Idk If You Open Your Reqs, If You Felt Comfortable Then Could You Write "How To Win A Hear Of" For Rook

Idk if you open your reqs, if you felt comfortable then could you write "How to win a hear of" for Rook please? You could ignore it if you felt uncomfortable though.

How to win a heart of Rook Hunt?

1. Be.

Blink, blink. Inhale. Exhale.

...

You can't really prove anything, but you are sure that the clock that hangs above Train's desk is broken. Its hands are still staying in the same place, but when you doze off and check the time again, they seem to stay in the same place, if not going backwards.

You can't recognize any words from Train's monotone speech. Whenever he raises his tone, socking some poor student who sits at the front desk, is the only time you look up from your doodles scribbled on the cover of your notebook. They were getting more swirled with each minute; since this class, among the quick sketches Lucius, there appeared a weird-looking elephant in question and some fancy cake. Though, there is still a space for another decoration on the icing.

Luckily, Trein doesn't overlook class notes.

…

You muffle your yawn discreetly by covering your mouth.

After that, the sleepy and dull atmosphere should have just continued.

But no. There is some tension on your arms as if your body reacted by instinct, the one that turns on when you feel like you're in an unknown zone, carefully trying to make your way out of that internal Tierra Incognita.

And there it is. That irresistible impression of being observed, which brings an overwhelming feeling; almost suffocating and sticking to every part of your body, but warm, as if filled with adoration and joy.

...You will have to judge yourself if having such an admirer is a good thing. Especially if the admirer is Rook Hunt himself.

2. Lie.

"Could you stop that?" you ask aloud. "Rook Hunt."

To be completely honest with yourself, you aren't sure if he's around. In those few days, you almost got used to the gaze that follows you like an animal who is curious about a new human being, you. But also, you could never forget how each wild animal would effortlessly take you down.

From behind you, bushes don't rustle, when Rook Hunt steps in. You turn around to see him with a bright smile on his face. He seems very proud of something, and for the first time, you are sure that he was the one who followed you for days.

He stands in front of you as his gaze caresses every part of your body. He doesn't seem uncomfortable with open starring, but your arms stiffen a little.

"My, what a surprise!" He says after his eyes land on your face. You already know that he is the type of guy who never averts his gaze when talking to someone, but at first, that gesture is slightly intimidating. "Never have I supposed that you could actually spot me, Trickster-san!"

"So it was you?" The question arises before you can think of a better answer. Rook gives you a smile anyway. "Oh, well... Now that you're here, I can complain to you personally."You take a big breath. "Stop following me. I feel uncomfortable when I know that I can't relax anywhere."

"Oh, ma faute! I severely underestimated your observation skills...! However, I never noticed you feeling any negative emotion other than awkwardness when you spotted me. I think you smiled more." At this thought, or to visualize you the situation, his corners of mouth quirk up. "I am dazzled by you and I feel like I wouldn't be wrong if I guessed that you were happy with that attention. Didn't you like it?"

And there comes that lie, that contradicts the whole truth you have acknowledged by last week.

"No."

3. Show that you're willing to talk to him.

Your gaze lands on his silhouette, as he with the charm of every Pomefiore student, takes notes. He always seems upbeat, wanting to agree and conclude with the teacher's every word, but listens in silence.

There is no power in you to tear away your gaze. Again, for the third time in this lesson.

"I went crazy!" You think to yourself as the ring of long-desired bell fills the hallway and students leave their classes. "Did I guilt-trip myself or something, to think about him that much AFTER I missed a chance to befriend him?"

As you glance from your desk, you notice how Rook already left the class. Although you knew it will be really hard to find him now, after classes ended and bumping into each other is almost impossible, you quickly threw your books into the bag and run out the door.

...

Never have you known that Rook could that skillfully blend into the background.

Of course, you heard rumours. His posture, the way he entered classes and actively participated on each topic always gleamed with agility and grace. And mysteriously, he always knew you were looking at him. Back then, the smile never left his face.

Gravel rattled under your feet and you knocked a few pebbles away with your foot. After twenty minutes of searching, you weren't convinced that your childhood hide-and-seek talent was really as impeccable as you thought it would be. Rook Hunt wasn't hiding behind any of the bushes you passed.

He was above you.

Perched on a tall but sturdy branch, he can't help but stare at your distant figure littering the outside of the NRC. His eyes sparkle when you accidentally—or maybe not? Maybe these were those childhood skills—you lift your head up, and your gaze immediately lands on Rook's purple uniform.

"Looking for me?" He speaks in his melodic voice, smooth and clear as honey. "Moi, I am truly honoured!" His smile changes. It's hard to tell from the distance, but instead of his usual smile, there is now something resembling a smirk. "Perhaps I caught your attention~?"

4. Become a hunter

And by “hunter” there is no meaning of graduating NRC and travelling around the world to chase after animals of exotic species. No, the type of hunter that Rook needs and desires is a person who would challenge him and play with him a little.

The rule of the game is simple; find others' weaknesses first.

It isn't a friendly competition but isn't the enemy one either. It's a competition between rivals who don't want the duel in the end.

The rook may be awfully good at this game, but you will be a better target. Uncatchable. You hope so.

...

"I'd like to stop our little game," a familiar voice greets you as you open the door to the corridor from your room. Making way for you, he takes a step back with the grace of a dancer rather than a student or hunter.

You look at him in surprise. It takes you a moment to process his words and come up with an answer. "Huh. Are you changing your... 'target'?"

You can't hide the disappointment in your voice, and it echoes so loudly that you surprise yourself. The unexpected mix of feelings on your face makes Rook chuckle elegantly.

"Oh, no, no! After making a reconnaissance among most of your community circles, would you like to know what I found? Saying it works rather against me, but apart from a few unfair opinions, I found only your qualities..." He sigs with resignation he did not feel. A smile is painted on his lips, sincere though not wide enough to show his teeth. "I find it difficult to keep up this game when I can examine you personally."

"Uh?"

Rook grasps your hand. More than gentlemanly culture would allow, he takes your arm and pulls you away into a side corridor. "Would you like to go on a walk? I'd love to talk to the person I've been hearing from a lot lately." Another smile. What is with these smiles? Neither seems identical to the previous ones, just like snowflakes are never the same. Each one makes your chest burst with different emotions. "Not that I regret it."

