Lunch
It was a few weeks following the Blue Forest incident and you were having lunch with Professor Espada. Ever since you'd apologized to him in the infirmary, you two had grown fairly close. You enjoyed hearing his tales of classes past and he loved asking you about what the other realms were like.
Sometimes you would run your lesson plans by him, to get a fresh perspective; and sometimes he would tell you of the latest gossip he'd heard from around the school. Today was one of those days. As soon as you two had sat down at the table, he'd immediately begun telling you of the latest drama.
"Did you hear that Professor Dovey told Manely that he wasn't allowed to attend the ball if he wasn't going to dress up?" He hummed cheerfully. "Oh, Bilious was so upset, he came stomping out to my class just after breakfast. He tried taking one of the bow and arrow sets I had pulled out for my morning class so that he could 'practice his aim.' When I told him I needed it, he took one of the apples I was using as targets and threw it at a tree out of frustration."
You watched as his face lit up. He was chuckling to himself as he relived the memory in his mind.
"That apple..." He laughed breathlessly. "That apple hit the tree with such force that it bounced off and came right back at him!" He was laughing much harder now, holding his belly and slamming his hand on the table. "It hit him square on the forehead and knocked him clean out!"
Rumi's laughter was becoming infectious; you were now chuckling yourself, picturing Manely knocking himself out with an apple.
"I've never laughed so hard in my life!" He exclaimed as he wiped the tear from his eye.
"Gods what I wouldn't have given to see that!" You muttered as you shook your head.
At that moment, Lady Lesso, Professor Dovey, and Anemone all entered the hall. Their classes had all just finished and they were planning on joining you for lunch. You watched as the red haired goddess made her way to the buffet, collecting her food, before coming to sit next to you at the table.
You locked eyes with her for a brief moment as she sat down next to you. You flashed her a quick smile and she did the same before digging into her food. Espada couldn't help the smirk that inched up his lips as he watched the two of you. Though the others around you may not be able to see what was blossoming between you and the Dean of Evil, he most certainly could.
Though, perhaps that was partially because of his unique talent.
Professor Espada's unique talent was that he could hear heart songs; the purest form of expression a person could have. It most accurately reflected how a person was feeling at any moment in time, like a musical mood detector. The songs ebbed and flowed as the individual's mood changed, but also could shift and mix with another's, if they were involved or falling in love.
Rumi had noticed a few days ago that yours and Lady Lesso's heart songs had begun to sound similar; too similar for it to be a coincidence. He promised himself he wouldn't mention it to anyone; not Anemone and certainly not you. You would tell him in time what was going on. But for now, he would just watch and wait. To him, you two seemed like a good match; he was excited to see where this would go.
At that moment, he was pulled from his thoughts when Anemone sat down next to him and Dovey joined you and Lesso on the other side of the table.
"So..." Anemone said as she nudged Espada. "You want to tell me why Bilious was dragged in from the courtyard, unconscious, by some fairies this morning?"
Espada chuckled, shifting to face her excitedly, "You're never going to believe this..."
Unification Ball
"I am not blind, Y/N." Rumi whispered as he leaned into you at the entrance to the hall. "I know you did not wear this beautiful outfit simply to chaperone a ball."
You looked at him, slightly shocked. "Oh? Why else would I be wearing it?"
"For her," he answered, his eyes settling on someone over your shoulder. You turned slowly, following his gaze until your eyes landed on the person he had been referring to.
Lady Lesso.
She looked beautiful. More beautiful than you could've imagined. You could feel yourself getting lost in the sight of her, and it wasn't until you heard Espada clear his throat you realized you had been frozen.
You turned back toward him, fear flickering in your eyes. You two hadn't told anyone yet. You had talked about approaching the subject delicately, since Dovey already didn't like you.
"No need to worry Y/N," he chuckled as he saw your terrified expression. "I will not tell a soul." He moved his hands across his lips as if locking them and throwing away the key.
You smiled softly, stepping closer to him as the students began pouring in for the ball. "How long have you known?"
A smile grew on his face. "People always seem to forget that this old man's unique talent is hearing heart songs. I knew as soon as your individual laments began to intertwine into a beautiful melody."
