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In an unexpected turn of events, the fairies had decided to hold the Fairy Gala in Night Raven College’s very own botanical garden. Now, it wouldn’t be that much of an issue if the fairies hadn’t taken the magistone that controlled the school’s temperatures. Savanaclaw was snowing, Ignihyde was sweltering; they needed to get that magistone back. And instead of the adults dealing with it, as per usual, the task was dumped onto the students.
And then was dumped onto the freshman by Leona with the excuse of it fitting the theme of “evolution”.
With the participants chosen, that being Ace, Jack, Ortho, and Silver, they had only a few days to prepare for the Gala.
Good thing it was out of Malleus’s hands.
Now, technically he had had some part in the arrangement, he was a fae after all. So, when all of the house wardens were summoned, he was able to give them ample information appropriate for the situation at hand. The downside was that he wasn’t invited to the gala, which made him useless in that scenario. The only thing he had to worry about now was the fact that Silver was a part of the magistone retrieval plan, so he had to be sure that he was at least doing his part.
Malleus frowned as he walked along the dirt paths around the college. He absolutely, totally, for sure wasn’t upset that he wasn’t invited to the Fairy Gala. Even though it was a fae event and he was a part of the fae species, totally not upset. He wasn’t walking around looking at gargoyles to try and make himself feel better, absolutely not!
As he continued to wander around the school, totally not focusing on how he failed to get an invitation to the gala, he eventually stumbled upon the courtyard and paused. Sitting on the steps of the well sat the picture perfect teen from Pomefiore, legs to the side with a purple notebook and matching pen in hand. Even with furrowed brows, their features were delicate and makeup pristine.
The sight threw Malleus for a loop, not expecting to run into the prefect whilst gazing at the usual gargoyles. Curiously, he stepped forward, not trying to hide the sound of his footsteps.
“Schoenheit.” He stated simply, Vil’s eyes darting up to him. “What a surprise to see you here.”
“Malleus,” Vil acknowledged, smiling politely. “A surprise indeed. What can I do for you?”
“I need nothing.” Malleus said, smiling back. “I was out and about and happened to wander into your sights.”
“I see.” Malleus just so happened to glance at the notebook. He tilted his head, noticing the human-shaped scribbles.
“I didn’t know you were an artist.” He said, causing Vil to scoff while averting his gaze.
“I’m not really.” Vil said, fidgeting with his pen. “I’m just trying to work through some designs.” Malleus tilted his head further.
“Designs you say?” His interest was peaked. “For what, if I may ask?” It was then that Vil sighed, his frustration becoming clear.
“The Fairy Gala.” He answered, exasperated. “Those four potatoes are walking the runway and they need attire to fit the show theme. The theme of evolution is incredibly vague, so Professor Crewel and I have been combining our efforts to create clothing that both benefits them AND the wearer. So far, I have found it to be incredibly difficult.” He placed the sketchbook face down in his lap and then referenced himself. “I even tried to get into the spirit of the show. I did my hair, my makeup, and threw on some clothes that I just had in my closet that I thought could’ve fit the theme. When that didn’t work, I came out here to give myself a new perspective. Even THAT has failed to inspire me! It’s quite troublesome.”
Malleus analyzed Vil as he spoke. Their attire was definitely not what they would usually wear. Adorned in white and gold, they wore cropped pants and a long sleeve shirt that hugged the skin comfortably. The pants were sewn together with gold thread, and the shirt had a multitude of floral details, some giving the shirt definition, especially at the shoulders. Roses and rhinestones were purposefully scattered from head to toe, giving a tasteful gleam to the outfit. His shoes were a pair of ankle boots with golden platforms, and beautifully intricate floral embroidery. Vil’s face was gorgeous, as usual, but his usual purple eyeshadow was replaced with gold, and his lips had a golden reflect instead of its usual shine.
“…I can tell.” He acknowledged after viewing the model’s entire outfit. It was then that the fae sparked an idea. He looked to Vil with a gleam in his eyes.
“Why don’t you accompany me on my walk?” He offered, getting Vil’s attention. Vil shook his head politely.
