The Calm Before the Storm
Though Yuu knew what she had to do, the hardest part was showing up the next day. She didn’t want to show up as if she just survived the wringer and a weed wacker to the face. A quick text from Cater notified her that Malleus’s new engagement was circulating around campus, no thanks to Sebek and his large crocodile mouth.
Cater was one of Yuu’s most perceptive friends, they bonded during one of Yuu’s many visits to the Heartslabyul dorms. Both saw through each other’s masks and made genuine friends with each other. Cater knew that Yuu would want the truth, so he did not hesitate to notify Yuu about any potential rumors that could involve her, and he immediately checked in. Yuu swore to tell him more later, but then she asked him for help. For all of Cater’s trend-chasing, he had a great sense of style that wasn’t necessarily just trend-chasing.
Yuu was going to look good today. So good, that no one could think of her as pathetic and unbothered. Yuu was going to have to remain as neutral and unaffected as a rose under the glass. Her fragile heart and pride had to be protected for her sake. She wouldn’t give Malleus, Crowly, and those horrible gossips the satisfaction of seeing her down.
Yuu was fully aware that because of her status as a magicless human from another world, she had to fight harder than anyone. No one else would stand up for her. She had to stand up to every challenge for herself. After all, who was going to help her? Crowley?
The likelihood of Crowley actually helping her without inadvertently screwing her over was as likely as Malleus would see how he royally screwed up. Yuu couldn’t screw this up.
Last night was a wake-up call for Yuu. Yuu who wanted to break away from her own chains managed to trap herself in them. She wasn’t playing her own game but was an expendable pawn in the games of fools full of hubris and megalomania that made up their entire core. Yuu knew that she could play this game to make those card houses collapse under her tormentors.
She knew that if this got out, her friends, excluding Sebek would be on her side. She knew that in a chance of conflict, society, and the political realm would favor her. This was information supplied by Corvina. Corvina explained the stigma against fae relationships. In the worst-case scenario, Yuu could take to the media and cause a hailstorm. But Yuu knew that she would avoid going public as long as humanely possible. She had Corvina as a loyal servant, a fact that still seemed surreal, but this meant that she had at least one dependable pawn.
Corvina was a pawn she would promote to her Queen and right hand. Yuu was a King, trapped by her own limitations, she could barely move to defend herself. But the queen, the queen was an unbound menace. A Queen was a tank, it was the deadliest blade and the sturdiest shield. It was through the hands of the Queen that the King would survive and thrive. But it was the King who made the plans.
After Yuu made a bargain, it was as if a weight fell off her shoulders. She could trust Corvina. And in the process, she discovered some fascinating secrets of her new guardian/servant. Corvina was probably the only person who could compete with Crowley in political court despite not being a central player in court politics. A disgraced princess is still better than a disgraced familiar any day. Even if the princess’ in question lost all of her luster during conflicts past. Last night, was enlightening for Yuu, and now she had a clear line of action.
Her main course of action was to hit Crowley back with everything he tried to break her with. He wanted to play with her feelings when she was vulnerable, then Yuu would play with his feelings and successfully break them. Hey, Yuu wasn’t Crowley, she was no failure.
She was planning a back-ops operation. Crowley would be gloating and expecting Corvina to crawl back to him. While Corvina would never give him the time of day, not from pride or anything, Corvina just couldn’t care less. Corvina was a prize and Yuu would dangle her in front of Crowley while crushing him in his own chains and limitations. There were so many things that Corvina could do that Crowley could not, there were places where he could not follow without her explicit permission, and that would be his undoing.
Yuu also wanted the best for Corvina, the giant fae deserved some peace and love in her life after what she survived. Yuu wanted to help her by acting as an invisible hand and give Corvina a reward for her genuine help and kindness. But Corvina entering a relationship would put the much-needed oil on the gears of Yuu’s adoption. Corvina will be happy and Yuu will be happy. Not Crowley though, Crowley will be a stain on a wall.
Yuu managed to take her time that morning. Since all eyes were going to be on her she might as well make it her moment. She sent Grim ahead and told him to rally most of her first-year friends, Rook, Cater, Jade, and Idia. She would need their help and she knew that they were the ones who would definitely give her support.
Yuu finally managed to put to use Vil’s extensive and custom skin and hair routine that she never prioritized. She asked Corvina for help in glamorizing herself to the max and Corvina did deliver. Centuries of partying it up and gorgeous dresses never fully left her memory, and together with Cater’s influence, they managed to style Yuu into the best version of herself.
