Chapter Text
Ambrose changed back to his uniform after his last lesson of the day, PE. He was folding his clothes when he heard someone talking about the spelldrive competition. Ambrose never really has deep interest in speeldrive but his friends from middle school like them and Alastair is starting to pick up interest also.
Then again, Ambrose himself was never that sporty of a kid. He had joined some sport club in elementary school but that’s after he had also joined Drawing, Dancing, and Music club before ultimately settling for the Cooking club for all of his middle school year.
It seems like the inner dorm competition game is about to start within a month or so and some of them want to enter the team.
Ambrose put his folded clothes to his bag and went back to his dorm to take a quick shower. When walking, he got a notification from the family group chat.
It was a screenshot of a house on fire.
Alastair: Look! I finally found how to add the fire effect
Ambrose: ?
Azura: Alastair decided to make a game.
Ambrose: A game? Not an animation?
He’s quite good at it.
Andreas: He wanted to try something new and make an RPG game with his friend.
Mom: It was an ambitious project. His friends and Him already have some enemies and songs for a boss battle. They are very serious about this.
Ambrose: Woah… and this happened in the span of a month I’m in NRC?
Dad: He said he wanted to make something for you but thinks animation is too boring.
Alastair: Dad!
Big Bro! don’t believe him. He spat out lies!!
Azura: Andreas just burst out laughing. It’s super loud.
Andreas: Yeah, Ambrose, don’t believe that. After all, he is a liar. Hahaha…
Alastair: STOP
Azura: Mom! Alastair is fighting Andreas again!
Ambrose: Again?
Dad: Andreas had made fun of Alastair and his friend's design for the characters.
Azura: And he efefing deserve it
Ambrose: That’s unusual for you to be that aggressive to the point of cursing Azura.
What did Andreas do to you?
Azura: He made fun of the character I made for Alastair!
Ambrose: Ah.
Mom: Azura, no cursing. I appreciate you are censoring yourself but try not to swear.
Azura: I tried.
Ambrose: How’s everyone back home?
I didn’t get to text everyone as much as I am with you guys.
Ambrose stopped texting when he was in the mirror room, entering the dorm first before continuing while walking to his room.
Mom: Everything has been going great. It’s too bad, you can’t join us in some event Ambrose.
Ambrose: Yeah… How about a big sis show? The one you told me a few weeks ago.
Andreas: It managed to get a director's attention.
Ambrose: Really?!
Andreas: Yeah, she gets an offer for a major role in his series.
Ambrose: Series! Oh my seven. Congratulations big sis! I will send you a present for celebration.
Azura: Ah, you don’t have to Ambrose. That’s why you are my favorite after Alastair.
Alastair: Ha! Take that big brother! (not you big bro Ambrose)
Ambrose: None Taken.
Andreas: Hey! What have I ever done to you?
Azura: Put chili flakes into my food even when you know I’m bad with spice. Put baby oil into my drink. Spill ink into my “script” that you fake. Hid my favorite plushie into the trash and almost get it dump Do you want me to say more?
Mom: You are the one who put chili flakes into Azura food?! Oh you are so grounded, I thought I forgot to separate her portion from ours before I added the chili flakes.
Dad: You put baby oil in your sister's drink?!
Oh, you are in big trouble.
Ambrose smiles before a hand snatches his phone from him, he turns to face the snatcher to see it is Sayo, who is looking at his phone.
“Azura, Andreas, Alastair…” Sayo read out loud. “Is that your siblings name?”
“Yeah.” Ambrose confirmed, reaching for his phone. “Now, please give my phone back.”
And when Ambrose was about to take his phone back, Sayo put his hand up, out of Ambrose reach. “You really use your siblings name in the contact instead of like big brother or all that jazz.”
Ambrose reaches forward, wanting to trample Sayo down. “Yes. Is there a problem?”
“Nope,” Sayo said before using his free hand to hug Ambrose. “and good try but I have younger siblings and cousins.”
“Sayo, we can hang out later.” Ambrose face twitch as if to stop himself from scowling as he tried to pull away. “But I want to take a quick shower, I just had PE.”
“Sure.” Sayo gave Ambrose his phone back. “It will be much longer for us to cuddle if you don't have much to do anyway.”
“Uh….” Ambrose pauses for a moment. “Minus the cuddle part, then sure I don’t mind.”
“Great! You and I are in my room at 3 pm.” Sayo instructed Ambrose which he nodded to before he asked. “How about your roommate?”
“He’s in Octavinelle. After all it’s quite bad for a merfolk to be in a Scalding Sands setting for so long. So I push him to Octavinelle for this.”
‘He really planned this thoroughly. He truly wants to win… to win… Why can't I remember…?’ Ambrose frowned his eyebrow while frowning a bit.
“What’s with the frown?” Sayo asked. “You usually are smiling. Am I really that bad of a company?” Sayo whines at the last part.
