Chapter Text
“ Ace is in the infirmary. ” The line ran through Riddle’s head again and again as he rushed through the hallways, his teatime all but forgotten. He slammed the door to the infirmary open, and sure enough, his beloved first-year was sitting on one of the beds, his head and arms wrapped in bandages.
“Ace,” Riddle murmured, holding the other’s hand with concern. “Trey told me you got hurt at basketball practice. How bad is it? Are you alright?”
“You came all this way just to check up on me, dorm head? That’s real sweet of you,” Ace chuckled, but then he sighed and patted Riddle’s shoulder. “I’m fine, don’t worry. I survived your rose tree rampage, I can take a few hits from a basketball.”
“That’s not the point! You still got injured! What happened? Was it Floyd again?”
“No, it was… someone else entirely. If anything, Floyd-senpai and Jamil-senpai are the ones who got me outta that mess.”
“Alright, but you have yet to answer my question, Ace. What happened to you?”
Ace turned away from the redhead. “I’ve just been having a bad day, dorm head. That’s all.”
Riddle was silent, then tilted the first-year’s head towards him. “A bad day wouldn’t have gotten you this down, nor would it have landed you here. Ace, please just tell me what happened. I promise you I’ll save my judgment until you’re done.”
“I… alright. I wasn’t lying when I said I was having a bad day. I dunno what it was about today, but y’know how sometimes you wake up and you already know it’s gonna be a bad day? And then that messes up the rest of the day?”
“Of course.”
“Right, so that was me today. Lucius almost damn near scratched my arm, I missed you at lunch today, and then I crashed into Deuce during flight lessons earlier. I was looking forward to basketball, just so I could shoot some shots and clear my head, but then I kept missing everything. Even though Jamil-senpai told me it was alright to have a bad day once in a while, this one guy wouldn’t stop being a dick to me, and he started teasing me about missing so many.
“He was all like ‘wow, you suck, should you really be playing at our next tournament’ and I told him to knock it off cause I was just having a bad day. Then I think he got upset that I wasn’t tryna fight him, cause he said I’d been spending too much time with you and that’s why I was missing shots. Oh, and he called you a prissy brat too! I mean, the nerve of this guy! I told him I didn’t appreciate him talking about my dorm head that way, and then he started saying some terrible things about you, and… about us. Dorm head, you have no idea how bad I wanted to deck him and let him have it.”
“Did you?”
“Course not! I didn’t think you’d want me in a fight.”
Riddle smiled, pleasantly surprised. “I think this is the first time I’ve ever gotten you to show restraint. I’m proud of you.”
“Thanks, dorm head, but it ain’t over just yet. After that, I told him to shut up cause what he was saying wasn’t true, and he was like ‘make me’, so clearly he wanted me to punch him, but I said I wasn’t looking for trouble and I didn’t wanna fight him. That’s when he got real mad and threw the basketball at me. Hit my face, he grabbed it and started pummeling me with it, and I couldn’t even defend myself that well either. Let’s be honest, if Jamil-senpai hadn’t gotten him off me and Floyd-senpai hadn’t held him down, this would’ve been a lot worse.” Ace sighed sadly at Riddle’s silence. “I know, it’s disappointing, and you’re probably really worried, but-”
“Worried? Ace, I know how strong you are, and I know you’ll recover from this. I’m not worried anymore, I’m furious .” The first-year glanced at Riddle in shock, and true to his words, the smaller boy was shaking with barely restrained rage.
“Whoa there, let’s calm down, ok? I-it really isn’t that big of a deal and what he said, it wasn’t all that bad.” Yet even as he said that, Ace couldn’t stop himself from lowering his head to hide his sudden tears.
Riddle gently lifted Ace’s head with one hand, swiping at the first-year’s face with his thumb, and though he was smiling, his voice was ice-cold. “It is, in fact, that bad. Now tell me- who did this to you?”
“Dorm head, please, it’s not worth it-”
“Oh, it is. Someone laid their hands on my Ace, and rules against fighting aside, it was completely unfair! Someone is losing their head for this, and the only question, of course, is who it will be.”
