Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The garden was a mess. Black ash continued to fall from the sky as the place only seemed to lighten slightly from the surge of dark magic. It had never been so eerie and silent at an unbirthday party before. No one truly knew what to say after witnessing what they had seen. The two freshmen who had just challenged the house warden seemed to hold their tongues in horror. For once, the diamond of the cards didn’t hold his device in his hand, and Trey didn’t know how to lead from here. They were warned… 

All eyes seemed to fall on the human, their weird weasel, and Crowley in that moment. This was the first time Crowley had an overblot on his hands, and he didn’t know how to handle it. Everything still appeared to be moving in slow motion, but Trey Clover, vice house warden, was the first to move. He knelt by Riddle with tears in his eyes. He knew all of this was his fault. He should have never let Riddle get this carried away. He should have never allowed this to happen to him! He was the one person who could put Riddle in his place; Mr Rosehearts became too much like his mother, and it spelled out doom for him in the end. 

“Riddle…” Trey whispered as he gently shook the dead body’s shoulder. “Riddle? Come on, wake up!” Trey begged as he seemed to lose all sense. Grief rattled through his body like the tail of a venomous snake. As a sob was ripped from Trey’s heart, he felt his heart breaking. Riddle had been his best friend for so long. How could he allow this to happen?

Something needed to be done and quickly. Cater held a finger to his mouth as he pursed his lips. “Hm..” Cater couldn’t rely on Trey right now. In fact, he figured Trey needed someone in that moment, but he had to get everyone out of here first. The environment was still dangerous. “Alrighty! Here’s the dealio. This is pretty S-R-S so I need everyone to head back to the dorm and await further instruction!” Cater said and watched as most students left. He sighed. “For the sake of honoring Riddle I hope there wasn’t a rule about overblots from Ms. Queenie.” Cater sighed as he went over to Trey who was still in shock. “Trey Trey?” He was non-responsive. He shook his head as tears went down his face. His shaky hands were holding one of Riddle’s unordinary pale ones. How would someone just move on from something like this? The somber atmosphere was stronger than ever; there had never been a more devastating event at Night Raven College. 

Ace and Deuce attempted to approach, but Trey gave them a stern look to stay back. This could not completely be pinned on the two of them, but it was difficult not to blame the ones who lit the fire. Before Trey can stand, Cater put a hand in front of Trey’s chest so he would not move. Cater’s look went from stern to much more furious. It was a warning to these two underclassmen to flee the scene. What had transpired here was not to be taken lightly. 

This was the first case of Overblot Night Raven College had seen, and no doubt it was disturbing to see someone so young lose their mind in such a disturbing way. Riddle was brilliant, and had incredible amounts of potential. He would never have a chance to prove himself, or redeem himself in Ace’s eyes, or learn that he was not treated fairly as a child. The sad part is is that Mrs. Rosehearts would likely not bat an eye at this situation and just call her son weak. A woman that cold could never hold love in her heart. 

As everyone fled the scene, Cater knelt down beside Trey. He couldn’t read his facial expression whatsoever - not in a way that would allow him to see what was going on in Trey’s mind. It wasn’t like Trey was normally transparent, but it was as if seeing his best friend die in front of him had caused him to completely shut down. After all, these events were very jarring. Cater, for once, was at a complete loss for words. His phone was away. He just gently placed a hand on Trey’s shoulder, and the vice Housewarden took his hands off Riddle’s corpse to wrap his arms around Cater. Whatever happened next, these two were going to need one another. Cater gasped softly at the hug before being able to tightly hold Trey in his arms. Both of them appeared to have tears rolling down their faces. 

As days went on, more and more people did not know what to think of the event. Riddle Rosehearts had fallen victim to a fatal case of overblot; after all, it was rare someone would survive. Still, some lives would forever be changed by what went on; however, some tried to continue on just the same. Not everyone knew Riddle and now they would never get a chance to. A brilliant, intelligent young man. His work ethic was something to envy; Riddle was one of the top students at Night Raven College as a second year. Now he was buried before he could even graduate. 

Trey Clover served as a tentative housewarden to Heartslabyul. It wasn’t really something he wanted to do, but he had been Vice Housewarden so it seemed the other students of the dorm wanted him to serve as Housewarden for now. Everyone in Heartslabyul loved Trey, but he seemed different these days. He didn’t want what he had, and he wanted what was gone. He had grown up with Riddle and Che’nya. Riddle was out of the picture, and it was more than just his mother keeping him indoors for a prolonged period of time to focus on his studies. 

He had lost his passion for cooking tarts. The kitchen inside the dorm might as well have been collecting cobwebs. No one else in Heartslabyul truly knew how to cook, and they all relied on Trey for that matter. More and more Heartslabyul students were signing up to go into the Culinary Crucible when it was available. When not all of them could make it, Trey took it upon himself to start teaching students how to cook. Cater helped him wrestle a few dorm members into the kitchen for the evening. “Trey-Trey, are you gonna be alright? I can stay here for a while. After all, I wanna be a good vice!”  

