Chapter Text
Not having Trey around all the time had been different, far too different for Riddle’s liking, but he supposed it would have to do. After considering how much Riddle had depended on the junior in nearly every aspect of life, managing the dorm should be where the queen relieves her servant of the weight.
His temper and rules cracking have been faring healthily these days, much more pleasant problem-solving rather than harsh punishments at every infraction - Cater had even commented on it, complimenting Riddle for it actually - so it would be better off if he released Trey from his duty for a while and give this management style a try on his own.
After all, Trey would be gone in less than a year, it’s always best to prepare himself beforehand.
Though there are times Riddle could not resist the thought of how easier some things would go if his vice-house warden was still on active duty, this is no doubt one of those.
“Bos– I mean dorm head, I think you should talk to Ace about it!” Deuce, the other half of his newest pair of card soldiers, is currently standing in front of Riddle’s desk with a concerned face, chanting on and on about the newest problem Ace was the reason for. “We don’t even hang with our seniors in the clubs that much.”
“Deuce,” Riddle sighs for the last time, brows furrowing at the never-ending stack of work on his desk every morning rather after sparing his freshman a quick glance. “I already told you, I can’t control how Ace spends his time and who he decides to spend it with. As much as I would like that boy to stay out of trouble, he is his own man when no rules are broken.”
“Can’t you warn him about it though?” Deuce asks, sounding far more desperate than ever. “Nothing too serious, I mean, we all just want him to know it's getting concerning.”
“We?”
“The Perfect, Jack, Epel, and Ortho too.” Deuce replied, “He always pulls Ace away randomly and keeps him for a whole day. I mean, I would see him again when it's curfew, but then he just crashes right onto bed instead.”
“And this has happened how many times this week?” Riddle asks, a bit more concern in his voice.
“Four already.” Deuce cried, “Dorm head, can’t you do anything about it?”
Riddle glances at his beloved card soldier, then at the stack of papers that the headmaster would no doubt require by the end of the day and the unfinished personal study he had left poached on the table.
Had the other house wardens been doing their job properly, Riddle’s workload would have been halved, and he would no doubt have much more desired free time on his hands to deal with small matters as such – atlas, he’s not one for excuses. Riddle is far above letting such feeble, insignificant matters stand in the way of his duty.
“I’m sorry Deuce.” Riddle says instead, “I see no laws being broken, so I can hardly interfere.”
Besides, Leona would sooner turn Ace away than Riddle can finish his duty, he thought quietly.
- - - - - - -
His assumption couldn’t be further from the mark.
It took Riddle a couple more weeks to figure that out, five to be exact, when Professor Crewel had decided to consult with him after Ace had failed to show for his second alchemy class of the week.
It was common knowledge that the boy tends to skip out on classes he deems to be less important than others – much to Riddle’s dismay – but rarely does Ace make the same mistakes consistently like this to earn the professor’s ire.
The boy knows better than that, much as everyone would have preferred he had not skipped at all, Ace knows they do not press as hard when said problems only occur once in a while. Especially if he shows up later on with all the materials collected and prepared for the important lesson following it.
This though, this was different.
This kind of behavior was something Riddle was expecting from Leona Kingscholar, not his own card soldier.
While Ace had certainly made a habit out of dropping his responsibilities in favor of thrill whenever it strikes, the freshman knows to show up in the aftermath to talk his way out of it – a quick apology, a promise of something in return – before he eventually gets into the set schedule again and commit to his friends as they went on creating small pranks for fun.
But to drop his duties as a student like this and not even bother showing any effort to make up for it? This was a page in Leona’s book, one that Riddle was quite accustomed to, the very same that had burdened him with the insufferable amount of paperwork this past month.
Perhaps Riddle should have consulted Ace about his newest choice of companion when Deuce first informed him of it.
“I apologize for my lack of management thus far,” He says to Crewel instead, holding his right hand open out of habit, “I assure you that this will not be happening again, as I will be talking to Ace first thing after class.”
“Alright then, do inform that pup that I also have a few choice punishments ready after you are done.”
“Of course, now if you would excuse me.” Riddle turns at that, heels already digging into the marble titles as he struggles to contain himself before the subsequent class.
As much trouble as he is, Ace Trappola is and will continue to be one of his dearest card soldiers and to think that Riddle’s recent inadequate performance had somehow let the freshman be influenced by such unsightly behavior instead.
Truly unacceptable.
Nevertheless, it’s never too late for the queen to summon her court.
– - - -
Turns out it would be impossible to hold a proper court when the criminal himself is nowhere to be seen.
True to his words, Riddle had set out to Ramshackle right after the school day ended. With all the renovations done after the Styx’s mess, the dorm was becoming a frequent hangout spot for all their infamous freshmen to gather. The Prefect had always been the welcoming host to them, and the seniors would sleep better at night knowing that they were not getting themselves into something dangerous outside of school and club time.
