The group had to make a quick detour back to the Ramshackle Dorm so Kat could retrieve her new lab gear. Somehow, though, they managed to reach the classroom before the second bell rang.
She hadn't had time to put the gear on properly, though... She had the lab coat draped over one arm, the safety goggles were hanging around her neck, and she'd just shoved the gloves haphazardly in her pocket.
Coughing, she bent over with her hands on her knees, breathing heavily for a few seconds. "I'm... REALLY sorry," she apologized, straightening up and pushing her bangs out of her eyes. "It's-- I, I REALLY didn't mean to be late, it's just--"
Looking around, she blushed.
Oh, geez-- everybody was looking at her... Or more specifically THEM, since Ace, Deuce and Grim were also with her.
The room was...
Well, not to stretch an example, but it was a lot like the Potions room from Harry Potter. It had a sort of dungeon-y feel, all stone walls, but was a lot bigger than the set in the movies. It was even down in the basements, too...
There were shelves lining the walls, filled with-- well, stuff. Some of it looked like standard school lab equipment... Beakers, vials, thermometers, the works. Most of it was definitely not, though.
There were lots of small wooden boxes, like tiny chests of drawers. All kinds of weird glass containers and bottles filled with... Substances. Big, fancy old books, sprigs of dried plants-- basically, if you imagined a wizard's or alchemist's lab, it was pretty much exactly that.
There were wooden desks with barstools arranged in a ring around the room-- a lot like a lab classroom back home, actually.
Almost all of them were full of students.
And all of them were staring in her direction.
"Ah-- you must be my new homeroom students," a voice rang out.
There was the scrape of a chair being pushed back, and she looked around. There was a large mahogany desk in the corner by the door.
A man had just stood up from its thronelike chair, padded with red velvet. He didn't so much walk over to them as sashay, wingtip shoes clacking authoritatively on the stone floor. Coming to a stop, he observed the group with one hand on his hip.
He had a-- well, it looked like a weird combination of a riding crop and a pointer in his other hand, with a red dog collar hanging from it like a cell phone strap. Whatever it was, he tapped his chin thoughtfully with the end of it for a second, one thin eyebrow quirking. Then he cast a sharp gaze at Ace and Deuce, standing awkwardly behind her and trying to catch their breath as well.
"Trappola. Spade. Sit down-- and take the little mongrel with you, too." He pointed his whatever-it-was at Grim, who had collapsed into a puddle at the door, panting.
"This one--" Here he whipped the pointer at her, making her jump. "Stays here. I'd like to talk to the brains of the operation for a moment."
"What?!" Grim protested.
Instead of saying anything back, Ace and Deuce just nodded. Snatching up Grim, Deuce bowed sharply, then scuttled off, followed by Ace.
Kat watched them go, then turned back to the man, blinking awkwardly.
He was tall-- about six feet, so roughly the same height as Crowley-- and very slim. His outfit had a lot of similarities to the Headmaster's, actually, at least in construction. Suit pants, vest, shirt and tie, complete with oversized coat... Except he was actually wearing his correctly. The whole ensemble was black-and-white, with accents of deep red-- shiny red leather gloves, red tie, red socks, even red buttons on the vest. The coat looked like fur, lined with red silk and made up of alternating black-and-white strips. She wasn't an expert, but the fur looked pretty real...
Even his hair was black-and-white. The black side was slicked back along the side of his head, while the white side swept high across his forehead in an arc.
He had a sharp, handsome face with a jawline you could cut glass on. His eyebrows were thin and well-groomed, and, unless she was very much mistaken, he was wearing eye makeup. It looked like a cat's-eye liner with a crisp, gradient cut crease of white, silvery gray, and black eyeshadow.
He looked her up and down with steely gray eyes, then chuckled quietly. "Hm... That's a rather unusual coat of fur you've got there... Not bad, though-- not bad at all. Do make sure to come to class properly groomed, of course."
"U-Um... Thank you?" She ventured, standing up straighter and folding her hands in front of her.
This guy was-- well, he was just so put-together and classy... She was suddenly painfully aware of the wrinkles in her clothes. Not to mention... Only having a single bar of soap to wash with had left her hair a lot frizzier than usual, and her skin was in, to put it nicely, sub-optimal condition.
He nodded, with a small, thin smile. "My name is Divus Crewel," he informed her, putting a hand elegantly to his own chest. "Though you may call me Crewel-sama."
Oh, great, he was one of THESE types... What was the male equivalent of the 'ara, ara' girls? Nevertheless, Kat nodded, returning the smile and ducking her head respectfully. "It's nice to meet you, sir," she said. "Sorry for-- y'know-- almost being late..."
Crewel chuckled again. Taking a small step back, he tapped the handle of his pointer against his chin. "Let me see-- your name was... Kat, correct?"
"Yes, sir," she confirmed, nodding.
"I've never been much of a cat person, myself," he continued, still looking her up and down. "But you seem to be an acceptably trained young she-pup-- or perhaps kitten, in this case- despite your narrow brush with tardiness. Is it true you can't use magic?"
She shifted uncomfortably, holding her elbow. "...Yeah-- I mean, yes," she admitted.
The assembled students started to whisper amongst themselves. She looked down, feeling her heart rate starting to rise.
"HUSH!" Crewel barked, turning to face the class and bringing his pointer down sharply into his other palm. It swished and cracked like a whip, and immediately the whispering ceased. "There is to be NO whining, whimpering or whinging while I am speaking to the new student, understand?"
A brief moment of silence.
"Good boys," he nodded, turning back to Kat. "As I was saying. In fact, the little creature over there is the one in possession of the arcane talents in this arrangement?"
