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kaleidoscopewonderland · 1 year

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Platonic & Romantic Headcanons ✧ Ruggie Bucchi

Notes: Y'all I wrote this during August of 2022 😟 But since I won't be able to write Ruggie's birthday fic for a while (y'know, college season), I wanted to get something out there for him because he is, without a doubt, my favorite ♡

So here's some Ruggie content! Much love and please enjoy ♡

Platonic

You first started to get closer to Ruggie after learning about his food budget

Of course, Ruggie was beyond capable of taking care of himself, and you knew that. However, it was a bit ridiculous he’d have to be so wary of what he ate while at school, meanwhile you could dine with the rest of the students without so much as a penny (thaumark, rather) to your name.

Crowley wasn’t the benevolent soul he thought he was, but at least with all the life-or-death situations he threw you blindly into, he let you and Grim eat as much as you wanted from the cafeteria, and Ramshackle was always stocked with plenty of food.

You don’t remember your exact wording—all you remember is mentioning to Ruggie your generous supply of food, which was more than two people (you and Grim) had any business consuming. Since you knew he appreciated food, he was more than welcome to join the two of you at any time--that's what you told him anyways.

Thus, mealtimes became a thing between you and Ruggie.

It took Ruggie a while to figure out you really had no ulterior motive—that you weren’t trying to bribe him or get something out of him, you were just the kind of person who didn’t mind sharing your excess. He wasn’t always so generous—he took care of his community, sure, but he had no such loyalties to you in the beginning. After a while, though, he’s gotten in the habit of looking out for you too.

Part of his affection took the form of nagging. It wasn’t necessarily annoying—he wasn’t exactly pushy about it, and anything said in that charismatic voice of his sounded pleasant enough, but he still makes it a point to tell you to not be so generous, so helpful, so trusting.

He admires those traits of yours, but still. Have some self preservation, Prefect! People are gonna take advantage of you and then he's gonna have to take 'em down!

Another sign of his fondness is favors. Most of his effort still goes into part time jobs, but that doesn’t mean he can’t spare a moment to keep an eye on Grim, or cook a meal for you now and again.

After all, it’s always fun showing off his skills to you. You’ll get so excited and praise him for each and every one, and he's gotta admit, it's nice having his talent acknowledged.

He doesn't really show off his talents a lot anyways; it’s better to keep his cards close to his chest, but he trusts you enough to show you what he’s capable of, and that says a lot.

He also brings up his upperclassman status daily. Like it or not, Prefect, he’s been going to this school a year longer than you have. Don’t look so pouty about it, though, because that means he has all the experience he needs to help you with any of your classes—he might even be willing to find some tests from last year so you know what to expect on yours.

Ruggie is a hard worker, so you try to look out for him the same way he looks out for you. When you catch him out and about in the middle of a task, you’ll usually offer a helping hand, making the excuse that it’s just to spend some extra time with him. If he's had a long day, you’ll bake some donuts or purchase them from Sam, because you know how much he likes them. After a game of Spelldrive, you’ll often bring a drink for him, and of course, you attend as many of his matches as you can.

Eventually the two of you turn into unspoken business partners—no matter what sort of skills you have, Ruggie can find a way to sell them, and your good-graces with such a large portion of the school really helps advertise his services.

Thus, when not eating meals or hanging out, you guys are making money together—and unlike any regular old job, doing anything with Ruggie was bound to be a fun time.

In essence, your friendship is founded in teamwork, loyalty and alliance, and in your opinion there was no one better to have by your side in a strange new world than Ruggie Bucchi.

Romantic

Ruggie’s not the type of person to date casually, so you know he must really like you if he’s willing to go through the typical expenses of dating. It means he can really see a potential future with you.

That said, dates with him are going to be less of fancy steak dinners and tickets to shows, and more like stealing food from the NRC kitchens at 1am and having spontaneous sleepovers in each others rooms.

He won’t be cuddly with people he doesn’t trust either, but he is cuddly by nature. Meaning almost all of his affection is directed towards you, and he’s got a lot of it.

His favorite thing is laying his head on your stomach, and if he ever catches you lying down he is not above just flopping down on you and keeping you there. It’ll most often happen after a Spelldrive match or after a particularly exhausting day, but it could truly happen anytime and anywhere, so Be Prepared.

He absolutely steals you away from Ace and Deuce at lunch. Not all the time, of course—he still has dozens of favors to do for Leona, but that just makes his free moments all the more precious, and it’s only natural he’d want to share them with you.

He gets along with Ace and Deuce pretty well, actually. He teases all three of you about your underclassman status compared to him, almost taking a leadership role when the four of you (five, rather, can’t forget Grim) are together.

Your people are essentially his people now. He could do with or without them around, honestly, but he just fits in so easily—he’s the kind of guy who knows how to get along with anyone. Not to mention, he’s beyond capable of handling both the lighthearted insults and constant chaos that comes with being around your friends.

Ruggie, like many NRC students, isn’t actually that romantic. He does have most of his peers beat, though. He may not bring roses for you to every occasion, but he is consistently considerate and thoughtful.

Since he’s always doing odd jobs around Savanaclaw, it’s pretty easy for him to get his fellow dorm-mates to clear a space, meaning every so often you’ll be treated to a special date in the lounge—just the two of you, some decorations he found in storage, and some food he stole brought from the kitchens.

Other times, he’ll spontaneously show up and Ramshackle and do some chores while you’re out. You’ll come back to see those dishes you’ve been dreading washed and put away, your bed made, the common room swept and school supplies organized. If he’s feeling particularly sentimental, he might even leave a little note for you to find, and then he’ll slip out as if he’d never been there at all.

The ghosts have told you all about it, of course. They say when Ruggie’s there and you’re not, he’ll talk to them on and on about how much he likes you.

So yeah, he has his romantic moments; you share the kind of relationship that never loses its spark. You’ll always find new things to do for each other, new experiences to share, new ways to spoil each other silly.

But all in all, he’s still your best friend, your ride-or-die, someone you can rely on and trust whenever you need him. He’d make a good boyfriend, and an even better partner for life.

And the best part of it all? He loves you, so freaking much ♡

#ruggie bucchi #ruggie bucchi x reader #ruggie x reader #🚨 Y'all it's content for the best TWST character of all time 🚨

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kaleidoscopewonderland · 1 year

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Celebrating Vil's Birthday With the Five Love Languages ✧ Vil Schoenheit

Word Count: ~6.6k

Summary: Oho? You want to celebrate Vil's birthday with him? Well, he normally doesn't indulge people with this sort of thing, but... for you, he'll make an exception.

Oh, who is he kidding. He loves you. Y'all are both smitten. Just kiss already.

Notes: What better time to write this than literally five minutes after finishing book six 🥰 My emotions are officially out of office for the next 4-5 business days, but man--just--this game man. This game.

Much love and please enjoy! ♡

Words of Affirmation:

As much as Vil liked you--at least as much as you thought he did--you were very aware that he was the type to plan his life down to the minute, and that meant getting a moment of his time was like trying to get a reservation at the most popular restaurant in the world with only one-week notice. Either you were a social icon who could get the world to bend to your whims, or you had to fight tooth and nail for a less than 10% chance of success. You fell into the latter category.

Then again, you'd been planning Vil's birthday for well over a week. In fact, you'd asked him about what his plans were so early in the year that when you did ask, he gave you a funny look, as if you were talking about a phenomenon that wouldn't happen for another million years. Of course, being so close with a famous celebrity, you weren't gonna drop it until you were sure you could reserve at least five minutes with him to wish him the best on his special day.

You were positively thrilled when Vil came up to you a few weeks ago, telling you that all his prior obligations had been rearranged, meaning he had the full 24 hours of his birthday to spend "in leisure" (though he choked out that last word as if it were a foreign concept). Once you requested to spend a little time with him, he told you that you ought to prepare to take up as much of his day as possible, because if you didn't, there would always be someone else there to steal his attention away (Rook--definitely Rook).

You had promised the celebrity you would do everything in your power to make his birthday fit for a queen, and that's why you'd been situated in the Pomefiore lounge since dawn, twiddling your thumbs and waiting for the man, the myth, the legend himself to show his beautiful face.

"My my--I think this is the earliest I've ever seen you awake, Prefect."

You practically squealed when you heard Vil's warm voice fill the air. It was a matter of seconds before you'd leaped up, spun around, and stopped just short of tackling him to the ground--then again, you had no idea how Vil would react to something like that. Apparently human fingers were 'oily', and wrinkling his clothes was absolutely forbidden, so... you stopped. Vil's violet eyes watched you closely, and the frown that flickered on his lips made you wonder if he would have liked your abrupt contact. Not that it mattered--seeing his beautiful face already had you feeling like a bumbling idiot, all flustered and shy, so any confidence you would have had just seconds prior was gone now.

"Hm," he hummed, clearly unimpressed with your sudden silence. "You hop up so excitedly to greet me only to stare? How..." His brows furrowed slightly, like he couldn't decide which cruel adjective would be best. "...strange."

"Oh, oh no, sorry, I-" You shook your head. "Goodness, can you blame me? You're stunning. And here I was watching the sunrise through the window--one of nature's most beautiful phenomenons, and you walk in and still capture all my attention!"

You grinned at him, proud of your little compliment. Immediately you saw his face soften.

"And here I was just about to say, you look good in the light of dawn, Prefect. Why, if only I could see you like this more often, instead of your dreadful habit of staying awake so late at night and oversleeping in the morning... I must say, I'm still quite shocked to see you here. Is today a special occasion for you?"

Oh, he was being playful. And nagging, of course--your so-called 'dreadful' sleep schedule never failed to put a horrified look on Vil's face, though you were quickly coming to the conclusion that he brought it up not out of cruelty, but concern and care. Take care of yourself--that was the underlying message beneath all his nagging, and truthfully, you were starting to regard his criticism fondly. Not enough to stop your 2am fanfiction binges, but nevertheless...

"Oh Vil, didn't you know? Today is the most special day of all."

"And why is that?"

"Well," you say, matching his playful tone. "On this very day some odd years ago, the most beautiful person in the world was born. Not just beautiful on the outside--though I must admit he is as captivating as the loveliest masterpiece in an art museum--but on the inside, he's dedicated, noble, elegant, tenacious, charming--just as lovely as he is on the outside, if not more so. Indeed--today is very special because it's a day to celebrate the one I admire most. Certainly worth waking up early for."

"I see," Vil hummed. Of course, on the outside, he was entirely composed--he's an actor, after all. You truly had no idea how much your words meant to him, but Vil knew good and well that his heart was storing your words for later, so that he could play it in his head over and over again. The one you admire most. He could think of no better flattery.

"Then, need I ask who this so-called admirable man is?"

You laughed. "Oh Vil--happy birthday! I'm so, so happy that--ah, if I start rambling now, I just might turn into Rook," You shook your head. Vil smiled at you.

"On the contrary, your words have a unique charm that is entirely your own. As it so happens, I wouldn't mind listening to you ramble, especially when you have such wonderful things to say."

"Well, in that case... pardon my cheesiness, Vil, but I'm so, so happy you were born. Today is such a wonderful occasion to celebrate--and I'm so, so happy I'm here to celebrate it with you. Even the mysterious force that found me in the magicless world I once called home and whisked me away can be considered a blessing knowing it brought me to you." You giggle at your own words. "Oh my--I really am turning into Rook. I should really try to limit my time in Pomefiore, huh?"

"Don't you dare," Vil said sharply, though he was certain you were joking. It wasn't worth the risk--if he had his way, you'd abandon your own Ramshackle dwelling place and occupy Pomefiore a little more. "I dread to know what evading me might do to your skin. And you're right--how fortunate you're here to celebrate with me, a fateful opportunity I never would have expected before meeting you. I guess that makes two of us who can be defined as 'otherworldly', hm?"

You shake your head. "Maybe. Though when it comes to you, 'otherworldly' is the understatement of the year."

Nevermind. You have been spending too much time with Rook. If you kept up these poetics, Vil might just become addicted--since when did you learn how to talk like this anyways? You'd always been eloquent once you had the confidence, but goodness, never so sweetly.

"Well, I'd be a fool to argue with that logic," Vil replied, looking quite pleased. "Though I must advise you not to get so swept away with your compliments that you dare underestimate yourself. I personally would not waste my precious free time with anyone who was less than the best, so acknowledge your worth with the same eagerness that you acknowledge mine."

Now, unlike Vil, you weren't known for your acting ability. His words cast swarms of butterflies in your stomach, and your bashfulness was not so well hidden.

"Maybe on my birthday, I'll do that..." You dismissed. Vil rolled his eyes, but you didn't give him another opportunity to nag. "So anyways, I came up with a couple thousand plans and back-up plans for how I can celebrate today with you, and I want to know what you like best."

Vil raised his eyebrows. "Goodness, a thousand? Even metaphorically that's a bit drastic, isn't it?"

"Not when it comes to you. You were right--if I let this moment escape me, it's only a matter of time before someone else steals you away, and as much as I'm inclined to believe I'm not worthy, I'm seizing this chance for all it's worth." You said, a pout on your lips. Vil huffed.

"If you weren't worthy, I wouldn't even entertain the idea of spending time with you."

"Right, well, anyways--I had some ideas. No doubt you'll have to have a party today--everyone wants to wish you well, you're a beloved icon here at NRC after all--but I also know how fussy your dorm can be about making things perfect, so I reckon we'll have plenty of time while decorations and other preparations are being made. I was thinking we could maybe go out into town? I don't know how many free days you get to just shop and explore, so if you want, I'll be your personal assistant for the day. I'll carry your shopping bags, hold the door open for you, spoil you in any way I can think of--and then maybe we can get lunch and head back for your party? Or if you don't like that idea, I've got a whole list..."

You started to dig in your pockets, but Vil stops you with a mere raise of his hand. "No, no, I quite like your first idea. I've been dying to go shopping with you for a while now, you know? But if you do come with me..." A sly smile. "...you will be trying on clothes. I won't be taking no for an answer, so now's your chance to bow out with grace."

He could see it on your face--like it was something you'd been dreading for a while. After all, in stark contrast to Vil's ever-pristine appearance, you tended to dress for comfort and comfort alone. He was the type to never wear the same outfit twice, meanwhile you were the type to have the same three dull outfits on rotation until the clothes were too worn to keep. On one hand, that meant if you ever decided to dress up (like you did today--he could tell), it had that much more of an impact. Seeing a new color on you had the wonder of trying a new food for the first time, and goodness did you look good in everything. On the other hand... you had so much potential, Prefect, why bury that under sweaters and oversized shirts?

"I was thinking you were going to want that." You said, biting back whatever dread you had about frilly clothes or whatever other fashion horrors awaited you. "Well, I won't huff or pout, but this is a one-time offer. And don't you dare think I'm gonna let you make this all about me. I want to spoil you, so take advantage of it, am I clear?"

He chuckled. "Oh, are you using that phrase on me? 'Am I clear'? Do I strike you as insubordinate, perhaps?"

"Don't act like you can't be. I know you too well. Vil Schoenheit operates as Vil Schoenheit knows best, but I'm serious about this. How often do I get the chance to spoil you like this?"

"I assure you, I'll definitely be taking advantage of this shopping trip," Vil grinned. Goodness, his smile was dazzling. "On that note, let's not dawdle. I have many stores to visit with you, Prefect, I hope you're ready."

Acts of Service:

Vil had to admit, he was impressed.

So far, you hadn't let him take a step without ensuring that he was getting celebrity treatment, and honestly? It was giving him butterflies. He was certainly no stranger to people tripping over themselves to open the door for him, or to offer him something to drink, or to (attempt to) carry his bags, but when it was you? It was different.

You were the stubborn, independent, unwavering Prefect from Ramshackle. You bent over for no one, nor did you accept anyone who bent over backward for you--so for you to be so humble and sincere, for you to take spoiling him so seriously... honestly, how was he supposed to react?

"Thirsty?"

You held up a water bottle to him, which he accepted gratefully. Once the bottle was returned to you--which you promptly stuffed in your bag--he posed the question, "Since when did you become so..."

Ah, what word should he use? Thoughtful wasn't right--you were always thoughtful, just not so much so that you'd risk losing dignity. You'd learned to cut people off before your kindness leaned into them taking advantage of you--and yet, had you not been so adamant about wanting to spoil him, Vil would have thought that was exactly what he'd been doing so far today. You'd gone so far as to offer to wipe the smudges off his sunglasses, to retie his hair, to wipe down any bench or seat he was inclined to sit at.

"Considerate? Never," you laughed.

"Hush. You're incredibly considerate. Just not so... doting. Not when it's this one-sided, anyways. Are you sure you want to go this far? I don't want you to be too tired for the changing rooms." He smirked. "I'll have you trying on a lot of clothes."

"If you love me you wouldn't dare," you replied jokingly and oh, you had no idea how much he loved you. You were still trying on clothes though.

"Noted," he said dryly, suppressing a smile at the way you laughed at his response.

"Still," you said. "I adore you, so I'll tolerate being your little doll or whatever. And I'm still opening the doors for you and stuff. Just remember this the next time you refuse to go easy on me for bein'--I dunno, lame or something, alright?"

"I don't think you're lame."

"The next time you get mad at Epel and I for so-called 'rolling around in the mud' then."

Vil sighed. "Alright. This just might save you... once. It's your get out of jail free card, only because I'm feeling so generous," he teased, and then flashed you a sincere grin as he stopped short in front of a particular shop. "Well, Prefect--are you ready for your fashion sense to get an exponential upgrade?"

"Do your worst," you replied.

Quality Time:

"Once again you come out of that changing room looking stunning. Having a change of heart yet?"

"Vil, please. I'm begging. It's been ten outfits and my internal gremlin has not gotten any more fashionable--you're fighting a losing battle here."

"Hmm, then perhaps ten more outfits would send a clearer message?"

"Oh no!" Despite your expression of horror, you laughed. You had to admit--Vil had a very sharp eye. He didn't have to think twice about what would look good on you, and every time you came out of that changing room you found yourself loving your appearance more and more. You were starting to actually treasure the way you looked... not that you'd admit it to Vil, of course. Lest you wanted to be a fashion doll for the rest of your life, that was a sentiment you'd have to take to the grave.

"What happened to, 'I won't huff or pout'?"

"That promise died five outfits ago."

He chuckled. "Well now, aren't you lucky I find you endearing?" Vil stood up from the little bench he sat on, taking your hand and coaxing you to spin around for him. You did, and he gave a satisfied hum of approval. "Oh, yes. I simply must buy this for you."

"Um, you're not buying me anything on your birthday, sir."

"You'd stop me from doing what I want? On my birthday?"

"Well that's just..." You gave him a defiant look. "That's just not... why?"

