Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Valentina Corey woke with a start at the sound of grumbling and scratching. It was dark, where ever she was, and oh so cramped. She couldn’t even move her arms without hitting something velvet around herself. Despite her shuffling and breathing beginning to pick up as she started to panic, the voice outside continued as well as the scratching. It was muffled but she could still make out the voice.

“This lid is too heavy,” the voice whined as the scratching continued forward. “Time to use my secret move.”

Suddenly, it was blazing hot as well as cramped. Smoke pouring in through the cracks and making her cough. Her breathing picked up again despite her attempts to not panic. “F-fire,” she finally managed to choke out as she pushed forward. Banging on the obstacle in front of her in an attempt to move the obstruction.

Finally, the door gave, and she went tumbling forward onto black marble flooring. More choking and coughs leftover from the flames tumbled forward from her throat leaving it raw and parched. She blinked, eyes adjusting to the still low-lighting as she did her best to regain control of her breathing.

“Ok, I gotta get… GAH! What are you doing up?” She took another labored breath before looking over at the sound of the voice. What she found wasn’t exactly what she would normally expect to see.

Standing not two feet from her was a smaller creature no more than a foot tall with grey fur and blue flames coming out of its ears. It almost looked like a cat, but not any breed that Valentina had ever seen before. Cats didn’t talk or have fire ears or pitch-forked tails.

“Ahhh! What kind of cat are you?” She yelled then looked around the room in search of an exit. But she was instead met with a similar strange sight, the sight of floating coffins surrounding her. “And, why am I surrounded by floating coffins?”

“I’m not a cat, I’m the Great Grim!” The creature exclaimed excitedly before moving itself from its hind legs and onto all fours. “Now give me that robe, human. Or I’ll roast ya!”

Robe? Valentina looked down and saw a stunning silk robe did indeed adorn her body. It was probably the most expensive thing she had ever worn in her life from the feet of it, all black, violet, and gold trimmings, as well as embroidered keys on the inside layer—all of it, held secure by a belt. But… she could have sworn she was wearing her uniform for the diner not long ago. She had been on her way home from a shift there after all. Had someone snatched her and drugged her before locking her up in that coffin thing?

She didn’t have time to really think on it, instead trying to scramble backward as the creature continued to stalk forward, ready to pounce.  Violently, she pushed back in an attempt to scramble to her feet only for her back to be met with something firm. It wasn’t until it started to give way, she looked back in time to see a coffin come tumbling down to the ground—the door flying open and allowing a body to come tumbling out.

She recognized the body immediately. How could she not? They had been classmates since they were children and on the same Cologuard and dance team together. The blonde boy cut, short face, and pasty white skin were easy to recognize. They were dressed in the same robe as Valentina and seemed to be stirring slowly, blinking open eyes as green as new spring leaves.

“Kimmy? Kimberlee wake up, we have to go!” Valentina said in a panic as she pulled her barely roused friend from her sleep.

“What’s going on? Val? Is that you? What are you wearing? Where the hell are we?”

“No time, come on let’s move.” Valentina quickly pulled Kimberlee to her feet. An impressive feat considering the six-inch height difference between the two of them.

“Hey get back here and give me your robe!” The creature yelled back at them as they began running to the exit, a set of large and heavy-looking double doors.

“What the hell is that?” Kimberlee asked in a panic, her long legs easily keeping up with Valentina’s shorter ones as she let them forward.

“You really wanna stick around and find out?”

“Not particularly.”

“That’s what I thought, now let’s go.” The two of them threw open the doors then and began running out into an unfamiliar night.

…

“Oh dear, it appears some students got a little excited this year,” Crowley, headmaster of Night Raven College, mused as he looked at the two open coffins in the room. He had arrived well before the dorm leaders to prep the mirror for the sorting ceremony but it appears he would have to go find the trouble makers who broke out of their coffins rather than help the dorm leaders with their introductions.

He quickly rightens the coffin that had fallen to the floor, closing the door as well as shutting the door to the open coffin that was floating. He clicked his tongue in disapproval at the signs of burning on the wood before flitting his magic pen to repair the damages. He turned on his heel then and began heading for the door and out into the courtyard. He doubted the students could get far before he found them.

…

Kimberlee may have been taller but she was much clumsier than her friend, causing her to constantly trip over her feet as Valentina pulled her forward to attempt to lose the monster on their tails. Her black bobbed hair was flying all around her face as she whipped her head around to figure out where to lead the two of them. Kimberlee could only look back and watch as the monster continued to run after them on all fours.

“It’s going to catch us,” Kimberlee squeaked before getting yanked forward once more by her friend.

“Not if we keep moving,” Valentina rationalized as they turned the corner a few more times before ducking through another set of heavy doors and slamming them shut, both of them panting as they closed the doors.

“I think we’re safe now,” Valentina exclaimed—her breathing still labored.

“Are you ok, do you have your inhaler?” Kimberlee asked, eyes full on concern as she watched her friend struggle to catch her breath.

“I’m ok, I just need a moment. I don’t think I have it anyway.” Valentina exclaimed before sliding to the floor. Kimberlee stayed upright though as she surveyed where they had ended up. It looked like a library from what little light the candles gave and the moonlight streaming in through an open window. Only, there were books floating from shelving carts and putting themselves back into place.

“What… is this place?” Kimberlee asked eyes full of aw and wonder.

“I don’t know, are we dreaming?” Valentina asked as she rose to her feet—a little unsteady. Even if she didn’t go into full-blown asthma attacks like she did when she was younger, the running still put a strain on her body—the same it did after performances.

“Must be a mass hallucination then,” Valentina joked dryly—looking up at Kimberlee with dark eyes and doing her best to smile.

“Did you really think you could escape my nose dumb humans?” The voice from earlier startled the two girls making them jump and watch as the cat-like creature crawled out of an open floor vent and into the room. They were trapped against the door. There was no way that Valentina was in any kind of condition to go sprinting again and Kimberlee wasn’t going to leave her there.

“No, hand over those robes before GAH—” The girls watched as a leather whip coiled its way around the small creature and yanked it back harshly. “W-what’s with this cord?”

“This is no mere cord; this is my lash of love!” The figure who came from behind one of the bookcases lectured the creature—holding it up like a fish on a line. The man wore a raven mask and was dressed in black with feathers and mirrors with a matching top hat. His hair was green and his skin looked like fresh white paper, the only thing Kimberlee could see about his eyes was that they seemed to glow yellow even with the low lighting.

“Ah, I found you two at last. Are you some of the new students?” He asked but neither Kimberlee nor Valentina responded—still in awe and shock at the man in front of them. “You shouldn’t do something like that, leaving the Gate on your own. Not only that one of you can’t even be bothered to tame your familiar.”

“I’m not a freaking familiar,” the monster protested as it continued to try and struggle free of the whip.

“Sure, sure, the rebellious ones always say that,” the man said before pulling a handkerchief from his vest pocket and shoving it into the creature’s mouth effectively muffling it.

“My goodness how impatient can you two be it is completely unprecedented I tell you,” the man groaned as he moved forward towards the girls. “Come now, the entrance ceremony is already underway.”

“New Student?” Valentina asked while Kimberlee said “Gate?”

“It’s that room you woke up in with all the doors,” he began to explain though Kimberlee would hardly call them doors over coffins. “All students who wish to attend this academy must pass through one of those doors to arrive here. Normally students only wake up after a special key is used to open the doors…” He trailed off than allowing the two to speak.

“So, when the fire busted open mine, and then I crashed hard into Kimberlee’s…” Valentina mused her voice trailing off in thought as well.

“So, in the end, it is the familiar’s fault. Honestly, if you are going to bring your familiar into this academy then it must be trained properly. Oh, if you would look at the time, it appears I have been rather long-winded. The entrance ceremony will be closing soon if we don’t hurry. We best get a move on.”

“Hold on,” Valentina said digging her heels into the ground, preventing the man from attempting to move her forward like Kimberlee was. “We have no idea who you are or where we are.”

“What is this, did the early awakening leave you dazed?” He asked as he cocked his head to the side in curiosity. “Well, no matter, I’m sure it’s fine. I shall give you an explanation along the way for I am gracious.”

Kimberlee looked over to Valentina, who was also looking at her. The two of them unsure if they should follow the raven-themed man or not. It screamed stranger danger but… what other choice did they have.

“Come along now boy, I would hate to have to sort you and escort you to your dorms personally.” The man called after them making them both raise their eyebrows in confusion.

“Boys?” Kimberlee muttered her nose scrunching up. She was used to the mistake. With her height, build, and haircut she was often mistaken for a boy—but the same couldn’t be said about Valentina with her petite frame and fuller body.

Either way, the girls were quick to follow after the man and listen to his explanation.

…

               Kristina Kaiser knew she was a deep sleeper but this was ridiculous. She swore she was in bed at home, having fallen asleep trying to put a recruitment real together, but now she was here. Where ever there was. Her first instinct when the door to whatever coffin bed thing, she had been laying it was taking in her surroundings. There were easily three hundred other people's sardines stuffed into the room Was she dreaming? This didn’t seem like something she would dream about. Too fanciful for her taste. When she dreamed it was usually of hitting her Volleyball coach with a spike for not playing her.

               Still, she wasn’t one to panic—eyes gazing around the room until they fell upon a familiar face.

               Eva Frost was in the same computer class as her last year. Though the two of them never talked really. It made sense with her emo haircut and jumpy nature. The girl already looked like she was going to start crying and panicking at the drop of a hat, but no one else seemed to be paying her any mind.

               Kristina pushed her way through the crowd over to where the girl was standing frozen in place—her blue eyes jumping all around as if trying to watch a sports match. She let out a squeak when Kristina put a hand on her shoulder, completely unaware of her surroundings.

               “You, ok?” Kristina asked. Eva opened her mouth like she wanted to talk but no sound came out. Instead, she pushed herself closer to Kristina as an obnoxious red-headed boy pushed past them to try and get to the front of something.

               “Oh, thank god, what the hell is going on here?” Kristina could feel herself letting out a low growl unintentionally at the sound of the voice. She turned and sure enough, there stood Fiona Alagona just as perky and optimistic as ever. The blonde girl was looking around curiously at the various areas and people—seeming to take the whole situation surprisingly well.

               “No idea, I was hoping Eva here knew but she’s as quiet as ever,” Kristina explained doing her best to keep her cool while Eva seemed to ignore them completely in favor of making sure no one else around them touched her.

               “Wait, I think I see Annemarie,” Fiona quipped. Jumping up and waving her arms frantically to signal a heavier set girl with braided caramel-blonde colored hair.  She saw them instantly and began pushing her way through the crowd to get to them. It took a good few minutes but she managed to make it to them.

               “What’s going on?” She asked, breath ragged from the effort of pushing past so many people. Kristina clicked her tongue in annoyance. A cheerleader shouldn’t be that out of breath, but she supposed Annemarie was likely panicking from all the people and not really recognizing anyone. “I was leaving cheer practice and now I’m here.”

               “What the hell makes you think we know?” Kristina asked, the nerves starting to make her more aggressive. The more people began to panic the more she would begin to panic and that wasn’t good.

               “You guys wanna keep raising your voices so everyone here knows we don’t belong? Or do you want to stay calm so we can find a way out?” The cool voice sent a shiver down Kristina’s spine and she turned to see Judith Wieck standing there—the resting bitch face ever-present.

               “What are you talking about?” Annemarie snapped, crossing her arms. Ah right, Kristina remembered hearing something about the two of them having beef, though she didn’t know all the details. Just that there was a huge fight last year making the already rocky relationship the two seemed to have that much worse.

               “Clearly no one else seems to be panicking, meaning they are supposed to be here,” Judith replied—her tone not giving into the aggression that was instigated. “So we are outsiders here. The clothing isn’t usual and seems like a uniform or ceremony robe of some kind. I would guess a cult of some sort. Perhaps we were picked up for a kind of initiation? I’m not sure, but I would rather not stick around to find out.”

               She had a point, this whole thing smelled fishy. Kristina was inclined to go with what line of thinking. Better safe than sorry after all.

               Before they could discuss further options there was a hush over all the voices and everyone turned to face a boy with crimson hair standing in front of a floating mirror. His presence seemed to command the room as all eyes, even the girls, seemed trained on him.

               “Welcome to Night Raven College, I am Riddle Rosehearts and dorm leader of Heartslabyul dormitory,” the boy started. A school? What kind of school kidnapped people to be their students? And what was up with his name? “I would like to congratulate all of you for being accepted into our prestigious academy. In a moment we will ask you all to line up in a calm and orderly fashion to receive your dorm assignments from the mirror. Do not push or else it will be off with your heads.”

               “Yeah, I don’t like the sound of that, where’s the door?” Fiona whispered to us and for once Kristina couldn’t agree more.

               Unfortunately, the door in question seemed blocked off by a bunch of older students.

               “We are going to have to wait till people are distracted then slip out. Hopefully, find a phone to call someone. Unless one of you happens to have a phone in your robe?” Judith almost sounded hopeful as she spoke but after feeling around the others all shook their heads too. When their clothes got changed their phones must have gotten taken with them.

               A bright green light stole all of their attention and… was that a face in a mirror. Kristina blinked, her panic slowly rising. Just what the hell was happening in this place?

               “And now, please step forward and let the Dark Mirror reveal the shape of your soul,” the boy—Riddle said before moving to the side with five other people and … a floating tablet? She blinked and shook her head this place was too weird.

               They needed to get out of here and fast.

Chapter Text

Kimberlee continued to follow closely behind the strange man that claimed to be the headmaster of whatever school they had landed themselves in somehow. Valentina was next to her, but the bronze-skinned girl seemed to be taking in the surroundings of the quad area they were cutting through to get back to the room they had run from. The creature squirming and protesting the whole way, handkerchief still in its mouth.

               The man cleared his throat then, garnering both Kimberlee and Valentina’s attention.

               “This is Night Raven College,” he stated then as he made a sweeping gesture to motion to the various buildings all liked together to likely form the main school building. “Those magicians blessed with an aptitude for magic gather here from all over the world, here at the most prestigious school in Twisted Wonderland. I am the headmaster of this academy appointed by the chairman, Dire Crowley.”

               “Ma…gicians?” Kimberlee choaked out. Was this Hogwarts? Did she get an owl late or something? Magic didn’t exist and this kind of thing only happened in the young adult novels she rented from the library. She looked over at Valentina who was just as confused.

               “Where the hell is Twisted Wonderland?” Valentina whispered to Kimberlee only to get a shrug in response. Even if they were getting answers, they felt just as lost as they had been, to begin with. If the man, Crowley, had heard them he chose to ignore them in favor of continuing his explanation.  

               “Only those magicians seen as worthy by the Dark Mirror can attend this school. Chosen ones use the gate and are summoned here from all over the world.” He paused to look back at the two, seeing that they were indeed still following him. “An ebony carriage carrying a Gate should have gone to meet you as well.”

               Kimberlee felt a sudden pounding in her head. A hand raising to rub at her temple as the image of an all-black carriage pulled by dark horses raced its way into her mind. They hadn’t looked normal, almost ghostly in their appearance.

               “I think I remember horses with terrifying faces,” Kimberlee managed to get out.

               “Speak for yourself,” Valentina groaned. She was clutching her own head as well. “I barely remember what the carriage looks like.”

               “The Ebony Carriage goes to welcome new students chosen by the Dark Mirror.” Crowley continued, barely any concern for the sudden headaches the memories caused on the girls. “They are special carriages brought that carry the doors to the academy. The Market decided long ago that carriages are used to welcome people on special days.”

               “So, you’re saying the carriage just brought us here all on its own?” Valentina snapped, the sudden pain to her head clearly putting her in a foul mood. Kimberlee could only flinch in response. She hated when people were in bad moods, even if they were justified. The issues with empathy she supposed.

               Valentina’s question was quickly brushed off though as the monster cat started to struggle again, earning a sharp shake from Crowley. Kimberlee felt bad for the creature, even if it had chased them around the halls. She still didn’t like seeing the poor thing man-handled and tossed around like a rag doll.

               “Come, Let’s go to the entrance ceremony.”

…

               Fiona was sure that they had missed their opening to escape. There had only been one opening the whole ceremony and it had gotten snatched away by some guy with red hair dragging a shorter one through the doors. They had shuffled over to the side of the wall with students who were already sorted to prevent themselves from going up to the ominous-looking mirror that kept yelling out names she could hardly remember.

               “Is that all for the new student’s dorm assignments?” The redhead from the start of the ceremony asked. No one spoke up. Everyone who was supposed to be there had already been assigned a dorm. “Listen up new students. Here in Heartslabyul, I am the rules. Break them and it’s off with your heads.”

               Fiona felt an involuntary gulp form from the threat.

               “Uggghhh… The stuffy ceremony is finally over.” A man with terra-cotta skin groaned. Upon closer inspection, Fiona could see a Lion’s tail swishing behind him in irritation. A lion’s tail? Just what the hell was this place? Certainly not any place she had heard of on earth. “We’re going back to the dorm. Savanahclaw, follow me.”

               “To the new students, congratulations on entering this academy. Enjoy your life here to its fullest.” A guy with silvery hair and glasses said in a sickeningly sweet voice and a smile that was much too wide to be genuine. “As the dormitory leader of Octavinelle, I will support you to the best of my ability.”

               “We should sneak out with one of the dorms and make a run for it,” Judith suggested in a hushed whisper to their little group.

               “Split up too,” Kristina suggested in agreement. “If we disappear in a group like that someone is going to notice.”

               “That’s stupid we won’t be able to find each other,” Annemarie protested quietly and Eva seemed to nod in response. Fiona couldn’t help but feel bad for her upperclassmen Eva. She still hadn’t spoken a word since they found her. Not that she was very talkative, to begin with.

               “By the way,” a man that was strikingly beautiful with his golden blonde hair and violet ends began to ask. “Where did the headmaster go? He missed the whole ceremony.”

               “Abandoning his post…” A voice spoke from the floating tablet.  

               “Did he get a stomachache or something?” The man with fluffy white hair and royal purple turban asked as he crossed his arms across his chest in curiosity.

               “Not at all!” A voice rang out as a man dressed in the most over-the-top top-hat and cape Fiona had ever seen walked in. A raven mask firmly on his face. Behind him trailed two figures, one around the same height as the man and one about half a foot shorter.

               And unfortunately, the five of them recognized them instantly as Valentina and Kimberlee, a couple of freshmen from last year. The perks and hindrances of growing up going to a small-town school.  It would only complicate things further as now they had to decide if they tried to get the two of them out two or leave them as lost causes.

               “Ah he’s here,” Riddle said in a hummed approval.

               “I cannot believe you all. We were missing not one but two new students, so I went to find them” the man complained as he shoved Valentina and Kimberlee forward. “You two should be the only ones who have yet to be assigned a dormitory, I shall watch over the raccoon, step in front of the Dark Mirror. Go on, hurry up now.”

               Something resembling a flaming cat struggled in the man’s grasp, letting out strangled cries. He shook the creature to shut it up. Fiona almost stepped forward and stopped him, opening her mouth ready to give away her position but Kristina grabbed her arm first to hold her back. Shaking her head with a sour look on her face as she looked at Fiona.

               Fiona sighed, as much as she hated it—Kristina was right. They couldn’t risk it over a cat. Even if the treatment of the creature was appalling.

               “State thy names!” The glowing mirror demanded as it had hundreds of times already that night.

               “Valentina Corey.”

               “Kimberlee Daniels.”

               “The shape of thy souls are….” There was a silence as the mirror thought. Almost like it was a booting-up web browser. “I do not know.”

               “Come again?” The top-hat man asked—shock gracing his face. Fiona was glad they hadn’t gone up to the mirror. This same result would have likely happened with them. Where ever they were, they clearly didn’t belong there.

               “I sense not a spark of magic from either of these two. The color, the shape, all are nothing. Therefore, they are suited for no dormitory.”

               There was a mumble that ripped through the crowd at the mirror’s words. This was clearly not something that happened regularly.

               “An Ebony Carriage would absolutely never go to meet students who can’t use magic!” The man protested as he marched past the girls to the mirror. As if confronting the mirror would make it change its mind. “In 100 years, there has not once been a mistake in student selection. So why in the world…”

               “mghmgh… pah!” The creature finally managed to spit out the cloth that had been shoved in its mouth. “Then I’ll take their place!”

               The creature managed to squirm its way out of the whip that was holding it in place. Scampering across the floor to present himself in front of the mirror and headmaster. “Unlike these dumb humans, I can use magic! Let me in the school instead! If you need proof, I’ll show you right now!”

               Fiona had no idea what was going on as the creature seemed to take a deep inhale. Even as Riddle called out for everyone to get down, Fiona just stood there until someone yanked her down. Likely Kristina since she was the one standing closest to her.

               The five of them could only watch in horror and awe as a cat started to breathe fire right in front of them. However, it wasn’t aiming where ever it was firing and it managed to catch on the man with the turban.

               “Waaah! Hottttt! My butt’s on fire!” He yelled out as he began to frantically try and put out the fire.

               “At this rate, the school will be a sea of fire!” The headmaster stated in concern as the other students all began to panic. “Somebody, catch that raccoon!”

               “Che,” the man with lion ears who had yet to introduce himself quipped. “Suck-ups.”

               “Hmm? Aren’t you good at hunting? Doesn’t it look like a nice, plump snack?” The beautiful man from earlier egged on only to earn an eye-roll in response.

               “Why me? Do it yourself.” For a building being on fire around them, they seemed remarkably calm. Even considering that one of their own was still trying to put out the fire on their clothing.

               “Mr. Crowley,” The silver-haired man with the glasses interjected. “Please leave it to me. I’m sure the others couldn’t stomach caressing the poor creature, so I will take it upon myself.”

               Somehow Fiona doubted that was the reasoning for all of their reluctance.

               “That’s Azul for you. Always trying to earn himself points.” The tablet said in an almost sigh in response to the glasses man, Azul’s words.

               “Ummm, hey, could someone put out my butt fire already!?” The turban man cried out again. Someone with long raven hair and braids was attempting to push forward to where they were but he seemed to keep getting pushed back by the crowds.

               “Are you all even listening?” The man, Crowley chided at the group. And honestly, Fiona couldn’t blame him. They were all completely disinterested in the situation despite the situation. It would be the perfect escape diversion if not for the fact the doors were most definitely blocked by bodies right then. And poor Valentina and Kimberlee were caught right in the middle of the whole disaster, absolutely surrounded by the flames.

               “If it’s just catching some stupid raccoon, can’t you do it yourself, Teach?” The lion-man asked still as bored as ever.

               “How many times do I have to tell you, I’m not a raccoon! The Great Grim that will become the greatest magician is me!” The creature protested at the comparison to a raccoon.

               “I think we are going to burn to a crisp before they do anything about that cat,” Annemarie exclaimed as she looked on in horror. Though, she had to stand on her toes to really see with so many taller boys surrounding them.

               “It certainly has moxie. Care to help me, Riddle?” Azul asked as he pulled out something short with a gem. It looked almost like a pen from what Fiona could tell.

               “I can’t overlook those who break rules. Let’s hurry and get it.” Riddle concluded pulling out a pen of his own. But the gem looked different. Where Azul’s looked like a diamond, Riddle’s looked like a ruby. The two quickly set to work, flashes of what appeared to be magic flying as they began to chase the grey cat creature around the room.

               Someone was tugging on Fiona’s sleeve then and she turned to see Judith standing next to her. The brunette pulled her close to whisper in her ear.

               “Let’s grab Kim and Val while they are distracted.” Fiona was almost shocked at the prospect. Judith never seemed the type to stick her neck out for others. But then Fiona remembered that both Valentina and Kimberlee were on the dance team with her. She probably felt responsible for them to some degree.

               Still, Fiona was terrified about the idea of stepping out into that sea of flames. Her feet planted on the ground firmly as she shook her head.

               “How pathetic,” she thought to herself. “I’m willing to risk everything over a cat but can’t lift a finger to help classmates.”

               Judith only clicker her tongue before pushing forward through the crowd to try and grab the two sophomores, pulling her hood up along the way in an attempt to conceal her long hair and face. Fiona watched Judith work. She was almost there, just only having to reach out and grab one of them to get the attention of both. But it was too late. Azul and Riddle caught the cat.

               “OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!” Riddle yelled suddenly and Fiona watched as a metal black and white collar appeared on the cat.

               “Nygah! The heck is this!?” The creature, Grim, cried out.

               “Laws of the Queen of Hearts Number 23: ‘One shall never bring a cat into a festival.’ You being a cat means you’ve broken the rule. I shall have you leave at once.” Riddle explained though Fiona didn’t really understand what he was saying.

               “Did you get that?” Fiona asked Annemarie but the shorter girl didn’t reply—her grey eyes instead focused in irritation on where Judith was trying to get the sophomores.

               “What the hell is she doing acting on her own like that?” Annemarie almost growled getting everyone’s attention from the scene with Grim and onto Judith.

               “You two must do something about this! It is your familiar! Properly—”

               “How many times do we have to tell you we haven’t ever seen that creature before in our lives?” Kimberlee cried clearly looking panicked over the whole situation.

               “Y-you did?” Crowley awkwardly cleared his throat. “Anyway, let’s get it out of the school at any rate. We won’t turn you into stew for I am gracious. Someone help, please.”

               The creature protested the whole way and time as a few faceless students began to drag the creature out of the room. Leaving the doors open in the process. This was their chance. All Judith had to do was grab them and run and they were home free.

               Unfortunately, Valentina and Kimberlee didn’t seem as wary of the situation as the rest of them were.

               “Jude? Is that you?” Kimberlee asked as she began to dry her eyes making the brunette freeze in place as all eyes were on her. Unfortunately, that made all eyes turn to her, especially when the six-foot girl went running over to her and hugged her fiercely—spinning her around and causing Judith’s hood to go flying off her head to show her face and let her dark hair tumble free.

               A face that in no way could be mistaken for a guy with her high cheekbones, large hazel eyes, and slender frame.

               “Is that a girl?” Several people began to whisper after the explanation was out there. And unfortunately, the realization that Judith was there had Valentina searching the crowds as well for people. Allowing her to easily spot them, especially with Kristina being easily spotted over the crowd.

               “Kris, Anne, and Eva and Fiona? Is that all of you?” Valentina asked curiously making Kristina curse under her breath while Eva turned to a plank. Annemarie could only groan though as they began to push forward. The boys around them parting like the red sea to watch them join the two sophomores and junior in the middle of the room.

               “There are more of you? You’re all girls?” Crowley exclaimed in shock. “And not one of you can use magic?”

               Before they could even answer the mirror answered for them. “There is not a spec of magic on any of their souls. Not a single one. No color. No shape. They are suited for no dormitory.”

               “Gee, thanks for that,” Kristina huffed though if it was at the mirror, Valentina for calling them out, or Judith for trying to play the hero—Fiona had no idea.

               “Kim can you please put me down,” Judith said from where she was still being held by Kimberlee—her cheeks flushed from the embarrassment of having all eyes on her. Judith’s predicament might have made Fiona giggle if not for their current situation.

               “Oh, sorry,” Kimberlee said sheepishly as she finally let her teammate down.

               “Anyway,” Crowley said as he cleared his throat again. “We had a bit of trouble along the way but this brings the entrance ceremony to a close. Dormitory Heads, please show the new students back to their dormitories… hm? Now that I think about it, I don’t see the leader for Daisonmia, Mr. Draconia around at all…”

               “That’s no different from usual, is it?” lion-man growled, the name seeming to strike a chord of irritation with him.

               “What? Did nobody tell him about the ceremony?” The turban man noted. It seems like he and the guy with the long back hair had finally managed to put out the fire on his butt at least and he was back to being his more cheerful self.

               “If you’re going to complain, you should’ve done it yourself.” The beautiful man chided.

               “Hmmm. But I don’t really know anything about that guy.” There were audience members murmuring all around them then, shifting from the attendance of girls at a seemingly all-boys school to the new guy that was mentioned. Something about “Malleus Draconia” and “Scary” was about the only thing Fiona could pick up on though.

               “I was correct. I thought he might come but Malleus really didn’t. It seems the invitation ‘never arrived’ again.” A guy with ruby eyes and pink highlights in his hair sighed in disappointment.

               “My deepest apologies. I promise we didn’t intend to exclude him.” Azul said to the man though something about the way he said it made Fiona doubt the sincerity again.

               “His aura makes it hard to approach him,” Riddle added in passing.

               “It’s fine. Members of Daisomia Dormitory can come with me. I hope this doesn’t upset him…” Somehow Fiona was glad she didn’t have to risk running into him if half of what she heard was true. Guys like that didn’t tend to handle their ‘upset’ well from what she experienced.

               The seven of them stayed there as the students filed out. The room seems so much larger without all the people in it. And then it was just them and the headmaster, Crowley.

               “Then, Girls, I’m terribly sorry about this but… we must have you leave this school.” He said and there was a collective sigh of relief that went through the group of them. It was all a misunderstanding. Not a cult. They were going to be ok. “Those without any talent for magic cannot be allowed to attend class here. There is no need to worry. The Dark Mirror will send you directly back from whence you came. Enter the Gate, and picture your home clearly in your mind…”

               “Hmm, no place like home,” Annemarie joked before she closed her eyes with the rest of them. It would definitely be the craziest experience Fiona ever had but with any hope, she would write it all off as a dream and be back to volleyball practice tomorrow.

               “Oh, Dark Mirror! Guide these girls back to the place they belong!”

               Silence.

               Fiona peeked an eye open to look around and see the headmaster just as confused. Nothing was happening. Did the monster from earlier break it maybe?

               “Once more. Oh, Dark Mirror! Guide these—”

               “It is nowhere…”

               Eh? That wasn’t right. Sure, Fieldbrooks was a small town but it existed. All you had to do was look at an Ohio Atlas to find it. The other women of their group seemed to have the same thoughts as Fiona as they one by one raised their heads in confusion from the mirror’s words.

               “The place they belong is nowhere in this world…it does not exist.”

               “What did you say? That is unbelievable!” The headmaster exclaimed. “Hmm, well, the unbelievable has been on parade today.”

               “You can say that again,” Valentina agreed in exasperation.

               “This is the first time it’s ever happened since I became Headmaster, what should be… where exactly did you come from?”

               “Fieldbrooks Ohio, United States,” Fiona supplied for them.

               “I’ve never heard of that place. I have a general grasp of where all the students come from but I’ve never heard of a “Fieldbrooks Ohio” or “United States”.”

               “How the hell haven’t you?” Kristina exclaimed also clearly reaching the point of exasperation now that they weren’t fearing for their lives. “It is one of the biggest countries in the world!”

               “Apparently not,” Crowley said to her his voice clearly unamused with her tone. “Let’s go to the library to do some research. I’m sure we will find the answer to that.”

               And then the four of them began to follow the headmaster of the mysterious magic school to their library.

Chapter Text

Eva trailed behind the others as they entered the grand library. Lights flickering to life on their candlesticks to illuminate the large room. Crowley had immediately set to work attempting to search the books for any sight of their home country let alone anything else. Her other classmates had mostly scattered about the room. The more curious and open ones like Valentina and Kimberlee had begun wandering around the room to inspect it in more detail. The more cautious ones like Judith and Annemarie surveyed the room but didn’t really move from their spots, same as Eva herself.

               Fiona must have deemed standing too much of a hassle and set down at one of the large oak tables. Kristina had followed suit as well, but where Fiona had sat politely with her hands in her lap, Kristina had flopped into one of the chairs and immediately propped her legs up as if she owned the place. It made Eva roll her eyes in irritation and disgust. Arrogant assholes like Kristina always seemed to carry that air about themselves.

               “There really isn’t anything,” Crowley finally said in shock as he put back the books, he had been flipping through onto a shelving cart. The cart wasted no time sorting the books back into their rightful places. “Not only the world map but the name of your home isn’t written in any history. Are you girls truly from where you say? You aren’t lying to me by chance? As it stands it is almost as if you were brought here from another planet… if not another world.”

               “What the fuck do we get out of lying to you?” Kristina barked arms still crossed over her chest as she glowered at Crowley.

               “Please get your feet off the table, Ms. Kaiser, you weren’t raised in a barn.” It sounded almost exasperated as the headmaster moved to shove the senior’s feel off the table. She made no effort in stopping the action but Eva could still see fresh irritation on her face.

               “Seriously of all the people to be isekied with…” Eva muttered to herself.

               “You say something?” Judith asked and Eva was quick to shake her head no. The brunette only looked at her a moment before turning her attention back to the headmaster in question.

               “Do any of you have any identification, like a license for a magic car, name on a shoe…” He trailed off before clicking his tongue. “You all appear to be empty-handed.”

               “Pretty sure we would have attempted to call the police if we had phones,” Annemarie offered weakly.

               “I’m going to miss my wallet,” Valentina whined letting her head rollback. “I had a huge night for tips last night… at least I think it was last night.”

               “This is concerning. I can’t just let a group of girls who can’t use magic stay at this school. Even if there is no explicit rule saying so, this is still an all-boys academy. Trein and Crewel would have my head if they found out.” There was a collective gasp in the room at the statement. Eva could relate to the panic and figured they were all thinking about the same. They would be left out in a world they knew nothing about, with no money and only the clothes on their backs. Eva definitely knew she couldn’t rough it. Valentina might be able to, Kristina definitely would be able to, possibly Fiona even. But she, Annemarie, Judith, and Kimberlee would all be toast.

               “However,” Crowley interjected before any of them could speak up in protest. “As an educator, I can’t just toss a bunch of penniless teenagers out on the street with no form of communication. For I am gracious.”

               So, if they had phones, it would have been fine? Seemed a little twisted by Eva’s standards but she didn’t voice the opinion. She watched as Crowley made a sound like humming before he put a fist into his free hand.

               “That’s right! There is an unused building on campus. It was once used as a dormitory in the past so if you can clean it up, you should at least be able to sleep there. For the time being, I shall allow you to stay there! Then I will look for a way for you all to return home. My graciousness is limitless! I am a model for all educators!”

               Eva felt like that was a bit of a stretch for some reason and judging by the faces of her fellow fantasy transporters they agreed. Still, none of them spoke up. A place to sleep was a place to sleep after all. It certainly beats having to share with a bunch of guys at the peak of puberty. Eva shuttered at the thought.

               “We had better be on our way. Let’s head to the dormitory. It may be a bit old but there is a certain charm to it.” Crowley reassured as he glided past all of them to exit the library.

               “Are we really going to stay the night here?” Annemarie asked as she eyed the bookcases again. Probably contemplating continuing the read through them, even though she likely wouldn’t have any idea what it was she was searching for.

               “Do we have much of a choice?” Fiona countered getting up from her seat.

               “We do, but this seems like the best option,” Judith quipped earning her a glare from Annemarie. Seriously did those two agree on anything? Eva thought smart kids were supposed to get along with each other.

               Wordlessly they all walked out of the library after that to catch up with the headmaster and find their lodgings for the night.

…

               “This is…”

               “No fucking way.”

               “You can’t be serious.”

               “Is it even safe?”

               “This might be too much charm.”

               “…”

               “Seriously?”

               Annemarie listened as all of them one by one voiced their protests over their new living arrangement. The building seemed completely run down and standing by frame alone. She was sure that if her mother had seen the building, she would immediately be calling for an OSHA violation. Or whatever it was called when a building was not suitable for living in.

               “Come now, you haven’t even seen the inside yet,” Crowley protested as they followed him up to the front door. Opening it with ease. Not even a functioning lock on the door. Yeah, that definitely would make them feel safe that night.

               “Yeah, this isn’t any better,” Judith said as they stepped into the run-down building. There was so much dust it piled up like snow and there was junk strewn everywhere. Did a place like this even have running water?

               “What this not enough for you princess?” Kristina asked with a laugh causing Annemarie to giggle a little.

               “I will be fine,” Judith said with a sigh, maintaining her composure irritatingly well. “However, I know members of our group who have raspatory issues that might get irritated by the dust.”

               “If you mean my asthma, I should be fine after a good dusting,” Valentina interjected. She had a sleeve up to her mouth to cover it from inhaling the dust. “Maybe opening a window to help air it out.”

               “Staying here will at least keep you out of the rain.” Crowley finally said getting a word in between their in-bickering. “I’m going to do more research. Make yourselves at home and don’t go wandering around the school. Goodbye!”

               He was gone before any of them could say anything.

               “Seriously, what kind of scatterbrain doesn’t even set us up for basic necessities.” Annemarie sighed as she looked around the room before moving to begin to shuffle around the various objects and clear off one of the couches.

               “I’m half tempted to go wandering just to fuck with him,” Kristina huffed before flopping right on the floor. Not a single care is given about the expensive-looking robe she was wearing.

               “Do you know how to do anything other than picking a fight?” Judith asked as she also began helping with moving stuff—causing the other two freshmen to get to work as well. Geez, Annemarie knew they were all in Cologuard and dance but that didn’t mean they needed to follow her every step like baby ducklings.

               “Do you know how to shut your damned mouth?” Kristina fired back. “Or do they not teach that in rich people etiquette.”

               “I must have missed that day since I was busy learning how to respect others.”

               “Enough both of you,” Fiona interjected breaking up their fight. Pity, Annemarie would have paid good money to watch Kristina deck Judith. “We’re all tired and confused and scared. Let’s just clean up some of this stuff so we have places to sleep. The faster we work together, the faster we get to relax.”

               “Tsk. Whatever,” Kristina said before she finally stood up the rest of the way and walked off down the hallways. Likely to check out the rooms and see the damage there. Or at the very least get away from all of them.

               “What’s her problem?” Kimberlee asked her eyes looking to them and back to the direction, Kristina had disappeared.

               “Nothing, don’t worry about it,” Fiona brushed off—leaving them to then all work in silence. Silence until the sound of rain hitting the ceiling could be heard as well as the pitter-patter on the window frames.

               “Hyii, it’s really coming down!” The voice startled everyone in the room as they turned to see the demon cat that had terrorized the ceremony earlier. The creature, that if Annemarie remembered right called itself Grim, turned to face all of them with mild annoyance. “You’ve all got this stupid look on your face like a spider begin attacked by a water gun! I’ll have no trouble sneaking back into school. Come on, come on. If you think getting thrown out is gonna make me give up on getting in, you’ve got another thing coming!”

               None of the girls really had a response to that. Instead, they proceeded to go back to cleaning as if the cat hadn’t just invited itself into their new lodgings without permission, then proceeded to go on a tangent to them. Though if it was because they genuinely didn’t care or they didn’t have the energy, Annemarie couldn’t tell.

               “What don’t all of you go ignoring me!”

               “Don’t burn the place down and I could care less if you stay here,” Eva muttered barely loud enough for the rest of them to hear.

               “Yeah, it's pretty cold, I would feel bad about throwing you out in the rain,” Fiona agreed as she flipped some of her blonde hair out of her face.

               “Oh,” the creature said clearly shocked for words at their rational dismissal. There was quiet then but it was short-lived as the cat suddenly scratched again. “Nyaa! So cold! The roof is leaking!”

               “So much for keeping us out of the rain,” Judith said as she began searching frantically for something, likely a bucket to catch the rainwater leaking down.

               “Fgyaa! It keeps coming! My adorable ear fire is gonna go out at this rate!”

               “Well move out from the leak dumbass,” Judith snapped coming back with an empty tin can to serve as a bucket.

               “Here, I’ll hold you,” Valentina said as she picked up the creature in her arms. Grim struggled a big but relented quickly as she started scratching behind his ears.

               “Where the hell is it all even falling from?” Eva asked as she also began looking for buckets just in case.

               “Magic should fix this leak up real quick.” Grim offered, purring in Valentina’s arms.

               “But we can’t use magic,” Kimberlee said as she also began to look around for something to help.

               “…Wha none of you can use magic? Pfft! You’re useless!” In all fairness, he deserved to be dropped down by Valentina for that comment, even if he whined in protest.

               “Rude fucking cat, even after we let you stick around here,” Judith grumbled. Annemarie couldn’t remember ever hearing her curse so much. Amazing how her perfect façade was cracking under pressure.

               “We have more leaks over here,” Kimberlee said and they all set to work again trying to get the rainwater caught.

               “Honestly I think we only have 75% of a roof,” Valentina whined a little as she set down a plastic container to catch the water.

               “I stand by what I said earlier,” Judith added which made Kimberlee and Eva giggle a little. Even Annemarie found herself chuckling a little despite her best interest.

               “What the!” The sudden sound of Kristina coming from the hall pulled the girls out of their frantic bucket placement and to the sound of their strayed companion. Even Grim ended up following them out of curiosity.

               When they found Kristina, she was surrounded by three distinct-looking ghosts, all dressed in capes and top hats. What was with this place and top hats?

               “Are those ghosts?” Kimberlee asked looking more than a little shaken at the sight.

               “W-what are you freaking out about?” Grim fired at the boy-cut blonde though his eyes remained fixed on the specters.

               “The people living here got scared of us and left.” One of the ghosts said.

               “We’ve been looking for more ghost pals. How about you girls?”

               “That sounds creepy,” Fiona mentioned.

               “Seriously, can you make it any more predatory sounding?” Eva quickly agreed though she and Kimberlee were hidden back behind Valentina and Judith. Kristina stood directly in front of the ghosts with her arms crossed, looking completely unamused.

               “Go on I dare you,” she said clearly done with the conversation and situation.

               “Hehe, we have some live ones here fellas.” One of the ghosts said with a laugh.

               “That doesn’t make it sound any better,” Annemarie muttered.

               “Grim, the Great Magician, isn’t scared of some ghosts!!!” The battle cry was the only warning the girls got before the cat started breathing fire at the phantoms. Missing every single one of them entirely.

               “Where are you aiming?”

               “Over here, over here! Heeheehee!”

               “Not at me you damned cat!” Kristina said as she jumped out of the way of the flames.

               “Shoot! Stop disappearing! And get out of my way human!”

               “You’ll burn the place down like this,” Valentina said as she rushed forward next to Grim.

               “Shut up! All of you stop trying to give me orders!” Grim protested still breathing fire erratically.

               “How about we give you a can of Tuna if you help us get rid of these ghosts,” Fiona offered as a peace offering. They had no idea if it would work. Did this cat, monster, thing even like tuna? It seemed to from the way it perked up at the promise.

               “Wah…!? Mmmmgmmm, I-I’m a genius. I won’t let one... bunch of cowards gang up on us!”

               Is it really ganging up when they did technically outnumber the ghosts? Whatever Annemarie wasn’t going to question it.

               “Just try to not get us in the crossfires,” Kristina said as she finally moved back behind Grim to decrease her chances of getting burned.

               “Hey, you!” He said pointing to Valentina. “Tell me where the ghosts are!”

               Valentina wasn’t even given time to process the order before she saw a ghost appear on the flank of Grim. “On your left!” She said and the cat turned to hit it.

               ‘Hotttt!” It cried out in protest.

               “I hit it!” Grim cheered. “Alright, let’s chase them all outta here!”

Chapter Text

“We’re goners! Run away~~!” One of the ghosts yelled finally after a while of all of them taking turns pointing Grim the right way and maybe giving them a slap a few times themselves. They were breathless and even more exhausted than usual.  

               Judith leaned against the wall, doing her best to keep her torso open and expanded. She remembered her dance instructors telling her something about letting the airflow easier this way but it was still a struggle. Eva looked the worst out of all of them though, the poor thing crumpling to the ground to put her head between her knees.

               “E-eh?” Grim exclaimed then with wide eyes. “We… won.”

               “Not bad cat,” Judith huffed ignoring the creature's protests at the nickname.

               “I’m not a cat! Though this was nothing for the Great Grim! How ‘bout that, ghosts! You done?” Grim was yelling at nothing but air at the moment making several of them snicker at his over-enthusiastic personality. He really was just an excitable kitten.

               “Good evening ladies, I have graciously brought you supper.” A voice behind them said. They all turned and saw Crowley standing there with a serving cart covered in shiny metal domes. Likely the food he has covered to protect it from the rain. However, he seemed to forget about it in favor of glaring down Grim. “You’re the monster that ran amuck during the entrance ceremony! I threw you out of the school, what are you doing here?”

               “Hmph! I exterminated the ghost problem! Be grateful!” Grim yelled, getting on all fours and puffing up, just as a cat would when it was about to hiss. Honestly, why everyone kept comparing him to a raccoon Judith would never understand. He was clearly more feline than whatever a raccoon was.

               “Hmm? What do you mean by that?” Crowley asked and the girls let out a collective groan.

               “There are god damned ghosts in this building that’s what,” Kristina fired off—already done catching her breath and speaking with gusto.

               “If Grim hadn’t found his way back into the school and to our dorm to shelter us from the rain… I don’t know what we would have done,” Kimberlee added quietly.

               “We had to direct him a little but it managed to work out in the end,” Fiona chimed in.

               “Speaking of, you know we only have a partial roof right? This place has more leaks than a damned strainer,” Judith threw out there though her comment was ignored by the headmaster.

               “Now that you all mention it, there were some prankster ghosts living here so students kept away from this dormitory. And that’s why it is now empty. I’d forgotten that.”

               “Is this guy seriously that scatterbrained to forget about fucking ghosts?” Kristina growled as Crowley was still deep in thought.

               “It sounds like he’s talking about a rat infestation instead of paranormal activity,” Valentina said exasperated.

               “Maybe ghosts are just that common around here?” Annemarie offered hopefully. But if Judith knew Annemarie, and she did, she knew that Annemarie didn’t believe her own words for a second. Especially with how Annemarie was playing with her long braid like it was a towel needing to get rung out.

               “For the group of you to work together to get rid of them…”

               “I’m gonna overlook that ‘together’ comment,” Grim cut into the headmaster’s internal musings. “They were just standing there watching. And I did this for a can of tuna. Ah! I haven’t gotten that tuna yet!”

               Of course not, they didn’t actually have tuna. They had just spouted off something in hopes the cat monster would listen. And thankfully it had. Maybe they would get lucky and there would be a tuna melt on that cart for them to throw to the thing. Judith hated fatty fish like tuna anyway.

               “Could you all show me how you exterminated those ghosts?” Crowley asked then making them all blink in confusion.

               “You want us to try and set you on fire for that?” Judith quipped the sudden sarcasm unavoidable. It sounded too crazy for it to be possible and the ghosts were gone already.

               “As a matter of fact, yes,” Crowley agreed, making Judith choke on her own saliva. She didn’t miss the laugh that earned from Kristina and Annemarie but chose to ignore it in favor of watching the crazy-bird-man drink a potion. His form changing as a result until he himself looked like one of the specters they had just beaten. “If you can beat me, I’ll supply several cans of tuna for you. For I am gracious.”

               “But… I don’t wanna…” Grim pouted despite the sight in front of him.

               “This might be your chance to get into the school,” Judith hears Valentina whisper to him. There was clear thought on his face as he debated if the possibility was worth the effort.

               “Grrr this is the last time! You absolutely have to give me tuna!!!” Grim cried out before launching between them and the ghostly headmaster.

               They ran around like that for another half hour. All of them directing Grim to where the headmaster would spawn then disappear until they had him cornered. Judith heard the rain finally stopping outside.

               “How ‘bout that!” Grim cheered with laughter in his voice as the headmaster’s potion finally wore off and he was back to his usual self.

               “I can’t believe… there are people who can command monsters…” Crowley said in awe as he pondered over what he had witnessed. “Hmm… actually, my teacher sense was telling me since the uproar during the entrance ceremony, that you ladies have talent as an animal or wild beast trainers… but no matter.”

               “Does he ever get tired of listening to himself talk?” Eva muttered to herself. “I just wanna go to bed.”

               “I’m sure he will get to the point soon,” Annemarie soothed, patting the raven-haired girl on the back. “At least I hope he does.”

               “Can Grim stay here?” Fiona asked then and they could all only turn slowly to look at the girl, her usually perfect blonde hair a mess and earnest blue eyes shining even in the darkness. Did they even have electricity? Judith was going to have to make a list of things they needed to make this place livable for any length of time.

               “What now? Let a monster live here?” Crowley asked for confirmation. Clearly just as shocked as the rest of them.

               “Please, he’s done so much for us,” Valentina added in an attempt to back up her senior.

               “What if the ghosts come back,” Kimberlee threw in for good measure. “I don’t think I wanna handle them by myself.”

               “Seriously you sound like you are begging your dad to keep a stray,” Kristina groaned and Judith had to agree. It sounded stupid and immature but the three of them had already crowded around Grim with big-doe-eyes to beg the headmaster.

               “Hah… it can’t be helped. Alright,” Crowley finally relented resulting in a cheer from the three girls and shock from the cat creature in question. “However, I simply can’t allow someone, let alone a monster, into school who wasn’t selected by the Dark Mirror. Also, I can’t let the lot of you be freeloaders here until you can return to your own world.”

               “Seems reasonable, though I would hardly call this place freeloading. We don’t have power or running water I’m guessing. You really are going to have to fix that unless you want a group of girls showering with hormonal teenage boys.”

               Crowley let out a cough at Judith’s blunt point. She knew she was right and he knew she was right.  Judith wasn’t about to let this guy walk all over them because he saw an opportunity for free labor. This was going to have to benefit everyone if she was going to agree with it.

               “If you would let me finish Ms. Wieck,” Crowley managed as he regained his composure. “Concerning the fact your souls were still called here regardless of your magical prowess, I will allow you to stay in the dorm rent-free. I will even see to it that the building is repaired and brought up to code for your health and safety. Trein would likely have my head if I didn’t anyway. But other necessities you will have to provide for yourself. Seeing as you have nothing to your name, here is my proposition.”

               “Want us to start an 'Only Fans' for the school?” Kristina threw out there and a bout of giggling started then. Even Judith let out a small chuckle. Though Crowley looked confused by the proposition.

               “I have no idea what an ‘Only Fans’ is but never the less there is no need to fret. I’ll have the lot of you do maintenance and odd jobs around campus. From what I can see you are all at least decent at cleaning since the main hall is already rid of junk and dust. If you do then you would all receive special permission to stay on the school grounds. You’ll also be able to research going home, or studying whatever you desire in the library, for I am gracious. However, that is only after your work is done for the day.”

               There was chatter among them for a bit as they discussed the idea before they turned to the headmaster.

               “Seems reasonable enough,” Annemarie said speaking for the group of them. Valentina put a hand over Grim’s mouth though before he could protest—hissing something to him about if he wanted to stay with them, he would have to help too.

               “Like we have another choice,” Eva said to herself in almost a pout.

               “Wonderful. Then starting tomorrow, endeavor to be the best handymen…er women at Night Raven College.”

…

               Valentina woke with a start to the feeling of something shaking her shoulders. Probably her brother, he was always trying to pull pranks on her.

               “Johnny, not now,” she whined as she attempted to swat the feeling away. It didn’t stop though. It continued.

               “Don’t you two have to help clean up the school with the others?” The sound of the unfamiliar voice made Valentina wake with a start. That’s right, she wasn’t at home. She was in a dusty and run-down building with six other girls, only one she was really close to, and a demon cat thing.

               She looked over and saw one of the ghosts they had been fighting last night. The one that looked somewhere in between the Pillsbury doughboy-looking one and the one who looked like it hadn’t eaten in, well ever. It floated over her but still maintained a decent distance so as to not make her feel overcrowded.

               “Grim, grim wake-up,” Valentina said as she started shaking the cat that was sleeping at her side. When they had all divided up into different rooms to claim as their own, Grim had decided to stay with her.

               “Five more minutes…” Grim mumbled as he attempted to shrug her off the same way she had the ghosts.

               “Laze about too long and you’ll never wake up again,” the ghost taunted close to Grim’s ear.

               “Just like us,” another ghost truanted as it phased up from the floor. This was the one that looked as if it hadn’t eaten in a while.

               “Ffgya!” Grim suddenly yelled with a start as he sat up, quickly moving to all fours and hunching up. “It’s those ghosts again!”

               “Hey, are you all going to be living here? Because you’re going to get pranked kekeke,” another ghost—the Pillsbury one asked as he phased through the door.

               “Where are the others?” Valentina asked a little nervous. Though the ghosts all stayed their distance. If it was because of Grim or genuinely not wanting to cause her discomfort she didn’t know.

               “Downstairs getting ready, someone with a fur coat dropped off work clothes for you all as well as basic toiletries and feminine products. We came to bring you your set of clothes.”

               “Oh, thank you,” Valentina said in surprise. Watching as the middle ghost left a pair of grey coveralls on the bed.

               “We will leave you to get ready then.” Boney ghost said before they phased through the floor again. The sound of screaming, and ‘would you stop doing that?’ made it up through the thin floorboards.

               “We’ll get rid of you eventually!” Grim cried after then but Valentina could only roll her eyes as she began to change out of the overly fancy robe and into the work clothes.

               Downstairs the smell of eggs and bacon cooking hit her nose as she made her way down the hall. All of them were staying on the ground floor bedrooms. Judith had pointed out they were less likely to have water damage since they were further from the roof.

               “Good morning the two of you seem to be the last to rise, I brought breakfast from the cafeteria this morning for I am gracious,” Crowley said motioning to the table where a Styrofoam container of breakfast food was waiting. The others were all seated around the floor, wearing the same coveralls she was as they ate their breakfast. “I hope you both slept well.”

               “Yeah, once I was out I was out,” Valentina said while Grim whined more about the ghosts and being woken up.

               “Wonderful then I will begin to assign you all to your daily tasks while you eat.” Valentina walked over and grabbed her thing of food while Grim made a b-line for the Tuna can on the table. Rolling her eyes, she took a seat next to Kimberlee as they waited for Crowley to start talking.

               “Ms. Kaiser, I would like you to organize the sports equipment in the shed at the coliseum. Take stock and note anything we might need to get more of. Coach Vargas, one of our main physical education staff members will assist you. And Ms. Frost I would like you to do something similar with our media room. Mr.Candence should be able to assist you as he runs the media lab.” He said as he pointed to Kristina and Eva in turn.

               “Wait we aren’t all staying together?” Eva squeaked almost dropping her food.

               “No, there would be no point in having seven of you in one place after all,” Crowley huffed as if it was obvious. “Now Ms. Alagona, the stables could use a hand there so I’ll send you over. Normally our Equestrian team is in charge of it but even they can use some extra hands sometimes. Ms. Ryland, you are going to be helping our librarian with checking out students’ books, at least until I can find somewhere else for you to clean regularly. And Ms. Wieck the cooking ghosts are expecting you to help them with meal prep and serving at the school cafeteria.”

               “Try to not burn all of it, princess,” Kristina snickered earning her a kick to the shin that caused her to cry out in pain. Valentina already knew from last dance season that Judith wasn’t a morning person—and the bags under her eyes definitely said that she hadn’t slept well last night. That was most definitely a recipe for a foul mood from her.

               “Girls please let me finish,” Crowley said breaking up a fight between the two before it could start. “Ms. Daniels, you will be in the greenhouse helping the groundskeeper there. Finally, Ms. Corey, I’ll have you cleaning the main street with Grim. Since he seems the fondest of you it is best to keep the two of you together, I feel. Please keep a watch on him so he doesn’t cause a scene like yesterday. Am I clear everyone?”  

               There were mumbles of agreement that chorused throughout the group. Though the only one that seemed even a little enthusiastic was Annemarie, though she was in the library so that made sense. 

               “I’m counting on all of you. You have permission to have lunch in the school cafeteria, just speak with the ghosts and they will direct you to where staff has their lunches put aside. Take care of your work enthusiastically.”

               “No way I’m doing any cleaning!” Grim protested earning yet again another groan from the group. They were clearly all beginning to lose their patience with him. “I wanna go to class and, BANG! Boom boom boom! Use a bunch of awesome spells.”

               “We can go to the library after cleaning Grim for self-study. But until then if you wanna stay with us you have to pitch in.” Valentina rationalized him down. Thankfully Grim seemed to go with it as he just started muttering to himself.

               Valentina couldn’t help but let out a sigh. She just had a sinking feeling that this was going to be a long, long day.

Chapter Text

When Kristina had been told she was going to be in charge of the sports equipment she thought she had the easy end of the deal.  That was until Crowley left her in the hands of a muscle-bound dude in a red tracksuit that looked like he was trying way too hard. She couldn’t even take him seriously as he was talking, having to tilt her head down the whole time in order to be able to talk to him. She should be used to it by now, at 5’ 11” she was still taller than the average male back home but it still bothered her. It always left a kink in her neck to look down so much.

               “Now, here is the clipboard, I’ll be with my morning class. Once you’re done let me know, and I’ll take you to the next shed.” The man, Ashton Vargas (Please call me Coach Vargas), said as she whipped her head around with wide eyes.

               “Next shed? You mean there’s more than one shed?” She asked her voice rising an octave.

               “Of course, this one just has all the Magishift equipment. We keep the Basketball and Volleyball equipment in the gymnasium, track and field near the track, etcetera.” He explained the smile that showed his pearly white teeth never leaving his face once. “I’m sure you can handle it with the muscles you have already started building. Though it is still a long way off from my own.”

               Figures, two seasons of volleyball every year since the fourth grade, of course, she would have muscles on her more athletic frame. Well, every year except for this year. Kristina fought off the bitterness swelling in her chest. She doubted her team even missed her, probably all too busy crying over Fiona to care about her. Fucking traitors, all of them.

               “Ms. Kaiser? Are you alright?” Coach Vargas asked pulling her out of her train of thought.

               “Yeah, I’m fine, I’ll let you know when it’s done,” she said as she shooed him away with the clipboard she was holding.

               “That’s what I like to hear, well, later then. I’ll find you to send you to lunch if you don’t find me first.” And then he was gone leaving Kristina all alone with her thoughts again. She set to work distracting herself by looking over the equipment. Apparently, it was supposed to be for a game called Magishift? She hadn’t ever heard of it, though she was sure one of the others could make a snappy pop-culture reference to what it reminded them of. Though, as she picked up one of the smooth and surprisingly light metal disks, she couldn’t help but note that it looked like a frisbee.

               “Leona, Leona where are you? You can’t be skipping on the first day already.”

               There was a voice outside the shed where Kristina was working but she ignored it. No point in socializing with the student life. Not unless one of them knew how to throw a party anyway. Too much time and effort. Though with any luck, the damned bird would have them all back in time for the first game of the season to start. She did not want to fuck up her chances at a scholarship just because some stupid mirror decided she and six losers were special.

               “Leona, oh, sorry for the intrusion,” a voice said behind her. She turned and saw a guy with sandy blonde hair and eyes that looked like dirty dishwater. He seemed pretty short too though with the relaxed way he was standing you would never tell he was looking for someone. That wasn’t what really caught Kristina’s attention though. What really struck her was the fuzzy animal ears he sported instead of the standard human ones. She might have been more in shock if she wasn’t already fried from the amount of strange, she had experienced in the last twenty-four hours.

               She ignored him and set to marking off items on her checklist.

               “Say aren’t you one of those ladies that crashed the entrance ceremony with that raccoon looking this?” The stranger said as a smirk formed across his face. Kristina could feel her eyes rolling at the statement.

               “What’s it to you?” She snapped still not bothering to really look his way though she did keep an eye on him out of the corner of her eye. He made no move to get closer to her though, still just leaning against the door frame with his hands behind his head.

               “Nothing really just some innocent curiosity~ shishishi,” he responded a hand coming down to hide his mouth as he laughed.

               “Aren’t you looking for someone pipsqueak?”

               “Ah crap, you’re right,” the stranger said standing up suddenly with a panicked look in his eyes. He didn’t even bother getting offended at the nickname. Maybe he was just used to it? “You haven’t happened to see a lion beastman napping around here, have you? Longer chestnut hair, acid green eyes, deep skin, looks like he would gut you if it wasn’t such an inconvenience?”

               “No, I just got here,” she answered curtly, hoping it would get him gone faster.

               “Damn it, I swear I’m going to end up his classmate next year. Anyway, thank, later party crasher shishishi.” Before Kristina could protest at the nickname though, he was gone—running down the coliseum corridors calling out that same name over and over again.

               “Fucking weirdo,” Kristina cursed before turning back to her work. Though, as she did, she began to wonder why she wanted to be alone so much in the first place.

…

               Annemarie had been ecstatic when she found out that she would be in the library working. Since it was the first day of classes, there was no way the library would be busy just yet. So she would be able to relax and maybe pull some books from the shelf in hopes of finding a way to get back home quicker. She could feel the homesickness starting to kick in, her father, brother, and sister’s faces coming to mind as she thought of home. As well as some other faces she didn’t care about but she pushed those in the back of her mind.

               But unfortunately, she had been wrong, so wrong.

               The second Crowley had dropped her off at the desk with basic instructions on how the system worked she had been crowded with people trying to check out textbooks last minute. It didn’t help several of them proved to be most curious about her origins and why one of the girls who snuck into the entrance ceremony was at the school. Thankfully, several of the library ghosts had shushed the curious boys and pushed them out of the library.

               It was only now that the first period had started that she was finally given a breather, her head slumping forward onto her desk. It had overwhelmed her just how much was going on at that moment but she couldn’t relax just yet. She needed to start looking for a way home.

               Unfortunately for her, the sound of fighting drew her attention away from her plan. Normally, she would ignore altercations. She wasn’t much of a fighter unless someone pushed her right buttons, but as a library aid, she would be forced to intervene much to her dismay. The dread only increased after seeing who exactly was arguing.

               She recognized the first boy easily enough. How could she not after watching him speak during the whole entrance ceremony? Riddle Rosehearts was standing here, face as red as his hair and hands clenched into fists at his side as he yelled up at the other student. And the sight of the other student was almost enough to make Annemarie find another ghost aid to break it up instead.

               He was tall, easily taller than Kimberlee even, with long and lanky limbs. His hair was short and a shade of teal she had never seen on anyone naturally as well as a streak of black going down the right side of his face. His eyes looked droopy and full of mischief as he smiled down at Riddle. Oh, god were those shark teeth? Yeah, there was no way Annemarie could do that. It wasn’t in her nature to break up fights like this. He would snap her like a toothpick.

               “I’ve had enough! I am in the same class as Jade, but he does not bother me with this nonsensical mischief. It is a mistake of him to be twins with you!” Riddle yelled up at him. Clearly lost within his own rage. That even made Annemarie flinch.

               Honestly how a girl like that could ever be your daughter is beyond me.

               Annemarie turned back to the fight at hand. The tall boy wasn’t smiling anymore and instead looked like he was going to grind Riddle’s bones into flour. Gulping hard, Annemarie took a step forward.

               “Please if you are going to have a disagreement take it outside,” she said through her voice trembled as she spoke in the low whisper. “This is still a library.”

               “Tsk, I’m bored. Here. Take it,” was all he said before tossing a book onto the table he had apparently been holding out of reach for Riddle before turning to leave the library. Students jumping to the side quickly to avoid the warpath he seemed to be on. She couldn’t blame them; she was still shaking trying to figure out what she would have done if he changed his mind and went after her instead of Riddle.

               “Why so sudden, did he get angry? Or is it another one of his whims?... Whatever I cannot handle moody people like him.” Annemarie could feel herself blanching at Riddle’s words. Did he seriously have no idea what he implied with his statement? How hurtful that could be? Before she could say something though he had already turned and locked eyes with her—his expression, while not as enraged as previously, still held slight resentment.

               “You were one of the troublemakers who snuck into the school, what in the world are you doing here?”

               “I was assigned to work in the library as an aid by Headmaster Crowley,” she squeaked out quickly—taken back by having the anger pointed at her. Seriously, she had no trouble going toe to toe with Kristina or Judith, so why was she flinching away now. Perhaps since he was a stranger and she didn’t know how he would react.

               “Hmph, very well. Though I will insist you keep in line with the rules at this school. If I catch you breaking any, I’ll see to your dismissal promptly.” And with that threat, he quickly marched up to the counter, checked out the book with a ghost that happened to be passing by, and walked out of the library.

               Annemarie could only blink in stunned shock. Hadn’t she been the one to come over to break up the fight because they were breaking library rules? What kind of double standard… never mind. She couldn’t be bothered right now. She had a job to do after all.

…

               “My you are quite the help,” one of the ghosts said over Judith’s shoulder as she continued to stew some of the soup that would be offered at lunch. “I was a little skeptical when Crowley brought you here but I’m pleasantly surprised to find you are more than capable.”

               Judith couldn’t help but preen a little at the compliment. If she was honest, she was more than a little worried about working in the kitchen. She was no stranger to cooking despite what Kristina’s earlier jabs would suggest. Judith’s grandmother would sooner keel over than let her granddaughter not know her way around a kitchen, and she had been trained in meal prep in order to be the perfect hostess since she was little. Even so, Judith didn’t pretend to understand the rush of a busy kitchen. She remembered some of the horror stories Valentina had shared during dance practices and it made her more than a little wary. Thankfully though, while the kitchen was fast-paced, it didn’t seem to be nearly as quick of a pace as a restaurant would be. At least not currently, her opinion might change after experiencing her first Lunch period.

               “Thanks, I’m glad I could be of some help,” Judith said with a smile as she continued to work. Though, the notion that Crowley always seemed to be flying by the seat of his pants didn’t escape her either. She honestly doubted he would be any help in finding a way for them to go home, and she was strangely ok with that.

               “Oh, also I found some hair ties for you. You are going to need them if you are going to be working in the kitchen.” The ghost handed over several black hair ties. They didn’t look brand new, which couldn’t be sanitary, but Judith was too desperate for one to care.

               “Thank you so much,” Judith said as she pocketed all but one—quickly setting to tying her long brown hair up. Honestly, it was such a pain in the neck, but she would make due. Her first paycheck she was getting a phone. Any money left over and she was getting hair ties to keep her hair up and out of her way. She wasn’t too worried about food. The ghosts had already promised she could take any food leftover from the dinner rush back to the dorm for her and the others. It was nice to see at least some people place practicality higher on the list than rules.

               It was also a pretty nice day out if she remembered right. Maybe she would stroll around campus and get a feel for the layout. She doubted the library was going anywhere and there wasn’t much she could offer that Annemarie couldn’t already provide for the group in terms of searching. It couldn’t hurt to have a better understanding of the school.

               She had just finished tossing her hair back when one of the doors swinging open caught her attention. A boy with a red hoodie and blazer quickly made his way into the kitchen before ducking into one of the freezers without so much as a second glance at any of them. She vaguely recognized him from the opening ceremony, he had been the one to put out the one kid that had caught fire.

               “Are students supposed to come in here?” Judith asked the ghost, eyes still watching the freezer for any sign of movement.

               “While each dorm has its own smaller kitchen, it isn’t unheard of for students to venture into the main kitchen to prep larger meals or general cooking.”

               “So, it’s allowed.”

               “Yes, it is allowed. Why do you ask?” She looked back to the ghost then finally giving up on seeing if the boy would come out.

               “I just saw a student make a b-line for the freezer and wanted to make sure we didn’t need to kick him out for hiding or something.”

               “B-line for the… ah it must have been Jamil. You will likely see him in here a lot. He’s always cooking up something for the Scarabia dorm, even as a first-year. Only had his workload increased when Kalim took over as dorm leader and he became the vice leader when school ended last year. Good kid, keeps to himself. He shouldn’t get in your way so you won’t have to worry about him any.”

               “Noted,” was all Judith said before she went back to working on the dishes she was assigned. She didn’t even turn to look when the freezer opened again and Jamil left the kitchen.

…

               Kimberlee knew she likely had the easiest first day out of everyone. The greenhouse keeper had taken one look at her before tossing a map at her. She had barely caught it as it juggled from one hand to the next before she could firmly grasp it with both.

               “I want you to familiarize yourself with the various parts of the greenhouse before you even think about trying to help tend the plants here,” the keeper had grumbled at her. “Honestly, giving me a non-magic student for assistance. Like that would help you stupid crow.”

               She had been shooed out from where the greenhouse keeper was sitting in the tool shed after that. Now she was wandering around aimlessly as she looked at the various plant life. Some of them she recognized and others had names she couldn’t even dream about. Her father would love this place. As soon as she had thought about it though, it made her heart hurt a bit. He was probably so lonely without her since it was always just the two of them.

               Tears began to prick at the corner of her eyes as she thought about him before she shook her head. Now wasn’t the time to be a crybaby. She had to suck it up. She had faith Crowley would find a way for all of them to get home… at least she hoped he did.

               “Now puppies this is the greenhouse’s temperate zone. This is where you will find most of your ingredients for class in your first year. Always keep an eye out for the label stakes as they will tell you what the plant is but don’t assume it’s correct. The last thing we need is sick puppies.”

               Kimberlee ducked behind some shrubbery at the sound of people approaching. Thankfully there was a tree tall and thick enough to hide her lanky form behind. She wasn’t necessarily doing anything wrong by being in the gardens, but she really didn’t feel like being stared at at that moment either.

               Three people stood out to Kimberlee as the class walked by. The first was the teacher in a completely impractical fur coat for the humidity of the greenhouse. His hair half black and half white to match the rest of his monochromatic ensemble with the exception of a few patches of red sprinkled throughout the outfit to make it pop. He was easily one of the most attractive teachers she had ever seen and oozed power and style.

               The next was a guy with deep skin and white hair. If his height didn’t make him stand out to Kimberlee, with him managing to be taller than ever her, then the fluffy wolf ears and tail he sported certainly did. She vaguely remembered the man with the lion ears and tail at the entrance ceremony. Perhaps it was a normal thing in this world then? She quickly tore her eyes away though after she realized she was staring at them. Her father had always told her to not stare at people who looked different, it was the same as when people stared for her being such a tall girl. Even if she wasn’t crazy tall, she might as well have been in the town she came from.

               Her eyes then slid to the last student that stood out to her. Her breath hitched in her throat when she saw him. Pretty lavender hair fell in soft waves and brushed around his cheeks with large baby-blue eyes that looked around in awe at the greenery. He was short and cute, usually, the kind girls would coo over and maybe keep around as if they were an accessory. But at that moment, as he stood tall and proudly walked with the rest of his class, she thought he looked like a prince out of the fairy tales she would read as a kid. Pretty and refined.

               The class moved on just as quickly as they had come through and Kimberlee moved out from behind the tree and back onto the pathway to continue her walk. She did her best to push the thought of ever talking to the lavender-haired boy from her mind. Guys like that didn’t give girls like her a second glance.

…

               Mr. Candence was… eccentric to say the least. Eva couldn’t think of the last time she had met someone that seemed so old yet so young at the same time. Or of someone who drained her of her energy so quickly. She was tired enough from having to share a living space with six practical strangers, and now she had a complete stranger asking her a million questions a minute after Crowley had informed them that she was from a completely different world.

               Did they need cellphones, he had prototypes that needed testing that were made by some Ignihyde seniors? Yes, they needed phones they only came to that world with the clothes on their backs.

               Excellent, he would arrange for seven phones to be dropped off at the campus after school.

               Was the technology similar here as it was there? Yeah, it seemed to be mostly the same though without the magic added.

               Perfect then he wouldn’t have to worry about explaining how the phones would work.

               Were there magic wheels there? No, she didn’t even know what a magic wheel was.

               He seemed most upset by that one. Apparently, he was quite fond of Magic Wheels and races with them. He even had the Ignihyde dorm working on a Magic Wheel to present at the Spring Cultural Festival. Whatever that was.

               “Ah Ortho, just the person I wanted to see,” Mr. Candence said with his overly cheery voice and rosy cheeks becoming somehow more alight than previously. Eva looked over at the door and saw what could only be described as a gender-bent version of XJ-9 from My Life as a Teenage Robot. He seemed maybe twelve or eleven in appearance though, so maybe a little younger than that. There were also literal flames coming out of his head for hair and chest. His golden eyes blinked in recognition as he spotted the teacher and then her.

               “Mr. Candence, Big Brother wanted me to tell you that he wouldn’t be in class today.” The boy, Ortho, stated quickly in a chipper synthetic voice.          

               “Yes, I figured as much, Idia does loathe the first day of school and all the stares of the incoming freshmen. Though be sure he is here at least some time in the first week, won’t you Ortho my boy?” Ortho giggled in response to the teacher’s analysis.

               “You’re always so understanding of Big Brother Mr. Candence,” Ortho noted with a giggle.

               “Of course, he is my best student after all,” Mr. Candence added. “Speaking of, do you think your dorm could pull together seven prototype cellphones by this evening and deliver them to the Ramshackle Dorm? I found some volunteers to test out the bugs.”

               “Of course, Mr. Candence, anything for you,” Ortho agreed quickly. “By the way who is that?”

               Eva flinched as the conversation seemed to turn its attention to her. She was already seated a bit away from them as she was tasked with wrapping up headphone sets so they would be ready by free period. And now both the teacher and Ortho were staring at her.

               “Ah right, this is one of the prototype testers, Ms. Eva Frost. Don’t be shy introduce yourself.” Mr. Candence encouraged. Despite that, Eva could only manage a weak smile and hand wave in response. Suddenly a bright light appeared out of Ortho’s chest and went up and down her form.

               “Scan complete,” Ortho said. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Eva Frost. I hope you and Big Brother can get along. I’ll be sure to have the phones left at the dorm sometime after school.”

               Ortho then turned to Mr. Candence to say his goodbyes before hovering right out the door and down the hall he came from, leaving her alone with Mr. Candence and his persistent questions again.

               She really just wanted to go home already.

…

               Fiona couldn’t help but stare in awe at the stables. It wasn’t the kind of dinky stables that could house maybe a handful of horses but instead the kind you saw at proper riding stables. The kind the Wieck family owned when she worked there last summer, though she was certain she never saw Judith or her brother out riding. Though if she thought about it, she didn’t think she had ever seen anyone of the main Wieck family members at the ranch. If Kristina was there, she was sure her volleyball captain would call her a horse girl, but she really didn’t care.

               Crowley had barely finished giving her a rundown of her requirements before she set to work. Mostly she was in charge of mucking the stalls and changing feed and water. Things such as grooming and hoof trimming were left to the individual riders in the equestrian club. Until new members were brought on there wasn’t going to be a set assignment so everyone would pitch in. Afterward, she would know which horses she specifically was in charge of for grooming and maintenance.

               “Hey there, aren’t you a pretty little thing?” Fiona had cooed as she let herself into one of the stalls with a beautiful blue roan. Unfortunately, it had seemed all the horses in the stable was just quarter horses, but thankfully there did seem to be a variety in coats and colors.

               The horse didn’t react much, likely used to strangers as it was a club horse. It simply continued to eat the old hay in its stall. Fiona turned to begin pulling out the old bedding only to be shocked at what she saw. A boy was slumped on the ground, leaning against the stall. His silver hair seemed to be falling in his face and his breathing even. She dropped the pitchfork she had been holding and quickly ran over, shaking his shoulder.

               “Are you ok? Are you hurt?” She asked in a panic. Crowley hadn’t informed her of any animals that could possibly be aggressive but with how scatter-brained the headmaster seemed to be she wouldn’t put it past him. Horses like any animal could be temperamental, and even more dangerous due to their large size. Fiona could still remember the stitches one of the older ranch workers had to get because a gelding had thrown him off while being saddle broken.

               The boy groaned, heavy lids lifting to reveal violet eyes. He blinked a few times, finally pulling himself from his sleep entirely in shock. He glanced around at his surroundings before his sight finally settled on Fiona.

               “I’m glad you seem to be ok,” she said as she breathed out a sigh of relief.

               “I must have fallen asleep when I came to check on Truth,” the boy said his eyebrows knitting together before he looked at Fiona with an awkward smile. “I’m sorry to trouble you. I have a habit of falling asleep when I stand still for too long.”

               “It’s fine I’m just glad you’re alright.” They both rose to their feet then, both relaxed and calm.

               “I’m Fiona, one of the newly hired hands to help out around campus,” Fiona introduced herself as she extended a hand for him to shake. He took it easily enough with that same lazy smile still plastered on his face.

               “Silver, I’m a second year in the equestrian club. Truth was my riding partner last year so I wanted to check up on her since I hadn’t seen her all summer.” The boy, Silver explained then.

               “That makes sense, I know if I regularly worked with an animal and wasn’t able to see them all summer, I would check on them first thing too.” Fiona agreed sympathetically.

               “Hey, you wouldn’t happen to know what time it is do you?” Silver asked then and Fiona blinked. Did he not have a phone? Maybe he forgot it.

               “I think it was a quarter after eight last I had seen,” Fiona said then and watched as Silver’s face twisted into one of panic.

               “I’m late for my first class, and on the first day of school too! Sebek is never going to let me hear the end of it and how shameful it is to the young master.” Fiona wasn’t really sure who Sebek was or the young master but it seemed to distress Silver a lot. She watched as he effortlessly hopped over the closed stall gate.

               “It was nice meeting you,” he called behind him as he hurried off. Fiona couldn’t help but giggle as he continued to run off. Honestly, this school seemed to have nothing but strange characters and she couldn’t wait to learn more about them all.

…

               “Amazing! So this is Main Street,” Grim said as he and Valentina finally managed to make it where the seven statues lined a stone walkway. “I didn’t get a good look yesterday but what’s with these statues? All seven of them look pretty scary.”

               “I can’t argue with you there,” Valentina added as she looked them all over. There was something familiar about them to her but she couldn’t quite place her finger on why. Maybe they reminded her of characters she had seen in a movie once? It seemed like a reasonable explanation.

               “This granny looks especially snobby,” Grim said as he pointed at one of the statues. It was of a plump-looking woman with her hair tied up in a tight bun and a crown on her head. She even appeared to be fanning herself with a heart-shaped scepter as she held her nose up high in the air.  

               “You don’t know about the Queen of Hearts?” A new voice asked and Valentina turned abruptly at the sound. There was a boy standing there with ginger-red hair and ruby red eyes. He wore the variation of the school uniform with the bright red vest and had a red heart painted over his left eye. He seemed to fit right in with every other odd character Valentina had met so far anyway.

               “Queen of Hearts? Is she important?” Valentina wanted to chide Grim for the question. She had a statue on the main street for a prestigious school, if Crowley was to be believed, so she was probably important. But she held her tongue. It was rude to assume something that was common sense for her should apply to others as well. Besides she found herself being more than a little curious as well.

               “In the past, she was the queen who lived in the Rose Maze,” the stranger began to explain. “She was someone who valued rules and discipline above all, strict in all things from the march of the Card Soldiers to the color of the rose bushes. It was a land of madness where all submit to her rule. Why do you ask? Because or else it was off with your head!”

               The stranger had made a cutting motion with his finger of his throat being slit, a half-smile on his face as he staired Grim down, making the monster yelp in surprise before hiding behind Valentina’s legs. As if that would somehow save him if the stranger had decided to go after him.

               “That’s terrifying!” Grim protested as he peeked out from behind her legs.

               “I agree, that seems a little harsh,” Valentina said but the stranger only shrugged.

               “It’s cool! I like it. Nobody would listen to a queen who’s just nice all the time, right?” Valentina wanted to argue that people also liked following kind people but again she kept her mouth shut. What would Judith tell her to do if this was a dance competition? Keep her head down and out of trouble. That last thing she needed was unwanted attention.

               “I suppose. A strong leader is better.” Grim agreed, easily swayed by this new stranger’s opinion.

               “Kindness isn’t necessarily weakness though,” Valentina found herself protesting despite telling herself not to moments earlier. But before an argument over that assessment could start, she looked to the ginger-haired boy again. “Who are you, by the way?”

               “I’m Ace, a fresh-faced first year. Nice to meetcha~” he said in a light-hearted voice. Clearly having forgotten about her protest concerning leadership if he ever had one.

               “I am Grim, a genius who’ll become the greatest magician,” Grim said as he came out from behind her legs finally—puffing out his chest proudly as he did so. “The dimwit over here is Valentina. She’s one of my henchmen.”

               “Who the hell are you calling a dimwitted henchman, cat,” Valentina huffed as she kicked at Grim. Not hard enough to hurt him but enough to knock the monster over.

               “I’m not a cat!”

               “You’ve got an odd-sounding name,” Ace said then and Valentina froze. She wasn’t really sure if people were supposed to know if she was from another world or not. Crowley hadn’t exactly specified if that was a secret or not before letting them all lose around campus that morning. Before Valentina could say anything though, Grim, thankfully, interrupted them.

               “Hey, Ace. The lion over here with the scar, are they famous?” Valentina could feel her face sink into a deadpan.

               “If one statue is important Grim, then they are probably all-important,” Valentina noted but Ace only laughed it off.

               “Of course! This is the King of Beasts who ruled the Savanna,” Ace said as he launched into another explanation. “However, he was not born to be king, but he took the throne through effort and elaborate planning. After becoming king, he even allowed the loathed hyenas to live in his kingdom without discrimination.”

               Valentina found herself blinking in awe at that one. A place without discrimination, that sounded too good to be true. Though it did sound nice after years of being told to “go back where she came from” by students who thought they were hilarious.

               “Ooooh. I guess he was a rock not held captive by his status!” Valentina could only blink at that analogy. It didn’t make any sense but she was in a whole new world, who knew what kind of slang was present here. “Who’s the lady with the octopus legs?”

               “The Sea Witch who lived in a cavern in the deep. Her purpose was to help all unfortunate merfolk. As long as you could pay the price, she could transform you, help you find love, anything. If it was within her power, there wasn’t anything she wouldn’t do. They say her prices were pretty high, though. That’s what it costs for ‘anything’.”

               “Sounds like a normal saleswoman to me,” Valentina quipped.

               “So, what you’re saying is that I can get rich if I become a great magician?!?”

               “Well usually if you are good enough at something you can make money off of it,” Valentina replied to Grim’s stellar analysis. But he ignored her subtle jab at him as he moved onto the next statue. “Then, what about this man in the big hat?”

               “The Sorcerer of the Sand. He was a cunning cabinet minister to a foolish sultan and saw through the fake prince that was actually a street rat trying to deceive the princess. Then he got a magic lamp and became the most powerful sorcerer of all! With that power, they say, he became sultan.”

               “Ho hoh! So it is important for magicians to be the center of attention!”

               “Where did you get that from what he said?” Valentina could feel the exasperation setting in. She knew Grim wasn’t all there, but this was pushing it in the common-sense department. Once more she was ignored though in favor of another statue story.

               “Oooh! This lady sure is beautiful!”

               “She is the Beautiful Queen. Every day, she checked the ‘Beauty Ranking’ in her Magic Mirror. And when it looked like she might fall from the number one spot, she never hesitated to do anything to get it back. I guess she had the strong will to remain the most beautiful in the world? So impressive… They say she was even adept in making poisons.”

               “I think I knew a few girls willing to go that far on the color-dance team,” Valentina muttered with a shutter as she used the hyphenated version of the Color Guard and Dance team. Since the members were mostly the same and they shared a coach, it became basically one team anyway, so it was always combined name-wise.

               “She’s pretty… but… no thanks…” Grim said as he stepped away from the statue. At least he seemed to have a sense of self-preservation.

               “You think?” Ace asked. “But it’s cool she has something she’ll never give up.” Valentina was pretty sure that was just called obsession and was considered bad for one’s health.

               “S-sure, that single-minded drive is pretty cool.” No, it isn’t. “Over there, what’s the guy on fire? Just looking gives me goosebumps.”

               “He’s the Lord of the Underworld! He rules a land crawling with evil spirits on his own. No doubt he is extremely skilled. Even though he’s got a scary face, he did that detestable job without ever taking a vacation. And his sincerity won over Cerberus, the Hydra, even the Titans, to fight for him.”

               Fight for what exactly? If Ace didn’t know he didn’t specify and Valentina wasn’t asking. The more she listened to Ace talk the more she got the feeling this was leading up to something. If high school had taught her anything freshmen year, it was that teenagers suck.

               “So having talent doesn’t mean you get to be haughty.” Again, where the hell was Grim getting these morals from, they weren’t even close. “And this last one, with the horns?”

               “That is the Witch of Thorns from the Magic Mountains. Noble and elegant, even within the Seven, she is top class in magic and curses! She can summon lightning and storms, cover an entire country in thorns, her magic is on a whole other level. There was even a time she transformed into a huge dragon!”

               “Oooh! A dragon! All monsters look up to them!” Grim cheered enthusiastically. Even Valentina had to admit the Witch of Thorns sounded pretty cool. Who didn’t like dragons after all?

               “They’re all so cool!” Ace agreed with a smile… before his face shifted into something much crueler and mocking. “… Unlike a certain raccoon.”

               And there is was… the other shoe.

Chapter Text

The visible shock on Grim’s face should have made Valentina at least chuckle, but she was too busy eyeing Ace warily as she studied his movements. He didn’t appear aggressive yet, but she knew plenty of guys at her school that could turn on a dime.

               “Pfft… Ahahaha! I can’t bear it anymore! Ahahahaha!” He laughed as he held his sides, tears starting to form at the corners of his eyes from the force. “Aren’t you two part of the group that went crazy at the entrance ceremony? You were summoned by the Dark Mirror even though you’re a girl and you can’t use magic, and you, the monster wasn’t called but still trespassed. Yeah, it took everything I had to not lose it at the ceremony.”

               He wasn’t wrong but it still made Valentina duck her head down in embarrassment. He didn’t have to point it out so bluntly. “It isn’t like I wanted to be brought here,” she muttered but they both seemed to ignore the comment.

               “Whaaa!?” Grim said in shock. “You’re a rude one!”

               “And now you aren’t allowed in and got regulated to be a janitor? Haha, how lame.” Ace continued to mock, twisting the metaphorical knife deeper and deeper. If he wasn’t careful, he was going to provoke Grim, and honestly, Valentina wasn’t sure she could keep him under control by herself. She had done her best to sound confident about it that morning at breakfast but now… she wasn’t so sure. “On top of that, you don’t even know about the Great Seven. How ignorant can you be? I recommend you go back to kindergarten before coming to Night Raven College.”

               Grim was practically seething at Valentina’s feet and she did her best to wedge herself in between the two of them. She racked her brain trying to remember what the pick-me girls always did to break up the fights… though the more she thought about it the more she thought there was no way that it would work in this situation.  “Listen I think we all should just say our goodbyes and call it a day. You got your laugh but Grim and I are pretty busy with cleaning so if you could just…”

               “You’re right,” Ace said his voice still chipper as if he hadn’t tried to drag them down into the dirt’s of humiliation moments ago. “Unlike you two, I actually have classes to attend. Keep the school squeaky clean, I’ll be sure to say hi to the rest of your group if I see them.”

               Valentina was so busy thinking about how if Ace tried this with Kristina, he would get turned into a toothpick that she didn’t see Grim go down on all four and breath flames, nearly singing her and the ginger-haired guy.

               “Watch it,” Valentina said as she jumped out from where she had been between them.

               “Yeah, what she said,” Ace agreed hastily as he took a step back.

               “It’s what you get for making fun of me! I’m going to light up that fire-head of yours!” Grim cried out anger clear on his fuzzy little face.

               “Fire-head, huh?” Ace asked his face darkening as his eyes narrowed in on Grim. “Heeeee. You’ve really got guts picking a fight with me. I’ll turn you into a puffy, little toy-poodle!”

               The two started fighting then leaving Valentina scrambling as she did her best to try and break up the fight. A whirlwind of fire and wind whipping her hair into her face as she struggled to watch let alone calm then down. Groups of students on their way to their various classes stopped to watch the spectacle laid out at the very front of the school.

               “Woah a fight on the first day?” One guy called out.

               “Hey isn’t that one of those chicks from last night’s entrance ceremony?”

               “Who cares when this dude is fighting a literal fire cat?”

               “Yeah! Get ‘em!”

               “You assholes aren’t helping!” Valentina called out at the bystanders weakly but she was ignored in favor of cheering. Some cheer for Grim to burn the cocky punk to a crisp and others cheering for Ace to teach the monster a lesson. She was all but ready to just sit in the grass and watch so she wouldn’t get caught between them, but there would be no way she would live if Crowley found out the monster, she had begged to let stay caused damages or bodily harm to one of his students.

               “A flimsy little fire like that won’t hit me,” Ace challenged.

               “What? You’d better get ready!” Grim fired back—literally he spit out another fireball.

               “And I change the trajectory with the wind like… that!”

               “Wait not that way!” Valentina called out but it was too late. Ace had blown Grim’s flames and charred the statue of the Queen of Hearts. She was vaguely aware of Ace cursing in realization but her brain was already running a million miles an hour trying to figure out how the hell she was going to fix this. She had to. She was sixteen she couldn’t survive in this strange world on her own. She could hear Grim and Ace bickering over who was at fault, but she was thinking about how she might be able to watch the statue clean. After all, the stone should be easily cleaned it was just the dirt and debris that burned really… she hoped.

               “Enough! Just what is going on here!” Valentina felt her heart sink into the pit of her stomach at the sound of the voice she had already come to recognize far too well.

               “Guh! Headmaster.”

               “He’s going to tie us up with the ‘last of love’! Get outta here!” It was too late for Grim’s warning, The two of them had gotten tired together in the whip-like rope again stringing them together like some cheesy Saturday Morning Cartoon.

               “Owww,” Ace whined.

               “Hurts just as much the second day,” Grim also whined.

               “This is my Lash of Love! It will be another hundred years before you can outrun me!” The Headmaster fired off at the two. “I told you yesterday to ‘not cause any trouble’, didn’t I? Then you go and char the statue of the Queen of Hearts. I very much would like to see you expelled.”

               “Wait,” Ace started to protest. “Not that!”

               “And you,” Crowley said as he turned his attention to Valentina making her flinch. “This is not how you supervise Grim.”

               “I’m sorry I tried to stop them but I—” She could feel tears of frustration pricking at her eyes. She really didn’t want to cry. Her throat closed and she knew she wouldn’t be able to get the rest of her defense out. Not without falling into a panic attack and possibly an asthma attack. She didn’t have an inhaler here; she couldn’t afford that. So, she stayed silent.

               Crowley must have seen the panic because he softened and turned his attention away from her again. “My goodness… You, what’s your grade and name?”

               “Ace Trappola, first year.” Ace recited obediently; all fight he previously had was gone.

               “Then Mr. Trappola, Grim, Ms. Corey, as punishment, I order the three of you to wash 100 windows around campus!”

               “Nyaaa!” Grim began to protest. “It’s all cause this joker was making fun of us!”

               “Me too?” Ace said in shock. Valentina was the only one taking the punishment lying down. She didn’t care about washing windows. It was better than being tossed onto the streets.

               “Most definitely! After school, meet in the cafeteria. Understood?” Crowley asked and they all nodded. Well, Valentina nodded, while Ace and Grim proceeded to whine. Honestly, she was definitely going to get hell for this from the others.

…

               “Holy shit you really charred up some fancy statue?” Kristina barked out at lunch. Valentina met up with five of the other girls to eat under one of the trees near the front of the school and away from the prying eyes of other students.

               “I have never felt so embarrassed in my life,” Valentina whined as she buried her face in her hands. “I had one job, keep Grim out of trouble and I blew it.”

               “You shouldn’t be the one apologizing here,” Fiona said as she turned to glare at Grim who was munching on a can of tuna without remorse and completely tuning out the conversation.

               “Seriously what kind of selective hearing does that cat have?” Eva muttered.

               “Don’t call me cat!”

               “See what I mean?” The group found themselves laughing a little, lightening the mood in response.

               “Hey, where is Judith? It’s lunch break, is she skipping or something?” Kimberlee asked before taking a bite of the ham and cheese sandwich that was packed in her lunch.

               “She mentioned her lunch break was later since she was working in the cafeteria,” Fiona lamented before eating a chip. “So, chances are she won’t get to join us.”

               “Fine by me,” Annemarie huffed before eating a fruit snack she got instead of a bag of chips like everyone else.

               “What is your damage with her anyway?” Kristina asked though Valentina doubted it was because she cared so much as she was craving the drama. “I thought the two of you were pretty close as kids, and then the blowout before school ended last year… what is that all about?”

               “Ask her,” was Annemarie’s response with a huff. “Can we stop talking about her it’s just going to spoil lunch with that negativity?”

               “Then I suppose my joining will just ruin it.” Annemarie turned scarlet as Judith sat down next to Valentina. She looked ragged, stray hairs clinging to her sweaty face from working in a hot kitchen all day. But she didn’t look upset either. Or at least she hadn’t when she was approaching the group. Now she looked like she had eaten something sour. Lips pulled tight and eyes sharp as daggers.

               “You have something to ask me, Kris?” Judith asked though it sounded more like a challenge directed to the brunet with the loose curls.

               “Yeah, what’s your problem with Anne?”

               “I don’t have a problem with Anne, as for our differences it’s personal.” Kristina could only give a confused look at the cryptic words. Even Valentina found herself being more than a little curious about the disagreement between the two. During marching band and Color Guard practice that summer, Judith hadn’t mentioned a single thing about the fight even though the seniors and other juniors were all a buzz about it. She just pretended it never happened and continued to practice. It seemed cold… lonely even.

               “Good news though,” Eva said finally breaking the silence—clearly the first to be unable to handle the tension anymore. “I might have secured us some cellphones.” There was a cheer that rang throughout the group saying “nice” and “way to go Eva”. It made her look down bashfully and smile softly.

               “They’re prototypes made by the magic technologies classes here but apparently they need some test dummies for these models because they were commissioned by a big tech company here to work on them. They are going to be private to us we just have to sign in for online diagnostics every so often and report to Mr. Candence if we have issues. They run on the company’s towers so we will have signal and Wifi access without having to pay.”

               “Damn girl you work fast,” Kristina cheered and even Judith smiled softly.

               “Seriously this is amazing,” Fiona said with a smile as she nudged Eva’s shoulder. The bell rang suddenly then, signaling the end of the lunch period.

               “Dang Jude didn’t even get to eat yet,” Kimberlee protested but Judith brushed off her concern.

               “I get another hour break before I got back to help finish clean up and dinner prep. Don’t worry about it, just get where you all need to.”

               “Don’t have to tell me twice,” Annemarie mumbled before she got up and began to walk away before stopping. “Thanks for remembering to tell them… by the way.”

               “You don’t have an EpiPen right now, no point in letting you die.” Judith brushed off the thanks just as coldly as she did anything else. Annemarie was gone through before the questions could continue.

               “Doesn’t Anne only have a peanut allergy? Why else would she need an EpiPen for?” Fiona asked—already well aware of Annemarie’s allergy. How could anyone not know with the humiliating peanut-free table her mother insisted the school had since elementary school. Not that it wasn’t a severe allergy already, but having it advertised definitely sucked.

               “The chips are fried in peanut oil, I made sure to put in fruit snacks in her lunch instead is all,” Judith said nonchalantly. “Like I said no EpiPen it would be bad if she had an allergic reaction here.”

               The second bell chimed, and even if they wanted to ask more questions and pry more into Judith and Annemarie’s drama they couldn’t. They needed to get back to work.

               “Hey Val,” Kimberlee said as she stopped Valentina as she was walking away with Grim in tow. “I can take Grim for the rest of the day if you want. I’m only walking around the greenhouse so he shouldn’t cause too much trouble there.”

               “I’m sure it will be fine,” Valentina said hopefully. “We will be off the main street now so we shouldn’t see anyone else too often. And we might even be able to patch things up with Ace while we clean windows.”

               “If, you’re sure,” Kimberlee said still worried.

               “I am, but thanks Kimmy, I’m glad you came here with me if no one else.” And Valentina really meant it. Even if she knew the others having someone, she was close to helped a lot.

               “Of course, what else are friends for?”

…

               “I’m already beat from cleaning all day… Now we have to was a hundred windows too,” Grim whined as they walked into the cafeteria. Valentina could smell the scent of dinner wafting from the kitchen. She thought about poking her head in to say hi to Judith but refrained. She was sure her Dance Guard senior was busy and wouldn’t want to be interrupted.

               “Let’s just get it over with so we can get back to the dorms.” Valentina was pretty excited to get back and try out the new phones Eva had secured for them. She was excited to see how similar they would be to the cell phones back home. Not that she had anything fancier than a sliding-keyboard for a phone. And maybe… she could try calling home… She shook her head. She shouldn’t get her hopes up that the phone would connect to a number not even from this world. Still, it was a nice sentiment.

               “That Ace guy is sure taking his sweet time. Who does he think he is, making me wait! I’m ticked off.”

               “When aren’t you ticked off?” Valentina asked in a reply that was probably snarkier than it needed to be. But it went right over Grim’s head. Still, Grim had a point. Ace should have been there by now. Maybe he got caught up with a teacher? If he was a trouble maker like Valentina though he was then it would make sense.

               More time passed and the sun had started to set. It would be Dinner time soon for those who had to eat in the cafeteria, and yet there was still no sign of Ace.

               “I don’t care what happened, there is no way he’s this late! What he wouldn’t just skip outright?”

               “The fuck he wouldn’t,” Valentina said as she began to turn to the exit with Grim hot on her heels. The two of them walked aimlessly around the halls of the schools until they found the first-year classes.

               “Where’s Ace!” Grim started yowling. “We’re not gonna let you hideaway! …. Ah, there’s nobody here?”

               Valentina was about to point out classes had been done for the last hour, of course, no one was there. Until she heard a voice to the side of the door. “No, I’m here.”

               She jumped and whipped her head around to try and find the source of the voice. But she didn’t see anyone standing around the halls. Valentina felt someone pull on her pant leg and saw Grim pointing up to the painting next to the classroom.

               “The picture talked!” Grim yelled as he half hid behind Valentina’s leg. Seriously this cat needed to decide if it was going to be brave or cowardly.

               “What now? It’s not uncommon for paintings to talk at this school.” The portrait said sounding almost offended at Grim’s comment. “The Wall Lady over there, the Wall Gentleman over here, everyone can speak. Portraits can speak because they have a mouth. That’s normal you know?”

               Well, at least Valentina would always have someone to ask for directions if she got lost.

               “Where I’m from paintings don’t normally speak, so sorry about that.” Valentina apologized on their behalf. The painting seemed satisfied with that based on the smile that now graced their lips.

               “Your ‘normal’ and my ‘normal’ differ in regards to our quirks. Isn’t that true? That aside, who are you looking for?”

               “A guy named Ace. He’s got a heart mark on his face and hair that sticks up.” Grim butted in with the rushed description.

               “Red hair, first year, Trappola is his last name if I remember right,” Valentina added quickly.

               “Aaaah,” the portrait said in acknowledgment. “I know him. He’s one of the freshmen that started today. He went back to his dorm not too long ago…”

               “Waaaaahaaaat! So he did try to get away! Which way did he go?” Grim protested. Valentina only sighed. She really wasn’t that shocked this happened. Maybe she should have just suggested they did it on their own.

               “The entrance is behind the East Building.” The portrait pointed down the hall and Valentina nodded as Grim took off running.

               “Hey! We’re going after him.”

               “Thank you for your help!” Valentina called back doing her best to keep up with Grim. The last thing they needed was another rampage.

               “What are you two doing yelling and running down the halls?” Annemarie asked as she was exiting the Library.

               “Ace skipped out, Grim is on a rampage,” Valentina huffed out as she continued after the cat.

               “Seriously? Both of you are trouble,” Annemarie chided but she followed after them. She must have been done for the day already. She trailed a bit behind, likely so she didn’t have to deal with her chest bouncing as much but Valentina still appreciated the sentiment.

               “Hey Eva, come with us we’re hunting down Ace,” Valentina called as they passed the media room Eva had been working in.

               “But I--what why--I mean--” Eva tried to stammer in protest only to get grabbed by Annemarie as they passed.

               “Come on, before Grim burns something and we end up on the streets.” Annemarie lectured the duo suddenly becoming a trio chasing after a cat and a rascal of a ginger.

               Ace came into sight in no time with their current pace. Valentina could even begin to make out his muttering as he began to make his way back to his dormitory.

               “No way I’m washing 100 windows. Gonna head home…”

               “Hey, you!” Grim yelled blowing their cover. Valentina rolled her eyes in response. She was further ahead than Annemarie and Eva for sure but they weren’t too far behind.

               “Geh! They found me! And they brought some of the other party crashers too!” Ace cried out before he began booking it.

               “Jerk! Hold up! I won’t let you be the only one to escape!”

               “I’m not just going to wait around for you! I’m outta here!”

               “It’s not fair for only you to get out of it! I wanna skip out too!”

               “Is that seriously what he’s worried about?” Annemarie protested from behind Valentina.

               “Hey, you! The guy in front of us!” Valentina called out hoping to catch the student in front of Ace’s attention.

               “Outta my way! Outta my way!” Ace cried out but the guy didn’t move.

               “Stop him, he’s trying to get out of cleaning duty,” Valentina called out.

               “Magic to capture someone? I should freeze his legs, no, how about restraining him? Or I could… ummm…” Valentina was shocked at how much thought this guy was putting into a time-critical situation. Like seriously. It wasn’t rocket science to just tackle a guy. That’s what she did when her brother tried to get out of doing the dishes.

               “It doesn’t matter how! Just hit him hard! Hurry!” Grim yelled snapping the guy out of his daze.

               “Any way? Anyway… Eeeiii! Anything is fine, so come on! Something heavy!” Valentina skidded to a stop just in time for a large black cauldron to fall and smack Ace in his back. Forcing him to tumble forward and crash hard onto the ground.

               “Gueeh! What the heck, a pot?” Ace groaned from his place on the floor.

               “Check it out!” Grim began to cheer. “Ace is as flat as a pancake under that cauldron! So lame!”

               “Why are we here again?” Eva mumbled but Valentina was pretty sure only she and Annemarie heard it.

               “I didn’t think I’d get a cauldron. Did I overdo it?” The stranger said with clear worry in his tone.

               “Man, this hurt,” Ace whined as he rolled over to get the heavy cast-iron cauldron off of him. “You should be fine. Those 100 windows should be clean in a flash with this group.”

               “It’s the principal of the situation. When the headmaster says to do something, you should do it. Honestly, If I had slip-on shoes, I would have hit you with one as you ran away, ass,” Valentina huffed in irritation.

               “Washing 100 windows as punishment… what in the world did you all do?” The boy asked as he looked down at Ace—clearly curious about what he just managed to get involved with.

               “I got into it a bit with the furball and we might have charred the Queen of Hearts’ statue a bit.”

               “Not a bit, it took me an hour to get that off the statue,” Valentina quipped still a little salty about the extra work the two fighting had caused her.

               “You damaged one of the Great Seven statues!? That’s definitely something people would get angry with. You get into a prestigious school then do something like that on the first day…” Valentina could help but look fondly at the guy for that. It was nice to meet someone who seemed more responsible than everyone else she had met so far at the academy. He was only a little taller than her with aquamarine eyes and dark hair that was cut in a perfectly boy-next-door sort of way. The uniform he wore was similar to Ace’s with the red vest compared to some of the others she had seen around the school while cleaning. He even had a Spade on his face. Maybe they were part of the same dorm or from the same country?

               “… Shuddup,” Ace said weakly as he began to stand up. “And who are you?”

               “I’m Deuce. Deuce Spade. Would it hurt to remember your classmates’ faces at least? Ummm….” The guy Deuce began to stop and think again. Valentina couldn’t help but chuckle a little at the sight. He was kind of cute as he looked puzzled standing there.

               “You haven’t memorized them either,” Ace protested in irritation at Deuce.

               “A-Anyway!” Deuce stammered. “If you were ordered by the headmaster, that means you take it seriously.”

               “Thank you,” Valentina said in agreement.

               “Yeah, yeah. Understood… Then let’s get it done and over with Nnn?” Ace said finally giving into the situation.

               Silence.

               “Seriously,” Valentina exclaimed noticing Grim was gone.

               “That furball!” Ace protested.

               “Seriously, how did he get away?” Annemarie asked and Eva only shrugged.

               “He Heh! I leave it all to you all!” Grim snickered as he was running down the hall in the opposite direction.

               “Dumb cat! He made me take his place!” Ace cried out in irritation. “Hey umm… Juice?”

               “It’s not Juice. Deuce! Deuce!”

               “You’re partly responsible so help us catch that furball!” While his logic was a little flawed Valentina wouldn’t say no to the extra help. Eva and Annemarie had already started ahead of them to try and catch Grim before he got too far.

               “Why me?” Deuce said in mild irritation. Valentina couldn’t blame him. She would hate to be roped into cat-wrangling after a day of school too. But still, she really wanted the extra help.

               “Please,” Valentina said as she batted her eyelashes making him blush crimson.

               “Because these deadweights can’t use magic so they don’t count!” Ace said as he was already sidestepping to begin into a run.

               “A—wait what that means they are—they—” Deuce was stammering now, his face still burning red.

               “Yes their girls, yes they crashed the school now let's go!” Ace said as he dragged Deuce into the chase. He was still stammering but at least he was keeping pace with Ace.

               Valentina just hoped it was the right call.

…

               They had caught Kristina, Kimberlee, and Fiona heading to the cafeteria for dinner—bewildered by Grim blazing past them in a rush. Which lead to all of them now in the cafeteria starting at Grim who had somehow managed to get on the chandelier.

               “Darn it! He’s darting around everywhere!” Ace growled as he glared at Grim.

               “Hehehe! Catch me if you can, suckers!”

               “Does anyone have a can of tuna?” Fiona asked the group hopefully and they all shook their head.

               “Maybe we can threaten him?” Kimberlee suggested but Valentina shook her head.

               “He isn’t even focusing on us, he’s too busy having a pissing contest with Ace and Deuce,” Valentina explained sounding more and more exasperated by the minute.

               “Seriously where do you keep finding these trouble makers?” Kristina asked also clearly over the initial humor of it all.

               “I’m pretty sure they find her rather than the other way around,” Annemarie suggested as she did her best to even out her breathing.

               “Why are you pointing your magic pen at me?”

               “I’ll just throw you.”

               All the girls tensed up at the words. While they had been discussing practical solutions to the problems, it seemed the boys had other ideas entirely. They looked over in time to see Deuce starting to float Ace in the air with a pen in hand.

               “Deuce don’t that’s a bad idea,” Valentina tried to protest but he was already in the process.

               “Don’t make me float!” Ace protested but it fell on deaf ears. “You’re really going to throw me!? Knock it off!”

               “They guys are crazy!” Kristina scoffed but Valentina couldn’t tell if she was more awed than shocked.

               “Catch him, ya hear. Take aim… fire.” And just like that Ace went soaring and yelling in the air before crashing into the chandelier and snagging Grim in the process. Unfortunately, the large fixture was not built for the extra weight and came crashing down almost twenty feet onto the ground making the girls and Deuce scream in shock.

               “I can’t believe it!” Ace said as he was coughing, attempting to catch his breath from the fall.

               “First the cauldron than the fall,” Annemarie said almost feeling pity for the red-head.

               “Damn boy can take a beating,” Kristina whistled now more amazed than anything. Seriously, Valentina had no idea how Ace was alive right now. Grim seemed fine as well, though he was in a daze on the floor.

               “What the hell was that noise?” Valentina turned to watch Judith some flying out of the kitchen, flour, and panic on her face.

               “Long story, will fill you in later,” Kimberlee offered the frazzled brunet.

               “I-I screwed up! I didn’t think about the landing!” Deuce exclaimed and they could all only look at him with the same ‘No-shit’ expression on their faces.

               “Are you an idiot!” Ace yelled at Deuce as he stumbled to his feet. “We caught Grim but if the Headmaster finds out we busted the chandelier…”

               “If I find out?”

               They all froze and Judith winced.

               “He was in the kitchen to get his dinner early,” she whispered to the group as the headmaster sauntered up to Ace.

               “Bad luck,” Kristina offered.

               “I’ll say,” Fiona chimed in.

               “Ah… Headmaster…” Ace said as he began to back away slowly.

               “Just~ What~ Exactly~ ARE YOU ALL DOING!” They hadn’t really heard the headmaster yell before now but it was loud enough to make the group of teenagers all jump in shock. Except for Grim who was still mumbling about the room spinning from his spot on the ground. “You weren’t satisfied with damaging the statue so you decided to destroy the chandelier!? This is the last straw. I will have all of you expelled.”

               “Wait us—” Valentina could feel a hand covering her mouth.

               “He isn’t looking at us yet, keep your head down. He might not be talking about us.” Judith hissed and Valentina could only nod. They weren’t students after all.

               “Please! Anything but that! I have a thing I have to do at this school!” Deuce cried out in protest and Valentina had to admit her heart was bleeding for him a little. He may have been dumb with his idea but he had only been trying to help at their request.

               “You have nothing to blame but your own idiocy.” Well, the headmaster wasn’t wrong but he didn’t have to be so blunt about it.

               “I will pay for all damages if I have to!”

               “That was no normal chandelier.” Crowley started in, moving from Ace to stare down Deuce instead. “This was a magical chandelier that uses candles that will burn for eternity. It is a masterpiece made by a legendary master of magical tools. It has been entrusted to the school since its very foundation… Taking into consideration its historical value, it would cost no less than a billion Madol. Can you pay for those damages?”

               “A B-billion Madol?” Deuce squeaked cracking under the amount.

               “But, teacher can’t you just fix it up with magic…” Ace added in almost regretting speaking up as soon as Crowley turned his attention back to him again.

               “Magic is not all-powerful. More importantly, the magic crystal, what we call the Heart of any magical tool was shattered. No two magic crystals are the same. The chandelier will never be lit again.”

               “How can that…” Ace looked like he was struggling to try to come up with some way out of the situation. But he wasn’t coming up with one.

               “Crap… what am I doing… what am I going to tell mom…” Deuce muttered to himself looking on the verge of tears.

               “That’s right. There’s one way.” Crowley said watching as the two boys lit up with hope. “There might be one way to fix the chandelier.”

               “What?” The two said almost believing it was too good to be true.

               “The magic crystal for this chandelier was mined in the Dwarf’s Mine. If we have a magic crystal of the same kind as the original, repairs might be possible.”

               “I’ll go find a magic crystal! Please, allow me to go!” Deuce said in earnest a brave face on.

               “However, I have no guarantee that there are any left in the mine. The mine has been closed for a while and it’s very possible it is exhausted of crystals.” Crowley added but it didn’t deter Deuce even a little.

               “I’ll do anything if it means not getting expelled!”

               “Fine. I shall give you one night. Come to me with a magic crystal by tomorrow morning, or face expulsion.” Crowley said decreeing his ultimatum.

               “Yes! Thank you very much!” Deuce cheered in relief. Even if it was only a chance it was better than nothing.

               “Uuaahh, I suppose. Let’s go get that magic crystal and be done with it.” Valentina felt a strong urge to hit Ace at that moment and judging how the others tensed around her, the feeling was mutual.

               “Use the Gate in the Mirror Chamber to go directly to Dwarf’s Mine,” Crowley ordered and Deuce quickly nodded before tearing off in the direction of the mirror.

               “And you girls, go with, Grim was your responsibility and he caused trouble. Fix it… or else.” Crowley threatened before he turned to leave—Ace took the opportunity to run after Deuce leaving the girls in the cafeteria. They really didn’t want to know what ‘or else’ meant.

               “What not…? What exactly did I?” Grim grumbled finally coming to.

               “You might’ve been happier staying unconscious,” Fiona offered weakly with an even weaker smile.

               “I swear if the headmaster doesn’t kill us, I’m killing you—you damned cat,” Kristina growled at Grim making the cat monster cry out before ducking to Valentina for safety.

               “Don’t come crawling to me now,” Valentina huffed. “No tuna for a week.”

               “Waaa! So cruel!”

…

               They were all where it started now. The mirror chamber. Only this time, it wasn’t the girls, a monster, and the headmaster. It was the girls, a monster, and pair of troublesome boys.

               “Aaaah…. Why did it turn into something like this? Today really is not my day…” Ace continued to whine where he stood at the mirror.

               “Now isn’t the time for mumbling!” Deuce lectured. “Let’s go! Mirror, Mirror on the wall! Light our way to the Dwarfs’ Mine!”

               The was a flash of light. And then nothing.

Chapter Text

Valentina could only look around in awe at the lush forest around her. They had been at the school moments ago, but now… now they were in a forest almost straight out of a storybook. Patches of wildflowers grew all around their feet and trees curled up to the moon, the silvery light illuminating their way now that the sun had set.

               “So this is the Dwarfs’ Mine… It used to be prosperous, thanks to magic crystal mining but…” Deuce began to ramble to himself—taking in his surroundings as well.

               “Uhh… feels like something could jump out…” Grim began to whimper.

               “BLAH,” Kristina yelled behind Grim causing the monster to jump up and go rushing forward in front of the group before turning.

               “Don’t scare me like that!” Grim protested as he glared back at Kristina who was giggling uncontrollably now.

               “Why not?” Kristina challenged. Valentina couldn’t help but notice the older members of the group rolling their eyes at her.

               “Seriously, now is not the time to be picking a fight with Grim,” Judith said crossing her arms in disappointment.

               “You really are a stick in the mud you know that?” Kristina fired back but before an argument could break out between the two of them for the… who knows how many times now. Ace called for their attention.

               “There’s a house back there,” he said pointing to a cottage near the edge of the clearing they had landed in. “Let’s go ask them about the mine.”

               “That place looks completely abandoned though,” Annemarie noted. Valentina had to agree, the place looked like it was one bad thunderstorm away from falling apart.

               “Not to mention super creepy looking,” Fiona added in turn.

               “What you scared as well,” Kristina snickered and the blonde glared in response.

               “No, I’m not!” Fiona protested with a pout. “Besides we already live in a haunted house. I doubt it would be any different.”

               “Still, it doesn’t hurt to check,” Valentina offered before she rushed to catch up with the boys and Grim.

               Deuce knocked on the door, only to have it creek open without anyone on the other side. “I guess it’s abandoned,” Deuce said as he pushed the door open the rest of the way.

               “Not to mention a total mess,” Valentina quipped. Deuce tensed next to her and went silent suddenly—his eyes flittering around the room and doing his best to not look at her. He honestly hadn’t looked at her in the face once since realizing she was a girl. Maybe he was shy?

               “Puwah! I got a spider web in my face,” Grim said as he sputtered and spat to try and get the web off his face.

               “Aren’t the tables and chairs on the small side? Are they for kids? One, two… There’s seven! So many!” Ace said as he began to poke around the cabin without a care for the previous residents or how they still might be trespassing… or he might fall through the floor to any basement that was underneath. Valentina could only hope though.

               “This was probably a lively home when Dwarfs’ Mine flourished,” Deuce added turning to leave the cottage as they were clearly not finding anything of use there.

               “They did what they had to. After all, magic crystals are found inside coal. For now, let’s go check it out,” Ace said having lost interest in the cabin and ushering everyone back outside again to make the trek to the mines. Thankfully they weren’t far. Most of them were active in some way or form, but Eva didn’t look like she would last a very long hike after having run after Ace then Grim. Valentina almost felt bad. Maybe they should have let her stay back at the dorm and wait for the phones instead of dragging her into the woods. Whatever, it was too late now.

               “W-we’re gonna go in that pitch-black cave?!” Grim whimpered as he shuffled back from the mine’s entrance.

               “Scared? Lame,” Ace mocked.

               “Seriously, how are you such chicken shit?” Kristina added with a laugh. It earned her an elbow in the ribs from Annemarie and a judgmental stare from Fiona. Now wasn’t the time.

               “I’m not s-scared at all!” Grim protested though the stutter made it completely unbelievable to everyone except maybe himself. “I’m taking the lead! You guys, follow me!”

               “Eva maybe you should stay outside,” Valentina suggested to the older girl. “Keep watch and all of that?”

               “We should be suggesting that to you too Val,” Judith added. “There is going to be coal dust in there, it might irritate your airways.”

               “I promise my asthma isn’t that active,” Valentina reassured before turning back to Eva. “Seriously though, you should wait out here.”

               “Yeah, it would suck if you dropped dead in there,” Kristina offered before walking into the mine.

               “If you guys are sure,” Eva said as she took a seat on a nearby log.

               “We are, take care ok,” Kimberlee said with a weak smile before they all went into the cave.

               “Ghosts!” Grim cried out in shock though by the time the remaining six girls made it to where the boys were.

               “This place is haunted with ghosts too!” Ace protested as he faced off against three ghosts, his pen at the ready.

               “We don’t have time to deal with them one by one, Let’s go!” Deuce ordered his pen also out and ready to push forward.

               “Don’t think you can just order me around. If you hadn’t done something so idiotic, we wouldn’t be in this mess.” Ace wasn’t wrong but Valentina couldn’t help but note none of it would have happened if he hadn’t tried to skip out on cleaning, or picked a fight with Grim.

               “You wanna talk about who started it?” Deuce fired back. “It’s 'cause you wouldn’t clean.”

               “He has a point,” Valentina agreed—missing the way Deuce’s cheeks turned pink in the dim light of the cave.

               “It started when the furball burned the Queen of Hearts’ statue!” Ace said as he tried to redirect the blame back to the Grim.

               “That’s what you get for making a fool outta me!” Grim protested as he turned his attention from the ghosts to Ace.

               “And Grim wouldn’t have fired at you if you hadn’t been picking on him. Seriously does it make you feel good to pick on the poor thing?” Valentina said stepping into the defense. She was still mad at Grim for trying to get out of cleaning as well, but this wasn’t all his fault. Ace didn’t get the chance to defend himself again before Deuce cut them off.

               “All of you! Do you understand our situation right now?” Deuce yelled at them. Valentina couldn’t help but wince at the noise. “We’re all expelled if we don’t get back with a magic crystal by tomorrow morning!”

               “So, stop patronizing me. It’s really ticking me off,” Ace said as he moved forward ready to shove Deuce as the two continued to bicker.

               “Seriously we really shouldn’t be fighting,” Kimberlee said looking between Valentina, the boys, and Grim.

               “I got ten on the red-head, he’s feisty,” Kristina chimed in with a smirk.

               “Seriously, do you do anything other than instigating trouble?” Annemarie huffed but Kristina didn’t react at all to the provocation.

               “I like to think it’s part of my charm,” Kristina said.

               “I have ten on bad boy blue then, he looks like he could throw a punch,” Fiona added making Annemarie groan in frustration.

               “Shut up all of you,” Judith suddenly cut in shocking them enough into silence. “Do you all hear that?”

               “…on’t….ive…wo…” A gravelly and grainy voice said at a distance. I sounded almost as if it was coming in through static and made Valentina’s hairs stand on end.

               “W-who said that,” Ace asked weakly his eyes fixed deeper in the cave to the sound of the voice.

               “St…one…..ssss….mine…”

               “I think it’s… getting closer…” Deuce said as he took a step back. His eyes now also fixed on the direction of the voice.

               “Stone….IS MIIIIIIINNNNNEEEE!!!”

               They all screamed seeing the monster come out of the darkness and into the dim light. It looked wrong—like a miner but not. Its head was a glass bottle filled with what looked like ink and a large pickaxe in its hand. It began to swing wildly at them, making them scatter and scramble in the direction of the exit.

               “What the heck is that thing?!” Deuce asked in a panic as he quickly overtook the group in speed.

               “How the hell would we know?” Valentina heard someone retort but she was running too fast to tell who said it. She was doing her best to keep her breathing even and prevent an attack.

               “Crowley didn’t say anything about that! Let’s get outta here!”

               “It’s so nasty! But didn’t it mention a stone?”

               “Eeeh?”

               “St…one, won’t … give!”

               “So there really are magic crystals left!” Deuce stopped on a dim then and Valentina almost ran right into his back, barely able to stop herself in time as she stumbled forward a bit.

               “Nope! I’m a genius, but I can’t beat that thing!” Grim whimpered as he continued forward as well as most of the rest of their group.

               “But we’ll be expelled without it… I’m going.” That got the group’s attention as they stopped to stare at Deuce. The voice seemed to have stopped following them. Or at least not as close as it had been.

               “Are you crazy?” Valentina asked her eyes blown wide with panic. He seemed to ignore her though as his eyes focused back in the direction they came from.

               “I think he fucking is,” Kristina commented.

               “You’ve gotta be kidding?” Ace exclaimed clearly just as shocked by Deuce’s brazen declaration.

               “It’s way too dangerous, let’s just regroup outside and then—” Annemarie was cut off though as she tried to rationalize with him.

               “I cannot, under any circumstances, be expelled!” Deuce declared then, more determination on his face than ever before. Of course, that was when the monster caught up with them, its pickaxe still swinging wildly.

               “Leave! Leave!! LEEEEAVEEE!!!” It screeched and yelled.

               Deuce and Ace started attacking wildly than with Grim in tow. None of them able to land a clear shot and half the time their attacks just hit each other’s rather than their intended target.

               “Stand back if you have no control, Mr. Serious,” Ace snapped. “I’ll stop it! Haa!”

               He fired a wind spell off at it but only ended up catching a blunt side of a pickaxe to the chest in response before being slammed into the cave walls. Fiona and Judith were quick to scramble and grab Ace to pull him to the exit as he regained his breath.

               “Stay away!” Grim cried out as the creature took a shot at him despite the fire he was breathing. “It’s not working at all!”

               Something glimmering caught Valentina’s eyes then, behind the creature, almost glowing in the darkness. “Did something just sparkle?” She asked pointing past the monster.

               “Behind that thing! At the end of the tunnel, something…” Ace managed to choke out from where Judith and Fiona were propping him up.

               “That light, is it a magic crystal?” Deuce asked as he dodged another swing from the ax.

               “GOOOOOOOOOOO! WON’T GIVE!” The creature bellowed again.

               “We get it already shut up,” Kristina yelled back before turning on her heels to leave—grabbing Deuce and hauling him behind her despite his protests.

               “Let’s get out of here! We’re done for at this rate!” Grim exclaimed and Valentina found herself agreeing with the cat monster for once.

               “We need to regroup at the entrance, let’s go,” Valentina said as she began helping Kristina haul Deuce to the exit. The creature bellowing after them the whole way.

               When they came tearing out of the mine, Eva stood in shock and nerves barely getting to ask what happened before Kimberlee had grabbed her hand and dragged her back in the direction of the cottage to avoid the creature’s wrath should it decide to follow them out of the cave.

               “Is this far enough?” Grim asked and Valentina nodded in response—panting hard.

               “Oooowww…” Ace groaned as Fiona and Judith finally dropped him to the ground. “What in the world was that? No one said anything about that!”

               “No if they had we might not have gone on the fetch quest,” Eva muttered but she was ignored by Ace in favor of him attempting to stand up finally.

               “It didn’t seem like any old ghost,” Deuce lamented as he continued to stare back at the mines.

               “No shit, we aren’t even from a place with ghosts and magic and I could have told you that,” Kristina practically growled. Valentina guessed her nerves were fried if she was back to being aggressive rather than teasing.

               “A—place without magic?” Deuce stuttered out but he was ignored in favor of Kristina continuing on her tangent.

               “Seriously, what the hell was Crowley thinking sending a bunch of kids—more than half without magic to this place? Was he hoping we would die and he wouldn’t have to deal with us anymore? I could fucking see it that lazy son of a—”

               “Kristina, enough. I’m sure he didn’t know about the creature, the last thing a guy like him wants to deal with is the press of losing two students,” Judith rationalized in an attempt to calm Kristina down.

               “And you would know all about things like that, isn’t that right princess?” Kristina fired back but Judith still remained calm.

               “Don’t take your anger out on me because you're freaking out,” Judith quipped back.

               “Let’s give up and go home. I’d rather get expelled than fight that thing,” Ace suggested.

               “Wha? Don’t screw with me!” Deuce said and Valentina was shocked to see his whole demeanor change. Deuce who had been stuttering and shy when talking to girls was now stalking forward at Ace looking ready to throw a punch. “I’d rather die than face expulsion! There’s a magic crystal in front of us and you wanna go home?”

               “Ha. You talk big for someone worse at magic than me. Go alone, or with a few of these crazy bitches, if you want. I’m done.” Ace really was ready to throw in the towel and be done with it. Just like that. Deuce gave a sadistic smirk in response.

               “Ooooh, that right?” Deuce taunted. “Then stay right there cowering like a spineless coward!”

               “Huuuh? Coward?” Ace repeated in shock. “Who exactly are you talking about?”

               “Did Deuce switch up his character?” Grim asked Valentina, pulling on her pant leg to get her attention. Yet her eyes stayed fixed on Deuce and Ace, ready to break them up if needed.

               “I have no idea,” Valentina said and she really didn’t. She didn’t know a single thing about these guys. How could she, she had just met that all that day. Deuce blinked then and backed off Ace, once more regaining his calm demeanor.

               “A-ahem, my bad. I lost my composure a bit,” Deuce said as he looked down in embarrassment.

               “Can magic help with this at all?” Kimberlee asked hopefully as she looked between the two Night Raven College students.

               “As the Headmaster said earlier, magic isn’t all-powerful,” Deuce began to explain. He must have been getting used to the idea of girls being around him because he was stuttering a lot less now. “If you can’t imagine it, then it won’t materialize. Large-scale or complicated magic requires a lot of training.”

               “But that’s why we have schools for magic,” Ace added—taking over the explanation. “You have to practice a lot to use magic just as it comes to mind. Bluntly, you’ll screw up if you lose your cool.”

               “You mean like the three of you have been doing since we have known you?” Eva grumbled but she was shushed by Fiona before Fiona herself spoke up, “So that’s why Grim can only use fire magic right now.”

               “Stuff you’re good at, you can go off instinct,” Ace confirmed.

               “At any rate,” Deuce said changing the subject. “I’m going in there. I’ll figure out how to beat that thing and come back with a magic crystal.”

               “However, judging by the chandelier incident, you’re a complete idiot. You wouldn’t land a single hit either, but now you’ll figure it out? It’s going to end the same,” Ace said clearly still sounding like he was ready to give up.

               “Come again? You think…” Deuce was ready to go off again, even Grim was noticing it.

               “Fine then get yourselves killed and expelled.” Valentina hadn’t even realized the words came out of her mouth until Deuce and Ace stopped yelling at each other to look at her in shock. Even so, she dug in her heels and held her head high.

               “Why are you shouting all of a sudden?” Grim whimpered but she ignored him.

               “The two of you will just get hurt as is or expelled. We aren’t even from this world and we can figure that out just by looking at the two of you. We might not know what Crowley will do with us if we show up empty-handed. We could be thrown to the streets but you don’t see the seven of us clawing and ripping each other apart for the fun of it.”

               “She’s right, all of you were useless back there. We didn’t even have magic and we had more calm and composure a piece than the three of you combined,” Kristina added as she backed Valentina up.

               “If we want to pull this off, we are going to need a plan and work together,” Annemarie added as well. Valentina couldn’t help but feel the warmth spread in her chest because they were right. They might not get along the best, but the seven of them knew survival meant working together. A concept that seemed lost on the boys and Grim.

               “B-but,” Deuce sputtered out—his face scarlet. “What exactly should we do?”

               “We’re going to put our heads together and come up with a plan obviously,” Annemarie continued her silver eyes cold and serious.

               “Plan? You mean get along and work together?” Ace huffed as if it was some kind of joke. None of them were laughing. “Geez, you girls are cold. Having no problem saying lame things like that with serious faces, huh?”

               “I disagree,” Deuce protested. “No way I’m working with this loser.”

               “So, you would rather get thrown out on the first day of school? Talk about lame,” Kristina prodded her smile once more gracing her face.

               The two boys were speechless at her provocation. She had a point, it really was stupid to get kicked out on the first day of school without even trying.

               “Anyone have any ideas?” Judith asked as she looked to the group, though her eyes fixed on Annemarie instantly.

               “I might have an idea, but…” Annemarie started before her eyes looked at the boys inquisitively. Daring them to say no.

               “Fine!” Ace finally said throwing his hands up in defeat making Deuce also shrug as he gave in. “We just have to get it done, right? So, what’s the plan?”

               …

               They were back outside the cave. All of them standing with just their wits and a length of rope they had managed to find in the cottage. Valentina gulped hard as she stared forward. She felt Kimberlee squeeze her hand reassuringly and she returned the gesture. They could do this, they had to.

               “You… really think it’ll go as planned?” Grim said and Valentina could feel him shaking at her side. “I’m scar… no, just nervous.”

               “Well, we won’t know if we don’t try,” Valentina reassured the best she could.

               “Haha,” Ace laughed and he clapped her shoulder as he passed by. “You’re too stiff. Just go with the flow. Now, let’s get this over with.”

               The plan was simple. Grim provided a diversion while Kristina darted in and past the creature to get to the stone. Ace and Deuce provided the main firepower while the rest of the girls would do their best to distract the creature. Outside, Eva and Annemarie waited with the rope to trip up the creature as it came running after them.

               It all went off without a hitch, hell they were even able to pull off a sick fire-tornado combo! Valentina wished she could just watch but she had to stay on her toes. It was then Kristina came peeling by stone in hand.

               “Let’s book it losers!” She yelled and then they all began their retreat out of the mines. They all ran quickly then, Deuce firing off cauldrons to help slow the monster down.

               “Do you know any other spells than that one?” Ace chided as he ran.

               “Less fighting and more running,” Judith shot at him before Deuce could fall into the taunt.

               They were all finally out, and as soon as the creature came running, Annemarie and Eva pulled the rope. It went falling then—slamming into the ground and shattering the glass head it had on the ground. Ink evaporating and pooling into the ground. Its body falling apart and melting into the ground leaving nothing—not even the pickax and clothing.

               “Disgusting,” Fiona whined as she watched.

               “Seriously,” Kimberlee agreed.

               “We seriously did it, we won,” Ace said in shock as he ran a hand through his wild hair.

               “Thank the seven,” Deuce huffed in relief—bending to the ground so he was almost sitting—head in his hands.

               “You guys did great,” Judith complimented as she did her best to catch her breath. Ace and Deuce were not sided by side giving each other a fist bump as they continued to laugh away their nerves from running.

               “Is this what they mean by ‘adversity brings people together?’” Annemarie teased as she walked over to the rest of them with a smile on her face.

               “It’s nothing like that!” Deuce protested quickly.

               “Y-yeah, yeah! Could you stop saying weird things?” Ace agreed quickly the two of them shuffling away from each other.

               “Seriously, what’s with boys and not wanting to get along?” Valentina whined as she moved her head behind her head to help open up her breathing.

               “W-we won, thanks to my genius! It’s not because we pooled our strength!”

               “Grim I’m not above drop kicking you,” Judith said and the cat monster was quick to screech and move to hide behind Fiona who could only laugh in response.

               “I guess making excuses is pretty lame,” Ace started. “I hate to admit it but if you girls hadn’t broken up the fight and came up with a plan we wouldn’t have won.”

               “…True. We got the magic crystal because of you guys and your level-headed instructions. We can prevent our expulsion this way… I’m so relieved.”

               “I’m just glad we all made it out,” Valentina said with a smile—looking down to where Ace and Deuce were sheepishly looking at them all.

               “Seriously though, we don’t even know your names and you saved our asses,” Deuce said.

               “Ah I guess we haven’t gotten the chance to introduce ourselves—though I’m sure you figured it out,” Valentina said. “I’m Valentina, that’s Kristina, Annemarie, Judith, Kimberlee, Eva, and Fiona.” She pointed to each of them in turn and the guys nodded.

               Deuce smiled softly at her before looking away again, his cheeks still tinted pink. Valentina smiled even softer here. Really, the two of them didn’t seem like bad guys, assholes maybe, but not bad.

               “Grim don’t eat that,” Fiona protested pulling Valentina’s attention over to where Grim had finished shoving a black-looking rock into his gullet.

               “No way he just ate that,” Ace said and Valentina could only sigh.

               “Spit it out Grim,” Fiona yelped in panic but it was too late. Grim had already swallowed.

               “Is he alright?” Deuce asked.

               “This is why you don’t eat things off the ground—” Ace lectured when Grim looked ill, but the cat monster quickly recovered with cheers of delight, making Ace and Deuce blanch in shock.

               “Bleh, Monsters really do have different tastes than us,” Ace noted.

               “I guess so, but more than that…” Deuce started. “Most people wouldn’t even put a mystery object in their mouth without a thought.”

               “Guess he’s an omnivore,” Valentina laughed nervously hoping to ignore everything that just happened.

               “I don’t want to hear it if you get sick later,” Judith said.

               “Same here,” added Kristina.

               “Also same,” added Fiona. The rest only nodding in agreement.

               “Come on,” Deuce said. “Let’s head back and deliver this crystal to the headmaster.” Valentina couldn’t agree more with that sentiment.

Chapter Text

Crowley had been pacing in front of the mirror for the last thirty minutes. He had heard word from some of the paintings that a group of students fitting the description of the troublemakers and girls went to the hall of mirrors. He had never expected them to actually go, especially the girls. He was hoping the boys would roll over and give up since they clearly weren’t Night Raven College material after all—and the girls he was hoping would give up on the idea of the cat monster as a pet. He never intended for this.

               When the Mirror lit up and the group came out in one piece, he felt himself sigh in relief. Honestly, the stress this group had put him under in the last twenty-four hours was enough to make his stomach hurt and hair go grey. Or at least it would if he wasn’t a nearly immortal fae.

               “You really went to the Dwarfs’ Mine to find a magic crystal?” Crowley explained as the group began to regain their bearings. Ace and Deuce stood there silently, clearly unamused by Crowley’s expectations of them when it was his suggestion in the first place. Even as Grim let out a noise in shock, Crowley supposed he shouldn’t have been that shocked—these boys were clearly grade-A dumbasses through and through.

               “We did more than that,” Kristina said as she handed him a glowing stone. A near-perfect replica for the chandelier. “We found your damned shiny rock.”

               “I really didn’t think…” Crowley said, trailing off as he eyes the crystal in awe. “You’d not all only go but then come back with a crystal in hand. I quietly completed the paperwork for your expulsion while you were all always.”

               Any expression the girls could be pulling was quickly overshadowed by the shocked expression and mangled cries of betrayal from Grim.

               “The nerve of this guy!” Grim cried out. “While we were off flighting some crazy beast—”

               “Beast?” Crowley interrupted with a startled blink. The mines had been abandoned for a while. There shouldn’t have been anything living in that place. Had a bear or something decided to make a home out of the cave?

               “There was a monster there! It was super gross and crazy strong, it was awful!” Ace supplied as he shook his head at the memory of the fight, though he was still clearly shaken up and probably the worse for wear out of the whole group.

               “That isn’t right, the mines should have been empty,” Crowley muttered to himself before looking at the group with deathly seriousness. “Follow me to my office, I would like you all to explain in more detail there.”

               “And shred the expulsion paperwork?” Deuce asked clearly still worried he was going to be expelled. Crowley briefly wondered about the boy’s priorities but quickly shoved the thoughts to the back of his mind.

               “Yes Mr. Spade I will also shred the expulsion paperwork while we were there,” Crowley reassured as the dark-haired boy sighed in relief. Seriously, this kid needed better priorities.

               …

               Deuce Spade held his head high as they walked the halls to the headmaster’s office. He wasn’t at the front of the group, that spot was reserved for Kristina, Judith, and Annemarie. The three of them standing tall and looking ready to kill if Crowley didn’t give them a good explanation for what happened.

               At the back of the group behind him, trailed Kimberlee, Eva, and Grim. They looked exhausted after everything that had happened. Eva hadn’t even gone into the mines but the excitement had seemed to take the most out of her over the others. Her blue eyes dull and her dark hair a frizzy mess.

               In the middle was Deuce himself, Ace, to his left, Valentina to his right, and Fiona to Valentina’s right. If they had been in school, they would have taken up the whole hallway with how they were walking. Deuce tried to not focus on how for the first time ever, he was walking next to a girl that wasn’t his mother.

               As subtlety as possible, he looked over the side at Valentina. She was cute, her black hair cut to her shoulders straight across and constantly tucking her bangs behind her ears. Her skin was deep but not nearly as deep as some of the other students Deuce had seen around the school on his first day, closer to maybe some of the Land of Hot Sand natives—or across the sea from Twisted Wonderland to the continents of the west. He sort of remembered a country over there that seemed to fit her appearance pretty well, where the dead were honored and revered even long after their passing.

               She was barely shorter than him, he only had an inch maybe two on her in terms of height. Maybe ten centimeters? Maybe less? Her arms were currently across her chest as her dark eyes remained forward as if looking to the leaders of the group for guidance.

               “So, you’re all from another world huh?” Ace said suddenly making Deuce jump from the sudden small talk.

               “You caught that huh?” Valentina supplied with a grimace. Their voices were low, likely so Crowley didn’t hear them talking as they walked. “Yeah, we are from a place where magic, beastman, fae, all of it is just the stuff of fairy tales. We haven’t ever heard of the seven, and honestly a whole bunch of other things probably.”

               Ace let out a low whistle in response, his hands going behind his head as he processed the information.

               “Why are we whispering about it?” Deuce asked then his voice also lower. Honestly, he was just glad he wasn’t a stuttering mess at the moment.

               “I don’t know if people are really supposed to know about it or not,” Valentina began to explain. “Crowley didn’t say, but apparently Kris didn’t care that much or was too stressed out to think about it. She gets pretty brutal when she gets like that. I’ve heard nothing but horror stories from the girls on the Volleyball team during season about her.”

               “Kris? You mean Kristina?” Ace asked and Valentina nodded.

               “Yeah sorry, we all tend to shorten each other’s names.”

               “So… you were all pretty close back home?” Deuce asked genuinely curious about the nature of their relationships with each other.

               “Not really. We grew up in a pretty small town so we all knew about each other and had classes together. The only two I had really talked to before all of this happened were Jude and Kimmy. Kimmy because she’s one of my best friends and Jude because we are all on the Color Guard and Dance Teams together.” Deuce felt his face heat up from embarrassment. Of course, they weren’t all going to be good friends just because they knew each other and went to school together. What kind of coincidental bullshit would that be? Then again it was pretty coincidental they knew each other at all.

               “So, anyone ever call her Krissy?” Ace said with a smirk, eyes focusing on Kristina’s back. Deuce could feel himself rolling his eyes at his classmate.

               “Not unless they wanted to die,” Valentina offered making Ace ‘tsk’ in response. His trying to be cute was going to get himself killed. Honestly, Deuce had only known Kristina for a few hours and she scared the shit out of him. And he was even an ex-delinquent.

               They arrived at the office then. Scattered about as Crowley made a show of walking to his desk and placing the expulsion papers into the paper shredder by his desk. “So,” he stated as he looked at all of them. “Why don’t you children start from the beginning.”

               It was a more than colorful retelling, especially with Kristina’s additions making it sound more like it was being told by a sailor over a high school girl.

               “A mysterious monster living in the coal mine,” Crowley started to muse once they all finally finished the story. “And the lot of you worked together to defeat it and bring back a magic crystal.”

               “We didn’t really work together…” Ace said sheepishly as he looked down at the ground, suddenly interested in something on the floor.

               “It was more like our goals were aligned,” Deuce added.

               The headmaster suddenly started crying then making all of them jump in shock at seeing a grown adult burst into tears without warning.

               “What’s with this guy? Why is an adult bursting into tears!?” Grim shouted in confusion.

               “Seriously what is up with this guy? One minute he’s perfectly fine and now he’s crying?” Judith exclaimed clearly uncomfortable by the situation. Deuce noticed she wasn’t the only one, Eva was also cringing away from the sudden change in mood Crowley was displaying. The rest just seemed very confused.

               “In all these years that I’ve been Headmaster,” Crowley finally started after he finished the worst of his sobbing. “For the day to come that students from Night Raven College to go hand-in-hand to face and defeat their enemy!”

               “What?” Deuce exclaimed in protest. “I did not hold this guy’s hand!”

               “I would never do that, gross,” Ace agreed. Pointedly ignoring several of the girls saying ‘sus’ off to the side. Whatever that meant. “But Headmaster, how old are you?!”

               “I don’t think age has anything to do with it,” Annemarie said with a weak smile.

               “I am overwhelmed with emotion is all,” Crowley began to explain. “This incident confirms it. You girls are, without a doubt, in possession of the talent of beast tamers!”

               “The fuck does that mean again?” Kristina said slouching forward in confusion.

               “Yeah, you called us that back at the dorm after the fight between Grim and the Ghosts but you never explained it,” Valentina continued.

               “Students of Night Raven College are budding wizards called by the Dark Mirror,” Crowley began before he was cut off by Kristina.

               “Yes, we know fancy mirror picks the chosen ones. We know.” Kristina snapped, if Deuce understood Valentina right that meant this whole thing was probably starting to get to Kristina again.

               “I am getting to it Ms. Kaiser,” Crowley huffed in response.

               “Get there faster, I’m tired and hungry.”

               “I’m sure the lot of you are, now be quiet and let me continue.” Kristina groaned but shut up after that. “However, they are of the superior class that makes them prideful and egotistical people that have not even the slightest inkling to work with others. Making many of them selfish and self-centered.”

               “So, a school full of Kris’ got it,” Judith stated so bluntly it almost sounded like she was saying a basic scientific fact.

               “Watch it, Princess, I know where you sleep.”

               “I know where you sleep too, you aren’t special.”

               “Ladies please,” Crowley interrupted before the two could go at it again. “You girls can’t use magic. But, maybe, precisely because you all cannot use magic means that you could give instructions to wizards and get them to cooperate. Perhaps that mediocrity is exactly what this school needs right now!”

               “He’s not saying anything nice is he?” Ace blanched and Deuce couldn’t help but sneak a look over to the rest of the girls. All of them looked visibly insulted or hurt by the idea they were ‘mediocre’ just because they couldn’t use magic.

               “I would hardly call Captain of a back-to-back State Champion team mediocre,” Kristina fired back.

               “I’m slated to be Salutatorian for my graduating class,” Annemarie chimed in.

               “Judith is rich,” Kimberlee added as if that was a compliment.

               “Kimberlee that’s not a skill that’s a random factor of being born to the right people,” Judith tried to explain making the tallest girl go flushed from embarrassment. Crowley seemed to ignore all of the protests in favor of continuing.

               “Ladies,” Crowley started again. “I have no doubt that your existence is essential to the future of this academy. So says my educator-senses. Mr. Trappola, Mr. Spade, along with rescinding your expulsion I shall entrust you both with the education of these girls for how Twisted Wonderland works. As well as enrolling them all as full-time students at Night Raven College.”

               “Seriously?” Valentina.

               “Please don’t tell me I have to be a freshman again at eighteen? I was almost out of this hell.” Kristina.

               “Are we even going to know enough elementary knowledge to thrive here?” Annemarie.

               “What about our magical prowess, er—lack thereof? And the jobs you assigned us?” Judith.

               “You really mean it?” Kimberlee.

               “B-but we’re girls? What about this being an all-boys school?” Eva.

               “How will this all even be possible?” Fiona.

               All of them had their protests that pilled on top of each other one by one, completely drowning out both Ace and Deuce’s own cries of shock.

