Today is the day of the May Festival. At three in the afternoon, The students began pouring out of the Thousand Leaves Dormitory. The search was to begin at three o'clock, and everyone was eager to be the first one out. Sol giggled with delight as we all watched the students psych themselves up for the hunt. "It looks like 'Woo with Oeuf' was a big success," she said.
"Look at them run," Luna pointed out with a bit distaste in her voice. "It's unseemly."
"The May Festival only comes once a year," Sol said. "Let them have their fun."
"Very well," Luna yielded with a smile. It didn't seem like she was bothered by them running in the first place. Why even say it in the first place? There are a lot of things that have confused me since coming to Vinceness. One of those things was the fact that nobody ran. Ever. They obviously didn't run in the halls, but they didn't run outside, either. They always walked at a leisurely pace. It was a very curious sight that drastically differed from what I was used to. This was the first time I've seen people running outside of gym class who weren't running from me. It's nice that they're having fun.
"Although I don't think running will change the results..." Rosalia commented. "They don't know where they are, after all."
"Now, I wouldn't be so sure about that," Sapphire told her. Her words caught Rosalia's interest. "From my own observations, it seemed that a lot of people had spied upon the person they were after. Unlike asking the person, that was not against the rules. I believe that is why it has become a race."
"Th-That's true!" Matilda made her opinion known. I wonder why that is I think sarcastically.
"Ah? Right..." Sapphire was bewildered by Matilda's sudden outburst, but turned to me anyway. "Seraph, did you feel any eager eyes upon you yesterday?"
"No." I straight up lie to their faces. Surprisingly, none of them suspect a thing. My poker face must be something else.
"Hmm," Chloe raised an eyebrow at me. She had her arms crossed and had her head tilted back as she eyed me suspiciously. I think she may know I'm lying. "Yeah. Well, I'd hate to see you end up a wallflower, so I'll try to track it down. Later." Chloe turned around and hurriedly left. What the fuck was that, though? Does she know I'm lying? What was with her attitude just now?
"A-As will I," Sol said right after Chloe left. "As the person who brought you here, I feel some responsibility. Salutations." Then she hurried off in the other direction.
"I believe I will join them," Sapphire says, seeing the two of them leave. "I do want to make you my first, Seraph."
"Phrasing, Sapphire," I tell her as she strolls off.
"...Popularity is a fine thing, Seraph, but try not to disrupt Vinceness' public morality." Luna gave me a stern warning as she left to join the hunt.
"I believe I will try to find one myself. Salutations," Rosalia said, taking her leave.
And thus, there were two. Me and Matilda. Matilda and I. I thought she would've left right away, but she remained. She was just kind of standing there, menacingly. I wonder what she wanted - oh wait, no I fucking don't! I already know what she wanted because I know everything. I woke up on Monday and haven't slept since, so I decide to just go for a walk to ward off sleepiness.
Before I do, I pick up a green egg that I caught a glimpse of as soon as I left the dorms. It was hidden in the underbrush right next to the entrance, where it blended in with its surroundings. I was a little reluctant to have to dance with a stranger, but I promised myself when I came here that I'd change. I can't just run away from everything I don't like. And besides, it's only a dance that would involve some hand holding. It would be uncomfortable and I'm pretty sure I'd hate it and I'm already regretting it why do I do this to myself fuck my life, but people can only grow by overcoming their past selves. Likewise, I can only change by overcoming my past trauma. Today, no matter how much I hate doing it, I'll be taking the first step to self improvement. That's also why I hid my egg for Matilda to find instead of throwing it on a roof like I was originally planning to do. Self improvement = suffering. No pain no gain, you know?
