"Ugh..." Kat yawned, pushing her glasses up and rubbing her eye with the heel of her palm. "God, I'm tired..."

Honestly, she was surprised she hadn't straight-up hit the wall energy-wise already. Things just kept happening one after the other... She was really feeling it now, though.

"Me, too," Ace agreed, stretching as they walked. "Rrrrgh... Another night of sleepin' with this stupid collar on! My neck's gonna get stiff as a rock at this rate..."

"Well, it IS your own fault, Ace," Deuce retorted, folding his arms and frowning at the redhead. "That's what happens to rulebreakers, remember?"

"Huh!" Ace scoffed, turning up his nose and speeding up a little, getting a few strides ahead of the group. "Yeah, yeah, go ahead, Mr. Serious... I'm sure all that lookin' down from your high horse you're doing is gonna make up for your lack of IQ, no sweat! Maybe you should push it a little more, huh?"

Rolling her eyes, Kat put her head down, walking with Grim in her arms, dozing off against her shoulder. She couldn't wait to get back and shower... Then go right to bed. Oh, right--

"Oh, that reminds me-- hey, Deuce?"

"Hm?" The dark-haired boy looked over at her, blinking. "Yes, Kat?"

"You sure you don't wanna head back to the dorm real quick and grab some stuff? You know, like a toothbrush, P.J.s..."

"Oh..." Deuce shook his head, hissing and smacking himself in the temple. "Damn-- I completely forgot... Guess I don't really think things through, huh?"

"What, you're only realizing this NOW?!" Ace demanded from in front of them.

Deuce rolled his eyes. "Hmm... Maybe I should," he muttered, putting a hand to his chin. "I don't just wanna sleep in my uniform, it'll get all wrinkled... Plus, I don't really want to go to sleep without brushing my teeth..."

Ace scoffed again. "Oh, suuuure... It's not like I'VE had to do that or anything over here..."

Deuce and Kat exchanged glances, both shaking their heads. "Well, like I said-- it's fine if you wanna go back and grab some stuff," Kat continued, ignoring Ace. "And hey-- you and Ace are roomies, right? Maybe you could get some of his stuff, too?"

"Oh-- yeah, that's actually a good idea," Deuce mused, nodding. "Okay... Hey, Ace, what do you need?"

"Huh?" Ace stopped, turning and blinking. "R-Really? Um... Ok, well... I need my toothbrush and toothpaste, a new shirt..."

"A hairbrush?" Kat suggested, eyeing his bird's-nest mop of hair.

"...And socks and underwear," Ace finished, ignoring her. "My stuff's in the wardrobe next to my bed."

"Right," Deuce nodded, turning and starting to walk back towards the Mirror Chamber. "I'll be right back-- you guys can go back to Ramshackle without me, okay?"

"Sure thing-- thanks, Deuce," Kat smiled, waving.

She shot a sharp look at Ace, who shuffled, looking uncomfortable. "Uh... Oh! Right... Th-Thanks, man," he muttered, ruffling his hair and looking down.

Deuce glanced over his shoulder, giving him a small smirk and a final wave.

"Later," Kat called, waving and turning to keep walking.

Ace fell back to her side, hands in his pockets. "Oh, damn-- is the fuzzball asleep?" He asked, craning his neck to peer over at Grim.

The little creature was propped up against her shoulder. His eyes were closed, his mouth was open and he was making gentle snoring or snorting sounds, ears twitching.

"Yep," she replied softly, hiking him up a little more securely. He twitched a little, but kept sleeping.

"Heh..." Ace shook his head a little, smiling. "Ya know, he's actually pretty cute when he's not running around and causing problems..."

"Mmm," she agreed, nodding.

They walked in silence for a while, until the peaked roof of the Ramshackle House rose into view.

Jogging ahead a little, Ace swung the gate open for her, giving a theatrical bow. "After you, my lady," he said in a pompous voice, grinning.

"Ha, ha," she replied flatly, walking through the gate onto the path. "Thank you, kind sir..."

He pulled the gate shut again with a rusty creak and hopping up the zigzagging path behind her. The lantern-topped pillars were glowing a faint orange, but they didn't illuminate much.

Holding Grim with one arm, Kat reached down to her schoolbag, slung across her other shoulder. She fumbled for the keychain she'd clipped to the buckle. Then she looked up.

She blinked, then froze.

Ace walked right into her back with an "Oof!", staggering back.

Grim jerked awake, shaking his head and looking around in confusion. "Fzzt-- H-HEY! What the- what's-- h-huh?"

"Um," Kat ventured, blinking. "C-Crewel-sama? Is... That you?"

"It is," the teacher replied, striding down the front steps towards them with his arms folded. "Excellent timing-- I was just about to give up and call it a night."

He came to a stop in front of her, shooting a glance at Ace, who'd regained his balance. "....Trappola. Good evening."

"G-Good evening," Ace muttered, looking down at his feet.

"Y-Yeah, good evening," Kat agreed, nodding. "Um... Sorry, Sensei, but... What are you doing here? If you don't mind me asking?"

"I don't," Crewel replied, giving a small smile. "I couldn't help but recall, in our conversation we had earlier, that you mentioned having a... Lack of wardrobe options, shall we say."

Kat noticed he had a few paper shopping bags, the kind from malls or clothing stores, in one red-gloved hand. "Y-Yes?" She said, looking back up into his face.

"Here," Crewel said, thrusting the bags at her. "It isn't much, but it's better than nothing, surely?"

