When Kat woke up, she was still doubled over in the armchair with her head on her knees and a blanket draped over her back and shoulders.
Somehow, Grim had managed to stuff himself into the wedge of space between her torso and thighs. As she raised her head, he didn't even twitch, just kept breathing slow and deep... With the occasional half-snore.
Blinking hard, she sat up, looking around the blurry room. There seemed to be a smallish group of other people in the room with her...
Fumbling her glasses back onto her face, she blinked again. She was right-- there were about five or six people in the lounge room now. A few were students she didn't recognize, milling around quietly and talking in low voices. The others were--
"Ah--!" A familiar voice hissed, and Kat turned to look.
Ace was sitting on the edge of a Persian-style rug nearby, grimacing. He'd actually removed his jacket and vest, leaving him in only the white t-shirt.
Trey was kneeling next to him, fiddling with the ragged gash on his shoulder. "Sorry," Trey muttered, eyes fixed on the task in front of him. "Just bear with it for a little bit longer, I'm almost done..."
Ace grunted in response, clenching his jaw and digging his fingers into the carpet.
After a few more seconds, Trey sighed, sitting back and adjusting his glasses with one hand. "Okay," he said, putting something down next to him-- tweezers and a bit of cotton, slightly damp and stained with dark, brownish red. "I've applied the disinfectant, and it doesn't look too bad... But you should probably get Crewel-sensei to give you a second opinion at some point."
"Thanks, senpai," Ace exhaled, wincing as he rolled his shoulder a couple of times.
Trey nodded, turning and rummaging through a white plastic box sitting on the floor next to him... A first-aid kit, by the looks of it.
After a second, he pulled out a roll of gauze and what looked like one of those really big band-aids. "Here," he said. "Hang on-- I'll just put the bandage on, and you'll be good to go."
"Yeah," Ace sighed begrudgingly, pulling a knee up and propping his elbow up against it.
Kat yawned, pressing the back of her hand to her mouth.
She hadn't actually looked around the room before, since she was so wiped out, but... Okay, at the most basic level, it was very luxurious. Deep red damask wallpaper, mahogany wall paneling carved to resemble playing cards, black-and-white marble tiled checkerboard floor...
The furniture was similar to the stuff at Ramshackle, all European with curly legs. The chairs and sofas were upholstered in plush, quilted red velvet, though, not black-and-white stripes... And these were obviously way better taken-care of, too.
There was an oval coffee table near the center of the room, set with a couple of arrangements of red roses. A heart-shaped fireplace was set against the far wall, with a big mirror with an antique gold frame over it. On the opposite side, the room opened into what looked like a dining area, with a greenhouse-style floor-to-ceiling bay window.
However...
Kat rubbed her palm hard against one of her eyes, shaking her head and blinking. Nope-- okay, it didn't look like she was seeing things. The whole room was visibly... Off.
The walls were all set at slightly odd angles, more diagonal than straight. Even the widths were different-- some were a lot narrower than the others, while others were wider.
It gave the whole room a sort of wonky, whimsical feel... Like a funhouse, or even the set of a house from a kid's show, like Lazytown or Blue's Clues.
Instead of pictures, there were rectangular mirrors in antique frames on the walls... All hung crookedly, too. Collages of oversized playing cards decorated the mirrors, trailing out onto the walls.
She realized there was an audible ticking echoing throughout the room. Blinking, she looked around at the walls again... And, yeah, there were clocks, too. Clocks everywhere-- set on the mantelpiece, hanging haphazardly on the walls... A huge grandfather clock standing by the entranceway to the lounge, and... For some reason, two enormous pocketwatches hanging from a coathook on the wall right next to her.
Rubbing her eyes again, she kept looking around.
The light spilling in from the large bay windows wasn't quite dusk or twilight, but definitely getting there... Maybe about ten or twenty minutes away from actual sunset.
Deuce was sitting-- or, more accurately, slumped-- on the nearby chaise lounge. He looked to be pretty deeply asleep, with his head lolling against the backrest and another blanket draped over him.
The other students were wandering around nervously, passing through to the dining area or the lounge's entranceway... Presumably to other parts of the dorm she hadn't seen yet.
"Ah-- hey, look who finally joined us again," she heard Ace say, and looked back over at him. He'd gotten stiffly to his feet, with the crumpled-up vest and jacket tucked under his uninjured arm.
Closing the first-aid kit, Trey stood up as well, giving her a tired smile as they made their way over.
"Hi," she smiled back, propping her elbow on the armrest of the chair and leaning her cheek against her fist.
"Hey, Prefect," Trey nodded, stopping with one fist on his hip as he gave her a concerned once-over. "...How are you feeling? Any better?"
"...Eh," she replied, waving her other hand in the 'meh' gesture. "I've definitely been better, but I'm also not as bad as I was... Sorry for skipping out on cleaning up the garden, though."
"Hey, no problem," Trey replied. "Obviously, you really needed a break... Besides, it turns out we... weren't really in the state to do much, either."
He put a hand on the back of his neck, giving a soft sigh of laughter. "We did all we could for now, but it looks like the rest'll be up to the teachers... It'll take a couple days, but they've assured us that the garden'll be back to its former glory, no problem."
Kat nodded, rubbing her eye with a fist again as she stretched her other arm. "Mmm..."
The light was starting to fade from the sky outside now, casting the room in gray shadows.
"...So, is... Is everybody okay? The students who got evacuated, I mean-- how are they? Is anybody hurt?"
Ace grumbled quietly, slouching over to the couch Deuce was sprawled out on and plopping down hard. "Nah, they're all fine... Tch. Lucky bastards..."
Kat rolled her eyes, shaking her head a little. "That's a relief," she muttered, leaning her head against the back of the chair. At least Crowley got THAT right...
Footsteps padded down the hall, and she raised her head again, blinking and looking over at the door.
A rather low-energy Cater entered, shoulders actually slumped a little with one hand on the back of his neck. "Hey," he sighed, putting his other hand in his pants pocket as he wandered over.
"Hey, Cater," Trey smiled, turning and giving the redhead a small nod. "...How is he?"
Cater sighed again, tilting his head back and looking at the ceiling. "...He's gonna be okay," he said after a second. "He's pretty beat-up, so he's probably gonna have to stay on bed rest for a few days... And there are a few additional tests and stuff to run, but he should make a full recovery, no problem."
The unspoken tension in the room dissipated somewhat.
Scooting over, Ace elbowed Deuce hard in the side. Deuce jerked awake, head snapping around the room in panicked bewilderment. "H-Huh?! What the--"
"Didja' hear that, Loosey-Deucey?" Ace interrupted, elbowing him again. "The dorm head's gonna be fine... All thanks to US, of course."
"Oh... R-Really?" Deuce yawned, rubbing the back of his head as he covered his mouth with his other hand. "That's a-- a relief..."
In her lap, Grim finally raised his head, blinking around the room. "...Huh? What's all the yappin' about?" He yawned, getting to his feet. "Can't a great magician get any shuteye around here, 'specially after working so hard?"
Kat snorted quietly, shaking her head and stroking his back. "Sorry, sorry... But it looks like Riddle's going to be okay... That's good, right?"
"O-Oh... Really?" Shaking his head, Grim plopped down into a sitting position in her lap, rubbing his eye with a paw. "Phew-- well, that's a weight off, at least..."
"Yeah," Cater sighed again, slouching over to the couch and dropping himself down next to Ace and Deuce. "And-- well, honestly... If it wasn't for you guys, I'm not sure WHAT would've happened."
He looked around at them, giving a faint smile. "So... Thanks for that. Seriously."
Deuce blushed, looking down and rubbing the back of his head as Ace coughed awkwardly, shuffling a little.
"H-Hey-- it's fine," Deuce muttered, giving a small smile. "I mean-- seriously, if I'd just left like that, I really don't think I would've been able to live with myself after that, if anything ended up happening..."
"And, it's-- not like I was trying to HELP or anything," Ace added, crossing his arms with a scowl. "I just couldn't let the little brat up an' die on me without hearing his apology..."
"Wh-- HEY!" Deuce protested, giving Ace a sharp look. "Seriously?! You haven't gotten that out of your system yet? And you shouldn't speak ill of the injured, you know!"
Ace scoffed. "Aw, come ON! It's not like he's in serious condition or anything-- you heard Cater-senpai, he's gonna be fine! What's the big deal?"
Kat snorted with laughter, pressing the back of her hand to her mouth.
Grim clambered up onto her blanket-covered shoulder, laying across her neck and grumbling. "Geez-- these two again... Don't they ever get tired a' bickering?"
"Doesn't look like it," she replied, shrugging lopsidedly. "Oh, hey-- by the way..."
