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Ren Shiranami has had enough of the tormenting from Jabberwock's Vice Captain, one could only take so much before finally snapping the issue was how to stop being bothered. Ren groaned as he reluctantly cleaned his flower petal filler room, Towa apparently thought it was funny to throw them in here. How did the Jabberwock Vice Captain even manage to enter?, when Haru broke in yesterday he must've forgotten to lock the window. Ren sighed the room was finally clean and flower petal free, he could ask Ritsu for advice but there was no way he was paying that much money. "Ren! Ren! I'm glad you're still here, the axolotl containers are dirty and someone needs to clean them" Haru Sagara dashed his way inside Ren's room which led to some stuff falling and dust collecting. "Why are you here? Quit bothering me, go ask Towa or something!" Ren yelled he was rightfully upset, after cleaning the room for hours on end it was now dirty again and the Jabberwock Captain didn't even understand what he'd done wrong. Haru sighed as he crossed his arms "Why can't the two of you just be nice to each other?", Ren paused his eyes lit up that's right maybe just maybe Haru's advice might actually help him. Ren smiled but it looked off putting on his face especially so since he rarely smiles, Haru however was glad that the first year was smiling "Well then I'm glad you're happy Ren, remember to feed the axolotls as well!". The Jabberwock first year didn't have time to complain because Haru was gone in a flash, Ren picked up the Horror novels that fell great now he has to clean the axolotls...tanks? Fish tank? Aquarium? He forgot what they were called but he did know cleaning it would be a pain. But at least he knows how to deal with Towa now, he'll just have to take the saying '๐๐ฒ๐ต๐ต ๐ฃ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ถ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ฑ ๐๐ฒ๐ท๐ญ๐ท๐ฎ๐ผ๐ผ' to a new extreme, if he couldn't stop the Free Spirit from bothering him then he'll befriend Towa. If Towa was his friend or at least on agreeable terms with him the bothering would decrease, and maybe he'll even make Towa go mad because he'll be so confused as to why Ren's being nice to him. This single thought made Ren doing chores around Jabberwock bearable, Towa Otonashi would soon be caught off guard by an extremely amiable and affable Ren Shiranami. "Towa, you should take this sandwich so you won't go hungry" Ren forcibly smiled, it was the next day and he had the perfect opportunity to begin his plan when he spotted Towa about to leave Jabberwock. "How do I know you didn't poison it Wolfsbane?" Towa asked, although he only spoke at night time he could speak when in the shadows in this case the shadow of a very big cabinet as well. Ren scoffed "Isn't that more of your area Towa?, anyway I don't want to keep up your time", Towa narrowed his purple eyes as Ren left what exactly was Wolfsbane planning?. He'd expected Wolfsbane to be angry or lash out even at the sight of his messy room, why was Wolfsbane being so nice and even giving him a snack he'll figure this out later he has someone to meet after all. Once arriving in Jabberwock Caves, Towa told Zenji his concerns well Towa mostly hummed it because daylight in all but you get the gist. Zenji who somehow understood what he said offered his own insights "This Ren Shiranami seems to be a very compassionate person, if he is willingly trying to mend your relationship then I admire that characteristic", the observation was actually mostly wrong but this got under Towa's skin. "Wolfsbane is a beautiful flower Towa you should not use it to insult someone, the color is beautiful and it reminds me of your eyes", Towa was upset because he was just compared to Wolfsbane it was the flower but still and his friendship with his Iris was being threatened. The Free Spirit knew that Coriander was close with his Iris but the two would always remain friends and nothing more, but Wolfsbane was an unpredictable variable he even watched and was subscribed to both of his Iris' YouTube channels. "~~! ~~!" Towa huffed as he splashed water on Zenji, "Come now old friend don't be upset, I will always prefer your company" the ghost then proceeded to ruffle Towa's hair which was rather pointless considering that he was a ghost but it was the thought that counts. "~~" Towa hummed happily as Zenji ruffled his hair even though he probably didn't feel the touch, "See Towa you've calmed down, you really are the cat's pajamas you know that?". "~~?", Zenji was caught off guard by the Free Spirit's question "I will not replace you Towa, you are a special friend to me. I was simply saying that remaining kind in spite of all the hardships you've faced is an admirable character trait, well then I must leave I shall enchant you with another Rhapsody next time!". Towa watched Zenji leave and once the ghost was out of sight his smile dropped, Ren Shiranami's character trait admirable? Wolfsbane a pretty flower? That annoying interloper will see that Towa Otonashi can be kinder and he'll make sure that that Hound will stay away from both Haru and Iris. The next day, Towa found all the dishes washed and the