"MYAHAHA!" Grim cheered as Kat and Deuce struggled back out of the crowd in front of the booth, now thoroughly in disarray. "How's that?! Thanks to my awesome power, this very last deluxe minced cutlet sandwich is ALL MINE!"

Kat was holding Grim at arm's length under his armpits, since his front legs were full of wrapped baked goods. "Shut up," she told him, extricating herself from the fray and giving a whole-body shudder, trying to decompress.

He didn't seem to hear her, though, gloating over his armful of prizes. "An' of course, this yakisoba-pan an' cream-pan are all mine, too!"

"Shut. UP," she repeated, tucking him under one arm. "I'm so sick of you, it's not even funny."

"Grim, SERIOUSLY!" Deuce panted, escaping from the aftermath of the fray and jogging over to them. "You really need to CALM DOWN! You can't keep DOING this!"

He turned to face the shell-shocked crowd of customers, bowing politely. "I'm really sorry, senpais! Please accept my apology!"

Kat stomped over to an empty section of a nearby table, dropping Grim unceremoniously onto it and looking around. "...Where's Ace?"

"Hey, Pops! Hit me up with one of those roast beef sandwiches, okay?"

She spotted the shock of messy ginger hair belonging to Ace. He'd somehow managed to work his way up to the front of the crowd, and was now up at the counter, accepting a wrapped sandwich from the ghost.

"Wh-- HEY!" Deuce protested. "Seriously?! Don't tell me you just wanted to cut in line, too?! Unbelievable!"

Kat grumbled, sitting down heavily and dropping her head down onto the table. "I hate both of them so much," she muttered. "I'm so tired.."

She stayed there for a second, giving herself a little break.

She couldn't help but hear the crowd muttering... A few snatches of conversation drifted through the air.

"Hey, isn't that that Prefect? From that shitty old dorm?"

"She's a girl, right?"

"Didn't she go up against the Heartslabyul dorm head when he lost it? And that little tanuki and the first-year, too?"

...Uh-oh. Looked like word was already starting to spread... She hoped that would be a good thing, but somehow she doubted it.

"Aw, maaan... Looks like I totally missed the lunchtime bakery free-for-all, huh?"

Kat blinked. This voice was... Vaguely familiar... She lifted her head, looking around.

Someone was standing a few feet away from the table, shielding their eyes and squinting over at the crowd by the booth, which had apparently regained its enthusiasm after the Grim incident.

"An' just my luck, too... The deluxe minced cutlet sandwiches Leona-san sent me to buy are completely sold out! Dang..."

The person ruffled the back of their sandy mop of hair, huffing slightly with a frown.

They were-- he was...

The person who'd dragged that lion-guy... Leona?- out of the botanical gardens that time.

What had Leona called him again? Something with an 'R', sort of a rolling sound to it... She couldn't remember.

"Nya ha ha!" Grim snickered to himself, licking his whiskers as he dropped his packages on the table. "I bet this food's gonna taste even BETTER, since it's the spoils a' my victory and everything!"

The boy's ears twitched, and he turned, looking at the table out of the corner of his eye. His short, slanted eyebrows raised a little.

"Wuoh-- hey there, friend! I see you've managed to get your paws on the super-popular deluxe minced cutlet sandwich... Amazing!"

Crossing his arms behind his head, he strolled over, with an easygoing smile on his thin lips.

Grim, who'd started unwrapping the aforementioned sandwich, stopped, looking up suspiciously as the newcomer approached. "...Ah? Who the heck're you? And whadd'YOU want?"

Kat sat up as he came over, looking at him curiously.

His ears, twitching on the top of his head, weren't as round as she'd first presumed. They had points at the top, and were actually a little more doglike than she'd initially thought.

He had a warm complexion, and really was quite skinny. With a frame like that, it probably didn't matter what he wore-- everything would look somewhat oversized on him, even if it wasn't.

His uniform was definitely too big for him, though... The sleeves of the shirt protruded, but he'd folded them up neatly, cuffing the overlong jacket sleeves. The jacket itself was clearly meant for someone a lot bigger. The ends of the lapels hung all the way down to his bellybutton, and only the very end of his tail was visible under the hem.

He glanced at her again, then turned his attention back to Grim, sidling closer with a grin. "Ah-- well, y'know, the thing is... I really, really, reeeeally needed to get my hands on one a' those sandwiches today... But looks like I got here a little too late. Sucks, huh?" He sighed, putting one hand on his hip and ruffling his hair again.

"Say, speakin' of which..." He reached into his jacket pocket, pulling something out. "I've got somethin' real special here-- a mini anpan! Whaddaya' think of trading it for that there deluxe minced cutlet sandwich, huh?"

He had a small, circular bun in his hand, barely even half the size of his palm, and sealed in a plastic wrapper that had a very mass-produced feel to it.

"...Haah?" Grim asked flatly, twizzling his ears as he frowned. "For THAT lil' thing? Definitely not!"

