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Okay… it really all was Ace’s fault for how they ended up here.
It really started with him and the other first years, aside from Ortho since unfortunately he actually had something to do, were exploring some place without their housewardens’ permission….
Or knowledge.
“Housewarden is going to be soooo pissed at us…”
“Don’t be such a worrywart!”
Ace scoffed as he looked at Deuce, though they did go a lot deeper than they intended to go into and were going through each room before Sebek stopped.
“What’s that?”
Sebe pointed at some glowing object, an orb of sorts, swirling with some sort of green magic inside.
Ace walked up and closer to the object with everyone behind, looking properly at the orb.
“Guys, maybe we should just-“
Epel couldn’t even finish his thought before Ace picked it up and there was a giant flash of light, blinding them.
Next thing they knew there was the noise of a town, a very familiar town, the Queendom to be exact.
It took a while to figure out what the hell had happened and since then Jack has been stopping Epel from completely knocking Ace out.
“We didn’t even go that far back! We were- like- what? 13 in 2016? No biggie! Plus I’m sure there’s someway to get back…”
“No biggie?! We’re stuck in time for fucks-sake! We can’t even interact with anything!”
The first years were on the street where people were walking through them as though it was nothing, Epel made his point clear by walking into the street where cars phased right through him.
“We’ll be okay… I hope… is that Rook?”
Jack, who had been between the two pointed at some boy walking down the street, it took Epel a minute before he gasped.
“That IS Rook! What’s he doing here? Isn’t he from the Savanna?”
“Wait- gods…”
Deuce said as Epel suddenly left to follow Rook and the others followed behind, Sebek had been having a near panic attack for a bit now but he had calmed down a bit after laying on the ground.
Rook let out a low whistle as he walked but they were more focused on what he had as a haircut. It was much longer in the back, like a mullet of sorts, and curlier too.
“What’s wrong with his hair?”
“Ace! It looks nice! I like this look on him, why is he here though?”
Deuce gave Ace a shove before looking back at Rook, who just like everyone else, ignored the 5 of them.
“I mean, Rook once said he’s been to the Queendom before, this could be when.”
“You’d think I’d remember someone who looks so odd…”
Ace mumbled, which Epel gave him a hard shove into the street that made Ace almost scream before remembering how nothing could see them, like they were ghosts.
Rook suddenly stopped and looked to his side, tilting his head before walking right into Clover’s bakery.
The others followed right in and Sebek tried to open the door… before realize they just went right through that definitely embarrassed him and they all watched him.
“Bonjour!”
“Morning, darling.”
A women, which most assumed to be Trey’s mother smiled at Rook and wordlessly lifted a plastic back with a boxy shape inside towards him, it was pretty quick interaction and Rook quickly paid before leaving.
“Why didn’t Trey mention knowing Rook beforehand?”
“He might’ve not, have you seen the time? It’s absurdly early, I think Trey would still be in the back at this time.”
“…”
“I asked!”
Ace defended himself at their silence, he had asked quite a bit about how Trey worked in the bakery, given he didn’t live in the same province as Trey, he’s never been.
Nevertheless Rook walked as though he knew exactly what he was doing and how he did his day before Jack suddenly pointed.
“Look! It’s Mr. Crewel!”
Crewel was there all right, he was probably, what? 25-26 here? And he was holding a jack as he unscrewed someone’s tires, even humming a little tune.
“It’s a lovely Monday morning, my ex is still asleep! I’ll take off all her tires, and roll them down the street!”
Crewel had taken off the first wheel and indeed chucked it down the street, which hit a car that rocketed it into the air.
“It sounds a bit vindictive but I swear it’s nothing new. I’ve been doing it for weeks now, rolling wheels is what I do!”
“Bonjour, Mr. Crewel! Stealing votre ex-petite amie’s wheels again?”
“You bet!”
“Well, watch out! She looks pretty mad!”
