"There's something I need to ask you," Vil began, waiting until everyone's eyes were on him before he continued. "What products do you use for your hair and skin care?"

"Hair and skin care?" Deuce repeated, confused.

"I use hair oil to prevent my hair from getting tangled, but I don't do anything special to my skin," Jamil said.

"My attendants back home used to slather me in all kinds of moisturizers, but I haven't kept up with any of that since I moved into the dorms here," Kalim added.

Vil took a physical step back, unable to mask his horrified expression. "You're telling me that you strip away your skin's natural oils without doing anything to hydrate it? Are you mad?!" He heaved a disappointed sigh. "There's no helping it, then. I'm giving each of you a set of skin care products I formulated myself. Make sure to apply them every morning and evening after you wash your face."

"You make your own cosmetics? That's so cool!" Kalim commented as Vil passed a set of blue bottles of varying sizes out to him, Jamil, Ace, and Deuce.

"We shouldn't be surprised. It makes sense that the Pomefiore dorm leader would be an expert in herbalism," Jamil added.

"Epel and I can personally vouch for Vil's products' effectiveness. We've have perfectly smooth and supple skin since we began using them," Rook assured them.

Epel nodded. "It's true. And these aren't the only products he makes. There's sunblock, setting powder, lip balm, hand cream… He dumped-ah, I mean, gifted-us all sorts of things."

Kalim studied the bottles he'd been given. "There's so much here. How do you even use all this?"

Vil sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "It seems I have to explain everything to you lot. It can't be helped, I suppose. I'll start with the facial cleanser." He picked up one of the bottles he'd given Kalim before motioning for him to stand. "I'll use you as a model to demonstrate, Kalim. Everyone else, pay close attention."

"Right," the rest of the non-Pomefiore boys replied in unison.

"What do you normally use when you wash your face, Kalim?" Vil asked.

"Water!" Kalim chirped.

"Wrong! First, you'll use this loofah to work up a lather, then you'll massage your face with the foam. Do not scrub at your face," Vil instructed as he applied the cleanser to Kalim's face.

Kalim laughed as he tried to hold still. "Ah ha ha! This tickles!"

"Once you've finished washing your face, you'll use the refining toner, using a cotton pad to apply it gently to your skin," Vil continued, using a washcloth made damp with water magic to wipe away the remnants of the foam on Kalim's face.

Kalim gave Vil a confused look as he applied the toner. "Wait, so we have to apply more stuff to our faces even after we wash off the cleanser?"

"This isn't the same as the cleanser, though it does help to remove dirt from your pores," Vil explained. "The moisturizer is next. Rub it into your palms and press down firmly to ensure you work it into your skin."

"Ooh, it smells so flowery. And it feels nice on the skin too!" Kalim commented.

Vil picked up another bottle. "Next is this milky lotion. Boys our age tend to secrete a lot of sebum, so take care not to apply too much."

"Heh. It's kind of funny to hear you say "our age", Vil," Kalim said.

Vil's eyes narrowed into a warning glare. "And what exactly do you mean by that?"

Kalim just grinned, apparently unfazed by Vil's glare. "Just that you're so mature than all the other juniors I know."

"Good. We were going to come to blows if you'd called me old," Vil replied, his glare softening back to his usual stern expression. "Now, everything I just went over will be the order of operations for your new morning and evening care routines." He held up the remaining containers one by one to explain them. "This is a face cream that's meant to be used every three days for additional care. Apply it tonight before you go to bed. The hair oil is to be worked into the ends of your hair before you use a dryer. Use the body milk after you shower and take special care to apply it to your elbows, knees, and heels."

Deuce's head was spinning with all this new information. He leaned closer to the others and whispered, "I feel like we're reaching Potionology practical levels of difficulty here."

Kalim grinned as rubbed his face. "Oh wow, my skin's already feeling silkier!" He turned to Devon and reached out to take her wrist, pulling it toward his face. "See, Dev? Touch my cheek!"

"I'm sure it does, but I really shouldn't be touching your face after you just cleaned it," Devon declined politely.

Kalim blinked at her owlishly, but didn't let go of her wrist. "Are you sure? I doubt one little poke will hurt anything."

