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How to describe the face Vil made when Epel announced he’s transferring to Savanaclaw?
It was a very confusing mixture of ‘What does this brat think he’s up to now’, ‘Savanaclaw of all places? Great Sevens!!’, ‘Oh so now he thinks he’s smart doing this’, ‘He’s so dead’ and ‘Now he did it!’.
While the housewarden remained absolutely stunned, silent on his throne, Rook on the other hand broke into a tragedian improv song that starts with “😔🙏Oh mon dieu monsieur Crabbapple” and ended with “Adieu~Mon cher petit crabapple~Je vais expirer comme un carton de lait maintenant 😭✊”
The other juniors of Pomefiore coughed out their macarons, spat out their tea and covered their faces with their elegant gloved hands to cover their shock:
”Savanaclaw!? You cannot be serious!?”
”Surely this is just a bad joke!!”
”Oh no dear Epel, what has gotten into you!”
”You want to live with those homeless dogs?? Their housewarden will eat you for breakfast!!!”
One student fainted.
So Epel stood there in the Pomefiore common room, explaining the reasons why he’s transferring. He started with a very diplomatic speech that stated how Pomefiore’s guidance doesn’t align with his goal of becoming a stronger, buffer mage and ended his speech with a very bad way to offend Vil one last time which nobody will ever mention again due to how terrible it was.
The only thing Vil said was: “Well have fun. Don’t come running back to me when those fowl animals pick on you.”
He sipped his tea as if Epel’s transfer didn’t bother him one bit.
As he should, because after all Epel meant nothing to him. Obviously.
”As if they will!” The freshman had puffed out his chest and said.
He had enough aptitude for Savanaclaw, he knew that much.
Rook had kindly helped him pack his bags. He didn’t speak that much, which was very weird from him, but Epel elected to just be grateful for the lack of disturbance and noise.
The very next day, he transferred to Savanaclaw and was given the room that once belonged to Rook back when he was a freshman and didn’t transfer to Pomefiore yet.
Epel will never understand why the hunter decided to leave the place where he could be free to do pretty much whatever he wanted to come reside within Pomefiore, the most different dorm from Savanaclaw. Why choose to sacrifice your freedom just to look at Vil for a whole day?
Like…gross. But very typical Rook and his 2 braincells behavior.
The world of difference between the two dorms was obvious to Epel the second be stepped into Savanclaw.
1. Savanaclaw was in a deserted area with a very very dry climate, so dry that Vil would not survive one day in there, not like Pomefiore’s large shady forest. Epel’s skin is going to dry up and crack in a matter of hours.
2. The students of his new dorm reside in their huts instead of rooms within a single building. All the huts are about the size of an average Pomefiore dorm and had everything a student would need inside, but they were placed directly outside and surround the common area, which looks like a little resort place with a fake waterfall and lounge chairs. The dorm could easily pass off as a tropical island resort whereas Pomefiore was more like a 5 star luxury hotel.
3. The Dorm uniform. Oh lords, the dorm uniform. The dorm uniform didn’t look very flattering on Epel (not that he ever cared about how he looked OF COURSE) but man, it didn’t look good on him at all. Vil would’ve said that the clothes didn’t match his color pallet. He could almost hear his house-EX housewarden cuss out and arrange the uniform for him until it looked decent, mumbling graceful curse words as he did it.
To top it all off, his purple hair didn’t suit the clothes at all.
Vil would’ve forced this attire to make sense on Epel somehow. He would’ve found a way, Vil being Vil.
But whatever.
Epel was surprised that Leona allowed the transfer in the first place. The lion just basically said that he didn’t care. In fact, he really didn’t give a f about Epel’s transfer. It was way too easy. The freshman only had to ask him permission and he replied “Do whatever you want.” and it was done. The lion didn’t even give him any papers or anything, it was Vil who did all the paperwork fir him.
Ruggie was the one who showed him around mostly and just dumped him at his hut afterwards, stating that he had to get back to tending to Leona. That was that.
Everyone was…frankly rude.
Well there’s Jack, whom Epel does know and gets along very well with, but Jack’s almost always busy doing something.
The purple haired freshman thought he’d get along well with the Savanaclaw students since a large portion of them were in the Spelldrive club and more or less knew him and the extent of his skills already, but nOooooo.
He got pushed around on the very first day. Got called a fag even though he ditched the makeup and Vil’s expensive products. They didn’t want to include him in anything and preferred treating him as if he was some pretty housepet instead, ruffling his hair in a rough way, not like how Rook used to do it. When they left him alone, his hair felt greasy and dirty like never before.
It felt like primary school all over again.
One of them even picked him up as if he was their princess just to throw him 3 feet away into a sand box.
Gross.
In Pomefiore, everyone doted on him. The juniors, the sophemores, even his classmates. They would consider him the pearl of the dorm, let him eat first, kindly take their time to explain every single part of a lesson to him when he dozed off the whole time, etc…Everyone turned a blind eye to every time he got scolded by Vil, they excused him of every little mistake he made just because he was small and precious to them…
Rook literally babied him sometimes just to get lectured by Vil who insists Epel would never learn anything if they don’t go rougher on him.
Here, he is astounded with how nobody acknowledges him. Or maybe no one even acknowledges each other.
The spirit of competition within Savanaclaw was frightening. Everyone wanted to be the best. Everyone wanted to best the housewarden. Everyone wanted to intimidate each other. No one wanted the next person to succeed. No one helped each other. Even getting food was a hassle.
In Pomefiore, where Vil expected everyone to be on their best behaviour at all times, the spirit of brotherhood reigned fiercely. Boys would help each other put on their makeup, do each other’s hair and nails, and basically do all their homework together to make sure everyone gets on the same level (not that Epel misses any of that). In Pomefiore, the older ones assist the younger ones, and in return, the younger ones don’t mind running errands for them. The juniors make dinner, the sophomores make lunch and the freshmen, breakfast. Everything was civilized and orderly. The students all operated on the same routine and did everything according to a specific schedule that accommodated everyone’s club activities and extracurriculars. (Vil insisted on good time management skills for all)
The whole dorm would always be spotlessly clean because most people there were clean freaks. Here, the only places things were clean were where Jack and Ruggie passed by and decided to do something to clean up all the mess there. Some Savanaclaw huts straight up smelled like shit.
It’s not like Epel minds the overall behavior of Savanaclaw. He’s actually feeling VERY Savanaclaw-ish. In fact, he’s fitting RIGHT IN. Nothing’s going wrong AT ALL.
But difference is difference.
Epel never expected Leona to be anything like Vil, but he thought that they had at least one thing in common and that was the fact that they were both dorm leaders. But for Leona, the dorm leader is not ‘dorm leader’ing. Leona is almost never involved with the Savanaclaw students. If there’s a fight, it’s none of his business. If someone got into trouble, he’s just mostly pissed to be woken up. If someone needs help for their homework, they’re dead for bothering him.
Now he sometimes does intervene, but that’s only when the level of stupidity from whoever committed the infraction was so high that he absolutely had to beat the individual up and give the whole dorm a good laugh.
Vil would’ve called it barbaric.
