Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It all started with a dream. Rouxls wasn't sure what was going on, or why he was standing in an empty void. He had to assume this is how unconsciousness looked. Perhaps, after a long day of getting the short end of the stick, not even his dreams could be bothered to work. Figures. But Rouxls couldn't complain too much because, despite how lazy his dream mind was being right now, there was still something in this void with him. He couldn't quite make out the form, as it would always move away from him if he dared to look too hard. But something was indeed there, his mind told him so. Still, the last thing Rouxls had expected was a voice to come from the whatever-the-hell it was.

"YOU ARE A STRANGE MAN, SIR KAARD."

"I'm sorrie..? Who art thou?"

"IT MATTERS NOT WHO I AM. NOT NOW, AT LEAST. JUST KNOW THAT I HAVE AN OFFER FOR YOU."

Rouxls, like any other rational person, decides that this is all just a strange dream. So, he lets the conversation play out. He'd likely not remember any of this anyway.

"Yeseth, let's heareth thoust's 'deal.'"

"IT'S SIMPLE, REALLY. I WILL HELP YOU GET THE ONE THING YOU WANT MOST: ATTENTION."

It wasn't strange for his own mind to know what he truly wanted, right?

"And what dost thou gaineth in return?"

"I WILL BE GAINING FOR INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR WORLD THROUGH YOUR EYES. JUST FOLLOW MY INSTRUCTIONS AND ALL WILL BE FINE."

.

.

.

To be honest, Rouxls couldn't remember whether or not he agreed to the deal. One second, he was in sleepytime land, and the next he was inside his bed at "home." He stretches away the last memories of his fading dream. There was no time to be thinking about strange dream deals. It was time to prepare for a 

long day

of monotony.

It mattered not what Rouxl's day had in store for him. He had been getting up at 6AM sharp for the last six years of his life, he wasn't going to stop now. The early bird gets the worm, after all. And what did Rouxls like more than insects?

Rouxls thinks over the answer to that question as he takes it his early morning cold shower. Not only did it wake him up even further, it also helped to keep his slime body in pristine and solid shape! 

On his way back from the community showers, Rouxls had managed to catch another early bird: Ralsei. Of course the prince of the dark was up this early. With a whole town under his control, it was important for the goat prince to make the most out of his day. Rouxls, with his towels and other bathing items still in hand, pauses his morning routine just to watch the prince. He seemed to be carrying something of his own. But before Rouxls could get a good look, the two made eye contact and Ralsei picked up his pace. 

Rouxls scoffed. So Ralsei wasn't a morning person, after all. If he was, he would've at least greeted Rouxls. Or perhaps it was because he was only in a robe. Only the Knight would know!

The rest of the day went smoothly, if not slowly. After getting ready for the day, Rouxls travelled the scenic route towards his new and improved Hip Shop. With his homeland now gone, he needed a new place to work. This new place happened to be right outside the castle in Castle Town. It wasn't officially a store or anything, as it was as legit as a lemonade stand, but perhaps Rouxls would be able to amass funds from it. Unfortunately for him, Rouxls didn't get many customers at all. It turned out that his eccentric personality repelled others away when they got to know him. Who knew? He had only gotten two people to visit his shop, and only one of them was a customer. The first was Lancer, who came to tell Rouxls about how he was going to attend "king lessons" with a tutor. This tutor was, interestingly, Ralsei. Rouxls wasn't sure what made him an expert, seeing as he hadn't heard of Castle Town until he was forced to live there. But Rouxls was barely fit to be a babysitter, much less a mentor. In a way, he was relived someone more royal-like was taking up the job. 

The only customer of the day was Ralsei.

"Ah, Mister Rouxls! I didn't think you would build a new shop," the goat glances at the gates of the castle," especially right next to the entrance."

Rouxls barks out a laugh.

"Of courseth I'd builde my Shoppe right nexte to the entrance! That's where the most foote traffick is!"

Rouxls truly was a genius. Only one as great as him would think to put a store right where most people passed by. So many darkners did. And yet, not one would buy from or even greet him at the shop. At least Ralsei ended up buying a dark candy out of pity.

It didn't matter how many people went by! He needed the attention of none of them. What he truly needed was a ruler to tell him what to do. Then he wouldn't be idling his time doing nothing at all.