"No, Devon is correct," Vil said, striding over and removing Kalim's hand from Devon's wrist. "Hands are a breeding ground for all sorts of bacteria and microorganisms, something I'm sure she's well aware of given the relatively pristine state of her own skin."

"Yeesh. And I thought our dorm leader was strict," Ace whispered to Deuce. "This is nuts…"

"Shh. He's right there, Ace," Deuce chided, giving Ace a disapproving look.

Luckily for Ace, Vil gave no indication that he'd heard him. Instead, he gave Devon-or, more specifically, her curls-an appraising look. "I've actually been looking for an opportunity to ask you this, Devon, but I noticed at the audition that your hair seems to be in even better shape than usual. Care to explain what you've been doing differently?"

"You really think so?" Devon asked, rubbing a curl gently between her fingers.

"I don't waste my breath on empty compliments," Vil replied, his tone terse but genuine.

Devon huffed out a laugh as Vil once again reminded her of Valentina. She recalled her cousin saying those exact words to her when they'd first begun warming up to one another. She explained how she'd had to make do with products that weren't formulated to take care of curly hair due to an astounding lack of them in Twisted Wonderland. It made since considering how rare curly hair was in this world, but it unfortunately meant that hers hadn't been looking anything near their best for some time now. She also explained Mala's gift to her and her family (while taking care to leave out the fae queen's true identity) and how it allowed her to finally get her hands on the products she normally used. Vil listened silently the entire time, his eyes occasionally moving from her face to her curls as he watched her contemplatively, the gears turning in his head as an idea began to form.

Ace watched Vil from his spot next to Devon, unsure how to decipher the expression on his face as he watched her. Devon didn't seem too bothered by how focused his gaze was, but Ace's kneejerk reaction was to pull his attention away from her. Having to worry about Jamil was bad enough; he wasn't sure what he'd do if Vil ended up interested in Devon too. "Hey, so, I've got a question for you, Vil. You became a dorm leader because of your skill with magic, right? You've gotta know a spell or two that can fix up our hair and skin, right?"

Vil sighed and crossed his arms. "All of you are budding mages, so I'm sure you already know that the effects of most spells and potions are temporary. Magic can create a brief illusion of beauty to allow someone to indulge in a momentary dream, but I have no interest in spells that fade when the clock strikes midnight." The corners of his mouth quirked upwards into a small smile. "What I am seeking is genuine, authentic aesthetic perfection, much like the Fairest Queen who earned the praise and recognition of the Magic Mirror itself."

"If that legendary mirror still existed, I've no doubt that it would sing your praises as well, Vil," Rook said.

Vil's smile faded away. "…Perhaps. Anyway, that talk went on longer than I had intended. Head up to your rooms now, everyone. And don't neglect your skin care routine before you go to bed."

"Y-Yessir," everyone replied as they stood and began filing out of the lounge.

After Devon had showered and finished up her own skin care routine, she fell eagerly into bed. Grim hopped up next to her a minute later, looking just as worn out.

"Myah… It's only the first day and I'm already so exhausted," Grim complained.

"Right? I don't even wanna think about how tired the guys must feel," Devon replied as she mussed the fur on Grim's ears.

"Well, tired or not, we've gotta make sure they win this thing! Otherwise my tuna dreams will go up in smoke," Grim said.

Before the pair could settle in for the night, they heard someone singing outside the dorm. After exchanging a curious look, Devon picked up Grim and headed over to one of their bedroom windows.

"Who's makin' a racket in the yard at this time of night?" Grim wondered aloud as they peered out the window to find the source of the singing.

"I think I recognize that voice and if it's who I think it is, he's gonna get in big trouble if Vil catches him breaking curfew," Devon replied. After a moment of searching, her eyes landed on a lone figure standing near the tree in the yard. "Mmhmm. Just like I thought. And he's not dressed anywhere near warm enough to be out there for very long." She reluctantly moved to get out of bed. "C'mon, let's bring him back in."

