Chapter 6: Roses in Abyss Sea (2)
AHH HI…
This chapter's preeeeetty full of dialogue, so do forgive me if the content gonna sound repetitive :')
'On a lighter note, there is another original character introduced in this chapter, besides Yulia :P' Ahahahaha… yeah, not just one but actually three more OCs are added only by mention. Hopefully, their appearances will be revealed soon in next few chapters (probably, no promises ah)!
'And Yulia gets to see a familiar face since the entrance ceremony…' Yep, Yulia meets another one towards the end of the chapter, but… nah, go ahead and know for yourself (no way am I gonna spoil you right before the chapters starts, hmm)
Has Yulia's first day of lessons been ruined already before it had started?
[Disclaimer: Disney Twisted Wonderland does not belong to me. All rights belong to Aniplex and Walt Disney Japan. I only own my original character(s): Yulia, Yulian, and their parents throughout this story]
Chapter 6: Roses in Abyss Sea (2) (10254 words)
Previously…
"...!"
Before Yulia could be fully assured by his warm smile out of the blue, Cater fleetly leaned forward, reaching out to steady her by holding her left hand tight while slowly releasing his wind spell with his magic pen, letting them back onto the grass.
"You're taking a huge risk in pretending to be a guy. That's basically playing with fire, y'know~"
Now…
Yulia did not know the reason for her cheeks warming up. Was it due to embarrassment? Maybe. Or was it due to anger? Maybe as well. But she knew the familiar feeling in her mind… confusion. Bewilderment, in fact.
I guessed that Inizio, Chaim, and Selig knew I'm a girl straightaway based on their sense of experience…BUT if this guy here can confidently deduce that I'm a girl from the way I walk and talk, are there others who reached the same conclusion as him by following that train of thought? I still highly doubt so, but… then again, it's only a matter of time before everyone eventually finds out. I-I was secretly hoping I could hold out for about a mo–
—Pat, pat —Rustle
"H-Huh?"
Feeling a hand running through her hair, Yulia looked up, blinking dumbfoundedly at the 3rd-year student, who furrowed his eyebrows slightly. Within mere seconds, a few of his light orange strands brushed past his emerald-green eyes and the red diamond marking on his right cheek, making it hard for Yulia to figure out his intentions. Just as sudden as the head pat came, Cater gave her his usual friendly smile, making the slight tension between them disappear, whispering in a lighthearted tone, "BTW, I haven't told anybody about it but TBH it isn't that obvious, really. It's just kinda worrying that you're Magicless as well, so you should always stick to those juniors of mine, yeah? Adios!"
For some unknown reason, he gave Yulia a quick head pat before speeding off, grabbing the paintbrushes and the can of red paint on his way out of the maze. At the same moment, his clones who were fending off Ace, Deuce, and Grim with ease disappeared with a 'Poof!'. This caused the trio to fall over, but with little hesitation, they got up quickly and sprinted over to their friend frozen in 'his' spot.
"Yuu-san, are you okay?" Deuce, called out to Yulia, tapping her on the shoulder. Letting out a tiny gasp, she stiffly turned around, giving them an assuring smile, albeit with a touch of awkwardness, "Yeah, I am, guys. Just a tiny bit shook by that wind spell. Phew, being on the ground is such a huge relief after all that!"
"Grrrrr! Crazy human, the next time we meet him, you're gonna have to teach him a lesson! Like what you did to that monster last night!" A little part of me wants to do that, but he actually did me a favor. Of course, I can't possibly say that when these three are pissed off by him haha…
"Yo, furry, you do remember that he's acting Magicless, right? Even so, that's a tad extreme to do on a fellow senior… Not that I'm sayin' he doesn't deserve it! Lemme get this straight: we walked in there, but this dude still made us do that weird-ass task before throwing us out? Just because we were totally 'tart-less'? Bullshit! He just wanted to make us paint his stupid roses!" Ace spat, clearly the most agitated out of all of them.
Jumping onto Yulia's extended palms to get onto her left shoulder, Grim dryly commented, folding his short arms, rolling his aquamarine eyes slightly, "We sure look like a bunch of chumps." Meanwhile, Deuce simply shrugged his shoulders while replying, "I guess we'll just have to get an apology tart and come back. Maybe after class, we can- Oh no!"
"Hey! Whatcha doin' now?! Why're we running all of a sudden?"
"Ywouch! Dude, your grip's too tight on my wrist!"
—Thud, thud
Eyes widened, Deuce had grabbed each of Ace's and Yulia's arms, running out of the maze. Slightly flustered, Yulia asked aloud, trying to read off the pocket watch with her other free hand, "What's the time now actually? Oh yikes!"
Deuce raised his voice in alarm, "We already missed the first bell! We're gonna be late for class!"
"Myah! I don't wanna get a blemish on the first day of my glorious Night Raven education! Shake a leg, chumps! To the classroom, pronto!" I am! You're just too heavy…
"Just to check again, you guys are in Class 1-A as well, right?"
"Yep! You guys too?" Please, please say yes. You guys are the only ones I'm comfortable being around so far! Deuce, who was still holding onto her arm, let go of it to give her a pat on the shoulder, nodding his head, "Mm-hm. We got Potionology for the first period." Hmm? So, can I make use of my Chemistry knowledge for those lessons? It could definitely give me an edge…
Twitching his furry ears, Grim exclaimed in delight, "Oh ho, yeah! That sounds awesome!"
Perking his head up as he finally shook Deuce's arm off, Ace wondered aloud, "M-maybe I don't need magic for that?"
Brashly running into the laboratory and putting on their lab coats, the four of them barely made it in time to see a rather large furry white coat in front of them. While they waited nervously, the teacher in the coat turned around slowly, holding a familiar-looking teaching pointer with a ruby-like gem in his right hand. Oh, out of all the subjects, I certainly didn't expect that he would be teaching this one…
Briefly looking over them, Crewel swiftly pointed to two benches at the front, one behind the other, tilting his head with an eyebrow raised, motioning them to get seated in that area ASAP. Ignoring the stares and whispers from the other students, Yulia strode to the very front wooden bench, placing Grim down on the empty space on her left and sat down promptly. Ace sat directly behind her while Deuce was seated behind the ash-grey cat.
—Tap —Tap
Nodding his head a little at the raven-haired 'boy' who was taking out a notebook and a pen, Crewel began to address the whole class, tapping the end of his pointer against the surface of the teacher's table, "Ah. All of you here must be my new homeroom students. Hm, that's quite an unusual coat of fur. Before stepping here, do make sure that you arrive properly groomed. My name is Divus Crewel. You may call me Master Crewel. Now, class is about to begin. We're going to start with the basics. And by that, I mean beating the names and distinguishing characteristics of one hundred herbs and poisons into your tiny brains.
Cool, that's interesting, it sounds way more fun than my usual Chemistry lessons. That's a good sign… Okay, I need to pin down the main objective of this lesson: 100 Names and Unique Features of Herbs/Poisons. Maybe, I can start to draw 1 big column and a smaller one side-by-side before he starts giving us the information.
