce out of the infirmary once they were able.

Similarly, Ruggie and Jack were reluctant to leave either Yuu or Leona earlier in the afternoon. But with Savanaclaw down a Housewarden and a good chunk of the dorm stuck in the infirmary as well, Ruggie needed to be back at his dorm to keep things under control and Jack, with his strong sense of duty, followed to assist. Yuu had still been unconscious when they’d left but heard the explanation from Ace and Deuce once awake.

Word of some sort of chaos must’ve spread throughout campus already because several students had come up to the trio as they came out of the infirmary asking about what had happened. Yuu was in no shape to respond and both Deuce and Ace made excellent efforts in repelling any nosy asker. They probably could’ve been nicer in some of their responses but frankly all three of them were exhausted by the day’s activities. Not to mention that both alphas had to face up against Floyd only earlier that morning. They hurried as fast as they dared back to Ramshackle until at last they were safe behind its doors and out of curious prying eyes.

The moment they stepped foot home though, Yuu suddenly had an arm full of a very loud furball. Yuu instinctively swept Grim up into their arms and buried their face into his familiar unpresented scent of warm milk.

“I was getting something to eat from the cafeteria when I heard all this noise and shouting!” Grim exclaimed, his voice high pitched and grating but Yuu made no attempt to shut him up, just taking a moment to listen to his familiar voice. “Everyone kept sayin’ something went down at the Lounge! I was really worried, Yuu!”

“I’m sorry,” Yuu murmured into the little monster’s neck and nearly melted when they felt his stubby arms and paws wrap around them tighter. “I’m mostly okay… I-” A wave of emotion suddenly came over them and they were shocked by the sudden sob that burst from their lips. Yuu buried their face deeper into Grim’s fur as another sob wracked their body. It had been a long day.

“Yuu?!” Deuce shouted at the same time Ace exclaimed, “Are you okay?!” Both of them hovered behind them worried. Grim made a helpless noise of concern that sounded suspiciously like a meow as he waved his paws around in panic.

“Hey hey! What’s up with you!” He cried. “Henchmen shouldn’t cry! S-stop that!”

This only made Yuu sob louder.

Grim looked over at the other two boys helplessly as they all shared concerned looks.

“Yuu? Is there anything we can do for you?” Deuce asked gently, placing a warm hand comfortingly on their back.

It took a bit for Yuu to gather themself, but eventually their sobs settled down into pathetic sniffles and they finally looked up at their friends. Yuu took a deep breath, body still shaking with their cries.

“I- I want Trey and Riddle.”

~*~

Riddle sighed as he collapsed into his chair, letting the day’s exhaustion settle across him. In reality, he hadn’t actually done all that more work than usual but he couldn’t keep his mind off of Yuu the entire day. Not after their conversation that morning. It kept playing on repeat in his mind. A broken record taunting him. Had he overstepped? Was there anything more they could’ve worded better? Yuu had cried and even though the conversation had been a necessary evil, the memory of the omega’s tears still made his heart clench.

Sometimes Riddle missed the simplicity of his old mindset. It was just so much easier to follow the rules and stay within the guidelines. He had never had to deal with so much of this… Uncertainty. Not knowing if what he was doing was right. The world suddenly felt like a minefield, where at any moment he would step on a spellmine, setting off deeply buried runes, and be blasted to the sky. Navigating the world like this felt impossible and Riddle at times wondered if he just wasn’t cut out for this.

The sound of porcelain on wood brought him out of his thoughts, Riddle glanced up as Trey set a tea cup onto the table in front of him, a warm smile on the beta’s face despite obviously being tired as well.

Ah yes. That’s right. There were benefits to exploring the unknown. And as long as you had people you loved by your side, willing to support you, maybe it wasn’t so terrifying afterall. Some things in life were worth the sacrifice of not knowing.

“Thank you, Trey,” Riddle said gratefully, sitting up and reaching out to the offered drink. The porcelain was cool against his lips but the tea was warm. The citrus and honey cleared his sinuses and Riddle released a moan of appreciation. He pointedly ignored Trey’s amused chuckle at the sound.

Trey took a seat across from him, sinking into the cushion and looking just as worn out as Riddle felt. In a bold move, Riddle reached across the table with his free arm and took Trey’s hand into his own. He knew his face had turned bright red, but he refused to meet eyes with the large beta as he continued to sip his tea, eyes pinned to the chandelier in his bedroom. Thankfully, Trey didn’t say a word and merely squeezed his hand back.

A fluttering sensation blossomed in Riddle’s chest as they both sat there in companionable silence, simply enjoying each other’s presence. He still couldn’t look Trey directly in the eye when they were this… Affectionate. But it was a far cry from how they’d been only a few weeks ago. Riddle was sure that any other alpha wouldn’t act nearly so shy as he was, but this was just all so new to him. Trey, at the very least, never seemed to mind.

This kind of unknown territory wasn’t so bad exploring, Riddle thought. It seemed like a lifetime ago now that he thought he would live out his life as an omega and had fantasized about being mated to Trey. So many things have changed since then, and even more since the beginning of this school year. Never in Riddle’s wildest imaginings would he have believed he could have this with the man he’d loved for so long. Never would he have believed Trey would still return those affections. And thanks to a pretty little omega, they could have that again.

Ironically, it had been Yuu’s distance from them that had finally pushed Riddle and Trey to open up to one another. Their shared frustration at the omega they had semi-unknowingly been courting all this time pulling away from them had set a proverbial fire beneath their butts. Maybe it was the fear of missing out on yet another thing, losing another person they desperately wanted to hold onto.

Whatever the reason, Riddle’s second confession to Trey had been met with both surprise and elation. It had been a bittersweet experience, considering it had been their anger at Yuu drifting away that led him to finally tell Trey how he truly felt and Trey in turn confessing that he still felt the same. What they shared was still in its infancy and Riddle still couldn’t believe he was allowed to have Trey Clover, but it was a burning ember none-the-less, growing brighter and hotter everyday. Riddle still blushed like an omegan maiden the rare occasions Trey dared to lean down and press their lips together (chaste for now, but growing bolder). He was sure any other self-respecting alpha would be embarrassed at reacting in such a way. But this was what they had and Trey and Riddle liked it just the way it was.

Well… Perhaps not exactly. There was still a piece to their puzzle missing. A piece that they hadn’t even known existed until Yuu came barreling into their lives and threw everything into chaos.

“Cater has been texting me all afternoon,” Trey suddenly said. Riddle finally peaked up at him, tilting his head in question. “I think something’s happened at Octavinelle. There are reports of students being sent to the infirmary from there.” Trey’s hand squeezed tighter in worry.

Riddle’s Housewarden duties meant that he hadn’t had even a moment to spare a glance at his own phone, as little as he usually used it anyway. Cater and Trey shared a close friendship though, and he knew the two betas often kept each other updated. Cater was practically the co-vice-housewarden of Heartslabyul at this point, in everything but title. So this came as news to Riddle. He frowned.

“Any news on…” He trailed off but Trey seemed to get the message loud and clear.

“Nothing yet,” Trey sighed. “I know we promised to stay out of their business for now but… I can’t help but worry.” He mindlessly began rubbing his thumb across the back of Riddle’s hand, no doubt a habit he’d picked up from comforting his younger siblings.

“We’ll just have to… Trust Yuu for now,” Riddle replied, however begrudgingly. Omegan upbringing he may have had, but he was still an alpha through and through. Sometimes the urge to take that headstrong omega and just lock them up in a room where he knew they’d be safe and protected was overwhelming. Yuu obviously wouldn’t appreciate that at all and Riddle knew better now than to force his own beliefs onto others but… Sometimes it was still a nice thought to indulge in. He was a wealthy and capable alpha. He could provide for his omega. Keep them pampered and safe and always within his sights. Though… Riddle reminded himself that Yuu wasn’t technically his ( theirs ) yet.

The day was wrapping up but this was only supposed to be a little break for the two of them to recuperate before they continued to deal with end-of-semester things. There were still dozens of dorm rooms to double check and they needed to make sure all students that were leaving were taking the things they needed to take and all students that were staying were all accounted for and registered. The Heartslabyul kitchen needed stocking and wood for the fire faeries needed to be arranged. And so much more. There was just a seemingly endless list of duties to complete and, as capable as Riddle was, even he was feeling the effects of it all. 

A knock at Riddle’s door had him raising a brow in Trey’s direction.

The beta shrugged, “It can’t be Cater. He’s still painting the roses for break.”

That was strange then. Riddle may be more lenient than he was the previous year, but the students knew better than to bother him in his own chambers when they could simply reach him by text if needed. Still, if someone needed help, it was his duty as Housewarden to provide. Doesn’t mean he can’t be annoyed about it.

“I swear, if this is some ridiculous request,” he muttered, standing to his feet and pulling his hand free from Trey’s. “Someone is going to lose their head.” How dare they interrupt his alone time with his mate… Well. Future mate.

Riddle threw open the doors to his room with a bit more force than necessary, ready to rip into whatever idiot was bold enough to break the rules by coming into this corridor without permission, only to freeze at the sight of Yuu, Ace, Deuce, and Grim.

His nose flared up at the scent of distressed omega. His distressed omega. Riddle’s eyes widened when he realized Yuu’s face was red and stained with tears.

He could barely fight back his growl as he glared down the two alphas behind them, “What. Happened.”

~*~

The smell of Riddle and Trey’s comforting scents when Yuu had stepped foot into the alpha’s room was like coming home. Sure they had seen the two only that morning, but after everything that had happened that day it honestly felt like weeks had passed. Perhaps Yuu was still feeling a little dissociated from everything.

The sensation was fading slowly now that they were wrapped in the comforting and familiar scent of roses and strawberries. Yuu pulled Riddle’s soft duvet tighter around themself as they fought the urge to begin nesting as omegas often did when distressed. Frankly, Yuu wanted to forget everything about their designation at the moment considering the memory they had just been forced to relive.

Trey squeezed into the bed behind them and gently coaxed Yuu onto his lap. He wrapped his arms around the blanket with Yuu inside and just held them there. Steady. Reliable. Safe. His size made it so Yuu felt like they were receiving a hug from a bear and it was endlessly comforting as they buried their face into his neck and inhaled his familiar neutral scent of marigold and freshly baked bread. Yuu recalled Trey talking about caring for his younger siblings through anxiety and panic attacks on occasion. If this was what he did for them, then Yuu thought they were very lucky to have an older brother like him.

Riddle kept his distance in the beginning, likely not wanting to upset Yuu more with his angry pheromones. It was an expected reaction once Yuu had managed to tiredly explain what had gone down at Octavinelle. Some of the messier details were left out, specifically the memory that had sent Yuu spirling (something they hadn’t even shared with Leona and had only been forced to reveal to Azul under duress – their lives had been in danger), but everything that Yuu had been keeping quiet came spilling out. The deal with Azul, the loss of Ramshackle…

Yuu wasn’t sure if they felt surprised or not when Trey and Riddle’s (and Ace and Deuce who were still in the room, sitting at the couch) reactions to Azul trying to forcefully bond them were milder than they’d expected. This is not to say the fury hadn’t been palpable. It had. Yuu was sure they could’ve cut the tension in Riddle’s room with a knife when that particular truth came to light. However, the focus had been on the bonding and not the implications Yuu had personally concluded. They weren’t sure whether to laugh or cry at having more evidence before them that omegas truly weren’t treated the same in this world.

The idea that Azul had planned on anything more than simply using Yuu to further his goals didn’t seem to pass anyone’s minds. Their fury was at Azul taking advantage of an omega, taking advantage of a friend – the fears and traumas Yuu was experiencing were not even a blip on their radar. They knew the event had scared Yuu but they didn’t understand . No one did. Yuu was once again reminded of their very first time in Riddle’s room when their explanation of omegan treatment in their home world had garnered such outrage and incredulity. That they’d been told the only true danger posed to omegas in this world were alphas in ruts.

It seemed impossible to Yuu and yet here the evidence was placed before them once more. And it just wasn’t fair . It wasn’t fair that Yuu’s trauma at what had just occurred was so real and yet it had been for naught. The truth was that their fears were never at risk of being realized and yet those fears had impacted them all the same. It wasn’t fair that Yuu had to feel all these things and yet had no one to truly blame.

They blamed Azul, of course. But it wasn’t the same. Not anymore. This was the frustration of hating someone you believed to be malicious when they’d turned out to simply be ignorant. All you can do is either swallow down your pride or hold onto that anger and feel like a fool for doing so, even though you are the victim . And it wasn’t fair .

Yuu’s heart felt more at ease now that Trey and Riddle were holding onto them, steadying them in their racing thoughts and exhausted state of being, but neither of them would truly understand. It felt like no one in this world could.

The only person who did now was the same person who’d caused all this pain and fear in the first place. The only person who truly understood was Azul Ashengrotto and nothing about this was fair.

But this wasn’t a conversation that Yuu could so easily broach with anyone. Their therapist back home perhaps but for obvious reasons was not an available option. Explaining beyond the facts and events would mean having to re-explore all those horrible things and hurts and Yuu just wasn’t ready for that. And as Riddle’s hand squeezed their in comfort and companionship, Yuu looked into his concerned eyes and knew that they might be ready one day. One day they would be able to bare these hurts to those they loved.

But today was not that day.

Today, Yuu wanted to do nothing more than to curl up with the family they’d managed to cobble together in this strange and foreign land and allow their steady breaths and familiar scents to lull them into a deep slumber. It didn’t take long, considering how exhausted Yuu was, and soon they were asleep, pressed between Trey and Riddle, Grim at the foot of the bed and both Deuce and Ace having fallen asleep on the couch across the room. When they woke up later, they would find that Cater too had joined their little impromptu slumber party, clothes covered in paint and resting his eyes in the loveseat in the corner.

And for the first time since sharing a bond with Leona, Yuu’s heart felt, not fully at ease, not yet, but warm.

~*~

Morning came in a rush. Though everyone was exhausted by the previous day's activities, there were things to be done and sleeping in just wasn’t an available option. Riddle and Trey had both tried to argue that they could put off their duties for a bit but Yuu insisted that they get going. Besides, they could see in Riddle’s eyes that leaving his Housewarden duties unattended was killing him inside considering he’d dropped everything the previous afternoon when Yuu had shown up unannounced.

“Fine,” he said begrudgingly. “But I’m going to finish up as fast as I can today and then I’d like to see you try and get rid of me tomorrow.” He said this with an adorable pout and Yuu couldn’t help but laugh and press a kiss to his reddening cheek. Riddle grumbled, “I’m serious. I’ll be stuck to you like glue.”

Yuu’s eyes were full of mirth as they pulled back to appraise the smaller alpha, “I don’t doubt you for a second.”

Trey leaned over them and also pressed a kiss to the crown of Yuu’s head, murmuring, “See you later. Try and stay out of trouble today. Don’t forget to eat breakfast.” He left them with a pat on the head, a habit from his own younger siblings, before getting up as well.

The two of them left the room after that (Trey likely back to his own to get changed for the day) leaving Yuu alone with the rest of the slumbering Heartslabyul gang. Yuu leaned back in the bed and pulled the blankets closer around themself and snuggled in. It felt weird after having a deadline looming over them for so many days to suddenly have nothing urgent on their plate. With the contracts destroyed, and with how those anemones had vanished, they doubted they were still on the hook to get that photo. Yet, Yuu felt like they were still forgetting something.

At the very least they needed to check up on Leona. Ruggie had yet to text them back about the Housewarden’s state and Yuu was worried. Restlessly, they rolled over, reaching for their jacket slung over a chair by the bedside, and pulled their phone out of a pocket. They sent off a quick text and immediately felt lost as to what to do next and began to fiddle around with the device mindlessly. Lilia had texted them the other day, but Yuu had been too busy to respond, reminding them that Gloomurai had rescheduled their dungeon raid. Yuu felt bad about having missed it previously, but there wasn’t much to be done considering the untimeliness of their heat.

“Why so glum looking, sweetheart?”

Yuu glanced up. Cater was yawning and stretching out his arms as he made his way across the room. Deuce and Ace were still asleep by the sitting area. For once Cater lacked his usual composed-ness, looking unkempt with his hair in disarray and dried paint splatters dotting his clothes and face. He must’ve heard about the situation and rushed over without bothering to take care of his own things. Yuu’s heart melted a little bit at that. They knew how much appearances meant to the extroverted beta.

“Nothing,” Yuu replied. “Worried about Leona I guess… And I- '' It was in that moment that their stomach let out a very loud and demanding grumble, leaving them stupefied at the sheer volume of it. A mortified blush came over their face as Cater couldn’t hold back fond giggles.

“How about we check up on your big bad kitty after we get some food in us?” Cater suggested, still trying to reign back in his laughter, his tone sly and teasing.

Yuu resisted the urge to swat at him.

~*~ 

The rest of the day passed uneventfully. Yuu did manage to meet up with Ruggie in the infirmary once the hyena beastman had been able to tear himself away from his vice-Housewarden duties – and given that a good chunk of his dorm was still recovering from having their magic and energy sapped by Azul, there was indeed a lot of work to be done. Headmaster Crowley,  naturally, was beside himself at yet another overblot occurring on his campus.

“Have I not been an excellent educator?” He bemoaned dramatically when he’d popped into the infirmary unexpectedly, startling both Yuu and Ruggie and the nurse. Yuu swore that he did that on purpose. “What have I done to deserve such a tragic fate! Yet another student fallen to the darkness of blot and so many injured! What have I done besides being a magnanimous and kind hearted educator!” He buried his face in his hands and gave a dramatic rendition of what Yuu supposed was meant to be sobbing.

Ruggie narrowed his eyes suspiciously at their headmaster, pursed his lips, and leaned over to whisper into Yuu’s ear. “I know he’s a bit dramatic but does he… Always act like such a wackjob?” Yuu bit back a snort and nodded affirmatively. At being able to make the omega laugh, Ruggie grinned proudly and cackled to himself. All the while Crowley continued on with his dramatic flair.

At some point, he’d managed to compose himself and erected a magical barrier around Leona’s bed to more privately interview Yuu and Ruggie on what exactly had happened in the Mostro Lounge. His body language grew increasingly tense the more the two of them explained.

“So…” Crowley hummed. “The breaking of Mr. Ashengrotto’s contracts, which was part of your plan to get rid of the contracts binding other students into his services, caused him to use his unique magic without a medium. Which naturally led to his over accumulation of blot and subsequent overblot? Have I heard this all correctly?”

“Basically,” Yuu replied. They were leaning over so that they were resting their weight into Ruggie’s side. They held Leona’s unresponsive hand in their own.

“I suppose that is one way to beat Mr. Ashengrotto at his own game,” Crowley mused. “Though I wish it didn’t have to come to such devastating results.” He looked around Yuu and Ruggie at Leona’s unconscious form with a frown. “Mr. Kingscholar’s condition in particular is going to be challenging. I’m afraid I’ll have to contact his family. They’ll likely want to talk to the two of you.”

Yuu blinked in surprise, “Huh? Wait. Why?”

“A prince of a powerful country has been rendered unconscious for more than 24 hours. We’ll be fortunate if a full blown investigation isn’t conducted into this. Oh dear oh dear…” He sounded genuinely distressed at the prospects.

Ruggie bristle at this, “What about Yuu? If they start investigating, they might find out about Yuu’s heat-”

Crowley perked up at the mention of this. “Heat? Whatever do you mean?” He looked over at Yuu intensely, “I was under the impression that your heat would not be for another few months.”

Yuu ducked their head down as Ruggie shot them an apologetic look. It seemed that the cat was out of the bag, not that Yuu was trying to keep it a secret from Crowley. It’s only that the truth of the entire debacle with Azul was so much more sinister and hard to talk about in hindsight. But with a deep breath Yuu began explaining again, this time from the beginning without leaving any details out. As frustrating as Dire Crowley could be, and as underhanded as his manipulations were, he had thus far helped Yuu out a lot. They would be remiss to not admit that truth. He’d given them a home, allowed them to stay despite their true designation being revealed, and was even attempting to help them develop a suppressant (even if he had self-interests involved there).

Crowley listened to the entire explanation quietly for once, not cutting in with any of his usual dramatic flair which Yuu was grateful for. When they finished, his expression looked even stormier than before.

“Mr. Ashengrotto is very fortunate that you do not belong to any nation,” he finally said. He rubbed at his chin in a way that caused the sharp metal talons he wore to click against each other. “The fallout from his actions would've been… Catastrophic to say the least. Though, for a man as young as himself to be capable of devising a heat inducer for such a rare designation…” At Yuu’s pointed glare, the man coughed and corrected himself hastily. “What I mean to say is… As impressive as Mr. Ashengrotto’s tenacity is, what he has done is undeniably reprehensible. While it is a bit outside of my jurisdiction, unless you wish to reveal your secret to the world and seek more official justice of course… Is there anything you wish me to do to punish him, Yuu?”

Yuu blinked in surprise, not having expected the offer at all. But the look Crowley was giving them was more serious than they usually saw on the whimsical Headmage’s face. They swallowed hard and gave the question some serious thought. Did they want Azul to be punished?

What he had done to them was beyond words. The trauma he had inadvertently dredged up so horrible Yuu balked at putting them into verbal sentences. And yet… Their anger was no longer the roaring inferno it had been. It was still there but had dimmed into a low and steady smolder. Enough to remind them that he would never be forgiven. But was it hot enough for them to want to seek vengeance on him?

Yuu was surprised when the answer that came to them was no .

They said as such to Crowley, earning them an aghast look from Ruggie. Yuu was sure if Leona was awake, he too would be railing against them for letting that “cephalo-bastard” off the hook so easily.

Of course, just because Yuu wasn’t out for vengeance didn’t mean they wanted to let bygones be bygones.

“He isn’t allowed to make deals and take people’s magic and stuff anymore,” Yuu said firmly. “Contract or not. And I don’t care what he has over you, Crowley, but he can’t pull that shit anymore.” They huffed and crossed their arms.

Dire Crowley appraised them for a moment and then let out a dramatic sigh, “Very well, my adorable student. As the benevolent Headmaster I am, I’ll see to it that Mr. Ashengrotto refrains from making these deals in the future. It will likely save me much paperwork and heartache as well.” He muttered this last part to himself.

There wasn’t much more to discuss after that, and soon Crowley was ready to make his infamous quick escape.

“Well then!” He exclaimed cheerfully, allowing the noise nullifying field to drop with a snap of his fingers (how he was able to snap his fingers with those talons, Yuu had no idea). “I am a very busy man. Much to do! After all, there is lots to be researched in finding a way home for you-”

“Ah!” Yuu suddenly exclaimed, causing both Ruggie and Crowley to jump in surprise. A look of realization came over the omega’s face as they sat up straight. The reminder of researching a way home dredged up distant memories from a mere few days ago, where Yuu had a very interesting conversation about the overlap in mythos between the two worlds and the potential connection between them. A conversation shared with a particular person of bright red hair.

“Rielle!” Yuu said aloud, garnering them more confused looks from Ruggie and the Headmaster. That was what they were forgetting! They were supposed to meet with him today if the plans with Leona had fallen through, which they sorta did in the end. Yuu had completely forgotten about it amidst the chaos.

“Rielle?” Ruggie asked, raising a brow in their direction.

Yuu blinked and blushed, embarrassed at their sudden unintentional outburst. They shook their head, “Sorry. Not important. Um… Actually. I’ve got to go too. I have a phone call to make.” Ruggie raised a brow at this as Yuu hastily stood up. “I’ll see you later okay? Keep me updated about Leona?”

Ruggie’s expression melted a bit and then morphed into his usual shit eating closed-eyed grin. “Sure. No problem, Kitten.” He winked.

At this, Headmaster Crowley’s proverbial eyebrows rose in question which they both pointedly ignored.

“Thank you,” Yuu said warmly, leaning down to press a kiss into his cheek, enjoying the bright blush that spread across his face. They gave Leona’s hand one last squeeze and hurried out of the health wing.

~*~

“Yuu! I was wondering when you’d call!”

The excited voice of Atlantica’s prince came through the speakers and Yuu was relieved to hear that he didn’t sound annoyed or upset at the lateness of their call. They only hoped that he hadn’t already set out to meet them at the museum and asked as such.

“Not yet,” Rielle hummed in response when Yuu asked. “I figured I would wait for you to check in first- I take it your other plans worked out then?”

Yuu grimaced, though the other omega could not see. “Not… Exactly.” Rielle made a curious noise at Yuu’s hesitant tone. They sighed and fought to figure out how to explain what had happened. “Things went topsy-turvy as they usually do when I’m involved,” Yuu explained dryly.

Rielle laughed, “Like the entrance ceremony Floyd was talking about? Wow, life at NRC must be so exciting!”

Sometimes. Other times it could be absolutely harrowing. Though Yuu wasn’t going to say that to the cheerful boy.

“Something like that,” Yuu continued, unable to share in the other omega’s enthusiasm. Still, Rielle’s joy was still somewhat infectious as Yuu found themself not being able to keep the small smile off their face. It was nice being able to talk to another omega again. “Regardless… It isn’t an issue anymore. So you’re off the hook on having to sneak me into a museum.”

“Oh! Well, would you still want to hang out?”

Yuu stilled, surprised at how the question had caught them so off guard.

“Finals week ended last week,” Rielle continued without pause. “And Papa wanted me home early for ‘safety reasons’ so I’m honestly just stuck at home doing nothing. All my friends from Royal Sword are still stuck at school until the end of semester. I honestly don’t mind if you’re still down to hang out! You’d be saving me from a day of boredom!”

A foreign sensation gripped Yuu’s heart then. Both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. They were reminded of how utterly lonely they could sometimes feel despite being surrounded by friends and, Yuu was willing to admit it now, packmates . The lack of true understanding of what Yuu was going through, displaced from their home and placed into a world where omegas were so rare that Yuu had only ever met one other person who shared their secondary sex. Riddle understood to an extent, but even he was an alpha’s alpha through and through at the end of the day.

And maybe Rielle, who’d grown up in this strange land with its strange customs, might not fully understand Yuu’s deep hurts and fears. But there was still an instinctive kinship there that Yuu could not deny the moment they had first scented the other omega.

A feeling of anxiousness came over Yuu and they wondered if they were about to make a terrible mistake. Headmaster Crowley, no doubt, would be beside himself if he knew what they were considering at that moment. The potential fallout – especially considering the political position Rielle held as a prince of Atlantica.

Still, Yuu could not stop the next words from spilling out in a hurry before they could second guess themself.

“I have something I want to tell you… Could we still meet?”

~*~

  “Oh.”

Rielle’s seafoam green eyes were wide with shock as he held the soaked pillow case between his fingers and up to his face. He glanced up at Yuu with such a stunned expression that they couldn’t help but twist their clothes with anxiety.

“It does smell like you… But like, not you ,” Rielle murmured with astonishment. “How- How have you been able to hide this? And why ?”

The two of them were seated in a secluded corner of the Atlantica Memorial Museum. They had ended up deciding on meeting up there anyway in the end. Currently, Rielle’s guards were posted at the entrances of the museum while the head of his guard waited a fair distance out of earshot, but still keeping his eye on his charge and Yuu. But it didn’t matter. It was only important that they were all far enough away to not hear what Yuu had to say to Rielle or scent Yuu’s pillow case from Ramshackle.

“I-” Yuu began, ducking their head with embarassment. “Remember how I’m not from this world? Well… My world isn’t like Twisted Wonderland. It’s…” They proceeded to explain to the other omega how things were in the dimension they called home. The strangeness of how few omegas there were in this world, and the differences in how omegas of each were viewed and treated. The words were familiar, as Yuu had to explain this several times over by this point to many different people. “And well… My friend, Trey, his signature spell allows him to change the properties of things. Taste, color… He can even nullify magic.”

“... and so he changed your scent to a beta one,” Rielle finished with a wondrous tone and sparkles in his eyes. “That’s- That’s really amazing magic!.”

Yuu laughed, “He really is. Amazing that is. Trey is… Wonderful.” They smiled warmly down at their lap.

“And your world-!” Rielle exclaimed and then caught himself when the head guard looked over at them sharply. He ducked his head bashfully and grinned, lowering his voice again. “I mean… I can’t even imagine . For there to be so many omegas and for them to be treated so-” His voice shook, but Yuu couldn’t tell if it was anger or fear or something else entirely. “And even so, to be able to live so freely …”

The redhead suddenly trailed off longingly, his gaze looking across the vast open center room of the museum. Yuu followed his gaze and saw that he was staring at a preserved painting on the opposite wall, featuring a human vessel, a grand and ornate wooden ship, sailing over rough waves.

Rielle shook his head, “Sorry… I shouldn’t sound so jealous after everything you told me about how you’re treated there.”

Yuu sighed, “Don’t be. That freedom is precisely the reason I’m hiding my designation. I can’t risk losing that freedom, however little of it I have left now that I’m stranded away from everything I know…”

“Yuu…” Rielle put a hand on theirs and gave it a comforting squeeze, and flashing them a smile when they looked up at him. “I- Is that why you’re telling me this?”

“Maybe?” Yuu blinked back tears they hadn’t realized started gathering. “Sorry. I guess I didn’t realize how lonely I was until…” Until Azul . “... Well. It doesn’t really matter why. I think I just needed a friend who could understand.” Yuu looked up at the merman imploringly, “You promise not to tell anyone, right?”

Something hard and determined entered those usually sparkling and naive eyes. Rielle nodded seriously. “I don’t know if I can ever fully understand. But I’m honored that you’ve trusted me with such an important secret. I won’t tell anyone . I’ll take this secret to my grave . I swear on my honor as a prince of Atlantica.” He straightened his back and held his palm up to his chest in a salute. At that moment, with his back straight and his red hair drifting elegantly in the water, he looked particularly princely, Yuu thought.

Yuu grinned at him through misty eyes and laughed when Rielle’s face crinkled up in a large grin of his own. His omegan scent was so comforting, reminding Yuu of their father. Somehow, the merman smelled of a warm summer’s day and the sweet ripeness of hibiscus flowers. It was rare for Yuu to encounter an omega who wasn’t family or a very close friend who wore their true scent out in public and they took this moment to allow it to wash over them, soothing their senses.

“What was it you needed from here anyway?” Rielle asked a little later when he’d mostly gotten over his shock at Yuu’s reveal and Yuu had managed to gather themself together. They decided to take advantage of the fact that they were in the museum anyway to look around and explore. Rielle, like the last time they’d seen the perpetually sunshining omega, was an excellent tour guide, talking animatedly as they swam and browsed through the showcases the museum had to offer.

“Oh.” Yuu blinked, “Um… I believe it was a photograph. Azu- Mm. I was told that it was a memorial photograph from…” Rielle tilted his head curiously as Yuu continued to describe the item they had meant to pilfer from the museum. It wasn’t much to go off of, but a light suddenly seemed to spark in Rielle’s seafoam eyes.

“Ah! I think I know exactly the one you’re describing! Come on!”

Before Yuu could say another word, the other omega grabbed their wrist and was excitedly dragging them off towards the museum entrance. Yuu hastily stuffed the pillow case back into a bag they’d brought with them and allowed themself to be pulled through the water by the excitable merman. Soon they were floating before a large wall filled with commemorative photographs from various groups that had visited the museum over the years. Rielle scanned through the photos with a critical eye as Yuu looked on curiously.

“Here it is-!” He suddenly exclaimed, pointing out a photo near the bottom of the shelf. Yuu leaned in to get a closer look.

Prince Rielle, visiting with friends from his school .

Yuu gave a start when they realized that they recognized several of the people in the photograph. Rielle most prominent of them all but even several of the other kids in the picture were definitely the same as the ones Yuu had seen in Azul’s dreamscape. Seeing those very same children with actual faces instead of the blanked out ones from the dream world was very jarring.

And there, in the back of the photo, was undoubtedly the same Azul Yuu had seen as well. Small and plump and holding one of his tentacles in a death grip.

Being reminded of that terrible memory made something vile and bitter build up at the back of Yuu’s throat. Their throat tightened and suddenly they could hear the sobs of Azul as a child ringing in their ears.

“Yuu? Are you alright?”

Yuu suddenly realized that they had a death grip on their pants and hastily let go with a sigh. It was suddenly very difficult to look up at Rielle now that they were reminded so vividly of what had happened before. Yuu reminded themself that Rielle had just been a child, a child who didn’t know any better. But that still didn’t really make it any less difficult when reminded of how cruel that memory had been. How utterly heartbreaking the sight of Azul curled up in his octopus pot sobbing as his only friend in the world left him behind.

“It… It’s nothing,” Yuu finally said with a sigh. It just wasn’t their place to meddle in this. Whatever grievances Azul and Rielle had with one another, it was in the past and it was their own to deal with.

Rielle gazed at them curiously, the cogs seemingly turning behind those vivid green eyes of his. Slowly, he said, “... Did… Azul asked you to get this photo, didn’t he? That’s why… That’s why you were here with Floyd the other day.”

Yuu glanced up at him and for a moment wondered how any of his retainers could possibly think Rielle was helpless or incapable with a mind as curious and sharp as that.

“He did,” Yuu nodded. “I don’t know why though.”

Rielle smiled but it was bittersweet. When he spoke again, his tone was somewhat deflated, “Azul has been… Trying to delete all traces of our past for a few years now. I heard rumor of it when we were in middle school… I imagine this is one of the last ones.” Yuu hummed thoughtfully. That helped things make a bit more sense. They had wondered why Azul cared so much about a single commemorative photograph. “You… Don’t seem surprised,” Rielle noted. “I suppose Azul has told you then… About our childhood?”

“Oh…” How was Yuu supposed to answer that? “It was… Something like that.”

Rielle’s smile grew rueful. “I guess you know then… About how awful of a friend I am.” He chuckled but Yuu could see his fingers twisted anxiously in the scant fabric he wore. “I can’t say I blame him for what he’s doing and I’m really in no position to say anything… But I still can’t help but be hurt that he’s deleting everything from before…”

“I…” Yuu trailed off, unsure of how to respond. “I um… I do know what happened. By before… Do you mean before you stopped being friends? The uh… Music box?”

Rielle blinked in surprise, “He told you about even that? Oh wow. You must think I’m an awful person.” His bottom lip seemed to wobble but he appeared to be trying to rein it in.

“It was pretty bad,” Yuu said gently. “But… It was also a long time ago and frankly none of my business. Azul isn’t a good person either. We all make mistakes. It’s what we do from today onwards that matters. The Rielle I’ve met has been nothing but kind and helpful to me… And I’d really like to be friends with him.” They shot the other omega a gentle smile.

Rielle’s bottom lip wobbled even harder and he rubbed furiously at his eyes. Further down the hall, the head of his guard shot Yuu a very nasty glare and seemed ready to charge in at a moment’s notice, but stayed thankfully still for now.

“Thank you,” Rielle finally managed to say. “I- I don’t think I’ll ever forgive myself for what happened. Even though I was just a small guppy. Azul… Azul was my best friend in the world and we were supposed to belong to each other. And I allowed other people’s opinions of me get in the way of that. I’m just… I’m just glad that he at least has you and Jade and Floyd.”

Yuu grimaced as he said this but was unwilling to correct the omega while he was having such a heartfelt moment. Unable to bring themself to explain just how little Yuu wanted anything to do with Azul and to shatter the omega’s view of his ex-childhood-friend. So instead they just gently patted him on the arm.

Once Rielle composed himself again, he patted himself a few times on his cheeks and forced himself to smile wide. Yuu was amazed to see how the forced smile quickly transformed into something more authentic and sincere. They supposed some people were just incapable of being kept down.

“Anyway,” Rielle said. “It’s starting to get late and Papa will start to worry for me so I’ll probably need to leave soon.”

Yuu thought about Riddle and Trey and the rest of their friends and nodded. “Me too.”

“If there is anything I can help you with,” Rielle said, taking Yuu’s hands in his own and gripping them firmly. “Please don’t be shy! Tell me and I’ll try everything in my power to help you! Us folks have to stick together after all.” He winked at them and Yuu couldn’t help but laugh.

“Actually…” Yuu said, suddenly remembering something vital. “Um… One of the professors at NRC has actually been trying to help me brew a suppressant. Like the ones I told you about from my world. But one of the ingredients is really hard to come by and I believe it comes from the Coral Sea.”

“I could help with that!” Rielle exclaimed, sparkles practically leaping out of his eyes. “What is it?”

“I think it’s called… Azure salt?” Yuu said uncertainly. It had been a while since Professor Crewel had talked to them about it. It was probably a good idea to meet with him soon anyway, before the semester was over.

Rielle’s face suddenly fell. “Oh.”

“What’s the matter?”

He shook his head, letting go of Yuu’s hands and awkwardly held his hands together. “It’s just that… The main azure salt mines are owned exclusively by the Ashengrotto family.”

Notes:

So I guess I lied about the cuddles. This chapter was getting pretty long and I wasn't able to add all the cuddles and cute healing moments that I really wanted to get to. I'll try and get to those in the next chapter or two (or three) before we start getting into the thick of Scarabia's arc. So many characters... So little time haha.

Let me know your thoughts below! <3

Chapter 22

Notes:

School has begun again! But writing is still a huge outlet for me so hopefully I can still stick to my usual 2-4 week update schedule that I've been keeping recently. I wish I could go back to 2-3 day updates but alas. Sigh...

Anyway, slightly longer chapter than regular. And this is unbeta'd as usual and will see periodic fixes over the next week or so as I spot mistakes. Please enjoy! <3

In spite of Riddle’s promise to be stuck to them like glue, his duties as both Heartslabyul Housewarden and Chairman of the Management Committee were simply too many to be completed within a single day. Yuu wasn’t too surprised considering the fact that the small pouting alpha had attempted to cram a week’s worth of things into a miniscule 24 hours, and they had waved Riddle off when he’d begun to protest. Yuu appreciated his dedication of course, and seeing Riddle attempt to prioritize the people he cared for over his duties was certainly admirable, but at the end of the day Yuu told him that they would be just fine.

In fact, aftering having met up with Rielle the day before and finally gotten to reveal their secret to another omega, Yuu’s spirits were surprisingly high all things considered. Whereas they felt like doing nothing but cry the day before, the Prefect had a sense that things would be… Well, not great persay. Certainly not perfect. But simply that things were going to be okay at the very least.

Of course, the biggest issue standing in the way of a “happy ending” to this entire Octavinelle debacle was the fact that Leona, on the second morning after being made unconscious via blunt force trauma, had yet to wake. And that his very prestigious, very powerful , family was likely to be making an appearance sooner rather than later if Headmaster Crowley’s fears were to be believed. They would likely want to know exactly why Leona Kingscholar, apathetic and chronically sleeping Prince he was (the irony of this was not lost on Yuu), bothered to raise a single hand to help out some random human he owed no loyalty. To the point where he’d ended up seriously hurt.

Ruggie was already in the process of formulating several conceivably believable half-truths to tell them. But the simple fact was that if Leona didn’t wake up soon, there would be some seriously powerful people digging into who exactly everyone involved in the incident were. Yuu included. Forget the fact that they were already somewhat famous on campus for being from another world entirely and a NRC student despite lacking magic (that fame and reputation seemingly growing by the hour, likely due to the company Yuu kept and the fact that the students who’d been under contract with Azul were now indebted to them). All in all, it was looking a bit dicey.

Trey, thankfully, was not nearly so booked up as his mate. The Heartslabyul Vice-Housewarden had a bit more leeway in the duties he had to get done before the end-of-term and offered to keep Yuu and Grim company for the day. Yuu got the sense that Trey and Riddle were both very on-edge after hearing the full story of what had happened over the past week and didn’t seem to trust that Yuu wouldn’t get themself caught up in more trouble (and at this rate, Yuu was sort of inclined to agree) and Riddle certainly didn’t trust Ace and Deuce to take up the mantle of keeping the peace (considering they were instrumental in getting the omega involved in the first place). He’d actually seemed relieved when Trey made the offer.

Yuu, of course, was still a bit anxious about the conversation that they keep having to put off. A lot of things were still up in the air at the moment and the three of them just hadn’t had the time to sit down alone and talk about what needed to be said. Regardless, Yuu was also glad that they’d have a day to spend with Trey. They weren’t 100% sure what the reason was, whether it was because they really just missed the beta or because Riddle and Trey had finally confessed to one another, but Yuu no longer felt… Intrusive? As if they were taking up the beta’s time and generally getting in the way.

Whatever the reason, Yuu gladly took up Trey’s offer to make lunch together in the Heartslabyul kitchens. Cater, Deuce, and Ace tagged along as well and suddenly Yuu felt as if they’d been shunted back to that first week they’d arrived in this world and had first started to make friends. The boys at Heartslabyul had been the first to really bring Yuu into the fold and make them feel welcomed in this unfamiliar world. To be surrounded by them, listening to Deuce and Ace and Grim bicker and Cater make pointed amused comments and Trey exhale fondly… It felt good.

Pack , a small voice echoed in Yuu’s mind. They shook their head to banish the thought, face flushing a bit pink.

“Do you know how to make… Matoke?” Yuu asked, when Trey was fishing around for input on what to cook for lunch.

“Matoke?” Trey repeated curiously. He’d slipped an apron over his head and was currently in the process of tying it behind his back, giving Yuu a very nice view of his muscular arms and torso flexing, leaving their tongue a little dryer than normal. “Isn’t that a Sunset Savanna dish?”

“It’s something Ruggie likes to eat,” Yuu replied. And Leona . “He’ll probably be visiting Leona later. He’s been super busy with everything that’s happened. I thought it might be nice to bring him something familiar and comforting.”

Trey’s face softened and he smiled, “In that case… I’m sure we can figure something out.” He glanced over at Cater, “Cater. Could you find me a recipe online-”

“Cay-Cay is already on it,” the other beta replied with a playful wink from where he was leaning against a counter, scrolling on his phone as usual.

“What is matoke?” Grim asked. The monster was standing on one of the counters besides Yuu so that they were nearly at eye level with one another. In his right paw was already a half-opened can of premium tuna that Yuu didn’t have the heart to deny him that morning. They really were spoiling him way too much, something that would probably come back to bite them in the ass later. But for the time being, Yuu just relished being able to see the little monster’s bright blue eyes light up whenever they opened one for him. The whole situation with him and the Mostro Longue and Grim getting sick was still weighing heavily on their mind.

“A sort of banana stew,” Trey replied to Grim’s question. The beta was already confidently walking around the kitchen, gathering up tools and ingredients as Cater called them out. He looked to be in his natural element. “I’m better at baking than cooking, but stew is something I can do and quite proud of.” Trey pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose so that they caught the light dramatically and Yuu couldn’t help but laugh.

Grim wrinkled his nose in response, “Banana? In stew? Sounds weird. Oo! Oo~! I know! You should put tuna in it-”

“Not everything has to have fish in it,” Yuu teased. “Besides, I’m pretty sure matoke already has beef or pork in it or something.” They vaguely remembered seeing chunks of some kind of meat during Ruggie’s memory of his hometown. “Think of the bananas as… The tomatoes of this type of stew.”

“Yeah but banana is a fruit and that’s just weird,” Grim retorted.

“Tomato is a fruit, Grim.”

Grim and Deuce both made identical, in-sync, incredulous noises that had everyone in the kitchen glancing over with raised brows. “Tomato is a fruit ?” The small monster exclaimed with disbelief. “No way! But- But! You put it on pizza! In pasta! In ketchup !”

Deuce, in turn, had a hand pressed to his lips in thought, brows furrowed in adorable concentration as he attempted to puzzle his way through this new piece of information. Not that he had much opportunity to do so considering Ace wasted no time in beginning to rib into the other alpha. Ace’s laugh was playfully mocking and Deuce was getting huffy in turn but Yuu couldn’t help but begin to laugh in earnest as the three of them (because of course Grim had to get involved as well) started to bicker once more.

If they’d been paying more attention, they might’ve seen Cater and Trey share a relieved look at one another and begin to smile themselves at the antics.

~*~

Jack texted Yuu back that Ruggie was likely going to run late for their rendezvous in the infirmary. Something had come up back at Savanaclaw. And since Trey had already finished making the stew (to be served over brown rice as the Heartslabyul kitchens did not stock some of the more traditional staples of the Sunset Savanna – few students as they had from that region), he and Yuu packed it after eating their own share and decided to make their way over to the infirmary anyway. Trey insisted on packing an extra container for the school nurse because he was just diligent and thoughtful like that.

Despite being full of the sweet and savory stew, Yuu still enjoyed having the scent of cumin and turmeric and sweet bananas curl around them as they made their way through the Heartslabyul mirror and across campus. Nothing could beat Trey’s desserts, of course, but he had really knocked it out of the park with this dish. Yuu could only imagine how it would taste for someone like Ruggie or his grandmother, people familiar with the dish, to make it. Obviously Yuu wasn’t trying to mingle the friend groups, but they thought they might have a good chance at wrangling Trey and Ruggie together for a cookout or something. Those two were sure to get along about food.

Yuu tried to picture it in their head, Trey and Ruggie bustling around a kitchen, and chuckled. Trey glanced over at the sound, raising a brow in question, but Yuu merely grinned at him and refused to elaborate. The beta shook his head at them but it was in a fond manner and he didn’t press.

It was settled. Yuu was definitely going to try and get those two to be friends. Leona and Jack were great and all, but Ruggie really needed friends outside of pseudo-business-relationships.

Stuck in their head as usual, Yuu nearly missed the scent of coffee and black licorice that wafted towards them as the wind shifted direction. If it wasn’t for Trey tensing to their right, and a familiar voice calling from ahead, they might have overlooked the newcomer completely.

“Shrimpy~”

Yuu looked up and saw that Floyd Leech was casually walking over towards them, a sleek black take-out bag with ‘Mostro Lounge’ printed in golden script on the front was held in one hand while he waved at Yuu with the other.

For half a second, Yuu was about to roll their eyes and respond in their usual dry exasperation when they paused, realization coming over them.

That’s right. Floyd had known about Azul’s plan the entire time. Had been in on it. Had been integral to it. While he and Jade had occupied Ramshackle, every time they’d gotten in Yuu’s way down in the Coral Sea… The entire time, he’d been planning on either him or Jade bonding Yuu against their will in order to pass that bond onto Azul. The whole time… Yuu’s mind was reeling as they revisited every memory they had of the strange moray mer. That entire day they’d spent with Rielle. His insistence on that ridiculous lie about how they were in a relationship… Everything felt like there was a new sinister light cast upon it.

And to think Yuu actually believed that Floyd didn’t care about designations based on the way he’d treated Rielle… How he’d called Yuu powerful, a strange sort of respect in the way he’d addressed them. Was that all just part of his ploy as well?

Yuu couldn’t help the sting of hurt that came with the realization.

At Yuu’s silence and Trey’s surprisingly intimidating glare, Floyd’s lazy grin fell away. But he still continued to walk towards them without a single hesitation.

Yuu was frozen, unsure of how to approach this situation. With Azul… At least they’d always had an antagonistic relationship with him. But Floyd was different. Yes he had always been intimidating and terrifying and he’d actively worked against them (on Azul’s orders), but they had developed something between them hadn’t they? Something Yuu felt might’ve been akin to friendship.

A shadow moved in front of Yuu and they finally snapped out of their thoughts and realized that Trey had stepped in front of them, turning only to hand his containers of stew to Yuu before turning back and crossing his arms, glaring and daring Floyd to come any closer.

With Floyd, of course, this was always the wrong move. Seeing a challenge instead of a warning, Floyd’s razor sharp grin returned to his face and his gait sped up until he was standing right before the two of them. To Trey’s credit, he didn’t even flinch even as a notoriously violent alpha, who was significantly larger and stronger than him, leaned into his space in a way that could only be read as purposefully threatening. Despite the beta being pretty tall himself, Floyd still stood half-a-head above him.

“Sea turtle~” Floyd greeted with a sing-songy voice. He sniffed, and his grin spread even wider. “I see that someone has finally staked a claim on Goldfishie~ You stink of roses. I’m surprised. I was sure that Shrimpy would be the first to do it-”

“You don’t have a right to talk about Yuu,” Trey said coolly. Yuu was surprised that he kept his usual laidback composure, not even snapping despite the fury they could easily smell coming off of him in waves. The bitterness of wilted marigolds. Yuu was also surprised that the beta was capable of parsing through Floyd’s enigmatic naming conventions for everyone on campus.

Floyd merely shrugged in the face of Trey’s cold fury, not phased in the slightest. Yuu was pretty sure the only time they’d ever actually seen him truly bothered by something had been Azul during his overblott. Regardless, he paid Trey’s non-verbal warnings no mind as he tried to walk around the beta towards Yuu.

Trey uncrossed his arms and held out a hand, impeding Floyd’s progression.

“Oh?” Floyd asked, the glint in his mismatched eyes dangerous. “If ya wanted ta cut loose with me, Sea Turtle, you should’ve just asked~” There was unfiltered excitement in his voice now. “Though to be honest… I’ve been wanting ta test myself against ya for a while now~ See what Goldfishie sees in you~”

Trey’s expression darkened at the continued mention of Riddle. There seemed to be something more to this exchange than Yuu was understanding. Did Trey and Floyd have some kind of beef involving Riddle?

“But-” Floyd continued, and all at once the tension in his body dissipated and he leaned back into a casual slouch once more. His grin fell away and he looked bored. One look up at Trey’s expression told Yuu that he felt the whiplash of Floyd’s changing demeanor as strongly as they did. Floyd never failed to unnerve. “If I keep you guys waiting any longer, Jade’ll get mad at me and I’m not in the mood today to deal with one of his lectures.”

“What are you talking about?” Yuu asked in confusion before they could think better of it.

“Jade just told me to give this to you while he and Azul visit Sea Lion~” Floyd casually said, holding out the black Mostro Lounge take-out bag for them to take.

Yuu’s heart sank to the bottom of their stomach.

~*~

Yuu rounded the corner into the infirmary, nearly slipping from the sudden change in momentum as they turned in the middle of a dead sprint. They firmly ignored Trey’s worried shouts behind them and Floyd’s amused calls, mind honing in on their worry for Leona. Perhaps it was just the recent heat and bond talking, but the idea of Azul getting anywhere near Leona’s unconscious and vulnerable self was beyond terrifying. They could still recall Azul’s mania and fury when he’d cursed the beastman for destroying his contracts.

“Excuse me-!” The nurse spun around with a waspish exclamation, glaring at Yuu as they charged into the infirmary. Yuu shot him a distracted apologetic look but was more focused on near the back of the hall to where Leona’s bed would be.

The air caught in their throat as they saw two familiar figures leaning over Leona’s bed.

Jade and Azul.

“Get away from him!” Yuu found themself shouting without thinking as they broke into a sprint once more, causing the nurse to protest angrily.

Azul was standing in front of the bed so that he blocked Leona from Yuu’s view, only adding to the pang of fear in their heart. They were just considering shoving him out of their way when a familiar voice reached their ears.

“Kitten?”

Yuu skidded to a halt, heart leaping into their throat. Jade looked up and offered Yuu a close-eyed smile while Azul straightened up his back, turning and staring at Yuu with a startled expression. But it was the person who peaked around Azul, his cat-green eyes sharp despite the obvious bags of exhaustion beneath, to see what all the commotion was that gave Yuu pause.

Yuu’s voice trembled.

“... Leona?”

Leona’s expression morphed from tired and exasperated to something softer and warmer and, before Yuu could think better about it, they rushed forward and threw themself into his arms. Leona let out a huff of pain but then chuckled against Yuu’s scalp, breath warm and familiar, as his arms wrapped around them in turn, pulling the omega tight against him. Azul and Jade temporarily forgotten.

“So dramatic,” he murmured, and they felt him grin above them.

Yuu squeezed him tighter, “I was so so worried when you wouldn’t wake up.” Their voice warbled and Yuu pressed their face into Leona’s collar, trying their hardest to hold back the tears. “You’re always getting on my case about getting too involved and putting myself into harms way but look at yourself!” They pulled back and held Leona at arm’s length, eyes scouring his entire form just to reassure themself that he really was okay.

Leona grumbled, “To be fair… It’s usually Ruggie doing the naggin’. And…” His grinned and his eyelids lowered into a smolder, “How’s a proud alpha like me supposed ta’ stand by while those that are mine are put into danger?”

Yuu’d normally be flustered by Leona’s flirting, but in that moment they were too caught up in both the fear and relief to pay it any mind. Instead, they stopped gripping his arms and instead cupped Leona’s face with both hands, garnering them a surprised expression, and shot him a hard but determined look. “You’re mine too, Leona Kingscholar. And don’t you dare put yourself into harm's way like that again! Or I swear I’ll find someway to resurrect you, magic or not, and punish you for getting yourself hurt!”

Leona blinked, eyes wide and looking speechless for once in the entire time Yuu knew him.

“Yuu!”

Yuu snapped out of whatever spell they and Leona had been under and remembered that they were still in public with several people watching this entire exchange unfold. Blushing, Yuu pulled their hands away and look up, seeing Trey jog into the infirmary with a concerned expression on his face. Floyd casually strolled in not long after that, shooting their entire congregation and lazy grin. The black bag was still gripped in his left hand.

Trey hurried up to them and immediately shot Azul and Jade a scathing glare which warmed Yuu’s heart. He turned to them and instinctively reached out to grab one of their hands (the containers of matoke expertly balanced in the other), squeezing it in comfort. Yuu squeezed it back gratefully.

“Are you alright?” He asked.

“I am,” Yuu nodded, but then snuck a suspicious look over at the Octavinelle trio.

Floyd had finally joined the group and Jade shook his head and sighed dramatically at his brother.

“You had one simple job, Floyd,” he tutted. “Was it really so difficult delivering a single parcel?”

Floyd shrugged, “S’not my fault Shrimpy is so wound up and anxious. All I did was mention Sea Lion and there they went, shooting off like a sailfish.” He grinned over at Leona who scowled back at him and his hand on Yuu’s hip tightened.

“So it was a distraction,” Yuu said, shooting an accusatory look over at Azul. To their surprise, he seemed to wither under the look, lacking his usual unflappable charisma. In fact, Yuu was surprised to find that Azul had yet to say a single thing so far. But it wasn’t enough to deter Yuu from ripping into him, “What did you do!”

To their further shock, Azul actually flinched back at the loud demand. It gave Yuu pause for a second, and they felt as if they’d kicked a puppy instead of merely shouting at a manipulative asshat.

“Relax, kitten,” Leona’s smooth baritone murmured from behind them. “Contrary to the logical conclusions… The bastard is actually the reason I’m awake right now.”

Yuu’s head snapped around in shock, not quite believing what the beastman was saying. But Leona’s face lacked its usual teasing humor. He was being plainly serious. At their shocked look, Leona continued.

“These two showed up a little while ago and made me drink some nasty concoction and I woke up almost immediately after,” he said with a grimace, then leaned over to look past Yuu. “Ain’t that right, Ashengrotto?” Yuu glanced back.

Azul’s eyes were still squarely pinned to the omega, but the emotion in his eyes were unreadable. His bottom lip seemed to twitch in irritation at Leona’s needling tone, but he otherwise didn’t respond as he usually would, with something polite but underhandedly insulting. Instead, he took a moment and sighed, finally finding his voice.

“It’s true,” he said. “When I heard that Kingscholar had yet to wake up after our… Altercation.” His eyes shifted guiltily as he said this, suddenly finding the ground far more interesting. “It seemed only right that I fix my mistakes.”

Yuu felt immediately suspicious, more so than they already were.

“... Thank you,” they began carefully, eyes still narrowed at the octo-mer. “... But if you’re expecting to get anything in return for this favor , you can forget about it.”

At this, Azul’s ocean-gray eyes seemed to flash in familiar anger as his gaze snapped back up to meet Yuu’s. It was a look reminiscent of how he’d been during their shared ephemeral dreamscape.

“I- I’m not expecting anything in return!” He snapped, then took a deep breath through his nose and started again in a more controlled tone. “I understand your suspicions, Yuu-”

“Prefect,” Yuu interrupted. They knew they were being childish, unfair even, but they couldn’t help it.

Tense silence stretched out between them for long enough to become discomforting before Azul began again, voice tense. “... Prefect, then. Your suspicions are warranted. But I promise that I truly only wish to right my wrong. It was my fault Kingscholar was harmed and as it is perfectly within my abilities to help him, I did so. I honest to Triton do not expect anything in return.”

Yuu did not believe him for a single moment. He was lying. He had to be. Azul wanted something from them. Probably their forgiveness. Well he wasn’t going to get it.

But they didn’t say so out loud. The situation was already tense enough and they were getting curious glances from all the other people stuck in the infirmary (mostly Octavinelle and Savanaclaw students – which wasn’t a great combination considering the argument involved both of their prideful Housewardens).

“Fine,” Yuu said. “But you still tried to keep me away for some reason . Pulling more underhanded tactics-”

“That,” Jade Leech stepped forward, cutting in with a pleasant smile. “Would be my fault, I’m afraid. I was afraid that Prefect Yuu would react just as protective and aggressive as they are now if they were to catch us at the wrong time, so I’d sent my brother off to intercept the Prefect if necessary, to avoid this exact confrontation.” Yuu flushed under his stare, embarrassed that he had pegged them so accurately. “And of course, to return a few things you’d forgotten in my possession the other day. To… How is it that you land dwellers put it? Kill two birds with one stone?” He chuckled to himself.

“Here ya go, Shrimpy~” Floyd said, tossing the black Mostro Lounge bag onto the bed.

Yuu, still embarrassed and suspicious, carefully reached over and finally looked at what was inside of the bag. Their mouth turned into a surprised O when they realized what it was.

“My cookies…” Yuu murmured.

“Cookies?” Trey asked curiously, leaning over.

Yuu held up the bag so he could see inside, and sure enough there were several boxes of cookies that Yuu had bought back in Atlantis. They had completely forgotten about them during the chaos of everything. Treats had been the last thing on their mind with everything going on. Had Jade really just kept these on him the entire time?

“Do let me know if there are any missing,” Jade said. “I’m afraid Floyd has a bad habit of touching things that aren’t his. I would not put it past him to have snuck a few to eat himself.” Floyd made a complaining noise at the statement, stating that he definitely did not steal any cookies. “If there is anything missing, I’d be more than happy to stop by that shop and pick up more for you.”

Hell no, Yuu thought. They didn’t need to have to owe them any more than they already have.

“Well then,” Jade continued after a few more moments of awkward silence. No one had anything more to say. “If that is all… Azul, Floyd, and I really should be returning to the Lounge. We have a lot of work to do to prepare for reopening.”

That seemed to startle Azul back into reality. He coughed into a gloved hand and nodded, “That’s right.” Yuu watched in fascination as Azul put his metaphorical mask on, that familiar confident and in-control smile slipping onto his face. “We’ve concluded our business here. Best return before the repair team makes any ridiculous mistakes. Jade, Floyd, let us go.”

He turned on his heel and began to march off out of the infirmary, his coat and scarf billowing behind him dramatically. Floyd cackled and shot Yuu one last wink before turning and following his boss and brother out, leaving Yuu with Leona and Trey.

“Well then…” Trey said, breaking the silence. He smiled down at Yuu and Leona, holding up the containers of food they’d brought. “Lunch?”

~*~

Whatever animosity or competitive spirit there had been between Leona and Trey, from the few times Yuu had seen them together, disappeared with the first bite of matoke down Leona’s throat. His round ears had perked up adorably which nearly prompted Yuu to coo and tease him if they didn’t know it would wound Leona’s pride. He then proceeded to tell Trey that he was, and quote, “Not so bad for a herbivore afterall”, and then offered the bashful beta a position as his personal cook after they graduated. Yuu still wasn’t sure if Leona was serious or just doing his usual teasing, but he and Trey seemed to hit it off. For the moment at least.

Ruggie joined them not too long after that, his eyes widening with surprise at the sight of Leona up and awake (and with unshed tears, though the hyena would never admit to it). Even Jack joined them and seemed relieved at seeing his housewarden no longer unconscious. Leona, of course, acted like it had been no big deal at all and that they were all being overly dramatic, but Yuu could tell by his body language and eyes that he was pleased at having people fret over him. Yuu understood from what he’d shared with them that his home life was less than satisfactory, so they were glad that he at least had people here who cared for him (no matter how much he and Ruggie professed that their relationship was strictly for mutual benefit).

It wasn’t too long after that the school nurse finally was more than fed up enough to kick the lot of them out. Leona would still have to stay in the infirmary for at least another night or two just to be safe, which the alpha grumbled plenty about. But, all in all, everyone was in much higher spirits than before. Even having that unexpected encounter with Azul and the Leech twins wasn’t enough to dampen Yuu’s joy.

Though, they were still having mixed feelings about Azul being the one responsible for helping Leona wake up and, not to mention, likely saving Yuu from a dangerous investigation from the Kingscholar royal family. They didn’t like to think about either of those things and decided it would be best to put those confusing thoughts and feelings on the back burner for now. They had far more important things to worry about.

Such as that talk with Trey and Riddle they had yet to have. Or the looming winter break and their lack of access to either suppressants or Trey’s magic.

One thing at a time.

“Ah yes, the Ashengrotto family…” Professor Crewel hummed. “I was already aware that they owned the mining rights to azure salt, but that family has quite the… Cutthroat reputation, I’m afraid. Dire has already informed me of the details of what transpired in Octavinelle. So I suppose that avenue is quite closed, if it were ever open in the first place.” He made a thoughtful noise as he flitted about his office, grabbing books and papers as he went about doing end-of-term paperwork.

Yuu sighed, “I suppose not…”

“That pup, Azul, is possibly one of the best students I’ve ever had,” Crewel continued. He finally sat down, uncapping a pen and immediately setting off to fill out the organized mounds of papers on his desk. “If not for his background and drive for entrepreneurship, he’d have made an excellent Pomefiore student – my own dorm, naturally.” He finally glanced up at Yuu with a small elegant smirk. “It’s a shame to have heard what happened. Such behavior, and an overblot atop it all. I wonder sometimes what Dire is thinking…” This last bit was said more for himself than at Yuu.

“But don’t misunderstand me, pup,” he continued. “I am abhorred by what Ashengrotto has done to you. While I am not so bothered by the more ruthless means those three Octavinelle menaces usually employ to garner results — after all, who am I to judge considering my own classroom methods?” He chuckled to himself and Yuu shot the professor a deadpan look. Everyone on this campus was way too eccentric to be healthy. “Regardless, brewing a heat inducer is highly unethical. As I’m sure you’re aware, seeing as I am constantly drilling these lessons into you puppies, there are guidelines to when and where and under what circumstances every potion can be brewed. Many require nothing more than your own kitchen and yourself. Others have far stricter guidelines, such as needing a group of peers to oversee the development  and brewing process or requiring you to hold a certain level of mastery in potioneering.”

These were all familiar talking points. Crewel, as strange as his teaching methods were, never failed to remind them every class period about the ethics of potioneering and alchemy. Things such as Love Potions were highly unethical to make outside of very specific circumstances and were illegal to distribute— a controlled substance. But Yuu understood what Crewel meant by unethical. A heat induced may as well be a Love Potion but, because it did not exist, its creation and use fell into a far grayer area of legality. The legality of possessing certain potions could only come after they were invented (Yuu found this all to be terribly interesting during class, though they were sure Grim never paid much attention… It was a good thing he didn’t care much for alchemy). Which is why the invention of potions had its own set of strict guidelines and ethics associated. Just like the production and use of nuclear weapons in Yuu’s own world was subject to much restriction and oversight because they already existed . But the invention of weapons of mass destruction was merely ethically dubious.

“Dire has told me you don’t wish to seek retribution.”

Yuu looked up at their professor in surprise, “Oh. I… No. I don’t. I honestly just want to put this entire situation behind me.”

Crewel smiled at them again, but this time it lacked its usual half-sinister half-assertive edge, softening his features. It made the man look a few years younger. “That is very alright, pup. I do not blame you for wanting to do so. There are things that I could do as an important member of the potioneering community. Steps can be taken to punish Azul for his lack of care in following development guidelines. So if you ever change your mind…”

Yuu smiled back at him gratefully, “I’ll let you know.”

“Good,” he leaned back in his seat, returning to his usual grin. “But in the meantime, I do think some remedial classes are in order in Alchemy Ethics for a certain naughty puppy.” There was a dangerous glint in his eyes now. “I’m sure if Azul has enough time on his hands to be devising convoluted plots for power, he will certainly have the next several days before winter vacation free for remedial lessons. It is clear to me now that I have failed as an instructor to drill these important lessons into his head. It is only right that I correct this oversight.” Professor Crewel’s black kohl-lined eyes were narrowed and his sharp grin was practically blood thirsty.

Yuu was just glad that they had never had reason to get on Divus Crewel’s bad side.

~*~

Yuu stretched their arms above their head, feeling the satisfying burn of their sore muscles.

“Much better, Prefect,” Vil said, jogging up beside them, not even slightly out of breath. At this point, Yuu was used to the confident alpha being unaffected by any physical exertion and no longer ogled the other in disbelief. “You were only one lap behind this time.”

Yuu shot him a wry expression. Vil, as they’d come to realize in their occasional morning jogs with him and Jack, was a perfectionist and unafraid to dish out critique when he deemed you lacking in some way. He was a little more lenient on Yuu than on Jack, his critiques less scathing, though Yuu suspected that Vil simply didn’t want to scare off one of Jack’s few friends on campus.

“Thanks,” they said sarcastically, still attempting to catch their own breath, sweat pouring in rivulets down their face. Secretly though, Yuu was a little bit thrilled to get that semi-praise from Vil who so sparingly dishes it out.

“None of that, spudling,” Vil chastised, though his lavender eyes were mirthful as he regarded them. That was another thing about Vil. He’d taken to referring to Yuu as “spudling” for some unknowable reason. Though, Yuu really shouldn’t be surprised when they considered the plethora of nicknames they’d already managed to collect in their brief time in Twisted Wonderland. “You’ll earn my praise once you can keep up with Jack and I. Otherwise, it’ll just inflate that adorable head of yours.”

Yuu glanced between Vil and Jack and at their tall imposing forms and miles-long legs incredulously.

Vil chuckled to himself, “I’m sure with enough practice over break you’ll be able to keep up by the start of next semester.”

Unlikely, Yuu thought to themself but dared not voice it aloud. In their brief interactions with Vil, they’d picked up that when Vil got an idea into his head he would see it through to the end. The Queen’s spirit of tenacity and all that. They weren’t about to risk giving him any new ideas about training if they could avoid it. Besides, they were planning on keeping up the daily jogs over break regardless — so long as the occasional snow that was starting to fall didn’t build up too badly.

“Just ignore him, Yuu,” Jack muttered. Vil glared at him as the beastman rummaged through his bag and offered a clean towel to Yuu which they took gratefully. He pulled out another towel and began to wipe the sweat off his own face and neck.

“Hmph,” Vil huffed. “Your boldness is certainly something, mutt.” Despite his words, he was smiling slyly at the beastman. Jack couldn’t help but shoot him a large wolfy grin in return.

The three of them picked up their things from where they’d left them in the grass and began to make their ways back towards the Hall of Mirrors. The day was crisp and the temperatures were obviously dropping as they drew further into the season of winter, but thankfully there had been no snowfall that morning to impede their jog. It was still early dawn so they were the only three students walking around on campus.

Or so they were, up until they took their first few steps into the Hall when Vil’s hand suddenly clamped down on Yuu’s arm and roughly pulled them out of the way of a speeding blur. Yuu blinked in shock, watching as several students in red, gold, and blue flew past, chasing one another on brooms and whooping rambunctiously.

“Excuse me!” Vil snapped, whirling around with a furious expression. His scent, honeysuckle and sweet rice wine, spiked in fury as he glared up at the disruptive group of, who Yuu could now see, Scarabia students. A couple of them glanced down at the angry Pomefiore housewarden in concern, but for the most part they kept cheering and flying around. Vil’s expression darkened. He released Yuu’s arm and his fingers twitched toward his pen clipped to his best pocket, “Who do you think you are, flying around the Hall of Mirrors like a bunch of ruffians!”

One of the flyers, near the front and in a decidedly more elaborate uniform than the rest, pulled on his broom and turned to face them. The person, a grinning boy with dark skin, white hair, and bright ruby eyes, looked down at them and his eyes widened in delight upon sighting Vil.

“Oh! Hello, Vil!” The boy waved at them jubilantly, utterly unfazed by the death glare Vil was shooting up at him.

At the friendly greeting, Vil’s glare darkened further, “Kalim Al-Asim. You are setting a horrible example for your dorm members! Get down here this instance.”

Kalim laughed as if he wasn’t being scolded and stared down by one of the most intimidating persons on campus and began to descend as he was told. Yuu shuffled closer to Jack’s side as Kalim alighted before their group. He was still grinning with a blinding sunny-disposition even as Vil began to rip into him with his usual ruthless and methodical dress down. What would’ve made most students quake at the knees, Kalim seemed largely unbothered. Sure he apologized and grinned bashfully up at Vil, but Vil’s scathing words appeared to roll over Kalim like water off a duck’s back.

“Honestly,” Vil finally sighed in exasperation when it became abundantly clear that Kalim wasn’t taking his words to heart. “The Housewarden of Scarabia and mindfulness needs to act more sensibly.”

This bubbly young alpha was the Housewarden of Scarabia?

“I’m really sorry, Vil!” Kalim exclaimed, pressing his hands together before him, “I guess I didn’t really think about that before we started playing around. But we were just having a little bit of fun during our end-of-semester party!”

A end-of-semester party? At the crack of dawn?

“In celebration of what exactly?“ Vil clicked his tongue. “If I’m not mistaken, Scarabia came in last in nearly every ranking on campus. If it were my own dorm, I’d eat my own designer shoes first before I allowed the spudlings to slack off, let alone throw a party .”

“That’s alright!” Kalim exclaimed. “It’s almost break anyway. A little fun isn’t going to hurt anyone-“

“Kalim!”

A new voice came from further into the Hall of Mirrors, exasperated. Glancing back, Yuu saw a new figure walking towards them, also dressed in Scarabia colors and looking decidedly annoyed. Yuu was struck by how pretty the newcomer was, with his dark skin and dark eyes and hair so perfect it could’ve been in a shampoo commercial. Strung up amongst the elaborate series of braids and locks were golden accessories and bells that flashed as they caught the scant morning light filtering in from the main entrance.

“Jamil!” Kalim shouted back, fondness and affection obvious in his voice.

The pretty newcomer, Jamil, another alpha, let out an exasperated sigh and crossed his arms. Now that he was closer, his seemingly perfect visage was broken by the obvious lines of exhaustion in his face.

“Kalim, you were supposed to be in bed hours ago, not off galavanting around with our students.”

Already be in bed? Yuu cast a confused glance between the two Scarabia boys..

“Aw, but I just couldn’t sleep after all the excitement from last night,” Kalim replied. “Some of the boys wanted to race on the new brooms Father bought and I thought it would be fun!”

Wait. Was he implying that they had been partying since the night before?

“At last there is a voice of reason,” Vil said in a clipped tone. “Honestly, one must wonder why you aren’t Housewarden of Scarabia, Jamil.”

Yuu winced at the dig but was surprised when Kalim merely laughed the statement off. He grinned up at Vil, “I’m glad you think Jamil is the best too, Vil! And-” He cut himself off, glancing over at Jack and Yuu as if he was just noticing that there were other people there. “Oh! Are these your friends, Vil? It’s very nice to meet you! I’m Kalim Al-Asim.”

Before anyone could say anything, Kalim had crossed over to them and was already in the process of vigorously shaking Jack’s hand and then Yuu’s. Jack looked distinctly uncomfortable with Kalim’s over-the-top energy, but thankfully Yuu was already desensitized from having to live with Grim 24/7 and returned Kalim’s smile politely. At this distance, Yuu could easily pick up on his scent. There was an earthiness to it, almost reminding Yuu of Leona’s sand and desert but not quite. And above that was the acute scent of spices.

“This is Jack Howl from Savanaclaw,” Yuu answered for Jack, because he didn’t seem like he was going to be able to. “I’m Yuu from Ramshackle dorm-”

“Ohhhhh!” Kalim’s eyes widened and, to Yuu’s shock, practically began to sparkle. Was this alpha a golden retriever incarnate? “So you’re the magicless Prefect! Oh wow! You traveled here from another dimension right? That must be so amazing! You should stop by Scarabia sometime and tell us all about your world-”

“Kalim,” Jamil repeated in a tighter voice. The snowy-haired boy grinned sheepishly back at the stern tone. “Hurry up now. If you don’t get your eight hours, I’m the one who is never going to hear the end of it from Lord Asim.” He made it a point to gesture towards the Scarabia mirror.

“Aw, alright, Jamil. You’re right as usual,” Kalim let out a melancholy sigh. Not one to be kept down long though, he was quickly smiling brightly at Jack and Yuu again. “It’s always nice to meet new friends! Please, the invitation to Scarabia is open to both of you at any time! We could chat over a mezze selection and- Ooo, Baba just sent me a new coffee roast from Happy Valley that I could show you-”

“Kalim,” Jamil repeated yet again, expression deadpan. He looked utterly done with Kalim’s exuberance.

“Right, right!” Kalim said. He grabbed Yuu’s hands in his own and shook them vigorously and then turned to Jack to give him the same treatment. It only took one scathing look from Vil to have Kalim laughing but knowing better than to touch him. “It was wonderful meeting you all! I hope to see you again!”

Jamil only shook his head and turned on his heel, marching back towards the mirror. Kalim eagerly followed, quickly stepping in line with Jamil and beginning his excitable talking anew. The rest of the Scarabia students, a few still in the air, shared questioning expressions between them before all seemingly coming to the conclusion that they should follow as well. Pretty soon, the Hall of Mirrors was silent again.

“Thank the Queen that is over,” Vil snidely remarked. “Honestly, I’ll never understand Kalim’s inability to take things seriously. Whether it is his first semester as Housewarden or not, the alpha should know better.” His tongue clicked and Yuu couldn’t help but chuckle at how much personal offense Vil seemed to take at anyone not living up to their potential. Not that Yuu agreed with Vil’s assessment of the strange and jubilant alpha they’d just met. Kalim seemed… Laid-back, sure. But Yuu didn’t get the sense that he was purely airheaded.

“The only other Housewarden that beats Kalim in indolence is Kingscholar,” Vil continued with a sigh. “Speaking of which, I believe the two of you were on your way to see Leona in the infirmary?”

“Just gotta get changed. He’s being discharged this morning and we wanted to surprise him,” Yuu replied. They sniffed and grimaced. “And maybe after a shower. Not all of us can exercise and remain as flawless as you.”

Vil flipped a hand through his hair, “Flattery will get you nowhere with me, Prefect.” But his eyes were mirthful and that was a slight upward tilt to his lips. “And worry not. You might get close to my level someday, spudling.”

Jack huffed, “I still outrun you, Schoenheit.”

Vil shot him a nasty glare, “And not all of us can be a brute like you either, Jack darling.”

~*~

The infirmary was largely empty at this point, the nurse having discharged most of the people caught up in the Octavinelle debacle. So it was quiet when Jack and Yuu stepped in. The nurse sat at his desk and briefly acknowledged the both of them who had become familiar faces over the past few days.

Considering the relative early time of day it was and the lack of other students, Yuu was surprised when they heard several voices speaking in low tones. Were speaking in low tones when a sudden loud and high pitched voice pierced through the quiet of the morning.

“You’re so silly, Unca Leona~!”

“ Ahck- Cut that out, brat-!”

“Haha. Cheka, don’t pull on your Uncle’s braids like that.”

Jack and Yuu shared a confused look before they rounded the corner and saw who was speaking.

Several people were near Leona’s bed, including someone who stood against the wall dressed like a doctor, medical bag and stethoscope and all. Leona himself was sitting up right with his signature scowl etched across his face. Besides him was a very tall man with a mane of bright red hair. And sitting on Leona’s lap, tugging insistently on his braids and causing the beastman to wince, was a small figure.

Yuu knew that head of red hair. They’d seen it months ago in a memory of a dark and somber night, though it had only been a few tufts then.

In their distracted state, Yuu’s shoulder clipped against one of the privacy dividers, and as it nearly knocked over the metal rings along the rod clattered against it loudly. All sounds of chatter ceased and suddenly all eyes were on them. Yuu froze.

Yuu locked eyes with Leona who, for once, looked caught off guard.

“... Jack? Yuu?” Leona dumbly said.

“Hello, you must be friends of Leona,” a deep rumbly voice sounded. The tall man with the mane of bright red hair turned to fully face them. His face, though older and sharper, still echoed that cry-baby boy Yuu had seen in Leona’s memories. Though he was only a few years older than Leona himself, he seemed older and larger-than-life than that. Yuu could hardly believe that this was the same boy.

“I am King Falena Kingscholar of Sunset Savanna,” King Falena greeted, a warm smile on his face. His almond brown eyes shifted and landed on Yuu, a glint of recognition in them.

“And you must be the human beta my baby brother has been so enamored with.”

Notes:

Falena and Cheka are FINALLY BACK! I've been wanting to write these two for so long after having to cut Cheka out of the Savanaclaw arc ;_;

I estimate maybe another 1-2 chapters before we get fully into the Scarabia arc. I can't believe we're at 160k words and just getting into Book 4. When I began this project I had NO idea it was going to be this big. I honestly can't believe I've written this much for a single story either... Thank you all for sticking with me so far! You're comments keep me alive and going <3

Chapter 23

Notes:

Guys... School has been so hard. I've literally had no time to do any of my hobbies. I've barely had time to write this chapter. ;_; All I do is homework and sleep and then I wake up and commute and then study some more and do more homework and some days I also have to go to work on top of that. I'm fucking DEAD. My brain hurts so bad lol.

I had to rewrite half of this chapter too because I wrote the Trey and Riddle part while half dead from studying for an exam and doing a project and upon rereading it, it was... Ugh. I'm still not sure if I'm happy with how that part turned out but it's as good as it's going to get LOL.

I apologize if the writing quality is down a bit in the next few months. I want to keep up the momentum of writing this story (if I take a break I fear I'll never come back to it), but that also means that... Well like I said. School is kicking my ass.

Things should be easier next semester so we'll see.

“I am King Falena Kingscholar of Sunset Savanna,” King Falena greeted, a warm smile on his face. His almond brown eyes shifted and landed on Yuu, a glint of recognition in them.

“And you must be the human beta my baby brother has been so enamored with.”

 

~*~

 

“Falena,” came a warning growl from Leona’s throat.

The King spared his brother a brief amused glance before returning his full attention to Yuu, who stood as frozen as a deer caught in headlights. At the sight of the human’s expression, Falena laughed and raised his hands in peace.

“No need to be frightened,” he said. “I merely keep an eye out on my baby brother’s friends.” And as if to make a point, he looked over at Jack with that same warm kingly smile and said, “Jack Howl, I presume.” It was a statement more so than a question.

Jack, though not a Sunset Savana citizen, immediately stood to attention, his heels clicking together and his back straightening, ears and tail stiff and standing straight up, and his eyes wide. Yuu had seen Jack grumpy before. Had seen him excited and stoic and even flustered on occasion when he was being teased. But Yuu had certainly never seen the alpha like this before. Flustered yes, but of a different sort. Yuu was reminded of the way working dogs acted when given an order from their handler, serious yet excitable at the same time (or like that loud mint-haired alpha in some of Yuu’s classes).

“Y-your Majesty,” Jack said, fingers nearly twitching into a salute though he managed to refrain himself.

Falena’s brown eyes glinted with mirth. “I can see that the reports were correct. You may relax, young Howl, there’s no need for any of Leona’s friends to be so formal with me.”

Leona growled something about not being friends at the same time Jack awkwardly stuttered out a “Yes sir” before seemingly realizing the irony of that statement and looking away, cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Yuu would’ve gawked at him in disbelief if they didn’t feel so pinned beneath the King and his entourage’s gaze.

It was only after several long seconds that Yuu realized he was waiting for their response.

“S-sorry,” Yuu said, though it came out more of a squeak than anything else. “Yeah. I’m… Yuu.” They were not about to repeat the rest of what Falena had said. Leona? Enamored with them? Certainly there was affection and attraction there, and the natural protective instincts of an alpha over an omega. Yuu and Leona had shared a heat together (which Yuu honestly still couldn’t 100% wrap their head around). They’d also been flirting around for a few months... But Falena was making it sound like Leona was in love with them or something.

That wasn’t a can of worms Yuu was ready to open yet.

“Yuu,” Falena repeated, almost testing the name on his tongue. “You know… I feel like I must thank you, Yuu.”

Yuu blinked in surprise.

“... Thank me?”

Falena nodded while Leona made an unhappy noise from behind him. “It has been quite some years since I’ve seen Leona so motivated and brimming with energy. I can only presume that I have you to thank for such a thing.” His words were kind, but there was something else there. Something just beneath the surface of what he said that Yuu just couldn’t put a finger on yet. It wasn’t… Bad necessarily. But it did make the omega uneased.

“I’m… I haven’t done anything special,” Yuu slowly said. At least, only if bringing Leona out of his overblot didn’t count. But for obvious reasons that couldn’t be said, as well as the fact that it had been a joint effort with Ruggie. Falena surely knew that Leona had overblotted, but he didn’t know about the details… Did he?

“To be so humble,” Falena sighed and shot Leona a teasing grin, looking for the first time since this conversation began more like the impish brother Yuu remembered from the memories than the intimidating king before them. “If only more of your traits could rub off onto my brother.”

“You’re treddin’ on thin ice, Falena,” Leona hissed but this only seemed to amuse Falena further.

“Regardless,” Falena continued. “I would actually like to speak with you in private, Yuu, if you’d allow me the pleasure of your company.”

Yuu’s eyes nearly bugged out.

Leona looked about to say something in protest when another voice cut in first.

“No!” Cheka’s childish voice pierced through the room. He clutched tighter onto Leona but his big brown eyes were pinned to Yuu. To the omega’s surprise, the pup was glaring at them. “Papa can’t go with the bad person!”

Yuu blinked rapidly.

They were a… Bad person?

“Whatever do you mean, my little chestnut?” Falena asked, looking down at his son in bemusement.

Cheka’s nose scrunched up adorably, “The bad person is trying to take Unca Leona away! They’re going to get you too!”

Oh. Well that’s adorabl e, Yuu thought fighting back a smile. It was so soon after their heat and their instincts were running a bit higher than usual. Babying Grim was one thing, but Cheka was positively tooth-rotting-ly cute and Yuu was feeling particularly affected this week.

“I’m not going to take Leona away,” Yuu promised with a humoring tone. Now that the pup was looking right at them, they were having a hard time not cooing at the tiny angry thing.

“You are!” Cheka accused. “Unca Leona is suppose’ ta marry me when I grow up to be King! Not you! Leave us alone, bad person!”

Oh. My. God.

Yuu held up a fist to their lips to hold back a burst of laughter, especially at the view of Cheka’s puffy angry cheeks next to Leona’s absolutely mortified expression. By the sounds from behind Yuu, Jack was also struggling to hold back his laughter. Falena didn’t look very surprised at all to hear his son make such a declaration and there was a fondly exasperated look on his face.

Leona was the only one who looked unamused by this situation as he sputtered, “Cheka- That’s not-” He let out a low growl, “Don’t go around saying weird things, you brat!”

It was very entertaining to watch Leona, who’d normally intimidate and threaten anyone who annoyed him or did anything he disliked, have to hold himself back and be helpless to vent his annoyance before an adorable child. Even as Cheka clutched onto him tighter and tugged on his braids again, Leona only hissed and snapped (rather gently for him) at the pup but otherwise had to just begrudgingly sit there and put up with it. Cheka didn’t seem phased by Leona’s prickly attitude at all. It was obvious that his uncle was the young Prince’s favorite person.

It was all terribly cute and it made Yuu’s inner omega preen with pride to see Leona be so gentle and indulgent with a pup. Though they imagined that he was quite mortified to have to do so in front of, not just his family, but also several other people including one of his own underclassmen.

It took some convincing, but they did eventually manage to convince Cheka to agree to let his Papa leave with the “bad person”, or so he had dubbed Yuu. It may or may not have also involved Jack begrudgingly agreeing to allow the pup to pull on his ears, something that had Leona smirking vindictively. He hadn’t missed Jack’s muffled laugh earlier, afterall.

And suddenly Yuu found themself awkwardly walking alongside the King of Sunset Savanna out in the courtyard. The students that were awake and out at this time gave the two a wide berth but their eyes stayed pinned curiously on the two. Yuu kinda wanted a hole to open up beneath their feet and swallow them up.

It soon became obvious why Falena Kingscholar had wanted to talk to them alone.

“My brother is very precious to me…” He said.

Yuu knew this of course. There was no masking the tears and heart wrenching emotion in young Falena’s voice during those flashbacks.

“Honestly I’m surprised,” Falena continued. “Leona is a very particular man. Prideful, of course. I was surprised when word came to me that he had taken an interest in a beta.” He quickly added, “Not that I see anything wrong with such an arrangement. I am merely surprised given his previous inclinations.”

Yuu remembered well enough. “Oh yes. He had mentioned something about… His pick of royal omegas?” Yuu replied dryly, though it was an affectionate jab. The words came out instinctively, as they always did when it came to Leona, and Yuu’s face flushed with mortification as they remembered who they were speaking to and they quickly corrected themself. “S-sorry…”

“Don’t apologize, little one,” Falena chuckled. “I see now in your interactions that you know my brother well. No one has been able to get so close to him before. Leona has not let anyone in for many years…” He trailed off wistfully. Sorrowfully. Yuu’s heart ached at the tone.

“However.”

At the sudden change in tone, Yuu instinctively glanced up. Falena was gazing off into this distance, his expression harder. In that moment, they were keenly aware that Falena Kingscholar was a powerful alpha and they fought the urge to bare their neck in submission at the sudden intensity he was exuding.

“My brother, as prideful and strong and intelligent as he may be,” Falena continued. “He is still just a man. Capable of being hurt. Of being manipulated .” Yuu shivered at his suddenly cold voice.  Falena finally looked back down at them with hard eyes. “I thank you for breathing life back into Leona. For opening up his heart. And I will place my faith in you and entrust you with his heart. But if I discover that you are simply using him for your own advantage-” He took a deep breath, as if the mere thought was too much for him. “I can promise you that I will rain the wrath of all of the Savanna Kings of old down upon you. There will be no haven for you to retreat, no respite for you to find, and you will pay for playing with my brother’s heart.”

They both stood still, gazes meeting unblinkingly.

“Do you understand, young Yuu?” Falena asked gravely.

The full magnitude of his words took a few moments for Yuu to truly process, as was the sudden shift in tone. But at the end of the day it didn’t matter. Because the answer came to Yuu as natural as breathing did.

“I will never hurt Leona,” Yuu replied truthfully. For the first time since they’d met Falena in person, they looked at him without flinching. The truth sprang from them, leaping into their mouth without so much as a second thought. “I’ll protect Leona as he protects me. I cannot promise that I will not hurt him by leaving because I am still trying to get home to my own world… But for as long as I am here… For as long as Leona will have me and want me close…” Their voice hardened with resolve. “... I will never use him for my own advantage. He is mine to care for just as much as I am his.”

The silence between them stretched on but still Yuu refused to look away – refused to give Falena any reason to believe they would falter in their conviction.

And suddenly Falena was grinning down at them and pulling Yuu into a giant bear hug. Yuu let out a squeak of surprise as the hulking alpha’s arms wrapped around them, nearly dwarfing them completely.

“Good answer, little one,” Falena said, and though Yuu could not see his face, they could hear the grin in his voice. “My words still stand but for now… Welcome to our family.”

~*~

Leona scowled at Falena’s back as the King and his entourage left the infirmary with a promise to be back to pick him up tomorrow (apparently Falena, being the overprotective brother he was, wanted Leona home asap after this incident – end of semester be damned). Cheka, who clung to his father and was propped up on his shoulder, turned and stuck his tongue out childishly at Yuu who could only laugh and give the small pup a friendly wave. This seemed to anger the boy even further, his cheeks reddening as he turned away huffily.

Too cute , Yuu thought for not the first, and certainly not the last, time.

“Finally,” Leona grumbled. “I can’t believe him. What exactly did he say to you, minx?”

Yuu recalled the strange conversation they’d shared with the king and shrugged. Leona would probably get very upset if he knew that Falena had threatened them. There was no need to add further strife to their already turbulent relationship. In lieu of answer, Yuu merely went over and folded themself into Leona’s side, breathing in his familiar comforting scent, letting the lazy sand wrap around their senses.

“Kitten?” Leona asked again when they didn’t answer.

Yuu shook their head. “It was nothing serious. Though I think your brother did a background check on me.”

Jack, sitting on the guest chair beside the bed, sat up and made a noise of concern at the back of his throat. “Does… Does he know? About…”

Yuu shook their head again, “No. At least I don’t think so. King Falena never gave any indication that he knew. He was mostly just making sure that I wasn’t a gold-digger I think.”

At that, Leona barked out a laugh, throwing his head back. Yuu glared up at him, and threateningly tugged at one of his braids, not unlike his adorable little nephew. The beastman grinned down at them and gently swatted their hand away and Yuu scowled up at him.

“So are you then, my little beta minx?” Leona asked teasingly. Now it was his turn to play with their hair as he wrapped a stray lock around a finger curiously. “Is my kitten actually just using me to secure a life of comfort and luxury?”

Yuu snorted. “You wish , grumpy lion. Unfortunately, you’re stuck with me actually caring about your well being and being a busy-body all the time.”

Jack grumbled disgruntled from beside them, “Must the two of you constantly flirt?”

Yuu grinned at him sheepishly while Leona smirked in the other alpha’s direction.

“Ho? Is that jealousy I hear, Howl?”

Jack scowled but his cheeks were flushed. “I- Not at all! It’s just… Whatever, nevermind!” He looked away with furrowed brows and flustered eyes.

“Don’t tease him, Leona,” Yuu scolded, and then to Jack, gentler, “Sorry, Jack. We’ll stop making you uncomfortable.”

“You’re not… Making me uncomfortable,” Jack grumbled, still refusing to meet Yuu’s eyes. “I see my parents acting this disgustingly affectionate with each other all the time at home anyway. It’s just…” He mumbled inaudibly beneath his breath and then coughed to clear his voice. “Anyway. I’m just not used to seeing it from people my own age.”

“I’m honestly more surprised you aren’t used to the teasing considering how much time you spend with Vil,” Yuu mused.

To their surprise, Jack’s flush darkened even further at the mention of Vil and a familiar tickle of an epiphany made itself known at the back of Yuu’s brain. Their mouth parted into a surprised ‘O’ and they were glad that Jack was looking away and couldn’t see the sudden glimmer of recognition in their eyes.

Not one to be ignored for long, Leona said, “But honestly, I really would like to know what exactly Falena said to you, Yuu.” His tone was serious.

“It really wasn’t important,” Yuu repeated. “I promise.” And it was true. What Falena had said could only have constituted as important if Yuu actually had been as he’d accused and was playing with Leona’s feelings and trying to use him. But since they weren’t Yuu had nothing to fear.

Leona’s expression said that he didn’t fully buy this claim, but he merely sighed and didn’t press any further. Soon, his grin was back on his face.

“It’s funny,” he said, twirling a lock of Yuu’s hair between two fingers. “If Falena knew what you actually were, he’d probably be begging you to come to the palace instead of making vague threats, as I’m sure he did with you.” Yuu flushed. They should’ve known Leona was too smart to not guess what had happened during that exchange. It was probably for the best that he didn’t know the detail of Falena threatening to ‘rain the wrath of all of the Savanna Kings of old’ down onto them part though. “He was always trying to be such a noble alpha, not unlike Howl over here.”

“There’s nothing wrong with trying to be a gentle alpha,” Jack muttered beneath his breath.

Leona yawned, “Being noble is overrated. Like I give a damn what anyone else does or thinks of me. Too troublesome.” His eyelids fluttered. He seemed ready for another nap.

Yuu couldn’t help the fond smile that spread across their face. Yeah Leona liked to make such statements about not caring but… Yuu knew at this point that he did care. He cared a lot more than he himself probably knew. Leona could pretend to be stoic and uncaring all he liked, but Yuu knew the truth.

“We’ll let you get some sleep,” Yuu murmured, untangling themself from Leona’s arm. He grumbled a bit as they pulled away and caught Yuu’s hand before they could fully leave.

“Come visit me before that asshole forces me to go back home tomorrow,” he grumbled.

Yuu squeezed his hand back.

“Of course, grumpy lion.”

~*~

Jack stayed behind to go over with Leona, before he fell asleep again, certain duties the Housewarden wanted him to take on and other miscellaneous orders for Ruggie since he was going to leave earlier than expected. Yuu silently prayed for Ruggie’s sanity, knowing the beta was going to be overworked to hell and back considering how busy they’d seen Riddle and Trey these past few days. Yuu loved Leona, but he really needed to stop foistering his work onto the poor hyena.

So while Jack stayed at the infirmary, Yuu made a quick stop back over at Ramshackle to pick up those cookies they’d been meaning to give out (Yuu was not going to thank Jade for returning them). Riddle had still been asleep when Yuu had gone over that morning, both because he was utterly exhausted from his many duties and because Yuu had to get up so early to jog with Vil and Jack. Trey had hinted that he and Riddle might be available sometime that day and Yuu was going to use this opportunity to finally sit down and have that conversation before the semester ended.

To their surprise though, Yuu was greeted to the sight of two heads, one green and the other red, when they’d walked into their own dorm. Grim was regalling the two of them with some fantasmal tale that Yuu was ninety-nine percent sure the small monster was just making up on the spot. Trey looked tired but indulgent while Riddle looked straight up done, his expression deadpan.

All three looked up when they heard Yuu walk into the common room.

“My assistant returns!” Grim exclaimed triumphantly. He leaped up onto the coffee table, which had both Riddle and Yuu grimacing (Yuu especially as they were going to have to be the one to wipe it down), and struck a pose by putting his paws on his hips and puffing out his chest. “I was just telling these two all about my heroic adventures through the terrible dwarf mines. How I used my fire magic to beat back that creature and saved all of you chumps while at it! You remember right, Yuu?” He grinned smugly at all of them.

“I seem to recall all four of us running and screaming,” Yuu muttered.

Grim’s grin dropped into a scowl and he crossed his arms, “I totally saved everyone! I, the great mage Grim, felled the monster with a blast of my blue fire!” He started vigorously moving around in what Yuu could only assume was meant to be an re-enactment of his so-called “heroics”.

Yuu stifled a snicker but Grim still managed to pick up on it and scowled over at them.

“Don’t laugh!” He said hotly, then grumbled, “Some underling you are…”

“I’m sorry, Grim. I’m not laughing! Promise!” But even as they said this, they couldn’t help the giggles. Yuu rolled their eyes as they walked further in and swept the monster up into their arms. Grim gave a minimal struggle before relenting and allowed the human to manhandle him however they pleased. He did pout however and Yuu was keenly reminded of Cheka.

Grim wasn’t exactly a child, that much was obvious now that Yuu had a recent example to compare him to. He still was… Naive though. Childish in many ways. Grim wasn’t a child but he could be very child-like (helped also by his unpresented milk-like scent). Yuu was just glad that he seemed to enjoy when they’d baby him sometimes (not that the monster would ever admit to it). Sometimes they wondered about his family he seemed to be unable to remember…

Yuu was not the only one to find his antics entertaining, however, as Trey looked like he was about to laugh as well when Yuu walked over to the couch. Contrarily, Riddle looked just as exasperated as he did before, never one to be much for antics.

“Grim, I actually wanted to talk to Trey and Riddle in private if that’s alright?” Yuu asked, then added, “It’s important.”

For all that he liked to cause mischief and trouble, Grim did occasionally know when to take things seriously. Like now, he must’ve picked up something in Yuu’s tone because his pouting demeanor shifted into something more curious and serious.

“Oh. Yeah sure,” he said, crossing his arms again and nodding in understanding. “But I expect premium tuna tonight for dinner! No one kicks the great Grim out of his base of operations without gifting him something in return!”

Yuu rolled their eyes again as they set him down on the ground. “Alright.”

“Good,” Grim nodded seriously. Then he turned and, surprising Yuu, actually glared at Riddle and Trey. “I’m going to leave now! But don’t you two dare make my underling cry! Or you’ll have to deal with the great mage Grim!”

Riddle looked just as unamaused as he did before (afterall, in both physical and magical prowess, Grim was hardly a threat) but Trey, likely from his years of raising his younger siblings, offered the small monster a humoring nod.

“Of course, I’d expect nothing less of you, Grim,” the beta said.

“I’m glad we’re all on the same page!” Grim said sagely. “Well. I’m going to go upstairs. Call me when you’re done, Yuu.” He leisurely walked up the stairs and they all watched until his waving forked tail disappeared around the upper landing bend.

And then it was just the three of them.

Despite everything, Yuu was surprised to find that they felt at ease. They were somewhat anxious but the dread they were sure they would be feeling wasn’t present at all. Then again, Yuu wasn’t sure why they were so surprised considering they’d always found Trey and Riddle’s scents to be comforting.

Riddle was the first person in this world they had bonded with on a level deeper than mere familiarity after all. And despite everything and all his weird fixations and toxic habits born of trauma, Riddle had always tried to do his best for everyone – for Yuu. And nothing was ever going to change that fact.

And for these two… Yuu was willing to do almost anything.

“I’m going to grab something from my room real fast,” Yuu said suddenly. “And then… We can talk.”

~*~

The strawberry catfish macaroons were a little worse for wear considering the hectic rush all of them had been in when Azul’s overblot occurred, but the flavor remained unchanged. Still just as delicious as Yuu had tasted back down in the Coral Sea.

Yuu watched in delight as Riddle’s eyes lit up upon taking his first bite. Those stormy gray irises widened with his own delight, the way they always did when Trey took the time to bake his favorite desserts or whenever an unbirthday party would go particularly well, and something prideful and preening awoke in Yuu at the sight. It felt good to be the one to impress the alpha.

Trey recognized the boxes of cookies that Yuu brought out immediately. He was particularly interested in figuring out the recipes behind each as he tasted them, his eyebrows furrowed up thoughtfully with each bite. Yuu wondered if he was thinking about his family’s bakery.

They took several minutes just to enjoy the snacks Yuu had specially bought, but it soon became obvious that the silence was stretching on a bit too long. Still, everyone was loath to break it.

Eventually Trey gave a meaningful cough, drawing attention to himself.

“I think I’ll cut to the chase,” Trey began slowly. He sat up straighter in his seat and set his tea cup down onto the coffee table and then crossed his fingers on his lap. With his posture so serious and his amber eyes locked onto Yuu, the omega felt themself unable to look away. “I suppose it’s easiest for us to put out the question we’ve been wondering for a while now… Why did you push us away, Yuu?”

Straight to the point as always, Yuu thought grimly. Trey had never been the type of beat around the bush and it was something they deeply admired in the beta. He was never unkind, but Yuu had found out over the course of several months that Trey also didn’t sugarcoat things. It likely came from having to take on so many responsibilities from a young age.

It was a difficult question though, one Yuu had been hoping to work up to as they weren’t entirely sure of the answer either. Yes it was because Trey and Riddle kept infuriatingly dancing around each other, neither willing to take the next logical step of their relationship, and Yuu knew that they were getting in the way of that.

But there was something else there too. Something Yuu wasn’t sure if they were willing nor capable of seeing yet.

“I…” Yuu murmured, fingers now fiddling mindlessly in their lap. “I was… In the way.”

“What do you mean?” Riddle asked.

Yuu sighed, struggling to find the elusive words in their mind, to properly explain themself while causing the minimum amount of harm.

“It’s just that… The two of you are perfect for each other,” Yuu settled on. “I’m not one for ‘destined mates’ bullshit and all that, but if I had to pick an example of two people meant to be together it would be you guys.” Both Riddle and Trey grew red in the cheeks, the former coughing and glancing away while Trey adjusted the glasses on his face as he was in the habit of doing when flustered.

“And,” the omega continued. “I was getting in the way of that.”

Riddle made a strangled and incredulous noise when he heard that.

“What?” He exclaimed incredulously, “Why in all the realms would you ever think that?”

Yuu frowned, “Why wouldn’t I? I’m right, aren’t I? It’s hardly a coincidence that when the two of you started noticing my distance was also when you got together?” Yuu paused at the shocked expressions on their friends' faces. Yuu blinked in surprise. “You- You honestly thought I didn’t know?” They let out a small snicker when Trey and Riddle flushed further, “The two of you weren’t exactly being subtle about it. Kissing in the mirror maze?” Their tone gained a teasing edge.

Riddle’s complexion was a lovely pink color as he sputtered. “I- Well, I mean- I still don’t see why that has to do with anything,” he muttered adorably. “And I don’t see how it proves what you’re saying either. Trey and I-”

He glanced over shyly at Trey and was so quick to return the affectionate gaze that it only convinced Yuu further that they were validated in their views. 

“-Have been in love with each other since you were kids,” Yuu finished for him. “I was there, Riddle, in your memories. But that’s just it isn’t it?” Their voice grew somber as they continued, “That ephemeral bond is what kicked all this off. It’s only natural that you, as an alpha, would be so focused on taking care of an omega you bonded with. I- I was literally in the way of the two of you figuring things out-”

“I’m going to stop you right there,” Trey cut in abruptly, startling them. His normally rather muted beta scent of fresh bread and marigold intensified and soured with what could only be interpreted as anger. For a moment Yuu feared that he was angry with them again, but was left confused when Trey still flashed them a reassuring smile despite his obvious internal fury.

“Riddle and I…” Trey said. “We have had a lot of things to work out. Even if it was as you said, Yuu, you’re hardly the only thing that’s been in the way of our relationship.”

That… Was true, Yuu supposed. But that still didn’t change their point. They said as such.

Trey sighed, “Even so… That’s not really for you to decide, is it?”

That caught Yuu off guard.

They tried to think of a response to that but found the words lacking.

“I get what you’re trying to say,” Trey continued. “But you're not the one who gets to decide how Riddle and I feel. And I’m sorry if we’ve ever done anything to make you feel that way-”

“That’s not it,” Yuu interrupted, brows furrowed and voice a little thicker than before. “The two of you haven’t done anything wrong. And I’m not trying to tell you how to feel. It’s just that… That’s just how all of this works…” The truth of it startled Yuu as the words left them, that hidden thing that they had yet to admit to themself before. “I’m an omega. Riddle and I shared and ephemeral bond. I nested in your territory. The two of you dotted on me as biology dictates. I’m not trying to say you don’t feel what you feel, it’s just that it’s…” They trailed off.

“What?” Riddle finally said, his own voice thick with emotion. “That what we feel for you is… Not real? Yuu… How can you believe that?”

Yuu swallowed back something bitter, their voice nearly hollow as they responded, “How could I not?”

Riddle’s expression looked heartbroken as he heard this. He twitched in his seat, almost looking for a moment as if he were going to get up and go to them but then managed to refrain himself, merely clenching a fist at his side and gritting his teeth.

“You truly believe that… We only care about you because of your biology?”

“I-” Yuu took a deep shaky breath, suddenly having to work very hard not to start crying. “It’s not like I want to feel that way. I do believe that our friendship is real, but the rest of it?” Their bottom lip trembled, and it suddenly felt impossible to hold back all the dangerous words that had lurked behind their heart for so long. “I’m an omega. I don’t blame anyone for how it is. But there’s a reason I’ve lived so long as a beta. People treat you differently when you’re what I am. When I’m a beta I know that people like me for me . But things are different when they can scent me. I don’t think anyone does it on purpose, but isn’t it just the truth that no one would ever give me the time of day if I wasn’t an omega-”

“Stop!” Riddle exclaimed and, in a gentler voice, repeated, “Please stop that. That isn’t true. I understand what you mean. I’ve experienced exactly that when I went from being raised as an omega to presenting as an alpha. And I even experienced that once more when you, Yuu, taught me that I didn’t have to be the perfect alpha in order to be worthy of love.” His voice cracked as tears began to gather in the corners of his eyes. “But none of that matters because we love you . Omega, beta, alpha- None of that matters.”

“But how can you know?” Yuu asked softly. “How do you know for sure?”

Trey suddenly stood up from his seat and marched over to Yuu. Before they could say a word he had kneeled down and wrapped his arms around them and pulled them into a tight hug. It was this that finally broke the floodgates as the tears came out, Yuu trembling and sobbing in Trey’s embrace.

All they could think was, Grim is going to be so upset when he finds out .

“How does anyone know?” Trey murmured. “I can’t explain how I feel for Riddle anymore than I can explain why I love my siblings. Of course there are concrete things that make that affection easier. Riddle’s love for books. His adorable smile. His simple joy at eating cake. How you helped us again and again – selfless and wonderful.” He squeezed Yuu together as he continued, “But even so. Those are all things that are on the surface. And while I can’t explain it, I know what I feel for you is deeper than that. It’s more than the things you’ve done for us or what you are. So please don’t tell me how I feel about you and I’m sorry if we’ve ever done anything to make you believe otherwise.”

“My mother spent my entire childhood telling me what to feel,” Riddle added grimly. He rubbed at his red eyes and stood as well, making his way over to them, squeezing himself into the space beside Yuu and pressing himself close. His strawberry and rose scent wrapped around them, making Yuu feel lightheaded. “I don’t want you to tell me how I feel either.”

Yuu choked back a sob, “I- I’m sorry.”

Trey shook his head. “Don’t be sorry. We didn’t realize how much deeper this was for you.”

“How could you?” Yuu sniffled, “I didn’t know either. And even now I don’t know if I can believe you-” That confession pulled another sob out of them and Riddle and Trey squeezed them tighter.

“That’s okay,” Riddle said through his own sniffles. “You’ve been so patient with me, allowing me time to learn and change. If you give us the chance, we’ll spend as long as we need to keep trying to convince you that we do love you for more than just your biology. I promise you, Yuu.”

That made Yuu finally reach back out and pull Riddle and Trey closer, burying their face in Riddle’s neck where his comforting scent was the strongest. Their own scent, muted through the use of Trey’s magic, became tinged with bitter mugwort but still they held on close to the two men who meant so much to them.

For several minutes, the three of them merely held onto each other as Riddle and Yuu’s sobs slowly died down. Trey too, though he hadn’t shed a single tear, had red eyes and had taken his glasses off due to them fogging up.

When Yuu had finally composed themself enough they said, “A-are you sure? I can’t promise that I’ll… That I’ll ever be able to fully believe you,” they confessed.

“As long as you’re willing to try,” Riddle murmured, pressing a kiss to their temple. “I would be willing to do anything.”

“That is, of course,” Trey added, pulling back and giving Yuu a meaningful look. “If you even… Want us back?” For once, the steadfast and reliable beta sounded unsure of himself.

“I…” Yuu swallowed thickly. “So then you really do want to… Have me?”

Trey nodded, “Yuu… You complete us. You fill a puzzle hole I never even knew was there in the first place. I realize now that a part of my anger was my… Jealousy that you’d pick Kingscholar but not us. That you’d confide in him but not trust us with your problems…”

“I just didn’t want to worry you,” Yuu murmured, cupping his cheek.

Trey pressed his face into their palm and closed his eyes, “I know that now. But at the time it hurt a lot and I took it out on you. And I’m so sorry for it. I should’ve never lashed out at you. Especially since you don’t owe us any affection. You don’t owe us your love if you aren’t willing to give it…” He trailed off, opening his eyes again and staring at Yuu intensely.

“... But if I was willing…” Yuu continued for him.

“... Then we would want nothing more than to have you,” Riddle finished, giving Yuu’s hand a reassuring squeeze.

“Are you?” Trey asked, “Willing that is? I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but we’ve been courting you for months, Yuu.”

Yuu blinked in surprise and then revisited all the memories from the past several months in their head. All the study dates. All the food and gifts Trey and Riddle kept bringing them. All the time they’d spent together despite Trey and Riddle’s busy schedules.

“Oh.” Was all they could say in response to that. It was so obvious in hindsight.

And of course there was the ultimate question. Did Yuu want them back in the same way?

The answer was such a simple truth, Yuu wondered how they couldn’t have known it before.

“ Of course I want the both of you,” Yuu said. “I just- I mean, I’ve already explained why…”

“We know,” Trey said kindly. “And it’s something we can work on together. As long as you want us back, we’ll keep on trying to convince you that we do love and care about you for you . You could become an entirely different person tomorrow, so long as you were still you on the inside, we’ll always want you.”

Yuu bit their bottom lip as another wave of sobs threatened to overtake them. They rubbed at their eyes furiously.

“Alright,” they managed to get out.

Riddle and Trey exchanged a look and then looked back at the omega.

“So then…?”

Before Riddle could finish his sentence, Yuu was throwing their arms around his shoulders and pulling the alpha into a deep kiss. His eyes widened for a moment before sliding shut as he pulled the omega closer to him. When they broke apart, Riddle was flushed and dazed and Yuu took the opportunity to pull Trey into a kiss as well. The beta, after seeing his mate’s treatment, was far more prepared and gently cupped Yuu’s face as he brought his lips down onto theirs tenderly.

Yuu could hardly think inside, just allowing their feelings to guide their action for once instead of their own racing overactive thoughts. They allowed their mind to shut down for just a moment and did what felt right. And in that moment, their heart wanted nothing more than to kiss Trey and Riddle. And so they did just that.

Yuu’s heart was beating so fast that for a moment they feared it would burst right out of their chest. They finally broke apart from Trey and Yuu almost couldn’t withstand the pure affection in his eyes as he smiled down at them.

“Is- Is that okay?” Yuu whispered.

Trey burst out laughing and pulled the omega in for a tight hug. In a teasing voice he said, “You’re asking that now after you’ve already kissed us? Rather bold.”

Yuu blushed hotly. “I- I’m just-”

“I’m only teasing,” Trey chuckled and then pressed another kiss to their temple this time, the gesture full of affection. There was so much joy in his voice that Yuu was almost willing to completely believe them at that very moment.

There was still doubt in their heart, of course. Remnants of a lifetime of ugly truths and terrible realities. Things and fears that couldn’t be banished in a single afternoon and a heartfelt conversation (or even a couple of breathtaking kisses). But for these two… Yuu would be willing to try to dispel those insecurities. They were worth it after all.

~*~

“You made Yuu cry,” had been Grim’s furious accusation upon returning to the living room. Thankfully a few placating words and snuggles from Yuu was enough to convince the feline monster not to accidentally burn their entire house down with fire.

After that though, Grim insisted on accompanying the three of them to Octavinelle just to make sure they “don’t make my henchman cry again”, as were his words.

As for why Trey, Riddle, and Yuu were headed towards the last place the omega probably wanted to be at the moment had to do with Yuu catching the other two up on all the recent developments they’d not had the chance to share yet.

Among those included meeting King Falena Kingscholar and receiving the shovel talk from him and then subsequently being welcomed into the family. While Trey found this particularly amusing, Riddle definitely found less humor in it and even had a moment of alpha pride as he described how he would never let his family talk to Yuu that way unlike a certain beastman (as much as Yuu would like for all their partners to become closer , somehow they doubted Leona was ever going to be able to get along with Riddle and Trey in such a fashion). They’d also talked about their new friendship with Prince Rielle (someone who Riddle had apparently met at an omega gala at a much younger age).

More importantly, they’d talked about Rielle’s reveal of whom the azure salt crystal mines belonged to.

Yuu knew that if they asked, Azul would probably agree to procure them the vital ingredients his family owned the monopoly to. For whatever reason (suspicious reasons, Yuu was sure), he seemed willing to go the extra mile to do favors for Yuu like he had with Leona. And even if it was only to repay his debt to the omega (instead of something nefarious as they feared), Yuu still didn’t particularly want to be in the same room as the mer, much less ask for a favor (seeing how well that worked out last time).

Trey, of course, felt like it would be their best shot at making sure Yuu had proper protection over the break when he couldn’t be there to help. Riddle looked like he was ready to march into Octavinelle and forcefully make the beta give up the crystals (not that he knew Azul was a beta of course, because as much as Yuu despised Azul they still weren’t going to out him).

Not knowing if Trey would be enough to keep Riddle from overreacting, Yuu insisted on coming along despite their dread. And Grim too after he had seen Yuu’s tearful face.

So now the four of them were entering the mirror to the Octavinelle dorm together. It loomed above Yuu menacingly and a knot of anxiety entered their stomach. But then they felt a squeeze to their hand and looked up and saw Trey smiling down at them reassuringly.

“You’ll be okay,” he said. “You have us with you now.”

The fear didn’t entirely disappear but those words did make Yuu feel much better. They nodded and the four of them proceeded forward.

It seemed like Azul had been busy cleaning this place up because despite the short time period since they’d last been here, the entire place was looking nearly new again. There were only a few things here and there, such as loose tools and materials lying around, that belied the fact that this place had been pretty trashed during the overblot. Several people who did not look like students bustled around the dorm as well, carrying tools and building materials with them.

As always, Octavinelle impressed.

The Mostro Lounge, likewise, was nearly restored to its former glory. The cafe was still closed for business but as Yuu and the rest got close to the entrance a familiar figure was quick to walk up to them.

“Prefect Yuu,” Jade Leech greeted with a closed-eyed smile. “And Housewarden Riddle. Trey. Grim. Welcome to Octavinelle. I presume you are here to meet with Azul?”

“That’s right,” Riddle snapped, his face already turning red with anger. “Take us to that no-good slimy octopus.”

Yuu blinked in surprise at Riddle’s colorful use of language. While it wasn’t nearly as bad as some of the things they’d heard before (particularly words Ruggie and Ace liked to throw around), Riddle was usually so proper with his language and detested name-calling that hearing it was jarring. He must truly be furious if he was throwing names around like that.

“But of course,” Jade replied, not reacting at all to the insult to his boss. “If you would, please follow me.” He turned and started walking into the empty Lounge. “And do watch you step. We’re still under construction as you can tell.”

Yuu took a final deep breath and then followed after.

Notes:

So yay! They've finally made up! (Sorta!) And the kisses have happened! It only took what? 167k words LMAO.

Should be only 1 more chapter until the Scarabia arc. I hope ya'll are enjoying the Halloween event! Scary Jade came home to me early and now I have so many 10-fold-keys to use for when the rest of the scary cards get featured!!! And they all SHARE A SSR GAGE???!! I feel so blessed TT^TT

Anyways! Thank you guys for reading as always!

Chapter 24

Notes:

As always: Un-beta'd.

In spite of the fact that Mostro Lounge was still being renovated in the wake of pretty bad damage (that’s what a giant rampaging octopus will do – who’d have guessed?), the establishment still maintained an air of elegance and refinery. Without the soft bustle of students though, it was a cold and lonely sort of refinement, lacking the strangely cosey charm Yuu hadn’t realized they’d come to associate with the cafe.

Grim started wiggling in Yuu’s arms as they passed by the large glass aquarium near the center of the room (the glass thankfully crack-free by now). His nose was pointed to the air as he began to sniff around excitedly. Yuu might’ve found it cute if he wasn’t practically digging his claws into their arms in all his excitement.

“Ugh- Grim, cut that out,” Yuu complained.

“Don’t you smell that?” He asked without pause, still scenting the air. A wide grin stretched across his feline face. “It smells delicious~! There’s a treat in this room just calling to me!”

“How curious,” Jade said, shooting a quizzical look back at them. “The kitchens are still closed, I’m afraid, so nothing should be cooking. Nothing that I couldn’t smell, at any rate.” He finished his statement with a grin.

Grim blanched at the mention of the kitchens and ceased in his wriggling for just a moment, his ears pressed flat against the top of his head. “If I ever see the Mostro Lounge kitchen ever again, it’ll have been way too soon!” He scrunched his face up and hissed, as if recalling something particularly unpleasant.

“And thanks to your Prefect, you won’t have to,” Jade said, still grinning. “And there won’t be an opportunity ever again either, I’m afraid.”

“And why is that?” Trey asked.

Jade hummed. “Azul has decided against continuing his practice of making deals with student patrons. The Headmaster did approach us regarding this, but Azul had already made the decision following some… Persuasive events.” He chuckled to himself.

“Right…” Riddle said, suspiciously, drawing out the word. “Speaking of Azul… And yourself too, Jade.” At the mention of his name, Jade looked back down at the smaller alpha, his expression as pleasant as ever. “I’m sure I needn’t explain what will happen if any of you dare make even a single wrong twitch in Yuu’s direction.” His normally softer boy-ish voice was nearly a snarl by the end. This, coupled with a rise of his powerful alpha scent, would’ve been able to intimidate even the most confident of alphas.

The only indication of Jade being affected was a slight widen to his eyes and an almost imperceptible stretch to his grin.

“I can assure you, Riddle Rosehearts,” Jade said. “That we bear no harmful intent towards Prefect Yuu – quite the opposite in fact.” His smile fell a bit here as something stormy seemed to enter his heterochromatic gaze. “The events of the past few days have been… Regretful, to say the least.” Yuu’s jaw clenched at the words regretful . It was so much more than regretful . “I’m already well aware that none of you will be inclined to believe my next statement, but it is true that Azul is deeply remorseful for his actions. He, and even my brother and I, owe Prefect Yuu a great debt.”

At this, his intense gaze shifted from Riddle onto Yuu who felt conflicted on how to feel.

“It would be foolhardy and pointless to ask for trust,” he continued. “But at the very least… Know that should you have need of us, Yuu,” the omega’s eye twitched at the casual use of their name when he had no right . “We will provide, no matter what.”

Jade sounded serious and, for once, lacked the shady and secretive cadence he usually spoke with. But he and his boss had also proven themselves to be apt actors and liars and Yuu was hardly going to give them anything even akin to trust.

“I won’t ever need you,” Yuu practically hissed, unconsciously tightening their grip on Grim until the monster hissed his own displeasure. They quickly loosened their hold and shot their charge an apologetic look.

“Even so,” Jade replied. “The offer still stands. No catch. You need only be aware that the option is there.” Yuu narrowed their eyes at him but Jade was already turning around, the professional mask returning to his face. “Now then, shall we continue?”

Before Yuu could follow, a hand caught their arm. Riddle looked at them with a concerned look on his face.

“Are you going to be alright?” He asked. “We can always leave now. Trey and I can handle Azul alone.”

The sharpening of his scent was proof enough this wasn’t true, but Yuu still shot him a grateful look anyway.

“I’m okay,” they said. “Let’s keep going.”

~*~

At first, Yuu couldn’t pinpoint what was different. A sense of dejavu overwhelmed the omega as their group was herded into Azul’s office (the door was completely new). It was only when Trey and Riddle both made noises of shock and bewilderment that Yuu realized what was so familiar.

There was no horrible smell of wrong .

There was only seasalt. Mild and just a hint of sweetness.

“Y-you’re a beta,” Riddle nearly exclaimed with shock, pointing out what was different right as Yuu realized it.

Azul glanced up at them from where he had been filling up paperwork. His eyes met Yuu’s briefly before hastily glancing away. He coughed into a hand and looked almost at odds with himself, some internal strife unspoken but painted clearly across his conflicted expression.

“I am,” he muttered begrudgingly. He stole a peak up at Jade who gave him an almost imperceptible nod and then sighed. “I’ve recently come to the realization that it wouldn’t do myself any good to hide this fact any longer. It is not as if the secret will stay secret much longer anyway.” He sighed again, this time with his entire body.

“I wasn’t going to tell anyone,” Yuu said reflexively. As rightfully upset as they were, Yuu felt the need to let Azul know that they would never spill such a secret. It wasn’t theirs to share. Just as all they had ever learned from their ephemeral bond partners were kept close and precious to their hearts.

Azul finally looked them in the eye, a strange emotion swirling in those ocean gray depths. “I know,” he said. “Unfortunately, you are not the only one who knows my secret. The students present during my overblot, for one, though most of them were likely too panicked to notice – there is still a non-zero chance that someone from that group knows.” Yuu supposed that made sense. “Also your beastman entourage,” Azul continued with a grimace. “Mr. Howl I trust would share your own sense of honor on this. Leona and Bucchi on the other hand…” He trailed off.

The mention of Leona, whom Azul was responsible for placing in the hospital, whether he helped out afterwards or not, made something spiteful and angry boil up in Yuu’s stomach.

“Why not just buy their silence?” Yuu shot out before they could think better of it. “Seeing how fond you are of blackmail.”

