A/N - Credit for the picture art goes to egophiliac.tumblr.com
Just a reminder - I've changed my OC's name from Ameri Vermillion to Alerie Lewyn as it will have a meaning in the future chapters.
Again sorry for the inconvenience 🙏
''This is a serious violation!'' Riddle yelled at Ace who stood shocked before him. ''See what you've done?! You ruined our perfectly ideal Unbirthday Party!''
''Article 562?! How many are there?'' Deuce asked taken aback of the Heartslabyul rule.
''810. And I've memorized every single one of them.'' Riddle informed with a glare.
''810?!'' the students exclaimed unaware of the number of rules.
''That's insane... Did you know that, Trey?'' Cater whispered to his friend.
''I've only memorized to 350 or so.'' Trey admitted. ''Which means I'm unprepared to how to handle this.''
''As the dorm leader of Heartslabyul, out of respect to the strictness of the Queen of Hearts. I can't close my eyes to this matter. Dispose of this Mont Blanc immediately! And throw these rule breakers out!''
''Wait just a moment! You really have dumbass rules like that?'' Ace said angrily. ''You're making no sense.''
''My deepest apologizes, Dorm Leader.'' Trey interrupted Ace. ''I was the one who said we should make a Mont Blanc.''
''Making it isn't the problem here.'' Riddle corrected Trey while getting more and more angry. ''That you brought it! Here today! That is the source of the problem!''
''Do we really need to follow that rule?'' Yuu asked in Ace's defense. ''Nobody seems bothered by the Mont Blanc's presence.''
''Literally. Anyone following this system must be a complete idiot.'' Ace remarked, not making the situation any better.
''Idiot... You say?''
''Stop! That kind of language is off limits!'' Cater warned.
''Anyone who obeys that rule and tosses the tart is an idiot.'' Ace continued.
'' I'm with Ace. Rules are clearly meant to be followed but... This is getting out of hand.'' Deuce added.
''You've got the nerve, talking back to me. Listen well. Even breaking insignificant rules leads to huge problems.'' Riddle stated.
''The other residents are afraid of getting their magic sealed so they don't speak up, but I'm sure they feel the same!'' Ace stated.
The other students around us stiffened by Ace's statement. They were terrified of what would happen to them if Riddle got mad. In the end they stood by Riddle's ideal.
''Miss Alerie.'' Riddle called out to me. ''You are the headmaster's secretary, so you should know what to do with the rulebreakers.''
I stiffened when he put me on the spot where everybody was looking at me, and waited for me to say something.
''True, I know.'' I said in a low voice, but enough for the others to hear me. ''But...''
''I knew you agreed with this. You rulebreakers are the ones in the wrong. If anyone deliberately disobey me, it'll be off with all of your heads!'' Riddle interrupted me and swung with his staff to the side. Before he could do more I took the other end of the staff in order to stop him. Everyone around us gasped, and Riddle looked at me disappointed.
'' I'm not done talking.'' I spoke up with a growling Rowan beside me. ''You have no right to punish students with magic, that rule goes for you too. Just because you're the dorm leader doesn't mean that you get to do as you please.''
''You tell him Ari!'' Grim cheered for the sidelines.
''Tsk. Even you, huh? I knew you were trouble from the first day you talked back to me.'' Riddle said lowering his staff. ''If anything, you are the one who shouldn't bother coming here in the first place... Here you are all and mighty, but in reality, you were just taken in by the headmaster out of pity of being in an all-boys school.''
I knew that he spoke out of anger, but his statement did hit me hard.
'You're nothing, a no one! You are all alone in this world and always will be!.' a voice inside my head said.
''You are no one at this school and you always will be no matter what!'' Riddle yelled at me. Tears started to brim in the corner of my eyes. I felt a gentle touch on my hand. I turned around and saw Yuu. He pulled me towards the rest of the group away from Riddle, while the later just glared at us.
''...''
''Just say, 'Yes, Dorm Leader'. '' Cater encouraged them, hoping Riddle would calm down if they obeyed.
''I can't do it.'' Deuce declined. ''Especially after his behavior towards Ari.''