Rook smiled and waved goodbye as Crewel’s smile vanished and he looked behind him to see who they assumed to be Crewel’s ex by the door.
They stared for a bit as Crewel suddenly ran off sprinting with her chasing him.
“Never thought Mr. Crewel would do something like that…”
“The Queendom is crazy, we’re all mad here, that girl’s baby just rolled away.”
Deuce pointed at a lady who was on her phone and paused right by a hill and the baby, by the laws of physics, started to tumble away.
Rook only glanced at it as it passed him but quickly walked by the girl, who ranged from panic to just shrug, saying something under breath and went back on her phone.
“Bébé’s rolling down the ‘This Way!’ street!”
“Oh, that baby!”
The girl rolled his eyes and flicked her wrist as she went back to texting, leisurely strolling down the street.
“That doesn’t seem-“
“Femme Folle, losing that baby every week…”
“That’s crazy lady in French! I know that one!”
Epel said with a smile but was met with slight blank stares that almost made him want to push them all out into the street and hope they actually have collision.
Rook strode by a flower shop and pulled out a few bills, placing the paper bag on his wrist and in a fluid motion he grabbed two bouquets, tossing the money on a ledge without breaking a stride.
The owner barely flinched as he grabbed the cash and went back to his flowers.
“People seem to know him enough to know him to be doing this, why the flowers?”
“Maybe he has a special someone!”
“I thought Vil was his one and only.”
“Yeah, quit being stupid, Epel.”
Sebek had asked the question first but decided to ignore the small altercation that was going on between Epel, Jack, and Ace.
Deuce was the one that got them all to stop.
“Isn’t that Riddle’s house? I remember that from the dream.”
“I still get nightmares about that place…”
Sebek let out a small shiver and shook his head as they all watched Rook pause, shuffle things around before plopping the bag into a bush nearby Riddle’s house and fixing his outfit before walking towards the step.
They all wordlessly and curiously followed as Rook knocked on the door and waited a bit before Riddle’s mother opened up.
She looked surprisingly happy to see Rook.
“Hunt.”
“Hello, Mrs. Rosehearts!”
Rook smiled and offered her the bouquet, which she grabbed, Rook had a strangely normal accent this time, no French which surprised them all.
“Ew… sounds so weird to hear Rook without an accent…”
“I’m sure you’re here for my daughter, correct?”
“Mhm! Is he here?”
“I’ll go get her, wait here.”
The door carefully closed and Rook waited a second before letting out a breath, almost having an annoyed expression on his face.
“I’d be pissed too if I had to be fake-nice to Housewarden’s bitch mother.”
“Housewarden will have your head if he hears that!”
“Yeah yeah, anyways, didn’t know Riddle had a sister, I thought he was, like, an only child.”
“He is an only child.”
Sebek said, looking between Deuce and Ace before he looked back at Rook, which silence hung for a while.
“… you guys seriously don’t know?”
“Know what?”
“That-“
“Rook!”
Riddle suddenly emerged and cut Sebek off, Riddle looked exactly how he usually did, this time wearing a light blue cardigan and a white shirt with Mary Jane’s, which matched perfectly with Rook’s outfit, which was a white shirt blue shorts, it was pretty cute.
Riddle smiled brightly and gave Rook a hug, which he quickly accepted it and pulled him out doors, still holding on bouquet for Riddle.
“There’s… no way that…”
Epel couldn’t even finish his damn sentence before Riddle’s hand went to Rook’s cheek and he leaned up to give him a kiss.
They all felt frozen as Riddle giggled as he took the flowers, handing them to a maid who had also taken Riddle’s mothers and scooted away.
“Remember, bring her home by 8.”
“Of course, Mrs. Rosehearts, bye now.”
Rook smiled at Riddle’s mom as she closed the door and Rook actually had a wider smile as he looked down at Riddle with a sickly in love look.
“Ma belle rose…”
“Oh stop!”