After sliding her coat and snow boots on over her pajamas, Devon and Grim trudged out into the snow to wrangle Kalim back inside. They heard him sing the same verse again and again as they got closer, only for him to peter out at the same point. His back was facing them and he didn't seem to notice them approaching. He put his hands on his hips before sighing and shaking his head, muttering something under his breath that was just barely audible over the crunching of the snow beneath Devon and Grim's feet.

"I can't seem to hit that note," he mumbled.

"Oi, Kalim!" Grim called out. "If you stay out here for much longer, we're all gonna be in for a lecture from Vil tomorrow!"

Kalim whipped around, startled. "Whaa!" His posture relaxed once he registered who was behind him. "Wait…Devon and Grim? Were you guys able to hear me from inside? I'm sorry about that!"

"Nevermind that. How do you still have the energy to practice after you were worked to the bone at rehearsals today?" Grim demanded.

"Props for being so diligent, but you really do need to make sure you get enough rest time, y'know," Devon added.

Kalim grinned at them. "Oh, it's not really about being diligent. This is actually the first time I've ever done something like this."

"What do you mean?" Devon asked.

Kalim rubbed the back of his head as his smile turned slightly sheepish. "The truth is that I'm pretty upset I didn't land a spot as a main vocalist."

"Really? You didn't look all that upset when Vil made the announcement," Grim pointed out.

"I wasn't at first, but it started nagging at me as I was trying to go to sleep," Kalim explained. "I knew I wouldn't get any sleep if I kept working myself up, so I came out here to let off some steam and get some extra practice in. The fact is that I've never felt like this before."

Grim smirked. "Makes sense. I'll bet you've had everything handed to you on a silver platter before this, huh? Guess that's how it goes when you're part of a super-rich family."

Devon thought back to her time in Jamil's mindscape after his Overblot, what he'd shown her via his memories and how he'd had to bend over backwards to make sure he never outdid Kalim at anything. She supposed it wouldn't be a stretch to think that others were bound by similar rules when it came to Kalim.

"Mmm…yes and no. I don't think that's quite it," Kalim replied. "It's just that up until today, I was always chosen. Always. It happened so often that I didn't even stop to think that this time might be any different. But now I can see that was only possible because Jamil was always forced to take a dive for my sake. He always had to hold back so that I would win. I mean, he'd told me as much already after his Overblot, of course, but seeing just how right he was today…" He gave them a sad smile. "…It stings. I can't even begin to describe it. I mean, I'm super happy for Jamil and I know he deserves the spot but it still kinda feels like I've been slapped in the face."

"Hmph. You wanna talk about a slap in the face? At least you made the cut," Grim huffed. "Imagine how I feel knowin' the two goofballs I auditioned with made it in while I didn't!"

Kalim's eyes widened as he gave Grim an apologetic look. "Ah, you're right. I'm so sorry, Grim! I wasn't trying to rub it in, honest!" He sighed and shook his head. "There I go again, not taking other people's feelings into account. I'm really sorry…"

Grim exchanged a look with Devon, not expecting such a sincere reaction from Kalim. "Huh. Ace or Deuce would've just made some kind of snarky remark, but getting a genuine apology like Kalim's makes me feel like I just kicked a puppy or somethin'," he muttered before clearing his throat and speaking up so Kalim could hear him. "Well, if that's how you feel, then you'd better give it your all to win this thing!"

Kalim's expression brightened. "That's a good way to look at it! I'll give this performance everything I have, so make sure to keep your eyes on me, okay?" He glanced back at Ramshackle before returning his attention to Devon and Grim. "I don't want to disturb the others, so I think I'll call it a night, but thanks for coming out to check on me, guys."

"We'll all give it our best tomorrow too, yeah?" Devon replied as she held her arms out for a hug.

"You know it!" Kalim agreed as he wrapped Devon up in a quick hug. "Goodnight, Devon and Grim!"

"We should get back to our room too, Dev," Grim said, hopping up onto Devon's shoulder as she followed Kalim back inside. "My paws are screamin' at me for walkin' out here in this cold!"

Unbeknownst to the trio, Jamil had concealed himself behind another tree to listen to their conversation. He'd heard Kalim leave from his own room next door and wasted no time following him with every intention of dragging him back inside and scolding him for heading out into the cold when Devon and Grim's sudden appearance caused him to duck behind the closest thing that would conceal him. He sighed as he mulled over everything he'd just heard before pushing himself off of his hiding place and heading back inside himself.