Reaching up, she ruffled his head affectionately, giving him a grin. "Great work out there, Master Magician."
Grim blinked, then grinned back, straightening up a little as his fluffy chest puffed out. "Heh-- you're welcome!" He proclaimed, tail swishing proudly. "An', well... You weren't so bad yourself."
He paused, flicking an ear. "Y'know, for a human."
Kat snorted again, shaking her head. "Gee, thanks..."
Lifting him off her shoulder with one hand, she opened the blanket, pulling him to her chest and wrapping them both in a little more snugly. Sighing, she slouched down a little in the chair, looking out the bay window as evening fell over the garden outside.
The next few days passed without much incident... Besides the regular hiccups that came with the first week or so at a new school.
Okay, 'regular' couldn't really be applied here, since, y'know, magic school and all... But, well, nothing major happened.
About an hour after school ended on the fourth day, Kat and Grim hopped through the mirror to Heartslabyul. A few seconds of breathlessness later, and they were blinking in the sunlight of the dorm realm.
"Hey, Kat!" A familiar voice called, and she looked up. Ace and Deuce, fully decked out in the dorm uniform, were waiting on the walkway with grins on their faces.
"Hi!" She smiled, waving as she and Grim jogged up to them. "Thanks for having us!"
"Hey, no problem!" Ace grinned back.
Deuce nodded eagerly. "Yeah-- there's no way we would've started without you two!" He beamed. "Now, come on-- let's get going!"
Kat laughed, nodding and following the pair as they ducked into the restored hedge maze, with Grim scampering along next to her.
When they emerged back into the tea garden, there was a sudden burst of noise. Startled, she jumped, looking around in bafflement at the throng of students.
They were all applauding-- cheering and clapping, punctuated with a few whoops and wolf-whistles.
"THERE they are!" A familiar voice cheered, and she saw Cater-- or rather, several Caters-- jogging towards her, grinning from ear to ear. "The mighty Gri-chan-sama and Prefect Kitty-Kat, the heroes of Heartslabyul!"
"Wh-- huh?" She managed as the Caters drew level with her, surrounding her and sweeping her further into the garden in a flurry of enthusiasm. One of them pressed a spluttering Grim into her arms, winking. "H-Hey, what the--" Grim began protesting.
Before he could finish, one of the other Caters pulled his magical pen out of his jacket. "Hold still, you two," he warned, twirling it with a mischievous grin as the magestone glittered.
Kat barely had time to flinch before he tossed a large ball of sparkles at them, surrounding them in a flash of white light. She staggered back, accidentally dropping Grim as she patted herself down instinctively.
"Wh-What... Oh!" She exclaimed, eyebrows raising. "Hey, wow...!"
Down at her feet, Grim rolled upright, shaking his own head and grumbling in protest. His ribbon had changed back into the crisp red-and-black bow from the first unbirthday party, complete with Heartslabyul emblem brooch... This time around, though, it wasn't just him who'd gotten a wardrobe change.
She'd been wearing the skater dress, leggings and cardigan outfit again, with the schoolbag slung over her shoulder.
Now, she was definitely still wearing a dress, but... Well, for one, her cardigan had turned into a Heartslabyul dorm uniform jacket.
The button-down shirt was still there, but the dress itself had changed, too... It was the same shape, and material, by the feel of it. The color had changed, though... The skirt was white now, with large black-and-red card suit appliques all around the skirt. She couldn't see if anything had happened to the top, though, since she was suddenly wearing a vest under the suit jacket... The same pink as her hoodie, instead of the usual black or red.
The ankle boots had also been replaced by a pair of puffy, high-top sneakers, the same as the dorm uniform... Except these ones also had accents of pink. A caution tape ribbon belt was slung around her hips, and her leggings now had a single gold stripe running down the outseam. Even the schoolbag... It had turned white too, with a red heart on the center of the flap, making it look like an oversized love letter.
Reaching up cautiously, she groped at her hair. There was a thin headband on her head-- like an undersized version of the quintessential lolita rectangle headbands, except without the ribbon tied under the chin. Her hair was slightly pulled back on the right side, caught up by what felt like another painted ribbon rose.
Not only that, but-- she could feel the sensation of makeup on her face... Pretty light, by the feel of it, but definitely still makeup.
Glancing back over her shoulder, she saw Ace and Deuce standing by the entrance, both grinning-slash-smirking proudly.
The flock of Caters clapped and cheered even harder, with some of them giving appreciative whistles.
"All RIGHT!" One of them cheered. "Now THAT'S more like it-- you really look like part of the dorm now, Prefect-chan!"
"And you're twinning with Gri-chan, too-- sooo CUTE!" Another one added.
The spell-casting Cater tucked his pen away, winking. Then he turned back to the assembled students, cupping his hands around his mouth. "Hey, c'mon, c'mon-- is that all you got?! Let's REALLY hear it for 'em!"
The applause intensified, rising to a cacophony that was probably audible all the way back in the Hall of Mirrors.
Grim, apparently getting his bearings back, jumped up onto her leg, clambering back up onto her shoulder. Standing up on his back paws, he puffed out his chest with a huge grin on his face.
"Heheh-- now THIS is more like it!" She heard him exclaim over the noise. "I could listen to all my adoring fans all day!"
The Caters let the cheering continue for a few more moments. Then, one of them-- possibly the spellcaster, but it was hard to keep track-- stuck his fingers in his mouth, giving a sharp whistle. "Okay, okay-- don't get TOO carried away, folks!" He announced, putting his hands on his hips. "These two aren't the ONLY stars of the day-- you gotta save at least SOME of that energy for Riddle-kun, remember?"
The raucous applause died down, and Kat blinked hard, shaking her head.
Footsteps came up behind her, and she turned to face Ace and Deuce as they approached. "I take it you two were responsible for all this?" She asked, folding her arms and tilting her head with a wry smile.
"Yep!" Ace confirmed, still grinning proudly. "Well? Whaddaya think? Talk about a hero's welcome, right?"
"Oh, it wasn't just us, though," Deuce added. "Actually, Diamond-senpai was the one who organized all the other dorm residents... Oh, and he also came up with the idea for your outfit, too."
"And not just because we asked him to, either," Ace continued. "He actually said he wanted to do something for you guys, too... I mean--" He laughed a little, patting her briefly on the non-Grim-laden shoulder. "Without you, there probably wouldn't be much of an Unbirthday Party to have today... So-- well... Thanks."
"Yeah-- Prefect, Grim, thank you," Deuce agreed, nodding emphatically.
If Grim's chest swelled any more, Kat was pretty sure he'd start floating away like a balloon. Tossing his head, he cackled, tail swishing proudly."HEH!" He scoffed, voice practically dripping with conceit. "Well, a' COURSE it was nothing for ME... It was a walk in the park! But hey-- if you're already pilin' on the compliments, no need to slow down anytime soon!"
Ace rolled his eyes, snorting loudly. "Pffft-- yeah, RIGHT," he mocked, the wide grin falling away into his signature cocky smirk. "I don't remember complimenting YOU, furball... I was talkin' to Pre-K here, not some little tagalong tanuki."
"Wh-- HEY!" Grim protested, bristling. "Why, Ace, you no-good little--"
A burst of light and a loud POP! noise interrupted him, and suddenly the garden was noticeably empty of Caters... Plural, that is.
The remaining Cater jogged back up to the group, beaming happily. "Okay, come on, come on-- Riddle and Trey are scheduled to make their big entrance any second now!" He urged, motioning for them to follow him.
"Oh-- right!" Kat nodded, hurrying along after him, with Deuce and Ace tagging along behind her.
As they took their places next to one of the tables, the lines of Heartslabyul students assembled on either side of the arch in the hedge. Then, the trumpeters emerged, blowing their fanfare as the announcer stepped forward.
"Our beloved leader, the Red Sovereign himself-- His Grace, His Excellency, Housewarden Riddle-- HAS ARRIVED!" He declared, sweeping an arm out and bowing aside.
On cue, the crowd broke into a chorus of "ALL HAIL HOUSEWARDEN RIDDLE!" As Riddle and Trey emerged through the archway.
"WOO!" Kat called, clapping enthusiastically as they walked down the corridor of saluting pens.
Riddle, for his part, was walking as steadily and surely as she'd ever seen him. His face was definitely back to a healthy color, and she could see that his eyes were bright and alert, even from this distance.
"Hm," she heard him muse again-- but with a slightly livelier tone to his voice than she remembered. "Yes-- yes, the roses in the garden are red... And of course, the tablecloths are pure white. This seems a proper Unbirthday Party indeed. And, as for the dormouse in the teapot--"
Pausing, he blinked. Then he shrugged, giving his head a small shake as he laughed quietly. "Well-- nevermind. I suppose it's fine either way..."