Cater Diamond was selected as Trey’s second in command. Trey felt as if Cater was the only one who understood the pain he was going through, and could handle being in charge of the dorm. He was also the person Trey was closest to on campus now. Trey just shook his head as he pushed his glasses back up his face so he could see. “Trust me, I’ve got this. I’ve cooked this before.” He had cooked many things before considering his father had a bakery; Trey was much more skilled than he gave himself credit for. 

“Alrighty!” Cater said and took a picture of everyone in there. “First Culinary Crucible: Trey Clover Edition!” He giggled softly. He blew a kiss at everyone in the room before wandering off deeper into the dorm. As he left, Trey couldn’t help but wonder how Cater was keeping a smile on his face through all of this. Trey could only imagine how strong he must be…

The Housewarden turned his attention to his dormmates that were temporarily his pupils. They all awaited instructions from him; Trey would never understand how Riddle seemed to be so calm in these moments. Perhaps the ex-Housewarden was just a natural born leader. Trey couldn’t display confidence like this. He happened to be a very casual guy. Perhaps that would be the best way to approach all of this: like Trey Clover would. 

“Alright, everyone.” Trey began as he had cleared his throat. “Today we’re going to start with a treat you should have at every unbirthday party in the dorm.” Unbirthday parties still happened at Heartslabyul as was tradition. Trey tried to make sure everything was always perfect for them - well as perfect as they could be. Parties were supposed to be fun right? Well anyhow, Trey explained how he made the delicacy of the dorm: tarts. There were a lot of different kinds of tarts but Mr Clover had settled on making a strawberry one. It wouldn’t be difficult since it seemed to come to Trey as easy as brushing his teeth, writing his name, or putting on his uniform in the morning. As the day went on, Trey did not seem phased by what he was doing. All of the underclassmen were doing well, and were very accepting of his criticism. Trey did his best to uplift everyone, but he made sure to be honest. 

While everything was in the oven, Trey did remind everyone of kitchen safety rules and went over what they would learn in their next lesson which was the following day. He would be teaching them how to make something they would be able to eat for dinner before making themselves a tart. After all, a diet should always be balanced. As Trey was giving a speech about keeping everything balanced, the timer went off for the tarts. “Remember everyone, please wear oven gloves. We don’t want any incidents.” Trey reminded everyone. He remembered one time when Ace Trappola stuck his hand into an oven to grab a hot tray out just because he thought it’d prove his dominance or something. Deuce said Ace didn’t know there were oven gloves - Trey isn’t sure who to believe. 

As the Housewarden was pulling out his tart, the sweet smell of strawberries greeted his senses. His hazel eyes met the creation he was pulling out of the oven. It was heavenly; honestly, Trey was never sure he had seen a more perfect tart. It tugged at his aching, sore heartstrings. No one would have loved this tart more than Riddle Rosehearts… and he would never get to bake for his best friend ever again. 

Chapter Text

The smoke cleared for a moment, and a few people had to cough to let all that sand leave their lungs. The environment had to clear before anyone could truly see what was going on. Immediately, those from other dorms fled. Lilia vanished all within seconds, Cater, Ace, and Deuce ran like the wind. Yuu and Grimm had to give up their dreams of playing Interdorm Spell Drive, and Savanaclaw might as well because they have just lost a vital member of their team. The only two members left in the arena of Savanaclaw’s dorm at that moment were Ruggie Bucchi and Jack Howl.

Ringing silence took over as neither of them knew what to do next. Ruggie had lost someone he basically considered a friend. Sure, most of his days and nights were spent answering Leona’s orders and doing work for him, but now Ruggie didn’t have someone to run around, and cause chaos for. Sure, what Leona said about him being low-life scum stung his heart, but he wanted to believe Leona hadn’t meant it in that moment… he didn’t, did he? Leona had overblotted which meant his mental state was in a pretty dangerous low spot, so he likely had said something he didn’t mean. Ruggie could forgive him for that… it still would’ve been nice to hear sorry, but now he was never going to hear sorry again. There would no longer be the sound of Leona’s snores filling the dorming during the afternoon when he skipped Potionology. It was odd, because it looked like Leona was sleeping in front of him now covered in blot. Not an ideal way to take a nap, was it?

Ruggie’s ears were folded and he looked almost like a hurt, lost puppy. He didn’t have much of a family anymore, and hanging out with Leona almost made him feel like he had made a life-long friend. Now, he didn’t have anyone to share his schemes with, nor some of his life. Perhaps Ruggie was just meant to spend his life alone; that would be what Ruggie took away from this situation.

