"Well…this is room 3-A," Deuce said, nodding toward the sign above the door that he and the rest of Heartshackle were currently standing outside of. "I'm not gonna lie, it's a little intimidating going into one of the junior year's classrooms."

"Devon's one thing, but the two of us don't really interact with upperclassmen from other dorms," Ace commented. "Think we should try to flag down a Heartslabyul junior and see if they can-"

Grim leaned forward from his place on Devon's shoulder, taking a good look at something in the room before grinning. "There's no need for that. I already see someone in there we can ask." He leaned even further into the room before calling out, "Heeeeey! Leona! C'mere for a sec, will ya?"

A head of messy brown hair shifted on a desk nearby, lion ears angling toward the sound of Grim's voice as a familiar pair of green eyes glared daggers at the little monster. "…Huh?"

"What the heck, Grim?! Why'd you have to call out to him, of all people?" Ace asked incredulously as he and Deuce shrunk back a bit from the intensity of Leona's glare.

"You do know that he's the dorm leader of Savanaclaw, right?" Deuce reminded Grim as he tried to duck out of Leona's line of sight.

Grim shrugged. "Yeah, and? I don't recognize anybody else in here. Besides, he never seems too bothered whenever Dev calls to him."

"Yeah, because it's Devon," Ace argued. "Disarmingly charming New Yorkiness aside, she literally saved his life before."

"I think you might've woken him up, bud. He does not look happy to see you," Devon whispered to Grim before offering Leona a little wave, hoping that might allay the worst of his temper.

"You've got some nerve orderin' me around, furball," Leona growled. His glare softened for just a moment as his eyes met Devon's but was back in full force when they landed on Grim again. "If you need somethin' that bad, you come to me, got it?"

"We ain't even ten meters apart! I mean, I knew you were lazy but geez…" Grim grumbled as Devon walked into the room with Ace and Deuce following close behind.

"You know, sometimes I wonder how Dev and Grim's boldness hasn't landed them in more trouble," Deuce whispered to Ace.

"Same," Ace agreed.

"So? What do you herbivores want?" Leona asked. "It'd better be important if you'd risk interruptin' my nap for it."

"There's a guy named Rook Hunt in this class, right? Any chance you know where we can find him?" Grim asked.

Leona's eyes narrowed again, looking offended at the very suggestion. "What could you possibly need from that creep?"

"We're applyin' for the VDC!" Grim explained.

"C'est vrai?!" exclaimed an excited voice from behind them. "How wonderful! I welcome all new challengers with open arms!"

Everyone whipped around to face the newcomer. Sure enough, Rook was standing there smiling at them as jovially as he did the day they took on the Ghost Bride. None of the other looked as thrilled, however, especially not Leona.

"Seriously, dude?! I just about had a heart attack!" Ace exclaimed.

"For real," Deuce agreed. "Who just pops out from behind people like that?!"

"Hah hah hah! I beg your pardon. I did not mean to startle you. You see, I have a tendency to conceal my presence as I approach," Rook explained. "Force of habit, I'm afraid. I recognize most of you from the Ghost Bride epic last term, but please allow me to reintroduce myself." He took off his hat and bowed with a flourish. "I am Rook Hunt, le Chasseur d'Amour. I've made it my life's mission to seek out beauty and do everything in my power to support it." He righted himself with a smile. "It's good to see you all again."

Leona rolled his eyes and glowered at Rook. "Too bad the feeling ain't mutual."

Rook shifted his focus to Leona. "Ah, yes. Good day to you, Roi des Lions. …Hmm?" He quickly scanned the room, the easy grin never leaving his face. "What's this? It appears that Monsieur Dandelion is not accompanying you for lunch today."

"He ain't with me 24/7. Now get outta my face," Leona growled.

Deuce tilted his head inquisitively. "Monsieur Dandelion?"

"Heh heh. I am of course referring to Roi des Lions' constant confidante, Ruggie," Rook explained.

"Do you call him that 'cause of his poofy yellow hair or somethin'?" Grim asked.

"Non, non. I call him that for another reason," Rook replied. "It happened last spring, just as the first beautiful signs of new life began sprouting on our lovely campus…"

Devon turned her attention to Leona as Rook began regaling the rest of them with the tale of how he'd discovered Ruggie picking dandelions on the sports field one day so he could use them for his meals. Ruggie himself had already told her about this encounter, though his version wasn't as poetic as Rook's was shaping up to be. "Sensin' a little one-sided tension towards Rook there, Leona. I'm guessin' there's some kind of story?"

"Not really. The guy's just a creep," Leona replied. "He sits in the row behind me and can feel him starin' at me." He smirked at her. "And I'm not talkin' about the way you stare at me when you think I'm not payin' attention."

Devon felt her cheeks get warm. "I don't- You know what, fair."

Leona blinked. "Huh. I was expecting a little more pushback on that one, Princess."

Devon only grinned and shrugged. "What's the point in arguing when you've clearly already caught me? Nothin' wrong with taking in the best view on campus."