Its positioning also offers the sneakiest way into town, so Riddle supposes it plays a large part in why Ace and Deuce frequent the place so much even before its past-due renovations. With a few favors here and there the three of them had gotten themselves a quick trip out of town without supervision.
The constant addition to their wardrobe and snack trays should have given Riddle a sign back then, yet he had only found out about it when they started dragging Epel with them – more correctly, he had only been notified through a private chat after the house warden meeting when Rook reported the frequent joyrides to Vil.
He had punished them accordingly, of course, and had been doing constant checkups on their room just to ensure that such dangerous activities would not persist.
Yet, with how much stuff Ace’s hiding in his trunk, Riddle suspects that the boy had been going against his words once again.
He knows for a fact that Deuce had not been participating in Ace’s trips, not by the way he drains himself walking back and forth in the common room every so often to wait for the boy, and certainly not when Riddle had seen the freshmen group scatter in various spot on campus just to look for the red-head.
Ace Trappola, as much as he likes to say otherwise, is still far too unskilled and naive to walk the town streets alone and the boy knows it. It’s the only reason Riddle had been so sure about the cease of such activities until a while ago, the sophomore knows his card soldier would be far smarter than that, just as he knows it would be discouraged even more when they have to leave Epel out of their fun.
So someone outside of Heartslabyul must have provided Ace with the means and ends to this.
No one in the dorm would willingly take Ace out without his permission, even if the boy had used some sort of leverage to make it happen, not anyone would be willing to risk a collar on their neck for it. Trey and Cater could crave in a moment of weakness, but Riddle would no doubt notice if either his left or right-hand man were to disappear with the biggest troublemakers for hours.
Ace was on more than friendly terms with the senpais in his club, Jamil and Floyd, but Jamil rarely even has time to spare for himself and Floyd’s peaceful escort would be far too short to count on. The freshmen would manage if the three of them were all going together, yet Riddle had noticed that this occasion only happens after a basketball game.
There had been no game scheduled for this time of the year, so Riddle would have to exclude them.
“Dorm head,” Deuce says, anxiously adjusting himself on the lounge’s sofa every minute Ace failed to show. “Maybe we should go ask around Savanaclaw.”
Riddle is not exactly enthusiastic with the idea, not with Trey and Cater laughing awkwardly along his deductions so far.
They all knew the answer to this riddle – informed of it really – every other time Deuce had knocked on their doors to inquire about Ace’s increase of mysterious behaviors; the freshman had brought them the culprit, sealed, signed, and delivered.
But the problem stands because Riddle can’t bear the fact that it was only his recent slip in management that had led to such results. It certainly doesn't help that Ace is considerably one of the more important people in Riddle’s life so far, not when he knows for a fact that the freshman had gotten himself into something that would no doubt bury any possible, normal opportunities the boy would have achieved someday in the sand.
Maybe, just maybe, the reason the boy had yet to show so far is just another deduction Riddle had yet to reach. Or, possibly, that the freshmen are all at Ramshackle right now trying to contact Deuce about a sleepover he missed. O-or just–
“Riddle,” Trey spoke, his voice solemn and quiet. “It would be best if we go ask Leona-san about it.”
Certainly not.
Dear Sevens.
Riddle dreads nothing more than it, but seeing as the clock is only a few ticks away from ten and no red-haired freshman could be sighted, he supposed Trey was right, it would be the best logical choice of action.
“...Let’s go.” He declares, grabbing his staff as he leads his soldiers down the hall of mirrors.
—--
“I’m so sorry! Like, for real this time so please don’t be mad!”
Ace cried out, unbeknownst to the dread that filled Riddle as they all stood with Ruggie before Leona’s room.
A ten-minute trip down the mirror hall and another twenty bargaining with Ruggie about gaining access into Savanaclaw and up the stairs just to hear his card soldier inside the very place Riddle does not want him to be the most.
Sweet merciful Seven.
Leona Kingscholar’s right-hand man stands to his side, hands folded at the back of his head while settling in a lax pose – much in contrast to Riddle’s frozen one – as he urges them to knock on the door. Ruggie hardly looked bothered with the commotion, comfortable with it even, like the sound of his card soldier begging for forgiveness in that unbelievable, melting tone was of no significance whatsoever.
Like he always does, Trey did him the honor of knocking on the door before Riddle made another unsightly display of himself.
“Leona-san, can we come in?” Trey says, rigid in his voice and body. “We came to see Ace.”
The voices still.
“...Ruggie,” After a while, Leona calls out to his right-hand man instead, tone pressed hard into what sounded nearly like a growl. “What did I say?”
“Please,” The hyena yawns in response, far too accustomed to quiet threats from his king even while blocked by the wooden door. “You can’t expect silly old me to stop them when the whole army’s here.”
