Author's Note: At last! The long-awaited (by some of you, at least) Malleus meeting!

Devon heaved a sigh as she tried in vain to fall asleep, despite being mentally and emotionally worn out from the events of the day. After seeing her friends off to Heartslabyul (with plenty of leftover spaghetti, including portions for Riddle and Trey), she realized barely had the energy to do much more than shower and go to bed. She couldn't even fathom what her friends must be feeling, but Ace had been quite vocal about how sore he was after that disaster of a Spelldrive game. She couldn't help but send an envious look toward Grim, who had passed out almost as soon as he'd settled in for the night.

"Myaa mnya…Did ya see that awesome shot…?" Grim mumbled in his sleep.

Devon huffed out a laugh and rolled her eyes. "Sure did, bud." She sat up and began to scoot toward the edge of the bed, moving carefully so as not to wake Grim. 'Welp, I've officially come full circle. I'm so tired that I'm not tired.' She pulled on her hoodie and made her way down to the front door of Ramshackle, Zephyr following dutifully as usual. She paused just before opening the door upon hearing Regina ask where she was going at this hour. "I can't sleep so I thought I'd step outside for a bit. You don't have to worry, I promise I won't even leave the yard." Regina acquiesced and reluctantly opened the front door, allowing Devon and Zephyr to step out into the night.

Devon pulled in a breath of the cool night air as she walked toward the top of the staircase that led up the hill to the dorm. Ramshackle had always given off an air of solitude but she was usually still able to hear the hustle and bustle of the students walking around campus. By now, though, everyone had turned in for the night and it was the first time Devon had seen the campus so silent and empty. She shivered lightly as a chilly autumn wind blew past her and stuffed her hands into the pocket on the front of her hoodie. "It's starting to get colder. Guess the seasons really are a-changin'…" She sat down on the top step and took a moment to look up at the sky, taking note of the stars twinkling down at her. Devon couldn't help but wonder if her family was able to see these same stars back home in New York. She knew it was unlikely given that she was in an entirely different world, but the thought did give her a small amount of comfort. "I wonder if I'll ever be able to get home…," she mused softly, speaking more to herself than to Regina or Zephyr.

"Hmm? Who are you?" a deep voice asked.

Devon squawked in surprise, whipping around to face the newcomer so quickly that she nearly fell onto her back. The voice belonged to a very tall man, probably taller than anyone she'd seen in this world so far, though some of that height was due to a pair of vaguely familiar curved black horns protruding from his head. 'What the actual hell?! How did he get so close without any of us noticing?! Is he another ghost or something?' Neither Zephyr nor Regina gave any warning or indication that this strange man was a threat, leading Devon to relax slightly and try to calm her breathing.

"Well, this is a surprise," the newcomer said, apparently unfazed by Devon's…less than eloquent outburst. He studied her face intently. "I've not seen you around here before, child of man."

'Who're you callin' a child, horn boy? I'm sixteen, I'll have you know. Got my driver's license and everything,' Devon thought grumpily. She took a moment to look the newcomer over now that her initial shock had worn off. He was very handsome, with pale skin and blue-black hair that seemed to reach a bit past his shoulders. He also possessed a noble, almost regal bearing that seemed familiar to her somehow, though she couldn't quite place how she knew it. Devon noticed that his bright green eyes, practically glowing in the dark, had slitted pupils as opposed to round ones. She also noticed that his ears were almost elven in appearance, tapering into a point at the tops. 'Okay, so this guy probably isn't human then. Maybe that child of man thing isn't actually supposed to be an insult. Condescending, sure, but he doesn't appear to be hostile.' She glanced at what the stranger was wearing. 'He's wearing a school uniform too… Which dorm had the green and black house colors again? And why do I feel like I've seen this guy somewhere before?'

The stranger nodded toward Ramshackle. "Do you live here? This building has been abandoned for quite some time." His expression darkened slightly. It still wasn't outright hostile (in fact, she almost found it cute) but it gave Devon the impression that he wasn't thrilled with her being there. "I'd become quite fond of it as it was a place where I could be quietly left alone."

Devon puffed up her cheeks in a pout. "Don't glower at me like that, man. Me stayin' here was the headmaster's call, not mine." She shook her head and smiled. "My name's Devon, by the way. I'm…technically the dorm leader of this place, as weird as that is to say."

"Devon, you say? Hmm… That's quite the unusual name," the man commented before studying her again. He smiled. "I won't deny that it suits you, though."

"May I ask who you are?" Devon asked.

The stranger's eyes widened, a look of surprise on his face. "You…You don't know who I am? Truly?"

Devon shook her head. "Nope. It's a little hard to explain but I'm…not from around here. There's a lot about this world that's new to me." She studied his face more intently. "I keep getting this feeling that I've seen you before, but I can't quite place-" Her brown eyes widened at it finally clicked. "Oh, I remember! I never got your name, but you were in the Diasomnia team photos for the Spelldrive interdorms for the past two years! I hear you guys have cleaned house at the past couple tournaments, huh? Congrats!"

