Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Getting sick is fine. Very inconvenient but otherwise. Fine. 

Getting sick a week before the hugenormous Alchemy exam? Absolutely and abhorrently unacceptable. Professor Crewel is not known for his leniency and Yuu could only hope that her illness doesn't suck all the motivation to study from her. And if not, she hopes her illness is at least brief. Cramming a day before the exam does not sound like fun.

"This sucks," Yuu coughs out from her place on the bed. All morning and all afternoon, she's been rotting in bed wishing that she could just get better because this. Really. Sucks.

Her nose had been runny all day yesterday, and last night she felt funny whenever she swallowed, but those were simply her allergies. Or so she thought, because today she had woken up with a persistent headache that threatened to split her brain in half and a wave of endless mucus that just kept coming and coming and coming. Her nose is dry and profusely peeling from all the tissues she's been abusing.

She's missed two classes thus far and is absolutely dreading the amount of material she needs to catch up on. Grim insisted on skipping under the pretense of looking after Yuu, but Yuu thought he just wanted an excuse to skip.

I'll be fine, Yuu reassured him earlier that morning. Go without me. 

Grim had looked at her with such a pleading and piteous look in his eyes that Yuu didn't know whether she wanted to give in and hold him close or spray him with a bottle of water to make him leave. He said he'd take notes on her behalf but...Yuu doubts they will be very helpful. Or even legible.

Ace and Deuce took advantage of their lunch break to see why she had missed lecture, knocking on her door so violently that she'd thought the already-disheveled thing was finally going to disintegrate into a million shards of wood right there and then. Then she'd have splinters everywhere on top of a splintering headache.

Hurriedly, before they broke down the door, Yuu had stumbled down to the foyer, still in her PJs. The door was yanked open and Ace and Deuce's jaws dropped as they saw Yuu in all her glory. Weighed down by her eye bags, hair sticking up from various places, and snot practically dripping from her nose.

Yikes, Deuce and Ace had said simultaneously.

Yeah, Yuu replied.

They left fairly quickly, promising to check back in at a later time. 

And now, it was the evening. Another class missed, another box of tissues expended, and another attempt at sleep failed.

A growl from her stomach reminded Yuu that she had also missed lunch from the cafeteria, and the stale slices of plain bread she somehow managed to swallow had been digested hours ago. No way was she going to trek all the way over there for a proper meal, especially not when she could barely put one foot in front of the other.

In bed, Yuu yearns for good health that was with her just twenty four hours ago. She yearns for a clear nose, yearns for a long walk around the expansive grounds, yearns to see her friends, and yes, even yearns to attend her classes. She wishes she could lay her head down on her pillow and sleep but it won't come that easily to her and so she tosses and turns and flips and flops on her mattress yearning for just an hour of satisfying sleep. Giving up, she smushes her face head down in her pillow and screams something wicked and muffled. Which is a little bit of a bad idea because her snot already makes it hard to breathe.

The door bangs open and she whips her head up and around in time to hear footsteps thumping up the stairs, and recognize the bickering of familiar voices. Sweet, sweet relief floods in as she realizes that Grim has returned.

Apparently, returned with several guests too because why is the entire Heartslabyul dorm in her room right now. Okay entire dorm might be an exaggeration, but still!

Grim is here, of course. Ace and Deuce, yeah that makes sense. Plus Riddle, Trey, and Cater?

Were they trying to get contaminated on purpose? What if she got them ill and they spread it to everybody in Heartslabyul! That would suck.

What if they coughed really, really hard on Professor Crewel so he got terribly sick and then Yuu wouldn't have to take that deplorable exam later?

That would...suck for Professor Crewel only.

The five of them stand awkwardly at the foot of Yuu's bed, but Grim has no problem leaping right on the mattress and sitting beside Yuu all important like as if he's just delivered a crucial message with which the safety of the kingdom depends on and expects his sack of gold in reward. Can of tuna. Whatever.

Yuu is much too busy admiring the mysterious and intricately engraved pot Trey holds in his hands to pay him any mind though. Usually, an ill-timed rumble of her belly would be cause for embarrassment, but in this case exhaustion and hunger shield Yuu from feeling any emotion besides those two. Riddle clears his throat.

"Good evening," the red-headed boy begins, more formally than necessary, "I have been informed that you are ill and as decreed per rule number one hundred and twenty-two, 'One must visit the ill in odd-numbered groups only.'" He gives a small smile, which Yuu returns. "I-er, we are here to visit you."

That sounds like a really convenient and made-up rule, Yuu thinks, but remembers all rules are made up anyway.

"Hey Yuu." Ace steps forward and looks Yuu up and down. "I would ask you how you're doing but..."

"I think maybe you look a little better than you did earlier today?" Deuce offers. It's clear he's trying to be polite, and Yuu probably would've believed him if she hadn't caught a glimpse of herself in a mirror an hour ago.

"Cay-Cay thinks you look a little gray-gray," Cater sighs, shaking his head. "Hope you're drinking enough water."

Trey steps towards the bed and uncovers the pot, releasing the most delectable aroma Yuu's nose had the privilege of sniffing. To the extent it could, considering the circumstances. A salivatory response is triggered immediately and Yuu can barely register Riddle's next words over her pangs of hunger.

"Oh yes, Trey made you a broth as well."

"I thought something warm and flavorful would be good," Trey explains. "Sweet treats don't exactly make effective remedies. It should last you a few days but let me know if you want me to make more."

Yuu's lip quivered and she almost bawled right there and then. Almost.

As Riddle helps Trey dig through the kitchen to find a bowl for the broth, Ace, Deuce, and Cater make their way to the edge of the bed and begin to fill Yuu in on what she's missed, their voices overlapping so much that Yuu could barely make heads or tails of who was saying what.

"Grim came into class wailing like 'waaahhhhh' and-"

"-couldn't understand a single word because he was crying so-"

"I DIDN'T DO ANY OF THAT, THEY'RE LY-"

"-talking about how he was gonna do your notes for you, but he has paws-"

"THIS IS DISGRIMINATION!"

"OMG you totally should've seen Grim when he came to Heartslabyul-"

"-kept scratching at the sofa, ohh man you really should've seen him!"

"-Riddle was so mad!"

"Actually maybe it's best you weren't there to see that part-"

"I kinda dig them TBH! It's a statement."

"I was tryin' ta-"

But the details of what Grim was trying to do exactly were lost when Trey and Riddle re-entered the room. The spoon could not enter Yuu's mouth fast enough; she practically burned her tongue on the liquid in her urgency to end her accidental starvation block.

The group briefly plays doctor, guessing Yuu's diagnosis based on the symptoms she lists out through mouthfuls of broth. Cater thinks it's stress related, Trey reckons it'll clear up on its own in a few days, Riddle suggests that Yuu visit the school nurse. Ace is adamant that Yuu will die, earning him a slap to the back of the head from Deuce, which Yuu appreciates.

Cater was just describing an online health article he came across recently when Yuu sneezes so hard and so suddenly that Grim practically leaps off the bed from fright, digging his claws into the wallpaper of the room. Immediately the room erupts in boisterous laughter. 

"Aw man!" Ace exclaims. "Didn't know you could fly without a broom Grim!"

Deuce joins in. "Yeah! Why didn't you tell us?"

The click of Cater's phone camera means a commemorative photo of Grim had been taken. Probably his most embarrassing one yet. Excellent blackmail material; Yuu must remember to ask Cater to send that to her later.

"DELETE THAT RIGHT NOW!" Grim bellows, still hanging on the wall.

"Nuh, uh. This is gold."

"You're stuck," Yuu observes.

"I am not." Grim huffs but does not dislodge himself. He is most definitely stuck. Riddle moves to help Grim out as Trey tries to hold in a smile that Yuu can see even from behind the tissue she's blowing her nose into.

In an attempt to distract everyone from the recent commotion, Grim proudly announces that he took notes on today's lectures on Yuu's behalf. Yuu takes the notebook from him and flips to today's date, eyes scanning over the pages.

Yup, totally illegible. 

Nevertheless, Yuu does not have the heart to tell Grim she can't decipher his scribbles. Instead, she reaches for the backs of his ears and gives them a little scratch.

"Thanks Grim."

He looks very pleased with himself.

Cater helps Trey clean up, and Riddle scolds Ace and Deuce on not helping with anything. And maybe it's the broth, or the company, or the mild headache beginning to brew in her mind, but to Yuu it feels like the evening concludes in a blurry dream. Riddle, Trey, and Cater leave first, wishing Yuu a quick recovery and that if she needs anything she knows how to reach them.

At some point, Grim fell right asleep on Yuu's bed and Ace and Deuce take advantage of his state to give Yuu a notebook with their notes, which they say are probably not the best, but at least more helpful than Grim's. And they're right.

"Rest well, Yuu," Deuce says. "I hope you feel better soon."

"Don't let the bed Grims bite," Ace winks.

Yuu rolls her eyes but smiles nevertheless. She hears the door shut and everything becomes so suddenly silent. Like a weighted blanket had fallen over the world. It's been a long and restless day, her stomach is full, she's drained in both body and mind. Head on her pillow, she realizes just how good closing her eyes feels. An escape so inviting, there's no way she can refuse. 

From his place next to her, Grim mumbles in his sleep.

"Hench-human...sorry the Great Grim couldn't protect you..."

In limbo between dream and wake, Yuu thinks to tell Grim that it's not his fault she's sick. But before she can open her mouth, she is soothed by the soft purr beside her head and a deep slumber beckons her in.

Chapter Text

Yesterday, Yuu would have given up anything to make her nose stop running. Today, she wishes she could go back because one nostril is out of order and the other one is working unpaid overtime to compensate for its partner’s ineffectiveness. Blowing her nose with tissues is useless, it just seems to make her nose even more clogged. She thought blowing harder might help but all that earned her was a sharp pang in her brain for whatever reason. Soooo great. 

For the ten millionth time in the two days she’s been debilitated in bed, Yuu wishes she wasn’t sick. 

It also doesn't help that three beastmen are watching Yuu from the edge of the bed. What’s worse than the audience is that there’s no doubt they can hear the slight whistle of her nose every time she inhales. Curse them and their exceptional hearing. This is already embarrassing enough as it is.

Ruggie and Leona both look horribly disgusted, but Jack is looking at Yuu with utmost condolence. His lips hold a fraction of a pout and his ears are back. The moment he saw her, he had to fight back the urge to crush her in a bear hug, instead staying rooted in his spot at the end of her bed. That didn't seem to stop the furious wagging of his tail though.

Jack heard Yuu was sick from Ace and Deuce who heard it from Grim. Thus begging the question, why is Grim always at the center of everything?