Epel doesn’t know how he feels about the lack of responsibility coming from the lion who he found out does almost nothing but eat, sleep and play Spelldrive all day. All of the nasty derogative things Vil said about him started to make sense.
He can’t say he likes how things are handled here.
It does seem obvious that independence is high-key promoted here.
The young man often wonders how Savanaclaw students survive here without a housewarden who has their back, who is willing to put them back in their place and get them back up on their feet, and who they can actually come talk to when a problem within the dorm arises. Vil was actually all of those things for Pomefiore.
Whenever a student of Pomefiore would be complained about, Vil would deal with the complaints himself before actually going over to talk with the concerned student. He basically mothered Pomefiore. No one ever lacked of anything.
Not that Epel is missing any of that of course.
He doesn’t miss Vil and his daily beatings at all. He hated ‘The usual’.
If he misses anyone, it’s Rook. Rook who’s always there to either brighten up his day by teaching him something new and interesting or make him live 3 hours of hell, lecturing him on the basic etiquettes or some crap that’s just as useless.
Once, they had a whole conversation in french before Rook remembered Epel didn’t speak french. He had successfully wasted 3h of their lives.
Even with all his french incomprehensible words, Rook had become a dear brother figure for Epel. Back before Epel decided to transfer, Leona had informed him multiple times that Rook was always watching him from afar with his otherworldly eyesight. The hunter looked out for him, always keeping his watchful hawk eyes on his crabapple.
Rook’s supervision didn’t extend to Savanaclaw. And so, it could be said that Epel would be completely alone for the first time.
Here in Savanaclaw, Epel can’t help but feel deserted. He was told that if he had a problem, he had to go to Ruggie, not Leona. However the hyena is never in a very helping mood and more often then not, he would say “I’ll see what I can do, but it’s best if you just acclimate” and ends up leaving the matter completely unattended. Like how strangely hard it was to get food.
Violence was a daily guest in the dorm too. Not verbal or emotional violence, but real physical violence that previously resulted in commotions and broken bones.
At this point, where are the parental complaints…?
Epel did end up in an unavoidable fight over a slice of pizza because heck, he had to eat breakfast, and ended up winning it thanks to all the experience he gained after getting single-handedly put down by Vil every morning back in Pomefiore.
Those beastmen went hard on him but they were nothing compared to Vil.
Guess the celebrity did teach him a useful thing or two…
It’s really nice that he can start his day with something other than a skin routine but fighting over breakfast is just as horrible.
Also, one very weird thing about Savanclaw is that NO ONE wakes you up in the morning. If you want to wake up in time to go to school, you need to set your own alarm. If you’re late, it’s your problem. Most of Savanclaw students didn’t show up to first period on time or at all. This is the less academically successful dorm after all.
Epel was so used to Vil and Rook delivering their daily theatrics on the orgue at 5am to wake up the whole dorm that he completely slept through the first class and if it weren’t for Jack coming back to get him for the second class, he would’ve slept through the rest of the day off as well.
He was so disturbed to have a mark in his normally flawless record of attendance that Vil made sure all of Pomefiore kept that he couldn’t even concentrate and almost got whipped by Crewel during potions class. The teacher made many disgruntled remarks about how him, a young foolish pup, would dare to leave such an old noble and historical dorm such as Pomefiore where the teacher himself once hailed. He looked about as offended as Vil did, maybe even more.
When Vil walked into that class for Crewel to hand him some papers, the teacher actually expressed his discontentment to the housewarden about letting such a precious pearl slip off of the crown. He gestured his whip vaguely towards Epel, asking Vil what in the world he was thinking, clearly disturbed by the fact that Vil was willing to give up on such potential for the dorm. For a moment, Epel thought Crewel was in the mood to whip Vil too. The actor just shrugged, took his papers, and left.
At lunch, the little freshman sat down next to Jack, completely exhausted.
”Man I love Savanaclaw…” He said.
He doesn’t even know if he’s sarcastic or not.
”Didn’t I tell you that it didn’t sound like a very good idea when you told me you were going to transfer dorms?” Jack asked.
”Well Rook did it.” The purple haired huffed, looking to the lunch table where the Pomefiore students were sitting together happily. Some other freshman took Epel’s usual seat which was located to Vil’s left side where the junior insisted he sit so that he could monitor his eating habits closely. “He didn’t make it sound hard.”
”Rook had a good reason for transferring no?”
”And so do I!!!” Epel slammed a hand on the table “I had enough of Pomefiore’s posh way of talking, the way I could not speak 3 sentences before Vil tells me to I speak like a potato and the way he calls me a STUMBLING VEGETABLE every damn time I so dare breathe!!!”
Jack just blankly stared at him:
”You’re still wearing the bowtie he told you to wear.” He noted “And you’re still talking the way he instructed you to talk…”
Epel didn’t even notice he didn’t slip back into his accent despite having looked forward to it. He just got so used to speaking like a damn damsel in distress everytime he’s in the presence of someone else. As for the bowtie…Yeah he always hated that thing and the horrible frilly shirt underneath.
Didn’t he remind himself to burn them?? Ugh…
”Vil basically ruined me.” The teenager groaned, falling down to his seat. He should be ripping the bowtie away from his uniform right now, but he didn’t want to deal with the damage that would be done to his shirt.
”You don’t even know the first thing about Vil, don’t say that.” Jack took a bite of his sandwich as Ruggie waltzed in the cafeteria and went directly towards a students before doing his thing and scamming them out of their lunch to take it to Leona.
”Excuse you,” Epel said while realizing he is still speaking EXACTLY how Vil wanted him to speak. He can’t change it “Vil used to stay 3 steps behind me from the second I wake up to the first class. Everytime I yawn, he materializes out of THIN AIR just to slap me!!”
”You’re overdramatizing, I’m sure he never slapped you.”
“Well he slapped my back…And that shit hurt. But yeah whatever.” The smaller teen pouted “Ugh why do you sound like you actually know more about him than I do?”
”About Vil?” Jack’s ears flipped “Oh I know him about as well as Rook does actually!”
”Huh!?” Epel tilted his head “You?? You two have nothing in common! I never saw you two interact at all…! And to say that you’d know him as well as Rook is fairly ambitious I must say…”
In Epel’s mind, no way would high class Vil Schoenheit ever even think of letting Jack talk to him. Not that he thinks poorly of Jack of course, but Vil wouldn’t ever bother with someone like him. Someone from Savanaclaw specifically. The Pomefiore housewarden always had something against the dorm of the king of beasts, probably because him and Leona are like oil and water. With Leona being the oil of course.
And Jack’s physique appearance embodied everything Vil didn’t want to see in Epel…How in the world does Vil even tolerate him??
”Well fair, Rook IS Vil’s…whatever they are.” Jack shrugged “But I knew Vil since we were kids. We grew up together since the ages of 6-7.”
”HUH!!?” The shorter male opened his mouth wide, and this time, there was no housewarden to close it for him “You and Vil!!!?”
”Yeah! Oh I never told you??”
“No!! You never did!!” Epel stood up and slammed both hands on the table “Man you gotta tell me all you know about Vil that I don’t!!!”