A great man like Rouxls shouldn't be spending his days like this! But then, what should he be doing? All of his previous duties were being taken care of by others. His own king was now imprisoned, leaving him guideless. As is, he was just a useless kaard in a deck...

Rouxls physically shook his head to figuratively shake away his more negative thoughts. It would do him no good to mope. Rouxls raises himself from his little shop. Perhaps a walk would give him the inspiration for a new game plan. Or maybe it would just be something to do.

.

.

.

The walk ends up being much longer than Rouxls originally planned. The man had been walking around aimlessly for hours. He wove in and out of houses and buildings, staring at the ground. By the time he came to his senses, it was about time for him to go to bed. And about time for him to eat too. In fact, it was a sudden pang of hunger that snapped him out of his daze. The former duke put a hand to his stomach, wincing, before looking around. He wasn't sure where he was at all. It was dark, because of course it was, but there was also no buildings. There were only trees, and not trees that Rouxls recognized either. These ones were white and looked half dead. Their wispy leaves were in bundles on the ground. They might not have been trees at all, for they were sort of short. Not that it really mattered, as none of these details would help Rouxls get home. Though, he just had to go the way he came. But, he wasn't quite sure where that was, either.

Rouxls could feel himself melt a little under the worry.

Maybe facing the opposite direction would help?

He turns on his heel, only to find that he remembered doing that just a few moments earlier.

Oh no.

Ah, wait. Rouxls lightly smacks his head because of his major oversight. He wasn't to be trapped in the middle of nowhere forever. He could teleport! He wasn't very good at it, nor did he know his limits. But the only places he could go to were places he was very familiar with. If he knew where he was, he could properly go home and rest. Which he clearly needed, since he had forgotten the one skill of his that he could pride himself on. Er, one skill of many. Rouxls allows his relief to solidify his body once more before readying the spell. It always took a lot out of him, but it would be worth it when he'd finally be able to relax. Within the next minute or so, Rouxls finds himself engulfed in the familiar bright light of his spell. So were his surroundings, but not in a way he liked. When the light of his spell faded, Rouxls found that he was still surrounded by white "trees."

"God damnit..."

How, how did he still not know where he was?! He was still in the same, wispy forest as before! Did he even move? Was his energy too low to properly cast the spell?! He certainly felt more tired than he was a moment ago, but he wasn't sure if that was because of the malfunctioning spell or his frustration. Either way, Rouxls was not happy. And this funny shadow was going to get it!

Wait a second.

Rouxls pauses in the middle of punting the strange object to get a better look at it. He crouches to the ground, squinting at it. Or rather, he was squinting at it's shadow because, no matter how hard he looked, Rouxls couldn't actually see it. He picks it up and hopes playing with it in his hands would help him better understand what he's looking at, but that doesn't help much either. All Rouxls could see was

the back of his head. That's right, peering in to the dark nothing in his hand only lead to an image of the back of his head. Or perhaps it was one of the wispy trees? Both were quite similar in color. But Rouxls could recognize his luscious locks anywhere. He was the only darkner of his kind. Rouxls looks at it for a while longer, trying to register the fact that he was looking at himself from another angle. He turns around, and suddenly he could see his own face in the

crystal?

What a fascinating item! He needed to show Lancer! 

Rouxls's shoulders slump.

He was still terribly lost.

"Oh, how did I even get out here?" He mumbles to himself, dropping the accent. There was no one around to hear, after all. Or, that's what he thought. The crystal must have heard him, as the scene inside of it was changing. It no longer showed his grinning face. Instead, it was showing...

still him? But this time, he was moving, moving in the direction home! It did seem to be "playing" backwards, as if it was just reversing the steps he took to get to this spot. But it was good enough for him. He couldn't possibly get more lost, right? Maybe it would be okay to follow a mysterious crystal that had been keeping an eye on him for who knows how long.

Chapter Text

"MY DEAR ROUXLS, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU ARE GOOD AT?"

The journey back home took so much out of Rouxls, he ended up falling asleep almost instantly. He had no time or patience to remove his clothing or the shadow crystal from off his person. At some point, he must've let go of the crystal though, as it was nowhere to be found when he awoke. He also must've had another dream of the void, as he felt like he was supposed to be doing something today. He had the urge to play the piano, which was something he hasn't done or thought of in years. Of course, a talented aristocrat like himself knew how to do it, but there was rarely any need to. So why now? He decided to ignore the feeling for now, as he didn't think Castle Town even had a piano. 

