Author's Note: Content Warning: This chapter contains mentions of Devon suffering from an eating disorder in the past.

After teaming up with Ortho to get some of the Ignihyde dorm members to loan Deuce their modified Magical Wheel, Devon immediately went in search of Ace. He was still in the ballroom when she poked her head in to check, scrolling on his phone and leaned against the wall as if this was just a regular break and not the result of one of the most intense non-Overblot blowups the group had seen in a while.

He looked up when Devon stepped into the room. "I was wonderin' where you'd scampered off to, New York. Are we ready to get back to practice yet?" He glanced toward the doorway. "Where's Deuce? Didn't you bring him back with you?"

"He went to find Epel," Devon replied. "Nevermind that now, though. We need to talk."

It was rather impressive how those four words could cause a pit to form in Ace's stomach even though he and Devon weren't dating. He knew she wasn't happy with him about what he'd said to Deuce, but he was hoping that once she'd made sure Deuce was okay, things would go back to normal. Sadly, that didn't appear to be the case, but he didn't want to risk upsetting Devon any further, so he merely nodded and followed her to the corner of the room that was furthest away from the door.

"I'm not planning on apologizing to Deuce when he gets back, just so you know," Ace told her, wanting to get that out of the way up front.

"I figured you weren't; apologies aren't really what you do," Devon replied, her tone blunt but not unkind. "I just wanna know why you thought makin' that snide comment when you did was best thing to do in that situation?"

"Huh? What are you talkin' about? I wasn't bein' snide, I was just makin' a point," Ace argued, crossing his arms defensively.

"You may not have intended to come off that way, but you sounded pretty condescending from where I was standin'. Clearly Deuce felt the same way or he wouldn't have snapped at you," Devon retorted.

"Well, it ain't like I haven't said stuff like that to him before. Why'd he have to choose today to get all bent outta shape about it?" Ace asked.

Devon sighed. "Maybe because Vil had just got done layin' into him? You were there, you heard how scathing those remarks were, even if they were true. You adding your own two cents-uninvited, by the way-probably just made Deuce feel like you were pilin' it on. He spends more time with you than probably anyone else, so he's well aware of how quickly you tend to pick things up, which just makes his own shortcomings sting that much more."

"So what, I'm just supposed to stop givin' it my all so Deuce'll feel better? How's that gonna help anything?" Ace asked.

"Of course not," Devon replied. "Just maybe try to be more mindful about the comments you make sometimes-read the room, y'know? You have a tendency to say some really hurtful things sometimes and I don't think you realize it. Your bluntness is one of the things I love about you, Ace, but there's a time and a place for it and that wasn't it."

Ace was silent for a moment as he turned Devon's words over in his head. "…Have I ever said anything that hurt you?"

Devon nodded. "Actually, yeah. Nothing recently, but when we first met it seemed like every other word outta your mouth was some dig about how I couldn't use magic. I was already feelin' like the odd one out back then, so it didn't help that you seemed to feel the need to remind everyone that I was brought here by mistake. At least, that's how it felt."

"Oh… I… I didn't realize I made you feel that way…," Ace replied. "How come you never said anything? You're just about as blunt as I am."

"Honestly, it wasn't even what you were teasing me about, it was how often you did it. I probably would've thought it was pretty funny too if you'd just pulled the 'Devon is magicless' card out occasionally instead of every day." Devon shrugged. "As for why I never spoke up…I guess I thought sayin' something would do more harm than good. I mean, it wasn't like what you were saying wasn't true. Besides, I think we've all learned by now that it's survival of the fittest here. I already had a big enough target on my back given my circumstances; I wasn't about to make it bigger by complainin' about my feelings." Wanting to lighten the mood, she grinned and nudged his shoulder. "Again, that was back when I first got here. I think I can get away with it now."

Ace grinned back. ""Think", nothin'; you could sniffle right now and about half the school would be rollin' up to take out whatever made you upset."

"Heh," Devon chuckled. "Getting back to my point, though, I'm not sayin' you need to dial back your humor, just maybe try to read the room a little better next time, at least when it comes to our friends, okay? You and Deuce are my two closest friends here besides Grim and I really don't like seeing you so upset with each other."

Ace's grin softened. There was that kindness and care he adored so much. "I can only promise to try. After all, I reserve the right to make all the snarky comments I want if someone in the vicinity does something stupid."

