Chapter Text
Ziegfeld Follies
Chapter 1
Ava L. Case had no idea how she ended up at Night Raven College. Before being woke up by Grim the last thing she recalled after putting her horse in the barn was being run over by a black carriage at her state’s dressage competition.
She could remember some of her old life, she could mostly remember her family but some of that was blurry too.
Ava never thought that her first dance with over blot would lead to one of her favorite things about Night Raven College, the Equestrian Club.
After Riddle’s overblot she bonded with him over the horses. She confessed to him that her own mother was similar to Riddle’s. Her own mother was overbearing and dictated her whole life as well.
Since she kept checking in on Riddle and her fellow Heartslabyul freshman she began bonding with the other Heartslabyul boys. She helped Trey with baking occasionally which she loved and followed Cater on MagiCam and helped him with his posts, taking photos together.
She did her best to keep Ace, Deuce and Grim on track in their classes even if their antics did drive her nuts occasional.
She was grateful for their help when had to tango with her second overblot with Leona.
The quiet days before the second overblot and the days that follow were filled with school and her club. She never felt more at ease then when she was in the barn, despite being in another world it felt a little like home.
Between her dealing with Leona and Azul she also had to deal with the Ghost Bride Eliza kidnapping half the school. Somehow everyone survived that, including Epel who had to ride Lily the newest horse with her.
Despite her efforts Ace, Deuce and Grim fall for Azul’s study guide trick. She manages to defeat Azul and mere days later she got dragged into Jamil’s overblot.
With the new year having come and gone Ava thinks she might finally get some quiet time again, how wrong she was.
It was a cold morning as she walked up to the stables to feed the horses. This morning she had braided her shoulder blade long strawberry blonde hair into a long French braid as usual but let it hung down her back instead of pinning it up.
“Good morning everyone.” She greeted as she pushed up the barn door. She walked up to her favorite horse and petted her nose. “I can’t wait until this afternoon Amore.” She whispered as
her indigo colored eyes stared at into her warm brown eyes. Amore was a large black thoroughbred.
She went and petted Lily the white quarter horse, then Rosebud the Roan Appaloosa, and finally Lover-boy the Buckskin, her few favorites of the dozen horses there. She had just finished mixing their food when Riddle walked in.
“Oh good morning Ava. I thought it was my turn to feed the horses.” Riddle commented as she approached her at the far end of the barn.
“Think it is but I had some over ripped pears and I figured feeding them to the horses would be the best options.” Ava confessed as Riddle looked into the buckets to see a few cut up pears.
“I see, well let me help you with these then, I’ll do the clean up since you prepped the buckets.” Riddle said as he picked up a bucket.
“Thanks.” She smiled at him, then gave each horse their bucket and Ava slipped an extra pear into Amore’s periwinkle bucket.
Once they finished Ava took the buckets to the deep sink area for Riddle. “See you after school.” She said as she waved and headed over to the cafeteria.
She found her usual friend group sitting around a table staring down at the table. “What’s up guys?” She asked as she sat beside Deuce.
“What’s up? This is what’s up.” Ace said he pushed the thing they had been staring at, a poster at her.
The poster was advertising the VDC group and prize money.
“Let’s do it Ava!” Grim cheered as he floated over to her from the other side of the table.
“Mh, I don’t know I’m not really into these kind of things.” Ava said as she read the poster over again. ‘My mom shoved me into enough of these kind of things for one lifetime, I don’t want to continue these kind of patterns in this life.’ She thought.
“But that prize money could buy me so much tuna.” Grim whined.
“It could or it could make a nice nest egg for when Crowley stops to paying for our living expanses.” She countered.
“Jeez Ava.” Deuce muttered.
“I’m just being realistic, but fine we can at lease try.” She sighed as she finally began to eat her breakfast. ‘I doubt we’ll get a part so what’s the harm.’ She thought.
During lunch she went with the guys to find the person mentioned on the poster, Rook Hunt.
The group headed over to class 3-A. When they entered the room it was still half full.
“Which one is he?” Ava asked as she glanced around the room.
“Ummmm….” Ace muttered as he looked around too.
“Yo, herbivores what are you doing here?” Leona asked as he passed by, trying to leave the room.
“We’re looking for Rook Hunt, is he in here?” Ava asked.
“What do you want with that guy? He’s over there with the silly hat.” Leona informed them as he pointed over to a tallish blonde guy wearing a large tan hat with a feather on it sitting the upper most corner of the room.
“Thanks Leona.” Ava thanked him leaving his question unanswered as she made her way over to Rook with Deuce, Ace and Grim following her.
“Excuse me, Rook Hunt?” She asked as she stopped one desk over from him, when he turned to look at her she grasped. “Oh! You’re Rook Hunt! I haven’t seen you since Ghost Bride incident back in October.”
