I had a huge writer's block for this event for some reason, idk why and I have no excuses. I'm quite iffy about my quality for this event and may come back to edit this, but for now this is all I have.
I wish I did more for the event design, but I made it back when the event was ongoing in the game (so last year) and stuck with it.
Event length: 11k words/67 pages
Synopsis: In which flowers are far more symbolic for the night owl than anyone would ever think.
~Fairy Gala~
"Strix, wake up! How can you be sleeping right now?! We're being boiled alive!" A voice hollered in her ear.
Her eyelids open. "Wha...?"
A strong heat wave overwhelms her.
"It's hot!" Strix sat up like a spring. Her vision is hazy from the temperature causing her to sweat a waterfall from her bed. It's like Scarabia's march of hell all over again!
Grim reports, "The whole Ramshackle Dorm is boiling hot since this morning! Quick, have one of your Dream Eaters make the bedroom cool!"
"Not when it's already burning as hell right now!" Strix gets off her bed to quickly change into a new set of clothes that is her school uniform.
She checks her phone for any notifications and found one message from Crowley. Grim peers over on the bed before both of their eyes fell flat.
The monster cat cocked his head. "An errand? Maybe it has to do with this boiling heat?"
"Let's find out."
...
"Headmaster, you said something about an errand?" Strix's somewhat flat and tired voice entered the room, having a sinking feeling they are going to be asked something unreasonable from the raven. Like usual.
Strix and Grim released a sigh of contentment upon being hit with cold air of Crowley's office. It's somehow snowing inside, but that doesn't matter anymore. They're finally relieved of the sweltering heat that is Ramshackle.
"The Ramshackle Dorm feels like a desert! If this keeps up we won't be able to even go inside anymore!" Grim griped.
"I knew it! Strix and Grim! You're also going to participate in the Fairy Gala. You're so reliable. Let's do this together!" Kalim beamed.
"I'm being swarmed by herbivores..." Leona grumbles, "I'm not some kind of commander."
"You don't need to be so afraid. We'll definitely be looking out for you, too." Kalim assures, though his words itself were not so amiable toward the prideful lion.
His brow twitched. "Oh yeah?"
Crowley silently heaved a sigh. "And the quarreling has already seemed to have begun... Are you listening, Miss Noctowl?"
Both Strix and Grim were relishing in the cool air after nearly being boiled alive first thing in the morning. The former snaps out of her reverie and gives Crowley her attention now.
"Please watch over this group of infiltrators and see to it that there aren't any problems." Said the headmaster.
Strix glanced to Savanaclaw and Scarabia's dorm leaders bantering into what may become a heated argument. "I'm not too sure about this."
"This rests on your shoulders! I'm counting on you, yes?!" Crowley said insistently.
Strix internally rolled her eyes. "Yes sir." She then ushers Leona and Kalim to come with her to Ramshackle Dorm so they can discuss their plans.
Along the way, they contacted their closest and most trusty partners to meet up as well. After waiting inside, the door to the lounge room slammed open.
"Kalim! Why are you agreeing to solve problems without thinking it through first?!" An aggravated Jamil bolts in. "You should be saying 'I will go home and think upon it' like I told you!"
Ruggie also stomps in to stand before his dorm leader, equally annoyed as Jamil. "Leona! Please don't get me involved in bothersome things! Dumping all this crap on me is just you trying to get away with not doing it!"
"But, see, everyone's going to be affected by this. If we work together than it'll definitely be okay." Kalim explained.
"Ugh, please shut up... I do not want to do this." Leona grouches from his lax position on the sofa, having already made himself comfortable in the dorm.
Meanwhile Strix, who had changed into a light short-sleeved shirt and shorts since returning to the dorm, was fanning herself and Grim by her seat on the rocking chair. She deadpanned at the boys. She's the odd one out in not being accustomed to the sweltering heat.
"But it's a fairy festival! Don't you want to see that kind of thing just once?" Said Kalim.
"Kalim, do you even realize the gravity of the situation? We're not going to party." Jamil firmly stated.
"If you want me in on the plan, then I start talking at 1000 madols an hour." Ruggie said, rubbing the pads of his thumb and index fingers together.
Everyone begins to argue over the turn of events.
Strix internally groans. Just listening and looking at them argue makes her sweat a waterfall in this hellish heat. It's too early for her to handle.
Strix sauntered to the windows and opened it to invite a yellow, violet, and neon green head of large ears, long curved tusks, and a trunk. Its bright palette distracted the boys from their discord into eyeing the presence with newfound curiosity and puzzlement.
Before the boys would question the elephant Spirit's summon, the straight-laced Strix plugged her ears.
A mighty blare from Zolephant's trunk rivaling an air horn reverberated the lounge room. The four boys winced with their palms pressing their ears flat into their head.
Strix dismissed the Dream Eater and gave them a flat deadpan that showed little to no remorse for their eardrums.
In her splendid languor she spoke, "You guys should know that arguing won't help. We should get ready to enjoy a repeated year at school together if it'll come to this." A yawn was released.
After recovering from the noise, Jamil gritted his teeth behind his pursed lips, brows furrowed in perplexity. "Having Kalim repeat the year would reflect badly on his family name. The Asims aren't royal, they're a merchant family. If the heir gets labeled as a slacker, it's going to be an issue."
"Oi, I can't hear you." Leona jeered from the side of the room.
Jamil shot a withering glance to the brunet before closing his eyes and clearing his mind. He heaved his shoulders in a silent sigh. "...Good grief. Strix is right. Going around in circles like this is a waste of time. No one is agreeing on anything. We should calm down and work out the plan for after we infiltrate."
"We need a plan? I thought we already had one, where we switch the tiara with a fake." Kalim tilted his head.
"That's not a plan, that's our goal." Jamil corrected. "The tiara's on her head, right? We need to work out an actual way to remove it."
"How about we use magic to make it gently float off and then take it?" Kalim proposed.
"Fairies are far more sensitive to magic than humans are. You can tell that by looking at Malleus, can't you? We're up against the queen of Pixie Hollow. We should approach this with the stance that if we use magic, the plan is ruined." Jamil reasoned.
"You're right." Leona attested (for once), knowing fully well of Malleus' prowess, much to his annoyance.
"So using magic is a no-can-do... This is already looking difficult." Ruggie frowned.
Leona huffed. "Idiot. That's why you're going to do it, Ruggie."
The hyena blinked. "I am?"
"You are going to be the one to switch the tiara with the fake." Leona bored his bright green eyes into Ruggie and continued with a straight face, "...With your bare hands. Directly."
"What! Me?!" Ruggie exclaimed in disbelief and pointed to himself, baffled.
"Isn't that more likely to fail than using magic?" Grim inquired.
"Ruggie is good with his hands. He's got sticky fingers. And it's not like the tiara is stuffed in her jacket pocket. It's out in the open, on her head. It'll be easy for him to get away with it." Leona said.
"I think you mean that it's actually insanely difficult!" Ruggie retorted.