He nodded in the direction of Ace, Deuce and Grim, all sitting at-- or in Grim's case, on-- an empty desk.
"Yes, sir," she confirmed again.
"I see." He paused for a moment, still giving her a thoughtful look. "Very well then-- put your equipment on properly and take your seat, Little Miss Pup. Class is about to begin."
She nodded, bowing her head. Then she hurried off towards the last empty desk, which just so happened to be next to Ace's and Deuce's. Sitting down on the stool, she quickly pulled on the lab coat, fumbling with the buttons.
God damn Crowley and his stupid flaky, scatterbrained eccentricity... It would've been nice if he could've given her a schedule instead of just dumping the number of the class on her. Maybe she'd have been able to bring the stupid lab gear with her instead of running all the way back to Ramshackle!
Grim hopped off Ace and Deuce's desk, jumping up onto the spare stool next to her while she tugged the gloves on.
Crewel walked to the center of the room, smacking his pointer against his palm with a swish again. "First things first-- we're going to start with the basics," he announced, voice ringing through the room. "And by that, I mean beating the names and characteristics of one hundred herbs and poisons into your tiny heads. The mycelia, of course, are another matter entirely... But hopefully, you'll eventually be able to go for a walk without putting anything deadly into your greedy little mouths."
He paced back and forth a little, shoes clacking as he folded his arms behind his back, looking at the class.
"For now, of course, I know all too well that you all have the self-control of a pack of hungry dogs. But--"
Once more, his pointer swished and cracked into his palm, making them all jump. "I will not abide a SINGLE student failing this class. Prepare yourselves to be put through your paces accordingly."
"I see," Deuce murmured, nodding. "Um..." He glanced around. "By the way," he whispered. "Does anyone know what a mycelia is?"
"I think it's the scientific name for fungus," Kat breathed back. "You know, like mushrooms and molds and stuff."
"Ohhh..." Deuce nodded again.
Ace groaned, propping his head up in a hand and drumming his fingers against the desk. "Geh... Man, I've always HATED memorization," he muttered.
Grim scoffed, crossing his forelegs. "All I care about's tellin' the yummy plants from the yucky ones," he grumbled.
"Sshhh!" Kat hissed, smacking him lightly with the back of her hand.
Crewel had started talking again. "First--"
She tried her best, she really did.
But she couldn't act like she was paying attention and actually pay attention at the same time...
Plus, she realized, looking around, she was the only one who didn't have anything to take notes with.
Maybe she should've thought of that sooner... Going to school without actually having any school supplies, that is. She didn't even have a pencil or a single scrap of paper...
She sat there stiffly, surrounded by the scratching of writing utensils. Crewel's voice loudly rattled off the names of plants she'd either never heard of or only heard of in fantasy books.
Abruptly, the bell rang-- not the typical buzzing of a school bell. This was a real bell, like a cathedral's bell, echoing loudly through the castle.
Crewel looked around at the class, putting his hands on his hips. "Hmm. Very well-- it seems our training session for the day must come to an end. Class dismissed."
The whole class seemed to exhale at once. People started getting up from their stools, quickly grabbing their notebooks and hurrying towards the door.
"HEEL!" Crewel boomed, with another swish of his pointer. "You do not all pile through the door at once like that! No pups of mine are going to injure themselves roughhousing in MY classroom, understand? Now-- step back, and wait your turn. Two at a time."
There were a few muttered complaints... Apparently nobody wanted to end up on the wrong side of that pointer, though. The students shuffled out cautiously, with Crewel's steely gaze watching them like a hawk.
Ace and Deuce had just stepped out, and Kat and Grim were the only ones left. Grim strolled out the door, and she was about to head out after him when--
"STAY!"
She jumped, making a small, startled squeaking sound.
"You are not going anywhere, Little Miss Pup." Crewel walked up to her, crossing his arms and fixing her with a cold stare. "I couldn't help but notice you weren't taking any notes... Is my class that unimportant to you? Or perhaps you simply have an eidetic memory, hmm?"
He raised an eyebrow.
"O-Oh! Um..." Kat looked down, already feeling the hot flush of shame creeping up her neck. "I--I'm really sorry, sir-- Crewel-sama.. I-it's not that I didn't WANT to! Really, but I just..."
"...Came woefully unprepared?" He interrupted her sharply. "Yes, I noticed... As I understand it, your case is an exceptionally unusual one, isn't it? A magicless student, enrolled in a magic school... As only half of one student, but enrolled all the same. Did you assume that, since the circumstances of your enrollment were so exceptional, you could merely skate by, as it were?"
"N-No!" She protested, shaking her head emphatically. "Look, I-- I really, really AM sorry, but it's just-- I- I don't have anything, okay?!"
Oops-- that came out a little louder, and a lot more frantic, than she meant to. She clapped her hands over her mouth, blushing hotly. "Sorry," she mumbled. "I- I didn't mean to shout..."
"Anything?" Crewel repeated, giving her an even colder gaze. "Explain, please."
Kat started fidgeting with her hands, twisting her fingers together aimlessly. "Um... I mean, I don't have any... L-Look, sir. I don't have any-- any notebooks or paper or pencils... I don't have any money, so it's not like I could go get them..."
She cautioned a glance up. Crewel wasn't giving her quite as chilly of a look now. Unless she was very much mistaken, he actually seemed a little concerned.
"I... I don't want to be rude, 'cause I'm really grateful to the Headmaster for letting me stay. And for enrolling me-- I mean, us-- me and Grim, I mean. But... Um..."
She looked down at her sneakers again.