"The mycelia are another matter. But eventually, I'm hoping you'll be able to take a walk without putting anything poisonous into your gaping maws. For now, I realize you have all the self-control of voracious hounds. But I will not abide a single student failing this class. Expect to be drilled accordingly."
Mycelia? Hmm, in the future, it seems we are also learning the root part of fungi. Hais , that already sounds challenging…
"Huh. So... do you guys know what 'mycelia' is?"
"I've never been one for like,
memorizing what things are,
ya know?"
"All I care about is how to tell the
yummy plants from the yucky ones."
"You're gonna fault this class if you do it that way.
Anyways, Deuce, it's the root-like structure of fungi."
"Dang Yuu, you're already taking notes?
You're the hardworking type, huh~
Lend me those later."
"Only after you got that collar off."
"That's cruel, Yuu-san. Really."
…
Yulia was so engrossed in writing in her notebook that she almost jumped when Crewel loudly declared, "Now, class dismissed. In the next lesson, I'll conduct a quiz to see how much you puppies have learnt. Whoever fails it, you're down for laboratory clean-up duty. Off you go!" Noticing the ebony-haired 'boy' about to leave the room, Crewel called out, "Yuu, do stay back for a while." Hmm? D-Did I do something wrong by chance?
"Uhh, we'll wait outside, Yuu-san. C'mon Grim, don't bother him."
"Thanks. Hopefully, it won't take long. See ya!" Yulia waved at them. Turning around to face the teacher, she packed her notebook and pen into her grey pouch as she wait out the silence between them.
"Mr Law, are you're able to keep up with the lesson?"
"Urm, yeah? I think so. It's actually more well-paced compared to my previous world, to be honest, Mr- uh, M-Master Crewel."
"That's good to know, anyways, I called you to stay back because, I wanted to ask if you're using an illusion spell? Not to worry, it's not against the rules. My pointer seemed to react to it when you happened to bump into me yesterday, you see." Gah! Dammit, I was kinda expecting it but not him asking me directly this fast! S-Should I be totally honest about it? B-But there's a possibility I'll be kicked out… I don't wanna that to happen before knowing where Yulian is now. What's more, am I able to trust this staff when he's under Headmaster Crowley? Hais…
"About that–"
—Murmur —Shuffle —Thud, thud
Both of them raised their heads, hearing whisperings and movements outside the door. It then opened with a 'Clang!', revealing Ace who hurried in, bowing his head slightly to Crewel apologetically, "Sorry, Master Crowley, we need to head off for History now. Yuu here is still unfamiliar with this place so Deuce and I need time to guide him around." Woah, I certainly wasn't expecting him to do that… Nice save though!
"If that's the case, then you should go, pup. Mozus certainly doesn't like to be kept waiting for unpunctual dogs." Yulia could see that the suspicion in his eyes did not dwindle, not even a tiny bit. But, before she could attempt to finish what she was trying to say…
"C'mon, hurry up, Yuu!" Grabbing Yulia's shoulders, Ace turned both of them around, making her walk away from the teacher.
"G-Got it, uh, thank you for today's lesson, sir!" That drat collar of his hit me again, argh!
—Clack —Thud
Staring at the door, Crewel tapped the pointer against his palm, muttering, "That was quite bold of Trappola… To actually give me a glare once he entered. It was as if… he was defending Yuu. Strange, an NCR puppy defending a fellow peer? Now, that's something one very rarely witnesses in this college. Did Crowley really let Yuu in for this very reason? Perhaps, I'll need to observe more later during the meeting."
…
Stepping outside of the classroom, Yulia could plainly see that Deuce was holding too much stuff in his hands; His and Ace's study materials in his right arm, while holding Grim with his left hand.
"Ace, I still think it was very rude of you to barge in all of a sudden. I mean I thought it was strange that Grim and you were eaves–"
"Uuh uh ah! We only have a few minutes left to head for History, let's go!" Urm…
"Could you at least let go of Yuu's hand and take back your stuff? It was quite mean of you to dump it on me–"
"Grrr! Says the one who has been gripping my neck too tight! Let go of me, bluehead!"
"You were going to spoil the door if I let you keep scratching at it. I seriously wonder what's wrong with both of you. Yuu-san, do you know what's gotten into them?" Deuce asked Yulia in a low voice when he passed her the cat for her to place onto her left shoulder. Shaking her head, Yulia just replied back with a shrug of her right shoulder, "I have no clue either, maybe they were just impatient?" Yet such a comment was heard by a certain redhead who abruptly began to nudge both Deuce and Yulia to start walking for their next class.
"No- Wait, yes! Can't we just move along already?!"
Having arrived a few minutes early, thanks to Ace's protest, the four of them managed to find a bench with four seats. After Ace and Deuce took the seats at the ends, Yulia dragged Grim off her shoulder to get seated beside Ace, placing Grim in between her and Deuce, thinking, Based on what I observed so far, this furry and that redhead never seemed to get along with each other. Heh, to be more precise, Grim doesn't really get along with anyone… But at least Deuce tries his best to avoid arguing with Grim…
In the middle of taking her notebook and pen out to prepare for the lesson, Yulia heard the door open, followed by a 'Mrrrrooowww…'. Grim started laughing while nudging both Yulia and Deuce, "Look at that cat! It's soooooo fat!" Clicking her tougue, Yulia flicked the ash-grey weasel's forehead, retorting, "So what? It seems more well-behaved than you!" Deuce snorted before commenting about the teacher who came in with the golden-eyed chubby, black cat that had a few white patches of fur in its chest and at the end of its tail, "I heard from my seniors that he's pretty strict, especially when he catches students falling asleep!" Yulia nodded, thinking that the maroon-coloured robes on the grey-eyed tall elderly man together with his greying hair combed back tidily, contributed to the serious aura around him.
She did, however, raised her left eyebrow slightly once she noticed the turquoise pendant on the white ruffle ribbon tied around the teacher's collar, feeling that it looked familiar, despite it being the only cool colour in the teacher's outfit. Again, this staff member gives off a familiar sense of déjà vu. C'mon, Yulia, think… If Mr-Master Crewel (bleh, still getting used to that form of address) is similar to a villain, then most likely this teacher is as well… Oh! That stepmother who mistreated… uwuh? Who? Wait, never mind about the mistreated daughter's identity, so I guess he's supposed to be uh L-Lady… Dammit, I can't remember it. Gosh, is my memory that bad?!
Seeing that the classroom was going to be filled up soon, Yulia replied in a low voice, "Then I suppose we should really try our best to stay awake. That applies to you too as well, Ace."
Before Ace could respond, still having the cat in his arms as he sat down at the teacher's desk rather gracefully, the teacher cleared his throat to obtain everyone's attention with a "Hmrph', introducing himself, "I am your History of Magic teacher, Mozus Trein, or Professor Trein so to speak. And this is my familiar, Lucius. You are here to learn the rich history of magic, and how it has sculpted the world which you now so easily take for granted."