Besides his odd slumber, there was no reason for Rouxls to not continue the day as usual. Like every day before this one, he took his morning shower after waking up at six. He gets himself dressed into one of his many fancy outfits and-

"Excuse, Mister Rouxls?"

Well, this was a surprise. Just as Rouxls was about to leave his room for the day, the little goat prince stopped him right in his doorway. It was quite rare for Rouxls to be approached first by

anyone, really. So naturally, Rouxls wasn't about to turn him down.

"Good morrow, fuzzy little worme. What dost thou wanteth from the greate Rouxls-"

"I wanted your help with cleaning out the castle," Ralsei rudely interrupts," If it wouldn't trouble you, there's a lot of heavy boxes upstairs and... Well, I thought you could handle them as an adult."

When Rouxls fails to respond, Ralsei adds," you can keep the boxes, if you want."

Rouxls felt a bit offended that Ralsei thought that boxes were going to be the offer that changed his mind. Rouxls remembered quite clearly that Ralsei, and the others in his little friend group, had asked about his likes and hobbies. Not once did he mention liking boxes! Still, he couldn't turn down an offer to actually do something. So, he sighs and sucks it up.

"Of courseth, mine prince! thoust will find there art no one better than I for-"

"Great! There's plenty of boxes upstairs so... oh and, it should mostly be junk, but you can keep some things, if you want! Just let me know what you want to keep! Thank you so much, Mister Rouxls." With that, the young prince scurries off to complete whatever he had planned for the day. As the young man watched the goat leave him in the doorway, he could feel his signature smile twitching into a frown. Ralsei was just giving him his chores! Rouxls had no room to complain, but still! It was quite bold of the boy to suddenly request something of him after mostly ignoring Rouxls for days on end. He only bothered to talk if Rouxls was directly in his way.

Rouxls grumbled to himself as he climbed up the dimly lit stairs. It reminded him of the dungeon in Card Castle. The only main difference is that he was going up instead of down. The higher he went, the more windows and doors were boarded up. The castle grew darker, allowing the natural glow of his hair and skin become more prominent. It was quite the helpful trait, especially since he rarely carried a light on his person. Once he was finally up the stairs, boxes of various sizes began to line the walls. Obviously, someone used to live here. Rouxls never bothered to ask Ralsei about this castle or its origins, but the deeper he went, the more his curiosity grew. Maybe this chore would give Rouxls the excuse he needed to ask questions.

"I'mst more than an errand boye..." Rouxls grumbled bitterly to the small box in his hands. What was he supposed to be doing anyways? Surely, he was just supposed to move these boxes downstairs, but then what? Ralsei didn't seem to care if he started opening them, as he said he could take some of the things with him.

He could worry about what to do with the items later. Rouxls was going to get his payment for his hard work first. He rips open the box in his hands before going through it's contents. After findiing nothing of interest, he goes through another. Then another. Then another.

"Argh, why keepe all these meaningless thinges anyway?"

But nothing had caught his eye. Or that was the case until Rouxls opened a particularly large box. Inside, there was one dusty piano. Besides the dirt and a few smudges, it looked to be in perfect condition. He sudden urge to play the instrument had returned. Rouxls, being the type of person who would act on each and every one of his urges, decides to take the piano back downstairs.

"Oh, Rouxls! I see that you've found a piano! Did you want to keep it or..?"

It wasn't hard to spot when Rouxls teleported something or someone. There was often a loud noise that came with the beam of light. Plus, Rouxls had transported himself and the large instrument right into Ralsei's path. If it wasn't so obvious when Rouxls was coming, he might've walked right into them. As the light faded, Ralsei realized that Rouxls was leaning on the piano with beads of "sweat" forming all over his face. He'd keep the strain teleportation had on Rouxls in mind if he ever gave the older darkner another task.

"Why, yeseth! I'mst quite goode at playing it! If thoust will giveth thine permission..." Rouxls trails off, too out of breath to finish. Ralsei nods and points to the corner of the large room the two darkners were currently in. He had his doubts that Rouxls could actually play the thing, but so few people came into this room, he wouldn't bother anyone if he wanted to try.