The way he’s still so desperate to dig up any dirt on Vil despite having officially gotten rid of him…
”Sure, what would you like to know??”
“I dunno…Was he always…That unbearable??” The purple haired man dropped back down.
“Unbearable?” The wolf snorted “No not at all. I’d say he was pretty famous since he was a kid, but back then he wasn’t the good kind of famous.”
”What, was he notorious for going around town and beating up unsightly people and calling them uncooked vegetables?” A dreamy smirk appeared on the corner of the blue eyed boy’s face.
”No. He was the bullied one actually.” Jack said, putting a fist to support his head as it appears he’s searching in his memory bank. Epel imitated him on the other side of the table, suddenly interested. “You probably already know this, but Vil only gets villain roles for some reason. And back then, he used to star in theatre plays with Neige Leblanche, I assume you’ve heard of him?”
“Well I met him at VDC yeah…” Epel nodded “Vil’s not a big fan of him.”
”Yeah well dude used to play the hero role all the time and all the kids in our town loved him to the point where they would shut out Vil and gang up on him because in the play, his role had hurt Neige’s role.”
“That’s stupid.” The listening student commented as his eyes drifted to his ex housewarden who was currently on his phone, probably reviewing his magicam count of the day with half of all the juniors peeking behind his shoulder, commenting here and there about this post and that post.
Rook was the closest to him, literally slumped against his back, head right next to his and both arms thrown around his frame.
No way will Epel ever feel sorry for the model, but bullying an actor for a role he played will never not be stupid. Bullying a child actor is just cruel.
There are a hundred things that Vil should get bullied for, but the roles he are given don’t make the list.
”That’s children for you.” Jack said “That’s how I met him for real. He was getting picked on again so I…kindly asked the other kids to go off. That’s how I became friends with Vil.”
”Damn, why is that story not spread across the school?” Epel asked, intrigued.
”Because I never saw the need to tell it and Vil neither?? Plus, being bullied as a child might not be his favourite thing about himself. Only the two us knew…Well maybe Rook as well.” Jack also proceeded to look to Vil “I went to NRC partially for him. We run every morning together and we join each other at the gym sometimes too.”
”You and Vil are gym bros??”
“Yeah!”
“I would’ve never believed it if it wasn’t you telling me.” Epel crossed his arms “Has he ever been mean to you?”
”Mean no. Strict sure yes.” The wolf brought a hand to his hair “But you know Vil, he always wants what’s best for you.”
”What HE thinks is the best for you.” The other freshman felt obligated to correct his friend.
”I actually truly believe Vil does know what’s best. Vil is a good person at heart, one of the best people in this school honestly. He has always been good hearted.”
”Ehhhhhhhh~” Epel whined and made a face.
”Well hear me out, it’s not obvious, but he went through a lot as a kid as well.” The wolf got serious, frowning now “He used to cry a lot at night when he was young because of how frustrating it was for him to never get the roles he wanted. One day he basically stopped because he said he was ugly when he cried and starting laughing when he wants to cry instead.”
”He does have the most psychopathic and mentally disturbing laugh sometimes…” The other freshman recalled.
”That’s because it’s actually him going mad.”
”Damn.”
”Yeah he did scare me sometimes.” Jack sighed “But you know what Neige dude, he ain’t bad, but unconsciously he did cause Vil a lot of pain that he refuses to acknowledge.”
”Neige actually scares me more than Vil…” Epel admitted “It’s as if Vil is so mean that he terrifies me but Neige is so nice he…creeps me out. They both incarnate their roles perfectly, it’s disturbing.”
“Eh. He’s aight.”
From their table, they both saw a small portion of the Pomefiore gang stand up including Vil and Rook.
”They’re going on their after-meal 15 minutes digestion walk.” Epel informed his classmate.
”After-meal digestion walk?” Jack seemed interested “Is it mandatory?”
”Greatly encouraged. It’s not a rule or an obligation. I guess Pomefiore’s more lax than Heartslabyul in many ways…”
“Heyaaaa Jack, Epel!!!” Deuce, Grim and Yuu walked past them for a second. Ace wasn’t with them, he probably got into trouble with Riddle for the fifth time that week again.
“You look weird in that yellow vest and ribbon thingy Epel!” Grim and his unfiltered mouth said. “Not used to seeing you in that! Like dude you look like an expired bottle of mustard which just got dunked into a Grimace shake!”
”Ah. Do I really look that weird?” Epel sighed, yet another comment about how Savanaclaw doesn’t suit him.
He’s sure he’ll grow into it this time next month. People’ll surely stop laughing at him.
”If you think this is weird, you should see him in the dorm uniform. It’s not better!” Jack slipped in.
”Once I get stronger and bigger, it’ll be JUST right.” Epel growled.
“You could dye your hair another colour to look more badass!!” Deuce suggested “That’s what I did back when…I had a phase.”
“A phase…” Epel repeated “This is NOT a phase! I am dead serious about Savanaclaw!! I’m not in some kind of phase or anything! This is truly something I want!!!”
“If you say so…!” Yuu shrugged with a knowing smile “Well! See you around!”
”Cya…” The purple haired male mumbled. Sometimes he hates how Yuu always seems to know a lot of things the rest of them don’t know.
“Do you miss Pomefiore, Epel?” Jack asked once the others were gone from hearing range.
”Not. One. Bit.” The transferee crossed his hands “Like please I have no housewarden to bother me here in Savanaclaw.”
”See, that’s actually the problem of Savanaclaw.” The buffer teen pointed out. “Leona’s barely doing anything for us. Well he did help me several times back when the others were berating me but…whatever.”
“I’d rather that than an unbearable always on your back housewarden.”
“It’s not as if Vil was Riddle’s level of strict.”
“Stop defending him. I know you two were friends and he went through a lot and yadayadaya but still. You haven’t lived with him. I did.”
”What’s the worst thing he ever did to you out of ‘The Usual’?” Jack asked out of curiosity.
Epel felt surprisingly caught in the question. Yeah, what bad thing did Vil do to him outside of the daily/weekly putting him back in his place thing.
Well he forced Epel to wash his face and all that other crap in the morning.
He didn’t let Epel eat barbecue.
He would not shut his mouth up one second from the moment Epel would do something considered ungraceful. It would be a 1h lecture afterwards at least.
He would go out of his way to make Epel study for 4h straight once, even made him call in sick for Spelldrive practice, after he had a C+ in his little quiz.
And the way he thinks he’s allowed to do all those things to Epel! At this point, he literally has more authority on him than his own parents!!!
Vil wasn’t bad, but he was definitely annoying, entitled and once again, annoying.
”You know what,” the purple haired sighed “I dunno, okay? It was very mutually irritating between us. That’s about it. And I reached my limit with him, end of this conversation.”
“You know Vil is genuine in wanting to help people be the best of themselves right?” Jack huffed “He was the one that introduced me to workout routines in the first place and I just went on from where he told me to. Without Vil I wouldn’t be who I am today. And you know no one in this school, maybe apart Riddle and Azul, work harder than him right? He’s trying his best to fulfill his own goals while setting others on the right paths as well. You were privileged to have him guide you at least for your first year here.”
