Work Text:
“There! The mirror!” Divus Crewel says, relief plain in his voice. Mozus Trein looks up from the small mirror in his grip, towards the Dark Mirror all their students had leapt through hours before, its surface rippling with voices coming from as if underwater.
“OH thank goodness! We won't be sued after all-” Dire Crowley sighs, stepping forward only to be pulled back by one of Divus’s hands on his feathered shoulder.
“NO. Wait. Caution first.” The chemist says lowly, drawing his pen from his coat.
“Indeed. They have been traveling the spectral realm for hours and no word. We must expect the worst…” Trein agrees, urging Lucius to his shoulders so he can draw his own pen.
Thank the Seven their caution turned out to be unnecessary.
It’s Ace Trappola who comes through the mirror first, followed by a red faced, exhausted looking Deuce Spade. Both seem to be locked in a heated argument over something.
The faculty could not be more relieved to see them fighting like this again.
“Welcome back puppies!” Divus bellows, stepping forward to greet them. “Clear the way, let me take a look at you both.” He insists, and Trein nods, grateful he wasn't the only one who noticed Deuce favoring his right side a bit too heavily. With an irate grumble from Ace and an exhausted “yes sir” from Deuce, the two freshmen are ushered further into the mirror chamber.
Trein turns back to watch the mirror continue to ripple. A moment later, Trey Clover stumbles through, flanked by Floyd Leech and Rook Hunt of all people. Trein’s heart drops when he notices that over Trey’s shoulder there appears to be…a body-
“Don't worry Professor, he’s okay, just tired out.” Trey asserts quickly, his smile tired and sheepish. Drawing closer, Trein can indeed see the deep, even breaths Cater Diamond is taking as he hangs limp from his dorm-mate’s shoulder.
“Thank you for the explanation, Clover.” Trein responds, tension easing from his shoulders.
Once he's able to move past the initial panic, Trein starts to notice even more students carrying their tired classmates. Rook is carrying Vil Schoenheit in a regal princess carry, gentle and careful like holding a precious treasure. Vil seems to be in the middle of protesting but too tired to really put up a fight over the situation as Rook chatters amicably over him.
Trey himself seems to be keeping a cautious eye on Floyd, which Trein only just now notices is carrying Riddle Rosehearts's tiny form in his own arms like one would a child. He almost missed the boy for the dark coat (likely Trey’s) he'd been bundled in. Floyd himself seems to be taking Trey’s suspicion in stride, grinning like a loon and giving nonsense responses. He’d seem like a threat if it weren't for the small houswarden in his arms.
Soon after, Jade Leech comes through the mirror, righting some sort of wrong by being safely at his twin’s side once again. Trein spots Azul Ashengrotto slumped against the taller student’s shoulder in a piggyback hold, the small Octavinelle housewarden snoring and completely oblivious to the possibly humiliating position.
Tired out indeed.
Jade catches the professor watching, and he smiles back, a bit more genuine and warm than his usual calculating grins, and much, much more exhausted.
“Azul always had low stamina, but looks like whatever got them is about to wipe Jade out too.” Ashton Vargas huffs, stepping forward to likely commend the students’ strength and perhaps lighten a load or two. Trein nods.
“Get them to Divus for a check over.” He says, and Ashton grins as he starts to gently bully the sleepy, perhaps injured students toward first aid.
Looking back to the mirror, Trein watches as Leona Kingscholar strides through next, the large form of Jack Howl in step with him. Jack can't seem to keep his eyes open, his arm slung around Leona’s shoulders, head and ears tipping forward again and again. Howl is always the vigilant type, and Trein has to stifle a chuckle at the sight. The poor boy has been kept awake long past his usually strict bedtime.
The teacher’s eyes flick to the side for Leona’s usual shadow. Sure enough, Ruggie Bucchi saunters in right behind them, arms entirely full…with…
“Goodness, how did you manage to find that much food in the spectral realm, Bucchi??” Trein asks in bewilderment. Hyena ears perk up, then flatten as Ruggie catches the teacher eyeing the food.
“Long story, teach! Good party, great leftovers, sorry not enough to go around!” The little beastman rambles off, picking up the pace to power walk past everyone towards his own dorm mirror. Trein raises an eyebrow.
“I assure you I had no intention of…and he’s gone.” He sighs. Leona shambles up beside him, smirking, eyes betraying a spark of fondness for the little hyena scrambling off to protect his haul.
