Chapter Text
Begrudgingly, you had followed along with the man and Yuuya. You had nothing better to do and apparently no where better to be.
You’re now standing in the middle of two shelves in a library, books are strewn out recklessly on the floor as the masked man searched through them.
✩ || I doubt that you plan to place any of these books back onto the shelf. || ✩
“Just as I'd suspected. Nothing.” He said as he tossed another book onto the ground before turning to a fidgety Yuuya, “Not only is your homeland not listed on any map from any point in history. Now, are you QUITE sure that you come from such a place? That wasn't some sort of lie, or jape?”
He accused, looked at Yuuya with suspicion as they denied lying, “Because if so, the only explanation is that you've come from another planet. Or perhaps you were summoned here from another dimension?”
He suggested which definitely scared Yuuya who was facing a harsh reality, “Another Dimension?!” They questioned, listening to their voice reminded you of the moment when you realised that you had lost all of your followers, not wanting to accept the situation.
✩ || That wasn’t a parallel that I needed to hear or visualise… || ✩
“Your Grace…” a follower croaked out with a small voice. They can clearly see the similarities.
“Poor thing.. they’re all alone..” another spoke up softly, one of the eldest of your followers, the most sympathetic of them.
“Show me everything that you brought here with you. Do you have some form of identification, a driver's license perhaps? Or even a...shoe? You do seem a tad bit...empty-handed.” The man asked, you still don’t know his name, as he looked Yuu up and down.
That seemed to shock something in them as they started patting themselves down to try to feel any of their possessions, “Come to think of it, where's my wallet and phone?!”
“Well, this is quite the predicament.” The man said, sighing before rubbing his fingers on the bridge of his nose, “I cannot have someone with no aptitude for magic bumbling about my magic academy. And yet, as an educator, I am loath to expel a young person without a cent to their name, or any ability to contact their guardian...”
He said, a hand on his chin before he let out a small comment to boost his ego, “Truly, my grace is boundless.”. He then went silent in thought as your eyes landed in the nervous Yuu. “Hmmmmm... Ah!”
“There is a vacant building on this campus. It was, in fact, used as a dorm a long time ago. With a proper cleaning, it should be habitable enough. Out of the profound kindness of my heart, I will allow you to live there for the time being.”
He suggested, before he looked over at you which made him add, “And you, seeing as you have not been placed into a dorm you can also reside in this building for the time being.”
✩ || That seems like a solution you’ve stretched to somehow accommodate me without actually putting in any work. || ✩
“In the meantime, we will investigate other ways to send you home.” He said to Yuuya, before placing a chest on his heart and boasting, “Dear me, but I am a gracious man indeed! A model educator, one might say. Well then, I shall take you to your dorm straight away. It is an older building, but it has plenty of...character, one might say.”
The man walked you and the shocked Yuuya out of the library and through the halls until you arrived at a building, or well, the wreckage of a building.
“Uh, you want us to stay... here?” Yuuya asked as they took in the sight of the wrecked building in front of your eyes. The gate was rusty, old and made a horrible sound when the man forced it open for you.
✩ || What am I looking at here. This is beyond insanity… || ✩
“Your Grace cannot stay here!” One of your followers protested in a shrill voice as their hands covered their mouth.
“It’s hardly anything worthy of housing them!” Another agreed next to them, clearly shocked at the building in front of their eyes.
“This level of disrespect simply cannot be ignored!” Another added, enraged at the idea that this might be tolerated.
You walked inside the gate before Yuuya as if you were trying to make sure it was safe for them, it might have just been muscle memory from when you still had followers, making sure no danger would befall them.
You continued walking in front of them, walking up the unsafe concrete stairs and eventually reaching a broken down wooden door. The man attempted to pull open a door, by instinct you held an arm in front of you to keep them from getting closer in case the door broke down.
“Isn't it delightful? Right, scoot inside now. There you go.” The man said, finally managing to pull the door open and ushering you inside through the broken wooden door.
You followed the man carefully inside the door, keeping an eye on Yuuya to make sure that they got inside the door safely as the man led you towards a trashed lounge area.
“This should keep the elements at bay for the time being.” The man said after casting some sort of magic onto the house, “Now, I should return to my research. Do try to find some way to busy yourself.”
He concluded with a smile as he began to walk away, leaving the two of you in the wrecked lounge, “But don't let me catch you wandering the campus! Ta!”
✩ || Ah, I understand now. He’s completely useless. || ✩
You and Yuuya watched in silent as he exited the building, it was silent for a bit before Yuu spoke up, “He left? Just like that?” They asked looking over at you to make sure they weren’t going crazy, “I don't even see a clean place to sit..”
“…Poor thing..” You murmured, low enough it wasn’t the normal volume of your voice but loud enough that they could hear you. They turned to look at you, clearly confused at the pitiful expression on your face.
“I apologize, you’re stuck here in this strange place and you have to rely on such a useless person to find your way home..” You said, adding onto your first sentence now that they were really paying attention to you.
✩ || I can’t help but look at them and see one of my followers, a lost child with no way home. || ✩
“You’re stuck in a place where magic influences everything you can see and you have none of it,” You continued while looking them in the eyes.
“I don’t wish to pressure you into anything and I don’t want to make it seem like I’m trying to gain anything out of you..” You said carefully playing around with the words to find the best way to put your feelings out there.
“But I feel, You could best be kept safe as one of my followers.”