After the magic of Cater and Corvina, Yuu felt reborn and she was ready to do her damned best to wipe the smirk off of those bastards’ faces. Yuu was wearing magical fae fabric that was as iridescent as Corvina’s hair and in a cut chosen by Cater. Based on the style, it could even pass for a school uniform, but a significantly glammed-up one as well.
Yuu was ready. It should have been time soon, so Yuu began the trek to the main castle of Night Raven College. She didn’t want to be seen quite yet, so she stuck to the shadows as she had done in the past. She slowly but surely prowled along, taking her time as she waited for the majority of the student body would make it to the cafeteria for lunch. It would be than where she would make her entrance. At this point it didn’t matter if Malleus and Crowley were there, the only thing that mattered was showing her true strength.
Yuu heard the buzz from the cafeteria reaching its Apex it was time. Yuu took a deep breath and took time to steady her nerves. She needed to be harder and colder than steel.
Yuu loudly pushed open the heavy wooden doors. She stopped for a minute and let all eyes turn to her. The rowdiness of the cafeteria died in a second. All eyes turned to Yuu as if their eyes were a compass needle and Yuu was the North. The game was set.
Yuu turned and looked cooly around the room. Of course, her fellow first-year friends were at their usual table. It was then that Yuu strut over to them, with all of the grace of a majestic swan. Her poise matched that of Vil and Leona, and Epel was visibly panicking.
Yuu smirked at Epel’s squirming and continued her walk to the end. She then swept back her train-like tailcoat and sat for the grand finale.
Yuu was amused at the faces of her friends. Epel was panicking, he probably thought that Vil had got to her first; Ace was barely hiding his shock, his mouth was hanging open and his eyes full of blatant disbelief; Deuce was surprised too, his mouth was agape but there was pure wonder in his eyes; Ortho made a few cheerful static noises in quick succession and stared with wonder next to Deuce; Jack looked at her with pride in his eyes, and he inclined his head to her, Yuu could see he was quickly wagging his tail.
“WOOAH! YUU-CHAN!” Yuu knew that upbeat voice anywhere, “YOU LOOK SO PRETTY! I mean you always look pretty but there’s something different today!” You could always count on Kalim to raise your mood. He was practically exuding sparkles.
From behind him, a less animated voice cut through, “He’s right Yuu, you look radiant,” Jamil said knowingly and tactfully.
“OOOH! OOOH! Is there something going on today? What’s the occasion-?!” Kalim tried to ask before Jamil instinctively covered his mouth with his hand, he smiled nervously and Yuu and was about to apologize but Yuu beat him to it.
“I finally got rid of some trash and baggage. I can assure you it was high time I started taking care of myself more. Call it a celebration, a celebration of freedom!” Yuu said this a bit louder than necessary but Kalim didn’t mind.
“I’m so happy for you Yuu-chan! I hope you feel better without whatever was holding you back!” Kalim exclaimed cheerfully.
“I’m happy too, but the hardest part is yet to come. Jamil, Kalim, can I count on you to be there for me when that time comes?”
“Of course! You can always count on me Yuu-chan!”
“I’ll be there.”
“Thank you both, I’ll text you the details later.”
Yuu sat down once again, and she sent a group text to Kalim, Jamil, Ace, Deuce, Epel, Jack, and Ortho. She would start small but she wanted to tell them what had happened. Her friends deserved to hear the truth from the source, but she couldn’t tell them anything where Crowley and Maellus’s eyes were. She had to tell them in Ramshackle. Yuu sent out a quick invitation and she saw everyone at the table read it and nod. The plan was set, the rest was in Corvina’s hands.
Yuu spent the lunch in relative peace, well as much peace as one could be in when they are being observed by an entire room full of students. But this was all part of the plan, and this was nothing when compared to the pain that she’ll have to process later. Right now all she has to do is sit still and look pretty and wait, as the heads will fall before her.
Some distance away but not in the same room, Corvina was in the teacher’s lounge packing up her things. It was Mozus Trein who approached her first.
“Lady Corvina, is everything all right with your ward?”
“Certainly Sir, Yuu was feeling a bit off this morning but I advised her to sleep it off and then attend her classes, I’m sorry it was your class that she missed.”