Right, right, he reassembles Lady Tremaine! But, I still can't remember the name of the girl… Strange. Kinda agree with the last part, I kept getting those glares from random students in the hallways, just because I'm 'magicless'... Anyways, I really want to pat that cat (T_T) sometime. It's so adorable!
—Mrrrrooowww…
"I grade based on classroom behavior as well as the quality of work. Don't let me catch you sleeping. Now, let us open our books to page fifteen. This section concerns the magestones discovered in the Dwarfs' Mine…"
—Mrrrrooowww...
"As knowledge and awareness of magical energy began to spread across the globe from this point, this year is considered Year One of the Magic Era." Ah, so that's how magic became prominent here, huh. Cool…
—Mrrrrooowww...
"Yawn…"
"Fascinating... 'Dwarfs' Mine'...
Mhm, mhm... 'magical energy'…"
Looks like that metal bat comes in handy now…
Wait, Grim's being too silent.
"Maaan... When do we get to the classes
where we blow stuff up with magic?"
Oh er, yikes. Lucius used his tail to point at us again!
—Slap, slap, slap
"Gosh, at least use your hand to write something while resting your head! I can't stand the frowns from Professor Trein every time he looks over here…Thanks to that cat." Adorable, yet deadly alert.
Once History had ended, Yulia pulled on Ace's sleeve, who had already got up, whispering, "Ace, how far is the field from the toilet near the cafeteria?" Meanwhile, Grim was laughing his head off at poor Deuce who was still drowsing off, muttering certain parts of the lesson repeatedly. Glancing around to make sure that they were the only ones left behind in the classroom, Ace replied, "Quite a long way… Are you planning to change there? Do you need me to keep a lookout for you? We'll have to run to the field as fast as possible…"
"Yeah, if you don't mind. You've been there, right? I'll need to use your memory to teleport us there."
"You can what? Okay, at this rate, I'm questioning if you're just insanely talented or it's just because you're from a different world… Anyways. Hey, Deuce wake up! Yuu needs to use the toilet near the cafeteria so I'll accompany him there since he's most likely to get lost after that. You good with going with that furry first?"
"Uh?"
Eyes rolling slightly, Ace shook the bluehead's shoulder, to wake him up, sighing, "Lesson's over already, dude. It's PE now."
"O-Oh yeah, sure. But are you guys going to make it on time? Why not ju–"
Catching the sideways glance from Ace, Yulia immediately clutched her stomach, bending forward slightly in her seat, groaning a little, "We'll make it, don't worry, just go ahead. Sorry, I-I really need to use the toilet! See ya!"
"Oi, Yuu! Yuu!"
"Uh, alright, Yuu-san! C'mon, let's head to the field now, Grim."
"Stop grabbing me by the neck, blueberry!"
…
"You could have at least waited for me to catch up! How did you even sprint that fast?!"
"Some training from my dad, anyways, I'm done changing, are we good to teleport now?" Yulia stepped out from the cubicle she was in, after casting an illusion spell to hide her long hair since she didn't want to put on her locket and had put it away in her grey pouch for safekeeping. Ace was already in his PE uniform, wearing his red tee underneath the common black jumpsuit. He had opted to tie the sleeves of the jumpsuit around his waist. As for Yulia, a tint of her grey tee peeked out underneath her loose, fully zipped jumpsuit.
"Mm, yeah. About that, I should probably try to remember a particular spot near the field right? Would behind a tree be good? Or is it too advanced for you?" Yeah, it is. Which is why I would need your memory…
"Just recall as detailed as you can. Hmm, I need to see how that place looks like… Eh, you're too tall. Lemme do it this way then."
—Click, clack
"Huh?" Being pulled down by his red-and-black metal collar, Ace abruptly bent forward, feeling a petite hand over his forehead just as he saw the vanilla-ice gem on the magic pen in the other dainty hand surrounded by a silver glow. At the next blink, Ace jerked his head away from Yulia's palm a few centimetres…
—KNOCK
"Ow!"
—CLANK
…only to feel a wooden bark behind the metal collar, hitting the back of his neck. The familiar silvery glow around the short girl in front of him faded once she opened her eyes, revealing the same silvery glow at the edge of her black eyes. Seeing his own scarlet eyes being reflected, without much thinking, Ace shoved Yulia albeit too hard, having realised the close distance between them. Stumbling to regain her balance from that shove, Yulia grumbled, "For goodness sake, you didn't have to be too startled lah! Gosh! Wait, why're your ears red? Did you hit them by accident?" Clearly, this raven-haired girl had misunderstood that he had pushed her out of shock as a side effect of the teleportation spell she cast on them.
Not wanting to be teased by her, the redhead swiftly turned his back against her, muttering in slight annoyance, "A-Anyways, we should go. I see Deuce and Grim over there. Hurry up, Yuu-chan!"
"Hey, calling me that way seems like cutting it real close! We're not very far from the group of students…"
So, he did call me 'Yuu-chan' back in the mines... Did he already consider me as a friend since then? Can I or rather, do I deserve to become friends with both him and Deuce? E-Even after I era–
"Ah! There you are! Ace! Yuu-san! And in time too, the coach just came!" Glancing upward to see Deuce, Yulia caught herself smiling faintly at the sight of the boy patting the cat-like creature's head in an attempt to appease it. Shaking 'his' head, the short ebony-haired 'boy' clenched 'his' right fist, thinking:
Focus, Yulia. You're here to find Yulian. Friendships are… not your main priority now. You're leaving once you have found a clue.
…
"I'm Coach Vargas, and physically educating your feeble little bodies is my responsibility. Great sorcery begins with a great physique! Behold the muscles you can build with a diet of raw eggs! A great mage needs a great physical constitution! So gimme twenty laps, and a hundred push-ups!" If Yulia had to describe Coach Vargas, she would outrightly say, 'Gaston', for obvious reasons. Strong? Very likely. Well-built, broad-shouldered? Definitely. Brown hair and blue eyes? Check and check. Wears red and gold? Well, looking at the red jacket with gold stripes and a gold collar, it's a yes… except that he wore black pants as well but never mind.
Great, do you also eat 5 dozen raw eggs every morning? Anyways, now I know why Dad seemed startled when he watched that Disney movie… and also who Dad got his insane training for me from… I don't know if I should thank him for making me do it for those few years. I do hope I'm still able to do it though…
"Bleah. The forced exercise is bad enough, but meatheads like this guy drive me nuts." Ace grumbled loudly as they waited for the rest of the class to get on the running track before them. Yet, Deuce's eyes sparkled in pure delight as he ran ahead of them, yelling, "Finally! A subject I'm good at!"
"Explain to me the appeal of runnin' around in circles! Do I look like a hamster?"