Trey gave a soft chuckle, coming up next to the delicate boy and patting him comfortingly on the shoulder. "Hey-- don't push yourself," he smiled. "Not everything has to change suddenly all at once, you know... It's okay to take it one small step at a time."
Riddle turned his head, looking up at him in surprise. "Hm? What do you mean?"
Trey laughed a little harder, stepping back and folding his arms. "For example-- maybe use the jam for scones, instead of reserving it for the mouse? Think of it like this-- say to yourself, 'it'd be great if it was this way', not 'it definitely, absolutely HAS to be this way'. You know?"
Riddle blinked, then nodded, smiling. "Hmm... Yes, I see. That does sound rather sensible... Thank you, Trey."
The two continued towards the table, with Trey pulling out the large, thronelike chair for him, then taking a seat himself. Riddle dismissed the tunnel of students with a wave, and the sound of eager chatter filled the garden again.
"Ah-ahh," Ace grumbled next to Kat, crossing his arms and shaking his head. "Man, with that entrance he made, you'd think he was the MVP party-planner... But who was it who did all the cleanup and prep work for all this? US!"
Deuce snorted, shaking his head. "Oh, there, there-- come on," he grinned, reaching over and patting him mockingly on the shoulder. "Hey, at least the housewarden managed to recover from his overblot just fine, right? No complications or anything."
"Yeah, yeah, Acey-- lighten up!" Cater agreed, slinging his arm around Ace's shoulder and pulling him into a brotherly side-hug. "Thanks to you all, this garden's back in tip-top, Magicam-worthy shape! Consider me absolutely obsessed!"
Grinning, he put his other fist to Ace's head, giving him an affectionate noogie while the younger redhead spluttered and cursed in protest.
On her shoulder, Grim started making excited biscuits, tensing eagerly with his tail swishing. "Mmm-- man, I don't CARE about the garden or the decorations or NOTHIN'!" He said, the drool in his voice actually audible. "Let's just hurry up an' get to chowing down already, huh?!"
Cater laughed, releasing the still-swearing Ace and coming over to pat Grim on the head next. "Okay, okay-- you've been extra-patient, Gri-chan! In that case-- allow me to do the honors! Alright, everybody! Let's all get this party--"
"WAIT JUST A MOMENT!"
Everybody jumped, looking around in obvious shock. Riddle had stood up from his chair, fists on his hips and a sudden stormy look falling across his face.
"Ack--!" Kat heard Cater yelp.
Everyone froze, holding their breath as they stared at Riddle apprehensively. Picking up his scepter from the table, he used it to gesture at something. "Are those... WHITE roses?" He asked, voice low and steely.
Glancing in the direction of the pointed scepter, Kat grimaced. Sure enough, through one of the openings in the hedge maze, was another garden of topiary rosebushes... All covered in white blooms.
"Geh--! N-No way... We MISSED some?!" Ace hissed, face draining of all its color as he drew back.
"Wh... Ace-chan, Deuce-chan-- what the FUCK?!" Cater choked, giving the pair of first-years a shocked look. "Didn't I tell you to make sure to get EVERY rose?!"
"H-Huh?!" Deuce protested, looking back at him in obvious panic. "Wait-- this is OUR fault now?!"
Through the tense silence, the sound of Riddle walking towards the offending rosebushes boomed like thunder.
Trey stood up cautiously as well, hands raised in a placating gesture. "Hey-- R-Riddle, look," he tried.
Riddle didn't even acknowledge him, pacing forward until he finally came to a stop in the 'threshold' of the other garden.
The tension vibrated through the air for a few more tense seconds. Then, Riddle turned, sweeping his cape aside as he looked around at the ranks of frozen students with a smile.
"Heh-- no need to worry," he laughed. "I was merely joking-- one or two missed roses are no longer a matter that warrants such punishment, I assure you."
The sigh of relief that swept through the garden was enough to make the colorful streamers and pennants sway and dance.
"Wow... R-REALLY?!" Cater beamed as he clasped his hands dramatically, like a groveling supplicant. "Riddle-kun, you're so generous... Amazing!"
Laughing again, Riddle planted the bottom of his scepter on the ground, putting his other fist on his hip as he nodded. "Indeed-- I'm sure that if we all work together, we should have them all properly painted in no time."
"Aw, WHAT?!" Ace complained, scowling. "Come on-- we still gotta PAINT the stupid things?! This sucks... OW!"
Kat had elbowed him sharply in the ribs without looking around. "Shut up, Trap Card," she ordered. "Just think of it as a party game or activity or something... Like pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey, or whatever. Besides..."
She nodded towards Trey. He was standing next to Riddle, folding his arms and looking down at the housewarden with a smile that radiated warmth and pride. "Don't ruin the moment with any unnecessary snark or assholery, okay? Just-- just let them have this. Both of them."
Ace grumbled a little, but in more of a resigned way. "Okay, okay, fiiiine... Jeesh. But if their little pre-credits fadeout moment goes on longer than a minute, I'm not gonna wait for it to be over..."
She rolled her eyes.
Grim jumped down off her shoulder, turning and scowling up at her and the others. "Grrr-- dangit, I'm not waitin' another second longer than I have to!" He complained. "C'mon, you lousy humans-- I don't care if it's paintin' roses or WHAT, but let's just get it over with and PARTY! I'm starvin' to DEATH over here!"
Riddle clapped twice, cutting through the buzzing of cautious, apprehensive optimism. "Now-- your attention, please," he called. "I'm trusting you all to ensure that every rose within this maze is properly painted... Check, check and double-check, every twist, turn, nook, and cranny! Of course--"
He chuckled, giving that prideful smile again as he put a hand to his chest. "I will be assisting you personally as well... So rest assured-- everything will come out perfectly!"
Another wave of cheers swept through the garden.
"YEAH! LET'S GO, DORM LEADER!"
"YOU CAN COUNT ON US, HOUSEWARDEN!"
"COME ON-- LET'S PAINT THE TOWN!"
"WOO!" Cater cheered, jumping up and punching the air. "Come on, you guys-- let's go! Otherwise, all the good roses'll be taken already!"
Laughing, Kat nodded, following him again as the other partygoers fanned out into the maze. Pausing to pick up a bucket and brush, she caught up to Cater as he jogged up to Trey and Riddle, who'd stopped in front of the nearest rosebush.
"When's the last time YOU did the painting yourself, Riddle?" She heard Trey ask as she approached.
Riddle hummed thoughtfully, putting his free hand to his chin as he tapped the end of the scepter on the ground. "Hard to say," he admitted with a shrug. "I've had the dorm residents handle it ever since I became housewarden..."
Cater laughed, pulling his pen out of his jacket again and twirling it between his fingers. "Hehe-- well then, you're in for a treat! It's actually pretty fun to do every once in a while..."
He glanced over his shoulder at Ace and Deuce, who'd caught up with Kat. "Okay, it's a little LESS fun when you're babysitting a gaggle of clueless firsties, though."
"Wh... H-HEY!" Ace protested. "What, are you talking about US?!"
Cater gave an exaggerated shrug. "Hey, I didn't say it, but if the shoe fits..."
"Aw, come ON-- no fair, senpai!" Ace complained, but was distracted by Grim scampering between his legs. "ACK--! AGAIN with the running-around-underfoot thing?!" He demanded. "Don't come cryin' to ME when you actually end up getting STEPPED on, you oversized dust bunny!"
Grim didn't seem to hear him, skittering up to Riddle's feet and standing up on his hind legs. "Heheheh!" He cackled, chest already reinflating with pride. "After all the painting I've had to do already, I'm about to wipe the FLOOR with ya, Riddle!"
Rather than getting upset, Riddle raised an eyebrow, giving a quiet laugh as he smiled coldly. "Heh," he smirked. "We'll see about that..."
And with that, the rose-painting race was on.
Dipping the tip of the brush in the paint, Kat wandered over to a different bush, starting to dab it onto the petals.
There wasn't really much to say-- she HAD done this twice already, after all... She felt like she was getting pretty good at this, if she did say so herself.
This time, though-- well, the atmosphere, it was... Different.
The air buzzed like a carnival, filled with eager, excitable tension vibrating like a plucked string. Heartslabyul students ran through the maze, racing around corners as they laughed and shouted over each other. Even while trying to concentrate on the task at hand, she couldn't help but turn and watch the shenanigans, grinning.
And there was always something new to watch...
For example. A gaggle of students had apparently tried to paint a particularly tall rosebush without a ladder. They did this by standing on each other's shoulders in a haphazard totem pole. Of course, this ended in the whole stack toppling over in a tangle of flailing limbs and cursing.
However, they simply rolled back upright, pulling each other back up onto their feet and laughing as they dusted off their dorm uniforms.
