Dancing upon the Twisted Mirrors

Chapter 5

TW: None

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Xiao's shoulders jolt as his arm is yanked towards the redhead in a gloved grip. The adeptus scowls from the touch but let's the grey eyes dart across his own gloved hand at the sight of the human's panic. He looks down at his hand to see singed leather still smoking and sizzling. The palm area was torn away by the monster's sharp teeth. Underneath it all, the skin was relatively undamaged compared to the poor glove. Though, blood still wells up from the shallow cuts that decorated his hand.

"What were you thinking?!" the flushed housewarden screeched in bewilderment, gawking at the fortunate lack of severe wounds. His voice cracks, "disregarding your own safety and rushing recklessly?!"

"It's nothing that I couldn't handle, worry for yourself." Xiao wrenches his hand away from the other and barely holds back a growl that rumbles in his chest.

Riddle gives a frustrated glare and opens his mouth to retort back until a hand is laid on his shoulder. He whips his head with intention to lecture the person behind him but stops at the familiar face framed with glasses.

"Housewarden, please." Trey soothes the raised hackles on the shorter boy. Riddle blinks at the understanding and comforting expression as he's gently led away from Xiao. Trey throws an apologizing look back when his housewarden's attention is on something else.

Xiao sighs through his nose and turns his own attention back to the situation at hand. Indifference quickly makes itself known on his face as he watches the unwanted show happening in front of him.

Leona was dangling the collared cat above his face with an open mouth, pretending that he was going to eat the squirming cat. Grim bunny kicks his paws out frantically, only managing to brush Leona's face a few times out of his numerous attempts. A hyena boy on Leona's side held his sides in pain, unable to stop cackling at the display. The headmage watching was lecturing about not playing with food.

Xiao's gaze slides to Yuu, who was happily conversing with the sunshine boy he just helped with putting the fire that clung to his bottom out for. Xiao's raises an eyebrow when hears a mention of parties.

Xiao glances at the the rest of the housewardens who were bantering with each other, the floating tablet was the only one who was eerily quiet.

Xiao looks at the door, regretting on presumingly dying. He could feel himself growing more tired of every second here as he tuned out the noises around him. The mortals he spent so much time avoiding were unavoidable now, and he has no choice but to get used to it. He finds himself lost on what to do now around so many of them without Morax's guiding hand.

Xiao doesn't know if he can survive like this.

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"This place fucking sucks." Yuu deadpans, unamused at headmage's definition of charming. Xiao can't help but agree with him, giving a slight nod.

The place they were suppose to stay at until Yuu can go home was barely standing by itself. Yuu and Xiao had a sneaking suspicion that the outside was better than the inside. The greenery was a dull brown to compliment the gnarled trees being husks of it's former selves. The path to the wreck of a home was cracked and in between them riddled with roots the same dull brown. The fence and gate, although in better shape than the aforementioned nature, were uneven with bent metal. The caked on rust and maps of unused spider webs screamed neglect. The two fogged up lanterns that stood on the mossy pillars of the gate gave no indication of ever greeting a person with light ever again.

The house itself was worse, the eave in front of the entrance was threatening to collapse on top of them any moment. Xiao's  nose scrunches at the heavy odor of rot that emits the air from it. The window and door frames emit the same rotten smell with varying degrees of decay, and some of the windows were riddled with cracks. The moldy little stained porch next to the front door groaned and squeaked with every slight motion on it. Flowerbeds lined with stones were unsurprisingly desolate.

"To be fair, I don't remember it being this charming." Crowley shamelessly defended himself as he struggled with the jammed doorknob, using his weight in an attempt to assist the door with opening. He yelps as the door almost slams into his face as it suddenly opens with ease. He gestures the duo inside with his claws, "Well, go on, it'll protect you from the rain."

Yuu raises an eyebrow in confusion, "But.. it's not raining-" He immediately is interrupted with a clap of thunder and the sudden onslaught of pouring rain. Crowley smiles as he watches them hurriedly scramble inside their new lodging.

Crowley clears his throat loudly to catch their attention before speaking again, "Now, then, I shall go and fetch you two dinner for I am most gracio-"

Xiao slams the squeaky hinged door in his masked face, secretly gaining satisfaction in the way he can hear a muffled squawk from the other side. Yuu can't help but snort at the sound and quickly covers his mouth to hide it.