               “Yes. For I am gracious.” Crowley said with a smile. “There is no rule that women cannot enroll at this academy. The mirror has just always brought young men so that is what we have done. Do not worry, since you girls are new here the curriculum will be adjusted as such in order to accommodate you. Though I will keep you all in age-appropriate grades for I am very gracious… and I wouldn’t make sense to keep you all trapped to the first years when I can spread out the instruction you all supply.”

               “But, there is one condition,” Crowley added once the girls settled down from the news. None of you may use magic. Becoming wizards is out of the question. Unfortunately, that does supply issues with your lessons but again, they will be adjusted accordingly… I’m sure the other professors won’t mind… I hope. Well, except for Ms. Corey. I will have Grim enroll with you in order to perform the magic aspects of your lessons.”

               “Why me?” Valentina asked suddenly.

               “Grim seems to like you the most and you are the same age as our first years are you not?”

               “I mean… yes.”

               “Then it is settled. Grim will be part of your classes to help with the magical component.” Valentina pouted at the news—clearly unhappy with being settled as Grim’s main caregiver. Deuce tried to not laugh at her misery but it was hard when she looked so damned adorable while doing it.

               “I…. I can go to this academy too….? Not as a handyman, but a student?” Grim said in awe as he looked at the headmaster.

               “Yes. Provided that you don’t ever let an incident like this evening occur again!” Crowley snapped at the creature. “Do we have an agreement?”

               “We-we can.” Grim stuttered out clearly intimidated by the headmaster.

               “Well, I guess that means we are stuck with each other,” Valentina sighed before picking up Grim into her arms. “Let’s do our best, ok?”

               “I did it!” Grim cheered in excitement making Valentina almost drop him.

               “Well then, I shall give you the symbol of your status as students of Night Raven College, a magic crystal, to Grim. For the rest, I will have pens fashioned to look similar so not too many other students bother you with too many unnecessary questions. I’m sure they will have plenty after all. For I am gracious.”

               “He keeps saying that, but I don’t think it means to him what he thinks it does,” Eva muttered and Deuce found himself almost snickering out loud. If Crowley heard her, he ignored it in favor of Grim preening at his new collar.

               “You wouldn’t be able to grip a pen in your paws, right? It’s a special custom. Aaah… I pay attention to even the smallest of details; I really am too gracious.”

               “And yet we are staying in a barely livable dorm he forgot was haunted,” Judith mentioned but Crowley only coughed in response. Grim was cheering still, showing off his gem to everyone in the room searching for praised rather than listening to Crowley or Judith’s passive-aggressive comments.

               “As you can see, Grim is not accustomed to human society her either. It’s up to you all to take the reins and supervise him to prevent him from causing more trouble. With that being said, I believe it’s best we assign you girls roles as Dorm Leader and Vice Dorm leader. Dorm leaders will be in charge of attending regular meetings about school life and events going on. The Vice Leader will be in charge of supporting and enforcing the rules and regulations of the Dorm Leader. Now, I believe Ms. Kaiser and Ms. Frost are the oldest so—”

               “No way, hard pass,” Kristina interrupted. “That sounds like a bunch of student council work and I wasn’t interested in running back home, I’m not doing it now.”

               “I don’t want it either,” Eva said softly.

               “Well, then I guess I’ll ask you, girls who should be,” Crowley said as Annemarie stepped forward.

               “I don’t mind being Dorm Leader. I wasn’t on the student council but I helped out a lot with their events. It shouldn’t be that different.” She said and Crowley nodded as no one seemed to object to the idea.

               “And the Vice Leader?”

               No one spoke up at first before Judith sighed and stepped forward as well. “Since no one else is jumping for the swanky job, I guess I’ll take it. Unless someone else wants it.” Annemarie’s eyes seemed to be pleading for literally anyone else to step forward but no one did.

               “Excellent, I’m glad to have that all settled,” Crowley said happily as he began to shuffle around his office then. Likely looking for enrollment paperwork for the girls to fill out.

               “Look at you, school just started, but you’re already dorm leader,” Ace said to Annemarie making her raise an eyebrow at him.

               “Congratulations,” Deuce quietly. Even if Annemarie was much shorter than him, he couldn’t help but flinch at her cold gaze. But she smiled then in thanks, allowing him to breathe again.

               “Isn’t this unheard of? For there to be a dorm leader and vice leader that can’t use magic?” Ace asked clearly amused by the prospect. “Talk about wild.”

               “Careful or we’ll ban you first think from coming over,” Annemarie taunted earning a protest of “So cold” from Ace.

               “Here is enrollment paperwork for you all to begin to fill out, as well as a ghost camera I would like you to keep in your possession,” Crowley said as he finally came back with a stack of clipboards and a polaroid looking camera.

               “What’s a ghost camera?” Judith asked as she took the item and a clipboard from Crowley, already eyeing it curiously as she studied it.

               “I think my grandma told me about that. It’s a super old magic tool, right?” Ace supplied for an explanation.

               “It is not ‘super old’…” Crowley protested before turning back to Judith to answer her properly. “…Ahem. It’s true this may have been invented during your great grandmother’s, or great-great grandmother’s time. There is a very special spell cast on it. It not only captures the subjects’ form but also a part of their soul.”

               “Sounds creepy,” Judith said as she lifted the camera to her eye to look through the viewfinder. She pointed it at Crowley but he was quick to step out of the shot-making the older girl pout in protest.

               “A part of their soul?” Deuce asked. Honestly, he had never heard of the tool before today either.

               “We call this ‘Memory: A Fragment of Remembrance.’” Crowley started. “Furthermore, the most interesting part of this magic camera is that the souls of the photographer and the photographed become deeply connected and the Memory in the photo comes jumping out.”

               “So my memories can get sucked into this as well? And on display for everyone else?” Judith yelped in surprise. Suddenly not as interested in the Camera anymore as she handed it off to Annemarie, startling the new Dorm Head with the sudden shove of the object.

               “Depends on how close the subject and the photographer are, the pictures could move like a video, or bring to life the situation in the photo. Fascinating, right?”

               “You mean close in proximity or emotionally?” Judith’s question was ignored though in favor of Deuce’s own outburst about it being like a ghost photograph.

               “Yes. Therefore, it is called a ‘ghost camera’” Crowley assured in agreement. “They say it was made before the time of videos for when people wanted to leave behind vivid memories… Mr. Spade was correct; in the past, people would scream ‘ghost!’ in surprise when the memory came jumping out. They were paralyzed with fear at the thought of having a photo taken with this camera.”

               “A camera for freaking people out…” Ace said visibly confused now about why the hell the headmaster would want to give the girls something like this.

               “Sounds like my kind of camera,” Kristina laughed as she grabbed the camera from Annemarie and pointed it at Judith, only for the hazel-eyed girl to shove the camera out of her face before Kristina could snap a shot.

               “Ladies, please take photos of Grim and the other students to leave behind many memories of your lives at this academy.” Crowley sounded, almost soft as he spoke the words. It was unsettling.

               “Take lots of cool photos for me!” Grim cheered and Kristina was quick to turn the camera to the monster and start snapping a few photos of the monster. Magic film dispensing and repeating the shot of Grim cheering at being brought to the school.

               “…Especially always make sure to get ‘memories’ when someone steps out of line. It’s the most suitable way to report to me, right? Keep an eye on your surroundings and make memories as students. To graciously give you a rare item that can be used by non-wizards… does my graciousness know no bounds.”

               “So, we’re also hall monitors now?” Kimberlee asked in confusion and everyone snickered. It sounded like it from Crowley’s description.

               “It is already late. Let’s save the detailed conversations for tomorrow. Return to your dormitories, everyone. I’ll take the enrollment sheets and have your uniforms and class schedules for you tomorrow.” Crowley said as he collected the enrollment paperwork from the girls. Most of it had to be left blank anyway since they couldn’t provide a lot of the information required beyond stuff about them personally.

               They all shuffled out of the office then, sighs and laughs of relief filling all of their bodies. Kimberlee had even started crying so glad they were all safe after all. Even Deuce himself was crying, relieved to not have been expelled.

               “Geez cry-babies,” Ace said with a laugh as he waved to them. “Come one Deuce we will see them all tomorrow.”

               “Right,” Deuce said with a smile before waving at them. Kimberlee and Valentina were the only ones to wave back though. The other’s too dead on their feet to be bothered.

               Grim could be cheering at a distance about their acceptance to be students and Deuce couldn’t help but chuckle. They really were an interesting group.

               “Those girls are going to be the death of this school,” Ace lamented with a smile. He didn’t seem all that troubled by the prospect.

               “I think they are all going to be a good fit here.” Deuce agreed in his own way.

               “So, which one do you think is the hottest, and do you think we stand a chance?” Deuce elbowed him for that one and Ace only laughed as he weakly held his side. Yeah, if the other guys here were anything like Ace those girls were going to be in for a wild ride, that was for sure.

Chapter Text

Valentina wasn’t one to dream. Or at least she usually didn’t remember them and they certainly weren’t vivid displays of color like this was. She was in a garden, hedges much taller than herself—all lush and green and covered in roses. But the roses seemed off. They were dripping red rather than having the deep hue on velvet petals.

               “Is that… paint?” Valentina asked herself as she reached out to touch one of the blossoms. Sure, enough red oozed onto her fingers—smearing the hasty pain job to reveal a pink-stained petal underneath. Had they originally been white?

               A flash caught her attention then, a girl in a blue dress and blonde hair went running past her. She couldn’t have been much older than ten, and she appeared to be all alone in the maze. She was gone just about as quickly as she had come.

               “Hey wait,” Valentina called as she ran after the girl, only to get turned around and lose her again. That was when she heard the singing. Valentina followed the sound until she found an opening in the rose maze. It was there she saw playing cards, all with buckets of paint covering white roses with the crimson paint.

               “Hurry and paint the roses red. If we don’t hurry, the flowers will wilt!” One of the cards said in haste interrupting the song.

               “Hurry, hurry! There are still some that aren’t painted!” An Ace of Clubs said as he continued to paint with fervor to cover the roses.

               “Painting… the roses? What, why?” Valentina asked but no one responded to her question. It must have been one of those dreams then. Where she was a spectator rather than a participant in the scene.

               “Why are you painting the roses red?” The blonde girl asked as she suddenly came into view. Strange, Valentina hadn’t seen her come past and she was sure she was by the only entrance to that area of the maze. Perhaps it was just dreaming logic?

               “Huh?” One of the card guards asked.

               “Why, you ask?” The Two of Clubs repeated. “Well, to tell you the truth, we made a mistake and accidentally planted white roses.”

               “The Queen loves red,” the Ace of Clubs cut in. “If she sees white, then it’s off with our heads!”

               “Wait what?” Valentina said in shock. Sure, there was a mistake and they should be punished, but nothing that severe! Surely, they could simply be in charge of replanting the roses to be red instead? Roses weren’t worth losing their lives over.

               “Is that so?” The girl asked as she began to pick up a paint bucket to help the cards. Proving again that Valentina was simply a spectator to the dream and not a participant.

               “Yes, it is,” spoke the Three of Clubs. “That’s exactly why we’re painting them red.”

…

               Valentina woke with a shock, hearing the sound of a door being pounded on. She was ready to write it off as the wind, except the rickety old windows weren’t shaking as well. They were deathly still. There was also Grim, muttering to her side to get the door. She even swore she heard Kristina next door cussing about who the hell could be at their door so late.

               Valentina glanced at the clock on her new phone that had been waiting for her when they returned to the dorm earlier that night, as well as some more loungewear for around the dorm, and charging supplies for their new devices. It was 3:42 in the morning. Much too early for visitors. Careful to not wake Grim, she rose to her feet and headed to the door. Everyone else seemed to have gotten up at well at the sound of the banging. Mostly everyone was in t-shirts and the sweat pants they had been given as loungewear, except for Kristina who seemed to see no problem in answering the door in just her t-shirt and boy-short underwear.

               “Who the fuck is here at this hour?” Kristina growled as she yanked the door open to reveal Ace—clearly just as irritated.

               “Can I come in?” He asked before he finally registered what the hell Kristina was wearing. “And put some fucking pants on geez.”

               “My dorm I’ll dress how I want,” Kristina fired back.

               “Kristina, put some pants on.” Annemarie butted in—her arms across her chest.

               “You aren’t the boss of me.”

               “Apparently, I am after I became dorm leader, so pants—please. At least while he’s here then you can walk around naked for all I care.” Kristina growled but relented at the order. Stalking back to her room in a furry to find a pair of sweats to throw on more than likely.

               “Ace?” Valentina looked down to see a sleepy Grim having crawled his way out of bed and to her side. “Why is he here at this hour…? Geh! What’s with the collar?”

               Valentina took a closer look at it and sure enough, there was a collar around Ace’s neck. It vaguely reminded her of the collar Grim had thrown on him at the entrance ceremony after he went wild.

               “Damn, I didn’t know you were into that kind of stuff Ace,” Judith teased with a half-awake smirk. “Though you do give off major brat energy.”

               Valentina could only knit her eyebrows together in confusion at Judith’s words. She didn’t mean… Valentina could feel her face heat up at the prospect of what Judith was implying. Seriously, she had never heard Judith make a joke like that once what the hell. The others seemed to share the sentiment because none of them seemed to know how to react either. Well, except for Ace.

               “Fuck you,” he fired back at her with as much animosity as his sleep-deprived brain could manage. “I’m never returning to Heartslabyul. I’m going to be a member of this dorm from here on!”

               “No way in hell,” Annemarie quipped back. “You are not staying in a dorm of all girls.”

               “Please,” Ace said as he suddenly switched to begging. “I got kicked out of Heartslabyul as well. Don’t tell me you are just going to throw me out and make me sleep outside.”

               Annemarie’s face definitely said she was contemplating it. She was the type to hold grudges and she was likely still bitter about Ace dragging her into his mess of trouble the first time, which had only been earlier that day.

               “Umm,” Valentina interjected hoping to break up a fight. “Why don’t we sit in the lounge and talk this out.”

               “I’ll throw on some tea,” Fiona said much more awake after all the energy.

               “Do we even have tea?” Judith asked as she followed after Fiona to the kitchen. Thankfully the stove was something magic like the rest of the building and Crowley had turned on the amenities already.

               “So Ace,” Kristina asked having walked back into the lounge where they all spread out either on the floor or the few rickety couches there. “Wanna explain the necklace?”

               “It looks like the same collar we saw get put on Grim at the Entrance Ceremony,” Kimberlee quipped her head falling a little as she struggled to stay awake.

               “It’s exactly like the collar I was forced into at the opening ceremony,” Grim quipped from his spot in Valentina’s lap.

               “I ate a tart.” Ace stated simply. Valentina blinked once. Then twice…. What?

               “What does a tart have to do with a collar like that?” Annemarie asked not really understanding the implications. Though Ace seemed to mistake the question as one of understanding and sympathy rather than skepticism and disbelief.

               “Exactly! Only that! I got hungry, so I went to the dorm’s kitchen,” Ace began to explain enthusiastically. “The tart was just sittin’ right there inside the fridge. And like, three whole ones!”

               “Hold it,” Annemarie cut off before getting up and flitting back to her room and back. In her hands was now the ghost camera. “We will let this tell the story.”

               “Can it do that?” Valentina asked—honestly Crowley hadn’t explained how the whole thing worked very well.

               “I don’t see why not,” Annemarie said before pointing the photo at Ace and taking a snap. The photo printed out and then an image actually popped up. Displaying a kitchen with furniture that looked like it had been taken from a funhouse mirror. All red and pink and white. A cookbook laid open on a book stand and various teacups and pots were on display.

               Fiona entered the lounge where they were all sitting with tea on a tray, followed by Judith just as the image shifted to show Ace walking into the kitchen in the photo.

               “It’s only the first day and I’m so tired~” Image Ace whined, still in his uniform from when they had last seen him. “I missed dinner, so I’m very hungry. Wonder if there’s anythin’ in the fridge.”

               Image Ace opened up the fridge and inside it looked like several tarts had been left to chill. They weren’t the small personal ones either like Valentina had seen made in her home economics classes, but the kind that was baked for large catered events. “Oh, found a tart! Looks delish~” Image Ace cheered. “There’s a lot, so I’m not sure if I can finish it all~ Thanks for the food~”

               Without remorse, the memory of Ace bit into the tart with a smile on his face as he ate. Then his face changed into one of surprise and excitement. “Whoa, what the heck? It’s so good!” He exclaimed before shoveling another bite into his mouth.

               It was then another person entered the frame. Valentina recognized him immediately from the entrance ceremony even if she couldn’t quite remember his name. He was dressed differently though, not in a school uniform like Ace but instead of the kind of regal clothing, you would expect at a modern couture royal court rather than a dorm. He even had a little golden grown place on top of his head.

               He also didn’t look happy.

               “Of course it would be delicious,” the dorm leader purred like a cat that had caught a mouse. “After all, anything that Trey makes is bound to be exquisite.”

               “Nah, man,” Ace had said completely oblivious to who he was talking to. “This is something else! It’s better than the ones at the shops… Wha-Perfect!”

               Ace had finally turned then and realized who he was talking to. The dorm leader hadn’t looked amused. Rather he looked downright irritated at Ace.  Even Valentina found herself flinching at his presence and it was only a memory.

               “Quite the boldness you have there for touching something that belongs to me,” the true redhead said his eyes blank and unamused. “Queen of Hearts Rule #89: ‘You shall not eat tarts prepared for the Queen ahead of her.’ Larceny of the Queen’s tarts is a capital crime! OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!”

               The memory ended then with Ace’s screams and the collar appearing around his neck. It was back to the darkness in the room, everyone calmly sipping their tea as they processed the memory they had just witnessed. Though, if Valentina had, to be honest, she wasn’t sure what she was drinking was tea or just hot leaf juice from how old the tea bags had likely been.

               “Yeah, that pretty much sums up what happened,” Ace said clearly feeling no remorse for his actions.

               “Yeah, no that looks like your own damned fault,” Kristina said as she finished up the rest of her tea and turned to leave the lounge.

               “Seriously dude, who eats food out of the fridge that isn’t theirs?” Fiona asks, crinkling her nose up at the prospect.

               “There is a special ring in hell for people like you who do that,” Eva added.

               “You’ve only got yourself to blame,” Grim added in and Valentina nodded. It really was Ace’s fault this time.

               “But isn’t it overreacting to seal my magic just ‘cause I ate his tart?” Ace said quickly backtracking at not getting the support of the ladies in the room.

               “Is that what that does?” Valentina asked curiously.

               “Yes,” Ace said glad to see someone was listening to him. “It’s practically the same as tying my hands and feet. Plus, there were three whole ones! He can’t possibly finish all of those! There’s a limit to how heartless he can be!”

               “Who said he was going to eat all of them alone?” Judith asked taking a calm sip of tea. “Maybe they were for a party of some kind? Or an event like a bake sale?”

               “Yeah, like someone’s birthday party, maybe?” Grim added enthusiastically. Where the hell was this cat monster finding all his energy. “Man, I’m such a great detective, huh?”

               “No one asked Grim,” Valentina said trying to quiet him down.

               “Birthday?” Ace asked it clearly not clicking in his head.

               “Seriously did you even apologize?” Annemarie asked clearly over the little court session they were having. Honestly the more time Valentina spent around Ace the more the thought he reminded her of her brother. It made her smile a little. Fuck, she missed him and all the trouble he caused.

               “Man, I thought you guys would be on my side about the perfect being a little tyrant,” Ace whined seeing no one had sympathy for him.

               “Just be glad all he did was seal your magic,” Fiona said with a slight giggle. “If you had done that to Kris, she might have mauled you or made you throw it back up.”

               “No fucking way she would have done that… Right?” Ace asked but Fiona only responded by taking another sip of her tea. Honestly, Valentina wouldn’t put it past her to maul him—though she doubted the part of making him throw up was true. At least she hoped it wasn’t.

               “It’s still your fault for eating his food,” Judith interrupted Ace’s slow descent into a panic.

               “I’ll go with you to apologize tomorrow if you want,” Valentina volunteered. “I mean I’m sure he will forgive you if you apologize sincerely.”

               “Grudges over food are scary,” Grim said with a shudder—likely at some memory of hunting for scraps. “Ah! I still haven’t received my canned tuna from the headmaster!”

               “Now you remember that?” Kimberlee grumbled her head having fallen on Valentina’s shoulder. Her tea setting off to the side completely untouched.

               “I get it,” Ace sighed in defeat. “I just have to apologize, right?”

               “Yep,” Valentina said with a smile. “Not going to fix anything by not admitting when you're wrong.”

               “In the meantime, where can I sleep?” Ace said suddenly more chipper again.

               “Not here,” Eva throughout.

               “Oh, come on, pretty please, just one night?” Ace begged, looking ready to fall to his hands and knees if that was what it would take for everyone to change their minds.

               “I suppose it would be irresponsible to just throw you out,” Annemarie relented. Eva was about to protest but Annemarie continued then. “We have working locks on our doors so that should help make us feel safe. Sorry, but we don’t come from a place where being nice to strange guys ends well for women. And we barely even know you.”

               “Fair enough, though, I wonder what kind of fucked up place you all are from if that’s the case,” Ace said with visible concern on his face. Eva stalked off after that, making a show of slamming her door shut and the clicking sound of her door locking, then screeching as she put a chair in front of her door. Valentina couldn’t help but feel something sad in her chest at the notion but kept quiet. It wasn’t her place to ask or pry.

               “The other rooms aside from theirs are still full of dust and junk,” Grim started before Annemarie could continue. “If you’re gonna sleep here, you better clean it yourself.”

               “Ugh, I don’t wanna clean at all…” Ace whined. “Can I stay in one of your rooms pretty please?”

               “Did you just listen to a word I said?” Annemarie asked and Ace flinched, realizing he might have been pushing a little too hard. “You can stay on the couch if you don’t wanna clean a room.”

               “Fine, stingy,” Ace whined again. “I’ll sleep all by my lonesome on the lounge’s sofa. Good night!”

               They all muttered their goodnights then and headed back to their own rooms. Not before Fiona grabbed a spare blanket from one of the spare rooms and threw it over to Ace for him to use for warmth. He seemed taken aback by the gesture of kindness.

               “Thanks,” Ace muttered—looking down and away from Fiona.

               “No problem,” Fiona said then before leaving to go to her own room.

               Valentina found herself sighing and shaking Kimberlee’s shoulder gently to wake her friend up. The taller girl only groaned a little and clung onto her friend, clearly not wanting to move from the floor. Valentina laughed a little before looking over to Ace.

               “Guess we’re staying out here with you tonight,” Valentina laughed lightly.

               “Or I can take one of your rooms and help you get here to bed,” Ace said hopefully. He really didn’t want to stay on the couch. Valentina knew she shouldn’t give in to the puppy eyes but damn she was feeling home-sick and nostalgic for when she was a kid and her brother wanted to stay in her room as a kid.

               “Fine, whatever, help me get her to her room and you can stay in mine,” Valentina said and Ace cheered. “Just don’t be looking for a five-star suite in there. We don’t have much in the way of personal effects after all.”

               “Fair enough,” Ace said as he came around to Kimberlee’s other side to help lift her up. “Fair enough.”

…

               Ace woke up a few hours later at six-AM sharp thanks to the feeling of dust on his face and the sound of pounding at the door. He was starting to understand why the girls were in such a crappy mood when he showed up now.

               “I’m coming I’m coming,” Ace grumbled as he got out of Valentina’s bed and headed to the front door. Annemarie and Fiona already seemed to be up and going for the day, but if they saw him coming out of Valentina’s room instead of him being on the couch, they didn’t say anything. “Don’t break the damned door.”

               “I knew I’d find you here,” Deuce said as he pushed past Ace and into the dorm.

               “D-Deuce,” Ace said clearly taken aback by his new sort of friend tracking him down to the run-down, now turned all-girls dorm.

               “I heard about the situation from our dormmates. You ate the perfect’s tart, so now you’ve got that collar on, haven’t you?” Deuce accused with a classing ‘I’m not upset just disappointed face.’ Ace was vaguely aware of Annemarie and Fiona snickering at their makeshift as they ate some of the breakfast they went and got bright and early from the cafeteria for themselves. They were even already dressed in their shiny new uniforms with their black vests to show their dorm. “Are you an outright idiot?”

               That got the girls howling and Ace flushed red. “Shut it! I don’t wanna hear that from you! So… Is the perfect still mad at me…?”

               “Not completely,” Deuce said with a shrug. “He’s in an irritated mood and about three people who didn’t follow the waking up routine suffered the same fate as you.”

               “Not completely,” Ace mocked before smacking Deuce’s shoulder, “my ass! He’s totally mad!”

               “Morning, oh, hey Deuce, came for the troublemaker?” Judith said as she walked back into the dorm with breakfast in hand. Ace doubted she wanted to eat in the cafeteria alone after all. Not with a bunch of people staring. She was all dressed up in her new uniform already as well.

               “M-morning Ju- Ms. Wieck,” Deuce managed to sputter out.

               “Please don’t call me that, just Jude or Judith is fine,” she tried to reassure him.

               “No way, I couldn’t I mean, you’re the vice leader and technically a year older than me in classes.” Judith only sighed at Deuce’s protests before joining the other girls at breakfast.

               “Didn’t Kris and Eva go to breakfast with you?” Fiona asked Judith curiously. “Where are they now?”

               “They was right behind me,” Judith said and right on cue, Kristina walked in the door—toast in her mouth and uniform being worn completely wrong. Eva trailed in behind her much more quietly with her own food.

               “Morning losers,” Kristina said with a mouthful of food.

               “I don’t suppose you wanna share breakfast,” Ace said happily looking between the two, their glares told him outright they weren’t sharing. Which made no sense since Judith was holding two other boxes of food.

               His question for why though was answered quickly as she walked over to Kimberlee’s door and knocked. “Wake up you two, we need to meet with Crowley before classes to get our schedules.”

               There was a shuffling sound and then the door opened to reveal the two youngest of the girls, both disheveled messes. Deuce stiffened as he saw them, averting his eyes but Ace only smirked.

               “Nice bed head,” he called to them but he was ignored in favor of them grabbing food boxes from Judith and closing their doors to get ready. Well at least Kimberlee did, Valentina had to walk down to her own room at the other end of the hall first before she could start getting ready.

               “Deuce, you ok?” Annemarie asked and Ace turned to look at Deuce. He looked like he wasn’t breathing.

               “Seriously, man you have got to get yourself together,” Ace said before hitting his friend on the back.

…

               “Hey make way, make way!” Grim said as he strutted down the main street as they made their way as a group from the dorm to the front of the school where they were supposed to meet Crowley. “I, a full-fledged Night Raven College student is passing through! Look at my collar! My collar is totally awesome compared to yours!”

               He was pointedly harassing Ace and Valentina couldn’t find it in herself to stop him. It was too funny seeing the usually cocky Ace as harmless as a new kitten. “And you can’t use your magic now, can you?” Grim continued to taunt. “Guess I can have you cleaning the schools as part of your chores or something? Nyaha, this feels so good!”

               Valentina giggled a little, even if it was in a weird way, Grim was sticking up for them all. “Don’t be too mean now Grim, he might come after you when he gets the collar off.”

               “Be nice you two,” Fiona warned lightly though even she wasn’t too serious in her scolding.

               Ace began to grumble something about revenge when he got his magic back which only earned him an elbow from Deuce.

               “The headmaster just scolded you for a ruckus you caused yesterday, remember?” Deuce asked clearly baffled by Ace’s short fuse. “In any case, you won’t be able to attend classes since your magic has been sealed. How about you go and apologize to Perfect Roseheart so he can take that off?”

               “Damn it!” Ace cussed throwing his head back in frustration. “I still ain’t convinced this wasn’t out of line.”

               “We still have time before our first class. Plus, I’m interested in the other dorms, Let’s go observe while we watch Ace apologize,” Grim suggested to Valentina with hopeful eyes. Valentina knew he just wanted to see Ace suffer but she couldn’t deny the idea was appealing.

               “I can grab your class list for you,” Kimberlee offered. “So you can go with them. You did promise last night after all.”

               “I didn’t realize you were awake enough for that,” Valentina giggled making Kimberlee flush a bit.

               “I was out shortly after,” Kimberlee defended.

               “I’ll meet you by the first-year classes to get my schedule,” Valentina offered with a smile and Kimberlee nodded in agreement.

               “I’m not some kinda exhibit, damn it!” Ace protested making them all laugh.

               “Just remember to be back before classes start,” Annemarie offered and Valentina nodded. It would suck to be late for their first official day. Even if it was the second day of classes.

               “Don’t worry I will be,” she said before pulling Ace, Deuce, and Grim in the direction of the dorm mirrors. “Later, see you at lunch!”

Chapter Text

The Heartslabyul dorm was nothing like Valentina had imagined it. The walkway leading to the main dorm building was a pink sandstone cobbled out, all lined with white stone and rose bushes shaped and sculped like hearts. And the dorm itself, oh it was stunning. All reds and creams looking like a castle from England like the magazines her sister Marisol always showed her. There was even a fountain in the middle of the courtyard!

               Valentina didn’t even realize her mouth was hanging open until Ace reached over with a hand and shut it for her. She would be embarrassed normally but she couldn’t help it. She had never seen something so grand in her whole life.

               “Whoa~” Grim exclaimed as he looked in awe and wonder at the dorm as well. “This is super fancy! It’s completely different from our dorm!”

               “Hey we’re working on fixing it up,” Valentina defended with a slight pout. In truth, she didn’t want to compare the two dorms together. There was no way they would ever compare unless Crowley was willing to fork over the money for some major renovations. And somehow, she doubted that would ever happen.

               Valentina looked around though and frowned. There was still time before class and yet, no one seemed to be around. No hustle and bustle of students getting ready for the day—no chatting and waiting around. It might as well have been a ghost town. “Was it this dead when you left this morning?” Valentina asked Deuce and he could only shake his head in response.

               “This is almost creepy,” Ace added in response as he began to move forward and look around. “Let’s take a look around the Rose Maze. Maybe someone can tell us if the dorm tyrant is still here.”

               “Ace,” Valentina said in a stern voice.

               “Fine, fine, dorm head,” Ace threw back though he didn’t sound at all sorry for what he had said.

               “You seriously need to work on your sincerity,” Deuce sighed before they began walking through the maze. Valentina tried to ignore how eerily similar it felt to her dream. Shaking her head, she brushed the thought off. She had never seen the dorm before in her life, it was just a coincidence that things were looking the same.

               “Oh, no. I gotta hurry and paint these roses red.” Valentina perked up at the sound of someone speaking. She looked around but she didn’t see the direction the voice was coming from.

               “Oh, someone’s over there,” Grim finally pointed out and the group headed over. Standing by one of the rose hedges was a boy in what Valentina assumed was the gym uniform since it resembled a similar jumpsuit that Judith had handed her earlier. His hair was styled nicely with the bangs pulled back, in the sort of way she tended to see hipster and trendy guys do. Honestly, she found it nice to see someone doing their hair at the school.

               The most peculiar thing was the diamond painted under his cheek. After seeing Ace and Deuce with card suit marks, it all but confirmed for Valentina that it was a sort of dorm tradition for his particular dorm. Not that she knew much about any of the other dorms. He also had his pen out with a matching ruby gem to the ones Ace and Deuce had—a sharp contract to Grim and herself who was gifted an amethyst-colored stone. With a flick of the pen, roses changed from pure ivory to a deep blood red.

               “Whoa, there~,” the stranger said as he did a once over of the shrub seeing a rose that was missed. “If there are some left unpainted, it’s off with my head.”

               “Ok this is just way too weird now,” Valentina said as she was once more reminded of the dream she had. Again, with painting the roses red and people being beheaded, was it a cultural thing she was missing or something?

               “What’s too weird?” Ace asked Valentina and she shook her head.

               “Nothing just a weird case of Déjà vu,” Valentina said. Thankfully Ace seemed to know what that phrase meant because she nodded in understanding.

               “Hm?” The stranger said his attention pulled to them by their conversation. “Did you guys need something?”

               “What’re you doin’?” Ace asked then visibly confused by the sight before him.

               “This?” The new guy asked as he gestured to the now red roses. “As you can see, I’m painting the roses red.”

               “That doesn’t look like painting, it looks like magicking them red,” Valentina quipped with a smile.

               “Ooo, cheeky, but a fair point,” the stranger laughed in turn. At least he seemed to have a good sense of humor, it made Valentina relax a little.

               “Eh!?” Deuce exclaimed in shock. “Why do such a thing?”

               “Hm~ Your reactions are so fresh it’s kinda cute~” the stranger cooed at Deuce before his spring-grass green eyes lit up in recognition. “Now that I look closely, you guys are the freshies who totally wrecked the 10mil chandelier and caused a ruckus yesterday! Oh, you guys were all the buzz at dinner, especially since the mysterious girls the mirror called also got involved.”

               Valentina could feel herself shrinking a little. She hadn’t even been directly responsible and yet they seemed to tie the incident with her. Though she is glad she was the only one here, if Kimberlee had decided to come with her, she knew her gentle giant of a friend would be on the verge of tears at the memory.

               “I feel like they won’t let that chandelier thing go until we graduate…” Ace whined pulling the stranger’s attention to him specifically.

               “And you’re the super sinful kid who stole the perfect’s tart!” The diamond guy exclaimed with a wide smile. “I’m so lucky to meet the rumored freshies so early in the morning~ Though I am a little sad only one of the girls seems to be here. Boo, maybe next time~”

               “This guy is way too excited to see us,” Valentina sighed.  A part of her wondered if this is what it felt like to be a celebrity hounded by the trashy tabloids that were always sold at grocery store checkouts for like 5.99.

               “I’m already going to be labeled a delinquent here, and it’s only the second day,” Deuce said his eyes tearing up a little. Valentina could help but reach others to soothe him a little by patting his arm. He didn’t flinch away from the touch, but he did stiffen at first before relaxing into it.

               “Hey, hey~! Let’s take a pic together! Yay!” The three of them didn’t even get a chance to respond or consent to the photo, the guy had already snapped a shot. From what Valentina caught a glimpse of it, his head was barely in the frame, just showing his eyes and hair while the background had herself, Ace, and Deuce all wearing matching expressions of shock. Grim was the only one looking comfortable having climbed up Valentina’s back to sit on her shoulder for the photo. “Hey, can I upload this? I wanna put hashtags so tell me your name.”

               “We didn’t even get to tell you if we wanted our pictures taken,” Valentina grumbled as she began to play with her hair. She didn’t have a headband to help keep her hair out of her face and she didn’t have any make-up to wear. She really didn’t want to be seen like that but something told her this guy wasn’t going to listen to much she had to say.

               “I’m Deuce Spade.” Deuce introduced himself if a little stiffly.

               “Ace.”

               “I’m Grim and that’s my follower, Val,” Grim said smugly as he pointed up at her.

               “One, I’m not your follower and your lucky we let you live in the dorm after the shit you pulled yesterday,” Valentina started in on Grim making the cat monster yelp a little. “Two, I can introduce myself.”

               She turned then to the stranger with a forced but polite smile. “It’s Valentina Corey. But Val is fine too.”

               “Alright, upload done~,” The guy said in a sing-song voice. “Oh, I’m Cater Diamond, a 3^rd year. That makes me your senior~ just call me Cater though, okay? Cate’s fine, too though.”

               “Ah so you might have a class with Kris or Eva then,” Valentina lamented.

               “Ooo some of the girls are getting put into the third year off the bat? It really is my lucky day~” the guy, Cater, cheered.

               “So, who’s the perfect for Ramshackle Dorm? Is it you? Or one of the 3^rd year girls?” Cater asked clearly having forgotten about what he was doing and the boys around her.

               “Neither,” Valentina began to explain. “Our perfect is Annemarie, and our Vice is Judith. Both are second years.” She really hoped she was using the school’s class system right. She knew Ace and Deuce were the same age as her but this world has her as a freshman rather than a sophomore. Honestly, it was super confusing. Next, they were going to tell her his place measured in metric over imperial.

               “Ooo, I’ll be sure to keep an eye out for those two then,” Cater said with a smile before it fell. “Such sweet girls and all alone in that dark and dank dorm. I would feel like something was gonna pop out all the time. I feel for you girls really.”

               Valentina wasn’t sure, ‘sweet’ was the best adjective to describe them as a whole but he didn’t need to know that just yet.

               “This guy’s being pretty rude,’ Grim whined. Though Valentina had a feeling it was because he was being ignored more than anything.

               “Oh, I shouldn’t be standing here and talking! The party’s the day after tomorrow. It’s off with my head if I’m late,” Cater said once more returning to the panicked state they had found him in previously. “Hey, hey, freshies~ Can you help me with painting, or magicking, the flowers?”

               “You never did answer why you were doing something so strange,” Ace deadpanned as he looked bitterly at Cater’s pen.

               “I mean, won’t it be more photogenic if the roses were red for the party?” Cater asked eyes blinking wide, clearly not having an idea of how to deal with Ace being a sour-puss about everything. “I’m really busy because I’m also in charge of coloring the flamingos for the croquet match~”

               “Dyeing the flamingos? That’s a pretty weird job.” Grim exclaimed in confusion.

               “You mean plastic flamingos?” Valentina said hopefully. “Like coloring them and not real live flamingos, right?”

               “No, we use live flamingos and hedgehogs for the match,” Cater confirmed and Valentina could feel herself stumble back a bit in shock. “Don’t worry though, they are magicked so they don’t get hurt and the color is also magic so it’s safe for them as well.”

               Valentina let out a sigh of relief. It was still a weird tradition but at least the animals seemed well taken care of. At least she hoped they were well taken care of.

               “So, the tarts Ace ate were to be used for the perfect’s birthday party?” Deuce asked then. “I see now. So that’s why he was so mad…”

               “What? That’s not it.”

               “Probably an Unbirthday party then,” Ace said as it finally clicked in his mind what was happening. “My bro mentioned it a few times, though he left out most of the details… or couldn’t remember then since he got absolutely trashed at them.”

               “Ding Ding Ding,” Cater said in response with a smile. “The day after tomorrow is our Dorm’s legendary Unbirthday Party. It’s a tea party that the perfect felt like doing, so he chose a day that doesn’t fall on anyone’s birthday.”

               “The hell?” Valentina asked, clearly not getting the concept. What this what it felt like when she explained to people what Dios de Los Muertos was? That Cinco de Mayo wasn’t actually Mexico’s Independence Day just the day a particular battle was won? A quintette?

               “In any case,” Cater said ignoring Valentina as she continued to understand why the hell it was an Unbirthday party when it could just be a party. “The reasons can wait! You just have to help me paint the roses! Deuce and Grim can use magic, right?” He paused as the two nodded. “Ace and Val can’t use magic, so here’s a paintbrush.”

               A paintbrush with red paint still dripping was unceremoniously shoved into her hand as well as Ace’s then. She flinched back a little with her body, holding her arms out as she did her best to make sure no paint was splashed on her brand-new uniform.

               “Ch-change the colors with magic, you mean…?” Deuce asked clearly overwhelmed at what Cater was suggesting.

               “I haven’t done anything like that before, yanno,” Grim pouted as if others should know he only knew the one fire spell.

               “It’s ok, relax~” Cater said with a smile, his previous urgency gone. “We better hurry before the perfect punishes us~”

               That wasn’t relaxing of a thought at all. Valentina only had vague memories of the guy and she could tell from that alone she didn’t want to get on his bad side.

               As Cater began explaining to Deuce and Grim how to do the color-changing spell, Valentina set to work painting one of the shrubs in quick and even strokes of paint. It almost made her giggle as she remembered working summers in her family’s home garden. The little space they had in their two-bedroom condo was all dug up and dedicated to their home garden. Valentina’s mom had always said it was the best way to save money during the summer.

               “It’s too hot to be working outside,” Johnny whined as he let his head fall back, dark bangs flying back with the motion. Valentina could only watch with amusement as their mother finally dragged him outside. She was fourteen and her brother was thirteen, right at the cusp of starting his rebellious phase.

               “It will go faster if you stop your whining,” their mother snapped with a click of her tongue. A hint of an accent in her voice still audible and had never disappeared even after moving out of her parent’s house almost two decades ago. Valentina had never met them but apparently, they had been first-generation immigrants.  

               “Why are we doing this even,” Marisol whined as well, her hair a fresh blonde thanks to Valentina having been up with her late into the night helping it process her naturally dark hair. It didn’t look out of place on her either as she was the lightest out of all of them, even inheriting their father’s blue eyes—though Valentina had ever met him to confirm that fact. He was gone a few months after Johnny was born. According to Lana, she wasn’t missing much.

               “Because it’s more cost-effective to grow and pickle our own stuff, you know that Mari,” Lana recited perfectly as she put on a pair of gardening gloves. At Seventeen she was the oldest of them, Marisol was only fifteen still but she would be sixteen in a few weeks.

               “Yeah, yeah, I still hate it,” Marisol continued to whine before she grabbed her own pair of gloves.

               “Come on Johnny, before the sun melts us,” Valentina had laughed as her brother rolled his eyes and sat down with her next to the tomatoes to begin harvesting and plucking weeds.

               “Behold! I made them all red this time!” Grim shouted then pulling Valentina from her memory. She blinked and looked over, realizing she had done the whole line of blooms on the shrubs without even realizing it.  Valentina could feel hot tear streaks on her face and quickly moved to wipe them away with her sleeves. She needed to keep it together right now. She could cry in her bed that night like every other teenager.

               “Me too,” Deuce cheered then. Valentina had turned just in time then to see him smile brightly at his accomplishment. He looked good, smiling like that. Valentina quickly brushed away the notion though. She was in a completely different world she had no intention of staying in, she didn’t need to be eye-balling boys. Cute ones or otherwise.

               “Amazing~” Cater said in encouragement. “Just a little more practice and it’ll be perfect. It will be better if you imagine a red rose while you’re casting your magic.”

               “I see,” Deuce said in understanding. “Red roses, red roses…”

               “I wanna do magic too!” Ace complained next to Valentina.

               “Bet you’re regretting eating that tart without asking now huh?” Valentina teased earning a pouty growl in response.

               He really did remind her of Johnny.

…

               They continued like that for a while, painting and magicking the roses red. Valentina had started making small talk with Ace after her slip down memory lane, as a way to distract herself. She learned various things about him like that. His family was just his dad and older brother. His older brother had gone to Night Raven College before him and been in Heartslabyul as well. He liked doing magic tricks and playing basketball.

               In turn, she supplied some of her own hobbies and activities. She was on her school's Color Guard and Dance teams with Kimberlee and Judith. She loved doing hair and always offered to do the other girls’ hair if they weren’t comfortable with it. She wanted to own her own beauty salon someday. That had earned a snicker and chiding remark from Ace calling her a girly girl. She promptly poked his cheek leaving a paint stain on it in response. He didn’t seem to care or notice though as he kept laughing at her. She stayed away from the topic of her family though, the last thing she wanted was to burst into tears in front of the boys and Grim.

               “Red, red…” Deuce chanted as he stared intently at one of the white roses. “There! Ah! It turned blue!”

               “You will change colors~” Grim willed more violently out loud. “Go! Ahh! I set them on fire!”

               Cater was quick with water magic though to douse them with water magic before any real damage could be caused. He even managed to magic them red so you could hardly tell they were singed. “You’re a lot worse than I thought you’d be~” Cater added with a sigh. This hadn’t been the first time he had covered up their mishap. Honestly, it was probably taking him more time to correct them than if he had just changed the roses red himself.

               “Why can’t the roses stay white?” Ace asked as he looked at one of the blooms he was about to paint. “They’re pretty.”

               “This is all part of tradition, okay?” Cater said clearly exasperated at this point. “The roses for the Unbirthday Party should be red! And it’s been decided that the bat for the croquet match is a 7-colored flamingo, and the balls will be hedgehogs.”

               Valentina blinked a little, not only did it sound ridiculous, but Cater was also starting to sound just as annoyed as Ace and Deuce likely felt. The third-year quickly regained his composure though and smiled again. “Oh, but for the flower concert during spring, the roses should be white. This is all-important so remember them~”

               Flower concert? Actually, Valentina wasn’t going to ask.

               “Nothing but weird rules,” Grim stated.

               “This is a rule decided by the Queen of Hearts, one of the Great Seven, after all,” Cater began to explain then. “Riddle’s a pretty strait-laced perfect who protects the Queen’s rules to a T, got it? Well, I do admit he goes overboard sometimes…”

               Ace nudged Valentina’s shoulder as if to say, “See, I’m not crazy.” It only made her roll her eyes in response and shake her head. Though she was finally glad to remember that the perfects name was Riddle. It would be awkward if she had to talk to him and couldn’t remember his name.

               “Oh, that’s right,” Ace said suddenly—pulling out his phone to look at the time. “I don’t have the time to be standing here. I got something to discuss with the Dorm Head. Is he still inside?”

               “Hm? I think he should be still there…” Cater said as he thought about it before pulling his own phone out of his pocket to check the time. “By the way, Acey who stole the perfect’s tart~ Have you brought some tarts to make up for what you took?”

               “Acey?” Valentina said before wrinkling her nose at the overly cutesy nickname. Ace himself seemed to be too worried about his current situation to care.

               “Eh? I came straight here, so I got nothing…” Ace said.

               “Oh man, is that so?” Cater sighed before reciting, “then, since Rule #53 of the Queen of Hearts states that ‘You have to replace things that you stole.” I can’t let you back in the dorm.”

               “Huh? What the heck?” Ace asked clearly ready to protest. Valentina only flinched at the notion though. Even she could admit that they probably should have expected something like this. After all, words were cheap when something was missing.

               “You have to follow the rules if you’re staying in this dorm. If I let it slide, then it’s off with my head too~” Cater explained though he really didn’t sound that beat up over it. “Sorry, but I’ll have to ask you to leave before Riddle notices.”

               “He looks totally serious,” Ace said in disbelief. “You guys, do something!”

               “Like what?” Valentina asked.

               “Why me?” Deuce asked.

               “I’m begging you! I can’t use magic right now—” And Ace really was begging. Valentina almost wanted to pull out her phone and take a photo of it. She was sure the other girls would get a kick out of it. At least Kristina would if no one else. “Ah, here he comes.”

               Valentina could only watch the fight. It was sad at best. Deuce and Grim couldn’t leave a single scratch on their senior and it wasn’t long before they were out of stamina and tricks. Cater took that opportunity to practically kick them to the curb with a clever mix of nature and seemingly dark magic.

               “Alrighty~,” Cater said with that annoying sing-song voice paired with a smile. “Come back when you’ve got a tart~ bye-bye!”

               Cater was gone then, back into the rose maze and away from them. Ace was practically kicking the ground in frustration as he glared at the dorm and then off in the direction Cater had disappeared.

               “What is with that guy?” Ace growled—still glaring after Cater.

               “He came standing back up no matter how much we hit him. Is it illusory magic, I wonder…” Deuce began to ponder out loud with a hand moving to his chin as the thought.

               “I can’t get back in without a tart, right?” Ace asked throwing his hands up in frustration. “I’ve been empty-handed since forever, man. He kicked us out after he made us help with the flowers, too!”

               Ace had a point; it was a dirty trick. Even Valentina had to admit that, and she used to convince her brother that a penny was just the coin version of a dollar so she could have the bigger half of their lemonade stand money as kids.

               “I’m disappointed,” Grim whined and Valentina moved to pat his head in comfort.

               “Then, we’ll have to prepare some tarts to make up for it.” Deuce began to rationalize—the gears turning in his mind visible even where Valentina was crouched to pet Grim. “After school would be—Ah! This is bad!”

               “What is it? Did you lose something?” Valentina asked with wide eyes, startled by the sudden outburst.

               “This is bad,” Deuce repeated. “It’s way past call time! We’re going to be late!”

               “The first day of my shining school life,” Grim began to exclaim. “It’ll be tarnished! Let’s hurry to the classroom!”

               “Crap,” Valentina added in panic. “Kimberlee is probably still waiting for me with my class list. Grim and I aren’t even going to know where we’re going if we don’t grab it.”

               “You have a phone, right?” Ace deadpanned. “Just have Kim send you a photo of it.”

               “Oh right,” Valentina agreed, feeling herself look away in embarrassment. She had forgotten about her new phone. Though, when she opened her phone to the messaging app, she found a text already waiting for her from Kimberlee. Why hadn’t she gotten a notification then? Must be a glitch with the phone. Eva did say they were prototypes after all.  “Looks like we’re in class 1-A.”

               “Oh, then we’re in the same class,” Deuce said with a slight smile. “First period is all about Magical Alchemy.”

               “Yahoo!” Grim cheered at the prospect of going to class. “That sounds fun!”

               “I can’t use magic though remember?” Ace said as he was starting another pity party for himself. “Am I going to be okay?”

               “I’m sure you’ll be fine,” Valentina attempted to comfort Ace as they began booking it out of the dorm and to their class. “I hope.” 

Chapter Text

Leona did not want to be in his first class of the day. Unfortunately, Ruggie was way too good at his job and had woken Leona up and escorted him to class personally to make sure he didn’t skip. Leona didn’t understand what the big deal was. Who cares if he flunks another year, it’s one more year away from the palace and his overbearing family. It would also make sure he never had to be in class with Rook Hunt ever again.

               Even now, as Leona has his head down on his desk, waiting for class to start, he could feel the hunter’s eyes boring into the back of his head and sending a shiver down his spine. Not that he would ever admit that the Pomefiore Vice Dorm Leader gave him the creeps in any way. He was likely just thrown off by the fact the bastard hadn’t shown an ounce of fear to the prince. Yeah, that had to be it.

               “Class, we have a new student joining our homeroom,” the teacher said looking completely bored and unamused. “As third years, I expect you to not make a fuss and be mature when handling her entrance, is that clear? She’s a special exception to our school, so try to not pry or give her a hard time. I’m looking at you, Mr. Hunt.”

               “Why I would never seek to make another uncomfortable,” Rook protested—his slight accent peeking through. Wait… her? She? The use of female pronouns had Leona’s ears twitching in slight curiosity. He had suspicions about who the new person could be—or at least what group the newcomer was part of, but he wouldn’t have it confirmed till they walked in.

               “Come on now, no need to be shy,” the teacher said as he waved to the door for someone to walk in.

               “I have been called a lot of things,” a distinctly feminine voice said. “Shy is definitely not one of them.”

               Leona could only smirk slightly as he took in the new girl’s appearance. She wore the standard uniform with a black vest that didn’t belong to any of the established dorms on campus. Even if her uniform was on completely wrong. The vest was left open, and the blazer was completely forgotten. Her button-up shirt was untucked and the sleeves rolled to her elbows. Not to mention her tie was used to pull her thick brown hair into a high ponytail. Leona could only imagine how Riddle would be seething at the sight of it, even if their school didn’t have a very strict dress code as long as it could be identified what dorm you were part of.

               “Names Kristina Kaiser, though I tend to go by Kris,” she introduced herself to the class—not a glimmer of fear or reluctance in her cerulean eyes. The only color visible on her skin was the color that came from spending time in the sun, not from embarrassment. “Call me Krissy and you’re dead meat, got it?”

               A few of the shy guys in class gulped in response. Others began turning to each other and whispering—likely deciding if her level of aggressive confidence was hot or not. Leona could only yawn though, it was par for the course where he was from. He would be more thrown off by some ditzy girl who stuttered and hid herself than the show Kristina was putting on.

               He closed his eyes then; it was mildly amusing for a moment but now he was just bored again. Rook could have a field day with her, he was just going to take a nap.

…

               Idia Shroud could only think of one term to describe the girl standing in front of the class and that was: E-girl. Her black bangs were falling in her face and the dramatic layers made her hair look thinner than it was. Her baby-blue eyes flitted around the room, trying to find somewhere to look where people weren’t staring at her. Her uniform blazer was buttoned closed and she had her shoulders hunched forward to try and make herself look smaller. He could feel her pain, it was just cruel of the teacher to make her stand in front of the class and introduce herself. He knows he would probably keel over and have to respawn at a later date if he was forced to do something like that.

               “Hey big brother,” Ortho chirped next to him—or rather next to his tablet. “I know her, that’s Eva Frost. She and the other girls of her dormitory at the prototype testers.”

               “Ah,” Idia hummed in understanding. He had remembered his brother rushing back to him yesterday in excitement that Mr. Candence had found some testers for the new prototype phones, but he didn’t think he would actually end up seeing one of the testers.

               “M-my name is ah… um it’s Eva F-frost and um it’s glad—I mean it’s nice to meet you,” she managed to stammer out before she let her head fall to the ground sharply.

               “Val really was telling the truth,” Idia could hear Cater whisper excitedly followed by the sound of his phone’s camera going off. “They really did put some of the girls in third year. And she seems super cute! I wonder if she would be down to exchange Magicam handles?”

               Idia almost felt sorry for the girl as she scurried to the back of the lab, a place she likely hoped would stop the guys in class from staring. Unfortunately, the guys were still guys and managed to turn and stare even as Mr. Candence began to start the class on the basics of magical engine mechanics.

               The keyword being “almost.” With her there that meant people would be less likely to stare at him. They would be too busy thinking with their simping brains to care about his hair or his family. It was like a dream come true. Better her than him.

               “Hey, Big Brother?” Ortho asked then still sounding overly excited about the whole thing. “Can we say hi after class?”

               Idia had to fight off a groan. He really didn’t want to be associated with her. It would defeat the whole purpose of letting her be the distraction. Still, he really did lack the ability to say no to his brother in any capacity. At least not without reason. Forcing his camera to turn to look at Eva, he could see her already overwhelmed and shrinking away from guys who were trying to talk to her.

               “Maybe another day, she seems pretty overloaded with quests right now,” Idia mentioned. He knows he would probably want space and time to adjust to her situation. And part of him hoped she adjusted soon, or he was going to be back to being the center of attention again.

               And he did not want that.

…

               Annemarie did her best to stand tall and look less nervous than she felt standing outside of her Magical History class she apparently had first thing in the day. It could be worse; she had heard Judith groaning about having gym first thing since it would mean wet shoes for the rest of the day. Annemarie would have taken more pride in the fact if she wasn’t currently trying to calm her breathing as she waited for Mr. Trein to tell her it was alright for her to come in.

               When he finally motioned for her to come in, she did her best to keep herself from tripping. That would probably be the most embarrassing thing. Or losing a button from the vest and shirt that were already threatening to pop open around her chest and stomach. She really didn’t need a wardrobe malfunction on the first day. She would much more prefer being known as part of the group the wrecked the chandelier in the cafeteria.

               “Hi, I’m Annemarie Ryland,” she introduced herself—eyes trained on the back wall just above people’s heads as she looked around. This way it looked like she was actually looking at them when she wasn’t. A nifty trick she picked up from speech class her sophomore year. “But please call me Anne, I hope we can all be friends.”

               There were whispers after that, and she was both glad and hated the fact she had no idea what they were saying. Glad because she couldn’t tell if they were poking at her weight or how she looked or how the uniform fit her. And hated it, because her mind would fill in the blanks for her.

               “Ms. Ryland,” Mr. Trein said as he stroked the black and white cat in his arms. “If you wouldn’t mind taking a seat next to Mr. Ashengrotto, I’m sure he will be more than happy to get you caught up on what you missed on the first day.”

               “Of course,” a silver-haired boy with glasses said oh so happily. Annemarie quickly recognized him as the boy who helped Riddle catch Grim during the entrance ceremony. “I would be more than happy to fill her in.”

               Even if something about him seemed not quite genuine, she didn’t have much of a choice and quickly moved to seat herself next to him. Suddenly more than a little self-conscious about the lack of space between her and the students on either side thanks to the bench, style desks.

               “Here are my notes from yesterday, I do ask that you finish copying them down before the end of class though,” Azul said as he slid over a notebook for her to begin copying them down. Annemarie began moving quickly then copying the notes. She didn’t have much in the way of supplies, just the fake magic pen Crowley had given her and a few notebooks as well as her textbooks. But she would have to make do.

               “Of course, thank you so much,” she whispered softly as she began to copy the notes down. “Let me know if there is anything I can do for you too, alright?”

               That had earned some surprised gasps and snickers from others around the classroom who were listening in on the conversation. Even one of the boys behind her with long black hair—braided and decorated—shook his head in response to her reply. Had she said something wrong? Was that offensive to offer something in return for generosity?

               “I will be sure to let you know if I think of anything,” Azul said with a smile as he adjusted his glasses. He was pretty, and the words seemed innocent enough, but she couldn’t help the shiver that ran down her spine as well as the feeling she had made a horrible choice of wording.

…

               Judith really wanted to know what spawn of hell decided that seven A.M. gym class should be allowed. And better yet who decided she would have to suffer the curse of wet shoes most mornings. Apparently, schedules and classes weren’t always concrete. Taking a hint from the universities and colleges she was familiar with within the states, but it still didn’t change the fact she had to run back to the dorm and quickly change into her PE uniform before coming back to class.

               “Sorry,” Mr. Vargas had told her as she walked with him to the field where everyone else was meeting. “I would usually give you a locker in the changing room to store your gym uniform until the weekend but I can’t very well let a lady in there can I.”

               “As long as I’m not constantly late to class because of it I don’t mind,” Judith said trying her best to not sound irritated. Though, she did admit it was preferable to changing in a broom closet. She would shoot the other’s a text so they knew what to expect when their own gym classes came around. Mr. Vargas had only laughed at her reply though.

               “There tends to be about a thirty-minute passing period due to the need to change uniforms and grab books so you should be fine as long as you aren’t slow.” His laugh was loud and made Judith lean away to preserve her eardrums.

               As soon as the field came in sight, Mr. Vargas had run ahead and began talking to the class. Likely to prep them for Judith’s arrival. She kept walking as he was talking until, she was next to him, staring out at a group of guys who were all staring at her as well with rapped attention and curiosity. She gazed back at all of them in turn, committing their faces to memory since that was going to be a hell of a lot easier to her than remembering their names.

               Except for one that she saw and froze on, her blood already turning to ice in her veins as she locked eyes with blue-grey storm clouds. Because sitting in her class was non-other than the Heartslabyul dorm leader himself, Riddle. Figures, just her luck that she would be in the same class as the guy who was surely going to hold a grudge against her dorm for the entrance ceremony if he was also the kind of guy to kick someone out of their dorm over a tart.

               “As I was saying this is the no-magic girl that will be joining us today Ms….” Mr. Vargas trailed off, clearly having forgotten her name already.

               “Judith,” she answered simply before he looked at her expectantly. He clearly wanted a full name not just her first name. “Wieck.”

               “Right,” Mr. Vargas said before completely forgetting about her entirely. “Anyway, second years you know the drill. A warm-up run around the track and then we will begin our flying lessons. Weick I'll just have you observe and figure out a different regiment for you in the meantime.”

               She wasn't going to say no to that, the idea of flying around on a broom with no safety net made her more than a little nervous. Judith had begun walking to join the rest of them on the track when Riddle approached her. She sighed, figuring this was coming.

               “You are one of the girls who interrupted the entrance ceremony, specifically the one picked up and twirled around like a ragdoll.” He stated bluntly clearly unamused at the memory. Judith wasn’t particularly fond of it either. She was hoping that little part of it was overshadowed by Grim running wild.

               “Yes that would be me, but I assure you it wasn’t intentional.”

               “And yet the headmaster has kept you all on at this school.” Judith shrugged. She needed to be careful or she could escalate things. Riddle seemed to like rules so she would appeal to him that way.

               “What the Dark Mirror says goes right?” Judith asked as she snuck a look down at him. “After all it decides who enrolls at the academy above all correct?”

               “I suppose…” Riddle trailed off clearly having not ever thought of it that way before. “Though there was also that instance with the chandelier.”

               “Not anything my girls had anything to do with,” Judith was quick to retort. “They were simply at the wrong place at the wrong time. They did nothing that resulted in the fall of the chandelier.”

               An almost truth. They had been chasing Grim down from what she had heard. But it was Deuce who had the brilliant idea of throwing Ace to get Grim. The girls just happened to be standing there. She didn’t want to know if any of them encouraged the idea, that wasn’t her business.

               “Your girls?” Riddle asked clearly taken back by the term.

               “Yes, my girls,” Judith affirmed. “As vice dorm leader, it feels appropriate.”

               “Then I trust you will keep them in line and prevent them from breaking any more school rules or property.” Judith smiled knowing damned well that was a near-impossible request with Grim involved.

               “I’ll do my best.” Judith paused as she began a steady jog next to Riddle. He seemed pleasant enough as they were running together. “How did things go with Ace this morning?”

               “You mean the tart thief?” Riddle asked for clarification.

               “Yes, that one.”

               “I hadn’t seen him this morning, why do you ask?” Ah, they must not have made it there before Riddle had left for classes. He seemed like the type to be there way earlier than need.

               “He, Deuce, and one of the first years in my dorm, Val, were going to stop by and apologize first thing this morning but I guess they didn’t get the chance,” Judith said her breathing staying even while Riddles began to become ragged.

               “They would have been turned away on site if he didn’t have a tart to replace the one, he ate,” Riddle reasoned as he huffed. “I’ll speak with him at lunch and possibly work something out with him for an apology.”

               Riddle really didn’t seem to be unreasonable. Strict and maybe a little harsh, but not unreasonable. He seemed willing to at least give Ace the chance to apologize at the very least. Though kicking him out of the dorm did seem like a little much, it wasn’t her place to correct him or speak up.

               Those with the power decide the rules of the game after all.

…

               Silver could already feel himself falling asleep when Kalim shook him violently. The young heir seemed really excited about something but Silver was too groggy to really comprehend what he was saying exactly.

               “What?” Silver asked as he rubbed his eyes before following where Kalim was pointing. There at the front of the classroom was a girl with long blonde hair pulled over one shoulder. Nervously fiddling with her uniform but a pleasant smile on her face. “Fiona?”

               He was honestly shocked to see her. Wasn’t she supposed to be working in the stables? What was she doing in class? It didn’t make any sense. His outburst caused more than a few giggles to begin through the class, Fiona’s own included.

               “Yes Mr. Sleeping Beauty,” the teacher droned on in mild irritation. “Thank you for introducing our new student before she got the chance to.”

               “Sorry,” Silver said weakly as his head dipped down. Honestly, what was he thinking saying that out loud? If the young master found out about his outburst, he would never hear the end of it, or worse if Sebek heard about it… if his old man heard about it… Silver shuddered at the thought of Lilia finding out. He would tease him to the end of time.

               “As Silver said, my name is Fiona Alagona,” Fiona stated with a smile—all dimples and teeth. “I hope you can all be patient with me.”

               “Not another one for the non-negative zone,” one of the classmates muttered and Silver raised an eyebrow. He had heard Leona use a similar phrase after the entrance ceremony, but he really had no idea what it meant.

               “Since you seem well acquainted, why don’t you sit next to Mr. Sleepy Head, Ms. Alagona,” the teacher said pointing to the empty seat to Silver’s other side. “Hopefully you will be able to keep him from falling asleep unlike Mr. Al-Asim over there.”

               Kalim let out a nervous chuckle next to him as Fiona moved over quickly to sit next to him. The smile on her face never leaving.

               “I guess we’re classmates now,” she chirped positive energy overflowing.

               “I guess,” Silver said in agreement. He could feel Kalim poking around his other side, practically vibrating with excitement. “This is my friend Kalim, Kalim this is Fiona. I met her at the stables the other day.”

               “You should come to Scarabia sometime,” Kalim said excitedly. “Jamil makes the best food for the banquets we hold. You can bring the other girls too. I’m sure it must be lonely being the only ones in your dorm.”

               “I’ll be sure to tell them,” Fiona said in agreement. “By the way, how’s your butt? You’re the one who caught fire at the entrance ceremony right?”

               Kalim only laughed at that while Silver blinked. That’s right, he had completely forgotten about that. Or rather, he slept through most of it and missed all the fun. If a monster attack could really qualify as “fun” that is.

               “Yeah, Jamil was sure to get the fire out before any damage was caused. And then scold me for being so careless,” Kalim explained. Silver really did think Jamil babied him too much, but it wasn’t his place to correct how he chose to aid Kalim.

               “I’m glad to hear that,” Fiona sighed in relief. Silver couldn’t help but note that she seemed like a genuinely sweet person. A change of pace from those who he normally met at Night Raven College.

               “If the three of you are done chatting, I would like to begin my lesson,” the teacher snapped at them and all three turned to attention with nervous giggles.

               Yeah, the three of them would get along well.

               …

               Kimberlee wanted to die. Just curl up and die. She had to leave where she promised to meet Valentina, even though she really didn’t want to. She only hoped her friend saw the text message she sent, as well as the photo she attached of her class schedule. She could try and meet up with her in between classes, but as she looked at the schedule the two of them almost never had classes in the same area. Not to mention people kept bumping into her in the halls when she was trying to get to class. It was the worst.

               When she actually got to the class, the teacher hardly looked at her. Just mumbled something and then told her to stand at the front of the class until he was ready. And she stood there until all the other students filed in and the final bell rang. Shuffling in at the very end though, she noticed someone. The same boy with the lavender hair she had seen in the botanical gardens. She felt her heart flutter a little before she scolded herself. Now was not the time to be falling into some romantic daydream. Even if the whole situation she was in felt like something out of a bad young adult romance novel.

               “Girl introduce yourself,” the teacher snapped then and Kimberlee realized she had spaced out and totally missed her cue to introduce herself.

               “Wait that’s really a chick,” she heard one of her new classmates mutter.

               “Damn she’s taller than even most of the third years!” Another one whispered not so quietly.

               “Think we could get her to join the basketball team?” One asked another.

               “No way they would let her on the team, tall or not she’s still a girl.” Another replied.

               Kimberlee tried to ignore the way her heart sank. Even here, chances are people weren’t going to just accept her height and the way she was. That really would be wishing on a star for that to happen.

               “Girl?” The teacher said again and she smiled weakly in apology.

               “My name is Kimberlee Daniels, thank you for having me,” she said softly before shuffling her way to the seat the teacher pointed out.

               When she finally sat down, she noticed a pair of bright blue eyes staring at her. The eyes that belonged to the boy with the lavender hair. He was staring intently at her but not saying a word. He didn’t look disgusted, but he didn’t look super interested either. It was like he was trying to figure out a puzzle piece.

               How the hell was she supposed to react to that? She let it go on for another minute or so before she finally set up her textbook as a curtain to prevent others from staring and hunched down as much as possible. If she was lucky, they would all forget she was there and just go away.

…

               Valentina swore her jaw dropped to the floor the first time she saw Master Crewel. He looked like he had just stepped off a GQ runway rather than like he was about to teach alchemy. Or, as she looked over the textbooks, something akin to this world’s chemistry class. She wasn’t the best at math and science classes but she would make do.

               He hadn’t bothered to make her introduce herself to the class, rather he looked at her, clicked his tongue, and muttered something about needing to talk to a Mr. Trein later, and sent her to her seat that was conveniently by Ace and Deuce.

               “My name is Divus Crewel for the new puppies in class today,” he introduced himself smacking a pointer down on his desk to get everyone’s undivided attention. And… was that a dog collar attached to it? Valentina wasn’t really into that sort of thing but still, it made her knees weak. This was supposed to be her alchemy teacher? How did anyone learn anything? “You shall refer to me as Master Crewel if you please. Now, it’s time to being class. First off, a few disclaimers.”

               Valentina expected a lab safety sheet to be passed out but that didn’t seem like it was going to happen. Maybe she had just missed it the first day. At least she hoped that was what happened. “I shall have your tiny brains remember hundreds of names of medicinal herbs and poisonous plants,” Master Crewel started. “And mushrooms are a whole different topic. I’ll have you remember them so that you don’t accidentally poison yourself if you eat some when you go for a walk. Dogs love to eat anything they see, after all. I don’t want to see anyone getting a failing mark during the exam, so I shall be as strict as I can.”

               Dogs? Did he really refer to them as dogs? Valentina had heard the saying that “all men are dogs’ but this seemed to be stretching it. And that much memorization? Sure, she wasn’t bad at it but that seemed like a lot. Then again Night Raven college was supposed to be a prestigious academy after all.

               “What are shrooms?” Deuce asked in a whisper to the two of them. He had already cracked open his textbook and was starting to look over the list of mushrooms on the sheet.

               “Let’s just say you’re going to see sounds and hear colors if you eat one,” Valentina whispered back to him. She didn’t have any personal experience with such things but she heard stories from the older girls on the Dance Guard. Especially after one of the parties Judith’s brother was famous for throwing.

               “Ugh…” Ace groaned—his head falling onto his textbook. “I’m really bad with memorization.”

               “If it’s grass, we just have to figure out if it’s delicious or not, yanno?” Grim asked and Valentina’s eyes went wide.

               “Grim no!”

               Things went similarly for the rest of the day, and Valentina was surprised at how easily she seemed to fit into the classes. Even if she didn’t necessarily understand the context behind what they were talking about, the expectations seemed to be clear and easy. Mr. Trein seemed a little dry and Mr. Vargas had way too much energy but they were what she expected of teachers.

               “Let’s see, the next class is…” Deuce trailed off as he looked at his schedule for the group. Since apparently the headmaster had just copied and pasted their schedule to be Valentina’s own.

               “For a magic school, it doesn’t really feel that much different from a normal school, huh…” Ace whined.

               “I’m not complaining,” Valentina deadpanned and Ace rolled his eyes.

               “Yeah, but this… it’s a lot more… ordinary than I thought… guess I don’t have to worry much even without magic.”

               “Pretty sure you should be grateful for that right now, isn’t that right Grim?” Valentina was met with only silence in response. “Please tell me Grim is just next to me and not already trying to skip class.”

               “So you want me to lie?” Ace retorted with a snicker that only got a glare in response. Seriously why was she the one in charge of him, he clearly only liked her because she couldn’t keep track of him.

               “Look outside the window,” Deuce pointed down to a lush courtyard with a wishing well and an apple tree. “The fluffball is in the courtyard.”

               “We need to get him or I’m going to be the one kicked out of their dorm next,” Valentina squeaked as she began pushing her way past students to get down to the courtyard.

               “As if I’d sit and stay in boring classes like that all day!” Grim shouted loud enough for them to hear as they moved to the courtyard. “I’m a genius, so I’ll be a great magician even if I don’t take those classes, yanno!”

               “That is seriously not how that works, oh the headmaster is going to be mad. Assuming Anne and Jude don’t kill me first.” Valentina continued to stress.

               “Running away on the first day?” Deuce asked hypothetically as he followed behind Valentina. “This guy just doesn’t learn, huh?”

               “Being negligent on the first day, are we, Valentina?” Ace taunted as he picked up the end of the group.

               “Shut up Ace I don’t wanna hear it right now,” she snapped at him which only made him laugh harder. “So, d’ya want us to help you catch Grim?”

               “Isn’t that obvious?” She snapped at him. She could try to catch Grim on her own, but she didn’t have the magic for it.

               “I want a chocolate croissant from the canteen,” Ace chirped happily as if a treat was up for grabs for helping.

               “With what money, I’m still broke until the headmaster pays us for the work we did and allowance that we are apparently getting,” Valentina said—almost on the verge of tears.

               “He’s joking, we’ll help,” Deuce snapped and elbowed Ace before he could protest.

               “Ouch, fine, we’ll help the damsel in distress,” Ace grumbled as Deuce smiled.

               “That’s more like it,” Deuce replied and then the chase was on. It still took them longer than it should have, ten minutes of their passing period to be exact. Thankfully it was almost lunchtime, so it was probably fine.

               “Grim, taking those lessons if or your sake, y’know?” Ace huffed after they had finally caught the mischievous feline under one of Deuce’s cauldrons.

               “What?” Grim exclaimed in shock, still trying to wriggle out from under the cauldron. “Why’re you the one taking me back?”

               “We are doing this to help Val who you put in a very difficult position by running off like that,” Deuce scolded—crossing his arms.

               “Why do you care about something like that?” Grim asked but only received Deuce’s burning cheeks and a smirk from Ace in response. “I don’t get it! I’m never going back to a boring class like that!”

               “You will or I can give you to Master Crewel to make a hat out of, your choice,” Valentina snapped at Grim earning a surprised yelp in response.

               “You guys really are in sync when it comes to tormenting me…” Grim whined before flopping and going limp with defeat.

               “I don’t wanna, don’t wanna!” Grim continued to cry and yowl as Valentina pulled him out from under the cauldron and into her arms where he wouldn’t be able to run away again. “I don’t wanna go back to boring classes.”

               “Be quiet,” Valentina snapped again, this time hard enough Ace and Deuce flinched as well. She really was done with this kind of behavior for the day. “You are going to behave or you can forget about tuna at lunch.”

               “Damn it!” Grim cried out in defeat. “You’re being kinda harsh today!”

               “Tough love Grim,” Valentina said with a light laugh. “It’s called tough love.”

Chapter Text

“Yeah! It’s finally lunchtime!” Grim cheered as he went running ahead of Valentina into the cafeteria. They had managed to make it through the last few classes they had without any major incidents, and she considered that a win.

               “I see a lotta delicious stuff already!” True to what Grim said there seemed to be a variety of food all laid out in the cafeteria buffet style for students to help themselves to after they had scanned their IDs to allow them into the cafeteria. Valentina was just glad she already had hers from when she was considered staff in order to get in, otherwise, she would have to hope Kimberlee didn’t already enter with Valentina’s ID. Though, knowing Crowley, he never bothered to make them student IDs in the first place.

               “Think they have something like empanadas? I wanna see how they compare to Mama’s.” Valentina asked Grim only to see he had already made a b-line to the food, cutting off all the other students in his path to food. “Grim!”

               “A fluffy omelet!” Grim said as he practically drooled over the buffet, ignoring Valentina’s cries of protest. “Grilled chicken and bacon & egg tart!”

               “You’re too loud!” Ace complained as he also situated himself in line with little to no care for the students behind him. “You’re pretty energetic even at lunchtime, huh.”

               “Val! I wanna have some grilled chicken!” Grim yelled back to where Valentina was. “Come on, there’s only one more left! Oh, and omelets, too! And bread and jam! Go get them all!”

               “I guess,” Valentina sighted in defeat as Deuce chuckled next to her. The two of them slipping in line next to Ace and Grim. Valentina grabbed several of the dishes Grim asked for, as well as some tacos for herself. It wasn’t the empanada she was craving, but it was something resembling her mother’s cooking. That was better than nothing for today.

               Once they had gathered up their food they headed out, Grim rushing to try and find a seat or where the others were. Unfortunately, this meant he wasn’t watching where he was going and ended up tripping up a group of boys. Valentina inhaled sharply through her teeth and she went rushing forward.

               “I am so sorry,” she said begging to apologize profusely. “You aren’t hurt, are you?”

               “I’m fine.”

               “Not you Grim,” Valentina growled before turning back to the students.

               “You bastard! My pasta’s soft-boiled egg is on the floor ‘cause you bumped into me,” the student yelled down at Grim completely ignoring Valentina.

               “Oh, man~” the student next to sighed. “The soft-boiled egg’s the best part of carbonara. How’re you gonna pay for that, huh, punk!”

               Grim yelped then and climbed up the back of Valentina’s uniform to rest on her shoulder and away from kicking range. His eyes focused on the students the whole time. Valentina sighed, ready to attempt to talk things out with these guys to the best of her ability.

               “Guess I’ll just have to make do with you giving me that grilled chicken you’ve got there.” That seemed like a reasonable enough demand to Valentina, even if she didn’t know how losing a boiled egg would qualify for needing a whole new meal but who knows. Maybe they really couldn’t stand the taste without the egg?

               “Wha!” Grim protested though before she could even start to hand over the chicken. “I don’t wanna! This’s mine!”

               “Grim, please don’t pick a fight with this guy, he could just genuinely not like his food without the egg and you weren’t watching where you were going,” Valentina scolded Grim but he wasn’t listening to her.

               “See Girly here gets it,” the student said and Valentina had to do her best to not gag from the nickname. “So just hand over the chicken and—ow!”

               Grim had taken a swipe at the student as they tried to grab the chicken from Valentina’s tray. She could only widen her eyes in response, she didn’t even get the chance to scold Grim though before the student was already grabbing for his magic pen. A look of absolute fury blooming across his face.

               “That s no way to disrespect your senior freshie!” Valentina flinched, ready for impact. She wasn’t going to have time to run away before a spell made contact with her and she had no way to defend herself. All she could do was hope she would still be in one piece when it was over to scold Grim.

               But the blow never came.

               “Senior,” Deuce said as he slid in between the seniors and Valentina and Grim. “Using magic for personal gain is against the rules.”

               “Personal gain?” The student spits back at Deuce. “This is a lesson from your seniors, you punk!”

               “Grit your teeth!” The other added in.

               “If you are going to pick a fight, get out of the middle of the walkway.” Valentina couldn’t help the smile that broke out across her face as she turned to the owner of the voice. Kristina was standing there, as proud as ever and looking completely unamused at the fight that was about to break out.

               “K-Kris,” the flunky who had been backing up the pasta-lover stammered out and shuffled back a bit. This made Valentina’s face contort into one of confusion. What the hell had Kristina done on the first day to make a bunch of students already afraid of her?

               “W-w-we’ll let you off this time ‘cause the pasta’s getting cold anyway.” And with that, they scattered away from the five of them.

               “Heh! All bark and no bite! Serves them right!” Grim mocked making them all sigh.

               “Doesn’t that describe you more?” Deuce asked but Grim made it a point to ignore him.

               “Seriously, you need to learn to no pick a fight over every little thing,” Valentina scolded before turning back to Kristina. “I have never been so glad to see you in my life.”

               “I don’t know why; I didn’t do anything but tell them to fight you guys away from the main aisle. Seriously you guys were holding up the buffet line.” Kristina pointed back as if to make a point where the line now extended back much further than it had when they had joined the line.

               “Oops,” Valentina said with a laugh. “By the way what did you already do that they were so scared of you?”

               “Nothing the teachers can prove,” Kristina said with a smirk and Valentina could feel herself blanching in response. Seriously, was there anyone behaved in their dorm?

               “In any case,” Ace interrupted then. “Let’s just eat some lunch. I missed breakfast and I’m about to pass out, man.”

               “Whose fault is that?” Valentina quipped. She saw a table that all the other dorm members seemed to be seated at and began making her way over with the others following her lead.

               “Bite me, Corey,” Ace fired back.

               “Ooh last names, must be getting feisty.” Deuce interrupted their banter though with a pointed and loud sigh.

               “That was quite the predicament,” he began to lament. “To think that there would be such brutes in a prestigious magic school…”

               “You find trouble just about everywhere, no matter the prestige,” Valentina added as they sat down.

               “Trouble? Please tell me I’m not going to have to talk again with teachers today. I already had to smooth over Kris hitting a kid in the face with a baseball in gym.” Annemarie looked at her wit's end as she looked the group over. Valentina sat across from her with the seats to her left filling up with Deuce and Ace. Kimberlee was on her right, then Judith.

               “It was on accident,” Kris defended as she sat down next to Annemarie on one side, Fiona giggling to Annemarie’s other side. Eva sat to the other side of Fiona, tuning them all out as she played around with her phone.

               “Yeah, an accident that happened conveniently after he called you Krissy.”

               “Fuck around and find out,” was all Kristina said in response before eating a mouthful of what looked like Curry.

               “Please, I’m going to be stressed enough trying to figure out what is happening in these classes, I don’t need you guys causing trouble too,” Annemarie begged—she looked like she was about to cry over it.

               “I promise it wasn’t anything, just a jerk beat up about an egg,” Valentina assured. “No violence broke out.”

               “Good,” Annemarie snapped. “Keep it that way.”

               “Could be worse, you could have had Riddle breathing down your neck all day because he was in your homeroom.” Judith countered which only got a glare from Annemarie in response.

               “Alright, let’s get back to business! I’m digging in~” Grim cheered as he hopped onto the table to begin digging into his share of food. Valentina couldn’t help but be glad for the interruption. A fight between Annemarie and Judith again during lunch would only make things more awkward. “Oh! This is so good! The omelet is so fluffy, and the cheese is so melty!”

               “I didn’t realize you became a food critic when you ate,” Judith quipped as she ate a bite of pasta alfredo. Kimberlee could only giggle as she ate the hamburger steak on her own tray.

               “By the way—”

               “Grim finish chewing before you start talking,” Annemarie said but in typical Grim fashion, he ignored it.

               “I saw your guys’ dorm a while ago, but what do the other dorms look like?” The question was directed to Ace and Deuce. As if the two of them hadn’t only been on campus for the last few days as well and knew anything about the other dorms.

               “You’ve seen the statues of the Great Seven by Main Street, right?” A new voice asked. “This school has seven dorms based on them.”

               “Ugh!” Ace said as he wrinkled his nose in disgust. “You’re the dude from this morning!”

               “He’s the guy who tricked us into painting the roses red!” Grim added on his food temporarily forgotten as he focused on the newcomer.

               “Cater!” Valentina exclaimed. Though she really didn’t know if she was excited to see the third year or just shocked.

               “Ah, not you again,” Eva squeaked and she leaned as far away from him as possible without falling off the bench. “Please, I don’t know what Magicam is really, leave me alone!”

               “Oh Eva, I didn’t see you there,” Cater said with a smile and a wave before turning back to Ace. “I didn’t trick you; you know? It’s not like I wanted to do that either. I only did it ‘cause it’s the Dorm’s rules.”

               “You looked so happy about it though,” Deuce said his eyes narrowing. Valentina couldn’t deny that statement even a little.

               “There, there, Deucey~” Cater chirped the overly cutesy nickname. “The rules don’t matter outside the dorms so, Cate here is just your very gentle senior~”

               “P-please stop calling me that, senior,” Deuce sighed in embarrassed defeat—his cheeks going red. Valentina tried to not giggle, she really did, but it was too cute watching them interact.

               “Haha. That’s how Cater expresses his affection, you know?” A new person said and Valentina almost jumped. She didn’t even see him standing next to Cater before now. He had thick, hipster-looking glasses, and fluffy green hair. He wore the same ruby-red blazer as the rest of the boys—thought he had a different card suit painted on his face. A simple clover under his left eye.

               “Wait… who are you?” Ace asked also clearly having missed the guy before now.

               “Oops, my bad. My name’s Trey, Trey Clover.” The stranger introduced himself with a comforting smile. Much nicer and genuine than some of the others Valentina had seen at this school so far. “I’m a Heartslabyul third year alongside Cater. You girls are from Ramsh—” he paused to clear his throat as if he wasn’t going to say Ramshackle. Did that mean something bad? Valentina just thought it was the name of the dorm. “The new students who’re currently residing in the unused dorm, correct?”

               “Just call it Ramshackle, that’s what it is,” Judith sighed from where she was sitting.

               “Wait that means something?” Kimberlee squeaked clearly also having been lost when it came to the dorm’s name. “I thought that was just what the dorm was called. It’s what the headmaster called it before right?”

               “It’s a word used to describe a car or building in severe disrepair,” Judith explained. “It suits it well enough, so no need to go causing a fuss over it.”

               “Anyway,” Trey said with slight awkwardness. “I heard all about it from Cater. Sorry for the trouble our dormmates cause you yesterday.”

               This statement was directed to Annemarie it seemed who could only smile and wave it off.

               “Grim was also involved in the misadventure so it’s our fault too. Besides, it all worked out in the end so no harm no foul.” Annemarie smiled back at him reassuringly and he sighed in relief before taking a seat next to Ace.

               “Wha… he’s just casually sitting next to me…” Ace complained as he shoveled a mouthful of food into his mouth. Cater had seemed to take up residence next to Kristina—letting Eva breathe a sigh of relief at not having to be so close to him after sharing classes with him all day.

               “Come on!” Cater cheered out as he looked over the group at the table. “We’re in the same school so we should get along! Give me your numbers!”

               “Who the hell demands a number like that?” Annemarie blanched almost choking on her water from the sudden outburst.

               “Seriously that was some weak game,” Kristina chided.

               “That was your issue with it?” Judith asked with an eyebrow raised and Kristina could only shrug.

               “If you would rather we can be magicam friends first,” Cater offered as a middle ground. “Especially if any of you are the type to upload and send lotsa pictures. Just tell me your account, I’ll do the rest.”

               “The fuck is magicam?” Kristina asked clearly confused.

               “Eva said the same thing, geez are you all sheltered?” Cater whined. “I can show you all how to set on up if you want?”

               “Sounds like it should be like Instagram, simple enough,” Judith said before she opened her phone. Likely to look for the app in question in this world's equivalent of an app store.

               “What’s Instagram,” Cater asked before his eyes went wide. “Wait, the rumors are true, you guys really aren’t from this world?”

               “It took that for you to tell, and not you nearly harassing poor Eva to death?” Judith fired back. “By the way, handle is @J.Wieck425.”

               “Added,” Cater said happily. “But really, it seemed too crazy. Guess I really will have to commemorate this moment.”

               Cater snapped a picture of Judith then. She barely had time to react more than flipping him off and clicking her tongue in response. “And uploaded and tagged~”

               “Why do I have a feeling the whole school is going to have my account by the end of the day?” Judith sighed clearly regretting her decision.

               “Might wanna get those privacy settings for messages set to ‘mutual’s only’ princess,” Kristina quipped as she started tapping away at her own phone—likely also making an account. Valentina would probably make one later as well. Seemed like the best way to figure out how the world here worked after all.

               “That isn’t a bad idea,” Judith hummed as she went back into the app to likely play with the privacy settings.

               “Anyway, you guys were asking about the dorms?” Cater said going back to the original topic before he had gotten distracted by the idea of getting their numbers. “That’s nice! A fresh convo! Big bro here will tell you everything!”

               “I wanna know about our Dorm first and foremost,” Ace said before anyone else could say how cringe it was for Cater to call himself ‘big bro’ to a bunch of his classmates. “What the heck is that [rule # something-something of the Queen of Hearts]?”

               Valentina had to admit. She was more than a little curious about that as well. Did every dorm have special rules like that? Was the something Riddle added or was it something that always existed? She could only watch Cater and Trey with rapped attention as they began to explain.

               “I’m sure you’re all familiar with the legendary Queen of Hearts, right?” They all nodded, even the other girls. Valentina had filled them in on the history during their second night in the dorm when they were all sharing information, they had learned that day. “In order to establish absolute law and order, she made severe rules in order to oppress the eccentric citizens of Wonderland.”

               “And out of respect for the Queen of Hearts,” Cater interrupted to take over the explanation. “Our Heartslabyul Dorm wears red and black in order to represent the dress she wore.” He pointed to the armband on his left arm and Valentina blinked. She had seen it before but never paid it much mind before then. The armband was even held in place by a golden clip of the dorm crest.

               “And it’s part of our traditions to adhere to the Queen of Hearts’ rules.” Cater finished then pausing long enough to take a bite of his food.

               “Sounds rough,” Grim said his ears flattening. Valentina found herself agreeing with that statement.

               “Adhering to the rules is the present Perfect’s whims,” Cater began to explain. “The previous one was kinda chill about it.”

               “Compared to the other Perfects, Riddle is just a little bit more serious,” Trey said taking back over. “That’s why he’s trying so hard to keep the traditions.”

               “Ugh…” Ace groaned. “How annoying…”

               “Explains a lot though,” Judith noted though no one else seemed to pay her any mind.

               “Hey what kinda places are the other dorms?” Grim asked wanting to hear more. Trey laughed a bit at Grim’s enthusiasm before he began to go on.

               “Just like Cater said a while ago, this school has seven Dorms dedicated to the Great Seven.” Trey started as he adjusted his glasses. “First, we have our dorm that’s grounded on following the Queen of Hearts’ Laws with our entire being: Heartslabyul Dorm. Then there’s Savanahclaw that’s grounded on the fortitude of the King of Beasts. After that, we have Octavinelle that was founded on the Sea Witch’s benevolence. And then we have Scarabia that was formed from the careful planning of the Sorcerer of the Desert. Pomefiore, the house grounded on the magnanimous efforts of the Beautiful Queen. Then there’s Ignihyde whose foundations lie in the perseverance of the King of the Underworld. Lastly… we have Diasomnia that was founded on the gracefulness of the Witch of Thorns.”

               “Oh that’s a lot,” Valentina said—exasperation in her voice.

               “Talk about a mess to remember,” Fiona added with her own sigh.

               “We have enough memorization with Master Crewel,” Kimberlee added into the complaints.

               “Speaking off, can we all admit how hot that man is?” Kristian asked with wide eyes.

               “Yes, but not now,” Judith said as she shushed, the rest nodding in agreement and completely ignoring the startled look from the guys.

               “All their names are friggin’ long!” Grim threw in bringing the topic back to complaining. “I can’t remember all of that!”

               “Ahahaha! That’s completely okay,” Cater said with a laugh. “You’ll remember them even if you don’t want to.”

               “That sounds like a threat,” Valentina said as she looked at Cater with concern.

               “Just like you’ve witnessed during the ceremony, the Mirror of Darkness decides what Dorm you’ll belong to after looking into your soul.” Trey seemed to be launching back into more exposition in hopes of soothing Valentina’s worries. “I guess you could say that the dorms really reflect the student’s character.”

               “That’s true,” Cater eagerly agreed. “I totally get it!”

               “Character?” Deuce asked clearly curious now.

               “For example,” Trey trailed off before finding something to catch his eye. “Look over there.”

               “He has dog ears,” Valentina noted to where the student was standing that Trey pointed out. He was tall and deeper skinned with white hair and his uniform almost complete except for a blazer.

               “He’s in my class I’m pretty sure,” Kimberlee added as she looked over at the guy. “Yeah, he’s definitely in my class.”

               “Judging by appearance, he looks like he’s from Savanahclaw,” Trey explained once more adjusting his glasses.

               “Totes!” Cater cheered in agreement. “They look like a dorm that’s got a lot of athletes and guys that’re good at scuffles. They’re pretty brawny? Or I guess you could say, they’re all pretty buff? Either way, Savanahclaw’s colors are yellow and black.”

               Valentina could tell for sure from the distance but she thought she might have seen an armband fitting that description on the wolf-boys arm. But again, she wasn’t sure.

               “Oh, then what about that one with the gray and uh… light purple on their sleeves?” Grim asked pointing to a guy with silver hair and thin-rimmed glasses.

               “He’s in my class, Azul I think,” Annemarie said then. “He let me borrow his notes.”

               Cater and Trey seemed to flinch in response to that but Trey pushed on with his explanation anyway. “He’s from Octavinelle. The two on the table beside him with the dark-red and gold colors are from Scarabia.”

               “Oh, that’s Kalim. He’s a sweetheart,” Fiona said as she pointed to the boy who Valentina distinctly remembered got set on fire at the entrance ceremony.

               “Pretty sure hoodie is in my class too, though I didn’t catch his name,” Annemarie added as she crinkled eyebrows together as she tried to remember a name she didn’t know.

               “Jamil,” Judith added. Annemarie looked at her then in shock.

               “How do you know that?”

               “He was in the kitchen when I was working in there. Didn’t talk to him but one of the ghosts pointed him out.” Judith explained with a shrug.

               “It’s been said that both are dorms full of smart people,” Cater butted in before the two could get into an argument over nothing. “When it comes to written tests, nothing can beat those two. Ah, but Scarabia’s Perfect’s only so-so when it comes to studying~”

               “That seems unnecessary,” Valentina huffed.

               “Alright, I sense a red flag there,” Ace added though Valentina wasn’t exactly following that line of thinking. What did the dorm head’s study habits have to do with a red flag?

               “You adapt pretty quickly huh,” Trey laughed clearly having understood what Ace was saying. “Going back to the topic, those bright and sparkling ones over there are from Pomefiore. Their colors are purple and red.”

               The two in question were one with a bob cut that made Valentina wince a little and a feather hat. While the other was the cutest boy she had ever seen.

               “Wha-! There’s a really cute girl over there!”

               “Hey, then what are we?” Kristina asked in offense at Grim’s sudden statement.

               “Scary girls,” Grim countered before dodging the swipe Kristina did, trying to catch him.

               “Eh? Even though this is an all-boys school?” Deuce said in shock and Valentina bit her lip to keep from wincing.

               “Idiot,” Ace said clearly saying what everyone was thinking. “As if they’d let a girl pass the sorting ceremony of an all-boys school.”

               “You mean the way we did?” Judith asked.

               “You girls are weird as shit exceptions,” Ace countered and Judith could only shrug at that. He wasn’t wrong.

               “Speaking of girls,” Cater interrupted to let Deuce and Grim pick their jaws up off the floor. “Miss Rosalina’s portrait in the West Building’s pretty awesome. I can introduce you if you’re interested~ Want me to set it up?”

               “No need,” Ace said. “Even if she’s cute, she’s not really uh… three-dimensional.”

               “It doesn’t really matter, does it?” Cater asked but the looks he got from everyone at the table, except for Eva strangely, seemed to disagree. “Well, in any case, Pomefiore’s full of pretty faces who take their beauty routines very seriously. Their Perfect’s a pretty famous influencer who’s got over five million followers~”

               “Hey don’t judge them based on face value alone,” Trey scolded his friend. “Pomefiore’s got a lot of students who excel at alchemy and charms.”

               “Ahahaha, that’s right,” Cater laughed. “Then, there’s Ignihyde, and they were blue and black, but… I don’t see them around anywhere. The students from that dorm are all sorta private, so I don’t have friends there either. I guess you could call them the complete opposite of Heartslabyul.”

               “Sounds perfect for Eva,” Kristina snickered which got her a smack on the arm from Annemarie. “What? She hardly talks other than to sass off since she moved to our school her freshmen year!”

               “Doesn’t mean you get to be rude,” Annemarie scolded before she turned to Eva. “Sorry about Kristina, you know how she is.”

               “I could care less what she thinks about me,” Eva muttered not even looking up from her phone.

               “So you mean, they’re pretty gloomy?” Grim added in ignoring the look Annemarie gave him.

               “Hey now! Don’t you start being rude either,” Trey snapped at Grim. “Though, it’s true that they all seem pretty behaved and quiet. They’ve got a lot of members who have great magical energy and they’re pretty techy, too.”

               “Then there’s… Diasomething dorm, correct?” Deuce asked earning a few giggles.

               “Stop acting like you got it right, man,” Ace laughed as he hit Deuce’s back. “It’s Diasomnia, got it?”

               “I just bit my tongue!” Deuce defended himself. Valentina could help but pat hit back in sympathy.

               “Diasomnia is… oh, there! The guys who are sitting by the cafeteria’s exclusive tables.” Cater said as he pointed across the cafeteria to a group of three guys all in bright treen vest and blazer combos. They couldn’t look any more different from one another either.

               “Hey it’s Silver,” Fiona added which made Cater clear his throat in response. She laughed nervously in apology. Cater continued then, though it was clear he was over being interrupted by them.

               “Their colors are light-green and black. They’re kinda—how do I put it? Super popular? They’ve got an aura that makes it hard for us commoners to approach them. Their Perfect’s SUPER difficult to grasp.”

               “Oh? They’ve got a kid with them,” Ace said as he nodded with his head. Valentina assumed he was talking about the one with black and magenta hair. He seemed a lot shorter than the others at the table but… he didn’t exactly seem to be that young to Valentina at least.

               “Grade-skipping isn’t allowed here so that isn’t possible,” Trey explained. “With a few exceptions obviously ladies. Besides, he’s not a child, he’s a third-year like us. His name is—”

               “Lilia is my name. Lilia Vanrouge.”

               There was a mixture of shocked noises that came from all around the table at the sudden appearance of Lila, the boy across the room, who was now at the edge of their table hanging upside down. How did he even get over there so fast?

               “Th-this guy teleported here!” Grim cried out in shock.

               “Pray tell,” Lilia started—finally rightening himself out to stand on the floor. “Are thou interested in mine dorm members? Fufufu, it is true that I might resemble a sprightly and endearing young boy. However, just like that man in glasses has said, I am a child no longer.”

               “Sprightly…” Trey repeated clearly thrown off by the word choice.

               “Prithee, why not approach us instead of simply watching from afar?” Lilia asked. “Are we not comrades from the same school? We from Diasomnia will welcome you anytime.”

               “Why is he talking in Shakespearian speak?” Kimberlee murmured to Valentina as if her friend would know the answer.

               “I have no idea anymore with this place,” Valentina responded her eyes never leaving Lilia. Though his gaze seemed to be lingering on Fiona with amused curiosity.

               “Those two completely look like they don’t wanna be bothered though…” Deuce stammered as he looked over at the remaining two table members.

               “Fufu. Pardon me from appearing from above while you dined the” Lilia laughed—clearly unbothered by Deuce’s words. “We will be taking our leave now.”

               And then he was gone as suddenly as he had appeared.

               “Our seat is practically twenty meters away from theirs,” Ace whispered gruffly to the group. “But you’re telling me he heard us from that distance? Scary!”

               “W-well,” Trey started before stopping to clear his throat. “That’s how it is. Diasomnia’s got a lot of very special students. Their dorm has a lot of members that are pretty gifted. Their perfect, Malleus Draconia, is said to be one of the five greatest sorcerers of our world.”

               “TBH, Malleus is sorta like, the awesomest of the awesome,” Cater gushed. “Well, our Perfect’s pretty dangerous too.”

               “You’re telling me!” Ace began to complain. “He puts a collar on someone just for eating his tart? He’s the worst, no doubt!”

               “Hm~ I’m the worst?” Valentina felt her blood go cold at the sound of the familiar voice. Judith seemed to also have a panicked face. As if she had just realized something she forgot about.

               “Yeah. Only a tyrant will keep up with those kinda rules. Gimme a break.” Ace said still blissfully unaware of who was behind him.

               “Ace,” Deuce finally snapped. “Behind you.”

               “Geh!” Ace exclaimed as he turned around to see a less than amused Riddle. “Perfect?”

Chapter Text

If it wasn’t for the rest of the hustle and bustle of the cafeteria, you could have heard a pin drop at the table from the awkward silence that enveloped all of them. Valentina couldn’t tear her eyes away from the sight of Riddle, shorter than her but still imposing. His eyes narrowed into a glare that was laser-focused on Ace who had no clue what to say in response to his previous slander.

               “Hey there, Riddle!” Cater finally called out in an attempt to break up the silence. “You look super cute today, too~”

               “Hmph. Keep talking like that, Cater, and it will be off with your head, too.” Riddle snapped at the older boy without sparing him so much as a glance.

               “Come on now~,” Cater said somewhere between a coo and a whine. “Please go easy on me.”

               “Ah?! This is the guy who put that weird collar on me during the Opening Ceremony,” Grim cried out before going on the defensive. Valentina was quick to grab him though before he could do anything—hugging him to her chest to both stop him and hold him protectively.

               “Grim, hush, we aren’t part of this conversation,” Valentina whispered harshly at Grim before looking back at Riddle—hoping that he wasn’t paying her any mind. Unfortunately, he was.

               “So this is the rest of the gaggle that caused so much of a ruckus yesterday, huh,” Riddle practically purred as he eyed each girl one by one as well as Ace and Deuce. The look sent shivers down Valentina’s spine. She doesn’t remember anyone who looked so intimidated from presence alone before. Well, maybe the first time she saw Judith but it quickly died once she realized Judith wasn’t the kind to lash out. At least not without an appropriate level of provocation first. “Would you refrain from referring to someone’s unique magic as a ‘weird collar’? Good grief, the Headmaster is too soft. Letting someone off the hook for not following the rules once will break the foundations of everything. All those who don’t follow the rules should just say goodbye to their heads.”

               Valentina knew he was talking metaphorically and not literally but with the way he said the words—too cold and casually, he might as well have been talking about a guillotine to the throat. It made her gulp and she could feel Kimberlee to her back. Her friend clutching at her blazer to find some sort of comfort from the situation.

               “His words definitely don’t match his cute face…” Ace whispered to Deuce though much too loudly if Valentina could still hear the words. Though Riddle seemed generous enough to ignore it for the time being. The fact Valentina was considering that kind of behavior gracious troubled her. If she was this scared of a guy who had no power over her, then how did the rest of the dorm feel?

               “I mentioned this to Judith, but I shall mention it to you all as well,” Riddle stated then. “The Headmaster may have forgiven you, but the next time you break the rules, I won’t let you off so easily.”

               Valentina chanced a look around the table to see what the others appeared to be feeling. While Kimberlee clutches tightly to her blazer, Eva looked ready to pass out. Fiona and Annemarie seemed to be exchanging nervous looks with one another as they weren’t keen on stirring the metaphorical pot, Kristian seemed amused enough though not in a way she planned on jumping in at the moment. Judith seemed nervous but also curious as if she was trying to figure out the probability and weight of his words. Valentina couldn’t figure out what the older girl couldn’t understand, and now wasn’t the time to ask.

               “Um… by the way, Perfect…” Ace started and Valentina could feel everyone stiffen at the table at Ace’s words. “Is it possible for you to remove this collar?”

               “I had come over thinking of removing it once you had repented,” Riddle started. “Since Judith had mentioned this morning your little field trip to the dormitory, I figured I would see at least what I was working with. But judging from what you said a while ago, it seems like you’ve ye to do so.”

               Valentina saw several pairs of eyes shift over to Judith who only ducked her head down in response. She had probably been trying to make conversation and help in her own way, but it had ended up working poorly in Ace’s favor. Though that line of thought didn’t seem to be crossing Annemarie’s mind from the way the Ramshackle perfect was glaring at her vice. Riddle seemed to ignore the shift in tension at the table though in favor of continuing his lecture.

               “I’ll have you walk around like that for a while longer. You don’t have to worry. The first years’ lessons are focused more on classroom learning rather than magic training,” Riddle reassured. “If you can’t use magic, then something like yesterday’s ruckus should be impossible. It’s perfect, isn’t it? Now, if you’re done eating, hurry and go to your next class. Rule #271 of the Queen of Hearts: ‘You must not spend more than fifteen minutes sitting at the table after you’ve eaten.’ You know what happens when you break the rules, don’t you?”

               “Another weird rule…” Ace sighed before Riddle slammed his hand on the table making everyone jump again.

               “Answer me with ‘Yes, Perfect!”

               “Yes, perfect,” Ace and Deuce responded in tandem. Riddle smiled self-satisfied as he straightened back up again.

               “Good,” Riddle praised before straightening his bow tie.

               “Now, now,” Trey said trying to defuse the situation further. Though Valentina wished he had done so sooner—he seemed like someone Riddle would listen to much more than Cater. “I’ll see them off, don’t worry.”

               “Hmph. You’re the Vice Perfect, so you better do your job properly,” Riddle said with a glare to the green-haired boy. “As stated by the Queen of Hearts’ Rule #339: ‘After-meal lemon tea should have nothing more or less than two sugar cubes in it.’ In order to protect that rule, I shall need to buy more sugar cubes at the school store. I’ll be taking my leave now.”

               Riddle turned to walk away then, but Valentina could still hear him muttering to himself: “Good grief, the sugar pot running out of sugar cubes is a capital crime…”

               Because not having sugar cubes would be the death of the world.

               “Man, that was scary,” Cater sighed out. He slumped forward onto the table—letting his headrest on the smooth surface.

               “He’s really lookin’ like a bad guy now, yanno?” Grim asked as he looked up at Valentina from her lap. She hated how much she agreed. Even as Deuce began to scold Grim for being rude. Valentina could hear voices around the cafeteria then, panicked ones of other students in the same Heartslabyul school uniform her new friends wore.

               “Did the perfect leave?”

               “I completely forgot to follow Rule #186: ‘Never eat hamburger steak on Tuesdays.’ So I was wondering what he’d do if he found out.”

               “Giving us a bit of freedom wouldn’t hurt him, you know?”

               Valentina looked to Cater and Trey then, both of them sitting in silence as they looked down at their now empty trays. Unfortunately, everyone’s attention then was pulled to the sound of an argument starting between Annemarie and Judith.

               “Why can’t you ever just mind your own business?” Annemarie snapped at Judith. “There was no reason for you to start talking to him. And now, not only is Ace probably going to be stuck in our dorm another night, but we are officially on Riddle’s shit list.”

               “I didn’t start talking to him, he came over to me and started talking. I was just making conversation and asked how things went since Ace had gone over in the morning. How was I supposed to know that it didn’t go as planned?”

               “You could have warned us he was coming at least. I know you knew he was planning to come over to our table during lunch.” Judith flinched at the accusation. So it apparently wasn’t wrong.

               “It slipped my mind ok, I’m sorry it’s been a busy day.”

               “Sorry doesn’t cut it, you have a phone, you could have texted us. But you didn't. Seriously what kind of Vice Perfect are you supposed to be? You’re making trouble for everyone, not helping stop it!”

               “Fine, I’ll just leave then!”

               “Fine!” Judith shoved off from the table then. No one said anything as she left, her face cold and not betraying a thing, though Valentina couldn’t imagine she was feeling good.

               “That was too harsh Anne,” Fiona said—concern on her face. “You know she really didn’t try to hurt anyone or cause anything.

               “She’s fine,” Annemarie said as she finished off her lunch. Though, the way her eyes looked at her tray said she wasn’t all that convinced.

               “You should apologize to her later,” Fiona continued. “You are still friends.”

               “We aren’t friends,” Annemarie snapped then but quickly softened. “But you’re right, I should apologize later. I was out of line.”

               “Are they always like this?” Deuce asked quietly to Valentina.

               “They aren’t usually this bad but the fighting is pretty normal,” Valentina replied back equally as quiet. “Just be glad you didn’t see the fight they had at the end of last year.”

               Deuce looked like he wanted to ask more but decided against it. It wasn’t his place to learn about the beef between the two. And it definitely didn’t seem like a good idea to get in between the two of them.

               “Anyway, how does someone like Riddle end up as Dorm Leader?” Annemarie asked—seemingly eager to change the topic. “He doesn’t seem to be popular among the students, so he couldn’t have been elected to the position.”

               “The Dorm Head managed to become the head one week after getting into the school,” Trey began to explain. “He’s a little bit sharp-tongued, but he’s only got the dorm’s best intentions in mind, so he’s not really a bad guy.”

               “That doesn’t answer my question,” Annemarie said but before Trey could say anything Grim had wriggled free from Valentina’s arms and back onto the table.

               “People who think like that don’t just put collars on others,” Grim exclaimed which only got nervous laughter in response from Cater and Trey.

               “That was still your fault for going wild at the ceremony,” Valentina sighed but it illicit no response from the rambunctious monster.

               “Um… sorry if this is a weird question,” Kimberlee said finally speaking up. “But what’s a ‘Unique Magic’ exactly?”

               “Hm? You mean Riddle’s unique magic?” Cater asked, perking up a little at the question.

               “Unique… Meaning, it’s only exclusive to the Perfect?” Deuce questioned.

               “You grew up in this world, why the hell don’t you know? What a ‘Unique Magic’ is?” Kristina said with a smirk in Deuce’s direction. He flushed.

               “I just didn’t grow up around many people who were good at magic is all,” Deuce quipped quickly—face still red.

               “Putting aside all the other magic in the world,” Trey said with a slight laugh in his voice from the interaction. “Magic that can only be used by one person is called ‘Unique Magic.’ I think you’ll learn about it in detail if you pay attention in class. Well, the first years. So it’s probably a good thing you learn about it here for the second and third years since they will mention it in the magic theory classes.”

               “Riddle’s Unique Magic is being able to seal off another person’s magic for a given time. It’s called ‘Off with Your Head’.” Cater explained and Valentina shivered in response.

               “Even the name’s scary!” Grim cried out.

               “Since magicians having their magic sealed off is similar to having your head chopped off. That’s why, as long as you’re in this dorm, it’s better not to go against Riddle.” Cater stated, though Valentina swore she heard Kristina called them ‘big babies’ over having to lose magic and be like everyone else. It made her giggle, just a little bit.

               “Conversely, as long as you follow the rules, he can be pretty gentle,” Trey said as if trying to sell the idea of Riddle not being a terrifying tyrant to the rest of the table.  

               “I would hardly call him threatening people not even in his dorm, ‘gentle’,” Annemarie stated. All of the rest of the girls nodded in response, including Valentina. Something about his level of strictness felt suffocating, like having to always walk on eggshells and hoping you didn’t step out of line.

               And she knew how exhausting it was to try and be something you weren’t.

               “Oh, yeah,” Ace said pulling the conversation back to him as he remembered something. “Am I gonna be chased out again if I don’t come back with a tart?”

               “Pretty much,” Cater said once more too happy at the prospect. “That’s what Rule #53 says, after all~ Oh, and since Riddle was looking forward to getting the first slice of that whole tart, he probably won’t forgive you if you don’t bring the same thing~”

               “You said you wanted to get alone,” Ace whined. “But you won’t let me off that easily?”

               “This and that are different,” Cater stated.

               “Still,” Deuce chimed in. “Isn’t a whole tart a little bit expensive?”

               “Ugh… I don’t have that much money though,” Ace said before looking to the rest of the table for help.

               “Don’t look at us,” Fiona said then. “We don’t have any money at all. You know that by now.”

               “Then why not make some,” Cater suggested. “Those tarts were all made by Trey here, y’know?”

               “Woah really?” Valentina exclaimed, “I wouldn’t have ever guessed. And it would be so much cheaper than buying one.”

               “You made all that Senior Trey?” Ace asked equally as shocked. “Amazing! It’s better than what they sell here!”

               “Haha, thanks.” Trey laughed taking the compliment with grace. “I think I have most of the tools and ingredients here… But I won’t simply offer you my services.”

               “Eh! You’re gonna ask us to pay you?” Ace asked in a panic.

               “Haha, there’s no way I can extort money from a junior, you know?” Trey said waving off the idea. A shame really, Valentina thought, he could probably make some decent side cash selling pastries and baked goods at the school. Almost reminded her of Zoe from their class, who used to buy toys in bulk from party supply magazines then sell them for profit at the school. Till the school shut her down for it. She was a legend for several years on the playground. “The next tart that Riddle wants to eat requires a lot of chestnuts. Would you mind gathering some for me?”

               “It’s troublesome either way…” Ace whined. “So, how many do you need?”

               “It’s going to be used for the Unbirthday Party, so… about two or three hundred will do.” Valentina could feel herself choke on her spit from that number. Two or three hundred? Where would they even get that many chestnuts?

               “I’ll have you help me with roasting them and peeling them,” Trey explained.

               “Can I go back home?” Grim asked, crossing his arms.

               “Me too,” Deuce said also not thrilled at the idea.

               “You traitors!” Ace snapped in protest.

               “I’ll have to be out too, I have a severe nut allergy,” Annemarie explained.

               “Don’t wanna,” Kristina said with a yawn. Eva was shaking her head furiously as well at the idea.

               “I would offer, but I don’t think you want my help. I set off the smoke alarms in the whole building the last time I baked,” Fiona said with an embarrassed giggle.

               “I can help,” Kimberlee said helpfully. “I like baking.”

               “I’ll help too,” Valentina said. “It’s fun to bake as a group.”

               “See, see,” Cater said excitedly. “Making them together and then eating them together will make it more delicious~ It’s that making memories thing. It might help you start a cooking blog for all we know.” Valentina doubted that, but she appreciated the enthusiasm.

               “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to help,” Deuce said then. Though Valentina wasn’t sure why exactly he changed his mind. Still, it was nice to see he would be helping too. Ace snickered to Deuce’s other side which got him an elbow in the ribs.

               “Keep this a secret from the Perfect,” Trey said then. “But freshly made marron tart is the best. The only ones who can eat it as soon as it gets out of the oven are the ones who made it, you know?”

               “Hey, you boys!” Grim said then suddenly perking up. “Get your rears in gear! We’re gonna go pick some chestnuts ‘til we drop!”

               Valentina had to admit, Trey was smooth for using food to motivate Grim. Then again, it wasn’t rocket science to figure out what exactly made Grim excited. Especially after the public display earlier that lunch for all the cafeteria to see.

               “Where can we find the chestnuts?” Valentina asked then doing her best to hide the giggle in her voice.

               “There are a lot of chestnut trees right by the forest behind the school’s botanical garden.”

               “I know where that is,” Kimberlee said excitedly. “I was in charge of helping out there yesterday. I can show them where it is.”

               “Alright then,” Ace said excitedly. “Let’s gather in front of the greenhouse after school.”

               “Go, go~ We’re goin’ chestnut picking~” Grim cheered in a sing-song voice.

               “Not if we’re late to class we aren’t,” Valentina said then as she checked her phone for the time. “Let’s hurry back to class.”

               “Right,” Deuce and Ace agreed as they quickly gathered up their stuff.

               “Have fun guys,” Fiona called and Valentina smiled. Maybe things would go right for one… maybe.

Chapter Text

Classes had passed by the rest of the day with relative ease. They did have a practical magic course at the end of the day for some simple spell that both Valentina and Ace had to sit to the side and watch. Mr. Mimsy, who taught the class, could only look at Ace with the same sympathy a predator might helpless prey before sending him to the side.

               “This is all bullshit,” Ace grumbled as he sat to the side next to Valentina while Grim and Deuce listened to the instructor explain how the magic training room worked and functioned. She could only chuckle awkwardly before looking over and Deuce who was now pointing his pen at a training dummy—practicing his basic levitation magic. She couldn’t help but flinch at the memory of the last time he had used that kind of magic.

               “Try to not throw it and break a chandelier,” Ace called over to Deuce causing the spade-marked boy to tense and blush before dropping the training dummy.

               “That was an accident!” Deuce fired back.

               “Which part throwing Ace or breaking the chandelier,” Valentina added joining in on the teasing. “Because one of those is a lie.”

               “That was—I mean that—If Grim didn’t…. shut up.” Valentina really did feel bad about teasing him sometimes but he was just so cute when he got all boy scout flustered over things, she couldn’t help it.

               “Get a damned room you two,” Ace said before making a gagging motion. “It’s absolutely gross watching you both.” Deuce didn’t seem to hear the comment, and Grim was too busy charring his dummy and practicing his aim to care anything about what the three of them were doing.

               “I don’t know what you are implying but no way, Deuce is just a friend, same as you,” Valentina snapped in a hushed tone.

               “If that’s true then why are you whispering?” Ace said with a smirk. Honestly, Valentina hadn’t thought much about it. He was cute for sure, but she was from another world and not planning on staying. The idea of entertaining the idea of dating anyone seemed stupid.

               “What do you know about liking people anyway,” Valentina hissed in an attempt to change the topic. “I doubt anyone would ever date you.”

               “Bzzz. Wrong. I have had a girlfriend,” Ace counted.

               “Wait seriously, that’s bullshit. How does an asshole like you land anyone when I couldn’t ever land anyone?”

               “Hey I’m not an asshole, I’m a loveable scamp,” Ace protested and Valentina laughed.

               “What can I say I’m a lovable scamp, they can’t say no.”

               Valentina stopped laughing then. Her fists tightened as she remembered Johnny. It was after he had managed to get an extra ice cream cone at a school festival despite the one per person rule back in middle school. He had been drenched from working the dunk tank on the last day of school and the person working the stand felt bad for how many times people had rushed forward to dunk him due to his taunting after they missed their shots. He had chased her around for the next half hour after that threatening to hug her and get her all wet.

               “Hey Val… are you ok?” Ace asked then pulling Valentina out of her memory again.

               “Yeah, I’m fine, just tired,” she answered. “After all, I did share a bed with Kim because SOMEONE got kicked out of their dorm on the second day of school.”

               “So not fair, I might even have this collar off if Jude hadn’t invited Riddle to our lunch table.” Ace counted and Valentina gave a sour look.

               “Don’t blame her for you running your mouth,” Valentina snapped. “Besides you will have it off by tomorrow anyway once we replace the tart.”

               She paused then and thought about it.

               “By the way when is the Unbirthday party? It sounds like an all-day event but it’s the middle of the week. Don’t we have classes?”

               “Na, since Club activities haven’t started up yet for first years, we are all done with school pretty early in the day so we just do it after classes.” Ace explained then. “At least that’s what my brother told me.”

               “Club activities? So, there are extracurriculars here?” Valentina didn’t know why she was so shocked at the revelation that there were after-school activities here but she was.

               “Yeah, did you think we wouldn’t just because we were a high-end magic school?” Ace mocked in a way that made her hear the ‘You are an idiot’ implied with his tone.

               “It just slipped my mind ok,” Valentina defended. “Do you think they have a color guard or dance team here?”

               “We will find out next week at the activities festival,” Ace said. “I’m sure everyone will be dying to get one of the Ramshackle girls in their clubs.”

               The thought of his implied words made her tense from embarrassment and pout. She was sure that she and Kimberlee would be in the same club at least, maybe even Judith, but others would probably join different clubs. It would be different than classrooms because there was more of a chance for social interactions here than there are in a classroom.

               “Wanna play Rummy till the end of class?” Ace asked then and Valentina shrugged. Glad for the chance of conversation.

               “Sure.”

…

               Ace ended up winning the card game by the time class had ended and Valentina was doing her best to block out the sound of his gloating as they began heading to the greenhouse. Despite agreeing to meet at the botanical gardens they ended up running into Kimberlee on their way out of the first-year wing of the school.

               “Hey ready to go get some chestnuts?” Kimberlee asked then, her voice quiet but she still seemed excited. Valentina was vaguely aware of the pretty boy with lavender hair they had been in the cafeteria standing behind her. He looked like he wanted to call out to her before deciding not to and turning to walk back in the direction of the dormitory. Weird but she was too busy to decipher whatever that was.

               “Ready as I’ll ever be,” Valentina replied. The two boys and Grim though seemed much less enthusiastic about everything.

               “Still can’t believe we are doing this,” Deuce groaned as they made their way into the direction of the forest behind the botanical gardens.

               “You agreed to it,” Ace reminded him.

               “I wish some more of the others agreed to help,” Valentina noted. “It would go a lot faster if we had all agreed to help.”

               “After the scene at lunch, it’s probably a good thing to keep Jude and Anne as separate as possible,” Grim noted as he climbed up Kimberlee’s uniform to sit on her shoulder and avoid walking the whole way. Valentina watched as her friend reached up and patted the top of the monster’s head making him purr in response.

               “What happened between them anyway? I understand they had a huge fight but like was it a fist fight, they yell at each other, what?” Ace asked though it was unclear if he really cared about it he was just looking to make conversation.

               “I don’t think any of us were actually there for the fight, so I don’t think we could say,” Valentina said.

               “And I doubt asking them would get answers either,” Kimberlee added. “Especially with how they shut Kris down yesterday at lunch when she tried to ask about what happened.”

               “You girls are all so much drama,” Ace said.

               “Which one of us is currently in a fight with their dorm leader again?” Valentina fired back with a smirk.

               “So rude,” Ace protested. “It isn’t cute at all. No wonder you haven’t ever had a boyfriend.”

               “She’s super cute,” Kimberlee argued in Valentina’s palace. “And it isn’t like we had time to have boyfriends anyway.”

               “I never had a girlfriend either,” Deuce offered up and Valentina did her best to ignore the smug satisfaction that fact gave her.

               “Bunch of fucking virgins all of you,” Ace sighed but before any of them could reply and fall into Ace’s trap of an argument they were all interrupted by Grim.

               “Whoa! There really are a lotta chestnuts here!” Grim exclaimed as he looked at the forest floor with wide eyes. Sure, enough spiky chestnuts were all over the forest floor. It would be impossible to step around anywhere without some being underfoot. “If we have this much, then it’s all-you-can-eat marron tarts for us!”

               Grim was snickering as he hopped down from Kimberlee’s shoulder with grace. Managing to not land on any of the numerous chestnuts. However, when he reached for one with his paws he flinched instinctively. “Let’s hurry and---ouch! Gah! The chestnut’s thorns dug into my paw-pads!”

               “What did you think would happen dummy?” Valentina asked as she crouched down to look over Grim’s paws He was whimpering but the chestnut didn’t even draw blood. “Quit being a baby you’re fine.”

               “It still hurt,” Grim muttered as Kimberlee picked him up again. Honestly, he was babying him way too much for the amount of trouble he liked to cause.

               “Looks like it’ll be impossible to pick them up with bare hands,” Deuce noted. “I would also like to have a bucket to place them all in, too.”

               A bucket… right. Why hadn’t they thought of that earlier?

               “Would they have something like that in the botanical garden, Kim?” Ace asked as he looked at the blonde girl.

               “There should be,” Kimberlee said though she looked concerned still. “But there are a lot of different places for tools there and I didn’t exactly get a proper tour to find them all.”

               “Better than nothing,” Valentina reassured.

               “Shall we go see then?” Deuce asked but instead of a response they all just followed him back to the botanical gardens and entered the giant glass doors into the structure.

               “Whoa! It looks bigger on the inside,” Ace exclaimed and Valentina had to agree. It already had put their dinky little greenhouse shed at their old school to shame but this looked like the kinds of botanical gardens people went to, to observe exotic flowers and plants.

               “We’re in the temperate zone right now,” Kimberlee began to explain to them. “There is about one shed per zone in order to assure the proper tools are kept in each area when it comes time for pruning and general care.”

               “There we should be able to find the necessary tools here,” Deuce said in agreement. “Should we split up and look?”

               Ace was already charging ahead to the eastern part of the area. “I’ll go right then,” Ace said happily.

               “I’ll go with him to make sure he doesn’t trample any flowers,” Kimberlee squeaked out, already moving to follow after Ace. “The groundskeeper is not someone you want to mess with.”

               “I’ll check west,” Deuce said then. “Grim and Val, please check around the inner gardens.”

               “So formal,” Valentina teased as Deuce began to walk away—red tinging his neck and ears.

               Valentina was still looking at Deuce’s back and didn’t notice Grim running ahead and deeper into the zone.

               “Hey come look at this,” Grim called back to her. “It looks like there’re tonsa fruits here! They smell so good!”

               “Grim you shouldn’t eat those; we don’t know if they are edible or not and aren’t ours,” Valentina called over to him already rushing to stop Grim from picking something. The last thing she needed to do was explain to the headmaster why Grim was dead. She didn’t even recognize any of the plants in the gardens, to begin with. It was insane how much this place alone cemented she was not in Ohio anymore.

               “Ow!” Someone cried out and Valentina jumped back. She didn’t see anyone.

               “Grim, did you step on something?” She asked but Grim only looked at her equally confused before scampering to her side.

               “Hey,” A gruff voice said pulling their attention down. It was the guy with the lion ears from the entrance ceremony, but Valentina didn’t know his name. He looked pissed and even scarier up close. Suddenly, Kimberlee’s warning about how the groundskeeper not being someone to mess with struck her. “You’ve got guts stepping on someone’s tail without apologizing.”

               He was stood to his full height now. He was easily the same height as Kimberlee if not a hair taller. His acid green eyes were narrowed and his mouth was turned into a scowl to show teeth that seemed way too sharp to be normal. His skin was a deep and rich color that usually Valentina would appreciate but she was too busy trying to not be scared of him.

               “Are you the guy tending to this place?” Grim asked then clearly not reading the room. “Wow, you’ve got quite the scary mug.”

               “Grim!” Valentina snapped then. If she recognized the uniform colors and Cater’s rundown of the other dorms then he was part of Savanahclaw, the sporty dorm. Not the kind of dorm she wanted to get into a physical alternation with.

               “I went here thinking I could have a peaceful nap,” the guy drolled on almost lazily then. But his tone didn’t make him any less intimidating. “But then my tail gets stepped on. That’s the worst.”

               “We are so sorry!” Valentina apologized profusely then as she grabbed Grim into her arms ready to bolt at a moment's notice. Though it was kind of his fault for letting it just lay in the middle of the pathway but she wasn’t about to say that to a guy who could probably throw her like a football.

               “You… ah, you’re one of the female herbivores that the mirror said couldn’t use magic,” the lion guy said with recognition before he leaned forward then and started sniffing her hair. She stiffened and jumped back with a shiver.

               “What the hell creep,” Valentina exclaimed then—feeling her face heat.

               “So skittish,” he said with an eyeroll before going back to glaring. As if the idea of her flinching from him was completely absurd. “And really not a single trace of magic on you.”

               “Urk… I don’t know how to explain it,” Grim started with a rough whisper to her. “But his glares are sending child won my spine.”

               She couldn’t disagree. He looked exactly like a predator stalking his prey, and she didn’t’ like it even a little bit. It sends her whole senses on edge as this guy screamed danger, and the fact he just sniffed her didn’t help either. She had to fight her whole body to stop from crushing Grim in her arms.

               “I should take a tooth for you stepping on the great Leona’s tail,” he said as he finally introduced himself. Normally Valentina would raise an eyebrow at him calling himself ‘great’ before his name but she was too jittery to care. “I’m in a bad mood after being woken up from a good sleep, after all, I should make you grit your teeth.”

               Valentina let out a squeak at that. He was going to hit them, he really was. The fact she was a girl didn’t apparently mean shit. She was all for gender equality but she sometimes forgot that came with “don’t hit girls” came with the territory when it came to fights.

               “Hey, let’s make a run for it!” Grim exclaimed and she couldn’t agree more. She did not want to test if she could stay standing in a fight with this guy. It would definitely not be the same as roughhousing with her siblings and Kimberlee.

               “Leona!” Someone called out then making all of them freeze. Valentina looked over her shoulder and watched a guy with dirty blonde hair and hyena ears come running up to them. He was about an inch or two taller than her and a hell of a lot less intimidating than Leona. But he still seemed to be from the same dorm so Valentina wasn’t about to let her guard down just yet.

               “What?” Leona snapped at the new guy. His attention almost off of them completely, though Valentina could see his eyes flickering back to her on occasion.

               “I knew you’d be here,” the new guy said his breathing even despite him previously running up to them. “You’ve got supplementary lessons today.”

               “And here comes the noisy one,” Leona groaned with an eyeroll. Honestly, Valentina wasn’t sure if she should be amused or take the opportunity to book it.

               “You already repeated a year, Leona, twice,” the blonde boy snapped clearly not intimidated by Leona even a little. “If things keep going like this, we’ll end up being classmates next year y’know?” The idea of this seemed to amuse the guy as he was smirking now with his hands behind his head. Leona was less amused by the idea from the way his ears flattened and he held a gloved hand to his forehead like he was starting to get a headache.

               “Ah, shut it.” He snapped then, clearly not having a very good comeback. “Stop nagging, Ruggie.”

               “I don’t wanna nag you either!” The blonde, Ruggie, grumbled back losing his smirk. “Geez, you can do anything you put your mind to, but you don’t put effort at all. Come on, let’s go!”

               Ruggie grabbed Leona’s arm then and started pulling. Leona didn’t fight it though he didn’t look thrilled to have it happen either. More like a petulant child that had resigned himself to punishment. It made Valentina think about how her mother would have beat her ass if she acted like him.

               “Consider yourselves lucky herbivores,” Leona grumbled as he left them.

               “Oh please, you wouldn’t raise your hand against a girl regardless of what they did,” Ruggie shut down his bravado with ease. Leona growled as if irritated that his threat was left empty by his handlers’ words.

               Still, Valentina and Grim didn’t relax though until Leona and Ruggie were out of sight. Once they were Valentina felt her knees give out as she sank to the garden’s pathway and let Grim slide out of her arms.

               “Gah! That was nerve-wracking,” Grim finally exclaimed breaking the silence. “What’s with that beastly attendant?”

               “I don’t think he was the groundskeeper, Grim,” Valentina finally breathed out though she was still shaking. She almost wished she was more like Kristina in this situation. Kristina would have gone toe to toe with that guy without question. She was known for taking out members of the football team who got too handsy with her at parties. Valentina squeaked if a guy so much as glared at her when they were taller and stronger.

               “We found a basket and some tongs here!” Ace called out to her from about twenty feet back. He was snapping the tongs for emphasis like a crab would its claws. Kimberlee looked drained, keeping him in line was probably more than she bargained for.

               “Did something happen to you two?” Deuce asked, clear concern on his face as he looked at how she and Grim were crumpled to the ground.

               “We’re fine,” Valentina reassured as she rose back up to her feet.

               “That’s right! Chestnut picking!” Grim was suddenly excited again, remembering the promise of tarts. “We won’t be able to eat some tarts if we don’t bring some back! Let’s tell them about the scary attendant after we pick some chestnuts, ‘kay?”

               “You really didn’t listen to a thing I said a bit ago did you?” Valentina lamented but Grim had already gone rushing ahead.

…

               “And that’s what happened,” Grim said as he finished recounting the tail. Valentina was sure to correct any embellishments he tried to put the story; which made Kimberlee, Ace, and Deuce all snicker.

               “Yeah, that dude’s definitely not an attendant,” Ace said then once the story was finished.

               “Yeah, definitely not based on the description,” Kimberlee confirmed.

               “Now that I think about it, he was wearing a yellow vest. Maybe he’s from the Mackerel Dorm?” Valentina didn’t know if she wanted to lecture Grim for ignoring her and listening to Ace and Kimberlee or managing to confuse Savanahclaw with Mackerel—so she just settled for a very confused glare.

               “Mackerel… Oh, you mean Savanahclaw,” Deuce said then and now Valentina was even more concerned that Deuce understood what Grim was trying to say. “Maybe Night Raven College has a lot of… delinquents.’

               Deuce seemed sad as he said the words but Valentina didn’t want to pry. So, he left it be, not wanting to draw attention to it. There were a few moments of awkward silence before Kimberlee broke it.

               “This kind of reminds me of summer camp,” she said sounding wistful as she remembered something.

               “Which summer: the one where we fell into a ditch and got completely covered in burrs from head to toe or the one where we got lost in the forest on a dare to go out after curfew to get snacks from the mess hall?”  

               “Yes,” Kimberlee responded making Valentina laugh in turn.

               “So, the two of you are really close huh?” Ace asked then, clearly glad to have more conversation ongoing as they finished gathering the chestnuts.

               “Yeah,” Kimberlee said offering up the explanation. “We both have single-parent households, so Val’s oldest sister would watch us while our parents worked. They were good friends from Dad’s ranching job, Val’s mom worked in the office filing paperwork on the Wieck ranch during the summer when they had increased work due to the summer riding camps. My dad was one of the trainers there.”

               “So, you could say we saw each other almost every day, 365 days a year,” Valentina continued—smiling at the fond memories of them running around the house. How her sister was nearly in tears as she had to explain to Kimberlee’s dad why Valentina had been able to Kool-Aid dye his daughter’s hair into a peachy color. They had been grounded for a week for that. Though it was hard to ground them when they would still see each other due to circumstance. "It was cheaper to pay my sister than pay for daycare. Though it was more just hanging out after we were old enough to watch ourselves." 

               “We absolutely terrorized your sisters,” Kimberlee added in laughing more memories. Valentina could feel her heart start sinking though as she thought about her siblings. And she could see the same look beginning to creep onto Kimberlee’s face—even as she tried to hide her down caste eyes with the fringe of her bangs. Valentina’s family was practically Kimberlee’s too, and Kimberlee’s dad was like a father to her.

               “Yeah we did,” Valentina finally said though her tone clearly said that they wouldn’t be sharing more stories then. Deuce looked like he wanted to say something, even lifting a hand like he wanted to touch her shoulder, offer some kind of comfort, but he decided against it.

               “Alright! We picked up a lot so this should be good!” Ace said cheerily, either not reading the room or choosing to ignore it in favor of a more pleasant topic. Valentina’s wasn’t sure which. “Let’s go meet with Senior Trey in the kitchen.”

               “Nyahaha! I can practically taste the tart already!” Grim cheered, really missing the tone the conversation had taken. Valentina found herself relieved more than anything. She really wasn’t feeling spilling her guts to everyone, especially not after just three days of being away from home. There was no need to panic, they would be home soon. Crowley promised after all.

               She really hoped he kept it.

Chapter Text

“Welcome back,” Trey greeted them as they stepped foot in the kitchen. Valentina couldn’t help but stare in awe at the grand kitchen set up the school had. It wasn’t like the sleek and modern kitchens they always seemed to have on the Food Network, but rather it felt old-fashioned and almost a little medieval with the brick walls, kitchen islands, and old stove. Though, with Night Raven College appearing like a castle itself, she supposed it fit the aesthetic.  “I see you’ve picked a bunch.”

               “You can make a gigantic tart with these!” Grim exclaimed excitedly before hopping up onto one of the kitchen islands.

               “Grim, wash your paws before you stand on a place where food is prepped,” Valentina snapped at the monster who only groaned before heading over to the sink to wash his paws.

               “Hehe, he isn’t wrong. We can make a ton of tarts with this,” Trey laughed as he watched his juniors scramble to prep for baking. “Though, you’ll end up doing more work, but… Do your best.”

               “All of this, huh…” Deuce muttered as he grabbed one of the black aprons hanging off a line of hooks. Likely available for student use since most of the regular kitchen staff had uniforms for working there. “I feel like we’ll be here for a long time.”

               “Preparing beforehand is necessary when making dessert,” Trey reminded them as he began to pull out the necessary mixing tools.

               “Yeah, yeah,” Ace said as he waved off his seniors’ words. “I get it, let’s just get it over with.”

               “Ace we are literally helping you out of the goodness of our hearts,” Valentina fired back at him before lightly kicking his leg. Ace flinched at the glare she gave him and she was suddenly glad she hadn’t lost her older sister touch. Though, it was ridiculous to think she had since it had only been a few days.

               “And stomachs!” Grim interrupted a little too excited to share his ulterior motives for helping the Heartslabyul freshmen.

               “Yes, and stomachs,” Valentina added though a little reluctant on that part. “So please try to show a little gratitude.”

               “Yes, Mom,” Ace smirked as if it would be a cheeky insult. Valentina smiled back.

               “If I was your Mama, I would have already beat your ass with a sandal,” she quipped and felt a strange sense of satisfaction as Ace gulped in fear.

               “Val,” Kimberlee whined then—moving to hang on her friend’s shoulders. “We are never going to get these all peeled if you and Ace keep fighting like this.”

               “Yeah, yeah, we’re coming,” Valentina laughed as everyone moved to gather around the mountain of chestnuts Trey had already begun washing and prepping for deshelling.

               “It takes a bit of work to peel off a chestnut’s shell,” Trey began to explain. “Let’s use magic to cleanly peel them off.”

               “Um. But Kim, Val, and Ace can’t use magic,” Deuce interjected. There was a moment of recognition on Trey’s face—as if he had forgotten that half of them couldn’t use magic. “So please show an example of peeling them normally please.”

               “Right, sorry about that, any way you start by…” Trey said as he launched into an explanation on how to peel a chestnut without magic before grabbing another one to give an example for Deuce and Grim on how to peel with magic.

               “Is there anything these people don’t do with magic?” Kimberlee asked, leaning down to whisper to Valentina so the others couldn’t hear.

               “No I think they might actually keel over if they don’t use magic,” Valentina giggled back in a low voice so as not to be heard by Ace and Grim who was already making a competition out of the chestnut peeling.

               “You sound like a boomer complaining about the younger generation and technology when you say that,” Kimberlee remarked making Valentina scrunch up her nose in disgust.

               “Damn, I do, don’t I?” Valentina agreed before they went back into a fit of giggles.

               “Hey look at me ladies,” Ace said—the pride practically dripping from his voice. “I managed to peel them off cleanly.”

               ‘Them’ seemed to be referring to his pile of chestnuts that was on the cutting board he was using.

               “You want us to compliment you for doing your job?” Valentina asked in a dead-pan earning her a light shoulder nudge from Kimberlee and a chuckle from the other guys.

               “I think you are doing great so far Ace,” Kimberlee remarked even though in the time they had been working both girls had managed to peel twice the number of chestnuts. Perks of both of them having worked in kitchens regularly.

               “I agree, though I am quite surprised,” Trey added in. “You’re very dexterous, Ace.”

               “Pretty much~,” Ace began to gloat. Eating up every little bit of praise Trey had given him. “I’m a different caliber from Mr. Serious and that cat over there.”

               “I peeled them cleanly, too!” Deuce began to protest. “Take a look for yourself!”

               He shoved his bowl of cleanly peeled chestnuts forward for inspection. Sure enough, they were also cleanly peeled albeit he was still behind Trey, Valentina, and Kimberlee in terms of quantity.

               “Me, too! Compare mine to Ace’s,” Grim added as he shoved his almost empty bowl forward.

               “We would if you would stop eating them as you cleaned them,” Valentina said earning a strangled cry from Grim.

               “Now now,” Trey said, ready to defuse the bickering among the first-year group. “We still have a lot to peel. But look at you all being so energetic. We should finish in no time.”

               They all continued like that then, in mostly a comfortable silence with the occasional quip exchanged between Deuce, Ace, and Grim. Valentina couldn’t help but smile softly as she began to work. The methodical and repetitive work though did, unfortunately, allow her mind to wander as she continued to deshell the chestnuts.

               “Move your ass,” Johnny had snapped at her. A hot try of cookies being held over his head all fresh from the oven.

               “Go around, I’m busy here,” Valentina fired back. She had already claimed a place on the counter to frost her batch of cookies. She hadn’t noticed at the time but the bag of homemade buttercream frosting was dripping onto the counter from the force she was squeezing the bag with.

               “Both of you, hush your yelling,” Lana barked at both of them. “Marisol finally got the baby to sleep we don’t need you waking her up again.”

               “Sorry,” both Valentina and Johnny had mumbled in apology at their oldest sister’s lecture. It was Christmas of Valentina’s freshmen year; she should have felt like she was on top of the world. She had made it onto the school's Color Guard and Dance teams, and she didn’t even have to worry about the costumes and travel being a strain on her family since the Wieck family always donated to and covered expenses for the program.  Rumor had it that was why their daughter always got the solos but Valentina wasn’t interested in the political aspect of the team. Instead, just glad she could help everyone with their hair and make-up as well as dance in the large group numbers worthy of Broadway.

               She and her best friend were still close, even as the thralls of high school threatened to tear them apart. Her family would be throwing her a Quinceanera for her birthday in March and her grandparents had sent her mother the money for her to get a proper dress as they had for her older sisters as well. She didn’t have a boyfriend yet but that was fine, she still had time. She should still have felt like she was on top of the world…

               And yet all she felt was the sinking pit in her stomach as she remembered her mother’s look on her face when she saw her last report card. It wasn’t bad, mostly B’s and C’s but the D in math had really put a damper on things. How was she supposed to get into college and help support her family with grades like that? Never mind the fact she didn’t want to work as an insurance agent like her oldest sister does. Or be like Marisol who just got her GED and was going to be working as a manager for a fancy department store in a few weeks. Or her mother who was finally able to stop working three different jobs and found a good high-paying job at an office that allowed her to be home for Christmas Eve with all of them.  

               How was she supposed to tell her family she wanted to be a hairstylist? Go to trade school for two years and work for a while at a salon before opening her own place? How could she subject her family to such a financial risk in such a competitive field? No, it would be better if she just did hair on the side and got a real job like the rest of her family was. Loving what you do, doesn’t put food on the table after all.

               “Come in here you three,” their mother called gently from the living room. The three went without protest. Their mother was seated in one of the lounge chairs—her hair greying from age and stress. Marisol was seated on the couch—her baby asleep in her arms. “It’s time to open your early present.”

               Eagerly they each picked up the designated ‘early’ present under the tree that was always marked with a marker drawn star. One by one everyone opened their present from their mother. It was ever much really, just some extra trinkets or toys she had picked up.

               Lana had gotten a CD for an artist she really liked.

               Marisol, some chewable jewelry to wear since her daughter was already showing early signs of teething.

               Johnny had gotten a new soccer ball after his old one had finally popped enough seems to deflate entirely.

               And Valentina… she had gotten a book on doing hair. The barging sticker barely removed from the cover to show her mother had gotten it on sale.

               “You really seem to like doing the hair thing,” her mother said softly. She seemed to say everything softly now that she was a grandmother. “Though I doubt that book can teach you more than that boop-tube can.”

               “It’s called Youtube mom,” Marisol had laughed softly so as to not wake the baby.

               “Either way,” her mother said with a warning glare at her sister. “Just try to not let it distract you from your studies.”

               “I won’t, I promise,” Valentina said with a smile.

               She should have felt like she was on top of the world… so why did she feel like crying?

“This is the last one… There!” Deuce’s sudden exclamation pulled Valentina out of her memory. She blinked quickly to stop the tears that threatened to overflow. Even if that memory was in the past and behind her, it still stung but for a different reason than it had when it was made. “Alright, we’re finished!”

               “You OK?” Kimberlee asked quietly, concern obvious in her voice.

               “Yeah just remembered something was all, I’m fine,” Valentina reassured her friend. Thankfully everyone else around them seemed to be caught up in their own conversations to care what the two of them were talking about.

               “Thanks for the hard work,” Trey thanked them with a smile. “We finished so quickly. Even if half of you don’t have access to magic.”

               “You don’t have to sound that surprised,” Valentina dead-panned though she was glad to have the distraction away from her own thoughts.

               “Hehe~ everything’s a breeze as long as I’m here!” Grim cheered—drowning out Valentina’s complaints.

               “Did you eat the majority of yours though?” Kimberlee asked with concern in her voice. “Please don’t make yourself sick.”

               “Alright, next up’s straining them,” Trey noted—clapping his hands to pull them all back on track.

               “There’s still more?” Ace yelled out in surprise. He didn’t really think they would just peel them and throw them in the tart, did he? Valentina didn’t know why she was surprised by his surprise. He was usually dumb like that. She just hoped that the next task kept her mind more occupied than the last one did.

…

               “Ah! We finally finished peeling them all!” Ace cheered in relief—allowing himself to fall forward on a kitchen island with his arms spread out and fingers flexed to stretch them after such dexterous work.

               “My arms hurt…” Deuce complained as he began massaging the palms of his hands. Even Valentina had to agree that the work was brutal even for her and Kimberlee. They might have regularly did stuff like this for canning and baking but that didn’t make it any less strenuous.

               “Haha. Great work,” Trey praised with a laugh. “I’m sure that your hard work will all be worth it.”

               “I hope so, If Ace doesn’t get back into the dorm with all this effort there is something wrong with Riddle,” Valentina sighed. There was a look on Trey’s face then. But she couldn’t quite describe what he was saying with it.

               “The marron base uses butter and sugar,” Trey said after pointedly ignoring Grim’s whines about being hungry as well as Valentina’s previous comment about Riddle. “And then, I also added some oyster sauce as the secret ingredient.”

               “Oyster sauce?” Ace and Deuce questioned in loud surprise. Valentina wasn’t exactly sure what that was but it didn’t sound good. Judging by the same face Kimberlee was pulling, it didn’t sound good to her either.