"Oh! Um..." Blinking, she took them with her free hand. They were a little heavier than she'd expected... There were three bags in total, one large, one medium and one a little smaller. She felt bottles or containers clinking in the smallest one, and looked back up.

"There are also some toiletries and such," Crewel said. "I highly doubt that the Headmaster..." That icy note of derision in his voice again. "...Had supplied you with anything more than a simple bar of soap... If he even gave you anything at all, that is."

"Wow... Th-Thank you!" Kat beamed, looking up at him. "Seriously, thank you, I--"

"There's no need for that," Crewel interrupted, stepping back with a hand on his hip. "I just thought you could use a bit of extra assistance, considering your... Circumstances."

He eyeballed Ace, still standing behind Kat and looking awkward. "...Have you taken to harboring strays, Little Miss Prefect?"

Kat shifted, giving a small, nervous smile. "I- I guess... Um-- he doesn't really have anywhere else to go at the moment; it's a... Long story."

"Hmm," Crewel muttered, still giving Ace the once-over. "How very charitable of you... Well, I feel I've kept you long enough. You all look quite tired... Goodnight, Miss Prefect. Trappola. And--"

He turned the eye to Grim, still in her arm and watching the whole exchange with a look of nervous confusion. "--Little mongrel. I'll be looking forward to our next class."

Giving a small bow, he strolled back down the path.

Ace scrambled out of the way, letting him pass.

The trio watched him push open the gate with the handle of his pointer, speed-striding back towards the main castle.

"...Wow," Ace said after a second, turning to look at her.

"If you say anything about being a teacher's pet or suck-up, I'm gonna change my mind and make you sleep in the spider-bush," she interrupted, fumbling with the keychain and lock.

"N-No, no!" Ace assured her, stepping back and waving his hands. "No complaints from me... Hey, good for you for making friends with the teachers so fast!"

She rolled her eyes, forcing the door open and putting Grim down on the threshold. "Okay, come on in," she said, fumbling for the light switch on the wall. "Make yourself at home... Or, at least, as much as you can in a place like... ACK--!!"

She'd found the lightswitch, but there was already a hand there-- a cold, damp, three-fingered hand, made of a thick, foglike substance.

The hall lights flickered on with a loud buzzing, and there was a peal of echoing laughter. "Welcome home!" The largest ghost laughed, taking off his hat and sweeping out his arms. "Good to see ya' again, Miss Prefect!"

"FNYAGH!" Grim hissed, bristling and running behind Ace's leg. "Th-Th-Th-Th--The ghosts again!"

Ace drew back, going pale. "Wh-- th-these are the ghosts you were talking about?!" He demanded, voice going a little shrill.

"Yep," Kat sighed, walking forward and towards the living room. "This is them... Hey, guys. I'm back..."

"Welcome back, young lady!" The skinny ghost said in his creaky voice, taking his own hat off and sweeping her a bow. "Will your friend be staying over tonight as well?"

"Yeah," she replied, dropping the shopping bags on the couch and walking back to the door. "Oh, not just him tonight, though-- Deuce'll be coming too. He's just grabbing some stuff from his dorm..."

The smallest ghost popped up from the floorboards. "Deuce?" He asked, floating after her as she walked back to the front door. "That's the serious, blue-haired lil' fella who came to get ya this morning, right?"

"That's him," Kat replied, standing in the doorway. She looked out at Ace and Grim, still standing on the front porch looking startled. "...Are you guys coming in or what?" She asked, crossing her arms. "Or do you actually want to sleep in the spider-bush?"

"Uh..." Ace shook his head, looking between her and the ghosts. "Are... Are you okay?" He asked her, frowning.

She blinked. "...Yeah? Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well-- because..." He nodded stiffly towards the three spirits.

Kat blinked again, looking back at the ghosts. "...Oh," she said, turning back and shrugging. "Eh... Yeah, I'm fine... These guys are... Mostly okay."

Ace looked down at Grim, then back at her.

"O-Okay," he muttered, stepping cautiously over the threshold. "Sorry for intrudin'..."

Grim hopped over the threshold too, glaring suspiciously at the ghosts as he passed.

Kat closed the door behind them, locking and chaining it. Yawning again, she walked back into the living room, sitting down on the couch and rubbing her eyes. Ace and Grim followed her, with Grim hopping up on the couch and Ace sitting on the chair he'd sat in last night.

The ghosts drifted in, too. Kat looked at them.

"You guys... Do you have names? I think you--" She gestured at the largest one. "You're called Eddie, but..."

"That's me!" The large ghost confirmed, nodding. "This little ankle-biter here is Benji..." The smallest ghost waved, grinning. "An' this old-timer here is Charles." The skinny ghost swept his hat off again, giving another bow.

"I'm Kat," Kat replied, nodding her head in return. "You probably know the little one here's Grim-- and this asshole here is Ace." She nodded towards Ace, sitting stiffly and awkwardly on the chair.

"Nice to meet you, officially... But--" Yawning again, she pressed the back of her hand to her mouth. "D-D'you guys think we could wrap this up for tonight? My social battery's at pretty much zero... It's been a long fuckin' day."

The ghosts looked around at each other, then shrugged. "Okay," the little one-- Benji?- said, nodding. "We can see ya look pretty worn out... You crazy kids have a nice night, 'kay?"

"Yep," Kat smiled, waving again. "Goodnight..."

All three ghosts waved back, then vanished one after the other, with a few echoes of eerie laughter.