“Aha… remind me never to get on your bad side again.”
“Just keep being your usual wonderful self, and I assure you it won’t be a problem.” Riddle smirked as he leaned closer to Ace. “Now, the name, please.”
“Right. It was, uh… Elson, from Savanaclaw.”
“Very well. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I do have to go now, but…” Riddle kissed Ace’s forehead as he stood with an innocent smile. “I hope you feel better soon.” The redhead left the infirmary, and as soon as he was gone, Ace sank down with a relieved sigh.
“Jeez, I forgot how scary dorm head can be when he’s angry…”
Riddle’s first stop was to Ignihyde, and at this point, he knew better than to ask for Idia at the door. Instead, Ortho happily flew out within a few seconds of him sitting in the dorm lounge, and the humanoid sat across from him. “Riddle Rosehearts, welcome to Ignihyde! It’s rare to see you outside classes,” Ortho said, tilting his head. “Is there anything my brother and I can help you with? Or are you here to try and take him to another dorm head meeting?”
“There is actually something I'd like to ask of you. But before that, you and Idia can hack the school’s security cameras, right?”
“Of course we can! The school has a terrible firewall-”
“Are we talking about the school's computer security system?! Hee hee, it really is a joke, it's nothing like the Cerberus system that I invented-” Idia peeked out from around the hallway with a cackle, but he stopped as both Riddle and Ortho turned to look at him. “U-uh, I mean, hi, Riddle-shi. Eep, what an unexpected pull… I must’ve lost the fifty-fifty…”
“Good afternoon, Idia. Don't worry, I'm only here to ask a favor of you both, not to nag you into coming out of your room. Though it looks like I don’t need to anyway.”
“He already promised, brother! Come on, sit with us!”
“Geh, I can’t resist this status effect either. Fine, I’m coming, Ortho.” Idia slowly walked over and sat down beside the humanoid. “So, Riddle-shi, what are you here for?”
“I need your help accessing some security camera footage from a certain angle. That, and I’ll need you both on standby tomorrow to edit some footage as well. You can do that, right?”
Idia scoffed and grinned. “Please, I watch the security camera footage when I’m bored in classes! It’s so easy, I bet even noobs can do it! Editing is more of a challenge than just getting the footage, but with Ortho’s special abilities, my party is more than ready to tackle this quest!”
“That… sounds like a yes, then. So will you-”
“Ah ah, every quest should give the player a reward, you know! If I take my party on this quest of yours, what do we get in return?”
Riddle blinked in shock, then sighed and accepted it. “I… ah, how about this? I’ll owe you a favor and you can call it in whenever you’d like, for almost anything.”
Ortho tilted his head in confusion. “Almost anything, Riddle Rosehearts?”
“Well, don’t ask me to do anything illegal or against the school rules, of course. Other than that, yes, anything.”
“The one and only Riddle-shi owing us something… ooh, I can already think of all the possibilities! I accept your quest! Now give me the completion conditions, can’t do much without them.”
“It’s… if it wouldn’t be any trouble, I don’t want anyone else to know I’m doing this.”
“Oho, high-stakes, is it?! Just my kind of quest, the kind that’s so much better than you think! Alright, let’s retreat for now, and you can give me the specifics after we reach home base.”
Riddle sighed as he stood to follow Idia and Ortho through the hallways. “I didn’t understand a single word of what he said, but at least he’s willing to help…”
~-~-~-~-~
“Oh, you’re looking for Jamil? He’s in his room doing his homework,” Kalim said, beaming as he brought the redhead to Scarabia’s lounge. “Ahaha, be careful though! He gets really angry when people bother him while he’s-”
“I only ever get angry if it’s you, Kalim, because you’re probably bothering me for something stupid,” Jamil sighed, shaking his head as he emerged from the hallway. “If it’s Riddle, I don’t mind nearly as much, because whatever he’s here for, I’m sure it’s something serious. Now go back to your room and do your own homework, and if you’re hungry, I left some starfruit and persimmon for you in the kitchen.”
“Sweet! Thanks, Jamil, and I’ll see you later, Riddle!” Kalim enthusiastically waved at them, and Jamil sighed again as he took Riddle into the hallway.