"Funny, I could say the same thing about you," Leona replied, trying to tamp down the pleased rumbling sound from deep in his chest that threatened to make itself heard at Devon's praise. "What's interesting, though, is that I usually catch you starin' as you just so happen to be walking by the sports field on some convenient errand during Spelldrive practice."

"Like I said, best view on the campus," Devon reiterated, her lips quirking upward slightly as she felt Leona's tail wrap around her ankle. "Nothin' more gorgeous to me than someone usin' that brain they were blessed with." She bumped him gently with her hip. "But I'd be lying if I said the ponytail didn't help too."

Meanwhile, Rook was finishing up his story. "And from that day forward, I have called him Monsieur Dandelion!"

"Wait, so Ruggie actually eats dandelions?!" Ace exclaimed. "I mean, bein' broke is one thing but that's some next level stuff."

"Guess he really will eat anything so long as it's not rotten," Leona commented as he and Devon tuned back in. "I guess it's whatever as long as he doesn't try to feed me any…"

"Non, non, it isn't as though they are poisonous. Besides, pickiness when it comes to food is most unbecoming, Roi des Lions," Rook replied.

"I think we're forgettin' the most important question here: How do they taste?" Grim mused. "Maybe I oughta grab some after class today."

"How many times do we have to tell you not to eat stuff off the ground?" Deuce chided.

Ace shook his head and tried to steer the conversation back on track. "Nevermind about all that! Can we get back to the audition now?"

"Oh, that's right!" Deuce turned to look Rook in the eye. "Rook, we'd like to apply for the VDC!"

Rook smiled again and shook his head, holding his hands up in a placating gesture. "Ah! Please forgive me-I have something of a habit of derailing conversations." He eyed Ace and Deuce carefully. "I believe the two of you are from Heartslabyul, yes? Ace Trappola: Student #25 in Class 1-A, human, 172 centimeters tall. And Deuce Spade: Student #24 in Class 1-A, human, 173 centimeters tall." He turned to Devon and Grim next. "And here we have the two members of Ramshackle dorm. Devon Lopez: human, 160 centimeters tall. Grim: monster, 70 centimeters tall. If I'm not mistaken, the two of you share Student #26 spot in Class 1-A."

"H-Hold on. How do you know our class and student numbers?" Deuce asked uneasily.

"I'm more concerned that he knows heights down to the centimeter!" Ace commented.

Devon exchanged a look with Leona. 'Guess that explains why Rook gets Leona's hackles up…'

Rook merely chuckled again. "Heh heh heh. I'm a hunter, you see. I've made it a point to memorize the species and height of each and every student on campus. I can't go around underprepared, now can I?"

"Underprepared for what?!" Devon asked. She knew from past experience that Rook was a bit of an odd duck, but she had no idea just how eccentric he really was.

Rook reached out to pat her head gently. "There's no need to be concerned, my friend. Preparedness just runs in my blood. Now, as you have informed me of your intent to audition, you will not need to fill out any paperwork. The audition will be held in the Pomefiore ballroom after classes three days from now. Do make sure to save the date."

"Yessir!" Ace, Deuce, and Grim chorused.

"Great. You guys got what you needed, so quit crowdin' around my seat and get outta my hair already," Leona said.

Devon gave him an amused look. "Love to, but first you're gonna have to let me go." To emphasize her point, she moved her leg just enough for Leona to feel a slight tug on his tail where it was still wrapped around her ankle. She watched as Leona's eyes widened just a fraction before his tail untangled itself from her leg. Once she was freed, she smiled and gave Leona's shoulder a gentle squeeze before leaving with her friends.

Leona deliberately kept his face neutral, but his eyes followed Devon as she left the classroom. Unfortunately, the good mood she'd left him in was ruined when Rook decided to open his mouth.

"Say, Roi des Lions! Have considered putting in an appearance at the VDC auditions?" the blond asked. "You have unparalleled athletic ability and your physique would add plenty of extra flair to your dancing. And that's not even mentioning your wonderful, resounding voice. Even back home in the Sunset Savanna, I've never seen a lion sing before. I can only imagine what a splendid sight it must be!"

Leona looked at Rook like he'd grown a second head. "I wouldn't be caught dead dancin' around on a stage for someone else's entertainment. Besides, I don't any part of somethin' Vil's overseeing."

"Ah, but just picture it for a moment: Vil's cosmopolitan appeal combined with your rugged charisma… The two of you performing together would be an absolute feast for the senses! Tres bien!" Rook exclaimed.

"I swear, everything just goes in one ear and out the other with you, doesn't it?" Leona grumbled as he turned to face away from Rook.

"So they're actually gonna be televising this VDC thing?" Tio Diego asked as he and Devon's parents spoke to her through the mirror that evening. "Why're they makin' such a fuss over a glorified talent show?"

"The way I hear it, it's a lot more than that," Devon replied as she folded some laundry. "If what the headmaster said is true, the VDC's the best chance for people wanting to break into the entertainment industry here to get themselves noticed." She huffed out a laugh. "Having said that, my boys are pretty much just auditioning for a shot at that prize money."

"Ah. I guess that explains why Grim isn't with you right now," Elena commented. "He's rehearsing, I take it?"