"Consider it a thank you for spoiling me all day. I treasure Rook, I really do, but I dread to imagine what this day might have become if it was him fussing over me and not you. This time is precious and, thanks to you, very well spent."

Suddenly, he was digging in his pockets. He pulled out a wallet.

"You don't have to look at me like that," he chided. "Don't you know I enjoy pouring time, attention and resources into the things I care about? You're one of those things. This is a gift for you for my sake--I really love seeing you shine, and as... endearing as your homeless fashion sense is, a change of pace and color really gives you a certain glow."

"It's not homeless. It's 'casual'."

"Ramshackle, more like. How fitting for the Ramshackle prefect, hm? But today you're mine, so please--Pomefiore dress code, okay?"

Of course, he didn't mean it as sharp or arrogant as he sounded--in fact, the smile he punctuated his sentence with left you with butterflies, so really... what was there to by annoyed with again? Absolutely nothing.

Once you'd left the final store Vil had on his list and had a charming lunch at some hole-in-the-wall restaurant that caught his eye, the celebrity stopped just outside the door and paused like a show on a television screen. Absolutely frozen. You weren't quite sure how to react.

"Vil?"

"If we finish shopping now... we go back," he mused. You tilted your head at him, and he continued. "I'm not so sure I want our time together to end."

"Well, like I said, I have plenty ideas--or I'd be happy to listen to yours, if you have any. We don't have to stop here just because I've tried on enough outfits to clothe the entire cast of Harry Potter."

"Harry who?" Vil asked absentmindedly.

"Nothing. Big franchise back in my world."

"Well, as it stands, I do have an idea." Vil said. "Follow me."

You did. Luckily for you, Vil hadn't gone overboard with the shopping--you actually didn't have much more to carry than you started with, save an extra outfit and some accessories Vil got for himself.

Vil led you to a park. You were surprised to see it mostly empty, but then again, it was pretty small and well-hidden. Vil sat down on a bench and gestured for you to join him, and you did so happily.

"Are you comfortable being on my Magicam?"

You stopped. It took you a moment to process what he was saying.

"Like... you want to take a picture?"

Vil nodded. He took his sunglasses off, shedding a little of his celebrity disguise from before. "Yeah. I'll tag you if you like. It won't be too similar to my usual content, but I think this is a moment to be treasured. I can't promise the media won't have field day accusing us of being on a date, though." he said. He didn't sound all too repulsed by the idea, however--in fact, you also found yourself not at all bothered by the notion. "I can leave out details. I'll even make the post private if you want, but it feels special. I'd at least like a photo to look back at, even if I don't post it. This has been one of the best birthdays I've had in a while."

Well now, he wasn't playing very fair, was he? After all, with flattery like that, you'd have agreed to just about anything.

"Let's take a picture then! You can do whatever you like with it--just don't go slandering me, preferably, but well... if it's from you, I don't think I could even be mad about it," you laughed. Vil rolled his eyes.

"Anyone slandering you will have their career ended. Juuuust saying." He grinned. "Smile, gorgeous."

You did, though not without looking completely awed by the nickname. Vil held up his phone, and you leaned into the photo--the beautiful scenery of the park was captured behind you, but you couldn't help but be entranced by Vil's smile.

It looked so authentic. Somehow, you didn't think the joy on his face could have been just for the pose, even if he was an actor. When was the last time you'd seen him so relaxed?

"Beautiful," He decided, looking at the photo. He paused again and looked at you. "Say... since we still have some time before my party, do you want to do a photoshoot? I'm sure you must be sick of them by now--you're friends with Cater Diamond, right? I see you on his profile... a lot." He frowned at the recollection. "...and I know you take photos with the rest of the pop music club too, I'm assuming you're the face behind their Magicam presence. Though, if you're not entirely burnt out by it-"

"My my, Vil, you're being awfully considerate," you grinned at him. "No need to overthink this. I'd be honored to take a photo with you. You're offering me time spent with my favorite person. How could I ever say no?"

Ah, that shut him up. You were right--Vil was certainly acting a little strange, rambling more than usual, getting a little too focused on small details of whose photos you were in and having your face on his Magicam feed for all to see. Together. Enjoying each other's company, making memories without the interruption of work or your two chaotic Heartslabyul friends or, worst of all, Grim-

He shook his head. There was a perfectly logical explanation for all of that--one he'd dwell on later. In the meantime, he was going to enjoy his time with you.

"Lets take lots of photos then," He decided. You smiled at him--it was a smile that was so unapologetically happy, one that made his heart skip a beat anytime he looked at it. He'd definitely have to capture it during your photo session--after all, he could use a new lockscreen. Seeing your face every time he looked at his phone would be a wonderful birthday gift indeed.

Physical Touch:

Upon returning to Pomefiore, you were hit with a sudden wave of... perfection. Everything about the venue was perfect, from the colors and textures to the arrangement and proportions of the decorations. Carefully-selected music played softly in the background, soft enough for it to go entirely unnoticed when the two of you were greeted by none other than Rook and Epel themselves.

"ROI DU POISON!"

"PREFECT!"

They attacked you in sync. Rook, of course, wasted no time in clinging onto Vil, wishing him the merriest of birthdays and asking a million questions about his day so far. You, in contrast, were distracted by Epel--he wrapped his arms around you, clinging to you like you were a shield.

"These Pomefiore freaks are almost as bad as Vil even when he's not here!" He groaned, burying his head in your shoulder. "They made me brush my hair like six times this morning! And then they got mad when it made my hair frizzy! Like its yer fault ya had me ruinin'-"

A single snap of Vil's fingers was enough to cut Epel short, just before his accent could thicken. Epel's expression soured, but he tore himself away from you long enough to bow in Vil's direction.

"Happy Birthday, housewarden." He greeted. His smile seemed genuine enough, but you wondered if Vil got that impression at all with the way Epel immediately lost interest in Vil and turned back to you, grabbing both of your hands.

With stiff answers and a wave of his hand, Vil managed to coax Rook into calming down. He stared--no, he glared at the interaction between you and Epel, not making any effort whatsoever to hide his annoyance.

"Stop that," he ordered sharply. Epel gave him a look.

"Stop what?"

"That."

"Maybe if ya used yer--oi, don't give me that look! Okay okay, I'm stopping!"

Epel pulled his hands away, and Vil seemed to relax... until Epel grabbed your hand again with the intention of leading you elsewhere.

"Epel," said Vil. Epel gave Vil a defiant look.

"What exactly am I doing?"

"How can you even ask that? You're obviously going to wrinkle the Prefect's clothes. I've worked hard on dressing them well today, so keep your distance."

And plus it's my birthday and I don't appreciate you hanging all over the person I-

"I won't wrinkle their clothes by holding thier hand," Epel replied stubbornly and started to lead you off. You had no idea whether to follow or not--after all, Epel was one of your closest friends, the reason you had any chance to get close to Vil in the first place, and you had taken up an unfair amount of Vil's time today, so no doubt he'd be getting a little sick of you by now-

Vil grabbed your other hand, effectively stopping you and Epel at the same time. Epel huffed.

"What?"

"What do you mean, what? Don't tell me you merely chose this music for my party to be background noise? If there's dancing to be done, obviously I should get to dance first. It's my birthday after all. And I need a partner, so I'd appreciate if you gave us some space."

Ah. Realization was written all over Epel's face. His lips curled into a wicked grin.

"You're jealo-"

"Want to spend all day tomorrow taking vocal lessons with me? Or do you want to leave right now--quietly."

Epel's smile fell. He gave you a sarcastic 'good luck' and walked off, though not without the promise of catching you later. Vil's expression did not brighten at that promise.

You looked at Vil, feeling excitement bubbling in your chest. "You really want to dance? With me?"

Oh? You looked excited--immediately Vil's mood turned from jealous to thrilled. "Is there someone else I should choose?"

"Not at all! Let's go! I promise I'll make you look good, okay?"

You winked at him. Winked. Goodness, Vil loved you.

He wasn't Epel--he just didn't have it in him to suddenly attack-hug you out of nowhere, nor was he the clingy type to grab your hand whenever it was available, pulling you this place and that without giving you a chance to follow of your own volition. In a way, he envied the way some of your friends got to be so close to you all the time without having to overthink it.

On the other hand... there was something special about being close to you like this. Holding you, gliding across the open floor in a scene that could have been out of a movie. Vil could sense his dormmates clearing an even larger space to dance for the two of you, watching the two of you with healthy doses of awe, admiration and envy. Now that certainly wasn't something you got when your friends clung to you, right? Vil was just that much better--at least, he hoped you believed that.

Regardless, he savored the close contact between the two of you. Your hands were soft, you felt so warm and close to him and Vil was positively on cloud nine. He could dance like this forever.

He stayed with you for song after song, until one of his dormmates finally stopped him, saying he should start to open gifts soon lest he not get to all of them. His disappointment must have been obvious, because you shot him a huge grin.

"That was fun, Vil. Let's do it again. Anytime you like, okay?"

He'd most certainly be taking you up on that.

Gift Giving:

What do you get someone who has everything they could possibly want? Who cares nothing for things that don't suit him, who loathes the idea of giving him a cheap gift just so you can say you got him something? Vil would rather have you spare a kind word than get him a gift he'd hate. And he's not the type to pretend he'll like it anyways.

You were a nervous wreck about the gift you got him. So much so that, while you were out shopping with him, you paid close attention to the things he had his eye on and bought him a backup gift just in case. If he said he didn't like your gift, well... that's when you'd hit him with a 'just kidding, I got you good!' and give him your alternative gift instead, and if he somehow did like your gift... your other gift could just be the cherry on top. The backup plan didn't do anything for your anxiety, though, as you waited for some folks from other dorms to stop hogging all of Vil's time.

Sometimes you wondered if Vil could sense your anxiety from a mile away, because despite the crowd around you, he suddenly lifted his head and gestured you over--and, like magic, the crowd of partygoers suddenly parted for you to walk through, right up to his side. He gestured for you to sit down.

"Hello Prefect," he said, flashing you a smile. "Entertain me, would you? I could use a break from opening all these gifts." He suddenly leaned closer, lowering his voice. "Your friend Ace got me possibly the cheapest eyelash curler I've ever seen. You'll have to advise him to do better next year."

"Oh shoot, he got you an eyelash curler too?" You tried to joke. Your nerves must have been obvious, because Vil seemed to take your comment seriously.

"Oh my. Well, I suppose it'll be nice to have a backup incase mine should break. Or incase my... new other one should break. I'm sure I'll like yours much more."

"I'm joking."

"I see..." he chuckled. "You played the part of nervous and guilty very well."

"Right... Um, so does that mean you don't want to open my gift? If you want a break?"

He raised his eyebrows at you.

"Oh? you know, you've done more than enough for me today--I would have thought all that doting was your gift to me instead." He smiled. "But you know, if you did get me something, I'll never be too exhausted for you. I'd be happy to see what it is."

"I was worried you'd say that," You sighed. Vil furrowed his brows.

"You sound anxious. I don't bite."

"Don't you?"

"Not unreasonably, anyways," he corrected in a teasing tone. It didn't ease your nerves.

You pulled out your initial gift for him. It was a roll of fancy-looking paper, bound together by a single band. You could barely stand to look as he unfurled it and took it in.

"My my... what's this?"

"It's a... uh... a screen print. I designed it. For you. Ugh... it's like, you know how when you're a kid, when your parents or someone close to you has a birthday but you have no money and so you're kinda forced to make them something, and you always do the default of drawing them doing something mundane and they're like 'wow, this is so good' and then hold the low quality art over your head for the rest of your life?"

Vil gave you a look that indicated he had absolutely no idea what you were talking about.

"Yeah, well... uh... I figured there was nothing I could buy you that you couldn't get yourself, and... when it comes to clothes, I was worried I either wouldn't be able to afford it or wouldn't be able to get it right, and I dread to imagine how bad it would feel if I got you something you hated. Because I do listen to you and all you have to say about fashion trends, I'm just a, uh... a fashion idiot. And you already have such a specific skincare routine, you know what makeup is best, I figured stuff like that was nothing I should impede on. So what can I get you that you can't get yourself? Well... art is my best subject at NRC, obviously, back in my world I've been taking art classes and working in new mediums since I was a kid and as it so happens, Rook knows a guy with a printmaking studio that he let me borrow to make this. And Idia let me use his computer to make the vector art for it. Y-You don't have to keep it, but I just thought... well, I know you try really hard to be perfect, and I wanted to show you that... in my eyes, you already are. I mean, no matter what, I think, I'll always admire you--you'll always be Vil Schoenheit, fairest of them all, my absolute favorite person, so... it's more like a metaphorical love letter? Just a uh... 'hey look, you're gorgeous, but you knew that already, but I think you're gorgeous' and uh... yeah."

He was just so silent. How were you supposed to shut up when he wouldn't take his eyes off the dang print? Oh seven, he hated it, didn't he-

"J-Just kidding!" You stammered. "Here, this is your actual gift!"

You held up the item you bought from the store today. Vil didn't look up at it, or at you for that matter. He kept staring at the screen print.

"Oh, okay, you're totally right. It's so bad that you shouldn't even have to dispose of it. Here, I'll just take this back and burn it somewhere-"

That got Vil's attention. He jerked away from you, giving you possibly the sharpest look you'd ever seen.

"You hurt this and I promise you you'll never step foot into this dorm again," He spat. You blinked at him.

"Uh..."

"If you haven't noticed, I'm admiring it. I don't know just who you think you're talking to, but I'm Vil Schoenheit--I care about everything my fans make me. I do love designer brands, yes, but that doesn't mean I don't keep the letters fans write to me, or that I don't have a stack of drawings my fans have drawn of me. And you? Of all my fans, you're my favorite--not that I'm not a fan of you as well, because you're so near and dear to my heart that implying you're a mere fan of me is insulting... still."

He turned the print towards you.

"This is beautiful. I'm serious. I have an eye for beauty, and if I saw this in a museum, I'd stop to admire it. Your talent and my beauty make for a stunning collaboration. I'm insulted you'd think I'd be anything but pleased with this. Beyond pleased, actually."

Oh.

"You don't have to lie to spare my feelings," you said meekly. He laughed.

"I don't sugarcoat," he replied bluntly, then eyed the other gift in your hand. "And what is this?"

"My backup plan."

"Goodness. You don't have to be perfect, you know. Thanks, Prefect."

He accepted the gift with a very happy expression. Inside he found a gold ring with a white opal stone, probably the only affordable piece of jewelry he looked at today since it was--as the shopowner had said--'lab-made'. Or something. You purchased it whilst Vil had been looking for jackets to try on.

"I saw you looking at it in the store today," you informed. To your surprise, Vil started to laugh. You gave him a look of confusion and panic, but he raised a hand and quickly assured you he loved the gift.

"I can't explain why I'm laughing just yet. Well, I could, but I think you'd prefer it if I wait. Stick around once the party is over, would you?"

✧✧✧

At the party's end, you found Vil waiting for you in the hall. He tilted his head in the direction of his room.

"For the sake of a private conversation, would you like to join me in my room? You don't have to if you don't want to."

"I'll try not to act like it's not a Vil-Schoenheit-fan's dream come true."

He chuckled and led you to his room, inviting you to take a seat wherever you liked. Once you were sat, he took a seat next to you and reached into his pockets.

"Oh the topic of why I found your ring so funny... I love it, I assure you. It's beautifully made, and you're right, I was eyeing it. Though I had my own reasons for looking at rings today, and not for myself."

He pulled out a box and handed it to you.

"I know you're fussy about spoiling me today. It means the world, so I was going to wait a few days before giving this to you. I had the idea to give you a gift before confessing to you in advance, of course, but-"

"W-W-What?"

"I honestly don't know how you didn't see it coming. You're my daybreak after all--the most beautiful part of my day. I'm better when you're around me--better in a way that no makeup, no exercise regimen, no skincare routine could ever help me with. You turn my flaws into reasons to feel loved, you make me see beauty in places I've never thought to look before. So with this ring--it can be as meaningful or thoughtless as you want, you don't even have to wear it--I want you to know that I love you, and I want to be with you, if you will have me."

The ring was a flat white gold band with rose quartz stone, and when you slipped it on the finger of your choice, it fit so comfortably on your hand that you barely registered it was there. You held you hand in front of your face for a moment to admire it, but really, you couldn't help but want to look at Vil instead.

Goodness, your heart was racing.

"I... wow. You..." You placed a hand over your mouth, in a state of disbelief. "You really... feel... is this a dream? I think I... my heart..."

"Is that a yes?"

"Can't you let me swoon for a moment?" You replied with a laugh. "Let me savor the moment? Do you know how long I've been pining after you, thinking I never stood a chance? If I'm daybreak, Vil, then you're my starry night--you're where all my dreams are, the time of day where I feel the most peace, where I find the most beauty. And... if you're serious, then oh my days yes, I want to be with you too. I love you too. So, so much. Unconditionally."

"It's funny you say that," Vil chuckled. "That's exactly why I chose the rose quartz ring. Do you know what it symbolizes?"

"Having the most beautiful, lovely, enchanting, beguiling, bewitching and captivating human being in the entire universe tell me he loves me?"

"Close," he said. For once, he dropped his act--he let himself show how flustered he was, sheepishly shielding one of his rosy cheeks with the back of his hand. "It's the stone of unconditional love. Think of it as both a thank-you for caring about me despite seeing the worst of me, and as a promise that I'll always return the favor. Whenever you feel down I'll always be there to remind you just how beautiful you are."

He reached out and grabbed both of your hands, taking a minute to admire your ring and his. They complimented each other.

"You know, being an actor, I have a soft spot for movie cliches... and I do believe this is the part where two lovers kiss. Would you care to indulge me?"

You didn't even bother to reply. As the two of you shared a kiss, Vil's most beloved birthday drew to a close--and you both knew that day would be a day you'd cherish for years to come.

#vil schoenheit #vil x reader #vil schoenheit x reader #Guys he's so perfect I'm in tears rn #Are we sure he was created by a human being bc I'm pretty sure he's made of angels and diamonds and starlight asidfiaisud #I love him sm okay 😭😭

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kaleidoscopewonderland · 1 year

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✧ Book 6 Battle Video ✧

I dunno if anyone wants to watch this buuuut I personally struggled with this particular battle in book six and if anyone wants to watch it as a reference, here it is under the cut ♡

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kaleidoscopewonderland · 1 year

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I think we're done for today.

So I'm making a Jade bot for Character AI instead of doing my homework and...

Jade.

JADE THIS IS NOT OBEY ME.

JAMIL WHAT.

JADE.

He has much to learn smh

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kaleidoscopewonderland · 1 year

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So I'm making a Jade bot for Character AI instead of doing my homework and...

Jade.

JADE THIS IS NOT OBEY ME.

JAMIL WHAT.

JADE.

