This Is Part 9 Of The "What If Yuu Didn't Want To Go Back?" Series!

This is part 9 of the "What if Yuu didn't want to go back?" Series!

(I, the author of this work, do not consent to this work being crossposted/translated without my knowledge or used to train an AI, ever.)

Masterlist

Lunch was going to be mostly sushi, but Vil went out of his way to make sure everyone is eating a balanced diet, so there's a salad, too. Grim doesn't seem to like it, but I have dressing, so the two of us eat it anyway.

"You know, one of the Heartslabyuls in our class was talking about how they have an 'unbirthday party' coming up. Apparently, their housewarden is bored, so they're throwing a huge party just because." Mandible finishes talking and takes a huge (for his size) bite of romaine. Evidently, he and Korrak are the type to eat salads one ingredient at a time.

"Wow. Ain't them folks based on bein' strict? Parties're fer havin' fun! Bet their party'll be real borin'." Epel, on the other hand, adds as much blue cheese as Vil will let him get away with and douses the whole thing in ranch.

"You know, our class has two Heartslabyuls who sit right in front of us in history. One of them is pretty chaotic." Grim attempts to lick the dressing off of a leaf and put it back in the bowl, but I shoot him a look and he begrudgingly eats it.

"That doesn't mean it's going to be fun to attend, Grim. Fun to watch? Absolutely." Having eaten all of his romaine, Mandible nabs a decently-sized chunk of blue cheese and starts turning it over in his paws.

"Small bite-ts, Mandible." Since this morning, Korrak has been talking more. He does so slowly and quietly, and doesn't say many words with the "t" sound in them. When he does, it's often a word like "nettle," where the "t" sound can be safely ignored or pronounced like "d" without anyone noticing his stutter. I'm glad he has the confidence to speak in a room full of people- chances are, we have Vil to thank.

That also explains why Mandible does most of the talking. Pretty clever fix, if I'm being honest. Also, it seems like Pomefiore is way more familiar-based than the other dorms. Not only do we seem to have more familiars than the other dorms, but Pomefiore also provides uniforms for them, and is the only dorm that does. It doesn't cost extra, either.

Ah, well. After lunch is over, we have a biology class, followed by an art course and then a lesson on improvised engineering, my favorite class. Apparently, it's a "joint class," which concerns me, as using my joints too much makes them sore.

"Hey, Yuu, do you have a joint class t-today?" I've noticed Korrak doesn't stutter on the "m," "k," "n," "a," "d," "i," "b," or "l" sounds. I think that's because they're all in his and Mandible's names.

"Yeah."

"Do you know w-what that is?"

"Nope."

Epel's face brightens. "I do! Got one later t'day."

"Myaah, really? What class?"

"MacGyvering. Pr'tty damn good skill, ain't it?"

"Not on our schedule."

"Epel... Our join-t class is Improv-vised Engineering."

"Yeah, yeah, they c'n call it by whatever th' fancy fuckin' shit they feel like, but I'm tellin' ya, that righ' there's a class 'n MacGyvering."

"Epel, language."

"Ack! Vil!"

...Okay, maybe the fact that I have to actively not laugh at the sight of a terrified Epel sitting right in front of an upright, clearly displeased Vil means I'm going to hell, but can you really blame me? There has to be a foot and a half of height difference between them, and Epel's face is priceless.

"Repeat that sentence without swearing."

"Uhh... they can call that whatever th' heck they wanna, but that doesn't mean it ain't a class on MacGyvering."

"Your word choice is on thin ice, but that is an improvement." Vil leaves.

"Um... S-so, Epel, are you any g-good at MacGyvering?"

The concern instantly evaporates from Epel's face. "You betcha sweet biscuits, I am! Back at th' farm, ya don't jus' fix things, ya MacGyver 'em. Ev'ry shed's got a hinge held t'gether by a dow'l, or a nail, or sum'thi'n else. 'M pretty good at it, 'f I say so myself."

"So... MacGyvering is just using whatever to fix stuff? Sounds easy enough."

Epel laughs. "That ain't all it's about. MacGyvering's 'bout comin' up wit' creative fixes to stuff. Y'know, shit most city folk jus' don't consider."

"Epel."

"Um, solutions most city folk jus' don't consider."

Vil nods. "Perfect!"

"Uh, class is st-t-tarting soon. We should leave."