"I live in an abandoned building right now, and I only have one set of clothes besides all the--" She gestured down at herself. "The school-assigned ones, like this, and I... I mean, I didn't MEAN to come here, you know? It was an accident, s-so it's not like I had any time to prepare or grab the stuff I might need..."
Crewel stayed silent for a moment.
"Are you telling me," he said flatly. "That the Headmaster simply declared your enrollment, while completely overlooking the fact that you, having come unwillingly from some other realm with only the clothes on your back, would be ill-equipped to participate in said studies?"
"...Yes," she admitted.
Crewel's face darkened. Giving a sharp sigh, he pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes and scowling. "...Imbecile," he hissed through his teeth.
Kat stood still, staying silent.
"...Not you," he added as an afterthought, seeming to remember she was still there.
She nodded, but didn't say anything.
"Wait here for a moment," Crewel ordered. Turning, he went to his desk. Then he started opening and closing the drawers, muttering under his breath. She caught the words 'flighty' and 'irresponsible'... As well as what sounded like a fair amount of profanity.
After a few moments, he had a stack of battered notebooks and uneven sheafs of paper in his hand.
Looking around, he frowned for a moment, then flicked the pointer. With a burst of sparkles, a brown leather bag-- like the ones Japanese schools used-- dropped lightly onto his desk.
He picked it up, opening the flap and shuffling in the stack of papers and notebooks. Then he took a handful of pens and pencils from an expensive-looking organizer on the desk, tossing them in as well.
Shutting the flap, he hooked the handle of his pointer through the strap, lifting it up and walking over to her. "This should be enough for now," he said, holding the bag out for her to take. "Come see me after classes-- I'll be in my office. I'll find you a spare textbook and some less secondhand supplies."
She took it cautiously, holding it awkwardly to her chest. "Thank you," she ventured.
Crewel nodded. "You are dismissed."
He turned sharply, starting to walk towards the shelves. After a moment, he stopped, back turned to her.
"...You're still here," he said flatly. "Why?"
Kat shuffled her feet awkwardly, looking down. "Um..."
"...You're wondering why I'm bothering with all this?" Crewel asked, turning his head slightly and giving her some serious sideeye.
She nodded.
He rolled his eyes, turning to face her. "I make it a point to give all my students the tools necessary to succeed," he said, hand on his hip again. "Whether they choose to utilize them or not is none of my concern. Apparently, the Headmaster--" the note of derision in his voice was obvious. "Neglected to even offer."
"Oh," she said, nodding. "I- I see... Um-- thank you, sir! I mean..."
"Don't mention it," he said, shaking his head with a very small smile. "Now-- run along. I think your little pack of strays is waiting for you in the hall."
Stepping forward, he opened the door, nodding for her to step out.
Sure enough, Ace, Deuce and Grim were standing awkwardly in the hall. They were all looking extremely nervous, like they were waiting outside an operating room for an urgent surgery.
Fighting down a laugh at their grim, gray faces, she looked back at Crewel, smiling. "Thank you!" Bowing her head one more time, she hurried out the door.
"Now-- hurry along to your next class," the teacher said, one hand on his hip. "I'm sure one of these two will allow you to store your lab coat and equipment in their lockers."
"Yes, sir," she agreed, nodding. "Thanks-- again! Really!"
"Don't mention it," Crewel smiled. "Again. Goodbye, Little Miss Pup. Strays."
With another nod to the three boys, he shut the door firmly with a loud click.
Smiling, Kat started walking, looking back at Ace and Deuce. "Okay-- where's the next class?"
"Uh--" The Heartslabyul duo shook their heads rapidly.
"It's-- Y-You're not in trouble?!" Deuce asked in bewilderment, jogging after her.
"No," she shrugged, stopping to let him catch up. "I think I was GONNA be, but I explained things... He was really nice, actually! Kinda intense, but I think he's just like that."
"Seriously?!" Ace demanded, eyes widening. "Dude-- everybody's TERRIFIED of that guy! And you get held back after class on your first day, and stroll back out like it was nothing?!"
"I don't know what to tell you," she said, shrugging again. "Maybe I just have better vibes than you... Seriously though, where's the next class? And do you have anywhere to drop this stuff off or not?"
"Oh! Right-- um..." Shaking his head again, Deuce pointed down the hall, taking off his lab gloves as he started walking. "The lockers are this way... And the next class is on the next floor up!"
She nodded, starting to follow him, with Ace and Grim trailing behind.
The 'lockers', as it turned out, were a lot more like cubbies or cabinets. Once again, it was a lot like the kinds Japanese schools had... At least, the ones in anime. She'd never actually been to a real Japanese school, so she wasn't sure.
She stashed her folded coat, gloves and goggles in Ace's cubby. Then she followed him and Deuce up a small flight of stairs and down another hall, chatting over the noise of the milling students.
The next classroom they entered was actually surprisingly familiar.
Looking around, she blinked. She was pretty sure this was the room she'd climbed out of the window in when Grim was chasing her the first night...
There were rows of tiered desks on either side of the room, kind of like a college lecture hall. A big desk sat at the front of the room, stacked with books, with a large blackboard behind it.
She noticed something on top of a bookshelf-- a big, shiny purple globe in a stand, with swirling golden streaks. Wonder what that does...
Sure was shiny, though.
"Take your seats," another voice announced.
A man stood in front of the desk. He was older than Crewel, and, possibly, Crowley-- it was hard to tell, since the Headmaster was always wearing that mask. He had a very distinguished older gentleman feel, vaguely Mads Mikkelsen-esque, with strong eyebrows.
