crystellaleaf

Latest Posts by crystellaleaf

Like to make a mention to when this happened to me and is still ongoing for over 6 months now.

@thelazyhermits

Found their series "A twisted future" by LazyRainDancer on Ao3 while looking for Sebek Zigvolt one shots, many months ago.

First oneshot I found was actually "Finding solace (in your arms)", didn't realize it was a series until after I finished reading that one shot. I couldn't stop reading the second I started it.

Then finally noticed it was a part of a series. I got excited and saw SO MUCH Content. I squealed as I started the binge reading the content from the beginning of the series from then on, and was reading it on and off for months.

I have already caught up to the current ongoing content weeks/month ago, still on cloud nine enjoying it still.

It is my favorite twisted wonderland fanfic ever since I found it

Imagine you're opening AO3 and search for a fic. Imagine you're finding one that fits all your criterias. Imagine it has the perfect length. Imagine getting lost in the story and feeling almost high when it's over. Imagine looking up the author and they have written. so. many. more. fics. exactly. like. that. Imagine.

As you might've seen or notice. I have finally finished the waking up at NRC prologue part for my children of laughter twst Au! :D

Which I have recently posted a few minutes ago under this post.

I honestly dunno how active I'll be on this blog in the near future, in terms of posting any more content here that is.

I'm just posting here whenever I finish writing anything I want to post like fanfics.

However writing fanfics will require inspiration or motivation to strike me first during my free/spare time.

Twisted wonderland AU Children of Laughter: Waking up

Previous part

Dark, empty, quiet, and vast. This is what welcomes Sian as she wakes up from her slumber. It takes a moment to realize the vast dark space isn't as vast or unlimited as it seems upon first glance.

Sian takes a deep breathe in and out.

'First things first what is the last thing that happened before i fell unconscious?' Sian pondered.

She and Yuzu were on a grocery run and were returning back to the cabin. Yuzu was getting low on many ingredients and wanted to make some desserts for Sian to cheer the Fae girl up during her visit.

However they encountered a carriage while they were crossing the dirt road.

Sian pinches the bridge of her nose and then quickly patted herself down looking and checking herself for injuries.

Her muscles ached in a few places and her head was reeling from a headache. So it appears she got a little sore from a fall. Not surprising that her head hurts since she can't recall what exactly happened when they collided with the horses drawn carriage.

Perhaps a horse kicked her, no that probably wasn't it horse kicks were powerful. A kick to the head would probably be more harmful than the state of her head currently suggests.

Perhaps she was pulled or startled back at the site of the horse approaching fast at her. Then her head collided with the ground fast and hard as she fell losing her footing amongst the chaos.

'Yeah that's probably it' Sian murmur to herself.

Sian closed her eyes again deep breathes as she trys to calm herself down.

Her eyes snapped open wide as her breathing gets rapid and her heart beats wildly.

'YUZU! where is she?! She was with me.'

Sian goes back to trying to calm herself down with breathing exercises.

She needed to figure out where she was fast but needed to calm herself down first. Panicking would make her more rash and prone to mistakes. She can't afford to make mistakes not when Yuzu's health and safety are on the line.

"Not again I won't go through that again I refuse" Sian muttered to herself quietly.

Breathe in, Breathe out

Breathe in, Breath out.

'Get it together one step at a time'

Okay first things first these stuffy clothes. Sian patted herself down remembering her clothes felt slightly different and odd.

She was still wearing the same vest with slightly oversized shirt underneath it. A belt slatted at her waist with another cloth wrapping around her waist like the bottom half of a dress. However unlike a typical ball gown this one was very light, flowy,and most importantly shorter as it ended right above her knees. But most importantly her 'skirt' was handmade and had pockets.

What Sian isn't wearing is her typical long cloak instead she's wearing some stuffy robes on top of her regular clothes for visiting Yuzu.

Sian preferred wearing light, flowy, clothes that were easy to move around in instead of heavy elegant gowns she was forced in sometimes when visiting one of her other friends.

Anyways back to the robes that Sian doesn't remember wearing at all today.

She quickly took the hood down and freed her arms from those long sleaves. She then wrapped those sleaves around her waist on top of the belt she wore and even tucked in the end of the sleeves into her belt.

She yawns and stretches her arms and wings.

Those darn stuffy robes! Her pixie wings felt so suffocate and restricted under them.

Sian closed her eyes and trys to feel the air.

How cold was the air around her?

How big or small was the space she occupied in comparison to herself?

Was there even a breeze? Was she indoor or outdoor?

She focused on how the air felt on her skin, how it swayed alongside the magic she sensed all around her in whatever space she currently occupied. Using her natural connection with wind magic to sense the shape and size of wherever she seems to be at currently.

She takes a deep breathe and opens her eyes. She's in a container of some sort, again. However this one was larger and more of a weird long rectangular shape the top of it was strange but she doesn't focus on it for long. The container Sian was in is upright and standing wherever it is currently located, not lying down on it's back nor lying on its side.

The material of the container felt hard wood or metal perhaps, certainly not made of glass nor fabric.

'Where in the world was she?'

She felt the area around her with wind magic some more, testing the area to see where the lid or exit may be. The front, the lid was on the side right in front of her.

She takes a deep breathe and focused her mind on pushing the air strongly against the lid with her wind magic. The wind made a whoosh noise as the lid came right off and floated a few feet in from of her. It worked. It appears there wasn't anything outside the container to keep the lid on tight however she felt some strong magical resistance to pushing the lid off. There was a magical locking mechanism on the lid though she managed to click in open with her wind magic just fine.

Now for the lid floating in front of her a few feet awat. With her magic Sian gently placed the lid onto the ground as she surveyed her new surroundings.

The room was vast with lots of empty space. However it wasn't empty there was lots of floating coffins around the room. Large window with elegant designs on them littered the walls accompanied by large curtains pushed to the side of the windows.

In the center of the room was a floating elegant mirror on top of a small fountain. However the fountain didn't release water but a green liquid substance Sian could not recognize nor identify.

The room felt a bit intimidating to Sian as she currently was palm/pixie sized, unable to be 'human sized' at the moment.

Sian didn't mind her current size, she much preferred to be small as it's her true size and feels more at ease and in control during these moments.

Sian is curious tho despite her current small size she was placed in a human sized coffin. Maybe that could pertain clues to who her kidnappers were? Or perhaps the coffin being the wrong sized hinted that her kidnapping wasn't planned since they stored her in such a large space for her small form.

Either way she needs to figure out where she is. Who is around here? Are there friends, foes or both around? Is Yuzu also here as well? If Yuzu is in another coffin it would be risky to just go checking them considering there is a good chance there will be others sleeping inside the other coffins. Sian is unable to tell who is occupying any of the other coffins, if at all.

Sian decides against checking coffins for Yuzu at the moment for she deemed it too risky. She decides to instead, venture out this room to gather information on where they are and who placed them in those coffins.

Sian hesitates tho. Fearing for Yuzu's safety. 'Just a quick look around and then I'll head straight back and hide in this room or somewhere just outside this room' Sian reasoned with herself.

And so Sian flys off out of the mirror chamber quietly promising to return back soon as Yuzu is still slumbering away in another coffin.

Next part

Part Last updated/edited: May 10th, 2025

You ever think that Yuu gets jealous of the main cast during the events? Especially once they meet their ‘friends’ parents. Yuu having no known way home, but constantly seeing their friends parents must irk something in them.

Just imagine when Yuu meets Epel’s grandma Marja and she starts to remind them of their own grandma. So they start talking to her just lingering a little more than everyone else around Epel’s meemaw. But once Yuu is finally away from her fetching something from the kitchen they see Epel happily laughing with his Meemaw. Yuu’s usually monotone face twitches into a frown. Though they soon push it aside that’s his grandma not yours.

Then Yuu meets Deuce’s mom Dylla. She’s even been checking up on you including the others, but somethig just feels different with the way she makes sure you’re ok. It soon starts to make Yuu miss their mom. It’s oddly painful when you have to tell Dylla goodbye. They just met her and already they don’t want to part ways with her. Yuu’s mind soon takes a slightly dark turn seeing the Shroud family interact. Growing bitter seeing how close they all are even with all the hardships they have faced. They quietly scoffed in the distance as they heard Idia’s mother tell him she loves him or his father say he’s proud of him. Yuu doesn’t know why they feel so hurt and bitter about this. Idia and Ortho’s parents are just being good parents through this very troubling time with Malleus’s Overblot… Yuu is probably just still freaked out that’s why they’re so negative… Right?

Soon they meet more and more of their ‘friends’ parents, siblings, grandparents, and so on. It just starts to feel like the universe is being cruel to them at this point. It gets even worse as Yuu forgets their loved ones faces, voices, and even a few memories with them…

Once again after every event Yuu is walking back to the dormitory with Grim curled up on their shoulders. As always the little monster clung to them. Opening the door to the newly renovated dorm they sighed seeing the three mischievous ghosts welcome them back.

“ I’m soooo happy to be home!” Grim stated.

Home? Yuu froze looking around taking in their still poor living conditions. Was this their home from now on? Do they truly have no to their actual home?… Was this all they could even call home at all? A haunted dorm in a magical school filled with mentally unstable and overpowered teens. Was this sick joke really all they have to show their in this universe?

Current status

This is where I'll list how many wips for this blog I have and how far along they are.

I will leave a shortcut/link to here from my Masterlist.

My WIPS

So let's see where I left off with the stuff in my drafts here.

Almost done with:

Nothing at the moment

In the middle of:

Aftermath of book 1, return home AU

I have some brainstorm idea drafts for return home and children of laughter AU's

Barley started:

Heartslabyul panic part 2 Deuce,

The Nightmare part 3

For both of the above I just have the description of where we left off in the last part. I haven't even set up the scene to start these parts.

I'm debating how will I make the part 2 for Ace and Deuce Heartslabyul panic differences shine for the different povs.

I am also debating which Heartslabyul panic is canon timeline for the nightmare series as well.

I already have a basic idea for both Heartslabyul panic and the rest of the nightmare series.

Not sure when I'll feel up to fleshing out and going into novel detail in my drafts.

Might redo:

The nightmare series

Dreaming once more in a field of flowers (Aria oneshot)

I feel like the writing style could be better for both. The pacing for the oneshot is to rushed I need the oneshot to be a lot longer. I might even separate the oneshot into parts depending how much I wanna space out and build the scene and the events covered in it.

I like what I have written for the nightmare so far but also want to redo it cause I believe I can do better.

So I might just keep what I have but specify it's a old version and that I'm making a newer version that will be canon for my twst Au for Aria and Yumi.

Keep in mind this is just where my drafts progress is currently, they may be left at the their current spot for who knows how long.

My progress depends on when I feel like continuing anything in my draft.

I most likely will add more wips here whenever I fell like starting another work (written or art) on this blog regardless of my progress on the rest of the stuff In drafts on this blog.

Last edited/updated on: May 10th, 2025

People have written a lot of touchy-feely pieces on this subject but I thought I’d get right to the heart of the matter

Hello! I really like the dividers you make! I would like to ask you, if you could do some easy ornament/flower dividers in some soft pastel green and blue?

Hope you have a nice day/night and thanks already if you make them! 😊❤

hey bee! I can do that for sure!! 🩵💚 I picked out a couple different styles for you - I hope you like them!

I hope you’re having a great week! Thank you so much, I am so happy that you like them!

[Free] Masterlist Headers & Dividers!

Please like or reblog if you use 💕

Missing Heartslabyul student panic: Riddle, Trey, & Cater (pov headcanons)

This fanfic Series idea/intro, Aria OC bio, Ace pov, Deuce pov,

In which Aria is missing from the dorm one night and a fellow Heartslabyul student finds out she has disappeared and might be in trouble.

Trey: was up late at night heading to the kitchen to stress bake. However on his way to the kitchen he hears Aria's shout of "let me go!". He was able to make out the words and distinguish the feelings behind her words to a point.

Might have Trey try to handle the situation on his own.

Cater: is doomscrolling at night after failing to fall asleep multiple times. From his dorm room Cater hears Aria's shout and decided might as well go and investigate.

Hopefully Cater will have an easier time falling asleep after seeing and possibly handling whatever he overheard was. After a while of fruitless searching for Aria/answers to her disappearance. Cater might go and get Trey involved if he's worried or unable to convince himself that Aria is fine and will be back sometime tomorrow.

Riddle: Probably went downstairs in middle of night for similar reasons to catching Ace eating his tarts in book 1. Might've caught someone else breaking the rules and then heard Aria's shout.

Though if he's the one that knocked on Aria's door maybe it would be stern knocks instead of hesitant ones or just did polite knocks?

Riddle doesn't think Aria's disappearance is due to intruders, NRC has stuff in place to prevent/stop them from making it to the dorm rooms. Now Riddle might think other Heartslabyul rule breakers are dragging Aria to join them on heading out to party in the town irresponsibility.

Riddle will either: go back to bed and have a chat with Aria later the next day asking about her disappearance and shout last night, or Riddle will be waiting patiently for the Aria's return. Expecting to see a group of Heartslabyul rule breakers with her to collar upon arriving back to Heartslabyul.

I had realized I did not want to write out all 5 different Heartslabyul scenarios in novel form. So I have summarised these 3 pov versions here as headcanons.

I will not give conclusions yet to this series for any/all povs. I will be more likely to give pov endings in this series after the nightmare series is finished (if or when I finish it). This series and my "The nightmare" series are connected after all.

