TWST'D: Keys to the Future

Welcome to the New Normal pt 5

Nighttime came and went like a breeze in the cold as Camila awoke to the sounds of giggles.

She hugged herself and shivered as she noticed the sudden drop in temperature.

The undershirt and boxers she found in the room's closet weren't the most suitable for warm weather, as it left her arms and legs exposed.

It was fine during the night, but now she wished she had tried harder for something with longer sleeves and pant legs.

"Don't tell me..."

"What'cha doin' wasting away here?!" the skinny ghost giggled.

"Don'cha have a job to do? Or have you decided to become one of us?!" The big one added.

The trio of ghosts fell into a laughing fit as they circled above Camila and Grim.

Grim, who was (somehow) still asleep, muttered something about 5 more minutes.

The smaller ghost stifled a giggle as he floated directly above Grim's sleeping form.

His ghostly tail lengthened to tap his shoulder.

He shivered from the tap, but swiped a clawed paw at him.

He kept tapping until, eventually, Grim leapt out of his smaller bed.

"C-c-cold?!" He yelled before locking eyes with the ghost.

"Boo!" he said as he raised his arms humorously, which sent Grim flying even further.

"G-g-g-ghosts?!" Grim's teeth were chattering for a different reason as he fell from his small bed before going into a fighting stance on all fours.

"C'mon, Camila, put the pedal to the metal! Help me kick 'em out!"

Without delay, she nodded and guided his fire shots, each one hitting on the mark as before.

The three retreated in defeat, crying out in pain and no longer giggling.

To her relief, the temperature went back to normal.

Grim went to complaining about the ghosts making him hungry, though Camila was only half-listening.

She had no clothes aside from the ceremony robe she woke up in yesterday, so she wasn't sure how she'd be able to be a proper cleaner for the Headmage.

As if on cue, the voice of the man in question could be heard downstairs as well as the clacking of his heels.

"Ooh, something smells good!" Grim said cheerfully as he wiped the drool from his chin, wasting no time to follow the aroma.

She sniffed the air and the smell of cheese and meat lingered seductively in her nose.

The smell alone sent her stomach's rumble resembling the sound of a tiger's mighty roar.

She too wasted no time, and almost tripped into a weaker part of floor to get to Crowley's position.

Upon seeing the two excitedly clamoring around his legs, Crowley gasped.

"My goodness," he said as he lifted the covered silver plate with one hand away from Grim's paws, "if I didn't know any better, I'd say I had gotten a wild animal rather than a human here-"

He squinted at Grim.

"You there!" His yellowish dot eyes glared into the small creature as he placed a gloved hand on his hip.

"I thought I kicked you out forever ago! What are you doing here, monster?!"

Grim took offense to that.

"Hey! That's something to say to the guy who took care of your ghost pest problem! You owe me tuna!"

He blinked before setting the plate onto a table Camila fixed last night.

"What is the meaning of this?" He turned to Camila, his "eyes" boring holes into her own.

She went and explained away to the best of her ability, making sure not to leave any detail out.

Even after she was finished, Crowley didn't stir from his contemplative pose.

A hand on his chin, he simply stood there.

Camila wondered if something was wrong.

"Oh, nothing wrong," he answered suddenly, "just surprised is all. Now that I think of it, there were ghosts that liked to pull pranks on students who wandered here, so nobody usually comes here. Terribly sorry for any mishaps that may have happened."

"We almost froze to death cause of those ghosts, ya know!" Grim protested.

"On a much cheerier note, the fact remains that you two were able to set aside your differences to defeat a common enemy together!"

He beamed on the last note.

Grim looked like he was ready to barf.

"Excuse me?! What's all this 'together' nonsense?"

He put his paws on his hips as he gave the Headmage a sassy look.

"If I recall correctly, I was the one who actually did all the work! All he did was stand there and point! Now where's my tuna?!"

Crowley stayed silent again, but this time, he smiled and folded his arms.

"After we finish breakfast, I'd like the two of you to show me how you managed to drive out the ghosts."

"Huh?! But they're already gone!" Grim whined like a baby.

"I shall play the part of said ghost," he answered readily, "if you beat me, I'll let you stay alongside Camila for the foreseeable future."

"....." Camila stared at the two of them, deep in thought.

"For I am gracious!" He added triumphantly.

After Crowley let them enjoy a healthy sum of pancakes, scrambled eggs with cheese, and smoked sausage, he took no time at all to transform:

His body no longer that of a human(?), his skin took on a more bluish-white complexion and his legs were replaced with a wispy white tail.

The only tells that kept him from blending in from being a full ghost were his trademark mask and top hat.

"Alright," he said as he floated about in his new body, "hit as hard as you can! Holding back won't secure your stay, understand?"

"Ugh, alright," Grim said despondently.

"Understood," Camila answered emotionlessly, standing ramrod straight.