"Welcome to PE, Grim! On that note, you gotta exercise if you wanna keep eating those cans of tuna…"
"Gosh,I'm feeling so shag (in this context: to feel physically tired or exhausted. Not to be confused with the other English use of the word*) after those exercises. What's the next class, Deuce?"
Trudging slowly along the hallway, still ignoring the narrow glances thrown in her way, Yulia nudged Deuce with her elbow. Hearing this, Ace scoffed at her, muttering, "At least you're not collared. This damned collar is heaaaaavy!" while smacking Yulia's head lightly with a 'chop' motion of his hand. Nonchalantly, Deuce grabbed and removed that hand away from Yulia, answering her question, "Let's see, our next class is–"
"This so-called magic academy feels a lot like a lame, ordinary school. It's not exactly what I expected, but at least this collar won't be much of a problem after all. You with me on that, Grim? ...Hm?" Hold on a moment, my shoulder feels empty…
Gripping her grey pouch tightly, Yulia looked at her left shoulder, realisation hitting her in mere seconds, "Grim? Where he'd go?"
"Oh! Look out the window! I just saw a ball of fur running across the yard!"
…
"No way am I puttin' up with this boring routine day in and day out.
I'm Grim, Sorcerer Prodigy, and I don't need anyone
to teach me how to blow stuff up!"
"He's cutting class on the first day?!
The Headmage is going to be furious…"
"Boy, that guy is not a fast learner."
"Not a good look to lose your only student
on your first day as prefect. Want help cat–
Woah Yuu, put your magic pen away!
Do you wanna risk exposing the fact
that you aren't 'magicless'?"
"Tolong (a cry for help*) la, cover me while
I fix my metal bat up a bit, won't ya guys?
Although I do feel like poking that furry
with the jagged edges of this broken bat…
I tak boleh tahan (a Singlish term used when one can't tolerate something*)
那只貓, 唉, 真是! (that cat, hais, really!*)"
"A-Anyways, need help catching him?"
"Yes, thank you! Hmm, if I can't freely use magic
while I'm myself, then…Oh!
Stay still, Ace!"
"GAH! Why're you suddenly 'me'! Smart idea, but you do know
you can't use magic if you're acting as me right?"
"Huh, Yuu-san, you can't be serious!"
"Duh, which is why I'm staying here while both of you chase him.
And, to confuse him, I'm casting an invisibility spell
on you Ace. You get why, don't you?"
"I get cha! Dang, that spell's really cool…
By the way, I do love the chocolate
croissants at the co-op."
"I don't get it but I'd do it for
an iced latte at the cafeteria."
"Of course, of course.
Now please catch him this time!"
"Pleasure doing business. Now, Deuce-kun,
shall we clean up the mess made by
the worst prefect to ever set foot on campus?"
Ex-EXCUSE ME?!
"I can already taste that latte, Ace-kun.
Eek, now that I think about it, it sure
seems weird to run beside an invisible person…"
…
Yulia gave Grim an evil grin when she released the mimicking appearance spell on herself and the invisibility spell off Ace, while hearing the cat cried out, "Mrrah! I've had it with these boring classes!"
"Then you'll never become a great mage!" Yulia retorted, harshly grabbing Grim off Ace before holding Grim by the arms. Yet, the cat continued to argue:
"UGH! You crazy, SNEAKY human! How DARE you use such a spell to TRICK ME?! I was scared outta my fur! Do you wanna know how it feels like? Getting grabbed by the neck by nothing?!"
—Snap
"Oish, remember who helped you get into this college! Oh, and let's recall who was bleedin' the most when we fought Inky? Do you now? Huh, HUH?!"
"Uhh, maybe both of you shou–"
"Shut. It! / Zip it, bluehead!"
("Hrrk!")
("Just let them fight it out, Deuce… S-He's been holding it in for quite a while now. We can't save Grim from Yuu's wrath, can we?")
"You made them chase you for like, an hour! An hour?! Wait, d-did we, just skip class?"
"Yes. I was trying to tell you that, Yuu-san…"
"Did you not hear the school bell? It's lunchtime now anyways."
"Wooo! Lunchtime at last!"
"Shit, I got to go to the Headmaster's Office now, take care of Grim, thanks!"
"Wait, we can follow and wait for you, Yuu-san! This week, we have extended lunchtime!"
…
—Knock, knock
"Come on in, Yuu-kun."
—Thud —Thud
Entering the office, Yulia was surprised to see that the Headmage was the only person present. Noticing her glancing around the office, the headmage slightly coughed to get her attention, getting up from his seat.
"Dr. Von, Divus and Mozus will be here soon, but since you're early, Yuu-kun… Once again, I would like to remind you that convincing them to grant this special request of yours is no easy feat, especially when you're new to this world. After all, lessons involving practical magic are essential in all students' education here in this college. Even I find your request absurd, too much in fact. BUT, I shall emphasise that this is the only opportunity you have, kindly bestowed by me of course."
"It's indeed kind of you, Headmage. Tha–"
–Clack –Clack
Eek! That's pretty too 'soon' for comfort… Yulia thought when she heard sudden steps approaching behind her.
—Tap, tap
Stepping forward, Crewel raised his voice a little, tapping his pointer with his finger in slight frustration, at the headmage, "Dire, what is the meaning of that message? You called us here to discuss the matter of allowing a first-year to have his own independent study time in place of his practical magic lessons? Even when Yuu- Oh you're here, Yuu, anyways, I was saying - even when he can use magic? Mr Law doesn't have any records for us to refer to in order to access his capabilities accurately!" Ah, shit. Even if I did the same demo as what I showed to Crowley, and those three troublemakers, these teachers would not be fully convinced huh… Wait, I don't see a single shade of opal hair? Wasn't Dr. Von supposed to come as well?
"Perhaps, we should allow Yuu-kun to explain furth– Hmm, is anything the matter Yuu?"
"Uh, aren't we waiting for one more person, say the school medic?"
"He's currently attending to a student's injury. Back to Divus' question, I would like you to be quick in answering it. Lucius here doesn't like to be kept waiting…"
"Actually, are all of you interested in making a bet with me?" I'm just spewing out whatever came to my mind, but I really hope this'll work!
"A bet? How is that related to your request?" Headmaster Crowley tilted his head at Yulia, seemingly intrigued by her sudden suggestion.
—Thump, thump
"It is very much related, Headmage! Well, as what Master Crewel had brought up, I do not have any verified records. None. So, I was thinking, how about letting me have a term's worth of independent study time first? And then, making me sit for a compulsory test conducted in a separate venue after this term from others? Since, I'm acting as 'magicless'? Then–"
"Then if you actually manage to get a score to be decided by us, it serves as proof that even without attending the required lessons, you have the fundamentals of practical magic down… Aha, I see, that's quite a good idea. Mozus, what do you think?" Phew, okay, it's going well. Calm down, Professor Trein hasn't expressed his thoughts yet! Wait, that stern teacher is nodding?!
