Chapter Text
Ace yawns as he walks down Main Street. Maybe he shouldn’t have stayed up so late last night to plan this stupid ‘study sleepover,’ but whatever. He’s already been scolded by both Sebek and Riddle; no need to kick himself down, too. It wasn’t Ace’s fault anyway. Technically, it was Yuu’s
When Yuu suggested they, Deuce, Ace, and Grim form a ‘study party’ for the upcoming unit exams, Ace didn’t take them seriously at first. After all, when has this group actually studied? Maybe he should have, because one thing led to another, and now the study party is actually happening tonight, and now includes Jack, Epel, Ortho, and Sebek.
Ace still isn’t too sure how Yuu dragged Sebek into it.
To make matters even weirder, it turned into a damn sleepover.
Once again, Ace isn’t too sure how Yuu convinced the housewardens into letting the first years stay the night at the Ramshackle Dorm. He guesses that today being a Friday also helps.
Ace yawns again. The group chat Yuu formed for the sleepover was an explosion of messages last night, as they tried to plan how tonight will go. Some (Sebek and Jack) wanted to keep the night strictly for studying, others (literally everyone else) didn’t want that. So Yuu made a compromise.
After school is let out, everyone will grab their overnight bags from their dorms and head to the Ramshackle Dorm. Then they study for about two to three hours, eating dinner sometime between those hours. Afterwards, it’s basically a free-for-all. Deuce and Ace were bringing card games, Ortho was bringing a game console, and Epel somehow found a bunch of movies cheap at Sam’s.
Before Ace could yawn for the third time, the ringtone he set for their group chat went off. He mentally prepares himself for whatever stupidity is about to unfold.
Chat: Yuu vs Autocorrect
Pinned Message(s) - You: My autocorrect keeps messing up your names, and I keep having to edit them back, send help
You: Yo
You: We should play tag
Ate: what? no thats so childish.
Seek: Agreed
Jack: ^^
Apple: ^^
Juice: ^^
Orthodontist: I think it sounds fun!
You: YOU DIDN’T LET ME FINISH
You: Thank u Ortho
You: Anyway
You: Whoever is ‘it’ by the end of the day has to sleep on the ground tonight
Jack: Is this your way of telling us that you didn’t finish cleaning all the beds for tonight.
You: …
You: …no
Apple: Liar.
You: nuh uh
Ate: say we do play, what would be the rules?
You: Simple
You: There’s a sticky note, if it’s on you or your person by the end of the day, you sleep on the ground.
Ate: add something else to the pot and I’ll consider it.
You: …
You: Whoever is ‘it’ has to go last when it comes to dinner.
Seek: Last as in?
You: I’m setting up dinner buffet style.
You: Whoever is ‘it’ by the end of the day gets to go up last.
Ate: .
Juice: .
Jack: .
Apple: .
Seek: .
Juice: and if we still don’t agree?
You: You guys are sleeping out in the living room and I am feeding Grim before I feed you guys.
Ate: oh wow playing tag sounds so fun!
Orthodontist: Agreed!
Seek: ^^
Jack: ^^
Apple: ^^
Juice: ^^
You: I’m so glad we are all in agreement!
You: Rules are no biting, scratching, lasers, and spells. No interrupting classes either. I don’t want any teachers on my back.
You: Also, no tag backs. Or at least wait 20 minutes before you tag the person back.
Orthodontist: How about 30 minutes?
You: yeah sure.
Jack: Wait, Ortho, why are you in on this? None of this is of any benefit to you
Orthodontist: I Want To Win
Jack: ok
Apple: lmao
Juice: lmao
Ate: Since we are apparently doing this now, who is ‘it’ first?
“Why, it’s you of course Ace~”
Ace barely has any time to react before a hand slams into his back.
“OW? WHAT THE FU-”
“You’re it, Ace!” Yuu cackles as they run away.
Ace scowls. He pulls off whatever the Perfect stuck on his back.
On a sticky note written in Yuu’s handwriting is: This person is it! :P
Ace laughs. It was so on.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = =
None of the first years sat next to each other at breakfast.
Yuu technically hadn’t responded to Ace’s message in the chat, so the other first years aren’t aware of who exactly is ‘it’.
The sticky note burns in Ace’s pocket.
As Ace walks to class, he spots his next target.
“Yooo! Deucy! Didn’t see ya this morning!” Ace waves to Deuce.
“Hm? Ah, yeah. Had practice this morning, I was up at the crack of dawn.”
Ace grins and crosses his arms behind his head. “That sucks!”
