Ace already thought that Yuu was pretty strange to begin with, what with his lack of magic and airheaded tendencies. Then he opened up the windows and started singing.
"Not this again…" Grim yawns loudly as he hops off the bed, taking a moment to stretch out his body before quickly swiping at a mouse that ran past him. "H-Hey!"
Chirp! Chirp!
Ace stares at the group of twittering birds that flies above his head. There's something so…ominous about them. Why, Ace can't exactly put his finger on it…
And then a few of the birds decide to dive-bomb him, purposely knocking him off the bed during their assault.
Thud!
"What the hell?!" Ace quickly sits up, now fully awake to whatever bullshit was going on. His gaze quickly shifts over to Grim, who only points and laughs at him while the birds made the bed. "You are so lucky that I can't use my magic right now…"
Grim only snickers behind his paws, quickly running off to chase after another mouse that crossed his path.
"Geez, it's too early for this…" It certainly feels like it, since Ace doesn't know what time it really is. He forces himself off the floor, just in time to see the birds fluffing up a pillow on the bed. The sight alone makes him arch his brow.
It's a little odd—especially since Yuu is still singing. Speaking of which, now that Ace actually stops and listens…
"You got a pretty girly voice." It's not bad or anything—but it certainly stands out to Ace as he watches Yuu put on his boots. A bird perches itself on his shoulder, twittering along to the tune that Yuu sings.
"No matter how your heart is grieving,
If you keep on believing,
The dream that you wish will come true."
KNOCK! KNOCK!
And just like that, the birds fly out the window, a loud knocking noise having scared them off.
"Who the hell shows up this early in the morning…" It's bad enough that Ace can't exactly go back to sleep, seeing as the birds have already made the bed… Now there's someone at the door?
"Could be Crowley…or it could be someone else." Grim doesn't know. "Either way, you should probably leave Yuu's room—unless you want others making up stuff about you?"
"Yeah, no." Yuu might be cute…but he's not that cute.
"Visitors, visitors~!" Yuu starts to sing in that girly, high-pitched voice. "Gotta open the door!"
Thud!
It takes one misplaced step for Yuu to stumble and fall flat on his face. A bead of sweat rolls down Ace's face as he sighs.
"You are a danger to yourself." And yet, that doesn't stop him from helping Yuu up anyways. There's this smug look on Grim's face as he watches, which prompts Ace to ask, "What's with that look?"
"Just thinking about how much more popular Yuu is than you." Okay—that does it.
"I might not be able to use magic—but I can still smack you around!" The only thing keeping Ace from grabbing Grim by the scruff of his neck is Yuu, who immediately has him in a chokehold. "What the heck?!"
"Bad!" Yuu scolds him, purposely tapping his finger on his nose. "No fighting!"
"G-Get off!" How the hell can someone so scrawny be that strong?!
It's not anything too ridiculous, but it's enough that Ace can't pull Yuu off of himself. Not helping is the collar around his neck making everything so awkward, from the way the way that Yuu's sleeve keeps. HITTING. His. FACE.
…
…
Deuce receives no answer when he knocks on the front door of the Ramshackle Dorm. Sighing, he goes to knock on the door again, letting out an especially loud yelp when the door suddenly swings open. Was…was that supposed to happen?
Deuce doesn't know, but he can certainly feel a shiver go down his spine as he takes his first step into the decrepit building. There's no one around to greet him, though he can make out some loud noises coming out from one end of the hallway. It's just as he's about to investigate it when Ace turns a corner and walks into view, looking somewhat worse for wear as he carries Yuu on his back.
"So you did come here." Deuce isn't at all surprised, though…he can't help but arch a brow at the sight he sees before him. "Did…did you get into a fight?"
"Nope!" Yuu promptly responds. "Not on my watch!"
"He almost did." Grim laughs mischievously as he brushes past Ace's legs. "But Yuu wouldn't let him."
And Yuu still isn't letting him. All it takes is a warning pinch to the nose to deter Ace from kicking Grim.