"I'll agree but only on the condition that Yuu must score at least 90 marks. No less than that. This is out of my concern for his and the other students' safety." Trein slowly nodded, petting his black cat's head as he agreed to Yulia's bet. Uhh, is there anyways to like lower it to 80 instead, good sir? At this, the other teacher in the furry coat immediately turned to Yulia, giving her a small grin while concluding their meeting, "Heard that, pup? Score an 89 or less, your request will not be granted. Hmm, I suppose I should write up a new timetable for you… I shall excuse myself first."
—Mrrrrooowww…
"Since it's near Lucius' feeding time, I will take my leave as well. Yuu, come and see me after this break to get the list of books on practical magic that you should read during your independent study period."
Once Yulia blinked, the two teachers had already left. Given that she did not hear their steps, she deduced that they had most likely used teleportation before coming to a realisation: Woah, that whole negotiation was quick… Wait, can teachers easily dismiss themselves just like that?
"I certainly didn't expect that you would suggest a bet… The way you went about it was rather, very effective in convincing them, I should say. Well, you can go now. I did want you to meet Dr. Von for a check-up, considering that you sustained an injury from last evening's incident because I'm so very kind…" Hmm? That's nice and all, but… Isn't it kinda late for it? This school headmaster just gets weirder and weirder each time during our interactions… Probably why I still don't yet trust him fully. Besides, I don't want to risk the school medic finding out I'm female and reporting about it to him…
Grasping the locket in her grey pouch, Yulia politely smiled while turning to make her way to the door, "I'm feeling fine, don't worry about it, Headmage. I'll leave now."
—Thud, thud, thud
—Slam
Noticing someone had shifted out of the corner of her eye, Yulia perked her head, remembering a certain bluehead's words as she ran off. Turning her head, Yulia bowed her head a little apologetically, calling out to the trio of troublemakers, "Ah! Did you guys wait long? Thanks for waiting, anyways. Was Grim being too troublesome again, Deuce? C'mon, let me carry him back on my shoulder… Let's go for lunch now!"
I still can't believe it's only been a day of chaos since stepping in here… but at least today's lunch seems more appetising compared to the leftovers that I got as a janitor yesterday.
"Whoa! They got some good-lookin' grub!"
Letting Grim down from her shoulder, Yulia shook her head in reply, "Ooh, a buffet. That's fancy. Gosh, wipe off that drool of yours Grim… Annnnnd, he's not listening to me again, argh!"
"LOOK HOW FLUFFY THOSE OMELETTES ARE! OOH, GRILLED CHICKEN! AND A BACON-AND-EGG TART! YUU–"
Catching up to the furry, Ace quickly slammed his hand over the weasel-cat's mouth, muttering, "Shhh! Dude, inside voices! Where was this energy earlier today?"
"Thanks Ace. Oh right, I should take out that pin in order to redeem our meals… Grim, what do you want? Chocolate croissants and an iced latte for you "
"Yuu, grab me the grilled chicken! There's only one left! And an omelette too. And that jelly-filled bread. Just fill your whole tray with 'em!
"Got this and that and that! Wait, stop right the–"
—Blam! —Thud
"Ow!"
Too late, Grim had bumped into a student carrying his plate of some pasta that Yulia couldn't see due to Ace going in front to grab Grim. Annoyed, the student gave both of them a glare before looking down to check on his plate, "Hey! Watch where you're goin'! M-my carbonara! You broke the yolk!" Yweoch… Trouble has brewed, once again… sigh…
His buddy peered over the shoulder, raising his voice a little, "Whoa, that's messed up! Pokin' the egg is the best part! You better make this right, pal!" He proceeded to point at Grim. This motion seemed to spark a bulb in the 'victim's' mind. Noticing the plate on the metal tray that Yulia was holding, he swiftly moved forward, saying, "I'm gonna need that grilled chicken of yours as compensation." But before he could grab it with his fork, Yulia moved the tray out of his reach while Deuce stepped in front of Yulia, blocking the student's hand.
"Myah?! No way! Hands off the bird, chump! I need my protein, because I am HANGRY!" Gosh, Grim, way to go saying something like that! Can't you read the situation here?!
"Hey! That's no way to speak to an upperclassman! Catch me outside and I'll teach you some respect!" Seeing that the other senior was taking out his magic pen, Deuce grabbed his wrist firmly, politely reminding him, "Um, excuse me, sir, but it said in the handbook that fighting with magic was prohibited…" Wait, what? We have a handbook? Anyways… is there any way out of this?
"Fighting? You got it all wrong. This is just me helpin' an ignorant freshman know his place." The student placed his plate down on a nearby counter, already taking out his magic pen, directing the pen at the four of them. Shaking off Deuce's grip, his buddy quickly joined him, standing right in front of Deuce.
—Whispering
—Mumbling
Hearing the hushed tones and cheers of 'Fight, fight!' echoing among the crowd that had gathered around them, the bluehead hesitated for a moment before finally reaching for his magic pen in his jacket pocket. Looking over at Ace's gritted teeth as he hurriedly put Grim on her left shoulder, Yulia whispered to him, "What're you gonna do? Use your collar to strike them in the face?"
"Har har, very funny… But yeah, somewhere along that line. Why?"
"Can't we just–" A flashed of something opal moved across the crowd behind the two seniors. Blinking, Yulia quickly called out to Deuce, in a soft yet stern voice, "Put your pen away, Deuce!"
"Uh, alright!"
"Now, let's see just how many ways there are to skin a cat, heh!"
"Hmm? That's not a cat, I'm afraid… Besides, isn't unsupervised fighting with magic still prohibited?"
"BWUH! / GAH! / Eek! / Gosh, finally! / Yay! Wait, yay? / Who's this weird diamond guy? / It's Dr. Von, furry!"
The school medic simply grinned at the two delinquents after giving them a light tap on their shoulders, with no twinkle shown in his hazel-brown eyes. Upon meeting the eyes of Yulia, Grim, Ace and Deuce, Dr. Von nodded, assuring them that he understood the whole situation. Then, he narrowed his eyes at the delinquents, still continuing in his usual friendly tone, which somehow managed to cause them to flinch.
"Say, do both of you fancy a check-up now?"
"N-No s-sir!"
"Hais, both of you wasted my time then. I didn't manage to get my own lunch… Hmm? Give me that carbonara and I'll get you off this once."
"O-of course!" I have never seen a student giving to a school medic that fast… Is Dr. Von really that scary to them? Guess I should make sure to steer clear of him always.
"T-Thank you for giving us another chance, Dr. Von!"
"I didn't say that to you… Now that I recall, you're the one who initiated the fight. Well, I suck at giving punishments so I should drag you to Divus instead. Good for me since I've a well-respected guest to entertain… Come on along, there's no time to waste. In you go." Oh boy, that does not sound good for him, but he deserves it so I don't pity him that much…
"Ah! Noooooo, save meeeeee!"
