After returning to the nurses office, Dr Keola was in no way happy about her impromptu 6:00 am disappearance. Unhappy enough to give her an extra day before she could be discharged.
Ace had been discharged early (3.pm) on the terms he could find her, but that did not stop him from bugging her for another hour afterwards.
It took awhile for her to finally be alone, Trey offering to watch (see: Babysit) Grim for the time being so that she could get some peace for once.
This did not end well for her, mentally.
_________________
Being alone in the infirmary felt odd. Doubled by the lights being off, and the fact Dr.Keola had gone home, and left her a number for emergencies.
Odd was the wrong word. It was terrifying.
She was left alone with her thoughts, and fears.
Although she would never admit it, being alone only reminded her of how vulnerable she was in this world.
The fae charm was not a freebie save, like she thought originally.
Now she was going to have to do training with Diasomnia if she wanted to use it to defend herself on a consistent basis, and if the vignettes and event knowledge held true, Lilias training was hardcore, and no walk in the park.
The amulet was an overblot only save, and there was no guarantee it would work again. Sure it saved their ass during the overblot, but it certainly couldn't do much other then hang around her neck before that.
Not to mention, it didn't fully save her. If what everyone said was true, herself and Ace still nearly died, even with that benefit.
What happens when their up against Leona? Jamil? Vil? Idia? Unlike Riddle, they had the full intention of harm from the start to finish of their villain ark.
Leona, from the very beginning, fully intended on either severe harm, or blatant possible murder, depending on how you look at it.
Ophelia was no large or imposing person, she knew in a stampede, she was a goner.
Not to mention he nearly tried to dry Ruggie out to death...
Jamil forced the entirety of Scarabia to stay back from Winter Break, hypnotized Kalim, forced the dorm students to march across the desert multiple times. He even full on chucked the group across the dorm. How do you survive that?
Vil tried to blatantly murder Neige. Even though he was in a state of severe distress, it happened. Then the whole arenas air turned poisonous. Ok, so she survived eating lethal poison as a kid, but that doesn't mean this air won't end her.
Hell, Idias intention was to nearly end the world itself. Would she get friend privileges and just end up a hostage or something? Or be hiking down Tartarus with everyone else?
In terms of friends, Che'nya obviously had other shit to do, other people to see, and a whole different school to attend. He couldn't be around to save her 24/7, and he was barred from helping in certain situations.
Ace was.....Ace.
Even if he was the one of the first year alliance so far she felt safest around and closest too, he was not only a stubborn prick at times, but was hot on her tail, and she could only pray the madness he learned in the dream would simmer it down a bit.
Deuce was a sweetheart, but he wasn't the brightest, and his improve skills were not the best either. She couldn't bare the thought of him getting hurt because she slipped, and then he slipped that same information infront of the wrong person.
Vyr definitely was a fun person right now, but would the story he's twisted from come into play like the others? If so, who's roles are who's? Fighting an entire kingdom certainly did not reach her bucket list, but neither did fighting him.
Elephys was new to the first year's madness, but she couldn't help but notice when he looked at Riddle that morning, he had been shaking slightly, almost trying to go unnoticed by him.
Heartstabyl......Ophelia knew from the start would be easier in terms of info hiding, this was practically the warm up.
———————
Ophelia, far into her spiral , nearly didn't notice the window opening by itself, so she began slowly approaching it as if she'd be jumpscared at any moment.
A large bird, black feathers that ombréd into a dark red at the ends, simply stared back at her as she sighed.
"Hello, bird. Are you here to foreshadow my enviable doom?"
She swore the bird shook its head.
"So I'm just becoming a Disney Princess then?"
The bird squawked, oddly melodically so.
"I'll take that as a maybe. Are you going to come in or ominously hover on the window sill?"
It didn't move, simply watching her with beady eyes as she pulled up Dr. Keolas spinning chair and laid her head next to where it sat.
"Cool. My mental state is pretty shit right now, mind if I rant to you about it?"
Laying down and ruffling its feathers, once again, she swore it shook its head.
"Alrighty then, I'll call you..Ho'oh? Nah..Ari-oh? Yea, that works. You kinda look like a Dark and Fire type Articuno, a Phoenix version of it.
Ari-oh, I dub thee a legendary pokemon."
It bowed itself down dramatically as she mimed knighting it.
"Theres no point in trying to warp this to not be obvious, since you're a bird.