Devon and her brothers barely had time to register that they were back in their shared dreamscape when a girl's scream pierced the void. The scene opened up to show Snow White with her back pressed against a large boulder and the Queen's huntsman knelt before her and begged for forgiveness. He explained that he'd brought her to the meadow with the intention of killing her on his queen's orders, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He told her that the Queen was jealous of her and urged her to run and spare herself from her stepmother's wrath.

"Hmm. Well, that doesn't bode well at all," Dominic quipped as they watched Snow White flee into the forest.

"These dreams never do," Devon replied. "Props to the huntsman, though. It can't have been easy for him to go against the Queen, especially if he knew how crazy she was."

"Oop. Speak of the devil," DJ said, pulling his siblings' attention back to the scene playing out before them.

They had gone from a forest clearing to what appeared to be a dank medieval version of a laboratory. The Queen stormed into the room, fury etched on her face as she cursed the huntsman for tricking her, presenting her with the heart of a pig instead of the one she'd ordered him to carve from Snow White. Resolving to handle the problem herself, she whipped together a potion that would transform her into a haggard old beggar woman in her signature black cloak before poring over a book of potions in search of "a perfect death for one so fair".

Devon sighed and shook her head. "Looks like this mess with Vil is still far from over. I'm positive he's the one the blot visions are warning me about."

"Any idea who he's plannin' to target?" DJ asked.

"Well…based on what I overheard earlier today, I'm pretty sure this Neige guy is the Snow White here. People keep saying he's the most popular celebrity right now and just mentioning him is enough to put Vil in a bad mood," Devon reasoned.

"At least that means there's no immediate danger, right?" Dominic commented. "From what you've told us, Vil's been throwing himself into VDC rehearsals and Neige won't be anywhere near your campus until the day of the show. Maybe you still have time to head this thing off."

"I don't know. The Queen was single-minded in getting rid of Snow White to the point that she gave up her beauty for a better chance," Devon replied. "Vil's the head of the dorm that was founded on her spirit, so something tells me he's not just going to put this behind him. Either way, I'll keep an eye on things. Now that we use our phones and the mirrors to talk, I'll be able to give you guys updates quicker. I have a feeling that Rook suspects somethin's up too, so I'll have some backup on my side of the mirror as well."

"That does make me feel a little better, but make sure you don't bite off more than you can chew again," DJ warned.

"Dev? Hey, Dev!"

The feeling of two tiny paws squishing her cheeks pulled Devon back to consciousness, shooting a sleepy glare at Grim as her vision came into focus.

Grim grinned when he saw she was awake. "'S about time you woke up."

"What d'you want, Grim?" Devon asked blearily as she sat up and rubbed her eyes. Her frown deepened when she checked the time on her phone, only to see that it was about half past eleven. "We haven't even been asleep for two hours."

"Nevermind that now. Just come with me and be stealthy about it," Grim ordered before hopping off the bed and heading toward their open bedroom door. "Everyone else is sleepin' right now and we need to keep it that way."

Devon sighed before getting up and following Grim out of the room, taking care to avoid the areas where she knew the floorboards would creak. Grim led her down the stairs and into the lounge where two familiar faces awaited them.

"Hey, it's about time. C'mon, this way," Ace greeted, making sure to keep his voice down as he nodded toward the hallway that led to the kitchen.

"Whatever this is about had better be worth draggin' me outta bed in the middle of the night," Devon grumbled, still salty about being woken up.

"I swear, New York, this is a matter of life and death," Ace said dramatically as he placed a hand on each of her shoulders. "The truth of it is…that dinner we had earlier just didn't fill me up and it got me thinkin' about those treats Trey made for us. Y'know, the ones that are sitting in your fridge right now. It'd be a shame to let 'em go to waste, right? And Trey did tell us that they should be eaten today."

Devon rolled her eyes as Ace turned her around and steered her in the direction of the kitchen, but went along with him all the same. "So you guys wanted more people around to share the blame when you get caught, huh? How do we know this isn't just gonna be a repeat of the incident with the tart after we got back from the mines that one time?"