For a moment Yuu thought Azul was going to snap back at them, his face reddening. But a moment later his entire body seemed to deflate, leaving Yuu feeling conflicted.

“As hard as it is to believe,” Azul said, “I’m no longer going to do such things.”

“Rather quick to turn over a new leaf,” Riddle coldly replied.

Strangely enough, as soon as Azul’s attention left Yuu his usual smarmy and confident mask was back on his face. He graced Riddle with a faux-sympathetic smirk, “Are you really so surprised about that, Riddle? Did you yourself not quickly ‘turn over a new leaf’ after your own overblot?”

Riddle’s face grew red and Trey had to put his hand on the smaller alpha’s shoulders to keep him from saying something he’d regret.

“Regardless,” Azul continued, still smirking but now no longer meeting Yuu’s eyes. “What my motives and decisions are are hardly dependent on what you think of me, Riddle. My actions will speak for themselves.”

“So… No more shady deals?” Trey asked dryly.

Azul grinned at him, “Well… Certainly not the way I used to conduct my deals.” Yuu narrowed their eyes at the beta. “Relax. I’m a businessman with multifaceted talents! It would be remiss to not make use of what is available to me. However, instead of my usual M.O., the lounge will now be implementing these.” He snapped his fingers and Jade was quick to whip out a shiny purple paper card and handed it over. Azul gave a flourish with his free hand as if to present the item, “Stamp cards! For every so many purchases at the Mostro Lounge, patrons are allowed to seek an audience with me for some favor – within reason of course.” He smiled proudly to himself and tucked the card into his coat pocket.

“Oh. My family’s bakery has something like that,” Trey mused. “A free pastry after so many purchases-” The tall beta suddenly cleared his throat, catching himself. “Anyway- That’s hardly why we’re here.”

Azul only chuckled and took a seat again at his table. He still refused to look at Yuu.

“What can I do for you?”

~*~

How Azul managed to avoid looking at Yuu almost the entire time the omega had no idea. Considering they’d done most of the talking, it was kind of amazing. Grim had fallen asleep in record time once the discussions had begun, now slumbering in Yuu’s arms after stating that he was “done with alchemy” already. Regardless, Yuu finished explaining about Crewel’s suppressant and fell silent, merely watching as Azul looked deep in thought.

“Azure salt…” He murmured to himself, arms crossed and a hand held thoughtfully up to his chin. “Yes. I can see why that would be. Hmph. As always, Professor Crewel proves himself to be an inspirational potioneer.”

The fact that both Azul and Divus Crewel both praised one another in their own meetings was strangely hilarious to Yuu who could only blink rapidly at the comment.

Azul suddenly grimaced, “I… Yes, I suppose that is manageable. Jade, please check out the storerooms for any leftover stock from the Mystery Drink sales.” Jade nodded and started to make his way towards the door.

Yuu made a surprised noise, “Huh? You couldn’t be talking about Sam’s Mystery Drink, would you?”

“The very same-” Azul began when the door suddenly burst open.

“Shrimpy! Goldfishie!” Floyd Leech exclaimed upon bursting into the room. Riddle made a face that made him look like he was in excruciating pain. Meanwhile, Trey’s expressions tightened. Floyd took in these sights with a strange glint in his gold eye. “Looks like everyone is here~ How come no one told me we were having a party~?”

Azul sighed deeply, “Floyd. Your timing is impeccable as always.” He pinched between his eyes.

Floyd only grinned lazily, “Of course, Azul~ Only the best from me~” He rounded the opposite side of the coffee table and practically threw himself down onto the couch and propped his legs up onto the table much to the exasperation of Azul and the horror of Riddle. “Anyway! You can’t just invite Goldfishie and Shrimpy without letting me know, Azul~ I was stuck herding all those annoying minnows all morning. I’m gonna lose it if I have to hear another annoying guppy complain about how I’m being too demanding and scary .” He groaned in annoyance, “This is why I hate hiring out.”

“Please try to rein in yourself from scaring off the contractors,” Azul said with another sigh. “Or else the next ones we hire will be paid out of your pocket. Regardless, I invited no one here today. Our guests are here of their own will.”

“Man~ You’re no fun today,” Floyd drawled. Then he turned his attention back over to the guests, taking a deep sniff of the air. “So~ I see Goldfishie has finally staked his claim on Shrimpy~”

Riddle flushed terribly red and looked flustered and angry, “I- That’s-! That’s completely inappropriate, Floyd! Also I’ve told you countless times not to call me by that ridiculous nickname!”

“Not denying it tho, are ya, Goldfishie?” Floyd suddenly leaned forward with his elbows on his knees and his chin in his hands. Riddle sputtered indignantly.

“Floyd-” Azul began with another sigh at the same time Riddle hissed furiously, “It’s none of your business!”

“Don’t get me wrong, Red~” Floyd practically cooed. “I’m not gonna steal Shrimpy from ya. Though~ If you want me to show you what a real man is like, I bet I can do much better than Sea Turtle over there~”

Yuu’s eyes were as wide as saucers as they took in this interaction. They suddenly recalled their very first run-in with Floyd all those months ago when they’d been investigating Savanaclaw (it felt like a lifetime ago now) and how peculiar he and Riddle’s interactions had been. Riddle, who was hardly a saint when it came to keeping his composure none-the-less had acted particularly flustered around Floyd. And then there was that whole weirdly tense interaction between Floyd and Trey.

Yuu felt as if they’d been hit by a bus when they realized that Floyd had been flirting with Riddle this entire time.

But glancing over at Riddle, despite how flustered he was by Floyd (poor alpha likely wasn’t used to this type of attention from anyone, much less someone as intense as Floyd Leech) he didn’t seem to reciprocate the attraction at least (though even Yuu had to admit that Floyd, and Jade by proxy, was a very attractive alpha).

Trey, on the other hand, looked downright murderous . Which in Trey terms meant that his fedora was tilted down so that its shadow fell menacingly across the beta’s expressionless face. But when compared to his normally easy-going and friendly demeanor, the look sent a chill up Yuu’s spine.

“I am a real man,” Riddle practically hissed. He shot a concerned look over at Trey and then sent a withering glare back at Floyd. But if anything, this seemed to delight the moray more where anyone else would be cowering. “And Trey is more of a man than you’ll ever be considering what you’ve done-” He seemed to catch himself here, likely realizing it wouldn’t be the best sentence to finish right in front of Yuu. He composed himself and continued on a cold voice. “Not only are your offers unwanted, Floyd, but I’m also perfectly happy where I am. Trey is a wonderful mate.”

Trey's expression morphed from stormy to surprised as he now stared at Riddle in open wonder, the latter with flushed cheeks and pointedly not meeting his eyes.

Floyd merely shrugged. “People are allowed to have more than one mate. I mean, look at Shrimpy here~ Though…” His voice lowered into a purr, “I’m not opposed to a fight either if you’d prefer that~ I’ve never gotten to test my strength against yours-”

“Now now Floyd,” Jade’s voice suddenly came from the door. No one had even noticed that he’d managed to slip out. He was back now with a small cardboard box in his grasp, just big enough to barely be held in one hand. “I believe we’ve talked about behaving around guests. Also, you’re making Prefect Yuu uncomfortable.”

To Yuu’s surprise, Floyd seemed to give pause at this. His teasing expression fell into one of annoyance but he leaned back into the couch and looked right at Yuu. “Hey, Shrimpy. Am I making you uncomfortable?”

How was Yuu supposed to answer something like that?

“If…” Yuu began slowly. “... If you’re making Riddle and Trey uncomfortable then you’re making me uncomfortable…”

Floyd let out a long, purposefully dragged out, sigh. “Alright~ I’ll leave, Goldfishie alone…” He shot Yuu a smirk, “Only while I’m in front of Shrimpy~”

That was… Good? Yuu supposed.

“Back to business then,” Azul said with a roll of his eyes. He took the box from Jade and set it on the table before him before opening it and looking in. He made a thoughtful hum and then clicked his tongue. “I’m unsure how much Professor Crewel requires for his potion, however my educated guess is that this will not be enough for more than a few potions. The drinks only required a miniscule amount for flavor but for potion effects on the other hand... I predict there isn’t even enough for over the break, and certainly not for the rest of the school year.”

“But your family owns the mines,” Riddle pointed out. “Just get more.”

“If only it were as simple as that,” Azul said. “Unfortunately, even to get my hands on what I have here required proof of concept of the product and a cut of the profits to my mother. She would certainly not part with the precious crystals for nothing in exchange.”

“But you’re her son,” Trey said confused.

“I am,” Azul replied a bit coldly. “But unfortunately, not all of us are as coddled by our parents as you surface dwellers-” He cut himself off and shook his head. “It’s out of my hands, I’m afraid. You are free to take what I have here but-”

Yuu knew they shouldn’t have gotten their hopes up in the first place, but couldn’t help but deflate upon hearing that. They understood Azul’s trepidation, of course. They’d seen his parents (Yuu was starting to sense a thread here between bad parenting and overblots) and they certainly couldn’t blame anyone for not being able to reason with parents like that. And from their conversations with Crewel, Yuu knew just how exorbitantly expensive Azure Salt was.

Still, Yuu should’ve known better than to place their faith anywhere near Azul Ashengrotto.

As if having heard Yuu’s inner monologue, Azul’s words suddenly died on his tongue. He stood there, behind his desk, one hand on the box of not-enough crystals, and just looked at Yuu. For once, he didn’t flinch away when they looked him back in the eye.

“Azul?” Jade asked when the betea didn’t make a noise for a few moments longer than comfortable.

“I…” Azul began. His hand on the box clenched into a fist and he seemed deeply conflicted. “I- I need to think,” he suddenly said hastily. “Jade, please escort our guests out.”

“What? That’s it? ” Riddle surged to his feet and hissed. “You owe Yuu so much more than that after everything you did -”

“It’s alright, Riddle,” Yuu leaned into his side and murmured into his ear. “Let’s just go. I’m tired.”

“But Yuu-” He turned around and began but stopped when the omega shook their head. Riddle took a very deep breath, trying to keep his composure and Yuu was proud of him when he managed to swallow back his obvious ire. “Alright. Let’s go back home.”

Yuu smiled gratefully at him and adjusted the slumbering Grim in their arms as the four of them, plus Jade and Floyd, the former who had grabbed the box of crystals, started to walk towards the door. When Yuu glanced back one last time, it was to the sight of Azul looking intently down at his own fist flat on his desk and his entire face white as a sheet. A pang of familiar worry and sympathy jolted through Yuu’s heart and they had to swallow back something rough in order to turn around and continue on.

Azul’s office door clicked shut behind them.

~*~

Floyd was in the middle of saying something that was no doubt going to piss Riddle off when Grim suddenly jostled to life, his nose once more upturned into the air. Yuu cried out in pain when the monster let out an out-of-character growl, Grim’s front claws managing to pierce through Yuu’s jacket sleeves and into the flesh of their arms. They instinctively released the feline and Grim scampered off behind several of the chairs stacked near the corner of the room.

“What the hell, Grim!” Yuu exclaimed, clutching their arms in pain briefly before shrugging off their jacket and looking in horror at the four small cuts in their forearms now bleeding. The shock at the sight of the wounds that Grim caused was enough to douse Yuu’s anger out completely.

“Yuu, are you okay?” Riddle asked.

Trey marched up next to them and began to inspect the wounds with a critical eye. “We should get these disinfected right away.”

“That wasn’t very nice of you, Sealie,” Floyd muttered. He made a threatening step towards where Grim had run off to (what was the monster doing back there?), but Yuu stopped him.

“Don’t-” The began, “He… Let me just talk to him first. Maybe something scared him.” Even this sounded lame to Yuu’s ears but they honestly had no other explanation for the sudden bout of violence from their charge. Sure, Grim liked to set fire to things and cause mischief and mayhem wherever he went but he’d never actively hurt anyone before.

Floyd didn’t look exactly happy with this suggestion (he and Riddle and Trey all on the same page for once), but Yuu waved him off and started over to where Grim was. The monster was shuffling behind some of the stacked chairs, still out of sight, muttering to himself and sniffing occasionally.

Yuu jumped when Grim let out a sudden whoop of excitement. A moment later, the feline emerged from behind his hiding place holding a strangely familiar object in his paw triumphantly.

It was a black rock.

“Found it!” Grim cheered before unceremoniously tossing the rock into his mouth and down his gullet. He made a noise as if he had just eaten the most delicious thing in existence. “Oh man~ That really hit the spot! Eh…? What are you all staring at.”

Grim only then seemed to realize that the rest of them were staring at him in varying degrees of horror and intrigue. Yuu’s brows were furrowed in concern. That’s when Grim noticed that Yuu was clutching their arms. The bleeding was barely more than a few beads of blood, but the color still drew Grim’s attention.

“Eh-!” He exclaimed, “Yuu, you’re hurt!”

Yuu stared at him incredulously.

“Hey, hey, what happened?” Grim asked in concern, trotting up to the omega and glancing up at them. “How come all of you are being so quiet?”

“... Grim,” Trey said slowly. “ You were the one who hurt, Yuu?”

Grim raised a brow and shot Trey a dubious expression. “What are you talking about? I never took you for a joker, four-eyes.”

“Grim, he’s telling the truth,” Yuu said slowly. Grim rolled his eyes at them but as the moment passed on he seemed to come to the realization that no one was joking with him. They were all being serious.

“Oh,” Grim said dumbly. “I… I don’t even remember. I was just dreaming about the most delicious feast and then suddenly I found that delicious treat ~”

“Does Sealy normally eat random rocks he finds on the ground?” Floyd asked dryly. “Kinda weird.”

“Maybe we should go to the infirmary,” Yuu said with concern, ignoring Floyd’s quips.

“No way!” Grim exclaimed. “I’m fine! Look I’m really sorry for injuring you even though I can’t remember doing that! But I’m totally fine! See?” He took a hasty step back and gestured dramatically to himself. 

“The fact that you don’t remember is exactly why we should go to the infirmary-”

“And have to deal with Leona ordering me around?” Grim blanched and shook his head. “No way! Come on, let’s just go back to the dorm so four-eyes can check those cuts for you.”

There seemed no arguing with Grim after that as he kept incessantly insisting that he was fine. Eventually, Yuu gave up trying to get him to listen to reason and begrudgingly allowed Trey to herd them towards the direction of Heartslabyul. Thankfully, the cuts weren’t nearly as bad as the blood made them look and didn’t hurt so much as just sting a bit.

Grim followed behind dourly, refusing to let Yuu pick him up again.

Jade and Floyd saw them off at the Octavinelle mirror. But the entire walk back, Yuu’s mind was stuck on why that rock looked so familiar. And why a strange knot of foreboding tension had started to form in the pit of their gut.

~*~

Once Trey had cleaned Yuu’s cuts off with some disinfectant, he declared that it wasn’t bad enough to need bandaging and Riddle took over and healed them up with some minor mending magic (apparently wounds needed to be cleaned off before being magically healed, otherwise unwanted microbes and debris could become trapped beneath the newly sealed skin and start to infect from within–a somewhat horrifying revelation).

“Keep an eye on it though,” Trey advised. “I’m sure you do a good job at keeping Grim clean, but he’s still a monster.” He put away his first aid kit back beneath his bed because of course Trey would keep something like that handy.

Yuu hadn’t been in Trey’s room much–not really since he’d been injured back during the interdorm spelldrive tournament–as the trio mostly spent time together in Riddle’s much larger room (privileges of being Housewarden). They took a few moments to admire the green decor Trey seemed to favor, complementing the typical red custom of Heartslabyul–bringing a splash of life to the room. Grim looked particularly cozy cuddled up to Trey’s green clover plushy though he was still pouting some and refusing to engage in conversation.

“Cater is bringing lunch,” Riddle announced from where he sat at Trey’s desk. Riddle too wasn’t much for engaging in conversation, likely knowing he would say something he’d regret. Yuu could easily tell that the afternoon had him upset, both the strange meeting with Azul and Grim’s unexplained actions. As he’d promised all those months ago, he left handling Grim to Yuu despite his clear itch to lay into the little monster.

About twenty minutes later, as Riddle promised, Cater burst into the room without so much as a knock. Yuu was confused at first at the lack of bags in Cater’s arms but quickly saw the two figures trailing behind him, both looking bedraggled and annoyed. Deuce and Ace were both laden with several heavy looking paper takeout bags.

“Cay-cay is here to grace you all with my presence,” Cater said with a flourish of his wand and a wink. Riddle rolled his eyes while Trey and Yuu both shot him wry smiles.

Grim perked up on the sight to the other two first years, his forked tail twitching with interest–likely not being able to resist the idea of messing with Ace or Deuce, or both. Yuu was glad to see it though, and even gladder to see and smell the food the boys had brought.

Hamburgers and thick cut seasoned steak fries and large cups of milkshakes in an assortment of flavors–Cater, as always, outdid himself.

Riddle alone looked positively horrified with the spread until Cater, rolling his eyes, handed him a separate takeout container with a, “Did you really think I would allow our king to eat something so greasy and full of carbs and red meats? I got you a veggie burger, obviously~” Riddle flushed red as he took the offering and muttered a muffled “thank you” beneath his breath.

Meanwhile, Ace was busy complaining at the top of his lungs (or rather, as loud as he could get away with without Riddle beating his ass) about how tiring the entire trek down to the restaurant had been. Yuu’s curious face must’ve caught Deuce’s attention because he began to explain how Cater had randomly dragged them down in the village below the school to get lunch for everyone (and because the beta had paid, obviously he wasn’t going to carry anything).

This complaining by Ace naturally meant Grim had one or two smart things to say in response which quickly devolved into shouting between the two–that in turn did exceed the maximum volume Riddle was comfortable with and before long the two were being scolded within an inch of their lives. Trey and Cater cracked jokes and made pointed jabs at the expense of the two poor souls (beneath their breaths naturally).

Overall, lunch with the Heartslabyul gang was a festive affair and Yuu found themself in high spirits.

A sound notification from Yuu’s phone pulled their attention.

Ruggie: his majesty is about to leave

Ruggie: better hurry over if ya wanna say goodbye busy-body ;)

~*~

Yuu ended up walking across campus with Riddle and Deuce. Grim, despite his higher spirits after lunch, was still acting a bit standoffish with Yuu, his big blue eyes shifting guiltily everytime they landed on the spot on Yuu’s arms where he’d hurt them. Ace thankfully seemed to pick up that something was off and offered to keep the small feline company. Trey and Cater had started a game of cards and, seeing as Yuu didn’t need the company, opted to stay behind as well–leaving just the three of them.

“So like… Are you guys dating now?” Deuce asked as he looked between Riddle and Yuu. His brows were furrowed.

Riddle sputtered and blushed red at the sheer bluntness of the question.

Yuu, despite their cheeks being slightly flushed as well, couldn’t help a small laugh. “Uh… Yeah. We are.” Their cheeks flushed redder at the admission. It had been quite a while since their last relationship and they certainly hadn’t dated multiple people before, though it wasn’t uncommon back in their home world.

“Oh,” Deuce said dumbly. “I guess… I just thought you and Leona were dating, that’s all.”

It was Yuu’s turn to sputter.

“I- Well- we-” Yuu couldn’t seem to find the words to respond to that. To be perfectly honest they’d never actually declared anything between themself and Leona. It had all just… Kind of happened. It wasn’t something the two of them had ever actually discussed before.

And now that Yuu thought about it, not really something they’d discussed with Riddle and Trey either. They’d just always assumed the two were perfectly aware of their relationship with Leona.

Now Yuu glanced over nervously at Riddle, wondering what he might think. They were all on their way to see Leona at that very moment as well.

“People can date more than one person,” Riddle said hotly in response to Deuce’s question. “Obviously big packs aren’t common but they exist–and they’re even more common for omegas.”

Deuce, to Yuu’s surprise, actually looked embarrassed when Riddle said this. He rubbed the back of his head and his expression was one Yuu had grown familiar with over the months: he was embarrassed at having not known something.

“I… It’s just that it’s always been only my mom and I…” Deuce explained, glancing away. “My mom only ever had my dad and… I guess I’ve only ever seen couples so I didn’t know. Sorry.”

Riddle’s annoyed expression turned into something softer–apologetic. He sighed, “No. You shouldn’t be sorry. I’m sorry for losing my temper with you.” He huffed and crossed his arms. “Sometimes I forget some of you didn’t have the privilege of growing up with the resources I did. But for reference, large packs are very much a thing–usually more common with beastman and faeries than humans, but it just depends on the individuals. Though… I believe some species of wolf beastman have a greater affinity towards monogamy than polygamy or polyamory. It is not uncommon for some people to take on two mates. Of course this becomes rarer as the number goes up as pack dynamics can change dramatically with each new addition to the pack.”

That was about right for Yuu’s own world. With couples and trios being the most common of pack arrangements and growing scarcer as those numbers increased. They remembered watching a documentary once about a polyamorous pack of 24 people–something Yuu could not even fathom (thinking about how painful all those mating bonds would’ve been made Yuu’s neck itch uncomfortably!). Their own parents had a third mate before, though they had died years before Yuu had been born. Sometimes they secretly liked to look at old photos of them and imagine what life would’ve been like having a third parent.

“So then… You’re okay with Leona and I?” Yuu asked curiously. In hindsight, it probably would’ve been a good idea to have discussed this earlier that morning but they’d been a bit caught up in the moment… And the kisses.

“Kingscholar infuriates me, I won’t lie,” Riddle admitted with a huff and crossed his arms adorably. “But I’ve seen the way he is with you. Obviously I have no interest in him myself, but I can… see the appeal, and I believe he makes you very happy.”

“He does,” Yuu murmured.

“Then I see no issue,” Riddle said. “If you didn’t reciprocate Trey’s feelings, would you be upset with me courting him?”

Yuu shook their head incredulously, “Of course not! You two were made for each other.”

“Then it’s the same for me,” he said, glancing away with a cough and blush. “So long as Kingscholar doesn’t ever hurt you, I’m fine with him–and anyone else you’re interested in, of course.”

“I-” Yuu flushed a deep red and muttered, “I wasn’t planning on dating anyone else…”

“No one plans on that,” Riddle smiled and laughed. “Also, like I said before, omegas tend to have big packs. My mother was an exception because of her health conditions, but if I had presented as an omega I’d probably be courting several alphas by now.”

Yuu’s eyes nearly bulged out of their skull upon hearing this. Deuce looked just as shocked.

“It- It definitely isn’t like that in my world,” Yuu said. Obviously the idea of having more than a couple mates was always a nice fantasy to have but it wasn’t exactly realistic –just like sharing a heat with someone who wasn’t a mate. Twisted Wonderland was so strange.

“I’m surprised too,” Deuce added. His expression was now one of deep concentrated thought. “So then it’s perfectly okay to court more than one person…”

Riddle nodded, “As long as everyone is open and truthful about it.”

They continued walking for a few more minutes, now nearing the main school castle.

“Wait,” Deuce suddenly stopped dead in his tracks. He blinked at Riddle with wide and shocked eyes. “You and vice Housewarden Trey are dating-!?”

~*~

Yuu saw Leona off at the Dark Mirror. The glint in his eye had been knowing when he saw them enter in with Riddle but he could only bark out a low chuckle and mutter something about “poaching alphas” again, which earned him a gentle slap on the arm. Yuu tried their best to ignore King Falena’s intrigued gaze as he took in the interaction, feeling uncomfortable with the scrutiny. So long as he still believed them to be a beta, everything would be alright.

Cheka still glared at Yuu even through half-lidded and sleepy eyes. But that didn’t last long at Falena’s next words.

“You’re welcome to stay at the Sunset Palace over winter should you wish,” King Falena graciously offered. “Being a stranger to our world, we would be honored to give you a tour of the palace grounds and introduce you to the rich culture of the Savanna. I also personally find the heat to be preferable to this cold,” referring to the light snowfall outside.

Cheka gaped at his father and began to vocally protest, drowsiness immediately forgotten.

Yuu could hardly believe their ears at the offer. The closest thing they’d been that could be even remotely considered a castle had been a manor-turned-museum that once belonged to a dethroned royal. There had been a gift shop at the end. Somehow Yuu doubted the Sunset Palace would have a gift shop.

As generous and enticing as the offer was though, Yuu could hardly accept. They still needed to get what azure salt they’d gotten at Octavinelle to Professor Crewel to brew, and even that–according to Azul–wouldn’t be enough to last them the break. And even if they had enough suppressants, Yuu would probably still decline. It would only take one mistake, one overly nosy person, for their secret to be out. Yuu wasn’t going to willingly step foot into the proverbial lion’s den–all pun intended.

They did not mention any of this to Falena as they tried their best to be as polite as possible in turning him down. He wore a curious look that they could not decipher as they gave him their gratitude but refusal. But he nodded in understanding all the same.

“Stay out of trouble, Kitten,” Leona said, pressing their foreheads together (they could hear the barely audible low rumble from his chest at this distance), one hand playfully twirling a strand of Yuu’s hair, and then stepping back to leave. Yuu felt their heart ache as he moved towards the mirror to follow his family, their inner omega–which had so recently spent a heat with him–protested loudly at Yuu for letting their alpha just walk away. But they ignored that part of themself and merely smiled and waved as Leona shot them one last devastatingly handsome smirk and disappeared into the swirl of the mirror.

~*~

The night air was crisp and the scant snow that had fallen throughout the day crunched satisfyingly beneath Yuu’s shoes as they strolled beneath the stars and moonlight. The night was thankfully clear and the world seemed sharper and crisper with the cooling temperatures.

Grim was back asleep in their room at Ramshackle after finally having gotten over whatever strange mood he’d been in earlier in the day. A part of Yuu wished to stay the night with Trey and Riddle at Heartslabyul (and another wished they’d followed Leona through the mirror), but with Grim’s strange behavior Yuu preferred to keep a close eye on their charge. The monster naturally protested their fussiness but, especially after having fallen ill only a week ago, Yuu had put their foot down with him. Let Grim pout and be pissy about it.

But overall, there was no recurrence of whatever strangeness had gripped him in the Mostro Lounge. Perhaps it was just the stress of returning to a place where he’d been forced to work for the Leech twins? The answer eluded them, though Yuu couldn’t shake the feeling that they were missing something vital.

A low amused chuckle pulled Yuu from their thoughts. They’d managed to walk all the way down to the tree at the edge of Ramshackle’s gate where a familiar figure stood beneath it, watching, his striking horns catching the moonlight in its faces.

“Child of man,” Odysseus greeted, the corners of his eyes crinkled and his voice low and melodic.

“Odysseus,” Yuu replied.

The fae glanced over at Ramshackle on the hill above them, “I see you have managed to win your bargain with Azul Ashengrotto.”

Yuu grimaced, “Not… Exactly. Things worked out in the end of course, but it wasn’t exactly ideal.”

Odysseus hummed, “I’ve heard rumors of some big commotion in Octavinelle–hard to miss the numerous students rushing for the infirmary. But you did come out ahead in the end. Sometimes the path we must take to victory is not the one we expected to take, but it is the one that brings us there all the same.”

And what a strange path to victory Yuu ended up taking. They were now three for three in terms of Housewardens over blotting and being forced to open an ephemeral bond to calm them down. At this point, it would probably be best if Yuu avoided the rest of the Housewardens. Maybe it was a tad superstitious, but if being in Twisted Wonderland had taught Yuu anything, it was to expect the unexpected. Impossible things were very much possible in this world.

Yuu sighed, “I just… Wish things were simpler. It’s hard trying to navigate this confusing world.” They crossed their arms and looked down at their shoes, suddenly feeling overwhelmed.

Odysseus frowned. He started speaking slowly, “If… there is anything that I can do to help, I would be more than happy to offer my assistance.” He paused, as if considering his next words. “I’m ashamed to admit it but it had not occurred to me how difficult it must be to be spirited away from your own world and forced to keep such a vital secret.”

Yuu couldn’t help but laugh, earning them a curious look from the fae. They giggled to themself and wiped a stray tear from the corner of their eye. “You don’t need to feel bad for that, Odysseus. It’s not like we’ve spent a lot of time together.”

“Regardless, I regret not having noticed your pain,” he continued. “It is simply that you have always appeared so… Fearless–for a human. So unafraid and steadfast in your convictions. It is something I deeply admire about you.”

It was Yuu’s turn to stare at Odysseus with wide eyes. They sensed no mockery or falsehoods in his words. He truly meant everything he was saying and this surprised Yuu. What had they ever done to earn such praise?

They blushed prettily and looked away.

“That… I’m nothing like that,” Yuu muttered embarrassed. “I’m just… me. Just some human trying to get by like anyone else. I feel… Fear.”

“Maybe so,” Odysseus conceded. “But to me you have shown qualities I’ve not seen in other mortals. And when I say that you are fearless, I do not mean that you lack fear in your heart. Merely that… You act in spite of that fear and that fear is never the first emotion you reach for–you always grab at compassion first.”

“Now you’re just trying to butter me up…”

“A fae never lies,” Odysseus grinned, showing off his two upper fangs Yuu had never taken notice of before. “And, I regret to inform you, you are quite the talk of campus. Even with the people I trust most, you are spoken of in high regard. You often put yourself into danger for the sake of others despite having no magic yourself.”

“Some people might call that being a busy-body,” Yuu replied dryly.

“I would call it having a truly noble spirit,” Odysseus responded. “A rare trait.”

The sheer ridiculousness of this conversation topic had Yuu unable to stop their sudden grin. They shook their head at their mysterious and ridiculous friend who wouldn’t even share his name with them and let them name him of all things. “You’re just trying to recruit me into Diasomnia, aren’t you?” They teased. “Spirit of nobility? Really?”

Odysseys, realizing that Yuu was feeling in higher spirits, grinned in response. “While I would not oppose your induction into my dorm, I am being entirely truthful. I would even say that out of all the students in Diasomnia you embody the Thorn Fairy’s spirit better than the majority of them.”

“You’re ridiculous,” Yuu finally said, but they were giggling again. “Besides, Ramshackle is where I belong.”

Odysseus glanced back at the old building again. “I have always been very fond of this old place… Even more now that you have made your home there. There is a charm to those old walls that have now seen a new breath of life… Though I am sorry that you have been displaced from your home, I cannot help but be glad that it has allowed me to meet you, Yuu.”

Yuu blinked in surprise. Was that… The first time Odysseus had used their name?

A warmth filled their chest and they were further surprised to find that they had somehow grown very fond of their midnight stranger whom they didn’t even know the name of. But… That was okay. Because he was their Odysseus.

“I’m happy I was able to meet you too, Odysseus.”

Notes:

As much as I'm sad Leona has gone home for the holidays, I'm glad because it frees up so much more time to write about other characters. This beastman is a huge narcissist and keeps insisting on being in scenes! Give the others a turn, dammit!

(On another note: Scary Jade and Scary Cater both came home to me at 30 and I feel so ✨blessed✨)

Part of me really wants to rush Scarabia's arc so I can get to the brief Fairy Gala arc already (where we'll get a better introduction to Vil before Pomefiore) but I've gotta be patient because this next arc is so important for the Octo-trio's characters~

Anyway~ I hope you are all having a very spooky and fun October so far~ Happy Halloween~

Chapter 25

Notes:

SCARABIA ARC AHEAD. WE'RE FINALLY HERE JFC

(it is 1 am and i have not proof-read any of this, apologies for any egregious spelling and grammar errors...)

“Definitely show her Brunch at Julia’s , your mom will absolutely love it!”

Deuce looked dubious of Ace's suggestion as the two of them walked towards Dark Mirror Hall, practically in a world all of their own. Yuu and Grim followed closely behind, the former chuckling softly to themself as they watched their friends bicker over movies.

Deuce had decided that he wanted to introduce his mother to his new fixation and he and Ace had been going at it for practically the entire morning, constantly back and forth about what would be the best introductory movie for Mama Spade. Even through their last-minute packing they’d gone on and on about it (because of course these two idiots put packing off to the last possible second), almost forgetting that Yuu and Grim were there. Grim had not been very pleased with the lack of attention but Yuu managed to keep his complaining down, not wanting him to spoil the alphas’ engrossed conversation.

“Hmm… You don’t think Pretty Omega would be a better choice as an introduction?” Deuce asked.

Ace shook his head vehemently, “Pretty Omega is way too contemporary! It’ll completely skew her expectations for older films! Plus it’s basically just an adaptation of The Cinder Prince–which I’m not saying is a bad thing, I just think going with something original is better.”

“That’s what I mean though, Mom might be more receptive to something familiar and everyone knows Cinder Prince but… I guess your first point is pretty valid though…”

Ace grinned, “Dude, I always know what I’m talking about when it comes to the classics! But you know your mom best so really it’s up to your judgment at the end of the day. I still think Brunch at Julia’s is the best choice. You have all the movie files I sent you anyway.”

Yuu loved the two of them of course but couldn’t help but grimace at how loud they were being. Their small group had managed to attract some attention as they stepped into the Dark Mirror Hall, a few students turning to look over at them. A few even recognized Yuu and sent them a friendly wave, but the majority were too busy with their own things. The Hall was packed wall to wall with students and luggage bags. There was an air of excitement and frantic-energy as students prepared to head home for break. Already there was a line formed amidst the chaos as students queued up to use the Mirror.

Yuu glanced around the hall curiously, looking for a pair of tall black horns, wondering if their mysterious friend would be here as well. Odysseus wasn’t a first year so they didn’t share any classes and they’d never run into each other outside of their midnight rendezvous. This was the first time since the entrance ceremony that the majority of campus was gathered in one place together, so it presented a good opportunity to try and spot him. But try as they may, Yuu couldn’t find their midnight friend.

“What’s the matter, Yuu?”

They snapped out of their thoughts and saw that Ace and Deuce were shooting them identical looks of concern. Yuu realized that they had been frowning and was quick to return a reassuring look and wave their friends’ concerns off.

“Nothing. Just looking for someone.”

Ace grinned that infuriatingly smug grin of his as he crossed his arms. “Oh? You sure you’re not just sad because you’re gonna miss us?”

Yuu rolled their eyes.

“A couple of knotheads like you? I don’t think so.”

Ace made a dramatic wounded noise and pressed the back of his hand to his forehead as if he were feint. “So cruel! Listen, I know Loosey-Deucy is a bit rough around the edges but you gotta give him a chance, Yuu!”

Deuce sputtered indignantly. Yuu merely gave Ace a gentle kick in the shin—or rather they attempted to do so , but the spry alpha managed to dance away with a laugh…

… Straight into the brick wall that was Jack Howl.

“Watch it,” Jack growled, pulling his hands high into the air to prevent the cardboard box he was holding from being crushed beneath Ace’s weight.

Deuce snickered and Grim broke out into cackles. Ace’s cheeks flushed pink as he scowled back at them, pushing himself away from Jack.

“Can it, Loosey-Deucy! You too, fur-ball!”

Yuu laughed as they watched this all unfold and then shuffled on over next to Jack while the boys bickered. The gigantic alpha huffed in annoyance at the three troublemakers before shooting Yuu a quiet greeting. The omega glanced curiously at various sized pots sitting in the cardboard box Jack held and was surprised to find that they held cacti.

Seeing their curious stare, Jack explained, almost embarrassed, “I… Like raising cactus. I can’t leave them here over break or they’ll wilt so…” He trailed off, cheeks flushing.

“Oh!” Yuu was pleasantly surprised to hear that. “That’s really cool, Jack. I didn’t take you for someone who’d like gardening. These look really lovely.”

Jack seemed to perk up at the complement. It never ceased to amaze Yuu how bashful and easily flustered the large and blunt alpha could be, and now they were discovering he had a green thumb as well? The surprises never seemed to cease. Still casting curious looks at the various different cacti, the budding flowers an assortment of colors, Yuu continued, “What species do you grow?”

Jack was a bit hesitant to get into it at first, but before long he was explaining in low tones about the various cacti he cultivated, a soft smile on his face as he gazed down at the fruits of his labor. Other than spelldrive, Yuu had never seen the beastman so invested in something before and found themself enjoying the mostly one-sided conversation as Jack rambled on about his hobby. The line to use the mirror crawled steadily forward.

“If you three keep being disruptive, I’ll take off your heads,” a familiar voice said haughtily.

Grim, Ace, and Deuce all immediately clammed up and apologized as Riddle Rosehearts, followed closely behind by Trey Clover and Cater Diamond, stepped up to them. Riddle glared daggers at the three causing a ruckus, but his gaze softened immediately when it landed on Yuu.

“Should be nice not having to deal with these two for the next few weeks,” Yuu said teasingly, pointing a thumb at Ace and Deuce.

Riddle only huffed and crossed his arms, “At the very least I have that much to look forward to.”

Yuu picked up on his dour tone and immediately felt bad for joking around about the break. Of course Riddle wasn’t looking forward to going home. He’d mentioned a few times, in tense and anxious tones, that he meant to finally say something to his mother. Yuu had known nothing but love and support from their parents who, while protective, still strived to foster freedom and independence and self-expression in them. If not for their first-hand peek into Riddle’s home life, Yuu would have had no clue what it was like. It wasn’t something they could fathom.

As if sensing Yuu’s guilt, Riddle held out a hand for them which Yuu took. He smiled, as pretty as any omega, and shook his head.

“Don’t worry about me,” he said. “I’ll be… I’ll be okay. And I always have Trey with me as well.”

Trey nodded, “I’ve already talked to my parents about it. Riddle can stay at our house if things get too heated.”

“Hopefully it won’t have to come to that,” Riddle muttered with displeasure. Considering how much sway and power his parents held in the Queendom of Roses, he was rightful in his worry. The Clovers were a middle class family that owned a baking business and could easily be put in a difficult position if they were to garner the ire of certain members of the nobility. Trey’s parents were really sticking their necks out with that offer.

“I’m confident it won’t,” Trey reassured his boyfriend.

“Don’t forget about us!” Deuce said, holding up a fist to his chest. “If you need us, Ace and I will come help out! Us Heartslabyul should stick together!”

“Hah? What are you volunteering me for, Loosey-Deucey?!” Ace protested.

Riddle’s lower eyelid twitched and he let out a particularly deep sigh. “Hasn’t anyone taught you two not to eavesdrop in on conversations?” Deuce blushed.

“Maybe don’t have a private conversation in public then,” Ace muttered, and then paled when he remembered who he was speaking to.

“A rather bold statement coming from you, Trappola, considering how flagrantly the two of you have been interrupting the peace,” Riddle said in a particularly sharp voice, but then sighed again. “But… I do appreciate the offer, Deuce. The two of you have caused me more trouble than anyone else in my three semesters as Housewarden, but… I must admit that you are good friends.” Riddle flushed red as he said this, looking away, refusing to meet anyone’s gaze.

Deuce’s eyes were practically sparkling as Riddle said this and even Ace looked surprised and perhaps even a little touched. Cater cooed and attempted to snap a picture of the scene for his Magicam which Riddle very much protested to. Eventually, the beta did manage to convince everyone to group up for a photo–Jack begrudgingly agreeing to take the photo.

“I should go check on the rest of the students,” Riddle eventually said.

“Don’t you two leave without saying goodbye to me first,” Yuu said sternly.

Trey and Riddle both shared a look and then chuckled.

“We wouldn’t dream of it.”

~*~

It almost felt a waste to take the suppressant potions Crewel had finished brewing for them. The campus was practically empty and the cold weather meant that the few students who’d stayed behind over break were more likely to linger in their weather-regulated dorms than scurry about in the snow. As residents of Ramshackle, Yuu and Grim were unfortunately not privy to such a luxury.

“It’s freezing!” Grim complained for the umpteenth time that morning. It was the second day after the break officially began.

“I’m aware,” Yuu replied dryly. They pulled their blanket around them tighter, cursing the name of Dire Crowley. “At least you have fur and fire coming out of your ears.” Grim stuck his tongue out childishly.

The creep of the cooling weather had been slow and subtle, with the change barely noticeable day by day. With Yuu’s habit of sleeping beside Grim and the monster’s natural hot body temperature, neither had noticed the temperatures dropping to a dangerously frigid degree. And Dire “Call-Me-If-There-Is-An-Emergency” Crowley was refusing to answer his phone, likely galavanting around at whatever tropical and warm paradise he was still pretending was a “research” expedition.

Yuu really needed to follow through on their plans and punch that feathered bastard in the face. Or maybe kick him in the balls.

Not only was he not answering his phone but, before he’d left, he’d also attempted to get (read: blackmail) Yuu and Grim into doing more free labor for him. In exchange for hot meals over break (because Sam was gone thus the campus store was closed), Crowley wanted them to replenish the wood in all the fireplaces on campus.

Has he seen Night Raven College? It’s a fucking castle !

Thankfully Yuu put their foot down on this and Crowley eventually caved and begrudgingly agreed to actually hire people for the job.

Apparently this was normally a job the ghosts did (this man really would do anything to save a buck wouldn’t he?) but even ghosts apparently had family in the afterlife that they went to visit over the break. It was necessary for the temperature regulation of the campus buildings because apparently every fireplace housed a small fire faerie that needed a constant supply of timber to power their magic.

Every fireplace except Ramshackle .

Which brought this back to suppressants. Professor Crewel brewed enough to last them a week and a half. Break was two and a half weeks long. Yuu had been planning on staying in their own dorm for the most part, to save as many suppressants as possible (Ace had been kind enough to leave his movie projector for them to use). But with how freezing cold it was, it was growing more and more tempting by the minute to down a potion and spend the day relaxing in the library or something–where it was warm.

Grim suddenly sneezed and then scowled down at his nose (which Yuu found absurdly adorable against their will). And then, in a moment of rare insightfulness, he said, “We should just go take one of the faeries and put it in our fireplace!”

Yuu took a moment to process that the little monster had actually made quite an insightful connection and then grinned deviously. Ruggie and Leona were a terrible influence on them.

“That’s the best thing you’ve said all morning, Grim.”

~*~

Night Raven College had officially been buried beneath a layer of snow. The fluffy white mounds lined the pathway edge Yuu and Grim traversed to get up to the main castle. Yuu’d never seen anyone clearing them, but without fail the paths would be free of snow and ice each morning. Now there was only a slight crunch of ice beneath their new black and green snow boots (another one of Lilia’s wardrobe pieces he’d insisted on gifting them) as they stepped through the morning build-up. Grim too was wearing a set of booties that Cater had helped them pre-order before break. The little monster naturally made a big fuss initially but quickly changed his tune when Cater and Yuu insisted that he looked very handsome in them. Yuu didn’t dare tell him that they actually thought he looked far more cute than handsome in the shoes.

Snowy paths gave way to clean stone as the pair finally stepped into the shadow of the castle. It was strange seeing the place so deserted this late in the morning. Normally there’d be at least a few students milling around or simply sitting in the courtyard studying with friends. Yuu still didn’t risk not taking one of their limited suppressants though. It wouldn’t be worth it if they did happen upon someone.

These concerns were proven true when they walked past the dining hall and heard the tell tale sign of movement and activity. The scent of food wafted out towards the two Ramshackle members.

Grim’s stomach growling loudly was the next sound to pierce the silence of the morning and he didn’t even have the decency to look bashful before changing direction excitedly towards the kitchens. Yuu rolled their eyes and followed.

The scent of spices grew stronger. Yuu’s nose stung at the intensity of it but it was a good sting and their mouth began to water. They were suddenly reminded of Ruggie’s grandmother’s kitchen. Someone was making a meal.

Upon drawing closer Yuu realized with a start that it wasn’t just someone . There were several people running around the bustling kitchen. Heck, there might’ve been upwards of ten or fifteen people in there — enough to be considerable for a fully staffed restaurant. Which was just absurd because Yuu had been left to believe that almost nobody would be on campus during this time.

Everyone was wearing the same uniform as well. Yuu was familiar enough with the Heartslabyul and Savanaclaw dorm uniforms due to the amount of time they spent there, but Yuu was fairly certain they recognized Scarabia’s dorm uniform, with its signature flame harem sweatpants and sandals (were they seriously wearing sandals in this weather?!). In fact, Yuu was also pretty sure they recognized the very pretty alpha who seemed to be at the center of command.

As if sensing Yuu’s gaze, the boy glanced up, his dark eyes piercing into them with a strange intensity. But a moment later he was smiling gently at them and Yuu felt a strange sensation of deja vu. He quickly called out a few more orders and then made his way over to Yuu and Grim. The omega was hit with the scent of chai and smoky incense. Unlike the other alphas Yuu had met thus far though (especially the likes of Riddle and Leona), this alpha’s scent was rather muted and unassuming, which struck Yuu as strange considering the notes of the scent were reminiscent of strong fragrances.

“Good morning,” the alpha greeted, his voice melodic and pleasant to listen to. “I'm afraid if you need to use the kitchens, you’ll have to wait another half an hour while we finish up. My apologies for the trouble.”

“Not at all,” Yuu quickly said. “We were actually doing something else when we smelled the cooking and-“

“It smelled so good we just had to check it out!” Grim cut in. His big blue eyes were wide and sparkling as he looked past them towards the rows of bubbling pots and pans. Yuu sighed but the alpha before them actually laughed.

“I will take that as a complement,” he said. He paused and looked at them for a moment, dark eyes calculating. Yuu was hit with another sensation of deja vu that they didn’t really like. “We’re actually making plenty of food to go around. We’d be more than happy to share.”

“That won’t be nece-“

“Really?” Grim exclaimed excitedly. He was practically drooling already. “Hey, what are you even making anyway?”

Yuu glared down at their charge. “Grim! We don’t even know them. Can you be at least a little more polite?“ Grim predictably only rolled his eyes at them.

“It’s really no trouble at all,” the Scarabia alpha said again. Yuu could not for the life of them remember his name from their brief encounter last week. He was… The Vice Housewarden of Scarabia if they recalled correctly? “And it’s my fault for not introducing myself to begin with—though I do believe I have met both of you briefly on separate occasions. My name is Jamil Viper. Vice Housewarden of Scarabia, at your service.”

“I’m Yuu. And this is Grim.”

His dark eyes crinkled in amusement. “Oh I’m aware. It would be difficult to have not heard of the student from another world and the first ever monster admitted to Night Raven.” At these words, Grim’s chest puffed up and his face contorted into that smug expression he always made when he thought he was being particularly impressive.

“The great and powerful Grim is that famous, huh? Hehe. It’s only to be expected.” Grim ran his paw across his nose pridefully.

“You may not remember, Grim,” Jamil said. “But I was one of the injured spelldrive players you and Heartslabyul interviewed.” By Grim’s expression, he definitely did not remember. Jamil chuckled good-naturedly. “And of course, I ran into the Prefect only a few days ago. I must apologize again for that unruly display.”

Yuu shook their head. “Don’t worry. It was mostly Vil who was upset. I don’t get too hung up on stuff like that. I thought it looked rather fun.”

Jamil surprisingly grimaced at this reply. He crossed his arms, the golden bangles on his wrists clanging, and blew his side bang out of his face. “Fun is one word for it I suppose, though I wish Kalim would act a bit more his station…” His dark eyes grew hard for a moment before he sighed and smiled again, though it seemed far more forced than before. “But regardless, my offer still stands. We’d be more than happy to have the Ramshackle Prefect and your companion over at Scarabia. Kalim offered the same if I recalled correctly.”

He was being rather pushy, Yuu thought. But they still shook their head and smiled back politely. “No no. It’s fine we-”

“I insist,” Jamil said.

Yuu blinked, honing in on Jamil’s soothing and melodic voice. He was smiling so softly at them and Yuu wondered for a moment why they were being so resistant to his goodwill. It was really nice of him to offer to share this delicious smelling meal with them. It would be rude to turn him down. The faerie could wait.

“... Alright,” Yuu replied, feeling somewhat dazed. The feeling passed quickly.

“Pull up a seat,” Jamil said. “We’ll be done in just a moment. We’re mostly just cleaning up now. To be honest, Kalim has been very excited to meet you again.”

That surprised them. “He has?”

“He has,” Jamil confirmed. “It’s that-” He cut himself off and shook his head, the bells tied into his hair ringing with the movement. “Nevermind. It would be better if he told you himself.”

Yuu raised a brow at the cryptic statement but Jamil was already walking away to direct his students again. Grim jumped up into their lap and made himself comfortable, looking pleased at the turn of events.

Yuu narrowed their eyes at him. “I hope you know we’re only going for a quick meal. This isn’t going to be a regular thing.”

“Sure, sure,” Grim waved them off, but he was thoroughly distracted by the food.

Yuu sighed fondly.

~*~

A burst of hot air hit Yuu like a train.

The Hall of Mirrors opened up directly to the outdoors, so stepping through the Scarabia mirror was like jumping from an ice pool into a hot tub. At Yuu and Grim’s simultaneous flinches, Jamil looked back and shot them an apologetic look.

“Apologies. I should have warned you about that.”

After the initial temperature shock (which had Yuu shucking off their winter coat as fast as humanly possible), they finally took a moment to take in the architecture around them. Between Heartslabyul and Octavinelle and now this, Yuu was feeling a bit salty about being sequestered away in Ramshackle, no matter how nice and homely they’d managed to make it over the months.

Their group stepped out onto smooth tiled floors of colorful minerals, inlaid with gold. The same gold lined the marble, red-sandstone, and black slate walls also inlaid with various precious gems that glittered in the sunlight shining through the open walls. Sheer red and orange curtains fluttered in the wind, hung from ceilings and columns. Unlit lanterns swung from the ceiling. All in all, the closest Yuu had seen to such luxury and grandeur was the Sunset Palace in Leona’s memories. It looked as if they’d stepped right into the Taj Mahal.

Yuu’s mouth fell open.

There was no way this was a dormitory for a school.

Grim, likewise, looked in awe of the sights before them. None of the other Scarabia students seemed to bat an eye at the opulence. In fact, few of them even chuckled as they walked past the two gawking members of Ramshackle which had Yuu flushing red. Jamil shot them a warning look and the Scarabia students hurried to carry the food into the next room.

“I apologize on behalf of my dorm members,” Jamil said with a sharp click of his tongue. “I’m afraid that since Kalim’s father funded the renovation of Scarabia they’ve all grown a bit of a big head. No doubt contributing to our low scores this semester-“

Jamil paused and offered them a sheepish grin.

“But you two aren’t here to listen to me complain about such things. Come, come, we’ll take our breakfast in the lounge.”

Despite the grandeur of Scarabia, there was still a comfy laid-back vibe to it all. Especially as they entered the lounge and saw every inch of the floor lined with gorgeous carpets and plush pillows at every corner. There were a few students already lounging around softly conversing and sharing breakfast. They waved friendly at Jamil as he passed by which he returned.

“Take a seat anywhere,” Jamil bade Yuu and Grim, gesturing to one of the carpets at the center of the room, the food already lined up. “Kalim should be down soon but please help yourself.”

Glancing down at the spread was when Yuu realized that there was hardly enough food here for all the students that had been rushing around cooking. In fact, none of the Scarabia students that had accompanied them to the dorm had made any moves to sit—not even Jamil. And while there certainly wasn’t enough food here for all these people it was far more than a single person could eat either.

A familiar nagging sensation formed in the pit of their stomach. A doubt creeping into their thoughts.

And Kalim. Kalim was a Housewarden. Yuu knew that it was just a ridiculous superstition they’d come up with but they were reminded that they were three for three in terms of Housewardens overblotting. Kalim had seemed nice and all but Yuu definitely did not want to meet him. Jamil had neglected to mention who this meal was for.

“Actually,” Yuu began, suddenly feeling nervous. “I think it’s better for Grim and I to leave.”

“WHAT?” Grim exclaimed.

Yuu ignored him, “I’m sorry. I honestly appreciate the hospitality but I’m feeling a bit under the weather and-“

Was it their imagination or did Jamil’s eyes grow a little bit cold? It was gone in the flash as the beautiful alpha shot them a concerned look. “Please don’t apologize,” he said. “If you’re not feeling well, that's all the more reason you should stay . You’re probably just feeling under the weather due to the cold. It’s warm here in Scarabia and there’s nothing like a good cup of masala tea to assist. I’ll have someone brew you one. So please, have a seat, Prefect Yuu .”

Yuu felt suddenly dizzy once more, and Jamil’s suggestion sounded perfect at the moment. They quickly sat down, perhaps hitting the ground a bit harder than they’d intended but they were feeling strange. It had been more of an excuse than anything else but maybe they actually were getting sick? No doubt due to the freezing temperatures in Ramshackle, stupid bird man.

Grim made a noise of concern and placed his paws on them. “Eh? How come you didn’t tell me you weren’t feeling well! It’s a superior’s duty to take care of their underlings! You’ve gotta tell me these things!”

Yuu shook their head, hoping to dispel the dizziness that had come over them—it helped a little— and placed their hand comfortingly onto Grim’s head, giving him a little rub. Grim may deny it later but he leaned up into the gesture. “I honestly didn’t think I was,” Yuu admitted. “But yeah… Maybe a good hot cup of tea is what I need right now.”

Riddle should’ve been here to hear them finally admit they wanted to drink tea instead of coffee. They could already picture his poorly-hidden smug smile now.

“Someone is already on their way to get one for you,” Jamil reassured, kneeling down on one knee before them. “In the meantime, why doesn’t the great master Grim start on some food?”

Yuu could clearly see Grim was conflicted between staying near them to make sure they were alright and taking Jamil up on his offer. His stomach won out in the end as he finally pulled away to make himself a plate. It was only an expected result and Yuu shook their head fondly.

At least the dizziness was mostly faded.

“Thanks for your concern and hospitality,” Yuu told Jamil. “I’m really sorry for all the trouble we’re causing you.”

He smiled at them. It was a blinding smile, with rows of perfect white teeth. Jamil really ought to be in toothbrush ads as well as shampoo commercials. He had to be either a Scorpio or a Virgo. Or maybe Yuu’s head was still fuzzy.

Soon there was a warm mug being pressed into their hands. The sweet and spicy aroma rising from the tea helped to clear their head and Yuu took a grateful sip. The flavor was good—not something they’d pick over a good cup of coffee but it was good and it made them feel immediately better.

Busy chewing his food, Grim looked curiously at their kind host. “Wot ‘or oo eys rooing’ere ahneewaz?”

“Finish chewing before you talk,” Yuu admonished.

Grim swallowed and stuck his tongue out at them childishly, then repeated, “What are you guys doing here anyways?”

Yuu really must not be feeling well if they keep missing these things that Grim keeps noticing and pointing out. It was an excellent question. Almost the entire campus had gone home but it seemed there were tons of Scarabia students still here.

Jamil’s expression darkened. The few students that were in the lounge heard this as well and glanced over with nervous expressions. Alarm bells began going off in Yuu’s head.

“Our Housewarden, Kalim, has ordered everyone to stay over break.”

Yuu’s mouth paused on the lip of their mug as they stared at the alpha in open shock. Everyone? Not just a few people but everyone ? Surely some people must’ve gone home. Most students here were adults of course but surely their families would still protest such an order? Did Housewardens even have that kind of authority? It was a question to file away for Leona and Riddle later.

Jamil must’ve seen the question in their disbelieving expression because he continued, “Every single student has stayed behind.”

“It’s been terrible…” A boy nearby murmured softly. Jamil shot him a warning look.

“Hush. If Kalim were to hear you-“

“Jamil! You didn’t tell me we had guests!”

An upbeat joyful voice broke through the suddenly tense atmosphere. Everyone turned to look at the staircase where a familiar figure descended, his uniform more elaborate than the rest. He looked just as friendly and bright as the first and only time Yuu had met him. His bright ruby eyes swept the lounge, settling on the newcomers.

Kalim froze when his gaze met Yuu’s.

To their surprise, a flustered blush darkened his cheeks, but he didn't seem discouraged by his sudden flustered-ness. If anything, there was a sudden new beat to his gait as he started towards their group again. Yuu felt self conscious under the intensity of his stare, wondering why he was only looking at them.

“Yuu!” Kalim cheerfully greeted when he finally reached them. Despite his outgoing personality that Yuu remembered very well from the last time (poor Jack had been so out of his element), there now seemed to be a new nervous energy to him as he spoke. “I’m so glad you’ve finally taken me up on my offer and stopped by! I’ve been wanting to talk to you ever since our last meeting!”

He has? But why? He hadn’t seemed any more interested in them the last time than he’d been in anyone else. Jack had received the exact same invitation. Yuu figured the Housewarden was just friendly like that. He certainly hadn’t been blushing like a schoolgirl last time either.

Yuu wasn’t sure if they liked where this was going.

But they also didn’t want to be rude.

“O-oh,” was all they could think to respond. “Um. Jamil offered us breakfast. It seemed rude to refuse.”

“Jamil,” Kalim playfully admonished his Vice Housewarden. “You have to let me know earlier next time! I would’ve had a more elaborate feast brought in! And music!”

Yuu blinked rapidly at this suggestion. A feast? Music? Weren’t they just here to eat breakfast? Jamil only rolled his eyes. Meanwhile, Grim’s eyes seemed to widen in excitement at each new suggestion.

“I’m sure such a thing would overwhelm our guests,” Jamil replied sensibly. He was absolutely correct. Yuu wouldn’t know what to do with themselves if they were suddenly subjected to a show and dinner out of nowhere. The sheer culture shock of seeing the dorm alone was enough for them, thank you very much!

“Oh.” Kalim’s bottom lip pouted outwards as he did an excellent imitation of a sad golden retriever. “Is that true, Yuu? Would that be too much?”

“A little…”

“Don’t listen to my underling!” Grim exclaimed, jumping to his hindlegs. “Those things sound excellent to me! Exactly the kind of reception a great sorcerer like myself deserves. This food is already amazing, but a feast would be even better!”

“Ooooo!” Kalim clapped his hands together once in excitement.

Yuu glared down at Grim while Jamil made an exasperated noise at his Housewarden. And for a moment the omega felt a kinship with the pretty alpha.

“Well before any more plans get discussed, you should all eat up before the food gets cold,” Jamil finally said. “It should be safe to consume now.”

That was a rather cryptic statement that the alpha didn’t seem inclined to expand upon. But Yuu hardly had a moment to think about it further when Kalim was already piling a plate up for them, happily explaining all the foods before them—most traditional to him and Jamil’s homeland of the Scalding Sands. He also pulled Grim into his lap and proceeded to feed the monster so much food that Grim actually began to protest more food (a first sight for Yuu!).

It was easy to get swept up in Kalim’s excitement and friendly personality. Meanwhile Jamil watched the three of them eat and converse with a close, thoughtful, eye.

~*~

What was meant to be a brief meal in Scarabia quickly became an hours-long stay. After breakfast it was a tour of the dorm. After that it was showing them the animal pens they kept in Scarabia (why do they have elephants and peacocks on campus??!!). And then after that it was past noon so they both insisted Yuu and Grim stay for lunch, and Yuu didn’t have the heart to turn down both Grim and Kalim’s sad begging eyes. And then it was a game of mancala. And then it was a look in Kalim’s personal vault (who the fuck sends their child to college with their literal weight in gold mutiplied a thousand times over??!!). And then it was a magic carpet ride. And then this. And then that.

On and on, there seemed to be some excuse or another for Yuu and Grim to stay just a little longer, an endless stream of sights and activities to keep them occupied. The omega grew exhausted fairly quickly and by the end of the day even Grim looked ready to take a good long nap. All throughout the day, Kalim kept shooting flustered glances over at Yuu when he thought they weren’t looking, which Yuu steadfastly ignored.

Kalim was super nice and all (too nice for NRC if they were being honest), but Yuu already had 3 boyfriends (which they were still trying to wrap their head around!).

“Oh man, it’s dark already,” Kalim said mournfully as he looked over at the setting sun. He perked up almost immediately though, unable to be kept down for long, a trait of his Yuu had noticed. “But I guess time passes fast when you’re having fun!” He grinned at Yuu and Grim sheepishly. “I guess I should let you guys go back to your dorm huh? Sorry for taking up your whole day! But I’m glad you guys came!”

“Thanks for having us,” Yuu said sincerely. Because as tiring as all this has been, this has honestly been the nicest reception they’ve had since arriving in this world. Sure they had plenty of thoughtful and caring friends now, but those were all hard fought and won relationships, forged through shared strife. Riddle and Leona had hardly liked Yuu very much upon their first meeting (well… Alright, maybe not so much with Leona. But he had certainly still been antagonistic!).

But as Kalim said, it had been a whole day and Yuu was ready to retire to bed.

“Hang on a moment,” Jamil cut in, his tone heavy with concern. “Didn't you mention that your dorm didn’t have proper heating yet? It’s late and I’m sure it’ll be much colder now. Perhaps it would be best if you two stayed for the night, just until morning.”

“That’s a great idea, Jamil!” Kalim exclaimed. “We have plenty of spare rooms.”

Grim nodded thoughtfully, “You make a good point.” He then yawned and smacked his lips. “Hey, Yuu. Maybe we should just sleep over for the night.”

Yuu fought the urge to glare at the feline. They knew he was tired and all but surely he hadn’t forgotten exactly why it was so important for Yuu to sleep in their own dorm. Crewel’s suppressants definitely lasted much longer than Trey’s Paint the Roses, but it still wasn’t a guaranteed thing. It had a potency of around 20-24 hours, and could stop masking their true scent at any point during those 4 uncertain hours.

Yuu naturally brought a few vials with them (just as their old habit of carrying spare suppressant pads), but they really wanted to conserve those as much as possible!

They could not stay. And that was final.

“We really should go back to our own dorm,” Yuu insisted firmly, not letting Kalim’s crestfallen expression sway their verdict. “We can grab a fire faerie on our way back so it should be fine.”

“At least let us send you back with some dinner leftovers then,” Jamil said. “It would only take a moment and you’ll have something to eat in the morning.”

Grim’s eyes lit up at the suggestion and Yuu mentally sighed. Well, at least that wouldn’t take very long. Yuu could be amenable to that suggestion.

“Alright,” they replied and Grim punched the air above his head in victory.

“Why don’t you come with me back to the lounge while Grim and Kalim play another game of mancala?” Jamil suggested. He leaned close to Yuu and whispered conspiratorially, “Might make it faster if we don’t bring the two of them with us.”

Yuu fought back an amused snort and nodded.

The pair hurried off back to the lounge where they’d finished dinner a little while ago, leaving the other two behind. Kalim was more than happy to play another game of mancala with Grim. Yuu was honestly very happy that someone actually seemed to genuinely like and enjoyed indulging Grim. Deuce and Ace cared about the little monster of course and they were all friends, but the three of them sometimes got along like a house on fire. Yuu also didn’t miss that they, and Ace in particular, could get a bit annoyed with Grim at times (not that the monster ever picked up on it).

Yuu briefly wondered why someone as patient and considerate and accommodating as Kalim would make such an outrageous order as keeping every single dorm member behind over the break. Strangely enough, Yuu never seemed to be able to find an opportunity to ask the question despite the hours they had spent with the boy. It hadn’t been forgetfulness either, it just never seemed to pan out… Something or another always seemed to come up.

“Prefect Yuu.” Jamil calling them pulled Yuu out of their thoughts. He was holding a takeout container filled with the food they’d eaten at dinner. But he looked as if he had something serious to say. In fact, he glanced around them as if looking for someone else.

The two of them were alone in the lounge.

Finally he turned back to them, his eyes serious. “You know, Kalim likes you a lot.”

Yuu blinked for a moment, not expecting Jamil to be so blunt about that topic, and then grimaced. “Look, Kalim is a super nice alpha but I’m kind of already courting some other people-“

“Rosehearts, Clover, and Kingscholar,” Jamil cut in with a nod. “I’m aware.”

Yuu furrowed their brows. “Well… I mean if you’re aware… I’m not really looking to add anyone else to my… Relationship.” Harem , Leona’s teasing voice echoed in their head and Yuu fought off a blush.

Stupid grumpy lion.

“I think you should give Kalim a chance.”

Yuu felt a tinge of annoyance then. Why was Jamil being so pushy after they’d already told him no? The sensation was familiar… Had something like this happened earlier? But… No. That’s not right. Yuu’s head felt a bit fuzzy.

“Listen,” Yuu said firmly. “I’m not interested-“

“You should give Kalim a chance,” Jamil repeated, his voice so soothing and silky. It felt like listening to the texture of dark chocolate. Jamil’s black eyes were an endless abyss that Yuu felt like they could get lost in forever. “You’ll like Kalim. I honestly feel like you two would be perfect for one another. So stay for the night, Yuu.”

Yuu swayed a bit on their feet and suddenly Jamil was in their space, his brows furrowed in concern but for some reason Yuu felt like they didn’t reach his eyes. Which was ridiculous because he was the one stopped them from falling.

“You’re still not feeling well,” he crooned. “It would be best if you stayed here for the evening. And maybe tomorrow you can tell Kalim how you really feel about him. Tell him that you love him.”

Yes. That sounded like a good idea. Sleep first and then confess to Kalim. Kalim was so kind to them, kinder than anyone else had been. Riddle had hated them when they first met. Leona liked them but still went through with his harmful plans. But Kalim. Kalim was sweet and kind and caring and clearly liked them back. He was so good with Grim, their pup. He loved them. And… And Yuu also loved him back.

Yuu felt so sleepy.

“Let’s get you to bed, Prefect,” Jamil murmured. “It’s clearly been a taxing day for you and your body is still recovering from sickness. I’ll make sure Grim gets to you. Don’t worry about anything. Just let me handle things from now on.”

That sounded like an excellent idea.

Yuu felt so blessed to have met such kind and thoughtful people. They sleepily murmured as such to Jamil. He responded with a pleasant laugh.

“Of course,” Jamil said. “After all, friends help each other out, right? I’ll help you… And you help me get what I want.”

Yuu was already asleep before they heard the tail end of what he said.

Notes:

I shall probably not update again until the end of the semester (unless the writing bug bites me). Things are wrapping up with school, so that's just another 3-4 weeks. I'll see ya'll again then.

Once again, thank you for all the support and kind words <3 I could've never gotten this far in this fic without all of you down in the comment section, always encouraging me to keep writing. And thanks to everyone for taking the time to read my strange little story, I know it's a bit of a chonker at this point.

I love ya'll <33

Chapter 26

Notes:

HAPPY BOOK 7 DEBUTE DAYYYYYY

I haven't read Book 6 yet but I think I'm going to so that I can keep up with Book 7 release. I'm too feral to wait. I NEED to know. I can't believe we're finally getting Book 7~

Anyway! Please enjoy the chapter!

The ocean is a desert with its life underground and a perfect disguise above.

The ocean had calmed to gently rolling waves once more, no longer the wrathful leviathan thirsting to pull Yuu down into its deadly and frigid depths. Gone was the titan whose crown once grazed the furious skies. Gone was the battered ship that made battle with it. Yuu wasn’t sure where those things had vanished to, just that it took the storm and lightning with it, leaving Yuu with a weary sense of relief.

Their muscles ached from wrestling against the ocean and their lungs stung with brine, but the moment of panic had passed. Now they simply laid there as the water lapped at them, cradling their exhausted body, and the world grew quiet and serene…

Gradually Yuu began to notice a motion to the sea beneath them. The waters seemed to shift and swirl, still languid and vicious in its movement, as it pulled Yuu helpless with it. The skies appeared to stretch away from them, the clouds growing smaller, while the circular horizon widened. Yuu came to the realization that the ocean was draining away .

The lulling of the ocean gave way to shifting sand that was dry to the touch despite having been submerged in the sea. The pungent salt and brine faded with the last of the ocean water; the sudden appearance of a desert seemed to act as a giant sponge, sucking everything up, leaving no trace that there had ever been in the ocean there in the first place. The sun bore down hot on Yuu’s salt-crusted skin as the desert heat began to rise and grow unbearable.

The world felt empty and wide. Just miles and miles of endless sand dunes, stretching into infinity. Nothing Yuu could see with one exception as they sat up and peered around at the new landscape.

In the distance, set upon the horizon, was a glittering Arabian city.

~*~

The first thing Yuu realized upon waking that it was warm – too warm. They sat up and gently pushed Grim, who laid across their legs, to the side thus relieving some of the building heat. Still, it was too warm to be Ramshackle, even their sleep-addled mind could figure that out. The room was nearly pitch black but as Yuu’s eyes adjusted, familiar marble and sandstone walls greeted them and they knew exactly where they were. Memories of yesterday flooded in.

They’d spent the day at Scarabia, being escorted around by the friendly Housewarden-Vice Housewarden duo. And instead of going home, for some reason they’d agreed to sleep over at the dorm.

What the hell had they been thinking?

It was such a monstrously stupid decision considering well… Everything . Stay over at the only place on campus that was filled to the brim with other students? Had Yuu actually been more sick than they’d realized? What else could explain the serious lapse in judgment?

Alarmed with their own idiocy, Yuu hastily sniffed at the fabric of their shirt and breathed a sigh of relief when a muted beta-scent of parchment and chocolate greeted them. A moment later they spotted Lilia’s coat hung over a chair and quickly went to it and began rummaging through its inner pockets. Another burst of euphoric belief flooded their chest as their fingers wrapped around the two vials of suppressants they’d brought with them.

But… Where was their phone?

Alarm spiked again as Yuu began to turn out all the pockets of the coat, and then on their person, and then they began rushing around the room looking top-to-bottom for any sign of their cellphone. No matter how desperately they looked though, it was nowhere in sight. The noise must’ve been too loud because Grim soon began to stir, murmuring groggily into the darkness. They shushed him and eventually he fell back into slumber.

Yuu paused in the middle of the room and clenched their fist in desperation, mind reeling as it attempted to parse out what exactly was happening.

They went out to get a fire faerie for the fireplace. Check.

Jamil offered to share breakfast with them and they agreed. Check.

They spent the day hanging out in Scarabia. Also check.

And then they agreed to sleep over?

It was that last point that kept getting to Yuu. What in the world would possess them to make such a dumb decision? They did remember having several dizzy spells the previous day, having to physically sit down for a couple of them. But surely they couldn’t have been that sick and delirious and not have noticed it.

Well, whatever the reason, they definitely weren’t going to stay here another day. Bad enough Yuu was going to need to waste another potion, but they still couldn’t shake the terrible feeling that something was going to go wrong.

And that dream… It felt– It felt like they had dreamed that dream before. The content of the dream was different but the essence of it felt the same. When Yuu thought about it harder, they could vaguely recall when they’d felt that way before. Dreams about cards and queens. About the savanna. About a sea and a storm and an eldritch titan. And now they dreamed of the desert and a city that looked strangely similar to the very dorm they were in now.

Dreams that felt like more than dreams. Dreams that shared a strange resemblance to the situations they’d ended up entangled in.

Yuu wasn’t sure if perhaps they should laugh at the ridiculousness of their line of thought. What was coincidence and what was just their overactive imagination? Yuu could not say.

Yuu sighed, holding their face in their hands. And here they thought the break would be… well… a break . Apparently not so. Now they were fighting their own idiocy.

Alright. First things first. Phone. They needed to find their phone.

Yuu glanced up and looked out the window. It was still dark out, probably sometime early morning before sunrise if their sensation of restfulness was an adequate indicator. So there probably wasn’t anyone awake. If anyone had found their phone, they probably would’ve given it to Jamil but he was probably asleep so it was out of the question to ask him.

They could wait until sunrise to go search for it, but frankly Yuu was feeling just a tad bit restless. The idea of going back to bed now was wholly unappealing, especially since it wasn’t even their bed . And on the off chance they had just dropped the phone in the lounge or something while eating dinner, they’d prefer to find it before anyone else. Yuu didn’t know anyone in this dorm and honestly wouldn’t put it past someone with sticky fingers to swipe it (although, considering the the vault of gold and treasure Kalim had shown them yesterday, maybe a measly cell phone would be pretty low on the list of swipe-ables).

Mind made up, Yuu tiptoed to the door they could just barely make out in the dark, careful not to wake Grim, and slipped out into the dark.

~*~

Scarabia dorm was just as beautiful in the dark as it was in the sun. This was because of the open-floor architecture allowing for plenty of natural light. At night the sole source of lighting was the moon itself, and it cast an eerie pale glow on all the numerous reflective gold and gem surfaces littering Scarabia’s halls. The darkness of night overlaid the world in shades of blue, and the bright red walls and orange curtains became desaturated shades of green and brown. Yuu felt almost like a ghost as they wandered the empty halls, hoping that they remembered the way back to the lounge.

As they continued on, not another soul in sight, Yuu eventually came upon a hallway where the west wall was actually a balcony that looked over the vast desert that stretched all the way to the horizon line. Yuu couldn’t help but to stop and admire the desert night, watching as distant winds blew billows of sand into the air until they settled once more. Over and over. Until the landscape took on the appearance of a still ocean, with dunes rising and falling and ever changing. They’d never been to a desert before and couldn’t help but be entranced by the sight. It was beautiful.

Something caught the white moonlight and flashed in the corner of Yuu’s eyes. The curtains hanging from the pillars separating the hallway from the balcony fluttered in the wind, obscuring the source but, when Yuu stepped closer, they realized that there was someone else there, leaning against the railing and gazing out onto the desert landscape just as they had been.

Kalim Al-asim.

The sight of the housewarden sent a sudden burst of butterflies fluttering through Yuu’s stomach, the reaction catching them so off guard that Yuu sucked in an audible breath in shock. For a moment they thought that maybe he hadn’t heard them but then Kalim glanced up curiously and Yuu cursed themself in their head.

What had that been all about?! Why did they suddenly feel like it was impossible to even look at, let alone speak to, the friendly boy? They’d been perfectly fine in his presence yesterday but now Yuu wished that the floor would open up and swallow them whole. What changed?

He didn’t think they’d been snooping, did he? Gods Yuu hoped he didn’t. That would be absolutely mortifying. And oh look, he was walking straight for them now.

Yuu suddenly felt super awkward, unsure of what to do with their hands. Were they standing weird? Hopefully it was dark enough that Kalim couldn’t see how absolutely red and hot their face had turned. When did this development come about?!

“Yuu?”

“Uh- Yes!” Yuu squeaked. The floor was rather interesting. Very pretty patterns. Yuu wondered how expensive it must’ve been to have it installed.

“Are you alright? Did you need some help?”

“Nope. I’m all good,” Yuu said instinctively, the words automatically spilling out without thought. They finally worked up the courage to look up, worried that he would think them rude if they kept staring at the ground.

Kalim’s head was tilted to the side curiously, in a very dog-esque fashion. But Yuu was more focused on the way the moonlight lit up his pale hair so that it glowed like silver, and the way his red eyes seemed to glow despite the darkness. Yuu didn’t really appreciate it much yesterday, but Kalim was actually a very pretty alpha himself. Maybe not on the level of Vil or Jamil, but he could easily model if he wanted to.

Did Yuu just have a thing for pretty alphas? Because Yuu was starting to think that maybe they just had a thing for pretty alphas.

“Couldn’t sleep either?”

“Eh?”

Kalim grinned and chuckled. “I have a hard time sleeping when I’m stressed out too.” Now that Yuu actually paid attention, Kalim looked to be wearing some sort of pajamas with flowy trousers and a sleeping gown overtop. “I like to come out here when I’ve got too much on my mind and just look at the desert.”

“I’ve never seen the desert before,” Yuu replied dumbly.

Kalim grinned again, “Really? Well you’re welcome to stop by whenever! Sometimes I feel like the desert is capable of sucking up all my worries. Just taking it all in can help me feel better.”

For some reason, this conjured up the image of Yuu’s dream. Of the ocean being absorbed by the shifting sands beneath.

“Oh,” Yuu frowned. “Well… I’ll leave you to it then. Sorry for bothering you.”

Kalim’s eyes widened, “Oh! No no! Pleast stay! You aren’t bothering me. I like the company! It’s nice not being alone.” He started walking back towards the balcony and Yuu took this as a signal to follow.

“Then… How come you’re out here alone then?”

He smiled again, but for the first time Yuu sensed an undercurrent of bittersweetness to the expression and felt immediately bad for asking such a question. Them and their big nosy mouth again.

“Jamil would never let me hear the end of it,” Kalim confessed with a gentle laugh. “He’s a big worrywort. He worries that I don’t get enough sleep or that someone will try and kidnap me if I go off without an escort.” Yuu’s eyes widened in confusion. Kidnap? Why would someone kidnap Kalim? “So it’s just easier to come alone. Less chance it’ll get back to him. And speaking of which… Could you do me a big favor and not tell Jamil you saw me here tonight?”

What a strange conversation, Yuu thought, but they could hear the sincerity in Kalim’s voice. They wondered what exactly his relationship with Jamil was. They’d heard about it a little bit the day before but the relationship between the two, the more they saw of it, only grew more and more enigmatic.

“I won’t say anything,” they promised.

“Thank you, Yuu!” Kalim turned back to face the desert. His eyes closed as he just enjoyed the breeze on his face. It was a far cry from the excitable boy they’d hung out with yesterday. “To be honest… I’m second guessing myself.”

Yuu slowly moved next to him and leaned up on the railing as well. With both of them facing out into the world beyond, it was easier to settle the butterflies trying to leap into their throat than to look at Kalim directly. The breeze was a balm against their face.

“What are you second guessing?”

“It’s a bit embarrassing to say,” Kalim said with a bashful laugh. “I’m not really sure why I told everyone to stay over the break… I honestly didn’t think that school rankings mattered to me so much. But I guess they did. I feel like I’ve been too hasty by ordering everyone to stay over break. This… It’s all a bit much isn’t it?”

This conversation or him ordering everyone to stay at school? Yuu deduced that he meant the second thing.

“It’s a bit unreasonable, yeah,” Yuu replied awkwardly. They snuck a peak at Kalim and were surprised to see that there was no longer a smile on his face. His brows were furrowed in deep thought that seemed at odds with his personality.

“I was afraid you’d say that.” He chuckled again. “I’m usually not so serious like this. I prefer to keep things light and happy, so that everyone can enjoy themselves. It’s best to live life enjoying every minute of it.”

“So then why are you doing this then?”

To Yuu’s surprise, Kalim let out a very dramatic groan and plopped his head down on his crossed arms. They blinked rapidly, unsure of how to respond to such a reaction. Kalim Al-asim was a very strange guy.

“Ugh, I have no idea!” Kalim finally exclaimed. “This is my first time being a Housewarden, and I think the stress is getting to me? Everyone knows that Jamil would be a much better leader than me, but I couldn’t say no when offered the position! Maybe… Maybe I panicked. Housewardens are supposed to make sure their dorm members are doing well in school right?” He lifted his head and stared imploringly at Yuu with those big ruby eyes, his bottom lip pursed in a pout.

Yuu couldn’t help but laugh at the reaction.

Kalim grinned, some color flushing his cheeks. “You laughed! I’m so glad I finally got you to! At least I’m good for something .”

“Eh?” Yuu felt caught off guard again. “What do you mean?”

“It’s just… You always seem a little bit sad,” Kalim murmured, half of his face still hidden in his arms, and then offered them a sheepish apologetic smile. “You looked like you were having fun yesterday but… Your smile never really reached your eyes. So I’m glad I was able to make you laugh a little.”

Yuu stared at him with an open mouth, speechless.

Kalim scratched the back of his head and grinned. “Sorry. I guess that was a little rude and presumptuous to say. Jamil is always scolding me for saying unnecessary things haha.”

“Not at all,” Yuu hastily reassured. “I… I’m just surprised you noticed. Things have been… Difficult lately.” The image of Azul, both his younger self and the current version, flashed in their mind’s eye.

“Would you like to talk about it? I’m happy to listen.”

Yuu shook their head. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think I’m ready to.” And even if they were, it’s not like they could explain it without risking outing their secret.

“That’s fine! Everyone goes at their own pace. People will say what they need to say when they’re ready,” Kalim said cheerfully. “It’s not worth it to rush people on these things. You have to let them come to you when they’re ready.”

As he said this, Kalim looked off into the distance once more and Yuu got the sense that he was no longer referring to them. They were honestly surprised at how… Emotionally mature this happy–go-lucky party boy was. Certainly more so than any of the other Houseawardens Yuu had met (sorry Riddle and Leona, but it’s true). Kalim might be putting himself down when it comes to being a leader of his dorm, but Yuu knew first hand that leadership was more than just knowing how to give orders. Compassion and understanding were just as important ingredients.

It did make Kalim’s decision to keep everyone behind seem very strange and out-of-character. Either that, or Kalim was a very adept liar and actor. But Yuu somehow didn’t think this was the case.

“Hmm,” Yuu hummed thoughtfully. “So then… What are you going to do about your decision?”

“Ehh…” Kalim groaned, looking frustrated with himself again. “Well… Papa did always say it’s better to cleanly rip off a bandage than toy around with it out of fear… It’s going to be super embarrassing taking back my decision right after I made it! Ahh~” He groaned again and then suddenly slammed his hands down on the balcony rail, startling Yuu, a determined expression suddenly on his face. “Alright. Tomorrow morning I’m going to tell everyone they’re free to go home!”

Yuu exhaled sharply, unable to hold back the laugh. Kalim was hilarious. Thankfully the alpha seemed to take the reaction in stride, even looking proud of himself for being able to make Yuu laugh again. Yuu smiled genuinely at him, “For what it’s worth, I think you’re making the right choice,” they told him.

“Your opinion is worth a lot to me!” He exclaimed, “So I really appreciate you saying that. It makes me feel a little more relieved. I may never be as good of a Housewarden as everyone else, but I’ve got to try at least!”

“It’s exactly that kind of mindset that makes you a good Housewarden,” Yuu reassured sweetly.

At these words, Kalim looked down bashfully, his cheeks darkening even more and Yuu was starkly reminded of how attractive he was and how much being in his presence was making butterflies appear in their gut. Were they just missing their partners? Is that why they were suddenly crushing super hard on Kalim? Whatever the answer was, seeing Kalim blush and play with his fingers because he was shy to be around Yuu was doing all sorts of things to the omega’s stomach.

Regardless of how they felt though, Yuu didn’t think it was appropriate to start flirting and confessing without letting the others know at the very least. None of them were exclusive per se (Leona, in fact, seemed to find it a point of pride that “his omega” was able to “seduce” so many alphas), but Yuu still felt it was best to be open and honest about these things.

So while Kalim was being very cute and they did just have a rather heartfelt conversation, Yuu was reminded that their phone was still missing and they needed to look for it. So they said as such to Kalim, hoping it would offer them an out to what was growing to be a rather intense atmosphere.

“Maybe you left it in the lounge during dinner?” Kalim suggested.

“That’s what I was thinking too.”

The alpha decided to accompany them towards the lounge which Yuu was grateful for, especially because they apparently did get lost and had actually gone in the completely opposite direction of the lounge (which made sense because Yuu would’ve remembered such a gorgeous balcony view). Unfortunately, even with a second pair of eyes searching, neither of them found the elusive phone.

“Where in the world could it be?” Yuu muttered aloud desperately. “I don’t remember taking it out all that often yesterday.”

“I’ll ask Jamil in the morning for you,” Kalim reassured. “I’m sure we’ll find it! And if not, I’ll buy you a new one as an apology!”

“What- No you don’t need to do that,” Yuu said incredulously. “It’s not your fault I misplaced it!” Fucking rich kids. This school was full of them.

“But I feel bad for dragging you around all yesterday,” Kalim said with a pout. “What if you lost it while we were on the magic carpet! It’s really no trouble for me.”

Yuu paled at the suggestion that they may have dropped it during the carpet ride. Surely if that were the case, even if they miraculously found it, the device would be smashed beyond repair. Cater was going to kill them. He was going to smile that unnerving smile of his that Cater only wore when he was particularly mad at someone but didn’t want to ruin his “image” by ugly shouting. Yuu had only ever seen it once, directed at Ace when he’d accidentally knocked over a cart full of treats for an unbirthday party that Cater had spent all morning prepping for. It was not a look Yuu was eager to experience again.

“I-I’m sure it isn’t that,” Yuu said, more so to reassure themself than anything else.

“If not, I’m sure Jamil will know!” Kalim exclaimed. “He’s really good at detail-oriented things like that and he’s good at directing the students, so I’m sure if someone found it he’ll know in no time if he hasn’t already found it!”

Yuu sighed and finally stood up from where they’d been searching beneath the piles of pillows for their phone. “I guess… That’s all I can do for now.”

“Don’t worry too much about it. Like I said, Jamil is a reliable guy!”

Kalim mentioned Jamil a lot, and it got Yuu feeling curious. Some folks (namely Ruggie) might call this being a busy-body, but Yuu was just going to ignore that because those people had no idea what they were talking about. There was nothing wrong with being a little curious, thank you very much.

“What exactly is your relationship with Jamil anyways?”

“Eh? Jamil? He’s my best friend!”

Best friend? Yuu certainly got the vibe that they were well acquainted, but it seemed more a mother-hen and chaos-child relationship than a best friend situation. But Kalim would know better, so who was Yuu to say otherwise?

“And you two grew up with each other?”

Kalim and Yuu began walking back towards their own rooms, having given up on their search, as they continued the conversation.

“That’s right,” the alpha confirmed. “Jamil’s parents work for my parents, and since we were the same age we hung out together all the time! I mean… Technically Jamil is supposed to watch over me like a bodyguard and act as a food-taster, but I’ve never really agreed with that. But Jamil is super diligent so he still does it even though I tell him he doesn’t need to.”

“Wait- I’m sorry. Did you say food taster? ” In what context? This has brought up way more questions than it answered.

“Ya know,” Kalim said. “To check for poison and stuff. I really don’t like that he’s the one who has to do it. But I suppose someone needs to do it…”

Yuu shook their head. “Hold on. Hold on. Back up a moment. Jamil food tastes for you for poison ? Why would he need to do that?”

Kalim let out a dramatic sigh and rolled his eyes like he didn’t just say the most ridiculous thing Yuu had ever heard. “Father is just a worrywort ever since I got kidnapped as a kid one time. The Asim family isn’t royalty, but we’re pretty well off so we get a lot of bad people looking to either blackmail and ransom us or worse. I’m the oldest of my siblings so I’m set to become the next family head, so the threats against me are a little more aggressive than with my siblings. I do prefer it that way though so all my little siblings are safer! But I don’t like that it means Jamil has to do dangerous stuff for my sake.” Kalim was actually pouting as he said this, as if it were just another minor inconvenience instead of the most mind-boggling thing Yuu had heard in their life.

Yuu could hardly wrap their head around this. Was there a prerequisite about having the most ridiculous and tragic backstory in order to become a Housewarden or something? An alpha who suffered at the hands of his mother because he was supposed to present as a coveted omega? The blacksheep second prince of a kingdom, outcasted due to a terrible accident involving the late queen? A beta born to two alpha parents who was supposed to be a pureblood alpha who was horrifically bullied his entire childhood and neglected by his parents?

And now here was Kalim with his heir-to-a-affluent-family who was constantly under threat of kidnapping or death?

No wonder Housewardens kept on overblotting!

“You look a little dizzy, Yuu,” Kalim said worriedly. “Are you feeling sick again? Maybe we should sit down.”

“Nope,” Yuu said with a tight voice. “I’m good. Just… Processing information.”

Kalim grinned sheepishly. “Was my story really that shocking to you?”

How could it not be was the real question!

Yuu only hummed in neither confirmation nor denial.

At last they came to the door of the guestroom Yuu and Grim had been given. The two of them stood there in silence for a moment, neither sure of what to say next but neither really willing to end the conversation completely. A part of Yuu wanted to keep spending time with the strange but kind alpha but another part of them wanted time to figure things out. Kalim, likewise, seemed unwilling to part ways so soon.

“I should probably go to sleep,” Yuu said softly, breaking the tense silence. They played with the hem of their shirt, suddenly self conscious of the fact that they technically hadn’t showered since the day before yesterday.

“Oh!” Kalim seemed startled for a moment by their voice, but then he fell back into his usual easy grin. “Well then… Good night, Yuu- Or I guess it’s good morning huh?”

Yuu couldn’t help but snort which made Kalim’s grin widen even more.

“Good morning then.”

~*~

It was decidedly not a good morning when several loud and demanding knocks at their door woke Grim and Yuu up.

“Hah? What? Where are we?” Grim had shouted upon being startled awake, groggily looking back and forth in confusion when their bedroom in Ramshackle didn’t greet his eyes. He rubbed at them sleepily as Yuu grumpily got up to answer the door.

Some nameless Scarabia student answered the door and Yuu didn’t like the expression on his face one bit.

“The Housewarden has demanded everyone gather in the courtyard for an announcement! That includes you two as well. Hurry and get ready. You don’t want to be late!”

And then he rushed off leaving Yuu feeling very confused and just a little miffed. They thanked themself for having the foresight of taking another suppressant potion before going to bed after their talk with Kalim. After their recent lapses in judgment, Yuu vowed to be more alert and on top of things.

Neither Grim nor Yuu were particularly happy at the rude awakening as they hastily got ready. Even though they were in Scarabia didn’t mean they were Scarabia students, and both spent a good few minutes complaining about the rude student as they prepared for the day (mostly consisting of Yuu making sure they had everything they brought with then, sans phone, while Grim watched from the side).

At first Yuu was confused why they were being ordered down to the courtyard, but then they were reminded of their midnight conversation with Kalim.

He must be announcing that everyone could go home.

This reminder helped lift Yuu’s mood a bit and put a bit of a prep to their step, much to Grim’s confusion at the sudden change in attitude. And soon the pair of them were walking down to the courtyard, trying their best to avoid getting lost. Thankfully, a group of Scarabia stragglers happened upon them and led the way. They all looked nervous and worried and Yuu was glad that their worries would soon be put to ease.

The early morning was cool as their small group stepped out into the courtyard. The sun was still relatively low in the sky and yet to unveil its true wrath and intensity. The sky was a clear blue with not a single cloud to be spotted. The courtyard, as with the rest of Scarabia dorm, was absolutely stunning. At the center of it was a grand fountain that featured a statue of a swan about to take flight. Maybe it was because they were in the desert or maybe the water really was just that blue , but Yuu couldn’t help but marvel at the sheen and hue of the water spouting from the swan’s beak.

It truly did feel like they had stepped into paradise.

The congregation of students was easy enough to spot and they made their way over it. Yuu did not see Kalim but quickly spotted Jamil standing at the top of the main grand staircase, off the the side, with his arms crossed and wearing a troubled expression. At the sight of him, Yuu wondered if Kalim had asked him if he knew where their phone was yet or not.

The nervous chittering and murmuring died a swift death when a lone figure exited the main building. Kalim took center stage at the top of the stairs gazing down at the crowd.

The moment Yuu saw his face they knew something was terribly wrong.

“As you recall,” Kalim spoke when the courtyard had fallen dead silent, his voice echoing against the walls and reverberating around them. “I decreed that all of Scarabia should stay on campus and volunteer six hours everyday to study due to our truly disgusting rankings in school.”

His voice and his expression and his body language were all so cold . Even if they had been right besides him, Yuu doubted they would be able to sense any trace of that warm bubbly boy who’d confided in them just a few hours ago. Just looking at him sent a chill of foreboding up Yuu’s spine. Something was truly horrifically wrong.

No one dared whisper a single word as the silence rang out deafeningly. The atmosphere was so thick with tension it could’ve been sliced with a blade.

“However,” Kalim continued. “I’ve come to a realization…”

Yuu prayed that he would say what they thought he would say. It only made logical sense. Anything other words other than a dismissal of his previous orders would be ridiculous, right? And yet… Despite it making absolutely no sense, Yuu had a sinking feeling in the pit of their stomach that Kalim was not going to announce what he’d promised.

“...Six hours isn’t nearly enough!” Kalim’s voice snapped like a whip and there was a collective flinch through the crowd. “Our sorry excuse for a dorm isn’t going to be able to catch up to the rest with such an insignificant time investment! So I have decided that starting today everyone will be participating in five hours of study and an additional four hours of practical training!”

Gasps and voices of distress all rose in tandem at this sudden announcement as Scarabia students all began to shout and argue and protest the outrageous order. Yuu could only stare up at Kalim in alarm, horrified that their gut feeling had been proven true.

Was Kalim suffering some kind of psychosis episode? Bipolar disorder? Retrograde amnesia? He’d seemed so torn just that morning over his previous standing orders and then relieved when Yuu offered him verbal support for letting the students return home. But not only was he going back on his promise but he was also doubling down ? It just didn’t make any sense!

“Kalim,” Jamil’s alarmed voice echoed down, audible even above the outrage of the crowd. “What are you saying? Such a thing is-”

“SILENCE!” Kalim shouted, a bit of his alpha-voice leaking into the order and causing Yuu to flinch back, their jaw clenching with the biological compulsion to follow the order. The crowd immediately fell silent, the fear thick in the air.

“Hey, Yuu,” Grim tugged on their trousers and whispered up to them nervously. “Maybe- Maybe we should leave now.”

Grim was just a well of great ideas recently and Yuu could not agree more with his most recent one. They nodded and made to move but froze again when Kalim started to speak once more.

“No more complaining,” Kalim snapped. “Am I Housewarden of Scarabia or am I not? I know what is best for you all and this is what we need to do to claw our way out of dead last. In fact, our training begins immediately. We will be marching to the eastern oasis for morning warm ups. When we return, we will immediately begin defense training. Am I clear?”

There was a smattering of agreement but it was clear that everyone was far from enthused. This seemed to tick Kalim off more.

“I said, are we clear!” Once again his alpha’s voice leaked into his order and Yuu found themself having to fight from responding as the rest of the crowd finally shouted back affirmatively. No one was happy about it, that much was obvious, but no one seemed willing to go against Kalim either.

“Better,” Kalim huffed and crossed his arms. “Oh. And as for our guests.”

Yuu and Grim both froze as it seemed everyone in the dorm turned their attention onto them.

“As guests of Scarabia, Yuu and Grim will both be required to participate. If anyone sees them attempting to run off, stop them.”

Yuu’s eyes widened in shock and horror.

This situation had evolved way beyond how bad they originally thought.

~*~

“Prefect! Hold up!”

Yuu was in the middle of having a mild panic attack while Grim paced back and forth furiously. The two of them had stepped off to the side as all of Scarabia scrambled to get ready for the march, lest they attract Kalim’s ire. But when their name was called, Yuu looked up and saw a concerned Jamil walking brusquely towards them.

He paused right before he reached them, glanced back and forth suspiciously, and then hurried the rest of the way to them. He placed a hand on Yuu’s arm and motioned for them to step around the corner and into the shadows.

“Hey, Jamil!” Grim demanded angrily, “What’s the big idea! Kalim can’t just keep us here like this! It’s wrong!”

Jamil grimaced and shook his head. “Please, be a little more quiet. If we were to be overheard…”

Grim grumbled a bit at this but did seem to accept the request.

“Jami, what’s happening?” Yuu implored the vice Housewarden. Kalim had such high praise for him, and had said they were best friends. Surely Jamil knew what was happening, or at least had an inkling. Or maybe that was just another one of Kalim’s strange dual personalities. “Grim is right. We can’t stay here like this. But no one will let us leave. They keep stopping us everytime we try to go to the door.”

“I’m really sorry about all this,” Jamil said. “Kalim, he… I don’t know. He used to listen to me. Used to be reasonable. But lately… I’m not sure if it’s the stress or what-”

“What he just ordered goes way beyond stress!” Yuu whispered incredulously. “People who are stressed out don’t make kidnapping orders! You have to help us leave, this is ridiculous!”

Jamil let out a deep deep sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I… I wish I knew what to do. But I cannot go against Kalim. Please try to understand that. My family has served the Asim family for generations. As outrageous as any order may be, we are honor bound to follow it.”

For the first time, Yuu felt a pang of annoyance and anger towards Jamil. They narrowed their eyes at him judgmentally. “There is no honor in what is happening right now. I honestly have no idea what is happening right now, but just this morning Kalim said that he was going to let everyone go home-”

Jamil looked up at them in surprise. “This morning? You saw Kalim this morning?”

Yuu huffed in annoyance. That was besides the point. “ Yes ,” they said impatiently. “But more importantly, Kalim said this morning that he would announce that everyone could go home!” Yuu no longer cared that they were breaking their promise to Kalim. He’d broken his promise first. “Who even changes their mind that quick! There’s something seriously wrong here. Does he have bipolar episodes like this often? Could he be poisoned?”

Jamil hummed thoughtfully as he considered the situation, his chin held between his thumb and index finger. “He must have changed his mind after speaking with you.” 

Yuu sighed, and ran a hand through their hair in frustration. “I honestly don’t think I did much. He seemed legitimately torn up about it this morning. Which is why I’m so confused why he’s doing this now? Or why he’s involving Grim and I! It just makes no sense!”

Jamil was silent for a few more moments as he considered their words.

Finally he nodded and looked up at Yuu with a new determination in his gaze. “Alright. I think I understand the situation. But first there are some things I need to explain. When I say that I cannot go against Kalim, I truly mean it. My family cannot go against his family. Not only would my parents be blacklisted in all of Silk City- no, all of Scalding Sands . We would also find ourselves lacking in protection from the Asim family– quite the opposite really. As Kalim’s personal attendant since we were young boys I have been privileged to much… Sensitive information, so to say. Information enemies of the Asim family would greatly desire to get their hands on, and… Certain members of the Asim family would greatly desire to stay secret.”

Yuu listened to all this with wide eyes. Even Grim had paused in his pacing to listen in. Both of them glued to Jamil with rapt attention.

“You don’t mean Kalim’s family would…”

Jamil shook his head, “I do not believe that Kalim or his parents would be so callous. But other members of the family? I would not put this past them. So I hope you can understand the importance of me not going against Kalim.”

“That’s crazy!” Grim exclaimed. “You have to be exaggerating!”

“He’s not.” Yuu grimaced. “I heard it from Kalim himself. He mentioned poisoning attempts from extended family members?” Jamil nodded. “Still. Nothing about this arrangement between you two seems right. He says you’re his best friend but this sounds more like…” you’re his indentured servant. But they did not wish to finish that sentence for fear of insulting or being patronizing towards Jamil. Yuu had originally thought that he was simply doing all these things for Kalim (the cleaning, the cooking, the planning, etc) out of a sense of Vice Housewarden obligation but hearing this… It sounded wrong.

Jamil only shrugged though, evidently able to deduce Yuu’s unspoken meaning. “It is what it is. Like I said, it is an honor to serve the Asim family. What is more important is that you were able to convince Kalim to change his mind before, which means you can do it again .”

Yuu did not think that they did much, if anything at all, to sway Kalim’s decisions.

Seeing the doubt on their face, Jamil pressed on. He leaned up close to Yuu’s face and murmured in a soft tone so that only the two of them would be able to hear. “Look… I know that you and Kalim have feelings for each other and… Against my better judgment, I support the two of you. Kalim deserves to follow his heart, no matter what his family says.”

Yuu stared at him with wide eyes and was about to sputter out a denial but Jamil pressed on once more.

“You have to help us, Yuu,” Jamil begged. “Whatever the reason, you’re the only one he seems to be willing to hear out. The students are suffering because of it and Kalim no longer listens to me.”

“I don’t know what you expect me to do.”

“Talk to him during the march,” Jamil pressed. “He’ll be on elephant back the entire time. Since you were not feeling well yesterday and considering Kalim’s feelings for you, it would not be too difficult to convince him to let you ride with him.” He thought about it for a moment and then nodded determinedly. “Yes. This will work. Spend some time with him. Convince him otherwise. I know he’ll listen to you.”

“Jamil that’s-!” Yuu began to protest when a loud horn rang through the courtyard. Jamil shot them an apologetic look as he began to pull away.

“Trust me!” He called over his shoulder as he rushed off leaving Yuu feeling flabbergasted and off kilter.

A million thoughts were swirling through Yuu’s mind so fast they could hardly focus on one before another took its place. Among those a few stuck out though. What had Jamil meant by supporting them against his better judgment? Why was he so convinced Yuu could sway Kalim’s decision? Or better yet, what exactly had Grim and Yuu gotten themselves into by accepting breakfast yesterday?

A sudden realization struck Yuu like a train and they gasped in horror, earning them a concerned look from Grim.

They’d completely forgotten to ask about their missing cellphone.

Notes:

Semester is over so I will have a little more time to work on this story hopefully. I'll try to post more often but at the very least there will still be a guaranteed one chapter a month.

I haven't started on the next chapter yet, but I believe (if I don't go too off track) we should be seeing the Octotrio then~ I was hoping to introduce them at the end of this one, but Kalim decided he wanted a whole scene to himself so that took up a big chunk of this chapter. But that's okay because Kalim is best boy~

I hope school is going well for you folks who are still in school and life is going well for you other out-of-school folks. And I hope you all have a great winter~

Chapter 27

Notes:

Happy Holidays~ I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas for those of you that celebrate!

I hoped to get this chapter out on Christmas Eve or Christmas day but it unfortunately did not work out that way. But here it is now, and I hope you enjoy~

Yuu wasn’t answering their texts.

Riddle wondered if perhaps he was simply doing something wrong. It had only been a few months since he’d gotten his first cellphone, roughly the same period Cater had procured one for Yuu actually, and yet the omega was far more adept at operating the infuriating device than he was. Apparently they had similar devices back in their home dimension, identical down to even the design and nomenclature, which Riddle found curious as he always did at the similarities between their worlds.

But this couldn’t be the case as Trey texted him back without issue and Riddle received no less than a dozen texts from Cater before noon. It was truly a wonder how the latter managed to keep his grades up when he was habitually on his phone to an obsessive degree. Riddle himself didn’t text often, but the friends that he did always texted back in a timely manner— Yuu was no exception.

So it was concerning that the omega had not texted him back in over a day now.

To be perfectly honest, Riddle was feeling just a bit lonely. He had yet to leave the house since coming back and so far the only people he’d seen were the family chauffeur, the maids, and his mother. Father was still off at parliament dealing with the current election season and would not be home for some time yet— if he came home at all during the break. And Mother, well… She was still avoiding meeting Riddle’s eyes, though this had not stopped her from dictating to him his entire schedule for the break. It had only been a few days since winter vacation began and Riddle was hesitant to… Break her rules yet . Even the thought of it sent a shiver up his spine, a dreadful sense of wrongness that he could not shake, and a reminder of how far upside down his world had been tilted in the past few months.

Yuu’s voice echoed in his head.

Let the walls crumble.

Riddle let out a sigh and set down his pen, his studies all but forgotten. He should study, he knew, should keep up with Mother’s schedule, and yet…

He glanced over at his cellphone sat face down on his desk. Mother still didn’t know he had one and would likely confiscate it if she did. But no matter how wrong it felt to defy her, Riddle would not allow her to cut his only form of contact with his future mate and his omega. He was done with her and his own imposed isolation. He may still be too much of a coward to confront her about her tyrannical rules, but in this… In this…

… In this Riddle could be bold.

He held onto that feeling and, in a moment of impulsivity, seized his phone as if it were a lifeline. His last conversation was still open on the screen upon unlocking it: Trey wishing him a good morning next to a pictograph of a face winking and blowing a kiss. Riddle still did not understand how these pictographs worked (“Riddle! Yikes-a-saurus! You sound like you’re 50 years old! LMAO, it’s called an emoji !”), but accepted that it was simply a part of texting culture he’d eventually pick up on (hopefully). At least these made more sense than the excess inclusion of hashtags Cater felt the need to tack on at the end of all of his posts. That Riddle truly could not wrap his head around.

Biting his lip, Riddle hastily composed a message and pressed send before he could second guess himself. Then he slammed the phone down on the desk with flustered haste and buried his face in his hands.

Trey, as impeccable and diligent as always, responded almost immediately. And as desperate as Riddle had been to look away from the screen, he just as desperately flipped over his phone and drank in the response the moment he heard the notification chime.

Riddle: I would like to see you. Would our tree be an acceptable place to meet?

Trey: of course. :)

Trey: what time?

Riddle gave it a thought. He glanced at his door, then down at his study material, then out the window, then back at the door again, and finally settled back on the phone screen.

Bold. He need only be bold.

Riddle: Now, if that is acceptable.

~*~

Yuu wondered how they found themself in this situation.

It was still early in the day and yet the desert already felt sweltering. Perhaps it was that they’d grown used to the cooling temperatures of the Sage Islands but the heat of Scarabia was on the cusp of turning unbearable. It did not help that the sway of the elephant beneath them was making Yuu feel violently nauseous.

And it’s not as if they were doing anything significant up here. As adamant as Jamil was that Kalim would listen to them, the latter was too busy standing at the edge of the palanquin and barking orders down at the suffering students to even pay Yuu much mind. And regardless, Yuu wasn’t feeling particularly inclined to speak with the man who had ordered their and Grim’s detention. They weren’t sure what to make of Kalim– much less what to say to him.

Yuu cursed themself for forgetting their previous reaction to riding an elephant. Yes it had been in a dream, but really that should have made it all the more obvious that this was not going to end well if they were feeling sick even in a dream. What was worse was the forming knot of tension in their skull– a nausea-induced migraine no doubt. Yuu would’ve liked nothing more in that moment than for someone to put them out of their misery.

A particularly harsh sway of the beast beneath them caused Yuu to involuntarily retch. Nothing came up but action alone had the omega groaning in misery.

This, at least, seemed to draw Kalim’s attention at long last.

His harsh and cold gaze rounded over to Yuu at the sound, but within seconds there was a furrow to his brow and concern and realization in his eyes.

“Yuu! You’re sick!”

Yuu wanted to retort that they had been sick since the day before, which was the whole reason they were up here in this damnable palanquin in the first place instead of down on the ground with their pup! But the fear of actually throwing up stayed their tongue and Yuu only forced out a grunt of acknowledgement instead.

Kalim gave the students below him one last stern order to keep marching before turning and hurrying over to a bag he had brought with him. He rummaged about and fished out a stainless steel thermo flask and hurried over to Yuu’s side.

“You should have said something sooner,” he said with concern, his tone a far-cry from what it had just been a moment ago. His entire demeanor seemed to have shifted but Yuu felt too nauseous to call him out on it. Instead they allowed the bipolar alpha to fret over them as he quickly poured a cup of something hot and steaming into the lid of the flask and pressed it into Yuu’s hand. “Here. Jamil packed this for you this morning. It's a ginger tea from Scalding Sands. It should help with the sickness and nausea!”

Yuu had no energy to argue and sipped from the tea gratefully. While coffee was their usual M.O., at the moment the ginger tea was like liquid ambrosia down their throat. Their headache and nausea did not vanish but Yuu was still surprised to find that they felt a little better within a few sips. Could it be infused with   magic?

Also when had Jamil had the time to prepare this for them? Sure Scarabia was all about foresight and such but this was preparedness to an absurd level!

Within minutes, their migraine had faded to something a little more manageable and their roiling stomach had settled for the moment. It was then that Yuu realized that Kalim was sitting and watching them very intently, hunched over with his hands on the ground and staring at them as if he were trying to figure out something. Upon realizing that Yuu had noticed his staring, Kalim seized up and hastily looked away, bashfully scratching the back of his head.

The familiar sensation of butterflies filled Yuu’s stomach at the sight, the feeling strangely involuntary. Of course Yuu wasn’t immune to being flustered, but they couldn’t recall the last time they reacted so strongly to a crush. Usually, it took actually getting to know the person first before Yuu could even form an inkling of a crush. Leona, for instance, had been a shameless flirt since the moment they’d met the infuriatingly smug alpha. But Yuu had been relatively immune to his advances at first because they hadn’t had reciprocating feelings. And by time they had reciprocated, Yuu and Leona had grown close enough that this level of flusteredness just wasn’t tenable.

Kalim was practically a stranger to them. And yet sometime in the last 24 hours these overwhelming feelings of fondness and affection had somehow snuck up on Yuu, to the point even Jamil had somehow noticed! And stranger yet, Yuu was struggling to reconcile these compelling affections with the horror they felt at witnessing Kalim’s acts of tyranny. Even now, looking at him, a wave of warmth passed through Yuu’s chest and they couldn’t resist melting a bit when Kalim peaked over at them from the corner of his eyes, his cheeks dark. Yuu felt like a high schooler again.

“Thank you for the tea,” Yuu murmured at last, breaking the charged silence. This would be the first time the two had spoken since earlier that morning.

“Of course,” Kalim beamed at them. “But it was Jamil who made it. You’ll have to thank him later!”

Yuu nodded stiffly and licked their lips, setting the now empty lid to the side and sat up straighter. They attempted to look as non threatening as possible, with arms at the side and body-language as relaxed as they could make it considering the circumstances. Jamil’s plea echoed in their head and Yuu knew that they had to at least try to… Convince him. If not for their own sake, then for the sake of all of Scarabia.

“I guess you changed your mind then…” Yuu began carefully, gauging Kalim for a reaction.

He stared at them blankly for a moment, as if the statement had not entirely registered in his head. Kalim opened his mouth and took in a breath as if about to respond but then paused. His jaw clicked shut and his brows furrowed.

“Oh!” Suddenly Kalim was laughing in embarrassment. “That- Actually, I thought about it more and decided that it would be best to keep everyone here. It’s too important to just let everyone home when we’re ranked at the bottom in every category!”

That… Was just the same explanation they’d discussed just that morning. Was Kalim being coy on purpose? He didn’t explain why he changed his mind. So Yuu asked as such.

“No reason really,” Kalim replied. “Maybe I was sleep deprived when we talked earlier? It’s very clear to me now that this is the right way forward.”

“Keeping everyone away from their families over the holidays and forcing them to do extreme workouts and into extreme time constraints?” Yuu could not have kept the incredulousness out of their voice if they tried. And yet, Kalim did not seem to pick up on the sarcasm.

“It’s the right thing to do,” Kalim repeated as if Yuu’s words had flown right over his head. They were alarmed by the kind and friendly smile he shot them as he proclaimed this.

“Then what about me? Why keep Grim and I here? We aren’t Scarabia students.”

“Oh! Well the two of you are guests here,” he said. “It only makes sense that you participate while you’re here! Besides, I have to get to know you better. How can I do that if you leave?”

“Have to.” Not “Want to.” Yuu wasn’t sure what this distinction meant, just that it stuck out to them as a peculiar way to have said it. And even so, did Kalim not recognize how absurd such a statement was? He was keeping the two of them here against their wills because he wanted to get to know Yuu better? Where had the introspective and emotionally intelligent boy from the night gone? Yuu felt as if they were staring at a complete stranger.

“Kalim… I know you have… Feelings for me.” Yuu struggled to get the words out and couldn’t even look Kalim right in the eye as they said it. The butterflies returned with a vengeance and Yuu knew that their cheeks were flushed red from how hot they burned. Saying it aloud felt like they were admitting something. Manifesting it into the world. Declaring it real. “But, that’s not an excuse for how you’re treating me. You can’t just keep people here.”

Kalim tilted his head to the side in confusion. “But I can? I told everyone not to let you leave.”

What?

Yuu shook their head, wondering if they heard that right.

“Ah, are you feeling dizzy again, Yuu? Here. Have some more tea!”

Yuu gaped at the alpha as he rushed to refill the lid with more steaming ginger tea. He looked so legitimately concerned that it was messing with Yuu’s brain. Nothing about this was making any sort of sense. Was this how the students of Scarabia felt everyday? How had this behavior gone unnoticed?

Ah. Right. Yuu was forgetting who the headmage of this school was. Of course this whole shit show managed to slip under the radar– or had been swept under the rug. Yuu was willing to bet that even if they had their phone, that bird-brained kook would not answer his call anyway. He’d been in a fucking aloha shirt last they saw him. An aloha shirt!

“Kalim, I don’t want any tea,” Yuu said with a groan as they pinched the bridge of their nose and pushed the cup away. They ignored the pang of guilt they felt at Kalim’s sad puppy-dog pout. “I need you to let me leave.”

“You can! We just have to finish the training camp first! That should give us plenty of time to bond!” He beamed at them in excitement.

“No, Kalim,” Yuu stressed. It felt like they were talking to a memory-care patient who just could not process logical thought. Or a five-year-old. “It’s wrong to keep us here. Listen, I like you too but you need to understand that I’m already in a relationship. Two in fact!”

“That’s alright,” Kalim said. “We don’t have to court right away! Like I said, we just have to get to know each other better.” He said ‘have to’ again, Yuu noted. “Besides, you would have to meet my parents first anyway! You’ll need to be vetted out and my engagement will probably have to be called off. But we can worry about all that later!”

Engagement. Kalim was engaged and was willing to throw it all away for some random beta he had only met a week ago?

Every sentence out of his mouth was more alarming than the last. A doctor. Yuu was now convinced that Kalim Al-Asim needed to see a doctor. This was either poison or magic or some kind of mind sickness. But magic felt like the most likely suspect. Yuu could think of no other explanation for why Kalim should be behaving the way he was when he’d been perfectly reasonable up until this point.

And the way he’d spoken to his dorm members earlier… The coldness in his eyes. The inhumanity in which he considered the very lives he held in his hands. The whiplash of emotion as he jumped between joyfulness and unfeeling anger… Yuu needed to tread carefully. He was kind to them now, yes, due to his feelings for them, but who was to say when that would change?

A sudden horrible realization startled Yuu, so strong they physically jumped at the thought, garnering them a concerned look from Kalim.

What if… What if Kalim’s sudden feelings for them were also a product of whatever influence he was under?

~*~

The entire dorm managed to make it to the oasis without much issue.

“Issue” in this case meant students overheating. Their group was fortunate that no one passed out on the trek as the sun crept higher and higher into the sky. Kalim, once he’d turned his attention away from Yuu, seemed to immediately revert back to his previous callous self, further cementing Yuu’s suspicions about magic being involved. And that his sudden devotion to them was less than sincere. Yuu may not fully understand how magic worked in this world, but they had been a student of the prestigious Night Raven College for an entire semester. Enough to at least suspect the involvement of magic.

Regardless, Yuu was no mage themself and as far as they were concerned there was no one they could safely ask to check Kalim for magical influence. What was mostly confounding Yuu was the fact that they knew such mind control magic could not be easily cast. If they’d learned anything from all the strange folk and mages they’ve met and all the lessons their professors tried to drill into their head, it was this– Magic always came at a cost. And from Yuu’s experience, mind control was not something any random mage could cast on a whim.

You had to be powerful. You had to be experienced.

And looking around at the sorry bunch of Scarabia students panting and struggling to stay standing, lest Kalim begin barking at them for being lazy again, Yuu was finding it hard to believe such a thing could be accomplished by anyone here. People Yuu could believe could pull something like this off? Azul for sure. Riddle and Leona as well could possibly be powerful enough to do so, but the blot accumulation would be astronomical.

But from what they’d heard from both Kalim and Jamil, there was no end to the number of people who would be perfectly willing to sabotage Kalim, whom Yuu now knew to be the heir to the Asim family, one of the most ancient and powerful lineages in the Scalding Sand– if not, the world.

If only they could find their phone, Yuu would call either Leona or Riddle for help. Riddle would probably blow a casket when he found out what was happening, but surely as a noble and a Prince, they would be more familiar with this type of sabotaging magic? Or, if not magic, then some sort of poison? Of course, Jamil apparently taste tested all of Kalim’s food so the latter was a bit more unlikely.

And Yuu did not think poison could induce someone to fall in love with someone else. Professor Crewel was pretty adamant when the topic came up that “love potions” were not only highly illegal, but also extremely difficult and expensive to produce. So why would someone seeking to sabotage Kalim use it to make him fall in love with Yuu of all people? It made no sense.

Unless they knew you were an omega , an insidious voice said inside Yuu’s head. But they quickly dismissed the thought. Even that did not make any sense.

Honestly, none of this was making much sense.

“I’m dying!” Grim exclaimed dramatically as he dragged himself over to Yuu once they were off of the elephant (thank the gods), and he threw himself onto Yuu’s legs. He had the audacity to shoot them a betrayed expression as if Yuu had asked to get a ride on that nausea-inducing death-trap. “My legs are like jelly and I think I’m going to die of thirst.”

While Yuu felt plenty of sympathy for the little beast, they also couldn’t help but remark, “you’re talking an awful lot for someone who is ‘dying of thirst’,” they said dryly.

“You can’t say anything!” Grim whined, “You got to lounge around in that shady palanquin while I had to trek the entire way here!”

“Well, we did come to an oasis,” Yuu said, finally taking a moment to look around. They’d spent most of the ride with their head buried in their arms as even the ginger tea had not been enough to stave off the nausea forever. As such, they’d missed most of the scenery coming here. But Yuu distinctly remembered being told that their destination was the “Easter Oasis”.

So where was the water?

Glancing around, the first noticeable thing were the almost-lifeless trees dotting the area in little clusters. They were gray, tilting over and dangling towards the ground sadly, and looked like they were on their very last legs– or roots. The second thing to be noticed was the large recession in the landscape where sand gave way to cracked and bone-dry mud.

The oasis was dead. There was no water to be found here.

“There’s no water!” Grim exclaimed at the very moment Yuu came to the same realization. “Agh! My throat is dry as bone! I… Need… Water…”

As dramatic as Grim was prone to being, Yuu was now growing concerned. It had taken them over an hour to reach the oasis and neither Yuu nor Grim had had time to prepare any water. Grim may be a fire monster, but he still needed to eat and drink just as the rest of them. He could not go too long without.

“Water?”

Yuu startled and spun around, catching sight of Kalim and Jamil approaching them near the edge of the empty oasis.

“You need water?” Kalim asked again.

For a moment, Yuu feared that he was going to say or do something bad. But then Kalim was grinning at them. He looked past Yuu and Grim and took in the empty oasis and then stretched out his hands, cracking his knuckles.

“Hang on tight, everyone,” the suddenly cheerful-again Housewarden exclaimed. He reached his hands up into the air and grinned up at the sky. “Oasis Maker!”

There was not a single cloud in the desert sky. The sun hung high above them, beaming down hot and vengeful. And yet, within a moment, even though nothing in the sky or environment had changed, Yuu felt a sudden shift in temperature.

The air grew… Moist. The temperature dropped from unbearably hot to something cooler and more pleasant.

And suddenly there were large droplets of water raining from seemingly nowhere in the sky.

Yuu was so in awe at the sudden change that they nearly missed the aggravated hiss below them. Their head snapped down in time to witness Grim glaring at the sky as water began to rain down onto them, sizzling where they met the fire burning from his ears. Alarmed, Yuu threw themself over Grim in an effort to shield him from the sudden rain.

Yuu glared up at Kalim, “Grim is a fire monster! He can’t get wet!”

Kalim was caught off guard by the sudden outburst, his hands stayed frozen in the air as he stared at them with wide ruby eyes.

“Kalim,” Jamil hissed. “Your coat!”

“Ah! Right!” The Housewarden shucked off his sleeveless coat in a hurry and quickly passed it to Yuu who rushed to cover Grim up so that his ears were safe from being drenched. Kalim hovered over them in concern the entire time. “Oh no! Is Grim okay? I didn’t realize that he couldn’t get wet! Gah- I’m so sorry!”

“This wouldn’t have been an issue if you had just let us leave in the first place!” Yuu snapped without thinking.

Kalim’s mouth clicked shut audibly. He stared at them with wide eyes and Yuu couldn’t help but feel immediately bad upon seeing his clearly hurt expression. In the rain, his silver hair shone even brighter, reflecting back the sun’s beams. Yuu’s chest tightened with warring emotion and they forced themself to look away, feeling deeply conflicted.

They needed to call someone as soon as possible. If they couldn’t find their phone, they’ll have to ask someone else for theirs. This madness had gone on long enough.

“I’m sorry…” Kalim repeated in a softer voice. He sounded like a drowned kitten.

Jamil only sighed from beside him.

The tense moment did not last for long though as voices of awe rose up from around them. Students gathered at the once bone-dry oasis and watched as it began to fill rapidly, at a rate that seemed physically impossible. A few looked eager to jump in but then paused, shooting nervous looks over at their Housewarden.

Kalim glanced over at the gathered crowd. Everyone seemed to tense up. But then Kalim smiled brightly at them all.

“Go ahead! We can take a break here!” Though he smiled, Yuu could see that it did not fully reach his eyes.

All of Scarabia glanced at one another before bursting into action, unwilling to waste this rare opportunity when their Housewarden was being reasonable. A few students began to shuck off their clothes but most of them simply jumped into the water fully clothed, whooping and cheering as they enjoyed the refreshing water.

Yuu glanced up at Jamil and the two of them shared a dubious expression. Yuu opened their mouth to speak but Jamil shook his head, making it clear they would speak again later.