Post last edited/updated March 24, 2025

Familiar, Not So Familiar || Lilia Vanrouge

You, a mage-in-training, attempt to summon a simple familiar—only to accidentally get yourself Lilia Vanrouge, a legendary fae with a penchant for chaos.

You have tried. You have tried so many times that the gods themselves must be watching your efforts like a soap opera, popcorn in hand, marveling at your persistence and misfortune.

Every spell you’ve ever learned? Perfect. Every potion you’ve ever brewed? Immaculate. Every single tedious little task required of an apprentice mage? Completed with at least passing competence.

And yet—this. This one, single, crucial spell has eluded you since the moment you first picked up a wand and thought, yes, let’s dedicate my life to this craft instead of something simple, like farming, or piracy, or a career in interpretive dance.

For years, you have watched your classmates perform their familiar rituals with ease. You have seen their little foxes, their wise owls, their unbearably smug salamanders perched on their shoulders like accessories in an enchanted fashion show. Oh, you don’t have a familiar yet? they’d say, voices dripping with polite condescension. That must be so hard! Magic must be so exhausting for you!

Yes. Yes, it is exhausting, Martha, you imbecile. Magic without a familiar is like trying to run a marathon uphill while being punched repeatedly in the stomach. It is like carrying a cauldron of molten lava with no gloves and being told, just don’t drop it! It is slowly killing you, and you are tired.

So tonight? Tonight is it. The line has been drawn. The candles have been lit. You have researched, you have practiced, you have painstakingly carved every single rune with the desperation of a student facing final exams with an empty study guide.

Either you summon your familiar, or you start looking into lucrative careers in something that requires zero magical ability. Candle-making. Tax fraud. Something.

You kneel before the summoning circle, hands clasped in pure, unfiltered desperation. Your voice is raw as you plead, as you offer up your dignity to the uncaring forces of the universe.

"Please," you whisper, nearly headbutting the floor. "Just this once. A cat. A dog. A single, semi-intelligent rat. Hell, a bat—bats are magical, right? I’ll take a bat. I’ll take a sentient pile of mold if it can cast at least one large spell without dying. Just something. Please, I am begging you."

The room is deathly silent.

And then—

A hum. A vibration in the air, as if reality itself is rethinking its choices.

The summoning circle does not glow—it erupts, an explosion of light so bright that your first instinct is to assume you have been smote for your insolence. The ground shudders. The candles flicker wildly. The sheer energy of the spell crackles through the air like the universe is taking a deep breath and laughing at you.

And then, through the haze, a silhouette.

Your first thought: That is not an animal.

Your second thought: That is not an animal, that is a person.

Your third thought: THAT IS A FAE.

Your fourth thought does not get to exist because your brain has blue screened.

The figure steps forward, hands clasped neatly behind his back, surveying the room with the air of someone who has just walked into an amusing play and finds himself the lead actor. He is floating, because of course he is. His wild hair is a chaotic mess of black and magenta, his sharp eyes twinkling with mirth, his very presence radiating power that should not, under any circumstances, be inside your living room.

Then he smiles, and you are abruptly hit with the horrifying realization that you know who he is.

The portraits. The stories. The absolute legend that is Lilia Vanrouge, former general, feared warrior, living relic of a bygone era, the kind of fae you read about in history books with the unspoken footnote of probably do not summon him.

And he is here.

And he is looking at you.

"Ah," he says, with all the delight of someone who has just stumbled upon something incredibly amusing. "How interesting."

You are frozen. Your body has stopped functioning. Your brain is actively trying to escape this situation by retreating into the astral plane.

Lilia tilts his head, observing your utter paralysis with great amusement, and then, with the flourish of a seasoned actor stepping onto the grandest stage of his life, he presses a hand to his chest and bows deeply.

"You have called," he proclaims, voice rich with dramatic flair, "and I have answered! For one year, I shall serve as your loyal familiar! May our contract be fruitful, our battles glorious, and our meals—" he pauses, grinning like a fox, "well, we shall see."

He straightens, clearly expecting some sort of response.

You do not move. You do not speak. You do not even blink.

Because you are still attempting to comprehend the fact that you have, against every possible law of magic, logic, and common sense, just summoned Lilia Vanrouge as your familiar.

The next morning, you awaken to the horrifying realization that last night was not, in fact, a fever dream.

Lilia Vanrouge is still here.

Floating.

In your kitchen.

Sipping tea.

With your mug.

You stand there, unblinking, as he lifts the cup in greeting, utterly unbothered by your complete mental breakdown. “Ah, you’re awake! Good morning, my dear summoner! Did you sleep well? Oh, never mind that, of course you didn’t—you must be so excited! Your first day with your new familiar!”

Your eye twitches. The existential dread is setting in. But there is no time to panic because you have class.

And now, for the first time in your absolutely miserable academic career, you have a familiar to bring with you.

Which would be a cause for celebration.

If your familiar was literally anyone else.

But no. No, you are marching through the academy halls with a floating, ancient fae war general drifting beside you, humming cheerfully, taking in his new surroundings like a tourist at a historical landmark.

Your classmates? Shitting bricks.

Your professors? Re-evaluating their life choices.

Your history professor? Actively vibrating in place. This is a man who has spent years studying Lilia Vanrouge, reconstructing battle strategies, debating historical inaccuracies, analyzing old texts to understand the mind of one of the most enigmatic figures in magical warfare. He looks at you, at Lilia, back at you, back at Lilia, and you swear to the gods above that this man is about two seconds away from weeping.

He wants an interview. He wants an entire dissertation. He wants to shake your hand for the sheer magnitude of this academic opportunity, and you are just standing there, barely holding onto your last scrap of sanity, because this is not a research opportunity, Professor, this is my life.

Meanwhile, Lilia is having a blast.

“Ohoho, what a delightful institution!” he muses, drifting through the halls, peering into classrooms, inspecting the architecture with a level of interest that should not belong to someone who predates half of these buildings. “Ah, look at that banner! I remember when these were in fashion—horrid little things, always got caught in the wind and smacked people in the face during duels. Ah! And look at these uniforms! What a quaint design! Oh, but that color… tragic choice, really, you should have seen the battle robes from my era. Those had flair!”

You press a hand to your face, inhaling deeply.

You are not going to survive this year.

But at the very least, you are about to have the first productive Offensive Magic class of your entire life.

For years, casting magic without a familiar has been hell. You’ve always struggled with large-scale spells, your body too weak to sustain the energy required. Your classmates have always had an advantage, their familiars supplying them with extra mana while you struggled to get anything stronger than a low-tier fireball.

But today?

Today, you have Lilia Vanrouge as a mana battery.

And you are about to find out exactly what that means.

The spell you’ve been struggling with for years—the one that has never worked properly, the one that has always left you half-conscious and questioning your life decisions—flows from your hands as easily as breathing. You don’t even have time to be excited because the moment the spell leaves your fingertips, the entire training ground erupts.

Not a small explosion.

Not a reasonable, manageable, academically acceptable explosion.

No.

You have just cratered the battlefield.

The shockwave sends everyone flying. The ground is smoking. There is a hole where the target dummies used to be. Somewhere in the distance, alarms are going off. Birds are screaming. Your professor is staring in mute horror at the absolute devastation before him.

And you?

You turn to Lilia, hands shaking, mouth opening and closing like a fish, because what the hell just happened.

Lilia, floating beside you, watches the destruction with the expression of a man who has just seen a slightly amusing street performance. He clasps his hands together, nodding approvingly.

“Well! Now that that’s done, why don’t we go find something fun to do?”

You are not going to survive the year.

It is supposed to be a quiet night.

Supposed to be.

You, a dedicated apprentice mage (read: overworked and underpaid student), have settled down with your magical theory book, prepared to suffer through the finer details of mana channeling. The lamp flickers softly, the air is calm, and for once in your chaotic existence, things feel peaceful.

Then, from the kitchen, you hear something.

Something that does not belong in the realm of mortals.

It begins with an unsettling hiss, followed by a squelching noise so visceral it sends a shudder down your spine. Then there’s a clank—something metal hitting the floor—then a thud, then another squelch. You are gripping your book so tightly that the pages crinkle.

And then—

A chainsaw.

You blink.

You tilt your head, straining your ears, waiting for your exhausted mind to correct you.

The chainsaw revs again.

There is a cackle—a delighted, mischievous giggle, unmistakably Lilia’s—followed by the sound of what can only be described as something wet hitting the walls.

You place your book down with the slow, measured movements of a person who has just realized that, against all odds, they are in mortal danger.

Before you can even get up, Lilia emerges from the kitchen, beaming, holding something that should not exist.

It is a plate of food.

You think.

At least, you assume that’s what it is. The thing on the plate is writhing slightly, like it’s trying to escape, its color shifting between shades of green that have never been found in nature. It looks less like a meal and more like something that should have been sealed away in a forbidden vault centuries ago. You are pretty sure it just twitched.

Lilia, looking pleased with himself, holds the plate out to you like a proud parent. “Here you go! A little something I whipped up! A good meal is essential for a strong mage!”

You stare at him. You stare at the food. You stare at him again. Then back at the food, as if hoping that, upon a second glance, it will suddenly become normal. It does not. It continues to vibrate menacingly.

You inhale slowly. You pray to the gods—the ones who have clearly abandoned you—and take a bite.

And then—

You almost meet them.

Your soul briefly leaves your body. Your ancestors appear before you, shaking their heads in deep disappointment. The concept of life and death ceases to have meaning. Time itself slows to a crawl as your taste buds experience a level of suffering once reserved only for cursed spirits.

You slam the fork down, forcing a smile that looks more like a pained grimace. “I—uh—actually, I’m not really that hungry right now!”

Lilia blinks, tilting his head. “Oh? But you just took a bite—”

You cut him off, nodding so quickly it could give you whiplash. “Nope! Super full! Wow, so full. Stuffed, actually. I definitely can’t eat another bite!”

Lilia frowns, looking genuinely disappointed, and for a brief, insane moment, you almost consider eating more.

Then the food on the plate shudders again.

And you decide that no matter how cute Lilia Vanrouge is, you simply cannot abide.

Later that night, you are once again seated at your desk, trying to get through your magical theory reading, when Lilia appears at your side.

For a brief moment, fear seizes you—until you see what he’s holding.

A cup of warm milk.

Just milk.

You stare at it, half-expecting it to start glowing or whispering in an ancient, cursed tongue. But no, it’s just milk. Safe. Harmless. Normal.

You accept it with more gratitude than you’ve ever felt in your life. “Thank you.”

Lilia settles in beside you, watching as you study, occasionally making little jokes, pointing out errors in your book’s outdated magical theories, offering insights that no historian could ever dream of. The conversation flows easily, his voice a constant, comforting presence, a bridge between history and now, between chaos and something softer.

And as you sit there, sipping your drink, listening to Lilia hum an old tune while offering you obscure magical trivia, you think—

Yeah.

Maybe he really is the best familiar you could have summoned.

Lilia does not like your magical theory professor.

At least, you think he doesn’t.

He’s always cheerful—borderline impossible to ruffle—but the moment you step into that class, something shifts. His usual smile dims, his eyes narrow ever so slightly, and his arms stay folded across his chest like a particularly judgmental gargoyle. It’s subtle—so subtle that if you weren’t stuck with him 24/7 (as your familiar, and definitely not because you enjoy his company), you might not have noticed.

But you have noticed. And it’s weird.

Even weirder? Every time you ask him about it, he gives you the most convincing performance of utter cluelessness you have ever witnessed. The first time, he even tilted his head, widened his eyes, and said, “Me? Dislike someone? Oh, dear apprentice, you wound me!” in the most theatrical, exaggerated manner possible.

And the thing about Lilia is, if he doesn’t want to talk about something, there is no force in the universe that can make him.

You gave up after the third attempt. If it was major, he’d tell you.

…Right?

Today, your professor smiles as she hands you a new assignment: a magic circle for you to analyze.

“You should be able to cast this with your familiar’s assistance,” she says, smiling in that teacher who’s about to ruin your life way.

You glance at the intricate diagram, tilting your head. “What’s it for?”

“Oh, it’s just illusion magic,” she assures you breezily.

And before you can say anything else, Lilia moves.

One moment, he’s standing behind you, silent as a shadow. The next, he’s in front of you, plucking the book from your hands with the effortless grace of someone who has definitely stolen things before.

His gaze sharpens as he scans the magic circle, his usual playful demeanor gone. His fingers tighten slightly on the book’s spine. Then, without hesitation, he snaps it shut and hands it right back to your professor.

“No.”

Your professor blinks, looking caught between offense and confusion. “Pardon?”

Lilia’s voice remains pleasant—but it is the kind of pleasant that makes your survival instincts scream. “I said no. My dear apprentice will not be casting this.”

The professor balks. “Excuse me, but I gave them an assignment. You contain your familiar—”

You raise your hands in exasperation. “Lady, are you kidding? This is a war general. You think I can just ‘contain’ him? You contain him.”

Your professor looks like she wants to argue. Lilia, meanwhile, tilts his head at her with the serene patience of a man watching a squirrel try to pick a fight with a dragon.

Then, he smiles.

It is not his usual mischievous grin. It is a deliberate, pointed smile.

“Why don’t you cast it first?” he asks, tone deceptively light.

Your professor stiffens. “That’s unnecessary, I already—”

Lilia’s eyes gleam. “Go on, then. Just illusion magic, isn’t it?”

The tension in the room spikes. Your professor, who has just spent the past five minutes acting like the spell is no big deal, suddenly looks very nervous.