The other student in the arena was a first year student by the name of Jack Howl. He was young, but did not look as naive or innocent as other freshmen. Jack was built, but he did have a softer side. He was a good big brother, cared for cacti, and he had a great set of morales. Moreover, he had looked up to Leona as a hero. It was always tragic to see a hero fall from grace. Jack had watched Leona compete in Spell drive since he was younger and came to Night Raven College because of the influence Leona had over him…

For a moment, Ruggie and Jack just looked at one another completely dumbfounded by the sight of the Kingscholar’s second born son dead in front of them. A tense silence connected their broken hearts and as they tried to figure out how to even begin to mourn. Lilia came back with staff quickly and Crowley attempted to postpone the tournament to avoid bad press from yet another dead student on campus grounds.

Lilia’s words before Leona’s overblot tasted salty in his mouth, and more bitter than blood could be. Sure, the Diasomnia Vice-Housewarden was a fan of pulling people’s legs, but he never meant to cause any serious harm. This was all in the name of getting Leona to stop hurting other students, to stop acting like a royal pain, and to take some responsibility for the way he was. It wasn’t entirely his fault, or maybe it was harder to pin blame. Some overblots are inevitable.

The Spelldrive tournament was covered by newscasters and reporters alike; soon, it was spread throughout Twisted Wonderland that the second born child to the Kingscholar throne was dead. Despite Crowley trying to postpone the event, citizens of Twisted Wonderland had discovered what had happened. People mourned, others didn’t, but that was how the death of royalty typically went. The air still hung heavy and there was grief as Dire Crowley had lost another student who was also a Housewarden.

Savanaclaw was one of the most empty dorms on campus due to transfer, dropouts, or other scenarios. The dorm still remained active after the death of their leader. Many students idolized Leona, and most of them didn’t stop. All of them attended a memorial for the late prince. All of them wearing necklaces that resembled one of Leona’s as a way to keep the late Housewarden with them. Letting go of Leona was not going to be an easy feat. That was obvious as the dorm was following a freshman as their dorm head now.

Jack Howl heard others whisper about him. He was present for the overblot and some kids spread rumors that Jack might have done it himself. Anyone who knew Jack would know he would never strike Leona down in malicious intent. Growing up, Leona was his hero, and Jack had a strict set of his own principles he followed. Honestly, he wondered if he didn’t deserve the title he was given, but Ruggie wouldn’t take it. He wanted to focus on other things and find a path he could tread now that he wasn’t serving Leona - which he did enjoy while it lasted. In some ways, one wondered if Ruggie had started the lies about Jack just so he could get some guilt off of his chest… but the situation was much more complex.

No one had seen Ruggie since the incident. No one pinned the incident on him since they knew how much serving Leona meant to the hyena; honestly, the two appeared to be very good friends despite the sarcastic slights Leona used to throw at the shorter of the pair. The dorm knew Ruggie well because of his position beside the prince, so perhaps that was why some suspected he had begun the rumor in the first place. What hyena could deny a good laugh?

The dorm persisted in its spirit towards the sport everyone at Night Raven College seemed to play; they might have lost their chance at competing in the original tournament, but it was still rescheduled. Jack had to continue to lead the team that Leona had put together plus an extra student to the team in order to have the right amount of players. Now it was Jack’s turn to lead this pack, and he was doing the best he could with the hand he was dealt.

“Why should we listen to you?” A random student questioned Jack one day. “This team isn’t running the same without Leona! You’re no spell drive professional.”

“Why would I ever listen to a freshmen?”

“He probably sabotaged Leona on purpose to get his seat!”

Once one student got riled up, it was difficult to keep the rest of the dorm quiet. There were back and forths of taunts, questions, and accusations against Jack. It was not the first time this had happened to the wolf, nor would it be the last. Jack did his best to ignore it, but it was difficult when he was supposed to be leading a Spell Drive practice for their dorm. It’s not like they were going to ignore Leona’s wish of wanting to eventually beat Diasomnia and Malleus. That only partially mattered to Jack; he thought it was more important to move on and keep the spirit of tenacity within the dorm alive. This was more important than some petty argument other Leona idolizier could not seem to quiet.

One student went to grab Jack’s shoulder as he turned away, Ruggie appeared from out of nowhere. He pawed at the other student as a sign to leave Jack alone. There was a hint of mischief in the teen’s eyes that meant he was serious. “I’d think twice before you talked to a Housewarden, chump.” Ruggie smirked. “Otherwise, it might be you who they laugh at next.” Nothing about Ruggie was inherently intimidating; even so, there was a cleverness to him that was always present that could scare off someone who knew they would be outwitted. He snickered a bit as he crossed his arms. “I thought Leona raised you to be more than herbivores. You look like a bunch of prey by his standards.” Ruggie crossed his arms behind his head shrugging.

Even if they were insulting him, Jack did not believe insulting the others in the dorm for insulting and interrogating him was the right to say; however, the wolf was too dumbfounded to say anything. Why had Ruggie come to his aid?

“You really wanna honor Leona? Get back to work and quit your yappin’! You wouldn’t talk back to Leona, would ya?”