”Well he helped you get all buff but refused to do so for me…What gives??!”
”Well. Because you’re his little unripe apple from Pomefiore.”
“Stop. I’ve heard that way too many times. It’s cringe.”
“What I mean is,” Jack scoffed “You’re- You were his responsibility. He couldn’t let you do whatever you wanted because you could’ve become something very…distasteful.”
”Or just not conform to HIS ideal vision of me.”
”Well I do have to agree I don’t see your particular head on a body builder’s body…” The beastman avoided his classmate’s death glare “Plus if you looked bad, the whole Pomefiore would’ve looked bad. And like it or not, that ridiculous frilly shirt actually does suit you well.”
”You make me want to rip it off.”
“Yeah but doesn’t change the fact that it does look very good on you. Do you ever see me wearing that?” The wolf asked.
”No!” Epel shook his head violently. The idea of Jack in Pomefiore clothing in the first place is horrific.
”Exactly. Vil does see what goes best on everyone…”
They concluded lunch there and went for a walk outside.
”I need to go see Leona for something.” Jack said “He instructed me to do something this morning and I had no idea what the heck it was since he was half mumbling half grumbling. I need to go ask him about this again or otherwise he might get mad. You’re welcome to tag along!”
”I’ll come with you. I have nothing else to do anyways.” Epel nodded, following him.
”This will be like your 15 minute digestion walk.”
”Stop. It was traumatizing to walk in front of Vil everyday just so he could hit me whenever I so much as slumped! Instead of digesting, I always wanted to throw up.”
”Is it better to walk behind me?”.
”No I can’t see shit.”
Jack laughed and silently led the other boy into the greenhouse. The smaller boy had his face scrunched up in a pout the whole time, eyes distracted and obviously thinking too hard for his own good.
”The greenhouse?” Epel raised an eyebrow “Why are we here?”
”It’s Leona’s nap spot.”
”Didn’t he wake up at…like 11am today? It’s only 12:30! How is he already back asleep!!?”
“Yes. He’s lazy like that.” Jack sighed.
They both peeked around to search for the housewarden and found him fast enough thanks to the increasingly loud snores.
And also because Rugie was napping with him and he snored in a very noticeable “Rrrrrrroh MEMEMEMEMEMMEEMMEE” way.
”This is new. Didn’t know Ruggie was into napping too.” Jack noted. “They’re also pretty close, damn.”
Close as in Ruggie’s head was literally on Leona’s chest.
”Omg he has a snot bubble.” Epel frowned, looking at the hyena “In Pomefiore, that’s literally a crime and you’d have to clean your nose thrice once awake.”
”Did Vil monitor your sleep too or something?”
”No, Rook did. Vil’s on day duty and Rook on night duty. That man doesn’t sleep.”
”What-Oh nevermind.”
Epel stayed behind as Jack walked towards his housewarden and gently nudged him. Both Leona and Ruggie snapped awake in very different ways. Leona grabbed Jack’s forearm with a very threatening growl while Ruggie almost bounced off the ground and flew to the moon in shock.
“Aishhh Jack-“ The hyena hissed as Leona let go of Jack, still growling “Couldn’t you have come at a better time-What tis it this time!?”
”And why did you bring the fresh meat?” Leona added, looking at Epel who waved shyly.
”Sir, Epel just wanted to come with me!” Jack said “And I just had a little question!”
”And you woke me up for that!?” The housewarden said, disgusted “That’s 10 extra laps around the spelldrive stadium for you!!”
Sounded like a very unfair reason to inflict punishment onto a freshman to Epel. It is a student’s right to disturb their seniors when they have a question, and even more rightfully so when the question was to fulfill a service to their housewarden. Leona’s attitude never appeared strange to Epel before but now that he might soon be on the receiving end of it, it’s disturbing him.
”Sir yes sir!!!” Jack nodded, seeing no inconvenience whatsoever in it.
“Now what’s your problem, spill and scram…!”
”You asked me to do something this morning, Leona sir!” The wolf stated “You spoke so lowly and quickly that I didn’t understand a single thing! I came to ask again what it was.”
”This morning eh…” Leona looked up to the sky as Ruggie scratched his head, both of them very confused “I have no recollection of having ever asked anything of you. It was probably nothing important. Both of you get lost now, off you go or it’s 10 extra extra laps for the both of you this afternoon!! Scurry away!”
“Alright sir! Let’s go Epel!” The other beastmen nodded and left the lion’s corner as the older one slumped back into his grassy spot.
Epel didn’t budge though.
”If I may before you return to your very important nap, Leona sir,” He said.
”What?” The lion opened one eye as Ruggie’s expression seemed to indicate very specifically for Epel to run away.
“Is it…wise…for you to…spend your whole day lazing out like this??” The purple haired freshman gulped as he asked.
“Hmm?” The junior student turned to him, now highly alert.
”Not that I’m criticizing you or anything of the sort…” Epel continued “I’m just questioning myself on whether it is…right…for you, a housewarden, to not fulfill all the basic duties of the role and…to be a very bad example for the rest of the dorm. Not that I mean any offense of course! Shouldn’t you be doing anything…more useful?”
Ruggie facepalmed as Jack looked like he was going to die.
Yes well…That probably did sound very offensive.
However Leona smiled: ”Well frosh,” He said “All housewardens operate in a different way, just like all the dorms. Savanaclaw doesn’t have rules or anyone to hold them in line. We just have a hierarchy. You can’t come crying to your housewarden at every tiny little thing. Either you solve your problems yourselves or wait for someone to get so annoyed they end up doing it for you. If you can’t live with it, you’re too weak for Savanaclaw.”
“I’m not weak!”
”In here, not everyone will become strong and beautiful. Some will become strong and some will stay weak and be crushed. I’m not going to act like Vil, take you by the hand and teach you how to walk until you’re steady enough on your own. All that to say: If you don’t like how things work here, you should go back to Pomefiore. Everyone has their own thing going on here. Don’t go around dictating what others should be doing.”
Epel was stunned.
”That’s not what I was saying…” He said “I understand that your hierarchy thing is a main characteristic of Savanaclaw and that the dorm basically works with the weak being crushed underneath the strong…But even though I understand you are beastmen, you’re not animals. It is the bare basic for housewardens to at least answer when your students ask something of you. You’re not obliged to help but at least not…drive them away and punish them for seeking assistance or answers. And also…Sleeping for a whole day and only waking up to eat and play Spelldrive…Aren’t you a bit…forgive me for saying the word…pampered? You’re acting like…again I am so sorry…a housepet. It’s as if everyone’s serving you and it’s only going one way.”
A little shishishishishi laugh was shaking Ruggie’s body uncontrollably as Jack’s eyes darted from Leona to Epel back and forth.
He feels like he’s digging his own grave but the lion just stared at him blankly.
It’s as if the lion didn’t even register half the things he said
”Ah…” Leona hummed, looking up “Now where have I heard that before??”
Epel’s eyes tilted on the side.
“Sir?”
”Ah yes.” The lion pulled himself up in an indian sitting position “Vil. That’s where.”
”Excuse me?!” Epel raised an eyebrow.