The stranger gave her an odd look, one that was equal parts 'girl, really?', confusion at the unfamiliar slang she was using, and…what could only be described as relief. "I, ah… th-thank you for your congratulations." 'At least I think that's what you were trying to do.' He cleared his throat. "Yes, I suppose I was in those photographs. My name is-" He cut himself off, debating on whether or not to tell her. He'd never had anyone speak so candidly to him before; save for all but two of his dormmates (who also happened to be his retainers), the rest of the student body was either terrified of him or too busy worshipping the ground he walked on to have a normal conversation with him. He'd only known this child of man for a minute at most (and most of that minute was her being startled by his sudden appearance), but she was already speaking to him like a friend. A pleasant but unfamiliar warmth spread through his chest at the thought and he didn't want to risk losing that if she knew who he really was; there was no doubt that she'd at least heard the rumors about him. "Actually, no. I'm not going to tell you." He let out an amused chuckle as she puffed her cheeks up again. "Not knowing is for your own benefit, I assure you. I'm sure you'll find out soon enough…and the moment you do, you'll feel a frost creep over your skin."

Devon heaved a playfully sigh before smiling up at the stranger again. "Fine, be like that. So what should I call you, Mr. Dramatic?"

The newcomer rested a finger against his chin in thought before smiling at her. "For the sake of your charming ignorance, I shall make an exception and allow you to call me by a name of your choosing." His smile shifted into a smirk as a look of smug amusement danced in his eyes. "Though you may come to regret that one day."

Devon smirked back and took a step closer. "Oh no, my friend. I think you'll come to regret giving me that much freedom. I'mma come up with the dorkiest name I can think of." 'This guy's a little…out there, but I can't help likin' him.'

The man chuckled again but the amusement faded from his expression as he looked at Ramshackle again. "Still…if someone is residing here, that means this building is no longer abandoned. That's too bad. It appears I'll have to find another abandoned place for my nightly sojourns."

"I mean…not necessarily," Devon objected. The man gave her a puzzled look, so she elaborated. "I can't help that the headmaster has me staying here, but it sounds like you really like place. I don't mind you comin' around if you still want to. I won't bother you or anything, either; I totally get needing some time to yourself. Although…" She rubbed the back of her head. "It'd make me happy if I got to talk to you again."

The stranger's eyes widened in surprise again. "It…would?"

Devon nodded. "Yeah. I mean, I hope this doesn't sound weird or anything since we literally just met, but I've actually had a lot of fun talking to you tonight. Today was…stressful, to say the least, but I actually feel like I'm unwinding now, thanks to you."

The man quirked a brow. "May I ask what was so stressful about your day?"

"It's kind of a long story, but some friends and I had to make a trip to Savanaclaw where I had the distinct…" She gritted her teeth. "pleasure of meeting their dorm leader. Nothin' but a bully."

"Mmm, I'm familiar with Kingscholar's…abrasiveness," the stranger replied, an air of haughtiness in his tone. "Hardly befitting a prince, if you ask me. Even if he isn't the heir to the throne."

"Hang on, that jerk's a prince?!" Devon asked incredulously. "I mean, I guess that explains his 'I'm so much better than you, peons' vibe he was giving off, though it actually seems like most of the students here are like that."

The stranger's amused smile was back, his brow quirked in an elegant arc. "And would you say the same of me?"

"Well, given that you got all huffy with me about living in this dorm, I'm gonna go with…yeah," Devon confirmed before nudging him gently. "Don't worry, though. It's actually kinda charming on you."

The stranger couldn't help but laugh, his amusement mixed with disbelief. Nobody had ever spoken to him this casually. The only one outside of his retainers in Diasomnia who'd been bold enough to do so was Kingscholar himself and, though he did find himself enjoying trading barbs with the lion prince, this child of man's lack of aggression was…refreshing. "You truly are ignorant of this world, child of man, though I must say I find it rather charming on you as well." A comfortable silence settled between them for a moment before Devon covered her mouth to hide her yawn, causing the stranger to smile fondly at her. "My apologies, I did not intend to keep you so long. Sometimes I forget that humans require much more rest than fae do."

'So he's fae, then. I was wondering how I was going to ask about that without sounding rude. Thank you, mysterious stranger,' Devon thought before offering him a sleepy smile. "Will I see you around here again? I was serious when I said you could stop by whenever and I've really enjoyed talking with you."

"I feel the same," the stranger agreed. "You're an interesting one. I'd very much enjoy the opportunity to speak with you like this again." He took a step back from her. "But until then, I'm afraid I must bid you farewell." He offered her one last smile. "Sleep well, child of man." With that, he vanished before Devon could respond, leaving only a sea of twinkling green lights behind.

"Huh… Well, that was interesting," Devon mused. She walked back to the front door but stopped short of going inside. She looked between Zephyr and the overhanging canopy on the doorstep; looking to the highest place she could see when at Ramshackle was a habit she'd picked up when addressing Regina. "Do you two know that guy? It sounds like he's been coming by here since before Grim and I moved in." Regina informed Devon that the man she'd seen had been coming by Ramshackle to wander around the yard since his freshman year. He'd never made any attempt to enter the building and he'd never communicated with any of the Wisps, so they didn't know his name. They were confident he knew they were there, but he was always very respectful of them and their space, never overstaying his welcome or giving them a reason to chase him off. Devon couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah, that checks out. He seemed like a nice enough guy. Weird and a little full of himself, but nice." She yawned again. "Alright, I think I might actually be able to get some sleep now."

"Ahh, there you are Malleus," Lilia greeted as Malleus appeared in the Diasomnia lounge. "Sebek was whipped into quite the frenzy when we noticed you'd disappeared. It was all Silver and I could do to keep him from turning the campus upside down looking for you." He tilted his head as he took in the prince's contemplative expression. "Malleus? Are you alright?"