"I think over there would be a perfect spot, Mister Rouxls. When you aren't so tired, please wheel it over," Ralsei says with a smile before leaving Rouxls alone again. He really couldn't stand Rouxls for more than a few moments at a time, could he? Not that it really mattered at the moment. Once Rouxls caught his breath again, he wheels the piano over to where Ralsei suggested. He grimaces at how easy he was to control, but that was just a part of Rouxl's nature. He was used to following the orders of those in charge. But now, he thought of being a little bit rebellious. Rouxls could always just use that he got distracted, anyway.

The next step was, before he could play the piano, Rouxls cleaning up the piano and its dust. With a bucket of soapy water and a rag, he carefully rids the old piano of it's debris. He admires his handiwork right after. As he did so, his gaze trailed down to its keys. Why did he want to play it so bad, anyway? Is it because playing the piano was the only thing he remembered being praised for? 

He growls lowly, shaking his head.

He is worth more than playing a few keys, his mind was off.

Still, he had done all this work, he might as well try it out. He plays each key in order, listening intently to their sound. Nothing seemed amiss. He could play something without any problems.

His hand twitches.

He ought to play a song now, right? But nothing really came to mind. It had been so long, and the piano didn't come with any sheets. Those were apparently lost to time. His memory was already fuzzy, so wracking his mind for something wasn't exactly going to work.

As he thought for something, his fingers began playing a four-note tune. It was terribly simple, but it sounded nice enough, he supposed. He was going to have to look for some sheet music later if he actually wanted to play something, though. He sighs, absentmindedly playing the keys.

Perhaps he could find something next to where he found the piano in the first place.

"Oh, did you clean up the piano? It sounds nice, I think!"

Rouxls turns to see that the prince had returned to the room. In his paws was one of the boxes Rouxls had already opened and went through. It was quite big, and Rouxls was unable to see Ralsei's face. But his voice was hard to mistake.

"That song, it really fits you. I haven't heard it before, did you make it?"

Whether or not Ralsei meant that as an insult, Rouxls still took it as one. It was terribly simple, just like his puzzles. And, maybe, just like himself.

"Tis isn't a songe, 'tis a warm uppeth," He grumbles just low enough that Ralsei didn't hear.

"Oh, I see! Sorry, did you plan on playing us a song later?"

"I juste might a bit later! But I needst to practice a bit moreth," Rouxls stammers, standing up straight," I'll get back to worke! Where did thou want the rest of the stuff?"

"You can put everything in here. It's pretty big, and connects to everywhere else. So, if you could, Mister Rouxls..."

He takes the hint and stops playing the tune. It was time to get back to work.

Chapter Text

Rouxls found himself in the dark hallways of the castle's second floor for a second time. Now that he actually knew what he was supposed to be doing, Rouxls's chores would be child's play. His most practiced spell would be quite handy. Not only was he capable of teleporting himself, he could also transport multiple items at a time. He could already imagine Ralsei's shocked face upon realizing how effectively Rouxls could be. Of course, this would require a ton of effort on Rouxls' part, but the prince didn't need to know that.

One by one, Rouxls sent the boxed items down to the empty space via bright beams of light. He could feel himself getting drained rapidly, but he pushed on. It wasn't until he was a quarter of the way done did it become a problem. By then, almost all of his magic had been spent up. He truly felt it when he moved onto his next box. He had started to target smaller boxes after working up a sweat. But soon, even that became too much for him. When he felt that he couldn't transport himself, much less anything else, Rouxls decides it was finally time to take a break. He admires his handiwork while resting himself on a dust coated wall. It had been ages since the last time he had to work like this. In a way, it felt satisfying. However, he did also wish that he was able to get more done. He'd need far more magic if he wanted to get the rest done.

After finally catching his breath, Rouxls gets up, leaving behind a bit of his residue on the box he rested on. Glancing back at it, he shrugs it off. Ralsei didn't care about the boxes himself, did he? Why else would he offer them to Rouxls?

Even with the limited air in his lungs, Rouxls couldn't help but scoff. He knew exactly how people thought of him, including Ralsei. There wasn't any fooling himself, no matter how much he tried to. He knew this was just something to keep him occupied, even if the job was seemingly important. He got on people's bad sides far too easily, no matter how much sucking up he did. It was really no way for a man as great as Rouxls to act, but he wasn't getting anywhere otherwise. It worked well enough with the Spades King, and he was now working for Ralsei. Who's to say he couldn't move up in the Castle Town's ranks?