Kalim sprang to life as though he was a lightbulb himself. "I get it now! So that's why you went for Ruggie and not Jack! That first year is huge. He'd stick out like a sore thumb! Ahaha!"
"If you can steal magic pens from a breast pocket, then an open tiara should be easy." Strix said to Ruggie, referring to the time he snatched Riddle's and Cater's magical pens back when they were investing the Magift Tournament incident.
His ears fold to his head, especially at Strix's nonchalant memory reminder that could come across as passive aggressive, knowing her and keeping grudges. "Jeez... Are you guys serious?"
"Yeah. So, Ruggie. How many seconds are you gonna need to switch the tiaras?" Leona asked.
Ruggie twisted his brows together and crossed his arms, contemplating. "Um... Taking in the side of the tiara and the nature of the surroundings... About fifteen seconds."
"Make it ten."
"Make it five!"
"This isn't a bidding contest!" Reflexively, Ruggie retorted to Strix who had eagerly spoken up.
She shrugged. "I meant it when I said five seconds though..."
Kalim was about to raise his hand excitedly and open his mouth but Jamil had read him like an open book and clamped a hand over. He was not going to continue some silly game and get off track.
Leona snorted. "Heh. This is you we're talking about. Ten seconds should be plenty of time. Even the birdie's bet should set a record if you went all out."
Ruggie clicked his tongue. "Tch, you can see right through me."
"Still, if the queen isn't distracted it's going to be difficult to make the switch." Leona reminded.
"Ten seconds..." Jamil held a fist to his chin, mumbling, "A way to safely, and naturally, draw attention to ourselves at the Fairy Gala..."
"Hey hey, the Fairy Gala's a festival where they celebrate spring, right? With festivals there's parades! How about we put on a parade the queen'll get absorbed in watching? We could set up a ton of decorations, and have rare animals and an orchestra." Kalim suggested excitedly.
Ruggie rolled his eyes. "There it is. Kalim's rich people talk. We've already been told that only four of us'll make it in, y'know."
A flicker sparks in Jamil's expression. "Wait, hang on. He might be onto something here. At the Fairy Gala, they put on a fashion show as the main event, right?"
"Yeah! Singing and dancing on the runway, serving 'springtime' in performance. Loads of stuff! Sam said it was a super extravagant show. It sounds so fun~" Kalim smiles to himself, bouncing and swaying a little in his seat.
"...That's it. Kalim and I, and Leona-senpai, too. We'll get the fairies' attention with the fashion show. And while the queen is distracted watching, Ruggie, Grim, and Strix can switch the tiara." Jamil proposed.
"Huh? You want me to get in on some kind of game for the fairies?" Leona spoke, incredulous.
"Ten seconds is surprisingly a long time. If we want to give that to Ruggie, we've all got to take part. Grim and Strix are assigned as Ruggie's support. So by process of elimination, that leaves us."
Dark almond eyes slide to Leona's lax figure on the couch. "...You can refuse, you know. But it will be you that suffers the most if this plan was to fail."
Leona scowled before grumbling under his breath, "Tch. That stupid-ass headmaster's been running his mouth too much."
Strix doesn't know the details, but knowing Crowley, he must have threatened Leona. Typical. She muttered, "Looks like Crowley's got you, too..."
"You guys will be able to pull it off, right? This plan rests on your success!" Ruggie pressured.
Strix frowned. "I'm not comfortable with the fact that we're all amateurs here..."
Jamil smiled confidently. "We'll be fine. I've got an idea."
Two pairs of footsteps are heard from the hallway. The door to the lounge room opens.
He looks over. "And here it is. The secret weapon for our success!"
Champagne blonde locks tinted in lavender flows silky smooth despite the dorm's heat. "A fashion show with this lineup? Were you actually thinking of a vegetable fair?"
A pointer stick taps on the palm of a red gloved hand, the jingling chain of a collar dangling from the end. "Puppies, it's time for your discipline."
Leona flatly stared with the most unamused expression. "You guys?"
Kalim gasped. "It's Vil! And Professor Crewel!"
"With our support, there's no doubt you'll become the stars of the show. Right, Professor Crewel?" The PE uniform-cladded Vil looked to the teacher.
Crewel smirked as though he is his partner in crime. "Naturally, Schoenheit."
Cue both magic potion specialists laughing together in harmony.
Ruggie sweats not from the heat but at the duo standing together. "T-Two very dangerous people have arrived."
"To think I'd see Vil and Professor Crewel together in Ramshackle Dorm..." Muttered the female prefect. She's rather intimidated by that.
"Jamil... Do you realize what you've done..." Leona was clearly not happy of the arrangement.
"This was a tough decision for me, too." Jamil admitted. "Vil-senpai is a top model, and Professor Crewel is a fashion demon. With them as our coaches we will definitely suffer. However, being the amateurs we are now, there is no way to succeed other than with their help!"
"Scarabia is living up to its cunning reputation. That's some serious problem-solving skill right there." Ruggie commented.
"Keeping the queen's... No, the entire venue's eyes fixated on you, while getting away with the tiara... I'm calling this operation: 'Eyes on me, not the tiara'! I'm going to make sure you pull this off!" Vil said affirmatively.
Lion ears fall flat. "... I want to go home."
Crewel tipped his chin upwards and gazed upon the occupants in the room. "Right, then. Everyone must be in uniform."
"Everyone? But I'm not performing." Ruggie told him.
"Me neither." Strix piped up curiously.
"Don't forget me!" Grim called out.
"You're all infiltrating, so you must all look the part for the fairies, hmm? It will not do for my puppies to be loitering about at a formal event with dirty fur coats." The science teacher waved his pointer stick with every sophisticated gesture. "Rejoice. For you will be the most beautiful in the whole venue..."
He then suddenly boomed, "And I! Shall make you stand out!"
Despite the unusually warmer temperature of Ramshackle, Strix shivered upon the two fashion divas making eye contact with the girl. She knew that anticipating gleam in their eyes were not one to be merciful. Great Seven please save her...
The training will be held in Pomefiore's ballroom reserved solely for the infiltration plan. The boys plus Grim have been dressed in pristine white and gold or silver outfits and silk sashes embroidered with flower designs.
A satisfied smile of a pet owner uplifted Crewel's lips. "How do you feel? Like puppies with beautiful fur, I'm sure."
"I knew you'd make this work, Professor Crewel." Vil complimented. "Outfits finished with tinges of color, designed to bring out the wearer's own true beauty. It's stoic, somewhat mysterious... A submerging feeling of becoming one with spring. That is 'ephemeral flora'."
Crewel hummed. "I'm grateful that someone as knowledgeable about fashion as you is around to sum it up so succinctly."
"I've had so many pieces of cloth put on me and taken off, I lost count." Jamil mumbled, head hung low.
"I'm exhausted and we haven't even started with practice yet." Ruggie sags his shoulders.
"Already? This is always what a clothes fitting is like, right Leona!" Kalim chirps to the man.
