There is something so comical in watching Yuu effortlessly throw Ace over the hedge. Deuce is too stunned to react, barely noticing when it's his turn until Yuu hoisted him off the ground. A visible blush paints his face red as he takes in his current position—one arm under his legs and the other supporting his back.

"Ahh, what a cute princess carry!" There's a quick flash from Cater's camera as he takes a picture of Deuce and Yuu. "You don't mind if I post this on MagiCam, do ya?"

"No?" Deuce is uncertain, and would very much like more time to reconsider, but Yuu already has him in the air, his appearance far too deceptive when it came to his actual strength.

Thud!

He lands right next to Ace, who whines as he rubs his backside.

"How can someone so scrawny be that strong?" Grant it, Ace doesn't weigh that much…but even so, Yuu has no right in being that strong. His mood only worsens when Grim jumps on his head. "Augh!"

Grim only sneers as he purposely lands within Ace's reach. He watches Ace carefully, with a mischievous glint in his eyes. Just watching and waiting, before… "Too slow!"

Ace had taken the bait and lunged at Grim, only to realize at the very last second…

Thud!

That Grim is a lot faster than he appeared.

"I can't believe you fell for it!" Neither can Ace, as he lifts his head off the ground and spits out a few blades of grass that had gotten in his mouth. Grim's laughter rings in his ears, souring his mood even further the longer he listens to it. Not helping is Deuce, who is obviously staring, when he should be minding his own business!

"What's so funny?!" If Deuce is trying not to laugh, then he's doing a terrible job at it.

Deuce coughs into his fist, quickly averting his gaze. "Maybe you should learn how to pick your fights."

"Like I asked!" Ace runs his fingers through his hair and sighs. It's seriously too early for this shit…

"Look out below!" That's as much of a warning Ace gets before Yuu lands right next to him, scaring the absolute crap out of him. "Ehehe!"

"Don't do that!" Ace scolds Yuu, giving his cheek a harsh pinch. "Give a guy a warning, dammit!"

What if Yuu had landed on him? Then what?

"H-Heeeyy!" Yuu whines, trying his hardest to pull Ace's hand off his cheek. "Stoooppp!"

"Not yet—not until I've had my turn!" It's only fair, after all, for what Yuu had done to him earlier.

And then Deuce steps in and pulls the two apart to avoid a serious fire hazard.

"Seriously, you should know better than to pick on Yuu." Deuce crosses his arms over his chest. "You know how Grim gets."

"Yeah, yeah…" Ace's eyes shift to the side, his attention focusing on Grim as he rested comfortably in Yuu's arms. A stream of smoke leaves his mouth, an intense gaze soon fixating itself on Ace. "Geez…"

What a brat…

"We should get going!" Yuu pipes up. "If we stick around any longer, we'll be late for class!"

Cater already gave them the boot, due to the fact that Ace didn't have a tart to replace the one he had eaten. Leave it to someone as lax and casual as Cater to hold up the rules of Heartslabyul…

Speaking of Cater…

"You shouldn't dawdle!" he calls out from the other side of the hedge. "If Riddle-kun hears you're late for class, then it's going to get even worse for you, Ace-chan!"

"Don't call me that!" They barely even know each other, and already, Cater's trying to act too familiar.

"Ahh~, so mean!" Cater laughs. "Come back when you have a tart! Thanks again, Yuu-chan!"

Because of Yuu, Cater didn't have to use more of his magic than usual to get Ace to leave when he was being too stubborn. Geez, there's a limit to how stubborn someone can be before it stops being cute…

"Bye-bye!" At least Yuu's cuteness makes up for Ace's prickly attitude. "Come on, come on, come oooon~!"

It takes a bit of nudging, but soon, Ace and Deuce are following Yuu back to the Hall of Mirrors. It's a lot more crowded than usual, as more and more students leave their dorms for class.

"So, uhh…what's our first class?" Yuu asks, midway through their trek across the campus.

"Didn't you get a list?" Ace asks Yuu, wondering just how he managed to get this far.

