"We'll meet up with them in the morning." I say, tiredly. The two agree with me at least.

And then, Grim feels a tug—and off he goes complaining.

"UGH NO MORE DISHES!" Poor guy, but I'm just exhausted. My bones are tired. I'm…

Over this nonsense.

"Night, Jack." I give him a wave, and I start to slog back to Leona's room where a shower awaits me. A beautiful, hot shower. Something I've wanted basically all day. I feel like I've been in the ocean all day and that's not the best feeling in the world.

I'm surprised he's not in there asleep, actually. That's probably best for me, as I head over to the shower and—and snag a nice, folded shirt from a pile. I'm not really in the mood to keep digging through my bag and as I'll be washing it tomorrow—it's not terrible to borrow it and the shorts too, right? Yeah.

Besides, I need to smell like him so… it'll save some awkward hugs.

Actually it's just really soft and it's mine now. I'll have to break the news later but I don't care.

The shower? The best thing I've done all day. In all honesty maybe I sing to myself a little bit but it doesn't matter. I feel great by the time I'm out, and as long as I'm not asked if I'm okay—I won't sob my eyes out and we're all going to be good. I've got my dirty clothes rolled up, and I'm out the door putting things away as I am totally preparing to sleep.

Oh. There's Leona. He looks pensive as he's not asleep. Weird.

"...You okay?" I ask, and I don't cry because I'M asking the questions here!

He pauses, looking over at me. "...Are you… wearing my clothes?" He asks.

"Mmm I think they're my newly acquired pajamas." I say, and rub over my uterus where it decided to cramp horribly at that moment, letting out a soft groan. "Why?" I ask, bitterly.

"…" He looks away, and holds out—is that a hot water bottle?

"You got me a hot water bottle?"

"-it was lying around."

I take it. This is the sweetest thing and I'm tearing up as I settle down and put it—oh. Oh God. Praise the Lord. This feels so good. It's beautiful. I just sink into the floor mattress and I know there's something wonderful in life. "Thank you so, so much…" It's just—it's so much relief. It'll take awhile to work it out but just HEAT is good. Beautiful. It's like the shower two, electric boogaloo.

I feel great. I'm snuggled up in bed. "Go to bed." I hear Leona say, as he's clearly settling down himself.

Honestly, with the warm heat soothing away a lot of my aches? I'm out.

Morning comes too soon.

I wake up, and head straight to the bathroom. I'm not—in the best of shape right now. And honestly it's another shower for me, before I'm in my uniform and draining out the tepid water bottle so it can dry out for reuse. I leave it on the large sink, and clean up the rest of the mess there before it'll get—well, I assume cleaning after Leona is a constant effort. Ugh. Kind of wish I had magic for this, he's really messy for a prince. Or maybe princes are just messy? I don't know any other princes…

I kind of don't want to, I'm not really into meeting new people right now. I still feel pretty top-tier miserable and I have some heavy work-out bullshit ahead of me. It's not great.

Out I go, and… no one's there. Uh.

There's no Grim, no Leona, and no invading Ruggie. Um.

Leona's entering the room a moment later. "You missed practice."

"Sorry?" I apologize, as I tuck away the stolen goods. "I wasn't… …" I'm not sure what to say.

Leona's got me in a hug before I can react. "You realize when you shower all the scent goes away, right?"

"I'm not stopping showering for days on end, Leona." But oh my GOD did I need this hug. I am squeezing back as hard as I can. It's great. I am going to hug him for awhile. He's going to have to pry me off. Ah—there's a sniffle.

"—don't come out after you've showered unless Grim is here or I am to mask you." He finishes.

Oh.

"Oh." Another sniffle. I might start crying again. I don't care.

"You have things to get to. Beating Ashengrotto."

"Yeah." I can't help the sigh as I let go. He's big and warm, and I could stand and hug him all day. Absolutely stand and hug him all day. It's all I want to do. Is that terrible? Probably. Do I care? No. I'd also really like to curl up in that big bed of his with the beautiful hot water bottle and sleep this off.