"Psh, this totally different," Ace assured her. "First of all, the dorm head's not here to take our heads off this time. Second of all, even if he was, Trey made those sweets for us, so it's not like we'll be stealing anything."

"A-And just so you know, I'm not here for any sweets!" Deuce insisted. "I'm just…um…thirsty! Yeah. I just came down to get some water, that's all!"

"Everyone knows snacks always taste better when you're sneakin' 'em! Heh heh heh!" Grim cackled as they reached the darkened kitchen. Nobody risked turning on the light as Grim made his way to the fridge and quietly pulled the door open with both paws. "Now…open sesame!"

Ace immediately grabbed the two boxes Trey had given to him and Deuce before they'd set out for Ramshackle and wasted no time grabbing a plate and silverware, moving about the kitchen as easily as if it was his own dorm. "I think I'll have some of the chocolate cake."

"Suit yourself. That apple pie's callin' my name!" Grim cheered as quietly as he could, barely waiting until his piece was cut before shoveling it in his mouth.

Meanwhile, Deuce hung back next to Devon, pointedly avoiding looking at sweets heist right in front of him. "I'm not looking. I see nothing."

Ace swallowed the bite of cake in his mouth before stepping closer to Deuce. "Hey, Deuce. Look this way for a sec."

"Hmm? What-mmph?!" Deuce struggled not to choke on the piece of pie Ace had shoved into his mouth. He swallowed the food on instinct before shooting a glare at the redhead. "What the actual heck, Ace?!"

Ace just smirked. "What do you think of Trey's homemade apple pie? You've had a bite now, so you're just as guilty as we are."

"Just try and tell me it doesn't taste a hundred times better since we're not supposed to have it!" Grim added.

Deuce looked at the piece of pie in his hand, torn between wanting to polish off the rest of it and wanting to obey the rules Vil had set. In the end, the call of the sweets was too strong to be ignored. "Well, I'm not about to let this go to waste now that I've bitten into it. I guess just one piece won't hurt anything…"

Ace turned back to the fridge and opened it. "And since we're already breaking the rules, I think I'll wash this down with one of our confiscated sodas. Go big or go home, right?"

Devon was too busy trying not to fall back asleep standing at the kitchen counter to pay too much attention to her friends' antics, let alone participate. She was vaguely aware of Regina trying to tell her something, but she was too tired to process it right away. Unfortunately, she realized too late what Regina was trying to say. Ace barely had time to open one of the cans and take a big swig when the kitchen lights suddenly clicked on, causing her eyes to snap open and all sleepiness to fade. Everyone froze in place, too afraid to turn around to face the person they knew was standing in the doorway.

"Well, well," the newcomer said, "it seems a pack of sneaky little rats has made their way into the kitchen under the cover of darkness."

"That voice… It's…" The group finally turned to see Vil glaring at them sternly. "Vil!"

"What disobedient children you are. It seems some punishment is in order," Vil said, though he didn't seem to be reaching for his magical pen, much to everyone's surprise.

"Look, we're growing boys!" Ace argued. "Why are you so surprised that we're hungry at this hour?!"

"My pride as a Heartslabyul student means I can't ignore Trey's homemade sweets," Deuce added. "It wouldn't be right."

Vil merely crossed his arms, unconcerned. "Any moment now."

Ace blinked. "Huh? Whaddaya mean-hrk!" His eyes widened before he collapsed to the floor.

"Myah!/Urgh!" Grim and Deuce exclaimed before they hit the ground as well.

"Oh crap! What's wrong, guys?!" Devon asked. She quickly knelt down beside Ace and rolled him over so that he was no longer face down on the kitchen floor.

"M-My body's…going numb…," Ace choked out.

Grim struggled in vain to move his arms and legs. "Rrgh…I can't stand up…"

"What's going on?" Deuce asked through gritted teeth.

Devon glared up at Vil. "What did you do to them?" Her eyes widened as she remembered what Jamil had said about Vil's skill with potions and even earlier when he'd mentioned Pomefiore's dorm leader seat only being offered to the student who could make the most potent poison. "Wait… Did you poison that food?! Damn Vil, goin' a little overboard, don't ya think?"