Apparently, Jack had gone to Grim directly to make sure Ace and Deuce weren't making stuff up, and Grim had gone off on this whole dramatic spiel about how Yuu was bed-ridden and pale and sickly and could kick the bucket at any moment. And being the kind, lovely, angel Jack is, he told Ruggie and Leona.

When he first saw Yuu, Ruggie said he came to pay his respects.

"I AM NOT DYING!" Yuu's hands threatened to dislodge the hairs on her head. She promptly removed her hands though because being sick is one thing, but being bald is another altogether.

And Leona came too. For some reason. Probably to stop Jack from pestering him.

(According to Jack, he didn't even really pester him that much. So Leona came without much of a fight. Not that Leona would ever admit that himself.)

Hence, all three beastmen were standing in Yuu's room watching her adamantly not dying (but maybe asphyxiating). Leona wore a strange expression, which Yuu thinks is a result of him considering whether or not he should turn Grim into a bathmat for being the whole reason he was dragged into this in the first place.

Thankfully, Grim was all the way at Sam's with money Yuu had given him to buy her oatmeal (she does not want to eat the same broth every day, as much as she loves Trey’s cooking), so he should be safe for the time being. For the time being. She hopes he actually comes back with the requested item, and not twenty cans of tuna, because then Grim would have two people in search of a new bathmat.

"Grim made it sound like you were on your death-bed," Jack mutters, scratching his head. 

"It's...fine," Yuu huffs out. "He sorta did this yesterday too."

Heartslabyul's visit was actually pretty nice, minus the mini migraine Yuu was left with after. The worst thing about being sick was that she has to suffer by herself, and no offense to Grim, but sometimes he's not the best source of emotional support.

"Well, in any case, I brought you a little get-well gift." Jack digs into his bag and withdraws a tiny, green cactus with googly eyes. "It'll keep you company."

Ruggie whips his head round to look at the cactus, most likely silently wondering what the hell the googly eyes were for. Or maybe wondering if they were all supposed to bring something.

“What the hell are the googly eyes for.” Leona does not hold back.

Jack looks at the floor sheepishly, then shrugs. “Thought it’d feel more like company if it had human features.”

“Well, I think it’s great!” Yuu beams. “Thanks Jack, you can just put it on my dresser for now.” She hears the creak of the floor as he makes his way closer, careful not to tread too closely to her.

Can beastmen even get sick? It would explain their reluctance to get near, or maybe they’re just trying to be considerate.

Yuu sneezes something vicious, and all three beastmen flinch. Her hands fumble the tissue box. 

Or maybe they’re trying to avoid getting covered in mucus. 

Leona’s eyes follow the tissue as Yuu tosses it to the trashcan a few feet from the bed and (thankfully) makes it. 

The brief silence that lingered in the room breaks when Ruggie notes, “I think something might be going around, but nobody’s symptoms are as bad as yours.”

Yuu sniffles and is reminded she has one singular functioning nostril. “I’ve been in bed for days…” Leona makes a noise that sounds suspiciously like I wish as Yuu continues complaining. “It’s awful. And it double sucks because I need to make up all my work and study for Crewel’s dumb exam.”

Crewel’s exam…

Alchemy’s gotta be the worst subject in this world. Probably the worst subject ever, in any world. If Yuu’s got any reason to get out of here as fast as she can, it’s so that she doesn’t have to see another cauldron ever again.

Hearts, retinas, intestines, fingernails! She’s had enough of weird ingredients derived from some weird creatures she’s never heard of before, thank you very much. It doesn’t help that Grim doesn’t know what he’s doing half of the time (all of the time) so he makes Yuu do everything. 

(She doesn’t even want to think about History of Magic. Imagine learning the entire history of an unfamiliar land on top of learning about the current norms and happenings!)

It’s a learning curve for sure. And it’s a steeper slope now that she isn’t there in person and has to study by herself. Grim sure isn’t going to. 

She tried re-reading her notes earlier this morning but got so frustrated she just slammed the notebook shut and got up angrily to heat up some of yesterday’s broth. Which she ate in silence. It tasted a little bit saltier than she remembers, but that probably has to do more with the tears running down her face and less with Trey’s mishandling of the salt.

It’s all just so… frustrating. There's no other word for it. 

“Uhh, Yuu, are you okay?” Jack’s voice brought Yuu back. She must’ve been making a funny face because Jack, Ruggie, and Leona were looking at her with…is that…could it possibly be…worry?

Yuu wrinkled her nose and said, “I’m trying to telepathically blow up Crewel with my mind so I don’t have to take that exam,” because that’s way easier to articulate than the emotions overwhelming her.

“Good luck with that…” Ruggie says, eyeing the door like the sickness might consume her brain next and make him Yuu’s next target.

“Well, since you ain’t dyin’ I’m gonna head out,” Leona calls, already turning on his heels. “If ya get bored of lounging on your bed, take a nap.”

Yuu considers throwing the cactus at his head. 

With a slight nod of his head that Yuu assumes means bye, Ruggie shuffles out next. 

“Sorry we disturbed you,” Jack gives a sad sort of smile. “Hope you get better soon.”

The next swallow is hard, and Yuu fights the urge to run up to give Jack a hug. Instead, she returns Jack’s half-smile and says, “Me too.”

Several hours after their visit, Grim returns from the shopping trip with. 

Non-oatmeal related things.

She’s been mildly irritable all day, but this? This is her last straw.

A strangled cry comes from her bed, and Grim looks up. The livid expression on Yuu’s face tells him that he messed up. Badly. She yells some sharp words that she doesn’t remember too clearly, but she’s just so cranky and angry and exhausted that she doesn’t have the energy to control her anger or scold him properly.

She just looks at Grim and he just stands there with tears brimming in his eyes and the wrath bleeds into distress and morphs into desolation.

In his defense, Grim did bring Yuu some items. But what is she going to do with cheese and crackers? She might be able to swallow the cheese, but crackers are dry and their flakes get everywhere and they’ll torture her throat if she tries to swallow.

Yuu could not articulate any of this.

Grim tries to apologize, but Yuu is clearly too miserable to hear anything and decides it’s probably best to give her some space.

Which Yuu appreciated until she didn’t. 

Dusk creeps in, making the shadows on Yuu’s walls dance. She lays in her bed yet again, her hands trembling as she clutches Ace’s alchemy notebook and re-reads the same two bullet points again and again. 

It’s not going in, she’s not remembering anything . She’s going to fail the exam and all she can think about is how Grim’s intentions were most likely good, and how she lashed out at him when he’s the only one that’s been by her side this whole time.

She imagines herself in Grim’s place, with the only thing on her shopping list being oatmeal meant for somebody sick, wandering around Sam’s shop as a hundred gimmicks and sweet treats and snacks surround her. And then she’d probably think to herself, well, if her good friend Yuu was here, she wouldn’t want oatmeal because that’s no fun. She should get her something less blegh. And then she’d reach for the cheese and crackers, thinking her good friend Yuu would be happy to eat something a little less blegh. And she pays and walks all the way back home to her good friend Yuu, thinking she’s done something good and kind, only for her good friend Yuu to break down completely and yell cruel things and. 

Yuu messed up.

Small, wet blotches smudged the ink on the paper and Yuu wipes her cheeks with her sleeve, only to remember that sleeve is covered from snot, which only makes her feel worse and now a whole line was smudged and she can’t even read it anymore. And now Ace will be mad at her, just like Grim is.

She sucks in her mucus and it hurts her head and she remembers half her nose isn’t working. She reaches for the box of tissues on her nightstand but it’s empty. Phlegm dribbles down her throat as she tosses Ace’s notebook somewhere, and when she turns to look at where she threw it, a speck of green flashes across her vision and it’s the cactus. 

It’s all just too much for Yuu.

She cries.

She cries and she tries to suck in her mucus again which just results in another headache. 

She cries and eats the cheese and crackers Grim bought because she doesn’t know what else to do. 

Through her blurry vision, she can see the motion of a shadow beneath the slit of her door, and hear the faint sound of the doorknob turning.

“Finally cracked? For a herbivore, you held on longer than I thought.”

Leona strode in. 

“Y’know Grim’s not doin’ too hot either.”

Yuu furiously wipes her face on her sleeve, no longer caring if it’s already slick with snot.

“I don’t wanna talk about it.”

Was that really what she sounds like? Must be the crackers.

Leona approaches, and when she makes no motion of protest, he sits down on the edge of the bed. Yuu is adamantly not looking at him, instead focusing her gaze on whatever he’s got tucked underneath his arm. She looks horrible, she knows. The least she can do is spare him the revolting sight.

“Don’t care. You don’t hafta talk, just play. Otherwise I came all the way out here for nothin’.”

Oh, it’s a chess set. 

Yuu’s eyes meet his, but there’s no trace of disgust or pity in his green ones. Which is…nice.

The soldiers are in position, and all the minor pieces, rooks and royals are alive and well. 

The two play soundlessly on Yuu’s bed, with the exception of a few sniffles here and there. Yuu went first, moving her white pieces with a whittled strategy as Leona took them, one by one. It was by no means a good match; Yuu was absolutely demolished in no time. Leona did not go easy on her. Not that she expected he would. She preferred it this way. 

Two rounds went by wordlessly before Yuu finally trusted her voice enough to not waver when she spoke.

“Why’re you here?”

He doesn’t answer immediately, instead moving his bishop three spaces diagonally to take Yuu’s pawn.

“From my experience, cacti aren’t exactly good company. They don’t talk much.”

Yuu wrestles a snort as the image of Leona skipping class to converse with cacti in the botanical gardens flashed in her mind.

“Speak for yourself, Jack’s cactus has been real chatty. He’s a true conversationalist.”

“He?”

“Yeah, his name is… um,” Yu thinks hard as she claims Leona’s piece as revenge. “Bishop. His name is bishop.” She holds up Leona’s black bishop piece as if it was a birth certificate.

“He Rook’s secret cousin or something?”

Her laugh was short-lived, realizing she shouldn’t have taken the bishop because it left her queen completely open. Leona did not hesitate.

“I thought you were trying to make me feel better…”

“Whatever gave you that impression?” he huffed. “I’m here to play a few quick games of chess, that’s all.” His ear twitched and his tail thumped up and down on the bed.

Three moves and a checkmate later, Leona had Yuu so cornered, she had no choice but to surrender.

They played again.

And again. 

And again. 

Six games later and Yuu was slumped in her place on the bed, head against the pillow and eyes drooping dangerously low.  She's playing so awfully Leona doesn't even need to think about how he can win, and Yuu has a sneaking suspicion he's been prolonging the game for the past seven minutes. She's lost every single game of chess so far. But she could always blame that on her head not being in the game. And she’s just so tired…

So, so tired. 