You leaned into him gently, your smile growing. "I have to admit. I'm relieved you know. Given our growing friendship, I was finding it harder to keep from you."
"I knew it would surface in time." He said softly.
At that moment, the music hummed to life and the ball officially started. Espada straightened his posture, turning toward you and saying, "Well...I suppose it's time we chaperone," before bowing slightly and making his way towards the students.
As he strolled toward the refreshment table, he was intercepted by a very nosey Anemone.
"So...Y/N looks...nice!" She pointed out as she eyed you from across the room.
"Indeed she does," Espada hummed, as he pushed around her slightly to reach for a cookie.
Quickly she turned toward him, her urge to gossip overwhelming. "Do you think she just felt the need to prove she can clean up? Or is she trying to impress someone?"
Rumi shook his head. "Perhaps she just wanted to enjoy the ball Em...did you ever think of that?"
Anemone slapped him lightly on the arm. "Oh posh...she's gotta have a reason for looking that good!"
Espada looked up to see Emma still staring at you intently. "If I didn't know better...I'd say you're jealous."
Anemone's gaze shot around to look toward Espada. "Of the way she looks in that jumpsuit? You bet your ass I'm jealous! She looks amazing!"
At that moment, Lady Lesso waltzed past the refreshment table, overhearing their not-so-quiet conversation.
"Yes, most she certainly does," she hummed as she stalked past, her cane stabbing into the ground and making a heavy clink as the metal hit stone.
Anemone watched as the Dean of Evil passed by them, making her way to speak to you. When she was gone, Anemone turned back to Espada in shock.
"Did you just-" she said, still trying to process what just happened. "Am I?"
She seemed unable to formulate full sentences and Rumi couldn't help but chuckle as he glanced at Anemone's perplexed expression.
"Are they?" She asked, after a moment of stunned silence. She was pointing to you and Lesso, as you were now standing fairly close to one another watching over the students.
Espada shrugged his shoulders, shaking his head. He had a bite of a cookie in his mouth and there were a few crumbs scattered across his face.
Emma eyed him suspiciously, holding his gaze for a moment.
"Well now I want to know!" She whined as she grabbed his arm. "Let's get closer and see if we can find out what's going on."
Espada stopped her before she could move. "Oh let them be Emma. If there is something going on, they'll tell us when they're ready."
She looked back at him with a pout on her face. But he responded with a stern look.
She groaned. "Ugh, fine! But you're no fun!"
He chuckled as he moved to set his plate down on a nearby table and brushed the crumbs from his suit ignoring her jab. "Here...come dance with me. Let us enjoy the night."
Reluctantly, she agreed and together, they moved out onto the dance floor
Breakfast
You, Lesso, Dovey, Espada, and Anemone, were all sitting at the breakfast table the third morning of the new semester. You and Lesso had been last to join the group, which had caused Anemone to elbow Espada in an eager attempt to get him to agree that you two arriving together was suspicious.
"And that should bring us to midway through the semester," you hummed as you sat down at the table with your plate. You and Lesso were discussing your plans for assessments, now that your classes mirrored one another.
Lesso joined you at the table, sitting down on your left while Dovey was on your right. Espada and Anemone were sitting directly across from you, eyeing you intensely as you sat.
"Good morning you two," Dovey cooed excitedly as she leaned into you and smiled. "What are you discussing so intensely this early in the morning?"
"Our lesson plans," Lesso said, as she leaned back slightly to get a view of Dovey from around you. "Y/N and I have decided to do joint assessments so that the class can prove their skills not only in conjuring the curses and death traps, but also surviving them."
Dovey tilted her head, intrigued. You quickly swallowed your bite of food to chime in. "Yes, we have decided to set it up very similar to dueling! The students will pair off and be given a curse or death trap to use against their partner. Their partner, without knowing what's coming at them will have to defend. And then we repeat in the opposite fashion."
Dovey smiled excitedly. "That sounds like an excellent way to gauge our students' skills!"
You beamed with approval as you moved to grab your orange juice.