“So, what do you need me for? It is something serious, right?”
“It is. You were there when Ace was attacked during basketball practice, correct?”
“Ah, that’s what this is about.” Jamil frowned as he closed his eyes and recalled the memory. “It was rather unprovoked, yes. Ace hadn’t even touched him, he was just trying to shoot three-pointers.”
“Like I thought… Jamil, if I could ask you to write an affidavit for me?”
“You mean write down what happened and give it to you?”
“And sign it as well, if you wouldn’t mind. I’m trying to make a case to the headmage, and I need as much evidence as I can.”
“Ah, I see. In that case, give me a few minutes, and I’ll have it out to you.” Jamil went back in his room, pulling out a sheet of paper and a pen as he sat at his desk. You can wait inside if you’d like.”
Riddle sat on a cushion beside the other. “You’re… not going to ask me for something in return?”
Jamil glanced at Riddle, then went back to writing. “Let’s be honest, I never liked Elson. Too much bark, and not nearly enough bite. If I was team captain and had to pick between him and Ace, I would pick Ace ten out of ten times, even though Elson is a third-year. Better player, better personality, just better overall.” Jamil smirked as his pen flew across paper. “Getting the chance to take him down is already more than enough, but if you really insist, just come to Scarabia’s next party. I know Kalim would be pleased to have you.”
“I asked if you wanted anything in return, not Kalim.”
“Well… I’m not sure what else I would want. I’m the person who takes care of everything for the parties anyway, so knowing you’ll be able to enjoy what I’ve put together is enough. Or perhaps a one-on-one tutoring session with Kalim, so I can get some peace and quiet for once.”
“Very well, I’ll work it into my schedule. Are you sure you don’t want anything more than that?”
“Hm. I’ll think about it. Let’s just keep it as a favor for now.” Jamil quickly signed it, then handed the paper to Riddle. “Here. I hope it does its work well.”
“Thank you. I’ll be sure to let you know the results later.”
~-~-~-~-~
“You… wish to meet Floyd? Truly?” Jade asked, surprise showing on his face. “Is there a specific reason, by any chance?”
“As loathe as I am to admit it, I do actually need his help with something. Him and Azul both,” Riddle sighed, glancing around Mostro Lounge. “As for the reason, well… surely Octavinelle of all dorms understands the concept of payback.”
Jade grinned, baring his teeth at the redhead. “Ah, so that’s what this is about. Yes, Floyd did mention something happening to one of your dorm members, and as Octavinelle’s vice dorm head, I will make sure to assist you to the best of my ability. As it is, however, Floyd is busy with his kitchen shift, but I think Azul is free right now. I shall inform him that you’re here.” He disappeared into the hallway but came out shortly after, beckoning Riddle to follow him, and once Riddle stepped into Azul’s office, Jade closed the door with a smile.
“Well, well! The world must be ending if you come into my office of your own volition,” Azul said, chuckling as he folded his arms on his desk. “Come, take a seat. What can I do for you today?”
“You have files on everyone in this school, don’t you? I’d like as much information as possible on Savanaclaw’s Elson,” Riddle replied, sliding into the chair across from Azul.
“Oho, I never thought I’d see the day that the Riddle Rosehearts came looking for blackmail of all things! What happened to following all the rules, hm?” Azul leaned back in his chair, adjusting his glasses as he gazed at the redhead. “Of course I have secrets about him. Depends on what you want. I’ve got everything from his recent actions, private Magicame posts, even potential love interests if that’s what you’re interested in!”
“I assume you would also have records of him if he, say, broke one of the more important school rules?”
Confusion flickered across Azul’s eyes, and he blinked in surprise. “What, are you hunting down rulebreakers from other dorms now? I didn’t realize you had so much free time.”
“I am not. Consider this merely a form of revenge. I need that information for…” Riddle stood and whispered into the other’s ear, and Azul’s eyes widened in realization with a smug smile on his face.