She looked at Ace, who was sitting there awkwardly, giving her a stunned look. "...What?" She asked irritably.

Ace blinked hard, shaking his head. "U-Um... Well, you seemed to handle that... Well," he said after a second, glancing back at the place where the ghosts had vanished.

Kat shrugged. "Eh... Honestly, I'm too tired to really react to much of anything right now. Besides, I don't actually think they're all that dangerous or anything..."

"...Okay," Ace muttered, shrugging. "It's your house, after all..."

They fell into a tired silence.

After a while, Ace grumbled, glaring towards the door. "Dammit... Is it just me, or is Deucey taking a long-ass time?"

Kat blinked, rubbing her eyes again. "...Huh?" She asked, shaking her head. "Is he?"

"Yeah!" Ace snapped, throwing his hands up. "I mean, c'mon-- how long can it take to toss some stuff in a bag or whatever?!"

"Mmm," Kat mumbled vaguely, watching Grim, curled up on the sofa and dozing again. The flames in his ears drifted back and forth in time with his breaths... It was almost hypnotic, in a way, like watching an aquarium or something.

Footsteps ascended the front stairs, and there was a knock at the door.

Shaking her head, Kat got back up, stretching again. "That's probably him now," she said. "Hang on..."

Walking back over to the door, she pulled it open. "Hey, Deuce," she smiled.

"Hi, Prefect," Deuce replied, smiling back. "Can I come in?"

"Sure!" She replied, jerking her head towards the lounge. "Ace and Grim are in the living room."

Deuce nodded, stepping across the threshold. He had a backpack slung over one shoulder, and a small duffel bag, like a gym bag, tucked under the other arm. "Uh... Should I take my shoes off?" He ventured, looking around.

"Honestly, I wouldn't, if I were you," Kat replied, shaking her head. "I still haven't really had the chance to do much cleaning, since everything keeps happening so much... There could be anything on the floor."

Deuce grimaced. "Right... Good idea."

He followed her back into the lounge, and Ace popped up from the couch eagerly. "Hey-- you're back!" He grinned. "Took you long enough, Loosey-Deucey..."

"Oh, shut up, Ace," Deuce replied. Unslinging the backpack from his shoulders, he tossed the gym bag at the redhead. "Here's your stuff... And you're welcome, by the way."

He turned back to Kat.

"Sorry for taking so long," he apologized, bowing slightly. "I had to wait for a little while... Apparently, there was some kind of trouble at the dorms, and Clover-senpai and Diamond-senpai had to kind of... Sneak me in so I could grab the stuff and get out."

"Ooh," Kat said, grimacing. "That doesn't sound good... What kind of trouble?"

Deuce shrugged. "Dunno," he replied. "Clover-senpai said it wasn't really a big deal, so..."

"Yeah, so much of a not-big deal that you had to sneak in like a heist movie just to pick up some of your own stuff?" Ace scoffed, pulling stuff out of the gym bag.

"Well-- at least you're here now," Kat smiled, walking over and picking up the bags Crewel had given her. "Make yourself at home... I'll go look for some blankets or sheets or something for you, hang on."

Walking upstairs, she popped into her room to place the bags down in the corner. Then she headed to the linen closet where she'd found Ace's moth-eaten sheets last night. After a little digging, she found another length of dusty cloth, shaking it out before balling it back up and heading back into the lounge.

"Here you go," she said, tossing the cloth to Deuce. "It's not much, but it's all I could find..."

"Oh-- no worries, Prefect, it's fine!" Deuce insisted, shaking his head. "Thanks for letting me stay..."

"Hey, seriously-- it's no problem," she smiled, punching him lightly in the arm. "Thanks for looking out for--" She jerked her head towards Ace. "THAT one for me..."

"I can hear you, ya know," Ace interjected.

Ignoring him, Kat rubbed her eyes, yawning as another wave of tiredness washed over her. "Uuuuurgh... Well, I'm gonna take a quick shower, and then I'm gonna pass the fuck out. You guys can shower too when I'm done, if you want... There's only a bar of soap to wash with, though, and the water's only either painfully hot or painfully cold."

She yawned again, slapping her cheeks lightly a few times. "Towels are up in the closet... Shake 'em out real good before you use 'em, though, god only knows how long they've been in there."

She turned to Grim. "Grim, you going up to bed, too?"

Grim didn't respond. He was sitting next to Ace with a dazzled expression, watching the redhead play with a pack of cards.

Ace wasn't just shuffling them-- this was full-on casino dealer showmanship. With a fwip! Sound, the cards waterfalled from hand to hand, flipping back to front and back again.

Looking at Grim out of the corner of his eye, Ace grinned. He caught most of the cards in a stack in one palm, leaving a single card in the other, flipping it around and making it jump like a fish.

"Whooooa," Grim breathed, eyes following the jumping card like a magnet.

"Ya like that, little man?" Ace asked, tossing the card up in the air and catching it flawlessly in the stack in his other hand. "Wanna play a couple rounds?"

Kat caught Deuce's eye, and they both shook their heads. "...I'll leave you to keep an eye on these two," she said, nodding towards the pair on the floor. "Make sure he doesn't try to get Grim to bet anything, okay?"

"I'll do my best," Deuce assured her, putting a fist to his chest as he puffed it out in pride. "Goodnight, Prefect!"

" 'Night," she replied, yawning and waving as she started back up the stairs.

She found the t-shirt, jeans, and towel in her room, carrying them to the bathroom and closing and locking the door. About fifteen or twenty minutes later, she reemerged from the bathroom, back in the t-shirt and jeans with the damp towel draped over her shoulder and her uniform bundled in her arms.