5. Be, but be yourself.

You really don't want Rook Hunt in your room. There are so many things you hope you have already thrown away, but knowing your rotten luck, Rook Hunt will find something that will you have forgotten. You'll probably end up embarrassing yourself when trying to explain anything.

After all, your room is the place that almost defines you. Once you knew you will be staying in your dorm for a while, you started buying the decorations, placing most of them after only second thought and two more items in your shopping cart.

Now you realise how many items you bought impulsively.

"Please, don't," your muffled voice behind the closed door makes Rook smile. You glance around the room trying to find some reasoning. But will you be convincing? That's another thing. "My room is a mess."

"No need to worry, I already know how organized you are," he says smoothly, leaning on the door's handle and making you use more strength to keep the door closed. "Perhaps you are hiding something?"

"From you? Never!"

"Fufu~ Well, I believe that. I already checked your room—" these words make you hold your breath and crack the door open a bit, just to see how amusement glints in his eyes, "—and I don't believe you could create any big mess in just three hours."

"Never know," you glare at him, before examining the locks on your door. "I may surpass your expectations someday."

"You already do," he corrects you.

You can't hold back the sigh.

6. Spend some time together.

Can you and Rook call yourselves friends? "Yes," he would answer if someone asked him. And you, though you didn't think about it any longer, would nod in the reply given the amount of time you two had spent together.

Even if your rivalry is now gone—the idea of spending time with each other to discover each other has faded after only a few months of knowing each other. Rook probably still remembers the rules, the date and time of the game were re-write, but he also seemed to enjoy the change.

Now he has no qualms about dropping into your room at midnight to show you some nocturnal insect that you were talking about during the break.

Eventually, a certain, constantly developing routine had formed between you;

In the morning you are greeted by a new flower on your desk. You put it in a vase, your other hand flicking through an encyclopaedia of plants. You bought it when some student from the alchemy circle made you realise that this could be the language of flowers. He was not wrong.

You have at least one class a day together, you eat meals together incredibly often—never in the cafeteria. Always at the Botanical Garden or on an outdoor bench, you enjoy eating from the outdoor cafeteria.

Somehow, Rook can sense when you're in trouble. Mostly with some classes or tests. He's always eager to help, and more often than not will tell you the whole topic in an accessible way and add his own opinion or juicy facts off-topic.

"Good night," was never said 'just by'. Rook has made sure of that. He forces you to look him straight in the eyes, where tiny stars shine. "I'll see you tomorrow."

7. Have insecurity.

If you thought you could never surprise Rook Hunt, you were wrong.

He is shocked. And you aren't really sure why.

"That's unbelievable!"

You can't find a trace of dishonesty or sarcasm on his face when he starts asking questions. His brows furrow from worry and he isn't going to keep quiet about anything that just crossed his head. He opens his mouth to say something, but when he notices how you evade his gaze, he holds his breath, before bringing your hand to his lips.

Your heart flutters when he plants a kiss on the back of your hand. The place he kissed you is already burning with pleasant warmth—an invisible stamp of his lips that leave you with a vivid memorial of his touch.

Knowing he has your attention, he smiles lightheartedly. "If you could only see yourself just as I see you..."

8. Daydream.

The pages of your notebook that is supposed to be full of notes, is blank. You stare at the wall vapidly, while your mind is focused on anything but a lecture.

The chime of ring ending a class isn't enough to drive through thought haze.

"What are you thinking about, hm~?" Rook spoke up. There was amusement in his voice and his eyes brightened, though his hitherto hidden presence would have startled most other people. Not you, after so many situations where Rook had perpetuated your belief that he was some incredibly handsome type of phantom that could appear anywhere.

Living in fear that Rook Hunt would scare you while you were pouring hot tea into your mug and lead to tragedy, has strengthened your psyche.

This time he is on a thick branch of a tree growing close to the school building. You aren't sure if he had climbed it on the trunk itself or if he had jumped down from the window of one classroom to get there.

You turn your head up to look at him. Or rather, at his darkened silhouette, as the autumn sun, which pierces through the branches and tinted the leaves with warm colours, illuminates him from behind. "Would you like to try and guess?"

A sincere smile appears on Rook's face.

"Oh, so we are playing that way?" He runs his hand over feathers attached to his hat, not taking his eyes off you. "Fufu, what kind of secrets may conceal such a lovely heart of yours?"

9. Have that cliché romance in your head.

Tap... tap, tap...

Rain is gently falling down on the window glass.

You can't believe that it started now when you were spending your break outside, ten minutes of walk to the campus. Twenty, whenever you'd like to walk while using your bag to cover your head (you knew that it would not prevent you from getting all wet, and probably some of your books might get destroyed) or you could run for your life, trip on the now slippery path and come to your dorm being anything but fine or clean.

"And here was I wondering where my favourite was," you don't need to look up to know whose hand is placed on your shoulder. You haven't realised how your body got colder by the evening breeze until the warmth of his touch comforted you.

When your eyes finally lay on him, you notice how his hair ends are wet, uniform saturated, shoes and a hat—rain-soaked. He tightly holds an umbrella that is still not extended, even if the rain started a while ago.

"Did you run here...?" You ask, now quite concerned he might get sick. Emphasis on might, because you still don't know if his immune system isn't actually immortal, based on how he gets out of most of the collage-dangerous situations unscathed. But still concerned.

"Thought perhaps you could use some helping hand," he says with noticeable softness in his voice; it makes your heart melt, even when it's that cold, windy evening. "Or an umbrella."

"...Thank you."

He doesn't hand you an umbrella; he opens it, makes you hold his arm, as he covers you two from the rain with an umbrella.

The air is brisk, and it's getting pretty dark. Rook navigates you through the school grounds paths and warns you about every obstacle. You may not recognize each way when there's only a little light, but you're sure this way certainly doesn't lead to school.

"I am taking the longer route," he says, when you ask him. "A walk in the rain...! How romantic! I've been waiting so long for this moment."

"Really?"

"Of course!" Rook smiles at you. "I even stole all your umbrellas to make this moment happen."

10. You can't run away. Not anymore.

He is everything.

How did Rook manage to be everything you could ever want and need? How could he got to your heart, not break it and keep it as his treasure?

("Oh, did you see that? That was my Trickster! They are full of surprises, aren't they?")