He has much to learn smh

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kaleidoscopewonderland · 1 year

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More Cats! ✧ TWST SMAU

Note: This time, we've got Jamil, Ace, Rook, Jack, Lilia and kinda Leona but I made Leona's about Ruggie since Ruggie's was about Leona. So yeah. More cats!

Much love and I hope you enjoy! ♡

Ace:

'Leona':

Jack:

Jamil:

Rook:

Lilia:

#Ace Trappola #Leona Kingscholar #Ruggie Bucchi #Jack Howl #Jamil Viper #Rook Hunt #Lilia Vanrouge #twst smau #idk why I felt compelled to make even more of these but I did sooooo

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kaleidoscopewonderland · 1 year

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Cat! Cat! Cat! ✧ TWST SMAU

Notes: Cat! Cat! Cat! (w/ Epel, Kalim, Ruggie, Idia & Floyd. Mentions of simping for Leona bc cat)

Much love and please enjoy ♡

Idia:

Floyd:

Epel:

Ruggie:

Kalim:

#kalim al asim #ruggie bucchi #epel felmier #floyd leech #idia shroud #leona kingscholar #jamil viper #twst smau

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kaleidoscopewonderland · 1 year

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When the Prefect Is Sick ✧ Pomefiore

Notes: As Kaido Shun would put it, I've engaged in a battle with the forces of nature and have been defeated--or, in other words, I got caught in an awful rainstorm today and I've been the equivalent of Sneezy from Snow White ever since. So, in honor of that, here's some soft Pomefiore content!

Much love and I hope you enjoy ♡

Vil:

It's better for you if he doesn't find out you're sick tbh

If you've been slacking on self care, you'll definitely get an earful about it. Vil's so well-read on how to keep healthy that it's really frustrating when people don't take his advice seriously, especially someone he cares about.

To his credit, once he's made sure you've heard him out, he's all yours until the time you're better. You're almost tempted to feign sick for longer--after all, Vil keeps such a busy schedule, and it's kind of nice that he's putting so many things aside to make sure you have good company. Not that you'd actually do that to him though.

One of the biggest perks of having Vil around is that he knows how to keep the louder personalities away--and, considering aforementioned 'louder personalities' make up the entirety of your friend group, you're prone to frequent visitors. No amount of "No Sebek, I am not going to try Lilia's 'get better' chicken noodle soup, it's obviously a prank" is going to convince your loudest friend to leave your door, but one sharp look and the threat of a curse from Vil does the trick rather well (Sorry Sebek).

Although Vil won't pry you away if you're truly attached to your hovel of a dorm, he makes it quite clear that you'd be more than welcome at Pomefiore. He'll go so far as to even let you stay in his room if that's what it comes to--it would be much more convenient for him to take care of you there, and besides, the scenery would be much more pleasant, don't you think?

No matter how utterly dead inside you look while you're sick, Vil doesn't let you forget how beautiful he thinks you are. He'll do your hair while you sit in bed, do facemasks with you, do your nails, whatever he can to distract you from how utterly miserable you feel--and if that doesn't work out, he'll simply remind you that he wouldn't do all of this for just anyone. You're just that precious to him.

All that said, just cover your mouth when you sneeze and make sure to wipe your nose with tissues, alright? He'll cut you more slack than he's ever cut for anyone ever, but please Prefect--if you sneeze on him he'll actually die.

He loves you though, very much. On second thought, once you survive his lecture, you almost prefer him when you're sick. Such a softie, 10/10.

Rook:

You don't know how he does it, but Rook just knows when you're gonna be sick. You'll be out in the rain one day, dancing and waving off his concern, saying weather like this has never gotten you down before--and the next day, you're bedridden. He totally called it.

Unlike Vil, however, you don't get a lecture. Rook coos and fusses over you with nothing but love, telling you that he cannot possibly blame you for wanting to dance in the rain--you looked so lovely after all, with delicate little droplets adorning your head like a diadem and the soft whisper of rain providing such a soothing beat behind your melodious laugh... oh yes, he'll treasure that memory in his head forever. Though he is sad to see you so sick as a result.

Rook thinks taking care of you while you're sick is the most romantic thing in the world. If he's heard of lovers doing it, he's all about it, so pretty much anything he can mimic from stories and tales about taking care of a loved one, he's doing it for you. It's far more whimsical than it is practical, not that you're complaining.

Whether you choose to stay in the Pomefiore dorm (you're most welcome, after all, just know it takes a special kind of person for Rook to allow them into his room so freely) or stay in Ramshackle, you can rest assured that you're completely and utterly safe. None shall visit unless Rook first hears you say you're willing to have visitors, and if you do just want to sleep the day away until you're better, Rook is there when you shut your eyes and there when you wake up. The idea of you being left alone in such a state just shatters his heart!

Illness doesn't really intimidate Rook--meaning, while some of your friends wouldn't touch you with a ten-foot pole if you got the sniffles, he's right there by your side, holding your hand or running his fingers through your hair. Just because you're feeling under the weather doesn't mean you should have to face it alone! And besides, for as long as you'll allow him to remain by your side, he'll be waxing poetic about the whole experience. The dude's coming up with verbal poetry about your sniffles and sweat like it's all sunshine and rainbows. Weird, but... well, you love his weirdness, so it puts a smile on your face. anyway

Definitely one of the biggest sweethearts there is. 11/10, would get caught in the rain and suffer the consequences again.

Epel:

This guy is so upset when he finds out you're sick. Rook's theatrics must have rubbed off on him, because he's acting like he's about to pull up his sleeves and challenge whatever or whoever got you sick to a fight.

Like seriously, Prefect, you can't be sick--he's not gonna survive without you around! Who's gonna help him hide from Vil now, huh? Who's gonna cheer for him at his Spelldrive matches loud enough to make even his teammates jealous? Who's gonna stop him from throwing down with the next person who dares call him 'cute'? You're pretty much his self-control, you know, if something happens it's on you.

...okay okay, he's only being dramatic, but he is distraught. The dude is determined to get you better as soon as possible, so I hope you're ready for whatever apple-flavored home remedies he insists will get you back to normal in no time.

If you had a thaumark for every "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" remark-

You know whats particularly adorable though? Him. He's no doctor (hence the apple-based medical plan), but he does know how to make you laugh and he's gonna keep a smile on your face until you're back in action. Whatever it takes--comedic slander about your mutual enemies, funny stories from back at home, impulsive shenanigans that'll either get a huge laugh or an eye roll out of you--it's worth the risk. He's trying his best.

...and when he's not being funny, he's being sickeningly sweet. Offering to fetch you things, taking care of Grim, encouraging you to drink enough water and get enough sleep--he is just darling. Even when he has to go to class (which he's made explicitly clear he doesn't want to do if it means leaving you), he reminds you several times that all it'll take is a text and he'll ditch, no hesitation. This boy is ready to look Professor Crewel in the eye and tell him that he's not staying, no matter what sort of detention or discipline Crewel threatens in return. If Epel's known for anything, it's audacity.

100/10, Epel just has those 'ride or die, you're my person, if you're sick then I'm sick too' vibes. You're not facing this alone, so you better get used to it.

#vil schoenheit #rook hunt #epel felmier #vil x reader #rook x reader #epel x reader #vil schoenheit x reader #rook hunt x reader #epel felmier x reader #*holds up baby potato* I just think he's neat #This is my official petition for more Epel content from the fandom like please #I'm in my Epel era rn and I need the fanfic fuel

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kaleidoscopewonderland · 1 year

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Didn't Know You Were There ✧ First Years

Notes: I feel like I haven't had much time to post anything good in a while, so here are some really short headcanon-y writing things on 'things the TWST first years catch you doing that makes them fall more in love with you'.

Much love, I hope you enjoy! ♡

Being NRC's reluctant therapist didn't really pay well, but it did come with one perk--privacy. Well, for the most part anyways. Aside from some ghosts and your monster friend Grim, you basically had an entire dorm to yourself, with which you were free to do what you pleased. The only people there to judge you--Grim and the ghosts--were far weirder than you were anyways, and it's not like any of your friends could catch you being your weird self, so what's the harm?

...the harm is, as the school therapist, some people feel they have the right to barge into your dorm without an invitation. The harm is--unbeknownst to you--they saw your authentic weirdness before you were even aware that they were there.

The harm is that now they know that thing you do when no one's looking, which is...

Ace:

...pretending to have magic.

Ace knew you were goofy--in fact, his pet names for you consisted of all synonyms of the word, from silly to loopy to mad to positively bonkers. You've lost your head, he'd tell you, and all you'd do is laugh and do something even weirder to amuse him more.

The thing was that Ace thought you did all that as a joke. Outside of joking around with him, you were quite the diligent student--excellent grades, perfect manners, flawless reputation. You constantly and consistently endeared yourself to teachers, staff, and fellow rule-followers alike, so he'd assumed you were playing up the weirdness as a sort of common ground between the two of you.

When he'd barged into Ramshackle unannounced, he thought maybe you'd be doing your homework, or parenting Grim, or fussing over that guest room that you'd suddenly become obsessed with. He did indeed find you in your guest room, however the thing he caught you doing was nothing similar to fussing.

You had a spray bottle--one of those cheap plastic ones filled with water--and you were running around the room, spraying mirrors and furniture and giggling fake water-spell incantations that sounded like you stole them from a bad movie.

"Bippity boppity splash! Aqua-kazam! Ab-rain-cadabra!"

Oh boy, if only Ace had his phone right now. Still, he probably wouldn't have been able to record much, because you were just... captivating.

He got distracted by the way you'd stop, giggle at yourself, and wipe the water off the furniture with a rag you must have been cleaning with. You'd mumble about silly magic spells and if only Ace and Deuce could see you now, how cool would it be if you could do magic just like them--and your smile, the way you were just so carefree and dorky and such a shameless weirdo was beyond endearing.

That wasn't enough to stop him from calling you out though.

"Pfffft, nice spells, Prefect! Wha--hey, don't spray me! I think it's cute! I surrender, I surrender!"

Deuce:

...reading.

Of course, it wasn't weird to catch you with a book. In Deuce's opinion, you were the smartest, most brilliant, most creative, most amazing, most brave, most--well, you know. He already had stars in his eyes every time he saw you, so just imagine the way he looked now.

You were sitting in the main area of the dorm, where you and your friends often gathered for spontaneous sleepovers and game nights. Deuce couldn't count the number of times he's had to fight Ace over who got to sleep on the big fluffy sofa and who had to take the crappy futon, or--in the instance you'd invited even more people along--who would be stuck sleeping on a pillow pile on the floor. 'This is a sleepover,' you'd say, 'and you guys are my found family. Family means nobody gets left behind, or forgotten, or gets to sleep in another room when I'm kickin' it down here with the rest of y'all. Suck it up!'

And of course everyone would listen, because everyone loved you. Not as much as Deuce did, he'd argue, but you really were a special person to each of them. You made all them feel special too.

With no hint of any company around, Deuce was surprised to hear you speak, but it all made sense when he caught sight of you. You were sitting on the sofa with all of your favorite stuffed animals nearby (not excluding the stuffed rabbit Deuce brought you as a souvenir from the Queendom of Roses), and in your hands was no fairytale, no fantasy or adventure or even a book with pictures, but a textbook. You had a History of Magic book in your hands, and you were reading the stories out loud to your stuffed animals.

You had once told Deuce that when you studied for a test, you studied to the point where you felt you could teach the content to someone else. This must have been what you meant.

Still, he never thought your study methods would be so... so cute. He really wanted to say something--maybe ask if he could join you, because goodness knows he could use the review before the next test--but before he did, he needed a minute. Just one until he'd be able to look you in the eye and maybe not feel his heart melting in his chest, because you were just adorable, weren't you?

"Hey Prefect, I don't mean to barge in, I was just wondering... uh... can I maybe study with you? ...really? Thank you so much!"

Jack:

...building a blanket fort.

Sometimes certain Savanaclaw students really got on Jack's nerves. After all, for someone as diligent and hardworking as him, it was frustrating to see others doing the bare minimum and still expecting the rewards and praise of a prodigy. Before he met you, Jack often dealt with this by blocking them out with work--finding some new way of improving his skill, or directing his energy into something he deemed productive, giving it all he had until he was too tired to notice them anymore.

After meeting you, though... he tended to gravitate toward you in moments like these. It was really a subconscious sort of thing, but he was well aware that seeing you made him happy and, hey, putting in the time and effort to check up on you and maybe do something with you would always be worth it.

The second Jack opened the door, he could tell something was up. For one thing, you almost never turned all the lights off in the Ramshackle dorm--there were just too many accidents waiting to happen, from rotting floorboards to mischievous ghost pranks to Ace and Deuce feeling the need to waltz up and invade your space whenever.

Except... it wasn't like the place was entirely dark. There was notable light coming from the main living area, so that's where he went.

What he found was nothing short of chaos. Blankets, bedsheets, and even tablecloths were draped across the span of the room, being held up by everything from furniture to tape on a wall to very unstable-looking stacks of couch cushions. The dimmer lights were coming from you, holding a string of battery-powered fairy lights that you were lining the outside of your fort with.

"Hehehe... Grim's gonna love this," you snickered to yourself. "We'll call it... hm... Fort Fam-shackle. Like Ramshackle, but fam only. Actually no, Grim would bully me for that... Fort Shrimp and Tuna? For Grim and I? Hm..."

Jack never took you as the type to talk to yourself, but man... you were just so cute, he couldn't stop his tail from wagging! And wag it did--he almost knocked a wall of cushions over as he entered the room, certainly catching your attention before he even found the words to say.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you, I was just... around... do you need help with that? I've made blanket forts with my siblings before, so I'm pretty good at it."

Epel:

...beefing with a bunch of woodland creatures.

By beefing, of course, you were just running your mouth at them, only for them to give you a long look and continue to make a mess of the Ramshackle porch. You were at your wits end with these little pests, enough so that you were about to roll up your sleeves and throw down.

As long as Epel had known you, he'd known you to be relatively even-tempered, rational, and calm. It was a trait he'd come to admire; it was very different from his temperament, and he rather enjoyed the 'hold me back' dynamic the two of you had.

Still, something about seeing you borderline furious, it was kind of... attractive.

He'd merely come over to offer you the usual delivery of apple products--once again his family had sent over a few apples too many, and he knew how much you enjoyed them. Still, as he approached Ramshackle and heard you hurling insults at animals too small for him to see from a distance, he was quick to duck behind a tree and take the time to admire you in all your chaotic glory.

"You don't even know what legos are, but I hope you step on several," you snarled at a particularly bratty squirrel. "Actually, I hope they make legos in squirrel size, that way it's extra horrible for you. That's why you look like Emile from Ratatouille if Emile had a traumatized pinecone attached to his butt."

The insults weren't exactly driving the creatures away, nor were they particularly logical, but man it felt good. You gotta unleash your built-up frustration from being an unpaid therapist somehow, right?

"You look like you drink white Gatorade and smell like nickels." You continued. "You look like your fashion sense would be knee-high crocs and bedazzled cowboy hats. You look like Ace's final braincell before he punched Riddle in the face."

You just kept going. Great seven, Epel loved you.

He wanted to stay in his hiding spot a little longer, but you were bound to hear his muffled laughter soon enough. He came out of his hiding spot and approached you with a huge grin.

"Having a pest problem? Don't worry, Prefect, I know how to help with that--in exchange, though, want to come back to Pomefiore with me? I will pay you actual cash to say at least ONE of those things to Vil's face. Pleeeaaase?"

Sebek:

...jamming to a playlist.

Not just any playlist, in fact. The playlist, the one you stored your most ridiculously promiscuous songs on, the one saved for your sauciest alter ego, the type of playlist you listen to when you need a confidence boost or to hype yourself up before doing something stupid. Ortho helped hook you up--you described the music software you used from your world and that miracle child managed to get all your favorite songs on your new phone, as if pulling them from across dimensions. Cater also hooked you up with some of his favorites, and you're pretty sure his playlist was saucier than yours by a good mile. Perfection.

Now, Sebek knew you to be extremely polite and mature. After all, the young master wouldn't waste his time with someone as immature as the majority of the student body, right? Regardless, he considered you a friend himself, and he wouldn't dare waste his time with someone with the maturity level of some of your... other friends (*cough* Ace *cough*).

The poor knight almost had a heart attack when he entered the Ramshackle foyer and heard the musical abomination coming through your phone speakers. He gasped at the lyrics like a Victorian grandma at the sight of ankles, because how promiscuous must you be??

After an internal meltdown and another two minutes of trying to tame the blush on his face, Sebek rounded the corner to scold you only to see you dancing and singing and laughing in the living room. You must have been doing some cleaning--you were twirling around with a broom in your hand like a dance partner, and every now and then you'd pause your twirling to sweep some clumps of dust into a pile, only to dance to a new area of the floor.

Now... Sebek still didn't approve of the lyrics. In fact, had you been aware of his presence, he'd probably make a comment about his ears bleeding. Still... that smile of yours never failed to shut him up and stop him in his tracks. You... you just saw the best in everything, didn't you? Even these degenerate melodies playing from your phone.

...no, he still had to save you from these songs. It was his duty as a knight. Besides--he had plenty of songs he could recommend that would be far better to dance to. And you looked like you wanted a dance partner, right? So it worked out.

"Prefect! I insist you stop listening to this lecherous drivel immediately! ...w-what do you mean, why? Because it's..! It's...! At least... at least consider it! I have some tasteful recommendations if you'd like a... a dance partner! And don't laugh at me!"

#ace trappola #deuce spade #jack howl #epel felmier #sebek zigvolt #ace x reader #deuce x reader #jack x reader #epel x reader #sebek x reader #this got a little chaotic and I'm sorry - this is what happens when I write at 3am 💀

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kaleidoscopewonderland · 1 year

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Guys.

GUYS.

KALIM GOT KIDNAPPED AGAIN 😭😭 WHERE DID HE GOOO

#ik it’s a glitch dw but like #how many times is this boy gonna be kidnapped in his lifetime 😟😟#kalim al asim #if found please return immediately

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kaleidoscopewonderland · 1 year

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Does anyone wanna read a reader insert fic with my Twisted Wonderland OC because uh...

I started writing this as a joke buuuut I'm actually kinda digging this lil guy, so I thought I'd share :) I mentioned who/what he's based on at the very bottom of the fic in case it isn't obvious (it probably isn't honestly).

If you had to credit a dorm for being disarming, it was Octavinelle.

After all, being pleasant and trustworthy (at least on the outside) was good for business, so no matter how much evidence there was that the mages in that dorm were borderline insane, most of those students knew how to charm others. Azul could talk his way out of anything, Jade was as polite and gentlemanly as a fictional butler stereotype and Floyd--well, you wouldn't call Floyd disarming, but there was a certain appeal to his devil-may-care attitude.

