Author's Note: And on today's episode of Crowley Gets His Feathered Backside Handed to Him By A Sentient Magic Orb…

"Okay, let's go over what we know," Jack said as he and Devon got settled in the Ramshackle lounge. "Everyone with an anemone on their head made a deal with Azul to get a study guide to help them pass their exams. The terms were that they had to make it into the top fifty highest test scores, but Azul made that deal with so many people that it would've been impossible for all of them to make the cut. Given what we heard earlier, it sounds like that was Azul's plan from the start."

"I did think it was a bit strange that Grim managed to score an 85 even though I only saw him studying once," Devon recalled.

"For real, though!" Jack agreed. "If you're only gettin' good scores thanks to someone else's work, what does that even prove? Those morons threw away a perfectly good opportunity to prove themselves! Frankly, that's what ticks me off the most about all this."

"Ah, if only the rest of the student body could be as principled and tedious-ah, I mean disciplined-as you are, Mr. Howl, it would spare me a world of grief," Crowley said as he strode into the lounge. The alarmed pulse from Regina told Devon that he must have used magic to get into the building.

Jack jumped to his feet, startled. "Whoa! Where'd you come from, headmaster?"

Crowley sighed heavily, but didn't answer Jack's question. "Alas… Another round of final exams has come and gone, and yet I still find myself unable to put a stop to Mr. Ashengrotto's little "side business"."

Devon quirked a brow. "What do you mean by "side business"?"

Crowley attempted to sit down in the lounge's rocking chair, but a familiar gold aura surrounded it and yanked it backward right as he sat down, resulting in him falling flat on his back and sputtering inelegantly. Devon and Jack had to fight not to laugh as Crowley staggered to his feet, looking as if he was about to scold someone before he recalled that he couldn't actually punish any of the Wisps since they weren't students at the school. Instead, he made a show of brushing dust off his coat and straightening himself out, "harrumph"-ing indignantly all the while.

"Azul Ashengrotto. The sophomore dorm leader of Octavinelle," Crowley continued. "As one might expect, he's an exceptional student on par with Heartslabyul's Mr. Rosehearts but…well, I daresay he quite a bit more troublesome."

"Are you talkin' about this contract scam he's runnin'?" Jack asked. "You're the headmaster, right? One word from you oughta be enough to put a stop to the whole thing."

"Ah, but that's exactly the problem. You see, it's because I'm an educator that I cannot put a stop to what he's doing," Crowley argued.

Devon and Jack exchanged a skeptical look. "Why's that?" Devon asked.

"With regard to the study guides Mr. Ashengrotto handed out… Believe it or not, they weren't made by sneaking peeks at the test questions or answers beforehand," Crowley explained. "In fact, there was nothing shady about their making at all. They were crafted by Mr. Ashengrotto's own hand after painstakingly poring over a century's worth of Night Raven College's exam questions and patterns. I'm afraid they're entirely legitimate."

"Wow…," Devon said, flopping back in her seat on the couch. "As much as I don't wanna be impressed with him, that's kind of impressive."

"No kidding," Jack agreed with an equally impressed look on his face. "If Azul really was able to put all that together, he's definitely got chops."

"So you're saying the problem is that there isn't a problem. Is that it?" Devon asked Crowley.

Crowley nodded. "That's correct. As an educator, I'm hardly in a position to prohibit a student from crafting a study guide so long as it's done through honest work, nor can I prohibit a student from sharing those notes with their schoolmates of their own free will."

"If you did, you'd basically be tellin' everyone not to study or help their friends," Jack realized, rubbing the back of his head in thought. "Yeah, I can see how that'd put ya between a rock and a hard place."

"It most certainly does," Crowley agreed.

"You said something earlier about "still" not being able to put a stop to what Azul is doing," Devon recalled. "Did he pull this stunt last year too?"

"Indeed he did. He was just a freshman last year, though, so his study guides didn't have the reputation they carried this year," Crowley explained. "Relatively speaking, the fallout was much more contained. This year, however, it seemed that rumors abounded that one should pay a visit to Mostro Lounge if they wished to do well on their exams."