Though, to be honest, Yuu wasn’t sure they wanted to share their suspicions with Jamil anyway. Yuu didn’t particularly suspect Jamil considering his devotion to Kalim (or, at least, the Asian family) and he was about average when it came to magical ability and his grades (or so Yuu had learned). But still, they could not simply cross anyone off their list.

Jamil would know best, though, who Kalim’s enemies could be which made it a tricky subject. Yuu wasn’t sure what they wanted to do yet.

At the very least, Kalim seemed to be reasonable again.

For now.

~*~

Trey was waiting under their tree with a box stamped with his family’s bakery logo. He always liked to spoil Riddle like that.

But Riddle didn’t care for a strawberry tart at the moment. He wanted something else more.

Trey gave an oomph when Riddle threw his arms around the tall beta’s neck and pulled him down for a kiss. Trey’s lips were warm as they met his, minty fresh as he was as obsessed with oral hygiene as Riddle was with maintaining order. But his breath was hot and tasted just like Trey himself: marigold and fresh baked bread. Kissing Trey felt like coming home and Riddle's heart swelled with affection that he had never known in this lifetime.

Mine the alpha within him growled as he wrapped his arms tighter around Trey’s neck. There was a thump beside them as Trey dropped the pastry box onto the ground and curled his strong arms around Riddle’s waist, lifting the smaller alpha up and off the ground so that they were at the same level, the panes of their bodies pressed close and intimately together.

This kiss was far beyond anything they had done before. It was hot and heavy and Riddle felt lightheaded but so incredibly good . He wanted to devore this gorgeous beta beneath him. Wanted to tie Trey down and never let him out of his sight again. Their lips met again and again until they were both gasping for breath.

Finally they broke apart when it became apparent that neither of them could go on without breathing. Trey pressed his forehead to Riddles as they just stayed there, breathing heavily, their unique scents wrapping together until it created something wholly new and beautiful.

“That…” Trey began with an embarrassed cough.

Riddle hummed, his own cheeks bright red and flushed. He wasn’t sure if he could speak in that moment without risking a growl or a moan.

But a moment later they were both chuckling and giggling and Riddle suddenly felt like he was twelve years old again, sneaking out and flirting with the neighborhood baker’s boy, pledging himself to be Trey’s omega.

That obviously was not how things had turned out. But this… This was good too.

They eventually broke apart, albeit reluctantly, and sat down to enjoy the tart Trey brought, and to talk. But unlike before, this time the two of them sat pressed up against each other, seemingly unable to get enough of each other’s touch.

“I was a bit worried,” Trey murmured with a low chuckle. “When you sent me that text. I was worried something happened with your mother.”

Riddle grimaced as he played with Trey’s fingers, running his own down the pads and grooves and divots of Trey’s hands, trying to commit every part of the beta to memory. “I haven’t talked to her yet. I’ve barely seen her outside of her giving me my assignments. She… She still won’t look me in the eye.”

As horrible as she had been to him all these years now that Riddle recognized the abuse for what it was… She was still his mother. His only mother. The one who cleaned him up as a toddler when he’d fallen and scraped his knees, the one who held him and comforted him when he had nightmares, and the one who’d loved and cared for him when his own father was constantly absent from work. Riddle did not want to lose his mother despite everything.

Trey pressed his cheek down onto Riddle’s head and his chest tumbled in a way that meant he was attempting to comfort him. The sentiment was received and Riddle squeezed his hand in response.

“I’m still working up to courage,” Riddle admitted. “I know I made it seem like I would, but I’m not quite ready.”

“That’s fine,” Trey reassured. “Go at your own pace. This isn’t something you should do when you aren’t ready. We know you’ll be able to when you are.”

We . Trey was talking about Yuu.

“Have you heard from them today?” Riddle inquired. “They haven’t texted me back. I know I’m not too familiar with… Texting.” He grimaced as he said this and Trey barked out a laugh. “But Yuu is usually very prompt in responding. And yet I haven’t heard from them in over a day.”

The smile slipped off Trey’s face and he hummed in agreement. “I haven’t. I’ve been concerned about that too. Have you heard anything from Deuce or Ace? Or Cater for that matter?”

Riddle shook his head.

“I’ll message Cater now,” Trey announced, pulling out his phone.

Within seconds of messaging Cater there was a response. By the look on Trey’s face, it was as Riddle feared: Yuu hadn’t been responding to Cater either.

What happened?

“Maybe they misplaced their phone,” Trey murmured but they both felt the dubiousness behind that statement. For whatever reason, Yuu was like a magnet for trouble. Riddle felt as if every time he looked away for just a moment, Yuu was caught up in another disaster.

What kind of person witnesses three overblots within the span of a few months? It was astronomically improbable. Not to mention somehow getting dumped in an entirely different universe. Perhaps the unfortunate omega was cursed, but Yuu insisted that they had no magic in their own world— a claim further supported by the Dark Mirror clearly announcing during the opening ceremony that they had no magical core.

A person with no magical core should theoretically be dead. Even people without the ability to do magic had magical cores— albeit, very small ones. If Riddle had not met Yuu in person, he would’ve doubted their very existence. It was the same reason blot was so dangerous, as it consumed more and more of the mage’s magic until the core itself was completely gone, leaving the mage an empty husk, unable to sustain life.

Yuu’s very existence violated so many laws of physics and magic that it still sometimes amazed Riddle that he got to get to know them. Adding the fact on top that they were an omega was sometimes incomprehensible. And that Riddle got to be friends with them? To court them? Sometimes it felt like a dream that he feared he’d wake up from one day.

But Trey’s body by his side was very much solid and real. This was real. Riddle actually had snuck out of the house and defied his mother. He was courting his childhood love. He had an amazing omega waiting for him back on campus (even if they did have to go home eventually). This was real .

What was also very real was Yuu’s penchant for getting caught up in trouble, with or without their active involvement. And that they weren’t responding to anyone’s texts did not bode well. Trey might’ve suggested that they lost their phone but somehow they both knew this could not be the case.

“How difficult would it be to make our way back to campus?” Trey wondered aloud.

Riddle’s expression darkened.

His mother was going to blow a casket.

~*~

“I take it the talk went well?” Jamil inquired. The two of them were sitting off to the side in the Scarabia lounge talking in hushed voices. He glanced over at Kalim who was cheerfully conversing with a couple of students, both of whom looked a bit uncomfortable. “He seems better than he was before.”

Yuu sucked in a sharp breath and held their breath as they attempted to figure out what to say. After their conversation with Kalim (only on the way to the Oasis as Yuu had opted to walk back) they now had their suspicions, but they were not sure if they were ready to say those suspicions out loud just yet. They’d only known Jamil for a couple days after all and, though he seemed upstanding and dutiful, they had no idea how much they could trust him.

How much they could trust anyone really.

Perhaps the entire situation with Azul and the Leech brothers had made Yuu too suspicious…

“I’m not sure. Kalim is… Confusing,” Yuu settled on. They sighed. “He seems to jump back and forth between these two personas. I’m not sure what is real and what is what. He…” Yuu trailed off and looked over at Kalim forlornly. Their chest ached at the sight of him. If things were just a bit more clear, a little less messy… They would have delighted in these newfound feelings, in his feelings for them in return. But between keeping them captive here and their suspicions that his affections were magically induced…

Yuu has had enough of consent violation to last them a lifetime. To wake up and discover that the feelings someone had for you were possibly fake? Were induced against their will? It made Yuu sick to the stomach. No matter how they felt for Kalim in return, they refused to engage with him in such a way until they knew for sure where his feelings truly lay. Yuu would not be a monster.

“He certainly seems better after spending time with you,” Jamil said. His voice grew more hushed, “I really did mean what I said before. I know it is unorthodox, but I would support you and Kalim. I think you somehow make him a better person.”

Yuu looked up at him quizzically. “Unorthodox?”

Sure an alpha-beta relationship may be unorthodox back in their home dimension, but this was Twisted Wonderland. This was a world where omegas made up less than 0.003% of the population. Yuu was under the impression alpha-beta couples were fairly normal here. No one seemed to blink an eye at Trey and Riddle’s relationship. So what was so strange about it?

“Just… You know.”

Yuu blinked at Jamil slowly, not understanding at all.

Jamil tilted his head to the side as if he were confused by Yuu’s bafflement. “The… Asim family heir is supposed to marry someone of higher social standings. An omega, typically. It’s always been done that way… I thought you were aware.”

Yuu shook their head. “You know that I’m from a different world, right?”

Jamil frowned at them. “I was aware. No offense, but I figured it was common sense that the alpha heir of a powerful family would naturally mate an omega. Is that not how it is in your world?”

“I mean, it is ,” Yuu said. “But not in the way that you probably think. I always forget that people aren’t aware of this but omegas make up around 30% of the population back in my home dimension. The only reason rich alphas always marry omegas is because alpha-alpha and alpha-beta relationships are frowned upon in most regions in my own world. Most alphas mate with an omega where I’m from, regardless of wealth or social standings.”

Jamil’s eyes were wide as he listened to this explanation. People always seemed to react this way when Yuu dropped this information bombshell. But it was kind of nice that, for once, the person Yuu was telling it to did not know that Yuu themself was an omega. There was something refreshing about watching Jamil process this information but without relating it directly back to Yuu.

Maybe Yuu should share this tidbit more often, they thought to themself in amusement.

“Kalim did mention an engagement,” Yuu said, suddenly remembering that piece of information.

Jamil, who seemed to still be a bit dazed from Yuu’s information bomb, nonetheless still nodded in affirmation. “Kalim is engaged to an omega named Khadijah. She’s a bit older than he is and… Well she’s perfectly fine, but I just never got the sense that Kalim liked her very much.”

“I was under the impression that Kalim liked everyone.”

Jamil laughed, “Kalim is… Ceaselessly welcoming– he used to be, at least.” Jamil’s expressions darkened. “He doesn’t dislike anyone, if that is what you are wondering. He has always been courteous with Khadijah. But I’ve known him my entire life. The way he acts around her compared to the way he acts around his siblings or his friends–”

“You?” Yuu asked.

Jamil nodded. “Me and my baby sister… It is not the same. It is a perfectly good betrothal as most alphas are not fortunate enough to be able to mate an omega…”

“... But Kalim is not into her,” Yuu finished for him.

He sighed loudly. “Unfortunately. And now that he has met you… I am bid to serve my master in any way that I can. Kalim’s happiness and wellbeing is my top priority. So though the two of you will be in much hot water when the time comes… I will pledge my support.”

That was a very kind thing to say, if Yuu wasn’t so sure that Kalim’s feelings were not real. This new information was making Yuu’s brain tick. So Kalim was engaged to some upper class omega (were all omegas considered upper class then?). So did someone not want him to marry her? Did someone in her family dislike Kalim? Or did someone want Khadijah’s hand for their own?

Was this all just a scheme to break this betrothal? And if so, how did making Kalim act like a bipolar tyrant at school help with such an endeavor? Why involve Yuu specifically?

Hadn’t Jamil been the one to invite Yuu to Scarabia in the first place?

Yuu was immediately suspicious of the man before them before the feeling washed away just as fast when they remembered that they had accidentally stumbled into Jamil themself. In fact, they had agreed to show up. If this had been the plan from the beginning, surely it would ride on the flimsy chance that Yuu would agree to go to Scarabia. What if Yuu had said no? Considering this, Jamil probably was not the perpetrator. He was too obvious of a choice.

“Jamil! I’m going to get some more crackers for Grim!”

Yuu and Jamil both looked up in time to see Kalim excitedly depositing a sleepy Grim onto a cushion before darting out of the room. Jamil’s eyes widened and his teeth clenched with anxiety.

“Don’t just go off on your own! And don’t run in the hallways!” Jamil shouted down the hallway. He cursed beneath his breath and turned to shoot Yuu a quick apologetic look before dashing after his Housewarden.

Yuu sighed. Outside, the sun crept to the zenith of the sky and Yuu was glad to be indoors in the shade. They were all fortunate that whatever influence Kalim had been under had not come back since the march out to the Oasis. While Kalim did insist that the students do some studying, for the most part they had been allowed to have the morning to lounge about and enjoy the day. It was a much needed respite after the grueling march earlier.

This reminded Yuu that they actually had not eaten anything other than that ginger tea and they were, in fact, fairly hungry. Food had been laid out in platters in the central area of the lounge for anyone to pass by and pick at (after Kalim had made his plate first, of course). Yuu and Grim still could not leave lest the other students attempt to stop them, so they might as well enjoy the food at the very least.

Grim, at least, looked full and content after being hand-fed by Kalim for the last half hour. As usual, he was already dead to the world, sleeping away all their woes. Yuu wasn’t sure whether they should roll their eyes or coo at him. What they really should focus on was feeding themself before they fainted from hunger.

With this in mind, Yuu stood and made their way over to the buffet, stomach rumbling at the sights and smells. Nothing against Heartslabyul’s unbirthday parties, but Scarabia did food on a whole different level. The spicy aroma alone was enough to have Yuu’s mouth salivating.

It was when Yuu started to fill up a platter themself that they realized several people sitting nearby were staring at them.

No. Not staring.

Glaring .

When Yuu stopped to stare back questionably, one of the students, a beta, seemed to work up the nerve to say something.

“We all know what you’re trying to do,” he snapped. He looked back at his friends nervously who all nodded at him encouragingly. This seemed to invigorate him because he turned back to glare at Yuu with newfound vitriol and anger. “We’ve all heard the rumors about you, Prefect .” He spat their title at them.

The entire lounge fell quiet and there was now a gathering of students around them, watching the scene unfold. Something like dread unfurled in Yuu’s chest as they stared back at the angry beta with confusion.

“And what rumors are those exactly?” Yuu asked.

“Don’t play coy,” the man hissed back. “Rosehearts? Kingscholar? And now Kalim Al-Asim ? Don’t pretend you don’t know exactly what you are doing, whore .”

The insult felt like a slap to the face. Yuu’s eyes widened. Their hunger and plate of food was forgotten entirely as their vision and attention honed in on the furious beta slinging insane accusations at them.

The beta scoffed at Yuu’s confused expression.

“You think you can just waltz in here and seduce the Asim family heir? You’ve already got Rosehearts and Kingscholar wrapped around your fingers. How much more greedy can you get?” A couple of folks voiced their agreement in the crowd and Yuu felt themself pale. “You think you’re the only beta who wouldn’t like to get their dirty paws on the Asim family name? Even if the Asim family would accept a random no-named beta, what gives you the right to come in here and snag Kalim up all on your own? You aren’t even from the Scalding Sands!”

“Kalim isn’t an object for anyone to ‘snap up’ ,” Yuu snapped back instinctively and immediately regretted it when the beta grew red in the face. They were immensely aware of how surrounded they were. “Also… I thought you guys weren’t happy with Kalim.”

The beta scoffed again.  “So? You think any of us here would actually go against the Asim family ? We know our place, unlike you. If the Asim family says to jump, we jump. If Kalim orders us to stay behind…” He frowned here. “It doesn’t matter how we feel. We do it. And we certainly don’t go around seducing heirs and princes of powerful families.”

“I’m not seducing anyone-”

The alpha beside the beta Yuu had been talking to scoffed as well. “Oh please. We all saw you cuddling up to him this morning while the rest of us were forced to march. Pretending to be sick and riding in the palanquin and getting Kalim to fret all over you? It’s ridiculous that you’re even trying to pretend otherwise.”

“I’m not-”

Yuu was cut off by the rise of voices. Some students actually looked dubious of these accusations, thankfully, glancing around with uncertainty. Some raised voices protesting the sudden mob. But too many of the faces in the crowd watched Yuu with angry eyes. They were no longer listening to Yuu, if they ever were in the first place. But looking around Yuu was unsure of how to get themself out of this situation. Yuu did not like to think that anyone would become violent but they didn’t know Scarabia house well, and everyone here had been put under a lot of duress recently. Tensions were running high.

Stressed out people made stupid decisions. And no one was willing to take their frustrations out on the source.

Yuu must’ve been the next best thing.

Was this what it would’ve been like had Leona not had the full respect and control of Savanaclaw? Yuu knew that they sat high on the pecking order in that dorm simply because of who they were to Leona, but no one dared to voice any criticisms if they had any. They simply respected (and feared) Leona enough to do so. And in Heartslabyul… Those students had seen first hand how Yuu’s influence had, in part, mellowed their Housewarden, transforming him from a hated tyrant to a respected leader. Respect out of fear or respect out of merit… In the end the result was the same, Yuu was welcomed and safe in those dorms.

There was no such respect to be found here. Only some terrible combination of pity and hatred.

The omega quickly zoned in on where Grim was still napping, oblivious to the world, and glanced around with a calculating stare, trying to figure out the best path to get to their charge and leave. Perhaps with everyone so goddamn unhappy with their presence here, they’ll actually allow Yuu to leave the dorm.

Yuu took a cautious step towards Grim.

“And where do you think you’re going?” The upstart beta snapped when he’d noticed their retreat. “You think you can get out of this without answering?”

“It’s clear that my presence isn’t wanted here,” Yuu said as neutrally as they could, given the anger bubbling up in their own chest. “So I’ll do all of us a favor and just go back to my own dorm like I wanted to do in the first place. ”

“What? And leave us all to deal with the fallout of disobeying Kalim’s direct order?” The beta replied incredulously. To Yuu’s further alarm, even the students who had been dubious of this sudden aggression seemed to agree with this statement. Was no one going to take their side? “I don’t think so, whore -“

“ Excuse me? ”

It was as if lighting had struck the center of the room. Every single body jolted and became paralyzed at the dark tone. No one dared to move a single muscle aside from glancing over to the lounge entrance where Kalim Al-Asim stood.

His face lacked its previous warmth. There was no smile to be found on his lips. His ruby eyes burned with a cold fury and cruelty that was at odds with the rest of his soft features and laugh lines.

“Well?” Kalim asked, his gazed honed in on the beta who had been disparaging Yuu.

“I-I-” The boy stuttered, clutching his pants for dear life. His eyes were wide with fright and Yuu almost felt a twinge of pity for him.

Almost.

“I’m very sorry, Kalim!” The beta shouted, dropping to the floor and posturing himself before the Housewarden. The students around him, even the friends who had encouraged him before, parted like the red sea, giving him such a wide-berth of space he could’ve been mistaken for someone with a contagious disease. No one stepped up to his defense.

“Ten laps,” was Kalim’s only reply.

The boy glanced up, fear in his eyes. “T-ten laps? Around t-the c-courtyard? Y-yes, sir!”

“I didn’t say anything about the courtyard,” Kalim said cruelly. “Ten laps… Around the dorm.”

You could almost feel the collective wince go through the crowd. The dread on the beta’s face was palpable as he grew pale at the order. Scarabia dorm was not small– it was practically a palace. A single lap was enough to tire someone out. Ten laps was suicide.

At the beta’s expression Kalim raised an uncaring brow, his arms still crossed menacingly in front of him. “Oh? Do you think I should be more lenient? Or did I not make myself clear that Prefect Yuu was our precious guest here in Scarabia?”

When no one answered, Kalim almost snarled. “ Well?! ”

“Yes, sir!” The entire gathering of students responded.

“Good,” Kalim snapped. “If I hear anyone else speaking ill of Prefect Yuu, you’ll wish ten laps around the dorm was all I gave you. As far as any one of you is concerned, you are to treat them with the same respect as you show me. And you-” He turned his cruel gaze back onto the cowering beta. “If I were you, I would begin your laps now. If he is not finished by sunset, he will not get to eat dinner. If he stops to rest or walk at any point, he is to start over from the beginning. And if anyone is caught helping him, they will join him in his punishment. Is that understood?”

There was another collective “Yes, sir!” But looking around, Yuu could see that several faces appeared strained and ready to crack under the pressure. The beta was near tears now and his friends all looked like they were trying to hold back from glaring at Yuu. No one was brave enough to look at them directly anymore.

“Kalim…” Yuu said before they could second guess themself.

And like flipping a switch, as soon as Kalim’s gaze fell onto Yuu it softened and a smile spread across his face. There was something more to it as well that dropped something cold into the pit of Yuu’s stomach. It was an expression they had seen only a handful of times before, usually on the face of someone who had overblotted and smelled their omegan scent. It was the look of someone who was obsessed with the idea of Yuu but not them as a person.

Yuu wondered how they hadn’t seen it sooner. It was so obvious that this was not love. This was never love.

This was obsession .

“Yes, Yuu?”

Yuu swallowed and glanced down at the beta, still prostrated on the ground. His face was now wet and red with tears.

“I understand and appreciate you defending me,” Yuu said carefully. Now that they knew exactly what this was, they also knew exactly how to handle it– in the same way they handled every over blot. They merely needed to appease the person under the influences of magic for the time being. Just until they could figure out the solution. “But I would feel really guilty if you give out such harsh punishments…”

Kalim thankfully seemed to consider these words.

He finally glared hatefully down at the beta. “Lucky for you, my Yuu is kind and forgiving. I will overlook your slight this time and lower your punishment to just five laps around the dorm.” That was still a painful amount but… Perhaps it was the best Yuu could do for him, especially considering how he’d treated them just moments ago.

“T-thank you, Kalim…” The beta stuttered out between his gasps and sobs.

“Get out of my sight,” Kalim growled.

In his hurry, the beta almost fell flat on his face but he managed to get his feet beneath him and rushed out of the lounge. Kalim didn’t even look to see where he had gone before ordering a couple random students to go and observe him and make sure he conducted his punishment as ordered. They too hurried off.

The tension in the room had risen to unbearable levels but Kalim did not seem to notice any of this. He smiled when he looked back at Yuu, taking in the half-filled plate of food in their hand and exclaimed, “Are you about to eat, Yuu? Come, come. Sit next to me! I’ll eat with you.”

Yuu knew that they needed to get out of here tonight .

~*~

Notes:

So I know I promised the OctoTrio in this chapters... But Riddle said "fuck those guys" and inserted himself instead. And it just got way too long so I opted to cut it where I did. OctoTrio FOR SURE next chapter smh.

I have the finer details of this arc finally all figured out too! I'm very excited to write it~

Once again, thank you for reading and especially to those that take the time to talk to me and let me hear your thoughts! I appreciate all of you and your support ❤

Chapter 28

Notes:

Happy new years! Here's a new year's present! I hope you enjoy~

ALSO WE'VE HIT 200k WORDS! AND 2000 KUDOS! Thank you all so much for all the love and support.

It was after midnight when Yuu and Grim dared risk their escape.

They took one step out of the guest room when there was a sudden shout from down the hall. Yuu whipped their head in the direction of the sound and saw that they’d been spotted by a three-man patrol. The man in the middle, the one who’d shouted, was familiar.

It was the guy who had been punished by Kalim for insulting Yuu.

“Hey!” 

The second shout when they did not respond to the first was enough to snap Yuu out of their stupor. Without hesitation, Yuu grabbed onto Grim’s paw, turned on their heel, and entered a dead sprint down the hall in the opposite direction from the patrollers.

So much for subtlety.

Grim made an “eep” noise as his limb was nearly yanked out of its socket at the force at which Yuu pulled him. Yuu would apologize to him later once they’d managed to shake off their furious pursuers.

On one hand Yuu understood and could even sympathize with them. If whatever coin flip outcome that dictated Kalim’s moods landed less favorably, the punishment Scarabia dorm would face, especially the ones in charge of patrolling, would not be kind. Yuu did not want to even consider what cruel punishment would be inflicted onto them.

But on the other hand, it was clear to Yuu that their issue with Yuu extended far beyond whatever evil magic was working its way through Kalim’s mind. The behavior from the Scarabia dorm members earlier in the day, the hate and vitriol at which they spoke of and looked at Yuu with, had been terrifying in its intensity. Yuu would hope that Kalim’s warnings of punishment for even further insults to Yuu’s person would be enough to stay vengeful thoughts. But it was also the dead of night and, at the very least, the recognizable beta had already made his feelings about them very clear. Yuu was not going to risk a confrontation with nothing but Grim’s often unreliable magic to defend themselves with.

So they ran. They ran for dear life.

The dorm halls were a blur of muted blues and browns around them, with the occasional shimmer of gold in the moonlight. Yuu was far more preoccupied making sure they took the right path to the lounge to pay much mind to the decor and ambiance though, lest they make the same blunder as last night and lose their way in this unfamiliar dorm. Thankfully, Yuu was more confident in navigating after two days of being stuck in Scarabia.

They were less certain on how to get to the dorm mirror, but knew that it was close to the main lounge. They need only outpace their pursuers for long enough.

There was a sudden blur of bright icy blue light. It streaked past Yuu’s head, nearly grazing their ear, before exploding in the hall ahead of them. Yuu skidded to a halt in horror when large jagged ice formations bloomed from where the spell had impacted the surface of the wall. Yuu’s eyes nearly bulged from their head as they whipped their head around to shoot their pursuers a disbelieving look.

That was dangerous!

“Yuu! Go!”

There was another bloom, this time of blue flames as Grim breathed out a sizable fireball that melted the ice. It wasn’t enough to dissolve it entirely, but it created enough space and rounded ends for the two of them to squeeze past safely. Yuu did not need to be told twice as they swept Grim up into their arms and began to sprint down the hall again. They heard a curse and a furious shout from behind them.

The lounge was only a few halls away.

A sprout of hope was allowed to grow in their chest. A figurative and literal light at the end of this very dark hall as Yuu rounded the last corner, the ache in their legs unnoticed beneath the adrenaline, as they saw the recognizable carpeting and pillows that lined the floor of the lounge.

That hope withered the moment Yuu saw two silhouetted figures stroll across the lounge entryway. This time Yuu did not recognize either student but they both looked up and seemed to recognize Yuu– an easy feat as Yuu was the only person in this entire dorm dressed in the regular school uniform. In the dark, Yuu could just vaguely make out the surprised expressions on their faces.

That is, until Ramshackle’s pursuers came within shouting range.

 “Stop them! They’re trying to leave!”

Confusion and surprise on the newcomers morphed into alarm and a sudden rise of panic. This was enough to tell Yuu that they would find no allies here, and that their escape plan had just been flushed down the toilet.

Yuu cursed beneath their breath and looked around frantically for a plan B.

And then they saw it. There, just to the right, was a branching hallway. A glimmer of hope. If they ran fast enough, they may be able to make it there before the two newcomers could cut them off. 

Thankfully, the suddenness of the chaos must’ve resulted in their hesitation because the newcomers did not immediately start pursuing Yuu as they burst into another dead sprint. This hesitation was what allowed Yuu to slip past them into the new hallway with only seconds to spare, earning them furious and indignant shouts from the other three.

Yuu did not bother to look back. Didn’t bother to plan ahead either. They were now running blindly through Scarabia with no idea where the hell they were going or where they would end up. They were dogs without horses. All they knew was that they could not afford to get caught. So they kept pumping their legs and hoped that lady luck would take pity on them tonight.

They took a staircase up to the right. And then a hallway to the left. And several more turns and twists and into unfamiliar corridors that all started to blur together and look identical. The only blessing they could find in this situation is that their headstart allowed them to, at least temporarily, lose visual of their pursuers. Yuu could still hear them chasing, the pounding footfalls echoing through the empty Scarabia halls. It made Yuu concerned about the very real risk of waking up the entire dorm. Which would turn this from a dire situation to something most likely unsalvageable. But there was nothing Yuu nor Grim could do about it at this point besides run and hope.

And run they did. There was no doubt in Yuu’s mind that they would not be given a second chance to escape their room again if they were caught. Despite the burn in their limbs from, the knowledge that they had administered their very last suppressant before attempting this escape kept Yuu moving. If they were caught… It was not even something to be considered. Yuu could not be caught.

Just as Yuu was pondering these dire thoughts, a new shout brought them back to reality.

“Split up! We’ll find them easier that way!”

The voice echoed through the halls sending a shiver up Yuu’s spine.

“Yuu,” Grim whispered to them urgently. “We should hide! They know the dorm better than we do! We’ll never get away!”

He was right. While they were running around like headless chickens, the ones chasing them knew the layout of Scarabia. Now that they’d changed tactics, it was only a matter of time before they were found. The panic and adrenaline wasn’t helping either. Yuu needed to stop and take stock and come up with a new plan.

They gave Grim an affirmative nod and began to look for suitable hiding places as they ran. Scarabia’s open-floor layout did them no favors in this. Precious seconds ticked by, the sounds of their pursuers continuing, and still there seemed to be nowhere to hide.

Yuu had a sudden thought.

“The vault,” they murmured aloud. They glanced around wildly, now looking for any familiar landmarks and racking their brain trying to remember anything about when Kalim had first taken them to his vault.

“Vault?” Grim asked in confusion, and then his big blue eyes widened and he grinned toothily. “That’s right! Kalim has that flying carpet!”

Together they tried to look and puzzle out where they were and how to get to the vault.

Yuu thought they may have been on the right path when they turned a corner and saw with dread that they’d come to a dead end.

Worse, they heard someone run in behind them.

~*~

Azul set his pen down and ran a hand over his face with a sigh.

There was just so much paperwork to be done.

Truthfully, most of this was supposed to be done already. Azul really should be working on the Mostro Lounge menu for the spring semester. Insteady, paperwork had been backed up due to numerous exhausting reasons. It did not help that he’d destroyed his own cafe during that… Moment of weakness. And added to that were those “remedial lessons” from Professor Crewel (read: six hours of scrubbing out alchemy pots by hand without magic ) and other ventures that sucked up Azul’s time like nobody’s business.

It was fair though. That was the price he paid for his… Less than virtuous efforts. Azul had always held issue when it came to remembering painful things in his past and this was no exception. He desperately wanted to forget the last couple weeks in its entirety.

And Yuu–

No. That, above all else, was the sorest subject of all.

His mind kept wandering, of course, without his consent. It was only natural given everything that had happened. Everything he’d learned– that that person learned of him. And for the first time in a long time there was a feeling of–

Azul was pulled violently from his own depreciating thoughts by the slam of his office door. Instantly his face transformed into one of annoyance, sure that it was Floyd coming to cause him heartache yet again.

But no. Azul’s annoyance turned to quizzical suspicious when he saw that it was, in fact, Jade who’d barged into his office so unexpectedly. That suspicion immediately transformed into alarm when he saw the serious look on the alpha’s face.

Azul had known Jade for many years. There was little that could make the ever-smiling man frown in such a way.

He stood immediately to his feet, paperwork forgotten.

The dorm was empty save for the three of them. What in the world could it be?

“We have a problem,” was all Jade said before he turned to lead the way.

As they raced down the hall towards the Mostro Lounge, Azul was almost tempted to snap at Jade that his legs were not nearly as long as the other and to slow down. But the sight of Jade looking so serious and moving with such purpose made Azul hold his tongue. It wasn’t important anyway as they very quickly reached their destination.

Floyd was already there. His eyes were wide and his full set of sharp teeth were on display in a blood-thirsty grin. Azul nearly groaned when he saw that Floyd’s wand was discarded on the floor a few feet away, and instead the unhinged idiot was waving his fists around, his knuckles already scuffed.

They were mages for goodness sake! Use your wand!

In front of Floyd were a group Azul had not been expecting to see at all during break, let alone at nearly one in the morning tonight. They were clad in Scarabia colors and, by the bags beneath their eyes and exhaustion clear on their faces, were just as sleep deprived as Azul felt. Azul might’ve felt some pity if not for the fact these cretins were trespassing this late in the evening, no doubt up to no good.

Thankfully it seemed like Floyd had mostly handled the situation, even if it was in a manner Azul felt most unbecoming of a mage. The Scarabia interlopers cowered back from the much taller alpha, aided by Floyd’s blatant flaunting of his aggressive alpha scent that screamed killing-intent. There were five of them in total, and a couple of them were sporting fresh bruises on their faces that looked identical to the shape of Floyd’s knuckles. One of them was attempting to staunch a nose bleed.

“Gentlemen,” Azul announced himself, gratifying in the little flinches their impromptu guests gave when they looked over at him. None of them seemed to know who to look at: Floyd or the new threat? “While I am so very pleased that you are all eager to enjoy the offers of the Mostro Lounge, I must regretfully inform you that we are not open at…” He made a show of checking his wrist. “... One in the morning. Though I am sure that my associate has already made this quite clear to you all.” Azul chuckled at the same time Floyd broke out into cackles.

“So that begs the question of why you are still here?” Azul continued.

One of the students, an alpha Azul vaguely recognized (he made it his job to recognize most students on campus), was brave enough to step up. Though even he could not control his nervous stutter.

“W-we’re under orders from H-housewarden Kalim to bring back Prefect Yuu-”

The alpha continued to speak but Azul heard nothing but static from that point on. His attention veered completely away as his gaze scanned the entirety of his Lounge, until they fell on a half-covered shape he’d somehow missed before.

Cowering behind one of the booths was none other than Prefect Yuu themself.

The expression on the omega’s face caused shards of ice to form in Azul’s chest, making it hard to breathe. As much as he detested the hateful and angry looks Yuu always shot at him, he would have given anything in that moment to have those looks back just to avoid seeing this one.

Yuu’s face was red with unshed tears and they looked terrified in a way Azul didn’t want to remember. Terrified in a way Azul had only seen once and never wished to see again.

Fury like Azul hadn’t felt since his overblot rose up within him as he turned his attention back onto the interlopers. He gazed upon them with a new light, their very presence suddenly feeling sinister. Still, Azul kept a genial smile on his face as he addressed them once more.

“Oh? Unfortunately, you are in my dorm for the moment,” Azul said pleasantly, flourishing his hands outwards. It was times like this that he missed still having that contract for alpha pheromones as he would’ve loved nothing more than to let his displeasure be known as visceral as possible. “And I do not abide by disruptors, and it is quite obvious to me who is actually causing trouble. Jade. Floyd.”

His twins turned to him at attention. Floyd grinning. Jade smiling. Both unhinged in their own unique ways.

“Yes, boss?” They spoke in sync. Neither could quite keep the chuckle and excitement out of their voices and Azul felt exasperatingly fond against his better judgment.

“Please deal with these rowdy customers.”

“Of course, Azul~”

~*~

Seeing Floyd fight off the Scarabia students with his bare fists made Yuu have a new appreciation for Ace and Deuce and making them have to deal with this absolute monster during the whole Coral Sea debacle. He’d even thrown his wand to the side! What kind of crazy bastard does that?

For all that Floyd was batshit insane, he was also currently saving Yuu’s hide.So really, who were they to judge?

Yuu grimaced when the giant alpha landed a nasty looking right-hook into the face of one of the Scarabia students who had chased them all the way to Octavinelle . What the actual fuck . But Yuu also could not find it in themself to have any sympathy whatsoever. As far as Yuu was concerned at this point, this was what they deserved for everything that had happened.

Yuu hadn’t even noticed that Jade had left until he’d come back with Azul. And then the Octavinelle Housewarden ordered the brothers to deal with their Scarabia pursuers. They’d literally roughed them up, picked them up and, presumably, tossed them out of the dorm. No wonder everyone on campus was terrified of the Leech twins. Their visages probably appeared next to the textbook definition.

It wasn’t until all the Scarabia members had been evicted from Octavinelle that Yuu finally relaxed. They hadn’t realized how tense they had been until all the energy had leaked out of their body, leaving them feeling utterly boneless. To think that they would be feeling safe in Mostro Lounge of all places? Absolutely ridiculous.

Maybe it wasn’t Floyd that was crazy. Maybe it was Yuu that was the insane one considering the insanity that followed them.

“Prefect…?”

Yuu cracked open an eye and fought the urge to let out a deep sigh.

Speaking of.

Azul was staring down at them with a blank expression. Well… He was attempting to keep a blank expression but Yuu could see the conflict swirling in his  eyes and they did not miss the twitchiness to his hands and lips.

“I’m sorry I’m trespassing,” Yuu murmured, closing their eyes and pressing the heel of their palm to their forehead. They felt like they were going to have a migraine. “Just… Let me rest my eyes for a bit and I’ll be out of your hair…”

“I– I wasn’t going to kick you out,” Azul said somewhat defensively. Normally Yuu would’ve gotten irrationally angry at this (as they did with anything Azul said and did, really), but they honestly could not conjure up the energy to feel that way.

They couldn’t conjure up the energy to feel any way . All they felt was exhaustion.

Jade and Floyd returned at this point. Both clearly pleased with themselves, but it was more obvious with Floyd. He was always going on about wanting to “cut loose” as he put it. Yuu was just glad that he didn’t ever actually try to fight Trey. As much as Yuu loved Trey, they now knew first-hand that he would absolutely lose to Floyd.

“Prefect,” Jade greeted, joining them.

“Lil’ Shrimpy~” Floyd took this a step further and slid into the booth in front of Yuu, unaware (or more likely just uncaring) that he ought to ask first.

Yuu only sighed in acknowledgement.

“I am aware that you are probably exhausted,” Jade said. Understatement of the century. “But it would be best if you could let us know what has occurred? And why have you come to Octavinelle?”

“Yeah yeah, and how come you towed along a bunch of weak minnows~ At least bring someone who’ll give more of a challenge next time, eh Shrimpy?”

“I wasn’t trying to,” Yuu replied, cracking an eye open and outright ignoring Floyd who pouted in response. They sighed again and finally forced themself to sit up. There was a poke at their leg and Yuu glanced down and saw that the magic carpet they’d stolen was flapping around playfully beneath the booth table, as if it were a dog instead of a sentient piece of furniture.

The movement hadn’t only caught their eye.

“That… Is Kalim’s magic carpet,” Jade commented, for once not smiling and genuinely looking surprised.

“It is,” Yuu confirmed. “I took it so I could get the hell out of Scarabia. But Grim and I didn’t know how to pilot it and I ended up crashing into the Octavinelle mirror trying to get away.”

“Get away? Whatever do you mean?”

Yuu took in their three faces dubiously. The recent events of how they’d tried to trick Yuu into bonding Azul (even if they hadn’t meant to do so permanently, something Yuu, who was from a different universe, could not have known) was still fresh on their mind. Barely two weeks had passed since that whole debacle was wrapped up. It both felt like just yesterday and a lifetime ago.

So it was only natural that suspicion colored their every thought.

But… Floyd and Jade had also just gone out of their way to get rid of Yuu’s pursuers and hadn’t tossed Yuu out, yet . Yuu was growing to be more of a skeptic, yes, but they couldn’t help but acknowledge that the three did seem… Sincere in their efforts to help Yuu, even though they had no idea what was happening.

“Something is wrong in Scarabia…” Yuu began begrudgingly. “We… Grim and I, we… No one has let us leave since we arrived there two days ago. I was lucky that I remembered to carry some suppressants on me, but I’ve run out. When Grim and I tried to sneak out, we were caught and they chased us all the way here.”

“Eh? Then where is Baby Seal?” Floyd asked, looking around.

Yuu’s expression darkened.

~*~

“Come another step closer and I’ll burn you to a crisp!” Grim hissed menacingly at the person who’d cornered them.

With his back to the entryway of the little alcove, Yuu couldn’t see the face of their pursuer at first. But then he tilted head, the side of his face catching the moonlight.

It was the angry beta from the lounge.

Yuu’s heart dropped into their stomach. Perhaps if it had been anyone else they would have been able to reason with them. It was a long shot, but Yuu had contended with worst odds before and come out ahead. So long as there was a glimmer of a chance, that was all they needed.

Staring at the beta’s furious expression though… Yuu felt that hope crumble like sand.

Fortunately, Grim’s threat seemed to have done the trick. Unlike Yuu, who spent nearly all their time with the tiny monster, most other students didn’t know Grim nearly as well. As far as they were concerned, Grim had been capable of summoning decent bouts of fire. Yuu knew that this ability was limited and not completely reliable, but this beta did not. And so he paused at the entryway, angry eyes scanning their faces.

“You don’t have to do this,” Yuu said hastily, flinching back when the beta bared his teeth at them in response. They needed to try to convince him though. He only needed to shout and bring the entire dorm down on them. “We’re just trying to get out. It isn’t right keeping us here! You can just-”

“Just shut up!” He snarled. “Gods– From the moment you showed up everything has gone to shit! I don’t understand. I just–” He cut himself off, shaking his head angrily, his wand clenched tight in his left hand.

It was then that Yuu noticed the deep bags beneath his eyes, saw the disheveled state of his hair and his clothes… He looked utterly exhausted. Yuu wondered if he had gotten a chance to rest after Kalim’s punishment before being put on night patrol duty. They had a sneaky feeling this was not the case.

“You don’t have to do this…” Yuu repeated softer. “I understand that things are rough right now, but you can’t just help someone keep people captive– no matter who that person is…” Yuu bit their bottom lip, feeling a moment of hesitation before pressing on, “I helped you didn’t I? I know you don’t like me and think I’m here only to trick Kalim, but can’t you see that I’m just as trapped as you are? Why else would I be trying so desperately to leave? So please– Please! Help us.”

The man stood there clenching his fists. He was no longer looking at Yuu and in the shadows they had no way to read his expression, only that his body language indicated that he was agitated. But he did not reply and Yuu took that as a hopefully good sign.

“We’re looking for Kalim’s vault,” Yuu said. “We just need to get out of here and the magic carpet is the only way I can think of now. I’m sorry that Kalim punished you like that but I tried to ease the punishment. I helped you. So please help us. I am begging you.”

For several tense moments, it felt as if the world held its breath. There was no way to know what the beta was thinking or if he’d even considered Yuu’s words. There was no way of knowing how those words would even be interpreted in his exhausted state.

But then there were sounds from further down the halls. Running feet approaching.

They were out of time.

Just as Yuu was about to fight their way past the beta, magic powers be damned, his head suddenly snapped up. In the moonlight Yuu could see that he was glaring furiously at them.

“Down two halls and go up the staircase and then take the third left,” he spat. “I’ll buy you some time. Don’t make me regret this.”

With that, he turned on his heel and ran out of there, leaving Yuu and Grim to stare after him bewildered.

They did not wait long.

Following his instructions, Yuu quickly started to recognize features from Kalim’s tour two days ago. Tiled floors gave way to a lush red carpet that stretched the entire length of the hallway that held the vault. Grim lept from Yuu’s arms and rushed over to the door, blue eyes wide and excited as he pushed them open and grinned up at Yuu who hurried to catch up.

It didn’t take long to locate the mischievous carpet after that, which allowed itself to be caught after a few playful pokes at Grim (it seemed to really like the little feline). It was too early to celebrate but Yuu couldn’t help grinning from ear to ear as they climbed aboard, excited and desperate to leave this all behind them.

Excited to find a way to communicate with their friends again.

“How does this thing even work,” Grim grunted in annoyance, pulling at the carpet that shuddered beneath them, seemingly displeased by the tugging.

That’s when they were spotted.

There was a shout of alarm and suddenly more people had shown up, including the beta from before, who looked conflicted. All of them were now converging on the Ramshackle members.

“Come on you stupid thing, go– EEEEEEE!” Grim’s annoyed demands transformed into a scream when the carpet shot forward at lightning speed. Neither Grim nor Yuu knew how to control it as if it flew with a mind of its own, weaving through the halls and nearly shocking  Yuu’s soul out of their body with all the too-close encounters they came to with pillars.

It seemed their noise had indeed woken up more of the dorm, or at least drawn the attention from patrollers from other areas of the dorm, because soon there were definitely more than five people chasing them down. None of whom, thankfully, were fast enough to keep up with a flying carpet though. So though Yuu and Grim lacked any control over the damnable thing, it was still better than running around on foot like headless chickens.

A glint caught Yuu’s eye and they gasped.

“There! The mirror! Go to the mirror!”

Yuu shouted and pointed down a hall, as the carpet continued its indecipherable weaving in and out of the dorm, to where the lounge could be seen once before and, beyond that, the Scarabia mirror chamber. Yuu leaned in the direction desperately, grabbing onto and tugging the carpet, begging for it to listen.

And, miraculously, it did.

The carpet made such a sharp turn that Yuu and Grim nearly slipped off, both screaming as they hurtled back down into the dorm and into the lounge, barreling at speeds Yuu never wished to ever experience again.

And just as they made it, just as the mirror was nearly within touching distance…

… Someone had been waiting at the mirror chamber for them the entire time.

Yuu could not identify the spell, just that it had been a bright red. They managed to duck out of the way, the spell crackling as it sailed over their head, raising every hair on the back of Yuu’s neck, and Yuu looked up just in time to see it strike Grim who’d been sitting at the front of the carpet.

There was no time to even gasp, Yuu barely had time to tighten their grip on the carpet, before they were diving headfirst into the mirror.

Grim having been knocked clean off the carpet.

~*~

“... And then the carpet flew around a few times before entering the Octavinelle mirror,” Yuu finished. They sipped the hot latte Jade had brought over sometime during the explanation (Yuu had stared at it dubiously for half a second before deciding to trust their gut that the trio truly did not mean them any harm this time). It had been a while since Yuu had a cup of coffee and it was like a balm for their soul.

“And Kalim was the one who ordered all of this?” Jade asked in surprise. “Truly?”

Yuu nodded.

“That doesn’t sound like Sea Otter,” Floyd said dubiously. And then he grinned, “Though… I wouldn’t mind seeing Sea Otter like that~ Sounds super fun.”

“It wasn’t,” Yuu snapped without any real heat. “It was… I don’t know what to make of it.” They risked looking over at Azul who had remained mostly quiet throughout the entire explanation, merely listening and watching. “Do you know of any magic that could cause him to act like that? A… A potion maybe?”

Azul seemed surprised to hear Yuu address him directly. Yuu was a bit surprised as well, to be honest. It was probably just because they were exhausted. The latte helped.

“Potions? I could think of a few that could force a change in personality…” He hummed, “But a potion would not be so inconsistent as to have the victim jump between personalities as you’ve described. It would have a set duration, and the effects would end when that duration reached its limit. Magic though…”

“Such a spell would be very difficult and costly to cast,” Jade chimed in. “The mind is not easy to compulse andI have my doubts that anyone in Scarabia could accomplish such a feat. And if they had, they are no doubt quite adept at staying hidden. A mage powerful enough to do that would not go unnoticed easily.”

Azul seemed to grow still at this, and he looked to be deep in thought at Jade’s observations. Whatever he was thinking though, he did not offer it to the rest of them.

“That’s what I thought too,” Yuu muttered into their now empty cup. They were still feeling rather unnerved being in a room alone with these three, even if they couldn’t sense any untoward intent.

Jade noticed the empty mug. “Would you like another, Prefect?”

Yuu shook their head. “No thank you. But if you have a phone I could borrow, I’d be grateful.”

“Your phone? Have you misplaced yours?”

Yuu narrowed their eyes at Jade who only smiled pleasantly back at them. “How do you know that I have a phone?”

Jade chuckled. “I’ve witnessed both Trappola and Spade message you on numerous occasions while they were still working at the Lounge.”

That… Made sense, Yuu supposed. But they just couldn’t help but suspect everything these three did and said. Yuu felt like they were walking on eggshells around them, that at any point the other shoe would drop. If Yuu had a say in the events of tonight, they would not be here asking these three for help.

But then again… Who else on campus did they know who would assist them?

“Hey, wait a minute…” Yuu suddenly said, brows furrowing in confusion. They glanced between the three Octavinelle men, perplexed. “How come you guys are still on campus?” And in full uniform at one in the morning? During winter break?

“Oi, Shrimpy~” Apparently Floyd was going to answer. “Don’t ya know that ice forms during the winter? The ice floes are too tough to bother going back this time of year. The sea is a harsh place, ya know~”

“What Floyd means to say is,” Jade cut in, “that we live quite a bit further north than most students from the Coral Sea. The weather this time of year is unpleasant so to speak.”

Floyd tsk’d, “Yeah, if ya wanna sugar coat it. Plus it’s so boring ~ There’s nothing to do at all. It’s so much better just to stay here.”

Yuu had actually very much enjoyed themself during their impromptu trips to the Coral Sea. The sights were gorgeous of course, but it was the strange culture of the undersea world that fascinated Yuu. Not to mention the potential tie-ins between the Atlantic royal family and figures of myths and legends in Yuu’s own world. It would make sense that winter would be handled much differently in the ocean than it was on land. It wasn’t like there was snow fall to compete with. Yuu wondered how insulation worked.

“Um, Wonderland to Shrimpy? Why ya spacin’ out for?”

Yuu jerked to attention when Floyd snapped his fingers twice in front of their face. He cackled loudly at their reaction and Yuu scowled at him, which only prompted Floyd to laugh even harder.

“I’m exhausted alright,” Yuu huffed and crossed their arms in front of them defensively. “The last two days have been incredibly stressful and I haven’t been able to get into contact with anyone outside because my phone is missing. I haven’t slept in over sixteen hours and now Grim is in trouble and… I’m just tired, okay? Cut me some slack.”

“I apologize on behalf of my brother,” Jade said with a grin that said he wasn’t very sorry at all. “Though… Have you considered that your phone was taken?”

Yuu… Had considered it, in fact. The timing of it all just seemed too convenient for them to have not thought about it. But the implication made the entire situation so much worse than it already was. At first, Kalim’s actions could be chalked up to a spur-of-the-moment thing that had him ordering his dorm members to stop Yuu and Grim from leaving. But then there was the epiphany Yuu had about his feelings towards them… Couple that with their missing phone, keeping them from contacting the outside world…

… It felt damning.

Jade picked up on Yuu’s dark look almost immediately and hummed thoughtfully in response. “Well then… If that is the case, this should be as easy as finding out where your phone is. Unless the perpetrator has gotten rid of it, they would most likely still have it in their possession. It is what I would do in such a case, and the phone also presents an opportunity to return it to the owner and garner me some goodwill.”

Yuu stared at him with a deadpan expression. He really did just out himself as a bad guy didn’t he? Jade so easily dissected the thought process of the perpetrator and presented it as if it were common sense.

He looked proud of himself too.

“I trust you have the account information for your device?” He asked.

Yuu grimaced then. “Ah… About that. See, Cater Diamond was actually the one to set it up for me. He bought it for me and it was already all settled when I got it. After all… I’m not exactly planning on using it for longer than it takes me to get home. So I don’t actually know anything about that.”

Jade hummed again. “Well, that does make this a little less convenient but still doable. Azul,” he looked over at his silent Housewarden, “you have some experience with accessing locked accounts, don’t you?”

“Something like that wouldn’t even take me ten minutes,” Azul said dryly. He then smirked at Jade, “while not a skill I need often, sometimes it is quite beneficial to have access to some rather… Restrictive stock accounts. Purely for educational purposes, of course.”

Yuu looked between these two villains with an unimpressed expression. If either of them started doing an evil monologue or an evil laugh, Yuu was going to clock out. They were way too tired for this kind of bullshit.

“Wait…” Yuu shook their head and took in a deep breath and let it out again. “Why are you guys… What are you even saying? That you want to-”

That you want to help me?

“Is that so surprising, Prefect?” Jade asked, guessing at their unspoken words. “I understand that we’ve been at odds before but…” Suddenly his grin was gone and Yuu was reminded of Jade's expression that afternoon in this very same lounge, when he had looked them straight in the eye and begged them to save Azul. “You have done something I… We can never repay you for. Is it so surprising that we wish to help you in your time of need?”

“Yes,” Yuu said immediately, brows furrowed.

Jade only laughed. “That’s fair. But we are going to help you regardless of that.”

“Yeah, Shrimpy~” Floyd chimed in. “Plus I’m bored and this sounds fun. Helping you figure out what’s wrong with Sea Otter sounds a lot more entertaining than sitting around and watching Azul do paperwork .” His nose scrunched up in distaste.

“That paperwork needs to be done, Floyd,” Azul admonished, and huffed. “I’m not here to entertain you-”

“Are ya sure about that, Azul~?”

“Floyd-” Azul began dangerously.

Watching them now, Yuu could almost believe they were just another group of friends who went to school together. That they weren’t capable of the devious underhanded things that Yuu knew they were. It felt… Domestic. Sweet even. Yuu was surprised to note that they were, especially Jade, showing a side of themselves they probably didn’t let most people see. They were being open , right in front of Yuu.

It felt intimate. It felt like Yuu shouldn’t be watching.

Mostly it was just strange.

The wounds in their heart was still so fresh, but things kept being turned on its head so often that Yuu no longer knew what was up and what was down. And despite it all, despite everything that had happened and all the suspicions and fears Yuu carried close to their heart…

… They felt like things might turn out alright for the first time in days.

Notes:

This chapter was a bit shorter than normal, but it felt like a good place to end it. There's a bit more to do at Octavinelle before we shift back over to the main mystery and drama at Scarabia, so we'll get that all settled away next chapter (hopefully). I was hoping to do more RidTrey stuff in this chapter but it did not come to pass. The other boys will get their time to shine~

Once again, I hope you all had a pleasant holidays and I hope you new years is going well and keeps going well. Here's to 2023~

Chapter 29

Notes:

Oof- This chapter was a bit hard to write. Well... The things I did end up writing were easy enough, but the planning was tripping me up so bad. I had to make sure not to write myself into a corner with what information what characters know and figuring out the timeline of where all the characters are throughout the world (especially difficult with figuring out what Leona and Riddle are doing during this time!). So that's why this chapter took so long. It was supposed to be out like a week and a half ago but alas.

But it's finally done and I think I have a coherent timeline for events now for this arc. So please enjoy~

(once again, unbeta'd)

In the end, it was still early in the morning and it was clear to everyone that Yuu was too exhausted to keep discussing. By their tenth yawn, Jade had paused in what he was saying and smiled at the human pleasantly and remarked, “Perhaps we should discuss this in the morning?”

Yuu had flushed and made a weak attempt to protest the suggestion, stating that this was an emergency and that they weren’t that tired. A statement which was quickly undermined by another involuntary yawn. Floyd’s cackles and Jade’s low chuckles were enough to convince the omega to end the conversation there than to put up with further embarrassment.

As much as Yuu would’ve liked to return to Ramshackle though, it was likely way too cold to sleep in considering no one had been there to keep the fireplace lit. The Ramshackle resident ghosts could’ve, of course, but it wasn’t as if they needed warmth like their living counterparts. Yuu highly doubted they would’ve even thought of it and shuddered at the thought of the potential damages to the property due to the cold. Hopefully none of the pipes had burst from water being frozen. If it had, Yuu was going to send the damn bill to Crowley.

“You’re welcome to one of our numerous empty rooms,” Jade suggested.

It was better than making the trek out in the winter night and back to a frozen house.

Yuu accepted, though not without some initial hesitation.

But before they could make their way to bed, Jade paused and turned to Azul. “I believe you have something for the Prefect, Azul?”

Azul, who had been deep in thought for most of the evening, startled at Jade’s voice. He looked up at the pair of them with wide eyes before clearing his throat and straightening himself out. His slightly flushed cheeks betrayed his embarrassment though. “Ah. Yes. Thank you for reminding me, Jade. Prefect Yuu, I have a box of suppressants that Professor Crewel dropped off for you when you were out. There should be enough there to last you the rest of the semester.”

This information caught Yuu completely off guard.

Jade arched an eyebrow.

“You do?” Yuu asked in shock. “I mean… Wait. How? ”

Azul shrugged, “Apparently Sam had extra stock of azure salt he’d misplaced. When Crewel saw that you were not home, he dropped them off with me for safekeeping. They are in my office when you are ready to grab them.”

Yuu’s eyebrows furrowed as they tried to parse out this statement. Perhaps they were just tired but something about it didn’t sound like it completely added up.

But Yuu was also not going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

“Can we grab it now? I think I’ll feel better if I had it.” It’s not that Yuu did not believe Azul. It’s just that what he had said was so unbelievable that Yuu needed to see the suppressants with their own eyes. They didn’t think they were going to be able to sleep unless they did.

“Very well,” Azul said stiffly. His eyes darted to Jade’s for a second who only smiled back. “Follow me then.”

“I wanna come too-” Floyd began, but was very quickly cut off by his brother.

“We’ll wait here for the two of you and clean up in the meantime,” Jade said pleasantly. He gestured for Floyd to start helping him pick up the plates while the latter groaned in annoyance, but shockingly obeyed.

If this exchange was weird in any way, Yuu was way too tired to care. They stood and began to follow Azul as he led the way to his office.

When they arrived, Azul went over to his cabinet and unlocked it with a delicate silver key, the tumbles of the lock clicking as he turned it. He then pulled from the cabinet a matte black box and set it on his desk.

“There are exactly 150 doses,” Azul explained. “Unlike the previous iteration, this one should last exactly 24 hours on the dot, so it is a bit more reliable than the ones currently in your possession.” He lifted the lid and Yuu leaned forward and nearly cried when they saw all the delicately packaged doses of suppressant, in that familiar shimmering purple color. In fact, these ones looked even more vibrant than the ones Yuu had.

“Did Crewel tell you all that?”

“... He did,” Azul said. “If you were unaware, I am a bit of a… Unofficial apprentice of sorts to Professor Crewel, given my interest and talents in alchemy and potioneering. I inquired and we discussed a bit on the process of producing your suppressants. I’m sure you already know but there are no such things as omegan suppressants in Twisted Wonderland.”

Yuu nodded, still unable to tear their eyes away from the pretty purple vials of the stuff that would allow them to live out their life in peace and safety.

“I can’t believe he managed to do this…” Yuu murmured, eyes feeling a bit hot though no tears fell. “I just… I’ll have to thank him.”

Azul merely nodded.

“Oh, and um,” Yuu suddenly said, finally looking away from the box and up to Azul. “About borrowing a phone…”

“Ah. Yes,” Azul said. “We have phones you may borrow. However… If you are attempting to contact Riddle or Leona, I’m afraid the Queendom’s time zone is only a few hours ahead of our own and the Sunset Savanna about the same. I doubt either of them would be awake.”

“Oh,” Yuu said blankly. “Of course.” This was something Yuu knew perfectly well, of course. Yuu had been in contact with most of their friends since the break had begun and knew well enough at this point to account for the time difference. But then again, they were very tired.

“You… Could leave them a text on my personal cell phone,” Azul suggested. “Headmage Crowley has all of us Housewardens and vice Housewardens on a messaging app to coordinate with.”

He began to reach into the inner breast pocket of his lapel when Yuu shook their head.

“No, it’s fine. This is something best saved for actual conversation,” they said. “Besides… I don’t want to scare anyone with an alarming message. I’ll just call in the morning.”

Azul slowly pulled his hand back but nodded all the same.

“In the morning then,” Azul said.

“In the morning,” Yuu agreed.

There was a tense silence for a moment. Neither of them fully willing to look the other in the eye. Yuu eventually broke this standoff by reaching over to put the lid back over the box and pulling it into their arms then turning to leave. Even as they began to walk away, Azul did not say a word. The atmosphere had grown tense and uncomfortable without input from either Jade and Floyd to diffuse it.

But then Yuu paused at the door, chest swirling with mixed emotions.

“Thank you for delivering these to me and helping me out,” Yuu blurted out before they could overthink it. “But…” They then bit their bottom lip and took a deep breath through their nose. “... You need to understand that this still doesn’t change anything between us. I appreciate the help, but what you’ve done… It’s not something I can forgive you for. I just… I need to make that clear, before you decide to keep on helping me. I won’t owe anyone anything.”

For another moment there was more silence and Yuu was unsure if Azul was going to respond. They felt too cowardly to look up and read his expression, scared of what they might find there. Scared they would… Yuu wasn’t entirely sure, to be honest. Perhaps they were simply afraid that they themself would feel guilt. Logically they knew Azul did not deserve their forgiveness. Was not entitled to it…

… But Yuu and Azul had also shared an ephemeral bond. Yuu had seen into the deepest parts of Azul’s heart and he in turn with theirs. That was not something you experienced with someone and left without… Something akin to attachment. But Yuu did not want to feel anything and Azul needed to know that there was nothing he could say or do that would ever get Yuu to forgive him.

“... I know,” Azul finally said. Yuu was almost surprised to hear no anger or defensiveness in his voice as he usually did when Yuu reminded him of what had happened between them. “You can… The phone is yours to use in the morning. Have a goodnight, Yuu.”

Yuu did not correct his use of their name for once, did not return his well wishes. Instead, they silently turned on their heel and left the room, heart clenching the entire way out.

~*~

Yuu woke feeling no less refreshed than they had the previous night.

The reality was that sleep had been elusive. Yuu could not shake the anxiety that came with not knowing how Grim was. Scarabia was a madhouse and the idea of their cub there all on his own was enough to have the omega tossing and turning all night long. Logically Yuu knew that nothing bad had probably happened to him. Kalim doted on the tiny monster in a way Yuu had only seen Trey and Cater do maybe a handful of times, and he seemed to genuinely enjoy doing so. And even if he was in his tyrant-mode, Yuu hoped that Jamil would at least step in to help. Or whatever induced affection Kalim had for them would temper his ire.

None of this helped to soothe Yuu’s anxieties though. The heart cared not for logical reasonings and Yuu struggled to keep from storming into Scarabia right then. It was only the knowledge that there was nothing they could do, especially as sleep-deprived as they were, that kept their eyes closed as they tried fruitlessly to sleep.

Morning came without a care for Yuu’s lack of sleep, and with it a polite knock on the door to the guest room provided to them.

Eyes still sore and dry, Yuu had half a mind to ignore the knock and try to get a little more shut eye. But less than a second later, Yuu was throwing off the luxurious white and lavender comforter they’d been given (Yuu was more than tempted to swipe it to be honest) and marching for the door.

Jade Leech was revealed to be standing smiling on the other side. In one hand he carried a silver tray with various covered plates, mouth-watering smells wafting from beneath. In the other, tucked beneath his arm, looked to be clothes and a grey towel.

Yuu stared at him owlishly, mind still sluggish from sleep and struggling to process the sight before them.

“I’ve brought you breakfast,” Jade explained pleasantly, eyes almost imperceptibly crinkling in amusement. “I also took the liberty of bringing you a change of clothes and some toiletries, assuming you have not had the time to shower in some time considering these chaotic circumstances. You are free to use the freshmen baths. No one else will use them. Though I will caution you that a couple of the showers do dispense salt water as some of our merfolk dorm members prefer it. So do take care not to accidentally take a briney soak.” He chuckled to himself.

Yuu only blinked at him slowly.

 

Yuu did end up taking Jade’s suggestion to take a shower. He was as perceptive as always, and Yuu was kind of mortified after they had gotten clean at how badly they must’ve smelled after a couple days in the desert without a chance to wash off. Though that mortification was smothered a bit by the jealousy Yuu soon felt upon seeing the Octavinelle bathrooms. The freshman baths were naturally communal (unlike the Housewardens who each had their own personal bathrooms), but even so Yuu would’ve killed to be able to use these baths everyday.

There were individual showers, naturally, for privacy. But the bulk of the bathing room was taken up by a giant pool, neatly divided down the center to separate what was essentially an onsen on one side, complete with steaming hot water, and a cold salt water pool on the other. Yuu did not go in the salt water pool but, after rinsing off in the showers, delighted in soaking in the hot water for a good forty minutes. Strangely, despite the salt water pool being just beside them, there was no scent of brine in the air.

The entire room was built out of polished marble, with rococo-style carved cornice running the length of the room, embellished with an occasional marbled relief of seashells. Yuu had once thought the Heartslabyul bathrooms were fancy, but this blew those completely out of the water.

Yuu was strangely reminded of the prefect's bathroom from Harry Potter, a thought which made Yuu burst out into giggles considering that, at the moment, this technically was the “prefect’s” bathroom.

The hot soak rejuvenated Yuu and they felt like they had much more energy when they returned to their room, now dressed in a spare Octavinelle dorm uniform (Yuu was not going to question how Jade knew their exact measurements because the outfit felt practically tailored). Their breakfast was still waiting for them on the bedside table, still hot because life was apparently fucking amazing when magic was a tool at your disposal.

The scrambled eggs and link sausages and hash browns and sauteed mushrooms were cooked to perfection. Along with a fresh cup of hot coffee, Yuu was feeling nearly alive again.

And most of all, they were just grateful that the three Octavinelle men had allowed them to enjoy their morning in peace, because after Jade dropped off his delivery and showed Yuu to the bathrooms the omega had not seen hide nor hair of any of them.

It was when Yuu was taking their last bit and gulp of coffee that there was another knock on the door which Yuu was far less reluctant to answer this time.

“Shrimpy!”

Yuu took a hasty step back when Floyd moved in for a bear hug, and held up a hand to ward the giant alpha off. Floyd paused, arms still spread wide at his sides, and then his big smile dropped into a very dramatic pout that was at odds with his terrifying visage. If merfolk were perfectly capable of giving themselves legs and human lungs through magic, how come the Leech twins kept their alarmingly sharp teeth?!

“Floyd,” Yuu greeted blandly.

The alpha was quickly in high spirits again, his mood as unpredictable as the flight pattern of a butterfly, as he shot Yuu a lazy grin. He lowered his arms and instead crossed them in front of him in a relaxed manner.

“Yo~ Jade told me to see if you needed anything.”

“A phone call would be nice,” Yuu said, just as unenthused as before, though this hardly did anything to dampen Floyd’s apparent good mood.

“Right~ Right~” He sang, “Azul mentioned something about that last night. He’s still sleeping right now but he’ll be awake soon. In the meantime~ Why don’t we-”

Floyd suddenly paused, cutting himself off mid sentence. His smile dropped from his face and his brows furrowed in intense concentration. He was staring down to Yuu's legs, looking like something had personally offended him. Yuu looked down as well, following the sightline, wondering what the hell could’ve caused him to make such an expression.

Except Yuu saw nothing out of the ordinary other than the fact that they were wearing the exact same black slacks as Floyd, the dorm uniform for Octavinelle. And it couldn’t be that it looked bad on them because, as mentioned before, they fit like they had been personally tailored.

Yuu looked back up at Floyd in befuddlement, trying to parse out exactly what was so offensive, only to realize that Floyd’s gaze was actually lower than that.

Was… Was Floyd taking offense to Yuu’s shoes?

“Ya know, Shrimpy,” he suddenly said. “It costs a lot to keep the carpets clean, but here ya are, tracking all this sand in. Kinda puts a guy off his groove.”

Yuu blinked and looked down at their shoes.

Okay. So maybe they were a little scuffed and covered in fine dirt and sand particles. But Yuu had just spent two days out in the desert for goodness sake! And it wasn’t like they could exactly afford new shoes with the budget Crowley gave them (and no, Yuu refused to keep accepting stuff from Riddle and Leona, no matter how much Ruggie kept pestering them to do so)!

“I’m sorry?” Yuu said, not entirely sure if this was a statement or a question.

Floyd tisked. “Yikes, Shrimpy~ Don'tcha know how important it is to take care of your footwear? I don’t even usually have legs and I know that~” He giggled and Yuu’s face flushed, embarrassed. “Alright, alright. Come on~ I can’t have ya walking around like that~”

He turned and started walking away without another explanation, leaving Yuu feeling like they were floundering. Did he expect them to follow him? Also did he just insult Yuu’s shoes? Why was Floyd Leech such a confusing person?

Perhaps what was more confusing was why Yuu started following him despite these questions.

~*~

The first thing Yuu noted upon entering Floyd Leech’s room was that it looked like it had been divided by a fine blade right down the center.

On one side was a neatly made bed and a clearly meticulously kept space, with sparkling jars and other personal effects free of dust lining the shelves, and a cleared desk that likely made for excellent study habits.

On the other side…

Clothes and laundry were strewn everywhere. The bed was unmade and one corner of the bed sheet had come loose and was folded in on itself, baring the unprotected mattress beneath (no plastic protective covering?). Candy wrappers and numerous packages, both open and unopened, of food were thrown everywhere. The desk, naturally, could not be seen under the pile of junk and old trash that had accumulated atop. It looked like a trash hurricane had blown through here, but only deigned to touch one side of the room.

One guess which side belonged to which brother.

Floyd happily strolled through his mess of a room and stopped in front of a wardrobe.

Scratch that. One of two wardrobes. A quick glance over at Jade’s side of the room revealed that he only had one. Why did Floyd have two wardrobes?

“I usually hate resizing shoes with magic,” Floyd said, throwing his second wardrobe door open. “But this is a fucking emergency. I don’t think I can look at your pathetic shoes for another minute, Shrimpy~”

Yuu was about to make a snappy retort when the words died on their tongue as they stared into the now open wardrobe.

Shoes. Dozens of shoes. More than a few dozens of shoes.

All neatly lining the clearly custom-made shelving inside the wardrobe, specifically designed to display this surprising collection in all its glory. And Yuu was no purveyor of shoes (hardly knew the shoe brands in their own world, much less Twisted Wonderland), but even at a glance it was clear to see that the quality of Floyd’s collection was top notch. The shoes he owned ranged from oxfords to loafers to sturdy looking sneakers all the way to… Did Floyd Leech own stilettos?

Does he wear stilettos?

Yuu tried to picture Floyd in 6 inch stilettos and realized with a start that it might be enough to make him taller than Odysseus while counting his horns. Yuu did not think it was legal for any one person to be that goddamn tall.

Floyd turned around and looked smugly at Yuu’s shocked expression. He grinned toothily and sharp at them, crossing his arms proudly. “Awesome, ain’t it? I’ve got more in a supply closet somewhere else~ But these are my favorites. Can’t really bring them home with me though, so Azul lets me keep them here~”

Yuu nodded without thinking, still speechless at the very expensive collection before their eyes. All the shoes were also very obviously well taken care of. Clean and spaced evenly. A complete contrast to the rest of Floyd’s room.

“Let’s see…” Floyd murmured to himself, squinting his eyes as he examined the contents of the wardrobe. He grinned and wiggled his eyebrows as he glanced over at Yuu, “How about these, Shrimpy~ You’re so short I sometimes forget you’re even there so these oughta help~”

He held up those very same pair of bright red strappy stilettos Yuu had been ogling in befuddlement earlier. The heels clicked together as he held them up by two fingers, shaking them in front of Yuu.

They scowled at him and made swatting motions with their hands until Floyd laughed and finally put them back onto the shelf.

“I’m going back to Scarabia today,” Yuu snapped. “You know? In the desert . Not only would they be completely ruined but I’ll also probably break my fucking ankle.”

Floyd only shrugged. “Fine, fine~ Geez, you’re so tense, Shrimpy~ Loosen up a bit and maybe you wouldn’t break an ankle~”

Yuu scowled at him even harder.

Eventually Floyd picked out one of the numerous pairs of oxfords that he had. While from a distance they all looked the same (standard dark leather bal-type), up close Yuu could actually see the subtle differences between them in the cut and stitching and even the leather grain of each. The ones he had picked were sleek black and shiny and clearly way more expensive than any pair of shoes Yuu had ever worn in their life. Yuu had a sneaking suspicion that they may be hand custom made.

“Floyd…” Yuu finally said in an unsure voice. “I don’t know about this. These look expensive, and more importantly they look like they’re worth a lot to you personally. Remember when I said I need to go back to Scarabia? I really don’t want to ruin your nice shoes.”

“You worry too much, Shrimpy,” Floyd said. He set the shoes aside for a moment and rummaged around until he had found a foot stool and set it in front of Yuu. He then handed Yuu the oxfords and motioned for them to put them on and put a foot up onto the stool. Yuu reluctantly did so, but couldn’t deny that the shoes were incredibly comfortable, far more comfortable than their own pair, though decidedly way too big.

“Hold still,” Floyd said.

He went to his knees and kneeled before Yuu, grabbing their right foot by the ankle, far gentler than Yuu would’ve expected from Floyd, and maneuvered them and the shoe into a preferred position as he brandished his wand with his other hand.

“Like I said, I really don’t like doing this kinda magical resizing,” Floyd said, wrinkling his nose as he stared intently down at the shoe. “There’s nothing quite like getting a pair that’s made to fit, ya know? But I’m not gonna let ya walk around wearing shit like that,” he said, referring to Yuu’s old ratty pair of loafers. “Once we get this bullshit sorted out, we’re gonna get ya a proper pair of shoes.”

Yuu’s heart thumped traitorously in their chest as they held very still. They were very glad that Floyd was paying such close attention to his work so as not to see the red flush creeping onto the omega’s face. Yuu tried to summon up the fury and betrayal they had felt not too long ago, to bury the unwanted reaction, but found the anger weaker than they expected.

The resizing took some time as Floyd displayed a level of magic and control Yuu wasn’t used to seeing in him (considering he had tossed his wand aside like nothing the night before). But it was clearly something Floyd had done numerous times as he expertly used magic to size-down the various parts of the oxford until the entire thing fit snugly, but not uncomfortably, around Yuu’s right foot.

As he repeated the process with the left, still as out-of-characterly gentle as before, Floyd suddenly broke the silence, startling Yuu.

“Ya seem pretty dead set on going back to Scarabia,” he said, voice low and monotone. Which was strange as this was usually the voice he reserved for times of boredom or disinterest. But there was nothing disinterested about his words now. He waved his wand and Yuu felt the sole of the oxford shift beneath them.

“I’ve got to get Grim,” Yuu said.

Floyd snorted and Yuu cast him a confused look.

“If ya just needed to get Baby Seal, Jade and I will have no problems doing that,” Floyd explained. Even from this top angle, with Floyd’s head tilted downwards, Yuu could still see that sharp bloodthirsty grin on his face. “I’d probably go anyway even if ya didn’t ask me~ Who knew Sea Otter was bold enough to make all those little guppies stay over break? If I knew before I would’ve gone over to play much sooner~ No way I’m missing something so entertaining~”

Yuu rolled their eyes. Unhinged weirdo . They were certain no one in Scarabia would enjoy Floyd’s brand of “play”.

“Seriously though, Shrimpy,” Floyd continued. He finally set his wand down and pulled back to admire his handy work. The shoes fit to perfection. Seeming satisfied, Floyd looked right up at Yuu with a piercing stare, his mismatched eyes bright and shrewd. “Why don’tcha tell me the real reason ya wanna go back there so badly?”

Yuu stared at him in silence for a few taut moments. At times, Floyd really reminded them of Leona. Both displayed a flippant air, indifferent to how others viewed them. Lions that cared not for the opinion of sheep, though Yuu suspected that in Leona’s case this was more so a mask he put on as a defense. For Floyd, it was far more sincere. But both of them did as they pleased with no regard for how others felt about it and would act as their moods dictated in the moment. It was almost carefree in a way, but Yuu was reminded again that this blas é manner should never be mistaken for a lack of intelligence.

Just because Leona and Floyd never acted mindfully did not mean they were not aware of the situation.

“I just…” Yuu blew a strand of hair out of their face and sighed. If they were being honest with themself, it was a thought they didn’t really wish to entertain. They’d been ignoring the stark truth for a while now, but it was harder to deny it with such a point blank question. “I’m… Worried about Kalim.”

“Sea Otter?” Floyd tilted his head. “Ya know he’s the one who locked ya up right? Not that I can blame him with you being so damn cute, Shrimpy~”

Yuu shot him a glare without any heat behind it. “Need I remind you of the shit you guys tried to pull on me?”

Floyd shrugged, “Well yeah. Duh . But I don’t see ya slobbering all over me~”

“I’m not slob- Don’t be gross!” Yuu snapped. “I’m not… Kalim is just…”

Just what? Adorable? Kind? Pretty? But also under some kind of curse and forced to have feelings for Yuu to further some unfathomable agenda? All Yuu knew was that thinking about him, picturing Kalim with his bright smiles and carefree laughter like bells, his light hair glinting in the sun, summoned those damnable butterflies again. Yuu tried to will them away but the bastards were persistent.

“I care about Kalim,” was all Yuu said in response.

“You just met him, Shrimpy,” Floyd said blandly.

“So?” Yuu shot back snarkily. “Turns out that being nice is a pretty good way to get someone to like you back, fish boy . Maybe you can learn a thing or two from him.”

At this Floyd’s sharp grin stretched even wider, eyes dancing in delight, each row of razor-sharp teeth on full display. He looked like he was going to respond with something that was definitely going to tick Yuu off when there was a knock at the door.

“Ah, I’ve finally found the both of you,” Jade said, poking his head in. His smile and gaze had a frigid air to them as he looked at his brother. “Floyd. I believe I told you to bring the Prefect to the Lounge?”

“Musta forgot,” Floyd replied with a lazy grin.

Yuu didn’t know how he did it considering his expression didn’t change at all, but somehow Jade managed to look even more frosty than before at this answer.

“Of course,” Jade said pleasantly. He then turned to Yuu. “Prefect. Azul is awake now if you’d like to make those phone calls.”

~*~

Yuu’s thumb paused above the dial button. There was a moment of hesitation, the familiar doubts and anxieties about dragging them into another one of Yuu’s problems. But the tearful conversation they’d had in the living room of Ramshackle echoed in Yuu’s ears and their resolve hardened. Yuu made a promise to try and they were going to try their damndest to keep that promise.

The phone rang once.

“Ashengrotto, you walking piece of garbage! What have you done-” came the familiar voice that made Yuu’s heart swell with affection.

“Riddle?”

A pause on the other end of the line.

Then, in a softer quavering voice, “Yuu?”

Yuu could not help the grin that spread across their face, “Yes. It’s me.”

“Why does your caller I.D. say that you are Azul Ashengrotto? What’s going on? Why haven’t you been answering your phone-”

“I'm here too.” Came another voice from the background, nearly muted due to the sound filtration but it was undeniably Trey’s voice. Yuu clutched the phone tighter and closer to their ear as if it were a lifeline. “Riddle, love. Put it on speaker.”

There was a moment of just fumbling noises which Yuu waited to settle before answering. “Hi Trey. I’m okay. It’s a long story but I don’t have my phone with me. It’s missing.”

“If those thugs did anything -” Riddle began menacingly but Yuu quickly cut him off again.

“No no. Don’t worry. It wasn't Azul or the twins this time,” Yuu said, glad that they’d been allowed to have Azul’s office alone to have this phone call. “They’re actually helping me, believe it or not.” There was a disbelieving hum on the other end and Yuu laughed. “I know. I know. Like I said, it’s a long story.”

“We’ve been worried,” Trey said. “Actually, we’d just gotten off the phone with Leona not too long ago. Could you tell us what is happening exactly?”

“Well I hope you guys are comfy because things have been kinda crazy.”

“I can assure you that Riddle’s lap is a very comfy pillow,” came Trey’s warm amused chuckle. This was followed by an undignified squawk from the alpha and Yuu laughed, feeling their heart lighten with every word exchanged.

“Well then, I’ll have to make sure to test that claim out,” Yuu teased, much to Riddle’s further flusteredness.

“The two of you are not allowed to gang up on me like this,” Riddle muttered. Yuu could picture his pouting expression and reddening face perfectly in their mind’s eyes.

“Ah!” Yuu suddenly exclaimed with realization. “If you two are together… Did you manage to get your mother to come around then, Riddle?”

There was a long beat of silence from the other end of the phone.

Riddle sighed. “No. Not exactly… I- Imayhavesnuckoutduringmystudysession-”

The words came out in a jumble but it only took Yuu a click of a second to parse the meaning of it and their eyes widened in disbelief.

“You’ve been sneaking out of the house to meet up with your boyfriend behind your mother’s back ?” Yuu said with unfettered amazement. Riddle made a pained noise in response while Trey started to wheeze with laughter.

“There’s no need to phrase it like that…” The pout was clear in Riddle’s tone. No doubt he had his arms crossed in front of him. “I just… I am an adult and perfectly capable of making my own decisions. While I do not condone ‘going behind your mother’s back’ as you put it, there’s nothing wrong with an alpha going to spend some time with his beta. It is not as if I plan to mess about with no regard for the rules or other’s considerations, seeing as I plan to mate this beta one day. My mother just… Doesn’t know it yet.”

Yuu held back a giggle.

Riddle cleared his throat in a manner that didn’t sound forced at all. Nope. Not at all. “Anyway. I believe we are getting off topic. What is happening back on campus and why is your phone missing?”

With that sobering question, Yuu amusement faded and was replaced by a heavy weight again. “Right… So basically something weird is happening in Scarabia. I think their housewarden, Kalim, is under some sort of spell or potion effect or I don’t know. He’s ordered everyone to stay on campus and…”

Trey and Riddle stayed silent as Yuu spilled all the events from the past couple days from their chance meeting with Jamil to Kalim’s hot-and-cold switches of personality to being confined to the dorm, unable to leave, all the way to their daring escape last night and their plans to return and figure out what was going on with Octavinelle’s assistance.

Yuu may have also conveniently left out the fact that they might have feelings for Kalim. A day ago, when Yuu didn’t have any suspicions of Kalim’s feelings being magically-induced, they had every intention of bringing this up with the others. It was only fair after all, to be upfront about their feelings especially if those feelings were returned. But now that Yuu was positive that those “returned feelings” weren’t real at all, they had no intention of pursuing that kind of relationship with Kalim, even if Riddle and Trey gave their blessings. And no matter how much it hurt to think about.

But this was not the time to dwell on how unfair it was that Yuu liked someone who only liked them back due to magic.

The point was that there was no need to bring up something that wasn’t ever going to go anywhere. Once they got to the bottom of this mystery and Kalim was no longer under whatever dark influence that held him, that was that. Yuu was no stranger to not having their feelings return. Their own would fade with time. It was the way of life. Yuu was already more than blessed to have three good people who loved and cared for them.

More urgently was Riddle’s alarm at hearing Yuu’s plans.

“You cannot go back there. I forbid it!”

Yuu sighed. “I have to. Grim is still stuck there being put through who knows what. If I didn’t think that those three,” referring to the Octavinelle boys, “wouldn’t let me leave until I was fully rested up, I would already be back in Scarabia. All I really needed was to grab suppressants from my room, otherwise I don’t really have an issue with staying there to investigate what is going on, and maybe figure out some way to help. What’s happening in Scarabia is wrong.”

“No one is denying that there isn’t anything wrong,” Trey said grimly. “Simply that it seems reckless to return where you’re caught in the center of some mysterious scheme. Kalim is the heir of a very powerful family. You need to be careful.”

“I can’t believe I’m saying this,” Riddle said grumpily. “But I think I agree with Leona for once. You’re too eager to get caught up in messes that do not concern you, often to the detriment of your own health. What was it that Ruggie Bucchi said on the phone earlier, Trey?”

Trey chuckled, “I believe his exact phrasing for our lovely Yuu was being a ‘busy-body’?”

Yuu flushed with embarrassment, but was more caught on the mention of Ruggie to protest the teasing. “Ruggie is with Leona?”

“He was,” Trey confirmed. “They seemed to be doing something. We heard other voices in the background until we mentioned you, and then Leona and Ruggie must’ve gone into a different room for privacy.”

Riddle chimed back in again, soundeding annoyed, “Kingscholar seemed annoyed that we were ‘bothering him’ and under the impression that you could handle yourself– which I don’t doubt! But the lack of concern irked me…”

“Riddle, I think he was more so annoyed with the fact that you left a dozen angry texts and voicemails on his phone the day before…”

“Well maybe he should’ve answered instead of lazing about all day! Is he a prince or isn’t he? Besides, our worries were justified in the end!”

Yuu only laughed in response, able to perfectly picture Leona’s dumbfounded and irritated expression as he woke to his phone blowing up.

“Well… I’m glad he’s not spending his entire vacation alone,” Yuu murmured. “I’m glad you aren’t either Riddle. I wish I could be there with you two.”

“You could come,” Riddle urged. “I could have tickets for the next ferry out of the Sage Isles ready for you within the hour. Please don’t go back into that snake den where I cannot see or protect you.”

Yuu’s heart clenched, their eyes warm. “I know. But I can’t. Ruggie is right… I really can’t leave well enough alone,” they let out a mirthless laugh. “I’ve gotta make sure Grim and Kalim are okay, not to mention the Scarabia students don’t deserve this.”

“They don’t deserve your pity,” Trey said darkly. “Not after the way you were treated– To accuse you of…”

“It’s whatever, honestly,” Yuu said, shaking their head. “They’re all under a lot of stress and Night Raven has never been exactly… The most conventional school when it comes to student behavior. Unless, of course, all schools in this world are like that?”

Trey sighed and then snickered, “You… You may have a point there.”

“... There’s nothing we can say that’ll change your mind, is there?” Riddle asked.

“I… I’m sorry,” Yuu said, genuinely apologetic. “I know I can get a little too… Invested in other people’s problems.” By the dual snorts on the other side, this seemed to be believed as an understatement. “But, if I wasn’t like this… Then I also would’ve never gotten to meet the two of you.”

There was a beat of silence and then an exaggerated groan from Riddle’s voice.

“Very well. Go do what you need to do, Yuu,” he said at last. “But we’re coming to help. So don’t you dare get into too much trouble before we can get there. Or else I’ll collar you before you can run off again, omega.”

Trey coughed. “Riddle-!” He said in a choked tone.

The blush could practically be heard in Riddle’s voice as he replied, though he still kept his tone firm, “I- I mean it. Do you understand me, Yuu? You are not allowed to let yourself get hurt.”

Yuu’s entire face was ablaze and they weren’t sure if they could speak without squeaking. But eventually they managed to gather together enough composure to reply. “Yes, alpha…” They murmured in a soft embarrassed voice. As embarrassing as it was though, there was a burst of warmth in their chest as Riddle let out a pleased hum at their response.

They shared a few more words when there was a polite knock on the office door. Yuu looked up in surprise. “Er… Come in?”

Jade peaked in, his expression neutral, which Yuu was starting to learn meant that things were not alright.

“Apologies for interrupting you, Prefect,” he said. “But you may want to wrap up your phone call. Jamil Viper is here.”

Notes:

Me: Alright. Can't wait to get back into the plot. Really get in there and reveal the newest mystery-

Floyd: Shoes.

Me: Hang on. Wait. What-?

Floyd: This is my story now~ We're gonna go look at my shoe collection for 2k+ words~!

 

I honestly have no idea how Floyd hijacked this chapter from me like that 😭 Dude came out of nowhere and stole my hands! Also Jade in this chapter: knocks on every door. Certified door knocker.

Also, another reason I've had trouble with this chapter was because I was still debating whether or not Riddle and Trey will take the place of Ace and Deuce for a rescue party. Ace and Deuce have not had many scenes in the past few months and I'm feeling severely deprived of them and I didn't want to take this away from them. But at the same time, it did not make narrative sense for Yuu to contact them after everything that happened with Riddle and Trey.

Thankfully, I can guarantee that Ace and Deuce will see much larger roles and character development in Book 5, whenever we finally get there. It will still be a while though because we need to get through Book 4 and Fairy Gala. But after that... Adeuce? 👀 Mayhaps??? :)))

Chapter 30

Notes:

This chapter is about 2k shorter than normal because I wanted to leave enough time for me to get an update out for the ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY of this fic in less than 2 weeks!! I'll say more then but for now, thank you for all the support~

Yuu had barely taken two steps into the Octavinelle reception room (a gorgeous little sitting lounge where the teleport mirror was kept, where, instead of four walls and a ceiling, there was instead a crystal glass dome that offered a 360 degree view of the ocean beyond), when a blur of blue and gold darted towards them and curled around their leg playfully. Kalim’s carpet was, in a fashion Yuu could only describe as cat-like, nuzzling up to them as if it were a particularly affectionate feline.

The thought immediately reminded Yuu of Grim and their anxieties returned with a fierce vengeance.

“Prefect Yuu!” Jamil Viper called out with palpable relief when he caught sight of them. He looked even more run ragged than the last time Yuu had seen him which did not help their nerves at all.

“Jamil,” Yuu pushed past Jade and hurried forward anxiously. “What’s going on? Is Grim okay?”

“Grim is fine,” he reassured but his expression remained grim. “But things have gotten worse since you left. Kalim is out of control. Please, I’m begging you to return. I understand I have no right to ask this of you after everything but you’re the only one he’ll listen to.”

“What exactly is happening?”

Jamil’s expression somehow grew more bleak. “I tried my best to keep your escape quiet as long as I could. But Kalim found out about an hour ago when he awoke. I’ve been up all night trying to keep the students in order– your escape made quite the commotion.”

“Well I’m not sorry about it,” Yuu replied, somewhat annoyed.

“Oh– Of course not. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make it sound like I was passing judgment,” Jamil said. “I simply meant that it’s been a trying evening…”

Yuu immediately felt bad for snapping at him. Of course they weren’t exactly happy that he hadn’t done anything to help them, but Yuu also couldn’t forget what Jamil had told them yesterday about his precarious situation with the Asim family. As frustrating as it could be, people can’t be expected to sacrifice their own livelihoods for the sake of another.

“It’s fine,” Yuu said, forcing their tone to be gentler. Jamil was clearly exhausted. He stood out starkly due to his color scheme of reds and golds being placed against the blue-purple backdrop of Octavinelle. The rumpled state of his clothes, the disarray of his hair Yuu remembered being usually silky and flawless, and the extreme bags beneath his eyes all added to him standing out. “Please continue and tell us what is happening.”

At the mention of “us”, Jamil looked up at the other three in the room. He did not appear to have forgotten their presence, but the mention of the Octotrio seemed enough to alert his attention.

“Kalim…” Jamil began again. “Kalim has ordered the students who were on patrol duty last night to complete the oasis march three times without break or rest.”

Yuu swallowed back the immediate guilt they felt. If they had not left, no one would have been punished.

“And Grim?” Yuu pressed. “Is he also being punished?”

Jamil shook his head. “Kalim has ordered him to stay in the dorm until watch. But there’s only so much damage control I can do. I have no idea when he’ll snap next. Please, I’m at the end of my rope. I can think of no other way to reason with him–”

“That’s not really Shrimpy’s problem though, is it though, Sea snake?” Floyd piped up cheerfully from where he’d made himself comfortable on one of the pale lavender couches.

Sea snake? This man and his ridiculous marine-based nicknames…

“Shrimp… Oh, you are referring to Prefect Yuu,” Jamil noted, which somehow irked Yuu. They weren’t that short. They were pretty sure that one pretty Pomefiore kid in their classes was shorter than them. “No. You are right that this isn’t Yuu’s problem to deal with. I simply have nowhere else to turn. And I had thought that…” He trailed off but he was looking at Yuu with a knowing gaze.

Yuu had a sneaky suspicion they knew what he did not say aloud. Their last few conversations together rang in their ears, and Yuu could not deny that they wanted to help Kalim figure out… Whatever was happening to him.

“I… I want to help,” Yuu said, somewhat reluctantly. “Something is–” They were about to say that something was clearly wrong with Kalim but stopped just in time. Yuu felt in their heart like they could trust Jamil on some unexplainable level, but there was that tiny suspicious voice at the back of their mind that warned them not to.

There was no way of knowing for sure what was wrong or who was responsible. And Yuu could not afford to tip their hand their early.

“... I just needed to get Grim out of there,” Yuu said instead. “He’s my charge and what was happening was too dangerous of a situation. Someone is going to get seriously injured from heat stroke during Kalim’s exercises and punishments. I’m sure you understand, though things obviously didn’t turn out the way I hoped they would…”

Jamil nodded sympathetically. “Of course. And like I said, I understand why you left the way you did. I’m sorry that I couldn’t be of more help in that regard…”

“While we are on the topic of the Prefect’s escape,” Azul suddenly said, after having been relatively silent the entire time. He smiled indulgently at Jamil, “There is also the matter of a particular national artifact that had been removed without permission and brought onto my property?”

National artifact?

“Ah… Yes. That,” Jamil said in a strange tone. Yuu looked between the two of them curiously, wondering what had prompted this new topic, seemingly out of left field.

They then realized that both Floyd and Jade were staring at them as well with near identical grins. Jade’s eyebrows were pressed together and he looked to be holding himself back from chuckling. The carpet that had settled itself around Yuu’s leg shifted, reminding Yuu of its presence and that’s when they realized that the others weren’t staring at them exactly.

They were staring at Kalim’s carpet.

Yuu’s eyes widened in horror.

“No…” They said in disbelief. “This thing?”

“That ‘thing’ indeed,” Jade did finally let out that chuckle he’d been holding back. Somehow his expression grew more pitying and patronizing. “Not that anyone can truly blame someone from another world for not recognizing it… But that is a one-of-a-kind magical artifact from the Scalding Sands. A national treasure in its own right, and in the possession of the Asim family.”

Yuu looked over at Jamil with horror and betrayal. “And you didn’t tell me ?”

Jamil crossed his arms and almost looked like he was pouting. “There were more pressing matters at the time. Besides… It’s only a replica of an ancient magic carpet.”

“One of only three replicas,” Azul added, oh-so helpfully. “Truly a show of magical ingenuity and talent. There are few artifacts quite like those ones. I believe the other two are in possession of the Scalding Sands royal family?”

Yuu suddenly did not want to move a single muscle. Not after being told they had basically robbed this world’s equivalent Salvador Mundi or the Mona Lisa… Albeit, a very famous replica of them. Regardless, the fact was that Yuu had unwittingly committed a very grave sin.

Could they get into serious trouble for this? There had been numerous witnesses to their grand-theft-carpet, many of which had made their opinions and feelings of Yuu quite clear.

“It’s fine,” Jamil cut in hastily, when he’d noticed Yuu’s increasingly paling face. “The Seven knows why master Asim allowed Kalim to bring it to school with him, but I promise you that Kalim treats it with far less consideration than you have.”

“Be that as it may,” Azul said. “Kalim may have a soft spot for our resident Prefect, but the fact stands that the carpet was brought here and we have given shelter to the one who stole it.” Yuu shot him a nasty look and Azul raised his hands in defense. “I don’t mean that I feel that way. Simply that if this story were to get out, myself and my future prospects and endeavors could be put into hot water.”

“Yeah, and everyone knows you gotta grill octopus, not boil it~” Floyd sang.

“That’s hardly appropriate, Floyd,” Azul snapped, his face growing hot at the jab.

Jamil frowned at them. “So what are you suggesting? I promise you that it is not a big deal. Kalim will surely overlook it–”

“Ah, but would he?” Azul pressed, a small smug smile on his lips that was at odds with the concerned tone and topic he was putting forth. “Because from what the Prefect’s recounts, and what you yourself have said in these past few minutes… I think it is very appropriate for me to be concerned with how Kalim will react. Especially when considering I have not only harbored someone he was trying to prevent from leaving… But have also technically abetted in the theft of his priceless possession.”

Jamil’s jaw clicked shut. He seemed to have nothing to say in response to this.

“What do you suggest we do then, boss?” Jade asked with exaggerated concern.

“A very good question, Jade,” Azul hummed in a pleased tone. “Why… I do believe it would be in our best interest to see the carpet returned in person! That way I can best ensure that Kalim is aware of our innocence in this whole situation!”

“A most excellent idea, Azul,” Jade commended.

Yuu didn’t know how they did it, but somehow these two managed to make the most terrible acting in the world into something no one could argue back against. The insincerity dripped from every word, and yet Jamil was left without to defend with.

“I hardly think you need to go that far–” Jamil said when he cut himself off abruptly. His eyes darted down to the side, narrowing, and his perfectly plucked brows furrowed in deep concentration. Then suddenly, “Very well. I must admit that you’ve given compelling reasons. If you truly wish to return the carpet in person, so be it. I also think it would be good for Prefect Yuu to have allies on their side.”

That’s it? Yuu thought in surprise. For some reason they expected more of a protest. But Jamil seemed readily onboard all of a sudden.

That familiar itch began to tingle at the back of their brain.

Azul, likewise, looked a bit caught off by this sudden acceptance, but was quick to school his manner back into one of smug sureness.

“Excellent,” he said, clapping his hands together. “Jade, Floyd. Please go and grab some gifts from the store room. It seems that we are the ones to be guests for once. Let us show them our merfolk hospitality.”

~*~

Their arrival in Scarabia was met with loud whispering. It seemed Yuu and Grim’s grand escape was the talk of the morning. However, those whisperings were immediately put to rest the moment the three men from Octavinelle walked into the room. It only took one unnerving leer from Floyd to have anyone who dared say anything turning immediately pale and averting their gaze. Yuu did not think themself a spiteful person, but there was a part of them that was undeniably pleased by the reaction.

Jamil led them to the lounge where Yuu had spent the past couple days eating all their meals. As they walked, Yuu noticed that Jade walked to their left while Azul walked to their right, leaving Floyd to bring up the back, and came to the startling realization that the three of them were flanking Yuu. Like this, they were almost entirely hidden from view from the students they walked past. Yuu had not heard any such positioning being discussed and wondered when the heck these three had started doing so. They certainly hadn’t been walking this way when they left Octavinelle and it seemed too deliberate to be accidental.

Yuu wasn’t sure what to make of this. Only that, strangely enough, it helped them feel less anxious.

As they quickly approached the lounge, Yuu could immediately hear the sound of casual chattering and even the occasional bouts of laughter.

So Kalim is in happy-mode .

The chattering ceased the moment the five of them entered the large room. Though it was difficult to see past the others, all of whom stood taller than Yuu, they could not miss the way every pair of eyes in the room shifted to look at their group. Only one voice continued on cheerfully despite the dead silence.

“Come on, Grim. Just one more bite! I promise it’s really good!”

“No way! I’m stuffed! I can’t eat another bite!”

At the sound of Grim’s whiny voice, Yuu hurried forward and gently pushed past Jamil. Yuu half expected one of the twins to stop them, but no one did. They rushed forward unimpeded and finally laid eyes on their charge again. It had technically been only a little over half-a-day since they’d last seen him, but stress and confusion had made it seem so much longer than that.

Grim sat in Kalim’s lap and had his paws crossed defiantly. Kalim meanwhile was making the most adorable pout as he tried to cajole the little monster into eating another bite of… chicken tikka masala? If Grim was turning that down, he must truly be beyond stuffed. Yuu was going to have to remind Kalim (yet again) that Grim, despite how it may often seem, was not actually a bottomless pit for food.

At last, it seemed Kalim picked up on the silence that had befallen the lounge and looked up. He saw Yuu and seemed confused for half a second, his head tilting like that of a confused puppy.

But then something seemed to come over his gaze, something so subtle Yuu wondered if they weren’t imaging it due to their own biases… But to them it looked like something clicked inside Kalim’s head at the mere sight of them. A strange glazed-quality to his stare as his face burst into a wide dopey-grin, his ruby eyes practically love-struck.

It looked horribly wrong.

“Yuu! You’re safe!” He cried out, picking Grim up into his arms and rushing to his feet.

“Yuu!” Grim whined. “Save me from this menace! I’m gonna puke!”

The immediately pleased purr of their inner omega at Kalim’s concern warred with Yuu’s guardedness and caution at everything that had happened. Brainwashed or not, it had still been Kalim who’d so coldly given the orders to keep them trapped by his side. The conflict made it nearly impossible to put on a brave face like Yuu had been planning, one that would help them placate the volatile alpha until they could figure out what was wrong.

Instead, what came out was a weak smile that did not reach Yuu’s eyes and Kalim frowned, immediately picking up on it.

“You’re upset,” he said, a small pout already forming at his lips. “Oh no. Was it because I didn’t go look for you myself? It’s just that Jamil said he knew where you went! Or wait– You didn’t have breakfast yet! Come! There’s plenty of food to go around. Grim and I were just eating–”

Yuu cut off his babbling with a firm shake of the head, “Ah. No. I’ve eaten, Kalim. I was just… Worried about Grim, that’s all.” Not untrue in the slightest, but it wasn’t wholly truthful either. “The guys over at Octavinelle were kind enough to let me stay over and even fed me.”

“Octavinelle?” Kalim tilted his head adorably and then looked around Yuu and caught sight of Azul, Floyd, and Jade. His eyes widened. “Oh! We have more guests!”

That must’ve been the cue because Azul stepped up to greet his fellow Housewarden. “Good morning, Kalim~ How lovely to see you on such a lovely day.” He laid it on thickly, his voice sing-songy and practically dripping with saccharin.

“It’s great to see you too, Azul!” Kalim returned. “What are you and Floyd and Jade still doing on campus?”

“I’m afraid the ocean is a bit too cold where we live this time of year,” Jade answered, coming up beside them. Rolled and tucked under his arm was a particularly mischievous piece of furniture that had not taken kindly to being wrapped up in twine earlier. It wiggled in Jade’s grasp but it might as well have been utterly still for all that it seemed to bother Jade– which is to say, not at all. “We’ve come to return something for you.”

“Ah yes, thank you, Jade,” Azul said, turning back to Kalim. “We were all very surprised when Prefect Yuu suddenly burst into our dorm late last night. On your precious magic carpet of all things! Needless to say, we did not hesitate to make sure the Prefect was safe and unharmed and fed. And we’ve also come to return this to you personally~”

Jade handed Kalim the wiggling carpet.

Kalim’s face burst into a bright smile. “Ooo! Thank you guys so much! I can’t tell you how worried I was when I woke up this morning and found out that Yuu was missing! I might’ve gotten a little too upset,” his grimaced as his expression grew sheepish. “Actually… Jamil, where are the students I sent out this morning?”

“They are still marching in the desert, Kalim,” Jamil answered dutifully.

“Marching in the desert?” Jade asked with a surprised tone, his eyes went wide even though he already knew perfectly well this was the case as Jamil had already told them so. “Why… It’s nearly getting close to noon. That could be very dangerous.”

“Do you think so?” Kalim asked. His brows were furrowed with concern. “Ah… Maybe I did go a little overboard. I was just really worried about Yuu.” He looked over at them again, shooting them a sad puppy-dog look.

“That’s alright,” Azul reassured. “Mistakes happen.” It was a bit of a stretch to call this a mistake. “From what we’ve heard… You’ve ordered all your students to stay over break in hopes of improving Scarabia’s class standings? If so, I can see why you’d want to be strict.”

Kalim nodded. “Yeah. That’s basically it.”

Azul smirked. “Well… As you are aware, I am one of the top students in Night Raven and I keep my dorm in top shape.”

“You do!” Kalim easily agreed. He was too sweet. It was enough to momentarily fluster Azul, who probably was not used to such open sincerity from others, as he coughed before continuing.

“Hm… Yes. Thank you,” Azul said. “As I was saying… I’m also interested in learning a bit more about how things are done in Scarabia. And I would be willing to share my own experiences as a Housewarden and things I do with my own dorm if we were to say… Have a joint training camp.”

“Ooooo-!” Kalim’s excitement was palpable.

Yuu found their gaze straying over to where Jamil was standing, a bit further away, and watching his expression. They were unsure why they were doing this as they had little reason to suspect him (had many reasons to not suspect him, in actuality), but found themself staring discreetly despite this.

Unsurprisingly, Jamil’s expression remained impassive. He observed the exchange silently, offering neither words of support nor protests. He merely stood there with his arms crossed lazily and waited for, likely, Kalim’s next orders. Yuu wondered when the last time they saw him smile was. Like genuinely smile and not just with the customer-service one he often wore. What was going through his head at this moment?

Jamil’s eyes shifted over to them and Yuu hastily looked away.

~*~

Kalim readily agreed to the joint training camp. All was going according to Azul’s plans which he and Jade had spent the better part of three hours after Yuu went to bed that morning pouring over.

With Azul’s extensive knowledge of the student body (and dirt on practically anyone who didn’t have squeaky clean hands), it was only a matter of putting together a list of suspects and narrowing it down.

Of course Azul already knew who he thought was most likely the culprit. There was only one person brilliant enough to pull something like this off in the thick of it all and still somehow avoid any suspicion.

Too bad he had not accounted for Azul’s involvement.

There was a part of Azul that balked at all the work he was doing for free. He had no qualms with being generous and knew himself more than capable of producing near miracles if the right occasion called for it. But those miracles were only ever performed for the right price for the right people at the right time. This was decidedly not the right time nor was Azul getting anything out of this arrangement.

But was Yuu the right person?

It was a question Azul struggled with.

He could not deny that he felt deeply indebted to the otherworldly traveler, the type of debt that made him feel anxious and restless until he’d paid his dues. Ashengrottos did not carry debts of their own. But was this debt and anxiety enough to persuade him to go to such extremes for nothing in return?

Apparently so because here Azul found himself in the heart of Scarabia which was currently in the midst of a crisis and some nefarious agenda– or more likely, multiple hidden agendas all converging together. And the Prefect had once again found themself tangled at the center of it all. Azul would normally wash his hands of anyone so troublesome and problem-prone…

But Azul could not bring himself to leave it be.

He could not wash his hands of Yuu.

Jade, as well, felt a debt towards the human. And Floyd? Azul knew that Floyd had been amused by the omega for far longer than their original schemes had even been fully conceived. There was affection there too, from the brothers, that Azul never thought he’d live the day to see go beyond the three of them. That Yuu was capable of breaking down the terrible tyrant Rosehearts’ barriers was a surprise. That they did it again with the aloof and selfish Kingscholar was a coincidence. A shocking one, yes, but a coincidence nonetheless. But Azul could no longer deny that there was something about the stranger to their world. A magnetic force that Azul unwittingly found himself caught in and could no longer pull away.

No. He could not wash his hands of Yuu even without the debt. And that debt was one he knew he’d be paying for the rest of his life– or for however long the omega stayed in their world.

Yuu looked content now as they sat near the edge of the courtyard, their pet fire monster in their lap, as they watched Scarabia students practice their defensive magic as per Azul’s personalized instructions. After having called back the students Kalim ordered to be punished, Azul had suggested a training regimen that Kalim happily agreed to and now they all found themselves out in the Scarabia courtyards practicing.

Normally Azul would be taking this chance to take in the unique Scalding Sands architecture for inspiration for his own business ventures, but could not tear his eyes away from both the bane of his existence and his savior. As mentioned, Yuu looked content for the moment, their face relaxed as they listened patiently to whatever inane thing Grim rambled on about. It was a far cry from the look of sheer panic and terror and exhaustion from their face last night when they’d crashed into Octavinelle, nearly scaring Azul half to death. Azul made a mental note to reward Jade for taking care of the omega when he’d accidentally slept-in. He was likewise exhausted, yes, but he should be better than to succumb to sleep when he had a guest to care for.

Especially when that guest was the infamous Prefect of Ramshackle.

Still… Jade had done an excellent job. There was once again color to Yuu’s cheeks where they’d been pale and sunken with worry before. And while Azul had not commented on it last night, Yuu did not smell the most pleasant either and had been covered head-to-toe in a fine layer of sand and dust. He hoped that they found the baths to be rejuvenating.

It was a strange feeling, to want to care for another person without wanting anything in return. Azul wasn’t sure if he liked the strange sensation, a foreign bubbling in his chest, that doing so caused. The twins had always been self-sufficient so he had never had to care for them– not in such a fashion, at least. Azul was not sure what to do with this new information.

Of course, even as he watched Yuu (discreetly, of course, there was no need to cause the already-distressed omega anymore discomfort) the omega in question only seemed to have eyes for Kalim Al-Asim. Azul had noted the color to the Prefect’s cheeks, but he more than suspected that it was more than just the Prefect feeling better after food and a shower.

It made his own expression darken.

It was too early to say for sure, of course, but Azul would be willing to bet thaumarks that something was not entirely right there.

Thus far Kalim had not acted out of the ordinary aside from seemingly being unable to conceptualize that what he was doing was morally dubious. He acted just as revoltingly-joyful and helpful as he always did, eager to show Azul and the twins around. It was just fortunate that he and Jade were well experienced in dealing with Floyd and his every-wandering focus as it came in useful in keeping Kalim on track.

And distracted.

It was a showman’s bread and butter, of course, to be able to redirect attention and trick the audience all in plain sight. It was also why Azul held so much respect and admiration for Jamil Viper who, above anyone Azul had ever had the pleasure of meeting, was capable of pulling the wool over so many eyes.

It was easy enough to distract Kalim with a line up of activities and exercises for his dorm members to indulge in. And between what Kalim had been ordering them to do since break began and what Azul had proposed, the Scarabia populus was more than willing to jump on board. There was also the added benefit that Azul’s designed training regiment was genuinely beneficial. Far more productive than the grueling punishments Kalim had been handing out, at least. He was not a man who did things in halves after all.

Kalim and the Scarabia populus were easy.

Jamil? Not so much.

Azul had always loved watching those dark intelligent eyes assess every situation, churning out fast-paced calculations in his head. Jamil truly was a gorgeous specimen of an alpha. Intelligent and beautiful, two things Azul held in high regard, not that anyone else but Azul got to see it. And that was really the cherry on top. It was their little secret, as much as it obviously exasperated Jamil whenever Azul would allude to knowing his true capabilities. Even now, Jamil gave Azul a wide-berth, clearly uncomfortable with his presence and Azul couldn’t help but be pleased by this.

Though it did beg the question: Why did Jamil so easily accept their involvement?

It was a question to be filed away for later. For now…

He needed Jamil out of the equation. Just for a few hours.

“Kalim,” Azul called out to the excitable Housewarden.

Kalim looked back at him, reluctantly tearing his love-struck eyes from Prefect Yuu. Something about it was disturbing to witness. Azul had seen the way Riddle and Trey and even Kingscholar looked at the omega, had seen the way the omega looked at them in return, and it was a far cry from… Whatever this was. Yuu suspected Kalim was under some sort of love spell and Azul could only agree, especially after seeing Kalim’s behavior in person. It was only that Azul feared Yuu had only guessed one-half of the nefarious puzzle.

“I think this is a good place to stop,” Azul said. “Studies show that after around an hour, students start to lose focus on the topic they are studying. Since we’ve been focusing on defensive magic for a while, I felt like we could switch to something more… Physical, to help stimulate the body and mind?”

“Ooo~” Floyd stepped up beside him, throwing an arm over Azul’s shoulder and merely cackling when Azul tried to (and failed to) pry him off. “What’cha suggesting, boss? Swimming maybe? They have such a big fountain after all~”

Azul finally managed to shove the great oaf off on himself before clearing his throat and readjusting his coat over his shoulders. He pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose, “Actually, I was going to suggest a friendly game of Spelldrive.”

“Oh! I did want to improve our Spelldrive rankings!” Kalim exclaimed, eyes practically sparkling. “How should we split up the teams?”

“Well, even before that,” Azul said with a small smirk. “I was wondering if perhaps Prefect Yuu would like to join us? After all, I hear that Kingscholar has been trying to get you to join his Spelldrive club. And I’m sure we’re all curious why such a powerhouse in the Spelldrive community wants you to join so badly.”

Yuu looked up at the sound of their name, doe-eyes wide with surprise.

Notes:

I keep trying to reintroduce spelldrive back into this fic because I'm pretty sure the interscholastic spelldrive tournament is going to be very important for canon end-game somehow. So we're finally here. I should watch some sports anime to re-prepare myself for the next chapter lol.

Also, Azul simping for Jamil is one of my favorite things about his character and I couldn't NOT put that in this fic. It's just so funny and it's hilarious to me how Jamil hates that no one acknowledges him because he has to pretend to be ordinary, but the one person who sees past all that... He's super fucking annoyed with. Their interactions in canon are endlessly entertaining to me.

Jade and Floyd might have something to say about their beta making googly-eyes at some other alpha tho 👀

Please comment below your thoughts <3

Chapter 31

Summary:

I am a few weeks late with this update! School got really busy all of a sudden and some of the finer plot details needed to be thoroughly ironed-out before this chapter could be finished written. I'm a little sad I didn't get to update this on the anniversary of the fic but that's okay. It is about 2.5k words longer than usual though!! So I hope you enjoy!

And on that note... THANK YOU GUYS FOR ONE-YEAR! I have drawn some art in celebration below~ Just Yuu and Riddle on a roller-skate-date <3 (as I never actually described how Yuu looks in this fic to allow ya'll wonderful readers to imagine what you'd prefer, this is just the current iteration of Yuu I'm imagining in my head haha, so you'll find that a lot of art I do for this fic will feature Yuu looking different lol)

But yes! A huge shout-out to all my long-time readers who have been with me since the near-beginning of this fic! I can't believe it's been a year and I cannot believe how long this fic is. And thank you for everyone who has joined us along the way~ I truly appreciate each and every one of you and all your support. Reading your comments always makes me so giddy and excited and feel so supported. So thank you all from the bottom of my heart ❤

(this is the Yuu i've recently been drawing a lot. idk why. i just really like the almost 90s-style anime hair going on)

The braid is curtesy of Leona ❤

Riddle is struggling a bit with those roller skates but he'd nothing if not determined. And if he could conquer high heels just because the red queen wore them, then he'll surely be able to figure these out <3

I've also never put Yuu in more traditionally-feminine clothes before, so I decided they deserved to wear a skirt this time. I'll put Floyd in those strappy red stilettoes one of these days. 

(and something from my sketchbook from my in-class doodles)

ANYWAYS! That's it for my art. I'll put some gorgeous fanart I've recieved as well at the end of the chapter too. But for now, please enjoy the new chapter~

---

Jade helped spell Yuu into some sportswear more suitable for running around beneath a hot desert sun. And, remembering their mistake from last time, Yuu also made sure that Jade spelled them a pair of gloves as well, lest Yuu bruised their palms again.

Sitting to the side of the field under the shade of trees and umbrellas, Scarabia students cast curious looks at Yuu, no doubt wondering what the known magic-less prefect was doing out on the Spelldrive field, apparently about to play.

In part due to Cater’s addictive magicam posting, and in part due to the ever-circulating rumor mill of Night Raven, there were actually a fair number of people who were aware of Yuu and their method of playing Spelldrive without magic. But overall it was still relatively unknown across campus. Despite the exhilaration of being out on the field and doing what Yuu knew best, they actually had not played much more after the events of the interdorm tournament.

Not for a lack of effort on Leona’s part, of course. As Azul had alluded to, Leona had been trying his damndest to get Yuu to agree to join his Spelldrive club. He’d been practically shameless in his efforts to do so and very vocally grumpy when Yuu firmly told him no. Leona, along with the rest of the school, had been itching to one-up Royal Sword Academy. An unsurprising sentiment considering their 99-year losing streak. Considering frisbee-golf was apparently not a sport shared between the world (Yuu had looked), Leona had hoped to unleash Yuu as a secret weapon during the final match up with RSA, just as Yuu had done to him during that fateful encounter all those months ago.

It wasn’t an unappealing idea but, unfortunately, not one Yuu was willing to risk seeing through. The interscholastic tournament broadcasted worldwide, bringing in millions of viewers across every country and demographic. Powerhouse players, like Leona and the mysterious housewarden of Diasomnia, were well known in the sport even if they hadn’t been princes of their respective nations. NRC, despite their losing streak to RSA still technically meant a 99-time streak of making it to the playoffs (it was this very reason that Jack, after watching Leona play on TV, applied for NRC in the first place).

But that kind of scrutiny, especially when Yuu had still been reliant on Trey’s unique magic to keep their designation a secret, did not bode well. 

That was not the kind of publicity Yuu was willing to risk, with or without suppressants, no matter how cute Leona’s pout could be (though he’ll vehemently deny such a thing, “Princes don’t pout, cheeky minx.”). And Yuu wasn’t going to give Leona any more persuasive leverage by joining his club. It was bad enough listening to him sneakily bring it up in conversation when Yuu was just trying to get cuddle-time in.

It wasn’t as though Yuu didn’t miss the game though. They just didn’t want to play in a professional level. It was just kind of difficult to arrange informal matches between friends when the sport required at least six players, and everyone was so busy with their own clubs plus all the other chaos that routinely went down on campus. Yuu still occasionally practiced frisbee golf on their own though, taking full advantage of Ramshackle’s large plot of uneven land, the hills and trees acting as effective training obstacles.

So it did feel good to step back out onto the field. Yuu could already feel the adrenaline begin to pump, the taste of excitement on their tongue.

Scarabia did not have a field set aside for Spelldrive specifically (only Savanaclaw, the more athletically focused house, did), but the courtyard was large and there was enough space to section off an area to play. As Yuu took to the field, they took a look around at how the teams were divided up.

On their own team were Jade, Floyd, Grim (because he wouldn’t stop whining until Azul begrudgingly caved and said he could join), and three other Scarabia students, all of whom played on their house team. On the opposing side was Jamil and more Scarabia Spelldrive players. Azul had looked almost insulted when Yuu asked if he was going to join in (considering it was his idea in the first place), only for Floyd to helpfully chime in about how unathletic Azul was.

Kalim, as helpful and cheerful as ever, had reassured Azul that he too was not super athletic (aside from dancing, apparently) on account of never being allowed to play potentially dangerous sports.

This, of course, prompted Floyd to jeer and attempt to goad Kalim into playing (not that Kalim realized it), only for Jamil to send him the most scathing of death glares Yuu had ever seen from the vice-housewarden. So in the end, both housewardens were seated beneath the same elaborate umbrella, conversing as they watched the game.

Both teams met in the center of the field. Jamil stepped up to the midline.

“Standard short-length match,” he said, holding up two discs with one hand. He’d traded his dorm uniform for a flattering sleeveless hoodie and a red compression arm sleeve on his left arm, and he’d taken his usual low pony-tail and put it up into a high loose bun. Yuu thought, not for the first time, that he would probably make for a very successful model. He looked effortlessly stunning and fashionable. It helped that, for the first time since this entire mess had begun, Jamil actually looked genuinely at ease. Yuu was informed that he was actually one of best players on the Scarabia team, and apparently he and Floyd were both in the basketball club together with Ace. And it showed in his lean athletic build.

“First team to three points wins,” he continued, a small smirk playing at his lips. Where Jamil had seemed perpetually on-edge and anxious before, he seemed perfectly in his element now. “Guest team has offense first.”

Floyd gleefully took the red disc from Jamil with a mocking, “Thanks sea snake~” Jamil, apparently used to this behavior, merely rolled his eyes and turned towards his end of the field.

It was as they were taking their places that Yuu accidentally overheard two of their own team members whispering to one another.

“I don't know about this… It’s one thing to have the Leech twins who are absolute beasts. But are they going to be enough to make up for the weasel and the Prefect? How are they supposed to play without magic?”

“Hey, just be glad we only have to face off against Jamil and not Jade and Floyd,” the other whispered. “It’s just a stupid spar match anyway. Let’s just get it over with. Better than Kalim’s insane punishments.”

“Ugh. You’re right. I just don’t get why the Prefect has to play. At least the weasel can do some magic.”

Yuu thought about saying something for a moment but then shook their head and continued forward. There was no need. Their skills would speak for themselves.

Jade, who’d apparently also overheard the conversation, slid up beside Yuu and offered them a pleasant smile, his mismatched eyes twinkling with mirth. “I am curious as to the rumors surrounding your play style.”

Yuu rolled their eyes, “As if you and Azul haven’t already seen Cater’s magicam feed about it.”

Jade’s only answer was the widening of his smile until the razor-like teeth within just barely peaked out, glinting in the sun.

Both teams took their stances on opposite ends of the field. Floyd was their opener. And with a burst of spark from the referee’s wand, both teams were off.

Yuu immediately made a beeline towards the edge of the field, remembering their previous tactic of staying out-of-the-way and utilizing the opponent’s underestimation of them to their advantage. To Yuu’s surprise though, as they made it near the mid-field, spells already beginning to fly from both teams, Jamil was strangely running right for them.

Before Yuu could consider the strangeness of the sight though, the omega suddenly spotted an opening from Floyd as their eyes met. Yuu took their attention off Jamil for just a moment. An unspoken understanding passed between Yuu and Floyd. Floyd, who was still sprinting and effortlessly weaving through (even occasionally tanking) spells, raised his hand prepared to pass Yuu the disc, a killer grin on his face.

Then all of the sudden there was a burst of flames between them, briefly obscuring Floyd from Yuu’s line of sight. Yuu startled, leaping back and jerking their head in the direction of the spell source, and startled again at the sight of Jamil only a few meters away from them, having covered a ridiculous amount of distance in such a short time. Something Yuu had only seen players such as Leona and Jack and the twins, who were all absurdly tall freaks, do.

Yuu could now see why Jamil Viper had been one of Leona and Ruggie’s primary targets to take out.

“Don’t even think about it, Prefect,” Jamil said. His dark eyes were laser focused on Yuu.

While the rest of his team had completely ignored them, he seemed as if he knew exactly how much of a threat Yuu was, which shouldn’t be possible considering he hadn’t really known much about them save for some rumors here and there.

Or did he?

There was no time to consider the thought. The disc was on the move. Floyd, upon seeing Yuu’s position compromised, easily swapped targets, eagerly passing off the disc to his brother so he could free up his wand to cause some true mayhem, much to the dismay of his opponents (his prey). Yuu wondered if they should remind him that this was supposed to be a casual friendly match, not a shark feeding frenzy.