As for one student, however, he had quite the opposite effect. When you first met him, the only thing you could think of was a timid little mouse, or one of those particularly flighty squirrels that hung outside the Ramshackle dorm. Everything about him suggested he might flee at any moment; his fidgety fingers, erratic glances, and curled-in posture had him looking both like a turtle and a cartoon villain hunched over his evil plan. You were kind of nervous to approach him, honestly--some part of you expected him to run away, but then again, he was on duty at the Mostro Lounge. And you were next in line to be greeted.

"Um, hello," you started awkwardly. He'd been staring at the aquarium wall of the lounge with a dreamy expression, and upon hearing your voice, he jumped.

"Oh, hi there!"

And then, like a switch had been flipped, his hands rested casually at his side and he gave you a toothy grin.

Why am I not surprised, you thought sarcastically. Typical Octavinelle charm.

"Welcome to the Mostro Lounge! Table for one?"

"Ah, I have a meeting with Azul...?"

"Azul is currently meeting with an important client," the boy replied cheerfully. "But you're welcome to wait at one of our booths. One of our staff will be sure to grab you when he's available."

"Okay, sounds good. Thank you." Great sevens y'all, what's with all the business lingo? What are you, twelve? Calm down Boss Baby.

The guy gave you a wide-eyed look, then let out a little chuckle. "Boss Baby? Are you referring to me or Azul?"

You froze. You did not think you said that out loud.

"Oh, um... neither? I was just referring to... you know... life."

"I see. Well, right this way."

His tone was delightful and friendly. He walked with a posture that would have made Vil Schoenheit himself nod in approval, and his perfectly shiny shoes set the pace with a pleasant clack clack clack as he walked. He led you to one of the smaller booths closest to the aquarium wall and gestured for you to sit down.

"Here we are! Can I get you something to drink while you wait?"

"Oh, yes, I'd like a-"

You were cut off by a pair of arms wrapping tightly around you, followed by a very loud "SHRIMPYYY!" in your ear. You weren't sure if you flinched from the tight squeeze or the sheer volume, but either way, your soul was ready to ditch its body. Floyd lifted you up and spun you around, hugging you so tight that you would have been shocked if you weren't turning blue.

"Floyd...! Air...!"

"Haha, what d'ya need air for, Shrimpy? Shrimps don't need air, you silly!"

Regardless, he obediently placed you down on the floor. You stumbled, and the waiter from before helped steady you.

"Oh, Floyd!" he greeted, perfectly polite and delighted. "Are you here to take over?"

Floyd turned his attention to the guy. You were unsurprised to watch his megawatt smile immediately sour into a pout.

"Ugh--Jade says you need to take a break now."

"Oh? But if I just save up all my breaks, can't I use them all at the end of the day and get off work early?"

"It doesn't work like that."

"Whyever not?"

You almost ran when you saw the faintest trace of annoyance on Floyd's face. Uh-oh, mood swing incoming.

"Just get out of here, Argo-nut. It's Shrimpy time now."

"Alright then. Please take this fine customer's order for me then," the stranger trilled, and like another switch-flip, he was back into anxious hermit mode and scuttled away to the safety of who-knows-where.

You watched him go, then turned to Floyd curiously. "Argo-nut?"

Floyd beamed at you, taking a seat at your booth (despite being on duty and having not been invited. Weren't you supposed to be getting a drink anyways?) "Isn't it funny? Like Argonaut, but nutty. Dude's a loon."

You weren't sure this was a conversation you wanted to head into, but Floyd interpreted your thoughtful look as curiosity and continued, wiggling his fingers as if telling a scary story.

"Okay okay, you wanna know how I met the guy? Do you?"

"I'm sure you're gonna tell me-"

"It was when Jade and I were real little and adorable, around the time we met Azul!" He interrupted with a happy laugh. "We were real cute and innocent, seriously, the most precious little morays you could ever lay eyes on-"

"Wait, so that guy's from the Coral Sea too?"

Floyd looked at you like you were an idiot. Fair.

"Jade and I were out real far, and it was so dark you could barely see a thing. We swam into this cave, with all sorts of fishy skeletons and strange plants around. So picture this--I'm not joking, close your eyes and picture it!"

You sighed and closed your eyes.

"It was dark. Little plants kept grabbing at us-" you jumped when you felt Floyd suddenly latch onto your wrists for dramatic effect, but he gave you a dirty look when you opened your eyes and waited for you to close them again. "Creepy plants like human hands reached out, pulling, tugging us deeper and deeper... I've told you the Coral Sea is kinda haunted, right? There were these echoes coming from deeeep in the cave, and it was hard to tell at that point which direction was the way out, so we decided to be ballsy and follow the sound. So we were swimming... swimming... swimming... and then out of nowhere, we heard this humming."

Floyd hummed an example tune. 'Haunted' was right--the tune was ridiculously creepy, at least in the slow and dramatic way Floyd hummed it.

"We finally reached the center of the cave, but no one was there. Just humming... humming... humming... and then BOO!"

You jumped again. This time, it was from sheer volume.

"We saw this shell on the ground, kinda big, maybe like... hmmmm, like the size of this table. and the shell suddenly shot up and started charging right at us! From the shell, suddenly hundreds of creepy little tentacles shot out, and they grabbed poor little Jade and I and started tugging us in, and there was that creepy humming again..."

"Telling the Stanza story again, Floyd?"

You open your eyes. Jade was now at your booth, joining you and Floyd by taking a seat.

"Hello Prefect," he greeted you. You raised an eyebrow at him.

"Are you not... you know... working right now?"

"Oh, Azul is dealing with a very fussy client--he won't notice nor mind if I stop to greet one of his favorite customers," Jade repliedwith a mischievous twinke in his eyes. "So, Prefect, is Floyd telling you about how we met Stanza?"

"Stanza?"

"That's the student we just sent on break. Stanza Conchihelio--pay no mind to whatever tale Floyd is weaving to scare you, because I promise you, he's as harmless as they come."

"You mean the hundred-tentacle guy was... was him?!" You gaped, turning your attention back to Floyd. He chuckled.

"Ninety tentacles, actually," Jade clarified. That didn't answer any questions whatsoever.

"I told you!" Floyd cackled at the look on your face. "He's loony!"

"Indeed, he can be unsettling with his humming sometimes..." Jade mused. "And he does sometimes appear out of nowhere. He was always hiding in his shell back when we were kids, and it was easy for him to go unnoticed until he'd suddenly pop out to play. But he's harmless nonetheless."

Why am I not surprised, another Octavinelle weirdo.

The twins seemed greatly amused by the look on your face; they waited for you to ask more questions, but you would have preferred to just get a drink and wait for your meeting with Azul (you'd quite like it if he'd stop offering cheap deals to Grim, whether they were harmless or not, hence your scheduled meeting).

"I'll have something sweet to drink, please. No mushrooms."

"That's all you have to say?" Jade chuckled lightly. You made a face at him.

"No weird mountain berries either."

"I mean about Stanza. You just love love loved seeing us in our mer form, if I recall correctly. I figured you'd be all over a nautilus mer--they're quite rare. Terribly interesting too."

"I'm not interested in discussing someone behind their back," you replied, with an emphasis on the lied part. You were dying of curiosity--after all, if Jade and Floyd found this 'Stanza' character interesting, or at least worth their time, then there had to be something about him that made him worth knowing. Now you wished you'd actually introduced yourself to him instead of accidentally accusing him of being a twelve year old Boss Baby.

"Shrimpy is soooo nice, aren't they?" Floyd replied, obviously seeing through your fib. "Hehe... I'll make sure to introduce the two of you soon Shrimpy, don't you worry!"

"I never asked you to-"

"Just don't go replacing us with him as your favorite Mostro Lounge employees, yeah?" Jade said slyly. "After all, however interesting he may be... we're the most interesting, wouldn't you agree Floyd?"

"The most interesting," Floyd echoed, in a tone that said 'we don't plan on losing our favorite chew toy to some argo-nut, so don't even think about it'. You resisted an eye roll.

"I just want my drink and to meet with Azul," you told them in an exhausted tone. They grinned at you and--just like that--they were gone.

✧✧✧

Floyd had been truthful about his promise to introduce the two of you, apparently, because it wasn't even a week later that the moray had dragged the aforementioned stranger over to your lunch table, gave you a big squeeze and stalked off cackling. Despite his fidgety fingers, Stanza didn't leave--he must have known he was being dragged over to meet you, because once you locked eyes he gave you a big smile.

"So you're the famous Shrimpy! Jade and Floyd told me you wanted to meet me."

They did? You thought in absolute exhaustion. Those little...

"Yeah, that's me. Sorry--they may have caught my interest by sharing a few stories, but I promise I wasn't trying to fish for information or anything... anything weird. I'm the Ramshackle Prefect." You followed the statement by giving your actual name, "Though most people just default to Shrimpy or Prefect. That's alright too."

"How silly! You have a beautiful name, it's like music," he replied. Seeing as no one else had come around yet to crowd your lunch table, he took the seat across from you and pulled out some little paperclips that he dumped on the table.

"That's a little ironic coming from someone named Stanza. It... it was Stanza, right?"

"Stanza Conchihelio," he replies, eyes focused on a single paperclip that he started bending into a seashell shape. "Though Floyd calls me Argonaut. I don't understand why--argonauts don't have real shells. I'm flattered to have a personalized nickname though--I think it's just the dearest thing--so you can call me that or whatever you like. You said the twins told you stories about me?"

"Just one, actually," you corrected hesitantly. Finally he made eye contact with you again, eyes sparkling.

"Just one? And you still wanted to meet me? Neat! Which one was it? Was it the time I pretended to be Azul's mom?"

"Um... no, not that one, though I'd quite like to hear the context to that."

"Oh, just a deal I made," Stanza waved off. "I used Azul's mother's voice to tell him that he had to nullify the contract he caught me in. I also told him he was adopted," he added. You'd think he would have said that detail with a little more mischief (and what had he meant by using her voice, exactly?), but he added it casually as if making a comment about the weather. "Then what story was it?"

"I think they said it was how you met."

"Oh!" Stanza laughed. Again, he glanced up to give you a brilliant smile, though his focus went instantly back to the paperclip in his hands. "Yeah, that was fun. I was really shy back then, but they really brought me out of my shell... literally! Well, not entirely out of my shell, literally, but... you look confused." He said, glancing up at you and then back at his paperclips again. "Oh! They must not have told you--I'm a nautilus!"

"No, they mentioned that..." you mumbled. What had really caught you off guard was the word 'shy', though you didn't know if it was polite to voice that or not.

"Oh. Alright then," he moved on. "Well, I'd be happy to add in any details they missed. Let's see... they probably told you about finding me in a cave. I have really bad eyesight--I have to wear glasses on land and everything--as you can see--so being in the dark doesn't really bother me, but I guess I still gave them a good scare." He chuckled. "I don't really get it though. I was singing the whole time! I'm surprised they didn't know I was there."

"Singing, huh?"

"Yep! I love singing, it's my favorite--well I was humming at the time, but still. Anyways, let's see... so they were in one of my favorite caves, and I smelled them, and I popped out to say hello! I mean, I'm kind of a hermit--most of us nautiluses like to do our own thing--so when I know a potential friend is nearby, I like to make the most of it! I'm shy, but I do my best to hide it--you can't tell, right? That I'm shy?"

Another megawatt smile. His happy voice and sparkling eyes would have almost been convincing, but he was still hunched into a ball, rarely making eye contact and timidly bending his paperclips into cute oceanic shapes.

"Not at all," you lied. He seemed pleased to hear it.

"So I popped out to say hi! They started to swim away though, and I felt really bad for scaring them, so I tried to come out of my shell a little more so they could see my face."

"Floyd said you grabbed at them," you blurted without thinking. He chuckled nervously.

"That's... that's a me thing. I'm on my own so much that I don't really get what's considered a 'warm, friendly greeting' and what's considered 'too friendly'. Also I have trouble with my eyesight so it's easier to just feel things out under water, but I'm better about it now that I'm not a kid. Still..." He suddenly furrowed his brows. "Floyd and Jade confuse me. Floyd is always down for hugs, and Azul seems oddly insistent about teaching me good handshakes, but Jade doesn't like to be touched at all. What curious inconsistencies..."

"Ah, well, every person is different with that sort of thing," you shrugged, loading your tone with sympathy to let him know that you knew the struggle... kind of, anyways. You didn't understand the Octatrio either. "So that's the real story then. Floyd made you sound like a mischief-maker like the two of them."

"Who said I don't make mischief?" Stanza asked suddenly. You must have looked scared, because he chuckled and looked sheepishly at his paperclips again. "Sorry. I make a lot of things, including mischief when it's harmless, but mostly... mostly things. Like this." He picked up one of his paperclip creations and handed it to you, which you accepted carefully.

It was a shrimp--the silhouette of one anyways, bent into such an impossibly smooth shape that you would have guessed it'd been in that way all along. He handed you another--one of those curly shells, the one he'd made first.

"Woah," you said out loud. He beamed.

"Do you like them? You can keep them. I can always make more."

"I love them," you replied, partially because you really did love them, but partially because you thought this guy was just so ridiculously adorable. Maybe it was the big round glasses on his face--you had a thing for cute glasses. Or maybe it was his lopsided little smile, or his sparkly eyes, or his swooping sandcastle-colored hair that just looked so fluffy-

oh.

"Oh!"

Suddenly he stood, reaching in his pockets of endless junk and pulling out a little notepad.

"I forgot, Azul has me running the Lounge for lunch, I need to get there before I get a not-so-nice hug from Floyd..." he babbled as he jotted something down. "I hate that I just talked about myself the entire time though, I was so looking forward to meeting you too... Here, have my phone number... my magicam handle... uh, actually, I don't know how to use magicam that well but I'm sure I could figure out how to send a message... um, or you could always visit me at the lounge. I kind of save my breaks like they're something to be hoarded, so I'm sure Azul wouldn't mind if I stopped to chat with you whenever you stop by... assuming that you'd want to, that is!"

He ripped the paper out of the notebook and handed it to you, placing it with the shell and shrimp shaped gifts he'd already given you.

"Have a wonderful lunch," he said, and--rather than call you Shrimpy or Prefect--he said your name, with all the warmth of a sunlit sky.

'You have a beautiful name, it's like music.'

The memory of those words spoken just a few minutes ago flustered you. Just a little.

"I'll definitely do that," you replied. "See you then-"

You almost said his name, but you were struck with another memory.

'I'm flattered to have a personalized nickname though--I think it's just the dearest thing.'

'I love singing, it's my favorite.'

"-Songbird." You finish. You don't know where the nickname came from--you just kind of blurted it out--but when you saw the way his face lit up in response, you knew it was a name that would stick.

"Songbird!" He happily echoed, before giving you a final, friendly wave. "See you!"

Octavinelle was filled with disarming, smooth-talking, charming students. There was no lack of charisma in the dorm, nor would it be hard to find someone in Octavinelle who could catch your eye and hold your interest hostage for who-knows-how-long.

Stanza, however, might just be the most charming student of all.

End Note: Incase anyone wanted to try and guess who/what Stanza's based on, the answer is... he's based on Ursula's necklace from the little mermaid! Y'know, the little nautilus-shaped shell? I've had so much fun developing him lately, he might be my favorite of my TWST OCs.

If you made it this far, thanks for reading! Much love, I hope you enjoyed ♡

#twst oc #twisted wonderland oc

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kaleidoscopewonderland · 1 year

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Celebrating Sebek's Birthday With the Five Love Languages ✧ Sebek Zigvolt

Word Count: ~5.3k

Summary: It's Sebek's birthday and there's no better time to shower your crush in little love language acts than the present--especially when said crush does not know how to receive affection whatsoever.

Notes: Crying, screaming, sobbing, shrilling, lamenting, wailing, punching the ground... Sebek is one of my favorite characters, how could I ever write anything fit to capture him in all his beauty? No fic I write could do him justice, I tell you!

Also I know I've been posting sparsely lately--college is killing me, but I'm already over halfway through this birthday series so I'm gonna finish it no matter what!

Much love and please enjoy! ♡

Acts of Service:

Although you'd explicitly told him several times that you'd like to spend some time with him on his birthday, you knew Sebek would have to be warmed up before he'd let you shower him with affection. Thus, preparations had to be made.

Lilia followed you the entire time you made your plans, giggling all that old man nonsense about 'young love' and 'newfangled birthday traditions'. You hadn't yet voluntarily revealed to Lilia that you had feelings for Sebek, so either he could read you like a book or he was saying things just to say them.

Perhaps he was trying to get a reaction out of you. You couldn't tell.

Regardless, Sebek followed an 'early to bed, early to rise' sort of sleep schedule, so as a final preparation you abandoned your habitual midnight snack and chronic 2am Magicam scroll to get a good night's sleep, that way you could make it to the Diasomnia kitchen just in time to see a sleepy Sebek stumble through the door. He hadn't even crossed the threshold before his entire body froze, and his eyes zeroed in on you with a stern glare.

"You! You're not supposed to be in here!"

You couldn't help it--you laughed. Despite his no-nonsense expression, Sebek's hair was soft and untamed, swaying in front of his sleepy, squinty eyes and causing him to huff in annoyance. Your giggles only increased his look of ire.

"Didn't you hear me, human? Stop laughing immediately! What's so funny?!"

"You," you said bluntly. Sebek looked entirely taken aback, so you explained. "You're adorable, Sebek."

"Ridiculous! Impressive, maybe. I'm strong, competent, diligent, not to mention I work for the esteemed Lord Malleus--but adorable?!"

"You just squish my heart!" You agreed. He gave a defiant sniff.

"Take it back!"

"But then that would be a lie, and I'm not a liar."

"Then don't think I'm adorable! Because I'm not!"

He looked quite prepared to argue you into the ground, but you were already aware that his voice (and perhaps yours as well) was escalating to a degree that was sure to disturb the other dorm members. Instead of continuing the topic, you dropped your voice to a stage whisper and said, "I'll tell you one thing you can't deny, Sebek--you're just wonderful, and I'm glad you're here. Happy birthday."

He looked positively flummoxed. He blinked at you, gaping, making silent sounds until finally he choked out a loud, "WHAT?!"

"Shhh!" You hushed hastily, barely muffling another laugh. "Don't tell me you forgot your birthday!"

"T-That's not-"

"Lilia was telling me all about this special breakfast he had planned for you," you continued, amused by his flustered expression. "But I told him, 'hey, let me make Sebek's birthday breakfast please' and he was like 'You have my breakfast blessing, young one' or whatever weird old man lingo he uses, and so I went to bed early and now I'm bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, ready to make whatever you want! Go ahead, request anything--I've been studying under Ruggie, Jade and Jamil, you know, so I can cook about anything," you bragged. He didn't seem to hear you.

"You can't just call me wonderful, human! How dare you bestow such gratuitous praise on me when we are in the very same building as the Great Lord Malleus?!"