"Ugh…" Ace makes a face. "Of all the people who had to see me like this, it had to be you, Deuce."
"I heard what happened from the other residents." Honestly, it was the first thing that Deuce had heard this morning, as soon as he had left his room. "Really, after everything that happened yesterday—you just had to steal the dorm leader's tart."
"You stole a tart?" Yuu frowns as he lightly pinches Ace's cheek. "That's not good!"
"You really are an idiot." Deuce shakes his head.
"You're the last person I want to hear that from!" After what went on yesterday, Deuce is the last person who should be calling anyone an idiot.
"The brain cell is on the floor." Yuu adds more pressure to Ace's cheek. "We're all idiots."
"Speak for yourself!" Grim pipes up.
"So…is he still mad?" Ace decides to change the subject, for his own sake, as he needs to know.
"Not really," Deuce answers. "He looked a little irritated at some guys who were late to the morning roll call, but…three people did meet the same fate as you."
"He hasn't calmed down at all!" Ace exclaims, his eyes wide from shock. "He's definitely pissed!"
"This is why you don't eat other people's food~!" Yuu tugs on Ace's face one last time before finally releasing it from his hold. "You don't do that! It's baaaaaad!"
"I know that now!" Ace rubs his cheek, somewhat annoyed over how Yuu managed to turn the tables on him so easily—he's not even that tall, either! How in the hell?! "You know, I can probably kick your ass."
"You can…but you won't!" Yuu grins widely as he hops off Ace's back. He holds his head up high as Ace continues to do nothing to him, even though the thought certainly crosses his mind.
"And why's that?" Ace asks, as if hoping that Yuu will say something to provoke him.
"Because we're friends!" Yuu loudly proclaims.
Deuce snorts, earning a glare from Ace.
"Who the hell said we're friends?!" Ace didn't agree to this!
"But we already slept on the same bed!" Yuu whines.
"Ahhh…so you're that close already." Deuce coughs into his hand. "I…never expected you to be that type of guy."
Ace wouldn't be the first either, considering some of the warnings he's gotten from the vice dorm leader about some of the students at Night Raven College.
"It's not like that!" Ace snaps angrily at Deuce. "I just didn't want to sleep on the sofa or clean up a room."
"His stomach makes for a surprisingly good pillow!" Grim remarks, taking a moment to rub his body against Yuu's legs. "Hmmm!"
"Ehehe, having fun?" Yuu smiles widely. "Or maybe it's because you're a student now!"
"Hmm-hmm!" Grim holds his head up proudly, showing off the jewel that dangles from the ribbon tied around his neck. "I'll make sure we pass our classes with flying colors!"
"Speaking of classes…you sure are going to have problems in class with your magic sealed." It's an observation that Deuce makes—one that Ace isn't all too happy to hear.
"Yeah, yeah—rub it in, why dontcha?" Ace rubs the back of his head. "Geez, all this because of some lousy tart…"
Be it, the tart was really good—but still!
"Have you thought about apologizing to Dorm Leader Rosehearts and having him remove it?" Deuce suggests.
"Like that's gonna go well." Ace huffs.
"Won't hurt to try~!" Yuu says as he lifts Grim into his arms. "Ehehee~! We have enough time before class starts, right?"
"Yep!" Grim leans into Yuu's touch. "I'm curious about the other dorms, too."
They never really saw much beyond that Hall of Mirrors.
"Might be worth observing Ace's apology, too." And just like that, Ace takes the bait.
"This isn't a show!" Ace scowls. "Screw this!"
And yet, he still gets dragged along anyways, because Yuu is persistent like that, quickly putting Grim on his shoulder before reaching out to grab his hand.
"Not letting go!" Yuu laughs, his grip only tightening when Ace tries to pull away.
"You are so weird!" And embarrassing, too—but Ace isn't going to admit that so easily.
"Come on, come on, come ooooon~!" Yuu laughs to himself as he grabs Deuce by the hand as well. "Friends stick together, after all!"
