Where Every Scroll is a New Adventure
Y’all, let’s pretend it’s still Feb 14
this thing has literally been chilling in my drafts since the first part of this series 😭 so, uh, if anything seems off, it’s because I wrote this before I wrote parts 2-6
Hope you enjoy! This entry contains a very small reference to Episode/Book 1
PART 1 | PART 2 | PART 3 | PART 4 | PART 5 | PART 6 | END [!]
You enter the library. Your mind was still racing from the possibilities of your…admirer? Ugh, it was still weird to think about! Who could it be!?
You weren't even here for the books but it would be nice to maybe get some studying done. There was a big exam coming up soon or so you had heard from Riddle. You sigh and get to work, gathering books.
Plus, Ace and Deuce wouldn't come find you here anyway. You had dropped Grim-sitting duty on them, which in retrospect, wasn't a good idea. If anything did happen, you had no part in that. You'll bail them out of the consequences later.
You'd been here a few times before. After all, you were a complete stranger to this world and the library seemed like the best place to find out more. Since you weren't from this world, you could treat this just like reading the lore of a fictional world. That made things fun for you.
You made your way to your spot at the back of the library. Nobody usually goes back there so you've laid claim to it as your private reading spot. The books you've compiled completely block your view so you carefully put them down, watching your step. You pull a chair out and you freeze.
The soft sound of breathing and a light inconsistent thumping. You look beyond your pile of books.There lies a slumbering man, head laying on his arms as he's slumped over the table.
He has messy brown locks, there are two braids framing his face. His unbuttoned shirt and rolled up sleeves gave off the impression he was rather careless with his appearance. You really hated how he appeared to give off that 'I woke up like this' look but still managed to look gorgeous. Most notable of all, of course, were the fuzzy lion ears on top of his head and the furry tail with a tassel of fur at the end.
You stare silently. Internally, your thoughts are going off like a lightning round.
Who is this guy? Is this a beastman? Should I be scared? Is this a good time to run? Will he wake up? What will I do if he wakes up? Can I even outrun a beastman? If he's not a cat, what is he-
He shifts. His head leans slightly to the side, off his arms. He does this rather gracefully and now you can see his beautiful features that just scream 'big trouble'. Oh boy, that scar is not helping your heart. You're starting to understand your admirer. It does indeed feel like an oncoming heart attack.
You notice him shivering just a little. Maybe beastmen were simply more sensitive to the cold draft. It is basically Winter after all and you've definitely had it hard living in Ramshackle. You sigh and shrug off your blazer.
Hoping you don't wake him up, you gently lay it over him. You tense as the tassel at the end of his tail thumps against the chair. His ears twitch and your heart clenches.
It's adorable, the animal traits. Especially on a handsome guy like that? Well, the gap here was gigantic. Paired with the scar, it gave him a roguish-edge that would make anyone swoon.
Wait a second. A scar? You stop and gasp rather loudly. You quickly slap a hand over your own mouth. His ears twitch and you pray to the great sevens he hasn't woken up.
It's the grouchy guy from the botanical garden! The last time you had seen him he was threatening to bite your face off or something and you hadn't paid attention to his face. Aha! So you were right, all the attractive people here were the worst.
His name was Leona, or so you had assumed. That's what Ruggie had called him that day. Ah, stupid! You knock yourself on the head. If only you had recognized him sooner!
You had met him other times before in the botanical garden again. Your conversations were always awkward with him making sly remarks and implications about mauling you.
Once he was in a better mood though, he made an okay conversational partner. Leona was rather intelligent and sometimes he threw some advice at you when you were doing your homework. Of course, that was because of his weird superiority complex over you.
You never really paid attention to his face though, the first time he had looked at you was intimidating enough. You never asked for his name either. Your mind must've repressed the details of his face in your head.
You hadn't gotten the chance to speak to him again since everything just…happened with Heartslabyul. He had completely slipped your mind as you were reeling from the incident. You felt kind of bad.
You glumly wondered if you could get your blazer back. But then again, you didn't want him to freeze to death. But then again, if you took it from Leona now, you could leave your future nuisance cold. Wait, that was kind of mean. He was kind of friendly and helpful sometimes.
You wish the guys here weren't so complicated but you had to admit, that was their charm. Yes, they were all jerks. You're starting to think Stockholm syndrome is sinking in.
With a sigh, you take a seat and open a book. You sneak a glance at the beastman to find he's still sleeping like a rock. Leona's no longer shivering. I just let him have the jacket because I don't want to risk waking him. You reason to yourself.
You bring your focus back to the book you're currently reading as you try to ignore Leona. Dang it, even when he's not doing anything, he manages to captivate your attention. You huff but keep your eyes on the book.
What feels like about a few minutes later, you lower the book with a sigh. "Oh my great-" You try not to scream.
His lidded emerald eyes bore into you, pinning you still. A tiny amused smile plays at his lips as his . You nearly threw your book at him out of sheer shock.
"You- How long were you awake?" You calm yourself down with deep breaths as you still look at him wide-eyed. "Hm, long enough." Leona makes a low hum, there's still a calm smile on his face.
"That's very specific." You respond. Silence fills the air as you try to hold a staring contest with him. You don't really feel like returning to your book. His green eyes just keep drawing you in. You wonder how deep they go. You might've been imagining it but they were really bright.
