-3rd POV-
As (Y/n) slept, she suddenly could hear the wind, 'Is that wind...?' She thought, before she was sent to a dream, seeing a cliff. She looked around and saw many animals staring up, making her eyes avert towards the rock and see a lion and a mandrill.
A bird flew close to her head, making her flinch slightly, but focused on the two, as a lioness now walked up and stood next to the lion, and the mandrill looked at the two while holding a lion cub.
The monkey then turned and held up the small cub up, the sunlight shining down on them. The the dual haired girl's vision went dark.
She blinked her eyes open, before feeling her cheek being pushed by a familiar cat that slept next to her.
"Myaaah!" Grim said, flailing in his sleep, "Meeeooow! Myah myaaaah..."
'And you say you aren't a cat...' She thought, deadpanning, then looked at them, "Was that supposed to be a roar?"
"Myaaah...Thass whatchu get...fer crossin' Grim da Miiightyyy..." He snored.
(Y/n) poked him, "Grim, wake up..." She said.
"That's right! Cower before me, teapot tyrant!" He said, before opening his eyes, and was startled, "Bwuh-myah?!" He then looked around, "...Huh? Where am I?"
"You're in the Ramshackle dorm."
The tanuki pouted, "Aw, man! I was dreaming that I was trouncing Riddle with my magic. You shoulda seen his face..."
"You won't get strong if you keep sleeping, Grim. Come on, let's get ready." She said, getting up.
"All right, lemme just fix my bedhead. Then it's off to class! I've got magic to master!" He said, happily.
-----
It was now lunch time and the four first-years were going to line up to grab their food.
"Ugh. Professor Trein must have cast a sleepin' spell on me." Grim said, yawning, as he was on the girl's shoulder, "I fought to stay awake, but he was sooo boring!"
"Yeah, "fought," sure. I heard you snoring five minutes in." Deuce said.
"Grub time! What's it gonna be today?" Ace said, in a sing-song voice, before seeing a crowd, "Huh, wait? What's going on? Why's is so crowded in here?"
"That famous bakery from out of town is serving up their goods. It only happens once a month!" A ghost said, appearing in front of them, "Their stocks sells out, so you'd better hurry!"
"Gimme three of those chocolate croissants!"
"Woo-hoo! I actually snagged an egg sandwich this month! These things are amazing!"
Two students said.
"Egg sandwiches are now sold out! Only one deluxe ham and cheese left!" The ghost said.
"Oh, man, everything looks amazing. I'm gonna see if I can grab somethin'." The orange haired said, smiling.
"Wow, they really do seem popular! (Y/n), Grim, what do you—Huh?" The blue haired male, turning to them but his eyes widen.
The girl could only sighed, "And he's gone again..." She said, but her wrist was suddenly grabbed, pulling her through the crowd of students, making her look at the owner and see the familiar hyena ears, "Oh, cute hyena boy."
Ruggie's ears twitched a bit, but kept looking forward as his face grew pink, "I have a name! It's Ruggie Bucchi. I'm a second-year." He said.
"Oh, sorry, senpai. I'm (Y/n) Todoroki. A first-year."
"Nice to meet ya." He said, feeling the blush grow.
Meanwhile with the others...
"Hey! Outta my way, losers! That grilled cheese is mine!" Grim exclaimed, pushing away some students.
"Hey, no cutting!"
"A freshman, cutting in front of an upperclassman?! Time to teach you some manners."
The two Heartslabyul students said.
"He's got such a one-track mind when it comes to food!" Deuce said, as Ace could only sigh, before turning to where the girl was but his eyes widen.
"(Y/n) is gone too!"
"Let's just save Grim, then find her."
-----
"Ha! Guess who scored the last deluxe grilled cheese sandwich? This guy. That's why they call me Grim the Great!" The feline exclaimed, grinning at his victory, "I also snagged a bear claw and a cronut!"
"Grim, you need to learn some restraint!" Deuce scolded, before looking at the two males, "I'm really sorry, senpais."
"Yo, pops, gimme one of those roast beef sandwiches." Ace said, grinning.
The male looked at him with a scowl, "Hey! You're cutting in line too!"
Ruggie sighed, hand still on the girl's wrist, "Rats. Looks like I'm late for the monthly bakery battle royal. And now they're sold out of the grilled cheese Leona-san sent me to buy for him." He said, as his ears turned downwards.
