Twst Fic - Blog Posts

the way i BINGED the whole master list of this blog- omg i’m obsessed. the writing is immaculate, with the one-shots being giggling, kicking your feet, blushing type of good.

i wanted to reblog this one specifically bc it’s my absolute favorite. for some reason this little fish mafia has a special place in my heart, and i love reading cute scenarios between yuu and the octotrio. love love love

highly recommend this blog to twst fans, and i can’t wait for another post 🥳

【 three's a party (and yuu does not want to play host) 】

author's note: this is a repost of my fic, but in tumblr-friendly format in case anyone dislikes ao3's formatting sjdkfsj (i've been there too dw) it's a little fic i wrote bc i had lots of octatrio brainrot n wanted to see how they'd react to crowley overworking the prefect. n then somehow this happened. kind of a filler as i work on the rest of the reqs + my leona fic, so i hope you enjoyed it if you haven't read it already !

characters: gn! yuu, azul ashengrotto, floyd leech, jade leech

warnings: non-graphic depictions of biting + blood (gee, thanks tweels but also please be careful if you're squeamish !!)

word count: 6.8k (i brainrot too hard-)

tags: uhhh octatrio *jazz hands*, yuu is overworked and underpaid (courtesy of crowley), let's pay floyd to become a professional cuddler, and pay jade to be a professional floyd-enabler, we blame the biting on both tweels, azul-typical deal making (becoming one of my fav tags ngl), protective octatrio ? hell yeah, protective octatrio !!

[ read it on ao3 | previous tumblr post ]

Yuu was tired. They shuffled the papers in their arms, carrying two more folders filled with them. That sad excuse of a headmage has once again tasked them with something almost impossible. This time he was shirking his own duties to go off on some weekend getaway at the Scalding Sands.

"Now I leave these duties to you, Yuu-kun," Crowley had said, not even bothering to hide the suitcase or the travel outfit he had on. Heck, he was even slathering on sunscreen as he spoke to them.

"What is it this time, headmage?" Yuu asked, Grim clearly not paying attention as he gorged himself on the cookies Crowley had set up as a bribe.

Crowley pats at the two stacks of folders on his desk, "This side is the invoices, and this side is the supplies that we received. It'd be so helpful if you could, ah, help me out in matching and making sure they're all in order."

"F-funyah... That's gonna take a long time..." Grim backed up to the door. "I-I have to turn in my potions homework... Bye, henchman!" And, there goes Grim, leaving them alone to stare at the stack of papers.

"Ahem," Crowley awkwardly picked up his suitcase. "Well, I suggest you get started soon since I need this done by the end of the weekend. I wouldn't want you to shoulder your...excessive food funds." And then he was gone. Leaving Yuu with two stacks of terror and sleep deprivation.

Yuu's been working hard, with frequent breaks to nap so that....well, so they don't keel over and die. They've bounced around several different locations so far, searching for a spot to take care of these papers. They've been working at the library, infirmary, their own room, the cafeteria (when it wasn't mealtime), and even in Trein-sensei and Crewel-sensei's classrooms. The two teachers had sent Yuu equally as pitying looks before taking a few invoices and checking them over in the middle of their own work, which Yuu was really grateful for.

Their next spot was this place: Mostro Lounge. They just hoped that the Octatrio wouldn't find them too quickly. They still had work to get done after all. It wasn’t Jade that greets them at the entrance, much to Yuu's relief. Mostro Lounge was an ideal place to do work and almost no one would be willing to disturb a customer or gaze at their work too hard.

Yuu was quickly guided into a booth near the back next to the tank. Virtually no one sat there, due to the smallness of it but Yuu quite liked it. It was almost cozy there. They ordered a drink with espresso in it, trusting the Lounge would make something presentable out of it. Yuu then set out to work.

They had almost thirty minutes of undisturbed work before someone tapped their shoulder. Yuu looked up to see Floyd, leaning his whole body over the table, a wide grin on display. Great Seven, why did it have to be Floyd that found them first?

"Why didn't you tell me you were visiting today, Little Shrimp?" Floyd easily scooted into the booth, placing their drink down. "Thought I was smelling things earlier but Shrimpy’s name's on the order and that means I win~!"

"What...what did you win?"

"Well, it doesn't matter! Now let's go play~" He tugged hard at their arm, and it felt like he was about to rip it out of its socket. "We can go visit Azul too, to tell him I won, and then we can go swimming-"

"I can't, Floyd." The taller stopped talking immediately, his grin deflating into a frown. It tied Yuu's stomach in knots. They never knew how Floyd would react to rejection.

This time, he just whined, "Why not? 'S not like you're doing anything interesting."

"Uhm," Yuu tapped at the table. "It's not interesting, but imagine if Azul was bossing you aro-"

"Azul always does that though. Don't needa imagine it."

"-okay, so Azul's bossing you around. And he tells you to do something. Or else he'll make you do something you hate, for example...?"

Floyd pouted, "...letting Jade beat up all the small fries while I'm stuck with the dishes."

Yuu paused at the example, "A very Floyd answer. Or else he won't let you beat up the people who breached his contracts. For a whole month, you have to wash dishes instead."

"Not for a month!" He was whining even harder now.

"Exactly, that's why I need to do this," Yuu vaguely gestured at the papers.

Floyd's eyes lit up, "Or else Azul won't let you beat people up? Didn't know Shrimpy liked fighti-"

"No! Or else Crowley will do something like not letting me eat food at the cafeteria!"

"Oh," And Floyd gave them a pitying look– the Floyd Leech was feeling sympathetic for them, how pathetic did they have to be?– "Then we'll play next time?"

"Yes, I'll swim with you next time," Yuu said, relieved that he understood. "I promise. Thank you for letting me work, Floyd." The blue-haired nodded, but he didn't move from his spot.

Yuu sipped at the drink– something sugary that hid the espresso really well– as they continued to work. Floyd's gaze burned into them quite intently but there was nothing they could do when he was already being so good.

Then there was a finger squishing their cheek and Floyd was grinning again, "I had a great idea~ How 'bout we sit so I can squeeze Shrimpy and Shrimpy can keep doing the boring stuff? C'mon, c'mon I'll keep you company." Yuu nodded and was immediately lifted up right into the air by the armpits. Like a cat. Yuu swore that they weren't that light, it was just the students at this school that were on crack or something for them to be that strong.

Floyd hummed as he placed them between his thighs, "See, see~ This is so much more fun." His frame draped over them slightly, arms wrapping around their waist as their back met his front. It was kind of like having a weighted blanket wrapped around them, except it wasn't warm, just...oddly comforting.