"F-Friends?!" Deuce's face heats up with a blush. This is…certainly a first for him, after all, and Yuu is just so…forward about it, too.
"I refuse to be associated with him!" Yet again, Ace tries pulling away from Yuu, only to let out an undignified squawk when Yuu interlocked his fingers with his. "H-Hey!"
"It's fine, it's fiiiine!" Yuu reassures him, his smile never once leaving his face. "Together, we can do anything!"
Yesterday certainly proved that!
"Anything…" Deuce repeats, feeling somewhat pumped up. Maybe…maybe this is what will help him move forward…
For once, Grim keeps his opinions to himself. It doesn't feel right for him to say something so snarky about Yuu's words—not when Yuu is being so genuine.
…
…
The Hall of Mirrors is full of students leaving for their respective classes, making Yuu, Deuce, Ace, and Grim stand out considerably as they go through the mirror leading into Heartslabyul. Somehow, Yuu manages to maintain their consciousness, their eyes going wide at the sight of the heart-shaped rosebushes lining the pathway that leads toward the Heartslabyul dormitory.
"This is gorgeous!" Grim props himself on top of Yuu's head to get a better look. "It couldn't be any more different from ours!"
For one thing, everything is actually alive, and not dead. For another, Heartslabyul is bright and vibrant, whereas Ramshackle is dark and dreary.
"Ramshackle has a looooong ways to go." It's going to be difficult, but that isn't stopping Yuu from looking towards the future.
"I thought I heard a familiar voice!" Cater flashes Yuu a dazzling smile as he peers over a hedge. "Hey, hey—you're not alone this time!"
Cater nods his head at Deuce and Ace. Not bad, not bad—though Ace should really get that collar of his fixed.
"Whatcha doing, Cay-kun?" Cater can feel his heart skipping a beat from the way Yuu says his name like that.
"Ahh, you really are too cute!" If he didn't have his hands so full at the moment, Cater would ask for a selfie. "I'm painting the roses red right now."
"Painting, painting—ohh!" Yuu's eyes light up with glee. "Can I help?!"
Cater can't help but chuckle. Between Yuu's behavior, and the confusion on Ace and Deuce's faces…wait…
"Ohh!" It almost slips by Cater, but he manages to catch it as he takes a closer look at Ace and Deuce. "You're the freshmen that busted the 10,000,000 madol chandelier yesterday!"
And just like that, Ace comes to a horrible realization that will haunt him for the rest of his days. "We're gonna hear about the chandelier until the day we graduate…"
"And you really didn't do yourself any favors, stealing Riddle-kun's tart like that." Cater's smile never once wavers as he pulls out his phone. "I feel so lucky getting to meet the notorious newcomers first thing in the morning."
It makes it all the more exciting.
"Hey, hey, hey~!" Cater hops over the hedge, leaving aside his work for the time being. "Let's take a selfie! Yaaaay~!"
Flash!
It comes all too naturally for Cater, the way he poses for the camera as he snaps a quick photo. There is very little room for Ace and Deuce to react, their shocked expressions being what shows up in the final product. It's not as photogenic as he'd like it to be, but there's just enough charm that sways Cater to save the photo and post it. It helps that Yuu is also in the photo, posing in a manner that carries the same energy as Cater. It contrasts nicely against Grim's resting bitch face.
"Can I put this on MagiCam?" he asks, despite the fact that he's already in the process of uploading it to his account. "Tell me your names so I can put you in the tags! I already have Yuu-chan's, so…"
He already knows their names, too, having heard them the other day, but Cater asks anyways to know whether or not he can upload the photograph in the first place. The fact that he receives their names without any hesitation whatsoever is enough for him to go through with the upload.
"Hoi, upload finished!" And already, there are a few likes and of course, it's the same users from yesterday, who had asked about Yuu. "Ah…man, I rather not block them…"
Not yet, at least.
…
"Ah—I'm your senpai!" Cater winks at Ace and Deuce. "Third-year Cater Diamond! Call me Cater-kun, or Cay-kun, even! Nice to meetcha~!"