Malleus blinked, his gaze focusing on Lilia as if he just realized he was there. "Hm? Ah, my apologies, Lilia. Yes, I'm quite alright. I just crossed paths with a rather interesting child of man during my walk tonight. It appears she's residing in the abandoned dormitory I frequent."

"Mmm, I know the one," Lilia replied. "Devon Lopez is her name, if I recall correctly. The magicless human from an equally magicless world, called to this one for reasons yet to be determined. She and her monster companion caused quite the stir at the entrance ceremony and rumor has it she played a significant role in bringing the Heartslabyul dorm leader back from his Overblot. Nobody knows precisely what happened, but Trey, Cater, and Silver have mentioned that Riddle seems in much better spirits ever since."

Malleus' eyes narrowed as bitterness crept into his tone. "Yes, well, as you know, I wasn't in attendance at the entrance ceremony." He pulled in a breath to compose himself. "As for what happened to Rosehearts, however, that I believe I can understand. I'm uncertain how she did it, but that child of man has put me in far better spirits than I was when I left for my walk."

"Oho~? Is that right?" Lilia pressed, a teasing smirk on his face. "It's not like you to get attached so quickly. And after just one meeting?" He let out an exaggerated gasp. "The scandal~!"

"Please don't tease me like that, Lilia," Malleus huffed, crossing his arms. He turned his head away but Lilia's sharp eyes detected a very light hint of pink in his cheeks. "We just had a conversation, is all."

"A pleasant one, judging from your expression," Lilia teased, prompting another unamused look from Malleus. He held his hands up in mock surrender. "Fine, fine, I'll stop. Just doing my part to keep the youth on their toes, after all." He floated closer to his charge. "You'll be seeing her again, I trust?"

Malleus nodded, unable to keep the fond smile off his face. "She invited me to visit whenever I wished. It would be rude not to accept."

"LORD MALLEUS!" Sebek bellowed as he threw open the door to the lounge. "Words cannot express how relieved I am to see that you've returned safe and sound!"

"Quiet down, Sebek," Silver chided, walking in just behind his green-haired countryman. "Most of the other residents are sleeping."

"You're in no position to give me orders, Silver!" Sebek argued. "We never would have lost sight of the prince if I hadn't been forced to wake you up again."

"I don't recall asking you to," Silver countered. "Besides, Father told us not to worry."

Lilia nodded with a close-eyed smile. "Mmhmm, that I did! There's no need to fret so, Sebek. Malleus was just spending time with the human residing at Ramshackle dorm."

"Her again?!" Sebek exclaimed. "How do we know that she can be trusted?! What if she's been sent here to assassinate Lord Malleus?"

Silver gave Sebek a flat stare. "You honestly believe that a human with no magic was sent here from another world that, from what I understand, lacks magic as well, to stage an assassination on one of the most powerful mages in all of Twisted Wonderland?"

"It could happen!" Sebek reasoned, crossing his arms. "For that matter, what makes her think she's worthy of even a glance from the young master?!"

Seeing that this argument was unlikely to end any time soon, Malleus took advantage of the distraction and warped away to his bedroom for the night.

Meanwhile, over in Savanaclaw, Ruggie was busy bringing Leona his evening meal. A hyena's work was never done, it seemed. "Leona!" Ruggie called out as he knocked on the door to his dorm leader's room. "I brought your dinner." He opened the door and slipped inside, closing it behind him. He set the tray of food on Leona's desk before lowering his voice. "And I took care of another job while I was out."

"Nice work," Leona praised as he lounged on the couch in his dorm room. "Your efficiency never fails to impress."

"Aww, it's nothin' I can't handle," Ruggie replied. "Anything for the cause, after all."

"Hah, don't go actin' all noble now," Leona said. "You and I both know you're only goin' along with this to help yourself."

"Not at all, Leona," Ruggie argued. "I'm doing this for all of us. They say the hyenas followed the King of Beasts to improve their lot in life. No shame in doin' the same. We're all lookin' to turn the world on its head."

"Then I hope you're bein' discreet when you do your jobs. Make sure you ain't leavin' any evidence behind," Leona reminded him.

"C'mon now, who do you think you're talkin' to here?" Ruggie asked with a smirk. "You know we hyenas never leave a trace of our prey behind. Shishishishi~!" His expression turned more serious. "That actually reminds me: who do you want me to take out next?"

"Hmm, let's see…," Leona trailed off, tapping his chin in thought before sending a withering glare toward his closed bedroom door and raising his voice so anyone standing just outside could hear him. "How about a wolf who can't keep his nose out of other peoples' business?"

Ruggie jumped, his ears going almost flat against his head. "Huh?!"

"I know you're out there, freshie," Leona called as he sat up. "If I were you, I'd find a better use for those oversized ears of yours." There was a moment's hesitation, but the door to Leona's room swung open and Jack stepped in, an uneasy, disappointed look on his face. Leona quirked a brow. "And? What are you doin' here this late? You need a lullaby or somethin'?"

"I'll sing one for ya. Shishishishi!" Ruggie jokingly volunteered.

"I…I just needed some answers," Jack said. "I wanna know why you're causing all these accidents."