               “Exactly,” Trey said. “The savory flavor of the chestnuts gives the cream a rich flavor. And then, to make it better, I use ‘Walrus-brand young oyster sauce.’ There’s no famous pâtissier who doesn’t use this for their tarts, you know?”

               “Really?” Deuce asked a hand on his chin as if he was actually entertaining the idea. “It’s a pretty salty sauce, isn’t it?”

               “Yeah, I’m calling bullshit on that,” Valentina stepped in. “Nothing that sounds like it’s for grilling belongs in sweets.”

               “Sour cream doesn’t sound like it goes with cookies either but dad always makes really good Sour Cream Cookies for the team,” Kimberlee said and Valentina narrowed her eyes. She was supposed to be on her side, the traitor.

               “She’s right,” Ace agreed. “I mean, they do put chocolate in curry. So it kinda makes sense…”

               “That is literally nothing like this,” Valentina protested ready to counter before they were cut off by Trey’s laughter.

               “I was just joking!” Trey laughed, holding his sides even from the force. Valentina didn’t think it was really that funny but go off, she guessed. “There’s no way I’d put oyster sauce in a dessert, like Val said, you know?”

               “What the heck? Are you making fun of us?” Ace asked clearly insulted by the joke.

               “What can’t dish what you’re served, Ace?” Valentina snickered clearly just glad she was right on her call.

               “Kiss my ass Val,” Ace fired back without hesitation.

               “My mouth’s not big enough.”

               “Alright alright,” Trey laughed as he stopped their bickering again. “It was obviously impossible if you thought about it a little.” Ace only pouted as Trey gave him a pointed look. “The moral of the story here is that you shouldn’t believe everything you’re told. Learn to doubt a bit, okay?”

               “This guy looks nice, but he’s the type who can tell lies with no problem, huh…” Grim said with his paws crossed over his chest.

               “I’m more concerned you thought he was normal. This school is full of assholes,” Valentina quipped to Grim.

               “Next is the fresh cream—ah!” Trey’s sudden exclamation caught all of their attention.

               “What’s wrong?” Ace asked before any of the rest of them got the chance.

               “I got carried away with the chestnuts you picked and went overboard with making the marron base,” Trey groaned as he rubbed his eyes under his glasses. “We’re a little short on fresh cream.”

               “I can go buy some,” Deuce volunteered. “Do they sell it in the school store?”

               “The shop sells pretty much anything, so I’m sure it should be there,” Trey said with a nod. “Can I ask you to buy some other stuff while you’re at it? Two packs of milk, two cartons of eggs, silicon cups, and five canned fruits.”

               “I don’t think I can carry all of that alone…” Deuce started to say as he was overwhelmed by the list Trey had started to jot down for them.

               “I can help,” Valentina volunteered quickly. Pushing some of her hair out of her face and tucking it behind her ear. “I haven’t gotten the chance to go to the school story yet so I’d like to check it out.”

               “I’m going too!” Grim exclaimed making Deuce’s face fall a bit as the cat monster volunteered as well. “I don’t wanna mix more dough!”

               “Lazy,” Valentina teased as she picked him up. But she couldn’t really talk. She needed a break from the kitchen. It was bringing back too many memories of home. She turned to Deuce. “Shall we?”

               He sighed before smiling softly, pointedly ignoring Ace as he made faces at them. “Of course, ladies first.”

Chapter Text

The walk to the school store, or Mystery Shack as Valentina was informed it was called, was relatively uneventful. Grim sang songs about tarts and tuna the whole way making both Deuce and Valentina chuckle in response. The cat monster danced further ahead of them as he continued to sing, ignoring their laughter even though he had no idea where he was really headed. As they walked, she had caught glimpses of some of the others.

               Anne Marie seemed to be making her way out of the library with a sour look on her face. Valentina could only assume that was due to her not finding anything on a way home. Kristina had changed into her school gym uniform and was jogging around the campus—phone in hand with some cheap-looking headphones she likely swiped from the school lab. She didn’t even spare them a glance or wave as she passed them.

               “Rude,” Valentina grumbled after Kristina had blown them off.

               “Is she always so…” Deuce started to ask, trailing off though as he struggled to find the right words to describe the third year.

               “Bitchy?” Valentina offered.

               “I was going to put it more eloquently but… I suppose?” Deuce said grimacing a little.

               “From what I understand about Kris, she’s the kind of person you like or you don’t and she doesn’t give a damn either way,” Valentina began to explain. “She was the queen bee when it came to athletics. Even the girls who hated her could at least respect the talent she has on the court.”

               “On the court? Oh right, she mentioned something about being captain of the volleyball team in the headmaster’s office yesterday.” Deuce recalled then before pondering. “What about the others? What’s their story?”

               Valentina peered over at him. Unlike Ace who seemed to ask things for the sake of drama or hearing himself talk or boredom—Deuce seemed genuinely curious. Teal eyes looking down slightly at where Valentina stood near his side. She did her best to ignore the fact she could easily brush her hand against his at that moment.

               “Well, I don’t know much about most of them to be honest outside of the rumor mill,” Valentina began to disclaim. “So please don’t take too much of it to heart.”

               “Right, it wouldn’t be right to gossip after all, not very honors student like,” Deuce agreed. Despite his words though, he still clearly wanted to know.

               “Well, I told you what I know about Kris. Eva is a complete mystery to me honestly. She didn’t really socialize all that much, plus she didn’t grow up in the area—apparently moved to the school district when she was a freshman—ah, our freshmen not freshmen like here at Night Raven,” Valentina disclaimed as Deuce nodded his head as if to say he understood. She had a feeling he really didn’t but he seemed to get enough of it that it would be fine for story’s sake. “Fiona is on the same volleyball team as Kris though the two don’t really hang out. Then again Fiona isn’t really the team's normal type anyway—more of a good girl who stayed home instead of going to the off-season parties like the rest of the team. But that’s probably so she doesn’t bother her aunt and uncle too much.”

               “Not her parents?” Deuce asked curiously.

               “No,” Valentina bit her lip a little—deciding if she should tell him or not. Then again, it was just fact so she supposed there would be no harm in telling him. “Her parents passed away when she was in the eighth grade—car crash. The school made a pretty big deal out of it when it happened. Her dad’s brother’s family took her in apparently.”

               “Oh,” Deuce said a little awkwardly. “I’m sorry to hear about that.”

               “Don’t bring it up to her. She’s pretty open about it, but it would be awkward if she knew I told you.”

               “My lips are sealed don’t worry,” Deuce reassured quickly. “I wouldn’t want to cause you any trouble.”

               “Thanks,” she said smiling a little. “Anne is nice enough, I know she seems a little… high strung right now, but I’m sure it’s just because she’s stressed over everything happening. She’s usually pretty preppy and sweet—always volunteering to help with fundraising and food drives the school would sponsor as well as getting most of the school’s cheerleading team to help her out as well. Honestly, I think the only person I’ve ever seen her have a real problem with is Jude and I don’t think any of us are ever going to know the reason for that.”

               “I can only imagine what Jude did to cause someone like that to hate her. She doesn’t even seem more than exhausted by Ms. Kaiser’s antics,” Deuce noted.

               “Jude is… different,” Valentina began to explain. “She keeps to herself and is mostly pretty easy to get along with during practices, though she can say or do some weird things sometimes. She must be pretty wound up right now though because she’s mostly acting normal right now. Rumors all say her family pays for her spot on the team as well as anything else she manages to achieve, but… I don’t think I believe it. I’ve seen her solo performances; I do think she really is that good. But… with her brother being the asshole he is around the school and her parents not exactly being popular with other adults—it’s easy to see how everyone is quick to write her off and make an outcast out of her.”

               “Sounds complicated,” Deuce said though Valentina felt it was more an interjection so she knew he was still listening.

               “It probably is, though Kimmy would probably gush for hours about Jude’s dancing if you let her. She’s a total fangirl—has been since the first time she saw her perform a solo in color guard. Though don’t tell her I told you that. She might die of embarrassment.” Deuce laughed at the idea.

               “That would explain the enthusiastic way she picked her up at the entrance ceremony,” Deuce said a hint of laughter still in his voice.

               “I thought Jude was going to keel over on the spot from embarrassment,” Valentina laughed. At the time it had been a pretty stressful situation, but now—now it seemed almost comical looking back. It also felt like it was a million years ago rather than just two days ago.

               “And what about you, what’s your story?” Deuce asked then—fondness spreading across his face. Though Valentina realized her face must have fallen at the question because Deuce was quick to panic.

               “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean—oh I made this awkward didn’t I,” Deuce began to panic.

               “No, it’s fine I’m just… a little homesick is all,” Valentina admitted. She hated how weak her voice sounded. Like it was two seconds from cracking.

               “I would imagine, it makes me worry being away from my mom. I can only imagine what you are probably feeling,” Deuce empathized best he could. Offering the best he could in verbal affirmation. Even if it was a little awkward—she still appreciated the gesture.

               “Hey, we're here!” Grim called out to them then. They looked away from each other and to the school store. It seemed pretty literal in the ‘Shack’ part of the name from what Valentina could tell. Though, it didn’t look too scary—even if it did seem a little homier than she expected.

               Entering the shop, Valentina was immediately assaulted visually by the number of items on display. All the various items for magic she recognized from different cultures and beliefs all over; it looked absolutely cool. The store also seemed to be much larger on the inside compared to the outside. She couldn’t even see the back of the store despite what the outside would have suggested.

               “Pardon us! Whoa, what an amazing shop…” Deuce called out and then trailed off. He entered the shop behind Valentina and from what she could see out of the corner of her eye—he seemed just as awed by everything in sight. “Crystal skulls, magical texts, and… wh-what sort of animal is this?”

               “Wah~ Can we really find some fresh cream here?” Grim asked and honestly, Valentina was starting to wonder as well. It definitely seemed more like the kind of place you would pick up any supplies you were missing for class rather than a place to do your grocery shopping.

               “Hey! Little lost lambs, what can I help you with?” A voice said suddenly making the whole group jump. Valentina whipped her head around at the sound of the voice. She saw a man with deep skin, dreadlocks, a top hat with a skull, and dressed in a suit of varying shades of purple. Those weren’t the most shocking features though. The most startling thing to her was the white tattoos outlining his skeletal structure from his neck and down below the covers of his shirt. She would have assumed they ended there if she couldn’t also see them on his arms where his sleeves were rolled up. “Welcome to Mr. S’s Mystery Shop. What is it that you wish for today? A charm against cheating? An ancient king’s mirror? Or maybe, some cursed tarot cards?”

               Grim was still whining about being startled as Valentina continued to process what the man was offering. None of that sounded even close to what they needed. Yet she couldn’t help but wonder why exactly anyone would need things like that? Just what sort of curriculum did this school run?

               “Um… we would like to buy the things written on this note,” Deuce supplied as Valentina was still processing everything. He handed the slip of paper over to the man who set quickly to studying it with pinkish-purple eyes.

               “And I also want some canned tuna,” Grim demanded.

               “No!” Deuce scolded before Valentina even go the chance. “We will not buy any canned tuna.”

               “Seriously Grim this is Trey’s money, not ours. We have tuna back at the dorm for you at dinner. You can wait,” Valentina added only earning a groan in response.

               “What do we have here~?” The shop owner, who Valentina vaguely remembered being told was named Sam, said as he examined the list. “Fresh cream and eggs… Oh, my! What a pretty sweet lineup. Ok! I shall bring them out now.”

               “Whoa… will he really have some here?” Deuce said in shock.

               “Of course, little devil,” Sam reassured as he began walking deeper into the store. “Feel free to look around while I grab the items on this list.”

               Tucking some hair behind her ear, Valentina set about to do just that. She didn’t go too far into the shop, just around the large center room. Sure, enough when she peaked behind one of the bookshelves, she saw stuff more resembling the campus store she was expecting. School supplies from notebooks and pencils, bottles of shampoo and conditioner, some make-up, random little desk accessories, phone chargers, all of it seemed to be piled there. Pulling out her phone she took a photo and then opened up the group message they had apparently started. She really hoped they fixed the ‘no texting notification’ bug soon.

Anne Marie: Where is everyone right now? I know Kim and Val are baking with the guys but I thought the rest of you would be in the library.

Fiona: Sorry, just got this, Kalim invited me to his dorm for dinner with Silver. Damn, they have good food there.

Kristina: F U I Do what I want

Anne Marie: OK, Fiona as long as your safe. We should probably work out times to take turns in the library anyway.

Anne Marie: Also, Rude Kris

Eva: I’ve just been in my room. I already logged on to report the notification bug. They should have it fixed in an update by tomorrow night at the latest.

Anne Marie: Seriously am I the only one willing to do the leg work here? -_-

Fiona: Kalim helped me set up a Magicam account btw! You can find it @RamschakleGrl7

Eva: What kind of lame-ass handle is that XD

Fiona: It isn’t lame! Besides Kalim picked it out and I didn’t want to say no :’)

Kristina: Oh, add me @VolleyQueen69

Eva: You put 69 in your user name XD fuck you people are so unoriginal

Kristina: For your information bitch it’s my birthday. June 9^th.

Eva: RIP you

Kristina: Besides I doubt you could come up with anything better. All username tags tend to be lame

Eva: I picked a great one fyi, it’s @Normiebuster13

Kristina: My point stands

Anne Marie: Have all of you made a Magicam account but me?

Anne Marie: And has anyone seen Jude?

Fiona: I’ll try and poke her on Magicam

Eva: Tell her to accept my friend request too!

Judith: Did you all need something; I saw Fiona’s message. Magicam notifications seem to work btw. Also, sorry Eva didn’t realize the request was from you since the profile picture was just black. Just be ready because pretty sure half the school will follow you when they realize who you are. My notifications have been going non-stop since Cater tagged me in some stupid stuff. Glad I set my DM’s to friends only after all.

Anne Marie: Where the hell are you?

Judith: Around

Anne Marie: That’s not an answer

Judith: I thought you found my presence annoying anyway? I’m simply staying out of the way.

Anne Marie: Look I’m sorry about lunch it wasn’t fair to you, now can you please get back to the dorm? Crowley just gave me some paperwork for renovations and I need you to co-sign some of it as Vice.

Judith: Yeah, I’ll be over in about fifteen

               Those were all the messages that Valentina had apparently missed. She was glad to see Judith and Anne Marie seemed to have made up… or at least weren’t fighting anymore at the moment. Though, she really was going to have to sit down tonight and set up a Magicam account it seemed. It definitely seemed like the best way to keep in contact if their phone was going to keep glitching out for texting at the least.

Valentina: {Attached Photo} School Store seems to have it all. Whenever the Crow hands over our allowance

Anne Marie: Did you guys finish baking?

Valentina: Na, we made too much. Deuce and I are getting some more supplies

Judith: Just you and Deuce? Also, can I have some? In my defense, I didn’t even know about you guys making tarts because I left the lunchroom first

Kristina: Damn you move quick. I thought 4 sure I would be the first of us to get any action

Valentina: It isn’t like that, besides Grim is here too.

Valentina: Sure Jude, I’m sure Trey won’t mind since we made so much

Judith: Yay! I’ll be right there

Anne Marie: Paperwork!

Judith: Paperwork can wait, sweets first

Anne Marie: Just wash your hands after, they used chestnuts in the recipe

Judith: Will do

               Valentina laughed a little as she put her phone away. She really was glad everyone’s mood seemed to be better. She didn’t know what she was going to do if she had to go back to the dorm and saw everyone still at odds. Hopefully, it would stay that way by the time they made it back to the dorm. She looked around more at the stuff. There was a small section of hair accessories like clips and headbands.

               There was a black and white striped one that seemed to match her school tie. It was a broadband that looked like a simple slip-on. It was cute. Peaking at the price she saw it was about 500 Madol. She wasn’t really sure if that was cheap or expensive here. She would have to figure that out when their allowance came through.

               “Find anything?” Deuce asked then making Valentina jump a little.

               “Just browsing is all. Don’t have any money anyway, remember,” Valentina reminded him. He nodded in understanding. Though she missed the way his eyes flickered to the shelf she had been previously examining.

               “Here, thank you for the wait!” They both turned and saw Sam standing at the register with the bags of their stuff. Valentina was the first to walk in the direction of the counter, Grim also joining her side from where he had been just laying down on the floor in the main lobby. “It is rather heavy, so are you sure you can carry them all? If you act now, I can throw in a special bag to carry all of those things for 30% off of its original price~”

               “What did you say? Hey, that sounds interesting!” Grim chirped as he climbed up Valentina to her shoulder to look at what was on offer. She rolled her eyes.

               “No Grim, it’s Trey’s money, not ours,” she scolded lightly before turning to Sam. “Sorry, we’ll have to decline.”

               “Nyaaa~ you’re not fun,” Grim whined out dramatically.

               “I’ll finish paying up if you wanna start carrying some of this out,” Deuce offered and Valentina nodded in agreement before taking a few of the bags. They were heavy but she wasn’t a stranger to heavy grocery bags. You needed a lot of food to feed a family of five after all.

               “OK, OK!” Sam cheered, clearly not deterred by his miss on his sales pitch. “Then, I shall be waiting for your return, lost little lambs! Bye~”

               …

               Valentina didn’t wait long before Deuce was outside with her. His hands were full of the other bags but he also had something else in his hand. It took her a second but she recognized it. It was the headband she had been looking at earlier.

               “Here,” Deuce said as he handed it to her. “I noticed you playing with your hair a lot trying to keep it back and you looking at this one in the shop. Don’t worry I used my own money and you don’t have to worry about paying me back. It was pretty cheap.”

               “W-wait, why I mean you didn’t have to I would have just waited until I got an allowance from Crowley, you didn’t have to,” Valentina protested—feeling her cheeks heat up.

               “You probably would have saved it for more important things than this,” Deuce argued. She felt her jaw snapped shut then. He was probably right; she would have kept talking herself out of it saying she didn’t need it even if her hair drove her crazy every day. So instead, she took the headband from Deuce and slid it in place.

               “How does it look?” She asked then.

               “It looks good,” Deuce said with a smile before his cheeks turned pink and his eyes went wide. “I mean not that you didn’t before—I mean it just suits you, you know?”

               She laughed a little bit at his stuttering. She might have only known Deuce for two days but he really was sincere in just about everything he did. It was nice. It reminded her of Lana’s husband just a little bit.

               “Are you two done, we have tarts to finish!” Grim snapped at them making them laugh awkwardly.

               “You’re right, Jude will probably beat us there at this rate.”

               “Jude?” Deuce asked curiously.

               “Yeah, she didn’t know about the tarts before so she’s heading over to help us finish up,” Valentina explained then. They had started walking down the main strip as they headed back to the kitchen. It was a little quiet for a moment.

               “That was a very amazing shop, in a way…” Deuce said wistfully as he was thinking back to the mystery shop.

               “It really was, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a magic shop like that outside of TV and movies,” Valentina agreed.

               “Too bad you are both stingy,” Grim grumbled then.

               “Who are you calling stingy,” Deuce snapped at the cat monster while Valentina could only laugh a little. She couldn’t deny she was but still. Deuce cleared his throat then a little, getting her attention then. “Hey Val, the bag with the canned fruits is heavy, isn’t it? I’ll hold it for you. I’m experienced with carrying heavy loads.”

               “You really don’t have to, I’m used to grocery shopping like this,” Valentina said as she looked at Deuce.

               “You too?” He asked a little before his face grew softer. “My mother always takes me with her during timed sales. She buys a lot, so I end up helping her with the bags. It’s just me and her, so I’m used to helping a lot with hard labor. Ah, I’m sorry… I keep talking about my family. That probably feels awkward to you.”

               “Not really,” Valentina murmured quietly—looking to the cobbled path to avoid his gaze. “My mom was similar with me and my siblings. There are four of us in total so we always had a lot of groceries to carry. Our dad wasn’t around either so my little brother Johnny liked to be sure to carry the heaviest of stuff, even though Lana could lift more than him with ease until recently.”

               “So, we grew up similarly after all,” Deuce said with a small laugh.

               “I guess we did,” Valentina said as she looked up seeing him smile at her. There wasn’t an ounce of pity in his eyes for her family life and she appreciated that. Though not having a father around got a lot fewer looks than not having her mother around would have. She used to see Kimberlee’s dad get mauled at school events because all the PTA moms seemed to think Kimberlee needed a mother figure in her life.  “You’re amazing you know? Helping your family out like you do.”

               “No… That’s not true at all. I…” He trailed off looking guilty and more than a little panicked. “Mother was… Ouch!”

               “Ah, the eggs!” Grim cried out then. Valentina looked at the bag in Deuce’s hand and sure enough—yolk could be seen at the bottom of the plastic bag –loose and runny.

               “Damn it! All the eggs in the carton broke!” Deuce snapped in an almost growl. His upper lip twitching a little in irritation. “The plastic bag’s now reeking with eggs!”

               “That hurt!” A voice said and Valentina looked over. She hadn’t even realized Deuce crashed into anyone to cause the eggs to break. Them being too caught up in their conversation. “Where the hell’re ya lookin’ at—Wha—You’re the freshies who ruined my carbonara’s soft-boiled egg during lunch today!”

               Just her luck. They would run into these guys again. Last time they got lucky because Kristina showed up to break up the fight. This time she doubted they would run into their five-eleven savior again.

               “Damn, it’s you guys again,” the flunky from earlier chimed in. “Ya better give us a break.”

               She would if they would stop running into them. Seriously, observing where they had been standing, they had been on their right side of the path. They were the ones not looking where they were going either. But she doubted that logic would fly with them.

               “Aren’t you the ones at fault for bumping into me?” Deuce said his voice low and cold. It made Valentina shiver a little as she looked at him—seeing his gaze look like it would murder if possible. “Even during lunch, the egg wasn’t really that badly harmed. But you made a huge scene out of it. Our carton of eggs is totally ruined though.”

               “He’s totally right!” Grim jumped in, on all fours ready to fight.

               “The hell? You sayin’ it’s my fault, then?” The first bully protested.

               “Yes,” Deuce stated. “Please pay us back for the eggs. And also, please apologize to the chickens.”

               … what? Valentina blinked a little in confusion but she decided against questioning it.

               “Hah? Makin’ a ruckus over eggs, are we?” One of the bullies taunted.   

               “Hah?” Deuce mocked.

               “It didn’t hit the ground so you can still eat it,” the first bully said—throwing their words from lunch back in their faces. “Stop makin’ a fuss over little things.”

               “Ya better be thankful they broke inside the plastic bag!” They both started laughing then. Valentina could feel herself tensing up. It pissed her off they were mocking them, but there wasn’t much they could do. At least she couldn’t. She heard some rustling, and looking over she saw Deuce setting his bags down behind her.

               “…mess with me, will you…” He muttered then. But it was loud enough for the bullies to hear.

               “Huh?” One of them said getting the dumbest expression on their face.

               “I told you to stop laughing, damn it!” Deuce snapped his whole demeanor changing. Even it the anger wasn’t directed at her she couldn’t help but jump a little and step back. “You ain’t got no choice but to apologize for something that’s your fault! These eggs were going to be used to make a delicious tart in place of turning into chicks, bastards! Do you understand me, huh?”

               Valentina wanted to correct what he was saying, but she had a feeling now wasn’t really the time. Because even if that wasn’t how eggs worked, Deuce was on a roll.

               “Wh-what’s with him all of a sudden?” One of the bullies looked to her for an explanation and all she could do was shrug. She had no idea what was happening either. The only other time she saw him like this was when he and Ace had been fighting back outside the mine.

               “If you’re not gonna pay me back for the six eggs, I got no choice but to beat the hell out of you six times,” Deuce threatened, an almost sadistic smile coming onto his face. Valentina knew she should be scared, he was being violent and cruel. But, she also couldn’t deny it was kind of hot. She had never understood the song “Fight for Me” from Heather’s musical that Judith would play during warm-ups but now… now she might understand it a little. “Grit your teeth, you little bastards!”

               The fight ended up being pretty one-sided. Deuce had both of them down and whaled on them until they were throwing wads of money at him just to get him to stop, crawling on the ground as they did their best to get away from his hands. But he moved much quicker than they could.

               “Th-this guy’s a total madman!” The first bully cried as he finally managed to get to his feet and away from Deuce. “That was more than six hits, you liar!”

               “Oh, crap! Let’s run! I’m so sorry, Mr. Chicken,” the other one sobbed in turn as he grabbed his friend pulling him away from Deuce.

               “Apologize to the eggs a hundred times before you stuff your faces next time, dumbasses!” Deuce called out to them but he didn’t give chase. He was breathing heavily, but he seemed to be calming down overall.

               “Are you ok?” Valentina asked as she quickly set down her own bags and rushed forward—already checking Deuce for any cuts or scrapes. Anywhere there might be bruises. But it seemed he was completely unscathed.

               “Ah!” Deuce yelped a little in panic as Valentina continued to check him over.

               “What happened to you?” Grim exclaimed in shock. Clearly more surprised about the sudden flip of attitude more than anything. Deuce only seemed to slump in defeat than at Grim’s words and he looked like he was about to burst into tears.

               “I-I did it again…” he said sounding so completely broken Valentina wanted nothing more than to hold him. Reassure him fights happen, but he didn’t seem to be ready for that kind of reassurance at this point in the conversation. “I promised myself that I’d be a model student for sure this time… and yet…!”

               Deuce crumpled to the ground then and let his fit slam down into the ground. Valentina quickly followed him down, sitting at well while Grim could only let out a sound of confusion. Deuce had gone into a fetal position, his knees to his chest and his head buried into his hands.

               “I wanted to be different from who I was back in middle school,” Deuce began to say and Valentina could hear the strain in his voice as he was doing his best to not cry. “I always skipped classes, and I got into fights every day.”

               Valentina, what is it I hear about you getting into a fight with a boy at school? I don’t care if she said we should go back to our own country, you shouldn’t be throwing punches.

               “I didn’t show respect to teachers and I hung out with a bad group of seniors,” Deuce paused to laugh a little at himself. “Even my hairstyle was pretty wild back then too.”

               Valentina, you can’t be putting those weird colors in your hair. I don’t care if you want to color it but people won’t take you seriously if you have hot pink streaks in your hair.

               “I fought with anyone who I could fight with… I used magic even on guys who couldn’t use magic. I was an overall bad person then.”

               We have to be more careful than everyone else. I know it isn’t fair but people will always judge us differently because of our heritage, I’m sorry Mija.

               “It totally doesn’t look too obvious now, though,” Grim added in pulling Valentina back from the words of her mother.

               “I feel like I caught a glimpse of it yesterday when you and Ace were arguing…” Valentina said weakly.

               “But one night while I was hiding myself from view… I saw my mother cry and talk to my grandmother about it.” Deuce had actually started crying now. Valentina could see the tears dripping down from his face and onto the stone. She didn’t say anything though. Just continuing to listen to his story. “She was asking her where she went wrong with raising me, and about whether she was a bad parent for how I turned out. But that’s not it at all. She’s not to blame! Everything’s my fault! That’s why, when the black carriage from the prestigious Night Raven College came to pick me up, I made sure that I will never take that smile away from my mother again. I made up my mind to become a model student that my mother can be proud of. And yet… Damn it…!”

               No matter what, I will always be proud of you Val. Always.

               “But yanno,” Grim interjected. “Is enduring all of that part of being a model student?”

               “Eh?” Deuce said as he finally lifted his head. His eyes wet and looking at both her and Grim in shock.

               “If it were me, I’d have punched those delinquents ten more times, yanno? But you took care of it before I could.”

               “Grim don’t say that so proudly,” Valentina lectured with a sigh.

               “You guys…” Deuce trailed off. Valentina couldn’t help it, she reached forward and placed both her hands on his face—holding his gaze.

               “Even model students have the right to be angry sometimes,” Valentina reassured. Though she left out the part that maybe keeping it to a verbal confrontation would probably be best. Though she really didn’t have room to talk from her middle school days either. “To cry and get upset, all of it is just being human. You’re doing your best and I think… I think your mom sees and loves you for your efforts, even if there are hiccups sometimes.”

               Valentina felt a hand on her cheek then. She hadn’t even realized she had started crying too until Deuce had reached out and touched her cheek.

               “You’re allowed to cry too, yanno. If you miss your family,” Deuce said softly.

               “I’m going to get the eggs and as much tuna as I can with this money,” Grim interrupted then as she went tearing off back to the school’s store. “Enjoy your sob fest losers!”

               Valentina might have lectured him, might have scolded him. But at that moment, hearing those words, all she could do was start crying. Absolutely sobbing in that ugly way your nose started running and your face got all scrunched up. Yet she found herself leaning forward to cling onto Deuce and hug him close. He stiffened a bit, unsure of how to react at first before he wrapped his arms around her—patting her back and muttering soft words of reassurance.

               She didn’t know how long she stayed like that. Crying into him. She was vaguely aware of Grim making his way back happily by the time she sat up, whipping her face on the back of her blazer’s sleeve. Deuce gave her a reassuring smile and she returned it.

               He really was a good guy.

               “Hehe,” Deuce began to laugh a little then. “the chicks will probably feel at ease at least huh?”

               “Those eggs weren’t fertilized you know,” Valentina said with a laugh—though it sounded a little horse from her crying. “So they wouldn’t have hatched into chicks in the first place.”

               “Wh-what? You’ve got to be kidding me!” Deuce exclaimed—looking as shocked as if he had received the most earth-shattering news ever. Valentina laughed a little. He may have a heart of gold but he was still a little dumb. Even as she laughed to herself, pulling him to his feet so they could continue to their destination. She found herself realizing she didn’t mind that so much.

Chapter Text

“Oh, they’re finally back,” Ace said as Valentina, Deuce, and Grim walked back into the kitchen. Judith had arrived while they were gone as she was currently leaning against one of the counters with an apron on similar to the others. “What took you guys so long?”

               “Seriously, are you ok?” Judith asked as she looked Valentina up and down from her rumpled clothing to her likely blood-shot eyes from crying. “You both look like you were hit by a bus.”

               “It’s a long story,” Valentina said with a smile. Even if she was tired now from the rollercoaster of emotion, the smile was still genuine. Kimberlee walked close to her then and put a hang on her back, clear concern on her face.

               “Do you wanna talk about it?” Kimberlee asked her softly while Deuce and Grim set to unloading their haul of ingredients from the Mystery Shack.

               “Maybe later,” Valentina said. She had honestly had enough emotional moments for now. If she had another one in the kitchen, she might just fall asleep after.

               “Then let’s get this over with, shall we?” Trey suggested with a smile. Valentina could tell he wasn’t trying to be rude but from the way, his golden eyes kept flickering to the clock she could tell he was starting to get nervous about being away from the dorm for so long. If he was the vice leader then she couldn’t imagine that he wanted to be where people couldn’t reach him for long.

               They all set to work then. Mixing the various ingredients to make the marron tart’s cream for the doughy crust they had made earlier while they were deshelling the chestnuts. For only having worked in the kitchen one other time, Judith seemed to have a pretty good handle on where everything was and was able to help direct when Trey couldn’t.

               “Do you bake often?” Trey asked her after she materialized with some measuring cups before he even got the chance to ask for them. “You seem to know your way around the kitchen pretty well.”

               “Not really,” Judith said with a shrug. “The kitchen is organized pretty efficiently so I was able to learn the ropes fast for where things were. Most baking I ever did was for fundraisers. Occasionally for parties but we mostly catered out for any events that would require anything too extreme.”

               “You mean you always baked the sweets for the dance team fundraisers?” Kimberlee asked genuinely shocked then. “I always thought you just picked something up from fancy bakeshops for it.”

               “That would be a waste of money according to my grandmother,” Judith explained before smiling a little. “Though, I didn’t mind as long as I had a decent amount of notice. Besides, if I bake it myself then I can do things like this.”

               As she said it, Judith reached into the bowl that had held the marron cream and scooped some out of the bowl's side with her finger before licking it clean off her finger. Trey had smacked her with a towel for that making her giggle a little as she darted behind where Ace and Grim were standing, out of his reach.

               “You’re as bad as Grim,” Valentina laughed as she watched Grim attempt the same thing only to get caught by the collar by Trey before he was even close to the bowl.

               “Don’t even think about it, or we will have to start all over from you getting fur in the cream,” Trey said in a stern, almost scary voice making Grim yelp.

               “No fair, Jude got to do it,” Grim cried a little with Ace patting his back.

               “Jude also caught him off guard,” Ace rationalized as they finished up the tarts and popped them in the oven.

               “You know,” Deuce said as he leaned over to talk to Valentina. “I’m starting to understand what you mean by Ms. Wieck being a bit odd.”

               “Oh no, this is nothing compared to what I mean by her being odd,” Valentina stated then.

               “Ooh tell him the story about the snake in the dressing room,” Kimberlee chimed in with a giggle.

               “Really, that story is going to follow me here too?” Judith groaned as she overheard the conversation.

               “Can you blame us,” Valentina asked. “I mean you literally picked up a snake by the tail and just held it like that as you walked it outside of the venue. Half the competition watched you ask you walked it out.”

               “It was just a garden snake,” Judith protested with her cheeks puffed out. “It probably was looking for a place to hibernate for winter and accidentally found its way into the building. And we had to act fast we needed to finish warming up to perform.”

               “And while the rest of us were screaming and trying to get away from it or find someone who could take it outside you just got up, walked over, grabbed it, and started walking. There was a betting pool on if you would get bit or not.” Kimberlee retold the story remembering how the whole thing went down. They had just all finished getting changed for their big group number when the snake had slithered across the floor making everyone scatter.

               “And I didn’t,” Judith said almost proudly.

               “I know I got twenty bucks that day,” Valentina said with a smile.

               “Who holds a snake like that?” Ace asked clearly appalled by the whole situation.

               “Someone who couldn’t reach the head faster than it was slithering,” Judith deadpanned back to him. “I also may have watched too much Crocodile Hunter as a kid.”

               “What’s that?” Deuce asked clearly having no idea who or what the show was.

               “Something from our world, you wouldn’t get it,” Judith dismissed simply. “Besides, the whole situation wasn’t that weird.”

               “If you say so,” Valentina teased.

               “So mean to me, what did I ever do you too,” Judith whined though she clearly wasn’t that hurt over the situation.

               “You’re all pretty weird to me,” Grim smirked then as he looked between the three girls.

               “I don’t wanna hear it from someone who eats weird rocks off the ground,” Judith quipped to Grim as she poked his stomach.

               “Seriously, Jude doesn’t have a thing on you,” Valentina laughed making Grim blanched a little at the idea.

               “I’m the Great Grim, there isn’t anything weird about me!”

               “Sure,” Judith said as she rolled her eyes.

               “Keep telling yourself that,” Valentina smirked.

               “It’s OK Grim, we still love you,” Kimberlee added with a smile.

               “Now it just sounds like you’re all mocking me,” Grim protested as they quickly started giggling at the cat monsters' protests.

               “You all seem to be getting along better now than you did at lunch,” Trey interjected as he looked over to the girls. They all looked at each other and then back to him.

               “Did we seem to not like each other at lunch?” Judith asked clearly not understanding. “I know Anne and I have our issues but I didn’t think anyone else had a problem with each other.”

               “I suppose that was bad phrasing,” Trey admitted then. “What I mean it, the three of you seem less tense.”

               “Well, it is a little awkward being a group of girls in a huge school of guys,” Valentina rationalized as she looked at Trey.

               “I also wouldn’t say we are the most extroverted of the group,” Kimberlee added. “We do better with smaller groups of people we know.”

               “Do you not really know the other four girls?” Trey asked, his turn to be confused.

               “Not really no,” Valentina began to explain. “The three of us were on a team together so we spend the majority of our after-school time together. The others we really only saw in passing.”

               “I had a good chuck on classes with Fiona and Anne,” Judith interjected. “But Fiona and I run in different social circles and well… you can guess how well Anne and I would interact together. Easier to stay quiet than provoking the hornet’s nest.”

               The timer went off then, and Trey moved quickly to pull the tarts out of the oven. One large one for the party and then several smaller ones for all of them to split and share. They smelled absolutely divine. The chocolate base accompanied by the smell of the fresh assorted fruits mixed on top made Valentina’s mouth absolutely water as she looked over the pastries.

               “Alright, the last step is to sprinkle some powdered sugar on top and then…” Trey trailed off as he began to dust the sugar with a sifter over the top.

               “We’re done!” Ace and Grim cheered in unison.

               “Hooray…” Deuce added in though it was a little weak. He had been pretty quiet since his revelation not too long ago.

               “Ok, seriously,” Ace snapped as he looked at Deuce with his arms crossed. “What’ happened to this guy when you went shopping? You turn him down flat or something?”

               “Nothing like that,” Valentina said just a little too quickly earning her some mischievous looks from Judith and Kimberlee. She glared back at both of them quickly. “Him just finding out not all eggs are fertilized was… a bit of a shock.”

               “Wait what?” Judith asked her eyebrows knitting together in confusion—clearly trying to process what exactly she had just heard.

               “He didn’t… know?” Kimberlee asked in turn also clearly confused. Valentina couldn’t blame them. Seriously it was basic elementary school biology that taught them that with their incubating egg experiments in the first grade.

               “What in the world did I believe in for sixteen years?” Deuce mumbled to himself and everyone looked around awkwardly, not really sure how to approach the topic further.

               “Who knew that making desserts would take this long?” Ace asked then, breaking the awkward tension that had formed as a result of Deuce’s revelation. “I’m so tired…”

               “Nice work~ Did you finish the tarts? The decorations look so cute! It’s totally ‘grammable! Let me take a pic.”

               They all jumped at the sudden voice that pipped up. Everyone turned to look at Cater who was now standing over Trey’s shoulder to take a photo of the expertly decorated tart. He seemed to barely even notice them as he continued to move to different angles to get the best shot of the sweet before they dug into it.

               “Ah! Where were you all this time?” Ace snapped then. “Even Jude showed up before you and she didn’t even know this was happening.”

               “I came to check on my cute little juniors ‘cause you were doing your best~” Cater cooed as he reached out a hand to pinch at Ace’s cheek only for it to get smacked away. Cater only laughed it off. “Ahaha, you look dead tired.”

               “You don’t have to say it out loud,” Valentina grumbled a little in response. Judith seemed to share a similar one if her face said anything but she kept it to herself.

               “Doing things you’re not used to can be tiring. In any case, sweets are the solution for a weary body,” Trey said then as he pulled out a chef’s knife to start cutting the smaller tart for them and dividing the pieces onto napkins. “Have some of our freshly made marron tarts.”

               “Yay!” They all cheered together as they grabbed for their tart share.

               “You only came here to help us with the tasting, huh, Senior Cater,” Ace chided with a smirk. Clearly convinced he had seen through Cater’s weak excuses.

               “Now, now,” Cater said as he tried to defuse the accusation. “Let’s just enjoy it~”

               “Whoa! It smells so sweet and good!” Grim began to rave, practically drooling over his share of tart. “The chestnuts on top are so smooth, and the cream is so fluffy! I’m gonna dig in!”

               “Oh, damn,” Ace said in shock as he took a bit of the tart. His red eyes blown wide as he quickly took a second bite.

               “This is so good~” Cater said with a smile… though Valentina did find it a little weird that Cater only seemed to take a small bite of tart and then stopped eating.

               “Amazing… it’s better than the ones in the stores!” Deuce exclaimed his smile bright and wide as he tried his share of tart.

               “I agree,” Judith said with a smile. “You really are amazing at baking Trey.”

               “Seriously, I don’t think I’ve ever had anything so good in my life,” Kimberlee agreed quickly as she nodded along. Valentina would also agree if she didn’t have her mouth already stuffed with her next bite of tart.

               “It’s sweet, but it’s not super overpowering,” Grim began to say in between bites. Though Valentina wished he would finish chewing those bites before talking. “My mouth feels like it’s in a field of chestnuts, yanno?”

               “Is that a compliment?” Trey asked clearly not sure how to make heads or tails of Grim’s statement.

               “Oh, yeah,” Cater said suddenly as if he just remembered something. “Do that for them, won’t you Trey Dear?”

               “Dear? That?” Trey asked with a raised eyebrow as Cater only continued to bat his lashes in response. “Oh, you mean ‘that’.”

               “So he’s going to just roll with the fact he got called dear huh?” Judith muttered as she took another bite of tart.

               “At this point, I think you just have to roll with anything Cater does,” Valentina said in turn.

               “What’s ‘that’?” Ace ask then as he swallowed his mouthful of tart.

               “What’s everyone’s favorite food?” Trey asked then. They all looked at Trey curiously for a moment before answering.

               “Mine’s… cherry pie and hamburgers.” Ace said then, clearly needing a moment to pick a favorite.

               “Mine’s canned tuna. Oh, and cheesy omelets, grilled meat, pudding, and—”

               “Grim, that’s enough,” Valentina cut him off before he could continue. “I guess mine would be cheesecake.” Honestly, her favorite was Reese’s Peanut Buttercups but she wasn’t sure they knew what that was here.

               “If I were to choose, I’d probably pick omirice,” Deuce said then after thinking for a minute.

               “Strawberry Funnel Cake for me!” Kimberlee said her eyes practically getting hearts as she thought about the fried fair-food delicacy.

               “Mine is grilled rum meat with diablo sauce,” Cater supplied. Valentina was a little thrown off to hear about such spicy food but didn’t question it too much. To each their own after all. Judith seemed to almost flinch though at the notion of something that hot. Then again, Valentina would bet Judith’s family didn’t cook much spicy food in general.

               “Lemon cake for me,” Judith said then—schooling her expression before the others could see and question it.

               “Alright, here we go. Doodle Suit!” Trey said then—there was a tiny popping out but nothing super over the top.

               “This is?” Deuce asked clearly confused about what was supposed to happen.     

               “Take another bite of the marron tart, if you’d please.” Trey prompted then. Hesitantly they all took a bite of their dessert again. Valentina’s mouth was immediately flooded with the taste of smooth and rich cheesecake. Not the same flavor as the tart from earlier. Her eyes went wide as she looked over to Kimberlee who seemed to have a similar expression.

               “Hmm? This is…” Ace suddenly started to exclaim. “It’s the marron tart, but I can taste cherry pie!”

               “It’s canned tuna flavor!” Grim said before taking another bite. “Now it’s cheesy omelet! Grilled chicken and then… Pudding!”

               “It’s interesting, right? Super impressive, and he’s single ladies,” Cater teased a little with a wink. Valentina couldn’t help but giggle a little. Kimberlee and Judith must have shared the sentiment because they were also giggling at Cater’s words.

               “Cater, please stop,” Trey asked though it wasn’t quite to the level of begging. Though he did seem embarrassed by his friend’s antics.

               “It’s amazing! Is changing something’s flavor your unique magic, Senior Trey?” Deuce asked then before putting some of the last of his tart in his mouth.

               “To be more precise,” Trey started to explain. “It’s the ability to ‘overwrite things with what you imagine.’ I can do it with color and smell, too, not just taste. It’s not a permanent effect so it’s sort of like a sketch only. That’s why I call this magic ‘doodle’. It’s merely sketching.”

               “I would hardly call this sketching,” Judith quipped though it was more to herself than anything. She seemed way too deep in thought to really be paying attention and the wheels in her head were turning to the point it almost made her look intense to the point of scary.

               “If we use your Doodle Suit magic, then having an eat-all-you-can canned tuna dinner isn’t just a dream now!” Grim cheered in excitement. “It’s a lot more amazing compared to that bully Riddle’s magic!”

               “Grim don’t be rude,” Valentina snapped at him.

               “No… My magic is merely a toy when compared to the perfect’s magic, our levels are just too different,” Trey began to say then. He looked almost a little sad when he did. Was he jealous? No that didn’t seem right to Valentina. He almost seemed like he pitied Riddle more than anything, but she couldn’t understand why. He straightened up quickly though before the mood could get too heavy. “… Alright! The night is deep. Let’s give the tart to the perfect tomorrow, okay? We can store it here in the cafeteria and the ghosts won’t mess with it as long as we leave a note. Since tomorrow’s the Unbirthday party it should be fine. Don’t be late for it after school, got it?”

               “Hey, Judy~” Ace started then sounding all too sickeningly sweet.

               “Don’t call me that.” She snapped a little harshly making him flinch. “But what do you want?”

               “Can I sleep over again? It seems like this bully of a senior won’t let me back in yet,” Ace pouted as he pointed to Cater—not a hint of remorse on the first-years face.

               “Oh, my~ what passive-aggressive wording,” Cater huffed in response to Ace’s comment which Ace pointedly ignored.

               “Hey, Ace, you shouldn’t rely on them too much. Besides didn’t you mention they weren’t very comfortable with it the first night?” Deuce interjected then.

               “He’s right! You better pay rent if you’re gonna stay with us again!” Grim snickered. “Ten canned tunas!”

               “I don’t even know why you’re asking me specifically. Anne’s the dorm leader, not me,” Judith added clearly exasperated at the situation as a whole.

               “Eh? Am I supposed to sleep outside then?” Ace pouted still looking at Judith as if she would provide the answers.

               “You can come with us to ask Anne but I’m not stepping on her toes anymore today. I don’t have the energy for it,” Judith sighed clearly growing tired at just the thought of another fight. “She’s already irritated at me for blowing off paperwork to come help you guys finish baking. Oh, and everyone wash your hands when you finish your tarts. Her nut allergy is no joke. I’ve seen her have to go to the hospital just from coming into contact with something cross-contaminated with nuts before.”

               “Deuce, why don’t you stay with them too. I’m sure if you’re there to help keep an eye on him then Anne might feel more comfortable about the situation,” Trey rationalized. “I’ll give you permission as the vice head of the dorm.”

               Ace muttered something then about ‘see, vice leaders have power too’ but Judith pointedly ignored it.

               “Aren’t you being too soft on them, Trey?” Cater pouted then. “How nice~ Hey do you think Anne would let me stay the night too? It would be like a lock-in! I haven’t been to one of those since I was a kid!”

               “You’re not included,” Trey stated—quickly shutting down the idea.

               “Stingy,” Cater pouted then—moving to hang off of Trey’s shoulder but the senior didn’t seem to mind.

               “Then, I’m sorry for leaving those two boys in your care again, Jude.” Trey apologized heading to the door.

               “Anne hasn’t approved it yet. Deuce might be back and Ace might be sleeping in the hallways yet.” Judith offered, smiling a little as Ace blanched at the prospect. Trey and Cater only laughed.

               “We trust you to convince her,” Trey said and then the two of the Heartslabyul seniors left leaving just the two first years and the Ramshackle girls.

               “Tomorrow is the Unbirthday Party… I’ll definitely make him remove this damned collar! Just you wait, dorm head!” Ace cheered then.

               “Learn to watch your mouth first and maybe he will,” Judith teased then making the whole group laugh at Ace’s expense. But even so, Valentina couldn’t shake the cold feeling down her spine that this whole situation wasn’t going to be that simple.

…

               Trey had so much fun teasing the underclassmen and the strange girls from another world that he almost forgot the situation he would be returning to back at the dorm. It was dark in Heartslabyul. It made sense; all of the communal areas were shut down at this time per the queen’s decree. Trey was only greeted by an albino second year. Their white rabbit ears, usually tall and alert, were pressed firmly against their head.

               “Senior Trey, Senior Cater!” They sighed in relief even if their whole body was still shaking with nerves. “I’m so glad you’re finally back!”

               “Whitley, are you ok?” Trey asked in concern. He knew Whitley always tended to be a little nervous but this was a lot even for him. “Did something happen?”

               “According to Rule #256 by the Queen of Hearts: ‘One should not drink lemonade with honey when it’s past eight in the evening.’ Some students disobeyed the rule and the Dorm Head put collars on all of them.”

               Whitley was shaking and sniffing then. Clearly, on the verge of tears, Trey couldn’t help but want to reach out and hug him like he would his own little brother when he would start crying. But Trey refrained. Instead, he looked to the side at Cater who was looking back at him in turn.

               “I don’t want to live this kind of life anymore!” Whitley exclaimed as he hunched in on himself and pulled down on his ears. A bad habit, Trey noticed he had. “He keeps enforcing unreasonable rules… I want to transfer to another dorm!”

               “It’s going to be okay.” Trey did his best to reassure. Mostly because he knew if Whitley tried to transfer anywhere else it would take ages to get the paperwork to go through. Not to mention with Whitley’s more nervous demeanor he wouldn’t be able to thrive in any other dorm. “I’ll go talk with the perfect. You just go back to your room, ok?”

               Whitley nodded and sniffed before trudging off in the direction of the stairs. Making his way as quietly to his room as he could for fear of attracting Riddle’s attention. That would be the last thing anyone would want at this time of night that was dedicated to self-reflection, studying, and schoolwork before lights out.  

               “Then, I’ll go make some tea to help calm our queen down,” Cater sighed—clearly not wanting to as the red-head was also drained from the day—as he sulked to the kitchen.

               “Sorry about this, Cater,” Trey said softly to his friend. The two of them had been roommates when they first enrolled at the school. The rules of the queen more a joke under the previous dorm head when they were freshmen, but that changed quickly when Riddle became a first-year and took over. He had been a little more lenient last year, still having to learn to rules himself but this year it seemed that it was a completely different matter. “Oh, yeah, can you make some herb tea instead of red tea? If I remember correctly, Rule #153 states that herb tea is the only one allowed at night…”

               “You got it,” Cater said his smile sad as well. He had clearly been remembering through simple days too. And the fights they had when Trey would defend Riddle despite Cater’s protests. How Trey had explained their childhood together and Cater agreed to support him the best he could. That if they just grinned and bared it long enough, Riddle being away from his mother would allow for the perfect to relax and thrive—to find his own way.

               They really had been stupid kids then, huh?

Chapter Text

The glare the group of them had received from Anne Marie when they arrived back at the dorms made Valentina almost think they would be better just camping out in the school hallways after all. Despite being the shortest out of all of them, Anne Marie’s disposition with her arms crossed across her full chest, made her look like a mother who caught her children after trying to sneak back into the house.

               “And why exactly are those two here?” Anne Marie asked her voice calm and collected despite the fury behind her grey eyes.

               “Ace was begging to stay here since he’s still now allowed in his dorm and Deuce got volunteered by Trey to keep him in line,” Judith explained quickly—though she didn’t seem the least bit intimidated by Anne Marie. “I told them they had to ask you.”

               Anne Marie raised an eyebrow at the statement but seemed almost, smug. Clearly pleased that Judith had given her the power in the situation rather than taking the initiative. Kristina was lounged across the sofa watching the situation with a bored curiosity and Valentina guessed the noise coming from the kitchen was Fiona.

               “Where’s Eva?” Kimberlee asked as she looked around for the dark-haired girl.

               “In her room same as always,” Kristina droned before muttering something about Eva being a boring shut-in.

               “Are Ace and Deuce spending the night?” Fiona asked as she poked her head out of the kitchen.

               “I thought you said you couldn’t cook?” Ace asked—eyes narrowing with accusation.

               “I can’t I’m just organizing the groceries that were dropped off this evening. Apparently, someone at this school is taking pity on us. Good thing too, who knows when Crowley is going to get around to paying us for the one day of work and starting out allowances.” Fiona sighed at the thought, clearly overwhelmed at the idea.

               “Anyways,” Anne Marie interrupted before they could all get too far off-topic. “I supposed they can stay since Ace didn’t end up causing too much trouble last night. Though, I suggest they use the showers tonight  Ace will be in two-day clothes already. Though we only have the communal showers up and running. Also, they stay in the lounge and I mean it this time. No letting them use your room instead Val.”

               Valentina laughed a little sheepishly after having been caught. She had hoped Anne Marie would overlook the incident from the morning but that didn’t end up happening it would appear.

               “It’s Ok you can just admit you want a show, I don’t mind ladies,” Ace said with a wink and Valentina can only watch with wide eyes as Anne Marie turned red from head to toe. Valentina could also see Kimberlee and Fiona reacting similarly if it was less obvious. She could hear Judith doing her best to muffle her laughter while Deuce looked at his friend-by-circumstance with absolute horror; much in the way, Valentina was sure she was now turning to look at Ace.

               “Like there is anything to show,” Kristina scoffed then before things could get too awkward with Ace’s horrible flirting that border lined sexual harassment. Ace’s jaw dropped clearly as a loss as he started stammering for some kind of come-back.

               “Just get cleaned up before I change my mind,” Anne Marie said then and Ace nodded. Glaring at Kristina and Judith who were full-on laughing now at the situation.

               “Thank you for your hospitality,” Deuce thanked quickly for them as they headed in the direction of the communal showers. Did they even know where they were? Valentina only shrugged at the notion; she was sure they would figure it out.

               “I’m going to let Eva know what’s going on,” Kimberlee said before disappearing down the hall to the third-year’s room.

               “And you, are going to finish this paperwork with me,” Anne Marie said as she pointed at Judith. “I hope you washed your hands.”

               “Yep, and I made sure everyone else did too,” Judith said as she walked over without any protest. The two of them immediately launched into a conversation about dates of worker visits and what work was going to be done exactly then. Honestly, it was probably the most civil conversation Valentina had ever seen the two of them have.

               The rest of the night was pretty uneventful. Ace and Deuce finished getting cleaned up (After the ghosts decided to scare them to death in the shower) and one by one they all headed to bed. Though Kimberlee and Valentina were the last of the girls to head to sleep, staying up late and playing old-maid with the other first years.  It was fun, reminding Valentina a little of the sleepovers the Color Dance squad would have after games. Well, minus the eyeliner mustaches drawn on the first person to fall asleep but… she didn’t particularly miss those either.

               Valentina curled up under her covers with Grim at the foot of her bed, eyes heavy she fell asleep.

…

               Valentina was back in the rose maze again. Only this time it wasn’t just a few cards and the little blonde girl. No, this time, the whole section of the garden was filled with cards. A plump woman with her black hair in a tight knot on her head and a golden crown was looking angrily down at the cards and girl. All of them quivering under her enraged gaze.

               “Another weird dream?” Valentina asked herself as she began to walk forward and examine the scene further.

               “How dare you defile my roses!” The queenly figure screamed at them. “You better prepare yourselves!”

               “Oh, please spare me,” the three of clubs began to beg. “The one to blame is him!” He pointed to the two of clubs cowering beside him. The card quickly lifted his head to protest as well.

               “It’s not my fault, it’s Ace’s fault!” The two of clubs said quickly to shove the blame onto the last card—forcing the last card to raise his head in order to defend himself.

               “Was it you?” The queen asked though it sounded much more like a shriek as she stalked forward to tower over the Ace in particular.

               “No, my Queen!” The Ace quickly protested. “It was the two!” He pointed back at the other card. None had bothered to remember the girl that was still clutching onto the red-coated paintbrush.

               “So, it is the two’s doing?” The queen stalked back by the two.

               “It is not me, I swear! It’s 3!” It was almost comical to Valentina watching them go down the line to place the blame. Honestly, they were all at fault—they had all been painting the roses red. It was an honest mistake, so why exactly were they all shaking like leaves?

               “Enough! Off with their heads, the three of you!” The queen declared suddenly and then chaos ensued. The cards were gathered quickly by others, one on each side of them as they were hauled off down the line. The sounds of wailing protests and whistles all heard as they were carted off to their deaths. Valentina couldn’t believe it. Who decided a punish so cruel for such a simple mistake?

               The queen stood there, in her dress fit for the ruler of cards, a smile on her face and laughter bubbling up from her throat. It made Valentina sick witnessing someone who took such joy in the cruelty. Joy in sentencing people to their deaths.

               But it didn’t make her nearly as sick at the words of the cards that still lingered around the field.

               “We have no other choice,” the two of diamonds started to say. “Because you got the colors of the roses wrong.”

               “Mistaking white for red,” the three of spade proclaimed. “What a foolish mistake.”

               They weren’t even trying to stop her. To say she was being cruel. To say how death wasn’t the answer to something like that. That pushing people away wasn’t going to fix things or make things better.

               Valentina threw up.

…

               Valentina woke up with a start, bolting up right out of bed. She could feel a faint sheen of sweat on her body and she groaned as she rubbed her face with her hands. The dream playing over and over in her mind every time she closed her eyes.

               “Why didn’t anyone stop her?” Valentina asked herself out loud as she pulled herself out of bed to get ready.

               When Valentina left her room, everyone was eating breakfast. Everyone… except Kimberlee. Valentina was more than a little perplexed at the absence of her friend. Looking all around to see if maybe she missed her. But the tall pixie-cut blonde was nowhere to be seen.

               “Where’s Kim?” Valentina asked as she grabbed a slice of toast from the large plate of it in the kitchen.

               “She started, bad cramps,” Anne Marie explained. Valentina winced in understanding. Her own weren’t normally bad but Kimberlee was almost always hunched over in pain when she started. Still, she could usually move around and tough it out for a dance. “She’s going to take a sick day. Stress probably made it worse with everything happening. Jude already volunteered to stay with her.”

               “That’s really sweet,” Valentina blinked as she looked at Judith with surprise. Judith only shrugged in response.

               “It also keeps me away from Riddle until after the Unbirthday party,” Judith explained with a sigh.

               “Less of a chance of you pissing him off beforehand,” Ace huffed before he cried out a little. If Valentina had to guess, Deuce elbowed him under the table.  

               “By the way,” Deuce said as he looked at everyone. “Senior Diamond sent me a message. Wanted me to let you all know you’re invited to the Unbirthday Party after school.”

               “Pass,” Kristina chimed in.

               “No way,” Eva added just as quickly.

               “I’m going to go to the library again, sorry,” Anne Marie almost commented.

               “I might not be in his dorm,” Judith started. “But Riddle might actually kill Kim and me if we showed up to the party after not being at school.”

               “You’re going to come at least right Val?” Deuce asked his eyes wide and hopeful. Valentina couldn’t help but feel a little put on the spot. She had planned on asking to go in the first place… when she could talk Kimberlee into going with her. But now… going alone… with a ton of guys there and one who most definitely hates everyone in her dorm… she wasn’t so sure. But looking at Deuce, how he looked down at the table and then back at her, still completely hopeful. She felt her resolve melting.

               “Sure, I mean, it will be fun right?” She asked hopefully.

               “I’ll go too, can’t let Val have all the fun,” Fiona said then with a bright smile. Valentina could practically have kissed her at that moment.  

               “Great, I’ll let Senior Diamond know,” Deuce said happily as he pulled out his phone and began to type a message out to Cater.

               “Hey, why is it you call Cater and Trey ‘Senior’ but the rest of us are just ‘Ms.’ If we’re older?” Anne Marie asked curiously then. Deuce sputtered a little clearly not sure how to answer.

               “If I were to guess it’s because he still wants to show us respect because we’re older and technically upperclassmen,” Judith began to explain. “But we can’t use magic so we don’t necessarily feel like we know more than him.” She paused again and turned to Deuce. “Sound about, right?”

               “No one asked you, Jude,” Anne Marie grumbled while Deuce flushed and sputtered a little. Clearly embarrassed at having been figured out so quickly.

               “Dude you just got completely READ,” Ace cackled as he leaned his weight onto Deuce’s shoulder with his arm.

               “Girls are scary,” was the only thing Deuce managed to squeak out then.

               “Val, go get Grim up. It’s time for class,” Anne Marie stated then and Valentina nodded. Though as she walked, she really couldn’t shake the feeling of the dream she had the previous night.

…

               “Hey, how was yesterday’s sleepover?” Cater asked them after school as they were headed to pick up the tart after school. Fiona had met them all outside their final class for the day and they just so happened to run into Cater heading the same direction. “Did you experience youth fully by playing cards and other games~”

               Valentina did her best to ignore his eyebrow wiggles and implications at other games.

               “Senior Cater, hey,” Ace greeted. “Yeah, we played some cards. Grim didn’t know the rules to most games though so we just played Old Maid… and he kept picking the old maid.”

               “Damn it! I couldn’t win at all!” Grim groaned at the memory of the previous night. Valentina laughed a little as she remembered his frustration. Though Fiona seemed to just hang back, clearly having no idea what they were all referencing.

               “Your face completely shows when you get the joker card, you know?” Deuce laughed a little.

               “Seriously, you have got to work on your poker face,” Valentina agreed quickly.

               “Then shall we hurry and bring the tarts we made to apologize to Riddle?” Cater said as he skipped ahead of them cheerily before suddenly stopping as if something just occurred to him. “Oh, actually, I want you to hurry and come with me because we’re lacking manpower for the party.”

               “Man-power?” Ace asked skeptically.

               “It’s nothing, I was talking to myself~ Anyway let’s hurry and go to the Unbirthday Party. I already texted Trey and asked him to grab the tarts so he can meet us at the dorm.” Cater said as he quickly hurried them from the direction they had been heading and instead in the direction of the dorm mirrors.

               It felt like in no time they were at the dorm. It was still just as amazing as Valentina remembered it being. Fiona seemed just as dazzled at her side. The blonde looking around with wide eyes at the architecture and rose bushes. Valentina did note that most of them were painted red now.

               “Alright, I’ll head-on and bring the tart to the Dorm Head so I can apologize, so where is Tr—“Ace was cut off then in shock as… Cater came out from the bushes? But that made no sense because Cater was right there with them.  This new one was dressed in his gym uniform while the one with them was in his regular school uniform.

               “Hey, you’re finally here!” The new Cater said excitedly. “What took you so long, me?”

               “I’m home~,” the Cater that had been with them said happily. “Sorry for the wait, me.”

               “Th-there are two Senior Diamonds?” Deuce choaked out then in shock.

               “You were a twin?” Ace exclaimed as well. Though twins did seem more logical than two Cater’s, so Valentina had no idea why she jumped to that conclusion first.

               “Oh, no, I’m the only male sibling in my family,” the Cater in gym clothes said. “This is my unique magic, Split Card. I can make clones of myself using magic.”

               A jump but apparently the right one.

               “I’m starting to understand why they hate losing their magic so much if they can do things like this all the time,” Fiona said in awe. “If I could duplicate myself like that, I would never have to go to another math class again.”

               “Or listen to one of Trein’s lectures,” Valentina added with a small giggle.

               “So this is the reason why we couldn’t beat him at all yesterday,” Deuce said in realization. It made sense to Valentina. Anytime they would hit at Cater he bounced back like it was nothing. Probably because his clones kept swapping while they weren’t paying attention.

               “Welcome back,” a third Cater called to them. This one was in the lab uniform.

               “Welcome back, Val. Oooh, and you brought Fiona too~” A fourth Cater purred coming up behind the two girls making them jump a little. He was in the fancy robes they wore at the opening ceremony.

               “It was so difficult~ you made me wait so long Acey~” The second Cater pouted as he came forward to hang on Ace. Looking almost comical since Cater had at least three inches on Ace.

               “There’s more of him!” Ace cried out though if it was from shock or irritation Valentina couldn’t tell.

               “By the way, the real Cater is me~” The second Cater, the one who had been hanging off of Ace moments ago in his gym uniform stated. “Cloning myself is pretty tiring, so I don’t want to prolong this.”

               “We’re you doing this all day instead of in class?” Fiona asked innocently. Cater let out a telling cough.

               “I had my clone there and we share information,” Cater protested. “In any case, it’s off with our heads if we’re late. Come on and give us a hand please. I’ll take you to Riddle after we’re done.”

               “You’re gonna make us paint roses again?” Grim groaned at the prospect.

               “You really are a carefree guy, huh?” Ace asked with his eyes narrowed and his arms crossed. Cater only laughed in response, clearly not hurt by the comment in the slightest.

               “Alright, let’s get started!” The actual Cater cheered as he led all of them to the remaining patches of roses left to be painted. They grabbed their brushes and quickly set to work.

               “Painting Roses seems really weird… why are we doing this exactly?” Fiona asked Valentina quietly. It was almost like she was too afraid to ask Cater as he was quickly working on directing the guys.

               “Something about the rules of the Queen of Hearts. I don’t know this whole dorm is weird just roll with it.” Valentina shrugged as she began painting the roses.

               “Seriously though, Scarabia doesn’t have anything like this,” Fiona sighed. “But then again, the whole dorm there has a completely different vibe. It’s all desert and Arabian architecture. I should have taken pictures to show you. It was gorgeous.”

               “I bet, we’re going to have to take pictures at the party to show everyone after,” Valentina agreed as they worked.

               “And no one was really afraid of Kalim. Sure, he got pretty bossy at the end there when telling us the party was over but his Vice was super sweet and explained he just got crabby when he was tired.” Fiona said as well though her voice was much lower. As if she wasn’t sure, she even wanted Valentina to hear her.

               “I’m sure he will be better after Ace apologizes,” Valentina said trying to sound hopeful. She had to believe things were going to work out, even if there was a nagging feeling telling her otherwise. Her mother always said dreams had meanings, and if her dreams as of late were any indicator then… she didn’t want to think about it.

               “I hope you’re right,” Fiona said. “I would hate for Riddle to push people until he ended up like Kris.”

               “Wait what happened with Kris?” Valentina said confused. She was completely out of the loop with what happened with the Volleyball team really. She only ever went to the homecoming game and that was it. Even then it was only because the Color Guard did an indoor routine during the prep rally.

               “Our last summer tournament she got completely iced out during the final match. Coach had to pull her because no one was going for her sets. She was super pissed. But everyone else couldn’t take her barking orders anymore either,” Fiona explained then. “I would have hated to have to make that call as a coach. It wasn’t like Kris was wrong in her criticisms but no one else was taking it as seriously as she was. Killed the whole team vibe.”

               “Man, that had to be rough,” Valentina said. Though, she couldn’t really sympathize. It wasn’t like they could just block her out of a routine on her team, or that anyone would just stop dancing.

               “If looks could kill I would have been dead ten times over that day when coach had me sub in for her,” Fiona said as she shivered at the memory.

               “I bet,” Valentina agreed. Their conversation was cut short then by the sound of Deuce’s panting.

               “We… we did better than yesterday,” he exclaimed—clearly satisfied with the work he managed to put in.

               “You did great,” Cater reassured as he patted Deuce on the back before checking his phone. “Oh! It’s almost time. Me army, we’re done for the day!”

               “Aye, aye, sir!” The group of Cater’s said then as they saluted before blinking out of existence as if they were never there, to begin with.

               “Come on now, I’ll show you all to the party venue. It’s totes the coolest,” Cater gushed as he began to usher them all in the direction of the party. Valentina could see it even at a distance. Paper lanterns strung up through the trees and various card-themed decorations with mismatched chairs everywhere.  It looked completely unorganized yet somehow fit with the rest of the dorm. As they got closer even, Valentina could see Trey who carefully nodded to where he had set the tarts on a table waiting for them.

               “Make way for our leader, the Red Ruler: Perfect Riddle!” A student with white hair and bunny ears called out after blowing into a trumpet. He was so short, probably even shorter than Anne Marie. He was also dressed in an outfit similar to what Trey was wearing. Actually, now that Valentina looked around, it seemed like all of them were wearing something similar. The only differences between them were the alternating black and red vests. “Three cheers for Perfect Riddle!”

               Riddle entered the courtyard then. Regal as a queen with an outfit as lavish to match. A small golden crown was situated on his head as he looked over the various decorations with a sharp gaze.

               “Indeed. The roses are red and the tablecloths are white,” Riddle said as he began to note things about the party like he was reading off a grocery list. “Truly a perfect Unbirthday Party. The dormouse is sleeping inside the teapot just as planned, correct?”

               Trey, who Riddle had been asking, was quick to pipe up. “Of course. The jam to put on one’s nose is ready, should the need arise, too.”

               “Well done,” Riddle complimented with a smile. He actually looked sweet like this. Like a regular student. But the way there was a sigh of relief in the crowd as Riddle said the words made Valentina’s hair stand on end. Were they all really walking on eggshells this whole time over the party? Did losing their magic and Riddle scare them that much?

               “Whoa, what’s with that get-up?” Grim asked as he pointed to the outfit Riddle was wearing. “He looks so cool!”

               “It’s totally fashionable and very ‘grammable!” Cater agreed happily. “I’m gonna go get changed too.” And with a wave of his wand—cater was in a completely different outfit but virtually identical to the one all the other dorm members were wearing. His a version with the red vest while Valentina noted Trey wore one with a black vest.

               “The Queen of Hearts states that a dress code is necessary for party days, after all, ~” Cater laughed as he looked over the group still in their regular school uniforms. “I’ll coordinate your clothes for you as a special service for today~”

               There was a flash of light that blinded the group for a second. When Valentina blinked and her eyes adjusted again, she saw Deuce and Ace—dressed in the same outfit as Cater and Trey with Deuce in the black vest and Ace in the red.

               “Whoa…” Deuce said in awe as he looked over the sleeves of his new blazer.

               “Dude, this is totally stylish!” Ace exclaimed as he did a full three-sixty to check out the outfit the best he could.

               “Don’t think I forgot about you ladies,” Cater said with a wink before there was another flash of light. This time Valentina felt a cold breeze briefly as well before the comforting warmth of cloth was back. When she looked down, she saw she was dressed identically to the boys… well almost. The top was the same and the yellow and black birthday belt sash was the same, but she lacked the white dress pants. Instead, she had on a white pleated skirt that came about mid-thigh on her, a pair of white knee-high socks, and black Mary-Janes.

               Looking over Valentina could see Fiona also looking herself over in awe in the red version of the outfit. The same variations made to Valentina’s outfit were also made to Fiona’s as well. Though, Valentina was more than a little concerned. Mostly because she really wanted to know what happened to her regular clothes.

               “Cater, what happened to our regular uniforms?” Valentina asked trying to not sound panicked. “I appreciate everything but we really only have a few pairs of those.”

               “Don’t worry they aren’t gone,” Cater reassured. “It’s a simple quick-change spell. Your uniforms are in a duffle I stashed in the bushes along with Ace and Deuces. I had mentioned you, girls, to my sisters after the entrance ceremony and they sent some of their old clothes. They came in today and when Deuce told me only you two were coming I thought it was perfect since you two were about the same size and there were those skirts in the boxes that matched the uniforms perfectly. Of course, I have pants on standby if you would prefer.”

               “I think it’s perfect,” Fiona said with a bright smile before walking over to kiss Cater on the cheek. “Thank you so much!”

               “S-sure think—I mean thing,” Cater stammered out—clearly caught off guard by the gesture. Valentina watched as Fiona did her best to mess with her hair that kept getting caught on the half-painted rose broach. Then it clicked.

               “Cater, do you have a spare hair-tie?” Valentina asked then. Still shell-shocked, Cater handed her a spare off his wrist. Valentina took it quickly in thanks before she turned back to Fiona. “Come here for a second.”

               Fiona looked at her curiously but did as she was told. Once she was in front, Valentina plucked the rose off of her lapel and set to tying the corn-silk blonde strands on her hair into a side ponytail. Once that was done, she placed the rose in the hair-tie as a decoration.

               “There,” Valentina said with a smile—brushing some of Fiona’s bangs out of her face. “Not bad for a last-second adjustment.”

               “It’s amazing! I would have been messing with it the whole party otherwise,” Fiona gushed then.

               “It really isn’t anything special,” Valentina said to wave off the compliment. “You should have seen some of the crazy updo’s I had to do for the dance competitions.”

               “Still…” Fiona trailed off.

               “Alright, it’s showtime,” Cater interrupted then—his usual pep back. “Don’t forget to offer him the tart, got it~ Alright, off to the party!”

               Ace nodded and quickly grabbed the tart as they headed into the main party area. They all quickly followed behind. Ready to fully support their friend as he entered first. They all sat at a table in the very back, away from Riddle’s immediate gaze. Fiona sat to Valentina’s left and to her right was Deuce. Watching as Riddle took a seat at the head table and then watching him stand again—a teacup raised. It made Valentina want nothing more than to hold his hand and squeeze it for reassurance. But she kept her hands folded in her lap and to herself. She didn’t want to let Deuce get the wrong idea. Even if the idea wasn’t that far off.

               “Let us toast before we proceed with the croquet match, does everyone have their teacups already?” Riddle began to announce raising his teacup high. Pinky extended as he gave a small and polite smile. Valentina still felt an unexpected shiver down her spine. Valentina grabbed her teacup for the toast. She felt a reassuring squeeze on her left hand and smiled. “Now then, a toast to a day with no birthdays. A toast to the Unbirthday Party!”

               “Cheers!” Everyone said in unison as they raised their cups just a little higher before drinking. Valentina brought the cup to her lips and took a sip. Earl Grey, bitter. Valentina fought off the expression her face threatened to pull. She hates bitter teas. She would have much preferred a sweet tea—the kind the grandmothers always made for school functions and neighborhood gatherings.

               “Acey,” Valentina heard Cater whisper sharply. “Now’s your chance, look.”

               Sure enough, Valentina could see Riddle smiling and laughing at something Trey had said. The quiet murmuring settling over the group as they began casual conversation before moving onto the croquet match. A completely perfect opportunity.

               “Alright,” Ace whispered back before standing tall. All of the eyes in the courtyard were on him. Riddle’s included as his eyes narrowed on their group and then Ace individually. “Um, Perfect…”

               “You are…” Riddle interrupted as he stood from his seat. Riddle moved around the table he was at to stand front and center. Trey also stood, clearly nervous about what would happen next—despite all of his confidence yesterday that everything would be alright. Riddle’s gaze remained fixed on Ace though as he then had a flash of recognition in his storm-cloud eyes. “Ah, the first year who stole my tarts.”

               “Um… I was thinking of apologizing for what I did,” Valentina did her best to not roll her eyes at his wording. Thinking of apologizing? He still was clearly not sorry. Hopefully, he could at least fake it long enough for this. “So I uh… I made a new batch of tarts.”

               “Hm?” Riddle hummed clearly pleased by the submission that Ace was portraying even if it was reluctant. “I’ll ask just to be sure, but what kind of tarts did you make?”

               “Thank you for asking!” Ace exclaimed then as he picked up one of the tarts on the table and lifted it up for the perfect to see. “It’s a marron tart made with lots of chestnuts!”

               “Marron tart, you say? How atrocious!” Riddle spat the words and his eyebrows raised in a scowl so complete and ferocious at Ace it was as if he had placed a dead rat on the table. Everyone wore matching expressions of shock and let out various sounds reflecting as much. What was wrong with it? Trey had assured them that this tart would be fine. So, what was wrong with it? “Rule #565 of the Queen of Hearts: ‘Refrain from bringing marron tarts for the Unbirthday Party.’ This is a capital crime! What have you done? You’ve wasted a perfect Unbirthday Party!”

               “R-rule number 565,” Deuce stammered.

               “Just how many rules are there?” Fiona asked then clearly just as baffled.

               “And he has them all completely memorized?” Valentina asked just as confused as the rest of them. Seriously, she had heard of strict but this was beyond that.

               “There are a total of 810 rules and I’ve memorized all of them. A small feat for a dorm head, I must say, although. I don’t remember inviting you girls to a dorm exclusive function.”

               Valentina felt herself stiffen as Riddle’s gaze narrowed down on them. Nothing but unbridled rage filled his small frame as if he wanted to take a guillotine to both of their heads. “And rule number 422 states that no one outside of the dorm should attend the Unbirthday party unless personally invited by the dorm leader himself.”

               “Maybe we should go,” Fiona whispered to Valentina then.

               “No way, these rules are absurd,” Valentina retorted.

               “I don’t think we are going to get a choice,” Fiona said back.

               “Get those marron tarts away from me at once! And throw this group away from the grounds at once!” He screeched the order at the top of his lungs—face slowly turning as red as the roses that they had painted.

               Because of course, nothing would go that simple for them.

Chapter Text

“Wait a sec!” Ace cried out—protectively shielding the tart in his hands from the grabby hands of one of the students near him who tried to grab it and throw it away. “As if I’d listen to a ridiculous rule like that!”

               “Do you have any idea how much time we spent yesterday making these to apologize for everything! Do you even care about the effort we put in!” Valentina yelled out, rising to her feet as well to stand with Ace. “Haven’t you people ever heard of it being the thought that counts?”

               “Val don’t make the scene worse,” Fiona whimpered a little—cowering in her seat.

               “Are you spineless?” Valentina balked in shock. Fiona, who had just displayed concern over Riddle’s behavior not long before, who had been regularly mediating fights between Kristina, Anne Marie, and Judith, was going to let this… tiny tyrant walk all over her? Fiona had only flinched at Valentina’s words.

               “Perfect, I’m so sorry,” Trey scrambled over quickly to get between Riddle and their table. He was frantically trying to defuse the situation, clearly distraught since the marron tart had been his idea in the first place.  “I’m the one who suggested making the marron tarts.”

               “Exactly!” Cater chimed in to help. “We didn’t think that there’d be a rule against it. And I never realized before that outside guests weren’t allowed at Unbirthday parties so the two girls tagged along as well.”

               “The fact that you made them isn’t the problem.” Riddle huffed at them, though Valentina swore there was a moment of hesitation— as if he was avoiding roping Cater and Trey into punishment as well. “My issue is the fact that he brought them here! As for the guests, they were not approved by me beforehand therefore they have to go. As is stated in the rules.”

               “I can understand us not being welcome,” Valentina said pulling the focus back on her. She didn’t even notice how the garden was completely silent save for the fight brewing between their group and Riddle. “But you could ask us to leave nicely not strong-arm us out! And to say such rude things to someone who did his best to make it up to you and push the blame solely on him? It makes you a straight-up dick!”

               “Val please you aren’t helping, sit back down,” Fiona said as she tugged sharply at Valentina’s sleeve. It reminded her a little of Marisol. How her sister used to plead and beg her to lower her voice, so they didn’t fit the loud and angry Latina stereotype their town liked to throw around. Marisol had been so desperate to fit in, just like their mother had been when she ran off into the sunset with their father after he knocked her up in high school. 

               But right now? Valentina wanted to scream. Riddle reminded her of every single stuck-up bastard who had ever looked down on her and her family. Who thought they were the rules and could enforce their own onto others. Who always told them to “stay in their lane.” No way, she was not about to let Riddle fucking Rosehearts think he could get away with doing that to her and her friends. Even if one of her friends seemed more than happy to roll over for him.

               “She’s right,” Ace defended as he briefly shot a glare to Fiona then back to Riddle. “I’ve had enough of hearing all those ridiculous rules. Aren’t you being kinda stupid?”

               “Stupid, you say…?” Riddle’s voice was cold. If Valentina had been thinking clearly, she might have warned Ace to back off a little on the name-calling. But right now, she was ready to hype him up.

               “Hey, stop! That’s an absolute taboo word!” Cater snapped at them quickly before turning back to Riddle to try and calm the perfect down. “Also, Riddle, these guys are just some freshies who got accepted to the school—”

               “Na, I’m gonna say it,” Ace interrupted before Cater could finish his reasonings for why Riddle should let them off easy. “Only an idiot would listen to a rule about tarts! Don’t mess with me.”

               “I’m of the same opinion as Ace and Val,” Deuce said as he rose to his feet as well. Even if his voice was trembling just a little, Valentina couldn’t stop the shock on her face as she watched him stand next to her. It made her heart skip a beat a little, seeing him stand up to fight even if he knew the consequences. But now wasn’t the time to unpack that. “Of course, I admit that breaking the rules is not a good thing. But… This is too much already.”

               “How bold of you to talk back to me,” Riddle gasped almost amused by the little uprising. Like a sadistic child knowing it was about to step on an anthill without remorse. “Listen well. Breaking a small rule will result in a big problem someday.”

               “All the other guys, too! They’re just scared that they’re gonna get collars so they’re not saying anything, but I’m sure they’re thinking the same thing!” Ace said as he turned to look at one of the other Heartslabyul students. The same one who made the announcement of Riddle’s arrival—with the snowy white hair and red-violet eyes and bunny ears.

               “No, we’re…” he mutters quietly before trailing off—clearly uncomfortable with the negative attention he had started receiving.

               “Heh, is that so?” Riddle asked then, his gaze shifting to the boy who immediately flinched and straightened up.

               “N-no, it’s not true, Perfect!” The boy stuttered out quickly in hopes of getting the conversation away from him. The poor thing looked ready to keel over and his heart about to beat out of his chest. “We do all we can to follow what you say, Perfect!”

               “No way!” Grim exclaimed clearly surprised at the lack of rebellion from the other Heartslabyul students.

               “Running away, huh? How lame.” Ace said as he looked away from the boy. He only looked down in shame, now that he was free from Riddle’s gaze—regret clear on his face.

               “Ever since the year I became the head, not one student from Heartslabyul has ever repeated a year nor was anyone expelled,” Riddle announced loud and clear as a bell. Clearly, it was a show meant not only for them but anyone else that might want to rebel against the tyrant. Valentina fought off a growl. It almost reminded her of Judith’s brother and his public humiliations of kicking people from his group—knowing full well others would still be eager to take their place because no one wanted to be on the bad side of the Wieck’s when their family hand their fingers in over half the businesses in town and was one of the biggest employers.

               “And that’s counting all the dorms in this school. That means that I am the most exceptional and the strongest!” Riddle narrowed his gaze back on them specifically. “That is why I am the only one who’s always right! There is nothing wrong with following what I say!”

               “That’s just…!” Deuce managed clearly confused by Riddle’s train of logic. No one was always right and no one was perfect.

               “It’s not like I’m doing this because I enjoy it,” Riddle said then and for once his face reflected that fact. And… Valentina believed him, surprisingly. He wasn’t taking joy in the punishment, even if he took joy in knocking them down a few pegs. “Aren’t you the ones at fault for breaking the rules?”

               Trey said nothing from where he stood next to Riddle, even as the three of them turned to him for support. To say something, anything about his dorm leader’s behavior. But there was nothing, he looked just a defeated as everyone else in the garden.

               “If you’re not going to obey me, then it’s off with your heads!” Riddle exclaimed with a dramatic flair of his arms—forcing the cape over his shoulder to fly out a little.

               “Everyone, come on,” Cater prompted with a weak smile as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Just say, ‘Yes, Perfect~’.”

               “I will not,” Deuce said first—standing straighter and puffing out his chest in defiance.

               “No way!” Valentina fired back just as quickly—her gaze making Cater flinch a little. Valentina could feel Fiona rising to her feet next to them, even if she stayed silent. Though if it was so she could leave already or to stand in solidarity, Valentina didn’t know.

               “I’ve had enough playing along with this selfish tyrant!” Ace proclaimed as well.

               “What did you just say?” Riddle asked with wide eyes. Shocked by the way Ace had referred to him as a tyrant.

               “He said that you’re an irritable and selfish little tyrant who’s unreasonable with trivial things like food!” Grim snapped, clearly happy to be taking embellishments with Ace’s words. Though Valentina couldn’t find it in herself to correct him and Fiona was shaking like a leaf—too scared to speak up at that moment.

               “H-hey! He didn’t go that far!” Deuce protested as he was clearly the only one still in a rational state of mind at that moment.

               “OFF WITH YOUR HEADS!” Riddle yelled out then, his face bright red like the roses—a visible tick where the veins were in his head. His magic fired off and collars appeared around Deuce and Grim’s necks but Valentina didn’t feel anything around her neck. There wasn’t anything around Fiona’s either when she chanced a peek. Did he not bother with them since they didn’t have magic? Or did it not work because there was no magic to seal? Didn’t matter though. The sentiment was the same: Riddle didn’t like what they were saying so he threw a tantrum.

               “This collar again?” Grim whined as he began pulling at the lock to no avail.

               “Damn it… I can’t take it off!” Deuce said, frustrated as he also pulled on his collar.

               “Trey! Cater! Throw them out of here!” Riddle declared as he was still fired up.

               “….. Yes perfect,” they said in robotic unison. Valentina couldn’t believe it. Some friends they were, they weren’t going to even try to fight or stick up for them. Well, fuck them.

               “Senior?” Deuce asked, sounding like a kicked puppy.

               “I’m sorry,” Cater apologized as he grabbed Deuce by the arm. “We can’t go against the perfect.”

               “I’m sorry,” Trey also apologized as he made a grab for Ace only for the ginger to quickly avoid him.

               “Oh, is that so? I’ll take you on!” Ace cried out. Valentina put a hand on his shoulder then. She was angry, but she also wasn’t interested in Ace getting a one-sided beat down since he didn’t have his magic.

               “Don’t bother,” she hissed. “He’s clearly chosen his side.” Trey flinched at the words but didn’t say anything against them. She was right and he knew it.

               “Let’s just go,” Fiona added in as she grabbed one of the tarts before other students could dispose of them and led the way out of the gardens. Deuce shook Cater’s grip off and he followed after with Valentina behind with Ace.

               “Alright, Acey and friends,” Cater called after them with his fake-ass cheery voice with his fake-ass smile. “See you soon~”              

               Trey followed them out though out of the gardens to the main walkway. Quiet as he escorted them out of the Unbirthday Party. Likely from guilt and making sure that they didn’t try to go rushing back in for an all-out brawl against the dorm leader. Valentina’s fighting experience may have been reduced to just rough-housing with her siblings, but she still bet she could take Riddle in a fight.

               “Cater will be sure your belongings are brought back to Ramshackle,” Trey reassured after they reached the front gardens near the mirror. “I’ll try to calm him down before you can apologize and come back again.”

               “Damn it! I’m never apologizing, got that!” Ace yelled at him.

               “No way am I ever coming back here again,” Valentina agreed. “I might not always agree with the girls in my dorm but at least they’re honest unlike your fake ass fuckers. What happened to having our backs huh? Lose all your fight having your head up Riddle’s ass?”

               “Hey, watch it,” Trey cautioned her.

               “He’s just following the rules, Val,” Fiona said as she tried to defuse the situation before Valentina could get into Trey’s face. “He can get in trouble for not listening to his dorm head.”

               Valentina clicked her tough before turning away. “Better get back to the party, Riddle probably needs his shoes licked clean.”

               She could hear Trey stomping away. Clearly pissed at her wording but also not having anything to say back. She could feel her nails digging into her arms through the sleeves of her jacket as she did her best to cool down. She didn’t need to work herself up right now. It was over and done with, she could rant to Kimberlee back at the dorms.

               She felt a hand on her shoulder, too firm to be Fiona’s so she didn’t have any bite ready when she turned to look at its owner. Deuce stood there, collar he around his neck, and a worried gaze fixed on her.

               “Are you ok? You were pretty passionate back there,” Deuce said and she nodded—leaning into his touch. She hated how much she craved the comfort in it then. It wasn’t fair to him or her to indulge in such things, but she could really use it then.

               “Yeah, just… let’s go back. Fuck this party.” Deuce nodded in agreement.

               “Yeah, fuck this party.”

…

               Trey made it back to the party in record time. Valentina’s words still echoing over and over again in his head as he walked until he was finally in the gardens again. Riddle still stood there, though he seemed much calmer now. Face no longer red and veiny in anger.

               “Good grief…” Riddle sighed. “Let’s continue with the party to get things back on track. We still have a croquet competition after this, too. Ah, look we’re already fifteen minutes behind schedule! This is the worst!”

               Riddle’s words grated on Trey then. How could Riddle be worried about something so trivial after a display like that? And worse, Trey was indulging in it—letting it happen again and again. But… He couldn’t say anything. Just bow his head and say, “yes, perfect,” like some kind of parrot. Because every time he looked at Riddle, and his heart squeezed in his chest, he saw the little boy whose face lit up the first time he ever tried a strawberry tart. And how his face shattered just as quickly when his mother saw he was late.

               “Are you really okay with this?” Cater asked as they followed Riddle and the rest out of the garden to the croquet fields where the flamingos and hedgehogs were waiting. Fuck he hoped they were painted correctly after a day like this. Over half the dorm was beheaded now and it would take them forever to clean up at this rate.

               But he hesitated, the look of pure rage and hurt in Valentina’s eyes as she looked at him. Like she had just been completely betrayed. The look of pity from Fiona after Valentina turned away. As if she could empathize at all with his situation.

               “… There’s nothing I can really do…” Trey said then—watching as Whitley and a few other students whispered and looked around nervously. Because… how did he tell Riddle that he was just like his mother…

               And that his mother was wrong?

…

               “Damn it! I’m so pissed off! That little red-haired menace!” Ace yelled out as they all continued to walk. “Does he plan on turning into the Queen of Hearts himself?”

               “Getting thrown out for disobeying the Perfect… I’m slowly drifting away from becoming a model student…” Deuce muttered to himself in a daze. Valentina only patted his shoulder in comfort.

               “I doubt your mother would want you to just roll over for someone like that either,” Valentina reassured and Deuce smiled back. Glad for the comfort.

               “Ugh, this collar is so suffocating and heavy, yanno?” No Valentina didn’t really know, but she wasn’t about to point that out to Grim now.

               “What’s up with all of nya~? Wearin’ all those collars like that~” The sudden floating head in the middle of their path was more than a little startling. So startling in fact, that Fiona tossed up the tart she had been carrying and it landed somewhere behind them ruined. It was probably for the best anyway. Valentina doubted Anne Marie would appreciate them bringing it back to the dorm with her allergy.

               Damn, Valentina hadn’t even thought about how Anne Marie would react. Another night with the guys and no end in sight? Plus picking a fight with another dorm leader? She might just throw them all out herself! But then again, Valentina doubted Judith would let her. At least not without opening the window for them to sneak back in once everyone was asleep.

               “Headless ghost!” Grim yelled out still clearly in shock.

               “Oh, oopsies~” The head laughed—purple ears twitching in amusement. “I forgot to show mew all my body.”

               “Wh-what the… so you’ve got a body, too… you are?” Deuce asked then finally getting his thoughts reorganized and caught up enough to ask who the strange beastman cat was.

               “I’m Alchemi Alchemivich Pinkaa,” he introduced himself. Valentina could feel herself blinking as she tried to process a single word of his name. “I got kitty magic, but also human magic. I’m sorta a weird guy.”

               Valentina would agree, he did seem weird. He might even be weirder than Judith—and she saw her dip fries into her ice cream without hesitation.

               “Alche—come again?” Ace asked before getting an elbow to the side from Fiona. Valentina doubted Fiona caught it either, but was likely over Ace’s blunt attitude for the day. He only chuckled at the scene and question though.

               “Everyone calls me Che’nya~” the guy, Che’nya, explained then with a big smile. “At the very least, I’m super different from those guys in there~”

               Valentina couldn’t help but wonder what dorm he was from then. His clothes didn’t seem to match those of Heartslabyul and the way he talked about them certainly didn’t fit in with the mindless crowd Riddle had beaten into submission. Finally, she gave up guessing based on his clothes and decided to just ask, “what dorm are you from?”

               “Try guessin’ what dorm I’m from~” He laughed in amusement.

               “I got it!” Grim exclaimed clearly proud of himself. “You got cat ears, so you’re from Macker—Savanya dorm!”

               “How do you keep getting the names so mixed up?” Valentina asked with a sigh. “And isn’t it a little rude to assume a dorm based on their appearance?”

               “Boo, boo, wrong~” Che’nya sounded then. Though he seemed pretty happy about that fact.  “Mackerel live in the sea, remember? I’m a cat, so I’m not a mackerel.”

               “There are people who have different ears in the other dorms, too, you know?” Deuce added in, clearly continuing the scolding Valentina had started even if Che’nya didn’t seem to care much.

               “Like the bunny boy we saw in there,” Fiona added with a smile. Valentina doubted calling him “Bunny Boy” would be any better though.

               “I’m in a bad mood ‘cause that little tyrant was being unreasonable,” Ace snapped then at Che’nya. “So go away.”

               “Riddle’s a tyrant…” Che’nya seemed to widen his yellow eyes at that before letting out a laugh and smiling again. “Well, I guess there’s some truth in that~ That guy’s been a little stickler for the rules since he was little~”

               “Do you know something about it?” Deuce asked.

               “I guess you could say that I do, but then at the same time, I can say that I don’t~” Che’nya teased a bit as he danced around them a little. Much in the same way he was dancing around the question.

               “Which is it?” Grim asked with a pout as he crossed his paws across his chest.

               “What? Ya guys wanna mew about Riddle?” Che’nya seemed to perk up a lot at that. It made Valentina more than a little uneasy. Since when were people this difficult to talk to? Was it a cultural thing?

               “Hell yeah, we do,” Ace exclaimed. “I wanna know who raised a little tyrant like that.”

               “Then, go ask that glasses guy~”

               “Glasses guy…” Deuce trailed off. “You mean, Senior Clover?”

               “That guy’s mewn Riddle since he was a kid,” Che’nya explained. “If I were you, I’d go ask him if I wanted to know more about Riddle~”

               “So they’re childhood friends?” Deuce asked clearly confused. Valentina couldn’t blame him. She wouldn’t have ever guessed by watching them interact. Then again, if she looked back, she might see flashes when they were at lunch yesterday and baking in the kitchen. Moments where he would come to Riddle’s defense even though he didn’t have to. “They didn’t give off that kind of atmosphere…”

               “If that’s what mew think, then maybe that’s what it is~” Che’nya reasoned. “I guess ya don’t need me anymore, so I’m going.”

               “H-hey!” Deuce protested, but Che’nya had disappeared the same way he appeared. Suddenly and just as randomly, all while laughing.

               “that was a very mewrd dude,” Grim said then. “Ah! I just sounded like him!”

               “We can’t go to classes properly if we keep wearing these collars,” Deuce stated. “Let’s go ask Senior Clover about it. Plus…”

               “It’s super lame to go and apologize, so I’m not doing that!”

               “We can discuss it more at the dorms,” Fiona reasoned with them. “For now, let’s worry about explaining how this went to Anne Marie.”

               Both Ace and Deuce gulped then at the thought of Ramshackle own tiny dorm leader. The sentiment between the two boys was obvious. Anne Marie was a hundred times scarier to them than Riddle at that moment.

Chapter Text

“I’m sorry, he did what over a tart?” Kristina asked in disbelief. All the girls plus Ace and Deuce were in the central lounge. Even Eva, who had usually left the room when Ace and Deuce appeared if food wasn’t involved, was staring in shock as Valentina recounted the tale of the Unbirthday misadventure.

               “Straight up went full-on psycho over it,” Valentina huffed out—still clearly worked up after the whole thing.

               “Actually, he just asked all of us to leave over the tart, albeit a little rudely,” Fiona corrected. “He started getting pissed off after you and Ace started mouthing off.”

               “But it was true!” Valentina retorted. “Besides we were voicing an opinion. There shouldn’t be anything wrong with that and not a right to collar someone over. It isn’t against the rules say what’s on your mind.”

               “I suppose,” Fiona sighed—clearly burnt-out over the whole situation.

               “I never expected you to be so skittish about conflict, you get between our fights like it’s nothing,” Valentina said as she eyed the blonde. Fiona wasn’t in the Heartslabyul dorm uniform anymore—instead opting for the more comfortable gym shirt and shorts for around the dorm. Valentina had also changed while resisting the urge to throw the uniform out the window. It was still clothing they desperately needed. She could always ask Kimberlee to help her alter them so they didn’t look like the dorm uniform anymore if it bothered her enough.

               “You are my peers,” Fiona reasoned then. “Riddle is someone we know very little about and it was his dominion we were in. We can’t exactly march into places and tell people how things should be done.”

               “Well, we can,” Ace butted in. “And I say it sucks and is completely unreasonable.”

“Definitely,” Deuce agreed.

“If I see that little red runt again,” Grim started to growl where he was curled up in Kimberlee’s lap. “I’ll burn him to a crisp.”

“Grim you’re collared,” Kimberlee reminded gently. Grim slumped as he was reminded that he also got the magic seal placed on himself.

“And you shouldn’t set people on fire,” Anne Marie added in—clearly exasperated by Kimberlee missing the point of why he shouldn’t and going into why he couldn’t. “No matter how annoying or how much they deserve it—violence won’t solve it.”

Judith snorted a little at that—a high-pitched and dismissive sound more than a snort really but Anne Marie pointedly ignored it. Valentina could guess why. Since, rumor had it, that the fight the two got involved in did at least get a little physical with Anne Marie slapping Judith. Still, even if Anne Marie was being hypocritical, she wasn’t wrong. Threatening or lashing out wasn’t going to make Riddle remove the collars or apologize for his behavior. They needed a plan.

“I don’t know, punching people seems to work pretty well for me,” Kristina interjected then earning a groan from everyone. “What?”

“Kris or Grim, I’m taking bets now on which one of them gets us thrown out of the school first,” Judith sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose. Personally, Valentina bet Grim would first since he was more likely to cause property damage. But that was just her own input.

There was a doorbell ring then, making all of them blink.

“That’s probably Cater with our clothes,” Fiona reasoned.

“I’ll handle it,” Judith said before Kristina could get off the couch she was lounging on.

“Seriously did they even give you guys a rule book with all of these listed,” Eva muttered. “How are people even supposed to navigate if they don’t know the rules.”

“I never got anything listing the rules,” Deuce said then.

“Same here. Not that I would have read it, but I would have remembered getting it,” Ace agreed.

“I really want to know what makes that guy tick,” Anne Marie sighed again.

“Maybe you can,” Valentina added then. “There was a guy, Che’nya, super weird but not that point. He mentioned Trey and Riddle were childhood friends. Maybe we can ask him?”

“He’s a third-year, right?” Kristina asked. “He isn’t in my class, what about you Eva he in yours?”

“No, unfortunately, I have Cater in my class.” Eva groaned—clearly remembering something from earlier that day, or even week involving the ginger. “Guy clearly can’t read social cues or chooses to ignore them.”

“You try asking him to leave you alone?” Anne Marie asked with narrowed eyes.

“N-not in so many words,” Eva admitted reluctantly.

“Well, Cater mentioned something about Trey being in the library tomorrow to brainstorm another apology idea as well as returning a recipe book,” Judith interrupted then as she came in carrying a duffle. The poor thing looked stuffed to the brim and the zipper’s ready to bust open. “He also mentioned some more of his sister’s clothes were in here for us to go through. Though he’s pretty sure most of it won’t fit anyone besides Val and Fiona.”

“Well, I guess I’ll go with Val tomorrow to talk with Trey since I was going to the library anyway,” Anne Marie said then before tuning back to Valentina. “Assuming you can resist the urge to punch him again?”

“I didn’t punch him last time,” Valentina grumbled. “I’m sure I’ll manage again.”

“Ace and Deuce you are welcome to stay again, though I really do hope this isn’t a permanent thing that happens.” Anne Marie looked between the two of them and they smiled back at her.

“Of course, Dorm Leader Ryland,” Deuce said happily. Clearly relieved that Anne Marie seemed more frustrated with Riddle than them.

“Anything for you Dorm Leader Annie,” Ace teased a little as she glared at him.

“Don’t call me that,” she snapped at him. “Anyway, it’s getting late. We should head to bed we have a big mess tomorrow.”

There were a few whines of protest, mostly from Kristina and Grim, but they all headed off to bed—leaving Ace and Deuce in the living room to get comfortable in the blankets they had scrounged around for them the day before. Valentina hoped they figured something out for them because it would suck to have them living in their commons area for the rest of the school year.

Well, having Ace there would suck, she might be able to get behind the idea of Deuce staying there.

…

“Rule #249 of the Queen of Hearts: ‘You should be wearing pink clothes when feeling the flamingos,’” Riddle recited to the pair of gingery twins shaking in front of him. “You were supposed to be in charge of feeding them today. Why are you not wearing any pink clothes?”

Trey felt for the twins, he really did. But there was nothing he could do. His hands were tired. They broke the rules, it was within Riddle’s right as dorm leader to discipline them as he saw fit. Even if Darcy Hatterson, the previous dorm head, would have never bothered to enforce such a ridiculous rule—that didn’t change the fact he lost the dual. Riddle was dorm head now, and the previous Dorm Leader and Vice Leader were now fourth years—unable to witness the carnage taking place.

It wasn’t personal, Trey knew this, it was just Riddle’s nature.

“We’re sorry,” one of the twins apologized as he did his best to not let his voice crack.

“Our clothes were in the laundry,” the other managed. “Perfect! Please, we’re begging you!”

“Don’t put a collar on us!”

Their pleas fell on deaf ears though as Riddle looked at them coldly.

“This is the second time of you two breaking the rules,” Riddle explained his voice even despite the rage Trey was sure was boiling under his skin. “I can’t overlook any more than that.”

The twins flinched, knowing what was coming next.

“Off with your head!” The two cried out as they felt the collars around their necks. Feeling the magic, they were so accustomed to being cut off.

“Write me a five-thousand-word reflection essay, and do weeding in the garden for a week,” Riddle said as he began to deal out the impossibly high requirements for getting the collar removed. “After that, I’ll remove the collar.”

“N-no way,” the twins stammered in unison. Clearly unable to process the large workload Riddle had given them as a result, especially without magic to help them. Trey didn’t envy them one bit even if he did pity them. The Heartslabyul garden was huge—rivaled only by the personal herb gardens grown by Pomefiore for their poisons and curses.

“I’m not doing this because I enjoy it,” Riddle explained then. Trey knew this was true. His smile at Ace had been more about putting someone arrogant in his place rather than enjoying the cruelty of doing so. Riddle didn’t smile once now. “It’s your fault for breaking the rules. Nothing will become of you if you don’t learn to follow the rules, you understand?”

The twins nodded sadly. They hadn’t even gotten to finish breakfast yet. At least Riddle didn’t banish them like he did Ace and Deuce. Otherwise, the two would be scrambling and hoping they had friends in dorms that were willing to take them in for the next week.

“Trey, Cater, please take them outside,” Riddle ordered more than requested.

“Yes, Perfect…” Trey and Cater said then as they led the twins outside—both of the first-year boys sniffling as they were guided out the doors.

…

Riddle had told himself he would be calm when he saw Judith Wieck in class. Even if she did skip class yesterday and two of her dorm members broke his rules and attempted to insight a riot; he would remain calm and civil. He was sure she dealt with their punishment swiftly. She did seem the most reasonable and respectable of the troublemakers. Since it was hard for him to not keep tally and story of all the rules the girls had broken thus far.

Kristina Kaiser: getting into a physical altercation with another student on more than one occasion already—though no one could prove it so she remained unpunished.

Eva Frost: regularly skipped classes and would ignore those speaking to her directly.

Kimberlee Daniels: broke several alchemy glasses and general destruction of property due to her clumsiness.

Anne Marie Ryland: besides her butting her nose in between himself and Floyd before she was even an official student—he saw her regularly breaking the three-book rule in the library as she would carry around large stacks of texts.

Valentina Corey and Fiona Alagona: had crashed his Unbirthday party and attempted to start a fight after being asked to leave due to their rule-breaking.

Judith had skipped yesterday, but he was sure there was likely a good reason. Perhaps she had been sick, it seemed likely since she was in class today—early even. Mr. Vargas and the other teachers also hadn’t seemed shocked at her absence—further proving that it was excused rather than skipping.

Currently, she was seated in the grass with a bored expression. Likely waiting for the class to start. Riddle would have had her head if she was in his dorm, as the Queen of Hearts rules says one should not sit on the grass while morning dew is still fresh. But she wasn’t, so he steadied himself. It wasn’t his job to hold other dorms to his standards after all.

There were a few other guys standing around the area as they waited for Mr. Vargas. Including Jade Leech, all of them chatting or otherwise occupying their time. None of them approached her though, even if they would occasionally glance in her direction. Riddle had heard the muttering in the halls. So far, it seemed the general consensus that Fiona was the most attractive to the student body—though Kristina and Judith seemed would also be popular if they were more approachable. Riddle couldn’t figure out why they were so scared of Judith, Kristina he could understand with her violent outbursts to those who upset her, but Judith hadn’t done anything. Perhaps it was just the aura she gave off. Same as himself.

Maybe… he could be friends with her?

“Good morning Judith,” he greeted with a smile. She stiffed a little but relaxed quickly as she looked up at him. Large doe-eyes blinking at him in mild confusion.

“Morning Riddle,” she said her body completely still as she continued to watch him and gauge his reactions. Understandable since he hadn’t spoken to her since the first day and she rarely sought conversation unless it was required. He was sure she would warm up to him quickly though.

“I don’t know if you are aware,” Riddle said then not really sure how else to talk to her. “But several of your dorm members Fiona, Valentina, and Grim crashed the Heartslabyul Unbirthday party yesterday. I trust you will deal them the appropriate punishment if you haven’t already.”

Riddle could practically kick himself inside. Really, he was going to bring up yesterday? Of course, it was a conversation the two of them needed to have, but did they need to have it now? Yes, they did, there was no time like the present after all. He would simply think of another topic of discussion after she replied. Yes, this would be fine. Though… he hadn’t really made new friends since he was a child. Sure, Cater was his friend… he hoped. But he also felt as though Cater was only around for Trey sometimes.

The thought made his blood boil a little, but he quickly pushed it down. Jealousy was not a good color, especially when he had no claims over Trey and who Trey chose to be around. So instead, he focused his gaze back onto Judith. She was taking a moment to reply—clearly the gears in her mind turning as she decided what she wanted to say. Perhaps she was debating on if she should apologize for them as well, or maybe she had been unaware and was not trying to come up with punishments. He would be more than happy to help her, taking care of a dorm wasn’t easy after all.

“Why would I have punished them when they were invited by your dorm members?”

Huh?

“What do you mean? They trespassed and broke Heartslabyul rules! They should be punished!” Riddle could hear his voice increase in volume and his blood pressure rise.

“And my dorm doesn’t know your dorm's rules. They were invited so they figured they were allowed. And instead of calmly explaining that to them you screamed at them and threw out the tarts they helped back to apologize to you. And you still collared Grim,” Judith rationalized her voice still calm and even as she spoke. “Besides I’m the vice leader. Not the dorm leader. If you want to talk respirations talk to Anne.”

It was a clear dismissal of the conversation and it pissed Riddle off more than he cared to admit. It was like being taunted by Floyd—absolutely infuriating. Watching her look away from him and decide she was done with the conversation. Without any care for the fact, he clearly still had much to say on the matter.

“What happened to them being your girls and you would take care of them?” Riddle challenged his eyes narrowing as he did his best to keep his cool.

“I am, that means defending them from hypocrites like you. Seriously, using your unique magic just because you don’t like what people say about you? Talk about breaking the school rules.” Judith fired back.

“OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!” Riddle had yelled and tossed out his unique magic without much thought. He was pissed and she was angering him. There was the usual clicking sound of his magic but… there was no collar around her neck. He was suddenly very aware of the number of students watching their exchange now—feeling his cheeks burn with humiliation. She didn’t have magic, of course, the collar wouldn’t appear on her. There was nothing to seal.

“You… remind me of my brother,” she said loathing burning in her gaze that held his own unflinching. And all this time, she had remained completely seated and unmoving. It pissed him off. Like she was dealing with a child throwing a temper tantrum then addressing one of her betters.

“And I pity any brother who has you for a sister,” he fired back before storming away from her. She didn’t flinch from his words or even look at him as he walked away. Instead, she stood up and at attention ready for class to begin at Mr. Vargas finally approached them all.

What a fool he was to think she and him could ever form something akin to friendship.

…

The library was just as fantastical as Valentina remembered it. Even more so now that she could see students occupying the space. Watching the grand halls as they used their magic to shelve and take down books at great heights. Trey stood near the back of the library—away from the social study desks that were occupied with most of the students.

“Senior Clover,” Deuce called out to Trey—making him turn sharply.

“Oh it’s you guys,” he said in turn though he didn’t seem shocked at the slightest to see them there. “I’m sorry for all the trouble my dorm members have caused you, Anne.”

Anne Marie huffed a little and crossed her arms over her chest. Valentina did her best to not snicker at the way Trey looked away from her in the process. She was still sour with him for the stunt he pulled at the Unbirthday party.

“We figured that we’d meet you here in the library because we assumed you would be returning the recipe book you borrowed.” Valentina didn’t know why Deuce was covering for Cater especially since Trey likely told him to tell them but she supposed Deuce didn’t want to make it obvious.

“We still can’t be convinced to apologize with the way the Perfect does things,” Ace interjected with his hands on his hips. He was clearly still feeling the same sting she was from their last meet-up yesterday after school.

“… I figured,” Trey sighed out—expecting this outcome. He looked tired, like this clearly wasn’t the first time he had a conversation like this with students.

“What do you really think about him?” Ace asked then. “Have you always been enabling him like this since you were kids?”

“Seriously, this is pushing childhood friends a little far for defense,” Valentina agreed.

“Who did you hear that from?” Trey’s eyes went wide from under his glasses. Valentina was almost confused. Was it supposed to be a secret the two of them were friends? Was he hoping to wipe his hands clean of Riddle when he eventually went too far; pretend he was the victim like everyone else? That seemed pretty shitty to her.

“From someone called Che’nya,” Deuce answered for them since the others were still reeling at Trey having such a shocking response.

“Che’nya? Oh, him.” Valentina must have been making a pretty sour look again from Trey sounding disinterested because she could feel Anne Marie nudging her food with her own. A silent plea for her to fix her face and stay calm.

“Hey, you’re older than Riddle, aren’tcha?” Grim asked them—probably a little too loudly for a library. “Why don’t you get mad at him?”

A valid question. Valentina knew for a fact that her older sisters would have snapped her back into place quickly if she got an attitude as Riddle has. And all three of them regularly got cross with Johnny and his pranks. Even on the team, her seniors were always lecturing Judith on her cold attitude and lack of participation in team-building activities.

“I’ll do that if there’s a need to, but…” Trey started to defend himself. But he looked so torn, almost pained at the idea of raising his voice against Riddle. “There’s nothing I can do against him.”

“Why?” Ace snapped the question. It cracking in the air like a whip with the way Trey flinched at it.

“Everything that Riddle is right now is because he was raised with very harsh rules,” Trey explained then. Didn’t seem like a reason to Valentina for him to be a dick and Trey ignore it. Plenty of kids had strict parents but weren’t complete assholes. Even Deuce seemed confused with the noise he let out as a response. Trey could only continue then. “His parents are very famous magicians to the point that there’s no one in town who didn’t know their names. His mother is especially well-known and she wished for Riddle to be the same. That’s why everything from what time he wakes up to what time he goes to sleep, and even what academic programs he’ll do is decided for him.”

“Geh… Everything?” Grim asked in shock. Valentina had to admit, it did sound pretty strict.

“What he can eat, what he should wear, and what sort of friends he can make were all decided for him,” Trey continued ignoring Grim’s outburst but still confirming the cat monster's assumptions. “In order to meet his parent’s expectations, Riddle kept quiet and did his best. And by the time he was ten years old, he had perfected that unique magic of his. He’s even been at the top of his class every year since he was in elementary school. I can’t imagine how difficult that is.”

Ace was silent still as he looked to Trey. Clearly wanting to say something but still figuring out the best way to say it. His eyebrows knit together in concentration as he processed the information Trey had just given them about Riddle.

“In other words,” Anne Marie said for clarification. “He’s a product of upbringings. Figures.” There was a bitter edge to the words but Valentina couldn’t really figure out why. Maybe something to do with Anne Marie’s own family? Or a family of a friend? It was hard to tell and now wasn’t the time for Valentina to ask about it.

“That’s kind of… unreasonable,” Valentina added. She had seen kids under pressure. Hell, some of the parents of the girls on her team were downright brutal in their expectations. But that, it was a whole other level. It was like Riddle’s mom was trying to make a mini-her. It made Valentina sick, and pity Riddle. She really didn’t want to pity Riddle.

“Riddle thinks that being harsh will benefit everyone in the long run,” Trey continued to explain as if we were going to see things his way. Feel bad enough for Riddle to just let it go. “He believes that being bound to harsh rules and obeying them out of fear will make people grow… because that’s how he was raised. And he thinks that breaking the rules is a bad thing because…”

“Because if he overlooks the rule-breakers, it’s as if… as if he’s denying everything that he was made to be… right?” Ace continued then—finally seeming to grasp the situation he had been picking apart until this point. Trey sighed in relief. Seemingly glad that they all seemed to understand the situation now.

“I understand why you’d think of him as a tyrant,” Trey reasoned. “And I understand that the way he does things is a little wrong, too. But I… I still can’t find it in myself to go against him at all.”

There was silence then for a moment outside of the sound of acknowledgment Grim made. Valentina looked to Deuce, to Anne Marie, to Ace. She couldn’t read any of their faces as they continued to digest the information. It was just… so much. How do you blame a victim after all?

“So the perfect endured all that…” Deuce said to himself as he let the words trailed off. From what Valentina had gathered about Deuce’s mother it made sense why he was so confused. She sounded like the epitome of love and support. Valentina’s own mother fit in that category as well, even if it took her a long time to realize it. So it was harder for them to wrap their heads around.

Ace and Anne Marie didn’t seem to share the sentiment.

“Now that I know more, I understand completely,” Ace said then before glaring harshly at Trey. “The reason why Perfect Riddle is like that… It’s all your fault.”

Valentina, Deuce, and Grim let out cried of shock and stared at Ace. Even Trey seemed more than a little taken back by Ace’s accusation. Unsure of how to respond in a counterargument.

“Seriously talk about a toxic friendship. He lashes out and walks all over you and you let him because mommy was mean? Some friend you are,” Anne Marie scoffs in response. “And worse, you are going to let everyone else get dragged into the mess you let spiral out of control.”

“The dorm head can’t do anything about his parents because he didn’t choose to have them as parents,” Ace said. “But at the very least, you’ve always thought that the way his parents treated him was unfair right?”

“That’s…” Trey stammered clearly feeling backed into a corner by Ace’s harsh words.

“If you think the perfect’s making the same mistakes as his parents, then tell him directly,” Ace snapped. “Fix your mistakes. What’s gonna happen to him if you just feel sorry and spoil him? So you’re just gonna watch everyone hate him and alienate him from a distance?”

“Cycles of abuse don’t break on their own,” Anne Marie added. “At least not often. Outside influence is needed to correct and let them know the behavior is abnormal and wrong. Otherwise, he really will just become a mini version of his mother. And you would have to watch knowing you could have helped if you spoke up.”

“H-hey, you two…” Deuce said trying to cut off their harsh words. Even Valentina was flinching at this point from the way their blunt words cut.

“Of what? You’re keeping quiet because you’re scared of that collar? You’re super lame!” Ace taunted Trey. Valentina watched at Trey’s body tensed up the same way it had when she snapped at him at the Unbirthday party. Because they knew he was right, but he didn’t want to admit it. “You call yourself his childhood friend, but the way things are, you’re not even his friend at all.”

“YOU ALL! THIS IS A LIBRARY, SO KEEP IT DOWN, PLEASE!” They all jumped as suddenly the headmaster was there yelling and scolding them. Valentina hadn’t even seen him approaching. Just where had he come in from?

“You’re the one shouting here, yanno,” Grim grumbled his ears falling to show his displeasure.

“Oh, pardon me,” Crowley said as he cleared his throat. “Good grief, the library is meant to be a quiet place where people can study and enjoy reading.”

“Why are you here, headmaster?” Anne Marie asked then—clearly wary of him. Valentina didn’t blame her; he had a way of being everywhere that was just unsettling.

“I was researching way on how to get you girls back home to your own world. I didn’t forget it at all, see?” Valentina doubted it from the way he emphasized that he didn’t forget. And the way Anne Marie’s eyes narrowed showed she thought similarly. He reached forwards still though and ruffled Valentina’s hair with his clawed fingers—forcing her headband down her face and making her have to fix her hair after adjusting it. “Oh, how kind of me—research starts at the library, after all. However, I’m not actually here because I want to read the latest edition to a certain novel earlier than anyone else, no sir, not at all.”

Valentina figured as much, but it still hurt to know for a fact Crowley didn’t give a damn about finding them a way home. At least not yet. She could feel tears threatening her water line at the thought of how long it would likely be before she saw her family again. It really would be up to them to figure out a way to get home. After all of this was done, she would definitely be spending more time in the library with Anne Marie going through the books.

“Ahem, so, what is everyone doing here all gathered with such troubled faces?” Crowley asked then and Valentina swore she heard Anne Marie mumble something about him being nosey in response.

“Well…” Deuce started before launching into an explanation of what had been happening concerning the perfect of Heartslabyul. Crowley, despite everything, did seem to listen carefully and at full attention as the story and events were recounted to him.

“I see,” he said after Deuce was finished with the story. “So that’s what happened… you don’t want to apologies to have the collar taken off, but you know that convincing the perfect will not go smoothly…”

“That’s about it, yeah,” Ace confirmed.

“And you girls?” Crowley asked as he looked at them. Clearly confused on why they would be involved in what was clearly another dorm’s issues.

“Along for the ride really,” Anne Marie stated with a shrug.

“I see. If you dislike the way your perfect does things, you do have the option to switch dormitories,” Crowley started then. “However, the Dark Mirror is the one that judges based on what it sees in your soul, so it is actually quite a herculean task to transfer dormitories.”

“Transferring, huh…” Ace said as he pondered the option. “I feel like I’d lose to him if I did that, so I don’t really wanna go for it.”

“Very well,” Crowley said with acknowledgment. “Then how about challenging little Rosehearts to a duel and then take the title of Perfect for yourself?”

Ace and Trey seemed completely taken aback by what Crowley was suggesting. As if it was absolute blasphemy. Seemed like a perfectly logical solution to Valentina. She actually wonders why she didn’t think of something like this earlier.
               “I said please keep it down,” Crowley whispered harshly at them.

“It’s because you said something weird, Headmaster!” Ace whispered back just as harshly.

“Nothing strange in it at all, my boy,” Crowley reassured as he returned to his normal speaking voice. “Little Rosehearts himself got the position by doing the same thing, after all.”

“How is the perfect position decided her in Night Raven College?” Deuce asked clearly having no idea.

“I heard them say that Riddle managed to be the perfect one week after getting in,” Grim said repeating what Trey had told them all at lunch the other day.

“They can either be appointed by the previous perfect, or they can win a duel against them,” Crowley explained then. “However, there are also other ways. A duel is one of the simpler ways, I’d say.”

“But I thought that using magic for one’s own benefit was forbidden?” Ace asked as he clearly caught a loophole in the schools’ rules. Honestly, Valentina was just shocked Ace seemed to know the school rules at all.

“For personal gain, yes,” Crowley confirmed. “However, a duel appointed and approved by the headmaster himself due to official and valid reasons is another story.”

Valentina didn’t have the energy to point out the hypocrisy in all of that. It was like saying a fist fight was ok as long as the teachers oversaw it.

“If I remember correctly,” Trey said then finally speaking up after being silent for so long. “It’s forbidden to enforce a handicap on your opponent before a duel starts, so you can have the collar taken off without apologizing to Riddle. Ah, but…” Trey seemed troubled at the idea. Clearly doubting the first years could pull it off. Even Ace looked a little hesitant at the idea. He wasn’t stupid, a corner cutter sure, but not stupid.

“New students are given the right to challenge their perfect should they want to,” Crowley stated clearly and firmly. “What will you do Mr. Trappola? Will you challenge him?”

“Alright,” Ace said then a little shaky but firm in resolve. “I’ll show him who’s boss.”

“I’ll challenge him too,” Deuce said then and Valentina blinked at Deuce’s sudden proclamation. She didn’t expect him to want to get involved in the fighting but he looked just as fired up as ever.

“Me too!” Grim cheered excitedly.

“Unfortunately, you’re from a different dorm so you can’t participate, Mr. Grim,” Crowley said before Anne Marie or Valentina could remind Grim that he wasn’t actually a Heartslabyul member.

“Wha--? Then who’s gonna take off my collar?” Grim pouted. Valentina chuckled a little as she bent down to pick Grim up and hold her in his arms—he snuggled in quickly, glad for the comfort.

“If I become perfect, I’ll order that Riddle to take it off for ya~” Ace reassured. His usual cocky attitude back and brighter than ever.

“Damn it… this was a chance for me to show off my skills too…” Grim continued to out despite Ace’s reassurances.

“Are you guys serious?” Trey asked clearly still in shock at their decision before he turned to Deuce specifically. “I didn’t think that you’d agree with them, Deuce.”

“Really?” Deuce asked with wide eyes. “As a man, wouldn’t it be great to aim for the top at least once? I’ll do my best for the team if we’re gonna go ahead and challenge them.” Deuce put a first into his open palm them. A wicked smile on his face that shot right through Valentina. She really shouldn’t have watched Grease so many times.

“There he goes with his crude speech again,” Ace teased then snapping Deuce out of it.

“Eh? It’s ok… right?” He looked to Valentina for reassurance and she smiled at him.

“I’ll be rooting for you,” she said with a smile—enjoying the way his ears dusted pink at her words. She also pointedly ignored the gagging sounds Ace was making and the way Anne Marie was raising an eyebrow at her.

“Then, I shall inform you of the proceedings of the duel,” Crowley said then.

“We have to strategize first,” Anne Marie added in. “It won’t do you any good if you just run in there halfcocked.”

“You don’t have to be so worried,” Ace said as he threw an arm over Anne Marie’s shoulder. She looked appalled at the fact he was touching her but made no move to shove him off. “So do you guys have any good ideas?”

“Hm…” Deuce started to hum just as Valentina felt her phone buzz. She pulled it out of her pocket and began to read the group message from her phone. Dang, the Ignihyde students did work fast if they fixed the notification issue already. “I feel like the perfect will win if we go the magic route. If we go physical, then we have a chance of winning.”

“True, he looks fragile,” Grim added with a smirk—balancing on Valentina’s shoulder as she read the message. It was from Judith.

“Oh, I forgot to mention,” Crowley started. “Any attacks aside from magic are forbidden.” There were a few strangled cries from the guys and a laugh from Crowley. “Let’s have a fun duel while playing by the rules~ I shall finish telling you everything tomorrow, so please inform me when the duel with taking place. Now then, please excuse me.”

And with that, the Headmaster was gone in a flurry just as quickly as he had appeared. Leaving the group of them left to ponder what exactly had happened.

“A-alright! I don’t’ have the confidence if it’s magic, but… We’ll manage somehow!” Ace stammered out—all his bolster from a bit ago gone with the headmaster’s words.

“Y-yeah!” Deuce agreed, also clearly out of confidence.

“Well, I don’t know if it helps any,” Valentina deadpanned a little. “But Judith just sent an entire essay on how she thinks Riddle’s unique magic works.”

“Let me see that,” Trey said and Valentina handed him the phone so he could read it.

“I didn’t even know she was capable of using words that big,” Valentina said still reeling from trying to decipher what exactly Judith had even said.

“Believe it or not she’s actually quite well-read,” Anne Marie huffed in annoyance as she looked through the essay. “Though a lot of good it does when the information isn’t helpful. Seriously, how does it help to know that Riddle’s collars are likely just sticking magic in a constant feedback loop and redirecting it to sustain itself?”

“It’s better than nothing,” Trey said as he looked it over—clearly impressed by what he had read. “At least it might give you an idea of what defensive magics you might practice beforehand.”

“My necks on the line here, so you all better do your best!” Grim huffed in defiance.

“You guys…” Trey said torn between hopeful and exasperated. Valentina have him a slight pat on the shoulder. He would have to get used to it with this group. It was a constant feeling.

“When I become perfect, I’ll have him say ‘It’s all my fault. I’m sorry' to me!” Ace declared. “And I’ll make him stop enforcing all those dumb rules!”

Chapter Text

They had scheduled the match with Riddle for that Saturday. Mostly so they would have at least a few days to rest and prepare; though there was only so much prep work Ace and Deuce could do with their collars on. They could study the spells recommended to them by Mr. Mimsy; who smiled with a wink as he pushed back his bright violet hair after the situation was explained before going off on a story about how he won a similar duel by turning into a purple dragon.

The night before the duel. Valentina dreamed again of the queen among the rose maze.

“Another weird dream?” She asked herself as she stared at the scene again. This time, they were no longer in the rose maze. Instead, they were in what appeared to be an outdoor courtroom. The pews were filled with cards and the queen sat high on a podium as she drummed her fingers in irritation and rage as she stared down at the blonde girl. The girl who now stood on trial.

“I’ll give you a piece of my mind,” the girl yelled up at the queen without fear. “What kind of a queen are you? You’re just a selfish and evil tyrant who does what she wants!”

“What did you just say, girl?” The queen glowered down making Valentina flinch at the gaze.

“She called you a selfish tyrant~,” a purple cat said with a laugh. Materializing on the queen’s shoulder much in the same way Che’nya had at Heartslabyul.

“Don’t encourage her!” Valentina yelled at the cat but the dream didn’t respond. She wasn’t there, she was just an observer. Nothing more.

“OFF WITH HER HEAD!!!” The queen screeched and there was an uproar of movement. Cards were flying from their seats to capture the girl as she tried to run away. Valentina tried to stop them, but her feet were panted in place, unable to move.

“Stop it!” Valentina cried out—panic seizing her throat. “She’s just a child! Leave her alone!”

But no one heard her cries. Because she wasn’t there.

“It’s the queen’s orders!” A tiny man, presumably the king said with a smile. “Off with her head~”

“Please stop!” She sobbed again as she watched helplessly as they ran after the girl. “Why did it turn out like this?”

She turned to the queen who stayed proudly on her podium. The queen only smiled as she watched the cruelty. Valentina yelled up at her. “Who hurt you for you to turn out like this? Who let you turn out like this?”

But there was no answer. There never was.

…

“Val, Val!” Grim called out panicking as she tried to shake Valentina away. She was thrashing about and her breathing was shallow and strained. She sounded like a broken squeak toy. Grim didn’t know what to do.

“What’s happening?” Deuce asked as he came into the room rushing over to the bedside. He had wandered there at the sound of crying and thrashing.

“She’s not waking up and her breathing is weird,” Grim screeched in panic. He clearly didn’t know what to do either.

“Out of my way.” Deuce felt himself be shoved to the side as Judith made her way into the room. She sat on the side of Valentina’s bed and gripped a shoulder tightly to try and shake her. When she didn’t respond, Judith knit her eyebrows together and sighed before raising a hand and slapping Valentina across the face.

Valentina’s eyes flew open then and she shot up. Her breathing was still off, ragged and harsh. Judith forced Valentina’s chin up and shoulders back. Opening up her airways the best she could.

“Come on, you have to breathe,” Judith murmured as she tried to soothe Valentina. “You have pulled yourself back from this before you went into a full-blown asthma attack before. You can do it.”

Judith continued to mutter words of encouragement and praise as Valentina’s breathing finally evened out—the younger going limp into the elder’s arms. Judith pushed her up then and let her fall back to lean against the headrest then. Valentina was still panting but she seemed ok.

Deuce clenched his fists then. He had no idea what happened but he had been… useless. Valentina had been panicking and having a nightmare and all he could do was stand there like a dead fish when Judith had made her way in.

“Is she ok?” Kimberlee asked then as she made her way in. She must have been shortly behind Judith and stayed back while her senior worked.

“I don’t know, are you?” Judith asked Valentina then and the black-haired girl nodded.

“Just a bad dream,” Valentina explained then. Then she asked, “how did you…?”

“Know how to pull you back?” Judith asked then and Valentina nodded in affirmation. “I watched the coaches help you through attacks a lot when we were in dance. You had an attack after almost every group performance, after all, it would be pretty hard to miss.”

Valentina flushed then and nodded—a hand coming up to rub her likely throbbing cheek. Judith winched a little.

“Sorry, I would have used smelling salts but we don’t have any and you weren’t waking up from being shaken. I kind of panicked,” Judith laughed a little.

“I would say, I’m going to be feeling it for a week,” Valentina grumbled but there was still a slight smile. “Thanks.”

“What I wasn’t about to let you suffocate yourself in your sleep,” Judith said as she brushed off the thanks—moving from the bed.

“Today’s the fated day!” Ace called then as he entered the room—already dressed and prepared for the match. He then blinked as he looked at the panicked scene before him. “What did I miss?”

“My subconscious trying to kill me is all,” Valentina said as she waved off the concern. “If you all get out I’ll get dressed so we can get to this match.”

“Wait we’re going?” Judith said with a blink. “I thought we were just supposed to hang back until we saw the victory posts on Magicam or they came back here with their tails between their legs?”

“We talked about it all last night? Did no one tell you we decided to watch in support as a dorm?” Kimberlee asked then and Judith let a noise between a groan and growl out of her throat as she threw her head back.

“As long as you people don’t make a habit of leaving me out I guess it's fine.”

…

“Hey, did you hear?” One of the Dumstrung twins asked excitedly. “Someone challenged Perfect Rosehearts to a duel!”

“THE perfect?” The other twin said in disbelief. “I can’t imagine it. It’ll probably be over in a flash.”

“But this is the first challenge he’s ever gotten,” Whitley said sounding almost hopeful. “Let’s go watch~”

Trey and Cater had been watching the group of eager dorm members chatter as they passed by. The two third years watching them and sighing before turning to each other.

“Acey and Deucey were guided by the headmaster into challenging Riddle to a duel?” Cater exclaimed then having only heard the retelling of the story from Trey moments before. Trey had wanted to tell him sooner but he had been busy soothing Riddle from going to fight the first years at Ramshackle. Reassuring him that he would get to fight them soon enough. “Are you serious?”

“I tried to stop them, though…” Trey defended as Cater was clearly still in shock at the idea.  Cater finally snapped his jaw shut before rubbing the back of his neck. A habit Trey was beginning to notice he did when he was stressed.

“Geez, now they’ve done it…” Cater sighed and Trey could only agree. Riddle had beheaded at least a dozen more students since the incident. All while cursing Ramshackle in the process, though Trey couldn’t get him to open up about what one of the girls had done to provoke him exactly. Proximity and experience made him believe Judith but he couldn’t be sure. “I hope this won’t turn out for the worst…”

“Yeah…” Trey said in agreement with a sigh. He knew this would be the last straw if they failed. He knew there was no way Ace and Deuce would ever be allowed back in the dorm after a stunt like this. Trey knew this and yet, he couldn’t find it in himself to speak up to Riddle still. He would still sooner let Ace and Deuce be thrown to the wolves than speak up.

He really was useless when it came to his Queen.

…

“Now then,” Crowley announced. Valentina watched as they all stood in the rose maze—the same area the Unbirthday party had been not too long ago. All the girls were there for support—they had even managed to drag Eva to the match. Riddle’s eyes had fallen on their group as soon as they arrived with Ace and Deuce—his glare burning. She half expected it to be on her and Fiona but it seemed to stay fixated on Judith for some reason. Valentina wanted to ask but she didn’t get the chance as Crowley continued to speak. “I shall be watching over the duel about to take place here in the Heartslabyul Dorm.”

Riddle’s gaze left them then instead to focus on Ace and Deuce. Her heart was hammering in her chest as if she was going to be the one dueling. Her eyes left Riddle then and focused on Deuce. He seemed nervous in the way he kept his hands clenched around his magic pen and to his sides—but his face was stern and focused on what he was about to do.

“The challengers are Ace Trappola and Deuce Spade. The one who accepted the challenge is the current perfect Riddle Rosehearts.” Crowley paused then to turn to Riddle. “Now then, please remove the collars in order to start the duel with no handicaps for both sides.”

There was a moment of hesitation as Riddle narrowed his eyes, looking as if he was trying to will Ace and Deuce to disintegrate into the ground. Then with a flick of his pen, there was the sound of something unlocking before the collars fell away and disappeared into nothing. Both Ace and Deuce sighed in relief having the heavy metal collars off of them.

“That damn thing’s finally off!” Ace cried out happily as he switched to a ready position.

“It will be back on you in a little while, so I’d say you best enjoy it while you can,” Riddle taunted from his side of the clearing. “I almost doubted it when I heard that you had challenged me to a duel. Are you really serious?”

“Of course!” Ace exclaimed—clearly insulted at the idea it was all for show.

“We would never challenge you as a joke,” Deuce added in as he also took a ready position.

“Hmph, never mind,” Riddle huffed then. “Let’s get started quickly.”

“Riddle, what should we do about our afternoon tea?” Cater asked then quickly from where he stood on Riddle’s side of the field. Almost as if he was trying to stall, possibly so Ace and Deuce could prepare just a little longer.

“No problem,” Riddle dismissed—his eyes never leaving Ace and Deuce. He looked like a cat who saw a mouse. “Afternoon tea always has to be at exactly four PM.”

“But it’s already past three-thirty,” Cater said weakly.

“Do you think I’ll be late for anything in my life?” Riddle asked his voice cold as his eyes slide to glare at Cater—making the ginger flinch. “I’m pretty sure this will be over quickly.”

“As you can see, I don’t have much time,” Riddle addressed his challengers then. “Taking you on one at a time will be time-consuming, so come at me, both of you.”

“You can do it, perfect! Please settle it quickly!” One of the Heartslabyul students cheered. Even if they were the only one that cheered. Even Trey stayed quiet as he watched from behind Riddle’s back—expressionless and cold.

“They sound confident,” Deuce said then a hint of nervousness creeping in his voice.

“Ugh, that’s so creepy!” Grim groaned in protest from where he was in Fiona’s arms.

“Kick some ass Ace,” Kristina cheered then—loudly. Much louder than the other students cheered for Riddle.

“You can do it Deuce!” Valentina cheered as well hoping that it would help give them courage.

“Please win, I want you both out of my dorm,” Anne Marie cheered—earning a snicker from everyone even Ace and Deuce. It helped break the tension and relax them a bit—even if Riddle seemed completely unamused by the show.

“We didn’t come here without a plan, you know!” Ace taunted then and Valentina couldn’t help but bite her lip in worry. The plan was shoddy at best. They couldn’t even practice it because of the collars.

“Headmaster, please begin at once,” Riddle said coldly—completely unaffected by Ace’s taunt.

“The moment this hand mirror falls to the ground is the signal to start,” Crowley said as he held a silver hand mirror high up for all to see. It was almost blinding in the afternoon sunlight—impossible to miss. “Ready… Fight!”

The mirror couldn’t have been on the ground for more than a second before Riddle yelled, “Off with your head!” The battle was over in an instant. Ace and Deuce were collared again. Valentina couldn’t even process the speed at which the match had taken place.

“Damn it!” Ace yelled out. “Can he do anything besides seal other people’s magic?”

“To think that we couldn’t even do anything,” Deuce said in shock—stunned from having been collared so quickly.

“It went by so quickly,” Kimberlee said in awe.

“I don’t think I even saw what happened,” Valentina said sharing the same sentiment.

“That was so lame,” Kristina groaned.

“Should we consider clearing out two other rooms?” Valentina heard Judith mumble to Anne Marie. The caramel blonde making a noise of reluctant agreeance.

“One’s magic strength comes from the strength of the imagination,” Crowley explained then—loudly for all to hear. “The stronger he imagines the results of his magic will be, the more successful it will burn out. Little Rosehearts here has shown how much he has polished his magical skills.”

“The difference in their levels is just too much!” Grim cried out from where he watches.

“Well, he is a year older than them, so he is a year more practiced,” Fiona reasoned to Grim.

“Hmph. That didn’t even take five seconds. I’m surprised that you went and challenged me with your skill level. Aren’t you embarrassed?” Riddle taunted with that same sadistic smile he wore when Ace first challenged him. He was enjoying the power he had right now. Knowing that they were helpless to stop them. It made Valentina want to punch him.  “I knew it. Anyone who breaks the rules will always amount to nothing. It is as mother said.”

“…It’s true that rules should be protected,” Deuce started them standing tall as he walked in Riddle’s direction. “But strictly implementing every single nitpicky rule you can find is called oppression!”

“Huh? This is a punishment for rules that are broken. And I am this dorm’s absolute rule.” Riddle declared in response. “That’s why those who break the rules have no right to complain to me!”

“You can’t keep using the rules as an excuse to do whatever you want!” Valentina yelled out then as she marched onto the field as well. Riddle’s eyes focused on her, and she stood tall—refusing to buckle under his gaze. What was he going to do? Seal her magic? He couldn’t do shit to her and he knew it.

“No one will follow rules that are lenient!” Riddle yelled to her. “What sort of lessons were you given that you can’t even understand something so simple as this? You were born from parents who can’t even use magic. I’m sure that you didn’t receive any good education before you stepped foot in this school. How pathetic, truly.”

“Damn you!” Deuce yelled going forward again. Valentina was about to join Deuce. She was seeing nothing but red. This little prick didn’t know a damned thing about her family or her life before Twisted Wonderland. He was not going to get to talk back about her family now.

“I’VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOU!” Valentina and Deuce didn’t get the chance to throw a punch. Ace had already sent himself flying between the two of them and landed a hit square on Riddle’s jaw. Sending him tumbling backward and onto the ground. His expression completely stunned as he was still likely seeing stars from the force of the blow.

“Riddle?” Cater and Trey called as they ran forward to help Riddle to his feet.

“Rosehearts?” Crowley called out still in complete shock over what had happened.

“He… he punched the perfect?” One of the students asked in a loud whisper. No one was really sure how to process what had happened.

“That was a pretty clean right hook!” Grim cheered—clearly thrilled the duel had turned into a brawl.

“Nice hit! Do it again!” Kristina called out as well before being shushed by the rest of their dorm mates.

“A-Ace?” Deuce asked clearly concerned by the dark look on Ace’s face. The red-head tuned them all out though as he stayed completely focused on Riddle.

“Ah. I’m tired. I don’t care about you or this duel anymore,” Ace said as he back away from Riddle just a bit.

“Ouch… eh? You… punched me…?” Riddle was still processing what happened after he stepped away from Cater and Trey. A hand resting on his cheek. Valentina might have sympathized with her own sore jaw if she wasn’t so pissed off.

“Kids aren’t their parent’s trophies. Your parents aren’t the ones who get to decide what you’re worth.”

“Val the sky is the limit. If you want it, go for it. Don’t you dare let me or anyone else stop you.”  Valentina’s mother’s words echoed in her head as Ace spoke. She couldn’t help it. This was all just reminding her so much of that night. She couldn’t’ help it.

“I finally understand that you being a trashy person isn’t your mom or dad’s fault at all!” Ace yelled at Riddle. “You’ve been in this school for a year. And the one to blame is the bastard you call a friend who did nothing but turn a blind eye to your selfishness!”

Ace pointed directly at Trey. The green-haired male didn’t even flinch from the accusation. He just stood there solemnly. His eyes cast to the ground. Riddle just seemed confused though—looking frantically between Ace to Trey then back to Ace again.

“What are you saying?” Riddle asked—clearly confused and sounding almost hysterical.

“And I understand that your mom raised you the way she did, but is ‘Mama this, mama that' all you can say?” Valentina swore she heard Judith snicker a little at that. “You’re not capable of thinking for yourself? To hell with that ‘Red Ruler’ bullshit! You’re just a baby who happens to be gifted with magic!”

“Baby, you say…? Me?” Riddle asked blinking in shock before his face hardened. Back to being the firm scowl that Valentina and the others were so familiar with. “You know nothing and yet… you don’t know anything about me and yet…!”

“Yeah, I don’t. I don’t know a damn thing!” Ace yelled back clearly not caring that Riddle was probably close to a full mental break. The signs were clear. Valentina was more than familiar with them having been around dancers and performers so long. Ace needed to cool off quick or it wasn’t going to be good. “Do you think I’d know anything with that attitude of yours? Don’t be stupid!”

“Ace, I think you made your point,” Valentina said as she tried to pull Ace back further but he shook her off.

“Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP! QUIET!” Riddle yelled, his face as red and angry as it had been at the Unbirthday party. “Mother is right! That’s why I am also right!”

“Riddle, calm down. The duel is already over!” Trey said as he tried to step in to pull Riddle back. But the smaller boy only shook him off—his gaze of fury still focused on Ace and Ace alone.

“Clover is right. Any attacks done outside of the duel will nullify your victory. If you continue to do any more than this, you will be breaking the rules!” Crowley tried to reason with Riddle but he was too far gone.

“I agree with the newbie! I’ve had enough of this, too!”

There was a cry then as an egg went flying from the onlooking Heartslabyul students. It hit Riddle’s shoulder—splashing in a raw and runny mess down his pristine white clothes. There was a stunned moment of silence. No one knew what to do again. How Riddle was going to react.

“What was that? An egg? Did someone throw that?” Trey asked still completely baffled someone dared throw an egg to realize it had already landed on its intended target.

“Who threw that egg at me?” Riddle roared at the crowd only to be met with silence in turn. It wasn’t the right response though, it only infuriated him further.

“HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! You’ve had enough? I’m the one who’s had enough!” Riddle laughed hysterically as he looked over the group. “No matter how much I warned you, no matter how strict I’ve gotten, you all kept breaking the rules! Every single one of you… You’re all just idiots who think about yourselves! Very well. If no one will admit, then I’ll have you all take responsibility! Off with all your heads! OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!”

There was a mass outcry as Riddle managed to collar every single one of the Heartslabyul members who had gathered to watch the fight. Valentina’s eyes widened at the mass panic and confusion that was starting. She could feel Deuce tugging her back to the safety of their group. Riddle was losing his mind.

“Ahahahaha! How’s that! Now, none of you can raise a hand against me!” Riddle cackled even as his face remained red and tears were starting to run down his face. “I knew it. I’m the only one who’s right because I protect the rules!”

“Desist, Rosehearts!” Crowley called out. “Not following the rules I unlike you at all!”

“What does he mean unlike him?” Kristina asked. “He’s been pulling this shit since day one!”

“If you haven’t noticed Crowley is one of the egotistical and prideful mages he mentioned when he enrolled us,” Anne Marie protested. “He isn’t exactly going to step in until it gets bad like now.”

“Trey, this is looking bad…” Cater said from where he stood near Riddle. “If he uses any more of that magic, he’ll…”

Cater didn’t get to finish his sentence though as Trey moved to stand between Riddle and the students he was now facing down like some kind of caged animal that had just been released.

“Riddle, enough!” Trey said sternly. Riddle flinched a little but didn’t move.

“Riddle you aren’t proving anything right now,” Judith yelled to him but Riddle ignored her entirely.

“Hey, you!” Ace called then pulling Riddle’s attention back to them. Valentina had never wanted to kick someone more at that moment. What was Ace thinking pulling his attention on them? “Not everything will go the way you want, you know? You throwing a tantrum like this is exactly why I called you a baby!”

“Take that back right now! Do you want to get skewered!” Riddle yelled to Ace but Ace stood his ground at the forefront of their group—having shaken off Deuce when he yelled out to Riddle.

“Hell no! Never!” Ace challenged stubbornly.

Riddle let out an inhuman screech then. Filling the gardens with its sound. Everyone covered their ears but it did little to muffle the pained sounds.

“This is getting bad! You guys, get out of here!” Cater yelled to them but they couldn’t move. They were frozen in place as the gardens turned foggy and the sky took on a blood-red hue. The bushes of roses began to float then, pulled up all the way from the root.

“Wh-wha! All the rose trees in the courtyard are floating!” Grim exclaimed as if no one else could clearly see what was around them.