”You know frosh,” The prince looked up to what he called fresh meat “You standing there looking down at me as if you’re some kind of entitled queen, always meddling into other people’s business…You remind me a lot of your housewarden.”
Epel was going to remind him that Vil was no longer his housewarden and now Leona is but he thought it best to shut his trap.
”You must’ve been spoiled rotten in Pomefiore,” Leona guessed between two yawns “Dragged around everywhere between Rook and Vil. When I met that pompous celebrity the first time when he was 16, he gave me the exact speech you just did, thinking he can tell me what to do and how to act and be a better leader for Savanaclaw. You Pomefiore upstarts really love giving yourselves the right to comment on other people’s behaviours and routines and criticizing others the second something doesn’t sit right with you. You have the exact same expression he did.”
”I am nothing like Vil!!”
”You are exactly like him!” The lion retorted immediately “Look at you! You may have toke off your makeup, put on a yellow vest, and declared yourself one of us, but you embody everything Vil does stand for.”
In front of Epel’s 100% OFFENDED expression, the beastman laughed again:
“Oi look at you not understanding a single thing I said. Come sit you little pampered herbivore, it’s story time for you! Apparently yall do this a lot in the Pompous-fore!” He gestured the grass in front of him. “And you two,” He looked to Jack and Ruggie “Don’t stand there looking like you belong with the plants, either join us or disappear.”
The two other Savanclaw boys sat down with Epel.
Leona looked to the purple haired freshman longly.
”You know, I never noticed it when you were just in the Spelldrive club, but you do have a lot of features similar to Vil’s. I only see this now that all that heavy makeup is off your face.” He said “Your body constitution is about the same as well.”
”Huh!? What do you mean!?”
”You joined Savanaclaw to get a body that might come close to Jack’s, am I right?”
“Yes sir???” Epel nodded.
”Well you’ll never get even close to him, do yourself a favour and abandon your dreams.”
”Eh!?”
”Kinda hard right there, Leona.” Ruggie whistled.
”I am not wrong.” Leona huffed “You can keep woking hard, weight lift as much as you want, your body is not built to become like his. The best you can hope for would to become like Vil. And I don’t know if you ever arm wrestled Vil, but he’s not without muscle either.”
”I…”
That’s true, Epel never arm wrestled Vil, but the actor did once lift him up with only one hand and effortlessly threw him on the ground like a finished plastic bottle.
”Let me tell you, frosh, when Vil came here to NRC, he wasn’t the tall gorgeous 183cm drama queen he is right now. He was barely taller than you in fact. One shortass entitled bastard.”
”I’m not entitled!!” Epel defended “I was merely suggesting you could act a bit differently for the sake of your dorm students.”
”Yea you were just merely doing this and merely doing that.” Leona chuckled “You, frosh, speak the exact same words to me that your housewarden once did.”
“I don’t normally speak like this!!!” The purple boy declared “I normally have an apparently horrible accent! And I’m not a successful celebrity like Vil, my family only owns an apple orchard!! He and I lead two completely different lives! I can’t ever come close to becoming someone so high maintenance like him! Don’t compare me to Vil!!”
“Well let’s hear your horrible accent then!”
Epel suddenly blacked out on the way he used to speak normally.
”I-…Well-You can’t ask me to just do this like this!”
“Exactly.” Leona said.
”It’s Vil’s fault.”
”Well. I also like to think everything is Vil’s fault but unfortunately, he’s right about you.” The second prince yawned “Now I just need to be diplomatic this once and state that no one is discriminating you for your background, accent, and whatnot, and absolutely not Vil. Vil doesn’t do discrimination. He’s factually the world’s number one believer in achieving absolute beauty no matter where you come from. If you think he’s horrible, it’s probably just because he saw so much potential in you and that you are so much more than just someone from a farmer family. He just wanted you to grow beyond that, expand your horizons, and have more fitting dreams and ambitions.”
”Well growing in a direction HE wishes me to grow doesn’t sit well with me!! He literally forces everyone to see things how he wants them to be seen!”
”He, like me, probably saw that your dreams are hopeless, so his dreams were automatically better.”
”Leona-“ Ruggie said again.
”What, you’re not going to tell me this herbivore here here has a chance of one day becoming a weight lifting champion.” Leona scowled back. “And think of it freshie,” He continued on with Epel “Does Vil actually stop you from doing the things you like?”
”yES.” Epel nodded, remembering how Vil literally dumped his reserves of barbecue chips out of the window.
”My bad I was wrong then,” The lion shrugged “But I noticed how Vil allowed you to keep up with Spelldrive even though Pomefiore doesn’t need another super good player since they have Rook.”
”Vil’s not a super big fan of the sport indeed.”
“Exactly. He avoids it and restricts the number of Pomefiore students practicing it. Yet he allowed you, his most delicate piece of work, to pursue it just because you like it.”
”To be fair, Pomefiore needs good players. Rook won’t be on the team next year and I’m not half bad at it.” Epel mumbled.
”Neither is Vil actually,” Jack commented “I played against him back when we were kids and he won every game. He’s an ace.”
Epel looked at him, puzzled. Vil? Spelldrive? That’s even more oil and water!
”Similarities between you two won’t end.” Leona noted once again “Despite the different mindsets and backgrounds, you and Vil are basically the same people.”
”I cannot believe I am hearing this.” The freshman crossed his arms immediately “I cannot see myself waking up at 5am, do my hair and makeup, the wholeass 1h skin routine and then proceed to force everyone else to do the same as well!”
”That’s not all Vil is though. He is more than just a routine enforcer.” Jack said.
”You’d probably understand him more once you become the next housewarden of Pomefiore.” Leona waved both of them off and Epel almost choked on air.
”M-Me!!? The next housewarden of Pomefiore!!? Ain’t no way!! ALL THIS NAPTIME HAS MADE YOU MAD!!!” He scrambled up “You are delusional and crazy!! I’m in Savanaclaw now!! I’m never going back to Pomefiore!!? And I can barely hold a candle to Vil-I can’t even memorize the fucking skin routine how in the world will I ever be able to-Nahhh you’re kidding!!!”
”Being a housewarden doesn’t mean you have to operate exactly how the last one did.” Ruggie put in “Once I make Leona’s ass graduate and steal his place as housewarden, I’ll run the dorm my way and people can stop complaining about the horrible gestion here eh!!”
”You’re really going to make me graduate??” Leona raised an eyebrow “You too, abandon your dreams.”
”Sheesh Leona!”
“Tss anyways,” Leona looked up to Epel, who begrudgingly sat down again “Pomefiore has a long standing tradition of current housewardens handpicking the next housewarden who they believe will become the most beneficial leader to the dorm unless one of their students are the school’s best potion student. In a case like that, said-student would’ve won the position by default but this year, Vil’s first place and second is Riddle. As long as Riddle remains top student in potions when Vil graduates instead of another Pomefiore student, Vil will be able handpick his heir. That bastard has kept no one longer to his side than you. You were basically his little protégé, his prized disciple.”
