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Sometimes Ace has to admire Yuu's sheer dedication to money.
It takes real guts for someone to stand in front of Leona asking for shredded fur, even more so when the same one had stood unembarrassed at Diasonmia's porch in the hopes that Malleus Draconia just happened to have a spare childhood album lying somewhere.
"It's a major business opportunity," Yuu began, posing like it's the most obvious thing in this twisted world. "Not every day you get to make royal friends you know, have to make sure you appreciate them while it lasts."
"That's extortion." Ace pointed out exasperatedly.
"Sounds like the same thing to me."
Sounds more like you have a death wish, but all the power to you buddy.
So, Ace didn't think too much of it when Yuu started sewing away when May came around, had not pay much attention to the large baggage of ribbons and frills, and definitely should have suspected something when Ruggie joined hands in the operation with Jade strolling in, hands full of headbands and laces.
Ace Trappola had been such a fool.
"Fuck no!" He swears, back against the door, the furthest he can be from the three devils in the room after the successive door-banging had proved to be hopeless.
"Come on now," Yuu sighs dramatically, like he's the one locked in the room and not one of the fuckers holding the abomination by its strings. "It's gonna be over in a minute."
"Good for you to say," Ace grits out, leaning even more onto the matte wood as the three devils take another step towards. "You're not the one wearing it."
"Hey now, I would have worn this and so much worse had our dear customers requested me to," Yuu admits firmly, not even a hint of shame. "But they have a certain liking for red-haired brats instead." He pauses, before flashing Ace the biggest grin. "So I could only rely on my one good friend."
"Get a fucking hair dye then."
Yuu purses his lips, "that would entail even more cost, and this lovely dress had taken a third of the paycheck already." Ruggie and Jade smile at him, looking far more entertained than they should, "How would I be able to pay my two dear employees?"
"Why is that my problem?!" Ace snaps, "Here's some real business advice, manage pay before you hire anybody, especially people from this sevens-forsaken school."
"Advice taken," Yuu says, still taking consistent steps to corner Ace like the hypocrite he is. "I'll save it for next time."
"Motherf-- Yuu! I'm not wearing the fucking thing." Ace swears, his hands still grappling at the knob with increasing desperation the closer the psychos get. "I'm gonna walk out of here a dead man if I fucking have to, you're not gonna get me in that stupid dress."
"Ace," Yuu mildly begins, tone sweet and melting. "You know they're serving my favorite steak and potato tomorrow right?"
"I--"
"You know I really, really, really like that meal. Right?" Yuu continues, merely two or three steps away from where Ace's standing. "And Grim already blew the 100 madol allowance on tuna cans last week."
This sly motherfucker, this horrible excuse of a friend---
"Pretty please?" Yuu finally begs.
Fuck.
Same way their adventure usually ends, one of them is gonna get the short straw for finally being morally right or kind in any way, shape, or form.
This time, Ace Trappola gets an abomination for being a good friend.
A fucking maid dress, with stupid-looking frills, lords forbid ribbons and Sevens-forsaken laces. One unneeded attractive headband and a pair of seven-inch boots to top it all off, the grandest dress on hell's walkway.
It looks embarrassing enough that Ace can't even afford to look at it, least of all actually wears it and parades around school.
"This is as good as you will ever get." Ace finally declares, holding up the long black drapes to follow the embarrassing poses that Jade somehow found online. "And I better get the best cherry pie in the world for it later, else I'm gonna make sure Malleus-senpai understands extortion by tomorrow morning."
Yuu looks positively cheerful during the whole session, camera in hand snapping left and right while Ruggie and Jade stand giggling on the side for moral support.
"Why of course!" Yuu cheers, "Your kind efforts are always appreciated, Ace-chan."
"Don't you fucking dare," Ace swears, switching up the angle he had been posing to raise the finger. "I'm gonna rip this apart and tackle you dead if you don't quit with the 'chan' shit."
Yuu pointedly obeys, "Heard you loud and clear, boss!" He snaps another pic, then does a little 360 jump in place like an idiot. "Now give me a twirl."
"Fucking what?"
"Twirl, t w i r l." He starts spelling, "You know, like when the Queen of Hearts turn around real quick with her giant--"
"I know what it means." Ace cuts in, looking very unthreatening with the cutely wrapped ribbons rounding his face, "I'm asking if you're out of your mind, making me spin on these sevens forbid heels without kissing the ground."