The brunet shrugged. "I guess."
Grim looks around the room. "Where's Strix?"
The boys did wonder where Ramshackle's prefect is. Since both Vil and Crewel are here, Strix couldn't have been preoccupied with putting on the clothes, right?
"She's waiting behind the door. You may come in now." Vil calls out to the entrance.
The door slowly creaks open.
Clicking silver heels lightly knock on the glossy wooden flooring. A layer of transparent teal blue fabric flutters with every movement. White silk gloves reach above her elbows, wrists carrying a set of three silver bracelets and a ring with long white strips of fabric attached to the back of her collar. The knee-length, turtleneck sleeveless dress rimmed with lace and silver frills exposed her pearly white, slender shoulders.
A silver rose clip with white lace was clipped to the side of her fringes swept to the left. Her hair was tied into a side ponytail of three drills.
Strix bowed her head and shyly looks anywhere but the boys. She starts fidgeting. Even the boisterous Kalim is unusually silent.
"H...How do I look?" Strix tried to pass off as normal but it reverted to shyness again when she recovered through her stutter. Since she rarely shows skin, she was not used to her shoulders and back feeling cold.
Her wide blue eyes look up beneath long lashes, silver glitter eyeshadow sparkling as her half-lidded innocent gaze stirred a mystical feeling of awe among the Scarabia and Savanaclaw boys. A fairy...?
Kalim had the galaxy in both his eyes as he admired her attire. He bounced over and immediately seized her hands in his.
"You're so pretty, Strix! Like an actual fairy!"
Strix meekly smiles, glossy pink lips accompanying the blush (both cosmetic and natural) dusting her cheeks. Always count on Kalim to relieve the tension. "Thank you, Kalim."
While Kalim dishes out compliments like no tomorrow, Strix glanced over his shoulder. The rest of the boys were sharing a silent message through eye contact. They had nodded affirmatively over something with serious faces.
Strix sweatdropped. Just when did they learn telepathy?
Meanwhile Crewel and Vil had smug grins throughout the reactions. The quaintness of a pure maiden was surely bound to charm the hearts of men. Such is the versatility of women, who are both beautiful yet deadly roses.
"It's too early to feel relaxed. If the wearers are not performing beautifully, the silk shirts might as well be scruffy shoulder bags." Vil reminds, calling the conversation back to attention.
"To act in a fashion show in a way that will attract attention..." The blond began, "A beautiful catwalk. A beautiful performance. Both of these are essential. First I want you to charm me with your catwalk."
Leona scoffed. "Just walking? I can do that while sleeping."
"I feel like if I think too much about how I'm walking then I'll forget my surroundings." Jamil furrowed his brows.
"No need to be so nervous. Try and relax!" Kalim reassures.
After the three performed, Vil stared in awe. "...That was surprising. To think you could walk this elegantly..."
The boys await his input.
"Outstanding, Jamil."
Relief washes over the boy's visage forming a polite smile. He bows his head. "It's an honor to be receiving your praise, Vil-senpai."
The blond turns to Scarabia's dorm leader. "Kalim, your form was also refined and on-point. I expect it's due to your family's education."
"You liked it? Hehe, I'm a little embarrassed." Kalim bashfully smiled, rubbing his nape. "Ah, but... I think it's more that I love dancing than it being 'cause of my lessons."
"Kalim's been learning traditional dance from a young age, and I've had a passing interest in street dance." Jamil explained.
"I see. So you've been training your cores, too. But compared to that..." Vil slides his violet gaze to Leona. His once pleased demeanor warped to distaste.
"Leona. What on earth was that dreaaaaaadful catwalk?" Dramatically exclaimed Pomefiore's dorm leader.
Leona blankly stared. "Huh? It was the same as the Scarabia guys', wasn't it?"
"Not in the slightest." Vil shot down immediately. "Jamil's light feet. Kalim's class. You have none of that. Your feet are dragging along the floor. Your posture is poor. When you walk your head wobbles and your shoulders move so fast you lose all form! I'm amazed to think you're a prince. Are you sure you actually are?"
From the sidelines, Ruggie winced. "Oh man, he's getting torn to shreds..."
"Vil's merciless but true to his word." Strix said.
Crewel was quiet until he spoke, "...Schoenheit. Don't you think a mongrel like Kingscholar must first be taught to walk on two legs? As he is now, he's nothing more than a kitten trying to catwalk."
Vil nodded slowly once. "...It is indeed as Professor Crewel says. There's no way that Leona, who can't even grasp the basics of walking, would be able to produce a tactful performance. As long as neither are achievable, I'd prefer you to just focus on the catwalk."
He silently sighed. "I'm saying this reluctantly, but if you can make it work with that ridiculously arrogant masculine aura, then you could be the main model while charging up the audience. When all parameters are considered, this is all we can do."
"True. To make up for Kingscholar's lack of ability, Schoenheit's plan is the only way." Crewel attested.
"I'm wondering if the two of us will be able to cover for Leona-senpai when he's this hopeless..." Jamil frowned.
Kalim, the ever optimistic soul in the school, beamed, "We can do it! We promised from the start that we'd look out for Leona, after all."
"As a student in Savanaclaw, this is embarrassing... I'm sorry we have such a burdensome dorm leader." Ruggie bowed his head solemnly.
"If you're lookin' for a coach to teach you how to walk on two legs, call me anytime." Grim smugly puffed his chest.
Strix suppressed a giggle. "That's saying a lot coming from Grim."
Leona growls. "How about you guys shut up...!"
The whip crack sharply snaps.
"Be quiet! No more pointless barking!" Crewel ordered. "I hope you're listening, puppies. See to it that you take Schoenheit's lessons and serve up the ultimate fashion show!"
"Now then. Let's hurry and begin the first Fairy Gala lesson!"
As everyone but the performers are not going to be involved in the glamorous scheme, Strix, Grim, and Ruggie were excused from the training.
The following day, they check on the progress.
"Vil-senpai, great work today. Strix and Grim and I have come to see how the practice is going. Is my dorm doing it properly?" Ruggie inquired.
Leona's voice was heard from the other side of the room hissing at Ruggie.
"Oh hi, Leona. You're actually here...?!" When they approached, they beheld a bizarre sight. Ruggie exclaimed, "Wh-Wha-What happened?! You've got vases on your head and shoulders!"
"Vil! Get these freaking vases off of me!" Leona yowled at the Pomefiore dorm leader, fur standing upright. He was standing funny like a hunched old man because of the objects, and Strix has seen plenty of elderly people to know that Leona's stature is close to mimic one.
"They're needed for your posture lessons. I want you to do a lap around the room without spilling them." Vil told the brunet.
"You bastard...!" The moment Leona lost his composure, the vase tipped from his head. What they didn't realize until that point was that there was water contained inside. Thus, a soaked overgrown cat man stood in place.
"Oh dear, there goes the water once more. Start again. Ah, and no need to worry. I've got plenty more water where that came from." Vil assures dismissively.