His gray hair was neatly slicked-back, with streaks of silvery white. He had an ascot or jabot or something at his neck, ruffles of white lace with a gleaming emerald brooch pinned at his throat. It looked like he was wearing a slate-gray suit, but it was hard to tell... Partially because he was wearing some kind of big, burgundy robe-slash-cape over it. But also because he had a big, fluffy black-and-white cat in his arms.
The man stood and waited, surveying the classroom coolly while everyone filled into their seats.
After they were all seated, he began to speak, in a clipped, genteel voice. "I am your History of Magic teacher, Mozus Trein. This--" He stroked the cat's back with one white-gloved hand. It closed its eyes with pleasure, nestling further into his arms. "--Is my familiar, Lucius."
Moving around the desk, he sat down slowly, placing the cat-- Lucius-- down on the desk in front of him. The cat yawned, sitting up and stretching, then settled back down, wrapping its fluffy tail around its paws.
Trein continued. "You are all here to study the rich history of magic, and how it has shaped the world you now live in, which you so easily take for granted."
"Mrrooooow," Lucius added with another yawn, as if to punctuate his statement.
"Not only do I grade based on quality of work, but also on classroom behavior," Trein continued. "I will not forgive sleeping in my class. Now-- let us open our textbooks to page fifteen."
Oh, great... Kat shifted nervously. She had notebooks and pencils now, but she still didn't have a textbook...
Without anything else to do, she dug a notebook out of the bag Crewel had given her, along with a pencil, and flipped it open.
Deuce, apparently noticing her distress, scooted closer, placing his open textbook between them so she could peer at it.
"Thank you," she mouthed at him, and he nodded.
Trein was continuing to speak. "This section concerns the discovery of magic crystals in the Dwarf's Mine."
He was partially cut off by another long meow from Lucius, but didn't seem to notice.
"From this point forward, knowledge and awareness of magical energy began to spread across the globe... Thus, this year is now known as Year One of the early Magic Era."
Kat started scribbling eagerly. Crystals = discovered in Dwarf's Mine?? Almost died in piece of history???? LMAO
Year 1 of Magic Era
(This planet is globe?? No discworld scenario... Space???? Similar solar system? Planets? ASTROLOGY????)
She didn't even bother to pretend to look up after a while-- she was so absorbed in jotting down notes as fast as she could. Trein's delivery was more than a little dry, but the subject matter was COOL...!!
This wasn't the history of HER world. That was either, depending on how it was being taught, extremely boring or very, very depressing.
This was a world with magic, merpeople, monsters, beastfolk-- which she could only assume was the word for the people with the animal ears. Even fae!
After a while, she'd already filled almost five pages with scribbled notes. She heard Ace yawn loudly, and looked up.
Oh, wow... Apparently, she was the only one really paying attention. Everybody else seemed either bored as hell or actually asleep...
Grim, on the desk next to her, was lying on his stomach, staring blankly at nothing. Ace was propping his head on a fist, glowering into thin air, and Deuce, bless him, was obviously trying his best. "Ohhh... Dwarf's Mine," he nodded, blinking hard. "Magical energy... I see..."
Suddenly, something warm and heavy jumped into Kat's lap, making her yelp.
She looked down.
Lucius looked back up at her with gleaming yellow eyes. He blinked slowly.
After a moment, she returned the gesture.
Apparently satisfied, the cat settled down, padding in a circle and curling up in her lap, starting to purr.
Grim grumbled, propping his head up on his paws. "Man... I thought goin' to a magic school would be more like... Like learnin' how to make stuff go BAM! With magic, y'know?"
"Shhhh," Kat hissed, bopping him lightly with her pencil. "I'm trying to listen."
He grumbled again, but fell quiet for the rest of the class... Or possibly fell asleep.
She continued taking notes, reaching down and scratching Lucius's ears every so often.
When the bell rang again, Ace jumped up immediately, stretching his arms. He yawned so wide she could see tears gathering at the corners of his eyes. "Uuuuugh... Man, that felt like it took FOREVER! Let's blow this joint..."
He started shuffling out of the rows, grumbling.
Deuce started packing up, shaking his head to try and jog himself into alertness. Grim jumped down off the desk, turning and standing with his paws on his hips. "HEY! Kat, c'mon-- let's get goin'! I don't wanna stick around this snoozefest a second more than I have to!"
"Um..."
Kat looked down at Lucius, still in her lap. He uncurled, settling down into another loaf and looking up at her over his shoulder.
"Mrrrpt," he said.
"Can you... Move, maybe?" She suggested.
Flicking an ear, Lucius seemed to roll his eyes, turning away and settling in a little more firmly.
"Lucius?"
He twitched the skin on his back, but otherwise ignored her.
"Lucius seems to like you," a voice commented. The group looked up guiltily to see Trein approaching them, back ramrod-straight and a stern look on his face.
"Oh! Um..." Laughing nervously, Kat looked from the loafing Lucius on her lap to the approaching teacher. "I-- I'm sorry, sir, I'll just--"
"No, no, it's quite alright," Trein interrupted, raising his eyebrows and giving something like a smile. "Your next class isn't that far away, and it's rare that Lucius takes such a shine to first-years."
He extended a hand.
After a brief moment of hesitation, Kat took it.
Trein bowed over it, then straightened up, giving it a single firm shake and stepping back. "You are... Miss Kat, I believe? The special enrollment student... Or one half of the special enrollment, rather."
He cast a look at Grim out of the corner of his eye.
"Yes, sir," she confirmed, nodding. "It's-- nice to meet you... Oh, and Lucius, of course."