“You could have done your job,” Leona retorted with familiar annoyance. Riddle could hear him let out another long sigh behind the door, and then a couple of hollow whispers soon followed. The sound of something shifting through fabrics, a few light footsteps, then a hushed shush before the door before them opened halfway.
Leona Kingscholar greets them with a scowl, the room behind him blocked by the board, naked torso with finger scars etched into them as the bold cherry cologne they are so very well-acquainted with made itself known.
Riddle pales, not at the sight, but at the realization of the type of circumstances that could have brought it upon them.
“What?” Their senior grunts, a rather unfriendly tone in his voice. “Surely you busy-bodies have better things to do than disrupt my evening.”
Something– some ugly, vile, and unforgiving thing had found itself under Riddle’s rib cage at that. It’s unsightly, uncomfortable, and too much alike the dark, black ink that controlled him once not too long ago. The very sight of Leona before them had carved another injury within him, and it expands ever deeper with every passing minute as they all stand to play pretending that the sound and smell of Ace is anywhere but nearby.
It is astonishing, really, the rage that such a simple matter could bring him.
“ You . ” He snaps instead, stressing his call while struggling to contain the flame already bursting halfway from his staff. “Return my card soldier, at once .”
The dorm leader of Savanaclaw must have noticed his unfinished spell as he grips even deeper onto the brown wood underneath his balms, claws shirking on the materials as his jaw sets for a snarl.
Riddle could see the warning in his eyes. It’s heavy, dominating, accompanied by the subtle hint of challenge that regularly makes itself known every time the prince speaks. While he prefers to keep it hidden, Riddle knows better than anyone just how much competitiveness lies under that lazy mask. While they frequently avoid clashing out of no desire for a reminder of the incidents in the Interdorm Spelldrive tournament, Riddle had seen the desire for a rematch ever so often in the beastman’s words in every other brief argument they shared.
Leona Kingscholar, as much as people want to deny it, is one of the most prominent mages in this school. Had it not been for the unneeded tension between dormitories and the sake of his pride, Riddle would admit that he’s still far too lackluster to take Leona in a one-on-one duel
What Leona lacks in raw power, he makes for intelligence and insight, and while it rarely tips the difference between fae and beastmen, it has done a remarkable job at setting the boundaries between Lion and human.
Riddle would try nonetheless, he would burn his name onto the vast fields of Savanaclaw as long as it makes this horrible feeling in his chest go away.
“Woah woah woah,” Ruggie interjected quickly. His body tenses under the invisible pressure as he steps forward and puts a hand on Leona’s shoulder, pushing his dorm leader back ever so slightly. “How bout we all calm our jets and smooth this down with some civilized conversations in the common room?”
Ruggie’s gaze swifts ever so quickly between the two of them before he turns to Trey, mouthing another forced grin. “Sounds good right, Trey-san?”
“Y-yeah, that sounds wonderful.” Trey follows with a faint smile, a hand coming on Riddle’s shoulder much mirrored the Ruggie’s own. “I think that’s good enough, Riddle.”
Neither of them answered. Still holding their gaze stubbornly even as their vices try for another push.
“Leona-san.” A quiet whisper came, much too familiar to Riddle as it rang hollow through his ears. Sounding yet another painful chime through his chest as the hands squeezing Leona’s arms leave their phantoms around his throat.
Ace looked far more ragged than the last time Riddle saw him, hair drenched in sweat, the usual vibrant shade almost gone from his face. He throws them a weak side glance as hello before coming into full view, standing with shoulders hunched, hiding his body behind Leona’s wide torso while holding onto the dark brown arm for dear life.
Riddle couldn’t help but notice how Leona didn’t shake him off. He noted how Heartslabyul’s uniform had gone, replaced with the striking gold of Savanaclaw instead as it does a horrible job at covering the scandalous addition of marks on his card soldier’s neck. Freshly bitten scars that broke the skin and revealed the scarlet underneath, blood oozing around the edges the more Riddle stared at them.
It was the adoring red eyes that horrified Riddle the most. How they dash so quickly between him, Trey, Cater, and Deuce before Leona turns sideways to face him, teeth biting into cherry lips as Ace sets his face into a further frown while the senior clicks his tongue.
Riddle couldn’t help but notice how bright the color was today. Couldn’t help but read far too much into the sudden dependence his card soldier was showing to another dorm leader, one that Riddle could hardly ever approve of, one that he himself had dismissed at unimportant not too late before.
When a large arm snakes around Ace’s waist as he steps outside the room to join them, Riddle hears something in him snap. It sounds loud in his head, hallowing in his ears before a satisfying crack reduces it all to silence.
Hilariously, Sevens forbid him. The only thing he saw after that was a crimson burst of flames sparkling brilliantly before another gold responded in kind.