✩ || I’m not usually so forward when recruiting followers, I usually let them come to me so this is a new experience.. || ✩
“What.. Follower? Like in a cult?” Yuuya asked looking confused and a little weirded out, you went silent for a moment before you spoke up, “…You could call it that if that’s how you want to look at it but it’s better to think of it like a big family.”
“Them worshipping me is something they chose on their own, but it’s better for me to refer to them as family.” You concluded, pulling your hands away from Yuuya’s shoulders as they go silent for a moment.
“That sounds exactly like something a cult leader says..”
“We are not a cult!” One of your louder followers yelled out from behind you.
“How dare you accuse our grace of such!” A shrill voiced follower added with a stomp.
“Their grace takes care of us from their own good intentions!” Called another lower voice to defend you.
Yuuya stepped back, completely shocked at the sudden appearance of your followers. You supposed that It would shock anyone to be sudden shouted at by a people that appeared from thin air.
“How safe is this cult… uh.. family of yours.” Yuuya asked you clearly intimidated by the angry faces that were glaring at them.
“Completely safe, I’ve never lost a single fight with anything in my entire existence.” You said confidently to reassure them as you simultaneously attempted to ease your followers.
They didn’t seem too convinced, it was clear in their facial expressions. “I-“ Before Yuuya could speak up a small bundle of black fur fell down onto the ground, “GWAH! It's pouring out there!”.
On the floor was the creature from orientation, ‘Grim’ if you remember right, “Bwahaha! That look on your face is priceless! Like a bat that got blasted by a water gun.”
✩ || Pesky little thing, it crawled right back when nobody was watching it. || ✩
“As if I wouldn't just sneak back onto campus the second I escaped pryin' eyes. You all got no idea what I'm capable of! I ain't givin' up on goin' here just 'cause I got kicked out one measly ol' time. And if you think otherwise, you don't know Grim!” ‘Grim’ boasted loudly, his paw laid on his chest, as both Yuuya and You looked down at him.
Yuuya spoke up first between the two of you, “Why are you so determined to go to this school?” They asked him as Grim rolled his eyes, “Isn't it obvious?” He asked as if it were common knowledge.
“I was born to do this! I'm a magical prodigy who's got the makin's to become one of the greatest mages who ever lived!” He held his head up high, paws crossed over his chest as he continued boasting.
“So I've been waitin' and waitin' for that black carriage to come for me. And yet... Hrmph! That Dark Mirror's got no eye for talent!”
✩ || He sounds like a child, filled with big dreams and desperate to to make something of themselves. || ✩
“That's why I took the initiative and came here myself. You humans don't understand what a mistake you're makin'! Not lettin' me in is a great loss to the world!”
You listened to him closely, eyes only glancing to Yuuya once, before you let out a yawn. “Hyacinth, Lynn and Winter” You counted out three of your followers, all of which appeared at your side, “If you could just watch over them while I look through our new surroundings.”
You said as you began to walk towards the hall of this building, if you could call it that, leaving your eager followers behind with Yuuya“Klutzy, with me.” You stated as an exhausted Klutzy followed after, reluctantly, and jumped onto your shoulder.
“ We’ll be sure to take care of them. ” Hyacinth stated as she placed her ghostly and transparent hand onto Yuuya’s shoulder.
“ You can count on us your grace! ” Exclaimed Lynn as they picked up Grim, who flayed around in their arms.
“ We won’t disappoint you !” Winter declared as she waved you and Klutzy off.
“Thank you.” You replied with a smile as you manoeuvred your way up the rickety and unstable stairs, faintly noticing the cold in the air and the movement in the walls, as you made your way to the next floor. “Why are we scouring again?”
Klutzy asked with a yawn as his eyes glanced around the cold corridor of the second floor. “We’re going to reinforce the building’s structure, surely you wouldn’t want it to collapse on you in your sleep.” You said as you placed a small tap onto his nose before walked through the corridor and looking at the walls.
The building was riddled with dust, debris, rubble and cracks in the wood within every room but surprisingly most of the building’s structure was intact and, despite how it looked, rather strong.
✩ || Surprise, surprise. This is why you don’t judge things by appearance. || ✩
“It’s secure can I go now.” Klutzy asked as he peered down your shoulder at the constellation engraved in your skin, “I’m up for a Power Nap.”
“Is sleep all you think about?” You asked with a roll of your eyes before you began to walk towards the stair case, “Besides that, we still have another floor to do.” You said as you took a test step on the stairs before carefully going up them.
“Ugh, not even your temple was three stories..” He complained as you began walking up the stairs, “You’re right,” You reached the third floor where the dust had settled and taken over, “It was a five stories, you just never noticed because the children always carried you around.”
You said as you weaved through the cobwebs and dust and lingered around the room to check at the building and roof structure. Despite its appearance the building was rather secure and wouldn’t collapse if you bumped into wrong.
With this conclusion you made your way down the stairs until you reached the bottom floor where you found Yuuya and Grim speaking to the Headmage. They were both visibly tired as the man seemed prepared to walk off.
✩ || Now what. || ✩
You dusted yourself off and walked over to them, clearing your throat as the headmage turned around, “Ahem.” He spun around and look you, “My apologies, may I ask what’s going on here?”
“Ah, Vesper, I’m simply telling Yuuya here that I have something that he and his beast may do to stay on campus.” He said with a gesture to Yuuya and Grim patting himself off and turning back around to leave.
✩ || He’s going to get on my nerves, I just know it. || ✩