“No, I couldn’t. This is your time; don’t feel that you need to invite me along.”
“You misunderstand.” He began. “You’ve stated that you lack inspiration, correct? I tend to obverse the history that Night Raven College has to offer whilst on my stroll. I simply thought that immersing yourself in what was could give you insight on what is. Sounds akin to evolution, does it not?” He had made a good point. Vil thought about what he said, only for a moment, before giving a light smile.
“Alright. So long as you don’t mind.”
“Not at all.” With his decision made, Vil closed the notebook, pen being used as a bookmark, and stood up elegantly to accompany Malleus.
When he stood up straight, Malleus noticed that he was able to look into the other’s eyes without looking down. He stared, surprised.
“…You’ve grown taller.” Malleus noted, causing the other to chuckle.
“Ha, oh no.” Vil laughed with his hand to his mouth. “It’s just my shoes.” He pointed his foot so that Malleus could see, and he did see what Vil was talking about.
“…That’s quite the shoe.” At the mention, Vil smirked proudly.
“Aren’t they?” He kicked up his heel cutely to show it off. “Ténèbres Luxury Crystal Ankle Boots. Six inch heel. Limited edition.” He modeled a few poses purely out of excitement, only making Malleus smile, even though he knew very little of what Vil was talking about.
“Very impressive.” He managed to say. “Will you be able to walk?”
“Will I be able to walk?” Vil scoffed mockingly, strutting past Malleus without a single stumble. “Of course I can.” Malleus followed suit.
“I see.” He said without missing a beat. “Shall we get going then?”
“We shall.”
The two of them walked around campus for what seemed like ages. Malleus showed Vil some of his favorite spots, giving him some history behind it along the way. Vil stayed attentive; pulling out his notebook every now and again to jot down some notes. Typical Vil, always vigilant.
About thirty minutes in, they walked into the woods behind campus, and Malleus sparked an idea.
“Schoenheit?” Vil looked to him curiously. “If you’re willing to adventure further, there’s an old well in these woods that it quite fascinating. It’s so old, there’s no decorum to identify it.” Vil thought for a minute, never having gone so deep into the forest before, but as he still desired some adventure, he nodded and agreed, allowing the prince to lead him further in.
The farther they got, the more rough the terrain became. Malleus noticed that the model had started walking slower, cautiously avoiding any holes in the ground. So when the two of them came to a steep hill, Malleus walked to the bottom and then looked back to offer Vil a hand.
Lilia had taught him how to treat a lady.
Vil was mildly surprised by the action, but smiled graciously as he took the other’s hand.
“Thank you.” He thanked as he carefully walked down the hill. “What a gentleman you are.”
“But of course, Schoenheit.” He said knowingly.
When Vil reached the bottom safely, he noticed the ground was lacking in greenery, and that the trees were nearly completely void of leaves. Malleus also appeared confused, but clearly not for the same reason as the other.
“The well used to be over there.” He stated matter of factly. He began walking away, and Vil only followed due to curiosity. They walked up to a small pile of rocks, and Malleus bent down to remove the rocks promptly. Underneath, revealed a boring and bland manhole cover. Despite Vil’s disinterest, Malleus suddenly appeared happy.
“Here it is!” He exclaimed. “Odd; someone must’ve capped it.” He then went to remove the lid of the well, hardly struggling against its weight.
To their surprise, once it was loose, the lid shot up into the sky and a hoard of fairies came flying out of the well. It looked like a river of flower petals spreading throughout the sky; a beautiful sight indeed.
From the hoard of multicolored fairies, one of them stopped in the air to look at them, startling them a bit. It first flew to Vil, the latter stepping back instinctively, but then flew over to Malleus, getting close to his ear, and him leaning down slightly.
“Ting ting!”
“Hehe, you’re welcome.” He said with a chuckle. The fairy flew to the others, and Malleus and Vil could only watch in awe.
“What are they?” Vil asked instinctively.
“Flora Fae.” Malleus answered. “They must’ve gotten stuck while preparing for the Gala.”