Devon nodded. "That he is. I had to kick him out to the lounge because I was going to scream if I heard that song one more time. He's got more room to move in there anyway, so that's probably for the best."

"Do you think your friends have a chance of making the cut?" Angelo asked.

"I'm…not really sure, honestly," Devon replied with a shrug. "I wanna be optimistic and say they'll definitely knock it outta the park but Crowley said that a lot of the people entering from other schools have been preparing since the last VDC. It's hard to imagine that the guys would measure up if they'll only have about a week of practice under their belts by audition day. I'll still go and support 'em either way, though."

"'Atta girl! Do right by those friends of yours, mija," Angelo said.

"Tell them to break a leg for us and let us know how it goes," Elena added. "Also, please make sure to check in with your brothers. DJ's going to be playing in basketball tournaments left and right and Dom's helping with the casting for the spring semester show on top of all of the tech work he usually has on his plate before a show, so they'll both have their hands full. They're going to insist they're fine, but now that I know you have a magically-gifted b.s. detector, I expect you to use it."

"Do you know what show they'll be putting on?" Devon asked.

"Hamilton, if you can believe it," Angelo supplied.

Devon let out a low whistle. "Dang. I mean, I'd heard rumors that they were considering it but last I heard even Dom wasn't sure if it was a real option. Guess he really will have his work cut out for him. Don't worry, I'll let you know if I get the sense either of them are getting overwhelmed."

Three days passed in what felt like a blur. Ace, Deuce, and Grim kept practicing whenever they could spare the time, typically using the Ramshackle lounge as their practice space and resulting in Devon making herself scarce by way Ramshackle's secret passages and hidden rooms whenever the near-constant repetition of 'Piece of My World' got to be too much for her.

Now it was audition day and the group made their way to Pomefiore after classes let out, as Rook had instructed. The lounge was just as grand as Devon remembered it and her gaze immediately gravitated toward the throne near the back of the room, prompting her to inwardly reaffirm her vow to sit on it ('for just, like, two seconds, tops') one of these days.

"Wow! Just look at all this competition!" Grim marveled as he looked around at the other students gathered in the lounge, all of them in their P.E. uniforms aside from Devon.

"There's gotta be fifty people, at least," Ace commented.

Deuce's posture went rigid as he took it all in. "O-Oh no. I can already feel myself tensing up. What if I blank out on the lyrics when it's my turn?"

"You'll be fine if you just relax," Ace replied.

"Ooh, what's this~? I spy Adeuce and my favorite Ramshackle duo!" Cater said as he made his way over through the crowd. "I'm guessing you guys are here for the audition too?"

"Hey, Cater!" Grim greeted. "Yeah, we're auditionin'. How about you?"

Cater nodded. "Got it in one. Not only is the VDC happening at our school this year, but I've heard Vil's gonna be in it this year. What better way to boost my Magicam cred than competing on stage alongside a mega-celebrity with over five million followers?"

Ace sighed and shook his head. "Y'know, I made fun of Deuce before for taking this too seriously, but you're being way too shallow about it…"

"Heh. Preeetty sure most of the hopefuls here are in the same boat as me, actually. Like…oh, take a look over there," Cater replied, nodding subtly toward another competitor.

Everyone turned to see Ruggie facing away from them as he hummed part of the song to himself. "Hmm… Well, I'm not much of a singer, but I should be able to make up for that with my dance moves." He snickered to himself. "Shishishishi! A cut of that prize money's as good as mine!"

"Yeah, that tracks," Devon commented.

"Ah, hello there, Cater. Fancy seeing you here," came a voice from above them. Everyone immediately startled and jumped back at the sight of Lilia floating upside down overhead. "Khe heh heh." The bat-like fae chuckled and righted himself, looking downright pleased that he'd scared them yet again. "A perfect reaction! You Heartslabyul students are always so full of energy!" He turned his amused grin toward Devon. "And you, little bat, are absolutely precious when you're scared."

"C'mon, Lils. You're gonna give someone a heart attack one of these days!" Cater admonished.

"Hey, Lilia! How've you been?" Devon asked. "I haven't seen you since you brought me the Sending Stone and holiday card." She'd been careful not to reveal Mala's true name whenever she talked about the Sending Stone she'd received over the holidays, figuring it was best if nobody aside from Lilia (and Silver and Sebek, by extension) knew the truth about her family friend.

"I've been doing well, little bat, though I also regret that we haven't seen more of each other," Lilia replied. "I trust both you and your family have been in high spirits since my stint as a surprise delivery boy?"

Grim blinked. "Oh, that's right. Dev said we got a card from an unknown sender along with the Sending Stone Mala sent. Was it from you?"

Devon was also at a bit of a loss about the card. She had a feeling that, despite their initials being the same, the person who had sent it to them hadn't been Mala. The handwriting, though just as elegant as hers, was different from Mala's and Devon couldn't think of a reason as to why Mala would suddenly use her initials when she'd always used her name-or pseudonym, as it were.

Lilia smiled and shook his head. "I believe you'll find that the initials on the card are different from my own." He chuckled. "I get the feeling that you'll find out who the true sender is soon enough."

"Are you auditioning for the VDC too, Lils?" Cater asked.