“What distorted magic,” Deuce huffed against the pure pressure Riddle was now exuding. “Does he plan on using that on Ace?”

“Rose trees, tear that man’s body to shreds!” Riddle roared and the trees went flying to Ace. Ace who stood there wide-eyed and defenseless without his magic.

“This is bad! Get out of the way!” Crowley called to Ace who was still frozen.

“Ace move!” Valentina yelled trying to snap him out of it, but it was no use Ace was too stunned to move. He could only wait for the impact. Valentina closed her eyes and waited for the sound of bark and branches snapping against flesh, she couldn’t look. Didn’t want to look.

But the sounds never came. Opening her eyes saw Ace still standing there in awe as a flurry of playing cards came floating down from the sky where the tree had been flying to Ace.

“This is?” Riddle said clearly confused about what had just happened.

“Huh? I’m… alive? What are these? Cards?” Ace asked his voice faint as he fell to his knees. His legs likely having given out from shock. He had weakly reached out and picked up one of the playing cards to examine it before tossing it to the side.

“All the rose trees turned into cards! This is…” Deuce trailed off clearly mentally figuring out what happened.

“Riddle, enough already!” Trey yelled and snapped with more force than Valentina had ever seen him muster. He stalks forward and grabs Riddle’s frame by the shoulders trying to shake him back to reality.

“It’s Trey’s Doodle Suit!? Eh, but how…?” Cater asked having no idea how anything that was happening was happening.

“The collars restricting out magic is gone!” Grim cheered and Valentina watched and Deuce and Ace checked their necks before Deuce helped Ace stand up again. The redhead having fully recovered from the shock finally.

“I told you, right? My Doddle Suit can change any given situation for a short amount of time,” Trey yelled to them before focusing his attention back on Riddle again. “That’s why I changed Riddle’s magic to be replaced with mine.”

“No way… is that even possible? That’s like a cheat, isn’t it?” Cater exclaimed still completely baffled by what was happening. What the hell this was supposed to be a world full of magic, why was everyone so damned shocked?

“Ugh…” Riddle grumbled as he pushed Trey off of him. “Off with your head! I said, off with your head! Why are cards coming out?”

Riddle had been trying to collar Trey but it wasn’t working. All that was happening were more and more cards coming out and him growing more and more frustrated as tears continued to flow down his face.

“Stop that, Riddle. You’re only setting yourself up for destruction,” Trey said trying to get close to Riddle again only for the smaller boy to step back and away from his friend. “Look at everyone’s faces!”

“He was seriously about skewering him…”

“That’s going too far…”

“He… he’s a monster!”

“Hah?” Riddle said finally having given up on trying to behead Trey. All that was left was him defenseless and blubbering. Truly the look of a child who wasn’t getting their way. “My magic was overwritten by Trey’s...? Does that mean that his magic is stronger than mine…?”

“There’s no way that’s true,” Trey tried to comfort Riddle stepping to him again only for Riddle to take another step back. Recoiling from the touch as if it was a hot poker instead of a hand. “Riddle, calm down and listen to what they’re saying.”

“Are you saying that I’m wrong, too?” Riddle asked the broken voice of betrayal ringing crystal clear like a bell. “Even after I did my best to protect all those strict rules? Even after I’ve endured so, so, so many things! I won’t! I will never! I will never believe it!”

“You mustn’t, Rosehearts! If you use your magic further, your magic jewel will become tainted with Blot!” Crowley cried out in warning. Valentina wasn’t sure what Blot was exactly, but it didn’t sound good.

“I am… I ALONE AM—” Riddle choaked out as an oily substance hacked its way out of his throat—sputtering all over the ground and almost hitting Trey. “I’M THE ONLY ONE WHO IS RIGHT!”

“RIDDLE!” Trey yelled out—reaching for his friend before then was an eruption. The ink spreading rapidly and a swirl of blood-red rose petals obscuring Riddle from their sights. The wind whipping Valentina’s hair around until she couldn’t see anything at all.

When the roses fell and Riddle was visible again… she wishes she couldn’t see him. Because the person, thing, standing in front of them was definitely not Riddle.

Chapter Text

“What the hell is happening?” Valentina yelled out in question. One minute Riddle was standing there in hysterics and now, now someone and something standing there that looked like him but was most definitely not. He was dressed in red and black with playing cards and ink all around him. His skin turned an ashy white and his eyes the same shade of red as his hair. There was a firelight coming out of his right eye with a lace mask of ink covering that same side of his face. He was hanging from what Valentina could only describe as a monster. Red and pulsing, but still humanoid. It held Riddle firmly in one hand by the back of his dress and a rose tree in the other like a mallet. Its face was heart-shaped and filled with ink—like it was a bottle.

               “It isn’t good that’s what,” Judith said as she approached the first year.

               “No shit it isn’t good!” Kristina countered clearly getting worked up. “Quit saying the obvious Ice Queen!”

               “I thought we were passed you taking your frustrations out on me?” Judith fired back but there wasn’t much heat in it as she continued to keep her eyes on Riddle or whatever Riddle had become.

               “HAHAHAHAHA,” Riddle finally began cackling—a sick and twisted smile on his face as he looked over the group. His voice was wrong, reverbed and twisted to echo and distort—making Valentina’s skin crawl. “I do not need anyone who defies me in my world. I am my world’s absolute ruler. My world itself submits to me! I will not tolerate any answer aside from ‘Yes, Lord Riddle.’ It’s off with the heads of everyone who defies me! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!”

               “Ah, how could this happen?” Crowley cried out in clear pained confusion. “How could I let a student go into Overblot while I am here?”

               Valentina didn’t know what Overblot was, but she did know one thing. That this all could have been avoided if the stupid bird-man had listened to his student body when they told him Riddle was getting out of hand. But no, he couldn’t be bothered to step in and talk. Or even send a teacher to mediate. Hell, who decided it was a good idea to let teenage boys be left unsupervised without an adult unit to help out? Especially ones that could use magic. But she supposed that was neither here nor there.

               “What’s Overblot?” Grim asked then as they all did their best to stay out of Riddle’s sight as he continued to tear up the gardens in a show of power. “That guy’s turned completely evil now, look!”

               “Overblot is the one situation that all magicians should avoid,” Crowley began to explain to the group of them. “Right now, he has been enveloped by so much negative energy that he’s lost control over his emotions and magic.”

               “I don’t really get it, though?” Grim said visibly confused.

               “Me, too!” Deuce agreed as he had managed to pull Ace over to the safety of their hiding area.

               “Ah, geez! In other words, it’s like an evil villain berserker mode!” Cater exclaimed as he and Trey came dashing into the same spot to avoid Riddle’s gaze.

               “I was going to go with a magical mental breakdown,” Anne Marie commented then. “But that seems to work too.”

               “I wouldn’t call it evil or him a villain though,” Judith reasoned. “He’s in pain. His whole world is shattering around him and he doesn’t know what to do. He needs help.”

               “Jude is right,” Trey agreed. “If this goes on, Riddle’s life will be in danger!”

               Valentina didn’t think she had ever seen Trey so panicked before. His eyes kept darting back to Riddle like he wanted to run out there again. But he didn’t know what he would do once he was there. He looked completely helpless, and she imagined he felt mostly responsible.

               “His life?” Grim exclaimed. Valentina’s eyes had widened as well. This could kill Riddle. It went well beyond the realms of a mental breakdown. This was more of an overdose-educed rampage of a bad trip.

               “The other student’s lives take priority. I’ll go help with the evacuation! Rosehearts must come to his senses before his magic consumes him,” Crowley explained then. “Losing his life is an absolute bad scenario, but even worse is… in any case, you students go get the rest of the staff and dorm heads to help control the situation—”

               “TAKE THIS!” Valentina didn’t know when Ace had gotten to his feet and ran out. But she did know he was now casting his wind magic at Riddle. Drawing his attention to him. They all cried out in shock.

               “COME FORTH, CAULDRON!” Deuce yelled out having also snuck around to use his summoning magic on Riddle.

               “What are those idiots doing?” Kristina yelled as she watched them before Grim went running out into the fray as well, spewing his fire magic at the Overblotted perfect.

               “Being out idiots,” Valentina answered then as she watched in worry, but also pride. They weren’t just going to run and leave him. Even when it would be so easy for them to do so. They were going to fight to bring him back. And she wanted to help, she didn’t know how yet but she wanted to.

               “You insolent little! What are you doing!” Riddle bellowed at them.

               “H-h-hey, what are you guys up to?” Cater asked nervously—still hanging back out of sight.

               “That guy will be in danger if we leave him like that!” Grim called in between breaths of fire.

               “I don’t really want him to go out that way, Plus…” Deuce said before trailing off—summoning another cauldron.

               “I still haven’t heard him say ‘It’s all my fault, I’m sorry,’ to me!” Ace yelled out and threw out another gust of wind. Ace—simple and straightforward to the end. Valentina couldn’t help but laugh. He really was just like Johnny.

               “Then… I’ll just take over that dream. I don’t mind, I kind of like the idea! So, Val should do what she wants.”

               “You guys…” Trey said sounding wistful. Valentina even swore she saw a tear fall down his cheek, but it might have just been sweat from the blazing fire around the garden. He straightened up quickly though—a determined expression on his face. “Got it! I can overwrite Riddle’s magic for a short time. When that happens, I’ll leave it in your care. Headmaster, please escort the others to safety. And take the girls with.”

               “No way, I’m staying,” Valentina argued.

               “Wait a minute, you kids! That is dangerous,” Crowley protested.

               “He might be an ass but I don’t want to see him die,” Judith agreed with Valentina. Moving to stand at the shorter girl’s side. “We can at least keep his attention divided.”

               “Judith that has to be the stupidest thing I have ever heard from you,” Anne Marie argued the concern pulling through her voice though. “We can’t use magic we will only be in the way.”

               “Then you can leave, we’re staying,” Judith said digging her heels into the ground.

               “I’m staying too,” Kimberlee said with a nod.

               “Me too,” Fiona agreed. “I didn’t stand up before but I will now.”

               “Besides, didn’t you want us to get pictures of kids misbehaving Headmaster?” Kristina taunted as she held up the ghost camera. Valentina made a motion for her to hand it over and Kristina did without a fuss.

               “You are all insane!” Eva protested with Anne Marie nodding along eagerly.

               “She’s right, what are you all saying?” Cater protested just as shocked. “There’s no way you can win against Riddle!”

               “It’s too lame to keep losing to people we challenge!” Ace fired from where he was on the battlefield.

               “It’s totally not cool at all!” Grim agreed.

               “This is the only way I can think of to make him come back to his senses,” Deuce agreed.

               “Yeah… I can’t lose him yet. I…” Trey said as he got a little choked up before coming back. “There’s something I still have to tell him!”

               “I have to say to him too,” Judith said to Trey with a nod. Valentina was a little taken back by that. She wasn’t quite sure what exactly Judith could have to tell Riddle. She shook it off though. She could ask later if she was still curious.

               “We have to stop him, it’s the only way,” Valentina agreed. “You guys in or out. We won’t judge you either way.”

               “Speak for yourself,” Kristina taunted then.

               “Ah, damn it!” Cater whined. “I get it already. There’s really no other way, huh!”

               “You are all idiots and I can’t believe I’m agreeing to this,” Anne Marie exclaimed.

               “I’m going to die in a magical flower field,” Eva resided. “That’s it, this is how I go.”

               “Ah, good grief…” Crowley trailed off as all of his students seemed to have aligned with one another. All of them ready to face Riddle head-on. “I’ll return as soon as I escort the others to safety, so please stay safe until then, all of you!”

               He was gone then, leaving them all there to face Riddle alone.

               “You know a good teacher would have just agreed to fight Riddle and we lead everyone out,” Anne Marie said more than a little shaky.

               “That’s implying he’s good,” Valentina huffed before they all turned then to join Ace, Deuce, and Grim on the open field.

               “Every single one of you is getting ahead of yourself!” Riddle yelled out. He looked like a rag doll in the creatures’ arms even as he raised an arm to yell his signature magic at them. “Off with your heads!” Only cards came flying out then as Trey quickly overwrote the magic with his own. However, Riddle wasn’t deterred by it this time as he sends a tree barreling at them.

               “Scatter,” Judith yelled then and everyone followed suit as they quickly moved to surround Riddle and keep his attention divided.

               “Riddle’s body won’t last much longer,” Trey called out to all of them. “We have to stop him quickly or else…”

               “We get it impending death, would totally ruin the mood,” Kristina fired back. “Anyone got any ideas?”

               “Keep him off balance?” Anne Marie offered. It wasn’t much but it was something.

               “Cater now might be a good time for Split Card to give us some extra hands,” Judith yelled at him. Cater nodded before he separated into his various clones. All of them moving quickly to spread out further and shoot off various magics at Riddle.

               “OFF WITH YOUR HEADS!” Riddle yelled out ready to seal all of the magic they had again.

               “Doodle Suit!” Trey quickly countered preventing the sealing again.

               “Again!” Riddle yelled out in frustration. “You’re getting in my way again, Trey!”

               “Alright! Riddle can’t seal our magic like this!” Grim cheered out as Riddle’s attention was still focused on Trey.

               “But the effect won’t be for too long,” Cater argued. “We’re still in deep trouble.”

               “Yeah. Finish it off while my Doodle Suit is still active!” Trey agreed as he dodged a flurry of thorns that showed in his direction like knives.

               “A lot of good it will do if we can’t keep Trey alive long enough for its duration,” Fiona panted from her side of the field as she helped pull Trey away from Riddle’s merciless attacks.

               “He’s the setter here, we have to keep him from taking the first hit!” Kristina yelled out earning a few cries of confusion.

               “If our support goes down it's game over!” Eva agreed, earning another few cries of confusion from the guys.

               “Can someone translate Jock and Nerd?” Ace yelled out as he blew another gust of wind.

               “They are saying we have to keep Trey safe or Doodle Suit won’t matter,” Kimberlee supplied then as she dodged a strike from the rose tree mallet.

               “Cater! Keep one of you guarding Trey,” Anne Marie yelled out. “We can’t let him run out of his magic or get hurt.”

               “On it!” Cater agreed as one of them ran over to

               “Is there a limit to this guy’s magic?” Ace panted as he hunched over a little. Clearly tired from all his casting and running.

               “I’m the only one who’s always right!” Riddle yelled out then—but this time there were tears of ink streaming down his face. “If not, then all that I’ve worked for was…”

               “Riddle…” Trey said clearly heartbroken at his friend’s pain.

               “Trey, concentrate!” One of the Cater clones lectured. “If you let your guard down, this won’t end!”

               “Sorry!” Trey apologized as they moved out of the way of another swipe from the monster behind Riddle.

               Valentina’s mind was working in overdrive. They needed to do something. The magic was only doing so much and Riddle seemed to still be able to cast more and more—without any signs of relenting. If this kept going… she didn’t want to think about it. She had experienced the death of a classmate before and frankly, she didn’t want to ever experience something like that again.

               The feeling of something hard in her side reminded her of the ghost camera’s presence. She blinked then. Something Crowley had mentioned when he gave them the camera.

               “Furthermore, the most interesting part of this magic camera is that the souls of the photographer and the photographed become deeply connected and the Memory in the photo comes jumping out.”  That was what Crowley had said back then. “In the past, people would scream ‘ghost!’ in surprise when the memory came jumping out. They were paralyzed with fear at the thought of having a photo taken with this camera.”

               It was better than nothing.

               “I was… wrong?” Riddle cried as he continued to swing wildly. Knocking one of Cater’s clones back and into a pile of overturned rose trees. “That’s not true… is it? Mother…”

               “Hey, Riddle!” Riddle turned then at the sound of Valentina’s voice. She stayed firmly in place at Riddle faced her head-on. She lifted the camera to her face—lens focusing quickly as if it knew what had to happen. “Say Cheese!”

               The sound of the shutter closing and the film being dispensed was all Valentina remembered before she felt her knees buckle and the world go black.

Chapter Text

“Congratulations on your 8^th birthday, Riddle.” A woman with bright red hair and dressed all too formally for being at home said with a smile. “For this year, your birthday cake is a sugar-free one filled with nuts. It’s made from soy flour with lots of lecithins since it’s good for the brain.”

               “Thank you, mama. But, um, I…” A little boy with the same red hair started to stammer. He wore a white button-up and slacks and card-themed suspenders to help keep them up. His eyes were downcast from the woman. “Just once is okay, but… I want to eat a tart filled with lots of red strawberries…”

                It wasn’t hard to tell that the child was Riddle when he was younger. Even if Valentina couldn’t really tell what was happening in the dream-like state she could guess. She was reliving Riddle’s memories. And if that was right, then the woman had to be Riddle’s mother. She knew she was likely a third-party observer like she had been in her dreams of the rose maze, but that didn’t stop the strong urge she had to step in between Riddle and his mother as she turned a look of cold disapproval to him. As if him asking for a tart was the most heinous thing he could ever want.

               “My, how can you say that! Desserts filled with sugar like that are basically like poison for the body,” his mother lectured down to him—Riddle’s head falling to the ground fully. “Just one slice will make you exceed your quota of calorie consumption. Come now, this one is filled with docosahexaenoic acid and eicosatetraenoic acid. It’s much healthier. Ah, but the recommended calorie intake for an eight-year-old is… it’s only 600kcal for one meal, so don’t eat more than 100 grams, understood? Am I understood?”

               Valentina had watched Riddle’s mother’s expression go on a rollercoaster then. Going from comforting to concerned, and then to stern again. She knew that his mother was a doctor but this was beyond strict intake. If you only feed a child what was necessary to survive and maintain—how was he supposed to grow and thrive? No wonder he was so damned short.

               “…Yes, Mama…” child Riddle conceded as he smiled up at his mother—happily accepting the slice of plain and disgusting-looking cake. Valentina didn’t ever think she could stomach something like that. Without even having to try it she knew it would taste exactly like cardboard.

               I’ve always wanted to eat tarts filled with red strawberries. Just like the ones displayed on the shop windows of the bakery that we pass by.

               Valentina could barely process Riddle’s voice in her head before the scene shifted in such a whirlwind, she thought she might get dizzy. She was suddenly standing on brick streets and there were people bustling about. She could almost imagine it would be like a small town in Victorian London with how everything was fashioned—even if it was obvious there was technology and magic all around with people looking at their phones and driving on mono-wheeled contraptions.

               She could see Riddle’s mother easily enough—hard to miss the bright red hair and doctor’s coat walking down the street. Young Riddle had his hand in her own—even then as they passed the “Clover Bakery”—with his face looking in awe at the freshly baked tarts on display in the window. He was practically drooling over them but his mother kept a firm grip as she pulled him along. Too absorbed in her phone call to notice her son’s longing.

               There was another whirlwind of a scene change and now Valentina was standing in what looked like an at-home library. It was absolutely crammed with books with young Riddle seated at the table in the center of the room. He was so short still his legs didn’t even touch the ground. His mother was sitting across from him, closing a book and pulling what Valentina assumed was reading glasses off her face.

               “That is all for your lessons on classical magic. Read the next fifty pages required for your next magic lessons tomorrow,” Riddle’s mother instructed. “Now then, you have one hour for yourself before your next lesson begins.”

               Valentina was more than a little confused. Trey had said Riddle received top marks even in elementary school. So that had to mean he was enrolled in school, right? So why was he doing lessons at home too? Was she forcing him to do lessons on his days off as well? When did he get time to have fun and be a kid?

               “Yes, mother,” Riddle agreed as he reached for a heavy book opening it up to read. His mother seemed satisfied with this response as she stood and walked out the door—having to pass through Valentina to do so. She shivered at the feeling. It felt so wrong to be passed through as if she was nothing more than a ghost.

               “Mother has something to take care of for a while,” Riddle’s mother called back to him from the doorway—her phone already out of her pocket and ready to make a phone call. “So I will see you in one hour.”

               “How the hell do you make time to be so neglectful with your job and still manage to be overbearing?” Valentina asked herself as his mother finally left the room completely.

               I was always surrounded by lessons I had to finish. If it was possible, they would have extended my lessons longer. But, something like that was ‘normal' for me.

               “It shouldn’t have to be,” Valentina cried out into the void. “You shouldn’t have to be forced to work non-stop.”

               There was a sudden knock on the window into the library then. It must have been on the first floor because Valentina could see two figured standing outside—though they were blurry due to the way the glass was warped and parts were colored. The knock didn’t just attract her attention though, it had also attracted Riddle’s attention.

               “…Someone’s knocking on the window?” He asked himself before sliding off his chair and heading over to the window. He flipped the locks on it and pushed it open—nearly knocking over the two other boys standing outside.

               “Oh, he noticed us!” A boy with a mop of green hair said with a smile. Valentina easily placed the boy as Trey when he was about nine or ten. He had wire-framed and circular glasses now though—and he was dressed in a t-shirt for some kind of team Valentina couldn’t recognize and basketball shorts. Still, it was weird seeing him without the small clover on his cheek. Guess it really was done up with magic or makeup.

               “Hey, hey~” the other boy, who Valentina placed as Che’nya quickly from his ears and hair, said with a smile. “Let’s play together~!”

               “Who are you?” Riddle asked cautiously as he eyed the two boys. He seemed both curious about their presents and also wary. Though, Valentina could guess Riddle didn’t have many people his mother would let him talk to. She had remembered Trey saying his mother controlled every little detail but… seeing it? It felt completely different. She was practically suffocating on the loneliness.

               “I’m Che’nya! And this one’s Trey!” Che’nya quickly introduced themselves—ignoring Trey’s protest that he could introduce himself. “Let’s play croquet together!”

               Che’nya held up a wooden mallet as if to emphasize his point. Riddle’s face lit up for a moment as he looked at the piece of game equipment. Had he even been allowed to play croquet at this point? Valentina somehow doubted it. From what she had seen she would guess his mother would say it was too dangerous or a waste of time. Still, she found herself hopeful as Riddle continued to eye the mallet.

               “Go for it, live a little,” Valentina found herself encouraging. Though her face fell when she saw Riddle duck his head down and retreat back inside a little.

               “Eh… Th-that’s impossible…” He started to say—but he didn’t reach to close the window or dismiss the other boys yet. “I’m doing self-study right now, so…”

               “Self-study?” Che’nya asked cutting in before Riddle could contemplate closing the window and dismissing them entirely. “Grandad told me that what you want to study is up to you, so you can just do it whenever!”

               “Won’t you come out just for a bit?” Trey added in with a bright smile. Riddle’s cheeks had gone pink in response. The thoughts clear as he was still kneeling on the seat next to the window. Debating on if he should or not. Finally, he seemed to make a decision.

               “I-if it’s only for a while…” Riddle managed to stammer before he wiggled his way out the window and lowered himself to the ground with the other boys. Valentina could imagine he would have to have their help to get back in through the window but still, she smiled.

               “Can I ask you for your name?” Trey asked then as he cocked his head to the side.

               “I-it’s Riddle…” Riddle introduced himself—still refusing to meet Trey’s gaze. “Riddle Rosehearts.”

               Playing with Trey and Che’nya was very fun. We played a lot of things I didn’t know how to play. Both of them taught me a lot. During my one-hour free time, I always snuck out of my room without my mother’s knowledge.

               It was like the scene was in fast-forward then. Showing several says where Riddle’s mother would leave and then he would sneak out the window as he had on the first day, Trey and Che’nya already waiting for him below. During that time, she watched Riddle grow a little. Not much but a little, to show the time had passed. The biggest change was his demeanor. He seemed to be smiling more and holding his head high. It was heartwarming to watch.

               There was another scene change. And this time the boys were all gathered around a half-forgotten game of croquet though it looked a little weird. The mallets’ handles were carved to look like flamingos, the balls were painted to look like hedgehogs, and the rings looked like bent in half cards. But it seemed to fit so she didn’t question it too much.

               “You’ve never eaten a strawberry tart, Riddle?!” Che’nya exclaimed—his voice cracking and going too high in places.

               “Yeah,” Riddle confirmed with a forlorn sigh. “Mother says it’s poison for the body, so I’m not allowed to eat them.”

               “Well, of course, it’s bad if you eat too much,” Trey reasoned as he crossed his arms. There was a beat and then his face lit up as if he thought of something brilliant. “Hey, I live in a bakery, so let’s go and have some right now!”

               “Eh? Ah, but…” Riddle stammered clearly torn up on the idea. The desire was clear on his face but the worry about his mother was also prevalent.

               “Just one slice will be fine,” Trey reassured as he extended a hand to Riddle. The red-head only looked for a moment before smiling and taking Trey’s hand. Trey pulled Riddle along then as they went running off in what Valentina assumed was the direction of the bakery.

               “I wanna eat a whole one!” Che’nya exclaimed then as they ran—earning a fit of giggles from the boys as well as Valentina herself. Che’nya, it seemed, was nothing if not consistent.

               The bright red strawberry tart on top of that white plate… to me, it looked more dazzling than any kind of jewel I’ve seen. The one bite I took was so sweet, and it was so delicious, unlike anything I’ve ever tasted before… I finished the entire slice while savoring every bite.

               Another scene shift. This time Valentina was standing in what looked like a modest-looking kitchen. Riddle is eating a slice of strawberry tart—his face filled with complete bliss. He looked so happy; it made her heart squeeze just a little. Trey was next to him with his own slice of tart he was eating much quicker, likely used to such luxuries. Che’nya true to his word was trying to gobble up as many slices as Trey’s parents would let him. They were all laughing and seemed so happy. It reminded Valentina of her and Kimberlee eating ice cream outside the town grocery store as a child.

               I lost track of time…

               Valentina felt the whirlwind of a scene change again but this felt so much colder this time. She could feel Riddle’s anxiety at this moment. How scared he was. How sorry he was. His mother practically looked like a carbon copy of Riddle in the gardens. Her face bright red with rage and a vein pulsing in her head. She glared sharply at Riddle while he showered and shook in their living room as a response.

               “How could you!” She began hollering at him in a voice that made both Riddle and Valentina flinch. “Not only did you skip your self-study, you also ate something so sugary!? So those two tempted you into it? I shall never allow you to play with the both of them again!”

               “That’s not fair!” Valentina found herself yelling in Riddle’s defense even if she knew they couldn’t hear her. That this was a memory and not the present. “He just ate a piece of tart! You can’t take away his friends over that!”

               “I’m sorry mother! I’ll never do it again, so please forgive me!” Riddle cried out—literally sobbing as he buried his face in his hands and choked out. He was panicking and hyperventilating. Yet his so-called doctor of a mother didn’t seem to care in the slightest.

               “Quiet! You’re the one at fault because you broke the rules.” She snapped at him as if that would stop his crying. It didn’t but he did let his hands drop and attempted to soften the sounds of his sobs and sniffs. His mother sighed then and began talking to herself.  “Ah, I knew I shouldn’t have given him time for himself. He must be trained more to become more perfect…”

               “He’s not a god damned robot!” Valentina screamed. The way his mother spoke of him lighting a hot fire in her. “He isn’t something you can just mold and shape to be just like you. He has feelings! Goals! Dreams! Have you ever even asked him what he wanted to do? What did he want in life? You’re no mother, you’re just supplied fifty percent of his DNA and decided that meant you owned him. He isn’t your property!”

               I broke the rules, so even those fun times were taken away from me.

               “Riddle, no!” Valentina protested—looking around wildly and desperately. Like she could find the Riddle she knew if she looked hard enough. “Your mother is at fault here not you. You were just a kid and she put everything on you. You shouldn’t have to bear this at such a young age it isn’t fair.”

               That’s why I had to listen to every rule that mother said. Because my mother, who was known by everyone in town, will always be right. But, you know, Mama…

               Valentina’s heart shattered the moment she heard the sobbing start. She had always been a sucker for physical contact when people were upset. Maybe it was because she was an older sister, or maybe it was because that’s how her family had always comforted her. And right now she wanted nothing more than to hug Riddle.

               God, she was turning into Trey.

               I wonder why? For some reason, my heart feels so heavy… I want to eat a lot of tarts even if it’s only on my birthday. I want to play outside a lot… I want to make lots more friends. Please tell me, Mama… What rule should I follow to make this sadness disappear?

               “You follow your own rules. The ones in your heart,” Valentina whispered softly, smiling a little at a memory despite the melancholy around her. “Trust those around you to tell you right and wrong when you can’t trust yourself. Let them love you even when you can’t love yourself.”

               There was a cracking sound then. The scene around her seemingly frozen and breaking as if it was made of glass. And then once again Valentina was plunged into darkness.

…

               Riddle had no idea where he was. One moment he was felt with overwhelming panic, betrayal, loneliness, and pain. And now. Now he was standing in what looked like a small performance area or bar. It made no sense to him, even if he could see sunlight streaming inside, he shouldn’t be there. He should be back at his dorm finishing up the duel with Ace. So why was he here?

               Riddle could see a group of people in the back and so he quickly made his way over to them. He might not know what was going on but surely, they would know. Or at the very least be able to direct him in the direction of his dorm.

               “Excuse me, I’m sorry to trouble you but—” He stopped after he realized he wasn’t getting a response. They didn’t even look at him. It was like he wasn’t even there. He reached out a hand to touch the man standing there, but he passed right through him. It was as if he was just a ghost.

               “Am I dreaming?” Riddle asked then. “Or is this… a memory?”

               “I’m so sorry—” a woman began to apologize profusely. She was heavier set and she seemed frazzled as she kept her four children, three girls, and one boy, lined up in front of her. Two of them had closer to medium brown skin and two several shades lighter to where it might be closer to Ruggie’s than anyone else. They all seemed like average kids to him, but his eyes were drawn to the youngest girl—her hair long and sleek. Wide-eyed as she stared at the man in front of her. “The sitter canceled at the last minute and I don’t have anywhere else to have them right now. I’d have Lana watch them but…”

               “Oh, honey don’t worry about it,” the man reassured as he waved off her complaining. “It takes a whole village sometimes and all that.”

               “Thank you so much,” the woman sighed in relief at the man’s understanding. “I haven’t even introduced you properly yet have I. Mark, these are my children Lana, Marisol, Valentina, and Johnny. Kids, this is Mark—the nice man who owns this place.”

               “Valentina?” Riddle asked then as he looked back at the girl with long hair. Was this her memory?

               My life has always been my family. Ever since I could remember it was just Mama and my siblings. Because of this, Mama worked a lot of jobs to provide for us when we were younger. One of those jobs when we were younger, was cleaning at a drag performance bar.

               Riddle jumped a little at the sudden sound of Valentina’s voice in his head. Then he was taken back by the information it provided. A drag bar? As in people impersonating another gender? Riddle had heard about it, Cater showing him several videos of stand-up bits he thought was funny—but he had never seen someone actually dress and perform like that. His mother would kill him for such a thing.

               “Say,” the man, Mark said then, bending down to be at eye level with the kids. “Have you guys ever seen a backstage before?”

               The children all shook their heads then and their mother chuckled before she left to likely start cleaning. Mark smiled at them and motioned for them to follow him. They all did eagerly. For some reason, Riddle felt himself sharing in their curiosity as he followed the group behind the stage.

               Once back there the children all ooo’ed and ahhh’ed at the sight, though Riddle didn’t seem much that was different than a Pomefiore dressing room, even if all the items might not be the same. There were several racks of brightly colored dresses, props scattered about, dressing tables—clear and pristine of any product, and wig heads that had the wigs on them. The hair brightly colored and piled high on the mannequin head.

               The children all began to look around eagerly. Well except Johnny, who seemed bored and quickly just sat on the ground and flopped like a dead fish, muttering about how it was too hot out. But while Lana and Marisol seemed occupied with the dresses and mirrors—Valentina’s gaze stayed fixed on the wigs.

               “Hey Mark,” Valentina asked—not taking her eyes off the wigs. “Why do you wear something like that?”

               “Well,” He began to answer from where he was. “We wear wigs to help change our hair and make it look more dramatic for the performance so we can really look like the gender we are impersonating.”

               “Why is it so fancy?”

               “Well, we want to make an impression. So, we make sure it looks super flashy.”

               “How does the hair stay up like that?”

               “Well, there are a lot of different ways people style hair,” Mark began to explain as he walked over to where Valentina was looking up at the wig stand. “For this one, we used a lot of hair spray and backcombing for volume, then pins to help keep pieces in place.”

               “Can you show me how?” Valentina asked then as she looked at him with wide eyes. Practically begging from where she was. “Pretty please?”

               Mark blinked a little, clearly taken back by the sudden request. Then he was laughing a little as he ruffled the girl’s head. She shook her head a little after he removed the head, but still looked to him with complete earnest. “Alright, I’ll show you. I think I have an old wig lying around that I can style.”

               I fell in love with hairstyling that day. Wigs, my sister’s hair, dolls, it didn’t matter. I loved doing it—watching the way they completely transformed as a result. I knew at that moment I wanted to make other people smile with confidence as they felt good about the way they looked.

               Riddle didn’t really get it. Though, his mother always said appearances were important since they made the first impression. So, he supposed wanting to help people make that first impression wasn’t a horrible goal in life. Much in the same way Trey’s family baked because they wanted to see people smile as they came together over their sweets.

               But sometimes life has other plans.

               The scene shifted then. Like a whirlwind, Riddle was now placed in a house. It was tidy but seemed worn and run down a little. The lights were off and it was evening. Sitting at the table was Valentina’s mother and older sister. It was obvious several years had passed since the first scene. Now there was grey starting in her mother’s hair and her sister seemed to be about fifteen now.

               Riddle could see Valentina standing behind a wall where her mother and sister were, listening in to their conversations. She looked a little closer to the way he knew her now, but not much. Mostly her hair being cut short now being the biggest difference.

               “I just don’t know how we can make this work?” Her mother sighed as she continued to pour over the papers laying over the table. There was a slight accent to her voice that hadn’t been there earlier. Had stress brought it out? He supposed it didn’t matter. Riddle peaked over a little and he quickly recognized the paperwork even if he never actually dealt with it before: bills. And while the dollar amount seemed off to him—he guessed it was high in whatever currency the Ramshackle girls had in their world.

               “I’m sure we can Mama,” Lana comforted her mother—grabbing her hand for support. “I’m fifteen now, so I can get a job to help out.”

               “I can’t ask that of you,” her mother protested. “I shouldn’t even be asking you to help me work through all this. But the companies really do like to use those big words sometimes… I wish I hadn’t dropped out of school. I should have kept going and dumped your father then.”

               “You wouldn’t have the rest of my siblings if that was the case,” Lana reassured with a smile. Her mother smiled back.

               “Yeah, I suppose I wouldn’t. God does work in mysterious ways, and I wouldn’t change any of it for a second,” her mother agreed then as she kissed Lana’s forehead.

               In our family, the only problem we ever seemed to have to face was money. We were always scraping by when I was younger. Doing our best to stay afloat. We had each other, but sometimes it was hard. How could I ever ask them to help me pay for something like cosmetology school when that money could go fixing up the house or sending one of us off the college to get a proper education? It seemed selfish.

               “What’s selfish about having a dream?” Riddle asked then a little sadly. He never even thought about what he would have wanted to be. His mother just always told him he would be a doctor like she and his father were and he went along with it. He hadn’t ever even considered other options. Just obey and listen to your mother, like a good boy. But… had that been right? He had the feeling he wasn’t that sure anymore.

               It wasn’t like I had to give it up entirely. I could still find other outlets. Even if I would have to give up on the idea of a salon. It would be fine.

               There were several flashes of scenes then. Scenes of Valentina growing older and scenes of her playing with other’s hair. He could see Valentina giggling as she applied what smelled like bleach into Marisol’s hair with expert technique as she looked over printouts on the bathroom sink as she worked. He could see her and Kimberlee in another bathroom, Kimberlee with a bath towel around her neck as Valentina trimmed her hair—both of them seemed more nervous about this. Another scene where there was a bunch of girls all in a wide variety of costumes seated. He could recognize Judith talking to a woman he assumed was the coach or director of whatever was going on, while Valentina worked on another girl’s hair with expert ease as she styled it.

               I could be satisfied with just this… right?

               “Valentina Esperanza Corey, what are these grades?” They were back in Valentina’s house again and her mother was looking at her. Valentina looked exactly like she did now, so he guessed this memory was more recent. Riddle couldn’t help but compare his mother to hers. Until Riddle’s own mother, who would scream and holler like the wind in a storm—her own mother seemed calmed. Like she was only disappointed rather than furious with her daughter. “I know you love the Color Dance, Guard Dance, whatever you kids call it—but you can’t let it distract you from your studies.”

               “Mama,” Valentina groaned then. “I just don’t get math, you know that.”

               “I know you struggle with it,” her mother continued to reason. “But you have to push through, maybe ask one of your teammates to help you study. You can’t go to college if you don’t put these grades up a little.”

               “Maybe I don’t want to go to college.” Valentina’s eyes widened at her own words. Not even realizing she had said them before they were already out.

               “You don’t want to go?” Her mother said in shock. Riddle could see Valentina’s other siblings starting to gather at the commotion. He was shocked to see Marisol holding a baby, but he tried to not dwell on that. “But you always said you wanted to…”

               “No, I do I just… I don’t want to go for something like business or science,” Valentina said her voice getting small. She was looking down now. Like she was afraid of the backlash. Of the disappointment. Riddle knew the feeling well.

               “Then what do you want to go to school for?” Her mother asked, there was no malic or rage. Just genuine curiosity.

               “… I wanna go to cosmetology school. I wanna be a stylist and open my own salon.” Her voice shook as she spoke. Riddle felt the urge to hold her hair. Tell her to stand strong, that she could do this. But… what kind of hypocrite would that make him? He couldn’t even ask his mother to let him foster one of the Heartslabyul hedgehogs for the summer.

               There was a sigh from Valentina’s mother and the girl looked on the verge of tears. Like she knew what was coming before her mother would ever have the chance to say anything. Riddle knew the sentiment. He knew it well. Sometimes it was just better to keep your head down and follow the rules. That was the easiest.

               “You still have to get good grades for cosmetology school you know?”

               What? Riddle blinked in shock, looking much the same as Valentina did in her memory. There was no rejection. Not in the way Valentina was thinking. Instead, she was continuing the lecture on grades. As if this was the most natural thing in the world.

               “Wait? You aren’t mad? You aren’t going to tell me it’s stupid and reckless?” Valentina asked as she blinked in surprise.

               “Of course not, why would I ever tell you your dreams are worthless. Besides I’ve been watching you do hair since you were a child. You absolutely love it. I would never discourage you from your passion,” her mother reasoned with a smile. “You have talent, and you are a brilliant girl. Even if your grades don’t always show it. If anyone can make it work, then you can. All I ever want is for you to be happy.”

               There was no rejection. No correction of her path. No assuming that she was right just because she was her mother. Riddle could hardly believe it. He watched as Valentina went rushing forward to hug her mother. Her mother hugging her back without hesitation. When was the last time Riddle and his mother embraced like that? Had they ever?

               Valentina’s other siblings quickly came over and joined in, turning it into a family group hug. Riddle wished he could join in too. To feel the love and warmth that radiated all around. He couldn’t even think of a time his parents had been that supportive. Where they had wanted nothing more than for him to be happy. Were all parents supposed to be like this? Was his mother really so completely wrong in her perspective of parenthood? She always claimed that she wanted what was best for him but… what good was that when he felt so miserable all the time?

               “Guess that means I’m the one going to college,” Johnny laughed then. “Sounds like fun.”

               “Shut up you’re ruining the mood,” Valentina laughed through tears as she pulled her brother back into the hug.

               I should have trusted them to love me. We only had each other, of course, we were always going to support each other. What kind of idiot had I been to think they would do anything less than love me? That isn’t the kind of people they are. I’ll do my best to make them proud.

               Despite the happiness of the scene. There was a sadness that felt heavy in the air then as the scene changed again. This time, Valentina was walking home it appeared. She was dressed in a uniform for what looked like should be food service. Smiling even if the air was heavy with sadness.

               The scene seemed completely normal to Riddle, even if he didn’t quite understand all the stuff that was going on without magic. It seemed so foreign to him, but… he surprisingly didn’t hate it either. Still, he could only watch in surprise then as she was crossing the street when a dark carriage came rampaging across the road. He recognized it instantly, his own having shown up for him at his mother’s home only a few weeks after he received his acceptance letter.

               “You were all really chosen after all,” Riddle mused then.

               I miss them. I miss them so much. I don’t know where I am or if I’ll ever be able to get home. I have to go home. I can’t lose them, not after we are all finally on the same page. I want to make them proud. I want to show them all I can do, so, please. Please just let me go home!

               There was a cracking sound then and Riddle watched as the whole scene seemed to shatter like glass around him. He whipped his head around, trying to process what was happening but he couldn’t make any sense of it.

               “What’s happening?” Riddle asked before everything completely fell apart and he was falling. Down, down, deep into inky darkness. No, he didn’t want to disappear into blot. Not like this. Not before he apologized to everyone. He couldn’t, he wouldn’t!

               “RIDDLE!”

Chapter Text

Valentina felt herself coming to with a throbbing headache and the panicked words of those around her making her head spin in ways that could not be good or healthy. She groans as she attempts to pull herself up to rest on her elbows—fighting to wrench her eyes open to look at the scenes before her.

               The gardens were an absolute mess. Paint buckets were tried and splattered everywhere. The rose trees were all pulled up from the roots and laid discarded around the area of the gardens. Even some of the maze-wall shrubs were starting to uproot from their positions allowing for a deeper look into the maze and seeing just how much of the garden was left in dismay. More immediately: Anne Marie, Judith, Kimberlee, and Fiona were all hovered over her while Kristina and Eva hung back.

               “Oh, thank god you’re alive,” Judith breathed out a sigh in relief. Her shoulders relaxing the tension in them that Valentina always swore she had.  

               “I was so worried,” Kimberlee sobbed as she leaned forward to hug Valentina—almost knocking her back to the ground. Valentina could feel the tears hitting her shoulder even with the layers of clothing.

               “What happened exactly?” Valentina managed to groan—not bothering to push her friend off of her. It was no use once Kimberlee got emotional, she could cling with more strength than anyone Valentina knew.

               “We should be asking you that,” Anne Marie started then. “One minute you are taking a photo with the ghost camera and the next you and Riddle both drop. After a minute the photo started playing what looked like your pasts.”

               “Ah,” Valentina said then if a little awkwardly. She was hoping that was only just a dream between her and Riddle, but that didn’t seem to be the case.

               Before she could be pressed further about what had happened there was the sound of gasping near her. She looked over and saw Riddle and the others weren’t actually all that far from her. He had sat up quickly and looked ready to crumple again due to the blood rush before Trey caught him and helped him steady himself.

               “He’s awake,” Ace called out though it was more for the other onlookers than anyone actually near them.

               “I totally panicked,” Cater admitted as he looked down at Riddle—expression completely frazzled compared to his normal carefree composure. “I don’t know what we’d have done if you didn’t wake up… either of you.”

               “What in the world… have I done…?” Riddle panted and trailed off. He looked so fragile. Like an actual seventeen-year-old and not a miniature adult. It was quite jarring, especially considering his frame but still, Valentina smiled in content to see he was ok as well.

               “What a relief, you’ve gained consciousness again,” Crowley chirped in content.

               “You mean there was a chance they weren’t going to?” Eva exclaimed in shock. She looked completely fried by everything. Understandable, since she had been so reluctant to help in the first place. However, she was completely ignored.

               “I’m glad your ok Riddle,” Valentina said over to him and he looked at her with a slight smile. He looked so at peace. More so than he had the whole time she knew him.

               “I’m glad you are well as well Valentina,” Riddle said before he almost fell back again. This time Trey attempted to lay him down but Riddle wasn’t seeming to have it.

               “You don’t have to think about anything right now. Sleep,” Trey urged his friend and while Riddle leaned into his touch, he didn’t seem keen to rest just yet.

               “It’s cause you spoil him like that that he throws tantrums when he gets scolded,” Ace snapped at Trey making him glare at the first year. “What he did was no joke, y’know? I almost died there.”

               “Indeed,” Deuce agreed. Shifting around a little as if to put himself between Riddle and Valentina, almost protectively. “It was no joke.”

               “Geez, you can’t go wild just ‘cause you need to release stress, yanno?” Grim scolded as well from where he sat on Kristina’s shoulder.

               “Lay off guys, you can lecture him when he isn’t at death’s door,” Judith reasoned getting a few looks of shock.

               “What the hell is with this change in tone from you Ice Queen. You never stick up for anyone.” Kristina chided making Judith sigh.

               “And you clearly can’t read a room,” Judith snapped back.

               “No fighting you two, seriously, knock it off,” Anne Marie scolded the two of them.

               “I agree with Judith, we can scold him later after he recovers,” Fiona agreed but before anyone else could protest Riddle spoke up.

               “I… I really wanted to eat that marron tart, too…” Riddle said softly as if half-hoping to not be heard. There were a few audible sounds of shock from the others at Riddle’s admission. But he kept going, even with the shocked looks on the faces of those closest around him. “I like white roses, too. And pink flamingos are totally fine… and I prefer honey over sugar in tea. I actually like milk tea more than lemon tea… I wanted to talk with everyone after meals a lot, too…”

               “Riddle?” Trey asked softly at his friend’s admissions.

               “I’ve always… always wanted to play with you more, Trey…” Riddle hiccupped then before the waterworks started again. Trey seemed to react on instinct. He reached forward and held Riddle in his arms as he let the smaller boy cry.

               “No way… Riddle is crying…” Cater said, as if it was all that shocking for Riddle to show human emotion.

               “Poor thing, he must have been so lonely,” Fiona admitted with a sad look in her eyes. Valentina looked over at the girls to gauge their reactions. Most of them looked to Riddle with pity, though Anne Marie and Judith seemed to look at each other—just missing the other’s look. Valentina didn’t really get it, but… maybe she should talk to Judith about it? Or would it not be her place? The two of them really only hung out that one time and even if Judith was mothering her a little, they still weren’t close.

               “Hey!” Ace snapped bringing everyone’s attention back to him. “Don’t think I’ll forgive you just because you’re crying!”

               “You really should learn to read the atmosphere…” Deuce groaned at Ace and rolled his eyes. Thankfully Trey and Riddle seemed completely unbothered by Ace, that or they were just ignoring him.

               “I’m sorry, too,” Trey admitted as he nuzzled his head down into Riddle’s hair. Careful to avoid the crown still on his head. It looked way too intimate and Valentina really wanted to look anywhere but there. “I always knew you were suffering but I kept quiet…”

               Riddle sobbed harder then, his hands clinging weakly to Trey’s jacket before the older pushed him off gently. Riddle blinked a little in confusion then, before Trey gently whipped away the tears still marring his face. “That’s why I’ll say this now,” Trey started. “Riddle, you were wrong. You should apologize to everyone here.”

               “…I’m sorry… I’m so sorry!” Riddle blubbered out than looking at all of them with a sincere and earnest apology. Valentina was understanding the strong urge to hug Riddle now and with the sound of others shifting around her, she could guess that they felt similarly.

               “I actually wanted you to say sorry for everything you’ve done, Dorm Head, but…” Ace grumbled clearly not satisfied. “As if I’ll be satisfied with a single sorry! I’ll NEVER forgive you EVER!”

               The sudden declaration and tone made everyone who was capable jump just a little. Even as Ace pointed dramatically at Riddle everyone could only blink to try and process Ace’s action.

               “Eh! You’re saying that even in this situation?” Cater exclaimed clearly just as baffled by Ace’s declaration. Especially at a time like this.

               “Ace is nothing if not consistent,” Valentina laughed a little. It hurt to do so but she did it anyway.

               “Of course! I experienced a lotta trauma! And the marron tart I worked hard to make was thrown like garbage!” Ace exclaimed with his hands moving to his hips. “I won’t forgive you easily even if you cry!”

               “He does remember more than just him made that tart, right?” Kimberlee asked softly.

               “I think Ace remembers things how he wants to remember them,” Valentina admitted—deadpanning at his behavior.

               “This guy’s a lot pettier than I am,” Grim huffed making a few of the girls giggle.

               “No way…. Then, what should I do…?” Riddle asked a genuine look of panic on his face. It was kind of cute, watching Riddle look around in panic, clearly wanting Ace’s forgiveness and approval but having no idea how to earn it. He even looked up to Trey but Trey only shrugged with a smirk. Riddle pouted at that before turning back to Ace.

               “My birthday’s not for another month yet,” Ace admitted then making Valentina blink in confusion.

               “Huh?” Deuce let out in surprise—looking at Ace with the same confusion everyone else was feeling. “What are you—”

               “That’s why,” Ace cut off than shooting a glare at Deuce before he looked back to Riddle. “We should have a do-over of the Unbirthday Party. “We weren’t even allowed inside the party. Also, bring a tart that you made next time. Ah, you can’t ask Senior Trey for help either! Make it yourself from scratch! If you do that, then I may or may not forgive you…”

               “You had help too, a lot of it,” Judith quipped making ace flush a bit.

               “He isn’t honest at all is he?” Kimberlee asked with a giggle.

               “I don’t think Ace has an honest bone in his body,” Valentina added—enjoying the way his face was about as red as Riddle’s hair now.

               “Outsiders, keep quiet,” Ace snapped at the girls making them giggle. Laughing only harder still after Judith simply flipped him off with a smirk. Knowing he wasn’t going to win the battle Ace turned back to Riddle again. “You got all that?”

               “Yeah, I got it…” Riddle said fighting off his own giggle at Ace’s dismay.

               “Indeed, indeed,” Crowley chimed back in with a smile. “What a beautiful turn out this has been. Let’s say things are settled for now, shall we?” Everyone nodded in agreement then. A peaceful calm washing over them for the first time in their whole first week. It really had been a wild first week when Valentina thought about it. Between coming to a whole new world, the mines, and now everything with Heartslabyul—she was completely wiped. And very glad they would have Sunday to relax before going back to school. Crap, she still had homework for Trein’s history class too.

               “Alright! Let’s start with cleaning up the garden!” Cater cheered as he turned to look at the damage. Cringing after he finally assessed the extent of it. “The garden I worked so hard in is in shambles… boohoo…”

               “I’ll help you out,” Trey reassured with a chuckle at his friend’s pouting.

               “You go and take Riddle to the infirmary, Trey,” Cater said with a serious tone as he waved off Trey’s offer for help. “He just went into Overblot, so I think you should have the doctor check on him.”

               “It’s as Mr. Diamond says,” Crowley agreed. “I’ll accompany you.”

               “Yes, sir… thank you very much,” Trey said before he scooped Riddle into his arms with ease. The boy let out a small squeak in surprise—his face going a little red as Trey carried him out of the dorm with Crowley closely behind. Judith looked like she wanted to go after them before shaking her head and hanging back.

               “I’m so hungry after using so much magic…” Grim complained as he hopped down from Kristina’s shoulder and began sniffing around the ground. “Hm? This is… This is the same as the black magic jewel we saw in the Dwarf Mines!” Grim cheered then as he held up a black stone. Clearly proud and happy of his find.

               “You’re right…” Deuce said in mild surprise before then asking, “where did it come from?”

               “Don’t eat it this time—” Ace started to say but it was too late Grim had already made up his mind and was holding it close to his mouth.

               “It’s a taste I can never forget, so I’ll dig in!” Grim cheered before shoving it in whole. Valentina crinkled her nose in response.

               “He’s already eating it?” Ace exclaimed then, though Valentina didn’t know why he was so shocked. This was Grim after all, and Grim would do what he wanted.

               “Honestly he’s worse than my cats back home,” Eva grumbled to herself.

               “Eh? He can eat stuff like that with no problems?” Cater asked clear concern on his face.

               “Hm~ It’s got a rather sweet taste, but there’s also a good kind of bitterness mixed in~ It’s a totally different taste from the last one I had!” Grim said giving his full in-depth review of the stone. Even if no one asked for it.

               “He’s gotten addicted to eating garbage, great,” Valentina groaned as she let herself fall back onto the grass—turning her head so she can still watch the scene play out.

               “Ah, he’s a monster so he’s probably made differently from us,” Ace reasoned.

               “Even so, I don’t think that doing this constantly would do him good,” Deuce argued with mild concern. Valentina had to agree, eating strange rocks that appeared after a crisis could not be good.

               “Hm, it’s got a really refreshing and soft kind of taste, yanno?” Grim explained again as if that would help any of them be on his side.

               “Hey! Don’t eat anything you just picked up!” Deuce scolded but Grim had already taken off running to cuddle up to Fiona for protection. Liked her best Valentina’s ass, Grim just ran to whichever one of them seemed less likely to yell at him.

               “Really now…” Cater said with a sigh before saying something under his breath. Valentina swore it was a thank you but she couldn’t be sure.

               “Did ya say something?” Ace asked then—clearly unsure of what his senior had said.

               “Nope, I didn’t~” Cater said with a giggle. “Now for cleanup~”

               “I think we need to get Valentina to the nurse, or back to the dorm at the very least,” Anne Marie interrupted before Cater could start asking them all for help as well. “Physically she seems fine, but whatever happened clearly drained her.

               “I can help carry her,” Deuce offered then and Valentina ignored the way it caused her chest to flutter.

               “I think I can try to walk on my—own,” Valentina managed to squeak out just as Deuce picked her up with ease. Her arms went flying around his neck out of instinct to keep her from falling—though Deuce seemed to more than have her covered.

               “I’ll take her to the dorm since the school doctor will likely be busy with Riddle,” Deuce reasoned. He sounded cool but his face seemed completely flushed. It wasn’t lost on Valentina how he seemed to be just as flustered as she was, but he pushed through anyway.

               “I’ll go back with you,” Kimberlee added as she quickly got to her feet to stand next to him. “I… wanna talk with her when we get back.”

               Valentina had a sinking feeling about that but didn’t protest. Deuce didn’t either, seemingly glad to not be left alone.

               “The rest of us are going to help out Cater with clean up—don’t give me that look, Kristina, we are helping.” Anne Marie stated firmly before Cater even got the chance to ask them for help.

               “Awe you girls are just the sweetest,” Cater said with a smile, though Valentina had a feeling this went exactly how it was supposed to.

               “I can help get Valentina settled back in the dorms too,” Ace offered but Kristina quickly grabbed him by the shoulder before he could move too close to where they were.

               “Oh no you don’t, Riddle might have gone nuts but this is still your dorm and partly your mess. If we have to help clean so, do you,” Kristina snapped at him making him gulp. It seemed Ace had learned better than to protest against her at the very least.

               “Fine~” Ace whined as he turned to begin picking up pain buckets.

               “We will see you around dinner tonight,” Judith said with a nod to them and then they began to leave the gardens.

               …

               Deuce left shortly after he set Valentina on her bed, giving her a worried look before heading back to his dorm. Valentina did her best to ignore the way she could still feel his grip around her shoulders and under her thighs. How she had felt safer pressed against his chest than she had the whole time she had been in this new world.

               It was just Valentina and Kimberlee now. The blonde had taken a seat on the bed and was playing with her fingers nervously as she looked at her lap. It was obvious she had something to say, but it seemed she was still trying to figure out how to say it. It made Valentina more than a little nervous and confused.

               “Do…” Kimberlee started then before pausing to take a shaky breath. “Do you still want to be my friend?”

               Valentina blinked, taken back by the question at all.

               “What are you talking about Kimmy, of course, I still want to be your friend,” Valentina said—dismissing the notion of them being anything less as completely ridiculous. “I could never want anything else. What brought this on?”

               “Then why didn’t you tell me you were in so much pain?” Kimberlee sniffed—clearly having started crying even if she wasn’t looking at her. “Why did you keep it to yourself so much.”

               Valentina’s eyes lit up in understanding then, followed by the sharp pang of her chest. Kimberlee was right, Valentina had iced her out. She had been holding everything in and when she finally cried, it was in the arms of a boy she only had known for three days at the time. She should have been curled up with Kimberlee in her bed, crying together. They should have been mourning their lives together. But Valentina cut her off and left her alone, the one piece of home she could fall back on. Her family. Kimberlee’s father had been a father to her and her sisters and brother. And when he didn’t have the first clue about how puberty was affecting Kimberlee, Valentina’s mother stepped up. They were more than friends, they were sisters so why?

               That was exactly why. Because being with her, confiding in her, reminded her of what else they were missing.

               “I’m sorry,” Valentina said the tears rolling down her face in fat droplets. “I shouldn’t have iced you out. I just… I miss them so much. I miss home. I miss going to your house and your dad making us breakfast for after a shitty school day. I miss us driving my sisters crazy from us blasting out dance music. I miss practicing flags in the backyard. I miss all of it.”

               Kimberlee didn’t say anything else then, she knew. Valentina knew she understood because that’s how they were. So instead, she watched as Kimberlee crawled next to her on the bed, laying her head on her chest and wrapping her arms around her. Valentina kissed the top of her head and hugged her around her shoulders. They were both crying quietly, but that was ok. They needed this.

               “I miss them too,” Kimberlee finally said. “I miss my dad so much. He’s all alone at the house. And sometimes he forgets to eat when he gets stressed. And…” She trailed off, taking a sharp inhale of breath as she was all but choking on her sobs.

               “We will find a way home,” Valentina reassured. “I promise. Even if the stupid Crow won’t help us. We will figure it out.”

               “You’re starting to sound like Kris,” Kimberlee laughed a little—wiping her nose and drying her eyes.

               “Is that a bad thing?” Valentina asked with a small smile. Kimberlee shook her head.

               “No, it isn’t,” Kimberlee said then with a smile. “So now that we are done crying for the night since I’m sure we will end up crying about it again before this is over, do you want to talk about whatever the hell is between Jude and Anne or what is going on between you and Deuce.”

               “There isn’t anything between me and Deuce,” Valentina answered a little too quickly. “He’s just a friend same with you.”

               “Don’t lie to me, you were so cuddled into him when he was walking us back,” Kimberlee teased as she sat up. “And he got you that headband, don’t think I didn’t notice that when you came back from the mystery shop.”

               “Kim!” Valentina whined as she pushed her friend playfully. “Don’t there isn’t anything there. There can’t be anything there. We aren’t staying remember.”

               “But star-crossed lovers is so romantic!” Kimberlee protested with a dreamy sigh. “It’s just like Romeo and Juliet.” Valentina rolled her eyes.

               “You don’t pay attention in lit class do you?” Valentina asked with a smirk. “Romeo and Juliet isn’t a romance—it’s a couple of dumbass kids who manage to get like three people and themselves killed because they were horny.”

               “Small details,” Kimberlee said as she waved it off with a laugh. “But seriously, talk to him. It’s obvious he likes you too. If nothing else the two of you can at least talk it out and reach an understanding. It’s meaner to just keep letting it go without talking to him.”

               “Ugh, you’re right, I hate it when you’re right,” Valentina whined as she grabbed a pillow and put it over her face trying to strangle herself. “Why is everything so complicated?”

               “Because life is complicated.”

               “You’re too much of an air-head to say philosophical things like that.”

               “Rude!” They laughed then and Valentina felt like she was home.

…

               Riddle was dreading classes on Monday. Once the doctor had cleared him with an order of strict bed rest and no practicing magic in class for the next week—he had been released to his dorm. He had given another formal apology to his dorm then, showing that even when he put himself back together, he was still genuinely upset about the pain his actions caused. He even went so far as to break one of the rules about having tea with sugar instead of tea with honey. Even if it killed him a little and left him shaking, Trey did his best to soothe him. Though the two of them still hadn’t talked about the way Trey had stayed by his side the whole time and the way he held him close. That was probably for the best, Riddle wasn’t sure he could handle that conversation at the moment.

               Unfortunately, his actions had already gotten around the school. Photos of his Overblot were on Magicam and seemed to keep getting reuploaded faster than Cater could convince students to take them down. Needless to say, as Riddle walked to his first class on Monday, all he heard were whispers of the other students. It would serve him right, only wanting friends but managing to scare off anyone else who would even dare try.

               He had gotten to miss most of the backlash from Gym thanks to the doctor excusing him for the next week, but that didn’t save him from the Animal Language class he was about to have to sit through. For the first time, Riddle actually understood why people would want to skip classes. But he kept his head high as he made his way to the classroom. He couldn’t let it bother him. Even if he was determined to be laxer on rules or at the very least give more fitting punishments—he wasn’t about to become a slacker over it.

               “Hey, Rosehearts, try to not murder anyone today!” A student taunted him in the hallway. Riddle did his best to ignore it.

               “Ooo is his majesty too good to talk to us? Gonna cry to his mommy about how mean the kids are?” They continued to taunt him and Riddle did his best to ignore the tear pricks in his eyes. He couldn’t even find it in himself to fight back. A week ago, he would have beheaded them for saying such things but today, today all he could think about was how he probably deserved it.

               “Your assholes have anything better to do than taunt someone? Or have you realized that once you graduate you are only going to be a leech on society?” Riddle blinked in shock at the words. Judith was standing near the wall and glaring back at the students. Her hair was actually up in a high ponytail for once making it all the more unsettling when she glared.

               “Y-you can’t talk to us like that!” One of the students stammered in protest, but Judith only smirked.                                                    

               “If you can talk to him like that, then I can talk to you like that, now scram, I’m sure the Pomefiore Dorm Head would love to hear about how you spend your time between classes.” Riddle turned just to watch the two Pomefiore students scurry away in the direction of their class.

               “Thank you, but… you didn’t have to do that,” Riddle said as he looked back to Judith. She had softened considerably as she looks down at him. He really hated standing next to her like this. She had to have at least ten centimeters on him without his dorm uniform heels.  He just hoped she never bothered to point it out.

               “I don’t mind, besides… I wanted to talk to you before class,” Judith said looking, almost shy as she reached to play with a lock of hair from her ponytail.

               “What did you want to talk about?” Riddle asked, genuinely curious. If anything, he should have been seeking her out—not the other way around. He had said some… less than savory things the last time they talked after all.

               “I… wanted to apologize for our last interaction. I said something I shouldn’t have,” she explained then and he went wide-eyed.

               “No no, please what you said was right,” Riddle protested quickly. “I was being a hypocrite and I was abusing my power. It wasn’t right. You shouldn’t be sorry about that in the slightest. I should be apologizing to you. You have done a great job with your dorm. Cater had photos all over Magicam of you all helping out with the cleanup. Even if you didn’t have to.”

               “Oh no, I don’t apologize for saying that in the slightest, you had that coming,” Judith said with a little laugh and slight smile. “I’m sorry for comparing you to my brother. You really aren’t anything like him.”

               “Oh.” Riddle wasn’t sure how to respond to that. It hadn’t even really bothered him that much. Since he had no idea who her brother was, it just seemed like a completely random stab at his pride. If he hadn’t already been so wound up he might have just looked at her funny when it happened.

               “I know it probably didn’t mean much to you but… It did to me, so I’m sorry about that.” She paused biting her bit. Had she always had so many nervous ticks?

               “I was… hoping you might be willing to be friends with me. I mean, we seem to have a lot in common.” The statement rang in Riddle’s ears. He just stared. He couldn’t help it. Couldn’t believe it. But then, for the first time. Riddle actually stopped and looked at her. Really looked beyond the magicless girl with a pretty face and cold demeanor. He saw her posture that was a little too straight to be natural, how even with her head high—her eyes always seemed fixed to the floor or the side of who she was speaking to, how visible the dark circles under her eyes were, and how her cheek seemed a little too hollow for her build. It all clicked into place then. Unfortunately, she had seemingly taken his silence as rejection and was now rambling. “Sorry, that probably seemed pretty presumptuous of me. I mean, it's not a big deal, I just thought maybe… I mean, I hoped you had wanted to be friends too, but I get if you don’t I mean it’s ok if you don’t. I’m not exactly the friendliest person in the world and—”

               “I would be honored to be your friend, Judith” Riddle interrupted then. And now it was her turn to stare shocked. Her eyes blown wider than he had ever seen them—it made her almost look her age. But then a smile broke out on her face—a real smile, not the small ones she had been showing from time to time or the smirks she threw around. A genuine smile. Wide with teeth and showing the one dimple she had on her left side. It was relaxing, it made him want to smile as well. So he did.

               “You know, almost everyone calls me Jude, right?” She asked as the two of them begin to walk to class.

               “I’m afraid I’ve never been one for nicknames so you will have to forgive me,” Riddle said and she nodded—understanding and not pushing.

               “It’s cool, do you think we are going to have a pop quiz today?”

               “Unfortunately, it is very likely.” The two of them continued like that into class and for the rest of the day. Riddle smiled a lot, despite the bad-mouthing.

               It really was easier to deal with things when you had a friend after all.

Chapter Text

It had been a week since the Overblot. In that week Valentina spent most of her time going back and forth between Ramshackle and Heartslabyul to help with clean up and prep work for the redo Unbirthday party. She still hadn’t found a good time to talk to Deuce yet about whatever was going on between them, but that was OK. She was sure she would find time soon.

               Now she and her other dorm members stood in the Heartslabyul gardens—all wearing borrowed dorm uniforms. Though, Kristina, Judith, and Eva all opted for the traditional dorm pants instead of the skirt variation Cater offered to them.

               “Remind me again why I’m here?” Eva groaned as she narrowly avoided another of the excitable Heartslabyul dorm members crashing into her. “I would have much rather stayed in.”

               “Some sunlight won’t kill you,” Anne Marie quipped barely looking at the dark-haired girl. “And Kris stop trying to fuck around with your uniform.”

               “Fucking hell. This thing is so god-damned stiff,” Kristina complained as she continued to mess around with the jacket until Anne Marie finally slapped her hand down.

               “Has anyone seen Judith?” Kimberlee asked as she looked around the group. Sure enough, their Vice Leader was nowhere to be seen.

               “Don’t tell me she gets to skip,” Eva whined making Valentina giggle but a few of the others just rolled their eyes.

               “Actually, she left before all of us to come help get Riddle ready,” Fiona stated then. “It’s weird seeing the two of them so close.”

               Valentina couldn’t argue with that. Then again, having all the Heartslabyul boys sit with them regularly felt more than a little weird. Cater had stopped pressing Eva so hard after she and several of the others insisted that he give her space—but he was still always quick to snap pictures of them all at any moment with ridiculous hashtags. Trey did his best to middle ground everyone but it was tricky when Kristina and Ace were purposely pushing his buttons. Despite how strange it was, Valentina still couldn’t find the whole experience unpleasant.

               “At least we aren’t going to get kicked out this time since Riddle extended a formal invitation,” Valentina sighed.

               “The literal envelopes with invitations were excessive though,” Fiona agreed with a slight giggle.

               “Hey I think they are coming,” Kimberlee pointed out and sure enough—Riddle entered the gardens then looking as regal as the Queen who’s rules he followed. Flanked on either side of him was Judith—dressed in the red dorm uniform with the sides of her hair braided back out of her face and the boy with bunny ears that Valentina had learned was named Whitley. Trey stood behind Riddle as the group of them walked in—smiling with their heads held high. Not nearly the anxiety-inducing scene the previous party had held.

               “Make way for our leader, the Red Ruler: Perfect Riddle!” Whitley sheered with a brilliant smile.

               “Three cheers for Perfect Riddle!” Judith called out with her own slight smile to the group. There was a roar of thunderous applause and hollers of praise. Heartslabyul definitely seemed to be a dorm that was more than quick to forgive. But then again, Riddle seemed to be the kind of person it was hard to stay mad at.

               “Indeed. The roses are red and the tablecloths are white. Truly a perfect Unbirthday Party,” Riddle started with a similar monologue to the one he had the previous week. “And the Dormouse is inside the teapot like planned… well, I guess it doesn’t really matter now.”

               “You don’t have to change so suddenly, you know?” Trey reassured with a smile to reassure Riddle. “And we can just use the jam on the scones if you’d like. We don’t have to stop altogether at once. We can take things slowly.”

               “Yes, you’re right,” Riddle agreed smiling back with a warmth and familiarity that made Valentina want to duck her head.

               “In the end, we did all the cleaning up and preparations for today’s party…” Ace whined then. Honestly, Valentina didn’t even notice that Ace and Deuce had walked up to their group. Since they had finally moved out of the dorm it had been quieter than usual. They also hadn’t all attended the party together like they did last time.

               “There, there,” Deuce soothed as he patted Ace on the back. “It couldn’t be helped since the Perfect had to recover.”

               “The garden’s back to being its photogenic self, so I’m already satisfied~” Cater cooed as he began snapping photos of the gardens. “And the ladies all look so lovely dressed in the Heartslabyul uniforms.” There was the sound of even more photos being taken that caused various reactions from forced smiled to attempting to cover their faces.

               “You all act like we have much of a choice,” Kristina said with her eyes rolling. “We only have so many clothing options. All of which are uniforms of some kind.”

               “Wait, you all only have your school uniforms?” Whitley asked shocked—clearly having not moved over to his own group of friends yet.

               “Yeah, we only recently got our debit cards set up from Crowley for our allowanced—so we only recently got money for other things.” Anne Marie explained then remembering the letters that came in the mail for a local bank on the island with instructions from Crowley on how to set up their banking apps.

               “And most of that money is likely going to be for living expenses and school supplies until we can find jobs,” Judith added in. Valentina could practically see the thoughts forming in her head. She felt a little pity for her, Judith likely hadn’t ever had to think about how to budget before so this was all likely new territory for her.

               “That’s horrible!” Whitley whimpered then tears pricking at his red-violet eyes.

               “There is much worse than being restricted to school uniforms,” Valentina reassured him with a smile. “Trust me.”

               “Enough about clothes, I wanna hurry up and eat!” Grim exclaimed then practically drooling as he was eyeing the various savory treats and tarts that lined the tables around the gardens.

               “Okay,” Cater relented with a laugh at Grim’s protests. “Then without further ado—”

               “Wait a second!” Riddle interrupted in a harsh tone that made everyone’s heart stop for a brief moment. “That white rose…”

               “Eh! Did we forget that one?” Ace asked clear worry as he saw a few bushes that they had all missed with white roses still visible.

               “Aaahhhh! Acey, Deucey, you said you painted them all red!” Cater frantically scolded them as he looked with clear panic.

               “You’re blaming us?” Deuce asked also just as frantic. The girls had been delegated to helping Trey in the kitchen so they had no idea what was happening in the actual gardens. Now Valentina looked at Riddle whose eyes were completely cold and fixated on the white roses.

               “Ri-Riddle, this is…” Trey stammered clearly unsure of how his friend was going to react.

               “Please don’t worry about it, it’s an honest mistake,” Valentina pleaded with Riddle who continued to stare on.

               The whole mood was switched though when Judith started busting up laughing. Her hand flying up to cover her mouth in an attempt to stifle the sound. Riddle started chuckling too then laughing just as hard though he didn’t quite cover his mouth in the same way she did.

               “Judith, you ruined it,” Riddle complained then, giving a light shove to her shoulder.

               “I’m sorry, their faces were just too funny,” Judith giggled then before straightening up. “We saw the roses outside the gardens and thought it would be funny to play a little joke.”

               “That’s not funny,” Anne Marie scolded but Judith ignored her.

               “It’s like she says, I’m joking~” Riddle reassured his voice going back to the light lilt it hard earlier making everyone sigh in relief. “I won’t get mad over every little thing again.”

               “R-really?” Cater said with a smile. It was like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Like he could never believe there would be a day Riddle wouldn’t lose his head over something like this—let alone JOKE about it. “Three cheers for Riddle!”

               “It will be quicker if we all painted it, after all,” Riddle said then as he marched over to the blooms ready to change their color.

               “Are you sure you’ve changed?” Ace asked with narrowed eyes.

               “He isn’t beheading you is he?” Judith quickly defended making Ace shrink back a bit. “Besides it wouldn’t bother you to see just a few odd white roses when the rest are red? It would drive me crazy.”

               “Even so, it’s really…” Trey said before trailing off. His eyes following after Riddle with a glow of pride in them. “Yup, you’ve changed, huh, Riddle.”

               “I can’t bear one second of this any longer!” Grim cried out. “Let’s hurry up and start the party!”

               “Alright, everyone. Are you ready?” Riddle called with a smile as he raised his staff to begin changing the roses’ colors.

               “How long has it been since you last helped paint the roses, huh, Riddle?” Trey asked partly sounding like teasing and part genuine curiosity.

               “I don’t remember,” Riddle answered honestly as he set to work on the roses with everyone. “Ever since I became Perfect, I always left it to the other students.”

               “So never,” Valentina quipped earning a few giggles and chuckles. Even Riddle found himself laughing as Valentina pointed it out.

               “Doing it yourself is fun, too~” Cater laughed as he took a picture of them all painting the roses. “Though we have quite a rowdy group of first years here with us.”

               “Are you talking about us?” Ace protested from the other tree he was working on.

               “It’s ok, we have plenty of rowdy seniors too,” Valentina comforted him which earned protests from the older members of the group.

               “I’ve done this a lot, so I’m definitely gonna be better than Riddle!” Grim cried out excitedly.

               “Fufufufu, shall we put that to the test, then?” Riddle shot back clearly excited by the challenge. It quickly set to a contest of everyone working to paint the roses quickly enough and Anne Marie begging all of them to be careful with the uniforms.

               “You’re not doing well enough!” Riddle snapped at Deuce a little too harshly. “The red needs to be a lot deeper than that!”

               “Y-yes sir,” Deuce whimpered as he set to redo the roses he had just completed after failing Riddle’s inspection of them.

               “See, he’s still strict!” Ace complained as he looked to his seniors and Judith for support. “I thought he’d be softer on us by now!”

               “There, there~” Cater soothed though he didn’t seem all that bothered or upset by it. “This is our Perfect’s trademark, after all~”

               “If we’re doing this, then we have to do it perfectly. I won’t go easy on you so we can have a great party afterward,” Riddle said as he flushed a little from being called out.

               “Go big or go home, right?” Kristina laughed—suddenly appreciating Riddle’s sentiment.

               “Exactly,” Riddle agreed with a smile. He then turned and pointed his staff at the last tree that had yet to be painted before turning all the roses red in one go. “Alright, that should do it.”

               “Amazing…” Ace breathed out in awe. “He did that in one move!”

               “He dyed all the roses red with such amazing speed…” Deuce praised clearly just as impressed. “As expected from the Perfect.”

               “Riddle’s got special training in magic, after all, ~” Cater reasoned with a smile. The two first years flinched then as if they needed reminding about how much above them Riddle was in terms of skill.

               “You did great, Riddle.” Trey praised as he smiled at Riddle again. Riddle ducked his head a bit at the praise before turning to the rest of them.

               “Now then, everything’s ready. Let us begin our Unbirthday Party!” He said and there was a cheer from the group. Everyone was quick then to head to the tables to begin on the treats and snacks.

               “So, what happened to the tart you made, Perfect?” Ace asked, sounding just a little too smug about the fact he had made Riddle make a tart all on his own.

               “I-I made some properly,” Riddle protested as he picked up the tart, he had made special for the party. “Here, I made this strawberry tart.”

               It looked more oval than round and some of the strawberries on top were a little crooked but it didn’t look bad. In fact, it was making Valentina’s mouth water just looking at it. Riddle was shifting awkwardly as Trey inspected it to see how it looked. Like a child waiting for feedback on their crayon drawing. The idea made her giggle just a little.

               “Looks good,” Trey finally praised making Riddle let out a sigh in relief. “The shape looks a little bit out of sorts, but the glazing technique really brings out the shine in the strawberries. It looks pretty good considering it’s your first time.”

               “There he goes spoiling him again,” Ace teased making Trey give him a warning look.

               “Since when is praise spoiling?” Fiona pouted as she poked Ace’s shoulder.

               “I’m starting to think any form of positive reinforcement is a rarity here,” Anne Marie sighed ready to start slicing up the tart.

               “Ah, I’ll wanna take a pic first so don’t slice it yet!” Cater protested before taking a quick picture. “Ok, done!” Anne Marie quickly set to work cutting the tart into pieces then to hand out to the group.  

               “Senior is the same as ever,” Ace laughed taking his plate of tart.

               “There aren’t any nuts in this right, and nothing with nut byproducts right?” Judith asked then making Anne Marie huff a little.

               “I am more than capable of managing my own nut allergy thank you,” she snapped at the brunette who seemed completely unphased by the aggression.

               “And yet you started plating it without even asking first,” Judith sighed making Anne Marie flush. She must have been excited about the tart too then to forget to ask something so important. “Honestly it’s like you want to get hives and go to the nurse’s office. Then again that might make them hurry along with the inhaler and EpiPens we requested.”

               “I made sure to not use anything that could contain a nut allergen,” Riddle stated with pride. “I wanted to make sure everyone could enjoy it after all.”

               “I also made sure the other treats didn’t feature it at this party,” Trey reassured. “So you can eat everything here without worry.”

               “Thank you,” Anne Marie said with a smile as she finished plating and handing out the slices of tart. Other dorm members had gathered around the main table gathering their taste of treats but this one was just for them.

               “Alright, time to dig in!” Ace declared after everyone had a plate. Everyone taking their first bite of tart to see what kind of treat Riddle had made for them. The reaction was immediate of everyone’s eyes going wide before swallowing hard or spitting it back out onto the plate.

               “IT’S SALTY!” They all complained at once then leaving Riddle shocked and baffled. He himself having not taken a bite of the tart as he wanted to see everyone else’s reaction first.

               “What the heck?” Ace complained as he looked to Riddle with bewilderment. “It’s so salty! What’d you put in these?”

               “Seriously were you trying to kill us?” Kristina complained as she passed her plate over to Grim—who was still happily eating the tart. “I can feel my blood pressure rising from that one bite alone.”

               “I bought all the ingredients and followed the recipe book to the last letter,” Riddle defended as he was clearly just as confused as the rest of them. “There’s no way it could’ve---ah.”

               “Riddle, what did you do?” Valentina asked knowing a guilty expression when she saw one.

               “Don’t tell me… it’s because I put some oyster sauce in it?” Riddle asked then as he pondered the possibility.

               “Could it be,” Deuce managed to wheeze out after he finished coughing on his own spit due to shock. “The secret ingredient that Senior Clover told us before?”

               “I mean, Trey told me before that even though it’s not written in the recipe, a delicious tart always had oyster sauce as a secret ingredient…” Riddle pouted clearly feeling betrayed at his friend’s faulty advice.

               “Ugh… as if!” Ace groaned as he threw his piece of the tart into one of the trash cans near the table. “You should have figured out he was lying if you think about it for a bit!”

               “Ace, you literally were ready to dump in a bottle yourself when Trey mentioned it to you,” Valentina deadpanned making Ace flush in embarrassment.

               “Still, it’s too salty even for a recipe that uses a ‘secret ingredient.’ Just how much did you put in?” Cater asked though he hadn’t really set his tart down yet. In fact, he was still taking bites of it. Trey only seemed to bust up laughing as he held his sides and leaned forward from the force of the low baritone sound.

               “I didn’t think that you’d take that joke seriously!” Trey wheezed as Riddle pouted a bit before smiling himself.

               “You’re right,” Riddle laughed—letting out a much higher sound in response. “It really was foolish of me.”

               “It’s so bad it’s making us laugh now, huh?” Deuce asked as he was fighting his own fit of laugher. Everyone seemed to be laughing now at the incident. Riddle, a great mage in the making, and naive enough to fall for a harmless joke about tart ingredients. What a paradox?

               “Guess we have no choice but to laugh at it, y’know?” Ace chuckled clearly not that upset about the fact he wasn’t going to get to eat a tart made by Riddle. He was more after the sentiment than it actually being edible after all.

               “But, yanno,” Grim said as he was still eating and having moved onto the other pieces of tart others had given to him. “It’s kinda delicious in its own right, too.”

               “Oh, I can kinda understand~” Cater agreed as he took another bite of his own tart slice. “It’s no completely inedible~”

               “Are you turning into Grim now, too, Senior Diamond?” Deuce asked as he crinkled his nose in disgust. Valentina mirrored the same motion as him. The tart was downright disgusting there was nothing edible about it.

               “No, not at all~” Cater protested with a wave of his hand.

               “Could have fooled me with that trash taste,” Valentina said backing up Deuce on his point.

               “The tart is delicious because it’s not sweet, right?” Trey asked then making Cater blink in surprise. “You hate sweet things, after all.”

               “But he eats them, right?” Valentina asked with wide eyes. “I mean your Magicam is full of café photos with cute-looking cakes and sweets.”

               “Trey, how did you know that?” Cater whined ignoring Valentina’s shock. “I’ve never told anyone that I didn’t like sweet things though…”

               “Why the hell did you bother to keep it hidden?” Judith mumbled to herself as she finally gave up trying to stomach the tart and handing the slice to Grim.

               “You always ask me to change the cake’s taste with my magic, right?” Trey asked and Cater nodded in confirmation. “It doesn’t show on your face at all, but I figured that you didn’t like sweet things too much.”

               “So you figured me out…” Cate sighed. “I’m so embarrassed! You know, this might work for Riddle, but I don’t think that saying what you think all the time is good at all~”

               “Again, why are you so defensive about people knowing you don’t like sweets?” Judith grumbled again clearly confused but she was once more ignored.

               “I’ll make you some quiche for the next Unbirthday Party, don’t worry,” Trey reassured with a small laugh at Cater’s dismay.

               “Well, thank you.” Cater huffed still a little bitter but seemingly satisfied with the conclusion. “Make them look ‘grammable like a cake, got it?”

               “Fufufu~ All of Trey’s sweets are so delicious no matter how much I eat~ Munchie munchie~” Valentina recognized the voice but she couldn’t for the life of her figure out when or how the purple cat-guy found himself seated on the table they were all around. A piece of cake held in his hand that he happily ate—his other hand poised underneath to catch anything that might have dropped. She also recognized him in an instant.

               “Che’nya?” Riddle exclaimed—though it was unclear if he was happy to see his friend or not. “What are you doing here?”

               “Hm~” Che’nya hummed as he finished off the slice of cake—licking his fingers clean of the frosting. “I came to celebrate your Unbirthday Party! Congratulations, Riddle~”

               “The Unbirthday Party is a tradition exclusive to the Heartslabyul Dorm.” Riddle deadpanned before smiling just a little at the mischievous cat-man. “It doesn’t concern you does it?”

               “The same goes for the pretty ladies and cat, y’know?” Che’nya pouted a little as he motioned over to where the girls were standing around the group.

               “Ah, it’s you!” Grim exclaimed—finally recognizing Che’nya. “The nya-nya guy from the last time! Speaking of, what dorm are you from anyway?”

               Valentina had admitted, she was more than a little curious. His personality felt too wild for any dorm based on Cater’s descriptions of them. In fact, he seemed best suited for Heartslabyul if any dorm. But Riddle and Che’nya had both made it very clear he wasn’t a member of the Heartslabyul dormitory.

               “Che’nya’s not a student of our school in the first place,” Trey began to explain with an exasperated sigh. Clearly showing this was not the first time Che’nya snuck into the school. “He’s a student from Royal Sword Academy, Night Raven College’s fated rival of old.”

               “Eh? He’s from another school?” Deuce asked clearly taken back.

               “Makes sense to me,” Valentina said with a shrug. Though she left out the part that he really seemed too nice to be going to a school like Night Raven College.

               “And from Royal Sword Academy to boot?” Ace gasped as if it was the biggest scandal he had ever heard of.

               “That seems a little dramatic,” Eva said to herself.

               “I don’t know we always got pretty heated when the homecoming match was against our rival,” Kristina reasoned. Valentina didn’t disagree—those games were always unnecessarily loud and people did stupid things like throwing flour on band uniforms.

               “Oh, there are other magic schools?” Kimberlee asked seemingly shocked at the prospect there might be other schools.

               “Is it really that shocking?” Judith quipped. “I would be more shocked if everyone’s magical education was entrusted to only a single institution.”

               “Did he just say Royal Sword Academy?” A student exclaimed.

               “Some of those guys are here?” Another asked clearly sounding more than a little upset at the idea.

               “What’d you say? Where is he? I’ll chase him out!” Another yelled this one very clearly aggressive in nature.

               “Whoopsie~ I already had my cake, so I’m outta here~ Fufufufn~” Che’nya purred before hopping to his feet and disappearing. Clearly making a run for it.

               “He got away!” One of the students yelled out.

               “After him!” And with that, a wave of Heartslabyul students took off running in every direction they thought Che’nya could have headed off. Leaving their group standing there in shock as they tried to process what had just happened exactly.

               “Everyone just kinda uh… up and left…” Grim said clearly not sure what happened.

               “Night Raven College students basically treat Royal Sword Academy students like enemies,” Riddle explained with a sigh.

               “That’s a little harsh,” Valentina said as she reached for a slice of edible cake from the table. “I mean I get rivalries but that’s just extreme and borders on gang activity.”

               “It’s a rivalry that’s been going on for one hundred years, after all…” Trey said as if it justified the actions of the students in the slightest.

               “That’s just sad,” Kristina sighed. “Who lets a rivalry go on that long?”

               “Not everyone is an athletic prodigy Kris,” Fiona laughed a little.

               “They don’t have to be to not suck,” Kristina fired back earning a few sounds of disapproval from the others.

               “Well, well~ Let’s not talk about something gloomy on such a happy day~” Cater reasoned with a nervous laugh. Rubbing the back of his neck like he tended to do when things got awkward. “Let’s just enjoy our own Unbirthday Party!”

               “Nyahaha! I’ll eat my fill until I drop!” Grim cheered as he hopped onto the table for more of the sweets. “Hooray for Unbirthday Parties!”

               “I’m not taking care of you when you get sick,” Valentina deadpanned as he began to gobble up the sweets.

               “Meanie!” Grim fired back letting everyone laugh. Valentina smiled as she watched everyone cheer and joke together. Ace must have decided to shoot his shot with Kristina at some point because she picked up a full Lemon Marange pie and smashed it against his face—Cater taking a picture of it. Trey and Riddle had to step in between Judith and Anne Marie because started arguing about fuck only knows what. Eva had drifted off with Fiona to sit and observe quietly while Cater took pictures of all the chaos.

               As for Valentina herself, she stayed standing between Kimberlee and Deuce, smiling and laughing even as Kristina began chasing Grim around after he stole her bit of sandwich. She was aware that Cater was taking pictures of them to but she didn’t mind.

               There was still the issue of getting home in the back of her mind, but she was content to leave it there for now. Her family would be ok and she would get home, she was sure of it. For now, she was just going to enjoy the company of her friends and the warmth of maybe something more at her side.

…

               The room was hot with the afternoon sun streaming in through the open balcony, but the cool breeze wafting in helped. It was messy—clothes and blankets thrown everywhere. It was a clearly well-lived-in room and it was especially evident by Leona Kingscholar lounging across the bed—head propped up on one arm as he looked over to where his caretaker Ruggie Bucchi was sitting. The hyena boy scrolling through his phone with an amused smirk.

               “Ah~ must be nice,” Ruggie mused to himself as he scrolled through his phone—looking at a large number of photos Cater had posted on Magicam. The party had a lot of delicious-looking pastries that could be seen behind the groups of Heartslabyul students and the Ramshackle girls in attendance. “Looks like Heartslabyul is having an all-you-can-eat party. I wonder if Savanahclaw has a filling tradition like that, too~”

               “Hmph. What’s so fun about a party where you just eat cake until the sun goes down? It’s a good recipe for heartburn.” Leona sat up as he looked to Ruggie and then flicked his own phone open out of curiosity. Tapping his phone screen until he was at Cater’s Magicam page and looking over the photos. He recognized the Ramshackle girls quickly enough. Especially Kristina, who was shown in a photo to be smirking as she shoved a whole pie into some red-heads face. From the few times Leona had spent in class and watched her with mild amusement, it was definitely something that seemed in character for her. Violent and wild like the fires that raged in the Afterglow Savanah’s summers. He would be more cautious about her in the upcoming Magishift tournament if it wasn’t for the fact that she didn’t have any magic. 

               But life was unfair like that.

               “More importantly, Ruggie,” Leona said as he clicked his phone screen off. “About the thing I asked for…”

               “Leave it to me~” Ruggie reassured with a cheeky grin. “It’s moving forward smoothly~ Shishishishi~”

               Leona smirked at the hyena’s signature laugh. Truth be told, Leona had found that laugh annoying when the smaller boy was a first-year and he had clung to Leona like a stray begging for scraps. But since Leona had been feeling charitable and taken Ruggie under his employment. Since then, he felt himself being reassured by his laugh more than annoyed. Because Ruggie knew how to get things done, and he didn’t care about getting his hands dirty to do it.

               “Let’s start that revenge plan on Malleus while those guys are busy with their afternoon tea,” Leona smirked. He couldn’t wait to see the look on that overgrown lizard's face when they completely annihilated him. When Leona took back the crown that had been stolen from him two years ago. “He better be ready.”

               Leona laughed and Ruggie joined in as they thought about it. In two weeks, their plans would come to fruition. While everyone was scrambling to pick their teams for the tournaments, while everyone else was scrambling for Halloween preparations, Leona would be poised and ready to strike.

               He was going to get the crown he deserved.

               Or the whole world was going to burn from his pride.

Chapter Text

Eva knew she was absolutely going to hate everything about the day the second she woke up. Not because she was still having to wake up at the ungodly hour for school. She was used to that with her mother since her mother was a teacher. That meant she was always up early to ride with her mother to the school where she would hide in her classroom until the first bell rang for classes. So no, that wasn’t why. The reason why was because an hour before her alarm was set to go off—her door was thrown open startling her awake and making her bolt up in a panic.

               She sighed a bit in relief seeing it was only Kristina dressed in her gym attire. Though that relief of it not being someone trying to hurt her was quickly overshadowed by the feeling of irritation at having been woken up. Her eyes narrowed at the brunette—her curls up in a ponytail and face far too awake for the current hour.

               “What the fuck Kris,” Eva groaned—sleep still heavy in her voice. “We don’t have to get up for breakfast for another hour. And why the hell are you in gym clothes?”

               “We’re going to go for a run, all of us,” Kristina said as she walked over to Eva’s dresser. Opening it without a care for Eva’s personal space and grabbing a set of Gym clothes to throw at her. All before Eva could even fully process what Kristina had said.

               “No fucking way, go for a run if you want, I’m not interested,” Eva fired back—clearly not in the mood. She buried herself deeper in the covers to emphasize her point, but it was useless. Kristina already snatched the flimsy quilt and yanked it off her body.

               “I wasn’t asking,” Kristina snapped in turn. “So you can either get ready or you can run in your underwear—your choice.”

               It was then Eva remembered and realized that she was in fact only in her underwear. Her arms went flying up to cover her chest and her knees tucked up to her chest. Kristina rolled her eyes at the reaction. Like it was completely ridiculous for her to be shy about her body or having a near-stranger see her in a state of undress.

               “I hate you,” Eva snarled as she reached for her gym clothes.

               “Like I care,” Kristina said before turning on her heel and walking out of the room—not even bothering to shut the door when she left. Eva thought about getting up and shutting the door and going back to bed—but she doubted Kristina wouldn’t just break in again when she realized it was taking too long. So with a sigh, she began to get dressed.

               She found she was the last one of the dorm members dressed and ready for the impromptu run that Kristina had decided they were going to participate in. Even Grim had been rolled out of bed for the run—though he was slumped over Kimberlee’s shoulder like some kind of bad fashion statement. Only Fiona seemed fully awake in the group. The slightly shorter blonde was practically giddy with excitement. It made Eva cringe at the sight.

               “Alright, let’s head out,” Kristina barked and they all filed out of the dorm—the sky still pink at the ungodly hours of which they were embarking on their run. Eva tried to stick to the back of the group, away from all the rest of them to avoid conversation. Unfortunately, Judith didn’t seem to read to the social cue and fell back to match her speed. That, or Judith was making sure she didn’t break away from the group to go back to bed.

               Thankfully, Judith stayed quiet though—eyes focused ahead as she watched the rest of the group ahead. Carefully keeping track of where Kristina was leading them so that she didn’t lose them in her attempt to keep pace with Eva. After a few minutes though, Eva found herself more irritated at the situation than she was intent on keeping quiet.

               “What is up Kris’ ass this morning?” Eva asked Judith—breath labored as she ran and thankfully quiet enough, she didn’t have to worry about Kristina overhearing them.

               “Kristina woke up Anne and I first thing and proposed daily morning runs as a form of conditioning since we are mostly a group of athletes,” Judith began to explain. Eva ignored the irritation that spiked from how even Judith’s breathing was and how easily she was talking. “I tried to argue everyone should decide if they want to do that on their own or not but Anne overruled me. Said it would be good bonding for us.”

               “Cheerleading and Dance counts as sports?” Eva grumbled in irritation—too tired to care if she insulted Judith at the notion.

               “It’s listed as a performance sport yes,” Judith replied simply. Like she was used to people not considering what she did a display of athleticism. “But you might not want to let Anne hear you say that stuff. I’ve watched her argue a football jock into submission after two hours before over it.”

               “Scary,” Eva mentioned though her voice was too dead to pick up any emotion from it. She had seen Anne Marie get heated more times than she cared to count since getting transported to another world. Most of those instances were at Judith for something as simple as Judith not letting the group know she would be out late to the incident with Riddle.  They really were like oil and water.

               “You aren’t wrong,” Judith said before moving to the side to allow a wolf beastman and stupidly pretty blonde guy to pass by them.

               “Come on you two keep up!” Kristina yelled back at them. “We still have another mile to go!”

               Eva really hated today already.

…

               Jade’s day usually depended on Floyd’s mood. If Floyd was in a good mood, then Jade would be one of the first people to class and ready to begin as soon as class started. If Floyd was in a bad mood, then Jade would have to spend time convincing his brother to go to class because Azul wouldn’t be happy if he just skipped. This usually resulted in him being late on those days. Today was an OK day so far. Floyd wasn’t really in the mood for class but he at least got dressed and left the dorm to skip elsewhere besides the dorm. It was all Jade could ask for on days like this.

               It was also a rare day when class 2-E would be having a joint class with class 2-C. Meaning he and Azul would be able to discuss the upcoming Club Fair as well as the Magishift tournament that would be following shortly after. Nothing too crazy, or anything that would allow any eavesdroppers in on their plans. Just superficial things such as if they would have a booth for the lounge to advertise business during the fair and what the hours of operations were going to be like during the tournament.

               Thanks to Azul’s scheming their first year, they were able to open the lounge in the first place. This would be the first year the lounge would be open for a large gathering of people to observe the magical prowess of the school. As they were only able to officially open after finals the previous year thanks to Azul’s cunning and well-thought-out contracts. That had been on a much smaller scale though—this year they were thinking big. Just as Azul had planned over the summer.

               Though, the Ramshackle girls did seem to be throwing a metaphorical wrench in their plans.

               “Good morning Azul,” Jade greeted his friend when he finally reached the flying field, they would be having their joint gym class for the day. Azul’s eyes were fixated on something though. Curious about what could warrant such distraction from the normally charismatic merman—Jade peeked over at the scene unfolding.

               Anne Marie and Judith, the Perfect and Vice Perfect of the Ramshackle dorm, were arguing. And rather loudly at that.

               “What the hell were you thinking agreeing to early morning runs like that?” Judith was snapping at the plump girl.

               “I was thinking it would do us some good to get to know each other better if we are going to be living together for a length of time,” Anne Marie snapped back just as quickly. Neither one of them intimidated by the other—through several of the other students around them had opted to move away from the conflict. Even if they were still watching.  “I highly doubt Crowley will be finding a way home for us anytime soon.”

               “Then we can study together after school or hell even run after school,” Judith said as she threw her arms up in the air—clearly already done with the argument she was having.

               “We should be spending that time looking for a way home, the morning is the best option.”

               “Oh, because we are going to be able to tell if we found a way. Just leave Crowley to worry about that, we should be focusing on the worst-case scenario here.”

               “Like you would know anything about that.”

               “What’s that supposed to mean?”

               “Are they always like that?” Azul finally asked clearly baffled by the scene playing out in front of him. Jade suspected it was since Azul was the kind of person to keep his card close to his chest that he was so taken back by watching a fight take place like this. It was like they were waving a giant flag saying ‘we have no unity whatsoever.’ In everyone’s faces.

               Like they were dumping buckets of chum in the water for sharks to enjoy.

               “I’m not sure why you are asking me,” Jade finally responded. “Judith can be fairly cold, but she normally doesn’t lash out unless provoked. Even then, she has warmed up significantly since Riddle and she seemed to become friends. But I know next to nothing about Anne Marie.”

               “Anne Marie is usually the pinnacle of bubbly poise,” Azul said—icy eyes still fixed on the arguing girls. Though it had turned more into a verbal sparring match than an actual discussion. “She’s always offering to help out with various tasks in the classroom and eager to ask and answer questions. She practically has ‘take advantage of me’ tattooed on her forehead.”

               Jade smirked at that. It was clear Azul seemed to already have a way around the obstacle of the girls living in the dorm. And it seemed his gaze was fixated on Anne Marie to do so. The Leech twin couldn’t wait to hear what their brilliant dorm leader had planned. But that would be later.

               “I’ve never seen her so angry before, it’s almost unsettling,” Azul finished then, looking the part of the concerned classmate. Jade knew better though. He knew Azul was calculating every single weakness and exploit he could. Octavinelle may be based on the benevolence of the Sea Witch, but they were also the kind of dorm to make sure every possible outcome was prepared for and always open to every opportunity. Manipulating little girls who got into catty arguments was practically nothing to them.

               “Yes, the two of them always seem to bring out the worst in each other.” Jade looked to the side at the new voice speaking. Well, more accurately he had to look down to the new voice. Riddle was standing there with his arms crossed in a disapproving manner as he looked at the two girls. Clearly, the sight wasn’t anything new—but if Cater’s Magicam story was to be believed, then Riddle had first-hand experience dealing with the two at the Unbirthday Party they had that last Saturday.

               “Ah Riddle, are you planning to discipline the two?” Azul asked innocently enough. It wasn’t. He was testing the waters—poking the shark to see if it would take a bite. Seeing just how much Riddle had really changed. Jade already knew there was quite a difference between Riddle at the beginning of the year, and Riddle now. The Riddle before would have smashed his way between the two, fighting and using his Unique Magic to break the fight up. This Riddle looked more like Jade's mother after he and his brother had destroyed their playroom. Disappointed but not surprised.

               “No, they will stop as soon as Mr. Vargas begins the flying lesson,” Riddle sighed as he let his shoulders slump in exasperation. “Despite their endless quarrels, they are nothing if not professional.”

               “Interesting,” Azul muttered to himself—quiet enough for Riddle to not hear him.

               As if on cue, Vargas strode onto the field with a clipboard in hand. His face plastered with a bright smile as he looked over the sea of students. Sure enough, the moment he made the call to get everyone’s attention—the girls stopped fighting instantly and turned to face him. Faces completely void of the irritation and malice they previously held.

               “Alright, today we’re going to be doing some flying exercises today,” Vargas announced then. Before he could continue though his attention was pulled to the side by a figure running in the direction of the field—broom in hand. “Viper you’re late!”

               “Sorry sir,” Jamil apologized though he gave no explanation for the reason. He didn’t have to it was easy enough to guess. Kalim had overslept and Jamil had to scramble to get them both ready for the day. Still, Jamil wordlessly walked over to a part of the field as far away from Jade and Azul that he could manage. Jade wasn’t sure if the action was conscious or not but it was still something to note.

               “As I was saying, flying exercises!” Vargas boomed with a laugh—already having forgotten about the late student. “You will all—Yes Ryland?”

               “What should Judith and I do? Since we can’t use magic?” Anne Marie asked which caused Vargas’ smile to falter for just a moment. Jade had a feeling this was a regular occurrence based on the exasperated sighs from around the 2-C students.

               “The two of you can do whatever you want for physical activity, same as it is every day we fly,” Vargas said doing his best to not let his irritation show. Jade looked back to the girls and while Anne Marie seemed less than impressed by Vargas’ clear dismissal of them, Judith had already lowered herself to the ground and was beginning to stretch.

               “Is there any equipment for us to use or something?” Anne Marie asked clearly still pushing for some more concrete instruction.

               “You’re a cheerleader, Anne, just practice your gymnastics or something,” Judith huffed in annoyance—clearly over the unnecessary attention that Anne Marie was directing their way.

               “And what are you going to do then?” Anne Marie quipped back at her through her cheeks were tinged pink from embarrassment.

               Judith opened her mouth clearly ready to say something back. If Jade had to guess something snarky. Usually, when she worked on her own, he could see her pick up a large stick and twirl it around and he guessed she was going to inform Anne Marie of that fact. Unfortunately, she was cut off thanks to a magical intercom announcement.

               “Would Anne Marie Ryland and Judith Wieck please come to the front of the school? Anne Marie Ryland and Judith Wieck to the front of the school.”

               The girls looked up in the air as if the sky itself was speaking to them. Then they looked to each other—ignoring the few boys who were snickering about them being in trouble. And then immediately began heading in the direction the announcement said to.

               “I’m betting ten bucks Kris finally got caught starting a fight.” Judith quipped, turning around to run backward as she looked at Anne Marie.

               “No way, it was definitely Grim,” Anne Marie quipped back.

               “The two of you shouldn’t hope either of them is in trouble,” Riddle yelled after them but they only started giggling and took off running. “And DON’T RUN!”

               “I do believe they weren’t listening,” Jade pointed out earning a harsh glare from the tiny red-head.

               “It’s fine, I have a feeling I know what the announcement was about,” Riddle said in an exasperated sigh.

               “Oh, And what would that be about?” Azul purred the question—fishing still for some kind of answer or reaction from Riddle brushed it off.

               “Nothing of interest to you,” Riddle reasoned. “Let’s just say my dorm was feeling rather charitable.”

…

               Anne Marie was panting when she and Judith reached where Crowley was standing in front of a large mountain of boxes. Judith was also breathing heavily at her side but her breathing was much less ragged than Anne’s own making the caramel blonde pout a little.

               “Ah Ms. Ryland and Ms. Wieck, I’m glad you are here.” Crowley opened his arms wide for the girls and a smile was plastered on his face. Looking around Anne Marie wasn’t seeing Kristina or Grim anywhere so whatever it was, wasn’t related to them after all.

               “What’s going on?” Anne Marie asked as her breathing finally evened out. Was Crowley going to make the two of them move these boxes in storage or something?

               “It seems the school has been flooded with donations for you girls,” Crowley began to explain then. “Parents from all over Twisted Wonderland have been sent clothes that their teenage daughters no longer want or need. It appears a little rabbit in Heartslabyul was so appalled at the idea you girls only had your uniforms he informed the whole dorm and the next thing you knew everyone was messaging their parents about it. Oh, such kind and gracious students I have. And how brilliant am I for bringing you ladies here to unlock that potential.”  

               “Wait those are all for us?” Judith exclaimed—eyes growing big as saucers as she looked the boxes over.

               “Yes, it would appear they are in fact all for you ladies. Mostly clothing if I was informed correctly by the parents who told us they were sending items,” Crowley began to explain. “Though a few also included snacks, hygiene and beauty products, games, generally things they didn’t want or need around the house anymore.”

               “That’s… oddly sweet,” Anne Marie blinked also just as dazed and confused.

               “Isn’t it?” Crowley cooed again—still preening about how sweet and thoughtful his students were being. “Now I need you to have these boxes moved before the next passing period to your dorm.”

               “What!” They both exclaimed.

               “How are we supposed to move all of these to the dorms by ourselves?” Anne Marie asked panic filling her chest. There was no way they could move all of the boxes over that way with just the two of them in that short amount of time.

               “I would never ask you, ladies, to move them all without assistance, that’s is why I will provide these carts to help you move more boxes at once. For I am gracious.” Crowley showed then two large dolly carts that were behind him. Or at least they sort of looked like dolly carts. They had the handles to grab onto to push and pull but they were hovering above the ground. “So please, make haste. I will inform Mr. Vargas that you will not be back to class. Now—farewell.”

               Before Anne Marie or Judith could protest, he was gone leaving the girls with the large pile of boxes. Anne Marie sighed as she looked them over again. It was going to take them at least an hour to move them all. Her attention was pulled away from the task though as Judith started giggling fondly. Her hazel eyes alight with some kind of joke.

               “What’s so funny about this?” Anne Marie asked then pouting.

               “Well, you wanted a specific fitness exercise,” Judith started voice still shaking with laughter as she motioned to the boxes. “Ask as and Yee shall receive.”

               “Oh, shut up and help me with these,” Anne Marie huffed as she staved off her own laugher. It really was ironic that they would have to lift boxes after not having a specific activity given to them by Vargas. But she would sooner die than laugh at the situation pointed out by Judith, especially when it was at her own expense.

               “Yes Ma’am,” was all Judith said before they set to work clearing the boxes away and moving them back to the dorm.

Chapter Text

“Fuck, you two weren’t kidding.”

               Kristina’s eyes blinked wide as she walked into the dorm, only to be greeted with walls of boxes that lead into their shabby excuse of a sitting room. It was so crammed full, the seven of them were going to have to spend the rest of the day going through all of it at least. Even then, there was no way they would keep everything. They were going to have to figure out something to do with the rest of it.

               “How did you two even get all of this in here by yourselves?” Fiona asked in awe as she followed Kristina into the center of the sitting room where the others were all gathered around—ready to grab a box and start sorting and claiming the various clothing items. Kristina did her best to ignore the urge to hit Fiona. She didn’t even do anything; Kristina just felt the urge after seeing her wide-eyed wonder.

               “Thankfully Phineas, Gus, and Ezra were feeling generous,” Anne Marie began to explain. “We dropped the boxes just outside and then the three of them organized them inside. I honestly don’t know if we would have made the time limit otherwise.”

               “Who?” Kimberlee asked curiously—having no idea who Anne Marie was talking about. Kristina didn’t have the first clue either.

               “The ghosts we live with, that’s their names,” Judith inserted from where she was standing precariously on the back of one of the couches to grab a box of stuff to hand down to Valentina. She then turned to look at Kimberlee with a dead look in her eyes. “You mean we have been living with them for two weeks and you haven’t bothered to ask them their names yet?”

               Kimberlee ducked her head in embarrassment, suddenly fascinated with the box that was seated in front of her. Clearly, it had no occurred to her to ask their names. If you asked Kristina’s opinion that was much more normal than bothering to ask their names in the first place, seriously who would talk to ghosts that tried to scare them out of the house their first night there?

               “Awe, don’t give her too hard a time Jude,” the skeletal ghost said as he materialized out of nowhere. He offered a hand to Judith to help her down which she gladly took to steady herself as she stepped back down to the ground. “Poor thing is likely nervous; most people would be hesitant to talk to ghosts. Especially since they aren’t real where you are.”

               “You’re right Ezra,” Judith conceded then. “Sorry, Kim.”

               “It’s OK, I should have asked their names anyway, you’re right,” Kimberlee conceded—folding easily under Judith. Honestly, it sickened Kristina a little watching the girl roll over so easily to Judith. Seriously, if she kissed her ass anymore, her tongue would be up her ass.

               “I’m more shocked you’re willing to wear second-hand clothes,” Kristina admitted as she grabbed a box to join the rest of the group. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in anything less than brand-new and name-brand clothing at the school.”

               It was an unnecessary jab, but Kristina didn’t really care. Seeing the way Judith’s eyes narrowed like she wanted to throw a knife at her face was worth it. Seeing any kind of emotion from her was amusing. Though, it seemed she was still the perfect little doll of her brother’s because she quickly regained her composure. Judith knew Kristina wasn’t wrong so she left it alone. It still made her blood boil though, seeing Judith ignore her like she was nothing more than a barking dog. The message was clear, Kristina wasn’t worth her time and effort.

               Kristina wanted the fire that was the first night they arrived in this world. Where Judith showed her real teeth. When she stopped playing the innocent and showed she was just as much a Wieck as the rest of her family. Kristina didn’t care she was but fuck if she wasn’t sick of watching the girl lie about it all the time. She didn’t get the chance to start needling more before Anne Marie called all their attention.

               “Alright girls, we aren’t going to get through these if we don’t get moving,” Anne Marie began to explain. “Thankfully, most of us are different builds outside of Fiona and Valentina—but I trust the two of them can be civil if they find clothing, they both want. In the meantime just start opening and looking. If the clothes look like they would fit someone else—pass the box to them. Otherwise, take out anything you want and put it in a pile to be washed. The rest can get back up in boxes again to store until we figure out where we can donate stuff.”

               There wasn’t anything else left to be said so they set to work. The quiet only lasted for a few boxes though before the meaningless chatter began to start.

               “So does anyone have an idea what clubs they want to join?” Valentina asked then as she opened a box and saw some clothes that seemed much too big for her, so she passed them over to Kristina.

               “I’m definitely joining the Volleyball club,” Kristina chirped. “It’s been way too long since I’ve gotten to smack down in the gym. It’s driving me insane.”

               “I might try something new,” Fiona added. “There is an Equestrian club here, so maybe I’ll try that out.”

               “Riddle is the captain of the team, I’m sure he would be more than happy to have you on the team,” Judith mentioned then. Fiona seemed a little hesitant then at the mention of Riddle but let it go. Kristina found herself being more than a little irritated at the idea of Fiona doing something else. She should be elated. It would mean one less person to compete with on the court. But instead, Kristina just found herself pissed off that Fiona was willing to toss it away like it was nothing. Like she didn’t even care about playing. Thankfully the speaker changed before Kristina could get too heated and start a brawl. With her luck, Anne Marie would forbid her from joining a club if she started a fight now.

               “I wish I knew what I wanted to do,” Anne Marie sighed as she folded up a shirt, she had decided she wanted to keep. “They don’t have a cheer team here. Maybe a gymnastics team?”

               “You could do choir,” Judith suggested quietly. As if she was worried Anne Marie would lash out at the suggestion coming from here.

               “I could if they have something like that,” Anne Marie hummed in approval. Judith seemed to sigh in relief that it hadn’t resulted in some kind of fight between the two of them. “What about you three? If I remember right, there isn’t a DanceSport team or marching band here.”

               “I’ll figure something out,” Judith said as she waved off Anne Marie’s concern.

               “Maybe a fashion club for me?” Kimberlee asked unsure of herself.

               “That’s right, you’re really good at sewing,” Judith lamented as she remembered something. “When one of my costumes got trashed, you managed to salvage it so I could still perform. And you only had like two hours to work on it.”

               “It wasn’t THAT bad,” Kimberlee said with a blush.

               “Kim it was torn to ribbons,” Valentina cut in. “It looked like someone had let their cat absolutely maul it.”

               “We never did figure out who did that either,” Judith hummed as she thought about it. Though, Kristina could guess at least several names of dance team members who would gladly take a box cutter or scissors to Judith’s costumes. Wasn’t like she couldn’t afford to just buy a new one.

               “What about you Eva? I don’t even know what clubs you were part of back at our school,” Fiona said as she turned to Eva—whose pile mostly seemed to consist of jeans and oversized hoodies so far.

               “I was in the Art Guild and Engineering Club,” Eva said as she folded up another black hoodie to set behind her. “Though I really don’t want to join any clubs here.”

               “If I remember right, you painted your classes homecoming banner last year,” Anne Marie said.

               “No way, you painted that?” Kristina exclaimed in genuine shock. She had seen the banner while she waited on the Volleyball Team float for the homecoming parade to start. “It looked absolutely sick.”

               “Ah, thanks,” Eva said as she ducked her head a little. “But still…”

               “You have a lot of talent, you should join a club,” Judith encouraged as well with a smile. “But obviously we won’t force you.”

               “I’ll… think about it,” Eva finally relented.

               “Ah, it warms my heart to see you girls getting along so well.” All of them jumped at the sudden sound of the headmaster’s voice—especially Eva who had been sitting with her back to the doorway.

               “You could have knocked,” Judith grumbled as she crossed her arms.

               “Seriously dude what if we had been trying on clothing?” Kristina fired back. “Fucking creeper.”

               “My apologies, I simply wanted to drop off the list of club activities you will be allowed to join,” Crowley said cheerfully before handing a piece of paper over to Anne Marie. Kristina had a sinking feeling about how short the list was. Especially when Cater and Trey had been talking them up about the numerous clubs they would all get to join.

               “But sir, this only has the ‘Going home club’ listed as possible options for us,” Anne Marie said with her eyebrows knit together in confusion.

               “Yes, it is a club I made specifically for you girls, for I am gracious.” Kristina could feel her vision going red as Crowley practically patted himself on the back for his actions.

               “What kind of fucked up joke is this?” Kristina snapped at him, jumping up to her feet and ready to move forward and get in his face.

               “There is no way I can allow a group of girls to participate in after-school activities with boys,” Crowley reasoned as he continued to stair Kristina down directly.

               “We got to class every day with boys, Gym classes even, and you have no issues with that,” she fired back at him. Part of her was aware of the others also getting up off the floor. Though if it was to rally with her or hold her back from punching his mask off—she wasn’t sure.

               “And that is under teacher supervision, most of the clubs are student-run and the ones that are heavily supervised are the sports clubs—and I will most definitely not allow girls to be on the same team as boys,” Crowley said back to her—his voice calm but a cold rage clearly building.

               “That---that’s not fair!” Kristina was too upset to argue clearly. It felt like she had been kicked in the ribs. He wanted them to go to class and play nice with the students as long as it was on his terms? What about what they needed to do to not go insane?

               “I assure you it is for everyone’s best interests,” Crowley said before turning to leave. When he was gone, Kristina turned to one of the empty boxes and kicked it as hard as she could, sending the cardboard flying.

               “Maybe it’s for the best,” Judith sighed—clearly sounding defeated. “I mean we are way behind on academics here and we should probably be looking for supplementary income anyway.”

               “I could forgive sports but no arts and sciences?” Anne Marie said with her arms crossed. “We can’t just study all the time, we’ll burn out.”

               “That is a very different tune than the one you were singing this morning,” Judith teased lightly making Anne Marie flush a little.

               “I could say the same thing about you,” Anne Marie huffed to which Judith shrugged.

               “Maybe there is a way we can get around it?” Valentina suggested though she clearly had no idea how they would.

               “Are you saying we should fight Crowley on this?” Kimberlee squeaked clearly nervous at the idea. “What if he decides to kick us out over it?”

               “He can’t afford to at this point, we know way too damned much about whatever the fuck happened with Riddle and we have the photo from the ghost camera.” Kristina reasoned though even she wasn’t all that sure.  

               “The photos were all over Magicam though,” Fiona mentioned then. “There is no way the public doesn’t know already.”

               “I overheard Mr. Candence talking to Crowley the other day,” Eva said then. “They put up an image blocking program preventing the photo from being shared to accounts that weren’t connected to the Night Raven College wifi.”

               “Basically, keeping it under wraps without the students realizing it’s a secret so they don’t make a big deal out of it,” Judith hummed to herself with the new knowledge obtained.

               “If that’s the case then he definitely doesn’t want to knowledge of the Overblot getting out.” Anne Marie was thinking hard then before something caught her eyes. “Jude what are you doing?”

               “Calling Riddle,” she reasoned as she turned her phone on speaker.  The phone rang for a few seconds before it was answered.

               “Judith? What is it?” Riddle asked clearly curious as to why he was being called.

               “Hey Riddle, I just have a few questions, do you have the time right now?” Judith asked him and there was a beat of silence.

               “Yes, I still have a half-hour before I must have my afternoon tea served to me by the loser of the last croquet match,” Riddle finally answered then. “What seems to be the problem?”

               “Crowley has decided that he isn’t going to allow us to participate in clubs on the basis of gender,” Judith began to explain then. “We were hoping to challenge that decision and wanted to know if there was a way, we could go about it.”

               “You want to challenge the headmaster’s decision,” Riddle repeated sounding almost shocked. There was a rustling sound on the other end. Likely from other students reacting to the sudden outburst.

               “Yes, we do, it isn’t fair or right that we are expected to be students but we aren’t allowed to participate in student activities like clubs,” Judith reasoned and there was a sound of Riddle sighing.

               “I supposed that would be correct,” Riddle agreed. Though it was obvious he was still uncomfortable with the idea of going against the headmaster’s wishes. “The best chance you would have is likely to support your evidence at the Dorm Leader’s meeting tomorrow and hopefully convince enough of the others to allow you, girls, to participate. Crowley is normally law but there is too much power among the dorm leaders for him to want to oppose them over something like this. Anne Marie should be invited already as a Dorm Leader so she can motion for the subject to be brought up in new business which would allow the rest of you in to make your case.”

               “Yeah, I was given a list of meetings last week,” Anne Marie remembered then. “Though it’s a little weird that student government seems to have that much power.”

               “I’m not complaining if it gets us out of this stupid mess,” Kristina grumbled then.

               “Judith am I on speaker?” Riddle asked then and Judith smiled awkwardly at being caught.

               “Sorry,” Judith laughed a little in apology.

               “I just wish you had told me, one of the rules of the queen of hearts is one must always stand when addressing a group of people and I have been sitting this whole time.” Riddle sounded more than a little nervous, it still throwing him off to not be following dumb rules all the time.

               “Riddle I highly doubt talking on speakerphone counts as addressing the group,” Judith reasoned with him.

               “I supposed,” Riddle muttered to himself. “Anyway, did you need anything else?”

               “No, I’ll see you in class tomorrow, thanks for the help.”

               “Don’t thank me just yet, it will be tough to convince the others.”

               “Then I guess we better get practicing out debates and rebuttals.” With that Judith hung up the phone and put it back in her pocket.

               “Well I guess we better start compiling a list of points,” Anne Marie sighed then.

               “I think there were some note cards in one of the boxes,” Kimberlee mentioned as she turned to then begin searching through the boxes.

               “We are definitely going to need them,” Anne Marie sighed then. Kristina began riffling through one of the boxes of school supplies they had been sent until she found some pens and a notebook. It was time they compared notes on how to make everyone see things their way.

Chapter Text

Anne Marie could feel herself tense up as she waited outside the mirror chamber with the other members of her dorm. Riddle had made it seem so simple on the phone but she couldn’t help the tension rising as the time drew closer and closer. She didn’t know why she was so nervous. She cheered in front of large crowds, regularly attended meetings like this at the school, sang on stage in musicals, and sang solos in choir. This should be nothing for her. And yet she felt like she was going to keel over from a strong breeze.

               “Ah, Ms. Ryland? Are you going to be, ok?” Deuce asked from where he and Ace were standing and waiting for moral support.

               “Yeah, I’m fine.” Anne Marie flinched at the way her voice went up just a little too high to be believable. “I’m sure I’m just nervous to meet the other dorm leaders is all.”

               “Don’t worry I’m sure they won’t be interested in yo—OW!” Ace cried out jumping on one foot then as he cried out in pain. Anne Marie wasn’t really sure who stepped on his foot before he could finish his sentence, but she was glad for it. She was already more than aware of her appearance. She normally made the plus sized-curvy body she had work for her, but not wearing any make-up to cover her freckles and her hair suffering from lack of moisture thanks to the sulfate heavy shampoo they had to use not even mentioning the stress acne she could feel coming on from the last two weeks. Needless to say, her confidence in her appearance had taken a few blows.

               “Seriously Ace how are you such an ass?” Valentina huffed as she crossed her arms and glared at her friend.

               “I was referring to her stick in the mud personality, what were you referring to?” Ace challenged back with a smirk.

               “You two are more than free to head back to your dorm,” Anne Marie said with a click of her tongue. “I’m sure you are late to feeding some hedgehogs or something.”

               “Ah, crap, I think she’s right we do have hedgehog duty today,” Deuce suddenly exclaimed.

               “Fuck, you’re right we better get going. Riddle will behead us for that one. He loves those suckers like they are his kids,” Ace agreed.

               “Text me what happens?” Deuce asked Valentina then—Ace already heading back in the direction of the dorm.

               “Of course,” Valentina agreed and then Deuce was gone as well following after Ace. Several of them were staring at her with knowing looks making her look at them with confusion. “What?”

               “Nothing,” Judith said as she looked away though she was still smiling and laughing a little.

               “Man, you have him whipped,” Kristina laughed then making Valentina pout.

               “He’s just nice and concerned about us,” Valentina said as she looked away. Anne Marie would have enjoyed the scene more if she didn’t think about it. How much it would hurt her, the heartbreak. Anne Marie was more than familiar with the feeling and would hate to see Valentina experience it as well.

               “Lay off her you guys, we should stay on track,” Anne Marie scolded them.

               “She’s right,” Fiona agreed then.

               “Do I want to know why those two troublemakers were running down the halls to the dorm mirrors?” Riddle was there dressed in his school uniform still. He looked completely annoyed as he mentioned Ace and Deuce though Anne Marie wasn’t surprised.

               “They remembered prior engagements is all,” Valentina said with a nervous laugh. She was still more than a little nervous around Riddle and that made perfect sense to her. Anne Marie found herself more than a little nervous around Riddle herself as well. The only one that seemed perfectly at ease around him was Judith. Though if Anne Marie thought about it, it made perfect sense. Considering her family… But Anne Marie shouldn’t think about that now. Judith didn’t deserve her pity.

               “Well, the meeting should be starting soon,” Riddle said choosing to not press further. He turned then to look at Anne Marie and give her a comforting smile. “Shall we go in? The meeting should be starting in about five minutes and the others should be arriving shortly.”

               “Yeah, let’s go,” Anne Marie agreed then before turning back and seeing the reassuring looks to the others. She only had to call for new business—then she wouldn’t be alone anymore. Until then… she simply would have to survive a pack of wolves until then. She could do that.

               The mirror chamber wasn’t any less impressive the third time she visited it. The gates all floating around the mirror of darkness. So far it really was still just her and Riddle present in the chamber, though she could all but bet there were going to be questions when the others saw the rest of her dorm hanging around outside.

               “Ah, Riddle, I see you are as punctual as usual, oh and Anne you’re here as well?” Anne Marie looked over and saw a familiar face.

               “Azul, I forgot you were a dorm head as well,” Anne Marie said feeling just a little relieved to know someone else in the class—even if she and Azul hadn’t talked much since the first day. “For Octavinelle right?”

               “Ah, the beauty does have brains as well,” Azul praised making her flush as well. “I’m glad to see you joining the meeting today. I assume though there is a special reason why your dorm members seem to be lined up outside.”

               “Yes, there is,” Anne Marie answered then. “Though I’m afraid you will have to wait until new business is brought up to find out why.”

               Azul’s smile didn’t falter though Anne Marie felt as if it did for some reason. Instead, he moved to adjust his glasses—showing off the wicked glint in his sky-blue eyes that made a shiver go down her spine. Though, she did her best to ignore the implications.

               “Then, I suppose I shall wait with bated breath,” Azul said giving a deep chuckle. He turned then to greet someone else as they walked into the chamber. “Vil, radiant as always.”

               “Does someone care to explain to me why there is a group of potatoes loitering outside?” The beauty snapped making Anne Marie recoil in shock. Even more so when brilliant violet eyes fell on her. “And who is she?”

               “Anne Marie Ryland,” she greeted quickly before Riddle or Azul could do it for her. “I’m the perfect of the dorm we female students are staying in.”

               “Right, I suppose I did hear something about that,” the man, Vil, mused then before waving her off. “I suppose the potatoes have something to do with you then. Well, whatever. Vil Schoenheit, Perfect of Pomefiore. I hope whatever you are planning is worth my time.”

               Anne Marie wanted to snap at him. But she kept her jaw clenched. She wasn’t going to react to him. She couldn’t afford to. She needed them to like her and be on her side. Though, who was she kidding? The only people she really felt comfortable arguing with her were her dorm mates. More specifically, Judith. She didn’t get the chance to reply at all though before the next person walked in.

               “Hi, hi, sorry we’re running late.” The boy who Anne Marie very much remembered got set on fire during the entrance ceremony said as he walked in. Behind him was a man with the lion ears and tail and a floating tablet? Anne Marie did her best to not think about it. It would only hurt her head. “Oh, are you Fiona’s perfect? It’s nice to meet you, I’m Kalim Al-Asim Scarabia’s perfect. I hope to see you all at one of my parties some time.”

               “Pleasure to meet you,” Anne Marie returned the greeting with just as much enthusiasm. “My name is Anne Marie—I’m sure we will make our way over there eventually.”

               “I hope so. Oh, Annie, this is Leona Kingscholar—the Savanahclaw perfect and the tablet is Idia Shroud from Ignihyde.”

               “Please don’t call me that,” Anne Marie asked quickly. “Though it is a pleasure to meet them as well.”

               Leona and Idia didn’t pay any mind to her though. Instead, they seemed rather bored. Or at least Leona did. It was hard to tell what was going on in Idia’s mind since he seemed to have his tablet on sound only. She almost wished she could just Zoom into a meeting like this, but she doubted she would have the capabilities to do so.

               “Ah, I’m glad to see you are all present, Ms. Ryland as well, welcome to your first dorm head meeting,” Crowley said as he stepped into the chamber. “Though, I suppose there is a reason why the entirety of your dorm is waiting outside?”

               “You would be correct, sir,” Anne Marie agreed then. Crowley sighed, his shoulders falling as he more than likely knew what she and the other dorm members were here for.

               “Well, I suppose it would be rude to keep them waiting. Let’s get the meeting with them out of the way.” Crowley said with a sigh making both Riddle and Azul jump a little in response.

               “But sir, shouldn’t we wait until new business?” Riddle asked then clearly thrown off by the change of plans.

               “I would rather get this matter out of the way before discussing further about the Club Fair on Friday,” Crowley reasoned before turning to Anne Marie. “Please escort the girls in so you may make your point.”

               “Yes sir,” she said quickly—fighting the smile on her face. It seemed Riddle was right; this was the best way to make the headmaster listen to them.

               Now they just needed to convince everyone they were right… right?

               The others all filed in as soon as she opened the door. Kimberlee was practically shaking as her green eyes darted from face to face in the room but the rest seemed calm. Most everyone seemed to recognize at least someone else in the room. At least that was what it seemed as Kalim was having happily the second his eyes fell onto Fiona.

               They all lined up neatly in front of the other dorm leader like they were defendants in front of a jury. All their eyes ranged in emotion from support, to bored, to amused, to excited, to annoyed, to… whatever emotion the tablet was showing. Anne Marie took a deep breath and held her head up high. She wouldn’t fold over this, not now.

               “State your business,” Crowley stated then opening the floor up to them.

               “We would like for you to reconsider your decision about forbidding the girls of the Ramshackle dorm from participating in clubs at this school.” Anne Marie stated clearly as she looked directly at Crowley.

               “I did not forbid you from joining clubs,” Crowley protested from her statement. “I gave you a list of clubs you were allowed to join.”

               “The only club on that list was ‘the going home club’, it’s basically the same thing,” Kristina interjected as she narrowed her eyes.

               “Wait, they get to have a going home club?” The tablet exclaimed then. “I was turned down the option when I first enrolled at the academy.”

               “Shroud, refrain from talking while others have the floor,” Riddle silenced him before turning back to the girls.

               “But the point still stands that I did not forbid you from club actives, just limited them and for your own safety—our school is known for fine young mages, not for upstanding young gentlemen.” Crowley retorted the yellow lights of his eyes narrowing.

               Anne Marie felt as if they had tripped up as if they had walked right into that one. She felt like a spoilt child who was crying and whining to their parents for not getting what they wanted. Like it was completely hopeless and they were just making fools of themselves in front of their peers.

               “Are you saying the male students here are incapable of self-restraint, and because of that we should be punished for it?” Anne Marie blinked and turned to look at the voice. Eva was most definitely not who she expected to come to her rescue with a sharp tongue. In fact, she expected Eva to be thrilled she wouldn’t have to socialize more than she had to.

               “No that’s not what I—”

               “Then there shouldn’t be a problem with us joining club activities,” Judith piped up quickly to keep the pressure on.

               “But it doesn’t change the fact the risk is there,” Crowley argued back. It was clear he could feel the pressure building though from the way the other dorm leaders were watching with wrapped attention.

               “And we could get struck by lightning or harassed in classes at any time,” Judith continued standing talk, even going so far as to leave the line and walk forward. Her presence made Anne Marie want to shrink down but not look away. Instead, Anne Marie’s eyes were practically glued to her. Like Judith’s whole body was demanding they paid attention to her and only her. “You have no problem putting us in classrooms, in having us participate in gym classes, and you had no issues with us working as janitorial staff before we were students. It seems rather hypocritical to demand we attend classes as students and work as students but we are unable to enjoy the same activities that encourage comradery and friendship that makes school life so bearable.”

               “We aren’t pets or dolls,” Kristina followed—her arms crossed as she addressed the headmaster. “We are students. Treat us like it.”

               Anne Marie felt her throat dry. Irritation in her soul as she watched the two of them, Judith and Kristina. They stood tall, like the leader of the group. They commanded all the attention of everyone in the room. And Anne Marie… she didn’t even get the chance to call for new business, Crowley brought them in before she got the chance.

               Oh, sweetheart, when are you going to understand we aren’t special. We aren’t the kind of people who get to be in the spotlight. It’s best you put those childish fantasies away now and focus on something more practical.

               “Perhaps a compromise can be arranged.” Azul’s voice snapped Anne Marie out of her mind. Chased away her mother’s voice as if it was just a bad dream. He was smiling softly as he looked between all the girls and over to the headmaster.

               “What would you propose Mr. Ashengrotto?” Crowley asked then, clearly curious at the idea.

               “Why not allow the girls to participate in the cultural clubs, bar none, and sports activities that are individualized only,” Azul suggested and holding his arms out to the side as if he was shrugging. “This way it would be unmistakable if students were attempting to harass these poor unfortunate girls, and they would be able to enjoy school life to the fullest.”

               “I agree with Azul,” Riddle added then. “It would be easy to spot if the girls did not have to risk physical contact—I also propose the clubs they chose to join having to sit through an anti-harassment seminar.”

               “Just let them punch the guy in the face, it would save everyone the time,” the lion beast-man, Leona said then with a bored yawn.

               “You would suggest a violent response like that,” Vil deadpanned as he looked at Leona like he was a dirty dishrag.

               “Seems to work well enough for Krissy over there,” Leona said as he jabbed a thumb at Kristina. Anne Marie watched as Judith quickly grabbed Kristina’s arm to stop her from running up to deck Leona. He only laughed in response. “See, plenty of fight in this lot.”

               “Please stop encouraging that sort of behavior Mr. Kingscholar,” Crowley sighed. “Fine, I suppose I could agree to those compromises.”

               “Hold on a second---AH—MPHM.” Anne Marie had rushed forward to quickly slam a hand over Kristina’s mouth to stop her from picking a fight with Crowley again. This was much better than she was expecting for any kind of deal they were going to work out. She would have considered it lucky to have arts and science clubs alone—having individual sports activities was a bonus.

               “We are so glad for your understanding headmaster,” Anne Marie said then her mouth still on Kristina’s mouth until she felt something warm and wet against her hand. “Gross, did you just lick me?”

               “Don’t put your damned hand on my mouth you fucking small fry,” Kristina growled.

               “If that’s all, I would very much like to get this meeting over with,” Vil sighed then—clearly over the conversation already.

               “Yes, if all you ladies except for Ms. Ryland could excuse yourself it would be most appreciated,” Crowley said then. Anne Marie felt Kristina shake her and Judith off then and she turned on her heel to watch as Kristina flipped them all off as she marched out. Judith then looks to Anne Marie with a weak smile. Anne Marie looked away then ignoring Judith. She could still feel the sting of jealousy from earlier and she needed time to cool off.

               She heard Judith turn to walk away as well as the rest of the girls—the door to the mirror chamber echoing behind them.

               “Now, let’s begin with old business,” Riddle said then and there began the first dorm leader meeting Anne Marie was part of.

…

               “You’re staring at your phone.”

               “No, I’m not.”

               “You defiantly are.”  

               “It’s kind of obvious Deuce.”

               “Nothing to be ashamed about Deucey, I’m sure Val will text you as soon as they manage.” Deuce sighed at Ace and his senior’s teasing. He had kept checking his phone on and off for the last half hour. He knew it could likely be a long debate but it still made him anxious not knowing what was happening. Especially when she had seemed so upset at the idea, she wasn’t going to be allowed to do any club activities.

               The second his phone pings with a notification though, he finds himself unlocking it just a little too quickly. He can hear Ace and Cater laughing despite Trey trying to quiet them, but he doesn’t care because the notification is a text from Valentina.

               Val: We did it! We can join any club we want as long as it isn’t a cooperative team sport. Only individual ones. Kris isn’t happy about it because that means no Volleyball but Jude is doing her best to keep her from going for Crowley’s throat again

               Deuce felt himself smiling brightly at the message. They did it. They managed to convince Crowley to let them join clubs.

               “They managed. There are some sports clubs they can’t join but they are good to join any other club they want.” Deuce relayed the message to the others and they smiled as well. Seemingly just as relieved as he was that the girls managed to pull it off.

               “You hoping to get some more one-on-one time with Val that way?” Ace said with a wiggle of his eyebrows. Deuce shove him—making Ace almost lose his balance from where he was sitting on the arm of a chair.

               “She’s just a friend,” Deuce protested though he knew the way his ears were heating up would give him away. He did his best to distract himself by typing out a reply instead.

               Deuce: I’m glad to see you guys managed to pull it off 😊 can’t wait for Friday.

               “Honestly, holding back isn’t good for you Deucey,” Cater lectured as he took a few pictures of the group. “Just look at where it got Trey.”

            “Are you ever going to let that go?” Trey sighed at Cater before he turned his attention back to Deuce again. “But seriously Deuce you should talk to her about it. She seems to like you too.”

               Deuce fidgeted a little at the suggestion. He really wanted to confess to Valentina. She was so cool and sweet. She had a bit of a girly streak but she wasn’t afraid of hard work either. She had a way of looking at you that just made you feel like you were going to be accepted no matter what horrible sins you confessed to her. The others were cool, sure, even if they could be a little intimidating at times. But they weren’t Valentina. He felt connected to her, in the same way, he had heard his mother’s soap operas talk about all the time. He didn’t really get it when he was younger but he got it now.

               But he also knew she wanted nothing more than to go home to her family. He had watched an entire ghost flashback over it. He couldn’t even blame her. He would do anything to get back to his mother if he was separated from her. But he also couldn’t help the growing feeling he had for Valentina. Whatever they were, where ever they were headed. He wasn’t sure he wanted to hold back.

               “I’ll talk to her, promise,” Deuce reassured the group.

               “Assuming you don’t pussy out,” Ace teased earning him a harder shove this time. This time, Ace did actually fall to the floor making the group laugh at his misery.

               “Hey think we could talk any of them to join the light music club?” Cater asked excitedly.

               “Maybe the science club,” Trey offered as well. They seemed excited at the idea of getting to hang out with the girls outside of school. Deuce couldn’t help but chuckle, they were completely hyped up to get to know them better—though for what reason was lost of Deuce.

               He couldn’t wait for Friday.

…

               “That seemed to take longer than usual,” Ruggie commented when Leona finally made it back to his dorm room. Leona didn’t even bother to reply as he walked straight over to his bed to lay down.

               “The obnoxious herbivores from Ramshackle crashed the meeting to yowl about Crowley not allowing them in clubs,” Leona sighed as he began to strip off his school uniform and tossing the clothes on the ground—ignoring Ruggie’s protest that he had just cleaned in there.  “Honestly that damned Crow needs to learn to let people sink or swim and stop sticking his nose into other’s problems.”

               “Oof, that was harsh of him, though girls like them are more than capable of handling themselves if our dorm members are to be believed Shishishi~” Ruggie laughed as he began moving about to pick up the clothes that Leona had thrown and handing him his dorm uniform. “Especially Kris, she gave Hunter a broken nose last week.”

               “Asshole probably had it coming,” Leona said with a wave of his hand. Hunter Winchester had been a pain in Leona’s ass since he was a first-year and was more than a little bitter Leona held his title of dorm leader despite being held back twice. He briefly remembered her in the meeting room, her cobalt eyes alight with pure rage at his prevarication. The girl had teeth, that was a definite. Maybe a kitten with the way she bristled at his words.

               “Should we start keeping an eye on them for the Magishift tournament,” Ruggie asked seriously.

               “Don’t bother,” Leona sighed—feeling his eyes grow heavy. “Even if they have a bite, they can’t cast magic. So, even if they are allowed to participate, they will have to use those battery-operated wands. Those things don’t have the juice to do much more than levitate objects.”

               “The Ramshackle girls are to be left alone, understood,” Ruggie said with a curt nod.

               “Now buzz off, I’m going to nap.”

               “Yes sir, Leona shishishi~”

…

               “Welcome back Azul,” Jade greeted as soon as Azul stepped foot in the Octavinelle lounge. The merman sighed in content as he rolled his shoulders back—glad to be done with his put-together persona for at least a few minutes.

               “It’s good to be back,” Azul said with a sigh. “We had the most interesting meeting today.”

               “Oh?” Jade asked clearly curious.

               “The Ramshackle girls had been banned from clubs and came to appeal Crowley’s decision, having the support of the dorm leaders as a way to help,” Azul began to explain before smirking. “Being the generous person, I am I offered a solution that fixed everyone’s problems.”

               “Yes, it would be most unfortunate for the poor things to miss out on such a vital part of school life,” Jade said in turn with a smile that showed off his dangerously sharp teeth.

               It was complete bullshit, Azul knew that. And he knew Jade knew that. Honestly, the girls could keep to themselves forever for all he cared if it wasn’t for the fact, they were living in the dorm he currently had his eyes on. Getting to see glimpses of the girls outside of the classroom environment and somewhere more readily able to talk to was vital for his plan.

               There was a flash of soft silver eyes and braided hair that looked stuck between blonde and brown in his mind before he shook it off. It was the most he had spoken to her since the first day at the school and she had seemed so much sure of herself and comfortable in her skin. He couldn’t fathom how though with her physique. Though he couldn’t say she was unpleasant to look at.

               “There is a power struggle going on with that dorm, and I don’t think they even realize it,” Azul said cutting to the point. Yes, Anne Marie had stood tall and confident in the face of the dorm leaders but she folded quickly enough with the presence of Kristina and Judith. Judith with the aura that made him feel as if he was addressing royalty and Kristina who felt more wild animal than girl. It completely undermined Anne Marie’s authority in that room, and judging by the cold-shoulder she had given Judith—she was more than aware of that. “We will only have to exploit that fact. With some of the right persuasion, we can hopefully recruit at least one of them into our clubs.”

               “Of course,” Jade agreed then. There was the sound of dishes breaking that pulled their attention away from each other and over in the direction of the Monstro Lounge. Azul let out a deep sigh. Floyd must be in one of his moods again.

               “No rest for the wicked,” was all he said before heading in the direction of the lounge to minimize the damage.

…

               “Hey Jamil,” Kalim chirped excitedly from where he was sitting on one of the cushions in his room. Jamil did his best to fight off a sigh. He was trying to finish up laundry quietly and quickly, but the Asim family heir seemed determined to make that impossible.

               “What is it?” Jamil asked with practiced calm as he looked up from his folding and over to Kalim. He did his best to fight off the urge to smack the smile off his master's face as the heir was clearly ignoring his homework in favor of the conversation.

               “Should we invite the Ramshackle girls to your birthday party tomorrow?” Kalim asked with wide eyes. “It would be so much fun having them there right? And Anne is your classmate, isn’t she? She seems super sweet and nice. Kris seems a bit scary but I’m sure she will warm up to us all quickly.”

               Ah yes, Anne Marie, the girl who was so detail-oriented she could spend half of the class period asking questions. She was also fairly smart, if not a little naive, and seemed to be picking up on the materials rather quickly despite the rumors that she wasn’t even from Twisted Wonderland but a completely different world. From what he had observed of her it seemed completely possible. He had also heard her yelling at her vice leader from across the field as he was heading to class yesterday over some petty argument.

               Defiantly not someone he wanted at his party. Honestly, it was bad enough he would be cooking all his own food for the event and setting up his own decorations (because knowing Kalim he would burn down their dorm or hurt himself if Jamil let him do it) but now Kalim was trying to add unnecessary guests and variables to the party. Absolutely not.

               “Kalim,” Jamil said and the ruby-eyed boy looked at him with wide eyes, completely trusting despite knowing what Jamil’s unique magic was since they were young.

               What an idiot.

               “Why don’t you focus on your homework and forget about the girls,” Jamil hummed as he used just enough magic to place the suggestion firmly in Kalim’s mind. He didn’t need him under total control for something like this. Just enough to get the idea out of his head. “The party is fine being Scarabia only.”

               “You’re right,” Kalim said sounding almost drowsy as he agreed, letting his head go down and back to the paper he was working on. “Just Scarabia will be fine.”

               Jamil smiled, feeling the satisfaction of knowing how easily Kalim bent to his will like this. How he had the power to reverse their rolls when he wished. He had to be careful though, if he pushed Kalim too far then he could risk his plans getting revealed. He had been working on carefully setting up the story of Kalim having a nervous breakdown from his dorm duties and attending Night Raven College; he was no about to let it all go up in smoke because he didn’t feel like catering to one of Kalim’s whims.

               Crowley started this and Jamil was going to push him to end it too.

…

               Epel was over the stupid etiquette lessons that Rook was leading him through. When in the hell would he ever use useless knowledge like that anyway? It certainly wasn’t going to help him beat Vil so he could get out of Pomefiore and into Savanahclaw that was for sure. Despite how much he hated his perfect he couldn’t help but look with curious concern as Vil dramatically threw open the door and entered like a raging thunderstorm.

               “Is something wrong Rio Du Poison?” Rook asked as Vil walked over to them with his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose.

               “Honestly, those dorm meetings are always a waste of time,” Vil complained. “Nothing is said in them that couldn’t be sent out in an email. And worse, the group of Ramshackle potatoes dragged us all into their pissing contest with the headmaster. Honestly, their skin was so stripped of moisture it made me almost cry. Just what kind of hygiene products are they using in that dorm?”

               “The Ramshackle girls?” Epel asked curiously.

               “Ah that’s right,” Vil said as he remembered something. “You and Rook share a class with some of the girls.”

               “Oui, Mademoiselle Competitive is in my homeroom,” Rook confirmed then. “Her ferocious beauty is truly a sight to behold as she gracefully takes down any predator who dares to challenge her.”

               “I’m assuming by that description you are talking about Kristina,” Vil said as he easily translated Rook’s speech. It was no surprise he knew her name. Just about everyone in the school knew the girl’s names even if they didn’t know their faces or speak to them personally. Even Epel was familiar with them and he didn’t talk to really anyone outside of Vil and Rook for fear of his accent coming through when he talked. “What about you Epel, which one of the potatoes is in your class.”