“That many of them?”
“Or, they could’ve been put there on purpose.” Malleus suggested once more. “They have been causing some issues with the humans as of late.” A small gasp caused the dragon fae to stop talking. He turned to the person next to him and saw that the fairies were circling the model’s feet, and he was trying not to step on them.
“Ting ting!”
Vil squinted at the fairies confused as they continued to circle his figure.
“Ting, ting, ting-a-ling!”
“…what?” He finally asked one of them as they approached his face. Malleus snickered under his breath as the fairies spoke louder. He might as well act as their translator; they were quite persistent.
“They say you’re…beautiful.” He told Vil, though confused as to why it seemed embarrassing to say. Vil appeared surprised as well, a light blush gracing his cheeks.
“Well…they have good taste.” He managed to say, as the fairies chuckled like little bashful girls. “These fairies aren’t local to the college. What is it that they do?” As if to answer, the fairies flew to the ground, a trail of sparkle trailing behind them, and as they flew, the grass began to grow and flowers bloomed instantly. Malleus referenced the work of the little show offs.
“They make flowers grow, of course.” He said as if obvious.
The two followed the trail of flowers that the flora fae left, the fairies passionately continuing their work. They took to the trees and up grew wisteria, the branches beginning to bear fruit.
As Vil and Malleus walked under a tree, the taller was suddenly attacked by falling fruit. Vil laughed at the sight, and Malleus looked up to see that it was a fairy’s doing. He frowned at first, but then looked to his horns. One of the apple’s had been skewered by it, and he removed it promptly. He looked at it strangely before offering it to Vil. The blonde laughed as he took it from him, the apple being completely de-cored; there was barely any fruit for him to eat.
While the two shared an, admittedly, awkward moment under the tree, the Flora Fae circled around them intently, giggling. The two stared curiously at the mischievous fairies, not knowing what they could want from them. Were they simply curious? Were they being playful? There was no way to tell.
Suddenly, the two students were pushed closer together by the smaller fae, their chests bumping awkwardly. Malleus and Vil stared with wide eyes, the contact being unusual for them. The fairies giggled as they continued their plight of spring, and the two house wardens stayed close.
Malleus was the first to break the silence; smiling bashfully at the blonde before offering his hand. To his surprise, Vil smiled back, stepping closer. The apple previously given to him dropped from his hands as he laid it upon the others shoulder. Their faces graced each other, leaning in close, their breath warm on the others lips.
Through half lidded eyes, Vil noticed one of the fairies over Malleus’s shoulder. The details in their wings were intricate, like little butterflies welcoming the colors of spring.
…butterflies…
Vil’s eyes blinked open as inspiration struck.
“Butterflies!” He said, amazed. “Malleus, that’s it!” The Diasomnia student opened their eyes, moving their head back awkwardly.
“…what is?” He said whilst clearing his throat. Vil’s smile was bright, the fairies dancing around him making him appear more magical than usual.
“For the gala! I know what to do!” His hands fell from the other’s shoulders, disappointing Malleus slightly. “I have to tell Professor Crewel immediately. Those clothes need to be designed and manufactured asap. Oh, thank you, Malleus! I would’ve never found what I needed without you!” He gave the fae a quick hug before jogging backwards. He waved goodbye and then turned to sprint back to the school grounds. Malleus stared at the figure with absolute bafflement.
“…goodbye.” He said late. He frowned after longingly staring at where Vil’s previous spot. “I suppose hoping for a next time would be too much to ask?” He sighed. All of this had just been pure luck anyway. He hadn’t asked Vil to come along for any romantic reason, it was purely platonic. The forest of fairies and magical growing flowers just made the atmosphere as such.
As those thoughts ran through his head, his eyes caught sight of a purple butterfly fluttering through the air. He raised a finger to it, and to his surprise, it landed right on the tip. He slowly brought it close to him, entranced by its beauty.
It reminded him of someone.
A small smile graced his lips as he watched the butterfly fly away. Perhaps today wasn’t luck. Maybe it was meant to be.