"YOU THERE!" She heard Riddle bark, and jumped, looking around nervously. He didn't seem to be talking to HER, though. Actually, he was pointing his scepter at a small group of students a few bushes away from her... A group that just so happened to include Deuce. "Those coats of paint are MUCH too thin! Make it thicker-- and don't miss anything, either!"
"Y-Yes, sir!" The group chorused, snapping to attention.
Ace, standing by another nearby rosebush, shook his head, looking incredulously at Riddle. "G-Geez-- he's still so DEMANDING! I thought he was finally gonna chill out a little or something..."
Trey, still standing next to the housewarden, shrugged, laughing again. "Hey, come on-- he wouldn't be Riddle if he wasn't a perfectionist," he chided teasingly.
"Hmph," Riddle smirked, folding his arms and giving a prideful nod. "It's as I always say-- if you're going to do something, do it perfectly. I want the best unbirthday party possible-- and that means no cutting corners!"
"You heard the housewarden," Trey nodded in agreement, smiling. "Well? Better get to it!"
Laughing, Kat nodded, turning back to the rosebush and continuing to paint.
Maybe a few minutes later, a loud twinkling sound and an enormous flash of light made her jump again.
Startled, she looked around to see Riddle twirl his scepter, taking a step back as he planted it on the ground next to him. The last of the sparkles around the rosebush he was standing by faded away, leaving the flowers bright crimson. "...And THAT'S how it's done," he declared matter-of-factly, giving a satisfied nod.
Ace, standing next to the same rosebush with his magical pen in his hand, blinked. Then he jumped back in shock, eyes widening. "Geez-- h-holy CRAP! You finished those roses before I could even raise my pen!"
Riddle chuckled, straightening his shoulders as he gave that imperious little smile again. "But of course," he proclaimed. "After all, I AM Housewarden, am I not?"
"Wow... Well, you've definitely proven you can lead by example, sir, " Deuce agreed, looking at the small redhead in awe. "You really ARE something..."
Strolling up, Cater put his arm around Deuce's shoulders, nodding. "Yup, yup, yup-- applied magic is Riddle-kun's super-special specialty!" He agreed, beaming proudly at Riddle. "He's not the top student in the whole school for nothing!"
"They look great, Riddle," Trey smiled, coming up behind him and laying a hand on his shoulder. "Good work."
"Hm," Riddle agreed. Looking around the maze, he nodded thoughtfully, raising his eyebrows.
Looking around herself, Kat noticed that there wasn't so much as a white petal in sight. The other Heartslabyul students were congregating in the center of the rose garden. A few stragglers emerged from whatever twists and turns they'd run off to in the maze, jogging over and watching Riddle deliberate for a moment.
"Hmm... Yes, that ought to do it," she heard Riddle muse over the buzz of excited chatter. "Now--"
Tapping the scepter against the ground to draw everyone's attention, he straightened his shoulders. "Have ALL the roses been painted? I trust you've all expended your best efforts?"
A cheer of assent swept through the crowd, with students jumping up and down, punching the air.
"Very well," Riddle nodded again. "Well, with THAT out of the way-- let the Unbirthday Party..."
Twirling his scepter again, he swung it through the air in a high arc. There was another burst of light, and suddenly more sparkles rained down-- accompanied by the fluttering of playing cards, scattering through the air like confetti.
"...BEGIN!"
With another raucous cheer, the dorm residents dashed forward, cheerfully chest-bumping or shoulder-checking their way back into the party venue. Of course, Kat was swept along with them, yelping a little bit as she got jostled around like a billiard ball. It wasn't a hostile kind of jostling, she could tell-- in fact, it was even a little bit fun, in its own way.
She spotted a head of smooth blue-black hair bobbing towards her. Pretty soon, Deuce struggled into view, with Ace at his heels and Grim tucked under his arm like a football.
"PREFECT!" He yelled over the din, waving. "ARE YOU OKAY?!"
She waved back, giving a brief thumbs-up before turning her attention back to not literally drowning in the tide of teenagers.
She managed to extricate herself from the crowd as they fanned out across the tea garden. Struggling off to the side, she brushed herself off as Ace and Deuce made their way over to her.
"Well, THAT was fun," she grinned, adjusting the headband and tossing some bangs out of her face.
"Tch!" Grim scoffed, scrambling out from under Deuce's arm and landing on the grass. "Yeah, speak for YOURSELF... If it wasn't for Deuce here, I'd've been trampled into tuna paste! AND I ended up losin' to Riddle, too... Man, coloring those many roses all at once has GOTTA be cheating somehow!"
"Sounds like SOMEBODY needs to git gud," Ace grinned down at him, hands on his hips as he raised an eyebrow. "Oh, yeah-- speakin' of Riddle, that reminds me..."
Turning, he jogged towards the long table, where Cater had flung his arm around Trey and Riddle's shoulders, subjecting them to a surprise selfie attack.
"Wh-- G-Git WHAT?!" Grim demanded, bristling angrily. "What does that even MEAN, you spiky-haired little--"
Scooping him up, Kat hurried after him, with Deuce taking up the rear.
Cater was actually the first to spot them. Releasing Trey and Riddle, he turned, waving as Kat's group approached. "Hey, hey, hey!" He grinned, practically skipping out from behind the table to greet them. "Great work back there as always, you four!"
"Thanks, Cater!" Kat smiled, as Deuce nodded sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "You, too!"
"Yes-- good work, all of you," Riddle agreed, smiling and nodding.
"Rrr," Grim grumbled, slouching in Kat's arms as his tail twitched irritably.
"Yeah-- thanks for helping us out," Trey added, folding his arms and nodding as well.
Ace waved a hand dismissively. "Yeah, yeah-- whatever, man, it was nothing. Anyway... Speakin' of hard work-- how'd that apology tart come out, Mr. Housewarden?"
"Wh--" Riddle bristled, making a face that was somewhere between a small scowl and a childish pout. "I-- I made it, of course! Just as I promised... Ermine?"
The white-haired, rabbit-eared, bespectacled student squeezed through the crowd, panting. He had a large white cake box in his hands, holding it out gingerly in front of him like it was a bomb or something. "H-H-Here, Housewarden," he stuttered, bobbing his head in an anxious bow.
Nodding, Riddle took the box, holding it out towards Ace. "Here," he said, glancing off to the side as his cheeks colored slightly. "A strawberry tart... Crafted by hand, of course. By me-- and no-one else, I can assure you of that."
Blinking, Ace approached, taking the box and flipping the lid open. "Huh... Well, whaddaya know," he said, drawing the statement out almost begrudgingly. "It sure is..."
Craning her neck, Kat peered over his shoulder into the box.
Yeah, okay-- that was a tart. Not a particularly pretty one, but also not really an ugly one... The shell was a little misshapen, kinda crumbly in places, and a little darker than the picturesque golden color of the ill-fated marron tart.
The filling was visibly a bit runny, probably not as thick as it should be... But if Kat knew anything about baking, it was that pastry cream was a pain in the ass to master. It definitely looked a lot better than her own past attempts... The strawberries on top had kind of sunken into the cream a little, and the effect was a little lopsided... But they were all covered in a thick layer of glaze that made them shine like red opals.
Trey walked over to Ace, adjusting his glasses and nodding. "Hmm, hmm... Not bad," he mused approvingly. "The shape's a little bit off, but that glazing work is really something..." He looked up at Riddle, smiling. "All in all, I'd call this an admirable effort-- especially since you've literally never baked a thing in your life before. Great first try!"
Ace groaned, rolling his eyes as he deposited the box onto a nearby table. "Okaaay-- an' here comes the obnoxious fawning behavior," he droned. "How 'bout we actually give it a TASTE-TEST before going too overboard with the empty flattery, huh?"
"Hey, hey-- hang on!" Cater protested, jogging over and pulling his phone out of his jacket. "Nobody move a muscle-- don't touch that tart until I get my Magicam shots in!"
Holding up his phone, he clicked away for a few seconds, then hopped back, tucking it away with a flourish and beaming. "Okay-- got it!" He announced, winking.
"Pfft-- guess Cater-senpai hasn't changed a bit, either," Ace muttered with a smile. "Sheesh..."
A few moments later, Trey handed Kat the plate with her own slice of Riddle's tart on it. "Here you go, Prefect," he smiled, nodding.
"Thanks," she nodded back, accepting it and picking the fork up off the rim of the plate. "Oh-- and thank you too, Riddle," she added, smiling at the apprehensive-looking housewarden, hovering nearby and watching intently.
He blinked, then nodded back, giving her a small smile in return.
"Alright, alright-- enough stalling already!" Ace called. "Okay then-- ittadakimasu!~"
With that, everyone-- that is, she, Cater, Ace, Deuce, and of course Grim-- took their first bite. The moment Kat put her own piece into her mouth, though, she actually recoiled, nose crinkling up involuntarily.