(Y/n)'s eyes sparkled, her hand slowly reaching for his ears, but then put her hand down.
Grim grinned, "I'm gonna savor the flavor of this victory!" He exclaimed.
The hyena boy tapped the feline's shoulder, "Pardon me, friend. I see you were able to get your hands on the highly-prized deluxe grilled cheese sandwich. Incredible!" He said, smiling.
They turned to him, "Hm? Who're you and whaddaya want with my meat?" He then took notice his hand wrapped around the girl's wrist, "And whaddaya doing with my henchman?!"
"Eh? Oh we had a deal of some sorts." He said, "But, I'm just a guy who really, really wanted to buy that sandwich you've got there, but arrived a smidge too late. Speaking of which, here's a proposition for you...Might you be willing to trade your deluxe grilled cheese for this very exciting hot dog bun?" He showed the bun.
"Whaaat?! You must be outta your mind, dude!"
"Oh, come now. Let's not be like that. Here, have the hot dog bun. I insist." He said, holding his hand out with a grin.
Grim's body then started to move on it's own, shocking him, "Myah? What in the name of tuna...?! My paws are movin' on their own!"
"Eh? You're really trading with him?" (Y/n) said confused.
"Sounds like we have ourselves a deal! Shyeheehee!" Ruggie laughed, "What luck that I found a kind soul willing to trade. You enjoy that hot dog bun, I do hope you can find something to fill it with. Maybe a squirt of ketchup would imitate the real thing?" He mumbled the last sentence, before smiling at the feline, "Anyway, nice doing business with you. Bye-bye!" He said, then left with the girl, leaving a crying tanuki.
The dual haired girl followed the male, as they went to pay for lunch.
The male noticed she didn't grab anything which made him confused, "You're not getting anything?" He said.
The girl looked at him, "I rarely eat anything other than cold Soba." She said, but the hyena boy only huffed and grabbed a muffin, handing it to her.
"Here. At least eat something." He said, as the girl nodded and paid for the food with Crowley's card that the girl totally borrowed, "Glad to do business with ya."
"Can I pet them now?" She said, with sparkling eyes.
Ruggie sighed and dragged the girl to a secluded place, "Fine." He mumbled.
The dual haired girl smiled softly and reached her hand over, and gently ran her hand through his hair and rubbed his hyena ears, "They're soft..." She mumbled, her eyes sparkling.
The male felt a shiver go down his spine, slowly loving her gentle hands running through his hair, his eyes closed gently and let out a purr.
'He purrs? Now, I have to pet his ears everyday...' She thought, before pulling her hands back, making him snap his eyes open, missing the warmth of her hand, "Thank you, Ruggie-senpai. I'm sure you're busy, so I'll leave you be, but I do hope to pet your ears again." She said.
The hyena boy blushed slightly and nodded, "We'll see." He said, before turning and walking away, 'Maybe I can let her pet my ears for free next time.' He thought.
(Y/n) walked back in to the cafeteria, bought Soba and sat next to Grim, who was still crying over the sandwich.
"Aw, maaan...This is the words day of my pathetic life!" He said, as he ate his lunch he got, "I can barely choke down my lunch!"
"You just ate three pastries in ten seconds." Ace said.
"I still don't get why you even traded at all." Deuce said.
"I didn't! It's like, when he put out his hand, my paw just shot out—like it was copyin' his! It all happened so fast..." The feline said.
"Like a deer caught in the sandwich-sealing headlights." The orange haired male said.
"Nah, it wasn't like that at all. But I...I don't know how to explain it! Ugh, this stinks. I need to eat my feelings, stat!" He exclaimed then turned to the other male, "Deuce, gimme a bite of your pasta."
"No way! You made your "bread," now lie in it!" The blue haired male said, then turned to the girl, "Why were you with him anyway, (Y/n)?" He asked, as the other two nodded in agreement.
The said girl looked up from her Soba and turned to them, "We had a deal. I buy his food and I pet his ears. It was worth it." She said, before slurping her noodles, as the three sweatdropped.
"Oh, by the way, guys—the headmage said he had something he wanted to tell us after class. No clue what it could be, though." Ace said.
"It probably has something to do with what happened to Housewarden Rosehearts a few days ago." The other male said in thought.