“Oh, well,” she flounders, “I—it’s meant for—um—student practice—”

“Ah,” Lilia hums, nodding sagely. “So you’d assign a spell you wouldn’t cast yourself to my dear apprentice? How interesting.”

Your professor’s expression freezes.

And that’s when you realize something.

Lilia knew.

He knew the moment he saw the circle that something was off. He recognized it. And whatever it was meant to do, it wasn’t just harmless illusion magic.

Your professor coughs, clearly scrambling for a way out. Lilia waits, ever-patient, eyes half-lidded like a cat watching a cornered mouse.

Then, before she can say anything else, he turns to you. “We’re leaving.”

And you do not argue.

Outside, Lilia floats beside you, humming a little tune. You don’t say anything for a while, still processing.

Finally, you sigh. “You’re not gonna tell me what that spell actually was, are you?”

Lilia’s grin returns, bright and playful. “Who’s to say~?”

You groan. “Lilia.”

He chuckles, reaching out to pat your head in a way that is both condescending and annoyingly affectionate. “Let’s just say I’d rather not have to un-curse you anytime soon, hmm?”

Your stomach sinks slightly. You glance back toward the classroom building, frowning. Your professor has never pulled something like that before. But before you can dwell on it too much, Lilia floats closer, arms crossed.

“Promise me something,” he says, tone suddenly softer.

You blink up at him. “What?”

“Run your spells by me before casting them.” His smile doesn’t falter, but there’s something firm—unshakable—beneath the usual playfulness.

Your first instinct is to argue. To say you know what you’re doing. That you’re a capable mage. But then you think about how fast he moved. How easily he spotted the issue. How your professor, faced with his simple challenge, folded like wet parchment.

“…Okay,” you say.

His smile widens, but this time, it’s warm. “Good.”

And then, just like that, he’s back to his usual self, floating ahead, dramatically stretching as if he was the one who had to deal with a dangerous spell.

“Now that that’s settled,” he sighs, “why don’t set something on fire?”

You press a hand to your forehead.

At first, it was little things.

Your professors started assigning you slightly more advanced spells—reasonable enough, considering your mana pool had technically expanded (read: you accidentally summoned an ancient fae war general as your familiar). You could handle it. You were handling it.

But then it got worse.

Much worse.

It started with offensive spells. The usual: fireballs, lightning strikes, the occasional tornado. And then, gradually, the assignments escalated into city-leveling disasters.

One moment, you were casting a moderately powerful explosion spell. The next, you were being instructed to conjure something called the Wrath of the Abyss—which, from the name alone, sounded like it had no business being taught in a school.

Lilia, floating serenely beside you, casually flicked his fingers, erasing the spell from your assignment scroll. “No,” he said.

You didn’t argue.

The final straw came when you were assigned a spell so ridiculously strong that had Lilia not interfered, you’re pretty sure you would’ve smited an entire town off the map.

That night, exhausted and frustrated, you marched to the headmaster’s office to finally have a conversation about this.

And that’s when you heard it.

Muffled voices.

The headmaster and your professors—all of them—discussing how to weaponize your newly expanded mana pool. How to push you further, how to ensure you could be controlled—with force, if necessary.

You stood there for a long moment, processing.

Then you turned on your heel, went back to your dorm, and drafted the most polite resignation letter you have ever written in your entire life.

By morning, you were gone.

Which brings you to now.

Laid out on the couch.

Bored.

Contemplating your life choices.

Lilia floats around the new house, inspecting it with the air of a man who has been evicted from kingdoms before and now finds the concept of moving vaguely amusing. Occasionally, he hums in approval. Once, he sticks his head into the kitchen and mutters, “I could work with this.” (You choose to ignore the implication.)

Eventually, he drifts over to the couch, settling next to you. He watches you for a moment, eyes softer than usual, before reaching out and gently patting your head.

“…I’m sorry,” he says quietly.

You blink, turning your head to look at him. “For what?”

He offers a small, almost wistful smile. “For everything. You wanted a small familiar. A cat, perhaps. A gentle companion to aid your studies. And instead… you got me.”

Something about the way he says it makes your heart squeeze.

You sit up, shaking your head. “That’s not your fault. It’s not your fault humans are garbage sometimes.” You snort. “Honestly, I should be the one apologizing to you. You got roped into this mess because of me.”

Lilia laughs softly. “Oh, please. This is hardly the worst summoning I’ve been part of.”

You roll your eyes but lean into him anyway, resting your head against his shoulder. “I mean it, though. I’m glad you were there to look out for me.” You exhale, closing your eyes. “I wouldn’t have wanted anyone else. You’re the best fit for me.”

There’s a pause.

Then, Lilia shifts slightly, tilting his head to look at you.

“…You know,” he murmurs, amusement creeping into his voice, “it almost sounds like you like me.”

You groan. “Lilia.”

He chuckles, clearly pleased with himself, and lets you rest against him, draping an arm over the back of the couch.

The TV plays some mindless reality show in the background—something ridiculous, the kind of show where two rich people argue over whose yacht is shinier. Lilia occasionally makes a quiet, offhand comment about the historical implications of their arguments, which, considering he’s been around long enough to have historical context for everything, is both fascinating and deeply concerning.

Still, as you sit there, comfortable and safe, a strange sort of peace settles over you.

Maybe this is okay, too.

Moping is unsustainable.

Yes, your dreams of becoming a renowned royal mage have withered and died like a houseplant you swore you watered (you didn’t). Yes, the academy tried to turn you into a walking magical war crime before you dropped out. And yes, you are technically in magical witness protection now.

But you refuse to let that get you down.

You are a problem solver. A forward-thinker. A survivor.

And what do survivors do? They pivot.

Thus begins your new life as the proud owner of Mystic Remedies, a charming little potion shop in a sleepy town where nobody knows—or cares—that you once accidentally summoned a literal fae war general as a familiar.

And surprisingly? Business is booming.

Apparently, people love magic when it’s used for normal things, like fixing bald spots or whitening teeth or getting rid of that one really stubborn pimple that refuses to die no matter how many times you pray to the gods. Your bestselling potions?

“The Shine of Youth” – Teeth Whitening Elixir

Results are instantaneous and blindingly effective (literally. One guy came back complaining his teeth were so white they were reflecting sunlight into his own eyes.)*

“Regrowth & Renewal” – Anti-Baldness Tonic

The town’s balding population has never been happier. One man sobbed openly in your shop after seeing his full head of hair for the first time in twenty years.

“Vanisher’s Touch” – Acne & Scar Removal Serum

One (1) drop and your skin becomes as smooth as a newborn’s. Side effects include strangers asking you for your entire skincare routine (which, obviously, you refuse to share because you are making BANK off of this).

And presiding over all of this?

Lilia Vanrouge.

Your fae general, immortal menace, questionably helpful familiar.

At first, you thought Lilia would just hang around for company. Maybe help with security. Offer sage wisdom. That kind of thing.

You were wrong.

Instead, he has taken it upon himself to be your business partner.

Which would be fine, except:

1. Lilia insists on being the shop greeter.

“Welcome, weary traveler!” he announces grandly every time someone enters, even if it’s just the lady from next door.

2.He also bows dramatically every time, which has led to multiple people thinking they’ve accidentally entered a royal court instead of a potion shop.

3. He makes up fake tragic backstories for your potions.

The baldness potion? “Crafted from the tears of a forgotten god who, himself, was once afflicted with hair loss.”

The teeth whitening elixir? “Distilled from the ancient wisdom of a radiant moonbeam, stolen by a trickster spirit under the cover of night.”

The anti-acne potion? “Forged in the fires of celestial vanity, when the first star envied the smoothness of the moon’s face.”

The customers eat it up. Business doubles because people now believe they’re purchasing legendary magical relics instead of DIY cosmetic solutions.

4. He takes “quality control” VERY seriously.

You once caught him drinking the hair regrowth tonic.

“Lilia,” you said. “You have hair. You have a lot of hair.”

He took a long, thoughtful sip, smacked his lips, and simply said, “Quality assurance.”

(The next day, his hair was so voluminous it looked like he had absorbed a lion. He seemed thrilled about this. You refused to comment.)

5. His idea of “helping” with potion-making is... distressing.

One time, you left him alone for five minutes.

When you came back, he had somehow produced a glowing purple substance that was hovering slightly above the table and making whale noises.

You didn’t even ask. You just threw the entire thing out.

Lilia disappears sometimes in the middle of the night. You’ll wake up, the room unnaturally quiet, and immediately know he’s gone. Not gone gone—he’s not that dramatic—but somewhere else, wrapped in thoughts you never quite get to see.

Tonight, the air is cool when you step outside, wrapping around you like a second skin. You don’t have to search long. He’s on the rooftop, perched with all the effortless grace of a creature who defies gravity. His eyes are locked onto the moon, silver light washing over his face, his usual impishness replaced with something… else.

You’ve seen Lilia in many states—mischievous, chaotic, wise, deeply concerning—but you’ve never seen him like this.

So, naturally, you make the entirely reasonable decision to scale the side of the house.

It is not a graceful process. There’s a lot of slipping, a lot of swearing, and at one point, you’re pretty sure you get stuck in a position that defies basic human anatomy. Lilia watches all of this unfold with what you know is barely suppressed laughter, but he doesn’t help.

Rude.

By the time you haul yourself onto the roof, panting like you’ve just wrestled a bear, Lilia looks at you like you’re the strange one here.

“…You could have used the stairs,” he points out.

You glare at him. “Yeah? Well, you could’ve not brooded on the roof like the protagonist of a tragic novel, but here we are.”

For a moment, you think he might tease you, but instead, something in his expression softens. Like he hadn’t expected you to come. Like the idea of being found was somehow surprising.

You settle beside him, deliberately sitting close enough that your arms brush. Lilia doesn’t say anything, just leans into you, his weight light but grounding.

“I’m grateful you left immediately when you did,” he murmurs, voice quiet in a way that makes you pause. “I wasn’t prepared to lose you.”

You don’t ask. You never have. Lilia carries centuries in his gaze, in the way he moves, in the weight of the things he doesn’t say. But this? This moment, this sliver of vulnerability? This is his truth, and you’ll never push him to unravel more than he wants to.

So you nod. You pull him closer. And you sit there, pressed together beneath the vast, endless sky, offering nothing but presence.

Because sometimes, companionship is enough.

Despite all of this—despite the dramatics, the chaos, the fact that you are pretty sure Lilia is making up 90% of his fae wisdom on the spot—your little potion shop thrives.

You get to help people. You get to live peacefully.

And best of all? You get to spend your days with someone who makes life interesting.

One evening, as you’re closing up, Lilia floats beside you, watching as you count today’s earnings.

“You’ve done well for yourself,” he says, tone oddly soft, absent of his usual teasing lilt.

You glance at him, raising a brow. “We have,” you correct, shoving the last of the gold into the till. “I’d be lost without you.”

He hums in amusement, resting his chin in his hand. “Flattery will get you everywhere, you know.”

You snort. “It’s not flattery if it’s true.”

There’s a pause.

Then, after a moment, he reaches over—ruffles your hair with genuine fondness.

You pretend to be annoyed, but you don’t move away.

(And later, as you sit together, sharing a cup of tea under the quiet glow of lantern light, you think—maybe this life? This ridiculous, unpredictable, strangely wonderful life? Maybe it’s not so bad, after all.)

The first time you created a potion for hair growth, you barely had time to marvel at your genius before Lilia grabbed the vial and downed it in one gulp. No hesitation. No patch test. Just the unwavering confidence of a man who believed you were capable of alchemy miracles despite your previous track record, which included but was not limited to:

Accidentally making a love potion so strong it made a squirrel propose to a tree.

Brewing an invisibility elixir that only made clothes disappear (awkward).

Concocting a sleeping draught that did, in fact, induce sleep—just exclusively in yourself.

So, really, this blind faith of his was either heartwarming or deeply concerning.

The effect was immediate. Lilia’s short, fluffy locks exploded outward in a dramatic cascade, flowing past his shoulders, his waist, and then pooling onto the floor in a heap of silky, midnight strands. He blinked at you from behind his newly acquired curtain of hair, looking entirely unbothered, while you sat there in stunned horror like an artist realizing they’d just painted the Mona Lisa using finger paints.

“Well,” he said cheerfully, lifting a section of his hair with mild curiosity. “At least I won’t have to buy a blanket anymore.”

You groaned, already reaching for the shears. “Sit down. I’m cutting it before you trip and break your immortal neck.”

Lilia plopped down in front of you, perfectly content as you gathered the thick locks in your hands, marveling at how soft they were. You ran your fingers through them, untangling strands, watching them catch the light like the finest silk. Somewhere in the middle of methodically snipping away, your hand brushed against the nape of his neck.

And Lilia—Lilia of the endless energy, mischievous smirks, and unpredictable chaos—tilted his head into your touch like a cat craving warmth. He let his cheek brush against your palm, the weight of him light but deliberate, and you felt something in your chest hiccup.

Oh no.

Nope. Absolutely not. You were not going to sit here and have an emotional epiphany over a haircut.

You cleared your throat and kept cutting, pretending you didn’t notice the way his eyes fluttered shut, how he sighed just the slightest bit when you raked your fingers through his hair again. You ignored the warmth curling in your stomach, the way your heart stuttered like a miscast spell.

This was fine. Just a normal, everyday occurrence. No significance whatsoever.

(You ignored the fact that, long after the potion’s effects had worn off, Lilia still asks you to fix his hair for him.)