"And lemme guess: that handy little NDA kept what would happen in the event of a breach of contract from comin' to light?" Jack asked.

Crowley sighed. "So it would appear. Thus did Mr. Ashengrotto reel in a steady stream of students ready and willing to accept his bargain this year. As a result of that, this year's test average has jumped above 90, much to my dismay." He shook his head in frustration. "Of course I'd be even more dismayed if all of our averages were failing, but even so…!"

"Sounds like most of the student body ended up cheating after all, then," Devon concluded.

"Wait, so what happened to everyone who didn't fulfill their contracts last year? Have they just been walkin' around without their powers?" Jack asked.

"Actually, he returned the powers he'd taken from the students last year as part of an arrangement he made with me," Crowley told them. "In exchange, I gave him permission to operate the Mostro Lounge on school property."

"You can't be serious!" Jack exclaimed.

Crowley sighed dramatically again. "You see…"

"Night Raven College is renowned as one of the most prestigious magic schools in all of Twisted Wonderland, producing some of the most exceptional mages," Azul began as he stood in Crowley's office with a confident smirk on his face. "It must vex you then, headmaster, that the campus is now full of students only capable of minor feats of magic." He closed his eyes and smiled brightly, though there was something sadistic lurking behind it. "That's why I'd like to propose a deal. I think you'll find that it's quite beneficial for the both of us."

"And that's how he put it," Crowley concluded.

"Yeesh… Never thought I'd meet someone who was able to blackmail the headmaster, of all people," Jack said. "No wonder Leona wants nothin' to do with this guy…"

"He wasn't kidding about his proposal being beneficial to both parties, either; the school gets 10% of the lounge's profits," Crowley supplied. "Really, how could I say no?!"

"Hmm… No surprise there," Devon remarked dryly.

"I shudder to think what sort of demands he'll make of me this year," Crowley wailed. "Whatever it is, I'll undoubtedly be forced to comply for the sake of those idiotic-ah, for those poor unfortunate students he swindled. Ah, my limitless graciousness can be quite the curse sometimes… After all, I can hardly dissuade a student from "merely" diligently studying and sharing their hard-earned knowledge with others out of the kindness of their heart. I am a headmaster of principles, after all." He looked toward the ceiling dramatically before throwing an arm over his eyes. "Oh, why must so many of my students arrive here with some sort of baggage to straighten out? Woe is meeeeee!"

"I have a feeling I know where this is going," Devon whispered to Jack, "and I have a feeling I'm not going to like it."

"And that's where you come in, Devon," Crowley said, all the theatrics gone without a trace.

"Whoop, there it is," Devon whispered to Jack.

"I'd very much appreciate it if you could persuade Mr. Ashengrotto to put an end to this little game of his," Crowley continued.

"Yeah, he doesn't really strike me as the type of guy who can be "persuaded" to do anything," Devon replied.

"Is that so?" Crowley replied, closing his eyes and tapping his chin as if in thought. "Come to think of it, Ramshackle's food expenses have been mounting quite a bit lately, haven't they? I imagine you must be rather strapped for cash… Alas, I have so little time to address the matter as I'm preoccupied with finding a way to send a certain someone back to her world. Ah, but you needn't worry about me. I am, after all, a philanthropist to the core."

Jack couldn't help but growl at the unspoken threat. Devon had implied before that Crowley tended to periodically strong-arm her into basically doing his job for him but this was the first time he'd actually witnessed it. "It's no wonder we get students like Azul with a headmaster like Crowley…"

Devon glanced up toward the ceiling before refocusing on Crowley. "I won't make any promises, but I'll do what I can, alright?"

"Really?! You'll accept my request, then?!" Crowley chirped brightly. "How wonderful! I knew I saw potential in you, Devon! Now then, I'm a very busy man so I really must be on my way." He turned toward the front door. "I'm counting on you-" He was forced to a stop as Regina manipulated the floorboards to keep him in place.