beds made "What are you up to Lotus?", Ren smiled innocently "I just want to clean and help my House, also I realised that my nickname's been changed". The Jabberwock Vice Captain crossed his arms "That's because I've decided to befriend you because of Haru, and Wolfsbane is a beautiful flower and doesn't suit you at all". Ren thought that Lotuses were rather pretty but he didn't say anything, it seemed that Towa was planning on befriending Ren on behalf of Haru so at least things will be easier. "I'm going to clean the salamander cages now" Ren said as he attempted to leave the House, Towa blocked the door "You should stay and rest, I'll clean them for you Haru will be more happy if we worked together Lotus". Towa then promptly left, Ren frowned was that guy trying to upstage him? Well, Ren would make sure to do his job better then they'll see who Haru will compliment. The next day, Towa prepared a dinner and Ren begrudgingly admitted that it was delicious, Ren decided to do all the laundry and water all the plants in the garden he even bought Towa new Romance books. The Jabberwock Vice Captain glared at the first year who was sipping coffee and his gaze turned back to the Lunch Ren had made, according to the Hound he was going to make Towa Lunch everyday. Towa felt his eye twitch and Ren smiled smugly because he won this time, the ghouls had the exact same thought as they glared at each other '๐๐ต'๐ด ๐ฐ๐ฏ'. The weeks after that were Ren and Towa spending time with each other and money for each other in an oddly competitive way, they'd continuously try to one up the "kind" or "compassionate" thing that the other did. For example, when Ren started buying Towa love novels and giving him snacks daily the Free Spirit started cleaning Ren's bed and making the first year dinner along with a paid subscription to a site where you can watch numerous Horror Movies. Whenever Ren decorated flower Bouquets or gave romantic movies to Towa the Jabberwock Vice Captain returned the favor, he'd send Ren Shiranami Horror Movies, Shark Plushies, along with bags of Chips and Popcorn they've been doing this routine for so long that people started noticing the change. The first person that commented on it was Ritsu Shinjo number one customer at Mystery Diner, Ritsu took a sip of his coffee "Ren Shiranami, you seem to be on good terms with Towa Otonashi these days. I'm happy that the two of you mended your relationship, once Haru Sagara returns from his special mission he'll be happy to see his House members getting along". Haru? Ren had forgotten that the Jabberwock Captain would return this week, well it's not like he cared what that Clown thought but if he befriended Towa maybe he can do the same with the Clown. Ren shook his head shuddering no way was he getting any more closer and intimate with Haru, Ritsu gazed at his client "Mr. Shiranami are you feeling alright? You shouldn't overwork yourself, the brain works better if you've slept for at least eight hours". "I'm fine, I'm going to prepare Towa's Lunch he'll be here soon" Ren said as he went to the back room, Ritsu smiled it seemed that Ren Shiranami was using his brain for once and he seemed to be doing something similar to an open arms tactic and it seemed to be working. Because some time after that, Towa Otonashi skipped into the Diner grinning and he didn't glare at Ren or insult him instead he was smiling it was either that Towa now saw Ren as a friend or that Towa was extremely good at acting. If it was the latter he should receive an award for how well he's acting, then again Ren Shiranami was acting in a way as well. Towa Otonashi sat across from Ritsu and the sky suddenly darkened casting a shadow over the Diner "Carnation, I see you've realized what a hidden gem this Diner is", Ritsu cracked an amused smile "Mr. Otonashi, I've been coming here for months so I've realised that fact a long time ago. I thought that it was you who saw this Diner as garbage, I even have recordings of you saying it as well". Towa didn't seem to be offended it seemed that similar to Ritsu he found the entire situation amusing, "Lotus has been incredibly nice to me and I realised that I misunderstood him", Ritsu lifted an eyebrow "Lotus? So Mr. Shiranami is no longer Wolfsbane then". "No of course not, why would I allude that my friend is a poisonous flower?. Lotus fits him more, after all it symbolises purity, devotion and overcoming adversity" Towa answered voice not revealing if he was being sincere or insincere, Ritsu crossed his arms "I see, so you do truly now see Mr. Shiranami as a friend". Towa didn't answer and simply nodded and as if on cue Ren placed their Lunch on the table, "Thank you so much Lotus, you truly are the best! Why don't you sit with us?". "Your gratitude is always welcome Lavender, I will always help a friend in need" Ren uncharacteristically replied and he sat down beside Ritsu, the Paralegal once more decided to enquire something "The both of you have decided to use flower names as nicknames?". "He loves flowers so we picked nicknames for each other, I chose Lavender because it symbolises peace, silence and tranquility" Ren commented as he sipped his tea, in just a span of weeks both Ren Shiranami and