”I can’t even use chopsticks to pick up raw fish!!!” Epel complained still, his brain refusing to understand how in the world him, an uncooked vegetable, is supposed to become anything more than…an uncooked vegetable!!! “He literally hits me all the time!! I hear him complain about me to Rook every single night! They make love to complaining about me!! It’s not possible how much he must be disgusted with me! What makes you-“
”In that case, he probably really believes in you.” Leona shrugged.
“You. Are mad.”
Epel pulled his knees towards him and thought long and hard about who used to be his housewarden.
Did Vil, who would call him a stumbling vegetable all the time, ever actually believed in him to do anything?? The blond did label him hopeless multiple times after all.
But then, during VDC, Vil seemed to be pushing Epel to his limit for his singing and dancing. He called him the poison apple from the fairest queen’s tale, and tasked him with becoming so charming he’d take down Neige.
For once it’s as if Vil depended on him.
A task he failed to accomplish, but Vil didn’t look mad or disappointed. In fact he looked at Epel as if they’re just both going to have to work twice as hard, together.
Vil and Rook did always both shower the freshman with extra care and instructions. Epel always thought it was because he was the most incompetent and uncommon out of all the students the two of them had to deal with, he never knew there might’ve been other plans in it for him.
And then Vil did help his family a tremendous amount. He showed Epel another kind of power, influence and popularity. He taught Epel lessons one after the other that appeared like useless to the freshman until he randomly remembers them and puts them to actual use.
Vil does go out of his way to help any student of Pomefiore out of trouble, whether it be homework, salvaging their family fortune, or sponsoring their future careers. In Epel’s case, he quite literally sold out his entire family’s stock to the point where his parents could retire in luxury now.
And the young man does know he did overlook many of the generous things Vil did for everyone surrounding him.
Like when he donated that huge amount of money towards Ranshackle dorm.
When he offers every student in Pomefiore his latest creations in the matters of cosmetics for free, claiming that they were all only lab rats but everyone knew Vil would never give his students unsafe or toxic prototypes.
And that time he spent 4h of his precious time to fix a student’s hair when he tried to experiment a bit too much and ended up burning it.
You can’t get a housewarden like this anywhere else.
That explains why applications to transfer to Pomefiore are always so numerous…
The dorm was always full to max capacity and Vil and Rook would always handpick the lucky ones who get to join the tight knit family that the dorm is.
Doesn’t that sorta make Epel an idiot for leaving?
He doesn’t even know if those two gave his spot to someone else already.
Well…It does sound kinda fair now to have to abide to a strict routine and suck up diets and stuff to be able to achieve the greatest physical and mental form of himself and always have a housewarden who’d have his back and is always ready to beat him up just to show him how to pick himself up again.
”Are you telling me all of this to make me go back to Pomefiore?” He asked, a bit grumpy.
”Your words not mine!” Leona put two hands behind his back “To be honest, you look like a little gazelle amongst too many predators.”
”Eh I dunno,” Ruggie imitated his housewarden “Yah know, between becoming the next housewarden for Pomefiore and becoming fresh meat here, you might wanna choose wisely!”
”Who says I’mma let people eat me in here…! I’ve dealt with bullies my entire life!!”
”Right. You’re Vil’s little poison apple aren’t you, not our prey.” The hyena said. “You’re a vegetable amongst the carnivores. No one cares about you and you’re out of your confort zone. You stick out like a sore thumb.”
It doesn’t get any less cringe no matter who says it (unless it’s his family), but Epel does agree that he resonates more with one title than the other.
”An apple…” He mumbled “Is not a vegetable.”
But Vil used to call him both anyways.
”You, herbivore,” Leona yawned again “Will never become Savanaclaw’s kind of predator. The best you can become here is prey.”
”You don’t know that!” The freshman still defended.
”Yes I know that.” The lion stated and Epel realizes that the one thing that actually unites Leona and Vil is probably the fact that they hoth think they know exactly what’s going to happen to other people without actual proof “Granted, you’re NOT weak, but this is not your strongest element. Go back to Pomefiore where Vil will build you up and hone you to your sharpest edge, polish you until you can shine properly. We’ll only put you down here in Savanaclaw. You can’t take on my dorm. We can’t even eat you in here, you’re not on our diet.”
”You guys have a diet…?”
The lion laid back on the grass: “Please do evacuate from Savanaclaw and do us all a favor. I can’t take you on if you’re going to act like a miniature Vil all day and dictate my routine! If you don’t like Savanclaw and don’t want to go back to Pomefiore, you might loveeee Scarabia.”
”I-…” Epel huffed in disbelief. He literally JUST got into Savanaclaw “I-I’m not going back to Pomefiore!! I’ll crush your Savanaclaw grunts one by one, you’ll see!!”
Right then, the doors of the greenhouse opened and in stepped the gang of Pomefiore which went on their 15 minute digestion walk.
Epel could already hear Rook’s loud theatrics:
”Ohhh Roi du Poison, shall we go check out the plants you recently grew for your new products??? I bet they’ve become much more beautiful this time around!! Allons-y!!!”
Followed by an enthusiastic shrill of other Pomefiore students.
He does miss how Pomefiore would hype each other up, compliment each other on every project, and basically just get excited for each other. And he misses Rook, a lot.
He doesn’t miss Vil at all and-WHY IS HE COMING THEIR WAY!!?
”My my, what do we have here??” Vil’s elegant voice was heard as the model peeked into Leona’s nap spot “Oh, Leona obviously slacking off per usual, Ruggie as well…” He sighed before his eyes went onto the freshmen “Oh hello Jack, how are you…And the uncooked vegetable, hanging out with your new family??”
”Vil!” Epel exclaimed.
”Ohhhhhh!!” Rook basically jumped forward to crash into Epel “M. Crabbapple!!! How I’ve missed you!!!”
The other Pomefiore students appeared behind Vil:
”Oh Epel!”
“It’s Epel!”
”Oh he looks horrible with that yellow vest!”
”Do you think he’s doing well in Savanaclaw?”
”Did they pick on him?”
”Is he hurt anywhere??”
Epel almost missed how fussy they would get over him.
“Well, Leona,” Vil frowned, looking toward his fellow housewarden “Are you already installing the worst of your habits into poor easily influenced Epel? And goodness gracious, could you have not picked a better spot to nap?! You’re literally so close to my Aloe Vera plantations I’m afraid you might’ve crushed a few of them!!”
Immediately, the other Pomefiore students began to scramble dramatically to check on their dearest housewarden’s beloved plants.
Vil’s silent orders were always very well perceived by his grunts.
Epel on the other hand found himself halting his own reflex to explain to Vil that no, he was not slacking off with his new housewarden and that he was going to return to his studies as soon as possible. Old habits died hard. He always feels the need to justify himself with Vil.
“Oh M. Crabbapple, did you lose some weight already???” Rook pinched his cheeks “Are they not feeding you well in Savanaclaw!? Mon dieu I do remember how hard it was to fight for breakfast and dinner!!”
”Well no one actually feeds anyone in Savanaclaw, Rook.” Ruggie remarked.
”Gee Rook I’m fine…” Epel said, taking the Pomefiore vice’s hands off of him.