"You know, there's actually a faster way out of the dorm than using the front door, headmaster," Devon told him before glancing up at the ceiling again. "Hey Regina, would you be so kind as to show our gracious headmaster the way?"

Regina pulsed eagerly before using the floorboards to shove Crowley toward a hidden door built into the lounge staircase, just next to one of the couches. The door was thrown open to reveal a dark staircase leading underground-another one of Ramshackle's secret passages. Crowley could only make vain attempts to sputter in protest before Regina unceremoniously 'nudged' him through the door, the sound of him hitting each step as he fell echoing up into the lounge until he hit the bottom. He began squawking in protest again as Regina pulled him through the underground passage way, but the door to the lounge closed on its own before Devon or Jack could hear too much.

Devon smiled up toward the ceiling. "Thanks, Regina! Love you!"

Jack stared open-mouthed for a moment before regaining his composure. "You gonna explain what just happened there or what?"

"I wasn't going to, but since you asked so nicely…," Devon began. "There are secret passages all through this dorm. The Wisps showed them to me not after we took care of Riddle's Overblot. They led to a ton of hidden rooms and there are secret doors all over the dorm. I haven't really told anyone about them yet, not even Grim, because I kind of like being able to go to a place where nobody can find me every once in a while. So far, you, Ortho, and Leona are the only ones who know about them…and possibly Lilia of Diasomnia. I get the feeling he found out when Diasomnia was hosting the Halloween venue here."

"Uh-huh…," Jack replied. "And where does the one Regina shoved the headmaster into lead?"

"It ends at a barely visible hidden entrance built into the hill that Ramshackle's situated on," Devon explained. "But to get to it, you have to navigate a bunch of underground tunnels." She smirked. "It'd be real easy to get lost down there, especially if you don't have one of the Wisps to show you the way. Having said that, I'm pretty sure Regina's taking him to the door. They really don't like having him anywhere on the property, after all."

Jack shuddered as he glanced toward the door again, its outline nearly invisible again. "Remind me never to get on their bad side, then." He looked back toward Devon. "So what are you plannin' to do about Azul? 'Cause I think you were right before: he doesn't seem like the type of guy who'll just stop if you ask him nice enough."

"Well… If what we saw earlier today is any indication, rushing in without a plan isn't gonna do us any good," Devon replied. "The first thing I need is information, see if I can find something to give me an edge when I deal with him."

Jack nodded with a smile. "True. Any successful hunt starts with learnin' all you can about your prey. You know your stuff, huh? Besides, Ace and the others might actually learn something from this if we leave 'em to stew in the mess they made."

"Agreed," Devon said before hopping to her feet. "And now that we've got a plan, I think it's time to get dinner started. You're welcome to stay if you'd like."

"Are you sure? I mean, the headmaster just threatened to cut you and Grim off…," Jack reminded her.

"As long as I'm takin' care of whatever asinine job he gives me, Crowley won't make good on his threat," Devon assured him. "In the event that I can't stop Azul…well, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. I appreciate the concern, Jack, but I promise you're not gonna be putting me out if you stay for dinner. Besides, I imagine Ruggie's gonna be showing up shortly anyway."

"Does he stop over to eat here a lot?" Jack asked.

"Almost every day," Devon replied.

"Huh," Jack said as if piecing something together. "Guess that explains it then…"

Devon quirked a brow. "Explains what?"

"Most days when Ruggie brings Leona's dinner back to the dorm, we can smell whatever he brings in for himself sometimes as well. Heightened beastman senses and all," Jack explained. "We knew whatever he'd grabbed for himself wasn't something the cafeteria was servin' but we couldn't tell where he was gettin' it. All we know is that it puts Leona in a pretty foul mood when he sees it. We didn't understand what the big deal was but I think I get it now."

"That Leona's upset with me giving Ruggie food? Seriously?" Devon asked incredulously.

Jack shook his head. "Nah. I'm bettin' he's upset that you're not cookin' anything for him."