It's not going to happen. I straighten up a bit, and snag my bag to head out. "Thanks, Leona." I can't help a smile. "I really appreciate it."

I really, really do.

I'm headed off to school—meeting up with Jack and Grim in the cafeteria, with Grim of course stuffing his face.

"I've got a text from the two." Jack says, who is clearly aware we of Ramshackle do not have cellphones. "We'll meet in the hallway in ten." Ah, so that's the rush.

I snag a donut and juice from Grim's tray and dig in; it's probably the only breakfast I'm getting today—and I have a feeling it's one of those days where I'm going to miss lunch too. I hate days like this.

But we do meet up with the dumb ass duo in the hall, and I start to explain. "I think we can destroy the contracts, it's all about finding a way to—so, we need to go to the VIP Room soon and hopefully find one out in the open. Security looks like it's the Leech duo, right? They're probably waiting for us underwater today, so… it'll just be Azul. And as long as we can avoid him, we should be fine." I feel like I'm being dumb but that's this whole monthly thing.

"Destroy the contracts… well, I don't mind playing dirty." Ace grins.

"It's a bit cowardly, but we need to get what we want." Deuce points out.

What am I forgetting?

"I don't care! Forget the rules!"

"...Azul's doing the same. Sending us to steal a photo in the middle of the ocean, sending out the Leeches to stop us… he clearly planned this out. While Leona is a coward, he's cunning—we should follow his lead." Jack, that's harsh.

"We might be misusing coward." Deuce suggests.

"—ju-just remembering that chase… my spine…" Grim shudders. I feel bad for what he's gone through—ish.

"If we could use our magic, we could win." Deuce frowns.

"So… they're all merpeople, right? If the Leech brothers are eels, what's Azul?" Ace asks a pertinent questions. Go Ace. He has the brain cell today.

"Leona calls him an octopus." Jack—pretty much just revealed it.

"Woah—an octopus?!" Deuce is impressed.

"If he has eight legs underwater, he might be even stronger than the eels!" Grim, that also depends on size and a lot of other factors, but octopi are… well, smart, and dangerous. Fits the bill for Azul.

I hate him.

"We have to find a way to fight them on land." Jack says.

"I think we need a way to fight them without fighting them. We're at a magical disadvantage with Floyd's Unique Magic." I add. "But we have to find the contracts first."

"—The safe in the VIP room." Jack reminds.

"It's lunch time—so let's go." Deuce offers, taking the brain cell control from Ace.

Well, it's not the worst plan as we head off to the mirrors that will take us to the other dorms. It's convenient that basically no one is around—and I don't spot any of the students under Azul's thumb. I assume they're not loyal like Savanaclaw, and instead the wanna-be Mafia Don who probably has them under some sort of fear-rule.

At least this trip is uneventful. I'm getting really tired of things being really eventful. Can I get a break? A short break? A break at all? I'm so tired. I know it's my monthly dragging me down with hormones, exhaustion, and cramps—but I am so over this bullshit. I also feel fairly murderous and if I find that Sam sells shotguns at the school store—I know there's not. I already looked. There's some squirrels that need to be iremoved/i.

Grim doesn't hunt like a normal house cat and that's really disappointing.

But I also don't want to wake up to a dead mouse, so, I guess the trade-off is fair? I don't know. He's not getting tuna for at LEAST a week after getting me wrangled into this shit.

Grim sniffs around once we enter the Lounge, and we sneak past watchful eyes and eating patrons until we get to the VIP room.

"Clear-" I'm surprised he whispers as we all slip inside. It's… just as I remember. Wait, was there a work desk last time?

I don't remember. At all.

"Looks empty to me." Jack's looking around.

Deuce frowns, because I think he has the same thought that I have: it can't be this easy. "The safe requires a pass code and key…" He notes.

Suddenly, Jack perks up. "Quick, hide!"

This is pretty stupid as we all do our best to hide under furniture and the like.