He is always there to help you,

("Calm down, calm down, I am here... I will treat that wound right away, so don't move around much, mon chéri.")

fight for you,

("Don't worry. I will just check how guys that hit you are doing," you still remember the cold smile on Rook's lips when he was reassuring you.)

appreciate you,

("My, what a great day! To see such a beautiful individual right in the morning? Such a blessing it is!")

care for you,

("What am I doing at midnight at your window, you ask? Fufu, I might tell you if you're so interested! I wanted to see how the most interesting person in our college is doing because you smiled three times less than yesterday. So? Who shattered your heart today, mon chéri?")

and love you unconditionally.

"I love you," he says as each part of his body screams it. His eyes are filled with hope, sunshine and moonlight, arms move unconsciously your way as if he wanted to reach for your warmth. "And since you know that..." He moves his hands back and places the right one on his chest. "This is the heart I offer you. Will you take care of it for me, mon chéri?"

I love your writing so much and I need to thank you. Your "how to win the heart of" series actually helped me accept my crush on someone close to me and to build up the courage to confess. We are now a couple. Thank you a lot. I hope you do well in life.

Ohh—! Congratulations! I'm glad I could be a help (even if it was a type of passive help, haha!)

And, also thank you for sending this message—reading it was a striking experience in a very positive way. Very wholesome. Thank you!!

I wish you a great life!

When your Prince Charming arrives || First Years x Reader

What if someone from RSA seemed to be your dreamed lover?

Ace Trappola

It isn’t easy to make Ace seriously worried, about something that wasn’t caused by his friends, wanting to get revenge on his poor—as they defined them—jokes.

From the first sight he knew, that a boy, who “accidentally” bumped into you, was a danger. Some kind of.

He seemed just… too perfect: tall, muscular, with beautiful hair and natural charm, charisma. His clothes complemented the colour of dark as cosmos eyes, and his manners were impeccable. Ace started doubting that even Vil Schoenheit himself could point out anything to him, but he wouldn’t bet on his arm.

With each trait, something was pushing Ace away from the boy more and more.

If he hasn't paid much attention to him, then you definitely did. By the time the day was over, you managed to tell him ten times how he helped you get up—"You fell because of him," Ace replied while rolling his eyes—and characterized the boy verbally, so that no teacher would complain about not enough words on your opinion essay.

“Agh, enough-!” Ace got upset when, even while playing cards, you didn't talk about anyone else but that handsome hero who helped you get up faster than Ace did. He got up from the floor. “Marvel at him in his face! He will certainly want to hear all these compliments in person.”

He stormed out of the room before you could stop him.

His arms were shaking once he got out of the dorm, to the Rose Maze. He emanated with anger and grief; he swore to himself, that he will kick this guy from RSA the time he sees him. Though he wasn't sure... would you be mad at him...?

“Wait, Ace!” you had to run as fast as you could to catch up with the boy and bump hard into him. You hugged his waist tight, worried that he would run away as soon as you loosened your grip. “Sorry. I really didn't mean to upset you.”

Ace turned around to see your eyes. The corners of his mouth quivered before twitched into a weak smile.

"It's alright," he said, but his voice slowly cracking. “The better one wins, right?”

"Of course," you tightened your embrace so that your cheek was pressed tightly against Ace's body. “I won't be with any guy who can't destroy a chandelier with friends.”

The boy took a deep breath before finally wrapping his arms around you.

The warmth he felt from you and the one inside him caused a strange feeling in his stomach and chest. He didn't know exactly what he felt, but he didn't mind at all.

“Out of my advantages, you chose this particular one?” He said, his face showing a mischievous, a bit mocking, but still friendly smile. "I guess it was at the top of such a long list as ‘Advantages of Ace’"

‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎‏‏‎ ‎

Deuce Spade

Deuce didn’t know what feeling was responsible for twisting his stomach, once he saw you and a boy from RSA, introducing him to some NRC classes.

Does his dark, rebellious side finally want to see the light of day?

Not as much as he wanted to hit that boy, he’d rather preferred to take you somewhere far away from him. From everybody.

“Someone's jealous!” Ace laughed when Deuce told him about his worries.

“Again, why did I come to you with this...?” The dark-haired man sighed, placing his hand on his hair and tightening it tightly. "You really think I'm, uh, jealous?"

“And not?” Ace tucked his hair back, laced the fingers of his hands together, and blinked several times. “Oh! My hero!” He said in a squeaky voice. “I will have to give up my lovely Deuce for you because you helped me up. A~aah!”

Deuce snorted and slapped Ace on the forehead. He fell onto the bed. The redhead burst out laughing as he looked at the nervous, sulking Deuce.

“Go Deuce,” he said, sitting down on the bed, still with an amused sparkles in his eyes. “Fight!”

Without waiting for any further words of encouragement, Deuce ran out of the room, towards the school. He went through all important, busier spots in the school before he found you in the cafeteria.

Of course, with that RSA guy.

He felt his body tighten like a tight string as you spotted him between the heads of the other students and waved at him.

"This is Deuce, my boyfriend," you introduced the boy to your dinner companion, and the dark-haired man looked away. So what if you guys were dating for months? The title "boyfriend" always made his heart run wild. “And this is [Boy's Name], a student from RSA.”

"Nice to meet you." Deuce reached out his hand and squeezed the boy's hand. He did it with such force that you could almost hear the crunch of bones and a soft gasp as the student jerked his hand away. “Now, I'm so sorry, but I have to take [Name] with me.”

He felt a twinge of guilt as you walked away, and the RSA boy was massaging his hand. However, now-not-yours prince charming will definitely go to the nurse, and on the way, he will surely run into one of the most beautiful students in NRC. It’s always like that in fairy tales.

You have to fight for your true love, right? They both have to find and keep the love of their lives.

‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎

Epel Felmier

Just give him a chance, and he'll definitely try to kick that fop in the knee so hard he won't get up again.

"Fight fire with fire," Vil advised him during their usual dinner at Pomefiore. Even though Epel had said nothing about his worries, Vil could still sense a depressive aura from him that was definitely ‘not beautiful’.

The Pomefiore leader was also not very happy with the arrival of some students from the RSA. But until they were more beautiful than he was—not that anyone like that existed—their presence did not irritate them that much.

Of course, you didn't forget about Epel—you felt so drawn to your new acquaintance's aura that you sometimes lost track of time, but you make sure not to skip your meetings.

He felt like a pawn in a game of chess, not a player. He was attractively dressed, and now standing next to that RSA boy who had attracted your attention all too often. He took you with him a lot, that one day he almost offered to take you with him to the RSA. It would only require some paperwork, wouldn't it?