Leona's brow twitched uncontrollably. The lion trembles violently. He roared, "To hell with this already! I don't give a damn if it has to be winter forever. I'm sick of being made to do this dumb crap!"
Ruggie looked on dully. "Leona's a lost cause. And Kalim and Jamil are all over the place... Will they really be able to get this right before the Fairy Gala?"
"If they don't draw enough attention, the ones that are going to be in trouble are us when we're trying to take the tiara." Grim said.
Strix frowned. "Maybe we should have a change of plan..."
"There's nothing wrong here. With my model spirit, I will make 'Operation: Eyes on me, not the tiara' work." Vil said confidently.
"But how?" Ruggie asked.
"There is but one way. A good old bish bash! I'm going to make your body remember this!" Vil whipped out his magical pen. With a wave, he casts a spell to smack Kalim's rear.
Kalim let out a yowl, suddenly springing back to life from the shock and nursing the area.
"Oh man... He's using magic to give their butts a pep talk." Ruggie internally winced.
"You three, stand up. From now on, if you sit down without my say-so it's five hundred squats." The blond ordered.
Vil points to each student respectively, "Leona, put the vases back on your head and shoulders and start catwalking. If the water spills you're doing air-chair for an hour. Nothing will come out of this unless you train your core. Kalim and Jamil, each time one of you fails you're doing a three-legged circuit around the college. You should be so in time your breaths are synced."
"This is straight up boot camp now..." Strix muttered, suppressing a shiver upon imagining hearing her leg muscles scream in agony from the punishment. Ouch.
Jamil shot a heated look at Vil. "You can't just...!"
Leona growled. "This damned arrogance... What the hell are you?!"
"I'm global supermodel Vil Schoenheit!" Was what he flamboyantly answered in all his vanity before smacking all three of their asses with magic at once.
Grim pales. "He-He's a demon coach..."
While Ruggie went on ahead to take his leave after checking in, Strix was about to follow when she was stopped by Vil.
"What is it?" She asked.
"I'd like you to keep an eye on Leona while I'm preoccupied with Kalim and Jamil. I'm sure that man will be on his toes with you around." Vil said.
"Okay, if you say so..." It didn't sound like she had much of a choice regardless, she sweatdropped to herself.
Strix lets Grim go on without her and approaches Leona's side of the ballroom.
He was grumbling under his breath when he acknowledged the female with drenched, shriveled hair and soaked clothes. His tail was swishing irritably, sending droplets of water flying without a care. He didn't appreciate the bath one bit.
Strix gave a harmless smile to counter his grumpy countenance. "Vil sent me to be your cheerleader. Lucky for you, I've got just the Dream Eater for this."
A red cat with strawberries at the tip of its pointy ears, a cherry for a floating tail, and an apple hung from its collar is summoned to her side.
She grinned. "If it's a catwalk, then Frootz Cat is the best at it."
Said spirit performs their fancy footwork while circling around their master.
She chuckled albeit sheepishly. "They're telling me they know they're better than you," At this Leona bristled under his skin, "and that they're not walking but 'dancing'. Such a diva, but in a way, they're saying you need that kind of confidence."
Leona stares.
The cat spirit mewed for her attention as they strut their stuff. Strix giggled, praising them before reverting her attention to the brunet.
"Frootz Cat has three pairs of legs and can still work it. That's why I know you'll be able to succeed, too."
Leona's tail ceased twitching. He relents to her eyes round with faith before releasing a huff. She somehow knows the right words to encourage a man.
Strix helps set up the vases on his head and shoulders whenever he slipped up. Vil would then conjure a water spell to fill the vases while keeping count how many hours Leona has to do the air-chair. It was going to accumulate to a whole day's worth of it.
Maybe he can try doing it in his sleep, Strix once joked. It's not the most comfortable, but it saves time. She once tried it in the past while half-asleep out of curiosity and she lasted for half an hour, which Leona thought was pretty damn good.
"Well, when you tend to sleepwalk I would think this was bound to happen. You won't even know you have lower back muscles." Strix said smiling with rather soulless eyes. There was pain that inquired whether the price of her lower back was worth gaining leg strength. Something told him it wasn't.
Strix watched as Leona gets drenched again.
'Hehe, stinky cat boy go brrrr.'
Her brow twitched inwardly from suppressing laughter cracking her poker face. Strix has been a master at keeping a straight expression, she can't laugh while Leona is looking at her suspiciously right now.
She lied, of course.
"Oi." Came a grouchy voice. Leona had seen the laughter in the window of her eyes.
A cheeky grin lifted her lips. "It pays to be talented, doesn't it."
The subtle growl couldn't be taken seriously when he's completely soaked.
She watched him resume practicing again for what felt like the hundredth time this afternoon.
Eventually her eyes trailed down to squint at the transparent scarf embroidered in glittering gold thread. She just now realized the pattern resembles fairy wings oddly familiar to a certain tinker fairy's...
"Getting some eye candy there?"
Strix's eyes flitted up to meet his trademark smug smirk. Droplets clinging to his flattened hair drip down the side of his dark skinned face and to his sharp jawline.
The color in her azure blue irises lose intensity once her eyelids fall flat. "I've seen your drenched face so much today that it doesn't faze me anymore. It stopped being sexy after the first three baths. Plus you reek." She pinched her nose.
"You had to add that last bit, didn't you." Came the man's weak reply. Ouch.
She rolled her eyes and shot a half-hearted glare. "Get back to catwalking."
Leona placed the vase back atop his head and resumed his walk. "Always playing hard to get."
"Only because you need to put in the effort," Strix said as a matter of fact.
Several days later...
"Finally, today is the day of the Fairy Gala..." Vil breathed.
Meanwhile in the back, Kalim held his sash in confusion, "Where does this part go again?"
"Pass it here. You've got to put it around your shoulder like this..." Jamil wraps it across his chest diagonally and ties it into a bow now resting on his hip. "There we go."
"I knew that wearing expensive clothes would make me feel tense... It's all itchy." Ruggie frowns, rubbing his arms restlessly.
"As imposing as it feels, it suits you. Don't be nervous." Leona said, being reassuring in his own way.
"I think it looks great on you, too, Ruggie-senpai. Ah, hold still for a second." Strix reaches to adjust the ivory in Leona's hair. His ears shuddered when her fingers brushed against it. "That's better."
"Everyone is so shiny and dazzling!" Grim marveled.
"You can thank all the embroidery for that, but it's probably because of all that pixie dust that's been sprinkled over us." Jamil said.
Vil turns from the mirror to facing the group. "Are you all ready? If you end up relaxing too much, this strict training regimen would have been for nothing. Make sure you thoroughly check your make-up in the mirror."
A silent huff by the nose leaves him. "At first you were such an unsightly mess of a bunch I didn't know what would come of it... But after seeing the final result today, it's not bad."
"Vuh... Coach Vil!" Kalim throws himself over the blond with teary eyes. "It's thanks to you that I can do this dance. I'm gonna try my best for the real thing!"