"Wh-- this is..." Trey said hoarsely, as Deuce made a strangled noise.
Cater coughed. "R-Riddle-kun-- this tart, it's kinda..." He began, looking baffled.
"It's-- fuckin' SALTY!" Ace spluttered, and Kat bristled, flinging her arm up and ducking out of the way of the ensuing spray of crumbs.
"Wh--WHAT?!" Riddle demanded, blanching. "Impossible! Salty...?!"
Shaking her head hard, Kat actually managed to swallow her mouthful.
Okay-- okay, THAT had caught her off-guard... The unexpectedness of it all had kind of made her short-circuit briefly, as it were. But now that she'd gotten her bearings back, it... Wasn't actually all that bad. It WAS definitely salty, but not, like, utterly disgusting...
That was, until she got to the aftertaste.
A distinctly fishy, almost briny scent filled her mouth, lingering on the back of her tongue, and she grimaced hard. Putting the plate down on the table, she took a couple steps back, shuddering involuntarily.
Ew-- gross...
She couldn't stand seafood... ANY kind of seafood. Something about it-- the flavors, the textures, everything-- just made her want to die. Besides that, it still wasn't entirely unpleasant... And the scent was, objectively, pretty mild. But once she noticed the briny, slimy fishiness, it was pretty hard to think of anything else. It was like a faint whiff of the smell of salty, rotting seaweed had somehow found its way into her mouth...
Shaking his head, Ace coughed and spluttered, gagging a couple of times before he managed to catch his breath. "Ack...!! Wh-what the HELL, man?!" He choked out, swiping at his mouth with the back of his fist. "This isn't just-- just a LITTLE salty... It's, like, super mega ULTRA salty! What'd you even PUT in this to do this to it, huh?!"
"Wh-- I-- I don't KNOW!" Riddle protested, starting to pace a little as he ran a hand through his hair frantically. "I followed the rules precisely, and measured and weighed each ingredient no less than three times each! There shouldn't have been ANY mistakes that led to such a result unless I--"
Suddenly, he froze, gasping as his eyes widened. "Wait a moment-- p-perhaps it was... Could it be the oyster sauce...?"
Deuce spat his mouthful out onto the grass, shaking his head and wiping his mouth on his forearm. "H-Housewarden," he coughed. "N-No way... Are you talking about that-- that Walrus Brand Young Oyster Sauce that Clover-senpai was joking about?!"
"Wh-- J-JOKING?!" Riddle protested back, looking just as bewildered as Deuce. "But-- Trey told me... H-He said that oyster sauce was the secret ingredient in all the best tarts! All the most highly acclaimed patisseries use it, so I- I just..."
"And what-- you actually just BELIEVED HIM?!?!" Ace shouted angrily, tossing his plate down onto the table and making the crockery and cutlery rattle. "Come ON, man-- there's no fuckin' WAY that's true! Just THINK about it for more than two seconds-- I mean, SERIOUSLY?! How could you NOT TELL he was JOKING?!"
Kat blinked. "Hey, hang on just a goddamn MINUTE," she protested. "YOU almost fell for it too, remember?!"
"Wh-- HEY!" Ace protested, whirling on her. "Come ON, Kat, no fair-- and anyway, at the end of the day I DIDN'T! That's the important thing, right?!"
"Yeah, but only 'cause Trey came out and admitted it was a joke!" She retorted, planting her fists on her hips. "If he hadn't cracked, you'd probably have done the same thing!"
"Y-Yeah, but-- R-Riddle-kun... Even if you actually BELIEVED that, it was SUPPOSED to be just a dash, right?" Cater asked incredulously. "Just how much of that stuff did you even put in?!"
Riddle flushed, balling up his fists and stomping a foot in helpless frustration. "Wh-- I mean... I-it's a SECRET INGREDIENT, for goodness' sake! If it wasn't, the measurements would have been properly written down! A-And Trey wouldn't tell me, no matter how many times I asked... What was I meant to do, then?!"
Oop-- Kat pressed the back of her hand to her mouth, turning away slightly as she tried to hide her smile.
God, he really WAS cute... And funny. Like, objectively, really, really funny...
She felt like maybe it was a little mean to think, since it's not like he was TRYING to be... But-- well-- she couldn't help it...
And, apparently, she wasn't the only one to think so.
Trey made a sound like a cough.
Then he snickered.
Then he threw his head back, bursting into a full-blown fit of laughter.
"Pff-- HA! HAHAHAHAHA!" He guffawed, whole body actually shaking with mirth. "N-No way... I never-- thought somebody'd ever actually FALL for the oyster sauce trick... E-Especially not YOU, Riddle! I- I-- PFFT!"
With that, he doubled over, wheezing into his fist as his shoulders shook.
Despite her best efforts, Kat started giggling too. She pressed one hand hard to her mouth, leaning her other palm against the table.
She didn't hear what Riddle said next... But she definitely heard him laugh.
Looking back, she saw him-- cheeks flushed, eyes closed, and grin far too wide to be hidden politely behind his black-gloved fist.
Ah-- wow...
Her own smile grew even wider, hand falling away from her mouth as she stood up straighter.
...There it was. That same expression...
Well, okay, not EXACTLY the same, but... Still, there it was. Pure, unfiltered happiness, without a trace of sternness, coldness or distance...
He was happy.
Riddle, for the first time she'd ever seen him, outside of a dream, was really, truly, genuinely happy.
Next to her, Deuce snorted with laughter too, shaking his head. "H-Haha-- I mean, it-- it IS kind of funny," he admitted. "I mean, like, it's kind of so gross that it HAS to be funny... You know?"
"Pfft-- yeah, you got THAT right," Ace agreed, crossing his hands behind his head with a grin. "Like... I mean, what else CAN we do but laugh about it?"
"Mmm-- but, ya know," Grim mused, slightly muffled, like he had a partial mouthful of something. "I think it's kinda growin' on me... Like, it's actually kinda good!"
Kat blinked, turning her head and giving him a suspicious look... But, nope, there he was, still shoveling salty tart into his mouth like Garfield.
"Well-- okay, but you eat ROCKS," she said after a second.
Grim gave her an affronted look, and she shrugged, holding up her hands. "Okay, okay, sorry... To each their own, I guess. Here--" Reaching over, she picked up her discarded plate, placing it next to Grim's. "You can have mine, if you want it."
Ace gagged theatrically again, stepping back from the table. "Ugh-- guess I'll just chalk that one up to his monster tastebuds again, but jeeeesh..."
"Aw, come on-- I think Gri-chan might be on to something here!" Cater piped up cheerfully. "Like, it's not actually as bad as you'd think!"
Everyone looked at him, startled. He was half-sitting on a different table, plate in one hand and fork in the other, and, by all appearances, happily eating away.
"Wh-- H-HUH?!" Deuce demanded, eyes widening as he jumped back. "N-No way... Diamond-senpai actually agrees with Grim on this?! Do you guys have the same taste in food or something?! Is that even POSSIBLE?!"
Cater pouted, putting his fork and plate down next to him. "Hey, c'mon, c'mon-- don't look so shocked! Don't get me wrong, I didn't say it was AMAZING or anything... Just, maybe you guys all kinda overreacted a bit? It's really not that bad..."
Chuckling, Trey walked over, folding his arms and giving Cater a sly smirk. "Well-- that's because it's not sweet, right?" He asked, quirking an eyebrow.
Cater winced, jumping. "Eh--?" He muttered guiltily.
"You're not a big fan of sweet things," Trey continued. "Am I right, Cater?"
Kat blinked again. "Really?" She asked, puzzled. "But-- you had a piece of the marron tart the other night... And, didn't you say you liked it?"
The look on Cater's face spoke way louder than any words could ever have. "Wh-- Ah-- Uh..." He spluttered, looking back and forth frantically between all the gazes fixed on him. "T-Trey-kun... You knew?! But I never told anybody I--"
Kat didn't actually hear the end of Cater's stuttered sentence, since she was distracted by the feeling of something long and furry brushing across her back.
She jumped, head whipping around... But nothing was there.
At least... Nothing she could see at the moment.
Shaking her head, she turned back to watch the conversation between Trey and Cater.
"--How you always casually bring up my Doodle Suit whenever we happen to be eating cake or sweets," Trey was saying, grinning. "Oh, don't worry, it never shows on your face... But, I mean, come on. Once or twice is fine, but every single time? Even YOU have to know that that's pretty suspicious."
"Wh-- S-Seriously?!" Cater demanded. Then he slumped, ruffling his hair as he gave a defeated sigh. "Maaaan-- looks like the secret's out. This is soooo embarrassing..."