"There should be a paper in your pocket," Grim says as his ears twitch. "Crowley gave it to me, so I put it in your pocket for safekeeping."

It wasn't that difficult, considering how deeply Yuu was sleeping the other day.

"Ohh—you're right!" Yuu pulls out a small paper from his pocket. "Now let's see, first class is…potions?"

"Oh…let me take a look at that!" Deuce reaches out to take the list from Yuu. "Ahh…yeah, we have the same classes!"

"Looks like you got put in with us." So much for avoiding Grim, Ace sighs in exasperation.

"It's because we're friends!" Yuu moves in closer to Ace, giving his side a slight nudge. "Ehh? Ehhh?!"

"Yeah, yeah…" Ace wants to be a smartass about it, but holds his tongue. There's no point to it, and the last thing he wants is to cause a scene when there are so many other people around…or so he tells himself.

They arrive at the laboratory, with enough time to spare. Upon entering, Deuce grabs the jewel-tipped pen from his blazer's pocket and taps it on his chest. Within seconds, his blazer is replaced with a long, white lab coat. Black gloves cover his hands, their length extending almost to his elbows. A pair of red-framed goggles appear over his eyes, protecting them from whatever hazards that could pop up within the laboratory.

Yuu finds himself nodding at the sight of them, feeling somewhat at home the longer he stares. He turns to Ace, who just clears his throat, a bead of sweat soon rolling down his face.

"Umm…Deuce, can you—ack!" Ace's face scrunches up upon contact with Deuce's pen. "Hey!"

Like with Deuce, Ace is now wearing a lab coat of his own, with the same black gloves and red-framed goggles. Though unlike Deuce, his lab coat isn't properly buttoned, much to Yuu's chagrin.

"Hey…" Yuu points at Ace's lab coat. "Wear it right."

"Ehh?" Ace makes a face. "What for?"

"It's proper safety!" Yuu explains, sounding extremely annoyed.

"I don't wanna hear it from you." Yuu isn't even wearing a lab coat… "Get yourself a pair of goggles at least."

"I dunno if you're just that stupid, but we haven't gotten any school supplies yet." Grim stares at Ace through half-lidded eyes.

"Then you shouldn't be here!" Ace gives Yuu's forehead a harsh tap.

"Heeeyy!" Yuu whines. "Stooopp!"

"Ace—don't start." The hedges were one thing, but the lab…really? Deuce can't believe just how reckless Ace is… "Not here."

"Yeah, yeah…" Ace waves off Deuce's concerns. "Count yourselves lucky I'm letting you guys work with me."

"My, how kind of you," Grim's tone is as deadpan as ever. "Why do you get a say in this?"

"Because I got here first." Ace grins widely as he claims one of the empty workstations. "Now would you rather work with some stranger, or do you wanna put up with me just a little longer?"

Deuce actually considers it for a moment…or at least, he pretends before taking his place right next to Ace. He turns to Yuu and beckons him. At least with Yuu around, being around Ace should be bearable…even if Grim could be such a brat. Not like Ace is any better, so…

"It can't be any worse." Deuce thinks to himself before reaching out to grab Yuu by the shoulder. "Hey, pay attention."

Yuu is easily distracted by the many items lining the shelves within the laboratory. While understandable (it's hard not to stare—especially when the lighting makes the glass bottles shine), Deuce really wishes that he'd have a better sense of awareness.

The minutes go by, and soon, the teacher leaves his office. The teacher is a tall, fashionably-dressed man with narrow gray eyes, and dual-colored hair. He arches his brow at the number of students in the laboratory.

"My, you puppies are punctual—" He pauses for a moment, his gaze focusing on Yuu. "You…what are you wearing?"

Even with the distance, he can tell something is off, beyond the fact that Yuu isn't wearing a lab coat or goggles. Even for a first-year student, he should know better than to…wait.

"You're Yuu…right?" It had almost passed his mind.

Yuu raises his hand into the air as he nods his head. "Haiiiiii!"