With her other hand, she stroked Lucius's head. The cat closed his eyes, lifting his head slightly to press against her palm.
Trein nodded, giving a quiet laugh. "I couldn't help but notice that you were actually taking notes, quite diligently, I might add... Unlike some others I could mention."
He cast another sharp sideways glance at Ace, who stiffened guiltily.
"Oh! Uh-- yeah!" Kat nodded eagerly. "Actually, this is really interesting!"
Ace and Deuce both gave her shocked looks. "S-Seriously?!" Ace demanded.
"Yes," she snapped back at him. "In case you forgot, I'm actually learning all of this for the first time, remember?"
Trein hummed thoughtfully, placing the first knuckle of his index finger on his chin. "Yes, I did hear something of that nature... Is it true that you've come here from some other world, or realm?"
"Uh, yep," she admitted, with an awkward laugh. "So, all of this--" She waved vaguely at the notebook still on the desk in front of her. "It really is completely new to me..."
"How unusual," Trein mused, tilting his head. "Not completely unheard-of, but exceedingly rare..."
"Wh-- REALLY?!" Kat asked in shock, almost jumping up but remembering Lucius was still on her lap. "Th-This-- something like this has happened before?! Seriously?!"
Trein gave her a small frown. "Yes, in fact... Cases such as yours appear from time to time throughout history. I'm sorry, but surely the Headmaster must have mentioned this? He is quite highly educated, so I'd assume he's heard of at least one such example..."
"...Nope," she admitted, pulling a face. "He-- well... I mean, he probably just forgot, right? It's been a pretty crazy past couple of days..."
Why was she sticking up for him? Part of her asked.
I dunno, she replied. I mean-- I don't really wanna badmouth anybody like that, and Trein WAS still a teacher... She was really starting to feel like Crowley didn't really do much, though.
Trein didn't seem convinced. "Perhaps," he conceded reluctantly. "Well, in any case... If you ever wish to learn more, I would be more than happy to assist you in your studies outside of normal school hours. Come, Lucius."
Lucius yawned, untucking his legs and arching his back in a big stretch, then hopping down off her lap. He rubbed against her shins briefly, then padded over to Trein, twining around the teacher's legs with a soft murr.
Kat got up quickly, adjusting her hoodie. "Th--Thank you," she muttered, nodding her head.
Trein smiled back, lowering his own head and shoulders in another bow. "It's no trouble," he replied, straightening back up with his hands behind his back. "I'd imagine you'd have many questions, even ones beyond the scope of this class, and I'd be happy to answer them, if I can."
"Really? Th-Thanks!" She said again, beaming happily.
He nodded again, still smiling. "Now-- I suggest you pack up. Your next class will begin soon, and you'll need a bit of time to prepare... You have some form of physical education next, I believe."
"Right!" She agreed, grabbing the notebook and pencil off the desk and sticking them in the schoolbag. "Thank you, Sensei! Um-- goodbye!"
With another respectful nod, she hurried across the room, stopping at the door to give a small wave back. Ace, Deuce and Grim followed her, Deuce nodding respectfully as well.
Exiting the classroom, the group hurried down the hall.
Kat noticed she had a light spring in her step that Ace apparently didn't appreciate. "No fair," he grumbled, crossing his arms. "How come all the teachers seem to like you so much? You're not even a full student!"
"Get dunked on," she replied casually, turning and making a peace sign at him.
Another trip back to Ramshackle later, and Kat, Grim, Ace and Deuce were standing on a wide open, grassy field.
Kat shivered slightly. She wasn't really a fan of this P.E. uniform... The squeechy-squeechy sound and feel of the water-resistant fabric gave her the sensory heebie-jeebies. She was wearing her t-shirt under it, folding the top down and tying the sleeves around her waist like a sweatshirt. She'd pulled her hair back into a low ponytail, and she was still wearing her hoodie.
The sound of a whistle broke the late morning-early noon air.
A figure ran up to the awkward group of first-years, stopping with its hands on its hips. The first thing Kat noticed about this person was that he was absolutely fucking JACKED. Like, almost All Might levels of muscle, with a rugged, chiseled face to match.
Interestingly enough, he was the first person she'd seen- besides the paintings- to have any type of facial hair... Even though it was one of those weird fuckboi beards, the kind that went around the edges of the chin with a little landing strip under the mouth.
"I'm Vargas!" He announced, voice booming through the slightly chilly air. "Physically educating your feeble little bodies is MY responsibility!"
He- Vargas-- had dark brown hair, slicked back in a kind of Jersey Shore-ish semi-pompadour. He had a very square jawline, an extremely thick neck, and, once again, strong eyebrows.
He was wearing black track pants, a red track sweatshirt with gold or pale mustard accents and a popped collar, and red running shoes. He also, of course, had a whistle on a cord around his neck, nestling between his Jojo parts 1-3 pectorals.
"Great feats of magic begin with a great physique!" He continued loudly. Taking a deep breath, he raised his arms, starting to flex and showing them off like a bodybuilder.
"Behold!" He said, grunting slightly with effort as he continued to flex, muscles rippling under his sweatshirt. "This is the level of muscle you can build on a diet of raw eggs!"
Kat looked down, shielding her eyes as she grimaced slightly. The amount of cringe that was currently happening was way, way past her tolerance level... Oh, Jesus-- he was doing the twitching pectoral thing, too, oh god...
After a few more very awkward moments, he stopped flexing, planting his hands on his hips. "A great mage needs a great constitution! So..."
Grabbing the whistle, he put it into his mouth and blew hard, making a sharp, piercing sound that made Kat wince. "Gimme twenty laps, and a hundred push-ups! Go!"