               “Kimberlee,” Epel explained. The image of the model-thin and tall girl flashing in his head. She honestly had looked like the models on the covers of the magazines he saw in doctors waiting rooms as a child. Though, she seemed pretty shy—never really talking to anyone unless addressed directly. Though when she was addressed directly, she seemed super sweet.

               Epel was still working up the courage to talk to her and ask her how she got so tall. Seriously it wasn’t fair that she was easily over 180 centimeters. And he was stuck at 156, it wasn’t fair. If he could just get a little taller maybe people would stop saying he was so cute.

               “Ah that one, she needs to work on her posture and stand up straighter,” Vil said with a click of his tongue. “Enough about them, how are his lessons coming?”

               Epel fought off the groan building in his throat as he listened to Rook explain how his etiquette training was going. He couldn’t wait until Friday when he could participate in the Magishift tryouts. He would definitely impress everyone with his flying and make the team.

               Maybe then he could show everyone the kind of man he was.

…

               Idia sighed and cracked his neck when he finally logged off his tablet for the day in order to be able to game in peace. Honestly, it was so dumb listening to the meetings, they really could just be emails but Riddle and Crowley seemed convinced they should meet in person. Didn’t seem fair when Malleus was never in attendance. He even missed the meeting today as well. Anne Marie had been scary as she lectured all of them about excluding others.

               “If it bothers her so much, she can tell him when they are,” Idia grumbled to himself.

               “You worked hard today Big Bro, you should be proud,” Ortho said happily as he hovered over to where Idia was seated.

               “Thanks, Ortho,” Idia said with a smile. “Though having the girls all at that meeting felt like something in a harem game.”

               “They looked so cool standing up to Crowley,” Ortho agreed quickly—having no idea what a harem game was and Idia being sure to block that particular tag on Ortho’s search capabilities as well as several other tags. “Especially Eva Frost, I don’t think she has ever spoken up in class like that before.”

               Idia thought back to that moment and Ortho was right. She looked like a protagonist coming into her own at that moment, but it quickly went away when Judith took over the negotiations. He smirked. How lame of her to let herself get outdone so easily. It must have been so embarrassing.

               “No, but with the way she fumbled back, she likely won’t anytime soon. Girls like her should just accept they are NPC’s and let the protagonists do the talking,” Idia said before clicking a few buttons. “I feel sorry for whatever club is going to have those girls in them. They are going to be stuck in the spotlight for sure.”

…

               “Ah my Lord, I’m so sorry you weren’t informed of the meeting!” Sebek’s loud screaming had been what woke Silver up from his nap. He wasn’t surprised he had dozed off again but it was rather annoying to find out. He was sure his junior would have words with him if he found out.

               “It’s fine,” Malleus had reassured the half-fae. “There are always other meetings.”

               “Seriously, how is it the invitation never arrives,” Lilia sighed as he crossed his arms. “Oh well, at least you can hopefully recruit new members for your club this Friday.”

               “Yes, that would be nice,” Malleus agreed with a soft smile.

               “There are even the girls who came to this world that will get to join the club activities maybe one of them will join as well.” Lilia chirped happily.

               “None of those filthy human girls are worthy to be in our lord’s presence,” Sebek huffed in annoyance. Though Silver guessed he was likely still bitter that Malleus forbid Sebek from joining his club. He couldn’t blame their young lord, Sebek already stuck to him like glue—his club was one of his only reprieves.

               “Silver, you’re the only one that shares a class with one of them,” Lilia said with a smile. “And you went to Scarabia with one of them the other day even. What’s she like—the human girl in your class?”

               What was Fiona like? Well, Silver found that a little hard to describe. Mostly because she surprisingly didn’t talk much about herself. She was clearly more at ease listening to Kalim chat like he was then making conversation herself.

               “Honestly, she just seems nice,” Silver said with a shrug. There wasn’t much more about her so far other than nice that he could place.

               “Well, I suppose we will have to learn more about them then,” Lilia said with a chuckle. “Maybe one of them will even join the light music club.”

               “Not if you play that death metal like you did last year,” Silver quipped earning him a pout from his father and guardian.

               Silver had a feeling that the club fair on Friday was going to be interesting for sure.

Chapter Text

“How long are you going to keep pouting?” Anne Marie sighed at Kristina as they were back in the dorm from classes. It was a half-day that day due to the club fair and now they were all back at the dorms and getting changed for the club fair. Fiona watched as Kristina shoved herself further into the couch as if to protest Anne Marie’s words.

               “Until I feel like stopping,” Kristina fired back as she crossed her arms. She was wearing one of the fitted V-neck tops they had found in the boxes and a pair of sweat pants that made a noise like a plastic grocery bag every time she walked. Her dark ringlets were put up in a high ponytail and the makeup she wore was minimal. It looked like despite everything she was still going to do her best to find a way into an athletics club. It was also what Fiona remembered as Kristina’s standard outfit back home. The only times she had seen the older girl dress in something more girly had been away game days when the whole team dressed up and school dances.

               Anne Marie just let out another deep breath in response—clearly over trying to convince Kristina that they had gotten the best deal they could. Fiona also noted that Anne Marie was wearing her usual as well. She wore an oversized pink knitted sweater tucked into a denim skirt that reached her knees. Her makeup was finally done and she seemed much happier with it. It definitely made her seem like she was glowing as she looked more of the healthy tan she usually did instead of the tired they had all grown accustomed to. Though, Fiona could still see hints of her freckles under her foundation.

               Fiona herself was in a pair of jeans and a flowy checkered print blouse. She preferred girly clothing herself but with the Equestrian Club she was aiming for, she decided it was best to dress in something more applicable for riding. While side saddle was most definitely an option to learn if she wanted to wear dresses while riding, she would rather not.

               Two of the others were already out in the waiting room with them. They were only missing Valentina and Judith now. Apparently, Valentina had caught sight of Judith before they did and quickly pulled her back while saying “no way are you going out there with your hair like that,” followed by the sound of the door closing. Kimberlee had only laughed nervously as a result—apparently, this wasn’t the first time Valentina had forced Judith to sit for her while she did her hair.

               “Are you sure you don’t want to join any clubs Grim,” Kimberlee asked the monster cat who was curled up in one of the boxes still by the fireplace. She was dressed in a pair of shorts with a tank top. Over the tank top, she had a cute flannel that was likely supposed to be oversized but on her, it hit her perfectly at her hips. Like Kristina, she wasn’t wearing much makeup but Fiona felt it suited her just fine, having the more natural look.

               “No way do I want to spend more time with the losers at the school than I have to,” Grim huffed with a yawn. “The Great Grim is far too powerful to be wasting his time with people like that.”

               Fiona caught sight of Eva rolling her eyes at Grim’s statement. Though Fiona did have to wonder if Eva was going to be alright in the late summer heat. Eva had opted for a pair of dark skinny jeans that showed just how thin she was under the baggy clothes she always wore and a black hoodie with a logo Fiona assumed was name brand. Her eyeliner was winged so dramatically and so thick it practically covered most of her eyelid. But it also made her blue eyes pop all the more so Fiona shrugged and assumed it just looked good on her. Other than the eyeliner though she wasn’t really wearing anything other than foundation. It made her look unnaturally pale as a result.

               “Please make sure Grim doesn’t burn down the dorm while we’re gone,” Anne Marie asked one of the ghosts as they drifted through. It was the one that looked like the state-puff marshmallow man and if Fiona remembered right his name was Phineas.

               “Don’t worry we will make sure he behaves,” Phineas reassured with a warm smile.

               “If he doesn’t, we can always chase him around until he does,” the medium-sized one, Gus, laughed as he materialized nearby.

               “Sorry for keeping you waiting, Jude’s hair does not like to curl,” Valentina said as she pulled their attention. She was dressed pretty simple like Kimberlee in shorts and a tank top. But instead of the flannel shirt over it she had a cute little short-sleeved corduroy crop jacket over it. She still had her hair held back with the headband Deuce got her though. Fiona couldn’t help but smile at how attached she was to it. She was always wearing different hair accessories at home, but the headband remained a constant here even after claiming several hairpins from the boxes.

               The sight of Judith though immediately demanded everyone’s attention. The cute cold-shoulder dress that hit her perfectly at her waist and flared out into a circle skirt looked exactly like what she wore at their school right down to the rich sapphire blue of the color and the sweetheart neckline. Her makeup was likely the most put together with an almost airbrushed finish but just enough color to make her eyes seem more blue than hazel from the color choice. Valentina had decided to curl her hair shortening the length so it hit just around her breasts with a few pieces framing her face. This was the Judith Fiona was familiar with, the one that looked completely unapproachable—like she was from a completely different universe than the students of Brookfield High could ever hope to be a part of. Honestly, seeing her with no make-up and her hair down or simply pulled up the last few weeks had been stranger than the image now.

               “I told you I was fine with just pulling the sides back,” Judith grumbled as she shifted her weight from side to side. One foot playing with the flats she was wearing rather than keeping it on her feet as she should have. It was a weird behavior accompanied by the image of her for sure.

               “No way, you wore such a cute dress you might as well go all the way,” Valentina said as she waved off Judith’s concerns. Apparently, she seemed to be the only one completely undeterred by Judith’s appearance and aura.

               “You’re going to make all the boys turn their heads like that,” Kristina teased then. “Finally comfortable enough to start going back to your boyfriend of the month routine?”

               Judith’s jaw clenched like she wanted to say something but she relaxed quickly enough. It was such a quick change that Fiona was almost sure she had imagined it. Judith just smiled politely then as she looked at Kristina directly in the eye and spoke: “Are you sure you’re one to talk? You did get caught having several three-ways at my house before. With different guys each time if I remember right.”

               Kristina only shrugged at the jab. Clearly undeterred about any implication that Judith had been trying to hit her with to get back at her.

               “I know what I like,” Kristina said with a shrug. “Now let’s get going before all the spots in the good clubs are taken.”

…

               “Me-OW would you look at what the cats dragged in,” Ace teased as the girls approached the main strip where they had all agreed to meet up. Deuce could feel his mouth go dry when he catches sight of Valentina. She looked downright adorable as she skipped in their general direction. It was one of the few school events where they were allowed to wear their casual clothes and Deuce was suddenly wishing there were more.

               “What never seen girls wear clothes before Ace?” Valentina teased him with a smile. Ace laughed back, clearly not all that affected by the jab. Ace was definitely looking the part of pretty-boy scamp with his dorm make-up still on but a white button-up with the sleeves rolled and first few buttons open, a black vest on but left open, and a pair of red-plaid pants that came about mid-calf and his dorm shoes.

               Deuce didn’t have much that didn’t reflect his bad-boy days. But he figured a pair of jeans and a t-shirt with his old leather jacket. It was pretty scuffed up from a few Magic Wheel crashes so he was likely to need to get a new one soon, but he was suddenly wishing he had ditched it all together when he saw Valentina.

               “Damn Deuce you clean up nice,” Kristina whistled then making Deuce shrink a little. He couldn’t tell if she was being sarcastic or serious so all he could manage was smiling weakly in response.

               “She’s right,” Valentina said a little quietly with a soft smile. “The jacket suits you.”

               There was the sound of some snickering from the other girls and Valentina quickly shot them a glare as a result. Ace seemed to be pouting at the attention he was getting. Crossing his arms as he glared at them lightly.

               “I’m dressed up too you know?” Ace pouted to them earning a few giggles again.

               “I think you look cool Ace,” Kimberlee reassured and he nodded his head in agreement as a result.

               “You bet you ass I do,” Ace said confidently than before he looked around a little confused. “Where’s Grim, isn’t he going to join any clubs?”

               “He said he wasn’t interested, so we left him back at the dorm with the ghosts,” Anne Marie explained to him. “Honestly, it beats keeping track of him.”

               “Fair enough,” Ace said with a shrug before he remembered something. He pulled out a crumpled-up-looking map from his pocket then. “I grabbed a map that shows where all the clubs are holding their presentations. Some of the bigger clubs like Magishift, Basketball, Volleyball, and Soccer are having try-outs at specific times but the rest of them are open to stop by whenever.”

               Deuce noticed Kristina’s expression sour at the mention of Volleyball. He couldn’t blame her. He had a similar reaction to finding out there was no magic wheel club at the school, and even more so when they turned down his proposal to start one. Even if it was just an appreciation club and not a racing club. It still sucked.

               “Anyone have any preference on where we should start?” Anne Marie asked as she took the map from Ace. “It looks like the try-outs for specific clubs won’t start until about three, so we have a few hours for those. Then again, we can’t do any of those clubs anyway.”

               “I kind of want to try the Basketball club out,” Ace said as he ruffled his hair a bit. “But like you said we have time.”

               “You’re going to try out for basketball dressed like that?” Kristina deadpanned as she gave Ace a very judgmental once over.

               “The tryouts are mostly a showcase of the members than actually doing the sport it’s just how they get people to sign up by showing off,” Ace protested then. “They don’t decide who the actual players are and who is more management/cheerleaders until after club practices have started.”

               “It also says there is a Movie Appreciation club tryout at four-thirty,” Judith noted as she peaked over Anne Marie’s shoulder. “You have to try out for a club that watches movies?”

               “Guess we will have to check that out when the time comes around,” Valentina added clearly also curious.

               “Since we have time…” Fiona started then pulling everyone’s attention. “Can we go to the Equestrian club? Please? I know that’s the club I wanna sign up for.”

               “You sure you don’t want to look around a little first?” Anne Marie asked but Fiona only shook her head in response.

               “No, I definitely want to join that club,” Fiona said, firm in her decision.

               “You couldn’t pay me enough to join that club,” Ace whined as they all began walking in the direction of the stables. “I spend enough time with the dorm leader as it is.”

               “That’s because you keep mouthing off and get put on tea duty and punishment,” Deuce quipped back.

               “Tiny tyrant still blows up at every little thing,” Ace grumbled which only made everyone roll their eyes. No, Riddle was much better than he was before even if he still had issues letting rules go that were ridiculous—his punishments were far less severe than they had been previously.

               “You can always wait for us to finish if you’re going to complain,” Anne Marie sighed.

               “And miss the look on his face when we show up and he has a mini heart attack thinking Deuce or I are going to join? Absolutely not,” Ace said with a smirk. Deuce pouted a little at the implication that Riddle would have a problem with him but let it slide. Mostly cause Ace was probably right. Riddle dealt with the two of them enough in the dorm, he doubted the Heartslabyul perfect wanted anything to do with them outside of the dorm. Then again maybe not, he did willingly sit with them at lunch after all.

               They continued chatting until they finally reached the stables where the Equestrian club was waiting. Most of them were in their team uniform of jockey pants, riding boots, blazers, and high collar shirts that seemed much too fancy for Deuce to be comfortable. Everyone… except their dorm head who was dressed in his ceremonial robes.

               “Dear Seven what are you wearing Perfect?” Ace asked before any of them even got the chance. While most of the team ignored the outburst Ace had, it had most definitely gotten Riddle’s attention. It also pulled the attention of a boy dressed in the team’s uniform attention as well as a guy with green hair who was filling out something on a clipboard that Deuce assumed was a club registration form.

               “Ace Trappola,” Riddle said sternly as he locked eyes with their group. “These are our ceremonial robes and you would do well to not mock them.”

               “I’m not, but you look completely out of place wearing them instead of the uniform,” Ace said back still too bewildered to care if it was irritating Riddle.

               “I simply thought it would do well to spice things up a little for the potential new members is all,” Riddle huffed a bit as he turned his head away—clearly embarrassed. It was likely not the first time someone mentioned his odd attire to him. But he was the captain so it wasn’t something anyone could really protest. He regained his composure quickly though as he turned to face them, hesitance clear in his gaze. “I don’t suppose you are interested in joining Ace?”

               “No way, I spend enough time with you,” Ace said quickly. The relief that radiated off of Riddle was practically palpable. He smiled then clearly at ease again after. Maybe Deuce’s initial assumption was right, Riddle really only tolerated the two of them because the girls, Cater, and Trey like them.

               “Then what about you lot?” Riddle asked as he addressed the rest of the group. “I just did a presentation for Sebek here before he agreed to join, but I’m sure Silver would be more than happy to give a riding demonstration instead.”

               “That won’t be necessary,” Anne Marie assured than with a wave. They were all lined up on the white fence now, observing a few of the other members who got restless waiting and had started running the course. “Fiona here has pretty much already committed to it.”

               “Really,” Riddle said sounding almost surprised as he turned his attention to Fiona. “Do you have experience with riding?”

               “Yes and no,” Fiona said though she was clearly more interested in Riddle’s horse as she reached out to pet the reddish-brown animal. It whinnied a little before pushing its head further into her hand, eager for more attention. “I did some riding while I worked at the Wieck family ranch last summer but the style was different. Almost entirely Western rather than English.”

               Riddle seemed puzzled at her terminology. Mouthing the words ‘Western’ and ‘English’ to himself with clear confusion before something seemed to click to him. “Ah, you must mean Rose Style vs Sokio Style. In the Equestrian club, we mostly ride Rose Style since those are the kind of competitions we enter. Sokio or Sanfransokio Style is more popularized overseas and tends to be a more rodeo-based style of riding.”

               “Sounds about right,” Judith said. She was leaning on the fence—letting her head rest as she looked bored. “Sokio style would be equivalent to our Western. Since we mostly did cattle competitions and rodeo showcases that’s mostly what we used at the ranch. Though there are a few trained jockeys on staff for racing.”

               “You sound fairly knowledgeable about riding,” Riddle complimented Judith with a smile. “Did you want to join as well?”

               “No way.”

               “Geez answer a little faster why don’t you,” Valentina quipped as she looked at Judith in shock—clearly not used to such a blunt refusal from her.

               “Do you not like riding?” Fiona asked curiously as she took a clipboard from Silver and began filling out the paperwork to register for the club. “I noticed your family and you never really road at the ranch. If any of you were there it was mostly for paperwork or to show other people.”

               “It’s not that I don’t like riding, though I’m not exactly passionate about it either,” Judith began to explain. “I just don’t feel like taking on the responsibility of caring for the animals that would be expected of me in the club is all.”

               “Haha, princess afraid to get her hands dirty cleaning stalls?” Kristina taunted making Judith roll her eyes.

               “As for why I don’t ride at the ranch,” Judith began to explain as she pointedly ignored Kristina’s jabs. “That has to do with an incident with a trainer when I was younger. I was in a riding lesson with a mare and her foal since the baby wasn’t old enough to wean.  My instructor at the time was new to the ranch and a bit of a hothead. He thought since I was doing good on my own, he could saddle up a horse he was told to break in and be able to cut his work time in half. The idiot didn’t take into consideration the mare’s protectiveness or the fact he was riding a stallion. Needless to say, the mother got more than a little pissy after a few minutes, and the next thing we know she had thrown me off by knocking me into the fence and he was out of a job. After that my family decided, I didn’t need to ride anymore.”

               Deuce couldn’t help but blink a little in shock. She said the story so casually, almost bored. But it sounded absolutely wild to him. He had his fair share of broken bones and bruises from when he was first riding his Magic Wheel but this sounded on a completely different level.

               “Were you OK?” Riddle asked then clearly concerned for her, even if the story did sound like it was a while ago.

               “I wore my helmet, so there were no major injuries,” she reassured. “Scratched up my leg pretty bad in the fall but honestly my pride was more hurt than anything since my saddle going sideways from me not tightening it enough was what allowed me to get thrown off so easily without being able to get her back under control long enough to dismount.”

               “How old were you when this happened?” Riddle asked then.

               “About… eight I think?” She said her eyebrows knitting together as she tried to remember. Riddle looked absolutely appalled then.

               “They had you tightening your own saddle at eight? Could you even get enough leverage to tighten it?” Riddle exclaimed but Judith only laughed.

               “Apparently not,” she giggled a little. “But the point still stands, I have no interest in riding.”

               “…Chicken.”

               “Shut up Kris.”

               “Still, I didn’t realize your family was so protective,” Fiona commented as she finished up the paperwork to hand back to Silver.

               “Is that the word for it?” Judith asked then. Something about her tone made Deuce hope no one else pressed further. Thankfully, no one else seemed to want to either.  

               “Alright, Fiona, Sebek,” Riddle said as he addressed the two who joined the Equestrian club. “Once the advisor goes over the paperwork, you will receive your club timetables. Be sure to memorize them as they have the dates and times of practices and matches.”

               “Yes, Senior Riddle!” Sebek exclaimed a little too loudly to the point it made Deuce’s ears ring.

               “Sure thing,” Fiona agreed happily.

               “Now, the rest of you should stop by the Science Club and Light Music Club rooms,” Riddle encouraged—Sebek already leaving to likely head back to his dorm. “Those are the clubs' Trey and Cater are part of. I’m sure they would be more than happy to see you visit, even if you don’t join.”

               “We will have to check it out,” Anne Marie assured with a smile.

               “Please wear your helmet while riding,” Judith told Riddle as she turned to walk away.

               “I promise I will don’t worry about me,” Riddle said as he waved off her concern. “Enjoy the rest of the Club Fair.”

               They began to head back to the main part of campus then. All of them in a group, and surprisingly cheery despite Judith’s story and Kristina’s jabbing. Deuce found himself falling back a little to walk next to Valentina, enjoying being closer to her than listening to Ace ramble about nothing in particular.

               “What’s that you pinned to your blouse?” Kimberlee asked Fiona then as she pointed out a button that was now on the shorter blonde’s shirt.

               “Ah Silver handed it to me, apparently this is something clubs give out to people who commit to a club today so they aren’t harassed after they already signed up for a club,” Fiona explained then, though Deuce wasn’t really sure when all of that had managed to go down.

               “That will be nice, since I’m pretty sure most of the clubs are going to be begging us to join,” Eva grumbled a little. Deuce could see her face starting to get a little pink as they walked. She really didn’t dress for the weather.

               “You act like that’s a bad thing,” Valentina laughed a bit and from Eva’s facial expression—Deuce guessed it was a bad thing to her.

               “What club should we head for next?” Anne Marie asked then as she was looking at the map again.

               “I vote Science Club,” Ace said quickly. “I heard they are giving out candy they made in the lab.”

               “Ha, food, bet Grim is going to regret not coming now,” Kristina snickered a bit. “I say we head over there too if nothing else to get pictures and say hi to Daddy Trey.”

               “Did you seriously call Trey ‘Daddy’,” Judith asked as she crinkled up her nose a bit.

               “Am I wrong?” Kristina quipped back with a smile. Judith didn’t seem to have a response to that.

               “You might like the Science Club Eva,” Valentina suggested lightly. “Since you were in engineering club back at our old school.”  

               “We’ll see,” Eva said as she crossed her arms. “It’s going to depend on who else is in the club.”

               Deuce could understand that. He was glad she at least seemed to be warming up to him and Ace, actually talking and not just muttering to herself when they were near but she still seemed pretty on edge as she eyed groups of students that passed them by. He wondered why that was.

               “Well then, what are we waiting for, let’s go,” Fiona cheered with a smile. Deuce watched as they had all started running in the direction of the Botanical Gardens where the Science club was set up. He smiled before running to catch up. Something told him it was going to be an eventful day for sure.

Chapter Text

They arrived at the science club quickly, unlike some of the other club rooms they had passed through—the science club was void of curious freshmen and older students who had decided against joining other club activities until this year. Anne Marie couldn’t help but note though as they all walked in that the room didn’t seem any different than the alchemy lab. She shouldn’t have been surprised; alchemy just felt like magic chemistry. Though, it would put a damper on things for Eva if she wanted to join.

               “Oh, hey, I was wondering when you lot would stop by,” Trey greeted them as he watched them walk through the door. He was dressed in his lab clothes—protective goggles hanging around his neck though as it appeared he tended to favor his glasses instead.

               “Riddle mentioned you and Cater’s club so we figured we would stop by,” Judith said as she snagged one of the suckers from a passing club member. Anne Marie watched as Trey flinched a little at the mention of Cater’s club. It did not give her any hope for the club, especially since it seemed to be the closest thing to a music club she would find outside of the orchestra—and she didn’t really have an instrument to play or practice with, nor did she feel like committing that much time to an activity she could leave behind tomorrow.

               “And it would appear he managed to snag one of you for his club,” Trey mentioned as he eyed Fiona’s shirt. “Congratulations on your enrollment. Riddle is a strict captain but he’s good at the sport. He’s been riding since he was young.”

               “Thanks, I’m super excited to learn from him,” Fiona said happily as she also took a piece of candy from the same student who had given one to Judith.

               “I don’t suppose any of you are actually interested in joining the Science Club and not just poaching our candy?” Trey asked with a slight laugh—clearly the group of them not being the first to come to the club for the candy only.

               “We thought Eva might be interested in joining,” Anne Marie said then as she looked over to where Eva had wandered over to a table with an experiment on display. Her blue eyes carefully examining the glass apparatuses as they pushed various liquids through them in a process for… something.

               “Is this how you make your mixture for the candy?” Eva asked Trey, though her eyes didn’t leave the beakers and flasks.

               “Yes actually, we could have done it with a basic burner but… what’s the fun in that,” Trey laughed then as he walked over to talk to Eva more. Anne Marie noted that Trey seemed pretty calm and collected plus, Eva knew him. If she was going to be comfortable in a club this seemed like the best one for her. She would get to do something similar to what she had back home, unlike the rest of them.

               Anne Marie’s chest ached a little as she thought about her cheer squad. Were they missing her? More than likely. They had all been super close and spent almost all their free time together. From studying to sleepovers to even Wieck family house parties—the team was always together. They had helped pick up the worst of the pieces after everything went down last year. She wished she could at least text them, let them know she was alright. Show them the crazy and wonderful world she was currently in.

               But instead, she’s stuck in this completely foreign world with a couple of sophomores who really only cared about spending time with each other or their new friends, one senior with a horrible temper and equally horrid mouth, another senior who was content with spending as little time with them as possible, and two classmates who she either didn’t talk to hardly at all before all of this or who she was ex childhood friends with and couldn’t decide how much she actually hated. Needless to say, it all felt like a confusing mess.

               “You know I’ve been told the Science Club is where all the misfits and weirdos come together,” Trey explained suddenly pulling Anne Marie’s attention back to where he had been talking to Eva. “I mean, I’m only here because there isn’t a baking club and I can grow fresh produce here. And cooking is like a science after all.”

               “Seems like a rather strong way of putting it,” Anne Marie chimed in then making Trey turn to look at her. “Why do you say that?”

               “Well, you see—”

               “Oh, Bonjour Mademoiselle Competitive! Have you come to join our beautiful club of science?”  A voice with a distinctly French accident called out loudly all of a sudden making everyone blink in confusion and shock. Well, everyone, except for Kristina.

               “Oh, fuck no, not this guy,” she exclaimed loudly as she started to shuffle back from the door. The fact it was Kristina having this reaction sent Anne Marie on edge even more. She rarely showed caution or discomfort from anyone, usually tensing up for a fight instead but she wasn’t doing that here. Anne Marie eyed the guy who appeared to speak before. He had a blonde bob cut with straight bangs that made her wince in memories of her childhood, sharp green eyes, and alabaster skin. He had on his protective goggles as well as an absurdly large hat that reminded her of the three-musketeers. If she remembered correctly the colors were for the Pomefiore dorm.

               “And it would appear that you brought along your dorm mates as well, oh how beautiful!” He exclaimed. Anne Marie could already see Ace and Deuce heading to the door with Valentina and Kimberlee close behind. Judith and Fiona still seemed to bewilder to move though as they watched the man continue to approach them.

               “I’m sorry, who is this?” Fiona asked, clearly confused and dazed about what was going on.

               “My apologies, my name is Rook Hunt, Third Year, Class 1-A, and I am a hunter of love,” he introduced himself proudly. Anne Marie would have thought he was putting on a show and laying it on a little thick to try and impress them if it wasn’t for the way everyone else in the club seemed to be face-palming from his declaration. If she had to guess, this wasn’t a new thing.

               “Yeah, no I’m not dealing with this,” Judith said before turning to leave. Fiona looked to her and back to Rook before she also followed Judith out the door to where hopefully the rest of the group was waiting.

               “Mademoiselle Competitive,” Rook said as he turned to Kristina. Anne Marie wasn’t quite sure she understood his nickname for her “It appears your dorm flock has abandoned you.”

               “Geez Rook, can you blame them when you approach them like a creep?” Kristina huffed as she crossed her arms. “Besides they were mostly here for the candy, like me, only one of us actually interested in this nerdy stuff is the Emo poking at the weird shit over there.”

               Anne Marie winced as Kristina jabbed her thumb in Eva’s direction. The dark-haired girl had already peaked over in their direction, clearly uncomfortable with the noise and attention she was receiving. Anne Marie watched as she stiffened—looked to the door, and then bolted before Rook even got the chance to talk to her. The dorm perfect sighed before looking to Trey.

               “I’m sorry,” she said with a shrug. “Eva really is bad with over the top and loud it would seem.”

               “Don’t feel bad, I figured this would happen,” Trey replied—scratching at his cheek a little. “Rook has scared off most of the potential club members today with his attitude. Don’t feel bad. Might want to be careful with the Light Music Club with her too.”

               “Why is that?” Anne Marie asked. Rook seemed completely uninterested in interrupting their conversation though, instead content to start talking to another group of students who wandered into the lab in hopes of free candy. Kristina had taken the opportunity to slip out the door then

               “On top of Cater being there, so will Kalim,” Trey said with an uneasy smile. “And he’s just as energetic if not more so.”

               “Ah, I’ll be sure to keep that in mind,” Anne Marie noted as she began to walk to the door. “Thanks for the candy Trey. I’ll tell Cater you said hi.”

               “Will do,” he said as he waved her goodbye.

               Anne Marie walked out of the lab then and was glad to see the group of her dormmates and the Heartslabyul first years were waiting at the end of the hall. All of them were chatting among themselves, likely about everything. When she got close enough to listen, she was right.

               “No, no, no I refuse to join a club with a dude like that,” Eva was complaining. She was practically curled in on herself and looked like she was going to be sick.

               “I don’t blame you,” Valentina reassured. “He gave me the creeps.”

               “Rook’s harmless from what I can tell,” Kristina reasoned with them. “But when I tell you he makes just about everyone uncomfortable. Hell, one of the other guys in my class, Leona, has straight up got up and left due to his shit.”

               “That isn’t reassuring Kris,” Fiona reasoned. “That is fueling the fire.”

               “Let’s check out the Light Music Club,” Anne Marie chirped them. “I mean, one bad club shouldn’t deter you, Eva.”

               “She’s right,” Judith agreed then. “So, the science club didn’t work out. I’m sure there are art clubs full of much calmer students than there was there.”

               “Or I could just not join a club and hang out at the dorms,” Eva mumbled to herself.

               “No way,” Anne Marie and Judith said at the same time. Anne Marie shot a glare in Judith’s direction. Judith didn’t glare back but she did look at Anne Marie as well, flinching at the look.

               “You spend too much time on your own, you do need to at least leave for a reason other than school on occasion.” Anne Marie watched as Eva rolled her eyes but seemed to relent. Eva was smart, she knew Anne Marie wasn’t wrong. It wasn’t healthy to stay inside all the time.

               The group started walking in the direction of the Light Music Club. As they walked, they noticed a few other clubs, but nothing that seemed to catch anyone’s interest. Though the group of them seemed to catch the eyes of just about every student they passed in the hallway. Maybe they should have just worn their uniforms instead, dressing up like this just made them stand out more. But she also couldn’t find herself regretting the choice to dress up either. It felt nice. Like she was more of herself.

               The sound of a pop song that Anne Marie didn’t recognize told her that they were coming close to the Light Music Club. When they all reached the room, she could clearly see Cater, Kalim, and she was pretty sure Lilia standing on a make-shift stage all dressed in their ceremonial robes. Cater was singing, Kalim was playing a drum set, and Lilia was playing the guitar. They looked like a well-coordinated boy band. But… they also seemed to be the only members of the club.

               “Damn does anyone at this school wear anything besides their robes for this stuff?” Kristina groaned alerting the group to their attention.

               “Hey you girls stopped by, as well as Acey and Deucey,” Cater said his smile breaking wide as he hopped off the stage and headed over to greet them. “Oh, and you all look so cute in casual clothes. Jude looks like a princess even! I need to snap a picture.”

               Before any of them could say anything Cater was taking photos of them at a variety of angles. Most of them did their best to give awkward smiles and humor him but Eva simply pulled her hood up to cover her face while Kristina flipped off the camera at every chance she got, making Cater whine in protest.

               “Are you interested in joining the light music club?” Kalim asked excitedly as he hopped down as well. He blinked his ruby eyes at them wide and hopeful. “Please, Fiona, it would be so much fun… oh you already joined the Equestrian Club. Awe, oh well, at least you can hang out with Silver.”

               Anne Marie fought off the giggle that threatened to bubble up her throat. He looked so disappointed to see his classmate had already committed to a different club. But he at least seemed to have recovered quickly. Already giving a blinding smile that was much too precious.

               “Yeah sorry,” Fiona said with a small laugh and a smile. “My love for animals is just too much you know. Besides I can’t carry a tune to save my life.”

               “That is surprising since you give off the aura of one who lives in a woodland cottage, singing with the birds,” Lilia chuckled and Anne Marie found herself jumping. Mostly because the sound came from behind her. Just when had he teleported himself there?

               “It isn’t like we sing all that much anyway, besides karaoke,” Cater reasoned his fingers typing away at his phone as he likely uploaded the photos he had just taken. “Mostly we just sit around and hang out.”

               “Sounds boring,” Kristina deadpanned. She was clearly getting antsy. Likely wanting to find some kind of club that maybe would interest her, but all the other sports clubs were outside and they hadn’t found their way there yet.

               “So cruel Kris,” Cater pouted at her blunt response.

               “Sounds like the perfect club for you Anne,” Judith pipped up then.

               “Are you saying I’m boring?” Anne Marie said in a low voice that was borderline threatening. Judith held up her hands in surrender to assure that wasn’t the case.

               “No, I just mean… well, there is music but it doesn’t sound like a major commitment. You could still easily do your research and get somewhere to sing. They even have a piano in the corner,” Judith reasoned—the words tumbling out quickly. She was clearly doing her best to not pick a fight and… Anne Marie had to acknowledge her effort. Anne Marie wouldn’t let her guard down, but she also wouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth.

               “You act like you weren’t also a choir member,” Anne Marie said pointedly but Judith only laughed.

               “Yeah, but you were the one with all the solos,” Judith reasoned back.

               “Only because the director hated you after you blew off madrigal performances for dance practices your freshmen year,” Anne Marie pointed out to which Judith only shrugged.

               “Lessons are expensive,” was her only reasoning for the behavior. "Besides it wasn't the actual shows, just ones at malls and tv stations. I wasn't going to be performing anyway since he put me in the server group that sang about weisale." 

               “Hey, so are we just going to skip over the fact that Anne Marie sings?” Cater interrupted them than before Anne Marie could continue her verbal sparring with Judith. “I wanna hear!”

               “Me too! I wanna listen!” Kalim echoed clearly just as excited at the prospect.

               “I don’t know any songs from here though,” Anne Marie protested—doing her best to try and get out of the performance. She could feel her cheeks heating up at the prospect of performing again. She always hated performing for smaller crowds—she could see and hear their reactions much clearer than she could in a larger group.

               “Well, we do have a piano, I believe Ms. Jude was implying you knew how to play,” Lilia quipped as he skipped over to stand by the other members of his club. “You could always play us a piece from your world. I am very curious to hear the music you have there.”

               Anne Marie couldn’t stop herself from glaring at Judith again. Judith did always have a big mouth at the most inconvenient of times. However, the brunette didn’t seem to show a hint of remorse for her actions in the slightest. Instead, she seemed almost smug at Anne Marie’s predicament. She looked over to the others in their group and they either seemed just as eager to listen or completely indifferent to the situation. Groaning in defeat Anne Marie began to walk over to the piano. She could hear the cheering of victory behind her but she did her best to ignore it, instead of trying to figure out what piano cover of a song she could whip out.

               Anne Marie sat at the piano and played a few keys tentatively. It was in tune thankfully, or it would bother her the whole time she was playing. She gave one more curious glance to the rest of the group—giving a disapproving look to Cater who seemed to have his phone ready to film her. Everyone else stood around and waited patiently for her to start. With a sigh, she began to play.

               “You shout it out, but I can’t hear a word you say. I’m talking loud, not saying much. I’m criticized, but all your bullets ricochet. Shoot me down, but I get up.” When was the last time she sang this song? She couldn’t help but wonder as she continued to play the piano rendition of Titanium. It was one of the first non-church songs she learned on the piano. And unfortunately, it had become one with a lot of memories attached to it.

               “I hate piano lessons,” Judith had groaned—letting her head fall forward on the piano. The motion causing the keys to let out an obnoxious sound of protest as they were all played. Anne Marie couldn’t help but giggle. The two of them had been left alone by Anne Marie’s mother to practice on their own while she took care of some of her other duties around the Wieck family estate. The two of them were about eight at the time. Life had been a lot simpler then.

               “It really isn’t that bad,” Anne Marie defended. Judith had only kicked her legs in protest again—this time letting her torso fall back so she was leaning over the bench and her head was resting on the floor in a horribly uncomfortable make-shift back arch.

               “Of course, you think that,” Judith said then—her voice sounding a little strained due to the position she was in. “You’re actually good at piano.”

               “You would be too if you took lessons seriously,” Anne Marie quipped earning another whine.

               “Annie! You’re so mean!” Judith said before pulling herself to sit upright with ease—not even needing to use her hands to help her. Anne Marie was always jealous of her core strength. She was pulled away from any negative thoughts she might have had by Judith throwing her arms around her and burying her face in her neck.

               “Judy quit it!” Anne Marie giggled at her friend’s uncharacteristically childish behavior. Though she didn’t have the heart to push her off. She liked this Judith much more than the serious Judith that was always present when Sofia Wieck was around. Judith’s grandma was much too scary. Then again, so were Judith’s parents but they rarely interacted with the two of them. “If I play you the new song I learned, will you get back to your lessons?”

               “Only if you sing too,” Judith added in quickly and Anne Marie laughed again. Judith always asked Anne Marie to sing. Even when Judith’s older brother said how much she sucked, or Anne Marie’s own siblings called her annoying—Judith always listened.

               “Fine, fine, just be ready to get back to your lessons after,” Anne Marie said her hands moving to the ivory keys before beginning to play.

               Anne Marie finished playing and there was silence. She was worried for a minute she had stopped singing from how quiet it was. She wouldn’t be surprised with how vivid that memory had seemed to be. She hadn’t thought about that memory in forever. She also stopped playing that song when she and Judith had grown apart.

               The thundering applause that followed though reassured her that she hadn’t stopped for the whole performance. She felt her cheeks heat up as she looked over at the group. Awe, shock, impressed: those were the main expressions she saw on everyone’s faces… Everyones but Judith’s. Judith looked almost… sentimental as she clapped—a small smile on her face.

               “Ok, you have to join the Light Music Club now,” Cater exclaimed then—fingers typing rapidly to upload the video he had taken of Anne Marie. “Like for real. No way you can’t with a set of pipes like that.”

               “Cater is right,” Kalim agreed as he nodded his head. “You’re amazing!”

               “Truly, you are an absolute talent,” Lilia agreed with a smile.

               “Seriously who knew you had pipes on you like that?” Kristina agreed then making Anne Marie only want to shrink down even more.

               “Maybe she should start singing her bossy commands,” Ace quipped earning him a few disapproving looks.

               “She got the lead in the school music even as a freshman from what I heard last year,” Kimberlee said happily clearly content to hype up her senior classmate.

               “You guys please, you’re embarrassing me,” Anne Marie protested as she shifted uncomfortably on the piano bench.

               “Well, it definitely sounds like you’re a hit,” Judith added in then. Anne Marie pouted a little as it seemed everyone was too worked up now to accept anything but ‘yes’ from her.

               “Fine, I’ll join,” Anne Marie gave in then. The three Light Music Club boys cheered then as Cater rushed to grab a clipboard for her to fill out and Lilia handed her a button. She pinned it to her sweater—happy to at least know none of the other clubs would bother her.

               She began to fill out the form for the club quickly. It was pretty basic. Name, age, class, dorm: all the standard stuff she would expect on the sheet. When she finished, she quickly handed it to Lilia so he could turn it into their club advisor… whoever that was.

               “You girls should stop by and say hi to Trey too,” Cater mentioned then. “I heard they are giving out free candy at the Science Club.”

               “We were already by there,” Valentina said as she sighed at the memory. Deuce patted her shoulder in comfort as she remembered Rook’s over-the-top greeting to them. “Was not a fan of some of the members.”

               “Ah yeah, Rook has that effect on people,” Cater said with a little laugh.

               “Trey said ‘hi’ by the way,” Anne Marie added then as she stood and walked over to the rest of the group. Then she smirked, a wicked idea coming to mind. “Though, you guys should really hear Judith sing too. Maybe she would be suited for the Light Music Club as well?”

               Before the others could get excited about that prospect Judith smirked as well—clearly understanding what Anne Marie was attempting to do. “Are you saying you want to have to spend more time with me outside of the dorms? I’m flattered.”

               “You know what, on second thought. You guys can just listen to her sing. She isn’t joining.” Anne Marie heard Judith laugh a little and protest about how mean she was. But none of it seemed to hold any water.

               “Unfortunately, we really should be going,” Judith said then as she looked at her phone. “It’s almost time for the basketball club demonstration try-out thing to start.”

               “Try out thing?” Fiona giggled a little. “Really?”

               “Oh hush you,” Judith laughed as well. Anne Marie doesn’t think she has heard Judith laugh this much in a long time.

               “Damn, you’re right,” Ace said as he looked at his own phone. “If we don’t book it we won’t make it to the gym before it’s packed!”

               “We better get moving then,” Judith agreed before turning to the boys in the Light Music Club. “Maybe next time.”

               “I’ll hold you to that,” Cater laughed a bit before they all left. Anne Marie felt a little disappointed she didn’t get her revenge but that was fine. She would have time to tease Judith for ages. Right now they had a basketball club try-out to watch.

Chapter Text

The gym was absolutely packed by the time they got there. Fiona knew she shouldn’t have been surprised since the sport sounded like it was pretty popular here—but being in the hot and crowded gym was still a lot. Her eyes scanned the facilities in search of a spot for all of them to sit, but they didn’t seem to find any.

               “Can I just wait outside?” Eva asked having to raise her voice a little bit for all of them to hear her.

               “So, you want to be all by yourself when there are guys literally everywhere?” Valentina asked with a raised eyebrow. Eva flinched at the words. It clearly hadn’t occurred to her that would mean she would be left on her own if that was the case.

               “Hey guys can we move forward a little,” Judith began to say as she gently pushed on Fiona’s back to try and nudge her forward. “We are kind of in the wAY! Ah, I’m sorry!”

               Fiona turned to see who had made Judith squeak the apology out. The first thing Fiona noticed about him was his hair. It was a bright auburn color that immediately stood out. He was tall, maybe about Kimberlee’s height or a little taller, and build pretty sturdy as well. He was dressed in a black, purple, and silver uniform that Fiona guessed was for the basketball team. Were they all near the locker rooms? Or was he late? Either way, he gave Judith an easy smile.

               “It’s no problem gorgeous,” he said—voice smooth and low like a babbling brook. “I should have said been watching where I was going. Didn’t mean to bump into you.”

               “Judith,” she quickly corrected to the guy's use of the word ‘gorgeous’ instead of her name. “That’s my name, not gorgeous. But my apology still stands, we are kind of in the way.”

               “Jude, you are being rude,” Anne Marie scolded. Fiona could hear Ace snicker that it rhymed. The mystery guy laughed as well, waving off Anne Marie’s concerns.

               “It’s fine,” the guy laughed off. “My name is Niklas Southerland. I’m a third-year Pomefiore member on the basketball team. Are any of you interested in joining the team?”

               “Gingersnap over here is,” Kristina said as she pointed at Ace. Ace could only blink at the nickname as he tried to process the fact she was talking about him. “The rest of us aren’t allowed to join any cooperative sports apparently.”

               Fiona laughed a little, she could still hear how bitter Kristina was over that fact. Though the warning looks she and Kristina got from Anne Marie told them not to press it any further. It was a fair point; Kristina did tend to be hot-headed and the last thing they needed was for her to start a fight at that moment. Ace would be pissed if they prevented him from joining the team.

               “That’s a shame,” Niklas said his dark eyes sliding back to Judith. It was obvious he didn’t really care about talking to any of them. “But I suppose I can live knowing that you ladies will be watching.”

               “Senior Niklas, the coach is looking for you.” A new voice pulled their attention away at that moment. This time the owner had medium brown skin and charcoal grey eyes that almost looked black. His hair was long—longer than even Judith’s and Kristina’s-- reaching all the way down to his waist with intricate braids and decorations weaved throughout it. He was also wearing the basketball uniform, seeming almost bored as he addressed his senior.

               “Ah Jamil, lighten up,” Niklas complained as he walked over to the new member to join them—throwing his arm over Jamil’s much smaller frame. Jamil didn’t look all that comfortable at the contact but he didn’t shove his senior away either. He just kind of looks like he accepted it. “It’s not like you have to play babysitter right now anyway. Why don’t you come say hi to the girls? Have you gotten the chance to meet any of them yet?”

               “I’m in class with Anne Marie and Fiona has visited Scarabia before,” Jamil deadpanned as he gave a small acknowledgment to the two girls.

               “Damn you are a lucky dog, though I suppose you could be luckier,” Niklas said as his eyes looked Fiona and Anne Marie over. Fiona shivered at the stare. She wasn’t quite sure why she felt the sudden urge to adjust her clothes or straighten her hair but she did. Anne Marie seemed to feel similar as she shifted her weight a little. Judith stepped forward—standing in between them and Niklas then—eyes cold and expression deadly.

               “I believe Jamil said your coach was asking for you,” Judith said her voice like ice. It made Fiona give an involuntary shiver. “You better run along before he decided to bench you… assuming you aren’t already.”

               Fiona felt her eyes go wide at Judith’s provocation. Worse she could hear a few students nearby ooo-ing at the prospect of a verbal smackdown. When had others even started watching the scene? Fiona wasn’t sure she wanted to know. But again, Niklas took the cold attitude in stride—running his fingers through his fair.

               “So feisty, I like it,” Niklas practically purred making Judith stiffen just a little. “Alright, I’ll go now. Don’t forget to cheer for me gorgeous.”

               “Still not my name,” Judith grumbled as he left with Jamil. As soon as the two of them were gone Fiona watched as Anne Marie smacked Judith’s arm making the girl jump a bit.

               “Ow, what the hell?” Judith snapped at their dorm leader.

               “What the hell was that? He was being nice and you were a total bitch,” Anne Marie lectured.

               “Trust me, he was not being nice,” Judith said as she crossed her arms.

               “I think he likes you,” Kimberlee said shyly.

               “Gross,” was all Judith responded then. “I think I’m going to wait outside, Eva you wanna wait with me?” 

               “Gladly,” Eva said sounding relieved to get to leave the gym. The two of them turned to push their way out of the gym then; leaving their group to continue to make their way forward in the bleachers.

               “The Ice Queen never changes,” Kristina hummed to herself as she finally sat down. They were up pretty high in the stands but they could still see clearly thankfully since all the students were seated at the moment. “I was starting to get worried she was starting to melt that frozen heart of hers.”

               “Maybe she’s just shy,” Kimberlee said trying to defend Judith’s actions.

               “Judith and Shy practically have opposite meanings,” Anne Marie huffed—still steamed about what happened apparently. “She was just being unnecessarily blunt. She needs to learn she can’t behave like a spoiled child here. People aren’t going to just let things go like they did at home because they were scared of her family.”

               “I don’t think I’ve ever seen Judith react like that though,” Fiona said as she kept replaying the moment Judith stepped in between Niklas and her over and over again. The gesture had felt…almost protective—though Fiona couldn’t fathom why they would need protection.

               “Can we stop talking about it?” Ace whined. “Seriously, you all talk like Deuce and I aren’t here. It’s super annoying.”

               “Ah sorry,” Fiona squeaked followed by several other apologies from some of the others.

               “It really isn’t a big deal,” Deuce said as he rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s interesting to hear you guys talk.”

               “Speak for yourself,” Ace said, and then suddenly there was an eruption of applause as the basketball team made its way out on the floor for the presentation. Fiona could immediately pick out Niklas and Jamil. The former looking at their group before seeming to be disappointed while the latter stood straight and listened intently to the coach’s speech. The only other one that stood out was a lanky-looking dude with bright teal hair and a black streak in it. He mostly looked like a shark about to go in for a kill. It made Fiona recoil.

               The presentation went pretty smoothly then. Mostly it was the basketball players going head-to-head, but eventually, they opened up the floor for some others to try it out as well. Fiona had giggled as Ace and Deuce went out to the floor with another student with what looked like Parrot wings and made absolute fools of themselves. Ace kept losing his shoes, the Parrot boy’s wings kept getting in the way, and while Deuce was ok—he fouled way too easily. When they finally came back to the spot where they were all seated Kristina was quick to lay into Ace about regretting his choice of dress. He promptly told her to shove it.

               “Alright, that is all for the Basketball team’s try-outs,” the coach announced then for everyone to listen to. “There will be a fifteen-minute break for the volleyball team to set up their equipment. If you are interested in signing up today, there is a table outside the gym where you can fill out the forms. You can also bring a club registration form to my office before Monday if you are still deciding. Have a good weekend kids.”

               There was some shuffling then as students who were only there for the basketball tryouts began to leave the gym. Ace stood to leave as well, clearly ready to be done with the humiliation. Deuce was quick to stand as well, also ready to forget everything that happened with the basketball club.

               “You guys ready to try and hit a few more clubs?” Ace asked then as they all slowly began to stand up. Everyone… except for Kristina that is.

               “Kris,” Fiona said then as she looked to Kristina. Kristina’s eyes were fixed on the court though. Watching two guys were setting up a volleyball net. One of the guys had slicked-back dark hair, the other had long dreads, dark skin, and leopard ears and tail. “Kris we should head out.”

               “Why rush,” Kristina said as she leaned back, settling in where she was—clearly not wanting to move. “I mean, we’re already here. We might as well watch.”

               “Kris,” Anne Marie warned. “We can’t join cooperative sports. Watching the Volleyball Club showcase is only going to rub salt in the wound, and you know it.”

               “So,” Kristina protested. Fiona could already tell they weren’t going to win this fight. When Kristina was set on something, she was set on it. There were no ifs or buts about it. “That doesn’t mean we can’t watch.”

               “I’ll stay with her if you guys want to head out,” Fiona offered. Sitting down with Kristina again to settle in for the next club showcase.

               “You two are asking to just feel miserable about yourselves,” Anne Marie sighed but she sat down as well. Kimberlee and Valentina followed suit as well, clearly not wanting to leave on their own. Since Valentina sat that meant Deuce sat. Leaving only Ace still standing.

               “Ugh, fine, but I’m not participating in this one,” Ace groaned before he flopped back down very unceremoniously.

               “That’s the spirit Gingersnap,” Kristina beamed as she clapped Ace on the shoulder.

               “Would you quit calling me that!”

               “Payback is a bitch, isn’t it?”

               It didn’t take long for the presentation to start. Fiona noticed how different the uniforms were from the basketball ones, even completely different from their own uniforms. While Fiona’s volleyball uniform had been mostly spandex, these seemed more of a jersey knit and much baggier. She couldn’t imagine having to play in them. It would drive her insane. The shorts were shorter than the basketball club’s shorts but still a decent length. They also wore a standard short sleeve shirt with a collar for the top, as opposed to her long-sleeved uniform. She could feel her arms starting to sting with the phantom pains that came with too many receives.

               “Welcome to our demonstration for the volleyball club,” the guy with the Leopard ears and tail addressed the crowd. The coach appeared to be hanging back, content to let the players give the presentation again. “My name is Chui Burroughs, I’m a third-year Savanahclaw student and a captain of the team. My co-captain here, is Hunter Winchester, another Savanahclaw third year.”

               “Today we’re going to be playing some king of the court for you,” the other captain, Hunter, addressed the group then. He smirked then, eyebrows raised and teeth blindingly white under the lights of the gym. “Assuming any of you can knock us off the court.”          

               His provocation seemed to gain a stir in the crowd. Lots of students murmuring and radiating irritation at Hunter’s words. Chui only seemed amused though, as if the words had gotten the exact reaction he had wanted. The two of them looked at each other and then back to the crowd again.

               “We will start with just established club members and then the lines will open for others to try, so come on now little cubs—show us your fangs.” Chui’s words only added gasoline to the fire. Fiona could see Ace and Deuce both starting to shift a little as they clearly felt a stir from the captain’s words. Even Fiona could feel a little flutter of competitive spirit flicker to life from the challenge but mostly she remained calm. She peeked over to Kristina then, expecting her to be practically chomping at the bit to go down. That she would already be standing to her feet and demanding they let her participate.

               Instead, she was still seated, leaning forward as she watched intensely. Her eyes never once leaving the court where the matches had started. The only indication that she was restless was the bouncing of her leg as she watched volley after volley. Fiona had only ever seen Kristina that intense at volleyball tournaments. When Kristina would force the whole team to scarf down their lunches as quickly as possible so they could go back at watch the matches. So, Kristina could start picking apart their opponent’s strategies and exploitative weak points. Fiona admired that about her if nothing else.

               Chui and Hunter’s team were on a ten-win streak. Not a single group had managed to breakthrough. The third person on their side hardly touched the ball unless it was right on top of them. Otherwise, it was all the other two, working in perfect unison. Fiona didn’t even think she heard them call out to each other if it wasn’t saying they had it. Even when they opened it up to the potential new members, they were still undefeated.

               It was then Kristina got to her feet. Eyes not leaving the court for one second as she began to head down the bleachers to get in line. Anne Marie tried to stop her, tried to protest, but it didn’t work. Kristina kept going.

               “It’s just a try-out, it isn’t like she’s joining the team,” Ace reasoned—clearly unbothered by Kristina’s movement. “Besides they would just reject her application anyway.”

               “Still, she doesn’t need to be causing a scene,” Anne Marie huffed as she finally gave up.

               “I’ll go with her,” Fiona found herself saying as she rose up to follow Kristina down.

               “I really wish you wouldn’t,” Anne Marie deadpanned but Fiona was already down. She also watched as Deuce followed them down, likely to serve as a third.

               “What are you two doing down here?” Kristina asked as they both stood in the lines next to her to form a team.

               “You can’t play by yourself,” Fiona said with a smile. Honestly, she was excited to play with Kristina again. Even if Kristina was glaring at her and didn’t seem to like her much, Fiona couldn’t help but feel the competitive edge roll of her that made her antsy. It was exciting.

               “Fine, at least it will be entertaining this way,” Kristina relented just as it was their turn to go on the court. “Follow my lead, Deuce, try to stay out of the way.”

               “I’ll do my best Ms. Kaiser,” Deuce said clearly doing his best to not be completely overwhelmed by her presence.

               “My my, isn’t this the girl that decked you in the face last week Hunter?” Chui taunted his co-captain with a coy smile.

               “Yes, indeed she is,” Hunter agreed—clearly not all that beat up about what happened. “I never expected her to take a game of soccer so seriously that she would come onto our turf as well.”

               “It’s called soccer not softer,” Kristina snapped at them. “Now do you wanna keep trash-talking or start the rally?”

               Chui laughed with genuine joy at her words. Clearly much more excited about playing her than he had been anyone else so far. Sure there had been a few other teams to trash talk back, but this was the first one it seemed he bothered to give a reaction to. Fiona couldn’t tell if it was a good thing or a bad thing.

               “By all means, Ladies first,” was all Chui said before the rally started. The ball was tossed over to the challenging side first to give them a fighting chance. Fiona passed it up with ease, allowing Kristina to make her way up to the net to set it up. Deuce stood to the side while Fiona took an approach. She was sure to put enough spin as she flicked her wrist to make the ball go down but not enough that it would go out of bounds.

               Unfortunately, Chui picked it up with ease allowing Hunter to set it up. Chui took an approach and it was likely to be a straight shot from how his hips were angled. Fiona looked over to Kristina but… she looked off, too far over for the shot. That was until Fiona saw Chui’s arms raise. He was left-handed. And Kristina had noticed that while she was watching them so intently. She had noticed and adjusted accordingly, Fiona didn’t even notice and she had been watching almost the whole time.

               Kristina popped the ball up and Fiona went running forward to set it up. The ball only made contact with her fingertips for a few seconds before she shot it up again, off the net and a little high—just the way Kristina always complained she liked it when she had to spike. She slams it hard and it goes down right into the arms of the third guy on the team. She had targeted him specifically, Fiona could tell. But unfortunately, he was going to prove to not be an easy pushover.

               They rallied like this for a while. Longer than anyone else had so far. But unfortunately, it couldn’t last. The ball had to fall eventually. Fiona hadn’t been able to cover for Deuce in time and his arms had shot out as theirs had, but unfortunately, the angle was wrong and it went shooting off in the direction of the crowd. Kristina tried to chase it down but it was too far gone, even as she let herself hit the ground to dive for it. The ball fell on their side. They were out.

               Kristina got up quickly and started to jog back over. Her eyes lit up and a smile on her face—like it had just been a really good rally in a game. And then it hit her, they were out. It was over. Fiona felt a twinge of pity as she watched Kristina’s face fall at the realization. She wasn’t going to get to go back on the court again.

               Fiona watched as she shoved her hands in the pockets of her sweats and pushed her way out of the gym. Kimberlee, Ace, Valentina, and Anne Marie all stood as well to follow and make their way out. Fiona could feel Deuce behind her, the two of them having made their way off the court to make room for the next group.

               “She doesn’t want to stay for the rest of the presentation?” Deuce asked Fiona as they began to make their way out as well.

               “No, she’s probably pretty sour about the loss,” Fiona explained. Though, Fiona was sure that wasn’t right. Kristina had never been a sore loser. Competitive yes, but she never blamed refs or the other team for that fact. She always turned it on herself. Realizing she wouldn’t get the chance to try again probably hurt her worse than she thought it would.

               “I should stay away from her for a while, shouldn’t I?” Deuce asked then as they exited the gym to make their way over to the rest of the group.

               “Probably for the best,” Fiona agreed before turning her attention back to the group, focusing on Judith and Eva. “So, what did you two do while we were inside?”

               “Played cards against each other,” Judith explained as she held up her phone to show the magicam card game pulled up. “We're at best 26 out of 51 right now.”

               “Who’s winning?” Valentina asked curiously.

               “Didn’t get the chance to play the last game before you all came out,” Eva grumbled bitterly. Fiona laughed a little at Eva’s obvious displeasure in the matter.

               “Very nice, now can we get a move on?” Ace complained then. “I wanna see some of the other clubs.”

               “Fine, fine, we’ll get moving,” Judith sighed as she stood from the ledge she was sitting on. Eva followed suit. “Where to next?”

               “Can we check out the Track and Field team?” Deuce asked then. “Since it’s another sport all of us might be able to join.”

               “Sounds like a good idea,” Valentina agreed with a smile. “Let’s get going!”

               They all began to make their way to the open field where the club was set up, but as they walked Fiona let her eyes fall onto Kristina. She was unusually quiet at the moment. Her eyes were distant even though Anne Marie had started lecturing her again.

               Fiona hoped she would be ok.

Chapter Text

Kristina was in a bad mood. Not surprising, since she had to go and do something she knew was going to bite her in the ass. She would probably snap at anyone who pointed out it was a bad idea. She just… she missed being on the court. It had been weeks since she had gotten to properly play anything close to volleyball. Vargas was always hesitant to let her on the field to play with the guys (mostly because it involved broken noses due to their provocations but that was irrelevant) so she had been a little low on competitive sports since arriving.

               “Honestly Kris, what were you thinking?” Anne Marie was still lecturing Kristina and she was somewhat registering what the dorm leader was saying. “What if that gets back to Crowley and he gets pissed?”

               “Then it’s on my head, not yours, so shut up damned loudmouth,” Kristina grumbled—ignoring the way Anne Marie started to turn red like Riddle did when he was pissed. Kristina rolled her eyes at the temper tantrum. What did it matter anyway? Who gave a shit what the bird thought, he wasn’t going to throw them out. He hadn’t even threatened it. So why worry?

               “Let it go, Anne, what’s done is done,” Judith said and Kristina couldn’t believe she was actually thankful for the damned Wieck girl for getting Anne Marie off her back. Then again, she was also on Anne Marie’s shit list after the run-in with Chad. Not his name but Kristina couldn’t be bothered to remember his actual name. Most of their group didn’t seem to be too experienced with guys so it made sense they couldn’t tell, but Kristina could.

               Hell, guys like that were usually the only ones with the guts to go for Spitfires like her and Ice Queens like Judith. The ones who wanted the chase and challenge of it all. The ones who acted like you were a prize to be won rather than a person.  Kristina usually entertained guys like that just so she could get her fun out of it then leave them on the curb before they ever got the chance to do that to her. But she knew that game wasn’t for everyone. Certainly not for Judith Wieck who had the image of purity and poise to maintain, even if she really was down in the dirt with the rest of them.

               Yeah, Kristina could respect Judith for shutting him down—even if the others didn’t get it. And she could definitely appreciate the flair she put into shooting him down hard. Though, Kristina also knew guys like that tended to be annoyingly persistent. So, it likely wouldn’t be the last time he came sniffing around.

               There are a decent number of students gathered around the track for the Track and Field club. She can see various club members identified by their jerseys running various stations where people could try the different, she can’t tell if there are more students here than there were in the gym though since it was all so spread out. She looks over a table that is set up for club registration and can see a stupidly tall and buff guy with white hair and deep skin signing up. Even if his face seemed indifferent his wolf tail was wagging like crazy.

               “Hey! I didn’t expect you lot to come here!” Kristina’s eyes moved on from the wolf-beastman and saw the image of a white rabbit beastman running at them at full speed. He stopped pretty quickly though, almost instantly in front of them making a tailwind blast them a bit.

               “Whitley, I didn’t realize you were in the Track and Field club,” Valentina said happily. Kristina vaguely remembered how he had spent a lot of time helping them clean up the Heartslabyul dorm after Riddle went into berserker mode. He seemed happy to see them again.

               “Ah, right, thank you for mentioning it to your dorm members about clothing for us,” Anne Marie pipped up all of her previous lecturing gone.  “As you can see, we are definitely taking advantage of it.”

               “I’m glad, the idea of you all wearing the school uniforms all the time was tragic, like seriously.” Whitley shuttered at the thought and Kristina couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle at Anne Marie’s face. Whitley Harrison was blunt, but it was also strangely entertaining. Always speaking before he should. Cater had mentioned his personality did a complete one-eighty after Riddle’s apology. Apparently, he used to be a nervous and shy thing now he was much hastier and more reckless. If that was a good or bad thing though had yet to be seen.

               “Are there any specific events you want to try?” Whitley asked and then his ears perked up really straight. “Oh, I know! How about I pick out events for you?”

               “I’m not really dressed for sports,” Judith attempted to protest as Whitley began to shuffle them all closer to the track.

               “And I’m not really a sports person,” Eva tried to claim even as she moved forward so Whitley wouldn’t have a reason to get into her space.

               “You’ll be fine if you kick off the flats,” Whitley countered. “And don’t knock it till you try it! It’s called track and field for a reason. You might like some of the field events!”

               Kristina doubted Eva would like anything that involved being out under the sun for any length of time but she wasn’t going to spoil the fun by telling him that. Instead, she let Whitley shuffle them all to the field events. Kristina recognized all of them. She signed up for track and field as a way to work off her ineligibility so she would always be good for volleyball season if she slipped up. She treated it as a conditioning time more than actually caring about the sporting events themselves.  There were people throwing shot puts, javelins, and discus. Some people were measuring out their approaches for the long jump and triple jump. She could see people practicing pole vault and high jump. It all seemed standard to her.

               “Why don’t we try out the high jump first?” Whitley asked, still as bubbly as ever. “A bunch of you are pretty tall so it should be cake.”

               Kristina flinched at the idea. High Jump was a volleyball player's worst field event. The way they had to arch their back on the jump and do their approach was completely different than the one used in a High Jump. Sure, there were some girls that could go back and forth between the two but Kristina was not one of them. She was pretty sure the track coach at her school had actually banned her from High Jump.

               “Yeah, I’m going to pass on this one, I was never good at it,” Kristina announced then.

               “And I still don’t think this is an event I should try in a dress,” Judith also added in.

               “Never good… wait, you did track?” Fiona asked clearly shocked by Kristina’s declaration.

               “Yeah, did you think I just did Volleyball?” Kristina countered and Fiona shrugged. Clearly, she did think Kristina only did Volleyball but wasn’t going to admit it.

               “Krissy is bad at something sports-related? Who would have thought?” Ace mocked—dodging out of the way as Kristina lunged to smack him upside the head.

               “He does that because you react you know?” Kristina heard Deuce sigh but she was too busy chasing Ace around the track field to really listen to what he was saying.

               “Seriously you are going to be a ginger snapped in half one of these days,” Kristina barked at him as she continued to chase him around the field. It didn’t take long for her to catch him though. Even with her having been running around during the three-on-three match earlier, she was still faster, taller, and overall, in better shape than Ace. She quickly caught him and put him in a headlock, digging her knuckles into his scalp.

               “Ow, I give, I give, geez you are worse than my brother,” Ace manages to choke out before Kristina finally lets him go. He dramatically fell to the ground, sitting on the grass and flopping back with his breath coming in ragged pants.

               “You big baby, you’re fine,” Kristina said as she rolled her eyes at him. “Seriously I’ve done so much worse to guys who have called me that.”

               “What is your problem with that nickname anyway?” Ace asked as he finally sat up. Squinting to look at her as the sun was behind her.

               “I just don’t like cutesy nicknames for me is all,” Kristina explained. “Do I need a particular reason for not wanting to be called something?”

               “I suppose not,” Ace relented with a shrug as he finally got to his feet. Kristina let out a huff of air suddenly and began walking over to the table where club sign-ups were.

               “Where are you going?” Ace asked her as she walked. Kristina could see the others making their way over and she shrugged.

               “Signing up, figured if nothing else I’ll enjoy the extra conditioning,” Kristina called back to him with a shrug as she began picking up the clip board to fill out the paperwork. Her eyes fell onto the paperwork and she did her best to ignore the way it was hard to read. Everything was hard to read, it wasn’t anything new. If she squinted her eyes a little it was easier to understand but sometimes things still got jumbled up.

               Thankfully, none of the questions were hard enough she would have to spend serious time thinking about it. It was easy enough to put down her personal information and turn it in for a badge. She pinned it to her t-shirt and looked over to where the group was now. They were on the track and Judith and Deuce were racing. He easily left her behind while the others were all laughing as Judith complained about how hot the black rubber track was on her feet.

               “Crazy people,” Kristina laughed to herself before going back to join them and let them know about the news.

…

               Eva was over whatever fresh hell she had been subjected to for the last several hours. After they had finished up at the Track and Field Club (which Kristina had joined, unsurprising for the meathead) they began wandering the culture clubs again. Even so, there still wasn’t much in the way of clubs that were actually interesting to any of them. They had caught Judith staring into a club room once as they were walking but she caught back up with them again soon enough.

               She just wanted to go back to her room and play something on her phone. She missed playing Genshin Impact and drawing crack fan art to fuck with some of her more passionate discord friends. Then again were they friends? Were they missing her? She doubted it. It wasn’t like she was the most fun person to be around and it wasn’t that strange for her to ghost, especially if she was having a particularly rough time of it.

               “Guys, maybe we should give up,” Eva mentioned then. “I mean we’ve seen a lot of clubs and nothing is really jumping out to the rest of us. Maybe we should just go back and look at a club list or something?”

               “We still have time before the club fair closes down,” Judith brought up. Eva frowned at her words. She thought she and Judith had formed an understanding and kinship over the last week but apparently, she was wrong. Judith was just as stubborn and pushy as the rest of them.

               “We haven’t even checked out the Movie Appreciation club thing yet,” Valentina reminded them. “I really want to know what kind of club it is that they have a whole try-out/presentation thing.”

               Eva groaned again. It really seemed they were going to keep inflicting pain on her poor introverted self. Seriously, how did she get so unlucky as to get stuck with a bunch of flashy people like them? Why couldn’t the group have been a group of her discord friends? That would make more sense. A bunch of near-strangers from all over the world ending up in a crazy place like Twisted Wonderland made more sense than a group of girls all from the same small town.

               But no one was asking her opinion.

               “Eva Frost?” She jumped at the sudden sound of her name being called. The others seemed to notice her name being called as well and turned to watch what was happened. When Eva herself turned to see what exactly was going on, she saw it was Ortho Shroud standing there in what looked to be a fancier and black version of his normal body.

               “Ortho? What’s up?” She asked and Ortho seemed to light up as she responded. Literally, several of the LED lights began to glow brighter.

               “Eva Frost I am so glad to see you again,” Ortho chirped as he happily hovered over to her direction. “Oh, and others of your dorm are here as well. And… two Heartslabyul students? If you give me a moment, I can search the school database for everyone’s name and profiles.”

               “Is that even allowed?” Eva asked but Ortho didn’t seem to be listening as his eyes started flickering like he was reading something that wasn’t there.

               “Uh… Eva… you want to introduce us?” Anne Marie asked and Eva turned to face her.

               “This is Ortho Shroud. He’s Idia’s little brother.” Eva explained then while Ortho was still hacking into the school’s system to find their personal files.

               “Who’s Idia?” Judith asked clearly confused.

               “The tablet that was floating in the dorm leader meeting on Tuesday.” Anne Marie offered to try and explain who he was.

               “Well, he was controlling the tablet yes,” Eva continued to explain. “He’s also in my class by I’ve only seen him in person a hand full of times.”

               “Lucky bastard gets to remotely attend class like it’s a global pandemic and I have to suffer everyone trying to talk to me.” She thought to herself in mild irritation.

               “My Big Brother is quite handsome and cool Anne Marie Ryland,” Ortho said then clearly having finished his data research. “He simply wouldn’t want to distract anyone with that fact is all.”

               “Is that so?” Anne Marie asked clearly uncomfortable and unsure about how to feel.

               “Oh, Big Brother is actually in his club right now! Why don’t I take you all there so you can meet him for yourselves?”

               “What’s his club?” Kimberlee asked curiously.

               “The Board Game Club!” Ortho said happily—clearly excited about everything that was happening.

               “Not interested,” Ace said loudly making Deuce elbow him in his side. “Seriously what is with everyone and using me as their punching bag today?”

               “We can meet you girls at the Movie Appreciation Club stage later if you want,” Deuce offered as a way to make peace between them.

               “Sounds good,” Anne Marie agreed before anyone else got the chance to speak up. “Ortho, would you lead the way?”

               “Gladly Anne Marie Ryland,” Ortho said as he turned to begin leading them to the Board Game Club. It didn’t take them long to reach the club room. The club was just shoved into a regular classroom. Honestly, there wasn’t even really any signage showing what the club was. Eva immediately recognizes Idia Shroud sitting at one of the card tables set up in the room—typing something on his holo keyboard. There is also a silver-haired guy with glasses there that she remembers from the Dorm Leader meeting but she doesn’t really remember his name. He spots them as soon as they walk in with Ortho.

               “Ah, ladies it is a pleasure to see you all here at our humble club,” the silver-haired boy exclaimed as he waltzed up to them. His eyes immediately focused onto Anne Marie—clearly wanting to address her first. Maybe it was a dorm leader thing.

               “Azul, I didn’t realize you were in the Board Game Club too,” Anne Marie said genuinely surprised to see him there.

               “Yes, I do find I enjoy taking the time to relax and enjoy games of strategy such as chess,” Azul stated then as he proudly pushed up his glasses. Eva fought off the urge to roll her eyes back into her head. Sure, Chess was a hard game to master, but Magic: The Gathering was harder. She would like to see him try his hand at that. “Would you perhaps like to go around against me? Or perhaps you would prefer something more left to fate?”

               “I’m afraid I’ve never been very good at Board Games,” Anne Marie admitted with a shy smile. “Even ones left to chance I tend to always have bad luck with.”

               “Such a shame, I was hoping we could take this rare opportunity to talk outside of class, especially since you seemed to have joined the Light Music Club already.” Azul seemed to be pouting a little but his eyes seemed too cold for Eva’s liking. They were practically glaring daggers at the button on Anne Marie’s chest as if to will it to disintegrate.

               “Sorry, Cater, Kalim, and Lilia were very insistent thanks to someone’s meddling,” Anne Marie said as her eyes flicked over to Judith.

               “You said you wanted to join a music club,” Judith said with a shrug. “It was a music club.”

               “In any case,” Azul said though he looked like he wanted to ask Anne Marie some more questions. “What about the rest of you ladies?”

               “I wouldn’t mind trying out some games,” Valentina said. “Though I don’t know if any of us are going to know too many games here.”

               “Looking at the stack over there by The Human Torch,” Kristina said as she jerked her head in the direction of where Idia was sitting. He seemed to shrink a little as she drew attention over to him. “Most of the names seem to be recognizable.”

               Eva should have focused on the board games. Kristina was right after all. She recognized things like Sorry, Mancala, Life, Candyland, Monopoly, and more. The characters might have been designed slightly different but the names all seemed the same and looked to be about the same premise. That’s what she should have focused on; but instead, her brain was drawn to something much more critical.

               “Did you just make a comic book reference?” Eva asked dumbfounded at the idea a sports freak like Kristina could make a reference to nerd culture like that.

               “What are you talking about, that was a reference to the Fantastic 4 movie,” Kristina said clearly confused. Any hope that Eva had died inside then. Of course, she wouldn’t know about the source material and would only know the trash movies Marvel put out.

               “Why don’t we all play a round of chess against the Board Game Club members then?” Judith offered as a suggestion.

               “I don’t know how to play so I think I’m going to sit out,” Kimberlee admitted then with a little slump.

               “I don’t know how to play either but it could be fun to learn,” Valentina said as she nudged her friend on the shoulder but Kimberlee didn’t seem to want to budge on the matter.

               “Then it’s settled,” Azul said with a clap of his hands. “Valentina why don’t you play against Ortho, I’ll play against Judith, and Eva you can play against Idia.”

               Idia let out a surprised squeak at the notion. He was stammering and shaking his head at Azul but his protests seemed to fall on deaf ears. Especially when his brother seemed all too happy to grab the chessboard and set it up to play. Eva almost felt sorry for him, since he seemed to share her nervousness around others. She wondered if he had a reason for being nervous around others. She could understand if it was the hair—it definitely stood out.

               “Take your time with the game,” Azul said as he held out a chair for Valentina to sit down. “If you would like assistance, please let us know.”

               If only the assistance could have helped her. Even after a quick rundown of how all the pieces moved on the board and regular assistance from Azul—Valentina still lost within minutes. Ortho didn’t hold back as he had brutally forced her king into checkmate. The girl sulked a little at the defeat but still smiled as she stood up to free her seat for the next person as Azul set up the pieces to go another round.

               “I believe it is our turn, Judith,” Azul said as he motioned for Judith to take a seat across from him.

               “Jude is fine, but yes I believe it is our turn,” she said with a smile as she took her seat. All the grace and poise of a lady exuding from her body as they played. The two of them near each other looked like something out of an old Hollywood movie, strangely classic and refined. The game between the two of them lasted a little longer but in the end, Judith still lost. She didn’t seem even remotely upset about it and having watched the match the whole time Eva couldn’t help but wonder at the possibility of Judith throwing the match. She had experienced Judith’s strategizing first hand while they played games waiting for the others to finish watching the sports presentations; Judith wasn’t one to make stupid mistakes while playing. Then again maybe she was just bad at chess. Or maybe she was indeed trying to preserve Azul’s ego. Either way, Eva didn’t pretend to understand.

               “My, you really are quite good at chess,” Judith said with a smile. “I can’t remember the last time I had a match that intense.”

               “It was nothing really,” Azul reassured—though he was clearly still preening at the compliment. “I would be more than happy to give you a rematch if you join the club.”

               “Haha,” Judith laughed as she stood up. “I’ll think about it.”

               “That’s all we can ask for,” Azul assured before he stood. “Now Idia, I believe it is your turn to go against Ms. Eva.”

               “Why should I bother, she’s just going to suck like the other two.” Idia groaned from where he was standing to the side of the group. “Girls like these are all show anyway, there isn’t any strategy other than bat their eyes and hope to distract their opponents.”

               …What. The. Fuck.

               He had been a stuttering mess not long ago, and he had hardly said two words in class. But now, now he chooses to spout off the same incel gamer boy shit that drove Eva up the wall. She could feel her blood begin to boil as she looked to gauge the other’s reactions. They seemed to have the same mixed faces of shocked to downright insulted. Eva was sure she fit in the latter category.

               “Big Brother, you shouldn’t be mean. It’s just a game. Even if you are likely to win.” Ortho protested in defense but really it only seemed to stroke his ego and fuel Eva’s irritation.

               “Just admit your chicken,” Eva found herself saying with a shake of her head. Finally, having reached her breaking point to no longer give a fuck. “Seriously what kind of small-dick energy do you have that you're scared to play against me. Honestly, it’s so annoying.”

               “I’m not scared,” Idia protested his golden eyes almost molten as he glared at Eva. She crossed her arms and headed to the chair—plopping down with little to no lady-like grace.

               “Then prove it, Scrub,” Eva said and Idia glared again before he took a seat. Clearly taking to the provocation.

               “Is Idia usually this rude?” Anne Marie whispered to Azul.

               “He’s… blunt, from time to time.” Azul defended in an equally quiet whisper. “Is Eva usually this… out-spoken.”

               “No, usually she avoids conflict. Guess he touched a nerve,” Anne Marie said with a shrug.

               “Don’t cry when you lose,” Idia said as he smirked to reveal a set of wicked serrated teeth. It almost reminded Eva of the guys and girls she tended to simp for in the anime’s she watched.

               “The only one who’s going to be crying is you,” Eva shot back moving her first pawn. It was the start of the match, the two of them going back and forth for what felt like forever. She wasn’t sure what Idia’s strategy would be, but thankfully she seemed to figure it out rather quickly.

               The feeling of smug satisfaction when she moved him from check and then Checkmate was almost unrivaled. She didn’t even try to hide the smug smirk as it spread across her face. Watching as his face twisted into confusion and disbelief as he tried to figure out how the hell he lost. It was like taking out a group of misogynistic guys in a first-person shooter: an absolute adrenaline high.

               “Did you get distracted by me batting my eyelashes?” Eva quipped as she did just that. She can hear Kristina, Judith, and maybe Valentina laughing behind her while the other three try and quiet them. Idia’s hair seemed to be taking on a pink shade at its end as well as his face—a sharp contrast from his pasty white skin and blue coloring.

               “You—you,” Idia was stammering not knowing what to say exactly. Eva could only continue to smile as Ortho cheered. Poor thing was clearly missing the tension that was happening in the room then.

               “Hey Azul, would you mind if I joined the club?” Eva asked then. “I think I kind of like it here.”

               She was really only saying that to piss Idia off. It seemed to work with the way his stammering got worse. Azul only muttered something about “that’s one way to do it” before handing her a clipboard with the registration form on it. She filled it out quickly and with ease before handing it back to him and receiving her early registration button. Later she would probably be freaking out about possible retaliation from Idia, but for now, she was too happy about her small victory to care. For now, she would happily stick the button on her hoodie and smile.

               “Where did you learn to play like that?” Judith asked clearly impressed by what she had seen. “I knew you were pretty good at games but I never knew it was to this level.”

               “I got bored during my mom’s computer classes so I would play chess against the computer,” Eva began to explain then. “Eventually I beat it too easily so I programmed my own chess game that used professional strategies and practiced against that. It’s more of a hobby than anything else.”

               “You say that like it’s nothing,” Anne Marie huffed then before looking at her phone. “We better get going if we are going to make it to the Movie Appreciation Club.”

               “Ah, do tell Vil hi for me won’t you,” Azul smiled at them as he walked them to the door. “And you might also want to check out my Vice Dorm Leader’s Mountain Appreciation Club if you haven’t already.”

               “Will do,” Anne Maire said as they all waved their goodbyes and began heading to where the Movie Appreciation Club would be waiting.

               Fuck only knew what kind of fresh hell was waiting for them there.

Chapter Text

“Where the fuck did Jude go?” Kimberlee couldn’t help but note the valid if profane question from Kristina.  They had all been making their way over to the movie appreciation club when there was a sudden stampede of students heading in the same direction. Kimberlee remembered grabbing onto Valentina with one hand and Anne Marie with the other. It had seemed to form a chain between all of them and help keep them all fairly close together. Unfortunately, it seems no one had grab Judith in the process.

               “I think she got separated from us,” Kimberlee suggested as she surveyed over the crowd. There were only a handful of students tall enough to obstruct her vision as she stood on her toes, but even so Judith was only about five-foot-seven—letting her blend in easily with the majority of the student populace around them. “Should we try to find her?”

               “She’ll be fine,” Anne Marie said as she waved off Kimberlee’s concern. “She has her phone, she can call us if she wants to find us that bad.”

               Kimberlee supposed Anne Marie was right, even if it did seem a little cold. Judith was more than capable of taking care of herself. If Kimberlee was honest, if it had just been her and Valentina in this new world, she doesn’t know if she would have been ok. Other then Eva, they were all so calm and level-headed about everything… in their own way. Meanwhile, she and Valentina had been stumbling their way through the halls of Night Raven College trying to get away from Grim and completely outed the others when they saw them. A complete and entire disaster. Vaguely, she wondered if Judith still held a grudge for her picking her up during the entrance ceremony.

               “Good evening, and I welcome all of you to the Movie Appreciation Club.” The sudden sound of a voice echoing through the loudspeakers around them all grabbed Kimberlee’s attention. She looked to the stage just in time to see an absolutely gorgeous man walk across, no glide, across the stage. His hair was a beautiful spun golden blonde that faded into a soft lavender. His skin seemed to be a flawless alabaster and he stood confidently as he addressed the crowd. There was screaming all around Kimberlee then as she listened to the crowd going into a frenzy from seeing him. Was he a kind of celebrity here? She would believe it.

               “My name is Vil Schoenheit, and I’m the president of this club as well as the dorm leader of Pomefiore,” Vil said clearly proud of the achievements.

               “And a Movie Star!”

               “And a Model!”

               “And a Magicam Influencer!” Several members of the crowd offered these titles and Vil let out a soft laugh in response to that.

               “Yes, I suppose a great number of you recognize me from those other things as well,” Vil admitted—being good-natured about it all. “But I assure you here at Night Raven College I am just another student.”

               “Why do I somehow not believe him?” Ace asked with an eyebrow raised in confusion.

               “Not a fan of his?” Valentina asked as she looked over.

               “Not really a movie person,” Ace replied with a shrug.

               “Now, the Movie Appreciation Club is just as it sounds,” Vil began to explain. “We show our love and appreciation for film by making out own short films.”

               “That’s not Movie Appreciation, that’s Drama,” Anne Marie said with wide eyes—clearly thrown off by the explanation of the club. “Explains why there is a try-out for this club.”

               “For the audition, you will give a cold reading of one of the randomly selected monologs I have prepared. After which I will let you know if you make it into the acting troupe. If you don’t make the cut don’t worry, you can still join the club but will be working behind the scenes rather than acting.” Kimberlee felt a little queasy at Vil’s explanation. Perform? In front of the group of students? No way she could do something like that.

               “Kimmy we should join!” Valentina said happily. “If they need a crew that means they need hair, makeup, and costumes! That sounds right up our alley.”

               “But… performing…” Kimberlee whimpered a little bit. She could feel her chest tightening more even at the words. She could see a line forming near the stage—a boy with curly black hair and grey-green eyes taking names and passing out monologues to the hopeful prospects. “And with verbal feedback.”

               “Ah that’s right, stage fright,” Valentina sighed as she remembered Kimberlee’s crippling fear.

               “Didn’t you perform at school events and competitions?” Kristina asked clearly confused by the two first year’s interactions. “How the hell does she have stage fright?”

               “It’s different in a group,” Kimberlee murmured as she looked down at her feet. It was way different in a group. No one was looking at just her in a group. She would have a hard time forgetting the choreography if she could look right over to one of the other girls for a reminder. Not the mention the spotlights made it nearly impossible to see the expressions of the audience.

               “Seriously different,” Valentina said in agreement. “But hey you don’t have to have it memorized. You can keep your eyes fixed on the paper. After all, you would be more interested in the costume part of it anyway. So, it doesn’t need to be good.”

               “Still humiliating,” Kimberlee whimpered just a bit. Some part of her knew if Judith was there, she would crush something like this. She would go on stage and deliver a brilliant monologue without fear. Or Anne Marie, if she hadn’t joined a club already. She was the lead in several shows—she could do something like this with ease. But Kimberlee… she just knew she was going to trip over her words and feet.

               “More humiliating than our basketball try-out?” Deuce asked with a laugh. Ace smacked his shoulder in response but the blue-haired boy ignored him in favor of comforting Kimberlee.  She smiled a little, glad for the reassurance. It was too bad Valentina already called dibs; Deuce was a good guy in a T-Bird from Grease kind of way. But that was fine. Valentina and her more bubbly personality suited Deuce much better than Kimberlee’s own shyer and more reserved one. That reminded her, she really needed to bother Valentina to talk to him again.

               “Alright I’ll do it,” Kimberlee said though her voice sounded less confident than her words.

               “Yes!” Valentina cheered—glad to have convinced her friend into joining the same club as her. “Let’s just have fun with these auditions, OK? Remember these aren’t solo auditions so we have nothing to lose.”

               “Right, we’re just having fun,” Kimberlee agreed as she let Valentina lead her away from the group and over to the line of students who were waiting their turn to audition.

               “Names,” the bored-looking boy with the black curls asked as he clicked his pen.

               “Valentina Corey and Kimberlee Daniels,” Valentina said as she introduced the two of them. There was the sound of scribbling as he wrote down their names. After he handed them each a piece of paper with the monologue on it. Honestly, it seemed like a more readable version of the monologue from Hamlet given by Ophelia as she realizes her love has been lost to madness. She wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth though and happily began to study the paper.

               Judging by the line… it looked like it was going to be a while.

               …

               Judith found herself wandering the halls of Night Raven College on her own. After losing the rest of her group in the rush for the Movie Appreciation Club she had decided to take the moment as a breather. She was exhausted from everything that had happened between all the clubs and walking and talking. She felt herself kick off the flats that had started rubbing uncomfortably on the back of her heels to carry them; enjoying the way the cold marble floors soothed the stinging of her sole’s thanks for Whitley’s brilliant idea for her to run barefoot on a scorching hot track.

               Then again, she had agreed, just happy to have been included without malice. So, who was the real idiot? She laughed to herself as she shook her head, twirling a little and enjoying the way her dress-skirt flared out. Her cheeks were actually sore from smiling so much, even with the basketball club hick-up she was still having a fun day.

               And for the first time ever… she got to chose what club she did for herself. No begging her family or arguing about the benefits of her joining something or participating in an event. She got to decide for herself what she wanted to do.

She could do the Equestrian Club: Riddle and Fiona were there, though the idea of taking care of the horses wasn’t exactly appealing. Science Club was a definite no. Light Music Club could be fun but… she really didn’t want to step on Anne Marie’s toes more than she already did just by existing. She got enough conditioning from Kristina’s morning runs and gym class, she did not need to join Track too. The Board Game Club could be fun but, she had the sinking feeling she should keep her time spent around Azul to a minimum. The idea that he was testing her just as much as she was testing him reminded her a little too much of the circles her family kept for comfort.

She could also join a completely different club, like the Billiards Club she had seen while they were wandering around the school. She really did miss playing. No one else her age really played it where she lived before, and those who did were not the kind of people she could go all out against without someone pitching a fit. Maybe she would double back and check that out?

“I’m telling you this girl will be so worth it in the end.” The sound of the voice echoing around the corner of the hallway was enough to make Judith jump through the nearest set of doors—which so happened to be the cafeteria. She had recognized the voice almost instantly. Even if she had only talked to Niklas one other time, she would not be forgetting his voice anytime soon. If the others were with her, she would have just given him the cold shoulder and kept walking, but she was alone. The last thing she wanted was to tempt fate with a guy like him. “If you just work a little at ‘em you get them tripping over themselves to please you. Daddy’s Little Princesses are always the most fun to pick apart.”

“Sounds like more trouble than it’s worth to me. Especially when cuties like Fiona are right there,” another voice answered in response to Niklas. Judith felt herself rolling her eyes. Fucking pig had only met her for maybe five minutes and he was talking like she was going to jump into bed with him at the drop of a hat.

Unfortunately for him, her phase of having no standards was freshmen year and she was not planning on repeating it anytime soon.

She found herself putting her flats back on and moving away from the door, not wanting to hear any more locker room talk than she had to, and ventured into the kitchen. It was pretty quiet in the kitchen since there was no dinner on offer with the Club Fair going on in the halls. Still, she saw several of the ghosts working to prep for breakfast the next morning.

“I don’t suppose you will mind if I hide in here for a while?” She asked as she moved to sit on the ground—curled up tightly to the kitchen island so she wouldn’t be in the way.

“Ah Ms. Wieck I see you found your way back to the kitchen,” one of the ghosts laughed as they stopped cutting vegetables in favor of talking to her. They drifted over and floated down until it appeared they were seated beside Judith—all while the other ghosts continued to work with minimal acknowledgement. “But I have to wonder why you are hiding in here with us relics while you should be having fun with the others.”

“Got separated during a crowd rush, then decided it was best to avoid an asshole I had met earlier in the day,” Judith explained pulling her knees up to her chest so she could lean her head against them. “I doubt any of them are really missing me anyway. I’m more of a tolerated fixture of the group than a central part of it.”

“I somehow doubt that,” the ghost soothed—their eyes soft as they gave her some sympathy. “And even if the girls from your world are a little catty, don’t you have new friends you’ve been making at school? I’ve seen you in the cafeteria eating with a group of Heartslabyul boys as well.”

“Yeah, too bad Riddle is busy right now,” Judith admitted. She could text him, but she didn’t want to bother him while he was busy trying to recruit for his club.

“Is he a little crush you have?” The ghost asked with a smirk that made her roll her eyes.

“No way, he’s more like the brother I wish I had,” Judith said as she waved off the idea.

“Well, what about any clubs? Have you seen any that caught your eye?”

“There were a few but…” She trailed off—suddenly so unsure of herself. Did she even really know how to make friends with normal people anymore? It took a traumatic heart to heart for her and Riddle to become friends. Let alone total strangers. At best they just think she’s weird. At worst they are the kind of people she was trying to avoid. “I don’t know anymore.”

“Well… If you don’t want to join a club, why not come work in the kitchen again?”

“Huh?” She asked as she felt her eyes grow wide with shock. “You wanna give me back my old job?”

“With the Master Chief program starting up soon, it would be nice to have an extra set of hands in the kitchen. Plus, I imagine you girls could use some extra money,” the ghost explained. “I can’t offer all of you jobs but I can offer you one. I’m sure the headmaster would be more than thrilled to have you back on staff.”

It wasn’t a bad idea. The ghost was right, the group of them could use the extra money for emergencies, and honestly, Judith knew she needed work experience more than she needed school bonding experiences. Having fun would be nice but she needed to get her priorities straight. If she was going to stay in Twisted Wonderland permanently as she wanted, then she would have to start building connections and setting herself up for when Crowley eventually didn’t need them anymore.

She hadn’t bothered to tell the others yet. She didn’t want to explain herself and face their ridicule. Listen to them call her a liar and say she was full of it. That she was ungrateful. That she was throwing her life away when others had so much less. She had heard those words enough growing up, she didn’t need to hear them now.

“That doesn’t sound like a bad proposition,” Judith said in agreement. “When do you want me to start back up again?”

“How does Monday morning sound?”

Judith smiled. Even if part of her mourned the opportunity for her to finally have a normal school life, she knew she was making the right call. Because going home for her, wasn’t an option. “I’ll be there.”

…

               Kimberlee felt herself hold her breath as she watched Valentina walk onto the stage. Kimberlee had heard nothing but Vil rip apart performance after performance since the auditions had started. Almost everyone that was on the other end of Vil’s criticisms had either stormed off in a rage or burst into tears. Only maybe five of the current number of people who auditioned had managed to make it into the acting troupe. Even if the two of them weren’t shooting for the troupe, the idea of being judged so harshly was nerve-wracking.

               “Hello,” Valentina greeted as she stood center stage. Kimberlee could see Vil’s eyes widen just a second—intrigued by the fact one of the Ramshackle girls was auditioning.

               “Hello… Valentina,” Vil greeted as he peaked at his list to confirm her name. “Please begin whenever you are ready.”

               “The question is: is it better to be alive or dead? Is it nobler to put up with all the nasty things that luck throws your way, or to fight against all those troubles by simply putting an end to them once and for all?” Kimberlee didn’t know if she wanted to laugh or cry. Valentina was reading the monologue word for word but… she was doing it in this really weird voice that Kimberlee could only describe as a gremlin voice. Kimberlee knew the voice well; it was the same voice her dad had used all the time when teasing her and Valentina as kids. Kimberlee could hear the other girls, Ace, and Deuce laughing from where they were watching in the audience, clearly being entertained by whatever comedy routine Valentina had seen fit to do.

               Kimberlee looked to where Vil was sitting and taking notes; his expressing unreadable as he watched Valentina continue her performance. Kimberlee did have to admit it was impressive she kept the voice going for as long as she has been. She knew that voice drove her crazy if she did it any more than a few minutes at a time. A scratchy and dry feeling building up in her throat as a result of the unnatural way she had to stretch her vocal cords to achieve it.

               Valentina finished her monologue then and gave a curt bow before waiting for Vil’s feedback. Vil stayed quiet for a moment, finishing up his notes on the paper before he looked up at her with cold and piercing violet eyes. He did not look happy.

               “Tell me Valentina, was auditioning for my club a dare? Something to make a mockery of?” Vil asked his voice dripping venom. “Afterall I can’t think of any other reason you would choose to take a classic piece like this and perform as if you were auditioning for a children’s television show.”

               “Is it a classic?” Valentina asked wide-eyed, followed by her explanation tumbling from her lips inhumanly fast. “I didn’t mean any offense, I just figured I would try something different and us in Ramshackle aren’t from here so we don’t really know what’s important and what isn’t culturally. I just figured I would have fun with it since I just wanted to help with hair and make-up behind the scenes.”

               “No, I suppose I couldn’t expect you to know any better,” Vil sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “But if you just wanted to join backstage then I suppose I can forgive this oversight. You are dismissed. The forms will be directly stage-right.”

               Valentina apologized again and then hurried off stage. Her face had seemed sullen, clearly upset that she had offended him with her performance. But… several other people in the audience had laughed, so maybe it was at least only a personal insult to Vil rather than an insult to a culture at least. That was the only thing Kimberlee could hope for.

               “Next!” A voice yelled out and Kimberlee jumped before hurrying on stage. She could feel her heart hammering in her chest as she walked onto the stage before stopping on the blue ‘X’ directly in front of Vil.

               “Kimberlee, please audition whenever you are ready… and try to not make the same mistake as your friend.” Vil said his voice full of skepticism as he watched her. She squeaked and nodded a little in response before she held up her paper—green eyes determined to stay transfixed to the words and words alone.

               “Oh, how noble his mind used to be, and how lost he is now. He used to have a gentlemen’s grace, a scholar’s wit, and a soldier’s strength. He used to be the jewel of our country, the obvious heir to the throne, the one everyone admired and imitated…” She did her best to ignore her shaking as she spoke. Fighting back tears every time she stumbled over a word. She couldn’t get to the end fast enough. She just wanted the humiliation over with.

               “Kimberlee,” Vil started to say when she finished. She had taken to wringing the piece of paper in her hand to try and soothe her nerves but it did nothing. She couldn’t even meet his gaze. “How do you think you did?”

               “Honestly, I… don’t want to think about it,” she admitted still not looking at him. “I just want to help backstage too, particularly with the costumes. I’m… not suited for the spotlight.”

               “No, I suppose you aren’t,” Vil agreed then. “Sign up is stage right if you want to help with the costumes. We always need help with that since most of our members don’t know how to sew.”

               She nodded and hurried off stage to fill out the paperwork. Vil had already moved onto the next person by the time she was handed the clipboard and started to fill out the paperwork. She fought with her hand to keep the writing legible—but she was still shaking from the sheer presence Vil gave off.

               “You did great,” Valentina reassured her as the two of them finished up the paperwork and handed it back to the club member who gave them their badges.

               “I was a mess don’t lie to me,” Kimberlee grumbled as she walked with Valentina back to their main group. Looking the group over it looked like Judith had made it back to them all. She really hoped Judith didn’t see her performance. Talk about embarrassing.

               “You both did great,” Deuce complimented then while Ace was snickering.

               “Yeah, especially Val with that voice,” Ace said his voice still lined with laughter as he spoke. Valentina only stuck her tongue out at him—clearly not having a better response to his comment.

               “Where did you end up Jude?” Kimberlee asked Judith then as she turned to the lean girl.

               “I ended up in the cafeteria and was offered my job back,” Judith said with a shrug. “So, I think I’m just going to do that instead of a club.”

               “Damn, never expected the princess to want to work. Did you hit your head when you got separated from all of us?” Kristina goaded earning an eyeroll in response from Judith.

               “I just didn’t see anything that stood out to me is all,” Judith said with a shrug.

               “Just be sure to make time for your turn in the library,” Anne Marie sighed.

               “Yeah, yeah, we all still take turns doing research I know,” Judith grumbled before turning to leave. “Come on we should get back to the dorm—I’m exhausted.”

               “Finally, words I can get behind,” Eva agreed as she eagerly followed behind.

               “Hey you guys should come by the dorm on the twenty-third next week,” Ace called after them all with a bright smile.

               “Why is that?” Valentina asked as she looked at him curiously.

               “It’s my birthday, which means we’re having a party!” Ace seemed clearly excited as he threw a fist up in the air. Kimberlee could see Deuce rolling his eyes in response to his friend's over-enthusiasm.

               “Sure, we will be there as long as you aren’t expecting gifts from us,” Anne Marie agreed, making Ace pout a little.

               “Stingy,” Ace huffed as he put his hands on his hips.

               “Ace don’t be rude,” Deuce lectured but Ace ignored him.

               “We’re quite literally poor and stranded,” Judith reminded him with a raised eyebrow. “Don’t be greedy. You know Trey will likely be making your favorites for the party.”

               “Fair enough,” Ace relented as he waved to them. “See you guys around then.”

               “See you later Ace, Deuce,” Valentina said as she waved goodbye as well. “Now, what are we going to do for dinner?”

               “Judith can always practice for her new job and make us something,” Kristina teased.

               “Depends on what we have available,” Judith said before smirking. “As long as you trust me to not spit in it.”

               “Don’t be gross,” Anne Marie lectured.

               And with that, the Club Fair came to an end.

Chapter Text

“What the hell are you wearing?” Valentina asked as she walked into class on Ace’s birthday that next week. It wasn’t rare that Ace and Deuce would make it to class before her most days—with the tight ship Riddle runs and the dorm mirrors being a closer and easier walk to class than the one she had from Ramshackle. What was a rare sight, though, was seeing Ace not in his school uniform. Instead, he was dressed in a white blazer with gold trimming, a black button-up, and a bull tie around his neck with the Night Raven College insignia on the metal clasp. “And why didn’t Riddle take your head for it?”

               “Don’t you remember it’s my birthday today?” Ace asked clearly insulted that she hadn’t remembered. She did, in fact, remember. He wouldn’t shut up about it all week after all. She and her other dorm members had been scrambling all week in between club activities and work to come up with something for him. Eventually, they had found an old hat-box in one of the uncleaned rooms that had a top hat still inside. With the help of Kimberlee and Eva and some “borrowed” supplies from the art room, they had managed to clean it up and theme it after Heartslabyul. If nothing else he could wear it while doing his magic tricks.

               “Of course, I remember, I just don’t understand how this equates to your change in uniform,” Valentina grumbled back as she took her seat in between Ace and Deuce. Grim had hopped up on the desk and was sitting with eager anticipation as he also waited for Ace’s answer.

               “It’s something the school does for birthdays,” Ace began to explain. “Our uniforms are enchanted so on our birthdays they look like this. There is also a sash that goes with it but I won’t wear that until it’s time for the party after school.”

               “Wait really? That’s kind of… sweet.” It reminded her a little bit of how kids in elementary and middle school would decorate their friend’s lockers for their birthdays. She and Kimberlee used to draw and cut out flowers and tape them to each other’s lockers. Though since Kimberlee’s birthday was during summer vacation—Valentina always did hers on the last day of school instead.

               “I wanna wear a flashy outfit too!” Grim whined.

               “When’s your birthday?” Valentina asked him then. She doesn’t think she’s ever bothered to ask anything personal like this before to Grim. He hadn’t really talked about his life before Night Raven College.

               “I… don’t know…” Grim admitted—his ears drooping in disappointment. Valentina frowned a little before poking his cheek.

               “Then how about we share a birthday, since we’re one student,” Valentina suggested. Grim perked up immediately at the idea. Clearly excited at the possibility for the two of them to get to dress up and have a party.

               “Really! When’s our birthday then?” Grim asked standing up and resting his front paws on her shoulder eagerly.

               “Not until March 18^th, so we have a bit yet,” Valentina admitted which only made Grim pout again—impatient little thing. “What about you Deuce, when’s your birthday?”

               “Hmm? Oh, my birthday isn’t until June 3^rd,” Deuce admitted as he was typing something on his phone. Valentina had to admit she was a little curious about what he was writing down but decided against snooping. So instead, she nodded in acknowledgment and was determined to write it down somewhere later so that if she was still in Twisted Wonderland then, she could have enough saved up to get him something. Would they even be in school still though during his birthday? What were the major breaks and holidays here? She would have to remember to ask some other time.

               “Hey Ace smile,” Valentina said as she took a picture with her phone. Ace was smirking at the camera while Deuce looked completely thrown off being caught in the background. She giggled a little before sending the image to the dorm group chat they established.

Valentina: [Attached Photo]

Kristina: WTF is he wearing?

Valentina: Apparently this is a birthday thing at NRC

Anne Marie: I think I saw Jamil wearing something like that last week

Valentina: Apparently our uniforms are enchanted to look like this on our birthdays

Eva: Wait! Does that mean ours are going to be like that too? I won’t wanna wear something like that!

Judith: I just asked Riddle, it's standard on all uniforms so it’s likely we are going to have to deal with it too

Fiona: When is everyone’s birthday anyway? It would probably be a good idea to take note so we aren’t caught off guard. Mine’s August 2^nd, so it already passed.

Eva: Lucky

Kimberlee: Tell Ace he looks nice! Also, mine’s July 4^th so I don’t know if we will be in school for mine

Valentina: Tell him yourself at the party later ya dork XD. Mine’s March 18^th.

Kristina: June 9^th for me, but I already explained that thanks to Eva

Eva: You’re welcome

Kristina: fucking perv

Judith: April 25^th for me

Anne Marie: Mine’s not until May 30^th

Eva: Wait… THAT MEANS MY BIRTHDAY IS THE SOONEST?

Kristina: Hehe

Eva: EHE DE NANDAYO?  

Kristina: WTF does that even mean?

Fiona: I’m pretty sure it’s a meme

Kimberlee: When’s your birthday @Eva

Eva: November 13^th

Judith: You still have a bit

Eva: Still going to be dreading it the whole time ☹

Valentina giggled a little before slipping her phone always into her pocket for class to start.

…

Deuce could feel himself fidgeting around the main party room as he waited for the Ramshackle girls to arrive. He was absolutely determined to talk to Valentina about where they stood. Well… ok Deuce knew where they stood, but he wanted to see if it would be ok if they were more.

“Just be yourself,” Trey had reassured him when he came to him for advice. “She’s a nice girl. The worst she’s going to do is say no.”

“Or stop being your friend altogether,” Ace had snickered—sticking his finger into the pie filling to try some and getting the back of his hand smacked with Trey’s wooden spoon. It amazed Deuce how fast Ace had cleaned himself up since he had come back to the dorm from basketball practice covered in what looked like a cream pie of some kind. “Ow! I’m just being honest!”

“Val is too nice to do that. She might be a little quiet to let Deucey get over her but she wouldn’t stop being his friend as long as he respected her decision,” Cater reassured as he was tapping away at his phone screen.

“I just need to get it off my chest, I promise,” Deuce reassured with earnest. “I just… can’t stop thinking about her. She's funny, sweet, caring, patient, and not afraid to speak her mind. Her eyes light up whenever she starts talking about something she likes and she knows just the right thing to say to make you feel better. She’s just… amazing.”

Gold, green, and red eyes all widened at Deuce’s words staring as if he had just grown a third head. Deuce blinked at them clearly lost as to why they were staring at him like that. He hadn’t thought he had said anything strange or inappropriate. But maybe they knew something he didn’t? He wasn’t exactly experienced with romance after all.

“Did I say something weird?” Deuce asked then, resting a hand on his chin as he tried to think about what he could have said to get such a reaction.

“Actually, I think I have an app for this…” Cater muttered before he clicked his phone screen a few times and then flicked it—causing the sound of a whip cracking to echo throughout the kitchen. Deuce frowned while Ace busted up laughing.

“Man, that was spot on,” Ace said the lingering sound of laughter still present in his voice. “Seriously dude, you have it so bad.”

“I think it’s sweet,” Trey defended before turning to Deuce. “Just be yourself, if she likes you like that then everything is good.”

“And how’s that philosophy working out for you Trey~” Cater taunted with a smile that would put Che’nya to shame.

“Watch it Cater,” Trey warned as he finished off the desserts, he was working on putting in the oven.

“So cold when I’m only trying to have some fun,” Cater pouted though he didn’t really seem all that hurt by Trey scolding him.

“What smells so good?” The four boys jumped a bit at the sound of Valentina’s voice. All of them turning to the door to see her, Kimberlee, Grim, and Fiona being led into the kitchen by Riddle. Kimberlee was holding a hatbox with a ribbon tying it closed.

“Just finishing up the sweets for the party,” Trey explained then with an easy smile. Deuce didn’t know how his senior was so calm—Deuce felt like he was going to pass out from how hot he was feeling all of a sudden. “You ladies are early… and short about half your dorm.”

“Val and I were wanting to help if you needed some extra hands,” Kimberlee explained. “Fiona and Grim are the only other ones who could come anyway so they decided to tag along.

“Jude got called into the kitchen to help with dinner prep since one of the master chief students managed to royally mess up the kitchen so they needed some extra hands,” Fiona began to explain. “Anne was at the library when we finished up with club activities so I’m guessing she lost track of time. Hopefully, she notices the texts we sent before the party is over. Eva said she would rather die than be subjected to a social gathering today and Kris…”

Deuce flinched at the mention of Kris.

“Whitley says he’s sorry for that,” Deuce said and Fiona nodded.

“I’m sure he is, but she really isn’t in the mood for a party after having a bunch of hurdles dropped on her.” Deuce didn’t blame her. Whitley, in his attempt to get all the equipment put away as quickly as possible, had tried to float them all at once to the shed. Unfortunately, something went wrong with the spell and they got dropped right on Kristina. Thankfully she was fine, even if she did have more than a few choice words. Honestly, Whitley was lucky she was too out of it to be really pissed or he would probably be dead. Still, he would likely be avoiding her at track practice for the next few days at least.

“Who cares about them! It just means more food for me!” Grim exclaimed earning a mix of giggles and protests from the group.

“Well, I’m almost finished up here,” Trey interjected then. “So, I won’t be needing much help. But Fiona if you could help Riddle finish organizing the gifts with Grim and Kimberlee help Cater with any last-minute decoration adjustments that would be helpful.”

“I’ll take that from you,” Riddle said as he took the hatbox from Fiona and led her in the direction of where the presents would be kept until it was time to open them.

“Come on Kimmy, your height will help a lot with the streamers,” Cater said as he clapped her on the shoulder to lead her out of the room.

“What about Deuce, Ace, and Me?” Valentina asked clearly confused about why they had been left out.

“Ace should have to do his birthday interview soon. Someone from the school paper comes by and they will ask some questions. At the end of the month, everyone’s birthday interview gets published in a special issue that’s given to all of the students,” Trey explained then. “As for you and Deuce, if the two of you wouldn’t mind making sure the croquet field is set up for the after-party games, it would be most helpful.”

“Sure thing,” Valentina happily chirped with a smile before turning to Deuce. “Come on, the quicker we finish the quicker we can get to the party.”

“R-right,” Deuce agreed. He barely made it a few steps before she had grabbed his wrist and was pulling him out of the main dorm building and in the direction of the croquet field. Thankfully the field wasn’t too far from the dorm. In fact, it was a longer walk from the Unbirthday party site than it was the dorms. It didn’t make much sense to Deuce why that was but he supposed there was likely a rule from the queen of hearts about it.

A short walk through the maze spent mostly in silence the two of them made it to the field. It wasn’t anything special, there was a stripped tent set up for medical emergencies and a storage shed nearby—but mostly it was just an open grassy field with white paint marking the field. The different hoops were already set up on the field for the course. There were also several pens set up off to the side where the flamingos and hedgehogs were waiting with fresh food and water for the games to start.

“It looks like everything is set up out here,” Valentina said just a little too quickly. Curiously Deuce peaked at her and noticed she was fidgeting a lot more than usual as she picked at the sleeves of the Heartslabyul uniform she wore for the occasion. She also wasn’t looking at him, instead focused on keeping her head down on the ground—the faintest tint visible to her cheeks.

“Y-yeah, I’m glad they managed to set everything right,” Deuce agreed. “The last Unbirthday party some jerk seniors had released the hedgehogs and flamingos and Ace and I had spent the whole day trying to find them.”

“Really? Where were the others and I?” She stared up at him with those wide brown eyes—completely curious and Deuce swore he forgot how to speak the common tongue for a moment.

“Umm…. I think you guys were with Senior D-diamond I mean probably. It was a few weeks ago I really don’t remember now.” Deuce wanted to kick himself. He was so bad at this. Trey had told him to be himself but… why was it so hard?

The two of them stood in awkward silence for a moment. Deuce having his own internal meltdown while Valentina began rocking back and forth of her feet. She had locked her hands behind her back as she did so—it almost reminded Deuce of the movies where the good girl would be standing on the street waiting for her friends before the bad boy with the heart of gold would come in and sweep her off her feet. He had always been a sucker for movies like that; even if he told his mom he would rather watch an action movie. Maybe it was because it gave him hope for something more even if he was a delinquent.

“We should head back if we finished,” Valentina said then breaking the silence. Her face seemed… disappointed. But Deuce couldn’t tell if it was at him or herself. That was stupid, why would she be disappointed in herself? She didn’t do anything wrong. She had begun turning to leave when Deuce’s brain turned off and he did what he always did—react.

“Wait!” He said just a little loudly as he grabbed her hand. She paused and turned to look at him with those same wide eyes from earlier. He could feel his mouth go dry in worry.

“Was there something else we needed to check?” Valentina asked curiously, though she didn’t move to remove her hand from his own and he could bring himself to release her hand either.

“No, I just… uh... I mean… I had something I wanted to say,” Deuce managed to stammer out. He could feel his palms beginning to sweat and he hoped that she couldn’t feel it.

“What did you want to say?” Valentina asked—there was a glimmer in her eyes then. Like she was almost… hopeful. He swallowed hard.

“Valentina, I like you a lot. As more than a friend,” Deuce confessed then—his words were a little rushed but at least his voice was even and he wasn’t stuttering. “I know you want to go back home. I accept that choice, but… I can’t change how I feel. And I would rather tell you than keep it to myself. Because I would spend the rest of my life regretting it if I didn’t and… I don’t ever want to regret anything when it comes to you.”

Valentina’s eyes began welling up with tears and Deuce could feel himself go into a panic.  He had made her cry. What was he thinking? Putting her in an awkward place like this, of course, she was upset. She was probably caught off guard and now had to figure out a way to let him down gently. He was the worst. His mom would kill him if she would out, he made a girl cry.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you I just… forget I said anything.” Deuce tried to pull his hand from her to give her space but she gripped it tighter when he tried—her other hand to quickly move and wipe away the falling tears from her eyes.

“No, it isn’t that it’s just *hic* I feel the same way and I—” she paused to sniff and hiccup a little bit more. She moved her free hand to cover her face to try and stop him from watching her cry. “I felt so damned selfish because I want to go home. But I like you so much and I *hic* I don’t want to hurt you so I wanted to keep it to myself. But I couldn’t because I’m just not that good of a person and I *hic* but you're so sweet and nice and I don’t want to hurt you.”

Deuce is trying so hard to listen. He really is. But his heart is beating too fast because she likes him too. Valentina Corey—the sweetheart ready to help people she barely knows and go to bat for them against a tyrant without fear—likes him back. You could have pinched him and told him he was dreaming and he would have believed it. He could feel a smile beginning to form on his lips but it quickly went away after another sob from Valentina reminded him, she was still crying.

“Hey, hey it’s ok,” Deuce reassured her as he gently pulled the hand away from her face and moved both hands to cup her cheeks—wiping the tears away softly with his thumbs. “You aren’t selfish, you’re human and you miss your family. It’s ok. You don’t have to go out with me. We don’t have to label anything. Or be anything more than friends if you won’t want to. I’ll do anything if you won’t be sad anymore ok?”

“How do you always end up knowing what I need to hear?” Valentina laughed weakly as she sniffed again.

“I have no idea, most of the time I feel like I just put my foot in my mouth,” Deuce laughed back a smile forming fully on his lips again.

“This is a horrible idea that’s going to get us hurt,” Valentina mumbled softly.

“I would rather lose you than to never know you,” Deuce reassured. “Like I said we don’t have to label anything. It’s your pace.”

“Then… can I kiss you?” Valentina asked eyes flitting to the ground—looking almost shy. Deuce could feel his face and neck heat up. He honestly had no idea what was happening. He didn’t think he was going to get this far. Still, he nodded his head and let out a sound he hoped sounded like a yes.

It wasn’t much, a small peck on the lips. But the sparks radiated through his whole body as the phantom sensation remained. The scent of her vanilla perfume lingering in the air as she pulled away from him. He watched as she bit her lip a little, as she peeked up at him to gauge his reaction. He was pretty sure he forgot how to breathe.

“Deuce, you’re staring,” she pointed out and he jumped a little and fidgeted in embarrassment.

“Sorry,” he apologized but she only giggled in response.

“You are too cute sometimes,” she admitted which only made him all the more embarrassed. Still, she slipped her hand back into his and pulled him through the maze again. “Come on we should get back; the party will be starting soon.”

“Yeah,” Deuce agreed—his voice probably sounding just a little too dreamy to be good. Later he will be teased endlessly by his dormmates for the two of them coming back with their hands still together, that he will see Kimberlee giggling as Valentina whispers at her with an embarrassed expression. How it will only get worse when Anne Marie and Judith show up later before Ace can open the present from them all. Later he manages to come in dead last during croquet because he can’t keep his attention on his hedgehog long enough to make a decent shot because he just wants to watch her playing a different match off to the side.

But right now he can feel himself growing more and more smitten as he watches her smile back at him.  

Chapter Text

Kristina is not a dreamer. Not by a long shot. At least not in the literal sense. Some would refer to her as a dreamer for her future—but she preferred to think she had goals and ambitions. So to says she’s confused when she can vividly see a savannah-like the ones she used to see when she watched nature documentaries out of boredom on tv is an understatement.

“Fucking hell?” She askes herself as a strong breeze whips her hair around her face. “I couldn’t at least have dreamed my hair back?”

She was standing on some rock near a larger formation. On that larger formation, she looked up, shielding her eyes from the bright sunlight coming over the horizon to see a lion walking to the edge and a baboon behind walking on its hind legs with something in its arms. If she hadn’t spent the last month in a world filled with magic, she would have called bullshit. But after living with ghosts and a cat-monster-thing and seeing a five-foot-three guy throw a magical temper tantrum, nothing seemed all that weird anymore.

The pair continued walking until they reached the edge of the cliff as a bird of some kind nearly took Kristina’s head off as it went soaring by her head to reach the two other animals. She scowled. Why the hell was her dream being so damned rude? It didn’t make sense. When she looked back up again, she saw a lioness had also joined the others on the cliff. Was it some kind of party?  

Then the baboon lifted something high in the air. She squinted her eyes to get a better look at what the monkey was holding in its arms. It looked like a lion cub. Now she really knew she was dreaming; because the idea of a baboon lifting a lion cub in the air and the sun shining down on it like it was Jesus Christ or some shit like that was ridiculous. Even more so was seeing a crowd of animals further down bow to the damned thing.

“Fucking weird-ass dream,” was all she remembered before everything faded into black again.

…

Kristina woke up just as the sun was starting to peek over the horizon. Unlike in her dreams though, it wasn’t nearly as bright and the light took on more of a pinkish-orange hue than the vivid gold she was forced to look up at. She sat up and stretched her arms out, twisting her neck a little in the process to work out any kinks she might have. It was going to be hell to get the others up for the morning run—especially now that they had been doing it for a few weeks. She could see everyone’s patience for the activity was wearing thin but whatever, they would thank her when they could go back to their worlds and not have fallen completely behind for their clubs.

“Booooooom! And crash~ Nyanyaaaaaa!” Kristina blinked at the noise before she looked to see Grim was sleeping at the foot of her bed. Weird, considering the feline tended to share Valentina’s bed but not unheard of as he tended to switch rooms if someone turned in earlier and closed their door on him.

“What the hell is that roar?” Kristina snickered to herself—seeing Grim was still passed out cold and sleep-talking. She turned to her nightstand and grabbed her phone off the charger—quick to turn on the camera and start recording. Cater and the others would get a kick out of this for sure when they woke up.

“Gunyaaaa~ How’s that… D’ya finally know how strong Grim is…” Grim mumbled and continued to roll around on his back while Kristina chuckled as she watched.

“Oh this is so going on Magicam later,” Kristina muttered to herself as she continued to record him.

“I defeated the tyrant Riddle~ Wha—huh? Ramshackle Dorm?” Grim said as he finally woke up. Kristina tried to fight the laugher she had been doing so openly now. The last thing she needed was him throwing a fit and trying to burn her phone. Who knows if the geek squad would replace it if it got damaged? They were only prototypes after all. “Oh, man, it was just a dream… I thought I could make Riddle my lackey now… How disappointing.”

Dreams about the Overblot weren’t uncommon in the dorm right now. Kristina hadn’t had a dream about it yet but she could hear the others sometimes wake up screaming. Mostly Valentina and Kimberlee, but they either soothed themselves back to sleep or helped each other calmed down. On occasion, she heard Judith or Anne Marie get up to comfort them, but not nearly as often. Riddle had really fucked with them and Kristina couldn’t blame them. It was terrifying. Even she had been more than a little nervous at the time. If Trey had run out of magic or Riddle had managed to collar him… Kristina didn’t want to think about it.

“I guess that means you should come running with us in the morning,” Kristina taunted Grim. Surprisingly enough he jumped up to his feet and cheered—excited and ready to get going.

“Alright! I’m going to train hard and at school so we can learn more about being great magicians!” Kristina stopped her phone from recording then. Rolling her eyes as she got to her feet.

“You’re the only one going to be a magician here Grim,” Kristina reminded him as she got up and got dressed. “Now let’s go get the others up so we can get going.”

“Alright!” Grim cheered before rushing out of the room to likely wake-up Valentina first. Kristina laughed as she watched him go. It was like when she would get her little sister to do her chores for her when she was little. Easy and efficient.

She tapped on her phone screen then—uploading the video to Magicam, making sure to tag Riddle on the post so he would be sure to see it, and captioning it: Grim seems to have decided to pick a fight with his majesty XD. She could already see the likes coming in from the various other students that followed her, including Cater. She was sure he had to have turned on notifications for their posts with how quickly he likes anything they all posted. Well, except for Eva, but Kristina is pretty sure that’s because she refuses to give Cater her username.

Preening a little at her mischief for the day, Kristina left her room and began to help Grim wake the others up. It was going to take more than him to get Eva up that was for sure.

…

Lunchtime came quicker than Kristina expected it would but she should have been surprised. They were settling into their routines here so it made sense the days would start bleeding together the same way they did back home. Though she wished she could at least look forward to Track practice after school. Unfortunately, all club activities were put on pause last week in favor of students training for some big sports thing that was going to happen in a week or so. She hadn’t caught the name of it though since she stopped paying attention when it was addressed to be for the dorms. With how much effort it took Crowley to let them do clubs—she doubted he would let them participate in whatever this thing is.

“Ugh… I think the only magic Professor Trein can cast is one that makes his students fall asleep,” Grim whined as they entered the cafeteria. Kristina had managed to arrive around the same time as the others and now they were all headed in together. The only one missing from their usual group was Judith, but that was because she was helping in the kitchen as usual. “No matter how hard I struggle, I still end up sleepy!”

“You were asleep five minutes after class started. You didn’t struggle at all,” Deuce lectures making Valentina giggle a little at his side. She was standing just a little closer to him than would normally be acceptable and Kristina could feel her eyes rolling at the sight. The two of them were so infatuated with each other it was honestly disgusting.

“I can’t argue with Grim though,” Fiona said as she yawned a little as well. “Trein is really good at making you sleepy.”

“Really, I find his lectures fascinating,” Anne Marie quipped back and Kristina could see Eva nodded in agreement. “After all, it might as well be a fantasy story to us.”

“That’s because you’re a bookworm,” Kristina said lazily—watching as Anne Marie’s cheeks started to burn from the accusation.

“Shut up,” Anne Marie muttered and Kristina smirked knowing she was right. After all, lame comebacks like that were only for people who had nothing to say in their defense.

“It’s finally lunch~ What should I eat?” Ace asked himself as he looked over the buffet line… only to see the usual line wasn’t there. Instead, they were all crowded around what Kristina could only describe as a concession stand booth. Barely any organization as they all shoved to try and get service at the counter. “Huh… looks like there are a lotta people in the cafeteria today…”

“Today is a once-a-month special day!” A passing-by chef ghost boasted at Ace’s remark. Kristina was pretty sure Judith had pointed him at as Gustavo or something like that. “The famous bakery from the foot of the mountain is doing business here for the day! Early bird gets the worm, so go now if you don’t want the goods to sell out!”

“How’s Judith doing in the kitchen? She taking a break to eat?” Kimberlee asked the ghost then and he only laughed again in response.

“She’s doing amazing in there, a real natural at picking things up. Though it is a bit of a struggle to get her to take a break ha-ha. Diligent that one.” Gustavo laughed in response to Kimberlee’s question.

“Figures she’s causing trouble by not taking a break when she’s told to,” Anne Marie sighed. Kristina wished she would just admit she was just as worried about Judith as Kimberlee was, it would save them all so many arguments at the dorm between the two of them—but somehow, she doubted that would happen anytime soon.

“Don’t be too hard on her, she’s learning,” Gustavo reassured before drifting off to go back to whatever it was, he did in the kitchen.

Kristina turned her attention back to the specialty food stand then—watching as the students clambered to try and get to the front. It almost reminded her of the pizza place in town that would sometimes come and sell fresh slices during the lunch rush. Except that this food actually smelled good and not like stale cardboard.

“I’ll have three chocolate croissants!” One of the students called out.

“Score! I managed to buy some! This shop’s egg sandwich is seriously good!” Another one said in triumph.

“The egg sandwich is now sold out!” A ghost called out to the students. “And there’s only one more deluxe minced cutlet sandwich left!”

“A minced what?” Valentina asked, clearly confused as to what was up for grabs.

“I think it’s popular in Japan,” Eva muttered though Ace and Deuce didn’t pay her any mind. Kristina didn’t blame them. If they were in Ohio and Deuce and Ace had started talking about the Rose Kingdom, she wouldn’t have been listening either.

“Heh~ they all look so good,” Ace said as he practically drooled looking over a chalk-drawn menu for the pop-up shop. “I wonder what I should buy~”

“It looks really popular,” Deuce said also looking over the menu—maybe a little sad the egg sandwich was already gone. “What are you guys looking at? Huh?”

“Ah, where’s Grim?” Valentina asked more than a little panicked she seemed to had lost their furry pet yet again.

“There is food involved, where do you think he went?” Kristina said as she pointed to the food stand. Only now you could visibly see Grim pushing his way through students, climbing students, and using their heads as launch pads to get to the front of the line.

“Oh, what is that cat doing now?” Anne Marie asked as she began to rush forward. The rest of them followed for various other reasons. Kristina, mostly because it seemed amusing if nothing else.

“Get out, get out! The deluxe minced cutlet sandwich is mine!” Kristina could hear Grim as they got closer. Clearly having been triumphant in his quest for food.

“Don’t cut in line!” A student yelled at him.

“A freshie cutting in front of his seniors won’t fly here! Get out!” A random student had lunged for Grim but the cat-monster easily jumped out of reach of the swipe.

“That guy forgets we exist when food is involved,” Deuce complained as they all continued to push forward to reach Grim. Ace laughed a little in agreement with Deuce’s statement.

“Here kitty-kitty-kitty,” Kristina called getting a few giggles from people listening to their group.

“Don’t antagonize him,” Anne Marie lectured.

“Who are you calling kitty?” Grim yelled back to all of them. Anne Marie could say what she wanted, but it worked. Grim was jumping back in their direction as they finally reached near the front. The seniors looked like they wanted to say something but as soon as they noticed Kristina standing there, they closed their mouths again.

Kristina knew she shouldn’t be proud of the reputation she had managed to get in her short time here, but man if it didn’t make her smile a bit. Schools were easy after all. As long as you had power, others would respect you. Power of status like Judith, power of charm like Fiona, or just plain physical power like Kristina herself: it didn’t matter what shape it came in. Power was power, and people respected it.

“How’d ya like that?” Grim bragged as he jumped from the counter and into Valentina’s waiting arms. She looked a mixture of embarrassed and disappointed but Grim didn’t seem to notice. “The last deluxe minced cutlet sandwich is mine! Nyahahaha! And these yakisoba bread and cream bread are mine, too~”

“Nice job, furball,” Kristina praised earning her a glare from the rest of her dorm mates and Deuce. “You might just be able to take down Riddle yet!”

“Ms. Kaiser don’t encourage him,” Deuce whined a bit before turning to the older students. “We are so sorry seniors!”

“Grim, say you’re sorry,” Valentina demanded but Grim only snubbed her and jumped out of her arms in response.

“Ah, I’d like some grilled roast beef sandwich with lotsa lettuce~” Ace ordered pulling everyone’s attention away from Grim and onto him.

“I’ll take a BLT please,” Kristina also ordered. She was already in trouble with Anne Maire. She might as well go all the way and get some good food out of it. The ghost acknowledged their order and swiped their meal cards before setting to work.

“Don’t just start ordering, too!” Deuce and Anne Marie yelled at both of them but they both waved off their concerns.

“Awe, man~ I’m completely late for the cafeteria food wars, huh…” The new voice pulled Kristina’s attention away from the counter as she was handed the bag with her food in it. She saw it was a dirty blonde with hyena ears that had spoken. There was a moment of realization. She knew him. She had met him when she first came here. He was looking for someone but… she couldn’t remember who or what this dude’s name was. “The deluxe minced cutlet sandwich Leona asked for is completely sold out now…”

That was the bitch. Wait, wasn’t she in class with Leona? Huh. Small world.

“Nyahaha! I’ll indulge myself in the taste of victory!” Grim cheered nearby—holding up his prized sandwich to further brag. That seemed to catch the attention of the blonde as he looked at Grim with a smirk.

“Ah… hey, you’re pretty amazing! I’m surprised you managed to buy a deluxe minced cutlet sandwich!” The boy praised Grim, clearly expecting him to gloat some more. Grim only seemed confused though.

“Huh? Who the heck are you?” Grim asked then as he looked at the hyena beast-man. The blonde didn’t answer though.

“Hey, I really have to buy that bread today, but they’re all sold out. So, I came here with a proposal,” the blonde said a smile still wide on his face. Kristina found herself watching with wrapped attention the same as the others—ready to step in if a fight broke out or to laugh when things went horribly. “Would you trade me your deluxe minced cutlet sandwich for this mini red bean bun I have?”

“Hah? No way!” Grim rejected the offer and held his bread away from the blonde in case he tried to snatch it. Kristina didn’t blame him; it was a shitty trade offer, to say the least. The bean bun was at least a fourth the side of Grim’s current sandwich. If he was going to offer a trade the least, he could have done was get something roughly the same size off the menu to offer.

“Aw, come on, don’t say that~,” the blonde said never losing his smile. “Here you go~”

“Wha! What’s this, my arms and legs are moving on their own!” Grim seemed panicked as he stuck his paw out that had the sandwich in it to exchange it with the blonde.

“I think hell just froze over,” Anne Marie said as she looked completely floored by what happened. If Kristina hadn’t watched the whole thing herself, she wouldn’t have believed it either. But Grim just exchanged his food after protesting otherwise.

“Alright, trade complete~ shishishishi,” the blonde said with a smile—a hand in front of his face to cover his laugh. “I’m so glad I found someone nice to trade with! That mini red bean bun is delicious, I swear! Thank you, bye-bye!”

“My deluxe minced cutlet sandwich!” Grim cried out as he watched the blonde run off—the condescending smirk remaining on his face the whole time. Kristina wasn’t sure what happened but she was honestly impressed. In a weird, she didn’t know how it happened kind of way, but still impressed.

“Come on Grim, let’s just go eat,” Valentina said as she gently nudged Grim in the direction of their usual lunch table.

“This is the worst day yet… my bread was taken from me…” Grim whined at the table in between bites of the bean bread he had traded his sandwich for.

“You just ate like, three breads already,” Ace said clearly shocked Grim had managed to inhale the various baked goods as quickly as he had. Kristina didn’t blame him; she was only about half done with her sandwich herself.

“Even so, what happened a while ago?” Deuce asked as paused eating his own food—some kind of pasta from the normal buffet line-up. “If you didn’t like it that much, you shouldn’t have traded with him.”

He was right. Going along with things like that was how you got walked all over. Kristina had watched Ethan Wieck, Judith’s brother, do it to more than a few kids at their school. Kristina had to make it very clear in their early days of elementary school she wouldn’t go along with his mind games. Still, she wasn’t completely unscathed as she also tended to play nice just so she wouldn’t get kicked from the parties.

Now that was just social suicide at their school.

“You got it wrong! It’s—how do I explain it… When he moved his hand, it’s like my hand moved on its own too…” Grim said eyebrows knit together as he tried to explain what happened to Deuce. “And before I noticed it, he had m bread already…”

“Ah, I see. You just went with the flow, huh. Don’t worry, that kinda thing happens to anyone,” Ace attempted to comfort him as he took another bite of his sandwich.

“That’s not what I mean. Ugh… I can’t explain it properly! Geez, I don’t get it so I’m gonna eat my sadness away! Deuce, give me some of your pasta too!”

“This doesn’t concern me,” Deuce protested before trying to shoo Grim away from his food. “Stop that!”

“You can have mine Grim,” Fiona said as she shoved her salad in Grim’s direction. “I’m done with it anyway.”

“Same here,” Anne Marie agreed as she shoved a chicken wrap in his direction. Grim happily grabbed their plates and began eating the food they didn’t want.

“Oh, yeah,” Ace said suddenly remembering something. “Headmaster told us all to come and see him after school, right? I wonder what he’s gonna talk to us about.”

Kristina vaguely remembered getting an email on her phone from the headmaster. But to be honest she had given up trying to decipher the message after a few minutes. Too much reading and too big of words. It made her head hurt and she knew it was going to hurt enough trying to read the boards during class, she didn’t need to do any extra damage. Thank fuck Ace mentioned it or she would have just gone back to the dorm to go for a run.

“If I were to guess, it probably concerns the incident with Dorm Head Rosehearts the other day,” Deuce mentioned as he stabbed at his pasta.

“You mean like several weeks ago,” Anne Marie huffed in annoyance. “Seriously, he hasn’t given us a proper explanation for that for weeks! What the hell?”

“I’m sure he’s just been busy,” Fiona tried to ration with Anne Marie.

“Or he’s just forgotten about us again,” Kristina quipped back. “Sometimes people are just shitty Fiona. Quit trying to make excuses for them.”

“What’s your damage right now?” Valentina asked clearly confused by Kristina’s sudden barbs. If you asked Kristina, she wouldn’t be able to tell you why either. Something about Fiona’s bubbly and positive attitude was just pissing her off today. At least more than usual.

“Still, if it’s that evil berserker mode, that could be it,” Ace cut in to attempt to stop a fight. He and Deuce had gotten pretty good at changing the subject to stop fights. It was the only way to make lunch tolerable with all of them most of the time. Though they had to do it less since Judith started working during lunch and Riddle, Trey, and Cater went back to their usual group seating.

“Hah! He might give me canned tuna as a reward for being a big help that day!” Grim said optimistically—already drooling at the idea of his processed fish.

“I doubt it,” Ace quipped.

“Yeah, fat chance,” Valentina agreed.

“Pigs might fly first,” Kimberlee also relented. “Unless… do pigs fly here?”

“No, they don’t,” Deuce offered and Kimberlee sighed in relief that they could still use that phrase.

“You all suck,” Grim pouted and they laughed.

…

“Leona, I brought you your lunch~” Ruggie yelled out as he walked through the temperate zone of the botanical gardens. It was always Leona’s favorite part to lounge in with its more comfortable temperatures and it being less likely to be watered during the day so as to not interrupt his naps. Ruggie spotted him near the path—his tail haphazardly laying in the walkway as it begging someone to step on it again like the poor little first-year girl had a few weeks back.

Leona had grumbled at Ruggie for the whole walk to class about the incident. Talking about how “she needed to learn her place on the food chain” and how “he had ruined his fun” but it had only made Ruggie roll his eyes. Even if Leona was only playing, Ruggie couldn’t let him just tease her like that. His grandmother would kill him if she ever found out. Then again, so would Leona’s sister-in-law.

“Noon already?” Leona yawned as he sat up—woken up less by the sound of Ruggie looking for him and more by the smell of food.

“Have you been sleeping since this morning?” Ruggie asked with a disappointed scowl. “You’ll fail your required subjects again this year if you keep that up.”

“Oh, looks like you brought what I asked you for properly,” Leona noted as he reached for the sandwich—not even acknowledging what Ruggie had said to him.

“Geez, you keep asking for the most competitive bread to get, Leona,” Ruggie complained before handing the sandwich over. “Here’s the deluxe minced cutlet sandwich and iced tea that you ordered.”

“Idiot. Isn’t it because it’s hard to get that you wanna eat it?” Leona asked in his usual condescending arrogance that rolled off Ruggie’s shoulders at this point. He had long since accepted they were raised in completely different backgrounds and would never fully get each other.

“I’m the type who’ll eat anything as long as it’s edible,” Ruggie said with a shrug before smirking. “Well, Prince Leona will never understand that feeling.”

“Hmph. That only applies to the first prince. I’m the second prince so I’m pretty much treated the same as any commoner,” Leona sighed and Ruggie could feel his ears twitch in irritation. He knew Leona was more than a little sore about his upbringing but that was a little whiney even for him.

“I’ll never forget the day I showed you a picture of my house and you said ‘I thought it was a dog house.’” Leona cocked his head to the side at Ruggie’s statement, clearly not recalling the conversation. Then again it did happen about a year ago.

“Did I say something like that?” Leona asked and Ruggie nodded his head.

“Yes, you did! Ah, geez… I wanna try living in a castle just once to the point that I’d say something like that about my own house.” Ruggie could practically see it in his future. If he played his cards right and managed to stay in Leona’s good graces until they were graduated and he could work for the second prince. His life would be set then.

“Hah! Being a royal is no joke. Effort and talents don’t matter. They only care bout who was born first,” Leona snapped. Ruggie wasn’t going to push it. He knew he was touching a nerve with Leona now and it was best to not try his luck. Leona in a bad mood only met more work for Ruggie after all.

“Hm~ Is that so?” Ruggie relented before changing the topic. “Oh, yeah, Today’s the Perfects’ meeting for the Magical Shift tournaments. Don’t forget to show up, okay?”

“Tch, that’s annoying…” Leona grumbled—flicking his tail in irritation.

“You get to have the biggest dorm room ‘cause you’re the Perfect, so do your duties properly,” Ruggie lectured then. Geez, sometimes it really was like taking care of a bratty toddler. But he pays well, so it was whatever to Ruggie.

“Yeah, I get it already,” Leona said as he waved Ruggie off before yawning. “I’m sleepy now that I’m full. Wake me up when lunch is over.”

“I’m not your alarm click though… ah, you’re already sleeping!” Ruggie exclaimed though he didn’t know why he was shocked. Leona really did have a talent for falling asleep at any time. “Geez… speaking of… I feel like I’ve seen more than that little freshman girl and raccoon before…” Curly brown hair and sharp blue eyes… but he couldn’t remember where exactly he had seen her. Oh well, it was a problem for later. For now, he supposed he would eat his own lunch until it was time for classes. Then he would fight Leona to get him up and to his next class.

Hopefully, Leona didn’t actually fight him this time, he didn’t want to be late for his Animal Language test today!

Chapter Text

“Has anyone see Jude?” Anne Marie asked clearly exasperated. Kristina looked around at the others gathered and saw that, indeed, Judith was the only one missing.

“Maybe she didn’t get the email?” Kimberlee suggested—green eyes almost hopeful. “Or maybe she got caught up with work?”

“Doubt it,” Kristina retorted. “I bet you anything she’s just skipping.” After all, if their hunch was right, then Judith likely didn’t feel the need to show up to something like this. She probably thinks it doesn’t concern her or that anything Crowley could tell her, Riddle could explain better from first-hand experience.

“Still ignoring anything that doesn’t interest her, same as when we were kids,” Anne Marie mumbled to herself before she regained her composure. “I’ll talk to her about it later, it will set a bad example otherwise.”

“How could it not interest her?” Valentina was clearly confused at the idea but Anne Marie could only shrug in response.

“If I knew how her mind worked half of the world's mysteries would have been solved already,” Anne Marie deadpanned in response.

“Should we head in?” Deuce asked—changing the line of conversation before Anne Marie could decide to just hunt down Judith and drag her to the meeting.

“Yeah, we should,” Anne Marie relented with a sigh before Deuce nodded and knocked on the door.

“Pardon the intrusion, headmaster,” Deuce greeted as they all filed into the room.

“We’re coming in,” Ace said.

“You’re all gathered here, I see… except for Ms. Weick but I met with her earlier in the day to discuss matters since she would be busy with dinner, for I am gracious,” Crowley said with a smile as he rose from his desk and walked around. Kristina ignored the smug feeling directed in her direction by Kimberlee. “Now then, I’d like to get started quickly. This will concern the incident that happened in the Heartslabyul Dorm the other day.”

“More like the other week,” Eva muttered earning a giggle from the back half of their group and glare from Crowley.  

“But I figured that I should thoroughly explain it to you,” Crowley emphasized as he pointedly ignored Eva’s comment. If he didn’t like it, then he shouldn’t have taken so long to explain it to them. But that was just Kristina’s opinion. “I figured that as fellow magicians, there is a need for you to be fully aware of the consequences that could happen. And Ladies I figured you would just like an in-depth explanation since you are not familiar with the laws of the magic of this world at all.”

Well, he wasn’t completely wrong. Kristina had been trying to wrap her head around half of the subjects in the third-year classes but she couldn’t make heads or tails out of any of it. They just kept using terms she didn’t know and she didn’t care enough to ask for a definition. If she tried to look it up on her phone though she was just met with more of a headache than she had originally. So she just let herself do whatever during quizzes and hoped for the best. It wasn’t like she was known for stellar grades back home either.

“You mean, the Overblot, sir?” Deuce asked for clarification—everyone else had gone silent.

“Indeed, that’s right,” Crowley’s voice sounded far too grave for Kristina’s liking. The last time Kristina had to listen to a voice like that was when her parents were telling her about her grandparent's passing away. She hated that voice then and she hates it now.

“I heard about it from my big bro before but… I didn’t expect that that’d happen during Overblot,” Ace breathed out—eyes growing distant as he thought back. Out of everyone having nightmares, Ace would be the most understandable for having them. After all, Riddle did try to run him through with a rose tree—that has to leave an effect on someone’s psyche. “It really was evil villain berserker mode, huh?”

“Hey, what does ‘blot’ mean in the first place?” Grim piped up from Valentina’s arms—finally interested in the conversation for once.

“I think I’ve heard it mentioned in class,” Anne Marie admitted. “But since it’s a more advanced level they don’t tend to explain what terms like that mean.”

“Then, let me tell you. Oh, how kind of me~” If he didn’t stop preening at basic human decency Kristina was going to deck him one day. However, if he sensed Kristina’s murderous intentions, he ignored them as he cleared his throat to continue explaining. “Blot is akin to ‘wasted material’ that accompanies each magic use. Let’s take this for example. An automobile needs fuel in order to move, and at the same time it is used, smoke comes out from the exhaust pipe, correct? And for when magical energy is used, blot occurs at the same time… Would that be easier to understand in that sense?”  

“So, it’s the byproduct of the reaction triggered—if we were to used chemistry terms,” Anne Marie stated. “All energy put in needs to be converted equally after all. It isn’t uncommon in combustion reactions like cars to produce that kind of excess waste.”

“The car metaphor was easier when he explained it,” Kristina said with a click of her tongue making Anne Marie purse her lips and blush beat-red.

“Either way,” Fiona cut in. “It doesn’t sound good for you in the slightest. Like smoking.”

“Exactly. Both Ms. Ryland and Ms. Alagona’s assessments are correct. There have been present and older historical records of research being done about it, however, it’s still largely a mystery. There is only one thing we are certain of.” Kristina swore the pause Crowley did was just for dramatic effect. “It is highly toxic and once it is used too much, it can greatly harm one’s mind and body.”

“Maybe closer to alcohol than cigarettes then,” Eva muttered though Kristina never knew if these side comments were meant to be heard by everyone or just to herself.

“Oh, yeah. I remember my granny telling me: ‘Don’t use your magic so willy-nilly if you don’t want to Blot!’ or something like that?” Ace didn’t seem to trust his own memory about the wording—but the sentiment was the same. Kristina couldn’t stop herself from smirking at the thought of Granny Trappola yelling at a younger Ace from her rocking chair on the porch as he did something stupid. It was so easy to see it actually hurt so vivid it was.