Basically ....its just...I expected everything to go to canon, and how it was ingame. "
Ari-oh cocked its head whilst she leaned into the window frame.
"Nothing makes sense anymore. The Yuu stuff, whatevers going on with this stupid necklace, weapons? I just....wasn't expecting any of this.
Everything was so much safer ingame, nobody got hurt as badly they were in a coma, theres timeskips and its usually only Ace, Deuce, Grim and the Main Character fucking around and dealing with Overblots every 6th Tuesday or something until after book 5, and thats when shit gets to its worst.
Thats what I was prepared for, not any of this. Without timeskips either, I'm completely flying blind for the next two months. What am I supposed to do?"
The large bird hopped around the window frame momentarily, then lied down on its side, then sat back up, to her amusement.
"Exist? No...go about my days? Am I seriously playing charades with a bird? What has my life come to?"
It ruffled its feathers, giving her a beady glare, then pecking her lightly on the hand.
"Ok, Ok, sorry. Back to what I was saying.
So now, I have to train in magic because I accidentally sent two people and myself into a week long coma, and actually go to classes I know nothing about....How am I supposed to do that? Do I still get honey and those Sweet plates as a reward? Nevermind, thats stupid.
Its just...alot. I made a promise to someone, and I intend to keep it, but its just such a shock, you know?"
Gesturing in every direction, the bird watched as she attempted to reenact several explosions with her hands.
"I expected things to go just as I played them, but then BOOM! Important things change! BOOM! Yuu Lore! BOOM! I somehow befriend the Shrouds! BOOM! Ace is already on my tail BOOM! Cha—People that aren't ingame! BOOM! Lilia is involved now!
I mean, I—well, the main character meets him in...shit..the beginning of book one, I think? But he just pops up here and there until Diasomnia's chapters roll around.
Now that I think about it, he has a really cool line during the climax of Savanaclaw, but after that, he kinda pops out of existence in the main story til....Pomfieore? Then in Ignihyde too...
I mean, don't get me wrong, he's probably one of my favorites, even if I don't know much about him. He's one of the funniest guys in the cast, not to mention badass too.
Its just...terrifying to interact with him in real life. Maybe Its because I'm an anxious dumbass, but its scary, compared to Ace or Deuce.
Ortho and Idia aren't hard to talk to either, and Riddle....well, I'm not as scared of him anymore, since his ark is over.
Cater and Trey are pretty terrifying to me still.
I don't know why, but I just get anxious. Maybe its because those three can see through me better?"
A brush of wind passed by, cooling her a bit as she continued.
"I thought I could avoid the main cast until their respective stuff, but apparently, no.
I mean, how many people go to this school, 5,000? I know I stick out like glitter on a rug to my mother, but still...
And whats with that Nevermore dude?! Who sent that guy to protect me for a day ?!
If Lilia hadn't vouched, I totally would of thought he was just some weirdo.
Everytime I tried to ask him about it though, he keeps saying "It was nobody within this island." or something! And why did he just randomly have a gun?! What was that about?"
Ari-oh chirped, flapping its wings a bit while she kept speaking.
"Now that I think of it, considering we all almost died, are Vyr and Elephys even safe around me?! What if I make more close friends who don't have plot armor?
Speaking of friends, I'm not used to physical affection, or being super physically close to people, y'know?
I'm totally fine with it, but most of my friends who tend to give it live far away from me back home, and I'm only used to receiving it from my family on a normal basis.
It was a huge surprise when people here besides Che'nya started doing that, because I guess I didn't expect them to, like Ace using me as a headrest, or when Deuce gave us hugs when we woke up. Maybe its the autism in me, but I was so thrown off by it.
Not in a bad way, but its just something I'm probably going to have to get used to."
The bird did not move.
"On another note, the second I get too excited on something, I accidentally bring myself more hell. How am I not supposed to be anxious when I try to casually chat with the wrong person and then end up giving them the power to possess me or some shit?
I can't tell Che'nya about all this, I don't want him to feel guilty. I made the choice to stay here, but I just......"
As she laid her head down, Ari-oh hopped closer.
"I'm Estelle Catalina Devlin, thats who I am, and who I've always been...but I feel like I have to be Ophelia Avillion at all times, and its really stressful.
O' wise legendary bird, what are your thoughts?"
Ari-oh just chirped in response as she carefully rubbed its head.
"Wise words. Thanks for listening to me, but I think if I sit here any longer, I'll fall asleep with half my head out of the window."