Devon snorted. "Fair enough. I'm pretty sure your head would explode if you couldn't add your snarky commentary, after all."

"Ah, there you two are. Wonderful." The pair looked toward the doorway to see Vil stepping into the room. "Once Rook gets back with Kalim and Jamil, we'll be resuming practice."

"Without Deuce and Epel?" Devon asked.

"Time is of the essence, spudling," Vil replied. "We don't have the luxury of waiting on them if we want to be ready in time for VDC. Don't worry, though." His eyes narrowed. "I can personally assure you that they'll be making up for the time they've missed."

Vil kicked things into overdrive once what remained of the team resumed practice. They couldn't rehearse the song, especially with one of the main vocalists missing, so he busied himself with drilling the dance routine so relentlessly that even Devon and Grim were beginning to feel sore. They did actually manage to make it all the way through the choreography more than once, which seemed to put Vil in a (very) slightly better mood. Devon supposed it made sense; those that remained were the ones with the most dancing talent and experience.

They were just about to start another run-through when Devon's phone began to vibrate. She glanced at the caller ID and saw that it was Deuce.

"I take it that's one of our runaways?" Vil asked, smirking when Devon nodded in the affirmative. "Go ahead and answer it, then. I'd love to hear what they have to say for themselves."

Devon fought the urge to roll her eyes as she answered the call. "Hey, Deuce. Everything okay? …Okay. …Well, I'm glad you two are feelin' better. Does that mean you'll be comin' back to us? …Wait, why do you need to see the headmaster?" There was a long pause as Deuce explained what had happened after he left to find Epel and by the end of it Devon was pinching the bridge of her nose in exasperation. "…Y'know, somehow none of that surprises me." Another pause and a sigh from Devon. "Sure thing. Just hang on a sec." She stood and made her way over to Vil before nodding toward the door. "Would you mind comin' with me real quick, Vil? Deuce and Epel wanna talk to you."

Vil nodded as he followed Devon out of the room. "Of course. I can't wait to hear this."

It went without saying that Vil was not pleased to hear what Deuce and Epel had gotten up to. Once they'd spoken with the headmaster and informed Devon that they were on their way back to Pomefiore, he declared that practice was finished for the day and marched out to the dorm's front gates to wait for them. Seeing the tiny grins on their faces only seemed to irk him further.

"You two have some nerve waltzing back here looking so pleased with yourselves," he scolded. "It's bad enough that you skipped out on rehearsals, but you left campus without permission and got into a fight! I understand that the fight was written off as self-defense, but you could very well have been barred from participating in the VDC because of this! Just how irresponsible can you be?!"

"I am so sorry, Vil," Deuce apologized, genuinely contrite. "I was the one who took Epel off campus without getting permission, so I'll accept whatever punishment you deem fit."

"No, wait! Deuce shouldn't take the blame for this!" Epel protested. "I was the one who ran out of rehearsal in the first place…and the one who started the fight. The whole thing was my fault. And…" He squared his shoulders and looked Vil in the eye. "I want you to know…I actually learned something today. I think I finally understand what you mean when you talk about the power of your beauty."

Vil's eyes widened just a fraction, but his face remained impassive otherwise.

"I've always looked down on people who care about being cute or charming," Epel continued, "but you used yours to endorse my hometown's apple juice and made everyone so much happier because of it. It took some doing, but that was what made your concept of power click for me. I…I want to have power like yours, Vil."

"Heh." Vil's lips pulled upward into a smirk, but there was a hint of pride in his eyes as well. "Let me tell you something, Epel: I enjoy making people kneel before me. There is one form of power that can bring people to their knees. One that is more overwhelming than violence and more eloquent than mere words. I am speaking, of course, of beauty." His smirk turned into a genuine smile. "That is why I devote myself so completely to the art of aesthetics-so that no one can outshine me. So that I can be the fairest one of all. You were fortunate enough to have been born with natural charm, but whether you make use of it or not is up to you. You'd do well to remember that."

Epel nodded resolutely. "Yes, sir. I'm going to keep getting more powerful. I'll become powerful enough to be Neige," He shot Vil a challenging smirk, "and you."

Vil smirked back, but the pride in his eyes only burned brighter. "Heh. Now that's what I like to hear."