At no point, though, did Jamil allow Yuu a single opening. Every time Yuu managed to position themself just right for either of the brothers to pass to them, they were blocked by or needed to dodge a spell from Jamil. He effectively cut them out of the game while still somehow managing to get off a couple impressive long-range spells to further disrupt their team. It got to the point that Yuu was so frustrated that they audibly growled when Jamil interrupted yet another opening Yuu managed to get into position for, only to be graced with a half-lid smirk, Jamil’s dark smokey eyes practically taunting them.

Yuu was not a violent person, but they thought they might be capable of throttling the alpha at that very moment.

With some contribution from the rest of their team, though mostly through the combined efforts and terrifying synergy of the Leech twins, their team did manage to score the first point and thus winning the round. Red sparks flew into the air signaling a point for the guest team. Kalim could be heard cheering from the sidelines.

Yuu was feeling salty at having not been able to participate at all.

But it seemed they were not the only one feeling frustrated with Jamil.

As the first round was wrapped up, some members of Jamil’s team could be heard asking Jamil in confusion and frustration why he had spent the entire round herding Yuu instead of helping them with the twins. Another player chimed in that Jamil was their best player and that they needed him, which wasn’t an unfair complaint to be honest.

Jamil though, as he walked back towards his end of the field, blue disc in his hand, only sighed and shook his head. He looked about to say something but then realized he was still within hearing range of the Yuu’s team and quickly hurried away before continuing. Yuu watched him and the rest walk off, contemplating what had just occurred.

“Man, Shrimpy~ Tough luck that round, eh?” Floyd jogged up beside Yuu and slung an arm around their shoulder, apparently in perpetual need of physical touch. Was he touch-starved or something? Yuu merely sighed and decided it wasn’t worth fighting about it. “Sea snake really had ya’ on the tips of your fins, didn’t he~?”

Yuu made a noise of annoyance, “Being an absolute nuisance, if that’s what you mean.”

Floyd only cackled in response to this.

“It certainly made some things more clear,” Jade commented, causing Yuu to jump as they had not heard him walk up beside them.

“Hey~ Hey~ Nice shot, Jade~” Floyd complemented, referring to Jade’s winning throw that clinched the first point for their team.

“Thank you, Floyd.”

They shared an identical look and chuckled, some unknowable communicating happening there.

“You two… are the strangest people I’ve ever met,” Yuu said dryly. “And that is really saying something considering all the weirdos I’ve met since coming to this dimension…”

“Yikes~ Way to hurt a poor guy’s feelings, Shrimpy~”

Yuu rolled their eyes. “Anyways… Jade, you said something about something ‘made some things more clear’? What did you mean by that?”

The brother in question chuckled (in a manner that could only be described as patronizing) for a moment before finally deigning to answer, if ‘answer’ could actually be used to describe what he did say. “If you haven’t already figured it out, dear Prefect, then it’s probably a conversation best saved for later. Away from prying ears.”

He sounded deeply amused as he said this too. Yuu glared at him, though without any real heat. Cryptic bastard.

“ Fine , keep your secrets, eel boys.”

~*~

Azul hummed with pride as Jade scored the first point of the game. While Azul may not play Spelldrive himself (sports in general felt like such a pointless and brutish activity), he still acknowledged that it was a thing that others held in high regard. Jade and Floyd in particular excelled at Spelldrive and that was worthy of Azul’s pride. They were, afterall, an extension of Azul himself and what they excelled at reflected directly back onto Azul. There was a reason he did not skimp on funding when it came to the Octavinelle Spelldrive team. They were no Diasomnia or Savanaclaw, of course, but they still ranked high regardless.

“Do you think Yuu will be okay? Don’t you think Jamil is being a little too rough with them?” Kalim asked nervously. For the entire first round his eyes had been glued to the Prefect, and he’d flinched and made worried noises anytime Jamil lobbed a spell in Yuu’s direction. It had been a little funny at first but Azul quickly grew annoyed with it.

And people said he was dramatic.

“Yuu will be perfectly fine,” Azul reassured. “Believe it or not, Leona considers them to be a powerful player.”

Kalim frowned. “But Yuu doesn’t have magic.”

“No, they don’t,” Azul said, watching as the players prepared for round two. Jade and Floyd looked practically tickled after basically having free-reign to bully their opponents while Jamil was occupied herding Yuu away from the fray. As always, the Scarabia vice-housewarden showcased himself to be a man of cunning, capable of spotting and going right for the jugular. A true viper waiting in the grass.

Unlike Floyd, who was a tank on the field, or Jade, who could mold himself to fit any role a team needed, Yuu was what most referred to as a striker; someone suited for scoring points. Prevent a striker from getting access to the disc and they were basically useless, which was exactly what Jamil had done while the rest of his team had been blind to the true threat.

Speaking of, Jamil’s behavior during the game certainly checked off a few more boxes on Azul’s list of suspicions. Not that Azul really had many more suspects, but it was nice to get the confirmation regardless.

Unsurprised, Azul watched as Jamil’s teammates swarmed him with frustrated faces and no doubt a list of complaints as they patted out the flames and singes Floyd had eagerly set ablaze. Azul nearly chuckled aloud at the sight.

Azul was a generous man, yes, but he couldn’t deny that he found it deeply amusing to watch the dullards of the world go about their lives so mindlessly– so unaware of the true going-ons around them.

It was not nearly as amusing as watching Jamil’s frustrated response to the whining of his team though. Oh sure, the alpha smiled at and reassured them, settled their concerns, but Azul could see in those dark calculating eyes the disgust and annoyance Jamil felt. It practically tickled Azul to witness.

Yuu, likewise, looked particularly frustrated after the first round. The omega was practically pouting as they stomped their way back to their side of the field. Unlike Jamil, seeing Yuu’s frustration did not inspire deep amusement. Rather it was… kind of adorable, if Azul was being honest, which wasn’t a usual word in Azul’s vocabulary. But he had to begrudgingly admit that watching Yuu’s frustration (especially when it was caused by something as low stakes as a game of Spelldrive and decidedly not directed at Azul) was unfairly cute.

Azul had always known that the omega was cute. Floyd in particular had always been drawn to cute things, as exemplified in his teasing and harassment of Rosehearts for instance, and his immediate attraction to the Ramshackle Prefect as he had never been afraid to vocalize. But Azul’s knowledge of Yuu’s appeal had always been… Objective observation. Purely analytical. Impersonal.

The knowledge felt different now.

Azul was aware of the human’s appeal in a way he hadn’t been before, though the knowledge hadn’t actually changed. He was aware of their big doe-like eyes, the gentle slope of their jaw, the shape of their ears, the softness of their skin… On and on, Azul saw and noticed things he would not have before, and found himself focusing on things he would usually consider inconsequential.

And though he had rarely seen it and never directed at himself, Azul found Yuu’s smile to be the loveliest thing about them.

Despite pretending to be an alpha for many years Azul did not have the instinctive possessiveness alphas were known for. And still yet, he found himself coveting that smile, wishing it could just be him and the twins that Yuu directed it at. That sweetness just for themselves.

A burst of sparks from the game referee shocked Azul out of his inner stream of thought.

He shook his head, wondering what had gotten into him, as the second round of the game commenced.

This was no time to get distracted. He had a plan to see through and he needed to be the eyes and ears of the operation while Jade and Floyd were occupied. Refocusing himself, Azul turned his attention back towards the field and onto his target.

It appeared that Jamil gave in to his teammates for he was getting into it immediately with Floyd, the two already trading spells well ahead of the rest of the packs– Jamil deftly dodging while Floyd shrugged off nearly everything thrown his way, grin manic. Azul wasn’t one for sports but he could spot the stalemate for what it was. Floyd and Jamil had been in the same basketball club for a year and a half now, and it showed in the way they effortlessly read each other’s moves.

Jamil’s change in target certainly offered breathing room for the rest of the home team, but that wouldn’t mean much if there was no one left to neutralize Yuu.

Just as he thought this, Azul saw that two from Jamil’s team had broken off and headed in a direction Yuu ran in. He sat up straighter in his seat wondering how this would play out. There was a look on those players' faces that Azul did not like– a look he’d observed on a non-insignificant number of faces throughout their morning in Scarabia.

He’d suspected that there were a few things Yuu had been leaving out when recounting their story last night. Jamil was a priority yes, but Azul was never one to turn down new insight when it was offered so freely to him.

With a tap of his wand, Azul discreetly summoned a near-invisible bubble around him, mindful to keep its radius from breaching Kalim’s space, which was a little trickier to control but nothing Azul could not capable of. Acoustic-magic was an advanced form of magic, but Azul had never been an average mage. And this particular spell had come in handy more times than Azul could count.

There was a reason he was always the most informed person on the entire campus.

“-told us to deal with you.” Azul heard the voice as if it had been spoken right beside his ear even though the speaker was over 50 meters away. It had been disconcerting the first time he’d used the spell, but was now normal and expected. The speaker, a red-haired Scarabia student, was sneering at Yuu. “S’not like you can even do magic so I don’t get why we even have to bother.”

With that said he fired a spell at Yuu’s feet which the omega side-stepped with a glare.

The second player, a jackal beastman, added to his partner’s statement with a sneer, “Ashengrotto said Leona Kingscholar was trying to get you to join the spelldrive club, but it sounds more to me like he just wanted more convenient access to your easy beta ass.”

Azul felt like he’d been slapped across the face, though the comment hadn’t even been directed at him. He actually physically reared back upon hearing this, earning him a bemused glance from Kalim.

Last night, Yuu had mumbled something about Kalim getting very upset over an incident that had gone down before they showed up on Azul’s doorstep, but did not expand beyond that, and Azul did not push. All he knew was that they had felt guilty over some punishment someone had been doled that involved them.

Things started to make a little bit more sense as Azul listened to this interaction.

He’d had his suspicions. After all, it was part of the reason he’d so publicly asked Yuu to join the game in the first place.

But he didn’t imagine it to be quite this vitriol.

Azul’s expression darkened as he continued to listen to the two taunt Yuu. Despite Jamil’s apparent orders to deal with the omega, neither of them were taking Yuu very seriously. They lobbed their spells at the omega’s feet lazily, jeering as they did so, clearly underestimating their opponent, which was probably exactly what Yuu wanted, but it didn’t make Azul’s blood boil any less to listen and watch.

Yuu appeared to ignore the overt insults and didn’t deign any with a response or even a reactive expression. Their eyes were staunchly pinned to the disc as it danced back and forth between the players at the center of the field, all while gracefully dodging and weaving any spell thrown their way.

Their cold shoulder was clearly aggravating the other two, as both grew bolder with their verbal disparages. But they also grew more cocky and distracted, no longer even pretending to pay attention to the rest of the game.

Suddenly there was a flare of blue fire from the chaos of the center. Jamil had possession of the disc and managed to send it towards a teammate just before his opening was engulfed by a blaze of red hot fire from Floyd and Jade in tandem. With both twins against him, Jamil was no longer locked in a stalemate but being pressed back. But the flare of blue fire had not come from his teammate.

It had come from Grim , who Azul had very reluctantly allowed to play, if only because they didn’t actually need to win this game to see his plan through, and because Grim’s yappy voice was incredibly annoying– especially when the monster was complaining.

But with a sudden burst of flames, Grim leaped forward, riding the sudden forward velocity the mini explosion created. And before anyone could react, he had intercepted the pass and now ran wildly on four legs, disc suspended with magic above his head. And to Azul’s surprise, he was fast when he apparently wanted to be.

Grim’s ears twitched towards Yuu who locked eyes with him, and both seemed to come to the same silent agreement at the same moment.

“Henchmen!” Grim shouted, launching the disc in Yuu’s direction.

Yuu nodded and burst into a sprint, startling the two who’d been in charge of disrupting them. The two had been so caught off guard that it took them a second to realize what was happening, that they were still in a game , before turning on their heels and running after Yuu. That second was all the distraction Yuu needed though.

Azul canceled his spell the moment the two started shouting, grimacing as his ears rang with filth. But his discomfort was not enough to dampen his vindictive joy when Yuu expertly caught the disc, and then used their forward sprinting momentum to pivot into a full body twist.

Azul could not fathom what sort of fast calculations must’ve gone through the omega’s head as they twisted and then unfurled their body, launching the disc within a fraction of a second of catching it. And despite its velocity and the short time in which Yuu held it, the disc still flew in a trajectory that took it cleanly through the goal on the entire otherside of the field, all within three heartbeats. Even for Azul, who did not care much for sports, could not help but be a bit in awe at the power and accuracy behind the throw.

Kalim stood up abruptly, his eyes practically shining as he watched this go down. “GO YUU!”

But he would be the only one to do so. The rest of the dorm sat in shocked silence as the referee finally collected himself enough to fire blue sparks into the air, signaling the second point for the guest team.

Not that Azul cared at that moment.

His breath caught as Yuu turned again to reveal that gorgeous smile in all its radiant glory. Yuu’s eyes were shining with pride as they threw their arms out wide in order to catch a boasting Grim who leaped up into them. But Azul was still stuck on that smile, his heart thumping abnormally loud in his ears.

It’s just the ephemeral bond talking. Don’t get any ideas. You don’t deserve someone like that anyway.

But the words felt empty.

The moment of captivation only lasted a few more seconds when Azul became aware of the two shapes in the distance behind Yuu. A redhead and a jackal. The sight brought him immediately back down to reality and Azul’s expression darkened once more.

A snap of his fingers, two sets of mismatched eyes were immediately on him.

~*~

The rush of adrenaline from pulling off such an amazing long-ranged score had Yuu, admittedly, a bit distracted. Grim too was bragging about how great his interception was as Yuu held him in their arms, his forked tail wagging back and forth excitedly. Maybe it was their anxiety from being separated from him last night, maybe it was from the high-stress situation, but Yuu was more than happy to indulge the little feline as he went on about “The Great Grim!”’s athletic prowess.

They may have missed two particularly tall morays jogging over and speaking to their not-at-all-a-mob-boss in low voices and tones.

It wasn’t until Floyd had made it back onto the field and literally shoved another player on the other team to the ground, causing shocked gasps to erupt around the pitch, that Yuu’s attention was pulled.

“Hey hey~ What’cha doin’ down in the dirt there, little codfish?” Floyd cooed down at the redhead (Yuu saw immediately that he’d been one of the two hurling gross insults at them earlier), as if everyone hadn’t literally just seen him push the other down to the ground.

The red-head sputtered, “Y-you-!” But then he immediately clammed up upon realizing who exactly was looming over him, blocking out the sun with his intimidating height.

“Hah? Don’t’cha know it’s rude to ignore a guy tryna talk to ya?” Floyd asked, all amusement from his voice vanishing in an instance. His pupils were contracted, making the whites of his scalara seem all the larger. And his position, practically hunched over the other student, set his entire face in stark shadows. In that instance, Floyd looked truly as terrifying as the rumors Yuu heard of him.

Yuu set Grim down hastily and rushed over.

“Floyd, what are you doing? You can’t just-” They began.

“Codfish oughta know their places, don’tcha think?” Floyd continued. His eyes flickered up to the jackal beastman standing a few meters away, who looked like a deer frozen in headlights. “What do you think?”

“Floyd-” Yuu began again, eyes furrowed in concern. They had a sneaky suspicion what this was about but couldn’t fathom how Floyd could’ve heard what these two had said to them from so far away and in the middle of a game.

“I wouldn’t distract Floyd when he gets into one of his moods,” Jade said, suddenly appearing beside Yuu. He was nearly as bad as Crowley. “He won’t hurt them… Worse than he already has. But it would be kind if you would allow him to let off some steam.”

Yuu frowned, but didn’t step forward. They didn’t move back either, ready to cut in at a moment’s notice.

When neither of the two Scarabia students responded to Floyd, he sighed dramatically, standing up straighter so he could crack his neck side to side. The one on the ground flinched at the noise.

“Ya see,” Floyd continued. “I don’t particularly like ta put too much effort into things I don’t wanna do, ya know? It’s boring . So I get it if ya don’t ever bother getting good and stay sucking at what you do.” He paused. For a moment Yuu thought he might start grinning maniacally again, like Floyd always did, but the moment passed and the grin did not come.

And somehow that made the scene all the more chilling.

“But there’s a big difference between sucking at something and knowin’ it, and sucking at something and still havin’ an ego about it. Kinda arrogant, don’tcha think?”

He was met with blank terrified expressions.

Jade chuckled, deep and resonant in his chest, and all eyes turned to him. He considered the two with an air of pity and condescension before speaking, “Allow me to clarify as you seem to be struggling to comprehend my brother’s meaning. Simply put, the weak and incompetent should know better than to pass judgment onto their betters.” He wore his signature furrowed brows and patronizing grin, “It’s honestly really embarrassing to watch.”

“And ya know what we do to the weak down in the sea? Especially the loud and stupid ones~?” Floyd cracked a wry grin, the scent of brine and black licorice intensifying until it stung.

“I-I’m sorry…” The redhead on the ground stuttered.

“Floyd isn’t the one you should be apologizing to,” Jade chuckled.

Yuu frowned, unsure of what to make of this situation. The twins were… Defending them, in their own weird and terrifying way. Yuu did not approve of terrorizing others just for a perceived slight, though… They also couldn’t deny that Leona likely would’ve done the exact same thing if he’d been here. Had done so before, when Yuu’s strange position in the Savanaclaw pecking order was still being established, to remind a few hotheaded upstarts their places. Still, Yuu didn’t want anyone hurt on their behalf.

“Come on, guys, that’s enough-“ Yuu had begun to say when, shockingly, Floyd cut them off.

“I get real bummed out when predators act meek like prey, Shrimpy,” Floyd said in a dead tone that they had never heard him use with them before. It shut Yuu right up. “You and I both know you’re a hundred times better than this school of baitfish. I find it annoying as fuck when people are dishonest like that. Try not to annoy me, yeah, Shrimpy?”

Floyd didn’t like dishonest people? Hadn’t he been the one to lie to Rielle for an entire day about being Yuu’s boyfriend?

“Don’t let the minnows and baitfish walk all over you. If you’re good fucking own it . And if they try ta act like they’re better than you, show them their fucking places. ”

Yuu didn’t know if they wanted to “show them their fucking places” as Floyd put it so eloquently. But… Something about what he said resonated within Yuu.

If you’re good fucking own it.

As loath as Yuu was to admit it, Floyd was right. Not in his methodology per se, but he was right in the recognition of Yuu’s hesitance, borderlining refusal, to disturb the peace, even at the detriment to their own well-being. Yes, Ruggie liked to call them a busybody. Yes, Yuu constantly got involved in situations that probably wasn’t their responsibility to deal with. But it was different when it was other people. It was easy for Yuu to stand up for others, for their friends, for their loved ones.

Floyd was rightfully calling out Yuu’s inability to do so for themself.

When was the last time Yuu really truly stood up for themself? And not just pushing back against Riddle and Leona as they figured out each other's boundaries and limits, because the three of them were all hard headed and stubborn bastards. But truly stood up for themself against an adverse party?

There was a sensation of deep discomfort as Yuu realized those moments were only ever during dire situations. In the midst of overblots. Their escape from Scarabia just last night. Moments where standing up against someone seeking to hurt them or hurt themself was the only path forward. If it wasn’t the very last choice available to them… Yuu usually never pressed back.

Something steeled itself within them.

“I know I’m good,” Yuu snapped at Floyd. “I’m not a record holder in disc golf in my hometown for nothing. Just because I don’t like violence doesn’t mean I’m rolling over and accepting the insults.”

“Aren’t you though?” Floyd mocked. He crouched down and turned his attention back towards the redhead, who was still too scared to remove himself from this situation. Floyd chuckled and gave him a few light pats on the cheek. “Look at this little codfish~ It thinks it can just say whatever it wants with no consequences~ And here you are, Shrimpy, tryna defend it as if he’d ever do the same for you. If it were me, I’d of squeezed him til he popped already~”

The redhead whimpered.

“I’m not defending anyone.”

“Excuses~ Excuses~”

Yuu’s eyes narrowed, annoyed at how good Floyd was at getting under their skin. “Get off of him. Now, Floyd. I don’t need you to defend my honor, or whatever you think you’re doing. My skills will speak for themselves.” They then turned their furious gaze onto the two Scarabia idiots who had started this all in the first place. “And you two. I don’t care what stupid rumors you guys keep spreading about me. I’ve just proven, and I will keep proving, that I am better than all of you at Spelldrive. If you want to say shit about me, you’re going to have to earn that right by beating me first.”

The insults hadn’t only been hurled at Yuu, however.

“And if you ever ,” Yuu continued, voice dark. “Talk shit about Leona Kingscholar like you know anything about him– Insinuate that he’d stoop as low as to sell out his honor for a cheap lay… I won’t be so kind next time.”

The redhead paled. His friend flinched.

Floyd finally cracked a grin, his eyes practically shining with excitement as he stood up. “Now there’s my Shrimpy~”

Yuu huffed. “I’m not your anything , Floyd.”

“If you say so~ I like it when you order me around, Shrimpy~”

The redhead scrambled to his feet the moment Floyd moved out of his vicinity, and that’s when there was a commotion behind Yuu.

“What is happening over here?” Jamil demanded, marching over to their group. He paused a few feet away and took in the scene. Two of his players quivering in fear, Ramshackle Prefect looking disgruntled, and Floyd Leech with a shit-eating grin spread across the span of his face. His eyes narrowed, “I did not invite you all to my dorm so that you can terrorize my students.”

“I-it’s our fault, vice-housewarden,” the jackal beastman suddenly said. “W-we didn’t take your orders seriously. We allowed the…” He trailed off for a moment, casting a glance over at Yuu. “We allowed Prefect Yuu to score a point because we underestimated them… It won’t happen again, sir. And…” The turned to Yuu again, bowing his head hastily. “We’re really sorry for what we said to you earlier!”

Jamil was briefly silent before sighing and nodding. “Alright. As long as you’re aware. Also…” His voice dropped low. “Aside from the fact that Prefect Yuu is our guest that you should treat properly, do not forget how Kalim reacted yesterday. If you have any unkind things to say, please keep them to yourselves in the future.”

Yuu fought back the urge to raise a brow at this. There was nothing inherently wrong with the way Jamil said this, but something about it still rubbed them the wrong way.

“Now that is settled, why don’t we resume the game?” Jade asked.

~*~

The game did resume. Round three began and it was by far the most normal match of the day. With the proverbial cat out of the bag, Jamil’s team was finally treating Yuu as a player with the seriousness they deserved. They were actually starting to play as a team , instead of just relying wholly on Jamil. Yuu was actually really impressed with how quickly they got their shit together, with players quickly and efficiently switching on and off with Jamil to deal with various threats, be it the twin menaces or Yuu.

Scarabia. The house of Mindfulness indeed.

Unfortunately for Yuu, their own team was a bit of a… patchwork. Yuu and Grim worked well enough together (when Grim wasn’t goofing or showing off). Floyd and Jade were a terrifying well-oiled machine, but unfortunately did not communicate well outside of the two of them—hardly anyone’s fault given that, aside from the Scarabia students, this was the first any of them had played with each other before. Unfortunately, this did not stop Floyd from growing impatient and annoyed when someone couldn’t read his mind.

These cracks in their weak points began to show the moment they were up against an actually united opponent.

Even the two who had harassed Yuu, who’d both played so lazily last round, proved that they were capable when they bothered to put their minds to it.

So inevitably, even with powerhouses like the Leeches, round three went to the home team.

Round four, because this was a short match (Azul insisted that playing anything longer than that would be a waste of time if the goal was to train), introduced brooms to the game at last. To Yuu’s surprise, Jamil mounted a broom himself. While his physique did suggest he would be an excellent flier, Yuu would’ve thought he’d stay on the ground to run the disc, considering he was the strongest on that team.

The reason for this decision soon became apparent the moment they took to the field.

If Yuu thought Jamil had been annoying during the first round, that was before he’d been given the absolute maneuverable freedom of flight . That, coupled with his impressive ability to dish spells out like they were candy and it was Halloween plus his long-range accuracy with magic… It was an entirely different game.

No wonder Scarabia lost so badly during the spelldrive tournament if Jamil had been injured at the time. He was their star player.

Worse yet, as Yuu’s team decided who their two fliers would be, Yuu had a dreadful suspicion that Jamil had planned this from the beginning, because not a single person on their team was apparently a flier. Not that no one knew how to fly a broom, but rather no one on their team apparently ever played that position in-game. No one except for Jade and Floyd.

It could be no coincidence. Yuu was starting to realize that Jamil was maybe a little craftier than their initial impression of him had been.

“It can’t be that hard if dummy Ace could do it on his first try!” Grim exclaimed before attempting to mount a broom himself, his stubby limbs failing to gain purchase, and immediately, and comedically, falling off halfway up, the broom following close behind to twack him across the forehead. Grim’s whines were nearly as loud as Floyd’s crowing laughter.

There was a very good reason Coach Vargas was still making you do physical reps before allowing you to fly, Grim!

In the end, it was decided that Jade and another person would be their fliers. It was too big of a loss to take Floyd off the field. But separating the twins like this was also nearly as bad, but no one else seemed willing to play the flying position. Which wasn’t unreasonable as fliers tended to sustain the worst injuries of any spelldrive position, naturally due to the height and speeds involved.

Regardless, that was the best they could do.

Jade was decent on the broom, but he was no Jamil. Yuu had thought that Ruggie was a fairly talented flier, but that was nothing compared to this. The moment any of them stepped within range (and it was a big range), they were immediately having to dodge and weave for dear life. And from his height above, Jamil could easily play herding dog with both Floyd and Yuu, no need to pick between them.

Still, Yuu tried their best. Even without magic, they were quick on their feet and able to intercept passes with enough care and speed. They were also starting to be able to read Floyd’s chaotic movement better now too, the two falling into a tentative nonverbal teamwork.

At a certain point though, it became obvious they were fighting a losing battle. Their opponents had all been playing together for at least a six months and they had Jamil Viper playing crowd control from his lofty position high above.

“He’s too far away,” Yuu heard Floyd growl to himself. There was a gust of wind between them that Yuu lunged out of the way of and Floyd just stood there and tanked. Despite the obvious look of fury on his face, Floyd Leech was still grinning ear to ear as his mismatched eyes followed Jamil with deadly precision.

Floyd’s bloodlust was, unfortunately, not enough to actually do anything to turn the tides that were already out of favor for their team. Within a couple minutes they were playing defense, and then the round was finished with the point going to the home team.

As Jade alighted beside them back on their own side of the team, he shot Floyd a stern look and said, “We need to talk.” He then glanced over at Yuu, a curious expression on his face, and said, “You as well, Prefect Yuu.”

Confused but intrigued, Yuu walked away with the twins so they were out of hearing range of the rest of the team. Grim looked over at them confused but Yuu quickly waved him off, curious as to what Jade wanted to say.

“I don’t think we’re gonna win,” Yuu said.

“Well then it is a good thing that winning is not our objective here,” Jade replied.

Floyd shot him a peculiar look, with one teal brow raised. “Heyo, Jade~ Don’t you remember what Azul said? You really gonna go against the boss?”

Jade chuckled. “Alas, I’m afraid Azul’s feelings are a tad bit… Compromised at the moment. Besides, I’m sure Prefect Yuu would much prefer that we keep them in the know, yes?” He looked Yuu right in the eye.

“... What’s going on?”

Jade gently laughed and turned back to his brother. “See? Besides, it’s better for everyone involved if the Prefect is on the same page as the rest of us. No matter what Azul thinks is for the best, this really is no time to be pulling our punches.”

“Man, Azul is gonna kill you when he finds out~” Floyd sang, but his eyes were sparkling with glee. “Yeah yeah. Let’s do it.”

Yuu sighed in exasperation. “Let’s do what ? Are either of you actually going to fill me in or just keep going on all cryptically?”

Yuu did not like the synchronized head turns as both alphas looked over at them with identical grins on their faces.

“We’re going to take down Jamil, of course.”

~*~

Yuu could not say they were 100% onboard with what they were told. They understood immediately why Azul had wanted to keep them in the dark about this plan. Said plan, which was apparently to injure Jamil while he was on his broom and make it look like an accident so that Jade could get Kalim alone for half-an-hour.

Not only that but apparently Yuu’s suspicions that Jamil arranged for their team to have no fliers, so they’d be at a disadvantage in the second half of the game, was right on target , because not only did Jade and Floyd confirm this to be true , but apparently Azul had even been counting on it . It was the reason Azul did not call it out when he noticed Jamil’s underhanded team distribution tactic, because he knew it would guarantee the alpha on a broom.

And since injuries were more common for fliers, it would be much easier to arrange an “accident”.

“Of course there was no guarantee that Jamil would do that,” Jade had explained. “But Azul is used to playing the odds in his favor. And fortunately for us, his gamble was right.”

Fortunately for us, not so fortunate for Jamil. But Yuu’s hushed protests fell upon deaf ears. Yuu made a small effort to advocate on Jamil’s behalf, but was surprised to find that there was a small part of them that resonated with the octotrio’s sure suspicions. Despite the fact that Jamil’s story and personality seemed genuine. After all, he was the one to seem most distraught at Kalim’s condition. He’d been the one to not just personally beg Yuu to return to help, but also allow the other three to accompany them back to Scarabia. If he had any untoward agenda involving Yuu, he wouldn’t have done that, right?

“The fact that you don’t seem surprised by our suspicions should tell you everything you need to know,” Jade had said. And that was enough to shut Yuu up.

Still, Yuu refused to proceed without an explicit promise from the twins that Jamil would not be hurt too badly. Nothing that couldn’t be fixed in a day and some magic. Floyd had groaned but Jade elbowed his brother in the ribs and they both agreed.

Yuu would hold them to that.

Yuu could not believe they were agreeing to this. Leona and Ruggie were going to have a field day once they found out—if they ever found out, because Yuu was going to take this to the grave .

The final match began and Yuu took one last nervous glance over at Floyd, who only grinned back at them maniacally, before swallowing their anxieties and settling their nerves. This was for Kalim. Whatever was happening in Scarabia, they needed to get to the bottom of it, and if Jamil had to take a little tumble to do so, then so be it. Yuu would find a way to make it up to him later.

Azul’s plan was simple. During the heat of the game, either Jade or Floyd would orchestrate an “accident” to occur. Jamil would be forced to seek medical treatment and Jade would be free to lead Kalim off to the side to do… Whatever it was he needed to do. Unfortunately, as well thought out of a plan it was, Azul had not anticipated that Jamil would be quite as good with a broom as he was, and the twins were struggling to land a definitive blow.

That’s where Yuu came in. Jade’s supplementary plan, much like Azul’s, was relatively simple enough. Yuu typically placed themself near the edge of the main chaotic congregation as they did not have the utility of magic to be of much help, and needed to avoid being hit by stray spells as much as possible. However, this time Jade told them to put themself right into the fray. The reason for this was that Jamil, once he had gotten into the sky, once more started to target Yuu heavily. Without Jade on the field, it was much easier for the other players to handle Floyd on his lonesome which meant Jamil was free to focus more of his attention on Yuu.

And this was exactly what Jade thought to use to their advantage.

Yuu was breathing heavily as they entered into the chaotic center of the play field, spells whizzing past them at startling speeds. It was as terrifying as it was exhilarating. It was a pretty dangerous spot to be in considering Yuu had no magic to defend themself with, but Jade was adamant that Yuu needed to make the risky play in order for his plan to work. Where Yuu would normally wait to the side, where it was safe, until they spotted an opening, Jade now bade Yuu to get right into the nitty gritty of it all and chase the disc down.

This risky play, all in hopes of drawing Jamil lower to the field.

Yuu just hoped they didn’t get hit by a stray spell.

A burst of wind too-close-for-comfort at Yuu’s feet when they’d nearly intercepted a pass alerted Yuu to the fact that, yes, Jamil had indeed flown down closer to the field. They looked up and saw him watching them with a dark calculating gaze and Yuu knew then that Jade’s plan was working.

Jade reasoned that the sudden change in tactics would put Jamil on high alert for a possible play. Coupled with the fact that Jade and Floyd had pulled Yuu off to the side to talk in a very visually obvious fashion, aided this perception. Jamil, who was already paying close attention to Yuu least they obtained the single short opening they needed to score, would pay even more attention to them. And if Yuu was likewise running and weaving about several other people and a bunch of flying spells, Jamil would have to get closer in order to keep Yuu within sight and spell.

And so far, it was going down exactly as Jade said.

Yuu just really hoped that they got to the second part of the plan fast because Yuu was quickly starting to run out of steam.

The moment came not a second too soon.

Despite the plan, they were still in the game, and Jade had been adamant that they all still continued to play as if they were trying to win. Because even if the plan failed, they couldn’t risk it appearing like anything had been off. So when one of the opposing players missed his teammate’s pass, and the blue disc went flying past him, Yuu immediately honed in on it and sprinted .

The orientation of the disc took it at a slight curve which allowed Yuu just enough time to barely catch up to it, their right fingertips brushing its edge which sent it wobbling and rapidly losing momentum, thus enabling Yuu to finally get a solid grip on the damned thing. But they had overreached and found themself suddenly off-balance and suddenly aware that they were going to crash to the ground. Yuu braced themself, pupils darting around rapidly to take in the situation.

Floyd was several meters away, running right for them. Jade was nowhere to be seen. Several other players on both teams were also running towards them, spells at the ready, wands alight with magic.

Jamil was right above them.

“Now this is important,” Jade said. “When the time comes, you need to let Jamil hit you with a spell, or angle yourself so that it will hit you. Trust that Floyd will be close and ready.”

The alpha’s voice echoed in Yuu’s mind as they fell, time stretching into slow-motion, and watched as Jamil raised his wand, readying a spell that would no doubt knock the disc right out of their hand.

He fired.

Yuu twisted their body mid-fall, angled so that the fire spell would collide right into them, and prayed that they had not misplaced their tentative trust in the twins.

Right as the bloom of red-hot death seemed like it was going to hit them, there was a blur of black and teal  in front of Yuu. They hit the ground just as Floyd positioned himself right in the spell’s path, between it and Yuu. It was faint, but Yuu still remembered it clearly from their encounters down in the coral sea–around Floyd was a slight distortion to the air that signified his unique magic being active.

The spell hit him.

And immediately swerved back towards Jamil.

Jamil managed to get half a curse out before colliding with his own fire spell, his broom catching fire immediately, as he was sent hurtling towards the ground. A moment later there was a loud crash immediately followed by a burst of yellow sparks from the referee for Floyd’s use of illegal magic (while they may not know it was his unique magic, it was obvious that he had done something that was not an official Spelldrive-approved spell).

Yuu laid there on the ground, exhausted, until Jade Leech’s face suddenly appeared above theirs. He offered them a hand which Yuu took.

“Good job, Prefect.”

---

A/N: Now for some amazing fanart I've received. I literally teared up when I received these ;_;

 

from @YumeHanachono on twitter, thank you again for my very first piece of fanart ever~ 

and...

this lovely piece by @kermemet on twitter, which is the reason i've been obsessed with short-haired yuu for the past month and a half~

 

Please consider giving these lovely folks a follow if you still dare enter the hellsite (derogatory) that is twitter. I also post any art I make for this fic on there as well @thefirecr3st

Notes:

This chapter was 9.5k long... Of just Spelldrive... I don't even understand how.

Believe it or not, I was actually under the impression that I would get, if not close, but actually TO the overblot by the end of this chapter. But that clearly did not happen lmao. I hope it wasn't too terribly drawn out. I'm not sure how this chapter got away with me as it did but... It did. So maybe start of overblot next chapter? Hopefully? Please, fanfiction gods???

.... Anyway.

Thank you all again once more <3 It's been an amazing year and I'm so excited for more.

OHHH!!! ALSO!!!

For those of you who have been keeping up with the Book 7 release 👀👀👀 let me know what ya'll are thinking about all that wildness... Yeah. That lullaby, amirite??? Fucking CHILLS (make sure to mark spoilers though before you comment anything with spoilers just for the sake of other readers~ but i do really want to know how ya'll are feelings about all that... Hnnnng- Yandere Malleus after my heart)

Chapter 32

Notes:

About 1.5k shorter than normal. Apologies for that.

Once again, warning for no beta. Will clean up mistakes in the coming week.

The game was called off.

A couple of students rushed over to help Jamil stand, and it became obvious when he did so that his ankle was, at the very least, sprained. Peeking up above his sock, anyone could see that the flesh there was already starting to grow red and inflamed. Jamil’s face contorted into a pained grimace as he leaned on his fellow teammates for support.

Others quickly rushed to the field. Kalim looked torn for a moment, glancing between Yuu and Jamil, before another pained grunt from Jamil had him rushing over to his friend in concern. Yuu was glad to see it. Meanwhile, Azul was making a very convincing show of scolding Floyd for using illegal magic during a mock game. He looked so genuinely disappointed and angry that Yuu, if they had not been in on the nefarious scheme, might’ve believed it. Floyd was naturally unphased by the scolding, yawning even as Azul tore into him, though Yuu had no doubt he’d react similarly even if it wasn’t an act.

“Floyd!” Kalim exclaimed, spinning around once he’d thoroughly checked Jamil over. His pale brows were furrowed. “You need to be more careful! You really hurt Jamil!” He sounded genuinely distressed. It was the first time since the night Yuu had run into him on the balcony that they’d seen him express any kind of sincere negative emotion. One that was purely Kalim and not the version of him that was magically induced.

“Man, I wish you guys would get off my back about it,” Floyd muttered, scratching the back of his head. “Besides, Jamil’s spell was gonna hit Shrimpy. I thought you’d cared about that, sea otter~”

Red eyes flickered briefly over to Yuu and Kalim looked momentarily at a loss for words. “I…” He swallowed thickly. “I’m happy that you saved Yuu but you still need to be more careful!” He spun back around to Jamil, once more fussing over the other alpha.

Jamil hissed and recoiled when Kalim accidentally pressed a finger too hard into the calf of his injured leg. Kalim flinched, looking like a kicked puppy, and immediately apologized. “I’m fine, Kalim,” Jamil assured, though his pained expression said otherwise. “This is nothing so bad that a little bit of healing ointment can't fix in a few days. It’s my fault regardless. Floyd’s right. I should’ve been more careful with my spellwork. If he hadn’t deflected it, the Prefect could’ve been hurt badly.”

“Your leg though…” Kalim whined. “Then let me help you get to your room!”

Jamil grimaced. “No, please. Don’t trouble yourself. I will manage just fine with these two.” He glanced acknowledging between the two helping to support him. “Besides. We still have guests to entertain.”

“Quite,” Azul said with a pleasant smile. “I must apologize again on Floyd’s behalf. I can assure you that any compensation you require, I will be more than happy to provide.”

Jamil stared at him for a moment, before sighing. “That won’t be necessary. Like I said, I will be fine. The Asim family supplies me with some of the most premier first-aid tools and remedies, in case Kalim ever gets hurt.”

Kalim didn’t seem to be listening though. He stared down at his feet, looking conflicted. In a school full of people so guarded and secretive, Kalim truly did just wear his heart on his sleeve, uncaring of how anyone else could use  that against him. Yuu thought that he and Ace and Deuce might get along well. He was fond of Grim as well.

“Kalim…?” Jamil asked.

Kalim started, looking up abruptly with wide eyes before forcing a big smile onto his face and laughing. Yuu watched in amazement as that forced grin, within seconds, turned into something genuine right before their eyes. “It’s nothing! You’re right as always, Jamil! I’ll take care of everything while you rest up! Don’t worry! You just focus on getting better!”

Jamil’s expression said that he was definitely going to worry.

“… Alright,” Jamil said. “I probably won’t be back in time to prepare your lunch but there are some leftovers in your room. Make sure the rest of the dorm starts dining preparations in the next hour regardless. I-“ He paused, and glanced between Kalim and Azul and the Leech twins and finally settled on Yuu briefly before turning back to Kalim. Yuu wasn’t sure why, but they felt like there was conflict in that gaze. “… Nevermind. I should go before this gets worse.” He looked down at his ankle and Yuu felt the sour flavor of guilt fill their mouth.

As Jamil walked away, Azul clapped his hands to announce the next timeblock of the training regiment: swimming for endurance and cardio. While this happened, Jade practically apparated beside Kalim wearing a sly look that Kalim did not seem capable of picking up on at all.

“Speaking of lunch preparations,” Jade said. “I have a lot of experience from running the Mostro Lounge. I’d be more than happy to help out in Jamil’s stead, also as a way to apologize once again for my brother’s carelessness.”

Floyd stuck a tongue out at his twin from several meters away.

Ignoring this, Jade continued, “Unfortunately I’m woefully unfamiliar with Scarabia’s floor plan. If I could request your assistance, Kalim? And go over some of the meal preparations with you as well?”

“Oh! That’s an awesome idea, Jade! Oh, but…” Kalim glanced over at the rest of his dorm. “I shouldn’t leave them right now. They’re all here on my orders and without Jamil…”

“No need to worry,” Jade reassured. “This won’t take more than a half an hour and Azul, Floyd, and Yuu are all very capable. You’ll be leaving them in good hands.”

Kalim glanced over at them all (Floyd and Azul were now whispering to one another to the side) and Yuu tried to wear a reassuring smile, still reeling a bit at being roped into this convoluted octo trio scheme. Kalim’s worry softened a bit when his gaze landed on Yuu and he smiled almost bashfully, sending a flutter through Yuu’s stomach. It was hard to maintain eye contact when he looked at them like that.

“Okay, sounds like a plan!”

Kalim waved at Yuu as he and Jade walked away, wearing that charming boy-ish grin that always managed to light up his entire face. Yuu much preferred it to the cold and uncaring one he wore under magical influence, and Yuu was going to make sure that he never would wear the other one ever again.

“Alright, guppies~!” Floyd started to gather up the remaining Scarabia students, ushering them towards the giant fountain piece in the front Scarabia courtyards.

Was it Yuu’s imagination or did Floyd’s voice sound way too deep?

A few other students seemed as confused as them on this but seemed to shrug it off and followed Floyd’s directions. Yuu started to follow as well when Azul appeared at their side and nudged them with his elbow. He wordlessly gestured with a nod in the direction of the main building.

Follow me , it said.

Curious, but also a bit suspicious, Yuu peeled away from the rest of the crowd.

Or at least, they tried to. They were stopped when a hand grasped them around the wrist.

“Ah- Shit, sorry,” the person who’d grabbed them hastily released Yuu’s arm. Yuu whirled around and pulled their hand close to their chest, staring wide-eyed at a boy they did not recognize. “Hey um… Where are you and Housewarden Ashengrotto going?”

Yuu floundered for an answer but found that no words came to their mind. A seed of panic was sown in their gut. Things had already been tense enough between them and this blasted dorm. Yuu did not need more suspicion cast on them.

Azul came to the rescue.

“Prefect Yuu and I were just going to get something for their leg,” Azul cut in smoothly, sliding up next to Yuu, standing almost a little ahead of them, as if putting himself between them and a perceived threat. “Jamil’s injury was much more serious and took precedence, but Prefect Yuu also took a rather nasty spill. I was just going to grab the first aid kit from my dorm.”

The Scarbia student blinked in surprise. “Oh.” A few others stopped to see what the conversation was about. “Oh right. Yeah, that did happen, didn’t it? Er…” He turned to Yuu again, a strangely self-conscious expression on his face, “Look. You probably don’t remember who I am.”

Yuu didn’t.

“... That’s fine though,” he continued. “I was one of the ones who weren’t… Being very kind to you yesterday.” He blushed and looked away. “I just… We just wanted to say…” He glanced back at the small gathering behind him. There was a sudden spark of recognition in Yuu.

These were the friends of the beta who’d egged him on. In fact, Yuu did actually recognize that same beta as one of the newcomers. 

“... We wanted to apologize for our behavior.” He finished.

“ Sincerely, this time,” another added quietly.

Yuu was stunned and unsure of how to respond.

“You’re really good at Spelldrive by the way!” Another person blurted out, “It was… It was really impressive, watching you play… We shouldn’t have said those things to you regardless but… It’s obvious now why Kingscholar likes you.”

Yuu was pretty sure Leona liked them for much more than just their frisbee golf skills, but they also couldn’t deny that it was one of the main reasons Leona became interested in them in the first place.

A few of the others nodded in assent, “We shouldn’t have made assumptions…”

There was an awkward lull after that, before the beta from before suddenly stepped up to the front of the pack. His face was red and he couldn’t meet Yuu’s eyes exactly, but he still forced himself to speak. “I also need to thank you for helping me with Kalim. You didn’t need to, especially after everything we said to you… Everything we did to you. So… I’m sorry. And thank you again.”

Yuu was… Touched to say the least. What had been done and said to them was beyond horrible and it was somewhat frustrating that Yuu had to prove themself first before being treated with the basic decency anyone was deserving of, but… It was also clear, glancing across the remorseful and bashful faces of these Scarabia students, that this apology hadn’t been easy for any of them.

And Yuu had forgiven far worse things in the past.

So it was no lie when Yuu finally dropped their surprise in favor of a soft smile. “Mm. No hard feelings here. Just… Let’s all try to be nicer, yeah?”

The beta from before finally looked up into Yuu’s eyes, surprising coloring his expression. “Oh… Y-yeah. Of course. Um… I’m Inigo, by the way.”

He held out an awkward hand.

Yuu laughed and shook it.

~*~

“You seem in higher spirits,” Azul said softly.

Yuu hummed in response. They were feeling in higher spirits.

Yuu and Azul had quickly split from the rest of the dorm gathered in the courtyard. Azul wanted to follow Jamil. It hadn’t been easy to convince Grim to stay silent and let them leave, but a few tactical promises of tuna and other goodies won them his cooperation. The group that had apologized to Yuu, as well, had turned a blind eye when the two left. Yuu wasn’t entirely sure if they’d bought Azul’s excuse, but no one stopped them as they entered the near-empty Scarabia dorm.

“You… You brought attention to my playstyle on purpose didn’t you?” Yuu asked after a few more moments of silence. Azul pointedly looking straight forward, as they traversed the beautiful marble and sandstone halls, told Yuu everything they needed to know. Yuu swallowed something thick, unsure of the conflicting emotions in their chest.

Everything about Azul Ashengrotto made them feel confused.

They suspected that he felt much the same about them.

“... Thank you.”

Azul glanced away a little, trying, and failing, to hide his reddening face.

They walked in silence for a few more minutes, Yuu following Azul’s lead, when there was suddenly noise of talking and footsteps ahead of them. Without warning, Azul grabbed Yuu’s wrist, pausing only for a moment to hold a finger up to his lips, before pulling the two of them off to the side and out of sight from the main hallway. A moment later two figures walked past their hiding place: the students who had helped Jamil walk to his room.

They gave it a good minute after the footsteps had receded into the distance before returning onto the main path.

“So…” Yuu said softly, breaking the silence. A week ago they hadn’t wanted to talk to Azul at all, but right now the silence felt near unbearable and Yuu felt compelled to fill it with something . Even if that something was idle and meaningless chatter. “You actually know the layout of Scarabia don’t you?”

“Huh?” Azul blinked and actually looked over at them.

“Jade mentioned that he didn’t know how to get around Scarabia,” Yuu explained. “It was part of his whole excuse to get Kalim alone. But that was another lie, right? You clearly know how to navigate this place.” No. Yuu was not salty about that one bit. It didn’t bother them at all that they’d gotten hopelessly lost in this stupid labyrinth of a dorm the night before and Azul seemed to navigate it with ease.

Azul actually chuckled at this, pushing his glasses up his face so that they caught the light. “Jade and I know,” he said. “Floyd on the other hand… Oh.” His voice suddenly grew grave, startling Yuu. “You… Are you upset by the deceit?”

Yuu blinked at him.

“I-” Yuu paused, pondering over the question. “I mean, I’m not exactly happy that Jamil had to get hurt–especially if it turns out that he has nothing to do with any of this.” It was so strange. Every part of their mind, their logic, was telling them that Jamil had to be innocent. The idea that Jamil, who worried so much about Kalim, who seemed willing to go to the ends of the world for the other alpha, would be at fault. And yet… There was a seed in their gut that could not be ignored.

And as for Azul’s question… There, yet, was another contradicting sensation. Yuu had been on the receiving end of the Octo trio’s lies and tricks. Had paid great prices for it. And, as stated before, they weren’t exactly pleased with injuring Jamil. But the three of them have also been so sincere in their efforts to help Yuu–ironic, considering their methods were anything but. But maybe Yuu was starting to realize that that’s just how these three were: Shady assholes who couldn’t help themselves.

It was in their nature, just as anger was in Riddle’s and apathy was in Leona’s. Things that would traditionally be considered negative things, character flaws, but… Yuu had also seen first-hand how, when those characteristics were honed and controlled and managed properly, could be used to great effect.

There was a time and place for anger. Riddle was starting to learn that in the way he wielded his queenly scepter. And, especially for an alpha who looked so omegan, it would no doubt be a priceless tool for him to use when he one day took over his family name, lest anyone look down on him for his soft features. His sharp tongue would set them straight.

And apathy as well was important. It wasn’t as if Leona was incapable of caring—sometimes Yuu feared that he cared too much . So much that it tore him up inside and left him a little less capable of channeling his true self–made it just a little harder each time. But a king was ruler over many and that was not a seat that someone incapable of steeling their heart could sit upon. Sometimes you had to not-care. Yuu knew too well how harmful it could be to spread yourself too thin and give away too many little pieces of your heart… until there wasn’t enough left to sustain yourself.

So yes. Some may call it a character flaw, an imperfection… And Yuu certainly had more than enough reasons to hate any lie or deceit that fell from Azul Ashengrotto’s lips…

… But they would not be honest if they said they felt so.

“No…” Yuu murmured at last, after several moments of silence. “I’m not upset by it.” Were they not, at this very moment, using that very same deceit but for good? “How can I admonish you for helping me , especially when no one else would?”

Azul watched them very carefully and his stormy eyes were unreadable to the omega.

“... I wouldn’t blame you,” he said. “If you did blame me, that is.”

Yuu laughed mirthlessly, “Oh please. You get so frustrated when I get frustrated with you.”

Azul flushed, “Well I–” He glanced away and almost looked as if he were pouting. “I’m still figuring this all out. I’m so used to…” Blaming others. Not taking accountability for my own actions. Lashing out.

The words didn’t need to be said aloud, Yuu heard it all the same. They were no longer sure what to make of Azul Ashengrotto. They felt as if they’d known him inside-and-out just a week ago, when they’d shared that dreamscape. It felt longer than that. And Azul seemed to have transformed into an entirely different person in the interim. Same, but different. They thought of him as arrogant and self-absorbed and incapable of ever admitting fault. But these were things Yuu no longer knew if they could be fully applied to Azul any longer.

Of course, the hurt he’d wrought hadn’t vanished. But when Yuu looked at Azul now, in the light of the desert sun, the reds and oranges from the flying silks dancing across his pale complexion, they no longer felt that instinctive deep revulsion and anger. It still existed, dancing right beneath the surface, but it was a shadow of what it once was.

It was confusing. Azul Ashengrotto was an existence of confusion.

Conversation between them lulled into awkward silence once more. Yuu wasn’t sure if they had upset Azul by their comment or not. They weren’t even sure how’d they’d feel if they had.

They took a flight of stairs up. And then another. Scarabia was too goddamn big. Surely Kalim’s family had better things to spend their money on?

“... Why did you ask me to come?” Yuu asked.

Azul was silent for a moment, as if contemplating his words. Instead of speaking though, he reached into his inner breast pocket and pulled out a sleek slim rectangle: his phone. He scrolled through the numerous tabs Yuu could see he had opened and then paused, thumb poised above the screen in hesitation. But then he pressed down and handed the phone over to a curious Yuu who took it.

There was a GPS map open on his phone screen. It took Yuu a second to understand what they were looking at on account of not being familiar with Twisted Wonderland’s geography, but soon realized that they weren’t even looking at that. Not exactly. The running lines on the screen were confusing, but Yuu could vaguely recognize on a smaller square to the top right that this depicted the Sage Islands, which Night Raven resided on. But the main map opened only looked like a map in the vaguest sense of the word…

What Yuu did recognize was the flashing blue dot which represented Azul’s phone. And then another, that they were steadily moving towards, was a flashing red dot in the distance.

“My phone,” Yuu said with surprised realization. “You managed to track it.”

Azul nodded, “It wasn’t the easiest thing in the world considering you had none of the carrier and device credentials for me to use. There was also the added trouble with pocket dimensions such as the ones our dorms reside within that don’t work well with GPS technology–which is only be expected as these places don’t technically , in the strictest definition of the word, exist .” It certainly explained the strange map-but-not-a-map that stared back up at Yuu from the phone. “But I managed.”

“So that means…” Yuu looked back down at the flickering dots and furrowed their brows. They were no fool. Even they could put the pieces together.

Even without knowing the exact location of Jamil’s room, it was clear that where they were headed and where the flickering red dot was both lay upon the same path. Both destinations were one and the same.

“Jamil has my phone,” Yuu said with a heavy sigh. Or someone had planted it in his room… But Yuu wasn’t going to entertain ridiculous ideas. Not when the truth was plain before them. “How long have you known?”

“Since before the Spelldrive mock game,” Azul admitted. “I managed to figure out the various authentications necessary a couple hours ago–not that I did not already suspect Jamil. This merely cemented my suspicions. I hadn’t told Floyd and Jade though, so don’t be mad at them for not telling you.”

Yuu just felt tired once more. And speaking of the twins…

“Jade made some cryptic comments during the game earlier,” Yuu said. “There’s more isn’t there? Something you guys aren’t telling me? Jade said that… If I didn’t already figure it out, it was a conversation best saved for later.” And what better time than now?

At this, Azul’s expression paled and his eyes shifted in a way as to avoid looking Yuu straight in the eyes. Yuu was having none of this though. They stopped walking and this forced Azul to stop as well.

“Spit it out, Ashengrotto,” Yuu said. “You owe me at least that much.”

“That’s not–” fair , Azul seemed to want to whine, but stopped himself. He looked frustrated and pathetic. All of his usual flair and gusto vanished like it was never there in the first place and he squirmed under Yuu’s scrutiny. Yuu imagined that if anyone else were to see him like this, so vulnerable, that Azul would have a much harder time intimidating people into getting his way.

Floyd once said he respected Yuu for the power they wielded. Yuu had not quite understood what he’d meant at the time. But watching Azul now, Yuu was starting to come to a startling realization of what that comment had meant. They had a sway over Azul Ashengrotto that no one else did.

There was a moment of exhilaration that came with the realization immediately followed by a cold wind and a feeling of intense horror and fear.

What was Yuu supposed to do with this knowledge?

Did they want power over Azul?

Perhaps at one time they might’ve relished it, in the midst of their anger. It was always easier to justify things like that when caught within hurt and fury. To wrest control away from someone who’d done the same to you.

… But that was sick. The new realization confused Yuu, but more than that, it scared them.

Yuu cleared their throat, trying to banish the thoughts. It was too much to consider. For now at least. There were so many more pressing things to deal with first. “... Please, Azul. Please tell me.”

A question. Not an order.

Yuu was quite tired of people controlling other people without consent.

“Or at least, please tell me why you don’t want to tell me?”

This seemed to give Azul pause. He met their eyes at last and they could see the very real reluctance and weariness in them. He truly did not wish to tell them. “I just… I don’t want to be the one to make you realize. Not after…” He breathed heavily through his nose. “... Not after everything.”

“If not you, then who?”

The question looked to bring Azul physical pain and Yuu hated the treacherous squeezing of their heart at the sight. They opened their mouth, ready to just drop the entire conversation when Azul spoke again, spitting out words that felt like a slap to Yuu’s face.

“Have you considered that your own feelings for Kalim were manipulated?”

The words tumbled out of his mouth so fast they were near unintelligible, and afterwards his jaw clicked shut loudly and he was once more staring off into the distance, unable to even look at Yuu.

“... What?” But even as Yuu asked this, they could feel the terrible truth behind Azul question. It was like finding the final missing piece to a puzzle. It clicked then and everything made horrible sense at last.

“I care about Kalim,” was all Yuu said in response.

“You just met him, Shrimpy,” Floyd said blandly.

Yuu had deduced correctly that Kalim’s feelings for them were a product of some nefarious magic of the mind. And yet.

And yet -

They had been blind to the entire other half of the picture. That they themself were under the exact same influence. Again and again and again. Why did this always happen to them .

Azul only stared at Yuu with troubled gray eyes.

No. Not troubled.

Resigned .

“I told you I didn’t want to tell you…”

~*~

When they got close to Jamil’s room, Azul stopped them both. He had been shooting concerned and guilty looks over at Yuu ever since he’d revealed to them that which had been hiding in plain sight. It was one part touching and one part annoying and Azul was doing a terrible job at hiding his glances. For Yuu, they just wanted to put the entire thing on the back burner. They'd demanded Pandora's box be opened and now they had to face the consequences of that decision, and there was simply no time to afford thinking about it right now.

Azul fumbled around with his pockets, clearly still unsure of how to conduct himself before Yuu after everything what happened. He pulled out a familiar looking object: a purple nautilus shell. The same as the one on the brim of his fedora, though slightly bigger and strung on a black velvet thread.

He shoved it in their their hands, “Here. Put this on.”

Yuu stared down at the necklace in surprise, confused at the order.  They held it up. The shell was warm to the touch as if there was some internal heat generation. “Why?”

“I’ve imbued it with magic,” Azul explained. “It’s for your protection. It should protect you from… Technically most magic, but theoretically it should protect you from the mind magic as well.”

Yuu raised a brow. “And you’ve just had this sitting around this whole time?”

Azul scrunched up his nose. “No. It wasn’t easy to obtain and there’s only one of its kind. Break it and it’ll stop working. I didn’t actually have it until fifteen minutes ago–” He paused when Yuu’s expression made it clear this explanation was only bringing up more questions than answers. “It’s not important! It works and that’s all that matters. So please wear it.”

“Will it stop me from having feelings for Kalim?”

Azul grimaced. “Unfortunately, this pendent can only repel spells and curses… It is not capable of lifting it. That would require time for the magic on you to fade or…”

“... Or defeating the wizard who cast it in the first place,” Yuu finished with a sigh. Magic or not, they paid attention in class. They still felt reflexively suspicious at anything and everything Azul said, but at this point they hardly felt that he had any reason to lie. Yuu pulled the necklace over their head and stuffed it down their shirt. It sat warm against their clavicle. “Alright. What next.”

“Next,” Azul said. “We do a bit of reconnaissance.”

Yuu had always been readily acknowledging of Azul’s talent, even in the thick of their conflicts. Of all the mages Yuu had met, Riddle and Leona with their raw power and others like Trey and Cater with their well-roundedness, Azul was the only one they’d seen possess such finesse and grace when it came to spellwork. His spell and wandwork were precise and efficient, not a single movement wasted, and despite the clear complexities of the magic he was casting, there was hardly any blot marring the facets of his mage gem.

As he waved his pen around, the air immediately about them shimmered. “Stay near me if you can,” Azul said. “I’ve cast an invisibility spell over us but it’s noticeable the larger it gets, so stay close. I’ve also cast a muffling charm as well, but it’s not absolute so continue whispering.”

Yuu nodded.

As they approached Jamil’s room, the two of them began to hear what sounded like a muffled conversation from behind the closed doors. Azul raised his wand again and there was another brief shimmer in the air. Suddenly, the muffled speech became audible.

“--the plan.”

Jamil was talking. But there should be no one else in the dorm. Azul and Yuu had passed two who’d helped him up.

“Need I remind you what is on the line, Viper?”

A deeper, older, male voice. It was suffused with an electronic buzzing and uneven jumps in volume.

Jamil was speaking to someone on the phone.

“You don’t need to remind me,” Jamil said in response. His tone was tight. “But I need more time. I did not expect the interference of–”

“I don’t want to hear your excuses, Viper. And you would do well to watch your tone around me. Apologize.”

Yuu could practically hear Jamil gritting his teeth. “My sincerest apologies, Master Abis.”

The voice on the other side of the line purred, “Hmph. Good. Now, I don’t want to hear any more excuses. What do I care if a couple of nuisances got involved? All you need to do is follow the plan through. You’re a smart boy, Jamil, I’m sure you’ll figure out how to get Kalim alone. Remember that my patience only extends so far and is starting to run thin. I want this to be over before the New Year's ball.”

“Of course, Master Abis.”

The man on the phone chuckled. “I can almost taste victory, once that annoying brat is out of the picture… Aren’t you pleased, Jamil? You’re almost free of Kalim. Isn’t that what you’ve always wanted?”

“... of course, Master Abis…”

“Remember that I am also doing this for your benefit as well,” the man continued as if Jamil hadn’t spoken. “It always broke my heart to see such a beauty be trampled upon by that irritating brat. You’ve been so frustrated haven’t you, my sweet servant? But fear not. I’ll make sure you and your sister are well taken care of once I’m in control.”

For the first time since the conversation started, there was a change to Jamil’s dead-tone. “Najima–”

“Your sister is fine.” Yuu could practically hear the eye roll in his voice. “And she’ll continue to remain fine so long as you uphold your end of our agreement. I would never dream of hurting a hair on such a lovely girl’s head… Though she doesn’t quite hold a candle to her older brother.” The voice laughed.

Yuu felt deeply discomforting chills run up the length of their spine despite the desert heat. They could not imagine how Jamil, who was on the receiving end of such rot, felt. What was happening ? What was this about ?

Who was Abis?

A part of Yuu wished to never find out.

Mind swirling with revelations and sick realizations, Yuu nearly missed part of what was said next.

“Remember. By the New Year’s ball. Oh, also… bring the beta’s mobile with you when you come home,” Abis said.

“Their phone, Master? There would be less suspicion if I just disposed of it–”

“Do not question me, Viper. And do try to use that pretty little head of yours. The little upstart is intimately acquainted with the nobility of two different nations. That is valuable information. I’d be a fool to throw away something like that. So don’t forget to pack it.”

“... Of course, Master Abis.”

There was a pleased hum on the other end. “Good boy. Now then… What was that quaint saying in the Queendom of Roses? Ah. Yes… Go forth and conquer, my little mouse.”

A click. The line disconnected.

Jamil Viper let out a heavy sigh.

A touch on Yuu’s shoulder brought them back into reality. They hadn’t realized how tightly they’d been gripping their fists nor that they’d been holding their breath until Azul gently placed a hand on their shoulder. He was looking at them with a tight expression on his face, his ocean-gray eyes calculating. Yuu immediately deciphered what he meant to say.

Forget the phone. They had what they needed. Time to leave and reconvene.

Yuu swallowed and nodded.

 

~*~

A/N:

More on Abis in the notes below, but here is a sketch I drew of him months and months ago when coming up with this storyline. He is a twisted version of a villain by the exact same name from the Aladdin TV show... The obligatory TWST sexy anime man version of him, of course lol

Notes:

I actually wrote a whole scene where our heroes discuss who Abis is (because Azul knows- of course Azul know. He knows everything) but it just kept feeling so clunky added on at the end of this chapter and I rewrote it like 3 times so I just decided to scrap it in the end.

So apologies for a slight cliffhanger~ You'll learn who Abis is next chapter. Yes he's an OC but he won't be prominent in the story other than being one of the villains for this arc (no Jamil, you ain't getting off scot-free just cause I introduced a new villain).

Also, I wonder if any of you caught it~ I finally gave the beta from before a name. I typically don't name the OCs in this story because this story isn't focused on OCs, but I couldn't resist making him a twisted!Iago. Hence "Inigo" lol. That's it though. He's not really going to be in the story either except maybe as a cameo here and there. Just really wanted to stop calling him "the beta" haha.

ANYWAY. I promise more light-hearted things once we get overblot over with... For a short period of time. And then we'll get straight into Fairy Gala very soon after this arc which will tie in directly to Book 5.

Hope you guys are all enjoying Book 6's EN release!!

Thank you for stopping by and reading~ ❤

Chapter 33

Summary:

I'm sorry it's been 2 months! The last month of school was absolutely hectic. I got absolutely no sleep and was literally on campus 8 to 12 hours everyday and had no time to do anything but school work and study. And then the last couple weeks has just been recovery for me (as I play TotK!!!).

This chapter was also just a bitch to write. Jamil really said he's gonna be a really complicated character with a lot of complicated and conflicting feelings and thoughts and motivations. I wrote myself into a wall SEVERAL times and overall this chapter was just a real bitch to write lmao. But it's done. Not sure if I'm happy with how it turned out but I need to just get it OUT already lmao.

Thank you for being patient with me and I hope this chapter was worth the wait. It's also significantly longer than usual. There hasn't been a chapter this long since Chapters 1 and 2.

Azul and Yuu were rushing back down the Scarabia hallways when Yuu’s hand flashed out to grab the back of his coat.

“Hang on-”

This action did not have quite the intended result as Azul wore his coat slung over his shoulders, and it came loose off one when Yuu tugged on it. Still, it was enough to get Azul to stop as he turned to stare at them questioningly. Yuu released the coat and promptly collapsed back against a wall, pressing their face into a hand.

“I just… I need a moment.”

Azul looked about to argue but must’ve thought better about it as his shoulders sagged. The rushed energy they’d embodied before dissipated into the hot desert wind. He shuffled awkwardly closer to Yuu, still leaving a good couple meters between them, and leaned up against the wall himself. He clearly wanted to say something but refrained.

“Sorry,” Yuu eventually managed, following this up with a heavy sigh. They finally looked up and saw Azul staring at them with uncomprehending eyes. “I just needed a minute to let my thoughts catch up to me.” Things still felt like they were moving too fast, events and revelations snapping past Yuu’s eyes at breakneck speeds. Physically holding still helped a little bit.

“... Are you okay?”

Yuu let out a mirthless laugh. Okay was hardly in their vocabulary at the moment.

“Right. That was a thoughtless question... We don’t have to do this, you know?” Azul continued carefully. “If you want… We can go back to Octavinelle or– Well, you can go back to Ramshackle. We can help you with defrosting your residence. I doubt anyone will attempt to stop you from leaving this time.”

He was right, no one probably would stop Yuu. Whatever Jamil’s plans were, however he had pulled them off… He’d lost the advantage the moment other people got involved. If Yuu wanted, they could take themself out of the equation right this instant, put this all behind them and forget the situation entirely. It’s what they probably should be doing all things considered. Yuu already suspected things were far bigger than they initially seemed but it was clear now exactly how big the scheme loomed–it was beyond them. This was some sort of bid for power that went beyond the walls of Scarabia, or even Night Raven College itself. Some person they’d never even seen before had collaborated with Jamil, someone Yuu had only met two days ago , in order to turn them into some pawn in a game of politics.

Yuu wasn’t even from Twisted Wonderland. They very much should not be involved.

And now that Yuu knew their feelings for Kalim were less than genuine (if felt strange, reconciling that knowledge to the ache in their chest), there was even less reason for Yuu to involve themself. Azul’s offer was sound. It was rational . Yuu should march down to the courtyard now, grab Grim, and leave and stay gone like they should’ve done in the first place. Let Crowley handle it whenever the infuriating man got around to actually checking his messages.

…

But Yuu was not going to do that. And one look at Azul told them that he knew that as well.

“No…” Yuu said anyway. Their heart steeled at the verbal declaration.

At the end of the day, Yuu was a simple person. They’d come to this world with nothing but the clothes on their back and a handful of suppressants in their pockets. Even so, Yuu never stood idle when it was within their power to help someone, no matter how small that contribution was. Yuu did not need to accept Crowley’s offer to be a co-student with Grim, but one look at the sheer desperation and determination in the monster’s big blue eyes had been enough to convince them. Yuu had not been responsible for the breaking of the chandelier, but still they resolved to help Ace and Deuce, earning them two loyal friends in the process. And when they’d gotten caught up in Riddle’s tyranny, Yuu still endeavored to help. Yuu had survived not one, not even two, but three separate overblots and lived to tell the tale.

So as strong as their desire was to curl in and give up, it simply was not in Yuu’s nature to do so. They had been displaced from their home, had survived berserker mages and the chaos of Twisted Wonderland countless times over now… And through it all, Yuu knew that they would always stand back up. They would always fight for those they believed deserved it.

They did not know any other way to live.

Yuu smiled a little, suddenly reminded of their father. He’s always been the same, which made sense as he’d raised Yuu. They got their stubbornness from someone . It was not easy being born an omega, and he’d grown up in a time before suppressant pads had been made cheap and safe and widely available. His life had not been an easy one, even after he’d met his mates. And still yet, he started every day with a smile on his face, the same smile Yuu and their mother adored, because seeing it made them know that everything would be okay.

“I want to help,” Yuu said with unwavering determination. They looked Azul dead in the eye and he was startled by the determined smile on their face. “Whatever is happening… I want to help stop it. It doesn't matter if my feelings for Kalim are real or not.” They certainly felt real, but that was beside the point. “I’m staying.”

Azul stared at them for a moment and then sighed, lifting his hands up into the air in defeat. “I was a little afraid you’d say that… Personally, I would never put a single tentacle on the line without a cost, but…” He shot them a wry look, but it was soft somehow. “I suppose that’s just how you are.”

“Does that mean you won’t help anymore?”

Azul scowled. “I never said that. I promised you my assistance, and an Ashengrotto never breaks a contract. Besides, I cannot help but be curious about the circumstances. It would be a shame to leave now, after all the effort we’ve put into uncovering this scheme.” He then smiled slyly, “And I cannot deny that this would be an excellent opportunity to ingratiate myself to the Asim family.”

Yuu nodded. “Okay. Let’s get going then. We should meet back up with Grim and the twins and brainstorm our next plan of attack. And we need to figure out who this Abis person is.”

“Agreed on the first point,” Azul said. He then smirked. “However, there is no need to dig around when I already know exactly who Abis Il-Asim is.”

~*~

“Il-Asim?” Grim asked. He crossed his arms and tilted his head adorably. “How come he’s got the same name as Kalim? Or… Sort of the same name?”

The five of them were gathered in the guest room after excusing themselves from lunch in the lounge, stating a need to get out of the heat. It was far from a believable excuse considering it was no less hot in here than out there, but no one dared to challenge the reasoning, not with Floyd standing so nearby. And Kalim had been too caught up in bringing food up to Jamil to pay much attention.

Yuu sat on the edge of the bed with Grim in their lap while Azul pulled up a chair in front of them. Jade stood leaning against one of the bed posts and Floyd against the door to the room, both giving off the appearance of being bodyguards.

“In the Scalding Sands language, Al before a surname denotes ‘son of’,” Azul answered Grim’s question. “Kalim, as the heir apparent of the Asim family would have such a name, as his fathers before him have. Anyone who falls outside of this direct line, but is still within the family, are denoted in other ways. In this case, ‘Il’ denotes a male member of the family.”

“Like what?” Yuu asked. “A branch family member or something?”

“Something like that,” Azul said. “Though, Abis does play a significant role in the family structure despite not being in the main family. His father, Amir Il-Asim, was chamberlain of the Asim family for many decades until his passing a few years ago.” At Grim and Yuu’s confused stares, he clarified. “It’s like a treasurer of sorts, but for the family wealth. Abis has since taken over those duties. It’s the only reason I know of him, really, as there’s no point in memorizing the countless members of the inflated Asim family.” Azul rolled his eyes.

“Is the Asim family really that big?”

“Kalim has over thirty younger siblings,” Azul blandly said as a way of explanation.

Yuu’s eyes bulged. Over thirty? Not unheard of for larger packs but Kalim had made it clear his parents were in a monogamous mateship. His poor dam…

Floyd cackled at Yuu’s shocked expression, startling Yuu further as they kept forgetting Floyd’s voice was weirdly low for reasons he refused to tell them. In fact, Floyd seemed to relish in Yuu’s frustration as he dangled the secret above their head. “That’s nothing compared to morays though~ Jade and I probably had over a hundred siblings, though it’s just us two now~”

Neither twin bothered to expand on this incredibly disturbing piece of information, and even seemed amused at Yuu and Grim’s shock if those identical smiles were of any indication. No one could deny they were siblings. Azul cleared his throat to get them back on topic.

“Jade, what have you found from Kalim?” He asked.

“It’s as we suspected,” Jade said. “He admitted that someone he knows does indeed have mind-control magic. However, he refused to divulge who it was as he’d ‘made a promise’ to them to keep it a secret.”

“Hold on, how did you get him to tell you that?” Grim asked.

Jade’s responding smile did not bode well for the little monster. “Would you care for a demonstration?”

Before anyone could protest, Jade looked right into Grim’s eyes, his own single golden iris flashing with magic as he spoke.

“Shock the heart .”

Yuu watched with alarm as Grim’s big blue eyes went glassy and dazed.

“Grim,” Jade practically purred. “What actually happened to the last slice of premium jewel strawberry cake in the lounge during your shift the other week?”

Grim swayed in Yuu’s arms, appearing as if he’d topple over at any moment, but still answered. His voice came out just as dazed as his expression, much to Yuu’s alarm. “I snuck into the freezer with it and ate it when nobody was looking…”

“Eh~?” Floyd exclaimed with a wide grin, he leaned forward with interest, “Is that why I had to let Baby Seal out of the freezer when he accidentally got locked in that day~? That’s hilarious!”

“Thank you very much for your honesty, Grim,” Jade chuckled as Grim shook his head, sobriety returning to his expression though he was still looking around and blinking in confusion.

“What just happened…?” Grim rubbed at his forehead with a paw. “Did I just… Say something?” 

At the same time, Yuu looked at Jade sharply and demanded to know what he had done.

“My unique magic,” he explained. “It allows me to force anyone to tell me the truth. Though, it can only be used on a person once. And it is unlikely to work on cautious people like Azul or Jamil.” He grinned at Yuu, “I imagine I probably could’ve successfully used it on you prior to this month, but I doubt it would work now.”

“I wonder why,” Yuu retorted with biting sarcasm. Jade did not appear offended in the least.

“Of course, it worked like a charm on Kalim,” he continued as if Yuu hadn’t said anything. “Though… For him to still be able to retain enough willpower to deny me the truth due to a promise he made, well… I can only be forced to conclude that the promise must be very important to him. A promise he made to someone he is very close to.”

Jade trailed off suggestively, but Yuu got the picture. They grimaced at the insinuation though they knew it must be true at this point.

Jamil had mind controlling powers. Somehow. And with Jade’s rather alarming demonstration of his own unique magic, it was a fair guess that those powers were Jamil’s unique magic. Yuu recalled back to their encounters with the alpha.

“... If I think about it really hard,” Yuu said. “And it’s not easy. Every part of me is telling me that what happened was perfectly normal and reasonable… That’s how it feels . But I didn’t have feelings for Kalim until yesterday. And the night before… Jamil and I were alone together for a few minutes. In fact, my memory is missing pretty much after that point.”

Grim tilted his head back so that he could look at Yuu above him. “Oh, I remember! Jamil came back and said that you were sleepy and dizzy and went up to bed early. When I came up here you were already in bed. I was kinda annoyed at the time, to be honest.” He huffed and crossed his paws causing Yuu to laugh at the reaction.

“That must be when he cast his spell over you,” Jade said and they nodded in agreement.

“Kalim too,” Yuu continued. “Every time he has been in his… Tyrant-mode. I can’t say for sure that I’m not misremembering, but I feel like I remember he and Jamil might’ve been alone together right before some of those times.” It was actually kind of frustrating that Yuu didn't put it together sooner. They wondered if Jamil’s magic also had some ability that made suspecting him difficult, or if that had been another layer of the spell he’d added on.

“Jamil would be a safe bet,” Azul agreed. “I suspected as much even before setting foot here, to be honest. Jamil has always been…” His ocean-gray eyes sparkled for a moment before he seemed to catch himself and coughed. Jade raised a brow at him. “Anyways–We have now established method and opportunity. As for motive, well…”

“Abis Il-Asim.” Yuu felt themself grow angry even at the name.

“Yes, Abis,” Azul said. “This may come as a surprise, but he is actually not a terrible chamberlain for the Asim family. No doubt this scheme is one for him to somehow seize power within the Asim family by getting Kalim disowned by his family–”

“Right,” Yuu muttered bitterly. “Jamil mentioned that before, the politics that would’ve arisen if Kalim tried to take some no-name beta for a mate. Between that and the nasty rumors spreading about me in this dorm…”

Azul nodded. “It’s likely that they were going to use you as a way to get Kalim out of the position as heir–and when I say likely, I mean most certainly.”

“Kalim has had many assassination attempts on him in the past,” Yuu murmured, remembering the conversation they’d had with the cheerful alpha the other night. “It’s no surprise there are people who would benefit from him being out of the picture–though how, I’m not sure…”

“I have a theory about that,” Azul hummed. “And from rumors I’ve heard–or rather, the lack of thereof–Abis is at least competent in his chamberlain duties, as I’ve already mentioned. Though I would suspect such a position does not warrant much power.”

“Eh? Didn’t you just say that he takes care of all the money?” Grim asked with a curious expression, then smirked. “Heh. If I had access to all those taumarks, I’d definitely be the most powerful person in the world! I mean, look at this palace! Kalim’s dad had it built just for him!”

Azul rolled his eyes, “I said that the chamberlain managed the money, not that he has any say in how it gets spent. It’s just his duty to keep track of the numerous transactions such a large and influential family would consistently need handled. At the end of the day, Abis Il-Asim is a member of the branching family. He manages. He does not get a say.”

“But how does outing Kalim benefit him?” Yuu asked. “It did also sound… Personal.” Whatever the reason, Abis made it very clear in those few minutes that he looked-down on Kalim, if not outright despised him.

Jade was the one who chimed in this time. “It isn’t too difficult of an assumption to make. Azul said it already, Kalim has numerous other siblings younger than himself. Statistically, they cannot all be as cheerful and naive as Kalim. At the very least, one of his siblings must be vying for his position as heir.”

Yuu followed Jade’s line of reasoning easily. “Oh…! And if Abis has some sway or control over whoever is in-line for the position…”

“Exactly.”

“Of course,” Azul added. “This is all speculation based on rumors and what little evidence we have gathered.”

Yuu groaned at the mention of evidence, “We should’ve recorded the phone call!”

Azul chuckled, “Come now. I’m not so sloppy as to overlook something like that.” He reached in and pulled his phone from his coat pocket with a dramatic flourish and played back a recording. The same conversation they’d overheard came out of the speakers. After letting it run for a few seconds, Azul stopped the recording and put away his phone, his smile suddenly dropping from his face. “Unfortunately, such a recording is easily doctored. So while it will help in an official investigation, it is not enough to stand on its own. It would be better if we had video footage.  And even then, the incriminating stuff came from Il-Asim, not Jamil…”

“So we get Sea Snake to confess then and catch it on camera,” Floyd suddenly said with a lazy drawl.

“Easier said than done!” Grim retorted. “It even sounded crazy to me when you guys started to say all this stuff about Jamil being evil!”

“He’s not evil ,” Azul said, rolling his eyes.

Grim continued on as if he hadn’t heard anything, “If I didn’t trust my henchman, I don’t think I would’ve believed you guys to be honest.” Yuu felt strangely touched by that. “So either you guys are lying or confused or Jamil is a really really good actor! He just seems like a really nice guy.” He crossed his paws again and nodded to himself. “Knowing that, it’s not gonna be easy to get him to confess to anything.”

Shockingly, Grim made a good point.

But Azul’s eyes still had a glint in them that was undeterred.

“Fortunately for all of us,” he said. “Jamil and I are kindred spirits of sorts.” He chuckled to himself, completely missing the dual frosty glares the twins suddenly shot at him. Glares Yuu did not miss. “And I know exactly how to catch Jamil Viper off guard. We merely need to… Make him an offer that he cannot refuse.”

~*~

“Setting the stage” (as Azul has phrased it, though Yuu rather thought “trap” was more accurate) involved three key steps: 1) Keep Jamil away from Kalim at all costs, 2) undermine Jamil’s plans without arousing suspicion, and 3) lay out the bait.

The bait, in this case, was Yuu.

“You’ll be perfectly fine so long as you keep that on,” Azul explained, gesturing to the nautilus pendant at Yuu’s throat. “Don’t take it off under any circumstances.”

Yuu did not plan on it.

The plan was to be carried out the next day and after a restless night (with dreams filled with snakes and princesses and a malevolent red glow), Yuu and Grim were woken up early by the twins before the sun had even risen. And so began their fourth, and hopefully last, day in Scarabia.

How the twins had managed to wake the rest of the dorm without Jamil and Kalim hearing it was beyond Yuu and it was more apparent than ever just why Azul valued their loyalty so deeply. Floyd and Jade were ruthlessly efficient (when the former’s moods allowed for it, that is), and before long the bleary-eyed Scarabia students were wide awake and quick to fall in line when faced down with those dual foreboding grins. No one dared to comment that the octotrio didn’t technically have any authority in Scarabia. It was honestly kind of inspiring to witness in a twisted sort of way.

Floyd and Azul took on breakfast duty, herding several of the terrified students towards the campus kitchens, while Jade, Grim, and Yuu made their way to Kalim’s room.

There was a moment of discomfort for Yuu when Kalim had opened his eyes and caught sight of them, and they watched as those ruby pupils went from confused and dazed with sleep to love-sick as Jamil’s spell washed over him. But Yuu reminded themself that they were doing this to help him and smiled as they assisted him in getting ready for the day, something Jamil apparently did for him every morning. 

There was another moment of discomfort, somehow even more intense, when Yuu realized how helpless Kalim was.

“Like this?” Kalim asked, struggling to put his own head wrap on, the same one Yuu had seen him wear every day. Sure it wasn’t an easy thing to do in a very professional manner, but Kalim’s attempts were literally falling apart on his hands.

Yuu fought to keep their expression neutral as they witnessed the trainwreck. Even Jade, who had the ultimate smiling poker face, seemed slightly perturbed by it. Eventually Jade stepped in and offered his assistance and, despite probably never having worn a traditional Scalding Sands head wrap in his life, did a monumentally better job than Kalim.

Kalim just smiled brightly at him and thanked him, seemingly uncaring or unaware of his own helplessness.

And Yuu knew Kalim cared. Even in the short amount of time they’d known him, and even in spite of the magical shifts in personality, they remembered that late night conversation they’d shared. Kalim was an airhead, sure, but he clearly cared a lot about the people around him and put his heart into everything he did. This was not an inability to care .

This was learned helplessness.

Yuu was brutally reminded of what exactly Jamil and Kalim’s relationship was despite what Kalim may believe. Had Kalim been allowed to do anything in his life? For how many years had Jamil been forced into this position as Kalim’s caretaker? The musings left a sour taste on the omega’s tongue.

There wasn’t time to dwell on the topic though, because as soon as they managed to get Kalim fully dressed (at least he could do most of that himself, though he seemed confused at first when asked to pick out his own clothes) that was when Jamil walked into the room and froze at the sight of the three of them. Jade continued applying the last of Kalim’s thick kohl as if they hadn’t been interrupted.

“Oh! Jamil! You’re awake!” Kalim greeted cheerfully and grinned sheepishly when Jade gave his leg a warning tap, lest the exuberant housewarden ruin all his hard work.

Yuu couldn’t help but take a little bit of vindictive pleasure in seeing Jamil’s eyes widen.

“What is going on here?” Jamil demanded to know.

“You hurt your leg yesterday during the game so Jade and Yuu and Grim offered to help out today!” Kalim eagerly explained.

“It’s only right considering it was my brother’s fault you got hurt. We feel just awful about it,” Jade added with a sorrowful shake to his head that Yuu could tell was absolute bullshit. If anything, the twins were a little too pleased with the outcome.

Jamil tried to protest but against Jade’s quick tongue it was basically like trying to argue against a particularly polite wall. Pleasant but infuriating. Yuu was just glad to not be on the receiving end of it. Kalim did not help by being on team Jamil-needs-bed-rest.

Yuu’s neutral facade nearly broke when Jamil tried to excuse himself to make breakfast, only for Floyd and Azul to come into the room in the most timely manner possible, laden with freshly made platters of food. Jamil could only stand there dumbfounded as Azul began to lay out the day’s training regiment plans to Kalim.

It was almost sad to watch Jamil swallow down his frustration and stay silent in the background as the octotrio took charge and as Kalim so readily accepted their help.

Almost.

And so the day went on. Anytime Jamil tried to step in, he was swiftly usurped by either Azul or Jade with some suggestion or another. Any attempt to make himself helpful was met with one of the three offering to do it in his stead, and Jamil could hardly protest when Kalim was so grateful that Jamil was finally getting to rest and to stay off his injured foot. And, of course, Kalim was kept with constant companionship so there was no opportunity for Jamil to whisk him away.

To give Jamil credit where it was due, if Yuu hadn’t been specifically looking for the signs, they might’ve missed the frustration and annoyance in his eyes and body language. But it seemed even Jamil Viper had a threshold because it wasn’t too long before the cracks in the facade began to show, his kindly mask feasting at the edges. Even some of the other students started picking up on it when Jamil slipped up and snapped at somebody.

“Is vice Housewarden Jamil okay?” An onlooker asked in concern.

“Maybe his injury is worse than we thought.” Someone else replied.

These comments were eagerly jumped upon by the Octavinelle guests, further fanning those flames.

In one fell swoop, Azul had somehow wrested full control of Scarabia house without anyone (except Jamil probably) being any the wiser. Seeing this, Yuu was actually surprised they’d managed to escape the trio’s initial plans for them relatively unscathed. It was no wonder how Azul managed to legally enslave a good portion of the school population with the faculty being unable to lift a single finger about it. Yuu did not pity the position Jamil was in.

And of course, there was key step number three.

The bait.

Everyone was gathered back in the lounge for dinner services right as the sun began to set across the desert, the angle sending stark black shadows stretching across the west-facing hallways and suffusing the atmosphere in a cozy orange glow. Yuu took a moment to appreciate the splotches of pink that painted the clouds, considering painting the scene for their next piece for the art club, while they steeled themself for what was coming next. There had been an ill sensation, a tightness in their chest, since they’d woken up that morning from unsettling dreams and it had only gotten worse as the day went on. Yuu had felt it enough to recognize it at this point: the sensation of foreboding.

There was really nothing to be done about it though. The plan was going smoothly and this was something they vowed to see through. Yuu wasn’t about to throw all their hard work down the drain for a feeling that something might go wrong. Still… It was a difficult sensation to shake.

Yuu had positioned themself away from the rest for the first time that day, leaning up against the lounge balustrade as they watched the sunset and just enjoying the dry wind in their hair. Vil was going to kill them the next he saw them though considering Yuu hadn’t brought with them any of the skin creams and moisturizers he had very insistently forced into their hands the last they met. But no matter. The view was gorgeous and the wind was pleasant against their face and Yuu was going to enjoy it while they could.

A few minutes later there were a couple pairs of footsteps from the hallway and in strolled Kalim accompanied by Floyd this time. Kalim looked to be talking Floyd’s ear off about music or drumming or something of that nature while Floyd, to Yuu’s surprise, actually looked invested in the conversation, as much as Floyd could be at any rate. Behind them followed Jamil whose face was visibly gloomy.

Yuu took a deep breath and approached.

Here’s the thing. Being aware of being under the influence of magic was one thing, and it certainly helped Yuu put many things into perspective about their own strange thoughts and behaviors as of late. But that didn’t mean the effects were gone . They wouldn’t be until either the magic ran its course or Jamil lifted it, either willingly or by force. And there was a part of Yuu, however false, that still ached at the sight and thought of the Scarabia Housewarden.

So it was not an easy thing to approach the group, Kalim looking up at them fondly with flushed cheeks and a smile that could light up a starless night, and say what they said next.

“Kalim, I’m leaving,” Yuu said sternly, and loud enough for anyone in the immediate vicinity to hear. “I’m sick and tired of the way you’ve been treating me and everyone else. I can’t accept your feelings and I want you to please leave me alone from now on.”

Kalim froze. He stared at Yuu with wide eyes, like a deer caught in headlights, and looked so genuinely confused that Yuu wasn’t sure if he actually heard them. But soon after his brows furrowed and his face grew so crestfallen that Yuu’s heart ached in turn, and they had to remind themself that their feelings for him weren’t real .

The reminder did not help.

“I- Did I do something wrong?” Kalim asked. Some of the students around them had paused what they were doing to stare, making Yuu feel all the more worse for what they were doing. But it was a necessary evil. Kalim’s bottom lip wobbled, “I- I’m sorry that I made you upset. Please tell me what I can do to make it up to you!”

Yuu shook their head and forced themself to glare at him, “There isn’t anything you can do. I just can’t stand it here anymore. Please don’t follow me.”

And with that, Yuu turned on a dime and marched away, in part so that they could continue to the next step of Azul’s plan and in part so that they would not need to keep looking at Kalim’s hurt expression.

What was important was that Jamil heard all of it. Yuu could apologize to Kalim properly later.

And as if clockwork, they heard hurried steps behind them and sudden hiss and wince of pain as Jamil must’ve landed too hard on his injured foot. “Prefect Yuu! Please wait!”

Yuu stormed out into the hallway first before turning around with crossed arms, mentally preparing themself to face Jamil alone for the first time since finding out the truth. “What is there to say?” They asked. “I thought about it a lot and after looking after Kalim today… I don’t see any hope for him. I just want to go back to my own dorm. I’m sorry but I can’t help you Jamil.”

To Yuu’s surprise he just stared at them for a minute, expression utterly unreadable. And just as Yuu was starting to sweat and about to ask him what was up, Jamil broke eye contact, glancing off into the distance, and sighed.

“Look… Can we just speak in private for a minute?” He asked, crossing his arms.

There was something that felt… Off, about his behavior. And yet he was saying exactly what Yuu wanted him to say. They needed to get him alone for the next part of the plan. This was a good thing. Still, they could not shake the feeling they were missing something.

“Alright,” Yuu pretended to begrudgingly acquiesce. “But only for a minute… I really need to find Grim and leave before Kalim acts up again.”

The two of them made their way to a more secluded hall, away from prying eyes and ears. Yuu hoped that Azul and the others wouldn’t have trouble keeping track of them as Yuu was already hopelessly lost in the maze of Scarabia. They reached a spot that Jamil seemed satisfied with and stopped.

“You can’t convince me to stay–” Yuu began to say when Jamil turned around on them so abruptly the omega physically flinched back.

“Look into my eyes,” Jamil ordered, a surprising bit of his Alpha Voice slipping into his tone. “ Snake Whisper. ”

The nautilus at Yuu’s throat suddenly grew warm, and though Yuu couldn’t see or feel the magic they knew what was happening. So this ‘Snake Whisper’ was Jamil’s unique magic then…

The blatant ease at which he decided to try and control their mind made a spike of red hot fury shoot down Yuu’s entire body, but they had to remind themself to keep the ruse up. They thought back to all the previous times they’d managed to identify Jamil using his magic on them. All those fuzzy memories where Yuu had felt dizzy and faint. They channeled that now and allowed themself to sway on their feet, bringing a hand up to their forehead and hoped that they weren’t overselling the act.

It must’ve worked though because Jamil smirked. He stood up straighter, still favoring his uninjured leg, and moved closer to Yuu to steady them.

Despite his smile, there was a furious edge to his expression that set Yuu’s teeth on edge.

“You’re incredibly troublesome, you know?” Was the first thing he said. “I’ve worked too hard for you and those other three to mess everything up for me. Kalim was this close to finally getting kicked out of the dorm. Why can’t you all just listen to me when I order you? Tell me, Prefect, who is your master? ”

“You are, Master Jamil,” Yuu forced themself to say in a dead tone while keeping their face entirely slack. The words tasted like bile on their tongue.

There was an edge to his voice, now that Yuu’s head was clear of magic, that they could now identify. It was almost as if Jamil were using his Alpha Voice, and truly a bit of it did slip into his words if the slight urge to obey was of any indication. Curious that an alpha with such a muted scent and who lived such a subservient life would manifest such powerful domineering magic.

“That’s right, I am.” Jamil hummed, pleased. “You have been so much more trouble than you are worth, you know that? Abis, that idiot won’t listen to me at all. I told him that I could handle this on my own but no. He had to insist on involving you . And then those three others–” He cut himself off here with a frustrated noise that seemed completely at odds with the stern but gentle persona he’d always wore in front of them. So this was the real Jamil Viper.

“Hah,” he laughed mirthlessly. “I just don’t get it. Ashengrotto, he was supposed to…” Jamil shook his head. “I guess it hardly matters now seeing how thoroughly you all have ruined things for me. I just don’t understand why he did it. It should’ve been obvious which choice was most beneficial to him and yet he chooses this nonsensical path? It just doesn’t make any sense.”

Yuu wasn’t entirely following along.

“Unless of course…” Jamil continued and then laughed and shook his head, as if he’d entertained some ridiculous thought. He stopped and looked at them again, gaze sharp and piercing. “What exactly is it about you? First the heir to the Rosehearts family and then a Kingscholar? And now you have Azul Ashengrotto behaving illogically. It must be you. You’re the common denominator. I just can’t figure it out. Tell me your secret, Prefect. What exactly is so special about you?”

The nautilus grew warmer again and Yuu held back a fearful shiver, aware of exactly how damning that question could’ve been if not for Azul’s pendant.

“There’s nothing special about me, Master Jamil,” Yuu said without intonation.

He scowled at the answer, “Nothing special… Hah. You must truly believe that, don't you, Prefect Yuu? Nothing special…” His scent deepened with dissatisfaction, the chai and smokey incense gaining a burnt aspect to its fragrance. “But I suppose I’m really not one to talk. What a pair we make, Prefect. Just a couple of powerless humans, destined to stew in our own projected mediocrity. Though I suppose even you have those that will stand up for you…”

Jamil trailed off, his words leaving Yuu with conflicting emotions but mostly just deep confusion.

“... But I’ve wasted enough time here,” Jamil suddenly said. He stood up straighter and smirked at Yuu. “I may have protested Abis insisting on involving you but we’re both in the same boat now, Prefect. You want to leave? Now? After everything I’ve gone through to get you here? As if I’d ever let that happen.”

His pacing stopped right in front of them and Jamil looked Yuu straight in the eye.

“Look into my eyes, Yuu,” he practically crooned. “ You will not leave Kalim’s side because you love him so desperately. You need Kalim. You will stay by his side until he has lost everyone else and only then can you leave. Forget the others. There is no one else but Kalim. ”

Red hot fury shot through Yuu and before they could stop themself, the omega snapped.

“How dare you !” Yuu snarled, jabbing a finger towards the alpha. “It’s already one thing to force Kalim and I into thinking we have feelings for one another. It is another thing entirely to try and force me to forget my mates !”

Jamil reeled back in shock, his eyes widening. “You-! How-”

“A better question might be who ,” came a new voice from down the hall.

Stepping out from around the corner was Azul, who held up his phone that had been recording the entire damning conversation. Shadowing him closely were Jade and Floyd. And behind them was Grim, who wore a shit eating grin, and… Kalim.

~*~

The moment Yuu and Jamil stepped out of their line of sight Azul felt an unfamiliar pang of worry squeeze all of his three hearts. In spite of this, he kept himself outwardly composed. After all, everything was going exactly to plan. Yuu had played their part well (though watching the omega rip into Kalim had not exactly brought up the fondest memories for Azul).

He looked across the lounge and met gazes with one of his twins. Floyd shot him a lazy smirk and began to pat Kalim on the back consolingly, whispering something into the despondent alpha’s ear. Azul looked up at Jade who stood vigil beside him. The moray smiled down at him, pleased.

“Your plan seems to be working, Azul.”

“So it is.” He muttered. The two of them began to cross the lounge towards Kalim and Floyd.

“You don’t seem pleased.”

Azul should be pleased. He loved it when his plans went exactly according to his scheming. He loved it when complicated steps came together to a beautiful satisfying conclusion. It was like solving a particularly difficult puzzle, and few other things brought Azul joy so great. But he wasn’t pleased, much to Azul’s vexation.

It had to have been the look on Yuu’s face.

Yuu had every reason to look discontent with everything going on. They’d been caught up in yet another scheme. They had been under the influence of mind controlling magic. They had been forced to work with people they hated. Azul was sure Yuu hated him. He knew these things well.

And maybe it was the lingering effects of the bond between them or maybe it was something else… But Azul felt certain in his hearts that Yuu’s face had looked…

… Dreading.

And whatever it was about, it was not entirely related to the reasons Azul could come up with..

“What is the matter, Kalim?” Jade asked upon approaching the two.

“I think Shrimpy broke his heart~” Floyd cackled in his new low voice. It was one Azul had won in a deal with some poor fool years ago. Though Azul had been responsible for giving it to Floyd, it was still disconcerting to hear. He was going to have to rectify that as soon as Yuu’s safety was guaranteed. “Don’t worry Sea Otter~ Shrimpy is pretty good at heart breaking~ You just gotta be persistent. Like me~”

Terrible advice, Azul thought blandly, though he was sure Floyd believed in it entirely. Between Riddle and now Yuu and the myriad of random crushes the alpha has had over the years, persistent seemed to be the only mode Floyd was capable of running on when it came to pursuing his romantic interests. In fact, it had been Floyd out of the twins that had been the one to keep pestering Azul until he eventually caved and ended up in a strange friendship with the two.

As terrible of advice as it was (surely Floyd was the only person it could ever work for), it was actually exactly what they needed Kalim to hear right then. They needed to hurry and follow Jamil and Yuu before they lost their chance at getting the evidence they required.

“Persistent?” Kalim asked.

“Sure~ Sure~” Floyd sang. “Stubborn types like Shrimpy? They love to play hard to get. It’s a test, you see~ They want guys like us to prove that we actually like ‘em and shit. Isn’t that right, Azul~”

“I’m sure I haven’t the faintest clue what you mean,” Azul muttered.

Floyd cackled and leaned in towards Kalim conspiratorially and whispered, “Azul is the most stubborn of them all~”

Jade coughed, drawing attention towards him, “Perhaps we ought to hurry before we lose track of them?”

“Are you sure Yuu won’t be upset if we follow them?” Kalim asked unsure as the trio began to lead him away. His face was one of deep concentration, “It’s just that… I tried to keep them here before. I think… I think it made them really sad.” Azul watched curiously as Kalim’s expression tightened further, as if he were thinking so hard it was borderlining painful.

Kalim was fighting the spell’s influence, Azul realized in surprise. He found himself caught off guard by the realization. Azul had never really put much stock into Kalim. Rich and influential but without two brain cells to rub together. Jamil had always been the one of the pair to catch his eye. A real hidden gem. Never in a million years would Azul believe Kalim was capable of fighting off something as pervasive and powerful as a mind control spell. Azul wasn’t even sure if he himself could fight it off successfully.

Azul filed the information away into his collection of facts and tabs he kept on everyone he met. He hadn’t bothered to consider it before, but now Azul was actually curious as to how Kalim was going to react upon discovering the truth. They only really needed video evidence of Jamil’s crime or confession, having Kalim tag along was just an extra precaution but ultimately one that was unnecessary. Azul had just assumed Jamil’s magic would cause Kalim to ignore the blatant truth.

Now he wasn’t so sure.

Regardless, it was easy enough to follow Jamil and Yuu through the hallways. Even if Azul didn’t already know the optimal spot Jamil would likely pick to stay out of the way, Jade and Floyd’s sharp noses could easily track the two down. The latter, he knew, had Yuu’s scent committed to memory.

Asthey hurried down, Azul carefully took out his mobile and pre-prepped the camera app for filming.

They arrived just on time.

“- Snake Whisper. ”

Kalim’s breath hitched behind Azul as he heard the words being spoken. Azul already had his phone camera filming around the corner, the figures of Yuu and Jamil standing at a distance on his screen.

Despite knowing that Floyd’s magic was there to protect Yuu, Azul still shivered as if a gust of chilling wind had swept over him. His palms were clammy, a sensation he had never truly grown used to since coming above water. Yuu’s figure was small on his screen and their expression hard to make out, but Azul would not risk stepping out from the corner just to get a better look.

He could only hope they were alright.

Jamil, on the other hand, grew relaxed. His chuckle could be heard echoing down the hall.

“You’re incredibly troublesome, you know? I’ve worked too hard for you and those other three to mess everything up for me. Kalim was this close to finally getting kicked out of the dorm.”

Kalim made another noise at the back of this throat, the emotion hard to decipher. Jade placed a hand on his shoulder and, when Kalim looked up at the taller alpha, Jade held a finger up to his lips and shook his head. Kalim nodded back shakily.

Jamil continued to monologue to himself, the frustration and desperation clear in his voice. He began to pace around Yuu’s still figure.  “You have been so much more trouble than you are worth, you know that? Abis, that idiot won’t listen to me at all. I told him that I could handle this on my own but no. He had to insist on involving you . And then those three others– Hah. I just don’t get it. Ashengrotto, he was supposed to…”

Azul raised a brow, his mind working in overdrive to decipher that statement.

“I guess it hardly matters now seeing how thoroughly you all have ruined things for me. I just don’t understand why he did it. It should’ve been obvious which choice was most beneficial to him and yet he chooses this nonsensical path? It just doesn’t make any sense.”

This gave Azul pause at last. What did Jamil mean by that? Azul knew that he himself had been behaving somewhat out of character. Azul from two weeks ago would not have lifted a single tentacle to help someone out pro bono, and certainly not to this level of exertion and planning. Yes he owed Yuu a great debt, but Azul was starting to suspect (to his chagrin) that this went beyond his perceived obligation to the human.

But even so… What choice did Jamil expect him to have taken? Jamil could not have known Azul and the twins were so deeply indebted to the Prefect. From Jamil’s perspective… The most logical choice Azul could’ve made was to stay out of the way. It was the exact same mistake Azul had made when he himself had tried to trap the omega into his plans. Azul had not suspected that Leona would, in a million years, ever involve himself in a situation so troublesome—to put his lazy royal caboose on the line. It had been this misconception, this arrogance, that had led to Azul’s failure and subsequent overblot.

Unless…

Azul shook his head, doubt clouding his thoughts. This all brought up the big question that had been plaguing his mind since he stepped foot into Scarabia.

Why did Jamil ask them to come?

“... But I’ve wasted enough time here.”

Azul snapped out of his own thoughts, attention forcibly dragged back into the moment at hand. Jamil stopped in his pacing and stood up straighter and approached Yuu, looming over the shorter human with a smirk.

“I may have protested Abis insisting on involving you but we’re both in the same boat now, Prefect. You want to leave? Now? After everything I’ve gone through to get you here? As if I’d ever let that happen.” And then he crooned, saying the words that would damn him for good, “Look into my eyes, Yuu. You will not leave Kalim’s side because you love him so desperately. You need Kalim. You will stay by his side until he has lost everyone else and only then can you leave. Forget the others. There is no one else but Kalim.”

Azul felt a snarl form on his lips but Yuu beat him to it. The omega suddenly jerked to life and sprang forth, shoving a delicate finger at Jamil’s chest.

“How dare you !” Yuu snarled. “It’s already one thing to force Kalim and I into thinking we have feelings for one another. It is another thing entirely to try and force me to forget my mates !”

Jamil reeled back in shock, his eyes widening. “You-! How-”

That was Azul’s cue.

He gestured for the others to follow as he stepped out from around the corner, phone still held aloft in his hand and recording. “A better question might be who ,” Azul said with a cloying tone. He delighted in the shocked expression on Jamil’s face.

“Jamil…?”

Azul could tell the moment Jamil’s eyes landed on Kalim because his entire face grew pale. “Kalim…” He then took in the rest of them, his eyes finally narrowing in on Azul. For the first time since meeting the mild mannered alpha over a year ago, Azul could see the pure hatred and madness behind those dark irises.

Azul’s nose was not strong, not like those of alphas and omegas, but even he could scent the souring and burning notes of chai in the air. And one look at Yuu’s twisted face and dark expression told him that the scent was especially abrasive against their sensitive omegan senses.

“Is all of that true, Jamil?” Kalim said in a small voice, so pitiful that even Azul felt a twinge in his hearts at the sound. “You… You don’t really want everyone to leave me, do you? You’re just saying that… Right? You weren’t actually using your spell on me right?” He laughed, all shaky and uncertain. “All those times my memories were fuzzy, that was just me being silly as usual and dozing off! Like you always scold me about. We… We’re best friends. You’d never betray me, right-”

He took a hesitant step forward but shuddered to a halt at the withering glare Jamil sent his way.

“You… This is exactly what I hate about you,” Jamil muttered at last.

Azul couldn’t entirely help the surge of morbid excitement upon hearing that statement. He couldn’t deny it, he’d always been a bit of a big gossip–it came with the job description. It was Azul’s business to dig up all the delicious and illicit dirt on others. And to finally hear Jamil Viper admit something so true and terrible about himself in front of all these people, after over a year of Azul trying to tease the real Jamil out into the open… 

Azul was not a good man. He never was and never would be despite even his most recent efforts. He would no longer lie to himself. It was only Yuu’s presence in the hall that kept him from wearing the pleased grin that wanted to be on his face as he observed this riveting mess unfold before them.

Jamil continued on, seemingly unable to stop now that the dam had been cracked. He spoke directly to Kalim as if the rest of the world had ceased to exist.

“All these years, this sickening attitude of yours… Always happy. Always carefree. Never a worry on your mind. Meanwhile I was forced into your shadow my entire life and you–you were always mocking me for it,” Jamil snapped.

Kalim’s face was stricken. “Jamil–! I would never mock you! I don’t know what you’re talking about–”

“Of course you don’t. You’ve never known what I was talking about! What I’ve gone through!” Jamil’s voice cracked like a whip and Kalim visibly flinched. “You are oblivious to the world! Best friend? Hah! What kind of person is blind to their ‘best friend’s’ suffering? You are a fool Kalim Al-Asim. A fool that I have had to endure for far too long.”

Azul honestly could not blame Jamil for feeling such a way. He himself would never have put up with someone like Kalim for years.

But it seemed not everyone felt the same.

“That’s not true!” Yuu suddenly shouted. Jamil’s head snapped around towards them, an incredulous and outraged expression on the alpha’s face, but the omega pressed on regardless. “Kalim isn’t oblivious! He was just trying to give you space! Tell him, Kalim!”

“I–” But Kalim was at a loss for words, the devastation of the truth too great.

“Ha!” Jamil’s laugh was cruel. “You’re an idiot too if you believe that. Or have you not figured it out yet? You’re only saying that because I made you feel that way about him .” He turned back towards the rest of them. “Did you hear that, Kalim? Not even the Prefect ever actually loved you. All your life everyone has just been pretending to protect your delicate feelings. It’s all a lie . And it’s because of what I said before, Kalim Al-Asim. It’s because you are a fool . One that I am sick of.”

Kalim didn’t even say a word to defend himself. Azul’s previous curiosity turned into bored disappointment and, surprisingly, a little bit of anger. Memories of being just a little octopus arose in his mind and of the jeering childish voices looming over him as he hid and squeezed himself into a dark small place. Azul had vowed a long time ago to never be so helpless and pathetic again.

An image of red hair and soft bell-like laughter rang in Azul’s ears and he had to force himself to will it away.

To watch Kalim let Jamil trample all over him like this was actually frustrating.

“--And you know what?” Jamil continued, now grinning viciously. His hair had grown askew with his shouting and his breathing was heavy as if he’d just finished something physically strenuous. “It’s exactly that foolishness that is going to benefit me for once. Because as much as you don’t know a single thing about me, Kalim, I know everything about you . So what exactly are you going to do now that you know that truth? Now that you know I hate and have always hated your very guts?”

Jamil finally seemed to remember everyone else in the hall. He looked around manically at all of them.

“All of you… You think you have me beat?” He threw his head back and laughed. Jamil then pointed at Kalim, “This simple idiot isn’t going to do a single thing about it. So what if you are recording me? So what if you brought Kalim here to find out the truth? It changes nothing . Because the only good thing about Kalim is that he’s too weak to do anything to me in retaliation.”

Maybe it was the bad memories being dredged up by watching Jamil turn on Kalim so viciously. Maybe it was the heartbroken and frustrated expression on Yuu’s face. Or maybe Azul just delighted in seeing Jamil squirm .

He had not planned on these next words that tumbled out of his mouth.

“Oh?” Azul said with a small tilt of his lips. “You think I’m recording? No no, Jamil. I must apologize for giving you that impression!” He adjusted the phone in his hand to bring attention back to it. “Allow me to illuminate. Currently there are five thousand viewers watching my live Magicam stream. As you might know… I run a particularly popular financial advice channel. Why… I wouldn’t be surprised if this hits all the headlines of the evening news.”

It was like time stood still for a moment.

“You–” Jamil’s voice came out choked.

But it was the look in his eyes that told Azul that he had just made a grave mistake.

~*~

Yuu remembered the night with Kalim, perhaps more clearly now than ever before.

“That’s fine! Everyone goes at their own pace. People will say what they need to say when they’re ready,” Kalim said cheerfully. “It’s not worth it to rush people on these things. You have to let them come to you when they’re ready.”

Oh Kalim…

But this was not something that could be left to fester like a sickness in a wound. Yuu had learned this lesson the hard way as well, nearly costing them their friendship with Riddle and Trey. Fear, hurt, anger… It often leads people to do terrible things. Yuu had kept quiet about their own demons and the hurt and the assumptions had built up until the strain of it could no longer be contained.

If Trey and Riddle had not confronted Yuu, as much as it had hurt at the time, what would be of the three of them today? Yuu would’ve lost out on two beloved mates.

Jamil though… This went far beyond the demons Yuu faced. Even with what little he had been willing to part with them about his life, under a veil of perceived normality, Yuu could tell even then how pervasive the impact was. Kalim meant well but this was not something you let someone come to when they are ready.

This was a rot that had been eating away inside the two boys and their relationship for years. Maybe their entire lives.

That rot was seeping out now. Yuu could smell it in the air.

The omega took several hasty steps back away from Jamil as the scent around him grew oppressive and intense. Yuu had no idea what Azul was saying. Streaming? That had not been in the plan. They were just here to get the evidence they needed and, hopefully, Jamil would back down once confronted. This sudden change came as a shock and a confusion.

“What have you done…” Jamil’s voice came out like a whisper, but the sound of it was deafening regardless. “You–You’ve doomed me. You’ve doomed her .”

Her?

“You–” Jamil let out a single laugh. It was incredulous. Delirious. He held a hand to his head and seemed to stumble as if inebriated. His scent deepened and, to Yuu’s growing alarm, tinged amongst the heady scent of burnt chai and incense were notes of coying ink .

Yuu looked around desperately for where the alpha’s magic pen was but could not see it on his body. It must be inside a pocket or a fold of clothing. How often has he been using his unique magic these past few days?!

The intensifying alpha scent was making their head dizzy despite the suppressant potion in their system.

“Ashengrotto, you know I never liked you,” Jamil said, mostly to the air. He wasn’t even looking at anyone anymore, lost in his own world. “But I at least respected you. I respected your ability. Your intellect. Your ruthlessness. It’s why I asked you to come here in the first place. I thought you would figure it out, that you would help me .”

“And why would I help you?” Azul asked, with a furrow to his brow.

“Why?” Jamil began to chuckle then, the sound growing wild and loud. “You know why. I offered you a golden opportunity on a silver platter. The opportunity to ingratiate yourself to the Asim family! And yet you squander it for some no-name beta ?!” He gestured back at Yuu violently and laughed again, disbelieving. “I just don’t get it. Why choose to screw me over? What is so special about this beta that everyone seems to lose their mind over?”

Azul swallowed, “I’m afraid you have me at a loss.”

Jamil sighed dramatically, “How disappointing, Ashengrotto, that I need to spell it out for you. Why do you think I let you hear my conversation with Abis Il-Asim ?”

Yuu’s thoughts screeched to a halt, their eyes widening. Jamil knew . Jamil had let them hear that phone call yesterday?

“Perhaps we should all just take a second to calm down. Here–I’ll even-” Azul began to put his phone down when Jamil cut him off.

“No. You’ve made this mess and you’re going to fix it,” Jamil hissed and then grinned. “You know… I’ve always been envious of your power, Azul. Since you’ve decided to ruin my life, it’s only fair that you use your power to fix it, right?”

Yuu opened their mouth to shout out a warning a split second too late. Azul was still staring wide eyed at Jamil.

“Snake Whisper.”

But… No. It should be okay. Because Azul had made the pendant for Yuu that can counter Jamil’s magic. Surely he must’ve made himself another one. Surely the identical purple nautilus on his hat will protect him.

Surely he did not give Yuu the only protection against Jamil.

At least, that’s what Yuu’s racing mind had hoped for.

But when a blank look came over Azul’s expression, Yuu’s heart dropped into the pit of their stomach.

“Azul!” The twins shouted simultaneously, their expressions dark, identical to those they wore that day in the Coral Sea when Ace and Deuce’s anemones had spontaneously disappeared. The same they’d worn when they’d seen Azul’s overblotted form.

Floyd rushed forward, looking ready to deck Jamil in the face. Yuu could only watch in silent horror as he too suddenly went slack still. Something clicked in Yuu’s mind as they watched Jamil take over yet another person’s mind.

“Don’t look into his eyes!” Yuu shouted out on instinct.

Jade, who had grabbed hold of Azul’s shoulders, looked at them briefly and nodded before closing his eyes shut. Jamil, in the center of all of this, clicked his tongue in annoyance.

“No matter,” he muttered. “Azul and Floyd will be enough to defeat a useless beta, a blind moray, a weasel, and Kalim.”

“I’m not a weasel!” Grim hissed, though he too took Yuu’s words to heart and kept his eyes shut.

Finally, finally , Kalim seemed to find his voice.

“Jamil!” He cried out. “Stop this! This is going too far! If it’s me you want to punish… Then punish me! Just stop hurting everyone else! Stop hurting yourself! Look at your gem!”

But his words fell on deaf ears. Jamil merely hummed. “ Restrain them .”

Yuu let out a squeak of alarm when Floyd was suddenly in their space, his blank face like something out of a nightmare. Floyd was an expressive person, never a dull moment in his life. To see him like this was wrong .

There was nothing Yuu could do as he grabbed their arms roughly though, his strength far superior to theirs. Even if he weren’t an alpha, his mer biology would put him at a physical advantage regardless.

On the other side of the hall, Azul had conjured thick glowing ropes that wrapped around Jade, Grim, and Kalim, pressing them together back to back. Kalim still looked devastated and on the verge of tears while Jade looked grim but still kept his eyes dutifully shut. Jade's fingers twitched towards the pen at his belt but Azul tore it from his grasp.

But Yuu was hardly paying attention to that anymore. They were more distracted by the overwhelming stench of ink that was saturating the room and making them dizzy. The dread that had been building up within them since that morning had reached an apex.

Yuu now knew what their instincts had been trying to warn them about.

In a last ditch effort Yuu, still squirming in Floyd’s iron grasp, used the last of their energy to shout, “Jamil! You need to stop using your magic! You’re going to overblot!”

But it was too late. Even without being able to see his magestone, the scent of ink had become overwhelming and Yuu watched in horror as black liquid began to pool around Jamil’s wide and manic eyes and drip down the sides of his cheeks. All the while he wore a smile on his face. If he heard them, he chose to ignore them.

Worse of all, it seemed that all this commotion had not gone unnoticed.

“Lo ok . W e h ave g ue st s,” Jamil said, his voice already distorted, as several weary Scarabia students wandered into the hall to investigate what all the shouting was and likely what the source of the oppressive alpha scent and atmosphere was coming from.

All of them froze upon the sight that greeted them.

“Ve ry w el l, ” Jamil laughed. “The more the merrier.”

And that’s when the world went black with ink.

Notes:

So we've finally arrived at the overblot. Once again I apologize for the impromptu hiatus. I really did mean to have this chapter out a month ago but I was really struggling to get Jamil's motivations right.

A lot of it was particularly difficult to write because I had to juggle both Jamil and Azul's schemes and plans, keep track of who knows what and how they would react accordingly to the knowledge they have. I found myself, several times, writing in a way where one or both of the characters were operating on information they should NOT know lol. Finals also absolutely fried my brains so there's that too lmao.

So thank you again for being patient with me. I'll try to get the next chapter out faster.

I suspect there will be 5-10 chapters left in this arc. I'll try to keep it shorter but... You know me. The characters and their inner monologues kinda get away with me haha. I've had a lot more motivation since the newest part of Book 7 dropped. Haven't read it all yet due to fan translations needing time, but damn so far it's WILD. I'm so thirsty to know what's happening lol.

Anyways! I hope you are all having a nice summer so far. See ya'll next time. <3

Chapter 34

Notes:

No beta. Unedited. Please do let me know if there are any egregious mistakes! Once again, I will reread this over the next week and correct anything I find. Please enjoy <3

They were herded like a flock of sheep, with sharp threats snapping at their heels, back to the lounge. Jade dutifully kept his eyes shut as he was led along. Kalim stared down at the floor blankly, not that anyone could blame him. Grim swore up a storm, using words Yuu wasn’t aware the monster even knew, until Jamil grew irritated enough to order Azul to shut him up. Then all was silent as Grim struggled against the flora magic vines over his mouth.

Meanwhile, Yuu was struggling against the onslaught of pheromonal warfare on their senses.

They’d yet to see Jamil’s overblotted form, too occupied with trying to get a hold of themselves as instinctive panic threatened to overcome them. But they saw hints of it: large looming shadows that ominously danced across the walls in the light of the setting sun, now darkened to a malevolent red, writhing black forms that teased just at the edge of Yuu’s periphery, and the sounds of whispered and disembodied hissing that made every hair on the nape of their neck rise.

And of course there was the overwhelming scent of ink infused into the very air itself. Jamil’s natural pleasant alpha scent of chai and incense was now acrid and burnt and bitter. It made Yuu gag and the omega within them whimper.

They were tossed unceremoniously into the lounge to the sound of confusion and panic. Yuu heard Jade shout out a warning into the crowd to keep their eyes closed. There was a scrambling of feet and shouts of panic, but not nearly enough. Yuu’s focus was too clouded to pay much attention, but they thought they may have seen a few students get away.

The rest fell to the same fate as Floyd and Azul. Soon the lounge was quiet once more as all of Jamil’s mind slaves fell into line. Yuu, who was pliant on the ground, finally managed to flip themself over to get a good look at what was happening.

They almost wished they hadn’t.

Towering above the rest, with its head headpiece and feather brushing against the lounge ceiling was another terrible and monstrous manifestation of blot. Its head was a cracked jar of glass, shaped in the image of a rearing cobra, that continuously spilled ink from an unseen source. The rest of its body was masculine, looming behind Jamil with its thick arms crossed, golden bangles at its wrists, that ended in a coiled tail of ink.

Jamil himself was a sight to behold.

Jamil had always been beautiful, and now he was beautiful and terrible . He was draped in ink and gold at every inch, metallic beads clacking against another with each movement, and the rest of him was wrapped in luxurious black and crimson silks. He looked every bit the King he wanted to be.

His once flawless hair had transformed into a sheet of writhing snakes that were jet black on the outside but glowed with ominous red light from within. That same crimson light shone from his left eye, a phenomenon Yuu had seen thrice before.

Riddle’s eye had glowed ruby red. Leona’s a sunset orange. Azul, a bewitching lavender.

Jamil’s, crimson like blood.

The similarities did not end there.

As with the other three, Jamil’s face was painted with ink in an intricate pattern. A single trail ran down his left cheek to give the impression of a teardrop. If not for the victorious and malicious grin on the face, it might have looked like Jamil was crying.

“Back with us, Prefect?” Jamil purred. The snakes around his head swayed with his every motion and expression, appearing to carry a life of their own. The vision was haunting.

Yuu could not answer. They could only grit their teeth and clench their fist and glare up at the overblotted alpha. They were only thankful that Floyd had, whether accidentally or by some suppressed part of himself, dropped them onto one of the numerous piles of blankets and cushions laid out on the floor of the lounge. Unfortunately, in the state Yuu was in, this comfort made it much more difficult to stay aware and focused.

And Yuu had a terrible suspicion why.

The newest version of their suppressants, according to Azul, was capable of lasting 24 hours “on the dot”. But even their original patch, overdue for change as it had been, they’d worn during Riddle’s overblot had failed under the assault of the pheromones of an alpha who’d lost themself. These potions had not been put under such rigorous conditions before, when their very biology itself was straining against its effects.

“Jamil… Please stop this…” Kalim suddenly whispered.

His eyes were wide open, unlike Jade and Grim, but Jamil made no attempt at brainwashing him. He merely smiled cruelly down at Kalim.