”Oh, I’ve never heard of this new barbaric tradition,” Vil raised an eyebrow “Fighting for your food? How is that even supposed to work... Epel, are you not eating well?”
”I won a pizza slice today actually.” The freshman answered his former housewarden, knowing exactly how he’d react.
”Ugh pizza…” Vil shook his head distastefully “The super greasy ones with no real nutrients apart from a protein overload on them I suppose?”
“Y-yeah…”
“uGh~.” The blond grimaced “They really don’t feed you well there. Do come by and eat at Pomefiore if you want a good meal one of these days Epel, it’d be doing no one a favor if you either get too thin or obese within the next month.”
“Ah yes do come by, the sophomores found a new clams cream soup recipe!!” Rook said cheerfully “And we obtained a cheesecake recipe from Trey as well! It’s excellent! The ingredients are all 100% gluten free!!”
Now that Epel does take that in account, meals in Pomefiore were indeed 100% the best meals of the whole school.
Well maybe if you don’t count the Mostro Lounge food or Trey’s deserts in Heartslabyul. Apparently Scarabia’s food is good too. But Pomefiore definitely hits all the spot for a well-balanced diet with no excess or lack of nutrients.
”O-okay….”
”For how much longer are you Pomefiore bastards going to make such a ruckus??” Leona said for the first time since Vil showed up. “Take your fandom and leave, Vil. You’re such a stressful disturbance.”
”You know, you don’t own the greenhouse.” The other housewarden gave him a critical glare. “I actually use it for its intended purpose. Have some decency and go nap in your dump of a dorm.”
“Okay, princess-“ Leona was starting to growl.
”Well! So long!” Vil said harshly and Rook detached himself from Epel’s side “Let’s go Rook. Take care of yourself Epel. I’ll see you tomorrow Jack!”
Epel watched as the two blonds walked away together. He does feel a pinch in his heart. Normally those two never let him leave their side.
“Oh and, Epel??” Vil looked back and the freshman snapped forward “If you do have a problem whatsoever that Leona refuses to help you with, come to me, I’ll see what I can do!!” He winked.
With a hairflip, the model turned away for good. Epel blinked twice, surprised that Vil didn’t totally despise him for leaving.
”I think he misses you. How cute.” Leona said.
”Man, sometimes I wish you could be more like him, Leona ah…” Ruggie whistled soulfully “Would be nice if you suddenly brought fortune to my family or something as well! And to be honest, that food did sound tempting. Yah Epel, what if I took your spot in Pomefiore??”
”Tss you’re not going anywhere you scheming little thing!” The hyena received a little hit in the back from his housewarden “Vil will definitely skin you alive and gift your coat to Crewel. You’re staying here with me.”
“Eh Leona…Can’t live without me can you!”
Epel’s attention was taken off of the two beastmen when a new wave of controlled chatter erupted near the greenhouse’s main entrance as Rook apparently scooped up Vil for pure entertainment and was dancing around with him as the taller male demanded he be put back down.
Rook and Vil did that to each other sometimes. Randomly carrying each other around. One of them obviously enjoy the activity more than the other.
”My beautiful queen! My Roi du Poison!”
”Rook, unhand me this instant!!!”
Epel misses the sight of it.
—
That night, he spent it wide awake in his hut. Not only because he had too much in his head and because thoughts of what Jack and Leona said about Vil were circling madly in his brain but also because all of Savanclaw snores FUCKING loudly.
And then there’s the weird noises coming from Leona’s hut in contrasts to Ruggie’s which sounds oddly empty and there’s no “Rrrrrrroh MEMEMEMEMEMMEEMMEE” coming from there.
These huts weren’t sound proof.
And Epel swears he even hears howling at night.
What the fuck was Jack even fucking doing outside at fucking 2am…
How the heck did he even manage to sleep through this animalistic concert last night!?
And then all of a sudden, there was an actual real concert starting.
It went
~hAkuNa MataAta
hAkuna MaTata
hAKuNa MataTaH~
and then
~EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
A-mam-mawehhhhh
Awimbaweh
Awimbaweh
Awimbaweh~
Very nice songs but not at the fucking crack of dawn. The concert was long. Or more like the world’s most random karaoke session. Before Epel snapped, someone else did, another student whose hut was closed to his. Said-student stormed to whoever was singing and practically ripped the door off to pick a fight with the stupid singer.
So there started a very loud fight.
Back in Pomefiore, yes he had to wake up fucking early and start his days in the most atrocious ways, but he would be generally well-rested and wouldn’t have to fight for his breakfast right afterwards or immediately jump into a spelldrive practice. It’s a different kind of stress, but one was less physically taxing than the other. Not that he minds Spelldrive, but he can’t manage that on an empty stomach.
He does also miss how everyone wakes up in a great mood in Pomefiore and not with the horrible stress and stench of sweat of Savanaclaw.
He-…
Oh Sevens…
His soul is calling him back to Pomefiore.
He missed his peers, his brothers, his bed, his dorm room, his dorm uniform (eh~), and probably all the attention he got accustomed to. He missed having someone check up on him regularly and making sure all his needs were accounted for, someone to make sure he eats well and basically just SOMEONE THERE.
He misses Rook.
Nope he’s still not missing Vil.
Fuck it, he doesn’t miss Vil but he needs Vil.
Who was he kidding, he was nothing without the junior.
That night, at 2am, Epel left Savanaclaw and made his way back to Pomefiore through the magic mirrors. The lights in the dorm halls were completely off since the students were all sound asleep. The warm breezes coming from the opened windows of the hallway regulated the cold temperature of the dorm and let off a hypnotic melody. There was a very dim light in the common room where Vil and Rook were both still awake which surprised Epel but also didn’t surprise him at all.
Rook’s hat was set aside while Vil’s hair was completely loose, spreading across his face. They were both in their night clothes and slippers and whilst Vil was busy speaking in a hushed tone with his manager over the phone, the hunter was reviewing a stack of papers, occupying a long chair with his whole length, his head rested on his queen’s lap.
A familiar sight for Epel. Those two were always very lovey dovey in the dorm, never really minding the eyes of the other dorm students. Everyone was used to it by now it’s not as if Rook and Vil were the only couple in the dorm either.
”Hi~” He said as he shifted uncomfortably at the common room entrance.
Vil and Rook’s attention went to him immediately. Vil ended the call without leaving an ending note as Rook almost jumped up, leaving the stack of paper on the central table as both of them hurried to greet their little freshman.
”Epel?” Vil said as Rook’s hands went onto the freshmen’s shoulders, checking on him “What are you doing here?”
Epel pouted, looking away.
”I think Leona and Ruggie are making out in Leona’s hut. Jack’s out howling into the night for absolutely no valid reason. There’s absolute cacaphony and then a fight broke out. The rest of Savanclaw are snoring so much they make it sound like it’s thundering there.” He grumbled “And I think some of them are doing drugs. I can’t sleep.”
”Ah.” Vil didn’t even make the effort to sound surprised, a hand rested on his chin with the most unsurprised face ever.
“Leona and Ruggie????” Rook’s hawk eyes tingled with interest “You MUST tell me all about it monsieur Crabbapple!!!! Were they that loud??”