"You can do it, Ace-chan!" Ruggie suddenly cheers, far happier than Ace with the shenanigan judging by the chuckle in his voice. "Own it the way you did last VDC."
"Oh adding that energetic feel from the VDC would certainly be a wonderful idea." Jade chimes in, "I believe it would add a fantastic effect to the picture."
"The two devil's accomplices can zip it." Ace complains, he still forces a couple of jumps with the heels. Feeling the instability in his landings that would definitely not survive a complete spin.
He shouldn't do this, shouldn't be embarrassing himself any further in this stupid dress, and shouldn't have to put on a show for these sly devils to see on such a beautiful Saturday.
But Yuu is blinking sparkles at him again, even more than that one time Ace showed him a magic trick he could use to trick upperclassmen into a scam game to make money.
"Ace," Said fucker begins, "Just this one last pic, I promise."
Fuck you too.
"Alright alright," He finally says, "But if I fall and you guys dare tease me bout it, I'll kill you all."
"I swear on my life." Yuu responds, holding his hand up like he's actually vowing something serious as Jade and Ruggie follow his example, holding their own hand up when Ace sends them a glare.
Here goes nothing, he supposes.
Ace stomps his right leg firmly on the pedestal, hoping that the dominant side will provide some more support while the rest of his body is stranded in a spin. Two hands lifting the skirt a bit above the hem, raising the laced ends to reveal the leather boots so he doesn't accidentally trip over them later on, then a crouch to mentally prepare himself. And finally.
Finally, a full spin.
Well, you see, there's a thing about Ace doing things half-heartedly out of stress. A certain trend, to be exact, of tripping on his own trail and slipping down the bad end route.
So, as many other times it had happened, Ace Trappola proceeded to twist the fragile heels he was standing on, and tumbled back first into the ground.
He heard Yuu scream his name when he first tripped, with Ruggie and Jade's surprised gasp following soon after, before eventually closing his eyes to accept the painful fate.
He never should have craved for the fucking bastard, now Ace's gonna be the one suffering with pain for the rest of the week.
Fuck.
...
Oh?
"What's this? Are you playing dress up without me, Crabby?"
A cheerful tone rang out, bubbly and piper as a huge hand feel up and down as his waist was endorsed by the giant white apron.
Ace knows this voice, perhaps even a bit too well.
"F-Floyd-senpai!" Ace sputters, heat creeping up his face now that he realizes exactly who his savior is. "What are you doing here?!"
"What, aren’t you happy to see me?" Floyd laughs, a tad more darkly than Ace would've liked to hear. "So heartless, Crabby. Right after I saved you from a major L too."
"And thank you very much," Ace adds, unconsciously holding onto Floyd's shirt to get a better stance. "But you're like, the last person I expect to see at Ramshackle. Even on a good day."
Maybe it's because of Jade, he thinks silently, Floyd's always seeking the elder eel when he has nothing better to do. And somehow the chase today had led to the worst possible person to witness Ace in his most embarrassing disaster yet.
Great, just fucking great. Ace can hear all the teasing and poking already, maybe even some horrifying photographic evidence to top as Floyd eventually and successfully threaten them all.
“I was bored,” Came the obvious response, “and Jade wasn’t around. Sea Snake was also busy, so I went looking for my adorable Crabby instead.” Floyd pauses, before flashing him a sharp grin. “And look what I found.”
Ugh.
“Don’t even,” Ace tries while also grappling to stand upright on his heels again, though it’s proving to be quite unproductive without Floyd’s support. “I’d rather you make me do that silly goose dance again.”
The struggle makes Floyd chuckle, “But Crabby looks positively adorable, wouldn’t anyone wanna share this view?”
“No one wanna see me in a fucking maid dress.” Ace grits out.
“Ehh, don’t count your seniors out so quickly Crabby.” Floyd muses, finally putting Ace out of his dangling misery as the huge eel does the balance job for the both of them. “I like the whole look, the frills and laces dangling around look super fun.”
“I did not ask for any of this,” Ace sighs, “but thanks? I guess, Yuu sown the whole disaster together.”
“Rude,” Said person interjects.