Her soldier pawn moved a step forward, trying desperately to reach the other side of the board. Yuu was trying to revive a piece, but...

Which one was it again? She couldn't remember.

Yuu does remember shifting in her bed to get into a more comfortable position. And then laying her head down on the pillow gently, just until Leona finished pondering his next moves. But her eyelids were so heavy and she had to fight to keep them open. She doesn't recall anything after that, so she probably lost both the chess game and the battle with her eyelids.

She also vaguely remembers waking up sometime after midnight because she felt something small and fluffy treading closer to her spot on the bed.

And she vaguely remembers lifting up the covers so that it could curl up next to her under the blanket.

And she may or may not have whispered words of regret and affection, petting its soft fur until both she and it were snoring in sync.

Chapter Text

Yuu didn’t notice anything different the next morning. She got up with her head heavy, brushed her teeth, blew her nose twice (failure), and went down to eat some breakfast.

During yesterday’s fit (which was extremely embarrassing), Grim had left late last night and returned with instant oatmeal bought with his own money. Upon his return, he bumped into Leona, who offered him no explanation as to why he was there and left with his chess set under his arms. 

Yuu’s throat felt a bit strange as she swallowed the warm oats. But then again, all her symptoms have been a series of mixed signals so this wasn’t too unusual. 

Ramshackle house is eerily quiet; Yuu hadn’t spoken a single word since she awoke and Grim stirred and left sometime early in the morning. To go to classes or to skip and hang out at Heartslabyul, Yuu wasn’t too sure. It was a groggy start and Yuu was glad for no distractions because she really needs to start reviewing her (Ace and Deuce’s) notes.

The crisp morning air whipped up a sharp, entirely uninviting breeze so Yuu abandons her plans to study outside and retreats back to the heat of her bed (so much for a half-breath of fresh air!). It’s a little boring, sitting in the same spot for hours on end, even with the occasional walk around the house. A change of scenery would be nice but what else could she do?

Her room had racked up a considerable amount of clutter. Yuu is in no mood to pick her clothes up off the ground or take the used bowls and mugs to the kitchen, which have been accumulating so much Yuu could barely see the wood of her nightstand.

Water in a mug bleeds a warm comfort into one of her hands. Normally there would be ginger and some lemon slices in there but Ramshackle does not have such luxuries. Hot water will do. The other hand was sacrificed to the cold, holding up Deuce’s notebook close so Yuu could decipher his handwriting. The doodles in the margins keep her peripheral vision company as she tries to recall how frog slime interacts with blood without glancing at the written word.

Frog slime…frog slime…

She racked her brain hard trying to remember its properties but it’s no use. All Yuu can remember is how during that lesson she had to pull Grim, who was definitely not trying to drink it, away from the green substance. Which would only be helpful if the exam was about reasons why Grim should not be left unattended without adult supervision. 

Suddenly, she hears the unmistakable sound of the door being kicked open. And a loud, guttural shriek of joy echoes throughout the decrepit house. 

“SHRRRIMMMMMPPYYYYY!”

Oh no.

Ramshackle house seemed to shudder, not ready for the chaos it was about to face. Yuu shudders too and watches her study plans crumble right before her eyes. 

That voice, that barrage of footsteps, could only belong to one person.

Floyd Leech bursts into the bedroom without so much as a knock, sprints up towards the bed in two long strides and leaps right on top of it, landing on a wide-eyed and wholly unprepared Yuu. 

“ARGHHHH! FLOYD GET OFF ME!” 

Is what she intended to say, however all she could manage was a strange screech. A jolt of pain shoots through Yuu’s throat and she realizes something terrible has happened.

“Little Shrimpy, I missed cha!” Floyd giggles and makes no effort to move. He then lowers his voice and asks, “You’re not avoiding me are you?” quite seriously. Yuu shakes her head vigorously.

Jade’s voice is velvet as he greets Yuu with his hand on his chest from afar, and immediately steps aside to make room for his housewarden. Maybe Floyd should take notes.

“My, my,” Azul surveys the room. “What do we have here?”

Yuu tries to speak again from beneath Floyd, though it’s up for debate whether or not Azul and Jade could understand her. Floyd’s weight presses against Yuu and she swears she could feel the oxygen leaving her body, her lungs squeezing out every molecule. Which is definitely not helping the whole losing-her-voice thing.

She flounders, trying to worm her way through his limbs, to no avail. Jade seems to get the gist of the situation first though because Azul heaves a heavy sigh and begins monologuing. 

“Well, when I heard the rumors that our dearest Prefect has been feeling under the weather as of late, I thought it natural to pay a visit! Truly, I had hoped the rumors were simply that, but…” Azul’s eyes dart around the messy room again and land on the notebook in Yuu’s hands. He smirks. “How are you feeling this morning?”

“If I may, Azul,” Jade gives a smile that is less than comforting when Yuu fails to respond. “I believe our dear Prefect has lost her voice this morning.”

Floyd sits up immediately. “Aha ha! No way Shrimpy, you must be pullin’ our tails!”

Yuu shakes her head.

A mysterious illness, an untidy room, a desperate cram, and no voice? An all-too-familiar, dangerous glint in Azul’s eyes forms. 

All she could do is shake her head very quickly, denying whatever it is Azul is offering before he even has a chance to open his mouth. Taking into account the circumstances and the current company, today was the absolute worst day to lose such a vital thing. 

As if he hadn’t seen, Azul continues, “A deal could be struck here, you know? One that will greatly benefit you, considering your… situation.”

“Allow us to assist you,” Jade says.

If the way all three Octavinelle students are looking at Yuu is any indication as to how favorable the offer would be, Yuu would rather eat Jack’s cactus and defecate needles for the rest of the day than take him up on it.

Yuu mouths a “No, thank you” and Azul is quick to redirect. “Then, on behalf of the Mosto Lounge, may we interest you in this coupon? Consider it a care gesture.”

Reaching for the card Azul extends, Yuu scans it over.

“Good for one (1) free Mostro Lounge special drink!”

“There’s a few excellent herbal beverages on the current menu that I’m sure would be to your liking,” Jade comments. 

Floyd pipes up. “I didn’t like ‘em!” He sticks his tongue out and makes a gag gesture that would surely be bad for business. Azul gives him a look.

That sounds…really nice actually.

Nice? Wait a second.

Yuu squints to read the fine print at the bottom: This coupon is only valid until the end of the month.

“EXPIRES AT THE END OF THE MONTH? THAT’S IN FOUR DAYS!” Yuu means to say, but her voice is fried from all her sobbing yesterday and her illness so she can’t manage more than a squeak and a look of resignation. The likelihood that she would feel better by then is slim, which is terribly tragic because a free drink sounds fantastic right now. Yuu eyes her mug of lukewarm water and sighs.

During Heartlabyul’s visit, Yuu had the idea to ask Crewel to brew some kind of potion to alleviate her symptoms and give her energy. But upon further reflection and essential input from Cater, that was a lousy idea because Crewel would probably have the bright and unfortunate idea of making Yuu brew it herself for “training purposes.” She does not fancy tempting death with a dance or, worse yet, risk permanent transfiguration. When she does finally find a way back home, reuniting with her parents as a dormouse has severe disadvantages. Assuming Grim doesn’t eat her first.

And, of course, Crowley has been strangely silent and unreachable since Yuu fell ill. There goes the plan of asking the headmage for help. So much for magnanimity and unparalleled benevolence…

Yuu raises an eyebrow from above the coupon and stares at the Octavinelle trio with a deadpan look on her face.

Azul shrugs, Floyd gives a cheery “You’re welcome!” and from his place in the corner, Jade offers a morbid “You should visit as soon as you can. After all, all things must expire eventually.” 

He eyes Yuu in such a way that sends a shiver reverberating through her spine. 

The three guests leave as quickly as they came, the door slamming shut behind them. Yuu thinks it may be time to rethink her open-door policy, because at this rate she won’t have a door anymore.

Jade’s last words echo in Yuu’s mind.

Expire eventually…expire eventually…expire eventually…

Yuu pulls the cover closer to her chest. She is not going to expire.

—

Of course, when Grim returns, he is not alone.

Nope, Yuu cannot have a single evening where she is alone in Ramshackle and actually being productive. Ace and Deuce’s notebooks have been abandoned on her dresser, keeping Jack’s cactus gift company. 

Even wearing masks, Yuu can tell Jamil is not pleased with the turn of events. His eyebrows furrowed together in the slightest way, his arms were crossed, and he was looking at Kalim as if fearing he is going to catch whatever Yuu is having with just three seconds of eye-contact.

A slight pull on the back of Kalim’s shirt brings the boy back to where Jamil is standing, on the opposite side of the room. Better safe than sorry; the last thing Jamil wants is for Kalim to get sick. 

“Yuu! How are you? It’s been so, so long since I’ve seen you and I was wondering if you finally found a way to get back home and left without saying goodbye, but then we bumped into Grim and he told us you were super sick!”

Kalim’s words tumble one after another, and Yuu can’t help but think to herself how Kalim’s presence is refreshing in every way. Honest and genuine and true. 

“Well we wanted to check up on you to make sure you’re not dying, because Grim said it was really serious…”

Yuu makes a mental note to have a chat with Grim later because, for the fifth time, she is not dying.

Or expiring.

She really wishes she could return Kalim’s energy, but all she could do at the moment was frown, look between Kalim and Jamil, and point at her throat.

“You lost your voice?” Jamil asks. 

Yuu nods and tries to speak again, but her “yes” is hoarse and charred. It was as if her throat was igneous rock, with its cracks and grooves and residuous heat emanating from dried lava. It hurt to speak, and it hurt more to see the expressions on the boys’ faces. 

“That really…sucks.”

“Yeah you sound horrible.”

“Can we get you anything?” Kalim asks, looking around as if the answer was in the room. Jamil’s eyes also sweep over the area but he doesn’t wait for an answer, already beginning to pick up the various cups and plates on the dresser and nightstand.

“Oooh, let me help too!” 

Jamil gives him a resounding no and follows it up with a “Just-just don’t touch anything” upon seeing the sorrowful expression on Kalim’s face.

I don’t need any help. It’s alright. Thank you but I’ll manage.

Words of protest are out of Yuu’s reach and all she can do is watch helplessly as Jamil walks about the room and cleans what he can. The slightest of their bickering ensues when Jamil heads to the kitchen and Kalim follows, but Kalim reappears in Yuu’s room shortly after, looking somewhat forlorn.

He recovers immediately upon seeing Yuu, and begins to regale the minutiae of student life since her absence. Yuu wrestles with her initial FOMO and eventually finds a unique comfort in Kalim’s tales. 

Jamil returns as Kalim begins telling Yuu how he was going to throw a party this weekend.