“No, I just feel like I’m forgetting something…” Ambrose trailed, Sayo hummed in confusion. “Oh, nevermind, I remember now.”
‘Sayo want to win the bet, don’t know why I would forget such a thing.’ Ambrose thought. “I see you later Sayo.”
“Yeah, see you soon.” Sayo waved.
Ambrose went to his room and set his phone down after reading the remaining text before grabbing his dorm clothes alongside with him. He needs to put his clothes in the laundry room.
After taking a quick shower and putting his dirty clothes in the laundry, Ambrose went back to his room to do his class assignment. Its history and the assignment require him to write a summary on the Queen of Heart reign and the student opinion on it.
He didn’t go to the library today so Ambrose will be using articles from the internet before getting some base information from the library next time he goes there as the history book doesn’t completely cover the history of the Queen reign.
He reviewed his notes and compared them to those on the internet, adding information to his note and underlining some with a pencil as a sign that he will look fatter when he goes to the library.
Ambrose stretched as he glanced at the time and seeing it at 2.37 pm, he decided to tidy up so he can go on the day to relax.
He put the books he need for Monday aside and check over the notes, seeing there’s nothing missing. Ambrose walk toward to Sayo room, bringing his phone along. He knocks upon Sayo room and Sayo open the door with a welcome surprise.
“You are here earlier than expected.” Sayo greeted him with a pleasant surprise. “Come in” He grabs Ambrose's hand, dragging him in.
Ambrose's eyes widen on how the room is decorated. The floor is littered with pillows and blankets with a projector facing the wall. The room looks rather spacious despite it having 3 students staying here.
The Scarabia students in their first year are lucky this year as they have few students so they room with less students then they are supposed to.
“Why only us here?” Ambrose turned to Sayo. “I know you said your merfolk roommate went to Octavinelle but what about your second one?”
“Oh, him?” Sayo tilted his head. “He decided to drop out last year.”
‘Oh.” Ambrose simply said dumbfounded. “That’s unfortunate.”
“Not really.” Sayo claimed nonchalantly while shrugging. “Great roommates but not really useful in the long run.”
Ambrose absentmindedly hums, looking at Sayo back with eyes full of wariness as Sayo turns on the projector. Ambrose then closed his eyes and smile lightly. “So what movie are we going to watch?”
“How do you know?” Sayo asked, turning on his laptop, glancing at Ambrose.
Ambrose's expression didn’t change but Sayo could feel what Ambrose was saying. “Really?”
“Kidding.” Sayo waved Ambrose Off, chuckling. “Alright! Which movie do you want to watch?”
“What movie do you have?” Ambrose asked him back.
Sayo looks through the movies option. “Well I have Mr. Schadenfreude based on a musical, Tangled based on the Nice Caretaker-.”
“You mean Mother Gothel?” Ambrose interrupted him, asking for clarification.
“Yeah, how do you know?” Sayo asked him with surprise.
“It’s my younger brother's favorite fairytale.” Ambrose answered.
Sayo laughed. “Well then, let’s watch that.”
Sayo let it play as he picked up a bowl of popcorn and placed it between them. They were both seated on the floor, covered with pillows and blankets.
Ambrose's attention stayed at the movies as he always heard of the fairytale but never did he watch it. Unknown to him, Sayo looks at him almost all through the movies, only chiming in when Ambrose lays down a comment.
When the song “I see the Light” played, Sayo gently pulled Ambrose to his side and surprisingly, Ambrose let him and didn’t pull away.
Even when the song ended, they stayed in their position while enjoying the movie together.
Ambrose smiles as Rapunzel is reunited with her family and Mother Gothel is rewarded with a flower to keep her young.
Sayo noticed a tear slipping from Ambrose's eyes and swiped it away. “You are not the type that is easily driven to tears.”
“I’m weak at movies.” Ambrose confessed.
“Hmm…” Sayo picks up his laptop to browse which movies to watch now. “There’s a movie called Mulan based on the Hero of the East.”
“Sure why not.” Ambrose agreed. He enjoys movie night with Sayo. Whether because they are friends or Sayo wanting to win the bet by making Ambrose fall in love with him, Ambrose enjoy doing this sort of thing with him.
After watching a couple more movies, Ambrose had gotten sleepier and almost fallen asleep. He tried to fight it as he wanted to go back to his room but then Sayo instated that he sleeps here. “You can sleep on the third bed.”
“But…” Ambrose rubbed his eyes. “Are your roommates okay with that?”
“If he has a problem with it, I will take care of it.” Sayo said, Helping Ambrose walk toward the bed.
“Okay.” Ambrose agreed rather easily now he’s sleepy. “Let me… *Yawn* text Galen first…”
Ambrose fishes his phone out and sends a quick text to Galen before promptly falling into the bed. He snuggles into the cold pillow as Sayo covers him with blankets before Ambrose falls asleep.
Sayo smiles gently at Ambrose as he removes the arm accessory off him so he doesn’t sleep uncomfortably. “Sleep well…”