Once in a Blue Moon [Disney Twisted Wonderland OC]

Shadow of Clear Skies

This chapter is also heavily revised. Despite the writer's block I had with this arc, I don't regret my decision to go back and revise it.

...

She doesn't really like clear skies. It feels like the sun is shining on the ugliness she tries to hide.

That was why she was a little uncomfortable with him at first.

A relaxed laugh rang beneath the bright blue skies devoid of clouds.

"I'm Caelum, Sidney's caretaker and also your neighbor. Nice to meet you, [...]."

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Shadow of Clear Skies
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That following morning, Strix had a long day ahead of her in her mission to restore Ramshackle Dorm to livable condition. No more dust bunnies and cobwebs, no more musty curtains and chipped walls. She can't continue residing in a sorry state just to receive pitying looks and condolences.

This project has been in progress since Strix officially became the prefect. With the help of the ghosts (despite them voicing they wanted to keep the haunted aesthetic going), the workload was less taxing than just between a human non-mage girl and a little sentient monster.

On weekends, they take the day to clean. The sooner they finish the better they can relax without dust crumbling on top of them.

With this determined mindset, Strix would take her dose of caffeine in the morning to keep herself wide awake. Grim practically shrieked the first time he had witnessed a wide-eyed, unblinking Strix that could rival an owl's creepiness holding a mug of purely bitter black coffee. She could win a staring contest just by weirding people out to the point they can't bear looking into her round eyes. Strix was not proud of this, to be honest.

While Strix entrusted the ghost trio to remove the nailed wood planks barring the windows from the outside, Strix and Grim focused on giving their bedroom a paint job.

Sporting an apron over her simple white T-shirt and baggy jean pants (friendly reminder that these are all hand-me-downs because she's dirt poor) and tied cloth over her head, the prefect was painting the walls to their bright beige glory. Grim was tasked with reaching the corners and spaces Strix can't reach with his magic.

Strix was humming the "Whistle While You Work" song from Snow White while she stood on a chair and made long strokes with the paintbrush. She had asked Riddle for the paintbrushes with the promise of being responsible to return what was borrowed. As for the beige paint, she had to personally pay out of her wallet using the monthly allowance from Crowley and "tips" as a part-timer at Heartslabyul. Sam's store never fails to have anything and everything for sale.

Strix soon worked her way to the green shelf holding two storage boxes and a large empty jar. Now to move these out of the way...

The female carefully carries the boxes and sets them on a round table meant to be for the chair by the fireplace. She opened the one box that has contents that may or may not be fragile if handled carelessly. It's been a month since she last checked.

Upon lifting the lid, she stared inside. A towel folded neatly inside served as a cushion for two glass cookie jars. One has colorful gem-like rocks of different shapes. Oddly enough, there wasn't three of them before.

However, the one that immediately had her pupils zero in is the other container. There's no black rock inside as it should have been! The same suspicious black rock that Grim keeps eating off the floor at any given opportunity-