Many students stammered out responses to Ruggie before Ruggie fully got them to turn around and go back to practicing for the rescheduled tournament.

“What was that for Ruggie? They’re allowed to have their suspicions.”

“Eh, but that had nothing to do with you.” Ruggie shrugged. “Not your fault. ‘Sides, it was about time I showed up for practice, huh?”

Jack wouldn’t deny, having a star player like Ruggie show up was a good thing. He needed someone on their team and to save some of Savanaclaw’s image they had lost since Leona’s overblot. “Welcome back, but don’t miss out, Ruggie.”

“Can’t ya go easy on your Vice?” Ruggie cocked a brow. Jack had given Ruggie the Vice Housewarden title whether he had desired it or not. Honestly, Jack was upset learning Ruggie did not have that title with how much he helped Leona out; it only felt fair to finally reward the upperclassman with the title now. Admittedly, Ruggie didn’t love it, but he could live with it. “I know you’re not at fault Jack.”

“No one is.”

“No… someone is.” Ruggie growled. The urge to cause a wreck and trouble bubbling inside him ever since he had found out the news.

Someone had paid off the Octavinelle trio, Azul, Jade, and Floyd, to change the track where the players entered for the tournament. This was responsible for the entire incident with Leona, or it could at the very least be used as an inciting incident. Ruggie was going to get his hands on that cephalo-punk even if it was the very last thing he did. While Leona was like family to him and Jack was starting to be? Ruggie would not rest easy until he cheated his way to some kind of victory.

Chapter Text

Ringing from past terror-filled shouts were halted and trapped within the space as if a firm bubble encapsulated the thin air. Sharp teeth bit chapped lips as an attempt to muffle a mourning that should have never come to pass. Tensions were high just moments before, and the strain on the environment had only heightened after such heinous events transpired. 

Deep lilac bubbles drifted above pools of black ink that was staining shoes of those who were unfortunate enough to witness the third death on Night Raven College's campus. A pair of moray eels stood shaken as if they were just zapped with rays of lightning from a deceased king's trident scepter. Time had stopped moving for all but a moment as the most capable mage of the second years lay on the floor in a pathetic heap of nothingness. Ink stained his clothes from overblot and his tears; he was cursed with such a painful existence, and now he would never see himself brought to justice. The curtains had closed on this Housewarden's act, and many would never learn of his excellence.

"Azul!" The taller of the eels cried as he immediately raced to his side and got the Housewarden on his back. Hot tears were pouring down Floyd Leech's face as he brought the limp boy into his arms and sobbed loudly. "Wake up! Azul, come on." Floyd bawled. He was always the louder of the two, but as he looked up he heard cries that weren't just coming from him. Floyd, the younger of the twins, had never seen his twin brother bawl before. He heard deep cries of agony ripped from Jade's throat as he attempted to keep it together. "Jade?" 

Weakly, he collapsed to his knees beside his brother and leaned into him as he looked at Azul. He looked as if he was sleeping, but the ink stains hinted at the pain their dear friend had been in. The twin's linked hands as they kept Azul close to them; many Octavinelle students looked on in horror of the Housewarden they idolized.

"He's not going to wake up." Jade whispered the one thing he never wanted to admit because saying it made it full even more real than look at the corpse of his best friend. The three were always shy to publicly admit they were friends. Now, they would never get to share the deep love they had for one another. To many, Azul died a villain, but the Leech twins knew much better than that. They would find a way to honor his memory... somehow. 

Ruggie Bucchi, Yuu, Deuce Spade, Ace Trappola, and Jack Howl beat Azul out of a deal, tore up his contracts, and led him to his despair. It was Ruggie using his Unique Magic on Azul, forcing the octopus to tear up his own contracts, that was the final straw. These group of teenagers were never allowed back inside of the Mostro Lounge the Octavinelle dorm attempted to keep in business. No one had Azul's suave demeanor, but after reconstructing damages from the late housewarden's overblot, the new fish in charge decided it was too precious to give up on. After all, this was the best way to keep Azul alive. 

Jade Leech stepped in for Housewarden duties as the students of Octavinelle deemed him worthy of said position due to his hardwork; as it was his choice to pick his vice, he elected his dear brother. The two weren't necessarily happy with their positions, but they attempted to take the weight of a tumbling world onto their shoulders. For awhile, the pair didn't quite seem the same. Most students on NRC campus understood how tightly Jade and Floyd were bonded. They spent everyday together growing up and rarely ever left one another's sides. Unfortunately, they are in separate classes at school; however, they often met up after their classes to walk one another to the next one. Try as the world make, there truly was not a way to separate the twins from one another. It seemed even their grief brought them closer together; after all, sometimes family was the best support group.