Glancing back over the balcony, she saw the three boys sitting in a circle on the floor. Ace was dealing out cards, flicking them out fast like a magician or hustler.

Rolling her eyes again, she walked into the bedroom and closed the door behind her, crawling into bed. She wriggled out of her jeans, folding them and putting them under the bed again. Then she took her glasses off, putting them back up on the bedpost. Finally, she flopped back against the pillow, closing her eyes.

Even though she was tired, it took a while for her to start falling asleep. She tossed and turned, staring blankly at the ceiling or walls.

Ugh, this house was too quiet...

She was one of those people who found difficult to sleep without something making noise, like a fan or something. Plus, this bed was all wrong-- the bedding wasn't heavy enough, and she could feel the springs in the stupid mattress. Taking deep, slow breaths, she draped her forearm over her eyes, starting to count. Not sheep, or really anything-- just counting.

One, two...

Seventy... Seventy-three... A hundred...

Hundred-one, hundred-two...

Hundred...

Once again, she found herself dreaming. The mirror pulsed with light, rippling, and she was back in the monochrome hedge maze.

Really? This place? Again?

The little girl was back, lying on her front on the ground and looking nervous. There were more card-people this time, tons of them. They were all standing at attention in rows like soldiers.

And there was-- There was...

Th--The Queen of Hearts?

The middle-aged woman with the stocky frame in the long dress definitely looked like the statue... But she was moving. Her chest was heaving, her hands were clenching, and her rather bulging eyes were darting around, like the focus of a laser-guided missile system searching for its next target.

Her dress, as it turned out, had an angular pattern of red and black. As she moved, there were more glimpses of color... The front part of her skirt gleamed black and yellow, and her crown and earrings glinted with gold. She was also wielding an entire heart-shaped topiary bush in one hand, holding it over her head. Bits of dirt fell off the roots, like she'd ripped it straight out of the ground.

"WHO'S BEEN PAINTING MY ROSES RED?!" She demanded furiously. "Who DARES to taint, with vulgar paint, the royal flowerbed?!"

As she rhymed, she shook the bush accusatorily. Her head whipped around, glaring at the assembled cards. A small shower of red paint fell onto the lawn, from the still-dripping petals. Jesus--homegirl had some impressive upper body strength...

The little girl flinched, covering her head with her hands. It wasn't just her on the ground, Kat realized-- the three cards from her first dream were there, too, lying flat on their faces and shaking like leaves.

"For painting my roses red..." Suddenly, the Queen straight-up yeeted the rosebush, flinging it aside like an empty plastic bottle and stamping her feet. "...SOMEONE WILL LOSE HIS HEAD!"

All three cards suddenly shot up straight, faces going a few shades of gray lighter as they all started babbling at once.

"Oh, no, Your Majesty-- PLEASE!" One of them squeaked. "It's all HIS fault!"

"Not ME, Your Grace!" The next one protested, voice cracking with terror. "The Ace-- the Ace!"

"Was it YOU?!" The Queen demanded, glaring at the final card with her hands on her hips.

"N-N-No!" It yelped, pointing frantically at the others. "It was the Two!"

"The Deuce, you say?" The Queen asked, looking at the others with a nasty sneer curling across her face.

"Not ME--the THREE!"

"That's ENOUGH!" The Queen bellowed. Kat felt her body jerk slightly, in time with the little girl flinching again, putting a hand to her mouth. "Off... With ALL THEIR HEADS!"

A cheer suddenly went up from the assembled cards, jumping up and down like a crowd at a sports game.

Some more cards-- these ones were hearts, with their hoods and symbols also bright red-- hurried forward. Grabbing the arms of the three clubs, they started dragging them away. Instead of struggling or looking frightened, though, they slumped. Their faces fell into expressions of resignation as their fellows dragged them across the grass like wet towels.

The little girl, still on the ground, watched them go with a mildly traumatized look on her face.

The Queen adjusted her undersized crown delicately, folding her arms across her expansive bosom with a pleased smirk.

Geez... Is this really about the roses? Like, are we sure she doesn't just enjoy this?

Why... Why doesn't anyone stop her? There's so many of them... If they just worked together, they could... They could...

There was a loud, but polite, knocking sound.

Kat jerked awake suddenly.

The words 'eat the rich' were swimming in her mind for the few seconds it took for her to gather her wits.

Ugh... Man, what the hell was that?

She sat up stiffly, rubbing her face and squinting around.

After a second, the knocking came again-- this time, followed by a voice. "Prefect? Excuse me?"

It sounded like...

"D-Deuce?" She asked hoarsely, still rubbing her eyes. "I-Is that you?"

"Yes," the voice on the other side of the door replied. "Um-- sorry to wake you up, but it's the Unbirthday Party today, and... If we're late, then our heads-- well-- you know..."

Kat yawned hugely, shaking her head and groping for her glasses on the bedpost. "Y-Yeah... Hear you loud and clear, Deuce. Just-- ugh... G-Gimme about... Fifteen minutes? Twenty, maybe?"

"Okay," Deuce replied, and she heard his footsteps go back down the hall.

She stretched, getting up slowly.

Looks like Grim didn't come in last night... He probably stayed up with the boys, arguing with Ace or some other dumb shit.

Looking around, she noticed the shopping bags that Crewel had foisted on her last night. Oh, right... She'd forgotten to unpack those. Well...