"Alright, Floyd," Yuu felt him fiddling with their uniform. "Just...don't squeeze too hard." Work went on as usual, with Floyd occasionally playing with their hair, or even nipping at their ears or neck. Yuu elbowed him when he did that. His teeth were too sharp for those seemingly innocent actions to actually be innocent. One bite and they might just bleed out, right in that dingy corner at Mostro Lounge. There was also a chance that he might pick them up and drop them on the ground once he got bored of sitting around.

But after a while, Floyd was suspiciously still. His head settled onto Yuu's shoulder, the little puffs of his breath tickling Yuu's neck every few seconds. Yuu looked over at him, brushing back his bangs to see what Floyd was doing only to find him...asleep.

The Floyd Leech was asleep. On their shoulder. That wasn't something they expected to happen when they walked in here. Floyd whined a bit in his sleep, squeezing a bit tighter. Yuu shushed at him, patting his hair to placate him. He grew silent after a bit, and Yuu released a breath.

Waking Floyd was probably going to be a headache, so they continued to work. Or was trying to continue their work, before a set of familiar footsteps had stopped at their table. They didn't bother looking up, assuming it was the waiter, here to take their drink.

"My, so this was where Floyd escaped to," – Yuu's shoulders tensed before remembering they had a sleeping eel at their back– "He was always better at sniffing out prey than me."

Ignoring the fact that they got called prey, Yuu acknowledged the calmer-looking Leech, "Jade-senpai."

"I'll come back with some tea," Jade said, taking their empty glass. "Something relaxing, perhaps? You look a little stressed, Yuu-san."

Yuu nodded, "I'd...appreciate that. How much will that be? I already paid for the drink before, just in case I forgot."

"Mmm," Jade's expression turned contemplative. "It's supposed to sell at 12 thaumarks, but since I'll be dining with you, I'll foot half the bill."

"That's...oddly nice of you," Yuu said, knowing that the other wouldn't take offense at such a comment.

And surprise surprise, Jade merely smiled, razor-sharp this time, "I'm offended that you'd think so little of me." Then Jade was gone, in a flurry of perfectly placed movements. Yuu sighed, looking down at the papers in front of them. It just never seemed to end, and they would be hitting their limit soon. A nap was in due order.

Jade arrived with the tea set in no time, "Ah, think of this as repayment for getting Floyd to sleep. He's been complaining that his teeth were hurting and that he wanted to go back to the ocean...it has been quite troublesome, for both me and Azul."

"That's...not good." Yuu watched, enraptured by the way Jade was very elegantly preparing the tea. Damn him and his near-perfectionism in everything. It made him that much harder to be wary of.

"Well, he was asking me to play around, but I had really pressing work and he seemed to get it so..."

"He fell asleep soon after that?"

"He was squeezing me, but after a while, he must've dozed off," Yuu shrugged.

"My, how soft, to fall asleep in front of prey," Jade placed their cup in front of them, staring over at the sleeping Leech. "Try adding some sugar to the tea." Yuu pours a spoonful in and gasped as the tea turns from a dark blue to purple color.

There's a delight in Jade's face, maybe at their reaction, "Stir it, Yuu-san."

Yuu does, and the color changes once more, from purple to light pink.

"What kind of...magical tea is this?" Yuu held up their cup like it was going to run away from them.

"A...personal blend of mine," Jade chuckled lightly. "I've found that some plants I encounter while I do my club activities make the most fascinating teas."

Yuu narrowed their eyes at the cup, "This isn't...going to make me see hallucinations right? I really need to focus on this before Crowley wrings me out."

"Oh no, although I do know of a blend that does so, this is merely a relaxant." Jade takes a sip of his own cup as if to demonstrate its harmlessness. "I make this blend for Azul sometimes when he's got a lot of work to deal with."

Yuu braved a sip and felt a warm tingle make its way down their throat. With a sigh, Yuu felt all the muscles start to soften and they sag back against Floyd's front.

"Good?"

"Oh yeah, very good," Yuu took another sip, flexing their hands to get the invisible ants out.

"What have you been working on?" Jade asked, gesturing at the papers. "Something for the headmage?"

Yuu groaned, staring at the still-hefty stack of papers, "Crowley- I mean, our benevolent headmage has left a student in charge of checking invoices for the school's purchases while he goes off for a weekend escapade."

"That is...certainly a difficult situation," Jade eyed the papers. "I could help you with some, but I might need to go if Azul calls. How many of these have you gone through already?"

"There were two stacks of these, a meter tall on his desk before he left."

Jade patted their head sympathetically, grabbing a folder, "I think I can relate, especially on the part where my boss makes unreasonable demands. But at least the pay is, mmm, more handsome on those days."

And then they were working. Amicably, to Yuu's surprise. Jade Leech was a good work partner when he wasn't condescending or trying to be scary. (He didn't have to try that hard, he was already imposing enough.) Jade was efficient, and Yuu felt like their brain was turning to mush by the minute. The tea was making them drowsy as well, so that wasn't helping their situa-

Suddenly, there were teeth at their neck...? There were teeth at their neck, real and sharp from the way the jaw of their perpetrator flexed slightly against their skin. Yuu's head snapped up, "Uhm, Floy...d...?"

Floyd was grumbling quietly before the teeth are gone, "Ja~de, stop tryna steal Shrimpy from me!" His hold on them suddenly tightened, his leg moving to tangle in theirs. The teeth are back on their neck as if they'd never left. Yuu swallowed slowly, hoping that they'd get to leave this situation alive as they looked at Jade.

Jade looked unimpressed at Floyd's behavior, "Floyd, it is rude to treat Yuu-san that way when they've been courteous enough to let you sleep as they work." He set the papers he was working on aside as he focused on his twin.

It's nerve-wracking to be in the middle of a fight between these two because, well, Yuu had never seen them fight before. Sure, there are times when they disagreed, but they usually settle it quickly. Now, being the main reason why they were fighting in the first place...Yuu wasn't sure they could survive this. Maybe they should start writing a will, to give away what little possessions they had.

"I know! 'S not Little Shrimp's fault," Floyd whined and rubbed his head against Yuu's nape. "It's cuz of you, now go away, Jade, I don't wanna share."

And then like a switch was flipped, Jade smiled, all provocation, "Well, Yuu-san doesn't belong to you, Floyd." There's a tense silence and Yuu lamented going back to writing their will. Why would Jade say something that would rile him up even more? Now Floyd had his legs wrapped around Yuu's thighs, arms squeezing to the point of discomfort. And the worst part was that those teeth were still scratching at their nape.