”yES.” Epel sighed tiredly “Sounded very serious. Very animalistic. I don’t want to be there anymore.”
”Oh là là..!!!!!!”
”Later Rook,” Vil pushed his significant other aside “Well Epel, first off, you stink…You smell like a mix of wet dog and cat breath. Second of all, do you have anything to say to me first?”
”I-…It was…my mistake…to follow my dreams and transfer to Savanaclaw.”
“Whoa now. With less attitude if you please??”
”Savanclaw was a fucking mistake. It’s actually very bad there and everyone’s kinda an asshole except for Jack. Nobody likes me, I don’t like anybody, and I can’t sleep, eat or even study properly. I can’t do this Savanclaw thing.” Epel stated “Maybe I’m just tired but Savanaclaw makes me want to off myself. Please let me come back to Pomefiore?”
”Oh ho, just like that?” Vil laughed gently, even overlooking Epel’s vulgar way of speaking. Apparently everyone gets a free pass for bad words if they’re used to either describe Savanaclaw or Neige. Not that anyone in Pomefiore would ever call Neige Leblanche any names of course. “Well I don’t know, little spud, you might be dragging the flees from over there back in here.”
”And I am so sorry, I’ll do whatever you want, I’ll never complain again. I…I’ll try and be a better model Pomefiore student instead of trying to become something I’m not ever meant to be…! I think I finally understood what you’ve been trying to tell me since the beginning of the year!! Instead of trying to achieve a strength that is not my own, I’ll hone what I already have instead and turn it into something beautiful just like you said!”
Vil as silent for a while.
”But do you want that though?” He asked.
“Now that I’ve seen how Leona actually is, I realized I wanted to learn from you more than…well anybody else.” Epel murmured. “Because if we go by elimination, you might be the most functional housewarden out there.”
Not the easiest to live with though but that’s to never be addressed.
“Well obviously.” Vil almost snorted “Leona is a horrible influence, the worst of the worst. You’d be better off learning from stray dogs. In Savanaclaw, you have no role model. You all have to find your true selves on your own or live intimidated by the ones stronger than you forever. I thought you wanted that?? Independence? No shitty housewarden always on your back??”
Rook had a little giggle while Epel reddened, struggling to get the next words out:
”Well I realized no one was going to help me anything and I…am pretty weak on my own.”
It physically hurt him to croak that out. He could feel his ears reddening already.
”Of course you are, little spudling, I told you many times already, you’re just an uncooked vegetable. You’re still dependent on your older peers.” Vil cooed in a ‘I told you so’ kinda way “Look at you running back with your tail between your legs, smelling like…Savanaclaw and with who knows what kind of germs on you.”
”Well…Yeah. I obviously lost to you once again on this one.” Epel looked down “You’re always right it’s irritating.” He mumbled.
”So you’re coming back to Pomefiore then, spud?”
“Heck yeah.”
”Watch it.”
”Right.”
”And to be clear, you never lose to me, you just learn. Let this serve as another lesson to you, you can’t deny your soul’s true calling. You belong to Pomefiore. Your mind and body is mine to shape and until you’re ready to design your future yourself, I’m setting your path for you. You can’t force your soul into another dorm. The mirror placed you with me, and so you’ll be my responsibility until I leave my position.” The actor chuckled “Tomorrow I expect you to repeat everything I just said AND the oath of Pomefiore.”
Ah yes, the 20 minute speech/poem that everyone loves hearing but hate singing.
Epel nodded. “What about Rook though? Doesn’t your soul belong to Savanaclaw?”
”Ohhhhh mon cher petit,” Rook laughed, detaching himself from Vil to go pet Epel’s hair gently “My soul belongs to Savanaclaw through and through!!! It still calls out to me daily! But Pomefiore won my heart!! Who am I to deny my heart to favor my soul instead?” He looked to Vil momentarily before his gaze set back on his little protégé “But you, Epel! You belong heart and soul to Pomefiore! You just got confused along the way!! It was very entertaining!”
Epel pulled him into a tight hug. And with another hand, he pulled Vil up from his seat in as well.
”I’m sorry I left you guys.” He mumbled “Even if you’re unbearable sometimes….”
“Tss…Always one to speak your thoughts aren’t you!” Vil chided him, patting the freshman on the back awkwardly before detaching himself “Sorry, I have no idea what kind of dirt you dragged in with you. Off to the baths you go!!”
”But I already bathed!”
”Savanaclaw water is as good as dog water.”
”Apparently so,” Epel grinned as Rook released him. “Oh and, Leona said I’m exactly like you!!”
Vil blinked for a second.
”Well!” He exclaimed “Isn’t that quite the insult to the both of us!!!!”
”Quite indeed!”
Vil smiled alas, a real doting smile:
”Then I guess we’ll see how much of me I can bring out in you after tonight!” He decided “Well go wash yourself off, my naughty little apple, tomorrow we’re going back into our good habits won’t we??”
“Yes…I miss dem good habits.” Epel sighed. He was already dreading it but somewhere, he’s comforted with this familiar routine “We shall.”
”Good. No more straying from now on?”
”No more. Promise!”
“Well then, good night, little spud!”
”’Night your majesty!”
As Epel left, he heard Rook chuckling vilely to Vil:
”Oh beautiful Vil, you shall honor our bet and hand me my 500 thaumarks now that our little apple has deceived you once again~”
”Tss I’m doing it right now you impatient jest…”
The freshman never wheeled around so hastily before:
”Did you two place a bet on me!!?” He asked, horrified, making both juniors freeze on spot.
”Well…” Rook said “I was just quite sure you wouldn’t last a full two days in Savanclaw. After all, I know best how hard it is there for someone not born beastman!”
”And I thought you’d honor the tenace spirit of the fair queen and last at least a week.” Vil smiled “But apparently you couldn’t tough it out and made me lose my money…I overestimated you how much you were clinging to your hopeless dreams.”
”Ah Epel…You never knew how much Vil believed in your resilience.” Rook said dramatically. “He was so sure you’d stay at least until the start of next week even though I told you Savanaclaw was a very tough place for humans!”
”You-You both knew I’d be back!!?” The boy said, stunned.
“I think everybody knew you’d be back.” Vil shrugged “I just lost 500 thaumarks but I believe half the dorm might be losing above 700 to Rook. You were the only one who thought you belonged anywhere else. You little fool.”
“How do y’all even do that!!?”
“Well it’s best you start listening to us for real from now on don’t you think?” The housewarden winked “And for the record, I’m glad it didn’t take you too long to come back. I did start getting bored without you.”
”Wow. No one to beat up every morning eh. Must’ve been horrible.” Epel rolled his eyes.
”Exactly.”
“Oi-“
”We both missed you Epel.” Rook translated “Vil laughed for a full hour when you left.”
”Yes. Because that transfer was obviously a very bad joke.” Vil looked to his vice warningly “I was so unamused I laughed, that’s all. Hurry off, you’ll get puffy eyes tomorrow young man! Go now! Shoo!”
And Epel realized he actually did miss the very family-ish atmosphere of his dear Pomefiore after all. He’d never leave this place again.