It didn't take long, sure, we entertain ourselves a bit—I look into a few books seeing if I can find information on other worlds and how to get home. It's a big library that covers a lot of topics… I might have to ask for help navigating things?

Trey appears, the current plan is put in action. There's four of us, so we easily gather and block his path on all sides. Sure, he could use magic, but in the library?

"Trey." Deuce is apparently disappointed in the upper-classman, and so are the rest of us.

"...Oh. It's all of you…" Is that a bit of guilt from Trey? It should be.

"We thought you'd come to the library to return the recipe book for the marron tart… or homework." Thank you Deuce for including all aspects of the plan unnecessarily.

"We're not convinced that Riddle's way of things are the right way." Ace has his hands on his hips, displeasure in his face, tone, and pose.

"...I knew you'd say that." I almost feel bad? He looks beaten.

"Then tell us, what do you really think about him?" That's not the probing I'd use, but really the only reason I'm currently involved is because of Grim. Otherwise I would be giving my dorm some needed TLC. I might use this incident to get Ace and Deuce to assist… if they're handy at all which: doubt. "Have you been pandering to him, letting him act like this since he was a child?" Technically we're all sort of children here and—wait.

What IS the age of adulthood here?

I.

Uh.

Huh.

How do I ask that question.

There's surprise and confusion on Trey's face. "Who told you about that?"

"Chenya." Deuce responds.

"He gave us a head's up." I'm funny damn it.

"Chenya…? I see… That guy." That expression of displeasure is not leaving upper-classman Trey's face.

"You are older than Riddle, that means you can get angry at him." Grim does not understand context of the situation or social stuff, and it's always a treat to watch him interact in these more delicate situations. Like a bull in a china shop.

"I will, if and when necessary… but I can't scold him." Trey sounds a little… defeated?

"Why?!" Ace is asking the important questions today.

"Riddle is the way he is now because he was raised under incredibly strict rules. His parents are famous magicians. Everyone in the world knew their names. Specifically, his mother demanded absolute perfection and wanted Riddle to be the same. So everything from Riddle getting up in the morning to going to sleep at night, to his academic programs—everything was structured for him down to the very minute." Trey explains.

"E-every minute?" Grim has a right to be terrified.

"Ah. Child abuse. Got it. Overly controlling mother." Not that anyone's listening to me. "Which means he's also as poorly socialized as Grim."

"What to eat, what to wear, and even the friends he could have—she decided everything for him. So Riddle kept quiet and mindlessly followed everything to meet his parents' expectations… and as a result, by the time he was ten, he had perfected his unique magic. Since he started his formal education in primary school, it was decided he would always place first. I can't imagine how much he's suffered." Trey continues.

"That's awful, but that means it's even more important he's taught now how to act with people, and that those ways aren't right. It's only going to keep escalating from here." I've dealt with some characters in my life—and I took some psychology classes in Earth-college.

"Riddle believes that being harsh will benefit everyone in the long run, because he believes that the harshness he's experienced has benefited him. He believes that living by these harsh rules absolutely, and obeying them out of fear will make people grow—make them their best selves. That's how he was raised." Trey's morose tone makes this worse.

"—If he lets people break the rules, it's as if he's going against who he was made to be, right?" Ace clarifies.

"...I know why you think he's a tyrant, and I understand how he goes about the small things is wrong…

but because of everything, I can't… go against him." Trey is weak.

Grim lets out a big, sad sigh.

Deuce joins Grim, just as mournful. "So Riddle went through all of that…"

"I know now… The reason Riddle is like this… is all your fault." Ace nails it right on the head. Trey allowing it and basically supporting his actions has led to this teapot tyrant.

Why are others surprised at this?

"Riddle can't do anything about his parents, sure, because he didn't ichoose/i them as his parents. But you thought they treated him poorly, right?" Ace is getting to a good point.

"Well…" Trey starts.

Ace continues without much pause. "If you know Riddle is making the same mistakes as his parents, you have to tell them—so he can learn what not to do. Or are you just going to stand there and watch everyone hate him from a distance?"

"Hey, Ace-" Deuce starts.

"Or what? Are you staying quiet, allowing this to continue because you're scared he's going to put a collar on you too?" Okay, this is about where Ace might be going too far, but… "That's lame—cowardly." Nevermind, Ace has to ruin it a little. "You're supposed to be his childhood friend, but friends don't let friends be like this to other people. You're not acting like a real friend at all."

"HEY! ALL OF YOU! WE ARE IN A LIBRARY! YOU NEED TO QUIET DOWN!" You don't even have to speak about the Devil and he appears! Shouting, too, the one and only crow-devil, Headmaster Crowley.