"Floyd, I'd appreciate it if you don't bite my ne-" - Yuu shivered as the teeth pressed in a little harder. "My neck." They sat up as best they could, reaching a hand back to pet at Floyd's hair. His grip relaxed the slightest bit. "I'll die if you do."

"But if I don't bite, then Jade'll bite first. And I wanna bite first." Floyd said, so matter-of-factly that any other person would've thought he was talking about lunch. Yuu glanced over at Jade, who doesn't refute the statement, and instead looks amused. Amused, of all things! The gall of this...this overly tall mer-eel!

"No one's biting anyone, please," Yuu argued weakly. "I...really need my neck in one piece." It's a stalemate because Floyd won't let go, Jade won't leave, and Yuu's literally stuck between a rock and a hard place. And they've been stressed all day, so whatever they could do to get out of this...

A flicker of an idea appeared in Yuu's mind, and before they could think too hard, they blurted, "Does it have to be my neck?"

Jade looked visibly surprised by their statement, "You're...going to let him bite you?"

Yuu felt miserable at the prospect, "I have work to do. If this will get you both to quiet down then it's worth it. I think."

"Yay! I get to bite Little Shrimp!" Floyd cheered, jostling Yuu around. "I wonder, will Shrimpy taste like a shrimp...?" The question was asked so innocently that it left Yuu dumbfounded.

"Uhm, then how about my arm...?" They were facing Floyd now, offering up their right arm.

Floyd took it, kneading it between his hands, "Hmm... Not as squishy as your cheeks or tummy, but it'll do for today!" Jade hasn't said anything in a while, but he seemed interested as his twin rolled up the sleeve of their uniform and blazer. Well, there goes their last chance of getting out of this.

"Don't move, Little Shrimp, or else the blood'll go everywhere, like whoosh," Floyd made a gushing motion. "Kinda like those fancy fountains, 'cept it'll be blood~"

Was this a horrible idea? Yes. Were they going to regret this later? Oh yes, most certainly. But was it happening? Begrudgingly, also yes.

And Yuu tried not to imagine the blood fountain in their mind as Floyd clamped down on their arm. He didn't waste any time, immediately biting down. They winced. His teeth were sharp enough to cut into their skin effortlessly. Floyd smiled against their arm in content, once again confirming that Floyd Leech was slightly insane. They didn't move until he finally pulled away.

There was blood everywhere, on his teeth, lips, and even his chin, but Floyd grinned, "Y'know, 's not bad! Doesn't taste like a shrimp, but still good." He made a show of licking the wound again, "Aha, my teeth hurt of so long, so thank you, Shrimpy!"

Their arm is throbbing– burning, actually– but it didn't hurt as much as they'd expected. Maybe it was the adrenaline rushing in their ears, but they felt a little too calm and overwhelmed at the same time. There was a tingling when Floyd licked over it again, and Yuu belatedly wondered if eelmer saliva was toxic to humans.

"C'mon, Jade. You wanna bite too, right?" Floyd smiled gleefully, facing his twin. Wait...what? "Look, Shrimpy. He looks so hungry~" Yuu looked up and there's something dark in Jade's eyes. Shit. Shit, shit, shit, they had almost forgotten that both of them were clinically insane. What kind of sane person liked the taste of human blood anyway?

Jade stood, politely smiling, "Scoot over, Floyd." Said Leech backed up in the booth, giggling all the while and tugging Yuu with him.

"W-wait, how come Jade-senpai's biting me too-!"

Jade's hand grips at their forearm, glove staining with red, "My, it is rude to offer this one of us and not the other."

"He's right! And you taste good, so don't worry."

"I- I thought you didn't want to share !"

Floyd looked sinister as he grinned again, still bloody, "Well that's before. Now's now. Now be a good shrimp and let Jade bite you~" Yuu resisted the urge to kick at Jade as he settled between their legs. Calm down, this guy was just helping out before. Calm down.

Jade swept back his hair as he brought their arm closer, "I promise I'll be gentle."

It's not reassuring at all when Jade says it while smiling that smile that reminds Yuu of a predator baring its teeth. And just like that, there was a second bite on their arm. It didn't hurt as much as the first, but maybe they were growing numb to the pain by now.  Jade lapped at the blood and hummed as if pleased by the taste before retracting his teeth.

Yuu stared at the twin bites on their arm with disappointment, "You two are...literally the worst. If I die of an infection, I am not writing you guys into my will."

“Shrimpy didn’t move so it’ll heal,” Floyd petted their hair to mollify them, "Tastes pretty good, right Jade? It scratches that itch, so there's also a bonus~"

Jade nodded, licking the blood dripping down his chin, staining his shirt, "I must say, that was satisfactory." The twins flash Yuu their sharp grins, both equally caked in their blood and now Yuu remembered exactly why these two were twins. They were cut from the same piece of cloth, after all.

"Please don't say you're gonna eat me or something, I'm not food," Yuu grumbled, cupping their arm. "Could you at least get some tissues? The blood's getting everywhere." Floyd grabbed the whole tissue stand, stuffing it into Yuu's hand. But he made no effort to move from his position where he was cuddling into Yuu. Jade was no different, passively watching and occasionally helping with the used tissues.

"What in Seven's name are you doing?"

The voice made them flinch. Yuu looked up, only to make eye contact with one horrified Azul Ashengrotto. Jade doesn't look all that surprised as he turned, and Floyd gave Azul a big wave.

"Is that...Yuu–?" Azul sighed tiredly. "Up, all of you. To the VIP Room. Now."

"Yes, sir."

"Yessir!"

"O-okay."

Floyd lifted them up with him as he stood, acting as a barrier between the rest of Mostro Lounge and their little party of four. At this point, Yuu couldn’t bring it on themself to say they could walk and just let Floyd do his thing.

"Ooh, Azul looks real mad," He mused, frowning. "But we were just havin' fun, me, Shrimpy, and Jade were."

They're placed on the couch. Or, they're placed on Floyd's lap as he sat on the couch, was a more accurate statement. Jade walked in, bloodied glove in his breast pocket as he carried a stack of papers.

"Thanks, Jade-senpai."

"Not to worry, it was me and Floyd who, ah, inconvenienced you," He sat down next to the two, exchanging another chilling smile with Floyd. Crazy, both of them were.

"Tell me why I was working peacefully when I get a report that, and I quote, 'The Leech brothers are mauling a customer'?" Azul paced around in front of the three on the couch. “Mauling” was...well, it wasn't entirely off. Their arm was still throbbing, and the blood hadn't stopped flowing yet.

"We weren't mauling the Little Shrimp," Floyd huffed, offended at the accusation. "We were just playing 'n Shrimpy said a little bite was okay."