“Such great powers go hand-in-hand with incomparable risks. Not even the greatest magicians have an unlimited supply of magical energy,” Crowley explained.

“In other words, the more you use magic, the more it becomes bad for the body?” Grim asked then as he was intent on learning from the lesson.

“No, not completely,” Crowley corrected. “Hm… I feel like it would be easier to understand if I showed you a demonstration rather than just explain using words.”

Crowley pondered for a moment. Thinking of the best way to showcase what he was saying. Kristina had drunk enough tequila sunrises at Wieck house parties to know how this whole thing would go down. Like, if she knocked back drink after drink, she would likely end up in the hospital due to alcohol poisoning; but if she paced herself and stopped for the night when she reached her limit—her liver would have time to process the alcohol and she would be fine again to get slammed the next weekend.

Huh… she learned something in her biology class last year. Who would have thought? She wasn’t about to explain that to everyone else in the room. Besides herself, none of the others present were regularly at parties and she had no clue what Ace and Deuce’s private lives really consisted of so who knows if they would get that comparison either.

“Oh, ghosts! I have a little job for you!” Crowley called out as he finally figured out how best to showcase what he was trying to explain.

“Oh-ho, did you call for us Headmaster?” A ghost asked as three of them materialized in front of them. Kristina barely blinked in response. After coming out of the shower and being left face to face with Phineas—ghosts didn’t phase her in even the slightest when they pulled the appearing-out-of-no-where act.

“Eh? Wha—what’s going on?” Ace stammered out—clearly, he didn’t adjust to ghosts after living with some for the better part of two weeks. Crowley ignored the  

“Please help me teach these young ones a small lesson,” Crowley requested of the ghosts and they nodded before turning to the group of them. Deuce let out a small sound of shock but otherwise, no one really reacted. Kristina guessed they all saw something like this coming.

“We got it. Should we show ‘em how it’s done, sir?” A different ghost asked Crowley for clarification. Crowley nodded in confirmation.

“Come, students. Ready your magical pens. Headmaster’s special lesson is far from over~” Crowley said in amusement.

“Nose goes on who has to direct Grim!” Valentina called out then ignoring the protest from said cat monster. Unfortunately, Kristina had been caught off guard by the juvenile game and ended up losing—being the last to touch her finger to her nose.

“You all suck,” was all she said before she moved to stand behind Grim. He looked back at her with wide eyes.

“Well, you wanted to be better than Riddle, consider this practice,” Kristina taunted and Grim took the bait. He looked completely fired up as he stood before the ghosts now.

“Oh god, that video was all over the dorm this morning,” Ace laughed at the nod to the video Kristina had taken with her phone that morning. “I couldn’t tell if Perfect Rosehearts wanted to fight Grim or cry he was so red.”

“We can talk about it later,” Deuce said as he reminded them of the ghosts. “Let’s get ready!”

The fight went smooth. Mostly because Grim was too scared to do anything but listen as Kristina directed him where he needed to shoot his fire. Though, she was starting to wonder if Valentina was pushing him to use other magic besides fire. Sure progress is slow sometimes but Grim felt like he was moving at a snail's pace.

The ghosts were finally done then, letting themselves be temporarily un-corporealized. Grim was panting from all of the running around but Ace and Deuce didn’t seem all that phased. Then again, they didn’t need to run to aim nearly as much as Grim had to.

“Hey, headmaster!” Grim yelled though it sounded more like a pant of exhaustion. “That training with the ghosts didn’t help me understand Blot one bit!”

“Grim, please look at the magical jewel on your collar,” Crowley said as he motioned to the gem with a golden talon. Curiously, Grim pulled on his collar until he was able to see the gem clearly then squinted. Kristina felt herself move forward so she could look at the stone as well. On the stone were shadowy spots that almost looked like imperfections—but it made no sense. The amethyst was practically perfect in appearance before.

“Wha! My magical jewel got some dirt on it!” Grim cried out as he attempted to used his paw to wipe away the splotches. “It won’t come off even if I rub it with my paws!”

“It’s a black ink that taints the magical jewel,” Crowley began to explain. “That’s the ‘Blot’ that happens after using magic excessively.”

Kristina felt her face contort into one of disgust. It looked like those nasty molasses things they used to discourage kids from smoking. Thick and syrupy and just unnatural enough you know that it can’t be good for the body. Not even in the slightest.

“Ah! Now that I look closely, my magical pen has a faint ink stain, too!” Deuce cried out causing Grim and Valentina to move over to him in concern.

“Eh? It’s kinda dirty,” Grim said as he climbed up to Valentina’s shoulder to get a better look.

“Are they going to be, ok?” Valentina asked clearly concerned. “It isn’t permanent right?”

“Not completely,” Crowley admitted making everyone sigh in relief.

“Oh, that’s a relief… phew~,” Grim said what everyone else was thinking. Even Kristina felt herself relax a bit at the words—and she understood what Crowley had been getting at the first time. Still, after Riddle, she wasn’t sure she ever wanted to experience something like that again. Especially if it was someone like the airheads, she had grown fond of over these few weeks. Even if they did cause a stupid amount of trouble.

“If you take a proper rest, and given enough time off, the Blot will disappear on its own,” Crowley explained. “A magical jewel does not exist simply to be an outlet for one’s magic. One other purpose it has is to accumulate Blot that could directly affect the caster. To an extent, it is a wonderful item that can carry such a huge burden.”

“Like a spare liver?” Kristina found herself asking out loud. She could hear Anne Marie click her tongue in disapproval while others stared at her with mild concern.

“…Something like that I suppose would be accurate Ms. Kaiser,” Crowley confirmed. “Though, I am a little concerned you went with an organ such as the Liver over the Heart or Brain.” Kristina only shrugged in response.

“I see… In other words, once our magical jewels have become hazy, it’s a sign for us to rest our bodies, correct?” Deuce asked and Crowley nodded.

“That is correct. Blot disappears if you eat, sleep, and rest properly,” Crowley said.

“That’s good!” Grim exclaimed, clearly excited. “Then, that means I can rest assured about using my magic when I become a great magician! I mean, I eat and sleep a lot already~”

“Probably too much,” Valentina grumbled but she was ignored.

“Magical energy comes in all sorts of varieties. With the exception of a select few, the maximum permissible amount of magical energy is not really that large,” Crowley interrupted Grim’s tangent making the cat monster stop and look at the headmaster in confusion.

“What do you mean?” Grim asked clearly confused.

“In other words, the more magical energy a person has, the more careful he has to be about the accumulation of Blot,” Crowley explained causing Ace to perk up a little. Kristina was starting to get a little worried. Gingersnap had just been staring at his magic pen since they finished the fight—a dark look on his face as if he was feeling growing concern.

“So, if we keep using magic stupidly without even thinking of the consequences, it’s easier for us to accumulate Blot, you mean?” Ace looked way too serious for Kristina’s comfort. His usual smile was gone and he looked… almost scared. But… it made sense. He was on the other side of an Overblot rampage before. Ace going into an Overblot and returning the favor would probably be his worst nightmare.

“To an extent, yes. Though, considering your skills with magic, for now, I don’t think you have to worry too much about Blot yet,” Crowley said with a smile—moving forward to ruffle Ace’s hair. “Good for you, huh~?”

“Roasted,” Kristina snickered making Ace’s cheeks go pink from having been so serious earlier.

Ace slapped the hand away from his head. “It’s kinda hard to be happy about that, y’know!”

“If our magical jewels turn darker the more, we use magic, will we all turn into evil villain berserker mode like Riddle?” Grim said his hair starting to stand on end and his tail going straight up. “I was so scared when I saw a huge monster behind him, yanno?”

“Weren’t you just listening to him saying you didn’t have enough magical power to worry about it right now?” Kristina grumbled but she was ignored.

“The magician’s overall state of well-being actually plays a huge influence on their magical limit before experiencing Blot,” Crowley said as he continued his lecture. “Anger, sorrow, terror, confusion… Experiencing constant negative energies like that makes it easier for Blot to accumulate. It becomes easier for one to go into Overblot.”

“And you don’t have a school therapist because?” Anne Marie asked with a blank expression.

“Funny, Ms. Wieck asked the same thing earlier,” Crowley mentioned making Anne Marie scowl. “But I’m sure we don’t need one of those. Mr. Rosehearts was just a fluke is all.”

“Negative energy…” Deuce muttered to himself—thinking back to the Overblot. Valentina moved for his hand and held it tight—squeezing it in reassurance.

“A gigantic shadow similar to the one Rosehearts had when he went berserk,” Crowley said and Kristina could fight the image of the shadow thing from coming to her mind. How ink was dripping from it and how it held Riddle like a ragdoll. She fought the shiver that threatened to overtake her body. “I guess you could call it the manifestation of all the negative energies and all the Blot that Rosehearts had accumulated. Though to be honest, I know not much more than this. From what we know, there are multiple ways a magician can experience Overblot. However, there really aren’t that many examples out there.”

“Not having enough examples is good,” Ace admitted then. “I don’t wanna experience that ever again.”

“It was fortunate that you were able to make Rosehearts come back to his sense as soon as it happened, but if he were left alone then…” Crowley paused before raising his voice to an almost defining pitch. “AHHHHH! I DON’T WANT TO THINK ABOUT IT! HOW FRIGHTENING!”

“Wha! Don’t just shout like that!” Grim scolded as he bristled from the noise.

“Seriously, inside voice dude,” Kristina agreed.

“Ahem, I’m sorry. I suddenly lost my cool,” Crowley apologized. Kristina couldn’t help but wonder if he ever really had it in the first place. “It was quite the long explanation, but magic use comes with equal danger, is what I’m trying to point out. Everyone, please do no forget my warnings.”

“Yes, sir,” they all said in unison. Though it felt a little unnecessarily coming from the girls.

“And that is all for your ever so kind Headmaster’s special lessons! Everyone, please head back to your dorms now.” Crowley seemed all too chipper over having finished the conversation. Seriously, he was giving Kristina whiplash with his sudden mood changes.

“By the way,” Anne Marie interjected—preventing Crowley from completely shooing them out the door. “Have you found a way to get us all back to our world?”

“Eh? Ah… Uh… Of course, I’ve been doing my research. I didn’t forget it at all, no sir. But you see… I’ve been so busy nowadays,” Crowley stammered as he tried to make an excuse to them. Kristina could feel her eyebrow twitch in irritation.

“You’re avoiding eye contact,” Grim pointed out.

“And painfully lying,” Anne Marie grumbled in irritation.

“I-I-I’m not lying. I am very busy with preparing for the intra-dorm Magical Shift tournament for this October,” Crowley stammered in protest. “And there’s still the Perfects’ meeting after this…”

“Crap I forgot about that,” Anne Marie said noted—successfully distracted.

“Magical Shift Tournament?” Grim asked—not knowing what the event was. It sounded like a sports thing to Kristina. She was actually pretty curious herself actually.

“Yeah, what is that?” Kristina asked with her head cocked to the side in curiosity. “I’ve heard it mentioned in passing I think but no idea what it is.”

“You guys don’t know about Magishift?” Ace asked looking completely scandalized as each of them shook their head.

“We don’t have anything like that in our world I don’t think,” Fiona admitted with a shrug.

“Here, it’s a world-famous sport. They have a professional league and even world competitions,” Deuce explained as he started to get excited just talking about it. Honestly, it was sounding a little like soccer to Kristina, though she lived in literally the only country that didn’t seem to care about their soccer team. Well, football team technically—but having to differentiate between that and American football all the time was annoying.

“I dunno about it either!” Grim exclaimed—pouting the attention was off of him again.

“Magical Shift AKA Magishift is a sport played by two teams made up of seven players,” Ace said as he launched into an explanation of the sport. “To put it simply, you try to take a disc from each other and try to shoot it at the goal position in the opponent’s territory. The team who scores the most points is the winner.”

“Sounds like ultimate frisbee—maybe American football if you stretched it just a little,” Kristina noted with a smirk. “It also sounds like fun.”

“American Football? Is that a sport from your hometown, Ms. Kaiser?” Deuce asked as he blinked with wide eyes. Damn, there wasn’t football here? The Superbowl was practically a national holiday in their town. It felt weird to be somewhere that had never even heard of it.

“Yeah, a super popular one. Two teams basically crash into each other and try to score points by reaching an end zone without the ball touching the ground or the player getting tackled down. It gets pretty brutal sometimes.” Kristina said as she explained the logistics to Ace and Deuce. To be honest her understanding of the sport was minimal at best. She only went to games at the school for the social aspect and during her parents’ game-day parties she usually was at the gym working out or practicing.

“I don’t think I’m familiar with the term…” Crowley began to mumble to himself. “I’ll research it in the library next time. It might provide me with a clue, after all.”

“It would probably be difficult for your dorm to appear in a Magishift tournament though,” Ace said as he looked them all over.

“Why?” Grim asked—clearly confused. Kristina was pretty lost as well. Sure it wasn’t powderpuff but it wasn’t like they were breakable either.

“Magical Shift is a port that uses magic. You carry the disc with magic, and all attacks and defenses use require magic as well,” Deuce explained and Kristina could feel her face fall. Why was there a whole sport in this world gate kept by magic? Seriously, that just felt stupid. Especially since, if she had understood Trein correctly in history class, Only about eighteen percent of the human population in twisted wonderland could use magic.

“Part of the player’s appeal is when they exhibit super flashy magic, too~” Ace smirked and Kristina could feel a low growl of irritation in her throat. So much for something fun and sporty for them to do.

“Exactly! That is why Night Raven College is a world-renowned powerhouse when it comes to Magical Shift!” Crowley was smiling again. Completely unbothered by the time anymore. “A lot of our school’s alumni play in professional leagues now! Even more, Magical Shift is a sport that tests not only physical skills but also one’s magical skills. Professional teams will be observing our school’s inter-dorm Magishift Tournament. A lot of renowned magicians around the world will come to watch. There will be a lot of shops lined up during the tournaments as well, and they will be exhibiting products from all over the world. It is very important and exciting it's even broadcast via television worldwide.”

“That… actually sounds really cool,” Kristina said as she felt her body come alive with electricity at the idea and ignoring the other’s less than enthusiastic response. It kind of sounded like the Olympics back when it was only for amateur athletes. The idea of competing on a world stage had always excited her. She had hoped to maybe make the Women’s Volleyball Team herself for the next summer Olympics after securing a spot on a college team.

Kris… when are you going to start setting realistic goals for yourself?

“People around the world will be watching?” Grim asked and Kristina was glad. It pushed her mother’s voice out of her head and brought her back into the moment. “Then, if I win that tournament, everyone in the world will know about me?”

“Of course, players who do exceptional and win in the tournament are invited to join professional teams, so it is a given that it comes with popularity, too,” Crowley said his smile still on his face.

“I think they would be more surprised to see girls at an all-boys school with a cat monster participating,” Deuce sighed.

“Alright! I’m gonna go train starting now and aim for victory!” Grim cheered in excitement as he pumped a fist in the air.

“I look forward to the show,” Crowley said with a smile. Kristina blinked. Once. Twice.

“Wait, what?” Kristina explained.

“You’re expecting us to participate?” Anne Marie cut in—worry clear in her grey eyes. “Have you forgotten we can’t use magic?”

“Well, it is an inter-dorm tournament, and there are eight members of your dorm after all,” Crowley said a smirk on his face. “And weren’t you girls barging into a dorm leader meeting not two weeks ago to protest how you should be treated as students not… oh how did you put it Ms. Kaiser, not ‘Pets’ or ‘Dolls’?”

“But this…” Anne Marie stammered clearly at a loss of what to do. No one had even told them this was a thing until today. They weren’t prepared, not even a little. And the tournament wasn’t that far of. Maybe a week or two at most.

“You should all be receiving wands in the mail soon so that you can practice for I am gracious,” Crowley said smiling once more like he hadn’t just dropped this bombshell on all of them. “They are battery powered so while you won’t be able to do any complex spells you should be able to pass the disc and do some defense and offense at the very least. I’m sure Scarabia will appreciate the easy warm-up match.”

“The headmaster really does hold a grudge huh?” Ace asked as he watched the whole scene unfold. Deuce nodded quickly as he had no idea what was happening either as he watched the sparks fly between the headmaster and the girls.

“So, you’re fine letting us participate in this but not cooperative team sports?” Kristina fired back. It really wasn’t that she was going to be participating in this that upset her. She was actually excited to try out another sport even if it was almost a guaranteed loss for them. No, she was bitter because she wasn’t allowed to join the volleyball team—it was like he was backtracking for the sake of punishment and it pissed her off.

“And you had no issues trying out for one anyway, did you, Ms. Kaiser,” Crowley said his voice going cold. “I should really thank you, seeing those videos all over Magicam of you and Ms. Alagona made it easy to make my decision when creating the team roster for the tournament.”

“I guess we can’t disappoint then now, can we?” Kristina said her voice going equally as cold as she glared at him.

“I shall excuse myself now! Ah, so busy, so busy. I look forward to seeing you at this meeting as well Ms. Ryland,” Crowley said going back to his usual chipper mood as he left the room. Leaving them all confused or stunned.

“This is your fault,” Eva snapped at Kristina then. “If you had just kept your head down, we would have been fine and not doing this stupid thing.”

“Would you rather us not have clubs?” Valentina asked as she did her best to try and support Kristina.

“Yes! Actually!” Eva said as she threw her hands up in the air. “I would rather not be stuck with shady glasses and Sans from Undertale but I got heated and signed up anyway.”

“That’s your own damned fault down blame me,” Kristina said as she put her hands on her hips. “We might not be able to win, but I’m sure we can at least put on a good show. Who knows we might even take them off guard and take it.”

“We’re going to die,” Kimberlee said her eyes looking like tunnels.   “They are going to actually kill us with magic. I haven’t even had a boyfriend yet and I’m going to die.”

“Don’t be so negative, we’ll be fine,” Valentina reassured her friend.

“Magishift is a no-contact sport so you shouldn’t get too beat up,” Ace chimed in doing his best to reassure them all.

“It’s whatever,” Anne Marie finally groaned as she put her hands to her temples to rub her oncoming headache. “We will discuss it more later tonight. For now, I have a meeting to get to. Please try to not kill each other over this while I’m gone.”

Eva clicked her tongue as a response before she shoulders-checked Kristina on her way out the door. Kristina didn’t bother to fight her on it. Eva had been pissy with her already since they started the morning runs. This was only the icing on the cake. Anne Marie moved past her as well, following the headmaster to the Mirror Chamber in order to have the dorm leader meeting.

Kristina looked at the others, Ace and Deuce were doing their best to help Valentina comfort a nearly hysterical Kimberlee while Grim still seemed happy as a clam about the whole situation. Fiona was the only one looking at Kristina right now, worry clear in her eyes. Almost like she was pitying Kristina. It was the same damned look on her face when the coach pulled her at that last tournament.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Kristina said in a low voice that she was sure only Fiona heard.

“Of course Captain,” Fiona said back just as quietly.

Chapter Text

Anne Marie couldn’t describe how awkward the dorm leader meeting was this time. She wasn’t late but she wasn’t nearly as early as last time either. Azul, Riddle, and Vil were already present as well as the headmaster, and all she could do was scramble over to her spot in between Riddle and Azul. She was just going to keep her head down this meeting and do her best to not make a scene. She wouldn’t bring up Ramshackle role in the tournament either, even if the other students agreed with her it would feel like Crowley winning. And as much as getting beat-up my magic scared her, she still didn’t want to give that damned crow the satisfaction when all he did was treat them as an afterthought.  

Maybe she was hanging out with Kristina too much too.

“Now then, I would like to begin the Perfects’ meeting in relation to the Magical Shift Tournament that will take place this month.” Crowley’s words pulled Anne Marie out of her thoughts. She looked around and realized the other dorm leaders had arrived while she was busy in her own thoughts. “Firstly, Perfect Ashengrotto of Octavinelle has an announcement as the President of the Magical Shift Management Committee.”

Crowley stepped back as Azul stepped forward with a polite smile. He looked completely in control and comfortable as he stood in front of all the other leaders. Anne Marie was almost envious; she was still shaking on unsteady legs in front of the group. Even if they were all nothing but cautious to her, even if Azul was her classmate and Kalim was her club mate; she still felt like a complete outsider here at these meetings. After everything that just went down with Crowley as well, she was beginning to wish that she had paid more attention to the meetings about Magical Shift before. Maybe then her dorm wouldn’t have been caught off guard only a few weeks to prepare.

“I am Azul Ashengrotto of the Management Committee. A pleasure to be here with you all today.” Anne Marie fought off a small giggle at the formal greeting. It was like he was addressing strangers rather than people he saw almost every day. “Now then, I would like to talk about the pop-up stalls that will be positioned around the Colosseum.”

Azul flicked his magic pen and a holographic screen covered in graphs and charts was now visible to the whole group. Anne Marie was so glad she took as many accounting classes as she did—the charts and spreadsheets were practically second nature for her to read. Though it was so easy to tell everything was filled and they were making bank just by looking at the large numbers and almost completely solid pie-chart. “All slots for outside business and club businesses have been filled.”

“Oh, that’s nice! Look like it’s gonna be bustling!” Kalim cheered happily. If Anne Marie remembered right, his family was full of merchants. So of course, he was able to read the charts easily too. He had probably been reading them since he was small—same as Ethan and Judith did.

“All the invitations for each nation’s royal families have also been sent. The ticket-selling for the masses is proceeding smoothly as well,” Azul continued as he pushed up his glasses. “And just like every year, the television crews that will be helping with the broadcast have all been arranged as well.”

“The whole world will be watching, after all,” Kalim said cheerfully but Anne Marie couldn’t help but feel like a led ball was sitting in her stomach. The whole world was going to see her dorm’s complete humiliating defeat. It was moments like this she was glad they didn’t plan on staying in this world. She could never imagine having to live with video proof of something like this ever happening. Kalim however, just continued talking about everything like it was nothing. “Before I became a student here, I was always excited about receiving the invitation for the tournament~ Ah, you’re a royal too so you got invitations, right, Leona? We’ve passed by each other in the stadium a lot when we were kids, remember?”

Eh? Anne Marie could stop herself from blinking in shock. She knew Kalim mentioned his family were merchants but he forgot to mention the part they were also members of the royal family. She guessed not a prince but probably a lord or something like that since they did specialize in other business. More shocking was looking at Leona—his messy hair and uniform and bored expression—also being a member of a royal family. She couldn’t figure out for the life of her where he would fall on the hierarchy though.

“Dunno… and don’t care,” Leona droned lazily. Though his mood seemed to sour even worse at Kalim’s words. She felt herself let her eyes move onto somewhere else in the room.

“I have to perfect the ultra-vision supported base make-up for this year’s tournament,” Vil said out loud though Anne Marie didn’t feel like it was directed at anyone in the room in particular. “It is a very physical sport, so I’ll need to fix my make-up a lot.”

A very physical sport. Great. Anne Marie could practically feel the bruises forming on her skin already. She bruised stupidly easy too—like a damned peach. One time her brother had punched her arm while play fighting and she had a purple welt for a week. She could only imagine how she would look after a sport that was apparently comparable to Football. She had seen more than her fair share of matches as a cheerleader and they were never pretty.

“Only Pomefiore will go as far as to ask for a time-out just to fix their make-up,” Riddle sighed in mild irritation.

“Why’s everyone so gung-ho about showing their faces for a competition?” Idia asked then—his tablet flashing a little to indicate it was picking up sound. “Just thinking about it’s enough to make me puke…”

“The feelings’ mutual,” Anne Marie found herself muttering in agreement. If it was something she was skilled in she wouldn’t care, but this was something else entirely. She barely caught Azul looking at her curiously for her comment before he went back to his usual business demeanor.

“Ahem! Everyone, please keep quiet,” Azul said—clapping his hands to call everyone back to attention once more.

“Ah, sorry ‘bout that~” Kalim laughed—well aware it was his tangent that got them all off-topic.

“Each dorm should submit a file of all their registered players for the tournament. If you happen to be even one day late with the registration…” Azul trailed off with a smile.

“You are, of course, disqualified, correct?” Riddle asked for confirmation. It made sense to Anne Marie—that’s how it was in their world too for sports. You didn’t turn your stuff in or show up on time, you were disqualified or scratched. Simple as that.

“Oh, no. They will be subjected to a separate charging fee. I guess you could call it a special fare for being late,” Azul laughed a little. Anne Marie would have preferred the disqualification. At least that would be an easy way out of the mess.

“Ah, Anne, the Headmaster was so kind as to turn in your team roster already,” Azul chimed in then with a smile to her. “Since you only have eight dorm members, I suppose it was easy.”

“How kind,” Anne Marie felt herself deadpanning as she looked over at Crowley who was particularly smug.

“What? Personally, I think that creating rules to accept someone is not a good idea,” Riddle grumbled—still caught up on the loop-hole Azul had created.

“Ahaha! I’d be grateful for it though!” Kalim laughed and Anne Marie couldn’t help the thought he was going to being robbed of a ton of money for being late.

               “You are getting off-topic now,” Crowley said pulling the attention back to himself again. He waved a hand and Azul’s graphs went away and the Octavinelle dorm leader took a step back—letting the headmaster have the floor again. “Now then, let’s talk about the competition details… I have a proposal.”

               “Proposal?” Riddle and Anne Marie asked at the same time.

               “For this tournament… I was thinking of having Diasomnia’s Perfect, Malleus Draconia, become a member of the Hall of Fame so as he should only make a special appearance.” You could hear a pin drop at Crowley’s words. Anne Marie had heard the name thrown around more than a few times since coming to Night Raven College, but she still had yet to meet him. And with what she had heard, she wasn’t sure she wanted to.

               “Eh!” Kalim finally exclaimed breaking the silence.

               “What do you mean?” Leona practically growled making Anne Marie jump. She hadn’t seen him display much emotion before at these meetings but with the way his green eyes were burning, she could feel her whole body tighten in fear—like prey might feel when faced with a predator.

               “Ever since Draconia entered the school, all the dorms that have competed against Diasomnia have faced utter defeat without even so much as scoring a point,” Crowley explained then. Anne Marie blinked. Not a single point? Maybe Crowley had been kind for putting her dorm against Scarabia—they would definitely be dead if they had to go face to face with Diasomnia. “They’ve always scored more than one-hundred points in any tournament. And 9% of those are scored by him alone.”

               Only nine percent? That didn’t seem like a ton. That’s like nine points in total. But Crowley was making it sound like a really big deal. From the few matches Anne Marie had seen of Kristina’s volleyball games—she scored more points per match and those were only twenty-five points a set. Maybe the issue was with his assists mostly? Would make sense. Anne Marie simply filed the information away for later to discuss with the others when she got back to the dorm.

               “True. The last time we competed against them, we couldn’t even lift a finger!” Kalim complained—eyes closed as he was remembering the last time, he played against the Diasomnia team.

               “His talent totally disrupts the game’s balance. It’s kinda unfair.” Anne Marie was never one for video games but she had a feeling Idia was agreeing with Kalim.

               “This tournament is not merely made for amusement,” Crowley stressed then. “The whole world will be paying attention in search of a talented new magician. Even more so, Diasomnia has managed to win every single competition without even displaying magic. I guess you could call it a desperate measure.”

               “Ah, I get it. I get tired when I fight strong enemies, too.” Idia continued to agree with the headmaster but Anne Marie really only could tilt her head to the side in mild confusion. He really was strange—flaming hair aside.

               “So, I would like to ask the opinions of the Savanahclaw Dorm Leader. Since you have the most players who are aiming to be in the professional league,” Crowley said ignoring Idia in favor of looking at Leona who still wore an irritated expression. “Your dorm has never fallen behind third place in any of the tournaments ever since the school was founded. And yet… For the past two years, you have only managed to play in the first game against Diasomnia. Not to mention, you never even won. You will not be able to make an impression on the professional board this way. Your team’s future is at stake, too.”

               Wait, Crowley put the same teams up against each other in the starting match? Why didn’t he just rotate the teams to prevent something like this? It didn’t make any sense to Anne Marie. It didn’t matter if it was football playoffs, Volleyball state-qualifiers, or a cheer/dance/band competition—you move around teams into different brackets to give others a fair shot. A team that they beat last year they might not do as well against that they didn’t face until the finals the previous year. If Savanahclaw had the most professional aiming students, why weren’t they purposely put on the opposite side of the bracket as Diasomnia? Seemed counterproductive to Anne Marie but no one was asking her opinion.

               She was about to speak up when the sound of a vicious snarl cut through the chamber—everyone’s heads turning to watch Leona’s face contort into one of pure rage. Like the idea as a whole had personally offended him. Anne Marie was more than familiar with rivalry but this was ridiculous to have such a gut reaction to a logically sound conclusion—even if it wasn’t the best conclusion in her opinion.

               “Are you saying that we’ll be losing without even putting up a fight this year, too?” Leona growled to the headmaster. Everyone’s heads turned to watch Crowley’s reaction. He remained calm and poised despite Leona’s volatile reaction.

               “I’m not saying this because I want to either,” Crowley said calmly trying to comfort the older student. “In any case, I already have Draconia’s unspoken consent regarding the matter. All I need is to hear everyone’s opinion.”

               “Hah! You’re underestimating us. Listen here, Teach,” Leona said—barking out a humorless laugh. His face relaxed though into one of calm even though the rage was still present. “I hate being told ‘You’ll never become number one!’ the most, got it?”

               “That’s not what I’m saying— “Crowley panicked, trying his best to backpedal. Leona was too quick to let him continue trying to correct his wording.

               “Then what’re you trying to say?” Leona challenge—his head tilting up a little, like he was trying to look down on all of them. The picture of prideful arrogance. Anne Marie was all too familiar with the sight and she felt an involuntary twinge as the thought of a pair of siblings who walked the halls of Brookfield High. “In any case, Magishift doesn’t rely on just the body. It’s important to think, too. Right?”

               “I don’t think I can win against Malleus in that department either,” Kalim admitted and Anne Marie had to bite her lip to stop herself from laughing. That wasn’t the kind of thing you admitted out loud Kalim!

               “Yeah, probably,” Leona agreed and it made Anne Marie’s eyes narrow. It was rude to agree to something like that as well after all. “But I’m different from you. No one can win against that guy when it comes to power. But there are other methods available.”

               “Oh-ho?” Azul said clearly sounding intrigued by Leona’s train of thought. Anne Marie would be lying to herself if she wasn’t just a little curious as well. Still, she thought her solution was the best—at least then they could face off in the finals rather than the opening match.

               “The King of Beasts managed to become king because of effort and wisdom,” Leona stated proudly as he walked forward to the center. Demanding everyone’s eyes on him. Like any of them would dare look away. “Use your heads and think of a way to win against that monster, too! If you manage to win, the whole world might just praise you, too. Are you really going to let this chance get away?”

               “So, you do make great points from time to time. I was about to say that the headmaster’s suggestion was nonsense, too,” Vil agreed in a voice that sounded almost like a purr. “Excluding the people with talent is considered an unconsciously bias. Don’t you think it’s similar to being unconsciously prejudiced? And I disagree with that notion.”

               “I agree with Senior Vil’s opinion,” Riddle agreed quickly. “And as a fellow magician, I find it unsightly to run away before even trying.”

               “That hotshot’s disappointed face will be broadcast internationally,” Leona said—a smile breaking on his face as the thought. The rest of the boys in the room seemed just as excited at the prospect of taking this Malleus down a few pegs. It was also the moment that Anne Marie remembered she was now attending a school full of assholes. “Just imagining it’s enough to make you sing your praises already, right?”

               “Fufu, that sounds like a good way to amass ratings,” Azul hummed and Anne Marie fought off the urge to roll her eyes. All of this and Azul is just thinking about the ratings? Well, she knew what dorm to suggest to put Savanahclaw against if that was all they were going to care about. Might as well let the dorms who care about sports get a chance in the spotlight.

               “Yup, yup. I don’t wanna be left out, too!” Kalim agreed clearly now excited at the idea of playing against Malleus in the tournament compared to his previous reluctance.

               “Eh? What’s going on? Am I the only one who thinks he should be in the Hall of Fame?” Idia asked panicked. But he was outnumbered and completely ignored.

               “You heard us, Teach. We’re not hearing any more of the Hall of Fame crap,” Leona snapped at the headmaster.

               “Goodness me… I understand,” Crowley relented with a sigh. “However, he shall be inducted next year as my condition for letting him compete this year.”

               “Do what you want,” Leona said as he dismissed the conversation with a flick of his wrist.

               “Can I say something?” Anne Marie said quietly as she spoke up. All of the eyes in the room were on her in an instant. She swallowed hard.

               “Ah, Anne, we almost forgot to get your opinion on the matter—though it would seem you would be your vote wouldn’t matter either way,” Azul said with a smile. She shifted a little and ignored how much it stung to be almost forgotten about. Still, she needed to speak up. Even if she was shaking a little at the prospect.

               “Have we considered changing the team brackets?” Anne Marie asked then as she looked over every face in the room—carefully watching their reactions. “I agree that it doesn’t feel right to exclude someone just because they're good and talented, but there might be a way to have our cake and eat it too. If we just moved around the teams so Savanahclaw was on the other side of the bracket then they could showcase their team and still be able to have a grudge match opportunity later in the tournament.”

               “It’s a pleasant thought, but we would need the consent of all teams involved and I highly doubt anyone wants to volunteer to switch with Savanahclaw,” Crowley said as he shot down Anne Marie’s idea. “Not to mention all of the paperwork that would have to be worked out for the different vendors and commercials who already booked certain matches; it’s just too much of a mess.”

               “And we aren’t going to turn our tails and run away,” Leona barked as he shot her a glare. She could feel herself tense up under his gaze—fighting the urge to shrink back again.

               “Still, it was a truly sweet idea dear Anne,” Azul reassured her with a smile.

               “Yes, it was very considerate,” Riddle agreed but Anne Marie could still feel her heart sinking.  She was completely shot down due to technicalities. She tried to do something and it failed, now she could feel the patronizing stares. The poor magicless girl from another world, sticking her neck out where it doesn’t belong. Yeah, that sounded about right.

               “Now then, that is all for today’s meeting. Everyone, please do not forget to turn in your registrations,” Azul said as he clapped his hands again to call attention back to himself. A smirk graced if face again though before he spoke again. “Though, personally, I wouldn’t mind if you were late…fufu.”

               “By the way… did you all forget to invite Malleus to today’s Perfect meeting again?” Vil asked and the room was filled with shocked cries of guilt from everyone. Anne Marie herself could feel her face falling in disappointment. Seriously? Again? She was starting to feel sorry for this Malleus guy whoever he was if this was always the treatment he received.

…

               Whitley could feel a bounce in his step and he walked side by side with another Heartslabyul student. He was super excited for the upcoming Magishift try-outs that would be happening. He had managed to make the team last year—even if he was on the bench the majority of the time—and he was hoping to play on the team again this year. Mostly because if he didn’t then he would be stuck on hedgehog duty until the tournament was over but that was neither here nor there.

               “The try-outs for the Magical Shift Tournament are soon, right?” The other student asked Whitley and he nodded enthusiastically.

               “Have you thought of a magical exhibition that will appeal to the Perfect yet?” Whitley asked them and they smirked.

               “of course! When I showed it to Professor Crewel the other day, he was so amazed!” The student paused his smirk growing even wider. “Of course, I doubt it has anything on how much you have been practicing.”

               “What do you mean?” Whitley asked as he felt his head cock to the side and his ears twitch a little.

               “Oh don’t play dumb, you have been practicing non-stop in hopes of impressing a certain Tiger in the Scarabia dorm,” his classmate barked and Whitley felt himself straighten up and his whole body feels like it was on fire due to embarrassment.

               “I have no idea what you are talking about,” Whitley denied just a little too quickly.

               “Oh please, you have been flirting with Senior Banjeet shamelessly since you first got into this school. Just grow a pair and ask him out already.” Whitley frowned. It wasn’t that simple. Banjeet was in a completely different dorm and a year older. Not to mention he was brilliant, even with the decline of his dorm he’s still managed to stay one of the top students in his class. Much better than Whitley who was always in a rush and cut too many corners as a result.

               “Maybe I just don’t want to be on hedgehog duty for the next few weeks,” Whitley protested then—doing his best to not tug on his ears in embarrassed frustration. Because if his dormmate could tell how smitten he was then Banjeet definitely knew.

               “Fair enough,” his classmate relented allowing Whitley to breathe and relax. “I’m excited to show my magic off to Perfect Ro—What!”

               They were at the stairs and Whitley had no idea what had happened. One minute they were talking as usual and the next he watched his dormmate jumped and fall down the stairs. They had tumbled down almost the whole flight and now laid there groaning in pain at one of the flight breaks.

               “That hurt…” his dormmate groaned as he sat up carefully.

               “H-hey what happened?” Whitley asked his whole body twitching from nerves. “You suddenly jumped from the stairs?”

               Whitley rushed down to try and help his dormmate but they winced as they attempted to stand—putting all their weight onto one leg. “My leg… it hurts…” they groaned and Whitley carefully put one of their arms over his shoulder to help them distribute their weight easier.

               “Come on, I’ll help you to the infirmary,” Whitley said as he helped his dormmate hobble down the stairs in the direction of the infirmary.

               Too bad they missed the very distinct laugh coming from the shadows.

…

               “I’m sorry they said what?” Kristina asked—a toothbrush hanging out of her mouth as Anne Marie finished recounting the events of the dorm leader meeting.

               “They said that they would keep Savanahclaw vs Diasomnia as the opening match,” Anne Marie reiterated with a sigh. It was late by the time they were all back in the dorms. The only one still missing was Judith but she had texted them all saying they had a crazy number of dishes so she was running behind. She should be getting back to the dorm shortly, Kristina hoped. Kristina just knew Judith would have the best face when she heard the level of stupid Crowley was being.

               “Why the hell did they keep putting the same teams against each other in the first place?” Valentina asked as she exited the kitchen—already dressed in some fluffy pajama bottoms and a t-shirt for some organization they had no idea even was.

               “That’s what I want to know,” Fiona agreed with a curt nod.

               “Maybe he’s actually a bird brain,” Kristina joked as she spits into the cup, she had brought out so she could hear the conversation still as she got ready for bed. “Or maybe he was just too lazy to change the teams and clicked copy-paste.”

               “I feel like that’s the most likely reason,” Anne Marie agreed with a sigh. “This whole thing is a mess, the best we can do is maybe forfeit at the tournament.”

               “No way,” Kristina protested as she set down her toothbrush and rinse cup to the side. “We can’t give up without a fight. That’s more humiliating than if we don’t try.”

               “But even with the wands Crowley is giving us,” Kimberlee began to protest. “We don’t know the first thing about the rules or magic.”

               “So, we learn and we work at it,” Kristina argued. “If we just roll over not only, is it humiliating but that damned Crow wins.”

               “Kris is right,” Valentina agreed. “Besides didn’t you mention Crowley turned in all the paperwork anyway, Anne? He isn’t going to just let us forfeit. Besides, it could be fun!”

               “See? Sandra Dee over here has the spirit,” Kristina smiled as she looked over Valentina. Kristina had to admit, Valentina wasn’t at all who she thought she would be when they met up. She thought the mixed-girl would be a complete stick in the mud based on all the rumors. Turns out the girl had spunk and was actually funny sometimes. Who would have thought?

               “I don’t know what’s more disturbing, the fact you are so gun-ho about this or the fact you know what Grease is,” Anne Marie grumbled but from the way her body slumped down Kristina knew she had given up the fight. “Fine, we’ll leave the strategizing and training to you.”

               “You won’t regret it,” Kristina beamed just as the doors opened. Everyone turned and saw Judith walk into the dorm. Her hair was a mess and her cooking uniform was stained in various spots. The most noticeable thing though was the irritation on her face.

               “So, were any of you going to tell me we are signed up for the Magishift Tournament, or was I just supposed to find out in passing from Riddle?” Judith said, her eyes ice-cold as she looked over the room.

               “Crap, I knew we forgot something,” Kimberlee squeaked out. Yeah, they had completely forgotten to tell Judith about the new development in their plans.

               “In our defense, it was sprung on us pretty last minute,” Fiona laughed lightly. Judith finally sighed—regaining the careful control and composure she always seemed to sport.

               “Just try to keep me informed in the future,” Judith relented. “I really don’t want this to become a running theme.”

               “No promises,” Kristina quipped and earned an eyeroll in response from the heiress.

               “I also got a school calendar from Riddle, so hopefully we won’t be caught off guard by things like this in the future,” Judith commented as she handed over the papers to Anne Marie. “By the way, where’s Eva?”  

               “She’s been sulking in her room since she found out,” Kristina supplied. “She’s apparently super pissy about the whole thing. Basically, locked herself in as soon as we all got back.”

               “Wonderfully,” Judith droned. “I’ll try and talk with her. We are going to need to figure out how to play this game anyway if we don’t want to get hurt.”

               “How do you play magical shift anyway?” Grim asked—finally perking up from where he had been silently watching the girls from Kimberlee’s lap.

               “Perhaps we can help with that.”

Chapter Text

“Fucking hell, don’t scare us like that,” Kristina lectured as she turned to see Ezra, Phineas, and Gus all floating behind her. They only chuckled at her protests though, clearly amused by the fright they had given them all.

               “If you would like to learn how to play, we are more than happy to teach you all,” Phineas said before holding out his hand. Kristina watched then as a smooth disc appeared in his hand. She recognized it pretty quickly. Even if she only cleaned the sports equipment one day at Night Raven college, she was more than familiar with the heavy discs that were too large to be for Track and Field.

               “We don’t mind showing you the ropes,” Ezra agreed with a nod. “Why back when I played ninety years ago, I was quite the catch and everyone cheered for me!”

               Kristina felt the urge to gag. He was sounding like her dad talking about his football glory days; or like the old people who talked to her after matches. It made her want to roll her eyes and scowl. Mostly because she definitely did not want to hear said stories.

               “Really you don’t look a day over twenty Ezra,” Judith said with a smile and Ezra brushed her off.

               “Ah, you are too sweet for your own good,” Ezra brushed off with a chuckle. Kristina gave a confused look to Judith. Why was she humoring these guys anyway? Not like she had anything to gain from entertaining their old stories. But then again, they were offering to teach them Magishift—and it would go quicker if they had experienced people showing them how rather than trying to watch clips or rule books.

               “It’s impossible without seven players, right?” Grim asked curiously. “That’s what the headmaster said. We have enough to compete as a dorm but your side doesn’t.”

               “It doesn’t matter if it’s not an official match,” Gus reassured then. “Why don’t you all get some sleep and instead of a morning run we can play a match. How does that sound?”

               “I think it’s a great idea,” Kristina agreed before anyone else could protest. “We are going to need all the practice we can get—so instead of running we can do two rounds of practice before and after school.”

               “What about the library,” Anne Marie protested. “We really should stick to the schedule for assigned days of who goes to the library for research.”

               “It’ll be fine for a week or two, the books aren’t going anywhere,” Kristina found herself waving off. Strange considering they were about halfway through volleyball season at school. She should have been frantic trying to help them find a way home, even if her head hurt every time, she tried to read the books in the library. Still, she couldn’t deny how enticing this new challenge was—she really wanted to give it a go.

               Anne Marie clicked her tongue a little in irritation but didn’t protest. If Kristina had to guess, her distaste for public humiliation was a little more pressing than her desire to go home. Though, Kristina didn’t really understand why Anne Marie was in such a rush to go home. She hardly talked about her home life to any of them. Then again, none of them really talked about their home and personal lives. Makes sense since they are all mostly strangers with various levels of tolerance for one another. Hell, the only reason they knew about Valentina was because of the Ghost Camera. What kind of shit was that, that they needed a magic camera to make them open up?

               “It’s settled then,” Phineas agreed with a clap of his hands. “You best all get to bed now.”

…

               The sound of sneakers squeaking and volleyballs slamming echoed throughout the warehouse-turned gymnasium. Kristina watched as girls of all ages were lined up at various stations for coaches to take note of their performance level. She should feel intimidated. After all, she’s only in the third grade and she doesn’t know anyone here. And yet, she can’t stop a shiver of excitement as it goes down her spine as she watched an older girl take an approach to the net and slam down a volleyball at an angle that seems too sharp to be possible.

               “Why don’t you get your shoes on Peanut?” Her father asks as he nudges her forward. Her mother wasn’t here with them. She was taking Kristina’s younger sister to her first dance class. They had tried to put Kristina in dance too until she was kicked out from the studio for punching another girl in the face. “I’ll finish up the paperwork.”

               “Yes dad,” Kristina agrees as she quickly sets to taking off her bulky winter coat and sweatpants to show an old school t-shirt and new pair of volleyball spandex. She yanks off her snow boots and pulls the clean white knee pads they bought at Walmart the day before up to her knees and ties her new tennis shoes tight so she doesn’t accidentally trip while playing.

               Once she finishes getting ready, she heads to the court directed to her by one of the assistants. It’s a court filled with other girls roughly her age—maybe a year older since third grade was a little young. But after watching the volleyball matches during the summer Olympics she had begged and begged her parents all year to let her sign up until they finally relented so she wouldn’t complain about being a year early to the party.

               “Welcome to Limit Breakers Club Volleyball,” the coach greeted all of them after a few minutes. “I’ll be one of the coaches for the ten and under team. Now, why don’t we start with introducing ourselves.”  

               They all passed a volley-lite (a volleyball explained to her that was lighter and easier for younger kids to hit) around as they introduced their name, age, school, and a fun fact about themselves. When it was finally Kristina’s turn, she marveled at the leathery texture of the ball, how light it felt in her hands compared to the heavier ones she had picked up earlier out of curiosity.

               “My name is Kristina, I’m eight, I go to Brookfield elementary school, and a fun fact about me is I wanna be a volleyball Olympic athlete someday.” Kristina’s words got some snickers from a few of the older girls and even the coach let out a giggle. “What’s so funny?”

               There was silence around her then. It finally occurs to all of them that she was dead serious. “It’s nothing,” the coach said quickly to defuse the situation. “Just nice to see you have big ambitions. Who’s next?”

               They finished up and proceeded to work on basic forms. Kristina seemed to pick them all up fairly quickly even if they were a little rough around the edges. Then again, she had always been athletic—always the first picked in gym class. She was also always the last picked for partner assignments but she tried to not linger on that one too much.

               They were doing spiking practice now. She was tall for her age so she was able to jump to the top of the net though she didn’t quite have enough power to go higher than that though. Not that it mattered, they were having them practice follow-throughs by standing on boxes and hitting the ball down. Kristina couldn’t help but marvel at how tall she felt being able to see over the net like this.

               “Careful guys Krissy here is going to be on Olympian,” one of the slightly older girls mocked loudly. The coach didn’t hush the girl though. Kristina didn’t care about that either. What did piss her off though was the nickname. A variation of one the girl at dance had called her “Sissy Krissy” after Kristina had been scared by a barking chihuahua at the studio. She had dealt with it for months before taking matters into her own hands. And after that Kristina promised herself, she would take care of girls like these by her own means, and she meant it.

               The coach threw the ball up for Kristina and with perfect form she slammed the ball down right into the face of the girl who mocked her. The girls started crying almost instantly from the impact but Kristina could only roll her eyes. She wasn’t even bleeding.

               “Kristina!” The coach and her father had scolded her simultaneously. Kristina winced a little at the sound. She knew she messed up the second she heard them. Were they going to kick her out of the club like they had dance? But Kristina didn’t want to be kicked out. She wanted to learn to play.

               “Kris, say you're sorry,” Her father snapped with the coach nodding in agreement. Kristina really didn’t want to. Why should she have to say sorry when the other girl was mocking her first. She bit her lip, weighing the pros and cons such an action could have. She was about to relent when the sound of laugher caught all of their attention.

               “Ah you have a firecracker here mister,” an older lady said as she walked onto the court.

               “Coach Pierce!” Then ten and under coach exclaimed in worry. “I was just about to discipline her.”

               “Nonsense, accidents happen all the time in Volleyball, don’t they Kristina?” Coach Pierce asked Kristina with a wink. It took Kristina a minute but she understood what the coach was getting at.

               “Yeah, it was just an accident,” Kristina agreed with a nod of her head.

               “Besides if that girl was paying attention instead of running her mouth maybe she wouldn’t have gotten hit in the face,” Coach Pierce huffed and glared at the girl who quickly stopped crying—instead, looking down out of embarrassment. Both Kristina’s dad and the other coach relented. Kristina didn’t know why they had both backed down so quickly from this lady but she didn’t care. She liked this lady.

               The coach winked at Kristina once more with a smile, “I’ll be keeping an eye on you Firecracker. So, keep that ambition of you hot alright?”

               “I will Coach!” Kristina agreed with a big smile.

…

               Kristina woke up with a start. Fuck, how long had it been since she thought of that first day? Years probably. She laughed a little thinking back on it. How stupid lucky had she been to be scouted by the owner of the league itself? Man, she missed that ornery old lady. She wondered if anyone had told her that she was missing?

               With a shrug, Kristina got up and dressed and began gathering the others outside on the open field near the dorm. The others were more than a little sluggish as they made their way out in their gym clothes. Eva was particularly sour that morning but Kristina guessed that was to be expected. She was beyond vocal about her dislike of the whole situation but she would get over it. Or Grim would be happy to take her place.

               The Gus and Phineas had already set up boundary lines to form a court. Ezra was holding out a box for all of them, waiting patiently for them to approach. 

               “These came for you first thing this morning,” he explained. Curiously, Kristina poked her nose over to look at the box with Anne Marie and Judith right behind her. Sleek and black wanders were inside—though they looked more like prison batons than the thin twigs you saw in all the mainstream media. Carefully, she picked one up and felt the weight of it. It was heavy, but not so heavy she was going to tire easily holding it. They passed out the wands to everyone—each of them carefully looking them over and trying them out.

               “Right, for now, you don’t have to mind the rules too much,” Gus said as they all finished their marveling over their new toys. “For now, take turns just protecting the disc and trying to score a goal.”

               “Seems simple enough,” Kristina said as she turned on the wand and then attempted to lift the disc up. It took a moment the get it hover and it took a lot of concentration. Looking around she saw that the others all seemed to be having similar issues. Ok, maybe this was going to take a minute for all of them. Except for Grim who already had his disc hovering over his back like it was nothing.

               “Alright! I’m going to defeat all of you!” Grim cheered excitedly as he ran out on the field first. It was probably for the best anyway. The rest of them were going to take a minute to get used to how the hell these things worked.

               “But remember, everyone here will be trying to attack you with magic to steal the disc,” Ezra reminded with a laugh.

               “Alright, game start!” Phineas said and Grim instantly took off running.

               “I’ll shoot the disc straight to the goal!” Grim declaimed just as Gus appeared right in front of Grim startling him.

               “Boo!” Gus declared making Grim jump—the disc faltering slightly from where it was hovering.

               “Wh-what are you doing?” Grim cried out clearly startled by the motion.

               “Hihi! I’m trying to get in the way of the opponent’s attack, of course!” Gus said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.  

               “That’s not even magic!” Grim protested as he tried to get around but it proved to be more difficult than he realized and after another well-placed scare—Grim dropped the disc resulting in a dead play.

               “Trying to shoot the disc is hard!” Grim whined as he made his way off the field to let the others take a turn.

               “Don’t be like that,” Phineas tried to reassure. “You’re doing well for a first-timer.”

               Grim continued to grumble about how he was gifted and going to be a respected player as he came and sat on the side of the field to wait until it was his turn again. He crossed his paws across his chest like some kind of disgruntled toddler and made Kristina snort just a little. At least he didn’t seem ready to throw in the towel yet.

               “Alright, my turn,” Kristina said as she stepped up to the plate. She made it further than Grim and wasn’t startled by the sudden noises but the first time one of them cast a fire spell she fell flat on her ass thanks to the wet grass and resulted in the dead disc.

               Anne Marie went next and she did ok, but she lost concentration and dropped her disc, scaring not even necessary. Judith followed and did pretty good as she dodged out of the way of the spells with the flexibility only a dancer could manage but she still lost the disc. Kimberlee tripped over her own feet and fell on her face making Valentina flinch. Valentina got scared the same way Grim did and dropped the disc too. Eva pointedly dropped her disc after stepping foot on the grass and glaring at Kristina.

               “Brat,” Kristina grumbled to herself as she watched Eva storm off of the field.

               “My turn,” Fiona chirped as she took the disc easily. She seemed to be having an easier time with it than they were but when they started again all it took was the first blow of a spell for her to drop it due to lack of concentration. Kristina couldn’t stop the smirk that spread across her face at seeing Fiona fail.

               “Alright, let's get ready to go again,” Kristina said with a clap of her hands.

               “Oh, are you playing Magical Shift?” Everyone froze hearing that voice. They all turned to watch as Crowley approached their field with equal dread. Kristina could feel it even without looking at the others. Even if they couldn’t agree on a lot, they could all agree on their hated for that damned Crow.

               “Headmaster!” Grim said with a smile. Well, apparently for their monster roommate; he seemed more than happy with the headmaster at the moment.

               “It looks like you’re getting along well with the dorm ghosts, how magnificent!” Crowley agreed with a smile. Kristina couldn’t fight the sinking feeling that something was coming. This guy never acknowledged them unless he wanted something after all.

               “We’re not really friends yanno!” Grim protested. Apparently, he was still bitter about being scared into dropping the disc earlier.

               “What do you want Crowley?” Kristina snapped at the headmaster then. “As you can see we’re in the middle of practice.”

               “Yes, of course, I have come to ask a favor—if we could take this inside it would be most appreciated,” Crowley said not even bothering to wait for their response before heading to the dormitory.

               “So do we bother entertaining him or keep practicing?” Fiona asked with a sigh—blue eyes looking after where Crowley had disappeared inside of the dorm.

               “We have to, he holds out living situation hostage,” Anne Marie reminded them and Kristina huffed. She hated that Anne Marie was right. It was annoying as all get out but they really were dependent on him for most things. Even with the occasional anonymous supplies sent—he gave them their allowance and they needed it. She was starting to see the benefit of working like Judith was.

               They all headed inside to see the headmaster clicking his tongue at the living room. They had set up most of the furniture but the walls were still covered in cobwebs with the wallpaper was peeling. Still, he was judging their living conditions like he wasn’t directly responsible for it in the slightest.

               “What favor do you want? We’re not your errand runners anymore, yanno?” Grim asked with a sharp voice as he went running to perch himself on the back of one of the couches.

               “Oh? Have I not told you that I haven’t guaranteed your permanent necessities for living here yet?” Crowley said with a smile like he wasn’t threatening them. If Kristina had to guess he was talking about ids and official documents for residents. “Manual work is a very wonderful thing, isn’t it?”

               “W-we’re actually being threatened?” Kimberlee stammered out as if she couldn’t believe Crowley would stoop so low.

               “Told you he would,” Anne Marie sighed in defeat.

               “We really don’t have a choice in the matter,” Judith agreed.

               “Ahem. Then, let me start again,” Crowley stated as they all came into the room and positioned themselves around the headmaster to listen. “Actually, there has been an increasingly concerning amount of people being injured in accidents around the school. I want you all to please investigate this matter.”

               “People getting injured?” Grim asked concerned.

               “Have you met the kids at this school? You look at someone wrong and hands and magic start flying,” Valentina protested.

               “Not like that,” Crowley said as he shook his head. “Falling down from stairs, getting scalded by boiling water, etc… The reasons vary, but the fact that more people keep visiting the infirmary due to accidents still stands. There was another incident by the staircase yesterday. That makes him the tenth victim. Unfortunately, there were very few witnesses.”

               “Aren’t they just being clumsy?” Grim protested with crossed arms.

               “I don’t know,” Judith disagreed with a look of deep thought on her face. “Smells more like foul play to me. I’ve seen worse for less.”

               “Is the dance scene really that brutal?” Kristina asked with a concerned face.

               “I once saw a girl in a ballet dance category have glass put in her point shoes,” Judith deadpanned. “It’s really that brutal.”

               “Sure that wasn’t you putting the glass in the shoes, Ice Princess?” Kristina snorted. Judith shot a glare but didn’t say anything else.

               “Your world sound concerning,” Crowley said with a face looking like he had just finished eating a lemon. “But even so it’s as Ms. Wieck says if it’s true even with students getting restless the number of accidents compared to last year’s is too much. Even more, all the people that were injured were students who were the top candidates for the Magical Shift Tournament.”

               “Yeah, that definitely sounds on purpose,” Anne Marie agreed then. “Whoever it is, they aren’t being careful.”

               “Excellent deduction, Ms. Ryland. However, we have no evidence to suggest otherwise,” Crowley relented with a sigh. “All accidents happened with at least one witness. And all those who fall victim all say the same thing. None of the ones injured were acting differently before.”

               “Then, that means they were just being clumsy. Alright, solved~” Grim cheered, and then he looked around at the group of disapproving faces. “What?”

               “We live in a world of magic and that’s the first conclusion you think of?” Fiona sighed clearly disappointed in Grim’s intelligence.

               “You’re being hasty, aren’t you?” Crowley lectured making Grim pout further.

               “I mean, this doesn’t concern me! My minions and I have to continue practicing for the Magishift tournament or they will never be ready to compete at my skill level,” Grim fired back.

               “Did you miss the part where we get kicked out if we don’t?” Valentina sighed in defeat. “We’re involved whether we want to be or not.”

               “Ah, you truly are a bright one Ms. Corey,” Crowley compliment.

               “You spelled it out point-blank,” Valentina deadpanned in response.

               “Anyway, Mr. Harrison should be able to introduce you to the victim. I believe it was Aster Rosencrantz as the latest victim. I do hope you have this all figured out before the tournament.” Crowley said as he began making his way to the door before pausing to look back at them again. “And do be careful ladies, I don’t want to hear about any of you going to the infirmary.”

               And with that, he was gone leaving them all alone to process the new information.

               “How much you wanna bet he only asked us because we won’t be on anyone’s radar and we are easy to coerce?” Kristina asked and everyone sighed in agreement.

               “So much for afterschool practice too,” Valentina agreed. “I was thinking I was starting to get good at floating the disc.”

               “At least we can practice during gym now with these,” Kimberlee offered—clearly trying to find the bright side to the situation. Kristina was still feeling a bitter taste in her mouth though as she thought about how Crowley was so quick to extort them. Like dogs on a leash. The only one who seemed just as pissed was Judith, even if her face was calm her eyes were burning a hole in the door where Crowley had left.

               “Come on, we need to get ready for school,” Anne Marie sighed as she made her way back to her room. Kristina hated she was right. But it would seem they were now going to be playing Sherlock to figure out who was behind all of this.

               Great, more troublesome stuff she didn’t care about.

Chapter Text

The day had passed relatively quickly up until Gym class for Kristina. Then again, just about every day passed quickly for Kristina up until that point. She would do her best to listen to the lectures but she usually couldn’t keep up—forget taking notes when she couldn’t even read the board half of the time. So mostly she just passed the time by doodling in a notebook or flicking paper triangles at sleeping students in class. Her favorite target was Leona, mostly because he never woke up as a result of her actions. Her record for the number of paper triangles she had gotten stuck in his hair was twelve before Trein removed her from class for “immature behavior.” She didn’t blame him, but she did wish he would word it better.

               It was a joint class with class 3-D again. It had been about a week since the last time they had a joint class with them and Kristina wasn’t looking forward to it any more than she had the previous time. She could hear some whispers from other students near her as they all stood and waited for Vargas to tell them what they would be doing for class today. She hoped it was something she could use her want to practice.

               “Where’s Malleus?” Kristina heard a nearby student ask.

               “Did no one tell him today was a joint class?” Another student asked in turn. Geez, even she was starting to feel sorry for this guy with how often he got left out of stuff. It was just sad.

                 "Damned lizard has some nerve..." 

               “Alright class,” Vargas boomed as he called everyone to attention. “I know you are all excited to stretch out your muscles today, and in honor of our competitive spirit, we are going to be having some friendly Magishift matches during gym for the week.”

               There was a buzz of excitement through the group of students around her. Kristina would have to be lying if she said she also wasn’t pretty excited to give it a shot. It would be a great way for her to really get a hang of the rules and help coach the others. Maybe even get a feel for who she should look out for on the day of the tournament. The headmaster had mentioned they were going against Scarabia right? Kristina looked around and frowned as she didn’t see any Scarabia students that particularly stood out. Bummer.

               “Alright, we’ll break you all up into pairs to warm-up passing and then form groups of seven on seven for some mini-matches,” Vargas continued pulling Kristina back to attention. “Please try to keep it clean, I don’t want to be taking anyone to the infirmary. As for Kaiser, I’m sure you are more than capable of entertaining yourself in class at this point.”

               “Actually sir, Ramshackle is competing in the tournament,” Kristina butted in—feeling like all of the eyes around her turn to look at her. She didn’t shrink or duck her head though as she continued to look at Vargas. “Crowley delivered some wands this morning, getting a chance to practice would be nice.”

               Kristina could hear the whispers starting up almost immediately after she finished speaking. There were those who seemed concerned at the idea of a group of magicless girls competing. Others were snickering and clearly ready to watch them all fail. She ignored all of them. She would be lying if she said she didn’t have her own doubts as to how well they would do in the tournament. But damned if they weren’t going to at least put on a good show.

               “Alright then, it will be good to see you all stretching your muscles with the rest of the class,” Vargas agreed with a smile through the worry was still clear in his blue eyes. “Try to not throw the disc at their face Kaiser, they will send someone to the hospital if you do. As for a partner… Kingscholar!”

               Kristina could feel her eye give an involuntary twitch as she watched Leona step forward. A growl reverberating in his chest as his bright green eyes glared at the teacher.

               “What?” Leona snapped as he continued to glare at Vargas—like he was determined to make the man change his mind before he could ask. Unfortunately, Vargas seemed completely unphased by the Lion Beastman’s intimidation tactics.

               “Warm up with Kaiser, I trust you to not do anything cruel to her.” Leona let out a deep sigh after receiving the request—but he didn’t try to fight the order either. Instead, he turned his sight to Kristina. Kristina couldn’t help but laugh a little as he actually had to look up from talking to Vargas to meet her gaze. If Kristina had to guess, he only had an inch on her—hell Kimberlee might be taller than him.

               “Move it Herbivore,” Leona snapped as he stalked past her to claim a part of the field before muttering something about how troublesome the whole situation was for him.  Kristina remembered Anne Marie mentioning something about how Leona was a royal of some kind. She could definitely see it in the way he seemed to see himself above helping her out. Despite that, he was still going through with it. She couldn’t help but wonder why—especially since she knew for a fact Ethan Wieck would have just told the teacher to fuck off. Admittedly Ethan Wieck wasn’t a royal but he was as close to one as she would ever know.

               “Are you always this pleasant or am I just special?” Kristina huffed as she set herself up about twenty feet across from him and well away from other students.

               “I have been told I’m quite charming when I want to be,” Leona deadpanned before smirking. “Don’t tell me it just takes some name-calling to hurt your feelings, Krissy?”

               Kristina barely had time to register her own actions before she was moving. She had flicked the wand and sent the previously floored disc flying in the direction of Leona. His own magic pen was out then, topaz stone practically glowing in the afternoon sunlight, catching the disc with ease.

               ‘Not bad for someone who has never used magic before,” Leona complimented. “Though you are going to have to do better than that if you want to hit me with a disc.”

               “Need to work on my aim too apparently,” Kristina grumbled. “It went to your chest; I was aiming for your face.”

               Leona laughed, a deep and throaty chuckle as he flashed his white teeth in her direction. He seemed completely unbothered by her threat. If anything, it seemed like the most amusing proposition in the world to have her pissed off at him. She didn’t know what pissed her off more, the fact he wasn’t intimidated or the fact he looked hot smiling like that.

               “By all mean, come at me with everything you have,” Leona purred finally as he readied himself to fire the disc back. “It would be boring otherwise.”

               The disc came flying to her then, but not at an inhuman speed. It actually felt more like a standard frisbee lob than anything else. It gave her plenty of time to visualize catching the disc, so she didn’t embarrass herself by dropping it now where everyone could see. Even as they practiced with each other, she could feel them watching and judging her.

               “So, she can catch as well as throw,” Leona applauded watching as she hovered the disc in front of herself.

               “Boss, you keep playing with her like that and she just might take a swipe at you,” Hunter called from where he was about thirty feet away.

               “You mean like she took a swipe at you the other week?” Chui asked making Hunter flush with embarrassment.

               She had forgotten these two were in class 3-D.

               “Speaking of I was surprised to see you joined track and field instead of volleyball,” Chui continued to talk as he passed back and forth with Hunter. His ears twitching lazily as he performed the action like it was practically second nature. Then again, Kristina supposed magic like this was practically child’s play to them.

               “Yeah, you had the best show out of everyone,” Hunter agreed. “We were super disappointed to not see your name on the sheet.”

               “You can thank Crowley for that,” Kristina hissed out as she threw the disc at Leona again with probably more force than necessary. He returned it back with the same easy and controlled speed he had the time before. “Individual-based sports only. No cooperative team sports.”

               “Like you wouldn’t just beat their ass if anyone tried anything funny,” Chui snorted.

               “That’s what I said,” Leona agreed. Kristina blinked before remembering the meeting they had all crashed in order to join clubs in the first place. She supposed Leona did think the girls would be fine with cooperative sports, saying they could just beat anyone’s ass who got too friendly. “It was so annoying having to spend extra time at that meeting because Teach decided to play overprotective dad.”

               “You get the big room, you get to listen to the dusty old crow,” Hunter chimed in with a sing-song voice.

               “Now you just sound like Ruggie,” Leona huffed making the other two boys chuckle.

               “Well, if you ever want to practice with us sweet cheeks you are more than welcome,” Hunter said with a slight grunt as he jumped to catch a particularly high toss. “The team could learn a thing or two from you. Maybe even bring along that little blonde friend of yours.”

               Kristina felt herself glare at the mentioning of Fiona. The last thing she wanted was to spend more time with a ditz who couldn’t even be bothered to care about a sport she had been playing for years was taken away from her. She didn’t deserve to be on the court if she wasn’t going to want it.

               “You really want to pick a fight with the crow?” Chui chuckled at Hunter.

               “Since when have you been scared about fighting with the headmaster?” Hunter retorted with a smirk. “I distinctly remember someone matching into his office and snarling because he wanted to exclude the volleyball team from the special sports camp last year.”

               “Oh, I’m not, but I know how much you like to bend to authority,” Chui purred. Kristina couldn’t help but snicker at the obvious innuendo. Hunter was laughing nervously now, almost dropping his disc as he fought off embarrassment.

               “Not in front of the lady you two,” Leona sighed in irritation.

               “Who would have thought Leona Kingscholar would have a chivalrous bone in his body,” Hunter mocked. “But sweet cheeks seems to get some amusement out of it.”

               “I’m more surprised she lets you call her sweet cheeks without bashing your skull in,” Chui noted just as Vargas blew the whistle to let them know to group up into teams of seven.

               “What can I say, I’m a romantic at heart,” Kristina said in a voice that just made everyone know she didn’t mean it. Honestly, she had been called worse things so it wasn’t something that would get a rise out of her. Especially when it was clear that Hunter wasn’t really interested in her like that, not with the way his eyes dragged up Chui’s torso as the leopard beastman lifted his shirt to wipe away some of his sweat. Kristina did have to admit it was a nice view.

               “Hey boss, where are you going?” Hunter asked then making Kristina turn just in time to watch Leona walk away from the group.

               “Away from you loud-mouths,” Leona stated as he continued to walk away. “I need a nap.”

               “Charming,” Kristina said with an eyeroll. Seriously, how does a lazy ass like that end up being dorm leader? Though, she did have to admit he wasn’t a complete jerk. A complete jerk would have pounded her to dust without a second thought or blew her off entirely. It was obvious Leona was holding back with her, and yet he still made sure to keep at a level that would push her but not overwhelm her. Like he was actually trying to teach her something. It was oddly… nice.

               “Wanna be on our team?” Chui asked her then with a nice smile. “I doubt anyone will give us much trouble with that wicked arm of yours.”

               “Why not? Sounds like fun,” Kristina agreed turning away from where Leona had disappeared into the tree line near the open gym field. She followed after them, quickly joining a group with another set of Savanahclaw guys.

               It was hard to keep up, the real magic casting had started but thankfully they had put her on defense to allow her to observe the game best she could. She even managed to stop them from scoring a few times, even if she wasn’t able to cast out any spells—she was good at trash talking.

               Now if only their investigation could go as well as her gym class did.

…

               After school came pretty quick, and as Kristina looked at all of them, she couldn’t help but notice they were pretty worse for wear. Anne Marie and Judith had matching smudges of black all over their face following an outline over the bridges of their nose and across their cheeks. Kimberlee was sporting a visible limp while Valentina was holding her arm like she was babying it. Even Fiona seemed absolutely frazzled with a bandage over her cheek. Eva was the only one in one piece it seemed, though it could be argued her mood seemed worse than usual.

               “What the hell happened to all of you?” Kristina asked as she looked at them with varying degrees of concern.

               “Master Crewel found out about our wands and insisted we participate in alchemy class as regular students rather than doing chemistry experiments off to the side as usual,” Anne Marie began to explain. “It was a joint class so Jude and I ended up working together, unfortunately, it didn’t go well and we ended up making the whole class evacuate the lab.”

               “I’m pretty sure some jack ass put something in the pot while our backs were turned,” Judith grumbled—clearly still sore about it. “Even Crewel admitted that the reaction we got didn’t make any sense if we had just measured the ingredients wrong, and he checked we had all the right ones before we even started.”

               “Classes one A and one B had a joint class too,” Valentina explained. “Unfortunately, Kimberlee and I aren’t very good at throwing the disc and we ended up hitting each other a few times.”

               “The discs hurt,” Kimberlee whimpered in agreement.

               “And you?” Kristina asked Fiona when she looked at the younger blonde.

               “Kalim got too excited and accidentally hit me in the face with hit notebook and the metal rings keeping the papers together scratched me,” Fiona shrugged. “It startled me more than anything, but he won’t stop apologizing and promising to make it up to me.”

               “You’re all disasters,” Grim finally concluded as he hopped down from Kimberlee’s shoulder and moved to climb up Kristina’s own. Kristina didn’t even protest as she fought the sinking feeling that it was going to be a tougher challenge to get ready for the tournament than she previously thought. “Let’s get this over with and head into the infirmary. I heard all the injured people are in there.”

               “Right, let’s hurry up so we can get back to practicing—don’t you guys start whining. We really need to get a hang of this before the tournament or we really are going to get hurt.”

               “We’re coming in,” Grim announced as Kristina pushed open the door to the nurse’s office. It was pretty standard like the rest of the school. Brick walling and violet drapes over long windows. There were rows of beds with cloth dividers for privacy reasons and a large medicine cabinet near a water basin. Overall what you would expect for a rich school nurse's office. Nothing like the tiny fifty-square-foot office they had at Brookfield High.

               “Who’re you guys?” The student on the bed asked. They weren’t anything to note—thin and tall with a tan and brown eye. The most noticeable thing about him was the deep emerald hair on his head. Next to him was Whitley, his foot bouncing from nerves as he sat in a chair meant for visiting guests. His eyes lit up as he looked over to where they had all entered from the outside.

               “Oh, Kris, Val, Company,” Whitley chirped happily before turning back to the guy on the bed. “They’re from Ramshackle Dorm. Remember Aster, they were at the Unbirthday party and helped up fix up the dorm.”

               “Oh~ looks like we’re pretty famous, too!” Grim preened at Whitley’s praise of them.

               “I’m more surprised he didn’t know us for being the female students at the school but, whatever,” Eva grumbled behind Kristina. She fought off a snort at the comment.

               “What happened that you’re this beat up?” Kristina asked as she eyed the guy, Aster, again. His head was wrapped in bandages and his leg was propped up on a pillow also wrapped up in bandages.

               “I don’t really get what happened either,” Aster admitted then. “I was walking while talking to this guy… and before I knew it, I had fallen down the stairs.”

               “Yeah, it was weird, cause it didn’t seem like him just tripping or slipping,” Whitley agreed as he pondered everything.

               “It was like my body just floated and moved on its own… I can’t really explain it well…” Aster finally relented. He looked pained and confused.

               “Okay, I see,” Grim agreed his ears falling. Though if it was from disappointment or actual sympathy Kristina had no idea.

               “Try to get some rest, ok? Don’t push yourself too much,” Anne Maire soothed making the boy’s cheeks turn pink.

               “Did you girls need anything else?” Whitley asked curiously.

               “No, we just heard about the accident from the headmaster and he wanted us to check on you guys since he’s so gracious,” Judith remarked. Kristina didn’t know how Judith kept a straight face as she said the words. Kristina found herself almost losing it at the idea of the headmaster actually caring for his students.

               “We have to head out now, but thanks for telling us. Hope you feel better,” Valentina said with a smile as they all filed out of the room again with both Aster and Whitley saying their goodbyes as well.

               “Why didn’t we just tell them we were investigating possible foul play?” Kimberlee asked curiously. “It seems a little dishonest to tell them we were only visiting because of the headmaster.”

               “If we tell them the truth, and it turns out it is foul play, the perp might find out we are snooping around and that wouldn’t be good,” Anne Marie explained to her.

               “Ah,” Kimberlee said looking a little embarrassed that she hadn’t figured it out earlier.

               “Come on, let’s go check out the group,” Anne Marie said as she leads them down the halls to a classroom.

               “Wait we have a list?” Kristina asked confused. She hadn’t been told about anyone else other than Aster by the Headmaster.

               “Yeah, Crowley slipped me a list in between classes. He’s been keeping this all under wraps for a while it would seem.” Anne Marie explained as they finally made it to the classroom. Kristina couldn’t help but fight back a laugh when she saw who was inside.

               “Hey Jude, your boyfriend’s here,” Kristina teased and she watched as Judith bristled. Clearly already knowing who would be in there based on the accusation alone.

               “Don’t even joke about that,” Judith huffed as they finally walked in. Niklas was seated next to another student that Kristina didn’t recognize. He had inky black hair and grey-green eyes. He was cradling his hand that was bandaged while pouting.

               “Hey, you got injured the other day, right?” Grim said just a little too loudly—alerting both Niklas and the stranger to their presents. “Tell us what happened!”

               “Well, if it isn’t gorgeous and company,” Niklas purred and Kristina could even feel herself shiver at the way his eyes started to look her up and down in her school uniform. She wasn’t all done up today, not even wearing any make-up, and yet this guy was still looking at her like she was a piece of meat. Kristina almost felt sorry for her.

               “Still not my name,” Judith sighed though it was getting clear she was just about done trying to correct him. Kristina bet that if Judith would just punch him, he would back right off, but Judith wasn’t the kind for violence. She was more the kind for snide comments and whispers behind the back. At least, if Anne Marie was to be believed that is.

               “Senior Blumenthal, are you ok?” Kimberlee asked with clear concern in her voice.

               “You know him?” Kristina asked, clearly surprised.

               “Alin Blumenthal, he’s a second year in the Movie Appreciation club with us,” Valentina explained then.

               “Would be better if you lot of armatures weren’t taking up my space,” Alin huffed at them. While he seemed irritated with all of them—his glare at Judith seemed especially cold. Dang, Judith worked fast, she hadn’t even spoken to this guy directly and he already hated her guts. That takes talent.

               “Sorry about him,” Niklas apologized for Alin. “His feelings are hurt right now because he trained so hard for the Tournament but now, he can’t even participate.”

               “That bad?” Fiona asked curiously—but Alin’s face only seemed to heat up more as he jumped up to his feet.

               “How insensitive of all of you! You come here asking without even a shred of sympathy! I challenge you!” Kristina could only blink and feel herself squint at this guy. Talk about a drama king. He had started pulling off one of the black gloves on his hand before throwing it on the ground in between him and their group. “Pick up that glove and fight!”

               “Is he always like this?” Anne Marie asked Valentina and Kimberlee then.

               “More or less,” Valentina replied.

               “I can take him,” Grim said enthusiastically as he hopped down and blew a puff of fire in Alin’s direction. The raven-haired boy squeaked before falling back down into his chair. Clearly, he was not expecting them to actually fight him with magic.

               “You leave me no choice,” Alin relented as he folded under the pressure. Kristina scoffed, what a wimp picking a fight and then getting scared by Grim. Ace put up more of a fight on the regular. But she wasn’t going to argue with things getting wrapped up quickly. “I’ll tell you what happened.”

               “It happened in the Laboratory,” Niklas cut in clearly tired of playing whatever Alin’s game was already. “The cauldron he was using to prepare some potions suddenly slipped and burned his hand. Cause a complete uproar in the classroom too. Even messed up the desk with his notes on it.”

               “You didn’t have to tell them that Nikki,” Alin pouted as Niklas explained the situation.

               “I see, I see,” Grim mumbled as if he had any actual clue what was going on.

               “Thank you for your cooperation,” Judith said then. “I hope your hand gets better soon.”

               “It’s no trouble gorgeous,” Niklas said with a smile. Judith didn’t even protest him this time as they walked out the door.

               “Feel better Senior Blumenthal,” Kimberlee called before they finally closed the classroom door.

               “Let’s head back now,” Kristina said, and surprisingly none of them fought her on it. They were already drained when they started their little investigation but now with the hostility, they seemed to be getting was making it worse.

               “Crowley didn’t really have anyone else on the list anyway,” Anne Marie sighed. “Since they were the two most recent incidents.”

               “So much for him caring deeply,” Eva huffed and they all began marching back.

               “Yanno… For some reason, they all just sound like they’re clumsy,” Grim grumbled out as they finally came within sight to Ramshackle. “Maybe we’re overthinking the situation, yanno? Hm? Who’s that?”

               Kristina followed Grim’s gaze and saw Ace outside of their dorm. He was sitting on the porch edge as he played with his playing cards. Thankfully he wasn’t sporting a BDSM collar again so that means he wasn’t there because he had pissed off Riddle at the least. It was weird to see him without Deuce though, the two of them had become kind of a package deal since everything went down.”

               “Heya! I expected to find you guys practicing outside, where have you been?” Ace asked as he got to his feet upon seeing them approach.

               “Oh, it’s just you,” Grim sighed. “We’re busy right now, so I have no time to play with you.”

               “Grim, don’t be rude,” Valentina lectured but as usual Grim ignored her.

               “Busy? You guys not done with your homework or something?” Ace asked clearly confused.

               “Let’s head in and we’ll explain,” Anne Marie sighed as she opened the door to the dorm to let them all in. It wasn’t a long explanation about what the Crow had ordered of them. But Ace still listened intently, curious about what exactly they had all been doing.

               “Oh… investigating all those accidents, huh?” Ace finally repeated as he thought about everything Anne Marie had explained to him.

               “But while we were asking them questions, all I could think of was that they were being clumsy or they weren’t paying attention,” Grim whined—clearly still not convinced it wasn’t an accident. Kristina could rule out the possibility. After all, they didn’t really know these guys well enough to know if they were careful people or not. But they also couldn’t rule out foul play either.

               Just then the door to the dorm went flying open and Deuce came in—panic clear on his face as he looked all of them over.

               “Deuce?” Valentina asked—eyebrows knitting together in worry.

               “Ace, there’s a problem!” Deuce panted not even really acknowledging Valentina as he focused on Ace. The ginger seemed just as confused as the rest of them.

               “Huh? What’re you panicking about?” Ace asked then, still just as clueless as the rest of them.

               “Senior Clover fell down the stairs and was injured!” Deuce finally managed to get out as he braced himself forward on his knees to try and catch his breath.

               There were various sound sounds of shock then. All of them worried about Trey. Kristina hadn’t talked to Trey that much, though she did acknowledge he was pretty attractive in a bookworm sort of way. He also made kick-ass sweets, though Kristina wasn’t really much for sugary shit. Even so, she didn’t want to hear about him getting hurt.

               “Don’t tell me, even that lanky glasses Trey was hurt?” Grim exclaimed then in shock.

               “Lanky glasses?” Judith asked clearly confused at Grim’s choice of adjectives.

               “I have a hard time imagining Trey as the kind to be clumsy,” Kristina said then and there were several nods around her in agreement.

               “True… Senior Trey doesn’t give off that vibe…” Ace agreed with worry on his face. It seemed he really was taking into consideration their early conversation about the possible sabotage.

               “Let’s go ask him what happened!” Grim exclaimed and there were several nods in agreement.

               Kristina had a sinking feeling that they weren’t going to like what they found when they got to the Heartslabyul dorm.

Chapter Text

Kristina had never seen Trey’s room before. She didn’t know what she expected to see when she entered the Vice Prefect of Heartslabyul’s bedroom. But it definitely wasn’t this. The walls were lined in black and red striped wallpaper and in the corner was a large bed with a red canopy. His sheets and pillows were various shades of green with the club card suit on them. There was even a large clover rug on the floor. His desk was covered in books and there were a few hat stands with various fedoras on them. Who would have thought Trey would be one to take naming conventions so seriously.

               “Pardon the intrusion,” Ace announced their presence. It was then Kristina saw Trey’s figure on the bed. He was still in his school uniform and his leg was propped up on a mint-green pillow. There was also a large bag of ice over the bandaged ankle—likely to help with any swelling and pain.

               “Senior Clover, are you okay?” Deuce asked tentatively as he peeked over at Trey.

               “Hey, Glasses! We came to check on you!” Grim announced loudly as he ran forward to Trey’s bed—jumping up on the mattress without a care in the world.

               “Grim be careful,” Kimberlee cautioned—but it was too late. Trey only laughed at their concern though.

               “Oh, it’s the A-Deuce combi~ You even brought along the ladies and Grim~” Kristina swore she jumped ten feet in the air at the sound of Cater’s voice. She whipped her head around to see him on the other side of the room. The carrot-top had a completely different room set up that contrasted wildly with Trey’s own. Even if the bed frame was identical, his sheets were bright orange and there were throw pillows that almost looked like emojis spread out. His rug looked like someone decided to give the card suits personalities and his desk had a laptop on it with some headphones and a sweater over the back of the desk chair. It looked like he had walked over to check on something in his closet and that was why they had missed him when they entered the room.

               “Hello~ wait, what’s with the ‘A-Deuce’ thing, Senior Cater?” Ace greeted before backtracking at the nickname.

               “Eh? You both have “-ce” at the end of your names, so I just combined them,” Cater explained with a shrug in the most nonchalant manner Kristina had seen out of him.

               “That’s actually not bad, I’m definitely going to steal that,” Kristina mused causing Cater to smile.

               “Right? I thought it was pretty clever myself,” Cater preened at Kristina complimenting the nicknames.

               “Please call us by our complete names!” Deuce protested as he crossed his arms—exasperation on his face.

               “I think it’s cute, like a super-hero duo name,” Valentina complimented making Deuce go red.

               “Well… maybe it isn’t that bad…” Deuce relented a bit at Valentina’s compliment. Honestly, he was so whipped it was almost endearing.

               “More importantly,” Ace cut in—clearly not liking the more romantic tone his friends were taking. “What exactly happened to you, Senior Trey?”

               “Ah, I missed a step on the stairs,” Trey explained with a wave of his hand. “I tried to be cautious during the fall, but my right leg ended up getting the worse of it. I’ll have to be in crutches for a while.”

               “Yikes,” Kristina said without even thinking about it. She had sprained her ankle one summer when she was twelve and had to use crutches for a week. Absolutely hated it because all she was allowed to do was sit on the couch with her leg up and watch TV. Any other kid might have loved it, but all Kristina could think about was how much of her summer play-time she was missing out on.

               “Eh? Isn’t that kind of bad?” Deuce asked though the question felt more rhetorical than anything.

               “It looks like I won’t be able to participate in this year’s Magishift Tournament,” Trey admitted with a sigh of defeat. Kristina might have felt sorrier for him if he seemed really torn up by the revelation—but he seemed pretty indifferent to it. Like it was something he did out of obligation than something he actually enjoyed playing. Still, Kristina watched as Grim’s ears fell and he looked at Trey with pity.

               “I thought of letting it slide if it was just a small injury, but… here, have some canned tuna as a get-well present.” Grim pulled the can out of fuck only knows where and left it on the bed between him and Trey. His eyes were wide and glistening as he looked at Trey like he might cry a little for the vice perfect. Who knew the cat could have a soft spot sometimes.  “Get better soon, ‘kay, Glasses?”

               “Haha, thank you,” Trey laughed as he reached forward to pat Grim’s head. Grim happily accepted the affection---letting out a low purr as Trey continued to rub his head.

               “Geez, give me a break,” Cater sighed in defeat. “It’s already tough without our star player Trey, and now we’ve gotta redo the player selection.”

               “Oh? Player selection?” Ace and Deuce asked in unison.

               “I don’t know what’s worse the fact you two asked that in unison or the fact you are both painfully looking to fill the spot?” Anne Marie asked with a harsh glare at the two making them straighten up a little.

               “I think it’s sadder that Trey is their star player,” Kristina said then. “I mean, no offense, but you don’t exactly look like the athletic type.”

               “None taken, though I did play soccer a lot as a kid, so that’s probably why I ended up being one of the better players,” Trey lamented with a shrug.

               “Really, now? What are you all doing gathered in an injured person’s room?” The question came from behind Kristina and she turned her head just to watch Riddle pushed his way into the room. In his hand was another cold compress—likely to replace the one on Trey’s leg already.

               “Ah! It’s the irritable Riddle!” Grim squeaked out—fur bristling as he scurried back from where Trey was petting him and to the edge of the bed.

               “Irritable, you say? And here I thought you wanted to take me down,” Riddle snapped with a glare from his eyes. They looked like storm clouds brewing off in the distance with how irritated he seemed at Grim’s words.

               “Still salty about that video Kris posted I see,” Judith sighed from somewhere behind Kristina. Kristina smiled a little at that. It seemed she made the right call about posting that video after all. It was the gift that kept on giving.

               “Besides, I won’t get mad if you don’t break the rules,” Riddle said ignoring what she said. Kristina would have thought he just hadn’t heard Judith if it wasn’t for the fact his cheeks were flushed. His attention turned to Trey then. The storm clouds were gone, and instead, only concern remained. “Trey, how’s your condition? Is there something you want to drink or eat?”

               “You don’t have to be so worried,” Trey reassured with a smile. “I told you. I’m feeling okay.”

               “He just sprained his ankle, it isn’t like he’s sick,” Kristina muttered to herself but no one seemed to hear her. Well, except for Anne Marie who pointedly elbowed Kristina in her side.

               “But… you got injured because of me and…” Riddle was pouting hard—Kristina even swore she saw tears starting to prick at the corners of Riddle’s eyes. Man, he was super emotional for a seventeen-year-old guy.

               “What do you mean?” Ace cut in then, having caught Riddle’s words and realizing there was a story there even before the usual nosy members of their group could ask.

               “I had to go to a third-years’ classroom because I had business with them. But then…” Riddle trailed off then as if lost in thought.

               “Here,” Valentina said as she stepped forward—Ghost Camera in hand. When the hell had she grabbed that anyway? Kristina sure as hell hadn’t seen her grab it. Honestly, Kristina was surprised Valentina was willing to even touch it after everything that went down with the Overblot. “We can just watch with the camera and see how it all plays out. Maybe that way we can see something that was also missed.”

               “Good idea,” Anne Marie agreed then with a smile before turning to Riddle. “That is if you are willing.”

               “Of course, I don’t really know why you are all so interested in a little fall but I’ll cooperate.” Riddle nodded his head then and stood tall, ready for the photo. Valentina snapped the shot then. Just as it had with Ace the photo fell to the ground and started playing the memory.

Thankfully, there was no fainting like there had been when the Overblot photo took place. Instead, there was only the ghostly image of Riddle and Trey walking down the halls together as they approached a flight of stairs. Riddle was smiling up at Trey, laughing a little as if Trey had just finished telling one of his ridiculous jokes again. Trey was also smiling, seemingly content at having made Riddle happy. The whole thing reeked of the kind of intimacy that made you want to duck your head away out of embarrassment—like watching your parents be all lovey-dovey in the kitchen when they think they are alone.

“I’ll be a little late, but go on ahead and practice for the Magical Shift Tournament,” memory Riddle said then as he moved to take the flight of stairs going down.

“Got it,” memory Trey agreed—though he still wasn’t moving. Like he planned on waiting at the landing until Riddle had disappeared from view.

               “I’ll leave it to you, then. Wh-whoa!” It had happened so fast Kristina almost missed it. Riddle had slipped down the stairs but… it looked wrong. Almost unnatural in the way his leg moved to take the step. It didn’t seem at all like the way Riddle would naturally move to go down the stairs but she couldn’t be sure. It wasn’t like Kristina went out of her way to spend any length of time with Riddle. Judith could likely vouch for something like that though. Still, it was impressive to see the way Trey quickly reacted—practically throwing himself down the stairs as he grabbed Riddle and twisting around so that Riddle would land on him and he would take the brunt of the fall.

               The memory ended then and it was back to being just them. The photo now showing the image of Trey saving Riddle rather than a photo of Riddle just standing there. Magic really was a weird thing in this world.

               “As you saw, he covered for me when I fell down the stairs and he got injured himself…” Riddle said—holding on to one of his arms for security as he looked down at the photo.

               “I think you would have been able to break your fall, you know?” Trey asked a light blush dusted over his cheeks. Kristina noted this information and filed it away for later. There would be a time and place for teasing—this wasn’t it. “I covered for you on my own, so don’t worry about it.”

               “Still…” Riddle pouted a bit only to relax when Trey reached up to boop his nose—making the perfect laugh just a little at the childish action.

               “Kris, this is like…” Ace whispered to her from the side.

               “Yeah, that didn’t look natural at all,” Kristina whispered in agreement.

               “Come on, Riddle~ no need to be so gloomy!” Cater chirped as he threw an arm over Riddle’s shoulder in an attempt to cheer him up as well. Riddle seemed far less amused by Cater’s method though than he had Trey’s. “I feel bad about Trey’s injury, but we just have to do our best in his place.”

               “Y-yeah, you’re right,” Riddle agreed suddenly full of determination and earnestness.

               “Come on, let’s give the injured person a chance to rest. Disperse, disperse~” Cater said as he began shooing all of them out of his and Trey’s shared room.

               “We’re going, we’re going, no need to be so damned pushy,” Kristina huffed as Cater continued to push them all out of the room before closing the door and leading them down into the parlor. Kristina half expected him to shoo them right out of the dorm, but he stopped at the dorm lounge—an uncharacteristically serious look on his face.

               “So, Cater. There’s something you couldn’t say in front of Trey, isn’t there?” Riddle asked as he looked at the orange red-head. Kristina honestly forgot that Cater had become just as close a friend to Riddle as Trey was and how easily the younger could read him.

               “As expected, you’re quick on the uptake, Riddle,” Cater laughed nervously. As if he had been caught like a child with his hand in the cookie jar. He then turned to all of them with that same serious expression he had been wearing earlier. “You know something about why Trey got injured, don’t you ladies?”

               “We do actually, at least… we think we do,” Anne Marie said before launching into an explanation about everything. How Crowley was certain there was foul play with this year's Magishift tournament. How they were being blackmailed to help. How they had already visited Aster and Alin to get their stories on what happened.

               “I see… the headmaster asked that from you all, huh…” Riddle said, though his voice was level it was obvious he was trying to keep his temper in check. He clearly wasn’t a fan of the blackmail Crowley was using to get them to do exactly what he wanted—but he also seemed to acknowledge that Crowley was the headmaster and there wasn’t much they could do against him.

               “See? I knew that Grimy won’t be visiting without a reason,” Cater purred causing Grim to squeak a bit.

               “Actually, I thought that something was amiss, too,” Riddle agreed then—moving to rest his hand on his chin. “So I asked Cater to gather some information.”

               “And then we found out that the only targeted people are the top players like Riddle or Trey,” Cater finished as he pulled out his phone as if pulling up something to show them.

               “It is true that I hadn’t slipped nor had someone pushed me from behind that day,” Riddle said as he recounted his own feeling from the memory they saw. “However, … I don’t know how to explain it, but it felt like my body just moved around on its own.”

               “The other guys who got hurt said the same thing, too!” Grim was all excited now—strange considering how reluctant he had been to help in the first place. Kristina had mixed feelings. On one hand, she was glad she seemed to be right. Who didn’t like being right after all? But on the other hand, it was frustrating, because that meant they would have to spend more time figuring out what happened instead of practicing. And fuck did they all need the practice.

               “I think it would be a good idea to narrow our list down to the tournament players,” Riddle said as if he was still lost in thought—probably mentally making his own list.

               “We should probably also see out of everyone on that list that has already been injured what dorms they were from,” Judith added. “After all, whichever dorm is behind this isn’t going to injure their own players.”

               “Brilliant as always Judith,” Riddle complimented and Kristina fought off the urge to gag. The Ice Queen had a big enough ego thanks to her upbringing—she likely didn’t need the compliments here too. Mostly Kristina just hated that it really was a good idea. It wasn’t foolproof, because if whoever was behind this was really careful then they would sacrifice some of their own back row players to get rid of suspicion but something told Kristina they weren’t being that careful.

               “You mean to say that they’re injuring strong players so that they’ll have fewer rivals for the Magical Shift Tournament?” Ace asked as if to clarify what he was hearing.

               “Yeah, did you miss the memo?” Kristina asked before looking at Ace like he was stupid. “That’s kind of the point of sabotage.” He flipped her off in response.

               “Ace watch the vulgarity, just because Kristina chooses to play in the dirt doesn’t mean you need to join her,” Riddle lectured making Ace pout a little. Riddle then continued to explain why it was likely being sabotaged in the first place. “It’s a competition that will be viewed worldwide. The tournament is connected to a guaranteed way to secure one’s future, so it’s not unthinkable that people will use any means necessary to win.”

               “Hm… still, it’s very strange. It’s not like you were pushed by some kind of wind magic, right?” Cater asked still looking at his phone and typing some things out.

               “I didn’t feel any sort of impact at all,” Riddle clarified.

               “It seems like there were some who got injured during lessons, too. I wonder what’s going on…” Cater trailed off as he continued to look at his phone. Just what was he doing on there?

               “We just have to extract that statement from the culprit themselves. We will help you search for him,” Riddle confirmed as he puffed out his chest with confidence.

               “Oh? You’ll help us?” Grim asked as if shocked before his eyes narrowed in suspicion. “What are you scheming? Specially you, Cater!”

               “You are never going to let painting those roses go, are you?” Valentina sighed with a slight lilt in her voice as if she almost wanted to laugh.

               “Guess Cater didn’t bribe him with enough food,” Kristina joked back.

               “You sure have a bad rep of me, huh?” Cater asked as he smiled down awkwardly at Grim. Yeah, he definitely knew Grim was still upset from when he tricked them all into painting the roses red. From what Kristina had heard the whole thing was wild. She almost wished she had seen it herself, but it was whatever. “Our dormmate got hurt, so it’s natural to help, right?”

               “If that’s the case, we’ll lend a hand, too,” Ace volunteered with a smile that Kristina just knew was full of fake innocence.

               “We’ll be avenging Senior Clover,” Deuce agreed as he put a fist in his hand. Like he was ready to start a fight at the drop of a hat.

               “You guys seem weirdly motivated,” Riddle deadpanned as he looked at the two first years with obvious suspicion.

               “Ah, I get it!” Cater said as if something finally clicked to him. “You guys are aiming for the open player position, huh~”

               “Hehe,~ was it that obvious?” Ace laughed a little, though he didn’t seem in the least bit sorry. Kristina couldn’t blame him though, she herself knew that was how some of the players on her team got their starting spot after all. Either someone got hurt, got stupid and lost game time from parties where there was alcohol, or had poor grades and became ineligible. It was why Kristina was especially careful during season—she didn’t want to give up a single game due to some stupid reason like that. She tried to lead by example of never going to a party, Wieck family or otherwise, during season but… that didn’t necessarily stop her more wild teammates.  

               “N-no, I wasn’t thinking that!” Deuce protested quickly. Kristina saw the way his eyes flicked to Valentina as if worried he would give her the wrong impression if he took advantage of the situation. “We do want revenge.”

               “Good grief,” Riddle sighed as he looked between Ace and Deuce. “Well, I will take it into consideration if you manage to apprehend the culprit.”

               “Alright!” The two cheered in unison, only for Deuce to turn and give a sheepish look to Valentina. Valentina only giggled slightly before rolling her eyes. She clearly didn’t seem to care all that much. After all, it wasn’t like they were behind all of this. So, it was whatever. After all, ambition was attractive. At least in Kristina’s opinion, it was.

               “Getting back to the topic,” Riddle cut in before the two of them could get too rowdy with their premature celebration. “I think we need to take the initiative if we’re ever to catch the culprit.”

               “What do you have in mind, then?” Grim asked curiously—having moved to perch on Fiona’s shoulder.

               “For example, let’s try to guess who will be the next victim so we can secretly be their bodyguard,” Riddle suggested. “We’ll be able to secure the student’s safety should an accident occur. At the same time, we’ll be able to scope the vicinity for anyone suspicious.”

               “We certainly have enough people,” Fiona mumbled. “It could be possible to pull off.”

               “A student likely to be targeted? Like who?” Kristina asked as she thought about it. She could think of several good athletes off the top of her head from the track team and from gym class, but Magishift was a magic-based game just as much as it was based on athletics. She hadn’t the first clue about students’ magical abilities outside of her own classroom. Hell, she had nothing to compare it to in order to judge if someone was good or not.

               “You’re quick on the uptake, Kris~” Cater cooed making Kristina glare.

               “You make it sound like I’m stupid,” Kristina said in a low voice—trying to sound as threatening as possible.

               “It’s nothing like that, I promise,” Cater said quickly to defuse the situation. “Actually, we already have plenty of ideas as to who can be potential targets among the students~. I’ll share the info via group chat, so go check the group album out, ‘kay?”

               There were various notification sounds going off from everyone’s phone then as Cater shared his list with the rest of them. Kristina pulled her phone out of her back pocket and opened up Magicam to look at the list. It was pretty organized and detailed for being done on such short notice. It appeared to be organized by Dormitory followed by class.

               Riddle Rosehearts, Heartslabyul, 2-E
               Cater Diamond, Heartslabyul, 3-B
               Leona Kingscholar, Savanahclaw, 3-A
               Ruggie Bucchi, Savanahclaw, 2-B
               Jack Howl, Savanahclaw, 1-B
               Floyd Leech, Octavinelle, 2-D
               Jade Leech, Octavinelle, 2-E
               Gula Glitterencove, Octavinelle, 3-E
               Jamil Viper, Scarabia, 2-C
               Banjeet Chakrabarti, Scarabia, 3-E
               Rushil Dara, Scarabia, 3-C
               Vil Schoenheit, Pomefiore, 3-C
               Rook Hunt, Pomefiore, 3-A
               Epel Felmier, Pomefiore, 1-B
               Idia Shroud, Ignihyde, 3-B
               Pyrrhus Thalia, Ignihyde, 1-C
               Gregor Thalia, Ignihyde, 1-C
               Toile Weaver, Diasomnia, 2-E

               The list was long and Kristina doubted it was everyone but it was a really good start. Especially when you started clicking on names and it linked you to everyone’s individual Magicam profiles, making it easy to know who in question was being talked about. It was perfect. Though… Kristina did have a few questions.

               “Chui Burroughs and Hunter Winchester aren’t good with magic?” Kristina asked—noticing the two third-years lack of names on the list.

               “Chui and Hunter… Oh yeah,” Cater said finally knowing who exactly Kristina was talking about. “It isn’t that they aren’t good at magic, but not really the kind of magic that would be good for Magishift. The two of them haven’t even been bench players in the last two years. I just don’t think they care enough about the sport to even want to participate—and in Savanahclaw there is no shortage of students who would want a spot instead.”

               “Why is there only one Diasomnia student listed?” Judith asked then—still looking at her phone with her eyebrows knit together in confusion. “Aren’t they supposed to be the dorm to beat?”

               “Most of their dorm lineup could be targeted, but…. Toile is the only stand-out player not part of Malleus Draconia’s inner group. No matter who it is, I doubt they are dumb enough to target Malleus’ group directly. At least no this far out from the competition. They would hunt down whoever did it and flay them for sure if they acted on them before it was too late.” Kristina could feel herself chill at Cater’s words. Was Malleus really that scary?  She couldn’t believe someone that violent was at the school, and she herself was pretty violent if she said so herself. But with what Cater said… she didn’t want to test it.

               “Anne, are you ok?” Kimberlee asked making Kristina turn to look at their dorm leader. Anne Marie seemed lost in thought as if debating on something to say.

               “Hey… short stack… you there?” Kristina asked as she nudged Anne Marie—making her jump a little.

               “Yeah, I’ve just remembered something from the dorm leader meeting but… I don’t want to say anything until we have more evidence is all,” Anne Marie said.

               “That’s understandable, we wouldn’t want to arouse any suspicion that we are looking if the claim is wrong,” Riddle agreed. Despite this though, Anne Marie still seemed pretty worried.

               “Alright, shall we go check up on the potential targets?” Cater asked them pulling them all back to the matter at hand.

               “Lead the way,” Kristina said with an over-exaggerated bow to let Cater and Riddle pass. Cater had played into the gesture but Riddle only rolled his eyes as he passed.

               “Off we go!” Grim cheered then and they began to make their way out of Heartslabyul in order to investigate.

Chapter Text

“So… why are we all outside of an obnoxiously shiny castle right now?” Kristina couldn’t help but question everything about this school’s choices in dormitory design. Seriously? Was this harry potter? Why was everything a damned castle? Why can’t they be normal buildings like her dorm?

               “Vil takes pride in the dorm's upkeep,” was Cater’s only response to Kristina’s pointed question before he pushed open the golden apple gates and lead them past several apple trees and into the main building. Like Heartslabyul, they didn’t have to go far into the dorm before they reached the main lounge.

               Just like the outside, it was obnoxiously pretty. It almost reminded her of the fancier areas of the Wieck family home—though she only saw their house décor on accident as she and her boy toy (or two) stumbled their way through the house attempting to find an empty room to continue their fun more privately. The walls were white and a deep plum color with gold accents everywhere. There was a main throne-looking thing tucked into a small alcove with red drapes and a gold and turquoise peacock positioned behind it. Sitting on the two couches around a table were Rook Hunt and two boys she only vaguely recognized.  A blonde who looked hot but too high maintenance for her taste and a cute little thing with lavender hair that Kristina was almost positive was a crier; both of them facing Rook and neither looking all that happy.

               “First up, we’ve got the Pomefiore Dorm. After checking my info, I think we should pay the most attention to the third year, Rook Hunt,” Cater began to narrate to them. Kristina, Anne Marie, Valentina, and Kimberlee were leaning around one side of the doorframe while Cater, Riddle, Deuce, and Ace leaned around the other to observe the group of Pomefiore students. The other three girls all stood guard and watched the halls to warn them of anyone coming. “Golden bobbed hair and hat are his trademarks.”

               “Senior Rook is a very capable player who was vital to the competition in last year’s tournament,” Riddle whispered from where he was tucked under Ace. “But he is a little bit… strange, should I say?”

               “Strange is an understatement,” Kristina said in a low grumble. One time she came into class and Rook not only noticed she changed deodorant but was also to recite the exact scent name and brand. It had creeped her out so bad she skipped classes for the rest of the day. “He’s a fucking creep is what he is.”

               “Oh… is he the one sitting over there?” Deuce asked as he pointed to where Rook was sitting, hat on his head and dressed in his school uniform still.

               “They all look like they’re sparkling!” Ace whispered just a little too loudly making them all shush him as quietly as they could while keeping their firm intent across. Seriously, did he not realize how creepy and suspicious the group of them looked right now? They needed to be careful or tipping off the culprit would be the least of their worries.

               “Non, non, little Epel. Holding the teacup without your pinky sticking out is not elegant at all, dear,” Rook cooed at the lavender-haired boy. Reaching across the table and gently pulling at Epel’s hand so his pinky was extended. Kristina felt the urge to gag, it was like watching the Princess Diaries.

               “Ah, yes… I’m so sorry,” the boy, Epel, apologized. He spoke way too slowly and formally to feel natural to Kristina like he had to think about what he was saying before he said it. The blonde didn’t seem invested in their tea time though as he was looking with a worried expression at his phone.

               “I’m so concerned about what to do for our tournament makeup,” the blonde fretted as he continued to scroll on his phone. “Aren’t you curious about the new foundation from Felicite Cosmetics?”

               “Hahahaha! Oh, lovely Vil, our King of Poisons!” Rook praised as he looked at the promotional image Vil was showing him on his phone. “Your brilliance is not determined simply by the quality of cosmetics, is it?”

               “I know that dear. However, we have to be prepared if we aim to rank higher, don’t we?” Vil asked with concern—clearly upset the blonde wasn’t getting it. Kristina could only wonder if the pet names were romantic or just really close friends.

               “That initiative of yours, I like it! How truly marvelous!” Rook praised again making Vil smile this time.

               “Hm… he totally doesn’t look like he’d be strong thought,” Grim mumbled low enough so only they could all hear. “If I were the culprit, I wouldn’t target that dude.”

               “He’s stronger than he looks trust me,” Kristina fired back. “But I would also avoid him, just because he would likely be a pain to deal with. He’s got super sharp senses, so trying to sneak up on him would be too much of a hassle.”

               “That’s right, I forgot you’re in class 3-A too,” Valentina hummed as she looked up from where she was tucked under Kristina.

               “It’s not a fun time,” Kristina reassured as they all straightened up.

               “We should go check the others out~” Cater said then as they all began making their way out of the Pomefiore dorm. If they didn’t have to be quiet while sneaking out, Kristina would have teased Judith for the way she was looking over her shoulder—like a meerkat on high alert. Then again Niklas was a member of this dorm, so she supposed it was to be expected.

               Cater lead them away from the mirror chambers then and out to the main school courtyard. It was nice outside, a cool breeze helping to mute the last lingering bit of summer sun. Kristina did have to admit, the courtyard was pretty, though she had preferred the garden courtyard their school had better. The Night Raven College courtyard had a large apple tree and a wishing well near a bunch of gravel paths that lead to other parts of the building. The courtyard at their old school was near the cafeteria and filled with a variety of wildlife and benches, plus a small wooden bridge that crossed a koi pond. No one was allowed to eat outside unless it was for a special reason, but there were still large windows in the cafeteria making it easy to look out at the garden.

               Kristina yawned as she looked out the window, watching a few orange and white koi fish chase each other around the pond. She had finished her lunch quickly as usual and had long since put up her lunch tray. Now she just watched the fish with mild amusement as she did her best to tune out Ethan Wieck and his girlfriend, Destiny, going on and on about the party that would be taking place at Wieck manor after the homecoming dance finished. It was the party of the semester, everyone would be there, even her—despite her rule about no partying during season. It was the one acceptance she made because if she didn’t then they wouldn’t be willing to overlook all the other parties she missed during season.

               “So, Kris,” Destiny purred from where she was practically sitting in Ethan’s lap. None of the teachers would say anything though, not if they wanted to keep their jobs anyway. “Who are you taking to the dance this year?”

               Kristina hated this question. It was bad enough her parents always begged her to find a boyfriend and telling her she would be such a catch if she could stop being so aggressive, but she also had to deal with the prodding from her social circle. Because apparently going to the dance in a group was only an option if you still had someone to pair up with. Kristina could feel a bitterness rising in her throat because she knew the only reason Destiny was bothering to ask her was because one, she knew Kristina didn’t have a date yet, and two, because Judith had already snuck off to the library to hide for the rest of lunch.

               Lucky bitch.

               “Still deciding,” Kristina drawled in the laziest and casual way she could manage. She refused to give Destiny the satisfaction of thinking she gave a damn. At least more of a damn than she had to. “No one is really jumping out at me this year.”

               “So picky for someone who can find someone’s bed to hop into without fuss,” Destiny smirked. It was cute she thought she was actually good at this game.

               “Of course, good enough for bed doesn’t mean good enough to be seen in public with,” Kristina retorted without missing a beat. “Ethan can tell us all about that.”

               Destiny sputtered and huffed at Kristina’s words. Kristina revealed in the small power she had in this group. Mostly that Ethan found her entertaining enough to let her snap back at his girlfriend without so much more than an annoyed sigh. It was no secret that Destiny had been desperate to make a proper social debut in the Wieck’s high-class circles but she was always turned down. It was the majority of what their fights were about—her crying and asking if he really loved her and him assuring her that he was still working on his grandmother’s approval but he was sure she would get in soon.  

               “Ladies no fighting please,” Ethan sighed to the two of them. He then looked over the guys in his entourage before focusing on one of the specific guys—a linebacker for their school football team. “Tanner, you’re still looking for a date. Why don’t you take Kris?”

               It wasn’t a request. Even if it sounded like one, it was an order. The two of them were too slow to get a date and now Ethan was going to take matters into his own hands. They lost their privilege of choice.  That was fine with Kristina; she hadn’t been eyeing anyone specific anyway. It was all the same game with the guys in their school, just different flavors. Tanner, on the other hand, didn’t look too happy about the revelation.

               “But I was going to ask Fiona to—”

               “Who?” Ethan asked then, though the question was rhetorical. Ethan knew who Fiona was, and she was not an approved candidate for their group. Nor was Tanner high enough in their group to be allowed to attempt to invite someone in. Kristina was actually ok with that. She saw the perky blonde Sophomore enough at practice—she didn’t need to be seeing her at lunch either.

               “No one,” Tanner said in defeat as his whole form deflated. Poor guy really must have had his heart set on that airhead. Too bad so was about half of the school. Ditzy little things like her were always popular.

               “Then it’s settled. Tanner will take Kris to Homecoming and we will all take photos at the house before we head to the dance,” Ethan said bringing an end to the discussion. Kristina took that opportunity to look outside again, the fish still chasing each other. It was the same every day.

               And frankly, she couldn’t wait until she could be in the position to call the shots for a change.

               “Next up’s Octavinelle Dorm. The ones to pay attention to are those second-years, Jade and Floyd Leech,” Cater said pulling Kristina out of her memory. She was glad about it. At least here no one would be able to force her to go out with someone she didn’t like. It didn’t matter if she was popular here, she didn’t have a team to keep in line. Not that she was doing a good job at that anyway right now. “My info says that their strongest point is s their coordinated playing. I’ve heard that anyone who plays against them is always going to lose.”

               Kristina followed Cater’s gaze across the courtyard to where two guys were standing and talking to another group of Octavinelle students. It was like they were mirrors of each other, the same teal hair with a black streak, same narrow face, and while they weren’t the same height, they were close enough with both of them easily clearing six-foot. Their whole demeanors seemed different though, one of them seemed completely disheveled and almost stupid without how they were leaning on their obvious twin. The other seemed much more refined—almost like a butler or secretary would be.

               “They both have the same face,” Grim noted in shock making Kristina roll her eyes.

               “Yeah, that’s kind of what Identical twins tend to have,” Kristina pointed out as she shot Grim a glance from where he had now taken to perching on Fiona’s shoulder again.

               “Ah not that guy again,” Anne Marie squeaked out as she looked across the field looking more than a little nervous.

               “What’s wrong with them?” Judith asked curiously. “Jade can be a little off-putting but he’s usually polite enough in class.”

               “He actually uses your name?” Kristina chided making Judith glare at her.

               “Yes, he does actually,” Judith quipped before turning back to Anne Marie again.

               “No, I’m talking about the other one Floyd,” Anne Marie began to explain then. “Our first day here I saw him and Riddle get into a fight in the library.”

               “Wait really,” Kristina asked now invested in the conversation. “Riddle Rosehearts, Queen of rules, got into a fight at school?”

               Riddle didn’t look amused at Kristina’s wording but he didn’t deny it either.

               “I wouldn’t have called it a fight, so much as an argument,” Riddle sighed at the exaggeration of the story. “I also don’t remember you being there Anne Maire.”

               “I literally got in between the two of you after you said he didn’t deserve to be his brother’s brother and when he left you then yelled at me to mind my own business before also leaving,” Anne Marie said in the most monotone voice she could manage as she looked completely unamused at Riddle. He flushed then, suddenly recalling when that had happened.

               “You really do like hitting people about their brother’s, don’t you?” Judith laughed a little as if remembering something.

               “You compared me to your brother first! How else was I supposed to react?” Riddle defended before audible gasps could be heard throughout the group. The only ones really confused where the boys and Grim, everyone else looked as if Judith had committed the biggest atrocity to man. Kristina was almost certain her face mirrored everyone else’s.

               “No way Ice Queen, you really said that?” Kristina blanched as she looked at Riddle. Now that she thought about it… his behavior did sometimes mirror Ethan’s when he wasn’t getting what he wanted. Though it was so rare she hardly ever remembered it happening.

               “I wasn’t wrong,” was Judith’s only defense.

               “Now I really want to know just how bad you had insulted me,” Riddle huffed. It makes sense he wouldn’t have understood it but they did and their reaction had apparently been enough to clue him in on just how much she had insulted him.

               “I’ll tell you over tea next time,” Judith promised with a wave of her hand.

               “Can we please get back on topic,” Ace whined as he looked at all of them. “Those guys are so tall they make the other students around them look super tiny.”

               Ace was right, as much as Kristina hated to admit it. The quicker they got through their list the quicker they could get back to the dorm and practice. They couldn’t afford to be wasting time by poking fun at Riddle and Judith. Fuck only knows that if their opponents are all like these twins and Rook then they were going to be in for a world of hurt. They would be lucky to leave a match alive let alone win.

               “They look lanky, but those legs are probably no joke,” Grim noted as he eyed the twins again.

               “Should we keep an eye out for them, then?” Deuce asked as he looked to Cater and Rook for confirmation.

               “Hm… if I were the culprit, I would go after them last,” Riddle mused as his eyes locked onto the twins—moving into a more serious and analytical mindset rather than the teasing that had been previously taking place. “Those two are, well… I especially would not want to get too close to Floyd.”

               You know what they say about speaking of the devil. It was as if Riddle had summoned him—suddenly the more dopy twin looked up and locked onto their group. His smile spreading wider so that even at their distance Kristina could see the rows of serrated teeth. It wasn’t like he was the first person at this school she had seen with sharp teeth like that, hell a few of the guys in her class had teeth like that. But Floyd seemed to be the first one that looked like he would actually rip her throat out with them if given half a chance.

               “Ah~ It’s little Goldfish~!” Floyd cooed loudly as he came barreling over to all of them at a top speed.

               “He saw me!” Riddle said in a panic before ducking to hid himself partly behind Judith and Cater. As if the two of them would be able to shield him from the force of nature that was now heading their direction. Kristina swore he was going to crash into them but he didn’t. Instead, he stopped on a dime right in front of them—going up on his tip-toes to help himself stop. His smile was still wide as he ignored all of the rest of them—his heterochromatic eyes focusing on Riddle and Riddle alone.

               “Little Goldfish, what are you doing here? Playing hide-and-seek? That sounds like fun~” Floyd laughed as he looked to where Riddle was still trying to use Judith and Cater as human shields. Judith was glancing between Riddle and Floyd but not saying anything—Cater on the other hand looked like he didn’t know if he wanted to take out his phone and record what was about to happen or if he wanted to run away.

               “F-Floyd,” Riddle said his voice cracking before he cleared his throat and began talking again. “How many times have I told you not to call me by such weird nicknames.”

               “I mean, you’re small and red, so obviously you’re a goldfish~,” Floyd said happily—ignoring the way Riddle’s face was turning red from the comment.

               “He seems like a strange guy,” Grim said—unfortunately being stupid enough to open his mouth and garner Floyd’s attention.

               “Ah, it’s a talking cat! You look interesting~” Floyd said as he got uncomfortably close to Fiona in order to get a better look at Grim. “Hey, hey, can I hold and squish you?”

               Floyd moved to attempt to grab Grim off of Fiona’s shoulder’s only for Grim to take a swipe at Floyd’s hand. There didn’t seem to be any claws in the action but Grim still hit pretty hard even without his claws out. Kristina could hear Anne Marie audibly gasping in worry that Grim’s actions would anger Floyd—but he seemed as happy-go-lucky as ever.

               “Squish me? Stop it!” Grim cried out as he hit Floyd’s hand away for a second time. Poor Fiona was caught in between them and unable to move away since Kimberlee and Valentina were standing behind her.

               “Oh, my. What is everyone from Ramshackle doing gathered here with a group of Heartslabyul students?” Kristina whipped her head around at the sound of the purred words. She hadn’t even heard Jade approaching them, but he now stood back just a little from where his brother was still messing with Grim. An amused smile on his face as he looked over their group. “Are you perhaps observing the enemy for the coming Magical Shift Tournament?”

               “Um, we actually have a lot of reasons, so uh…” Cater tried to defend them but unfortunately, he seemed at a loss when being stared down by someone who had a good five inches on them at least.

               “We simply cannot let spies go, can we?” Jade reasoned in his same calm voice. Floyd had stopped messing with Grim now and moved to stand back with Jade—a smile bordering on sadistic playing on his own face. “Can we hear in detail the reasons why you were observing us?”

               They couldn’t do that. If they told the two of them, they were looking to see if they were going to be targets of sabotage then that could also tip off the culprit. Kristina felt her teeth grinding together in frustration. The only convincing lie they could pull together would be that Heartslabyul had agreed to let them have an inside on people since they weren’t from this world and had a disadvantage—but Kristina knew they wouldn’t care or be any less upset. All was fair in school athletics after all.

               “This guy looks so zen, but his eyes are not laughing at all…” Ace observed as he pointed out Jade’s cold stare.

               “We’re so sorry for the intrusion!” Cater said quickly than before all chaos broke loose. Cater had seemingly caused a light spell that temporarily blinded the twins—and unfortunately half of their group who didn’t close their eyes fast enough. Kristina herself could see balls of color dancing around her eyes as they tried to adjust again back to normal.

               “A little warning next time would be nice,” she growled as she felt someone grab her hand to lead her away.

               “Uwah, they’re chasing after us!” Deuce noted as he had gone past the twins with Valentina, Kimberlee, and Ace. Floyd happily chasing after them with an absolute deranged look on his face.

               “Hey, wait up~,” Floyd said as he happily continued to chase after all of them—like some kind of predator left smack in the middle of a group of prey.

               “As if we’d wait just because you said so!” Riddle panted as he continued to run away from where Floyd had directed his attention to him. “Everybody, retreat!”

               Kristina did not have to be told twice to run away. She had never been so glad for all the hours of cardio she insisted they logged in her life. Even as they retreated away from where Floyd and Jade were she could still hear them laughing at them.

               They all kept running until they reached the front of the school where the statues of the seven were. Kristina found herself leaning against the one labeled “King of Beasts” as she began to catch her breath. When you were running for your life, you tend to forget about breathing techniques for maintaining stamina.

               “Kris, I have never, been so glad, for those stupid morning runs, in my life,” Valentina puffed out from where she was leaning against the statue of the Queen of Hearts—hunched over like she just might be sick. Deuce was next to her—hand on her back as if ready to help steady her or hold her hair back if she got sick.

               “Told you it would come in handy,” Kristina managed to wheeze out all in one breath before she went back to try and control her breathing. Her hands moving to her head to attempt to open up her lungs more and allow air in better.

               “That was scary….” Grim wheezed out from where he now laid sprawled out on the ground. “What’s up with those guys?”

               “Don’t ask me,” Riddle panted out as well—having also let himself fall unceremoniously to the ground to catch his breath. “Those two have always been so difficult to grasp that I can’t really understand them.”

               “Those two seem like they’ll target you for revenge if you hurt them,” Cater noted as he pulled out his phone to click a few things. Likely making them off the list.

               “I probably wouldn’t go after them,” Ace noted.

               “That would be suicide if you did,” Kimberlee said in a panic. “Did you see the two of them? They were chasing us and smiling like they wanted to rip us apart!”

               “Breath, Kim,” Judith reminded the taller girl as she rubbed her back to try and calm her. Kimberlee still seemed to have tears streaming down her face in panic from what had just happened.

               “Fuck this, fuck Crowley, fuck Magishift, I’m going back to the dorm,” Eva declared then as she began stomping her way in the direction of their dorm. No one attempted to stop her. Even Kristina couldn’t blame her for reacting that way. Even she was shuttering at the thought of what they would have done if they had managed to catch any of them.

               “Should we go after her?’ Riddle asked in concern but they all shook their heads.

               “She just needs to cool off, she should be fine after she sleeps,” Kristina reasoned, and while Riddle didn’t look like he completely believed that—he did let it go.

               “Alright, the sun’s setting so the next one’s our last observation for real,” Cater said then as he clicked on a name on his list again. “It’s Savanahclaw’s Jack Howl. He’s a first year. He’s pretty athletic and there’s a rumor he got a flurry of invitations from various athletic clubs.”

               “He’s on the track team with Deuce and I, if I remember right,” Kristina stated then. “White wolf ears and tail right?” Cater nodded in confirmation.

               “I think he’s also in my homeroom,” Kimberlee said having finally got her breathing under control.

               “He might be back in the dorm around this time,” Deuce said as he thought about it. Kristina did admit that it seemed right. Jack always seemed to be one of the first to head back after they had finished practice. Not that she really knew what he was doing, he never talked to anyone.

               “Oh, it’s already five PM. According to Rule #346 of the Queen of Hearts, ‘One must not stay and play croquet in the gardens past five PM,” Riddle said having peaked at his own phone to look at the time. “I’ll return to the dorm for now. If I take my eyes off them, there will surely be people breaking the rules.”

               “I thought you’d gone soft, but you’re still the same as always, yanno?” Grim teased having moved to sit near Valentina.

               “I-I think I’m being a little bit lenient on the rules lately, though…” Riddle pouted with his cheeks turning a little pink in embarrassment.

               “Yup, yup~ He’s been nicer lately~ But his seriousness is one of his charm points too~” Cater reassured. Moving to ruffle Riddle’s hair a little only for the perfect to smack his hand away. “Alright, then. Good luck back there, Riddle.”

               “Tell Trey we said hi again,” Kimberlee called after him. Riddle smiled and waved to all of them before running ahead to get back to the dorm as quickly as possible.

               “Who wants to bet no one is playing croquet and he just wants to get back to Trey,” Kristina asked then.

               “No way am I taking that bet,” Judith piped up.

               “Seriously, he’s too easy,” Anne Marie giggled.

               “I don’t know, Croquet is pretty popular in our dorm,” Ace added skeptically. “But forget him, let’s head to Savanahclaw’s dorm.”

               “Yeah, we should get this over with,” Kristina agreed. “We still need to do our afterschool practice.”

               There was a groan from the rest of the girls that Kristina ignored. She was right and they knew it, they just didn’t want to admit it.

               And with that, they headed in the direction Riddle had moments ago. To the mirror chamber.

Chapter Text

The scent of dry air and earthy sand filled Kristina’s nose as soon as they stepped foot through the mirror that led to the Savanahclaw dorm. It was nothing like the polished and posh Heartslabyul and Pomefiore dorms. Not this dorm had large boulders and bones surrounding the main building which looked like it was cut out of a damned cliffside. It truly did feel like she had stepped into the savannah.

               “Whoa… so this is the Savanahclaw dorm?” Deuce asked in awe as he looked around the building.

               “Their dorm looks like it’s made from really scraggy rocks!” Grim noted from where he was on Fiona’s shoulder. “Hey, what do you think those bones are from?”

               “If I had to guess it’s a variety such as antelope and elephants,” Fiona replied—surprisingly undisturbed by the animal bones. Kristina would have thought for sure she would flip out much in the similar way Kimberlee was now clinging onto Valentina as she looked around nervously.

               “E-elephants!” Grim exclaimed as if he couldn’t believe the idea.

               “Don’t worry Grim I’m sure they will add you to the exterior decorations too if you mouth off too much,” Kristina said—laughing when Grim’s eyes blew up to the size of saucers at her.

               “Don’t pick on him Kris,” Anne Maire sighed though it sounded completely forced by this point.

               “He’s probably too small to bother with anyway,” Judith added only to be followed by a sharp cry as Anne Marie likely elbowed her.

               “The atmosphere’s completely different from ours,” Ace said as he continued to look around at the sparse landscape.

               “Ain’t it? It feels completely rough, doesn’t it? I guess it’s got a wild image, in general, ~” Cater said as he began snapping photos of everyone with his phone. Likely to keep a memory of all their reactions to the dorm.

               “I wouldn’t say wild, just different,” Kristina said with a shrug—timing it perfectly to flip off the camera as Cater took her photo.

               “Every time, how the hell do you do that?” Cater protested making Kristina smirk.

               “Older sister trade secret,” Kristina snickered.

               “So… Jack, was it? What kinda guy is he?” Ace asked then.

               “He’s pretty quiet in class. But he answers all the questions perfectly without a problem. He’s always the last to pair up for group projects and if there is an option to work by himself, he takes it,” Kimberlee explained.

               “I meant what does he look like,” Ace fired back. She flushed—muttering something about how he should have asked that then.

               “Besides his trademark wolf ears and fluffy tail—he also has dark skin and silver hair,” Cater explained then since Kimberlee was still too embarrassed to speak again.

               “A fluffy tail? Ah, maybe that guy?” Grim said as he pointed with his paw to where a boy Kristina instantly recognized as Jack Howl was jogging. “The one jogging by himself over there.”

               “Bingo! Good eye, Grimmy! Right on the mark. That’s him, alright~” Cater confirmed just a little too enthusiastically. Maybe he was in more of a rush to finish with this all than Kristina originally thought.

               “Grimmy?” Valentina asked in clear confusion at Cater’s nickname for Grim. Honestly, Kristina was pretty sure fear was the only thing keeping Cater from giving them all cutesy nicknames like that.

               “Forget that look at that guy!” Ace exclaimed with wide eyes. “First the tall twins, and now we’ve got another dude who’s so macho!?”

               “Feeling inadequate?” Kristina teased making Ace let out a noise of frustration.

               “Fuck you, Kris.”

               “You wish Gingersnap.”

               “Play nice you two,” Anne Marie warned them.

               “But yeah,” Cater cut in to get them all back on track. “That’s the reason he was scouted by so many sports clubs.”

               “I can’t believe he went for Track,” Deuce said finally speaking up. “Someone with his build could have done well with any martial art.”

               “He looks kinda scary…” Fiona said weakly making Kristina feel the urge to simultaneously gag and roll her eyes.

               “Awe are you nervous, Fiona? It’s gonna be okay, just relax~” Cater reassured. Now Kristina really felt like gagging. Seriously, what the hell was it about Fiona that made people fawn over her like that? Was it the helpless girl thing? Was that it? “I’ll protect you if he suddenly bares his fangs at us~”

               “I would sooner trust her to protect you than the other way around,” Kristina said with a click of her tongue.

               “Harsh!” Cater protested.

               “Hey, you!” Grim yelled then catching everyone off guard and making Fiona wince from the loud sound so close to her ears. Jack’s ears twitched and he looked over, clearly still unsure if they were calling out to him or not. “Spiky-head!”

               “Hah?” Jack said his ears flattening a little—as if he couldn’t believe some monster cat just called him spiky-head. Well, Grim wasn’t really wrong. Jack’s hair was pretty spiky-looking.

               “Yeah, you Balto, over here!” Kristina affirmed watching as Jack blinked a few times before hesitantly making his way over to them.

                “I’m surprised he responded, not like he’s going to understand a dog sledding reference from our world,” Anne Marie commented just in time for Jack to finish jogging in their direction.

               “You might get targeted by some bad buys, so we’re here to protect ya!” Grim exclaimed then making everyone’s eyes go wide. Wasn’t the whole reason they went running from the leech twins because they DIDN’T want people knowing what they were doing? And now Grim was blowing the lid off the whole thing. “That makes you happy, doesn’t it?”

               “Grim!” Several of the girls scolded in unison but he didn’t pay them any mind. In fact, Jack didn’t pay them any mind either. Instead, he looked at them with disinterest and annoyance more than anything.

               “Who the hell are you?” Jack finally asked them all. A valid question, though Kristina really didn’t feel like answering with the tone he was supplying. “Don’t get in the way.”

               “Ah,” Ace said as he took a step back when Jack took one forward. Kristina had never bothered to take into consideration how tall Jack was before. He had at least five inches on her and was built pretty solid. If he felt like getting in a scrap with them, she wasn’t sure they would walk away unscathed.

               “There’s definitely a big problem with your communication skills, Grimmy!” Cater said then as he lunged forward to cover Grim’s mouth. There was the sound of Grim’s muffled noises then but no one paid any mind to Grim when it still looked like Jack might beat the shit out of them. “Sorry about that~ Can you listen to what we have to say for a bit?”

               “Who the hell are you guys? You’re saying you’re going to protect me?” Ok, Jack did have a fair point in his smug reaction as he looked over each and every one of them. He was taller, more built, and overall seemed stronger than everyone else in their group. What the fuck were they going to do that Jack couldn’t already do by himself.  Still, the way he said it made Kristina want to bare her teeth and snap right back at him. She never was fond of people looking down on her.

               “Actually, there’s a lot of accidents at school involving the Magical Shift players,” Deuce quickly explained—talking fast as if he didn’t then he would get his lights knocked out.

               “And we’re searching for the bad guy behind it,” Ace added in just as quickly—likely being fueled by the same fear.

               “So much for keeping it a secret,” Judith muttered behind them. She sounded so unimpressed Kristina almost wanted to laugh.

               “And what’s that got to do with me?” Jack asked then as he looked the Heartslabyul boys over since they seemed more likely to talk. Kristina took some pride in the fact that even mousy, beanpole Kimberlee was keeping her lips sealed tight.

               “To put it simply, we’re looking at potential targets in hopes of finding the culprit,” Cater added in—clearly giving up on the idea of keeping things a secret. “How ‘bout it? Will you cooperate with us for a bit?”

               Despite Cater’s cheery and friendly demeanor, Jack seemed completely unreceptive. He just blinked his golden eyes slowly as he looked at Cater, completely unimpressed. His ears were flicking in mild annoyance and his tail was completely still as he looked all of them over, again and again, like he was looking for some kind of prank or trick that was there.

               “I refuse,” Jack finally stated then. Not really a surprise to Kristina but still irrigated her at how much of a waste of time this all felt like. “I can do something about it on my own. I don’t need your protection.”

               “I feel like there is irony in this whole lone wolf act,” Kristina sighed. “Aren’t wolves supposed to be pack animal-Ow! Valentina was that necessary.”

               “…I said I don’t need it. Plus…” Jack reiterated as he was clearly unbothered by Kristina and Valentina’s interactions. “I probably…won’t even be targeted.”

               “Why is that?” Anne Marie asked quickly, perking up at what Jack had said. He didn’t respond though, instead, turning and jogging away with the same cold demeanor he had when he first approached them.

               Dick.

               “Ah, he left…” Cater pouted as he began clicking on his phone—likely to cross Jack off the list.

               “He seems blunt and gives me bad vibes, yanno?” Grim asked then.

               “More like he’s a total Ice King to Jude’s Ice Queen,” Kristina said before smirking. “Hey Jude, I found you a boyfriend.”

               “Please stop taking an interest in my love life, you suck at picking,” Judith said with a deep sigh.

               “Anyone’ll get annoyed with the way you two talk to them,” Ace chided.

               “Ugh! You are so nitpicky about so many things!” Grim huffed making Kristina snort.

               “Hey what do we have here?” Kristina recognized the voice almost instantly. Looking up she saw Hunter coming out of the dorm’s entrance with Chui close behind. There were a few other members of Savanahclaw as well, mostly with animal features but one or two humans mixed in as well for good measure. They were all dressed in their dorm uniform, unlike Jack who had been in his gym clothes.

               Kristina hated how hot the dorm uniform was for them. Yellow shirts with tribal patterning and a deep v-cut, jeans with leather chaps and boots, as well as a sleeveless biker jacket on top of it all. The whole outfit had just the right amount of bite to it that she had always found attractive. Usually, it was the kind of clothing on guys who wouldn’t crumble under her like wet paper, unfortunately, it also usually belonged to the kinds of guys who wanted to put her under their thumb just to say they could.

               She usually responded to that kind of behavior with a night of tangled sheets and no number left on the bedside table in the morning.

               “It looks like we have a flock of doves and some stray playing cards,” Chui purred as the group sauntered closer to all of them. Their eyes practically glowing as they eyed all of them.

               “Now, what is that Spoiled Red Brat doing leaving his toys laying about?” Hunter asked then as he looked to Chui with mischief in his eyes.

               “I don’t know, how about we send that back broken so he learns better,” Chui said then before looking to the girls. “You little doves better fly away now—this is a dorm territory dispute. Would hate to see your lovely faces caught in the crossfires.”

               “This pattern is…” Deuce said then but it was too late by the time Kristina noticed it as well. They were circled up and surrounded by the various flunkies while Chui and Hunter stood front and center of all of it.

               “Now, I know you aren’t implying we aren’t just as much part of dorm life as the rest of you,” Kristina fired back with venom dripping in her voice.

               “Kris, we should go,” Judith said as she tried to pull Kristina away from the fight but she just shook her off.

               “No way, I’m not backing down from these assholes after then just insulted us,” Kristina snarled. There was nothing more she hated than being looked down on in a fight just because she was a girl.

               “That’s the spirit sweet cheeks,” Hunter laughed while Chui rolled his eyes. The two of them seemed so much different than they had in gym or even on the court. Like the only thing that mattered in this dorm was the thrill of the hunt. And unfortunately for them, they were all the prey.

               “Awe if you wanted me to fix that crooked nose of your Hunter all you had to do was ask,” Kristina cooed in response despite the hissed protest from the rest of her group for her to shut up. She cracked her knuckles then as she kept her eyes on Hunter and Chui—refusing to break eye contact. “I would have been more than happy to oblige.”

               “My nose isn’t crooked,” Hunter mumbled to himself as he lifted a hand to feel the bridge of his nose. As if to check to see that Kristina’s taunt was indeed just that.

               “No one can say we didn’t try to let you girls off easy,” Chui sighed then with a flick of his tail. “So how about we play a hunting game! ‘Course, you guys will be the prey!”

               There were numerous hoots and hollers. Several dorm members also raising their fists and preparing for an all-out brawl to break out. Deuce was doing his best to push Kimberlee and Val behind him while Judith and Anne Marie seemed to dig in their heels. Kristina could feel her skin prick from the electric energy in the air. Some rational part of her brain was scolding her for picking a fight when she didn’t have to but the rest of her was too excited to let off some steam. She was annoyed and she needed to hit something. First Crowley, then this stupid Magishift Tournament scandal, and now Jack Howl and Savanahclaw picking a fight with her. She wanted to knock someone’s teeth in and right now, Hunter looked like a prime candidate.

               “Stop it,” a voice boomed over the group and immediately everyone stopped. Kristina turned around behind her to see the mirror exit. Standing in front of it was Leona and the scruffy hyena boy that she kept running into. They were both still dressed in their school uniforms and had apparently just made it back to the dorm for the night.

               “Perfect Leona!” One of the dorm members said looking at him with nothing but awe.

               “These guys were trespassing on our turf,” another one added in with the same amount of reverence.

               “Let’s make them pay for it!” That one had a sadistic laugh to them that irritated Kristina more. Though it was strange. In Heartslabyul, almost all the students feared or respected Riddle, even after his Overblot. But it wasn’t the same here. Everyone seemed to be looking up to Leona like he was their king. It was a raw and unadulterated kind of power he had over them all that Kristina hadn’t expected to see. Even Hunter and Chui seemed to be backing down from the fight at Leona’s words.

               “Oh? You’re the group I saw at the cafeteria,” the hyena boy said then as he eyed the group of them over.

               “Ah, you, deluxe minced cutlet sandwich!” Grim exclaimed then and Kristina couldn’t help but snicker a little at the memory.

               “Geez, are you ever going to let that go?” Kristina chuckled but Grim ignored her.

               “I feel like I’m missing something here,” Judith grumbled. Kristina had forgotten that Judith wasn’t with them that day in the cafeteria. She had been working instead.

               “Hey, don’t make my name sound delicious,” the hyena boy smirked as if to continued to taunt Grim. “I’ve got a manly name, y’know? It’s Ruggie Bucchi.”

               “Ah, now that I look at you closely. You’re the herbivore that stepped on my tail in the greenhouse the other day,” Leona said lazily as he glared at Valentina making her shrink away a bit at his gaze.

               “Pfft, you were the one that stepped on Boss’s tail?” Hunter said his voice still having laughter in it even if it was obvious, he was trying to hide it. There was the sound then of him being smacked, making Hunter cough. “I mean, that’s unforgivable.”

               “I already said I was sorry,” Valentina whimpered a little bit. Kristina didn’t have to look to guess that Deuce was starting to get real protective of her if anyone was moving in closer to where she was tucked safely in the middle of their group.

               “We don’t need you to apologize here,” Chui said in a cold and even voice.

               “Ah, I see,” Ruggie hummed. “I thought I’d seen you before… so that was her huh.”

               “Mr. Leona, Mr. Ruggie, let’s knock ‘em out!” An overzealous student said way too happily.

               “Stop yapping, you idiots,” Leona barked and the mob fell silent again. “We’ll be disqualified from playing in the tournament if you get in a fight. Do you want that to happen?”

               No one challenged Leona’s words. No one dared contradict him. And Kristina couldn’t be more pissed about it.

               “What? Scared you’re going to lose a fight to a bunch of playing cards and doves?” Kristina fired at him without so much as a thought. His eyes were on hers in an instant. The slit of his pupil constricted to a fine line like that of a cat as they bored into her. She didn’t look away. Didn’t even blink as he continued to glare at her who dared to challenge him so openly.  Kristina didn’t know how long they glared at each other like that. Reading and studying each other, seeing who would bend first.

               “Are they going to fight or fuck?” Judith finally asked breaking the silence and coughing Kristina to whip her head around to glare at her. Pissed because she could feel Leona smirking at the victory, he thought he earned.

               “I’m going to kill you later,” Kristina promised quietly enough so only the group could hear her.

               “You would be doing me a favor,” Judith replied without missing a single beat.

               “No one said anything like that,” Leona said finally as he pulled Kristina’s attention back to him. The smug expression was still there that she wanted nothing more than to punch off his face. “Let’s treat them to some Magical Shift then.”

               “Magishift?” Kimberlee asked nervously.

               “Using magic all we want during a practice match isn’t against the rules,” Leona rationalized. “Besides I’m curious to see what our school’s magicless dorm is capable of.”

               Leona wasn’t even paying attention to Cater, Ace, or Deuce anymore. His attention was on the Ramshackle dorm and them alone. Kristina felt a shiver go down her spine at that. Unsure if that was a good thing or not. But she did know one thing. Leona was taking her seriously. Even if he was being a dick about it.

               “Shishishishi~ You’re such a bully Leona,” Ruggie laughed then as he held a hand to his face to hide his mouth as he did. “These wimps won’t last one game, y’know?”

               “We won’t back down after hearing that, yanno!” Grim bristled jumping from Fiona’s shoulder to perch on Kristina’s since she was the closest to Leona and Ruggie.

               “I don’t think they are going to let us go if the girls refuse,” Deuce sighed as he looked to see the circle wasn’t letting up any just because Leona had stopped the hunt.

               “We’ll be cheering you girls on!” Ace said happily—clearly glad he wasn’t going to be the one that had to fight.

               “Are you girls for real? Do you even have your wands?” Cater said sounding in a clear panic. “Riddle is going to kill me if anything happens to the group of you.”

               “We’ll be fine, nothing some bandages won’t fix anyway,” Kristina said as she waved off Cater’s concern.

               “Speak for yourself,” Anne Marie snapped. “Kim looks like she’s about ready to keel over.”

               “Seriously what the hell, Kris?” Valentina squeaked out. “We can’t take them on directly! We can barely float the disc without dropping it!”

               “We’ll manage,” Kristina said as she began to follow after where Leona and Ruggie lead the group of them down to a large Magishift field. Kristina would have been more in awe if it wasn’t for the fact that she was still wound up tight by the whole event.

               “Does this at least count as our afterschool practice?” Fiona asked hopefully.

               “As long as we don’t die, sure,” Kristina agreed. She could only snicker at the panicked sounds from her wording choice.

               “Chui, Hunter, since you two seemed so ready to pick a fight earlier you’re on the field. Ruggie, you too.” The three of them agreed eagerly to Leona’s orders. Leona then pointed to three other Randoms without so much as a word and they quickly also joined them all on the field. Leona then looked at Kristina expectantly.

               “Well, I guess that’s our cue,” Kristina said as she took the vanguard position on the field. The game would be simple—the team that gets the disc tried to make a shot for the goal or run to the end line while the other team chased them to try and steal it. Disc exchanged happens when the disc falls to the ground and picks up where it was dropped. The rules had been explained to each of them during gym thanks to Vargas’ convenient unit in gym but they had all yet to practice.

               The seven of them line up one across from a member of the other team. Each of them sizing up the one across the way. Kimberlee stood all knobby-kneed in front of Hunter who was smiling like his usual happy-go-lucky self. Chui and Judith seemed unreadable as they each looked each other up and down. Kris had purposely put herself in front of Leona because if he got rough something told her she would be the only one who could maybe walk away from the hit. Anne Marie, Fiona, and Val all ended up in front of the Randoms, leaving Grim with Ruggie.

               “I’ll make you eat my dust!” Grim taunted then with way too much confidence for someone who had only been playing for about a day.

               “Now’s your only chance to say stuff like that Shishishishi,” Ruggie laughed as he looked at Grim with amusement.

               “Good to know you’re a spunky group. Won’t be fun if you can’t put up a fight,” Leona said with a smirk—his eyes lingering on Kristina even if Grim had been the one to speak up. “Alright, try and score a point, you herbivores.”

               With that Leona launched the disc into the air for Kristina and him to get it. She was the only one that jumped for it. Snatching it with the practiced coordination she had been working on in gym—even if it was still a little wobbly since the magic felt so weird.

               She didn’t make it too far before someone had used some plant magic to trip her. She twisted and shot the disc to the side, hoping one of her teammates would catch it. Anne Marie was close and managed to catch it until someone else had sent a gust of wind at them and caused her to lose control of the disc dropping it to the ground.

               “This is going to suck,” Valentina groaned and Kristina hated how accurate that statement was.

               They had managed to go several rounds and while they weren’t being completely slaughtered, they were still down five to nothing. Kristina was sure her hips were going to have bruises from the amount of diving she did to try and save discs but that wouldn’t be anything new since she had perpetual ones during season anyway.