Ace, standing next to her, gagged theatrically. "Bleagh... The forced exercise is bad enough, but meatheads like this guy seriously drive me up the fuckin' wall..."
"Speak for yourself," Deuce grinned, slamming his fist into his other palm with a dangerous, excited look. "This is finally a subject I'm GOOD at!"
With another whistle, the class started to run, with varying degrees of urgency, around the edges of the field.
Kat was sticking to a brisk-ish powerwalk... She was trying not to think about it, but she really was sore as hell from everything that had happened over the last two days.
Grim jogged along at her feet, grumbling loudly. "Rrrgh... What's so fun about runnin' around in big circles like this, anyway? I ain't a hamster, you know!"
She shrugged. "Sorry-- P.E. is P.E., I guess."
Ace was keeping the same pace as her, hands behind his head and looking sullen, but Deuce was actually making excellent time.
As she watched, he came around the bend again, already starting his second lap. Smiling, she waved, and he grinned back, nodding.
Ace grumbled. "Ugh... Aren't you supposed to not make it obvious you have a favorite child?"
"Didn't know you thought of yourself as my child," she retorted without looking around. "Wanna unpack that, buddy?"
He made a strangled noise, coughing. "Th--That's not what I--"
"Stop talking," she ordered.
He did.
A few laps in, and Kat wasn't really thinking of anything.
She'd slowed down to a walk, staring vaguely into space, when the sound of footsteps on grass came up behind her. She didn't think anything of it until someone shoulder-checked her at full speed, sending her falling sideways.
"FUCK!" She swore, arms flailing as she went down like a tree, colliding with Ace.
Ace yelped, managing to catch her but almost falling over in the process, as Grim got tangled up in her feet. "AGH! God-- H-Hey-- KAT! What happened?! Are you okay?!"
"I--" she began, trying to avoid stepping on Grim.
Unfortunately, someone else ran past, actually swerving to knock into her again. This time, she and Ace did actually fall, tumbling to the ground with grunts of pain.
"Owwww," she hissed, head spinning for a second.
Opening one eye, she saw a group of students jogging away, looking back over their shoulders and obviously laughing.
"Oops," one of them sneered. "Can't do magic, but also can't even walk in a straight line? Talk about useless!"
"I'd say you run like a girl," another added, "but that'd be TRUE!"
Speeding up slightly, the group jogged away, laughing.
Lovely... Misogny.
"So, that was definitely on purpose," she muttered, rolling off of Ace.
"Yeah, no shit," Ace replied snappishly, sitting up and rubbing the back of his head.
"HEY!" She heard Deuce yell. He was sprinting across the field, making a beeline for the laughing students. "WHAT THE HELL--" He began, but another whistle broke the air, making everyone jump.
"STOP!" Vargas's voice bellowed, and he strode across the field. "NOBODY MOVE!"
Everyone-- Kat, Ace and Grim included-- froze on the spot, glancing around at each other guiltily.
"What happened?" The coach asked, coming over with one blocky fist on his hip. He cast a stern gaze over the awkward tableau. "Any of you beansprouts hurt?"
"I-- think I'm okay," Kat muttered. Turning to Grim, she put a hand on his side. "Are you okay, though?" She asked anxiously. "I'm really sorry..."
Grim shook his head, getting to his feet. "I'm fine," he grumbled, stumbling slightly with a wince. "It was those guys' fault, anyway... What are you apologizin' for?"
"Yeah, but--"
"Yeah, the fuzzball's right!" Ace interjected, pointing angrily at the shoulder-checkers. "Hey, Coach-- these jackasses ran out of their way to bump into the Prefect!"
"Is this true?" Vargas said sternly, crossing his burly arms and glaring at the group.
"N-No way!" One of them protested, shaking his head. "The chick's just clumsy as hell!"
"Yeah-- or maybe it was that little rat!" The other one added, pointing at Grim. "It probably ran between her feet, and she tripped over it!"
"FNYAGH?!" Grim spat, bristling. "I- I did NOT! An' I'm NOT a RAT, either, ya big stupid jerks!"
"Yeah, right-- like anybody'd believe that!" One of them-- the first shoulder-checker, possibly?- sneered. "Do you have any proof, RAT?"
"Why, you--" Grim began, but Kat grabbed him, pulling him into her lap.
"STOP it!" She hissed, glaring at him.
Deuce ran the rest of the way over, panting angrily. "They DID!" He insisted, glaring at the group with his fists clenched. "I saw it, too! Those two ran way out of their way to run into her! There's no way that wasn't on purpose!"
"Like I said-- where's your proof?!" Her first assailant shot back, sneering at Deuce now. "So far, it just seems like a bunch'a losers trying to blame us innocent passersby for their little girlfriend falling over her own feet! Right, Coach?"
He turned to Vargas with a grin.
"Hmm," the coach mused, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "No proof, huh?" He pointed at Kat. "What would you call that, then?"
"Huh?" Kat blinked, looking down. "Oh..."
During the fall, her right sleeve and jumpsuit leg had hiked up. The bruises on her shin and elbow stood out sharply against her pasty skin.
The shoulder-checkers and their accomplices drew back, going pale.
"W-We didn't do that!" One of them protested, voice cracking slightly. "There's no way she'd get all that from one stupid trip, right?!"
Ace got to his feet, grinning wickedly back. "Huh... You wanted proof, right? Well, first you knock her down, and now she's all black-and-blue? How's THAT for proof?"
Vargas crossed his arms. "Hmmm..."
He looked over at the group of hasslers, then back at Kat. "Well, that seems to pan out for me..."