"Quite," Jade nodded as if saddened. "I was having a nice conversation with Yuu-san before the, ah, biting, as Floyd said." They said it as if both of them didn't have blood staining their chins and the collars of their shirts. Yuu just wanted to work in peace. Why did they end up in this situation?

Azul dragged a hand over his face, "Show me." Yuu leaned as far forward as they could with Floyd holding on to them. The bites certainly didn't look as clean as before. The blood was beginning to drip. It looked kinda scary, actually. Yuu was sure there was some sort of paralyzing agent in their saliva, or else maybe they'd be screaming their heads off from the pain.

"I'll hear your explanations later. Jade, Floyd, for now, step outside the room."

Floyd's grip tightened, "Eh, but I don't wanna~"

"Floyd, let's let Azul have a turn," Jade placed a hand on his twin’s shoulder. "It'll only be about five minutes."

"I'm not some toy you can have a turn on." And Jade just smiled at the retaliation, as if he thought it was funny they were complaining after everything that happened.

Floyd reluctantly let go, "I'll be back in no time, Shrimpy."

"If you heal it all the way, we might just have to bite Yuu-san again, Azul," Jade called out before he left. Crazy bastards.

"Don't forget to change your clothes, you got blood everywhere!" Azul shouted after them before standing. He grabbed a cloth and a potion from his drawer.

He sighed as he stared at all the blood, "Let's get it cleaned up before you get an infection."

"Is their saliva poisonous?" Yuu tried not to flinch as Azul ran the cloth around the edges of the bite.

"Not as toxic as their animal counterparts, but I know that there's something that may cause infections," Azul looked up at Yuu before looking back down. "Why would you, out of all people, give them permission to bite you?"

"Well...Floyd was threatening to bite my neck-" Azul almost dropped the cloth at that. "L-Long story short, he was...er, squeezing me and he fell asleep. Jade-senpai came around with some tea, we were discussing my work and Floyd woke up."

"I see. I'm assuming he didn't want to share?" He poured half of the potion onto the bites. The skin knits together, and it's almost like it never happened, save for the light pink scars left on their arm.

Yuu sighed, "It wasn't my brightest decision, I was really tired so to save my own neck, I offered my arm. To Floyd. but then Jade-senpai just..."

"That's when you should be cautious," Azul ruffled their hair. "Rule number two when dealing with the Leeches, what one gets, the other covets too."

"What's rule number one ?"

"Where one goes, the other will follow," Azul looked a bit sorry as he ran a finger over the scars. "Next time don't let them bite you. Call me when they're being unreasonable."

"What's the price?"

"The...price?" Azul looked momentarily askew as if deals or favors from him don't usually have a price tag attached to them. But he recovered quickly. "Well, the payment will be–"

The door is flung open unceremoniously, "Azul! It's been five minutes so now I get a turn!" And there are the twins, looking more like students rather than murderers this time.

Jade placed himself next to Azul. Yuu paid them no mind, no doubt they must've been talking about Mostro Lounge's affairs. Floyd nestled back beside them, this time burying his face in their stomach. Yuu sucked in a breath at the action, having seen literally firsthand what the eel’s teeth can do. The blue-haired giggled like it was funny.

"No more biting," Yuu pleaded. "I really need to do this by the end of today." Yuu picked up the abandoned papers, eyeing the one folder that they haven't sorted through yet. They won't be getting any sleep if that isn't done.

"What've you been doin' Shrimpy?" Floyd asked, wrapping his arms around their torso.

"Hmm? Oh, these are invoices. There are papers that say what's been delivered and what's been ordered. Crowley's forcing me to check them."

"Sounds bo~ring," Floyd singsonged, snatching a paper from Yuu's hand. "What if we set them on fire and build one of those bonfire things instead?"

Yuu took the paper, "I'd get in trouble. Remember washing dishes?" And Floyd shuddered at that, which Yuu found to be a little bit of a cute reaction.

"Are you getting paid, Prefect?" Oh, so Azul was paying attention to them.

They glanced up to find both Azul and Jade staring at them, "Well no. But he did threaten to cut the food funds again, so-"

"Cutting the food funds?" Azul scoffed.

"Again?" Jade's eyebrows furrowed.

There was a short silence before Floyd sat up, "I volunteer to squeeze the headmage! I'll do a great job for you, Little Shrimp."

"What? No, he'll expel you." And the eel deflated before latching onto them again like they were some sort of throw pillow. Yuu glanced warily at Azul and Jade, who all of a sudden had their business smiles on.

Azul approached them first, "How about you work for Mostro Lounge?"

"You mean as waitstaff?" Yuu tilted their head. "I already take up shifts most weeks, but-"

"Not work at Mostro Lounge, Yuu-san," Jade said in that ever so polite tone of his. "Work for the Lounge. Like me and Floyd."

"Uhuh...like you and Floyd," Yuu briefly imagined themself fighting students from other dorms and...nope. That's impossible because one spell and they'll be sent straight to heaven. If they even had heaven here.

"Your work wouldn't be too different to what you're doing right now," Azul sat down on the coffee table, minding the papers. "Usually I am in charge of matching up invoices, but since the business has grown it's been getting a bit...much. I can assure you that you'd be paid handsomely." And Yuu felt like they were being dragged into a trap.

"Ooh, Azul's got a great idea! I get to see Little Shrimp every day!" Floyd's gaze turned contemplative. "But it might get boring. But it might not. So let's do it~"

"Plus," And Yuu jumped when they heard Jade's voice beside them, his arm already on Yuu's forearm. "If you're here then maybe we'll get another taste."

Yuu whipped their arm back, "No more biting. I'm serious, one time's enough." And ugh, Yuu really didn't want to get stuck between these two again.

"If I may," Azul spread his arms wide. "We can set up a contract– a work one, now don't look at me like that– and work out the details of that some other time. For now, we just need your affirmation to the deal."

"Maybe you should hire someone more capable?" Yuu couldn't believe that Azul was hiring someone like them for this job. It's not like they were a professional, they've been doing this for two days after all.

"You're more than capable, Yuu-san," Jade gestured at their work. "You've been doing the headmage's work for him. There might not be anyone as capable as you."

"Jade is right. And also, Mostro Lounge doesn't only value capability," Azul held their gaze, and there's something like warmth there. "We also value trust. There's a reason why we haven't hired another working for the internal system all this time." It's because they haven't found someone trustworthy enough. The words were left unspoken but Yuu swallowed hard.