Without shrugging his touch, Vil continued with a straight face, "Don't forget what you're actually there for. Your duty is to recapture the stolen magic gem. Without it, peace will never return to this college... You get it? The runway is a battlefield. Go and snatch their gazes and the tiara with your best performance!"
"Okay!"
...
They arrived before the botanical garden building.
"The garden they're using for the Fairy Gala is inside here. From now on, everyone we meet is going to be a fairy. Don't forget that we are human. Make sure you're careful, especially when..."
While Jamil was talking, he notices an absentee among the infiltrator team. "...Wait, where's Kalim?!"
"Huh? ...Now that you mention it I haven't seen him around for a bit!" Ruggie and Strix looked around for the bubbly dorm leader who had suddenly vanished while they weren't looking. No wonder it was strangely quiet.
Leona clicked his tongue. "That bastard, always tottering around..."
"Hey, you guys!"
Kalim jogs into view.
"Kalim! Don't just wander off by yourself. Honestly... Do you realize how tense this situation is." Jamil chides.
"It's an emergency. Come here, you've gotta help me!" Kalim flailed his arms in a grand gesture.
Jamil regarded him flatly. "What? Did you find some rare thing? This isn't the time to be playing around..."
"Just come with me already!"
Kalim pulls the group to the side of the entrance.
"...So, what on earth is it?" Jamil inquired.
"This guy here! Look."
Following Kalim's finger, they spot a tiny fairy in green weakly hunched on the side of the path. His wings were drooped, and weak jingling noises came from him.
"Whoa! There's a person smaller than your palms crouching at the side of the road!" Grim peers at the diminutive figure with glimmering curiosity.
"He's got transparent wings coming out of him... Is this a fairy?" Ruggie presumes.
Strix creased her eyes in concern. "He looks pale..."
"I spotted him on the way here and he doesn't look too good. But I can't understand what he was saying so I didn't know what to do..." Kalim drooped helplessly.
"Wow, Kalim, it's like you're a real hero out of a storybook." Ruggie remarked.
Leona clicked his tongue again, grumbling, "Tch... We're just wasting time."
"When I'm feeling rough, you always give me the right medicine, don't you, Jamil? So I thought maybe you might know what's wrong with the fairy." Kalim looked to his vice dorm leader for help.
"Unsurprisingly, I don't know much about fairy biology so I'm not confident, but... He's clutching his stomach like he's in pain... Maybe he has a bellyache?" Jamil inquired.
At this the fairy suddenly perked his head up and nodded before doubling over again.
"So a stomachache... Then I'm sure I... Ah, here!" Kalim was rummaging through his pockets until he produced plants from them.
"They're medicinal herbs that Jamil prepared for me. Here, try and take them. You'll feel better in no time." Kalim placed the herbs before the weakened fairy.
The tinker fairy consumes the leaves. Once the medicine settles, the fairy's eyes widen in surprise. He bolted upright to his feet that it almost gave one whiplash at the recovery.
However, Kalim misunderstood it for a negative reaction. "Wha-What's wrong? You suddenly stood up... Did it hurt?!"
The fairy shook his head, chimes following with every movement. He held a grateful smile and spoke in jingles falling deaf on human ears.
Kalim gave up. "Yeah. I really can't understand what you're saying at all."
The tinker quietly pondered to himself before whipping out a tool and started building.
Ruggie was surprised. "H-He suddenly started banging around with a hammer..."
"I guess he's making something." Leona said after watching the fairy's handiwork move at the speed of lightning to the point that dust clouds comically obscured the invention in progress.
The tinker fairy presented a beautiful gold device with butterflies and flowers for Kalim to take. The device made a jingling sound akin to the fairy language.
"This is...a bell? You're giving it to me?" Kalim was then aggressively forced to accept the trinket, "...You don't need to be so pushy! Are you angry or something?"
"NO! I AM TRYING TO SAY THANK YOU!"
Everyone jolted in shock upon hearing the fairy speak their language. "What?!"
The tinker fairy heaved a sigh. Finally they could understand each other. "My stomach felt fine straight away. Thank you for the medicine."
Kalim blinked a few times. "Tha...That's no biggie, but..."
"What the? We can suddenly understand you." Grim exclaimed.
"You know the bell I gave you. It's obviously thanks to the translation device. Big fairies need a translation when they're talking to little fairies. It's an absolute must at events with a large number of fairies, such as the Gala. Don't tell me your family forgot yours?" The fairy giggled. "How careless."
"Oh, is that right. I had no ide-gah!"
Jamil clamped Kalim's mouth shut before it runs anymore. "You're correct. Even though it's so important, every single one of us was careless and forgot. It's been a bother."
"Oh dear~ How clumsy of us indeed!" Ruggie followed up.
"Still, you made that in no time at all... What are you?" Leona asked with a quirked brow.
"It was no trouble at all. After all, I am a tinker fairy! Where are my manners, I'm Fairy Maisy. I'm the leader of the tinker fairies." He bows. "If you ever forget your bell again, please let me know. I'll present you with another, as a thank you for helping me!"
"You would? Thanks!" Kalim smiled widely.
Strix had watched the fortunate event unfold. She murmured, "If you do something nice then nice things will come to you."
"I'll take you up on that, too. As expected of Kalim..." Ruggie mutters.
Strix noticed the tinker fairy staring at her and watched curiously when he flutters before her.
"Your eyes... They're just like the blue harvest moon. Very lovely!"
Strix blinked. It shouldn't be surprising that blue pixie dust exists in this Disney realm, but the fact that Maisy confirmed it is surprising itself.
She mustered a polite smile. "Thank you."
After gifting them bells of their own, Maisy went ahead to enter the gala before the group followed inside. They were greeted with sparkling light the luxurious venue emanated. Transparent gold drapes hung above them and colorful budding flower lanterns levitate in midair. The stone pavement was covered in a green carpet with flowers decorating the sides.
"Whoa! This is awesome! They've put flower decorations over the whole botanical garden!" Kalim was clearly the most excited and entertained of the bunch, sparkling red eyes roaming everywhere like a kid in a candy shop.
"Ugh... Everywhere I look, it sparkles. My eyes hurt." Leona cringed at the brightness of the runway and averted his eyes away.
"You can say that again..." Strix squinted her light-sensitive eyes at the sight. "My corneas are burning..."
"What's up with this luxury venue! The garden's plants and flowers are decorated with sparkling pixie dust... And on the table is some tasty-looking food, food, food!" Unsurprisingly, Ruggie was immediately by the pantry fixated with the array of dishes with a drooling mouth and twinkling eyes.
"There's really loads of different kinds of fairies here. Ones bigger than Leona, even ones tinier than my pinky finger." Kalim noted as he examined the guests chatting animatedly and fluttering about over their heads.
"Stop frolicking around and look at what's happening in the center." Jamil chided the group who were getting distracted by the gala.