Of course, it's dumb that we're smashed together and hiding. With some of these dumb boys whispering when we are basically about to be caught. I really, really don't like how this is going but I have a feeling there's always a lot of fuck ups before we solve things and that's just the song and dance of these unfortunate adventures.

I'm becoming a wee bit bitter here, aren't I?

Next period I refuse to be caught up in this bullshit.

The door opens, and I hear—yep, Fish Mafia Don. "Now then…" He opens the safe with a key, after punching in a code. The large safe opens and there's the master contract that the boys signed to get their anemones.

The whispers are stupid, we need to shut up.

And, for some reason, Azul is counting aloud? And laughing to himself? It's… is this his fetish? It's a fetish. I think.

Now, he picks up the contract I signed with him, chuckling. "Not bad at all…" And, a sigh. "A pity—I need to get back."

The safe closes, and he locks it up before heading out of the room. Dropping something on the center table…

We get out the moment he closes the door, a chorus of sighs of relief permeate the area.

"I was sure we were gonna get caught!" Grim looks so worried.

But I think we did? I don't know, with everything going so wrong right now, maybe I'm just being a downer?

"Oh—he left one." Jack eyes it with some suspicion, arms crossed.

"We're so lucky! Let's get out of here and destroy it!" Ace is so enthused. And it's the one we want to destroy the most: the tentacle-head causing one. I know it's anemones but this is apparently an almost-hentai dream.

"Azul's so careless." Grim's gloating.

The guy isn't careless… uh…

And of course Grim reaches for it an immediately a blaring alarm goes off with yellow flashing all around us. I'm not even surprised at this point, letting out a defeated sigh. Yeah, this route not working makes absolute sense.

And the boys are all shocked by… electricity. Huh.

Why did I get missed? Weird.

"I—I'm numb!" Grim complains. Yeah, that makes sense.

"So this was some bullshit, huh." I say, as laughter cuts in.

"And look at that—shaking like you've been electrocuted! How strange!" It's not, Azul Fuckergrotto.

He has such a wide, mad grin as he laughs at them… Why wasn't I shocked?

The Leech twins are on either side, but Jade has his eyebrows raised with such an interested grin right at me and I fucking do not like that look one bit. The hair on the back of my neck stands on end. This is the absolute worst.

"Fuck—you knew we were here-" Jack groans in pain, but he's standing. Shaking and with some spasms from the electricity that ran through him.

Enough to cause problems but not deadly. Azul's a fucking sadist.

"Your lovely, fluffy tail was on full display, peeking out from under the table. You know that, right?" Azul chuckles. "And you do not whisper that quietly. You should work on that. And by the alarm, it seems you were attempting to steal my contracts, is that right?" I really am over this top-tier drama.

"You should start a drama club." I suggest.

"They're enchanted to electrocute anyone else, funny isn't it?" That very arrogant look is so unappealing too, Azul.

"You're that paranoid?!" Ace, he's literally the head of the school's Fish Mafia. Of course he is.

"I told you these contracts were indestructible." Azul brags, but—why have them enchanted like that…? Huh.

I'm missing something.

Floyd's cackles are really annoying. "How DUMB!"

Jade Leech needs to never look in my direction again while we're at it.

"Ah, Floyd, don't laugh at the poor, unfortunate souls so much…" That grin and chuckle from his own lips is absolutely terrifying. "They can't do much with such small brains, after all."

I hate this entire dorm.

Why does Jack already have me pulled back?

"You know, bad boys that attempt to steal things need punishment, don't you agree?" Azul states, pressing up his glasses in the most annoying and dramatic manner possible.

"We have to teach them a lesson." Jade states.

Jack's got me lifted up at this point, and I'm pressing on his clasped arms. "Lemme go!" I will beat the every living FUCK out of them!

"I can't wait to squeeze all of you!~" Floyd's so fucking creepy!

"Ah, remember, we can't harm our contractee." Azul points out.