Devon couldn't help but roll her eyes, though Jack didn't miss the glimmer of affection in her expression. "If he wants me to cook him somethin' so bad, he can ask me himself. I get that he's a prince and all, but he knows he can get off his fantail and come over here if he wants food. Heck, he's got my phone number and he added me on Magicam, so there's literally no excuse. No point in him gettin' all huffy with Ruggie over it."

"Oh no, trust me, Ruggie enjoys seeing him get like that," Jack replied. "I think that's why he started makin' it a point to bring your food back with him."

Devon snorted. "That sounds like Ruggiford, alright." She sighed and shook her head but there was a smile on her face. "Guess I'll have to make enough for y'all to bring back to His Highness too."

The next morning saw Devon loitering in the stairwell leading up to the sophomore classrooms. Her plan was to observe Azul throughout the day to see if she could pick up on any weaknesses she could lean on when she negotiated with him, but hanging around on the second floor when her homeroom class was on the first would draw too much suspicion-she didn't want her cover blown too early. All she could do now was wait for the warning bell and hope nobody spotted her, especially not the twins. She shuddered as she remembered running from them while trying to figure out who the next victim would be in the string of 'accidents' Savanaclaw was causing.

The sound of approaching footsteps pulled her from her thoughts and she looked up to see Jack walking toward her.

"Hey," he greeted. "I'm here and ready to get this recon started." He caught sight of the look on Devon's face. "Why do you look so surprised?"

"I just didn't expect you to join me for this, especially since it involves skipping class," Devon replied. "Don't get me wrong, I really appreciate it and I'll feel a lot better with you havin' my back, but I know you aren't really the type to involve yourself in other people's problems."

Jack shrugged. "The headmaster was the one who ordered this, so I'm sure he'll let an unexcused absence slide. You and I aren't typically ones to miss class anyway, so I doubt the teachers will make a fuss either. Besides, this whole study guide thing is my problem since it means I wasn't able to see how I really stack up compared to my classmates. I don't like admittin' defeat, so I wanna be there if you end up discovering Azul's weakness." The warning bell sounded. "Okay, we should be able to make our way up-"

"Ms. Lopez, Mr. Howl. I believe it's time for the both of you to be getting to class," a voice cut in.

The pair looked up to see Professor Crewel coming down the stairs toward them, most likely leaving the faculty office on the second floor.

"Is there any particular reason the two of you are loitering in the stairwell?" Crewel asked.

"About that…," Devon began, "the headmaster asked me to-"

"Asked you to do his job again?" Crewel finished for her. "And I assume whatever he's having you do will be keeping you and Mr. Howl here out of class for the day?"

"Pretty much, yes," Devon replied. "I don't think I'm really supposed to go into detail about what he's asking me to do, but let's just say he didn't give me much choice."

Crewel quirked a brow. "What did he threaten you with this time?"

"He didn't threaten me directly this time, but he implied he'd be cutting off Ramshackle's food allowance," Devon supplied. "I have problem picking up shifts at Sam's store to earn money, but I don't know that it'd be enough as the only source of income, not with how much Grim eats."

"It's true. I was there," Jack affirmed. "And without going into too much detail…what the headmaster's asking Devon to do seems like too much for one person. That's partly why I came along."

"I see…," Crewel replied, his expression darkening quickly. "Seems I'll need to speak to Professor Trein after this. I'm sure he'll be very interested to hear what the headmaster's been up to." His expression returned to normal as he addressed the pair in front of him again. "You two needn't worry about getting into trouble for missing class today. I'll inform your other professors that you're doing an errand for the headmaster; neither of you are in the habit of skipping, so I doubt anyone will make a fuss. Your class syllabus should tell you what material will be covered today and I'll make myself available if you have any questions about what's being covered in my classes. I'm sure Professor Trein will do the same."

Devon smiled gratefully. "Thank you, sir."

Jack nodded respectfully. "Yeah, thank you."

"Think nothing of it," Crewel replied, reaching out to gently pat Devon's head. "Someone needs to look after you pups, especially since our dear headmaster sees fit to throw you into situations you have no business being in. Good luck with whatever it is you're doing."