"You're just going to have to get used to it," you replied, and once again, Sebek looked utterly bewildered by your directness. "I love Malleus, Sebek, you know I do, but-"

"Y-Y-You can't love him!"

"Oh dear, you're not listening at all," you tutted. "I mean, Malleus is a very dear friend and I respect him to the utmost degree, but-"

"Then you shouldn't be referring to him by his given name!" Sebek huffed. "It should be 'Lord Malleus' or 'the Young Lord', though you mustn't call him Young Master, because only those of us who serve him directly get that privilege-"

"Sebek, darling, must you critique me for every word I say?" You hummed, and Sebek clamped his jaw shut. You gave him a winning smile. "As I was saying, babe-"

"B-B-Babe?!"

"Sebek," you corrected hastily, not ready for another interruption. "Listen, Sebek, Lord Malleus means a lot to me--I too care about his safety and happiness very much, but just because he has all my respect doesn't mean there's not room in my heart for you either. See, I think you're very wonderful and very worthy of admiration, not only for your perpetual hard work and diligence but also for who you are outside of being a knight. And don't you dare get flustered again--goodness, you'd think this was the first time I've told you all of this. The point is, Sebek, I'm here today because you're my dear friend and I want to make your birthday special, starting with showing you how awesome my cooking skills are, so please give me an order or else I'm just gonna cook salmon carpaccio 'cause it's your favorite even if it doesn't exactly match the breakfast vibe. Also, let me make you something to drink. Tea? Coffee?"

Sebek straightened. "No. If you're going to make me breakfast, then I should at least be the one to offer you a dri-"

He gets cut off by your infamous 'Ramshackle Prefect Stare'--a deadpan expression that rivaled even Jamil's in terms of effectiveness. Swallowing the rest of his statement, he muttered a drink and breakfast request and took a seat at the kitchen island where you were working.

Despite his constant fussing, all was going according to plan. Sebek was certainly prickly first thing in the morning, but once you get things rolling, it doesn't take long to butter him up. By the time you had a cup of tea placed in front of him, he was already giving you a big toothy grin and regaling you with exciting tales of Lord Malleus--tales you must have heard a thousand times by now, but you'd never get sick of his passion, his excitement, and especially not the adorable look on his face. You could listen to him forever.

Then, suddenly, there wasn't much to listen to.

As you were plating the food, you glanced up curiously to find Sebek with his chin in his hands, staring at you with a surprisingly peaceful look before quickly looking away. You tilt your head.

"Hey, are you sleepy or something?"

"Huh? Of course not! A knight like me would have no problem waking up at any time of day--mornings like this are nothing!"

"I've no doubt about that. You just got a little quiet, that's all. If you're really bothered by me being here, I'll happily give you space," you conceded. He went silent, and so you gently placed the breakfast you made him in front of him and gave him a warm smile. "Here you are. Happy birthday, Sebek. Enjoy."

He thanked you and started to eat--you'd made him quite a lot, knowing he has a big appetite, so you were surprised to see him eating so slowly and thoughtfully. You were quick to clean up after yourself, and once you'd placed all the cleaned cookware where it belonged you started to head towards the door, only for him to stand up and physically put himself in your way. You gave him a confused look and he cleared his throat.

"J-Just where do you think you're going, human?!"

"Giving you space. I'm 'not supposed to be here', after all," you quoted, speaking in a playful tone to show him you truly weren't offended. He shook his head vigorously.

"I've changed my mind. I'm inviting you to stay, so you have every right to be here with me. You'll eat breakfast with me, right? Or--would you like to join me for breakfast?" he corrected. You beamed at him.

"Really? You want me to stay?"

"Of course! It's my birthday, it's only logical that I surround myself with adequate company!"

"Adequate isn't the vibe I was going for, but from you I'll take it," you laughed. "Sure, Sebek. Did you want to keep talking about Lord Malleus? I'll pour you some more tea."

You busied yourself by doing just that. Sebek returned to his seat, and you assumed he'd get back to his enthusiastic storytelling any minute now. Instead, you were surprised to hear a question leave his lips.

"How have you been?"

You paused, wondering if you'd heard him right.

"How... how have I been?"

"I've been talking a lot," Sebek replied. "You always listen to me when I talk. More than anyone else. I want to listen to you too."

"Oh... well, I don't really have much to say," you replied. It was weird to not be playing the role of the listener for once--not just for Sebek, really, but for the entire school. Your days were usually a quarter spent listening to your teachers, a quarter spent listening to Ace and Grim complain about said teachers, and half spent giving unpaid therapy to half the school. "I've been, uh... helping prepare for that party your dorm wants to throw for you. I made the decorations."

Sebek nodded thoughtfully. "You've always been really good at hard things like that. Well, as long as I've known you."

"Hard? You mean, uh, party-planning?"

"Decorating. Art. That... that sort of thing where there's no black-and-white answer. You just make things from your imagination--you tell good stories, you make good art and you make everything you touch look better than it did before--that dorm of yours for example." He said. Now you were certain something was up, because Sebek complimenting you so earnestly was not the status quo.

"Thanks I guess. I mean, thank you. I mean--you can't compliment me like that, I'm not used to being complimented by someone I admire as much as you!" You said, giving him a shy grin and waving your hands in front of your face. "Seriously. I appreciate you asking about me, but you don't have to do that. I don't listen to you because I expect you to return the favor. I like listening to what you have to say."

'And I like what you have to say too,' Sebek thought, though he didn't vocalize this part out loud.

He may have been oblivious to the extent of your affection for him--or at least oblivious to the fact that you were quite intentionally trying to shower him in love languages--but he was secretly trying to do the same, and there was no better way to start than doing for you the very thing you did that meant so much to him.

You listened to him. You made him feel seen and valuable in ways that not even his knight-status could, and in his opinion you deserved to feel the same.

He spent the rest of his morning listening to you--asking questions instead of making statements, learning about you instead of preaching, giving you his undivided attention instead dismissing you for 'duty'. He couldn't have picked a better way to spend his birthday morning if he tried.

Quality Time:

In Sebek's opinion, a birthday was no excuse to neglect his training. School was thankfully off for the weekend, so he had plenty of time to work on his daily routine well before noon, and he was delighted when you offered to go with him.

Unlike him, you didn't care much for his "excessive" levels of exercise, and you'd often opt out of going with him for a run simply because you knew you'd slow him down. When he did get you to tag along with him for training (which wasn't impossible by any means--he's found that you like hanging out with him), you'd often sit off to the side and cheer him on, which gave Sebek the rare and exciting opportunity to show off. You sweet, silly human--so impressed by his strength, his speed, his magic, his mastery of martial arts--it really shouldn't have felt so good to be praised by you, but he couldn't help but swell with pride every time you gave him that amazed look.

He expected as much from you today. Even though you insisted that he wait for you to change into your gym uniform, it came as a huge shock when you actually offered to train with him, doing whatever you'd be able to keep up with just to get that extra time with him. It was a change of pace and, at first, he wasn't really sure how to feel--part of him worried that you'd end up annoyed doing something you didn't like, yet a stronger part of him was so flattered that you'd want to share the experience with him that he didn't say a thing. Instead he let you follow him to the Spelldrive field and gave you a stern look.

"I'm not slowing down for some human."

"Strange that you'd say that. I was just about to tell you I'm not gonna go easy on you just because I think you're pretty," you replied and, yeah, that did a good just of shutting him up. At least for all of two seconds.

You knew his training routine well, so he didn't really have to walk you through it. You started with some stretches, and then you joined him on his daily run. He was way faster than you--still, you were never too far behind, and that earned you quite a lot of respect from him.

He was also impressed by your stamina. He was anticipating that you'd give in at around the halfway point, but you just kept going and going. When he finally stopped, you collapsed on the ground and sucked in dramatic puffs of air, though that didn't make him any less fascinated.

"You kept up with me the whole time!" he beamed at you. Compared to you--still half-dead on the ground--he didn't seem tired at all, in fact he seemed to have more energy than when he started. Your eyes scrunched into a glare. "How'd you manage to do that? Ace told me you fake injuries in gym class so you can get out of running laps."

"Theyre... not... fake," you puff out, finally sitting up and letting out an exhausted sigh. "Obviously I can keep up. How many overblot battles have I survived now? At this point, I'm just staying in top form so I'm prepared for the next one. So..." another deep breath. "Are you impressed?"

For once, it was your chest swelling with pride. Sebek thought it was cute.

"Adequate," he replied, like it was his word of the day. He helped you up and grinned at your playful eye roll. "Maybe you should train with me more, then. Part of being a capable knight is peak physical form." And I'd enjoy the extra time with you.

"Maybe," you conceded. "When I'm actually capable of keeping up."

"What do you mean? You kept up just fine!"

"Yeah, during the run," you remarked. "What's next on your routine, Sebek? Weights? Martial arts?"

"Do you not want to continue?"

He certainly didn't expect you to. If you were as tired as you seemed, then he'd be more than fine if you just sat on the sidelines and watched him show off. After a moment, you peeled yourself off the ground and stood up.

"I do," you said determinedly. Sebek gaped at you.

"Really? Why?"

"Because," you said. "I care about you and I want you to know that, and I want to make you feel special. What's important to you is important to me by default."

Well, it's working.

Sebek suddenly felt flustered--too flustered to speak, really, so without another word he hopped to the next step of his training routine. You grinned and copied him, and the more Sebek thought about it, the more he realized that with you by his side, even a long and exhaustive exercise routine could fly by in an instant.

Physical Touch:

Sebek was cagey with physical contact. He seemed to have this old-school mindset of 'no hand holding before marriage', so when it came to the hugs and nose boops you loved to give your friends so much, he'd loudly opt out and spend the following five minutes eyeing you like a cat under attack. You never noticed it, but the second you'd turn to offer one of your hugs to another friend, his expression would fall into something that apparently looked like "a sad puppy dog"--or so Ace had unkindly pointed out.

That is why, despite your preferences, you decided you would give Sebek ample space today. You expressed your physical touch love language in the seldom ways he would allow and left it at that, so imagine your surprise when you ended up being carried back to the Diasomnia dorm in his arms.

"Y-You don't have to carry me, you know-"

"YOU GOT INJURED ON MY WATCH! OBVIOUSLY ITS MY DUTY!"

By injured, of course, Sebek was referring to how you tripped in the middle of his exercise routine on account of your exhausted jelly legs. The morning run had really taken a lot out of you--you weren't used to pushing yourself as much as your livewire friend, so it didn't take long for you to face the consequences. The fall was nothing to write home about--you scraped one of your knees a little, but at this point, you could've been hit with a fire spell and you doubt you'd have felt it--you were just that tired.

Regardless, Sebek wasn't putting you down.

"Hate to break it to you Seb-Seb, but I'm injured on a daily basis. It comes with the job description."

"WHAT JOB?!"

"Being Crowley's unwilling hireling, I guess."

"YOU NEED A NEW JOB."

"Tell me about it," you grimaced. Was it just you, or had his voice gotten louder since you got hurt? Was he worked up or something? "Anyways, I'm fine-"

"Just let me carry you!" he huffed, voice softening into something bearable at last. "I like holding you, okay?!"

He stopped. You might have laughed at the look of shock on his face had you not been wearing one of your own. He quickly shook his head and kept walking, no longer taking his gaze away from the path in front of him.

"I mean I like carrying things! Because any knight worth his salt should be able to carry whatever they need! Lord Malleus would want me to, so... so..."

"You're adorable."

His ears went red. This time, though, he didn't deny your words.

In fact... you weren't sure, your ears were still ringing from his shouting, but... you were pretty sure he had muttered 'you're one to talk'.

Gift Giving:

In your experience of NRC birthday parties, they were often held in the afternoon regardless of whether it was a school day or not. It just made sense--the more people you wanted to invite, the more schedules you'd have to compensate for, and with almost everyone having their own agenda a lunchtime party just didn't seem feasible.

Still, you were surprised by how late Sebek's party actually started.

"Did you have fun on your date, young one?"

You give Lilia your best dead-eyed stare, and the third year chuckled at your attitude. "It was great, grandpa, except it wasn't a date."

"Oh? If I'm not mistaken, I heard you were with Sebek all day today. I thought you merely wanted to accompany him for breakfast."

"That was the plan until I scraped my knee," you drawled. "You'd think I'd have overblotted on the spot. He carried me to his room and then read me a fairytale to make me feel better. And it wasn't even about Malleus! It was a literal, fictional, princey-dude-saves-the-day type beat. No dragon slaying though, unsurprisingly," you added. Lilia giggled.

"Don't you like fairytales, though, dear?"

"I mean... yeah."

"Sebek knows that. I'm sure he wanted to make you feel better after your tragic injury." He gestured to the tiny little green bandaid on your knee. "Besides, if anyone has an exaggerated view of the fragility of humans, it's him. He grew up seeing the differences in strength between his father and mother--oh, you'd love his father, but he's a delicate little thing. And you'd know all about how his mother is a strong and powerful fae, of course."

"Of course," you echoed.

Lilia gave you a cheeky smile. You were about to get back to insisting that your little outing had not been a date (imagine if Sebek heard--he'd start yelling on the spot), but before you could open your mouth, someone else had butted into the conversation.

Speak of the devil...

"Master Lilia!" Sebek shouted, storming up to the both of you and crossing his arms. "Can you believe the audacity of Silver?! Are you aware of the gift he gave me for my birthday?"

You doubted there was much that went on in Diasomnia that Lilia wasn't aware of, but the old fae simply smiled and feigned naivety. Sebek huffed.

"He got me dumbbells! The audacity to imply that my training regimen is lacking!" He proclaimed. "Master Lilia, surely you think my training regimen is as grueling as it ought to be... right?! I'm not giving the Young Master a bad name, right?!"

Lilia looked at Sebek, then you, then Sebek again. He was practically smirking now. "Why Sebek, I'm sure he only got them for you because he knows how strong you are. Think of it as respect for your amazing strength."

"But that implies-"

"Sebek, if you keep complaining about your gift, you're going to scare the poor Prefect out of the gift they have especially for you," Lilia continued, cutting the half-fae off. As he spoke, Lilia slipped behind you and placed a hand on each of your shoulders, pushing you forward a little like some kind of sacrifice. "You don't want to make the Prefect nervous, do you?"

"Ha! As if the Prefect would fear me! I'll have you know that we are very close, Master Lilia, and-"

Whatever expression Lilia was giving Sebek from behind you, it must have been quite something, because Sebek suddenly became flustered and averted his gaze elsewhere.

"I-I mean... whatever the Prefect gets me will surely be more thoughtful than Silver's slap-in-the-face-"

"You hear that, Prefect? Sebek isn't going to like the dumbbells you got for him."

Sebek looked horrified. Lilia chuckled.

"Sorry, sorry, I couldn't resist. I don't know for sure what the Prefect got you anyways, Sebek," Lilia lied, because you knew for certain that batty old man knew--he was there when you made it for crying out loud! "But I'm sure you'll love it, so let's not dawdle. I just know they're incredibly excited to give it to you."

With a wink, Lilia disappeared into the mass of partygoers, leaving you with a birthday boy who looked one wrong comment from groveling at your feet. You raise an eyebrow at him and gave him a teasing smile.

"I didn't get you dumbbells, by the way."

"Oh thank Seven!"

You laughed.

"I'm sure Silver meant it as a challenge--we are fierce rivals, after all." He continued. It was a one-sided rivalry, as far as you could tell. "I know your gift will be much better. You have exquisite tastes."

"It's just one compliment after another from you today, huh?" you said happily. Sebek started to sputter, but you cut him off. "Come on then! I brought the gift over this morning--I actually have two for you, but I think I'll give you my other one after the party is over. It'll make more sense that way."

"You'll stay after my party?"

"Unless you don't want me to?"

Sebek averted his gaze again. "I always want you to stay. Well, when I'm not on guard duty, that is. Actually, you should stay only if it's safe... but I can keep you safe, so... NEVERMIND."

He was so cute. Perhaps it was lovesickness, but you found his passionate volume endearing, and as he cut himself off with a loud shout, you had to fight to suppress a giggle. He followed you as you retrieved you main gift from the corner of the room, and when you placed it in his hands, he snorted.

"Oh yeah. Definitely not dumbbells." He commented, lifting the gift as he tested its weight. "I knew you respected my training regime."

"Much more after today, actually. Go on--open it!"

He did. His reaction was so big you half expected him to drop the gift, but he held it tightly in the both of his hands.

"Is this..."

"Another portrait of Malleus? Yes," You grinned. "And he's wearing that pin you gifted him too. He offered to pose for me--I gave him a matching portrait too, so now you have matching Malleus portraits with the Young Lord himself. And along with that..."

Underneath the portrait was a small sketchbook. Sebek carefully sat the portrait aside and opened it up, revealing several study sketches you had done of Malleus prior to actually drawing him. He shook his head.

"Like I said..." he mumbled. "You've always been good at this stuff..."

"Next page, please."

Sebek flipped the page. You quite enjoyed the look on his face.

"T-T-THIS ISN'T MALLEUS-"

"It's you."

"BUT WHY WOULD YOU DRAW ME?" He stammered, wide-eyed and flustered. You shrugged.

"You know why. You inspire me."

You stepped closer.

"I gave you a portrait of Malleus because I know he makes you happy and you really respect him, but in my professional artist opinion... you're the most beautiful person I know."

"BLASPHEMY!"

"Professional. Opinion."

"YOUR OPINION IS WRONG."

"That's your opinion, but in my eyes, there's no smile I'd rather see than yours. Seeing your face brightens my day in ways no one else does."

Red-faced and stuttering, Sebek continued to sift through the thin little sketchbook.

It wasn't like you'd obsessed over filling the sketchbook with a bunch of drawings or anything--most of the sketches of Malleus were just studies for the portrait, and as for the Sebek sketches, you quite enjoyed doodling his pretty face when you went training with him. Or when you listened to his stories about Malleus. Or when he'd invite you to his room to read, or when-

"Thank you."

"Huh?" You blinked. "Oh--of course. I'm glad you like it."

"You..." Sebek started, but whatever he was going to say he got too embarrassed to finish. "I'LL TREASURE IT FOREVER!"

"I'm glad."

"I MUST SHOW MASTER LILIA AT ONCE! THIS PORTRAIT DESERVES TO BE HUNG IN THE BEST PLACE THE DORM HAS TO OFFER!"

He was so wooed by the gift, you were certain he'd forgotten there was a part two to it at all. No matter, you thought--he was obviously thrilled, and you were more than happy to follow him around, smiling sheepishly every time he pulled someone aside to show off your 'SUPERIOR ARTISTIC PROWESS'.