Deuce just shrugs. “Wasn’t too bad. I rather run in the morning; it gets too hot in the afternoon.”
“Makes sense,” Ace steps in line with Deuce. “Say, has the prefect said who was ‘it’ yet?”
“Well- no.” Deuce squints. “It’s not you, is it?”
“Of course not! Haven’t seen the prefect the entire morning!” Ace lies as easily as he breathes.
Deuce sighs. “Oh, okay.”
Wow, he is so gullible. Ace almost feels bad.
That’s a lie, actually. He doesn’t feel bad.
As soon as Ace walks into class, he can feel Yuu staring him down. He just grins in return.
“Deuce! Sit next to me! I want to talk about some things before class starts!”
“Huh? Uh..” Deuce hesitates.
“Oh, don’t worry about me tagging you! I already did that to someone earlier.”
“That doesn’t make me feel better, but sure.” Deuce sighs and makes his way next to Yuu. Ace sits next to Deuce. He can barely see Grim sitting on Yuu’s lap.
When Deuce wasn’t looking, Yuu stuck their tongue out at Ace.
Ace responds in kind.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Deuce blinks blearily, barely awake when the ring of the period change bell echoes throughout the classroom. He yawns as he packs his things. As he leans over to pick up his items, Ace pats the back of his shoulder.
“Well, buddy-o! Gotta bolt! Forgot I promised the housewarden I would help him deliver some potion ingredients.”
“Huh?” Deuce glances behind him. “Oh, okay. I’ll see you next period then.”
Ace grins and gives a two-finger salute.
“I-” Yuu snorts. “Have to go too. Grim and I also promised Riddle we’d help.”
“Hah?” Grim scowls. “No, we didn’t-”
Yuu slaps their hand over the direbeast's mouth. “Wow, look at the time! Gotta go!”
Deuce blinks in surprise when Yuu and Ace bolt out of the classroom without him.
That was… weird.
“Uh, Spade?” a voice speaks up from the benches above Deuce. Deuce glances up and raises an eyebrow. Deuce doesn’t know his name, but the yellow vest places which dorm the guy was from.
“I think Trappola, uh, marked ya?”
“Marked-?!” Deuce slaps a hand on the same place Ace did earlier. He pulls off a sticky note on the back of his jacket.
All the sticky note said was: This person is it! :P
“DAMN IT, ACE!”
Deuce can faintly hear the laughter of Yuu and Ace echoing down the halls.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Sevens, Epel is starving.
Epel is careful not to sit next to any of the other first years. He knows Jack isn’t ‘it’ right now, so he was safe in class, but he accidentally let his guard down for a bit and ran into Deuce. Deuce seemed apologetic when they ran into each other, so Epel kinda doubts it's him.
However, it doesn’t hurt to be a bit more on guard.
As Epel is finishing up his lunch, he hears the clicks of Vil’s designer shoes clicking behind him.
“Epel,” Vil sighs. “What is that on your back?”
Epel freezes. He slowly reaches and takes the item off his back.
A stupid little :P taunts Epel back.
Epel crumbles up the paper in his hand. “A declaration of war.”
Vil just sighs. “Just don’t maim anyone or yourself. If you come back with a single scratch, I’m making you organize each of my makeup products by ingredient.”
Epel salutes and runs off.
He already has a plan.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Ortho tilts his head at Epel crouched on the ground.
“Epel Felmier! What are you doing?”
Epel glances up at Ortho. “Ah, was lookin’ at this weird bug. Haven’t seen one of these before, was just curious.”
“Oh?” Ortho gets closer to Epel. “Perhaps I could be of help!”
Ortho leans down.
On the ground is a badly drawn stick bug on a piece of cardboard.
“Huh?” Ortho’s servers don’t have much time to process the drawing when Epel pats him on the chest. Ortho slowly looks down.
A yellow sticky note sits on his chest.
“Oh!” Ortho exclaims excitedly. “It appears I became ‘it’!”
Epel nods. “Sorry, Ortho. No bad feelings?” Epel gives Ortho what Idia calls ‘the saddest puppy eyes in existence.’
“I will exact my revenge eventually!” Ortho cheerfully responds.
Epel gives Ortho a crooked grin. “Wouldn’t have expected any other way.”
The warning bell echoes throughout the courtyard.
“Ah! My class is halfway across campus!” Epel pops up. He waves at Ortho, sprinting away. “See you tonight!”
Ortho waves back. “Bye bye!”
= = = = = = = = = = = = = =
“Jack Howl! Could you help me with something?”
“Huh? Sure. What’s up?”