"Ah, so you're lookin' for a bedtime story, then. Fine. I'll tell you one," Leona began. "For two years in a row, Savanaclaw's been pitted against Malleus and Diasomnia in the first round of the interdorms. And how do you think that went? We were crushed. Completely humiliated. Savanaclaw's got a well-deserved reputation for dominatin' the Spelldrive field, but we were like newborn kittens with their eyes crusted shut out there. The whole world got to bear witness to that shameful display. I looked like a complete and utter moron, branded too incompetent to lead any team to victory and now all those recruiters and sponsors pass right by Savanaclaw."

"Th-That's just because you weren't trying hard enough…," Jack reasoned. His voice was hesitant, as if trying to assure himself.

"Yeah. You're right," Leona agreed. "We absolutely weren't giving it our all those past two years. Goin' up against a monster like Malleus without a plan set up in advance was basically handing Diasomnia the match. We knew that and we still didn't come up with a strategy." He laughed, but there was no humor in it. "And Savanaclaw's supposed to be the dorm founded on the persistent efforts of the King of Beasts. What a joke."

"I understand wanting to bring glory to the dorm, but the underhanded way you've been going about things is totally wrong!" Jack exclaimed.

"It's wrong, huh?" Leona repeated. "Jack… You get that I'm only trying to look out for Savanaclaw's best interests, don't you? If we take Malleus out, not only will Savanaclaw be restored to its former glory, but we'll be getting payback for all the humiliation that Diasomnia's dealt us these past two years. At the last dorm leader meeting for the tournament, the headmaster told us that if Diasomnia wins again this year, Malleus is going to be inducted into the hall of fame. This is our last chance to take him down and you want to throw it away for…what? Some high and mighty moral high ground? Are you that dead-set on destroying your upperclassmen's futures?"

"O-Of course not! But…," Jack trailed off as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Using your head to corner your prey is Hunting 101. There's nothing "underhanded" about it," Leona reasoned.

"Shishishi! This school operates on the law of the jungle: survival of the fittest," Ruggie added. "Ain't no place here for straight shooters who keep everything on the up-and-up."

Jack shook his head before giving Leona a pleading look. "Dorm leader…if you it your all, we'd have no trouble taking Diasomnia out! I still remember watching you play three years ago! I know you can-"

"You don't know anything!" Leona shouted, his green eyes narrowed into slits as he glared at the silver-haired freshman. "If I gave it my all? Do you even hear how ridiculous you sound?! Even if I did, nothing would change!" He jerked his head toward the door. "Get out. If you want to see the morning sun."

For a moment, it looked as if Jack was going to say more, but in the end he did as Leona ordered, casting one last disappointed look over his shoulder before leaving the room.

"Wooow~ Good goin', Leona. I could practically see the pedestal he'd been holdin' you up on crumble before my eyes," Ruggie snarked. "But seriously, that guy's makin' a pretty big liability of himself. You want me to take him out?"

"Nah," Leona declined. "Even if he goes and squeals to Crowley, he ain't got any evidence. Besides, that'd be a waste of a perfectly good player. Just keep an eye on him for now."

"Sure thing, boss," Ruggie agreed before leaving to head back to his own room.

Once Ruggie had left, Leona let his ear lay flat against his head, his tail thumping against one of the couch's legs as it thrashed irritably from side to side as he glared into the empty room. "Tch…damn freshie. Sounds just like my brother."

Devon watched as yet another Disney dream opened up before her. "Ah, so we got the Be Prepared bit after all." Devon mused as she watched Scar promise the pack of hyenas gathered below him that he'd ensure they'd want for nothing if they helped him kill his brother and nephew. "This is…pretty dark, now that I'm thinking about it. It's amazing what goes over your head when you're a kid…" She puffed up her cheeks a bit. "I gotta say, though, it'd be way more fun if there was someone else in here who could spectate and add commentary with me. My sparkling sense of humor is nothing without people who can appreciate it. I'll have to see if the good ole subconscious can summon someone up for me one of these days." The scene began to fade away. "I always wondered why Scar wanted to be king so badly, anyway. If memory serves, he was kinda…not that great at it once he actually got the crown…"

Devon sat up and rubbed her eyes. "Nothin' like a dream about one of your favorite musical numbers to get your day started." She glanced down at the spot by her legs where Grim usually slept, only to find that her furry friend was nowhere in sight. "Huh. Call the presses, Grim's officially awake before me." After checking with Regina to make sure Grim was still in the dorm, Devon set about getting ready for the day.

"Oi, Dev!" Grim called out as he nudged the door open. "Oh good, you're already up. Breakfast is bein' served at the cafeteria as we speak! We gotta get movin' now if we want somethin' good!"

Devon gathered up what she needed for classes, made sure her staff (and Flapjack) was tucked safely into her bag, and waved goodbye to Regina as she and Grim walked toward Main Street.

"By the way, did you go somewhere last night?" Grim asked her. "I got up to warm up some milk and when I looked over to ask you if you wanted some too, you weren't there."