“Ah, I see! Looks like even you can’t shy away from the sweet taste of vengeance, can you, Riddle-san? I have all his secrets right here.” He snapped his fingers and a folder appeared in Azul’s hands, but when Riddle tried to reach for it, he lifted it out of the redhead’s reach. “But of course, I can’t just blatantly give away such information for free! You’ll have to sign a contract if you want this.”
Riddle sighed defeatedly. “Of course. Well, if I must, go on and state your terms.”
“Right to the point, I see! Very well. And since we’re friends now, I’ll give you a bit of a discount.” A golden contract materialized out of thin air, and Azul wrote on it with a feather pen before sliding it over the desk to the other boy. “Go on and review it, and tell me what you think.”
Riddle glanced over it, eyes narrowing as he neared the middle. “You want to borrow my unique magic for a day? Whatever for?”
Azul shrugged with the same smile. “I’ve always wondered what it felt like to use it. Besides, Floyd’s been skipping out on so many of his shifts, I really wonder what I pay him for. It’s just for a day of my choosing, and if you’ll allow me to add a clause or two…” With a flourish of his hand, more words appeared on the scroll. “There. It limits who I can use it on to those in my own dorm.”
“I suppose it can’t hurt with that sort of thing added to it. Alright, I’ll accept it.” Riddle kept reading, and at the very end, he blinked, taken aback. “You… want me to work at the lounge? Why?”
Azul clicked his tongue, pointing at another part of it. “I thought you might’ve read it a bit more carefully, Riddle-san. It says I want you to work at the lounge for two hours, in an outfit of my choosing as well. I’ll even provide free training!”
“That’s oddly suspicious. What kind of outfit would it be? Surely it would just be Octavinelle’s dorm uniform, right?”
“Company secrets, Riddle-san! I’m afraid I can’t divulge the details until the day I call you in. Now, will you sign or not?” Azul handed Riddle the feather pen, and the redhead sighed before penning his signature in neat cursive. “Wonderful! Ah, finally I have a contract with you after all this time!”
“I’m almost unnerved by how enthusiastic you are… but thank you for the information at least.” Riddle stood and plucked the file from Azul’s hands. “I’ll be off now, I still need a written testimony from Floyd.”
“His shift has just finished, so you’ll likely find him in front of house. Good luck, Riddle-san.” File in hand, Riddle made his way towards the lounge, where he was greeted with Floyd’s happy grin.
“Goldfishie! Jade told me you wanted to play,” Floyd exclaimed happily. “Whatcha in the mood for, tag? Ooh, or maybe hide and seek?”
“I am not here to play, Floyd! I’m here because I need something from you,” Riddle retorted, dragging the eel into a nearby hallway. “I want you to tell me what happened.”
Floyd frowned at the mention of it. “Eh, you mean that whole thing with Sea Pig? Yeah, I dunno what was up with him. He’s a huge pain.”
“So if I were to, perhaps, take him down, would you agree to help me?”
“Ehe, is Goldfishie goin’ off the hook?” Floyd grinned lazily, but there was a hint of malice in his eyes. “Course I will. If it means I get Sea Pig outta the way.”
“Then we’re in agreement. First, I’ll need you to-”
“Only if Goldfishie plays with me for a whole day!” Riddle winced at the thought of it but reluctantly nodded, and Floyd cheered. “Yay! Ok, Goldfishie, what do you need me to do?”
“Well first, I’ll need you to…”
“Dorm head, I really appreciate you looking out for my safety and all, but you really don’t have to walk me to practice,” Ace chuckled nervously, fiddling with the hem of his jersey. “And you even brought this huge file too! Like, you can’t work in the gym, y’know. And Floyd-senpai’s gonna be there.”
Riddle hummed with satisfaction and he smiled darkly as he glanced at Ace. “Good. I’ll need him around,” he replied, shifting the file around in his arms.
“Ehh, you’re scaring me, dorm head…”
“I’m just trying to make sure my dorm members get around campus safely, including you.” Riddle tugged Ace down and gently kissed the first-year’s cheek. “Especially you.”
“Ah, what can I do about it now? Fine, fine.” Ace nuzzled the top of the smaller boy’s head with a slight smile. “You’re still super scary when you’re mad, even if it's not at me! I can only imagine what's in that file.”