"Awwww-- c'mon, c'mon...!" The boy shuffled closer, grinning.

His skin wasn't exactly tanned... Sun-kissed, maybe? There was just a hint of redness blushing his cheekbones and nose, along with a faint smattering of freckles. His eyes were a little bit hollow, with slightly pronounced eyebags... Not in an unhealthy way, though. It just added to his general air of slightly unkempt, rakish jauntiness.

"Let's not be like that, okay? Here ya go... I-- insiiist!~"

Kat blinked, jumping a little.

Maybe she'd imagined it, but she thought she'd seen a brief, faint flash of light and an almost inaudible twinkling sound. Then the boy's hand reached out... He had slim, nimble-looking hands, Kat noticed.

"What the-- FNYAH-!!" Grim spluttered as the boy snatched the partially unwrapped sandwich out of his paws. "H-H-Hey-- what's goin' ON?! Cut that out!"

Even as he protested, though, he didn't really put up much of a fight... In fact, he reached out as well, taking the small bun at nearly the same exact moment. There was something a little odd about his movements, though...

"M-M-M-My paws're movin' on their own! What gives?!"

That's... Weird. She exchanged a shocked look with Deuce, still standing there by the table and looking just as baffled as she felt.

Transaction completed, the sandy-haired boy skipped backwards quickly, with the sandwich gripped triumphantly in his hand. "There ya go! Pleasure doin' business with ya!" He announced, flashing a cheeky grin and giving a breathy, snickering laugh. "Maaan, whatta' stroke of luck that I found somebody kind enough to trade me their precious deluxe minced cutlet sandwich! I'm sure that mini anpan's gonna be SUUUUUPER delicious thanks to your thoughtful gesture!"

Waving, he loped towards the cafeteria door, muttering something under his breath before turning, jogging backwards for a few steps. "Well then, have a great day, okay? Bye-byeeee!~"

He winked, giving them a sarcastic salute before turning and ducking out the double doors and into the hall.

Kat blinked again.

She and Deuce looked at each other, then back at Grim, who was sat frozen in shock, staring vacantly at the place where the boy had just been.

Then he gave a shocked, spluttering wail. "Wh-- Wh... WHAAAAAH!!No WAY! MY PRECIOUS DELUXE MINCED CUTLET SANDWICH!!!!"

Scrambling to his feet and dropping the mini anpan, he leapt down off the table, skidding through the sea of legs and towards the door.

"Wh-- GRIM!" She yelped, getting up hurriedly and following him. "Wait a sec!"

When she reached the hallway outside, she craned her neck, rising up on tiptoes to look for the head of sandy hair or the flicker of flaming ears.

Grim was standing on his hind legs in the middle of the crowd, looking around frantically. Hurrying over, Kat scooped him up, holding him under the armpits as his lower body and legs dangled. "H-He's GONE," the little creature said morosely, ears drooping. "He musta' slipped away in the crowd-- no fair..."

Kat sighed, draping his limp, dejected form over her shoulder and patting him lightly on the back. "There, there... I'll get you something while I'm picking up my lunch, okay? How's that sound?"

She felt him perk up a little, but not by much. "...Eh," he grumbled, but sounded a little less depressed, too. "It won't be the same, but... Hey, if you're offerin'..."

Rolling her eyes, she turned, walking back into the cafeteria.

"Rrr..."

Grim sniffled quietly through a mouthful of omelet, ears drooping as he sulked on the table next to Kat. "Man, thish'sh GOTTA be the--"

He sniffled again, jaw working furiously as he chewed. "Worsht day a'--"

Another grumbling sniffle. "My WHOLE STUPID LIFE!"

"Mmm," Kat muttered, reaching over and stroking his head lightly a few times.

Grim grumbled, shaking her off and continuing to devour the omelet like he had a personal vendetta against it. "My appetite's gone straight down the drain," he muttered between a few more sullen bites.

"Yeah, says the guy who just ate three baked goods in about half a second," Ace interjected from across the table.

Kat shot him a look over her glasses, and he winced a little, scooting a little further away down the bench.

"Hey, speaking of which," Deuce piped up from next to Ace, twirling his fork thoughtfully in his plate of pasta. "What DID happen earlier, with that? I mean-- no offense, Grim, but I really didn't take you as the type to go for a trade like that..."

"Wh-- I-- I'm NOT!" Grim protested, jumping to his feet and planting his paws on his hips as he bristled. "I didn't WANNA, but-- but... When he reached out 'is hand, it was like MY paw suddenly shot out, too-- like, like it was copyin' HIM! An' before I knew it, I-- I..."

His ears drooped again, and he gave another pathetic sniffle. "I'd already let go a' my precious sandwich..."

"Haaah... Okay, I see," Ace grinned cheekily, nodding. "Like, that social etiquette instinct kickin' in, right? Just agreeing to be polite, even though you haven't actually thought about what you're agreeing to?"