Devon fought the urge to let out a happy squeal. It wasn't every day that she got to see Grim being considerate (in fact, she was fairly confident that she was the only person he sometimes showed consideration for) and she didn't want to risk embarrassing him, lest he stop altogether. Instead, she smiled and butted her forehead against his when he hopped up onto her shoulder. "Funny story, actually. I was havin' a hard time sleeping, so I decided to step outside for a minute. I sat down for, like, two seconds and suddenly this tall dude with horns appears outta nowhere! Almost gave me a heart attack and everything! Aside from that, he seemed like a pretty chill guy. We had a nice little chat and then he teleported away in a sea green sparkle…firefly…things." She caught the dry look Grim was giving her. "I'm not joking! Regina and Zephyr'll back me up; they were there too." Zephyr pulsed in agreement. "Regina says he's been comin' by the dorm since before we moved in and just…hanging out in the yard, I guess. All they could really tell me is that he's a Diasomnia junior."

"You humans are so weird," Grim commented. "So what this horned guy's name?"

"I…don't know, actually," Devon replied. "He wouldn't tell me and the Wisps don't know, either. He did tell me I could call him whatever I wanted, though, so I wanna give him a nickname."

"Ooh, ooh, let me pick it!" Grim volunteered. He was silent for a moment. "Hmm… How do you feel about…" He waved his front paws dramatically. "'Horns'?"

"Listen to me very carefully, Grim…," Devon replied, her voice low and her expression serious. The pair stared at each other in silence for a moment before Devon spoke up again, just as serious as before. "You are a nicknaming genius, my dude." She giggled before smiling at him. "That's probably the funniest thing I've heard in a while."

"Really?" Grim asked.

Devon nodded. "Yeah. You didn't see him, but he was probably one of the most regal, elegant-looking people I've ever met, so calling him 'Horns' is just…" She snorted a laugh. "Oh man, now I really can't wait till the next time I see him. Hopefully he won't get upset."

"Hey, he's the one who said you could call him whatever you want, so he ain't got no business gettin' mad at ya for doin' what he said," Grim pointed out. "If Horns is a student here, we'll probably run into him in the main building at some point. If we do, you gotta introduce me! I ain't never met a human with horns before."

Devon was about to tell Grim that Horns was fae, not human, when she felt an arm slide around her shoulders and pull her against someone's side for a quick hug. She looked up to see Cater smiling down at her as Riddle appeared on her other side. "G'morning, Dev-Dev~!"

Riddle glanced down at the bow Devon had tied her black and white uniform tie into. "Hold a moment." He waited until she'd stopped before stepping in front of her. "Your tie is slightly crooked." He loosened to bow before setting about fixing it for her. "Remember, a slovenly appearance suggests a slovenly dorm."

Despite Riddle's words, his tone was anything but harsh; in fact, to Cater it sounded more like an older brother looking after his younger sister. He'd never go so far as to call Riddle 'doting', but his fondness for her was evident.

"If a dorm leader doesn't project an image of authority, their residents will never listen to them," Riddle continued as he adjusted her bow. "Although…" He glanced at Grim. "I suppose it's not quite the same for you, given that you only have the one resident."

Devon smiled. "Yeah, something tells me that I could be dressed to the nines every day and Grim still wouldn't listen if he didn't really want to."

"Hmm? Is that right?" He looked at Grim again, this time with a smirk on his face. "If he does end up giving you trouble, don't hesitate to let me know. I've got a collar that would suit him quite nicely."

"Fgnya!" Grim whimpered before hunkering down behind Devon and burying his face in her neck.

Riddle finished retying Devon's bow, stepped back to get a better look at his handiwork, and nodded with a small smile on his face. "There we are. That's much better."

"Thanks, Riddle," Devon said as she smiled back.

"I don't see Ace and Deuce with you guys…," Grim pointed out as he slowly peeked out from behind Devon's neck.

"In accordance with Queen of Hearts' Rule 249, they are currently feeding the flamingos while dressed in pink," Riddle informed them. He glanced around quickly before leaning closer and lowering his voice. "There was another accident last night."

Devon and Grim exchanged a worried look. "Really?" Grim asked.

Cater nodded, keeping his voice low as well. "One of the school portraits saw everything. Apparently it happened in the cafeteria kitchen. The victim was a guy named Jamil Viper, a sophomore in Scarabia."

"Scarabia's the dorm with the dark red and gold armbands, right?" Devon asked.

"Correct," Riddle confirmed. "We need to speak with Jamil as soon as possible. It's still breakfast time, so he might be in the cafeteria. Let's go."

"Okay, so what's this guy look like anyway?" Devon asked as the group walked into the cafeteria.

"We're looking for a guy with dark skin and long black hair partially tied into intricate braids," Cater informed her as he glanced around the cafeteria. Devon's eyes widened just a bit at the description, but Cater nodded toward a table a short distance away before she could say anything. "Oh hey, that's him over there."

Devon looked in the direction Cater had indicated and realized that, sure enough, this Jamil guy and the guy from Scarabia that she'd been low-key simping for were one and the same. "Oh snap," she whispered, barely noticing as Grim hopped off her shoulder. He, Riddle, and Cater began making their way toward the table, but Devon couldn't bring herself to move just yet. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't quite pull her gaze away from Jamil and she didn't think burning a hole in his head with her stare was going to make the best impression. 'I know it's not his fault, but why does he have to be so dang pretty?!'

Cater looked back once he realized Devon wasn't following them. "You okay, sweets?"

"Hmm? Oh yeah, I'm good," Devon replied.

"You sure? 'Cause you've been starin' pretty hard at-" His glanced over at Jamil as he spoke, his eyes widening as he connected the dots. "Wait a sec~" He gasped. "He's the guy from Scarabia that you've been-"

Devon clapped a hand over Cater's mouth before he could finish, lowering her voice to a whisper as she pulled him closer to her. "Shhh! How do you even know about that?" A look of realization passed over her features. "I'm gonna kill Ace."