"When he went all berserker mode on us? Yeah, I bet you're right."
"Maybe he wants to lavish me with a smorgasbord of succulent fish for all of my hard work that day!" The tanuki said, smiling.
'With what card.' (Y/n) thought.
"Yeah, dream on, furball." The orange haired male said.
'Wait a minute...' She thought, "Ruggie-senpai...I feel like we've seen him before..." She said.
-----
"Leooona-san! Lunch is served, my friend!" Ruggie said, walking up to the male, who laid on the grass of the botanical garden.
Leona's eyes opened and woke up, "...Is it noon already?" He said.
"Don't tell me you've been sleeping all morning! You're going to fail more of your core classes!"
The male sniff the air, smelling the sandwich, "Smells like you actually got what I asked ya for!"
"Barely! Must you always request the most popular item on bakery day?" He said, then handed the male the sandwich and drink, "Anyway, here: one deluxe grilled cheese and an iced tea."
"Are ya braindead? The fact that it's hard to get is exactly what makes me want it so bad!" The brown haired male said, grabbing the items.
"Me, I'll eat anything, so long as it isn't moldy. But as a prince, I doubt you could relate, Your Highness."
"Hmph." He huffed, as he took a bite of his lunch, "It ain't like I'm first in line for succession. I'm second, so I probably won't ever be king. I'm practically a commoner, really."
Ruggie glared at him slightly, his ears turning downward, "That reminds me of the time you mistook a picture of my family's home for a doghouse."
"Did I...really do that?"
"You really did. I wish my perspective was so warped from a life of luxury."
The lion male scowled, "Nah, the royal life stinks, honestly. All that matters is the order of your birth. Hard work and talent basically mean nothin'."
"Hmm...I guess I could see that being a drag. Oh, by the way, there's a housewarden meeting after school today about the Spelldrive tournament. Please try to actually show up."
"Ugh. What a headache." Leona said, glaring at the ground.
"As housewarden, you get the biggest room in the dorm. You could at least make a token effort to do the corresponding job."
The male sighed, "All right already. Fine. Stop whinin'." He said, then laid back down, closing his eyes, "Ahhh...Now that my belly's full, I'm ready for another snooze. Wake me after lunch break is over."
"I'm not your alarm clock, Leona! You know, I have my own—" The hyena boy mumbled to himself but was shocked, "ah, he's already out." He sighed, before starting to walk away, "Anyway, that weasel at the cafeteria and his freshman friends...Where have I seen them before?"
-----
The four stood in front of the doors to Crowley's office, and the blue haired male knocked on the door.
"Headmage, may we come in?" He said, opening the door slightly.
"How's it going, sir?" Ace said, walking in,
The male looked up from his papers and looked at them, "Ah. Thank you all for coming. I'll get right to the point. Now that the Heartslabyul incident is behind us...I wanted to give you a proper debriefing on the matter. If you're to become mages, you need to fully understand the malady that befell Mr. Rosehearts." He said.
"You called it "overblot," right?" Deuce said.
Crowley nodded, "Yes, that is correct."
"My brother told me a little about that. He said that could happen to anyone who builds up to much blot. Sounds like Cater-senpai was pretty much on the nose with "berserker mode."" The orange haired male said.
"Yeah, but what is "blot," anyway?" Grim said, as (Y/n) nodded.
"Ah, indeed. For your sake and Ms. (Y/n)'s, it would behoove us to start with the basics. I shall teach you all you need to know." The headmage said, before smiling, "Charity, thy name is Crowley!" He then cleared his throat, "Now, "blot" is a form of waste that is created as a byproduct of using magic. Just as cars run on gasoline and in the process, expel dangerous gases as exhaust...Casting spells consumes magical energy, and in the process, expels blot."
"That doesn't sound healthy..." The girl said.
"Quite. Research into the nature of blot has been conducted since time immemorial. And yet, we still understand little about it. All we know for sure is that it is terrifically toxic, and excessive amounts can wreak havoc on a mage's mind and body."
"I guess that's why grandma was always naggin' me to not overdo it with the magic, huh? Here I thought she just didn't want me to break stuff." Ace said.
"Power and peril are two sides of the same coin. Even the greatest of mages cannot cast spell after spell without consequence."
"So you're tellin' me I'm gonna get sick if I keep usin' magic whenever I want?!" The feline exclaimed.
