Chapter Text
Riddle had convinced Crowley to call a meeting and then convinced him to leave them alone. Crowley originally refused, but after Riddle worded it as getting out of work, Crowley immediately left.
The mirror chamber was tense. Riddle and Vil were clearly on edge, Leona and Azul were very bored, and everyone else lay somewhere in between. Only one person didn’t know what was happening.
“I am sensing a tense feeling in the air.” Malleus looked at his fellow housewardens. “Has something happened?”
“It's nothing serious.” Leona spoke before anyone else could. “It's actually kind of stupid.”
“I agree with Leona.” Azul was way more enraptured by the money he was counting. “This is barely an issue.”
“NOT AN ISSUE?!” Riddle slammed his hands on the table. “HOW CAN YOU BOTH SAY THAT?!”
“Riddle, calm yourself.” Vil placed a comforting hand on Riddle's shoulder. “Azul, I understand your blasé attitude, but Leona, I can’t fathom why you are so calm about this.”
“I don’t care because I can mind my business. Jack is fine.” Leona yawned. “This whole idea is ridiculous.”
“Honestly.” Idia’s voice came over the tablet. “This is unnecessary.”
“Shut it!” Riddle stomped his foot. “I will be doing the talking. Malleus, we—”
“Only you and princess.” Leona interrupted. “Kind of Kalim too.”
Kalim had a pitiful expression on his face. “I'm so confused.”
Riddle stomped again. “WE have concerns about Sebek and his relationships with our freshman.”
“Concerns?” Malleus tilted his head in confusion. “Of what kind?”
Riddle cleared his throat. “Over the past couple of days, we have noticed highly concerning behavior. It started 3 days ago. After I had removed Ace's collar, I went to talk to him again only to find him and Sebek on his bed. When Ace lied and said the collar was too tight, Sebek choked him until he left hand imprints. Then after that, he kissed the imprints. The next day, I found Sebek healing a bruise on Deuce's face. Apparently, Deuce had been attacked. After the bruise was done healing, Deuce asked Sebek to punch him in a place the nurses wouldn’t see immediately. Sebek proceeded to punch him in the stomach and ‘kiss it better.’ Leona, tell him what you saw the other day.”
“Hell no. This is stupid.”
“Do not forget…I know about the catnip incident." Riddle slowly began pulling out a photo.
Leona groaned. “How did you even find out about that?”
“I got it from Azul, of course.”
Azul immediately jumped to explain. “Riddle came to me about it. If I didn’t hand it over, he would make Floyd upset at me, then Floyd would get Jade upset at me. I can't deal with that right now.”
“Weakling.” Leona reluctantly spoke. “Me and Ruggie saw him destroying Jack in a fight. He was being mean or whatever. He was questioning how Jack could beat others while still being unable to beat him.”
“You should show more care for Jack.” Vil's voice didn’t hide his fury. “Especially now.”
“Oh shove it up your—”
“Quiet. It's my turn.” Vil flipped off Leona for a second. “After I ended ballet practice early yesterday, I found Sebek insulting Epel in the forest. He only relented when Epel slapped and insulted him back. It was odd and very worrying.”
“Thank Vil and Leona.” Riddle pointed to Kalim. “Finally, Kalim has something to share.”
“Wha—Kalim!” Azul stopped what he was doing and glared.
“Dude, you promised us you wouldn’t tell anyone.” Idia sighed.
“I'm sorry, but…if something bad is actually happening, I couldn’t live with myself.” Kalim looked at the ground in a mix of shame and embarrassment. “Me, Azul, and Idia went to Ramshackle to see if we could find out what had you all so weird about Sebek. We saw him and Yuu, and apparently, Sebek has been shocking them to give them lightning scars. He and Yuu both seemed upset that they weren’t permanent, and he got really self-conscious. But by the end, Yuu wanted him to give them a new scar. So maybe everything’s fine! It's just…food for thought.”