Towa Otonashi had become different people some Hotarubi general students who noticed the change even claimed that ghosts have possessed the two. "It is getting quite dark so I will go now" Ritsu said his goodbyes, paid for his food and gratefully exited Mystery Diner leaving the two Jabberwock ghouls alone. "Haru will be home soon, I hope you won't pick any fights Lavender" Ren said in a laid back manner once the Paralegal left both of the masks fell, Towa crossed his arms and glared at Ren "Keep that advice to yourself Lotus" although Towa has actually changed his nickname from Wolfsbane to Lotus for a reason that Ren himself hasn't figured out. The Hound guessed that it was because Lotuses are commonly seen in water and Ren and water aren't on friendly terms, maybe Towa's new gimmick was associating Ren with water to annoy him but the Jabberwock Vice Captain has been leaving him alone and stopped bothering him which is incredibly odd. "There's a screening for a new Horror Movie screening in a movie theatre downtown, would you like to join me Lotus?" Towa asked smiling, Ren looked at the Diner's clock "My shift is ending soon so I'll go, but you pay for tickets". Ren cleaned their tables and clocked out, Towa and him did small talk as they left the Diner despite acting cold to each other or calling each other names at times at some point the two ghouls did actually become friends but both will deny it if you personally interview them. A few days after that Haru Sagara returned to Darkwick a day earlier than scheduled, "Harurin! I'm glad to see your back, although you're too early I thought you'd return tomorrow morning" Rui greeted his friend as he spotted him at the Campus. Haru laughed "It's good to see you too Rui, the mission ended faster than expected. And now I get to see how my kiddos are doing, they haven't fought and caused property damage have they?", Rui laughed in a good hearted way "No, in fact they've been getting along quite well in fact I dare say they've become friends". "Really?" Haru murmured rather sceptical, the Jabberwock Captain headed to his House to see if the two Jabberwock members had actually mended their relationship and become friends. As he entered he heard Ren laugh along with voices "Really? That's incredibly stupid, did that clown really do that?", Haru entered the room "Do what?" Suddenly confetti fell on him and Towa threw flower petals both Ren and Towa shouted "Surprise! Welcome Home!". "You guys made a surprise welcome back party!" Haru grinned "I knew you two had it in you to get along well", "Have a seat, you should eat you Lavender's cooked Dinner" Ren said as he placed the food on the table. Haru tilted his head the two had nicknames now? Had they actually become friends?, Haru sat on the table and Towa placed their dinner on it and because he was hungry the Jabberwock Captain forgot to ask about the two ghouls' friendship. The three ghouls sat down and ate Dinner together, they talked about how Haru's special mission went and what the Jabberwock Captain missed when he left and what was surprising about the entire thing wasn't the surprise party but the fact that Ren and Towa hadn't argued at all. At first, Haru thought that maybe the two had made a truce to be nice on Haru's first day back at Darkwick because the fact they were civil was just so inconceivable. But as days passed, it dawned on him that Ren Shiranami and Towa Otonashi had become best friends at some point when he left which somehow bothered him, he didn't know why but something about it was eating him up inside. Haru was happy, he wished that Towa and Ren would get along for once after all and he even often complained about it to other people so why did he feel down?. "I don't understand, I am happy that they're getting along but still I feel down" Haru complained one night at Rui's bar, Rui wiped a wine bottle "Maybe you aren't used to it Harurin and you feel left out now that your House members spend more time with each other". "I'm not lonely... They still spend time with me" Haru's words were actually more slurred because he's drunk but it's translated to be more understandable, Romeo scoffed "Your problems are tame compared to mine, that damned BTH keeps gambling and he's doing it more often than before". Rui sighed maybe that Sinostra first year was on to something by charging people for talking to him, "I know thanks Romeo you've made me figure out my problem!" The down Jabberwock Captain's face suddenly lit up and Rui grabbed the wine bottle Haru was about to pour into his glass because he drank enough and anymore would be unhealthy. "Really? I knew you had it in you Harurin!" Rui cheered, Lyca who was helping Rui serve drinks said eagerly "So what was your problem Harurin?" The Werewolf seemed to copy every nickname that his Captain and Vice Captain used to call the other ghouls. Haru placed his hands on his hips and he had a smug expression present on his face "It's because Ren isn't nice to me!", suddenly he dropped down and started complaining again "Why can't he just call me by name affectionately?! It's always Clown, Clown, Clown... I hate Clowns I hope they all disappear". "I can't tell if he's a sad drunk or an angry one" Romeo