Smiling, Kat shook her head again, turning and wandering away through the party. She had a sneaking suspicion... Well, not so much a suspicion, since that had kind of a negative connotation. Maybe a feeling?
Strolling slowly through the tea garden, she kept her eyes peeled as she weaved around tables. It was a pretty small garden, all things considered...She actually ended up back where she'd started in time to catch the tail end of the third-years' conversation.
"--Make sure it's JUST as photogenic as your cakes, though!" Cater was saying, crossing his arms and giving a theatrical huff.
Hmm-- nope, nothing... Shrugging, she strolled towards the long table, turning around and half-sitting, half-leaning against it.
Spotting crimson hair and a gold crown out of the corner of her eye, she turned to look. "Oh-- hi, Riddle!" She smiled, standing up straight again and tucking some bangs behind her ear. "Or-- uh... Is it Housewarden?"
Riddle actually jumped a little, blinking. "Ah! M-Miss Prefect... Hello."
He straightened up as well, coughing into a fist. "Ahem. No, Riddle is fine... I-- I suppose. For the time being, at least."
"Okay," she nodded. Taking a few steps closer, she leaned against the table again, ankles crossed. "And-- y'know, you can drop the 'miss' part if you want... I really don't mind. And you don't have to say 'Prefect', either-- I have a name, too. It's Kat-- with a K."
"I-- see," Riddle ventured. "Well-- a-alright then... K-Kat."
Clearing his throat again, he stood up a little straighter, one hand to his chin as he looked her up and down. "I take it Cater was responsible for coordinating your outfit this afternoon?"
"Yep," Kat confirmed, nodding. "Me and Grim-- he's got a matching ribbon, it's actually super cute. Um... How does it look, though? I haven't actually seen what I look like, so I don't really know..."
"Oh," Riddle said, blinking. "Well-- you... Look very nice."
"Really?" Kat asked, tilting her head. "The... Makeup and everything? At least-- I think there's makeup, it feels like there is... It doesn't look bad, does it?"
"Oh-- no," Riddle insisted, shaking his head. "No, no... Cater is quite skilled in that area, I assure you." Stepping back, he folded his arms, giving a small, prideful smile. "Besides-- I've never been the type to give empty compliments."
Kat blinked, then gave a quiet laugh. Ah, yep-- there it was. Well, it was like Trey said... Even if he chilled out some, Riddles gonna Riddle, it seemed. "Welp-- thanks... That's good to know, at least. Glad I'm not walkin' around looking like a clown..."
Tilting her head, she smiled at him. "How are you, by the way? Feeling okay?"
Clearing his throat, Riddle actually turned away a little. "Ah-- yes. Yes, I'm fine... Thank you for your concern, Pre-- Kat."
"That's good," she smiled again, nodding.
The conversation lapsed for a couple seconds.
Trying to find anything to fill the awkward silence with, Kat craned her neck, looking past Riddle and down the long table. Right next to him, on the opposite side she was on, was a cake stand. It actually seemed like, maybe, he'd been trying to block it from view... But she could still see that, on the stand, was a large strawberry tart. Probably made by Trey, since it looked like it belonged in the display case of a French pastry shop.
One slice was missing... Or, no, actually-- it wasn't 'missing'. There it was-- on a small plate right next to Riddle, complete with dainty dessert fork.
"Oh-- wow, guess you really DO like tarts, huh?"
Riddle stiffened, blushing as he glanced back at the still-untouched slice like it was something shameful. "Wh-- y-yes, I do," he retorted, bristling a little and giving her a defensive look. "Why, is there something the matter with that?"
"What? Oh-- no, no, of course not!" She assured him quickly, waving a hand. "It's actually kinda cute-- oh..."
It had slipped out without her realizing, and now it was her turn to blush. She put a hand to her mouth, wincing apologetically. "S-Sorry... I didn't mean to say that."
"I... See," Riddle said slowly again. "Well-- alright... I'll... Take it as a compliment, I suppose. I'd advise you to choose your words a bit more carefully in future, though."
"Sure thing," she agreed, nodding again as her smile grew a little wider.
Squaring his shoulders, Riddle nodded, indicating the tart on the cake stand. "Speaking of tarts-- might I offer you some? Of this one, I mean. Trey made this one himself, so I'm sure it's perfectly palatable... Consider it a bit of an apology for-- well..."
He glanced over at the other table, where Grim was gathering a bit of an audience. They were all watching him devour the abandoned plates of Riddle's tart with expressions that ranged from disgustedly fascinated to just disgusted.
"...MY failed attempt at the dish."
"No-- I'm fine," Kat replied, shaking her head as her smile grew a little wryer. "And-- hey, I don't think you need to beat yourself up about that so much... I mean, other than the-- well-- the sauce thing, it seemed pretty darn passable to me. And that's not an empty compliment, either."
Riddle blinked, looking back over at her with surprise. "Really?"
"Oh, for sure!" She agreed, nodding. "I mean, I'd probably have to use store-bought dough for the crust, and-- what was that filling supposed to be, Bavarian cream? Or-- pastry cream, or whatever it's called? I've literally NEVER been able to get that garbage right, so I'd probably just end up using, like, cream cheese or something..."
Waving a hand again, she shook her head. "I'm getting off-track here. Anyway, the point is-- it was actually remarkably good for a literal first try, ya know? Trey was definitely right about that."
He looked back at her for a moment, blinking slowly. Then he laughed again, one hand on his elbow with the other at his chin. "Hm," he murmured, smiling. "I see... Well, thank you, Miss-- I mean... Kat. I appreciate it."
"No problem," she replied, smiling back.
The conversation lapsed again, but... In a significantly less awkward way this time.
Putting her head to one side, Kat looked thoughtfully at Riddle.
She realized, suddenly, that she wasn't quite as-- well, as nervous around him as she had been.
That actually surprised her a little-- raising her eyebrows, she straightened up a bit.
Why? What had changed? Riddle himself seemed the same... He still had that straight-laced, high-society period drama vibe. The way he talked, the way he carried himself-- it was all still the same, but... Something was different. There was SOMETHING, she could tell...
...Oh. She realized what it was.
Actually, it-- or at least, most of it-- was on HER side, not his. Maybe she'd simply 'acclimated' to his presence-- that was definitely a possibility. But also-- well...
To put it bluntly, this version of Riddle was a lot easier to handle than the-- the... What had Crowley called it? Blot-something? Compared to that, his normal air of Downton Abbey-style sternness was a breath of fresh air.
And-- okay. Okay, at this point, it had to be said. She'd developed a-- a sort of... Possessiveness for him. The same kind of platonic, almost maternal protectiveness that she'd developed for Grim, Deuce, and-- even though she hated to admit it-- Ace.
Hell-- maybe even moreso... He really, really did remind her of her little brother. At least, up until he stopped being 'little'... She'd always kind of had a platonic soft spot for small, cute younger boys, especially if they had that sad, kicked-puppy look. It was, like, a combination of protectiveness, compassion, and-- honestly-- more than a little bit of cute aggression...
But-- but also... He HAD changed, a little bit. Just a little.
He wasn't looking at her with that mild, all-encompassing disapproval anymore... In fact, he seemed to be a little-- a little... Shy? Embarrassed, almost? Kind of like Deuce the first day she'd met him. It was like he-- he... Didn't know how to react to her, almost. Like she didn't fall into any of the categories he usually placed people in...
She couldn't decide whether that was something to feel flattered about or not yet, though.
"Hm~ Hmhmhm~" A tuneless humming, right next to her, distracted her from her thoughts.
Jumping, she whirled around, she came face-to-face with... Nothing.
...Besides a cupcake, hovering unsupported in midair.
"Your sweets are all so delightful, as always, Trey!" A singsong voice purred as part of the wrapper peeled away, apparently of its own accord. "Ahhh-- mmm..."
A thin-lipped, sharp-fanged mouth opened in midair, taking a large bite. Its tongue flicked a bit of frosting away from a rapidly appearing cheek as sparkling ribbons of energy wove together into a lanky frame.
Finally, in a small burst of pinkish-purple sparkles, Che'nya appeared. He was perched on the table, one foot propped up on the white tablecloth with his knee bent. His other leg dangled casually, and his fluffy tail rose up, swaying in a way that a 'normal' tail shouldn't be able to.
As Kat watched stupidly, the tip flicked up and down in a small 'wave', golden eyes glittering as he gave her a sideways smirk.
"Ch-CHE'NYA?!" Riddle blurted, jumping. "What are YOU doing here?!"
Che'nya blinked. "Hm? Why-- I'm here to celebrate someone's unbirthday, of course!" He grinned, unfolding from his lean and wandering over to the housewarden. "A very merry Unbirthday to you, Riddle," he purred, sweeping him a theatrical bow.