Devon and Jack tailed Azul to all of his morning classes, managing to keep themselves at a safe distance thanks to Zephyr's wind magic manipulating the air to help them hear what Azul was saying. So far, their surveillance hadn't turned up anything of note: following Azul to his Music class only proved that he had a lovely singing voice, he was able to both translate and perfectly communicate with Lucius during Animal Linguistics, and he was able to flawlessly execute a partial transformation potion that even some of their upperclassmen struggled with in Potionology. Impressive feats, to be sure, but nothing that could be used as a weakness.

They were now in the cafeteria, having already gone through the line and sat down at a table close enough that Zephyr's magic would be able to carry Azul's voice over to them but distant enough that he likely wouldn't suspect anything. They'd gotten lucky so far in that he hadn't seemed to notice them, but they didn't want to trip at the finish line.

"I think I'll have some squid ink pasta for lunch today," Azul mused to himself. "Ah, but I must make sure I have some vegetables too. It'd make for a very unbalanced meal otherwise…and more importantly, it'd go right to my thighs."

"Azul really does seem like the perfect honor student, huh?" Jack commented.

"No kidding," Devon agreed. "This is gonna make takin' him down harder than I thought. Not that I thought it was gonna be easy to begin with…"

"Myaa…," Grim sighed as he hopped up on the seat next to Devon, Ace and Deuce joining him seconds later. "Azul really wasted no time puttin' me to work. I'm practically dead on my feet here!"

"You're tellin' me," Ace agreed, doing everything in his power to keep from falling asleep in his food. "Cleaning Octavinelle, waiting tables at the Lounge, going on grocery runs… I don't think I've ever been run this ragged before."

"He called me in at six this morning," Deuce added, his anemone wobbling as he shook his head.

"And it's right back to the Lounge to help out after this," Ace whined.

"Dorm leader Rosehearts was all, "I should have your head for making a contract with Azul!" He made me write lines as a punishment and everything…," Deuce complained.

"And we can't get rid of these stupid anemones no matter what we do," Grim pointed out. "We look like a buncha morons."

All three of them heaved a heavy sigh.

"Hmph. Serves you right if you ask me," Jack scoffed.

As much as Devon wanted to stick to her guns and scold them, the genuine exhaustion on their faces tugged at her heartstrings. She had a feeling Azul wasn't going to be an especially great boss after she and Jack had followed the anemone crew to Mostro Lounge, but she had no idea he'd be running everyone this ragged. She looked around the cafeteria and saw that everyone else with anemones on their heads looked similarly run-down. A part of her wanted to remain convinced that they deserved what they got for entering into a contract of their own free will because they wanted an easy way out of studying for exams, but the fact that they'd continue to be overworked like this until they graduated didn't sit right with her. "We need to get them out of this mess. And we need to do it fast."

"My, my, why the long face?" asked a smooth voice as two long shadows loomed suddenly over the table.

Everyone's heads jerked up to see the Leech twins standing over them, Jade with his usual cordial smile and Floyd looking out into the cafeteria with an amused expression. "Aha ha! Look, Jade! It's a sea garden full of anemones in here!"

"Myah! It's those shady twins!" Grim exclaimed.

"Now, it might just be my imagination, but it seems you're looking a bit down today," Jade said.

"Naw, really? Who'da thought being worked to the bone by a trio of tyrants would put such a damper on someone's mood?! Ain't that just a kick in the teeth!" Ace snarked dryly.

"Ah ha~! How cute! The little contract breakers think we're talkin' to them!" Floyd said, his voice lowering dangerously as he continued. "You lost the right to complain when you couldn't hold up your end of the deal." The smile dropped off his face instantly, his serrated teeth visible as a disturbing look-seeming equal parts vacant and feral-entered his eyes. "Now shut up."

Grim squeaked and hide himself between Devon and Deuce. "Eep! I don't wanna get squeezed again!"

"Allow me to clarify: I wasn't speaking to any of these sea anemones here," Jade explained. "No, I was speaking," He gently took Devon's chin between his thumb and index finger and proceeded to gently tilt her head upward so she was looking directly at him, "to you, Devon Lopez, dorm leader of Ramshackle dorm."