''Same here.'' Yuu followed.
''No way am I going to kneel before this self-absorbed tyrant!'' Ace declared angrily.
''What did you say?'' Riddle said with a low voice.
''That you're a selfish grumpy little tyrant!'' Grim yelled. ''Who's going to waste all this food!''
''H-Hey. We didn't go that far...'' Deuce whisper-yelled to Grim.
Before we knew Riddle lost his temper and...
''OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!'' Riddle snapped and collared Deuce, Yuu, Grim, Rowan and myself.
''Guuaaah!'' Deuce and grim yelped. '' It's this damn collar again!''
''Crap, it won't come off!'' Deuce groaned while trying to pull the collar off.
''Trey, Cater! Throw them out!'' Riddle ordered.
''... Yes, Dorm Leader.'' they obeyed with low voices.
Trey took my arm gently, while Cater forced the rest out of the Tea Garden and threw them out.
''Sorry... We'll convince him to let you back with another apology.'' Trey said sadly.
''Is that so! Come at me! I'm never apologizing!'' Ace yelled at them and was ready to fight them if needed. I approached him and reached out to hold Ace's uniform to catch his attention.
''Ari?'' he questioned my actions. I couldn't say anything, but I only frowned at him. Ace seemed to understand that I didn't want any more trouble.
''Are you alright, Ari? You've been really quiet.'' Yuu asked me in concern.
''I'm fine...'' I whispered and nodded.
Yuu's POV.
We headed towards the mirror with silence between us.
''Aaah, I'm so pissed! Forget about that tiny, red tyrant!'' Ace let his frustrations out. ''Does he think he's the Queen of Hearts or something?!''
''I was literally thrown out for disobedience.'' Deuce sulked and sat down on the grass with Grim. ''My dream of being an honor student is slipping away...''
''Mrghngah! This collar is so tight and heavy!'' Grim whined besides him.
''Y'all look so stylish with you meowching collars~ '' we all turned around to see who was talking, and saw...
''Ffgyaaa! A floating head!'' Grim shouted out of fear and hid behind me.
''Ooops. I furgot to bring out my body.'' the purple-haired boy with cat ears said.
''S-so you actually have a body.'' Deuce stuttered at the sight. ''Who are you?''
'' I'm Artemiy Artemiyevich Pinker. A cat-like, magic-using purrson.'' he introduced himself. ''But call me Chen'ya.''
''Another weirdo.'' Yuu commented.
''Really? Around here it's normal.'' Chen'ya stated hearing Yuu comment.
''Sure, whatever.'' Ace brushed it off. '' I'm in a bad mood thanks to the little tyrant. Out of my way.''
''Riddle, a tyrant... Hehehe. Well, mew're not incorrect. He's always been serious even when he was little...''
''Do you know something?'' Deuce asked.
''Myebbe there's things I do know, and myebbe there's things I don't~ '' Chen'ya playfully dodged the question. ''You wanna know more about Riddle?''
''Who wouldn't?'' Ace huffed, '' I'd love to hear the lore behind that tyrant.''
''You better ask your four-eyed fur-end all about it, then.''
''Four-eyes? Do you mean Clover?'' Deuce asked in confirmation.
'' He's known Riddle since they were nothing but little rugrats.'' Chen'ya said while he was slowly fading away.
''He had a weird cat-titude... Ah! I'm talking like him.'' Grim said, when we heard a giggle behind us and saw that Ari was the culprit.
''Ari...'' I said catching her attention. ''You finally smiled.''
''Huh?''
''It's good.'' Deuce commented.
''You seemed a little low-spirited.''
''Nygaha! Count on Grim to save the day!'' Grim exclaimed proudly.
Bonus scene.
Tea Garden
Riddle's POV.
''Now, to collect ourselves where we left off.'' I explained after calming down. ''We've got a croquet tournament. We're already 15 minutes late.''
I took my staff in order to hold it properly, but when I took it the surface felt weird.
I checked the surface only to find a layer of crystal on it.
'Weird... Who did this?'
Word count: 1332
To be continued