"Into my office…now." The teacher pauses for yet another moment before turning to the rest of the class. "My name is Divus Crewel, though you can just call me Crewel-sama. As we still have some time before class starts, I will be stepping aside for the moment. Do not think that means you can misbehave."

As if to prove his point, Crewel smacks his teaching pointer on a random workbench, causing every student within the room to flinch at the sudden noise.

"I highly advise you to pass on my message to the others who are not as punctual as you bunch." It would save him some time, after all. "Now, come along, Yuu—we have matters to discuss."

"Haiii!" Yuu repeats himself in that same, chipper manner. He leaves his workstation, almost taking Grim with him until Crewel pointed at him.

"Familiars stay behind." Crewel doesn't feel like dealing with that headache just yet.

"I'm not a familiar!" Grim bristles.

"It's fine, it's fine!" Yuu sets Grim on the workstation. "Just stay with Ace and Deuce—it shouldn't take long, yeah?"

"It shouldn't." Crewel crosses his arms over his chest.

"Then it really is fine!" Yuu smiles widely at Grim. "So can you just wait for me?"

Grim's ears flatten behind his head, his expression clearly that of annoyance. Still, with an exasperated sigh, he says, "Fiiiiine."

"Yaaayy!" Yuu gives his head a few pats before following Crewel into his office. "Let's go, let's go!"

As soon as the door shuts behind them, loud whispers fill the laboratory. A loud growl rumbles in the back of Grim's throat as his ears pick up on the subject behind everyone's whispers—Yuu.

"Calm down." Ace's hand falls on Grim's head, immediately recoiling at the sharp claws that swipe at him. "Hey!"

"I get you're mad, but you shouldn't cause Yuu any trouble," Deuce says. "So behave."

With another growl, Grim lays down on the workstation's surface and rests his head on top of his arms. His eyes shift to the side as he uses his tail to smack Ace's hand away, having expected him to try something.

"Brat!" he scoffs.

"Look who's talking!" Grim barks back.

Within the privacy of his office, Crewel takes a closer look at the student before him, taking note of their worn-out clothing. The sight alone makes his eye twitch in annoyance. Really, it's such an eyesore…no matter—he'll just have to fix this mess himself.

"Alright, Puppy—what are your measurements?" Crewel knows damn well that Crowley had planned for this in advance the exact instant he mentioned Yuu's uniform privileges around him and the other staff.

"Don't know 'em," Yuu replies with a dopey grin on their face. "Hey—is that your natural hair color?"

"That is indeed my natural hair color." Much to the embarrassment of those who have chided Crewel in the past for dyeing his hair. "I assume the same goes for you?"

"Yep!" Yuu chirps. "Say, say, saayyy…if you're the teacher, why aren't you wearing a lab coat and goggles?"

"Magic." It's far more advance, and far too specific for anyone else to use in his class. "Though I commend you for having a keen interest in proper safety equipment."

Speaking of which, Crewel should have something in their size—or one that's close enough. For everything else…

"Would you mind removing your sweater?" Crewel takes out a roll of measuring tape from his pocket. "I just need to take a few of your measurements. You're obviously in need of some new clothes…"

Of which Crewel has no issue handpicking himself. He might as well make the most of the freedom that Yuu has.

"How much is this gonna cost?" Yuu asks as they remove their sweater. "I don't really have a lot of money…"

"It's fine—I'll pay for it myself." Yet another reason why Crowley had planned this in advance… "Cheapskate."

Yuu is a lot scrawnier without that oversized sweater of theirs obscuring their frame. It's a bit concerning, but Crewel keeps that to himself as he starts taking Yuu's measurements. He starts with their neck, wrapping the tape around the base, just above the collar bone. From there, he works his way down, fully aware of the height difference between the two of them.

"Are you wearing a binder?" he asks as he wraps the measuring tape around Yuu's chest. It's a simple question, nothing too (hopefully) intrusive.

"Sports bra!" Yuu responds without any hesitation.

