"...Huh?" Grim asked, twizzling his ears. "Magical... Shift? Tournament? What's that?"
"HUH?!" Came the significantly louder, more surprised echo from Ace and Deuce. They hurried back over, stopping to stare down at Grim with pure, unmitigated shock.
"WHAT?!" Ace demanded. "No way-- fuzzball, don't tell me you've never heard of Magishift!? What, were you living under a rock before you crashed the entrance ceremony or what?!"
He looked over at Kat. "Hey, Prefect-- what kind of education have you been GIVING this guy?! How does he not know what Magishift is?!"
Kat looked back at him, blinking slowly.
"...I never have any idea what you people are talking about," she sighed after a second, pushing her glasses up onto her forehead and rubbing her eyes. "God..."
Replacing them, she looked around at Ace and Deuce again, only to see that now, they were staring at HER in shock.
"Wh-- S-Seriously?!" Ace spluttered, gaping. "Dude-- Kat... C'mon! You've seriously never heard of Magishift, either?!"
"...No," she replied, an edge of irritation starting to build in her voice. "I'm sorry, am I missing something here?!"
"It's a world-famous sport," Deuce said. "Actually, it's probably, like, THE most popular sport in the world! There are pro leagues, and even a world championship tournament."
"...Ah-- well, there's your problem," she said after a second. "The whole 'world' thing."
"Ohhh..." Wincing, Deuce and Ace nodded, giving each other awkward looks.
Grim tugged at her pants leg, and she paused to scoop him up, holding him against her chest like a stuffed animal. "Hey-- I've never heard of this, either," he piped up, folding his forelegs. "What is it, anyway?"
Ace looked at him, then back at Kat. She shrugged.
Sighing, Ace drooped his head, one hand ruffling his hair. "Okay... So, basically, Magishift-- that's short for Magical Shift-- is a competitive sport. The games have two opposing teams, both with seven people on 'em, and, basically, the players have to battle for control of a disk. You get points by sending the disk into the other team's goal, and the team with the most points wins."
Putting his hands on his hips, he looked at Kat and Grim again. "You got all that?"
Kat blinked. "So, it's like... Soccer or football-- American football, I mean-- but... With a-- what kind of disk? Is it, like, a hockey puck, or like a Frisbee?"
Now it was her turn to be on the receiving end of the blank stares.
"...Spinny plastic plate you throw for dogs?" She suggested after a second.
"Ohhhh," everyone murmured again.
"The-- second one," Ace told her.
"Ah-- okay," Kat said, nodding.
"Marking... Foot? Ball?" Deuce asked, tilting his head with a puzzled look. "I've never heard of that... Is that a popular sport back where you're from, Prefect?"
"Yeah," Kat replied, shrugging again.
Crowley walked over, tapping his chin thoughtfully with a finger. "Hmmm... Foot Ball, eh?" He mused. "This is the first time I've ever heard of such a game... Nevertheless, I shall look it up the next time I'm in the library. Perhaps it might reveal some kind of clue on returning you to your world, my dear!" He beamed at her again.
"...Yeah, please do," she said after a second. "And-- don't forget this time."
Crowley gave her an affronted look, but Ace was already talking again. "I was actually gonna suggest trying it out for yourself, but.. Now that I think about it, you'd actually have a pretty rough time trying to play Magishift, Pre-K," he mused, looking her up and down.
"Huh?" Grim asked again. "How come?"
Deuce actually laughed a little bit, folding his arms. "Well-- it's right in the name, right?" He said. " 'Magical Shift'-- it's a sport that needs magic to play. See, you need to move the disk with magic-- it's actually against the rules to use your hands, most of the time. Plus, there's also defending and attacking, too..."
Ace laughed even louder, nodding in agreement. "Yep-- and the flashier and more over-the-top the magic is, the louder the crowd cheers! Basically, the players don't just have to be great athletes-- they've gotta be pretty impressive mages, too."
"PRECISELY!" Crowley interjected loudly, making everybody jump again. "And it is for THAT VERY REASON that Night Raven College is a household name for Magishift enthusiasts all over the world! In fact, many of the players in the professional leagues, as well as influential players from decades past, have all graduated from this very school!"
His voice was getting louder by the word, and Kat winced, gritting her teeth and ducking her head a little instinctively. "Hey-- c-can you turn it DOWN a little?!" She demanded angrily, glaring. "I'm kinda sensitive to loud noises..."
Crowley blinked again, looking embarrassed as he cleared his throat once more. "Ah-- m-my apologies... Ahem. As I was saying. That is also why our inter-dorm Magishift tournaments attract so much attention... Even from pro league recruiters!"
He put his hands on his hips again, nodding firmly. "And it's not merely sports leagues... Those searching for promising magicians in general use the event to find hopeful candidates to scout. In fact, one could say that the eyes of the entire magical world will all be fixed firmly on this very campus!"
With another nod, he beamed, chest practically swelling with pride. "Ahh, I'm sure it will be quite a sight... The grounds packed with visitors from all over the world, lined with booths and kiosks of all sorts... And of course, the main event-- that is to say, the tournament itself-- will be captured by television cameras and broadcast live worldwide!"