“Coulda sworn he’d go into a food coma by now. Always full of surprises.” The lion man rumbles, shifting as Jack nods off again, his head tipping to rest on his housewarden’s shoulder. Professor Trein levels a look at Leona.
“It seems so. Now would you mind explaining to me what young Bucci meant by “party”?” The teacher’s eyes narrow. “As we have been fretting over our poor students braving the spectral realm unsupervised for hours now…”
Leona groans, rolling his eyes. Trein’s eyebrow raises; he was not expecting that. The lion man’s eyes flick to the side, glancing at the Dark Mirror behind him.
“Ask Malleus. All this was his fault anyway.” He grumbles. With no further explanation, he proceeds to drag Jack over to Divus’s growing puddle of students to be checked over.
Trein sighs, taking Lucius back into his arms and running a hand through long dark fur. Getting clear answers from Malleus Draconia tended to be…interesting, to say the least. He turns back to continue his mental role call.
He catches sight of Kalim al Asim clinging to (and thus being carried by) a very haggard looking Jamil Viper, so that’s Scarabia accounted for. He notices Silver keeping close to the two, talking in low tones with Jamil. The amicable, almost friendly nature of their hushed conversation makes Trein smile with something like relief. It’s…good for Jamil to make some friends outside his dorm.
The Shroud brothers are close to follow, Ortho with an arm wrapped around Idia’s waist and tugging him along gently. The younger brother floats in the air to match his elder brother’s height, drooping or no. Ortho catches sight of Trein, and even behind the usual metal mouthpiece, he can see the boy beaming brightly.
“Professor Trein!” the boy chirps, essentially dragging his groaning brother forward. Trein smiles warmly, patting Ortho’s head, happy to see them both safe and well.
“Welcome back, Ortho. Is everything alright?” He asks, checking the Shrouds over, eyeing Idia’s exhausted posture, the droopiness bringing something like a dying plant to mind. “Any injuries…?”
“Oh no, he’s fine,” Ortho says, warm and light, not a trace of deception in his tone. “We’re fine. Big brother’s just tired.” The boy shifts slightly, and Idia’s head drops onto his small shoulder, dim, fiery hair cascading over it. The elder Shroud whines under his breath, something about “lowwww battery…”. Trein sighs, suppressing a fond smile.
“Well I’m glad that is all. I would still recommend staying for a bit, as Professor Crewel is doing checkups…” Trein starts to say, then trails off at Ortho’s falling smile. The boy shakes his head.
“Thank you, Professor, but I think…it’d be better to get back to our dorm,” he says, glancing around, his luminous eyes lingering on the spreading pile of students in the room. He then looks back to his brother, who continues to mumble nonsense and sag where he’s standing. “Big brother’s reached over his social limit today, and I think he’d really like to go to his room.”
“I…believe we can make accommodations if you want to stay, Ortho…” Trein says, glancing over at Sam sauntering around the room, providing pillows and blankets for the students that have decided to simply collapse in the mirror chamber itself. Perhaps the man somehow had a portable tent…? Ortho follows his gaze, and lets out a longing sigh.
“Thank you professor. It…does look like a fun sleepover…” the boy says. More quietly he adds, “I’ve…never really had one before, but…” and with this he seems to rally himself. “All my charging ports are at the dorms, and I’m running pretty low after…um. Everything today.”
Trein gives the boy a Look, but the decision does not change. “Well if you’re sure…”
“I’m sure.” Ortho affirms, smiling again. “Thank you for your concern, professor. We’re alright!”
“And how glad I am that you are.” Trein says, patting the young student on the head one more time. “Alright, off with you then.”
Ortho giggles, nodding. He gathers his brother’s lanky form into his arms, careful not to have Idia’s long limbs hit the floor. With a faint whoosh, he lifts gently higher and heads toward the exit. “Thank you, Professor. Goodnight!”
“Goodnight, Ortho. Idia.” he says, smiling and waving at them both. Trein worries about those boys, but he does admire the youngest’s responsibility.
Lucius twitches his ears and grumbles at something loud coming closer. Turning back, Trein sees the rest of the students come through…”Ah.” he mutters, smoothing a hand over Lucius’s agitated fur as he watches the last few students filter through.
Of course it’s Sebek Zigvolt making such a ruckus. Trein spots Epel Felmier hanging limp and unconscious on his back and feels a small surge of pride. Despite the loud freshman’s blustering and devotion to Malleus, it’s good to see him helping other students.
And on the topic of Malleus…the young prince is close behind his retainer, followed by a yawning Prefect Florence and a chuckling Lilia Vanrouge. Grim is nestled in the Prefect’s arms, sound asleep, his face absolutely covered in crumbs.