"The center?" Grim along with everyone else looks to the center. A grand, velvet red throne stood atop a platform. "... I see the runway, and a seriously extravagant chair."
"That's the VIP seat for the fashion show. I guess it's for the boss of this festival... Where the queen is going to sit." Leona said.
Jamil nodded. "I agree. Which means that that's where Ruggie and the others will be making the switch."
"Th...That's right in front of the freakin' runway!" Grim exclaimed. "There's fairies to the left and right! The only place you could hide is behind the chair!"
"If we tried to take the tiara from such an obvious place as that, we'd get caught by the fairies!" Ruggie sweats nervously.
"You've got the subtropical zone close by. It'll be fine if you run straight there as soon as you've got it in your hands. And then if you keep going you're at the back exit." Leona tells them.
"Leona, just because this isn't your problem doesn't mean you can make it sound so easy! If the plan fails it's going to be me and Strix and Grim that are going to end up being caught and chewed out!" Ruggie might as well be up in the man's face by this point.
Leona closed his eyes from the headache. "Shut uuup... All you've done is whine about the possibility of this going wrong. I've already told you that I won't let that happen."
Ruggie's lips pursed into a line as his eyes bored at the languid dorm leader unusually calm underneath his pinning gaze. He huffed. "...Whatever! I'm not letting you forget you said that, you hear me?!"
"Yeah, just leave it to us!" Kalim assures confidently.
"Okay then, let's split up into our groups." Jamil spoke.
Strix nodded. "Let's do our best."
Ruggie's team move to the subtropical zone where it's not the center of the runway event.
"Strix. Grim. Listen to me. The person who's gonna take the tiara off the queen's head is gonna be me, because I'm best with my hands." Ruggie stated.
"Grim, you'll keep watch and try to make sure that no one gets too close. Strix, I want you to keep an eye on the show... And give me the signal when it's the best timing for me to take the tiara. Call my phone for one second. Here's my number. It's on vibrate so don't worry about the noise."
Ruggie had inputted his number on Strix's smartphone and returned it to her before continuing, "I can't see the show from behind the chair. So as soon as the queen's attention gets fixated on something... The moment when everyone's the most fired up, that's when I want you to signal me."
Blue gray eyes bored into bright blue ones. "Strix, this will happen in seconds. Brace yourself and stay alert."
Strix firmly nodded once. "Got it."
There was still time before the fashion show would begin. Ruggie hides behind the extravagant VIP chair for the remaining period while Grim stood nearby. Strix stands by the runway, mingling as part of the audience.
"They've really spruced the garden up to a 100, though..." Strix remarked as she admired the blooming array of vibrant and colorful flowers celebrating the welcoming of spring. It's a shame she can't stay longer.
The flapping of wings buzz closer, drawing her attention to the source. Fairies are being drawn to her like moths to a flame.
"What stunning blue eyes! They're like blue pixie dust!" A fire fairy gasped.
"I want to see!" A water fairy innocently chirped.
"You smell extraordinarily sweet, even more so than honey! Did you spray some kind of perfume on? I'd love to know where you got it." A wood fairy asked curiously.
Strix mustered a small albeit strained smile, unable to make eye contact with them. "Um, I..."
A hand grabbed her slim wrist and pulls her away from the crowd of fairies.
Before they would protest the rude interruption, one look from the beautiful man with lion ears and tail rendered them speechless. It was enough for Leona and Strix to leave the area soon after.
Strix tried to call out to him until when her face was pressed against the silk fabric of his scarf. Before she knew it, she was ensnared in his strong arms.
When she slowly pulled her head back to look at him, she found her breath hitched silently in her throat.
A curtain of dainty pink lotus flowers hanging from the tree branches surround Leona. Golden rays of sunlight beam through the sun-kissed foliage and shine on his dark hair a softer brown tone, igniting orange tips burning fiery embers. A regal, majestic view of the lion prince becomes an engraved memory among the rare instances she is reminded of his royalty.
Through the fragile pale pink petals, she saw it again. She could see her face reflecting in those eyes never leaving her out of sight.
A large callous hand is placed between where her neck and shoulder meet. The warmth radiating from his palm rendered her speechless as she stood still with batted breath.
His thumb slides up across the white silk of her dress and brushes against the lace to rest the pad of the finger on her pulse. There was no way he wouldn't detect her beating pulse, especially now that it picked up from the touch.
Leona leaned past her face, hot breath burning the shell of her ear as his husky voice rumbled in his throat. "I won't stand still watching anyone, even fairies, get a free whiff on you. Your scent...is..."
Strix stood immobilized in place. The warmth from his body and touch of his fingers searing hot across her skin... The rippling of his deep voice coming from one side of her ear and then to the other... They're all she could think of right now. She barely even registered what he just said.
The world slowly begins to grow hazy. Her mind is going to melt into nothing at this rate.
Just when she scrambled to snap out of her daze, a feathery stroke glides upwards on her bare back.
A shrill gasp elicited from lips she could never have believed to be her own. Strix's body jolted back to reality and instinctively pulled apart, reaching her hand behind the area where the tingling sensation lingered. Red flushed her cheeks as she bit back a flustered expression and failing miserably. "Wha-! You...!"
He used the fur of his tail to tease her! That's unfair!
Leona smirked smugly, eyes darkening. "You're one troublesome kitten."
Strix bit the inside of her cheek. Was this payback for when she laughed at his drenched state?
Excited murmurs are heard around them.
"Look, it's the queen!" A fairy whispered.
They look over to see the gold fairy queen appear with graceful strides, dress and wings glittering like condensed pixie dust. She was approaching straight to them!
Strix's blush had faded by then as she immediately stood straighter while Leona was on guard behind his casual demeanor. Could she have figured out they were actually human intruders?!
The fairy queen was accompanied by her loyal retainers keeping watch behind their liege. Her glimmering pair of gold pools smiled. "I've heard word of a fairy with stunning blue eyes and have come to see for myself."
Strix bowed her head respectfully. "It's an honor to meet you, Your Majesty."
"Please, lift your head. Let me look into those lovely blues..."
Strix shyly raised her chin and beheld the fairy with mild tentativeness swirling in her brilliant blue eyes. The overwhelming presence of nobility emanating from the queen is unbelievable. Somehow she's embarrassed.
"What's your name?" The queen asked.
The human paused, conflicted between revealing her name or using a fake one (on top of her fake alias "Strix Noctowl" already). In the end she gave up and prayed her name doesn't set any alarms. "...Strix."
"Strix? What a peculiar name..." A giggle flutters past the queen's lips forming a golden smile. "I would love for you to accompany me."
Strix's eyes widened. "I... I could never...!"
She glanced behind. Surely a royal as Leona would have a way to save her. He would definitely know how to avoid interacting with people of high social standing, right?
Leona pretended to not overhear their interaction literally happening right in front of him by glancing the other way. It may seem like he was being respectful by not listening in to the two women. Or maybe he was trying to avoid getting dragged into helping Strix like it was none of his business.