“[Name]” Epel turned to you, his voice trembling with anxiety and anger. He took a deep breath but didn't feel any cooling down. “The final decision will always be yours. But I want to say something about it here.” He pointed at the visitor and glared at him.

He felt a sudden need to straighten his hair and his clothes as silence fell around him. All the witnesses waited for his next move, and even though no one was saying anything, he felt like he was the new hot topic of gossips.

He went over to you and locked you in a hug as if he didn't want to watch all those onlookers.

"I know you may not believe me, but I really am not sure if he can bring you the happiness you expect," he blushed here. “I-I mean… I don't know if I can offer you a life only filled with happiness you want, but… I will try… So, uh, please don't go with him…!”

“Huh? There's no way I'm going with him,” you said, tearing away from him. "I'm addicted to apples and a certain apple boy, and I won't survive without this combination."

Epel breathed a sigh of relief, feeling his cheeks flush with shame, and memories of words that even sounded too serious for him.

Even though he felt terrible in this elegant garment, he couldn't think of it as his feelings exploded in his body.

Ah, yes. He couldn't want to love anyone else that much.

‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎

Jack Howl

Jack never wanted to stop at anything other than "true love".

When you two started dating, he saw no other way than planning his future with you... But this RSA guy was never included in your plans.

"He's joining us," you told your new friend, pointing at Jack. He had his arms crossed and he was at least a head taller than the boy, so the boy had to raise his chin to see Jack's ears. “He offered to help us with cleaning.”

"Ah, yes," [Boy's Name] cleared his throat, trying to remain indifferent. He felt overwhelmed by Jack's presence and Jack made no effort to make it easier for him. Because what was he supposed to do? Squat down so that he doesn't feel trapped like surrounded by tall rocks? "We'll definitely need someone strong."

Everything went very agile and neat.

Even if you and the RSA student previously thought it would take a long, long time, in half an hour you managed to do more than you were allotted to. Maybe it's because your loved one didn't allow too long conversations between you and [Boy's Name]?

It would certainly have been hours if the two of you were left for each other. Ideally, a lot of time to make another appointment, exchange phone numbers, cancel your joint vacation plans with Jack and change your school, right?

“Thank you for your hard work” you put the broom in the storage box. Cleaning with magic was definitely simpler and easier, but as long as you can clean, magic can feel a little sloppy while comparing the cleanliness of rooms.

"Thank you for your hard work," [Boy's Name] replied, dusting his hands of the fluff. "Maybe... you'd like to go together, just the two of us," he stressed the last words, "to the cafe?”

"I'm sorry," you smiled apologetically. You looked at Jack who was just coming back and started walking towards him with a smile on your face. “You may not see it, but this one needs a daily dose of hugs because later he will be very sad.”

Jack silently denied as he turned his head to the side out of intimidation as you hugged him tightly.

… For moments like this, the existence of people like [Boy's Name] is needed.

‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎

Sebek Zigvolt

“We need your assistance, [Name]” just after taking the left corridor, Sebek appeared in front of you and a student from RSA. The green-haired man had a stoic expression and his hands were behind his back, what made him seem much more composed than he thought himself. There was so much going on in his head that it would be easier to talk about what he wasn't thinking about. “It's urgent.”

Without further ado, he grabbed your wrist, knocking the RSA student's hand off your shoulder. He gave him a frightening look before he turned on his heels and you and you walked far, far away from this place.

"Hey, Sebek," you broke the silence that had been with you since you stepped out into the uncrowded corridor. “Something happened?”

“What do you mean?” He replied in a gruff voice and picked up the pace.

"For example," you panted, trying to keep up with him, "you're almost crushing my hand."

As if on cue, Sebek immediately let you go, doing it as quickly as if he had touched hot coal. With a surprised look, he glanced at your wrist, which turned slightly red from his tight grip.

"Ah, uh, forgive me," he muttered, rubbing his temple. "I still feel sick to see that human from the Royal Sword Academy."

“You mean [Boy’s Name]?” you asked, and Sebek made a face at his name. For him, this boy will always be "human" in the worst tone and sense of the word. "Some have described him as ‘so sweet that he is so bland’”

“It suits him.”

“You don't like him too? Too cute by Diasomnia standards?” you guessed jokingly. “Or were you jealous, hehe?”

“T-that's not the point!” He growled, feeling his face flush red. You looked at him in shock, now sure, you guessed it, and Sebek felt even more exposed by it. "It's just that this human looked at you so... so strange! I didn’t not like this.”

"There is a way," you said, smiling frivolously at him. “You can invite me to tea and vice versa, and then we will not see him anymore.”

Pomegranate Rule || Idia Shroud x Reader

Obligatory pair work with someone you like very much on a school project and have a chance to fall for each other more? - cliché.

The difference with Idia was that he kidnapped his project partner.

Idia leaned out from behind the column, whispering words of encouragement and summoning up the plan of this meeting he compiled at yesterday’s evening. He practised this conversation all night in front of the mirror, but as soon as he gained confidence, he forgot the text and desperately searched for the next line in the script.

There was a faint blush on his pale cheeks. Not from the sun, not from the fatigue, but nervousness. He hadn't left his room for someone in a long time, and what he was about to do required from him new social skills...

…to ask you to be his project partner, that’s it.

Ortho stood right next to Idia, leaning out from behind his older brother's silhouette and shifting his gaze once at the courtyard, once at him.

Idia cuffed his fingers on the sleeves of the sweatshirt.

Ortho's presence helped him a lot to keep on the promise he made to himself: today he will actually talk to you not on the phone, but face-to-face and suggest that you could do Sir Crewel’s project together.

He knew that you didn’t have a pair, since Grim went off where he could bug Adeuce combo, and even if he didn’t, you two would be counted as one student. But, to at least make some progress, you were picking up leaves you suspected to be just right for the experiment.

With each bush, you were getting closer and closer to the column behind which Idia was hiding, and he knew that if he won’t hurry with his proposal, someone will enter the square, dispatch the last pieces of Idia's courage and disperse you, and take you away.

For example someone like Epel and Jack, who have just entered the courtyard using the entrance on the opposite side.

This coincidence seemed to Idia to be as unfortunate as if all the forces of the world wanted to stop him from what he was planning and yet to validate his theory that it was not worth ever leave his room. On the other hand, since he was already here, and it took him a good few dozen attempts to motivate himself, he could not lose this unstarted game.