"Ah…" Now that they've mentioned it, Crewel can make out the faint outlines on Yuu's tank top. "I'll leave some room here for you, then."

There's a few more questions he asks as he continues with his task, most of them are about Yuu's preference for clothing. It isn't that much different from the clothes that they're already wearing, though they do have some additions that make Crewel arch his brow.

"Is that so?" he asks, highly intrigued with some of Yuu's clothing preferences. "Is it safe to assume that skirts and dresses are fine with you?"

"It's allllll good!" Yuu flashes Crewel as smile as they hold up a V-sign.

"Well…I certainly have a lot to work with." Not that Crewel minds. "Anyways, we're done here. Let me just get you a lab coat and a pair of goggles. I might have to shrink a pair of gloves so that they don't fit you too big."

That is exactly what Crewel does, as he escorts Yuu out of his office. It's just in time, too, as the bell finally rings.

"I suppose this is everyone?" Crewel looks around the laboratory, taking note of each and every student within the room. "Hmmm, there are some rare hair colors in the bunch. Not bad. Make sure to take proper care of it daily."

It really would be a shame to see them get dull.

"I've already introduced myself earlier, but I'll say it again for the newcomers." Crewel taps the palm of his hand with his teaching pointer as he introduces himself for a second time. "You may now take your seats."

He gives each of his students a few seconds to sit down.

"Class will begin," he continues, keeping a close eye on every student that dares to speak during his class. "First for the basics—I will beat the names and appearances of one-hundred types of medicine and poison into your little brains."

It's a bit much, but certainly necessary for the fundamentals of his class.

"We'll cover fungi later." With a wave of his pointer, Crewel conjures up a set of papers at each workstation. "Now memorize these so you don't go around getting poisoned by random things you eat off the ground. Dogs will eat whatever is lying around."

"Yeah, Grim—ow!" There's a slight disruption that comes in the direction of where Yuu is seated. Obviously, they have already quieted their disruptive classmate, having flicked him on the nose. There's a smug look on their familiar's face as Yuu helps them into the miniature pair of goggles that Crewel had handed them.

With an amused chuckle, Crewel continues. "Your training will be strict, so I better not see any red marks on your tests."

"I see…" Deuce murmurs to himself as he looks over the handout Crewel had given them. "By the way…what's a fungi?"

"Mushroom!" Yuu gives him an answer. "Stuff like that. Makes spores—I think?"

Hard for Yuu to really give a good answer when they only understand the gist of it, and not the actual proper term.

"You are correct, Puppy." Thankfully, Crewel interjects. "They do produce spores—though, you shouldn't worry your little head just yet. We've only just begun."

Ace shudders, not liking the ominous tone in Crewel's voice. "Geez."

He grabs at a paper, squinting his eyes at the first thing he sees on it. While informative, it's…a bit much.

"Blegh…" Too much, if you ask Ace. "I'm no good at memorization."

"Join the club." Yuu gives Ace a few reassuring pats on the back. "We should be study buddies—you too, Deuce."

"Okay!" Deuce nods his head, not even waiting for Ace to respond.

Ace makes a face. "What makes you think I want to study with you guys?"

"Do you really have a choice?" Grim smirks.

Ace opens his mouth to say something, but immediately closes it when he realizes…Grim is right. "I guess I don't."

Not with the way Yuu is so assertive.

"If Yuu's okay with you, then I guess I'll go a little easier on you." Grim certainly considers it, though only time will tell if he'll actually follow through with his words.

"Yeah, yeah." So long as Yuu is around, Ace will put up with Grim.

"Say—doesn't this look like a pattern?" Yuu points out to Deuce.

"Yeah, that does look like one!" Deuce's eyes light in glee.

"Huh? What's a pattern?" Ace looks over Yuu's shoulder. "That it?"

It's not much, though it helps knock off a few clusters of information to memorize. Could be better…but of course, it could also be worse.

"So what happened in Crewel's office?" Ace asks the instant that they leave the laboratory.

"Nothing much." Yuu yawns into their hand. "I think he's going to get me new clothes."