On a somewhat related note, I hid my egg in the tallest cherry blossom tree there was. 'Why not hide it somewhere so Matilda can get it easily? Don't you want her to find it?' I hear you complain. There's a very simple reason as to why I made the egg hard to get. It's because I am a shitty person. I wanted to watch and laugh as she struggled to climb a tree. If I'm going to be putting myself in situations that can easily trigger me, I want to have a good laugh first. I deserve that much. Wandering about Matilda's progress, I headed to the big cherry tree. Once I could see it, I sat down in the shade of another tree and observed. Matilda was already there, scrambling up the tree with great difficulty. It was a very humorous sight. She didn't look very adept at climbing. It was obvious she was struggling, even from a distance. I can't help but lightly laugh at her. God, I'm such an asshole.
Watching her climb with great difficulty was hilarious, but it also made me respect her. It was amazing how far she was willing to push herself for this egg. I may be chuckling, but I'm silently cheering her on. After a great effort, she made it up to the branch and secured my egg. Her tenacity brings a tear to my eye, and I quietly applaud her splendid effort. I've seen enough. I'm satisfied. I stood up to leave, but... Matilda was looking down at the ground. In fear. I don't think she'll be able to get down from there. I almost piss myself laughing at the sight of her. I start to approach, remaining in her blind spot, just in case I'm mistaken. But I'm not. She's violently trembling. She let out a small cry while looking down at the ground below. This turned out better than I could have ever hoped.
"Miss Matilda..." I make my entrance and calmly call out to her, stifling my laughter. "Can you get down from there?"
As soon as she saw me, she started making little puppy squeals while quivering. After a few moments of silent whining, she shook her head vehemently. "I-I-I am quite afraid of heights..." She looked down at the ground, but that only made dizzier. "Ahh..." She little out a little wail with tears in her eyes.
"Just wait up there," I order her. I'll get a teacher to get a ladder." I turned to leave.
"N-No, please don't go!" Matilda cried, clinging to the branch she was hanging on for dear life. "I'm afraid! Every time I look at the ground, I feel the strength start draining from my body."
"Then don't look at the ground."
"I-I'm too scared! I can't!"
Well, well, well. If it isn't the consequences of my own actions. Now I have to look after this crying pup stuck in a tree.
"Did you want me to catch you, then?" I ask her.
Matilda looked down at me, bewildered by my offer. "Y-Y-You can't be serious..." she uttered. She gripped tighter to the branch and her face drained of color.
"Well... did you want me to come up there and bring you down?" I offer.
"YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS!" She yelled. The branch she was hugging wasn't very large, and I heard a slight cracking sound as she squirmed.
"Well you need to hurry and get down from there somehow," I rush her in my calmest voice. She just shook her head. It was a small action, but the branch couldn't handle it. The branch snapped. Matilda fell.
Oh fuck.
This isn't actually a dangerous situation for her, since I can catch her easily. This situation sucks for me. The problem is, I stood too far back from the tree to catch her easily. I had to rush to catch her, but if I did that, my height would be a detriment in this scenario. If I put my arms out to catch her while I was standing, she would have already fallen below my arms. This is why this situations sucks for me. If I wanted to catch her, I'd have to rush and shorten my height at the same time, if that even makes sense. That meant I had to either dive or slide on my knees - and I am NOT diving onto concrete. That is dumb. So I had to slide in.
As soon as the branch broke and Matilda fell, I ran three steps and pushed on the third, using that momentum to throw myself onto my knees and slide under Matilda. Her fragile little body landed safely and comfortably in my arms. But I am NOT okay. I don't know if you've skinned your knees across concrete before, but that shit burns.
"Fffffffffuck." Unable to endure the pain, I closed my eyes and quietly cursed through my gritted teeth. It's wrong to swear in front of a child, so I didn't want her to hear it. I could feel the blood oozing from my knees start to stick my flesh to my pants. That's gonna suck when I take off my pants to treat the abrasion later. This is what I get for being an asshole. Karma worked fast to give me what I deserved. All right, that's enough about me. I look down at Matilda, who I had cradled in my arms, like a bridal carry. "You good?" I ask, just to make sure.
"Ah..." She didn't say anything. She just made a noise and stared at my face. It was really creepy.