"But of course! As a member of the Pop Music Club, I can hardly allow myself to sit out on a musical presentation," Lilia replied. His smile dropped slightly. "I invited Malleus to join me, but he declined. Said he had no desire to be put on display for humans." He sighed. "He's always been such a shy boy, not that most people would realize it at first."

"I…think we might have different definitions of 'shy'…," Cater said. "Gotta give you props for inviting him, though. Most people wouldn't have the guts to invite someone like Malleus."

"I thought it would do him some good to participate in a campus event, but so it goes," Lilia replied with a shrug. "What about you, though? I thought for sure I'd see Trey here with you."

"I mean, I invited him and everything but he shot me down. I've been spurned! Rejected!" Cater lamented, clutching his chest dramatically with a look of mock hurt. "Riddle's the chairman of the Culture Fair Management Committee and Trey's helping him out."

Lilia nodded sympathetically. "I see, I see."

"Ooh! How's about we snap a quick audition selfie since our buddies ditched us?" Cater suggested.

"Certainly," Lilia agreed. He motioned toward the four freshmen, beckoning them closer. "Come, freshmen. You four should join us as well."

"You want us in the picture?" Deuce asked.

"But we weren't rejected by anyone," Grim pointed out.

"That doesn't matter! Selfies are always more fun with more people!" Cater insisted as he pulled Ace and Deuce closer while Lilia grabbed Devon and Grim. "Everyone ready? One, two…yay!"

"Yay, indeed," Lilia echoed as everyone smiled for the picture.

Cater immediately set to work thinking up hashtags. "Let's see… Maybe Hashtag #NRC #VDCAuditions #WeGotThis #JiltedBoiz" He grinned in Devon's direction. "#AsideFromDevonOfCourse #AQueenIsNeverJilted! Aaaaand…posted!"

Ace turned to Lilia. "Y'know, considering Malleus' reputation and Sebek's…Sebekness, I always thought Diasomnia was full of cold, unapproachable people. But you've always been real warm and friendly, huh Lilia?"

"C'mon Ace, you should know better than that by now," Cater chided gently. "Our dorm's got plenty of polar opposites too. I mean, just look at me and you versus Riddle."

"Now that you mention it, I see what you mean," Deuce agreed. "I mean, you and Ace are so laidback while dorm leader Riddle is so sca-uh, so dedicated to enforcing the rules. It kinda makes me wonder what the Dark Mirror means when it says the nature of our souls are suited to certain dorms."

"Heh. It's a true learning experience to live among so many people who think differently from you," Lilia replied. "For example, Ignihyde has earned itself a reputation of housing introverts who prefer to avoid drawing attention to themselves. Yet I see one of their number is here to audition today." Lilia nodded toward the far end of the lounge and everyone followed his gaze to see Ortho there in his P.E. gear.

"Oh hey, that's Idia's baby bro! I don't see him fly solo very often," Cater commented.

"He's hung out with us plenty of times. I've always loved his getup. Makes him look like a superhero," Ace said. "In all honestly, I've always kinda wondered what his deal is. He looks way too young to be a student here and I don't think I've ever seen him in class aside from when he's tagging along with Idia, but I don't know how to bring it up."

Cater hummed in thought. "I guess you guys wouldn't know that story, huh? Idia brought Ortho along with him when he enrolled."

"What?!" Ace and Deuce exclaimed.

"I didn't share any classes with Idia until this year, so I don't know all the details, but I know he brings Ortho along to most of his classes. The teachers have yet to bat an eye at it," Cater continued.

"I knew that Ortho was attached to his brother, but I guess I didn't realize just how far it went," Deuce said.

"I've always thought Idia had a few screws loose, personally," Grim added.

Ortho was next to them in a flash, his eyes narrowed. "Don't talk that way about my brother!"

"Myah! Where did you come from?!" Grim exclaimed, ducking to hide behind Devon.

"Dude, does everyone in this school have super hearing?!" Ace whispered. "We're in a lounge full of people and there was at least ten meters of distance between us and him."

"My brother installed a directional mic in me that can pick up human whispering fifty meters away," Ortho supplied.

"Quite impressive! There aren't many beings capable of that, even amongst the fae and beastmen," Lilia said.

Ortho couldn't help but puff out his chest proudly. "Right? My big brother's amazing!" He cleared his throat. "Anyway, I'll have you all know that he got permission from the headmaster to let me come to class with him." His eyes narrowed and his tone grew more defensive. "It's not like he's lonely or anything, okay?"

"R-Right. Sorry," Cater apologized sheepishly. "It's just that you two tend to keep to yourselves for the most part, so you're kinda like this mysterious presence on campus. Idia doesn't typically stick around after classes if he attends in person at all, so I haven't had a chance to ask what the deal was. Guess I got a little carried away with the theories."

"None of us were trying to speak badly about Idia, honest," Devon assured Ortho. "We're sorry it sounded that way."

Ortho's posture relaxed as he nodded to Devon and Cater. "Apology accepted. And I'm sorry I rushed over and shouted like that. I just don't want anyone to get the wrong idea about my brother, you know?"