“You deserved it,” Ace says immediately before turning back to his giant senior. “Jade-senpai is right there in the corner, you can take him away now.”
Floyd doesn’t say anything, not when he’s busy looking down at Ace and the maid dress on him for another good minute. It’s unnerving, being under that bright yellow gaze as it scans you top to bottom like an eel looking for prey while the sharpest pair of teeth pull into a grin.
Floyd likes to call his variety of grins endearing, but Ace has other thoughts.
“Say Crabby,” Floyd begins, moving hands suddenly resting on his middle. “What are you wearing underneath?”
…???
“What?!” It startled Ace, who was definitely not expecting to be asked about such a ridiculous thing. And stunned everyone else into silence, judging by the sudden quietness in the room as the eel continues.
“You know, like a corset or something,” Floyd says nonchalantly, like the matter itself shouldn’t be raising concerns at all. “Cause your waist is looking extra small today.”
“Fuck no!” Ace swears, already struggling to get the eel’s grip off him as he tries for a step backward. “It’s the stupid apron for Seven's sake! I would rather die before I let any of y'all put something like a corset on me again.”
Floyd is unmoving, dead grip standing strong as he starts leaning forward instead. Before eventually drawls, “No? But you’re looking so tiny, would you be even tinier with that thing on?”
“You saw me in one before,” Ace tries, exaggerated and nervous now that he feels how Floyd is slowly lifting him up from the ground. “It doesn’t do much, remember?”
“But you weren’t in a dress back then.”
Ace cries, “Still the same shit no matter what. Believe me.” He’s completely in the air now, his heels are not even touching the ground. “Floyd-senpai, put me down!”
“But I want to see Crabby in a corset and a maid dress.” Floyd muses, almost singing as the bubbly, excited tone starts coming out on cue. “I’ll even put it on for you, ain’t I a good senior?”
Fuck no!
“Floyd-senpai– listen to me, oi!!” Ace screams, desperately making hand signs and signals to the fuckers standing by comfortably for help. Said fuckers decided to turn away instead, with Yuu completely avoiding his gaze by sticking his giant head into the camera, pretending to look at pictures and whatnot. “Oi! W-wait, Floyd-senpai!!!!”
It was the last thing he managed before Floyd pulled the two of them into the dressing room and slammed the door.
Ace Trappola needs better friends.
“Well well,” Jade begins, hands to his chin like he’s examining something worthwhile. “That corset certainly adds a nice touch to your outfit, Trappola-kun.”
Ace wants to murder him.
“Hmm hmm,” Ruggie continues, holding the opposite hand to his chin. “Certainly, now you look even more like a professional maid, shi-shi-shi.”
And you look like you want me to put a bucket over your heads and start banging a million times.
Ace doesn’t voice any of the thoughts, he can’t fight against them–not yet. He just sits angry, embarrassed, and partly resigned to the fact that he’s only surrounded by insane devils who have a disastrous obsession with maid uniforms.
“I told ya, Crabby!” Floyd says cheerfully behind the sofa, like he wasn’t the one holding Ace’s uniform and magical pen hostage, and forced the freshman to sit on the sofa and examine like a rare animal. “It adds to the look.”
“I wasn’t looking to add anything to this abomination.” Ace tries, glaring intensely as Yuu snaps another set of pictures. “You all are horrible.” He mutters, snapping his head sideways as Floyd reaches out to fix the laced headband.
“Ehh, Crabby is mad?” Floyd asks innocently, “But I made you even prettier.”
I did not need prettier, Ace thought, though he would rather not talk to Floyd right now. Or ever, after all of this.
“Ace?” Yuu tries, finally done with his precious camera to properly approach his friend for once. “Come on, they’re just messing with you. I made them all promise to not tell anyone and no other idiot would be walking in today.”
“ You made them promise?” Ace asks pointedly, pointing at the not-easily-threatened trio.
“Yeah, six overblots and a series of vague dreams would give anyone enough blackmail. I mean, maybe not the royals, but these ones I can handle.” Yuu says, partly pushing Ruggie and Jade aside to come sit by him. “Now cheer up, I only need to deliver this patch over to the customers and then I can get you some real good cherry pie.”
Okay, that sounds scary. But also unexpectedly reliable at the same time.