It has been a year.

A whole year since you knelt in front of a summoning circle, begging the universe for a small, manageable familiar—a cat, a bat, anything reasonable—only for reality to spit in your face and drop a war general into your living room.

A year since Lilia Vanrouge, former general, ancient fae, and walking eldritch menace, declared himself your familiar with a dramatic flourish while you stood there questioning every single life decision that had led to that moment.

And now, it’s time to let him go.

You knew this day would come. You told yourself you wouldn’t get attached. He was never supposed to stay forever. He has actual, important, world-changing things to do, and you—what are you? A small-town potion seller with a thriving business in male pattern baldness reversal and anti-aging tonics. This is not a worthy occupation for a fae of his caliber.

So why does the thought of him leaving feel like your heart is about to crawl out of your chest, slap you in the face, and then dramatically expire in protest?

You’re an adult. You can handle this. You will handle this.

Night falls, and you set up the ritual.

The summoning contract that bound him to you for a year must now be undone. The process is simple: draw the circle, say the words, and Lilia will be free to return to whatever grand, fae-magic-drenched existence he had before meeting you.

Your hands shake as you carve the sigils into the ground. You tell yourself it’s just fatigue.

The circle is perfect. The words are ready. You steel yourself, take a deep breath, and—

SCRATCH.

You blink.

Your circle is ruined.

Because Lilia just dragged his foot through it like a toddler messing up a sandcastle.

“Whoops,” he says, tone entirely insincere.

You stare at the ruined circle. Then at him. Then at the deep, deliberate groove he just scraped through the sigils.

“…Did you just—”

“Oh dear,” Lilia sighs, not looking remotely sorry. “How clumsy of me.”

You narrow your eyes.

Fine. Fine. You can work with this. You redraw the circle, faster this time, heart pounding, trying not to think about how every stroke is another step toward the inevitable.

But as soon as you finish it, it vanishes.

You gape. “What the fu—”

Lilia, sitting lazily on your kitchen counter, swirls his wine glass and hums, looking entirely too pleased with himself.

You try again. And again.

Each time, something goes wrong.

The chalk disappears. The ink dries too fast. The lines curve into nonsense when you look away. Lilia, drinking his wine, watching you struggle, looking like a cat who just knocked over an entire shelf and is waiting for applause.

Then, finally, the last straw.

You painstakingly carve the circle one last time, standing up with triumphant determination—

And Lilia immediately spills his wine on it.

He gasps, eyes wide with the fakest, most dramatic shock you have ever seen. “Oh my. How unfortunate.”

You drop the chalk.

You inhale, slow and measured, like a parent about to scold a misbehaving child.

Then you turn to him.

“…Hey,” you say, voice trembling, not with sadness, but with the sheer, earth-shattering realization that this little fae menace is playing with you.

He takes another sip of wine, as if to fortify himself against the incoming confrontation.

“Do you,” you say, pointing at him, “not want to leave?”

Lilia smiles. That infuriatingly cryptic, all-knowing smile that he has given you exactly one thousand times over the past year.

He doesn’t answer.

And you are done.

You grab him by the collar, yanking his floating self down to your level, because no. Not this time.

“Say it.” Your heart is racing, your voice shaking. “Stop playing with my feelings and just say it.”

For the first time in a long time, Lilia looks genuinely surprised.

His bright red eyes flick over your face, searching, calculating.

Then, gently, effortlessly, he kisses you.

It’s soft. Unhurried. Like a promise instead of a confession.

When he pulls away, there’s no teasing, no smug amusement. Just quiet certainty as he murmurs, “I thought that was obvious, little mage.”

And you—

You think, yeah. This is perfect.

The day after the kiss is, by all accounts, completely normal.

Lilia is still Lilia—dramatic, whimsical, and absolutely insufferable in the best way possible. He flits around the shop like a particularly mischievous specter, rearranges your potions in ways that make absolutely no sense, and startles at least three customers by dropping upside down from the rafters like a bat with a caffeine addiction.

The only difference are the little changes in his proximity.

The way he brushes a little closer, his fingertips lingering on yours when he hands you a vial. The way he leans in when he speaks, voice a low murmur that sends shivers down your spine. The way his eyes—sharp, playful, knowing—linger just a second too long, like he’s drinking in every reaction.

Your regulars notice immediately.

“You two finally figured it out, huh?”

“About damn time.”

“Oh, we’ve been betting on this for months—Edgar, pay up.”

Even the old woman who only comes in for her arthritis tincture pats your cheek with grandmotherly approval, declaring, "He’s a little strange, but you always liked strays."

By the time you close up for the night, you’re warm with laughter, exhaustion, and the sheer reality of it. Of him. Of you.

And then there’s a weight on your back, light but unmistakable, arms winding around you as Lilia attaches himself like a particularly affectionate cloak.

“You still haven’t actually asked me to stay,” he hums, his chin resting on your shoulder. You can hear the grin in his voice, teasing and pleased.

You roll your eyes, exasperated and utterly, helplessly fond.

Then, without warning, you turn, grabbing his face in both hands and kissing him hard.

He makes a soft, surprised noise against your lips before immediately melting into it, responding with all the fervor of someone who has absolutely been waiting for this. His hands tighten on your waist, pulling you closer, and you swear you can feel him smiling into the kiss.

When you finally pull back, breathless and a little dazed, you meet his gaze and say, firm and sure,

“Stay.”

Lilia blinks, as if he wasn’t expecting you to actually say it. Then his lips curl into something unbearably soft, unbearably fond, and he whispers,

“Till the end of my life.”

Masterlist

soon.

I know they're holding gifts they received on their Union Birthday buuuut😁💚💚💚

That's our gifts for Valentine's isn't it😁💚

Also Sebek why did you take your jacket off

Yup take them off kings flex those muscles

♥️ Prim and Proper ♥️

I've been asked before about more info about these silly characters of mine and even though I hoped to draw most of it I thought it would be nice to write it down too. I am not English or the best writer so I did ask chat GPT to format it better for me!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Riddle x King of Hearts oc Simply how they met and to communicate Prim's personality a bit better! Like the King of Hearts, often forgotten but happy :) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Story under the line ~

Riddle’s POV

The Night Raven College library was Riddle Rosehearts’ haven—a place where rules were respected, order was preserved, and silence reigned supreme. At least, it was supposed to.

The soft symphony of pages turning and quills scratching was disrupted by bursts of giggling and whispers. Riddle’s brows furrowed, his concentration shattered.

The offenders were four girls from Lady Mystic College, currently permitted to use the library while their own was under renovation. They sat at a table in the far corner, their uniforms pristine and polished, yet their behavior anything but.

Three of them leaned in close, whispering and snickering, their laughter bubbling up despite the clear disapproval of nearby students. The fourth girl, however, sat quietly at the edge of the group.

Riddle hadn’t noticed her at first, his irritation focused on the noise. But as he rose from his seat and made his way toward them, she caught his eye.

She was smaller than her friends, with blonde curls tied into two neat pigtails. Her dark blue eyes flitted nervously between her tablemates and the books in front of her. Braces gleamed faintly while her upperlip rested on them. Unlike her companions, she seemed more like an observer than a participant.

“Excuse me,” Riddle said sharply as he reached their table.

The three louder girls turned to him, blinking in mock surprise. “Oh, hi!” one of them said, her smile overly sweet.

“This is a library,” Riddle stated, his tone clipped. “Your noise is disrupting others. Please keep your voices down.”

The girls exchanged glances and giggled again. “Sorry about that,” another said, though her tone suggested she wasn’t sorry at all.

The fourth girl looked up at him, her cheeks flushing pink. “I—I’m so sorry,” she stammered. Her hands fidgeted with the edge of her book. “We will be quiet, promise!”

Riddle’s frown softened slightly. She seemed genuinely apologetic, unlike her companions. But rules were rules, and they all bore responsibility for their collective behavior.

“Just keep it down,” he said, turning on his heel and walking away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Later, Riddle found himself standing in front of a particularly tall bookshelf, searching for a volume on advanced spell theory. The book he needed was on the highest shelf, just out of reach.

He huffed, rising onto his toes, but it was no use. He debated summoning a step stool when a familiar voice broke through his thoughts.

“Um... Excuse me,” the soft, slightly lisped voice said.

Riddle turned to see the blonde girl from earlier standing a few feet away. She was craning her neck, gazing up at a book several shelves above her head.

“I didn’t mean to bother you,” she said quickly, flushing again. “It’s just... I can’t reach it.”

Riddle glanced between her and the book. “Neither can I,” he admitted dryly, stepping closer.

Her lips twitched into a sheepish smile. “Oh, yeah-” she said, hugging her arms.

Riddle sighed, lifting his hand. With a precise flick of his fingers, the book floated down from the shelf, landing neatly in his grasp.

The girl’s eyes widened, a spark of wonder lighting them. “Wow! That’s so cool,” she said, her tone full of genuine awe.

“It’s basic magic,” Riddle replied, though he couldn’t help the slight warmth that rose at her reaction. He handed her the book.

“Thank you,” she said, her braces glinting as she smiled. “I’m Prim, by the way. I, um, wanted to apologize again that we were so noisy.”

Riddle studied her for a moment. There was a cheerfulness about her, a childlike wonder that seemed at odds with her companions. “Riddle.” introducing himself. “And it wasn’t entirely your fault.”

Prim hesitated, her expression flickering with something uncertain. “They’re not always like that,” she said, though her tone lacked conviction. “I think they just... like having fun.”

“Just make sure to not disturb others when you’re in a public library. We prefer this place to be quiet.” Riddle said, not to scold her but he feared it may have sounded like that.

“No, you’re absolutely right! It’s basic rules.” She looked down at the book Riddle just got for her. “Thank you again, Riddle!”

Riddle responded with a simple nod and she hugged the book to her chest and turned back toward her table. Riddle watched her go, noting the way her steps seemed lighter, more confident.

For the rest of the afternoon, the library was quiet. But Riddle found himself distracted, his thoughts lingering on the small girl with the blonde pigtails and wondering if she would ever realize she deserved better.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next day, Riddle was once again settled in his usual spot in the library. The silence was pristine this time, and he relished the peaceful atmosphere. He had nearly immersed himself in his studies when he noticed movement out of the corner of his eye.

Prim.

The girl with blonde pigtails walked hesitantly into the library, clutching her books and bag. She scanned the room for a moment before her eyes landed on him. A bright smile lit her face, and she made her way over.

“Hi,” she greeted softly, her voice still carrying that slight lisp.

Riddle nodded in acknowledgment. “Good afternoon, Prim.”

To his surprise, she pulled out a chair and sat next to him, setting her books down. “I hope you don’t mind,” she said cheerfully. “It’s nice and quiet here.”

“As long as you keep it that way,” Riddle replied, his tone neutral.

Prim giggled and nodded. “Promise. I’ll be quiet.”

She opened her notebook and began working on what looked like several assignments. Riddle glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, noting the way her handwriting flowed neatly across the pages. Occasionally, she would hum softly to herself, though it wasn’t disruptive—it was oddly soothing.

After a few minutes, he broke the silence. “You’re alone today.”

Prim looked up from her work, her curls bouncing slightly as she tilted her head. “Oh, yeah. My friends are out getting lunch.”

Riddle raised an eyebrow. “They left you behind?”

Prim waved a hand dismissively, her smile unwavering. “It’s fine. I had too much homework to do anyway. Besides, they’ll bring me something back.”

Her tone was so casual, so certain, that Riddle didn’t press further. But he couldn’t help the small pang of doubt that settled in his chest.

“They do seem to leave you out quite often,” he remarked, his voice carefully measured.

Prim paused, her pencil hovering over her notebook. Then she laughed lightly. “They don’t mean to. They’re just... busy. But they’re good friends, really.”

Riddle frowned but didn’t say anything. Her unwavering cheerfulness was admirable, though he couldn’t shake the feeling that she was excusing more than she should.

They fell into a comfortable rhythm, the soft scratch of pens and the faint rustle of pages filling the air. After a while, Prim closed one notebook and opened another, switching seamlessly between assignments. Riddle noticed she wasn’t just working on a single piece of homework—she seemed to be copying her answers onto three other sheets.

He glanced at her stack of papers. Each page was identical, and she was writing the same answers in the same neat handwriting on all of them. His brow furrowed.

“Prim,” he said quietly, his curiosity getting the better of him. “Why are you doing the same homework four times?”

Prim froze for a moment, her pen poised mid-sentence. Then she looked at him, her expression sheepish but still cheerful. “Oh, um... My friends forgot to do theirs, so I’m helping out. They’re really busy, you know, with... things.”

Riddle’s frown deepened. “You’re doing their homework? All of it?”

Prim shrugged, her smile not faltering. “It’s no big deal. I’m good at this stuff, and they always help me when I need it.”

Riddle didn’t believe that for a second. He leaned back slightly, studying her. She seemed so genuinely kind, so eager to help, but he couldn’t ignore the fact that her so-called friends were clearly taking advantage of her.

Prim seemed to sense his concern because she added, “I don’t mind, really. It’s nice to feel useful.”

Riddle opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, Prim stood up, gathering her things into a neat pile. “I’m going to the restroom real quick,” she said with a smile. “Could you watch my stuff?”

He nodded, though his gaze lingered on her as she walked away.

Left alone, Riddle’s eyes drifted back to her work. The identical pages spread out in front of him confirmed what he already suspected—Prim was kind, but her kindness was being taken advantage of.