First things first. Grabbing the chair, she dragged it across the room, lodging it under the doorknob. Just in case...

Then she grabbed the shopping bags, carrying them back over to the bed and dumping them out one by one.

The first one was full of socks and underwear... Just the basic kinds that came in the packs, along with a few equally as basic sports bras.

Closing her eyes, she sighed. Thank you, Crewel-sama...

The largest one had more clothes in it-- and, at the bottom, a pair of low-heeled brown ankle boots. They looked to be about the right size...

She counted five T-shirts, a pair of basic blue skinny jeans, a pair of white leggings, a yellow cardigan, and...

Oh my god, is that a dress?!

She held up the garment-- it was a dress. A sleeveless pink skater dress, the most basic you could get. Nothing special, but-- wow...

Putting it down, she upturned the smallest bag. A bunch of cosmetics slid out, bottles and containers rattling. Rummaging through them, she found shampoo, conditioner, body wash, face wash... Moisturizer, sunscreen and-- an actual hairbrush! Wow...

Not only that, there was a pack of barrettes, too, along with a hand-written note. Picking up the note, she started to read.

Little Miss Pup--

I don't know what styles you prefer, but I've been assured that you will at least find these acceptable. The fit may not be perfect, but you'll be able to wear them, at the very least.

When you find yourself in need of more toiletries, or more... specific hygiene products, Sam will be more than happy to supply them to you-- he and I have made an arrangement.

If you wish to repay me, I request that you simply apply yourself to the utmost in class, and take excellent care of the garments, of course. I'll be looking forward to seeing the ensembles you create.

~D. Crewel

P.S. Sam sends his well-wishes.

Putting the note down, Kat looked at the clothes on the bed.

Hmm... Should she..?

Oh-- what the hell, man. Why not?

She gathered up everything she'd need, carrying it all into the bathroom and closing the door. About fifteen minutes later, she reemerged, hurrying down the hall.

Ace, Deuce and Grim were standing by the stairs, looking like they were arguing with each other... Probably over something stupid.

"Hey, guys," Kat grinned, hopping down the stairs two at a time. "Sorry to keep you waiting!"

Everyone looked around, and Ace and Deuce's jaws dropped. "W--Wow!" Deuce spluttered, looking shocked. "You look-- um..."

Kat laughed, descending the last step and twirling. "Hey-- I mean, it's the weekend, right? No need to wear the uniform all the time... Plus, it is a party, ya know?"

She was wearing the new dress over her uniform button-down shirt and leggings. Instead of her hoodie, she'd pulled the new yellow cardigan on over it, with the new short boots in place of her battered sneakers. She'd also put a couple of clips into her hair, and her Time-Space Key necklace glittered on her chest. The ghost camera was slung over one shoulder on the schoolbag's crossbody strap.

Her face was washed and moisturized, all her undergarments were clean... Honestly, she felt great! Way better than she had ever since she got here.

"Wooow," Ace said approvingly, nodding his head. "Okay, okay-- guess you ARE kind of a girly-girl, huh?"

She gave him a look. "What, is there something wrong with that?"

"No, no," Ace said quickly, stepping back and raising his hands again. "I just meant you look nice, that's all!"

"Then maybe lead with that next time," she retorted, crossing her arms. "Like I said-- you CAN just have normal conversations, you know?"

"R-Right," he muttered, rubbing the back of his head. "Sorry..."

There was a knock at the front door. Deuce blinked, looking at her again. "Hm? Sounds like somebody's here..."

"I'll get it," she replied, turning and walking down the front hall towards the door.

Unlocking the door, she pulled it open, blinking in the morning light. "Hello?" She asked, peering out.

"Good MORNING!" Cater chirped, beaming and waving. "I'm here to pick you up!"

Then he blinked, looking at Kat and jumping back. "Hey, WOW! Prefect-chan, you look GREAT!"

"Thanks!" She grinned, taking a step back and brushing some hair behind her ear. Then she frowned slightly, giving Cater a concerned look. "Do you think this'll be okay to wear to the party, though? Like-- I could go back up and change into my uniform, but..."

"Hmmm..." Taking a step back as well, Cater tapped his chin, looking her up and down critically. "...Nah, I think you're golden! There IS a dress code for the Unbirthday Party, but since you're not in Heartslabyul, you can't really wear the dorm uniform..."

"Dorm uniform?" Kat repeated, cocking her head.

"Oh, right-- you probably haven't seen any of those yet, huh?" Cater asked. Putting a hand to the back of his head, he grinned. "Well, don't worry-- you'll get an eyeful of 'em at the tea party! Anyway-- like I said, you're a guest, so you're not gonna have to adhere to the dorm's dress code. But, since it is a tea party an' all, something a little dressier than the school uniform's probably just what the doctor ordered!"

He folded his arms, tilting his head and smiling. "Anyway-- can I come in?"

"Oh! Yeah, sure-- here." She stepped back, motioning for him to enter.

"Sorry for the intrusion!" He chirped, hopping over the threshold and strolling into the lounge. "Good MORNING!" He called again, waving. "How was your slumber party? Didja' stay up all night with pillow fights and card games?"

Ace slouched over, yawning. "Uuuuugh... C-Cater-senpai, good morning... We did play some cards, yeah."

He stretched, shaking his head. "But we ended up just playin' Old Maid, 'cause that's the only one Grim could figure out the rules to."