               Currently, they were close to the goal. Having fought tooth and nail to keep from letting the Savanahclaw group gain back any ground that they worked hard to keep. Kristina tried to keep her breathing from growing labored but it was hard.

               “Alright! We’ll have them cornered soon!” Grim cheered—somehow still full of energy. Kristina hated how much they were relying on their glorified dorm pet in this match. But Grim was the only one capable of casting out any spells for defense so they didn’t have much of a choice. Maybe Kristina would have them focus more on gaining some casting knowledge before she worried about their team coordination.

               “These guys keep on grinning… I have a bad feeling about this…” Judith muttered as she eyed the lineup of Savanahclaw students who were not only breathing as evenly as they were earlier but seemed completely at ease.

               “You are definitely not wrong in that,” Anne Marie agreed. Kristina hated it when those two agreed. Only bad things happened when those two agreed on something.

               “They’re putting up quite the fight, Leona,” Ruggie said happily from where he stood.

               “Yeah, more than I thought,” Leona agreed—once again his eyes fixed on Kristina rather than the group as a whole. She hated the way she could feel herself wanting to squirm under his line of sight. As if he could pick apart any insecurity she ever had, any doubts or worries. It drove her insane.

               They began the play but unfortunately, the disc got snatched from Grim by Leona with ease. The lion beastman not even bothering to run after having trapped Grim in a tangle of vines, leaving the cat monster to struggle to burn them away.

               “We were so close to the goal, too,” Kimberlee pouted as Leona continued to saunter without a care in the world. Everyone else was too tired to attempt to steal it back. Even Kristina had to admit she was reaching her limits. Pretty sure they were close to the end of the battery life on the wands too. Still, Kristina did her best to push Leona with what little magic she knew how. He brushed it off as if it was no more than a playful shove.

               “You still don’t get it? We were just messing with you,” Leona taunted then before he wound up his arm with the disc and sent it flying straight into their goal from about eighty yards away. “There!”

               “What’s with that long shot? That’s some amazing playing right there!” Fiona complimented—clearly in awe over what she had just seen. Kristina had to admit it was impressive—though she hated to admit it.

               “As expected of our perfect!” One of the spectators cheered.

               “Take them down a peg Captain!” Another one yelled out just as loudly.

               “Show them what NRC’s Magishift Captain can do!” Yelled another.

               Kristina felt like she wanted to die. Captain? HE was the Magishift captain for the school team? They must look like toddlers to him. Fumbling around barely able to keep the disc upright and pass to one another. She should have never agreed to a match so hastily, and yet… she didn’t regret it. She was learning, a lot. She was learning her own team’s weak points as well as letting them familiarize themselves with an actual game. They needed this, even if it was a brutal form of training.

               Coach Pierce had always said that everyone starts somewhere after all.

               “You still want to continue?” Leona asked as he looked down at where Kristina had fallen to the ground after casting that last spell.

               “Like I’m giving up that easy,” she fired back. He smirked again and the game continued.

…

               By the end of it, all seven of the Ramshackle players were on their backs on the dirt field panting and desperately trying to catch their breaths. Kristina couldn’t remember the last time she had felt such an intense workout that left her so drained, both mentally and physically. No one else could even say a word as Ace, Cater, and Deuce came running over from the sidelines.

               “No way… you girls couldn’t even score a point…” Ace said as if he couldn’t believe they had lost so badly. Kristina would feel some bruising to her pride if she wasn’t so tired.

               “What an impenetrable formation…” Deuce complimented as he looked at the other team in awe still.

               “Leona’s always been a formidable player,” Cater acknowledged with a sigh. “It shouldn’t be expected for you girls to win with the limited magic you know.”

               “Hey, what’s wrong?” Leona taunted from his side of the field. “Already given up?”

               “Shishishishi! What happened to the attitude from a while ago?” Ruggie threw in for extra measure with his laugh that Kristina had decided was the most annoying sound she had ever heard in her life.

               “Hey, herbivores. Stand up.” Leona ordered making Kristina grit her teeth. “Let’s play one more game.”

               Kristina could feel her body moving on instinct more than anything. Sluggishly, she pulled herself back up to her feet—her whole body screaming in protest. Even the magic wand in her hand had started beeping for with the low battery noise not too long ago. And yet she stood up, ready to go again. Ruggie and Leona seemed completely unsurprised by her actions. Chui and Hunter on the other had looked way too concerned.

               “I’m pretty sure this counts as bullying,” Judith groaned as she also began to get to her feet—though she was quick to slide back down once Anne reached over to yank her to the ground again.

               “What are you all doing?” Everyone looked and saw Jack approaching the field. The one who started it all was the last to arrive. How fitting.

               “Hah? We were just playing around with people who trespassed on our turf,” Leona explained though he seemed way too happy to leave out the part it was more a one-sided beat down than a proper match.

               “What’s so fun about bullying a bunch of helpless girls and their cat?” Jack asked earning some glared from Chui, Leona, and Ruggie.

               “Call me a helpless girl again *pant* And I will rip your tail off and make you eat it,” Kristina did her best to growl instead of pant. Any form of politeness she could have managed died after about the fourth time she was shoved into the dirt by magic. Jack jumped a little, clearly taken back by the level of aggression she managed. Especially with how shitty she was sure she looked.

               “Sorry,” Jack muttered as he looked away from her and instead choosing to focus on Ruggie and Leona.

               “Look at you playing the cool hero of justice, Jack,” Ruggie bit with a laugh—but it lacked the same fun it had earlier. Instead, he seemed pissed off by whatever implication Jack’s words had implied earlier.

               “I was just saying that I can’t stand looking at this any longer,” Jack replied his voice even and cold.

               “…Hah, listen to yourself,” Leona said with a dry laugh.

               “Hey, Jack! Stop being so snarky, ya first-year brat,” Hunter snapped at the wolf beastman. Kristina didn’t know if he was trying to help or make things worse, but whatever it was—it wasn’t working.

               “Look who’s talking. Is this something an upperclassman would do?” Jack retorted with a growl—bristling at the third-years words.

               “You better watch what you say, Jack,” Chui warned as he stepped in front of hunter protectively. His tail swishing with irritation and the fur puffing up. “Or I’ll personally see you end up like them.”

               “Hah, you sure have guts, you first-year brat,” Leona sighed as if bored with the conversation. “Forget it. I’m bored already. There’s no meaning in fighting against mice like them. Let’s go, Ruggie.”

               “Yessir~,” Ruggie said as he followed after Leona without a word of protest.

               His words were so dismissive and final. Kristina hated how hollow it made her feel. She shouldn’t care what he or anyone else on this field thinks of her. But the way he hadn’t even spared them a glance, her a glance, in combination with the wording made it feel like a bucket of ice water had just been dropped on her.

               Why do we have to have her as captain? Fiona’s way nicer.

               Why can’t you be nicer like your sister?

               Why do you always have to fight me on everything? Why can’t you just do as I say?

               “Kris… Kris are you ok?” Kristina blinked her vision clear. Glad to see that no tears had fallen. She looked to see Fiona was standing next to her with concern on her face. Her hand resting on Kristina’s shoulder in an attempt to comfort her. Kristina shook it off. She was the last person she wanted comfort from.

               “Worry about yourself Blondie,” Kristina grumbled.

               “Man we looked so uncool just watching you girls play,” Cater sighed in defeat.

               “Jack, was it?” Deuce asked as he addressed the wolf beastman. “Thanks for the help.”

               “No need. I didn’t really come here to help you,” Jack admitted though there was a slight sway to his tail that said otherwise.

               “You are all so dirty,” Ace complained as he looked them all over. “You should get back to the dorm to clean up.”

               “I’m getting hungry, too,” Grim admitted then and Kristina did have to admit that a shower and food sounded stupidly good right now.

               “Alright, Jack, we’re going back now, but be careful not to get hurt, okay?” Cater said as he offered his shoulder to help Anne Marie stand upright. She gladly took it, babying one leg from where she had taken a particularly hard fall on her knee.

               “I said I don’t need your concern,” Jack grumbled. “Hurry up and go.”

               Kristina didn’t need to be told twice as she followed the rest of her dorm out of Savanahclaw and back to her dorm.

Chapter Text

Jamil was tired. Not just physically, no he didn’t feel much more than the usual fatigue he did after Basketball practice or after dancing around in his room for a while. All of Jamil’s fatigue was mental, a constant headache by the name of Kalim Ibn Al Asim (Or as Kalim shortened it for the non- Scalding Sands natives, Al Asim if not straight to just Asim for their sake) who always seemed to find a way to make work harder for Jamil. It had taken several bouts of Snake Whisper, his unique magic, and several more hours to get Kalim to take Magical Shift practice seriously. Even more agonizing was getting him to finally submit his team roaster because “I just can’t cut anyone! They all worked so hard!” Leaving Jamil to just do it himself like he usually did.

               Why was he doing all the work of the dorm leader and vice leader but receiving none of the credit?

               Even now, after a grueling practice, he was asked by Kalim to make him fried buns with lamb. Something that normally would have taken Jamil forever to cook since he would have to thaw the meat out of the school’s freezer. Thankfully, Jamil had long since figured Kalim would be craving lamb and already moved the rack of meat to the fridge instead that morning. It should be thawed at least. Jamil would wish that his master could be more considerate if it wasn’t for the fact he knew it would only earn him a lecture about how the master shouldn’t have to be considerate of a servant. How he at least said please and thank you. How it was his job to get the task completed not complain about Kalim’s stupidity and lack of knowledge about food.

               Jamil sighed deeply as he quietly pushed open the door to the kitchen. The regular dinner rush had long since past and he had expected the kitchen to be completely empty. But that wasn’t the case. Instead, he sees one of the Ramshackle girls flitting to and frow as she sang quietly to herself and worked on what Jamil guessed was Chicken and Veggie soup based on the ingredients out.

               He watched her for a moment curiously. She seemed completely unaware of his presence as her attention was focused intently on dicing the vegetables to add to the pot. She also seemed more than a little rumbled from what he could tell. Her uniform was filthy like she had just rolled around in the dirt outside. There were a few bandages on her hands and cheek as well as her hair half falling out of its ponytail—the tie threatening to slip as it fell further and further down her back.

               This was Judith Wieck? The girl who was praised as the ice-cold beauty of the dorm. The one everyone said was for looking and not touching. The one who riled usually sweetly naive Anne Marie to yelling. The one who everyone rumored was a spoiled rich girl who thought she was above everyone else. Jamil wouldn’t say he was impressed with the current state she was in.

               “And if I’m flying solo, at least I’m flying free. To those who ground me: take a message back from me. Tell them how I am defying--oh fuck!” Jamil fought off a snort hearing her cuss. There was something ironic in hearing a girl like her spew profanity. Like watching sewage come out of a pristine faucet. Though he would admit it was probably a scary sight for her, seeing him just standing there, but that didn’t make it any less amusing for him.

               “How long were you standing there?” Judith asked then her hazel eyes narrowing as she looked at him.

               “Not long, maybe after the first chorus or so,” Jamil said with a shrug as he moved off the wall and began making his way to the fridge. It was strangely amusing to him imagining a girl like her nervous about something like someone listening to her sing. It wasn’t like she was bad, not recording contracts good but the kind you expect to hear as local talent or in indie groups.

               “You could have said something Jamil, you didn’t have to just stand there. You look like a stalker like that,” she grumbled in irritation.

               “You know my name?” Jamil asked with a smirk. He would have teased her about how she seemed more like the stalker like that, but he held his tongue. He will admit there is a part of him that purrs a little at the idea she might have noticed him but he quickly shoved it aside. He was likely pointed out by Fiona or something as he walked Kalim between classes. Judith simply rolled her eyes as she turned to stir her soup.

               “You were pointed out to me by the ghosts my first day in the kitchen,” Judith began to explain. “I had asked when I saw you come in if you needed to be kicked out as a kid avoiding class. Then you were late the day Classes C and E had a joint gym class and was called out by Vargas. And finally… you interrupted Niklas before I could slap him for being an overly forward ass.”

               Jamil had almost forgotten about that day during club recruitment. He supposed that was the first time that he had actually seen her, otherwise, it was just the occasional joint class. In those classes, the two of them never talked and never partnered up.

               “Huh, I suppose your right,” Jamil admitted then as he pulled the lamp from the fridge and moved near her to begin carving up the lamb to cook so that it could be placed into the bun dough for frying and be cooked all the way through. There was a moment of silence then, the two of them working on their own meals before Judith finally broke the silence.

               “Thanks, by the way. For interrupting him I mean,” Judith said quietly—the clarity from early missing as if she was almost hoping he missed her talking this time.

               “I really only went over there to get him for the coach,” Jamil deflected the compliment. Honestly, he had been annoyed at being given extra work by the coach anyway. All because Niklas had decided to be a diva and show up late for the meeting time. The coach had just wanted Jamil to get him so he could lecture the third-year. Even if he wasn’t as over the top about his appearance and make-up, Niklas proved to be Pomefiore through and through it would seem.

               “Still, I’m glad,” Judith insisted a little more clearly this time. Jamil looked intently at the meat he was cutting up the meat. Refusing to look at her.

               “No problem,” Jamil finally relented then. Well, at least she was polite if nothing else. And at least compared to Kalim she knew how to cook for herself—that was at least a mild improvement in his opinion. “What happened to you anyway?”

               “Ah? Do I really look that bad?” Judith asked with a slight wince of her face. Jamil’s face much have been enough of an answer because she sighed and began to explain. “We had an impromptu practice match with Savanahclaw.”

               “I’m guessing it didn’t go well,” Jamil said and she nodded. Though, he couldn’t imagine why they would have been at that dorm in the first place. He doubted it was Leona calling them over to bully them. The Afterglow Savanah was notorious for their respect for those who identified as women. Maybe he just wanted to throw them a bone? Jamil had to admit he was curious, mostly because if Kalim’s bracket was accurate then Scarabia would be facing them in the opening match.

               “Completely wrecked, and we missed dinner, so I figured I would grab some stuff from the waste that’s free for students to grab and make soup for the dorm since I doubt they are going to cook for themselves,” Judith admitted and Jamil couldn’t help but wonder if she even knew they would be facing off in the opening match. He guessed not with how freely she was offering the information. Just as naive as Anne Maire and Kalim were. How disappointing.

               “And yet I usually don’t see you here at this time of night. Trouble at the dorm?” Jamil knew he was probably advertising his prying at this point. You couldn’t get more blatant than that after all. Yet she simply snorted as if his question was hilariously absurd to her.

               “When isn’t there someone at the dorm who has a problem with me?” Judith admitted then and Jamil had to admit when she put it like that, it seemed dumb. “But this time it was Kris I managed to piss off, so I decided it was best to give her a wide berth for a bit while she cooled down.”

               “What did you do?”

               “Why do you care?” Jamil could only shrug at that one. That question really didn’t benefit him other than his curiosity. Though he did understand her avoiding Kristina. He had yet to really meet her but if half of the things the loud ginger, Ace, said at basketball was true—he wasn’t sure he wanted to.

               Jamil felt a tug then in the back of his mind and then suddenly his hand wasn’t moving downward and his other hand had stopped holding the meat to stabilize it and instead turned to the side with the palm open. Jamil couldn’t even stop himself before the chief’s knife he had been using was sliced across his palm. He saw the blood flowing and yanked his hand back before he felt the sting.

               “Fuck,” Judith exclaimed again but this time Jamil wasn’t laughing as he held his hand to his chest above his head to slow the bleeding. “Here let me see.”

               “It’s fine, don’t trouble yourself,” Jamil said. It was more out of habit than anything else. He was used to taking care of injuries like this by himself, at least since he had been at Night Raven College—all though… there was something odd about this. He was definitely in control of the knife and then that feeling… if he had to guess someone was lurking outside of the kitchen and decided to use their unique magic to play a trick.

               “Don’t be stupid,” Judith snapped at him before she reached out and grabbed the wrist of his injured arm. Jamil flinched a little at the foreign touch but he relented and let her take a look at it. She pulled him over to the sink and ran ice-cold water before sticking his hand under it. He blinked. It was actually a smart move. The cold would cause his blood vessel to constrict and slow the blood flow while also cleaning up the wound. After a moment she pulled out his hand just enough to get a good look at the cut.

               “It doesn’t look too deep like you would need stitches but I wouldn’t be surprised if it scared either,” Judith said though she sounded distant—like she was talking to herself more than him. “We should go to the nurse’s office and get it cleaned up though, I don’t know if the first aid kit in here would have everything we would need.”

               “You really don’t need to,” Jamil tried to insist. “I can clean this up myself. You should just worry about your soup.”

               “You’re injured you shouldn’t have to take care of it yourself,” Judith insisted. Jamil felt his mouth snap close from any other protest he might have had. He was staring her directly in the eyes now. She was close too, closer than was probably acceptable for two total strangers. He could clearly see the flecks of brown, blue, and green in her eyes as she looked at him intently—daring him to protest. He sighed in defeat then. He wouldn’t be able to rationalize with her about how unnecessary it was and it wasn’t worth using his unique magic over.

               “Fine, lead the way,” Jamil relented as he let her wrap his hand in a darkly colored towel from one of the drawers. She also turned to turn off the stove her soup had been heating upon.

               “Keep your hand above your chest like you had been to help keep the bleeding down,” Judith stated and Jamil fought back the urge to bite that he knew that. Now was not the time to let his pride get the better of himself by mouthing off.

               “How do you know all of this?” Jamil asked as he began to follow her out of the kitchen, hand above his chest like she had instructed.

               “I read a lot,” she responded. But the answer sounded just a little too practiced for his liking. He had gotten very good at picking up lying and that was most definitely one of them. But he decided just as quickly he didn’t want to ask or know. It wasn’t his business.

               Jamil sees something move out of the corner of his eye but when he turns his head the movement was gone. He would ignore it, after all, dealing with troublesome people when he was bleeding probably wasn’t the best course of action. So, he continued to follow Judith to the nurse’s office instead. Once there she was quick to clean the wound with some alcohol wipes before applying gauze and bandages to wrap it up neatly.

               “Thanks, Judith,” Jamil said as she finished—flexing his fingers to test her work. It was good. Tight enough to be effective but not so much so he would lose circulation in his fingers.

               “Jude,” she said then. “Just Jude is fine.”

               Part of him wants to play with her a little bit, seeing such a gentle expression on her face. Tease her about how much she had stressed to Niklas that her name was Judith. But he holds back again. He doesn’t need to be picking fights with her over something so juvenile.

               “Jude,” Jamil said in affirmation. There was a moment of silence before she stood up from where she had been sitting beside him to bandage his hand and slapped her hands together like she was dusting them off.

               “Well, that takes care of that,” she said. “We should head back to the kitchen before someone decides to steal the dinner we have been working on.”

               “Yeah, someone probably would steal the food,” Jamil admitted. There were all kinds of people at Night Raven College after all, and the vast majority were not what he would call nice. Not, leave free food alone nice. And certainly not help an almost stranger with an injury nice. So far, Jamil had decided Judith was an enigma. One he really didn’t know if he wanted to solve or leave alone.

               By the time they made it back to the kitchen, he did notice some of the lamb he was going to cook was gone. But there was still plenty to make dinner for himself and Kalim so he didn’t mind.

               All in all, his night could have ended much worse than it had.

…

               Fiona laid down on her bed staring up at the ceiling. Even after eating dinner and spending most of the remainder of their night licking their wounds and nursing their bruised egos, the tension was nearly palpable between all of them. Some were mad at Kristina for dragging them into the Savanahclaw dorm match. Others were mad at themselves. If Fiona had to guess that would be why Judith dipped out to make dinner instead of making it at the dorm like she usually did for herself; to try and ease everyone into at least not taking their mood out on her. Fiona sort of felt bad for her and Eva. The two of them were almost always the ones everyone turned on when they were frustrated. Easy enough when they are the two who kept to themselves the most.

               “Did you see my super shoot?” Grim muttered in his sleep from where he was curled up at the foot of her bed. Kimberlee and Val had opted to stare that night and Kristina had slammed her door shut as soon as she finished her dinner so Grim didn’t even get the chance to dip in with her. This meant she was stuck with Grim for the night and his sleep talking. Not that she could sleep anyway with how sore she was. She grabbed her phone to check the time. 11:45 pm.

               “Ow,” Fiona said to herself as she sat up slowly. The sting of her muscles hurt worse than anything she experienced during Volleyball conditioning. One thing was for sure. If she did go home to her aunt and uncle, she would never complain about having to run suicides at practice again. Careful to not wake up Grim, Fiona slid off the bed and padded across the floor to leave the dorm. She needed some air.

               The fading summer air was cool as she stepped outside of the dorm but it was starting to chill a little in the evening as they grew closer to autumn weather. She probably should have grabbed a light jacket rather than coming outside in just her fuzzy pajama bottoms and a t-shirt but she hadn’t thought about it. If her dad was still with her, he might have pointed out the various constellations to her, but as she looked up at the night sky, she didn’t recognize a single celestial body there.

               “We really in a completely different world, aren’t we?” She asked herself as she felt herself sink down to the wooden porch at the front of the dorm.

               “Who goes there?” Fiona felt herself jump a bit at the sudden voice. She looked to the side and noticed a figure she hadn’t previously. Impossibly tall and pale with dark hair and bright green eyes. Though, these features weren’t what really threw her off. Instead, it was the presence of horns on his head and pointed ears that drew her attention. Was he fae? She remembered Cater mentioning that fae were often students at Night Raven College.

               “A-an illegal trespasser,” Fiona said as she felt herself leaning back to the door. So far, not a single student had attempted to make their way to Ramshackle to harass them at night, but there was always a chance they had finally angered the wrong people. And they did just piss off a bunch of Savanahclaw students. But his uniform didn’t look like theirs. It was a bright green not yellow.

               “Oh my, what a surprise. You are a human child,” the man said in a low and soft voice. Much in the same way one might use when addressing a stray cat. Fiona really wished she could remember what dorm had those colors. She swore she recognized it from class but she spent most of her time trying to help keep Kalim and Silver from falling asleep so she didn’t pay much attention to the dorm names.

               “Do you live here? This place is supposed to have been abandoned long ago,” the stranger asked calmly. Fiona blinked in surprise. Did he honestly not know about them? She swore the whole school knew about her and the others at this point. “I quite like to wander around here during my nightly walks for it is a quiet place.”

               “I’m afraid it isn’t usually very quiet anymore,” Fiona found herself saying with a slight laugh. Even just two hours ago—Anne Marie and Judith had gotten into it again over how best to deal with their current situation. “Who are you, by the way?”

               “Who, you say? You do not know of me? Really? Hm, I see. Oh my, this is quite unusual, indeed,” the stranger said sounding completely amused by the predicament. “What name do you go by?”

               “Fiona Alagona, but you didn’t answer my question,” she protested.

               “Fiona? Hm… a name meaning “fair”, your coloring suits you, it would seem. I am… No, I shall stop here. Not hearing my name would be better for you,” the stranger said then. “If you knew who I was, it would certainly leave a chilling impression. Let us have you stay ignorant of the world’s ways, shall we? Feel free to call me whatever you want. Though, it might someday make you regret that decision…”

               “You are rather ominous aren’t you,” Fiona giggled making him smile as well in turn. A soft one that was barely visible but still.

               “Hm, even so…” he said as he began to speak again. “Now that people are living here, this building isn’t completely abandoned anymore. How unfortunate. I must find another abandoned place on my next walk, then. I shall excuse myself now.”

               And with that, he vanished in front of her eyes in a shower of green fairy lights. It almost reminded her of summer fireflies as she looked with awe at their fading light. Still, she couldn’t help but wonder about who he was and why he seemed so… lonely. Still, all she could do is sigh as she stood up and began to head back into the dorm. She needed to try and get some sleep. After all, she was still sure Kristina was going to drill them with morning practice.

               “I hope you have a good night, whoever you are,” Fiona said quietly as she headed back into the dorm.

…

               The Savanahclaw dorm late at night was quiet except for the crickets that could be heard outside of the open balcony window. Leona currently was sitting in his room across from a chessboard. He had been playing against himself for the last twenty minutes trying to clear his mind of that afternoon’s Magishift match. The magicless girls had done better than he had expected. If they had more time to prepare themselves, he might have actually bothered to send Ruggie after them. Still, they were cubs at best with magic, something not a single dorm in the school would have to worry about taking down.

               Despite all of that, Leona could help but see Kristina in his mind over and over again. That stubborn determination as she stood up again and again. How even when the rest of her team was beaten into the ground, she still forced herself to stand up, ready to play again. It irritated him, made his stomach turn in fury as he thought about it. Was she stupid? Couldn’t she see she was clearly outmatched? So why the hell did she keep setting herself up for failure over and over again? He just didn’t understand.

               And yet… he couldn’t deny how excited it made him seeing her continue to challenge him again and again. Maybe he was losing his mind finally from listening to his nephew’s incessant ramblings. Worse he would have to listen to him at the tournament for sure since Cheka had made sure to leave a loud voice mail telling Leona he would be there to watch him play. He wished Cheka wouldn’t bother coming to watch him lose. No, Leona needed to get that thought out of his head. They were going to win this year, this plan was to make sure of that.

               “Thanks for the hard work today, Leona, I brought you your dinner,” Ruggie said as he came into Leona’s room. The scent of grilled Lamb wafting over to where Leona was seated. “Oh, and that other job is going really well.”

               “I guessed as much,” Leona purred as Ruggie set his dinner down in front of him. There was no way Ruggie would bother to get this grade of meat for him even if Leona was buying. He would just get what he could get away with and then pocket the rest. He must have finished taking down Jamil on the list then. Good, without that tactician from the shadows Scarabia wouldn’t be a problem. How everyone missed Jamil as a threat Leona would never understand. He practically oozed irritable rage every time he was near Kalim. Then again, not everyone knew what it was like to be stuck in place just because of who and what order you were born in. “You’re really sensible, huh, Ruggie.”

               Ruggie blinked for a moment in surprise. Taken back by Leona’s sudden proclamation to him. Then he broke out into a smile with a shrug. “Of course, I am~,” he said. “Anything’s doable if it’s for you, Leona.”

               “Hah, listen to yourself. You’re doing this for your own good, aren’t you?” Leona fired back as he took a bite of his food. It was good. He wondered how much of the food Ruggie cooked and how much was pre-cooked by Jamil first.

               “Aw, don’t be like that Leona~ this is for our sakes,” Ruggie pouted letting his ears fall a little at Leona’s condescending accusations. Leona wasn’t wrong though and he knew it. If the time ever came where a better option came along, Ruggie would split in seconds. Leona couldn’t blame him for it either when he considered where the younger boy grew up. “We’re of the same opinion about overturning this world. Even the hyenas served the King of Beasts to overturn the situation they were in. I’m just doing the same thing.”

               “Hmph, then do your ‘Hunting’ properly. Don’t leave any evidence.”

               “Shishishishi of course~ not leaving any trace of their prey is a hyena’s specialty after all,” Ruggie purred as if preening about what a good job he had been doing. Leona wasn’t so sure he wasn’t starting to get sloppy. Especially if those damned playing cards and pesty lapdogs of Crowley’s were poking their nose around Savanahclaw. But it was no matter. They wouldn’t be able to link anything to Ruggie either since it wasn’t like they were required to admit their unique magic on the school files or anything. “By the way, Leona. Which player from what dorm should we target next?”

               “Let’s see…” Leona said before trailing off. His ear flicked a little as he heard the subtle sound of weight shifting outside of his door. Like the person who had been eavesdropping finally got tired of standing so perfectly still and had to move or risk serious cramping. “How about a wolf who stands and eavesdrops on people’s conversations?”

               “Eh?” Ruggie exclaimed as he whipped his head around to Leona’s door. Clearly having not seen anything or heard anything. Leona wasn’t surprised, Ruggie did sometimes get carried away after all.

               “You’re there, aren’t ya, first-year brat?” Leona asked as he ignored Ruggie’s shock. “It’s kinda rude of you to listen in on people’s conversations like that.”

               Silently, Jack entered Leona’s room—closing the door behind him. The first year looked down but it was the only sign he was embarrassed about being caught listening in on Leona’s conversation. He crossed his arms over his chest and proceeded to glare at Leona then like he was some kind of disapproving parent, or worse like he was Leona’s brother. It made Leona want to grit his teeth.

               “What are you doing here late in the night?” Leona asked him as he stayed seated. After all, that was the position of power in these kinds of situations. “Are you so homesick that you need someone to sing you a lullaby?”

               “Should I sing for you~? Shishishishi,” Ruggie taunted and even Leona had to let out a little chuckle at the notion. Ruggie was a notoriously bad singer after all.

               “I want to know the reason why you’re doing this,” Jack stated calmly.

               “I see now. You want to hear a bedtime story, huh. Fine, I’ll tell you,” Leona said though his voice might as well have been ice as he glared daggers at Jack. Such a nosey pup of a first year. Almost makes Leona envious of Riddle who’s worse first years are those troublesome two that came knocking on his dorm’s dorm earlier that evening. “For two years in a row now, we’ve always lost in the first match against Diasomnia and Malleus. Eliminated in the first round, constantly. They’re consecutive winners. Ever since we went against them, our dorm, which was known for making opponents tremble, looks like weak kittens. And our pathetic plays were broadcast to the entire world. What do you think happened afterwards? The Perfect was deemed incompetent and all the professional league offers for Savanahclaw dwindled to zero.”

               “That’s…” Jack said clearly taken back. He almost looked like Leona had gotten up and kicked him. But he recovered quickly and regained his stoic expression. “It’s because you simply needed to do more…” His voice sounded lower than before. Almost as if he wasn’t sure the suggestion would even be helpful. Or worse, that Leona would take offense and lunge. While Leona didn’t care for the condescending, better-then-thou implications, Jack wasn’t wrong.

               “It’s as you say,” Leona admitted calmly. “Until last year, we weren’t living up to our true potentials at all. Only an idiot would think he’d stand a chance against those monsters. We knew we’d lose already, but it’s not like we have no plans. I doubt that the foundation of our dorm, the King of Beasts, would stand for us being pathetic.”

               “Even so! Doing something as low as cheating is wrong,” Jack finally snapped first. Raising his voice and losing his cool. Leona smirked then; he had won. Jack lost his composure first. Leona was in complete control of this conversation now.

               “Wrong?” Leona asked then as he continued to simply sit there—his tail swishing behind him. “Jack… I’m doing this because I’m concerned about the student’s futures, you know? If the whole world sees us defeat Malleus, all those offers will come back to Savanahclaw together with our dignity. Malleus will be inducted into the Hall of Fame next year, so we have to win this year. And you’re saying that you’ll ruin this chance because of your blind justice? Are you planning on ruining your senior’s futures?”

               “Th-that’s…” Jack stammered out clearly not so sure anymore about his stance. It was so easy to make people see things your way once they got all flustered like this. It helped Leona was right and he knew it. He was going to secure the future of his dorm, like the King of Beasts secured the future of all the animals of the Savanah. He would show them he was the only one fit to lead Savanahclaw. He was the king. Not Malleus Draconia.

               “Using any means necessary to win in life is a given. It doesn’t matter if it’s cheating or not.” Life wasn’t fair and due diligence wouldn’t get you a crown. Leona knew that more than anyone.

               “Shishishishi! This school is a dog-eat-dog world. Being a goody-two-shoes will just kill you,” Ruggie laughed as he continued to support Leona from the side. This was a two against one fight that Jack wasn’t going to win. Checkmate.

               “I’m sure you can take Malleus on if you play with your full potential, Perfect,” Jack insisted as he continued to look at Leona with earnest. “I still remember the way you played three years ago. I—”

               “Don’t speak as if you know anything about me!” Leona stood to his feet snapping finally. It was harsh and quick, even Ruggie jumped in surprise at Leona’s outburst. Leona remembered how excited he had been to be on the Magishift field then. How he thought maybe if he showed his skills the public would change their mind about the second prince of the Afterglow Savanah. They didn’t. “Play with all I’ve got? How stupid. No matter how much effort I put in, nothing will change. Get out if you still want to see the light of day.”

               Wordlessly, Jack left Leona’s room. His tail tucked between his legs as he left. His eyes had been filled with pity as he left and it left Leona with a bad taste in his mouth. Still, he sat down—done with the energy needed to argue with that uppity first year. Who did he think he was? Questioning Leona’s decisions like that. Both Leona and Ruggie listened for a minute, making sure Jack was gone before they continued their conversation.

               “That guy’s gonna be a problem,” Ruggie stated then. “Should I do him in next?”

               Leona pondered for a moment. If they took Jack out, then he would likely keep his mouth shut out of fear of further retaliation. Not to mention it would take some heat off of Savanahclaw as a potentially responsible party for the incidents. But still…

               “No, don’t,” Leona finally said. “Even if he tells Crowley about it, he doesn’t have any proof. It would be difficult for us without his skills. Just watch what he’ll do closely for now.”

               “Yessir,” Ruggie said with a two-finger salute.

               “Tch… That first-year brat talks like Big Bro,” Leona muttered to himself before he shoved another fork full of lamb into his mouth.

Chapter Text

Kristina was getting real sick of these dreams. Mostly because in the last one she had her head almost taken off by a damned bird. This time, she was in a dark cavern, and there were geysers going off everywhere making her jump as she avoided the steam that felt almost hot enough to make her question if it was even a dream or not. The steam from the geysers also made it stupidly hard to breathe—like she was stuck underwater as she began to make her way forward. She waved a hand around to attempt to clear some of the steam away so she could see better and what she saw was not something she expected.

               “Why the fuck are there so many hyenas?” Kristina asked her face twisted into one of disbelief and confusion as she looked out at the almost army of hyenas, all of them staring up at a dark-colored lion who was seated on a rock much higher above.

               “The earth will rumble and a new era will begin,” the lion roared out among the crowd making the hyena’s all bark and laugh in agreement.

               “And where exactly do we feature?” One of the hyenas in front asked making the lion grin in a way that didn’t feel natural of Kristina in the slightest.

               “Just listen to teacher,” the lion purred then before going back to addressing the crowd as a whole. “We will kill Simba together with his father. And then I will be the king!”

               “Long live the King!” A different hyena said starting a chant throughout the crowd.

               “Long live the King! Long live the King!” They all cheered and chanted but Kristina couldn’t help but be confused. Who the hell was Simba and why were they trying to kill him and his dad? More importantly, why the hell was she supposed to care?  

               “Yes, my teeth and ambitions are bared,” the lion purred then before looking directly at Kristina. She shivered; it was like he was looking directly into her soul. “Be prepared!”

               Once more Kristina woke with a start—absolutely drenched with sweat as she sat up in bed. She looked outside and saw the sun was just starting to peak over the horizon. After checking her phone, she saw it was about five-thirty in the morning. She thought about getting everyone up to practice but decided against it. Yesterday was rough, even by her standards. As she tensed her muscles to see how they were fairing they screamed in protests at even the slightest movement making her wince. She knew she should have stretched out more in the shower before going to bed.

               If she made them practice today not only would they perform less than adequately, but the chances of them being injured would also be high. They couldn’t afford to lose any players with the number of dorm members…then again Kristina was certain no one besides her would complain at this point if they had to completely forfeit the match.

               It wouldn’t have been the first time her team did that to her.

               “No way is my little girl playing on a team with that… that monster!” One of the parents howled at their coach. Kristina stood to the side in uniform watching everything happen. Watching as everyone talked about her like she wasn’t right there. Like she wasn’t seventeen and capable of having a conversation with others.

               “Please I understand you’re upset but—” the coach tried to reason with the parent but it fell on deaf ears.

               “But nothing! You let your team captain scream at their teammates for making an honest mistake on the floor! What kind of coach does that? Just because you think she has SOME talent you’re going to let her walk all over everyone else?”

               “An honest mistake? That was a clear setup for her and she let it drop like it was a damned hot potato,” Kristina snapped at the parent.

               “Kaiser, stay out of this,” the coach warned.

               “No, it’s my leadership she’s questioning I should be the one to defend myself,” Kristina protested as she continued to stare down the parent. “You kid fucked up. And now you are letting them cry because they decided to let a ball drop rather than even trying to go for it. Someone like that doesn’t even deserve to be on the court let alone my varsity team.”

               “How dare you speak to me like that!” The parent snapped back at Kristina. She didn’t even flinch as the old lady stepped forward. She almost dared the lady to strike first. After all, anything after that would qualify as self defense and there were plenty of witnesses as people stopped to stare at the scene unfolding in the middle of the tournament hall. “Where the hell are your parents?”

               “Not here,” Kristina stated. No, they weren’t here. They were too busy watching her little sister at dance practice to bother coming to the summer tournament. Kristina had to drive herself to the tournament while they both went off to watch their youngest rub elbows with Judith and the rest of the dance girls. Kristina could feel her whole body coiling up—pissed at the reminder that she wasn’t a priority.

               “Maybe if they were more attentive you wouldn’t be such a nasty little girl.” Kristina almost lunges forward then but the coach grabbed her arm and yanked her back. It was a good call. If Kristina got in a physical altercation with this lady, she could completely ruin her chances at signing with a college team. Still, made her pout a little that this parent got to mouth off to her but she couldn’t do a damned thing.

               “I think it’s best you two leave after all,” the coach said then before addressing the other parents who were likely lined up to ask to leave as well. “All of you, we aren’t a team right now. I won’t embarrass us by playing in this condition.”

               There was a mutter through the crowd as parents began to gather up their kids’ belongings and head out the door. Kristina was the only one that stayed where she was standing. Her fists clenched at her side as she glared down at the floor.

               “Kris…”

               “Don’t say it, I know what you’re going to say. I need to apologize to her next practice because I shouldn’t have raised my voice,” Kristina huffed out as she felt the coach’s hand was on her shoulder.

               “Yes, but I was also going to ask if you were ok. That parent was way out of line even if she was upset.”

               “I’ll be fine,” Kristina reassured. “I always am.”

               “Kris! Wake up or—oh, you’re awake,” Grim yelled as he pushed his way into her room. Successfully pulling Kristina out of that memory of last summer. “The others thought you might have overslept because you didn’t get them up for practice. But either way, breakfast has already started so come on!”

               “Right, I’ll get dressed,” Kristina said with a nod as she stood and quickly dressed in her uniform and heading out the door to follow Grim into the main area where everyone was already dressed and ready. Some of them were still bandaged up, but mostly everyone seemed to just be fatigued.

               “You’re alive? I thought you had died since you didn’t drag us outside,” Eva stated as she watched Kristina walk into the room.

               “Don’t sound too disappointed now,” Kristina laughed.  “I figured today we deserved a rest.” There was an audible sigh of relief that went throughout the group then.

               “Don’t get too comfy though, we need to be learning offensive and defensive spells though, we can’t just rely on Grim during the match,” Kristina began to explain. “That’s what really kicked us in the ass. If we wanna put up a good fight we are going to have to learn some basic spells more than anything.”

               “Makes sense,” Valentina admitted even as the rest of them looked exhausted at the idea.

               “Anyone else finding irony in the fact Crowley said we couldn’t learn magic when we agreed to enroll and he’s now put us in a situation where we have to learn magic? Or is it just me?” Judith asked as she began to head to the door for breakfast.

               “It isn’t lost that’s for sure,” Anne Marie agreed as she followed suit. Two of them must have calmed down since their screaming match if they were back to being amicable again.

               “Oh, Fiona,” Grim started then as they all were out the door and trudging their way across the courtyard to the front of campus. “Did you go out somewhere last night? I didn’t see you in bed when I woke up to go to the bathroom.”

               “Yeah, there was this guy that was outside our dorm last night. A little odd but he seemed nice enough,” Fiona stated and almost everyone seemed to choke on their spit as they all began sputtering at the blonde’s statement.

               “You just saw a guy hanging around outside and decided to talk to him instead of, oh I don’t know, screaming for help,” Eva said her eyes wide as she glared at Fiona in disbelief.

               “He apparently was out on a walk when I startled him. He didn’t know we were living there,” Fiona explained as she attempted to calm them all down.

               “What did he look like?” Kimberlee asked curiously. Kristina raised an eyebrow at the taller girl. There was a dude just chilling outside of their dorm and that’s what she wants to know? Weird but Kristina wasn’t about to judge too harshly.

               “Pretty tall and pale with dark hair and horns on his head,” Fiona described.

               “You met a strange guy with horns on his head?” Grim asked having Fiona nod her head in confirmation. “What was his name?”

               “That’s the thing when I introduced myself and asked his name, he just brushed me off saying I would be scared or something and that I should just call him whatever I want.” Fiona pouted at this, like she was really hurt and offended he thought she would reject him if she knew his name.

               “Did he know we were from a different world?” Valentina asked then curiously. “I highly doubt he would be someone whose reputation we would care about.”

               “You should call him Tsunotarou!” Grim suggested then making Fiona smile as she rubbed under his chin and Eva start giggling. Kristina wasn’t exactly sure what was so funny about the nickname but at least they were getting a kick out of it.

               “That works for me,” Fiona agreed then.

               “We might run into him if he’s a student here. If we do, you better introduce us too got it?” Grim was smiling widely but Kristina had to agree. She was kind of curious about this guy herself now. If nothing else she would get to put a name to a face. “I’ve never seen a guy with horns on his head!”

               “You also never see anyone outside of year one,” Kristina snickered making Grim whine a little in protest while the others laughed.

               “Morning’, mornin’ ladies~” Cater called out to them all as they approached the front of the school building. Riddle was standing next to him though the tiny crimson dorm leader was quick to ignore them and march straight up to Judith and start straightening out her tie. Judith hardly reacted, like she was used to such a familiar action coming from him.

               “Your tie is crooked, you know? Rule-breaking starts with unruly clothes,” Riddle scolded as continued to work—giving up on straightening it and going straight into undoing the tie and retying it. “Your dorm-mates will not follow you if you look improper… alright, that should do it.”

               “Bold of you to think that anyone in this lot would listen to me anyway,” Judith giggled and little, and Kristina did admit she had a point. Then again, it wasn’t like Judith had tried to establish any rules. In fact, she was surprisingly chill compared to the stick-up-her-ass girl Kristina was familiar with in their world. Or maybe she was playing a long-con. You never know with this group.

               “Ace and Deuce aren’t with you?” Grim asked then as he looked around for the two first years. Kristina found herself looking for them as well then but they weren’t anywhere to be seen. Weird since they usually all went to breakfast together since it was the one meal Judith wasn’t allowed to work.

               “According to Rule #249 of the Queen of Hearts, the two of them are currently feeding the flamingos while wearing pink clothes,” Riddle stated then with a smug smile. Clearly pleased the two of them were following the rules.

               “And why is them wearing pink necessary?” Kristina taunted only to get a light shove from Judith. A clear warning in the brunette’s eyes to shut up and he was trying his best.

               “Anyway,” Riddle coughed—his cheeks a little flushed after having been caught with another crazy rule he just couldn’t seem to let go yet. “We should go see the new person who was injured last night.”

               “What? Really?” Grim asked in complete shock.

               “There was another one?” Valentina asked in complete shock, stunning Riddle a little as he looked at Judith again.

               “You didn’t tell them?” Riddle asked in surprise.

               “I figured since I was there, we weren’t going to bother him,” Judith replied. “I just knew he was on the list so I texted you and Cater about it.”

               “You want to explain or keep talking amongst yourselves?” Kristina said a little harshly making both Riddle and Judith flinch.

               “Judith texted us last night about a second-year student from the Scarabia dorm,” Cater began to explain for them then. “Jamil Viper, he got injured in the kitchen.”

               “Jamil? Is he ok?” Anne Marie asked clearly concerned about her classmate.

               “Breakfast is still ongoing so he may still be inside the cafeteria,” Riddle said trying to sooth the Ramshackle Perfect’s worries. “Let’s go check.”

…

               “Let’s see… Jamil has medium dark skin with long hair… ah, there he is!” Cater pointed across the busy cafeteria to where a guy fitting that description was sitting. He wore the school blazer over a hoodie and was picking away at his breakfast across from a guy Kristina recognized as Kalim. They had begun making their way over to them when suddenly Grim decided everyone was taking too long and bolted over to the two of them. Jumping right up on their table so he could be at eye-level with them.

               “You! You’re the dude that got injured in the kitchen last night, right? Tell us ‘bout it,” Grim demanded as he pointed a paw in Jamil’s direction.

               “Huh? Who in the world are you?” Jamil asked clearly shocked to have his breakfast disturbed by a talking cat monster. Kristina snorted and fought off the urge to take out her phone and start recording the interaction.

               “Ah~! This raccoon’s the one that set my butt on fire during the Opening Ceremony!” Kalim said clearly just as shocked at Jamil to have his breakfast interrupted by Grim. Of course, it was then that Judith had to come and ruin the fun by marching up to the table and grabbing Grim by the scruff of his neck and yanking him off the table.

               “Grim we do NOT jump on tables and start demanding people to talk,” Judith said in a stern and harsh voice that makes Grim squeak a little. She then turned to Jamil and Kalim a face of complete mortification in place from Grim’s behavior. “I am so sorry about him. I don’t know what got into him.”

               “It’s fine, just a little surprised,” Jamil said still in a bit of a daze as he stared at Grim for a bit.

               “How’s your hand?” Judith asked then and Jamil held up his left hand to show it was wrapped up in bandages.

               “It’s holding up fine, thank you for your assistance with cleaning it,” Jamil stated courteously.

               “It was no problem really, it wasn’t like I was about to let you try and do it by yourself,” Judith stated as she reached up and was tugging on a piece of her hair looking almost bashful at the thanks. Kristina crinkled her nose a little bit watching the two of them.

               “I was so worried when Jamil came back with his hand all wrapped up like that,” Kalim sniffed a bit then. “I’m glad you were there to help him, Jude.”

               “Really, it was no trouble, I would have done the same for anyone,” Judith insisted with a wave of her hand.

               Riddle let out a loud, fake cough then reminding the three of them that the rest of them were in fact still there. Judith flushed a little and then handed Grim off to Valentina to hold instead.

               “So? Was there another reason you were asking about my injury or did you come over just to check on me?” Jamil asked then, there was a glint of something in his eye at the question but Kristina couldn’t tell what exactly.

               “The headmaster asked us to look into it,” Anne Marie stated then and Jamil hummed in acknowledgment.

               “The headmaster did? Well, I don’t see what harm it could do,” Jamil stated then. “Though, I doubt there is much I could tell you that Jude couldn’t as well. Last night, I went to the kitchen to prepare some of the fried buns with lamb meat that Kalim asked me to make.”

               “The fried buns that he makes are really good! You should all come over and have some with us next time!” Kalim smiled at all of them like he was some ball of sunshine demanding everyone’s attention.

               “Kalim, we’re getting off-topic,” Jamil scolded lightly making Kalim rub his neck sheepishly.

               “Ah, sorry ‘bout that.”

               “Jude was already there working on the soup for you all when I got there. We chatted a little, then while I was chopping the ingredients finely, my hands suddenly felt as if they were out of my control and I got injured in the process.” Jamil kept everything efficient and straight to the point. Kristina could appreciate him for that. The quicker they got this done and over with, then the quicker they could eat their own breakfast in peace.

               “Jamil’s knife skills are praised even by our top chef’s y’know!” Kamil interrupted to praise his friend. He suddenly stopped smiling then as he looked at Jamil with concern again. “Were you tired because of the Magishift practices?”

               “No, I will not make blunders simply because of that,” Jamil huffed—almost insulted that Kalim would dare imply he would mess up over something like fatigue. “But, while I was cooking, it felt as if I lost my awareness for a moment.”

               “You didn’t mention you had felt dizzy,” Judith said her eyebrows knit together as she looked at Jamil with even more concern than before. However, he brushed off her assumption.

               “To others, it might have seemed that way. But I faintly remember feeling the same sensations before. It’s probably due to someone’s unique magic.” Kristina swore you could have heard a pin drop among them all at Jamil’s statement. Kristina had never felt so stupid before. They had seen Cater split himself into clones and Riddle completely seal off someone’s magic before. Why had it never occurred to them it could have been someone’s unique magic? Kalim just seemed to laugh off the knowledge though, as if it was a completely normal thing.

               “Oh, yeah! Jamil’s unique magic is—” Kalim was cut off by Jamil placing his good hand over his friend’s mouth to muffle his words before finally letting go. “Why did you do that?”

               “Now’s not the time to brag about me,” Jamil quipped with a click of his tongue. He then turned his attention back to all of them. “In any case, the culprit probably used some kind of magic that makes one mimic the caster’s movements.”

               “I see now~ that’s why the accidents totally didn’t look out of place except for the victim,” Cater exclaimed as it finally all clicked into place.

               “And if the feeling’s only momentary, even the victim himself might not be able to distinguish between his own carelessness and being controlled by someone else,” Riddle lamented as he likely thought back on his own accident. Seeing the similarities forming. “When I fell down the stairs, it didn’t feel as if someone was controlling me either.”

               “Wait, if that’s the case… it’d be completely impossible to find the culprit, then! What do we do?” Cater groaned feeling completely lost. Kristina had to admit, it wasn’t looking good for them actually finding the person responsible.

               “Magic that can control people? Ah!” Grim stated then suddenly getting a wicked smirk on his face from where he hung in Valentina’s arms. “If I can do that kinda magic, I’ll be able to take people’s food without being suspicious!”

               “Why is it always food with you?” Valentina sighed as she looked down at Grim.

               “Take people’s… why don’t you aim for something nobler?” Riddle asked though the faces the rest of them made likely told the redhead that his lecturing would be pointless. They had tried it already.

               “And then, it’s all-you-can-eat deluxe minced cutlet sandwi—hm?” Kristina had never felt like a bucket of cold water had been dropped on her so fast in her life.

               The cafeteria lunch the other day.

               Grim’s out-of-character trade for the bean bun.

               “Am I missing something here?” Judith asked clearly concerned about why the rest of the girls and Grim had gone silent all of a sudden.

               “That’s right, you were working that day so you didn’t see,” Kimberlee said which only seemed to make Judith more concerned.

               “See what?” Judith asked again clearly still confused. Kalim and Jamil seemed to only look at each other and shrug as they watched what was going down with mild interest.

               “It would be easier to show you,” Valentina admitted as she set Grim down on the lunch table again and snapped a photo with the ghost camera—launching the whole memory into a flashback.

               “Would you trade me your deluxe minced meat sandwich for the mini red bean bun I have?” Memory Ruggie asked as he was crouched down at eye level with Grim.

               “Hah? No way!” Memory Grim snapped as he held his sandwich away from the memory Ruggie.

               “Aw, come on, don’t say that~ here you go~,” Memory Ruggie said and this time Kristina paid attention to Ruggie’s arms and how they moved. How Grim mirrored the movements perfectly.

               “Wha~ what’s this, my arms and legs are moving on their own?” Memory Grim stammered before the trade was made with Ruggie. Then the memory ended.

               “You mean to tell me you all witnessed something like this and it never occurred to any of you that Grim was under the influence of magic?” Judith deadpanned as she looked at them all with a disapproving face. “The five of you I expect this from but Anne, really, you were class salutatorian.”

               Anne Marie’s face turned pink at Judith’s statement. Kristina wished she could argue but Judith was right. They really should have known better with how protective Grim is over his food. There was no way he would ever be coerced or feel threatened enough to just give up his food without a fight.

               “Ruggie, the one from Savanahclaw is the one behind his!” Cater exclaimed clearly more shocked that they had just seen Ruggie control Grim into giving up his food.

               “Let’s catch him and ask him directly,” Riddle said with a nod turning to leave.

               “Um… Ruggie Bucchi is in class 2-B,” Cater stated then as he stumbled to keep up with the Heartslabyul perfect.

               “2-B? Whitley is in that class, I can shoot him a text and see if Ruggie is in the classroom yet,” Valentina volunteered as she was already pulling out her phone to complete the action.

               “That’s for your cooperation,” Riddle called over his shoulder to Kalim.

               “See you in class,” Fiona and Anne Marie called at the same time as they waved goodbye to the two Scarabia boys.

               “Later,” Judith said as she waved as well.

               “No prob! I don’t get what’s happening, but good luck!” Kalim called to them, waving as they exited the cafeteria.

               Well, so much for breakfast.

Chapter Text

“We’re intruding! Where is Ruggie Bucchi?” Grim declared as soon as they had arrived at class 2-B. Whitley had confirmed with Valentina that Ruggie was in class already. So they had all headed straight there from the cafeteria. Ruggie was sitting on his desk when they had arrived. Ears perking up and eyes going wide at the sound of his name being yelled.

               “Yeah? Ugh, it’s you guys again,” Ruggie glowered as he pushed himself up from where he was seated previously. “No matter how much you beg, I’m not paying you back for that deluxe sandwich.”

               “Really, you think we would have waited almost a week to complain about a sandwich?” Judith deadpanned, clearly still miffed that they had missed the connection earlier to the sandwich. “I would have been more concerned about us cornering you for revenge for that damned one-sided match.”

               “Hey we gave you an out, Kris here was the one who pushed Leona too far,” Ruggie defended as he jerked his head in Kristina’s direction. Kristina couldn’t deny what he was saying was true. They had given them and out, but Kristina insisted they fight anyway. Her muscles might have regretted the decision but she didn’t.

               “Ruggie Bucchi,” Riddle cut in before Judith and Ruggie could continue their bickering. “There’s something we would like to ask you about the consecutive incidents regarding the injury of selected players.”

               “Oh? That doesn’t sound like a friendly accusation,” Ruggie pointed out. He seemed as laid back as ever though as he spoke. Kristina had a feeling it was different though; his eyes were looking them all up and down—as if calculating his chances of making a run for it.

               “Won’t you come with us for a bit?” Cater asked in a voice that was much too sweet for Kristina’s tastes. The third-year threw an arm over Ruggie’s shoulder, a gesture that looked friendly but also made it clear Ruggie was leaving the classroom with them.

               “I get it already!” Ruggie snapped as he shoved Cater’s arm off his shoulder. He was pouting and his shoulders slumped in defeat. He was cornered and he knew it. “So please, don’t hurt me or anything…”

               Kristina couldn’t help but smirk as they headed out into the hallway then. It was still too early for students to have left the breakfast hall and so they were mostly empty. Ruggie stayed hunched with his hands shoved in his pockets as he eyed them all over. Still calculating exactly what he thought was going to happen now that they had caught him.

               “Now then…” Riddle started as he eyed Ruggie, addressing them more than him. “I know that he won’t easily confess, but it will be troublesome if we fell victim to his unique magic. With my ‘Off with your Head,’ I will…”

               “Oh, what’s this? Will you be okay using such strong magic without your magical pen, Riddle?” Ruggie had a wide smile that made him look more like a hungry animal than anything else. Kristina couldn’t help but blink then look back at Riddle who was frantically patting his blazer’s breast pocket. But it was pointless, Ruggie was twirling the pen around in his own fingers. Showing off his spoils.

               “Eh? H-huh? My magical pen’s not here!” Riddle exclaimed as he continued to pat at himself with disbelief.

               “Hey, Cater! Your pen’s gone too!” Grim pointed out then and when Kristina looked over, sure enough, the ruby-encrusted pen was missing from Cater’s blazer as well.

               “No way? Really?” Cater asked with wide eyes as he also began to frantically pat at his uniform.

               “Shishishishi! You guys are spoiled rich kids through and through, huh?” Ruggie asked the relaxed smile still wide on his face. He was playing them for fools. He wasn’t feeling caught at all. He was just fucking with them. “You’re both so wide open! So vulnerable~”

               “Wha? When did he use his magic to get your magical pens?”  Grim asked clearly still in shock that Ruggie had managed to one-up Riddle and Cater.

               “Aw, come on~ I don’t have to use magic to do something so simple,” Ruggie taunted with fake hurt. “And so, I feel like I’m gonna get jumped if I stay, so I’m gonna dash! Bye-bye.”

               “Hey, wait!” Grim yelled as he took off after Ruggie.

               “He better hope I don’t catch him,” Kristina growled before she took off running as well. She was pissed and ready to hit something. She was tired of looking like an absolute idiot today. She had to take it from Judith that morning because as much as she hated to admit she was right, she was right. Ruggie on the other hand was just messing with her and it angered her even more.

               “Wait! It’s off with your head if you don’t stop at once! Off with—” Riddle started to yell after them but Cater and Judith quickly stopped him.

               “Wait a second, Riddle. You just recovered from Blot, so you shouldn’t use magic much!” Cater protested pulling Riddle back. It was then that Cater and Riddle began following Kristina in running after Ruggie—the other girls hot on their heels as well. Down at the end of the hall, Kristina could already see the silhouettes of Ace and Deuce making their way over to them.

               “Awe man,” Kristina could hear Ace laughing—still having not noticed the group running in their direction. “Your pink clothes for feeding the flamingos were totally dope. How much pinker can pink get man?”

               “I-I had no choice!” Deuce protested—puffing up his cheeks and looking away from Ace. “Those were the only pink clothes I own…”

               “I guess we still have a lot of weird rules, but they’re bearable now, at least,” Ace relented with a sigh.

               “Heads up losers!” Kristina’s blunt statement pulled them both to attention quickly just as Ruggie pushed past them and jumped over the stairway railing all the way down to the next flight of steps. Ace and Deuce were too stunned and shocked over what happened to do more than look at the group of them with slack jaws and wide eyes.

               “Ah, Acey and Deucey! Perfect timing!” Cater panted as they all paused to talk to the two.

               “What’re you all in such a hurry for?” Ace asked clearly confused over what was happening.

               “The culprit behind the consecutive accidents and the guy who stole our magical pens ran away!” Riddle huffed his breathing even worse than Cater and Eva’s. “Go and capture Ruggie Bucchi right now! You know what will happen if you fail, don’t you?”

               “You’re really threatening them with that over this?” Valentina squeaked at Riddle’s harsh threat.

               “We just got done with work though,” Ace whined even if he was already turning to start running after Ruggie. No way was Ace going to risk losing his magic again after he had lost it for almost the first two weeks of school.

               “Come on you scrubs, let’s get to work,” Kristina said as she was already vaulting herself over the railing to follow after Ruggie.

               “Did she seriously just do that?” Judith’s question echoed from the tops of the stairs as Kristina began sprinting ahead. Ruggie already got a large head start and Kristina wasn’t about to let him get anymore. Ruggie wasn’t too far ahead, and she was able to sprint and close some of the gaps between them. Ace and Deuce must have been sprinting too because they were close by with Grim now.

               “You can’t escape now!” Grim proclaimed as he leaped in from of Kristina almost causing her to trip.

               “Watch it,” she snapped but Grim ignored her in favor of staring Ruggie down.

               “You think a couple of first years and a raccoon are going to help you catch me, Kris?” Ruggie taunted with a smile. “You all look really lame now, y’know?”

               “I’m not a raccoon!” Grim protested but Kristina ignored him much like he had ignored her earlier.

               “Leave that for later!” Ace hissed at Grim his ruby eyes still focused on Ruggie.

               “I’m actually begging you to make this hard on yourself,” Kristina stated—a humorless laugh bubbling in her voice. “You have been making so much more extra work for me than I need right now.”

               “Scary,” Ruggie laughed before he took off sprinting around the corner.

               “You better believe it,” Kristina fired back as she continued to run. She wondered if the others were trying to keep up or if they decided to hold back with Cater and Riddle. Then again, she really didn’t care either way.

               “I always thought that Heartslabyul was filled with weaklings who always had afternoon tea, but…” Ruggie called back to them after another few minutes of running around the school. “You guys are not bad at all~ Well done, well done~”

               “Now’s the only time you can act cocky,” Deuce replied before using his wand to call out a cauldron that Ruggie was quick to dodge. Nimbly jumping out of the way with a completely relaxed smile. He wasn’t feeling the pressure of the chase at all.

               “Can’t you just let us catch you?” Ace whined clearly feeling the chase more than Kristina or Deuce was. “We’d like to have our heads intact.”

               “Then, put some more effort into catching me~” Ruggie teased.

               “How about you give some respect to your senior,” Kristina added in—enjoying the little way Ruggie’s ears fell slightly before he went running again. They made it all the way down a hall on the second floor before they finally managed to corner Ruggie.

               “Don’t you dare take another step,” Kristina panted as she looked to Ruggie who was gritting his teeth in irritation. He clearly didn’t like the fact she had demanded something. That is until his eyes flickered back to the window behind him.

               “Ok,” Ruggie said with a smile before jumping up and letting himself jump out of the window.

               “Is he insane?” Ace asked looking at where Ruggie was now at the bottom. Waiting as if to taunt them and dare them to jump too. Kristina was just about to climb through the window and jump down herself when she felt Ace and Deuce grab her arms.

               “Are you insane?” Ace snapped at her and she did his best to pull her back. “You’ll break your leg if you try to jump down there from this height!”

               “Ace is right, it’s best we just go down the stairs,” Deuce seconded making Kristina want to grit her teeth.

               “I’m more concerned with how he isn’t tired,” Grim whined from where he was a little bit back. “I’m exhausted from all this running.”

               Kristina licks at her teeth in mild irritation before shaking Ace’s hand off of her. She took a deep breath and began making her way down the stairs instead. She really was ready to punch something but… now she was starting to burn down to only be tired. Not to mention the screaming her muscles were doing now that she wasn’t high on adrenaline. Overall, this was not a good day so far.

…

               “Shishishishi, I expected the three of you to be at your limit, but you Kris?” Ruggie was laughing in the courtyard where he had finally led all of them. Kris was braced over her knees panting, much in the same way Ace, Deuce, and Grim were.

               “Maybe if you had gone easier, I wouldn’t have felt like I was hit by a bus today,” Kristina wheezed out—glaring at Ruggie.

               “You literally challenged us yourself,” Ruggie deadpanned—his face falling in mild irritation.

               “What can I say,” Kristina shrugged a little—too tired to come up with a proper retort. “I like it rough.”

               “Ms. Kaiser, could you not,” Deuce grumbled with his cheeks flushed.

               “Forget that,” Ace interrupted. “What’s with this guy? He’s so hard to catch!”

               “He’s not only a fast runner but his ability to jump from high places is no joke either…” Deuce said as he trailed off. Clearly remembering the jump Ruggie took from the second story.

               “Ugh… Even I can’t catch up to him…” Grim groaned before falling face-first onto the ground.

               “You were behind us the whole time,” Kristina protested.

               “Shishishishi! This is nothing compared to the slums I was raised in,” Ruggie proclaimed almost proudly. Kristina blinked a little. Slums? She could picture it, kind of. They had poorer housing in their town like where Valentina and Kimberlee grew up, but even then, it wasn’t like anyone in town was living in cardboard boxes. Nothing at all like what you hear happens in the cities. And Kristina had a feeling he wasn’t talking about a house that just happened to have peeling paint and maybe issues keeping the utilities on. “Y’know, even if you catch me now, can you even prove that I did it?”

               Kristina blinked. Once then twice.

               “What did you say?” Deuce asked also blinking in confusion. Because… none of them thought that far ahead.

               “I mean, there’s no proof that I’m the one who hurt them, right?” Ruggie asked with a sly smile playing on his lips. “Did anyone even see me using magic? And do they have picture evidence? There’s none, right?”

               “Ugh…Th-that’s…” Ace trailed off clearly at a loss for words.

               “Let me get my hands on the ghost camera and we could see about that, ya damn cheater” Kristina grumbled but Ruggie only laughed again.

               “And you want to use a magical tool that forcibly shows memory, who’s the cheater now?” Ruggie asked eyes going wide with a slow blink looking like that one damned meme that Kristina saw around a lot. “Shishishishi! Try going after me when you’ve got proof, will ya? And don’t think I’ll just sit pretty for a picture either. Well, that is, if you could catch me in the first place.”

               “Ugh… This guy’s so frustrating!” Grim growled though it sounded a little muttered as he was still laying face first in the ground.

               “Alright, that’s all for our game of tag,” Ruggie sighed as he moved his hands behind his head. The absolute picture of relaxed as he began to walk away from them. He stopped then, remembering something as he fished around his pants pocket before tossing Riddle and Cater’s magic pens—leaving them at their feet. “Ah, I’ll leave the magical pens I nabbed here. Bye-bye~”

               Ruggie jogged off then, the sound of his distinct laughter still being heard as he left them all alone.

               “Damn, he pisses me off!” Ace snapped then—hissing his leg with his fist as he continued to vent.

               “Perfect Rosehearts will have our heads now,” Deuce whimpered as he was clearly dreading the idea of having that stupid-looking BDSM collar stuck on his neck again.

               “We still have time to catch him before the tournament,” Kristina tried to rationalize. “Maybe Fiona, Jude, or Anne can snap a picture in a joint class… assuming he doesn’t skip them to avoid the risk.”

               They all collectively sighed as they thought about it. Kristina was sure that Ace and Deuce were dreading their possible time without magic. Meanwhile, she was just hoping that no one from her dorm decided to taunt her about not being able to catch Ruggie. Especially since none of them went running to help.

               “You’re still playing detectives?” All their heads snapped up at the sound of the deep voice. Kristina whipped her head to the side and watching as Jack Howl made his way over to them. His hands in his pockets as he looked at the disheveled state, they were all in.

               “Wha—you should’ve helped instead of just watching. Your dorm senior’s a total bad guy, y’know!” Ace snapped at him making Kristina roll her eyes. Jack seemed pretty content to ignore the accusation in favor of his own question as well.

               “Why are you so desperate to try and help others?” Jack questioned as he looked them all up and down with his gold eyes.

               “For others’ sake?” Deuce replied as if he wasn’t sure that was the right answer. Kristina snickered at Deuce’s reply. He was acting like it was a pop quiz and not a simple question.

               “I understand that you’d want to avenge your hurt friends, but--” Jack started but was then abruptly cut off by Ace before he could continue.

               “Hah? What’re you on now?” Ace interrupted with a look that was calling Jack crazy. Jack made a slight noise of shock, clearly taken back by Ace’s statement. “Who said we’re doin’ this to help people?”

               “We simply want to prove our worth by catching the criminal,” Deuce agreed as he finally stood up straight.

               “Exactly. We just wanna be players in the coming tournament. Plus, we just wanna show off,” Ace laughed as he also stood up.

               “It’s amazing how quick you two lose your suits of armor the second Val isn’t around,” Kristina snickered watching as Deuce was quick to try and sputter out excuses.

               “As for Grim and I,” Kristina started as she also stood up straight. “We are essentially forced to do this since the headmaster is holding our living situation in this world as collateral.”

               “What?” Jack exclaimed clearly shocked at that revelation. “If the others knew…”

               “I doubt it would change anything, but it’s fine, we manage,” Kristina said as she bushed off Jack’s concern.

               “I feel bad for Senior Trey, but we’ll take his place in the spotlight~” Ace gloated as if he already secured himself an open spot on the Heartslabyul team.

               “That sounds pretty shallow after my minion’s reason,” Grim said then making Ace sputter a bit.

               “Call me a minion again and I’ll punt you like a football,” Kristina threatened, making Grim yelp a bit in surprise.

               “Hah! I thought I wouldn’t be able to trust people who blindly help others, but…” Jack said with a laugh before trailing off into a more serious tone. “I didn’t think you’d be such jerks.”

               “Really now? You’re worse than we are, dude. You knew about it all along, didn’t you?” Ace accused as he pointed at Jack dramatically. The wolf-beastman didn’t deny it. “You knew who the culprits were all this time.”

               “Ah! You’re from the same dorm so you knew you wouldn’t be targeted!” Grim accused and Kristina ignored the part of her mind that was sulking about Judith being right about that when they were looking over the victims. But it hadn’t ever come to fruition as Octavinelle and Diasomnia also lacked any victims.

               “…Hey, you lot. Duel with me.” Kristina blinked at Jack’s statement with raised eyebrows.

               “Hah? Why that all of a sudden?” Ace asked what the rest of them were clearly thinking.

               “Before I give information away, you have to beat me first,” Jack explained like it was completely common sense. “If you prove to me that you can do more than just bark, I don’t mind telling you everything I know.”

               “Ugh…I don’t really like sweating and all that, dude.” Ace complained but even so he pulled out his own magical pen and held it at the ready.

               “You’re on the basketball team,” Kristina deadpanned.

               “That’s different!”

               “I don’t really mind. It’s an easy negotiation!” Deuce was smirking then, that same dark glint in his eyes as when he went delinquent mode.

               “Wha—Deuce’s delinquent switch is on now!” Grim exclaimed but Kristina only smirked and wolf-whistled making Deuce sputter for a second.

               “If only Val could see you now,” Kristina teased a little bit before turning to Jack again. “Alright Stone Cold, let’s dance!”

…

               “TAKE THIS!”

               “BACK AT YOU!”

               Kristina was watching the two of them with mild irritation. It was supposed to be a four-on-one brawl, but after she had managed to get in a single sucker punch and direct the others for a bit, she, Ace, and Grim ended up pushed to the sidelines in favor of a one-on-one fight between Jack and Deuce. She knew that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing but it still made her grumble a bit.

               “You put up a pretty decent fight…” Jack admitted his breathing ragged from the effort of the fight.

               “You, too… not bad at all…” Deuce wheezed out as well, clearly feeling the fatigue between the fight and the chase from earlier.

               “Your punch sent a shockwave to my heart…” Grim whined a little though his voice was no louder than a whisper.

               “You’re getting too carried away… I don’t care about being a player anymore. It’s too tiring…” Ace complained as he finally let himself sit in the grass.

               “Pussy,” Kristina jabbed.

               “Fuck you, Kaiser.”

               “You tried, I shoved a pie in your face.” Kristina only got flipped off for that making her laugh.

               “Alright… Now that we’ve settled this, I’ll tell you everything that I know,” Jack stated then as his breathing had finally calmed down.

               “What exactly did we settle, man?” Ace groaned again as he turned his head back to Jack.

               “The conflict that’s been raging in my heart. Since I’m practically betraying my own dorm,” Jack admitted then. Kristina thought it was a little dramatic but she wasn’t going to stop him if it meant he would finally talk. “But I can’t bear it anymore! The real essence of a fight is winning by pure effort no matter how tough it gets! I tried to test how far I could go in our fight, too. Choosing to win by lowly methods makes me want to puke! That defeats the purpose of a competition! I wanted to reach the top by winning using my own power!”

               “Ah this guy’s the totally annoying type,” Ace complained.

               “Na, I get what he’s saying. What’s the fun in competing if you know you’re going to win? Doesn’t prove you’re better than the other person if you put a handicap on them,” Kristina reasoned which only made Ace groan again. Jack’s ears seemed to perk up at Kristina’s words—glad to see someone else seemed to understand.

               “I get it too! I totally understand that feeling!” Deuce agreed in earnest as he looks at Jack with wide eyes.

               “And you two are our totally annoying ones,” Grim grumbled as he looked between Kristina and Deuce.

               “Senior Ruggie’s unique magic is… it’s making people mimic whatever he’s doing,” Jack finally admitted. “He controlled people he wanted to control and made it look like the accident was only because they were being careless.”

               “I see now,” Ace started in as he pondered the information he was given. “That’s how he managed to trade Grim’s bread for his without looking suspicious back at the cafeteria.”

               “We still should have known something was up because it was Grim,” Kristina relented—still kicking herself for missing something so obvious.

               “Damn it! I get pissed off when I hear that incident! Grudges over food are to be feared, yanno!” Grim was sniffing a little—though if he was sad or rage crying Kristina wasn’t really sure. Still, she felt herself squat down to pet Grim’s head in comfort.

               “But wait—” Deuce cut in as he thought of something. “Wouldn’t it be suspicious if he started pretending like he fell down the stairs near the target?”

               “It’s not like Senior Ruggie was acting alone during all those incidents,” Jack admitted seeming almost embarrassed. “The other guys from Savanahclaw are probably in on it, too.”

               “Wha?” Grim exclaimed but Kristina’s mind instantly flashed to Chui and Hunter. How they had seemed so casual about everything. How with their taller and bulkier frames it would be easy for them to cover someone scrawny like Ruggie.

               “If they’re around, he won’t stand out too much even if he did his unique magic,” Jack reasoned with a sigh. “That’s why the other students acted as Senior Ruggie’s wall so he wouldn’t be seen.”

               “A conspiracy caused by a whole dorm…” Deuce said sounding in almost awe at the level of coordination. “Why go so far?”

               “Hm… The Magical Shift Tournament’s really beneficial to your future if you win, right?” Ace reasoned though even he seemed doubtful about what he was saying. “Then I guess I can kinda understand why they’re doing it, but…”

               Jack let out an almost feral growl then, startling the group of them. Even Kristina wasn’t expecting something so… primal. Like he was two seconds from ripping Ace’s throat out for suggestion the reasons were so shallow.

               “You’re so scary, man!” Ace snapped as he unconsciously put distance between himself and Jack. “Don’t bare your fangs like that, I was just joking!”

               “Hmph! The present matters more than the future! If you can’t show what you can do now, your future doesn’t matter!” Jack seemed super passionate about it. Though, Kristina couldn’t help but agree. Maybe if she had thought about that in the summer with her team, they wouldn’t have pushed her away in the end. Maybe she would have had actual friends and not that joke of a group. But she can’t change the past, just try and do better now. “The one I really can’t stand is our Perfect Leona Kingscholar! He’s a really great player, but he doesn’t put in the effort at all!”

               Wait… Leona was in on this too? Leona, her classmate. She was in class and running drills in gym with the mastermind this whole time? Leona who had managed to push her buttons in a few small encounters more than anyone else had in ages. Leona who pushed her and challenged her but… never looked at her as less. She didn’t know why the knowledge hurt more than she expected… but it did.

               “True… that guy looked lazy, but he was crazy strong,” Grim said pulling Kristina out of her own mind.

               “Right? He’s so powerful, but why doesn’t he use it? I hate those kinds of people the most!” Jack began to complain before going off on a whole tangent. “The plays that Senior Leona did in the tournament three years ago were really amazing. That’s why I entered this school… I got into Savanahclaw and I thought that I would be able to draw out his full potential in a game, but…”

               “Hey, Kris,” Ace whispered next to her as Jack continued to complain. “I only keep hearing compliments about their Perfect, but…”

               “He’s a total fanboy, this is why they say never meet your heroes,” Kristina whispered back with a slight snicker.

               “The incidents so far are like child’s play to them,” Jack admitted pulling Ace and Kristina back into the current conversation. “I know that they’re still after something bigger.”

               “Something bigger,” Deuce asked curiously.

               “It’s Diasomnia’s Perfect, Malleus Draconia,” Jack said and Kristina swore she could hear a pin drop in the following silence. “He’s got monstrous power and brought two consecutive victories to Diasomnia. Thanks to him, Savanahclaw keeps getting eliminated in the first round. I bet that my seniors all have a grudge against him.”

               “I’d be pissed too,” Kristina admitted.

               “Losing the first round without scoring points…” Deuce said. “As previous top placers, that must have been frustrating.”

               “Yeah. They stopped being the center of attention ever since then,” Jack admitted—his ears falling just a bit as if feeling pity for his seniors. “They’re trying to gain that back… but they’re using such cowardly means!”

               “So, you’re thinking that they might do something to Diasomnia on the day of the tournament, huh?” Ace asked though it sounded more like a statement than a question.

               “Yeah, that’s why I want to break their plan!” Jack said sounding more fired up and determined than ever.

               “I’ve heard enough,” the sound of Riddle’s voice breaking through their conversation made everyone turn their heads.

               “Perfect Rosehearts, Senior Diamond, ladies?” Deuce said as he looked over to the group that they had no idea was listening to them all. Valentina was quick to run over to Deuce and begin checking over his wounds while Kimberlee went over to check on Jack. He seemed reluctant to let her look at the scrapes he gained from the fight with Deuce but relented when she gave him some puppy eyes. Judith simply bent over and grabbed the magic pens that laid forgotten on the ground--handing them to Riddle and Cater respectively. 

               “You, ok?” Fiona asked Kristina cautiously. Kristina felt the urge to brush her off and ignore her. But she knew if she did she would just get a disapproving look from the others.

               “Yeah, I’m fine, Ace took more blows than I did.”

               “Hey!” Fiona didn’t look entirely convinced and Kristina couldn’t really blame her. Her ankle was screaming from when she rolled it while running and her ribs had started to sting from when Jack had elbowed her in the ribs. Still, Fiona turned away to begin fussing over Ace instead.

               “To think that they would trample on such a traditional event,” Riddle began to ramble—clearly irritated. “How unforgivable.”

               “What do we do Riddle,” Cater asked the perfect as Judith was patting the true-red-heads back in an attempt to keep him from going into a complete frenzy.

               “We can’t apprehend Ruggie right now because we lack proof,” Riddle admitted, clearly disgruntled by that fact. “We’re dealing with the sharp-whited Senior Leona. I doubt that we’ll get them to confess smoothly.”

               “In other words, we have no choice but to catch them in the act?” Ace asked before wincing as Fiona poked at a particularly sensitive spot on his side.

               “I have a plan. First, let’s—”

               “Wait. I only told you what I know, but I have no plans on joining you,” Jack interrupted Riddle as he crossed his arms—shying away from Kimberlee’s touching again.

               “Eh~ you’ve gone this far and yet you’ll still say that?” Cater balked at Jack clearly taken back by the white-haired boy's stubbornness.

               “I’ll handle my own dorm’s problems by myself, see you,” Jack said but as he turned to walk away Kristina found herself moving before she even got the chance to react herself. She grabbed Jack by the back of his jacket and threw him against the apple tree in the courtyard with little resistance. Jack could only blink in shock at her actions before she slammed an open palm right next to his head making him whimper a little.

               “All this big talk, but really your about as useful as a newborn pup going at this alone,” Kristina said her words sharp like a knife. “I’ve met divas like you before who said they can do things fine on their own, that they don’t need a team. Do you know where they all ended up? On the bench.”

               “Huh?” Jack asked torn between wanting to snarl at her and clearly still intimidated by her close proximity and boldness.

               “Th-there it is again… that sharp tongue this dorm seems to be known for…” Grim whimpered a little.

               “She has a point,” Deuce admitted. “Your chances of winning against a whole dorm are very slim.”

               “Haven’t you ever heard the lone wolf dies but the pack survives? If you do this on your own, Leona and everyone else in that dorm will rip you to pieces… however, you play nice with us and maybe, just maybe we can knock some sense into that lion.” Jack stared Kristina directly in the eyes. Both he and Kristina ignoring Eva’s muttered questions about if Kristina had just quoted Game of Thrones.

               “… Very well. I’ll listen to what you have to say,” Jack relented—knocking Kristina’s arm away so he wasn’t forced to stay shoved up against the tree anymore. “But I’ll do something on my own if I don’t like it.”

               “Or we could just listen to your input and revise the plan if you don’t like it,” Judith grumbled earning her a disapproving look from Anne Marie.

               “This guy’s just really annoying…” Ace sighed in defeat.

               “Stubbornness is your specialty though, Acey~” Cater teased making Ace’s face turn scarlet from embarrassment.

               “Then, continuing what I said earlier, first, we…” Riddle launched into an explanation of the plan then. Explaining in exact detail how they were going to protect Malleus (which seemed redundant considering what all Kristina had heard about him) and also manage to exposé Leona. It was simple, which she appreciated, but there were still some moving pieces that made her more than a little nervous. The more pieces the easier it was for things to go off the rails. But she was still mostly confident as Riddle finished his explanation of the plan.                      

               “I see, let’s go with that~” Ace said happily after hearing the plan.

               “Perfect Rosehearts never disappoints,” Deuce praised as he looked at Riddle with awe.

               “Alright, I’ll go make the necessary arrangements now,” Cater said as he began typing quickly on his phone and heading off in the direction of the third-year classrooms.

               “I’m counting on you,” Riddle called after Cater. “Make sure not to seem too suspicious.”

               “So, what are you going to do after hearing Riddle’s suggestion?” Cater asked Jack as he paused with a smile. “Will you join us?”

               “… It wasn’t a cowardly plan…” Jack admitted as he ducked his head down to not meet Cater’s gaze. “I’ll be cooperating with you just this once.”

               “I’m glad,” Kimberlee said with a smile making Jack blink a little. He clearly never interacted with her despite the two of them being in class together if he was that surprised about her cheery demeanor.

               “This guy’s so no honest with his feelings at all, yanno,” Grim sighed as he let Fiona pick him up.

               “A total tsundere,” Eva muttered to herself—though it was unclear if anyone was supposed to hear that or not.

               “Let’s go back to the dorms for now. Ah, man, I’m so tired,” Ace whined as he began to make his way to the hall of mirrors.

               “I’m getting hungry too,” Grim whined. Kristina would be lying if she said she didn’t feel the discomfort from missing breakfast and running around.

               “Guys, we still have school today,” Anne Marie reminded all of them making them groan in protest.

               “Oh, that’s right, first years, Kristina,” Riddle said before he turned to all of them with stormy eyes void of humor. “I will overlook your petty fight even though it goes against the school’s ‘personal agenda’ rule because it gave us valuable information, but… the next time you do it, it’s off with your heads. Am I understood?”

               “Yes, we’re so sorry,” Ace and Deuce said in unison. The threat is much heavier to them than it was to Kristina.

               “Sure whatever,” she said with a huff though she wasn’t really that threatened since thanks to Judith mouthing off that one time, they all knew that the magic was useless on them since they didn’t have any to seal.

               “…yessir,” Jack finally said before Riddle broke into a smile.

               “Very good. Then, let us head back to the dorm,” Riddle said with a smile.

               “Again, don’t we have class?” Anne Marie whined again clearly confused about why Riddle was letting them all go without going to class.                                                                               

               “Didn’t you read the notices around school? It’s an institute day. No classes, kids were just hanging around for homework reasons,” Judith said as she walked pasted the still stunned girl.

               “What! And you were just going to let us sit around the classroom like we had school?” Anne Marie protested as she attempted to chase Judith down for more answers.

               “I thought he was a weakling,” Jack admitted. “But the Heartslabyul dorm perfect is pretty scary.”

               “He is! He looks like a helpless little hedgehog, but he’s a super-strong porcupine!” Ace began to ramble as they all followed after the group of their dorm members. “It’s better to listen to what he says.”

               “I can’t believe I have to sit in class with Leona for the next week and act like nothing is up,” Kristina sighed. “This is going to be a long wait for the tournament.”

…

               That night, around the Savanahclaw pool there was a gathering of students. Ruggie stood front and center across from Leona. The Savanahclaw perfect stood perfectly still other than his tail swinging in irritation as he glared daggers at his honorary vice-dorm leader.

               “Ruggie, I heard that those guys from Heartslabyul and that herbivore from my class were chasing you this morning,” Leona said his voice cold before he reached for a coconut glass that had been left forgotten on one of the tables. He crushed it with his bare hands. “I told you not to leave evidence, you idiot!”

               “Y-you’ve got it wrong! There’s a proper story behind that…” Ruggie stammered clearly nervous about the whole situation. “I wasn’t cased because they had proof, so don’t worry.”

               “Tch…” Leona clicked as he shook his hand of the pulp from the coconut. “I paid a lot of money for Octavinelle’s creepy octopus bastard to cooperate with us. “I’ll fry and eat you all if you fail, go that?”

               “The preparation for the main dish is going smoothly~” Ruggie reassured—relaxing now that Leona himself was relaxing. Still… he didn’t like that Kristina was actively involved. If it was Valentina from class 1-A, the same one who dealt mostly with Riddle he wouldn’t have cared. But he has classes with Kristina, and she was annoyingly tenacious when she wanted to be. Though, she really didn't seem all that bright if the test scores he saw were accurate. 

               “We’ll definitely make those Diasomnia bastards pay!” Hunter reassured from where he was lounging on a rock, Chui sprawled out beside him as the leopard beast-man had his head in his lap.

               “Ah~ I can’t wait for the tournament already,” Ruggie lamented as the hyena closed his eyes. Picturing the cheers of victory already. “Malleus Draconia all beat up and kneeling in front of Leona! Ah, the world will surely admire us now. Someone might even scout a hyena-like me.”

               “The pro-leagues might even fight over you bastards,” Chui laughed as he pushed some of his braids out of his face. They were down for once rather than in their signature ponytail.

               “Hah! You’re all very optimistic considering nothing’s happened yet,” Leona laughed though it was void of humor.

               “Just confident,” Chui shrugged before he sat up properly. “After all, your popularity would skyrocket, too.”

               “The people from the Afterglow Savanah might even think you should be king after,” Hunter added in.

               “Effort and family lineage are different,” Leona chastised. Hunter shouldn’t get his hopes up like that, it only made Leona dream and wish too… and he promised himself a long time ago he would stop hoping for miracles.

               “Eh?” Ruggie asked with a tilt of his head. Of course, Ruggie wouldn’t get it. He wasn’t a prince. He wasn’t ever told what he could and couldn’t be. Leona would be more envious of that fact if it wasn’t for the fact, he had seen Ruggie’s life and didn’t wish it on anyone except maybe his worst enemies.

               “Nothing…” Leona said before trailing off into a yawn. “I’m going to sleep now. You all get lost, too.”

               “Roger,” Ruggie said with a salute. “Good night, Leona.”

               “Not everything will be solved…” Leona said to himself. Quiet enough he was sure the other beastman of the dorm wouldn’t hear him. “Even if we reach the top.”

Chapter Text

Kristina was finding Professor Trein’s history class to be the bane of her existence. It was the one class she was sure everyone in Ramshackle dorm could agree was stupid hard. Unlike the other classes which were magic-based and didn’t involve them, or were at least similar subjects to what they had back in their world, history was a completely fresh and new thing for them. They all had no idea about the geography, countries, landscape, government, any of it. And here they were, expected to figure out exactly everything was. Why were they even trying with this stuff anyway? It wasn’t like they planned on staying in this mad and magical place.

               And this was how Kristina found herself in the library after school the Monday before the tournament. So far training had been going well for the Magishift tournament. Most of them had mastered at least a few basic spells, even Eva was coming around now that she wasn’t forced to run at, as she put it, fuck all in the morning. Still, that doesn’t change the fact that Kristina had a history test coming up that she needed to study for.

               If only she could get her brain to focus long enough to figure out which book was the right title.

               “Oi, you going to just stand there all day or grab a book?” Kristina could already feel her teeth starting to grit at the sound of Leona’s voice. What the hell was he even doing in the library? She was pretty sure Jack made it very clear he was lazy and didn’t try, so why the fuck was he in the library.

               She turned her head to glare at him. He wasn’t smirking, nor did he look particularly annoyed. He mostly just looked tired and bored. He flicked an ear a little as he continued to look at her with the same expression, he had every other time he had seen her since their skirmish match last week: completely done. Then again, Kristina was pretty sure she was wearing the same expression she had been since then as well: irritation.

               “And what if I did decide to just stand here? Going to forcibly remove me?” Kristina challenged, knowing full well that Leona wouldn’t lay a finger on her unless she said he could or she threw the first punch. It was always nice to know MagiTube was just a click away to give her a rundown on basic Afterglow Savanah cultural norms. She doubted it covered everything, but it covered enough for her. She doubted it covered everything, but it did at least explain the crazy respect women juice they drank over there. Lucky her.

               “No, but you are starting to get a line forming behind you,” Leona said as a smirk finally began to play on the corners of his lips. Kristina winced, suddenly hyper-aware of the feeling of several students gathered behind her who were also trying to get to the bookshelf. Peaking behind her, she saw several groups of boys all whispering to each other, clearly wanting to get to the shelf but too afraid to approach and stand next to her.

               Maybe she had been a little rough in making sure none of the guys at the school would mess with her.

               “Whatever, I just need this,” Kristina said as she grabbed a random book off the shelf. Leona tilted his head curiously before snorting—pressing his lips tightly together to fight off the larger laugh that threatened to bubble over. He seemed to be perking up at least, though Kristina still wanted to punch him

               “You taking a health class or something?” Leona finally managed to snicker after he calmed his breathing down again.

               “I took one my freshmen year, don’t really feel like taking one again, why?” Leona just pointed down to the book that Kristina had picked up in her hand. She looks down and blinked a few times—waiting for the letters to settle enough for her to fully process what they said. Across the cover in shiny gold lettering was: A History of Interspecies Sexual Relations in Twisted Wonderland. Now Kristina had never considered herself a prude. Despite her strict Catholic upbringing, she was quick to lose her first time to a more than eager senior shortly after she had finished her freshmen season—desperately wanting to keep up with the other girls in her class who were all hooking up and having their first times done. But at that moment, she found herself shoving the book back on the shelf as she tensed up and glared at Leona. As if it was somehow his fault, she grabbed the completely wrong book from the shelf.

               Despite Leona’s coy smile, he was also looking at her curiously. As if studying her reaction. Seeing her, trying to understand her. Kristina found herself wanting to squirm under the scrutinizing gaze. She wasn’t used to people trying to understand her, and she wasn’t quite sure how she felt about it. He only stared at her a moment longer before he turned to the shelf and grabbed a book—holding it out to her to inspect. When the words finally settled, she could make out the title: Twisted Wonderland: A general history. That had been the book Trein had kept her after class to recommend she read.

               “Thanks,” she grumbled before reaching out the grab it—but just as her fingers were grazing the cover, he pulled the book away and held it behind him. “What the fuck?”

               “I have a question that has been driving me crazy since that skirmish last week, answer me honestly Herbivore and I’ll give you your book,” Leona stated making Kristina glower.  She was starting to understand Judith’s aversion to nicknames now. She licked her teeth a little as she looked to the book and back to him, debating if the detention and lecture from Anne Marie would be worth just trying to take the book by force. Eventually, she did relent at the idea. Detention would just take more time away from practice right now and they were all just finally starting to maybe work together as a team. She couldn’t risk it.

               “First of all, it’s Kris, not Herbivore, second what do you want to know?” Kristina replied as she shifted her weight to her left leg and placed her hands on her hips. She hoped she looked intimidating and not like some sassy chick flick lead.

               “Why are you participating in the tournament?” Kristina had expected a lot of questions. Would you sleep with me? Why are you a bitch? How the hell could she not read in high school? But why she was participating in the Magishift tournament was not one of them.

               “Because we are a dorm with seven members and so we’re entered in the tournament?” Kristina asked clearly very confused about the question. It seemed obvious to her. Leona only sighed in response.

               “No, you damned smartass,” Leona growled. He was honestly giving her sass levels too much credit, she was seriously confused right now. “Why are you training and following through? You could have found a way to drop out already, but you are still pushing for the dorm to compete despite being guaranteed to lose. Why?”

               Kristina looked into his eyes; his pupils narrowed into slits. He looked so distressed and tired. His hair was even messier than usual and hanging in his face as he looked at her. He wasn’t looking down on her. He wasn’t challenging her. He seemed genuinely torn up about the question like it had been eating him alive for days.

               “Because I would rather die than give up without a fight,” Kristina stated. No sass, not quips, just honesty. “Don’t you feel the same?”

               He had to feel the same. Why else would he be putting in so much effort to try and take down Malleus? He had to have some fight in him. If he didn’t then what was the point of all this? To prove that he could? She refused to believe that was the case. He was smiling and having fun while they played against each other and it wasn’t just because he was winning. He had a hunger for victory, she knew he did. And maybe… maybe he might just understand her a little.

               “You’re insane,” Leona stated then just as his ear flicked again. Kristina barely had time to react before Leona had her shoved up against the bookcase. She barely had time to breathe and think before the sound of a bookcase crashing down. It would have crushed her if not for the fact Leona had pulled her out of the way.

               “Watch what you’re doing you damned annoyances,” Leona snapped at the two students who had broken out into a fight and resulted in the bookcase falling. She hadn’t even heard them fighting. Was she really that engrossed in their conversation? She could worry about that later; she could feel herself heating up as she was hyper-aware of how her chest was flush against his and how he smelled like sand and sandalwood. Hell, if he had let his head fall any closer to hers, he might have accidentally locked lips with her. A traitorous part of her brain wondered what it would be like, to kiss him, but she quickly shoved the thought away.

               “If you want to keep holding me like this then you should at least buy me dinner first,” Kristina finally managed to say though her throat was impossibly dry. She licked her lips a little as she felt Leona let go of her.

               “Sorry,” he mutters before tossing the book he had previously been holding hostage to her. She caught it easily enough as she watched him walk away. His ears were folded down and he had his shoulders hunched forward… was he embarrassed? She couldn’t help but giggle a little at the idea. The big bad lion, all shy over a little skin-to-skin contact. Who would have thought?

               She looked to the fallen bookcase and shrugged before nimbly stepping over the mess and beginning to make her way out of the library. Wasn’t her problem so she wasn’t cleaning it up. The idiots who almost crushed her could suffer the wrath of the library ghosts.

               As she exited the library, she almost crashed right into someone else again. She stumbled a little as they narrowly avoided her. She couldn’t stop the exasperated sigh that made its way out of her mouth. She really wasn’t having a good day, was she?

               “Oh, Kris, we were looking for you.” Kristina blinked at the words as she actually stopped to look at who almost crashed into her. Jack and Kimberlee were both standing there with wide eyes—like two lost puppies who just so happened to run into their owner. She would have found it endearing if she hadn’t almost been run over moments ago.

               “The hell could you two want with me?” Kristina asked as she cocked an eyebrow at them. “Shouldn’t you be avoiding me like the plague until practice in like… an hour.”

               “Kim and I were talking in class and we ended up watching some of Senior Leona’s old videos from three years ago. She mentioned you would probably want to see them,” Jack reasoned with her. Kristina looked at Kimberlee curiously, surprised the girl had figured that out. She would be lying if she said she wasn’t more than a little curious. Jack had hyped the guy up so much, so really wanted to see the play he pulled off.

               “You could have just texted me the links,” Kristina rationalized. “We don’t need to have some kind of viewing party like we’re friends.”

               “But… I just thought that… I mean we’re in the same dorm and all… it could be nice to spend time together. I never see any of you outside of meals.” Kimberlee sounded so quiet when she spoke Kristina was almost straining to hear her. Now Kristina felt like a dick. Still, her point stood. They weren’t friends. If she wanted someone to play with, she could go play with Gingersnap, T-Bird, and Paula Mitchel. Kristina wasn’t really interested.

               “What was it you said the other day, ah right, ‘The lone wolf dies but the pack survives,’” Jack taunted with a smackable grin. “You aren’t going to lecture me about going off on my own then do the same, are you?”

               She hated it when she gave good advice for this specific reason. It always seemed to come back and bite her in the ass. Why couldn’t they have decided to bother Fiona, Judith, or Anne Marie with this? Why her? She sighed after a moment, relenting.

               “Fine, I’ll watch the stupid video with you. But that’s it—don’t expect me to be making friendship bracelets or anything.” Kimberlee and Jack both seemed to perk up at Kristina’s agreement. Seriously, did the two of them know how lame they looked right then? They were both taller than her and they were looking at her with way too much enthusiasm.

               Kristina followed them out to the courtyard to watch the video. Jack sat in the middle with the video pulled up on his phone, Kristina sat to one side while Kimberlee was on the other. She couldn’t help but snicker a little—wondering how many guys were absolutely steaming seeing Jack so close to 2/7^th of the school’s female-identifying population. Jack didn’t seem to pay the fact they were close any mind though as he clicked on the video—the screen buffering. The title read “Crazy Play Made by Savanahclaw Freshmen! 20XX NRC Magishift Tournament”, seemed overdramatic to Kristina but she wasn’t going to fight them on it.

               The video started, painfully clipped to the start of the play. Kristina could see Leona front and center on the field even with the cameras shaking. His hair was shorter, not by a lot but enough it was noticeable. He also seemed a little shorter than he was currently. He was practically bouncing as the ref finally blew the whistle to start the play.

               The whole play was so crazy she couldn’t even describe it. One minute he had the disc and the next he had managed to slide past several Heartslabyul players and give a low toss to another teammate. They had caught it and then another team cast a simple ice spell, vaulting Leona high in the air before the disc was passed to him again and he went soaring right into the end zone—base landing down like he was in a goddamned super-hero movie.

               The crowd went absolutely nuts. Everyone in the crowd was standing. Even though it was a recording—Kristina could feel her own adrenaline pumping as she watched the scene. It made her itch to run around herself. The camera moved to zoom in on the jumbo screen. The screen was following Leona and his face, he was smiling bright and full of passion. He seemed so much more alive than the tired shell she had seen in the library.

               “What the hell happened to him,” Kristina found herself asking before she could think about it.

               “I wish I knew,” Jack said—his ears falling just a little. “The Leona in this video is not the same as the Leona now. I refuse to believe they are.”

               Kristina wanted to believe him. She really did. But she was part of the school royalty back home. She knew more than anyone that not everyone lived up to expectations. Not everyone was what others say. Sometimes, people changed. But more often than not they just got really good at changing their mask so you think they did.

               “It’s a nice sentiment, but he probably just got tired of faking it is all,” Kristina shrugged. Kimberlee pouted then at Kristina’s words.

               “That’s a bit harsh, after all, a lot of people seem to really look up to him,” Kimberlee defended—her bangs falling a bit in her eyes as she jerked around with animated movements.

               “Oh please, what people say rarely lines up with reality,” Kristina scoffed. “If that was true then you would be nothing more than a guy trying to pass as a girl who was stupidly clumsy rather than an overly optimistic goody-two-shoes.”

               “I’m not trans,” Kimberlee muttered. “Was that really what people said about me?”

               “In Ethan’s group, yeah,” Kristina admitted. “If it makes you feel any better, they all said I was a mega-bitch when they thought I couldn’t hear them.”

               “It really doesn’t,” Kimberlee said her voice still sounding a little down. “What about the others. What do you really know about them?”

               “Let’s see,” Kristina said as she leaned back against the tree thinking about it. “Val had a stick up her ass and was a total drag from what I heard—though like I said I hardly knew anything about the two of you before coming here and being forced to live with you. If I had to say something now, I would say she’s an earnest kid with big dreams and crazy about hair. Eva and I were in the same grade but we hardly talked. Mostly they just called her an emo freak and left her alone. Now I would just say she’s a sarcastic and anti-social ass, but I can’t really fault her for that. Anne Marie, I had a little more contact with her since she went to a lot of athletic booster events and she was at all the pep rallies. Mostly everyone talked about how she would be a real catch if she just lost the weight. After living with her and seeing her habits I can safely say that is literally just her bone structure and overall build.”

               Kristina paused as she came upon the last two, she could talk about. She interacted with Judith and Fiona a lot more than she interacted with the others. And she really didn’t have a favorable opinion on either of them even after coming to this world. Still, as she peeked over at Kimberlee and Jack, she saw they were both looking at her intently, waiting for her to continue.

               “Judith had more rumors around her than anyone else at the school. Mostly cause the stupid thing never bothered to defend herself or do anything to counter the really outrageous ones. Most of them were based just around things they knew about Ethan—since he wasn’t exactly quiet about how daddy bought his grades. Destiny would talk your ear off about how she only ever got dance solos because the Wieck’s funded the dance program if you let her. Not to mention how she would just sit there as her brother tormented the student body without a word of protest. I’m not any better in that regard, but people didn’t fuck with me as they did her. And now that I live with her, I still hate her guts, always with her nose in the air and an attitude problem. I’d respect it more if she actually spoke her mind half the time but she keeps biting her tongue and it pisses me off,” Kristina paused to breathe before continuing.

               “The only reason Fiona wasn’t in the inner circle was that Destiny deemed her a threat to her position as top bitch and made sure Ethan wouldn’t take her in. Not that anyone would ever say a bad thing about her other than she was a complete air-head. Maybe a little depressing ever since her parents died, but that was the worse of it. No one really talked with her or messed with her. She was just a ghost drifting around the school. At practice, she was everyone’s sweetheart. All the younger girls wanted to practice with her and everyone wanted to spend time with her at team bonding activities.”

               Everyone forgot she existed the second Fiona stepped foot in the room.

               “Well, I think that’s all wrong,” Kimberlee started then. “Fiona isn’t depressing, she’s nice even if she can be a little oblivious sometimes. Val is super fun if you give her a chance. Anne is super pretty. Eva I’m sure is just shy, she’ll come around. And Jude dances better than anyone else on the team. She earns her spot, even if I can’t vouch for the rest of it. As for you… you’re a little blunt but you aren’t cruel. Your honest, and I can respect that.”

               Kristina felt herself jerk back a bit at the sudden compliment. She wasn’t expecting that, especially from Kimberlee. But the first-year seemed more than happy as she blinded wide spring-grass green eyes at her. Kristina felt herself stand up, shoving her hands in her pocket.

               “Whatever, you nerd, I’m not a bitch I am THE bitch, get it right,” Kristina huffed as she began walking away. “Come on, or we’re going to be late for the team practice.”

               She could hear Kimberlee giggling behind her as the blonde stood up to follow behind her—leaving Jack to watch them go. She bit her lip a little to stop herself from smiling. That was still probably one of the nicest things she had been told without any ulterior motive for a long time.

               It gave her hope, just a little, that maybe things were better with this team than before.

Chapter Text

Kristina knew the second she smelled that same dry sandy smell she was dreaming again. Only this time, the scent was richer, more earth. Even rotting and moldy with the cool sensation she felt on her skin. As she looked around, finally entering a more lucid state of dreaming, and saw she was hidden away in a more cave-like area. The same dark-furred lion she had seen in the previous dream was lounging on some large-flat rocks—glaring at the same bird that had almost taken her head off in the first dream.

               “At least they’re consistent,” she muttered to herself.

               “Oh, stop it, Zazu,” the lion sighed—cutting off the bird’s sad jail song. “That’s just depressing.”

               “Hah…” the bird scoffed before muttering, “King Mufasa would never allow—”

               “What? What did you say? I am the King!” The lion roared loudly as he rolled over—his maw dangerously close to Zazu making the bird flinch.

               “A king shouldn’t have to proclaim he’s king,” Kristina said though she knew he couldn’t hear her. She couldn’t help but snort at her own proclamation though. She was sure Eva would lose her shit if she knew Kristina was quoting game of thrones again. Though Kristina did admit the only reason she watched the show was because she knew it would piss her mom off to know she did. Still, she quite enjoyed Tywin Lannister’s character—even if he was a villain, he made some good points.

               “Hey, boss,” one of the hyenas interrupted as three of them came into the cave as a group. “Everyone’s complaining.”

               “There’s nothing to eat or drink,” another one of the hyenas added in. “We’re all gonna die of hunger!”

               “I don’t care,” the lion said as he flopped back down onto his rock—back turned to the rest of them. “Eat Zazu.”

               “Tch. Mufasa’s reign was better,” the first hyena grumbled again.

               “Is that so? You’re an eyesore! Get lost!” The lion snapped at the hyena’s dismissing them as they laughed their way out of the cave. Leaving the lion all alone. Kristina could only linger though as she looked at the lion, watching him fall back asleep as Zazu shakily moved to curl up in the corner of his bone cage. She wanted to feel bad, she really did. But she also wanted to snap his neck. Where was all the drive she saw previously? The willingness to lead?

               “You get what you want and you decide it’s a good time to quit? No wonder they compare you to that Mufasa guy,” Kristina said as she crossed her arms. “But… I think you had accepted second place before you even started.”

…

               “Hey, wake up.” Kristina’s eyes flew open as she shot up in bed. She looked around wildly and saw Jack standing there—his cheeks a little darker than normal as he quickly turned around. “Sorry, I’ll wait outside while you get dressed.”

               Kristina looked down and realized she had thrown off her shirt in her sleep again, so she was just in a plain black sports bra. The quilt on her bed was pooled around her waist and she was sure somewhere in the pile of fabric was her pajama bottoms. She couldn’t help but roll her eyes at Jack’s reaction though. She wore less playing beach volleyball during training camp last summer. Actually, she was pretty sure she wore an almost identical sports bra since she could do the pool conditioning in it as well and not have to change before going over to the sandpits.

               “You’re fine just turned around like that,” Kristina assured making Jack paused for a moment from his retreat before he finally settled on just standing there with his back turned. “What are you doing in the dorm anyway?”

               “I was jogging by this morning when Senior Alagona saw me passing and decided to force me to come in for breakfast,” Jack began to explain.

               “I’m surprised they didn’t wake me up already if they were also having breakfast,” Kristina grumbled as she looked at her phone to see it was about nine-thirty in the morning—about a half-hour later than she normally let herself sleep in on the weekend.

               “Senior Ryland mentioned you had been staying up pretty late to watch Magishift videos and come up with some plays that you would all be able to pull off with your limited magic capabilities, so they decided to let you sleep in,” Jack said trying to defend the others. Kristina wasn’t sure how she felt about Jack actually using honorifics with them. So far he was the only one to use them, even Deuce just referred to them as their last names, not as seniors.

               Kristina had finished getting dressed during their conversation—now in her school uniform despite it being the weekend. Crowley had been so kind to inform them that they would have to march in the team show off the parade at the opening ceremony, but unlike the other teams that would use their dorm uniforms, they would have to just use their school uniforms since they didn’t have a dorm uniform. Honestly, she didn’t mind that as much as she thought she would, mostly because she wanted to figure out how the hell Crowley was going to explain to the public why a bunch of girls were at an all-boys school. Though, she had a sinking feeling he had come up with something.

               “Kris! Hurry up! I wanna catch the culprit so we can win the tournament already!” Grim whined as he pushed his way into the room and hopping up on the bed.

               “Yeah, yeah, I’m hurrying,” Kristina said as she ruffled Grim’s head.

               “Hmph, I better get back to the dorm before Leona becomes suspicious,” Jack said as he turns to Kristina to say goodbye. “I’ll see you in the arena Senior Kaiser,” Kristina smirked.

               “Better practice sticking your tail between your legs so you can do it with grace when I beat you,” Kristina taunted the first year. He smirked in response before turning to leave the room.

               Kristina was confident in her battle plan. She had watched the matches against Scarabia more times than she could count (and lecturing Judith for talking so much to Jamil about their nasty habit of infighting) and they had learned several solid plays thanks to the ghosts and MagiTube videos. They might not be able to win but they should be able to put on a good show and not look like a bunch of toddlers.

               So why did she feel like everything was going to go wrong today?

…

               Azul Ashengrotto had never felt smugger as he walked the line of stalls around the colosseum. Venders from the far reaches of the Land of Pyroxene to the coastal cities of Scalding Sands were present and had been lined up bright and early to set up their stalls—all too happy to pay their fees to Azul and the twins as he had walked by for an inspection. He couldn’t really blame them after all, since anyone who was anyone would be present at the matches today. Business was business, simple as that.

               He would know something about that after all, especially with the deal he had made with Leona Kingscholar a few weeks prior. There had been several conditions to the deal, and while Azul doesn’t have full details, he does have some ideas—which is why certain…stipulations had been put in place when forming his contract. Namely the safety of Octavinelle students being assured. He couldn’t afford to lose any of his staff nor give them a reason to rebel too much. Especially with Gula still only being a third-year. It would set his plans back months if he had to deal with that damned King Crab.

               “The number of customers this year is astounding, too. Now, all we need to focus on are the sales each stall makes,” Azul muttered to himself as he continued to stroll down main street. Doing his best to mind his steps against the uneven stones and bustling workers finishing up last-minute preparations. “Now that I am the Managing Director, it will not do anyone good to pretend that they have sold out, fufufu.”

               “The maintenance of the Colosseum is complete, perfect,” Jade said overly formally as he moved to flank Azul’s side. Usually, Azul would have been startled but after being friends with the twins for as long as he had—he had long since grown used to their uncanny habits of appearing out of thin air. He already knew Floyd would likely follow suit soon enough—even if the twins weren’t always with each other their timing to reconvene at the same time was impeccable. “We will start letting people inside in another ten minutes or so.”

               “Very well done, Jade and Floyd,” Azul complimented as he turned to each twin in turn. Sure, enough Floyd was standing there, a slightly sour look on his face. Azul did hope he wasn’t slipping into one of his moods. They were going to need Floyd in top form if they hoped to make it past the first round of the tournament.

               “Hey, hey, Azul~,” Floyd said as he tugged on Azul’s jacket slightly—like a child trying to catch his parent’s attention. “Why are the players going to parade all the way from the eastern school building to the arena this year? Thanks to that, the customers waiting to see them are all packed like barnacles and it’s so hard to walk around.”

               “It was a request from a certain client,” Azul explained as he adjusted his glasses. He thought back to the odd request from Leona, asking for a potion to enhance one’s magical abilities as well as a change in parade start venue. Azul wasn’t sure why and he didn’t pry, after all the payment was just too good to pass up. “Though, I have not heard in detail as to why…” All he knew was Leona was gunning for Malleus’ crown. Other than that Azul was as much in the dark as the twins were.

               “Ah, I understand,” Jade assured with a small smile—making him appear far more innocent than he was. “They plan to use the magic amplifier you made for this purpose.”

               “Eh? What did you figure out?” Floyd asked moving behind Azul to hang off his brother’s shoulder—poking at Jade’s cheek curiously. “The magic amplifier and the parade don’t seem connected at all~”

               “Shh… we must not be heard,” Jade chuckled as he quieted his brother. “Let us please keep it down.”

               “Ah~ are you planning something bad?” Floyd teased Jade as he continued to lean close to him a dangerous smile on his lips showed off his serrated teeth—making a few of the vendors scurry away from their location quickly. Leaving the three of them in an almost bubble.

               “Still, the amplifier’s effect lasts a mere thirty seconds,” Azul rationalized as he pondered more on what Leona’s plan could possibly be. “What is that person planning I wonder…”

               “Azul, I am pretty sure that you already know what will happen,” Jade poked at Azul with his own sharp teeth on full display as he smiled.

               “My, I wonder what you’re talking about, fufufu,” Azul laughed. Jade wasn’t wrong though; Azul was almost certain how this plan would play out. Especially when he had seen that Leona was smart enough to go for Jamil Viper rather than Kalim al-Asim. Leona was definitely not one to make an enemy out of that was for sure.

               “Eh? What is it? Tell me, too!” Floyd whined as he moved from Jade’s shoulder to hang on Azul’s. Azul had long since grown used to Floyd’s overly handsy nature and while he did feel himself sucking in a gut that was no longer there on reflex, he mostly didn’t react.

               “Fufufu, I was thinking of adding new facilities to the Lounge when he came with a rather promising proposal,” Azul shrugged as he lightly pushed Floyd off—the younger eel having no resistance as he was growing bored of the conversation. “Come, that is enough small talk, time is money, as they say. Let us go and check the drink stalls now.”

               “Nene~ you see such a strange school of fish before,” Floyd laughed then suddenly as they were walking in the direction of the concession stalls—seeing the group of Ramshackle girls looking around as privileged by student previews. They also seemed to be accompanied by the same two playing cards of Riddle’s that were in class with Valentina. How interesting. “A crab, a mackerel, a molly, a cichlid, shrimpy, manta ray, whale shark, flounder, and platy. Such a weird group.”

               “Yes, it is strange to see them all together outside of lunchtime,” Jade agreed as he looked the group over. “Then again, Judith never seems to join them at lunch, does she? Her job in the kitchens must keep her very busy then.”

               Azul would be lying if he said he didn’t want to take this opportunity to gather information on them. A month into school and he still didn’t have anything solid to work with in order to convince them to come to him for a contract. He was running out of time; final exams were less than two months away. He needed something solid or they would be behind on expansion planning again.

               “Ah! Look, Val! There’re so many stalls selling food!” Azul heard Grim cry out as the cat monster was standing on Valentina’s shoulder to get a better view of the stalls. “Churros, fried cakes… and there’s smoked chicken, too!”

               “Do you think there is some funnel cake?” Kimberlee asked as she looked ahead to the other stalls. “I miss funnel cake.”

               “You had like three at the county fair before we ended up here!” Valentina protested clearly concerned for Kimberlee’s health. Azul had to agree, as good as that sounded it was also horrible for her health.

               “So, that was like a month ago! And I can only get it around this time of year,” Kimberlee whined to Valentina as she shook her friend lightly by the shoulders.

               “Jude! Stop walking off!” Anne Marie snapped then stealing Azul’s attention. He would be lying if he said he didn’t almost miss her as she was obscured by the group fairly easily with her shorter stature. She couldn’t have been more than 163 centimeters tall after all. Still, she had her hair in a braided updo circling her head in a halo as she glared at Judith who was poking her head past the food stalls and over in the direction of the merchandise vendors. Judith who, strangely enough, had her hair down for once.

               “Oh, come on, you can’t tell me you aren’t at least a little curious to see what some of the other places in this world are like outside of the island,” Judith retorted though her eyes were still locked on one of the stalls that had caught her eye. Anne Marie had only clicked her tongue in response before she grabbed Judith’s wrist and yanked her back to the main group.

               “I wasn’t chosen for the team in the end…” Ace whined getting him a sympathetic pat from Fiona.

               “Same here…” Deuce complained as well only he ended up having his fingers laced together with Valentina as she moved onto her tip-toes to kiss him on the cheek in comfort. Interesting, since when were those two an item? He might have to move Deuce Spade up as a person of interest after all.

               “You guys didn’t seriously think Riddle was going to pick you two over his reserve team, did you?” Eva asked almost so quietly Azul almost missed it. Neither Ace nor Deuce answered in response as they looked around sheepishly.

               “There’s still next year,” Kimberlee offered in solace making the two perk up again just a little.

               “But we have an important task to do today, let’s be alert,” Deuce declared then. Azul blinked a little from where he stood to the side with the twins. Task? What on earth could that group of troublemakers be planning?

               “You’re right, let’s do our best on that… I guess,” Ace said though he sounded much less enthusiastic about the task.

               “What’s a Takoyaki? I wanna try some!” Grim declared then and Azul couldn’t help but glare at the monster for his words. Azul found himself promising that if Grim made a contract with him, he was sticking him on dish duty for at least a month.

               “Later! Come on, let’s go!” Ace said then as the group of them ran forward—mostly giggling with some protests as others shoved themselves forward.

               What an interesting school of fish indeed.

…

               Ruggie could feel his whole body shaking with excitement as he waited for his cue. He had been dreaming of a day like this since he was small. A day where he could finally be something more than a pickpocket—kicked on the streets by people who thought they were better than him just because they had money. Today he and the rest of his dorm would knock the crown right off of Malleus’ horned head and they would be the ones the world looked to. He, Leona, their dorm, and no one else.

               “It’s almost time for the parade, isn’t it?” Leona asked with boiling mirth in his eyes. Ruggie wasn’t sure what happened earlier in the week but ever since it did Leona had seemed to get more of his spark back. It still wasn’t anything like it was a few years ago, but it was starting to get better. Maybe after they won today Leona would go back to being who he was when he was a first-year and Ruggie had seen him playing in passing on an old neighborhood tv. But he wouldn’t find out if this plan blew up in his face.

               “Everything’s ready,” Ruggie said as he flashed the potion flash in his jacket’s breast pocket. “We can go anytime.”

               “First in line’s last year’s champion, Diasomnia,” Leona purred then. “Doesn’t it make you excited?” The sarcasm was thick in Leona’s voice as he spoke. Ruggie couldn’t help but laugh a little at the prince’s obvious distaste.

               “Shishishis! I’m off, then!”

               It didn’t take Ruggie long to get to the perfect location in the vendor’s area that would be overlooking the start of the parade. He had learned all the shortcuts in a very small amount of time in his first year, making him efficient at being able to find Leona and still get to class on time. And now, it made it so that he could get to this spot now and then to his parade spot when it was Savanahclaw’s turn in no time.

               “Ahem… To everyone who has been waiting for the tournament to begin…” An announcer started over the loud speakers’ making Ruggie turn his ears down a little in hopes of preserving his sensitive hearing. He vaguely recognized the voice as Darcy Hatters—a Heartslabyul fourth year who had likely come back from internship to announce for the school. “You’ve waited long enough and now, it’s time for the march of the players!”

               The crowd around Ruggie roared to life. Everyone screaming and cheering wildly as they all clawed and scrambled to find purchase somewhere and catch a glimpse of the players. Ruggie couldn’t help but smile. This was going exactly as Leona said it would.

               “First up are last year’s champions! Will they take victory again this year? Our reigning champions, DIASOMNIA!” There was more screaming and yelling after Darcy’s overly hyped-up announcement, Ruggie almost felt himself hold down his ears in an attempt to stifle the noise but he stopped. He needed to focus.

               “Whoa~ they’ve got quite the fanbase~ not that I’m complaining shishishi,” Ruggie said to himself as he pulled out the potion flask. “First, I have to drink the magic amplifier we got from Azul and then… blech… wha—what’s with this taste? It’s so bad! It tastes just like rotten stew… alright, back in the game. It’s time for my unique magic to shine! Alright, run like your lives depend on it! Laugh with Me!”

               Ruggie took off running then, and as he did hundreds of other spectators began to run as well. Creating a wild stampede barreling right for the Diasomnia parade. Ruggie couldn’t help but enjoy the adrenaline that came with the power. Almost feeling drunk on it as he controlled more people in this one moment than he ever could on his own. This was Leona’s determination and will. His planning and the fruits of his labor. And Ruggie could feel himself going wild at the thought of what else Leona would have in store for them after. He stopped after a while, the crowd running on their own now—no magic required. They were all in such a panic they wouldn’t know if they were moving on their own anymore or not.

               “Hehehehe… Azul’s magic amplifier is amazing! I didn’t think I could control this many people at once!” Ruggie panted as he let himself hide to the side to watch the spectacle. Watch as Malleus and his guard were crushed. “But it’s tiring like I thought… if we succeed here, we will… alright, will you use your magic against spectators? Even the reigning king Malleus won’t use it if he had to, right? Get crushed with the crowd, will you? Hahahahaha!”

               “The panicked audience is heading straight towards the Diasomnia players!” Darcy narrated from above. “Runaway, everyone! Please, run!”

               “This is bad! We’ll be trampled by the crowd at this rate,” a silver-haired player Ruggie was pretty sure was Silver called out. “Protect Lord Malleus at all costs!”

               “Lord Malleus, over here!” A mint-green-haired guy yelled. “Lord Malleus! AHHHH! We won’t make it! We’re going to get crushed!”

               “Ahhhh! Lord Malleus!” Silver yelled out and then the crowd washed over the Diasomnia group—scattering them far and wide.

               “Finally… we did it…” Ruggie panted as he began to make his way back to the Savanahclaw dorm. The parade would likely be canceled now anyway. He needed to go back and report to Leona.

               Because finally, they were getting what they deserved.

Chapter Text

“This is a stupid idea.”

               “This is a great idea, what are you talking about?” Kristina couldn’t help but smirk at the others—all dressed in Savanahclaw uniforms thanks to Jack’s help. Having the smell of the dorm on them made it easier to avoid the beastman in the dorm that was patrolling around. That and dousing themselves in the same cologne Jack used helped. Smelling obvious outside would be a huge tip-off that the dorm had been set up.

               The plan was simple. The seven of them slip in while Grim, Cater, Ace, and Deuce are all waiting outside the mirror receiving a live stream of Ruggie and Leona talking. That would give them the video proof they needed to give to the headmaster and prove Savanahclaw’s foul play. However, the trick was being able to get to the arena where the dorm would likely be meeting up. An area they had no idea where would be. If something went wrong and one of them got caught it helped, they were girls because it meant they were less likely to get mauled. Unfortunately, they still had to somehow get around the various members patrolling around.

               “Remind me again, why we have to wear a variation of the dorm uniform rather than just our normal uniform,” Valentina said as she pulled a little at the helm of the jean skirt she was wearing. Her signature headband was being held by Deuce since she didn’t want it to get busted on accident and now had the dorm bandana holding her hair back.

               “Because aesthetics,” Kristina snickered. She herself was wearing a sleeveless version of the top—showing off her toned arms from years of sports, though she opted for high-waisted shorts over the skirt. Her bandana is being used as an add-on to her ponytail rather than around her neck or waist like some of the others.  “Plus, we blend in better if someone catches a hint of the same color schemes rather than all black.”

               “She has a point,” Judith agreed then. “Seeing a flash of leather and mustard yellow doesn’t look nearly as weird as an all-black school uniform.”

               “Don’t do that,” Kristina said as she scrunched up her nose.

               “Do what?” Judith asked as she blinked wide-eyed at Kristina.

               “Agree with me, it’s weird.”

               “Well in that case: fuck you.”

               “Shut up both of you, someone’s coming,” Anne Marie hissed at them as they all quickly ducked behind a pile of elephant bones. It was Ruggie—entering in from the mirror portal. Fuck, Kristina really hoped that those idiots outside had the sense to hide. But… Ruggie looked completely drained. And from what Kristina was seeing all over Magicam and with the parade being canceled—she was guessing he had something to do with how the Diasomnia Decoys ended up trashed.

               “Should we follow?” Kimberlee asked quietly as she looked to where Ruggie was headed in the direction of the Magishift stadium—climbing up the large flight of stone steps up the cliff.

               “We don’t really have any other leads,” Anne Marie said though her voice sounded reluctant. Though Kristina had to agree it was a risk. Especially with how open the area was—they could all be spotted with ease.

               “I’ll go, the rest of you stay down here and out of sight until Riddle comes through,” Kristina stated then as she began to quietly trail Ruggie.

               “No way, I’m going too,” Fiona said in a harsh whisper as she tried to pull Kristina back. The brunette shook her off with ease.

               “Are you stupid, we only get one shot at this, the more people who come the more likely we are to get caught,” Kristina protested as she glared down the blonde. Fiona only continued to glare stubbornly. Seriously, this was the hill the idiot chose to die on? No passion about any of her clubs, classes, or activities but Kristina going to spy on Leona alone was where she drew the line? Kristina really didn’t get her.

               “I’ll take Val,” Kristina said pointing at the darker-skinned girl who looked very confused. “There, I’m not going alone. Plus, she has siblings so I’m sure she’s learned to sneak around plenty.”

               “You aren’t wrong but that’s a little rude,” Valentina huffed but still moved to follow Kristina’s lead.

               “Fine, just… be careful captain,” Fiona relented though worry was still clear in her eyes. Kristina ignored the creepy feeling she felt to ruffle Fiona’s hair in assurance. Damn she kind of reminded her of her little sister right then. Doesn’t help they looked stupidly similar.

               Kristina and Valentina set off then careful to move quickly enough to keep up with Ruggie but slow enough that he wouldn’t be able to see them coming. It also helped the way the wind was blowing they didn’t have to worry about if Jack’s plan to keep them smelling like the dorm would work or not. Thankfully, Ruggie seemed way too out of it with the dopey grin on his face as he stumbled. When he finally reached the top and headed to the middle of the arena, Kristina hid behind one of the announcers stands with Valentina.

               She could see Leona standing front and center in his dorm uniform and she had to kick herself to try and stay on task. Pulling out her phone to being live-streaming to their b-group.

               “It really should be illegal for assholes to look that good in leather and chaps,” Kristina mumbled to herself before starting the stream. She doesn’t miss the look of judgment she gets from Valentina—she’ll get her back later by reminding her that she was the one who fell for a guy who was part of a literal biker gang until last year.

               “I did it, Leona,” she could hear Ruggie panting as he stumbled his way over to where Leona was waiting around with a group of other Savanahclaw students. “Did you see it on the broadcast?”

               “Yeah, you did great, Ruggie,” Leona praised as he ruffled the hyena’s hair. Ruggie beamed widely at the open praise. “Good riddance, Malleus. I’ll be taking the throne this year.”

               “Hehe. Long live the King!” Ruggie said as he started laughing.

               “Long live the King! Whoo!” Students were chanting and screaming—all too thrilled at having caused a human stampede and general chaos not even a half-hour ago. Kristina had to fight the urge to roll her eyes or jump out to spoil the fun—seriously premature victory much? Even if they had taken out Malleus, they would still have to win the tournament.

               “I feel like we’ve heard enough.” The sound of Riddle speaking as he whisked his way past her—decked out in his dorm-leader uniform—make Kristina almost drop her phone. Though, she really wouldn’t need it anymore if he was here already. So, she clicked it off and shoved it in her back pocket.

               “It didn’t take you long to make an entrance,” Kristina said as she saw the group enter into the main arena.

               “Jack came to collect us so we headed up,” Anne Marie explained to Kristina making her nod her head in understanding.

               “Oh? What’s everyone from Heartslabyul doing here? And the little Ramshackle doves all playing dress-up, how cute. You’ve even got one of our first years with you, too.” Leona said his voice dry as he looked them all up and down. He paused for a moment on Kristina just a beat longer—making her shift her feet just a little before moving on to look at and address Jack directly. “Did you transfer to Heartslabyul, huh?”

               “I just don’t want to stand by your side today!” Jack snapped at Leona with voracity—his ears flattening as he glared at his senior.

               “You traitor!” Leona roared back in turn—his own ears flattening and his tail bristling as he bared his teeth. Clearly wanting nothing more than to rip Jack’s throat out. Part of Kristina wanted to see a brawl break out between them. But the other part of her really wanted to get this over with. She didn’t want to take pleasure in ripping Leona’s plan apart. Even if it was morally wrong and cheap and sleazy, he still put it together. Not exactly something that wouldn’t hurt anyone’s ego to have ripped to pieces.

               “An act that tarnishes tradition,” Riddle cut in before a fight could break out between the two beastman. “As Heartslabyul’s perfect whose motto is ‘austerity,’ I cannot let this act slide.”

               “Uh, Jude, what does ‘austerity’ mean?” Kristina heard Kimberlee ask behind her.

               “Sternness or severity of manner or attitude,” Judith explained—giving the dictionary definition. Though Kristina would be lying if she said she knew what it meant either. “Though I’m not sure in his case that’s something he should be bragging about.”

               “Hey, little master,” Leona taunted as he turned his attention from Jack to Riddle. “Can you play your heroes of justice game over there?” Leona jerked his head to the side as if to redirect them. Riddle only started to flush at how he was being written off by the lion.

               “Are you all drunk or something?” Ruggie asked clearly still in shock at their audacity to be there. “Coming all the way here with your friends just to spy on the enemy?”

               “I’m pretty sure that’s the point of spying,” Judith pointed out making Kristina and a few of the other girls snicker.

               “Should we teach them a lesson, Leona?” Hunter asked from where he was standing near the back—the same sleeveless dorm uniform as Leona with his bandana tied around his head like a motorcyclist headband—keeping his slicked-back dark hair out of his face.

               “Leave the doves be, but the cards… go ahead and play with them a little,” Leona said as he waved them off in dismissal.

               “Off with your head!” Riddle yelled out before any of the other Savanahclaw members could get even close to him. He had them all collared where they were standing. Kristina hoped he wasn’t feeling stressed enough to Overblot again. She really didn’t want to deal with that before the tournament.

               “H-he’s strong…” Hunter choked out against the tight restraint of the sealing collar.

               “Duh... perfects are no joke…” Chui chastised his boyfriend. There were several other members that groaned in protest as they attempted to pull the collar off to no avail.

               “Hmph, all bark and no bite,” Riddle smirked at he looked at the group of students like they were no more threat than declawed kittens. “Ace, Deuce, how are you two feeling?”

               “We’re in perfect condition,” Ace said as he looked way too excited at the promise of a fight.

               “Of course,” Deuce agreed—also way too pumped about a fight.

               “Tch, these guys don’t stand a chance against Riddle,” Leona grumbled to himself as he looked over his dorm members with disappointment.

               “I still can’t get over how everyone acts like they are dying when their magic gets sealed,” Valentina noted as she looked at where a few students, in particular, were being overly dramatic about having the collar put on.

               “Shishishi! Even if you do this, it’s already too late to help Diasomnia!” Ruggie was laughing though he seemed almost hysterical from where he was behind Leona—clearly still in shock about everything that was happening.

               “Pray tell, I am quite interested in that story.” Kristina jumped again this time as Lilia came strolling it—his too-big jacket hanging off his shoulders. His cutesy appearance not fitting at all with the initiating aura he was giving off as he walked forward.

               “Who said they were too late?” A guy with mint green hair said with a smirk as he strolled in behind Lilia. A silver-haired guy behind him.

               “As you can see, us Diasomnia players are safe and sound. And it’s all thanks to them,” the silver-haired guy pointed to the girls then.

               “Glad we could help,” Fiona chirped happily. The silver-haired guy looking just a little softer as he watched her smile. Kristina almost felt sorry for him. The list of hearts she has broken is long and vas. Hope he wasn’t the start of her list here too. 

               “Eh, what?” Ruggie asked quietly in disbelief before getting fired up again. “You guys should’ve been swallowed by the crowd a while ago!”

               “Too bad~,” Cater said in a sing-song voice. “Those were all my clones that I dressed up to look like them.”

               “What did you say?” Leona growled as if Cater had said something personally offensive. Cater, to his credit, didn’t seem the least bit intimidated.

               “I’ve always admired Diasomnia’s dorm uniform, y’know,” Cater began to digress. “I’m so lucky I got to try them on. I’ll upload it later, though.”  

               “Dear me,” Lilia cut in with a coy smile. “You should have just said so, and I would have lent you mine. I bet you, Kalim, and Anne would look simply wonderful dressed up for our next performance.”

               “I’ll pass,” Anne Marie said just a little too quickly.

               “Hm… Lilia your clothes might not fit me…” Cater said politely though he was clearly trying to not point out that he was a good eight to nine inches taller than Lilia and build much leaner than Lilia’s slender frame.

               “Hey, what’s going on?” Leona snapped again—clearly not happy he was being ignored. Lilia turned to him with an icy glare that made Kristina shiver.

               “I heard your plan from Riddle, and we decided to put on a little act,” Lilia explained with his smile still intact.

               “Th-then, Malleus is…” Ruggie stuttered out. Acceptance finally hitting his face at the realization that the plan he and Leona and carefully crafted did not go as they had planned.

               “He is safe, of course!” the green-haired one boomed, earning a plea from Fiona that he would tone it down a little. “And all the spectators were safely released using magic. You better be grateful!”

               “I-is that even possible?” Ruggie asked back to being shocked again.

               “For people who living in a magic-rich world, you seem to be shocked by its application way too much,” Eva sighed as she looked bored at the group. Despite her expression though, she was hiding behind most of them.

               “…Ah, I’m done.” Kristina blinked then. Looking over to Leona. He looked completely defeated—even as Ruggie looked at him in shock. His face fell and any anger he might have had was gone entirely. “I give up.”

               Leona was turning to leave when Ruggie began to follow after him, still tripping due to his exhaustion.

               “Wai—Leona,” Ruggie called out as he tried to keep up. “What do you mean?”

               “Idiot. If Malleus is gonna play in perfect condition, we have no chance of winning,” Leona huffed at Ruggie. All of his emotion was gone, the fight, the drive. All of it. Leona might as well be an empty shell at this point. “There’s no point in playing now. I’m gonna sit this one out.”

               “N-no way!” Ruggie protested as he grabbed onto Leona’s arm to try and prevent him from leaving. “Malleus aside, I did what you said and injured all those players… and yet… you said you won’t play. I doubt we’d even place at all now… what’s going to happen to our dreams now?”

               “No matter how much of the world watches, in the end, it’s just a student’s game,” Leona huffed not bothering to shove Ruggie off. “You guys just got delusional about that dream and I just played along.”

               “Why?” Ruggie asked weakly. He looked on the verge of tears now. Kristina could tell if she wanted to punch Leona at that moment or if she wanted to awkwardly look away from Ruggie. “Weren’t we going to overturn the world?”

               “Ah, stop nagging… then, let me tell you the truth.” Leona was quick to turn and snatch Ruggie’s arm that he had been previously using to cling to Leona. The boy struggled a little in Leona’s grasp out of instinct but was overall too shocked to fight. “You are a hyena raised in the trashy slums and I’m the loathed second prince who will never be king! No matter what we do, the world won’t be overturned!”

               “Wh-what the hell?” Ruggie said his voice cracking as he started to cry. “Don’t mess with me! We did all this and now you’re giving up?”

               “That’s going too far, Leona,” Chui said as he took a step in Leona’s direction—clearly ready to step in between Ruggie and Leona.

               “We’re going to have you play even if we have to drag you there!” Another dorm member yelled out also sounding on the verge of tears.

               Kristina could feel herself reaching a boiling point. Leona had a whole dorm ready to back him up. Follow him to the grave. Cheat and lie for him. And he was just going to toss it all always like this? Her team barely tolerated her because of her goals and ambitions, because it was a social club for them. And yet, he had the audacity to just turn his backs on them.

               She was about ready to say something when suddenly, something in Leona snapped again. His eyes growing dangerously dark as he glared out at those who were speaking out against him. “Ah, you’re so irritating… Shut up, you imbeciles!”

               Screaming was heard all around as panic began to set in. Ruggie’s pained screaming was the loudest though. Kristina couldn’t tell what was wrong at first as she watched in vain as Ruggie tried to kick Leona off of him to no avail. Was he crushing his arm? The air was unnaturally dry now though and Kristina’s eyes stung as she fought to keep them open.

               “Wh-what’s going on? My nose feels dry... and my eyes hurt?” Grim choked out just as confused as the rest of them.

               “Val, are you ok?” Kimberlee asked as Val was attempting to stifle some coughs.

               “I’ll be ok—just… ah… hard to breathe…” Valentina said as she brushed off her friend’s concern.

               “Seriously what’s happening?” Kristina asked then as she looked around frantically at everyone.

               “Everything that Senior Leona is touching is turning to sand,” Jack cried out though he didn’t sound so sure either.

               “This is my unique magic, King’s Roar,” Leona explained his voice as dead as ever. “How ironic, isn’t it? The magic that the loathed Prince of the Savannah was born with… it turns everything I touch back into sand.”

               “Leona…it…hurts…” Ruggie tried to choke out but his voice was far too try to make much of a sound.

               “There are fissures in Ruggie’s arm!” Deuce pointed out and sure enough, cracks had started to form on Ruggie’s arm as skin flaked away in fat chunks from Leona’s magic.

               “Wait… his magic works on people too?” Ace asked clearly in disbelief about what he was seeing.

               “I’m going to be sick,” Fiona said as she sounded more than a little queasy.

               “Leona, that’s enough!” Riddle cried out as he glared daggers at Leona. “Off with your head!”

               But the magic bounced off Leona like it was nothing. All it did was make Leona look at Riddle with a pointed glare at having to still deal with people outside of his dorm.

               “He avoided Riddle’s magic?” Grim asked in shock. Kristina couldn’t blame him. Up until this point, Riddle seemed like an unbeatable foe, one that no one could match. But now… now Kristina was just starting to realize what kind of people she went to school with. She had never noticed before, mostly because Leona was hardly ever in class and when he was, he just slept, but fuck he was good at magic.

               “I don’t care if you’re a genius or whatever, but don’t underestimate you, senior,” Leona stated coldly as he continued to glare at Riddle. “Unfortunately for you, I score high with defensive magic.”

               “Damn,” Riddle cursed—clearly at a loss for how to help Ruggie now.

               “Haha! How do you like this, Ruggie?” Leona laughed humorlessly as he began addressing Ruggie who was still being Thanos snapped out of existence. “Does it hurt? Your mouth must be so dry that you can’t laugh like you used to, huh!”

               Ruggie tried to speak out but he could only cough—blood seeping past his lips from where the blood vessels in his throat had likely started to rupture. Kristina would be lying if she said she wasn’t terrified of Leona at this moment.

               “This is bad! If we don’t do something, Senior Ruggie will…” Jack said his voice full of panic. Clearly not wanting to say what they were all thinking. If someone didn’t do something, Ruggie was going to die. Turn to dust and be gone on a breeze. She looked around at the others. Riddle and Cater seemed completely at a loss as well as the Diasomnia group. Deuce and Ace were doing their best to try and keep Fiona, Valentina, and Kimberlee from having a breakdown. Eva was frozen solid as she watched with horror. Kristina had hoped maybe Anne Marie and Judith would come up with something but they both seemed hesitant to step forward—clearly worried about the others and themselves.

               “Fuck it,” Kristina finally said to herself before she was rushing forward. Faster then Jack, or Anne Marie, or Judith could attempt to stop her. She had stormed forward, completely catching Leona by surprise as someone was willing to approach him in this state—before she landed a solid punch on him. Hitting him square in the face. It barely flinches as her fist makes direct contact with his jaw. Her thumb hurts though, she probably shouldn’t have tucked it under her other four fingers. But it was enough to make Leona drop Ruggie finally. Letting him pant and scurry away.

               Unfortunately, that means his attention is left on her.

               “You’re a high and mighty dorm leader, capable of magic like this, and you’re giving up without a fight? Boo-hoo life must be so hard. Why the hell are you acting like this?” She snapped at Leona—ignoring the way she was shaking as he glared at her.

               “Why? Does the reason even matter to you? Kris who can’t even be bothered with school life half the time? Are you going to comfort me the same way you comfort your dorm members—yelling at them to get back up again?” Leona’s words spit like venom and burned her. He wasn’t wrong though. She really wasn’t the type for affection. Tough love was more her style. “There are a lot of things in this world that we can never have no matter what effort we put into it. Like a magicless girl all alone in the world trying to stand with the big cats. How pitiful, aren’t you?”

               Leona was reaching out for her now, and she couldn’t even flinch. She didn’t want to. Her throat was tight as she wanted to think of something to rip into Leona over. She could. She really wanted to. But like an idiot, she wasn’t moving. She stayed firm, and soon she was about to end up the same as Ruggie.

               “Kris move!” Fiona cried out but Kristina still didn’t move. She didn’t want to back down. Even if it turned her to sand.

               “DON’T TOUCH HER!” Jack cried out and suddenly followed by, “Unleash Beast!”

               “That’s!” Riddle stammered out but Kristina could only blink. There was suddenly a giant white wolf charging in their direction. Kristina should have said something intelligent. Or kind. Or literally, anything then what came out of her mouth next.

               “Who let the dog out?” Kristina asked then making all the other girls of her dorm behind her groan.

               “Is now really the time for jokes?” Anne Marie yelled from where she was standing.

               “Hasn’t movies taught you that almost dying is always the time for jokes,” Judith countered—her nerves clearly fried.

               “What in the?” Leona managed to get out before Jack, now a white wolf wedged himself between the two of them. Grabbing Kristina by the back of her jacket and dragging her back to the group. Leona had been knocked to the ground in the process—completely thrown off by everything happening.

               “Off with your head!” Riddle cried out again—taking advantage of the fact Leona was distracted. The spell landed this time. Locking the collar firmly around his neck and making Leona hiss a little in protest.

               “Nice one, Riddle! Leona’s magic has been stopped!” Cater cheered as he hyped up his dorm leader.

               “Kris, are you ok?” Fiona asked as she looked Kristina up and down.

               “Yeah, I’m fine,” Kristina assured just in time for Fiona to smack her upside the head. “Ow, what the hell?”

               “What were you thinking charging in like that, he could have killed you! And you were playing chicken with him?” Fiona threw her arms around Kristina and held her tightly in a hug. Kristina could only blink and stare. She hadn’t realized Fiona would even care that much.

               “Sebek, let’s go bring the others to safety,” the silver-haired guy said to the minty one.

               “Don’t order me around, Silver!” The guy, Sebek, snapped at the one ironically named Silver.

               “Damn you! A collar on a lion-like me?” Leona growled as he pulled lightly on the collar.

               “I think it’s a good look on a yowling house cat like you,” Kristina snickered as she looked over to Leona. He only flattened his ears and growled. Instead, choosing to turn his attention to Jack.

               “Jack! Where did you obtain that kind of magic?” Leona demanded as he looked at Jack who was still handing around Fiona and Kristina.

               “Unleash beast… transforming myself into a giant wolf is my unique magic,” Jack explained—his tail bristled as he looked over to Leona again.

               “Hah… you turn into an actual dog using magic? That’s really unique!” Leona laughed his head falling back as he did so.

               “I think he’s finally losing it,” Judith stated then.

               “You think?” Anne Marie hissed as she glared at the brunette.

               “Senior Leona…I…” Jack started as he turned back to being a beastman. “I aimed to join this school because I looked up to you! Where did the guy I looked up to go?”

               “Who gave you the right to do that?” Leona snapped—looking hurt by Jack’s words strangely enough. “Shut up…”

               “I’m not one to talk, but I can’t bear to look at you right now…” Riddle said as he looked at Leona right now with nothing but pity. “Go into solitary for a while and cool off.”

               “What do you know? Don’t order me around like my older brother does…” Leona growled at Riddle—not moving from his spot on the ground like a toddler pouting.

               “A man like you suits a collar more than a crown,” Lilia interjected then—pulling everyone’s attention to him as his other two dorm members present continued to work at getting the other beaten Savanahclaw students out. “I am tired of hearing that the king of the Savannah is the lion.”

               “Hah?” Leona asked as he pulled himself back up to his feet again—eyes fixated on Lilia again.

               “Given your talents, I had always lamented the fact that you could never become king, however…” Lilia stated as he walked closer to Leona—his heels crunching as he walked. “You now live a life full of sloth and every time you betray someone’s expectations, it is the other party that you find fault in. And you think you can become king with that attitude? Compared to our dignified king, Malleus, that is truly laughable. Even if you have defeated Lord Malleus, if you do not rid yourself of your rotten heart… you can never become a true king!”

               “Hahahaha… yeah, you’re right,” Leona admitted as he continued to laugh. But there was something wrong. It looked like Leona was starting to get a nosebleed, but it looked wrong. Too dark to be blood. “It’s exactly as you say…. Hahaha! I will never be king no matter how hard I work!”

               “What’s going on? I’m getting goosebumps!” Grim stated and Kristina found herself agreeing. The air was crackling with power and it was making the hair on her arm stand up.

               “Leona’s magical energy is skyrocketing… I-I can’t keep casting my magic on him like this!” Riddle coughed out as Judith rushed to his side helping to keep him upright.

               “No, this is not magical energy,” Lilia said with concern clear on his face. “This ominous negative energy is… no, it can’t be!”

               “Get back all of you!” Cater cried out just in time for a sand storm to come barreling—blacking out the sky as sand began to whip into Kristina’s skin and face. The collar around Leona’s neck went snapping and flying off. Ink pouring out of Leona’s nose, ears, mouth, anyone where it could escape.

               “He sent Riddle’s collar flying,” Cater said in complete shock.

               “Not again,” Kimberlee squeaked in clear panic. Kristina couldn’t blame her; they had been through this exact scenario a month ago. Had been assured it was a fluke. And now, here they were again.

               “I’ve always been loathed ever since I was born. I had no place to call home nor did I have a future,” Leona laughed as ink kept falling to the sides of his mouth. “No matter how hard I worked, I will never be acknowledged. This pain, this despair… THERE’S NO WAY YOU’LL UNDERSTAND!”