"Seriously?" That's a surprise…

"You do look like you need them…" Deuce pauses for a moment, before quickly blurting out an apology. "Sorry—didn't mean it like that."

"It's fine, it's fine!" Yuu waves it off. "You're not wrong, after all."

"Crowley probably put him up to it." Grim jumps onto Yuu's shoulders, having grown tired of being carried around in their arms. "Anyways, which class is next?"

"Magic history!" Deuce quickly pipes up, pulling out his list. "It should be around here somewhere…"

"Man, this is gonna be boring!" Ace can feel it in his bones. "Not for you, though, since you don't seem to know much, do you?"

"Nope!" Yuu replies.

"…I give up." Ace had meant to tease Yuu with that comment of his, but after that response…there really is no point to it. "Let's just get going."

He has nothing much to say, not even when Yuu sits in between him and Deuce, allowing Grim to stare at him with that same, resting bitch face without pause.

Standing at the center of the classroom is a tall, elderly man dressed long, maroon-colored robes that he wears over a suit. He has small, grey eyes and neatly combed hair that's greying. In his arms, he carries a fluffy, black cat with yellow eyes and white muzzle.

The man watches as students take their seats, his hand gently stroking the cat's fur. As soon as the bell rings, he begins to speak. "I am Trein—the one in charge of magic history classes. This is my familiar, Lucius."

Lucius blinks slowly, his ears twitching slightly in response to his name being mentioned.

"You will be learning about the history of magic that has brought prosperity to this world." Trein stops for a moment, allowing his familiar to give out a loud, drawn-out meow. "Participation in class will affect your grades, not just reports. I will not forgive those who sleep in my class."

"You hear that?" Ace whispers to Yuu with a grin on his face as he taps his finger on their forehead. "No sleeping."

His grin only widens when Yuu smacks his hand away.

"Open your textbooks to page 15." At his command, students start pulling out their books, either from bookbags or use of magic, as in the case of Deuce and Ace. Yet again, Deuce covers for Ace, on the condition that he shares with Yuu.

"Why don't you do it?" Ace almost wants to ask, but he refrains from doing so. His eye twitches slightly, finding Yuu's sudden proximity all too annoying. He gives them a slight push. "Too close."

And finally, he understands why Deuce doesn't want to share.

"Hands off!" That, and Grim is also there.

The class drags on, causing Ace to yawn out of boredom. Deuce has a better chance at paying attention, though it takes him nearly five minutes to realize that part of what he's written down in his notes was Lucius meowing.

Even Grim is at his limit, absolutely bored to tears as he props himself on Yuu's head. Maybe this new position will keep him from falling asleep…

"Zzz…" And now Yuu's asleep.

"Oi—wake up." Grim taps his paw on Yuu's head. "You're gonna get in trouble."

"Normally, that would be the case." Trein puts his lecture on hold as he focuses his gaze on Yuu. "However, I have been informed about this student's special…circumstances, so I will make an exception. Don't expect me to be as lenient on their grades—I do expect them to do well in this class."

Lucius meows after that, prompting Trein to continue with his lecture.

"Oh man, that was scary…" Ace has no idea how he's going to get through this class, with a teacher as strict as Trein.

"H-Hey…do you know where he left off?" Deuce has a hard time finding his place in his textbook.

"What makes you think I was paying attention?" Ace rests his chin in the palm of his hand.

"Could've at least tried…" It would've made Grim's job easier as he skims through the pages of the textbook.

"I did." But then Lucius kept meowing, so…Ace just gave up. "I'll just ask one of my roommates to share their notes."

If that doesn't work out, then he'll wing it…

Physical education goes a lot better, if only because of the class location being outside in the sports field. The change in scenery does a good job at keeping Yuu awake, after the difficulty Ace and Deuce had with waking them up. Grim stretches out his body, enjoying the way the sun hits his body. It feels nice, after being cooped up inside for so long.

"Geez, isn't that uniform a bit too big?" Ace can't help but comment as he watches Yuu stretch out their arms.