"Heh heh heh," Rook chuckled as he stepped up next to Vil. "It sounds like our little birds have finally seen the light. Will you let them off the hook this time, Roi du Poison?"

Vil sighed but nodded. "I suppose there's no point in beating a dead horse so long as they've learned their lesson." He turned back to Deuce and Epel, narrowing his eyes at them sternly. "I will give both of you a second chance. There will not be a third. Am I understood?"

"Yes, sir!" Deuce and Epel replied eagerly with matching grins on their faces.

"Don't you take that peppy tone with me," Vil chided. "It seems the two of you still have energy to spare, so your punishment will be to run thirty laps around the dorm."

Deuce and Epel snapped to attention. "Yes, sir. Right away, sir!"

Kalim smiled as he and the others watched from a distance as their wayward friends began their laps. "It sounds like they got into some trouble, but at least they look like they're feeling better."

"Yes, well, whatever cathartic exercise they did could've thrown the entire show into jeopardy," Jamil commented, shaking his head. "What a mess…"

"For real, though," Ace agreed. "Vil ran the rest of us twice as hard while they were out there goofin' off. Have some sympathy for the rest of us, man."

The sound of running footsteps pulled them from their conversation. "Hey, Ace!" Deuce called out as he got closer.

"Yeah, what?" Ace called back. He felt the tiniest bit sheepish as he recalled Devon's words from earlier that afternoon, but looked away stubbornly just the same. "If you're lookin' for an apology, you ain't gettin' one."

Deuce rolled his eyes. "Don't worry, I'm not about to ask you to do the impossible. It's just…you had a point before. I'm not as smart or as slick as you are. But even so…" He gave Ace a challenging smirk. "I'm not gonna let you outshine me. That's all I wanted to say. Later!" He offered Ace a mock salute before resuming his laps, leaving the redhead more than a little confused.

"Wait, what? Did he just… Was that…" Ace stammered as he tried to process what Deuce had just said. "Was that supposed to be some kind of declaration of war? Is he out of his mind? There's no way in a million years that he'd be able to beat me…" He turned toward Devon and Grim, looking for reassurance. "You two agree, right?"

"I agree that you two are two halves of a whole dingbat," Devon replied.

Grim snickered before nodding in agreement. "Yeah, she's right. If you ask me, any race between you two is a race to the bottom."

"Bwuh?!" Ace exclaimed. "What the heck, guys?! Where's the support?"

Devon ignored him as she smiled over at Grim. "I won't lie to ya, bud; I'm pretty excited to see how practice goes now."

The next day's practice was the smoothest the group had managed yet. The tension between Vil and Epel was more or less gone, which meant he and Deuce had redoubled their efforts to master the song and the dance, which resulted in noticeable improvements even in the span of one rehearsal session, which in turn meant that Vil was much less irritable than he had been when they started. Even the evening's dinner was the most pleasant they'd shared yet, with everyone part of one big table-wide conversation as opposed to two or three separate yet simultaneous ones.

"Are we still on to study together for tomorrow's Magic History test, Dev?" Deuce asked as they finished eating. "I feel like Epel and I made some really good progress yesterday, but there's still some things I'm fuzzy on."

Devon nodded. "Sure thing. Have everybody who wants to join meet in my room in about…a half hour or so. I'm gonna mirror call my parents first."

"Oooh, can I come with you?" Kalim asked eagerly. "I've been wanting to see what one of those calls looks like since you first told me about them and I'd really like to meet your parents if it's okay with you."

"I wouldn't mind joining as well, if it's alright," Jamil added. "I'm curious to see this Sending Stone of yours in action."

"We wouldn't mind sayin' hey to your folks again, either," Ace chimed in, with Deuce and Epel nodding in agreement.

Grim grinned as he hopped up onto Devon's shoulder. "And I know Mama and Papa Lopez have been dyin' for an update about their favorite person in Twisted Wonderland."

Devon rolled her eyes playfully, shooting a quick text to her parents to let them know to be expecting her at the mirror. "Fine by me. Mama and Papa have been wanting to meet more of my friends, anyway."

"Hola, mija!" Angelo greeted once he and Elena could see Devon through the mirror and looking mildly surprised when he saw everyone else. "And it looks like you've got company with you today."

Devon grinned. "What can I say? They heard I was gonna call you guys and wanted to say hey. Obviously you know Grim and you've talked to Ace, Deuce, and Epel before but I haven't had the chance to introduce you to Kalim and Jamil just yet."