Azul? Trusting them? Even though they were just invoices, nothing like contracts or other sensitive details like funds, it was still...something. A lot more than they thought Azul, and the Leeches by extension, would've been willing to give them. The trio had always seemed to be impenetrable, so why were they suddenly making space for someone like them?

In an instant, there were arms binding theirs, accompanied by Floyd's cheerful voice, "Shrimpy's taking too long. Imma squeeze till you say yes~"

And, well, there goes the touching mood. Azul and Jade look unfazed as if this was part of the plan should they turn away the deal. Which meant that...this was a trap all along. Was that whole spiel about trust real...? Yuu didn't know when they had time to coordinate their attacks like this, they worked too seamlessly for them to notice.

Yuu thumped their head against Floyd's chest, "Coercion. Great. Fine, I'll do it."

There's a short silence before Azul takes their hand, "It's a deal." His voice was uncharacteristically soft and Yuu barely registered the chaste kiss that he gave their knuckles. Then Yuu felt their brain short circuit because what. Azul just kissed their-

"Aha, Shrimpy's face was so funny," Floyd cupped their face, leaning closer. "Hey, will Shrimpy do it again if I kiss on th-"

Yuu scrambled, pressing a hand to the grinning eels' lips, "No kissing! No more kissing! Not now, not ever." They tumbled back-first into Jade, Floyd's weight still insistent on their front.

"My, I am quite offended that Azul got a free pass on that rule," Jade said lightly, though his arms were gripping Yuu's shoulders quite firmly. "What do you think, Floyd?"

"Well...I let Shrimpy work. And Shrimpy let me sleep. But then I bit Shrimpy. And now there's no kiss," Floyd counted on his fingers. "That means that we get to choose what to play next time~"

And oh Seven's above, that sounded like a terrible idea.

Yuu looked over at their potential savior, "Azul-senpai, you-"

"I'm already helping you," Azul said, waving a hand. "As your future boss, I'll handle these last few invoices. You can handle their games for a little more, right?"

"Poor little Yuu-san has no one to help," Jade said in a mocking tone. "Then, as Floyd said, we'll choose what to do next time. For now, you can do what you'd like."

"Mhm! I'm bein' super obedient right now, like one of those Savanaclaw pups," Floyd boasted, still in the process of crushing their ribs with his weight.

And Yuu was tired. These two were too unpredictable, and Azul...Azul was a dick when he chose to be. Which were most times. The exhaustion was clinging to them now, and their body ached, from the biting and the sitting and the working and- everything.

In a small voice, they voiced their request, "Uh, then can I borrow a bed...?"

Jade raised an eyebrow, "Well, that's quite forward of you to ask-"

"N-Not for that kind of bed stuff, ugh," Yuu made sure to pinch the inside of his wrist. They were sure they saw Azul turning red too behind the papers he was reading.

"Ooh, what type of bed stuff then, Little Shrimp?" Floyd sat himself up, sitting on Yuu's lap now. "Pillow fighting? But Azul's banned us because we broke a lot of things last time."

"No, I just...I wanted to take a nap," And their ears burn at the request. "I've...been working all day long and I didn't get any good sleep last night." Maybe it's because it's Jade, Floyd, and Azul, but it seems too silly to ask something like that out loud.

But instead of the teasing response that they expected, Floyd looked sympathetic. He patted their head, "I get that too when my teeth ache too much. 'S annoying."

Jade returned– when did he even leave?– with a pillow in hand, "You can use this couch to lie on. It's a lot more comfortable when we remove the back pillows. Azul uses it to sleep sometimes."

Azul coughed into his hand, "Ah, it's convenient to have a bed in the office, I work late hours, so I had them put it in." And it's kind of...domestic to imagine Azul squeezing onto this couch late at night.

Yuu dragged themself up, watching as Jade detached the big pillows and unfolded a sheet. The sight of something bed-like had the melatonin rushing their brain, and they can feel themself growing hazier and hazier by the minute.

"C'mon, little sleepy Shrimp," Floyd tugged them onto the softness of the couch. "I'll be your blanket for today~" And Yuu couldn't find it in themself to argue as they removed their blazer, flopping into the pillow Jade had laid out. Floyd immediately covered them much like a blanket, folding his limbs around them. Jade was sitting by their head, and there was a gloved hand stroking their hair. Oh, the couch felt like heaven against their skin, and Floyd didn't make that bad of a blanket. And Jade was...comforting... Yuu stifled a yawn.

"Sorry that I'm bothering you guys so much," Yuu found themself mumbling as they grew sleepier.

"No, no," They heard Azul reply. "It has been a rather good day since you've decided to bother us." They were sure Jade had said something, and Floyd had chimed in, but they couldn't hear it anymore. The tide of sleep had already swept them away.

[ omake : octatrio’s new companion ]

"Their heartbeat's real slow," Floyd commented, ear pressed against the Prefect's chest. "I think Little Shrimp's already asleep."

"Shame they didn't hear what we said," Jade chucked, still stroking at their hair. It seemed that they got a haircut since he saw them last, and it looked...quite good on them, he thought.

Azul clicked his tongue, "I can't believe that headmage. Giving them two stacks of these to get done in two days? No wonder they were exhausted." The three were thinking about how Crowley sometimes abused the power he had over their little Ramshackle Prefect, and how they didn't quite like how tired Yuu had been.

"When they wake up, maybe let's play swimming, but in the pool," Floyd said, gently tracing the scar on their arm. "Feel bad for Shrimpy if we go to the Coral Sea all of a sudden."

"You're being really nice, Floyd," Although it was Jade who asked, Azul agreed. Floyd was being really docile around the Prefect at times.

"Well...I like the way Shrimpy talks to me!" Floyd tightened his grip on Yuu. "They don't get mad every two seconds like everyone else. But 's not like they don't ever get mad, 's just they're better than everyone else." An answer that was equal parts genuine and Floyd.

"I noticed that too," Azul said, collecting the papers into a stack. "They seem to treat us without that many reservations. Which is equally foolish and brave."

"It is quite amusing to see them still being occasionally wary," Jade said, smiling down at their sleeping prey. "They choose the best moments."

"Ooh, can we keep 'em longer?" Floyd asked in a bright tone. "Wanna play with them some more~"

The three silently gazed at the sleeping human. The subtle movement of Yuu's chest alerted them that they were alive, and showed just how fragile this person in front of them was. Magicless. There would be no way for them to protect themselves with magic. They would die from the simplest of poisons, too. So...very weak. But that's also what made them all the more worthwhile for the trio. They were quite fond of this magicless and weak creature they had befriended.