Without a moment's hesitation, the medic grabbed onto the collar of the student, and raised his magic pen. As he did so, a bright orange sun-shaped portal shone brilliantly in front of them to which he immediately flung the student into it. Sighing, Dr. Von put his left leg in the portal, before abruptly throwing a glance at the group of four, seemingly remembering something as he pointed to one of them.
"Right, before I forget… You in the grey shirt over there, please tell Chaim to return the first-aid kit to my office. I'll give him a new one… uh, Yuu?"
"Will do! Thank you Dr. Von!"
Nodding then whipping his opal-colored ponytail around, Dr. Von finally entered the portal. In the next second, it disappeared into thin air. Silence soon befell the group and the remaining delinquent. But a certain furry soon broke it…
"Pffft! I knew you were all talk! You bet–"
"Not the right time now, Grim!" Cutting in, Deuce grabbed Grim away off Yulia's shoulder, forcing him to walk on the ground, knowing very well that the damned cat was heavy.
With a sigh, Yulia mumbled to herself, "I guess this is my life now."
"Can we just get on with lunch already? I'm about to collapse." Ace suddenly grabbed the tray off Yulia's hands, leading the group to an unoccupied table. Following behind Grim, Deuce shook his head slightly as he mumbled, "Sigh… I can't believe this. Textbook bullies at an academy that's supposed to be famous for producing exceptional mages…"
Yet, he was heard by Grim who had already hopped onto the table, eating away his lunch, "Aw, get over it already. It's time to chow like the wind! Munch, munch… This omelette is as fluffy as a cloud, and practically burstin' with cheese! Munch, munch…"
"Actually, are there any other staff members that I should remember?"
"Definitely the librarian, Mr. Ceilo. But he prefers to be called by Ceilo. Apparently he is our alumni who recently graduated less than a decade ago? He's actually one of the most chillest school staff… but if you were a second late in returning the books, you basically awakened his inner demon!"
"Well, it seems this Ceilo guy takes his job seriously… Who else?"
"Hmm, I suppose you should know about the guidance counsellors, Ms. Ayden and her brother, Mr. Alden. Ms Ayden usually handles the students in cultural clubs while Mr. Alden handles the ones in sports. Oh yeah, the college is organising an event for seniors to showcase what they normally do during their after-school activities this Friday afternoon. And speaking of it, we need to submit our applications by next Monday to our first-period teachers if you wanna participate in certain activity groups or interest groups. It's optional to join one though."
"Woah, woah, slow down. Lemme process this large chunk of info…" Yulia lowered her head to think, Hmm… if I want to use whatever free time I have, I shouldn't go, but if these guys say they're going, then I will tag along. Wait, why do I wanna tag along with these troublemakers? I SHOULD be staying away from them if I don't want to be dragged into their problems… Strange, Yulia, it's as if… I'm seeing them as friends now? As M-MY friends? ….Yeah, I can't deny this fact any longer, but… I still think– GAH, YULIA! Let's just go with the flow for now, it's not like I'm going back to my world in the future. This situation is different from back then, okay? W-Why not give myself a chance to be a good friend this time?
"Okay, so are you guys going for this… after-school activities fair?"
"Of course. I'm planning to check if there is a club for magical wheel, else I would try to set up an inte–"
"Dude, you can't be serious, right? No way there will be a club that allows students to ride away on their magic vehicles!"
"Still, I gotta try…"
"Uh, sorry guys, but what is a magical wheel? Is it an unicycle that heavily relies on magic?" Yulia raised her hand up to get the two boys' attention.
"Ah! I did forget that you're from another world, sorry about that, Yuu-san. But you're right! Except that it's possible to ride without magic, just that you can only access limited features. If you're fine with it, can I lend you the latest magical wheel magazine that I have?"
"I see, I see. Sure, I don't mind! Thanks."
"Fnmyah! Grim-sama doesn't need to join some lame-o, boring club or group! Let's talk about something more interesting! So, I saw your guys' dorm, but what are the other ones like?"
"I'm sure you're familiar with the statues of the Great Seven? Night Raven College has a dorm themed after each one." This voice, aha, it's—
Turning around, Ace jumped slightly in his seat, furiously pointing his finger at the familiar 3rd-year student. "Bwah! You're that guy from this morning!" Following this, the furry started stamping his back paw in annoyance, exclaiming, "You tricked us into paintin' those dumb roses!" Hmm? Who's that behind Cater?
This only earned him a small sigh from Cater who in return dismissed his complaint with a wave, retorting back, "'Tricked' is such an ugly word. Do you think I wanted to spend MY morning painting roses? It's dorm policy! I was just following orders."
"And grinning like a fiend all the while." Came a quick response from Deuce. At this, Cater turned to him with a grin, giving him a pat on the back.
"Now, now, Deucey. Outside of the dorm, I don't care what rules you follow. Here, I'm just a friendly mentor figure!" If Deuce's Deucey, then is Ace's Acey…?
"Please. Do NOT call me Deucey."
The student with dark green hair and light-hazel eyes who stood behind Cater finally spoke up, smiling abit apologetically, "Ah ha ha. That's how Cater shows he cares."
"And who are you?" Ace asked with eyebrows raised, straightening his back at the same time.
"Ah, I should introduce myself. The name's Trey. Trey Clover. I'm a junior at Heartslabyul, like Cater here." Trey then shifted his focus on Yulia, nodding at her while he continued, "And you must be Yuu, the new prefect from that dump of a- ah, I mean, the 'rustic' dorm. I heard the whole story from Cater. Thanks for looking out for our boys yesterday."
Giving a nod in return, Yulia replied with controlled ease, "No problem. It wasn't like there was any other choice, though– Huh?"
She trailed off upon feeling a tap on her shoulder from Cater, motioning to her to move in, which she did, much to the surprise of someone already seated beside her…
"I don't recall inviting you to sit with us…" Ace started with a slight frown when Trey was pulled along by Cater to sit opposite him, beside Deuce.
"Hey now, we're all from the same dorm, right? Let's try to get along. Here, gimme your digits." By taking out his phone from his dorm jacket, Cater had once again dismissed the redhead's protest easily.
Scratching the back of her neck in embarrassment, Yulia admitted,"Oh wait, wait. About that, I got a phone I found in the dorm, but I don't know how to charge it. It looked quite old. First time seeing this kind of phones, actually…"
"For real? I've read about luddites like you, but never imagined I'd meet one in the wild! I know a place that sells the latest models cheap. How about you and I go on a phone-shopping date? Only if that old phone is spoiled, of course. What do you say, Ying Yue?" Surprised by this impromptu suggestion, Yulia stared at him for a moment, scumbling in her mind to provide a reply, not noticing the silent, stunned faces on Deuce's and Ace's faces. I do want to get a phone of my own, instead of using my father's one, in case he has stored any memories in it…
Clearing his throat, Trey tried to clear the awkwardness in the air, "Cater. You're freaking out the freshmen. Maybe take it down a notch? And what's with the weird nickname…"
"Ha! Sorry! I can get a little extra some–"
"Actually, sure. Why not? Would any day this week be okay? I need to know what's around this college anyways…" Yulia interrupted. The nonchalant tone in her answer caused Cater to pause, relieved that Yulia wasn't put off by his over-the-top enthusiasm.