“Hm, don't worry about it, it'll be fine. Now let’s hurry, I don’t want you to be late.” The redhead tugged Ace forward, and they walked into the gym together. “Go on, I’ll be sitting in the bleachers.”
“Alright. Thanks, dorm head.” Riddle nodded and climbed a few steps up before sitting and pulling out a book, resting the file on his lap. He started reading, the squeak of shoes against wood in the background, but a sudden cry made him look up.
“Hey, Rosehearts! Down here!”
“Elson, don't-!” Ace tried to pull the Savanaclaw boy back, but his hand was quickly swatted away.
“Dorm head this, dorm head that, he's not so scary! Guy's just a tiny second-year, what's he gonna do to me? Rosehearts, get down here and fight me!”
Riddle snapped his book shut as he stood, and Ace flinched. “Oh jeez, now you've done it… can't help you, my guy. What you've just done is irreversible.”
“Wasn't asking for it! Get down here and let me cream you!” The redhead snapped his fingers, and both his book and the file disappeared as he descended towards them. “Ha, so you're not afraid to fight! Unlike your coward of a dorm member. Take this!” Riddle easily dodged the punch thrown towards him, and quickly ducked under a second one.
The redhead picked Elson up in one fluid motion, and quickly slammed him onto the gym floor. Then wind magic coated Riddle's fist, and the resulting punch to Elson’s face was strong enough to send the other skidding across wood; in a flash, Riddle turned and drew his magic pen.
“ Off With Your Head! ” The collar stopped Elson in his tracks, and Riddle huffed triumphantly as he adjusted his gloves, Ace gawking at him from behind.
“Great Seven, that was kinda hot.” Ace blinked as he watched the redhead stride towards Elson and pick him up by his collar. “That's my dorm head. I'm dating that guy. Holy shit.”
“Hey, that’s the move Betta used to flip me during the whole Beans thing! Aha, I didn’t think Goldfishie could do that, that was cool! And now Goldfishie's face is all red~”
Jamil crossed his arms, watching the whole encounter amusedly. “Shh, they're talking. I want to see what Riddle's going to do.”
“You listen to me, Elson. You will not come near me nor my dorm members again, and I will make sure of that. Keep this on while you reflect on what you've done.” The manila file appeared in his hands again as Riddle walked back towards the three of them, smiling sweetly as he stood on his tiptoes to kiss Ace. “Have fun at basketball practice, love.”
“Oh, um- heh, thanks, Riddle. See you later!” As soon as the redhead left, Ace ran over and stuck his tongue out at Elson, a bruise blooming on his face. “See? That’s why you don’t mess with our dorm head!”
~-~-~-~-~
Luckily for Riddle, the headmage’s office wasn’t all that far from the gym, and he quickly texted Idia as he stood right outside the door.
DMs: Idia Shroud
Rulemonger: I’m in position now, Idia.
Gloomy Samurai: do u rly have to call me
Gloomy Samurai: u know this kinda thing gives me a huge debuff
Rulemonger: I’ve told you, I don’t care if you’re muted and you have your camera off. I just need you to hear what I’m saying to the headmage and change today’s security footage to match.
Rulemonger: Unless you feel like you can’t do it?
Gloomy Samurai: www plz as if this quest would be too hard for my party
Gloomy Samurai: i’m so op, i’ll pull this off with an sss rating
Gloomy Samurai: i’ll prove u so wrong all of nrc will be giving u f’s in the chat
Rulemonger: Wonderful. Get ready then.
Gloomy Samurai: ugh pulled in by the secret ability,,, why is ur intelligence stat so high
Gloomy Samurai: fine let’s do this i’ll just have ortho heal the debuff off
Rulemonger started a voice call with Gloomy Samurai.
Gloomy Samurai has muted.
Riddle slipped his phone into his pocket, tucking the file under one arm as he knocked on the heavy wooden doors. “Excuse me, headmage, are you in there?”
“Unfortunately not, dear student! Do come back later, and I shall be most delighted to assist you then! Aren’t I so kind?”