"Let's see where this goes," Azul glanced up at the twins. "If everything goes well then maybe we can take them with us to the Coral Sea someday?" And the Leech twins smile something not-so-sinister, the closest they can get to warmth. Azul himself has that grin on his face as he continued to take on the extra work alongside Jade, while Floyd watched over them.

Maybe that little sleeping shrimp would be the one to scale the tall, tall walls that the trio had built around themselves. Maybe they would let Yuu actually see who they were, instead of a mix of the personas they had built to keep themselves safe. But that would be for another time. Today, they were just content watching them peacefully doze.

thank you for reading my octatrio brainrot ! if you'd like to check out more of my work: my ao3 + twst masterlist

if you'd like to be tagged for the sequel, go to this post

Can I Help With Dinner?

Kalim Al-Asim, Yuu

1.9k

~*~*~

“You’re making dinner tonight, right Yuu?”

“Yup. You making a request?”

“Oh, I just wanted to ask if I could help? I wanna try cooking!” He smiles brightly as he asks, but there’s something behind his eyes that almost seems like he’s scared to ask. Like he’s already preparing for a rejection. It’s there, but if you weren’t observant, you’d definitely miss it. 

“Sure. I was planning on making chicken alfredo if you wanna help.”

“Oh! I’ve never had that before! Hahaha!” Somehow, his face lights up even more than usual, if that’s even possible for him. 

He excitedly takes my wrist and pulls me towards the kitchen, evidently very ready to start. “Let’s go! What do we need to do?”

“Geez, Kalim, slow down,” I chuckle, happy to see he was so excited to help cook. “We’ve still got a little time until we have to start. Why don’t we just hang out in the kitchen for a little bit?”

“Oh. That sounds fun! Do you wanna talk about stuff?”

“Sounds good.” I can’t help but give a fond smile at his excitement as we enter the kitchen. “So, anything in particular you wanna talk about?”

“Hmmm…” He stops by one of the counters, leaning against it with his hands on the edge and his fingers drumming against the cabinet doors. “Oh! I wanted to ask you! Do you like cooking? Do you cook often? What about back in your world?”

“Woah, woah, that’s a lot of questions!” I give a chuckle, holding my hands up. “I do like cooking, I’d say I cook a fairly average amount, and back in my world… Well, things were different back then. What about you? I know Jamil cooks for you a lot, but do you ever make your own food?”

He tilts his head slightly as he thinks back. “Not really, no. Jamil and the chefs back home have always cooked my meals. I’ve never really gotten the chance to! Hahah!”

…Never gotten the chance to?

“Well, what we’re making tonight isn’t that difficult. I’ll show you what to do.”

“Thanks! I bet you’re a great teacher, Yuu!”

“I’ll certainly try to be,” I laugh in response. “Just know, I’m no trained chef or anything.”

“That’s okay! The dinners that you make are always amazing, so I’m not worried.”

“Thank you. I’m glad you like my cooking,” I reply with a smile. 

Maybe I should check that we have everything we need…

“Hey! We should get some music going!” Kalim pulls out his phone and starts tapping away as I open the fridge and cabinets to search for ingredients. 

A fun, upbeat song starts playing from his phone, and he starts dancing and singing along. 

I, on the other hand, opt for simply standing off to the side and watching. Though it only seems to last for a few moments before Kalim takes my hand and pulls me towards a more open area of the kitchen, telling me to ‘dance with him’ with a bright smile I can’t seem to refuse. 

I start off with something fairly low-key, just a little bit of movement here and there as I follow along with his moves. Observing him. 

Ever since the events of winter break, I had found myself wanting to learn more about Kalim and Jamil. Right now is a prime opportunity to learn about the former. 

It was obvious that their dynamic wasn’t what either of them thought it was, or wanted it to be. Jamil wanted freedom. To him, their relationship was that of a boss and his employee. Kalim wanted friendship. To him, Jamil was someone who’d been with him for his entire life, and someone who would be there for him for the rest of his life as well. 

I knew a bit about them as a pair, but I didn’t know much about him as an individual. 

Ever since the start of our training camp with Vil, I’d gotten to know him a bit more. He’s relentlessly optimistic, always wanting to see the best in everyone and everything. He loves parties, and he loves seeing others happy. 

But just like pretty much everyone else in this school, he has his fair share of darkness. Of trauma. 

It’s reasonable when you find out that he’s been poisoned, when you realize that every time he and Jamil check for danger that it’s for good reason. When you realize there’s a reason he’s incredibly talented at identifying poisons. 

Every time I learn about him, I find myself more and more curious. 

How could I not be? Everyone I’ve met here is just so…interesting.

At some point, it gets close to the time where dinner had to start. I let Kalim know that we’d be starting soon, and I start heading over to the sink.

“Alright, wash your hands before we start. Food safety.”

“Ok!” He runs up to the sink, that same eternal smile on his face. I can’t help but ask myself how he does it. How does he stay so positive all the time about everything? Despite everything?

“Alright, what’s next?”

“Let’s start getting all of our stuff set out. First off, let’s start with the chicken.”

He rolls up his sleeves, and with a fist pump to get prepared, he replies, “Right!”

“Alright, start by laying them all out like this so we can start seasoning.”

Soon enough, everything is laid out and dinner prep has officially begun. I show him how to season the chicken, and he follows along carefully. Well, as carefully as he can. Unsurprisingly, he gets distracted a few times, but it’s obvious he’s trying. 

For a while, we work in relative silence as I show him how to season the chicken and music plays softly in the background. For a while, I feel pretty confident in letting him do his own thing as I begin on the noodles. 

“Oh. Hahah! I think I put a little too much on there.” 

Welp, I thought that a little too soon. 

I look over, and the entire thing of salt has been dumped on one of the chicken breasts. 

I give a blink, and then another. 

If it was anyone I had expected to be knowledgeable in this, I would probably be mad. 

But…it’s Kalim. 

I can’t help but laugh. A genuine one that would almost be confused with one of Kalim’s if the voice wasn’t different. 

“That’s fine. Let’s just brush as much of it off as we can.”

As I help him fix the chicken breast, I can’t help but realize I hadn’t genuinely laughed like that in…quite a while. Maybe this was a welcome reprieve from everything going on between overblots and being trapped away from my world. 

“Don’t worry, cooking is pretty forgiving. Most of the time you can fix things pretty easily. Besides, we can just make this one yours and load it with spices and stuff. Vil doesn’t have to know,” I finish with another laugh and a wink, which Kalim gives his signature laugh to. 

Once the chicken is fixed and properly seasoned, I return to the noodles to finish the first part of those before moving on to the next step. 

I show him our next step in dinner, and it goes surprisingly smoothly. Kalim is actually cooking. 