"Grrrr... N-No, it... It really wasn't LIKE that!" Grim protested, crossing his arms and scowling. "But I-- I... Rrrrrgh, I just-- can't figure out how to explain it...!"

With a frustrated yowl, he dropped back into a sitting position, ruffling his head with both paws.

"Rrrr-- that's IT!" He proclaimed after a moment, jumping back upright. "I'm so angry there's nothin' else for it-- I gotta EAT! Deuce-- gimme some a' your pasta, right now!"

"Wh-- N-NO WAY!" Deuce protested, jumping up off the bench and snatching his plate up as Grim stormed towards him. "This is MINE-- paws off! Besides, Kat already got you THREE whole servings! That's two more than she got for herself!"

"HEY," Kat warned, reaching out to snag Grim by the tail. "Stop that."

Pulling him back across the table, she plopped him into her lap, holding him loosely with one arm. "Don't steal other people's food-- do you WANNA sink to that guy's level?"

Grim grumbled again, sinking further into her lap.

"Mmm-- hey, actually, I just remembered," Ace piped up, scooting back a little closer. "The Headmaster actually told me he had something he wanted to talk to us about after class today..."

"Whuh-oh," Kat muttered, grimacing. "Any idea what? And-- when did he even do that? I certainly haven't seen him all day..."

Ace shrugged. "No idea," he replied. "He just said he wanted to talk to us... And..."

He grimaced a little himself, shaking his head. "Actually, it was during flight class, while you guys were already up in the air... There I was, waitin' my turn, when I turn my head a little and-- BAM!" He thumped the table lightly for emphasis. "There he was, right behind me. He seriously scared the shit outta me..."

"Y'know, that... Doesn't really surprise me," Kat muttered, shaking her head. "He is-- SUCH a weird dude..."

Deuce hummed, putting a hand to his chin. "Hmm... Hey, maybe it has something to do with what happened the other day? I mean-- with Housewarden Rosehearts..." His voice trailed off awkwardly, and a brief silence fell over the four of them.

"...D'you mean that-- evil villain berserker-mode incident or whatever?" Ace asked, rubbing the back of his neck and sighing. "Yeah-- I think you're probably right..."

Grim perked up, squirming out of Kat's lap and clambering back up onto the table with an eager cackle. "Hey-- maybe he wants to reward me with a whole HEAP a' tuna cans for all my valuable work that day!"

"Yeah, it's DEFINITELY not gonna be tuna cans," Ace said flatly. "Dream on, furball."

"Wh-- HEY!" Grim protested, whirling on Ace and scowling. "What, YOU don't know that! I mean-- it IS all thanks to ME that Riddle's back to normal, right?!"

"Uh, NO-- last I checked, it was actually the Prefect who did that," Ace interjected. "If she--"

Rolling her eyes, Kat propped her elbows on the table, putting her chin in her hands and looking up at the ceiling as she thought.

She thought about that-- that person... The skinny, sandy-haired boy with the lazy gray eyes and cheerful grin.

...Grim was-- well, he was right. Something about that interaction had been-- off. She couldn't put her finger on it, exactly... But there was something there. Something odd had happened-- she was almost sure of it.

What it was was another story altogether... But if she knew ANYTHING, it was that Grim would NEVER relinquish any of his food without extenuating circumstances.

The sounds of Ace and Grim bickering blended into the general background noise of the cafeteria as she tapped her fingers idly against her chin, wondering how the boy had managed it... And also what kind of animal he was.

Some kind of dog, maybe? But-- he didn't exactly have 'doglike' energy...

...She-- wanted to touch a beastperson's ears. And tail. Like, she really, REALLY wanted to.

Of course, she wasn't gonna do it without asking... And she wasn't going to just go up to any randos and, basically, ask to pet them. But she still wanted to...

...Maybe Che'nya might be okay with it, if she ever ran into him again? Probably not that rabbit-eared kid with the glasses, judging by how nervous he seemed... With her luck, he'd probably have a heart attack as soon as she initiated conversation with him.

Actually, speaking of Che'nya... The sandy-haired student actually reminded her of him, a little bit. Not exactly, but similar...

He seemed a little more-- grounded? Than Che'nya? For lack of a better word? But they both had a kind of mischievous, easygoing trickster vibe to them.

Huh...

Shrugging, she banished the thoughts to the back of her mind, continuing to eat the rest of her lunch as Ace and Grim kept arguing with each other.

Author's Notes:

Ruggie has freckles and you can @ me on this. He's a SPOTTED hyena, dangit.

I think he and Che'nya would vibe. That's the end of the thought.

Also, idk how to describe it, but hyenas and foxes... Similar energy. Foxes= canines pretending to be cats, hyenas= felines pretending to be dogs, both go HEEHEEHEEHEE. This is science.

Crowley back at it again, jumpscaring his students. Shout-out to Ace's PE uniform voicelines for giving me an actual idea for a reason why Ace was the only one to know he wanted to see the Braincell Squad.