Idia, in an act of desperation, rushed towards you, hoping that the first-graders would not notice you.

You both keel over into the bushes as Jack and Epel headed towards you.

"Jack Howl, Epel Felmier!" Ortho greeted them, distracting all possible attention from the bushes that had just been approached by two people, both unaware of what was going on. "How is your project going? What topic did you choose?”

"Ortho-kun! What are you doing here?” Epel replied, coming closer to the young Shroud.

As Ortho distracted them with a conversation, Idia had an intimidating thought: what would happen if they saw your two in the bushes? He was madly blushing at the scenarios that created in his head. He put his hand on your lips—he was afraid that you would say anything that would attract unwanted attention—he slipped with you through the empty corridors to the dorm of Ignihyde.

…He forgot to explain what he was doing, and it likely looked like him committing a crime, but nothing will happen if he explains everything in his room, right...?

You were able to ask Idia what was he doing, once he closed the doors. Till then, on every question you asked he hissed “Sheesh! Do you want us to be found?!” and “P-please! Let us get to headquarters where I will… explain the mission…”.

Soon enough, you found yourself in his room; electronics was the main source of light, and the screens glowed bright blue around them. Although you didn't see any exposed windows or lamps lit to illuminate the room, everything was clearly visible.

There was a mess there, a mixture of the cardboard disorder that prevails after moving a house and the chaos of a man whose constantly working on something, desk always cluttered with papers, pens and documents.

You were sure you would stand on some lost Lego block or pin if you put your foot behind the bed where Idia has set you down.

“So, Idia,” you started. “…What exactly I am doing in your room?”

"Uh, well...” he stuttered, trying to remember the speech from yesterday's practices. “I wish I would know what you're doing here... I mean- I know why I brought you here. I wanted to ask you something. Ask, yes.”

"Ask? About what?” you didn't mention that you can ask outside of your own room, and you wasn’t going to correct that.

Idia tried to explain the whole situation. He skipped the preparation process, his speeches and ideas, he didn’t even mention the project, so all he said was hard-to-understand, abstract justification from the current situation.

He said, at least, that he came up with the idea to take you somewhere further away, where there were no people, as first-grades entered the courtyard.

“So I'm here by accident?" you asked after listening to Idia, slightly cocking your head at the side. “I don't understand…”

“It was an accident. A bit,” he wanted to loudly groan at his helplessness but finally bit his tongue. “I didn't want you here. I mean, I wanted to, but I didn't plan on it. I mean- Aah, it’s so hard to explain!”

You waited in silence, only nodding, letting him take his time.

"Sorry, I just... I feel weird talking to you...” Idia admitted, lowering his head.

The definition of Idia’s "weirdness" was different from yours.

When you heard that he was calling you strange, you felt a pang in your heart. Really? After so many months of acquaintance and quite frequent texting on the phone, when finally there was one of those few moments when you could talk face-to-face, he says it's awkward?

The "weirdness" of that feeling in Idia was something he could not explain easily: the joy of talking to you, anxiety that he would say something wrong, an uncertainty that you would change your mind and stop talking to him, excitement because he knew how interesting person you are and the frustration for every accurate, teasing comment…

"Oh, I see," you tried not to sound depressing. "So let me leave.”

"No, wait, that's not what I meant..!”

Oh, no. Idia’ plan went downhill again.

Idia jumped to a drawer and started looking for something in it, digging through notebooks, cables and lost items.

“...Don't worry, Idia, we can end this conversation on the phone... or something.”

“No, no, no, wait, please!” discreetly took out a round metal box before he dashed to you, blocking the only way out, heavy equipment surrounding you that now seemed to be an impassable wall.

"Uh?"

He took the hard candy from the container he took from the shelf, though he did it so subtly, forcing himself to stare at you and keep your gaze from tearing away from him, so you couldn’t notice candy in his hand.

They were pomegranate drops that had been presented to him as a funny joke from a student who knew that a box, just like its contents, was enchanted by Vil's unique magic: whoever tasted them will not be able to move more than twenty meters from the place the fruit drop was eaten.

Haha, because you know, the members of Ignihyde don't go outside and won't even notice they were cursed.

Idia was sure that even Vil did not know that the candies had fallen into his hands.

"Huh? What are you-“

As soon as you opened your mouth, Idia pressed fruit drop up to your lips and covered them with his hand, in case you tried to spit it out. His movements became very mechanical and heavy, probably most of his muscles were strained. Because of that, you also couldn't push him away.

He only stepped out of your way you once swallowed the candy.

And so you were bound by a spell that you discovered the moment Idia let you towards the door. You stopped more than a meter from them, unable to even grasp the doorknob.

You swung your hand a few times as if not believing that none of your movements was moving you forward.

“Idia. I know we should talk, but by cutting me off from the door?”

Surprise with this solution, Idia's embarrassed smile, dripping sweat from the stress he felt, and a sudden dose of delicious sugar made you burst into laughter.

“This. Is. Great.” You accented each word, becoming more and more amused with each one as if you had just heard the best joke of the era. “Is it the fault of those drops?”

Idia, surprised by your reaction, finally relaxed. Your sudden, inexplicable outburst, hearty laugh calmed him down a lot. He even came to the conclusion that he really likes the way you laugh.

Ortho soon entered the room. You two shortened the story and explained that you probably have to stay here for the night.

"Oh, so nii-san finally asked you to do a project with him?"

“Project...?” you repeated. Then you turned your head to Idia and smirked at him. “So that was what it was for?”

He answered you with a shrug as if last day Idia didn’t have any thoughts screaming “Project!” and that followed by “[Name]!”.

However, Ortho said it for him.

Idia, of course, tried to stop him, but Ortho knew how much time his brother spent just planning to talk to you. A wave of shame flooded Idia as you listened to Ortho's words with interest. And maybe with a pinch of delight spilling over your heart—Idia did so much for you! You could feel the flush on your face and a smile spread across your lips every time you heard about Idia's efforts.

Soon after, after the excitement of this conversation had died down and you thanked Idia for his planning efforts, a package of cookies and biscuits was opened. You couldn't go to the cafeteria to eat anything, and even ordinary snacks from school vending machines taste better in pleasant company, right?

“We haven't had many opportunities to talk like that, have we?"

You took a sip of the warm tea Idia had made—it was incredibly bitter but chilled enough not to burn your tongue—and watched the screen where Idia was working.

He pushed himself away from writing some codes with some slowness, but he didn't look at you.

