Chapter Text
Rosie woke to grim sleepily pawing her in the face. Her eyes fluttered open to look at Grims sleepy eyes.
“Myaah... Hey Rosie...I know it's the middle of the night, but I think we've got a visitor.”
“What do you mean Grim?”
They heard a distant knocking on the front door. Knowing all the other girls are pretty heavy sleepers or the doors were too far back to hear. She got up and threw the fluffy moss green robe and slippers on to pitter patter down the hall to get the door. As she grew closer she heard a familiar voice.
“It's me, Ace! Just let me in, all right?”
Rosalina opened the door to be met with the heart clad boy. Her brain was not fully processing what she was seeing.
“Ace? It's the middle of the night! B-bwah! That collar!” Grim exclaimed. Before Rosie could speak.
“I can't go back to Heartslabyul House. I'm joining your dorm. For good.”
“Myah?! Come again?!”
Roise sighed, having a feeling that she wouldn't be allowed to go to bed till Ace was dealt with. “Come in, what happened?” She motioned for him to come in, closing the door once he was in.
“I'd recognize that collar anywhere. It's the same one that psycho stuck on me at orientation! What'd you do to get shackled with that?”
The boy couldn't meet her eyes. He wasn't going to lie, this is going to be very embarrassing to admit.
“Ace what did you do?” Oh god he looked at her only to see those blue eyes staring at him. And ever so quietly he said….
“I ate a tart.”
“What?”
“I ate a tart”
“You... ate a tart” Rosie blinked owlishly, trying to piece together the sentence. And Grim started laughing.
“Yeah, that's it! That's all I did!I was a little hungry, see, so I went down to the dorm kitchen and found some tarts in the fridge.Three whole tarts! Big ones, too! “
*Flashback*
“Man, I'm still tired from our little adventure. I missed dinner, too, and now I'm starving! Got anything for me, fridge? ...Whoa, score! Tarts! Those look amazing! And plenty to go around, too! No one would notice if I snagged one teeeeensy little slice, right? Right. Of course not. *munch* Mmph... SO good! I'm in pastry paradise right now!
“Of course they're good. Trey made them. His tarts are always exceptional.”
“Yeah, but I mean... These are CRAZY good! Like, he could sell these at- wait, Housewarden?!”
“That you would think to touch something of MINE... Well, I'm impressed with your audacity, at least. But the Queen of Hearts's rule 89 is quite clear. "Never eat a tart without the Queen's permission."The theft of tarts is a serious crime! Off With Your Head!”
*end of Flashback*
“And... here I am.”
“So... The point is you're both terrible?”
“GRIM!” Rosie scolded.
“You don't think that it's insane for my magic to get sealed away for eating ONE slice of tart?!” The boy ranted and paced “For a mage, that's like having your arms and legs bound and shackled! And AND there were three whole tarts! THREE! It's not like he could eat 'em all himself! C'mon, you KNOW this is messed up!”
He complained turning to look at her
I guess...I also really don't get it since” She did small jazz hands “I don’t have magic. It does seem a tad extreme?”
“Riiight?! Wait what kinda wishy-washy answer is that?!”
“One of two people you woke up at 1 in the morning.” Grim grumbles hopping onto Rosalina's shoulders
“Grims right Ace it late and it's been a long day we both need to sleep, you can stay out here on the couch” She walked to the cupboard to pull out an extra pillow and blanket “We can talk about this more in the morning and come up with a game plan ok?”
He took the pillow and blanket from her. Those sky like irises give a sympathetic look.
“Yeah okay.”
She started to walk back to her room
“Goodnight Ace”
“Goodnight Rosie”
***************
Rosalina was coming down the hall when a voice addressed her.
“Rosalina, why is this idiot here?” An annoyed voice asked
She wiped the sleep from her eyes coming face to face with Donatella. She was still in her pjs a pair of black sleep shorts, a purple tank and gray zip up hoodie with gray slippers on her feet. Her hair was messy and up in a bun with her typical glasses. Behind her was Penelope who was slumped over the kitchen island with gray long sleep pants and blue t-shirt with a black robe on top.
“He needed a place to stay since he can’t go back to his dorm.”
“And why is that?”
“I ate a tart in the kitchen last night and the housewarden caught me so he threw this collar on me and banned me from the dorm.”
“That is the dumbest thing I’ve ever-” Dona started “Not the normal world, not your world…You know what that’s… next time leave a note on the fridge or text us all. Okay?”