"Hold your horses there, Dev-Dev. Ace didn't tell me; I actually overheard you guys talking about it the other day," Cater admitted. "C'mon, you know Acey would never betray your trust like that." He glanced over at Jamil again. "You've got good taste, though."

"Don't I, though?" Devon joked. "I'm pretty sure my brain short-circuited the first time I saw him too. At least, this time I was able to pull my eyes away before it got creepy."

"So how do you feel about talking to him?" Cater asked.

Devon shrugged. "Okay, I guess. I've never really been the type to trip over myself when I'm talking to someone I'm at least aesthetically attracted to. If I'd caught romantic feelings, that'd be a different story, but we aren't there yet. If anything, I'm more concerned that he's gonna end up being a huge asshole."

Cater quirked a brow. "What do you mean?"

"In my experience, people as attractive as Jamil are usually very aware of how good-looking they are and some of them can be…pretty arrogant about it, like just being attractive somehow puts them above everyone else," Devon explained. "I can't tell you how many times I've gone up to talk to someone I thought was one of the most gorgeous people on the planet…only to completely shatter the illusion as soon as they started talking. I know it's my own fault for buying into the 'beauty equals goodness' thing, but it's still a gut punch when it happens. It's all well and good to confident in your appearance, but there's a difference between being confident and just being a jerk."

"I get what you're sayin'. We've got people like that in this world too," Cater agreed. "But obviously not every pretty person is like that; you certainly aren't. I don't really know Jamil that well, but from what I've heard, he's not really the arrogant type. He doesn't really seem to like calling too much attention to himself, either."

"Well, that's reassuring," Devon replied as she and Cater began following after Riddle and Grim. "I guess we'll find out one way or the other."

As if on cue, Grim's voice called out from nearby. "Hey! You're the guy that got hurt in the kitchen yesterday, right? Tell us about it!"

Jamil looked up from his meal, his expression equal parts bored and irritated at the interruption. "Hmm? And just who are you?"

"Aahhh! That's the raccoon that set my butt on fire during the entrance ceremony!" exclaimed the white-haired boy sitting next to Jamil. Devon had been so distracted that she hadn't even noticed him, but she remembered his ruby red eyes from the ceremony.

"Honestly, Grim. Can't take you anywhere," Devon chided as she and Cater caught up. She offered Jamil an apologetic smile as Grim hopped back onto her shoulder. "I'm so sorry about him."

"Yes, it would do you well to be mindful of how you talk to people, Grim," Riddle agreed before turning his attention to Jamil and the boy sitting next to him. "We apologize for interrupting your meal."

The red-eyed boy smiled brightly. "The dorm leader of Heartslabyul and the fire-breathing raccoon from the entrance ceremony!" He laughed jovially, causing his earrings and other jewelry to make a jangling sound. "Ah ha ha! Well, this is an interesting combo!"

"I ain't no raccoon!" Grim protested. "I'm the the Great Grim!" He tapped Devon's head with his paw. "And this here is Devon. She's my henchman!"

Jamil caught Devon's eye (though he didn't have to work very hard) and mouthed 'Really?' before flicking his eyes toward Grim for a moment. Devon gave him a subtle head shake and mouthed back 'I just let him believe that'. His lips quirked upward in a barely visible smirk before the white-haired boy spoke up and pulled Devon's attention back to him. There was a flash of resentment in Jamil's dark eyes as he side-eyed the boy, but it was gone as quickly as it had appeared as he schooled his features into a neutral expression.

"Ooh, really? Well, I'm Kalim, the dorm leader for Scarabia!" Kalim nodded toward Jamil. "Jamil here is my vice dorm leader. It's nice to officially meet you two!"

Grim blinked. "Uh…y-yeah…" He leaned down to whisper to Devon. "Most people are all 'yeah, whatever' when I introduce myself, probably because you humans don't know greatness when you see it. But this guy's so…nice. Kinda threw me for a loop."

"And?" Jamil spoke up, keeping his eyes on Devon. "Why was your cat asking about my injury?"

"The headmaster asked us to investigate the accidents," Devon answered. "Apparently, everyone who's been hurt was in the running for their dorm's Spelldrive team. We'd really appreciate any information you can share with us."

"The headmaster tasked you with this?" Jamil asked, a slight hint of surprise in his tone. "Well, I don't suppose there's any harm in telling you. Last night I was in the kitchen making agemanju per Kalim's request."

"Jamil's agemanju is the best!" Kalim chimed in. "You guys should come try it sometime."

"Please don't get us sidetracked, Kalim," Jamil warned without taking his eyes off the group. Judging by the way he said it, Devon guessed he was used to having to keep Kalim from getting distracted.

"Ah, my b, my b," Kalim apologized.

"I was chopping the ingredients when I suddenly lost control of my hand and cut myself," Jamil continued.

"Jamil's incredible with knifework! Even the cafeteria ghosts was blown away," Kalim commented. He looked over at Jamil. "Do you think you were just tired from Spelldrive practice?"

Jamil shook his head. "No. At least, not so tired that my hand would slip like that. However, while I was cooking, I remember feeling my consciousness slip away for a moment."

Devon tilted her head. "Like you were feeling light-headed?"