Riddle smiled, going once again into a fit of giggles as Rook held him by his back and dipped him to kiss him again.
Once they parted Rook wrapped an arm around Riddle’s waist as they walked down the driveway.
“… I think I’m going to be sick…”
Ace breathed heavily and leaned on Jack, all of them felt sick with the display of pure sweetness going on between the two just now.
“… THEY DATED???? Why did I never know?!”
“Thought I knew Housewarden… guess not…”
“Quit being a bunch of babies!”
Sebek said, leaving Ace, Deuce, and Epel in their world of tantrums to follow, which Jack managed to get them to stop their gagging to go.
Rook reached into the bushes and pulled out the box and Riddle gasped.
“You know you shouldn’t have!”
“Anything for you.”
Rook insisted as Riddle grabbed the bag and opened the box, revealing a semi-perfect tart, which had gotten jostled while thrown into the bush, with a fork, Riddle gladly grabbed it and took a bite.
Riddle even took a bit and held it up for Rook to take a bite out of, most decided to ignore the hurl Ace just produced.
“You know I never thought they’d date, I mean, I know Rook is all for beauty but…”
“Housewarden Riddle really is beautiful but I never knew Rook to be his type.”
“Yeah… really beautiful.”
“CAN YOU THREE QUIT CRUSHING ON MY HOUSEWARDEN????”
Deuce glared at Epel, Sebek, and Jack as they spoke, Ace producing a very weak ‘yeah’ from where he had been puking.
By the time Ace had finished puking his guts out Riddle and Rook were gone, fortunately Sebek had been watching them leave and they walked along the sidewalk where they went.
“You know, the Queendom looks a lot more normal than I thought.”
“Think again, there’s a guy in the street pulling his pants on.”
“Must be tight.”
Deuce spoke after Ace to Jack’s sentence, the people in the cars didn’t seem to care and simply drove around the guy.
They eventually caught up with Riddle and Rook, who were sitting together on a bench, eating their lunch.
“Ugh, so sickly cute…”
“Can you not just bear to see Housewarden Riddle happy for two minutes?”
“No.”
“So, what colleges are you planing on going to?”
Riddle said to Rook, taking a bite out of the sandwich he had, looking up at Rook.
“Well, Ma belle rose, I was thinking Night Raven College.”
“Isn’t that an all boys school?”
“… oui, it is…”
Rook sighed, finishing his own sandwich and bringing his thumb up to wipe away a sauce that appeared on the corner of Riddle’s lip, taking the opportunity to give him a kiss.
When he pulled away he looked at Riddle with a panicked expression, grabbing Riddle’s hand and placing it on his own heart.
“I’ll- I’ll call! Tous les jours! Place it upon my heart.”
“Rook…”
“Please do not look at me like that, mon cher… I don’t have to go! I’ll pick a local!”
Rook looked distressed, looking sadder when Riddle sported his own little pout, it almost felt like they were watching a movie starring people they knew.
“Why would Housewarden be sad Rook was going to NRC? He literally goes here now.”
“He didn’t plan going here, it was a last minute decision, he didn’t expect to get accepted.”
“Huh? Why?”
“… are all you normally this slow?”
Sebek glared at Deuce, looking at Riddle, who had held Rook’s face and leaned up to give him a kiss.
“It’s fine, Rook, I swear, if you go to NRC we’ll be so far away-“
Riddle’s voice suddenly got cut off, not by anyone but by the world, which stuttered before all five of them suddenly snapped back into where they were.
The orb had fallen and crashed to the ground, shattering whatever they had been brought into.
“… are you serious??? I wanted to know what he’d say!”
“I mean… you can ask him now.”
Jack grabbed Ace and he finally saw him, Riddle right there, glaring right at him.
Ace and Deuce suddenly wished that they were back in the past and invisible.
“…”
The ride back was silent, every single one of them were collared and none of them had the guts to say anything to Riddle while he was ripping them a new one.