"Oh, shit, Korrak's right!"

"Yuu. Try that again."

"Oh, fuck, we have five minutes!"

"Without swearing!"

"Myaah, we need to go right now!"

"Yuu, not Grim."

"We're gonna be late!"

Vil sighs. "I'll accept that, but you are on thin ice. Now, hurry."

Disobeying him now would be a death sentence, so off we go!

Biology was pretty interesting. From what I can tell- aka Trein starting class with, "the only reason you have this is because most schools don't clear up the local misconceptions about other species-" the only reason we have this class is because most schools don't clear up the local misconceptions about other species.

Time flies when you're having fun, though, so we are soon off to health class- which is boring, honestly. Trappola actually fell asleep there, and Deuce had to wake him.

And then, it comes. The long-awaited MacGyvering class, taught by Crewel.

Turns out: "joint class" means "multiple classes, one lesson!" We just so happen to be going with class B, so this'll be fun.

It's here that Grim and I learn Trappola has apparently never seen an opossum before.

"Huh. That's cool." Trappola says stuff is "cool" a lot. That probably means it caught his eye more than anything else.

"Myeeh? What is? The fact that we have multiple friends in the same dorm as us?"

That gets the present Pomefiores to snicker for a while, much to Trappola's evident disdain.

"No. I meant the fact that you," he points at Grim, "are friends with a rat," he points at Mandible. "I just find that weird.

For a solid minute, all six of us are staring at a very confused redhead.

"Dude," Mandible starts, "I'm an opossum."

Trappola stands there, mouth open and eyes darting around, for a couple of seconds.

"Oh."

Crewel walks in, voice booming as always. "Hello, pups! Today, we will be continuing our course on using basic tools for unintended uses. To begin, you should have a group of up to five, but you may work alone if you please. Now, you need to locate the person in your group who is the most responsible and have him raise his hand." We pick Korrak.

This is part 19 of the "What if Yuu didn't want to go back?" Series!

(I, the author of this work, do not consent to this work being crossposted/translated without my knowledge or used to train an AI, ever.)

Masterlist

The first thing we see when we walk into the club room is that Grim and I are the only Pomefiore students. Joy.

The second thing is that guy's hair is fire, much like the inside of Grim's ears. Guess it's just a rare trait, then.

The third thing is that Fire Hair Guy is staring straight at Grim. He probably didn't know animals could have that, too. He might just be a cat person. Either way, he's a clubmate now.

"You must be the new members! Welcome! I am Azul Ashengrotto, housewarden of Octanville and manager of the Monstro Lounge, and this," He motions to the guy he's apparently supposed to be playing chess with, "Is Idia Shroud, housewarden of Ignihyde. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Fire Hair looks like he's going to explode from anxiety. He's the one sitting accross from Azul, and he looks very intently at Grim, like his presence is the one thing keeping him conscious.

"What are your names, newcomers?"

"I'm Grim, and this is my familiar, Yuu! Spelled Y-u-u, not y-o-u."

Azul now looks off-put. "Well, Grim and Yuu, we here at the Board Games club are quite glad you're here! Welcome! And, if you ever need, say, a wish, then do not hesitate to come to me."

Idia sighs. "Never go to him for a wish, kitty. He's deceptive."

"I can hear you whisper, Shroud."

"Eep!"

Right off the bat, I recall something I was told at the entrance ceremony: Azul Ashengrotto, the housewarden of Octanville, is always trying to get people to sign contracts with him. Usually, only he benefits. Grim knows this, too.

"What, did we walk into the Contracts Over an Unsused-But-Set-Up Chessboard Club? Sorry, we signed up for something else. Come on, Grim, let's go find the club where they actually play chess."

"I'm back! Oh? New clubmates? Sweet!"

...looks like floating is another rare trait. This new kid has the same blue fire hair as Idia, as well as equally yellow eyes. He looks to be wearing some kind of jet boots, which he deactivates when he enters the room to oogle at Grim.

"A cat! Aww, your fur looks so soft and silky- and you have a uniform! By the seven, you're adorable!"

Grim straightens up, puffing out his chest and looking very proud. I do the same- after all, he's my familiar.

"Ortho, there's no need to be so close to our new members. Personal space, you know."

Well, now Grim just looks annoyed.

"Myeh, Azul, you have something on your face."