"Aw, COME--" one of them began, but got cut off by another sharp whistle from the coach. "NO BACKTALK!" He bellowed, hands on his hips and glaring. "You two-" he pointed at the shoulder-checkers. "Aren't doing twenty laps anymore. Now you'll be doing EIGHTY!"
"WHAT?!" The pair demanded, jumping back. Their group of cohorts actually started inching away from them, like their punishment might be contagious.
"And no walking, either!" Vargas added. "Drop below a brisk jog, and you'll be starting over from the top!"
"B-But we--" the other one started.
"Now it's ninety," Vargas interrupted cheerfully. "You better get going!"
The guilty pair stood, obviously fuming, while their group scooted further and further away from them. Then, with an angry shout and a kick at the grass, the first one started running.
The second one turned, glaring and seeming to consider spitting in her direction. Vargas crossed his arms again, and he flinched visibly. Then he started running too, swearing through gritted teeth.
As they passed, the other students glanced at them. A lot of them were laughing... Some were making more of an effort to hide it than others, though.
Clapping his hands together, Vargas turned to look at Kat. Grim squeaked and scrambled out of her lap, running over to Ace and sheltering behind his leg.
"Are you okay, little lady?" Vargas asked, holding out a massive hand and looking concerned. He had a cuff bracelet on his left wrist, fashioned in the shape of a feathered arrow.
Kat nodded. "Yeah, I- I'm fine..."
She took his hand, and he pulled her up-- literally. Her feet actually left the ground for a second, but he put his other hand on her shoulder, setting her firmly on her feet. Jesus... Those muscles weren't just for show, huh?
Up close, he was actually shorter than she'd expected... He was probably only an inch taller than her, even though his build made it look like he should be at least six feet.
"Thank you, Sensei... Coach. Sir." She stepped back slightly, pulling her sleeve back down. "They... Didn't actually do that, by the way. The bruises, I mean."
Vargas chuckled, putting his hands on his hips. "I know," he said cheerfully, blue eyes twinkling. "Actually..."
He leaned in, holding a hand to his mouth. "I saw the whole thing from over there." He jerked his head back the way he'd come, grinning. "Those bumps are... Let's see, probably at least a night old? Besides, this little beansprout--" he patted Ace's shoulder hard, making his face go white as his knees buckled slightly. "Broke your fall."
"Oh," she said, blinking. "I- I see... Um, then why did you--"
"--Do that?" Vargas interrupted, grinning. "Because! This class is all about building--" He pounded his chest with a fist. "--MUSCLE! Not about petty jabs and bullying! The only thing on your minds should be improving your bodies, not hatching nasty little plans or worrying about being on the receiving end of 'em!"
He crossed his arms, giving her what was basically just the Rock look, eyebrow and all. Then the smile fell, and he actually looked a little worried. "Seriously though, beansprout-- ARE you okay? What happened?"
"Oh! Um... Well, basically, I- I fell a whole bunch. It's a long story..." Kat sighed, putting a hand on her shoulder. "It's-- been a long couple of days, you know?"
Vargas frowned. "Fell?"
"Yeah," she admitted, nodding. "I've never actually had to run for my life before... I'm not very good at it, turns out."
She rubbed the back of her neck with a quiet, awkward laugh. "I'm also super, super white, so they probably look a lot worse than they are. I bruise like a banana..."
Vargas's eyebrows raised. He didn't look convinced, but shrugged dubiously. "Eh... Well, if you insist..."
He slapped her on the shoulder-- lightly for him, probably, but it still made her wince and wobble a little. "Okay then-- back to your laps, huh? How many were you on?"
"I... Don't remember," she admitted after a second of trying to recall. "I think it was, like... Five?"
She looked at Ace for help, but he just shrugged. "Something like that," she continued. "Sorry, I lost count during..." She gestured. "All that."
"Mmm," Vargas mused, frowning slightly. "Okay... Well, maybe you should just start over, huh?"
"Yeah, sure," she shrugged. "Thank you... Again. Coach."
Turning to Ace and Grim, she motioned for them to follow her, then waved back at Vargas with a smile. He returned it with a wink and a flex of a bicep.
Ace and Grim accompanied her as she resumed her pace around the field, grumbling a little bit but not really putting up much of a fight. Even Deuce decided to tag along, keeping pace at her shoulder like a bodyguard.
Ace crossed his hands behind his head again, sighing. "Man, you're sure turning out to be the teacher's pet, huh? That's not gonna make you any friends, ya know..."
Kat rolled her eyes. "Oh, I'm sorry-- at what point did I stop making any friends? Was it before or after those jackasses knocked me over like we're all on the playground in fifth grade?"
"Yeah, that was a bad example, Ace," Deuce agreed. He paused to glare at one of the passing students who he seemed to think was getting too close to Kat. Then he continued. "What kind of teacher would blame somebody for being assaulted like that?"
Kat snorted quietly. "Really? Does this world not have zero-tolerance policy or something? Or are the public schools actually better funded here?"
"What're you talkin' about?" Grim asked from her heels, giving her a weird look.
She shook her head, waving a hand dismissively. "Nevermind..."
At long, long last, it was break time.
The group took another quick stop by Ramshackle for Kat to change back into the standard uniform. Then they wandered into the hall next to the cafeteria.
Their class schedule hung on the wall, in a large antique bronze bulletin board.
Kat took this opportunity to whip out a notebook again and copy down the schedule. Ace leaned against the wall, and Deuce stood next to her, reading the bulletin and muttering. "Let's see-- I think our next class is..."