Words of Affirmation:

Sebek must have remembered the part two to your gift, because the second the party ended, he kept eyeing you with an expression akin to an excited puppy dog. If he had a tail, you were certain it'd be wagging every time you made eye contact.

"You're really excited, huh?" You noted. He nodded.

"OF COURSE!"

"So you want the gift now then?"

He blinked. You'd think it was the first he'd heard of it. "Oh... I forgot."

"Huh? Then what are you so excited about?"

He beamed at you. "Well, I still get to spend time with you!"

Oh.

"I haven't been able to spend a day with you like this before since I'm always training and guarding the Young Master," Sebek continued thoughtfully. "I like it. Hey, do you want to read with me in my room tomorrow? Jamil got me some books for my birthday. Or... or we can do whatever you want! Wait, forget about tomorrow--what do you want to do now?"

"Um... how about I give you your gift?"

"Oh right! Yes please!"

He looked expectant. You grinned at him, inwardly swooning at how... well... adorable he was.

Your second gift was a love letter. There was no point in backing out now--you'd done all the necessary studying, and you knew good and well that pretty words on a page were the perfect way to win Sebek's heart. If this letter didn't do anything, then that was that.

Besides, you were dying for an opportunity to tell Sebek all the things you liked about him. Between his obvious desire for praise and the way others in school brushed him aside as an annoyance, he deserved to know just how wonderful he was.

You retrieve the letter from it's hiding place and slide it in his hand. He stared at you.

"A... letter?" He sounded hopeful.

You nodded. "Read it. Er, wait--I want you to know that--well, I'll tell you when you're done reading. Um, yeah. Happy Birthday, I lov--er, you'll read about it. Yeah." Smooth.

You half expected Sebek to rip the letter open. You're surprised at how carefully he removed the paper from the envelope, holding it gently as he took his time to read over every word.

Then he read it again.

And again. You were starting to get a little stressed out.

"Um..." you trailed. "If you don't like it, I-"

"I ACCEPT YOUR OFFER OF COURTSHIP!"

You normally didn't flinch from the volume of Sebek's voice, but this time... that was the loudest you think he's ever shouted around you. You stumbled back, only for Sebek to get a wide-eyed look and reach forward to catch you.

"WAIT, NO, I SHOULD TELL YOU IN A LETTER, RIGHT? HOLD ON, LET ME GRAB A PEN-"

"So you like it?"

"I-" He started, before his shoulders dropped and he got a huge lovesick grin on his face. "I love it! It's the best gift, I--I feel the same way about you, I think you're amazing, you... I mean, I've always wondered how my mom was brave enough to... how she could fall for a human like my dad--I mean, humans don't live half as long, and faes and humans have warred for centuries, and... but..." He shook his head. "You're fantastic, you're perfect, just as you are, and I wouldn't change a thing, because... and... AND WAIT, FORGET EVERYTHING I JUST SAID, I NEED TO PUT IT IN A LETTER!"

You blinked in surprise, but at his words you couldn't help the stupid grin on your lips. "Awe, Sebek... so you feel the same way!"

"I-I guess you'll find out in my letter!"

"I have a hunch as to what your words might be," you laughed, taking a step closer. "But you know, take your time. I can see myself exchanging love letters with you for a long time... if you're interested, that is."

Sebek gave a shy smile--shy. he looked nervous, twiddling his fingers and speaking barely above a whisper. "Do you mean that?"

"Of course!"

"I'd like that very much," he replied. "Thank you Prefect--for the letter, for spending time with me, for... for everything."

Sebek was a cagey person--obsessed with the baby steps, clinging to old ideas such as the 'hand holding stage' and taking it one letter at a time... so imagine your surprise when he swept you into a hug, whispering his replies to all the confessions in your letter.

"I love you too, Sebek," you returned, wrapping your arms around him and placing a welcomed kiss on his cheek. "Happy Birthday."

#sebek x reader #sebek zigvolt x reader #sebek zigvolt #I could never do him justice I swear I LOVE HIM SO MUCH SDFAIUDJN

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kaleidoscopewonderland · 1 year

Text

Celebrating Azul's Birthday With the Five Love Languages ✧ Azul Ashengrotto

Word Count: ~5.8k

Summary: You and Azul are pining idiots in love and there's no way you're gonna get through his birthday without one of you slipping up and confessing ✧*:·ﾟThis fic starts the day before his birthday, by the way.

Notes: I feel awful that this is so late 😭 And just when I got the 'Azul's Bestie' badge. I'm a bad bestie fr.

Also, I referenced one of my favorite comedians in this fic! I'm a huuuuge comedy fan, if anyone recognizes the skit you win everything because he is hilarious.

Much love and please enjoy! ♡

Quality Time:

As the Ramshackle Prefect, you pride yourself in being prudent, pragmatic, timely, responsible, charming and--of course--always correct. Your natural reliability and wit are a beacon to attracting the Octavinelle crowd, and thus you have become well-known in the dorm for keeping tame emotions and maintaining composure no matter what the situation is.

Thus, when you kicked down the door to the Mostro Lounge (or rather, had the door politely opened for you by one of the dorm members), it came as quite a shock that you were a pouting, dramatic mess. Had Floyd not been having a fit of his own, Jade and Azul might have thought the two of you switched personalities for a day.

Regardless, Jade is the first to approach you and get you seated at the nearest table, leaving Azul to huff and avert his attention to Floyd. The calmer Leech twin smiles at you with an expression akin to a pleased cat, and even though he never asks directly, he manages to determine your source of unhappiness rather quickly.

"It's Azul, is it not?"

"Azul!" You wail dramatically, unconcerned that the housewarden who may very well be in earshot. "Oh Zulie, my love, my life, my darling--how I long to glimpse his visage for even a second, and yet he has himself nose-deep in planning for his own birthday party! You know I would have been more than happy to help with that, by the way!"

Jade chuckles. "Azul likes to be in control of that sort of thing, Prefect. You know as well as I do that there are certain... benefits in arranging things in his own peculiar way."

"Enlighten me."

"Let's just say arranging the guest list a certain way may allow for profit. Regardless, he knows how he likes things so it's best to just let him take the reins. Believe me--I'd be more involved if I could."

"But I miss him."

"He may or may not talk about you every moment you're away, so it could be believed that he feels the same way," Jade replies cryptically. You quirk an eyebrow at him.

"What does he say about me?"

"Ah, I merely implied that he might talk about you. I'm confirming nothing," he says slyly and--before you can inquire further--suddenly takes a notepad from his pockets. "So, Prefect, what can I get for you? Remember, Mostro Lounge policy mandates that you order at least one drink while you're here."

"I thought you liked me enough to let me break a few rules," you sulk. "Well, whatever. Is Azul on the menu?"

"I'd recommend starting off with a drink first," Jade suppresses a laugh. "You sound quite thirsty, Prefect."

"More like starved. For attention, to be specific. Azul's attention."

"I'll see what I can do," Jade replies, writing who-knows-what on his notepad. "Just remember, Prefect--nothing comes for free. Especially in Octavinelle."

"You certainly give me a headache for free," you mutter. He chuckles as he leaves your table. "Hmph."

See, for the past week, Mr. Ashengrotto has been ignoring you--well not you in particular, but ignoring everyone--in favor of planning out his perfect birthday party. As Jade implied, it was more than likely that the housewarden has something up his sleeve, and even if he doesn't, Azul takes his reputation too seriously to not seize the opportunity and impress his peers. Decorations had been prepared, formal invitations sent out, and catering had been planned and measured out to the last plateful.

It was currently the evening before Azul's birthday, and if the thought of sharing his attention with several partygoers wasn't enough, the fact that he'd been 'too busy' to hang out made you even poutier. You were going through some serious Azul withdrawals! Who even knew that was a thing?

Like Jade, you had offered time and time again to help--that was your nature, after all. Azul trusted you with a lot of things--secrets and gossip and schemes to name a few, not to mention the occasional Mostro Lounge temp job--but helping with parties? Apparently your metaphorical resume was not enough for that opportunity.

You sit there at one of the lounge's tables and sulk for a bit, watching colorful fish swim behind the aquarium walls of the room. Pretty little things...

"Ah, Prefect, I should have known."

Azul sits in front of you, a perfect smile on his lips and gloved hands folded in front of him. His posture looks like he's about to offer you a business deal, but instead, he responds to your silence with, "Jade said you wanted to see me?"

"Azul? Is that you? It's been so long I've almost forgotten what you look like."

"Hilarious," Azul drawls. He hides a slight flush to his cheeks by pushing up his glasses. "Well, I'm here now. Did you want something? Ah--I could word that better, I mean what services can I provide for you today?"

His voice was pleasant and professional, simply refusing to acknowledge the notion that you might have just wanted to see him. He should know better by now, you think--you've done this song and dance a thousand times.

"Spend some time with me."

"Certainly. We can schedule a set amount of time from anywhere between-"

"Like as a friend," you cut him off. "Or, you know, like we hang out all the time. Or at least like we used to hang out B.P.P.---before party planning."

He takes a moment to analyze your expression, before he sighs and drops his business facade. "So that's what this is about. I've neglected you."

"Not necessarily. I just miss you and I want to get some time with you before you have everyone demanding your attention tomorrow."

"That so?" It takes him a second to completely digest your words, but once he's mulled it over, he looks quite pleased. "You keep track of the time you spend with me, huh? You must really like me."

You tactfully ignore this statement, biting back your own shyness. "So would you grant me the honor of spending time with you, Azul?"

"I'm afraid I cannot," he replies, pushing up his glasses once more. Despite his unconscious method of hiding his expression, you could tell he was disappointed by his own words. "I have so much to do, and I've planned everything perfectly down to my five-minute breaks. Speaking of, my five minutes are coming to a close..."

He stands up. Before you know what you're doing, you stand up with him.

"Then would you let me help you?"

He raises an eyebrow. "Help me? Are you offering your own services? I don't intend to pay you for something I can achieve on my own."

"Uh, first of all, friends don't charge friends for doing nice things, dummy," you say playfully, before looking a little more serious. "I just want to spend time with you. I don't care if we spend that doing... whatever it is exactly that you plan to get done. So... can we hang?"

"Hm..." Azul busies himself with adjusting his gloves, taking a painfully long moment to answer. "Very well. But please do not pry into my plans too much--I have a few surprises up my sleeve."

You can't help the laugh that escapes your lips. "Surprises?"

"I won't settle for an average birthday," Azul replies with a crooked grin. "Anyone can manage that. I'm going to be the talk of the school--and once I am, I'm going to use my newfound fame to make new connections and draw new customers in. I never waste an opportunity."

"It must be such hard work being the most successful person in the room." you shake your head. "But... you still plan to enjoy your birthday, right?"

He pauses. "You'll be there, won't you?"

"Of course."

"Then," he rounds the table, offering you an arm. "I've no doubt I will."

✧✧✧

The time with Azul you had begged and moped around for ends up being spent in his office, making place cards while Azul maps out the seating arrangements.

On one hand, you don't understand the amount of detail with which Azul is setting this up. The Mostro Lounge has plenty of seating, and besides, it's not like he's planning a wedding or anything. The place cards you're making--he had given you a label maker and everything--didn't exactly give a 'birthday party' aesthetic.

On the other hand, Azul is happy to talk about his plans, if only because he trusts you to keep his harmless schemes a secret. Idia, he tells you, will get to sit at the same table as him due to the former's social anxiety (if he's brave enough to show up in the first place). Jade, Floyd, Ortho, Grim and you will be there as well, and as for everyone else, they'll be placed strategically throughout the room so as to avoid unnecessary fighting. Leona will be in the corner, Azul tells you with a smirk, and Vil and Malleus will be placed as far away from him as possible.

You have to admit, it's nice spending time with Azul like this. He's foregone sitting at his desk to join you on one of the sofas, and on the table in front of you is two drinks--your favorite Mostro Lounge order and his. He has music playing in the background--something instrumental and pretentious, which makes you giggle--and though it could have been wishful thinking, you have a feeling he's casting sneaky glances your way as much as you are at him.

"So..." Azul says after a while, placing his notes on the table and turning his full attention on you. "You said you wanted to spend time with me before everyone else snags my attention tomorrow."

"Yeah?"

"Just out of curiosity... why would that matter?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, for starters, I don't think I'm as popular as you think I am. I wouldn't have to make contractual deals if I was everyone's friend."

You roll your eyes. "Well, anyone who doesn't want to be your friend can't recognize greatness when they see it. Besides--everyone's friends with you on your birthday. It's like magic! There's--ha--there's this comedian where I come from, he has this skit that's like, talking about some guy in an office having a birthday, and the dialogue goes 'It's Bill's birthday' 'Ugh I hate that guy' 'There's cake in the conference room' '...Well I should say hello, see how he's doing'--hilarious, right?"

When you look back at Azul, there's a softness in his expression that you don't usually see. You tilt your head curiously, and suddenly he's pushing up his glasses and looking away.

"...sounds amusing. You know, maybe I should have a comedy night here at the Mostro Lounge--you seem to really like stand-up and that sort of stuff, don't you?"

You feel yourself brighten. "Wait, really? That sounds so fun!"

He pulls his hand away from his face, flashing you a grin. "Right? I'll look into it, see if anyone in this school is actually funny enough to perform here. I'll bet Ruggie would be quick-witted enough to do some stand-up... ahem, but anyways, I just want you to know that I do want to spend time with you tomorrow--I even have it planned out, so don't worry about my attention being stolen, okay? I'm not one to break my own schedule."

"What do you mean, 'have it planned out-'"

"You'll see!" he says quickly, then clears his throat and lowers his tone. "Ahem... you'll see. Just look forward to it, okay?"

As much as you want to pry, you decide to grant him a little mercy.

"Okay," you smile at him. "I will."

Physical Touch:

You're so early to Azul's birthday party that you end up beating Floyd. You can imagine the look on Jade's face even before he opens the door, expecting to see his twin and instead finding you all dressed up with a gift and a smile. He flashes you a curious smile of his own and steps aside.

"My my... aren't you early?"

"Better to be three hours too soon than a minute too late," you reply. "That's a Shakespeare quote, by the way."

"What's Shakespeare?"

"One of those famous dead guys from my world..." You hum, looking around the room. "So where's the birthday boy?"

"Still getting ready, I'd assume," Jade replies. "That's a curious difference between you and Azul, huh? Punctual for you is arriving a metaphorical year early, punctual for Azul is showing up right at the scheduled minu-"

"Prefect?"

You turn, and Azul is standing by the door with perfect hair and a stylish white suit. Looks like you had assumed correctly about the dress code--of course Azul's party would be fancy, and you were glad to have ditched your sweater and jeans for something much nicer.

"Well," Jade muses aloud. "Perhaps he's happy to arrive early if it's for you."

"What are you talking about?" Azul scoffs, though he doesn't wait for an answer before approaching you and flashing you his usual disarming smile. "Prefect--goodness, it's rude to out-dress the birthday boy, didn't you know-"

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY AZUL!"

Azul gets cut off as you place your gift on the nearest table and lurch forward, pulling him into a tight and excited hug. At first, his hands fly to your forearms as if he intends to pry you away, but he eventually relaxes and wraps his arms around you as well, letting out a happy sigh before blushing and pulling away.

"Ahem..." he adjusts his glasses, hiding his beet-red face. "Thanks."

You beam, and yet you find yourself missing the hug the second he pulled away, so you opt for grabbing his hand and giving it a squeeze. "You look lovely--and this place looks amazing! I'm excited to celebrate with you," you tell him. The contact makes him go red again, and this time he pretends to adjust his hair.

"Yeah yeah--I can tell. You're quite early, you know? Don't tell me you still miss me?"

"Loads."

"Ah, well..." his lips curl into a smile. "Luckily I accounted for your earliness. I've prepared something for us to do until the guests are actually supposed to arrive--would you like to join me?"

He doesn't even need to ask. Jade gives you a knowing smirk as you follow Azul to another room of the Lounge, and from there he guides you to a sleek black piano with a long cushioned bench. He sits on the very edge of it--closer to the bass clef--and gestures for you to sit beside him, which you do.

"Are you going to play for me?" You ask, and his smirk turns taunting.

"Well, actually I was hoping you'd be willing to play for me--it is my birthday after all."

"Huh?" You blink. Azul folds his hands in his lap and gives you an expectant look, and your jaw drops. "Azul, I don't know how to play!"

"You won't try?"

"Hmph. If you give me a reason for wanting to see me fail, I might. I'll do it for laughs if it'll make you happy," you reply, placing your fingers on the keys. He seems surprised, but gives you that expectant look again, and you nervously do the oldest trick in the book--arpeggios in C major, starting at the lowest C you could reach and working your way up. C, E, G, C, E, G, C, E, G...

You hit a wrong note and recoil, and Azul chuckles, grabbing your hand and giving it a squeeze. "I was only joking anyways... good job though. That was cute."

You might have been flustered by the compliment had you not been struck with a sudden moment of genius. "Oh, wait, I think I remember something!"

"Oh?"

You look back down at the keys, and after a moment of consideration, you hit C, C, D, C, F, E to the tune of 'Happy Birthday'. You give a victorious hum when you realize you got the tune correctly, but Azul just looks at you confused.

"Oh, right, the Happy Birthday song is from my world, isn't it..." you mumble. He raises an eyebrow.

"Happy birthday song?"

"Mhm. Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Azul, happy birthday to you!" You sing. His lips curl in amusement.

"That's the song? Well, it's rather short, isn't it?"

"Sometimes that's a good thing," you reply. "Where I come from, everyone at a birthday party usually sings that song at once--if you happen to have friends and family who aren't musically inclined, the song gets kind of... painful," you snort. Azul nods.

"Seems like a tradition you enjoy. I'll make sure to sing it on your birthday."

"Huh?"

"Nothing. You were right the first time by the way--I did want to play for you--it's not often I get an audience. Er... a respectful one, anyways," he adds, and you get the feeling he's talking about Floyd.

"Well, then play for me!"

"My pleasure."

He stretches his fingers out before placing them on the keys, and before you know it, a strong romantic melody fills the room. His fingers move smoothly, and Azul barely has to glance down to know where his fingers will go next. He keeps his eyes closed for the most part--you take the opportunity to admire him, feeling your heart rate speed up, and eventually you seize the moment and place your head on his shoulder. He doesn't shove you away--instead he lets a small smile curl on his lips and he slows the music down, switching the melody to something tranquil and peaceful.

You spend the rest of your time like that until the party begins.

Acts of Service:

Azul's detailed party schedule starts with food. As the guests arrive, they have their gifts moved to the designated location and are led to their designated seats. Food is served by other Octavinelle students, and as usual for the Mostro Lounge, there is something to eat for everyone to enjoy.