"You are too sweet for words, bud," Devon said as she pulled Ortho into a hug that he eagerly returned. "I know I can't speak for everyone, but I've got nothing but respect for your brother's talents. Especially after everything he's done for me." She lowered her voice so only Ortho (and probably Lilia) could hear her. "And after how happy he makes Dom."

"Are you going to be auditioning for the VDC too, Ortho?" Cater asked.

Ortho nodded enthusiastically. "That's right! Y'see, my brother and I were talking the other day…"

Ortho thought back to that conversation in the dorm room he and Idia shared. Idia clickity-clacked away at his keyboard as he worked on his next project, Dominic visible in a window on his monitor via an adapter-enabled video chat.

"Okay, so I know I told Riddle I'd practice presenting my research at that dorm leader meeting, but it doesn't matter how many times I run through it on my own or to the two people I'm most comfortable with! Presenting stuff to a crowd of strangers is like setting the game to MAX difficulty! Like, so MAX it makes the game unplayable!" Idia ranted through his tablet, shaking his head. "Even so, I really don't wanna get YEARGHed at by Riddle again. To that end, I built a sound library using my own voice and I just put the finishing touches on a program that reads the text out smoothly as you type in real time!" He sent Ortho and Dominic a grin. It was definitely Idia's voice coming from the tablet but it had none of his usual stuttering or halting speech patterns.

Dominic and Ortho shared a look. They understood why he was so intent on creating this voicebank and, as always, he'd done an amazing job, but neither of them saw anything wrong with the way he usually spoke. They never liked it when he got down on himself about what they considered one of the most charming things about him.

"I had no idea I could sound so articulate or that synthesized speech could be so fluent!" Idia continued. He gave the pair a hopeful look. "What do you guys think? Is it great or is it great? If you didn't already know, would you think the voice you're hearing is coming from text-to-speech software?"

"It's incredible, big brother! Your voice sounds so crisp and clear!" Ortho exclaimed.

"Yeah, you've really outdone yourself," Dominic agreed.

Idia beamed at the praise. "Right?! I had no idea I could sound so smooth! I should be able to handle the Q&A no problem now! Fwee hee hee!" He stuffed his hands into the pockets of his hoodie, his smile growing smug. "Science always beats brute-force grinding and I'll be the genius that proves it."

"I'm sure Riddle Rosehearts will be very impressed," Ortho replied.

Idia's eyes widened as he set the tablet down, now speaking without it. "U-Um, please don't say anything to him, okay? I don't want him to know about this until after the presentation. He'll give me that know-it-all look he gets and be like, "There, you see? That wasn't so hard, was it?"" His smirk widened. "And then I'll be all like, "You seriously couldn't tell I was lip-synching? Wow, talk about amateur hour!" I'll wipe that smug grin right off his face Fwee hee!"

Dominic snorted with laughter while Ortho shook his head. "C'mon, big brother. You shouldn't pick on your underclassmen like that."

"Don't worry, Ortho. It's fine. Riddle might be a year behind me in school, but he's been a dorm leader longer than I have. That makes him my upperclassman in a way," Idia reasoned. "I have to say, though…I wasn't expecting text-to-speech to be so fascinating. Y'know, virtual idols and stuff are pretty popular right now. I've been toying with the idea installing a vocal synthesizer on you, if you'd be up for it."

Ortho clapped his hands together eagerly. "Ooh, yes please! I'd love to give singing a try!"

"Great! I'll have you trilling like a canary in no time, little bro," Idia replied.

"…And that's how my brother started getting into vocal synthesizers," Ortho finished. "He spent so much time and energy developing and polishing this, so I want to see how far I can go with it. That's why I wanted to try my hand at the audition."

"Wait, so Idia programmed a singing voice?!" Ace asked incredulously. "Are you for real?!"

Ortho just smiled in response-as much as his body would allow, at least, as he recalled the last part of the conversation.

Ortho had just said goodbye to his brother and Dominic and was about to leave the room when he heard Dominic speak up.

"Hey," the youngest triplet said, pulling Idia's attention away from the screen full of programming in front of him. "I completely get using that program to sound more polished during your presentation, but I just want to make sure you know that…" He rubbed the back his head bashfully, "…well, I think your voice is perfect the way it is."

Idia's cheeks and the tips of his hair flushed a light pink as he gave Dominic a shy smile. "I think you're perfect," he murmured softly, not realizing what he was saying until it was too late. His eyes widened in mortified embarrassment as he pulled his hood over his head.

Dominic blinked. "What?"

"What?"

Ortho chuckled softly to himself before finally leaving the room. Idia and Dominic may have been a "romantic hot mess express", as Devon liked to say, but he was glad his brother had finally found his person.

"Ha ha ha!" Lilia's laugh brought Ortho back to the present. "I've often heard that the ever-elusive Ignihyde dorm leader is an absolute genius when it comes to technomantic engineering. It would seem his reputation is well-deserved. Those are some inspired ideas!"

"He was right on the money about those voice synth idols too!" Cater agreed. "Posting songs you make with software like that is all the rage right now. I'm a pretty big fan of electropop, myself."