Cater waves at Ace and Deuce, his attention soon turning to Yuu. "Hey, hey—where are the roses you're painting?"
"Oh? You were serious?" Cater didn't think that anyone would want to help him so eagerly… "Just follow me around this corner, into the Rose Maze—or would you rather have a boost?"
So long as no one is looking, it should be fine…
"I'll be honest—it's easier to take a shortcut when you can." Otherwise, it'll take them a good ten minutes to get to the roses he was painting.
"I'll take the shortcut!" Yuu pipes up, taking a moment to give Grim a boost over the hedge. "How's it looking?"
"Smells of paint." Grim voices his disgust as he hops down.
"Try not to spill any of it, or Riddle-kun will have my head!" Cater's managed to avoid his ire for over a year already, and he'd like to keep it at that. "Alright, alright—your turn, Yuu-chan!"
"H-Hey!" Yuu only laughs when Cater lifts them off the ground.
"Oho~?" Cater blinks a few times. "Wow, you're so light!"
It's actually concerning, but Cater isn't going to bring too much attention to it. He's not one to bring up serious topics so casually, after all. It's not right…
"Easy does it!" Cater smiles widely as he helps Yuu over the hedge. Hopefully, their landing isn't too rough… "How about you two, now?"
"Is there any other way that doesn't involve you physically lifting us up?" It's not that Ace doesn't trust Cater—actually, it's exactly that. "How do I know you won't drop us?"
"I didn't drop Yuu-chan!" Cater points out.
"Yuu doesn't weigh that much, though," Deuce immediately counters.
"Do I look that unreliable?" It wouldn't be the first time that Cater's had others think of him like that. It doesn't really bother him, though at times, it does hurt when he's trying to act cool in front of his underclassmen. "Haaa, so much for being the cool, and reliable senpai."
Maybe he should get some pointers from Trey…
"Well, since you want an alternative—oi!" Cater calls out to Yuu. "Think you can bring the ladder to us?"
"Like this?" Yuu asks, just seconds before throwing a ladder over the hedge.
Thud!
"Holy crap!" Ace blurts out, his eyes wide with shock. That almost hit him, had Deuce not pulled him out of the way in time…
"Not what I meant, but it's fine!" Cater will just have to be more specific next time…assuming there is a next time. "There probably will be."
If so, then he's certainly looking forward to it.
…
…
…
A/N Hey y'all! At the time I wrote this chapter, it was still summer and I had JUST gotten out of farming hell from Summer 3 on FGO and whatnot, so holy crap.
Anyways, that aside, have some more Beast Tamer EX, and the harem starting to form. The misconceptions continue, because no one is asking Yuu the right questions. And due to even more shenanigans going on in the Bread and Bitter Discord, Yuu now has a voice claim. And it's aaaalll because of Sei Shonagon from FGO, because I had used a few of her voice lines as inspiration for some of Yuu's mannerisms.
So now Yuu's voice claim is Ai Fairouz (voice of Sei Shonagon), and if you've ever watched How Heavy Are the Dumbbells You Lift?, then you would know that Ai voices the main character, Hibiki Sakura, and also sings the opening song, Onegai Muscle. SO YEAH.
As of recently, I found out that Ai voices Cure Summer, the leader in Precure Tropical Rouge, which is fucking WILD. Like, damn, nice one Ai! (If you can't tell, she has since become a SUPER favorite of mine. Her voice just has SO much energy, and her singing is very nice.)
The only difference is that Yuu (ewe) has a very boyish way of speaking, though her mannerisms DO tend to be similar to those of gyaru (like Sei). Is it deliberate? Maybe, but for the most part, she's just having fun, really.
For better reference, look up a video on YouTube about Sei Shonagon's demonstration and a translation for her voice lines, as she won't be available to NA FGO just yet until next year.
Let me know what you guys think of the chapter! Also I'm back in school, taking TWO classes (Chemistry and Japanese), SO FUCKING RIP Y'ALL.
Until next time, everyone! Stay safe!