The dual haired girl tilted her head slightly, "This is similar to like overusing your quirk. Once you over use it, you get sick or have a different side effect depending what quirk the person has..."
"Not necessarily." Crowley said, shaking his head, before humming, "Perhaps a demonstration would prove more efficient than a mere explanation. Ghosts, assemble! I have a job for you!"
Suddenly, ghosts appeared beside them.
"Huzzah! You summoned us, Headmage?" A ghost said.
Ace flinched back, "Not these guys again?!"
"Would you be so kind as to help me put these young students through their paces? Except for Ms. (Y/n), of course." The headmage said.
Hearing the suggestion, Deuce's eyes widen, "T-This seems like a bad idea."
"Yeah, okay. We'll go a round or two with 'em." Another ghost said.
"Now, students, ready your magical pens. Prepare to receive a special lesson from your headmage!" He smiled at them, as the girl stepped back, not wanting to be close to the fight.
-----
After the fight with the ghosts, Grim looked at the male.
"Hey, Headmage, what's the deal? What does fightin' ghosts got to do with blot?" He said.
Crowley pointed at his stone, "Direct your attention to the magestone on your collar, Mr. Grim." He said.
The feline looked at it and his eyes widen, "Myah?! My magestone looks all grungy now." He then tried to rub it off, but it wouldn't come of, "Myah?! It won't rub off!"
"Precisely. That inky black stain is the byproduct of spellcasting known as "blot."" He said.
Deuce looked at his pen and his eyes widen, "There's some grime on my magical pen, too!"
"Ewww! This is a capital-G Gross!" The tanuki exclaimed.
(Y/n) directed her attention to the male, "Does it come off?" She said.
"It will." The headmage nodded.
Grim sighed in relief, "Had me worried there."
"With sufficient rest, blot will vanish from your magestone. This is why a magestone is so valuable to magic users. Not only does it aid your casting, it also serves as a lightning rod of sorts, to prevent blot from accumulating within the caster." He smiled.
"I see. So when our magestone start to get cloudy, that means it's time for us to ease off." The blue haired male said.
"Correct. Eat well and get plenty of sleep, and most of the blot will clear away."
The feline smiled, "Gotcha. So when I become an even greater mage, I'll be able to fire off spells left and right! Pa-pew! After all, I do plenty of sleepin' and eatin'."
"People vary greatly in their capacity for magic. However, save for a few key exceptions, there is little variance in most mages' tolerance for blot."
"What's that mean?"
"In essence, it means that those who possess a great capacity for magic must be meticulous in their efforts to avoid accumulating blot. Like Mr. Rosehearts, for instance."
"So folks who know their way around magic lay off once in a while. Seems simple enough." Ace cut in.
Crowley nodded, "Correct. That said, it isn't anything that mages at your level need to worry about. How very fortunate for you!"
"I...guess that's only kind of an insult?" He said that came out like a question.
"Anyway, I think I get it. Using magic, get blot. Blot bad. Sleep and food good. But is that really all it took to make Riddle activate berserker mode?" Grim said.
"The accumulation of blot is significantly affected by the sorcerer's mental state. Anger, fear, panic, sorrow...Harboring those sorts of negative energies hastens the accumulation of blot by a significant degree. This, in turn, leads to the dreadful state known as "overblot."" The headmage explained.
'And this is why I don't have magic...' (Y/n) thought.
""Negative energies," huh? Interesting..." The blue haired male said.
"Do you recall the giant shadow that appeared behind Mr. Rosehearts? Such manifestations are believed to be the result of a fusion between blot and negative energies. I'm afraid that's the extent of what current studies have revealed to us, however." The older male said, frowning, "There remain many mysteries surrounding overblot. After all, there are not many opportunities for study and observation."
"Let's hope it stays that way!" The orange haired male said.
"It is fortunate that Ms. (Y/n) were able to snap Mr. Rosehearts out of it so quickly. If that had been allowed to continue..." He trailed off, before letting out a yell, "It is a prospect too terrifying to consider!"
The yell startled the four.
"Gah! W-What's your problem?! Yellin' outta the blue like that!" Grim exclaimed.
The male cleared his throat, "Forgive me. I lost my composure. In summery, the use of magic is always accompanied by a certain degree of risk. And I expect you all to keep that in mind." Crowley said, looking at them.