“You're right...”

After a pause, he started speaking again, this time in a whisper, but you heard him very clearly.

"I've always admired you, [Name]-shi..." he said, pressing his knees against his chest. “Talking to so many different people and solving their problems... I often find it tedious and self-righteous to interfere in the affairs of others, however…. Everything you do always ends well. I-I couldn't do that.”

“I should be saying it!” You said after a moment of silence as if you were processing words you completely didn't suspect him of. “You deal with electronics like a professional. Wait, you are the professional! How many programming languages have you already mastered? How many devices have you already created? You have a wonderful talent and... even your brother little is proof of it.”

You both looked at Ortho connected to specialized equipment. "CHARGING" was displayed on the screen, and by minutes the numbers were close to 100%.

Idia didn't smile at your words—instead he seemed incredibly focused. With each passing second, he had a more and more sincere expression of pleasant frustration, which was also reflected in his long hair behind which he tried to hide his face.

He couldn't even answer and just nodded.

"And... I have to confess to something," you began after another minute of pleasant silence, which you felt sorry to interrupt. "If you previously seemed quite average to me, maybe even a little pale-faced, now I know that you are special."

These words were already his limit. He couldn't take his eyes off you, forgot how to breathe, forgot how to blink, and his lungs refused to cooperate.

His heart crashed for good after your next words.

"So... if you please," you got up and smiled at him. “Idia Shroud, will you do me this honour and become my project partner?”

"The curse already faded.”

You could reach the door and go to the farthest corners of the room. You could leave.

The project has been completed. With the light help of Ortho, who also wanted to contribute to the project, by two in the morning, you finished doing experiments, writing out data, conclusions and completing them with graphic documentation.

And then you played games for the next three hours; each game was digital and very engaging—it wasn't for Ortho, you and Idia wouldn't fall asleep even for a minute. Even when you went to bed—and there was a whole five-minute debate about where you were going to sleep—you talked in whispers about everything and nothing until one of you fell asleep.

Even if the attachment to Vil's magic was gone, you couldn't deny that you became attached to a certain blue-haired boy who followed the last lines of your conclusions with his golden eyes.

It was really fun.

He and Ortho probably would have done this project faster, but the collaboration of the three—you, Ortho and Idia—seemed so pleasant that if he could, he would do it once again. Even if that meant another research about hyper-difficult projects Crewel liked to torture his students with.

"I will come again," you said as suddenly as if you were reading his mind. He flinched at those words, and your tone of voice changed to a more biting tone. “You don't have to kidnap me this time.”

"I d-didn't..." he tried to deny but was stuck on the next words. “...Really? Will you really come here?”

“Your charm bound me more than candy, I can promise you,” you gave him one last smile before you closed the door behind you and rushed through the corridor with a strange, blissful feeling, looking forward to your next project.

So did he.

Hu Tao x Reader || Business meeting

You woke up in a coffin. Again.

You racked your semi-conscious brain and put your hands to the top wall. With all your strength, you pushed the heavy oak lid up, and it wasn't until the deaf knock convinced you that your efforts weren’t in vain.

You closed your eyes when the bright sun struck your eyes. You felt like a vampire taken straight out of romanticism, but after a quick blinking, you got used to the brightness in the room.

"Hey, hey!” you were greeted by a joyful voice as you sat down. "Did you sleep well?"

You looked at Hu Tao, who as usual was dressed in her dark, official outfit. She tied her hair in two ponytails, and put her hat on her head, even if you two were in a room that always was more likely to not have sunlight than it was.

She bowed over the coffin and let you lean against her arm as you stand up.

"Like a dead," you replied with a heavy sigh. You could only guess that you fell asleep while working and by this, you exposed yourself to tricks from Hu Tao. By these pranks, workers either quickly quitted their job, or gained resistance to all obstacles and every joke "funny-until-you-are-victim".

She sent you a snappy smile.

"Excellent. Because today we have a small corporate mission!”

‏‏‎ ‎

Hu Tao has not particularly given you time to prepare.

Less than ten minutes after she disappeared from the vestibule, you were able to dress up for work, wash your face and correct your hair before she showed up again.

You've put up several posters promoting the wangsheng funeral parlor (which will be taken off again by the guards within hours), and palm business cards off on several passersby until you reached a remote building where a young woman was waiting for you.

She quickly signed some of the papers Hu Tao brought with her and promised to come to her in person later, to complete the formalities related to her cousin's death.

Hu Tao was far more relaxed after you left that house.

In the jumps she walked past you, wandering through the uncrowded streets, energetically talking about everything and nothing. Sometimes she got lost in her thoughts for a moment and smiled at her own ideas, which you started asking her about.

"Hehe~ Everything that's going on in my head is a mystery," she gently tapped her fingers about the roundabout of her hat.

As you passed restaurants and food stalls, you were overwhelmed by the smell of all the Liyue delicacies.

Something twisted in your stomach.

On a par with the loud sound your belly made, you realized that you ate nothing today. You left so quickly that you forgot about breakfast. Ha, you couldn't even drink anything!

"Ho, ho," Hu Tao sighed theatrically. "I see that we have to stop and eat something.”

You burned with a juicy blush.

"A-ah, no, no," you protested quickly. "Let's finish what we have to do first. I'll eat something when we're done with work.”

"Come on, it’s my treat!" she clung to your arm and forced you to follow her. "Or rather... I haven't had the opportunity to have someone as my official taster for a long time!”

You found yourselves in the kitchen.

Hu Tao, almost all in the flour, which she had been brushing off from her dark outfit for the last fifteen minutes, took the dumplings out of the oven. She had to be inspired by a dish from Wanmin Restaurant, but she made them far quicker than anyone else who ever prepared dumplings.

Several of them were put on a plate and with a loud "bon appétit!", she placed them in front of you.

"They look... suspicious,” you glanced at the dumpling and came to the conclusion that they all look... very pale, even for a dumpling.

"I'd like to say you don't have to eat it. But I want you to try them," she used the chopsticks to pick up a dumpling from the plate and pressed it into your mouth. She covered them with her hand so that you wouldn't spit it out and watch as you chewed her culinary work precariously. "And how is it?"

You grunted when you felt how an extremely slippery dumpling was being swallowed by you.

Although you could not say that it was so bad.

Something just... was off. Maybe not enough spices? Or some strange ingredient in the stuffing?

"It's good," you replied. "I guess.”