"This?" He points to a little black dot near his lips. "That is supposed to be there."

"Not what I meant," Grim continues, "the wire. Were you born into a fence or something?"

Ortho bursts out laughing. Idia does the same. Azul does not follow suit, but does try to talk, failing miserably become everyone in the room but him is too busy laughing their asses off to hear him.

Idia finishes laughing, pulls out a game labeled "Cliffs & Climbs," and sets it up, motioning for Ortho, me, and Grim to join. Azul continues failing to explain glasses to a cat who's ignoring him while people laugh at the obvious ragebait he's fallen for.

"I heard the whole thing from down the hall. Nice to meet you! I'm Ortho Shroud, freshman and Ignihyde's Vice Housewarden, as well as Idy's little brother. This character is mine."

Just looking at the board, it's a game of Snakes and Ladders. Ortho has selected a small, wooden flame to represent himself. Grim and I choose the cat, obviously. Idia considers for a moment, then picks the thimble that probably didn't come with the game. He flips it open-side-up when he puts it on the board, and Ortho glares at him until he sets it so you can't see the opening from above.

Let the board games begin.

This is part 12 of the "What if Yuu didn't want to go back?" Series!

(I, the author of this work, do not consent to this work being crossposted/translated without my knowledge or used to train an AI, ever.)

Masterlist

Vil's words echo in my head like laughter echoes in a cave. My brain struggles, trying desperately to wrap itself around this information, and it suddenly succeeds.

Tears resume flowing down my face- tears of joy, because, finally, I am alive. I am real. Finally, after all these years and all this pain, I live. For the first time, I live. I've been alive this whole time- since my arrival- and I didn't even know.

Perhaps Vil and Rook know I'm crying happy tears because they remember my rant, or perhaps it is because of the stupid smile on my face, and my laugh, my most genuine laugh ever, unrestrained.

This whole time, the ripples on the water were mine- and I didn't even know. Maybe I'm too used to bad things- maybe I died before, and this is the universe's mercy. A new world, and my first life.

The pieces are all here, not yet assembled, but here, and I am aware of them all. I have Grim, I have parents, I have friends- given how Rook and Vil seem to care for Korrak and Mandible behind closed doors just as they do for me and Grim, maybe I have a brother or two. Maybe Epel is a cousin. Who knows? This is my first life, and I love my shiny new family.

I love us, all of us, with all of our imperfections and weirdness and disadvantages and problems and quirks- I love this family, and, maybe, that includes me. It certainly includes Grim, and he's my familiar, so...

Oh, well. Who cares? Finally, my breaths sustain life- my life. My heart beats with meaning, with purpose other than obligation. I have a whole life ahead of me, for the first time ever.

Once again, Rook's arms are wrapped around me, his chin resting on my shoulder.

"Your joy is beautiful, Monseur Mystery."

I look. Grim is... crying? So is Vil.

"Are you guys... alright?"

Vil nods. Rook pulls back, revealing his own, tear-stained face to me.

"We are more than alright, little one." Despite his tears, Vil's voice does not break, and his eyeliner does not run.

"Your elation is contagious, Monseur Mystery."

"Rook, Vil, Grim... thank you. All of you." My voice breaks. "I just can't thank you enough. Thank you so much, for everything. For all the little moments when I needed help and you were there, thank you. For every time I needed a hug, or a hairbrush, or a reminder to eat something other than fish, or a reason to live before I realized I was alive, thank you."

We stay there, the four of us, for a long moment, just crying shared tears of shared joy. It only lasts, however, until Vil looks at the clock on the wall.

"It's nearing bedtime, little one. Go to your room and get ready to sleep." He smiles. "You've earned it."

I nod. "Alright."

"Would you like an escort, Monseur Mystery?"

I laugh. Even in these vulnerable, important moments, Rook is still... well, Rook. He's always himself, always open and never vulnerable, somehow, until these little moments. And, somehow, the subtlety of that change just makes it all the more golden.

"I'll take it, Rook."

When we arrive at the dorm room, I take care not to wake our roommates. Rook just leaves, as he probably has some important Vice Housewarden business to attend to. Grim and I wave before the door closes.

I take a look at my magestone. The black only covers 3/4 of it now, so I can probably attempt a spell without overblotting.

I close my eyes and grip the gem tightly in my palm, imagining myself in my pajamas before I wave the pen.