Ace still pursues his lips at the reward though, one cherry pie doesn’t seem good enough for the trouble he had gone through. “Make it two.”
“How bout three?” Yuu giggles, “And I’ll even call Deuce over. We’ll hang for a bit then go grab some latte.”
“Damn,” Ace swears, “those clients of yours are paying good good .”
Ace can’t imagine which kind of sick fucker would want pictures of a red-haired teenager in a maid dress, but at least they got the money to show for it.
“I know right, fuck around and you get tons of shit out of it. Might have tah start entrepreneuring like Azul soo–”
“What are you idiots doing?”
Turns out there’s always gonna be idiots walking in, well, Ace’s not certain he can call this one an idiot. But the second prince of Sunset Savana should really learn better timing, especially when Yuu doesn’t really have any blackmail on him just yet.
“I’m not even gonna ask.” Leona finally says when they’re all done spilling their shits, head already in his hand as Ace sits even more awkwardly on the opposite side. “But you let them put all that shits on you willingly? Really, laces and frills?”
“It’s not like I could do anything,” Ace tries, glaring pointedly at the younger eel standing comfortably behind him. “Look at this team up.”
“Could have at least put up a fight.” Leona sighs, “You know what, just shut up. What I don’t know, I don’t have to clean up for.”
He would very much appreciate some cleaning up though, one that would promptly erase this event from all their collective mind.
“Though,” Leona suddenly begins, examining Yuu’s handiwork with a smug expression. “You did a good job, herbivore. I could have mistaken it for the royal’s official uniform if not for the ridiculous things dangling.”
And I think you shouldn’t be praising him for it.
“Really?” Yuu answers excitedly, “You think I can start sewing for y’all? I’ll even take a cheaper cut.”
“I think we have enough sewers for that,” Leona says before he finally signals a finger to Ace. “What are you waiting for? Get out of that thing before another idiot walks in here.”
“Right away!” Ace cheers, up on his feet in merely seconds as he jumps out of the old sofa and makes for the changing room. Only to stop midway when he remembers that a certain someone is holding onto his clothes instead.
“Floyd-senpai,” He begins, a bit nervous as he turns on his heels. “Can I get my clothes back now?”
Floyd only pouts at that, puffing out his cheeks like Ace was asking for something unreasonable. “Ehh, but I don’t want Crabby to change yet.”
Oh come on, certainly anyone would be bored of a guy wearing something so disgusting by now.
“Give the brat the fucking clothes,” Leona snarls in his stead, “Another idiot could be walking in here any moment, and I don’t want to hear Crowley or anyone bitching about you guys having weird kinks later on.”
“Fine, fine.” Floyd resigns, “On the top shelf, the one that Crabby can’t reach.”
Oh, fuck you.
“Really Floyd-senpai?” Ace complains, “In the one place where ladders are never around?”
“It’s the only way Crabby’s not gonna sneak it back on.” Floyd says, tilting his head cheerfully as he addresses Ace. “Do you need help Crabby? I can get it for you real quick~”
Thanks, but no thanks. You’re definitely gonna pull some weird shit while you’re in there.
Now, there are not many options for Ace to choose from here. His magical pen is with his clothes, Jade would be far too creepy for him to ask, Ruggie and Yuu are not that much taller than him – so they’re pretty much useless.
That only leaves Leona, who would definitely complain that it’s none of his business, but would certainly have a 50-50 chance of helping.
“Leona-senpai,” Ace tries, ignoring the offended sound Floyd lets out in the background. “Please?”
The lion only clicks his tongue at that, before he promptly gets up and follows Ace.
“Get it over with, I don’t have all day.”
Okay, turns out he forgot to factor in the fact that changing with Leona in the room is increasingly terrifying.
Leona had been kind enough to grab his stuff from the shelf, and handed it to him without saying much before he stood idly outside looking impatient as he waited for Ace to finish. A hint of urging appeared here and there with every ‘tsk’ that Ace heard from behind the door.
The thing is, Ace would love to get out of this thing as soon as possible. Provided that he knows how to begin with.
Yuu had been evil enough to force it on him without saying much, pulling and tightening here and there while the layers were lost to the wearer himself. The closest thing to a dress that Ace ever touched is his mother’s own, which definitely did not have multiple layers of frills, laces, and ribbons on top.