With replenished resolve, Rouxls heaves up a nearby box, only to have both the box and his arms fall off. After his motivational internal dialogue, he has forgotten how absolutely exhausted he was. With great effort on his part, Rouxls reattaches his arms and heads to the kitchen on the lower level. They were now a bit of a mess from splattering a bit on the dusty floor, but it was nothing a little bit of grub couldn't fix.

As he traversed the Castle's halls, Rouxls bumps into Ralsei again.

"Oh, Mister Rouxls, I was just-WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR ARMS?" The poor goat boy nearly faints from the sight. As a "slime" Darkner, there was no gore, but the sight of Rouxls's lanky arms being flat was still a quite unnerving to look at. He glances at the state of them once before waving his hand in an attempt to calm Ralsei. But when he realized how wrong the motion felt, Rouxls resorts to forcing a chuckle.

"Oh, 'tis nothing, dear prince. I wast simply hard at worke! A meal will do-"

Rouxls was cut off by the familiar sound of a healing spell.

"...A meale would've sufficed, worme. There's no reason for thou to use magic on me."

For a moment there, Rouxls had lost his words. When was the last time anyone had shown him kindness, especially when it was completely unnecessary? With his mouth agape, Rouxls analyzes the state of his arms once more. For the most part, they were solid. But if he poked them a little too hard, they'd give in.

"Well, you can't eat without hands, Mister Rouxls,"Ralsei says with a smile," consider it a reward for your hard work! I was just about to come and get you anyway."

"Ah," Rouxls's smile twitches, "Of courseth! Thou will findeth no one better than I! Now if thou'll excuse me, thou didn't heal my stomach pain..!"

Ignoring any concerns of Ralsei's after that, Rouxls makes a beeline for the kitchen.

There, he found his previously placed worm jar was still untouched. He unscrewed the lid of his frozen jar of worms and dug in. Rouxls found that they tasted better when frozen. They were also a bit more fun to eat. When his tongue was numb, it was a bit easier to ignore their raw taste. As he chowed down on his cheap snack, he felt his body and magic strengthen. By the time he was done with the jar, he had found himself to be at the same energy levels as when he had started. But before he could get back to work, he needed to replenish the jar. Otherwise, he would be exhausted with no remedy. 

Rouxls makes a quick stop to his room to grab his trusty "Meale Finder," a shovel he had gotten from somewhere he could no longer remember. It was where it always was, on his vanity, but something else had caught his eye. The dark crystal from before had reappeared right next to it. The darkner smiles nervously. He was so tired when he had first lost it, perhaps he had put it there after all? He hadn't gone out for worms since then, he thought. 

He glances at the clock, realizing that Lancer might be coming home soon. He could show him the funny little crystal like he had originally planned. Rouxls pockets both the Crystal and the Meale Finder before leaving the castle's gates.

Chapter Text

There was on odd, sharp pain that shot up his arm as Rouxls put the dark crystal into his inventory, but he had chalked it up to a side effect of his previous exhaustion. Ralsei's magic most likely had it's flaws, after all. Not only that, but he speedy metabolism also needed time to truly nourish him. With that logic, he doesn't bother to remove his hand from his pant pocket until he finds a good place to start digging. He ends up looking around a dirt patch that's behind the main castle. No one would be back here, leaving Rouxls to gather his food in peace. He didn't plan on staying out there for long, just until Lancer was certainly back home.

As he hunches over his worm hole, Rouxls begins to grumble to himself. He was the tutorial guy before, but he job didn't include prince training. If it had, Rouxls wouldn't have lost his son to more competent teachers. His digging became more aggressive as his feelings of jealousy rose. He was Lancer's Lesser Dad, sure, but every day he felt more and more "Lesser." It was hardly fair. Lancer wouldn't have gotten this far if it wasn't for him. It wasn't fair that Lancer left him...

Rouxls lets out a shuddering breath, realizing how close he was to tears. This thought process...

it was useless. He was going to see his dear boy in a few minutes anyway. So why was he upset all of the sudden.

"The wormes don't needeth the water show," he mumbles, sniffling. He gathers himself as best as he can while still being covered in dirt. He wouldn't let Lancer see him as an emotional mess. Physically was fine.

Just as he was rounding the corner back to the castle, Rouxls caught the sound of Lancer's speeding tricycle. Rouxls was just on time to see his boy. He followed the sound of the bike's sputtering engine, leading him to a massive hole in the kitchen's wall. Ralsei was there too, more than likely from the sudden explosion sounds.