“Qui, that is me. I hope you’ve been well since then and what can I do for you mademoiselle?” Rook asked as he stood up to greet her.
“The VDC poster says you’re the person to see for an application.” Ava stated as she held up the poster Ace had shown her earlier.
“Qui, are you a group application?” Rook asked as he sat back down and pulled a piece of paper out of a manila folder that sat on his desk.
“Yes we are.” She answered as she took the piece of paper.
She quickly filled out her and Grim’s portion that handed the paper off to Deuce.
Once Deuce and Ace filled it they handed back to Rook. “Auditions will be on Friday after school at the Pomefiore dorm. May faith be in your corner.” Rook smile at them.
“Thanks, we’ll see you there.” Ace replied as he ushered the group away.
Once they were in the hallway he exclaimed. “He’s just as weird as he was that night! I thought it was just the stress of that night but no he’s just weird.”
“Ace that’s a thought you should keep to yourself.” Ava sighed.
“Oh come on Ava you think he’s weird right?” Grim asked as he rested on her shoulder.
“No weirder than anyone else here.” Ava suggested.
“Hey!” All the guy snapped at her.
“So what are you going to do if we win? You’ll have to spend lots of time with him.” Ava pointed out.
“It can’t be that much, just at practice and how long will practice be? Basketball practice is only a few hours a day.” Ace replied.
“He has a point my track practices are only a few hours too.” Deuce added.
“Mh, I guess you have a good point, but those are just regular practices not for competitions. Maybe my experience is odd but getting ready for my competitions back in my world I had would be at the barn all day.” Ava confessed. ‘And I remember my mom readying for a roll for weeks straight.’ She thought.
“Well we already signed up so we’re in it now.” Grim said at they entered the courtyard.
“We still have to pass the...”Ava began but stopped when she heard a voice singing. “What a beautiful voice.”
The group came upon someone singing into a well but suddenly his voice turned sour.
“Oof that was a bad note.” Ace remarked, upon his voice the person at the well turned to face the group.
“I didn’t realize anyone else was listening.” The small purple haired young man said.
“Oh it’s you Epel, how have you been?” Ava asked.
“You know them too?” Deuce asked as he glanced over to Ava.
“You missed a lot while you were paralyzed by the Ghost Bride.” Ava explained.
“I didn’t know you could sing like that.” Ace grinned at him.
“My dorm leader is making me practice like this.” Epel sighed.
“Whose your dorm leader?” Deuce asked when someone began to snap at them.
“What are you potatoes doing interrupting him?”
The group turned to see a tall blonde standing behind them looking angry, Vil Schoenheit.
‘Is this who Rook and Epel were trying to save from the Ghost Bride? He doesn’t seem very nice.’ Ava thought as she looked him up and down.
“They were just saying hi Vil, they were just leaving.” Epel prompted.
“I wasn’t talking to you, get back to practice.” Vil ordered.
“Hey you can’t talk to him like that.” Deuce snapped.
“Yeah!” Ace echoed.
“In this school the powerful do what they want and the weak listen unless you can beat the strong, so do you our told.” Vil remained them.
“Who says we’re weak?” Deuce challenged.
Vil glanced down at his watch then said. “I’ve got time for a 5 minute workout.”
“You’re going to regret those words!” Deuce snapped taking a fighting stance.
“Oh boy!” Ace sighed but took a fighting stance as well.
“If Riddle founds out about this,….” Ava began but Epel cut her off.
“I don’t think they care about that right now. Knock it off guys you can’t beat him.” He informed them.
“I don’t care!” Deuce snapped.
Vil didn’t need 5 minutes he barely needed 2. He had them both on the ground quickly.
“Like I said weak, you get a score of 5/100 points. Don’t bother Epel again.” Vil said as he dusted off his hands. “Come Epel.” He ordered as he began to leave the courtyard.
“Sorry guys.” Epel whispered then quickly followed Vil.
‘What a strange relationship.’ Ava thought as she watched them go then helped Deuce and Ace off the ground. ‘Please don’t try to fight him again.”
“Ugh that guy.” Deuce groaned.
“Believe me I won’t.” Ace remarked.
“Maybe we should tell Rook to throw away our application for the VDC if he’s running it I don’t think we’re going to work well with him.” Ava suggested.
“Hell no! It’s a challenge and I don’t back down from a challenge.’ Deuce snapped.
“I won’t run away like a dog with my tail between my legs either.” Ace added.
“Okay.” Ava sighed.
“Well let’s give it our all. Let’s meet up after school at the gym and practice the dance.” Deuce stated looking determined.
“Alright.” Ava agreed and they headed to their afternoon classes.