“Why? Now that I finally have power , you take issue with it?” Jamil asked with a mocking tilt of his head. “Look at all of them.” He gestured at the blank faces surrounding them. “Even the great Azul Ashengrotto is under my thrall! That is how powerful I am . I have always been and will always be a better mage than you, Kalim. This is proof of your mediocrity and my superiority . Why am I not surprised you want me to lower myself down before you?”

“That’s not it at all!” Kalim protested with tears in his eyes. “I don’t care about that! I just want you to stop hurting yourself! Please, Jamil! Overblot is dangerous! Even an idiot like me knows that!”

Jamil sneered at him. “The only thing hurting me is you, Kalim Al-Asim. I feel better than ever! I finally have the power to change my lot in life. With Ashengrotto’s as my djinn in a lamp, I’m finally going to crush Abis like the insect he is and take what is rightfully mine in this world. And you are the last person who can stop me. In fact…”

He snapped his blackened fingers and four students under his thrall stepped up to him obediently. “ Line the prisoners up by the balcony. Put our dear housewarden next to the Prefect. ”

The magic bindings around Kalim vanished while Jade and Grim remained tethered together, and they were all made to stand at the edge of the balcony. Grim hissed and let out a spout of flames at the students. However, Yuu watched in horror as none of the enthralled even flinched as Grim’s blue flames licked close to their exposed flesh.

“Grim-! Stop it!” Yuu managed to get out with much difficulty and exertion, the very action itself resulting in labored breathing. The little monster heeded their warning and stopped, looking startled as he realized that the Scarabia students were willing to let themselves be burned.

Yuu then felt themself be lifted by strong arms, the scent of coffee beans and black licorice wrapping around them. Floyd lifted them by the bend of their waist as he carried them like a sack of potatoes. Yuu tried to struggle against him but ultimately lost to their own weakened physiology as the alpha pheromones in the air demanded that anyone and everyone in the vicinity submit to it, and they allowed themself to be pulled next to the other three.

“How about a gesture of good faith?” Jamil purred down at the four of them. “A… Farewell gift , if you will.”

“Farewell?” Jade asked, still keeping his eyes shut.

“Of course, since the four of you refuse to be part of my sultanate I have no use for you. You’ll only get in my way,” Jamil replied before his eager eyes slid over to Kalim. “... Or otherwise irritate me.”

Kalim flinched.

When Floyd let go of Yuu their knees buckled beneath them and they collapsed to the ground, hunched over and sitting with their knees bent and legs splayed to the sides. Kalim, who was the only other person who could see without being mind controlled, let out a noise of alarm and instinctively moved towards Yuu.

“ Stay where you are ,” Jamil snapped, his words laced heavily with Alpha Voice and distorted by blot. While this wouldn’t have any real physical effect on another alpha, Kalim stopped regardless, staring up at his best friend with wide horrified eyes. Jamil sneered at him and turned back to Yuu, narrowing his manic eyes at them suspiciously. “What is wrong with you, Prefect? Is this another one of your games?”

Yuu wished it was. The truth was much more damning.

When they didn’t answer, Jamil clicked his tongue in annoyance.

“ Fine ,” Jamil snarled. “As I’ve said before. I have no use for those who refuse to bend to my will. But I’ll be kind… I’ll let you leave here together.”

Kalim’s head snapped up in surprise. Yuu might’ve too, if they had any strength to do so. “L-leave? Together?” Kalim asked, unable to help the trickle of hope from entering his words. He must believe that they would be able to seek help if they were allowed to leave.

“ Of course ,” Jamil purred without an ounce of sincerity in his voice. “After all, it would be cruel to separate the two lovebirds!” He burst into cruel amused laughter. His words sent a spike of indignant fury through Yuu. How dare he make fun of them for a situation he caused ? “It’s only right that the two of you leave together, right?”

And then, without warning, Jamil snapped his fingers again and suddenly Azul was standing before Yuu and Kalim, his expression terrifyingly blank as he brandished his cane towards them, the gem at the handle glowing with his purple magic.

Everything after that happened too fast to fully process.

There was a blur of movement, blue and gold, when Jade suddenly sprung into action. Yuu caught sight of his eyes snapped open for a brief moment, the mismatched teal and gold glowing with terrifying intensity, as he aimed to push Azul out of the way. Grim cried out in alarm as he was dragged along.

But being restrained meant that Jade’s movements were uncoordinated and unbalanced. There wasn’t enough power in him to reach Azul in time to redirect the spell. The spell went off, but this time Jade and Grim were also caught in the crossfire.

An immense gust of wind magic burst around all four of them. Jade, Grim, and Kalim went flying into the sky, so fast none of them could even make a noise. In the blink of an eye they were gone.

Yuu’s hair fluttered gently around their face before settling.

The nautilus shell at Yuu’s throat burned hot.

“Oh?” Jamil said.

~*~

The wind whipped past him with a velocity and temperature so frigid that it briefly reminded him of his home deep in the depths of the sea, in dark places where even other mer hesitated to traverse.

Jade’s second thought was to lament not having been quicker on the draw of his pen, or in tackling Azul. But he did not dwell on this for long. Jade knew that, even if he had managed to arm himself in time, he was no match for his dear Azul, mind controlled or not.

Alas. If only Azul and his brother had heeded Jade’s advice to keep Floyd’s signature spell on Azul instead of the Prefect. But the two were too blinded by their own affections to listen to Jade’s voice of reason. As charming as it was to see Azul lose his head and composure over someone as lovely and worthy as Yuu, it was rather inconvenient to deal with this unfortunate fallout. At the very least their omega was safe for as long as the spell containing enchantment on the nautilus held.

These thoughts passed through Jade’s head within the span of a few seconds and he began to take stock of the situation at hand. At the speed and height they were at, Jade estimated that they had less than three minutes before falling to their untimely demise. And Jade’s wand was unfortunately back at Scarabia dorm, and he was not so keen to recklessly accumulate blot after what had just been witnessed.

Kalim and Grim, thankfully, still had theirs.

Jade also noted that the magic on the ropes around him had faded with distance from their conjurer.

“Grim!” Jade shouted over the sounds of the wind roaring in their ears and Grim wailing his little head off. “Burn the ropes!” He truly detested shouting, but difficult times called for distasteful acts (Jade was sure that’s how the surface saying went).

It took more seconds than Jade would’ve preferred to finally get the monster to acknowledge his commands (Grim was nearly as difficult to deal with as Floyd was, Jade’s sympathies to the Prefect), but soon Grim’s blue flames had licked away the fibers of the rope. It snapped and fell away. Jade turned quickly and caught the little monster before he could be whisked away by the sudden outward force.

Next Jade identified Kalim.

He grabbed onto the back of Kalim’s coat and dragged the human towards him. Kalim flailed for a second before realizing what was happening. His eyes were bloodshot with tears.

“I don’t have my wand,” Jade announced. “On my count I need you to cast wind magic beneath us. Do you understand?”

Kalim stared at him with wide red eyes but nodded.

“Prepare your staff.”

When you were flying through the sky towards your possible (gruesome) demise, time did not behave as normal. In both what felt like a lifetime and barely any time at all the ground was already approaching them at breakneck speeds. Kalim unstrapped his staff from his back and gripped it with trembling hands.

“Now!”

Jade intentionally called out the command earlier than optimal. It would make for a rougher landing but he could not be sure Kalim was fully in the right state of mind to pull it off and needed to give himself leeway should he need to step in. There was no need to worry about blot, afterall, if he was dead.

But Kalim pulled through. There was a burst of wind beneath them, not unlike the one that had put them in this position in the first place. The sudden upward acceleration sent a school of flying fish swimming chaotically through Jade’s gut. The sand beneath them swirl up into a storm of fine dust that may have been beautiful had this not been such a dire circumstance. The landing was rough, as Jade had expected, but they did land relatively unharmed.

The three of them took a moment to collect themselves.

As Jade was brushing off his coat (it was not going to be cheap getting it dry cleaned, he noted with displeasure) the faint sound of sobbing reached his ears.

If they hadn’t been in a dead silent desert in the middle of the night, he might’ve missed it. But as they were, the sound of Kalim quietly sobbing to himself was unmistakable.

Poor dear. He did have quite the day, Jade thought with a small chuckle. He did have some sympathy for the poor thing, but this was hardly the time for tears. He had a brother, a boss, and an omega to get back to. Of course, Kalim in his current state may not respond well to harshness. Perhaps a more delicate approach…

But it seemed that Grim beat Jade to the punch, and with far less tact, because the little fire monster was suddenly up in Kalim’s face.

“Why are you crying?” Grim demanded, crossing his arms, looking decidedly disgruntled with his dark fur sticking up every which way. “I almost just died because of you and Jamil! If anyone should be crying it should be me!” He harrumphed dramatically.

Kalim sniffled, still staring down at his hands as his tears wetted the sand beneath him. “Jamil he… I trusted him and he…I just can’t believe it. This must be all my fault. I thought… I thought he would confide in me but all this time… All this time I was just hurting him and pushing him away– The real Jamil would never do something like this. I… I need to tell him I’m sorry, that I never meant–”

“Hah!? Are you kidding me?” Grim cut in incredulously. He really was rather expressive and opinionated for a monster. “Of course this is your fault! That’s what I was just saying! Ya know, the great Grim didn’t really want to say anything earlier since you were giving me all that free delicious food but your whole attitude is actually kinda annoying.”

That seemed to finally get Kalim’s attention. He looked up abruptly, eyes and cheeks still glistening with tears, “Huh?”

“You’re too nice! It’s irritating. Also,” Grim continued, on a roll now. “What do you mean ‘the real Jamil’? That guy totally just tried to kill us! He took my henchman! He was doing shading things even before he went all magic berserker mode! You’re being way too nice about this whole situation! It’s actually kinda creepy…”

“I’m afraid I must agree with Grim on this,” Jade cut in pleasantly, enjoying the widening shock of Kalim’s eyes. The innocent ones really were too fun to play with. “If Floyd or Azul betrayed me like that, well… I certainly wouldn’t get on my knees and beg for their forgiveness and cry about it. I would make sure anyone who betrayed me like that lived to regret not finishing me off in the first place.” He ended this statement with a positive upward lilt.

“B-but,” Kalim began, licking his lips nervously. “It was my fault though… Jamil even said so himself. He only did it because of me–”

“Are you serious?” Grim demanded, stomping his feet. “Why would you believe a scumbag like that?”

That seemed to get a reaction out of Kalim, who surged to his feet. Finally a flash of anger seemed to pass through his eyes. “Jamil is not a scumbag! Please don’t say that about him, he–” Kalim cut himself off, appearing at a loss for words. He looked as if he were going to start crying again which was starting to get a little irritating.

But to Jade’s surprise, Kalim didn’t.

“... He’s not a scumbag,” Kalim repeated quietly, then continued in a louder, more determined, voice. “But you guys are right! He did betray me. And he hurt Yuu!”

Grim made an alarmed noise. “Eh? You’re still worried about my henchmen? Not that I’m not flattered or anything but you remember that Jamil made you feel that way with his creepy powers right?”

Kalim seemed to contemplate this for a second but then shook his head. “Maybe that’s true. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t feel those feelings. No matter what, whether my feelings are real or not, I care about Yuu. And they are a good person! I can’t easily forgive someone who would hurt them! So… So– I’m gonna go back there and knock some sense into Jamil!”

Jade couldn’t help but be a little impressed. Kalim was a lot of things. He was dimwitted. He was deeply incapable in some of the most basic of tasks that it was actually concerning. He was far too nice for his own good, proven by the conversation they just had. He cried much too easily…

But he also didn’t give up like Jade initially thought he would.

Typically, people who had learned helplessness like that would give up at the slightest hint of adversity. By all of Jade’s experience, he would’ve expected the same out of Kalim. But not only had Kalim decided to do something about this impossible situation, but he had decided so incomprehensibly fast. So fast that Jade might’ve suspected that the declaration was shallow except for the fact that there was something to the gleam in Kalim’s eyes that made Jade hesitate in that verdict.

For whatever reason, Jade was amused to discover that he actually believed Kalim.

Kalim reminded Jade a bit of Yuu in actuality. Both were kind to a fault, though the latter was at least capable of being somewhat pragmatic about it. But now Jade was realizing the two also shared another quirk in common.

Kalim and Yuu were the type of people to always get back up even when hitting rock bottom.

The thought honestly made Jade want to laugh. How was it that someone who was so quick at giving up on putting on his own headband (one that he wore every single day) could turn around and determinedly declare his intentions to tackle an impossible scenario? Jade knew of stronger and more talented mages who would balk at the idea of going up against an overblotted mage. And being betrayed the way Kalim had by someone so dear to them would emotionally cripple most people.

And yet here Kalim was, eyes still bloodshot from tears, but grinning resolutely back at Jade and Grim.

The wonders of the surface truly never ceased, Jade thought with a chuckle. Well, far be it from him to stop the determined alpha.

Of course, their first dilemma was actually getting back to the dorm and Jade said as much.

“Not to mention,” Jade continued, suddenly taking notice of how cold the desert was getting now that the sun had retreated beyond the horizon. “The temperature feels to be dropping to levels dangerous for humans. Grim is a fire monster and I am northern merfolk, so we should be safe. Kalim however...” Jade trailed off grimly. If only he hadn’t dropped his wand. He had been sloppy all evening. Was it too much to hope that Yuu already miraculously cured Jamil’s overblot as they had many times before? Or was that wistful thinking? “If only there was a river, I could simply swim us all back. It will take a very long time to walk back on foot.”

“A river?” Kalim suddenly jumped to attention at the suggestion. Though he had just been a tearful mess a few minutes ago, now the only traces left of this were the faint redness and swelling of his eyes and nose. Otherwise the alpha looked as chipper as ever. His eyes were gleaming with excitement as he asked this which stuck Jade as strange. Why would the mention of a river be so exciting? Especially since there was no river in sight in this arid place?

“Yes. Why? Do you happen to have one in your back pocket?” Jade asked in jest.

“Of course!” Kalim exclaimed as if he hadn’t just said the most ridiculous thing Jade had ever heard. Conjuring a river was magic beyond any of them. It was magic beyond most mages. Perhaps Malleus Draconia could pull off such a feat, but that was neither here nor there.

Before Jade could voice these thoughts though, Kalim was shrugging off his coat and tossing it over Grim’s head, causing the little monster to yelp in indignation and Jade to tilt his head curiously at the strange action. Kalim then raised his scepter towards the sky and, in a jubilant voice, shouted, “Oasis Maker!”

And the sky above them split apart.

~*~

There was a chip in the pendant. It pulsated with heat inside Yuu’s grip, and they could feel sharp edges where the shell had cracked beneath the pads of their fingers. Each pulse of warmth felt as if the magic inside were trying to escape the confines of its calcite prison.

Worst of all, Jamil’s eyes were trained intently on where the pendant was hidden in Yuu’s grasp.

Yuu tried to decipher his expression, but this was proven to be near impossible between their fogging thoughts and Jamil’s blank poker face.

This was not like the other overblots, was the only thing Yuu managed to conclude. There was still the madness, the violent mood swings, and all anger and malice and pain in the air as before. But Yuu could not recall the others having eyes as calculating as Jamil’s, even in spite of his madness. Somehow, even when all his inhibition had been lifted and all his darkest and most terrible desires forcefully dragged to the forefront, it still felt as if Jamil Viper were in complete control of the situation.

Good for him , Yuu thought bitterly, because they, on the other hand, felt very much out of control. Even if they weren’t battling their own treacherous biology, there was still the shock and grief from having just watched their friends be blown away. Jade was capable, Yuu knew, but was he capable enough of surviving that? He had been tied up. Yuu couldn’t bear to think about it more. Flashes of Grim’s small and fragile body kept popping into their head and Yuu had to will them away every time, lest they start having a panic attack.

And still Jamil stared at them. Him along with the hundreds of blank eyes and pupils of those he had ensnared. Yuu felt as if they were being stared down by a beast with a hundred heads, surrounded on all sides by silent and deadly enemies. Between the silence and the blot hovering oppressively in the air, Yuu’s throat threatened to close in on itself with every shallow breath they took, mirroring the claustrophobia of it all as the limestone walls pressed in towards them.

But Yuu could not afford to freeze with fear. They needed to get to Jamil somehow. To press even a single finger to his skin and initiate an ephemeral bond. There was no time to dwell on their locking limbs or the sob attempting to crawl its way up their throat. So instead, Yuu grabbed onto the only thing they could.

Fury, fierce and terrible. Yuu held onto what little there was amidst their rising panic and held onto it for dear life.

Fed up with the leering and silence, Yuu managed to snap at him weakly. “ What ?”

Jamil blinked, as if he hadn’t expected them to speak. Then a twisted grin slowly spread across his face, one that strangely did not meet his eyes.

“You… I must admit that I underestimated you, Prefect. Tell me… How exactly did you do it? ”

The only indications of the spell being cast were another pulse of heat from the pendant and a shudder through the blot monster hovering behind Jamil, as even more ink poured down from its shattered glass skull, dribbling down the length of its slowly undulating body.

Azul’s pendant ensured that they did not need to answer the question, but they were at a loss of how to regardless. How did Yuu do what ? Withstand his magic? Avoid Jamil’s murder attempt? Yuu didn’t even want to think about the latter. Because thinking about it would mean thinking about Grim and Jade and Kalim and if Yuu did that they weren’t sure if their fury would be enough fuel to keep them going.

Instead, Yuu stared up at him stonily silent.

Jamil narrowed his eyes at them, “Oh? Are we back to being quiet again? Or do you think yourself too good to answer my questions, Yuu ? I’m beginning to be fed up with your presence, if I’m being honest. You refuse to join my sultanate. You refuse to be evicted. The least you can do is answer me when I ask you something!” His layered voice rose to a shout, shaking the very foundations of the building around them. “Tell me what your secret is!”

Yuu gritted their teeth. Even if Azul’s pendant protected them from the spell, the addition of Jamil’s Alpha Voice laced in his speech was threatening to drag forth their inner omega. They nearly opened their mouth to speak, but just managed to stop themself. Yuu curled in on themself further, or as much as Floyd’s hold on them would allow.

But as they did so, Yuu felt something solid dig into their stomach. Something on the inner pocket of the Octavinelle coat they wore.

Their spare suppressant.

It was a long shot, but if Yuu could manage to wriggle out of Floyd’s ironclad hold on them and take one, then perhaps they could get through this and clear their head. There was no guarantee that more of the potion would help, but it was the only plan Yuu had.

“ Answer me! ”

There was another burst of heat in their palm and a crack in the shell. Yuu grimaced. Their plan would mean nothing if the pendant broke, leaving them susceptible to Jamil’s magic. A distraction then, anything to keep Jamil occupied until Yuu could either get close enough to touch him or to sneak a potion.

“I don’t know what you’re asking of me…” Yuu gritted out with much difficulty.

Jamil scoffed. “ Don’t play dumb with me, Prefect . I’m asking you what you did to convince Azul Ashengrotto to give you Floyd Leech’s magic .”

At first Yuu didn’t understand what he was saying. Floyd’s magic? What about Floyd’s magic? But then, a niggling thought rose from the back of their mind, something that had been bothering them subconsciously but they had not had the time or full faculties to realize.

Why didn’t Floyd use his unique magic to avoid Jamil’s spell?

The answer hit Yuu like a train.

Jamil must’ve seen the shocked expression on their face because his anger gave way to cruel amusement. He chuckled pitifully down at them, “ Oh? Don’t tell me you truly didn’t know? You can’t honestly be telling me you are simply accidentally wrapping all these powerful mages around your fingers?”

Yuu wasn’t even listening to him. Their mind was too busy reeling from the newest revelation. It all made sense now. Why Floyd’s voice had been ridiculously low. Why Azul stated that the pendant was one of a kind. Azul had made a deal with Floyd in exchange for his Unique Magic, just as he had been capable of doing with Leona, siphoning King’s Roar into a nautilus shell and using it for his own.

Floyd had put himself in unspeakable danger to protect Yuu. Azul could’ve kept the pendant, should’ve kept the pendant , but instead gave it to Yuu.

Their head snapped over to the Octavinelle Housewarden. Azul still stood there, staring blankly forward, his eyes horrifically empty where they’d normally be churning with a million different plots and ideas. It was wrong . Azul, despite all his faults, was brilliant and bright and so full and bursting with drive and capability. He should’ve been the one to wear the pendant. What could Yuu do as a magic-less human who’d been in this world for less than a year? Azul was the one with the ability to fight back.

So why did they give Yuu their only protection?

Yuu stared imploringly at Azul but the man gave no answer. He couldn’t. Yuu wanted to go over there and grab the infuriating beta by his lapels and shake him and demand why he would risk this. Where was the reason? The logic? All the things Azul stood and operated by?. They wanted to grab Floyd, also blank faced, above them and shake him and demand to know why he had allowed his beloved Azul to give his magic to Yuu .

If this was the debt Azul wanted to repay, Yuu didn’t want it . It was too much. They didn’t want this on their hands.

Something warm ran down Yuu’s cheek. They realized with a start that they had started to cry.

“ Crying , Prefect?” Jamil mocked. “You know… People like you really annoy me . I guess you really are just like the rest. Having everything handed to you on a silver platter. Life truly is unfair. ” His mockery faded into something bitter and raw. He glanced off, lost in his own thoughts.

Yuu chanced a glance down at their coat, pushing their shock and grief to the side when the moment presented itself. They spotted a tease of that lavender liquid, peeking out from one of the inner pockets of their coat. Floyd still had their arms captive and Yuu was scared that if they let go of the fragile nautilus shell, that it would break apart. But maybe if they wiggled a bit and curled up into a ball, they would be able to reach–

“ What are you looking for? ”

Yuu froze. They looked up.

Jamil’s eyes were sharp. It was obvious that he hadn’t missed their searching gaze. There would be no passing this off as Yuu just needed to rest their head.

“Hold them.”

Floyd readjusted his grip so that his huge hands were wrapped around Yuu’s wrists, locking their arms into an X over their chest, and rendering them entirely incapable of moving. Jamil began to float closer to them, his eyes pinned to the pocket their suppressant was in.

Yuu’s heart rate picked up. This was it. This was their chance. Even without their hands, if they could bring their face close enough to any part of his exposed skin they could finally end this nightmare.

Jamil was now above them. He looked down at Yuu disdainfully. Yuu’s breath caught in their throat as he began to reach down. The scent of burnt chai and thick ink intensified, burning Yuu’s nostrils and causing their eyes to water, but they endured. Yuu couldn’t help but flinch, though, when Jamil’s hand began to reach into the pocket where their precious suppressants were. He paused at the motion, chuckled cruelly, and continued.

It was when his hand was fully in their inner pocket, blackened fingers wrapping around the vial, that Yuu summoned that last of their energy and surged forward.

Jamil jerked back, eyes wide with incredulity, at the same moment Floyd jerked Yuu backwards, Floyd’s grip tightening to the point of physical pain, the bones in their wrists creaking, as he pulled Yuu away from Jamil. Yuu let out a cry of pain.

Jamil retreated out of reach, still pinning Yuu with a wide disbelieving stare. He looked as if he wanted to demand Yuu explain their plan but after a moment he merely clicked his tongue and returned his attention to his pilfered prize. He held the vial of shimmering purple fluid up to his eye and scrutinized it closely.

“ Now now… What would someone like you need to keep potions with you?” Jamil asked. “Is this another one of Azul’s contingency plans? What exactly was this supposed to do to me?”

Yuu didn’t answer, just whimpered as they leaned back against Floyd, their wrists throbbing in pain. That stunt had taken all they had left in their energy reserves and still they came up empty handed. The failure stung.

“Still won’t answer me?” Jamil scoffed and then, to Yuu’s horror, turned to Azul who still stood obediently and silent behind him. “Ashengrotto!” He barked. “Tell me what this potion is and what your plans for it were!”

Yuu silently begged Azul not to answer even though they knew it was a doomed hope.

Azul spoke.

“The potion contained in that vial is an omega suppressant, Master Viper.” Azul answered obediently in the horrible dead tone of the thralled. “It is the second iteration of a potion developed by Divus Crewel that I improved upon for the use of Prefect Yuu of Ramshackle dorm, to mimic the properties of suppressant technology from their home dimension.”

He would’ve continued rambling on if Jamil had not held up a hand to stop him. Azul’s mouth clicked audibly shut as he continued to stare straight forward.

Jamil, meanwhile, was staring at the potion with an intensity that scared Yuu.

“What does he mean by omega suppressant?” Jamil asked, his voice low and calm and distinctly dangerous .

Yuu swallowed, but refused to answer.

Instead of making a comment this time about their refusal to obey him, Jamil turned his attention right back to Azul and repeated his question.

“Omega suppressants suppress omegan characteristics of the omegas who use them. These characteristics include those such as omegan scent, heats, inner voice, sli-”

“No,” Jamil growled impatiently. “Tell me why the Prefect is in possession of these .”

“Because Yuu is an omega, Master Jamil,” Azul answered.

 

Notes:

I rewrote the last part of this chapter 3 times lol. I literally have an extra 2500 words that got cut in total. So while this chapter is technically 1k shorter than usual, it actually took more time than usual LOL

Oh! I got some questions the last few chapters about the OctoTrio's relationship that I thought I'd clear up a bit more.

The three of them are absolutely in a relationship, of a romantic life-partners kind of way (romantic just between Azul and the two--I don't judge but there will be no incest in this fic lol). However, due to their individual issues and outlooks on life, in this fic none of them really put a label on what their relationship is. For Jade and Floyd, at least, putting a label on it can somehow feel like cheapening what it is the three of them share. (And for Floyd and Jade, they aren't romantically involved with each other, but they are twins and they do consider each other their other half--but they are purely familial with one another).

Jade specifically though, I headcanon as someone who is on the aro spectrum. Azul is like his one exception. I don't know how many of you picked it up or if I was effective at hinting at it thus far, but Jade doesn't actually have romantic feelings for Yuu. He respects them. He's definitely attracted to them. And he definitely regards Yuu as somewhat belonging to the trio in certain ways. But he doesn't have romantic feelings for them. Like I said, Azul is the only exception to this rule. But he's perfectly happy with, and even enjoys, playing that role with Yuu because he knows how Azul and Floyd feel about them and it's easy for him because of his attraction and respect. Unlike the other two though, he'd still probably choose to save himself over Yuu if push came to shove. But he may sacrifice himself to save Azul or Floyd, depending on the situation.

Floyd, on the other hand, is a total romantic. He loves the big showy things. The buying teddy bears. The dozens of roses. Floyd definitely talks about love languages. His love language is physical touch and gifts. He loves giving and receiving gifts.

ANYWAYS. I'm done rambling about these three silly boys.

I hope ya'll enjoyed. Until next time.

Chapter 35

Notes:

I'm actually very satisfied with this chapter! I hope ya'll enjoy! Once again, editing and rereading will occur throughout the following week so beware of any egregious spelling or grammar mistakes.

“Because Yuu is an omega, Master Jamil,” Azul answered.

The words spilled from his lips without permission, his mouth moving with a mind of its own. Jamil was inside him, rifling through his thoughts, shackling his limbs, and pulling the secrets behind all of Azul’s safeguards and dragging them out into the light by force. It was difficult even just being aware of what was going on. Jamil’s spell was like a beast of old Atlantean lore, krakens that wrapped their writhing limbs around unsuspecting vessels and dragged them beneath the waves. Azul had to fight with all his will power just to keep his head above the surface–to stay conscious. It was no wonder the others couldn’t even remember Jamil casting his spell on them. It was insidious magic.

Azul still had use of his eyes, but it was as if he were watching the world through a window far off in the distance, the inner world of his mind an endless abyss of black nothingness. It reminded him of his hiding pot as a child, being curled up at the bottom and looking up towards a circular window of brightness far above him and feeling distinctly separated from his own body. As a child he didn’t know what this sensation meant or that there even was a word for it. He had since come to learn that this was called dissociation.

So though he could not control his actions, Azul continued to observe the world passively.

Jamil had turned his back to Azul once more, the alpha’s attention solely on Yuu. The omega looked to be in rough shape. Though Floyd still restrained them, it was obvious to Azul that this was unnecessary. Yuu looked utterly drained and would likely collapse if not for Floyd holding onto them. Their expression was unreadable past the pain and discomfort they were clearly in. The urge to beg for forgiveness tightened Azul’s chest. The last thing he wanted was to yet again be the reason their secret was exposed. The only reason he knew in the first place was because of his own greed and shortsightedness. And here, once more, he was the source of all of Yuu’s troubles.

He hated feeling helpless like this. Was this how Yuu would’ve felt? Under the effects of Azul’s despicable heat inducer? If Azul had any control over his own body, he was sure he would’ve retched at the thought.

“... He’s lying.” Jamil’s voice warbled. There was an undercurrent of anger to the accusation, as if he’d been insulted. “You’re a beta. Your scent is that of a beta’s. How did you trick Ashengrotto?”

Yuu remained quiet. Whether this was because they were refusing to answer or simply couldn’t was unknown to Azul. At Yuu’s continued silence, Jamil grew visibly agitated. The blot incarnation behind him thrashed with his unstable emotions, reminding Azul of when he himself destroyed the Mostro Lounge in his mania. Those memories were foggy and faded, but not as much as Azul would’ve preferred–his memory had always been too good. And witnessing this was not kindling a feel-good sensation inside of him.

Again Jamil turned to Azul and demanded an explanation from him. Again the truth was forcefully pulled from between Azul’s teeth as he explained Yuu’s origins. Their world. How they’d been keeping their true secondary sex a secret all these months with Trey’s help. All the things that should’ve been Yuu’s to tell, Azul gave up so easily. With every world Jamil’s eyes widened. Even just earlier that day, Azul would've delighted at being able to evoke such a visceral reaction in the secretive and mild mannered alpha. Now all it did was leave a bitter taste on his tongue.

Jamil ordered him to stop. Azul’s mouth closed immediately without his input. Despite having his wish granted, Azul did not like the sudden new look in Jamil’s eyes.

“Ah. I see. ” Jamil said. “So that’s what you were doing.” He was once again addressing Yuu. He played with the purple vial between his fingers and Yuu followed its motion with their eyes. “You know… It’s been no secret that three other overblots have occurred on campus. Overblots the Ramshackle Prefect was somehow involved in. Though why anyone would give up this power is beyond me.” Jamil flexed his free arm and a bolt of crimson lightning leaped from the blackened tips of his fingers. In the distance, one of the sandstone pillars shattered like porcelain beneath Jamil’s untamed magic. Yuu was the only person who could flinch at the show of power, cringing back from the shower of dust and debris as the pillar crumbled to rubble. Jamil threw his head back and cackled.

“But it all makes sense now ,” Jamil exclaimed. “It was you . Did you really think I wouldn’t figure it out, Omega? ” Yuu flinched back at the title. “Did you really think that you could control ME?!” There was another flurry of crimson lightning and sparks from his body. Azul, who stood in close proximity to the berserker mage, felt the lick of a stray tendril whip across his left cheek, leaving behind a stinging line. But he could not move even a single muscle to react. Yuu was staring up at Jamil with wide shocked eyes.

“Oh yes . I know exactly about that interesting little ability omegas have,” Jamil sneered. “ Ephemeral bonding , isn’t it? That’s why you tried to tackle me . As you can see there are some perks to having been enslaved to Kalim my entire life. One of those being an exclusive education on precious omegas like the one Kalim is betrothed to. Can’t have the heir of the Asim family and his mate being tended to by an uneducated slave, now can we?

“That’s how you did it before, right?” Jamil continued. “Rosehearts. Kingscholar. Azul. You touched them and denied them this awesome power. You neutered them. You sought to control them. And you were attempting to control me too.”

Yuu looked like they wanted to argue. They strained forward, still being held back by Floyd, but gave up after only a second and collapsed down into his arms, their breathing labored. Azul’s metaphorical breath caught in throat as he realized that this reaction of theirs was more than just exhaustion. He, more than most, was aware of how Yuu had ended up in pseudo heats after the overblots with Riddle and Leona. It didn’t take a genius to put two and two together and realize that the suppressant must not be enough to stave off the effects of overblotted alpha pheromones. It was why they had been looking down that alerted Jamil to the existence of the potions in the first place. Yuu had been seeking to take another dose.

This was all Azul’s fault. He should’ve worked harder, tested the potions more rigorously, iterated more before presenting them to Yuu. It was his fault they were sluggish and helpless. How was this any different than when he’d put the heat inducer into their drink himself? He may as well have handed Yuu to Jamil on a silver platter. And there was nothing he could do to fix it.

“I refuse to be controlled by anyone ever again .” Jamil’s voice was full of vitriol and anger so deep and bitter that Azul felt each word reverberate inside his soul. “I should kill you for what you tried to pull on me,” he spat but then trailed off. “But that would be a waste, wouldn’t it? You may have immunity to my powers now, but I think we both know that won’t last for long, will it?” Jamil was laughing now. “ No. I won’t get rid of you, little omega. I think you will be quite useful to me. Of course… I cannot give you an opportunity to try and control me again. So let’s see what we can do about that, shall we?”

Jamil hummed, making a show of it as he considered his options. Azul always suspected the mild alpha had a secret flare for the dramatic and was now loath to be proven correct. The glint in Jamil’s eyes was sadistic. He was enjoying making Yuu squirm by dragging the moment out.

“Ah!” The alpha paused in his pacing and snapped his fingers together, a pleased but twisted grin spreading across his face. “I know. Tell me, little gem, do you know the story of the princess and the street rat?”

Azul knew the story. He’s always been a fan of fairy tales as a child. Rielle, especially, had adored stories from the surface world, and the tale of the street rat of the Scalding Sands was one of the most famous. But it was obvious by the look on Yuu’s face that they did not know it.

The story was set in ancient Scalding sands, in a time before the mass disappearance of omegas in Twisted Wonderland, before the rise of magic across the populus, thousands of years ago. It was a tale of an omega pauper who fell in love with an alpha princess. The fable was many things, amongst which a cautionary tale to beware of what you wished for, a warning put into motion when the street rat uncovered a magic lamp and the djinn that dwelled within, and was granted three wishes–the first he used to wish himself into a prince which helped him in winning the admiration of his princess.

There are no omega paupers today, of course, and much less any who would be left on the streets to fend for himself. But it was a tale that had delighted countless generations and intrigued with its unique setup. Unlike most traditional fables and legends, the tale of the street rat was unique in that the alpha was cast in the role of the damsel and the omega the hero. At one point in the tale, one of the sultan’s viziers, a man who had secretly been an omega all along, and who also lusted after the princess, separated the star-crossed lovers and trapped the princess inside a giant hourglass that began to fill with sand. If the alpha did not agree to mate him after one hour she would be buried alive. Of course, in the end, the street rat managed to save the day and defeat the evil vizier and he and the princess were mated and wed and lived happily ever after as most fairy tales ended.

Jamil regaled Yuu with this tale. “It’s funny if I think about it. While some of the details are backwards, if you really consider it, I am the street rat who found a djinn to grant all my wishes.” He brushed a hand through Azul’s hair who could not lift a single finger to stop him. “All that is left is to figure out what role you play in this story, little omega. Are you the Princess who will help elevate me out of my unfortunate circumstances? Or… Are you the Vizier? A power hungry omega masquerading as something else?”

Jamil considered Yuu for a moment. “I suppose we’ll find out. Floyd, release them.”

At the order, Floyd abruptly let go of Yuu and stepped away, causing the omega to collapse to the ground with a pained grunt, just barely managing to catch themself on their hands. Jamil then leaned down and whispered into Azul’s ears, though he did not take his gaze off the omega for a single second.

Azul’s body moved on its own. He lifted his cane as he was forced to follow through with the terrible order.

The real Azul trapped inside was pounding at the invisible walls inside his mind, trying desperately to warn Yuu, begging them to move. But it would be obvious to anyone that Yuu had no energy left in their limbs. They merely laid there as glass walls began to rise around them, conjured into existence as Azul’s body cast the spell. Beside him more ink and blot poured from Jamil’s pores as his own magic worked to control Azul. The alpha didn’t seem to even notice that he was killing himself.

By the end of it there was a giant hourglass taking up the center of the lounge. Inside of it sat Yuu who looked around at their new prison with wide panicked eyes, pressing their hands up against the unyielding glass.

And that’s when the sand began to fall.

“That pendant might protect you from my magic,” Jamil said. “But I doubt it will protect you from being buried alive. But don’t worry, I won’t let you die. Only a fool would let an omega slip out of his grasp. But I doubt it will be a very pleasant experience for you.” Jamil cackled sadistically. “All you have to do, little gem, is let me have control. I promise that I’ll make you happy. Weren’t you happy before, being in love with Kalim? I can give you that bliss again. You only need to let me in.”

At this, Yuu seemed to find some sort of will within themself, because they glared at Jamil with what seemed to be every fiber of their being and snapped.

“ Never. ”

Jamil’s face morphed into something furious and ugly at this. He spat back at them, “Fine. Your wish is my command, little omega. We’ll see how long you last.”

Yuu’s face may have been stern, but Azul was the only one to see the faint glimmer of true fear in their eyes.

~*~

Minutes passed like hours. Every second stretched on into infinity. If the outside world had felt suffocating and claustrophobic before, it was nothing compared to this. Yuu felt like a bug pinned to a garish display. They sat huddled against the smooth and unyielding walls of the hourglass, as far away from the steadily growing hill of sand gathering in the center of their crystal prison as possible. Already the fine granules were up to their mid calf. Yuu tried to stay balanced above it, but every movement shifted the particles beneath them and sank them deeper into the shifting floor, and still more and more sand poured down to replace what they pushed away.

And even worse yet, Yuu could smell the moment the potion in their body ran its course. Filling the stagnant air of the hourglass was the sweetness of hyacinths and parchment and dark chocolate, tinged with the bitterness of mugwort. 

Yuu’s only respite was that the glass separated them from the air outside. In here, Jamil’s overwhelming alpha stench was more muted–though not wholly vanished. It was enough for Yuu to clear their head a little, but that only meant Yuu’s mind was sharp enough to put together that this meant there was a limited supply of air inside. Was Jamil aware enough through his madness to realize that Yuu still needed to breathe? Was he truly going to leave them in here, buried and suffering, until they either agreed to his terms or Azul’s pendant finally failed?

From everything Yuu had seen and experienced, the grim answer was yes .

For once, Yuu found themself at a loss of what to do. Up until this point, there had always been a plan, always something , some glimmer of hope no matter how small, that offered a path forward. That path forward was often risky but it was still better than nothing.

And there was nothing now.

Just Yuu and these curved glass walls keeping them physically trapped.

Outside of their prison Jamil seemed to be reveling in his newfound power. At first Yuu was confused when the brainwashed students began to bring out endless platters of food and drinks, and then Yuu realized with a start that Jamil was literally throwing himself a banquet in celebration of his conquest.

It was the most disturbing thing Yuu had ever seen in their life.

For all the merriment and cheering and adulation, students lavishing endless praises onto Jamil, it was only Jamil himself who was truly enjoying the moment. And even then Yuu did not think he was truly experiencing joy. It was like witnessing a king tyrant surrounded by subjects who only stood at his side out of fear. The fact that Jamil felt it necessary to force those under his control to admire him and sing his praises spoke volumes. It was a difficult scene to watch unfold.

Jamil gorged himself on food and drink and false praises, drunk on his own false reality now that he had gotten rid of all immediate obstacles. Yuu wondered what it would’ve been like had they failed to stop the other three overblots. What would Riddle, Leona, and Azul have been like if they had gotten their way? Jamil was pure id incarnate, all his previous inhibitions and shames stripped away, free to act however he pleased.

But this was not joy. Joy was being surrounded by those you loved and who truly loved you back. Joy was movie nights in Ramshackle, pressed closed to friends and mates and pack members, laughing and teasing and just basking in the simple bliss of being with your precious people. Joy was Riddle’s smile. Joy was Deuce’s flushed embarrassed face. Leona’s coy and lazy desert scent. Cater’s glittering eyes when he managed to snap a perfect photo. Jack’s wagging tail. Grim softly snoring after putting away a can of tuna. Joy was their mom and dad’s arms around them, a warm and safe haven.

Whatever true joy was to Jamil, this could not be it, no matter how wide his twisted smile grew.

Yuu was sick to their stomach. They pressed their forehead up against the concave plane of the glass, the coldness of it alleviating some of their fevered symptoms, as they tried again to come up with some sort of plan. But the answer seemed determined to illude them, staying just out of reach. Could they pretend to be under Jamil’s spell again? Pretend that the pendant stopped working? Yuu doubted the same trick would work twice and immediately tossed the idea out. Should they appeal to Jamil’s humanity? Hope that he’ll snap out of it on his own? But their past experiences informed them that this would not work either. It had taken drastic measures each and every time to carve through the influence of blot.

It all felt hopeless and, in a fit of sudden rage and frustration, Yuu smacked the glass wall and immediately regretted it. Not only was their palm now throbbing but the impact had also sent a shockwave up the hourglass–not enough to move it in any significant way, but enough to momentarily loosen a chunk of sand, instead of the steady trickle, that dumped itself all over Yuu’s legs and making them cough. It made them want to hit something again.

And that’s when they heard it.

Yuu almost missed the sound during their tantrum, but by some miracle Yuu’s ears picked up on a faint cough—not their own. Jamil and the rest were at the interior of the lounge, but the cough had come from the balcony .

Yuu shuffled over to the other side of the hourglass to investigate and nearly broke out into sobs at the sight that greeted them.

Jade Leech was smiling at them from where he was hidden behind a pillar, appearing as relaxed and pleasant as ever. He shook his head, still grinning, and held a gloved finger up to his lips. He then tilted his head in the direction of the pillar across from his own. Yuu looked over and felt another soar of happiness and relief in their heart at the sight of Grim perched on Kalim’s shoulders. Both boys grinned at them and waved.

They were alright! They were alive!

The sudden whiplash from hopeless frustration to immediate relief and elation left Yuu feeling breathless and jelly-limbed, even more than they already were. Somehow, somehow , the boys had pulled through. They all looked a little worse for wear (they were all covered in dust and scrapes and were strangely wet?) but looked otherwise unharmed.

Yuu peaked over at Jamil. The alpha was still indulging in his one-man party and didn’t appear to have noticed the new arrivals. Yuu was suddenly very aware of how obvious they were being standing there gawking at the balcony like an idiot and quickly returned to a seated position, only risking discrete glances over at their allies.

Jade gave them an approving nod and then began to mouth something. It was difficult to make out what he was saying but Yuu eventually managed to decipher the message.

Distract Jamil .

Yuu swallowed thickly. Alright. They could do that.

It only took a moment for them to know what they needed to do.

With a deep breath to steady their nerves, Yuu stood and made their way to the side of the hourglass facing Jamil. Their feet sunk deep into the sand with every step (likely permanently ruining Floyd’s expensive shoes). If the boys hadn’t arrived when they did, it wouldn’t have been long before they were buried completely. The thought was spine chilling.

Yuu rapt on the glass hard, the sound bouncing off the walls around them. Yuu worried for a moment that Jamil may be too distracted to hear it, but a second later those dark gray eyes glowing like embers shifted to them. A smirk played at his blackened lips, painted by blot, as he regarded them. He tilted his head to the side teasingly curious.

“Oh? Have you come to your senses then, Prefect?” He asked.

Yuu didn’t bother to hide the discontent from showing on their face. Jamil, unlike the others that overblotted who were completely lost to madness, seemed very aware of himself even under the influence—perhaps some consequence of how his unique magic worked? But more importantly, he wasn’t going to fall for cheap tricks like Yuu pretending to be swayed by him.

Though… Considering their potion had run its course, it was only a matter of time once they were out of the safety of the hourglass before Jamil’s out-of-control alpha pheromones incapacitated Yuu.

This, however, did give Yuu an idea.

“I want to make a deal with you,” Yuu announced.

Jamil raised a brow. He still smirked at them haughtily but his eyes hardened with suspicion. “Maybe you’ve mistaken me for Ashengrotto, but I don’t make deals . I give an order and everyone else follows.”

Yuu licked their lips nervously, “I know that but… Just please hear me out. I know I can’t trick you. I can’t hurt you. You have every advantage here. What harm is there in just listening to my request?”

He hummed and Yuu felt a flutter of hope in their heart at what appeared to be contemplation on his face. He let out a very dramatic sigh, “I suppose I could . You aren’t wrong, little omega. I do hold all the cards. Fine. What is your request ? And make it quick.”

Yuu swallowed. They needed to choose their next words wisely. Jamil probably saw right through their thinly veiled praises but he ate them up anyway, so starved for any kind of affirmation and approval. Now that Yuu had identified this (it was obvious after over an hour of watching Jamil from the confines of their prison), they needed to use it to their advantage.

They also wondered what Jade and the others were doing at that very moment but did not risk looking away from Jamil. They just had to trust in whatever unknown plan Jade had conceived. They had their orders: keep Jamil distracted. And Yuu would be damned if they weren’t going to use everything in their power to do so.

“... I’ll give you the pendant,” Yuu said, then hurried to add on before Jamil could say anything. “But–! In exchange… You need to let me take my suppressant first.”

Jamil’s smirk immediately fell from his face and he glared at them. “I don’t need to do anything, little gem,” he spat, black spittle spraying from between his teeth.

“No–of course not,” Yuu hurried to correct their blunder. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it that way.” The whine that entered their tone was not pretend. They truly felt the terror and desperation that fueled the sound. “It’s only that–You’re already aware that I’ve been through three overblots.”

“So?”

“So…” Yuu continued. “Most people are unaware of this but Riddle and Leona both sent me into a–a pseudo heat…” They were reluctant to admit the secret but it was a necessary evil.

At this, Jamil sat up straighter in his makeshift throne. He finally looked intrigued instead of annoyed. He looked distracted .

Yuu saw movement out of the corner of their eyes but kept their gaze pinned forward.

“I fail to see what this has to do with your bargain.” Despite his words, his tone made it clear that he was at least curious why they were bringing it up.

“The reason I entered a pseudo-heat was because of their overblot pheromones. It didn’t happen with Azul because, as most people know by now, he’s actually a beta.” A fact which had spread across campus fairly quick, with varying degrees of reactions. Most people didn’t seem to think much of it beyond surprise but there had been some students who’d reacted with disgust. Yuu made it a point to avoid those people.

“And the reason I’m bringing this up,” Yuu continued, “is that I know for a fact the moment these walls come down, it’s only a matter of time before my instincts succumb to your powerful alpha scent.” Yuu hoped they weren’t laying it on too thick. “That’s why I was so sluggish earlier before you put me in here. You said you wanted to use me, right? Well I won’t be of much use if I am stuck in subspace.”

Jamil pursed his lips. “Little gem, you are asking a lot of me. Especially when I could just order you to drink the potion once you’ve given me control.”

“I can’t risk that,” Yuu said, real desperation creeping in their tone at the mere thought. “You already said you want to use me. What guarantee do I have that you won’t want to take advantage of me when I’m in that state?” They then added, in a quieter voice, “My world isn’t like Twisted Wonderland. Where I come from… There are many alphas who would jump at the opportunity to take advantage of an omega in such a state…”

Thick silence permeated the room. It even seemed like, for a second, the shadows grew longer and the ominous crimson atmosphere became darker. Jamil did not respond for many moments.

Finally, after the silence had stretched way past the point of discomfort, Jamil finally spoke up. His voice was deeper and somehow even more terrifying than before. There was still madness behind each of his syllables, but it felt focused and constrained now, like a high pressure tank, a mere jostle away from violent rupture.

“... I am not an alpha like that.” Was all he said.

Yuu licked their lips again.

“Then prove it.”

For a moment Yuu was terrified that they had pushed too far with that comment. Jamil stared at them intently for another few tense seconds before snapping his fingers. Azul, beside him, raised his cane-staff and suddenly the hourglass around Yuu melted into nothing.

Yuu was immediately bombarded with the scent of overblot and alpha and pain and terror. They gasped and gagged and stumbled, already pulling their shirt up against their nose, little good that it did. Every instinct in their body was screaming at them to curl up and bare their throat. Yuu hadn’t felt this way since the Spelldrive tournament. They had not miss the sensation.

“If you’re acting, I must commend you,” Jamil hummed. He sounded pleased. And what alpha wouldn’t, to know that their scent was powerful enough to reduce someone to this so fast? “You certainly seem affected. Very well, little omega. I agree to your deal. Come here and I’ll give you your precious potion.”

Yuu took a shakily step forward but stopped when Jamil made that “ah ah ah” noise equivalent of finger waving.

“Don’t think I haven’t forgotten about your little ability ,” Jamil clicked his tongue. “Let’s take care of that first. Azul–” He leaned over and whispered into Azul’s ear, still smirking at Yuu.

A moment later, Azul was waving his staff again. Magic sprung around Yuu, and they felt the familiar sensation of their clothes being transfigured. When it settled, they were no longer wearing the Octavinelle uniform Jade had lent them.

Instead, Yuu now wore long red satin gloves that went up to their mid biceps. Their shirt and vest had transformed into something Yuu thought looked similar to a traditional choli blouse from their own world, with the exception of exposing their midriff. Their bottoms had transformed into matching red chiffon harem pants with a pleated skirt overtop. Floyd’s oxfords had become red juttis with white and gold beading. Had this been any other time and place, Yuu would’ve loved to stop and admire the intricate patterning of the fabrics and the shimmering embellishments of the attire.

“There. Now you look like a proper Scalding Sands omega.”

Yuu grimaced at the gloves. Aside from the midriff, the outfit was conservative and covering. The only exposed skin the ensemble offered were their belly, the barest hint of their ankles, a little bit of their shoulders, and their neck and above. Should Yuu try to touch Jamil now, they would need to remove the opera-length gloves, a move that would be seen a mile away.

Jamil hummed appreciatively, “Even under thrall, Azul is an exceptional mage. All that is missing is the jewelry–it’s too bad magic cannot conjure precious metals. But I must say, Prefect . You clean up well. It’s hard to believe any of us mistook you for a mere beta.” He sniffed the air around him, his eyes widened. “Ah–So you were telling the truth. I can smell you now.”

Yes. So if we could hurry this up, Yuu thought with a grimace. Jamil may want to take his sweet time, lording this over them, but Yuu wasn’t sure how much more blot and alpha stench they could take. Already their vision was growing dizzier with every second that passed.

“Alright, little gem. You can come to me now,” Jamil cooed at Yuu, a hint of mockery in his tone. They glowered at him through their pain but obeyed.

It was when Yuu got within touching distance of Jamil, the scent of blot and burnt chai overwhelming now, that they saw the movement in their periphery again.

But this time it had come from above them .

“Now, Grim!”

Jamil looked up in shock, his teeth gnashed together and his eyes wide. “What?!”

“Stay away from Yuu!” Grim hollered as he suddenly appeared out of what seemed like thin air, falling down towards them from the ceiling. Yuu took a hasty step back as a pillar of blue flames erupted in the space between them and Jamil, blocking him from their view.

Hands appeared in Yuu’s vision, reaching around the sides of their head from behind. Jade’s amused voice huffed in their ear, “Yuu. Keep your eyes closed until I give the signal.” He then lifted the shell necklace from their shoulders. Yuu shivered but did as he said. The last thing they saw before they shut their eyes was a gust of wind catching Grim’s falling body and lifting him to safety up on one of the hanging crystal light fixtures.

“Kalim?!” Jamil bellowed with shock, his reverberating voice shaking the very foundations of the building once more.

Without vision, Yuu had nothing but Jade’s hands to guide them as he pulled them hastily away. They heard sounds of spells being cast and the occasional boom of something being destroyed. Still they kept their eyes shut.

And then they heard Kalim’s voice, loud and clear.

“Oasis Maker!”

To Yuu’s shock, they began to feel raindrops falling onto them inside the lounge before it quickly grew into a torrent of water that drenched everything. Yuu longed to open their eyes and see what in the world was happening but kept them dutifully shut. They wouldn’t be able to help much in this situation but Jade needed the pendant to be able to fight Jamil.

“Now, Yuu,” Jade said urgently into their ears. “Use the reflections!”

Yuu’s eyes snapped open.

The lounge was destroyed and flooded with water up to their thighs, rain still coming down from seemingly nowhere all around them. Water was running off the balcony in continuous miniature waterfalls, like some sort of modern art installation. Jamil was in the center of the room battling it out with Kalim and Grim, the former who darted around his feet and the latter who jumped from swinging light fixture to light fixture, out of reach of the pools of water. What was more surprising was that both of them were looking down at the floor as opposed to their target as they ran amuck, barely dodging Jamil’s bolts of crimson lightning that vaporized anything they touched.

Even as Yuu’s heart leaped into their throat, they were in awe at the sight before them.

Like Perseus and Medusa! They thought with amazement. His powers don’t work through reflections!

The combination of the water over the reflective marbled and jewel inlaid floors created an incredibly reflective surface as the moonlight struck it.

How Jade and the others had figured that out would have to be a story for another time, because Jamil turned violently over to Azul who stood still and obedient by the wall. “You’re my djinn! Stop them! ”

Jade clicked his tongue and for the first time Yuu thought they might’ve seen true anger flash in those mismatched eyes of his. “I don’t think so,” he muttered beneath his breath.

And then, right before Yuu’s eyes, Jade’s body transformed and elongated.

The water was shallow but Jade made it look like he was swimming in a pool with how fast and efficiently he dove forward and began to shoot straight for Azul, who was already reading a spell to sling. And then, in a sight that seemed right out of a horror movie, Jade burst from the water at Azul’s feet and wrapped his entire body around the beta, constricting his limbs.

Yuu could just barely make out what Jade said as he slipped the nautilus necklace off his own neck and onto Azul’s.

“Come back to me, Azul .”

Time slowed to molasses. Azul stilled, still stared straight forward with dull and lifeless eyes. It was hard to tell when something changed, but slowly then rapidly light returned to those ocean gray irises.

Azul suddenly gasped and was unsteady on his feet but managed to catch himself with Jade’s assistance, the latter loosening his constricting hold and steadying Azul with his hands. Yuu felt the urge to shout and cheer, elation rising inside of them now that victory seemed to be in sight.

And then Jamil howled with fury.

Azul and Jade both looked comedically surprised for half a moment when a bolt of red lightning shot straight for them. They both leaped in opposite directions, just in time for the spell to strike the wall right where they had been, leaving behind a crumbling hole.

“Fine!” Jamil spat at the same time the blot incarnation slammed its tail into the ground furiously. “You want to go defy me? Choose Kalim over me? I’ll grant you your wish and get rid of all of you! I don’t need anyone!”

Kalim suddenly stopped running and turned towards Jamil, glaring up at him with such earnest anger, so different from the faux anger from when he was brainwashed, that for a moment he looked like a hero straight out of a storybook. “You leave everyone else out of this, Jamil! I’m going to snap you out of this, save you, and then make you apologize for treating everyone so badly!”

Jamil reared back incredulously, his upper lip curled in disgust as he regarded Kalim. For a moment Yuu wanted to shout at Kalim for risking looking Jamil right in the eye, but to their surprise Jamil did not try to take over his mind. The two of them just glared at one another.

“You dare? ” Jamil snarled. “I’m only taking what is rightfully mine after everything you’ve stolen from me! I will never apologize to you , Kalim!”

“And I won’t accept you blaming me for everything!” Kalim shouted back, his eyes wet from more than just his spell. “I won’t sit back and let you suffer in silence anymore, Jamil! I’m going to save you and we are going to talk about our feelings!”

At this declaration, Jamil somehow looked even more incredulous than before, his eyebrows rising to the edge of his hairline. “Hah?! What nonsense are you blabbering on about now? The only thing I need saving from is you, Kalim! Now if you truly want to help me, DIE!”

He raised his blackened right hand, his fingers crackling with crimson electricity, when suddenly a bright green vine whipped around his wrist, catching and pulling his arm back. There was suddenly a surge of flora magic, flowering vines wrapping around Jamil’s arms, legs, neck, torso, tethered to the floor from where they sprouted. When Yuu looked, Azul behind Jamil with his staff-cane glowing with green magic. He was breathing heavily but wore a triumphant grin on his face.

Jamil roared with rage. The tail of the blot incarnate suddenly rose and started to come down on Azul but was intercepted when Jade jumped into place and caught it with shocking strength, preventing it from hitting Azul.

“Obey me!” Jamil screamed at Azul, his voice sending a shockwave that blew Azul’s hair back and made waves and ripples in the water around him. The nautilus shell at his throat glowed bright orange for a moment before another hairline crack splintered through it and a small piece of it chipped off.

Yuu’s heart leaped into their throat. How many more attacks could that thing take?

“Destroy them!” Jamil yelled instead when it became apparent he wasn’t going to gain control of Azul any time soon.

The still bodies of the brainwashed students suddenly came to life as they surged forward towards them. At the head of the pack, with his long legs and athletic build, was Floyd who looked like a vision out of a horror movie. He moved so incredibly fast and he was headed straight for all of them.

Azul clicked his tongue in frustration. The mage stone on his cane flashed again, splotches of darkness gathering in its facets, as more vines burst from the ground, this time wrapping around Floyd. Floyd pulled and ripped at the foliage without a single word or sound, still straining forward with single minded terrifying determination.

Yuu’s eyes darted around in a panic, feeling helpless. They needed to do something .

Oh. Oh right . Yuu wanted to smack their forehead.

They hastily started pulling off the red satin gloves, now a dark bloody red from being drenched, and tossed them to the side where they sunk into the water. Jamil. They needed to get to Jamil and force him into an ephemeral bond and–

Yuu’s eyes widened.

It had been so long since the Spelldrive tournament but suddenly Yuu was very aware of what else they had to do.

Kalim had to be there as well. It was the only way this was going to resolve. Yuu had been surprised by Kalim’s powerful conviction when he declared his intentions to Jamil. If he wanted to talk things out with Jamil like they should’ve done years ago, then by god Yuu was going to make it happen .

Jamil roared again, more crimson lightning rolling off of him until the very atmosphere around them was charged to the point Yuu’s hairs were beginning to stand on end. He pulled and bucked against his restraints like some wild beast and all at once they gave and snapped, sending a shower of plant matter down around him.. Azul grimaced as he tried to lasso Jamil once more but the berserker mage burned the vines away with a vicious swipe of his hand, lightning dancing off his finger tips, charring the stems and leaves.

Yuu was suddenly very very aware of the water they were all standing in. Jamil floated over it all and Yuu wasn’t 100% sure what exactly those crimson licks of lightning were, if it was magic or actual electricity , but they could all potentially be one wrong move away from being electrocuted to death.

Azul seemed to have realized this too because the next bout of vines sprouted from the ceiling this time. His face was screwed up in intense concentration and Yuu was starting to grow very worried about the amount of blot accumulation he was building up in his gem. Jade was doing his best to physically fend off attackers and give Azul the space he needed to perform magic. At one point, Floyd managed to break free from his restraints and he and Jade were grappling at one another.

“This is unbecoming of you, brother,” Jade hissed, his serrated teeth on full display as he glared at his twin. He received no response from the dead-eyed Floyd.

Terror, and their quickly-devolving sense of clarity as their instincts took over, froze Yuu’s legs. But they needed to move . Touching Jamil was the only way to end this for good.

But how? How did they get to him ?

Just then a stray bolt of magic shot towards the ceiling, and tore a hole right through it. The large hanging crystal lanterns swayed dangerously, the base of one of them experiencing structural failure, as cracks rapidly emerged from its fixed point, and then it came loose and plummeted towards the ground, sending up a huge splash of water as it collided and shattered. Another fixture, several meters away, started blooming with identical fissures.

The only difference was that Grim was perched atop this one.

“Hieee!” The little monster darted towards the edge, ready to jump ship to a more stable lantern when the bolts and stone holding it in place finally gave out. Grim leaped, but he trajectory was thrown completely off. He was going to miss and fall!

But then, like earlier, a huge gust of wind blew up towards him, reorienting the monster. It pushed him far enough so that he could latch onto the next lantern with his claws and scramble up to safety, his big blue eyes wide with shock at how close that had been.

Down on the ground, Kalim pointed his staff up at Grim, a relieved smile on his face.

Yuu suddenly had a very reckless idea.

“Kalim!” Yuu shouted. Off in the distance, a shattered piece of the fallen crystal lantern had propped itself up against the wall and, as the moonlight struck it, created an almost perfect mirror. Yuu looked right at Kalim’s reflection in it, not daring to look over in his actual direction lest they accidentally meet Jamil’s deadly gaze.

Kalim must’ve seen because suddenly his reflection was staring right back at them, his ruby eyes wide with surprise. They looked at one another through the intermediary mirror.

“Use your wind magic on me and get me closer!” Yuu yelled at him.

Kalim appeared shocked at the order, hesitation clear in his expression, but Yuu pressed on desperately.

“Trust me!”

Resolve came across his usually carefree face, and Kalim nodded to them determinedly and raised his staff.

“Oh no you don’t!”

Jamil heard the exchange, which was only natural as Yuu had not been quiet about it–an unfortunate but necessary evil. He lunged for Kalim who flinched back, hands crackling with malevolent magic.

“Oh no you don’t!” Azul growled uncharacteristically. Despite looking haggard, like he’d just run a twenty mile marathon, he still raised his cane and slammed it back onto the ground. More vines erupted from the ground and ceiling and the walls all around them and shot towards Jamil, more numerous than before. The toll this magic was taking on Azul was obvious, but he turned and nodded at Yuu.

He was trusting them to finish this.

Yuu wasn’t going to disappoint him.

Kalim raised his staff again, the cobra on its end glowing with swirling white magic.

Yuu was not prepared for the sensation of being pushed through what was essentially a super-powered wind tunnel. The moment it hit their back, Yuu didn’t even have the time to gasp as they were suddenly shunted forward, barely managing to keep from tumbling head over ass over heel. Water sprayed all around them, leaving them disorientated.

“NO!”

Just as Yuu was about to reach Kalim and Jamil, the berserking alpha managed to break free again . Yuu reached their arms forwards, fingers reaching and grasping for Kalim. They just needed to grab hold of him and touch Jamil–!

Time decelerated into slow motion. It felt like they could see every droplet and spray of water but knew, at the same time, that they would not remember any of it.

Yuu’s fingers brushed against the front of Kalim’s shirt.

A large black tail slammed into Yuu’s stomach.

Yuu gasped, immediately winded, as they were sent hurling away from Kalim. They watched his horrified expression shrink as they were sent flying away from him. Time still moved like molasses, the last of Yuu’s energy reserves going into analyzing everything in this moment.

In the very last moment, Yuu’s hand instinctively grabbed onto one of the undulating vipers connected to Jamil’s head (some delirious part of Yuu realizing with incredulous hilarity that Jamil really was Medusa! ) and somehow managed to hold on with a death grip even as they flew through the air.

Jamil was pulled right along with them.

Yuu collided with something, something soft, but they were too focused on what was immediately before them to notice. The moment their momentum had slowed enough to allow them to do so, Yuu reached their other hand forward and lunged for Jamil’s face.

Their eyes met Jamil's eyes, mad and terrified , for a split second, but it was already too late for him.

Yuu’s fingertips brushed against Jamil’s blot-stained cheek.

The ephemeral bond bloomed between them.

Notes:

!!! BEFORE I GET INTO MY AUTHOR'S NOTE!!! There is--a comic for this fic!! I drew it myself! It's just one scene (the spelldrive scene from chapter 5--i miss leona) but I may post more if I make more! You can find it in series this fic belongs to titled "comics from 'the scent of your heart'". Please check it out! ❤️

Anyways...

AHHH. I can't believe we've finally made it here! This chapter demanded that I finally have inspiration and an epiphany for how the fight would go before being written. But once that happened, and once I did start writing it, it all came together very quickly. Comparing Jamil to Medusa had NOT been in my initial outlines. The inspiration for that and Jade's trick with the reflections quite literally hit me yesterday during my morning walk. And I'm quite pleased with how it turned out I think (I may change my mind in the coming weeks lol).

Also, I would like to note that Disney's Aladdin is very ahh... Let's say, culturally and ethnically dubious. It takes a lot of inspiration from Muslim and Indian and other middle-eastern and southern Asian countries but it is decidedly NOT accurately representative of any of these cultures. This is reflected in the portrayal of the Scalding Sands in this fic as I don't feel like it is my place to pick a particular culture to base it off of, especially since the in-game character models and background design choices already contradict such a decision. The words Yuu is using to describe clothes and other things from the Scalding Sands (like comparing the dorm architecture to the Taj Mahal) is based on their own understanding of these things from their own world, but I'd like to remind everyone that this is not an accurate reflection of these things. It's kind of like how Kalim's name SOUNDS like it could be Arabic but it really is not.

So when Yuu says things like Indian or Arabic or Muslim or references any other real-life culture and country and people, it is mostly for the audience's sake for a frame of reference. It may LOOK like Indian food, but it is Scalding Sand's food. The shoes may LOOK like juttis, but they are not. It's just a product of how Disney has designed Aladdin. Similar to how Yuu commented on creole Louisiana food earlier in this fic, but obviously Louisiana doesn't exist in Twisted Wonderland LOL

And on that note, I hope you all have a wonderful day. And thank you for reading~

Chapter 36

Notes:

As usual, unbeta'd and largely unedited. Will edit in the coming week. Thank you and please enjoy~

When Yuu landed, it was pitch black.

At first they were struck with an intense fear that they had been rendered blind. They could see nothing, not even their own hands in front of them. The darkness was like a blanket, heavy and insistent over their eyes. If not for the solid stone beneath their feet and the echoing of their breathing–bouncing off the walls of what must’ve been an enormous cavern–they could’ve believed that they were floating in an endlessly dark abyss.

Yuu took a deep breath, willing the claustrophobic panic to subside, holding their feet apart and squaring up their shoulders for stability. They took a step forward and feared for half-a-second that nothing would be there to catch them.

But their foot contacted solid ground, and at that exact same moment light burst into existence, illuminating the previously empty world.

“ Oh… ” Yuu breathed out as they took in the new sight.

Torches along the narrow stone walkway had been spontaneously lit, their flames dancing across the walls of this vast cavern that stretched so far above Yuu that they vanished into shadows. To either side of the walkway Yuu stood on were steep and sudden drops. Had Yuu not stepped directly forward, they would have plummeted straight off the edge. Their stomach dropped at the sight.

Ahead of them, the walkway met the wall of the cavern. There laid the exit–an empty doorway carved into the stone.

“Alright…” Yuu whispered to themself. “I guess that’s where I need to go next…”

They carefully made their way across the walkway, mindful to avoid looking down lest they become overcome with vertigo. Whether falling would actually harm them in some way or not, Yuu did not care to find out. They only knew that they needed to forge and press forward until they bypassed whatever defenses Jamil’s heart had put up. The moment they gave up or were overcome by fear or hesitation was the moment the bond would shunt them out.

Thankfully, Yuu made it across without incident and stepped into the next room, half expecting another cavern filled with pits and drops.

They were surprised to find, instead, a room filled from floor to ceiling with gold .

Yuu paused at the sight, trying to puzzle out what exactly this defense was supposed to be. Riddle had put up a maze of thorns. Leona’s had been an arid desert, passively warding off intruders with its inhospitableness.

Jamil’s, however, was a room filled with treasure that made Kalim’s horde look like a child’s piggy bank.

Yuu was almost hesitant to take the next step forward, sensing immediately that something was off. Gold and treasure were the opposite of a deterrent. So why would it be here? The presence of the gold made them feel uneased, but Yuu forced themself to push past the worry and continued into the room, just as tall and cavernous as the previous.

There was a clear path in the center–another difference from Riddle and Leona, where Yuu had to wander until they found their way in. Yuu followed it and walked past dozens upon dozens of gold mounds, some as tall as small buildings. But it wasn’t just gold, they soon realized. Scattered amidst the glittering nuggets and coins and precious gemstones were other things as well–extravagant pieces of furniture and decor, rare plants and potion ingredients Yuu recognized from Crewel’s lectures, magestones so large they could put the dining hall chandelier to shame… Anything and everything that someone could possibly consider valuable or priceless found a place in the hordes of treasure collected in this cave.

Yuu gulped and trudged on, mindful to avoid touching any of it. This did not feel right.

If Riddle’s defenses hurt them and Leona’s sought to exhaust them… Jamil’s inner world set Yuu’s teeth on edge.

And that’s when Yuu smelled it.

It smelled like… Strawberries and roses .

“Riddle?” Yuu looked in the direction the scent wafted from, taking an unconscious step towards it. The scent came from between two piles of gold, just off the main path.

Was Riddle here? Ruggie had once accompanied Yuu into an ephemeral bond. Had Riddle somehow come here too? The scent was familiar and comforting. With how unease Yuu felt, it was like a balm to calm their nerves. 

But… No. That couldn’t be right. Riddle hadn’t been there during the fight. Last Yuu talked to the alpha, he had been back in the Queendom of Roses. He couldn’t be here, no matter how much Yuu missed the gentle timber of his voice or the comfort of his embrace.

Unnerved, Yuu forced themself to ignore the enticing scent and press on.

Less than a few minutes later another scent made its presence known. The image of shifting sand, lazily swirling over a hot desert landscape came with it. Yuu’s heart skipped a beat and their step faltered as their senses were bombarded with what was undeniably Leona’s scent.

Once more the source of it was unseen in the distance, past the mountains of treasure, and away from the only path in the cave. Yuu’s heart was a bird in their chest, fluttering at a million beats per second and beating at their ribcage. Yuu stood frozen for a moment, suddenly unsure if they could trust their own judgment. What if they were wrong? What if somehow, impossibly, Leona and Riddle were here?

The answer was right there , as well, just around a few corners. It wouldn’t take more than a few seconds to take a peek to see what the source was. The temptation to do so, to steal those few inconsequential ticks of a clock, was nearly overwhelming.

Yuu pushed on.

Again and again, every dozen or so yards down the path a new scent would make itself known. Trey’s fresh baked bread and marigold. Deuce’s motor oil and creme brulee. Ace’s apples and sweet cream. Grim’s milky kitten smell. And each and every time Yuu felt their conviction waver. Each and every time, the temptation to take a look–just a quick glance–grew more and more unbearable despite their logic arguing otherwise.

That voice was quickly growing quiet though. Yuu’s head felt fuzzy, like it had been stuffed with cotton, the reflectiveness and glitter of the gold a visual distraction that kept them feeling strangely off-kilter. Why was Yuu so adamant about staying on the path anyway? What could hurt if they just took a tiny inconsequential peak? It probably wouldn’t even take more than a couple seconds.

It all came to a head when Yuu scented what they knew to be impossible.

“Dad?” Yuu’s voice quavered.

It was a scent that only existed in their memories–freshly peeled oranges coupled with hyacinths like their own. It had been such a long time since they’d scented it that the smell of their dad, the omega who had birthed them, raised them, loved them, and protected them, brought immediate tears to their eyes. Without even thinking, Yuu was already two steps off of the path, eyes desperately trying to catch sight of the source of the scent.

It was only as their foot kicked something that went skidding into the distance that Yuu was made suddenly aware of what they were doing. Yuu stared down at the object, mind trying to work out why the sight of it made them pause.

It was a shell. A nautilus shell, to be precise.

Yuu’s hands immediately went to their throat by instinct, only realizing a second later that it was bare because they were no longer wearing the pendant Azul had given them.

That’s right. Jade had taken it. He had given it to Azul. There had been a fight in the middle of Scarabia.

Jamil had overblot.

Yuu sucked in a sharp and horrified breath, wondering when exactly they had forgotten that crucial detail. Yuu gripped their arms as they hugged themself, suddenly feeling extremely exposed and unsafe. 

It was only then that they heard it–the steady popping—and saw the orange glow of something in the distance, just beyond the next few mounds of treasure, hidden from sight of the main path.

A river of magma.

Yuu would’ve walked right into it had they not snapped out of whatever thrall they were under.

Yuu spun around and practically sprinted back towards the path, careful to avoid touching any of the treasure, somehow sure that if they did it would spell disaster, the gleam of the coin faces suddenly sinister in the scant torch light. They marched down the path with a new steely determination, ignoring anything that may try and lure them away from their mission.

But they were not assaulted by another familiar scent for the remainder of their journey.

In what both felt like a lifetime and no time at all, Yuu had reached the end of the treasure chamber. They glanced back and saw, with some alarm but no surprise, that they could still see the entrance they had entered from despite feeling like they had walked forever.

Right. Dream-logic. As unnerving as ever. Yuu turned back towards their destination.

In front of them was another wall and another empty doorway–black nothingness beyond its threshold.

Yuu took a deep steadying breath and stepped through.

Their foot sunk into shifting sand.

Yuu let out a bark of incredulous laughter as their entire leg was swallowed up by the ground. “So we’re doing this again,” they muttered to themself, shuddering at the memory of the hourglass.

Unlike the previous two chambers this chamber was miniscule by comparison, though still wide enough to fit several car lengths. It was square in shape and the floor was made up of entirely swirling sand that shifted and moved towards a pit at the very center of the room.

It was a whirlpool.

Yuu looked around desperately, still clinging to the doorway as the floor pulled insistently at their trapped leg, for any kind of solution. There was none to be found. And just as they were about to give up hope, Yuu felt it–almost like a tug at their navel, an instinct, and the scent of something sweet kissed their nose. Whatever it was, it was calling to them from the very center pit where everything gravitated towards.

This time, Yuu just knew that this was not the same as the trick scents from before, trying to lead them astray. This was the same instinct that had told them to leap into the oasis pool and into the darkness of the thorn maze. They knew that Jamil would be waiting for them down there.

As always, it was a leap of faith.

Yuu let go of the doorway and allowed the tides of the sand to take them at its mercy.

They went around the room. Once. Twice. Going faster now. Thrice. On and on until their head grew dizzy with the motion.

And then, as they reached the nadir of the room, Yuu took a deep and desperate breath right before they were sucked down beneath the sand.

~*~

Yuu collapsed onto soft pillows.

Before they could even push themself up, all around them erupted the sudden sound of applause and people cheering. As Yuu brought themself into a sitting position, they saw that they were in a richly gilded ballroom, decorative motifs Yuu could recognize as those of the Scalding Sands were displayed across all the walls and floors and ceiling. Yuu was sitting at the edge of the beautiful room amidst a modest gathering of people.

At the center of the ballroom, there were people dancing.

The sight of it all was breathtaking. Yuu had never been to a place where the fashion was so… Colorful . Not even the memories of the streets of the Sunset Savanna held a candle to the extravagance of the fashion and decor before Yuu now. The silks and chiffons and velvety fabrics that the faceless people of this memory wore were all dyed in bright arrays of colors and lined with shimmering accents of gold and precious jewels. Anyone and everyone within Yuu’s line of sight, from children to the elderly, from beta to alpha, all wore dangling jewelry that shone and glittered in the sunlight streaming through slim but towering windows. It was abundantly obvious that this was a gathering of the very wealthy.

Another round of applause went up from the faceless crowd seated amongst the pillows and mats. At the center of the hall, two dancers, young teens, performed a rather impressive lift and spin, the reason for the sudden applause. Yuu sat mesmerized by the swirl of beautiful fabrics and the precision and grace of the dancers’ movements despite their young age.

Yuu was so enraptured by the performance that, when a hand suddenly wrapped around their wrist, Yuu shrieked and fell back.

Jamil Viper stood above them, staring down at Yuu with a deadpan expression.

“Prefect,” he greeted, as if this were the most normal circumstance in the whole world. “How nice of you to join me in my own mind.”

Yuu stared up at him owlishly. “Jamil. You–You’re here.”

Jamil gave them a particular look, as if asking if they were just pretending to be that stupid. “Well. Yeah. This is my mind. Where else would I be?”

He wasn’t wrong, but Yuu was so caught off guard by his sudden presence and apparent awareness of what was happening that it confused them. Neither Riddle nor Leona had shown up this early on in the ephemeral bond. And Leona had certainly not been immediately aware of what was happening.

Yuu muttered something along those lines to the alpha who hummed in response.

“The mind is kind of my domain, if you hadn’t noticed,” Jamil replied with a shrug. “I’ve been aware of your presence since the moment you stepped foot in here. So… I guess this is supposed to be the ephemeral bond, huh?” He glanced around at the memory and the crowd and the dancers and sighed. “I see that it isn’t pulling any punches. Do we really have to watch this memory?”

It was Yuu’s turn to shrug, helplessly. “I don’t really have a say in it either…”

Jamil only sighed again. He took a seat on the mat next to Yuu and carded a hand through his hair, looking over at the dancers instead of meeting the omega’s eyes. “So I overblotted then… I suppose I should thank you for snapping me out of it.”

Yuu raised a brow. Suppose?

Jamil must’ve noticed the expression out of the corner of his eye because he grimaced and apologized. “Right. Sorry. Thank you , Prefect Yuu, for stopping me from killing myself and everyone else in Scarabia.” There was a note of frustration to his voice, but Yuu got the sense that it was directed at himself more than it was directed at them. “It’s honestly kind of hard to process that I actually lost control of myself like that. A part of me still doesn’t believe it but… My memories don’t lie as fuzzy as they are.”

Yuu just stared at him in lieu of an actual response, not entirely sure what to say.

There was another round of applause, louder than before, as the two dancers on the floor gave a big bow and stepped off. An announcer with a microphone stepped up to take their place, his hair a dark midnight black and his eyes a bright ruby red. He wore a familiar looking smile as he made his next announcement.

“Next up, we have my beloved son and heir, Kalim!”

Yuu sat up straighter as the crowd burst into uproarious cheers. In the distance, a familiar face, much younger but still as bright and smiling as they knew him, appeared. A much smaller Kalim, who couldn’t have been more than twelve or thirteen years old, practically skipped towards the center of the ballroom, his entire body vibrating with excitement. Unlike the others, he was dressed in all white with a few bright accents of sky blue popping out from his ensemble. The lightness of it made his big red eyes stand out even more. Those too were lined with shimmering blue kohl and shadow.

“What’s happening?” Yuu asked. “Where are we?”

“This is the Asim banquet hall, and this is a dance competition,” Jamil replied. At Yuu’s questioning gaze, he continued to explain. “Dancing is popular in Silk City, especially amongst the youth. Master Asim enjoys hosting these types of events to foster friendships between the children of Silk City’s nobility. Most of the competitors are members of or related to the Asim family.”

Yuu listened to Jamil describe this as they watched Kalim take center stage, eagerly get into a starting pose, and await the music.

His body came alive at the very first beat.

The song was upbeat and exciting and Kalim danced his little heart out. Yuu wasn’t aware that Kalim liked to dance, much less was so good at it. He wasn’t totally graceful at thirteen years old, but he certainly had better coordination than most people. Plus, even at this age Kalim did not shy away or seem embarrassed about throwing himself fully into what he was doing. His movements, while not precise or perfect, were full of energy and vigor. It was captivating to watch him leap and bound and dance across the entire length of the ballroom floor. The bangles he wore around his arms and ankles accentuated the performance, flashing and clinking together in time with the music.

When the song finally ended, Kalim was grinning even wider than before despite his heavy breathing. A moment later the entire crowd burst into loud applause and cheers. Kalim allowed his final pose to fall and he gave an excited little wiggle before bounding over to the announcer (his father?) and throwing his arms around the man’s waist.

Lord Asim laughed and hugged his son back before patting him on the back to send him off. This interaction was met with much cooing from audience members.

To Yuu’s surprise, Kalim came straight over to where they were sitting.

“Jamil! Jamil!” He shouted, his voice youthful and much higher pitched but still unmistakably Kalim. “Did you see me? How was it? Did you like it?”

“Eh?” Yuu looked back and forth, confused because they had not seen the memory version of Jamil at all. Kalim bounded right past where Yuu and the real Jamil were sitting, and following him with their eyes Yuu could now see that there was another small figure sitting against the wall near the back of the entire room.

“I saw,” a much younger Jamil said. At this age he was absolutely adorable . He still had much of that baby fat to his cheeks that kids his age often did, but it was clear in his bone structure the beautiful and graceful adult he would one day grow to be. Even at thirteen years old, his hair was perfectly maintained and would be the envy of any hair commercial producer. His dark eyes were big on his face, making him look even younger, but they still shone with intelligence.

He, too, was wearing various bangles, gold and bronze adornments on his wrists and ankles. His outfit, though less extravagant than most others Yuu had seen in the hall, was clearly one made for dancing and performing in.

Kalim threw his arms around his friend much to Jamil’s exasperation. The bubbly alpha rubbed his face into Jamil’s side causing the latter to get angry and scold him. “Stop that! You’re going to ruin all the hard work I did for your makeup!”

“But, Jamil!” Kalim whined, “You haven’t told me what you think yet!”

Jamil pushed Kalim off of him gently, but with clear annoyance. He huffed and readjusted his outfit, skewed from Kalim’s hijinks, “It was good. Better than during practice.” Jamil then smirked, shooting Kalim a smug side-eye. “But your passé is still terrible. You could barely even get your foot up to your shin.”

Anyone else may have been wounded by such a blasé statement, especially children, but Kalim only laughed with genuine good-nature. “I’m just not as flexible as you, Jamil!”

Jamil smirked wider, though Yuu was surprised to see that there was a genuine note of fondness there as well. “I know —“

“ Jamil .”

A stern voice cut through the conversation like a hot knife. It came from a few feet away to their right. Yuu saw that it was a man, a beta by his muted scent, with dark skin and dark eyes and a slender build, his hair hidden behind a headwrap but his full beard revealed it to be a dark black—he stood there holding a slumbering toddler in his arms and shot a severe look in Jamil’s direction. When Yuu glanced back, young Jamil’s face had grown pale.

“Be more polite to Master Kalim,” the man said, tone just on the edge of crossing into scathing. “Excessive pride is a folly.”

“I’m sorry, Father,” Jamil answered immediately. The playful smugness from before vanished immediately from his body and expression. He turned to Kalim, though his eyes were pinned firmly to his hands clenched into fists on his lap. “Please accept my apologies, Master Kalim.”

Kalim held up his hands in a placating fashion, still grinning though it had dimmed some. “It’s totally fine! Don’t worry, Uncle Hasan! Jamil is right, my passé needs some work! There’s no need to say sorry!” He laughed, but it was obvious to anyone that it was forced.

But Jamil’s father (Hasan?) finally sighed. “You’re too kind to my foolish son, Master Kalim. I am sorry if I have made you uncomfortable.”

Kalim shook his head, “Not at all! I’m perfectly fine, see?” He smiled again and gestured to himself, making a silly little expression.

Hasan Viper chuckled fondly. “Very well. In that case, I shall take my leave. I believe Najima here,” he bounced the toddler in his arms who let out a cranky noise of complaint and buried her face into her father’s neck, “is in need of a nap. So if you will excuse me.” He bowed to Kalim, shot one last stern look at Jamil, and walked off.

When he stepped away, Kalim immediately turned to his friend, worry etched on his face. “Jamil? Are you okay–”

“Let’s watch the show,” Jamil cut him off with a neutral voice. “Look. Jass is up next.”

Despite the clear concern Kalim felt, he did as Jamil said and sat down to watch the next performance.

That, unfortunately, was not the end of the troubles.

When the next song began and two new dancers, a very beautiful young alpha dressed in a teal ensemble and a pretty omega girl, took to the floor and began to perform what looked like some kind of traditional Scalding Sands dance–appearing romantic in nature with how the alpha led the omega around in graceful lifts and twirls–that was when the whispering began.

Yuu stared incredulously at the gaggle of older betas sitting off to the side as they caught an earful of what was being said beneath their breath.

“Shameful, allowing the help to speak to his master in such a way,” one of them muttered.

To Yuu’s alarm, the young Jamil clearly heard what was being said by the way his entire body stiffened. Kalim, on the other hand, appeared oblivious to the comments, too engrossed with the performance of this “Jass” person and his partner.

“Lord Asim has lost his mind,” another one said snidely. “What I would do if I even caught a hint of a servant speaking that way to my daughter.”

Another one chuckled, “Kamran has always been too soft with the Vipers. Look how he always treated Hasan, and it seems the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. That entire family doesn’t know its place.”

“What is the boy wearing? ” Another chimed in. “Is Kamran really letting that thing compete with the rest of our children? Have they no shame?”

Yuu bristled with fury, almost moving to get up to yell at the beta before remembering that they were just a witness to a memory with no ability to affect the outcome. Yuu’s blood boiled at their inability to do anything. They were speaking that way about a child!

Kalim suddenly gasped and subconsciously grabbed onto Jamil’s arm and pulled the other teen closer to him, pointing excitedly towards the dancers. “Look at that! That’s so cool!”

He was pointing out what looked like a particularly difficult part of the routine. The alpha in teal, despite looking barely older than Kalim and Jamil, was expertly lifting his partner by the waist as if the smaller teen weighed nothing. The omega performed a series of fluid movements and poses, appearing to simply float across air with the support of her dance partner. And then, suddenly, she was being tossed high into the air, to many gasps and exclamations from the audience, before being caught by the alpha and led straight into a graceful dip. They stayed there in that final pose as the music trailed off and concluded.

When Yuu glanced back at the boys, they were surprised to find that the memory of Jamil’s eyes were just as wide and glittering as Kalim’s–the harsh words from before forgotten in the wake of a stunning performance.

Yuu examined the alpha in teal and his omega partner a little closer. “Who are they?”

Their question was met with silence, and when Yuu looked over at the real Jamil they were further surprised by the expression on his face. He, too, looked as if watching the performance had lifted a great weight momentarily off of his shoulders. Yuu had never seen the alpha look so genuinely open and weightless before.

“Jamil?”

“Huh?” He seemed to snap out of whatever trance he was in. “Sorry–It’s just been a while since I’ve seen Jass dance.”

“Jass?”

“The one in blue,” Jamil explained, pointing the alpha out. “Kalim’s favorite cousin. He’s the one who first introduced Kalim and I to dancing. And that’s Khadijah.”

Kalim’s betrothed.

Both alpha and omega were very pretty and looked to be around fifteen or sixteen years of age. Khadijah had a very traditional omegan beauty to her. She ducked her head and blushed as the crowd showered them with praise and cheers. Jass, on the other hand, was up there with the prettiest people Yuu had ever seen. His physic was lean and strong and he stood confident and gracefully, smiling very gently at the crowd. He wore his long hair in a puffy ponytail that trailed all the way down to his calves, decorated from top to bottom in dangling golden coins and bells, and it was, somehow, even more luxurious looking than Jamil’s.

“Let us give our performers another round of applause,” Lord Asim said into the microphone and was met with cheers. “Aren’t our beautiful and wonderful children so talented?” Cheers of agreement went up in the crowd. “Speaking of wonderful children, allow me to introduce our next performer…”

As Kamram Asim continued his introduction, young Jamil gracefully rose to his feet, a new light in his dark eyes after having watched Jass and Khadijah’s performance. There was an energy to his every move as he strolled to the center of the room. Lord Asim shot Jamil a fond expression and relinquished the floor to him.

Jamil took his first position.

“Yeah! Go Jamil!” Kalim cheered from the sidelines, his lone voice echoing through the room. A dust of red darkened Jamil’s cheeks but he shook his head and readied himself.

Music began playing.

It was more modern than the previous song, introducing elements of hip hop while still maintaining the essence of what Yuu was starting to recognize as traditional Scalding Sand sounds. But it was very much Jamil . And it was clear in the way he moved, limbs sharp and fluid at the same time, seemingly becoming one with the music.

“Wow, you’re really good,” Yuu whispered, momentarily forgetting that no one but Jamil could hear them. He only hummed in response. “Do you still dance?”

“... I do,” he admitted slowly, a hint of trepidation in his voice. Jamil was now staring at Yuu was a most peculiar expression, for long enough that Yuu had to tear their eyes away from the performance to look at him questioningly. Did he want something?

“Why… Why aren’t you upset with me?” He asked.

Yuu raised a brow at him, but entirely understanding the question. “I am.”

Jamil narrowed his eyes at them. “No. You aren’t. This isn’t how an upset person acts. You should be–You should–You should be cussing me out, not paying me compliments!” He huffed, “I don’t understand you at all. Anyone else–if it were me –in your shoes, we wouldn’t be sitting here having a pleasant conversation.”

“Do you want me to cuss you out?”

Jamil scowled in response. “Don’t be ridiculous. You know that’s beside the point. I used you. I made you think you were in love with Kalim. I used you as a pawn to get rid of him. If anyone did that to me I would ruin them. So the fact that you’re being so calm about all this is not just bizarre–it’s suspicious. ”

Yuu tapped their finger on their thigh to the music as they thought of an answer to this. Jamil wasn’t entirely wrong but…

“I’ve been through three of these before, you know,” Yuu said.

“What? Overblots?”

They nodded. “I’ve come to notice something about them that I don’t think anyone else has yet. Overblot… It isn’t just something that occurs in the heat of the moment. It’s more than just a build up of magic and blot and bad emotions. If that were the case, overblots would be much more common, no?”

Yuu had been contemplating this for a while. Aside from the strangeness of so many of these supposedly ultra-rare occurrences happening one after another in the matter of months, there also seemed to be more to the blots than a simple and sudden occurrence.

“The way the others behaved leading up to their overblots…” Yuu continued. “It’s almost as if the blot had been affecting them for days, if not weeks , leading up to it. Now, I’m not excusing the shit they’ve all pulled.” Especially not Azul. “Riddle was being a tyrant. Leona was going to maim a fellow classmate. Azul was knowingly manipulating others. These aren’t things good people do and there is no excuse for them but…” Yuu began to recall all the memories they had been making over the past half-a-year. “The people I got to know after the overblots aren’t people I believe are fully capable of committing those atrocious acts. Yes it was their decision to act the way they did, but I also cannot shake the notion that there were darker influences leading up to their overblots–be that blot or something else.”

It had to be blot, of course. It was the only thing that made sense. But regardless of what the reason was, Yuu felt it deep in their gut that their hunch was correct.

“So what?” Jamil asked with a dry tone and one brow raised. “You’re just going to forgive me for everything because you have a hunch that blot was affecting my decision to manipulate you? Forgive me when I say I don’t buy that at all.”

Yuu shook their head. “No. Not exactly. Don’t get me wrong, Jamil,” they settled him with a firm stare. “I am still upset with you. You are going to have to apologize and make up for what you did. But… You were under duress. You’ve clearly had an unconventional life.” Yuu glanced over distastefully at the gossiping group of betas who had, thankfully, finally shut up now that Jamil was dancing. “And… You asked Azul to come to Scarabia for a reason. You could’ve easily insisted that they couldn’t come… But you barely even put up a fight. You wanted Azul and the twins there.”

“I did,” Jamil reluctantly agreed. “But it was purely for selfish reasons. I needed him to out Abis for me.”

“You say that… But I don’t believe that’s entirely true,” Yuu said. They have also been wondering about this for a while, and Yuu was sure they’d figured it out now. “You wanted us to stop you.”

“Exactly,” Jamil hissed, a bit defensively. “To foil Abis’ plans. ” 

Yuu shook their head. “No. It’s more than that. You wanted us to save Kalim.”

Jamil jerked back at that, as if he’d been stung, looking offended by the statement.

“I never wanted you to save Kalim,” he snapped. “I hate Kalim. If Abis hadn’t butted his head into the situation, I would’ve gotten rid of Kalim myself.”

“By getting him disowned?” Yuu pressed. “By forcing him into a faux relationship? You told me yourself earlier tonight that you weren’t an alpha like that. And I believed you. Are you going back on that statement, made even in the middle of having all your inhibitions stripped away?”

“I–” Jamil looked furious, but he seemed for the first time at a loss of words.

Begrudgingly, he finally said, “No. I wouldn’t have done any of that.”

It was the most truthful thing he had said since Yuu had met him.

“I still would’ve gotten rid of him though,” Jamil added heatedly. “Not in such a gross way–I had no other choice with Abis threatening me. But I don’t want you making me out to be some kind of helpless saint. I’m proud to be able to call Kalim out for being the spineless spoiled brat he is. If I had my way, he would’ve been expelled and out of my hair for the rest of my time at Night Raven.”

“Maybe so,” Yuu said. “But you do care about Kalim. I’ve seen it in the way you act around him and talk to him.” Yuu groaned in frustration, remembering how close they had been to reaching Kalim “If only I had just been a little faster he could be here too. He should be here to–”

“Alright stop ,” Jamil’s voice nearly rose to a shout. His entire body was tense. “Listen. I get that this is what this is supposed to be–magic omega therapy, this ephemeral bond stuff. But you need to stop . You aren’t going to magically fix me and fix my nonexistent relationship with Kalim. I understand that I owe you a lot for saving my life but that doesn’t mean you have any right to step over these boundaries with me. I don’t owe you anything. I don’t owe you my life’s story.”

Yuu’s mouth clicked shut and they just stared at him with wide eyes, Jamil’s voice rising into a frustrated rant.

Jamil continued, “Whatever issues Kalim and I have? That’s not your problem to fix. I don’t even want to fix it. I don’t need you to fix me. You may be upset that Kalim isn’t here, but I’m glad he isn’t. He doesn’t get to see this either. That isn’t something for him or you to decide. I’m the only one who gets to decide who I let into my life. So just… Please… Stop it.”

Yuu immediately felt shame flood through them, a sour sting curling in their chest. It had been very frustrating watching Jamil and Kalim dance around each other in such a way, misunderstandings compounding onto misunderstandings. But… Jamil was absolutely correct. His words striking them were true and deep, enough that Yuu winced at themself. Had Yuu really grown so arrogant in their perceived ability to help people? Of course he was right. Yuu wasn’t responsible for fixing anyone’s issues and problems– especially if it was unwanted.

Yuu had to remind themself that Jamil wasn’t here of his own free-will. This was still, at the end of the day, a forced bond. The only reason they were here was to stop the overblot. That’s all.

Yuu’s face grew stricken at these realizations and how arrogant they had been acting. Oh gods, were they really thinking they could single-handedly fix someone and their broken relationship? That truly was arrogance on an incredibly high level. Yuu looked up at Jamil with a horrified and sorrowful expression and opened their mouth to apologize.

“You don’t have to say sorry,” Jamil quickly cut in. “I just… I get how this all looks. And I am grateful to you for saving me and sorry for everything that I’ve done. But… I just need you to understand that I don’t want to dig through all of this. If I had a say in the matter, we would not be here.”

Despite his assurances, Yuu still muttered a very quiet sorry, feeling awful about the entire situation.

Jamil ran a hand through his hair and let out a big sigh. “I–It’s honestly not even as bad as what I’ve done. Don’t beat yourself up over it. We can just–”

He cut himself off abruptly and began to look around with wide and baffled eyes, thus prompting Yuu to examine their surroundings as well.

They were no longer in the ballroom. Sometime during their heated talk, the world around them had melted away and reformed into a quiet afternoon on the outside. They were surrounded by trees and grass and gently blowing wind and the close-to-setting sun doused the world in hues of fiery orange.

“Asim Park,” Jamil muttered. “How are we here?”

“Er… It’s just dream logic,” Yuu explained. “That's just kind of how this place works.”

Faint music could be heard flittering in the air, like a radio being played softly in the distance. And then Yuu realized that was because it was a radio being played in the distance. Past a couple of trees a familiar young figure could be seen, a song faintly playing from a set of speakers on the ground. It was Jamil, in a different outfit than before, but he looked to be the same age as the previous memory. He was dancing on his own.

The real Jamil’s face grew stony at the sight, his brows furrowed and his lips thinned.

For a while nothing happened. Young Jamil went through the motions of his rehearsal, practicing dance moves. It was kind of serene. The sun in the distance, its rays gentled by the thickness of the atmosphere, illuminating the swaying trees and blades of grass and the numerous diverse and beautiful flowers Yuu could now see plotted in the distance–a clearly well loved and cared-for park. After days in the desert, it would be nice to take a stroll in such a place and just let nature soothe and heal.

“Jamil!”

And like that, the peaceful silence was broken. Jamil’s memory had been in the middle of some complex footwork but the sudden shout must’ve broken his concentration because he stuttered in his steps and nearly tripped over his own feet. He scowled at first before his face became pinched in clear frustration and heavy emotion.

By the time Kalim had reached the other alpha, however, Jamil had already schooled his face into one of calm indifference.

“Kalim… What are you doing out here on your own?” Jamil asked neutrally. “It could be dangerous.”

Kalim waved him off, “It’s fine. It’s fine. You’re here aren’t you?” He grinned like the sun. Jamil only sighed in response. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you but I couldn’t find you anywhere!”

“That’s because I was hiding from you,” Jamil muttered beneath his breath, quiet enough that Kalim’s excitable chatter drowned it out.

“I really wanted to try that dance from yesterday! It looked really cool!”

Jamil stared at him with something hard in his eyes. “You mean my routine? Kalim I–I worked really hard on that. Besides, your routine was clearly superior to mine. It was just a fluke that I beat you. I have no idea what Lord Asim was thinking–”

“No, silly!” Kalim said. “I wanted to try Cousin Jass’ dance! It looked so pretty, remember?” He then frowned, as if he just registered Jamil’s words. “Also, what makes you say that? Your performance was obviously better than mine. That’s why Papa gave you the trophy!”

“That–” Jamil’s face grew pinched. “Kalim… If you could maybe not go around saying that.”

“But why not?” Kalim asked, with an adorable tilt to his head. “It’s true. You said it yourself even, my passé was sloppy.”

“I only said that because–” Jamil sighed again. “Let’s just forget about that. Please. So you… You want to try Jass’ routine?”

Kalim nodded eagerly.

Jamil gave him a deadpan stare. “You know that’s a traditional alpha-omega dance, right?”

Kalim tilted his head again in confusion. “Yeah?”

“Sooo… We’re both alphas?” Jamil said dryly. “We both presented just last year, remember?”

Kalim only laughed. “I know! But who cares about that? It was really pretty and cool and Jass and Khadijah looked so amazing! We should try it out! Pretty pleeease, Jamil?” He put his hands together in a pleading manner and held them over his head. 

Jamil was clearly conflicted, and he even clenched his hands into fists of frustration when Kalim’s eyes were squeezed shut. It only took a few seconds before he relented though, all the tension leaving his body as he let out yet another sigh (far too many for a child his age) and agreed.

“Hooray!” Kalim cheered. “I know Cousin Jass showed you some of the moves already! He said I wasn’t ready yet and he thought you were good enough!”

“Master Jass was just being nice,” Jamil muttered as he stepped up closer to Kalim. “Alright. If you really want to do this then you have to listen to everything I say. Some of those maneuvers are dangerous and I don’t feel like sleeping the week away in the hospital.”

“Yes, sir!”

Jamil rolled his eyes. But when he began to move his hands towards Kalim, he suddenly paused and hesitated. A moment later, a look of resigned dejection came over his face. He grabbed Kalim’s right hand and led it to his waist, placing his own on Kalim’s shoulders.

“I’ll be the omega,” Jamil muttered. “You lead.”

There was a beat of silence. And then Kalim grinned and removed his hands from Jamil, taking the taller alpha by the wrists and swapping their places, leading Jamil’s to his own waist.

“I kinda wanted to try Khadjah’s part,” Kalim said with a cheeky grin. “Besides, you know the steps better than me. It makes more sense if you lead.”

Jamil was stunned into silence for a moment. “Oh um…” Yuu was reminded that this Jamil was still a young teenager, not yet the hardened adult he would become, as Jamil grew flustered. “I– Kalim . You’re the Asim heir. For you to play the part of the omega–it’s improper . I can’t disrespect you like that.”

“You aren’t disrespecting me!” Kalim exclaimed cheerfully. “We’re just having some fun! Who cares about all of that?” He stuck his tongue out playfully. “Come ooonnn , Jamil! You agree it makes more sense for you to lead right?”

“That’s beside the point, Kalim–” Jamil began, but it was clear in his eyes that he was less upset than before. 

“Also, Jass’ part is super cool,” Kalim continued. “I know you wanted to try it out! I’ve seen you always watching him during practice!”

Whatever protests Jamil still had left seemed to die on his tongue. He ducked his head as his fingers flexed over Kalim’s waist.

“Jamil?”

“... Alright.”

“Huh? I couldn’t hear you~”

Jamil huffed, and blew a strand of hair out of his face as he finally looked up at Kalim who just smiled sunnily at him. “I said alright , if you really must twist my arm about it,” he muttered. “But only on the condition that you don’t tell anyone about this. Deal?” For once, Jamil looked vulnerable. His eyes were searching and imploring.

Kalim’s smile softened.

“Deal.”

Their dancing was sloppy. Clearly the work of two teenage boys who did not fully know what they were doing. But for the next however long, Yuu got to watch as Jamil’s reluctant expression grew more and more genuinely open and joyful as he and Kalim tested out the various complex maneuvers the dance routine called for. They tripped over each other’s feet and fell and bumped limbs and were an overall mess to witness but they were both laughing and smiling by the end of it. If any stranger were to happen upon them, they would not be able to tell that anything was remiss between the two boys. All they would see were two friends having fun and being silly and dancing an afternoon away.

It was such a beautiful and lovely memory that when Yuu turned to the real Jamil, a smile on their lips, it promptly died when they saw the dread and conflict there on his face. His hands were fists at his side as he stared unwaveringly at the two boys.

Yuu wanted to say something, to reach out to touch him and offer comfort, but his previous outburst stayed their hand. It was hard reminding themself that sometimes their help was unwanted. You can offer it. You can keep it on standby. But you can never force your help onto someone who truly did not want it. And Yuu did not know Jamil well enough to make such a decision for him, especially in a situation that really was none of their business.

Moments later there were footsteps in the grass, marching right for the little grassy clearing they were in.

It was Hasan Viper. Jamil’s father.

“ Jamil Viper!” He yelled, fury and anger clear in his voice.

He came upon them just as Jamil and Kalim managed to clunkily perform the last move of the dance, Jamil leading a laughing Kalim into a dip. At the sound of his father’s voice, Jamil gasped and accidentally let go of Kalim. The other alpha’s laughter cut off abruptly as he was dropped onto the floor, the grass thankfully breaking his fall.

Jamil scrambled to stand up straight, shame and guilt and fear clear in his wide dark eyes. “Father–! You’re here–”

“How dare you disrespect your Master like this,” Hasan shouted. His hands shook with unbridled fury and Yuu had a flashback to when they witnessed King Uru slap her son across the face. Thankfully, Hasan seemed to have much more self control than the furious king. His curling hands stayed at his side.

But that didn’t make his words any less hurtful.

“You shame me, Jamil,” Hasan said with a voice quivering with anger. “I thought I raised you better than this. And here I was looking for my son and what do I discover? That very same son of mine forcing his master to play the role of an omega. Did you fancy yourself in a position above your masters, Son? Where did I go wrong in raising you that would make you think this is okay?”

He then turned to Kalim who was gaping at the entire exchange, clearly unable to figure out what to say in the situation. To Yuu’s alarm, Hasan threw himself onto the ground in a kowtow facing Kalim, pressing his forehead hard into the floor.

“Please forgive me and my foolish child, Master Kalim,” Hasan begged. Kalim’s red eyes widened, looking like he had no idea how to react to this.

“Father…” Jamil began, his voice thick with emotion.

“Quiet, Son,” Hasan snapped, still keeping his head low to the ground. “You have done quite enough damage for one day. If anyone were to hear of this–The shame you would bring down upon Master Kalim and the entire Asim house, not to mention our own family. Now get down onto your knees and beg our benevolent master for forgiveness.”

Yuu’s alarm further spiked as they watched as young Jamil slowly did as his father bid. He got down onto his knees and began to lower himself before Kalim who could only watch with horrified eyes.

“Jamil. That’s not–” Kalim began.

But Jamil cut him off with a dead, “Please forgive my grave insolence, Master Kalim.”

“Jamil…”

Yuu watched this entire scenario unfold and felt their own eyes heat up with unshed tears. They understood that much of their own world’s history operated in such a way, but their modern sensibilities couldn’t help but be horrified witnessing it all. Their heart ached for Jamil. Their heart ached for Kalim. Their heart ached for Hasan who felt that it was necessary to berate his child for not lowering himself before another human being.

It just didn’t make any sense. Everything else about Twisted Wonderland felt so… Modern. There were cell phones and television and internet and plumbing and infrastructure. Unlike Yuu’s own world, relationships between alphas and alphas, and alphas and betas were considered normal here. Clearly social progress had been made, albeit differently considering the history of omegas, but still… And yet…

“Jamil…” Yuu said softly. They were a little afraid to look up and see what his expression might be. “What… What exactly is your family to the Asims? You were always a bit vague about it.”

But they already knew the answer.

“What do you think? Isn’t it obvious by now?” Jamil muttered.

“We are their slaves.”

Notes:

I seriously adore these two so much (Kalim and Jamil).

(I say that but I literally adore all the characters in this godforsaken game that has taken over my entire fucking life-hnnngh--!)

I don't have much else to say. I'm gonna go sleep now. Thank you for reading and leaving such lovely comments last chapter <3

AND HEY. TECHNICALLY NO CLIFFHANGER THIS CHAPTER! :D At last!! (I'm really sorry for all the cliffhangers you guys. The chapters end when they end and I don't really have too much control over it 😭. I gotta go by the ✨vibes✨)

Chapter 37

Notes:

Apologies for the month-long wait. Meant to get this out sooner. But here it is!

Yuu was at a loss.

They acknowledged that what Jamil said was true. They had overstepped boundaries with him.  No matter how awfully he had treated them, that still wasn’t a free-pass to take liberties as they pleased. This unfortunately left Yuu in a bit of a bind.

As far as they knew, some kind of acknowledgement needed to be made by Jamil for the ephemeral bond to end.

While Yuu respected Jamil’s belief and insistence that he did not need or care about Kalim whatsoever, that didn’t necessarily mean they believed him. Yuu, of all people, knew what it meant to have a biased and skewed view of the world–especially when strong emotions were involved. No matter how much Jamil insisted otherwise, he and Kalim were irrevocably tied. The bond wouldn’t be leading them to these memories otherwise.

So then what?

Yuu wondered this as they followed behind Jamil, the latter having had his fill of the previous memory in the park. His eyes had been hard as he watched his father prostrate himself before Kalim, and then turned without a word and walked away. Yuu followed after him quietly.

The world around them shifted imperceptibly as they traveled, places and things and even time itself all merging seamlessly in a way that wasn’t noticeable unless you were specifically looking out for it. Yuu did not know the specifics of the place Jamil and Kalim hailed from other than that it was in the nation of The Scalding Sands, but from what fleeting glimpses of the city, Yuu’s eyes grew full with the gorgeous scenery.

At one point they appeared to be walking through a marketplace–there were goods laid out on carpets and baskets full of tropical fruits bursting with color from store fronts and hobbled-together stands. All the shops were shaded by a rainbow of tarps and canopies propped up by wooden poles.

Then, in the next instant, they were walking down hallways so extravagant and luxurious, walls and floors inlaid with gold and aqua tourmaline, that it made Scarabia Dorm look shabby by comparison–Yuu took this to be more of the Asim residence.

It all reminded Yuu strangely of the dream they had only a few nights ago. An echo of something their mind only half-remembered. Of a boy running barefoot through a colorful city, under the shadow of a towering palace with golden domed roofs. The faded memory left Yuu feeling strange.

As Yuu pondered these things, they missed that Jamil had stopped moving and they walked face-first into his back. Jamil tossed them back a somewhat concerned expression, though it seemed more concerned for their mental state than Yuu’s actual wellbeing. Yuu muttered a quick apology.

“I think we’re meant to get on here,” Jamil said. He pointed ahead to a canal where a gondola bobbed waiting on the water surface. It was obviously more expensive than the others taking up the length of the canal, a pattern Yuu was starting to sense within these memories.

There was a lone figure hidden by privacy curtains, sitting in the boat, their silhouette only just readable through the sheer fabric.

Yuu quickly examined Jamil’s face, wanting to get a feel for what they were about to step into, and saw without much surprise that his face was grim once more.

The two of them walked down the stone steps to the gondola. There was a gondolier standing at the rear of the vessel, holding a long steering stick. Standing guard on either side of the docking platform were two burly alphas, a man and a woman by the looks of them, who shot anyone passing by stern looks of warning. They naturally did not see Jamil and Yuu as they walked right past them.

Jamil stepped up first onto the narrow platform and, to Yuu’s surprise, immediately turned around and held out a hand to them.

“Watch your step,” he cautioned. “The board is narrow and first-timers and tourists often lose their balance.”

Yuu placed their hand in his and allowed him to help them up.

Yuu couldn’t help but shoot him a little smirk. “So you can be a gentleman, Jamil,” they teased.

Jamil sputtered. “I–I’m always a gentleman,” he muttered. “Though I suppose I deserved that one. I haven’t been acting very gentlemanly lately. But—in my defense–I didn’t know you were an omega.”

Yuu allowed their nose to wrinkle in distaste. “Why should my designation matter in how you treat me?”

“Everyone should treat omegas with respect.”

Yuu felt a little irritation at that and had to remind themself that this world wasn’t like their own. As benin the sexism was in Twisted Wonderland, it was still sexism . Yuu had not forgotten how Rielle was treated by his retainers or how they themself were often treated by their friends when their secret was first reveled–before they managed to train it out of the little gremlins.

Jamil and Yuu stepped into the gondola and took their seats on the bench facing the hidden figure who was still obscured behind the sheer curtains. Yuu wondered if it was meant to deter the sunlight, insects, or prying eyes. 

“You didn’t seem to think very highly of omegas in that last memory,” Yuu commented pointedly, continuing the conversation. That memory had been a bit of a mixed bag for them. On one hand, it had been heartwarming to see Kalim choose to “debase” himself instead of Jamil–showcasing how he really did not care about their social standings (though that naivety had ultimately been to his detriment). On the other hand, it was still an acknowledgement that omegas were seen as lesser than .

“I well–” Jamil began. “It’s not that I think lowly of omegas but…” He trailed off, clearly hesitant to say the words on his mind.

“Well?” Yuu asked. “Spit it out, Jamil. I promise you that you can’t do worse to me than you already have.”

Yuu felt maybe a little bad for that jab, but they were still mad at Jamil, to be fair. And it was a little bit  cathartic watching him squirm with guilt.

“I don’t think lowly of omegas,” Jamil began by reiterating. “But omegas are obviously not put into positions of power. They have to obey their parents or their mate.”

Yuu’s eyebrows rose to their hairline. “They have to? ” That was certainly different from how Leona described how things worked in his own country, though Yuu did remember that he mentioned the Sunset Savanna being a bit more progressive in their treatment of omegas than most of the world.

Riddle’s upbringing had been that way too, hadn’t it? Back when his parents and all the doctors believed he would present as an omega. Though Yuu had never been sure how much of that was due to his perceived designation and how much it had to just do with his mother .

Jamil looked uncomfortable under Yuu’s critical stare. “That’s just how it’s done in the Scalding Sands. I’m not condoning it or anything but–” And his voice grew a little somber at this part. “--I’ve already lived a life of servitude. Of being seen as lesser than . Believe me when I say I can understand omegas better than most alphas. Neither of us have true freedom. An omega’s place is, regardless of how cherished they are, beneath their alpha. The only difference between us is that a slave is replaceable.  Call it what you like, but I didn’t need another reminder that my place in this world is under the foot of my betters .”

He finished with a humorless and disdainful smile that Yuu fell silent, trying to parse out the storming emotion in the dark pools of his eyes.

Just then, someone was heard stepping onto the boarding plank, their footsteps light but assured. Yuu looked up and was surprised to see a second Jamil, exactly the same as the one who sat to their left, though obviously dressed differently, boarding the gondola. He made his way to the bench Yuu and the real Jamil sat on and took a seat, the real Jamil giving a shiver of discomfort when his arm passed right through the memory of himself.

“ Jamil. You’re finally here… You’ve kept me waiting.”

Yuu froze upon hearing the new voice, slithering out from behind the gauzy curtains like dripping oil. They had heard it before, but only the one time.

Jamil bowed his head in deference, the gold adornments in his hair tinkling with his movement.

“My apologies, Master Abis.”

~*~

No matter how smooth the boat glided through the water, Yuu was not spared the curse of their motion sickness. Jamil shot them concerned looks when, not even a few minutes after departure, Yuu was already gripping the edge of the gondola with white knuckles. The only mercy afforded was the fact that nothing important had happened yet in the memory, as both Jamil and Abis exchanged meaningless pleasantries and greetings, simply going through the motions of what was expected and proper.

Though, if memory Jamil’s set jaw was of any indication, he would’ve liked nothing more than to cut through the crap, but fear of retaliation and his lower station stayed his tongue.

Abis Il-Asim had finally drawn back the curtains shielding him from view. He might’ve been an attractive man if not for the glint of cold cruelty in his hazel eyes and the ugly sneer that perpetuated his lips. He wore a white keffiyeh, a color Yuu was starting to realize only those of high privilege really wore, held in place by red and mustard gold striped agal. A few strands of dark curly black hair hung out from beneath the keffiyeh, matching the color of the stubble on his chin and jaw. Yuu could not deny that the alpha was handsome, especially as he could not have been that much older than them.

But Yuu loathed the look in his eyes as he watched Jamil.

A strange sense of protectiveness stirred to life in their chest, one usually reserved for their friends and mates or Grim. And Yuu wanted nothing more than to grab Jamil and leave right then.

Of course, they would need to contend with their own churning stomach and dizziness first.

“... May I speak frankly, Master Abis?” Jamil asked. He looked like he too would like to be literally anywhere else.

Abis Il-Asim scrutinized the younger alpha for a moment, running a hand across the stubble on his face, before grinning and answering in that slimy voice of his, “Of course, Jamil. After all, we are to be brothers-in-law soon, are we not?”

Yuu’s breath caught in their chest. Pain and nausea was forgotten for just a moment.

Brothers-in-law?

Memory Jamil looked rightfully dubious at the go-ahead but spoke after a moment of hesitation. “What is it that you want from me?”

“ From you? ” Abis said. “Does family need a reason to want to get to know each other better?”

“We aren’t family, Master Abis.”

“We aren’t family yet , dear Jamil” Abis hummed. “Lord Kamran’s generosity truly knows no bounds, does it? You must be pleased that your family will be moving up in the world due to the betrothal. How long has the Viper family been in service to the Asims? Five? Ten generations? And at long last that service will soon be paid back when your sister’s marriage elevates the Viper name.”

Jamil remained stonily silent. His clenching fists were impossible to miss now that the knuckles had turned a glaring white. His lips were set in a thin hard line. The displeasure and discomfort rolled off of him in waves. The scent of burnt incense filled the air despite Jamil’s clear efforts to keep his reaction underwraps.

“Oh? No ,” Abis said with exaggerated shock. “Don’t tell me you are displeased with Lord Kamran’s generous blessing? I promise you, little snake, I will take good care of your sister. Sweet Najma will be in good hands –”

Jamil surged forward, unable to hold himself back at last. The two guards, who stood silently behind them the entire time, came to life and grabbed onto Jamil before he could move even a inch closer to their master. Abis chuckled as he watched the younger alpha strain towards him with wide furious eyes. The entire boat rocked with the sudden movement which only made Yuu’s rolling stomach worse.

“You leave my sister alone!” Jamil snapped his teeth in the air, his alpha fangs on full aggressive display.

“So fierce ,” Abis said. “This is why I love angry little alphas like you the best. All the more fun to break in and teach them their place.” He purred and Yuu felt bile rise in the back of their throat. They glanced quickly over at the real Jamil but his face was unreadable to them.

“Don’t worry, little mouse,” Abis continued. “I won’t hurt your sister. I hardly want to wed some nameless little beta.” His tone finally lost its slick oily amusement, growing distasteful as he described his true feelings of the situation. “Believe me or not, but we are on the same team, Jamil. Lord Kamran thinks he can insult me by foistering a mere servant onto me? The man is a fool .” He laughed mockingly. “Fortunately for the both of us, I am not willing to sit by and let such insult stand.”

Abis Il-Asim stood and stepped down towards Jamil who was, though softer than before, still snarling and baring his teeth at the older alpha. When he tried to brush a hand through Jamil’s hair, Jamil snapped his teeth down at the offending appendage. Yuu watched in disappointment as the man managed to pull his fingers away just in time, shooting a disdainful look down at Jamil.

“Only because this is your first day working under me, I will let such disrespect slide,” Abis said. “Plus, it would be such a shame to break such a pretty face this early into our… Partnership .”

Yuu wanted to rip his throat out with their teeth.

“I don’t work for you,” Jamil snarled. “I serve Kalim!”

“Ah. Yes. Kalim… Such an undeserving pest, isn’t he? Don’t deny it now, Jamil. I’ve seen the way you look at him with such contempt. Don't you see that you and I are kindred spirits?” Abis returned to his seat and smiled at Jamil. “I have an offer to make you, Viper, and I do implore you to think very carefully before spurning my good will. I will free you from Kalim’s clutches. All you need to do in return is follow my every command and swear your allegiance to me . And I promise you that, when the time comes, Najma will be free from her betrothal.”

“If you do exactly as I say,” Abis continued. “Kalim will no longer be a threat to either of us. I will have the power to give you all you have ever wished for. Doesn’t that sound wonderful ?”

The gondola suddenly lurched to a stop. Yuu had been so engrossed by one-sided discussion that they hadn’t even noticed the gondola had docked at a new exit. This part of the canal system was barren of other boats. There weren’t even any people walking on the streets. No witnesses to oversee the gathering.

“Release him.”

At Abis’s command, his two bodyguards let go of Jamil who slumped forward, having worn himself out from struggling against them.

“You are free to leave,” Abis said.  “I will give you exactly 24 hours to make your decision. I’ll send someone to collect your answer.”

Jamil looked dubiously at the empty street, as if expecting to find someone waiting to jump him from the shadows the moment he stepped off the gondola. He looked as if he had a million things he wanted to say, but all the previous fight in him had left. Slowly, he turned to leave, his bitter scent and shifting eyes the only evidence of how shaken he truly was.

“Oh. Jamil?” Jamil paused at the sound of Abis’ voice. “I hope that I don’t need to warn you just how stupid of an idea it would be to tell anyone about our conversation today? Not that anyone would believe you anyway, little snake.” He laughed. “Just remember exactly who your sister will be under the thumb of. If you really want to help her… Do as I command, Viper.”

Jamil, without looking back, let out an almost imperceptible sigh. Only Yuu, who was sitting closest to him, noticed it.

“... Yes, Master Abis.”

 

 

 

“So Abis and your sister are betrothed…?”

Jamil and Yuu took a seat on the ground, the ephemeral bond having placed them back into Asim Park after the canals. Jamil appeared deep in thought and Yuu wished they knew how to comfort him–how to help him. Despite all the terrible things he had done… Yuu could not say for certain that had they had been in his position if they would’ve done any differently. Has Jamil ever been given a reason to trust or rely on anyone ?

It didn’t make what he did to them right. But it did make it understandable.

“I have no idea why,” Jamil said. “You’ve already seen some of it, but Lord Asim obviously favors our family. The other members of the aristocracy whisper about it–the other servants as well. I know it bothers my father–puts us in a weird position–which is why he’s so hard on me. But none of that ever could’ve made me guess that Lord Asim would suddenly suggest this betrothal.”

Yuu remembered the toddler from the memory in the ballroom. “Najma… How old is she?”

“Seventeen,” Jamil said with a grimace. “She won’t have to marry Abis until she is of age. But he is nearly twice her age. I can see how it bothers Mom and Dad, but neither of them are willing to spurn Lord Asim for what everyone else views as a gift already too good for us. Her marriage with Abis would elevate us beyond our position of servants. If she had any kids, they would be a part of the Asim family. It is, objectively, beyond generous.”

“But she’s just a kid…” Yuu whispered.

Jamil nodded. “It’s not out of the ordinary to have betrothals from a young age in the Scalding Sands–like with Kalim. It’s not even out of the ordinary to have betrothals with such a large age gap. But Najma is a beta –a beta from a lower caste family . This is only the norm for omegas from rich families, not betas like my sister. And worst of all, it is to Abis Il-Asim. Lord Asim is like Kalim in that way, incapable of seeing the bad in people. But I’m not stupid. No one pays attention to servants like me. We see and hear everything. And the rumors I’ve heard of Abis… I don’t want him anywhere near my baby sister.”

I don’t want him near you , Yuu thought, remembering how the older alpha looked at Jamil with such sadistic hungry eyes.

“So does Kalim’s dad think he’s helping your family?”

Jamil shrugged. “I can’t tell what Lord Asim is thinking. But the betrothal contract is already written up and neither of my parents will do anything about it.”

