My Dream

🍎 Rook Hunt

"Ah! My Petit Oiseau Chanteur!" Rook beamed at the girl, taking her hand to press a kiss to it. "I was so thrilled to receive your message!"

Gwen giggled. "It's good to see you Rook!"

"Y-you scared me!" Ace panted, once his racing heart settled and he could calm down.

"He just popped up behind us!" Deuce shouted.

Rook let out a hearty chuckle. "Did I frighten you? Pardon." Though he didn't look very apologetic. "I've always had the bad habit of silencing my footsteps when I get close to people."

"Allow me to reintroduce myself to you three." Rook continued turning to the braincell trio. "My name is Rook Hunt. I am Le Chasseur d'Amour, my theme in life is the search for beauty and to support it. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Here's the weirdo." Leona tsked, trying to tug Gwen closer to his side.

"And good day to you, Rou du Leon." Rook greeted jovially. "It's lunch break but where oh where is Monsieur Dandelion?"

"He's not with me 24/7." Leona snapped. "Take the other herbivores and get out of my sight."

"Monsieur Dandelion is...?" Deuce asked.

"Oh, Rook told me about this one!" Gwen started to say.

"Wait, hold up!" Ace cut in. "Gwen... when have you been talking to Rook? He's never around when we're with you."

"Oh, Rook and I text each other all the time." Gwen answered.

"When did you exchange numbers?" Grim asked.

"Oh, it's so pretty now!" She stood up and hugged Vil. "Thank you so much!"

"You're quite welcome, Princess." Vil said.

"Allow me to escort you home, my dear!" Rook said.

"Okay." Gwen agreed, grinning as Rook led her away.

"Do you have a phone?" Rook asked as they made their way to the mirror.

"Yes! Do you want to trade numbers?" Gwen asked.

"Oui! I'd be delighted too!" Rook replied, eagerly whipping out his phone.

"Oh that makes sense." Deuce said. "But who's Monsieur Dandelion?"

Rook chuckled to himself. "He is none other than the right hand man of Roi du Leon, Ruggie."

"Why do you call him dandelion?" Grim asked. "Cause his hair's yellow and sticks up all over the place?"

"Non, non." Rook shook his head. "There's another reason. It was in the spring of last year... right around the time the first signs of spring were starting to come to life around this institution..."

Ruggie walked along the sports field, occasionally bending down to inspect something on the ground. Dandelions, still in their yellow stage. He pluck them, and then drop them into an ever growing pile at his feet.

"Oh-kay, this is a good amount." He decided, examining his loot. "Now I've gotta pick them before they turn into puff-balls."

"Bonjour, monsieur." Rook greeted from behind Ruggie.

"GAHH!!" Ruggie jumped and whirled around to face the hunter. "What's your problem!?"

"My apologies." Rook began, although he didn't look sorry to Ruggie. "I'm Rook Hunt from Pomefiore. The way you were moving was truly fascinating so I couldn't help but get your attention."

"Fascinating?" Ruggie asked, suspicion all over his face. "All I'm doing is picking dandelions."

"You certainly went all out picking those." Rook said, examining Ruggie's pile. "What do you plan to do with them?"

"I'm going to eat them, obviously." Ruggie answered.

"What!?" Rook could not hide his flabbergasted expression.

"You can eat them as a salad, fry them, or brew tea..." Ruggie listed. "More importantly, they grow everywhere and are free for the taking. They're a lifesaver for broke folks like me. Well, that probably doesn't matter to rich boys like you. This month is going to be tight, and I need to fill my belly. Which means I'm not just playing around. Please, leave me alone."

"That's how he got his title." Rook said, ending his little tale. "Since that encounter, as a sign of respect for him and his use of roadside dandelions as provisions... I call him Monsieur Dandelion."

"Ruggie eats dandelions!?" Ace looked bewildered. "Pretty sure that's not respectful!"

"Is he really okay with anything as long as it isn't rotten?" Leona asked himself. "He better not be making me eat them."

"Non, non. They aren't poisonous." Rook replied. "You shouldn't be so picky, Roi du Leon."

"Are dandelions tasty?" Grim wondered. "I'm gonna take a bite of the next one I see."

"Good grief, Grim." Deuce shook his head. "We keep telling you to stop just eating stuff off the ground."

"One of these days, you are going to bite into something poisonous!" Gwen added.

Ace gasped suddenly. "We got totally detailed by talking with Rook!" He realized. "We're here about the audition."

"Crap, that's right!" Deuce's eyes widened. "Rook, we'd like to enter the audition for VDC."

"Apologies." Rook said and this time he seemed to mean it. "Getting conversations off track is another bad habit of mine. You two are from Heartslabuyl."

Rook turned to examine Ace and Deuce. "Class 1-A, number 25, human, measuring 172cm, Ace Trappola and... number 24 of the same class 1-A, human, measuring 173cm, Deuce Spade."

Rook then turned to Gwen and Grim. "And of course, my Petit Oiseau Chanteur, the human prefect of Ramshackle Dorm and the monster measuring approximately 70cm, Grim."

"Huh?" Deuce looked confused. "How and why do you know our class and student number?!"

"I'm more worried that he knows our heights!" Ace cut in, looking a little scared.

"Gwen, you can't be telling weirdos everything about us!" Grim chastised.

"Oh, I didn't tell him anything." Gwen replied.

Rook chuckled again. "As a hunter, it's my duty to be able to grasp the type and size of and student here. Or else I could be in trouble when the time comes, no?"

"So, is there paperwork we need to fill out to audition?" Gwen asked.

"As long as you declare your intent then there's no real need for you to fill out any paperwork." Rook answered. "Three days from now, after class has concluded we shall hold the audition in the Pomefiore ballroom. Don't let it slip your mind."

"Yessir!" The group replied in unison.

"How long do you plan to take up space around my desk?" Leona asked, having grown very annoyed at them all. "Get out of my sight."

"Oh, I have a wonderful idea!" Rook said. "Why don't you join us on stage at VDC? Your physical abilities are second to none. Dance should come to you without issue, and your voice carries wonderfully. Although I have never seen a lion sing even in Afterglow Savannah, I'm sure your performance would be unforgettable."

"Who would take part in dumb a game like that?" Leona asked, scowling. "That loudmouth Vil would be there too. Absolutely not."

"Vil who possesses an urban beauty and Leona who possesses a wild beauty." Rook said, seemingly to himself. "The image of the two of you on stage would be marvelous. Seeing your two different types of beauty playing off each other, très bien!"

"Tch." Leona lowered his head to his desk. "This crazy guy has zero intention of listening to what people are saying."