“Are you gonna take all day?” Leona asks irritatedly, an impatient knock on the door startled Ace out of his unwrapping process of the stupid ribbon belt. “Get on with it.”
“I’m trying!” Ace snaps back, because he’s so close to freedom it’s getting more annoying the longer it takes. “I had never worn a dress before, how am I supposed to know how to take it off?!”
Well, he could rip it apart. But Yuu’s dedication and the expensive feel of the fabric are not gonna stop pressuring that line of thought anytime soon.
“Unravel the thing and undo the circles.” Leona answers, “Start with the outer layers then just take the whole thing off.”
“I have been trying for the past ten minutes,” Ace complains, “It’s not working!”
“Fuckin– You know what, I’ll do it.” Leona finally swears, “I don’t have all day to sit around waiting for you.”
Ace gets too into the heat of the moment, a lot of people have said, and he continues to. His first response to Leona’s offer was, “I would like to see you try!”
Big mistake.
Leona didn’t waste any breaths, walking into the room before consequently slamming the door shut as he took impatient steps towards Ace before taking the younger one in his arms. Circling around his waist to start working on the giant ribbon on the belt.
And Ace just, well, blush.
“W-What are you doing?!” He stutters, twisting and turning because he’s not exactly comfortable being captured by big, tall dudes as they tower over him to look down at something on his clothes.
“What does it look like,” Leona only groans in response, hard at work with undoing the tight ribbon. “I’m doing your job for you.”
Yeah, sure. Completely innocent and helpful, but can we address the part where you need to be standing right behind me as you do it?
“I can turn around, you know.” He tries, “Makes it easier for you to see.”
Leona hums instead, still not making any move to change their current position as Ace feels the belt getting looser and looser. Standing awkwardly in silence with muted hums sounding ever so often until the ribbon shape itself comes undone into two long silk threads that drape along the long apron.
“Okay!” Ace says immediately, “All done now, I can handle the res–”
“Were you expecting something else?” Leona suddenly asks, a gloved hand pulling him even closer by the middle as the prince chuckles amusedly. “Something I should be doing instead of unraveling ribbons innocently?”
Fuckfuckfuckfuck.
“No!” Ace exclaims, and it comes out a bit more uncertain than he would have liked. “It’s just the distance, and you’re really big, and– Is that a fucking hand touching my thigh?!”
“No,” Leona lies right through his teeth like a hand reaching down behind the white apron and latching onto the body inside the black dress is nothing at all. “I’m asking you a question, spikey.”
“And I’m not answering!” He declares, before finding himself having to struggle out of someone’s grip for the second time today. “Get your hands off!!”
“Hmm,” Leona only hums, switching his right hand to a proper grip on Ace’s middle as he holds the younger sideways, the left still touching and looking as the apron starts to slip. “Do you even know how to unravel the stockings' ribbons?”
What?
“The fuck do you mean stockings' ribbons?!” Ace screams, “Those stupid things have ribbons??”
“That’s how they’re held together, considering you’re not wearing the tight ones,” Leona explains like it’s the most logical thing ever. “The herbivore would have used it so they can adjust depending on your size, seeing how he doesn’t exactly have your thighs’ size.”
Fuck Yuu and his creations, fuck this disaster of a dress to exist in the first place.
And fuck Leona, for every possible reason.
“You know what, I think I’m gonna figure it out one way or another.” He snaps, “So you can either get back by the door or get out.”
Leona laughs at that, like, genuine laughter that very well shook the whole room as it echoes on. Which in turn had earned Ace’s most intense glare for it, before the Lion beastman decided to start lifting up the long, black skirt.
“H-Hey!!” Ace stutters, already holding down what he can of the dress while he struggles in a power battle with Leona for it. Twisting and turning even more desperately in the iron grip.
“You,” Leona begins, “are gonna take another half hour until you can even start undoing the ribbon. Not to mention actually taking them out completely, so why don’t you just shut up and start saving some time?”
“I would! If you aren’t trying to lift the only thing between me and butt-ass naked!!”
“Then hold it however you want,” Leona says, nonchalantly like it's a compromise between them. “Hurry up.”
Hurry up my ass.