"All of the guests who have RSVPed have arrived," says Jade, smiling as he takes a seat across from you. You're sat between Azul and Grim, and to Azul's other side, there's Idia with Ortho across from him. Idia's bundled up in a Precipice Moirai hoodie, muttering about pretentious dinner parties and ridiculous dress codes, which Azul finds amusing more than anything else. Next to Jade is Floyd, who's scowling at the sautéed mushroom dish his twin had personally prepared for himself.

"Ugh, Jade, you have a problem."

"Do I?"

"You're clinically insane," Floyd accuses, before catching Grim's eye and giving him a toothy grin. "Baby seal! Why so quiet? You look so nervous, hehe~ Should I squeeze some friendliness out of you? Huh?"

"Speaking of clinically insane!" Grim cowers into your side. You pet him affectionately with one hand, using the other to eat your food.

"Oh, there's nothing clinical about my insanity," Floyd says, clearly getting a kick out of spooking Grim. "If a doctor got close enough to observe me, I'd just give them a big ol' squeeze too!"

Grim yelps and buries his face in your clothes. You roll your eyes and give Floyd a look, and once the Leech realizes you're not intimidated by him, he sits back in his seat and sulks.

"Awe, Shrimpy, you're no fun."

"You say 'no fun', I say brilliant," you giggle.

The table banter is pleasant, and Azul seems pleased with the way things are going--that is, until the sound of shattering glass catches everyone's attention, along with a loud, "HOW DARE YOU DISRESPECT WAKA-SAMA IN MY PRESENCE!"

"Oh great seven..." Azul sighs. "I knew I should have kept him off the guest list."

"It's only sensible you invite Sebek and Silver if you invite Housewarden Draconia though," says Jade pleasantly. "And you simply can't not invite Housewarden Draconia--why, our dear Prefect here happens to be very fond of him, and Draconia's charming vice housewarden seemed just as adamant on him receiving an invitation."

"I know. I've thought everything through," Azul replies poutily, eyeing the chaotic scene across the room. "Well, except for how to rein that in..."

"I got it!"

You stand up, feeling quite like a superhero with your hands on your hips. Jade and Floyd cheer for you, but Azul gives you a doubting look.

"You're not on pest control, you know. I can get-"

"Don't you dare stand up, birthday boy!" You order, before giving him a goofy grin. "Sebek's not a pest, he's a dear friend, and I can get this matter settled quickly. Consider it a birthday gift from yours truly," you say, then turn on your heel to address the situation.

You were right--the second you walk over, Sebek gives you a look akin to a guilty puppy, and as for the forming crowd, you manage to shoo them all back to their seats without so much as having to raise your voice. Azul watches you with deep respect and admiration, and Jade and Floyd chuckle under their breaths at his 'goofy' expression.

"Ugh," Idia rolls his eyes. "Simp."

"What was that?" Azul asks. Idia looks away quickly, pulling out his phone and busying himself with a mobile game.

"Nothing..."

"A simp by definition is a silly or foolish person, derived from the word 'simpleton'," Ortho happily clarifies. "Although in more modern terms, a simp is an individual who showers a person they like with excessive attention and sympathy in pursuit of affection or a relationship, typically to a person who does not share the same feelings."

"Oh, so it would make sense why you're so acquainted with that term, Idia," Azul replies without missing a beat, though there's no denying the flush to his face. "W-Who said I want a relationship anyways? I'm married to money."

"Well... then you might want to keep track of your spouse because I'm rolling in money every day." Idia mutters.

"Sounds like you're the other woman, Azul," Jade chimes pleasantly. Azul scowls.

"Whatever. The point is... I forget my point. Leave me alone."

"That's right--wouldn't want you to distract you from making goo-goo eyes at Shrimpy," Floyd giggles. "Pffft--Azul and goo goo eyes. He's hopeless! Hahaha!"

"S-Shut up!" Azul hisses. Sensing that the table was starting to attract attention, he lowers his voice and composes himself. "Besides... a hopeless person wouldn't, in theory, be prepared to confess. If I were hypothetically interested in a romantic courtship with the Prefect, I would-"

"You're using that little surprise date you planned to confess, we know," Floyd yawns dismissively. Idia's eyes widen.

"W-Wait... you're asking the Prefect out?"

"No! ...maybe? Why do you sound so offended?"

"You can't!" Idia says. "You're in the board game club!"

"So?"

"You're supposed to be a loser like me! That's why I emerged from my room for you! Losers have to stick together!"

"Well, now Azul is just going to be a loser with an out-of-his-league partner," Jade replies smoothly. "Because it's quite obvious the Prefect likes him back, isn't that right Azul?"

Azul's brows knit together. "You think so?"

Jade tilts his head in your direction. Once again Azul turns his gaze to you, and what he sees is you helping Sebek clean up the mess he had made, settling other guests, and smoothing everything over with the grace of a veteran Mostro Lounge employee. Strong feelings of fondness wash over him as you laugh and joke, your natural pleasantness pacifying even the most ill-tempered guests around you.

"I know so," Jade replies. "After all, they're showing you how much they care in a thousand little ways, Azul. If you don't believe me, I'd start keeping an eye out for their love languages."

That's the last thing Jade says prior to your return. Once you're back in your seat, Azul looks oddly thoughtful--and though you don't know it, he spends the rest of the meal following Jade's advice, all the way until it's time for him to receive gifts.

Gift Giving:

You did not like the gift part of Azul's birthday. You had stepped aside for everyone to have their little moment with Azul, but waiting was miserable.

"Haha! Shrimpy looks like we just took their favorite toy away!"

"You must really like our slimy little housewarden, huh?" Jade chirps, as if 'slimy' isn't an insult at all. You pout even more.

"He's like sunshine to me," you reply. You're met with silence, and when you look at the twins again, they're staring at you with an odd look. "What?"

"Sunshine?" Floyd snorts. "That's oddly poetic. And inaccurate."

"Not inaccurate! He's my sunshine! There's a song where I'm from-"

"Back at it again with the 'where I'm from' stuff, huh?" Jade muses affectionately. "I do love to hear these little tidbits of yours. Go on."

"...no. I can't tell if you're sincere."

"Of course I'm sincere! Sing your sunshine song, sunshine simp!"

"First of all, rude. Second of all..." You pause, roll your eyes, and speed through the lyrics. "It's like... 'you are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are grey'..."

"So it is inaccurate!" Floyd cackles. "Azul is like a stormy day, Shrimpy, it's so silly that you two like each other."

"..."

"Oh, Floyd," says Jade with a huge grin. "I think you've said too much."

"Like each other? You sound confident." You say at last. Floyd rolls his eyes.

"Ugh, Shrimpy, have you ever considered that maybe you and Azul play the same stupid games?" He huffs. "'Oh, the Prefect doesn't like me, they're just really nice'. 'Man, I miss seeing Azul's face, he brightens my day'. 'I haven't seen the Prefect in a while, maybe I should invite them to a Mostro Lounge event'. 'Have you guys seen Azul? Grim wanted fried chicken for dinner so I got extra for him'. It's all the time!"

"That's-"

"I swear to the Great Seven, Shrimpy, if you play dumb on this I will squeeze your mushy feelings right out of you."

You fall silent at that. Jade chuckles, and suddenly he's handing you the very gift you had brought to give to Azul.

"Don't worry Prefect, you don't have to make a move right away. Something tells me you'll find the right opportunity soon enough. In the meantime... well, go flirt like you usually do."

"I-I don't exactly flirt-"

"Go!"

Not wanting to disobey the twins, you navigate past a crowd of party guests and make your way to Azul, who lights up the second he sees you. Like sunshine...

"Prefect! I was wondering where you went! Please, here, take a seat--I could use a break from this rowdy lot..."

"Um, this rowdy lot is still in earshot, you know," Ace scoffs. It seems he and Deuce had just finished presenting their gift to the birthday boy.

"You didn't deny the rowdy part," Azul waves off. Once Ace and Deuce leave, he returns his attention to you. "Don't tell me that's for me?"

"You make it so tempting to be sarcastic, Azul--but yes, it's yours."

He grins, thanking you as you place the gift in his lap. He unwraps the paper methodically, and you watch his expression in anticipation.

"A notebook?"

"Open it," you encourage. He does.

"Dear Azul-"

"Don't read it out loud!" You hiss. He chuckles and silently reads the writing, and you watch with excitement as his expression drops in shock.

"Are you serious?"

"Mhm!" you say smugly. You can sense some people around you listening in curiously, so you decide to reveal the surprise. "I'm granting you permission to set up a seasonal branch cafe in Ramshackle. It's still my living space and I'd like you to respect my conditions, but the ghosts, Grim and I agreed to let you set up a temporary cafe... and of course, I'll help you manage it. All my genius is on your side."

"So you just casually make dreams come true, is that it?"

"Oh, I'm sure a cafe in Ramshackle isn't your dream..."

"Maybe..." he hums. His expression softened, and in an uncharacteristically affectionate tone he added, "Well, being there will keep me close to my dream, so it counts."

You didn't need clarification--it was obvious even just by his expression that his 'dream' was you. It made your heart flutter, your breath stutter and your lips turn upwards until you're grinning from ear to ear.

"Oi, are you done here?"

The two of you look up to see Leona, a cardboard box propped against his hip with 'Azul' written in marker across the side. He glances between the two of you, and his lips quirk up into a smirk.

"Oh, I'm sorry, are you about to kiss? Don't mind me."

"You're the worst," Azul huffs. Leona shrugs.

"Guilty. Happy birthday, cephalopunk."

He drops the box in Azul's lap and stalks away. Your brief romantic moment was ruined, Azul thinks, but that's no matter.

He has a plan--all he has to do is wait for the party to end.

Words of Affirmation:

"Hey you two, Floyd and I are going to step out a bit."

The party has ended--everyone left the Lounge one by one, save for you, Azul and the Leech twins, who sat on one of the sofas and ate the leftover desserts until everyone was gone. Now the twins are disappearing to the kitchen, and frankly, you don't bother to wonder why they're choosing to go there--what matters now is that you're with Azul, and after that little moment with the gift (and your pep-talk from the twins) you had much you wanted to say to him.

"So-"

"Prefect--oh," he laughs, realizing you spoke at the same time. "Sorry. Prefect, would you like to join me in the VIP room for a moment? I have some ideas for the seasonal cafe."

"Really?" you smile. "Oh, you seem so excited for it! I'm glad. Sure--ooh, we could draw up some ideas! I have some suggestions myself--after all, I'm kind of Ramshackle's master decorator. I can make that place look nothing less than spectacular."

"Oh, I have no doubt," Azul replies. He leads you into the VIP room, and you're hardly aware of the passing time until you hear a knock on the door.

"Pardon me," says Jade, peeking his head in. "Would you two follow me for a second?"

"Oh, wow, I wonder what this could be," says Azul in a tone that implies he definitely knows what this could be. You raise an eyebrow at him and, when he doesn't reply, raise an eyebrow at Jade.

"For the birthday boy," is all Jade tells you, and you follow him back into the lounge, which now has the lights dimmed and a table for two that is lined with candles. The majority of the room's light seeps through the aquarium walls, casting dancing water patterns onto the floor and walls. There's some soft piano music seeping in from somewhere, and you can't help but remember your private piano concert with Azul from earlier. It was... stunning.

"Surpriiiise," you blurt out, no longer able to handle your shock and curiosity in silence. Azul raises his eyebrow at you. "Happy birthday!"

"Are you gonna act like this date was your plan all along?"

The word date gives you butterflies, but you nod and grin. Azul matches your expression.

"Well then, you'd know all about the food I have--I mean you have planned."

"But of course."

"And you'd know all about this music I chose--I mean you chose specifically for this night."

You nod.

"And you'd know that I plan to confess to you tonight, and ask you to go out with me," he continues.

This is it--the opportune moment Jade had mentioned. You beam.

"Exactly. And then..." you take a step closer. Out of the corner of your eye, you see Jade backing out of the room with a smirk. "...I'll tell you that I return your feelings, that I'd be happy to go out with you, and then I'll go on and on about all the things I adore about you..."

Azul blinks, briefly losing his composure. "Y-You... you mean that? I-I mean, uh... go on."

You laugh. Now that you're alone, you take the opportunity to wrap your arms around Azul, pulling him close. "I'll tell you that I think you're so handsome, and so smart, and so talented... that I love your voice and your smile and your humor, I admire how hard you work and how charming you are and that I'm so proud of how far you've come in this too-short time that I've known you... I'll tell you that I trust you and admire you and cherish every moment with you, and I'll finish by telling you how much I'd love to kiss you, and then..."

"Then?"

"Hopefully, you'll say yes," you finish, waiting in anticipation. Azul presses his lips together, then flashes you the most confident smile you'd seen all evening.

"Then clearly you don't know everything that's happening here--because if you did, you'd know without I doubt that I'd love to kiss you right now."

"That's skipping over a few points, don't you think?"

"We'll get there," Azul chuckles. "May I?"

"Of course."

Thus, you share a kiss in the candlelight before you even approach the table Azul (or rather, Jade and Floyd) had prepared. It was a really special moment, with only the two of you and the fish swimming around you...

...and Floyd, who opens the door at the wrong moment, a tray of food in his hands.

"Ahahaha! Get some, Shrimpy!"

You step away from Azul, peering at Floyd from over Azul's shoulder. Azul's expression crumples into a scowl.

"Floyd, you are so lucky I'm in a good mood," He hisses. Floyd chuckles, making a show of dancing over to the candlelit table and dropping the food off.

"No need to pout, boss! You'll have plenty more Shrimpy time from here, Jade and I will just be seeing ourselves out..."

"Congratulations, you two," Jade adds, emerging from the kitchen door only to head out the opposite way. "Enjoy your date!"

A brief moment of silence passes between the two of you, and finally you burst into laughter. Azul looks relieved by your reaction and laughs with you, before offering his hand and gesturing to the table now loaded with food for you two to enjoy.

"Well, there is a fine date prepared for us--and my birthday isn't over yet. Shall we?"

#azul ashengrotto #azul x reader #azul ashengrotto x reader

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kaleidoscopewonderland · 1 year

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I’m not gonna finish this but aye I did a little doodle of Rook 🥰 He’s growing on me

#rook hunt #princess bubblegum vibes methinks 💅🏻💕

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kaleidoscopewonderland · 1 year

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I normally don’t post on here unless it’s fanfic but I NEED HELP

I play only on the ENG server so I don’t know every fancy tip and trick out there, does anyone know how to beat these earlier battles in book six?? Like specifically Book 6 chapter 33?? Is there any way to upgrade those cards or are these cards and I just gonna have to go through the five stages of grief tryna get to the next chapter? 😭😭 Any advice is appreciated because I am failing so bad

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kaleidoscopewonderland · 1 year

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Celebrating Cater's Birthday With the Five Love Languages ✧ Cater Diamond

Word Count: ~4.9k

Summary: Cay-Cay's got a birthday. You know the drill--love languages, fluffiness, cheesiness, mutual pining, all my usual nonsense.

Notes: I just want the world to know that today my best friend and I introduced my pastor to Twisted Wonderland, and as we were walking him through the characters and making him guess what Disney characters they were based on, we landed on Sebek and the first thing out of his mouth was "This is what I imagine those imaginary friends you used to have looked like" 💀 Honestly I appreciate that he knows me so well.

Anyways, much love and I hope you enjoy! ♡

Physical Touch:

When asked what he wanted out of his birthday, the first thing Cater said was that he wanted a few good pictures to remember the day by.

Of course, you thought Cater looked good in any context--day or night, dressed up or casual, candid or posed. Regardless, you knew the boy well enough to know his preferences, and so the morning of his birthday you offered to stop by and help him get "Magicam-ready". He agreed immediately, thanking you with several compliments and affectionate pats.

In his excitement to see you, Cater woke up much earlier than usual--it surprised him to see that he'd woken up before even Trey or his other roommates, but he didn't dwell on it too long, because you'd be coming over soon. Even if you planned to help him with his hair, outfit and makeup, he still had to make himself look presentable, so he passed the time combing his hair, brushing his teeth, and changing his pajamas into even cuter pajamas, wanting to show you that even first thing in the morning he knew how to be adorable.

He had been checking his face in the camera when he got the awaited notification from you, letting him know you were in front of the dorm, waiting to be let in. He practically sprinted to the door, taking a second to compose himself and run his fingers through his hair before swinging the doors open, a blinding smile on his lips.

"Happy birthday, Cay-Cay!"

He didn't even get to take in your adorable visage before you wrapped your arms around him, pulling him into the biggest hug he'd ever received in his life. For a moment he froze, pleasantly overwhelmed by the affection you so freely showered him in. Your hugs were a rare gift, he thought--the kind of hugs that convinced those around you that they'd never been truly loved in their lives, at least not in the way you loved those you held in your arms, because there was nothing routine or casual about the way you clung to those close to you. You hugged Cater like you hadn't seen him in years, even though it was just yesterday that you were late to class because you'd spent too much time talking to him in the hall.

You were just so...

"Aweee, Prefect, thank you so much!"

You pulled away, flashing him a huge grin, and it was only then that Cater got to see your face, your hair--it was obvious you hadn't yet done your full morning routine, as your appearance was just as bare as his.

Of course, Cater thought you were adorable once you got all dressed up. Ever since meeting him, you seemed to find more fun in getting dolled up for the day, but there was something just as charming about seeing you like this--probably, Cater thought, because it was just him who got to see you like this today, and because you weren't shy at all about letting him see you like this.

He struggled with that sometimes--letting people see him with his hair down, with his clothes a mess, without makeup to hide his so-called 'imperfections'. That made this moment so much more precious to him, because he was willing to let you see him like this.

"No time to waste, babe, let's go," you chirped, voice bright and excited. "I got all the best makeup and hair care products from Sam, plus a lil something-something for you when we're done." You proudly showed off the bag in your hand. "Have you eaten breakfast yet?"

"Ah, no, have you?"

You dug in the bag, pulled out a plastic box, and placed it in his hands. "I snacked while making this, as in, I stole some of the potatoes--but I had a feeling it would be tart-city here, so I wanted you to have something a little more your speed. You might recognize it--it's those spicy breakfast potatoes you said you liked, there's an omelet and some of that spicy sausage in there too."

Gosh, Cater was never going to tire of your thoughtfulness. You said all this to him absentmindedly, like it was a total afterthought, but that didn't stop his heart from pounding in his chest. You walked past him, deeper into the dorm, before turning to face him again.

"Ah, I guess I should have asked--you are hungry, right?"

"Starving, now that you've made me something."

You laughed at his comment.

"You're too kind," you told him, before digging in your bag again. "Tell you what--you eat, and I'll get this all set up. Where do you want to do this?"

He... hadn't really thought of that. He didn't know if everyone in his dorm room was awake, but if they were, he wasn't sure he wanted them interrupting the two of you. Heartslabyul didn't exactly have a lot of options for privacy...

"Is the bathroom okay? The... the one attached to our dorm room. It's got all my products in there, plus a mirror."