Trein feels his mouth flatten into a thin line. A dangerous rescue adventure, hm…?
“Would any of you care to explain what happened in there?” the professor asks, cooly cutting through Sebek’s current tirade. The young student sputters, eyes widening and flicking back to Malleus, then to poor young Epel essentially drooling on his shoulder.
“EVERY STUDENT HAS BEEN FOUND AND ACCOUNTED FOR, SIR!!!” Sebek roars, making Trein wince and Lucius yowl in displeasure. Epel, by some miracle, only continues to snore away.
“Right…that is good….” the professor says, trying to lead by example for volume. Before Sebek can make another loud affirmation, Lilia steps forward and lays a gentle hand on the taller boy’s shoulder.
“Go have your classmate checked up on, Sebek. I’ll take it from here,” Lilia says sweetly. It’s then that Trein notes how Sebek is swaying slightly in place… It seems like his near boundless energy is flagging as well.
Sebek huffs and stumbles over in the direction of Divus. With that, Trein raises an eyebrow at the much smaller, still smiling student. “Well…? What happened in the spectral realm, Vanrouge?” he asks finally, leaving no room for argument.
The Diasomnia student merely chuckles. “Oh where to even start…it has been a long night indeed,” he hums, giving Malleus a meaningful glance. He then clears his throat, and Trein finally gets the details he’d been seeking. Lilia weaves a story of fright, of possession, of triumph and failures. Of teamwork, and of rescue. And how in the end, it was all to throw a celebration for some very lonely ghosts.
It seemed rather embellished in some places, but in the end Trein should count himself lucky he got the information from Lilia, instead of trying to pry the story out of Malleus, who looked pleased with himself in a way he knew the dragon fae would refuse to elaborate on.
And as for the party, well…if Lilia was to be believed, it wasn’t as bad as he’d thought, since most of the students didn’t know about it. It was not a ruse for most of the students involved, but a surprise party. However…
“I see. Did you not think to share this plan with any of the faculty in charge of the safety of these students?” Trein asks sharply, making Lilia only giggle again. “The students were possessed , Vanrouge!” Florence does shrink away nervously…poor thing was in on it, but did not look at all happy to be an accomplice at the moment.
“That might have spoiled the surprise!” Lilia laughed, making Trein’s frown deepen.
“Nevertheless–”
“It was my idea, professor,” Malleus cuts in, stepping in front of the other students. ”I wanted to give the ghosts a party they've never had. I did not consider how…realistic the preparations would seem. I apologize for any true trouble this event caused.” he says, giving a slight bow. It’s always hard to read Malleus’s expression, but he seems….mostly sincere.
“I should give you all detention,” Trein grumbles. “But knowing you Diasomnia boys, it would do no good…”
“We’ll let you know, Professor. Next time.” Florence affirms, voice shaking but projecting in what was likely the best of his ability. “Erm…assuming if there is a next time, which um…isn’t too likely…”
Trein sighs tiredly. Good enough.
“Fine then. Off with you all; nothing to be done about it now,” the professor says, shooing them off. “Go see Professor Crewel before going to your dorms. Yes, even you Draconia.” Malleus’s eyebrow raises, and Trein gives him a flat look. “Powerful or not, you are still a student here under our care. You were out of our reach in the spectral realm, but here, we can see to your wellbeing, and by the Seven we will do so.”
Something flickers in Malleus’s expression at these words, his face softening, in a way. He gives a quiet nod. “Thank you…Professor.” he mutters. Lilia chuckles warmly, taking the dragon fae’s arm in his own as he proceeds to move towards Divus’s now rather loud fussing. Florence gives Trein a nervous smile, shifting Grim in his arms.
“Th…thank you for the leniency, sir. I really am sorry we ended up really scaring people. We didn’t mean any harm,” he says softly, violet eyes flicking over to Mallus’s back. “He…really sympathized with their loneliness, I think. He was doing something rather thoughtful…”
Trein couldn’t help the tired smile forming on his lips at that. For someone so shy and fragile in this world full of magical beings to try and defend someone as insanely powerful as Malleus…it seems many friendships had been strengthened this night. He holds up a hand to halt the prefect’s nervous defenses.
“In the end, everyone returned more or less safe and sound. I am grateful for that.” He levels a more stern look at the boy. “Just…inform me at least, if you or anyone decides to pull something like this again. As a teacher and…a father…it was much too stressful for this old heart.” he admits quietly. Florence’s eyes widen, and then he smiles, something like sympathy in his young eyes.