Ace does as he’s told anyway, seeing how the glaring battle is far too terrifying with Leona, and any further reasoning is positively lost in the wind, and sits down obediently on the floor. Kickstarting the whole process by holding one side of the ends in his hand and raising it just slightly above the knee. Barely enough to reveal the ribbons tied neatly underneath.
“...Get on with it.” He mutters, extremely embarrassed and conflicted at the same time. But the sooner Leona’s done with his weird shit, the sooner Ace’ll be getting out of here.
“Hold still.” Leona says to him, hands already trailing the pinkish skin of his thighs before finally catching onto one of the ribbons and starts undoing it.
Painfully slow, might he add.
Ace still doesn’t say anything, not when the silence is ringing increasingly louder in his ears and the mere sight of Leona crouching in front of him while caressing his inner thighs and unwrapping two circles of ribbons from his leg. Then, as if it’s not torturing enough, Leona suddenly lifts his entire leg upward and starts pulling at the black, tight part of the stockings.
Good Sevens above, Ace’s not gonna survive this.
“S-Stop!!” He says immediately, dropping the hem he’s holding to grapple at Leona instead. “What the fuck are you doing?!”
“Taking these off, what else?” Leona deadpans, still pulling on the thing as the black gloves touch the suddenly-super-sensitive skin underneath. “You have a problem?”
“I have a huge problem! Stop that!!”
He didn’t, Leona Kingscholar follows through with everything he started. So even with Ace’s constant struggles and his babbles, the prince still successfully pulls the entire stocking off. Revealing the bare skin that is turning dusty shades of pink as it shines brightly in contrast to the black fabric falling around it.
Ace Trappola looks positively exotic, back against the wall with one leg exposed. One side of the dress is pulled high above the knee as it makes the skin shine, the warmed stocking laying disheveled on the side while the last remaining, visible black ribbon around his collar only makes the deep blush stand out even more.
Leona has to admit, that even he was entranced for a moment.
“Other leg.” He finally says, after swallowing an audible lump in his throat. Hands already reaching out to take hold of the other before Ace instantly withdraws it.
“GET OUT!!!”
Cue the screams, as the prince was forced to resume his spot outside, and consequently receive the cold treatment for the rest of the month.
Floyd, thanks to a certain someone, suffers a much better fate. With consideration of how controlled his actions still were.
“You guys went way overboard,” Yuu complains, holding the two stacks of pictures on the side as he scolds the two loyal customers. “Ace hadn’t even smiled at me for a week, cherry pies ain’t working either, and I basically have to beg him to come to game and movie nights.”
“Zip it, he has been treating me like I don’t exist for a month.” Cue Leona’s response, head in his hand as another reaches out, waiting for the pictures to drop.
“Can’t be me~” Floyd giggles happily, “Only took two meals and a three-point shoot for Crabby to start laughing again.”
The fucker, the other two collectively thought, acting smug for nothing.
“So, you got the pics?” Floyd finally asks, all excited and piper.
“Duh,” Yuu scoffs, looking a bit irritated by the unfounded doubt. “Who do you think I am? A full collection for Trappola’s Maid Day right here.” He finishes, waving the stacks in his hands as he flashes the other two with it. “Had it not been for you two, we would have the goods and he would be happy, everyone’s peaceful and happy.”
“Do what you’re paid for and give the fucking thing to me already,” Leona cuts in, “I have to get back before the idiots start doing something they’ll regret.”
“Same here,” Floyd joins, “Azul’s getting on my back about skipping shifts.”
“Jeez, you impatient beings.” Yuu mutters, extending the stacks to the middle before suddenly withdrawing them when Leona and Floyd reach to grab. “But, if you do anything overboard like that again. I’m gonna make sure you ain’t getting shits about Ace anytime soon.” He says darkly, glaring at them before eventually continuing. “You get that clear.”
Good to know at least one of the fuckers in this school is not entirely corrupted.
“Fine/Got it.” The two say unanimously, as the two collections finally drop into their waiting hand while the stacks of money fall into Yuu’s.
Then, comes the usual moment of silence. One where Leona and Floyd busied themselves with examining the goods while Yuu counts away with his newest revenue, a push of the chair, someone stands. And this whole disturbing transaction is signed, sealed, and delivered.
“Oh, eel bastard.” Leona suddenly says before they all step out, “The laces and frills are terrible.”
“So are your ribbons, Sea Lion.” Came the response.