"What do you expect?" Grim narrows his eyes. "It's a loan!"

A loan given personally to Yuu, by the teacher of this particular course—Ashton Vargas. Vargas is a muscular man with broad shoulders, dressed appropriately in athletic clothes. A whistle hangs around his thick neck, which he uses to catch everyone's attention.

"I am Vargas," he introduces himself to the rest of the class, flashing them a wide smile that almost gleams in the sunlight. "I'm in charge of watching over your physical education. Becoming a great mage starts with your body! Look at the muscles I've built from eating raw eggs every day."

"Gross…" Yuu sticks out their tongue. "The texture's gross."

"Y-Yeah…" Deuce can only nod his head as he tries to ignore one particular misadventure of his, where his curiosity got the better of him. "Never again…"

"It's not so bad…" Of course, if given the choice, Grim prefers his eggs be cooked.

"Is this really the time to be talking about eggs?" Because of the rush this morning, Ace didn't really have much time to eat…though, the same could also apply to Yuu… "Yeah, he needs to eat."

"Stamina is key for a mage, so start with twenty laps around the track, and then a hundred pushups!" Vargas blows on his whistle again. "Let's go!"

Ace rubs the back of his head. "I don't dislike exercise, but I can't stand teachers like him."

This is going to be rough four years—Ace can already feel it in his bones.

"I've got confidence in my stamina!" Deuce grins as he pounds his fist into his open palm.

"What's so fun about running in circles?" Grim does not see the appeal, though he doesn't really get a choice in this, because Yuu obviously feels differently.

"You guys are gonna get left behind!" Because Yuu is far ahead of them, having already gotten a good start.

"When did he…!" Ace's eyes widen in shock.

"Geh…Yuu!" Grim wails, not liking the way Yuu had left him behind—and with Ace, too! "H-Hold up!"

"Well, I'm not gonna lose to him!" Deuce exclaims as he breaks into a run.

"If you're like that, then…!" Then Ace can't just stand by and watch.

The outcome result ends with Ace face-first in the grass, while Yuu watches on, resting comfortably on their stomach. They prop their head up on their hands, soon kicking their feet back and forth in the air.

"You need to pace yourself, silly!" they say with a far too innocent smile on their face. They look over their shoulder at Grim, who rests on their back. "Good thing we count as one, huh?"

Grim refuses to give Yuu an answer, though he is very much relieved that Yuu had picked him up when they did.

"I'm surprised you managed to keep your pace throughout it all," Deuce remarks, still very much in awe at what he had seen.

"I like running!" Yuu explains. "It feels good, especially after, when there's this rush that makes everything feel better!"

"That would be the endorphins coursing through your body!" Vargas speaks up, having overhead the conversation going on between the group.

"Dolphins?" Deuce makes a face.

"Endorphins—it makes the pain go away!" Yuu grins. "And the serotonin is what makes you happy!"

"You sure know your stuff…" A little too well, Ace adds mentally.

"It's nothing new!" Of course, Yuu is somewhat perplexed with how they know about that…not that it really bothers them. "Anyways, heya, Vargas-sensei! What's up?"

"Would you mind standing up for me? There's something that I'd like to check." It's a simple request, really, one that Yuu doesn't think much about as they gently push Grim off their back.

"Heyyy…" Grim frowns.

"You can get back on as soon as I deal with this." Really, Grim is too much like a cat… "Standing, standing—whoops!"

Thud!

Yuu laughs as the fall flat on their ass. "Guess I got too comfortable."

"Or you're just clumsy—that could be it," Ace interjects.

"Let me have this, dammit!" It's annoying enough already that they can't walk in a straight line without having some sort of issue keeping their balance. It was easier to hide it when they were running…

"I'll help you up!" Vargas offers, immediately dropping down to his knees to hook his hands underneath Yuu's arms. Then, without any warning, he stands up, taking Yuu with him. He pauses for a moment, staring inquisitively at Yuu as his smile turns into a frown. "It's exactly as I thought."