For the time being, Azul's room was sealed off from the rest of the other Octavinelle students - and the rest of campus for that matter. Jade and Floyd locked it with their own magic to ensure they were the only two people who could enter; neither of them dared to go inside to touch his things. There was something sacred about the room. Floyd couldn't bring himself to look at the door most mornings whereas Jade's gloved hand would sometimes run along the golden door handle as he reminded himself part of his morning routine was either waking up or greeting Azul before breakfast. Jade kept everyone on track....

As of Azul's overblot, this was the third recorded incident of someone dying of an overblot on campus. Many students lived in fear, and some weren't over the passing of their own housewardens; however, no dorm grieved the way the students of Octavinelle did. A plethora of students looked up to Azul for kindness, strength, and professionalism. He was a flawless student and the most powerful second year. His magic was simply unmatched. His schemes were shady, but his deals did help some students in earnest. Many kids wanted to learn Azul's ways and were endlessly fascinated with the way Azul seemed to master the game of life. Yes, to some he was cruel and villainous, but to Octavinelle students he was a benevolent soul with hidden charm behind his devious smirks. Students shared stories within the lounge of how he helped them, how they admired him, and whatever small memories they held of him after his tragic passing. It was difficult to get close to the late Housewarden since he was a rather guarded soul; the only people who knew him well were the two leading the dorm now. Deep down both of them wondered if they could truly honor Azul and make him proud. 

After hearing talk, mumbles, whispers, and stories shared in a mourning Mostro Lounge, Floyd couldn't help but sneak into the VIP room that was now considered Jade's office. It was a place Floyd would often sneak into when he was feeling overwhelmed and not in the mood to be around rowdy patrons. Right now, Floyd was just attempting to get away from the grief that was consuming him. Darkness clawed at his heart like an untamed beast. He never expected to be so close to someone other than Jade, so why should he do now that his one dear friend was gone? His trembling heartstrings ached as he clutched his fingers into fists - his hands slightly shaking like a ship on an unforgiving sea. Any light or desire for fun had died inside of his eyes as soon as his gaze hit the VIP room floor; the brim of his dark fedora covered the welling tears in his eyes as his sharp teeth bit at his chapped lips. Floyd was desperately trying to find his grip, but kept slipping.

"It's alright to let it out, Floyd." A soothing voice came from the chair behind a desk in the room; it was the chair Azul Ashengrotto was normally seated behind, but now Jade Leech found himself there as he looked over the profits of the Mostro Lounge. His hands were folded politely in front of him as he looked at his brother with worry. "You do not need to conceal your mourning." 

A deep sigh escaped from Floyd as he thought he was alone; he didn't dare move as if he was the very wall holding back his tears. "I'm sick of crying." 

"Death brings tears." 

"He wasn't supposed to die!" Floyd growled through gritted teeth. His eyes finally flickered upwards to look at his twin brother. Now, he wasn't mad at Jade, but he was generally upset. The loss of Azul punctured his heart and had the audacity to continue to prod it. 

Gently, Jade closed his eyes as he attempted to console himself - he was being quite the hypocrite. "I know..." Jade tried to keep his cool so Floyd could let out some steam; it was better it be him than some lowly freshmen, no? Well, that didn't seem fun right now, but Jade had responsibilities. He had a lounge to upkeep... a memory to honor. "He should have survived." 

The two locked eyes as they said the same sentence: "He should be sitting in this chair right now." 

A silence hung heavy in the room as the two tried to think of how to converse further about this without fracturing their own minds that were still grieving. It seemed Azul left behind his two greatest friends, but they weren't the same people they used to be. Floyd didn't continue to pester Jade, and Jade was biting his tongue instead of thinking of clever ways to speak his mind. All the two did was sit there for a moment before Floyd was overcome by sobs from memories he didn't want to become tarnished like his emotions were. As he fell to his needs, Jade rushed to his side to hold his brother. "Floyd..."

"It hurts so damn much!" 

"I know, I know..."

"Do you?! All you've done is sit here and go through paper after fucking paper! You're not even crying or mourning, you're just become a machine trying to replicate 'im!" Floyd choked out as he feared he would lose his bond with his brother and not see the person he grew up with within him any longer. Floyd couldn't stand the thought of losing Jade too. 

Jade, as he was holding his younger twin, struggled to take a deep breath. "Oh... but am I?" His voice cracked on the question which made Floyd's head shoot up in curiosity; he was met with the sight of hot tears going down Jade's face as well. Floyd sniffled as he tried to wipe his nose on the arm of his own blazer - not caring about tears or snot stains. He couldn't get himself to calm down, but his gaze seemed to change as he acknowledged Jade's tears. 

"I can't replicate Azul or his stature. His fervor was always something I admired, and I wish I could possess some kind of similar quality... but this dorm is not my beloved home as it has been for a year and a half, nor is the lounge a place for scheming without his intellect." Jade commented as he swallowed. "I work diligently because we... because..." 

"Jade?" Floyd sniffled. "Is somethin' wrong? Ya never stammer like this..." 