“Oh, but I want you to go! Maybe I should postpone it another few days…”

“Here! I made you some tea,” Jamil interjects loudly, diverting Kalim’s attention from a possible postponement because that would be more work. And Jamil already arranged for the animals to come in this weekend.

He hands Yuu one mug and Kalim another. Jamil’s mug is set on the dresser. The aroma is new to Yuu, and she takes a tentative sip. The liquid is hot on her tongue, but the slight natural sweetness makes up for it.

“It’s Anise tea,” he explains. “It’s good for you, full of antioxidants. Also, not caffeinated.”

Kalim perks up. “My favorite! I always drink it whenever I have tummy aches.”

“This is really good, thank you!” Yuu tries her best to articulate her sentence, but her throat burns and it’s not because of the steaming tea.

“Don’t talk,” Jamil commands.

Yuu’s attempt is swiftly struck down. For a fraction of a second, Yuu thinks it is because of his unique magic and then realizes it was just his direct tone and also the fact that she couldn’t speak even if she wanted to.

She and Jamil listen to Kalim’s stories as he continues, thankfully moving past the party topic. Yuu in her bed, head propped against a pillow. Kalim rests on the foot of the bed, much to Jamil’s dismay. And Jamil sits on a chair he had pulled out, beside Kalim. They each sip from their respective cup. The tea has cooled to a gentle temperature; warm, but not scalding. A soft kiss presses Yuu’s lips every time she lifts the mug.

Kalim twines stories together effortlessly, each separate one braided into the other as if it were always intended as one big story. Even the most mundane things became of vital importance when he spoke of them. His hands move wildly and each gesture makes each detail all the more thrilling.

Heartslabyul’s visit was loud and boisterous, thoughtful friends keeping Yuu company. Savanaclaw, relaxed, giving Yuu what she needs in the moment. Octavinelle, a little scary. Yuu’s ribs still hurt from where Floyd’s elbow jabbed, but she did score a coupon she was sure Azul made just for her. Where one might expect ulterior motives, Yuu found a strange and rare kindness shifting just below.

But Scarabia, Scarabia’s visit was comforting. She needn’t talk. She needn’t entertain, nor argue. She could just listen. And listen she did, until all the tea had been sipped and all the stories spoken. 

The mug was promptly plucked from Yuu’s hands (Yuu had learned not to object), washed, and put to dry. Jamil gives Yuu directions on how to make the tea again, placing a small container of Anise seeds on the dresser.

Yuu mouthed a “thank you” in his direction, and hoped it would convey how truly grateful she was. Jamil gave a brief smile he was not quick enough to catch and Kalim beamed.

The pair leaves late evening, but a lingering and fulfilling feeling remains.

Not too long after, Grim comes back. As it turns out, he did go to Heartslabyul and he came back with physical evidence in the form of another one of Trey’s pots. Not broth this time, but a zucchini soup. From the Botanical Garden, Grim relays.

“Oh yeah, I bumped inta Epel on my way back and–”

Grim is lounging on Yuu’s bed, but Yuu makes sure to face him properly, her expression serious.

“If you tell anyone else I’m sick I’ll—”

Yuu’s voice is practically gone, but she makes sure to enunciate every single word. “I’ll kill you.”

But it doesn’t sound like a threat. 

Grim thinks that, if anything, Yuu is closer to death’s door right now than anyone.

Chapter Text

Yuu talks to herself the next morning, a testament that her voice had indeed returned. She narrated her actions and thoughts like a mantra: I am currently steeping tea and I will let it sit for at least three minutes; I am going to actually sit down and study and I will not get distracted; I will not have an elaborate breakdown in front of my peers. 

It was good to have her voice back. Grim had looked at her like she was crazy, shaking his head in disbelief and muttering to himself about the disease spreading to her sanity. 

“I am not in the early stages of schizophrenia,” she tells him. Her voice is still husky, rough around the edges like a sharp rock. The Anise seeds Jamil and Kalim gifted her were ocean waves, dulling the jaggedness of her voice and soothing the lingering sting. 

She feels extra tired that morning. She’s not sure why because she hasn’t done much of anything in the past few days. Yesterday, Yuu considered attending classes the next day, but when she woke up, her body oozed fatigue, feet dragging sluggishly from the bedroom, to the bathroom, to the kitchen, and back to the bedroom. A loop she had walked so many times the floorboards were discolored from the frequency. Or maybe they were always that fainted color. 

Each day felt the same to her, only highlighted by which visitor came and when, and time slipped from her grasp like sand in a sieve. She has physical education today, she realizes. 

“Skip!” her mind told her. Yuu doesn’t fancy running three laps around the school. Vargas would insist on it, regardless of her condition.

Not feeling well is no excuse to shirk class, he would say. In fact, it proves that you must work even harder to build your body, hone your muscles so that they do not betray you. 

And then he would make Yuu drop and give him fifty and she would die. 

So yeah, skip. 

Trudging back into her bedroom, Yuu looks at herself in the mirror. To say she is a mess is a serious understatement. She hasn’t showered in five days. Her hair is tangled and beyond taming. She’s been rotting in the same clothes since she got sick. Her skin hasn’t felt the sun’s rays and it’s definitely beginning to show. And her limbs feel like they’re about to fall off.

And. Her nose is still plugged. Congestion is no joke.

Right there and then, Yuu decides it's finally time to take a shower. She is a foreigner in her own flesh, a sweaty blob, and she is frankly disgusted with herself. There’s no way she can sit down and do work when she smells like an Ignihyde student who’s been grinding game achievements for who knows how long.

Most of the time she showers at Heartslabyul. Because Heartslabyul has the beautiful, delightful, phenomenal privilege of hot water. In Ramshackle hot water is an alien concept. Warm(ish) water lasts for a solid six seconds and instantly transforms into water derived straight from glaciers. The first time she stepped into the Ramshackle shower, her body went straight into a cold shock response and Yuu swore she turned into an icicle. Grim tried to warm her up with his fire magic but nearly burned down the house and Yuu had the clever idea to rely on a hairdryer instead of becoming permanently houseless.

A trip to Heartslabyul doesn’t sound particularly appealing at the moment so Yuu takes a few moments to give herself a pep talk out loud: The water is not that cold and I will soon be warm and clean; Grim did not use my soap bar; I will not die of hypothermia. 

Maybe it’s because the issue with the water heater had been fixed, or maybe it’s because Yuu really does have some sort of mantra-related magic after all, but the shower temperature is not as bad as Yuu remembers it. It’s lukewarm at best, but she welcomes it with outstretched arms and a happy heart. 

The best thing is that the slight heat from the water helped unclog her nose. She breathes in deeply and exhales slowly without resistance as the water ebbs away the soap on her hair. She almost forgot what that feels like.

It feels so good to be clean!

It feels so good to breathe!!

For all of several minutes because the moment Yuu steps out of the shower her right nostril is plugged right back up. At least she knows her nose is fully capable of functioning and her lungs haven’t forgotten how to work. 

Perhaps that is the reason why Yuu hasn’t been able to retain any Alchemy-related information. Oxygen deprivation.

Yuu is drying her hair and Grim is giving Azul’s coupon a curious look (probably thinking it’s too good to be true) when she hears a brief knock. 

This particular visit comes as no surprise to Yuu; the second Grim mentioned bumping into Epel yesterday evening, she knew there was no way for this visit to be avoided. For one, Epel is a friend and he is bound to be worried. Additionally, knowing Rook’s, ah, extensive knowledge regarding the states and whereabouts of most students on campus, it’s more of a surprise that Pomefiore hadn’t come to see her earlier. No doubt Vil came along to observe the niceties of visiting the ill. The three of them are wearing masks, which Yuu is grateful for because she isn’t sure if Rook would survive Vil getting sick. 

Or if she would survive Rook.

Yuu’s timing for a long overdo shower is impeccable. Smelling like sweat and grime when Vil visits would be its own tragedy. 

“I hope this morning is treating you well,” Vil greets. He does not wrinkle his nose when he extends a curious package out to her, which Yuu takes as a good sign. “We brought you this as a get-well gift, it should help with your congestion. It’s not exactly part of the ‘current market,’ so use it frugally. You won’t be getting another.” 

Yuu grins at the trio and turns the container over in her hands. It seems to be a cream of some sort. “How’d you know I have congestion?”

“It is a classic symptom of illness, non? To some, it is the biggest nuisance of all,” Rook says. He places his right hand over his heart as a way to greet her. Somehow Yuu doubts Pomefiore students are included in that “some.” Feeling sick under Vil’s strict, thorough regimen is highly improbable.

“Hey Yuu! We just wanted to see how you’re doing.”

Even with the mask Yuu can tell Epel is smiling with the way his eyes crinkle, and she returns it. It’s been ages since she’s seen him. Even longer since she, him, Ace, Deuce, and Jack all hung out together. Maybe when she gets better, they can all go to Sam’s and get some ice-cream to celebrate or something. That sounds nice.

“I think I’m doing a little better? It’s as Rook says, congestion is a nuisance. I feel a little lethargic too but I’m otherwise alright.”

At the word lethargic, Vil gives a small frown.

“Any plans for the day?” he asks innocently, but his gaze is firm and his eyes unwavering.

Yuu shrugs. “I was just gonna lay in bed again, maybe study if I feel up for it. Nothing special.”

“You will not.”

Epel and Rook look at Vil. Epel with his eyebrows furrowed, and Rook with a glowing smile.

Yuu looks at Vil with confusion. “Yes, I will? What do you mean I won’t?”

Even Grim turns to look, his tail swishing, but he does not say anything, preferring to avoid being dragged into whatever shenanigans Pomefiore is planning to rope Yuu into. She’s on her own this time.

“You will not. You will join us for a walk.”

“A walk?” Epel echoes, then protests, “But she’s sick!”

Vil turns to Epel and wiggles a single, slender finger in the air. “Don’t underestimate the power of a quick walk, it can do wonders. For the body, yes, but also the mind. If you feel like rot, you will rot.”

Rook hums in agreement. “Just as the body can affect the mind, so too can the mind affect the body. Come, it would be a shame to waste such a magnificent day.”

“Change,” Vil commands, looking at Yuu’s patterned pajamas up and down. It’s a fresh set but it’s no proper attire. “We will wait for you outside.”

“It will be a short walk, do not fret,” he adds. The click-clack of his shoes follows him down the stairs, Rook leaving behind him.

Epel looks apologetic. “Let’s go Yuu. I don’t recko—I don’t think Vil’ll take no for an answer…” 

Yuu heaves a heavy sigh as she watches Epel round the corner. It’s always one thing after another. It doesn’t seem like she’s gonna get much studying today either.

A loud yawn escapes Grim, and Yuu turns. His arms are stretched, claws digging into the carpet. “Have fun Yuu,” he smirks.