Riddle still was ripping them a new one.
“I cannot belive you five would do this! I’ve told you TIME AND TIME to tell me when you go to try and get yourself murdered! Do you KNOW how many dangerous things are out here???? Probably not! Because you’re out here! DID YOU KNOW HOW WORRIED SICK I WAS?????”
“House-“
“Deuce, sweetie, shut that mouth of yours, I’m not done yelling at you.”
Riddle put a hand up, one still on the wheel of the car most didn’t even know Riddle owned, which was actually a lot nicer than what Riddle had said to Ace.
“Housewar-“
“ACE! SHUT YOUR MOUTH!”
Much nicer…
“HOUSEWARDEN WHY DIDNT SAY YOU WERE DATING ROOK??!??”
Sebek had just shouted out before sinking in the chair and wincing, like Riddle was about to point a pen at him and cast fireball.
Though it was surprisingly quiet, very very quiet.
Sebek finally cracked and eye open and saw Riddle’s eyes back on the road, though his hands clenched the wheel like he was about to break the thing in two.
“… you guys simply never asked.”
Riddle spoke simple, matter of factly, Jack assumed it’d be safer to speak now.
“But… you guys act… so normal for exes.”
“It was amicable and we still hang out, just not as much as we used to… my, Rook was a romantic… he still is but it feels wrong to accept anything from him now.”
Riddle shrugged slightly, much more kinder to Jack than he was to either of his students, stupid favoritism, Epel finally spoke up this time.
“Amicable? How?”
“Well, he was going to this school and I didn’t think I’d come here, being born a woman and all so we decided it was best we-“
“Pause! You were born a girl???”
“You never asked, Ace, but yes, and we decided it was best we break up, attending was a last minute thing, truly, and Rook already got all comfy so we decided staying broken up was best.”
“But… you two looked so-“
Ace grabbed Epel’s arm, violently shaking his head and Epel took that as a sign to shut up about what they saw.
“So, how’d you guys figure this out anyways?”
“Um…”
.
.
.
“Epel Felmier!“
Vil shouted, of course all their damn Housewarden and even the vices were out, had them been in that reality for that long????
Even Malleus was there with Lilia and Silver…
Once Riddle parked the car they all came out in their collars and walked towards their respective houswardens.
Sebek had gotten off the damn easiest with Lilia fussing over if he was okay but unfortunately he was still had to keep the collar on.
Leona had given Jack a glare that had Jack’s ears pinned back even more with Riddle scolding him and he left with Leona.
Vil was ripping Epel ANOTHER one and Rook was just standing off to the side shaking his head like a disappointed parent.
“Why in Twisted did you think you would hide something like this??? You’ve been gone for HOURS! What else have you been hiding??? Hm?”
“… ROOK AND RIDDLE USED TO DATE!”
It came out before Epel could even stop and think about it and for the first time Vil was actually at a loss for words.
Riddle was still making sure Ace and Deuce knew every ounce of disappointment he had but also worry with how he actually had his hands on either boy’s cheeks, checking to make sure they haven’t hurt themselves.
Riddle paused when Epel said that and Diasomnia took that as a good time to get the hell out of there as Vil looked back at Rook.
“… what.”
“It was before, Roi du Poison, we broke up before I met you!”
“You called him ‘Ma Belle Rose’!”
“Oh that’s so sickly sweet!”
“How do you even know that, Monsieur Cherry Apple???”
Rook pointed at Epel, looking pretty offended at how Epel had acquired such knowledge and Vil looked at Riddle, who had still been fussing over Ace and Deuce.
“Riddle.”
“… you never asked.”
“Hm… we will speak about this later, Rook. Now Epel! Don’t think you’re out because of that!”
Epel felt himself want to groan at how Vil had easily accepted what Riddle said and continued to scold the two boys.
Ace, Deuce, and Epel looked between each other.
They wanted to know much more about this relationship.