As he leaned back in his chair, waiting for her to return, Riddle couldn’t help but feel a growing sense of protectiveness toward her. She was cheerful and kind in her own way, but it was clear that she deserved better than what her so-called friends were giving her.

When Prim returned, still smiling as brightly as ever, Riddle resolved to keep an eye on her. Someone had to.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Several days went by and Riddle found himself walking through the courtyard, a book tucked under his arm. It was his usual route to the library, but the sound of laughter and chatter drew his attention.

Underneath one of the large oak trees sat the same group of girls from Lady Mystic College. Their voices carried easily on the breeze as they chatted with a group of Savanaclaw students who seemed far too pleased with themselves.

Riddle’s gaze immediately went to Prim. She was sitting on the edge of the group, her blonde curls bouncing slightly as she nodded enthusiastically in response to the conversation. Despite her obvious effort to engage, none of the boys so much as glanced her way. Their attention was fixed on her three companions, who were leaning forward and giggling at every joke.

Eventually, the three girls stood, brushing themselves off and flashing bright smiles at the Savanaclaw students. “We’ll see you later,” one of them said, linking arms with another.

Prim started to stand, too, but one of the girls waved her back down with a quick, “Oh, just stay here, Prim. Keep the spot for us, okay?”

Prim blinked, then nodded quickly. “Sure! No problem!”

The group walked away, leaving her alone under the tree. She didn’t seem bothered, though. She pulled out a small lunch box and began unpacking it, her expression as cheerful as ever.

Riddle hesitated, his steps slowing. It wasn’t his business, and he wasn’t the type to meddle. Yet something about the scene nagged at him.

Prim’s so-called friends hadn’t even offered to include her. They left her behind without a second thought. And though she waved them off as if it were perfectly natural, Riddle couldn’t shake the feeling that it wasn’t right.

Before he could stop himself, he changed course and approached her.

Prim looked up as his shadow fell over her. “Oh! Hi, Riddle!” she said brightly, her dark blue eyes lighting up.

“Good afternoon,” he said, stopping a few feet away. He glanced at her lunch box and then at the empty space around her. “You’re alone.”

She smiled and nodded. “Yeah, the girls went off with those boys. They didn’t want to intrude, and, well, it would’ve been rude for me to tag along since I wasn’t invited.”

Riddle frowned, his grip tightening on the book in his hands. “They left you here.”

Prim waved her hand dismissively. “Oh, it’s fine. I already had lunch anyway, and they asked me to keep this spot for them. It’s a nice spot, don’t you think? Nice shade, good view...”

Her voice trailed off as she gestured to the courtyard around them, clearly trying to paint the situation in the best possible light.

Riddle remained silent, his expression unreadable. He wanted to tell her that her friends shouldn’t have asked her to stay behind just to save a spot. That if they truly cared about her, they wouldn’t leave her sitting alone while they went off with boys who didn’t even acknowledge her.

But Prim’s smile didn’t falter. She continued to eat her lunch, completely at ease.

Riddle’s mind whirred. He had never been particularly skilled at making friends himself, and he often struggled with understanding social dynamics. Yet he couldn’t stand to see someone as kind and cheerful as Prim being so blatantly overlooked.

“Prim,” he said abruptly, his tone firmer than he intended.

She looked up, blinking at him. “Yes?”

“Would you... like to join me for lunch?”

Prim’s eyes widened in surprise, and for a moment, she seemed at a loss for words. “Oh, um, really?” she asked, her voice slightly higher than usual.

“Yes,” Riddle said, a little awkwardly. “If you’ve already eaten, I could still use some company. That is, if you’re not busy keeping this spot occupied.”

Prim laughed softly, her smile brightening even further. “Well, I suppose the spot will still be here when I get back.”

Riddle stepped back, allowing her to stand. As they walked toward the cafeteria together, he couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of satisfaction. It wasn’t much, but at least she wouldn’t have to sit alone this time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Prim’s POV

The shade under the oak tree was nice, shielding them from the midday sun as the breeze rustled through the leaves. Prim sat with her three friends—Hazel, Trinity, and Opal—all of whom were laughing and chatting animatedly, their voices blending together in an upbeat melody of giggles.

Prim listened quietly, her hands folded neatly over her lap, her lips twitching upward in a small smile. Hazel said something that made Trinity snort, and Opal burst into another fit of laughter. Prim tried to join in, even though she didn’t entirely understand the joke.

They’re just so confident, she thought, watching them. “It’s one of the things I admire about them.”

Sometimes they’d say things to her that she wasn’t sure how to take. Like when Hazel turned to her mid-laughter and said, “Prim, I wish I could be as pure as you. So innocent!”

Prim chuckled along, though her cheeks flushed. They mean well, she reassured herself. It’s not like they’re being mean. I guess I don’t get all their jokes, so they’re right. It’s fine.

Then there was Trinity, who had tilted her head at Prim’s pigtails earlier and remarked, “Your hair is so unique, Prim. I’d never have the patience to deal with all those curls!”

Prim had thanked her for the comment, though part of her wondered if “unique” had been the right word. It was true, though—her hair never behaved like Hazel’s silky locks, Trinity’s sleek waves, or Opal’s perfectly tousled bob. But it was fine.

It was fine.

When a group of boys approached, Prim felt herself tense up slightly. She wasn’t used to being approached by boys—especially not bold, self-assured ones like these.

Hazel, Trinity, and Opal perked up immediately, their voices gaining a lilting edge as they welcomed the boys with coy smiles and casual jokes. Prim sat up straighter, her cheeks flushing pink as she tried to follow along with the conversation.

One of the boys told a story about his latest Spelldrive match, and Prim laughed softly at the right moment, hoping it sounded natural. But the boy didn’t look her way. None of them did. Their eyes were fixed on her friends.

She felt a small pang in her chest.

It’s okay, she told herself quickly. She isn’t his type. And that’s okay.

Her friends were tall, poised, and effortlessly pretty. Their hair shimmered in the sunlight, their makeup was flawless, and their laughter was infectious. Prim, meanwhile, was shorter, with unruly curls that seemed to have a mind of their own. Her braces made her mouth always stand open a bit, and as long as she can remember she talked with a lisp.

They’re just more... grown-up than me, she reasoned. And that’s okay. I’ll get there eventually.

For a fleeting moment, the pang threatened to grow into something heavier. But she shook it off, summoning her usual cheerful resolve.

I totally get it, she told herself, nodding slightly as if to reinforce the thought. I understand why they’d get all the attention. Besides, I don’t even need a boyfriend right now! I have my friends. And I’m happy for them. Really, I am.

When the boys eventually asked Hazel, Trinity, and Opal to join them for lunch, Prim was already smiling again.

“Oh, just stay here, Prim. Keep the spot for us, okay?” Hazel said over her shoulder as they stood.

“Sure! No problem!” Prim said brightly, waving at them as they walked off.

She settled back under the tree and reached for her lunch box. It’s fine, she thought as she unwrapped her sandwich. I packed a good lunch, and this spot is really nice. I’m totally fine. And they’ll be back soon anyway.

As she took a bite, she looked up and froze mid-chew.

Riddle stood a few feet away, his red hair unmistakable in the dappled sunlight. He was looking directly at her, his expression as composed and stern as always.

“Oh!” Prim swallowed quickly, straightening up and brushing crumbs off her lap. “Hi, Riddle!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Riddle’s POV

Riddle wasn’t entirely sure why he’d asked her to join him for lunch. It wasn’t as though he usually sought out company during meals. Quite the opposite, in fact—he valued the quiet solitude that came with sitting alone, free from the noise and chaos of others.

And yet, here he was, walking toward the cafeteria with Prim by his side, her cheerful chatter filling the silence he usually preferred.

“I really didn’t expect you to invite me to lunch,” Prim said, her voice bright with surprise. “But thank you! It’s nice to have someone to eat with. It’s always fun!”

Riddle glanced at her, taking in her wide smile and the way her dark blue eyes seemed to light up with genuine delight. Her optimism was almost childlike in its sincerity, and though it was different from the carefully composed demeanor he usually gravitated toward, he found it oddly... refreshing.

As they settled at a table, Prim eagerly unpacked her lunch box again, chatting as she went. “So, do you always eat alone? Or do you sit with your dorm mates sometimes?”

“I usually eat alone,” Riddle replied, his tone matter-of-fact. “It’s more efficient. The dining hall can be... chaotic.”

Prim tilted her head, nodding thoughtfully. “I get that. It can get loud sometimes. But it’s nice to have people to talk to, don’t you think?”

Riddle hesitated. Socializing had always felt more like a chore than a pleasure for him. Yet, as he watched Prim, he couldn’t bring himself to agree. “Perhaps,” he said finally.

They fell into a rhythm of small talk, much to Riddle’s surprise. Prim carried most of the conversation, her cheerful nature making it easy to follow along. She told him about her favorite classes, how she was still adjusting to Lady Mystic College, and how much she loved the library at Night Raven College.

“And the oak tree in the courtyard!” she added with a bright smile. “It’s such a nice spot to sit. Perfect shade, good view... It’s the best, really.”

Riddle nodded politely, though his thoughts lingered on why she’d been left there in the first place.

Finally, he couldn’t stop himself from bringing it up. “You said earlier that your friends went off with those guys and left you behind. Does that happen often?”

Prim blinked, caught off guard. “Oh, well... not often,” she said, though her tone wavered slightly. “They were just being polite, you know? It wouldn’t have been right for me to tag along if I wasn’t invited.”

Riddle frowned. “But if they’re your friends, shouldn’t they have invited you in the first place?”

Prim hesitated, her cheerful facade faltering for the briefest moment. “I mean, they’re just... busy. And I don’t really mind! I’m happy to keep the spot for them.”

He leaned forward slightly, his gaze steady. “Do you really think that’s fair to you?”

She shifted uncomfortably, her hands fidgeting with the edge of her lunch box. “Well, it’s not like they’re being mean or anything,” she said quietly. “They’re nice to me. And they’re so cool and pretty, you know? I’m lucky to have friends like them.”

Riddle’s frown deepened. “Are they really your friends if they constantly leave you out? If they treat you like an afterthought?”

Prim’s shoulders slumped slightly, and for the first time, her ever-present smile wavered. “They have to be my friends… if they’re not…” she said softly, “then... it would mean I didn’t have any at all…”

Riddle’s chest tightened at her words. He’d never been particularly adept at comforting others, but the sadness in her voice stirred something in him. He’d always been strict, proper, and precise in his interactions, yet in this moment, he felt compelled to say something more.

“You do have a friend,” he said quietly, surprising even himself.

Prim’s head snapped up, her eyes wide. “Mm?”

Riddle shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his face heating slightly. “I mean... I wouldn’t invite just anyone to lunch. So if that makes you feel better... consider me your friend.”

For a moment, Prim simply stared at him. Then her face broke into the brightest smile he’d ever seen, her braces gleaming as her eyes filled with joy. “Really? You mean it?”

He cleared his throat, looking away to hide his own embarrassment. “Yes. Of course.”

“Yeah!” Prim said eagerly, her sadness forgotten as she practically beamed at him. “Yeah, I guess we are friends, huh?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The park on Sage Island was quiet that afternoon, the soft rustle of leaves and distant chatter providing a soothing backdrop to Riddle’s thoughts. He didn’t come to the park often—it seemed frivolous to idle in nature when there were more productive things to do—but something had drawn him there today.

It was then that he saw her.

Prim was balancing on a low railing near the path, her arms stretched out for balance and her curls bouncing with each careful step. She looked utterly carefree, the sunlight catching the faint glint of her braces as she smiled to herself.

Riddle slowed his pace, his gaze lingering on her. The sight struck a chord in him—her innocence, her lightheartedness. She embodied a freedom he had never known.

Growing up under his mother’s strict rules, even the thought of such behavior would have been unthinkable. Walking on a railing? Playing games in public? There was no place for that in the rigid schedule of the Rosehearts household. And even now, as a college student, Riddle often felt the weight of responsibility pressing on his shoulders, keeping him bound to the rules he upheld so fiercely.

Prim, however, seemed untouched by such constraints.

When she spotted him, her face lit up, and she hopped down from the railing with a bounce. “Riddle!” she called, hurrying toward him. “Hi! What a surprise to see you here!”

“Good afternoon, Prim,” he said, straightening his posture.

“It’s so nice to see you,” she said, her grin bright as ever. “Are you here for a walk too?”

“I thought some fresh air might be beneficial,” Riddle replied. “And you?”

“Oh, I’m on my way to the bookstore,” she said, clasping her hands behind her back. “I need a new diary. My old one’s almost full.”

“A diary,” he echoed.

“Yep!” she said cheerfully. “I write about everything—what I did, how I felt, what made me happy. It’s nice to look back on later, you know?”

Riddle nodded, though he couldn’t fully relate. His own life had always been so structured, so focused on rules and expectations, that the idea of reflecting on daily joys felt almost... indulgent.

As they walked together, Prim continued to chat, her energy as boundless as ever. “I’ve been hanging out less with Hazel, Trinity, and Opal,” she said after a while, her tone casual. “It’s easier now that I have a friend.”

Her words caught him off guard, and he turned to look at her. “You mean me.”

“Of course!” she said brightly, glancing at him with a sincerity that made his chest tighten.

He felt his cheeks heat slightly and quickly looked away. “I... see.”

Prim tilted her head, her expression softening. “Thank you for having lunch with me last week, by the way. It was really nice. I hope I wasn’t talking too much.”