When I open my eyes, I have changed clothes. Admittedly, it takes a lot to avoid squealing out of delight. Alas, excitement is tiring, and I have yet to finish my skincare routine.

Grim and I head to the Backstage Room, finish up, and leave. We don't talk, but there's an air of contentment as I brush him, an acknowledgement of the fact we both know: today, a new chapter in our lives has started.

I can't wait. Even as I lie on my bed and try to sleep, my heart pounds. Why wouldn't it? Today has been filled with so many firsts- first willing cry, first spell, first time realizing I not only exist but live.

Despite that, when my heart calms, I immediately sleep. I do not dream; I am too tired. And yet, my excitement remains.

When I wake, Grim wakes with me, and I am ready. I want to see what the day will bring, I want to live and laugh and love, and not in the midwest-white-lady way.

Korrak, despite not being exited in the morning, at all, ever, is still in some kind of better mood than usual.

I brush Grim like usual, but without the air of "I don't really belong" that used to invade every moment of every day, both before and after I gained life. The absence of that once-constant aura is welcome, and, for once, I feel hope. Real, genuine hope, just for the day.

I spend breakfast trying to get water in a glass to hover midair, and, though I do fail, it's only because the magic didn't break the surface tension.

This is part 2 of the "What if Yuu didn't want to go back?" Series! The plot thickens...

(I, the author of this work, do not consent to this work being crossposted/translated without my knowledge or used to train an AI, ever.)

Masterlist

Woah. This is... incredible.

I mean, it was incredible when I looked up and saw a fucking castle, but this? All this shiny white and gold? I feel like I'm going to be a royal's personal servant. But, this is Pomefiore dorm- and I'm in Pomefiore! Does that mean I'm the royal?

"Alright!" Vil's call for attention is met with the ceasing of the oohs and aahs in favor of all eyes on him. He looks powerful, but not in an intimidating way- rather, I feel drawn to him. Based on the body language of those around me, though, that might just be a "me and Grim" thing. The kid on my right looks meek.

"Third years, you know what to do. Second years, you do what the third years are doing. Rook, on my left. First years, I am still waiting on the list with all your names on it, so you will be placed into your dorm rooms now. Those of you with feline slash feline-adjacent familiars, stand in the circle." With magic, he draws a large, glowing blue outline of a circle on the floor to his right. I look at Grim and make our way through the crowd, my cat on my shoulder, and stand in the circle. There are nine people standing on Vil's right by the end of it, including me.

While I have Grim, there's a kid on my right with white hair, caramel skin, and an ice-blue panther-looking thing that's about as tall at the shoulder as he is at the hip. Its eyes are completely black, like ink, and it's apparently just as confused as its human.

To my left is a kid with an opossum. The 'possum has a deep blue body and tail, along with a white head that almost makes it look like the thing is wearing a skull. Its eyes are seagreen everywhere except the pupils.

Vil points at the kid on my left. "What's your name?"

"K-Korrak." The kid rolls the r as he says it.

"Alright, and what's your name?" He's pointing at me now. But, before I can stutter out my answer at the question I should've been anticipating, Grim answers for me.

"I'm Grim!" Vil does not appear as amused as he did. Grim, taking notice, adds, "and this is Yuu."

"You? I do not believe that is me."

"No, no, Yuu. Y-u-u, not y-o-u."

"Ah, okay. Yuu, Korrak, you two will be in room 109. There is a cat tree for your familiars to share and two cat beds for them to split. Here you are." He hands me a key with the Pomefiore crest on the end. Upon examining it, the number 109 is engraved on it.

"You two may now go to your dorm room and get settled in. I trust you know how to retrieve your things?" Korrak nods. Grim and I say nothing. Vil smiles, as though pleased. "Off you go, then."

Room 109 is easy to find. It's on the left, just like every other odd number, and is on the first floor. The door is huge, large enough to fit me and Korrak shoulder-to-shoulder with Korrak's familiar standing on his head, not touching the top of the doorframe.

Inside, there's two twin canopy beds, two small, blue cat beds, two pristine white nightstands, and- as promised- a cat tower, right in the middle. I take the canopy bed on the right. Korrak flops down onto his new bed, waves his magic pen, and starts unpacking the luggage he just summoned. There isn't much- just a two rolly bags and a backpack.

