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It had been a while since Yuu had been basically kidnapped into Twisted Wonderland. New friends and new experiences alike made it much better than Yuu has before being here. Though with all good things, there is a downside.
Yuu always knew they had bad eyesight. Like, really bad eye sight. Their left eye was so bad that their brain basically ignored it in favour of their right eye, which wasn’t much better. Both eyes having astigmatism. The left eye was so bad that when Yuu was younger, they couldn’t make out shapes with that eye. Only colours and blobs. The right eye was still blurry. With the left eye, Yuu could not read. From the right eye, Yuu could read. Though they were also very nearsighted. Stuff getting blurry at about 4 feet away.
Though it has improved over the years, it was not better. The astigmatism had been mostly corrected with glasses and contacts. Yuu made it through school with a glasses up until being brought to Twisted Wonderland. One of the many items that Yuu did not have was their glasses or contacts.
Of course, Yuu complained to Crowley about needing glasses or contacts. Nothing was done of it. The excuse of “I’m just sooo busy!” being used yet again.
Normally for Classes, Yuu would copy Ace and Deuce. Sometimes Yuu would have Grim whisper to him what’s on the board as the teachers are writing. Today was a problem. Ace and Deuce were sick and Grim had to remain at Ramshackle due to a small injury. (Grim fell off the bed and was whining about it.) So it was just Yuu today.
Sebek, Jack, and Epel had been kind enough to offer up to let Yuu copy their notes while clubs were going on. That was still hours from now. Luckily Professor Crewel had only had the class do worksheets, which were simple enough. Spit up information that had been planted into their skulls. Yuu could do worksheets easily.
Professor Trein on the other hand, had not done that. The history professor doing a full lesson while Yuu did not have any of his ‘Seeing Eye Notetakers’ with him. Maybe this wouldn’t have been a problem if Professor Trein wasn’t an old git who enjoyed embarrassing his students at every open opportunity.
Yuu had been doodling on the back pages of their notebook as Professor Trein droned on and on about whatever. The magicless student looked up every so often to pretend to take notes. The cute cat, Lucius, knew better than that. It took just a couple of mews and meows before Professor Trein stopped talking and turned to the students.
A couple students jabbed their friends to wake them up. Yuu made direct eye contact with the old professor…or at least what would have been direct eye contact if Yuu couLD FUCKING SEE. Another sound from the pretty kitty signaled that Professor Trein had caught the correct student.
“Yuu. Is there a specific reason you are not taking notes today?” Professor Trein opened his big fucking mouth. Students looked back to Yuu. Many with pity, some confused, and a little with concern.
Yuu did not speak up. Not willing to speak the answer, especially since many students still have this idea that Headmage Crowley is a good and competent adult. No matter how untrue that very much is. Yuu doesn’t wish to crush dreams all too soon for many of these poor students who just so happen to be around at the same time Yuu is unable to take notes. Yuu blinks. Blurred vision making Professor Trein look far more like a maroon red blob, rather then like a person who is supposed to be teaching a class of 16 year olds.
“Do you believe you will retain this information without taking notes? I see your three ‘friends’ are not here today. Do you believe you could teach this lesson to them?” Professor Trein pressed on. The same monotone voice that normally speaks about history facts that Yuu has no idea is actually true or not.
Yuu continues to remain silent. Preparing something to say in their head. Wanting to let Professor Trein make a fool of himself. Wanting to let the old man rave and rage about the magicaless student not taking notes before they break the illusion and confess about all the different things that are really going on. If Professor Trein wants to try to embarrass Yuu, then may that energy be thrown right back at the old git.
“Or do you believe you are better than the others in this class who are taking notes? Answer me.” Professor Trein let Lucius jump up into his arms. Most likely believing that he had won.
If Professor Trein wants to fuck around, then he can find out. Yuu isn’t above putting some random old Professor in his place.
“I cannot see the board, sir.” Yuu spoke sharply. Completely ready to give attitude back to the old fuck who is suppose to be teaching a lesson about…Yuu cannot read the words on the black board. The letters blended together and were unreadable. So Yuu was unsure of what Professor Trein had even been trying to teach.
“You cannot see?” Professor Trein seemed caught off guard. Yuu heard student start to whisper to their friends about what Yuu had said. You see, when your eyes are terrible then your other senses become good to compensate. They could hear the students whisper in confusion about what the magicless student spoke about.
Tension was so thick, Yuu would have spelt the word with 3 Cs.
“That is correct. I cannot see what you are writing on the board. Normally I read and write down what Ace and Deuce write down for notes.” Yuu had a very good idea of what they were about to say to bring Professor Trein to understanding the truth of what was going on for the magicless and bad eyesight student.
“What do you mean you cannot see?” Professor Trein asked. The sound died as many students wanted to hear what Yuu was talking about. The magicless student could have almost smiled as how he’s about to blow the minds of many of the students in the room with just a couple of sentences.
“You see, Professor, I have astigmatism in my eyes. Both of them. Though my left eye is worst then my right eye. Due to that, I am nearsighted. However, you have placed me and my friends in the back of your classroom. Which, by my best guess, is over 13 feet away from the board. My vision gets blurred past 4 feet in front of me.” They held the same monotone voice that the professor did. The students started to whisper again. The whispers became full speaking as everyone tried to talk about each other.