Vil quirked a brow. "Please. I'm not about to poison my own performers." He gestured to Ace, Deuce, and Grim. "What you're seeing right now are the effects of a curse and it was clearly a necessary precaution."

"A curse?! How do you even put a curse on food?" Deuce demanded.

"That would be my Unique Magic: Fairest One of All," Vil explained. "It allows me to place a curse on anything I touch. Nobody, not even myself, can lift it until the conditions are met. Would you like to know what the conditions are in this case?" He shot a smirk toward the boys. ""Any fool who partakes of this forbidden food shall be immobilized until the next sunrise"."

"Seriously? You can just do that?" Deuce asked incredulously.

"That's even scarier than poison! A curse doesn't even alter the taste of the food!" Ace commented.

"I specifically instructed you all to avoid foods loaded with sugar and additives until the VDC was over," Vil reminded them. "Your flippant disregard for the guidelines I set indicate to me that you aren't taking your roles as ensemble members seriously, so you can sleep on the hard floor tonight until sunrise as punishment."

"B-But I didn't even take the food willingly!" Deuce protested. "It was shoved into my mouth, I swear!"

"No excuses! You bear the responsibility for your own actions." Vil glanced over at Devon, looking her over. "Well, Manager, it seems you didn't eat anything, so I'll overlook your involvement in these fools' shenanigans this time. However, do not assume you're free to indulge just because you aren't joining us on stage." He narrowed his eyes. "Now get back to your room and go to bed unless you want to join these spuds on the ground."

'Oh, no, he did not,' Devon thought as she stood up, shooting a glare right back at Vil. She stood up, about to lay into him for trying to order her around in her own dorm, when Grim's wail pulled her attention back to her friends.

"Myaah! Dev, don't leave meeee!"

"Don't worry, Grim," Devon assured him. "I might not be able to do anything about Vil's magic, but I can still grab you guys some blankets-"

"You will do no such thing," Vil interjected harshly. "This is meant to be a punishment."

"And it still will be," Devon argued. "It's not like I'm gonna try to roll 'em back to their beds."

"They won't learn to take their positions in this group seriously if you insist on coddling them," Vil insisted.

"Yeah, and what happens if one of them gets sick down here? Gonna be a little hard to reflect of "what it means to be an ensemble member" or whatever if they're too busy bein' laid up and fighting a cold," Devon shot back. "I respect your right to run this training camp however you want, but you need to remember that you aren't Ramshackle's dorm head. While you morons are stayin' here, the health and well-being of all of you is my responsibility, so I suggest you stand aside and let me do my dang job."

""Your job" doesn't include undermining me-" Vil took a step closer to Devon, only to freeze when a meat tenderizer flew through the air toward him, missing the side of his head by barely a centimeter before hitting a wall and clattering harmlessly to the floor.

"That was Regina's warning shot," Devon explained, seeing Vil glance quickly around the room looking for the assailant. "It doesn't seem like you've made a great first impression, but they're very protective of all of us freshmen since the squad's over here so often." She paused. "They said you're on real thin ice right now and the next thing they throw at you will be much sharper. And it won't miss. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some spare blankets to find."

She took a step closer to the doorway leading back out into the hall, her eyes locked on Vil's in an unspoken challenge as he blocked her way. The pair glared at each other for a moment before Vil finally relented and moved into the room and off to the side, allowing Devon to leave the room. He couldn't understand the Wisps the way Devon could, but the way the flow of magical energy in the room had begun to shift led him to believe that Regina was losing their patience.

"One last thing," Devon said as she turned to look at Vil. "If you're plannin' on taking the blankets away as soon as I leave, don't. Regina sees everything that happens in this place and they've got an entire mansion of stuff to throw at you."