"Oh my gosh! Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Lopez!" Kalim exclaimed, waving enthusiastically. "It's great to finally meet you both! Dev's told us all sorts of things."

Elena smiled. "You must be Kalim, then. Devon was dead-on about the "golden retriever energy"." Amusement danced in her eyes as Kalim gave her a confused look. "It's a good thing, trust me." She nudged Angelo affectionately. "My husband here has a similar energy himself. That's a big part of why I married him. And if you're Kalim…" Her eyes hardened as they landed on Jamil, just enough to no longer appear friendly without looking outright hostile. It was a look she like to call the Mama Bear Stare, one she'd perfected since she became a mother and one nobody wanted to be on the receiving end of. "That must mean you're Jamil Viper, then. I understand you caused quite a commotion over the winter break."

"Mama…," Devon said in quiet warning as she saw Jamil bristle out of the corner of her eye. The feeling of dread pooling in her stomach wasn't helped when she saw her father's eyes flick toward her mother-evidently he wasn't expecting the conversation to take this turn either.

Jamil shook his head, keeping his expression neutral with practiced ease, but Elena's stare was definitely doing its' job. "It's alright, Devon. Considering what I put you through, your mother has every right to be concerned." He refocused his attention on her parents, his tone sincere. He knew his Overblot and the events leading up to it were things he'd have to address with them sooner or later, especially if he wanted a more serious relationship with Devon. "You're correct, Mrs. Lopez. I brought Devon into an extremely precarious situation over the holidays. I'm not going to offer any excuses because there aren't any; it was pure selfishness on my part. Your daughter had the grace to forgive me, but I understand why you'd still be wary of me despite that."

Right away, the warmth came back into Elena's eyes and Angelo let out an impressed whistle. "Hmm. Didn't expect you to own up to it so readily, Jamil; I thought for sure you'd try to deflect or make some kind of excuse. I won't lie, you've actually managed to impress me," Elena said.

"Oh, ah… Thank you?" Jamil replied, thrown off.

Elena sent Devon a knowing grin. "I think I'm startin' to understand what you see in this one, mija."

"Mama!" Devon exclaimed, fighting every urge in her to sever the connection between the stones.

"Wow… I know Dev's told us stories, but I didn't realize just how intense her mom could be," Epel whispered to Ace and Deuce.

"Guess she had to get it from somewhere," Ace whispered back, "and it definitely didn't come from her dad."

"I'm not so sure," Deuce spoke up. "I get the feeling Angelo can get pretty dangerous too if the situation called for it."

From that point, the conversation flowed rather pleasantly. Devon and the boys filled her parents in on how school had been going, Kalim and Jamil told them more about the Scalding Sands, and Angelo and Elena shared some amusing (and thankfully non-embarrassing) anecdotes from the triplets' childhood. Everything was going well until…

"I just wish we didn't have to do this stupid diet thing!" Grim complained. "I mean, Vil's practically starvin' us here."

Angelo and Elena's smiles dropped just enough to be noticeable as their eyes flicked worriedly toward their daughter. It only lasted a second or two but those looks were enough to have Devon scrambling to assuage their concerns.

"No! No, no, that's not what's happening," she assured them. "Nobody's starving anybody; Vil's just got everyone on a strict meal plan until the VDC so make sure they're in the best shape possible for the show. Grim and I are sticking to it as well since it wouldn't be fair if we just ate whatever we wanted while everyone else couldn't."

The boys exchanged glances, unsure what exactly was going on, before quickly jumping in to back Devon up.

"Devon's right," Kalim said. "All of us are getting plenty to eat. It's just been an adjustment to do without the spices and oils we're used to."

"R-Right!" Deuce chimed in. "It's nothing unreasonable, but it has taken some getting used to. Honestly, the hardest part for me has been the ban on sugary drinks and junk foods and late-night snacking, but that's probably better for me in the long run."

"Yeah, I wouldn't put too much stock in what Grim says, anyway," Ace added with an easy grin. "He's pretty much a bottomless pit; even before the meal plan, he'd always complain that he was still hungry regardless of what or how much he ate."

"That's reassuring…I think," Angelo replied. He and Elena gave Devon one last concerned look before dropping the subject. They knew Devon had been fairly tight-lipped about her eating disorder in the past and they didn't want to risk it coming to light before she was ready to share it.