"I insist. Come along, young one. There's no time like the present!" The Fairy Queen beckoned.
Leona simply stared as Strix was dragged away by the excited queen. The somewhat pitiful acknowledgement sent her way was a message of good luck from the man. Strix hopes a pebble gets stuck under his foot while he keeps wearing sandals.
Strix sits on a velvet red cushion stool propped beside the throne. Her hands on her lap balled into fists as a nervous sweat dared to form on her temple. This was not part of the plan!
"That reminds me, what kind of fairy are you?" The Fairy Queen asked from her throne.
Strix realized she was supposed to make up a false identity a second too late. Fortunately her nervousness can be racked up to humbleness in the presence of royalty, which is definitely not a lie on her part. Though she has met princes and royal heirs in NRC, interacting with an actual ruler who isn't around her age is a completely different league.
"I'm... an animal fairy. Particularly creatures that appear in dreams," Strix replied, mentally patting herself on her back for the safe lie.
The Fairy Queen smiled. "My, how peculiar. You must have a caring heart to tend to the creatures."
Strix returned a bashful smile of her own. "I do care about them very much. They're my animal friends, after all."
The queen giggled. She then posed another innocent question, "What kind of flowers do you like?"
"I like..."
Right before she would reply, the fashion runway show commenced. Many dazzling performances by a diverse race of fairies show off the spirit of spring.
Though Strix may have infiltrated for the sake of the school, she would be lying if she said she wasn't interested in the show.
She herself hadn't realized how invested her undivided attention on the participants was, leaning forward in her seat and roaming her eyes all over the flashy effects and movement of the fairies. All the while her eyes were wide with youthful glee.
Beside her, the queen smiled warmly like a mother to her child.
It was then Leona's group finally appeared under the name "Me and the servants". Strix and Grim immediately knew that had to be Leona's suggestion. Why are they surprised.
The fairies are attracted by the intricate embroidery on their outfits and the overall theme of "ephemeral flora" that have captured their attention upon sight.
Jamil and Kalim dance with light footwork and refined choreography that some wondered if they were wind fairies. Meanwhile Leona performs his catwalk down the runway lane.
The Fairy Queen leans forward with undivided attention, as did the rest of the audience, feasting their eyes upon the breathtaking performance taking them by storm and flower petals.
Strix sends the call from under her skirt. Ruggie makes the switch.
Grim's blue eyes bulged. "Wha-What?! It was over before I even realized! He was so fast I could barely see!"
Strix needed to rendezvous with Ruggie, but will she manage to do that with the queen right beside her? She was the one who invited her out of her own volition and would expect Strix to remain her company.
The soft-hearted side of the girl was hesitant to just vanish on the queen of all people. Yet once she learns of Strix's true race, the kind exchanges up to now will never be looked back the same way. The queen was also interested in her because of her eyes, too...
Strix frowned. That's right. Of course a fairy queen would approach her only for that. If she didn't have these eyes, this wouldn't have happened.
A familiar squeaky sound trilled in her ear, her hand prodded by a squishy muzzle.
Blue eyes meet yellow plus pupils.
Strix sat rigid in her seat. A magenta pink and green Meow Wow with a yellow and pink-tipped flower for a stubby tail had appeared beside her.
"Flowbermeow?!"
Strix sharply whispered for the Spirit to hide before it would get noticed. She doesn't know why it showed up all of a sudden, but she can't continue to bide her time here.
However, the Fairy Queen soon discovered the mysterious creature who stood out like a weed. She asked curiously, "Is this the kind of creature you tend to? How adorable. This one even smells as sweet as a flower's nectar."
Flowbermeow paws at the air and rolls along the floor, appealing to the Fairy Queen with its cuteness (and succeeding without a hitch).
The queen rubbed its head. She remarked in wonder, "It's quite squishy, too."
A pair of stamens for antennas bobbed into view. Another pink and yellow flower Spirit smiled with yellow four-pointed sparkle pupils as it swayed gently from side to side.
Wheeflower held a bundle of golden yellow roses in its leafy appendages to Strix.
A flash of realization crossed her expression. Strix accepts the bouquet and turns to the queen.
The fairy stared at the beautiful flowers reflecting her wide eyes.
Strix smiled. "May this year's Spring bless everyone with new beginnings."
The roses burst into petals, blinding the queen a curtain of yellow.
Amidst the whirlwind of yellow, the girl and the rainbow creatures vanished.
The Fairy Queen looks around just as Leona's group performance ended on the runway and a roaring applause erupted the venue. "Where did she go?"
Thanks to Wheeflower's idea, Strix had quickly slipped away and appeared by the exit to the subtropical zone where Grim had been waiting for her after the tiara had been switched.
"Strix! I was getting nervous you might've screwed up with the queen, y'know." Grim said upon her return.
"I'm pretty sure she still doesn't suspect anything after that. Let's go and not keep Ruggie-senpai waiting." Strix ushered.
They rendezvous with Ruggie in the subtropical zone.
"Oh, Strix, welcome back! Your timing was perfect. No one followed you two here, right?"
Strix grinned. "The fairies had no idea."
The hyena made his trademark snicker. "Well, no amateur could have pulled it off. Okay! Let's hurry up and get outta here."
They escape through the subtropical zone devoid of fairies.
"Here, quick!"
Grim pants for breath. "Ho-Hold up... Ruggie, you're going too fast...!"
"That's not fair. These shoes are not made for running unlike your boots, Ruggie-senpai!" Strix said. She's not even wearing high heels and they still hurt to run!
Suddenly a surprise rain shower sprayed on the three, stopping them in their tracks.
Grim shivers violently, shielding his flaming ears. "Holy cow that's cold?! What the?! It's started raining?!"
"No, that's..." Ruggie's eyes dilated. "The garden's sprinkler system! Oh crap, I forgot that the sprinklers in the subtropical zone had a squall time set to water them! If it keeps going..."
Dread pales Strix's skin. "The water will wash all our pixie dust off!"
Ruggie's ears perked up in alert. "This is bad, someone's coming! We've gotta hide somewhere!"
They frantically looked around before darting behind lush bushes big enough to hide the three of them.
"What's this...? This area... It absolutely stinks of human! Did humans sneak into our festival? How disrespectful." A fairy flutters in with disdain.
Another fairy muttered, "That's weird. I also smell something sweet unlike anything before, nothing like ordinary flowers. Maybe they're trying to hide their scent with it?"
Strix turned pale. Could they be referring to her?
"Ruggie-senpai..." She was about to apologize before proposing she would distract them when an arm looped over her shoulders. She was pulled closer to the hyena's side to remain low and huddled in the bushes.
A finger was raised to her lips. He knew what she was going to say and still decided against it. Their cover will still be blown regardless now that the girl is drenched with the perfume mostly washed out. They'll suspect that she was mingling with humans or is a human herself. Once the fairies put two and two together, she may not escape the fairies' clutches for a long while.