muttered, Rui who heard him whispered back "I think he's both Romi, we'll have to drag him back to Jabberwock he's drunk so much I doubt he can walk properly". Haru dropped his head on the table and it made a huge bang and Rui was glad that there was no blood present, "I mean he's made so much effort to be nice to Towa, so why not me? I'm nice and caring, I'm perfect so why doesn't he see that". "He doesn't even smile at me and I've never heard him laugh, I saw him yesterday and he was laughing at Towa's jokes it was a genuine laugh too" Haru wailed, "I wanted to be the first ghoul to make him laugh genuinely and smile fondly, why couldn't it have been me?". Romeo stared at the sorry sight of the Jabberwock Captain sobbing "If one saw this they'd think he's been through a horrible breakup", Rui sighed again "Honestly, he sounds like he's been rejected or suffering from yearning and ending up having an unrequited love". Lyca who was listening got confused because he didn't understand the words yearning and unrequited love, Haru started sobbing louder "I just want Ren to say my name affectionately, is that too much to ask? If I dropped dead do you think he'd say it?". Rui rushed to Haru's side to prevent him from leaving his chair "Harurin, I don't think you should do anything hastily", Haru clumsily pushed the Obscuary Vice Captain away "Go away, I want to see Ren I'll convince him to love me". Romeo crossed his arms "He isn't even bothering to hide his emotions now", Haru suddenly fell to the floor and collapsed "Harurin? Harurin?! Harurin!" Rui shrieked as he quickly checked the Jabberwock Captain's pulse. Lyca ran to Haru and Rui "How'd he fall? Are you stupid blond Gigolo? You were holding him!", Romeo stood up "He's right you know, anyway I'm going back to Sinostra that BTH wants to talk about something for once". "Goodbye Romi!" Rui attempted to sound cheerful despite the stress he was feeling, he along with Lyca's help dragged Haru to Mortkranken however Lyca refused to step near the House because he hates needles and is scared of Yuri. According to Yuri and Jiro, Haru thankfully didn't have any concussions or severe injuries but he will suffer from a hungover that will hurt like hell tomorrow. When Rui and Lyca arrived at Jabberwock they were faced by two very angry and protective Jabberwock members, if you asked Rui Haru didn't need to lament about Ren not caring about him because the first year clearly did although in his own weird way. Nonetheless, Rui and Lyca left Jabberwock once delivering Haru not wanting to overstay their welcome and also because Towa might kill them if they did. Ren sighed as he sat beside Haru's bed and checked the Jabberwock Captain's temperature, "It looks like he has a slight fever, he sleeps so peacefully one would worry that he's dead". Towa heard the worry in Ren's voice and had an idea, he didn't like Wolfsbane now Lotus at first but the Free Spirit has realised that it was a misunderstanding and Lotus did truly care about Haru. And Towa would still have some time with Haru, although probably not that much once he and Lotus started dating but as long as Lotus stayed away from his Iris he'd be fine. "Lily had some medicine delivered for Haru, also there isn't any need to worry about Haru he'll be fine" Towa said voice as light as air, Ren's face turned red "Who said I was worried?! This stupid clown doesn't deserve time for me to worry about him". Towa looked at Ren straight in the eye "Lotus, I know it's hard for you to say your emotions but you shouldn't hide it all the time because people might misunderstand what you mean", The Jabberwock Vice Captain turned back to Ren before leaving "They might even think they hate you". Ren paused and stayed there most of the night pondering on what Towa had just said, he understood what was implied and he was having trouble accepting that Haru thought that he didn't care about him. The Hound's gaze fell on the sleeping Captain, it was true that Haru annoyed him at times but it wasn't like he didn't care for the man in fact it was the total opposite like Towa had said Ren wasn't good at expressing his emotions he found it hard to be honest with them. But maybe for Haru's sake... Ren steeled his resolve he managed to change his entire relationship with Towa, the Jabberwock Vice Captain even respected him even if just a little bit now and they were sort of friends. If he was able to change his view to befriend Towa maybe he can be more honest so that Haru will feel better, at first Ren was nice to Towa because he didn't want to be annoyed and it did lessen the bothering once they were close. The Free Spirit respected his boundaries and time so he rarely bothered and nagged Ren and if he did it was in a playful manner now and no longer out of malice, but throughout the weeks he spent with Towa albeit reluctantly at first Ren Shiranami realised something. He liked having a friend even though it was Towa, and it was time he stopped pushing people away in fact he even welcomed Ritsu to Mystery Diner with a smile which caught the Paralegal off guard because it was unlike Ren and Ritsu had to change his behavioural model on Ren Shiranami. Ren's been spending more time with MC