Riddle shook his head. “You were fine. I didn’t mind.”

Her face lit up again, and she clasped her hands together. “I’m glad! I’ve been eating alone more often lately, and I think I finally get what you mean—it’s nice to have that quiet sometimes. It’s efficient, and I can actually focus on my food!”

Hearing her repeat his words from before made something stir in his chest. She wasn’t just cheerful; she genuinely listened.

They walked in companionable silence for a few moments before Prim spoke again. “You should come with me to the bookstore,” she said suddenly, her voice bright.

Riddle blinked, caught off guard. “Me?”

“Why not? It could be fun! And I’m sure they’ve got plenty of interesting books for you to look at.”

He hesitated, searching for a reason to decline, but none came. “I suppose I could use a new reference book,” he said finally, convincing himself it was a practical decision. “Very well.”

Prim clapped her hands together. “Great! Let’s go!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The bookstore was small but inviting, its shelves packed with an eclectic mix of novels, journals, and academic texts. Prim headed straight for the section of journals, her excitement palpable.

“What do you think of this one?” she asked, holding up a diary with a floral cover. “Or this one?” She picked up another, this one decorated with stars.

“They’re both... adequate,” Riddle said diplomatically, though his tone lacked the sternness it usually carried.

Prim giggled. “You’re so formal, Riddle. You’re so cool.”

He stiffened, the unexpected comment catching him off guard. “I—cool is hardly the appropriate word.”

She laughed again, completely unbothered by his awkwardness. “I like it,” she said simply, flipping through the pages of a diary.

Riddle turned his attention to the nearest shelf, scanning the titles even as his thoughts lingered on her. She was so unabashedly sincere, so quick to express herself without reservation. It was entirely unlike him, and yet he found it oddly refreshing.

“What kind of books do you like?” Prim asked suddenly, breaking his train of thought.

“Primarily academic texts,” Riddle replied. “I don’t often read for leisure.”

“That makes sense,” she said with a nod. “You’re so disciplined, Riddle. I admire that about you.”

He glanced at her, momentarily speechless. She said it so matter-of-factly, as if her praise was simply the truth. “Thank you,” he said quietly, unsure of how else to respond.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The walk back from the bookstore was peaceful, with Prim happily clutching her new diary to her chest. She was chatting about the various things she planned to write in it—her favorite moments, her thoughts on the day, and even the little goals she set for herself. Riddle listened quietly, his hands neatly folded behind his back, offering the occasional nod or small response.

As they reached a crossroads in the park, Prim slowed her pace, her expression shifting slightly. “I should probably start studying when I get back,” she said with a small sigh. “I’ve got this one chapter that’s been giving me so much trouble.”

Riddle raised an eyebrow. “What subject?”

“Potions,” Prim replied, scrunching her nose. “There’s this one section about ingredient interactions that I just can’t wrap my head around. It’s like the words blur together every time I try to read it.”

He stopped walking, considering her words. He remembered studying potions theory himself the year prior. It wasn’t an easy subject, especially when it came to understanding the subtleties of ingredient dynamics. But he’d mastered it, of course.

Prim tilted her head, glancing at him curiously. “What is it?”

Riddle felt a flicker of hesitation. The idea of offering his help seemed straightforward enough, but his mind began to overanalyze. Would it be strange to suggest it? They were friends now, weren’t they? And helping a friend was a reasonable thing to do.

But what if she felt pressured to accept? Prim had always been eager to please, and the last thing he wanted was for her to feel obligated. Still, she had said she was glad they were friends. Surely she wouldn’t find the gesture unwelcome?

“Riddle?” Prim’s voice was soft, her gaze searching his.

He straightened, pushing his doubts aside with a deep breath. “If you’re struggling with that chapter,” he began carefully, “I could help you study.”

He watched her expression closely, his heart beating just a little faster as he waited for her response.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Prim’s POV

Prim clutched her study books tightly to her chest as she walked toward Night Raven College. The path to the all-boys school was winding, but she didn’t mind. The weather was nice, the air crisp, and her heart felt unusually light.

She couldn’t stop thinking about the day before, when Riddle had offered to help her with her potions studies. It had been so unexpected, and the moment he’d asked, she’d said yes without hesitation.

Of course, she was grateful for his help. Riddle was brilliant—he knew so much, and she was certain he’d explain things far better than her textbook ever could. But more than that, the thought of spending time with him made her genuinely happy.

She smiled to herself, her steps quickening as she remembered the feeling. She’d made an actual friend.

In high school, she’d been alone more often than not. She tried to fit in, but it was like she didn’t quite know how. Her curls were too unruly, her braces too shiny, and her lisp made her stumble over words when she was nervous. She remembered watching other girls gather in groups, laughing and chatting easily, while she lingered on the edges, hoping to be noticed.

When she’d started college, she promised herself things would be different. She’d make friends this time, no matter what. And she had—Hazel, Trinity, and Opal had been quick to include her. But it hadn’t taken long to realize that their kindness only went so far.

Prim sighed softly, her grip tightening on her books. Her so-called friends weren’t really nice to her, not in the way that mattered. She knew that. But wasn’t it better to have bad friends than none at all?

At least, that’s what she used to believe.

But then there was Riddle. He was so different from anyone she’d met before—kind in his own quiet, composed way. He didn’t laugh at her or make her feel small. When he talked to her, it felt like he actually saw her, not just the odd girl with the curls and the braces.

Riddle is a real friend, she thought, her heart fluttering.

She almost started skipping as she neared the gates of Night Raven College, her excitement outweighing her nerves. The idea of walking into an all-boys school was a little intimidating, but she didn’t let it bother her. Riddle had offered to help, and she was determined to make the most of it.

When the imposing gates of the school came into view, Prim spotted a familiar figure waiting for her.

Riddle stood with his hands clasped neatly in front of him, his posture as straight and proper as ever. He spotted her immediately and stepped forward.

“Good afternoon, Prim,” he said, his tone formal but not unfriendly.

“Hi, Riddle!” she greeted, her voice bright as she hurried up to him. “Thanks for meeting me.”

“It’s no trouble,” he replied, gesturing toward the campus. “I thought it would be best to guide you directly to my dorm. Night Raven College can be... confusing to navigate if you’re unfamiliar.”

She nodded eagerly, her nerves momentarily forgotten. “I really appreciate it. I’ll try not to get in the way too much!”

Riddle gave a small shake of his head. “You’re not in the way. I offered, didn’t I?”

Her smile widened at his words, and as they began walking, she glanced around, taking in the grand architecture of the school.

“It’s such a big campus,” she said, her awe evident. “It must be amazing to go here.”

“It has its merits,” Riddle said simply, though there was a faint note of pride in his voice.

Prim followed him through the gates and into the courtyard, her excitement bubbling up again. She had no idea what to expect, but one thing was certain—Riddle was her friend now. She can’t wait for tonight, when she can write in her diary about today.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Riddle’s POV

As Riddle led Prim through the gates of Heartslabyul, he noticed the usual shift in demeanor among his dormmates. Students standing idly by quickly straightened their postures, their conversations quieting as they noticed him. It was routine, of course—expected behavior from those under his jurisdiction—but it wasn’t something he’d ever given much thought to.

Prim, however, seemed to notice. She glanced around curiously as they passed a group of first-years who hurriedly bowed their heads in greeting.

“Good afternoon, Housewarden!” one of them called.

Prim blinked, slowing her steps slightly. “Housewarden?” she repeated, looking at Riddle.

He cleared his throat, feeling a faint warmth creep up his neck. “Yes,” he said stiffly. “I am the housewarden of Heartslabyul.”

Her eyes widened as the pieces seemed to fall into place. “Ohhh, that makes so much sense now!” she said, her voice light with realization. “No wonder everyone is so respectful around you. You’re in charge!”

Riddle frowned slightly, his usual composure slipping just a little. “It’s merely my duty,” he said, trying to downplay the significance.

Prim, however, seemed delighted. “That’s amazing, Riddle! You must be really good at what you do for them to listen to you like that.”

Her praise caught him off guard, and he quickly turned his attention back to the path, his face warming further. “It’s nothing remarkable. Let’s continue to my room.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When they reached his room, Riddle opened the door and stepped aside to let Prim in. She hesitated for a moment before walking in, clutching her books tightly.

“I’ve never been in a boy’s room before,” she said with a small giggle, glancing around.

Riddle stiffened, his hand tightening slightly on the doorknob. “It’s just a room,” he said quickly, closing the door behind them.

Prim wandered further inside, her eyes wide as she took in the neat, organized space. The room was larger than she had expected, with a tidy desk, bookshelves filled to the brim, and a large canopy bed. Everything was perfectly arranged, a reflection of Riddle’s meticulous nature.

“This is so nice!” she said, smiling as she turned to him. “It’s so... Riddle.”

He blinked. “What do you mean by that?”

“It’s so neat and organized,” she said, laughing lightly. “It just feels like you. I love it.”

Her laughter was high but not too loud often accompanied by a snort. It was infectious and Riddle found himself relaxing slightly.

Prim grinned, plopping herself onto the edge of the chair near his desk and opening her books. “Okay, ready to study?”

He nodded, pulling out a chair for himself and settling in beside her. “Let’s begin. You mentioned you were struggling with ingredient interactions?”

As they worked through the chapter, Riddle was surprised by how focused Prim was. Though she had trouble grasping some of the concepts at first, she listened intently to his explanations, asking thoughtful questions and jotting down notes.

Her enthusiasm was refreshing, and Riddle found himself genuinely enjoying the session.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A knock at the door interrupted them just as Prim was beginning to understand a particularly tricky concept.

“Come in,” Riddle called, glancing up.

The door opened to reveal Trey, carrying a tray of freshly baked cookies. He smiled when he saw them. “I thought you two might want a snack,” he said, placing the tray on the desk.

Prim’s eyes lit up. “Oh, wow! These look amazing!”

“They’re still warm,” Trey said with a chuckle. “Help yourselves.”

Prim picked up a cookie and took a bite, her eyes widening in delight. “These are so good!” she said, her voice muffled slightly by the cookie.

Riddle picked one up as well, though he was far more reserved in his reaction. “Thank you, Trey,” he said politely.

Trey turned to Prim, bowing his head slightly wearing a kind smile. “Nice to meet you, I’m Trey, the vice housewarden of Heartslabyul.”

Prim sat up straight and returned his smile with one of her own. “Nice to meet you too! I’m Prim!”

Trey smiled knowingly, glancing between the two of them. “Well… Let me know if you need anything else,” he said before heading out.

As the door closed, Prim turned to Riddle, her smile as bright as ever. “Your dormmates are so nice. And these cookies? Best study snack ever.”

Riddle nodded, feeling a faint sense of pride in Heartslabyul’s hospitality. “Trey is an excellent baker,” he said.

Prim grinned, holding up her notebook. “And you’re an excellent teacher. I’m actually starting to get this now!”

Riddle looked at her, his expression softening. “You’re a quick learner,” he said. “You just needed someone to explain it in a way that made sense to you.”

Her smile widened, and she leaned forward slightly. “Thanks, Riddle. Really. You’re the best.”

His face warmed again, and he quickly turned back to the open book in front of him. “Let’s continue,” he said, his voice a little tighter than usual.

Prim giggled, taking another bite of her cookie before diving back into her notes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Riddle shifted in his chair, trying to focus on the textbook in front of him, but his thoughts kept wandering. It wasn’t the material that distracted him—he’d long since mastered the subject—but rather Prim, who was sitting just a little too close.

She was leaning forward slightly, her notebook open as she jotted down notes, the end of her pencil tapping lightly against her lip in thought. Her blonde curls framed her face in soft spirals, bouncing faintly with every movement. Her braces gleamed when she smiled, the colorful elastics drawing his attention in a way he didn’t expect.

When she spoke, her slight lisp added an unexpected charm to her words, her voice full of enthusiasm even as she struggled with the material.

Riddle frowned slightly, feeling a warmth creep up his neck. He wasn’t used to this—having someone so close, so lively, so...

He surprised himself when the thought crossed his mind: She’s kind of cute.

The realization made his stomach twist, and he quickly looked back at his book, his posture stiffening. Focus, Riddle, he scolded himself silently. You’re here to help her study, nothing more.

Still, it was difficult to ignore her presence, especially when she turned to him with that bright smile, her gratitude shining in her eyes.

When their study session ended, Prim packed up her books, her smile never fading. “Thank you so much, Riddle,” she said for what felt like the tenth time. “You’re seriously the best. I actually feel like I understand this now!”

“It was no trouble,” he replied, his voice clipped as he tried to maintain his composure.

Riddle walked her back to the gates, insisting on showing her the way in case she would get lost. Walking back they made a bit of small talk and Riddle could feel the stares. But he tried to ignore them, he was just walking his friend out. 

Prim slung her bag over her shoulder, pausing when they arrived at the gates. “I’ll see you soon, okay? Thanks again!”

She waved cheerfully before walking back to her own dorm, leaving Riddle alone.

He let out a small breath, his shoulders relaxing. The session had gone well, but he couldn’t shake the strange fluttering sensation in his chest.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Later, in the Heartslabyul lounge, Riddle sat with a book in hand, though his thoughts kept drifting back to Prim’s visit.

“Hey, Riddle!”

He looked up to see Trey and Cater approaching, both wearing knowing smiles.

“How did the study session go?” Trey asked casually, though there was a glint of curiosity in his eyes.

“Was she nice? Fun? Cute?” Cater added, leaning in with a teasing grin.