"Okay, so…I'm just gonna come out and ask," Ace said once they'd hung up (for lack of a better term) the mirror call with Devon's parents. "What was that about, New York?"

"Yeah, your parents seemed really worried when Grim made that "starving" commented," Epel said, giving Devon a concerned look. "We don't wanna pry into your business or anything but…is everything okay?"

"Yeah, of course!" Devon replied quickly, not wanting her friends to worry about her now too. "It's just…" Her knee-jerk reaction was to either dismiss the issue entirely or give them an "it's complicated" and leave it at that. The last thing she wanted was for her friends to treat her differently if she told them, but then she remembered the conversation she'd had with Azul when their mindscapes were linked after his Overblot. If she was going to make good on that promise she'd made and stop hiding this part of herself away, this was probably the best group to reveal it to.

"You don't have to tell us if you don't want to, Devon," Jamil told her, bringing Devon out of her thoughts and causing her to realize that she hadn't finished her sentence.

"No, I do, really. It's just that I haven't shared this with many people outside of my family; only two people know," Devon explained as she moved over to sit on her bed.

"You know you can tell us anything," Kalim assured her as Ace and Jamil sat down on either side of her while Grim hopped up into her lap and the other boys found places near her to sit.

Devon gave them a small, grateful smile. "Yeah. Yeah, I do." She took a deep breath before telling them about the eating disorder she'd suffered from when she was coming up on her teenage years, how it had spawned from her insecurity over her appearance, how she'd thankfully been caught before any irreparable harm could be done, and how therapy had been incredibly helpful in her recovery. She gently fiddled with the ribbon around Grim's neck in an attempt to avoid everyone's eyes, but she felt a similar lightness upon opening up to them to the feeling she'd felt when she had her heart-to-heart with Azul. When she finally finished, she felt Grim launch himself at her with nearly enough force to knock her onto her back and when she finally looked up to meet her friends' eyes, she saw that while they all looked appropriately concerned, none of them had the pity in their eyes that she'd been afraid of seeing.

Ace let out a low whistle. "Damn, New York. I had no idea…"

"I think that was the point," Jamil snarked.

"Then the reason your mom and dad were so worried…," Epel began.

"…is because they're concerned that restricting my diet might trigger those old intrusive thoughts," Devon finished. "I know they still feel guilty about not realizing what was going on until I came to them about getting help."

"But just to be clear, you are feeling okay, right?" Deuce asked.

Devon nodded as she offered him a reassuring smile. "Absolutely. It's been years since the last time I felt an impulse to purge and I have my therapist to help me out if it starts up again."

"How are you able to see her across worlds?" Jamil asked.

"I can go to my sessions over the phone thanks to that adapter Idia made," Devon explained. "It's a good thing too because we've had a lot to go through since I got here. Obviously I can't tell her the whole story but y'know…" She looked over at Kalim. "Are you okay, bud? You've been strangely quiet."

"Yeah, it's just…," Kalim sniffled as tears formed in the corners of his eyes. He launched himself at Devon as well, prompting Grim to let out a loud, "Mmrrph?!" as his hug pressed the poor monster further into Devon's stomach. "You're so much stronger than I realized, Dev! I know we didn't know each other back then, but I hate the thought of you going through something like that." He sniffled again. "If you ever find yourself lower on confidence than you'd like to be, you can always come and find me, okay? I'll throw a party for you and everything!"

"Same goes for me," Deuce said as he joined in on the hug. "Well, maybe not about the party, but I'll definitely gas you up whenever you need me to."

"Heck yeah!" Epel exclaimed as he joined in as well. "You're one of the coolest, toughest friends I've ever had and I'll force people into awkward conversations about it if I have to!"

"And I'll be there with a snarky remark to make sure your ego stays in check," Ace threw in, giving Devon's forehead an affectionate flick.

"I may not be as boisterous in my support, but I hope you'll never doubt that you have it unconditionally," Jamil said, taking one of her hands and squeezing it gently.

"I… I don't know what to say," Devon murmured, blinking back tears of her own. "Thanks, you guys." A thought suddenly occurred to her. "Now…I hate to be the one to break this up, but I'm pretty sure Grim can't breathe right now."