“Silence!” Professor Trein spoke above the students. It went deathly quiet. “And why, Mx. Yuu, haven’t you gotten something like glasses or contacts to correct your eyesight?”
Yuu had to hold back rolling their eyes. It was time for the light to shine on Headmage Crowley. Time for some more of the student body to realize that Headmage Crowley is a useless fuck who couldn’t do something as simple as call an eye doctor and get Yuu glasses so they could see in classes.
“I asked, no, pleaded with Headmage Crowley to get me an appointment with any sort of eye medical professional. Every time it’s the same thing ‘I’ll make it happen’ and yet it’s been months since I have been here. I have handled 5 different students’ overblots with only a little help and yet I have still never been given a pair of glasses, contacts, or enough money to set up the appointment myself.” Yuu spoke out.
Unaware of the fact that multiple students were recording or live-streaming their ramble to the world. The world that Yuu does not belong to gets to watch them rip into Headmage Crowley.
“It has been deemed unsafe for me to leave Sage Island under any circumstances, unless Headmage himself, Ace, Deuce, or one of the housewardens is with me. Even then, we would need permission from Headmage to use the Dark Mirror to get anywhere. I have debated speaking to Housewarden Azul about seeing if he can make sure I get the glasses or contacts I need. I have debated speaking with Housewarden Kalim about getting the funds to go to an eye doctor myself.” Yuu went on. A monotone voice backing up every word. Letting everyone hear what they speak. Yuu gives barely any time between words before starting to speak again. Yet their message is clear.
“Considering the fact that I don’t have any legal papers either, since I am not from Twisted Wonderland, you would believe stuff like this could be done for me. I have no family here and have only had to rely on my friends for multiple things. Housewarden Vil bought me a phone, Housewarden Kalim and Vice Housewarden Jamil are often the people who give me food or the money to buy food for weeks at a time. Housewarden Riddle and Housewarden Azul help me understand things and help me with my grades. Housewarden Idia has as made sure that I have things to remind me to do basic human needs. Housewarden Leona has even helped me with providing funds to use to clean up Ramshackle Dorm for myself and Grim.” Yuu almost felt like they were at therapy and not the therapist half the time. Speaking out against Headmage Crowley and speaking positively of the housewardens was actually really nice. Especially with all the shit that has happened.
“Oh, and Along with that. Did you know Ramshackle didn’t have running water for the first week I was here? It wasn’t until Housewarden Malleus,” The student body flinched at Yuu speaking the name. “-used magic to repair the pipes and get them working again. But before that, I asked Headmage multiple times to fix the pipes or hire someone to fix the pipes so I could have clean water to use to bathe, wash my hands, brush my teeth, and drink from.”
Yuu felt genuinely relieved as they went off about what the Housewardens have done for them. Stuff that Headmage Crowley hadn’t done in the while that Yuu had been here. Getting to say it and have people listen was nice. Knowing that people are taking in the information that they are putting out into the world was nice. People were listening and hearing them. No longer turning a blind eye.
“So, Professor, I don’t think I could retain this information without taking notes. I don’t think I could teach my friends this lesson. I do not believe that I am better than the other students here who are able to take their notes. I cannot see what you are writing down due to poor student placement and Headmage Crowley not doing his job and giving me items that would benefit me in a classroom setting.” Yuu finished off. It went silent once again as people looked on in amazement at the audacity the magicless student had. First, speaking back to Professor Trein. Second, speaking ill of Headmage Crowley. Third, complementing and defending the different housewardens.
Everyone was silent. The people live-streaming had waves and waves of comments about Yuu ‘popping-off’ or ‘going off’. In reality, Yuu was just tired of knowing that they could literally go blind in their left eye any month now due to the fact that his eyesight is terrible and they haven’t had anything to correct it in many months. Enough months to handle 5 overblots and talk sense into Idia before he could Overblot.
People stop their recordings and live streams, but the damage had been done. Many of those with recordings uploaded them to whatever websites they could. Magicam being the most popular one by far. The hashtags ‘GetHimYuu’ and ‘GiveYuuGlasses’ being a common thread among the videos posted. Yuu was just answering Professor Trein’s question while being unable to see shit. Of course they are going to be minorly grumpy about it.
“Now please, go back to your lesson, Professor. I’m going to sit here while the other students with good eyesight take their notes.” Yuu broke the silence. Professor Trein had lost, and embarrassingly so. It was almost as if Yuu used an Uno Reserve on the old fart to get him to finally shut up and stop trying to humiliate his students.
Professor Trein went back to his lesson. Though many had a hard time focusing as their phones were blowing up with notifications and alerts from their apps of choice. The videos being liked or getting comments on them. Though no one dared to check their phone or interrupt the lesson once again by commenting on the dings, bings, and other sounds that came from the small student body that Yuu shared a class with.
During the rest of class, the videos blew up and went basically viral. Including getting on the feed page of two particular NRC 3rd years. Each with enough followers that one simple repost made those videos so much bigger. Big enough that news stations got a hold of the story and were oh so very read to make the headlines about what the Headmage of this specific well known school.
Oh tomorrow was going to be a shitshow, and class wasn’t even over yet. Yuu was so excited.