Riddle huffed, crossing his arms. Stepping back, he looked at Che'nya with what could only be called resigned exasperation. "The Unbirthday Party-- as you are VERY well aware-- is a Heartslabyul House tradition," he stated. "It doesn't concern you in the slightest."
Che'nya, for his part, didn't seem to care too much. Unfolding from his bow, he snickered quietly. "Oh, is that sooo...? Well, in THAT case--"
He jerked the thumb of his free hand behind him, indicating Kat. "How 'bout Lil' Missy and her fuzzy little friend? Aren't they in the same boat as me?"
Kat's 'fuzzy little friend' scampered over, stopping next to her leg and standing up on his hind paws. "Ah-- hey, it's HIM again!" He said, glowering at Che'nya with his paws on his hips. "That weird, disappearin' catlike guy who says 'nya, nya' all the time!"
Glancing back, Che'nya winked, giving a languid wave, which Kat returned, a little awkwardly. Grim, however, still didn't seem very impressed, crossing his front legs and flicking an ear. "An' he didn't even end up tellin' us which dorm he's from, either," he grumbled.
Laughing again, Trey came over, standing next to Kat. "Well, to tell you the truth-- Che'nya doesn't even go here," he admitted, nodding at the unlikely pair in front of them.
Kat blinked again. "...Huh?" She asked, cocking her head at him. "What do you mean?"
"I mean he goes to a different school," Trey explained, nodding at them again. "See, Che'nya here's actually a student at Night Raven College's long-time rival-- Royal Sword Academy."
"Wh-- S-SERIOUSLY?!" Kat heard Deuce demand, and glanced over to see him and Ace jogging over, gaping. "He-- actually goes to a DIFFERENT school?! He's not from any of the dorms here?!"
"And not just ANY school-- Royal Sword Academy?!" Ace added, seeming genuinely shocked.
Kat looked back and forth between them and Trey, then back at Riddle and Che'nya.
Riddle was apparently trying to scold the purple-haired boy. Che'nya, for his part, seemed completely unbothered, simply nodding along as he ate the rest of his cupcake.
"...Okay, somebody's gonna have to fill me in here," she said. "What does any of that mean, exactly?"
Ace shook his head, giving her a startled look. "Wh-- you seriously don't--" he began, then stopped. "Oh-- r-right... Duh. Okay, Royal Sword Academy is--"
"H-Hey... Did those guys just say 'Royal Sword Academy'?"
Kat blinked, looking around.
...Uh-oh. Suddenly, all the other dorm students had turned their heads, staring intently at Che'nya and muttering to each other.
"WHAT?! WHO'S from RSA?!" Someone demanded.
"Isn't it that purple cat-looking guy talkin' to the dorm head?" Someone else added.
"That means he's all buddy-buddy with all those prissy little princelings, right?!"
"WHAT?! The NERVE of that guy-- who does he think he IS, steppin' onto NRC turf and acting all friendly with OUR housewarden?!"
"Let's get 'im OUTTA here!"
Flicking an ear, Che'nya turned, raising his eyebrows at the ragged circle of encroaching Heartslabyuls. "Oops-- uh-oh," he grinned, the hint of a nervous giggle at the edge of his voice. "Looks like that's my cue..."
Reaching out, he snagged the slice of strawberry tart off Riddle's plate, taking a bite out of it like a piece of pizza. "Well-- now that I've tasted some tart, guess I should see myself out... Mew take care now, mmm-kay, Riddle?~"
Ignoring his spluttered protests, he stepped nimbly around Riddle, fluffy tail giving him a friendly pat on the shoulder.
Looking back over at Kat, he winked again, raising his free hand in the cat's-paw fist. "And mew too, Lil' Missy... See ya'round!"
With that, he jogged backwards, saluting with the slice of tart as the air around him started to shimmer.
"Wh-- HEY!" Someone shouted. "HE'S MAKIN' A RUN FOR IT!"
"GET 'IM!" Someone else ordered.
With a roar, the crowd surged forward, running in the direction of the rapidly vanishing Che'nya.
Trey reached out quickly, putting his arm around Kat's shoulders and pulling her to his side. Shrieking, Grim scrambled up her leg, hunkering down on her shoulder just in time.
The crowd of students parted around Trey like water around a boulder, and were also giving Riddle a wide berth. Ace and Deuce weren't so lucky, though... They got buffeted around in the press of bodies, protesting voices lost in the shouts of the angry mob.
The stampede didn't last very long, though, luckily... As the last of the students pelted off, Trey pulled his arm back, taking a few steps away from her. "Sorry about that," he said, turning and giving her an apologetic smile. "Cater told me you're not a fan of too much physical contact, but that seemed like a better option than getting run over..."
Kat laughed, shaking her head. "N-No, it's fine... Thanks, Trey."
On her shoulder, Grim shivered, pinning his ears back. "Wh-Whoa... Hey, is it just me, or did everybody turn real bloodthirsty real quick?"
"Nah, it wasn't just you," Ace grumbled, dusting off the front of his vest. "Geez-- I've heard of rivalry an' all, but this is ridiculous...!"
Shaking his head, Deuce smoothed down his hair, looking baffled. "W-Wow-- that was actually kind of scary," he panted. "What WAS all that just now?"
Sighing, Riddle came over, shaking out his cape and readjusting his crown. "The truth is," he admitted, brushing down his sleeves as he stood next to Trey. "A good deal of the students here at Night Raven College regard Royal Sword Academy as the enemy... And, of course, this applies to the students, not merely the institution itself."
Trey sighed too, putting his fingertips to his temple and shaking his head. "Well-- I mean, can you blame 'em? They HAVE kicked our collective ass--"
Riddle gave him a sharp look, and he stopped, clearing his throat. "...Collective BUTTS," he corrected himself. "For a hundred years straight..."
"Sheesh," Kat winced, rubbing the back of her neck and looking in the direction of the vanished stampede. "Is-- he gonna be okay? Che'nya, I mean?"
Riddle and Trey looked at each other, then laughed. "Oh-- no need to worry, Prefect," Riddle assured her. "He may not look it-- or act it-- but Che'nya is really quite a clever character... I have no doubts that, in ten minutes' time, he'll be safely back within the walls of Royal Sword Academy. Although..."
Folding his arms, he sighed again, looking resigned. "I also have no doubts that he'll be back... Sooner rather than later, if I know him."
"Aw-- come on, come ooon...!!" Grinning, Cater crept up behind Trey and Riddle, pouncing and throwing his arms around both their shoulders. "Enough with all the dark stories-- don't go dredgin' up the past and harshin' the vibe! In case you've forgotten, today's our UNBIRTHDAY PARTY-- so let's just kick back, relax, and have a blast!"
"MYA-HA!" Grim cheered. Jumping down off Kat's shoulder, he started running around the mostly-empty garden. "Cater's RIGHT-- an' LOOK at all this! We've got this big, fancy feast all to ourselves... I'm ready to scarf it all down till my stomach BURSTS! Let's all have the MERRIEST Unbirthday EVER!!"
"Wh-- GRIM!" Kat scolded. "Do not even THINK about eating everything! Save some for everybody else, or so help me god!"
"Wh-whoa... Do you think he can actually DO that?!" Deuce asked, giving her a surprised look as she hurried past.
Growling, she gestured helplessly. "I dunno... But do you actually wanna wait around and find OUT?!"
He grimaced, starting to jog after her. "G-Good point..."
Peeking back over his shoulder, Grim stuck his tongue out, blowing a huge raspberry. "Heheheh-- can't catch ME!" He sneered, speeding up a little.
"Oh, YEAH?" Kat retorted, rolling up her sleeves with a tight smirk. "Well, we'll just have to see about that..."
At the end of the next school day, Kat, Ace, and Deuce were picking their way through the packed halls.
Holding Grim tight to her chest, Kat turned sideways a little to squeeze past a few people, turning to look at Deuce. "Anyway-- like I said," she continued. "I'm-- well, I... L-Look, just for, like, half an hour, okay? I know you have your clubs and everything, but-- it'd really mean a lot to me... I'd really appreciate it, you know?"
Deuce sighed, rubbing the back of his head with an unsure frown. "W-Well... Okay, I guess," he relented after a second. "If it's really so important to you..."
Kat let out a breath, shoulders slumping a little. "Ugh-- thank you, Deuce," she sighed. "You're seriously the best..."
Looking down sternly at Grim, she shook him a little to get his attention. "...Hey. You hear that? You better not give Deuce any trouble, got it?"
"Tch," Grim grumbled, crossing his front legs as his tail twitched irritably. "Ge-eez-- you don't gotta keep tellin' me over and over... What are you, my mom?"