“I will. Thank you, Professor…” he says, giving a deep bow, making Grim mumble sleepily at the movement. “Thank you for um. Worrying. For caring about us.”
There’s so much more to unpack from that statement, Trein doesn’t even know where to begin. So he doesn’t. “It’s our job. Now go on, Prefect. It’s been a long night.” he huffs, nudging him off towards Divus and the gathered mass of students. Florence gives a small, crooked grin, straightening his heavy round glasses with a nod and hurrying off to join his friends.
Trein lets out a long, slow breath as he watches the boy hurry away. So that’s everyone accounted for…He can make one last check-in around the chamber.
He watches Ashton gently bully students onto blankets and into less strenuous positions, spouting the usual nonsense about muscles and caring for them. Some students have pretty much dropped where they’d stood, exhausted, so this was actually quite helpful. Trein notices Sam grinning at him.
“The little imps are all tired out.” he chuckles quietly so as not to disturb them, handing a bundle of blankets to Trein.
“The mirror chamber is an…unconventional place for a mass sleepover,” the professor hums, back twinging in sympathy at poor Cater sprawled on the stone floor. Thankfully, Ashton packs some cushions under the sleeping boy, and Trein himself drops a blanket over him and the nearby Heartslabyul boys. Sam just snorts.
“Still, it’s safe and they’re all here, no? Besides…” The shopkeeper grins wider, shadows shifting in his wake. “They’ve got friends to watch them on this side.”
Trein’s eyebrows raise, feeling both alarmed and reassured at the same time. Sam putters away before the Professor can make sense of it. The man’s magic had always been….eccentric. However, one could not dispute the convenience of all these bandages, cushions and blankets seeming to appear from the shadows, just when they needed them. Something about not looking a gift hippogryph in the mouth.
The man sighs, pushing thoughts of his strange coworkers aside, going to survey his students.
He sees Trey bickering with a grumpy Floyd, the young vice-warden struggling to wrestle his housewarden back into his own care. Jade snickers at the spectacle, offering no help on either end. Eventually, Floyd grins and releases Riddle, and with a startled cry, Trey topples back and lands on Cater with a quiet “oof”. Trein almost goes over to do damage control, but he notes Cater is now somewhat awake, an arm coming out from under the blanket to run through short green hair. It’s a comforting gesture, one that finally bleeds the apparent stress from Trey’s shoulders. He murmurs something quiet in response, drifting off in seconds with Riddle curled up in his arms.
The Octavinelle twins circle the Heartslabyul students like hunters surrounding their prey, giving Trein a feeling of unease. It turns out unwarranted, however, as Jade just nudges Azul’s small form into the pile (glasses removed, thankfully) and settles down at Floyd’s back, stifling a yawn. Floyd hums in agreement. Restless fingers hook under the bridge of Trey’s glasses, tugging them off the sleeping teen’s face and bringing them in front of Floyd’s own face. Gold eyes squint through the lenses.
“He’s worse than Azul.” Floyd snickers, making his twin chuckle in tired, fond amusement. The glasses are handed over and tucked safely into a case in Jade’s pocket. Trein can only hope this is not used as collateral of some sort in the future…
He can see Ace’s eyes boggling at the Octavinelle boys acting as almost sentries, being so close to them. Deuce…is already out like a light, head resting on Ace’s shoulder and limbs cushioning Cater’s own head. He’s pretty sure Ace would complain more if this closeness were noticed, so Trein hides his smile behind a hand, Lucius purring in agreement. Even collapsed like a deck of cards, there was an order to this pile that was so very Heartslabyul it made the professor feel so unbearably fond and nostalgic.
They were even guarded by eels….well. An eel. Jade had already drifted off, his head tilted back on his brother’s shoulder, snoring softly. Floyd didn’t seem to mind bearing his brother’s full weight on his back, entertaining himself by playing with Jade’s fingers, Azul’s mummy costume bandages, Riddle’s hair; anything in reach of his never still fingers. He seems subdued, as if listening to the steady breaths of the others around him, as if reveling in their presence. Party or no, they really had all suffered quite the scare tonight. Trein turns to other students.
He spots Vil, barely awake with Rook’s arm around his shoulders. He’d somehow managed to take Epel back from Sebek, and was now, in his own way, fighting over him with…Leona?? Epel is essentially dead to the world, chin tucked to his chest, snoring loudly and completely unaware of the game of tug of war being played with his arms by two overtired housewardens.