Riddle frowned, not catching the implication. “It went well. She understood the material by the end, and she was very polite.”

Cater’s grin widened. “Oh, ‘polite,’ huh? That’s it?”

“She seemed... eager to learn,” Riddle continued, ignoring Cater’s tone.

Trey chuckled softly. “And you were okay with her being in your space? You usually don’t let just anyone into your room.”

Riddle hesitated, adjusting his tie. “She’s a friend,” he said finally. “It’s natural to help a friend, isn’t it?” Calling her a friend almost made him feel proud.

Cater exchanged a look with Trey, his grin turning sly. “Right. A ‘friend.’”

Before Riddle could respond, the lounge door burst open, and Ace and Deuce strolled in.

“Hey, Housewarden!” Ace called, plopping down on one of the couches. “We heard you had a guest today.”

Deuce looked confused. “Guest?”

“Yeah,” Ace said, smirking. “A girl.”

Riddle’s grip on his book tightened. “What of it?”

“C’mon, spill! Is she your girlfriend or something?” Ace asked, leaning forward with an exaggerated grin.

Riddle’s face turned red, and he slammed his book shut. “O-of course not!” he snapped, his voice sharp.

Ace burst out laughing, clearly enjoying himself. “Whoa, calm down! I was just asking.”

“She’s a friend, nothing more,” Riddle said firmly, glaring at Ace.

Deuce, sensing the tension, elbowed Ace. “Knock it off, Ace. You’re being rude.”

“What? I’m just curious!” Ace said, still grinning.

Riddle stood abruptly, his expression stern. “If you’re finished with your childish remarks, I have work to do.”

He strode out of the lounge, his cape billowing behind him, leaving the others behind.

Trey shook his head, though he was smiling faintly. “You pushed too hard, Ace.”

“Aw, come on,” Ace said, leaning back with a laugh. “You can’t blame me for asking. Did you see how flustered he got?”

Cater grinned. “I don’t know, Ace. Maybe he’s just new to this whole ‘having friends’ thing.”

“Or maybe,” Trey said with a small chuckle, “he’s starting to realize that having a friend like Prim might be a little more important to him than he thought.”

None of them noticed the faint blush creeping up Riddle’s ears as he listened just outside the door, his grip tightening on his book.

Anyways here's the old drawings I had on the Sian and Yuzu bio posts. For those who will miss them like I mentioned in the post right before this one.

Those 2 OC bios have been edited and have the drawings/image replaced.

Sian's Bio Yuzu's Bio

Turns out I'm really in an art kick the past few days huh.

So yeah I've updated Sian's and Yuzu's Bio to have these drawings in them instead of the old drawings I had in them.

Don't worry imma repost the old drawings in a sec for those who liked the old ones.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Also have this detailed drawing of one of Sian's wings. (both wings have the same design its just flipped btw the two)

Rebloging this as I have recently edited and updated a few stuff on the bio including adding my drawing of Yumi Saito.

Return home AU oc bio

Timeline 3 bio

Name: Yumi Saito

Pronouns: she/he/they

Appearance: androgenous,black short hair (partially dyed black), brown Almond eyes.

Will be mistaken as biologically male from many in twisted wonderland during books 1 & 2. Yumi is AFAB. Yumi doesn't care what gender others see/identity her as and is cassgender.

Dorm affiliation: Ramshackle, would totally be sorted into Pomfiore if she had lots of magic potential like NRC students.

Species: human

Year and class: Freshmen, class 1-A

Birthday: July 10th

Age: 16

Height: 165cms (5"4)

Is between Riddle and Kalim's height.

Dominant hand: right handed

Homeland: Queendom of Roses, somewhere in the U.S. haven't decided where specifically yet

Club: whatever grim picks, is unofficial member of Photography club.

Best subject: Alchemy

Hobby: photography

Dislikes: overblots

Favorite food: oatmeal cookies

Least favorite food: whatever Aria's worst experimental food combo meals are.

Talents: beast tamer, babysitting, dealing with overblots apparently

Other: Yumi is Crewel's niece.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yumi gives tough girl vibes. Is very persistent and stubborn. She is determined to reach her goal of returning back to the magic less world and reunite with her family there. This causes tension and drama between Crewel and Yumi. Since Crewel is against her leaving Twisted Wonderland again. He just got her back after all.

So as I can see I pulled out my light tracer box to redraw my Aria but with her eye patch on this time.

So yeah reposting this since I edited and added my drawing of Aria into this bio. post.

Return home AU oc bio

The eye patch is in the design of a white rose being painted red. It's supposed to match and resemble the rose brooches on the Heartslabyul dorm uniforms.

No red paint was used in making of this eypatch tho.

Timeline 3 bio

Name: Aria Whitecourt

Pronouns: She/her

Species: appears human

Appearance: I keep switching from long silver hair and long platinum blonde hair.

She is constantly wearing a eye patch over her right eye (usually medical square patch ones or rose shape/design ones).

For book one it appears she has regular blue human eyes but closer inspection they are colored cosplay contacts hiding their true appearance. She stops wearing them by mid book 3.

Dorm affiliation: Heartslabyul

Year and class: Freshmen

Birthday: November 13th

Age: 18

Height: 170cms (5"6)

Is slightly taller than Kalim.

Dominant hand: right-handed

Homeland: Clock Town

Club: photography

Best subject: Art

Hobby: arts & crafts

Dislikes: being left out of things, being blatantly ignored.

Favorite food: peanut butter & pickles, Anything with strawberries.

Least favorite food: hasn't found one yet

Talents:keeping a cool head in the face of absolute chaos. however wont stop her from mental breakdowns after a 'nightmare' tho.

Other: Aria is loosely based on the white queen and the white rabbit. very loosely tho. She can be a little spacey and loose track of time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aria give Kuudere vibes. They seem cold, quiet, serious, and unapproachable at first but is an absolute sweetheart once u get to know her. She is socially awkward on expressing her emotions and just comes off as cool and indifferent. She shows her love through acts of service. Due to failing at forming friendships in the past so much she leans on Yumi for help a lot regarding socializing and making new friends when they first end up at NRC.

Finally was in the mood to draw my ov Aria Whitecourt.

Since there's no eye patch this isn't timeline 3 Aria.

Maybe I can redraw this later with a eye patch later for timeline 3 bio.

So yeah rebloging this since I edited and added my oc drawing to this character bio post.

Return home AU oc bio

Timeline 2 bio

(Blue text is whatever matches with Aria's Bio from Timeline 3. This is done so u can easily pick out the differences between Aria T2 vs Aria T3.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Name: Aria Whitecourt

Pronouns: She/her

Species: appears mostly human. Has Fae like slit pupils. Red Fae-like eyes.

Appearance: I keep switching from long silver hair and long platinum blonde hair. Has red eyes with slitted pupils, just Like Lilia.

Dorm affiliation: Heartslabyul

Year and class: Junior

Birthday: November 13th

Age: 18

Height: 170cms (5"6)

Is slightly taller than Kalim.

Dominant hand: right-handed

Homeland: Queendom of Roses

Club: Gargoyle Research Society

Best subject: Art

Hobby: Gardening

Dislikes: being picked on, seeing her friends hurt, & being left out of things.

Favorite food: peanut butter & pickles, Anything with strawberries.

Least favorite food: Lilia's cooking

Talents: multitasking and balancing school and personal life. Keeping a cool head in the face of absolute chaos. however, won't stop her from mental breakdowns after a 'nightmare' tho.

Other: Aria is loosely based on the white queen and the white rabbit. very loosely tho. She can be a little spacey and lose track of time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aria seems quiet, serious, and unapproachable at first but is an absolute sweetheart once u get to know her. She is a little socially awkward on expressing her emotions and just comes off as indifferent most of the time. She shows her love through acts of service and genuine compliments. Aria is seen as a well-respected upperclassman of the Heartslabyul dorm. Is seen as a big sister figure to the Heartslabyul dorm. It took a while but is a frequent and welcomed visitor to the Diasomnia dorm as well.

plush cat sewing himself back together 🪡

Happy New year everyone!

No matter how late or early I may be on wishing ya one!

Wish y'all a happy, relaxing, and fulfilling year ahead of us!

most important part of the writing process actually is when you loop a single song on max volume and stare at the word document and imagine the characters doing things for 14 hours. this is known as getting in the zone

Missing Heartslabyul student panic, Ace part 1

Intro, part one,

In which Aria is missing and the Heartslabyul duo finds out she has disappeared and looks for her.

It was supposed to be just another night at NRC. Ace and Deuce sleeping at their dorm room with two other freshmen.

Ace got up from bed and couldn't sleep.

So, he decided to walk around the dorm, possibly headed to see if he could get a snack. While passing the hallways he hears someone shout in distress. It sounded like Aria; it was even coming in the direction of her dorm room. Ace didn't like the sound of that and rushed to her door.

Nothing, there was no more noise besides his hurried footsteps. Ace slowed down and made it to her bedroom door. Was she in trouble or just spooked by a pranking dorm mate.

He hesitated by the door.

'Ah, What the hell' he thought as he decided he would at least check to see if she's okay. If Aria wasn't in trouble, he could just play it off no sweat, he was up already regardless.

Ace knocked on Aria's door.

No answer

"Aria you there?"

No answer

He waited another minute.

Then he got tired of waiting and went inside. Didn't take him long to notice Aria wasn't there, her blankets tossed over a bit and her bedsheets a mess.

Aria clearly was using the bed earlier tonight. Ace was gonna text Aria next but then noticed she left her phone on her nightstand.

Ah shit

Aria had vanished and even left her phone behind.

Ace tried to recall what he heard Aria shout.

Panic sets in.

She had shouted "let me go!"

Ace left the room and tried looking for signs of a struggle outside of the room.

Nothing

'Maybe they knocked Aria out? Ugh this wasn't good at all.' Ace thought.

Ace searched around the dorm some more before taking a break in his dorm room exhausted.

What did Aria do that led to getting kidnapped?

But more importantly who dare kidnap Aria?

He grumbled again.

After over an hour of searching Ace has had it. However, he can't bring himself to end his search either despite running himself ragged internally while maintaining an air of nonchalance outwardly.

He has decided he can't suffer thru this alone as he returns to his room and proceeds to shake Deuce away.

"Huh what Ace!? what's going on?"

"I need it help finding Aria and deal with whoever took her" Ace stated

"Uh sure, do u see where she went?" Deuce asked

"No I didn't, if I did I wouldn't have bothered getting you to join me in finding her"

"oh. Any leads on where she could be?"

Ace groans and just tells him all he knew between hearing her shout "let me go" to someone, seeing the messy bed and the fact Aria's cell phone was left behind in her room.

Deuce paled upon hearing the news. Aria has been kidnapped and held against her will who knows where. He for sure isn't hesitating on lending a hand to go find Aria and beat her kidnapers till their faces are an unrecognizable bloody mess.

Deuce, once Ace finished telling him what he knew about Aria's disappearance rushed off to search all of Heartslabyul.

Ace runs after him, calling him a moron and a blockhead.

Thus the search for Aria continues.

Masterlist

Last edited/updated: March 24, 2025

I wasn't expecting to be in a writing mood after spending the day with family celebrating Christmas but here we are.

So yeah, i found myself inspired to write and post a little Christmas themed oneshot for my OC Yumi Saito tonight. Hope y'all enjoy it.

Also I wish y'all a Merry Christmas and a happy new year!

Yeah ik I might be a tad late depending on timezones but IDC that won't stop me from wishing y'all to have a great time!

Winter Night thoughts.

Yumi contemplates spending Christmas without the family she grew fond of back in the magic less world.

Tis was late at night, a few days before Christmas.

The hearth of Ramshackle longue was alight with a warm glow.

Not small bugs or critters scurried about Ramshackles halls.

Grim was snoring up a storm in the prefect's bed.

Yumi the perfect herself was downstairs nursing a cup of hot coco while sitting on one of the couches in Ramshackle's longue near the furnace.

She sighed heavily.

She looks towards her phone in a grimace.

So many texts and Christmas invitations she had refused littered her text history.

Yumi looks away from her phone and sighs again.

'I wonder how mom and dad are doing, not to mention my siblings back at home'

Home...

What a funny word.

So many tried to help Yumi find a 'home' in twisted wonderland, but none satisfied her.

Yumi misses her home back at the magic less world she grew up more than any of her friends could offer her. Nothing could replace her family and strong feelings of belonging that she possessed back there.

Yumi looked back at her phone and flipped thru her messages and sighed once more.

Whether she liked it or not someone was too stubborn and persistent that she ended up giving in and promising to join them for Christmas.

It was Professor Crewel. Apparently, she was related to him by blood. Yumi was not looking forward to it, perhaps she should've given in to Aria's invitation. At least then she could've avoided her blood related family for Christmas. Worried that they are trying to tie her down into this world, one she is determined to leave for her family and friends back in the magic less world whom she missed so much.

Then again, perhaps it's a good reason to spend Christmas with Professor Crewel's family. For this Christmas may be the only one they will get to enjoy with her if Yumi's plans succeed.

It wasn't like Crewel and his family were unkind or bad people. So, it wouldn't be a terrible Christmas if she spent it with them this year.

Yumi sighed.

'I should stop thinking negatively about this and just enjoy Christmas with them regardless of whether I'm staying or leaving twisted wonderland later'

Yumi got up from the couch and went to put out the furnace fire before placing her empty cup in the sink and heading upstairs.

'I wonder how different Christmas will be for me the rest of the year it's already been a wild ride of a winter break:

Yumi smiled.