Devon jerked her head back out of his grip immediately, her eyes narrowing into a glare. "And what could you two possibly have to say to me?"

"Ah haha~! Lookit you, jumpin' around like some kinda shrimp," Floyd gushed as he ruffled Devon's hair. He thought for a moment before his smile widened. "You're pretty tiny too, so I'mma call you Lil' Shrimpy."

"Just about anyone on this campus would look small next to the two of them," Deuce muttered.

"Seriously," Ace agreed quietly. "Two guys that big standin' together like that is one heck of a power move…"

"It occurs to me that you were playing spy with Riddle and crew shortly before the Spelldrive tournament, Devon, so you probably already know who we are," Jade continued, the smile never leaving his face. "Be that as it may, I'm afraid I'm a bit of a stickler for formal introductions." He took a half-step closer to Devon, placing a hand on his chest and dipping his head in greeting. "My name is Jade Leech, and this is my twin brother Floyd."

"Hiya~! I'm Floyd," Floyd chirped happily. "Nice to officially meet ya, Shrimpy!"

Jade stepped back a step to give Devon some space. "Now where was I? Ah yes… I notice that you seem to be troubled by something, Devon. Could the source of your concern be these three moronic anemones you call friends?"

"Pfft. Listen to you, actin' all coy," Jack scoffed, crossing his arms.

Floyd looked over as if just noticing Jack for the first time. "What's your problem? You seem about as prickly as a sea urchin."

"Wh- I'm not a sea urchin, I'm a wolf!" Jack protested, the fur on his tail raised in irritation.

"In any case, Devon," Jade continued, drawing Devon's attention back to him, "if these anemones are in fact the cause of your concern, I believe the best course of action would be to speak with Azul about the matter directly."

"Come again?" Jack said, glaring suspiciously at the twins.

"I believe you will find Azul to be as benevolent as the Sea Witch herself," Jade pressed. "I have no doubt he would take your concerns seriously."

"Yep! Azul's a real problem-solver like that," Floyd agreed. "I mean…," His lazy smile grew more sadistic, "he could even set these anemones free if you asked him to."

Ace, Deuce, and Grim immediately snapped to attention, all traces of exhaustion gone. "A-Are you serious?" Grim asked.

Jade nodded. "Naturally. Although…doing so for free is out of the question. You can't get something for nothing, after all."

Jack's glare intensified. "So that's your angle. You wanna rope Devon into one of Azul's contracts."

"Come now, there's no need to bare your fangs at me like that," Jade replied. "My goodness, it seems you land mammals are rather quick to jump to violence."

"We're just passin' this info along outta the goodness of our hearts," Floyd added. "Ain't that right, Jade?"

"Precisely, Floyd," Jade agreed. "We simply can't leave a poor, unfortunate soul to suffer in silence." The twins shared an ominous chuckle before Jade continued. "If your interest is piqued, feel free to stop by the Mostro Lounge after nine tonight. We'll make sure to have some of our best tea ready for you."

"Come see us real soon, Lil' Shrimpy~!" Floyd said as he and Jade walked off to go do…whatever Jade and Floyd did when they weren't being intimidating.

The group was silent as the twins walked away until, finally, Deuce spoke up. "So then…"

"If Devon makes a contract with Azul and meets whatever conditions he sets…," Grim continued.

"…we could get these stupid anemones removed and say goodbye to being Azul's stooges until we graduate?!" Ace finished.

All three of them snapped their heads toward Devon. "Please, Dev! You gotta beat him for us!" they wailed in unison.

Jack shook his head in disappointment. "You three are completely shameless."

"I don't wanna hear any lip from you! I don't see an anemone on your head!" Grim pointed out. "You have no idea what we've been put through!"

"Do you expect us to feel bad for you? Maybe you should've thought of that before you tried to coast through final exams," Jack chided.