A heavy, exasperated sigh escaped from Jade as he got off the ground and offered Floyd a hand. The two walked to the late Azul's desk and looked over some paperwork together. "Without the spirit we used to have, we've gone done in profits. We won't have enough thaumarks to complete Azul's dream project of a branch cafe." 

"That's all he wanted since we opened..." Floyd whispered. He looked over the numbers - slightly more composed now. "Jay... these numbers-"

"I know what they mean." Jade tried to keep himself composed as he took yet another breath  - this one came out quite shaky. He observed Floyd's body language and somehow watched his spirit fall even further. "... the lounge is going to have to shut down due to our recent losses." 

The news felt as if it was more weighted than a large rock that had been sinking through water levels after a child tried to skip it across the surface of a lake. There was no more promises of a hopeful tomorrow. This would devastate Octavinelle dorm even further unless Jade and Floyd could hatch a scheme to keep profits, morale, and business high. Perhaps it was a matter of time, but maybe they truthfully could not do this without Azul. Where was the man in charge now? 

Ashamed, Jade placed his head in his hands; he always thought he was much more capable than this. He had great talents within him, but he was outsmarted by his own aching heart. His shoulders shook slightly as he allowed himself to let out tears of agony from more than one kind of loss. Octavinelle was no longer what it once was.

“That damned hyena.” Floyd spat. He hated the fact Ruggie had the audacity to screw with Azul. How could him and Jade be in the sea none the wiser? He felt gullible. If only they hadn’t been so foolish! Floyd and Jade both felt guilty… but it wasn’t truly their faults. There were a certain four people who were always present for overblots - it was a wonder to how that infamous foursome was doing now. If they were fully responsible…. Well Floyd would be more than happy to squeeze them, and Jade would certainly join in on teaching them a lesson. 

For the time being, Jade would do his best to shoulder some of Azul’s old burdens. At times it would cause him to falter, and the weight would be too heavy; he had to remember that despite the fact Azul was missing, Floyd was by his side. He had his twin, his built in best friend, and his family. Together they wouldn’t allow for the Mostro Lounge to go under. 

“Hey, Jade.”

“Hm?”

“I’ve got an idea…”

Chapter Text

"Do you ever feel bad?"

"What?"

A ginger hair boy looked up at the one with navy blue hair as they sat in their dorm room together. It was late at night so students were not allowed to leave Heartslabyul dorm, but the way the blue haired freshmen's leg was bouncing? It indicated he was not keen on staying put. 

"Three people died."

"You're still on that?" Ace looked up at his so called friend. (They argued so much it could be quite difficult to tell). It shouldn't be as big of a deal as it is, but Ace still somewhat couldn't deny it was shocking. He just wanted to move on. "It's not like we can magically cause overblots." 

Yeah, a lot wasn't known on overblots, and Deuce knows that. He had heard about it a few times, and even Yuu could not provide more information despite talking to Dire Crowley about it. If the prefect wasn't getting any information on it, was there any information to get? Deuce didn't even know what was happening when Riddle had overblotted, and now he was sure this was three overblots too many. Sure, every housewarden had some unnerving flaws, but it was nothing worth dying over. A lot was weighing on his mind as he and Ace were walking over to Ramshackle together. 

"I don't know, Ace... I mean doesn't it seem odd? We've been present for all of them." Sure, it wasn't their fault, but it would be very easy to frame them. Really, Deuce was thinking if he didn't get himself wrapped up in so much this never would've happened. He was grateful to have Yuu and Ace around, but if they had never broken that chandelier... would any of this be happening? Would Riddle, Leona, and Azul still be dead? Deuce would never know. No one would ever know because they had already passed... it wasn't right. 

Ace shrugged, "I guess, but it's not like we pushed 'em past their limits or anything."

"You stole the tart from Riddle." 

"Don't go pointing fingers. Riddle was a tyrant." 

"He could've changed."

Could he? Who's to say, really? Even Trey had mentioned Riddle been the way he was for a long time. Deuce and Ace noticed Trey had felt super guilty over the incident ever since he realized Riddle might've listened to him. He had known Riddle since they were kids, and he could usually get Riddle to cool off; in all reality, there really was no way to calm down an overblotee from overblotting. Deuce and Ace had seen Jade try to talk sense into Azul, and despite his crazy lawyer skills Azul was usually a reasonable guy. Ruggie even mentioned that Azul wasn't one to lose his composure in front of others. Why was everything going so wrong?

It was odd for everything to feel so somber and grim around the holidays. Deuce and Ace just wanted to say goodbye to Yuu since they were going home; honestly, some students at Night Raven were wondering if their parents would let them return after all of the incidents. Poor Yuu did not have a choice in the matter since they weren't even from this world. How terrifying was it for them to come into a world unknown to them and witness such horrors? No one would possibly be able to understand the turmoil Yuu might be facing. 