"I got no idea what any of you are talkin' about," Grim grumbled, crossing his arms.

"Haven't you ever seen a virtual idol before, Grimmy?" Cater asked as he pulled out his phone. "Here, lemme find a clip to show you." He tapped away for a moment. "Let's see… Ah! Here's one." He paused. "Hold up. We've gotta sit through this ad if we wanna watch for free."

Everyone crowded around Cater to take a look at his phone. The ad opened to show a close-up of the bottom half of a young man's face. He leaned closer to the camera conspiratorially, bring his hand up to the side of his mouth as if he was about to tell the viewer a secret.

"Let me share something with you," the young man said with a smile. "There's a drink that'll make all of your wishes come true!" The camera panned out as the man held up a bottle of soda, his friendly brown eyes and warm smile framed perfectly by his dark hair. "It's a lovely red color with a satisfying pop of flavor. Try the new Red Apple Soda today!"

"Oh, this is that drink commercial everyone's been talking about!" Cater said as the ad continued. "I've gotta stay on top of the latest trends. Maybe I'll stop by the school store after this and pick some up."

"Ah, that's that Neige LeBlanche fellow in the commercial, isn't it? He came up at our most recent dorm leader meeting," Lilia recalled. "Apparently he's going to be making an appearance at this year's VDC as well."

"Wait, seriously?!" Ace exclaimed. "He's, like, one of the top celebrities in the world and he's turning up for a school event?"

"Sounds like the competition's attracting some serious heavyweights. We'll have to up our game if we wanna stand a chance," Deuce said resolutely.

"If I make it onto our school's VDC team, do you think I'll be able to grab a selfie with Neige?" Cater wondered aloud.

"You really are shameless, Cater," Ace commented.

"Look, Neige is the hottest Magicammer out there. If I get the chance, I'm gonna have to take the shot! Pun minorly intended," Cater replied. "If I can get both Neige and Vil in the shot, I'm pretty much guaranteed to go viral!"

Grim waved a paw to get Cater's attention. "Hey, Cater! Lower your phone a bit, will ya? I can't see the screen!"

"I can project the video on the wall, if you'd like," Ortho offered.

Before Grim could answer, the double doors leading into the ballroom were thrown open dramatically. Vil strode into the room as if he owned it, with Rook and Epel following a few steps behind. Since Epel tended to wear either his regular school uniform or his P.E. clothes when he hung out at Ramshackle, this was the first time Devon had ever seen the Pomefiore dorm uniform. It was equal parts showstopping and intimidating: a deep indigo robe-like garment with a red underlining that looked like a cross between a kimono and theatre curtain (especially Vil's as his was so long it trailed on the ground while Rook's and Epel's came about to their knees) over black shirts that were buttoned up to their necks, black pants, and black boots with gold laces, heels, and toe caps. Additionally, Rook had swapped out his brown feathered hat for one that was the same indigo color as his uniform and Vil was now sporting a braided updo with a gold crown stylishly off-kilter on his head.

"Quite down, spuds!" Vil commanded sternly as he glared into the room. All remaining chatter ceased; those that weren't cowed by Vil's presence were too blinded by the accompanying Pomefiore sparkle (Seriously, how did that happen every single time they made an entrance?!) to speak.

"Ergh!" Deuce grunted as he squinted his eyes against the sparkle. "Man, that's bright!"

"It's makin' my eyes hurt!" Grim added.

Devon managed to catch Epel's eye once her own vision cleared. Poor guy looked like he'd rather be anywhere else at the moment but he'd resigned himself to his fate, offering her a small smile and the tiniest dip of his head in greeting.

"I highly doubt that there's a single person in this room who doesn't know who I am, but courtesy dictates an introduction all the same," Vil continued. "I am Vil Schoenheit, dorm leader of Pomefiore. The headmaster has tasked me with selecting our representatives in this year's Vocal and Dance Championship. We will now begin ensemble auditions." He turned to Rook. "Rook, take it away."

"Oui, Roi du Poison," Rook replied before stepping forward and removing his hat before dipping into a bow. "A pleasure to make your acquaintances, everyone! I am Rook Hunt, Pomefiore's vice dorm leader. Each of you will perform the assigned set piece. You will be judged separately on both your dancing and singing. We will hold the auditions in groups of three. Please come into the ballroom when your name is called."

"Alright, challengers. Let's get these auditions underway!" Rook said eagerly as he and Vil sat at a table facing the large mirror just inside the ballroom doors. "Entry number one, the floor is yours. Start the music!"

Each group of participants came into the ballroom to perform the song and dance routine, with Vil and Rook occasionally jotting down notes and providing feedback and commentary once they'd finished.

First up was Ruggie…

"Monsieur Dandelion," Rook began. "You were light on your feet for every step and your smile never faltered. Your performance was equal parts gallant and charming. Beaute! Full marks!"

Vil's critique was much less rosy, though not overly harsh. "You carried yourself well enough, but your dancing and singing both left much to be desired. Next!"

Then Cater…

"Your singing voice sparkled with such a wonderful diamond clarity, Monsieur Magicam! I could lose myself in it for hours. Beaute! Full marks!"