"You sound very convincing," she said, giggling quietly. She seemed very proud of these dumplings. "I see that cooking is another of my hidden talents.”

You didn't answer, but you smiled gently.

Being indifferent while spending some time with her was... impossible.

‏‏‎ ‎

On the table was placed a pot of hot black tea.

In addition to decorative cups with patterns that evoke plum flowers, the pile of cards grew on the countertop every minute. Soon Hu Tao threw the last card she had in her hands and smiled triumphantly.

"I won!" she scooped the cards off the table and deftly began to shuffle them. A few of them fell out of her hands, but she quickly collected them and began handing them out between the two of you.

This was the eighth round of the card game she presented to you less than two hours ago. Throughout the game she seemed to give you forums, but as soon as you got to the end, she showed her mastery skills and within minutes made up for what you collected the whole twenty minutes.

Although you'd like to win with her, you were not particularly angry with that. Because you two were talking a lot, you mostly didn't notice the key moves you could make. It wasn't until you put another card down that you noticed your mistake, and Hu Tao, with a too-sweet and teasing smile, reminded you that you can't undo your moves.

What a stupid game.

With resignation, you have brought together a newly shuffled card tray.

"So that's what your corporate meetings look like, hmm?" You asked, propping up your chin with your hand and browsing through your new options.

"That’s weird to call date a business meeting," she replied, throwing another card on the table.

"Huh?" you shivered, almost biting your tongue in surprise. "So, it was a date?"

"Wasn’t it?" she said surprised. "Don't think I treat every employee like that. You are the exception," she hesitated, and for the first time in a long time raised her eyes from above the cards and looked at you. You couldn't tell what feelings were painted on her face. Gratitude? Joy? Love? In any case, it made you feel such strange, pleasant warmth... “But if so... How about another "corporate meeting", [Name]? You know, you have to take care of your customers, but you need to take care of your loyal employees even more.”

You were sure she had invented it just now, but...

"I shouldn't say no to my boss, shouldn't I?" you answered with a smile that she returned with big grin.

"Surely!"

The ball at NRC || Vice dorm leaders x reader

It seemed like Night Raven College had moved to Victorian times.

An annual ball was organized for students and their families to commemorate old customs and traditions; even if the whole party was prepared by the school, each and every student was overwhelmingly excited.

There was no way not to try to impress your friends by occupying the dance floor and dancing with the most beautiful girls in the room—all jealous glances were causing huge smiles on dancers’ faces.

However...

Now you were standing there, being just a wallflower.

You stared at your elegant slippers ghosts helped you choose. In your world, that outfit would surely be a sensation, and buying something like this would cost way too much for a dress. Here, however, seeing the Pomefiore students and their partners, as well as the leaders and vice-leaders of the dormitories… you pale in comparison.

You weren't able to talk much either — everyone was so absorbed by preparations and it seemed nearly impossible to talk to anyone, so before you knew it, you couldn't ask anyone to come with you to the party.

The fact that you spent hours preparing for this ball was the only thing that held you back from leaving the room. And also good food. Very good food.

You took another piece of the cake on your fork and for the tenth time that day you reprimanded yourself: “[Name], put it down, you will be fat, a little more and the dress will be too tight... Okay, it will be the last time I will take another piece, this time for real.”

You didn't have time to swallow the pastry when the voice behind you spoke up.

“[Name]?”

‏‏‎ ‎‎

Trey C.

You almost got choked by the cake when Trey appeared next to you.

Dressed in a white suit, light pants, and green shirt, you hardly recognized him. Your heart skipped a beat at the sight of a smartly dressed boy, and it didn't make it any easier for you when he brushed his hair back.

“What do you think of these cakes?” Trey began as you both sat down at one of the tables that were placed along the walls of the room. “I assisted with some of them myself, even if we have enough cooks.”

"They're delicious," you admitted, pushing the cake into your mouth, this time without hesitation. “I will never get tired of your cuisine, Trey.”

“Thank you,” he smiled and for the first time in a long moment, he looked away from you and glanced at the buffet. “Epel gave us a lot of apples for these cakes. We could make a lot of apple cakes in the lead role: chausson aux pommese, tarte normande, tarte tatin, croustade aux pommes...”

You nodded your head uncertainly.

“Let's say I understand.”

There was a gleam of amusement in his eyes.

“You're not going to dance, [Name]?” he said suddenly. “It would be such a waste if the most beautiful woman at this party did not dance even once.”

"You're exaggerating," you laughed heartily, but a strawberry blush bloomed on your cheeks. “I don't know the steps, so there is no reason for me to dance”.

"I will lead," Trey said, and gently grabbed your hand as the first notes of the next song rang out. “Make an exception for me, [Name], and dance with me… I just don't know if I'll be able to give you to another man afterwards.” He added as you two took positions.

…Who knew Trey could dance so well?

Swaying to the rhythm of the melody, you followed the green-haired man whom you tried to keep pace with—to your pleasant surprise, you managed to make even a few turns without stumbling over the air.

Just as there are wolves in sheep's clothing, the same goes for Trey who could be a dancer in the royal court under the mask of a magnificent pastry chef.

‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎

Ruggie B.

“R-Ruggie?” you stammered out as you hardly swallowed another piece of cake.

The boy put a finger on your lips and looked around cautiously.

"Shesh, [Name]," He moved closer, "help me get as much food out of here as possible."

“Ah?”

The rules that had been repeated to you from the beginning of the preparations were remembered in your head, and you were sure that one of them corresponded to the boy's plans.

When Ruggie saw the doubt in your eyes, he folded his hands in a pleading gesture and smiled encouragingly.

“Pretty please..? All you have to do is cover me up; with all this food we will go to the balcony and through the garden, we will take everything to my dorm.”

And you've just fallen into Ruggie's plan again.

Not that you had anything more exciting to do.

Keeping out of the way, so as not to attract much attention, you packed your food into a large wicker basket that was decorated with white flowers from one of the tables—now it looks elegant! Nobody should have suspected that there were chocolate brownies inside, instead of other flowers, right?

You swiftly slipped through the hall, avoiding any people who wanted to invite more students to dance. You quickly refused every suggestion, until you finally opened the balcony door with a thud.

“Haaa, fresh air..!” Ruggie set the basket down and stretched his arms up. “Oh, the garden was also decorated.”

You looked around to see the beautifully decorated park - the nicely trimmed flowers, carefully polished carvings, and the cleared of leaves path majestically melded with the candles flying overhead.