“You got it. Sorry Dona.”
“It's fine, just don't let it happen again.” Dona started walking back to the kitchen to grab two mugs, poke Penelope's head and stick it in her hand before they both took back off to their rooms.
“Well aren't they just sunshine in the morning.” Ace muttered
“They’re not morning people, they were both probably awake all night trying to find a way home.”
“You all really want to go home that bad?”
“Yeah, We all have family and friends that are probably looking for us. Also this world isn't exactly like ours.”
“Does it bother you guys?”
“For some… Dona and Penny, yes but they aren't fans of things that are not logically explained. The others I feel are shocked but just trying to get through it. Personally I don't mind it, I find it fascinating.” Rosalina responded walking toward the kitchen grabbing two glasses of water and slid one to Ace. Rummaging around in the kitchen grabbing some eggs and bread she started to cook.
“And what’s so fascinating about this world that is not like yours” Ace scoffed following her. As he sat down to watch her work.
“Well quite a lot actually.” She said staring off for a second before returning to work. Ace noticed the slightly misty look in her eye and decided to drop it. He knows when to drop a subject most of the time.
He heard a fast pitter pattering of feet hitting the concrete floor and turned to see Raylnn Mae. The girl's blonde hair was down, really showcasing how long it was. Held out of her face by a headband she had on a black sleep shirt with Christmas red shorts. She walked by him to the fridge.
“Morning Rosalina! Hey Ace!” She then did a double take. “Wait Ace! Why are ya here and what’s that around your neck?”
“Morning to you too. I’m here cause I wanna be part of your guys dorm.”
“He got temporarily kicked out of his last night”
“I’m sorry! What did ya do, dumbass it's only been a few days into school!”
She laughed while taking a drink of her water.
“I ate a tart in the fridge last night so the dorm leader put this collar on me.”
Raylnn spit out her water and started laughing much to Aces dismay and Rosalina's head shook in disappointment.
“I’m sorry, ya stole somebody else's food and got collared! You dumbass, I would do the same!”
“Arent you suppose to be sympathetic or something.” he grumbled
“Bitch no, ya came to the wrong person. Ya want sympathy go to this one here” she said pointing at Rosalina “Your luck someone didn't tackle you, I know that it happened in my household you'd be a puddle on the floor, my brothers would have had your hide!”
“Ha Ha laugh it u-”
There was a knock at the front door and Raylnn Mae went to get the door. To see Deuce standing there.
“Hey Deuce! I’m assuming you are here for Ace?”
“Yes, is he here?”
“Sadly the asshat is here, come on in.”
“Ugh. Deuce…”
They walked to the kitchen Raylnn Mae taking her spot next to Rosie helping finish breakfast.
“I figured I'd find you here.” Deuce quipped sitting down before starting “So, you ate the housewarden's tart. You really are an idiot, Ace.”
The two girls started giggling at Deuce's bluntness.
“Oh, shut up! Like you're one to talk! Anyway, uh... Is he still mad?”
“Not at all. Maybe a touch irritated, if anything.”
“See I told you it wouldn't be that bad, I bet he’s under a lot of stress that's all!” Rosie smiled
“A few of our dormmates overslept this morning…But only three of 'em got your treatment.”
“You call that "not at all" mad?! Sounds like he's still on the rampage, to me!”
Rosie slid two extra plates in front of the boys, effectively quieting them.
“We will figure it out, I bet if you went and apologized he would accept it. Besides, like Ray Mae said it is not very nice to steal another person’s food. Now we have class soon and we still have to get ready.”
As the boys ate, the rest of the girls' dorm came to life. Next to enter the kitchen was Whitney already dressed and ready for the day, she threw her bag on the couch, the school uniform on and hair up in a pristine ponytail.
“Morning everyone,” She chirped before surveying the kitchen. “I see we have a packed kitchen this morning. Ace, Deuce, good morning.”
“Morning Whitney” the two quipped back. Whitney’s eyes scanned the collar around Ace's neck. Before grabbing her plate and putting in a to-go container. Taking it back to her bag and slinging it around her shoulder.
“Rosie, Raylnn, will you two tell everyone I went on a head I meeting with Crewel to get out schedules? I'll meet you all in the cafeteria.”
“Sure thing!”
“Yes ma’am!”
“You're not going to ask about the collar?” Ace said
“Not my circus, not my monkeys” She quipped then was out the door.
The two girls giggled as the boys looked at each other.
“What does that even mean?” they asked which the girls just laughed harder.