Lesso couldn't help but smile too. "Isn't it?" She responded to Dovey. "I think it'll be a great way to see who's grasping the material and who's not."
As she spoke, she flourished her arms, causing her napkin to fall in front of your feet. "Oh shoot, will you grab that darling?"
At the use of the word "darling," several things happened in succession.
First, Dovey's eyes went wide; as that was the first time Lesso had called you a pet name in front of the other professors.
Second, Espada beamed with pride; excited you and Lesso were finally comfortable enough to show affection out in the open.
And third, Anemone, who had been mid-bite as Lesso was speaking, immediately began choking on her eggs.
"Um, I'm sorry...did you just call her darling?" Anemone asked while coughing into her napkin.
Lesso smirked as she turned to face Emma. "I did."
Anemone's mouth fell open and her eyes kept flicking between you and Lesso, stunned.
You couldn't help but burst out laughing. And as you laughed, Lesso, Dovey, and eventually Espada all joined in.
As you laughed, she looked around at all of you, and her shock only grew when she realized Espada was laughing too.
"You knew?" She yelled as she slapped him on the arm.
He nodded while still chuckling. "Since the ball...I promised Y/N I wouldn't tell."
Her face shifted to an angry pout as she smacked his arm again, causing him to jolt in surprise. "You traitor! I asked you if you knew anything at the ball and you said no!"
You laughed harder, and as you did, you could feel the hot sting of tears falling down your face. "I'm crying!" You said as you wiped your tears away. As the tears smeared onto your napkin, you realized they were not the usual clear, but a murky orange color. When you realized what that was, you laughed even harder.
"Orange juice!" You exclaimed as you continued dabbing your eyes. "I'm crying orange juice!!!"
The rest of the table looked at you as you lifted the napkin to show them your tears. After a moment of silence, the table erupted into another round of joyous laughter that echoed throughout the hall.
This certainly was going to be a fun new semester!
Morning Meeting
"Alright everyone, have a seat! We have much to discuss!" Dovey cooed excitedly; a tone that was way too peppy for this early in the morning.
Espada and Anemone sat down at the table. They were both still half asleep, as it was 8 in the morning on a Saturday. But Dovey had insisted that this meeting was imperative; and so just like all the other professors, they were here; yawning and rubbing the sleep from their eyes.
"So...first off, I'd like to hear from all of you!" Dovey said in her sing-songy voice. "How is the new semester going with all the changes we've made to the schedule? Does anyone have any issues or suggestions they'd like to discuss?"
At first, no one really spoke up. So Dovey did a little coaxing. But Espada found it hard to focus on what the Dean of Good was saying, as he was a bit preoccupied by what the Dean of Evil was doing with her face.
He eyed Lesso intently, while simultaneously trying to keep it from being obvious. She was contorting her face in a manner that made it look like she was having a conversation, but she wasn't speaking.
Then he remembered. You had told him a few weeks ago at lunch that you and Lesso share some sort of telepathic connection.
~Flashback~
"We can speak to each other telepathically," you explained as you shoved a bite of food in your mouth. "I have no idea why it's so strong but we literally don't even have to try anymore. It's as effortless as if we were trying to speak to each other out loud...only we don't have to."
Espada hummed. "Intriguing. Has it always been that strong?"
You shook your head as you swallowed. "Mm, no. At first, when we discovered it, it took a little more mental focus...but now...I can do it without even thinking about it. Though sometimes it does worry me that one day I'll say something out loud I meant to say in my head."
Espada chuckled. "That certainly would be an interesting mishap!"
You chuckled alongside him. "Oh shush, I know you and Em would never let me live it down."
He nudged you. "That's what friends are for!"
You rolled your eyes. "Yeah yeah..."
~Present Day~
Espada looked between you and Lesso, watching as your facial expressions changed while you two talked in your minds. He nudged Emma sitting beside him, forcing her to jolt upright, as she'd been falling asleep.
"W-what?" She whispered to him as she shot up, half terrified that Dovey had noticed her dozing off.
"Look," He whispered back, pointing between you and Lesso. "Do you see what I see?"