Though the sky was overcast, the flying lights resembled a starry sky with only the moon missing.

"They did a good job," Ruggie muttered, eyeing decorations and magical flowers, slightly shimmering in the dark. “It reminds me of one of the scenes from some movie... Where a girl runs away through such gardens, because the spell has started to disappear, or something like that... Very tragic and romantic...”

“We can," you began,“ recreate this scene.” You chuckled as the boy seemed a little confused. “After all, we can run away with food along these paths to the dormitory, it will be just as dramatic.”

“[Name]. I can't imagine anyone else I would like to run away with like this” theatrically he wiped an invisible tear and grabbed the basket.  “Now, come on, let's go!”

‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎

Jade L.

“O-oh!” You jumped, clearly surprised. You turned around to see Jade with his usual perfect smile. “Hello, Jade...”

"Good evening, [Name]," he replied. “I was just wondering why the most beautiful person in this room doesn't dance. Hmm, why do you think?”

"That is the question," you said. You took the last sip of lemonade and set the cup down on the table. “I think you will find your dancing partner somewhere there” You nodded your head to the corner of the hall, where a dozen beautifully dressed ladies were crowded.

Jade looked at them, but quickly his gaze returned to you, still smiling.

“Unfortunately, another girl already caught my attention.”

“Unfortunately, this young lady does not know how to dance. Not with those monsters on her feet.”

You looked at your high heels. Dancing—walking in such uncomfortable shoes was already a challenge—was out of the question. Even when you walked to the room, you felt that you chose the wrong shoes, because, with every step, the heels were trying to slide off your foot.

"You can always take them off," Jade replied. “The floor is heated here.”

“You don't give up so easily, huh?” You sighed, but somehow you were smiling from ear to ear.

You slipped your uncomfortable shoes to the ground and happily kicked them under the table. The dress was so long that only if someone tried to look under it would you see your beautiful feet, matching Rapunzel's style - barefoot.

“May I have this dance?” Jade bowed. “It is an honor to dance with a princess who has lost not one shoe, but two.”

‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎

Jamil V.

"Ah, um, hello, Jamil," you muttered, still startled by his sudden appearance. “Something happened?”

The boy seemed extremely tired. Out of breath, he leaned lightly against the pillar and was relieved to find it cold.

“Kalim. Ha... he's been trying to get me a dance partner since he found out I missed picking you up from the dorm. I honestly started to doubt that I would find you here...”

As to confirm his words, the people at the table a few meters away from you laughed out loud and some others started shouting over each other to be heard. Only the orchestra with another calm, waltz piece managed to alleviate the situation.

"It looks like Kalim has some sort of radar to detect you," you said softly, and Jamil cleared his throat in confusion. You nodded to the left of the buffet “because he's already coming here.”

Jamil glanced in the direction you were pointing, then grabbed your arm and led you to the center of the room. You understood it was a way to get away from Kalim, but nonetheless ...

When Jamil noticed the confused expression on your face, he smiled warmly and placed his hand on your cheek.

"Let me let you know that you are the only person I want to dance with at this party," he said and smiled at you as the violinists started playing a new tune.

"I hope I won’t disappoint you," you replied with a shy smile as Jamil gently laced your fingers together.

"Don't worry," the corners of his mouth raised a bit. “We will always be able to dance again if you decide you want to try again” and with those words, you and all the other couples went to dance.

"So you already know who you're going to dance with all night," you replied, and Jamil let out a soft laugh.

“I'm not going to complain.”

‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎

Rook H.

"What are you doing here alone, princesse?"

You turned around to see Rook, who stood out from the crowd.

Not only was he tall, but his elegant clothes and the grace with which he moved made a lot of people’s gazes follow him.

"It's my environment," you said. Rook placed two sweet and sour punches in front of you and sat down next to you at the table. “Thank you.”

"Here you go," he smiled. When you looked into his eyes, a grin widened.“How about a little game?”

You blinked your eyes and nodded slowly.

"The rules are," he continued. “Whoever finds the Roi du Poison in this crowd first, wins. If I win, you will agree to dance with me.” He paused here to observe the change in expression on your face. “And if you win...”

“...you will buy me a cake.”

“...I will buy you a cake. Or whatever you want.”

Deal?

It was not a difficult task. Or at least it shouldn't be. Vil was constantly surrounded by a crowd of people who stopped to admire his beauty, so finding more crowded spots in this auditorium was not difficult.

And yet... at the time of the bet, they all seemed to have disappear.

You barely walked halfway across the room, and when you turned to see where Rook was, he didn't move. He only talked to Vil, who was leaning against a column that you couldn't see before... Rook was smiling at you and you were sure that there was a hint of amusement dancing in his eyes...

...he even waved at you.

"It's not fair," you said as he dragged you to the center of the room.

"No rule has been broken, have they not, mon chérie?" He said. “Time for my reward.”

‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎

Ortho S.

*dancing macarena in the middle of the room*

‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎

Lilia V.

“Are these pastries so good that it is better to give up the dancing than to leave these cakes alone?” Said the voice above you, and you almost dropped the plate of cake almost out of surprise.

Lilia chuckled at your reaction, then quickly flew past you.

"There is no sincerer love than the love of food," you quoted, and the boy nodded in agreement.

“Often feelings are expressed through food. Dating takes place in rich restaurants or at cafes with cute cupcakes.”

“See how you know it?” You smiled. “And you, a creature without a cake, why don't you dance?”

“I was just looking for a creature with a cake that would agree to dance.”

“Dance with the creature? Or with a cake?”

"I'm going for the sweeter option~~" He replied and set your plate down on the table as he dragged you to the center of the room. He squeezed through several pairs so that you were closest to the exit to the balcony.

You didn't dance to the music, but doing a few random spins didn't feel out of rhythm either. At least from your perspective.

Right now, you might feel like a princess who had found her promised prince and no one else could have spoiled it. No one.

You almost regretted it when the music was over and most of the couples went to grab a bite to get back to the waltz in half an hour.

"Next time," you said, when you and Lilia were at one of the gaming tables, "when I'm in Diasomnia, instead of eating your cookies, we'll learn a more ambitious dance."

"My baked goods are delicious, too," Lilia replied in a tone of voice as if it were one of the sacred laws. “They are filled with feelings.”

You rolled your eyes and giggled, not too eager to answer sincerely.

“Your feelings are clearly... dangerous.”