Ace scoffed loudly, crossing his arms. "Hey-- is anyone else gettin' the feeling that this so-called magic school is a lot like a lame, run-of-the-mill normal school?"
"Mmm," Kat grunted noncommittally, tongue sticking out of the corner of her mouth. She scribbled down the last few classes. Man, she'd also really have to get a watch...
"It's definitely not as glamorous as I'd expected," Ace continued. He leaned his head back, looking at the ceiling. "But at least this fuckin' collar won't be much of a problem... Hey, Grim-- whad'you think? ...Huh?"
A pause.
Then Kat gave a frustrated scream, chucking the notebook as hard as she could to the floor. "Son of a BITCH!" She yelled, drawing many sets of startled gazes, but she didn't care. "I swear to God, when I get my hands on that little bastard, I--"
"Oh-- L-Look!" Deuce interrupted, pointing urgently. "Out the window! Something furry just ran across the yard!"
Sure enough-- she could see the gray, catlike body scampering across the courtyard on all fours.
"Ooh-- that little BITCH!" She seethed, feeling herself start to heat up with rage. "He couldn't even handle ONE FUCKIN' DAY of school before he tried to quit?! God-- DAMMIT! Shit! I hate that little, smug-- OOH!"
Turning, she kicked the wall as hard as she could a few times, hissing and spitting like an angry cat.
Deuce slumped, shaking his head. "Oh, geez... He really doesn't learn fast, does he?"
She heard Ace come up behind her, snorting with ill-suppressed laughter. He patted her shoulder in a mockingly friendly way. "Oh, bummer-- not a good look to lose your only student on your first day as Prefect, huh?"
She whipped her head around with a growl, and he went pale, removing his hand and stepping back.
"Uh-- wh-what I meant to say is..." He cleared his throat, regaining his composure. "You want some help catching him?"
"What do YOU think, smartass?" She snapped.
"Geez, okay, okay..." Grimacing, he stepped back even further, raising his hands. "I got it, I got it... Hey- by the way, those chocolate croissants in the co-op arealook pretty good, right?"
She blinked, brain skidding to a halt and trying to change gears as fast as it could.
"...Huh?" She said, rather stupidly.
"The chocolate croissants," Ace repeated. "I coooould help you out again... But only for one of THOSE bad boys."
"Ohhh-- I see," Deuce interjected, nodding. "In that case-- an iced cafe latte from the cafeteria would work for me."
The two exchanged a smirk, crossing their arms and raising their eyebrows in unison.
Kat blinked again.Then she pinched the bridge of her nose hard, squeezing her eyes shut and gritting her teeth.
"You boys are playing a dangerous game," she muttered. "Hey, how 'bout this-- IF we all head off together to catch Grim RIGHT NOW, you'll get your stupid bread and coffee... AND I won't have to beat your asses. Hmm?"
She opened her eyes, seeing them looking at her with blank, shocked expressions.
"...Do you really wanna go up against nineteen years of pent-up aggression without any kind of outlet?" She warned. "Just so you know, I've been stopping myself from expressing anger in pretty much any way besides crying for longer than I can remember. But when I say I'm at the end of my rope here I mean it. I'm not sure I'd be able to stop if I really got going."
Ace took another step back, swallowing. "P-Pleasure doing business with you," he said in a small voice.
Regaining some of his energy, he smacked Deuce on the back, grinning. "Okay, Mr. Serious-- looks like we have to clean up the mess made by the most hopeless prefect to ever set foot on campus again, huh?"
Kat started forward slightly, hefting the schoolbag, and he flinched again. "Welp-- a-anyway, the furball's got a pretty good head start, so I might as well get goin'! Don't forget about that croissant, huh?"
With that, he pushed past her, starting to run in the same direction as Grim.
She turned, giving Deuce a sharp glare.
"Uh-- well--" He shifted, looking nervous. "I-- I'll be looking forward to that latte, Prefect!"
Stepping gingerly around her, he started to run as well.
Taking a brief moment to pick up her notebook and shove it back in the bag, Kat started to run as well, swearing under her breath the entire time.
These boys are gonna be the death of me, I swear... God, I already feel like a jaded 30-year-old in a 19-year-old's body, but I'm gonna start getting gray hairs at this point!
Author's Notes:
Senseiship ended with Crowley, now Crewel and Trein are my new mentors
Listen, there's... No way that the MC is the only motherfucker in history to ever get isekai'd into TW.
In fact, since in one of Riddle's Chats it says that the school actually has the Queen of Hearts' scepter, or at least is borrowing it for a little, it's highly possible that actual Wonderland was a place somewhere in this world, possibly the Queendom of Roses. It's probably not as bonkers as Wonderland was in the movie anymore, similar to how animals can't talk to each other since whenever tf The Lion King took place, but we'll probably never know since it's not like Alice stopped to ask anybody what tf this country was called lol.
Actually, I have a headcanon/theory that Sam is actually descended from people who got isekai'd-- more specifically, someone or a few someone's who were related to actual Facilier in some way, cousins or siblings or something.
The place Sam is from, the Port of Happiness, is obviously supposed to be the TW equivalent of New Orleans, but since the movie took place in actual New Orleans, and magic wasn't a widely known fact, it couldn't have happened there, unlike most of the other movies. (Like how Snow White was supposed to be Germany, and Cinderella and BATB were obviously France, and the country in The Little Mermaid was probably in the Netherlands even though all the underwater scenes were obviously very tropical, lol, but they never said the names out loud so there's still plausible deniability that they could have taken place in TW)
...What is Twisted Wonderland, anyway? Is it the name of the continent? The planet?
There are multiple countries, so it can't be a country...