"L...Lancer! I see you've come back home,"Ralsei starts with a nervous chuckle. How was he supposed to clean this mess? Lancer, on the other hand, couldn't care less. The little boy was always this reckless.

"Course I am, a prince is always on time. And it's time for a snack," he says right before raiding the fridge. Both Ralsei and Rouxls couldn't help but smile at Lancer's antics. He had grown on both of the darkners. After Lancer gets out his snack of choice, and while Ralsei examined the damage done to the wall, Rouxls clear his throat to get Lancer's attention. The boy barely acknowledged his presence these days, only adding to the pent-up emotions the older darkner had. 

"Oh Lancer, beholdeth what I've brought for thou!" When Rouxls found that the dark crystal was once again gone, he held out his arms for a hug.

"Me!"

If either had noticed the moment of confusion on Rouxls's face, they didn't mention it. Instead, Lancer runs up to Rouxls and knocks him over.

"Hiya Lesser Dad! You can't bring yourself, 'cuz you aren't a thing, silly!"

"Oh, I supposeth I'm not," Rouxls says with a bit of effort. Lancer was a heavy kid, and him resting on Rouxls's chest was restricting much needed air.

At some point, while the "lesser dad" and son snuggled on the floor, Ralsei had prepared Lancer's mid-day snack. The dark candy that the boy had grabbed before was safely hidden within the fridge once more. A growing prince ought not to eat so many sweets.

"I heard you liked salsa, so here's some with chips!" Ralsei announced, clasping his paws together. Lancer bounced off of Rouxls's chest, winding the poor man once more, and dug into his meal. After catching his breath for the fourth time today, Rouxls gets back up and leaves the kitchen. It was time to get back to work, he supposed.

Once he had returned to the boxes in the upper floors, Rouxls began to grumble under his breath. Once again, that infernal crystal had disappeared! For the life of him, Rouxls could not understand why. Perhaps there was more to it, like a trick of the light? After all, he can't even see the thing, only it's shadow. If he had a question about the magic of this world, Rouxls knew exactly who to ask. But the thought of asking that darkner for help put him in an even worse mood. Not that Rouxls liked to ask for help in the first place.

As he beamed himself and what he held within his arms back and forth, Rouxls thought about his options. He thought back to a few days ago, when he had gotten lost. The crystal was more than a piece of glass. It was magic, and perhaps sentient. How else would it have been able to keep an, hopefully only figurative, eye on Rouxls?

He might've been in danger, maybe. Probably not. Although plenty of darkners found him annoying, Rouxls had his doubts that anyone would actively try to harm him. However had placed the dark crystal in his path was just playing an odd prank on him. Still, Rouxls couldn't help but feel a bit unnerved by it. It was better to be safe than sorry. Therefore, he decided to pay them a visit if the crystal were to return. However, knowing his luck, even if it were to return, the crystal would just vanish again before Rouxls had the chance to show anyone.

Chapter Text

"Wow Rouxls, you've gotten a lot done! I'm impressed!"

Rouxls's concentration on his task is broken by the prince standing in front of his teleportation beam. For a moment, Rouxls stands slack jawed, taking in the praise. It felt good. It always felt good.

"But, of courseth, dost ought to not doubt mine skills!"

"I suppose you are right about that, heh," Ralsei says as he takes in all of Rouxls's efforts. The upper rooms should've been about empty now, judging from all of the miscellaneous things within the room. Rouxls was back to barely disguising his huffing and puffing.

"You've earned a long break, Rouxls. Thank you again! I'll uh- call you if I need anything else... If that's okay."

The lanky darkener bolts up at this. When was the last time someone was actually satisfied with the work he did?

"But of courseth Ralsei! I am at thou's service!" He says with a small bow, which Ralsei smiles at.

"Just- get some rest for now, please. I don't want you to get all melty again."

Upon being dismissed, Rouxls leaves to his quarters to get cleaned up. If he was going to meet an old coworker, he wasn't going to meet them all filthy. They already made fun of him enough as is...

Normally, Rouxls would teleport directly to the "Seap," but he had to think about what he wanted to say to the owner. He was sure that they already thought of him as dimwitted, just like all the others. Perhaps they would be right, considering that Rouxls was currently being haunted by a shadow.

"You've been dealing with shadow crystals, Rouxls? That's pretty interesting, ha ha ha..."