Standing back up and stretching for a moment, the brunette returned the chair to its proper place. When she returned, the bird snatched something from the ceiling, then flew away.
Ophelia sighed, resting her head and pulling up the blanket of her med-bed.
"Good Night, Ari-oh."
—————————————-
Under the shrouds of the night, he nimbly rose to the window where his recent curio and possible quarry lay still in slumber.
With but the quickest flick, the window opened, allowing him to silently reach the infirmaries floor.
Walking ever so quietly, the huntman finally was barely within just an arms reach of her, laying eyes upon her from no longer afar.
Long locks of almond brown splayed into rings, skin a perfect match to maple wood, or perhaps a light golden oak. If he were to estimate from her still figure, she was 162.2 centimeters tall.
Snapping a photo or two was a simple task, but in the frame, he found something of interest.
Hidden just near the pillow was an quite average seeming notebook, but the most telling of tales are hidden where one believes no other will hear or see, no?
As he went to procure his discovery, bright violet lights flashed before him, the beautiful grin of a quarry far off gracing the wall beside it.
It was then he felt anothers gaze on him. 2, to be exact. One above, 14.67 feet away, and one approximately 7.76 feet away.
"You again?"
Light footsteps did not hide the click of the weapon he held, approaching from the dark to meet the other in the rooms middle.
"Monsieur Phénix, every feather upon your plumage shines as it basks in the moonlight!
How I wish to feel if they each are as silky as I gaze upon them! Is it fate we meet again?"
The one registered in the school records as "Nevermore" revealed himself to the light, favored revolver in hand.
"Theres a difference between fated encounters and being caught stalking."
"Stalking? Non, its not as malicious as you may think. Beauté is often found in moments of solitude, and as the Chasseur de Amour, it is my duty to seek and capture those precious moments."
"Mhm, that involves taking pictures of people sleeping....how?"
Hovering a hand where, if one were to stab a dagger through it, would find his heart, bleeding its love for beauty, he gazed to the slumbering girl, then back to the aviary.
"As a huntsman, to find such unique prey, hailing from where I may never step, a land I may never lay eye upon, now meer moments away....Mon Dieu!"
The gaze sharped, a swift taunt laced within his words in the foreign tongue.
"Cela ne pique-t-il pas votre curiosité, mon ami, ressuscité de ses cendres?
Vous devriez comprendre ce sentiment mieux que n'importe qui d'autre qui peut marcher dans les couloirs parmi nous deux.
Nous nous ressemblons beaucoup plus que tu ne le penses, vieil ami."
The aviary played the fool to his crafted clue with ease, groaning as his wings ruffled ever so slightly in agitation.
"I really wish I could shoot you."
"But that would wake the beauté de sommeil, non?"
"I'm more worried about the legal issues."
——————————-
The dark winged fae couldn't help but pity the poor girl.
How unlucky she was to be near defenseless when unarmed in a school like this.
Even with the charm at her side, she was a glass cannon. Once she no longer held it, she had no magic reserves whatsoever.
Her physical abilities were far from lacking, but not enough to defend against many in this place.
Lilia taking her under his wing may be a saving grace, but it was no instantaneous salvation. He could only hope training's difficulty would be somewhat mercifully lowered for her.
Once the aviary heard the squeaking tell of the bats above had returned from their informing, it wasn't long before the aforementioned appeared shooting him a quick wink before whisking the unconscious off until they could get Rook away.
It was far from easy to keep the huntsman from tailing them, but eventually, he took his leave around the beginning of dawn, proclaiming loudly about some "Roi de Poison", "Efforts of Beauté" and "Rekindling Flames."
What a weird motherfucker.
————-
NOTES:
HOLY SHIT
I thought I'd never get a new chapter done, rah, this nearly was the death of me.
So many drafts, may they rest in peace.
I had so many ideas, but also, Ophelia deserves a few seconds of mercy after everything.
Also realistically, it wouldn't work without an eventual mental breakdown for our protagonist, and you know what that means? STRESS BUILD UP OVER TIME!
You can translate the Rook speech if you want,
I don't speak French, and I don't pretend to ;
I ran that monologue through 4 different online translators and edited it until the result was somewhat the same each time, so I thought it should be okay
Am I going to tell you the translation if you don't know it? Just this once, No, for the sake of suspense.
Obviously you can google it or ask a friend, but my lips are sealed >:3
(Sorry if that's annoying )
ANYWAY, ONWARDS!!