Anemone eyed the two of you for a moment. Your eyebrows rose and Lesso's face shifted into a smirk as she leaned back in her chair.
"Are they talking to each other?" She asked Rumi quietly.
He nodded as he chuckled softly. He leaned in close to her as he spoke. "They have a telepathic connection, according to Y/N. She told me about it the other day."
Emma looked at you, her eyebrows raised in interest.
"Apparently," he continued. "It's gotten to the point where they don't even have to focus on reading each other's minds. They can just hear the other in their head."
Her eyes went wide. "That's freaking awesome!" She whispered excitedly. "Think about it; you could gossip about whatever you wanted with the other person and never have to say anything out loud!"
She watched Lady Lesso's face change once more.
"What do you think they're talking about?" She asked curiously.
Rumi casually looked over his left shoulder at your expression and then at Lady Lesso's, trying to determine what you two might be discussing. Then he leaned back toward Anemone.
"I don't know," he hummed softly. "But whatever it is, it's entertaining to watch!"
Anemone snickered and eventually Espada joined in.
"Are you two finished having your little side conversation?" Dovey huffed.
Espada and Anemone turned to face the Dean of Good, their eyes wide with the guilt of getting caught. Quickly, they nodded their heads and bowed in apology.
After a moment, Dovey went back to speaking.
Espada looked at Anemone sheepishly. Quietly they began snickering again as they continued to watch the mortified looks that were plastered on yours and Lesso's faces.
"I wonder if they think Clarissa could hear them," Anemone whispered in Espada's ear.
He laughed silently. "Could you imagine? I bet if she could hear them, she would've run from the room by now...or turned a very bright shade of red at the least."
Anemone slapped his arm lightly. "Rumi Espada, do you think they're talking about something inappropriate?"
Rumi gave Emma a sideways glance. "Em, don't tell me by their expressions you weren't thinking the same thing."
She rolled her eyes. "Okay, I'll admit I was...but I didn't expect you to be!"
He turned to face her slightly. "Emma, just because I am old, does not mean I am not hip!"
She chuckled. "No one who's actually hip, says they're hip Rumi."
He turned back toward Dovey, shaking his head slightly.
"Duly noted."
Dueling Club
It was Espada's first lesson in dueling club for the semester. He had chosen to teach the students how to be proficient when using a staff. Staffs were unique instruments, in that they could harness a person's magic like a beacon, that the individual could then direct in a more focused beam, but they could also be used like swords, when engaging in closer combat.
There were a few professors at the school currently that used staffs as their weapons of choice, Anemone included; which is why he had asked her to join him during his demo for the students.
It had been one of the more anticipated duels as Anemone rarely dueled. The students and professors alike were very excited to see just how badass she was rumored to be in a fight.
Though she was by no means an easy win, Espada had beaten her, through a clever trick he pulled where he'd caught her staff with the non-magical end of his own while simultaneously blasting her with the magical end. It had sent her flying off her edge of the mat, forcing you to have to catch her with your magic before she slammed right into you, Lesso, and Manely.
"Nice one!" You chuckled as he trotted off her end of the mat a few moments later. "That last move you pulled was awesome!" As you spoke, the students had begun lining up and were practicing the stances he had taught them earlier.
"Thank you," he hummed pridefully. "A little trick I learned back in the day."
Anemone, who was brushing herself off, stood up straight, eyeing him intently. "Don't lie to her, Rumi. You watched her do it in a duel with Tristan a few weeks back. I know because you leaned over to me and told me you were going to have to learn how to do that move."
You watched as Espada's eyes grew twice their size in shock as his cheeks turned slightly pink; but you could only chuckle.
"Oh Em hush! Look at the poor man, you've embarrassed him!" You chided.
Lesso had a wicked smirk on her face, enjoying the blush that had been working its way up his cheeks.
"Don't worry Espada, I take it as a compliment," you assured him as you patted him on the shoulder. You led him away from Anemone and Lesso, returning to the mats to help the students.
Lesso leaned over to Anemone. "You sure you're not a never?" She cooed. "You sure can bite when you want to."