Despite the unwanted shower, her natural sweet scent still remains intact, strange enough. Being close to her like this is already distracting Ruggie into a mild high. Putting it simply, he's stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Yet Ruggie's eyes remained glued on the fairies. His grip on her shoulder tightens slightly.
"The smell is coming from close by. Where are you hiding? Show yourselves!" The fairies barked.
Grim's teeth grit together anxiously. "They're really about to find us...!"
A water fairy stared into a particular bush before making their way towards it. "Over here!"
Just before their location would be exposed to light, a familiar deep voice addressed to the fairies, "Hey, you guys."
The fairies reeled to a stop to swerve towards the source. "Hmm?"
"I'm talking to you. You." The voice emphasized.
"Oh, y-you are... the one who drew the entire crowd into his performance... The noble fairy from some place I don't know!" The water fairy gaped before the sight of Leona.
Summer green cat-like eyes bored into them. "...Eyes on me."
Ruggie whispered, "Leona! Nice timing~!"
"Has he come to rescue us?!" Grim whispered back.
"I think so." Strix quietly replied.
"The water in my dressing room is too warm. I only drink cold water. Go and get it changed now." Leona ordered.
"That arrogant acting suits him too much, you know..." Grim's ears and eyes fall flat.
"He's not acting. That's just how he always is." Ruggie said.
The water fairy stuttered, "Bu-But I'm not the one responsible for..."
"Huh?" Leona cocked a brow. "...Weren't you listening to me?"
"I-I was! That's not what I meant... Wha-What is this? My body is just moving by itself...!"
"That fairy, they're being overwhelmed by Leona's sheer presence." Ruggie watched as the water fairy trembled from the aura Leona was exuding.
"I feel like I can't see anyone but him. So this is what they meant by 'operation: eyes on me, not the tiara'!" Grim murmured.
"Let's get out of here while they're distracted." Strix prompted them to move sneakily out of the botanical garden.
Once they were outside of the dome building, Grim pants. "We've...made it out...of the...Fairy Gala..."
"I feel like we can relax now. Let's see..." Ruggie scans the area. "Yep, there's no one behind us."
Strix smiled. "We got the magic gem back!"
"Now we can go back to a comfortable school life!" Grim cheered.
The three high-five/paw each other. "Yaaay!"
"I think the others will be getting out soon, too. Let's meet up with them!" Ruggie ushered.
It was late afternoon when the distraction team arrived at the Main Street where the tiara spying team waited.
"Ruggie, you messed up in the end, didn't you." Was the first thing Leona said before shooting a pointed look at the hyena.
"It wasn't my fault. Please direct your complaints to the college, who are the ones in charge of the sprinkler settings!" Ruggie flailed an exasperated finger at the campus.
"The fashion show was wonderful." Strix praised, eyes glimmering with awe.
Leona slowly raised a brow. "Huh? ...It actually got you fascinated?"
"Of course!" Strix said in a heartbeat.
Leona noticed she was hugging herself and realized from the flat hair and clothes that she had gotten soaked.
He stepped forward and draped his cloak over her shoulders. Strix thanked the brunet and held onto the fancy article.
"Ruggie and me didn't see the show but... I just know that Kalim and Jamil did great. I didn't have to see to tell." Grim said.
"Not at all, Leona was more beautiful than any of the fairies there! I was surprised." Kalim modestly admitted.
"There you go again with all the support. Kalim, you're a really nice guy, huh." Ruggie remarked.
"What's up with you guys' attitudes. Are you forgetting who saved you?" Leona spoke up.
"I thought that was just how you normally act." Said Jamil.
"We got the magic gem back, and the college can return to normal. Everything's settled." Affirmed Ruggie.
"Hello, everyone."
Leona's ear twitched. "That voice..."
Vil and Crewel appear before them, the former speaking, "I see it's all over."
"Professor Crewel and Vil-senpai. Your timing is impeccable." Said Jamil.
"We were watching the whole time on one of Shroud's drones." Crewel said.
Leona lazily peaked one eye open to them. "...So? How was it? Our show?"
Vil was silent until he gave a short huff. "You pass. You went above and beyond yourselves, didn't you? Be thankful to your wonderful coach." The blond flipped his hair.
Kalim tears up before hugging him. "Coach~!"
"What are you actually trying to do, Kalim." Ruggie muttered, sweatdropping.
"I kind of get it, you know. After all, the lessons were very difficult." Jamil admitted.
"I have prepared a reward... for my good boys." Crewel announced, much to Ruggie's delight.
The hyena springs to life and leaned forward, wide ears wiggling. "Huh, a reward?! What is it?!"
"I made these myself... My next outfits!" Crewel flashed a fan of sketches featuring clothing designs.
Jamil was confused. "Next? What do you mean by next..."
"I've gotten conviction watching your performance." Vil spoke. "With me as a producer you'll be able to shoot even higher. Add in Ruggie, Strix, and Grim for a power-up. You'll be appearing in Twisted Wonderland's next biggest collection!"
"THERE'S NO WAY WE'RE GONNA DO THAT!"
Strix sheepishly laughed beside a confused Kalim.
A fond smile softens her eyes as she recalls the gala.
"What kind of flowers do you like?"
Strix never did get to answer the queen's question. If she had answered, it would be...
Her eyes glanced around absentmindedly until they zeroed on a certain plant along the side of the stone paved path.
She silently approached before it and kneeled.
A puffball of white stars delicately stood long and tall. It was a dandelion.
A fond smile grew.
She loved dandelions as a child. She saw comfort in the fuzzy seeds. Blowing the seedlings of light and spreading them into the world wherever the wind carries them... She envied how fleeting yet beautiful they were.
Ever since, she occasionally entertained a peculiar notion...
Grim, along with Kalim, were watching curiously when Strix had knelt in front of a dandelion. They had called out to her but she did not seem to pay heed. Her expression was unreadable, shrouded with mystery.
She plucked the stem off at the base with a snap. Careful not to disturb its original shape, her body slowly rises to stand with the plant pinched between her fingers.
Strix raised the dandelion near her glossy pink lips, parting them slightly...
With a swift exhale, the tiny lights scatter.
A gentle breeze whispers past everyone. Noticing the flecks of white gliding in their vision, they ceased arguing about the plans for the next runway show and swept their gazes along to the horizon of the twilight sky.
The twilight burned brighter with the coming of spring season.
Meanwhile Strix's lips were pursed thinly in the sunlight warming her soaked body. It was neither a smile nor a frown, but one of contemplation.
If she had the choice to be reborn in the next life...
She would be reborn not as a curse, but one that would blossom into hope, just like a dandelion.
...
Next event up is Halloween 2020 Scary Monsters!
Halloween 2021 is a big project for me, so it may be long before I can publish that one. I'm thinking of changing the plot to a more original plot centered on Strix, so there's that to consider. It's a good opportunity to play with some lore, and hopefully you readers are okay with that. I don't dislike it, just thought doing this way will be unique to my story.
I'll do my best to feed y'all good food with the Halloween (mainly 2021) events, so please bear with me until then.