“There.” Riddle looked at Malleus fully. “These are our concerns. I want to give Sebek the benefit of the doubt, but I have to protect my first years. I hope you talk to him about this concerning behavior. Malleus, are you listening?”
It was moments like this that Malleus was happy his horn was broken. He could show his absolute elation without risk.
“I am listening. I will be back in a moment.” Malleus snapped his fingers and teleported to his dorm.
“Oh!” Lilia looked up from the surely radioactive food he was about to eat. “Hello Malleus! Aren’t you supposed to be in a meeting?”
“Lilia!” Malleus smiled widely. “It’s happened!”
“Well, what’s got you in such a good mood?” Lilia put down his food and walked up to Malleus. “What’s happened?”
“Sebek is showing fae love! He choked Trappola because Riddle's collar was too tight!” Malleus recounted the events as if he had just come from a party. “The next day, Spades asked him for a new bruise after some students gave him one, and Sebek happily did. Then he fought Howl and playfully chastised him for being weak while utterly destroying him! Then he verbally berated Felimer until he slapped him and insulted him back!” Malleus took a deep breath before he finished.
“Lilia! He has been giving the Child of Man lightning scars to claim them as his!”
Lilia joined Malleus in his joy. “Oh my! We have to throw a party! You get back to your meeting while I plan.”
“Of course!” Malleus snapped and teleported again. “I have returned.”
Leona let out a classic groan. “Great. Now we have to continue this stupid meeting.”
“Leona, please.” Riddle sighed, exhausted. “Malleus, I assume you talked to Sebek.”
“No. That was not the intention of my disappearance. I had to tell Lilia the good news.” Malleus saw how Riddle's face began to shift to anger. He quickly went to explain. “Sebek is just showing his lovers fae love. It is nothing to be worried about.”
“That’s what I said.” Azul and Leona spoke in unison.
Riddle's face went from anger to shock to confusion. Azul took pity on him.
“View it as this. Would you like to spend hours learning an ornate dance that you might have to do at random later?” Azul asked plainly. “What if you had to do that sometimes when your partner wanted to show they loved you?”
Riddle was even more confused by the question. “I do not believe so. I find that inefficient, and it honestly sounds like a waste of my time. Why not just proclaim their love outright?”
“Well, that’s a practice of moray eels. Floyd might want to do that with you one day because that’s how they show affection. It is only magnified now that his legs allow for more complex movements.” Azul adjusted his glasses as he spoke. “Do you still think of it like that?”
“No.” Riddle's mouth moved immediately. He was shocked by it at first, but it turned into a weird acceptance. “I would be happy to do that with him.”
“Exactly.” Leona jumped into the conversation. “You don’t find it weird anymore because you love him, and that’s how he loves. The same thing is happening here. The first years do that with Sebek because that is how he loves. That’s how the fae love. It might not be the same as a dance, but that’s how Sebek shows affection.”
“Oh.” Riddle thought for a moment before he spoke again. “I have some reevaluating to do. Thank you for informing me.”
“Don’t mention it. Seriously don’t.” Leona got up and left.
“Pleasure to be of service.” Azul followed behind him.
Vil kind of just stood there. “Well. I think I may have gotten ahead of myself. I'm honestly surprised I didn’t pick up on it sooner.”
“Why?” Riddle asked as the other housewardens began to leave.
“Rook. He loves in a different way, and I wouldn’t have accepted it if I didn’t love him. I can’t say my situation is exactly the same as Sebek and Floyd, but I see where they're coming from.” Vil gave Riddle one more pat on the shoulder before leaving.
Riddle stood there with Malleus for a moment.
“Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Rosehearts.” Malleus smiled. “Diasomnia will have a great celebration.”
“It is not a problem.” Riddle reciprocated and left. He pulled out his phone when he was alone and sent Floyd a text.
Do you want to teach me your moray eel dance? Azul didn’t tell me the name.