“If you wanna stay cooped up in here, fine,” she huffs. “But do not use my coupon. Azul gave it to me, and I fully intend to use it.”

“I wasn’t gonna,” Grim tells her unconvincingly. He sticks his tongue out.

Yuu returns the gesture. 

—

And so, for the first time in four days, Yuu left Ramshackle. And how wondrous it was. 

The weather is decent today. The sun is out but the slight breeze passing through the trees keeps Yuu from overheating, tickling her face with a refreshing coolness. Following every soft whip of wind is a sigh from Yuu, awaiting the next one to pass through. 

They are heading to the courtyard, Vil calls from ahead.

Gravel crunches from beneath Yuu and Epel’s footsteps mostly. Vil and Rook do not make a sound as they walk. Vil learned how to carry himself in this manner in order to exude elegance, or maybe as to not attract unwanted attention. As for Rook…well, he most likely developed this skill well before enrolling in Night Raven College. Huntsmen should always be light on their feet so as to not startle their prey. 

Yuu and Epel, on the other hand, drag their feet. Albeit unintentionally. It doesn’t stop Vil from looking back at them with a quirked up brow. Epel picks his feet up, but a few minutes after Vil turns back, his shuffles are back. Yuu initially believes it to be a habit, like her own, but downcast eyes and a repressed grin on Epel’s face suggests he may be doing this on purpose.

The quiet chirping of birds and the scuttling of rodents on tree branches attract Yuu’s attention. She whips her head around to catch glimpses of robins taking flight and squirrels burying their nuts before the winter whenever she can. Leaves of fainted green and yellow mark the beginning of a proper autumn. Some clouds pass overhead every now and then, making everything look gray, but they never linger long enough to induce a chill. If Yuu looked a little closer to her left, she may have been able to spot a silver-haired boy amidst the forest, asleep against the trunk of a magnificent oak.

Her life as a student has been really stressful lately. On top of exams, she’s had to deal with overblot after overblot, and Crowley still hasn’t found a way for Yuu to return back home. But here, along the gravel paths on campus, some so hidden you might miss them, Yuu feels quiet. At peace even.

Vil and Rook are engaged in their own hushed conversation up ahead, no doubt discussing dorm-related topics and whether the freshmen are up to par with their expectations. Side by side, Epel and Yuu walk at a slower pace with their arms linked, with brief quips interrupting the stillness every now and then.

Didja see that squirrel? It was so fat!

Glad Grim didn’t come along. I don’t really wanna have to pull any small animals out of his mouth.

They may be short, mundane comments at a glance, but does every conversation have to be deep in order to be of value? Good company is good company, regardless of the content of the dialogue.

Yuu thought she’d be out of breath by now, but the walk isn’t nearly as bad as she feared it would be. It’s nice to finally be outside after so long and the air is really quite refreshing. Although she would be enjoying it more if her nose was working properly. As soon as she gets back she’s trying the product Vil gifted her immediately. 

“Gosh Yuu, ah ain’t seen ya in a month of Sundays,” Epel notes, kicking a pebble along the path. Every three steps or so, they’ll reach the same pebble and he’ll kick it again a little further ahead. 

Yuu smiles. “I missed you too, Epel.”

“Madder than a wet hen, he is,” Epel says in a hush, jabbing a thumb at Vil’s back, “fer makin’ ya walk when yer ill.”

Epel kicks the stone a smidge too hard and it bumps into Vil’s heel. He turns back to look at the pair, a scowl on his face. Epel has the decency to look sheepish.

Yuu laughs. “Perhaps…but I can’t say he wasn’t right. It’s a little counterintuitive, but I feel a little more refreshed somehow.”

They soon reach the courtyard, Rook announcing their arrival with a flourish and several dramatic words before heading to the well to draw up water for the four of them.

An echo of thanks passes around as he offers a cup to Vil first, then Yuu, then Epel, before indulging in a cup himself. They sit beneath the tree for a short while, exchanging gossip and the occasional complaint (mostly from Yuu about Alchemy) before Vil stands up and claps his hands, announcing it is time for them to return.

“Ah, Trickster, if you find you are too exhausted to make the journey back,” Rook winks, “I am not opposed to carrying you. I shall never ignore a damsel in distress!” 

It is a tease and not a proposal, Yuu knows, but the image of Rook carrying her all the way back to Ramshackle is tad humorous, though that has nothing to do with Yuu doubting Rook’s strength. Epel stifles a snort, and even Vil turns to look at Rook quizzically. 

Yuu rolls her eyes, but a smile creeps at her lips. “How noble of you. I’m sure I can manage though.”

The quartet make their way back to Ramshackle (each person carrying only themselves). This time, Vil walks behind with Yuu, leaving Rook and Epel to lead the way back up the path to Ramshackle. There is no conversation on the way back, but it is not an uncomfortable silence. Exhaustion sneaks up on Yuu as they near the iron fence surrounding Ramshackle, and she cannot help but look forward to laying down in her bed. She can study later.

“Thanks for the stroll, by the way. I think I just needed to get away from that house for a bit,” Yuu says suddenly. It turns out a change of scenery wasn’t all that bad.

“Of course, and I would not have suggested it if you were severely bedridden,” Vil motions, matter-of-factly, “Sluggishness is a disease itself and it does not do well to molder in one’s bed. I have no doubt that you will recover soon enough.”

Yuu opens her mouth to say thank you, but remembers she’s already done so. Vil doesn’t seem like the kind of person who wants to be profusely thanked, and she does not want to sound like a broken and insincere record.

In front of her front door, the three Pomefiore students bid Yuu farewell. Vil makes her promise to update him on the effectiveness of the cream he gifted her, Rook emphasizes how he had a merveilleux time on their outing today, and Epel gives Yuu a quick salute and wishes her a speedy recovery so that they may hang out again soon.

Yuu doesn’t realize how tired she is until she has to climb the stairs back up to her bedroom. The stroll was nice, but she was out practically all day and her legs threatened to give out during the last few minutes of the walk back. A quick rest sounds incredibly appealing at the moment and studying for Alchemy is out of the question.

With half-lidded eyes threatening to close completely, Yuu applies the creme to her face, concentrating it on the area right below her nose. Her bed is practically irresistible. As her head sinks further into her pillow, Yuu takes a deep inhale in, her first in so long, and gives in to a short nap that soon evolves into a restful, four hours of sleep.

Naturally, when Yuu awakes, she is disoriented. For two whole seconds she considers getting up to review Alchemy notes but with her bed warm and her nose clear, she is no sooner dragged back into a gaping slumber.

She'll study...tomorrow.

Chapter Text

It seems that this condition has warranted Yuu an in-person visit from Night Raven College’s very own Resident Shut-In™, Idia Shroud. Absolutely no tablet in sight. Yuu would be flattered if only he wasn’t tucked away in the corner of her bedroom, muttering to himself in a voice not quite quiet enough for Yuu not to hear. 

Something about being dragged here against his will?

That much Yuu could figure out on her own, if the short robotic boy beside her was any indication. Ortho and Idia were a package deal after all; where one went, the other was bound to follow. It was Ortho who initially wanted to pay Yuu a visit and Idia could never turn down a direct request from his younger brother to accompany him.

Still, no matter how much Idia rambled on nonsensically about a limited-edition item in the game shop that he absolutely has to grind ASAP to get (it’s life or death for him and very serious), his eyes had softened when he first saw Yuu in her disheveled state. That has to mean something.

Whatever was in Vil’s creme worked wonders for her congestion, but it could not cure the cough that clawed up her throat, rearing its ugly, wet head. It had switched from dry to wet sometime within the past day or so, which Yuu surmises is a good thing because it means her body is trying to expel whatever nasty stuff is inside her.

It also couldn’t cure the days of sleepless nights Yuu suffered through. While Idia himself had pretty impressive eye bags, he was nothing compared to Yuu, who dethroned him as the Eye Bag Final Boss within two days of her illness’s onset. 

The updated ranking of NRC students with the most insane eye bags is as follows:

Number one, Yuu (thank you mysterious illness).

Number two, Idia Shroud (dethroned).

Number three, Jamil Viper (for obvious reasons).

Staying up late was most definitely not a voluntary choice for Yuu. The times that she did sleep were frequently interrupted and utterly unsatisfying. At least she had no school tomorrow and the day after. Three days should be plenty to make a full and proper recovery.

Three days…

Three days?

The Alchemy Exam is in three days!

And Yuu hasn’t studied at all!  

“Yuu, are you alright?” Ortho’s bright eyes widen when Yuu suddenly shoots up from her position on the bed. “Your cortisol levels just spiked threefold.”

Yuu liked his eyes. Despite being of a mechanical nature, they were friendly and gentle now and showed no sign of shifty glances or a hidden agenda. Unlike pretty much everyone else here. Had Ortho threatened to blow up the school on multiple occasions? Yeah. But at least he spoke his mind. 

Since Ortho is immune to all disease, he took it upon himself to get ultra-close to Yuu and run her vitals as soon as he and Idia came in. But even he, who has many massive internal databanks, could not discern what exactly was currently afflicting Ramshackle’s prefect. 

“Maybe it has to do with new pathogens you haven't built an immunity for?” Ortho had offered. “It is a new world.”

A plausible explanation. But also a really sucky one because that meant there was no label, no research, and therefore no cure. 

WHO CARES. THE ALCHEMY EXAM IS IN THREE DAYS. AND YUU KNOWS NOTHING.

She has half a mind to storm into…wherever the Night Raven College staff reside and ask Professor Crewel for an extension. Or better yet, a cancellation. 

Please, please, please let me wake up to news that Crewel cancelled that exam just for me. Please!!!!

She has one quarter a mind to storm into Crowley’s office and demand that he send her home. Right. Now.

(And the very last quarter of her mind just wanted to give up and go back to sleep. Maybe she could sleep through everything? One hundred years should be enough.)

“No, I’m not okay Ortho! Crewel’s exam is in three days and I don’t know anything!” Yuu cries, covering her face with her hands. But she knew that no matter how little she could see or how dark it got, even if she did sleep for a century, she could not will away tomorrow from arriving. Or the day after. Or the day after. Time will continue to pass, along with its trials and tribulations, however minor they might seem. 

An exam today, an overblot tomorrow. Or something like that.

Ortho gives her a sympathetic pat on the shoulder and she peeks out from behind her fingers to see Idia shifting on his feet with a small gaming console in hand.

Timidly, he makes his way over to Yuu and holds out the device for her to take.