"Hm, like what you see?"
Your face turns red as you groan. You drop your head into the table. "No, stop. This is the worst Valentines day." You grumble.
"Tell me about it." You hear him reply, you hate how every time he speaks, your heart skips a beat. You're starting to understand your admirer. "Don't patronize me. You're attractive and cool, you got a bunch of confessions or something." You snap. You're just stating the obvious when you call him that.
"What? There's nothing to be jealous about. Valentines is a day just like any other, where some win and others lose." Leona drawls. "Ugh, yeah. At least there was free food." You mumble, then you remember Ruggie. "Wait no, my food got stolen by that jerk." You scowl.
You're still face down on the table. You notice his tail underneath the table. You watch as it inches closer to you.
"Did you like the candy hearts?"
You freeze. You didn't…nobody but Ace, Deuce and Grim should've known the contents of that pouch. Of course, the only exception would be the-
You shoot up from, just as you feel the tassel of his tail wrap itself around your ankle and pull. You fall forward onto the table, inches away from hitting the wood.
"Wow, what the heck was th-" You shout before you look up. You can feel his breath tickle your face but more importantly, those green eyes. The orange vest meant he was a Savanaclaw student if the animal features weren't already a dead giveaway.
"You…You're Leona Kingscholar, the dorm head of Savanaclaw." You pause.
"That's right. I would've thought you'd figure this out sooner." He snorts softly. Leona looks at you expectantly to continue.
"And…"
"And?"
"You're my secret admirer."
You're this close to banging your hand against the table if it turns out you're completely wrong.
"So, you finally caught me."
You breathe out a giant sigh of relief, leaning back into your seat. "Oh thank the great sevens!" You laugh, wiping tears of joy and relief from the corner of your eyes. You lay back and laugh some more.
"You're…that overjoyed that your secret admirer was me?" Leona looks incredulously at you. You stop to breathe, you realize how weird this probably looks to him. "Uh, um…" You consider his question carefully.
You blink at him blankly as you think. He sighs after a moment. "Ahh, I get it. So, it's a rejection." He grumbles. "No, no, i-it's not like that!" You frantically shook your head.
"I…I accept. You're cool. I want to get to know you better first though? Like, why were you so confident I wouldn't reciprocate?" You raise an eyebrow. To your surprise, a subtle blush somewhat forms on his face as his eyes widened only slightly.
"I don't know if you're really that dense to not notice. Most people don't like me, herbivore." He growls, tail flailing around lazily. "But, Bucchi seems to like you plenty and those Savanaclaw students cared enough to cover up for you." You frown.
"That's because I pay Ruggie and those students fear me too much to say anything." Leona snorts. "Hm…I don't think that's true at all." You sigh,
"You're very intelligent, cool and most of all- You're pretty pretty." You pull a cringe face that immediately gives you secondhand embarrassment…from yourself. Leona seems to think it's dumb because he shoves his hand in your face and pushes you back.
"Ah, okay. I get it." You groan, grabbing his hand off your face. Leona smirks, his fingers intertwining with yours.
Your face turns red, being around this man would do you no good.
Ao3: HERE If you see it posted anywhere or by anyone else, it's not me.
[Yuu arrives at Ramshackle after a very busy day and is heading to their room when the Ghosts of Ramshackle appear before them before they go into their room.]
Slim Ghost: Boss, I wouldn't go in there.
Yuu (Raises an eyebrow): Why?
Plump Ghost: A Great Evil has taken up residence in your room.
Yuu: I've dealt with a lot of things; I'm sure I can handle whatever this 'Great Evil' is.
[Yuu opens the door to their room and looks around but there is nothing there; everything looks the same.]
Yuu: See? There is nothing there.
Plump Ghost (Looking at Grim - who is sitting on the bed): Where is the Great Evil?
Grim: It's hiding in the closet. (Pointing at the closet)
Yuu (Looks at the closet and chuckles): The 'Great Evil' is hiding in the closet? It must be as scared of us as you are of it.
Very Plump Ghost: Boss, I am telling you, the Great Evil fears nothing and no one; it is waiting for the perfect moment to come out and feast upon you.
Yuu (Walks over to the closet and places a hand on the knob): Guys, I am telling you, there is no 'Great Evil' in this closet and I shall prove it. (Opens the closet and gulps) Oh...
[Leona is standing in the closet with a coil of rope in his hand - staring into Yuu's Soul.]
Yuu:... (Turns to face the ghosts and Grim while pointing at Leona) Is this the 'Great Evil' you were talking about that was waiting to strike and feast upon my flesh?
Ghosts & Grim: (Nodding)
Yuu: Oh...
[Yuu turns to face Leona, who is still staring at them before slowly closing the closet door and dragging one of the chairs in front of the closet door to block it before turning to face the Ghosts and Grim.]
Yuu:... (Screaming before running out of the room) GREAT EVIL! GREAT EVIL! THERE'S A GREAT EVIL IN MY CLOSET! SOMEONE, SAVE ME AND MY FLESH!!! PLEASE!!!
[Leona breaks out of the closet and chases after Yuu just as they run out of Ramshackle with their hands in the air - screaming for help as the Dorm warden of Savanaclaw chases them with rope in his hands and a hunter's gleam in his eyes.]