as well, so what's another person to spend time with? Once Haru gets better, he'll fix the misunderstanding between him and Haru soon everything will change but it was for the better. Haru inspected the House "Wow! You really cleaned up the place Ren, I'm proud!", Ren crossed his arms "The Doctor said you shouldn't move around so much, it may have been days ago but you should be more careful". The Jabberwock Captain smiled because he could see that Ren was attempting not to, the first year was clearly flattered by the compliment and that made him feel happy. However when Lunch came he was frowning Ren was spoon feeding Towa some kind of soup, he knew they were close but still it made the Jabberwock Captain feel like he was third wheeling, Haru pouted "Aren't you going to spoon feed me as well Ren?". Ren turned to Haru face filled with confusion and disbelief, "Fine but, just this once" Ren spoonfed Haru food and the Jabberwock Captain glowed with happiness. Towa didn't seem to care instead he was amused plus he was feeling contented because someone was still spoon feeding him, Ren and Haru didn't notice because they were too focused on each other. If they had they would've been terrified, because they couldn't see ghosts so it would look like the spoon was floating in air it was a good thing that they were having Lunch at a private spot. The three Jabberwock ghouls spent most of their Lunch like that throughout the week and they worked on their communication issues, the discord that they used to have was barely there and when they fought it wasn't that serious anymore. "Be more careful, you'll get injured at this rate you Clown" Ren muttered as he stopped Haru from falling to the ground, the two were alone today because Towa was at Jabberwock Caves. "I know you'll catch me Ren!, you'll just carry me if I break something" Haru said happily, "Ah, Ren Shiranami and Haru Sagara it's good to see that you aren't hostile to each other anymore". Ritsu approached them "Calling someone especially your Clown is informal, practice calling your Captain by name Mr. Shiranami", Ren crossed his arms "Isn't it normal to give nicknames to people you're close to? Besides what's wrong with Clowns, I like Clowns". Haru beamed and hugged Ren "Awww, I knew you liked me Ren", Ren returned the hug awkwardly "Calm down Haru, at this rate my uniform will get wet and that would be the worst thing that's ever happened to me today". Haru looked up at Ren "Say that again", Ren tilted his head confused "Say what?" The Jabberwock Vice Captain pouted "My name". "Haru, why would you want me to say that? Did you forget your name or something?" Ren groaned as he tried to detach Haru from him, Haru laughed and held on to Ren tighter "I know you like Clowns, but I like the way my name sounds when you say it". Ren crossed his arms "Jeez, then I'll say it more often just quit bothering me and let go", Haru intertwined his arm with Ren's instead "Aww, I knew you cared for me deep down Ren! You're so cute when you show your emotions". Ren muttered a shut up but the tips of his ears were red and when they arrived back at Jabberwock he kissed Haru's cheek and disappeared out of Haru's sight as fast as possible, Haru beamed so bright you'd think it was still day time. Towa watched as Ren sat on his bed "I'm happy that you've decided to show your feelings Wolfsbane, and I've even heard you took Haru to a date around Darkwick", Ren raised an eyebrow "I'm not Lotus anymore?". Towa scoffed "That friendly act is over but I will stop bothering you but only for MC's and Haru's sake, if you break his heart know that endless suffering and torment will await you", Ren shuddered "Good to know" despite claiming he was now hostile towards Ren, Towa still ate the packed Lunches the Jabberwock first year made. Ren didn't stop making them out of habit, and he was also learning how to convey and express his emotions and how to care for people it was a difficult thing for him to do but he was getting better. Haru and Ren even started dating they haven't labeled it or made it official yet because they were starting step by step. It took long because Ren knew he wasn't ready yet and he didn't want to burden or hurt Haru, he also had a lot of things to unpack and work out eventually his hard work of changing himself for the better paid off. Ren looked at the Boquet of Red Roses that Towa personally gave him in his hands, he was in a fancy suit and as he looked at his reflection he thought that Haru didn't need to wait long because tonight he'd make their relationship official. At first he changed not because he wanted to but because he thought it was the best thing he could do to stop Towa from annoying him, but now he and Towa were friends both of them would even willingly admit it when asked. He was even dating Haru now, he understood himself better and he felt at peace and elated at the prospect of making his relationship with Haru official when he thought about it none of this would've happened if he didn't do anything. Because Ren did one thing it set off a Butterfly Effect and now the Jabberwock ghouls were more close knitted, looking back at it Ren Shiranami wouldn't change anything even if given the option to.