"Who do those jerks think they are, nearly suffocatin' me like that…," Grim grumbled as he and Devon got ready for bed a little later on. "As if any of 'em could be a better support than me, anyway! I'm the one who takes the best care of my henchman!"

"I know, bud. And I'm sure they know it too," Devon replied.

Grim watched Devon for a moment before speaking again. "I didn't mean to make you relive any bad memories earlier, y'know…"

Devon gave Grim a soft look before picking him up and cuddling him against her as she kissed the top of his head. "I know you didn't, Grim. It's not your fault. Besides, I'd say more good came out of it than not. It honestly makes me feel better to open up about it now."

Grim hummed in thought as he nuzzled into her. "Hmm… Well, as long as you're okay…"

A knock on the bedroom door pulled the pair from their conversation. Devon stood and moved Grim to her shoulder as she moved to open the door, only to stop in her tracks when Regina informed her who was on the other side. "…Are you serious right now?"

"Who is it, Dev?" Grim asked.

Devon grinned at him before resuming her path to the door. "Evening, Vil," she began before she'd even pulled the door open. "What can I do for you?"

Vil gave her a perplexed look. "How did you… Oh. Right. I suppose being the keeper of an enchanted dorm makes it rather difficult for anyone to surprise you here."

Devon shrugged. "Depends on whether or not Regina feels like tellin' me if somethin's up." She looked at Vil curiously. "Is something up? I have to say, you're probably the last person I expected to pay us a visit."

"I'm actually just here for you, Devon. It wasn't my intention but I happened to overhear some of the conversation you two had with the others earlier," Vil told her.

"Oh…," Devon replied, unsure of what else to say. She stood to the side and motioned him in, not wanting to delve into this again where anyone could walk out of their room and hear them.

"There's no need for you to worry; I'm not about to rehash the conversation," Vil said, though he stepped into her room anyway. "I was actually wondering if you could still get a hold of your parents. I'd like to speak with them about the meal plan I've come up with. Hopefully that will be enough to put any remaining concerns they might have to rest."

Devon blinked. "Okay. That's…not what expected you to say."

Grim narrowed his eyes suspiciously as Devon pulled out her phone to text her mother. "What gives, Vil? What's in it for you?"

Vil shot Grim a mildly irritated look. "Believe it or not, I am capable of doing things for someone else's benefit." He was quiet for a moment before speaking up again. "I am aware that this training camp has been an ordeal for both of you, especially since you aren't competing." He focused his gaze on Devon. "I appreciate how you've gone out of your way to accommodate us and how you've been sticking with the meal plan as a show of solidarity for the others, even though you didn't have to. Given your past circumstances, I can understand why your mother and father have reservations and I imagine the fact that you're so far from them isn't helping matters. I'm not trying to add more stress onto you by forcing you to balance your parents' worries on top of everything else on your plate. The way I see it, this is the least I can do to help lighten the load." An unfamiliar look entered his eyes at that moment, at least a look he'd never directed at Devon before. She couldn't exactly call it "soft", but it was nowhere near as stern as his default expression. "You're without a doubt the best manager for our little group, Devon. And the last thing we need is a distracted manager."

A small smile passed over Devon's face as her blessing confirmed for her that Vil was telling her the truth-not that he had any real reason to lie to her, but it was still nice to have it confirmed. "Thanks, Vil. I really appreciate this and I know Mama and Papa will too." Her phone pinged and she quickly checked the text. "They say they're ready now if you are."

Vil nodded and followed Devon and Grim over to the mirror. A moment later, Angelo and Elena's faces swam into view on the other side. "I apologize for calling so late, Mr. and Mrs. Lopez, but I felt it would be best to discuss your concerns sooner rather than later. We haven't had the chance to meet before now, but my name is Vil Schoenheit and I'm the one who put together the meal plan the VDC participants have been adhering to…"

Ending Notes: And that's how Jamil and Vil won over Mama and Papa Lopez. Jamil is definitely Elena's favorite out of Devon's love interests. She knows Devon will definitely be taken care of if they end up together, but both of her parents will support her decision no matter who she picks. This is also how Vil cements himself as the NRC student Angelo and Elena trust the most.

The next chapter is going to be another original one. We'll have Devon bonding with Vil, a check-in with a character we haven't heard from in a bit (feat. Deuce), and Silver trying to help Devon conquer her fear of horses. Keyword: trying. After that, it'll be time for Beanfest!

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