It wasn't the most pleasant pass few weeks with the whole ordeal at Scrabia that occurred. However, the party afterwards at Scrabia followed by the one held at Ramshackle was delightful.

It was sweet having her friends that came to her rescue from Scrabia stay by her side for a bit longer even after confirming the danger was already dealt with.

Yumi wasn't expecting to have a party at Ramshackle with so many ppl some who were supposed to be away all winter break.

Ace, Deuce, and Aria.

Aria's mother was also there, and they managed to convince Lilia to stay for a while after he gave Yumi a Christmas letter. Oh, and how could she forget Silver. Lilia invited him to join in the Ramshackle party. Those two apparently decided to stay at Diasomnia during the winter break.

Apparently, the ghosts had decorated the dorm a tad for the holidays while Yumi was at Scrabia. Along with tending to NRCs fire fairies. Ramshackle also got a feast, one that Grim demanded from Crowley before the winter break had started.

It was a wonderful winter break so far and it's not over yet with Professor Crewel coming over tomorrow morning to pick Yumi up. Winter break and celebrating Christmas was yet to end for her. Yumi started to look forward to it once more.

She also hoped and wished all her friends in both worlds along with her family back in the magic less world a very merry and wonderful Christmas.

Yumi made it to her room and patted the head of the snoring Grim among her pillows with a soft smile.

She was not leaving him behind for Christmas. She managed to convince the professor to let Grim tag along for the trip.

Yumi yawns and stretches before heading back to bed.

Yes, this Christmas was gonna be different for her, but it was gonna be a wonderful time and a memory to cherish forevermore regardless of her apprehension prior to tonight.

I already edited this in the end of my Sian & Yuzu background post just now.

I'm probably gonna rewatch TinkerBell and the lost treasure. I wanna add that festival/event as something that is celebrated at Sian's hometown.

I remember this Tinkerbell movie and thought it would be a cute way to include Sian & Yuzu having unique holidays/festivities from their world.

I dunno if I'll add anymore specific festivals or holiday events for Sian's world. They will still be generic seasonal festivals and a harvest festival in their world.

Birthdays, mothers day, and father's day, will also exist in Sian's world.

List of OCS from Children of Laughter Twst Au

Yuzu - the yuusona of this Au.

Sian - childhood friend and older sister figure to Yuzu.

Anthe - (Sian's twin brother) he is also a laughter born fairy/pixie but is a tinker talent fairy unlike Sian.

'Prince' - he is a long time friend of Sian and Anthe. Sian teases him by nicknaming him 'my prince' just to mess with him when having to introduce her to new ppl. Prince is same age as Sian and Anthe. I haven't settled on a permanent name for this oc so until then I'm referring him as 'Prince'.

Charlotte - 9 year old human girl who lives in the village near Yuzu's cottage. Charlotte loves venturing to the cottage and playing games with Yuzu.

Yuzu's younger brother (he's like 12-13yrs old)

Yuzu's deceased parents.

Princes older Brother the current king of his hometown.

& Prince's parents

Sian and Yuzu's background

They live in a magical medieval fantasy world.

Recently before getting isekaied Yuzu lived in a cottage in the woods not to far off from a village settlement. Sian usually hangs out at a castle with her childhood friend 'Prince'.

Sian used to live in a hometown full of pixie fairies like her, think of pixie hollow and the Tinkerbell movies.

My point is Yuzu and Sian are actually in a more similar boat as Grim not knowing Holidays from Twisted wonderland.

Not to mention also being very outdated on technology and confused by them. Hell Ace on week one had to point out the light switch in Ramshackle, used it and surprised the two girls with the power of electric light sources.

So yeah these OCS are from a world of magic but not a modern world of magic unlike twisted wonderland.

Also pixie Fae from Sian & Yuzu's world are a tad different or at least the laughter born ones are. Sian being one of those fairies/pixies.

I think my OCS from this Au have experience or heard of generic seasonal festivals in their world.

Birthdays, mothers day, and father's day, will also exist in Sian's world.

Might need to further look into what holidays or celebrations their medieval fantasy world might hold, that includes any fairy related holidays like in one of the tinker bell movies.

So I'm probably gonna rewatch TinkerBell and the lost treasure. I wanna add that festival/event as something that is celebrated at Sian's hometown.

Missing Heartslabyul student panic, Deuce part 1

Intro, part 1

In which Aria is missing and the Heartslabyul duo finds out she has disappeared and looks for her.

It was supposed to be just another night at NRC. Ace and Deuce sleeping in their dorm room with two other freshmen.

Deuce woke up from a nightmare.

One where he failed to be the honor student he strives to be and has disappointed his mom.

He decided to go downstairs and get a drink. Hopefully it isn't against the Queen of Hearts rule to drink water in the middle of the night but considering the other drink and food related rules he vaguely remembered and heard it's possible he might be breaking another rule without realizing it again.

On his way back from the kitchen, still drinking what remains of his glass of water he hears something distressing.

It was a shout from a student in distress they sound panicked.

Did another student get caught by Riddle breaking the rules. No there wasn't any noise after that, and he was sure the shout wasn't Riddle shouting his signature spell.

He walked over to the area he thought the noise came from and knocked on a few doors. He first knocked on Aria's door but got no response.

He knocked on the next door as a disgruntled student swung the door open clearly grumpy from being woken up.

"What is it!?!"

"can't you see were all trying to sleep, what is so damn important to wake us up this late at night!?" Said the Heartslabyul student.

"I heard a shout come from here and thought someone was in trouble, I don't suppose that was you by chance" Deuce mentioned with a nervous voice as he scratched the back of his neck.

"It wasn't me it clearly came from that one-eyed girl, why don't you tell her to keep it down, some of us are trying to sleep" He grumbled before closing the door on Deuce.

Huh that's strange if Aria was the one who shouted, why didn't she answer the door earlier. Maybe she's still half asleep or perhaps she didn't hear him knock.

Deuce goes back to Aria's door and tries knocking again.

No answer

He tries again.

No answer

Deuce finishes drinking the glass of water still in his hand.

'Should I go in?'

"Hey Aria, it's me Deuce may I come in?"

No answer

Maybe she fell back asleep.

Deuce then proceeds to return his glass of water to the kitchen.

Deuce after returning the empty glass realized. When's the last time he heard Aria shout at all? Maybe during the last overblot.

Hm perhaps this was serious.

Deuce walks back to Aria's door and knocks again.

"Aria are you in there?"

No answer.

Deuce sighs.

"I'm coming in please don't punch me. I'm just worried about the shout I heard from ya earlier" Deuce explained.

Still no answer.

Deuce opens the door slowly. Looks like the door was unlocked, did Aria forget to lock it. She was the only girl sorted into Heartslabyul so Riddle gave her a room to herself since it be against the rules for boys and girls to sleep in the same room and had even made sure Aria's door had a lock on it.

Deuce slowly walks into the room and closes the door behind him.

"Aria you there I heard your shout earlier. Is everything alright?" Deuce said quietly with a tinge of fear and doubt in his voice.

"Aria?' he called out once more.

He made it to her desk and turned on the lamp. Looking at the bed it didn't take long to realize she was not here. Her bed looks like a mess.

'What could have happened to Aria between the shouting and now?'

Back in Ace and Deuce's dorm room.

He left the bedroom and tried looking around for any sight of her before returning to his room.

"Ace! Ace wake up! I think something terrible has happened"

Deuce said as he was shaking Ace awake from their bed.

"Ugh wat time is it? what do you mean by something terrible happen are you sure you're not imagining things or overreacting again Deuce"

"It's [insert time between 3am and 7am here], could you please just help me look for her?"

"Ugh... her? which one are you referring to?"

"Aria, I heard her shout something and she's gone. I'm worried she's seriously missing" Deuce

Really Deuce got him up just because Aria made a loud noise that spooked him and can't find her.

Sighs

"what's in it for me?"

"Huh?"

"I'm not gonna help ya look for a wandering student for you without getting something out of it, so again what's in it for me?"

"uh?" Deuce scratched the back of his head.

"I dunno maybe a [insert bribe, favor or chores to do in Ace's stead here]"

"Man. You're really antsy about this, fine I'll do it but only cause you owe me one" Ace replied.

The two proceeded to search all over Heartslabyul dorm with no luck.

Deuce sighs in relief as the two of them leave their bedroom off to search for Aria.

"Man, this is a drag are you sure she's missing it's not like she's been gone for that long right?" Ace whined.

Deuce scratched the back of his head.

"I dunno I really don't think she leave so suddenly after a shout like that, without it being something serious"

"Well whether she's gone serious or not I don't think we will find her around the dorm anytime soon" Ace mentions.

"Yeah, I wonder where she could be? Oh I know what about Ramshackle!"

"Sure, we can check their next as long as you don't mind waking up that Grumpy cat and incurring Yuu's wrath" Ace said.

And thus the one braincell Heartslabyul duo leaves the dorm and heads to Ramshackle.

Master List

Last updated/edited: March 24, 2025

The Nightmare Part 2

Content Warning: character death and immense bleeding.

Spoiler Warning: on unique magic from Diasomnia.

other parts: part 1, part 3

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Aria jumped startled and disappeared instantly teleporting away all of a sudden, only red sparkles remained for the next few seconds before fading away.

Thump, Bang

"Eep!"

Crash

"…Ugh"

"Hmm? Oh? what are you doing here child?"

Aria is hunched over on the floor the pocket watch lays nearby on the floor. She looks up and turns her head to see Lilia on her right, sitting at his desk clearly in the middle of playing videogames with an online friend.

"I- I was…Urk" she shuttered and clutched her head as the nightmarish scene flashed in her mind, the wounds still fresh digging into her mind.

Once the image plaguing her mind vanished, she looked over to see Lilia crouched down right next to her, now rubbing circles into her back trying his best to soothe the poor girl.

All of a sudden, the door to the room is slammed open with a heavy bang. revealing a very distressed and panicked Silver breathing heavily.

"I heard a loud noise is everything alright Fa-……" notices Aria in the room "Lilia?"

Lilia looks over to Silver and flashes him a grin.

"It appears that I have an unexpected visitor tonight" Lilia chucked making light of the situation to ease the tension within the room.

Lilia reaches his hand out towards Aria. Aria proceeds to take his hand as they both get up from the floor. Now looking around and taking in her surrounds Aria can tell she is in fact in Lilia's room within Diasomnia of all places.

. . .

Breathes in

Breathes out

Aria then looks down and sees her pocket watch on the floor and immediately goes to pick it up once more. Cradling in within her hands up against her chest.

"I apologize for the intrusion Vice warden Lilia," Looks towards Silver and nods "and to you as well, it appears I have teleported here in my half wake state after having an intense dream."

"it's no trouble at all. Are you feeling better my child?"

Aria nods.

"I should head back to my dorm now"

"aw so soon but you just got here, your not even gonna stay over for a little bit you gonna make me cry, sobs"

. . .

Aria contemplates staying, feeling uneasy as she squeezes the pocket watch in her hands.

Breaths in

Breaths out

"I guess I could stay for a few more minutes." Aria relents.

"Wonderful!" Lilia claps his hands together before looking towards Silver. "Silver? mind escorting Aria down to the lounge while I go make ourselves something to drink"

Silver goes pale in the face.

"Aria came to visit you Lilia, so how about i make us drinks and you take her to the lounge"

"Hmm fine you make a fair point then we will do just that instead" Lilia remarked.

Silver promptly leaves the bedroom and goes down the hallway. After turning a corner, he leans up against the wall, his hand clutching at his chest, his heartbeat erratic. Beads of sweat dropped from his forehead.

Inhales, Exhales.

Silver was coming to grips on what he just saw, what they both saw in her nightmare.

Tonight was a lot. It was strange that his unique magic took him to Aria's dream. Usually, he ends up in the dreams of those he's close to like Sebek.

A loud piercing noise could be heard as Silver's eyes went wide. Looking towards Aria and Lilia about 30 feet away from him.

So, it was certainly a surprise when he saw the white dove circling Aria as Silver stood nearby in the ruins of the mirror chamber going unnoticed as an overblot fight was occurring with what appeared to be a large dire beast with blue flames coming out of it.

Silver witnessed one of the beast tails has impaled Lilia's chest.

Blood spills out of his father's mouth as Lilia coughs. The overblotted beast's tail retracts from Lilia's body as he falls down to the ground with a harsh thud, huge amounts of blood pour out of the hole in Lilia's chest.

Silver wastes no time running straight towards Aria and Lilia.

"LILIA!" Aria screams as Silver wraps an arm around her waist and pulls Aria away from Lilia.

Silver then proceeds to lift Aria up and off the ground as he tosses her over his shoulder and runs out of the room before Aria could crumple down to the floor sobbing next to Lilia's gravely injured body.

Silver needs to get the girl away and to a safe distance before he can calm her down properly.

As much as it pains him to leave his father like that dream or not. He has to remind himself that he needs to attend to the dreamer first. Calming them down so he can hopefully change this nightmare back to a peaceful dream before it's too late.

Aria pounds her fists upon Silver's back.

"Let me go!" She yelled.

Silver instantly mutters back a apology to the girl as he continues to run away with her draped over his shoulder.

Silver's mind reels back from recalling Aria's recent nightmare. Silver pulls himself off from against the wall and heads towards Diasomnia's kitchen.

Unfortunately, before Silver could finish running towards a safer location Aria wakes up and the nightmare crumples away. Silver ends up waking up as well.