"Hmm. I'll keep that in mind," Vil sniffed, staring after Devon as she walked back toward the lounge. "Why must all of these people act in such an unbecoming manner? I simply cannot fathom a reason why." He cast one last look at the boys before heading toward the hallway himself…only for the door to slam shut on its own. His brow furrowed in irritation as he tried to pull on the handle only to find that it was stuck tight. "Come now, Regina, is this really the best you can come up with? What a childish and petty way to get revenge-" He was immediately cut off as the Regina abruptly dropped their magical hold on the door just as Vil made another attempt to yank it free, causing the door to fly back and hit him square in the face. He grit his teeth to keep from crying out in pain, not wanting to give Regina the satisfaction, and kept his stride as poised as ever as he headed off to his own room to do some damage control for the bruise he could already feel forming.

"I can't believe that guy. No wonder Epel can't stand him," Devon grumbled to Zephyr as she got back to her room after getting blankets for the boys and giving them all goodnight kisses on their foreheads, something she'd made a habit out of doing with Grim, but then Ace got huffy about not getting a forehead smooch too and Devon couldn't very well leave Deuce out after that. She was just about to settle in for the second time that night when she noticed the mirror glowing again. Long past the point of being surprised at this now, she merely moved closer until she was standing directly in front of the mirror.

A shadowy hand reached out through the foggy void on the other side of the mirror to knock against the glass. Devon could see Mickey's silhouette just like last time, but within seconds, the fog cleared just enough for her to make out his face.

"…llo? Hello?" Mickey called to her. "Are you there today, Devon?"

Devon couldn't help but grin, clapping her hands excitedly. "There you are, Mickey! I knew I wasn't dreaming when I saw you before!"

Mickey jumped, caught off-guard by Devon's outburst. "Whoa! You startled me!" He relaxed quickly and smiled back at her. "Seems your voice is coming through loud and clear today. All I could see of you before was a hazy silhouette, but today I can actually make out your face. Are you able to see me now too?"

Devon nodded. "Yep. I can see you just fine."

"I told a couple friends of mine about what you said in my last dream," Mickey said as his expression grew troubled, "but Donald and Goofy haven't heard of Twisted Wonderland before either. Donald said it was probably just a ghost prank and I shouldn't listen to you."

"Heh. That's funny, my friends told me more or less the same thing," Devon replied.

"Huh?! But I'm not a ghost!" Mickey protested. "Can I take that to mean that you aren't one, either?"

Devon smiled and nodded before gently pinching the skin on her hand. "See? Just good ol' flesh and blood."

Mickey smiled back. "Well, that's a relief. It still leaves me with plenty of questions, though. Like, just a moment ago, the living cards and dancing gloves said, "Oh, you're back again?" to me. Whatever's happening here, this isn't an ordinary dream."

Devon's eyes lit up as the mention of a dream caused her to remember telling her friends about Mickey on their first day back after the holiday break. "Oh, right! Can I take your picture real quick, Mickey?"

"Hmm? Sure, go for it!" Mickey agreed.

Devon had just enough time to grab the Ghost Camera and hold it up to show Mickey when a loud ringing sound was heard from his side of the mirror. When Mickey spoke again, his voice began to cut out and she was only about to make out a few words.

"…hear…ringing…," Mickey told her as his body began to fade away, a sign that he was waking up.

"Mickey, wait!" Devon called out, but it was too late. There was a flash of light and Mickey was gone, the mirror's fading a second later. Devon sighed before looking down at the camera in her hands. "I wasn't able to get that picture…" She stared at the mirror and the Sending Stone next to it, trying to make sense of it all and thinking back to the day she'd arrived in Twisted Wonderland and realized she wasn't able to get back home.

After the Dark Mirror made it clear that it couldn't return her to her home and the headmaster told her he'd never heard of New York, she and Crowley headed straight to the library to get to the bottom of the situation.

"Th-There really isn't anything here," Crowley gasped in disbelief. "Not just on the current world map, either. I don't see the name of your home written in any of Twisted Wonderland's history." He fixed Devon with an even stare. "Are you sure you're from where you say? You aren't lying to me, are you?" He hummed in thought. "Looking at all this, it appears you may have been brought here from another planet. Maybe even another world entirely due to some sort of mix-up."