I can't believe how fast Jade slips me out of Jack's hold. I'm twisted around and Azul's got my wrists behind my back. Despite not being big, his grip is istrong/i. "Let! Go!" I struggle.

"No!' The four call out, and I struggle more and more against Azul's grasp.

Magic flings between them. Azul's careful to guide me out of the way with the shots that could hit, chuckling as the twins are laughing—they're all having such a fun time.

"If you think you can beat me so easily, you are a fool." I hear him say, as he casts fire at Grim, who cusses something I didn't teach him as he dodges. "I planned all of this from the start."

"You know both Riddle and Leona were pretty arrogant about their victory and being right before they Overblotted and I won. So, what makes you think you're better than them?" I counter with some definite bile in my tone. Wow. I am pissy.

"Aw—how cute. I play a different game, No Wei."

"—they're too strong." Jack snarls at the three fish assholes.

"If you can't defeat me playing around, then you can't win against me." Azul replies arrogantly.

"Ah, why didn't you go to the museum? That's a faster way to win…" Floyd chuckles. He knows why.

Huh. I think I have an idea.

"You are done for tomorrow at the end of sunset. That's not much time." The absolutely sinister look on Jade's face freaks me out.

"So you can't really rest up after getting your butts kicked." The creepier or maybe not as creepy, jollier twin says.

I hate them both so much.

"You know what? Fuck this! Cauldron!" Ace calls out.

"—Don't copy me!" Oh my fuck Deuce why are you two one brain cell.

"Ha ha—as if! Bind the Heart." And it deflects, hitting the safe.

"Floyd! You need to be more careful! Don't hit the safe!" Azul lets me go to put his hands on his hips as he scolds the care free twin.

I immediately rush to freedom, and Jack catches me.

"Sorry~" Floyd does not sound apologetic at all.

"You scratched the door?! What if the dials don't work!?" Azul immediately rushes over, messing with the safe. Mussing with them, and hearing the clicks and opening—he shuts it in a hurry. "Good… oh, good."

Wait a second…

"Let's get out of here!" Deuce calls the charge—and off we go. While Azul continues to fuss and lecture Floyd, who just seems to be… brushing it off.

Jack's dragging me along and that's just rude. It's not like I have my bag ready to beat the ever-loving shit out of someone again or anything. Rude.

"GET BACK HERE!" We hear Azul shout as we get the fuck out of dodge.

"NO WAY!" I call back. Hah, that was funny.

Thank everything that Jade and Floyd don't follow.

We're in the Hall of Mirrors, and basically safety for now.

"That was terrifying." Deuce is absolutely right. He's using that entire brain cell.

"And all that because Jack's too big…" Ace complains.

"You're the one that's small." Ah right, Americans are huge. Whatever. I'm a jerk.

"It's because I train hard unlike you guys—and wolves are big." Jack about huffs, but he's not letting me loose.

"We couldn't touch the contracts… how could we destroy them?" Asking the good questions, spade-face.

"That's what we can do today…" Jack's clearing giving up.

"Ugh, today is wasted." Grim complains.

I don't think so. Something's… I need some time to thing. Nothing's adding up with the information we have and what we saw. I'm not sure why yet. It's right there, but I've got such bad period brain I just can't put it together. That's what I'm blaming at least. I just have some dumb moments, too.

"Can we destroy them?" Ace asks.

"...I think so… I… need some time to think." I admit. "Grim, I'll see you at Leona's room. Okay?"

Grim frowns. "Okay…"

"No, should you really be alone right now?" Ace asks. "You're like the number one target."

"Yeah—how about-" Deuce starts to suggest.

"No. I really, really need time alone to think. Something isn't adding up, and I'm not sure what it is. Okay?" I'm firm, but… I feel bad, too.

They shut up, and Jack sighs. "Come on, Grim. Let's get food."

"Oh! Yeah!" And my Savanaclaw Savior takes the fire demon cat away.

The anemone duo give me a concerned look, but they go too.

I walk out of the Hall of Mirrors alone…

What am I missing?