I can’t help but smile fondly from beside him as he does his part to make dinner. He’s a bit clumsy with it, dropping the chicken back into the pan while trying to flip it a few times, but overall…

I have to say, I’m proud of him. 

“Kalim? What are you doing in the kitchen with Yuu?”

I turn around to find a shocked Jamil in the entryway to the kitchen staring at Kalim. 

“Oh, I’m helping Yuu make dinner! They’re a really good teacher!”

Kalim barely gets the words out before Jamil starts his war path towards him, clearly aiming to remove him from the kitchen. 

Of course, I won’t be having it. I open a drawer, taking a random utensil out, which happens to be a wooden spoon…

And I smack Jamil on the forehead with it. 

The two boys look on with looks of surprise, Jamil having his mixed with a bit of pain. 

“Kalim is helping me.”

Jamil’s expression changes from surprise to a determined irritation. “Kalim can’t cook. I’ll help you instead. Kalim can–”

“Kalim is doing just fine.” I match his expression, making sure he knows I’m not budging on this. “Kalim will be helping me with dinner tonight. You can relax for tonight, Jamil.”

Jamil’s expression wars with itself as he looks between me and Kalim, clearly debating whether he wants to fight me on this or not. 

“...Like I said, Kalim can’t cook. He’s hardly reliable in the kitchen.” Though the words seem to fight me, the tone moreso says ‘Are you sure you want him to help you?’

Of course, I’m certain. “I’m teaching him, and he’s doing very well.” I narrow my eyes at Jamil ever so slightly, almost in a sort of challenge. “Besides…the only reason he’s ‘unreliable’ is because no one ever lets him learn things. He’s so reliant on everyone around him because no one ever lets him do things for himself. Everyone else does everything for him. He needs opportunities to do things himself.” My expression softens just as subtly as before as I finish with, “And you know…if Kalim learns how to do things on his own, it’ll be less work for you. You’ll have less to worry about if you can be confident that Kalim can do things on his own.

“Go sit down and study or something. We’ve got this; you can relax. If you’re worried about it, I’ll make sure nothing happens.”

Jamil seems to return to that war of ‘fight me or not’, but seems to decide against it. 

He leaves the kitchen, though I’m pretty sure I can still hear him in the next room. Well, I guess I can’t expect him to kill his habits so easily. Well, if it makes him feel better. 

After a little over half an hour, dinner is ready. I call everyone for dinner, making sure portions are to Vil’s standards. After all, I wouldn’t want Vil to say anything about it after Kalim and I had worked so hard on it. 

“Hey, Kalim. Do we wanna tell everyone you helped with dinner right away or do we wanna make it a surprise?” I ask him as everyone starts making their way down the stairs. 

“Ooh! I think making it a surprise would be fun!”

I give an almost sinister laugh in response, completely agreeing with his reasoning. 

Once everyone is gathered in the dining room, I observe everyone to decide when the best time to reveal the surprise is. 

Of course, Kalim is practically bouncing in his seat waiting, Jamil is picking at it as if he’s scared to try it, and Rook has a certain smirk like he knows something’s going on. Well, I can’t say I’m surprised by any of it. 

Welp, might as well.

“So, is everything okay?”

A few sounds of affirmation from a few of them, and a begrudging one from Jamil. 

I can’t help but smile as I’m interrupted by a very excited Kalim. 

“I helped with dinner! We did a really good job on it, didn’t we? Haha!”

- THE CATERING -

All seemed normal in Night Raven College. Well, aside from the fact that it looks like time itself was stopped. Seemingly every student that attended this school remained motionless, stiff in one pose. It was as if they saw a glimpse of Medusa’s eyes and turned into stone. The root of this incident is eerily similar to that premise. But rather than making eye contact with the gorgon, they were caught in the sights of a certain Heartslabyul student.

The survivors called it “The Catering,” obviously named after the student, Cater Diamond. It’s quite a silly goofy title for such a horrifying event. I mean, it is a pun with his name.

This is a pretty long crackfic that was meant to be posted on halloween. I planned it to be a comic, but I had no time for that 🥲 Do let me know what you think!

(Click below for the full crackfic)

Idia Shroud remains to be one of the sole survivors of The Catering, staying hidden in his trademark hiding spot in Sam’s shop. He can’t help but stress over what was happening. It’s bad that the student population was slowly being converted into a dedicated recreation of the mannequin challenge, but it’s worse that the “mega extrovert” Cater Diamond was the source of this. If this was one of the apocalypse comics he read online, then this scenario was an S+ in difficulty.

Currently, Cater’s clones are running rampant throughout campus. Each one of them wielded a phone, seeking to take a photo of their next victim. One by one, these unfortunate students were forced to hold a plate and pose for the camera. Each snap and click lead to their eventual transformation, where they would remain stuck in the pose they were forced to take.

Now, how did this all happen?

It all started when Trey had just finished cooking a bunch of desserts in the Heartslabyul kitchen. Cater offered to serve and deliver the food, saying how he wanted to "cater" and let Trey take a break. Of course, Trey saw no problem with this, finding the idea of Cater doing the catering somewhat a funny concept, and let his buddy handle the food from there on. Thus, Cater invited his first victims in the kitchen, and they were the freshmen duo of the dorm: Ace Trappola and Deuce Spade.

The pair initially thought they'd be able to freely dig in with no cost. But no, Cater was insistent on snapping a few photos to commemorate this fine occasion. All they had to do was hold the plate full of food, smile for the camera, and remain as still as they could. This was so that Cater could snap a picture of the perfect shot. It sounded easy enough, so they were down for the task. Who says no to essentially free food after all?

Though, it became apparent that this simple task was much more difficult than they thought. For one, the plate was quite heavy. Not too heavy that it's hard to lift, but heavy in a sense that it puts a strain on your arms if you carry it for too long. Another thing was that Cater was adamant for that perfect shot.

A few photos turned into a bunch, evident with the clicking noise Cater’s phone made, and there was no sign of stopping at all. The shot had to be absolutely perfect according to Cater. This quick snapshot turned into a full blown photoshoot, which aggravated poor Ace and Deuce. Their smiles grew more weary with each passing photo.

They tried pleading with their upperclassman, yet he didn't seem to snap out of his trance. All Cater would do was snap, snap, snap. Good grief, all they just wanted was free food.

After a myriad of clicks and shots, they felt their muscles no longer cramping in pain. Rather, they felt at ease being in the pose they held for ages. Even the plate felt weightless, as if the food on it had disappeared into thin air. Little did they know that they were now undergoing the process of The Catering.