If his glare could burn, Riddle was sure he would’ve set fire to the entire school at that moment. “I’m coming in, headmage.” Multiple things hit the floor as the redhead opened the doors, and Crowley spun around in his seat to face him.
“Ah, Rosehearts! Whatever can I do for you?”
Riddle slammed the file onto the desk with one hand. “I want Savanaclaw’s Elson expelled.”
“Expelled? Rosehearts, you can’t be serious-” Crowley took one look at the redhead before nodding solemnly. “You really are serious, goodness me- ahem! On what grounds?”
“He attacked one of my dorm members with magic. I’ve already obtained testimony from Jamil Viper and Floyd Leech, confirming the events, along with a recording of the attack. Also included is clear proof of other violations of school rules. Just look through the file if you-”
“Headmage!” Elson burst through the doors, furiously pointing towards Riddle. “He punched me! And collared me too!”
Crowley blinked, then glanced at the redhead. “Rosehearts, if you committed physical violence towards him…”
“I did no such thing. I admit to collaring him, yes, but only because he was trying to attack my dorm member again. As for the bruise, well, that was caused by a stray basketball that bounced off the backboard. Rather unfortunate, really.”
“Bullshit! Check the security cameras right now, Headmage! You’ll find evidence of his crimes there!”
Riddle smirked, pleased at how the events had turned in his favor. “What a coincidence. I was just about to tell you to do the same if you did not believe me.”
“Very well. It’s a good thing I had the digital security revamped after the ghost bride came for the elder Shroud. Can’t have our students casually hacking into our systems, after all!” Panic suddenly spiked through the redhead as Crowley typed on his laptop, and he subtly bit his lip as the headmage watched the footage.
“It is as Rosehearts said,” Crowley finally said, and Riddle sighed with relief. “It seems that that bruise was caused by a terribly aimed shot. And it doesn’t show any signs of being tampered with either… yes, I have every reason to believe that this is legitimate footage! Which means, you have no reason to be here, Prost, and I would appreciate it if you left the office immediately.”
“Grr, you… I’ll get you for this!” Elson dashed out, and Riddle turned back towards the headmage, who had closed his computer and was flipping through the file.
“Now, Rosehearts, if we could continue our discussion… I’m afraid I can’t expel students for something so trivial. Fights, unfortunately, occur rather often on this school, and that’s not a valid reason for expulsion.”
“Headmage, I’ll have you know that I’m rather good friends with the other dorm heads, and we’re all quite fed up with the way you constantly foist your work onto us. If you refuse to grant my request, well, you may find all your best helpers simply disappearing the next time the school is in trouble.”
Crowley flinched, the idea clearly too much for him. “Grk… perhaps we can compromise then? A month-long suspension, so it isn’t outright expulsion. Ah, but he’ll miss so much that he’ll have to repeat his third year…”
“That works just fine, headmage. And please do keep what I said about the other dorm heads in mind. We’d absolutely hate to see the school go down in flames.” Riddle smiled as he got up and started walking towards the door. “Have a nice day, headmage.”
A few days later, Riddle was having tea time when Ace ran up to him, a look of utter shock on his face. “Dorm head,” he sputtered, waving his hands around, “what the hell did you do?!”
“I’m afraid I have no idea what you mean, Ace,” the redhead replied calmly, taking another sip of his tea. “What’s the matter, did something else happen?”
“What happened is that Elson straight up disappeared! Jamil-senpai and Floyd-senpai told me he got suspended, but that can’t be true, right?! Y-you didn’t really get him suspended, did you?”
“I… may have had a hand in it, yes. He hurt you, so what better way to pay him back than to ruin him?”
Ace winced as Riddle drank from his teacup again. “And yet you can say all that with a smile?! You really are scary…”
“Nonsense. Come, I made your favorite tea, and Trey made cherry pie. Join me for tea?”
Riddle smiled lovingly at him, catching Ace off guard. “Eh, that was a complete 180… how’d you go from ice-cold anger to being all lovey-dovey…”
“Your response, Ace?”
“Uh, y-yes, dorm head! Of course I will.”
“That’s more like it.”