Korrak's familiar takes notice of my staring. "Pilot parents," it says, "everything has to fit on a plane." I nod. This new world has airplanes, too, huh?

There's a knock on the door. "Come in," Shouts the 'possum. Vil opens the door.

"Yuu, come with me. Now." I immediately approach, Grim now on my head, to follow Vil down the hall and into what looks to be a makeup department you'd see in a "behind the scenes: live-action movie" documentary.

A blonde boy I recognize as Rook is already standing there, motioning for me to sit in one of the chairs. I look to Vil for confirmation before taking the seat. Rook takes Grim off of my head, sits in the chair next to mine, and places Grim on the counter in front of him.

All Grim has time to say is, "myaah?" Before Rook pulls out a cat brush and starts brushing my familiar's fur. Grim soon settles into the comforting sensation with a continuous purrrrrr.

"Yuu. Look at me." Vil's voice draws my attention once more, and I look directly into his violet eyes. "Why the fuck is your hair this matted? When did you last brush it?"

"Uhh... good question. I'd tell you if I knew."

My answer is honest. The rage in Vil's eyes is bright like floodlights.

"Why don't you know?" I shrug. Vil's voice is low and nearly sinister- but not quite.

"Grim." Vil's head snaps toward Rook, as though daring him to speak again. "When was the last time Yuu brushed his hair?"

Grim shrugs. "I dunno. We met just before the ceremony."

The upperclassmen now appear confused, Vil more so than Rook. "You... Just met? Today?" Vil alone speaks at first, but his and Rook's voices blend together for the final word.

"Yeah, Grim wanted to enroll and broke open a coffin-box so he could have a uniform."

"Hench-Human knew my name. Somehow, I knew his. Dunno how that works, but that probably means he's my familiar, right?"

Both the blondes are stunned into silence. Rook is the first to break it.

"So, did you meet and magically bind as children, only to forget and be reunited years later as familiars?" He looks... exited now. "Beauté!"

"Probably not," I jump in, "given that I'm not from a world with magic, and can't use any myself."

Vil looks shocked. "What do you mean, you can't use magic? How in tarnation did you get a spot at Night Raven College with no magic?"

"Hell if I know. Hey, where are we? I know we're in Pomefiore dorm at Night Raven, but... geographically, where are we?"

Vil sighs. It's obvious that he never expected that question, or the lack of magic.

"Twisted Wonderland, spud. That's the broadest way I can put it."

"Okay. Broadest way I can put it, I'm from the Milky Way Galaxy."

Now he's looking at me weird.

"We are in the Twisted Galaxy's Selm system, on the specific planet 'Wonder.' People usually call our planet 'Twisted Wonderland.' With that in mind, where are you from?" Rook's elaboration gives me a better idea of what to say next.

"Earth, of the Milky Way Galaxy's Sol system. I've only really heard people call it 'Earth.'"

"Myaah, I never knew Twisted Wonderland was the name of the planet! That's so cool!"

Vil sighs and starts cutting my hair. "Let's... worry about that after we get this rat's nest off your head." Rook goes back to brushing Grim. For a moment, I allow myself to believe everything is okay. And, for the first time in my life, that feels true.

This is part 8 of the "What if Yuu didn't want to go back?" Series!

(I, the author of this work, do not consent to this work being crossposted/translated without my knowledge or used to train an AI, ever.)

Masterlist

Vil stares for a moment, just a moment, and then smiles. Grim is still looking at me weird, but says nothing.

We leave to eat. Grim's strange looks halt when he sees breakfast: poppyseed bagels with cream cheese and lox. We eat instead of talking, and I take the time to admire just how clean this place is.

Everything is so shiny. There aren't any paintings or pictures, noticeably, but there is a mirror hanging over there. It was probably put there to allow people to look at the oven without having to turn around, given the location and angle.

Looking in the mirror... Hey, it's Korrak and Mandible! And...Rook? Looks like he's intercepting them, too. At least he's giving them food first. Korrak walks toward the stairs with half a poppyseed bagel in hand.

Oh, well. That's none of my business. I'm done with my bagel, though, so it's off to the Backstage Room!

Grim finishes his breakfast on the way, and I brush him until his coat is soft and even. He doesn't complain about me stopping this time, but he does set off on a quest of magically dressing himself.

When I finish my routine, we head off to put my new phone up, and then it's off to History of Magic.