"Tch!" Grim scoffed, hopping up onto the couch and crossing his arms. "An' I STILL didn't end up winning a single time, either! Dangit... "

Deuce chuckled, coming over and stroking Grim on the head. "Well, maybe you should work on your poker face then, huh?"

"Rrrrrrr," Grim grumbled, slumping and gritting his teeth.

"Ha ha!" Cater laughed, putting his hands on his hips. "Well, glad to hear you kids had fun... Anyway, we should get a move on! Let's head to the kitchen, grab one of those killer tarts you made yesterday, and go apologize to Riddle-kun, okay?"

He took a step back, giving a small, awkward grimace. "Oh-- and we should probably hurry, too. After all the trouble last night, we're more than a little short-handed..."

"Last night?" Ace repeated, frowning. "What happened last night?"

"Oops--" Knocking himself lightly in the head, Cater winked, sticking his tongue out. "Don't worry, don't worry! I've totes got it all under control-- nothing for you to worry your pretty little heads about! Anyway-- the Unbirthday Party's waitin'! Let's go!"

"Okay," Ace muttered, yawning again.

The group hurried out the door, with a brief pause so Kat could lock the door behind them. Then they hurried back to the castle, with Cater chattering away at them the whole time while they popped into the kitchens.

One of the cafeteria ghosts handed Ace a large white box, even wrapped in a red ribbon with a bow. "Here you are," it said cheerfully. "Hope your housewarden likes it!"

"He'd BETTER," Ace muttered, scowling.

Kat gave him a look, and he shuffled awkwardly. "Uh-- I mean, thanks."

"Thank you," she agreed, waving. "Bye!"

With tart in hand, the group made their way over to the Hall of Mirrors. There were a few students wandering around, some in uniform or P.E. wear, but some also in casual clothes.

She was getting a few more stares than she had yesterday... Well, duh, she WAS wearing a dress today. She ignored them, strolling along and twirling her necklace around her finger.

They reached the Hall of Mirrors, and Cater stopped in front of the Heartslabyul mirror. "Ladies first!" He chirped, bowing and winking. "After you, Prefect Kitty-Kat!"

"Aw-- thanks!" She smiled, waving as she hopped up the steps.

Steeling herself, she stepped forward through the mirror again, holding her breath. A few seconds later, and she was back in the sunny, whimsical garden of Heartslabyul. She stepped to one side, turning and watching the air ripple as the others emerged.

Ace was first, shaking his head and blinking, with the tart box still held in his hand. Then it was Deuce, then Grim. Then finally Cater, practically strolling through with his hands in his pockets.

"Alright!" Ace grinned, looking around. "I'll just pop over to the housewarden, hand over the tart and say I'm--"

"HEEEY!" A familiar voice called from the direction of the dorm building. Someone was jogging over, waving a hand eagerly. "You're finally back! Man, how long were you planning on making me wait, Me-kun?"

"Sorry for the wait!" Cater replied, stepping forward and giving the newcomer a friendly fist-bump. "You're looking fierce as always, Me-kun!"

The 'newcomer' was... Well, it was Cater. Cater in a different outfit-- this one was wearing the P.E. uniform, it looked like-- but otherwise completely and utterly identical to the one they'd come in with.

"GWUH?!" Ace, Deuce and Grim spluttered in unison, jumping back in shock.

Kat blinked, looking back and forth between the two Caters, at a loss for words and, frankly, thoughts.

"Th-There are two Diamond-senpais?!" Deuce squeaked, looking baffled.

Ace coughed, shaking his head. "A-Are you guys... Twins or something?" He ventured hoarsely.

"Hehe-- nope," their Cater, the one in the school uniform, informed them, winking again. "Good guess, but no-- I'm the only boy in my family, sorry!" He and the other Cater slung their arms around each other's shoulders, beaming from ear to ear.

"See, this is actually my Unique Magic-- Split Card!" The first Cater continued. "I can make magical duplicates of myself-- kinda like that ninja thing!"

"I... Was JUST about to say that," Kat said, taking a small step closer and squinting at the other Cater. Wow-- the resemblance was uncanny... It was straight-up like somebody had copy-pasted Cater and put them in different clothes.

"Th-This must be how he was everywhere at once in the maze yesterday," Deuce muttered, rubbing his head and looking uneasily at the two Caters.

"Yeah, no shit," Ace snapped, crossing his arms and scowling. "Huh... Talk about an unfair advantage..."

"Oh, YOO-HOO!~" Another voice called. Another Cater was running up to them from the left, waving. "Welcome home, daaaarlings... How's the morning been treating you, huh?"

This one was wearing another different outfit, some kind of white suit with black and red accents.

Another Cater, in the same clothes, popped out from behind some of the rosebushes next to Kat, making her jump. "Hey, Kitty-Kat-- good to see you!" He exclaimed, winking. "Welcome back to Heartslabyul!"

"Uh-- y-yeah," she agreed, nodding. "Thanks..."

More Caters were running up, waving and giving various exclamations and greetings. All of them, except the one they'd come in with and the first one who'd showed up, were wearing the same outfit, that flashy white suit.

"Hmmmph... But really, Ace-chan-- you're all LATE!" The Cater in the P.E. uniform piped up, pouting theatrically. "Honestly, I was worried sick..."

"Gwe-he-heeeh!" Ace yelped, drawing back and looking panicked. "There's MORE of 'em?! How many Caters ARE there?!"

Kat was actually wondering the same thing. Looking around, she started trying to count them mentally. One, two, three...

"There's nine of us in total!" The Cater who'd just spoken continued. "Oh, by the way-- the original, 100% authentic Cater is actually none other than yours truly!"