"Whazzat?" Yuu tilts their head to the side.

"Your weight," Vargas states as he sets Yuu down. "You should eat more, if you plan on running a lot."

"Okaaaay!" Yuu was already planning on eating a lot come lunchtime, but if Vargas says so… "I'll eat extra just for you!"

Vargas stares at Yuu for a moment and then reaches out to ruffle their hair. He walks off after that, to check up on the other students in his class. Yuu blinks a few times and laughs.

Time goes by, and soon, the class is over. There is enough time between the previous class and the next one, allowing Ace, Deuce, Yuu, and Grim the freedom to go at their own pace during the break. It doesn't take them that long to return to the main building, the group now making their way through the interior hallway.

"You know, for a magic school, this place is pretty…normal." It's a relief on Ace's end, since his magic is still sealed off. "Guess I'll be fine without magic."

"What's the next class?" Yuu asks, turning to Deuce as he pulls out the list.

"Let's see…oh, lunch is after this one!" Deuce can't help but mention.

"Nice!" Yuu smiles widely. "You hear that, Grim—Grim?"

Where…did he go?

"Aww, shit." Ace heaves out a sigh. "He pulled a fast one on us, didn't he?"

"Look outside the window!" Deuce can make out Grim's figure despite the ever-growing distance. "That furball is making a beeline through the courtyard!"

"Griiiiim!" Yuu stomps their foot on the floor. "Crowley's gonna get mad at meeeee!"

"He never learns." Deuce doesn't understand how Yuu can put up with him.

"Pfft—first day on the job, and you've already lost track of him, huh, Prefect?" Ace smiles mischievously.

"Shut uuuppp!" Yuu whines. "This isn't funny!"

"Maybe not to you…but it sure is to me!" Ace has no shame admitting that, though…he is not without any mercy. "Want us to help you out?"

"P-Pleeeease!" Yuu isn't too proud to beg…as far as they know. It doesn't really matter, because the last thing they need is for Crowley to yell at them. "Will he yell at me?"

Yuu doesn't know, but they also don't care to find out. Just the thought of it makes their stomach churn.

"Buy me a chocolate croissant!" Ace has absolutely no shame when he makes his demand.

"I'll help in exchange for an iced latte from the cafeteria." And neither does Deuce.

"You guys are meeeaaannn!" Yuu wails, feeling absolutely annoyed by the fact that they were surrounded by assholes.

"Come on, come ooonn—Grim's getting away!" Ace says in a teasing tone. "You okay with that?"

"Uuurgh, you're lucky Avery gave me money this morning!" Otherwise, Yuu would really be screwed.

"Then it's a deal!" Ace's grin only widens. "Now then, Deuce—why don't we clean up after our no-good Prefect?"

"Sure thing, Ace." Deuce only nods his head. "I'm looking forward to lunch."

Yuu puffs up their cheeks in annoyance as they watch Ace and Deuce take their leave. Out of spite, they decide to stay behind, letting them deal with the brunt of Grim's bullshit—see how they like it.

"Hope he gives them hell…" Yuu mutters under their breath as they walk in the direction opposite of Ace and Deuce. They don't give the students the pass much attention, though their eyes often shift over to the windows, where they can see Ace and Deuce chasing Grim across the courtyard. "Where'd Ace get a net?"

Yuu doesn't know…but does it really matter?

"I guess not." Yuu laughs behind their hand, stopping only when they noticed something sitting on the window sill. "A tablet?"

The tablet is a deep blue color, the screen currently pitch-black. It lays directly in the sunlight, completely undisturbed.

"Did someone leave this?" Yuu frowns, wondering who could have left their tablet behind. It has such a glossy screen that's completely unscratched… "Looks expensive…"

It's tempting to just take it, but…Yuu knows better than that. It feels wrong…

"I should take this to Crowley…" He should know what to do. Of course, when Yuu's finger barely taps the tablet, the screen powers up immediately. An icon of a dark blue triangle appearing within a light blue circle. Inside the dark blue triangle is a smaller triangle that's the same color as the circle, with a design that almost resembles a skull…

"D-Don't touch!" a soft-spoken voice comes out from the tablet. "It's just charging!"