Trappola isn't here yet, surprisingly. I figured he'd've learned his lesson after yesterday, but I guess not. Oh, well. His problem! We'll snitch again if he starts today with a repeat of yesterday.

By the time we sit down and start talking to Deuce, Trappola walks into the room- with a collar on?

"I see your stares. Don't ask."

With that, he sits. Deuce stares right at him for a solid 20 seconds before speaking.

"We don't even have oolong."

"Not what happened."

I sit there, contemplating why this kid is wearing a heart-shaped collar with a lock on it to class. Very much a "Heartslabyul" look, though. Half is black, half is red, and the outlines are gold.

The bells rings, and Trein starts the lesson. I take notes and help Grim do the same with his levitation magic. He picks up on it pretty fast, and his writing is easily legible within 5 minutes.

Crewel gives Trappola a funny look when he walks in, but says nothing and the way he teaches seems normal. This is only the second time I've had him, though.

More note-taking commences. I'm rather tempted to question Trappola where he got that and why he's wearing it, but class is ongoing, so I refrain from asking and make sure Grim does the same. He shoots me dirty looks whenever I close his mouth for him, but he stays quiet.

Grim and I actually manage to stay conscious all through P.E.! That's a win for us.

"What, you think you're special just 'cause you didn't take a nap when you fell?"

"Nope! We think we're special cause we aren't the ones wearing a collar, and one of us is a cat."

Trappola turns bright red. "What the hell?!"

"Mya-ha, that's what you get!"

"He has a point, Ace. How did you get that, anyway?"

"Shut up, Deuce."

"Hey, Trappola, remember that one time you were snarky with Deuce and wound up cleaning all the chairs in Trein's room? I do."

Trappola shuts his mouth, forgets his lesson, and speaks again. "Hey, you can call me 'Ace.' I don't mind. Why do you only ever call me by my last name?"

"That's what the headmage called you during the entrance ceremony. Besides, we also call you 'entrance ceremony claustrophobe.'"

"Behind my back?"

"To your face, entrance ceremony claustrophobe."

"Okay, guys, that's enough."

"Shut it, Deuce."

"Dude, what is your problem?" Evidently, Deuce has finally had enough.

"It probably has something to do with the collar." Okay, being a dick here won't help, but I'm bored and hungry, so I'll care after lunch.

"Yeah, it does!"

"Myeh... I'd just take it off."

"I. Can't."

"Why not?"

"You say that like you don't know."

"They're first years from a different dorm, Ace. Of course they don't know. You have to tell them."

Trappola says nothing. Apparently, that thought didn't occur to him. I'm guessing most of them don't, though.

Trappola sighs, but still doesn't say anything. Deuce, clearly fed up, turns to us. "Our housewarden's signature spell is called 'Off With Your Head,' and he uses it on Heartslabyuls who break the rules. The spell places a collar around the target's neck," Deuce motions to Trappola, "and seals away their magic. I'm not sure what Ace did to get collared, but only Riddle can remove it."

I remember one of the Pomefiore sophomores explained all of the housewardens and dorms to the freshmen, me and Grim included. That's how I know Riddle Rosehearts is the Heartslabyul housewarden, a sophomore in the dorm based on strictness. No wonder, huh?

"Myaah... hey, Redhead, did you complain about yesterday in front of Rosehearts?"

Trappola looks stunned. "Yeah... How'd you know?"

"You swear when you're mad. That's probably banned."

"...You're right."

Grim appears prideful of his accomplishment, chest out and everything. Trappola looks lost. Deuce looks hungry.

"Let's go to lunch. Come on, Ace."

Grim and I wave. "Bye, Deuce! Bye, Trappola!"

The walk back to the dorm is tiring, but it's nice knowing we're just a little step closer to whatever it is we're reaching for.

This is part 20 of the "What if Yuu didn't want to go back?" Series!

(I, the author of this work, do not consent to this work being crossposted/translated without my knowledge or used to train an AI, ever.)

Masterlist

"Okay, I'll go first. I'm the oldest."

Grim and I share a look. A silent, mutually thought idea is agreed upon and placed into action. Grim dismounts from my shoulder and onto the desk with the board.

"Can I go first? Please?"

He sits, loafing, on the wood, giving his best kitten eyes directly to Idia, and mews softly.

"Alright, sure. Why not?"