               Leona’s whole form changed in an instant. He was no longer in his dorm uniform. He had a mane-like scarf around his shoulders, a leather corset around his torso, and scraps of dark fabric around his waist. Ink dripped down his arms and legs as his scarred eye glowed with a yellow flame. Behind him was the form of a lion with an inky-glass head.

               “Wh-what is that?” Jack asked in clear shock. Kristina wasn’t sure how he didn’t know about Overblot with the crazy aftermath from Riddle, but whatever. Maybe he wasn’t online a lot. “There’s a giant shadow behind Senior Leona!”

               “That’s… the blot manifestation!” Deuce stated as he was already moving to grab Valentina—ready to pull her to safety if needed.

               “Did he go into evil villain berserker mode like Riddle did?” Grim asked in a panic.

               “Duh!” Eva snapped at the cat.

               “Anyone who can stand, go and find shelter!” Riddle directed to the others. “Ace, Deuce, take the injured someplace safe! Senior Lilia, please call the teachers for help!”

               “Yes!” Ace and Deuce agreed after Valentina pushed Deuce lightly in reassurance. He looked concerned still but did as she wished.

               “Understood, I shall pray for your safety,” Lilia said before disappearing. Leona roared out as they all turned to face their current problem. Kristina wasn’t a religious person, despite her parent's attempt to make her be one. Still, she found herself crossing herself as she stared at Leona.

               “Where is Trey when we need him,” Valentina said as she swallowed hard.

               “Why do we always have to face something scary?” Cater complained as he pulled out his magic pen. “I’m not fit for this, you know?”

               “If you’re scared, I wouldn’t mind even if you ran away,” Riddle assured—clearly weary himself about the upcoming fight.

               “If I left you to save myself, Trey would never let me hear the end of it,” Cater said with a nervous laugh. “I’ll stay with you, perfect.”

               “I dunno what’s going on, but Senior Leona will come back to his senses if we beat him up, right?” Jack asked and Kristina found herself nodding at his question.

               “I…I’ll help you…” Ruggie managed before he was coughing.

               “Are you crazy, you can barely stand,” Judith snapped but Ruggie waved her off.

               “I won’t let him get away with what he said…” Ruggie said finally standing up straight. His face was completely void of humor.

               “You’re stubborn,” Judith sighed but letting him forward.

               “So are you,” Anne Marie pointed out.

               “Not the time.”

               “A hyena like you is disobeying me?” Leona, or the thing pretending to be Leona, snapped looking at their group. “Hahahaha… that’s no a funny joke! All of you will never see the light of day again!”

               “Let’s get this over with so we can play in the tournament already!” Grim snapped—getting ready to fight. “Let’s do this!”

               “Alright, let’s put this prince in his place!” Kristina said as she smiled and rushed forward with the other Savanahclaw members.

               “If I can’t overturn this world, I’ll just turn it into sand! All of the things I did… They were meaningless!” Leona roared out as he shot out magic—attempting to turn them to sand.

               “Is that really what you’ve been thinking? All this time… always?” Ruggie asked weakly as he looked hurt—watching Leona in pain like this.

               “Senior Ruggie, keep it together and let’s make Senior Leona come back to his senses,” Jack reassured.

               “You got a plan?” Valentina asked Kristina.

               “Yeah, don’t die!” Kristina yelled as she dodged another attack.

               “That’s not a plan!” Valentina fired back. Kristina was trying to come up with something, but this wasn’t like Riddle where they only had to play keep away. Leona hit back harder and deadlier.

               “H-he’s strong!” Jack coughed as he swallowed some of the sand in the air. “You’re this strong and yet… why did you give up on everything!”

               “Shut up, all of you!” Leona roared—tears starting to fall down his face. “I’ll turn you into sand!”

               Kristina needed to think and fast. She looked around frantically, panicked. How did Valentina stop Riddle last time? What happened? They beat the shit out of him and what else? That was when she saw the camera swinging around Fiona’s neck. Of course! The memory bonding moment thing!

               “Fiona! Here!” Kristina called out to the blonde. Thankfully, Fiona seemed to catch on quickly as she tossed the camera over. Kristina caught the camera then. She took a deep breath and looked at Leona.

               “Here Kitty-kitty-kitty!” Kristina called out drawing Leona’s attention to her.

               “Kris, you mad woman,” Ruggie said with wide eyes as he watched her.

               “You,” Leona snapped as he began stalking over to her—the creature on his tail. “Why do you keep showing up and challenging me at every turn?”

               “What can I say,” Kristina snapped, raising the camera to her eye. “I’m a cold-hearted bitch.”

               Her knees buckled as soon as the shutter went off. She felt her vision tunnel and her body crumple to the ground. Leona followed suit—also falling almost perfectly next to her.

               “I…will…be…king…”Leona sighed out as he blacked out—it was the last thing Kristina heard before she blacked out as well.

Chapter Text

If getting hit by a truck was how Valentina felt after she took that photo of Riddle with the ghost camera, then Kristina was going to have to give that girl a damned fruit basket for taking one for the team—because Kristina already felt like shit the second she opened her eyes. Licking the inside of her mouth to try and get rid of the last of the sandpaper taste she looked around with mild curiosity.

               She knew it was a memory she was in, and if this was all anything like last time—she was sure the others were seeing the same memories outside even if she wasn’t present in them to their view. The only reason she wasn’t freaked out about being in the memory was because Valentina talked about it—though she could have warned her about the fucking full body ache that came with it.

               Looking around, she could see a vast savannah outside of a palace—miles upon miles of the grassy land with various rock formations. Even one that looked eerily similar to the one in her very first weird dream she had several weeks ago. Standing around were various people that Kristina assumed worked at the palace. They looked to be holding baskets of laundry as they walked the stone hallways under the glow of the fading sunlight.

               Ever since I was born, all I could ever see was an immovable rock in front of me.

               Kristina stiffened as she heard Leona’s voice echoing all around her. Or was it in her head. She had no idea but it was giving her Host vibes and she did not like it. She quite liked her head to be her own and hearing him talk without warning or feeling his presence was going to set her on edge she just knew it.

               “The First Prince Farena is so cheerful and yet…” one of the servants sighed as they walked past Kristina. “I wonder why his younger brother Prince Leona is being such a difficult child…”

               Difficult… Leona? Yeah, Kristina could believe it. Still, she couldn’t argue the urge to follow the servants as they walked and talked. Curious to find out what else they had to say about Leona. If he put his people through anything like he put Ruggie though, then she couldn’t imagine he was any fun to be around.

               “And he uses magic that turns everything he touches into sand,” another servant agreed. “How frightening!” Kristina did not agree with this statement nearly as much.

               “It isn’t like he can choose what his magic is,” Kristina found herself retorting out loud—though she may as well have been talking to a wall with how much good it would do her.

               “Stop gossiping, both of you!” The last servant chastised, making the two others go quiet. “What will you do if someone hears you?”

               Except… someone did hear it. Kristina looked to one of the side corridors that they had been passing and standing there was Leona but… not how she expected to see him. He can’t be any more than seven years old here. His hair is much shorter though the sides are still braided. He’s holding a chessboard tightly to his chest—like he had been looking for someone to steal away from work to play. But now… his eyes were watering as he glared harshly at the passing servants. His ears were flattened and he turned on his heels to walk back the direction he came from.

               “He’s a kid… YOU WERE SAYING THAT ABOUT A FUCKING KID!” Kristina didn’t know why she was screaming. She thought maybe they had been talking about a fifteen-year-old or something but a kid… complaining he’s difficult when he’s still learning social norms? About his magic that he had no control over receiving? That was out of bounds and out of line!

               She turned again ready to follow child Leona down the halls but… he was already gone in a wisp of smoke. It left the scene to change and now—she was standing in a ballroom. Guests were dressed in everything from suits to wrap dresses and wears. It was an occasion of some sort—she knew that much. But it wasn’t until she had seen a reddish-gold-haired beastman walk in with a crown on his head did she realize… it was a coronation. It must have been Leona’s brother, Farena, then. And behind him… maybe about ten years old, was Leona—dressed in a traditional outfit and a sour look on his face.

               “Oh Leona,” Kristina sighed as the situation was becoming clearer to her.

               If I were the First Prince, I’m sure this is what they would say… “the First Prince Leona is so prudent and can use such strong magic. He’s completely different from his carefree younger brother.” But since I was born second, this is all I get… “Everything the second prince does is sloppy and the first prince is left to clean up after him.” No matter what I do, I can’t become number one.

               “Leona you’re like ten years younger than him,” Kristina said as if trying to reason with the voice in her head that couldn’t even hear her. “You can’t become king at ten. It had nothing to do with your abilities. Besides… the order you were born in doesn’t protect you from favoritism. I would know.”

               But there was only a scene change again instead of a response. This time it was a hallway with decorations of tapestries and cords hanging from the wall. She can see Leona lounging by a large window that went from the floor to the ceiling. His tail was flicking irritably as he looked out at the scenery below. He looks like he did in those old videos she watched with Jack earlier in the week. So, he must have been about sixteen to seventeen here.

               The sound of walking from the other end of the hallway caught Kristina’s attention though as she looked in time to see Farena walking in their direction. He looked a little older as well, a little tired but overall he seemed to be in good health. Even so, he didn’t look happy as he made his way over to where Leona was still looking out the window Bruce Wayne style.

               “Leona, why did you skip the ceremony?” Farena asked though his voice remained even—clearly attempting to avoid any accusatory word and tones.

               “Ceremony? Oh, the doting parent party you hosted so you could show your son off?” Leona asked as he turned to look at his brother with clear irritation. Kristina frowned, yeah people were pretty shitty to him growing up but did he need to take it out on his brother? Shouldn’t he still be happy for him? “Oh, how rude of me. I ended up going back to sleep.”

               “Yeah, that was kind of a dick move,” Kristina grumbled in sarcastic agreement. Farena seemed to have a better temper than Kristina though. He sighed and remained calm as he walked closer to Leona.

               “Today’s an important day for our people to see their future king,” Farena explained calmly—trying to rationalize with Leona despite him clearly still being upset.

               “It’s a day to celebrate indeed,” Leona laughed coldly. “It’s the day that their loathed second prince lost his right to the throne.”

               “Stop talking like that!” Farena snapped, clearly not liking the way that Leona was talking about himself. But… Kristina couldn’t blame him, after all, he heard how much people feared him from a young age. Did… did Farena not know what people said about Leona? It was possible since he’s older and the first prince that people were just more careful around him so he never found out.

               “People who are born first sure are special, huh,” Leona continued to talk despite his brother’s outburst. “You can become king even though all you do is lie around and sleep all day.”

               Farena sighed at Leona’s words. But he didn’t protest them either—showing that there was at least some truth to them. Still, he approached Leona and placed his arms on his shoulders. He rubbed his hands up and down Leona’s arms in an attempt to comfort him before gripping him firmly.

               “Leona… even though you can’t become king, you are very smart. There are so many things you can still do for this kingdom,” Farena tried to rationalize. But Leona only looked him in the eyes with the same empty look Kristina had seen him have when he found out Malleus was still in perfect health.

               “I’d have done what I could if this kingdom really needed someone smart,” Leona said before he finally pushed Farena off him and walked past—down the hallway and away from his brother.

               “Leona, stop right there! Leona!” Farena called after him but Leona did no such thing. Kristina found herself stumbling after him. Watching as Leona came to his bedroom and sat on the edge of a large bed—a large woven blanket with a traditional pattern laid at the foot of the bed before Leona pulled it from the bed and wrapped it around his shoulders. He looked like he was about to lay down and then his eyes caught something on his dresser.

               Kristina peaked at it curiously, but even though she couldn’t really make out the words in the short time she had to look at it—she recognized the Night Raven College insignia on it. Leona picked it up and examined it for a moment before sighing. He rose to his feet then and sat at his desk—blanket still around his shoulders—before pulling out a clean sheet of paper and pen to begin writing a reply.

               Why did I have to go through all of that just because I was born a few years younger?

               “Because people are assholes and life fucking sucks, that’s why,” Kristina retorted with a snort.

               No matter how hard I studied, no matter how much I perfected my magic… from the day I was born until the day I die, my brother will always be looked up to, and I can never be king.

               “Would you stop acting like the crown is what you really want,” Kristina groaned as she listened to the inner monologue. “You want to be respected and accepted. But the crown won’t give you that. It won’t make you happy. It never would.”

               Why was I born second? Why can I never become number one?

               “There it is, that’s what you really want,” Kristina said softly. That was something she could relate to. Wanting to be number one. Wanting others to respect her and her wishes.

               The scene changed one more time. This time Leona was standing at the front of the Palace while his brother, a lioness that Kristina assumed was his wife, and the newborn in her arms watched as Leona stepped into the dark carriage that would take him to Night Raven College.

               Why? Why? Why? … Life is unfair.

               “It really fucking is,” Kristina agreed as she watched the carriage door close, and then suddenly everything around her in the memory was cracking and shattering like spider-webbing glass. She whipped her head around frantically—confused and dazed. Valentina hadn’t mentioned anything about this.

               Suddenly, everything shattered and she was falling into a dark and inky abyss.

…

               Leona wanted nothing more than to be done emoting for the day. His plan with Malleus blew up in his face, he took the shock of it out on Ruggie, and worse he made a complete ass of himself in front of the Ramshackle girls—something his brother would kill him for if he found out assuming his sister-in-law didn’t beat him to it. He could still picture Kristina’s eyes burning like blue fire as she stared him down. He will admit, she had a damned good right hook.

               Opening his eyes, he couldn’t help but feel disoriented. He had been outside at the Magical Shift field in the Savanahclaw dorm, right? So why was he now in a dance studio? He was seated on a bench with a bunch of parents as they watched their kids—most of them were on a water break at the moment it seemed. All the kids were roughly eight-to-seven years old and dressed in the same stupid pink leotards and stupid pink tutus.

               “Hey Sissy Krissy, Lora is bringing her dog today. Try not to jump too much,” a girl taunted from the other side of the water group. The kid just had a smackable face—but as much as he wasn’t above throwing hands with a child he refrained mostly because then he realized the eight-year-old with her dark hair up in a ballerina bun with bright blue eyes and tan skin was Kristina as an eight-year-old.

               “Am I in…her memories?” Leona asked himself then, though he didn’t get much of a chance to really think about it because suddenly Kristina was flying across the group and had the mouthy-brat who was picking on her pinned to the floor and was absolutely whaling on her.

               Leona couldn’t stop the laugher that bubbled up in his throat. Mostly because this was most definitely the Kristina he knew. The same Kristina that when she was called that nickname hit a kid square on with a baseball. The same Kristina that kept getting up and fighting even as Leona had her beat into the ground in a Magishift match.

               Unfortunately, the fun was short-lived as a woman who looked like he imagined Kristina would look in about twenty-five years came over and pulled Kristina off the other girl. She looked absolutely furious as she roughly yanked her daughter off the other girl and dragged her out of the studio. Curiously, Leona got up and followed them out into the hallway.

               “Kristina what were you thinking!” Leona heard Kristina’s mother snap the rhetorical question. “You do not hit people!”

               “But she was making fun of me and he hasn’t stopped even though I asked her to for weeks,” Kristina complained back though her mother seemed content to ignore her protest entirely.

               “I don’t care, you still shouldn’t hit people. You are supposed to be the bigger person,” her mother said before she sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose in irritation. Like she could feel a headache coming on from the whole incident.

               “You want your daughter to just lie down and take it?” Leona asked, knowing he wouldn’t get an answer. “What kind of parent isn’t on their kids’ side?” Even Leona’s own parents, though usually too busy to play with him, still supported him and defended him. Even if behind closed doors they were lecturing him for his behavior. In the public though, they had Leona’s back. Even firing several servants who had been caught gossiping about Leona in an unsavory manner.

               “Honestly,” Kristina’s mother breathed out finally after a moment of silence. “Your sister acts less immaturely, and she’s only five.”

               “Yeah, and I’m not her,” Kristina grumbled but her mother ignored her.

               I don’t really remember a time before my sister was born and she became the darling of the family. She was completely different than me, not only in appearance but in behavior. Where she would smile and apologies I would kick and scream.

               Leona turned around quickly, half expecting to see Kristina as he knew her standing right behind him but… she wasn’t there. He flicked his ear in irritation as he realized, the voice was in his head. She was narrating the memory as he was watching it.

               Suddenly the memory shifted. Leona felt like he was reliving the one time he had been showing off to Cheka at the kids overly extravagant birthday party (Farena had hired a whole damned carnival for the event and dragged Leona out despite his protest) and he stood upon the merry-go-ground only to receive a very blunt reminder of how much balancing sucked on rides that moved in a circle like that. He had ended up crashing into one of the horses and accidentally turning it to sand in a fit of embarrassment. Everyone around him had been horrified, except for Cheka who only giggled and clapped his hands asking to see it again.

               Leona was now standing in a tiny classroom under harsh artificial lighting. He had to rub his eyes a little to adjust them to the fluorenes of it all, cause fuck it hurt. How the hell did they expect kids to learn when their heads hurt so damned much from the lights?

               I also learned very early on that I wasn’t really liked all that well in school either, mostly just tolerated because having me on their gym team was nice.

               “Ethan, I thought you wanted to be partners for class,” Kristina asked a boy as he had walked off to join a different group of kids.

               “Yeah, for gym class, I don’t want to for this class though. Your stupid and I don’t want to catch it,” the boy, Ethan, laughed then with several of his friends. Leona could see Kristina tense up and her cheeks flush, clearly embarrassed by his comment.

               “You’re such a jerk!” Kristina yelled out then before pushing him and making him fall to the ground. He started crying almost immediately and Leona rolled his eyes. Seriously, Cheka hits harder when he plays fights, and he was only five. The hell was this wimp doing crying? “And I’m not stupid! The words just get all…fuzzy.”

               “What is going on here? Why are we shouting?” The teacher asked, finally bothering to come over after the sound of crying and yelling became too noticeable to ignore.

               “Kristina pushed me because I wouldn’t partner with her,” Ethan accused quickly—pointing a stubby little finger at her. Leona felt the strong urge to snap it off his hand.

               “I did not! I pushed you because you called me stupid!” Kristina fired back—desperately looking to the teacher for defense. The teacher only sighed.

               “Ethan, it isn’t nice to call people stupid. Kristina, you should know better than to push other kids, go to the office.”

               “But—”

               “Now!” Kristina looked ready to cry as she finally turned on her and stomped off in the direction of the door. She made a show out of throwing it open and slamming it shut making the window on the door shake a little. Leona knew he wouldn’t even have to follow her to know how THAT conversation would go.

               It got a little better when I got involved in Volleyball, people started to at least respect me and I like to think I started to make some friends in club

               These scene flashes were much softer and less of a whirlwind. Kristina was older in these memories, maybe about twelve and she was smiling. There was a group of girls all in volleyball jerseys lined up in front of a net laughing. Around their necks were gold medals as they posed in front of the rows of parents all eager to get photos of their kid.

               Leona looked at the rows of parents, trying to find Kristina’s parents. Maybe even catch a glimpse of the sister she had mentioned, but he didn’t see her mother anywhere. Maybe just her father had come? But as the parents all gathered up their kids, Kristina was left all alone. She had wandered over to what he assumed was her duffle bag and began pulling out a pair of sweatpants to go over her shorts.

               “No one came to watch you, huh? And here I thought I was hated,” Leona said to himself as he watched her—still smiling despite the depressing atmosphere around her.

               But it didn’t matter what awards I won, or what tournaments I placed in. If my sister had dance anything they were there, and I was all alone because “you're old enough to go on your own” and “your sister needs the extra hands to get ready” but what about me, huh? What about the support I needed?

               The scene changed again, another whirlwind this time. Leona didn’t lose his balance this time, nor did he complain about it. The depressing feeling that was radiating from that last memory was stifling. It reminded him too much of the feelings he had at home. But now, he was standing next to a kitchen table. Kristina was seated there at the table, she looked almost exactly like she did now so it must have been shortly before she came to Night Raven College, and glaring at a paper in front of her as if it was completely offensive. Her mother was also at the table as well as a man Leona quickly assumed was her father.

               “Kris, what do you have to say for yourself about these grades?” Her father asked sternly as he pointed at the paper. Leona peaked over them as well and winced. They really weren’t all that pretty from what he could tell.

               “I’m trying ok,” Kristina grumbled as she continued to look at the paper rather than looking at the disappointed expression of her parents. “I can’t help it I’m not that smart.”

               “You don’t seriously believe that, do you?” Leona found himself saying before he could even stop himself. Sure, Leona had seen her mouth off in class to avoid reading out loud, but he had also seen her observe and pick part plays like it was nothing. He had seen the videos of her try-out for the Volleyball team; standing her own against Chui which even Leona knew was no easy feat.

               “That excuse flew when you were younger young lady but it won’t anymore,” her mother snapped but Kristina stood her ground. “How do you expect to get into college with these grades?”

               “Plenty of athletic scholarships will let me in as long as I graduate,” Kristina said as she rolled her eyes. Though she still avoided her parent's gaze entirely.

               “I know you have won some awards and gone to state, but do you think that’s enough to get into a good school?” Her father asked—clearly trying to play the rational parent. “You can’t make a living playing volleyball, sweetie. And that fight you had with your team at the last game…you aren’t going to please any scouts with your attitude.”

               “How would you know,” Leona snorted. “You’ve never even come to watch her play.”

               “Watch me,” Kristina snapped then before shoving herself up from the table, grabbing a duffle bag. “And for the record, I got approached by a university to sign at the last tournament even after the fight. Not that you both would care.”

               They were both calling after her as she walked to the door—slamming it shut. Leona couldn’t help but look in slight awe after her. Clearly, volleyball wasn’t getting her parent's attention, it wasn’t making her number one in their eyes and yet… she kept at it. Why? Why was she so determined to push herself to try and please people who didn’t want to give her the time of day?

               I’m not my sister, I’m not Fiona, I’m not Destiny, I’m not Anne, or Jude, or Val, or Kim, or Eva, or anyone else everyone seems so damned determined compared me to

               The scene changed again and this time it was a workout gym. There were mats on the walls with the words “Brookfield High School” plastered across them with the mascot of a hawk in the middle of the words. Various workout equipment was scattered throughout the gym. He can see Kristina in a ratty old t-shirt and her volleyball shorts standing near a wall. She’s spiking the ball against the wall and forcing it to come back to her in a fluid and controlled motion. Even after the fight with her parents, she’s still working.

               “Why are you putting in so much effort?” Leona asked as he glared at her. “They don’t care about you or what you do, nothing is going to change that. So why the hell are you bothering!”

               I’m done doing this, hoping that someone will notice me. That someone will appreciate me. I’m doing this for me and only me

               The words in his head completely disarmed him. How was he supposed to argue that? And… when was the last time he did something just to prove to himself that he could? When was the last time he did something for his own benefit rather than hoping to gain something—either the public’s approval or the affections of his dorm? When was the last time he truly said fuck what everyone else thinks?

               He honestly couldn’t remember.

               And here was Kristina Kaiser, a scrappy girl with no magic—who knew the whole world was stacked against her—and she still stood toe to toe with Leona. Not backing down from his challenges or the challenges from the world around her. He felt his mouth go dry and his heart rate pick up a little as she finally sighed before grabbing her duffle again and fishing out her phone with some sports team logo, he didn’t recognize plastered on it.

               She taps on the screen as she’s on her way out the gym door then, and Leona finds himself following her—curious to see what the hell she was going to do next.

               “Hey, Katie, we on for that team run tomorrow still… yes I know I fucked up at the last match, I apologized at practice the other day, are we on or not…no I will not promise it won’t happen again I’m a bitch during season you know that…” Kristina was laughing on the phone with some other girl then. She’s completely relaxed and at ease. Unapologetically herself as she’s fishing for her car keys to open up her car door. Leona ignores the fact she can drive though and instead focuses on the conversation. “Yeah, eight in the morning, I want us to get done and over to the sandpits before the swim team gets out of practice and it becomes hot as balls---what the fuck!”

               The black carriage appeared out of nowhere. Even Leona hadn’t seen it coming as suddenly it was right on top of her—one of the horses rearing up and letting out a loud whinny as it startled Kristina into dropping her back and her phone. Leona can hear the concerning sounds coming from the phone but he can’t make out what is being said on the other side of the line.

               It’s then the cracks start forming. Like the whole scene was made of nothing but glass. Leona’s looking around in confusion—eyes going wide as he’s trying to process what’s happening, figure out if he had learned anything about something like this before, but he hadn’t. And then, everything shatters and he’s falling into an inky black abyss.

…

               “Hey, wake up,” Leona wrenches his eyes open at the noise piercing through a throbbing headache and the feeling of something pawing at his face. Sitting on his chest was the stupid demon-cat that lived in Ramshackle with the girls.

               “Huh?” That was all Leona managed to groan before looking around. He could already tell just by the number of people around that whatever had happened to him wasn’t good.

               Damn, he needed a nap.

Chapter Text

“Finally, he’s awake!” Kristina heard Grim as she started to slowly come back to consciousness. If she thought she felt like getting hit by a truck before—now she must have straight-up fucked Truck-kun because damn did her head hurt. “We didn’t know what to do if you stayed unconscious, yanno? Now hurry up and confess so we can get ready for the tournament!”

               “Huh? What’d you say?” Leona groaned and Kristina finally peeled open her eyes—squinting still with her lashes feathered over them to keep too much light from getting in as Leona sat up, effectively shoving Grim off of him.

               “Kingscholar,” Kristina heard Crowley address. So the bird actually did bother to show up. What a surprise. “You went into Overblot after all those negative feelings consumed you. Do you not remember?”

               “I went berserk… Overblot?” Leona asked clearly still trying to catch up with everything. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

               “Kris, you alive there?” She heard Judith ask as the aforementioned girl began poking her cheek. “I can see you opening your eyes.”

               “Give me a second damn it,” Kristina groaned as she smacked Judith’s hand away making the other girl chuck slightly. “Also fuck you, Val.”

               “What? Why me?” Valentina squeaked out clearly surprised at Kristina’s outburst.

               “Because you didn’t warn me about how fucking emotionally draining this shit is. I feel like I relived all the worst parts of my life plus his,” Kristina snapped as she finally began to sit up—feeling a pair of hands grabbing her shoulders to help steady her. She looked over and saw it was Fiona—the girl’s blue eyes wet with tears as she held Kristina firmly. Fuck, now she was going to have to deal with everyone’s pity because mommy and daddy didn’t love her. Well, she could deal with that later.

               “Forget Kris, the minion is fine!” Grim snapped then making Kristina glare at the cat. He really would make a good hat for Crewel. Still, Grim ignored the glare and moved to rest his front paws on Leona’s arm to shake him slightly. “Hurry up and confess before the tournament starts so we don’t lose our house!”

               “Huh? What the hell are you talking about?” Leona asked as he looked at Grim with complete confusion.

               “These guys were chasing after you because the headmaster threatened their living situation if they didn’t help catch the culprit behind the incidents,” Jack explained for them. Leona’s eyes widened for a second before he turned an acidic glare to Crowley that made the headmaster flinch a little.

               “You were going to kick out a bunch of magicless girls not from our world if they didn’t do your damned bidding?” Leona growled at the headmaster who was beginning to laugh nervously.

               “I wasn’t actually going to kick them out,” Crowley defended himself quickly. “I was simply supplying the proper motivation. Besides they aren’t staying at this school on the institutes Madol for free.”

               “Yeah, not going to kick us out,” Eva grumbled from somewhere behind Kristina. “And I’m the bloody queen of England.” That earned a few snickers from the group through the other students around them didn’t seem to get it.

               “That’s low even for you,” Ruggie said from where he was seated near the group. Eyes fixated on the headmaster as he addressed him. “My grandma would rip my ears off if I even thought about stealing from a lady, let alone pull something like that.” Kristina couldn’t stop smirking a little at both of their words. Mostly because it made Crowley squirm a little.

               “We wouldn’t have been in the situation, to begin with, if you didn’t decide to injure people in order to win,” Anne Marie retorted from where she was—leaning over to boop Ruggie on the nose. The hyena’s ears fell a little as he flushed in embarrassment.

               “Th-that’s… true, but…” Ruggie stammered out though he clearly didn’t have a proper excuse at the ready.

                “So, it is safe to assume that you boys are behind the consecutive accidents?” Crowley said then as he focused on Leona again. His shoulders relaxing as he was glad the subject was clearly off of his abuse of power towards the girls again.

               “Yeah, that’s right,” Leona admitted with a sigh. His eyes were downcast as well as his ears—like he had heard this story a thousand times and knew where it was going. Kristina knew too now, after having lived parts of his life.

               “I understand. Now then, Savanahclaw will have to be disqualified from the competition,” Crowley stated. “And then, you shall have to apologize to everyone you’ve injured. Am I understood?”

               “Damn that’s lighter than I thought they would get,” Anne Marie whispered to their group.

               “Of course, it is, if he went any harsher, he would have to explain to the public the full story. No way he wants that,” Judith whispered back to Anne Marie.

               “Hey, hold on a second,” Kristina tried to protest even as Leona was agreeing with a mumbled, “got it”. She could feel the others looking at her like she was crazy as she pulled herself to her feet. She didn’t care though. She honestly didn’t know why she was fighting this hard either to change the punishment. Did she just feel sorry that he was going to lose his chance to prove himself? Did she want a chance to challenge him again and make him look at her the way he had the first time they played against each other? Or something else, she had no idea. She had no plan. She was flying by the seat of her pants right now and she knew it. Then again, she never was one for careful planning off the court.

               “Please wait, Headmaster,” Riddle called then gaining all their attention. Kristina hadn’t really been fond of Riddle but at this moment, she could have kissed his short little redhead. Standing behind Riddle was a group of people she instantly recognized. Trey, Jamil, Alin, Aster, and several others she had seen that were victims of Ruggie’s ordered mischief.

               “Rosehearts? And if I’m correct, you all are…” Crowley said as he looked over the group of victims standing there.

               “Yes, they are the victims,” Riddle confirmed as he stepped to the side so Trey could come forward. After a week on crutches, he was at least able to stand on his own now, though he did still have a slight and noticeable limp as he walked.

               “Headmaster, we have a request as the victims in this case,” Trey stated as he looked to the headmaster. “Can you please let Savanahclaw participate in the tournament?”

               “Come again? Are you saying that you forgive them?” Crowley asked—clearly skeptical.

               “You guys…” Ruggie said as he trailed off—looking almost a little touched and misty-eyed at the kindness of his fellow students.

               “No, we’re not forgiving them,” Jamil stated then as he came forward—hand still bandaged from the cut he had received.

               “We can’t get our revenge if you don’t let them participate in the tournament,” Trey said as he smirked—suddenly not looking at all like the caring dad friend but rather that boy your mother always warned you was bad news.

               “Told you, you owe me ten bucks when we get back to the dorm,” Valentina laughed from somewhere behind Kristina while Kimberlee groaned in defeat.

               “Why do I keep getting punished for believing in the good of others,” Kimberlee whimpered with an over-dramatic sniffle.

               “Revenge?” Jack asked in surprise while Ruggie could only choke a little on his own shock. Honestly, Kristina didn’t know why they were surprised. They knew what kind of people got accepted to this school, and it wasn’t the kind that gave you warm fuzzies.

               “Magic can’t be used on others for personal reasons inside the school,” Riddle stated that same devilish smirk on his face that matched perfectly with Trey’s own.

               “But Magical Shift is a competition sport, isn’t it?” Trey asked as he leaned his weight on his non-injured foot. That look of mischief never leaving his face. “I guess you could call it… A sport where you can go all out with magic against your opponents on the field?”

               “Yeah, I won’t feel satisfied if I don’t get to hit you once!” Aster called from the back in agreement.

               “’ Tis a duel! Do not back away now!” Alin declared dramatically which caused an eruption of laughter from where Chui and Hunter were standing off to the side—clearly having not made it out of the arena before the blot happened.

               “Who the fuck talks like that?” Hunter hollered as he continued to laugh—leaning on Chui for support.

               “Now now, don’t go making fun of people for the way they talk,” Chui chastised though he himself was shaking with his own laugher.

               “Especially them, I especially want to hit them!” Alin bristled as he glared at the two of them—losing his fake Shakespearean way of talking.

               “I don’t know what happened,” Jamil cut in before a brawl could break out on the field for the who knows how many times since she had gotten there. “But you guys from Savanahclaw already look so tired.”

               “We now know who the culprit is,” Trey continued as he looked over the group. “And now we just want to get our revenge right out there on the field.”

               “You said it yourself right, Leona,” Cater said in that same overly obnoxious syrup voice he used when he knew he was being a smartass. “Using magic on the field isn’t against the rules~” Kristina snickered a little as she heard Leona groan behind her, clearly annoyed at having his words thrown back in his face.

               “I would usually be against using such a traditional event to settle disputes, but…” Riddle said before turning to look at Trey with fucking heart eyes. Ugh, Kristina swore if those two didn’t fuck already she was going to bash their faces together herself. It was gross watching them pine so openly. “Trey wanted to do it no matter what, so I’ll turn a blind eye to it this time.”

               “Oooh, he’s going to turn a blind eye~,” Judith snickered making Riddle’s face heat up.

               “I understand how you all feel,” Crowley sighed. “However, I do not know if Savanahclaw students are even fit to participate now. Especially since Kingscholar looks like he’s having a hard time just standing up.”

               “Hahahaha! Don’t underestimate me, Crowley,” Leona laughed and Kristina turned in time just to watch Leona stand up. He winced a little but overall had no issues. “I can fight these stupid herbivores in my sleep.”

               “We’ll see,” Jamil countered with his eyes full of mirth as he raised an eyebrow and smirk playing on his lips.

               “I don’t plan on apologizing anymore. Anyone who wants to hear a sorry will have to ear it by defeating me,” Leona proclaimed loudly. Kristina had never turned on her heels so fast in her life.

               “I think the fuck not,” she snapped as she marched forward to Leona. His ears flattened the second he saw her turn her glare at him, stumbling backward a little but she was still much faster as she hardly took any actual physical blows during their previous fight.

               “I had to take time out of my training schedule to figure out how to whip three dancers, a cat, and a cheerleader into a proper team because you decided to have a pity party and drag everyone else into your inferiority complex and depression fit.” Kristina was practically up against his chest and she was vaguely aware of the fact he was standing on his toes to avoid his face being right up against hers—his face still shocked and his ears down from shame. “You are apologizing to them for you being a lazy ass and not just practicing harder as well as us in Ramshackle from making us get involved you overgrown house cat.”

               “Depression fit?” Leona asked clearly having no idea what the term meant.

               “It fits,” Judith said off to the side. “Apathetic towards things you used to care about, lashing out in anger, sleeping a lot, general lack of motivation… yeah sounds like it.”

               “This is why this school needs a counselor,” Fiona sighed. “This all could have been avoided with therapy.”

               “Have I made myself clear?” Kristina snapped getting Leona’s attention back on her again. His eyes were on her again in an instant—she couldn’t be sure but she swore his cheeks were slightly darker than they were before.

               “…yes ma’am,” Leona said though it probably came out as more of a whimper than he probably wanted it to. Carefully, he stepped around her and turned to face everyone before dipping his head slightly in a bow.

               “I’m sorry for all the trouble I caused everyone, I will attempt to correct my shortcomings in the future,” Leona said though his voice was a little more monotone than Kristina would care for, she would take it. For now, at least.

               “… please tell me you got that on camera, Cater,” Riddle said—eyes wide as saucers and completely slacked-jawed as he had watched Leona apologize.

               “You bet I did,” Cater confirmed already typing away at his phone. “There is no way this doesn’t go viral.” Leona groaned a little before he turned to face Kristina—clearly not happy with everything going on around him.

               “Are you satisfied?” Leona asked her—ears still flat and cheeks still a little dark.

               “For now,” Kristina said with a smirk.

               “Good grief,” Crowley finally sighed as he looked at the group again. “Very well, Savanahclaw Dorm will participate in the tournament. Plus, as the headmaster, I would like to avoid further scandals regarding the players.”

               “Is this what adults are like?” Kimberlee squeaked out at Crowley’s blatant admission to wanting to sweep the whole incident under the rug.

               “This is what the world is like, get used to it,” Eva said as she put a hand on Kimberlee’s shoulder in comfort.

               “Now that, that is settled,” Anne Marie said as she stepped forward—Judith right beside her. “We have a proposition for you.”

               “Oh, what now?” Crowley said with an annoyed click of his tongue.

               “After discussing—” Judith said before getting cut off.

               “Arguing at two in the morning,” Valentina interjected.

               “Same thing, anyway, we have decided to offer to swap with Savanahclaw Dorm for competing against Diasomnia in the opening match,” Judith continued as she bushed off Valentina’s words.

               “What?” Leona and the headmaster said in unison—complete shock on their faces. Even Kristina was a little surprised but not much. She knew Judith and Anne Marie had been talking about doing something about the situation (the whole thing bothering Anne Marie since the dorm leader meeting) but she didn’t expect this to be their solution. But oh, did the faces of Leona and Crowley make it worth it.

               “You said that the issue would be getting a team to agree to switch and that was why you didn’t just shuffle the dorm bracket, correct,” Anne Maire continued. “Well, we are on the opposite side of the bracket from Diasomnia and therefore would be perfect to switch.”

               “Are you insane, they’ll crush you,” Jack said in shock looking frantically at all of them.

               “And we would have been crushed by Scarabia anyway,” Judith countered. “We don’t have magic, realistically we will be lucky to score with the level of juice the wands we have can produce. At least with us playing against Diasomnia, the Savanahclaw members have a chance of getting noticed for professional team offers.”

               “You aren’t the only ones who have to agree to the switch,” Crowley said then clearly distraught by the situation the two leaders of Ramshackle were putting him in. “We would need the approval from Savanahclaw, Diasomnia, and Scarabia as well.”

               “I believe we would have no problem with the switch,” Lilia hummed—appearing out of seemingly nowhere as he was now next to their little cluster for discussion. “They are quite an amusing group, I believe we would be honored to face them in competition.”

               “Well, that’s one down,” Anne Marie said with a smile. “What about you, Leona, Jamil, any objections?”

               “The whole point was to defeat Diasomnia,” Leona grumbled.

               “And you still can if you make it to the finals, after all, if they are as tough as you say then you will most definitely see them there if you can make it through the angry mob of people you pissed off,” Kristina interjected with a smirk. “Are you really the kind of King who is going to put his own pride over the well-being of his subjects?”

               Leona sputtered a little bit at her words before finally sighing. “Fine, I guess it will be good practice to go against the other herbivores first before the damned lizard.”

               “All that leaves then is Jamil,” Anne Marie said with a smile as she clapped her hands together. Jamil had at some point made his way over to the discussion as well. He looked hesitant, clearly on edge about everything.

               “I’m not really sure I can make this call,” Jamil said as he dug his toe into the ground a little. “I’m just the vice leader, Kalim should be the one the make the call, not me.”

               “And here I thought you would be jumping at the chance to be first in line for your ‘vengeance’,” Judith said as she put the words in quotations. “Or was that all talk because you knew the chances of you actually playing against him were slim?”

               The two of them glared at each other for a moment, sizing one another up. Kristina could practically feel a chill forming in the air between them as they continued to stare. Though, Kristina had to give Jamil props for not instantly giving into Judith’s obvious goad. She knew she would have if it had been her in his place.

               “I can’t make the call,” Jamil stated again with more conviction as he continued to glare at Judith. “But I can call Kalim and he can.”

               “Then hurry up and get him on the phone, we don’t have all day,” Kristina snapped and Jamil clicked his tongue a little before fishing out his phone and tapping the screen a few times. There was a hushed conversation then that maybe lasted a few minutes before a very loud and very obvious ‘Of course we can switch with them!’ was heard on the other end of the line. Jamil sighed and muttered something under his breath before he hung up the phone then.

               “He agreed,” Jamil said though he didn’t sound very enthusiastic about the whole thing.

               “Then it’s settled,” Anne Marie said with a smile. “Ramshackle will play Diasomnia in the opening match and then Savanahclaw will play Scarabia.”

               “Alright, alright,” Crowley relented with another deep sigh. “The audience is awaiting the player’s entrance. Let us make haste and get ready already.”

               “Heh, I’ll take you on Viper just you… Ah, that hurts…” Leona said with a wince. Kristina turned and saw Ruggie standing next to Leona now, looking like he had just smacked Leona in the side.

               “It’s not like I’ve already forgiven you,” Ruggie said as his ears were flat—babying the arm that was missing most of its epidermis layer of skin—looking pink and bloody.

               “Oh, really?” Leona said with a raised eyebrow at Ruggie.

               “I’m pissed but…” Ruggie said looking more than a little conflicted. “I never want to see you making that helpless face again. I want to see that haughty attitude and smug grin of yours since it suits you better! Just like this~ Laugh with Me!”

               “Ow! Bashtard! Ruffie!” Leona complained as Ruggie forced him to mimic his movements—showing Leona in his usual smile and devil-may-care posture.

               “Shishishishi! I’ve always wanted to do this to ya,” Ruggie laughed as he continued to force Leona into the pose.

               “What are you guys doing?” Jack asked with an exasperated sigh—clearly done with whatever bullshit his seniors were pulling.

               “Ah let him have his revenge,” Kristina said as she waved off Jack’s concern even though he was smiling. “Besides, Ruggie is right. Leona looks way hotter this way.”

               Kristina realized her mistake as soon as she said it.

               “Oh, so you think I’m hot?” Leona said with a smirk and Kristina felt her whole face heat up as he smirked at her—no longer needing Ruggie’s unique magic to force him to smile.

               “Yeah, but you’re still a jackass,” Kristina said in quick defense. Leona is still smirking at her though and she can’t help but look away now desperate for anything else to draw attention to. “Besides, Jack is also adorable when he smiles. You aren’t special.”

               “I didn’t smile!” Jack protested though he was only met with snickers from the others at his protest. He straightened up then, the easy smile returning to his face. “You guys really helped me out a lot. Thanks to you, I can fight with my all now.”

               “Awe, he’s actually kind of cute when he’s sincere,” Valentina cooed a little making Deuce stiffen up a bit in jealousy.

               “Jack was always cute, but this is adorable,” Fiona added in and Jack looked like he wanted nothing more than for the ground to swallow him whole. Still, his tail was wagging the whole time from receiving praise from everyone. Guess he was still a guy after all.

               “We are enemies on the field from here on,” Riddle stated directly to Jack then as well as the Ramshackle girls. “We won’t go easy on you.”

               “I wouldn’t have it any other way!” Jack affirmed looking completely pumped at the idea of challenging Riddle. Hell, thanks to Anne Marie and Judith, that fight might actually be a reality.

               “Better not let your guard down with us, or we will take the match,” Kristina smirked as well—happy to get in on the challenge.

               “Let’s not push it,” Anne Marie deadpanned then.

               “Ladies, if you are to participate in the opening match, I request that you hurry up,” Crowley called from the field’s staircase going back down.

               “Coming!” They all yelled in unison before taking off running to the steps.

               “Jack, our gym clothes still stashed in your room?” Kristina called back to him and he nodded. “Ok, we will be borrowing the dorm to change! Thanks in advance!”

               “Hey wait! I didn’t say you could! Do you even know where his room is?” Leona’s protests were met with more laugher though as they all headed down the stairs—high on life or adrenaline—Kristina wasn’t sure which. They really were lucky to make it out of this one alive, even more so than with Riddle but still. Kristina found herself smiling the whole time—more than she had in a long time.

               Maybe these bitches she lived with weren’t so bad after all.

Chapter Text

“Why did we decide this was a good idea again?” Anne Marie grumbled as they all stood near the entrance for the home team in the Colosseum.

                        “Because sticking it to Crowley matters more than any bruising we might sustain,” Judith reminded with the same dead-pan expression.

                        “Will the two of you stop being so mellow dramatic,” Kristina groaned as she pushed in between the two of them before they could start bickering further. “I doubt that Diasomnia will purposely try and hurt us, hell they might even hold back a bit.” The two others actually snorted at the idea. Kristina couldn’t blame them though; it sounds absolutely stupid even to her. No way were they going to bother to hold back for a group like that.

                        “Oh right,” Anne Marie said as she shoved a clipboard into Kristina’s chest. “I need you to sign off on this lineup as captain before I can turn it in.”

                        Kristina blinked and stared at the clipboard in complete shock. She took it weakly and looked it over. It was mostly a jumbled mess but as she stopped a looked everything began to solidify more and she was able to see Anne Marie had just written down the lineup they had all previously agreed on.

                        “If I’m the captain and not you,” Kristina said as she was covering up the embarrassment of everyone deciding on her as captain. “Why did you fill out the lineup?”

                        “Because we are on a time crunch and you don’t seem to have a handle on managing your Dyslexia yet,” Anne Marie stated casually like she was saying the sky was blue.

                        “I’m sorry my what now?” Kristina asked as she stared at Anne Marie as if she had just spoken in Latin. Anne Marie and Judith both seemed to return the stare with an equal amount of shock.

                        “You mean no one ever brought up the idea to you that you’re dyslexic?” Anne Marie questioned in turn.

                        “No, I don’t even know what that is,” Kristina hissed back before she quickly signed the clipboard and handed it off to a passing staff member.

                        “Dyslexia is a general term for disorders that involve difficulty in learning to read or interpret words, letters, and other symbols, but do not affect general intelligence,” Judith said like she had just read the words out of the damned oxford dictionary. “I always figured you knew but didn’t care since you always seemed more passionate about sports.”

                        “I found out after Crowley made me help interpret her school registration sheet, there were a lot of spelling mistakes even though the way it was spell was close to how it sounded,” Anne Marie added in.

                        “You should see how many times she would say go left and then walk right at a tournament,” Fiona giggled a little at a memory. “We could never figure out if she was walking the right way and said the wrong thing or if she was walking the wrong way and said the right thing.”

                        “Wait, hold on, back up,” Kristina said as she looked at the three second-years. “You’re telling me I might have had this learning disability this whole time, and that’s why I’m dumb with class stuff?”

                        “You aren’t dumb Kris,” Fiona said with a slight sigh. “Dumb people wouldn’t have been able to come up with the plays you have for us. You just have issues with words and reading is all.”

                        “Another failure on the American Public School System,” Eva sighed behind them. “You would have thought they would have flagged that ages ago.”

                        “In our small town? Where if you go to them with health or disability concerns and they tell you to get over it, or that it’s fake? Pfft yeah right,” Valentina scoffed with a roll of her eyes.

                        “Brookfield High: Pride in Excellence,” Kimberlee sighed with an almost mocking edge to her voice as she recited their school’s slogan. Kristina however, was going through an existential crisis. This whole time… she just wasn’t receiving help for what she needed. If she had been found in elementary school rather than shoved in a room with kids the school didn’t want to deal with, where would she be now? Could she have been reading the books the other kids talked about without it taking her two months? Could she have been getting good grades? Would she have had a better relationship with her parents?

                        Well, no point in dwelling on the past.

                        “We can talk more about this later,” Kristina interrupted their tangent on trashing the school system.

                        “Ramshackle! You’re up!” One of the staff members said interrupting the group.

                        “Crap, did we miss the other team’s lineup?” Fiona asked with a slight pout. “Man, I was hoping to figure out who Malleus was.”

                        “Come on you scrubs,” Kristina laughed a little as she nudged them all forward. “Let’s give them a show.”

…

                        “How many times do I have to say sorry ya damned Hyena,” Leona grumbled as Ruggie continued to shove his nose up in the air at Leona. Not only had Ruggie used his unique magic on him, but he was also now guilt-tripping him into buying him a ton of food before their match. “And shouldn’t you watch it before the match—I don’t want to hear you whining over a stomach ache that you can’t play.”

                        “I’m sorry, I almost became a one-armed hyena because of you, I don’t want to hear it,” Ruggie said with a click of his tongue before he took another bite of the churro he was holding. Leona can hear Jack chuckling behind him and he flattens his ears in response.

                        “Don’t you have friends you should be watching the match with?” Leona snapped back at Jack who just shrugged.

                        “Ace and Deuce are watching the match with their dorm and Vil is busy prepping for Pomefiore’s match against Ignihyde next.” Sounded like a bullshit excuse to Leona to cover up that Jack just wanted to follow him about but that wasn’t his business.

                        The student section of the arena was packed, not that Leona was surprised since pretty much everyone not on a team would be watching from here. Even those who are on the team came up to watch as long as they weren’t on deck to play next. He could see Chui and Hunter near the back of the stands—Hunter with his head resting on Chui’s shoulder—watching all the pregame commercials up on the jumbotron. The Heartslabyul gang is in the front row with Deuce looking more nervous than anyone else. Not that Leona could blame him since it was his girl that was going to be playing against Diasomnia. He sees the Octopunk and twins standing near a set of stairs talking and tapping at their phones, likely to keep track of revenue. He couldn’t see the Scarabia leader and vice, but he guessed that was because they were probably in box seats normally reserved for the Asim family. Leona couldn’t help but vaguely wonder which box Cheka would be watching in.

                        “Welcome one and all to the annual Night Raven College Magical Shift Tournament,” the announcer started signaling the start of the game. In a professional match there would have been time for both teams to warm up but due to the number of games they needed to get through that time was cut out. “I’m your announcer for today Darcy Hatters, and I will be joined by my lovely co-host Markus Harrison!”

                        “Thanks for the introduction Darcy, man do we have a fun match lined up to open folks. There has been a change in matches for today, though folks as it looks like the newly founded girls dormitory, Ramshackle, will be competing against Diasomnia instead of Savanahclaw.”

                        “And what an exciting turn of events this will be, now onto our starting line up for our defending Champions Diasomnia!” Leona had forgotten how much he hated those two annoyances as he listened to them give their introduction speech for the seven starting players of Diasomnia. He had been relieved when Riddle knocked them out of power last year, Darcy always had too many overly complicated solutions to problems with easy fixes.

                        “Sebek Zigvolt is the next on the field followed by Silver.”

                        “Just Silver? No last name?”

                        “Nope doesn’t appear to be on this line-up sheet but oh well, not our problem! After those two we have Toile Weaver making an appearance, they really are one to watch out for as a stand-out offensive player last year. And finally, we have the vice leader Lilia Vanrouge and the star himself, the future king to the Valley of Thorns, MALLEUS DRACONIA!”

                        Leona can’t stop the frown on his face as he glares at Malleus entering the field on his broom.  As usual, it looked like he was going to be taking a magical support roll rather than offensive, how annoying. He didn’t look remotely excited or concerned as he stopped to hover over the center part of the field. Leona sucked on his teeth a little as he watched the Diasomnia team casually waiting for the game to start, they were going to eat those poor girls alive. Leona almost wishes at that moment he had protested harder against changing the brackets around but… he also couldn’t deny the curiosity that brimmed in him—wanting to know just what those girls were capable of.

                        “And now we have our Ramshackle team! First, in our starting line-up, we have Valentina Corey and Grim!”

                        “Wait is that a cat or a tanuki with her?”

                        “Why not both dear Markus, why not both?” There was a laugh between the two commentators before Darcy continued. “Next, we have Kimberlee Daniels, Anne Marie Ryland, Judith Wieck, Fiona Alagona, and finally, the captain of the team KRISTINA KAISER!”

                        The girls and Grim had all run out onto the field as their names were called—waving at the audience as they stepped foot on the field. They looked a little stiff, like the nerves of what they were about to do had finally set in. Well, except for Grim who seemed as happy as a clam. Leona couldn’t hear what they were saying on the field but he was sure he was bragging about all the attention he was getting. He could see Eva making her way to the benches to cheer the team on as well, clearly having no interest in playing.

                        He could see Fiona pointing over at the Diasomnia team and then waving, making all the other girls wave in turn. At first, Leona thought they were all just saying hi to the Diasomnia members, after all, if Ruggie’s intel had been correct at least half the team was in clubs or in class with the girls. But then Malleus waved back at them, his face just as shocked at Leona’s at that moment.

                        “What the hell, do they know Malleus?” Ruggie asked from where he stood next to Leona in front of the railing.

                        “Apparently,” Leona hummed slightly as he eyed the absolutely awkward exchange that was.

                        “And with that… LET GET READY TO RUMBLE!”

                        The match was going… poorly was putting it nicely. Not even five minutes in and the team was down by a substantial amount. It didn’t help Malleus matters any as he had tailwind start-up in a matter of seconds making it nearly impossible for the girls to move forward or keep the disc balanced. Matters only got worse when Anne Marie took a disc right to the ribs. There had been a collective ‘oooo’ from the audience at the impact. Still, even as she winced, she reassured the refs that she was fine and could continue playing. Azul had perked up for that play more than any of the others.

                        The most interesting part of the team dynamic so far then had been Kristina.

                        “Senior Kaiser doesn’t really seem all that impressive out there,” Jack noted as he watched the match. Seeing Kristina let one of the Diasomnia players get past her again.

                        “If you think that’s true then you aren’t paying attention,” Leona replied with a smirk playing on his lips. Kristina wasn’t running around aimlessly, no. She was watching, observing the plays and strategies as she got a feel for how the Diasomnia team operated. “What is she planning?”

                        There was a call for a time out then for Ramshackle and a break happened. The girl's team huddled together and talked while the Diasomnia team stayed languidly on their side of the field—clearly feeling no pressure to have a team huddle themselves. Silver and Sebek even went so far as to start bickering with each other before Lilia finally cut in between them to stop it. The only one’s watched the girls with curious anticipation were Malleus and Toile.

                        The huddle broke and play started again. And Leona almost couldn’t believe what was happening it happened so fast. Kristina took off running with the disc, but before Sebek could intercept as he had every other time, Anne Marie had cast a spell forcing some vines to fly up and grab Sebek’s wand arm—forcing his aim off. Silver tried to intercept then but Kristina threw the disc so low it seemed almost impossible to catch. That is until Judith went sliding down—avoiding Toile’s attempt to stop her and catching the disc. The announcers were going wild. Leona was aware of this but he could only stare with his eyes going wide as saucers watching.

                        “Hey, isn’t this play…” Jack asked before trailing off.

                        “This is my play,” Leona stated in awe. “This is my fucking play from three years ago.”

                        Sure enough, once Judith was in the clear Kristina went running again as Kimberlee formed an ice pillar that launched Kristina in the air just as Judith passed the disc back to her. Malleus looked ready to start another tailwind but he was distracted by Grim breathing fire up in his general direction where he few on the broom.

                        Kristina’s landing into the end zone was less than graceful. She rolled her ankle and went tumbling down as she barrel-rolled on the dirt ground. Her hair was falling out of its ponytail and she looked like an absolute mess up on the jumbotron—but her smile was absolutely live.

                        “THEY DID IT! THE MAN WOMEN OF RAMSHAKLE ACTUALLY DID IT, FOLKS. THESE MAGICLESS GIRLS ACTUALLY MANAGED TO SCORE ON DIASOMNIA! THE FIRST TIME IN TWO YEARS SOMEONE HAS MANAGED TO DO SO!” The girls weren’t listening to the announcer’s cheers though as they had all run forward to dogpile up on Kristina—forcing the poor third-year to stay on the ground.

                        Leona can hear Jack and Ruggie’s cheering. See Deuce standing up from his seat to scream Valentina’s name. See Azul and the twins turn their heads with eyes wide at the play that took place. And yet, Leona just stood there dumbfounded. They scored using his play. A plan he had made was what managed to get through Diasomnia’s defenses. Get past Malleus’ stormy magic. And break a two-year-long perfect record of zero to over one-hundred points, as now seven points were lit up under Ramshackle’s name on the scoreboard.

                        Kristina is still upfront and center on the Jumbotron—having finally managed to shove all the other girls off of her. She’s looking around wildly and then she freezes staring with that same electric fire that struck Leona the very first time he talked to her at that dorm leader meeting she demanded they be allowed to participate in club activities. She points then—eyes still burning.

                        It takes Leona a minute to realize she’s pointing at him. He had to tear his eyes away from the large screen and actually look down at her to realize she had been looking for him in the crowd and was now pointing at him as if to challenge him. Him. Not Malleus Draconia who she is playing against. Not Jack or Chui or Hunter or anyone else she might have beef with. No, she is focused on him and only him.

                        Leona feels a hand move to cover his mouth before he knows it. He can feel his heart hammering in his chest and his face growing hot. His tail is swishing around wildly behind him. He’s doing himself to compose himself. He’s twenty years old damn it! He isn’t a teenager; he should have more self-control. But seeing her like this, smiling and ready to stand toe to toe with him, unafraid and unjudgmental. He couldn’t deny the almost stupidly giddy feeling that was bubbling up inside.

                        “Leona, are you ok?” Ruggie asks finally snapping Leona out of it. He clears his throat and hopes for all intents and purposes that Ruggie and Jack could not hear his heart racing. He was not talking about a school crush to these two assholes. “What the hell was that all about?”

                        “I think she’s challenging him,” Jack as he crossed his arms and a small smile playing at the corners of his lips. “A bold proclamation from a team still forty points down.”

                        No, it wasn’t a challenge. At least not in that sense. Kristina wasn’t coming for him; he knew that much. Her message was crystal clear to him. Your turn housecat. He could hear her say it in that same snide voice she was teasing him back at the dorm. She was challenging him to meet the bar she had set—had proved was possible. If magicless humans could score against the big-bad dragon then so could a dorm full of lions and other beasts.

                        His skin was prickling with excitement as he felt a wide grin spread across his face. A real smile, not a smirk or a condescending smile. A real one, that showed at that moment just how happy he really was. He could feel Jack and Ruggie looking at him in concern but he really didn’t care. It seems someone had come onto his turf and stole his play. He was going to have to meet the challenge tenfold or he couldn’t call himself the dorm leader of Savanahclaw.

                        “Ruggie… we are going to make it to the finals against Diasomnia and we are going to win. Is that clear?” Leona said his eyes still watching as the girls set up their line again—looking more than a little worn.

                        “…Yes sir, shishishishi,” Ruggie snickered a little at Leona’s declaration. He was glad to see Leona back a fired up, Leona knew this. And Leona couldn’t wait to see what these weirdo girls would manage to pull off next.

…

                        Kristina grumbled, upset that they had in fact not managed to pull off any more plays. Shortly after they had pulled off the one miracle play, Tsunotarou had decided to ice them out completely. She had a feeling he was actually Malleus based on his level of magic, but it still pissed her off too much to care so he was keeping that stupid nickname damn it. Shortly after that, Anne Marie’s ribs finally gave out and she needed to be benched before she actually fractured something behind what tape could fix. And to make matters worse, Grim decided to show off and accidentally knocked Fiona out cold. So, in the end, they had to forfeit the match before they could even make it to half-time. She was pissed but she would get over it.

                        The lot of them found themselves in the infirmary and Kristina would be the first to admit her ankle hurt and she was tired. All of them had ended up passing out as soon as the doctors were done looking them over. Only Grim and Eva ending up completely unscathed.

                        But the time she woke up, it was dark in the infirmary. She also somehow felt worse than she had when she woke up from the Overblot memory. She didn’t even know how that was possible. Blinking, she looked around the room. It looked like everyone had managed to wake up. Even Fiona was sitting up beside her—rubbing her temples from the likely headache she sustained. She could see Ace sitting near Fiona with Jack while Deuce had moved himself to be closer to Valentina rather than the other two. Damn, he was surprisingly clingy for not actually being her boyfriend.

                        “Where am I?” Fiona groaned as she propped herself up against the pillow.

                        “You got hit in the head by the disc Grim tried to throw during the match. You don’t remember?” Ace sneered as he glared down at Grim who was sitting at the foot of Fiona’s bed—clearly looking guilty.

                        “I thought my super long shot would make it through,” Grim pouted. Kristina groaned remembering the whole fiasco and hating every second of it.

                        “It’s not something a beginner should try to do,” Jack rationalized—his ears down in mild annoyance.

                        “In any case, I’m glad you’re all awake now,” Deuce said as he reached over to grab Valentina’s hand. “We were getting worried that you guys were going to sleep through the night.”

                        “Wait what time is it?” Kristina asked as she frantically looked around for a clock. She had left her phone with her school uniform back in Jack’s room. “Did we miss the whole thing?”

                        “Yeah, the tournament ended about an hour ago while you guys were still out,” Ace explained then. “They’re preparing to clean the place now.”

                        “Damn it, I was hoping to at least watch some of the gameplay from the other dorms,” Kristina pouted as the other girls snickered at her childish tantrum.

                        “Who ended up winning in the end?” Kimberlee asked curiously as she looked between the three other first years for an answer.

                        “Diasomnia won,” a new voice answered and Kristina felt her head whip over to look at the bed directly across from her. Jack moved a bit and she was able to see Leona laying there—a cold compress on his head—sitting up slightly so he could look at all of them with irritation. “Savanahclaw made it to the finals but… tch…those guys seriously aimed for us and not the disc.”

                        “Not that they had much competition,” Ruggie said as he was now visible to the right of Leona. “With everyone injured it was like watching a bunch of kids play. Absolutely terrible.”

                        “Senior Leona, Senior Ruggie! I didn’t realize you were awake, too!” Jack said just a little too loudly making Kristina flinch in pain.

                        “Jack, keep it down,” Judith groaned. “Some of us got ice thrown at our heads. Damned Toile.”

                        “Sorry,” Jack apologized—quieting his voice a little.

                        “Tch… to think I’d be using the clinic’s bed for anything other than my naps,” Leona complained as he sat up a little more.

                        “It’s sorta irritating to think that there’s no one from Diasomnia here at all,” Ruggie noticed. Sure, enough when Kristina looked around, she didn’t see a single member from the black and green dorm. Every other dorm seemed to be represented and present though.

                        “Man, I thought you chicks were going to die out there against Diasomnia’s perfect,” Ace sighed as he thought back to their match. “And he was holding back with you guys. He ripped Pomefiore to pieces in the next match.”

                        “Yeah… he was amazing. You guys are lucky you got to fight him head-on,” Deuce sighed almost a little sad that he hadn’t gotten to take a crack at challenging him.

                        “Next time, I’ll give you my spot on the team,” Valentina said with a laugh. “Though I really have no idea which one he was, to begin with.”

                        “Same,” Kimberlee added.

                        “Same,” said Fiona. Ace and Deuce looked at each other—clearly thinking those three were dumbasses, but choosing to not push it. Even Kristina didn’t feel like informing them. She hurt too much to care.

                        “Still, I totally understand why no one thinks they can win against him…” Ace trailed off—remembering the fight.

                        “Hmph. You really won’t win if you think that before you fight,” Jack huffed. “I mean, these girls managed to score so it’s definitely possible. Next time, I’ll show you all that I can win against Diasomnia without cheating!”

                        “Jack, again, volume,” Judith scolded—grabbing a fresh cold compress from a passing nurse.

                        “Being a cheater can also work to your advantage, you know?” Leona said a smirk playing on his lips.

                        “You did not seriously just say that,” Kristina scolded. “After everything you put us through, you really aren’t even a little sorry are you.”

                        “Why? Is there a need for that?” Leona challenged—seeming almost too eager to pick a fight with Kristina considering they were both in hospital beds. “I gave my all in the tournament this year. And next year, I’ll just have to do the same.”

                        “Please don’t,” Kimberlee whimpered a little.

                        “Assholes, this whole school is nothing but assholes,” Eva huffed from where she was sitting in a chair.

                        “Shishishi! That’s our Leona! That’s what we like to hear!” Ruggie said clearly enabling Leona’s bad behavior.

                        “How about you assholes try practicing rather than sleeping around all day, huh,” Kristina challenged making both of the boys pout at her scolding. Well, Ruggie was pouting. Again, Leona seemed way too excited about picking a fight with her. It made her squirm a little in bed as she looked off to the side—suddenly fascinated by the water basin next to Leona’s bed.

                        “Geez, I thought we’d all learned…” Jack groaned at his senior’s behavior.

                        “We’ll have to do our best so we can be on the team next year,” Deuce declared—already thinking about next year.

                        “Yeah, I don’t wanna embarrass myself in front of all those people like Grim did,” Ace snickered earning a protested cry from Grim. They were all laughing then, though Anne Marie protested telling them to stop because it hurt too much to laugh.

                        “I finally found you, uncle!” Everyone stopped abruptly then as a little kid came scampering into the room. He couldn’t have been more than five with his babbling voice. A head full of orange-red curls with a lion’s ears and tail. He was smiling excitedly as he came running in their direction. Kristina couldn’t help but feel he was familiar somehow, though she couldn’t quite figure out why.

                        “Who the heck’s that kid?” Grim asked as he watched with blue eyes as the kid came over to the group.

                        “Uncle Leona!” The child yelled out again before running over and jumping up on Leona’s bed.

                        “Ah, damn it… The annoying one’s here,” Leona groaned even though he made no move to remove the kid from his side.

                        “Uncle…Leona…?” Jack said as if it was the most heretical thing he had ever heard in his life that Leona was an uncle.

                        “This little furball’s Cheka, my brother’s son,” Leona explained with a sigh as he reached up to ruffle Cheka’s hair making the younger lion giggle. “He’s my nephew.”

                        “Nephew!” Everyone exclaimed in unison then.

                        “Damn, he really is the spitting image of your brother,” Kristina said now that she managed to get why Cheka looked so familiar. He looked like Farena from Leona’s past that she had seen.

                        “That means… the one who’s next in line for the throne is…” Ruggie trailed off as he looked at Cheka who was now trying to tug at one of Leona’s braids. Yep, the next king of the Afterglow Savanah was the little rug rat now trying to annoy Leona into submission. Kristina had to fight the urge to laugh.

                        “Your matches were so cool, uncle!” Leona flinched a little as Cheka spoke way too loudly. “Teach me how to play next time!”

                        “I get it already, so don’t shout in my ear!” Leona scolded as he pushed Cheka back a little away from his ears. “Where are your bodyguards? They might be searching for you.”

                        “I wanted to see you so badly so I left them~ hehe~” Cheka laughed but Leona looked like he was going to faint as all the color left his face.

                        “Huh, reminds me of someone else I knew when I was younger,” Anne Marie said pointedly as she looked at Judith.

                        “Not one word,” Judith warned—clearly having given up on quieting everyone down for the sake of her headache.

                        “Um… the root of all evil for Leona is…” Jack trailed off—his eyes still glued to Cheka in disbelief.

                        “Is this ball of energy,” Kristina confirmed with a laugh having given up on trying to conceal herself.

                        “He’s really attached to you, yanno?” Grim noted as he was snickering himself at Leona’s predicament.

                        “Shut it. Stop staring!” Leona growled at them with his ears flattening as they all continued to giggle at the sight of Leona having to play the doting uncle. His eyes only met Kristina’s for a moment though before dropping—his cheeks practically a whole different shade than the rest of his face now from the blood rushing to them.

                        “Hey, hey, uncle! When are you coming home?” Cheka asked ignoring the entire interaction happening around him. “Next week? The week after that? Ah! Did you read my letters?”

                        “Oh this is too cute,” Kimberlee cooed as she covered her face with her hands and squealed a little at the sight.

                        “Yeah, I told you already. I’ll be back home for the holida—Ow, don’t sit on my stomach!” Leona scolded as Cheka plopped himself right on Leona’s stomach that was likely sore and bruised from all the fights he had been in for the day. Still, Cheka didn’t move and Leona made no effort to move him.

                        “H-he’s just sitting on Leona’s stomach so casually,” Jack said blinking in complete disbelief.

                        “It reminds me of when Emma would come by during summer practices,” Fiona giggled and Kristina quickly whipped her head around to glare at the blonde. “Oh, she would just go on and on about how cool Kris is and how she wanted to be a tough and popular as Kris. It was just downright adorable.”

                        “Who’s Emma?” Eva asked curiously.

                        “Emma’s Kris’ little sister,” Fiona filled in all too happily.

                        “Oh god, she doesn’t shut up about Kris at practice,” Judith groaned at the memory. “She was telling all of us about how you were her big sister and how she was so sure you were going to take the team to state again and which schools were scouting you. Getting her to focus on practice was a real pain.”

                        “Hahahaha! This is awesome!” Ruggie said as he laughed at both Leona and Kristina’s misery.

                        “Are you all uncle’s friends?” Cheka asked then as he finally looked around to everyone else—bothering to take note of their existence now that he had gotten the answers he wanted from Leona.

                        “Yup,” Ace said still laughing. “We’re his friends~ right, uncle Leona?” If Ace Trappola was reported dead in a ditch the next morning, they would all know who was responsible for his murder.

                        “Uncle… ahahaha! Ow, ow… laughing hurts so much…” Ruggie whined as he gripped at his sides.

                        “Stop laughing, you bastards!” Leona snapped at them all—still clearly embarrassed by their teasing. “You better remember this!”

                        “Oh, you’re the pretty lady who scored against the green dorm,” Cheka exclaimed then as he hopped off Leona and came over to Kristina’s bed. Jumping up on it without a care in the world.

                        “That’s right, the name’s Kris,” Kristina introduced herself with a pleasant smile. She was used to kids, she had to help teach elementary students during summer camps after all. Cheka beamed brightly then.

                        “I’m Cheka! Are you uncle’s friend?” Cheka asked—his tail waving excitedly.

                        “Yeah, I am,” Kristina agreed with a smile.

                        “Hehe~ you remind me a lot of momma,” Cheka said happily. “Hey, are you single? Would you wanna date my uncle?”

                        “Cheka!” Leona roared as he tried to sit up in bed. Kristina could only blink dumbfounded. Meanwhile the rest of her dorm sounded like they might die of laugher at any second. Hell, Judith almost fell off her cot before Eva managed to catch her and pull her back up. Kristina could only smile awkwardly and let Leona handle his nephew.

                        After all: Kids? Right?

…

                        It was late at night now by the time the girls were all discharged from the infirmary to go back to their dorm. They had all wasted no time making their way to the showers after receiving their clothes back from Jack at the Savanahclaw dorm. Grim was listening to the others in the communal baths, laughing and teasing over what had happened earlier in the night.

                        “They’re all bathing right? Ihihihihi! Alright, it’s snack time!” Grim cheered as he pulled out the black shiny stone that was hiding in his collar since Leona’s Overblot incident. “I secretly took it when it fell back in Savanahclaw’s dorm, but… if this isn’t candy, then what is it?”

                        Grim didn’t ponder on the question too long though before smirking.

                        “Don’t care! Finders’ keepers, losers’ weepers! Thanks for the food!” And then he swallowed the stone whole. “Mm~ it’s got a little bit of a bitter and spicy taste! It’s like grown-up food! Such a shame that humans can’t enjoy this! I’m sleepy that I’m so full…”

                        With a yawn, Grim climbed up onto Fiona’s bed and circled a bit before laying down and falling asleep. Having no idea of the consequences of his actions.

                        Fiona came back not long after, smiling as she saw that Grim was asleep as she continued to towel dry her hair. She reached over for her phone to shoot a DM to Chui and Hunter to ask them for a favor. She wanted to do something for Kristina. After all they would have done a lot worse in the tournament if she hadn’t pushed them to at least try. And… she felt a little bad. She had no idea how much volleyball had meant to her before. She had no idea that it was basically all that she had. About her family life, none of it. She wanted to make it up to her, even if she knew that she was likely Kristina’s least favorite out of the girls in the dorm.

                        “Can’t believe your sleeping already,” Fiona giggled as Grim continued to snore away. “I guess it’s bedtime for me too. Goodnight Grim.”

                        Fiona laid in bed then but… just before she could fall asleep, she swore she saw the mirror…shining. She blinked but it was gone just as quickly as it had come. She wrote it off as a trick of the light and let herself believe that that was all it was as she fell asleep.

…

          In the Octavinelle dorm, Azul sat comfortably on one of the dorm lounges chairs with the twins flanking him on either side. All of them were smiling contently as they finished going over the numbers from the tournament.

          “The sales for this year’s tournament went up by twelve percent compared to last year’s, correct?” Azul asked with a graceful smile on his lips. “What a favorable result.”

          “But y’know~ It would’ve been faster if we didn’t end up in the bottom for this year’s tournament,” Floyd pouted still clearly hurt that they had lost to Heartslabyul in their first match of the tournament. In the end the stunt the girls pulled of taking Savanahclaw’s place in the tournament had affected them very little.

          “That does not matter,” Azul said quickly. “In the end, the Magical Shift Tournament is but a simple game where people run around chasing after a disc. The field where we from Octavinelle truly shine is… yes, the written exams!”

          Azul was going to ignore the fact that he had regularly tripped over himself in the tournament as he attempted to stop others from scoring and scoring himself. Unfortunately, as dorm leader, he was forced to be on the team whether he wanted to be or not. It was embarrassing to say the least. He didn’t know how the ramshackle girls did it, even Kimberlee as their clumsiest member had managed to stay on her feet the whole time. Not to mention Anne Marie, gritting her teeth and pushing forward despite her injury. It truly was an earnest move deserving of praise.

          Still… it wouldn’t be enough to spare them for what he had in store. He had planned for too long and worked too hard to give it up for some silly notion of admiration. He was going to have his cake and eat it too, even if it spelled his downfall.

          “Azul, the client has contacted us,” Jade interrupted as he looked at a text on his phone. “They will be meeting with us directly in the Lounge tonight.”

          “Understood. Then, shall we prepare a special welcome for our guest?” Azul asked not even trying to hide the coy smile playing on his lips as Jade nodded his head and headed off in the direction of the Monstro Lounge. “Now then, what kind of wish will they make? How truly exciting, fufufu~”

Chapter Text

“Kris, Kris wake up, breakfast is going to get cold.” Kristina groaned and rolled over—covering her head with the pillow she had been resting on. After everything yesterday, she felt like trash. She was going to sleep in until noon whether Fiona bitched at her or not. However, Fiona it seemed was not going to just let her sleep and decided to start shaking her, making Kristina groan in protest.

          “Five more minutes…actually five more hours,” Kristina grumbled as she haphazardly attempted to swat Fiona’s hands off of her. Fiona only giggled though as she grabbed one of Kristina’s arms and began to pull her out of bed. It took some effort since Kristina was about a hundred and sixty-something pounds of muscle, but Fiona did eventually manage to drag her out of bed and onto the floor with a thud.

          “Come on, get up, you’re too heavy to drag all the way to the kitchen,” Fiona complained with another sharp tug on Kristina’s arm that she ignored.

          “Pfft, I’m sure the Magicam community is going to love to see the star of NRC like this in the morning.” That was all Kristina heard before the sound of a phone shutter going off. Kristina lifted her head up and opened her eyes to glare at Judith standing next to Fiona. Her hair was straightened rather than pulled back and she was dressed in a dress that made her look like Wednesday Addams.

          “The fuck did you get here,” Kristina said—her voice straining a bit as she sat up and stretched.

          “When I heard Fiona cussing you out as she tried to pull you off the bed,” Judith answered—tapping away at her phone screen to likely upload the photo of Kristina with her messy bed-head and completely zonked out face.

          “You could have helped,” Fiona complained but Judith only shrugged.

          “Anyway, get up so you can eat something. Anne’s getting her ribs checked out—”

          “The fuck do I need to be there for that for? Anne’s a big girl—she can go by herself.”

          “And—” Judith continued with emphasis, showing she wasn’t done talking when Kristina had interrupted her. “Bird Brain decided we need a physical.”  

          Kristina snorted a bit at Judith’s nickname for Crowley before sighing and standing up. She could hear a few of her joints popping at her movement—showing she really had slept like the dead the previous night. She rolled her neck a little and sighed as the muscles released the tension they were holding. It was only then she grabbed her phone and checked the time. It was almost ten in the morning; they really had let her sleep in it would seem. She couldn’t remember the last time she had let herself sleep in that late.

          She also opened up Magicam as she made her way out of the room and to the kitchen where it smelled like pancakes and bacon. She had seen it after she opened the app Judith had tagged her in the post: captioning it “The star of Ramshackle everyone… Such a fierce beast.” The photo looked about as bad as Kristina had expected it to, though she couldn’t bring it upon herself to really care that much that it was posted. She’s pretty sure worse photos of her had been posted before with a lot meaner captions. She can even see the comments flooding in, particularly the ones from Ace and Ruggie who are teasing her about her bed head.

          She quickly typed out some vaguely threatening replies to them before snickering a little. She didn’t know Ruggie well really, but he seemed like the type to get her sense of humor. Ace on the other hand would likely be avoiding her for the next few hours and that was also very amusing to her. She was about to click off her phone when she saw another notification pop up. Curiously, she clicked on the notification icon and stared for a moment even after her brain finally processed the words properly.  

          Leona Kingscholar (@L.Kingscholar_Official) is now following you

          She wasn’t quite sure how to react to that. Not really. She wanted to laugh a little at the fact he had an account that was verified and stated to be official…until she remembered he was a prince and that was probably why. Fuck that was weird to think about. Leona being a prince. Maybe it was because royalty felt like such a completely weird thing being raised in the states. Sure, Megan and Harry had been all over the news for forever after their wedding and usually, the tabloids at the grocery store had some story running concerning the British royal family, but it was still weird to think there was actual royalty near her.

          Curiously, she clicked on his profile. His face-claim photo was a simple one of him just looking at the camera—not smiling—and obviously dressed in his dorm leader uniform. There weren’t many photos on the profile from what she could see. A few photos that were obviously just reposted from official press releases of the royal family, the occasional gym photo, though the most popular hands down weren’t even one of him but one of Cheka curled up into his side sleeping. She giggled a little at that before bothering to look at the profile caption then.

          Leona Kingscholar, Prince of the Afterglow Savanah, NRC Student, 20, He/Him

          “What the fuck,” Kristina exclaimed suddenly making everyone look at her in confusion.

          “What’s up?” Kimberlee asked confused as she set down another stack of pancakes on the table for everyone to eat.

          “Did you guys know Leona was twenty?” Kristina asked clearly in shock.

          “No, why would we?” Valentina stated clearly not understanding what the fuss was about. To be honest, Kristina didn’t know why she was acting so shocked either. Guess it just threw her off guard more than anything really.

          “I don’t know…” Kristina trailed off than with a huff. She quickly just hit the follow-back button on her screen before shutting her phone down and continuing with breakfast as normal.

          “Speaking of birthdays, have you guys read some of these answers for the September and August birthday interviews?” Anne Marie asked as she finally let the newspaper, she had been reading come down enough to see her face.

          “Not yet, because you were the one who grabbed the paper with the mail,” Eva pointed out with a sigh.

          “Some of these answers are just…something,” Anne Marie trailed off—her expression more than a little worried.

          Judith snatched the paper from Anne Marie then, quickly skimming through before stopping on one and snickering. “Oh god Riddle, a 3,000-word answer crossword puzzle? Really? No way am I helping you with that.”

          “Skip down further, it gets worse,” Anne Marie sighed. There was a beat of silence as Judith continued to skim down the newspaper before she absolutely started losing it.

          “Oh fuck, Jamil really? I can’t even,” Judith had a wide grin on her face and she continues to laugh. Kristina wanted to ask about what the hell she read that is making her laugh so hard but she was too shocked seeing Judith laugh like that. When the hell had she ever seen Judith do more than smirk or give a small smile? Now she’s beaming—her teeth on display and dazzling with a single dimple on one side of it. It looks weird compared to her usual snarky or stoic expressions. Kristina looked around a little to see if maybe some of the others were also surprised by Judith’s reaction. Sure, enough just about everyone except Anne Marie was wearing a similar expression of confusion. “Who the hell insists on a pet parrot calling them master?”

          “Someone very kinky I’m guessing,” Kristina snorted then. “Or someone with serious control issues.”

          “Isn’t that the same thing?” Judith quipped with a blink—the bright smile gone now and replaced with the smirk that Kristina was much more familiar with.

          “Screams red flag to me,” Anne Marie said before snatching the paperback from Judith.

          “Ah yes, because you are an excellent judge of red flags aren’t you,” Judith said coldly—clearly annoyed at having the paper pulled out of her hands despite the fact she had done a previous action not long before.

          “Hey both of you, what did we agree on?” Fiona snapped at both of them.

          “No fighting at the breakfast table,” the two of them said in unison like a pair of scolded children.

          “Right, so keep it buttoned up until the rest of us don’t have to listen to it,” Fiona huffed at them. Kristina couldn’t help but snicker a little bit. It was hard to believe they were the dorm leader and vice leader sometimes when they got scolded regularly by Fiona of all people.

          “We should probably get going to the infirmary,” Valentina said as she gulped down the rest of her juice. “It’s almost time to meet up.”

          “Gross, the healing gel they put on my ribs stings,” Anne Marie whined a little bit making most of them snicker.

          “You think they are going to measure ALL of our body for the physical? You know like you always see in Anime,” Eva asked then hands moving to cover her boobs protectively.

          “I doubt it,” Judith reassured. “We are probably just getting vaccinated for some common illnesses in this world and getting height and weight checked. No different than the physicals we are required to have for sports or at school.”

          “Not that there would be much to measure on you or Kim,” Kristina said with a coy smile making Judith sputter a little.

          “Now that was rude and uncalled for,” Judith pouted as she crossed her arms over her chest—as if that would help cover up her obvious b-cup.

          “And why am I involved in this slander,” Kimberlee whimpered looking down at her own washboard of a chest. Valentina reached over and patted her shoulder reassuringly but Kimberlee didn’t raise her sullen expression any.

          “Kris, say you're sorry,” Anne Marie scolded to which Kristina responded in the most mature way possible of just sticking her tongue out.

          “Are you all done bickering or can we actually get a move on,” Eva sighed—like it wasn’t her comment that started the discussion in the first place. “I wanna get out of here before the Diasomnia crew come by again to start working on their Halloween decorations.”

          Ah yes, the Halloween decorations that Kristina had forgotten about. Because apparently, Crowley approved Diasomnia to use their front yard as a stamp rally venue and completely forgot they all lived there. Yeah, that sounded about right, and frankly, after listening to Sebek yell most of yesterday she really didn’t care to hear him yelling first thing on a Sunday morning either.

          “Fine, fine, let’s get this over with,” Anne Marie said—wincing a little as she stood up and stretched. Her ribs must have been really bruised by that disc yesterday. Honestly, Kristina was surprised she could even stand. Kristina hurried up and finished off her food before standing as well, all of them heading out the door.

…

          “I can’t believe most of that appointment was just giving us magic birth control.” Valentina was huffing as they all exited the infirmary. Fiona could only give a weak smile in response. It really had been more embarrassing than she had planned on it being. They took everyone’s height and weight (with the embarrassing realization that this world ran on the metric scale and not the imperial one they were all used to), a few shots for common diseases, and then finished off with Anne Marie’s goop for her ribs and all of them having to drink a potion that apparently essentially cursed them to be barren until they went to the doctor to have it removed.

          “Probably because the headmaster was absolutely scandalized by you and Deuce kanoodling in the hallways,” Kristina teased as she nudged Valentina a little—the bi-racial girl flushing a bit at the accusation.

          “We do not ‘kanoodle’ in the hallway,” Valentina protested though she was still looking away nervously. “We haven’t even gone past more than a peck really.”

          “In like three weeks?” Kristina asked sounding shocked. “Now that’s just sad.”

          “Not everyone is a horndog like you Kris,” Judith huffed. Fiona notices that Kristina doesn’t deny the accusation—only smiling proudly. She vaguely remembers one time some team members teasing Kristina for a walk of shame to which she had retorted that it was a victory lap not a walk of shame.

          “I’m just glad this potion means no periods,” Kimberlee sighed in relief. “No PMS, no cramps, no bloating, nothing.”

          “Kris also got her official diagnosis for Dyslexia confirmed by the doctor and is now on her file so she can get some assistance on tests,” Fiona said way too happily making Kristina grumble a little.

          “Still can’t believe they can diagnose that and not depression,” Anne Marie said with a sharp blow of air to force her bangs out of her face. “Seriously what in the hell is this world's mental health policy?”

          “Conceal don’t feel?” Judith suggested with wide innocent eyes.

          “I… weird I get the feeling that is a joke but I can’t…I can’t seem to place the reference,” Anne Marie mentioned as her eyebrows knit together in thought. Fiona thought about it for a second as well, it really was family but… she couldn’t figure out why either. It even started to hurt her head the more she thought about it.

          “I don’t really remember either, or why it stuck out to me so much,” Judith lamented—clearly more determined to push herself to the point of a headache than the rest of them.

          Fiona felt her phone vibrate then, pulling her attention from the mass confusion the group seemed to have found themselves in. She pulled the phone out of her shorts pocket and saw she had a DM on Magicam from Hunter Winchester.

          Hunter: All set up in the gym Sweetheart! Head over when you’re all done with your doc visit

Fiona smiled widely then and typed a quick reply before turning to the rest of the girls.

          “Hey we should swing by the gym,” Fiona suggested quickly as she shot a look to all the others who looked at her knowingly. They had discussed this plan while Kristina was still in bed. So they all knew exactly what Fiona was getting at.

          “I’m not complaining,” Kristina said though she was looking at Fiona with a confused look. “But what the hell is in the gym on a Sunday?”

          “You’ll see,” Fiona giggled as she grabbed Kristina’s hand and began pulling her quickly in the direction of the gym.

          “The hell, you are all acting weirder than usual,” Kristina protested but she still stumbled forward as she kept up with Fiona. Everyone else was following close behind and they giggled in turn—clearly all of them excited to see Kristina’s reaction to their surprise.

          When they finally reached the gym Fiona immediately turned to watch Kristina’s reaction to the gymnasium. The volleyball net was set up as well as the referee podium. Chui and Hunter were standing on either side of the net dressed in gym clothes, smirking as they observed Kristina’s reaction. And Kristina’s reaction? Fiona had never seen her captain at a loss for words and completely slack-jawed as she blinked at the group.

          “What is all of this?” Kristina asked, her voice small and lacking any of the accusation the question would have normally held.

          “Well, Fiona figured you would want to play some four on four since you hadn’t gotten the chance to play since you got here,” Anne Marie began to explain. “After all, you have a bunch of college offers waiting for you when you get back, don’t you?”

          “We’re no pro volleyball team but… it could still be fun,” Judith added with a shrug.

          “Chui and Hunter were more than happy to set up the nets for us as long as they got to play too,” Fiona chirped happily.

          “I helped too!” Grim protested from where he had been lounging on the referee stand.

          “Yes, Grim and we are very glad you did,” Kimberlee cooed at the cat making him preen in satisfaction from the recognition.

          “Ace and Deuce have to help in the botanical gardens to set up for Halloween but they will be by after they finish there,” Hunter said happily. “Same with Ruggie and Jack, though they might be a little longer since they have to help finish cleaning up the colosseum from the tournament.”

          “How did you get Ruggie to agree?” Chui asked curiously. “He doesn’t do anything for free.”  

          “Turns out, he’s easy to bribe with Donuts,” Hunter chuckled. “Now come on let’s play!”

          “You… don’t feel sorry for me?” Kristina asked clearly stunned by everyone’s reaction. “You aren’t just going to pity me over my family life?”

          “Why would we?” Valentina asked with a blink. “My dad left before my brother was even born and I was just four months old. Kimberlee’s mom basically dropped her off on her dad’s doorstep and said adios. Fiona’s parents are dead. Sorry if that’s a little harsh.”

          “It’s ok,” Fiona reassured.

          “I haven’t talked to my dad since I was eight,” Eva added in quietly trying to relate to everyone else.

          “See,” Valentina said as she pointed around. “Most of us have family issues. So why do you get the special pity party?”

          “You’re all assholes,” Kristina said but she’s laughing and smiling brightly. She looked relieved even. No one was going to treat her differently. No one was handling her with kid gloves. She was still Kristina, the loveable asshole they had all grown fond of.

          “We can’t change what happened or what your life was like,” Judith said with a reassuring smile. “But we can make sure we things are better than they were before.”

          “…Damn when did you become a philosopher?” Kristina mocked making Judith’s face fall.

          “Never mind, you can suffer, I don’t care,” Judith said though the laugher she was fighting in her voice was obvious.

          “Ah come on, let’s get this party started you scrubs,” Kristina laughed again before throwing Judith in a headlock, making the shorter brunette sputter a little and tap at Kristina’s arm to try and get her to let go. They all begin bickering among themselves as they split up into teams. Kristina doesn’t say thanks, she’s never been the type for a sentiment like that; but Fiona can tell she’s grateful as they play. The smile never leaving her face the whole time, not even as Ace, Jack, Ruggie, and Deuce come into the gym and start playing with them to have a full six-on-six match with Eva and Grim serving as referees.

          She kept smiling as Cater showed up and snapped a photo of all of them playing, and when Anne Marie scolded him for his hashtag of #thiccthighssavelives. She smiles even as Leona saunters in the watch with Riddle and Trey on his heels to obverse them with mild interest and curiosity. When others start showing up as well, even people Kristina wasn’t sure she knew who saw Cater’s post and thought it would be fun. Even as people flubbed and fucked up or pulled illegal moves, she kept smiling.

          Fiona doesn’t remember the last time Kristina was this happy.

          “You know, I thought you were a real bitch when I was a freshman,” Fiona admitted as they took a break to drink water that Whitley had run to grab them.

          “Oh,” Kristina said with a raised eyebrow as she looked down at Fiona. “What changed your mind?”

          “Absolutely nothing, I still think you’re a bitch,” Fiona stated though she failed to keep the straight face for comedic effect. “But after seeing how much passion you put into the things you care about, I just ended up growing to like that about you.”

          Kristina laughed then, taking another swig of the drink in her hand.

          “And I used to think you were a complete air-head idiot,” Kristina admitted making Fiona blanch a little bit. Though she supposes she did deserve it. “But… you also have a heart and genuinely care about people. Even bitches like me. So… thanks I guess.”

          Fiona was about to tease her for the thanks and bashful expression she was wearing. It was completely out of character for her after all. But unfortunately, they were interrupted by the sudden squealing from Judith—drawing their attention to where the second-year vice leader was standing in a circle with Deuce, Ace, Kimberlee, and Valentina.

          “Ace you fucking jerk!” She screeched as she wiped her face furiously. Judging by her actions, Ace probably squirted his water bottle in her face. He was absolutely howling in laugher at the sight of her. That is until she finished wiping her face and set her sights on him again. Now he was running around the gym with her hot on his tail—her own water bottle in hand as she was hellbent on getting him back.

               Then again, some things just don’t ever change, do they?

Chapter Text

Judith had no idea how long she had been staring at the outfit she had laid out on her bed. It wasn’t anything too crazy: a jean jacket, a lacy top that showed just a hint of her mid-drift if she raised her arms, and a pair of jeans. Nothing she hadn’t seen girls her age wear a million times over, nothing risqué or crazy. And yet she kept going back and forth on if she should wear it to go into town today. It was supposed to be a casual outing that the Heartslabyul group had asked them to attend. Riddle had offered after letting them know about needing to order some bulk fabric for their costumes as well as props and such as Halloween was only a few weeks away.

          And yet, she couldn’t shake her grandmother’s nagging voice in the back of her head. The voice that told her that jeans and a top that showed that much skin was absolutely not ladylike (ironic since she wore dance costumes that hardly covered anything and her grandmother had no problem with them). And then her own voice, quieter but nonetheless present, telling her how weird she would look in something like that. How the others would surely make fun of her for how weird she looked in it.

          Normally, she wouldn’t have cared about their opinions. In the grand scheme of things, the opinions of high school classmates amounted to very little. But she didn’t just see them in the hallways, she lived with them and for who knew how long. She didn’t need to be stirring the pot more than she already did with the teasing she couldn’t help but dish out.

          She wished she could ask her aunt for advice, but even if she could contact her, they hadn’t spoken since she was fourteen. What would she even say to her? Sorry, I’m the reason you aren’t allowed to contact your family anymore, can you help me plan an outfit for going out? Yeah, like that didn’t sound remotely stupid.

          Judith finally sighs and grabs the jeans and top—folding them in the messy way she had managed to teach herself since coming to this world—and placed them back in the dilapidated wardrobe. Instead, she grabbed a collared blouse and knee-length skirt to put on instead. She wanted to go to the bank anyway, she should dress more professionally for that. Still, she kept the jean jacket out. It was starting to get colder out now that October had fully set in and frankly, she was priding herself on keeping the jacket.

          After getting dressed, Judith looked over the small notebook on her desk—double-checking the list she had been making and revising ever since… well just about ever since she found herself at Night Raven College over a month ago. The list was filled with things she needed to get in order so she could live on her own, and the first and foremost thing on her list she wanted to take care of—was setting up a bank account Crowley had no access to. She wanted to make sure that if he tried to force her to go back to her world that she could make a run for it without him freezing or taking the finances she already earned. She had cried in relief when she realized she didn’t have to be eighteen to open a checking account in the Rose Kingdom, only over sixteen. And since Crowley had finally gotten their IDs for this world, she was free to finally open one. It was no guarantee he wouldn’t find her if he was going to make her go back, but it was a way to make sure he would have to do it with her kicking and screaming.

          The list had other things on it as well that she wanted to get. A lock picking set, an Allen wrench, a pocket knife, and a lighter for starters. A strange list if anyone saw it for sure, they would probably think she was an arsonist and a thief but the sad thing was people already thought worse of her back in her world. But to her, they were comfort items she really missed having around. She hadn’t come across a situation where she needed them yet, but it couldn’t hurt to keep around anyway. She would probably also want to ask Riddle about magic locks, but that could be done later.

          “Hurry up Princess, we’re going to be late!” Kristina called out from the hallway. Judith could only roll her eyes in response to the nickname. She wasn’t sure if she preferred that to Ice Queen or not but at least Kristina had started branching out.

          “Coming!” Judith called back loudly before shoving the notebook in her inside jacket pocket. She gave herself one more quick once over in the mirror then, running her fingers through her air and wincing a little at the tangles that had already formed. The cheap shampoo that they used was not doing her hair any favors in that department but she would live, even if she was finding it more and more tedious to put her hair up or pull the sides back from her face without her grandmother’s insistent nagging at her to do something with her hair. But she did put on some light makeup, though it was mostly because her clothing choices would have felt out of place with a blank face.

          She stepped out in the hallway and saw everyone else was already waiting. She could already see Valentina pouting at the sight of her hair loose around her shoulders but Judith did her best to laugh it off. She really didn’t like Valentina messing with her hair but she didn’t have the heart to tell her that after the girl kindly offered to help with her hair last dance and flags season when no one else would.

          “Come on, let’s go,” Judith quipped then as she pushed past everyone to reach the door first—doing her best to ignore how everyone else was in jeans and long-sleeved shirts while she was still dressed up. Sticking out separate from the group again, like a sore thumb again. Like she had during the club fair.

          “You were the one who kept us waiting,” Anne Maire quipped as she followed her out the door.

          “What was even taking you so long?” Valentina asked as she jogged ahead a little to keep up with her. “Cause I know it wasn’t your hair.”

          “I was just lost in thought is all,” Judith dismissed quickly. “Just trying to think of what we should do for Jack and Trey’s birthdays. Those are coming up pretty soon, right?”

          The diversion worked. Soon the conversation spiraled into various ideas of what they should do for their birthdays. They had a little more money to spare thanks to the onslaught of donations of food and clothes that came again after the tournament last week thanks to the sob fest of an interview Crowley did when questioned about why seven girls were attending Night Raven College when they couldn’t even do magic. Judith had clenched her fists so tightly while watching the interview she broke the skin. It was like they were animals on display at a circus. But she couldn’t protest the treatment, after all, she was benefiting from it. Hell, Crowley had even started to have contractors come in to look at redoing the insolation in time for winter.

          So, for now, she would just bite her tongue and smile. She was good at that after all.

          “There you all are, I was beginning to think you weren’t going to show up,” Riddle called out to all of them as they approached the group of boys—all dressed in casual clothing. Judith was relieved to see that Riddle wasn’t in jeans either but rather dress pants and a button-down shirt with a brown sweater vest over top.

          “We are like thirty seconds late,” Judith said with a slight laugh and eye roll.

          “We would have been on time if this one hadn’t been staring at herself in the mirror,” Anne Marie huffed as she crossed her arms in protest.

          “It doesn’t matter, all that matters is you girls made it,” Trey cut in before Judith could quip back. She had to admit, the people around her were getting awfully good at breaking up her and Anne Marie’s arguments before they could start. Though, she really wished the two of them could stop bickering like this. Had she really meant what she said during that fight?

          “Alright then, well, the first years will be taking the bus but some of you can ride on the brooms with us since it’s faster.” … what?

          Judith looked around then and realized that almost all the second and third years were mounting their brooms and heading into town. She supposed it made sense, overcrowding the Mirror to go down the mountain when it was a twenty-minute bus ride, but… she would rather not. She looked up and saw Jamil and Kalim on a carpet—the two looked like they were bickering about something but they were too high up for her to tell. She could even see the Pomefiore trio she regularly saw around campus together all flying in the direction of town.

          “Man, I can’t believe we didn’t get the flying license from Vargas last week,” Ace complained as he shook his head in despair. “Now we have to ride the bus like a bunch of losers.”

          “We’ll ride the bus with you,” Valentina offered with a smile—volunteering Kimberlee as well. Though the pixie-cut blonde seemed more than happy to agree with the idea. “It will be fun for the four of us to hang out together.”

          “Judith, you can ride with me if you would like,” Riddle offered and she could feel herself shaking her head before she could even register the question fully.

          “I would rather take the bus if you don’t mind,” Judith said just a little too quickly. “I mean, someone has to keep that group out of trouble.”

          If Riddle didn’t believe her excuse, he didn’t say anything. Instead, he nodded his head in understanding before turning his attention to the others. A smile gracing his face as he addressed them. “Then would any of you care to ride with me?”

          “I will if you don’t mind,” Anne Marie said clearly curious about the broom.

          “Hey, Fiona wanna ride with me?” Cater asked sounding way too happy at the idea of Fiona riding with him. Judith wondered if Fiona knew that the ginger-haired third year had developed a bit of a crush on her.

          “Sure, it’ll be fun,” Fiona agreed happily as she walked over to Cater.

          “Eva, Kris, either of you want to ride with me?” Trey asked then politely offering. Eva’s eyes shot between Trey and the line that was forming for the bus before sighing.

          “I don’t mind since it’s you,” Eva said and Trey nodded in agreement.

          “What are you going to do Kris?” Trey asked Kristina then looking at the third year.

          “I guess I’m riding the bus,” Kristina huffed in mild annoyance. “Fucking hell, I haven’t ridden a bus since I was in grade school.”

          “Could ride with us,” a new voice added in pulling everyone’s attention to them. Hunter and Chui had somehow become a regular fixture around them since the match last weekend. Always pulling Kristina off to practice with them in the morning or after official club practices had ended for the day. Judith wasn’t going to complain too much though since it meant Kristina wasn’t forcing them to do morning runs anymore.

          “What do you say sweet cheeks?” Hunter asked with a cheeky grin as he leaned on his broom heavily. Vargas would probably kill him if he knew how he was treating it since the bristles were what helped propel the magic forward.

          “I think…” Kristina said before trailing off and looking off further in the distance. “I want to bother a kitty-cat. I’ll catch you losers later.”

          Kristina took off running then as she approached another group about twenty yards away. It didn’t take Judith long to recognize Leona, Ruggie, and Jack. Leona’s tail had started swishing around as soon as Kristina approached and Judith had to wonder if Kristina was annoying him or playing with him. Still, it didn’t take long for her to bicker Leona down into letting her ride with him as the group took off in the sky.

          Judith turned back to the Heartslabyul boys, Chui, and Hunter only to find that they had all already taken off as well—leaving just her and the first years. She can’t help but sigh a little as she begins following them to the bus. She had never ridden a bus before, but she couldn’t say she was excited to experience it based on what she had heard about them. Still, she waited in line like everyone else and followed suit when they showed their school IDs to get on.

          Unfortunately, the bus really was set up like a school bus. Bench seats all upholstered in cheap-looking brown leather that trailed back in rows down a narrow aisle. To make matters worse: Ace, Deuce, Kimberlee, and Deuce took the last of the lone seats where no one was already occupying—which means that she was going to have to sit with someone she didn’t know. Just great. Though she was going to have to get used to the sentiment. After all, she was pretty sure public transit was going to be her mode of transportation from now on anyway.

          Judith feels a shove on her back and that’s the only warning she gets before she’s shoved into a seat followed by some snickering behind her. She doesn’t have to see an armband to guess that the guy who pushed her was likely from Pomefiore. They seemed to be getting particularly bold with their treatment of late. She could guess why, but she wasn’t going to point fingers without proof. That was a quick way to make herself look like a hysterical bitch.

          “Sorry,” Judith mumbled as she looked to her seatmate that she had crashed into. There was no response though to her apology. She looked over then, and finally realized who it was exactly she had been seated next to.

          Toile Weaver hadn’t stood out to her before the tournament but now she seemed to be running into him just about everywhere. Though, she wasn’t really sure how she missed someone with cotton candy for hair. The top half of his head was a baby pink while the bottom layer was a soft powder blue—almost always kept in a fishtail braid. It was really pretty. She always liked brightly colored hair but her grandmother had shot her down at the prospect of dying her hair a natural color—let alone something fun like that. He had earbuds in and was looking out the window—soft grey eyes seeming to stare out into space with his beauty mark under his left eye clearly visible from where she sat.

          She was still a little pissed he hit her in the face with that ice chunk. Even if it hadn’t bruised, it was still tender for a few days after. Made only worse by the spike she had taken to the face courtesy of Kristina. But… she was also curious. He always seemed to be alone in class, worse than her and Riddle because at least they had each other. Well, unless the project involved magic and then Riddle ditched her for Jade Leech but she really couldn’t blame him for that. After all, she wasn’t even factored in the class numbers. Not like Valentina and Grim were. He never talked in class, was never called on. Just sitting there and taking notes.

          Judith pulled out her phone then and began tapping away at her screen until she opened up Magicam and seared “Toile Weaver” in the search bar. She was surprised that she managed to find his account that quickly. Though the only reason she could tell it was his profile was because of his hair. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been able to tell since it was a stylized shot of just their back, showing off an embroidered jacket. The embroidery was stunning too, showing a spinning wheel with a finger about to touch the spindle-like motion. The style looking like an old tapestry from the medieval period. She snuck a look over to where he was sitting right now, only now she noticed he was wearing the same jacket in the photo. Further confirming that it was indeed the same person.

          She clicked on the profile picture fully intending to follow only to flush as she read the bio.

          Toile Weaver, They/Them, Diasomnia Pride, Commissions Closed

          She knows she shouldn’t feel like crap for misgendering someone she really didn’t know but still. She felt like crap. Though she was relieved she hadn’t started talking to them yet; that would have been embarrassing. Especially since it seemed trans individuals were a lot more accepted in this world than they were her own. Maybe she could just pretend she didn’t assume someone’s gender even after Ace had explained once that both male-identifying and non-binary students were accepted to Night Raven College and forget it forever. Yeah, that would be nice. She knew she wouldn’t and it would haunt her to the grave, but she could hope.

          Judith started chewing on her bottom lip then as she felt the bus started to move. Debating on if she should send them a message after all. They really didn’t seem all that interesting in socializing. She shook her head then. She couldn’t let her nerves or mistake get to her; she wasn’t going to let her life turn into what it was back at Brookfield. And honestly, she needed more friends than Riddle.

          Before she could back out, she clicked the “follow” button, followed by the message button on the screen. She took a deep breath before clicking on the message bar to type out what exactly it was that she wanted to say.

Judith: I like the jacket. Did you do that yourself?

          She tried to not cringe at the message after she had already sent it. Seriously could she sound any lamer? Scratch that, she was sure she would find a way to if she tempted fate. Fuck why did she let Anne Marie be the only friend she made in elementary school? She had no idea how to talk with people. Hell, she was sure that if she and Riddle hadn’t found a commonality in their past, they wouldn’t be friends now. She didn’t even know if Toile was going to look at their phone.

          Her phone buzzed a little as she looked to find she had a message notification. She clicked it.

          Toile: Yeah, I made it last year to celebrate my dorm assignment. I’m not taking commissions right now though

          Judith: I saw that. I just thought it looked cool and you had your headphones in so…

          So? So what? Fuck could she sound any lamer? Probably. If Kristina ever found out about this, she would give her so much shit. What, the high and mighty Wieck girl can’t make friends without her family’s money to help? What a loser.

          There was a shuffling next to her and she looked over to see Toile had taken out their headphones and they were looking at her with narrow eyes—curious as they looked her up and down. She had to look like a complete dear in headlights. Her voice lost as she gave a small and awkward wave. They looked down at their phone again before typing another message.

          Toile: I hit you with that ice spell at the tournament

          Well… they weren’t wrong. Still, Judith was a little miffed that they didn’t remember her from class or anything else besides that fact.

          Judith: That would be correct. Though I wish you would have noticed we were classmates instead.

          Toile: Ah, that’s right. You also hang out with Riddle.

                        Judith sighed a little as she read the message over. Toile really didn’t seem that interested in talking. Maybe she should just cut her losses and leave them alone. She did kind of message them out of nowhere after all. They were probably creeped out. And she had the nerve to call Jamil a stalker. Actually, she didn’t want to think about that either because she had definitely sounded like one that night too. Why was she so bad at people? She could navigate a ballroom filled with socialites like it was child’s play, but fellow students? Forget that apparently? Why did she bother?

          Judith: I can leave you alone if you want. I don’t wanna bother you.

Toile: You aren’t bothering me. I’m just a little surprised.

          Judith couldn’t help but let out a sigh in relief.

          Judith: Well, we can talk if you would rather. We are sitting next to each other.

Toile: Not unless you know Sign Language. I’m mute.

          “Oh,” Judith didn’t even realize she said it until she was looking at Toile. They shrugged at Judith, clearly unphased by her reaction. She could feel a little twinge in her heart after that. How many people had reached out to them and retracted their hand after finding out it would be extra work to talk to them? No wonder they had just put their headphones in on the bus—content to ignore everyone.

          Shakily she put down her phone in her lap. Toile watched her with curious eyes, clearly having no idea what it was that she was doing. Honestly, she didn’t have much of an idea either. She could only just hope and pray that by some miracle they would understand her.

          “[I know some sign language], though it has been a while since I practiced it,” Judith finished after signing the part she did know how to say. She could still remember the third-grade art class she had in elementary school where they learned the alphabet in ASL so they could draw their hands signing out their names. Anne Marie had teased her for getting excited about learning it when Judith ran off to the library after class to check out a book of common phrases in ASL. It had been a little tricky since she had no one to really practice with but she managed. Though she was surprised to see she remembered as much as she did.

          Toile blinked at her in shock before their shoulders started shaking while they smiled. Clearly, they were amused by her attempt to sign. She looked down a little, feeling her shoulders want to hunch in on themselves as she felt dejected. Even in the world, she was from there were tons of different variations of sign language—what made her think they would know this one? Still, they tapped her harm with two fingers to get her attention back. They were still smiling before signing something back to her—though she could only pick up part of it.

          “My something is funny?” Judith asked clearly not sure what it was that Toile was signing. Toile was still shaking their shoulders in laugher before typing a message on their phone and sending it. Judith looked down then at her own phone.

          Toile: Accent

          And then when she looked at them again, they make the motion again for the word she didn’t understand. It clicks in her head that the word they had been signing was the word for accent. She feels herself flush a little. Well, at least they had understood what she said.

          “[Your accent is funny],” she signed back though she couldn’t help but giggle at her own immature joke. Toile was still shaking as the two of them began to sign back and forth. Mostly they seemed to be helping her refresh her more casual phrases though anything more complicated they messaged her and she vocalized her questions. Before the two of them knew it the bus had reached the stop. Toile had followed her back on Magicam though the two of them also exchanged phone numbers to keep in touch.

          As they stepped off the bus, Judith made a slight face though. She could already see her group of first-years standing around waiting for her to get off, all of them chatting among themselves. Valentina had her hand in Deuce’s own though he seemed to be even stiffer than usual at the display of affection. Probably since they were actually in town now as strange as that was. They don’t notice when she’s finally off the bus—too busy laughing at Ace and Deuce’s bickering to see their babysitter has joined the party.

          “[Are you ok?],” Toile signs after getting her attention.

          “Yeah, just not really wanting to play babysitter,” Judith complained. However, that was all she managed than before Toile was pulling on her jacket sleeve and off in a completely different direction from the group she was supposed to be staying with. “Hey, where are we going?”

          “[Walk with me],” Toile signed with a smile on their face. Judith was a little surprised at Toile developing such an attachment to her so quickly that they were willing to drag her off onto an adventure with them but she wasn’t going to complain either. She knows she should protest. That she should at least tell the other four where she’s going but… how often does she get the opportunity to leave Night Raven College? Valentina and Deuce were going to be treating the whole day like a date and Kimberlee and Ace were going to be teasing them the whole time. They didn’t really need her to watch them. She also wasn’t the one who was stuck with Grim. She had no idea which one of them Grim had been saddled with, honestly, she wasn’t even sure that Grim had come with them to go into town. He had an uncanny habit of going quiet when they least expected it.

          “Alright then, adventure awaits,” Judith giggles before she pushed forward—linking one of her arms with one of theirs. Toile beams again and they begin walking into town. Judith really has no idea where she’s going or really if what she’s doing is safe but she also… doesn’t really seem to care all that much.

          She was done living behind sheltered walls and in golden cages.

Chapter Text

Anne Marie can feel her foot starting to tap in irritation after fifteen minutes of waiting. She was well aware of the fact the bus from Night Raven College had arrived roughly ten minutes ago. Why? Because she had texted everyone that they would meet at the park right near the bust stop and Valentina and Kimberlee had arrived at said meeting spot five minutes ago. They were late because they were waiting for Judith, only they never saw her get off the bus. Anne Marie thought for a moment that maybe she had changed her mind and gone back to the dorm, but she highly doubted it. Judith never said no to a chance to explore or learn something new. If Anne Marie had to guess she found something interesting and ditched them.

          If they were back home in their world Anne Marie might have found the behavior amusing. Watching as Judith’s keeper scrambled to figure out where the girl had gotten sidetracked and left the group. Knowing they would be on the phone with Judith’s family in a heartbeat and poor Judith would be grounded for the next week—not that she was ever allowed out much anyway so it really wasn’t much of an incentive to behave. But they weren’t in Ohio or even the states. They were in a completely different world where they didn’t know the customs or cultures or laws. They only have the seven of each other to rely on.

          Well… Anne Marie and Eva had the seven of each other to rely on. The more she looked around the more she was beginning to realize that she was one of the only ones who hadn’t started making friends with the students in this world. Fiona was talking animatedly with Cater about posts on Magicam, Kimberlee and Valentina had Ace and Deuce, Kristina would always seem to be around that crowd of Savanaclaw boys, hell even Judith seemed to have bonded with Riddle. What did Anne Marie have? Sure, she was in the Light Music Club and the last week but she mostly ignored Cater, Lilia, and Kalim in favor of reading more about transportation magic. Unfortunately, it hadn’t mentioned anything about world-hopping, only magic carpets, brooms, and mirrors.

          She shook her head then. She didn’t need to be forming attachments in this world anyway. She wanted to get back home to her family and friends as soon as possible. Making friends only meant having attachments here and that would just hurt more in the long run. Leaving was inevitable for all people after all. Her father left. Then her sister. Then her brother. And Judith… Judith did so much worse than leave. And sure enough, Anne Marie was going to leave too, come hell or high water.

          “How much longer are you expecting us to wait for Kristina and Judith?” Riddle asked then finally pulling Anne Marie from her dangerous spiral. Anne Marie checked her phone again, messages sent to Kristina and Judith, both still listed as unread.

          “You guys can go on ahead,” Anne Marie said—addressing the Heartslabyul boys. “I know you guys have appointments you need to get to.”

          Riddle nodded his head before looking to Trey. The older boy nodded in turn, his eyes just a little too soft when looking at Riddle. It made Anne Marie want to look away and feel a pang of jealousy. She had wanted someone to look at her like that, even just once. But anytime she thought someone might they recoil away. It was always the girls like Fiona, Kristina, and Judith that got the guy. Not the rest of them, the ones that were just a little too imperfect for everyone’s taste. Though, she was glad to see Valentina and Deuce make something work. It gave her a little hope. Then again, the only reason Valentina wasn’t a catch before was due to how busy she always was with work and home so… maybe not where she should be looking for hope.

          “I think I’ll hang back with the ladies,” Cater only for Grim to yowl from Fiona’s backpack (was that where he was this whole time?) in response. “And Grim.”

          “We want to stay back as well perfect, if you don’t mind,” Deuce spoke up with Ace nodding animatedly from his side. Riddle huffed a little, frowning at his dorm members clearly weaseling their way out of work.

          “Fine but I expect the two of you to not be slacking on your roles as Halloween Chair Members,” Riddle said harshly looking between Deuce and Cater. “Have I made myself clear?”

          “Yessir~”

          “Yes, Dorm Head Rosehearts!”

          Satisfied with their answers, Riddle and Trey began walking off in what Anne Marie assumed was the direction of the fabric store to order the artificial leather they would need for their costumes. Anne Marie could hear the sound of Cater taking photos with his phone as the two retreated and she looked at him curiously.

          “What? You wanted me to third wheel those two?” Cater asked when he met her disapproving look. “No way, I had to do that all last year, I don’t wanna do it this year too.”

          “So, they are a thing?” Kimberlee asked clearly more interested in this line of discussion than whatever Ace, Deuce, and Valentina had been talking about earlier.

          “Eh, not officially. Riddle has been pretty wishy-washy about asking Trey out since coming to NRC and Trey is too nice to press him on picking. So, the two of them keep to this gross limbo,” Cater complained with a sigh. “Honestly they would be so cute~ they really need to just suck it up and confess already.”

          “So how long do we want to wait to see if Kris and Jude show up?” Ace asked though it came out as more of a whine. “I wanna grab a bite since Riddle isn’t here to enforce those dumb tea rules.”

          “Food? I want food, humans get me food,” Grim said as he poked his head out of Fiona’s backpack.

          “It’s like summoning a toddler,” Fiona giggled seeing Grim trying to pull his way out of the backpack before giving up.

          “I can try giving them a call, if they don’t answer we can leave,” Anne Marie mediated. She tried Judith first since she seemed the most likely to answer. And sure, enough she did.

          “Hello, Anne? What’s up?” Judith asked clearly confused as to why Anne Marie was calling.

          “Where the hell are you? We’ve been trying to get ahold of you for forever,” Anne Marie started lecturing. “We were supposed to all meet at the park before going off.”

          “Ah, sorry, I muted the group message after you all went on a tangent on if Pineapple went on pizza or not and must have forgotten to turn it back on,” Judith admitted with a slight laugh. “Well, I’m fine, I’m out with Toile right now. They’re helping me get some stuff and then we are going to the fabric shop so they can pick up some more crafting supplies.”

          “Who the hell is Toile?” Anne Marie asked then her eyebrows knitting together in confusion.

          “Friend I made on the bus—stop bringing up the ice to the face!” Anne Marie could hear the laughter from the other side of the line and again she felt that ugly feeling bubbling in her chest. It wasn’t the first time she felt it when Judith was involved. She felt it seeing her walking down the halls with Riddle and when Valentina and Kimberlee had a particularly close bonding moment. She shook it off though. She couldn’t let the rose-tinted glasses of nostalgia cloud her judgment on Judith. Not again.

          “You know what I don’t care,” Anne Marie snapped then a little too harshly. “Just meet us all for dinner at seven at the Snuggly Duckling, ok?”

          “Got it~” and then the line went dead. She busied herself then with trying to get ahold of Kristina so that she didn’t think too much about whatever it was Judith was doing. Kristina’s phone rang a few times before she answered as well, a little shocking really—Anne Marie would have thought she would ignore it.

          “What do you want?” Kristina said her voice clearly irritated.

          “We were all supposed to meet at the park by the bus stop. Where are you?”

          “With Leona, Ruggie, and Jack. You saw me fly off with them.”

          “Do you plan on meeting up with us?”

          “Nope,” Kristina quipped before ending the call. Anne Marie could feel her face heating up in irritation at Kristina’s blunt response. Seriously, even after everything, she was still as haughty as ever. Then again, much like Judith, she seemed to play by her own rules.

          “I’m guessing they aren’t coming,” Valentina said her face unreadable as she eyed Anne-Marie up and down.

          “No, so I guess we can head around town,” Anne Marie said with an exasperated sigh. “Was there anywhere specific you all wanted to go?”

          They all shook their heads, clearly having planned on just following the more experienced Night Raven College students and the lead of the local boys. Anne Marie sighed a bit again then. She seemed to be doing that a lot as of late.

          “I suppose we can head somewhere for lunch then, Cater, I’m guessing you have somewhere in mind we can go?” Cater nodded excitedly before tapping away at his phone.

          “Yeah there’s this super trendy ramen place near here, we can go there for food,” Cater suggested. No one seemed to have a protest to his suggestion as he began leading the way. The first bit of their conversation was pretty quiet until Ace opened his mouth.

          “Deuce who are you texting when your doll is right there~” Ace teased as he looked over Deuce’s shoulder.

          “If you must know my mom you ass,” Deuce snapped at Ace as he leaned his phone away. “She’s always texting and asking what I’m doing. How’s school. All the normal parent questions.”

          “Awe, that’s so sweet,” Fiona giggled a little at Deuce’s admission. His ears heating up a little in response.

          “Lame, didn’t know you were such a mama’s boy,” Ace said as he nudged Deuce’s shoulder.

          “Shut up, you’re always talking about your brother. Big bro did this, big bro did that. People are going to think you have a complex,” Deuce teased back with a mischievous look on his face. Ace sputtered a little as Grim and Valentina started cackling despite Kimberlee’s attempt to get them to stop.

          “What about you Cater?” Fiona asked then, clearly doing her best to include the third year in the conversation more. “Your family talk to you much?”

          “Just my older sisters, they are always asking about any cute sweets Trey bakes or to see pictures of the hedgehogs,” Cater said with a chuckle. “Though I don’t really ever care about how quickly I answer them.”

          “That’s right, you did mention you had older sisters,” Valentina lamented a bit. “What about your parents?”

          “Ah, everyone’s usually pretty busy with my sisters so not much on that front,” Cater said with another laugh though this one felt just a little more strained. “But they make up for it plenty with holiday photos when I go back to Pyroxene over break.”

          “Ugh, family photos are the worst,” Valentina whined. “No one ever takes it seriously and then we have to spend even longer taking the damned photos.”

          “What about your families?” Cater asked then eager to turn the subject back to all of them. “What are they like? I know we saw Val’s and Kris’s but what about the rest of you?”

          “They passed away in a crash,” Fiona said going first. The air around them suddenly became very heavy as the mood crashed into subterranean levels.

          “I’m sorry for your loss,” Cater said a little awkward—not knowing how exactly to react to the news. Fiona quickly waved him off though.

          “Thanks. I miss them a lot, but I’m still glad to have my aunt and uncle who took me in so I could stay at the same school,” Fiona said. “They really didn’t have any reason to since my uncle was my dad’s stepbrother, but I’m glad he convinced my aunt to anyway. Especially since they had a baby on the way at the time.”

          “I’m more sorry we asked,” Ace mumbled clearly uncomfortable with the atmosphere that had been created.

          “Not like it’s a secret,” Fiona shrugged. “I’m actually surprised you all didn’t know already.” Deuce seemed to duck his head in guilt a little bit at this. It was kind of obvious he knew already since Valentina had likely told him. Everyone in their town knew. Even Eva had found out pretty quickly and she had apparently moved to the school her freshmen year.

          “What about the rest of you? What are your families like?” Cater asked optimistically that the situation would be more positive than Fiona’s.

          “My dad is usually pretty protective of me,” Kimberlee jumped in then. “Super doting and supportive.”

          “You do have an A+ dad,” Valentina confirmed. “Oh god, some of the jokes he made though.”

          “Don’t remind me,” Kimberlee squeaked as she pushed her head in her hands. “If I ever have to hear another joke about a snake in his boot, I’m going to die.”

          Valentina seemed to laugh at some memory then that the two of them shared. Another example of how the two of them would always be closer to each other than they would to the rest of the group. But Anne Maire supposed that would be natural. After all, for a long time, she and Judith were practically inseparable. At least until her mother was dismissed from the Wieck family’s services.  There was a lot of tension after that.

          “What about you Anne,” Ace asked after Kimberlee and Valentina had finished laughing. “What are your parents like?”

          “Ah, they got a divorce when I was three,” Anne Marie began to explain. “Dad remarried and I have two half-siblings I saw every other weekend. My older brother and sister and I stayed with our mom. They moved out after they graduated high school though. So now it’s just me and mom.”

          “She’s pretty involved in all the PTA stuff, right?” Fiona asked then thinking back on Anne Marie’s mother. “I know she was the one who organized sending me a care package after I lost my parents.”

          Anne Marie did suppose her mother did that. Though, she really didn’t remember much other than her mother being on the phone and barking orders while clicking her tongue in disapproval as Anne Marie pointed out she needed a larger size dress than the one she picked out. Brushing her off and talking about how it was “goals” for the first day of freshmen year.

          She didn’t fit in the dress by the first day of high school.

          “Yeah, that’s mom,” Anne Marie finally said then after realizing she had been quiet for a beat too long.

          “Hey, we’re here,” Cater said sounding almost too relieved to find they had reached the ramen shop. “I hope they have extra spicy options~”

          “As long as they have mild options, I’m good,” Anne Marie giggled even as Valentina and Kimberlee called her a coward from behind. She laughed a little as they all headed into the shop. She ignored the warmth that spread in her body as everyone talked and laughed together. It wouldn’t be hers to keep after all.

…

          Kristina had hung up the phone before shoving it in her pocket. She could hear Ruggie and Leona snickering behind her but she was doing her best to ignore them. She didn’t want to think about the lecture she would be getting as soon as she made it back to the dorm. Anne Marie always sounded so shrill when she was upset, it was annoying.

          “Are you sure you don’t want to go meet up with them?” Jack asked cautiously—also ignoring the way Ruggie and Leona were laughing.

          “Positive, those goodie-two-shoes are fun to be around at school, but I want to let loose,” Kristina said as she stretched for emphasis.

          “I don’t think you’re the only one who’s going to get that lecture,” Ruggie finally says as he points over to the other side of the street. Kristina can see Judith walking backward down the street, smiling and making animated hand gestures to someone with long pink and blue hair. They seemed to be making hang motions back as well. Kristina can see as Judith trips on a crack in the sidewalk—catching herself in the most extra way possible as she lets herself fall back into a bridge and then a handstand and back upright in an almost backward cartwheel. The stranger is clapping while Judith looks absolutely panicked, yelling about how she hoped they enjoyed the show because she wouldn’t be doing it again. It looked stupid.  

          “That fucking idiot is going to bust her head open,” Kristina notes as the two of them disappear around a corner. “Who is she even with?”

          “Toile Weaver, you played them in the tournament remember? Then again you can’t hear the announcer through the protection spell so I’m not surprised you don’t know their name,” Ruggie supplies easily enough. “They are in the same class as Judy~”

          “Don’t let Jude hear you call her that,” Kristina said with a dry laugh. “She gets real anal about being called Jude or Judith, never Judy… or Gorgeous.”

          “Sounds familiar, doesn’t it Krissy~” Kristina has already spun around ready to hit Leona on his shoulder for the jab but he catches her hand easy enough. She does her best to ignore how hot she feels in that moment and the way her heart rate picked up at the contact—it makes her painfully aware of the fact he isn’t wearing the gloves he usually does. Just a leather jacket, v-neck shirt, and dark-washed jeans. His hand is warm to the touch and surprisingly calloused and dry.

          She knows she should be more cautious about bare-skin contact with him. Even if Ruggie’s bandages were off thanks to magic accelerating everyone’s healing, she can see the way he flinches a little any time Leona’s hand gets a little too close to him. She still remembered how even with gloves he had been able to turn everything around him to sand. And still, she didn’t rush to pull her hand from his, even though she knows this. He still didn’t scare her and she didn’t know if that made her brave or stupid.

          “If you wanted to pick a fight with me you just had to ask, you didn’t need to be a dick by bringing up that nickname,” Kristina hisses at him—glaring him while looking directly in his eyes that were alight with humor.

          “But then I don’t get to see that look on your face,” Leona mocked again. His tail is swishing around him again and the smirk is so visible she feels the gut-wrenching urge to slap him. “Besides you have a long way to go if you think you're going to land a punch on me like that.”

          “Awe are you bored kitty-cat? Want me to scratch you behind the ears?” She is laying on the sugary sweet voice just a little too much. She knows that. But she can’t the thrill she got from the way Leona narrowed his eyes and pushed forward just a little. Not enough she felt the need to step back but enough she could slightly feel the harsh exhale of his breath.

          “You should be careful taunting a predator like that,” Leona said in a low voice. “I might decide to take a bite out of you.”

          “Is that a promise?” Kristina asked as she widened her eyes innocently.

          “Hey, we’re still here you know!” Ruggie called out to them. Leona’s ears flattened quickly as he turned his gaze to glare at Ruggie, letting her hand drop in the process. She chuckled a little at his reaction. Who knew the big bad king of Savanaclaw could get so flustered?

          “Shut it Ruggie before I take a tooth,” Leona threatened though from the way Ruggie was laughing—he could tell it was empty.

          “Shishishi come on, we need to get to the lumber yard and make out order or we won’t have all the supplies we need in time,” Ruggie laughed as he motioned for the two of them to follow.

          “So, we’re going to a lumber yard. Not exactly the fun time I was expecting,” Kristina admitted. She was actually kind of surprised to find that they seemed to be in town for a reason and not just causing trouble.

          “You can still go fly off and find the rest of your flock, little dove,” Leona taunted and she rolled her eyes.

          “First of all, I’m only like an inch shorter than you…er…five centimeters… I think? Pretty sure the doc said I was 180 centimeters, though I guess I don’t actually know how tall you care either…” Kristina shook her head then. She was getting sidetracked. “And second, if I leave, you’re going to get bored and poor Ruggie and Jack will have to try and wrangle you in.”

          It was Jack and Ruggie’s turn to start laughing at Leona’s expense. He seemed less bothered by this than he had when Ruggie had gotten his attention the first time. Then again, Ruggie had interrupted them flirting last time. At least she hoped it was flirting. She was going to be real embarrassed if it wasn’t since she was most definitely trying to. Though her team had always teased her for being a little forward and abrasive when it came to her come-ons. And while she had quite the number of notches on her bedpost… the number of dates she had was… a lot less. She could probably count them on one hand and three of them were with an asshole ex who kept telling her that she should be more of a lady.

          “Kris, you coming?” Ruggie asked then and Kristina blinked a bit before moving to catch up with them. It would be fine, she just had to keep up until he asked her out or told her to shove it. Yeah. She could do that. No problem.

          The lumber yard of generally boring. Mostly she just hung back while Jack did most of the talking since he was the one on the committee after all. Ruggie was mostly there to help answer any questions Jack didn’t know as a first-year. As for Leona… it took her a bit to realize it but he had slipped off somewhere while they weren’t paying attention.

          “Seriously? What the hell?” Ruggie groaned as they looked around—Jack still talking and working out the pricing and figuring out how much of what kind of wood to get. “Can you go find him?”

          “Why should I?” Kristina fired back on impulse. She really didn’t care about having to find him, in fact, she was kind of curious about where he when herself, but the fact Ruggie was asking her made her have a knee-jerk reaction. “Aren’t you his keeper?”

          “I have to help Jack,” Ruggie rationalized. “Besides he’s more likely to listen to you than he is me.” Right, because she was a girl. She really wasn’t used to that kind of power societally speaking. Usually, it was the opposite of the guy who was less likely to listen to her because she was a girl. Then again, if they actually knew her, they tended to respond pretty quick.

          “Fine, I’ll go look,” Kristina relented. At least now she would have an excuse when she found him as to why she was looking.

          In all honestly, it didn’t take her long. He was maybe fifty yards away from the group and tucked behind a pile of pine wood—laying down on a tarp that had been set down. Despite being behind the lumber he was still fairly visible. Likely on purpose so Ruggie would be able to find him when it was time to leave. He also appeared to be out cold.

          “Seriously? A cat nap? Right here?” Kristina questioned out loud—though she knew he wouldn’t respond. “Couldn’t have at least gone outside and found a bench?”

          Still, he seemed… relaxed, like this. Almost at peace while he slept even though his ear twitched on occasion unconsciously. She had planned on a rude awakening when she found him but now… she almost just wanted to let him be and hang out with him until Ruggie was done. She wondered if he dreamed while he was asleep. If maybe that reality in his head was much more pleasant than the one he lived in.

          Carefully, she sat down on the tarp next to him, leaning against the wood closest to his head. A blew by, ruffling her air a little and blowing it in her face. His own hair ended up a little ruffled as well, a few strands of dark hair falling onto his cheek. Kristina felt herself reaching out before she realized it and gently moving the strand from his face. Her fingertips grazing his cheek ever so softly.

          He rolls over shortly after she removes her hand and her breath hitches a little. He’s moved closer to her though she isn’t sure if he’s awake to have realized it. His head pressed into her thigh now as if searching for warmth. She lets out a soft laugh as she reaches for her phone to snap a picture.

          “What do you think you’re doing dove?” She about drops her phone on his face from his words. A little embarrassed at being caught she pauses a second before continuing to take the photo. He’s no longer asleep in the frame—now he has one eye open and looking up at her questioningly. “Give me that.”

          “No way,” she said as she held her phone up so he wouldn’t be able to reach up and grab it from her. He growled lightly before sitting up.

          “Can’t believe you interrupted my nap over a stupid photo,” Leona complained as he moved to sit shoulder to shoulder with her.

          “Ruggie wanted me to track you down, but you looked too cute asleep like that,” Kristina admitted only to realize her mistake as he smirked again.

          “First I’m hot and now I’m cute,” Leona teased making her flush as she shoved his face away. He didn’t fight the motion, instead, laughing as he simply sat back up again when she finished attempting to physically move him as if that would erase what she had said. “I don’t know if I should be flattered or upset I downgraded.”

          “You didn’t downgrade it was just a different circumstance,” Kristina defended. She isn’t looking at him now, suddenly fascinated by the tarp underneath her. She doesn’t see when he moves his hand to tuck some of her hair behind her ear. She feels her breath hitch a little at the familiar warmth of his touch.

          “Are you scared?” Leona asks then suddenly and she looks at him in surprise.

          “What? Why would I be scared?” Kristina asks clearly not understand what he was getting at.

          “Your heart started racing the second I touched you, it happened earlier too,” Leona stated simply though she couldn’t pick up the tone in his voice or how he was feeling. “Not that I would blame you, I did almost turn Ruggie to sand last week.”

          “I’m not,” Kristina says and Leona turns his head to look at her. His eyes are scanning her face, searching for any sign that she might be lying. All he sees are the same clear blue eyes staring back at him with unwavering confidence he saw every time she looked at him.

          “You really are an idiot then,” Leona huffs as he lets his eyes fall. She lets out a very undignified sound before smacking the back of her hand against his chest. He chuckles again before looking at her again—his gaze much softer this time. She feels her heart rate pick up again.

          “You’re doing it again, seriously what is going on with you?” Leona asks clearly confused.

          “How the hell can you even tell my heart rate?”

          “I’m a beastman remember?”

          “So, you can literally hear it?”

          “Maybe if there wasn’t so much damn white noise outside. No, I can see your pulse point in your neck fluttering.” She slams her hand to her neck then attempting to cover the spot. He only laughs before gently moving her hand from the spot. She doesn’t fight him on it. Ignoring the way, he doesn’t drop her hand, she does her best to watch him and figure out what he’s doing. It’s driving her crazy.

          Fuck it.

          She leans forward, her nose brushing against his own. It was her turn to hear his breath hitch as the warmth stuttered against her skin. The smell of earth and sandalwood was burned into her mind from where she was. She didn’t move further though, waiting to see if he wanted to push her away or not.

          “What are you doing,” he asked then before swallowing and licking his lips.

          “Kissing you, but waiting to see if you want to push me away,” she answered—relieved to see that her voice hadn’t shaken in the process.

          “You really are an idiot, aren’t you?” She doesn’t get the chance to protest before his lips are on hers. He’s firm but not forceful, not that she really cares as she can feel her eyes rolling back a little as she pushes against him more. She was running on autopilot now, her body moving more out of habit than her own conscious efforts because all she can currently think of is his lips on hers and the way he tastes on her tongue.

          When they finally part she’s panting and her head is spinning from lack of air. He doesn’t look much better as he’s staring at her with those green eyes that have her squirming where she was sitting. She can’t stop the smile that breaks out on her face—wide and sincere and all teeth. She’s grabbing his hand then and pulling him upright.

          “Where are you dragging me?” Leona asked still sounding more than a little daze.

          “Out of here, preferably back to your dorm but I’m not complaining if you had something else in mind.” There is a wicked glint in her eyes. It was her way to give him an out.

          “Dinner first, then I’ll think about it,” Leona retorts with a cheeky grin. She tries to not show how taken back she is by the statement. She isn’t used to that, usually, guys just go along with her initial proposition. But… she can’t find herself wanting to complain either.

          “By all means, lead the way,” she says with a smile, and then suddenly Leona is the one pulling her by the hand. A wicked smile on his face. She doesn’t know if she made a mistake or not. Or to consider the long-term implications of her proposition. She’s always lived in the here and now, even if her dreams were to the future.

          Why should this be any different?

Chapter Text

“Wait, you’re on the Billiards team?” Judith asked after reading the text from Toile. While she was proving she remembered more Sign Language than she previously anticipated there were still a lot of more niche words she didn’t know. Billiards happened to be one of them.

          Toile nodded enthusiastically. The two of them had gone around and completed most of their errands already. She had even managed to slip into the bank and set up a new checking account just before the doors closed. Though the amused expression Toile wore as she went into a general store and bought the questionable items on her list had been truly something.

          “[We are meeting soon. Want to come?]” Toile signed to her as they walked in the direction of their club’s meeting spot. A pub that served food so students under eighteen were allowed in until ten. Because apparently, the equivalent of the UK has a drinking age of eighteen. Who would have thought?

           Judith checked the time on her phone on reflex. It was about six-fifteen now. The Snuggly Duckling restaurant was about a fifteen-minute walk from the pub. In theory, Judith could go in with Toile and maybe even play a game or two of nine-ball. As long as she left by six-forty-five she would make it in time to meet everyone else but… at the same time, she couldn’t shake the anxiety of meeting THAT many new people. It was one thing to talk to one stranger she was forced with on a bus. A stranger who, she would be the first to admit, she wouldn’t have talked to if not for the innate curiosity she had to them after playing against each other. But… a whole group of total strangers? It gave her too many flashbacks to the parties her family forced her to attend.

          She would be way too stiff and formal and then they would grow to like her that way only for her to relax and start being herself and then they would think she was way too weird. Judith had seen that song and dance before too many times when put in group situations. It happened with her dance team. It happened with her schoolmates. It happened here in Twisted Wonderland. She would just rather not.

          “I don’t mind walking with you but I think I’ll just head to the Snuggly Ducking after,” Judith said then after a moment of consideration. “I would hate to impose on official club meetings after all.”

          Her heart sinks a little when Toile only shrugs in response to her rejection. Part of her had hoped they would push a little harder to have her attend but she supposed she shouldn’t expect that. After all, her logic was sound and they were still mostly strangers even if a friendship had started to form between them. She made her choice; she doesn’t get to pout when people respect it.

          The Tavern, as the pub was affectionately named, looked like an old cottage-style building with the letters painted in shiny gold. There were large windows present that made it easy for Judith to see the inside. The group she assumed was the club was gathered around a pool table. A tiger beastman and a snakeskin… beastman? Judith wasn’t sure that was accurate but she wasn’t going to ask either-- were talking to each other as they eyed the pool table. There is a parrot beastman she recognizes from basketball try-outs with Ace and Deuce, ruffling his wings and looking frustrated as he clutched at his stick too tightly.

          The one who really stood out though was the member who leaned over the table to take a shot. He was built like a wrestler and very clean and cut. Medium-length dark hair tied back and focused entirely on making the shot. They stood up after they make it and smiled at the parrot-beastman making them growl in frustration and the other two laugh at their expense.  Being able to see him better now, she would guess he was of Polynesian descent of some kind—or whatever this world’s equivalent was.

          Judith feels a tug on her sleeve pulling her attention back to Toile. They smiled at her brightly, clearly amused about her careful observation of the team. She rolled her eyes and gave them a light nudge with her hip causing them to laugh their silent laugh again.

          “[I’m going in. See you later.]” Toile signed to her then before they moved quickly—kissing her on the cheek. She stiffens a little, clearly not used to the action or touch. Wide-eyed she looked back at Toile but they seemed completely innocent and unaware of how intimate the action felt to her. They waved before darting inside The Tavern and heading in the direction of the pool table. Judith can feel a glare in her general direction from inside and she really didn’t want to look to confirm who it was. The sheer pressure makes her skin prick and her eyes look down sharply.

          Without another look, she begins walking in the direction of the Snuggly Duckling. The streets were still lively at this time, so she didn’t feel alone or threatened. It was even kind of nice to walk on her own for a little bit. It gave her a moment to decompress and collect herself. To put back on the carefully crafted mask she had made of what the others expected of her.

          “Judith? Are you headed to the Snuggly Duckling too?” She jumped a little before turning around quickly. Riddle was standing there with wide eyes as he looked at her in concern and confusion.

          “Yeah, I’m headed that way,” Judith mentioned and Riddle smiled.

          “Would you like some company?” Riddle asked then and now it was Judith’s turn to smile.

          “Of course, I would.” She paused then waiting for Riddle to walk forward so they could keep in stride. It wasn’t as hard as people would assume for her. She was taller and had longer legs, but she was never one to stride out much so she and Riddle kept pace with ease. “Were you out doing errands by yourself?”

          “No, I was with Trey, however, we finished early so I asked if he would go help round up the members of our group that are more likely to be tardy,” Riddle explained simply. Judith smirked a bit before she nudges him with her elbow.

          “Oooo, you and Trey, all by yourself? My, it’s amazing you got any work done.” He flushes and whips his head around to meet her mischievous gaze.

          “We aren’t like that,” Riddle said though his voice sounded small. She wasn’t sure what the emotion was exactly. Sadness? Guilt? She had no idea even as she studied his face. “He’s my best friend. I can’t risk that over trivial matters like a crush.”

          “Sounds complicated,” Judith admitted with a sigh. But she could relate. “Though, speaking from my own experience. It’s better to have an answer than live your life wondering what if. Though, I’m almost certain he returns your feelings.”

          “That isn’t the issue,” Riddle admits with a sigh.

          “Then is it because you also like someone else? Like… oh I don’t know… Floyd Leech.” Riddle, in a rare act of clumsiness, trips over his own feet thanks to her words.

          “Wait how did you—”

          “You were practically cowering in embarrassment when he came running over to us during the Magishift investigation.” Riddle sighs again.

          “He’s another complex enigma,” Riddle admits then. “He’s crass, and brash, and had blatant disregards for other’s personal space and respect but… he has his merits as well.”

          “It doesn’t really sound like it,” Judith deadpans. “But do go on.”

          “I can’t hurt him,” Riddle admits then and Judith can only stare—confused. Riddle must have seen it so he continues. “His unique magic, due to it, I’m unable to seal his magic with my own. He can’t ever be bent to my whims or fear me. Not like Trey was afraid of me.”

          “Trey wasn’t afraid—”

          “Yes, he was!” Riddle’s sudden outburst quieted Judith again. “He was so scared of me he couldn’t even tell me that what I was doing was wrong. He and Cater both. How am I supposed to be better than my mother when I enforce the same fears that she does?”

          Judith didn’t have an answer for that one. How does one build a relationship with one subservient to the other? Well, at least non-consensually subservient. It was quite the dilemma. On one hand, Riddle craves control he didn’t have as a child—it was quite common in abuse victims. But he also fears having that control, worried he will be more of the same, especially since his Overblot. He wants to regress, let someone else take charge, but he also doesn’t.

          But still….

          “And what kind of relationship is it if Floyd wouldn’t respect your boundaries and you stayed only because you couldn’t hurt him with your magic?” Judith finally answered after she had pondered for a moment. “You don’t like him as a person and he doesn’t seem to respect you as a person. That sounds more of the same to me than sealing magic does. You know better now and you have improved. So has Trey. You probably have a way to go on self-improvement before I recommend trying anything but... for what it’s worth I still think you and Trey are a better option.”

          Judith didn’t realize Riddle had stopped walking till she had moved forward several paces again. When she finally noticed, she turned and looked back at Riddle. He looked like someone had just slapped him across the face. Judith could already feel herself sinking into panic mode. Had she gone too far? She hadn’t meant to insult him; she was just trying to give her perspective on how she saw things based on what she knew. Then again what did she know? She knew Trey better than Floyd. Hell, she had only ever had the one antagonistic conversation with him before.

          “I’m just rambling though. The choice is up to you after all,” Judith said quickly backtracking in hopes of snapping Riddle out of it. Hoping he wouldn’t be mad at her. “It’s not like I have the best track record in the world when it comes to relationships, so I probably don’t have room to talk.”

          “No, you are quite alright,” Riddle finally reassured after he snapped out of it. Noticing that she was beginning to spiral much like she had when they first agreed to be friends. “I was just surprised you dissected the situation so quickly. Had you been thinking about it long?”

          “Not really,” Judith answered honestly. “Other’s people’s issues are just easier to pull apart than your own—wouldn’t you agree?”

          “I suppose,” Riddle said though his tone made it very clear that he did not in fact agree with her statement. “Though while we are on the subject, why don’t you tell me more about your brother.”

          You know that feeling when you miss a step on the stairs? Yeah, that was the feeling Judith felt the second Riddle brought up Ethan. She really didn’t want to think about her brother ever. Or her aunts. Or even her parents. Her grandmother, unfortunately, took up the role of evil voice in her head so there was no getting rid of her. She felt her nose crinkle up and her lips pucker as if she had just eaten something sour.

          “Oh no you don’t,” Riddle scolded. “You don’t get to clam up on me after you had me open up.”

          “It isn’t pleasant,” Judith admitted—clearly trying to convince him to drop the subject still. “And not a very fun topic of conversation.”

          “And you have listened to me talk about my mother repeatedly,” Riddle countered. “The least I can do is return the favor.”

          “Alright, but don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Judith sighed before everything came out like an open flood gate. About her long-standing sibling rivalry. About his treatment of others. And the worst of all, the fight that sparked between her and Anne Marie all thanks to him.

          …