"Yes, sir." All of them said.
He let out a smile, "Thus concludes your special lesson from the headmage himself! How wonderfully kind of me." He complimented himself as always, then waved his hand, "Now, back to your classrooms with you."
(Y/n) deadpanned, "Aren't you forgetting something? A way to send me back home?"
The male's eyes widen, slightly startled, "Ahhh, yes...A means to send (Y/n) home. Right, right." He said, averting his eyes, "I have been diligently searching for one, of course. I have certainly not forgotten! It is merely that I've been quite busy of late."
'He isn't even looking.' The two males and girl thought.
Grim deadpanned, "Your eyes got all shifty all of a sudden." He said.
"I-I'm certainly not lying! The October interdorm Spelldrive tournament is consuming a great deal of my attention at the moment! In fact, I've been meeting with the assembled housewardens immediately after this."
"What's a "Spelldrive tournament"...?" The feline questioned.
The dual haired girl sighed, "I never know what anyone is talking about..." She mumbled.
"Dude, (Y/n)..." Ace said, "You've never heard of Spelldrive?!"
"I'm from a different world idiot." She said, flicking his forehead, making him wince.
"It's a world-famous sport! There's even a pro league and a world championship tournament." Deuce said.
"I ain't never heard of this neither!" The tanuki said.
"Spelldrive is a sport played by competing teams of seven people. Basically, players battle for control of a disc and earn points by drivin' it into the enemy team's goal. The team with the most points wins!" The orange haired male explained.
The girl deadpanned, "That just sounds like football."
"Football...? Say what?" The blue haired male questioned.
"Hm. I've never heard of such a game, but I'll look it up the next time I'm at the library. Perhaps it will yield some sort of clue." Crowley said, looking in thought.
"Oh, man, I just realized that (Y/n) would have a hard time actually playing." Ace said.
"Yeah? Why's that?" Grim questioned.
"You need magic to play. Not only do you move the disc with magic, but you use it to attack and defend, too." Deuce said.
"The flashier the magic, the better—it's how players show off their skills!" The other teen male said.
"Yes, quite!" The headmage said, then smiled, "That is why Night Raven College is known throughout the world as a leader in the sport! This school has produced countless pro players!" He stated proudly, before clearing his throat, "That's why our interdorm Spelldrive tournaments attract attention even from pro league recruiters. Also, those simply looking for up-and-coming magicians use the event to scout hopeful candidates. Yes, the tournaments is quite an affair. The campus will be full of visitors and lined with various kiosks. And the main event will be captured by television cameras and broadcast worldwide."
"Reminds me of the U.A. Sports Festival..." (Y/n) mumbled.
"It's broadcasted throughout the world?!" The feline said, smiling, "So you're sayin' that if I were to play in this tournament—and win of course—the whole world would see it?!"
Crowley smiled, "Of course! Players who excel at the tournament invariable attract great attention. Both from the pro leagues and the public at large!"
"In your case, the magic would barely matter. Just having a monster like you out there is sure to turn heads." The blue haired male said, looking at the tanuki.
"It's settled, then! I'm gonna train around the clock, join a team, and become a legend!"
"Alas, Grim, you cannot enter." The headmage cut in, ruining their mood.
"...Wait, what?"
"Did you not hear me speak the word "interdorm" multiple times? Your dorm doesn't even have seven members. Therefore, you cannot enter the tournament."
"Whaaaaaat?! No faaaaair!" He exclaimed, crying.
"But there's plenty else to do, from tending to the grounds to selling drinks in the stands! Those who stand upon the field are not the only stars of tournament day."
"Not. Interested! I wanna be on TV! I want everyone in the world fawning over me! "Squeee! Grim is soooo cool!" "Did you see that play Grim made?" You get what I'm sayin'?"
"Your delusions are oddly specific, dude." Ace said.
"Well, if you can't field a team, I'm afraid that's that. Maybe next year, Ramshackle House will get some new members. But it's not happening this year." Deuce said.
"Anyway, as I believe I've mentioned, I'm a busy man. I must be off." Crowley said.
"Yeah, thanks for taking' time outta your busy day to build up my dreams and crush 'em! Myaah!" The tanuki cried.
(Y/n) sighed softly and picked him up, gently petting him.