“H-here. You should probably study but if you’re bored n stuff n want a distraction I’ve got some p. good games on this thing. FPS, role-playing, visual novel—W-well! You get the idea!” Idia seems to catch himself rambling and shoves the console into Yuu’s hands. “I’ll prolly be online later tonight if you wanna share game codes and play. But, like, no pressure or anything…”

Yuu meets Idia’s shy gaze with a kind one. She turns the game console over in her hands. It looks to be one of the newer models. Yuu recalls Ace gushing over a newly-released console not too long ago, practically salivating over the product details and features listed on his phone. Epel and Deuce seemed interested in it as well. All three of their gazes were filled with a sad longing. The item was well outside all of their budgets. Even if they pooled all their savings together, they wouldn’t be able to pay for half of the item’s retail price. Such are the financial limitations of today’s youth…

And now it was in Yuu’s hands. Until she gets better of course; this is a borrowed good.

Yuu glows. “I’d love that, thanks Idia! I’ll send you a DM and we can play later tonight.”

The tips of his ears turn red, the ends of his hair taking on a pinkish hue. Idia stammers out a response that Yuu can’t quite make out, but she gets the gist anyway. 

“For the exam,” Ortho starts, “I can compile information from various beginner Alchemy textbooks and synthesize a practice test for you. Filling it out on your own can aid in memory retrieval and increase your chances of receiving a passing mark on the actual exam by at least forty-two percent!”

Oh yeah, the exam.

“Wait, that’d actually be so helpful! Would you, Ortho?”

“Done! I sent a file to your phone.”

Both Shroud brothers clutched up for Yuu, HARD. She starts to formulate a plan in her head. She can take a couple of the practice exams, check her answers, review her notes, play a round of a game as a reward, take another few practice exams, then repeat the process.

It’s either this or ask Ortho to blow up the whole school with his technomantic energy beam. Yuu has a feeling that Ortho would actually comply with the second request, and that the consequences would be disastrous. (Still, it is a bit tempting.)

Yuu had wanted the two to stay longer, but Idia’s social battery ran out mid-sentence and he stared at the floor in silence for a whole minute before Ortho suggested they make their way back to the dorm. After giving Ortho another flurry of thanks that could not possibly encompass her gratitude and wishing Idia good luck with acquiring the limited-edition weapon, Yuu waves goodbye. 

As the two Ignihyde students take their leave, Ortho calls out, “Be sure to actually study! Being sick isn’t all fun and games!” Yuu smiles to herself.

The next few minutes in Ramshackle are filled with an unnatural quietness. Grim is in class, and should be getting out soon. Yuu could get started on those practice exams in the meantime. 

Orrrrrrrrr Yuu could take a look at the gaming console and try to figure out the controls. Aaaaand maybe text Ace and Deuce and Epel and see if they want to come over and play on it. 

Is it a horrible decision? No, because Yuu fully intends to do the practice exams while waiting for Ace, Deuce, and Epel to get here (they all instantly replied “yes” all in caps with a zillion fire emojis). 

Could she have made a better decision, for example by not inviting anyone over and dedicating her evening to studious behaviors? Absolutely.

But at least it’s not a horrible decision!

—

Yuu wore a mask so as to not drench her friends in her wet cough, and sat in the middle so that Ace, Deuce, and Epel could all see the screen. Grim’s fur tickles the base of her neck from his position on the back of the downstairs couch, peering over her shoulder.

She is currently engaged in a very intense, first-person shooter game and everyone seems to have an opinion.

Grim threatens to burst her eardrums. “GO TO THE LEFT, GO TO THE LEFT! YOUR OTHER LEFT!!”

“RELOAD RELOAD RELOAD RELOAD!!!!” Ace screeches at the top of his lungs, repeating the word so many times it almost loses its meaning.

“I’m trying!” Yuu’s voice is desperate and hoarse. Epel has a death drip on her arm from stress and she swore it was cutting off circulation to her fingers. 

She’s out of bullets and their team is down to three people: her, Idia, and someone named Muscle Red, who Idia has been online friends with for a while now. 

“DON’T GO THAT WAY. GO THE OTHER WAY!” Deuce leans over Epel to get a better look at the game map, which is teeny tiny on this device. She’s sure this game is meant to be played on a PC. It’s a miracle she’s survived this long.

“WHAT OTHER WAY??? THERE IS NO OTHER WAY, THIS IS THE ONLY WAY.”

It’s too late anyway. Someone from the other team landed a well-timed headshot and the screen went gray with a white “You Died” text appearing for several seconds. Yuu is further humiliated by her killer emoting on top of her corpse. 

Epel’s grip on her hand relaxes and Ace and Deuce speak simultaneously as the screen shifts to spectating Gloomerai.

“I told you to reload!”

“I KNEW there was someone hiding behind that pillar.”

Idia was a lot more supportive than Yuu thought he’d be, giving her pointers and texting “gg” in the chat box when their team eventually lost. Even Muscle Red notes that she is slowly but surely improving. 

They play again, this time with Epel on the console. Idia dies early on and Muscle Red follows shortly, after a failed attempt at reviving him.

“Dude, how are you so good??” Deuce asks Epel. He had strategically placed a trap right where a player from the other team stepped not a moment later, killing them instantly. “Is this your first time playing?”

Epel gives a wide grin and says, “Yeah, actually!”

“NO FAIR,” Grim yells. “I WANNA PLAY NEXT!”

“No offense Grim,” Ace replies, “but these kinds of games aren’t really designed for cats.” 

“I ain’t no cat!” Grim huffs, and is about to retort further when Epel starts shooting at someone behind the corner.

“GET HIM, GET HIM. THAT’S THE GUY WHO KILLED ME!” Yuu screams, shaking Deuce beside her. “AVENGE ME!”

Ace fully stands up in disbelief when Epel is killed by the same person. “AIMBOT AIMBOT, THEY HAVE AIMBOT!! THEY’RE OBVIOUSLY CHEATING!” 

Epel groans, “I was so close…” before handing the console over to Deuce, who’s up next.

“Ooh look, that guy signed up for another round!” Ace says, pointing at the screen. “Get him Deuce.”

“I will.”

Unfortunately determination does not compensate for skill, and Deuce is quickly killed within the first forty-one seconds of the round.

“Didja even TRY?” Grim bellows. “Give it to me!!”

“Okay Grim, then Ace, then it’s back to me okay? And don’t break it Grim, I have to give it back to Idia later, remember?”

“Yeah, yeah. I know.”

Grim is. Not much better. Actually, he’s worse because he was killed by the same guy and rage quit so hard, the blue fire emanating from his ears burst into two big flames and Yuu had to carry him from the nape of his neck to shrink them back down. 

“we NEED to kill this guy,” types Idia in the chat box. 

“They can’t keep getting away with it,” Muscle Red replies.

“Maybe we should sic Grim on them,” Yuu says aloud, and her friends give a hearty noise of agreement, Grim louder than everyone else.

Their mission is set. Idia, Muscle Red, and Team Yuu (Yuu plus Deuce, Grim, Epel, and Ace) versus This Guy.

Yuu’s cough becomes more aggressive as the night continues, from all the screaming, and shouting, and general lack of rest. In the back of her mind, she imagines Vil looking at her in immense disappointment and yelling a few harsh things that she knows are definitely warranted. She doesn’t want to think about the consequences of three freshmen being outside of their dorms at this late hour. Riddle’s been trying his best to be a bit more lax about all the rules and such, but even this is a bit too far. 

But she can’t think about that right now. One, because those aren’t her consequences to bear. And two, because she’s just spotted the back of her killer and is in perfect position to take a shot. 

Epel, Ace, Deuce, and Grim don’t dare to speak or move. They don’t dare to breathe. It’s been hours, countless rounds, and this guy still has not been killed by their hands. 

This is it, the culmination of all her practice amounts to these next seconds. It’s just her and This Guy. 

Yuu has the bullets. Yuu has the ideal vantage point. Yuu has the eerie calmness required for the perfect execution.

Yuu also has the misfortune of an ill-timed cough. 

She shoots. She misses. She hears all four boys yell something that would surely get them into big trouble. And the opposing player, her sworn nemesis as of four hours ago, turns on her.

“This is it…” Yuu thinks. “I’m done for.”

But then suddenly! Yuu’s hero emerges!

And it is none other than user Gloomerai.

One single bullet is all it takes to take the enemy down, and the room erupts into loud cheers. Epel and Deuce do a little dance, Ace gives a standing ovation, Grim whoops, and Yuu spams the chat box with OMGOMGOMGOMG, THANKYOU THANK YOUUU THANK YOU, and MY HEROOOOOO AAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!

Idia celebrates by gloriously dancing over the player’s dead body and Yuu joins him, the two of them emoting over the player that caused her so much strife. Hashtag bonding moment. 

Yuu accidentally glances at the clock, registering the time before her eyes had a chance to wander elsewhere. Yuu is slack-jawed. It’s late, really late. Or maybe really early, depending on how you look at it. So much so that the sky was beginning to lighten, and a new dawn was about to caress Sage’s Island.

Ace, Deuce, and Epel seemed to come to the same realization simultaneously. The three of them grabbed their things at a record-breaking speed, all frantic about the same thing.

“Housewarden Riddle-” Ace and Deuce say.

“Housewarden Vil-” Epel agonizes.

“Is going to kill me!” they all finish. 

And with a “Had fun, thanks for having us over. Sorry gottago byeeeee,” they’re out the door with the briefest of goodbyes and the sincerest of apologies.

Yuu doesn’t even make it to her bed. She falls asleep right there on the couch, the game console held tightly to her chest.

Chapter Text

Staying up yesterday was a mistake, is Yuu’s first thought when she wakes up the next afternoon. As much as she wished, she could not will herself off the couch. She’s sure sleeping there didn’t help at all, if the crick in her neck is anything to go by. 

Yuu thought she was improving, she really did. Her symptoms come and go, wax and wane. Maybe it is the result of foreign pathogens in this world, as Ortho suggested, their effects on her body unpredictable and entirely illogical. Desperately, she flips through Ace’s and Deuce’s notebooks and the files Ortho sent her but the simple sight of words and text is nauseating and everything just looks like a blur of intelligible letters. Even if she felt well enough to read, it was not enough to remember. 

Every day since her illness began, she thought that tomorrow she would get better, and that tomorrow she would then study. But every tomorrow has brought pesky symptoms and general lassitude, and now she is in no condition to study and Crewel’s exam is in two days. She can feel every tick of the clock urging her body to go faster, her mind to work harder. To do something about it. Anxious emotion swells and churns in the pit of her stomach. 

But that is not all.

Her symptoms had taken a sharp turn overnight, worsening so much so that Grim had vacated Ramshackle entirely. Yup, Grim, who had been beside her through her whole illness, left. 

Yuu would be lying if she said she didn’t feel at least a little bit abandoned. But at the same time, she couldn’t really hold it against him. It’s not a lot of fun pacing around Ramshackle on your day off, watching your sick housemate suffer and frantically rifle through ten papers trying to cram all sorts of information into her brain like a madwoman. 

