Work Text:
There was something special about the Ramshackle dormitory. Yuu had noticed it as time flew on, how the dorm responded to them. The floorboards would creak in patterns when Yuu would ask quiet questions to themselves, a cabinet would open by itself whenever Yuu needed to find items.
Yuu had thought it was the ghosts at first, all the way back before the overblots had happened. And sure, sometimes the ghosts would be the ones causing the groans, creaks, and shutterings that rang throughout Ramshackle, but they had found that the peculiarity of the dorm came from Ramshackle itself. Ramshackle may have been broken, crumbling from the inside out, but it breathed life.
The beginning of it all approached when Ace first spent the night, away from Riddle while the housewarden was still known to be the teapot-tyrant. The door had swung open for him, Yuu and Grim watching as the porch forcibly pushed Ace into them. Yuu’s eyes had widened, automatically opening their arms to catch the ginger.
Since then, Ramshackle had gotten more and more forthcoming when their fellow first years had entered Yuu’s life. Allowing Jack into the dorm once he had given them his help, allowing Deuce and Ace to sneak in after overblots in search of comfort, when Sebek, Epel, and Ortho had crashed after a long day, Ramshackle was there, pushing along blankets and having mugs fly around in search of hot chocolate.
The dorm was rather protective as well. Before Azul’s overblot, the dorm had caused Jade and Floyd grievances when Octavinelle attempted a takeover. The floorboards would ripple across the dorm, trying to get rid of the Octavinelle influences in Ramshackle. When Yuu and Grim first had to leave, the door had kept slamming shut as a way to keep them there. Yuu had found it sweet, in a way.
Of all the troublesome students at Night Raven College, their dorm would always have their back.
With Grim curled up by their side, Yuu took the time to truly observe Ramshackle. The curtains had waved back at them, and the unused couch cushion that laid next to them jumped up when Yuu pat it. The peeling wallpaper seemed to stick up straight when Yuu gazed at it, and they smiled.
Turning over to their side, Yuu had an inclination to send the idea of a sleepover to their friends. After they pinged them, Yuu once again smiled as Ramshackle brought over a blanket and dimmed the lights. Wrapping their arms around Grim, they fell into sleep, knowing that their dorm would watch over them.