"Hmm, it would be good if you had a working phone ASAP so are you OK with after school today?"
"Yep." Not like I'm that busy, anyways, it would be good to take a breather after having such a hectic day. I do need a break away from this trio of troublemakers!
"Alrites then! What were we talking about... The dorms, yeah? Ah, what fun to mentor new students! Go ahead, AMA."
Pouncing on this opportunity presented by his friendly seniors, Ace began his interrogation. "Before you get into the other dorms, I wouldn't mind learning a bit more about ours. Like, what's the deal with all this 'Queen of Hearts rule number whatever' junk?" He then pointed to the metal collar around his neck with his thumb, furrowing his eyebrows a little. Giving Ace a nervous smile, Trey answered his question, sounding as neutral as possible, "I'm sure you're familiar with the legendary Queen of Hearts already? She had to rule over a kingdom of weirdos, and did it by emphasising order and making strict rules." Something doesn't sound right there, I'm having this strong feeling that she's the MOST weirdest out of all… wait maybe 'illogical' would be accurate?
"Our dorm, Heartslabyul, is an homage to her. By tradition, we wear armbands with the red and black of the Queen's dress. And we live by the rules she created." Cater added, pointing to his armband.
("Pfft. Myah… Can you make me any more bored?")
("Shush, Grim. Here take this can of tuna…")
"Now, the degree to which we adhere to the rules depends on the sitting housewarden. Past wardens have been much more lax."
"Riddle though? He doesn't mess around. Basically, you could say that we're honoring that tradition to the utmost extent possible."
—Clang —Clang
("Bleah. Just my luck…")
"So what are the other dorms like, then?" Grim hopped over to sit in front of Yulia, enjoying his can of tuna that Yulia remembered to give him.
"As Cater mentioned earlier, the dorms of this school are themed after the Great Seven. We have our dorm, Heartslabyul, modelled after the strictness of the Queen of Hearts. To run down the rest of them for you, we have...
Savanaclaw, based on the persistent spirit of the King of Beasts.
Octavinelle, based on the benevolent heart of the Sea Witch.
Scarabia, based on the mindful personality of the Sorcerer of the Sands.
Pomefiore, based on the tenacity of the Fairest Queen.
Ignihyde, based on the diligence of the King of the Underworld.
And finally… Diasomnia, based on the noble spirit of the Thorn Fairy."
That info seems 'twisted' from the knowledge I remember from my world… Huh, is that why this world is called 'Twisted Wonderland'? Anyways… "That's a lot to take in." Yulia commented (though she had already committed them to memory thanks to her father telling her about the same information ages ago). Grim echoed in agreement, exclaiming, "All those names are way too long! How's anyone supposed to remember 'em?"
"Ah ha ha! Well, you get the idea. Want to or not, you'll learn them soon enough."
"At orientation, the Dark Mirror picks a dorm for you based on the essence of your being. As a result, each dorm ends up with a distinct sort of... flavour, we'll call it."
"That is sooo true. I totes see it."
"'Flavour,' huh...?" repeated Deuce, not understanding what his seniors had said. At this, Trey looked around, before clarifying in a low voice, "For example, look at that guy, 2 o'clock." Looking over to see a white-haired tanned student with arms folded, Yulia noticed the most characteristic feature in his appearance. "Ah, dog ears…"
"That rough-and-tumble vibe he's got has Savanaclaw House written all over it." Trey identified. Cater nodded slightly, pointing out, "No doubt. That dorm is full of scrappy guys who are into, like, working out and fighting. How should I describe the vibe...? Macho dudes? Gruff big brothers? Something along those lines. The black and gold armband is another giveaway."
"Huh. All right, so what about that guy with the grey and purple cord wrapped around his arm?" Came another question from the cat.
"He's gotta be from Octavinelle House. And the student sitting at the table in front of him has a red and gold armband—Scarabia colours."
"Those dorms are for the smart students. They're always neck-and-neck in the academic rankings. Ah, but the current housewarden of Scarabia doesn't seem to be all that great of a student…"
"And here Cater goes, off on some tangent."
"Ha. You learn fast. Let's get back on topic. You see the flashy one with the purple and red armband? Those are Pomefiore colours." Trey chuckled a bit, once again using another group of students with purple vests as an example. Blinking, Deuce exclaimed all of a sudden, "Whoa! The girl with the potion books, I really like her!" Confused, Yulia turned to see a lavender-coloured, short-haired student walking towards that group of students. Huh? Oh, nevermind.
"Mynah?! What's ano–" The furry started, but a hand abruptly appeared, smacking his head. With a scoff, Ace cut off Grim (in time, fortunately), "You two are such morons. There aren't any girls officially enrolled here… under normal circumstances, of course." MUST YOU ADD THAT LAST BIT, ACE?!
"RIGHT, RIGHT!" Deuce quickly agreed, not hearing the last part at all.
("Ying Yue, Acey knows?")
("Yeah, long story. Tell you later?")
("Mm 'kay.")
("W-Wait, Yuu, he knows?!")
("Uhh, tell you later as well! Shush!")
Yulia glanced up to look at Trey, hoping that he did not hear Ace's full answer. The student opposite her seemed to be alarmed at Deuce's outburst, perhaps being concerned about something.
"Speaking of girls, there's a portrait in the west hall who's a real beauty. Name's Rosaria. If you'd like to meet her, I'd be happy to introduce you. Maybe we can set something up?" Cater changed the topic with ease.
"A painting? Hard pass! I don't ca–" Before Ace could finish, Yulia placed her fork down on her plate with great force, widening her eyes in surprise.
"There are talking paintings?" Dad did not tell me this interesting bit! Grrr…
"Uh yeah, there are quite a few around here. Have you not encountered one before, Yuu?" Raising his left eyebrow, Trey asked Yulia, seemingly amused for whatever reason. Deciding another change of topic would be good to prevent her from revealing that she was from another world, Yulia replied with a shrug of her shoulders, "Nope. Have been running here and there to get to class on time… And to the Headmage Office as well for today." She chose to add on the bait after a momentary pause for effect, waiting for someone to catch it. Thankfully, the only bluehead at the table fell for it…
"Hold up, I realised you haven't told us about the result of your request. Did Master Crewel and Professor Trein agree to it?"
"Oh, yeah. Yep, they did!"
Nudging her with his elbow, Cater asked in a lighthearted manner, "Hey, hey. Let us know what's that about? What's so special about this request?"
"Because I'm 'magicless', I requested I could sit out of practical magic class and conduct my own independent study time instead. Self-study periods, y'know?" Yulia half-lied, feeling a twinge of guilt as she did so.
"Wow, that's great for you. Come to think about it, it's good that you are able to think ahead…" Trey commented, giving her a smile, which caused her to return one as well.