Her stress probably rubbed off on Grim and he didn’t want to deal with that. He had simply leapt off the armchair, giving her one last indecipherable look before leaving wordlessly and looking rather determined.

Frustrated at the not-so-good decision of staying up playing games yesterday, Yuu decides the best punishment was to swear off playing games on Idia’s console until further notice. It sat on her dresser but it wasn’t lonely. 

She had quite an assortment of gifts from her friends there already. Despite her annoyance (directed towards herself mostly) she had placed the game device beside Trey’s cleaned pots with utmost care. She finished the last of it only yesterday, though that broth felt like eons ago.

A toddler might throw themselves upon the floor and cry when they feel an emotion they are not yet equipped to process. Yuu couldn’t even do that. Any dramatic bodily movement and weeping would take energy, of which Yuu had very little. There is something else gnawing at her bones too. Something unrelated to the exam.

It is akin to standing in a desert at night with no compass and no knowledge of how to decipher the position of the stars. Sand beneath her feet shifts unpredictably and great dunes tower overhead, slithering like great black snakes poised to strike. Every step forward is a fight she isn’t sure she can win. All that stands before her is a vast expanse of nothingness. If she is not careful, it may very well swallow her whole.

Or perhaps it is akin to drifting in a small boat in the middle of the ocean. Wind does not bless the sail, and the lack of oars means dark waves dictate her direction. That is more favorable still than facing the reality of endless miles of the unknown lurking down below. The ocean may beckon whilst one stands on the shore, innocent and glittering beneath the yellow sun. But being lured in spells certain death for the unprepared.

How frightening it is to be so lost, so alone. How frightening it is to realize one knows nothing at all, at the mercy of a world that is not even one’s own.

A bang at her door forces Yuu to shove these creeping thoughts down. 

“Good news, my loyal hench-human!” Grim calls from downstairs. He’s accompanied by several others, and although Yuu cannot see her visitors yet, she knows exactly who they are. 

One boisterous voice argues with a much softer one, and a boy with a deep voice chides the two for speaking so loudly.

“The sick need their rest,” she hears Lilia say from below. “We’ll only stay a short while.”

Grim enters with three boys and Yu nearly weeps at the sight of her friends. This is unbelievably perfect timing on Grim’s part.

“Yuu!” Lilia greets. He’s holding a large, silver pot. Yuu assumes the worst.

“I made you food!”

Yup, Yuu was right.

Silver and Sebek shoot each other a glance and look at Yuu with nothing but pure panic in their eyes. Silver’s mouth moves to form words Yuu is sure is an apology. Sebek’s eyes tell Yuu, “We tried our best. He could not be dissuaded.”

Lilia’s cooking is infamous among Night Raven College, both students and staff alike. You don’t have to taste it to know it tastes bad. 

Lilia uncovers the pot’s lid, unleashing a charred scent, the amalgamation of several ingredients and spices that are definitely not meant to be mixed together. Much less eaten. 

“Um, thanks Lilia.” Yuu offers Lilia a smile, hoping it does not come across as a grimace. “You can just put it on my dresser for now.”

The smell of the food—could it even be called that?—burns the hairs in Yuu’s nose and threatens to draw tears from her eyes. Every fiber of her quivers at the thought of consuming this black substance. Doing so would go against all her survival instincts.`

Making food for a sick friend is a kind gesture, yes, and she knows he means well. But eating whatever it is that Lilia made, especially considering her current condition, will surely lead to immediate hospitalization and she could not afford that right now.

Grim seems to grasp the situation as well, leaping on her bed and drawing everyone’s attention to the white envelope tucked in his collar before Lilia has a chance to give Yuu a bowl

“Grim, what’s this?” Yuu asks, tugging the paper free. It smells faintly of cologne and the wax seal is a deep red. Engraved is a cursive C with strange dot patterns on the edges.

“Good news!” Grim replies simply. Glancing at Diasomnia’s students, he hastily adds, “Well, more of it.”

There is no name on the front. Yuu’s fingers break through the seal without a second thought, curious as to the contents of the envelope. Could it be a letter from Ace and Deuce? That couldn’t be. If they had something to say to Yuu, they would just text her or visit in person. 

But the C… 

Maybe it was from Cater? A letter didn’t seem his style either, and even if he did send one, it wouldn’t be so thin or elegant since he liked to accessorize. A letter from Cater would surely be thick and filled with pictures and colorful stickers everywhere. Yuu didn’t think the C stood for Clover either. 

Lilia, Silver, and Sebek were looking at Yuu perplexingly, as if they also had no idea who it could be from. 

Yuu clears her throat and reads the letter aloud. 

Dear Ramshackle Prefect,

Grim has alerted me to your current situation, and I must say I am thoroughly disappointed. I had told you from the first moment you stepped into my class that I would not stand for a single student failing my class, and that still holds true. Honestly, I thought your memory was better than this. Perhaps you need to be re-trained.

A wounded and whining pup requires assistance; it cannot recover on its own. And you especially cannot do so when you are stressing over an exam that could easily be postponed. Grim has informed me that you have been anxious about this exam, pushing yourself to study despite your body and mind’s desperate need for rest. 

While taking initiative is commendable, this situation clearly warrants a one-week exam extension. Don’t you know that stress only exacerbates illness? It is no wonder your health has not been improving. I only hope that in the future you will have the foresight to alert me when dire circumstances prevent you from performing to your utmost ability. I expect nothing less from both you and Grim.

Take care,

Divus Crewel

A momentary silence fills the room when Yuu finishes reading the letter. 

“Grim, you…you told Professor Crewel?” Yuu finally asks.

“Duh. I can’t stand watchin’ my hench-human freak out on me!” Grim says exasperatedly. “Figured it’s about time to do somethin’ about it, cuz you sure weren’t gonna!”

Yuu slumps in her bed and her hand’s grip on the envelope slacks. 

“Yuu, are you alright?” Silver asks, concern laced between his brows. Sebek makes a move like he’s about to shake Yuu’s shoulders, but Lilia moves to block him.

Yuu’s mouth is agape, her eyes glossy, like she’s looking at something that only she can see. She can’t believe Grim told Crewel. 

Grim went out of his way to ask for help on Yuu’s behalf. GRIM. 

And Professor Crewel agreeing? And writing her this whole letter?

Yuu realizes that all her previous assumptions about Professor Crewel had been fueled by school gossip, and are completely untrue. Professor Crewel is not cruel at all. He’s not vicious, or evil, or merciless. Despite his no-nonsense attitude, Crewel can be a bit kind. He may have a metaphorical leash on his students but he’s not tugging or pulling or dragging. His grip is relaxed.

Grim, Sebek, Silver, and Lilia’s expressions are laden with concern, and Grim begins to say something about whether telling Crewel was a good idea when Yuu starts to laugh.

Six days she’s been sick. Six days of persistent symptoms and profuse worrying over this horrid test. And the exam…was postponed one week, just like that. That’s all it took? Telling Crewel?? Explaining? That’s it????

It’s absolutely ridiculous! So ridiculous that Yuu can’t stop laughing!

All that worrying could have all been avoided! But she’s finally free! Free to rest, free to recover!

Yuu is so happy she could cry. Aware of present company, Yuu wills her tears not to spill and grabs Grim instead, crushing him between her arms and her chest in the tightest hug she’s ever given anyone. She buries her face in his grey coat, laughing then spitting out the fur that made it past her lips in sputters. 

“M-Myah! What're ya doin’?!” Grim tries to make an escape, but after several futile wiggles he gives up and resigns himself to his fate. “I’ll get–hmmf–SICK!” 

“Thank you, Grim!” Yuu says. Her voice is muffled but Grim hears nevertheless, his body vibrating with a slight purr he could not suppress. 

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever!”

“Really, human? THAT’S what this whole ordeal has been about?” Sebek scoffs much too loudly, but Yuu doesn’t even care to point out his volume anymore.

She’s free!

Lilia chuckles from his place in the room. “Khee hee! There’s nothing wrong with knowing your limits, you know.”

Silver nods in agreement, his eyes drooping despite the room’s noise levels. “It’s okay to ask for help,” he adds quietly.  

“I think this calls for a hearty, celebratory meal!” Lilia starts to uncover the lid of the pot, the only thing separating them from his...cooking.

“NO!” Yuu, Grim, Sebek, and Silver cry out in unison.

“No?”

“Er, well, what we mean is—”

“I actually ate not that long ago!”

“ME TOO! I’m still full—”

“Wait,” Silver says, very seriously. “Where’s Malleus?”

Sebek’s volume overtakes whatever Lilia is saying, nearly drowning him out completely.

“NOOOOOOOOO!!! MY LIEGE!!!!! I CANNOT FATHOM THAT HIS PRESENCE HAS GONE UNNOTICED!!”

“Did you tell Malleus that we were going to visit Ramshackle today?” Lilia asks, turning to Silver.

“THIS IS TRULY A TRAGEDY…WHAT SORT OF RETAINER AM I?”

“I thought you told him…”

Lilia sighs. “Well…no matter. I hope he isn’t too morose when we return.”

Yuu and Grim grasp little of the conversation, their minds still wrapped up in their celebration and relief that Yuu can fully focus on recovering.

Sebek is practically vomiting from tears at the oversight when Silver suggests they head out. Lilia gives another sigh and nods, steering an overemotional Sebek towards the door.

“Goodbye Yuu, we hope to see you soon when you’re fully recovered!”

Silver gives Yuu one last glance and smiles in a way that belongs to only him. His blueish-purplish eyes soften upon meeting Yuu’s, and he moves his hand to rest briefly on his chest. 

“Bye Yuu, rest well.”

Yuu’s face hurts from how wide her smile is.

Chapter Text

The floorboards of Yuu’s room sting the bottom of her feet like shards of ice digging into her heel. She had staggered about her room with her hands reaching out into the darkness to find the handles to her closet. A disgusting bile bubbles, threatening to make itself known and every cough she lets out is a risk. 

It is a rough night, rougher than any night since her illness began. Grim had abandoned her room and even the Ramshackle ghosts were nowhere to be seen. She’s been trying to sleep for several hours but her persistent cough keeps her awake along with an unpleasant, feverish fatigue.

A second pillow, she thinks. And that is the only thought she has the strength to have.

Closet, pillow, bed, sleep. The bear-bones of a plan to rest well. The crushing weight of every footstep she takes closer to her bed and the scorching heat of her body pulsating through her feel unreal. As if in a dreamlike state, Yuu makes her way back to the bed.