Ortho turns sharply to stare at his brother. "Idy! I can't believe this! Willingly abandoning better chances for a cat? And no gain? You shouldn't!"

"You know me, Ortho, you know me! He's too cute; I can't help it! I'm a cat person, and I cannot abandon my primary morals!"

I roll the die. We move four spaces, onto a spot where a cliff leads. We might wind up there again later.

"Your turn, Mr. Oldest."

Grim looks at me. Ortho looks at Grim. I look at Ortho. Smugness and anger and amusement, and only one die has rolled. Only one piece has moved. This is going to be so much fun.

Grim looks at Ortho with the same adorable stare, and Ortho falls just as his brother did.

"...Fine. But only because you're cute, okay?"

Grim gets up, saunters back over to me, and gets on my other shoulder. "You heard him, Mr. Oldest. Your turn."

Idia rolls a three. Ortho rolls a five. Azul walks over and sits at the table, between me and Idia. I look at Idia, who refuses the eye contact but stares at the bridge of my nose long enough to say it: "he could still join the game."

"Hey, Azul! Not sure why you're still wearing those. Barbed is more in-style."

Azul sputters and stutters, eventually settling on, "You are a vice housewarden! You should know what glasses are!"

We laugh. "Hey, if we let him join, he might spend the whole time talking instead of playing. Y'know, like he did with the chessboard."

Azul sputters again. "I will not!"

"Myeeh... I don't think so. Prove it."

"Fine! I wi- wait! You're just trying to make me mad!" He inhales deeply. "I am going to go do something else."

Then he gets up and leaves. The other four of us just look at each other, shrug, and continue playing.

The game itself is uneventful, but the interactions are comedy gold. My favorite two are:

"Oh, come on! I could easily fly right back up there!" -Ortho

"Well, Grim, we've fallen... pretty far. You roll the die now; I have two broken legs." -me

All in all, it's a win. Not really- Ortho won the game- but the experience was a net positive.

"Good game, guys!"

Ortho and Idia agree. "Good game."

Ortho sighs. "Everything is so much fun. I'm so glad this happened."

"We're glad we joined."

Ortho laughes a little at that. "Not really what I meant, but I'm glad you joined, too."

"Myeh? What did you mean?"

"Well, I kind of... Died? And Idy managed to make a body for me. I'm technically a robot, but I do have a soul!"

Idia smiles, his sharklike teeth easily visible. "It was a little difficult, but I'm glad I did it. Being an only child sucks."

"Myeh, that's so cool! Azul is giving you a funny look, by the way."

"He is?" Ortho turns around. "Hey Azul, what's it to ya?"

Just like that, club time is over. It's now back to the dorm to rest and eat.

Korrak is awaiting our return. He's pouting a little, but, after Rook explains that new science club members don't get to handle acid on day one, things start making a little more sense.

"Well, I still don' like that Azul feller."

"We g-gotta meet Heartslabyul's v-v-vice housewarden. He made p-pastries, but didn't b-bring any."

"I got t' meet th' housewarden o' Savanahclaw. 'E really ain't all that plesent."

"Azul is annoying. Fun to mess with, though."

"'Ere's a lot o' folks on th' Spelldrive club. Tons o' Savannahclaws."

"All I had to do was look cute at them, and they let us roll first! It was great!"

"At Azul? Or at s-someone else?"

"At Ignihyde's housewarden and vice housewarden! It was hilarious."

" 'at's all it took, eh? Good fer y'all! By th' way, Leona said somethin' 'bout a celebrity- y'all know what 'e meant? 'Cause I don' know no celebrity."

Rook bursts into a laughing fit beside us. I can feel Vil's eyes from across the room, though there is notable confusion in his gaze.

"W-well, I don't know any, s-so I can't really h-help."

"Myeh... maybe he just meant 'moderately popular influencer' and doesn't know what a celebrity is."

"Th-that's probably it. Th-then again, I probably w-wouldn't know one if they b-brushed my hair."

Accross the room, I see Vil sigh and shake his head. He's probably figured out that none of us keep up with pop culture. He might know the celebrity, but I say it's none of my business.

The sun is low on the horizon, our food is eaten, and our dorm uniforms are cozy warm. Rook is still giggling beside us, Korrak is still complaining about the lack of handling acid he got to do, and Epel is calling Leona lazy.

It's been a good day.