Cater was eventually satisfied with the shots he took, leading the pair to breathe out a sigh of relief. Except, they can't seem to do that. In a panic, Ace tried to move. No matter how much he tried to make himself move, he just couldn’t budge. It didn't even feel like his joints were glued in place, it was more like he forgot how to move. He tried not to panic, glancing over to Deuce if he was stuck like he was. Sure enough, the blue haired boy also had great difficulty moving a muscle. This was definitely the time to panic.

Deuce tried to call out to Cater, but not being able to move his jaw nor his lips made it somewhat of a challenge. Somehow he could still speak, so he began begging Cater for help. Yet such efforts were unrecognized, as Cater’s eyes were glued on the screen of his phone. A small grin plastered on his face as he basked at the perfect shot of the two. Keeping his eyes on his phone, he bid goodbye to the two, and made his way out of the kitchen, bringing a trolley that contained the rest of Trey’s desserts. Ace’s and Deuce’s screams eventually faded into obscurity, with their throats no longer being able to move like the rest of their bodies.

Following that, Cater managed to photograph the rest of the Heartslabyul dorm. Even the housewarden wasn't safe from The Catering. Apparently, he was believed to be the next victim following Ace and Deuce. Riddle tried to resist Cater, even finding his demands to be quite absurd. This was the first instance of when Cater used his unique magic to achieve his goals. With his clones, they all held on one of Riddle's limbs, having him pose in place for the camera. Riddle was about to use his own unique magic to subdue all the other Caters, but he found himself unable to speak. Not being able to cast his UM, Riddle eventually succumbed to The Catering.

Now, back to the present. Idia somehow survived all of this. Even he was in disbelief, thinking that he should've been cater’d at this point in the story already. Being alive in this stage is a curse for him. He's not swift enough to run away from the other Caters, nor would he be able to fend against them. Plus, the weapon they wielded was more terrifying: a smartphone camera. Idia has always dreaded being photographed, and it didn't help that it was an object of fear for a much worse reason.

Ortho wasn't there to help him. He had distracted the clones and shielded his brother from the Caters just so he wouldn't get photographed. A noble sacrifice indeed, but Idia really wished that he was the one who had to go. He's not fit for this kind of scenario at all, and all Ortho did was delay the inevitable. This was surely a living hell for him.

As if the gods had heard his complaints, Idia sees one of Cater’s clones on the camera feed. This would normally be fine, if it weren't for the fact that this clone was making his way to Sam’s shop. Well shit, ain’t that just unfortunate. He now has to pass the skill check just not to aggro the clone. It'll just be like the horror games he played before-

The clone was standing from a distance, staring right into the depths of his eyes. It’s mouth was curled into this one big smile that unsettled Idia to his core.

“Come out Idia! I gotta t̸̛̛̲̗̩̉̈͗̍̅a̸̖͉̭̩͚̫͛̄͗̈̆̽̋̿͂̂͊͗̈́͜͝k̸͈̝̱̻̬̱̠̺̈́͜ę̷͓͕̰͎̙̙̣̜͚̯̣̭̳͊͗̔̉̓̑͑̐͆̾̚ ̸̩̼̜͐͌́͑̓̀͛͂̔̓͌̾̓͜͝s̴̻̖̒̆̆̾͠o̸̱̜̪̫̜͇̊̌̍̄͌̈́̎̀̾̿̎̽͘ͅͅm̸̧̧̼͉̱͕̻̞̀̈̎̽̕͘͝ͅe̸̮̜͇͔̝̥̯͓̦͍̟̎̎̔̎͐ ̴̢̺̪͔̈p̵̝̀̊̚h̵̭͖͕͎̘͂̇͑̀̔̑̐̍͠o̸̢̟̹͙̭̰̻͐͒͊͊̌ͅt̷̡̧̝̗̪͕̀̔̍̌͆́̽͋̄͆͘ô̶̧͎͚͕̜̖͓͎̞̗͍͌͛́͑͗̔̈́̃̚͜͜ş̸͔̭̣̱͕̄͆̌͒́̓̈́͛͊͋̚͘ for my Magica!” The clone exclaimed cheerily, keeping his eerie smile whilst he spoke,

Idia didn't want to end up like those horror movie protagonists, so he did what he thought was smart; bolt and get the fuck out of there. He would rather die from exhaustion due to running than have a photo of him on the internet.

Based on what others have observed, The Catering comes in a couple of phases. Though, they all can't seem to agree on what they are exactly, nor how many steps there are exactly. The only thing they all have agreed upon is that the moment that Cater gets a hold of you, it’s already too late. So all Idia needed to do was keep running and never look back.

He ran and ran until he finally reached the main building, urging himself to hide in one of the classrooms. The poor guy tried to catch his breath and steady his heart rate. This smart decision of his was a really stupid one, as he now trapped himself in a room with no alternative routes of escape. It didn't help that he definitely aggro’d the clones, meaning they were after his ass now. His chances of survival were now as good as zero.

When he thought the coast was clear, the sudden buzzing of his tablet caused him to jolt. Idia immediately picks it over to put his notifications to damn silent, but immediately stops dead in his tracks. Apparently, Ortho managed to take down the wad of clones that attacked them previously, and now he reunited with the remaining survivors. Idia was overjoyed by this; his brother made it and would now be the savior of this apocalypse! Ortho adds on that he would make an attempt to rejoin his brother. For now, he should sit tight and wait for rescue.

This good news was suddenly met with a bad one; Idia heard Cater’s voice just outside the room he was in.

“Come out, come out wherever you are Idia! I need these photos #ASAP.”

Idia tried his best not to scream nor panic. There was a surge of adrenaline coursing through his body, urging him to do something. Yet he just can't seem to do anything.

Cater tried to open the door between them, but was unable to as Idia remembered to lock the door. However, this factor would lead to his unfortunate end. Cater now knew someone was in there, and it was most likely Idia. With his cleaver from the kitchen, he began hacking away the door that stood between them. Idia now couldn't help but scream as his eyes flooded with tears.

After hacking away a good chunk of the door, Cater peeked into it, glancing over to Idia. The expression he made was far too happy, extremely unfitting for this situation.

“HERE’S CAY-CAY!!!!”

The shrill of Idia's screams echoed throughout the building. Cater slid his arm in through the hole to unlock the door, and Idia remained backed into a corner, only capable of screaming his lungs out. This was it, the bad end of the story. Worst of all, his face covered in sweat, eyes puffy from all the tears, and the snot dripping from his nose would all be captured in the picture, immortalizing his frightened, non-photogenic state on the internet and in real life. What a nightmare it was. GG Idia.