"Most people might think so, but I've actually felt that sensation before. My guess is that it was someone's Unique Magic," Jamil theorized, causing the Heartslabyul/Ramshackle squad's eyes to widen.

"Oooh, right! Your Unique Magic is-" Jamil slapped a hand over Kalim's mouth before he could finish, causing the poor boy to sputter in shock. "ffmmgghpfff!" Kalim sent a glare Jamil's way as he removed his hand, but it didn't look at all intimidating. "…Puwah! Why'd you cover my mouth?"

Jamil narrowed his head at Kalim. "Because we aren't talking about me right now." He looked back at the group, neutral expression back on his face. "Anyway, I think this person's magic somehow lets them control the movements of others."

"I see," Cater said. "So that's why everyone thought the victims were just being careless."

"And if the magic was only in effect for a moment, those who were injured would mistake being manipulated as their own carelessness as well," Riddle added. "When I fell on the stairs the other day, it didn't feel as though I had been controlled to do so."

"Trying to find a student with that kind of Unique Magic would be like trying to find a needle in a haystack," Cater said. "We're basically playing on hard mode now, guys. What should we do?"

"Hmm… If I had magic like that, I'd really being able to clean this place out on bakery day!" Grim said.

Riddle sighed. "Truly, Grim? You can't set your sights any higher than that?"

Grim continued as if Riddle had never spoken. "Then I could eat all the deluxe pork cutlet sandwiches I- Wait…"

"Speaking of the sandwiches…," Devon said, trailing off as she and Grim flashed back to just a few days ago. Ruggie offering to trade Grim for his sandwich, Grim adamantly refusing but still putting his paws out to hand over the sandwich after Ruggie extended his as well, and Grim's comment about feeling his paws move on their own… Putting it all together, it could only mean…

"AAAHHH!" Grim shouted, startling everyone.

"Whoa, you good?!" Kalim asked with concern. "Why are you shouting all of a sudden?"

"Devon and I know who has that Unique Magic!" Grim exclaimed, bracing his hind legs on both of Devon's shoulders before grabbing some of her hair in both paws and tugging as if he was holding a horse's reins. "Run, henchman! Move it!"

Devon yoinked Grim off of her shoulders, forcing him to let go of her hair. "Okay, first of all, I'm only okay with hair-pulling in one, maybe two, specific circumstances; this is neither of them. And second of all, we still need to explain to everyone else."

"Yes, what do you mean you "know who has that Unique Magic"?" Riddle pressed.

"It's Ruggie Bucchi. He used it on Grim to force him to give him his sandwich," Devon explained.

"Ruggie?" Cater repeated. "You mean that little guy from Savanaclaw?"

"We must catch and interrogate him at once! There's no time to lose!" Riddle said.

Cater pulled out his phone. "Says here Ruggie's in class 2-B."

Riddle nodded before offering Kalim and Jamil a grateful smile. "Thank you both for your help."

"Sure! I don't really get what's going on, but good luck with whatever you're trying to do!" Kalim replied encouragingly.

"I hope your hand feels better soon, Jamil," Devon said as she adjusted Grim in her arms.

"Ah…thank you," Jamil replied, as if he hadn't expected her to address him directly. "And good luck to you, Devon. With this and-" He glanced at Grim again. "-everything else."

"Sooo~? What's the verdict on Jamil?" Cater asked as soon as Kalim and Jamil were out of earshot.

Devon laughed before gently elbowing Cater in the side, Grim having already hopped out her arms to rush toward Ruggie's classroom. "Okay, first of all, what are the odds that his name's just as gorgeous as he is? Also, I definitely think you were right about him not wanting to draw a lot of attention to himself." She glanced quickly over her shoulder to see Jamil talking to Kalim about something. "Hopefully the next time I talk to him, it'll be more casual and not 'hey, I need information about your mysterious injury'. He seems like an interesting guy and I wanna get to know him." She rolled her eyes playfully at Cater's mischievous smirk. "Are you really that surprised that I'm hoping to see him again?"

Cater shook his head. "Not even a little. I saw that little moment you two had after Grim introduced you as his henchman." He leaned closer and lowered his voice. "I also noticed him checking out your legs a couple time when Grim and Kalim had you distracted."

Devon felt her cheeks get warm as she subconsciously patted her skirt. "R-Really?"

"It wasn't sleezy or anything though, honest," Cater assured her quickly. "Actually, I don't think I've ever someone check someone else out so politely before. It was kinda cute, really. Like, whenever you were distracted, he'd look at your legs for a split-second, catch himself, and try to look somewhere else, but he kept getting pulled back in. He may have been embarrassed about it, but he was looking…respectfully." He waggled his eyebrows at her. "Soooo, that might be something to keep in mind for whenever you see him again."

Devon let out a shaky giggle, trying to will away the lingering heat in her cheeks while Cater scrolled through his phone. "Too bad I don't actually know when that'll be."

"I might be able to help you there," Cater said. "Kalim's in the Pop Music Club with me and he told me a while back that Jamil was in the Basketball Club. I doubt it would raise any eyebrows if you just happened to be at one of their games."

"Won't that be a little…obvious, though?" Devon asked. "Especially since I wouldn't know anyone on the team besides him?"