"Says the one that's shouting." He's not going to hear that and honestly? That's fine.

"You're the one shouting, though." Grim points out as well.

"Ah. Pardon me." He clears his throat. "Remember, this is a library. It is supposed to be a quiet place for studying and reading." Mr. Weird Bird Man whispers.

"Why are you here, Headmaster…?" I doubt he's researching how to get me back.

"I was researching on methods on how to return you to your own world. I didn't forget, obviously." Sounds like a lie, Crow-vampire. "I am very kind. You know, research begins in the library. I am definitely not here to read a certain latest addition of a certain novel series before anyone else… No, not at all." THERE it is. He revealed himself.

I give him the flattest look known to man. I probably won't get back until graduation at this rate, if I ever go back at all.

That does bring a worry: what would happen to Grim…?

Crowley clears his throat again. "Ah—but what are you all doing here, standing around with such troubled faces?"

"Well." Deuce starts us off. "It started after the Chandelier incident… but… No, could you explain?" Why is this on me? Ah, but Deuce looks a little shy…

I take in a breath. "After we did not get expelled, Ace returned to the Heartslabyul Dorm, starving, and ate a piece of tart he found unlabeled in the fridge." You're welcome, Ace, you youngest child you. "And when Riddle discovered that, he put a collar on him. That's when he came to my dorm… and we had our first day of classes with Deuce coming to get us in the morning. We met Trey, and Cater, upperclassmen from Heartslabyul, and they helped us come up with a plan to make a tart. Which—we did with Trey's help after class to present at the Unbirthday Party the next day. Part of the rules are to replace what you stole, so a marron tart for the piece-stolen tart was perfect, right?" I pause for dramatic effect. "No. No it wasn't. We got there, and unfortunately the marron tart was not the right tart for the Unbirthday Part. Riddle blew up and ended up offing their heads. We then plotted to seek Trey out after meeting this weird cat-guy Chenya, and here the fuck we are getting info from Trey and trying to solve this problem because Riddle's escalating, tyrannical behavior isn't good for the students and definitely not good for this school. So here's where we are: how do we solve the problem of Riddle's rule and how do we get these collars off of them? Riddle collar'd Grim without my consent, and he's imy/i dorm problem, not his. So… yeah, that's why we're here." For some reason I don't think anything's going to end well.

"Clearly, apologizing doesn't work." Ace grumbles.

"I see… so that's all that happened…" Crowley is again in his consideration pose, and I will endlessly wonder how he hasn't stabbed himself in the face yet. "So you don't want to apologize to Rosehearts again, to have him take off the collar… but trying to convince him won't be an easy task."

"Yes." Ace answers.

"Look how he's already treating them." I comment.

"I see, I see… if you don't like how your dorm leader runs things, you can always switch dormitories." Crowley starts.

"I'm not keeping them." No. They're too much trouble for full-time care.

"It is… difficult to transfer between dorms, since the Mirror of Darkness is the one that chose your placement in the first place." Crowley continues.

"Transferring…? I feel like he'd win if I ran away. I don't want to do that." Ah, Ace's pride comes back to play.

"Then, the option is to challenge Rosehearts to a duel—if you win, you can become dorm leader." Why is he smiling? I don't trust his smile.

Yeah, everyone is giving the loud gasp and shout of surprise. Because—ha. Ha.

No.

"Hey! Remember?! I said to be iquiet/i!" Whisper-yells Grindelwald's first-cousin twice-removed.

"You said something weird!" Ace whispers back, still in shock.

"No, how could it be strange? It is how Rosehearts obtained the position of Housewarden in the first place." He's—wait. Fighting is permissible in this school? Really?

Oh, so I can punch people in the face? I'll save that for someone special. Only hit in self-defense or if someone really, really, really deserves it. Talking is a better option and the better path—but thinking about punching someone in the face is also very satisfying.

"So, how exactly do dorm leaders become dorm leaders in the first place, here at Night Raven College?" Well Deuce, you could just get handed the title on day one by Headmaster Crowley himself.

"I remember hearing that Riddle became dorm leader his first week of school. Or was it after his first week?" Grim recalls, and I think I remember hearing that too.

I still beat him. Day One. Right as I became an iactual/i half-student.

"Either the previous dorm leader passes it on to the new Housewarden, or a duel is won against them." Crowley explains. I'm a very unique situation. "The duel is simpler."

"—but I thought using magic like that was forbidden?" Ace asks.

"Huh. Weird. Using magic…" I comment, as one with no magic. Such rules don't apply to me, blah blah.