"Nice work, Seraph," Tabby praised me out of nowhere. I've gotten used to he popping out of the void. Tabby gave a slow clap as she approached me. "I've been watching the whole time," she said. "I could tell Chérie Poupée1'Darling Doll.' One of Matilda's titles.was up to something weird."
"...And you didn't get help?" I ask her incredulously.
"If it was just me here, I would have. But I trusted you."
"That is no a valid excuse," I plainly tell her.
"Sure, fine," Tabby admitted. "But I got a great shot of you catching her. So it all works out, right?"
"No. It doesn't." I tell her firmly, but she ignored my words.
"Is that an Easter egg?" She asked herself, kneeling down and picking up an egg from the ground. "Ahhh." The ever observant Tabby gave a light nod. It seems like she understands the full situation like I do. "Chérie Poupée is always chasing after her beloved Amie, so this must be Belle Épine's.2'Beautiful Thorn.' Rosalia's title.Let's see." I don't know how, but Tabby came to the wrong conclusion. She took off the top half of the egg and read the piece of paper. "...Hmm? 'Seraph...' UEWHEAH?!" Tabby let out a weird noise. I don't even know how to describe it. She began to frantically look between me and the piece of paper. "This... he, Seph, this is your egg!"
"Oh wow I had no idea," I say sarcastically.
"Wow," Tabby uttered. "Oh wow wow. Wow..." Tabby stared at Matilda in disbelief. Matilda shrunk even smaller in my arms, but she was still creepily staring at me, wide eyed. Tabby placed her chin in between her thumb and index finger. That meant she was in thought. "I knew something was odd when I saw you climbing that tree," she spoke aloud. "After all, there's no one here who could hide it some place like that. But you were moving like you knew something was there. I started to wonder if Rosalia was more eccentric than I thought... So it was Seraph... that makes a lot of sense. Climbing trees is kind of a boy thing. And it wasn't by chance, either. Matilda was sure that you're egg was up there... Hmm..." Tabby closed her eyes and lightly nodded. Then she burst and ran off yelling. "THIS IS A SCOOP! A HUGE SCOOP!"
"Huh..." I mutter, seeing her run off into the distance. I look back down at Matilda. Since I was holding her in my arms, her face was uncomfortably close to mine. She stared straight straight into my eyes with her dilated pupils. That's a classic case of mydriasis. She didn't hit her head, so it couldn't be a concussion, and I doubt she has a drug dependency. Why the mydriasis? Whatever, she's fine. "Can you stop staring at me?" I ask her.
"Ah... huh?" She seemed really out of it.
"I said," I repeat myself, louder and clearer. "Could you stop staring at me? It's creepy!"
Then Matilda turned bright red and squealed. Then she screamed. "AAAAHHHHHHH!!" She clawed wildly at my face and freed herself from my clutches.
"Yeah, you're welcome," I say, as she fled at top speeds.
"Ughhh... what's the matter with me?!" Matilda fretted over the previous events in private after she ran away from Seraph. The moment she was caught kept playing in her mind. Her face was pressed so close to his. She felt her chest tighten like it never had before as she was held in his arms. They were so big and hot, and her knees buckled when she was wrapped in his comforting embrace. She felt her face flush as she remembered how his warm, rough hands gently held her tiny body to his chest. And those words Seraph said to her made her even more frazzled when she remembered them. 'Are you unharmed, my lady?' is what she heard him say in a smooth, deep voice. Obviously, Seraph would never say anything of the sort, but Matilda's mind ran rampant in that moment, and it only heard what she subconsciously wanted to hear. "Hahhh... what is it?" Matilda agonized. "I've never felt this way before... What is it?" As she racked her brains, she came up the answer. The obvious answer.
"This must be the sorcery of the Serpent Séduisant!" She concluded. What else could it be?
Welp. There goes another one.
Thanks for the chapter, it was a great chapter.
Thanks for the chapter.