Anemone eyed Lesso. "I may bite sometimes, but I don't enjoy making people bleed as you do red." She replied.
Lesso's face twisted into an unamused frown. "You're no fun."
Anemone couldn't help but smile. "Funny...I say the same thing about you. But Y/N insists that you're much more fun than you let on."
Lesso's eyes shot toward her. "She does?"
Anemone met her gaze. "Oh yes. I guess I'll just have to see for myself."
Lady Lesso's face contorted into a confused expression. "What do you m-"
"Next week," Anemone interrupted, "is my first dueling club lesson; on how good and evil magic counteract." She let a small smirk inch up her face. "Be my demo partner...and let's see just how fun you really are."
A wicked grin settled on the redhead's face. She didn't quite like the fact that Emma was challenging her skills, but she did think it would be fun to knock her down a few pegs.
She turned towards Anemone, standing tall and gazing at the other women through hooded eyelids before stalking off. "You're on."
The Wedding of the Century
You and Lesso sat down at your table after spending an hour greeting and thanking all your guests for coming. At that very moment, the food appeared and you could hear your stomach rumble.
"Thank the gods," you said in a sigh. "I'm starving."
You and Lesso had carefully chosen who you wanted to sit at your head table with you. The seven seats had been filled by you and Lesso, Dovey, Espada, Anemone, Sophie, and Hester; all of your favorite people, who coincidentally all happened to be in your wedding party.
"Mmm," Hester said as she dug into the meal next to you. "This is delicious."
"Agreed!" Anemone said, her mouth half full. "Good choice!"
Dovey beamed. She had been the one to suggest the menu; and you and Lesso, not really caring much to argue with her, had simply agreed.
"It was Clarissa's idea," you said smiling. You were not above giving her credit for making your wedding so wonderful; she had done an excellent job.
"Well done Clarissa," Anemone hummed as she bit into a dinner roll. "Really, this is probably the wedding of the century."
"Indeed," Espada agreed. "The best wedding I've ever been to! And I've been to plenty."
"But never your own, right?" Anemone joked as she elbowed him in the side. They both laughed.
You tilted your head. "What?" You asked, looking between the two of them.
Espada wiped his mouth with his napkin. "A simple jab at the fact that neither of us are married," he explained, still chuckling to himself.
You were still slightly confused. Your eyebrows were furrowed and your fork had been hanging in the air for the last minute.
"I was engaged once," he continued to explain. "That is what Anemone is referring to."
The rest of the table looked at him in shock. Clearly, everyone else was just as clueless as you were; minus Emma, of course.
"You were?" Dovey asked. "What happened?"
He smiled softly, realizing he'd started a conversation he would have no choice but to finish. "It fizzled out, as things do sometimes. I've dated my fair share of princes and princesses...but marriage has to be about commitment, trust, loyalty. And while some people are lucky enough to find those...others are not as lucky."
Anemone nodded in agreement. "And some of us aren't looking for it!"
Your gaze shifted from Espada to Anemone. "You're not looking?"
Anemone laughed so hard she snorted a little, which caused everyone at the table to chuckle.
"Me?" She laughed, "No, no, no...I have no intentions of getting married! I enjoy friendship, camaraderie, company...but I have no interest in anything past that. It just isn't for me."
"And yet, you taught our students how to appear beautiful enough for princes to fall in love with them," Lesso pointed out.
Anemone shot her an annoyed look. "That was not my fault! I wanted to teach history but someone deemed it unimportant and demoted me!"
Lesso raised her eyebrows and looked at Dovey. She was frozen, her eyes wide and her glass was halfway to her lips.
Everyone couldn't help but laugh at Clarissa's guilty expression.
She set her cup down in a huff and looked at Anemone. "Okay, well at least we reinstated you! Now you're teaching history, just like you want!"
Anemone pouted and crossed her arms. "Yeah...after having to teach students how to smile for the last 8 years."
You looked around at all your friends and family; laughing, bickering, and jabbing at one another. A warmth spread inside you as a smile settled on your face.
For the first time, you understood what Storian was talking about all those years ago...
Because for the first time, this school, and the people in it, were finally starting to feel like home.