There is no impending exam to fret over, yet a darkness looms overhead. If Yuu had the energy to take in her surroundings, to notice the strange and unexplainable, she would have noticed the weather patterns beating down on Sage’s Island. Emerging out of nowhere, thunder claps and winds howl and shake Ramshackle house with such force, it was a miracle the forlorn dorm could withstand it. It had been sunny that very morning. Yet gradually, the sky and clouds overhead had been worsening all day, charged with an anguish that could not be soothed. 

Yuu groans in a sleep that had overtaken her weary mind the second her head hit that second propped-up pillow. Sweat drips down her brow and her face pales to an unnatural gray color. 

A dark shadow graces the walls of Yuu’s room, unnoticed by all residents. Akin to a breath that caresses the back of one’s neck, but turning reveals it to be a simple trick of the senses. Yuu’s chest hitches as the figure stands above her bed. It is an odd silhouette, a memorable one. One Yuu had grown to trust deeply. 

Unaware, Yuu dreams. Though if you asked her the next morning she would not be able to tell you what imagery held her hostage through the night. Only that at a sudden point, it had let her go.

Yuu finds herself somewhere that is not where she just was. A this way’s down that, in her dream, she knew the place’s name. But she did not know how that could be so, for she had never been there before. Or had she? Not quite up here, but over there. A sense of familiarity builds that she could not place, exacerbated by her current surroundings. 

She falls. A long, long way down, her mind swivels her to a stop and she finds herself running. Warped clocks surround her, and a faint laughter that carries no joy makes a snatch at her heels with every step. She's a chess piece in a game she does not control, a simple pawn to be played with then sacrificed. Only she is neither black nor white. Yuu is not even gray. She stumbles, the laughter echoing in the corners of her mind and she can sense a wide, wide smile within it, one much too large to be sincere. She feels it, a desolation that looms overhead along with an invitation to an execution that she realizes is her own. A huge porcelain pot emerges overhead, detailed with roses that drip the precise hue of her blood. Molded with her in mind. Flowers with contorted, evil faces watch as scalding tea pours over her. 

Hot, yet dry, Yuu stands somewhere where she is entirely exposed. Dead grass knicks her ankles and the ground tilts before she can orient herself and she falls into a blur of beasts. No one catches her. No one even hears her scream. Her body temperature rises and she scratches at her skin, drawing blood. The scent of iron and rot infects the air but there is no soul in sight. This place feels vast and empty and it makes Yuu feel uneasy, a small and insignificant part of a never-ending cycle. Light may find her here, but so too can shadows. She’s dizzy. She goes to sit but the ground tilts again and piles of scattered skulls overtake her vision, their jaws moving but she cannot hear. She’s too busy covering her ears. Her feet hit the ground over and over again. The sickening sound of crushed bones beneath them penetrates her eardrums no matter how hard she tries to block it out. She steps in something, a dark green ooze that bubbles and boils, and she's stuck. High-pitched laughter echoes in this crevice and she can no longer clasp her hands over her ears. She’s forced to watch a crimson flame consume the world. 

But it never reaches her. The slick heat of fire is soothed by ice-cold water and Yuu has but a single moment to draw a breath before the plunge. There is no sound this far deep. Her fingers, palms, and feet begin to wrinkle. Bubbles swarm around her to taunt, trapping inaccessible and essential air. She tries to swim up but makes no progress. She sinks. The surface is so far away and she cannot see. Looking down, up, right, left; it’s all the same expanse of nothing. At the bottom on a sandy floor, strange worms with beady eyes look at her with pity. Words of warning she could not understand surround her, like an ancient spell written in cryptic writing. Why can’t she read? A single sound passes through the water, distorted and barely human, an eerie song that erupts goosebumps over her flesh as terror grips her sluggish body. Shadows dart by, flicks of inky black too quick to see. A swish of a tail, a fin, a tentacle. Yuu cannot scream, her voice trapped in her own lungs. 

The figure watches over Yuu with his eyebrows knitted. Her breaths are ragged and shallow, muttering words he could not make out. His sorrow digs into the thunderclouds swarming outside, wielding their bolts to strike the ground in unrivaled agony.

For once in his life, Malleus Draconia is powerless. 

Water never enters Yuu’s mouth. She is instead jostled into a marketplace, entirely desolate and destroyed, with its walls crumbling and fabric frayed and beige from storm and debris. As if some vengeful fury realized it had been betrayed and struck down on the land in a display of indisputable power. She can feel it; one-hundred snakes slithering up her corpse, their bodies constricting around her limbs and neck, tightening their hold around her vitals. She squirms desperately in their grip and tries to pull them away but the snakes ebb away to sand that slips through her fingers. Yuu sinks. Unlike in water, she could not tread her way up. There was no footing to rely on, no foundation to scaffold. Jewels glow ruby red and flash malicious grins at every flail of her limbs, enjoying a show that hinges on her suffering. She’s chained to a weight and something sinister from the shadows watches her struggle once again, ensuring this time, this time the job is complete. 

The job is not complete, and Yuu finds that she is both in the woods and she is not. Something is missing, something vital to her but the pressing unknown eludes her. Her mind watches her body wander the woods from somewhere far, far away. It looks wrong, that cannot be Yuu. Her consciousness is trapped in a mirror, split in two halves with sharp shards on the floor. A fragmentation of the self of which there is no remedy for. With a voice coarse and unpleasant, a hooded figure riddles her with poisonous questions she has no answer to. She’s too busy watching her body and has the nasty feeling she’s being watched by another. But something is missing, her mind pushes, and she is thrust back into her body. Instead of feeling an added weight, she feels something lift. Yuu feels something throb in her hands and she looks down to see puddles of red everywhere. And in the palms of her hands is a beating, dying heart oozing blood so dark and thick it could easily be mistaken for ink. Whose? A piercing throb in her chest jolts panic. An expanse of black stares back at her from her torso. It’s her own. Bile rises and she cannot push it down. 

Body in Ramshackle, Yuu’s mind fights to survive the onslaught of her fever. Her forehead is burning, the figure above Yuu realizes. His eyes widen. He has no idea what to do. Malleus reaches a hesitant hand out.

Her legs crumple on the ebony floors she falls on, still reeling from her sickness and feeling like the cracked mirror from before. Did that happen? Her hands are clean and all bodily organs are where they should be. The walls around her are moving, distorted, and so black it was as if they were not there at all. They blended into their surroundings and opened up to reveal a hellish landscape. Jagged rocks surround a vicious river. Except the river holds no water; it’s not even a liquid. It’s a ghostly smoke, wailing and writhing and calling for mercy. Fear creeps through Yuu’s body, infecting every vein and vessel. She does not want to get near. Against her will, her body moves toward the smoke as if through a magnetic pull. The beat of her heart is loud and rapid in her ears, but the blood pumping throughout the muscles does not comply. Blue flames lick intact skeletons that clap as she is dragged to the river’s edge, their bones clattering and grinding against each other with the motion. Her flesh is cut on the protruding rocks, but the searing pain is nothing to the gripping horror of what awaits her should she make contact with the smoke. She is much, much too near.

The walls of the room bend and twist and give way to a vast room in a castle. She’s sure she’s been here before once, in a dream. This is a dream too, isn't it? The walls here are solid and stiff but the floor feels unsteady and Yuu struggles to stay upright. All she knows is that if she stops moving, something terrible will happen. Or has it already happened? Her face feels like it’s melting. She tries to hold it up as if it was wrought iron being beaten into shape while it’s still moldable. It doesn’t feel like her face anymore. Thorns erupt from nowhere to prick her legs and arms, an onslaught of gashes and cuts she could not dodge. She’s running through the castle, looking desperately for something. A hypnotic pull entices her to a room whose door swings right open. A single crow caws before it is joined by another. And then another. A whole murder of them speak syllables of vengeance and warning, but Yuu cannot hear. There’s a curious object in the room. She needs to touch it. She needs to. She stretches out her fingers towards a shiny needle, and it beckons her closer.

And closer. 

And closer.

Malleus reaches for Yuu’s forehead and covers it with his palm. Hot warmth spreads throughout his hand, simultaneously cooling her forehead. She stops squirming almost immediately, her groans becoming less frequent with every second of his touch. Malleus’s other hand takes Yuu’s and squeezes. She’s soft, so soft. Yuu’s jaw, unconsciously clenched, relaxes. She takes in one clear, long inhale. Then exhales, her breath tickling Malleus’s face. He’s so close to her. He could stay until the morning, counting every individual lash if he so wished. But he shouldn’t, he couldn’t. An uninvited guest that overstays their welcome is very rude, so says Lilia. And yet…

One more minute couldn’t hurt. He has to make sure Yuu is alright after all. 

Yuu wakes the next morning remembering nothing of the night before. Nightmares do not plague her mind, their dark reach is only limited to the realm of sleep. She feels refreshed in a way that makes her second-guess whether she was even ill in the first place. There’s no congestion, no cough. No sluggishness, no snot. No ailment of the body or the mind. 

And no exam to dread tomorrow! She feels infinitely better today, something that makes her stop and question. Somehow, something important happened last night. But what? Figments and phantoms of yesterday night’s events slip from her, but she can’t shake the thought that she was saved from some sinister scheme. Her fingers twitch, remembering a fleeting and familiar pressure. Yuu smiles. The memory eludes, but the warm feeling remains.

Yuu has definitive proof that she was ill, that she is sure of. One look at her nightstand tells her that it was not all a bad dream.

Two expensive-looking pots, a cactus with googly eyes, a coupon that expires soon, seeds to brew a calming tea, a soothing creme, a game device, and another pot with suspicious contents. 

There’s something else beside that last pot, an item Yuu does not remember being there yesterday. A miniature sculpture of a gargoyle. 

“Hey, Yuu,” Grim greets. “How’re ya feelin’?”

Yuu turns the figure over in hand, admiring its intricate details. How curious. 

“Uhh, Yuu?”

Yuu snaps back to reality. “Oh, uh, I’m actually feeling loads better!” She clears her throat, carefully placing the mini gargoyle back. “I was actually thinking of going to the Mostro Lounge today to study for Crewel's exam next week, wanna come with? We can invite Ace, Deuce, Epel, and Jack. Maybe Sebek if he wants to come too.”

“Ahhhh gonna cash in that coupon finally, huh? Alright, but only if you’re paying!” Grim cackles. It’s been several eventful days, it’s good to have Yuu back. Though he would never say that out loud. Ever. 

Yuu grabs the coupon off her dresser. “Of course Grim,” she laughs. “What’re friends for?”

Grim begins to lead the way to the cafe and with one last look at the collection of objects on her dresser, Yuu follows after him.

An array of meaningful gifts, many words of comfort, and love made flesh in the form of companionship. Yuu cannot help but smile. 

Maybe it isn’t so bad here after all.