Cater stopped scrolling once he'd found the information he was looking for. "Ah, but according to my sources, you do know someone else on the team. Looks like Acey joined the Basketball Club this year. I'd say you got yourself an in, sweets~! You and Ace are together all the time, so nobody would think twice about you showing up at his game. And you could always bring Deuce along too if you want that extra layer of 'I'm-totally-just-here-to-support-my-friend-with-no-ulterior-motive-at-all'."

"I mean, I do want to go and support Ace too, but I like the way you think," Devon said as she and Cater moved to catch up with Grim and Riddle.

Jamil stared after the group as they rushed off in search of Ruggie. Once again, his gaze gravitated to Devon's legs before he could stop it and he quickly looked away before it could linger there. He'd heard the rumors about her, but he still hadn't been sure what to expect should their paths ever cross. He certainly hadn't expected her to focus so much of her attention on him, especially not with Kalim next to him. Both Kalim's sunny (and, quite frankly, obnoxious) disposition and Jamil's position as a servant to House Al-Asim meant that he tended to fade into the background in most social situations. This didn't bother him most of the time, as he was an introvert at heart, but occasionally he found himself wondering what it would be like to have someone's attention riveted to him. He wasn't blind; he'd noticed Devon's eyes lock onto him almost as soon as she'd stepped into the cafeteria, not to mention the fact that she didn't even seem to notice Kalim was present until he'd started speaking.

While he couldn't deny that he enjoyed the feeling of being the center of someone's attention for once, he couldn't completely silence the internal voice that wondered if she had some sort of ulterior motive, namely that she was going to attempt to get closer to Kalim through him. He knew it was unlikely; if the rumors about Devon being from another world were true, and by all accounts they were, she likely had no idea who the Al-Asim family even was, let alone that Kalim was the heir. Besides, if that really was her intent, why would she bother focusing so much of her attention on him when Kalim was right next to him?

The most interesting bit of information he'd gleaned, though, was that Devon and Grim were evidently held in high enough esteem by the headmaster that he trusted them with figuring out who was behind the string of injured Spelldrive players. Either that or he just wanted to foist the work onto someone else, it could really go either way with Crowley. Regardless, if the headmaster trusted them (well, probably mostly Devon, to be more precise) it was likely they had his ear in some capacity. The gears began turning in his head has he thought about how he might make use of that connection. 'Maybe it wouldn't hurt to get on Devon's good side.'

"-mil? Hey, Jamil!" Kalim's voice rang out, pulling him from his thoughts.

"Hmm? What is it, Kalim?" Jamil asked.

"I was just saying that Devon seems pretty nice," Kalim commented. "Don't you think?"

"I suppose so," Jamil answered noncommittally. "She certainly doesn't seem like an unpleasant person, but I'm not sure how you're so confident when we've only talked to her once."

"It's just what my gut's telling me!" Kalim chirped brightly. "I'm an excellent judge of character, you know. I'll have to make sure she and Grim get invited to one of my parties sometime. I bet they'll keep things lively!"

"'Lively'? Are you sure you don't mean 'chaotic'?" Jamil asked. "I'm surprised you'd be willing to have Grim around at all, considering what happened at the entrance ceremony."

"Oh, that was ages ago! It's all water under the bridge now," Kalim replied, waving his hand dismissively. "Besides, there was no harm done. I was surprised to see him again because I thought the headmaster had thrown him out, but he didn't try to set my butt on fire this time. I'd say that's a real improvement!"

Jamil blinked. "Well that's certainly one way to look at it, I suppose." A moment of welcome silence passed between them for a moment as they kept eating…only for Kalim to break it, causing Jamil to sigh inwardly.

"Devon has really pretty hair too, doesn't she? You don't curls like hers very often. And Cater says they're natural, too! Can you believe that?" Kalim rambled. "Do you think she'd let me play with her hair sometime?"

'Why are you asking me?' Jamil thought, trying not to roll his eyes. "I'm not really sure, Kalim. That's something you'll need to talk to her about." 'Assuming you don't forget as soon as this conversation is over.' "Just please make sure you actually get her permission before attempt it. We both know you sometimes have issues with respecting people's boundaries and personal space."

"Don't worry! I'll be super respectful!" Kalim assured him. He took another bite of his food before a thought dawned on him. "Right! So about what we were talking about before-"

Jamil shot him down without missing a beat. "You are not getting a parrot for the dorm, Kalim."

Ending Notes: There we have it! Malleus and Jamil have had their official introductions now! I'm trying to keep all of Devon's relationships with her love interests different (hence the scheming on Jamil's end), but I think Malleus' will be the most entertaining since Devon just…never even suspects that he's the most feared student on the whole campus. To her, he's just this weirdly endearing guy with a very impressive set of horns that shows up in her yard in the middle of the night and has serious opinions about architecture. We're gonna see a lot more of him in the Halloween arc. I promise the Malleus stans will be gettin' fed.

Jamil and Devon are the pair that start off with the strongest physical attraction to each other, so I can see both of them trying to out-fluster each other once they start getting closer. Don't worry, I promise it won't be all ulterior motive on Jamil's end. The Scarabia arc is going to be…interesting.

I think we're overdue for a check-in with DJ. Dominic got a quick little cameo, but we haven't heard a peep from DJ since he and Dom had that shared vision with Devon about the ink blot on Riddle's magical pen. I think it's time to fix that. And who knows? Maybe we get a hint at what his power will be.

Thank you all so much for reading! As always, feedback and constructive criticism are always welcome. Geekinthepink, out!