“He’s in my club. He should be with us.” Leona growls low in his chest, tugging on the boy’s arm.
“And he’s in my house , you oaf. That comes first, have some sense –” Vil snaps back, the usually composed and stern young man looking more tired and cranky by the moment. He clearly would not be long for the waking world. Sam drops more blankets over them, helping to calm the fighting. While Rook seemed to be enjoying the show, he eventually tugs Vil close, muttering something quietly to his housewarden.
Thankfully, they seem to reach an eventual ceasefire, Vil dropping off to sleep on Rook’s shoulder, Epel’s head pillowed on his lap, Leona holding a fistful of Epel’s cape. The lion man leans back, Jack laid out at his side, the freshman’s arm thrown over his housewarden’s legs. Surprisingly, Leona didn’t seem to mind the contact too much. Ruggie, apparently returned from his food hoarding run, is tucked into Jack’s side and surrounded by pillows, finally deep in the expected food coma. The sight is both comical and yet unexpectedly sweet.
Trein turns and finds that somehow, Scarabia had been assimilated into the Diasomnia pile, of all things. Jamil seems to be trying to keep watch but, judging from his eyes refusing to stay open and his head wobbling forward periodically…it’s a futile effort. He gets tugged in by Silver, who already has his arms full of Kalim. And of course, with adding Jamil to the pile, Kalim snuggles in between them, mumbling happily. Jamil grunts in obvious annoyance at the unexpected closeness, but makes no move to pull away.
Malleus is watching over them from the middle of the pile, Sebek passed out at his side. He’d probably be embarrassed to find he’d been using Malleus’s shoulder as a pillow, but the dragon fae didn’t seem to mind. Florence is nodding off at his other side, still cradling Grim with great care, running thin fingers through the cat-monster’s fur. Lilia tucks Silver’s hair behind an ear, beginning to hum a soft melody. The younger student yawns, and Trein silently commends the boy for staying awake as long as he had. Even Jamil finally seems to drift off to Lilia’s gentle singing.
A calmness settles over the room with this, even for Trein. Everyone is here. Everyone accounted for. Lilia leans back against Malleus’s back, smiling. There is a slight guilt in his eyes, and an aged look, an old fondness Trein himself was familiar with…and wasn’t that strange? For someone so seemingly young looking having an expression so old, as if he were drinking in this moment, holding it close, committing it to memory. Life is fleeting, and peace like this must be treasured. For perhaps the hundredth time, Trein wonders how old Lilia really is. Fae age differently than humans, after all…
Something glints out the window, and Trein glances up. He sees Ortho slowly flying through the night air, Idia’s long limbs hanging limply in his careful hold. The moonlight glints off their matching armor, the blue of their hair giving off a proper eerie, gentle glow at the end of this Halloween night. Like that, the boy looks like a hero who’d rescued his own knight in pumpkin armor. He’d probably like the thought.
He notes that Sam had slipped out as quietly as he’d arrived at some point, and Crowley had (thankfully) left long ago. As soon as the man was assured there would be no lawsuit, he’d essentially fled. It worked for them; he wasn’t sure they had the energy to put up with their headmaster’s loud antics at the moment.
Trein sighs, checking in one more time with Divus for a damage report. Thankfully no one was seriously injured, most everyone scraped up, bruised, or just plain exhausted. They look over everyone sprawled out together in one space, thinking this a good enough remedy.
“It’s a good team building activity for them!” Ashton agrees, shoving one more pillow under Jack’s head before standing up. “I can take patrol for the rest of the night. After all that…”
“I agree,” Divus hums, brushing nonexistent dust from his coat. “Normally we wouldn’t need one; the enchantments should block out all trouble. But with tonight’s events…”
“Leave it to me!” Ashton grins, flexing his arms and trotting out of the mirror room. Trein sniffs in amusement.
“I can’t imagine having that much energy at this hour. It’s nearly dawn…” he says, glancing back out the window at the slowly graying sky. Lucius yawns in agreement. Divus just chuckles.
“They won’t wake up any time soon. I think they could use the extra safety,” the potions professor muses, gazing at the snoring mass of students. “They’re like a pile of helpless puppies. It’s adorable.”
Trein couldn’t help agreeing silently, his old heart warm and fond.
“Let’s leave them to it then…”
As the last professors exit the chamber, Trein looks back at them, waving his hand in the motion for dimming the lights. He smiles as the sight of all his sleeping students piled together chases away the last traces of worry.
“Happy Halloween, dear students.” he whispers, and then exits, pulling the door closed with a quiet click.