"Wow... Live TV?" Kat asked, eyes widening in surprise. "Guess this IS a really important event... That's amazing."
"Wh-Whoa... Broadcast live? Through the whole world?" Grim asked eagerly. "So, basically, what you're sayin' is, if I play in this tournament, then... Then the WHOLE WORLD is gonna be out there watchin' my inevitable victory?!"
Looking down at him, Kat saw that his eyes were wide and sparkling, with an enormous grin on his face that she honestly didn't like the looks of. She looked back up at Crowley, really hoping he wouldn't say anything to egg him on, but...
"But of COURSE!" He beamed, nodding happily. "Players who excel in the tournament inevitably attract great attention-- both from the pro teams of the world, and, of course, the public at large!"
...Great. Looking down at Grim again, she could see his eyes getting bigger and bigger.
"Well-- Grim, in your case," Deuce said, and she looked over at him this time. "The magic itself wouldn't really matter... I mean, just having a monster like you on the field is BOUND to turn heads."
Kat glared, opening her mouth to hiss a warning, but before she could, Grim had squirmed out of her grip again, landing on the floor with a soft thump.
"ALRIGHT!" He cheered, thrusting his paw in the air like a fist. "That settles it! I'm gonna start trainin', join a team, and become a Magishift LEGEND!"
Kat shot another sharp glare at Deuce, who winced apologetically, stepping back a little.
"Ah-- but, unfortunately, Grim-kun, you cannot," Crowley interjected matter-of-factly.
"...Eh?" She heard Grim squeak, stiffening.
Putting his hands on his hips, Crowley sighed, shaking his head and giving Grim a chidingly stern look. "You DID hear me speak the words 'interdorm' several times over the past few moments, did you not? The fact is, your dormitory-- the Ramshackle House, as I believe you've christened it?- doesn't even have seven members IN it... And one of the few residents it DOES have is, unfortunately, incapable of using magic."
He nodded towards Kat. "Therefore, I'm afraid you will be unable to enter the tournament."
"...HUUUUUUH?!?!?!" Grim shrieked, voice cracking a little. "N--No freakin' way... This is no fair...!!"
With that, he collapsed into a sad-looking sitting position, ears drooping as the flames in his ears actually dulled a little.
Sighing, Kat stepped forward. Scooping him up, she propped him against her shoulder, bouncing him like a baby as she turned a sharp, disappointed look at Crowley.
He blinked comically, taking a few steps back. "Ah! Ahem..."
He coughed into his fist, straightening up and giving his trademark fanged beam again. "But no need to be disheartened! There is much to do-- from selling drinks in the stalls to tending to the mighty grounds of the arena itself! Those who battle upon the fields are not the only stars of tournament day."
Grim sniffled, flattening himself against her shoulder with a wet grumble. "But-- but... I don't WANNA do any a' that!" He protested. "I wanna be on TV! I want people all over the world to go 'KYAAAH! Grim-kun is just the COOLEST! Hey, hey-- did you see that incredible super-move he just pulled off?!' I-- I don't wanna be stuck servin' no lousy drinks!"
Hissing through his teeth, Ace shook his head, drawing back. "Geez-- you've got some oddly specific delusions there, furball..."
Kat shot him a look next, and he drew back a little further, wincing.
Next to him, Deuce sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he shook his head. "Sorry-- if you can't field a team, there's nothing we can really do... Maybe next year, Ramshackle dorm might have enough students, but until then, looks like you'll have to sit this one out. I'm sorry for getting your hopes up for nothing, Grim."
Next year...
Kat couldn't help but feel a sort of jolt of dread, churning all the way up into her stomach and along her spine. God, she really, REALLY hoped she wasn't still here next year.
...She should probably go to the library herself at some point. With the way Crowley'd been acting, there's no telling if or even when he was gonna get his act together and actually start trying to find her a way home...
Just as she thought that, Crowley cleared his throat again, putting his hands on his hips. "Ahem! Now, with all that being said-- I'm sure you understand that I am, indeed, a very busy man! I must be off-- and I really must insist that you lot not hang about my office for very much longer."
Stepping neatly around them, he bustled off across the long room towards the door, muttering to himself as he went.
Grim, still flattened against her shoulder, grumbled. "Rrr... Yeah, thanks a LOT for takin' time outta your busy day just to build up my dreams an' CRUSH 'em! You're the worst..."
Sniffling again, he tucked his head under Kat's chin, giving a quiet "Fnyagh!" Of despair. Sighing, she stroked his back, walking after Crowley. Ace and Deuce joined her as they made their way back across the office.
Crowley held the door open for them, then stepped out and shut it firmly behind him. "Good day," he said, nodding and touching the brim of his hat, then turning and striding off down the corridor.
"Good day, Headmaster," Deuce agreed, nodding at his shrinking back as Ace waved.
Kat just grunted, leaning against the wall and rolling her eyes begrudgingly.
Author's Notes:
*yeets 'spelldrive' out the window in its entirety*
...For anyone wondering what 'twizzling his ears' means, it... Basically means airplane ears. I... I don't know why I call it that, I can't remember picking it up anywhere, it's just... What I call it? For some reason?
Dire Crowley Stop Talking Challenge. Please.
Please.