“I understand, but that is not my main concern. I have heard plenty of students whispering today, as much as they do before a storm breaks, in the social sense. And do you know what they all were discussing, my Lady?”
“No good sir, but I’m sure you will enlighten me shortly,”
“They were discussing your ward, they were focusing on her and tearing her apart. It was as if she was part of a royal scandal. As her instructor, I am coming to you so you are aware of any potential harassment. If there is any harassment then we must make sure to end it swiftly”
“Sir Trein, you truly are kind. But I am already aware of those rumors. And of their content, I cannot safely disclose here, If you were to meet me later in the Veridian Teahouse, by the village gardens, I will explain in more detail.”
“It will be done, I trust we shall meet after all our classes are completed?”
“Yes, nocturnal I may be but I will not force you out too late. And if you could, could you please bring Divus and Sam? I fear that their services will be necessary as well?”
“It will be done, but I hope your explanation will be worth the effort,”
“Don’t worry about my tales, you should know better than most that a Fae’s tale never disappoints…but enough now we both have classes to teach. I shall see you again at the appointed time.”
“See you then your Ladyship.”
Corvina stepped onwards and walked to her next class in the observation tower. Corvina taught Arcane magics and Astrogology, so she worked closely with the head of the Science department, Divus Crewel in coordinating resources, but their relationship was strictly platonic, Divus Crewel would never notice someone who couldn’t care less about appearances. However, it was in Mozus Trein who she found a bosom friend. They would come together and discuss a variety of happenings on Sage Island. They acted like two gossiping school girls, but she trusted him to be loyal to her cause for the same reason she felt Divus would. They were both fathers to Yuu. Despite what Crowley claimed he was in no way a paternal figure for Yuu, but those two always went out of their way to help the magicless student all alone in their world.
Sam too was much the same. He was as shrewd with profit as Azul, yet if he would give Yuu things for free or for cheap if Yuu insisted to pay, or if he would let her work in his shop when he had no need for employees without the New Years Rush, Corvina wouldn’t say anything.
Taking down a corrupt and useless crow would not be a one-hit job. She needed allies to help finish him. And who better to ask than her colleagues who shared her sentiments and her loyalties. Corvina knew that she wasn’t who she used to be, that she lost a great deal of political power after receding from public life, but she knew she still had the strength to make her enemies kneel. And this was a war, and Corvina never lost.
Corvina stepped out of her class and into the astronomy tower, this advanced course was offered to a select few, and since this class involved a lot of trekking around campus and a strong willingness to learn, years did not matter here. Who else to end up in the class than a Leech brother and the infamous hunter.
Jade Leech and Rook Hunt were bosom friends, and though their friendship was a surprise to most, the student body quickly realized that seeing the two of them together was a death sentence. The two of them were avoided as one would avoid a beast’s den. But even these two prideful beasts were afraid of one, and only one. Only one being could turn those ferocious and persistent creatures into submission. And that was Corvina.
This was why people couldn’t understand what Yuu saw in the fear-inducing fae. Only Yuu could approach her. The most fearless on campus, Jade and Rook would tremble like newborn lambs and avoid eye contact. It was easy to not look into Corvina’s eyes, she was taller than them both after all. But even a merperson like Jade found Corvina’s eyes to be unnerving.
Corvina was no fool. She knew the effect she had on others. And she would be lying to say that she didn’t enjoy it. Corvina knew that a deep and primal part of her needed this fear to maintain her own confidence in her strength, she knew that fear could control, and her appearance granted her the ability to do what she pleaded. Corvina knew that both Jade and Rook would be useful to Yuu’s scheme to take down Crowley. Corvina also wanted Yuu to take down Malleus who was fool enough to break her. But Yuu could not successfully plan regarding herself, which is why Corvina received explicit permission to act as she wanted in this situation. This plan was Corvina’s to scheme.
“Jade Leech and Rook Hunt please speak to me after class.” Corvina’s voice cut through the chatter of working students. Jade and Rook paled but after class they still obeyed.
“I apologize for taking your time students, but I have a request today Yuu will be meeting with a group of people and I wish for you to join. Tell Yuu that I sent her tools to use to even out her heart’s score. Make sure she knows that I am referring to the direct and first offender. That is all.”
The two boys quickly nodded their agreement and left. No one would dare disobey an order from the shadow professor herself.
Corvina sat back and sighed. The game was set and it was up to the game master to win. Corvina had fulfilled the first part of her mission.