“So now you know,” he continued. “You know why I did what I did.”

“I am sorry for forcing you into this bond,” Yuu murmured, meaning every word sincerely. “It was the only way to stop you from hurting yourself and everyone else.”

“I know,” he replied. “And I’m glad you did. And… I’m actually kind of glad to get this all off my chest. Not the Kalim thing but–This entire mess with Abis and the succession. I haven’t been able to talk to anyone about it since this all started six months ago–not with Abis keeping such a close eye on me. Seeing it again and having someone else know about it at last, I feel… Lighter?”

Yuu frowned. “That’s how it should feel to talk about difficult things… We’re only human, Jamil. We weren’t born to be solitary creatures.”

Jamil finally looked over at them, placing his head on his knees, and staring at Yuu with those dark expressive eyes. Jamil had a poker face that could put Azul’s to shame, but those eyes seemed to always give him away.

“Is that so?” Jamil murmured. He chuckled mirthlessly, still staring at Yuu who looked back at him questioningly. “Well… Despite everything, I guess I’m glad you were here, Yuu.”

Yuu hesitantly smiled at him. “I’m still mad at you, you know? But… I’m glad you finally got to get all of that off your chest too.”

A familiar wave of dizziness washed over Yuu.

“Ah. Seems like we’ve satisfied the bond,” Yuu said, relaxing and allowing the dizziness to do its thing.

Jamil grimaced as he too started to grow faint. “Is that what this is…?”

Without thinking, Yuu’s hand shot out and grabbed onto Jamil’s for stability and comfort. He did not pull away or flinch back to their surprise.

“I don’t know how it’ll be when we wake up,” Yuu said. “But… Please remember that there are people who will help you. I want to help you. I know it’s not easy but know that you don’t have to do all of this alone. You don’t have to trick people into doing stuff for you. Trust that if you ask, we will answer your call and help.”

Yuu was worried, for a moment, that Jamil might take offense to their words. But his hand remained in theirs and he did not pull back. And, a second later, his fingers tightened around Yuu’s grip as he squeezed their hand in acknowledgement.

“Okay.”

~*~

 

“...-uu.”

 

“... Yuu…”

 

 

“... Yuu .”

 

 

Yuu’s eyes fluttered open. Their head was being cradled in something warm. Someone was holding one of their hands and another hand brushed back their hair. It was comfortable and was nearly enough to distract Yuu from their aching and protesting body. There was a throbbing heat that bloomed across their front torso that felt like one giant bruise.

“I think they’re coming to–!”

Yuu knew that voice. Their eyes fluttered some more, mind still foggy. Their inner omega felt so close to the surface and was yearning for something Yuu could not think of in that moment. The hand brushing their hair helped to soothe this instinct some.

“-iddle…?” Yuu managed to say. The red blob leaning over them sharpened a bit more as Riddle’s concerned face came into focus. His big gray eyes were wide and wet with tears. Yuu’s head was on his lap. He had been the one brushing their hair.

“ Yuu ,” he breathed out in relief. The comforting scent of roses and strawberries wrapped around Yuu’s senses, soothing them almost to the point of detriment, because Yuu wanted nothing more than to close their eyes again and go back to sleep.

“Careful, don’t move their head too much,” another, deeper, familiar voice murmured to Yuu’s otherside–the person holding Yuu’s hand. “We don’t know if they have any whiplash from getting hit.”

Riddle’s strawberry and rose scent wilted a bit and Yuu let out a soft whine of distress. Why was alpha upset?

“Yuu? Are you with us, love?” Riddle murmured, still carding his fingers comfortingly through their hair. “Say something if you can understand me.”

“--Where… Trey?”

“I’m right here.” The hand holding theirs squeezed and Yuu let out a sigh of relief.

Riddle and Trey were here. Their mates were here. Their alpha and their beta were here.

All at once, it was all too much for Yuu who swelled with emotion, growing choked up with tears. The two men were immediately making soothing noises down at them as Yuu turned to bury their face into Riddle’s stomach, unable to help the tears that came forth. While they were still having trouble pushing down their loud instincts to make sense of everything, Yuu could feel how much stress they had been under. Having their mates here was everything . It made the tears come unbidden.

“Eh–? Is Shrimpy okay?”

“Not now, Floyd,” Riddle snapped unhappily from above Yuu, his arms tightening around them  protectively. His distress made them distressed. The scent of bitter mugwort filled the air.

“Floyd, give them some space,” a new voice commanded. Yuu recognized this one too. Azul. “They’re currently on the cusp of a pseudo-heat. The sooner they take a suppressant the better.”

This did not seem to calm Riddle at all, who only grew more tense. “No thanks to you , Ashengrotto. If my omega suffers from this, I swear I will do everything in my power to make sure you never step foot in this school again–”

“Calm down, Riddle,” Trey’s soothing but firm command came. “That isn’t helping Yuu right now. They need you to remain calm and relaxed. We need to coax them enough so that they can take the potion.”

“I–” A sigh. “You’re right, Trey.” Riddle didn’t sound happy about it, but the aggressiveness of his alpha scent faded some as he reined it in. “Did you hear that, Yuu?” A hand brushed across Yuu’s cheek and they leaned into it with a nuzzle. There were two fond chuckles at the reaction. “Can you get up slowly for us? You need to drink your suppressant to make you feel better.”

But Yuu did feel better, now that mates were here. What else could an omega need? Mates, warmth, comfort… Yuu still just wanted to close their eyes and sleep.

“Don’t go back to sleep, Yuu,” Trey murmured. “Listen to our alpha. Be a good omega and do as we say, okay? You want to be good for us, right?”

Sleep sounded alluring but Yuu did want to be good for their mates. The idea of being good for them and pleasing them filled Yuu’s heart with an excited warmth. Oh but they really wanted to sleep though.

“That’s right, omega,” Riddle murmured into their ear. “Listen to your alpha now. Be good for me. Sit up.”

With such opposing wants warring inside of Yuu, they let out a whine of frustration. Slowly they opened their eyes again, feeling upset, but doing as alpha commanded.

“Ehh–! Shrimpy is being so cute right now~”

Yuu could tell by Riddle’s tensing muscles that the alpha was not pleased by this comment, but he made no other reaction to it, rather focusing on coaxing Yuu up and praising them as they listened to him.

“Here, Riddle,” Azul said. There was a sound of a cork being popped. Riddle reached up to grab something as he and Trey helped to settle Yuu into a sitting position. Yuu’s muscles ached and protested at the new position. A moment later, a cold glass rim was being pressed against Yuu’s lips.

“Drink slowly, Yuu,” Trey said as the vial was tilted upwards. Cool sweet liquid hit Yuu’s tongue, the texture silky yet still grainy. They made sure that Yuu drank the entire thing before letting them take a breath. Riddle rubbed soothing circles into Yuu’s back as they digested the potion.

It took less than a minute for the magic of the potion to take effect. Yuu’s scent dulled and the fog in their head cleared. Yuu blinked as thought and rational returned to them, the omega voice inside of them growing soft enough to be ignored.

Right. Jamil. Scarabia. Overblot. Yet another ephemeral bond.

Trey and Riddle.

Yuu blinked and then looked back and forth between their two boyfriends, eyes wide with surprise. “Trey? Riddle? Y-you guys are here?”

Trey laughed, “We said we were coming, didn’t we? Are you fully with us again, Yuu?”

Riddle, on the other hand, had lost all his previous softness. His eyes were still wet with tears, but there was clear dissatisfaction in his expression. “I seem to recall that you promised us to stay out of trouble before we got here.”

Oh. They did do that, didn’t they?

Yuu ducked their head, smiling sheepishly at him, unable to deny the accusation. Riddle’s hardness didn’t last long under the smile and he narrowed his eyes and pouted at them, his cheeks dusting pink. “That’s not fair. How am I supposed to stay mad at you when you look at me like that?”

Yuu leaned in closer to him, slinking their arms around the small alpha’s shoulders, purposefully batting their eyes at him. They felt a little silly doing so but Riddle’s flustered reaction was well worth the feeling. “Forgive me?”

Riddle coughed, his face now as red as his hair, as he glanced off to the side. “That really isn’t fair, Yuu.” His cheeks were puffed up in a pout and Yuu couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m serious. The next time you pull something like that I will collar you, brat .”

Being called a brat by one of the brattiest people Yuu had ever met was absolutely hilarious to them. Also, Yuu was pretty sure they were older than Riddle. But they could not deny the thrill of excitement that ran up their spine at the playful threat.

Yuu opened their mouth to retort when a blur of teal suddenly appeared next to them. Yuu and Riddle both startled when Floyd Leech suddenly squatted down. Neither of them had the time to react before Floyd threw his arms around both of them and lifted the both of them up at the same time as if they weighed absolutely nothing .

“Hurray! Good job, Shrimpy~ You did it!” Floyd cheered, spinning the three of them around. It was only then that Yuu realized the ground was still soaking wet as each of Floyd’s steps made huge splashes go up into the air.

“Floyd!” Riddle yelled in a strangled indignant voice. “Put us down this instant! This is highly inappropriate!”

“We’re celebrating~!” Was Floyd’s only response as he continued to spin them around without a care in the world.

Something about the entire situation. The unbidden cheer on Floyd’s face. Riddle’s reddened and embarrassed expression. The looks of shock and surprise of the people watching them. Something about it made a ridiculous emotion bubble up within Yuu and, without their say, they started laughing. It started off small but quickly grew into a fully-bellied laugh that shook their whole body. When Floyd heard it his eyes widened and sparkled in glee as he too began laughing alongside them. Soon the two of them were laughing and spinning with an infectious joy that Yuu didn’t understand where it came from.

Riddle blinked at Yuu with wide eyes, his previous indignation forgotten as he stared at the omega smiling and laughing with pure unrestrained joy for the first time.

Floyd did eventually set the two of them down, stretching his arms upwards like he hadn’t just lifted two fully grown adults (no matter how short) and spun them around for a whole sixty seconds. Yuu and Riddle, on the other hand, needed to be steadied by Trey and Jade, the former shooting daggers at Floyd while the latter watched the entire situation unfold with unconcealed amusement.

When Yuu’s emotional high finally came down a bit, they realized that they had forgotten someone important. “Where’s Jamil?” At the memory of the alpha they had just shared a bond with, their inner omega stirred with yearning, wanting to find and be close to him. Yuu quickly squashed the feeling down, thankful for the effects of the potion, but still glanced around with concern and worry.

Yuu spotted him a moment later, also noticing several other stirring Scarabia students along the way. Jamil was already sat up and nursing his injuries–his sprained ankle in particular–while Kalim fussed over him. The dark haired alpha seemed to have resigned himself to Kalim’s mother-henning, an ironic sight considering the usual dynamics between the two.

As if sensing Yuu’s eyes on him, Jamil looked up and their eyes met. He appeared to hold his breath for a second, uncertainty in his eyes, but then he gave them an affirming nod and what Yuu thought might’ve been the most minute of smiles shot their way. Yuu smiled hesitantly back at him.

Kalim noticed the interaction and looked up as well, finally noticing that Yuu was also awake and well. His eyes lit up bright and he grinned and waved at them. “Yuu! You’re awake!”

Yuu was. And so were apparently a dozen or so other students who had just had first hand witness to Yuu’s biggest secret. What were the chances that none of them had heard them? Or scented them? Yuu’s previous elation took an abrupt nosedive.

“Yuu?” Trey’s presence was behind them. He pressed a large warm hand to their back and shot them a concerned look. “What’s the matter? Are you hurt somewhere?”

Yuu’s body was still aching, but that was hardly their biggest concern right then. They glanced around anxiously at the students who had all begun to speak in quiet nervous tones. A few of them shot Yuu curious looks. Following Yuu’s line of sight, Trey’s lips thinned as he seemed to comprehend their concern.

“They know…” Yuu whispered. “Or if they don’t, they will soon.”

“Not if I have anything to say about it.”

Trey and Yuu turned around in surprise. Azul stood behind them with a determined look on his face. He clapped his hands and Floyd and Jade were immediately at his side, grins dark and identical.

“Gather up those who are awake. Escort those who are still unconscious into the next room,” Azul said. “If Mr. Clover and Mr. Rosehearts would like to assist, that would help expedite the process immensely.”

“What are you up to, Azul?” Riddle asked tersely.

“I am keeping my promise to protect Yuu,” Azul said. “It’s a bit too late to prevent Yuu’s secret from getting out, but we do have damage control options available to us. I intend to swear everyone in this room to silence.”

Yuu looked at him with bewildered eyes, feeling emotions threatening to overwhelm them again. They suddenly remembered the way he had looked only a few hours before. The sightless empty eyes. How he had sacrificed his own safety for theirs. Even now, he was still trying to make it up to them. Yuu’s bottom lip trembled. A part of them still wanted to hold on to that suspicion that he had something else up his sleeve, a trick or another to spring on them when they least expected it…

… But after all of this, how can Yuu continued to view Azul in that way? The truth was stark and bare before them. Azul’s declarations were sincere.

“You…” Yuu began, their voice shaking.

Their sudden voice seemed to surprise Azul, who looked at them with wide eyes. “... Me?”

“You… Azul, you idiot! ”

Azul froze like a deer in headlights when Yuu suddenly marched furiously up to him and pulled him into a bone-crushing hug. His arms flailed about, unsure of where to put them, and his glasses were knocked askew. But still Yuu did not release the beta. They just held him tight, feeling his weight and form beneath their arms, proof that he was real and alright .

“You’re such an idiot.” Yuu repeated, softer and sniffling. “Why did you put yourself at such risk? Why did you give me that pendant?” Said pendant was pressed between the two of them, still pulsating with warmth and covered in so many cracks and splinters it appeared as if a gentle breeze could’ve shattered it. “I can’t do magic. You can . What was I supposed to do when you were under Jamil’s control? You looked–You looked so dead inside . I never want to see you like that again.”

Maybe it was the recent ephemeral bond, maybe it was their heightened emotions, but the words spilled out in quiet but uncontrollable whispers as Yuu buried their face into the crook of Azul’s neck. Seasalt flooded their senses and, for the first time, Yuu felt comforted by the smell.

“I–” Azul said in a stricken and choked voice. His eyes shifted around uneasily, well aware of the crowd watching the two of them. But a moment later he finally let himself relax and returned Yuu’s embrace, wrapping his arms around their back and sighing. “I just… Didn’t want to see you get hurt. I can’t explain it.”

“That’s stupid,” Yuu muttered without any heat and Azul let out a small bark of laughter.

“I think… Most people here would disagree with you,” he said. He pulled back and Yuu let him go. Azul glanced up at Trey and Riddle who watched the two of them with some trepidation, ready to step in at a moment's notice but neither willing to stop Yuu either. “And you’re right, it was a stupid plan. But…” Azul laughed incredulously, running a hand through his hair. His hat had gone missing sometime during the fight. “For whatever reason, I know that if I had to do it again I wouldn’t have done anything different. Now that I know what it’s like to be under Jamil’s control… I’m never going to let anything like that happen to you again.”

Yuu breathed in a deep breath, unsure of how to respond to that, a heavy lump gathered in their throat.

Where did the selfish man who tried to steal their home and subjugate them from before disappear to? Who was this stranger standing before Yuu and speaking with such heartfelt conviction? Was it possible for someone to change so quickly? Or had this person always been there beneath the surface, just waiting for the right moment to rise?

Whatever the answer, there was no denying the version of Azul that stood before them now.

Azul coughed and blushed, growing self conscious as Yuu stared at him without saying a single word. He cleared his throat and readjusted his glasses and his coat. “Anyway. I believe I have a job to do.”

While they had been having that moment, Jade and Floyd had been busy gathering up the remaining conscious students in the lounge.

Riddle took a look at all this and sighed. “Very well. I’ll leave this to you then, Ashengrotto. I’m going to go check on those still unconscious. They’ll probably need immediate medical attention.” He turned his gaze over to Yuu. “Are you sure you’re okay, Yuu? I can stay if you need me to.”

Yuu shook their head. “Go. I’m fine. You should check on the others.”

Already way past the point of being self-conscious, Yuu ignored the crowd of students and made their way over to the small alpha, not giving Riddle even a moment to react before pecking him on the lips. Thrill jolted up Yuu’s spine at the kiss, and when Yuu pulled back, Riddle’s face was red again, the air around him flushed with the scent of ripened strawberries.

“Don’t forget about me.” Yuu barely had the time to look up before Trey was leaning down and also pressing his own warm lips against theirs. Despite the hard angles of his face, Trey’s lips were soft and warm. Yuu reached up and drew him in deeper, relishing in the scent of marigold and fresh baked bread. Trey was probably the tallest partner Yuu had ever had, and something about his height made their toes curl as they leaned up into him.

Such public displays of affection were probably less than polite, but Yuu frankly did not give a damn right then. They had just been through hell and back and they would be damned if they let anything get in the way of them and their partners. Yuu’s inner omega purred with pleased agreement.

They broke apart after a few seconds and Yuu grinned up at Trey who returned it with a low chuckle. No words needed to be exchanged. Trey stood up straight and looked at Riddle and the two nodded at one another. Yuu knew those injured would be in good hands. Yuu returned to Azul’s side as their mates set off towards those still unconscious.

A quick glance up at Azul and his red cheeks revealed that he had not been unaffected by the show, but he was pointedly looking anywhere but Yuu. For some reason this made Yuu want to tease and bully him more.

Floyd was a terrible influence on them.

Speaking of Floyd. He and his brother were now standing on either side of the crowd they had gathered. The students were almost all gawking at Yuu who immediately took back what they said about feeling self-conscious, and made a mental note to keep future displays to more private settings. Of course, PDA was hardly the only reason they were staring at Yuu. Yuu wondered how many of them had ever actually met an omega in person before–knowingly at least.

“I’m sure many of you have questions,” Azul began. As soon as he did, all his previous nerves and troubles seemed to melt away into the suave and self assured persona most were familiar with. “I won’t beat around the bush. Prefect Yuu is an omega.”

Murmuring immediately broke out amongst the crowd. Yuu caught sight of a familiar head of red and blue hair–Inigo. The beta was staring at them with wide shocked eyes. His expression was mirrored across several faces. Yuu quickly looked away.

“Now, as I’m sure you are all smart enough to piece together by now, being of House Scarabia afterall” Azul continued. “This is a secret we would rather stay a secret.”

A moment of tense silence.

“But why ?” Someone in the crowd blurted out. This was followed by several other questions in quick succession, thrown out by students without regard for how chaotic it sounded. Azul clicked his tongue in annoyance and tapped his cane on the soaked floor twice, the sound reverberating loudly which must’ve been amplified by magic. Very handy, Yuu thought.

“ Why is none of your concern,” Azul said waspishly. “All you need to know is that this is for the Prefect’s protection. Or do you think yourselves better suited to knowing how to protect an omega than powerful families like the Ashengrottos? Or the Rosehearts? The Kingscholars?”

The questions and protests immediately died down into silence.

Oh. Now that was clever, Yuu thought. Azul hadn’t explicitly stated that any of those families were actively aware of Yuu being an omega and acting on it, but he hadn’t lied either. Riddle, Leona, and Azul were part of those families. It’s just that they were the only members of those families to know the truth. Not that anyone in the crowd needed to know that. Azul simply let them fill in that information themselves.

It seemed no one wanted to point out that said omega had just had to fight an overblotted mage, and Yuu certainly wasn’t going to bring it up.

“Now then,” Azul said. “I’ll give you all a choice, being as generous as I am.” Floyd cackled at this and Yuu fought the urge to roll their eyes. “Either way, you won’t be allowed to leave this room with the ability to spread this knowledge around. So first, you can submit yourself to willingly have your memory of the last few hours erased.”

The crowd was immediately uneasy with this suggestion, not that Yuu could really blame them. Not only was mind magic a rather dubious field of study as is, but they had all just been subjected to someone poking and prodding around in their heads.

“And I figured that many of you would be unhappy with that suggestion,” Azul said. “So I also offer you a second choice. You may choose to sign a contract with me. The contract is simply: you will be magically bound from speaking of this secret in any capacity–be it oral, written, or otherwise, you will find yourself experiencing great discomfort when you are about to spill the secret. Should you continue to push past that discomfort, you will find that your tongue or hands will swell until you are physically unable to speak. And if you still continue on despite that…”

He trailed off ominously. Jade and Floyd both began to chuckle darkly at this while the entire crowd seemed to pale and somehow grow even more quiet–so quiet you could probably hear a pin drop.

“Now I understand that this may seem excessive,” Azul continued. “But try to look at this from our perspective. The Prefect is the only omega on this entire campus and being courted by members of several prominent families. If anything, I’d argue that we are being rather generous with our terms. I could just force you all under the wand to forget–but I am offering you a choice instead. So…” Azul tilted his head downward, and while it was less dramatic without his hat to drop a shadow across his face, the glare of his glasses obscuring his eyes was still effective enough alone. “I do encourage you all to work with me .”

It didn’t take long after that. The students split up into two groups–one to have their memories altered and the other to sign the contract of silence. To Yuu’s surprise, despite the initial hesitancy and fear, nearly all of those in the crowd decided on the former–to have their memories of the last few hours removed. Only a handful of them decided to sign the contract instead. Yuu was further surprised to see Inigo as part of the second group.

“Wait–” The first student about to have his memories sealed spoke up. “What about Jamil? Are we all going to forget about everything he did to us too?”

Azul frowned, lowering his staff, “That would be within the last few hours, so yes… Is that a problem?”

The student scowled. “Yes it’s a problem. We can’t just forget everything he did to us! How can we ever trust him again? In fact…” He turned back to the rest of his dormmates. “Is he still going to be our vice housewarden after this? We can’t let that stand. We can’t trust him. How can we risk forgetting all the heinous things he did?”

There were murmurs of agreement.

Yuu frowned. The fury the students felt wasn’t misplaced, but they needed to understand that Jamil had also been under the effects of overblot . Yuu had seen people try to kill friends and loved ones under the effects of blot. It wasn’t fair to judge someone’s actions under it. Yes Jamil had done some terrible things, but that had been solely to Kalim and Yuu. His egregious actions towards the rest had only occurred after his overblot.

Yuu opened their mouth to speak up, but was cut off.

“Please don’t be so harsh on Jamil!”

Kalim.

The student who had first spoked up frowned. “But… Housewarden Kalim, he tricked you. He played us all for fools. Are you really just going to forget all that?”

Kalim glanced back at Jamil who was staring intently down at the ground and not meeting anyone’s eyes.

“I know Jamil did bad things,” Kalim said. “But… Any one of us would’ve too if we were in his shoes!”

This was met with some incredulous stares, which was fair because who would believe that Kalim would do any of the things Jamil had done? Yuu wasn’t even sure if they were capable of picturing Kalim overblotting. It seemed patently impossible.

“All I mean is…” Kalim continued. “Jamil overblotted. You can’t blame him for what he did then.”

“But he was mind controlling you before that,” the student argued. “He forced you to force us to be miserable and treated us badly.”

“And Jamil was wrong for that!” Kalim exclaimed. “But you don’t know the whole story! Jamil is… He’s always been the best leader in this dorm.” Kalim’s sunny disposition was, for once, nowhere to be found, as he stared unwaveringly at the crowd in defense of Jamil. “That was never me. I know all of you remember it too. Ahsan!”

One of the boys in the crowd suddenly jerked to attention at the sound of his name. “Er… Yes–?”

“Jamil always took time out of his schedule to tutor you in ancient languages,” Kalim said. “He did that without expecting anything in return. Is that something a bad person would do?”

“I-I suppose not…?”

Kalim nodded seriously and abruptly turned to another student. “Umar!” Another boy jumped up in surprise. “When you failed your classes last year, wasn’t it Jamil who sat down and listened to you and then even helped you write out a letter to your mom and dad?”

Umar glanced over at Jamil with a look in his eyes almost as if he was seeing Jamil again for the first time. “I… He did. Jamil did do that. I don’t know what I would’ve told my mom without his help.”

Kalim grinned. “Exactly. Jamil… Jamil is not perfect. But neither am I. And if I’m being honest–I’m a pretty bad Housewarden.” He laughed and, somehow, managed to say this without coming off as self-depreciating, like Kalim was merely stating a neutral fact. “I mess around. I don’t take things very seriously. I just wanna party all the time. And Jamil… Who here can argue that Jamil has not been the backbone keeping Scarabia together all this time?”

No one spoke up with objection. Yuu could visibly see the doubt disappear from the crowd as students began to turn to one another with their own stories of how Jamil had helped them in the past. Anger and fear had so quickly turned to fond remembrance and understanding. Yuu stared at Kalim in wonder.

He may say that he was a bad leader, but Yuu was certain that a bad leader could not sway a crowd’s opinion so quickly.

Also, sometime during this speech, Jamil had finally looked up. What was once a look of shame on his face had morphed into something unnamable as he stared at Kalim’s back.

And for the first time since the ephemeral bond, Yuu felt a spark of hope ignite in their chest.

Notes:

(Edit: Grim was not mentioned in this chapter on purpose! This will be addressed next chapter I promise I didn't forget our boy!)

And this marks the end of the Scarabia arc!

We aren't entirely done yet though. What comes next is essentially me tying the main plot together with the Al'ab Nariya/Firelit Sky event together. I meant to get to the set up for that in this chapter but this chapter somehow ended up super long??? It honestly wasn't supposed to be and idk how it ended up as long as it is lol.

But yes. We will be traveling to Silk City and the boys will be doing some vacationing decompression for hopefully just one chapter before we move on to dealing with the villain I introduced. I'm envisioning this being only 3-4 chapters, but you know me by now. I will really try to keep it low though because we still have Fairy Gala to get through because it directly ties into Book 5--hnnnn. So much to do.

Anyways~ I hope you all had a good summer. My summer has been hectic between a new job and getting ready for my LAST SEMESTER. I GRADUATE WITH MY BACHELORS THIS FALL!! (fucking finally omg)

Be safe and I hope you enjoyed. <3

Chapter 38

Notes:

I'm SO sorry for the two-month impromptu hiatus!

I caught COVID and it basically put me out-of-commission for an entire month. I was in bed sick for two weeks and then recovering for the next two weeks. There was an entire week in the middle of that where I'd get physically ill from even looking at a computer screen from vertigo and nausea. It was my first time catching covid and it really beat me up :((

I really am sorry for the long wait. Thank you all for sticking by this fic and reading! I appreciate all of you ❤️

Please enjoy! I tried to stuff as much Trey/Riddle/Yuu content in this chapter as humanly possible as an apology!

The sun was blazing outside of the car.

Yuu pressed their face up against the warm tinted glass and stared out at the rolling scenery they’d only seen in Jamil’s mind. But there it was, in all its real glory: Silk City.

They were finally here. And not a moment too soon either.

Already Yuu could see the line of other expensive vehicles congregating on the motorway that led up to the Asim residence–a building that was more suitably called a palace than anything else. The last of the guests for the famed Asim New Years Ball were arriving. From Jamil’s descriptions, there would be important people from all around the world in attendance, including the Sultan of the Scalding Sands himself. This was as much a political event as it was a celebration and party.

Yuu tucked a strand of bright red hair behind their ear.

Of course, with so many important people in attendance they couldn’t very well go as themself: the infamous interdimensional human. Especially not with the plan they had all scrapped together in the past few days.

Riddle had not been pleased with the final draft of their schemes. He was sleeping now, head leaning against Trey’s shoulder, exhausted from a night full of last-minute strategizing and finalizing their plans with Azul–the latter sitting across from them with the twins. As much as the two got along like a house on fire, they were shockingly competent at teamwork, their brilliant minds able to challenge and bring out the best in one another.

It was Riddle, in the end, who had suggested Yuu disguise themself as his secret twin. His secret omega twin.

Even Azul and Jamil had looked begrudgingly impressed when Riddle suggested this as they brainstormed ways to disguise Yuu. After all, it was apparently a well-known shame amongst the aristocracy across the world of Lady Riddle’s failure to produce an omega child. Riddle had been raised as an omega, introduced to formal society as an omega… But outside of those aristocratic circles, and especially outside of the Rose Queendom, these rumors were much more hazy.

It would be very easy, especially for only a few nights, to take advantage of those confused rumors and pass Yuu off as Riddle’s omega twin. It only needed to stand under scrutiny long-enough to catch Abis Il-Asim red-handed. Hence why they had temporarily spelled their hair red, courtesy of a contract under Azul’s care.

It was also, for the first time in a long time, Yuu was out in public without the protection of a suppressant or Trey’s magic to shield their true scent.

Any other time, they would’ve felt exposed and anxious. And while that feeling hadn’t completely disappeared, there was something about being surrounded by friends and their mates that set Yuu’s nervous fluttering heart at ease. Yuu would be stepping into the proverbial lion’s den without protection, it was true… But they also wouldn’t be doing it alone.

All they needed to do now was trust in their friends. And trust in the plan they had all painstakingly put together in the past few days.

TWO DAYS AGO - SCARABIA DORM

 

With the last of the witnesses having either signed what was essentially a magical non-disclosure agreement or had their memories of the past several hours sealed, everyone was gathered again, though in another room instead of the lounge which had been deemed too unsafe for further lingering. Even if the crumbling walls and parts of the ceiling caving in weren’t a concern, there was also the flooded tile floor that more than one person had already taken nasty spills in.

Gathering everyone together also revealed a major oversight.

Namely: a missing fire monster.

“Where is Grim?” Yuu had asked in alarm when they suddenly realized they hadn’t seen or heard the monster since they woke up. With everyone so caught up in the chaos of everything, somehow the presence of the little monster had completely slipped Yuu’s mind as they begun to look around frantically for their charge.

Jade offered to go looking for him while the rest of them went downstairs. Yuu’s ribs were likely very bruised from being slammed across the room by Jamil’s blot form and their legs felt like jelly after the remaining adrenaline and emotional high ran their course, so they had to be carried down. As embarrassing as it was to need to be carried around, Yuu took the opportunity at being piggybacked by Trey to not-so-subtly snuggle closer to their tall boyfriend. Trey was clearly unfooled if his shoulders shaking from amusement were of any indication.

Once everyone was all accounted for (sans Jade, who was still off looking for Grim), Kalim made a phone call to the Headmage so that the Dark Mirror could be accessed and the entire dorm could return home.

To Yuu’s furious indignation , Dire-fucking-Crowley answered on the first ring .

“I’m going to murder that bird,” Yuu muttered darkly next to Trey’s ear as they all watched Kalim chat away excitedly into his phone. They could not hear Crowley from here, but Yuu was certain that his tone sounded a million times more helpful than he’d ever sounded with them.

Trey’s shoulders shook with more muffled laughter and Yuu fought the urge to nip at his ear in retaliation. Whose side was he on anyway!

Despite the Headmaster’s assurances that he would absolutely put through the authorization for the Dark Mirror to be active for the next few days, it was deemed too late and everyone too beat up and exhausted for anyone to leave right that minute. And as everyone headed back to their dorm rooms for the evening, that was when Jade suddenly reappeared holding a sour-faced Grim by the scruff, who clearly did not appreciate being cat-handled.

“I found him hiding in a corridor,” Jade said pleasantly. “He was eating something. I didn’t catch what it was as he quickly swallowed it before I could get a closer look.”

Yuu’s reaction to that explanation had not been positive.

“How could you run off to have a snack in the middle of all this!” Yuu scolded loudly, not allowing Grim’s flat-pressed ears to deter them from laying into their inconsiderate charge.

“Mraw. It’s not that big of a deal!” Grim defended himself, crossing his paws across his chest. Yuu’s anger flared brighter at this, suddenly wishing they had Riddle’s Off With Your Head in that moment, just to teach the rude little thing a lesson! If they could walk on their own they would’ve gone over there and shook the infuriating little monster themself!

But Grim only continued to give them the same excuses as always, clearly not learning his lesson no matter what.

Just beneath their fury however, Yuu felt a familiar cold dread sink to the pit of their gut. Jade hadn’t seen what Grim ate, but Yuu recalled the last time something weird like this had happened back in the Mostro Lounge. He had eaten a rock of some kind and had also behaved strangely–even going as far as scratching Yuu and drawing blood. And even before that, there’s been the time at the dwarf mine… Yuu had nearly forgotten about the whole thing until this strange new occurrence reminded them of it.

But it seemed the events of the evening were not yet finished.

“YUU! GRIM!”

Everyone who was still left in the main Scarabia hallway, which was just a handful of stragglers plus Yuu and the boys, all looked over to where the dorm’s magic mirror swirled, indicating someone was coming through.

Yuu’s eyes widened when they saw who it was.

“Ace? Deuce?!”

The two boys sprinted forward and came to abrupt stops right in front of their group. Yuu had temporarily been set on a chair to rest and to give Trey a break from carrying them. Ace doubled over holding his knees and out of breath.

“We– Came– As soon as we heard–!” He managed to gasp out.

“What are you two doing here?” Yuu exclaimed.

Their question was answered when Riddle stepped up to the two with his arms crossed across his chest.

“The two of you are tardy.”

“We only missed the ferry by half an hour!”

“In our defense, Housewarden, my blastcycle ran out of gas and we had to push it for a ways…” Deuce said with a grimace.

Riddle clicked his tongue. “Excuses. But fortunately for you two, Trey and I arrived in time to make sure everything was okay.”

Azul, who was leaning against the wall next to Yuu, rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath, “I think he means to say he showed up after we did all the work…” Floyd snorted with laughter and Riddle glared back at the both of them.

Trey approached them with a much warmer reception than his little alpha mate. “Thanks for rushing over you two. But… Where is Cater?”

As if those had been the magic words, the magic mirror swirled again, and a familiar figure stepped through.

“Cay-cay is here at last!” The flamboyant beta announced, throwing up a peace sign over his eye. Trey chuckled in relief while Riddle was clearly holding back an exasperated sigh. “Got here as soon as I could, boss! I also brought the things you wanted!”

Yuu looked around at the five of them bewildered. Somehow, the entire Heartslabyul gang was here.

“You– What about your mom, Deuce?” Yuu blurted out. “Why are you here? You should be at home with her!” The memory of Deuce miserably talking about missing his mom flashed in their mind.

“Riddle and Trey said you were in danger,” Deuce said. Despite being out-of-breath and tired, his spine straightened and he held a fist to his heart. “We had to come to make sure you were safe!”

Warmth and happiness filled Yuu’s heart and they felt the telltale prickle of tears begin to sting at their eyes. Yuu sniffled and rubbed at their face to dispel the feeling. “You–You idiots. I’m fine. You didn’t have to come all this way for me.”

“We also came to make sure the furball was safe too,” Ace drawled.

“Hey! Who are you calling a furball!” Grim protested.

Yuu, who wasn’t feeling very generous towards the little feline at the moment, said, “He’s clearly talking about you, brat.” A sudden thought occurred to Yuu then. “Hey… You guys mentioned before that Grim ate something weird right? Like when we fought that weird monster at the dwarf mine?”

Ace and Deuce shared a look, faces twisting as they racked their brains for what Yuu could be referring to. Ace must’ve realized something because he made an ‘ah’ noise. “Grim eats weird things all the time but… Are you talking about that time in the rose maze? What was it… A weird black rock, right?”

“Grimmy also ate a weird black rock during the spelldrive tournament!” Cater announced cheerfully from the side.

“Wait—Back up. The rose maze ?” This was news to Yuu.

“Yeah…” Ace hummed thoughtfully, “I’m pretty sure it was after Riddle’s overblot. You were out of it though so you wouldn’t remember. But yeah, now that you mention it he did do something like that at the dwarf mine, didn’t he?”

Alarm spread throughout Yuu, causing chicken bumps to rise all across their skin. They weren’t being crazy. That was three times plus two others that Yuu hadn’t known about. Which meant this now counted the fifth time Grim had eaten a weird black rock. And…

Hadn’t almost every time been right after an overblot?

They weren’t the only one to come to the same conclusion it seemed.

“Those are all the times after an overblot,” Jamil pointed out darkly. He cast a suspicious glance over at the little monster who made a “hiee!” noise now that everyone was staring at him.

“Don’t look at me!” Grim cried defensively. “I can’t help it if people keep leaving delicious food on the ground for anyone to take!”

“Those are rocks, you idiot,” Ace snapped.

“Don’t call me an idiot, you jerk!”

“Furball!”

“Tweedle-dumb!”

“ Enough! ” Riddle shouted. His fingers twitched towards the wand at his belt and both boys immediately stopped arguing, instead looking away from each other and sulked. “This is unimportant. What is important is making sure everyone is safe. Making sure my mate is safe.” Heat and butterflies gathered in Yuu’s stomach at the declaration. “Now then… Cater, you were saying you brought the kit?”

“Right-O! Here ya go, Riddle.”

Cater produced a large white case and passed it over to Riddle.

“Oh my,” Azul said as he caught sight of it. “Now that is quite the rare acquisition. Might I inquire where you got your hands on such a thing?”

“None of your business, Ashengrotto,” Riddle said as he approached Yuu with the bag. Upon closer inspection, there were two blue and gold insignias on it–one of a mountain and one of a lightning bolt. He laid it out on the ground and unlatched it. The case clicked open and a medicinal and sterile scent drifted out. The inside of the case itself was lit with a white-blue light and Riddle started pulling out various strange-looking technical devices.

“Those are from the Olympus Company,” Jade commented intriguingly.

“Yes,” Azul said. “I recognized that case at first sight. That’s the latest state-of-the-art medkit released by the tech company.”

Riddle gestured for Yuu’s left arm. As they placed their hand in his, Yuu turned over to Azul curiously. “A tech company?” Riddle fastened a flexible cuff around their forearm with deft fingers.

“An old one,” Azul explained. “Run by the Shroud family who are descendents of those in the Jupiter family.”

Yuu blinked in surprise, this new information muddling the already confusing set of clues they’d gathered about how Greek mythos and Twisted Wonderland history tied together. So now it was Roman instead of Greek, Jupiter instead of Zeus . Of course, the company could just be named after the mythical figure but from the way Azul was describing the family, they doubted it.

Yuu suddenly flinched when the cuff around their arm tightened and there was a sudden sharp pinch on their inner arm. Riddle immediately apologized for not warning them, rubbing circles into Yuu’s hand comfortingly.

But a moment later, Yuu realized in shock that the soreness and aching in their ribs and legs (and honestly, their entire body) had started to fade. The relief was so instantaneous that they couldn’t help but let out a sigh as their body sagged in the chair. Riddle quickly removed the cuff and began to apply other ointments and bandages to other parts of Yuu’s body.

“I wouldn’t have expected you to be so competent at first aid,” Jamil commented.

Riddle didn’t tear his eyes away from his work. “My mother is a healer. She stopped teaching me her trade when I presented. But I decided to pick it back up recently, after people I cared about kept getting hurt.”

Yuu wondered if he was talking about them or talking about when Ruggie made Trey fall down a flight of stairs.

“Did you acquire the medkit through your mother then?” Azul asked.

Before Riddle could answer, Cater cut in helpfully, “Oh man. You guys won’t believe this. Riddle actually had me impersonate Mrs. Rosehearts and pick it up at a nearby hospital! Gave me all the documentation for it and everything!”

Riddle sputtered as his face turned fire-engine red. He finally tore his eyes away from Yuu. “Cater!” He snapped. “That information is unnecessary to share! I–” But Cater only grinned gleefully at him while Trey shook his head.

Yuu’s jaw, meanwhile, hit the ground.

If not for Riddle’s response and reaction, Cater’s words would’ve been unbelievable. What exactly had gone down between Riddle and his mother? Yuu already couldn’t imagine she’d just let him walk out of the house. And for Riddle, such a stickler for the rules to do something like what Cater described…

Riddle caught Yuu’s amazed gaze and looked away flusteredly.

“I’ll… I’ll explain later,” he muttered. “I just wanted to make sure you were safe.”

Yuu didn’t want to push him, not when Cater outing him already had everyone staring at Riddle with various degrees of incredulity (except for Trey, who must’ve already known). Floyd in particular had the widest shark grin Yuu had ever seen on his face.

So instead, Yuu placed their hand on Riddle’s and squeezed it.

“Thank you.”

The morning after was hectic. The entire dorm was in a panic, with everyone rushing to get their things together, eager to get home to enjoy what time there was left in their winter vacation. Yuu had been woken up by the sound of stomping footsteps and frantic voices, jerking up from where they’d been curled between Riddle and Trey, the noises causing their fight-or-flight instincts to go into haywire for a half-second before they realized what was happening.

Later, while the rest of the dorm got ready for their departure, Yuu and their companions (sans Cater, Ace, and Deuce–the former having been tasked in herding the flock of Scarabia students) gathered in one of the numerous sitting rooms to discuss what the next course of action should be.

It took some prompting from Yuu, but eventually Jamil did reluctantly explain to everyone the full true circumstances behind his overblot. Azul’s face had gone very pale with each word Jamil spoke.

“I feel like I must clarify before we go any further,” Azul had cut in at some point. “While I did record your confession, broadcasting it on my magicam account was a lie,” he stressed. “No one but those of us that were there are aware of what happened.”

Jamil grimaced but didn’t look particularly surprised. “I did eventually come to that conclusion myself. It didn’t make sense that you would’ve done that, and if I had been thinking clearer in the moment, I probably would’ve seen the bluff for what it was. Unfortunately…”

He trailed off with a note of shame.

“Well, it’s not as if a couple of us can judge you for the outcome,” Riddle said, shooting a meaningful glance over at Azul.

“Three victims of overblot, all in one room,” Jade commented with a hum. “How curious.”

It was curious, and something that had been sitting uncomfortably at the back of Yuu’s mind like a giant elephant for a while now. They had said as much to Jamil during the ephemeral bond, but Yuu was no closer to discerning an answer to the astronomically unlikely odds. From what they could tell, the overblots didn’t seem unnatural . The reasons for them were very much understandable and reasonable. And yet, Jade was right. Three former overblottees in one room…

… It was more than a little strange.

And then there was the problem of Grim and those mysterious rocks. Yuu’s fingers curled into his fur anxiously.

“We should get Jamil back home soon so he can get overblot treatment,” Kalim said, pulling the conversation back into focus.

“That could be tricky,” Azul said, “as I am sure letting word get back to Abis Il-Asim about Jamil’s overblot is not something you want.”

“Definitely not,” Jamil agreed, his words carrying a bite to them.

Kalim looked over at Jamil with concern, “But Jamil… You need help–”

“We need to make sure my sister is safe first,” Jamil said. “With school being let out and Abis ordering me to keep everyone on campus, he has already arranged for Najma to stay at his villa for the days leading up to the New Years Ball.”

The collective anxiety of the room spiked at that comment, with even the Leech twins casting dark looks at this new information.

“He won’t do anything to her,” Jamil reassured. “Abis is… Uninterested in betas.”

Azul hummed. “I had heard rumors about that but did not put much stock into it as I had no method or need to verify such information.”

“What rumors?” Yuu asked.

“The Asim chamberlain’s tastes are more in line with those of the alpha designation.”

Yuu raised a brow, taken aback by the comment. “And what’s wrong with that?”

“You misunderstand me,” Azul said. “Abis Il-Asim finds gratification in making other alphas submit to him–and only other alphas.”

“He’s pretty good at keeping it under wraps, or at least away from Lord Asim’s attention,” Jamil said. “But like I’ve said before–servants tend to find out these things. Abis has only ever sought out other alphas or the occasional beta men. I don’t care to guess at what his orientation is, but whatever it may be Abis finds greatest pleasure in feeling powerful–and what better power trip than to subjugate someone stronger than you?”

Yuu was aware such people existed. It was one of endless reasons why omegas were treated so badly back in their own world too–some people just liked the taste of power over another person. But Yuu could see how someone as twisted as Abis Il-Asim, especially considering the societal view of omegas as helpless things to be protected, could find such a conquest too tame. Najma may not be an omega, but she was still a young girl, physically small and without alpha pheromones and natural strength to give her an advantage. Despite the disgust Yuu felt at learning of Abis’ predilections, they were ironically glad for it as it meant he likely wouldn’t even give her the time of day.

“That’s foul,” Riddle muttered. “A partner is someone to be loved and cherished–respected. I can’t imagine finding enjoyment in making my partner miserable.” He and Trey were holding hands, sat next to one another on the couch, and looked up fondly when Trey gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

“Is cousin Abis really like that?”

Everyone in the room glanced over at Kalim who looked innocently lost and distressed by the topic of conversation.

“... Yes,” Jamil said slowly.

“... How come you never told me?”

The room grew uncomfortably silent as the two stared at one another.

“What was there to say?” Jamil asked neutrally.

Kalim’s bottom lip quivered a little but he didn’t allow himself to cry. He just lowered his gaze to the floor and whispered, “I would’ve helped you, you know…”

Jamil blew a strand of hair out of his face, looking like he did not want to be having this conversation right then. “You wanted me to be honest with you from now on, right?” He waited until Kalim gave him a tentative nod. “Fine. The honest truth? Every time you’ve tried to ‘help’ me? You’ve only ever managed to make things worse for me.”

“I–”

“It wasn’t just the overblot talking,” Jamil continued. “I meant most everything I said. You are incompetent and you do piss me off. And no, I don’t care if you defended me in front of the entire dorm. Let’s make one thing very clear, Kalim. We are. Not. Friends.”

“Ooo~” Floyd sang. “You just gonna let him talk to you like that, Sea Otter~?”

It was as if something about what Floyd said made something click in Kalim’s mind. He looked back up and his eyes were hard–not cold, not angry, but hard with a strange fiery determination.

“I won’t accept that,” Kalim declared.

Jamil’s eyes bulged out of his head. “What?”

“I don’t accept it,” Kalim repeated. “I will accept some of the blame but–” To Yuu’s surprise, he looked over at Grim, who was seated in Yuu’s lap. The monster grinned and gave Kalim a thumbs-up (paws up?). Kalim then turned back to Jamil. “But I won’t accept you blaming me for everything!”

“Kalim, what are you even–”

“No,” Kalim said with surprising authority and Jamil’s jaw clicked shut, shocking everyone in the room. “Jamil, this is the kind of thing you don’t keep secret! If Najma is in danger… You had a responsibility to say something! She’s like my little sister too!”

“You have like forty other siblings!”

“And I love and care about every single one of them! I get it now, how difficult things are for you, but you still had a responsibility to talk to me about it so we could figure something out together! Or at least someone else! You–You—You’re too prideful Jamil!”

The gobsmacked look on Jamil’s face and the determined and now smiling one on Kalim’s was too much for Yuu stifled a giggle at the absurdity of the exchange.

“I–” Jamil peaked over at Yuu who only shrugged at him. This was his fight, not theirs. He sighed. “Fine. I’ll accept that I do occasionally let my… Pride get in the way.”

“Exactly! We could’ve figured all this out without anything bad happening if you just said something.”

“But–!” Jamil continued, looking annoyed. “Just because I accept your criticism still doesn’t mean we’re friends. We aren’t friends and we never will be.”

Yuu thought for a moment that Kalim was going to protest this, or at least start tearing up. But to their surprise, Kalim just relaxed back in his chair and smiled gently at Jamil.

“Okay.”

“... Okay?”

“Okay,” Kalim repeated. His ruby eyes met Yuu’s as he glanced over at them. “I recently learned that… You can’t force someone to like you, no matter how much you like or care about them.”

The room fell silent once more as those words hung in the air.

“Well then…” Azul said, breaking the silence. “Now that we’ve covered… That . Shall we discuss our plans?”

An hour into the conversation, all semblance of decorum broke down.

“Absolutely not, ” Riddle hissed, springing to his feet, his entire face was red with fury.

Azul glared up cooly at him. “I’m not any more happy with the arrangement than you are. But it is our best bet to get dirt on Abis.”

Yuu opened their mouth to speak but the two men were too engrossed in their argument to notice.

“You will not be having my omega play bait in another one of your ridiculous little schemes,” Riddle said. “And since I last checked, your last few so-called ‘plans’ have not panned out very well.”

“No one plans for an overblot,” Azul replied tersely. “Other than those little hiccups, you’d be a fool to refuse to acknowledge this as the best chance we have.”

Yuu opened their mouth again only to huff in frustration when Azul and Riddle got right back into it, their voices drowning out Yuu’s.

“Excuse me,” Jade suddenly spoke up with a close-eyed smile. “But perhaps we should consult Yuu themself? After all, we’re only offering our assistance in the first place because Yuu wishes to help Jamil and Kalim. Correct?” He directed the last question towards Yuu, mismatched eyes twinkling with amusement.

“Thank you, Jade,” Yuu said. “And yeah, I do have an opinion on all of this if you two are done arguing?” Both housewardens wilted under the pointedly barbed question. Riddle muttered a small apology under his breath and sat back down while Azul coughed as he readjusted his glasses. “Alright then. If that’s all done, I would just like to say that I think it is a good plan. And I don’t mind playing bait again.”

Riddle looked up at them with big pleading eyes, weaponizing his cuteness against them. “Yuu, please .”

Yuu sent him a small reassuring smile. “It’s our best bet, like Azul said. And it’s not as if I’ll be unsafe. You and Trey will be with me this time, right? Azul, Jade, Floyd, Jamil, Kalim… It’s all of us against a single unsuspecting prick. If everything goes according to plan, we can make sure Jamil’s sister is safe and expose a dangerous person in Kalim’s family.”

After all, Abis was only trying to get Kalim disinherited now . But when that failed, how long would it be before he tried something more drastic? Drastic measures that, from Kalim’s recounts, had already been taken against him several times over his entire life. Jamil practically jumped at shadows trying to keep Kalim safe and that was not a baseless paranoia.

“To be fair,” Jamil said. “From all the rumors I’ve heard of you, and from my own experiences… Plans seem to go awry whenever you are concerned, Yuu.”

And to Yuu’s mortification everyone in the room seemed to, for the first time, be on the exact same page and in perfect agreement. There were shared knowing looks, and amused chuckles erupted across the entire room. Yuu’s sputtering reaction only exacerbated the amusement. Yuu shot Jamil a betrayed look.

“Do you want me to help you out or not?” Yuu muttered, crossing their arms and pouting.

“Aw~ Is Shrimpy embarrassed?”

“I believe they are, brother.”

“Their face is almost as red as Goldfishie’s hair!”

Yuu glared at everyone, pout intensifying. “This is bullying…”

PRESENT

 

“We’ve prepared outfits for everyone!”

As they all stepped out from the limo onto the courtyard, Kalim had already begun excitedly sprinting for the building. He barely made it three steps before Jamil caught the back of his headwrap and sighed exasperatedly.

“Kalim. We’re home. We have to act appropriately. I cannot just let you run off to do things I am supposed to do as your servant.”

Kalim shot him a sad puppy-dog expression. “But–!”

“Not buts! You stay put and let me go get the clothes. Or better yet, play host and show our guests to the guest wing. And don’t give me a reason to regret putting my trust in you.”

It was… A start, Yuu thought with a mental grimace. They were unsure if these two would ever be able to reconcile their relationship–especially considering Jamil’s role in Kalim’s life had not technically changed in any meaningful way, no matter how optimistic Kalim was about it.

Jamil shot one last warning glare at Kalim before rushing off to fetch the mysterious “outfits” the two Scarabians had apparently prepared for them all. Meanwhile, Kalim turned to face their entire group, a giant grin on his face.

“Welcome to my home! Follow me!”

As they followed Kalim, Floyd suddenly stepped up beside Yuu with his arms crossed behind his back and grinning slyly at them.

“So then, Shrimpy~ Or should I call you Goldfishie 2.0?” He cackled at his own joke.

“Be careful what you call him ,” Riddle snapped, putting extra emphasis on the pronoun. After all, Yuu was meant to be playing his twin brother. “We don’t know what kind of information Chamberlain Il-Asim has gathered on us.”

Floyd groaned and pouted, “Come on~ No one’s gonna know about Shrimpy~”

“I’m just telling you that we have to be careful.”

“I don’t think that’s going to be that big of a deal,” Trey placated gently. Riddle scrunched up his nose.

“Very well.”

As they entered the building everyone marveled at the impressive architecture surrounding them. Even having seen it once before, Yuu was still blown away by the sight. Azul had a familiar calculating glint in his eye that told Yuu he was cataloging everything he saw for potential future business ventures.

“My great-great-great-grandpa built our house about four hundred years ago!” Kalim said.

Jade rose a brow, a small smirk playing at his lips as he whispered, “This is supposed to be a house?”

“Scarabia dorm was actually built based off of it!” Kalim continued, clearly having not heard Jade’s snide remark. “Papa donated money to the school to have it renovated last year!”

“I remember that,” Trey commented dryly. “Everyone was talking about it at the time.”

Oh , Yuu thought. That certainly explained how Kalim got the job as Housewarden. They smiled humorlessly and sighed. This had Crowley written all over it. This wasn’t to say Yuu didn’t think Kalim had the makings of a good Housewarden–his leadership style was simply different from Jamil’s–but there was an obvious pick between the two.

Kalim rattled off various fun facts about his family home, including funny stories about things he and Jamil used to get up to as children, they continued through the halls. At one point, he was talking about how he and Jamil got into so much trouble for drawing on the walls when Riddle let out a sudden yelp of alarm.

There was a kink in the carpet that Yuu swore hadn’t been there a second ago. Riddle’s foot was the unfortunate one to get caught on it. Yuu’s body acted before they could think, athletic reflexes kicking in, as they lunged forward. For a moment, Yuu was taken back to the stairwell back at NRC when Riddle nearly tripped down the stairs–when Trey actually did –back before Yuu even had an inkling of the other two’s interest in them.

But Yuu was fast enough this time. Their hands wrapped around Riddle’s slender waist, catching the alpha in the middle of his fall. He spun from lack of balance and landed in Yuu’s arms facing them, his gray eyes wide with shock.

There was a burst of giggles from behind a pillar. Two little forms darted out from behind it, sporting the same snow-white hair and shining red eyes as Kalim, and sprinted down the hall. Kalim shouted down at them sternly.

”Hey! Zoya and Zayan! That wasn’t very nice! Papa and Baba taught you to treat our guests better than that!”

Meanwhile, Yuu and Riddle were still staring at one another frozen in place.

“Thank-thank you, Yuu– Tom, ” Riddle hastily corrected himself, still holding onto Yuu’s shoulders for dear life.

“Hey hey~ The ball isn’t until tomorrow night~ Save the dancing for then!” Floyd teased. “And when do I get to be swept off my feet my Shrimpy~? No fair!”

Yuu helped Riddle to his feet and the two hastily broke apart, faces identically red.

“Oh my,” Jade said, holding back a chuckle. “And here I thought Floyd and I had the entire market on twins being teasingly homoerotic staked. You two are supposed to be brothers, right?”

Yuu sputtered. “Excuse-Excuse me? Don’t be so gross, Jade!”

He only shrugged, “I’m just saying. Some of our patrons eat it right up. We could get you two a job at the lounge if you’d like.” His grin was razor sharp.

“Alright you two, knock it off,” Azul said. He eyed Yuu, “But… Jade does have a point.” His voice lowered to a whisper. “If we want to keep up this ruse , you guys should act a little less… Familiar.”

He was right, of course, but Yuu couldn’t help feeling a little miffed and offended.

“Family can be familiar…”

“Family isn’t that kind of familiar.”

Thankfully, Yuu didn’t have to keep up with this horrible conversation as they were saved by Jamil’s sudden arrival, tailed by a line of servants all carrying various boxes wrapped in ribbon. The boxes were passed out to each of them, their individual names all printed in fine gilded calligraphy on the lids.

Including Tom for Yuu’s. A little Harry Potter inside joke of their own that made them giggle to themself and confused all the other boys.

“Alright then, I see none of you have managed to die on your way here,” Jamil commented dryly. “Since that’s the case. Why don’t we move up to the guest rooms so you can all get changed?”

~*~

“I need to have a serious conversation with my parents.” Had been the last thing Kalim told them all before encouraging them to go out and explore the city. Yuu had frowned, not wanting to leave him alone, especially since Kalim hadn’t been there to witness what Yuu had in Jamil’s memories but…

They had to trust that Kalim could navigate this on his own. He would have to, if he ever wanted to stand on equal ground with Jamil and fix their broken bonds.

Azul and the twins had also declined to go sightseeing with them. Apparently Azul had somehow found the time to research and set-up appointments with various merchants and businesses in the little time they had in the past two days.

There were still a lot of unsaid words between Yuu and Azul, but nothing that needed to be said right then, and certainly not with an audience. Yuu was also just glad to be able to finally get some stress-free alone time with their boyfriends.

Speaking of boyfriends…

“He hasn’t answered yet?” Trey asked.

Yuu looked down at Trey’s phone sadly.

Leona: call you back when i get time kitten

Leona: somethings come up

Yuu knew logically that he probably wasn’t upset with them for not answering. Apparently Trey and Riddle had kept him updated on their missing phone situation. Their own phone was still in Jamil’s care just in case Abis tried to take a look at it before they could confront him at the party. But Yuu still felt really bad for not calling him.

Leona did not expand on what “something” was that came up, but Yuu couldn’t help but feel like he was upset with them.

“Don’t worry about it,” Trey said. “From everything I’ve seen, Leona is the type of person who’ll let you know if he’s upset with you.”

Knowing that and feeling that way were two completely different horses.

“How are Grim and the boys doing?” Trey asked, changing the topic.

He could’ve asked for the phone back and checked on his own but allowed Yuu to do it themself which they appreciated. Grim didn’t have his own phone (not that Yuu would trust him with one), but Cater had apparently been texting Trey very consistent updates on the dorm. Almost everyone had gone home at this point, only a few stragglers left. Apparently even those who had originally intended on staying at NRC over the break had decided after everything that happened to go home.

Cay-cay: Send me lots of pictures! (〜￣▽￣)〜

Cay-cay: You guys owe me!!

Cay-cay: image_10952.jpg

Yuu couldn’t help but burst out in laughter when Cater sent them a dramatic selfie with Ace, Grim and Deuce animatedly arguing in the background and half of Cater’s face, clearly annoyed, in the bottom right foreground.

Cay-cay: These three are driving me insane.

Cay-cay: I can’t believe I’m missing some totes amazing cammable spots to babysit 

Cay-cay: AGAIN!

Cay-cay: You guys can’t keep doing this to me /(ㄒoㄒ)/~~

“Someone’s being dramatic,” Riddle muttered, standing on his tippy toes so he could peek over Yuu’s shoulder at the phone. Yuu laughed.

“You’re only saying that because you don’t have to deal with them!”

Trey took the phone back from Yuu and sighed fondly. “I do feel bad leaving Cater behind. Silk City is one of his planned destination spots, plus we were invited to the Asim New Years Ball too.”

Riddle huffed. “Well someone has to watch over those three. I don’t even want to think about what would happen if we had left them in charge alone.”

The three of them shuddered at the thought of it.

“I do feel a little bad for leaving Grim behind,” Yuu confessed.

The little monster had thrown a tantrum of the century when that decision had been made. But between the need to keep their cover from being blown and Yuu honestly being very worried for Grim’s health after he ate another black stone, it was a nonnegotiable point. And no matter how many protests and crocodile tears Grim threw at them, Yuu refused to budge. In the end, Ace and Deuce promised to watch over him for the duration of their mission.

 

Jamil recommended they hit up the Camel Bazaar for lunch. After walking down the promenade and through Asim park together, they arrived at the bazaar just around noon, timing it perfectly. The three quickly spotted the restaurant that Jamil recommended to them that apparently he and his family frequented.

“Line looks long,” Trey said.

He was right. The line stretched out of the entryway and spilled out into the courtyard of the bustling bazaar. Guests further back in line covered themselves in headwraps and veils as protection from the vengeful noon sun. With the New Year's Eve celebrations happening tomorrow, it wasn’t a surprise to see so many people around.

“We could find somewhere else–”

Yuu didn’t get to finish their sentence when an older woman suddenly approached them, her eyes practically sparkling in delight as she took the three of them in.

“Look at you three!” She cooed. “All dressed up for the occasion! Where are you kids from?”

All three of them flushed. Trey rubbed the back of his head bashfully.

“Queendom of Roses, Ma’am,” he answered politely. 

“My, my. Oh, my dear, you must simply let me get a closer look at you,” she cried, looking expectantly at Yuu. “What a pretty omega! And this must be your brother!”

Yuu smiled awkwardly and allowed the older woman to draw them forward. The rich silks and fabrics the Jamil and Kalim had provided swayed with them as they moved. Unlike the last time Jamil had dressed them up in traditional Scalding Sands attire, this outfit covered them head to toe and was set in shades of rose red to match with the Rosehearts family colors, embellished with hints of green and silver. Despite how much fabric there was, it was surprisingly cool to wear.

“I am his brother,” Riddle confirmed tensely. His scent was tinged with a harshness and anger that belied his calm outer demeanor.

The old woman tittered and took a step back. “I’m sorry, my dear! I just can’t help myself when I see such adorable kids walking around! What lovely siblings you are, taking such good care of your omega brother–Oh! The three of you must be hungry!”

Already feeling awkward with the entire situation, Yuu smiled again and shook their head, “No no. We’re fine. We were just–”

Again Yuu was interrupted when their stomach let out a loud and treacherous growl. Their cheeks flushed red.

“Nonsense, nonsense,” the woman said, waving her hand. She walked behind them and patted Trey on the back, already leading him forward. Riddle and Yuu were left with no choice but to hurry after them. “A big strong lad like yourself needs plenty of food! Are you the young omega’s bodyguard? You look rather young.”

“Erm. No… I’m dating their– his brother.”

“Truly!” The woman exclaimed. She beamed back at Riddle. “It’s so wonderful to see young love!”

To their surprise, she led the three of them right towards the busy restaurant Jamil had recommended. She greeted the hostess at the front with the same exuberant cheerfulness she’d shown them and, to their further surprise, the hostess grabbed a few menus and immediately went to seat them down.

Yuu looked back at the long line of people bewildered, expecting to see outraged or annoyed faces as the three of them skipped the entire line. But no one seemed to pay them much mind at all. A few guests closer to the front did sniff the air and cast curious looks over in Yuu’s direction. They ducked their head shyly, unused to this kind of attention and wishing they could drink a suppressant.

“Don’t worry too much about it,” Riddle murmured so that only Yuu could hear. It was loud enough in the restaurant, people laughing and conversing, to cover it. “This is just how omegas are treated in public–especially if you’re unfamiliar to an area. You get used to it if you go out enough. It’s one of the reasons most omegas stay within their known circles.

Sounds stifling and lonely, Yuu thought. Was that how it was for Riddle’s mother?

The old woman seated them down in one of the more private rooms in the back, which came with its own balcony that overlooked the city. It was gorgeous. A gentle breeze ruffled their hair. From here Yuu could see the blue lines of the city canals, stark beside the pale tan and red colors of the landscape, stretching throughout the city and beyond. Yuu could imagine sitting here all day and just taking it in.

To their relief, the woman left them to their own devices after that. Yuu had been somewhat suspicious of her intentions but relaxed when Riddle explained that the woman was probably just trying to ingratiate herself and her establishment to a potential influential customer–all on the assumption that came with Yuu being an omega. That no one threw a fuss about them cutting in line had been due to that reason as well. Seeing an omega out and about in public was enough of a novelty for most people.

It was uncomfortable, to say the least, but Yuu reminded themself that it was only for a couple days.

Jamil was spot on about the food though. It was delicious . Yuu was suddenly reminded that they’d eaten at a restaurant in Twisted Wonderland only once before, with Floyd and Rielle in Atlantis. The people there hadn’t paid too much mind to Rielle, but that could just be due to him frequenting the public and the presence of his guards.

Their meal was served in several courses. As none of them had ever been to such a restaurant before (Trey described The Queendom’s cultural diversity to be “lacking” in his own words), they allowed the old woman, the owner of the restaurant apparently, to recommend their dishes.

The appetizer was served on a sampler platter with smoked eggplant, humus, and cold stuffed grape leaves. Yuu enjoyed a ahtapot salad, which was grilled octopus tossed with tomatoes and onions, and giggled to themself when they remembered Azul’s affronted reaction when Floyd told them his favorite food was octopus. Entrees were then brought out based on some vague preferences each of them gave.

Trey was served a stuffed cabbage dish called etli lahana dolmasi. Riddle and Yuu ended up sharing a plate of yogurtlu karisik, because this was simply too much food , which was char-grilled lamb and chicken over pita bread and covered in a garlic, tomato, and yogurt sauce. 

Trey was most excited about dessert, stating that he’d always been interested in trying authentic baklava. At that point Yuu had been too stuffed to even try any of it, but enjoyed listening to Trey animatedly describe his attempts to recreate the difficult-to-make dessert at home. His amber eyes lit up in interest and he hurriedly pulled out a notebook and pencil from his bag and began taking notes on the flavor notes he was tasting. Yuu and Riddle both burst out laughing.

After lunch, they bid farewell to the old beta woman (who tried to comp their entire meal but Yuu firmly put their foot down on this point–her eyes had glittered when she told Yuu not to lose that spark) and decided to continue sightseeing.

Yuu never did get used to all the people staring, but it was bearable with Trey and Riddle by their side. After everything that had happened over the past week, and even not long before that with Azul and the contract and Leona getting hurt… Yuu couldn’t help the overwhelming warmth and glee they felt bubbling up inside them every time they looked up and saw that Trey and Riddle were actually by their sides.

Riddle had defied his mother to come help them. He and Trey had traveled across an entire ocean just to get to them. There had been so little time to sort out all their feelings and the new development of their relationship after they all made up in Ramshackle a few weeks ago, but now it finally felt like Yuu had a moment to breathe.

Yuu’s fingers twitched, desperately wanting to reach out and grab onto Riddle’s hand and hold it, but Azul’s words of warning echoed in their head and they refrained.

Just a couple more nights. For now, Yuu was content watching Riddle and Trey relax and laugh and enjoy themselves, the affection flowing so easily between them it almost felt like a dream.

Riddle’s carefree smile was like a sunrise, brilliant and precious to behold, his cheeks flushed and his eyes shining with joy. Yuu vowed to protect that smile with everything they had in them.

Grinning to themself, Yuu caught up with the other two. They may not be able to hold Riddle’s hand, but Yuu had no problem attaching themself to Trey’s side, holding his arm captive and laughing when he smiled fondly down at them.

Things weren’t perfect–perhaps they never would be—but for now this was enough.

Notes:

Again, apologies for the wait. I've never taken two months to upload before. I'll do my best to not let it happen again--more so for my own sake because I get really antsy when I don't write for too long because I'm always scared I won't come back to it. And I am very invested in this story.

I don't have much to say beyond that. I hope you are all enjoying the masquerade event! Azul always comes home to me early and this year he decided I deserved TWO copies of his Masquerade SSR in my first ten pulls. And yesterday Idia came home to me at 30 pulls. And Grim at 20 on his banner! To think I saved up 200 rolls for this event as well lol. Malleus better look out!!

Thank you for reading!

Edit: I realized I forgot to include this note. The food they are eating is inspired by the food the gang eats during the Firelit Sky TWST event. However, please note that the food in this chapter is Mediterranean! Again, Aladdin is a weird southeast-Asian and middle-eastern fusion and super culturally vague. Some of the food they eat in the TWST event is Turkish/Ottoman-ish region inspired (which also has roots in Mediterranean cuisine--which makes sense as the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern regions are super geographically close). I just decided to go for a full Mediterranean menu for the restaurant (on the assumption that maybe Scalding Sands has hints of all these countries and cultures in them) instead of a mixed menu which could be a bit culturally insensitive. It's terribly confusing lmao.

But yes. Please note that these were all Mediterranean dishes. Not Indian. Not Middle-Eastern. Mediterranean.

Chapter 39

Summary:

As usual, no beta. Please enjoy!

We meet Kalim's parents in this chapter at last! (in person at least)

ALSO THANK YOU FOR 3000 KUDOS! I love and appreciate all of you <3

“Dance lessons?”

Yuu stared at Kalim across the breakfast table with open surprise only to realize they were the only one doing so. Jade leaned across the table with a smile Yuu did not like one bit.

“Oh? Don’t tell me you didn’t anticipate dancing at a ball?”

“Well. I–”

Yuu’s mouth snapped close. There was really nothing they could say in their own defense. The conclusion was obvious in hindsight. They just hadn’t really given it much thought with everything else going on. But dancing …

Yuu was suddenly very aware that they were surrounded by people who either actually were or just closely associated with nobility. Yuu, of course, came from a modern world and from a decidedly not noble background. Dancing at clubs and at school events was one thing, but the type of dancing that was being discussed now was not in Yuu’s repertoire of skills.

“And you all know how to ballroom dance?” Yuu asked.

Everyone nodded.

“Even Floyd?”

Yuu looked at the tall mer doubtfully. Floyd was currently doing an excellent impression of a ravenous shark as he tore into the heap of food he had piled up onto the plates before him–too distracted to pay any attention to the conversation at all.

Jade chuckled. “Yes. Even Floyd.”

“Great…”

“All the more reason to take Papa and Baba up on their offer!” Kalim exclaimed. “They’ll be more than happy to teach everyone here!”

Riddle cast a dubious look over at him, “I’m sure Lord Asim must be busy with preparations for tomorrow. Besides, won’t it be weird if Tom Rosehearts , my supposed twin brother, did not know how to dance? That was something my mother drilled into me by the age of seven.”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine! Papa is just really excited to meet you all. This is the first time I’ve ever invited friends over after all. And it won’t be weird since you guys don’t know traditional Scalding Sands dances.”

“Hm. Not a bad point,” Riddle conceded. “As long as you’re sure this won’t put our plan at risk.”

“Yuu not knowing how to dance will put us much more at risk,” Jamil pointed out blandly.

Yuu sunk into their seat a bit more, picking at their breakfast with a fork, suddenly not feeling very hungry. This was certainly not how they foresaw their day going.

~*~

To Yuu’s surprise, the banquet hall they were brought to for the dance lessons was the same as the one from Jamil’s memories, where that dancing competition had been held many years ago.

“The actual New Year’s ball will be held in a newer, larger, ballroom that was built just a few years ago,” Jamil explained. “This one is typically reserved for smaller and more intimate gatherings.”

Yuu balked at the statement. A smaller and “intimate” gathering to them meant a handful of friends and families. This was just another reminder of how different their life was compared to the others. Trey, noticing their discomfort, leaned down and whispered conspiratorially, “I’m also kind of overwhelmed.”

Yuu grinned up at him, anxieties immediately forgotten. “Ah. I guess us commoners need to stick together then?”

“I believe Cater uses the term ‘peasants’ on Magicam.”

Yuu snorted and Riddle looked back and raised a brow at the both of them.

Kalim’s parents were already waiting when their group arrived. Kalim bounded up to them, first paying his father a respectful bow before throwing his arms around the man’s shoulders. He then moved over to place a kiss on his dam’s cheek.

Kamran looked hardly changed from how he did in Jamil’s memories. His hair was just as dark and full as several years ago, though Yuu thought they may have spotted one or two strands of white in it. His skin was a warm brown, a shade darker than Kalim’s, and spotted with freckles that suggested he spent many hours under the sun. He had Kalim’s eyes–or rather, Kalim had Kamran’s, and they shone with a rare gleam of kindness.

Those red eyes flitted across their little group with interest. Yuu was so used to the schemes of the residents of Night Raven that it was a surprise to have someone stare at them, especially with Azul and the twins in their group, with such open unguardedness. Lord Asim’s smile grew brighter when his gaze fell upon Jamil, eyes softening with fondness the same way they had when he looked at Kalim.

“This is my father, Lord Kamran Asim!” Kalim announced. “And this is my dam, Noble Aamirah Asim!”

Kalim’s dam was clearly the one he and his siblings had inherited their snow white hair from. Aamirah Asim wore their hair in a long braid that fell over one shoulder and was so long it nearly touched the floor. They were the picture of omegan beauty. Noble Asim sat regally beside their husband, hands folded in their lap, and they smiled gently at everyone with dark hazel eyes.

Noble Asim was the second omega Yuu had met in this world and they couldn’t help but stare.

Floyd gave them a meaningful elbow in the side, grin widening when Yuu shot a glare up at him.

“It’s so wonderful to meet you all!” Lord Asim said, his voice booming across the banquet hall. “It’s very rare for Kalim to bring home friends. I hope your accommodations have been to your satisfaction.”

“Thank you for your hospitality,” Azul and Riddle both said in near perfect unison, and immediately whipped their heads around to sharply look at one another, faces identically annoyed. Chuckles broke out amongst the rest of the group and the two quickly grew flustered instead.

“Such polite boys!” Aasmirah noted, laughing. “There’s no need to thank us. It is our pleasure.”

“And Jamil!” Lord Asim turned to Jamil. “It’s wonderful to have you home. I hope you’ve been enjoying yourself at school?”

“I have, Lord Asim.”

“Now, now. There’s no need to be so formal with your Uncle Kamran! Where did the cute little boy who used to tail after me disappear off to? Oh how they grow up so fast. I remember when you and Kalim would toddle around and follow me meeting to meeting, begging me for snacks!”

A dusting of pink appeared on Jamil’s cheeks as his eyes shifted off to the side uncomfortably. “That–that’s–”

Aasmirah cleared their throat pointedly at Kamran, expression fond but exasperated, “Husband. Leave the poor boy alone. You’re nearly as bad as Kalim.”

“Eh?” Kalim stared at his dam owlishly. “Baba, what do you mean!”

Yuu giggled at the scene, unable to help themself. This had not been what they were expecting for meeting Lord and Noble Asim for the first time. They’d only ever seen Kamran Asim from the perspective of Jamil, and maybe it was too early to tell but it seemed as if Jamil’s view of the situation was not entirely reflective of reality.

Kalim’s parents seemed to adore Jamil as their own child.

Jamil, of course, was unwilling to step past that formal line separating the two worlds they occupied. Which was to be expected from just that one memory of Jamil’s father alone. But it did bring up a hungry curiosity in Yuu, wondering exactly what happened in this family for it to end up with Jamil being relegated to the position of Kalim’s resentful slave.

But it wasn’t Yuu’s place to pry.

Kalim had not divulged what he had spoken with his parents about yesterday. Yuu needed to trust that he and Jamil would figure it out.

More pressing at the moment was the daunting task of learning to dance in a single afternoon, one which loomed before Yuu. Despite having faced off four overblotted mages, this somehow felt far more impossible of a feat.

Yuu took a deep breath and mentally prepared themself for the next few hours. 

Kamran and Aasmirah turned out to be wonderful teachers, Yuu soon found out. They had the entire group split off into pairs and swapped off every five minutes so everyone got a chance to dance with someone new.

Only Jamil and Kalim pointedly did not pair up at all during this period.

As alphas outnumbered the betas five-to-two–and then there was also Yuu–almost everyone got the chance to dance the roles of lead and follow. Yuu did note that Kalim did not dance the part of the follower once, nor did Riddle. No one explained why but Yuu was perceptive enough to put together that this was just customary as alpha heirs to prominent families.

Overall, the lessons weren’t as bad as Yuu had feared. It was obvious that Trey and Yuu were the most inexperienced of the group but they weren’t terrible either. At some point, when Yuu actually began to internalize the steps and movements, the dancing actually started to become fun .

What was even more fun though was watching Kamran and Aasmirah’s demonstrations. When they got close to each other, it was like watching two puzzle pieces fitting together. When they moved, it was as a single unit and as if the entire world around them faded away until they were lost in one another. Kalim definitely got his infectious smile from his father who couldn’t stop grinning as he danced with his mate. Aasmirah as well seemed to melt into his side, their long curly hair a trail of white behind them as they spun and danced.

It reminded Yuu of their own parents and their heart ached at the comparison.

Three hours in they decided to end for the day.

“Let’s meet again tomorrow before the ball for a refresher,” Lord Kamran announced jubilantly. “Though I honestly don’t think you kids need it. You all did wonderful today!”

He was being too generous with that statement, Yuu thought. But they did feel like they got most of what they needed down–enough to pass as a properly raised omega for a single night at least. If anything, they could always blame any mishaps on the nerves of attending a big public venue for the first time–and it wouldn’t even be a lie.

As they all got their things together, the scent of blooming jasmines caught Yuu’s attention. They looked up and saw that Noble Aasmirah had approached them and was staring down at Yuu with dark friendly eyes.

“Would you mind taking a walk with me, my dear?”

Yuu stared up at the other omega with widened eyes. They looked around, trying to not appear panicked, but saw that Kalim was busy talking to his father and the twins about something. Trey and Riddle were also engrossed in their own little conversation. Jamil and Azul seemed to be getting along for the first time ever as well.

“Um… Sure?”

Which was how Yuu found themself walking down the hallway outside with the much taller omega, unsure of what to say or what Kalim’s dam wanted from them.

“How are you finding the Asim residence? I hope you've not found anything lacking,” Noble Asim asked kindly.

“It-It’s been great,” Yuu stuttered. “It’s very big.”

Aasmirah laughed, “Yes. Yes it is. When I was a child, I used to live near the Sultan’s palace. Even that wasn’t as big as the Asim residence. It does take time to grow used to.” They chuckled.

“I’ve never been anywhere this big,” Yuu said honestly. Skyscrapers were one thing, but it wasn’t like Yuu was frequenting those anyways back in their own world. The guest rooms they’d been provided as well had been nearly as big as the apartment they shared with their parents! “It’s intimidating.”

“I know the feeling. But you have friends here with you, so that should make things less scary. Though… I can’t say I’m surprised Kalim has made friends with such a rowdy colorful bunch! I’m sure they’re a handful for you too, Yuu.”

“Yeah, haha, that’s–”

The word “true” died on Yuu’s tongue. They froze, a cold realization washing over them when they finally registered that Kalim’s dam had just used their real name.

“You-You know who I am?”

“Hm?” Aasmirah hummed, then laughed. “Oh! Yes, of course I do! But don’t worry, your secret is perfectly safe with me, my dear. I’m not sure what sort of trouble you kids are getting up to, but I won’t spoil your fun.” They winked at Yuu.

Yuu sputtered.

“But-But- how?”

“How could I not when Kalim has been texting me nonstop for the past week about this pretty beta he’s been so enamored with!” Aasmirah howled with laughter that echoed off the halls. It was so loud and unrestrained and the first non-omegan manner they had portrayed that Yuu was left starstruck. They had Noble Asim pegged for a prim and proper omega, but here they were guffawing like there was no tomorrow.

Aasmirah wiped a tear from their eye, “Oh, haha. Forgive me, my dear. The way he looks at you. How could I not tell? It simply reminded me of his father. Such headstrong but empty-headed alphas, those two. Sweet as anything though. I never did think I’d live to see the day anyone could draw Kalim’s attention away from Jamil. I am surprised to find out that you are an omega though.”

“It’s… It’s supposed to be a secret,” Yuu whispered. They glanced around nervously, worried that anyone could be listening in. “Please don’t tell.”

Aasmirah patted their hand comfortingly. “You have my word, child. I already promised to do so.”

Yuu nodded, words stuck in their throat. They didn’t know what to say. Hell, they didn’t know what to do . How much did Aasmirah know about who they were or their circumstances? The Noble was exactly the type of person with political influence that Yuu didn’t want finding out the truth. But the cat was out of the bag now.

A thing Aasmirah said did catch Yuu’s attention though.

“You… So you know about Kalim’s feelings for Jamil then?”

“My Kalim has been in love with that boy since the day they met as children. I’d be a pretty awful dam to have not noticed.”

“Then, if you’ve known that for so long… Why betroth Kalim to someone else? Why…” Why indenture Jamil to Kalim’s side? But Yuu hesitated, unsure if now, if ever, was the time for them to ask such a question.

Noble Asim sighed then, their dark eyes gaining a far-off look and they suddenly appeared ten years older. “There is a difference between love and duty, my child. Sometimes we cannot have what we want most in life.”

“But that’s not fair,” Yuu said before they could stop themself. “Kalim deserves to be happy.” Jamil deserved to be happy.

Instead of taking offense though, Aasmirah just smiled melancholy at Yuu.

“You know… Kamran and I did not love each other when we first met,” they confessed.

Yuu was surprised to hear this, especially after witnessing Kalim’s parents’ clear love for one another in the banquet hall.

“That love did not come for many years. And it was a difficult flower to nurture and grow.” Aasmirah continued. “Especially since… Kamran’s heart belonged to another.”

~*~

As Papa continued to talk with Azul and Jade and Floyd, Kalim found his eyes wandering across the room. He made a soft noise of surprise when he realized that his dam had vanished.

Yuu as well.

Ah. Baba must be showing them around! There was nothing to be worried about then. Yuu was in good hands. Though…

Yuu would likely be nervous, Kalim thought with a frown. He hadn’t missed how anxious the beta- omega could be (Kalim was still trying to get that correct). During the period Jamil had him under his spell, Kalim’s mind had centered completely around this false image of Yuu he’d built up in his head. The vision Jamil had painted of the lovely beta from another world.

Even now, his heart gave a little quiver at the thought of his once-infatuation. Despite knowing that his feelings had been induced and therefore technically were not real…

… He had still felt them, right?

For Kalim, that was real enough.

He hadn’t known Jamil for very long either before Kalim’s heart started skipping beats around the other boy. Maybe it was childish of him but Kalim believed in love at first sight.

So no, his feelings for Yuu weren’t built on anything real, but was that really much different than falling in love with a stranger at first sight?

Of course, none of that meant anything unless Yuu was willing to reciprocate his affections. And Kalim was certain that was the last thing Yuu wanted at the moment. Kalim would forgive Jamil for nearly anything, but he couldn’t forgive him on Yuu’s behalf.

Yuu was still trying their best to be kind, but Kalim did not miss the way Yuu kept a respectable distance between them at all times.

It stung a little bit, but that was okay too. Kalim was just glad everything seemed to be working out in the end, even though there was still more work to be done.

Speaking of which…

Kalim turned away from his father and twins and Azul and surveyed the room again. Riddle and Trey were speaking softly to one another, faces soft and leaning into each other’s spaces like it was the easiest thing in the world. Kalim felt a small pang of envy at that sight, wondering if that was something he’ll ever get to experience.

He shook his head to banish the feeling.

There was no use dwelling on the negative things in this short life. Not when there was joy and laughter to be made.

Moving on from the couple, Kalim’s eyes finally fell on Jamil’s form. His best friend was leaning against the wall in the distance, face turned away from the group and arms crossed.

Kalim frowned.

Something was wrong.

He broke off from the group and approached Jamil. The other alpha didn’t even seem to notice him. That familiar and comforting scent of chai and incense was tinged with a sourness that set the hairs on Kalim’s neck on-end. As he drew closer, he saw that Jamil was looking away because his expression was pained. Sweat painted his brow.

“Jamil! Are you okay–?”

Jamil sent him a withering glare, teeth bared as he hissed, “ Shh– Shut up before anyone hears you!” His voice was labored.

“Jamil–”

“Not here. Outside.”

Without waiting for Kalim’s response, Jamil marched off. To anyone else, he probably looked normal. But to Kalim, who had paid Jamil attention his whole life, there was a subtle unsteadiness to Jamil’s gait. Kalim pressed his nails into the palms of his hands in worry. Could Jamil be hurt?

They stepped out onto the balcony. The late afternoon sun had doused the world in shades of red and orange, painting long stretches of shadows across the city Kalim loved and called home. But appreciating Silk City’s beauty could wait. As soon as they were out of sight and hearing range of the other, Kalim rushed to Jamil’s side frantically trying to assess what was wrong.

Could Jamil have been poisoned? He had insisted on returning to his duties as food taster since they’d returned, if only to keep up appearances, despite Kalim protesting otherwise. But Kalim wasn’t as smart as Jamil and found every one of his arguments being expertly torn down by the other alpha. At one point, Jamil unfairly brought up Yuu and Najima’s safety as reasoning for why he had to keep up the pretense and Kalim finally accepted defeat.

And now Jamil was looking faint and sickly.

Kalim was a horrible friend.

“Are you sick? Are you hurt? Do I need to call a doctor?”

Jamil waved him off impatiently and Kalim bit back the whimper he knew would annoy the other alpha.

“I’m fine. And no, I'm not poisoned.”

“Then what’s wrong? Please tell me. You clearly aren’t fine!”

Jamil finally looked Kalim in the eyes, his own dark irises weary and tired.

“ Please , Jamil. We’re supposed to be a team, right? At least until we save Najima?”

That seemed to finally crack through Jamil’s walls and he let out a sigh.

“It’s… It’s the blot,” Jamil admitted with a wince. “I haven’t received post-blot treatment yet and I’m starting to feel the consequences of it.” Kalim sucked in a sharp breath. “It’s not as bad as whatever you’re picturing, idiot. It’s just fatigue and discomfort, mostly. I just need to… I just need to last until we expose that fucker and save my sister.”

Kalim didn’t fight the whine this time. His fingers flexed, itching to reach forward and pat his friend down, check him over physically and make sure he was alright. Instead he let them curl again, digging his fingers into his palms until it hurt. This was exactly the thing Kalim had been arguing about back in Scarabia! And now Jamil was suffering again .

And Kalim was as hopeless as ever to help him.

“We should tell Baba at least,” Kalim begged. “They’re good at keeping secrets!”

“No. No one can know. We cannot risk jeopardizing–”

Jamil cut himself off when they heard the sound of the balcony door opening.

“Hello, boys. Have either of you seen–” Papa cut himself off when he finally looked at them. “--Is Jamil okay?”

Kalim frowned when Jamil immediately stood up straighter, hiding his discomfort behind a schooled expression.

“I’m fine, Lord Asim. Kalim and I were just talking about tomorrow evening.”

Kalim nearly opened his mouth to say something. It would be so easy to just tell his father everything right then and there and force Jamil to get the help he needed. He could tell Papa and then just ignore it when Jamil inevitably got mad at him. That was the right thing to do, right? At least then Jamil wouldn’t be hurting, he’d just be mad. Kalim could handle mad.

Kalim kept his mouth closed.

It was nearly unbearable. Kalim wondered how other people did this, worrying all the time. It was like a stone had been dropped into his stomach and he was being forced to carry it around. While Kalim was no stranger to crying, this feeling made him want to sob .

But… Kalim wondered why it felt like letting go of that stone would mean letting go of Jamil as well.

Perhaps for good this time.

“We’re okay, Papa,” Kalim finally said cheerfully. If there was one thing he was good at, it was putting on a happy face. If he couldn’t be happy on the inside… Then at least he could try and make other people around him joyful and live worry-free.

Papa must’ve bought it because his eyes crinkled at the edges. After a few more words, he returned back indoors leaving Kalim and Jamil alone again.

“... You didn’t say anything.”

Kalim glanced over at Jamil, who was staring at him with weary eyes once again. So Kalim just smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head.

“I told you before. I’m determined for us to be equals! Which means I can’t make decisions for you anymore even if I really don’t agree with you! I still think you should tell someone and get treatment though!”

Jamil scrutinized him for a moment, expression unreadable, and then he scoffed. The tension between them broke.

“My only problem right now is you making me repeat myself.”

“That's because you won’t listen to reason, Jamil!” Kalim exclaimed teasingly.

“As if I’d take advice from you… Now come on. It’s nearly dinner time and I’ve got chores to do.”

“No food tasting!”

“I told you to stop making me repeat myself, idiot.”

~*~

Yuu listened to Aasmirah Asim’s story in a daze.

No only had their cover been blown this whole time (for now, Yuu just had to trust that Aasmirah Asim would keep their promise to them), but Aasmirah had also just dropped the hottest tea Yuu had ever heard. Cater was probably rolling in his bed back at Night Raven.

Kalim’s father, Lord Kamran Asim had been in love with Hasan Viper, Jamil’s father.

Hasan Viper, who had also been Kamran’s personal servant throughout their childhood.

“History has a way of repeating itself,” the older omega said wistfully. “I was against it but Kamran always mourned the love he could never have. He wanted, at the very least, for our sons to be close. After Hasan married Jamil’s mother, he began to distance himself and pull away from Kamran. No matter what my dear husband did or said, he could not restore their friendship to what it once was… It broke his heart.”

“So placing Jamil as Kalim’s servant was supposed to… What? Let Lord Asim live vicariously through Kalim and Jamil?” Yuu cringed at the idea of it.

“In a sense. But Kamran and I also love that boy as our own. For Kamran… Jamil is the child he could’ve had with Hasan.”

Yuu couldn’t help the slight flare of anger in their chest at the comment and snapped, hotter than they intended, before they could stop themself. “Indentured servitude is not something a parent does to a child they claim to love.”

Aasmirah’s expression fell into forlornness.

“You sound so much like my sweet Kalim… He spoke to us yesterday, you know? I assume you had something to do with that.”

Yuu shook their head. “I promised not to involve myself. But it wasn’t just me. It was all of us. All of Kalim and Jamil’s friends. They deserve better.”

Aasmirah shook their head as well, their snow white hair swaying to the motion behind them. “There are some things that are even beyond us. Kamran, though Lord to the house of Asim, married and mated me out of obligation. And I to him. We are luckier than most to have found love in what we have. But people like us… Omegas and nobles alike… Duty is the death of love, my child. It is the freedom we sacrifice for the power and luxuries we enjoy. Kalim loves Jamil, yes, but the most he can ever hope for is friendship which Kamran and I provided.”

Did they not know then? Did they not know the toll which was taken on Jamil everytime he had to lower himself just to be around Kalim? Did they not see the way this power dynamic chipped away at the very foundations of this “friendship” they so wanted to nurture for their son?

Yuu yearned to say something but kept their mouth shut. Jamil’s secrets were his own to keep. And outing his struggles to those in charge of putting him in that position could very well backfire in ways Yuu couldn’t anticipate.

“It shouldn’t be that way,” Yuu said instead, voice thick with emotion now. “I won’t ever mate someone I don’t care for. We should all get a choice in what we sacrifice. I wouldn’t trade those I love for all the power in the world.”

Aasmirah smiled softly at them, their expression tinged with sadness.

“Then I wish you all the blessings in the world that you are granted your wish, my child.”

~*~

“Mmm… Where are you going…?” Trey’s groggy voice floated towards Yuu's ears.

Yuu shushed him gently. “Just getting some fresh air. Go back to sleep, love.”

Trey mumbled something unintelligible and rolled over, practically smooshing Riddle with his body and Yuu held back a chuckle at the sight. Yuu had been given their own rooms for the duration of their stay (as was proper for an unmated omega in the Scalding Sands apparently) but found themselves in Riddle and Trey’s anyway. Back on campus, everyone still technically had to sleep in their own dorm rooms, and while occasional exceptions could be made (like Ramshackle movie nights) there was no way Riddle could abide by breaking those rules for long–lest he popped a blood vessel or two. Fortunately, there were no such rules restricting them here and Yuu was going to take full advantage of that fact.

But for now they needed some cool night air to clear their head. Sleep had been eluding them for hours, especially after that very emotionally charged conversation with Aasmirah Asim.

As Yuu slipped from the room and strolled leisurely down the halls of the Asim palace, they were overcome with a sense of deja vu. Even under the darkness of night, it was obvious that this palace had been the inspiration for Scarabia dorm. The key differences being, aside from the scale, was that Scarabia dorm did not have fully trained and armed guards patrolling the courtyards and hallways. They gave the guest wings a wide-berth though, likely to avoid scaring the guests, but Yuu had no doubt whatever wing of the palace Kalim and his siblings slept in was guarded to the teeth.

About ten minutes into Yuu’s stroll though, the sound of someone singing reached their ears.

I want to be where the people are.

I want to see, want to see them dancing.

Standing with his back to them and looking out from the balcony was Azul. His voice was melodious and pleasing to the ear as he sang. However, despite the seemingly happy words and the major key the tune was in, something about it was… Sad and bittersweet. It also sounded strangely familiar, though Yuu couldn’t place their finger on it. They stopped and listened, not wanting to interrupt the moment.

Up where they walk, up where they run,

Up where they stay all day in the sun.

Azul’s voice rose to hit a strong high note which echoed and trailed off into the cold blue night. He held the silence there for several extended seconds before beginning again in a softer tone.

Wandering free. Wish I could be…

… Part of that world.

Yuu suddenly realized why it sounded familiar. It was the melody from the music box Azul had gifted Rielle as a child. The one that had been shattered in a fit of childish peer pressure.

“You sing beautifully.”

Azul whirled around in shock. He had forgone his usual hat and glasses, leaving his face open and free of shadows, and his silvery hair fell in messy strands around his face, unstyled this late at night. He wore only a loose button down shirt and slacks for lounging. He appeared completely unguarded for the first time since the ephemeral bond they shared.

“Sorry,” Yuu said with a sheepish grin. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

Azul coughed, reaching up to readjust his glasses when he realized he wasn’t wearing them and he blushed. “Not at all. You didn’t startle me. I just… Didn’t expect anyone else to be up this late.”

Yuu raised a brow but didn’t say anything. Instead, they approached the beta and leaned up on the balcony next to him. The night breeze felt refreshing blowing through their hair.

“I didn’t know you could sing.”

“Ah. Well… Singing is one of the few rare talents I have that I didn’t acquire through sheer hard work or… Other means.” He rambled a bit, still trying to gather himself after Yuu practically ambushed him in an unguarded moment. “It’s actually something I’m quite proud of.”

Yuu leaned their head on their arms and looked up at him with a grin. “Ya know… With a voice like that, you could just become a famous singer instead of amassing wealth using those… Other means, as you put it.”

Azul sniffed indignantly. “Not a chance in all the seven seas. It’s one thing to sing to myself or to sing for a grade in class. But before a giant audience? No thank you. Besides, I hardly have time for such a time consuming career when making deals is much more lucrative.”

“Oh? But you aren’t denying that you could become a famous singer.”

At last, Azul cracked a small smile that sent something aflutter in Yuu’s stomach.

“I’m benevolent, my dear Prefect, not modest . I can do anything I put my mind to.”

Yuu laughed and Azul’s eyes sparkled in response.

“But you on the other hand,” Azul continued once Yuu’s laughter had died down.

“Me?”

“Why, based on today’s performance, I’d say you could become a professional dancer.”

Yuu’s grin turned into a scowl. “Don’t make fun of me, Azul. We all know I did terribly today.”

“On the contrary, Yuu. We were all very impressed with how fast you picked things up. I think you are underestimating yourself because you were surrounded by those of us who have had formal dance training for years.”

“Trey didn’t know either! Also what do you mean years? I know for a fact that Floyd told me you guys went to some land boot camp!”

Azul waved a hand in the air flippantly. “We still had formal dances under the sea, and I have been attending formal events on the surface since I was a child. The boot camp was more for everyday things.”

“I still don’t believe you…”

Azul’s grin turned a bit sharper. “Consider this then… If you were truly so hopeless I would’ve just made a Deal with you to temporarily give you the dance skills necessary.”

“Azul!”

Azul laughed when Yuu smacked his arm in playful indignation. It was a far cry from his usual maniacal laughter or dastardly chuckles, and Yuu realized that this was the first time they’d ever heard Azul’s real and unmasked laughter.

It was as melodious and beautiful as his singing.

“Did you really think I’d leave any corner of this plan unaccounted for? Especially where your chaotic energies are involved, my dear?”

Yuu scrunched up their nose at him. “I do not have chaotic energies! I’m just constantly surrounded by chaotic mages which is hardly my fault.”

“I think the omega doth protest too strongly.”

“You’re incorrigible .”

They lapsed into silence and Yuu was surprised to find how comfortable it was. A week ago they would’ve been struggling to find a way to fill it, or to simply get out of his presence. Yuu glanced up at Azul out of the corner of their eye, eyes falling onto the mole at the corner of Azul’s lips. They’d never really allowed themself to admit it before, too caught up in anger and hurt and vulnerability, but Azul was actually very handsome.

He must’ve noticed their staring, because Azul coughed into a fist and his cheeks flared up red again. “Is there something on my face?”

Yuu hummed. “No. I was just thinking.”

“About?”

“About making a deal.”

Azul turned to them, eyebrows rose to his hairline. “You. Make a deal with me? Yuu, you know that I was merely joking about the dancing thing right?”

“Oh? So you don’t actually think I have any skill?”

It was Azul’s turn to scowl.

“I didn’t say that,” he snapped without any heat. “You look just as mesmerizing on the dance floor as you do on the spelldrive field. With a little more polish than just a single lesson, you would be amazing–” He cut himself off, cheek flushing even redder. “Forget I said anything.”

Yuu bit their cheek to hold back a laugh.

“How’s about this then?” Yuu said. “If I ever get a chance to dance before a crowd… You gotta sing before one too.”

Azul looked like he was considering whether or not to play along before he let out a sigh and shook his head, his shoulders shaking with laughter. When he looked up, his eyes were shining again, reflecting back the moonlight and Yuu’s own grinning face.

“Alright, Yuu. It’s a deal.”

He held out his hand. Yuu regarded it for a second before placing their hand in his. They yelped when Azul suddenly raised his arm. Yuu’s body moved on instinct, remembering their dance lessons earlier in the day, as Azul led them into a spin. Their surprised yelp morphed into laughter, finishing the movement closer to Azul than before.

Yuu grinned up at him.

“It’s a deal, Azul Ashengrotto.”

Notes:

I tried my best to channel my inner shoujo anime demon for the last scene. I hope it paid off. If there are two things I want this fic to be they are: A) a sports anime, and b) a shoujo anime lol. Might have to rewatch Ouran as study material. (Fun fact: I began my fanfiction journey as a 12 year old writing really really shitty ouran high school host club fanfic and I think it fucking shows lmao)

Kalim also out here channeling his inner Sora from Kingdom hearts with that Naminé business.

Anyways, there's a whole backstory for Jamil and Kalim's parents that I came up with that I've been debating for months whether or not to include. I decided that I'd throw in bits and pieces but I'm not going to expand on it beyond that.

And don't be too harsh on Aasmirah. Everyone in this family is blinded by duty and what is proper. It's just their culture and how they grew up, even if it makes them miserable. Every culture has traditions that do that. Kalim, at least, is going to try his best to break this cycle of hurt.

I anticipate 2 more chapters in this arc. The ball is the next chapter. And then we'll finally get back to the rest of the cast at NRC.

(And yes, I did accidentally write in a Game of Thrones quote. I only realized on my proof reading. Aasmirah Asim watches GoT canon now I guess.)

Chapter 40

Notes:

Apologies for the long wait! Life got very busy (I graduated! I finally got my bachelors in engineering!!).

I'm on a trip right now to visit family and meant to get this out like two weeks ago, but we're here now. Hopefully I have more time to update this before my new job starts later this year! So many life changes ahhhhhhhhhh.

Please enjoy~ <3

The morning of the ball, Jamil and Kalim came around to drop off specially tailored formal wear to each of their Night Raven guests.

“Baba had this one fitted for you,” Kalim told Yuu excitedly. “Baba said that they wore this when they first met the Sultan, and that they want you to have it now!”

Yuu took the box from him with careful hands, letting out an involuntary gasp when they opened the box and saw its contents. A vibrant shade of turquoise, reminiscent of the domed roofs of the Asim palace, met their eyes. When Yuu saw and felt the expensive fabric between their fingers, words of panicked protest immediately flew to their tongue.

“I-I can’t accept this! This is too much.”

Kalim only laughed. “Of course you can! Papa buys Baba new clothes all the time. They won’t be hurt giving away one outfit.”

That’s beside the point! Yuu wanted to shout.

To their surprise, Jamil stepped in to back Kalim up. “Noble Asim wants you to have this gift from them. It would be very rude to turn it down.”

“Jamil has a point, Tom,” Riddle said. “Section two of chapter five in Rules and Etiquette of Scalding Sands Nobility states very clearly that turning down gifts from someone of higher nobility would be a damaging offense. You did say that you read it, right?”

Yuu had said that and, to be fair, this statement was technically true. Yuu had technically read the ridiculously large tome that Riddle bought when they were out browsing the markets–though ‘skimmed’ may be a more appropriate term. And even if Yuu had read the entire thing, they certainly did not have Riddle’s ridiculous memory for rules.

“Okay but…” When Riddle’s eyes narrowed in suspicion Yuu sighed loudly. “ Fine . I graciously accept this ridiculously expensive gift. Please… Please give your dam my utmost gratitude, Kalim.”

Kalim beamed at them.

Yuu fingered the fabric again. The silk material was perhaps the most luxurious thing they’d ever felt. Maybe… it wasn’t as bad as they were making it out to be.

 

Yuu was in the middle of slipping on the last piece of the formal wear when Trey’s phone rang from the bedside table. Yuu glanced up through the sheer fabric.

“Is it Cater?”

Trey strolled across the room to grab the phone. His shirt was off as he was also in the middle of dressing for the ball, giving both Yuu and Riddle a delicious glimpse of his bare pale torso. For a man who liked to bake and eat pastries as much as he did, Trey was surprisingly ripped, with sculpted abs on display that Yuu promised they were appreciating respectfully .

“Hello? Oh. Yes. They are.”

Trey looked over at Yuu.

“It’s Leona.”

Yuu quickly abandoned the infuriating gauzy material they’d been attempting to wrap around themself (following some vague directions Jamil had given them earlier), tossing the fabric (gently) over a chair, and practically teleported across the room to Trey’s side. The beta’s eyes widened but then he laughed at their palpable excitement before handing the phone over to them.

Yuu held it up to their ear delicately. “Leona…?”

“Kitten. So what’s this I hear about you getting up to trouble again?”

Riddle and Trey left the room to give Yuu a bit of privacy, stating that they were going to take a stroll through the gardens before the ball began. Yuu had been appreciative and vowed to give them both plenty of love and affection when they returned. But in the meantime, Yuu had been sorely missing Leona.

It was moments like this when Yuu wondered how they were going to bear leaving this all behind to go home.

“... And now we’re here,” Yuu finished explaining the events of the past several days. Leona had gotten some of it over text but this was the first time he’d had everything laid out in front of him.

He let out a long sigh on the other end of the line.

Yuu frowned, a familiar feeling of guilt starting to rise in them when Leona spoke again.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t be there for you.”

Yuu startled, blinking rapidly at the unexpected response. “Oh–! You don’t have to apologize, Leona. I heard that you and Ruggie have been busy with something important. Hell, I didn’t even expect Riddle and Trey to show up when they did.”

“Mm. Regardless, it’s my duty to take care of ya and I wasn’t there. I know you can handle yourself usually, but this whole thing is kind of crazy even for you. A political coup, kitten? Really?”

“It’s not like I’m trying to find trouble. It finds me! Anyway…” Yuu coughed, wanting to change the subject. They’ve already gotten an ear-full enough from their other friends on this topic. “Why haven’t you been able to call?” Yuu tried to keep the accusation out of their voice, but if the low chuckle in their ear was of any indication, they didn’t succeed.

“Been workin’ on a project with Bucchi over break.”

“The great Leona Kingscholar willingly volunteering for extra work? Pinch me, I must be dreaming,” Yuu teased.

“Oh ho, you’ll get more than a pinching from me, minx,” Leona shot back. “And you don’t have a square foot of ground to stand on, kitten, considering it’s your fault I’m doing all this in the first place.”

Yuu blinked in surprise. “ My fault?”

He grunted in confirmation.

“But I don’t even know what you’re doing?”

“I’ll tell ya eventually. For now... Consider my silence on the matter your punishment for getting into more shit.” The shit-eating grin was audible. “I know you love to blame that furball of yours, but some days I actually think you’re the real instigator.”

“Ouch.”

“To answer your question though, I’ve been doin’ some work in an area of high security. No cameras. No phones. No communication devices.”

“How mysterious.”

“More like a fucking drag. But… I think Ruggie and I have laid out some good ground work. I’ll tell ya all about it if you get back to school in one piece.”

Yuu smirked. “Oh? Don’t tell me you don’t have faith in my abilities? I have survived four separate overblots, believe it or not.”

“I try to not think about it actually,” Leona grumbled. But then his voice grew mischievous, in that low and rumbly way that set Yuu’s entire body on fire. “What I mean to say is, when you get back to school in one piece as I much prefer to take you apart and put you back together myself.”

Yuu felt their entire face light up red. Leona was practically purring on the other end of the line. But never one to back down from his teasing, Yuu quickly shot back, “You’ll have to catch me first, lazy lion.”

“Ho? Careful with your words, kitten. Those are challenging words to a hunter. You should be more careful playing with dangerous beasts.”

“I’m something of a beast tamer myself, or so I’ve been told.”

“You don’t say.” Leona was grinning. “Beast tamer, eh? I think I’ve warned you about poaching before, kitten. But from what I’ve heard, you acquired quite a few new acquisitions. Kalim Al-Asim, eh?”

“In my defense!” Yuu began hastily, “He was brainwashed! Those feelings weren’t even real!”

“Oh I’m sure you love to tell yourself that, little minx.” He snickered. “And then there’s the other three… The cephelo-bastard and his pet eels, kitten? Really? After everything they’ve done?” His voice was still teasing and mostly light-hearted, but there was an edge of concern and disapproval to it that Yuu did not miss.

Yuu wanted to protest that it wasn’t like that. But memories of the previous night rose up in their head. The way Azul had looked under the glow of the moonlight. The way his voice soothed as he serenaded the night itself. They way they’d laughed and teased each other so easily. The way he’d held their hand gently as he led them into a spin. They way that Yuu’s heart had beat when they looked at him, no longer filled with anger and hate and fear…

Instead, the only thing Yuu could say was:

“Are you mad?”

“Mad? Nah. Concerned though? More than a little. Your little card king and queen have expressed similar thoughts.”

Riddle and Trey have spoken to Leona about this?

“Hey. Don’t sweat about it too much. I can hear you overthinkin’ all the way over here,” he said. “I’m concerned because I wouldn’t trust that cephalo-bastard further than an injured antelope can run. But I trust your judgment, Yuu. The bastard is lucky to have your forgiveness, even if he doesn’t fucking deserve it.”

The anger in Leona’s voice was touching. He was genuinely furious on Yuu’s behalf and it made them want to go to him and embrace him and just hold him in their arms even more. Yuu already missed him terribly, but that feeling was amplified ten fold in that moment.

“Then… you aren’t mad?”

He grumbled. “Don’t make me repeat myself, kitten. I’m not mad. Besides,” and suddenly that typical arrogant tone of his was back, “it only makes sense that any omega of mine would have a harem of powerful suitors. A king like me deserves the best of the best, after all.”

Leona was probably expecting some teasing or snarky comeback, with Yuu giving as good as he gave. But Yuu only smiled softly as they listened to his voice. “You do. You deserve all the best things in the world.”

Silence on the other end of the line.

“... I know that.” His tone said that he was clearly caught off guard.

“And,” Yuu added. “If you ever did meet another omega you wanted to be with. I wouldn’t be mad either. Like I said. You deserve the best in the world.” I also won’t be here forever, went unsaid. “I know that, whoever they are, they must be a wonderful person to have won you over.”

“... You gettin’ sappy and sentimental on me, kitten?”

Yuu laughed. “I mean it, Leona. Besides, weren’t you the one always threatening me with the fact that you have… Oh what was it that you used to say all the time? That you have your ‘pick of royal omegas’ if I recall correctly?”

Leona let out an exaggerated groan. “Low blow, kitten. Low blow.”

“I’m just saying,” that I hope you find someone to cherish your heart when I inevitably leave , “I wouldn't be mad. In fact, I would prefer it if you did find someone else to add to your pack.”

“Tryna ditch me already, little minx?”

“Never.” Yuu answered with all the conviction and sincerity they could muster.

There was silence again, and Yuu wondered if they had pushed too hard. Leona, out of all their friends, was the one who built the highest of walls. But it seemed that their fears were not founded.

“Kitten, when I get back to school I am going to kiss you until you’re a blubbering breathless puddle in my hands.”

Yuu breathed in sharply through their nose and exhaled shakily, “O-oh yeah?”

“Definitely.” Leona growled low. “Gotta wonder what I ever did to deserve you.”

“I ask myself the same thing.”

“Good,” he purred. “And… Regarding finding another omega… Eh. For now, you’re enough of a handful for me as it is.”

“Rude!”

Leona snorted. “We’ll talk about it if and when it comes up, ‘kay? And… I mean it, Yuu. Come back home to me safely or I really will start plannin’ with Rosehearts on how to lock you up for your own damn safety.”

~*~

The limo was entirely silent. In contrast, the world outside was an uproar of sound and noise. Outside were crowds of people gathering on the sides of the motorway, hoping to catch a glimpse of whatever royalty or celebrity that had been invited to the famed Asim New Years ball. The entire city was alive and the air itself was buzzing with energy and excitement.

The Night Raven College gang, however, were quietly contemplating and readying themselves for the culmination of all their planning.

Stepping out of the vehicle was an entirely different battle.

The cameras were flashing the moment they exited the car. Azul took it in stride, stepping out confidently and waving to the crowds, flanked at both sides by the twins who appeared more like bodyguards than guests. Kalim and Jamil had arrived earlier by a different car with the rest of the Asim family.

When it was Yuu’s turn to get out, Riddle extended a hand to them and Trey used his much larger stature to shield Yuu from most of the interested on-lookers. Even with the red hair and magical disguise and the face veil that had come with Aasmirah’s gift, it was still alarming to be under so much scrutiny. Neither Trey nor Riddle seemed to be faring much better. Trey’s grin was strained and Riddle’s expression was cold and hard.

Yuu squeezed Riddle’s hand and he squeezed theirs back as the three of them made their way to the entrance of the grand ballroom.

“There won’t be any cameras inside,” Jamil had explained. He had been right. The moment they crossed the threshold, the flashing cameras stopped. “But this is still a televised event. So be on your guard the entire night.”

Yuu would be, especially as they spotted the large broadcasting camera pointed at the staircase leading down into the ballroom, zooming in on guests as their names (and ranks if applicable) were announced. Yuu let out a focused breath and steeled themself, willing their anxieties about being found out to be silenced. They trusted Azul and Riddle’s spellwork. Their disguise and backstory would hold.

“Baron Riddle Rosehearts. His brother, Tom Rosehearts. And their companion, Trey Clover.”

Riddle, who was already standing with perfect posture and a straight face, appeared to become even more refined as his name and rank were announced. As son of Earl Rosehearts, he was afforded a lesser title under the Queendom of Roses peerage. This was the first time Yuu had seen Riddle use it, as titles were typically dealt away with at school to promote equality, but it was clear by the way he held himself that Riddle truly was of nobility.

The camera followed their descent into the ballroom, Yuu practically holding their breath the entire way down, until finally it panned away from them to the next set of guests. Yuu let out a sigh of relief.

“You don’t seem too shaken,” Yuu whispered into Riddle’s ear.

His eyes were still hard as they scanned the room, likely for Kalim. “I’m used to these kinds of events. They can be stressful, yes, but so long as I follow the proper rules and etiquette I’m confident everything will go smoothly.”

Yuu laughed a little. “Well I’m glad one of us is feeling confident.”

That seemed to soften his gaze a little as he looked over at Yuu’s flushed and tight expression. “Oh. Um… Are you okay, Yu–Tom?”

“I’ll be okay… That was just a bit much.”

“I’m surprised to hear that actually,” Riddle admitted softly. “You–You’ve always seemed so effortlessly confident to me.”

That was news to Yuu who made a noise of surprise upon hearing this.

“Really?”

Riddle shot them a queer expression. “You literally faced me down during an overblot without a spark of magic to your name. Yu– Tom . I have literally never met anyone as seemingly confident as you. For me, I can only do so knowing I have rules and structure backing up my confidence–which is why I fell apart so badly when that structure was torn out from beneath me. But you? Your confidence comes from your belief in yourself . Thatʻs something… That’s something I fear I can never understand. Thereʻs a reason Iʻm amazed by you.” His cheeks were pink again.

Though touched by Riddleʻs words, Yuu did not miss the last thing he said. They touched their hand to his arm gently. “I donʻt believe that you could never understand. In fact, I think you already do… We're here now, arenʻt we?”

The widening of Riddleʻs big hazel eyes made him look even younger than he already did. That regal and strict Rosehearts heir melted away for a moment, leaving behind someone soft and vulnerable.

The moment didnʻt last long when Trey suddenly, and regretfully, cleared his throat from behind them.

“Heads up, you two. Weʻve got company.”

Kalim approached them with his signature sunny smile plastered across his face. He was tailed by his parents and Jamil, all dressed to the nines. Lingering even further behind them was a fifth figure.

Yuu fought to keep the grimace from their expression as they finally came face-to-face with the infamous Abis Il-Asim.

“Mr. Rosehearts. Mr. Clover,” Aasmirah Asim greeted gracefully before turning their dark hazel eyes onto Yuu. “And Tom. I’m so glad to see you all made it in one piece. I hope our gifts have been to your liking?”

“Oh!” Kamran Asim suddenly exclaimed as his red eyes honed in on Yuu’s outfit. “Isn’t that one of yours, Aasmirah? You look lovely in it, Tom.”

Yuu murmured a thank you.

“My, my,” came an oily voice. “It’s rare for Noble Asim to give away such an priceless gift. And an even more rare occasion for Kalim to have friends from school over. Perhaps some more personalized introductions are in order?”

Abis had stepped out from behind the group, giving each and everyone of them a calculated eyefull. His gaze lingered a hair longer on Yuu, eyes greedy but lacking carnal heat. It was the same gaze Azul had once stared at them with. And as much as it made Yuu uncomfortable, the way Abis Asim’s eyes finally lingered on Jamil made their skin crawl infinitely more.

“Riddle. Tom. Trey. This is my cousin Abis Il-Asim! My family’s chamberlain!” Kalim introduced. He was as cheerful as ever. If Yuu had not known any better, they wouldn't have been able to guess that anything was amiss. Kalim was a surprisingly adept liar.

“I am Baron Riddle Rosehearts of the Queendom of Roses,” Riddle announced. “This is my brother Tom. And…” Here he hesitated for a moment. “... This is Trey Clover. My mate intended.”

There was a hint of surprise in Trey’s honey eyes that Yuu did not miss.

“I’ve heard of the Rosehearts Earldom,” Abis said. “Forgive my rudeness but… I’d heard a rumor that your family did not have an omega. And yet, your lovely brother stands here before me.”

“Tom and I are twins. You are likely referring to unpleasant rumors of my mother’s ability to conceive.”

Abis held up two hands placatingly at Riddle’s sharp response. “My apologies. I was merely surprised. I did not intend to offend or to spread any false and malicious rumors. Truly it is a pleasure to meet you and your mate intended.” He held out a hand which Riddle shook and then another for Trey. Abis then turned to Yuu, “And it is a great pleasure to finally meet you as well, Tom.”

Yuu allowed him to take their hand. And as Abis brought it up for a kiss, he paused.

“Oh? I see you do not wear a betrothal ring.”

Bait and hook.

“I am still unintended,” Yuu said, remembering to use the formal courting terms Riddle had drilled into them.

Abis finally kissed their knuckle and allowed their hand to fall free. He shot Yuu a roguish grin that might’ve been attractive if not for the greed behind his gaze. “I must admit I’m shocked. An omega as lovely as yourself must surely have a long line of suitors.”

He wasn’t entirely wrong, Yuu thought to themself. But this slimeball certainly wasn’t going to ever make the list.

Kamran cleared his throat, rather pointedly Yuu thought. It was the first time they had seen the jovial alpha look stern. “Yes, well. Speaking of intendeds, where is your fiance, nephew? I was hoping to announce the betrothal tonight in front of the Sultan.”

Jamil immediately tensed at the mention of his sister.

“Unfortunately, dear Uncle, Najima was feeling a bit under the weather tonight,” Abis relayed mournfully. “Which is just too bad as she’s been saying how much she’s been looking forward to seeing her brother being back from school. Alas, her health must come first.”

Kamran’s expression turned immediately from stern to concerned. “Oh dear. I hope she feels better soon. Perhaps it would be better if she came back to stay with her parents—“

Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of the Sultan.

Kalim’s parents quickly excused themselves to personally greet the leader of their nation. Yuu noted that the Sultan, too, had snow white hair but could not discern if this was due to his age or if he held any relation to Aasmirah and Kalim.

“Well, I hope you all enjoy the party,” Abis said. He took one last bow. “And I hope the lovely Tom will do me the honor of saving me a dance later this evening?”

Yuu offered him a smile that did not reach their eyes.

“It would be my pleasure.”

~*~

“That worked out better than expected,” Jamil murmured as their group headed off toward one of the less crowded refreshment tables. “I want to thank you all again for doing this for my sister and I.”

Riddle nodded in acknowledgement before moving onto business. “We shouldn’t stay in a group too long. It’ll start getting suspicious. When do you think Abis will approach you?”

Jamil grimaced. “It won’t be long now as I’ve been dodging all his summons the past couple of days. I suspect he’ll call on me during the main dance portion of the evening, when all cameras and eyes will be on the ballroom floor. When there isn’t a reason for me to stay by Kalim’s side.”

“That gives us a couple hours then,” Riddle noted. “Where are twins and Azul?”

Azul was already mingling, with the twins standing dutifully behind him like a pair of shadows. Their job would not come up until Abis revealed to Jamil where exactly he was keeping Najima. Jade and Floyd would be in charge of extraction when that time came.

And then came a timid voice of doubt.

“... Are you sure about this, Jamil?”

Jamil shot Kalim an incredulous expression. “Hah? You’re asking me that now? Yes I’m sure. We need to save Najima no matter what.”

Kalim frowned. “I know that. I just… I don’t want you around that man alone.”

“There’s no other way to do this. We’ve spent nearly a week planning this out meticulously. We’re not just going to abandon the plan now because it might be a little dangerous.”

“I know that–!” Kalim repeated. He looked frustrated now. “It’s just that you’re still–! You…”

Jamil narrowed his eyes at the other alpha.

“I what , Kalim?”

Kalim bit his bottom lip.

“It’s nothing… You’re right.”

Yuu glanced between the two of them with wide eyes. There was something more to that exchange that they were missing. Something vital Kalim and Jamil apparently knew but were both refusing to share with the class.

“Good,” Jamil spat. “Now if we’re done arguing useless things… Let’s go save my damn sister.”

~*~

The arrival of the Sultan marked a shift in the atmosphere, as if the evening had not truly begun until he stepped into the hall. Following him were only a few more guests to be introduced, but the queue of guests slowed to a trickle. Yuu recognized no one else but those they arrived with… With one notable exception.

“Prince Rielle of Atlantis!”

Yuu’s head shot up. And, sure enough, at the top of the grand staircase down into the ballroom was a familiar redhead, flanked by a small battalion of guards.

Yuu immediately scanned the crowd for Azul, eyes finding him quickly. They didn’t actually know how his relationship with his once friend and betrothed had gone after the bullying incident. But considering Azul had gone out of his way to try and dispose of all evidence of their relationship, and Rielle himself expressed such profound regret even all these years later, it could not be good.

Yuu was unsurprised to see that Azul’s face had gone ashen white as he stared up at the mer prince.

When Rielle reached the bottom step, two familiar figures walked up to meet him. Yuu made a noise at the back of their throat as they recognized Jass and Khadija–Kalim’s older alpha cousin and Kalim’s omega betrothed. The two greeted Rielle with big smiles, going as far as to exchange hugs.

“Do you know Prince Rielle or something?”

Jamil’s voice pulled Yuu from their thoughts.

“I do, actually.” At his raised brow, Yuu quickly added, “It’s complicated.”

Jamil only hummed. “You really are a very strange person, Tom.”

Yuu pointedly ignored this statement, and asked instead, “How do Jass and Khadija know Rielle?”

“They all attend Royal Sword Academy together.”

That certainly explained it. That must mean Rielle was likely here by invitation from one or both of them. They seemed close, talking and laughing together easily. A part of Yuu longed to go over to see their one omegan friend in this entire world (literally) but they knew couldn’t if they wanted to preserve their disguise. Yuu was suddenly struck with an amusing thought that they now had the exact same shade and color of hair as Rielle. He’d probably be utterly charmed by the entire scheme. Yuu snorted at the thought.

There was no time to track down and check on Azul though, as Lord Kamran Asim began the opening speeches, his voice echoing through the ballroom by magical means. He introduced his mate and then Kalim as his heir and then gave space for the Sultan himself to say a few words.

And then the band and orchestra began to play.

The music was lively, full of percussives and drum beats that were entirely different from the full string ensembles of European balls. Whoever was playing the plucked zither instrument was insanely talented, playing in such a way that made their scale runs seem effortless. The fast twangs of the zither was supported by the full and melodic sounds of woodwinds and low reed instruments. And sprinkled atop it all were the ringing of hand cymbals. 