"Normally you cannot fight using magic, but for a duel, if the Headmaster approves it, officially, it is permissible." Crowley's smiles bode ill.

"And… if I remember correctly," Trey adds, "it is forbidden to handicap your opponent before the duel." Oh, now I see where this is going. "So even if you don't apologize, Riddle would have to remove the collar."

"Students have the right to challenge their dorm leader whenever they please. So what will you do, Trappola, will you challenge Rosehearts to a duel?" I do not like where this is headed, Crowley.

"This doesn't sound like a great idea." Riddle's supposed to be very talented… and we know barely anything.

"Alright. Let's get to it." Ace is of course, stubbornly on a path.

Great.

"I'll join this." Deuce volunteers. Though, with how strong Deuce is? I think he could, without magic, knock Riddle flat. I'd pay to see that.

"Me too!" Grim declares, which drags me into this mess.

"Grim, you cannot participate as you are from another dorm." Crowley interjects.

"Then how am I going to get rid of this collar?!" Grim is right to look a bit panicked.

"You know, Grim, if I become dorm leader, I will order Riddle to take that collar off of you." Ace is being too nice, and it's suspicious.

"Damn it. I wanted to show off my skills." Aw, kitty-demon's pouting.

"There better not be a catch to that, Ace." I give him a look.

"Are you two serious? I didn't expect you to be in on this too, Deuce." Trey's concerned. That's sweet. He could help, too.

"You know, Trey, you could help and end the tyranny." I comment. Ignored.

"Oh? Is that so? But as a man, I cannot ignore the opportunity to challenge the top dog at least once." I don't understand this, but Deuce has stakes in the game too.

"And here comes that badass talk." Ace teases.

More like delinquent, but, you can't turn into an honor student in a few days. That takes a lot of time and effort… but I hope Deuce never really loses this edge. It's sometimes necessary.

I should have my camera out because right now they have the same plotting grins on their faces and these two really are two peas in a pod.

"Eh? It's not normal?" He asks, bewildered. Oh, Deuce…

Crowley is still too cheery. "Well! I will start the procedures for the duel then."

I look at the dynamic dumb ass duo. "Are you sure this will turn out the way you want…?"

"No, don't worry about us—we'll be fine. So, does anyone have any bright ideas?" At least Ace can crowd-source.

"Hmm, no… I don't think our magic alone is enough against a dorm leader." Deuce sighs. "But if we use muscle, we could win."

I do think that's correct, but they have to stun Riddle first. That does give me an idea…

"Yeah, he seems scrawny and weak." Grim comments with a smirk. Says the little kitty…

"Oh, I forgot to mention! Physical attacks are forbidden." Crowley why. "Well! Let's all follow the rules and have a great duel! I will explain the procedures to you tomorrow. Please let me know when you would like to duel then—now, I will be off!" And he finally exits.

"Alright—I might not be the best at magic, but we'll manage somehow!" Oh, that definitely put a damper in Ace.

"Yeah!" Deuce agrees, but his confidence isn't as there as it was.

"My magic's on the line here—you two better go all out!" Grim encourages—esque.

"You two…" Trey knows disaster when he sees it.

Now, Ace is gaining that ego back, "And if I become the dorm leader I'll make him tell me that he was wrong, and he's sorry! And there will be no more enforcing of all of those weird rules!"

"Trey, can we get permission for them to be at my dorm again tonight?" I settle first things first with Trey.

The Vice Housewarden nods. "Yes. I'll get that filed… thank you, No. And as an apology, how about I make dinner tonight?"

Oh! That's nice of him. I gladly accept. "Well, ah—we could probably cook at my dorm. I have a full kitchen, I just have to make sure it works."

"Ooo~ sounds yummy!" Grim does think with his stomach.

"Here—let me give you some marks. I know our cabinets are basically bare." And I get my back open, going for the wallet I have in there with my found treasure."

"No, no…" Trey pauses. "I mean—No, I'll get some things from the store and come over. It's the least I can do, since your dorm was involved inadvertently to our problems."

I won't say no to a meal. A free meal. "Okay—um, then I'm going to go check on the facilities…"

"I'll take Deuce and Ace with me." Trey looks at them with a smile.

"Eh—what?" Ace huffs. "You're bringing us as pack mules?"

Deuce doesn't mind. "I am up to the task!" He—that's precious.

I look at Grim. "Come on, let's go."

I'm surprised he doesn't argue, as we head off back to the dorm.

We're going to have to have a strategy session over this fight… Or it's not going to end well. Well. Maybe… it's not going to end well no matter what we do.

I think they might be screwed.