"My Sending Stone doesn't activate when the mirror connects me to wherever Mickey is…so where exactly does that mirror connect to?" Devon asked herself. "And how is it able to connect at all? It can't be some kind of magical artifact like the Dark Mirror; even Crowley isn't absent-minded enough to leave somethin' like that here…"

A soft knock on the bedroom door kept Devon from diving too deep down the conspiracy theory rabbit hole. She padded over to open the door, only to find-much to her surprise-Jamil standing on the other side. "Oh hey, Jamil. What're you still doing up?"

"The commotion from downstairs earlier woke me up," Jamil replied.

"Was it really that loud?" Devon asked.

"Maybe not for most people, but I've always been a light sleeper," Jamil explained. "For better or worse, it comes with the territory when you're tasked with looking after someone. What exactly happened, anyway? I went downstairs to check on everything once I heard you and Vil leave the area and I saw Ace, Deuce, and Grim on the ground."

Devon sighed. "Long story short, my three favorite dinguses were still hungry after dinner, so they snuck some of the sweets Trey made for us, Vil caught 'em, and now they have to sleep on the kitchen floor tonight."

"And I'm assuming the blankets I saw draped over all of them were your doing?" Jamil probed.

"Well, I wasn't about to let them get sick because Vil wanted to prove a point," Devon huffed. "I'm sorry we ended up waking you, though."

Jamil shook his head. "Don't worry about it. I'd have probably been too on edge tonight to sleep soundly regardless. The first night in a new place is always nerve-wracking for me."

"I can understand that. It probably doesn't help that Ramshackle's so different from Scarabia too," Devon empathized.

"And that the main campus doesn't seem to be imbued with any sort of weather-altering magic the way the dimensions containing the dorms are," Jamil added, giving her a look she couldn't quite decipher before he continued. "It's much colder here than it ever gets in Scarabia's desert, even at night."

Devon quirked a brow. "Is that you hinting that you wanna stay with me tonight, Jamil?"

"That depends on whether or not you'd say yes," Jamil replied. "If not, then I was just making idle conversation and will let you get some rest."

Devon huffed out a laugh and rolled her eyes playfully. "Nice to see you've got all your bases covered. There's no need to worry, though. I'd definitely say yes…if you asked me directly."

Jamil gave Devon a wry smile. "Well then, if it would please the lady… Devon, may I stay with you tonight?"

Devon's eyes sparkled with amusement as she reached out to take Jamil's hand and pull him into the room, closing the door behind them. "Of course you can. I was actually wondering what I was gonna do without Grim, anyway. I don't think I've slept by myself since I arrived here."

"I should hope I make for better company than Grim does," Jamil replied as they settled in.

"I dunno, man. Grim's pretty fluffy and warm. Makes for some pretty great snuggles," Devon pointed out teasingly, only to let out a surprised yelp when Jamil suddenly reached out and pulled her against his chest. "Aaaand apparently so do you."

"Yes, and Ace was telling the truth about you being a human furnace," Jamil observed. "Not that I didn't already know that from when we went ice skating before, but it's nice to experience it in a more…intimate setting."

"What, you mean skating out in the open while Azul tries to convince you to transfer to Octavinelle and Kalim and the twins keep trying to race each other and stay upright while wearing razorblades on their feet wasn't intimate enough for you?" Devon snarked.

Jamil chuckled. "Shocking, I know." He watched as Devon fought to keep herself from yawning and began rubbing soothing circles on her back with one hand, the remaining around her waist as if to anchor her. "Get some rest, alright? We'll talk more in the morning."

Devon nodded sleepily before tilting her head upward to peck Jamil's forehead. "Mmm. G'night, Jamil."

Jamil's cheeks warmed at the gesture, a warm look in his eyes as pressed his lips to the top of Devon's head. "Sleep well, Devon."

Ending Notes: It's always nice to see Devon take a break from being her usual chaos gremlin self to do a shift as the resident Mom Friend. Unfortunately, it's brought her into conflict with the other Mom Friend right now, but she and Vil will work things out soon. Personally, watching Vil be a mother hen to the rest of these morons once he goes through his character development is always a treat for me-right up there with Leona begrudgingly looking out for everyone and Trey trying to pretend he's the Only Sane Man before he pulls something (usually involving dental health) that proves he's just as weird as everyone else at NRC.

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