It was more than what Deuce and Ace would expect since the dorm they were heading towards did not contain their dear friend. No, two second years were looking for some revenge. Normally, they would not act out without reason to do so, but they seemed to be blinded by the rage of grief. How could the world take someone so dear to them? Those first years did look suspicious.. Yes, Deuce's fears were quite right: people were framing them. The people in question were Jade and Floyd Leech. Jade took out a handkerchief from his blazer's inner pocket and wiped some of the blood off of Floyd's face. 

"Just like huntin' prey~" Floyd hissed as he tilted his head so Jade could continue to clean him off. "Jade, I'm just going to get messy again when we find Crabby and Mackerel!"

While Floyd's complaints were valid, Jade did not want to show up to a quarrel dirty. Jade would rather shock the first years with the news of what had happened to Yuu so they would not expect it; shock was certainly some times the best kind of anguish, no? Jade hummed as he pocketed his now blood-stained handkerchief and took off his own white gloves. "I would like to surprise them, Floyd. It might console me a bit." 

"You're consolable?"

"Barely." 

It was needless to say, but they were not taking the loss of Azul very well. As much as they hate to admit it: they loved him very much, and had a very deep bond with him. Azul was their first friend outside of family. If they couldn't have their little found family, why should these selfish freshmen? They were so foolish. "Yuu got what was going to them." Jade commented. 

"And that little seal too." 

These statements did not hold Floyd or Jade's usual passion for chaos. There was something so melancholy about the way they were speaking to one another; a piece of them both felt missing. While beating up first years would not allow them to find it, they could not deny the urge to let out their agony. On the rare times they went on crusades like this, it was usually for Azul.... Noting the heavy weight on one another's hearts, Jade leaned into his brother as Floyd wrapped an arm around Jade's shoulder. Their hands that were neighboring one another ended up interlocking pinkies. At the end of the day, they still had one another.  Family would always be there. 

Before either twin could speak to one another again, they heard their current prey walk down the pathway to Ramshackle. The two of them sunk down behind the patch of nature they were hiding in. Jade's eyes searched for the blue and red first years who were likely arguing the whole way there. 

"Will you cut it out?!" Yes, they were. "Deuce, they're dead! We can't do jackshit about the past, okay?"

"I know, but it's not like we can't talk about it!" Deuce snapped right back. "We were the ones that were for it, so it's not like other people are going to be able to understandable." 

"I think we could give it a shot~" Floyd's voice called from behind a bush. He did his signature little giggle he often used to put an eerie feeling in the air. It caused Ace and Deuce to stand back to bacl in fear. When Floyd stood up, Deuce hid behind Ace and pushed him towards the eel. "Hello, little guppies!"

"Vice Housewarden Leech..." Deuce whispered. He always tried to be respectful of his upperclassmen. Really, he never wanting to overstep or be seen as rude. Maybe he could've learned some benevolence from Azul had he not... Well, anyhow, he looked up at the tall boy. "Did you need something?" 

Floyd, casually, shrugged in response. "Need? maybe. Want? Absolutely. Desire? Accurate." Floyd commented as he tilted his head so the bones in his neck would crack. If these freshmen were going to run, he had to prepare himself; deep down Floyd knew he could catch them in a heartbeat, but he wanted this to go as smoothly as possible. 

Ace tugged on Deuce's hand and tried to continue their path to Ramshackle. "Well, we should probably get going, Deuce. We have to-"

"Are you boys headed somewhere?" Jade's asked as he was suddenly behind the pair of first years. His hand was comfortable crossed over his heart as it often was. It seemed like such a butler-like position to take, but Jade was no longer anyone's assistant: he was a Housewarden. "I would hope you would know better than to act so rudely in front of a Housewarden." 

Deuce gulped. Jade was the Housewarden of Octavinelle now, wasn't he? That was his fault - if these overblots really did have something to do with him. He felt sweat drip down his forehead; he had heard a lot about the Leech twins from Cater during the Interdorm Spelldrive tournament. These eels had skills that were simply unmatched. Was there even a point in running? Helplessly, Spade looked over to Trappola.

Floyd gave Jade a knowing look; growing up in the environment they did, the two were used to either being predator or prey. Both Jade and Floyd were rather strong individuals, and they thrived when collaborated. Ace had always been scared of the twins as he felt they made everyone else on campus look so small; they were such tall individuals. Sure, he knew Floyd from the basketball team and that eased his nerves, but he thought his initial fear was returning now. Really, Floyd and Jade were relatively harmless unless they were threatening someone. It was hard to find a student who wasn't at least a little scared of them! The only student who wasn't was now deceased. Seven... that must really suck. Ace and Deuce couldn't fathom what it would be like to lose someone like that. Ace noticed Jade's eyes looked colder than they did they day they met.

So what could the first years do? 