"Works for me! I'll come get you once I'm set up, okay? Have a good breakfast!"

"Ah..." Right, eating in the bathroom probably wasn't the most enjoyable experience--it wasn't hard to see that that was your line of thinking as you approached him once more, giving him a gentle side hug before walking past him to his dorm.

All the more determined, Cater fetched something to drink and quickly ate the food in the middle of the kitchen, unwilling to waste a second by sitting down. He quickly put the plastic container away and ran to meet you, running into you just as you were leaving the room to fetch him.

"Have you ate?" you asked, sounding surprised. He nodded vigorously.

"It was super good! You're made of magic, Prefect, only you could make something that delicious--obviously I had to eat it quickly." He twiddled his fingers. "Are you ready?"

You beamed at him, and he followed after you. Trey was now awake, wishing him a Happy Birthday that Cater energetically thanked him for, though he kept the interaction brief. He was just so excited!

"Hair first?" You asked Cater. He grinned.

"Whatever you suggest, Prefect."

"Perfect. Take a seat, birthday boy."

You had pulled a chair into the bathroom, one that faced the mirror above the sink. Cater appreciated this gesture--it meant he could watch as you worked, and goodness knows he thought you were a sight for sore eyes.

"Welcome to Ramshackle's Traveling Hair Salon!" You said in a goofy voice. "My my, stranger, you are so incredibly handsome--what style would you like from me today? Shall I show you some options?"

"Hmm..." Cater pretended to think. "Well I must say, Master Hairstylist, your sense of style is certainly stunning... may I ask you to decide for me? Do as you like--only because you're so cute, I know I can trust you!"

He saw your shy smile in the mirror, and it made his heart melt all over again. He had to avert his gaze lest he start to get shy himself.

"As you wish, handsome stranger..." you crowed in your goofy voice. "Oh, and here... take my phone. Play whatever music you like."

You placed the device in his hands and--although it didn't seem to be of any consequence to you--Cater found himself moved by the action. After all, he didn't know if he could trust anyone with his phone the way you trusted him with yours, not after what he'd experienced with his sisters. It was a sign of trust that awed him, and he considered himself very lucky as he unlocked your phone and started to look through your playlists. You gave all of them such silly, creative names--he found them adorable.

The feeling of your hands in his hair was amazing. With his sisters, they were careless about pulling his hair, always yanking it into the latest cute style whenever they got their hands on him. You treated him so gently, apologizing profusely at random points even though he hadn't even felt you pull his hair at all. You must have been making extensive efforts to be careful.

"There you are, sir! All finished! Your hair is so soft..." You murmured the last part, and Cater felt his heart skip a beat. He admired himself in the mirror, surprised to see a style that wasn't so... cutesy. If anything, Cater thought the style looked cool. Sharp. It gave him an entirely new vibe, and as he turned his head every which way in the mirror, he found himself again an emotional mess--because you were different, and you didn't force him into that cutesy box he'd grown up in. He wondered if you'd done that on purpose, or if you'd just innocently thought he'd look good like this.

"Makeup time?" you asked, gesturing to the products. "What are you comfortable with, dear?"

"Ah, not stranger anymore?" Cater teased. You laughed.

"Honorable stranger, welcome to Ramshackle's Traveling Beauty Salon! How may I help you today?"

"Hmm, I think I like dear better," Cater mused, and he grinned at the sound of your giggle. "My hair looks amazing, Prefect, I'm tempted to just hand you the reigns again. Before we do that, though..."

"Hm?"

"Could I do your hair?" Cater asked, then hesitated. "Um, you don't have to let me if you don't want to, but..."

"Are you kidding? Of course! You want to do it now? How should I sit?"

Your excitement thrilled him. You exchanged places, and this time, Cater was the one who got to run his fingers through your hair. It was just as soft as he'd anticipated, and you seemed to enjoy the feeling, judging by your pleased-cat expression in the mirror. Your eyes closed peacefully, completely trusting him with your appearance. He was determined to prove that your trust was not unfounded.

It was different working on hair that wasn't his own, but he found a style for your hair that was perfect for your hair texture and length. Once he finished, he politely requested that you let him do your makeup before his, which you happily accepted. He quite enjoyed being able to cup your face, sharing that proximity with you as he gently applied whichever product you seemed to like best.

"Your turn!"

He laughed as he sat back in the chair, and you showed him all the products in your bag, asking if there was anything he didn't want to see or any product he'd like you not to use. He gave you free rein, and he enjoyed feeling your gentle touches just as much as you enjoyed his.

You finished your task by gently running your thumb along his cheek. He could have cried--you had no idea the effect you had on him, did you?

"All done, pretty boy," you said, and he opened his eyes to see your bright smile. "Voila!"

You stepped aside, and he took a moment to take in his appearance in the mirror. It was... different from his usual makeup, but not in a bad way. For a moment he was self-conscious, noticing the way you hadn't contoured his face the way he normally would. Instead, you embraced his face shape, highlighting his features in a way that matched right along with the hairstyle you'd given him.

He looked so cool.

He was obsessed with his appearance in the mirror, at least until he heard you giggle, and suddenly he was obsessed with you all over again. Your smile, your eyes, your nose that you crinkled playfully at him--he stuck his tongue out at you, and you laughed louder.

"And now for that little something-something," I mentioned," you said, pulling a sash out of your bag. It was red and outlined in black, with white 'Birthday Boy' text in the center. "It matches the little diamond on your cheek! You don't have to wear it, but I saw it in Sam's shop and thought it might help you feel special. Maybe you can wear it for a photo? Or just keep it as a souvenir for the day. I know how much you like memories," you winked, placing the sash in his hands. It was smooth and silky--clearly not cheap material. He stood immediately, pulling you in a careful hug to avoid ruining either of your hairstyles or makeup.

"Thank you, Prefect."

"Of course, Cay-Cay," you cooed in your sugary-sweet tone. "Happy birthday. Do you want me to help you pick an outfit? You can come to Ramshackle and help me pick mine too, if you like--then we can take photos! We don't have to do anything you don't want to, though."

"Are you kidding? Of course I want your help! I think my roommates are gone--that means we can entirely deconstruct my closet. C'mon!"

His enthusiasm was contagious. You beamed, following after him.

"Alrighty babe, lets go!"

Acts of Service:

You and Cater spent the remainder of the morning taking photos anywhere. You concluded your impromptu photo shoot in the Heartslabyul gardens, which was where Ace and Deuce found you, hands on their knees as if they'd been running around in pursuit of you.

"Finally, we found you!" Ace panted. "Ugh, you jerk, you can't just steal the birthday boy all to yourself!"

At the sight of your best friends, Cater appeared behind you, grinning.

"Well well, if it isn't Hunting Season! Sup you two?"

"Sup." Ace breathed back, which was drowned out by Deuce's extra-loud "HAPPY BIRTHDAY CATER!"

"Thank you Deucey," grinned Cater, tilting his head. "Hey, tell you two what--I don't mind keeping the Prefect company for a while, so if you're worried about my attention, there's no need. They can have as much of it as they want."

Your face took on an incredibly shy expression at that. Ace zeroed in on it.

"That's very sweet and all, but we need this little weasel to help with party preparations," Ace replied, grabbing your wrist. You groaned.

"What, it's that time already?"

"It's half past noon!"

"Shut up, it is not," you sniffed, then froze. "...shut up. It is not?!"

You took out your phone, cursing when you saw the time.

"Shucks... hey Cay-Cay, Ace is right--I promised to help with party preparations. Apparently there's a bunch of rules the party needs to follow? Do you need anything before I go?"

Cater frowned at that. He felt bad that you were going to such an extensive effort to spoil him on his birthday, but he knew what you'd say if he'd expressed his complaints: "You sweet boy, don't you know today is your day to be spoiled? I'm happy to do it, so don't you worry." He could practically see the words ready on your lips. Best not to argue.

"Don't work too hard," He said instead, and you laughed.

"And ruin this beautiful makeup? Cater, I would never," you winked. "Hey, don't worry babe, we planned ahead on this--Kalim and Lilia wanted to do something with you before the party started, and I think they should be here soon. Have fun, okay? Don't hesitate to treat yourself. You deserve it."

Another hug. Cater felt extremely spoiled by your affection today.

"See you in a bit!" you waved as you left with Ace and Deuce. Cater waved back as you disappeared back into the dorm.

"You look adorable," Ace remarked as the door shut behind you. You raised your eyebrows at him.

"How kind of you to say."

"I'm not saying it out of kindness, it's an observation. Did you seriously let Cater do your makeup?" He groaned, leaning dramatically against the wall. "Ugh, you two are gross."

"What do you mean?" you asked, feigning hurt. Catching on to your tone, Deuce straightened behind you, blindly coming to your defense.

"Yeah, Ace, what is that supposed to mean?" He spat, cracking his knuckles. Ace rolled his eyes.

"Down boy. I'm talking about the Prefect and Cater being all lovey-dovey," he said, before flashing you a punchable grin. "Hehe, you two kiss yet?"

"Shut up!"

"Seriously?" He cackled. "I'll take that as a no then! Come on, you two are obviously soooo hot for each other-"

"Trappola, I will murder you-"

"I'd like to see you try!" Ace snickered. "Didn't you promise your pretty boy that you wouldn't ruin your makeup? You might be able to take me down, Prefect, but I'll be sure to smudge your face paint first."

You scowled at him, and his teasing softened. He offered an encouraging pat on the back.

"Hey hey, I'm just saying--you two clearly like each other. It's about time you get together. Seriously. After all..." he gestured to the dorm around him. "Deuce and I have to help out with the party preparations here. You're here because you want to be. I love ya, Prefect, but not enough to do all the work we're about to do. Take this as friendly advice--you should make a move today. I give you a best friend's guarantee it'll work out in your favor."

"Because you're advice is so reliable, right?"

"I don't know that I appreciate your tone!" replied Ace. You rolled your eyes, though you offered a smile.

"Yeah yeah, I'll think about it--hey, hand me those decorations, will you? Let's get this thing done quickly."

After all, the sooner this was done, the sooner you could meet up with Cater again.

Gift Giving:

You made sure you had a camera on hand when Cater entered the dorm for his party. The look of wonder on his expression was captivating, and you were certain he'd want a copy.

Rather than ogle at all the decorations, though, he seemed to be looking for someone instead. His expression brightened when he saw you, and he charismatically wove through a crowd of excited Heartslabyul dormmates in order to talk to you.

"Prefect!" He said brightly. "Goodness, I've missed you, I haven't seen you in forever..."

"Awe, Cay-Cay, what happened to Kalim and Lilia?"

"They showed up," Cater replied, tactfully leaving out the part where he'd basically spent his time with them ranting about your escapades from that morning. "Anyways, now that the party's begun, care for a pic? These decorations look lit, I'm dying to get them in the background."

You chuckled and indulged him. Cater seized a random dormmate and requested that they take a photo, and the two of you posed in front of a large 'Happy Birthday' banner with peace signs and interlocked arms.

One of the first events on the party schedule was gifts, simply because the party began long before 'tea time' (or the time in which Riddle scheduled the food to be served). Cater was sat in a huge cushiony chair in the center of the room, and he was so obviously adored by his peers, because people were pushing and shoving in order to fit their gifts into his hands. Cater took the time to take a selfie with each person, and it made you smile to see him feeling so genuinely appreciated by the people around him.

Ace and Deuce tried to force you into the crowd, but you patiently decided to let it thin out. You waited until after Trey to deliver your gift to Cater, and Cater could have guessed what the gift was the second you placed it in his hands.

"No way," he said, long before peeling the wrapping paper away. As he expected, inside was a book--not just any book, of course, but a leather-bound photo album, filled page-by-page with all the selfies and candids the two of you had taken of each other throughout the duration of your friendship. Beside each photo, you had jotted a little note, describing the date and context and the memory associated with the photo.

Cater flipped the pages in awe--so awed, in fact, that the gift-giving had come to a complete pause, and all the partygoers watched as he fawned over each page, pointing out his favorite moments and looking at you with stars in his eyes. You gave him a shy smile and told him how glad you were that he liked it, but your response didn't satisfy him and he promptly pulled you into the seat beside him so you could flip through the book with him.

"I can't believe you'd take the time to put all this together," he told you, absentmindedly resting his head on your shoulder as he flipped through the book. You hummed.

"Well, it's not like I did it all overnight. I had a lot of fun making it--its cool seeing you through the lens of all these captured memories, you know? And it's nice seeing how far we've come as friends--when we took those photos in the front of the book, you didn't know me well at all, and you were soooo hard to get to know, remember that? I mean, you always asked me about what I liked and what I wanted to do, and I had to corner you to get you to share anything about yourself!" You giggled fondly. "And here we are now--this page is one of my favorites because they're all candid photos I took of you while we were hanging out together. You're so charming when you don't see me behind the camera--the photos capture your energy and it's one of my favorite things."

You continued to sift through the album together. Cater asked you about photos he didn't remember you taking, and in return, he pointed out your face in all your shared selfies and told you what he remembered from that day, how cute he thought you looked, and how much fun he'd had. Your special moment ended with Riddle announcing it was time to sing, which neither of the two of you was brave enough to dismiss.

"Hey," Cater stopped you as you stood. You were surprised by how... gentle his smile was. It was soft and sincere, lacking his usual blinding energy but not his genuity. "Seriously, this is the sweetest gift I've ever gotten. Thank you."

"Awe, don't mention it," you replied to him, smile equally as soft. "Thank you for sharing all those memories with me--I'm glad I had enough photos to put it all together. I'm looking forward to many more with you, Cater."

At the mere notion, Cater felt his heart skip a beat.

Quality Time:

Upon the party's end, Cater began to complain that he wasn't ready for the party to end, especially since there was a solid hour or two of daylight ahead of him. What he really meant was that he wanted to continue spending time with you, but regardless of if you'd picked up on that or not, your solution was more than he'd been hoping for.

"In that case, do you want to have an after party at Ramshackle?"

"Seriously?" He brightened like a kid on Christmas. "You'd do that? Host at your place? Oh--it doesn't have to be a party though, I'd be totally chill if it was just the two of us. Actually, I'm down for anyhing as long as I get out of clean-up. I can already feel Riddle's breath on my neck about the upcoming Unbirthday Party this week." He shook his head.

"Ha! Don't worry sweet boy, you won't be painting any roses today--you'll be safe at my dorm. If you don't want an afterparty, is there something else you'd like to do?"

"Hm... a movie?"

"Brilliant," you grinned. "Idia hooked me up with an awesome TV in the guest room, I've been so excited to try it out! I have a few selections and I think he's given me access to some streaming services as well, but if you have a specific movie in mind we can grab that too. Oh! Do you maybe want to do face masks? We can turn it into a little spa moment!"

There was simply no end to your perfection, and before either of you could get wrapped up in cleaning duty, the two of you had planned the remainder of your night complete with movies, snacks, and various forms of self-care. Cater took you to his room in order to pack a small bag of hangout necessities, and as he did so you offhandedly mentioned he could bring a set of pajamas as well--you know, for a sleepover. He could have kissed you right then and there for such a brilliant idea.

"It'll spare you from having three roommates for the night," you joked. He grinned.

"Ah, I don't normally mind them, but I'd take a sleepover with you over any sort of evening company. This is going to be so awesome--thanks for doing this for me Prefect, seriously, this is the best birthday ever."

You beamed at him. "Awe, I'm glad you think so. Ready to go?"

The sleepover went just as you expected, at least up until after the first movie. You gave Cater access to all the snacks in your fridge as you set up a movie place, got Grim ready for bed, and changed from your day attire into a clean set of pajamas. You and Cater put on face masks, chose a ridiculous movie, and talked the entire way through, poking fun at all the ridiculous characters and gossiping about the attractive actors. Once the movie was over, you suggested another, but Cater had gone strangely quiet.

"Cay-Cay?"

"Hm?" Cater blinked. You offered him a teasing smile.

"You're not sleepy, are you? I don't mind if you want to go to bed."

Cater shook his head quickly.

"No no! I was just thinking."

"Sounds dangerous."

"Deadly," Cater agreed. "But I was thinking about the photos we took today... I have a totally cute idea. You wouldn't mind indulging me, would you?"

Words of Affirmation:

Cater's 'idea' was silly. Incredibly silly, in fact, but you agreed to the proposal anyways.

He wanted you to write a caption for a photo of him. In return, he'd write a caption for a photo of you.

Luckily, you had plenty of physical photos from that magical camera you hauled around, so you just pulled out some of those. Cater and you each found a pen amongst your mess of things, and with a new movie serving as background noise to the room, the two of you began to write.

He seemed oddly determined that you read his caption for you first. Given the cheesy nonsense you'd just written, you had no qualms about the decision.

...at least until you saw the entire essay he'd written on the back of the photo. How'd he even write this much this fast?

'Magicam captions are usually in the first person perspective of the person in the photo, aren't they? Well, this isn't a caption for Magicam--this is an excuse to say what I want to say, so I hope you're ready Prefect.

'You've had my eye ever since the day I met you. I think you're beautiful inside and out, and I don't have to chip away at your personality to see that. You're completely unlike me--everything about you feels so sincere and genuine, and it's obvious that you're always true to yourself, and I admire that greatly.

'As for my heart, that was something you've earned over time. With every fact you learn about me, I give you a little piece of my heart as well. I can say with confidence you have it in its entirety now. No one in the world understands me like you do, and frankly, I'd trust my truest self to no one else. You're my best friend, the person I love most, and now I'm no longer satisfied with leaving things as they are.

'To the person who changed my life--I love you. Sincerely, Cater Diamond ♡ '

In stunned silence you looked up at him. Cater seemed to be eagerly anticipating your response--but rather than speak, you simply handed your own caption over to him. He flipped it over to read what you had written.

'The person in this photo is the most beautiful soul I've ever had the fortune of knowing. I've traveled across worlds, have met so many people, and have seen so many remarkable things, but he is by far my favorite. I'm happy to call him my friend, and although I'm nervous to confess, I'm proud to say he's the person I love. If I could choose my forever, it would be him.

I love you, Cater Diamond. Thank you for being in my life. I trust you with these feelings not in anticipation of reciprocation, but to let you know how wonderful you are. To me, you're worth all the love in the world. XOXO, Prefect.'

Cater read your 'caption' once, then twice, then several times over. His jaw went slack, but you waited the entire time with a grin, positively beaming when he made eye contact with you once more. The second he lowered the photo, signaling he was finished reading, you were the first to break the silence.

"I love you!"

Everything Cater did was dazzling, but the grin that crossed his lips was unlike anything you had ever seen before. Immediately he was next to you, pulling you into the most romantic hug of your life.

"And I love you, my heart's favorite. Thank you."

#cater diamond #cater diamond x reader #cater x reader

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