Or maybe not? Seam was usually quite nonchalant about these things, and they still were. But something about this conversation was different than the rest.

"It'll be interesting to see you use such a thing. A thing with such great power... I wonder what potential was seen in you of all people," Seam continues, as if Rouxls was barely there. As the supposedly older darkner continued to mumble, Rouxls was left speechless. Sure, Seam didn't immediately dismiss Rouxls's worries. But this somehow felt even worse. 

"You remember my old partner, don't you?"

"O-Of courseth I do! That little bastard messes with me every time I check uppe on them!"

"He had a shadow crystal on him."

"What is that supposed to meaneth-?"

"I'd say I'm worried about you, but I'm not. I'm far more curious about what chaos you'll bring, ha ha ha!"

Rouxls felt himself go pale as the seapkeeper laughed in his face. He was backing out, but Rouxls wasn't sure if it was of his own free will.

"Don't look like that, Rouxls. Wasn't power something you've always wanted? Embrace it! Or don't. Your fate is already sealed!"

Rouxls ended up leaving with more questions than answers, but he couldn't bare to stay in the seap for any longer. Seam was messing with him, but with the truth this time. Or, that's how it felt. Either way, Rouxls was going to be avoiding the shadow crystals as best as he could. If Jevil truly had one of those, it couldn't be good. Speaking of, where had that menace gone?

Chapter Text

Despite Seam being just as vague as usual, Rouxls couldn't help but feel a sense of dread. He had hated to be anything like the little devil known as Jevil. It didn't matter what Seam had meant, there was not a single good trait about Jevil that Rouxls would want for himself. Jevil was annoying, ugly, short, powerful.

He couldn't even remember being offered such a thing, and Rouxls definitely would. But at the same time, he felt like he had accepted something.

But when?

As he attempted to clear up the timeline of his life for the past few days, Rouxls found himself walking aimlessly. With his mind elsewhere, he once again found himself in a place that he didn't fully recognize. At least, not at first. After a few moments, he realized that he was in the dark corridor that often belonged to a dungeon. As far as he was aware, Rouxls had never been into this dungeon. Perhaps his old king was in here, since Rouxls hadn't seen him in a while. Rouxls was sure that the Spade King wouldn't take care of his son, regardless of whether or not he was imprisoned. But this would still be a good explanation as to why he wasn't in town either.

"It's annoying, annoying!" Rouxls froze in place. The voice he has heard from down the hall was one he'd recognize from anywhere. Had Ralsei put the bastard back in jail already? Rouxls had sure hoped so, but he wasn't about to make sure. As soon as he could feel his legs again, Rouxls turned on his heel and fled. However, there was a few problems. One was that his running was rather loud, especially with the echoing from the dungeon's walls. The other was that Jevil was never put back in jail. Apparently, no one had told Ralsei about Jevil had done. Or, he simply didn't care. Either way, that left Jevil to roam free. And because of the former issue...

"Rouxls, Rouxls! Oh, how I have missed you!" the jester says after firmly planting Rouxls's face into the ground. As Rouxls scrambles to try and get the demon off of him, Jevil continues to speak.

"You've changed since I last saw you! You wanted a taste of freedom, freedom! Oh, what did you do-?" 

Rouxls finally manages to get Jevil's claws from out of his back and launches the smaller darkner into the wall.

"I haven't done a damn thinge, thou cursed devil thou!"

Almost immediately, Jevil was on Rouxls's back once more. This time, he dug his claws deeply into Rouxls's melting flesh.

"Now now, don't lie! You've been looking into the glorious freedom, freedom. The freedom only a lightner can grant."

Rouxls let out a shuddering breath, but he doesn't otherwise do anything to get Jevil off of him again.

"I'mst not lying, I don't know what thou speake of."

Instead of replying, the devil hums directly into Rouxls's ear. The drawn out noise only serves to fill Rouxls with more dread.

"What makes thou think that I'm any closer to," he pauses," to thou's kind of freedom?"

"You're a pawn in his game, game! Just like me. But that's the closest we can get to freedom. The truth is all we need, hee hee!"

Rouxls really wished that Jevil would finally let him go. Having his high pitched cackling so close, and so loud, was really starting to piss him off. He already couldn't understand what Jevil was trying to say. As far as he was concerned, everything Jevil would say was nonsense. He should've dismissed his current ramblings as that. But it was far too close to the warnings of someone who he actually felt could be trusted. Not to mention the fact that, deep down, Rouxls knew that he had accepted something that he shouldn't have.