"You performed the entire routine without errors, I'll grant you that. However, your performance was utterly lacking in passion. Next!"

Then Lilia…

"My, my, Monsieur Curiosity! To think such a boyish face would hide a voice of such depth. How fascinating! Beaute! Full marks!"

Vil gave Lilia a perplexed look. "I can't quite put my finger on it, but for some unnerving reason, I can't sense any of the youthful vim one would expect from a student. Next!"

Followed by Ortho…

Rook threw his hands up in surprise. "How very cutting-edge, Monsieur Marionette! Your precision while singing and dancing were positively riveting. Beaute! Full marks!"

Vil didn't seem as convinced. "Even going so far as to call that performance "genreless" tests the meaning of the word. Next!"

Then Kalim…

"Ah, Roi D'or! That was like watching a breeze dancing across the desert sands! And your cheerful singing made me want to get up and join you. Beaute! Full marks!"

"Hmm… Well, I suppose you are a slight step up from the bumbling vegetables we've seen so far."

Then Jamil…

"I take my hat off to you, Monsieur Multi. I can feel the fire burning underneath that cool exterior. Beaute! Full marks!"

Vil nodded in agreement. "That was definitely the best performance we've seen thus far. Not bad, I suppose."

Then Epel…

"Ah, Monsieur Crabapple!" Rook began with an encouraging smile. "How charming and sweet! I can tell you've been practicing. You've greatly improved in all respects. Beaute! Full marks!"

"I wouldn't be so sure about that, Rook. He messed up the hook, again," Vil countered as he shot Epel a glare. "It doesn't matter if he performs flawlessly at the rehearsals if he still flubs the show. To that end," Vil turned his glare toward Rook, "don't think I haven't noticed that you've been giving every participant perfect scores so far. Are you even trying to be a proper judge?"

"But of course! It's just that each performance is so lovely in its' own unique way that I'm having a hard time faulting any of them," Rook explained. "If beauty can be found in perfection, is it so wrong to think it can be found in imperfection as well?"

Vil sighed. "I should have known better than to ask you to assist with the judging. At least there's only one group left. Go ahead and call them in."

Rook nodded. "Oui. Of course." He stood and stepped back into the lounge. "Ace Trappola, Deuce Spade, Devon Lopez, and Grim. You all may enter."

Grim hopped to his feet eagerly. "It's finally our time to shine!"

Ace stood up and stretched as well. "Oh yeah. Let's bag this audition."

"I'm not about to crumble when we've made it this far," Deuce declared. "Let's do this!"

Vil quirked a brow as the four of them walked into the ballroom. "Well, well. I wasn't expecting to see the unwashed spudlings that challenged me to that pointless fight just a few days ago." He smirked. "I hope for your sakes that you've improved from embarrassingly awkward show you forced me to bear witness to then."

"Oh, don't you worry. We've put in plenty of work," Grim boasted. "Now bear witness to the smooth moves Scarabia helped us polish!"

Vil let out a derisive "Hmph" before his eyes landed on Devon. "Hold on a moment. I was under the impression that you weren't going to be auditioning, Devon."

Devon nodded. "That's right."

"Then why are you here?" Vil asked.

Devon shrugged. "Moral support, I guess."

Vil studied Devon for a moment, trying to decide if it would be more of a hassle to let her stay in the ballroom or send her back to the lounge. Evidently letting her stay won out because he motioned her to the side of the table he and Rook were sitting at. "Very well. Just don't make yourself a distraction."

"Please, you won't even know I'm here," Devon replied before hopping up and perching herself on one of the ballet barres in the room.

Rook grinned as he turned to the boys. "I am most delighted to see you audition. Merci!"

Ace shot Vil a cocky smirk. "Let's see if you think we're "embarrassingly awkward" after this."

Vil fought the urge to roll his eyes. "Stow the chatter for now, spudling. If you want my approval, you'll have to earn it."

"Yes! Show us what you can do!" Rook urged them eagerly.

The boys got into position and the music began. It was immediately clear to Devon just how hard they'd all been practicing. Not a single step was missed nor were any lyrics stumbled over. Sure, Grim might not be the most graceful dancer and Deuce still looked stiff at certain points, but this was definitely the best show they'd put on so far. Devon snuck glances toward Vil and Rook every so often to try and gauge what they were thinking. Rook's grin hadn't faded which Devon guessed was probably a good thing, but Vil's face remained unreadable.

"My word!" Rook said when they reached the musical interlude. "You are like little birds just learning to spread their wings. So naïve! So innocent! Beaute! Full marks!"

Vil shot Rook another glare, despite knowing it wouldn't faze him. "Ugh, must you heap so much praise on every performance?"

"Full marks?!" Deuce whispered to Ace and Grim. "We must be doing really well!"

"I wouldn't count on it bein' that easy," Ace cautioned. "Don't lose your focus in the second half."

It seemed Deuce and Grim took Ace's warning to heart because the second half of the song was even smoother and more focused than the first. A feeling of pride welled up in Devon's chest as she watched her boys go and before she knew it, they'd struck their final pose.

"Now that's what I'm talkin' about!" Ace exclaimed. "How'd ya like that, Vil? We were perfect!"