Out of the corner of Yuu’s eye, they saw Riddle offering Trey a gentlemanly hand which Trey happily took as the alpha led them both towards the dance floor. Both of them found Yuu’s eyes as they walked away, making sure that the omega was still with someone trusted, before heading off for their first dance of the evening. Trey was a bit gangly, not entirely confident in where to put and move his long limbs, but Riddle took it in stride, laughing to himself as his much taller boyfriend tried his best to keep up with him. Yuu watched the two of them fondly, glad that they were enjoying themselves.

At least someone was. Jamil and Kalim were standing awkwardly beside one another, whatever secret argument they’d been having hanging over the duo like a dark cloud. And while Yuu had since lost sight of Azul, he couldn’t have been faring much better considering Rielle’s unexpected appearance.

They just hoped that no more unexpected surprises popped up this evening.

~*~

The moment Azul saw Rielle, he’d frozen.

 

He hadn’t actually seen the other boy in person since they were children. In the near decade and a half since, he’d painstakingly avoided every social event Rielle attended–not that this was a particularly difficult accomplishment, considering his parents were eager to keep Azul out of the public eye for a couple years following his scandalous presentation.

Azul supposed he and Riddle had that in common.

Azul downed a glass of champagne, ignoring the pointed stare Jade shot at him. But it’s not as if Azul had much to do here. His contribution to the plan was the planning phase. The rest was up to Jamil and the twins and Yuu. Though… Azul swallowed a guilty lump when he remembered he was technically supposed to be watching after the omega. Yuu offered to play bait on the grounds that the others would be watching out for them.

Azul put back down the second glass of champagne he’d pilfered.

“Oh. Did you finally return to your senses, Azul?” Jade asked in a cruelly amused tone. “Really now. Such drama. ”

Azul scowled at him but knew he was right. Of course, this was the reason Azul never confided in the twins about things like this (never had anyone to confide in until Yuu). Because as much as they were his and he was theirs, the brothers were not built for comfort. They’d sooner find cruelty and amusement in his problems. But, that being said, Azul also knew they’d back him up if he truly needed it.

Like now, as Jade reminded him of his promise… in his own sadistic fashion.

Instead of answering Jade, Azul made a beeline towards where he’d seen Yuu last. He spotted Riddle and Trey already in the midst of the dance floor, which was as only to be expected as Riddle had not shied away from introducing the beta as his intended. But it also left them two pairs of eyes shorter to keep on the omega.

Azul also just… Felt that Yuu’s presence would help him feel better. Ground him. Which was hilariously ironic considering not too long ago just being near the omega a cause of frustration and anxiety.

Yuu spotted him before he even got close. They looked nearly Riddle’s mirror, glamoured as they were, but their eyes were all Yuu . Azul was both startled yet unsurprised to see concern shining through them.

“I suppose I did promise to dance before a crowd if I ever got the chance,” Yuu said in lieu of a greeting, wearing a subtle cheeky grin. They automatically held out a hand for him to grab, expertly reading his intentions.

The lighthearted teasing was already lifting some of the weight off Azul’s shoulders and he grinned in response. “Now now. You and I both know that this hardly counts towards our agreement. I am an astute businessman. You won’t wiggle out of our contract so easily,” he teased in return.

“ Astute? I was thinking more along the lines of shrewd.”

“Apples to apples, my dear.”

He took their offered hand.

As they stepped onto the ballroom floor, other guests moving out of the way for them, the current song ended and the band began to play something slower. While the opening few songs were all traditional festive Scalding Sands tunes, the current song was in the more widely-known and popular waltz-style of the Shaftlands. Foreign guests, who’d previously avoided dancing due to unfamiliarity with Scalding Sands dances, now flocked to the floor.

“I don’t think we practiced this one,” Yuu noted dryly.

“Just follow my lead.”

And Yuu did so. The omega placed their right hand on his shoulder while he took their left in his own, then gently held Yuu by the waist. It took Yuu a few seconds to get into the rhythm of the waltz, but soon they were gliding gracefully across the floor together. Azul relished the lighting-up of Yuu’s eyes as they danced, reminded that Yuu was a creature of action and movement–favoring activities like sports and dance, unlike Azul himself. Normally, he might find such people annoying (Savanaclaw was full of meatheads), but now all he felt was a warmth in his chest.

As the song reached its middling point, Yuu broke their silence.

“Are you going to be alright? With… Rielle being here?”

For a moment Azul was confused at the familiarity Yuu said the name with, but promptly remembered that Yuu had somehow struck up an unlikely friendship with the other omega.

He grimaced. “It’s not… ideal. I haven’t actually seen him since we were in elementary school,” he confessed. “I know it’s ridiculous to still be so… Affected by something that happened so long ago, to still be so upset about it…”

“It’s not ridiculous,” Yuu murmured. “We don’t always get to control what ‘affects’ us.”

“Even if you say that, what I did to you was far worse than being bullied as a child. And yet you-you..” Azul trailed off, suddenly realizing that Yuu had never actually told him that they forgave him. The animosity between them had dissipated, but those words never actually left Yuu’s lips.

But then Yuu, as always, seemed to know exactly what was on his mind.

“I do forgive you,” Yuu said with a sincere smile. “But let’s make one thing very clear–I didn’t have to forgive you. And the only reason I did is because you have actually tried to mend things between us. And not for my forgiveness, I know now, but because, for whatever reason, you actually want to help me.”

“I’m honestly still trying to figure that one out myself,” Azul muttered. He glanced away from Yuu with a blush and they laughed.

“But what I mean to say is… No one is under any obligation to forgive anyone . You don’t need to forgive Rielle, especially since he’s never reached out to you anyway… If that’s even something you want?”

Azul considered it.

“I honestly don’t know.”

Yuu hummed. “And that’s okay too. I just–” They paused, and let out a small embarrassed laugh, shaking their head. “Honestly, I feel like I have to apologize to you too.”

“ You? Apologize to me?” Azul shot them an incredulous stare. “Whatever reason for?”

“It’s been on my mind, actually,” Yuu said in a confessional tone. “You and your quest to be… Well, to stop being a beta. I was too angry to confront it before but… Do you truly hate being a beta, Azul?”

Azul blinked in surprise, having not expected the conversation to take such a turn.

“I’m afraid I don’t quite understand the question?”

“Um… How do I put this?” Yuu’s face scrunched up in concentration that Azul found unfairly adorable, and he was suddenly overcome with the urge to lean forward and kiss them. He shook his head to rid himself of the sensation.

“It’s just that,” Yuu continued. “You went through a lot of effort and heartache to change your designation. You’ve spent years masquerading as an alpha. And I just… Even if it wasn’t technically my fault, I still feel somehow responsible for… Forcefully outing you, I suppose. And I want to apologize for that. It couldn’t have been easy dealing with people after that secret was exposed.”

Yuu had been worried about that? They weren’t entirely wrong. It certainly hadn’t been easy. It dredged up no shortage of sore memories, reminiscent of when he’d first presented. But Azul also wasn’t a scared little child anymore. He had power and connections and two powerful morays at his beck and call. If anyone dared to give him heartache at the reveal of his true designation, Azul had no qualms against wielding his power and authority to put such idiots in their places. And he’d trained his Octavinelle minnows–ahem, dorm members to be smarter than to cross him.

“Thank you for your concern… But there’s nothing to worry about.”

“Really?” Yuu asked, genuinely. “I just want to be sure. Because while I can’t give you my designation, I just want it to be clear that I am fully supportive if you prefer to identify with another designation. And I’m sorry for not asking earlier.”

It suddenly clicked in Azul’s head what Yuu was getting at.

“ Oh! Well…” Azul coughed, embarrassed again. “No, it’s not like that. I mean… Do you hate being an omega?” After all, Yuu had spent many more years pretending to be a beta than Azul had as an alpha. But that was the norm in their world, wasn’t it?

“Sometimes I wonder about that. But truthful? No. I don’t hate being an omega. I often hate what comes with it. But I don’t hate being an omega by itself. If I did, I may have just taken you up on your deal.”

Azul hummed thoughtfully. “For me… Designations are more of a tool than anything. Pheromones. Social standings. Even abilities unique to each sex… These things all intrigue me. Presenting as a beta was definitely a hiccup early in my life, but I don’t dislike it. I quite like not having to be at the whims of heats and ruts. Like you said, I just don’t like what initially came with it. But I’ve more than made up for those things in the years since. Masquerading as an alpha was just a useful tool.”

“So…”

“So,” Azul parrotted. “I suppose what I’m saying is that I’m content with being a beta. I’m not particularly attached to the identity. Losing my alpha persona is nothing more than a mild inconvenience, even if it had stung at the time. It was ultimately my fault anyway. So you have nothing to apologize for.”

Yuu smiled. “I’m glad.”

Azul meant to say more but his phone buzzed from its pocket.

Jade: Heads up, boss.

“Is it time?” Yuu whispered.

Azul didn’t answer. He merely pulled Yuu closer until they were chest to chest. He glanced around until he spotted Jamil’s familiar braids and golden adornments. He was on the second floor mezzanine, trailing after Chamberlain Il-Asim.

“Remember the hearing spell we used back in Scarabia?”

A look of recognition flashed in Yuu’s eyes. They nodded.

And so it began.

~*~

Trey considered himself to be a mild mannered guy.

He was a beta, first of all. He was also pretty chill about most things even if Cater sometimes playfully accused him of having a vengeful streak. (In his defense, Savanaclaw had it coming after that interdorm spelldrive scheme!) And while he did get excited about stuff most people found less than engaging (oral health was important, darn it), he still wasn’t as… Eccentric as most people at NRC. Trey stayed calm in most situations, taking things in stride, and almost never lost his cool.

Overwhelming experiences of emotions just wasn’t something that he felt.

Tonight was an exception.

The last time he’d felt this… This much , had been watching the boy he’d had a crush on his entire childhood turn into a literal monster on the brink of destruction.

That fateful day in the rose maze has been filled with stress and anxiety and terror and deep deep headache. Trey already knew as a child that he was not good enough for Riddle Rosehearts, the unreachable and stunning noble omegan boy who lived in the manor at the top of the highest hill in town. He’d known again when greeted by Riddle Rosehearts, alpha heir to the Rosehearts Earldom, youngest Housewarden to ever grace the cobbled steps of NRC, who hadn’t even spared him a familiar glance, that Trey was not good enough.

He was reminded again on the terrifying morning of Riddle’s overblot, as his voice, no matter how desperate and pleading, failed to reach Riddle’s ears.

If Trey felt the slightest pang of jealousy that Yuu, a random human stranger at the time, had been able to do what he could not… Well, Trey never vocalized it. Those negative feelings passed fast anyway, with how quickly and steadfast Yuu wriggled their way into his heart and life.

Tonight, those unfamiliar sensations were back in full force. The terror and anxiety were there of course. With everything on the line how could they not? Trey kept a close eye on Yuu the entire time he and Riddle danced.

But there were positive emotions too. Exhilaration. Something that felt like anxiety but breathless and achy and good .

Riddle’s words echoed in his ears.

My mate intended.

It was one thing to accompany his housewarden day-in and day-out, brewing tea or baking tarts for Riddle, sitting with him in companionable silence, holding hands when no one else was looking… A thousand sweet and wonderful moments of a fantasy Trey still couldn’t believe he was living sometimes.

It was another thing entirely for Riddle to declare him mate intended in such a public venue with the full force of his rank and title.

Trey supposed a part of him always felt like this dream, however beautiful, would end once they graduated and had to re-enter the real world. Yuu would go back to their own world and Riddle would find and mate someone proper his parents would approve of. 

Not some nameless baker’s boy.

“What’s going on in that head of yours?”

Trey smiled down at Riddle, taking in his soft features and big expressive eyes, his face framed by locks of red hair that Trey loved so much. Trey’s sense of smell was not as strong as those of alphas and omegas, but still he basked in the scent of roses and strawberries that was uniquely Riddle. He tightened his fingers where he and Riddle held hands, suddenly afraid that if he let go Riddle would disappear again.

“Nothing. Just happy I get to be here with you… Terrible circumstances aside.”

Riddle laughed at his joke.

Trey’s phone in his breast pocket pinged. The joyful atmosphere between them dissipated, taken place by something more serious.

“Looks like Jamil got Il-Asim to tell him where his sister is,” Trey relayed to Riddle, reading off his phone. “Jade and Floyd are off now.”

“Yuu will be up soon then.”

Tyre nodded, shooting a glance over to where Azul and Yuu were still dancing. He still wasn’t ecstatic about this whole new development and would honestly prefer to hex the shady prick instead (Cater’s voice echoed in his head about his supposed “vengeful streak”), but even Trey had to admit that Yuu and Azul made for a handsome couple dancing around like that.

“We should probably get off the dance floor so we can keep an eye on Yuu–Riddle?”

But Riddle had stopped dancing. Other couples around them nearly bumped into the suddenly still duo, several shooting them nasty expressions. Riddle didn’t seem to notice them at all, which was entirely out-of-character for the rule-abiding alpha.

Riddle’s face had turned sheet white as he stared past Trey towards the door.

“Riddle? What’s wrong?”

“I–” Riddle’s voice came out choked. “I need to go. I’ll be right back.”

Without another world, his hands slipped from Trey’s and he was gone in the blink of an eye. The sudden emptiness where there had once been a warm Riddle-shaped weight next to him left Trey feeling strange. His eyes followed the path Riddle took with what could only be described as a frenzied and panicked intent.

And then Trey saw it. The thing that had made Riddle so shaken.

Or rather, he saw her .

Standing at the top of the stairs, with red hair identical to that which Trey loved so much, was none other than Countess Rosehearts.

Riddle’s mother.

~*~

With Jade and Floyd off on their mission, the only thing now was for Yuu to provide a distraction to prevent Abis from finding out the game too soon.

Granted, Azul was confident in his tweels’ ability to complete the job even without the distraction, but this would greatly minimize the risk to both themselves and their target Najima. She was thankfully being kept nearby, as Azul suspected and was pleased to be proven correct, in one of the private Asim buildings they kept for important guests.

The information hadn’t been easily pried from Abis though. Jamil had gotten an earful about his failure to report to Abis in person and his failure to get Kalim kicked out of school. Jamil played his part beautifully though, pushing back against Abis just enough that the villain dangled Najima’s safety and location right before him, as if to say:

See how easily I can control you.

Yuu’s face had been a brilliant and furious red the entire time they listened in on the conversation. Azul had heard that omegas could be terrifying when it came to their guppies, but Azul certainly felt properly terrified then. Some of the other dancers around them shot him suspicious glances, wondering what he had done to upset the omega in his arms.

But they would have their revenge later. For now, Jamil’s sister’s safety was their priority. Regardless, Jamil then placated Abis by first passing over Yuu’s phone (which Abis slipped into his pocket) and then mentioning that he had information on Tom.

And Abis took it hook-line-and-sinker, unaware that Yuu and Tom were one and the same.

Azul loved it when a plan came together flawlessly.

But perhaps it was too soon to celebrate.

Because the moment Yuu and Azul stepped off the dance floor to ready themselves for the next stage of their plan, Azul felt a gentle tap on his shoulder.

“A-Azul? Is that you?”

Even after all these years, Azul could not forget that melodic voice. Yuu’s only reaction was to widen their eyes as they stared behind Azul. He himself felt frozen though his body still moved on autopilot. He had a sudden urge to make himself very small and hide–a feeling which was immediately followed by a deep deep self-loathing. He was beyond that. He was better than that.

Azul turned around to face his biggest inner demon.

Rielle smiled softly and hesitantly at him.

“Do you have a moment to talk?”

~*~

The moment Azul and Rielle disappeared out a door, Yuu wondered if they had made the right decision to give him an encouraging tap on the back. But then they shook their head and decided that yes, it was the right decision. This would be the first time either of the boys had spoken since their childhood. It would be good for them to speak now that they were older and more mature, even if it didn’t end in forgiveness.

Rielle had expressed to Yuu a few times over their text correspondence that he wished to patch things up with Azul. And Yuu had not sensed that Azul was upset about this sudden unexpected development either, just hesitant and unsure of himself. So they gave him the last push he needed.

Of course, that meant they were short one less protector in case things went south with Abis. But that was alright. There was still Riddle and Trey.

But as Yuu glanced around, looking for familiar red and green heads, their search came up empty. Yuu frowned as they realized that they couldn’t find Riddle and Trey anywhere.

That’s odd.

A familiar sensation of foreboding came over them again, one Yuu was starting to relate to when their carefully crafted plans went absolutely tits-up. At least they could still see Kalim by his parents and Jamil was probably somewhere here too, blending into the background in his servant uniform.

But where were Yuu’s boyfriends?

Heartbeat fluttering, Yuu carefully picked their way across the hall, intent on getting up onto the mezzanine to get a better lay of the land. It was as they were doing so, still looking around for Trey and Riddle and only half paying attention to where they were walking, that they nearly smashed their nose into someone who caught them just in time.

The scent of something unpleasant and oily made itself known.

“Why hello there, little dove,” Abis Il-Asim greeted with faux surprise. “You seem to be in some rush but if I may be so bold… May I have this next dance?”

Notes:

One more chapter of this arc! And then it's Fairy Gala and Book 5! (Which will kind of be treated as one big arc).

I'm so so so tempted to just start writing GloMask already (I've already written part of chapter one) but I must refrain. I managed to snag all the masquerade cards (for the first time I get the personal hype about Malleus 👀, I've always shipped MallYuu but I've never felt my own heart beat for him before but damn that GloMask card tho...).

I'm kind of mad they basically wrote Yuu out of GloMas tho! It was set up so perfectly with Yuu having no magic like?????? I will rectify this travesty when I get to that arc in this fic hnnnn. But that will have to wait until after Book 6 🙃.

Anyways. I hope y'all have also been enjoying Book 7. It's so hard not to read ahead on YouTube! Y'all Diasomnia simps are really eating this month and last month (or suffering I guess)! I'm holding my keys for Anniversary and hoping I get Silver or Lilia spooks so I can buy the other with the anniversary key. Sebek was a good boy and came home twice in my first 10 pulls on his banner 😌

Enough rambling about TWST from me though! I hope you all had a great holiday season and I wish you all the best for 2024. Thank you for reading <33

Chapter 41

Notes:

Sorry guys. I know I said this would be the last chapter of this arc, but this chapter needed to be split into 2 parts as this part is already 7k words long. Once again, I vastly underestimate how long these will be.

The next chapter absolutely FOR SURE will be the last one though.

Please enjoy! (Un-beta'd as always--will correct typos and mistakes over the next few days.)

~*~
I also wanted to clarify some of the things about the Queendom of Roses peerage titles and why Riddle is a Baron from last chapter. Basically I am just borrowing the titles from English peerage, but I'm not following those rules because they're complicated and confusing. And since this is not Earth and the QoR is not England, I can make up my own rules. So in this AU, the ranks go from Duke -> Marquess -> Earl -> Viscount -> Baron for men, and for women its Duchess -> Marchioness -> Countess -> Viscountess -> Baroness. And I just made it so that heirs in the Queendom of Roses use the title of the lowest rung of nobility ranks, but inherit their parent's rank once they take over the family (or earn/granted the rank through service to the royal family).

Just a disclaimer that the way I use these titles in this fic is NOT accurate AT ALL to how these titles are used irl.

Also note (for those of you crazy folks who don't play the game--i do that too in other fandoms lol), Riddle is not actually canonically nobility. That is entirely a thing I added in this fic.

The band began to play Scalding Sands music again. It was one of the songs they had practiced the day before.

Yuu forced a small smile onto their face as they placed their hands on Abis Il-Asim’s shoulders, reminding themself that he was after nothing more than what he perceived as a key to more power.

But then Yuu remembered the hot greedy glances he had kept shooting at Jamil and the corner of their lip twitched, itching to bear their teeth. Yuu quickly suffocated the fury before it could show on their face, continuing to act as if nothing were amiss.

Abis lifted them by the waist into the air to the beat of the music, mirrored by all the other pairs around them, before planting Yuu down and making a wide sweep of his arms, Yuu mirroring him. The upbeat music continued to play.

“You’re surprisingly adept at this,” Abis said, in a backwards compliment. “I’m impressed.”

“Lord and Noble Asim gave us dance lessons.”

“Yes, Noble Asim seems quite taken with you. I know you say you are unintended, little dove, but you wouldn't happen to know if Noble Asim has any intention of betrothing you to one of their children, would you?”

Was that his impression of the situation?

“Kalim already has a fiance, sir,” Yuu replied instead. Then paused as gears began to turn in their head. Who had Jamil said was next in line for the Asim heirship? “I don’t know about Noble Asim’s intentions but… Supposing you’re right, Qadir is still younger than me, but perhaps him?”

There was a flash of displeasure in Abis’ face.

“He is young, isn’t he?”

“He is next in-line to inherit the title of Lord Asim.”

At this, Abis’ grin stretched wide. “Oh? And is that something you are interested in, little dove? For Qadir to become heir, something terrible would have to befall Kalim. And here I was under the impression that the two of you were friends.”

Yuu shrugged. “Kalim is friends with my brother. I don’t know him.”

This hadn’t exactly been in the plan they’d laid out, but Abis seemed to be eating up this persona of a power-hungry omega so Yuu was entice to keep it up for now. Whatever it took to keep his attention off of Jade and Flord and Najima.

“Rather shrewd for someone appearing so sweet and lovely,” Abis crooned. “Is life as an omega too boring for you, little dove?”

“When alphas seek power they call it being assertive and tactical, but when an omega does so it’s called being shrewd?” Yuu pressed, letting a tight smile appear on their lips. “Funny, isn’t it?”

“Life is so very unfair isn’t it, Tom?”

He spun them around, appearing for once actually interested in Tom himself and not just the boons this concocted persona could offer him. When Yuu faced Abis again, they pressed even closer to him, their smile now turning sharp.

So that’s what makes you tick, you creep.

“In the Queendom,” Yuu said. “Omegas can only inherit the titles of their highest ranking alpha mate. Which is why my dear brother is Baron while I have nothing to my own name.” Yuu had been a little annoyed finding this out during Riddle’s explanations, but it wasn’t like it was much different back in their home world either. “Omega or not… What man could be content with a life at the whims of others?”

Abis was staring at them with rapt attention now, his own grin sharp.

“My dear Tom. If it’s power you want, I’m pleased to inform you that you’ve run into the perfect person to grant you your wishes.”

Yuu pulled back, grinning at him teasingly now. “Is that so?”

Abis was about to answer them when there was a chime of a phone from beneath the folds of his clothes. His brows furrowed as his eyes pulled away from Yuu.

That wouldn’t do.

Just as Abis stepped back and reached into his pocket, Yuu’s hand snapped forward and grabbed him by the wrist. He looked up at them incredulously.

“Don’t get distracted when I’m standing right here,” Yuu hissed, hoping their sudden panic wasn’t obvious in their voice. “Or should I find someone else to grant my wish?”

Their heart was beating so fast Yuu felt as if it had migrated up their throat. Abis’ eyes were narrowed at them, as if considering if they were really worth the trouble.

But a second later he sighed and shook his head and chuckled, his hand slipping from the folds of his clothes as he returned his full attention to the seemingly irate omega. Yuu fought back a sigh of relief.

“Demanding little dove. Very well, you have my utmost attention.”

~*~

When Trey rounded the corner into a nearly empty sitting room, he was met with a sound he had not heard since his childhood. Not since Mrs. Rosehearts had marched Riddle and herself down to Four Leaf Bakery and proceeded to berate Trey’s parents, right there in the middle of their store, for raising a “bad influence” and a “vulgarian” (a word which Trey had not known the meaning of at that age).

Trey remembered Riddle’s teary face that day, Trey’s own having been blank but his honey’d eyes guilty. Riddle wasn’t crying now, but his face was flushed and his eyebrows furrowed as his mother shouted at him.

Neither of them had actually told Yuu what had went down with his mother when they came straight to Scarabia. The truth was that nothing had happened at all, at least not of the confrontational sort. Riddle was brave enough to disobey his mother and bold enough to even pilfer items from her (in spite of his own moral code), but that was the extent of what he’d been willing to do. The two of them had snuck out in the evening while she slept and took the nearest transportation mirror to the ferry and docks.

Riddle hadn’t even been sure his mother would care, he’d confided in Trey on their long trip-by-sea towards Sage Isle. She still made his schedules for him when he was home, but she hadn’t truly looked in his direction him since the day he’d presented as an alpha.

She was looking at him now.

“When did this begin?” She demanded, face as red as her hair. “Lying to me. Stealing from me! I received a call from a Shaftland hospital saying someone using my name had requested expensive equipment and wanted to know when it would be returned!”

Riddle stood silent through it all. Trey wasn’t sure if he even heard her words or if they were simply washing over him. Riddle’s eyes were normally so expressive but they were completely unreadable to Trey now.

“My son was missing! Gone without a single word! And then what do I hear? What do I see? Baron Riddle Rosehearts presented at the Asim New Years ball all the way in Silk City when you should be at home studying principles of beast alchemy! And on top of that…”

Her voice had grown shrill and increasingly upset, her composure nearly spent.

“And then they present a Tom Rosehearts , your omega brother, on international television ,” she sounded truly disgusted now, but there was a clear quality of hurt beneath her voice. “Is this some kind of sick and cruel joke, Riddle? Answer me!”

Trey took a step forward then hesitated.

What should he do? What could he even say?

But the motion did not go missed. Countess Roseheart’s eyes snapped over in his direction, widening with recognition.

“You.” She breathed heavily. The scent of an omega in distress permeated the room, causing Trey’s nose to wrinkle. “You’re that baker’s boy. The one from all those years ago. Ha…” She laughed but there was no amusement to it. “I should have known.”

Trey didn’t know what to say in response to that. He felt frozen in place, like he was a child again watching this same terrifying woman berate his parents like a couple of unruly children. The shame he’d felt that day welled up in him again as if had never left in the first place.

Countess Rosehearts seemed to have completely forgotten Riddle at that moment as she turned the full force of her fury onto Trey.

“You’re an ill mannered boy, a terrible influence and a blight on our village,” she snapped. “First you try and sink your greedy beta claws into my omega child and now you’re back again convincing Riddle to behave like a dirty criminal!”

She advanced on him.

“Just you wait,” she growled, omegan fangs bared at him. “I’ll have your ridiculous little family bakery shut down for this stunt. I don’t know how your parents chose to raise someone as deceitful and vulgarian as you, but if you think your miscreant family will be able to do business anywhere in the Queendom of Roses again, you have another thing—“

“That is enough, Mother!”

Trey blinked and suddenly Riddle was standing between him and Countess Rosehearts. Trey couldn’t see his face, but Riddle’s posture was one that he’d seen numerous times at Night Raven College. In that moment he was Housewarden Rosehearts. A man who’d proven himself capable of being the youngest Housewarden in NRC history. Immovable and unstoppable. A force few would dare to reckon with.

Countess Roseheart’s eyes were wide as she had ceased her advance under the withering stare of Riddle. She looked as if she were actually seeing her son for the first time.

“You can berate me,” Riddle said. “You can yell at me and punish me for breaking the rules and going behind your back. But you will never yell at or threaten my mate ever again!”

“Mate…” Her face had grown ashen white. “You can’t mean that, Riddle. This boy—“

“His name is Trey Clover, not boy, and he is my intended,” Riddle growled. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be the omega child you wanted. I’m sorry that I could never and will never live up to your expectations! But I will never regret being friends with Trey. I will never regret choosing him. I. Choose. Trey. Clover.”

The silence following this declaration was thick and heavy, but this was in sharp contrast with Trey’s heart which felt so light if felt as if a small breeze would cause it to alight and soar. He felt breathless as Riddle’s words rang in his ears again and again, solid and real and definitive.

For what did it matter if the world did not think he was good enough for Riddle Rosehearts? If his own insecurities did not think he was good enough for Riddle?

Because Riddle chose Trey . Riddle believed he was enough. And that was the only thing that mattered.

“I am no longer a child,” Riddle continued. “I am an adult and set to become Earl Rosehearts when Father passes the title to me. And I’m sorry that I hurt you, Mother, I truly am but… I will no longer sit idle by and let you dictate my life. I am strong enough to stand on my own and make my own decisions!”

Trey suddenly knew exactly what he had to do.

He stepped around Riddle so that they were now standing side-by-side. Riddle’s eyes flickered up to him in surprise but Trey just gave him an encouraging nod and took Riddle’s hand in his own larger one and squeezed. Then he turned to face Countess Rosehearts.

Riddle didn’t need to face this alone. And if Trey had anything to say about it, he would never face anything alone ever again for the rest of their lives.

They both faced her as a joined and united front.

“So is that it then?” She asked, voice incredulous and furious and hurt. Genuinely hurt, Trey realized. She looked vulnerable then, so unlike the terrifying force she had just appeared to be a moment ago. “After all I’ve done? All the sacrifices I made for you. This is what you choose? You would choose him over me?” Her voice warbled. “Everything I ever did was for you, Riddle.”

“I know, Mother,” Riddle said, voice suddenly gentle. “But it doesn’t have to be choosing between you two. I still love you even if you don’t love me.”

She flinched as if she’d been slapped. Her voice came out incredulous and pained, “How could you say that to your own mother? Who else would I have done all this for… if not for the child I love?”

Riddle frowned.

“How could you ever love a failure like myself?”

“Is that what he convinced you of?”

“No, Mother… I can see it in your face each time you actually manage to bring yourself to look at me.”

Countess Rosehearts truly did flinch then. Riddle’s grip on Trey’s hand tightened further as the bitter scent of his mother’s distress spiked.

“That’s… That’s not true, Riddle. I love you. You have to know that. That isn’t what this is about at all. I could never not love you. You’re my son.”

Trey squeezed Riddle’s hand back as the alpha’s scent grew sour with mixed emotions.

“… Even if I choose Trey as my mate?”

Countess Rosehearts appeared to struggle with this, her eyes flickering to Trey with resentment, but eventually her words did come out.

“Yes.”

“… Even though I presented an alpha and not an omega?”

“I could never not love you,” she repeated, her voice now soft as a whisper.

Riddle nodded then, his face was red with unshed tears for once instead of fury. Trey continued to hold his hand through it all, vowing to never let him go.

“Then you won’t threaten Trey or his family again,” Riddle said. “I mean it, Mother. I will still try my best to salvage what is left of your expectations for me but… I want to shape my life too. To choose who I love and what I want to be. To be good and firm but considerate and uplifting. And I swear it, if you try to retaliate against Trey and his family, I will use the full force of my own power and influence to fight back against you.”

Her fingers dug into her palms but Countess Rosehearts remained silent.

Riddle’s voice was soft again when he continued. “But if what you say is true… That you’ll still love me despite… not living up to your expectations,” his voice sounded disbelieving. “Then I hope that one day you can come to see Trey the way I see him too.”

Riddle looked up at Trey then, his eyes full of emotion. It wasn’t quite true love, not yet at least, but Trey saw the foundations there and knew true love would be the home they built atop it one day.

“I hope,” Riddle continued. “That you’ll still want to be in my life after everything, Mother. I’ve come to learn that… Sometimes happiness can be found outside of what is considered proper and expected. Sometimes… Rules have to be bent or even broken for us to be happy… I hope that you’ll want me to be happy one day, if nothing else.”

She didn’t say a word.

But Trey and Riddle both saw the near imperceptible nod of her head.

~*~

Azul followed Rielle to a deserted hall. With every step he took, an unbearable feeling built up within him, boiling like an overflowing cauldron, until it bubbled over and spilled from his lips.

“I don’t-don’t forgive you!”

They both stopped, Rielle turning around to look at him with wide surprised eyes, meanwhile Azul felt mortification flush through him. He fingered his clothes, hating how little control he had over himself in that moment. What was it with omegas and their ability to make him feel this way?

“What I mean to say is…” Azul took a deep breath and steadied his nerves. His eyes flickered up hesitantly, meeting Rielle’s teal irises, somehow expecting anger but only seeing unsuredness. “... I’m willing to hear you out, Rielle.” Even speaking his name felt like fighting a battle. “But I want to make it clear that I’m not here to offer you my forgiveness.”

Yuu had said something similar to him once. And while it had taken time to make peace with the idea that Yuu would likely never forgive him (but they did… miraculously), Azul felt like he was seeing that dynamic in a whole new light now.

And truth be told… Azul was certain he would never forgive Rielle. Not even if Rielle got on his dainty human knees and begged him for it. Not even if Rielle promised Azul all the gold in the sea and the Atlantis family coffers.

But that was alright too, Azul was startled to realize. He was allowed to withhold his forgiveness and that didn’t make him a good or a bad person. It was simply his right.

But he could hear Rielle out and maybe even say the dark secret things that had been festering in his own three beating hearts all these years.

In response to his unprompted outburst, Rielle took a moment to think and then nodded, his bright teal eyes serious instead of carefree for once.

“I guess I’ll make it quick then,” Rielle said with a melancholy smile. He was obviously older but somehow looked just as he had when they had been children. Azul couldn’t help but take in the familiar shapes and angles of his face, the fall and part of his hair (Rielle still wore it in his preferred ponytail), and the metaphorical heart he wore on his sleeves at all times. Azul blankly noted that he had the exact shade of red hair Floyd preferred.

“... I still want to apologize,” Rielle said. “And of course you don’t have to forgive me! I’ve never forgiven myself for what I did that day either... You were my best friend and I abandoned you. Nothing I say or do will ever make up for it. But… I hope you can accept my apology, even if you don’t offer forgiveness in return.”

Azul nodded, his own words feeling so thick in this throat that he feared for half a second that he wouldn’t be able to choke them out.

But out they came.

“You’re right. You did abandon me. And you’ll never make up for it,” Azul said, letting his typical bite and cruelty run free for a moment before reining it back in with a deep breath. “I have spent years trying to unmake that little boy who was hurt and thrown away by everyone for something that I had no control over. And it wasn’t just you, Rielle. It was everyone. My mother. My father.”

His bottom lip warbled.

“... And myself,” Azul whispered. “Like the rest of you, I wanted nothing to do with crybaby beta Azul Ashengrotto. I wanted him to stay in that stupid pot where we all left him to rot and be forgotten but…” Here he glanced down and smiled. “... It turns out, that little boy never left me… Not really.”

At the first tear down his cheek, Azul took another deep breath, vowing to not let his insecurities stop him now. He felt as if the ground was shaking beneath him, that a crevice would crack open under his feet at any moment and swallow him whole. But still he pushed through, reminding himself that it was okay to be a crybaby sometimes.

Jade and Floyd may tease him about it in their own cruel but affectionate ways. But Yuu… Yuu would fold him up in their arms, be he the suave and shady businessman Ashengrotto or simply crybaby Azul.

“I won’t forgive you because I’m not a kind and forgiving person,” Azul said. “But I’m also aware that we were only children then. I’m not so childish to hold onto a grudge against a child who was only doing what everyone else told him to do.” Nevermind that Azul had technically only let that grudge go in the last month.

Rielle smiled softly at him, not taking the words personally. There was a part of Azul that wanted to roll his eyes at this typical brand of ridiculous RSA kindness, but the larger part of him felt something heavy lift off his shoulders.

“I’m glad then,” Rielle said. “Even though I’m sad that we won’t be able to… Be friends again, I’m glad that I got to hear it from you and that you allowed me to apologize, however selfish my request was.”

Azul sniffed, quickly wiping the stray tear off of his face before donning his typical public persona again, now that the moment had passed, and gave the omega a curt nod.

“And–Oh!”

Rielle made an abrupt exclamation and was suddenly digging through his pockets. He fished something out and held it out to Azul.

“I’ve kept this on me for a long time and… I want you to have it again… if that’s alright with you?”

Azul glanced closer at the object Rielle was holding. It was the size of a small cylinder and fit perfectly in Rielle’s palm. Azul moved to get a better look. As he did so, the object suddenly went from unknown to recognizable in an instant, so fast Azul felt like he was reeling.

A porcelain ballerina, missing an arm, with familiar chipped gold paint coloring her dress, greeted Azul.

It was the ballerina from the music box he’d gifted Rielle as a child. The same one that has been shattered the day their friendship ended that Azul assumed had been disposed of.

“I’m still tracking down bits and bobbles to repair the music box itself,” Rielle said. “I never did have the skill with fixing things like you, but I do have a knack for finding and collecting.” Rielle laughed to himself, smiling that charming smile of his that always managed to sway everyone around him but evoked fury and jealousy in Azul.

Those feelings did not surge up this time.

Without thinking, Azul took the little dancer from him, cupping it gently with two palms.

“You kept this… All this time? Why?”

“It’s the most important piece in my collection, believe it or not… The ballerina though, I always take her with me… As a reminder to myself. But… I think it’s only right that I give it to you now, if you’ll have it.”

Azul wanted to say no. He should reject this offering. To accept the figurine felt a bit too close to forgiveness–a bit too much like forging a connection between them again, Azul with the dancer and Rielle with the box, after so many years of desperately severing any possible ties that kept them bound. Azul had burned so many memories, desperate to bury that past behind him…

But he still found himself slipping the tiny ballerina into his breast pocket despite it all.

Azul was suddenly aware of how long he had been away from the ballroom. Surely Yuu had approached Abis—or been approached—by now. At least Trey and Riddle would be watching them. Azul would apologize later for slacking despite Yuu’s express permission and encouragement for him to leave.

“If that’s all, then I should be heading back.”

“Me too. My guards have probably figured out by now that I’m not actually in the bathroom! Though… There is one last thing I need to say.”

Rielle’s tone, which had been cheerful before, took a sudden stern twist that had Azul raising a brow.

“… Yuu never said anything to me, but I can tell that something bad happened between you!” Rielle said. “And I just want to say… If you treat Yuu badly, I won’t care how much I owe you! I won’t hesitate to tell Daddy about it and make you pay for hurting them!”

Azul was surprised to find the corner of his mouth twitching upwards. He felt like he should be offended. Where was this protectiveness when Azul had been Rielle’s friend? Of course, that had been years ago and it seemed that Rielle had changed as much as Azul in that time. Instead of feeling offended at the threat, Azul felt a sort of absurd pride well up within him.

And maybe a bit of petty satisfaction too, knowing that he and Yuu likely had a closer relationship now than Rielle’s friendship with the other omega.

But instead of voicing his pettiness, Azul merely replied:

“That isn’t something you have to worry about. I plan on protecting Yuu for as long as they’ll allow me to.”

~*~

Yuu was growing increasingly nervous. Trey and Riddle were still nowhere to be found and Azul was still gone to wherever he and Rielle had vanished off to. They could not imagine their boyfriends leaving during such a crucial moment for an insignificant reason. Riddle certainly couldn’t abide by such sloppiness which meant something big must’ve happened. Yuu could only hope they were alright.

With their mind half occupied with the state of the missing boys, Yuu was having trouble keeping the nerves out of their facade. They’d stepped on Abis’ shoes twice now, something the alpha appeared to take in stride but Yuu had not missed the corners of his eyes tightening and his scent subtly bittering with displeasure

Even with the reminder that Abis was a dangerous man not to be trifled with, Yuu couldn’t help as their mind wandered, wondering what could’ve happened to Riddle and Trey. And ‘distracted’ was not a good headspace to be in this situation.

So when the theme song for Dragon Empire chimed from Abis’ pockets–the same one Lilia insisted on making his contact ringtone–Yuu did not think twice about commenting on it.

“I wouldn’t have expected you to be someone who played video games.”

Abis hummed curiously.

“I don’t.”

Yuu looked over his shoulder, trying to catch any sight of Trey’s unique green hair, replying instinctively. “Oh. But your ringtone, that’s–”

The words they were saying suddenly registered in Yuu’s mind. 

That wasn’t Abis’s phone that rang. It was Yuu’s . Lilia had just tried to call them, likely wondering why Yuu hadn’t been responding to any of his messages. They vaguely recalled that he and Gloomurai were planning on a dungeon raid over break.

The rest of their sentence caught in their throat as Yuu’s brain short-circuited with panic for a split second before they composed themself again.

It’s okay , Yuu reminded themself, there’s nothing suspicious about knowing about a popular MMO. Of course, their reaction was an entirely different story.

Yuu coughed, trying to pass off the sudden break in their sentence as something getting caught in their throat. They turned their face away, hoping to hide the sudden panic in their eyes.

Stupid! Pay attention, Yuu! This isn’t the time to be distracted!

Thankfully, it seemed their ploy was successful as Abis did not seem suspicious of them. But the mistake left Yuu feeling a little hot and uncomfortable, their composure compromised. This Abis did pick up on and, when the current song ended, he asked if they wanted to break for some refreshments.

It didn’t help that Yuu still couldn’t spot hide or hair of their friends. Even Jamil and Kalim seemed to be lost to the crowd. Abis passed Yuu a drink which Yuu politely declined–they weren’t falling for that bullshit again.

“Have you seen my brother?” Yuu eventually asked, desperation winning out though they kept their voice steady and calm. “As much as I’d love to continue our conversation, it would be inappropriate of me to dance with the same alpha all evening–one I’m not promised to–without a chaperone present.”

Yuu was surprised they even managed to remember all that from Riddle’s last-minute etiquette lessons.

“You know what? I think I did see him and his tall green friend not too long ago.”

Yuu perked up immediately.

“Really? Where?”

“Up on the balcony. Come, even if they aren’t there anymore we can get a better vantage of the ballroom from there.”

A part of Yuu wanted to say no–something about this suggestion setting alarm bells off in their head. But regardless, until confirmation came that the twins had Najima safely in their custody, Yuu needed to stay near Abis. And the other part of them desperately wanted to find Trey and Riddle anyway.

“Let’s go.”

The sound of the ball was quieter up on the mezzanine–a welcome to Yuu’s running thoughts. The only problem was that their boyfriends were not up here.

“Hm. Seems they’ve gone,” Abis commented. “Check the crowd for them.”

Yuu did so. This corner of the balcony was a bit out of the way though, so they needed to take several steps before the crowd became visible again. Yuu scanned the ballroom floor, taking in the crowds of party-goers all dressed up in colorful fabrics and glittering jewelry–most folks opted to wear clothes fitting for a Scalding Sands celebration but a few wore more modern styled dresses and tuxedos. But amongst it all, there was no sign of bright red and green hair.

A sound of sparks drew Yuu’s attention.

They turned just in time to see Abis Il-Asim holding a wand, with a sickly-green mage stone embedded at the tip, drawing a circle of magic around the two of them. Yuu breathed in a sharp breath of air, staring at the man incredulously. Riddle’s etiquette lessons rang in their ears.

“Mages are permitted wands on their persons–but spellcasting is strictly forbidden as per the rules of the Asim invitations.”

“You can’t cast magic here,” Yuu found themself saying dumbly.

“Oh?” Abis glanced up from his completed spellwork, a wicked grin on his face. “I thought you were on board with a bit of rule bending. Well, if you truly feel uncomfortable with it, little dove, feel free to draw your own wand.”

Yuu turned to run.

“Ah ah ah.”

A hand grabbed them around the wrist and yanked them back. Yuu was taken off guard by the strength, nearly losing their footing as Abis held their arm captive above their head.

“Don’t run now, little dove. And here I thought we were just getting to know each other. Come on now. Draw your wand. Or… Oh? Is it that you don’t have a wand?” He leered down at them and Yuu fought back a whine of terror. “Strange, don’t you think? That a child of two renown mages, with a brother who is an accomplished mage himself… Has no magic of their own?”

“Let go of me,” Yuu snarled.

Abis ignored the demand, pressing on. He laughed cruelly in their face. “Did you really think I was stupid enough to buy this charade of yours? That I didn’t do my careful research beforehand on Kalim’s guests. Though I will say, that sweet omegan scent of yours really did have me going there for a bit. What is it? A spell? A potion by the Ashengrottos’ brat? Or…”

He tilted his head curiously, examining Yuu like a particularly interesting specimen.

“... Or is it that you actually are an omega, Yuu?”

Yuu’s face paled.

“I-I have no idea what you’re talking about,” they spat. “Let me go before I scream!”

Abis laughed again, “Oh please do, little dove, much good it’ll do you. This is a circle of concealment. Excellent to conduct more confidential conversations within. Not only does it disrupt soundwaves from exiting, but it also deters others from looking too hard in this direction. Now then… Let’s see what all the fuss is about.”

He reached into his pocket jacket and pulled out a familiar looking phone. The phone case Cater had painstakingly picked out for Yuu, after grilling them for an hour on their likes and preferences, was revealed.

“Whoops, wrong phone,” Abis chuckled. “Look familiar? Did you really think you got away with that brief moment of panic back there? Even if your eyes hadn’t said it all, your scent certainly did. I wasn’t sure who you were before that moment–I’ll give you that, little dove. None of my sources could confirm an omega child of the Rosehearts family. But your reaction certainly gave it away unfortunately for you.”

He tucked their phone back into the folds of his clothes and pulled out a sleek black one instead. He thumbed through it with his free hand and Yuu watched with dread as his expression turned from gloating to displeased to furious.

“So that’s the game then?” His expression was thunderous. “You and your little friends are going to pay for attempting to cross me.” He was then speaking into his phone in a language Yuu did not understand but sounded Arabic in nature. When he hung up, he did not offer Yuu any explanation for what happened.

Gods. Did Floyd and Jade get out yet? Had Yuu just doomed them and Najima by failing at their task? The thought was too much to bear. As capable as the twins were, Abis was a man who was capable of actual evil.

“Now then, where were we–”

“Enough, Master Abis.”

Yuu’s head whipped around, shocked to see Jamil standing there within the concealment circle. He was armed with his wand.

“Let him go.”

Abis only laughed. “Now now, Jamil. There’s no need to keep up this silly charade anymore. I already know that this–” He yanked Yuu’s arm hard and they had to bite their cheek to keep from crying out. “--little tart is actually the beta upstart. Though, not very much a beta after all, huh? Certainly explains why they’ve managed to wrap so many rich alphas around their fingers. Who would’ve thought? A rogue omega.” He laughed.

“I mean it, Abis,” Jamil said, ignoring the taunts. “Let them go. You’ve lost.”

The smile slipped from Abis’ face.

“I haven’t lost you ingrate ,” he snarled. “Poor decisions from you lately, Viper. I’m honestly more disappointed than mad. I thought you were smarter than this. But it seems I’ve overestimated your abilities, little mouse.”

“Don’t call me that!” Jamil snarled, his fangs bared. But then he composed himself, a familiar wicked smirk appearing on his face. “Heh. Shows how much you know, Master Abis. You’ve already lost.”

As Jamil repeated this, he nodded his head to the side. Yuu followed the direction and gasped.

Three figures stood on the mezzanine balcony across from them. Jade was smiling pleasantly while Floyd gave them a lazy wave of the arm. Between them, utterly dwarfed by the two giant morays, was a young girl with a strong resemblance to Jamil.

Yuu’s breath caught in their throat as their heart picked up pace and they couldn’t help the joyous grin that spread across their face–cheek to cheek. They were safe.

“You have no power over me anymore,” Jamil said. “Now let Yuu go and maybe we’ll be lenient with you.”

“Ha!” Abis let out a bark of laughter. “You think this changes anything, boy!” He spat at Jamil. “Who would believe you? You’re nothing without me. Just Kalim’s little slave. No one even knows that we’re up here. You think I chose this location on a whim? Between my spell and this hidden little corner, it’s nothing but your words against mine. Who would believe a worthless slave and some deranged rogue omega who is constantly lying about who they are?”

“You’re wrong!” Yuu snarled. “Jamil is loved! People will believe him! Lord and Noble Asim will believe him!”

“It’s okay, Yuu,” Jamil said. “I can handle him on my own.” He turned his dark and sharp gaze fully onto Abis. “Heh. You and the others are all the same, always looking down on me–on us for being servants. You underestimate us. Servants and slaves know everything about the people and grounds we serve. You really believe I didn’t know about this blind spot? You truly believe yourself more clever than the very people who run this entire place? How do you think I found you in the first place despite your spell?”

Abis glared at Jamil but said nothing.

“And maybe Yuu is right,” Jamil continued. “Maybe not. But it doesn’t really matter because the only mouse here is you , Abis. And you’ve been cornered by a snake.”

Jamil pulled a phone out of his pocket which had been recording this entire conversion.

Abis’ stoney face cracked as he broke into laughter.

“Hahaha! You–I’ll give you that, Jamil, you really had me going there for a second! A recording? That’s the best you can do? A recording can be doctored by magic, you stupid fool. Hells, even if you video recorded this entire conversation that is no proof. You have nothing, Viper. You are a bigger fool than I thought!”

But Jamil only crossed his arms and smirked, wiping the grin from Abis’ face.

It only took a few more tense moments of Jamil silently taunting Abis before the older alpha snarled. He threw Yuu violently away from him and stormed up to Jamil, grabbing him by the front of his shirt, jerking him forward until their faces were mere inches apart. But even with a furious alpha snarling in his face, Jamil continued to smirk.

“What did you do?! Tell me now!”

Jamil scoffed, letting another few seconds tick by before he said:

“Look behind you, idiot.”

At the far end of the mezzanine, where the balcony ended and the front entrance to the ballroom began, a bright shiny lens caught the glare of the chandelier lights.

Kalim stood beside the broadcasting camera that had filmed the guests' entrance into the ballroom. He grinned at them and waved enthusiastically. The camera crew had turned the camera away from the ballroom floor and was now pointed right at them.

“Attention deterrent spells don’t work very well against camera equipment,” Jamil sneered, right into Abis’ face. “And you’re right. A voice recording isn’t much. But I wonder how it’ll compare against live broadcasted footage.”

Oh. Yuu thought deliriously. They’ve turned the same plan they used on Jamil against Abis.

Abis froze, still gripping Jamil tightly but staring straight into the camera and Kalim’s grinning face.

“You–” He finally choked out. “No. No, you’re wrong. This can still be faked. There’s–”

“Come now, Master Abis,” Jamil crooned snidely. “Face the truth. You were beaten by a mere slave.”

Abis snarled. He jerked Jamil back with him and threw him across the floor. Jamil hit the ground with a painful thump but managed to catch himself and get up onto his hands and knees, glaring up at Abis but still grinning triumphantly.

“Not very much in control now, are you?” Jamil taunted.

Abis marched on him again.

Stop egging him on! Yuu thought frantically in their head. We’ve already got our evidence! But their voice was stuck in their throat.

Abis brandished his wand, closing in on Jamil who still didn’t move. Yuu was screaming in their head, wondering why Jamil was seemingly doing nothing to defend himself. Jamil had his own wand out, but he did not raise it. It was then that Yuu noticed the fine sheen of sweat over his face, and a subtle shaking of his arms and legs–but they could not fathom what the reason could be. Everything was happening too fast.

Abis grabbed Jamil by the front of his shirt again and in a show of adult alpha strength, lifted Jamil off the ground with one hand. Jamil still grinned but there was a tightness to his eyes now, a slight grimace to the corners of his lips.

Cast Snake Charmer! Yuu cried out silently, not wanting to alert Abis. Surely that was Jamil’s ploy!

But he did not do so.

“Fine!” Abis snarled again. “You win, Viper. But you know what?”

Jamil did not answer.

“... If I’m going down, I’m taking you down with me,” Abis hissed in his ears.

And with a large burst of sickly green magic, Jamil was blown backwards. He hit the window behind him which shattered into a million shards of colorful glass pieces. Time slowed to a crawl. Yuu screamed but no sound came out. Abis howled with laughter.

Jamil fell out the window and plummeted out of sight.

But one sound triumphed over all the rest.

“JAMIL!”

Kalim’s grief stricken scream reverberated across the entire ballroom. The band’s playing died almost immediately as they drew every eye in the entire room. Abis continued to laugh, fully losing it at this point, celebrating Jamil’s fate.

Was he dead? They were only a few stories up, surely someone could survive that fall. Yuu’s mind swirled with question after question, not a single one lingering long enough to answer before another took its place, demanding their frantic and panicked attention.

But that’s when Yuu smelled it.

Ink.

Yuu’s head whipped around to the source.

Kalim was still staring at the space Jamil vanished from. He was fully in tears now. But there were splotches of black that welled up in his eyes as well, staining his cheeks dark as they fell. He held his wand out beside him which crackled with magic, the gem darkening at an alarming rate.

The camera crew around Kalim noticed this at last. They quickly scrambled back and away from the Asim heir as gasps of alarm began to break out amongst the crowd.

Grief and terror at Jamil’s unknown fate was pushed to the back of Yuu’s mind as they scrambled to their feet. If Kalim overblotted in this crowd full of people, it would be a disaster. Before they could even think about it further, Yuu was charging down the stairs and pushing through the crowd, trying to get to Kalim who was shaking and hyperventilating now.

Thankfully, the crowd had made a wide berth around Kalim, finally giving space for Yuu to run for him, intent on touching him and initiating a bond. Unfortunately, Kalim was between everyone and the main entrance to the hall. But maybe if Yuu could get to him before he actually overblotted, they could prevent it.

Yuu finally broke through the crowd, gunning straight for Kalim.

“YUU! NO!”

Two arms shot out and grabbed Yuu around the waist, tugging them back. Yuu hit a body with an “oomph” as they both collapsed to the ground. And suddenly they were staring into Noble Asim’s terror-stricken face.

“I need to help Kalim! I need to save your son before he overblots!”

“No!” Nobel Asim wrestled Yuu to the ground, pinning them there, the older omega breathing heavily. “You can’t touch him! Don’t you know! Blot is deadly to omegas!”

The startling new information rang in Yuu’s ears, but Yuu was hardly able to process it. They could only stare at Kalim’s shaking form, helplessly wondering how everything went so wrong.

Notes:

Nothing much to say~ I hope 2024 has been treating you folks well so far!

We've also hit 300k words! Ya'll are seriously wild for reading this much! Thank you for coming with me on this journey. I appreciate all of you. <3

Chapter 42

Notes:

Sorry again for the long wait! This chapter was particularly difficult to write but it is done now :)

Please enjoy!

For as long as Kalim could remember, Jamil had been at his side.

His earliest memories were of Jamil. Before any of his younger siblings had been born it had just been the two of them. There were a good many years where no child had been born on the estate, and the older kids of the staff had better things to do than entertain two toddlers. Baba liked to say that Kalim had paved the way for the rest of his siblings, though Jamil had been the first to follow him into the world.

It was not until recently that Kalim dared entertain the idea that he would one day live a life without Jamil. Past. Present. Future. Jamil was a constant presence in Kalim’s mind. And no matter how hurtful Jamil’s declarations of hate and frustration were, he would always have a corner of Kalim’s heart carved out for his own, whether Jamil cared to occupy it or not—it belonged to him.

But these past few days were not long enough for Kalim to reconcile this new awareness that Jamil likely wouldn’t be in his life forever. At the very least, he believed he would have until graduation to come to terms with this.

Kalim was not ready to be without Jamil even tomorrow…

… Let alone lose him in the time it took for his heart to thump a single beat.

Maybe it was Kalim’s fault. If he had just said something yesterday when Papa came to check on them on the balcony… Maybe then Jamil would’ve confidently repelled the spell that sent him hurtling out the window. Instead of sweating and shivering, dark eyes pinched in barely concealed pain, Jamil might’ve instead mind-controlled Abis as he had so effortlessly done to Kalim in the past.

Had Kalim’s complacency yet again come at the cost of his best friend? The correct answer felt elusive.

It’s funny. Kalim had always believed that, between the two of them, he would be the first to go. His whole existence has been a series of attempts on his life. And while Jamil tried his best to taste Kalim’s food and curate what went in and out of their home, Kalim always knew in his heart that Jamil was meant to outlive him.

Never had Kalim felt such distress at being proven wrong.

He was only dimly aware of the sound of dripping rain and low rumbling thunder and the noise of an uneasy crowd. Somewhere below, his dam was shouting at Yuu but the words were lost to the roaring in his ears.

Kalim only had eyes for one person.

Cousin Abis.

The man had finally noticed him, cruel laughter dying almost immediately as Abis realized there was a storm gathering inside the building. Kalim hadn’t been aware that his magic could do that when fueled by grief and anger.

Kalim couldn’t remember the last time he’d been angry before.

It felt good. He felt powerful.

There was a part of Kalim that realized what was happening. The scent of ink and his own anger and despair were thick in the air. It was a scent he would not forget anytime soon—not when Jamil had been steeped in it just days before.

Kalim was overblotting.

His magic was responding to his emotions, running rampant and lashing out at anything that dared venture too close. For the first time in his life, Kalim wanted to hurt someone. He wanted Abis Il-Asim to hurt like no one had ever hurt before.

And all it would cost Kalim was his life.

But that was alright, wasn’t it? It seemed an easy price to pay. Kalim has always been ready to die. Every meal he ate, every bite he took could be his last. He remembered the ache and misery a single chocolate that went unchecked had wrought on his tiny body when he was only nine-years-old.

But… Kalim remembered the time Jamil had tasted a poisoned curry meant for Kalim even more vividly. What had been worse? Lying in bed in agony, crying as pain wracked his tiny body, or watching Jamil suffer a fate meant for Kalim, helpless to do anything but wait and pray ?

Kalim knew what his answer was.

“You s-stay away from me!”

Abis was scrambling away from Kalim who only just realized that he was closing in on the man. The older alpha’s composure had vanished—left in its place was the true cowardly villain that hid beneath, one Kalim had allowed to torture Jamil for too long.

In his panic, Abis slipped on the water summoned by Kalim’s magic. He crashed to the floor with a yelp, the impact painful sounding.

Something about the sight stirred in Kalim’s head.

Water… The mezzanine was flooding with water but could hold none of it as the rest escaped through the holes of the banisters. This meant that the ballroom floor below was slowly but surely being flooded, and there was something important about that thought.

Kalim forced himself to tear his eyes away from Abis. His gaze scoured the hall, head feeling full and heady like he had drunk a gallon of Papa’s favorite desert silk wine–spiced and chilled like he preferred. 

Finally his eyes laid upon the silhouette of his dam.

“Kalim!”

That was Yuu’s voice. They were shouting at him, desperately fighting against Baba’s unyielding grip as the older omega pinned them to the soaked floor. Kalim could not tell if the wetness on Yuu’s face was from the water splashing up on them or if it were tears.

He was hit with sudden clarity, a realization that Yuu and Baba were in danger because of him. Because of Kalim.

  Kalim never thought much of his unique magic, never gave much consideration into the fact that he could effortlessly fill the bed of a dried oasis–summon a river in the middle of a desert.

A ballroom in contrast? A ballroom was nothing.

Like this, Kalim felt as if he could drown an entire city if he so pleased.

But…

Kalim glanced back at Abis, fury swelling and burning in his chest like hot coals once more. Power surged through him and the black clouds, pressed against the ceiling, crackled with electricity. Abis let out a shriek when a bolt brushed past his head, singeing the top of his headwrap, and struck the wall behind him with a deafening crack. A smoldering spot was left behind, just above where the waterline lapped at the wall.

The sight of the horrible man whimpering in fear was exhilarating.

This power would allow Kalim to do what he could never do before. He could finally make right all that he had done wrong to Jamil– avenge him. That very same power would cost Kalim his life, yes, but that should be fine! He has always been ready to die.

But–!

Baba and Yuu’s desperate faces flashed behind his eyes again. The panicked faces of the entire crowd appeared in his mind, terrified at the scene—terrified of Kalim.

When Kalim had just been a boy, after the first several attempts had been made on his life, he’d decided then that he would always smile. No matter how sad he was feeling or if Papa accidentally said something insensitive or if Jamil pulled his arm away and made exasperated noises at Kalim… Through it all Kalim would smile, because Kalim knew that smile brought others joy.

If he was not meant long for this world, the least Kalim could do in his brief time here was to make others happy. If any day could be his last, then he would live everyday as if it were true. To laugh and smile and drink and enjoy himself, with his friends and family and beloved siblings and Jamil. To leave the world behind brighter in his wake.

To make others smile.

No one was smiling now.

People were crying and screaming with fear. Yuu was still fighting his dam who was also crying but refusing to let Yuu run to Kalim. Yuu was trying to run to Kalim to save him as they had done with Jamil.

“I–” Kalim’s mouth was filled with blot, his vision dripping in it, and his voice warbled with distortion as he fought for clarity.

It would be so easy to finally give into this anger and power.

The faces of his siblings flashed in Kalim’s mind, the younger ones all mischievous and toothy grins, most of them sporting white hair like himself, Baba’s genes strong in them. Najima’s face came next, sweet and always so pleased to see Kalim as she tried to recruit him in teasing and pranking her brother.

Grief and guilt rose up suffocatingly in his throat. Kalim coughed, fighting back tears as he finally realized how stupid he was being.

In his eagerness to throw away his own life, he’d forgotten the very reason he was okay with dying in the first place–a vow he’d made himself at an age far too young to think such thoughts.

Kalim smiled so others around him could smile. He cheered so people around him would feel uplifted.

If Kalim was to leave this world, he would do so ensuring that he went out leaving it a happier place than he’d found it.

And there was no way Kalim was going to let a rat like Abis Il-Asim make him break his promise!

Sorry Jamil , Kalim thought. But I won’t break my promise… Not even for you.

With that thought, Kalim turned away from Abis.

And he smiled.

~*~

In one moment the ceiling was filling with dark angry clouds and Kalim was dripping with ink.

In the next, it was like the world had taken a deep breath. Kalim turned to face the crowd. He stared right at Yuu and Aasmirah, but his eyes seemed to look beyond them. They were both frozen as he grinned at them, big white teeth stained with splotches of dark ink. The clouds above them dispersed. The water that had been threatening to cover Yuu’s head receded.

The world held its breath.

And then it exhaled.

Suddenly there was chaos and noise and activity as venue security and Silk City police poured into the room. With Kalim’s position by the front door, the dangerous blot accumulation has rendered it inaccessible. They must’ve been waiting on the other side this entire time.

For a moment Yuu thought the police were there to apprehend Kalim who, Yuu reminded themself in shock, had miraculously stopped himself from overblotting.

But then Kalim, still swaying on his feet but managing to stay standing, pointed at Abis and said in a shaky but authoritative voice:

“Arrest Abis Il-Asim.”

There was a flurry of motion as police rushed past Kalim to apprehend Abis. Abis only sat shell shocked and barely said a word as he was placed in cuffs, his wand confiscated from his person.

As they pulled the bastard away, Lord Asim seemed to materialize by his son’s side, the older man in tears as he pulled Kalim to him. He frantically checked Kalim over while Kalim tried to reassure him (though Yuu could not hear them), but it was obvious Kalim was dead on his feet.

But he still continued to smile.

The weight above Yuu shifted and they remembered that Aasmirah had been holding them down as the older omega sat back. Their normally lovely visage was distant and harrowed, snow white hair a wet and disarrayed mess.

And then Nobel Asim began to cry.

Yuu startled, sitting up in a flash, feeling alarmed.

It then hit Yuu what Aasmirah had screamed during the thick of the action.

Blot is deadly to omegas!

Yuu shivered at the memory but had little clue as to what it could mean. After all, Yuu has survived four overblots in beyond close proximity to the victims, and they seemed to be doing just fine… Right?

Whatever this meant, Yuu wasn’t currently in a position to sort it out. But it did bring up another important point.

Whether or not it was true that blot was deadly to Yuu, all that mattered was that Aasmirah believed it to be true.

Aasmirah Asim, who had fought and wrestled Yuu to the floor even in the midst of witnessing their son’s possible demise. They had chosen to protect Yuu instead of doing what their heart had no doubt screaming at them to do–to run to their precious pup and protect him.

The sound of Nobel Asim’s sobbing felt like a stab through the chest and, without thinking, Yuu found themself throwing their arms around the older omega. Within moments the two were embracing each other.

The moment may have lasted longer if not for the sudden gasping of the crowd around them. Yuu looked up in alarm, fearing some other disaster had taken place.

But then they saw the figures standing by the front door and Yuu’s heart was settled.

Riddle’s unmistakable red hair was the first thing Yuu saw, followed by Trey bright green head towering above the rest. Both of them looked physically unharmed.

Between them stood a person, the sight of whom made Yuu sharply inhale.

“JAMMMIIILLL!!”

A form blurred past them, pushing frantically through the crowd of people, as Najima practically flew up the staircase to where a haggard looking Jamil stood, supported on both sides by Riddle and Trey. The girl sobbed as she threw her arms around her brother. Jamil flinched at the impact but returned back a one-armed hug. He squeezed his eyes shut as he held tightly to his sister, makeup and dark kohl running from the tears streaming down his face.

At the sound of Najima’s cry, Kalim’s head shot up as well. Upon seeing Jamil safe and alive , Kalim immediately began to sob.

Yuu was unsurprised to see Lord Asim breakdown into further tears as well as he rushed he and his son over to Jamil, pulling all three of the children he’d watched grow up into his arms. Jamil, for once, did not seem to fight the affection. He just leaned into it and closed his eyes, appearing rightfully exhausted.

“So it seems Azul’s backup contingency worked then,” came a voice from behind Yuu, drawing their attention away from the touching scene.

Jade was smiling down at them, offering a hand as Yuu stared at him incredulously.

Yuu glanced back at Aasmirah only to find that Floyd was already assisting the older omega to their feet.

“What do you mean by ‘contingency’?” Yuu asked suspiciously as they took Jade’s offered hand.

“Azul is nothing if not prepared,” came his enigmatic reply. “Why don’t you take a closer look?”

Yuu did so, peeking back at Jamil and the rest. It didn’t take long to spot what Jade was referring to.

Tucked under Trey’s arm was a familiar looking wiggling rug.

The flying carpet… Azul you sly bastard.

“Though I am surprised to see your mates with Jamil,” Jade noted. “Trey, Riddle, and Azul were supposed to have been keeping you and Jamil safe in here .” His smile slipped from his face as Jade looked around them, “And where exactly is Azul? As pleased as I am that the contingency plan worked, there should have been no need to resort to it.”

Yuu realized with surprise that Jade was actually mad . And even more so that they could tell that he was. They were suddenly hesitant to tell him that they had been the one to encourage Azul to step away. Somehow they didn’t think ‘reconnect with an old friend’ was going to cut it in Jade’s book.

Thankfully, they were saved from the awkward explanation as the others finally spotted them.

“Yuu!”

“Yuu!”

Yuu suddenly had an armful of alpha and beta. Riddle was intensely checking them over for injuries while Trey held Yuu’s right hand in a deathgrip. Both of their faces looked immensely guilty.

Yuu wasn’t upset… Not yet at least. They were certain the two had a good explanation for why they had left as neither of them were normally so irresponsible. But explanations were definitely in order.

“I suppose… You have some things to explain. But can we all go somewhere more comfortable first though? I’d like to change out of these wet shoes..”

~*~

Unfortunately, it would be quite some time before Yuu was allowed to get the respite they desperately needed.

First things first, Riddle explained how his mother had shown up after seeing the televised broadcast, forcing him into a confrontation with her at last. They had tried to get back into the ballroom after, but by that point Kalim had overblotted and the entryways into the ballroom had been too dangerous to use. It was at that point they’d gone around front and spotted Jamil laying on the carpet nearly unconscious.

 

But Yuu was hardly listening past the reveal of Countess Rosehearts showing up. It was alarming to hear, to say the least, and any trepidation Yuu had felt was immediately washed away by worry for Riddle. Afterall, they had seen and felt the fear and trauma he associated with his mother when they’d bonded months ago.

But Riddle didn’t seem phased or terribly upset, which Yuu took to mean the confrontation had gone well in spite of all his fears.

Yuu could also tell something about the event had brought Riddle and Trey closer as well. The two were practically joined at the hip the rest of the evening. Where one went, the other was sure to follow.

All that really meant was that Yuu had two fussy mates constantly hovering over them, eager to make up for something Yuu had already forgiven and forgotten–not that they were complaining. The attention was cute, and reminiscent of the time Yuu spent nearly a week in Heartslabyul after Riddle’s overblot.

The next order of business had been speaking to the authorities about what had exactly happened.

Yuu had not been expecting to be interrogated today. And they were left even more nerve wracked by the knowledge that they were technically impersonating a noble.

Thankfully, Noble Asim was quick to step in and redirect questions that may have outed Yuu and the questioning wrapped up fairly quickly after that.

Besides, there was clear footage of Abis attempting murder on live international television as well as before an affluent crowd that included the Sultan himself. The case was cut-and-dry, especially with several testimonies of Abis admitting to the intention of getting rid of Kalim and threatening and blackmailing Jamil with Najima’s safety (the overwhelming number of eye witnesses meant that Jamil could thankfully keep the recording outing Yuu’s identity to himself–sometimes it helped that the boys were so willing to be underhanded).

Lord Asim had not been happy upon hearing all of these secrets be revealed. His suntanned and jovial face had turned a dark red with fury that nearly rivaled Riddle’s.

“I should have never trusted that rat!”

Meanwhile Aasmirah fretted over the Viper siblings, waterworks renewed.

“You must tell us if something is wrong!” Noble Asim cried. “If anything happened to you two–! Jamil, you have to know that we would do anything for you, dear child. If we’d known you were suffering like this–!”

Lord Asim chimed in his two cents as well, his eyes dark. “I am going to have a conversation with your father. Dammit, Hasan…” He muttered this last part to himself, but his eyes were clearly overcome with sadness. “I never wanted any of you to believe you had no voice or no power in our home. I believe it is finally time we sort out the ridiculousness of this tradition of servitude. I’ve been a fool for allowing it to go on this long…”

It felt like there was more to that conversation, but Yuu wasn’t around to hear it as they were all soon whisked away to get medical attention.

And that was when they all learned that Jamil was still suffering from the effects of his overblot.

“That’s why you couldn’t defend yourself?!” Yuu asked, aghast. “Y-you–! You idiot!”

Kalim had tried to break the tension and lighten the mood but Yuu was quick to turn on him as well.

“And you knew, didn’t you?” Yuu accused. “I heard what you said. The two of you have been arguing about something since yesterday! It was about Jamil’s blot symptoms, wasn’t it?”

Kalim wilted under Yuu’s fury. “B-but– I just didn’t want to go against Jamil’s wishes!”

“THERE’S A TIME AND PLACE FOR RESPECTING BOUNDARIES! And it doesn’t apply to IDIOTS who put their lives in danger!”

Yuu was sure Azul would have something snarky to say in response to that. Too bad for him that he was too busy getting chewed out by Jade the next room over while Floyd cackled in the background.

Eventually the evening did end. They were allowed to go back to their rooms to rest.

But Yuu wasn’t quite ready to part ways with everyone else.

Their ephemeral bond with Jamil was still only days old, and while Yuu did not suffer the effects of a pseudo-heat and needed skinship, their instincts were still demanding that they sooth the part of themself that needed to see Jamil and the rest of their pack safe.

“Is it okay if we all have a sleepover?”

Yuu flushed and hurried to explain themself.

“B-back at school, we’d have movie nights a lot, especially when something big like an overblot happened. It’s just… Nice to see everyone safe and comfortable all in one place. But I get it if any of you are uncomfortable with that. I’d understand if Jamil would want to spend the night with his family.”

The rest of the group exchanged glances.

“I never really had those kinds of experiences until Ramshackle,” Riddle admitted. “It’s nice. I wouldn’t mind.” His ears burned a little.

After another moment of silence, it was actually Jamil who spoke up next.

“... We could use Kalim’s room. His is the largest.”

Kalim gasped and tried to contain his obvious excitement as Jamil sent him a withering glare, but his sparkling eyes gave him away. “That’s a great idea! I mean–Yes, we can have a sleepover in my room! I’ll ask someone to bring more blanekts and pillows! You also said movie night? I have a really big TV in my room so we can watch something too! Gah, I’ve never had a sleepover before, this is so exciting–!”

Jamil just rolled his eyes and began to drag the excitable alpha behind him and lead the rest of them in the proper direction. Floyd cheered and Jade began to inquire if they could have mushroom-based dishes sent up for dinner.

Before Yuu could follow as well, they were stopped by Azul.

“I just…” He could barely meet their eyes. “First of all, I want to apologize again for leaving you to deal with Il-Asim alone.”

Yuu only quirked an eyebrow and a half-smile at him. “I’m the one who told you to talk to Rielle.

“I know that. I just… I still want to apologize. Also, I know there’s… Something here between us. But after everything that’s happened… Are you sure you’re okay with me coming along? Because I really will understand if you just want to kick me to the curb.”

Yuu turned to face Azul fully, feeling unbearably soft towards the beta at the moment.

“Azul. I want you there. I’m a person of my word. I’ve already forgiven you for everything you’ve done and I want you in my life. I want you to believe me.”

Azul’s bottom lip warbled a bit.

“... I think I’m starting to.”

~*~

Jade did end up getting his mushroom and potato soup which Floyd complained endlessly about until the rest of the snacks and dishes Kalim ordered arrived. When Jamil made a move to try and taste-test something for Kalim, they were all surprised when Jade slapped his hand away, all with a smile on his face.

“Now now, Mr. Viper. I do believe this is what got us into this mess in the first place? Let Floyd try it. I’ve been making him test out my dishes for years now.”

“I don’t wanna! Also this is just more of your nasty mushrooms! I ain't’ gonna do it! Yuu, save me~!”

And that’s how Yuu ended up with a lap full of overdramatic moray who continued to bicker with his brother. But Yuu was feeling extra indulgent tonight and just patted Floyd on the head who preened at the attention.

What a strange guy.

“I will say that I’m surprised you still rely on test tasters in this day and age,” Azul commented. “I know of at least three different poison detection potion recipes off the top of my head.”

“Those can be easily swapped out as well,” Jamil replied. “How unfortunate it would be if you think you’re testing for poison but you just end up being the one to poison the food instead.”

“Hmph. I’m certain I could come up with a formula that can circumvent such a thing. A potion that can verify when a food is safe or dangerous. Hmm… I may need to develop such a thing anyway if I am to cater to affluent people in the future.”

And so the evening went on. Kalim wanted to watch a mindless comedy which everyone but Yuu and Trey quickly shot down.  They eventually settled on a romance Yuu remembered watching with Ace and Deuce some time ago–a Floyd pick actually, which had been surprising to Yuu.

“Crabby actually recommended it to me during basketball practice~”

Jamil actually let out an exasperated sigh at this.

“I know. You’re always getting distracted during practice and harassing the freshmen.”

“What can I say~? Practice is so boring sometimes~ And I like romances and Crabby knows all the best ones~! Hey hey, Shrimpy. You should invite me to more movie nights.”

Yuu just rolled their eyes.

“Did you forget that you basically enslaved Ace during that time? Maybe if you were nicer, I would invite you to Ramshackle sleepovers.”

Floyd just stuck his tongue out at them, but his mismatched eyes were full of mirth.

Between the eventful evening and full bellies and exhaustion, in the early hours before dawn nearly everyone had finally fallen asleep, spread out on the numerous pillows and blankets laid on the floor around Kalim’s bed. Azul and Floyd had actually fallen asleep on the bed itself, Floyd splayed out like a starfish, his gangly limbs half smothering Azul who looked disgruntled by the contact even in sleep. Jade laid on the floor nearby, the only one to not be touching anyone else but still close enough that Azul could reach out and touch him if needed.

Surprisingly, Jamil and Kalim had somehow ended up tangled with each other, Kalim wrapped around Jamil like a monkey. Yuu knew that their relationship was far from healed–probably would not be for many years to come–but they had a feeling that Kalim’s near-overblot at his ‘death’ had shaken something in Jamil. He had been more indulgent with Kalim’s clinginess than Yuu had ever seen. Kalim himself had hardly let Jamil out of his sight all evening, appearing afraid that if he even glanced away for a second Jamil would vanish again.

Yuu understood. They didn’t know how they would react if anyone they loved was pushed out a window right before their eyes.

With Kalim in Jamil’s left, Yuu took up his right feeling more at-ease now that they could just be near to him. Jamil and Kalim had both been immediately administered potions and blot treatment and color had finally returned to Jamil’s face that Yuu hadn’t realized had grown slightly sallow until it did. The bags under his eyes were still dark and heavy, but Jamil looked overall better.

Yuu still didn’t want to press the reserved alpha too much and settled for just having their arms next to each other. But by the subtle look of relief that had come over Jamil’s face when Yuu went to sit down beside him, they suspected that he too had been craving skinship after his overblot.

After tonight, Yuu vowed to not let Jamil keep pretending to martyr himself and hurting himself in the process ever again. They were going to encourage him to express his needs from now on if it was the last thing they did.

On Yuu’s other side was Trey who had his back to the omega as he spooned Riddle. Riddle often liked to complain that he preferred being the big spoon, but Yuu and Trey saw right through the flustered alpha. Besides, Trey was very big for a beta and gave the best hugs and was the best big spoon in the world. And it was obvious in the way all of Riddle’s protest died down sleepily whenever Trey curled up around him.

Being the small spoon didn’t stop Riddle from sticking a leg back though, so that he could brush skin with Yuu and be sure the omega was still present and safe. Yuu likewise stretched their arm over so that Riddle could hold their hand.

Surrounded like this by the scent of so many of their friends and mates was deeply and instinctually satisfying.

It had been a very arduous and difficult three days, but they all made it through relatively unscathed. Lord Asim had also vowed to finally fix whatever was clearly deeply broken in his household which gave Yuu some hope.

Now all that was left to do was rest and enjoy the peace while it lasted. The gentle sounds of all eight people breathing in the dark reminded Yuu of how much they missed their other friends and packmates.

As Yuu’s eyelids slowly fluttered shut, they vowed to have another movie night as soon as possible. But this time the others would be there as well. Grim, Deuce, Ace, Leona, Cater, Ruggie…

Yuu drifted to sleep.

They dreamed about two big ears and a talking mouse.

 

~*~

 

Two Weeks Later

 

The semester picked up almost as if it had never stopped in the first place. And it began, as it always did with Yuu and Grim, with something going horribly wrong.

“Why is it SNOWING in my bedroom!”

Notes:

And this marks the end of the Book 4! That was much much longer than I anticipated it being! It took me over a year to finish this book whereas it took me a year to write the first three!! That's really crazy 😭 (Can you believe that Book 4 is actually my least favorite of the bunch??? Maybe that's why it ended up being so long. I felt the urge to add so much extra things to an already very long Book lol)

Next up we have Fairy Gala/Book 5 which will be pretty much tied in with one another. And Leona! Much more Leona coming up!

Azul and the twins will finally get a break lol. They will still be around but won't be super prominent until Book 6 (and GloMas for Azul).

I'm very excited for this next arc as I hope the expand more on RSA as well. I was hoping to have more with the Jas (my Jasmine OC if it wasn't obvious lol) and Rielle, but this arc was already so so long and needed to be wrapped up. I also couldn't find anywhere to put them naturally. But definitely expect more from RSA students! I really hope we get more canon ones in the future. I adore Neige, but he deserves more canon friends/classmates with actual faces lol. Rielle himself only gets a name drop in canon 🙃

See you guys soon~ Thank you for reading!

(Also omg guys I've just started Apothecary Diaries two weeks ago and I'm so so so feral for this show and these characters.)

Chapter 43

Notes:

As always, will edit in the following week. Please enjoy. :)

Fairy Gala arc!! And some answers to important questions!!

If there was such a thing as a god of fate, Yuu was certain that they must’ve committed some unforgivable sin to be this unlucky .

That’s at least how it felt waking up covered in a sheet of fine snow on the morning that was meant to be the first day of the spring semester.

Somehow, somehow , Yuu just knew that this was Headmaster Crowley’s fault.

Yuu had a bad feeling they were going to be in for a very long day.

~*~

For whatever reason, it was snowing inside Yuu and Grim’s bedroom.

This was, as crazy as Twisted Wonderland could be, decidedly out of the ordinary.

The first thing to do when presented with a mystery, of course, was to investigate it. So Yuu quickly bundled up a groggy Grim, slipped on their shoes, grabbed the coat Lilia gifted them from the closet, and exited their bedroom, only to discover exactly what Yuu suspected and feared.

It wasn’t just snowing in their bedroom (Yuu would not be so lucky), but rather snowing in the entirety of Ramshackle dorm. Every hallway and staircase step and nook and cranny was covered in a fine dusting of snow and frost that continued to pile up. Yuu took a moment to take it all in, feeling already exhausted despite a full night’s sleep, and bemoaning how long it was going to take them to clean all this up once the snow melted, let alone think of all the water damage! These rickety old floors, long since stripped of whatever treatment they once had, were not going to handle being flooded very kindly.

This was not how Yuu imagined starting the new year off.

The obvious conclusion to their investigation was that this was something well out of Yuu’s hand.

The second thing to do then was to track down that useless Headmaster, who could not be bothered to answer a single one of Yuu’s frantic texts or calls.

Thankfully, this task was accomplished far quicker than Yuu anticipated.

Crowley was in front of the Botanical Garden.

As were the rest of the Housewardens (though Yuu did note that the mysterious Malleus Draconia of Diasomnia was nowhere to be found as usual).

And by the grim expressions on all their faces, and the out-of-place stages of dress many were in, Yuu surmised that Ramshackle was not the only victim of this catastrophe.

“Yuu! Grim!” Crowley greeted shamelessly, as if he did not currently have a mobile filled with several ignored texts and missed calls in his coat pocket. “Wonderful to see my cute students so bright eyed and awake so early on this fine morning!”

Yuu, who was still shaking bits of snow out of their disheveled hair, only offered him a cool glare in response.

“And I see you are already informed of the current disaster we’re facing! Wonderful!”

“If it’s so wonderful, then why wasn’t I invited to this little get-together?”

Yuu glanced around Crowley. Yup. Pretty much everyone except Draconia and whoever the Ignihyde Housewarden was. The latter was attending via a floating tablet Yuu had seen on occasion. Bizarre, but Yuu had long since learned to stop questioning such things. Jamil was the only vice Housewarden Yuu could see attending

“Ah! Yes. Well… You must understand,” Crowley simpered. “I have been so busy this morning playing damage control that I simply have not been able to check my messages!”

“It is snowing in Ramshackle. In. Side.”

He coughed. “Yes. Well. The Housewardens and I were just brainstorming possible causes and solutions to this very problem! Your timing it truly impeccable, for I believe you and Grim will provide excellent support—“

“ Excuse me?”

“—that is, as I was saying before the two of you came along, if the Housewardens would like the campus to stay open! I am open to any decision my dear students settle on. For I am a most benevolent Headmage and deeply value the democratic process!”

Instead of entertaining this buffoonery more, Yuu turned to the gaggle of Housewardens instead, raising a brow.

Riddle, impeccably dressed despite the circumstances though still soaked down to his boots, stepped forward. He offered Yuu a sweet smile in greeting, despite his obvious exasperation at the duration, before answering.

“Headmage Crowley is threatening to close down the school and hold us all back a year if we don’t solve this problem for him.”

And considering how little Riddle approved of criticizing authority and faculty members, his words and displeased glare spoke volumes. Yuu could not imagine Riddle being held back a year, nor letting such a thing tarnishing his perfect record, sitting down.

Yuu spun on Crowley.

“You what?! And where exactly are Grim and I supposed to go if you shut down the school?”

“I–Well–” He sputtered.

There was a flutter of activity from the entrance of the botanical garden. To Yuu’s surprise, several small glittering balls of light burst from the door, flying about in dizzying patterns. It took them a second to recognize the appearance of faeries, which Yuu had only seen on a few occasions (Vargas camp specifically). They were so small that Yuu could hardly make them out, even just a few meters out from the greenhouse entrance.

And they had certainly never seen these fae before. Whereas the other small fairies (Yuu reminded themself that Lilia was a fae too–so they must be of a different species) they’d encountered were wreathed in whatever primary element they appeared to embody, these fae looked almost like normal humans. They wore garments sewn of leaves and flower petals, and carried with them small adorable tools.

“Perhaps,” came a familiar voice Yuu had not heard in a while. Lilia Vanrouge stepped out from behind the crowd (he had been too short to see before) and held his sleeve up to his mouth mischievously. “We should take this back to the Headmage’s office? Lest the small ones hear our plans.”

~*~

Lilia quickly filled Yuu in on the situation, this also acting as a recap for the rest of the group as they made their way back to Crowley's office.

Every year the fairies of Faeland ushered in spring, beginning by hosting an event called the Fairy Gala. The chosen venu this year was, unfortunately for the residents of Night Raven College, the botanical gardens. Those little human-like fae Yuu had seen ( called tinker fairies according to Lilia) had been the ones to pilfer the mage stone incharge of regulating weather and temperature around campus.

(Poor Scarabia, Yuu thought. Not only was part of their dorm still destroyed from the events over break, but they were also experiencing an out-of-season snow.)

Yuu was exasperated to discover that this was yet another case of sensitive political shenanigans. The pilfered magestone was used to set the crown the Fae Queen now wore on her glittering golden head. Anger her and her subjects, and Twisted Wonderland would be plunged into an unexpected ice age.

This didn’t wholly make sense to Yuu as they could clearly see the sun in the sky and had (mistakenly) assumed the seasons changed here just as they did on Earth–with the planet orbiting the sun while spinning on a tilt. But no. Yuu was taken aback to discover that there were no hemispheres in Twisted Wonderland, at least not differentiable by opposing seasons and a defined equator. The entire world here experienced seasons on the same timescale.

But then how were there different climates? And did the fae usher in every seasonal change? How? Did their planet even orbit a star at all? Was Twisted Wonderland even a planet??

Yuu’s head had begun to spin and they quickly decided not to question it any further.

Twisted Wonderland is weird and twisted and that was that.

The important thing was that they needed to get the magestone back but could not risk pissing off the Faelanders, and Crowley was not going to be of any help whatsoever.

As expected.

What wasn’t expected was what happened next.

They were now gathered in Crowley’s office discussing how they should go about tackling this sensitive issue. It was a bit overwhelming, to be honest, seeing everyone all at once. It felt almost surreal seeing Riddle, Leona, and Azul all occupying the same space (and not trying to bite each other's heads off for once).

Leona in particular Yuu was glad to see. He looked exhausted, though that could just be due to how early in the morning it was, but Yuu also knew being at home wasn’t easy on him. They were impatient to go over and talk to him, to finally hear Leona’s voice in person, or to even just scent him and ease their inner omega, to see he was safe and unharmed. The last time they’d seen Leona, he’d only just been released from bedrest.

But that was neither here nor there. It would have to wait until they solved the latest NRC catastrophe.

“What if we swapped it for a fake? Would that work, Lilia?”

Vil’s sudden suggestion was the first in the entire meeting that sounded potentially viable. Lilia further confirmed this by explaining how the fae likely regarded the magestone as nothing more than a pretty trinket.

They could put on a show to distract the court while someone with sticky fingers made the swap. It was fairly obvious to everyone in the room who was familiar with Ruggie who would be perfect for this role.

So that just left them with picking the people to do the actual distraction and a way to blend in with the fae.

And that was when the unexpected thing happened.

“I think Yuu should do it,” Lilia volunteered with a little chuckle from behind his sleeve.

Yuu shot him a betrayed look.

“What? Hang on now. Why should I do it? I don’t even have any magic or know anything about fairies!” They were also really tired of being dragged into Crowley’s bullshit, which Lilia knew perfectly well from all the times Yuu had complained to him about it!

“I hardly think anyone here can deny that you have a way of charming people around you,” Lilia said, as if the compliment was going to ease the sting of betrayal. See if Yuu shared any loot with him next time they played online together! Also, Yuu might’ve misheard it, but they thought they heard Lilia add quietly, “It will be interesting to see how they handle a fae court.”

Whatever the heck that meant.

Unfortunately for Yuu, there were several nods of consensus around the office. Kalim might’ve believed his enthusiastic support of this idea was helpful, but it very very much was not.

“Yuu is also a really good dancer! At the New Years– oof!”

Jamil elbowed him in the side which thankfully shut Kalim up. Yuu stifled a groan and sent a silent thanks to Jamil. Chances are few people would have any reason to put two-and-two together and realize ‘Tom Rosehearts’ was actually just Yuu in disguise, but the less questions people asked, the better.

“Well it doesn’t even matter,” Yuu said grumpily. “Because, if you all forgot, I’m human and I don’t have magic so there’s no chance in hell I’ll pass as a fairy. But I wish you luck finding someone–”

Fate then, as it always did, decided to screw them over.

A new voice appeared to cut them off.

“I have just the thing in stock!”

If looks could kill, Sam would be lying dead where he’d practically materialized from the shadows. He was nearly as bad as Crowley at popping up in the most inopportune moments (though Yuu still begrudgingly had to be thankful that the last time he did so ended up with him supplying Professor Crewel with Azure salt).

It was not Azure salt that Sam held in his hands this time though. No no.

This time, he presented the group with a shimmering bottle of golden dust.

Lilia leaned forward in amazement, his crimson eyes wide with delight.

“My my! And where did you procure such a valuable bottle of fairydust, shopkeeper?” He asked. “The fae guard their source zealously. Even in all my travels, I’ve never seen a bottle myself in the hands of an outsider.”

Sam winked. “That, my little imps, is a trade secret~! But a little sprinkling of this and even the ugliest troll will pass as a fairy.”

“Well there we go!” Crowley exclaimed. “A perfect solution! Though I’d hate to consider how much this will cost me…”

Sam only winked again.

“... But nevertheless! This is the Fairy Gala, and I cannot spare any expense. I don't even want to imagine what will happen to my head if we upset the Faelanders and set off an eternal winter…” Crowley coughed into a fist, “Anyway. Please charge it to the school.”

Everyone rolled their eyes. This would certainly be the first time Crowley didn’t cheap out.

Through all this, Yuu was trying very hard not to start pouting. They felt like they were being bullied into a corner. “Well… I-!” Yuu glared sourly at Lilia who only chuckled, the traitor. “Well–! You guys can’t make me do this on my own! Someone has to help me!”

“Of course! Of course!” Crowley said placatingly, shaking the vial of fairydust. “Why, there is enough dust here for five people!”

That was not Yuu’s point.

“I have it on good authority that the theme this year is ‘windswept’,” Sam offered oh so helpfully.

All eyes now fell on Kalim and Leona.

“Eh? Why is everyone staring at me?”

“Oh hell no.”

“You can’t deny the impeccable choice though, Leona,” Vil purred, earning him one of Leona’s infamous glares. Vil was completely unphased by it. “A gala for the Fairy Queen? Someone with a noble background and knows his way about royal functions is certainly more than qualified for the task.”

“Then get Kalim and Rosehearts to do it. Weren’t they both just at an important royal function anyways? Unlike me, they’re both in practice.”

“Kalim certainly fits the theme. But Riddle, no offense,” Vil shot at Riddle quickly. “Has more of a cute and refined air to him. Not exactly the rugged and carefree aesthetic we’re going for.”

“None taken,” Riddle responded with clearly forced politeness.

“It’s still a no,” growled Leona. “I’m not getting involved in this bullshit.”

“Oh?” Lilia chimed in. “Well that’s too bad then. But I suppose there are two Princes on campus. I’m sure Malleus would be more than happy to accompany Yuu in this endeavor. What a handsome couple they’ll make, sure to provide the perfect distraction for the Queen.”

Yuu was perplexed by this statement as they were certain they had never met this mysterious Malleus Draconia before.

But the taunt nonetheless worked perfectly in Lilia’s favor. Any mention of the ‘overgrown lizard’, as Leona so affectionately dubbed the missing Housewarden, never failed to get Leona riled up (it was one of Ruggie’s favorite tricks to get him off his ass). Especially when it was framed in a competitive way.

Leona’s deadly glare could’ve made even the most hardened criminal cower, but Lillia only grinned back at him cheekily.

“Yuu doesn’t even want to do this,” Leona snapped, before turning to Yuu. “Do you?”

“I–”

Yuu sighed, annoyed with themself. It’s not that they wanted to do this, but no one else seemed to be willing. And Yuu supposed Lilia had something in mind when he basically voluntold You for the task.

Maybe they really did have a savior/martyr complex.

Something to discuss with their therapist whenever they got back to their own world.

She was going to have a field day with Yuu.

Yuu grumbled, unable to meet Leona’s eyes, “If no one else will…”

Leona groaned.

There was silence in the office for a moment.

And then,

“Fine,” Leona snapped. “I’ll do this bullshit for you idiots. But only because you assholes insist on pressuring Yuu into it. And also because I can’t have my prime napping spot back until those annoying little fuckers vacate the premises, and the idiots in my dorm will hibernate from the cold until something is done.”

Yuu frowned, feeling bad, but certain that if they said anything it would only make Leona feel more frustrated.

“Wonderful!” Crowley cried, “Then if it’s all settled, we shall prepare at once–!”

“Nope.” Leona said, immediately cutting him off. “I am going back to my dorm to finish my rest before we hash this out. It is too damn early in the morning for this shit. Kalim. Text me in four hours.”

“Oh! Yeah sure, Leona!”

“Good. Now come on, Yuu.”

“Eh-?”

~*~

Azul was kind enough to take a still sleepy Grim off their hands (much to the surprise of every other Housewarden in the room), with a promise to make sure the twins didn’t terrorize the poor thing too badly (Yuu wasn’t holding out much hope), before Yuu hurried after Leona, eager to finally speak to him face-to-face after nearly a month.

That was how Yuu found themself back in Leona’s room at long last.

Savanaclaw was frigid. Not snowing like Ramshackle, but ice cold sheets of freezing rain had poured down, freezing the grown solid. Leona had been correct about the hibernating students, as Yuu had never heard the dorm this quiet, even this early in the morning.

As soon as the door closed, Yuu was spinning around, an apology on their tongue, “I’m–”

“If you’re gonna apologize, don’t,” Leona said. “I’m not upset. Just annoyed with the situation.

Sensing that he was being honest and not actually upset with them, Yuu teased tentatively, “Implying you aren’t always annoyed with the rabble?”

Thankfully, this earned them a bark of laughter instead of one of Leona’s infamous glares. He just shook his head at them, as if Yuu was ridiculous, and gestured for them to come to the bed with him.

It was cold.

“Are you actually going to take a nap?” Yuu asked, walking over.

“Maybe,” he yawned. “Hurry up, kitten. I need a warm pillow.”

Yuu just rolled their eyes but crawled onto the mattress and leaned back against the headrest. A moment later, Leona laid his head down on their lap, looking pleased with himself. Yuu laughed softly and finally ran their fingers through his soft hair, something they’d been itching to do. It shouldn’t be fair that a guy like Leona, who had no hair care routine, should have the softest hair in existence.

Though Yuu supposed they couldn’t complain, considering they got to brush and play with it.

“Keep that up and I really will fall asleep on your ass,” Leona hummed.

“Might as well. We do have four hours until Kalim texts you.”

“I think you mean Viper will text me,” he groused. Leona suddenly turned so that his face was practically buried in Yuu’s belly. His voice was low and muffled as he spoke, “You smell nice. Missed you.”

“Missed you too.”

As much as Yuu loved the unflappable and rugged Leona, immovable Housewarden of Savanaclaw, they secretly loved this Leona even more. This soft version of him that he so rarely showed them, and only ever in the privacy of his own space when it was just the two of them. This Leona felt vulnerable, as if he could break and shatter if Yuu was too rough with him, but still he trusted them to handle this version of him with care.

This was the Leona from his memories, the little boy who buried his face in his Mama’s and Mother’s sides and cried freely.

They stayed like that for a bit. It was only when Yuu was beginning to nod off themself that Leona shifted, sitting up. Yuu made a noise of concern, but Leona only chuffed and messed Yuu’s hair up when their guard was at its lowest. Yuu hissed and swiped his hand away, but Leona only laughed as he watched Yuu try to fix the mess he had made.

“You’re mean,” they accused.

“If you didn’t know that by now, kitten, I’m not sure what to tell ya.”

“You know… Ruggie is going to be pissed at us when he finds out he was volunteered for this mission too.”

“Hmph. Tough luck. If the rest of us have ta deal with it, he can suck it up.”

Yuu rolled their eyes again, getting up and going over to where Leona was busy making himself a cup of tea. He was actually making two.

“I don’t like tea, you know.”

“I know. That’s why I made you coffee.”

Leona handed Yuu a warm mug, which felt heavenly in this freezing weather, and lo-and-behold it was coffee just as he said. Yuu took a sip of it. It was far from the best coffee they had ever drank (Leona probably never made this stuff on his own if he could help it) and it didn’t have nearly enough cream or sugar in it for Yuu’s taste, but they still felt incredibly pleased and took another mouthful.

They eventually settled at the table Leona kept reserved for this chess board. Usually there was already a game in progress, Leona playing and leaving it to think of his next move, but this time the pieces were lined up obediently in their starting positions, untouched over the whole break.

“So, Yuu,” Leona finally said. “How’s about we talk about what happened over winter? In detail this time?”

~*~

There wasn’t much more to tell Leona other than fleshing out the details they’d missed out on and explaining what happened during and after the New Years Ball (which he’d already seen part of, right before the feed cut off when Kalim overblotted).

“Clever plan,” Leona admitted begrudgingly. “One thing I can’t deny Ashengrotto, he’s a clever bastard. Still can’t believe you forgave the cephalo-bastard.” And before Yuu could begin to say something apologetic, “I ain’t sayin’ I’m against it. If anything, it’s clear that you need more clever people with means to have your back. You get into way too much shit.”

Which was how they found themselves on the topic of the sheer number of overblots that has occurred in the past six months.

Four. Four overblots. Five if they counted Kalim’s near-OB.

“The first few times I could maybe chalk it up to coincidence,” Yuu said dubiously. “But at this point it’s a pattern. And as much as I hate it when you guys point out how much of a bad luck magnet I am… I am currently the only common denominator I can point out. Which doesn’t make any sense but it’s true.”

Thankfully, Leona didn’t dismiss Yuu’s concerns as they had feared. If anything, he took it very seriously.

“It worries me too,” he admitted. “Coupled with the fact that you have been able to stop all four of them, there does seem to be intention behind these overblots.” Leona growled, “I’m not a fan of being manipulated by some outside force.”

That was understandable. If someone was truly intentionally starting overblots somehow, having your deepest fears and insecurities dredged to the surface and exposed for some insidious purpose was not going to please anybody.

“Have you talked to the others about this?” Leona asked.

“A little. But I don’t want to worry anyone too much yet.”

“So why come to me with it?”

“I was hoping you might know something more considering your relation to the royal family. Maybe it’s presumptuous of me, but I thought maybe you’d know something the general public doesn’t?”

Leona grew quiet at this part, his expression contemplative.

“... There’s–” He shook his head, “Nah. Nevermind. Forget it.”

Yuu wanted to press, but sensed that it may not be wise to and refrained themself. So instead, they brought up the burning question that had been on their mind since New Years.

“There’s also another thing,” Yuu admitted. “I asked Riddle about this too, but he said he had no idea. Kalim’s dam… Noble Asim said something strange to me the night Kalim overblotted.”

“Strange?”

“Yeah. They said that… That blot is deadly to omegas.”

It was two days after the ball and after everything with Kalim and Abis had been sorted out. Lord Asim had been displeased by it, but Aasmirah had made a plea deal with Abis. In exchange for his silence on Yuu’s true identity, bound by magic, he would be granted a lighter sentence. His name would still be stricken from the family ledgers, but he would retain his inheritance once he was released from prison.

Of course, Noble Asim hadn’t promised that the judge would grant him a short sentence.

And it wasn’t as if anyone would be clambering to do business with him after that internationally televised fiasco.

Whenever he did get out of prison, it would be to a cold and unwelcoming world.

With those more pressing concerns out of the way, Yuu finally found time that Nobel Asim was not busy, to sit down and ask them what they had meant.

“It’s not well documented,” Aasmirah admitted. They two of them were sitting in the Noble’s personal parlor room, two sets of untouched teacups on the table before them. “My own dam always warned me about the dangers of blot, especially when I was betrothed to Kamran who practiced magic. I myself do not so I’m unsure of how omegas that do handle blot accumulation.”

“Are you positive? I’m not sure if you’ve been told, but Jamil wasn’t the only one to overblot this year at school. I’ve…”

Yuu trailed off, uncertain if they wanted to admit that they had been using ephemeral bonds as a tool to prevent overblots. Despite all their bond partners being alright with it, it was still such a personal intimate thing.

“… I’ve been in physical contact with blot several times now,” Yuu settled on. “I don’t feel any long term effects.”

Aasmirah sat up straighter at the admittance, a frown at their lips.

“Are you certain?”

“Unless I’ve somehow hallucinated the past six months–yes, I’m fairly certain.”

Aasmirah’s frown deepened.

“That cannot be. I–” They sighed. “I have not thought of this memory for a very long time. But there was a time, when I had still been a child, that I witnessed an overblot. I was too young to really understand the context, but apparently one of the Sultan’s sons had secretly been seeing the palace mage’s apprentice. It was a big scandal at the time, the prince was an omega and already betrothed and so the apprentice was arrested, but no one could have predicted what came next.”

Noble Asim looked off into the distance, their eyes far off and sad.

“The apprentice was granted clemency after the palace mage pleaded for her before the Sultan, and that was supposed to have been that. But during the prince’s wedding to his betrothed… The apprentice showed up. It was clear to me, even at that age, that she was not well. She fought off the guards all alone, overextending her magic, and began to overblot. Not every mage overblots when taxing their magic,” they explained. “Most people pass out or die long before that point. But she did not. She began to overblot .

I remember how quickly my mother pulled me away. The crowd panicked, not unlike last night. Everyone was terrified of the apprentice. No one dared to get too close. No one except the prince.”

Noble Asim’s voice was shaking now. “It all happened so fast. One minute he was screaming for her, and the next it was like the life had been sucked out of him.”

Yuu’s brows rose to the top of their head. “That quick? Did… Did he survive?”

Aasmirah shook their head sadly. “No. And I suspect his death was quite instant. The moment the blot touched him…” They shivered. “It’s a hard memory to look back on. No one can really predict when a mage will overblot, but it is so rare that I never thought I’d live to see another one let alone my own…”

Aasmirah’s voice broke.

“Kalim is safe,” Yuu whispered, reaching out a hand and placing it on Aasmirah’s. The older omega took a deep breath. A moment later they smiled warmly up at Yuu.

“I know,” they said. “Thank you, dear child.”

Yuu watched Leona’s face the entire time they recounted the memory, but his face was unchanging but they could see in his cat-green eyes that his mind was working overtime.

Finally he said, “And Riddle had no idea? His mother does not know either?”

Yuu shook their head. “I think… Maybe between overblot being so rare and omegas being so rare, it’s become an obscure fact? You didn’t know this either?”

“No. This is the first I’ve heard of it. But I can ask the omegas next I am home. If Noble Asim knew, then it’s likely my mama knew as well along with the other palace omegas.”

“Do you think your brother would know? Isn’t his wife an omega?”

“She is. I suppose I could call him,” Leona said begrudgingly. “It’s entirely possible I would’ve been told if I were to ever mate an omega myself. But I dislike dealing in what-ifs. Ugh. What a bother.”

Yuu just shot him an apologetic grin.

“It’s so confusing though,” Yuu said. “I just can’t wrap my head around how I’m fine.”

“Noble Asim could just be mistaken.”

“Maybe, but somehow I don’t think so. Maybe… Maybe it has to do with me being from a different dimension? What are the odds that I appear here, the first known inter-dimensional traveler,” emphasis on the known as Yuu was certain, based on the shared mythos between the two worlds, that there were folks before them, “and I just happen to be the only omega who can withstand blot and I’ve encountered more overblots than most people do in several lifetimes?”

“It’s possible,” Leona said. “But… I don’t much like putting stock in conclusions based on conjecture. Let’s circle back to this conversion once we have more facts, or else you’re just going to drive yourself crazy thinkin’ about it all.”

Leona was unfortunately correct, even though that was all Yuu wanted to do. They just wanted answers dammit. If someone brought them to this world purposefully , Yuu wanted to meet the fucker responsible and wring their sorry neck.

“Anyway, speakin’ of Noble Asim,” Leona said with a sudden jeering tone. “This makes how many members of nobility you’ve got wrapped around your pretty little fingers, kitten? Keep this up and I wouldn’t even be surprised if you end up poaching the great overgrown lizard himself.”

“You’re as bad as Lilia,” Yuu accused. “I’ve never even met Draconia. I don’t want to get caught up in whatever petty princely pissing contest you have with each other! I have enough weirdos I have to deal with, thank you very much!”

“You’re adorable when you’re angry, kitten.”

“And you are infuriatingly pretty even when you’re being an ass.”

He made a playfully wounded noise at the back of his throat.

“That’s hurtful, minx. I’m not ‘pretty’. I’m handsome . Better looking than the other alphas you’ve been collecting.”

“More arrogant, more like.”

“Aw. C’mere, Kitten. Don’t pout.”

“I am not pouting,” Yuu said even as they slid out of their seat and over to Leona who had his arms outstretched. But before they could be pulled down onto his lap, Yuu struck, pushing Leona backwards so that he fell back on the couch, his hair fanning out around his head. Yuu crawled over to him until their face hovered just above his and shot him a satisfied grin.

“Gotcha.”

Leona’s hands came up around them. He grinned back, his fangs teasing his bottom lip.

“My own little poacher.”

“Just a little payback,” Yuu teased, moving their face closer to his so that their breath fanned over Leona’s lips. “For how you treated me the first time we met.”

“I’m pretty sure I didn’t knock you flat on your back the first time we met. If I recall correctly, it was you who trampled all over my poor tail.”

“Fine. Then the second time we met. Or is it common practice in the Sunset Savanna to pin strangers down to the ground?”

“Only the pretty strangers.”

Yuu’s eyes sparkled mischievously. “Oh? So you think I’m pretty?”

Leona growled soft and low. “Very.”

Yuu finally pressed their lips down on his, still pinning the large alpha down by the shoulders. He could easily push them off, Yuu knew, but he just laid there and let them hold him down all pliant and warm, kissing him for all he was worth. It sent a thrill up Yuu’s spin.

One of his hands left their hip to gently cup the back of Yuu’s head, bringing them into him more. Yuu’s head felt feverish with the scent of Leona’s warm and lazy desert surrounding them.

They pulled apart for a moment to gasp for breath before pressing together once more. His lips were soft against theirs, despite looking like they should be firm. Leona was always a mess of contradictions, but in the most wonderful ways. Yuu missed this. Yuu missed him.

If Yuu could, they would spend the rest of forever drowning in this very moment.

An insistent buzz from Leona’s pocket cut through the tension.

Yuu pulled back abruptly, suddenly remembering that they both had something super important to do today. Leona groaned from beneath them, his face flushed and practically debauched, and he clearly wanted to go back to making out with the eager omega in his lap. But he still begrudgingly reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.

“Fuck. It’s Viper. Looks like our four hours are up, minx.”

 

~*~

Here's an art dump of stuff I've drawn the past few months

 

This last one I'm particularly proud of.

Consider following me at yuu-extended-yuuniverse on tumblr for more of my twist art and bad twist takes

Notes:

Sometimes I feel bad because I think I write Leona/Yuu so much better than Trey/Riddle/Yuu, but I just have to remember that the latter two are much more motivated by words of affirmation vs someone like Leona who I headcanon as having physical touch as his main love language. These are two fundamentally different relationships and I really should not compare them.

But also it's probably just my Leona bias shining through lol.

Chapter 44

Notes:

Apologies for the impromptu hiatus! I've been thoroughly distracted by Hades II and also work.

This chapter was also just much harder to write than I originally anticipated? ;_;

But it's here and done! Hopefully the next one won't take as long!

Though Yuu had been invited on several morning jogs with Vil and Jack, they didn’t actually know the Pomefiore housewarden all that well. This was also the first time Yuu stepped foot into the Pomefiore dorm. Grim, Deuce, and Ace had come here once, Yuu recalled, during their investigations for the interhouse tournament. What greeted them now was not at all what Yuu was expecting.

“This is a castle.”

“You sound surprised,” Leona observed, quirking a brow at them. “You’ve seen Heartslabyul plenty of times.”

“Yeah… No. Not quite the same. Heartslabyul is more like a mansion with a castle’s facade. This is an actual castle .”

And it was, complete with pointed towers and battlements and high fortress walls of pale white stone and all. This was understandably confusing to Yuu, who had been expecting something perhaps a bit more reminiscent of Japanese culture (or whatever the Twisted Wonderland equivalent was), considering the Pomefiore uniforms. Instead, Yuu felt as if they’d been transported straight to the flattened plains and forested hills of Germany.

The castle itself was gorgeous. Elegant and stately, much like its illustrious Housewarden. At least Heartslabyul had some whimsy to it, but Yuu was suddenly feeling decidedly underdressed and out of their depth.

Leona only chuffed at Yuu’s comment, shaking his head like they were ridiculous, and walked on ahead. Yuu stuck their tongue out when his back was to them.

“ Very mature,” drawled an unamused voice.

Yuu glanced over at Ruggie Bucchi, who was looking just as displeased as his voice indicated, with his big ears pressed flat against his head and pursed lips frowning. His arms had been crossed since Savanaclaw, where Ruggie had been informed of his sudden new responsibilities.

“It’s the first day of school!” He’d protested to Leona’s deaf ears.

Nevertheless, he followed along obediently, though not without (understandable) vocal complaints.

“I thought I’d get at least a day before Leona demanded something ridiculous for me to do,” Ruggie grumbled, falling into step with Yuu as they followed Leona into the Pomefiore dorm. The main entrance was a ten-foot-tall iron wrought gate that drew up on its own will when they approached, and opened into a luscious courtyard lined with neatly trimmed hedges and topiaries.

“Ugh,” Ruggie groaned. His nose wrinkled in distaste, “Glad I wasn’t sorted into Pomefiore. This place reeks of snobbiness. Though…” His voice trailed off thoughtfully as he eyed the gold encrusted painting frames lining the walls, “I guess I wouldn’t mind spending a few hours here unsupervised , shyhehehe.”

“Behave,” Yuu chided, but couldn’t help grinning back. “And please don’t let Vil hear you say that.”

“You and Schoenheit are on a first name basis?”

“Jack introduced us last semester.”

“Jack?” Ruggie’s eyes bulged. “How does that overgrown jock know someone like Vil Schoenheit? Eesh. If I had the rich connections you two did, I certainly wouldn’t be squandering them.”

Yuu rolled their eyes again. “Didn’t you just spend most of your break with Leona?”

Ruggie just waved a hand flippantly. “Eh. I’m just the lazy bastard’s errand boy. I get paid to do that. It’s not the same.” But there was an almost imperceptible smug grin playing at his lips.

“Hey,” Leona’s unamused voice cut through their conversation. He was standing at a doorway, holding the door open and looking impatient. “Are you two betas done yapping and gossiping, or can we get this shit over with?”

The room they entered was the fanciest ballet studio Yuu had ever seen. This was yet another check added to their list of confusing facts about Pomefiore. As far as Yuu knew, the Fairest Queen’s house was not known for dance or performance. But there was no denying it fit the rest of the dorm’s aesthetic. Not only did the zigzagging panels of red oak flooring make Yuu burn with jealousy thinking of the poor dilapidated flooring of their own dorm, but two gorgeous crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, sparkling as the sunlight caught their facets. The studio was complete with wall-to-floor mirrors against opposite walls and practice handrails placed at even intervals along the length of the room.

Four figures were already waiting for them when they entered. Kalim waved to them enthusiastically while Jamil offered a much more reserved greeting. Both of them were looking healthier and livelier than they had back in Silk City. There was an ease to Jamil’s shoulders and expression now, where they’d once been perpetually tense before. He still didn’t look entirely happy with the current situation, but he appeared much more relaxed, Yuu was pleased to observe.

The other two were none other than Vil Schoenheit himself and, to Yuu’s surprise, Professor Divus Crewel.

“About time, puppies,” Crewel barked with a slap of his baton into his palm, the mage stone and chains attached to the end clattering noisily. “You’re ten minutes late.”

“Be glad I bothered to show up at all,” Leona yawned and scratched the back of his head, earning him a poisonous glare from the professor.

“Um. Why are you here, Professor?” Yuu asked. “And on that note, what are we doing in Pomefiore anyways?”

Kalim’s text only said that this was their meeting place and had not elaborated any further.

“I figured we would need some help seeing this plan through,” Jamil answered. “And seeing as Schoenheit is a professional model and Professor Crewel is also well known in the fashion industry–” He is? “I asked them to coach and prepare us.”

“You all heard Viper,” Vil said, stepping forward. “Operation Steal the Show won’t be an easy one. But I’m confident that we can whip you spudlings into shape.” He shot them all a smile that was as vicious as it was beautiful, but Yuu was more preoccupied with what Vil had said to be alarmed by the dangerous grin.

Operation ‘Steal the Show’? Why does everyone in this school have to have such a flair for the dramatics?

“What a bother,” Leona muttered under his breath, low enough that only Yuu and Ruggie caught it.

“First things first then, puppies.” There was another whipping noise from Crewel’s baton. “It’s time to get you appropriately dressed.”

~*~

They also have nice dressing rooms, Yuu thought as they stared at themself in the mirror. They were seated at a makeup vanity, having the last touches to their hair and makeup done by Professor Crewel. Currently, he was weaving delicate white and gold flowers into their hair. Everyone else was already prepped and waiting out in the dance studio

“So,” Crewel murmured. “I heard that you and Azul are getting along now?”

“Oh.” That’s curious. “From who?”

“I was told you let the naughty puppy watch over Grim,” he replied. He finished weaving in the last flower and paused for a moment to admire his handiwork. And then he had Yuu get up and turn around so he could begin working on their makeup. “Dire also told me that Azul and the Leech brothers helped you out over winter break with some catastrophe in Scarabia.”

“Right, that…” Yuu trailed off, unsure what details Crewel knew exactly, and of how to explain all the happenings that led from Yuu hating Azul with a passion to forgiving him (and more) in such a short period of time. After a long thoughtful silence, they finally settled on saying, “I just don’t have it in me to continue hating someone who would sacrifice everything for my sake”

Crewel actually looked surprised at that.

“Azul,” Yuu continued. “And really, most people I’ve met at this school… Suffice to say everyone’s got issues.” Crewel snorted. “But I find that when push comes to shove… Most of them are good people deep down. Complicated, but good. Hardship and tragedy often hold them back, forged them bitter and angry. But when given the chance, I’ve seen for myself that they always choose to do the right thing.”

Yuu paused.

“... Well. Maybe not Crowley.”

That earned them a bark of laughter from the professor.

“Close your eyes for me, pup,” Crewel ordered, as he began to apply gold eyeshadow to their face. “Well, I’m glad to hear that you and Azul have found an understanding. He’s my most promising student and I was very displeased to hear how he abused all that I’d taught him.”

“Oh right, speaking of,” Yuu sat up suddenly, earning them a sharp reprimand as they nearly messed up Crewel’s handiwork. “Sorry! I just really wanted to thank you for the suppressants. The new ones work like a charm, and the relief I’ve enjoyed since getting them cannot be understated. I can’t thank you enough.”

The soft bristles of the makeup brush lifted from Yuu’s eyelid and Crewel made a dubious noise that had them opening their eyes, only to see his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“Yuu… I didn’t make you any more suppressants. Sam ran out of azure salt, remember?”

It was Yuu’s turn to furrow their brows. “Huh? But… Azul said he found some extra stock.  He said you dropped them off for me. Over break, remember?”

“Pup. I have not stepped foot on this campus since we last spoke.”

“But then–”

The puzzle pieces slid and clicked together. Yuu’s breath hitched as they suddenly realized the truth.

Azul made those suppressants.

He lied.

There was a brief moment of sharp stinging betrayal before the sensation vanished under the cool clarity of understanding.

Azul lied so Yuu wouldn’t feel conflicted about accepting the suppressants back when they were still upset with him. He lied so they wouldn’t feel like they owed him anything. Yuu even remembered the last thing they’d said to him that night.

“ I appreciate the help, but what you’ve done… It’s not something I can forgive you for. I just… I need to make that clear, before you decide to keep on helping me. I won’t owe anyone anything.”

“Oh,” Yuu said aloud, bottom lip quivering, chest suddenly feeling very tight. It was a fair thing to have said at the time and considering the circumstances, but after everything that had happened between them since, Yuu could not help but feel regret for those words that had surely hurt to hear. There was a strange sensation in their heart, both an unbearable ache and a comforting warmth blooming at the same time.

“I think I understand,” Crewel murmured. “Azul can be a shy boy at times. But please do not cry and ruin all my hard work, puppy.”

Yuu let out a wet laugh at that and tried their best to follow those instructions.

But it was hopeless. They cried anyway.

~*~

Their first rehearsal went about as well as could be expected of Night Raven students. Which is to say, not very well at all. Throwing in Leona’s allergy to anything involving effort and to all forms of authority, it was a recipe for chaos.

“This isn’t a kindergarten playroom, Leona. Your poor excuse for walking is an affront on my eyes. And for the love of Queen Grimhilde, pull your shoulders back. How many times must I repeat myself?”

Vil certainly didn’t mince his words and Leona looked near the end of his rope. Yuu might’ve felt worse for him if it wasn’t abundantly obvious he simply wasn’t even trying . It was almost as if Leona was purposefully messing up. Which could very well be the case, knowing him. Yuu couldn’t say for certain, but they also weren’t stranger to Leona’s numerous schemes he deployed to get out of his duties, with Spelldrive being about the only thing Leona consistently put in effort for.

So no. Yuu didn’t feel too bad watching Vil serve him yet another brutal dressing down. At least  Ruggie was getting something out of this, taking vindictive pleasure in Leona’s suffering. Between Ruggie’s sniggering and Leona’s irritated scowl, Yuu couldn’t help themself but crack a grin as well.

Unfortunately, this did not escape Vil’s attention.

“And what are you smiling for, Yuu?” Vil snapped. “Your catwalk is hardly an improvement compared to his. If you have time to laugh at Leona's appalling display, you have time to be practicing how to walk.”

Yuu deserved that.

By the time the day crawled to an end, the entire gang was feeling sore all over. Crewel collected their costumes and bid them a farewell until tomorrow. Vil saw them off personally at the mirror gate, his stern purple eyes appraising them. Gone was the teasing and playful jogging partner Yuu had gotten to know. In that man’s place was a strict instructor who would accept nothing less than perfection from his wards.

Day two went more or less the same, though this time Yuu had much more motivation. Being displaced once again from their home certainly set a fire beneath their butt. As nice as it was to have Leona’s body heat next to them throughout the cold night (as Yuu had taken him up on his offer to stay at Savanaclaw) Yuu sorely missed their own bed (considering they had just gotten Ramshackle back not too long ago). Snuggling with packmates was all well and good, but sometimes an omega needs a bit of space!

Thankfully, this new drive and hard work paid off, because by the end of day two Vil had given Yuu an acceptable nod and indicated that Yuu would be allowed to start practicing the dance routine with Jamil and Kalim the following day (as the two of them already earned Vil’s nod of approval on day one).

Leona… Was a different story.

He was utterly lackluster in every exercise and took thrice as many breaks than the rest of them. At one point, he’d vanished entirely after leaving for a supposed bathroom break. Ruggie found him napping between some hedges in the indoor Pomefiore garden. Ruggie was still finding this as hilarious as ever, but Yuu’s own amusement quickly withered into something distinctively annoyed.

Yuu prided themself in being overall pretty patient (they had to be to put up with all the shenanigans of NRC). The last time they’d been actually upset with Leona had been when they first met, back before they’d grown close.

Yuu was feeling very upset now.

If Leona didn’t want to deal with this, then he should have the damn courage to just say so and quit himself, instead of wasting all of their time! The Fairy Gala was in less than a week, and he was acting like this was nothing more than a minor annoyance to be brushed off and disregarded.

So when the third day ended (classes still suspended for the time being), and they were back in the privacy of Leona’s dorm room, Yuu decided to finally speak their mind.

“Leona. The gala is in four days.”

He cracked an eye open at them from where he was lounging in bed, waiting for Ruggie to deliver him dinner. “Hah? You sure do like pointin’ out the obvious sometimes. I know what day it is.”

Yuu bristled at the snark. It was understandable why Leona was annoyed, but it wasn’t like Yuu was being unreasonable! “ So, when are you going to start taking this seriously and actually try? If we fail to distract the Queen, Ruggie can’t swap the crown. School will be shut down. If you hadn’t noticed, that’s not great for either of us.” Not to mention an endless winter.