"Don't jump out of your skin. I just came to deliver some news and teach a lesson. After all, education is a very important aspect here at Night Raven College. We are known as prestigious school for a reason." Jade informed as he adjusted his glove and looked down at the underclassmen in front of him. 

"News?" Deuce questioned. 

Ace scoffed, "If this is about some stupid promotion about the Mostro Lounge, I don't have an interest." 

Coldly, Floyd cackled. It was clear this didn't come from thrill or joy. No, Floyd's laugh held pain behind it as he attempted to clear his throat that was growing tight. "Oh, did you not hear?" Floyd sneered at them. "The Mostro Lounge is closed." 

"Closed?!" Ace and Deuce reacted in shock as well as in unison. 

"Hm, yes. Indefinitely." Jade confirmed Floyd's statement. He and Floyd had recently closed the space, but had yet to fully clean it out. Mourning was not an easy process. "It appears you two and your dear friends caused some terrible blows to Octavinelle." 

Ace was dumbfounded. Deuce's fears really were founded, weren't they?  "That has nothin' to do with us!!" Ace defended as he was certain these overblots weren't his fault - well, he was a few minutes ago at least. "Yuu and Grim aren't causing this, and neither are we!"

"Then why are you always there? Perhaps it is simply correlation and not causation, but Floyd and I?"

"We're past the point of being reasonable - let's just say." 

"I think that is the perfect way of phrasing it."

"Take from us? We'll take from you."

"It's eat or be eaten in the Coral Sea. Yuu and Grim were lovely prey, and now you?"  Jade laughed softly to himself. 

"What's it gonna be, guppies?" 

The way the twins could speak in perfect rhythm with one another made Ace and Deuce feel like the pair were playing ping pong or tennis above their heads. It appeared the infamous duo needed to make a decision though. The looks in both Floyd and Jade's eyes spared no kindness. There was no way out.  Despite making a promise to himself not to run just a moment before, Deuce gave Ace a nod that let him know that's exactly what they should do. As both first years attempted to take off, Floyd grabbed Deuce by the collar and Jade stuck out his foot to trip Ace. 

"You didn't think that would work, did you? Such a simplistic tatic." Jade mocked. He would not let someone get away with something so easy. Even so, Ace tried to run. 

"I'll squeeze you to the bone!" Floyd growled. 

As one could guess, it quickly became an all out battle on the pathway to Ramshackle dorm. Jade and Floyd absolutely terrorizing these first years and making them pay for what they did. They were hoping it might console their grieving hearts. Floyd spared no mercy, and Jade didn't either. It was clear Jade and Floyd had plans for these two. While Deuce was fast, he had the disadvantage of already being in Floyd's grasp; he couldn't put up much of a fight in such a compromising position. No, this conflict did not last long at all. Even with the first years attempting to use magic, the second years were much more skilled. Furthermore, with a signature spell like Floyd's? There was no way Deuce or Ace could hit him.

With how overwhelmed the staff had been with the recent deaths and normal student issues? Jade and Floyd knew no one was on their way to bust up this brawl. Floyd and Jade both silently crying for their fallen friend and business. They would claim their right to be angry, to mourn, and for the others to even feel a sliver of pain that they had felt. Inflicting fear and pain could only do so much. Jade eventually rendered Ace unconscious and looked over towards his brother who had done the same to Deuce. These two had more wounds from magical spells than they did physical punches - a reverse from what had happened to Yuu. Even so, Jade saw the bruises and blood on Floyd's knuckle from a sick punch Floyd had given to Deuce's nose. 

"It's not enough." Floyd whispered with his fingers curled into his palms. He was shaking. It was hard not to find a good outlet for this pain because this hadn't solved anything. Floyd and Jade were still left with empty hearts. 

Jade gently placed a hand on his brother's shoulder and gently grabbed his hand. "It never will be." Jade whispered. This was the most they could do when it came to anger. Neither of them wanted to risk expulsion. They would call the school's health services and leave the two boys on the pathway to Ramshackle before walking back to their dorm. 

"How's it we won both brawls and still lost?" 

Hm, a curious inquiry that Jade didn't know how to answer. "I'm not sure, but if those four were the causation of overblots? I am certain we will not have to witness another one on this campus ever again." 

Unfortunately, Jade would be wrong. Reasonably, Ace, Deuce, Grim, and Yuu did not cause these overblots, and all Floyd and Jade did was give into an impulse. What else were they to do? They were teenagers after all. Anyhow, Jade and Floyd could return to Octavinelle for the time being in hopes nothing else would happen. Even if someone else did overblot, why would it have anything to do with them? 

A lot apparently. 

One night, an hour past midnight, Jade and Floyd found Yuu and Grim who had crashed into the shut down Mostro Lounge. The twins were just packing up some of Azul's favorite cutlery when this happened. Neither of them were particuarly thrilled to find the magicless student and their weasel, but this certainly must have happened for a reason, no? They would only do Azul's memory shame if they did not take up a poor, unfortunate soul up on a good deal.