"Are you finished? Then hurry and get out," Vil ordered, though neither his tone nor his expression bore any clue to what he was thinking.

"What, you're not gonna grade us?" Ace pressed, only for Deuce to grab him by the shoulders and begin steering him out of the room.

"Please excuse us, sirs," Deuce said as he pushed Ace toward the door. He glanced over at Devon. "Let's go, Dev."

Devon nodded before hopping off her perch. "Sure thing. I forgot how uncomfortable those barres are."

Vil leveled a side-eye in her direction. "Perhaps because they aren't meant to be sat on."

"Guess that explains the terrible lumbar support," Devon quipped as she followed her friends back to the lounge, earning a chuckle from Rook.

Rook turned to Vil once the ballroom doors had closed, leaving them alone. "That dance was rather…frenetic. You were right-those three are quite unpolished." He looked at the notes he'd jotted down thoughtfully. "Even so…"

"Don't "even so" me, Rook," Vil interjected immediately. "That was barely a grade school level performance-clearly the work of amateurs with just a slight modicum of competence. They're out."

"Hmm. I see," Rook replied, his grin never fading. "I suppose it's time to close this event out, then. Excuse me for a moment."

Devon and the others barely had time to sit back down when Rook suddenly appeared in the lounge doorway, clapping to get everyone's attention.

"Attention, everyone: the audition is now over," he informed them. "Thank you all for participating. You've given us quite a bit to think about. Everyone who passes will be notified tomorrow. You will either receive some news or no news. For now, I must bid you all adieu!"

"So we find out tomorrow, huh? Man, now I'm gettin' all antsy," Grim said, hopping onto Devon's shoulder as everyone stood up to leave.

"Now that I'm thinking back, I'm pretty sure I was a whole key off during the A melody," Deuce mumbled.

"We were only in there for a few minutes, but all that dancing and singing really wiped me out. Let's head back to Heartslabyul and get something to eat," Ace suggested. "Trey and Riddle have been hoping you'd stop by, New York. I think they wanna thank you in person for those mugs you made."

"Sounds good to me," Devon agreed. She couldn't help but smile at the memory of how Cater had "thanked" her for his mug too: by taking at least 30 pictures either of his mug or with it. And then posting them. All of them. And then tagging her in each one. After the mini panic attack caused by all the notifications making her think someone was dying, Devon finally had to mute them for the remainder of the day.

"Yahoo! That's what I'm talkin' about!" Grim cheered. "Time for some grub!"

"Seems the turnout was about 50/50, not out of line with what I had expected," Vil said once Rook returned to the ballroom. "Half of them were just here to have a good time and while the other half may have been amateurs, they were at least taking this somewhat seriously." He narrowed his eyes. "Losing is not an option at this year's VDC. Now then, I suppose we should start by sorting these scores in descending order."

"A moment, if you would, fair Vil," Rook chimed in. "Gems already polished will shine with a predictable luster. Yet if enough if put into their restoration, even rough-hewn ores can be reborn as shining gems in their own right." His green eyes narrowed as his smile grew more mischievous. "I'd go so far as to say that they might even become brighter than the gems you hold now."

Vil listened, his interest piqued, before taking a moment to process what Rook had told him. "A fair point. It will take more than conventional thinking and methods to become the fairest beauty of all. What's important here is just how brightly those gems will shine once they've been polished."

"Heh. If untapped potential is what we're after…I would nominate that last group of performers. The freshmen," Rook suggested.

Vil looked at Rook as if he'd grown a second head. "Those little spudlings? You can't be serious, Rook."

"Allow me to explain," Rook replied. "You are like a grand diamond whose radiance catches the eye of all who look upon you. Now imagine a tiara packed with precious stones all crowding one another out. It would make quite the flattering headpiece, to be sure. But I'd like you to consider another option: a tiara in which a single, grand diamond has an array of smaller, more colorful gems inlaid around it. Personally, I would find the latter more tasteful and appealing. Of course, the final decision is yours to make. I shall take no offense if you dismiss my ramblings outright."

Vil said nothing, once again taking in everything Rook had said.

"Of course, I trust that deep down you know that brushing up and sticking to the status quo will never be enough to take on the dazzling light that is Neige LeBlanche," Rook pressed. "We will need to be much more innovative than that."

"Yes. I know…," Vil replied. He closed his eyes and pulled in a deep breath. "The entrants in this year's Vocal and Dance Championship are…"

Ending Notes: I may have underestimated just how much I'd have to cover when I committed to getting through the auditions in this chapter. But I made a committment and I refused to go back on it! The next chapter might be a little bit shorter since I'm not really sure how much I want to include, but I know I'm at least going to get through Crowley announcing the training camp at Ramshackle. Maybe I'll include a bit where Ace and Jamil realize once they get back to their dorms that this means they'll basically be living with Devon for a month (also Grim and everyone else, but Devon's the one they're excited about).

I think this training camp might actually be the best time for Devon to introduce the boys to some shows and movies from her/our world. I can see her getting them all to watch Mean Girls and all of them (even Epel and Vil) low-key loving it.

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