Slowly, Jevil's claws became dislodged as Rouxls's form became more and more unstable. Laughing still, Jevil shakes his hands to rid them of the excess slime.

"You're lying, lying! Oh Rouxls, even you know what I'm talking about. What will you do now, now? Fight him or run, run?"

Although he was aware that something was wrong, Rouxls still didn't know why. Or what was going on in the first place. All that he had to go off of was Jevil. And, as much as he despised the creep, the little devil was his best chance of understanding what he had done. 

"Jevil, if thou art quite done laughing at me, I'd like to asketh thou for a favor."

Chapter Text

Rouxls stared down the giggling imp in front of him, hoping to demonstrate just how serious he was trying to be. Although Jevil clearly considered everything a laughing matter, this situation was something that Rouxls didn't want to treat as a game. If he were to be anything like the devil, then there was something wrong. Rouxls was very keen on finding out what exactly that thing was. Naturally, Rouxls's stare down did nothing to calm Jevil. If anything, it only challenged them into extra giddiness. 

"Why the scowl, Rouxls? You're on the brink of freedom, freedom!"

"You- thou knows damn well why I'm scowlinge! Now answer my question."

Jevil hums, tapping his chin with a clawed finger. 

"Your question, your favor is so, so..." The devil starts before pointing to his agape mouth, gagging.

"... So boring! Why should I tell you the truth now? That just spoils the fun, fun!"

Even with Rouxls's hands around his throat, Jevil continued to laugh. Rouxls had to imagine it was to simply spite him, as the sound was clearly being forced through the instinct to wheeze. Fortunately, Rouxls was able to stifle the noise by squeezing harder.

Why, why did he even come to this idiot? Of course he wasn't going to get any valuable information! Rouxls had never once gotten a decent conversation out of this darkner, not once! He could only blame himself for even entertaining the idea.

Rouxls released the devil, letting his round body bounce off of the dungeon's floor. He ran a hand through his hair, or at least tried to. With all the extra stress messing with his physical form, he found his fingers sticking to the gel that made his hair. With a growl of frustration, he flicked the excess at the still giggling devil. He did find some mild amusement from the laugh now being a bit wheezy,  though.

There was no reason for him to stay in the dungeon anymore, so Rouxls started to make his way down the hall. He'd need the extra distance to calm himself. Little did he know that Jevil had other plans. 

As Rouxls made his way down the hall, he could only hear his own footsteps and the buzzing of his own mind. With Jevil gone, he no longer felt quite the same frustration as before. Sure, it was still there, but his exhaustion was now at the forefront of his mind. Up until now, he was able to chalk everything strange to just that, strange. But now, he had the evidence to believe that something was indeed wrong. The last thing he wanted was to have a fate remotely similar to Jevil's. Or at least, that's what Rouxls had to tell himself. But even he couldn't deny the power that Jevil had. That was what lured him to the devil in the first place, wasn't it? That was something worth hearing Jevil out on. With power like that, he wouldn't have to be the underling of anyone. Not the Spade King, not the goat prince that strung him along. No one. He could be free to do whatever he wished. Not that he was sure what that could imply.

Rouxls let out a bitter laugh.

With his luck, whatever he accidently signed himself up for wouldn't give him any of the perks he desired. Knowing himself, he probably did end up selling himself to become someone's pawn.

"So be it, I suppose," He found himself mumbling aloud. Rouxls hadn't looked up since he started his travel back, so he hadn't noticed if anyone was around to hear him. Unfortunately, Rouxls had found himself in the middle Ralsei's path while the younger darkner was preparing dinner.

"So be what, Mister Rouxls?" He asked, glancing up at the taller man. Rouxls was painfully aware of the grimace that Ralsei wore as soon as they got a good look at him. Rouxls simply muttered "nothing" under his breath before picking up his pace. He wasn't sure where he was to go now, but he knew that he felt dirty. After realizing that he was going the wrong way, Rouxls turned on his heel and made his way to the castle's showers.

He scrubbed his back to the best of his ability, trying to smooth out the claw marks Jevil undoubtedly left behind. As he did, he found something lodged within the marks. With some difficulty, he managed to fish it out. It was another one of those dark crystals. Sighing, he placed it to the side and finished up his routine.