"I can sympathize with you guys to a point, but Jack's right; you all brought this on yourselves," Devon agreed. There was no doubt in her mind that she was going to help them but needed to make sure they'd actually learned something from this first. Otherwise she had a feeling they'd end up in this same spot again.

"And I've learned my lesson, okay?! I swear!" Ace assured them.

"For sure. I'll never do something like this again," Deuce promised. "I'll take my results like a man, even if it means I end up failing."

Jack sighed. "Or you could actually put in the work to ensure that you stop failing altogether." He turned to look at Devon. "What's the call, Dev? Are you gonna take the twins up on their invitation?"

Devon nodded. "This could be our best chance to put a stop to this. Besides, just going to the Lounge doesn't automatically mean I have to make a deal with Azul, right?"

Grim's eyes began to tear up as he nuzzled his face into Devon's arm, wrapping his paws around it as he did so. "Y'know, I think I'm finally ready to recognize you as my dorm leader!"

"You say that as if she hasn't been the one in charge this whole time," Ace snarked. "After all, she's the only one that can talk to the Wisps. Every time you try to order them around, you just get zapped on the rear."

"Tch. Can't be helped, I guess," Jack muttered as he rubbed the back of his head. "I'm goin' with you, Dev. It's too dangerous for you to go by yourself." He noticed Zephyr pulse defiantly. "Not that I don't trust Zephyr to look after ya, but you've mentioned before that Azul has some sort of fascination with the Wisps. It wouldn't surprise me if he tried to take them somehow."

"Dang, Jack! You're a big softie than I thought!" Ace exclaimed teasingly.

Jack shot the redhead a glare, crossing his arms defensively. "D-Don't get the wrong idea, okay?! I just don't like what Azul's doing, that's all! The thought of losin' to a buncha morons who profited off someone else's work makes my skin crawl."

Before anyone could argue, a gross squelching noise began coming from the anemones on the trio's heads. All three of them straightened upright with pained looks on their faces. Devon and Jack looked around to see that several other people in the cafeteria were doing the same thing.

"Ah crud, my anemone's pulling me!" Deuce grunted. "So much for being able to chat."

"Owowowow!" Ace yelled as he was pulled up by his own anemone. "Come on! He could at least let us eat lunch in peace!"

"I'm countin' on you, Dev!" Grim exclaimed as he and the rest of the anemone students were pulled away, yelling in pain as they lurched out of the cafeteria.

"Yeesh. Hopeless, absolutely hopeless," Jack grumbled as he and Devon watched the wave of anemones leave the cafeteria. "So we're payin' Mostro Lounge a visit tonight, huh?"

"Seems that way," Devon replied. 'I just hope we don't end up getting in over our heads…'

Ending Notes: I'm sure most of you have probably already guessed this but I plan on giving Devon and Leona's relationship more focus in this arc. The meat of the Octavinelle arc takes place over three days, so I don't have too much wiggle room but dang it, grumpy lion man needs some focus. Besides, Malleus already had the Halloween arc, Ace is going to get the Phantom Bride arc, and Jamil's pretty much got the Scarabia arc to himself. I'm excited to write Devon and Leona interacting more. I really feel like their relationship just consists of them deliberately annoying each other. Like, if one day they get married and Leona wakes up from a nap, his first thought is just, "Welp, time to go annoy the wife." He'll wait until she's sitting down reading a book or something and then grab her by the ankle and dangle her upside down for a minute before setting her back down and snuggling her. They are the only pairing that I can say with absolute certainty will not have kids, so the opportunities for them to mess with each other are nearly never-ending.

I really like the idea of the tweels invading Devon's personal space whenever they get the chance once all this contract mess is over and done with. Floyd pretty much Naruto runs toward her and tackles her whenever he sees her on campus, and Jade likes to watch Devon do art stuff so he just plops his chin on top of her head while she does her thing. Devon doesn't have a problem with it since she's pretty physically affectionate herself; I think eventually she'd train herself to hear the rumble of Floyd stampeding toward her so she can brace herself. Actually…I can see Azul being pretty clingy with Devon too, but keeping it behind closed doors-he's got a reputation and all.

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