“I can’t carry this! And it needs to be delivered to Professor Crewel ASAP!”
Jack shrugs. He picks up the box that Ortho pointed to.
“This box is light, you could have carried it yourself-”
“Boop!” Ortho lightly places something on Jack’s forehead.
Jack blinks as Ortho floats away quickly. He sets down the box (which Jack discovers is very empty) and peels the item off his forehead.
This person is it! :P
“Damn.”
= = = = = = = = = = = = = =
“Hey, Deuce.”
“Yeah, Jack?”
“Good job at practice today.” Jack pats Deuce’s shoulder.
“Huh? Oh thanks! You too!”
Jack nods and walks away.
“Mrph?” Grim speaks up. “What’s that Jack put on your shoulder?”
“HUH?!” Deuce rips off the sticky note. “NOT AGAIN.”
Ace and Yuu start cackling.
Their laughs evidently stop when Deuce turns his attention on them with a grin.
Deuce cracks his knuckle. “I’ll be nice and give you guys a few seconds head start.”
“Hah? You don’t scare me-”
“Ace, Deuce is an award-winning track player.”
“Ah.”
Yuu and Ace glance at each other before bolting in two different directions, leaving a poor, confused Grim behind.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Sebek glares at the two bumbling idiots in disdain.
Deuce and Ace are circling the wishing well. Sebek can correctly guess what the two of them were doing. They are playing that stupid tag game the Prefect suggested. However, at this point, he can’t tell which of them is ‘it.’ Sebek is starting to get dizzy just looking at them.
Quiet footsteps come closer to Sebek. “Ah, those two are still going at it,” Yuu sighs. “I hope they realize class starts in a few minutes.”
Sebek sniffs. “Their fault for not paying attention.”
Yuu grins widely. “You are so right, bestie.” Yuu suddenly hits Sebek’s back hard.
Sebek scowls. “I am not your ‘bestie’ and do refrain from hitting me!”
Yuu just grins. “That’s what they all say!” Yuu turns on their heel and starts walking towards their next class. “See you later, Sebek!”
Sebek huffs. He glances back at the two card soldiers still running around in circles.
Fools, all of them.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = =
“Hm? It appears you have something stuck on your shoulder, Sebek.”
“Malleus? Do I have something on my back-?”
…
“HUMAN!”
Sebek can hear Yuu laugh all the way down the hall.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = =
All the first years sit in Yuu’s living room. Their coffee table is completely covered in snacks, crumbs, notes, pens, and textbooks.
Ace is balancing a pen on his nose.
Deuce looks three seconds away from throwing his book.
Jack carefully studies his notes.
Epel is playing a matching game of potion ingredients and their descriptions.
Ortho’s screens glow while he types stuff down.
Sebek is reading his textbook.
Grim snoozes hard on a textbook.
Yuu looks on and smiles.
“Alright, guys! Dinner is almost done! So it’s break time!” Yuu slams their textbook shut.
“Thank the sevens!” Ace throws his pen down.
“Don’t know why you are celebrating.” Jack frowns in a disapproving manner. “You barely studied the entire time.”
“Can’t study on an empty stomach!” Ace grins.
“You ate all the snacks the Prefect offered when we first entered the dorm.” Sebek scowls.
“Doesn’t matter!” Ace smirks. “So, fess up! Which one of you guys is ‘it’?”
Deuce shakes his head. “Not me.”
“Haven’t had it since I gave it to Jack,” Epel responds.
Jack shakes his head. “Gave it to Ace afterwards.”
“Gave it to Ortho afterwards!” Ace crosses his arms behind his head, carefree.
“And I gave it to Sebek Zigvolt afterwards!”
“I handed it to the Prefect after that.”
Every first-year student turns and stares at Yuu.
Yuu grins in return and walks over to the sleeping Grim. They put their hand in the folds of the direbeast’s bow.
Stuck between the fabric is the yellow sticky note.
Protest echoed around the room.
“Hey, that isn’t fair!” Deuce shouts.
“How are we going to decide who's going to be sleeping on the ground now?” Ace scowls.
“Oh, I lied about the mattresses.” Yuu shrugs. “I just wasn’t able to finish cleaning off this morning. I ended up finishing it in the afternoon, though.”
There’s a beat of silence.
“..and the dinner?”
“My table is big enough so you guys won’t crowd it, and there is definitely enough food to feed you guys.” Yuu laughs. “I’ll also keep my promise, though, and let Grim go last.”
Silence once again fills the entire room.
Until-
“Get ‘em, boys.”
Yuu screeches as a barrage of throw pillows flies towards their head.