“I’m aware of the consequences, kitten.” For once, the endearment evoked no sense of warmth in Yuu’s chest, but instead a sharp sensation of irritation. “It’s just not that big of a deal.”

Yuu sputtered. “Not a big deal? Do I need to remind you that I don’t have anywhere to go? And I know you don’t want to go home.”

This finally seemed to strike a nerve with Leona. He groaned and sat up, his lazy countenance replaced by a scowl.

“It’s not like you have nowhere to go. You could stay with Riddle. Or you could come home with me. I actually think that stuffy palace might be more bearable with you there.” His poison green eyes bore into them consideringly. “... I’ve also got that pet project of mine. Kept me away from the Sunset Palace for most of the break. So even if you’re not there, it’s not like it’s a big deal, considerin’ you’re so upset with me.”

Normally the mention of Leona’s mysterious winter project (which Ruggie has been uncharacteristically tight-lipped about) would have Yuu very interested. But at the moment they honestly couldn’t care less about it.

“Oh good,” Yuu quipped sarcastically. “So you are aware that I’m upset.”

Leona’s scowl deepened.

“I don’t know what you want from me, kitten. You know I don’t enjoy dealing with bothersome bullshit like this. And I obviously didn’t want to do so in the first place, but someone is a busybody who dragged me into it.”

“That’s absurd. I can’t force you to do anything you don’t want to do. You’re perfectly free to quit whenever you want. Also don’t call me kitten when I’m mad at you.”

“So you want me to leave you out to dry?”

“That’s–! I never asked you to help me out in the first place! But since you insisted on doing it all on your own, you should at least care enough to try. You’re the one who got all huffy competitive alpha the moment Lilia brought up Malleus!”

“And who’s bringing up the overgrown lizard now? But since you’ve mentioned him, maybe I do want this plan to fail. If everyone gets held back a year, that’s another chance for me to thrash Draconia’s ass out on the field.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“Oh I’m very serious, kitten–”

“Don’t. Call. Me. Kitten.”

“Don’t do this. Don’t do that. You just love to order me around, don’t you?” He growled. “You sound just like my fucking retainers back home. Constantly shoving your snout everywhere it isn’t wanted. You wanna poke at the sleeping lion? Well glass houses and all that, you better take a good damn look at yourself first, kitten–”

“I told you not to call me that!”

The shout was proceeded by a tense silence, only Yuu’s hard breathing to fill the void. Yuu was unable to fully process what exactly was happening. Were they actually having an argument with Leona? They’d only meant to talk to him and sort this mess out. Shouting and getting legitimately angry hadn’t been in the plan, and yet here they were. And now they were just staring at one another, a thick silence deafening between them.

“I’m going for a walk,” Yuu grunted, voice thick with emotion, and immediately turned and fled the room before Leona could respond.

If he said anything, it was drowned out by the slam of the door.

~*~

As if they had a will of their own, Yuu’s feet brought them to the gates of Ramshackle. Even at this distance and through the darkness they could see the windows frosted from the inside. The sight brought a heavy sigh to their lips.

Further down the hill, glimmers of luminescent green lights drew their attention, informing them of the presence of Odysseus. They saw that he stood beneath his usual spot under his tree, the boughs still bereft of leaves even after the snow thawed.

Yuu pushed open the gate and made their way towards him. Odysseus noticed their presence when they were a few yards away. The alpha seemed to perk up, uncurling from his contemplative posture and sending a smile their way. Yuu couldn’t help but return it.

“Child of man,” he greeted. “I’d begun to worry that you’d left for good.” At Yuu’s visible confusion, he elaborated, “I stopped by the last few nights to deliver a greeting card to you, but found the building vacated and seemingly inhospitable. As I am under the impression humans cannot survive in such unsheltered cold, I worried that I’d lost track of time again, and that you’d returned home.”

Yuu couldn’t help but laugh at that statement, already feeling better. Odysseus was always saying strange things like that and making them smile. “No. I was just staying with my boyfriend. Do you lose track of time often?”

“Unfortunately so. We fae are long lived. It can be difficult for us to perceive time in a human frame. I often feel like I look away but a mere moment, and glance back only to realize a significant portion of time has slipped my notice.”

Yuu’s smile fell from their face. Their brows furrowed in concern. “I’m sorry to hear that, Odysseus. I’m sure that can be very lonely.”

“Hm?” Odysseus appeared startled by the statement. His eyes widened as they bore into Yuu. “I—Hm. That is an interesting way to look at it.”

“Oh. I’m sorry if I misspoke. I didn’t mean to offend you.”

He shook his head. “I was not offended, do not worry. Merely surprised by the suggestion. I cannot say if I would agree that it’s lonely… After all, it’s simply an inevitability. I will live for thousands of years. Humans do not.”

That sounded awfully lonely to Yuu, but they didn’t comment this aloud. Instead, they preferred to change the subject altogether. They’d had quite enough upsetting topics for one night.

“Thousands of years?” Yuu asked curiously. They weren’t too familiar with faeries, especially since there seemed to be many different types. They knew fairies could live for a long time. But thousands of years? “How old are you anyway, Odysseus?”

Odysseus grinned, his fangs flashing in the moonlight. “Why, Child of man, I was under the impression that humans found such inquiries of age rude.”

Cheeky.

“Maybe I’m a rude person,” Yuu teased back.

He laughed, deep and melodic. “Somehow I doubt that. But since you asked and you are my friend, I will deign to answer you.”

Yuu rolled their eyes. “Deigned? Seriously—“

“I turned one-hundred-and-seventy-eight years of age as of last week.”

The words in Yuu’s throat died as their eyes bulged. One-hundred-and… That’s impossible. “I thought you said fae weren’t supposed to lie…” Yuu weakly croaked out.

“And I didn’t,” Odysseus replied smugly, his bright green eyes shining with mirth. “Is the knowledge of my true age upsetting to hear?”

Yuu coughed into a fist, trying to gather their composure while also trying to wrap their head around this new information at the same time. “N-no!” Yuu squeaked. “Just—A lot to process. You’ll have to give me a moment.”

“Take all the time you need.” The smirk was plain in his voice.

We’ve got a joker in the house!

After a few moments though, Odysseus’ brow did furrow in concern as the corners of his lips drew downwards. “If it’s any consolation, in fae years I have barely graduated past adolescence and entered adulthood–much like most students on campus and yourself.”

“It’s just a lot to take in,” Yuu admitted. “I can’t even fathom what the next fifty years of my life will look like,” what even the next year will bring, “much less think in centuries.”

“I suppose just as I struggle to see time from a human perspective, humans struggle to see things from ours as well.” He sounded so melancholy when he said this. Odysseus looked up towards the moon contemplatively. Yuu felt bad, feeling as if they had been responsible for the sadness written in the tight lines of his eyes and lips. “Sometimes I wonder if humans and fae can ever truly understand one another.”

“... We could at least try?” Yuu asked, hesitantly. They drew closer to the stoic alpha, and when Odyseuss did not rebuff them, Yuu went and stood right beside him. “I mean… What other option is there? Better that we can say we tried than to never have tried at all, right? You said we are friends and I think so too.  And friends try their hardest to understand one another.”

He was staring at them now and Yuu met his gaze back fearlessly. Somehow it felt like he needed this. Someone who would not shy away from his intensity nor his existential concerns (or his age, for that matter). Yuu had grown fond of their stranger, their “Nobody” who went by no name, and wanted him to know this.

“... It is as I thought,” Odysseus said softly. “You have a truly noble spirit, Yuu.”

The use of their name when he always referred to them as “child of man” brought a pink flush to Yuu’s cheeks, but still they refused to look away from his intense gaze. At this distance, his scent was more pronounced, though Odysseus always seemed to keep such a tight rein on it. He smelled of rain and wild roses, different from the sweet and almost gentle roses of Riddle. It was wild and untamed, at a stark contrast to Odysseus’ very controlled exterior.

A mysterious alpha indeed.

“Ah!” Yuu suddenly exclaimed. “You said it was your birthday last week! Happy belated birthday, Odysseus!” If I’d known, I would’ve picked something up for him back in Silk City!

“Thank you, child-of-man,” Odysseus replied. Yuu was glad to see the twinkle of mirth back in his eye. “And in response, I was told it is a human custom to send holiday greeting cards.”

He handed Yuu an envelope. Enclosed was, to be sure, a greeting card. Ace and Deuce had once been confused when Yuu inquired about Christmas, as it turned out this was one thing the two universes did not share. Instead, printed in the card was a short greeting wishing Yuu a very pleasant Yuletide.

“Huh. We also have this holiday in my world,” Yuu noted, turning the card over in their hands, admiring the hand-drawn briars that framed a castle at the center of the card.

“Truly? Well it is the one we celebrate back in Briar Valley, on the night of the winter solstice,” Odysseus explained. “It is the time when magic of shadows and moonlight and rebirth are the strongest. I am only somewhat familiar with a few other winter celebrations. I believe they celebrate one of the kings of old, Poseidon, in the sea and in the Lands of Heroes.”

I’ll have to ask Rielle about that one.

A sudden breeze had Yuu crossing their arms as goosebumps erupted across the skin, chilling them to the bone. The weather was still cold despite the snow thaw—perhaps even colder because of it. And Yuu had forgotten to grab a jacket or blazer when storming out of Savanaclaw.

“Are you cold?”

Yuu glanced up and saw that Odysseus appeared utterly unaffected by the cold—another characteristic of the fae, perhaps. “A little. I should probably go back soon.”

Their anger at Leona had cooled with the chill, largely thanks to Odysseus’ successful efforts at making Yuu laugh, intentional or not. Yuu just felt a little bad now. Leona was still in the wrong for being a jerk and not taking his promises seriously, but Yuu probably shouldn’t have lost their temper nor brought up Leona’s family. That had been unfair of them.

Yuu promised silently to go back and talk to Leona again—maturely this time, without letting their anger get away with them.

“Would you like my jacket for the cold?”

“Eh?”

The sudden offer pulled Yuu sharply from their thoughts. There was concern in Odysseus’ eyes, and Yuu felt a bloom of warmth in their chest at the gesture.

“You could return it next we meet,” he offered. “I wouldn’t want you to walk back in the cold.”

Yuu gave him a smile in return but shook their head. Leona, as adamant that he was that Yuu could court whomever they pleased, would likely be hurt if Yuu stormed out on him angrily only to return smothered in the clothes and scent of some unknown alpha.

“I’ll be okay,” Yuu reassured. “But you can accompany me to the mirror portal if you’d like.”

Yuu always thought that Odyseuss had a rather roguish smirk, for someone so regal (but fitting for his name-sake). But Yuu decided that they much preferred the sincere smile that he sent them now.

~*~

The moment Yuu stepped back into Leona’s room, an apology was already on their tongue.

“I’m sorry–”

But Leona beat them to the punch.

“I’m sorry.” The words came out fast and brusque. Leona was sitting with his legs over the side of his bed, hunched over and refusing to meet Yuu’s gaze. He ran a frustrated hand through his bed-tangled hair and sighed deeply. “I didn’t mean to make you upset, nor did I want to accuse you of anything. You’re right. I’m a grown ass man. I’m responsible for my own damn choices.”

Yuu was left speechless. Leona never apologized. Ever. They were confident that they’d be able to get through to Leona eventually, but hadn’t expected that he’d take the initiative on his own to this degree. They could see that the admission of fault was difficult for him, especially with the way he avoided eye contact when he was usually the one initiating and holding it.

“I mean it,” Leona continued. “I admit I was ignoring the issue and just hopin’ you’d let it slide. I knew you were getting upset, but I figured maybe… Maybe you’d just give up on me like everyone else. And when you didn’t–when you confronted me on my shitty behavior… I think it made me irritated.”

The omega had no idea what to say in response, and so remained quiet.

Leona finally looked up at them. There was a scowl on his face, but his cheeks were flushed and he seemed uncharacteristically unsure of himself. “Well? Come on, kitte– Yuu. Don’t just leave me hangin’ here.” His voice grew softer, more vulnerable, “Please say something.”

Yuu swallowed. “I–” They paused, and continued. “I’m sorry too.”

If anything, this only made Leona’s scowl stretch deeper. “Hah? For what? You didn’t do anything wrong. You did the one thing everyone in my life has been too cowardly to do–be straight and honest with me. I needed to hear that I was being an ass.”

“Maybe,” Yuu murmured. “But I did say things that hurt your feelings.”

Yuu could see the exact moment Leona recoiled and began to wall off again, and rushed forward and took his face in their hands, forcing him to not look away.

“I mean it, Leona,” Yuu said firmly, voice thick. “I’m sorry I said that stuff about you not wanting to go back home. Regardless of who is right or who is wrong, I still lost my temper at you and your feelings matter too.”

“You didn’t say anything that wasn’t true.”

“But I said it to get a reaction out of you, and I shouldn’t have. So I’m sorry.”

The tension in Leona’s face bled away beneath Yuu’s hands. He sighed again, but it was more accepting than defeated this time. Yuu moved closer and sat themself down in his lap, pulling him into a hug in the same motion. They comforted themself with his scent, imagining themself walking through a calm and lazy desert oasis.

“So what brought all this on?” Yuu asked, careful in their tone to remain un-accusatory.

There was a contemplative rumble from Leona.

“When you left earlier, I was so angry,” he admitted. “But then I got thinkin’ and… I realized that I didn’t want to spend what limited time we’ll have together seeing you upset. Not over something as stupid as my pride.”

Maybe for anyone else, the statement wouldn’t mean nearly as much. But for Leona, someone who held his pride in high priority, it was an incredible statement to hear. That he also broached the elephant in the room—Yuu’s temporary residence in this world—was also shocking.

“I’m still here,” was all Yuu could murmur.

“I know. But not forever,” Leona said, untangling himself from Yuu’s arms so he could look them straight in the eyes. He cupped the left side of their face and Yuu pressed back into his warm palm. His thumb ran gently across Yuu’s cheek. “You know… You’re not the first one to try and tell me there’s more important things in life. But you are the first person to make me actually believe it.”

“... That means more to me than you know.”

There was a low rumble in his chest. A quiet chuckle. “I think I do know, actually,” he said. “I can see it in your eyes. The way you look at me. Which is why I’m gonna do better. For as long as you’ll have me–for however long you remain in this world–I’m gonna try to make ya smile, kitten.”

Yuu made a whimpering noise at the back of their throat and buried their face back into Leona’s neck. “Ugh. How can I even look you in the eye right now if you say stuff like that.” Their face felt as hot as the Scarabia desert. “My heart can’t take it,” Yuu whispered.

“Then how about I make it up to you?”

Yuu peaked up at him curiously.

“How?”

“Hmm… How about,” Leona hummed knowingly. “... I finally tell ya what Ruggie and I have been up ta all winter? I think you’ve been punished enough.”

“... Tempting,” Yuu whispered back. “But Vil is going to kill us tomorrow for staying up this late as it is.”

Leona scoffed. “You think I’m scared of Vil? Worst that peacock can do is yell and flap his feathers at me. He’ll just have to deal with it.”

Yuu could think of quite a few things Vil could do worse than simply yelling, but decided not to say a word. They definitely sensed there was some history there between the two Housewardens, but nothing they felt comfortable prying into. Hopefully Vil could be a bit more lenient, now that Leona had given his word that he would actually put effort into the plan to take back the magestone.

Also, now that they’d settled the argument, Yuu was actually very keen on hearing about this mysterious project that had kept Leona and Ruggie away from their phones for so long.

“Hm. I might be convinced to forgive you… If this secret lives up to the hype.”

“Let’s get comfortable then.”

Yuu let out a squeal of alarm, that quickly morphed into giggles and laughter, when Leona suddenly turned the two of them over, so that they were lying in bed, Yuu still wrapped around the alpha like a clingy koala. Yuu jabbed Leona in the chest accusingly.

“A little warning next time!”

“And miss out on your cute squeaks? Not a chance, kitten. Or maybe I should be calling you a mouse instead?”

“You better sleep with one eye open tonight, Kingscholar,” Yuu warned. “Now hurry up with your story. The night ain’t getting younger and I don’t want to hear Vil yell at me about beauty sleep again.”

“Alright. Alright.” Leona chuckled. “Well… Remember Ruggie’s dream world during our first ephemeral?”

Yuu nodded, unsure of where this was going.

“I actually can’t say too much,” Leona said, causing Yuu to make an accusatory gasp at him, so he quickly continued. “It’s official Sunset Savanna military business, so even a Prince is bound to confidentiality and secrecy. It’s why Bucchi and I didn’t have our phones for most of break. Had to leave ‘em off premises.”

“What sort of military business?”

“A project. One that’s been collectin’ dust for some time. It’s only really military in authority due to land ownership and some other legal bullshit minutia. The operation itself is humanitarian in nature. Essentially, it would bring back clean water to parts of the country where Ruggie’s village is from.”

“Leona… That’s amazing. And Ruggie is part of it?”

Leona scoffed. “Yeah. The brat complained the whole time about unpaid overtime but,” and here there was a small but fond smile on Leona’s face, “I think he was takin’ the whole thing even more seriously than me.”

Yuu couldn’t help but smile too. That sounded just like Ruggie.

“This one measly project isn’t gonna be anywhere near enough to lift these areas out of poverty,” Leona explained. “But years ago the hot springs of the Elephant Graveyard were transformed into a luxury resort for the Royal family and political allies. People didn’t think it through—or more likely just didn’t give a fuck—and it ended up sapping up vital water sources from the surrounding areas, that have since had to turn to either other unclean sources or shippin’ in clean water, which they can hardly afford. It’s been like that for decades.”

“But it’s something.”

He nodded, “it’s somethin’.”

Leona shifted over so that he faced the ceiling and sighed. “Honestly, it’s been like this for more than a few decades. We don’t exactly have a kind history towards hyena beastmen in the Savanna. These areas have been impoverished for much longer. The Graveyard resort only exacerbated the issue. My family has played no small part in turnin’ a blind eye to the problem.”

“So… What changed?”

Leona turned back over and looked Yuu right in the eyes. He hummed. “A few things. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about what I saw in Ruggie’s memories these past few months, for one. I only vaguely knew of the issue but never bothered to actually look into it. Being forced to see it first hand, all those children being barely skin and bones, but still witnessing these people who have practically nothing come together to feed each other…”

Leona trailed off. Yuu watched as he swallowed, almost nervously, and as his Adam’s apple bobbed. “… I also found out my Mama proposed the project.”

“Oh!” Yuu gave a little gasp.

“I couldn’t stop thinkin’ about it, like I said, so I dug a bit into what projects did exist as soon as I got home,” he continued. “And there it was. Her signature on all these documents, practically hidden away and forgotten. You’d think an elegant omegan lady like her would have an equally elegant signature, but no. It was practically chicken scratch.”

Yuu giggled.

Leona smiled fondly, gaze distant as if remembering his mother, “but it was definitely Mama’s signature. I think Mother couldn’t bear to continue the projects after her death so put them away, even though it probably cost people their lives. I always thought Mother was a good King, a proud leader… But even she could be a coward at times. Especially when she handed the crown to Falena way before he was ready to hold it. But I suppose he has done a good job given all that’s happened.”

This last part came out begrudgingly, but Yuu was still surprised to hear Leona admit to something like that.

“And of course,” Leona continued. “I did it because of you.”

Yuu sucked in and held their breath in surprise. Leona reached out and tucked a lock of hair behind Yuu’s ear, cat green eyes warm with affection as he gazed at them.

“I talk a lot about wanting to be king. Of feeling stripped of my birthright, because between me and Falena, I know I’m still more qualified than him,” Leona said. “But you… You make me want to be the kind of man who actually deserves to be king.”

Yuu’s bottom lip wobbled.

Leona continued, “I could be the richest and smartest and strongest alpha in the world, but none of that means shit if I squander all my talents. Sometimes it’s hard to work up the motivation to even get outta bed in the mornin’. But the way you look at me, the way you believe in my worth, see me as more than just the second throwaway Prince… Yuu, you make me actually believe I can do the things a real king oughta do.”

Yuu shook their head, holding back tears, “I haven’t done anything special. That’s just who you are, Leona. That’s always been who you were. I didn’t help you become anyone you weren’t already.”

“Maybe,” Leona murmured, moving in close so their breaths mingled. “But thank you anyway, Yuu.”

And he kissed them, and it was the most tender thing Yuu had ever felt.

Notes:

Malleus is back! I missed my boy (as I'm sure the JPN server players do as well lmao). Azul's secret has finally been revealed (it's not a big revelation as many of you have already spotted it, but I'm glad to finally close that minor plot thread since it was introduced all the way back in Chapter 29). And Leona finally reveals what he and Ruggie have been working on, fulfilling my feral need to see Leona actually have some direction in his life and in the story (dammit!).

This chapter did end up a bit more angsty and hurt/comfort-y than I intended, so sorry about that lol.

We'll finally get some new characters next chapter who haven't had the privilege of being introduced in this fic yet (I actually believe there are only 4 main TWST characters who have not made an appearance yet?)! So I'm excited for that. So stay tuned!

And, again, thank you all for the lovely comments. I know I don't always get around to responding to them all but, again, I do read and appreciate every single one. So thank you. <3

Chapter 45

Notes:

Hello all. It's been quite a while. This has been the longest hiatus yet and entirely unplanned so apologies for that.

Life got in the way all of the sudden. Long story not-very-short my computer broke 6 months ago and is still broken, I fell very sick for about 1.5 months, during which time my roommates and I essentially got evicted from our home of 3 years with less than a month's notice for no other reason than someone else's selfishness. It was a whole mess that lasted about 4 months with lot of hurt feelings and figuring out living situations and me being stuck living with the selfish people who did this for half that time. There was figuring out where our dogs were going. Where the cat was going. Who was going to live where. It basically tore our little found family apart. Things are fine now but I miss my roommates and our cat and other dog.

After that my savings were pretty much gutted from the chaos so I quickly found a new job which I've been settling into for the past month.

Good news is I'm making good money now, have a stable living and income situation, and I did get to keep living with my dog. So not ideal but things are looking up again and I'm out of a very hostile home situation (being upset and angry 24/7 is decidedly NOT good for one's health).

Can't promise regular updates anytime soon. But I promise this story isn't abandoned. I just needed time away from social media and obligations on top of everything else.

I hope you enjoy this update though.

Complain as he may about work and not liking people fussing over him, Leona never could fully mask the pride he felt in his accomplishments nor the way he relished in being praised. While Vil’s praises were snide, Leona still soaked them up all the same, with a satisfied smirk across his face, as they completed their morning routines the next day. Of course he would never admit to such a thing, but Yuu liked seeing the twinkle in his eye when Vil could no longer find any fault in his catwalk.

“Don’t look so smug, Leona,” Vil said with a huff. “Knowing you had this capability in you the entire time only means that you’ve wasted the last few days for no reason. Hardly something to be proud of.”

“Ho? Is that a compliment I hear, Vil?”

“You may hear whatever you wish to hear.”

The two constantly bickered like an old married couple. It was fascinating to witness as no one else dared to talk to Vil or Leona with such audacity (Yuu may do so with Leona but didn’t dare with Vil). 

There was an undeniable chemistry between the two despite them getting along about as well as a house on fire.

When Yuu wondered if the two had ever been involved, they were surprised to hear the answer from Leona was yes. In their first year at NRC apparently.

He didn’t expand upon the confirmation beyond that though, merely stating, “Ain’t never gonna happen again.”

There was no bitterness to this statement, only pure matter-of-fact. Normally Yuu would leave it be there, uninterested in digging up old drama on old flames. But in this instance Yuu couldn’t help feeling curious for the one fact: Leona, by observational deduction and by his own admittance, did not date alphas.

And Vil was an alpha.

“It’s… Different with the peacock,” was all Leona elaborated.

Yuu didn’t press further. Curious as they were, it really wasn’t their place to pry. And frankly they had much more important stuff to deal with than their friends’ past love lives—important things like the Fairy Gala in just a few days.

They were progressing well, but according to Vil they all still had some ways to go. Which was why when they broke for lunch, Vil announced that he was going to bring in a second set of eyes for their remaining rehearsals. By Leona’s dramatic groan and Vil’s vindictive smirk, it must’ve been someone Leona was familiar with.

“I need to blow off some steam before that menace gets here,” Leona groused after Vil left the room with a dramatic flourish of his robes. “How long until Clover arrives with food?”

Yuu checked their messages, “He just left Heartslabyul.”

Trey, now that the weather situation in Heartslabyul was better under control, had been offering the past few days to bring them lunches—whether that was cafeteria food or his own creation all depended on the fullness of his schedule. Either way, Yuu was certain he probably had a million other more important things to be doing, but saw the gesture for what it was and the excuse to spend time with Yuu now that they were officially dating. The omega certainly wasn’t going to complain.

Plus sometimes it was nice to just get the tall beta all to themself.

Which was how, fifteen minutes later, Yuu found themself plopped down in Trey’s lap, the man’s face flushed from the public display of affection but making no move to push Yuu off, as they all enjoyed their lunch break.

Trey arrived today laden with a basket full of tuna melt sandwiches and cobb salads and an ice cold pitcher of fresh guava juice Sam just stocked that morning. Trey even went out of his way to throw together a honey seasoned dressing for the salad (so good even Leona didn’t complain about eating vegetables for once).

“Trey you are an angel,” Ruggie moaned as he took big dramatic bites of his sandwich. Yuu was tempted to lean over and wipe the messy crumbs from his full cheeks. “Are you sure we can’t convince you to transfer to Savanaclaw? I promise working for Leona pays well, shyhihihi~”

“Leona has already offered to hire me as a personal chef after graduating,” Trey admitted bashfully, rubbing the back of his head, but clearly pleased with the praise. “Unfortunately, I’ve got plans to help run my family’s bakery after graduating so I turned him down.”

“You say that now, Clover,” Leona called from across the room, where he was setting up the chess board he’d brought with him from his dorm—the aforementioned activity for ‘blowing off steam’. “But I always get what I want in the end.”

Yuu stuck their tongue out at him and hugged Trey closer. As fond as they were of Leona, Trey was their beta. And Yuu didn’t particularly feel like sharing him at the moment.

When Yuu leaned in closer into his space, Trey noticed a smudge of sauce at the corner of Yuu’s mouth. “Ah, you’ve got something there,” he said, as he brushed the pad of his thumb across their lips. Yuu watched with rapt interest as he brought his thumb to his mouth, his pink tongue darted out to lick it clean. He caught himself a second too late, not realizing what he’d been doing, and Yuu watched with pleasure as his entire face turned even brighter red. They thought he wore the color rather prettily.

“Wow, kitten,” Ruggie snickered. “How lucky for you to have such a devoted housewife, bringing you lunches at work~”

Trey coughed and spluttered, caught off guard.

“Jealousy is an ugly look, Ruggie,” Yuu shot back easily. “It’s not my fault you and Leona don’t have a beautiful dedicated wife like I do.”

“You two…” Trey bemoaned.

Yuu and Ruggie both snickered while Trey could only sit there burning in his mortification, his face in his hands.

Across the room, Leona was finally finished setting up his chess board. He glanced up and shot an unsuspecting Jamil a pointed and demanding look. “Viper!”

Jamil jumped at his name. “Yes?”

“Come here and play a game of chess with me.”

At the order Jamil made a dubious noise, brows rising to the top of his forehead. But when he received no clarification, he just grimaced and reluctantly slinked over, plopping himself down in front of Leona, the board between them.

“I warn you,” Jamil said, fingering a black piece. “I’m not particularly good at this game. You might have better luck playing with Yuu or Ruggie.”

“Oh no. No way,” Yuu drawled dramatically. “Not after the last time. I prefer to keep what little pride I have in my intelligence intact, thank you very much.” One would think being courted by Leona would mean he’d go easier on you in chess, and one would be wrong. In reality, this only made Leona more sadistically playful, like a cat toying with its prey. After one too many humiliating defeats at his hands, where Leona somehow always managed to make Yuu believe victory was well within sight only to snatch it away cruelly, Yuu firmly put their foot down against playing any more chess with the smug alpha. “You can have the lovely privilege of being Leona’s playmate, Jamil.”

“How thoughtful,” came Jamil’s deadpan reply.

So they continued to eat and chat the break away while Jamil and Leona started to play. Kalim joined Yuu and the rest, seeing as Jamil was currently occupied entertaining a bored prince. He brought with him a box of fancy chocolates his dam, Nobel Aasmirah Al-Asim, had sent over for Yuu, nevermind the fact that they’d seen the other omega not two even two weeks ago. Ruggie was quick to try and convince Yuu to share their new bounty with him which Yuu took great pleasure in teasing and denying. Trey gave updates on the weather situation in Heartslabyul, informing Yuu that Ace and Deuce were being put to hard work after getting into a row and undoing nearly a day’s worth of cleanup efforts. Because of course they did.

It was about fifteen minutes later that Yuu looked back over at Leona and Jamil’s game and finally noticed something peculiar about Jamil’s playstyle.

Oh no.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Yuu warned from across the room, just as Jamil put down the piece he was holding. He looked up at them with a confused expression. Yuu shrugged and elaborated, “Leona doesn’t like it when people do that.”

The others likewise shot Yuu confused looks, but the omega refused to explain further. Jamil knew what he was doing.

If he wanted to pretend to be bad at chess and let Leona win, that was his own grave to dig. And just as Yuu predicted, not even five moves later Leona released a frustrated growl from the back of his throat.

“Am I a fucking joke to you, Viper?”

Jamil looked up in alarm, eyes wide, “Excuse me?”

“I think I was pretty clear. Do you see me as a. Fucking. Joke.”

Kalim jerked to attention, glancing over at the two in concern at the sudden rise in hostility. “Hey guys! Maybe let’s all calm down–”

“Stay out of this, Kalim,” Leona snapped. “I’m havin’ a conversation with Viper here.”

“I don’t view you as a joke, sir,” Jamil said stiffly. “And I certainly don’t know what you’re referring to.”

Leona let out a bark of mean laughter at this. “Really? Because even Yuu noticed what you were doing earlier, and they’re terrible at chess.” Yuu let out an offended protest at this. “Only someone lookin’ down on me would try this hard to pretend to be bad at chess. I’m not an idiot, Viper. You’re not as good at pretending to be mediocre as you think you are. I don’t give a fuck if you wanna do this shit in the classroom, but you do not disrespect me by pulling that shit while you’re facing off against me. Now you’re either going to play seriously, or I’m gonna knock your teeth in.”

“Leona–!” Kalim exclaimed, nearly jumping to his feet when Yuu placed a hand on his arm and shook their head, watching the scene unfold intently. This… This was something Jamil needed to hear, from someone who wasn’t at all involved in his life. If Leona took it too far, Yuu would absolutely step in, but Kalim and Jamil could not continue with this codependent coddling of one another. Kalim stared at Yuu with big red and worried eyes, but Yuu just gave him a look, urging him to trust their judgment. After a moment, Kalim reluctantly sat down, still buzzing with nervous energy, but did not try to interfere again.

Jamil didn’t seem to have noticed this entire exchange at all, too focused on the predator staring him down. Leona was a formidable alpha, his scent and overwhelming presence commanded attention and respect everywhere he went. And when it was concentrated on a single person like this, it could feel impossible to dare to look away.

“Well, Viper? What’s it gonna be?” Leona drawled, “Are you gonna stop fuckin’ around or am I gonna have to beat some respect into you?”

There was a tense silence after this. Jamil wasn’t exactly glaring at Leona, but his eyes were hooded in shadows and he seemed uncertain of how to proceed, as if Leona were asking him some sort of trick question. The chess board laid untouched between them, two silent and still armies waiting for a command that did not come.

“Jamil…” Kalim suddenly said. “You… You don’t need to hold back anymore.”

It was like a spell broke. Jamil blinked three times rapidly, then he scowled in Kalim’s direction. “I know that,” he snapped, before quickly grabbing a black bishop and slamming it back down onto the board, much harder than necessary.

“Oh ho,” Leona chuckled, his cat-green eyes shining as he regarded the move. “ There he is,” he purred. “Now we can begin to actually play.”

If looks could kill, Leona would’ve been dead where he sat, but this only seemed to stir him on. Pretty soon, Yuu had lost the plot of the game as the players' strategies unfolded at lightning speed. It was like watching a duel or dance, a trade-off of dominant and defensive stances and positions. Yuu would’ve never thought chess was something that could be exciting to watch, but couldn’t help but wait with bated breath anytime Jamil or Leona spotted a kill and went on the offensive. There were so many times Yuu was sure one was going to check only for the other to expertly dance out of the way, their pieces flying across the board in a dizzying fashion.

But the game did end.

“Checkmate,” Leona purred tauntingly, placing his white queen down in a dramatically slow fashion. The way his tail flicked back and forth gave away just how exhilarated he actually felt.

“Dammit,” Jamil cursed. He sighed and sat back in defeat. “I still lost.”

“Of course you did,” Leona said matter-of-fact. “You were playin’ against Leona Kingscholar. But you put up one hell of a fight, Viper, I’ll give you that. I haven’t played a game like that in ages. Color me impressed, Jamil.”

Jamil grimaced and opened his mouth to retort when he suddenly had an arm full of Kalim, who tackled him into a hug.

“Wow, Jamil! That was amazing! I didn’t know you were that good at chess! You’ll definitely have to join Papa and Baba when they invite guests over to play!”

“Kalim…” Jamil sighed in exasperation, but there was a near imperceptible upward tilt to his lips and a gleam in his eyes that Yuu recognized as pride.

Yuu cuddled into Trey’s side, letting him wrap an arm around their shoulders, as Yuu watched the entire scene play out with a satisfied smile across their face.

~*~

If Yuu was under the prior impression that they had met every eccentric character this crazy world had to throw at them, then they would be sorely mistaken. 

For they had not yet met one Rook Hunt, vice Housewarden of Pomefiore.

Eccentric did not even begin to scratch the surface of this man (beta or alpha Yuu’s nose could not determine). His visage alone was striking, what with his large feathered hat, piercing green eyes, kohl thickly applied, and a unique hairstyle that immediately reminded Yuu of Madam Soliman’s apprentices in Howl’s Moving Castle.

And he hadn’t even opened his mouth yet.

“Bonjour! Bon après-midi! What a beautiful day to gather with friends!” Rook exclaimed, the sudden use of French startling Yuu. He took long strides around the room as he spoke his greeting. He was tall. Like Leech twins or Odysseus tall. And when he drew close to Leona, Leona responded with ears pressed flat against his head and he straight up growled at the newcomer. And instead of the normal expected reaction to having an alpha like Leona growling at them, Rook just laughed. And it wasn’t even a mean or sarcastic one. He laughed delightedly, as if Leona had shared a joke with him instead of an aggressive show of hostility.

“Your roar is as magnifique and inspiring as ever, Roi de Lion,” Rook exclaimed without even a hint of insincerity. He then turned towards Yuu and Trey, eyes lighting up. “And Rose Chevalier! You are here as well! Très bein! Will you also be joining us in our endeavor to dazzle the fair Queen of faes herself?”

“Just here to feed this lot, I’m afraid,” Trey replied with a wry grin. “I’m not much for dancing, unfortunately.”

“That is most unfortunate! You cut the most striking figure, Rose Chevalier! I know you would be magnifique on the catwalk.”

The way they spoke was familiar and Yuu desperately wanted to pull Trey aside and ask him how the hell he knew such a strange person, one capable of unnerving Leona of all people. But a moment later Rook turned his intense energy into Yuu and their brain fully short-circuited.

“And this must be the famed Reine des Filou,” he said, the French nickname completely flying over Yuu’s head. Rook plucked up Yuu’s left hand and pressed a light kiss to their knuckle. “It is most wonderful to finally meet you! Trey speaks of you often.”

Yuu shot Trey a curious glance. He blushed and attempted to explain himself, “I just voice my concerns sometimes! Like if you’re eating or sleeping or brushing well. I do it for Cater and Ace and Deuce as well, so…”

Rook released a knowing chuckle. Meanwhile Yuu felt a burst of strong affection for their boyfriend.

Soon Rook was off again, greeting Kalim by “Roi d’or” and Jamil by “Monsieur Pyramide”, the former returning Rook’s enthusiasm pound for pound while Jamil decidedly less so. Ruggie looked just as uncomfortable as Leona, the fur on his tail raised as Rook greeted him with “Dent de Lion”, which Yuu knew just enough to parse out as “Lion’s tooth”.

Which was a strangely apt description for Ruggie.

“You know him?” Yuu whispered up to Trey as they watched Rook’s graceful whirlwind around the room.

Trey chuckled bashfully, “Rooks and I are both in the science club together plus he’s a third year as well, so we’ve spent a lot of time together. I get that he can be a bit much when you first meet him, but I promise he really isn’t a bad guy. He’s nice.”

A bit much was a tad underselling it, Yuu thought, but they also knew by now not to judge people by the cover, especially at Night Raven College. If Trey vouched got Rook’s integrity, then Yuu believed him.

“The nicknames though?” Yuu asked dubiously.

“Rook is from the Shaftlands and often slips into his native tongue,” Trey explained. “I said he’s a nice guy, not that he isn’t eccentric. He has a habit of assigning everyone nicknames.”

Yuu wasn’t sure if their sanity could handle a Floyd 2.0 but only time would tell.

“Knight of Roses?” Yuu teased. “Not that I disagree. It’s a fitting title for you as Riddle’s right hand.”

“Oh? You can translate?”

“I took a bit of French in highschool,” Yuu admitted. “Enough to parse through some simple words and phrases. I picked up on the Knight of Roses thing. And I think he called Leona ‘King of Lions’? Appropriate. Have absolutely no clue about the rest though. Any idea what ‘Reine de Filou’ means?”

“No. But you could always ask Rook.”

Yuu shot him a dubious look. Yuu might’ve decided to accept Trey’s vouch of the strange newcomer, but Yuu wasn’t going to invite more mayhem into their life unprompted.

“Hm. Maybe...”

And then there was also the second newcomer Vil had towed behind him into the dance studio.

Yuu immediately recognized the striking head of lavender hair the short alpha sported. They’d seen him in class before, a first year like themself, and at spelldrive club practices. Though they’d never actually had an opportunity to introduce themself or talk to him. Up close, Yuu could see that his features were soft and omegan like Riddle’s, with big crystalline blue eyes people would die to have. He was one of the few folks Yuu had met at school shorter than themself.

He also did not look like he was happy to be here.

Vil flicked the boy gently on the forehead, “Wipe that grimace off your face before those ugly lines set in, Epel. Or else you’ll be going through another intense beauty and skincare routine for the next month.”

There was a surprising flash of anger in those gentle blue eyes before the newcomer–Epel, apparently–smoothed his expression over and shot Vil a clearly insincere smile. “Of course, Vil.”

Vil only rolled his eyes, clearly not buying the act for a second, but turned to address the rest of the room regardless. “I see Rook has taken the initiative of introducing himself, though I believe only Yuu was really in need of an introduction. This here,” he gestured to the lavender haired alpha, “is Epel Felmier, my protege this year. As we are prepping for the VDC, I thought it prudent to let him sit in on our remaining rehearsals. I hope none of you mind.”

VDC?

“So this is why Felmier is always running off during spelldrive practice,” Leona drawled. “He’s busy running around carrying out your frivolous orders.”

Vil huffed. “Hmph! I always respect and schedule around my spudlings’ other commitments. If you actually bothered to start your club on time, Leona, perhaps Epel wouldn’t need to leave practices early.”

Yuu stifled a laugh. Vil had a point and, by Leona’s scowl and lack of response, Leona had no counter. Vil smirked.

“Well then. Shall we get back to work?”

~*~

Rook, as it turned out, was Vil’s trusted second pair of eyes. And he was astoundingly good at picking out details that even Vil’s shrewd gaze missed. And true to Trey’s claims, he was much nicer than Vil at pointing out faults.

“It is a beautiful performance,” Rook said. “But it is missing something. Something to truly dazzle the masses.”

“I agree,” Vil said, scrutinizing the exhausted group. “Hm. I think it is about time we employ Lilia’s suggestion. Leona, I already trust you are familiar with ballroom dancing. But what about you, Yuu?”

Only from their time pretending to be Riddle’s brother, but that was obviously not something they could say. So instead Yuu answered, “A little bit from my own world but only the basics.”

“That’s fine. Even a little foundation will go a ways. And don’t worry, for what I’m envisioning, Leona will be doing the bulk of the work anyway.”

“Great,” Leona drawled.

“Don’t complain,” Vil snipped. “Regardless, we all know how much you enjoy playing the role of the rugged alpha sweeping some poor naive thing off their feet–not to say that you’re naive, Yuu. You’re much too intelligent to fall for Leona’s cheap tricks.”

“I’ll have you know nothing about me is cheap. Also Yuu is dating me.”

Vil smirked, “Oh I’m very aware. I’m counting on that natural chemistry to shine past the inexperience. I can only hope that Yuu will come to their senses one day.” Leona shot him a dirty look.

But there was no real heat to any of these exchanges. If anything, there was a playful atmosphere as the two Housewarden traded barbs. It was intriguing finally seeing someone with a tongue sharp and wit quick enough to keep up with Leona. Yuu was aware that some of Vil’s detractors loved to claim that Vil was nothing more than a pretty face riding the nepotistic coattails of his father, but that was so far from the truth if you spent even a minute with the stunning alpha.

In the short time that Yuu knew the man, Vil always shone the brightest in any room he stepped into.

“Rook and I will demonstrate,” Vil said as he and Rook took the center of the room. “This routine is going to be a mix of some ballroom styles from the Shaftlands and from continents further southwest, but with a more modern flare.”

Epel pressed play on the music as an upbeat flowing song, filled with dancing flutes and harps, began to fill the room. Yuu got comfortable between Ruggie and Kalim, all three sitting cross legged against the wall, as they enjoyed the performance.

The way Vil and Rook moved was much less like a ballroom dance and more like something out of a fairytale ren faire. And true to Vil’s statement, there was a modern sense to their movements, with elements of hip hop sprinkled in to create a strangely mesmerizing fusion dance.

Vil and Rook moved in-sync, twirling around each other, spinning apart with only a fingertip of connection between them before coming together and   meeting again, their feet light as they glided across the dance floor. While Vil was dressed in workout clothes, Rook was still dressed in the rich flowing fabrics of the Pomefiore uniform which flared around him with every dramatic spin. At one point the music flurried into a crescendo, the runs of the flutes evoking images of fluttering butterfly wings. Vil leaped into the air at the peak of the run. Rook caught him by the waist and lifted Vil into the air, still spinning—impressive given Vil’s height.

By the time the last note rang out, Vil’s back was arched elegantly in a dramatic dip with Rook supporting his back. The pose they struck was breathtakingly beautiful.

“Wow!” Kalim cheered, the first to clap followed quickly by Yuu and Jamil. Even Epel, who did not appear happy to be here before this, looked upon Vil and Rook with bright admiring eyes.

Leona, of course, was not so impressed. If anything, he looked more annoyed than before. As Vil and Rook gave their bows to their applauding audience, Leona asked, “So if you two can do that, why aren’t you two putting on this stupid show and dance?”

Vil smirked with dark glossy lips. “Why, Leona? Are you saying you can't do it? Perhaps Lilia was right then. It’s a bit late, but if you really don’t think you’re capable, I’m sure Malleus can make up where you lack.”

“If you think you can goad me, Vil—“

“Dear Leona. I don’t think I can do anything. I know it.”

Before Leona could retort, Yuu let out a laugh and stood, nudging a grumpy Leona with their shoe. “Come, grumpy Lion. It looks like fun.”

Leona scowled but his eyes softened as he returned an acknowledging grunt, took Yuu’s offered hand, and reluctantly let them pull him to his feet.

“Marvelous!” Rook exclaimed.

“You two watch closely as well,” Vil ordered the two seated Scarabia members. “This might not be part of your routine, but you’re the backup dancers for their performance. If we want to put on a show so brilliant not even the fae Queen would dare look away, you need to match their energy and be the load bearing pillars keeping this whole thing together. Don’t doubt the importance of your role just because you aren't in the center spotlight.”

He received two determined nods.

“You as well, Mr. Bucchi. You’ll need to know the performance forward and backwards to time the swap correctly. I won’t stand for anything less than full effort and perfection.”

“Gotcha, boss,” Ruggie responded with a sly grin.

Yuu took the center of the room, buzzing with nervous but anticipating energy. They weren’t sure how they were going to pull off all those seemingly complicated dance moves in just a few days, but Vil had never led them or anyone else astray before in his assessment of their potential. If the he thought Yuu could do it, then they definitely could.

It helped that Yuu got to spend the better part of their week staring at the sight that was Leona all glammed up for once. They admired him now as he followed them to center stage, marveling at the flowers in his rich chocolate hair and appreciating the way the gold and bronze makeup stood out against his dark skin, giving him an almost glowing appearance.

Leona chuffed with a little smirk when he noticed Yuu staring. “Somethin’ on my face, kitten?”

“Just appreciating how gorgeous you are.”

He rolled his eyes at their cheesiness but Yuu saw the way Leona’s cheeks darkened and the way his tail swayed with a pleased motion.

“Alright you two, save the chemistry for the performance,” Vil cut in. “Flirt after practice is over. Now then. For this part of the performance, I’m envisioning a narrative of an epic romance, one between a fae alpha prince and an omega princess. From what Lilia has texted me, the fae are quite taken with these kinds of stories.”

“Now,” he continued, “Yuu, I know you’re a beta but you have a close enough stature to pass as an omega, especially next to Leona. I want you to really lean into the role of a traditional fairytale omega archetype, if you think you’re up for it.”

There seemed almost a hint of trepidation in Vil’s tone as he said this, though Yuu couldn’t be certain nor parse out why. They just nodded.

“Got it. Sweet, gentle, and ready to be swept off my feet.”

“Just so.”

He then turned to Leona.

“And you, I’m going to need you to try to be charming and dashing, Leona. You do know the definition, yes?”

Leona rolled his eyes. “As little faith as you have in me, Peacock, I did have to attend a million etiquette lessons growing up. I’m perfectly capable of being Prince-ly . I just find the whole charade a waste of time.”

“Your personal hang ups aside, we need it to sell this show.”

“Just start the music already. Are we here to dance or not?”

“Very well… Music, Epel!”

~*~

Yuu was in a very good mood by the time the day ended. Leona was finally taking things seriously, the entire set was shaping up, and it was nice to see Kalim and Jamil working as a team. Jamil, as much as he hated being dragged into things by Kalim, was clearly enjoying the dance lessons. He looked in his element every rehearsal.

With Heartslabyul finally more in-order, Yuu paid a visit to their friends there and Riddle, who at long last had a moment of free-time to spare. He looked exhausted from dealing with the flooding but still happily hosted Yuu for pre-dinner lemon tea. Seeing the tired dark circles beneath his eyes only made Yuu more determined to put forth their best effort to resolve this latest catastrophe.

After that, Yuu picked up dinner from the cafeteria for Leona and Ruggie, made a quick stop at Sam’s shop for some miscellaneous supplies, before making their way back towards the hall of mirrors. Though perhaps thinking they could carry so many things at once was a mistake, especially after a long week of physical exertion. This was because Yuu nearly dropped everyone’s food not even a minute later, walking through the school courtyard.

Thankfully a student came to their rescue.

Yuu stumbled, immediately losing grip on their tower of boxes. A strangled cry of alarm escaped their throat when suddenly there was a blur of motion. Someone darted forward nimbly and experitly caught the tumbling takeout boxes out of the air–with a single hand at that. The other he held out to steady Yuu.

“Are you alright?” The newcomer asked.

Yuu let out a relieved sigh, face heating in embarrassment from being caught in such a clumsy moment. “Y-yes. Thanks. You just saved my dinner.”

“Of course. Though maybe you shouldn’t be carrying this much yourself.”

Yuu stood up and straightened out their hair and clothes, “Yeah that probably would’ve been smarter. Thanks again.” They look up at their savior.

Oh. They’d seen him before. It was one of the Diasomnia boys who helped them out with Lilia during the spelldrive tournament. What was his name again..?

The setting sun caught locks of the alpha’s hair, the silver strands practically lit up gold in the beams.

“Silver, right…?” Yuu asked uncertainly.

He nodded, expression remaining unchanged and stoic yet somehow appearing pleased. “Yes. You remembered. And you are Prefect Yuu. The one Fath–I mean, you’re Lilia’s friend.”

That was a strange stutter, Yuu thought, but didn’t press. It wouldn’t be polite to question the guy who’d just saved their dinner and saved them from dealing with an entire evening of Leona’s complaining. “Yeah. I’m Lilia’s friend.” Though that friendship was being somewhat tested at the moment considering it was Lilia’s fault Yuu was cleaning up another one of Crowley’s responsibilities.

“Would you like assistance bringing this back to your dorm?”

Silver held up the boxes.

“Oh no. I wouldn’t want to impose–”

“That’s alright. I don’t mind. Also Lilia has told me that he would like us to be friends and… I…”

Silver blinked blearily, his words trailing off into nothing. Yuu’s own eyes widened in alarm as the tall alpha suddenly began to sway on his feet. Yuu hastily placed their things on the ground, taking the boxes Silver held as well which he didn’t even seem to notice, before rushing to steady him.

“I need to sit down…”

Yuu nodded and quickly led him over to a bench where Silver immediately sank down into. He blinked a few more times before, shockingly, fell unconscious. Yuu stood there in shock for several moments, unsure of what exactly just occurred.

Then it was like their brain kickstarted. Yuu immediately took out their phone and frantically dialed Lilia’s contact. It rang twice before the familiar voice of the cheerful fae answered.

“Yuu! How strange of you to call. What can I–”

“Silver just passed out in front of me and I don’t know what to do!”

There was a moment of silence.

And then laughter.

“Oh! Haha, yes. Not to worry, my dear. Silver has something of a condition where he falls asleep at the strangest of times. It’s nothing to worry about. I’m sure he’ll be up and about in a few minutes.”

“He’s narcoleptic?” Yuu asked, aghast.

“Hm. I’m unfamiliar with the term.”

“I–It’s–!”

But before Yuu could enunciate how serious a condition like narcolepsy was and how crazy it was that Lilia was just laughing it off, there was a groan beside them as Silver began to stir. He sat up slowly, rubbing his forehead.

“Oh? I think I hear him waking up now. See, Yuu? Nothing to worry about! I’m glad to see you two kids spending time together as well. I meant to set up a playdate but things kept coming up. But I see it’s all worked out on its own! Well then. Gloomurai and I were in the middle of a dungeon when you called so I’m going to hang up now. Let’s play together soon, Yuu!”

“Lilia, this isn’t–!”

Click-!

Yuu was going to have a fucking aneurysm.

But there were more important things to focus on at the moment.

“Silver?” Yuu asked worriedly, hovering over him with their hands uselessly hanging in the air, unsure if they should touch him or give him space. “Are you alright? Are you still drowsy? Dizzy? I think I have some water in my bag–”

“I’m alright, Prefect,” Silver murmured, his eyes still shut. “I just need a moment to fully re-orientate myself. Please don’t worry. This happens often.”

“Yeah that only makes me worry more, believe it or not,” Yuu responded sarcastically with a bit more bite than they intended.

He finally opened his eyes and stared at Yuu uncomprehendingly. Yuu was momentarily taken aback by what they saw. What they had thought were grey eyes were actually something closer to iridescent in hue, with soft splashes of blue and pink in his irises. It was like nothing Yuu had ever seen before.

“I promise you don’t need to worry,” Silver repeated. He stood up and Yuu made a concerned noise at the back of their throat at the quickness of it. He gently shook his head as if to say there was nothing to fear.

“Are you sure you’re alright?” Yuu felt the need to ask again. No matter what Lilia said (and Silver too apparently), falling asleep at the drop of a hat was not trivial. Even becoming drowsy could be incredibly dangerous depending on the circumstances. “And sorry if this is insensitive to ask but do you have narcolepsy?”

Silver tilted his head quizzically. “I’m unfamiliar with the term,” he said, echoing Lilia’s words exactly.

“Um,” Yuu was at a loss of words. Was this just a Lilia and Silver thing? Or was narcolepsy just not a thing here? Or not yet discovered? “It’s a um… Nevermind. It’s really none of my business. Forget I even said anything.”

“... Alright,” Silver said. He didn’t sound offended. He didn’t sound like he was feeling much of anything at all. He was incredibly hard to read. “But I’m alright now. Would you still like assistance with your things?”

Yuu fought to keep the incredulous expression off their face. Silver had just passed out in front of them, been asked inappropriate personal medical questions (in Yuu’s defense, they were in shock and weren’t thinking straight!), and yet he was still concerned about helping Yuu carry things?

Surely this guy didn’t go to Night Raven College.

There was no way anyone this nice actually attended this school. Even Trey, whom Yuu considered to be always very kind and helpful, often did things with ulterior motives. Even Kalim was nice for all the wrong and self-detrimental reasons.

Yuu pushed down both the suspicion at Silver and the concern they felt for his well being, and nodded.

“Sure. I’d really appreciate it.”

~*~

There was a beautiful young girl with lips as red as roses and skin as pale as snow. She was singing a sweet melody to her reflection in a well. Above her, shrouded in shadows, a pair of green and hateful eyes watched her from a tower window.

But they were not the only pair of eyes watching the scene unfold.

Yuu, who floated above the scene formless and watching, suddenly became aware of a second pair of eyes. The world around them rippled as Yuu struggled to make sense of the scene before them. Were they… dreaming?

The thought floated away as quickly as it had arrived.

But it did not take with it the awareness of the second presence.

Yuu could not see who they belonged to, but those eyes too watched the girl and the well, as the world around them shifted with vibrant hues.

But none of the colors were so brilliant as the iridescent irises that watched.

Notes:

No much to say. Hope ya'll enjoyed. Can't wait for the next Book 7 update later this month. I've been keeping myself pretty much spoiler free from the JP server--though hello Skelly 👀

Also I apologize now to any Vil/Leona shippers out there. I always thought their vibe was very much divorced exes who still hang out sometimes and that's exactly what I'm going for lol. And no, they are not getting back together. Not in this fic at least. I've got other plans for Vil~

Glad to be back ♥

Chapter 46

The morning of the Fairy Gala was bright and teeming with palpable energy and anticipation. Professor Crewel was extra attentive as he dressed and did everyone’s costumes and makeup. Vil gave their performance his final approvals and blessings while Rook wished them all luck.

Lilia came to see them off as well.

“I could hardly volunteer you for this job and not show up for the big day.”

Yuu fought the urge to pinch his cheeks in revenge for all the trouble this past week.  “Oh so you are aware you did something wrong.”

Lilia only chuckled impishly. “Nothing so dramatic, my dear. I’m sure you’ll forgive adorable little me eventually.” He batted his lashes at them. “I simply have absolute faith in your ability to charm the fae. You’ve charmed me after all~”

Yuu rolled their eyes and grumbled. “I suppose I do still owe you for helping out Leona and I before.” Seeing as their side of the agreement hadn’t exactly been met–befriending Lilia’s “children” as he so affectionately dubbed the Diasomnia students. Aside from Odysseus and that brief meeting with Silver, Yuu had not actually gotten around to this, what with being caught up in one scheme after another since the spelldrive tournament.

“That’s the spirit,” Lilia winked. “Besides. I come bearing gifts for you and all your friends!” He twisted his hand and summoned something into his palm in a burst of red sparks. It was an ornate silver lanturn. When it was moved there came the delicate ringing of bells.

Lilia reached over and secured the lanturn-like bell onto Yuu’s fabric belt.

“What’s this?”

“A translator. You won’t be able to understand the smaller fairies otherwise. I have three more for the others.”

Yuu examined the translator curiously and was surprised to find that they could no longer hear it ringing when they moved. At the omega’s perplexed expression, Lilia explained.

“Just the magic at work. You know it’s working when you can’t hear the bells anymore. Instead, if any fae were to speak to you, regardless of their specific dialect or size, you’ll only hear the language you’re most familiar with.”

Yuu hadn’t even thought of the fact that the fae likely didn’t speak the same language as them or would be too small to hear. Once again, Yuu was struck by how truly wonderful and amazing magic could be. A seamless translator just hanging out on their hip. How better would the world be if everyone had access to such a thing? If they could simply talk and understand one another?

“A sorcent for your thoughts, dear?”

Yuu blinked. “Oh! Sorry… I was just thinking about how amazing an invention like this would be in my world. All the problems and conflicts that could be solved or wholly avoided if people could just… Talk to and understand each other in a familiar language. How easier it would be to see that, despite our differences, we’re all still the same” Yuu trailed off, face flushing red, and shook their head, “Obviously things aren’t so simple but… Nevermind. It’s just a silly thought.”

But Lilia only squinted his eyes with a pleased smile. “I disagree. It’s not silly at all. That mindset is exactly why I believed you were the best for this job. Do me a favor, Yuu, and never lose that wonderful heart of yours.” His smile grew bittersweet, “No matter what unfairness the world throws at you.”

As cross as they still were with the fae, Yuu couldn’t help but return his smile, sensing the strange and rare earnestness in Lilia’s voice.

“I will.”

~*~

Yuu spent quite a lot of time in the botanical garden considering it was Leona’s favorite spot on campus. And it always has been a very beautiful and idyllic place to be.

But nothing like this.

Yuu wasn’t sure how such small creatures were capable of transforming such a large space into something so… magical. Though considering the small fae were apparently responsible for changing the seasons for the entirety of Twisted Wonderland (Yuu still hadn’t found a satisfying explanation for that yet), perhaps it shouldn’t’ve been a surprise. Regardless, the moment the fae guarding the door let the four of them into the greenhouse, Yuu’s breath was stolen away.

Every flower was in full bloom, irregardless of season or maturity. Yuu was fairly certain that those purple flowers with the glowing stamen and antlers were ones Professor Crewel had specifically said wouldn’t bloom for another 7 months during alchemy class. There were new flowers as well–giant bulbous ones that hung from the ceiling and glowed from within to light up the entire space. Hell, even all of the roses lining the runway had been coated in the same shimmering fairy dust that Yuu and the others were, resulting in each rosy petal to glow in pink and orange hues. There were white and gold ceiling drapes that appeared to be made up of some sort of gauzy fabric, so thin and delicate they looked like they were spun from spider silk—for all Yuu knew, they were.

And of course there was the food, the likes of which Yuu didn’t even attempt to guess at, only acknowledging that it smelled divine and delicious. It’s a good thing Vil made them all eat a full breakfast or else Yuu would be distracted the entire gala.

They were all surprised to discover other types of folk here too, which would explain why the runway and food offerings were people-sized. Amongst the attendees were larger fae as well as groups of folks who looked like they could be gnomes from their pointy red hats, and several other humanoid creatures–some Yuu recognized from books but most they did not.

“Most of these species reside in either Briar Valley or the homeland of the seasonal faes,” Leona explained. “They don’t typically venture out of those places except for special or strenuous circumstances.” His eyes were unusually bright and attentive, “I won’t lie, it’s honestly quite a sight to see such a rare gathering, even as gaudy this whole ridiculous event is.”

They continued on further in, with Yuu having to several times rein Ruggie in from disappearing over to the food table (he was almost as bad a Grim!) and Jamil having to stop Kalim from getting too chatty with several of the more unique guests at the gala, lest he accidentally reveal their ruse. But they did manage to all make it to their seats unscathed.

Across them, on the other side of the runway, was a raised platform covered in flowering vines. At the center of it bloomed the largest white lily Yuu had ever seen in their life, so big that it comfortably fit the gilded human-sized throne placed at its center.

“That must be for the Queen,” Yuu whispered.

Leona grunted in acknowledgement. “Ruggie. It won’t be easy sneaking in and out of that area, but fortunately the subtropical zone is right behind the platform. There’s a back exit there you can take once you’ve swapped the crown.”

“Man, this is gonna suck…” Ruggie complained.

Leona chuffed. “Just do your job and we’ll do ours. I’ve seen your sticky fingers get you out of worse situations before.”

“Easy for you to say. All you gotta do is look pretty on stage.”

“ Watch it, Bucchie…”

“Shihehehehe~”

Half an hour of nervous sitting and waiting later, there was a flurry of motion and excited chittering as a glowing figure materialized in the middle of the garden in a burst of golden dust.

The Fairy Queen.

She was quite literally golden–from the tips of her wings to the tips of her fingers, to every last strand of her hair which were pulled up into twin golden blossoms atop her head. The only part of the Queen that was not gold was the silver tiara she wore, set with a large iredecent jewel at its center.

All five members of team Steal the Show zoned in on the prize.

The Queen, trailed by her much smaller attendants, made their way through the air towards the throne. This seemed to be the signal for the show to begin because anyone who was still standing or milling about immediately took their seats and all conversations grew hushed and excited.

The Fairy Gala had begun.

~*~

Leona felt like he was going to have a migraine.

The irritating chitter and chatter of the crowd was a bit too reminiscent of the endless charity and political events and balls Mother always insisted he had to attend growing up–Falena always the star of the evening leaving Leona feeling like nothing more than an afterthought. He’d usually snuck out before the night was over, pulling apart his stuffy outfits the attendant failed at wrangling him into before Mama took over, uncaring as he threw what was no doubt thousands of thaumarks worth of clothes and accessories over balconies and into bushes as he went.

He often wanted to be alone back then–a sentiment that still rang true today. And as much as Leona loathed to admit it, he liked that going to school freed him from the suffocation he felt at home. Realistically, he could’ve graduated years ago, and yet Leona still returned to Night Raven College year after year.

The demand for his formal attendance stopped after Mama’s passing however. Mother herself stopped hosting or accepting as many invitations, so it wasn’t like there were many anyway. It wasn’t until Falena took the crown that he started requesting Leona attend again–some tiresome excuse about presenting a “united front” after national tragedy and political unrest. It had been one of those same lectures that ultimately culminated in their big blowup and argument over Leona skipping out on Cheka’s crowning ceremony.

So no. Leona has never been very fond of these kinds of things. Dorming at a private school has allowed him to avoid the vast majority of them for years now. And it was irritating to have to put up with the same shit here.

Though, Leona thought, sneaking a glance at Yuu and even Ruggie seated on either side of him. Perhaps, Leona begrudgingly admitted to himself, this wasn’t as unbearable as it usually was. The crowd was still annoying, sure, and the excessive presence of flowers and pollen was causing his sensitive snout to itch, and he’d never been a fan of wearing extravagant flowery things when a comfortable loose shirt and pair of pants functioned just fine—one of he and Vil’s many disagreements.

But unlike all those other times, this time Leona wasn’t made to feel like an afterthought—a blemish on his family or a figure to be pitied. Hell, Vil and Crewel were expecting him to be the center of the show. When they took the stage, inevitably every eye in the room would be on Leona.

So maybe it was not wholly the same as those other times.

It helped that there were other benefits making this whole shitshow tolerable. Like one-upping that overgrown lizard, for one, and not letting the bastard get away with whatever intentions he had with Leona’s omega. Leona still wasn’t quite sure what the relationship between Yuu and Malleus was, considering Yuu has never mentioned Malleus even a single time. But once in a while Leona would scent the other alpha on them–like the other night when Yuu came back to bed after storming off, the lingering scent of wild roses and witch fire settled faintly over Yuu’s pleasant potion-muted scene of parchment and hyacinths.

Leona was fine with Yuu courting and being courted by others of course, but Malleus Draconia was a whole other fucking story.

Speaking of Yuu. Another very nice benefit to all this was seeing them all dolled up for once–Crewel’s handiwork making their doe eyes appear even larger than usual, drawing attention with the dusting of shimmering gold powder across their eyelids and cheeks. Yuu was the only one of the five of them wearing a crown of flowers as well–to play-up the innocent omega look–with gold and white ribbons braided into their hair. And all the white flowy cloth couldn’t help but remind Leona of the popular trend of brides wearing white in other countries.

The image of Yuu dressed in a pure white suit leaped to the front of Leona’s mind before he could stop it and he groaned, earning him a look from Ruggie that he ignored.

He’d barely known the omega for more than six months and he was already thinking about Yuu in the context of a wedding? Leona would’ve kicked himself if the idea wasn’t clearly so enticing. That any one person held so much influence over him, and Leona wasn’t even upset about it , should’ve been more alarming than he felt.

Fuck he was whipped. Leona could only pray by the Seven that his brother never found out. The King of Beasts only knew Falena would never let him live it down.

Thankfully this was a fae and fae-adjacent exclusive event so the bastard never would. Leona was almost tempted to text Falena a picture just to rub it in his face considering all the times his brother had dragged Leona around the palace gardens to hunt for fairies as children.

Alas, Leona would simply have to be content smugly but silently knowing the fact that he’d seen the Fae Queen in person while Falena, King that he was, never would.

Speaking of, the Queen was clapping for the group that had just finished their performance. But it was obvious to Leona’s keen eyes that she was phoning it in. Her cherubic yellow face was bored, and her eyes were practically glazed over after an hour of showcases.

Well that just wouldn’t do, would it?

“Yay! Our turn!” Kalim exclaimed.

For the first time since being dragged into this whole mess, Leona shared in the excitement. His fangs felt on edge in that satisfying way they always did before a spelldrive game. His fur stood on end in anticipation. To hell with the past and all the bastards who ever dared overlook Leona Kingscholar. To hell with Mother’s impossible expectations and Falena’s misplaced pity.

To hell with his own shit too, Leona begrudgingly thought. Even a King had to get off his ass once in a while, especially when there was an enemy to conquer. They were going to charm the shit out of her royal yellow-ness and make sure the one place in this world where Leona had people he gave a fuck about (people who recognized him in return) didn’t shut down.

And most of all?

To hell with the competition Leona was going to wipe the runway floor with.

~*~

There was a change to Leona’s demeanor. Yuu couldn’t quite place their finger on it. It reminded them of the intensity he projected whenever that brilliant but often underused mind of his sharpened into razor focus.

Like a lion honing in on a gazelle.

Whatever it was though, it sent a thrill up their spine as they ascended the runway stairs. Behind them Kalim was all vibrating excited energy while Jamil was focused and intense.

Leona suddenly stopped at the top step, surprising Yuu, as this hadn’t been in their plans. For a brief terrifying second Yuu thought that things had gone awry already—Yuu’s chaotic curse striking again.

But in the next moment Leona spun around, his gold and white cloak billowing dramatically behind him as he bent into a princely bow, one hand behind his back and the other offered forward to Yuu. Yuu’s mouth turned into an ‘o’ of surprise, but they quickly caught on to Leona’s intent, eyes settling onto his roguish smirk, a hint of white fang teasing his bottom lip.

Yuu placed their hand in his.

But surprising them for a second time, instead of escorting them up, Leona placed their hand on his shoulder before wrapping his own around their waist, easily lifting Yuu onto the stage himself. Yuu couldn’t help the peel of surprised and delighted laughter that escaped.

This had the desired effect on the crowd. There were similar gasps of shock and delight from the audience. The MC stuttered through her introduction of their group. The excited chittering of the gathering intensified and Yuu could feel every eye in the crowd honed in on the two of them.

The Queen herself sat up straighter in her throne.

“Ready, beta minx?” Leone purred softly into Yuu’s right ear, echoing the first nickname he’d ever called them by.

Yuu grinned back, feeling electrified by the sudden new energy buzzing in the room. “ Always , grumpy lion.”

The four of them took to the runway. Leona looked absolutely in his element, smugly soaking up the attention somehow without coming off as arrogant, as he strutted down the path step-in-step with Yuu. The music was subdued in the beginning, playful but still building up the tension. It was only when the flurry of flutes came in, with the sudden ramp and crescendo, that Leona took Yuu’s hand again and spun them, the routine they’d tirelessly practiced finally coming to life before a crowd.

It felt like both a lifetime and the blink of an eye. Yuu’s entire world zoomed in on their own body and Leona’s face. Where Yuu went, Leona’s hands followed to catch and lead them to the rhythm of the music. While their performance wasn’t perfect by any means, not compared to Vil and Rook and certainly not after less than a week of rehearsals, they were in-sync in a way Yuu hasn’t felt with Leona since their ephemeral bond.

Hysterically, Yuu realized there was no way they were going to be able to argue their way out of participating in the spelldrive tournament against Royal Sword now. If Leona and Yuu were even a fraction this in tune with one another out on the field as they were now, Royal Sword stood no fucking chance.

Leona looked momentarily perplexed as Yuu burst into laughter. But a moment later his eyes crinkled with mirth, his perpetual smirk turning just a bit more genuine and warm, and the corner of his mouth twitched upward until he too was laughing with them.

Both were too caught up into their own little moment to notice the way the rest of the world gazed upon the enchanting scene with awe.

~*~

Vil, Rook, and Crewel were clapping for the four of them as they exited the botanical garden, bathed in orange light of the setting sun. Ruggie lounged on a nearby bench, hands empty but a victorious smirk across his face—the mage stone must be in Crowley’s possession then.

Before anyone could stop him, Kalim had already taken one of Leona and Jamil’s hands, raising them into the air. Yuu caught on quickly, grabbing Leona’s other hand and raised it. Leona and Jamil both rolled their eyes, but they too were grinning with satisfaction.

The four of them took a bow for their small audience.

“Bravo, you four,” Vil congratulated. “We saw the whole thing. You all did better than I expected.” He strolled forward and poked Leona in the chest with a perfectly manicured nail, “especially you. Can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m actually proud of you, Leona.”

This is where Leona would’ve normally snapped back something scathing or snarky, but this time he only returned Vil’s provoking grin. “Don’t get used to it, Peacock. This was a one-time thing. And I don’t give out refunds.”

Vil harrumphed and pulled back. He clicked his tongue and muttered beneath his breath, “so much natural beauty and talent wasted on this lout…” He then cleared his throat and addressed the rest of them, “Anyways, I’m very proud of all you spudlings. I trust that you other three will apply for the VDC talent show later this month?”

Kalim’s eye lit up. “Ooh~! Yes! That sounds like fun! Jamil and I—“ He paused abruptly, and looked over at his Vice Housewarden who just stared at him with an unreadable expression. “I mean… I’m totally going to try out!”

Jamil just shook his head and sighed, unable to keep the exasperated smirk from his face. “I might as well. There’s a big cash prize, isn’t there?”

Vil nodded. “As well as top talent scouts from across the industry. Though I do hope you’ll join for more than monetary reasons. The four of you work well together.”

Everyone turned to look at Yuu.

“Eh? Oh um. Maybe?”

The past week had been very fun and Yuu did enjoy spending time with everyone. But Yuu also missed hanging out with their usual friends. Missed just having hangouts with the first years and watching Grim get into it with everyone. And this VDC sounded like a big time commitment. Ultimately, of course, it was going to depend on whether or not Yuu got caught up in some other crazy NRC shenanigans.

The biggest mystery being: was someone else going to overblot this semester? Yuu didn’t really want to think about it. Though considering Kalim hadn’t technically overblotted and it had instead been Jamil… Maybe it wasn’t a Housewarden curse like Yuu was starting to suspect.

Also, Yuu studied Vil’s face, Vil didn’t seem like the kind of person to get caught up in something shady or be prone to emotional outbursts. The alpha appeared steady minded and genuinely kind, if a bit overbearing at times.

Plus Yuu has been spending time with him for weeks now and nothing has happened so far.

Maybe it was safe?

“Maybe,” Yuu repeated with a shy grin.

Vil hummed, violet eyes narrow and playfully scrutinizing. “I’ll let it be for now. But don’t think I’m quite done with you, Prefect.”

“So is the weather better again?” Kalim asked.

“It is,” answered Crewel. “The headmaster re-installed the crystal an hour ago while the performances were still ongoing. Campus climate should be back to normal by this evening.”

“Yess! We should totally throw a big party to celebrate!!”

Jamil cleared his throat, “speaking of our performance… You said you all watched it? Can I ask how?”

Yuu was wondering about that themself.

“Courtesy of Mr. Vanrouge,” Crewel replied. “Apparently the Fairy Gala is normally broadcasted throughout Briar Valley and other fae settlements through their own information systems—these,” he produced a pink shimmering gem from his pocket, not unlike the one inside the projector Ace kept at Ramshackle for movie nights. “He seemed very excited to watch your hard work. Left this with me and went back to Diasomnia.”

Leona groaned and rubbed his forehead. “That means the overgrown fucking lizard saw the whole thing. What a nuisance.”

Malleus Draconia?

“Would’ve been nice if he’d mentioned it sooner,” Yuu dryly remarked. They were starting to get an idea of how the mischievous Diasomnia Vice Housewarden operated. Yuu was so going to “accidentally” forget to loot items he needed on their next dungeon raid together. It would serve him right!

Crewel shrugged. “Mr. Vanrouge plays by the beat of his own drum. Regardless, we do owe much to his expertise in solving this whole conundrum.”

That was fair.

The topic of Lilia prompted Kalim to start on an excited spiel about the Pop Music Club, that he and the third year were both apparently members Yuu was surprised to find out, of which only Rook really listened tuned into. The rest of them started packing up to head back to their respective dorms (after returning Crewel the couture costumes he’d lent them, of course).

As they walked, Leona suddenly addressed Ruggie.

“Good job out there today, Ruggie,” Leona offered in one of his rare moments of praise. “ I gotta give it to ya. You and your sticky fingers always get the job done.”

Ruggie put a hand to his mouth and sniggered. “Was there really any doubt in my abilities, Boss?”

“Don’t push your luck, Bucchi.”

“Shihihihi~” Ruggie’s face said that it was no big deal but the way his tail wagged gave away the way he was internally preening at the praise.

“Good job, Ruggie,” Yuu repeated, tussling the beta’s hair. “Ah I can’t wait to have my dorm back to myself again~ I’m sick of constantly getting kicked out of it.”

“I’ll be glad to get my bed back to myself too,” Leona drawled, sending Yuu a teasing side-eye. “ Someone likes to hog the blankets.”

“ Some of us aren’t a walking human furnace,” Yuu shot back.

“I’m a beastman, kitten, not human. I’m hurt that you haven’t figured that out yet after all this time.”

“You—!”

“The ears didn’t give it away?”

Yuu shoved Leona only to pout when it was like trying to push a brick wall, much to Leona’s vocal amusement.

As the party walked and talked, Yuu suddenly came to the startling and wonderful realization that, for once, their plans went off exactly as intended. Not a single thing went wrong.

Maybe this was a sign that things would be better from now on. Maybe, just maybe, Yuu’s troubles were finally behind them.

~*~

“I don’t know about this–”

“Aw, come on, Leona. I promise it will be fun!”

“Kitten, I could think of a million things funner than this.”

“Yeah, listen to them, Leona~ It’ll be fun~”

“Shut your yap, Bucchie, before I show you what kind of fun I’m capable of–Ow!”

“Oh relax, big baby. It was just a pinch. And there will be no threatening of anyone tonight. Tonight is about movies and friends and pack bonding and fun.”

“Che. Your pack maybe. I can’t believe I let you talk me into this. Did you really have to invite the twin menaces as well?”

“I promised Floyd I’d invite him last time if he apologized to Ace! And he did!”

Yuu had been pretty proud, considering Floyd hadn’t even been whiny or sarcastic about it. The look on Ace’s face as well, so completely caught off guard, had been well worth the whole endeavor when Floyd practically ambushed the younger alpha after basketball practice. Ace had naturally been suspicious but changed his tune pretty quick when Floyd, in one of his rare moments of energy and generosity (so he was in Octavinell for a reason), offered to give Ace some pointers on how to deal with a much bigger and stronger opponent out on the court.

“Don’t get used to it, Crabby,” Floyd told Ace afterwards. “ I’m only doing this cause Shrimpy promised to let me come to one of your dorky movie nights.”

“Yuu!”

“Anyways~ Shrimpy also mentioned that ya got the sequel to that super cheesy romance film you were talking about before break. I wanna watch~”

“You actually watched that?!”

And so the night ended up with quite a few more guests than the Ramshackle residents had been expecting, not that Yuu was complaining (Grim certainly did, but Yuu could tell he was secretly pleased).

And of course there was Yuu’s promise to drag Leona to one of these as well, hence wrangling the grumpy Housewarden across campus just past sunset, when the world began taking on desaturated hues of blues and deep purples.

Things were already in full swing when they mounted the steps to Ramshackle and opened the front door, Yuu having left in the middle of guests arriving to pick Leona up. It was one of these rare times that Riddle allowed for some bending of the rules (“I suppose since school isn’t technically in session yet due to the Fairy Gala, a Housewarden like myself could leave my post on a school night.”), and he was currently sitting at a table across from Azul playing a game of chess, a frustrated and adorable pout on his lips as he stared intently down at it.

Yuu saw it the moment Leona spotted the match, a competitive glint appearing in his eye.

Exactly as Yuu planned.

“Hey, Yuu. Where do you want these?” Jack asked, coming up from behind them, carrying three large zippered vinyl bags containing extra blankets and pillows. Yuu ordered more when realizing that these movie nights were likely only going to get bigger, and that most of the old stuff in Ramshackle storage was moth-eaten and practically unusable. What they currently had usable was barely enough to pass out to the regulars, so Yuu had asked people to bring their own this time. Next time the omega would definitely have enough for everyone and more though.

“You can put them in the first room on the second floor, I’ll sort through them later,” Yuu said, gesturing towards the staircase with one hand while pointedly pushing Leona towards the chess game with the other. As far as Yuu was aware, Leona had never gone up against Azul before. And while Riddle was a smart cookie, Azul was a member of NRC’s board game club and Yuu had no doubt which of the two were going to win the match. It would be fun to see if Azul could finally dethrone Leona.

“You know,” came a new voice as Leona and Jack walked off. Jade stood against a wall just watching everyone with that ever present and pleasant smile of his. “You may want to consider fixing up some of these numerous rooms considering the sizable pack you’re forming. If you’re interested, I have some renovation ideas.”

“Jade!” Yuu exclaimed with surprise, “I didn’t think you were coming! Azul mentioned you’d just returned from a long hike.”

As they approached him, the omega processed Jade's words in their head, and when they finally reached him Yuu playfully jabbed him in the chest with a finger. “I’m not sure if I really want to take home renovation advice from the guy who, last was here, tried to steal Ramshackle from out beneath me and turn it into a restaurant, if I recall correctly—who hasn’t even technically apologized for that yet.”

Jade’s eyes widened and his mouth opened in surprise at the accusation. Yuu felt a sense of triumph at finally being able to catch the ever-unflappable alpha off guard.

“Even Floyd already apologized, you know?” Yuu pressed on. “I know you three come as a packaged deal, but Azul’s forgiveness isn’t transferable, ya know?”

There was a twitch to the corner of Jade’s mouth and his eyes crinkled as he began to chuckle. “Heh, is that so?” A sparkle of something wicked appeared in his eyes. “Even my brother, hm? I suppose that just won’t do, will it?”

“No it won’t—hey! What are you doing–?”

But Jade has already gotten down onto one knee despite Yuu’s protests, his posture and expression the picture of gentlemanly manners, if it were not for the mischievous glint in his mismatched eyes. Yuu flushed, feeling embarrassed even though it was Jade, not them, who was making such a big dramatic scene. All eyes in the room turned to look at the commotion.

“My dear Prefect,” Jade said, holding out a hand. Ooh Yuu wanted to wipe that subtle smug smirk off his lips! “Please take my most heartfelt and sincerest apology for the trouble and grief I have put you through. If I could rip my heart out now and lay it at your feet, for even the smallest chance at your forgiveness, know that I would.”

“Hey Jade! No fair! You can’t jump in line and propose to Shrimpy!” Floyd yelled from across the room and Yuu’s mortification grew.

“Jade is proposing to Yuu?” Deuce asked incredulously.

The omega held their burning face in their hands, “Ohmigodshutup… Please just get up, Jade. You’ve made your point, you villain. Apology accepted.”

Jade chuckled, “I haven’t the faintest idea what you mean. But if the lovely Prefect is willing to find forgiveness in their heart, one so generous even the Sea Witch would approve, who am I to refuse?” He stood to his feet, the smug energy practically radiating off of him as he dusted off his trousers.

Yuu peaked through their fingers to glare at him. “… You still owe Deuce, Ace, and Grim apologies,” they muttered.

“But of course. Should I get on my knees for them as well?”

Yuu groaned dramatically, “You’re impossible,” then turned back to the rest of the gawking room. “What are you all staring at? Hurry up and put on a movie before I let Grim decide,” the omega threatened.

“You wouldn’t!” Ace gasped.

“Ooh! Let me pick, Yuu! Let me pick!”

“Over my dead body, Baby Otter. I’m putting on Crazy Rich Fairies 2~”

“Half the people here haven't even seen the first one yet,” Deuce protested at the same time Grim kicked his paws and whined, “I don’t wanna watch another gross kissing movie!”

Floyd’s face fell into a terrifying and menacing expression. “What’s that? Did you just say that you’d rather duke this out outside? That’s fine by me, fish bait. I’ve been itching to squeeze someone today anyways.” He cracked his knuckles.

“Hieee-!!” Grim yelped, throwing up his paws in surrender. “Actually on second thought, the stupid kissing movie sounds good!”

“Yup. Totally good,” Deuce agreed, nodding his head rapidly. “I’m sure people will manage with context clues!”

Yuu huffed and shook their head, deciding not to get involved, especially since the heat was off of them for the moment.

Thankfully the tension in the room quickly dissipated and turned into celebration when Cater, always the last minute hero, arrived with the takeout.

~*~

It was as Yuu was walking back to the living room, with a midnight glass of water in hand, that they spotted the figure through the slightly frosted windows.

Everyone else was dead asleep, thanks to Riddle’s angry and insistent lecture about getting to sleep in a timely fashion on a school night. Leona might’ve made a stubborn fuss about it if he hadn’t been the first of the bunch to conk out, taking up a large territory of the couch no one was willing to challenge him for. Yuu was the only person in the dead of night who saw Ramshackle’s mysterious midnight visitor.

So Yuu threw on a jacket and stepped out into the chill winter evening. Odysseus already seemed to be waiting for them when Yuu walked down the path towards his favorite tree.

“Yuu,” he greeted with a nod and a smile.

“Odysseus,” Yuu returned fondly. “Enjoying yourself?”

Odysseus looked around as if admiring the night, his expression serene and relaxed. “I am. The night is calm and quiet. Though… I see that you’ve returned to Ramshackle with quite the rowdy bunch in tow.”

Yuu shrugged, grinning sheepishly. “It’s movie night. We don't typically have this many people but I seem to be good at collecting eccentric people... Were we too loud?”

He shook his head. “Not at all.” Odysseus's tone grew contemplative, “I will admit, there was a time I did resent that new residents had moved into this quiet place of refuge… But I’ve since found myself growing quite fond of our midnight chats and the warmth your presence brings to this old place. It’s… warm.”

“Warm is good,” Yuu agreed. “You know… If you’re cold out here, you’re always welcome to come in and join us.”

Odysseus froze. He stared at Yuu with wide emerald eyes, as if uncomprehending of their simple words.

“Um… Odysseus?”

“Are you inviting me?”

Yuu thought that had been pretty obvious. They shrugged. “Of course. We’re friends right? You’ve kept my secret for so long now and I also enjoy our late night conversations. Plus you’ve offered me so much meaningful and helpful advice since I’ve come here… I would very much enjoy spending more time with you, Odysseus. You are always welcome to Ramshackle movie nights.”

Yuu hummed contemplatively, tapping their lips with a finger.

“Though…” Yuu drawled, “If you do come, you’ll probably have to finally reveal your name when you introduce yourself to everyone~”

When Yuu looked back at his face, they’d expected maybe Odysseus would laugh at their little bit of ribbing. Instead, Yuu was blown away by the look of pure joy on the usually stoic and serene alpha’s face. Odysseus was practically beaming down at them, his fangs flashing in the moonlight. The corners of his eyes were crinkled.

“I would be honored to receive your invitation, Yuu,” Odysseus announced, as if he were receiving some royal decree instead of an invite to a glorified slumber party.

But then Yuu reminded themself of their past conversations and the way Odysseus had seemed perplexed that Yuu found his descriptions lonely. They thought of the things Lilia had described about the fae and how isolated they were from the wider world–of the way Odysseus had talked about human-fae relations. And Yuu realized that, to Odysseus, this probably was a big deal.

After all, he never seemed to talk about anyone else and was always here by himself.

Yuu relaxed and smiled, feeling that maybe they were finally starting to understand their mysterious friend just a little bit.

They continued to talk at length for sometime after that, meandering from topic-to-topic. At one point Odysseus gave a quick condensed run-down on the history of gargoyles in Twisted Wonderland, which Yuu couldn’t say they were very interested in personally but they did enjoy watching the way Odysseus seemed to light up talking about it. Yuu’s only regret was that they did not know any gargoyle facts from their own world to share, sure that it would probably make the eccentric fae’s whole week.

Until at last Odysseus said, “Ah. I’d also like to congratulate you on your performance this week. The Queen of the seasonal faes is not someone who is easy to impress. That you, Kingscholar, Al-Asim, and Viper were capable of doing so is a feat worthy of praise.”

Yuu’s face lit up bright red. “You saw that?!”

Odysseus nodded. “Lilia played it for us at the dorm. I rarely tune in to the Fairy Gala, but I am glad I did so this year. The performances were captivating.”

Yuu did not fail to pick up on his teasing tone, but they were more concerned about other things. “Did Lilia stream it for all of Diasomnia?!”

Odysseus seemed to finally realize that Yuu was not ecstatic at this information and frowned. “No, not at all. He only showed it to a select few of us. Are you… Displeased that I witnessed your performance?”

Yuu groaned and covered their face. “… No. I just wasn’t aware that more people had seen it. I wasn’t expecting you to have seen it. Just a bit caught off guard and embarrassed.”

“There’s nothing to be embarrassed for. You conducted yourself before the Fae Queen admirably. And… Up on that stage, you were just about the most enchanting thing I’ve seen in my entire life.”

Yuu’s face burned hotter and they couldn’t bring themself to look back up at Odysseus, especially now knowing just how long that life was. “… You’re just saying that.”

They could practically hear the smirk in his voice as he responded.

“I’ve told you before, Child of Man. The fae cannot lie.”

~*~

When Yuu finally made it back up to the dorm, after Odysseus admitted that he should probably be getting to bed soon (so he did sleep), they were immediately accosted by a loud (much too loud for this time at night) teary Grim.

“Yuu! Where did you go! Leona is bullying me!”

“I was not, you fur ball,” drawled a rough sleepy voice. Leona was leaning against the doorframe, his hair a mess and his expression grumpy. “The brat stepped on my tail while trying to sneak off with the rest of the cake Clover brought. Heh–Guess he takes after his caretaker.”

“It was an accident!” Grim cried. “That’s no excuse to grab me by my scruff! It’s not my fault he was sitting by the window in the dark! I thought everyone was still sleeping!”

Yuu narrowed their eyes at their charge, “So because everyone was sleeping, you could just go and take all the cake for yourself?”

Grim gulped and his mouth drew into a thin straight line as he seemed to realize his mistake.

Yuu just rolled their eyes and turned to Leona, “And what were you doing up by the window.”

“Trying to see where my lost kitten wandered off to,” Leona drawled with a smirk. “Interesting scent you’ve got on ya, kitten. Who’s your midnight visitor?”

“Oh, that’s just my friend Odys–”

“You’re talking about Hornton!” Grim exclaimed with a big grin.

Leona choked and coughed. He appeared completely caught off guard for a moment, and Yuu narrowed their eyes at him suspiciously when his coughs started to sound like a cover for holding back laughter. Leona refused to meet their eyes as he asked, “Horn… Hornton?”

“Yeah! He’s this guy from Diasomnia with big horns on his head so I call him Hornton!” Grim explained, then crossed his arms and huffed. “Yuu didn’t agree with my nickname. But Hornton was fine with it!”

“I just think it’s kind of rude!”

Leona looked curious at this, still trying to stifle his laughter. “So ah… What do you call him then, kitten?”

“... Odysseus,” Yuu muttered. “He won’t tell me his name. Says it’s a fae thing.”

Leona smirked. “You know what? I think I actually agree with the furball for once.”

“Yeah! Wait… Hey! I’m not a furball!”

“I agree Hornton is a much better name,” Loena continued. He didn’t bother to hide his laughter now. Yuu couldn’t figure it out but he seemed to be finding this entire situation hilarious. Even as the three of them shuffled back into Ramshackle (Yuu saw that Leona had placed Grim’s pilfered cake up high on a shelf the dire beast definitely wouldn’t be able to reach) Leona continued to have bouts of hysteria, muttering “Hornton” beneath his breath like it was the funniest thing in the world. He refused to elaborate no matter how many suspicious narrow-eye glances Yuu threw his way.

But it was late and that was a mystery to solve for another day.

For now, Yuu just enjoyed crawling back into the mess of bedding strewn about the living room floor, happy to fall asleep surrounded by everyone else.

Notes:

No much to say here~ I'm ready to finally get back into main-story material! I hope ya'll enjoyed this little slice-of-life-ish mini-arc/prelude to Book 5. Thing will start getting serious once more.

More characters and more side-relationships to develop in this upcoming Pomefiore arc. Say goodbye to Leona again for a while, but we're about to get a lot more Ace and Deuce too. Been so excited to flesh out these two and to finally get the rest of the first-years rounded up.

Please leave a comment and let me know how you all are <3 Things have been kind of crazy in the world right now. But we'll get through this together. As a trans person myself I'm definitely keeping all ears and eyes open. I'm fortunate to have dual citizenship so I can jump ship if things get really bad for us but hopefully it won't come to that. Just remember that if you ever feel sad or alone or scared, that we're a community and we're stronger together. We're going to get through this. Call your representatives and reach out to others in your community and don't let fascists silence you <3

But don't forget to enjoy the little things as we go through these uncertain times. Keep reading fanfic. Keep playing your games. Keep sharing your silly gacha rolls (New Years Trey came home to me!). Take care of yourself and find time to do the things that make YOU happy.

I love you all and hope everyone stays safe and happy.

Chapter 47

Notes:

plot plot plot plot plot

Yuu bit the tip of their pen, brows furrowed as they stared intently and uncomprehendingly down at their alchemy homework. Learning about magic and potions had certainly been fun and interesting in the beginning, especially for someone who didn’t believe magic existed even a year ago, but getting down into the nitty-gritty of the theory and contents proved no less frustrating than regular ol’ boring homework.

Yuu’s brain was NOT made to work out and balance alchemical equations! They thought they’d left this behind in college freshman year Chem 101! Sure the names of the ingredients were different—where ingredients such as newts eye and manticore mucus replaced the likes of ammonia and sodium nitrate—but here Yuu was yet again, still stuck languishing away for hours in the school library, racking their brains over how to balance these damned equations.

Worst of all, it wasn’t like Yuu could even get any of these potions to work themselves. Grim, Ace, or Deuce had to be the ones to actually brew the damned things for any reaction to take place. If magic was to potions as heat was to endothermic chemical reactions, then call Yuu a defective Bunsen burner. Professor Crewel had actually been surprised and impressed during their first Alchemy lab tutorial—said he’d never actually seen anyone’s potion result in literally zero reaction. Apparently even non-mages always produced some sort of reaction, no matter how small.

It was easy enough to chalk up to being from a different dimension, not that this helped with Yuu’s pride.

This also meant that Yuu was saddled with all the theoretical work and none of the fun potion-brewing payoff. It was already hard enough to convince Grim that no, Yuu doing all the homework while he just gets to do all the physical labs was not a fair trade, and yes he still needed to do the assignments himself, single enrollment for them both be damned.

Sometimes having no magic and being surrounded by mages all day sucked.

Yuu sighed, pushing their alchemy textbook and assignment away from them, as if the physical distance made a difference. They were alone in the library watching over Ace, Deuce, and Grim’s things scattered across the table they had claimed for themselves—the trio having taken a break to pick up snacks from Sam’s. Professor Crewel and Professor Trein had both been adamant about keeping to the schedule on their syllabuses despite losing a week to the Fairy Gala debacle. Yuu, who helped resolve that whole situation, had not received any reprieve from their fashionable alchemy professor. Hence why their little first-year group was in the library after school already studying this early into the spring semester.

It honestly felt strange going back to school and just doing mundane things after everything that happened over the past several weeks. Between the end of last term and now, Yuu had been in the midst of Azul’s schemes, a coup attempt at Scarabia Dorm, swept up in a succession plot, was witness to no less than two-and-a-half overblots, partaken in a heist for the Queen of Faes’ crown, and more. All together roughly two months had passed between all these events, but it felt so much longer than that.

Yuu has said it before and they’ll say it again, but their therapist was going to have a fucking field day once they managed to get back home.

And then there was that thing which Yuu had learned over break.

Blot is deadly to omegas.

Aasmirah Asim’s warning echoed in Yuu’s ears, distracting them from the assignments they should be working on. With everything going on, the omega had very little time to investigate exactly what this could mean. What it meant for Yuu, an omega who had encountered four overblots in close proximity.

It had been within Yuu’s first few days in this world, in this very library, when they had first researched the scarcity of omegas in Twisted Wonderland.

And now that they thought about it… Hadn’t there been a book that mentioned something similar to Noble Asim’s warnings. It had been a single passage, hadn’t it?

Yuu suddenly sat up straighter, a bulb flickering to life in their head as they abruptly remembered exactly what has been bugging them the whole time since Aasmirah told them the truth about blot and omegas. The Prefect quickly jumped to their feet and abandoned their things at the table, too locked in on this sudden new task to worry about watching over everyone’s stuff—they could apologize to the others later. This was more important.

They couldn’t remember the exact title of the book nor which section it belonged it. Twisted Wonderland unsurprisingly used neither the Dewey Decimal nor the Library of Congress cataloguing systems, and Yuu still wasn’t totally familiar with how NRC’s library was organized. It took longer than they would’ve liked to finally spot the familiar black tome amongst what appeared to be the history section (except Yuu was also pretty sure that books on the history of dwarves was three aisles over and that art history was all the way on the other side of the library).

Yuu pulled it off the shelf and opened the cover and let out a celebratory but silent “yes” when they spotted their own name on the borrow slip—they’d been the last to check it out all those months ago. The omega quickly flipped through the pages, eyes scouring the text for the familiar words nagging at them.

It was near the end that Yuu paused, fingers freezing over the flat black text, their eyes darting to-and-fro eating up the familiar words of the chapter titled “Magical Precaution”.

The history of Magic is a well studied topic. Many historians better than I have tackled this subject to much better effect, documenting and outlining the timeline of the rise and spread of Magic in Twisted Wonderland.

And yet, much of this history is still shrouded in mystery and uncertainty despite centuries of documentarian efforts, due in part to the chaotic early years of the proliferation of Magic and the ferocity in which many species, races, and nations guarded their arcane secrets.

One of the greatest mysteries (and one that is seldom discussed) is the disappearance of omegas. Earliest records indicate that omegas once numbered equal to the alpha population of those eras. While not common knowledge, this information is easily extrapolated from archeological efforts where we can note evidence such as nesting rooms being a regular addition in ancient homes, the commonness of heat aids or pheromone diffusers being unearthed at dig sites, or even evidence as straightforward as identifying the designation of the buried in ancient graveyards and places of rest.

There can be traced almost an exact line in the sands of history when the omegan population plummeted. Almost synchronous with the rise of Magic was the sudden decline in omega births. Artifacts associated with this rare designation dated after the spread of Magic are incredibly difficult to find. And with most nations carefully guarding their precious omegan populations, further research past what set-in-stone history tells us is nearly impossible to discern. I am certain that more information exists on this phenomena, but just as with omegas, these powerful institutions may not be so keen for it to see the light.

Why do I bring this up? Magic is a powerful tool and one deeply infused into our own lives and societies—but it does not come without a price. Overblot is one such known phenomena, which can render entire towns desolate before a feral mage can be brought to heel. I am not the first to suspect the rise of Magic has to do with the disappearance of omegas, which may well be the first price our world has paid for the Magic we enjoy. To be sure, there is always a cost to pay. And it would behoove you, dear reader, to remain vigilant should another sudden shift occur in the future. Let history and old lessons be our guarding map for the dangerous obstacles and pitfalls shrouded before us.

Yuu closed the book, silent and deep in thought. The first time they’d read this passage, they hadn’t known what ‘overblot’ meant. Now they were arguably one of the world’s leading experts on the subject. And complied with what Aasmirah had told them, the author’s hypothesis was likely correct. Blot was deadly to omegas.

Curious, Yuu turned to the front cover and ran their fingers over the letters of the author's name.

Prometheus Shroud

Yuu tilted their head curiously, confused why the name seemed to ring familiar. Had they met someone named Shroud before? Yuu was certain they hadn’t, and yet there it was, another tickling mystery at the back of their head that they just couldn’t put their finger on.

But before Yuu could ponder on it further, there came a loud racket from the front of the library followed by the sound of a very disgruntled librarian, which was the human’s cue that their friends had returned. They let out an exasperated but fond sigh and placed the book into one of the sorting carts before making their way back to the study tables and to those damned alchemy equations.

~*~

Ace and Deuce were arguing.

This wasn’t exactly a novel occurrence. The two of them got into arguments just about every day (“It’s their love language” as Cater liked to put it). But there was something different about this fight that had Yuu feeling somewhat uneased.

Ace was snappier than usual while Deuce was acting uncharacteristically absentminded, often found staring off into the distance, Yuu having to call his name several times before he’d snap out of whatever daze he was trapped in.

At first Yuu chalked it up to homesickness. After all, Deuce had cut his winter break short to rush to Yuu and Grim’s rescue during the whole Scarabia debacle. But when Yuu asked him about it, Deuce’s face had flushed pink and he’d stammered out a denial, a reaction at odds with Yuu’s original theory. But no matter how much they prodded, Deuce was no more forthcoming.

And then there was Ace who acted absolutely fed up with Deuce's new disposition. But even his frustration seemed excessive, as if there was more to the story than either of them were telling. And neither of them seemed keen to do so when Yuu pressed, always denying that anything was wrong, even though it was obvious something very much was.

“Mrah. They’re just arguing like they always do,” Grim dismissed unhelpfully one evening, too distracted by his can of tuna to listen to Yuu’s concerns. “They’ll be fine tomorrow.”

That had been three days ago. And Yuu certainly wasn’t going to take advice from Grim of all people on these types of matters.

The fighting only got worse when Professor Crewel announced the International Arcane Academy Cultural Fair during class on Friday morning, and when the Vil’s posters for VDC auditions went up around campus.

Ace was naturally psyched, and the moment he and Grim saw the listed prize money, their eyes had simultaneously lit up with greed.

Yuu and Deuce were much less enthused.

None of the others knew that Vil had already offered Yuu a position on the team (they were sure they’d still have to audition, but it would be a formality more than anything). But Yuu was already concerned about being under the international spotlight after finally relenting to Leona’s pestering and agreeing to play on NRC’s spelldrive team as a secret ace, and the VDC certainly didn’t help these concerns. It was only the knowledge that Yuu now had quite the number of powerful and politically influential people in their corner who may step in on their behalf should the secret get out. 

Grim and Ace were very insistent though.

“Come on, Yuu,” Ace practically whined. “Aren’t you friends with the Pomefiore Housewarden? You can totally get us an in!”

Yuu just rolled their eyes. “Vil and I aren’t friends. We're friendly. That’s it. He’s a good upperclassman and definitely not someone who would respect, let alone allow, the type of favoritism you’re suggesting. You’ll have to prove yourself to him like anyone else if you actually wanna do this. Besides, I don’t really want to be in the VDC. I’m busy enough with spelldrive as it is.”

“I don’t really want to do it either.” Deuce chimed in. “It’s only the beginning of the semester and I’m already drowning in assignments. I don’t need another dressing down from Housewarden Riddle.”

“Psh. Who even asked you?” Ace grumbled, which was an entirely uncalled for response.

Deuce narrowed his eyes at the other boy. “You did. You and Grim have been bothering Yuu and I about this since yesterday!”

“Yeah? Well maybe you misheard. Or maybe you’re just really good at ignoring what people are saying around you.”

“Hah? Are you looking for a fight, Trappola? Because I’ll give you a fight—“

Yuu groaned. “Oh my god. Enough.” They said before the two alphas baring their canines at one another devolved into an actual fist fight. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time the two got into a physical altercation, being young and hotheaded alphas they were, but it had never been over such tiny seemingly illogical slights before. “What has gotten into the two of you?”

“Nothing,” Deuce muttered at the same time Ace grumbled, “He’s just an asshole.”

“Oh I’m the asshole—!”

Grim just cackled to himself as if this were the most entertaining thing he’d seen all day, which was nice for him and all but personally Yuu was getting fed up.

But before the Prefect could make another attempt at mediation, a new raised voice cut through the air like a fine blade.

“Insufficient. You aren’t even trying.”

“I am trying—“

“Save the excuses, Epel. I don’t have the time nor patience for them.”

Yuu stared off into the direction the voices had come from and said, “I know those voices,” at the exact same moment Deuce said, “I know that voice,” and they both stared at each other bewildered for a moment.

Then Yuu shook their head and started off in the direction of the voice, not waiting to see if the others followed along. At this point, they were willing to take any distraction if it meant getting Deuce and Ace to stop arguing for one second.

Wednesdays at Night Raven were half-days which typically meant most of the student body was anywhere else but the campus, either enjoying an afternoon out in the town below, attending clubs, or at game meets between NRC and Royal Sword, the place depending on which Academy was hosting—there was a volleyball tournament at RSA today if Yuu remembered correctly.

They had just picked Deuce up from track practice (though why Ace still felt like tagging along when he was just going to sulk and snipe at the other alpha the entire time, Yuu couldn’t fathom) and were now making their way to the library to catch up on school work. The typical path took them through the side-campus courtyard—the one with the apple trees and an unused well at its center for some reason.

The voices came in the direction of the well, amplified as the sound waves traveled down into the shaft, bouncing off the stone walls, and out again. Even with the distortion, Yuu could pick up on the edge in Vil’s voice they had never heard before.

“How are we to succeed with this kind of effort and display? And how many times must I tell you to speak clearly—“

When they emerged into the courtyard, Vil and Epel stopped talking almost immediately, both looking over as if Yuu were interrupting something they shouldn’t be. And maybe they shouldn’t, but it was too late to back away now. Especially as Grim, Ace, and Deuce came stumbling in behind them.

“Prefect,” Vil said cooly with none of his usual warmth Yuu had grown used to. “Can I help you with something?”

The tension in the air was palpable, and Yuu wondered, not for the first time, if they’d made a mistake by meddling. The omega glanced over discreetly at Epel who only ducked his head and stared down at his shoes meekly.

“I heard shouting,” Yuu said dumbly, not sure how else to answer such a question.

Vil rolled his eyes, patience clearly paper-thin. “I was reprimanding my lazy protégé. It is nothing to concern yourself with, Yuu. Now if you don’t mind—“

“Hey, are you okay?”

Deuce had suddenly stepped up, ignoring Vil’s clear dismissal entirely, his voice uncharacteristically soft and gentle. He was staring right at Epel with an expression Yuu had never seen on his face before.

Epel gave a little start when he realized that Deuce was talking to him. “Huh? Me?” He pointed to himself and then glanced up at Vil from the corner of his eye and swallowed hard. “Y-yeah. I’m fine…”

He was obviously not fine.

Deuce must’ve come to the same conclusion because his teal eyes hardened and he practically rounded on Vil. “Why are you talking down to him like that? Isn’t he your underclassman? You should be more patient and understanding!”

Vil raised a perfectly plucked and blonde eyebrow, wearing an expression so haughty it could make most people feel like lowering themselves before him. Deuce was taken aback for a second but, stubborn as he was, did not back down or cow under Vil’s intimidating stare.

“I don’t really think this is any of your business, is it, little card soldier?”

“Someone acting like a bully is everyone’s business,” Deuce declared.

“A bully?” The incredulous sound Vil made was halfway between a gasp of affront and a laugh, and the older alpha looked as if he couldn’t decide if he wanted to praise Deuce or show the mouthy underclassman his place. “Hardly, spudling. Educating my house members is the duty of a Housewarden. I would’ve expected Heartslabyul students to know this. Perhaps I have been too charitable towards Riddle’s leadership if this is the type of riffraft he is churning out.”

“What the hell did you say?”

Ace spoke up this time, furious as he took his place beside Deuce, presenting a united front as if they hadn't spent the entire past week arguing like cats and dogs.

Even Yuu narrowed their eyes at Vil’s comment, not appreciating the jab at their boyfriend. Riddle was trying his best and had come so far. He was an excellent Housewarden and Yuu was willing to throw hands with anyone who dared to claim otherwise.

Vil merely clicked his tongue though, unbothered by the aggressive display and rising alpha pheromones.

“Leash your attack dogs, Yuu,” he said. “Epel is incredibly busy practicing for the VDC. And if you aren’t interested in helping out then you need to make yourselves scarce and not waste his time.”

“They aren’t my guard dogs-” Yuu began irritably, but Deuce cut them off.

“If you wanna fight then let’s fight!” He shouted, nullifying Yuu’s refutation entirely. Staring Vil down, Deuce cracked his knuckles as if preparing for said fight while Ace did the same with his neck.

“Guys there’s no need for-” Epel started to say when Vil silenced him with a raised hand.

“If the spudlings want to be shown their place, I’ll happily do so as their dutiful upperclassman,” Vil said. The irritation was still obvious in the furrow of his brow and the narrowness of his eyes, but his lightly glossed lips were just faintly quirked as if he could not help but find the situation entertaining despite himself. He removed his gloves with more elegance than most people could manage in a lifetime and tossed them in Epel’s direction who scrambled to catch them out of the air. “You remember the first time you challenged me, Epel? Puppies always need to nip at their alpha’s ankles before learning their place.”

“Someone’s been spending too much time around Professor Crewel,” Yuu muttered beneath their breath, not wanting any part of this. The not-soft-enough-comment earned them a quick amused side-glance from Vil who promptly returned his attention to the two blustering younger alphas before him. Yuu looked at them too and said with concern, “This is a bad idea, you two.”

Without looking at Yuu, Ace growled, “What? And let this asshole get away with talking shit about us and our dorm leader and talk down to his own dorm member like that? I don’t freaking think so.”

“We can take him,” Deuce added unhelpfully--because they definitely definitely could not take Vil in a fight.

“Draw your wands then, spudlings,” Vil taunted.

“Don’t need them to take you on!”

“Hmph. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Yuu briefly wondered, as Deuce and Ace both charged forward and time slowed to a crawl, if someone had spiked the water supply on campus. Between Ace and Deuce acting off all week and now Vil sporting an uncharacteristically cold and mean-spirited attitude, it seemed just as likely an explanation as any. Whatever had happened though, it did not hinder Vil's ability to gracefully twist his body to the side, dodging completely out of the way of the charging “spudlings”, and then using their momentum to push them off balance. Yuu winced as Ace and Deuce both went crashing into the bushes in front of the well. Vil did not even break a sweat.

Grim, who had been cheering and egging on the two boys, immediately paled and tucked himself behind Yuu’s leg, clutching it as if his life depended on holding on. “Hiieee! Who is this guy, Yuu?”

“This guy,” Vil said imperiously while dusting off an invisible mote of dust from his shoulder and re-dawning the glove Epel quietly handed back to him, “is Housewarden Vil Schoenheit of the tenacious house of Pomefiore, little beast. And I would ask you kindly again, Prefect, to take your friends and leave Epel to his practice. You of all people should know the level of perfection I demand from those under my tutelage.”

Yuu wanted to refute this, not quite knowing what exactly it was but knowing nonetheless that Vil was not acting normally, that his comments now were unfair instead of just tough as they knew him to be. Even just the way Epel seemed too scared to speak up could attest to this. But somehow Yuu knew that it would not help.

And they held another nagging suspicion secret in their heart.

So Yuu gathered up their friends and cat, shot Epel an apologetic look, and left Vil to whatever demons he was stewing in.

~*~

“Overblot?”

Yuu nodded, biting their thumb as they turned the idea over in their head again. No matter how they spun it though, the baseless conclusion remained glaring and imminent, their gut shouting loud what it suspected.

They were back in Ramshackle now, Yuu and Grim helping dab ointment onto the cuts and bruises Ace and Deuce earned from their brief and intimate rendezvous with a bush. And Yuu was just finishing explaining their suspicions to the others.

“Jamil was an exception—maybe,” Yuu said. “But excluding him every single overblot has been a Housewarden. And we still don’t know the circumstances surrounding how I arrived in this world and why this school specifically. There are just too many coincidences stacking up. How is it that seemingly every time I get involved with or too close to a Housewarden, an overblot is quick to follow?”

“I dunno,” Ace said slyly. “Sounds a bit egotistical to me, Yuu.”

They shoved him off the couch. Which he deserved.

“Yuu is right though,” Deuce murmured. “You can’t deny that over break you weren’t just waiting for a text or phone call to tell us something went wrong. Or that you didn’t suspect another overblot.”

Ace plopped himself back onto the couch, this time leaving a wide berth between himself and the vengeful omega. “Yeah… I guess you’re right. I can’t say I thought another overblot would happen, but I also can’t say I was very surprised to hear it either. And everyone saw what happened with Kalim.”

If anyone were to end up overblotting on national television, Kalim was honestly the best choice, who had taken the whole thing in stride and even seemed to forget it happened at all, at times. Kalim didn’t notice it, but Jamil had mentioned to Yuu that people were a lot less willing to take advantage of the generous but naïve alpha now.

“And that makes five overblots at this point,” Yuu pointed out. “I know I haven’t been in this world long, but even I know that this is unheard of in such a short period of time and in such close proximity.”

“Are you saying it’s intentional?”

Yuu shook their head, “I honestly have no idea. Your guess is as good as mine. But I don’t think we can afford to ignore all the warning signs. And I’m telling you guys that Vil doesn’t usually act like this.”

All three boys looked at Yuu skeptically.

“I swear he’s usually much more fair and—“

“And what a magnifique observation it is!”

All four of them jumped in their seats when a new fifth voice chimed into the conversation. Yuu searched around wildly and for a moment could not figure out where the hell this mysterious voice was coming from—a new Ramshackle ghost? But then they spotted the dome of blonde hair peaking out from just beneath the window ledge.

“Rook?”

Their mysterious eavesdropper was indeed one Rook Hunt, vice Housewarden of Pomefiore, who eagerly popped out from his hiding place, hair full of twigs and green leaves, and shamelessly asked to be let in as if he hadn’t just been hiding and listening to their conversation right outside of Yuu’s home.

“Yo! That’s the guy who can talk to hedgehogs I was telling you about!” Ace exclaimed loudly, shaking Deuce by the arm who appeared perturbed by the entire situation.

And here Yuu had thought they’d gotten used to Rook Hunt’s many eccentricities only to continue to be proven wrong once again.

“Leona would kill you if he caught wind of you skulking around my place like this,” Yuu grumbled as they opened the front door for the strange man (alpha? Like a Crowley it was difficult to tell). Rook just laughed as if the very idea of Leona doing so delighted him.

“I’m more shocked that you aren’t trying to kill him for snooping!” Ace exclaimed incredulously from where he and the others stood waiting and watching from the foyer.

Yuu paused, not knowing how to explain that this was just how Rook was and that it was… Different with him. Rook was definitely a flavor that you needed time to grow accustomed to, and even now Yuu was still adjusting, but it often felt like the regular social conventions just didn’t apply to the strange man? Normally yes, Yuu would throw a big fit if anyone else did this. But honestly they couldn’t even be surprised with Rook.

“Ahh forget it,” Yuu muttered. “I’m sure you three will figure it out on your own eventually.”

“Hah???”

~*~

“I wish to help you help Vil.”

Yuu quirked a brow at Rook who now sat across the living room from the rest of them, coffee table laden with teacups Deuce brewed and put together (Heartslabyul rule #435: always serve black lemon tea to guests in the afternoon), as if this were the world’s weirdest job interview.

“Do you even know what we’re talking about?” Yuu asked skeptically.

Rook nodded. “I heard most of it already about the overblots and your suspicions, and I believe you have a trustworthy gut, Yuu. And I agree that Roi du Poison has been acting off lately. After seeing what happened in the courtyard—“

“He’s been stalking us since then?!” Ace whispered harshly beneath his breath.

“—I wish to offer my assistance. I too do not wish for my beautiful Vil to experience such harsh and ugliness as an overblot.”

Yuu hesitated. “I—There’s no guarantee that he will overblot. I just have my suspicions, is all. And there’s no guarantee that we can help him if he does.” This was not entirely truthful, but Yuu certainly wasn’t going to offer that information up.

“Ah, but you can help!” Rook exclaimed. “Just as you helped Roi du Roses and Roi du Lions and Roi d’Effort! The spiritual guidance that omegas harness and wield is truly a most beautiful and wondrous thing!”

All the blood in Yuu’s veins went cold.

“Okay that’s it! I’m killing this guy!” Ace declared, jumping to his feet.

“Your dedication to friendship is truly admirable, Monsieur Heart!”

“Hold me back, Deuce!”

“Nah, dude. I’m right there with you.”

“Sit down, all of you,” Yuu said, rubbing their temples as the onset of a headache made itself known just behind their eyes. They glared at Rook who still appeared unfazed by everything, happy to sip at his lemon tea. “I’m not even going to pretend to deny it. You clearly know that I’m an omega. Explain.”

“Easy enough,” Rook said, setting down his cup and then tapping his nose with his index finger.

Yuu raised a disbelieving brow. “You expect me to believe you can smell it on me? When not even the beastman I spend all day around can? Not even Leona can.”

“Ah, Roi du Lions does possess a truly remarkable nose among his many other wonderful talents I’ve witnessed first hand—“ Yuu’s eye twitched, not pleased at the reminder that, while Rook was usually harmless enough and someone Yuu would even go as far as to describe as kind, Rook also had a nasty habit of stalking Yuu’s boyfriend on occasion–something Leona was not shy about complaining about even if he didn’t seem very concerned. Rook continued on. “Although he would never admit it, the truth is that when it comes to a sense of smell, I have Leona squarely beat. The gut and nose are a huntsman’s two best partners.”

At everyone’s skeptical expressions, Rook asked.

“You are no longer utilizing Trey’s signature spell to disguise your scent, correct?

Yuu couldn’t even find it in themself to be surprised at this and just nodded.

“Whatever you are utilizing now to hide your scent must be alchemical in nature,” Rook mused, reminding Yuu that Trey mentioned the two of them being in the alchemy club together. “Unlike before, when I could smell faint traces of Trey’s magic on you and the faint traces of your natural scent lingering on your clothes, there is nothing to give you away now, indicating a change on a more molecular level.”

“Rook, we only met two weeks ago.”

Rook laughed, “Yes. In person! But I have seen you many times before from how often you are around Roi du Lions.”

Yuu pinched the bridge of their nose and squeezed their eyes shut in frustration. “Okay, okay. Stop. How long have you known my secret?”

“I would say… From the very first time I saw you. Though due to your distance and the number of other people and scents in proximity, I could not be entirely sure. It was not until later, when I got a closer sniff, that I became certain of your true designation.”

“And when was this?” The apparently outed-omega asked incredulously.

“The opening ceremony, of course! I believe that was when everyone on campus saw you for the first time, non? Hmm… Except perhaps Housewarden Draconia, I suppose.”

Rook? Rook was the first person to know Yuu’s secret? For all these months, he'd already figured it out and Yuu had absolutely no idea? Yuu suddenly wanted to bury their face and just give up from the sheer defeat they felt all of a sudden. This all begged the question of who else knew, since Yuu was clearly just the worst at keeping their own biggest secret. Hell, Azul had figured it out all on his own too. Kalim’s dam had figured it out while Yuu had been disguised as someone else.

Yuu didn’t know whether to feel embarrassed or not. Did this count as gross incompetence? Bury Yuu in a hole right now.

“Yuu, buddy… You good?” Ace asked hesitantly.

Yuu just sighed loudly.

~*~

Rook Hunt was a much more devious and dastardly man than Yuu had ever given him credit for, previously mistaking the strange alpha as nothing more than an eccentric spirit—an oversight they did not plan on repeating. As Yuu and rest bid him farewell and watched Rook happily stroll down Ramshackle’s pathway, the omega considered the plan he had presented:

“If you participate in the VDC, this will give you an excuse and ample opportunity to remain close to Roi du Poison. Vil has been planning a training camp for the selected members. On my end, I will propose Ramshackle dorm as the venue of choice. I would suggest you also audition with a group of trusted friends, those who know your secret like Monsieur Heart and Monsieur Spade here, and can help you maintain it in close quarters. And though I cannot promise to rig the audition, as even the mere suggestion would go against the very essence of beauty and fairness, I will offer my assistance prior to the auditions to those you pick.”

To which he then suggested Kalim and Jamil as if it were no big deal that he knew that they knew Yuu was an omega. When pressed, he squinted his eyes playfully, thick dark kohl extenuating the expression, and said with a cryptic tone, “A hunter knows these things.”

Begrudgingly, they had to admit that it was a solid plan. Yuu felt it in their gut that Vil was in danger of overblot even if they had nothing more than circumstantial evidence to go by. And while the why and how were still upsettingly unknown, these were not nearly as pressing to figure out as figuring out how to prevent Vil from overblotting. And on the subject of protecting Vil, Yuu was also certain of Rook’s sincerity when it came to this. The strange man adored Vil, like a smitten husband who was still deeply infatuated with his wife after decades of marriage.

And hey, the last time Rook had been involved, the scheme Yuu and the others concocted actually went according to plan. So maybe it was a good sign that Rook was getting involved?

All that remained was deciding if they themselves wanted to get involved.

To Yuu’s surprise, when the question was posed, it was Deuce who spoke up almost immediately.

“Let’s do it.”

Yuu made a noise of surprise. “Didn’t you not want anything to do with the VDC before?” Why the change of heart?” Yuu was certain it wasn’t for Vil’s sake.

“That’s true… But I still want to help…”

And the way his voice trailed off made Yuu suspicious.

“… Spit it out, Deuce. I’m frankly way too tired to keep playing this game with you and Ace. If you have something to tell me, tell me.”

Deuce glanced over at Ace with uncertainty, who avoided the look all together by feining sudden deep interest in his shoelaces. Then Deuce looked back at Yuu, “I—That boy. Epel… I want to help him.” There was resolve in his voice. “The way Housewarden Schoenheit was speaking to and treating him… It isn’t right.”

“Oh.” Yuu was actually taken aback by the answer. Deuce had a big heart, but he didn’t normally pay this much mind to anyone he didn’t know. So Yuu decided to say, “I didn’t realize you two knew each other.”

“We don’t—! I-I mean… We don’t yet. That is to say, we haven’t technically met. But I still want to help! It’s the right thing to do!” Deuce’s face had gone from stern and resolved to ten different shades of red in the blink of an eye as he stuttered all over himself which was very interesting to the omega watching it happen.

Ace let out a loud and dramatic groan.

“Alright, fine. I’m in.” He didn’t sound particularly enthused about it, which made about as much sense as Deuce’s response considering Ace had been the one bugging them all week about auditioning for the VDC. His physical reaction was even more telling and interesting, as he sat there with his arms crossed and his cheeks were puffed as if he were actually pouting. “Let’s go help the poor bastard and his asshole Housewarden and their creepy vice Housewarden.”

Yuu shot him an unimpressed look. “Wow geez. Don’t let us twist your arm about it or anything.”

“Hey! Do you want my help or not?”

Their bickering was interrupted by a burst of laughter from Deuce who looked momentarily embarrassed when everyone stopped to stare. He coughed. “S-sorry. I’m just happy I guess. We haven’t really been able to hang out all together in a while and get up to something. Ya know… Like we used to. I’m glad that we’re going to do this.”

Yuu hadn’t technically agreed yet but the omega supposed, fondly looking at the way Ace and Deuce and Grim were already jumping into debating outlandish plans with determined sparkles in their eyes, that they didn’t really ever plan on saying no in the first place.

Notes:

I didn't realize that it's been nearly 3 months!! Time passes so fast when work is busy. Been working on a lot of stuff, work, art, and my bg3 fic.

I've also got a new Twist fic I just posted called "once upon a midnight dream". You can fully blame this fic for why this chapter took so long! But I would be very pleased if you gave it a read. Fair warning that it is fluff/angst/hurt/comfort and Silver-centric, with a large focus on the relationships of all the characters post-game.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed. And see ya'll next time. ♥

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 1 of a bouquet from wonderland