He gave another two-fingered salute, winking. Then he sighed, drooping. "Makin' all these duplicates is actually suuuper exhausting, though, so I can't really maintain it for long..."

Perking up, he clapped his hands. "Anyway! If we're late, we may as well kiss our heads goodbye! And-- since we're actually several people short, I'm afraid you guys are gonna have to lend a hand again..."

"Aw, WHAT?!" Ace demanded, flinging up his free hand and scowling. "Come ONNN, man... You're gonna rope us into doing MORE of your stupid chores for you?!"

"Hey, they're not 'stupid chores'-- they're very important party preparations!" The real Cater scolded, shaking his head. "Besides-- once we're done, I promise THIS time I'll take you straight to Riddle! Cross my heart!" He winked again.

"Uuuugh..." Grim grumbled, crossing his forelegs. "Lemme guess-- paintin' MORE roses?"

" 'Fraid so!" One of the other Caters laughed, crouching down and ruffling his head cheerfully. "But, hey-- you guys actually seemed to be having fun last time, huh? It's not so bad, is it?"

"Rrrrr," Ace growled, crossing his arms and glaring at the real Cater. "Man, you're turnin' out to be a real annoying guy, you know that, senpai?"

"Aww, Acey-chan-- you WOUND me!" Cater sighed dramatically, draping the back of his hand to his forehead like a melodrama heroine. "But seriously, folks-- we should really get going! Here-- I'll take care of the tart for you, 'kay?"

Suddenly, one of the other Caters snatched the box from Ace's hand.

"HEY!" Ace spluttered, trying to snatch it back. "What the--"

"Relax, relax, Ace-chan!" A different Cater interjected, getting between him and the tart-snatcher. "I'll put it in the dorm fridge for now... Wouldn't want all that yummy chestnut cream to melt before Riddle-kun even gets a bite, right?"

The Cater with the tart jogged back towards the building, entering through the heart-shaped arch and into the foyer area.

"DANGIT!" Ace yelled, throwing his hands up angrily. "Ugh, FIIIIINE... WHATEVER, man! Let's just get this over with, alright?!"

"THAT'S the spirit!" The main Cater whooped, coming over and slinging an arm around his shoulders. "Alright, guys-- rose-painting 2: Magical Boogaloo! Let's get to it!"

The crowd of Caters swept the group along into the tall hedge maze, ending up at another garden of topiary rosebushes.

A few Caters split off, grabbing brushes and buckets and coming back over.

"Here you go, Kitty-Kat!" One of them grinned, holding them out for her to take. "Oh, and don't worry about getting paint on your super-stylin' OOTD-- if you do, Cater Alpha knows a couple spells to clean you right up!"

"Oh," she said, accepting the brush and bucket and nodding. "Okay... Thanks!"

Ace begrudgingly accepted his own painting implements, grumbling.

The main Cater clapped his hands, bobbing up and down on the balls of his feet. "Okay, mes-- split up and start paintin' this town-- I mean, this yard-- red!"

The cheer of assent went up from the other Caters, waving their hands, pens and paintbrushes in the air.

Whoof--

Kat staggered a little, squeezing her eyes shut for a second. Wow-- this was just like her dream last night, when all the cards were cheering for the others getting beheaded...

She regained her balance, opening her eyes in time to watch the Cater-crowd disperse.

The remaining Cater turned, grinning at them with his hands on his hips. "As for you first-years-- you'll be sticking with me and MY roses," he informed them. "Okay?"

Ace groaned, slumping. "Rrrrrgh... I am SO over doing this the hard way," he muttered.

"Whining won't get it done, you know," Deuce scolded, crossing his arms. "Buckle down already, Ace."

"Yeah, yeah," Cater agreed, nodding. "Ooh! Hang on, lemme just update my Magicam first..."

He pulled his phone out of his pocket, then looked around, grinning. "Pfft-- hey, hey, c'mon, don't look at me like that! I'm kidding, honest!"

He replaced the phone, shaking his head and chuckling. "Okay, okay-- no more jokes! Time to hustle!"

Turning to Kat, he nodded towards one of the taller rosebushes, with a wooden ladder already set up next to it. "Think you'll be okay with those ones, Prefect-chan? You don't have a thing about heights, do you?"

"No, I'm fine," she replied, smiling. "I've got it, don't worry."

She ascended the ladder carefully, pushing up the sleeves of her cardigan and shirt. Hooking the bucket's handle over her left forearm, she dipped the tip of the paintbrush into it, tapping the excess off and starting to paint again.

A few minutes later, she realized she was humming something, head rocking back and forth to the beat.

She stopped, frowning.

...What was she humming? She couldn't remember what it was from...

Shaking her head, she looked down at the others, watching them work for a second.

Deuce tossed a ball of sparkles at a rose, turning it a vibrant red. "Yesss!" He hissed, pumping his fist hard with a proud grin.

"Hey-- SMOOTH move, Deucey-chan!" Cater grinned, coming over and holding out his own fist. "Keep this up, and we'll be done in more than enough time, no problem!"

"Thanks, Diamond-senpai!" Deuce smiled back, giving him a fist-bump. "This is actually a lot easier than yesterday!"

"Well, DUH," Ace snapped from a nearby bush, smacking the tip of his brush angrily against a rose. "ANYBODY'D be a master at this with all the work you put us through yesterday!"

"Hey, ease up, Ace," Kat called down at him. "You're gonna knock the flowers off, stupid."