"Well, I do need to survive along with these idiots…"
"Wh-What? Who're the idiots, huh!"
"Tsk. Kinda gettin' off topic, aren't we?"
"Great to see that my juniors are bonding preeeetty well! Anyways, back to the topic, they take vanity quite seriously at Pomefiore. It's basically a dorm full of models. Their housewarden has 5,000,000 followers on Magicam."
"Hey now, they're not all just pretty faces. The students at Pomefiore are among the best at potions and casting curses."
Aha, dad did tell me to stay away because of this exact reason…
"Heh heh. True dat. Next, we have Ignihyde... Their armbands are blue and black, but I don't see any around here. They tend not to be the most outgoing of students. Even I don't have a single friend from that dorm. They're kind of the polar opposite of us sunny, fun-loving Heartslabyuls." Uh, 'fun-loving'? I'm certain these bluehead and redhead are 'trouble-loving'! I mean, within a day, I cleaned, ran, fought, faint, fought again, bled, had to reveal magic in front of them, and fainted again… to save them! W-Wait, even before that, I got into trouble ever since I met Grim… Is it me who somehow attracts trouble, wherever I go???
"So they're gloomy and miserable?" Grim blurted, not caring much for tact. Shaking his head at the weasel's lack of tact, Trey continued describing Ignihyde as generally as possible, "Hey, no need to put it like that! They just have a reputation for being quiet and serious, is all. That dorm tends to attract magical-energy engineers and students who are good with tech." Ah, so that's the dorm Dad was in huh?
"And that just leaves... Diahonyalara, was it?" Goodness Deuce, aiyo… that pronunciation's way too off lah!
Flatly, Ace corrected Deuce, albeit rather teasingly. "You were off to a good start, and then you rammed right into the guardrails. It's 'Diasomnia.'"
"I know that! I just misspoke, all right?"
"Diasomnia House is, hm... Ah, look over there. Those guys in the special seating area. You can tell from the neon green and black armbands. They're basically campus celebrities. The vibe they give off makes it real hard for regular schmucks like us to even approach them. And their housewarden is that times a thousand."
Subtly, Yulia craned her neck to the side to see where Trey was pointing at. At the table diagonally to the furthest left, there were two seemingly tall students, rather stern-looking, with…
"There's a little kid in that group!" Oh, I get why Ace called the one with the mid-length black-hair a 'kid' since he does seem much shorter compared to the other two. Besides those two groups of hair strands forming small horns, it's kinda cool to see those magenta highlights as well. Hmm, those pointy ears of his and the other light green-haired guy's seem to remind me of… a fae? W-Wait, come to think of it, Headmage Crowley also has them as well! Dang, if they're really faes, how old are they?!
"Ah, we do get some child prodigies here. But that guy there is no kid. He's a junior like us. Name's-"
Uh, he noticed us. Looking right at us, in fact. And getting up from his seat? Don't tell me he's comi–
"Lilia. Lilia Vanrouge."
"BWAH?!"
"Eek!" Ye, kinda expecting that he was coming… BUT NOT BY INSTANT TELEPORTATION AND HE'S HANGING UPSIDE DOWN?! What're you, a bat?
"H-he just teleported!"
"I understand my apparent age interests you? As this bespectacled fellow accurately noted… Despite my fresh-faced, boyish good looks, it would be inaccurate to call me a 'child.'" Okay, he's definitely a fae.
("'Fresh-faced', he says…," muttered Trey, mildly bewildered.)
"You need not gawk at us from afar. You may feel free to speak with us directly.
We are schoolmates, are we not? All of us at Diasomnia House welcome you without reservation."
All of them proceeded to look over, not sure of what Lilia meant exactly since the other two students were now looking straight at them, or perhaps it was more accurate to say that one of them was outrightly glaring at them.
"..."
"And yet, those guys over there aren't exactly rolling out the red carpet in terms of approachability…" Deuce gulped.
Chuckling while promptly landing on the ground behind Yulia with a bounce, Lilia continued, "Forgive me for appearing above you during your meal. Hmm?" Abruptly, he stared at Yulia with a focus ever quite intense, his eyes beaming with astounded wonder. Feeling uncomfortable of being stared at, Yulia spoke up nervously, "Uh yes?"
Revealing his small fangs, Lilia leaned slightly forward, tilting his head, eyes brimming with wonder, whispering, "Fhuhuhu, it's very rare to come across someone like you here, it seems this year is off to an interesting start…"
"...!"
"Anyways, I do hope we can speak again, everyone." Lilia suddenly gave them a bow of his head, before disappearing, just as instant as he first arrived. Releasing the breath that he was holding in, Ace huffed, "Their table has got to be over twenty yards away from ours. And they overheard our conversation? That's WAY creepy!" Frowning slightly at the last bit, Trey offered to explain the oddity Ace had pointed out.
"Well... Diasomnia House does have a bit of a reputation for having lots of special students. Some of them are extremely talented at magic. Their housewarden, Malleus Draconia, is considered to be one of the five best mages in the world."
"Malleus is reeeeeal bad news. Though I suppose the same could be said of our own dear housewarden." I have a feeling that Malleus may be different from what everyone is saying so far though… but I haven't met him yet, so, I guess I should wait and judge him for myse–
—Slam
"No kidding! He collared me for eating one slice of tart! All his rule obsession is outta control!"
Losing her train of thought in a mere second thanks to Ace's hand slamming the table in full force, Yulia jumped slightly in her seat, accidentally grabbing Cater's left hand. At this, she met emerald-green eyes, causing her to pull her hand back (albeit delayed). In an attempt to terminate her embarrassment inside, Yulia hurriedly looked away, ignoring the sudden (tiny) emergence of warmth in the top of her ears, thinking, Hmm? Trey tensed up all of a sudden, could it be-
"My 'rule obsession' is 'outta control', is it?" She heard a new, yet familiar stern voice diagonally to her bottom left. Uh oh.
"You bet it is. Riddle's just a petty tyrant who leans into the whole 'rules' schtick as a pretext to keep everyone under his puny thumb!"
Alarmed, Deuce pointed, warning, "Ace! Behind you!"
"Bwah?! Dorm leader!"
Turning her head, Yulia glanced up. A heart formed from two strands amidst rose-red shade of hair came into her view. Then–
Hrrk!
—THUD
"Ying Yue? Hey, are you okay?"
"Yuu-san!"
"Cra-Crazy human?"
Okay, because this is the end of this chapter, I shall boldly confess: Damn, I struggled with this one, because it's almost full of dialogue and so I was pretty stumped on how I should write those 'talking' parts. I also didn't want to add too much on top of the (already) heavy dialogue with 'over-the-top' description… So yeah, I had to delay the posting of this chapter to a day after.
Thank you for reading, and do consider leaving a review :) Stay safe and see you on the next chapter release! ~Ribia74
Chapter 7's one-liner plot: Meeting Riddle again was… a headache literally. Well, not so much as getting dragged into making tarts.