"Ahhh!" Yuu's eyes widen. "S-Sorry!"

"I-It's fine—just don't move it." There's a long sigh after that. "This is what I get for forgetting to charge it last night…"

"Uumm…is it okay for it to be in the sun?" Yuu asks mainly out of curiosity.

"It should be fine—the battery charges in the sun," the voice explains. "I can't have it suddenly dying on me when it's outside, after all…"

"Makes sense…" Yuu nods their head. "Hmm…"

"Wh-What's wrong?" asks the voice.

"Ehehe, you have a cute voice!" It's the first thing that pops into Yuu's head.

There's a small pause, before the screen on the tablet goes black, prompting Yuu to flail.

"W-Wait—don't go!" Yuu reaches out for the tablet again. "Come back or I'll move it!"

The screen flashes back on. "J-Just go away!"

"Not until I get a name!" Yuu wants to know more about the person they're talking to—are they even a person? Or maybe a better question to ask is if they're human? Regardless, Yuu wants to learn all that they can about them! "Come on, come on, come oooonnnn!"

"Alright—you don't have to be so loud!" Any louder, and then everyone else might want to see what all the fuss is about. "…dia…roud…"

"Can you say that again?" Yuu didn't catch that.

"Idia Shroud—that's my name," the voice repeats. "I'm from Ignihyde. Now tell me where you're from so I can avoid you in the future."

"I think they call it the Ramshackle Dorm?" Yuu tilts their head to the side. "It's pretty run down…but the ghosts are nice!"

"Gh-Ghosts?" How…strange.

"Oh—my name's Yuu!" Yuu smiles widely. "I don't really have any magic, but I hope we can be friends!"

"F-Friends?" Idia questions. "Why would you want to be friends with someone like me?"

"Because you sound nice!" Really, Idia's voice is pretty cute. Yuu wasn't lying when they said that.

"Ahh…you're that type of person." There's another sigh. "So long as you don't talk much, then…"

"Then it's nice to meet you!" Maybe one day, Yuu will be able to see what's on the other side of that screen. For the time being, they're fine just talking to Idia.

"I feel like I just made a mistake…" Idia heaves out a tired sigh.


A/N So like, I had Yuu's encounter with Idia planned out to begin with, but thanks to Dance and Wishes, I managed to sneak it in a lot earlier than I had originally planned, so…another sheep has been added to the flock.

We're also slowly adding to the Dad Squad—the Dad Squad being Crowley, Crewel, Trein, and Vargas. Crowley's still reluctant about it, but Crewel is facing it head on in his own way. Trein is…getting there, and Vargas is already getting on Yuu's case to eat more.

Had a lot of fun writing out Ace and Deuce in this chapter, as well as Grim, who goes between well-behaved, to brat cat. The misconceptions continue, and as a side note, sports bras don't really mean much in confirming anyone's gender. Just because someone wears one doesn't mean that they're female, after all. Not everyone can use a binder, and some people just like the way a sports bra compresses and supports (it's a lot safer, at least if you're only wearing one in your correct size).

And clothes are clothes, after all. We're beyond gender conformity here, at Night Raven College, so do try to keep that in mind.

By the by, the ADHD Squad was in full force this chapter—and this is basically me confirming that Ace, Deuce, and Yuu all have ADHD. It's a thing! And expect there to be other characters with ADHD! As well as other things, like anxiety and depression, because Yuu also has that…so do what you will with that.

That's about all I have for this chapter! REALLY having a fun time, especially with everyone who leaves me asks on tumblr.

Many thanks again, to shaine26, for the fanart! You should really check out their art on their tumblr—their OC, Ruby Hood, is SUPER adorable! And also thanks to SilverStar56 for all the talks we've had! Really appreciate it! :D

That's about it for now, so do feel free to review! Would love to hear what you guys have to say!

Until next time, stay safe!