He flipped her off, scowling, but did end up making his 'strokes' a little lighter.

Shaking her head, she turned back to the task at hand.

She had to stop every so often, stepping down off the ladder and looking around for the next rosebush to paint. She didn't have to move the ladder herself, though. A couple of Caters always hurried over, grabbing it and moving it to the next spot before winking and speeding off.

She was on her third or fourth rosebush when she heard Grim call her name. "Hey, hey, Kat-- look at THIS!"

She turned her head, craning her neck. "Okay, I'm looking-- what is it, buddy?" She called.

Grim jumped up and down eagerly, grinning. "Hehehe-- ready? Okay then-- BEHOLD!" He puffed out his cheeks and chest, then spat three times in quick succession.

Kat flinched, jumping.

Instead of flames, though, he shot out three bursts of sparkles, splashing over a rose. With each glittering puff, the rose turned a deeper and deeper red, until it was a brilliant crimson.

"WOW!" She enthused, eyes widening and mouth dropping open in genuine amazement. "Grim, that's INCREDIBLE! You're doing SO good!"

"Hahaha!" The main Cater laughed, giving an enthusiastic round of applause as he strolled over. "Even Gri-chan's going all-out for this! Great job, everybody!"

He looked around, shielding his eyes and squinting. "Hmm... I think we're pretty much done here! You've only got a couple roses left, Kitty-Kat-- mind finishin' those up really quick?"

"Yep!" She replied, nodding and turning back to the roses in front of her.

About a minute and a half of careful dabbing later, and she clambered back down the ladder, looking around.

Wow-- they'd actually painted pretty much all the roses... In fact, the only white flower remaining was on the rosebush that Deuce, Grim and Cater were standing in front of.

Putting down her bucket and brush, she shook some hair out of her face, jogging over to them.

"Only one more to go," Deuce was saying, cracking his knuckles and smiling with his pen in his hand. "Do you think I could give it a shot, senpai?"

Cater laughed, slapping him on the bed. "Sure thing!" He agreed, stepping back. "Well? Go for it, big guy!"

"Okay!" Deuce took a deep breath. "Rose... Be RED!" He ordered, tossing another ball of sparkles at the rose.

With a pop, the rose flushed, the color curling all the way to the tips of the petals.

"WOO-HOO!" Cater 1 cheered, jumping up and punching both his fists in the air. "Way to go, Deucey-chan!"

Grim panted a little, wiping his forehead with his paw. "Myah... Th-That wasn't easy, but we still got it done!" He exclaimed, grinning. "All thanks to me, a' course!"

Ace came over too, planting his own hands on his hips and looking at Cater. "So?" He asked. "What's the verdict, Cater-senpai? You better LOVE it!"

Cater folded his arms, cupping his chin in one hand. "Hmmm... You wanna know if it makes the grade, huh?" He asked, looking critically around the garden. "Okaaaay..."

After a few seconds, he turned back, clapping his hands again and grinning. "Alright! Survey's in-- you KILLED that, you precocious lil' firsties!"

He clapped Deuce and Ace on the backs again. "Cay-kun gives you all a gold star and a big ol' E for effort!"

The cheer went up around the garden from the other Caters again. They all started running over, giving each other high-fives and fistbumps.

"Hey, good job, Prefect-chan!" One of them said, holding up his hand for a high-five. "Put it here!"

"Yeah!" She grinned, smacking her own palm against his. "Good job to you too, Cater-- or... Caters!"

"Hey, thanks!" Another Cater piped up, giving her a wink and a peace sign. "Now all you've gotta worry about is kickin' back and having a great time at the party!"

She nodded, crouching down as Grim jumped up into her arms. "Hehe-- no worries there!" The little creature grinned. "Man, I can't WAIT to see what kinda' grub you Heartslabyuls got at this shindig!"

Kat laughed quietly, rolling her eyes.

Author's Notes:

How come the app always seems to go down for maintenance when I'm trying to write before my meds kick in and I pass out? SMH my head, TWEN. Have some consideration for my weird-ass sleeping schedule./s

Kat needed more clothes, so I shoved that scene in there. Papa Crewel coming in clutch once again.

I have given the ghosts names, as well as a rough time frame for what era they're from/died in. Eddie's from the forties, Benji's from the twenties/thirties, and Charles is from around the 1880s.

Also, I was mildly inspired by that concept/comic I saw of Yuu being able to 'see' the rhythmic cues and battle elements... Not by much, but yeah, Kat was kind of picking up on the Twistune BGM.

(I really like the Paint The Roses BGM. The tart-baking one is fun and bubbly, but I'm always a slut for violins, and the part that plays during the intermissions/interludes for PTR is REALLY GOOD.)

I'm going by the manga again to get a better read on Cater's Unique Magic, so that's where I got the 9-in-total thing.

In the app when his clones are introduced, they're all his alternate sprites/2D avatars, then in the next story part they're all duplicates of his school uniform, and alpha Cater is in the PE uniform. In the manga they're all wearing the dorm uniform, tho, so I kind of went with the middle ground option.

I've decided he can choose which outfits he has that the duplicates can appear in (including event outfits), so he put the one that went to get the Braincell Squad in the school uniform, but all the others are in the dorm uniform.

I'm also watching the Alice in Wonderland animated movie and tell me why the glasses bird is so weirdly cute. It's just glasses on bird legs but the way it moves is so cute. And the momeraths, too. Tiny fuzzy-headed Fresno Nightcrawlers.