"...I don't think you want me to answer that," she said after a second. " 'Cause I feel like you're not gonna like my answer."
On the other side of her, Ace yawned, hands behind his head as he shot her and Deuce a suspicious sideeye. "Hey-- better you than me, Loosey-Deucey," he muttered, shrugging. "But, seriously... I just don't get why you'd WANNA go out of your way to talk to the little teapot tyrant, Pre-K..."
"Mind your own business, Yu-Gi-Oh," she shot back. "It's got nothing to do with you."
"...I don't even know what that means," she heard him grumble. Rolling her eyes, she put her head down, focusing on wading through the press of bodies.
Suddenly, an uneasy muttering rippled through the hallway. People started shuffling aside, like they were trying to press against the walls.
Ace hissed angrily as he got shunted sideways, knocking into Kat, who in turn got knocked into Deuce. "OW! Dammit...!" she swore, craning her neck to try and see above the sea of heads. "What the hell's going--"
Her eyes widened.
...A person was walking down the middle of the hallway. A tall person, with long hair, rolled-up sleeves, and a golden yellow vest, who moved with the casual, loping stride of an apex predator.
...It was him.
The person from the greenhouse.
He was walking slowly-- almost stalking or pacing, honestly. Even so, nobody seemed to want to get near him...
As his slinking stride carried him up the hallway, Kat could see his emerald eyes glinting, glancing carelessly from side to side.
Then, through a gap in the crowd, they landed on her.
She stiffened in spite of herself, holding her breath and clutching Grim tight. He squeaked in protest, but every inch of her was laser focused on the owner of that piercing, inhuman gaze. Slowing to a near-stop, he wasn't merely looking in her direction, or even just AT her-- he was staring directly into her eyes.
Somehow, despite her aversion to direct eye contact, she-- she couldn't look away... And not in a good way, either. She wasn't mesmerized, or drawn in or whatever... Something in the very back of her brain was telling her that if she was the one to look away first, something very, very bad would happen.
The lion-eared youth held the eye contact. It was probably only about one-and-a-half seconds, but to Kat, it felt like at least half a minute...
His eyes darted up and down, like he was sizing her up. Finally, he looked away. Tossing his head a little to shake his hair back, he kept walking, curling his upper lip in a small sneer. The last thing Kat saw was a brief glint of fang before his dark hair fell over his shoulder, blocking it from view.
She didn't relax until the crowd started moving again. The hallway filled back up with slightly uneasy chatter as everyone resumed their attempts to get to wherever they were going.
Letting out a long, shaky breath, she hoisted Grim onto her shoulder, giving his head an apologetic ruffle. "S-Sorry about that," she muttered to him, giving a weak smile. "Did I hurt you at all?"
Gasping comically for air, Grim shook his head, giving her an affronted glower. "Rrr... Wh-What kinda question is THAT?! You nearly crushed me ta' death! Why, I oughta... What kinda minion are you, huh?! You can't just go around squeezing the living daylights outta your boss, you know that?!"
"Sorry-- sorry," she apologized again, pushing her hair back with another weak sigh.
"H-Hey-- Pre-K," Ace muttered, glancing nervously in the direction the lion-man had paced off to. "That guy back there-- was he..."
"...Yeah," she confirmed, nodding. "That was him... The guy from the greenhouse."
"Wh-- Hey, hang on-- that was HIM?!" Deuce demanded. "The asshole who tried to hit you?!" His face darkened, and he clenched his jaw, turning like he was about to try and go down the hallway after him.
"Whoa!" Kat interrupted, grabbing him firmly by the upper arm and tugging him back. "Whoa, whoa, WHOA-- j-just chill out, okay?! There's NO need for any of that-- don't even THINK about it! Look, I'm fine! He didn't actually end up doing anything, so-- no harm, no foul. Okay?"
"But--" Deuce protested, glowering in the direction of the vanished stranger.
Shaking her head, she gave his arm another sharp tug. "Do NOT. I'm serious. Look, I-- I don't want any more trouble, okay?"
"Uhh-- y-yeah, I... I'm actually with the Prefect on this one, Deucey," Ace said, glancing nervously in the same direction. "That guy back there-- I- I don't think he's somebody to be messed with. Like, he-- he... Brr."
Shaking his head, he gave an exaggerated shiver. "Anyway-- you literally just agreed to be on furball-sitting duty, right? You gonna back out just to go get in a fight?"
"...No," Deuce relented after another second, rubbing the back of his neck. "You're right, Prefect... Sorry about that."
"My name is KAT," she reminded him in a playfully scolding tone, letting go of his arm and punching him lightly on the shoulder again. "Besides-- sticking up for people is one thing, but just running up and hitting people isn't the kinda' thing honor students do. Right?"
Deuce blinked, then smiled. "Right," he agreed, nodding. "You're right... Thanks, Pre-- uh... Kat."
"...And I can't have you going off and getting yourself into any fights right now," she added, smirking. "Since Grim's giving me the afternoon off, he's gonna need SOMEBODY else to boss around for the time being..."
On the other side of her, Ace burst into laughter. "HA!" He snorted, pointing at Deuce. "Good luck with all that, Loosey-Deucey!"
"...Sounds like maybe TWO somebodies," Kat added flatly without looking around.
Ace made a startled, strangled noise, falling silent.
"Yeah, that's what I thought," she said, rolling her eyes. Winking at Deuce, she continued to pick her way down the crowded hallway, with Grim on her shoulder and the two boys trailing along behind her.
Author's Notes:
AYOOOOO THAT'S A WRAP ON BOOK/CHAPTER 1!!!!
Next time: The Furry Chapter. And the first official appearance of Horny Boi. Even though he doesn't show up until the 14th chapter, lol.
I'm not 100% done with Chapter 1 tho, since I've got a few... Bonus chapters? I guess? In the works?
First is the... I guess debrief/actual therapy chapter that takes place directly after this, where Riddle is GOING to be adopted and befriended whether he likes it or not.
Then it's a couple of pieces based during the actual chapter, but from different characters' POVs (specifically Leona and Ruggie, then ADeuce) that happen 'offscreen', I guess.
Or rather, when Kat's offscreen? Idk.
Then, there's, like... 2 fully outside-the-chapter 100%-from-scratch side stories that take place in the brief gap between chapters 1 and 2, but I'm probably gonna switch back and forth between writing Chapter 2 and working on the bonus chapters/side stories, depending on how I'm feeling, lol.
So, it's probably not gonna be posted 'chronologically', know what I mean?
I tried to give the final rose-painting Twistune segment kind of a... Montage-y feel, you know? Partly because I thought it'd fit, and partly because I honestly just couldn't be bothered writing the whole thing again.
Like I said, Heartslabyul seems to have... Public school teenage boy energy.
Or, I guess, r/madlads energy? Which, like...
Tbh, what's the difference. There really isn't one.
There are only four braincells in the entire dorm, and Riddle has permanent custody of one-and-a-half of them. The other two bounce around between Trey, Cater, and, very occasionally, Ace, but Trey usually has at least one.
I've never actually had straight oyster sauce, but according to Google, I've had it in, like, stir-fry or chow mein or other similar dishes. I've never actually picked up on the 'fishiness' of it before, but that was probably because it was drowned out by the other ingredients...
And also because Riddle probably used, and this is an official cooking term, a metric fuck-ton of it.
Again, since Kat is essentially me (but I also think of her as, like, a separate character? It's hard to explain and I don't really get it 100% myself, lol) all the little quirks and random facts and whatever are things I have/know/do/etc.
So yeah, I actually really, really fucking hate seafood.
And peanuts/peanut butter.
And mushrooms (I'm sorry, Jade).
I actually like mushrooms aesthetically (cottagecore/fairycore/Moomincore FTW), but edibly? Nah. Can't handle it.
I'm not ALLERGIC to anything, but those are the 3 things I will not eat under literally ANY circumstances. Like, literal gun to my head, I still won't eat 'em. Pull the trigger, Piglet. It's Nerf Or Nothing.
Also, Che'nya seems like the type of guy to just have a prehensile cartoon tail for no reason.
Him, Lilia and Rook are just... Enigmas.
I feel like his Unique Magic isn't just invisibility/disappearing, but kind of... Going partway into a different level of reality where things aren't as 'rigid' as they are in this one? So he doesn't just 'disappear', he can also kind of... Float a little bit, and maybe his physical body doesn't strictly have to stay in the same shape, so he can get places he normally 'shouldn't' be able to.
(AKA the 'teleportation' thing normal cats seem to be able to do, but make it an actual magic power, and not just them being, like, perfect ambush predators who also happen to be the size of a baby.)
In the manga, he seems to be able to float even when he's visible. I thought about doing that, but...
Eh. I dunno, I just decided not to.