-3rd POV-
Jack looked around the VIP room and was extremely shocked by it, "What is this place? Are we really still on school property?" He said, before seeing the vault behind the desk, "Look at that hug vault...It's like some kinda bank."
"All right, that's enough rubbernecking. Please, have a seat." Azul said, extending his hands towards the chairs, as he took his seat, "So, what would you like to discuss with me?"
"I'd like you to free all the students." (Y/n) said, which only made the male chuckle.
"Goodness me. That's quite the demand to make right out the gate. You would ask me to release all 225 students from their contracts with me?"
"You bamboozled that many people?! That's nuts!" The wolf male said.
"Yes, well, Jade and Floyd did a bit of proactive market outstretch this year. Thanks to that, I've had no shortage of clients ready to strike up deals with me." He said, then looked at the girl, "Now, (Y/n)—as for your request to free these students...I am not forcing them to labor under any undue duress. They made a contract with me, and they willingly consented to the terms laid out in the writing. Contracts are ironclad agreements not subject to intervention from outside parties on any emotional bases. "Poor, unfortunate souls" they are not. To put it more bluntly" your protestations will avail you nothing, no matter how much you might kick and scream."
The dual haired girl sighed softly, 'You're gonna hate me for this, Jack...' She thought, before looking at the male, "Fine. Let's make a deal."
"Wait, what?! Have you lost it?!" Jack exclaimed, tugging her arm.
Azul smirked, "Oho. You want to make a deal with me? Now there's an interesting proposal."
Floyd let out a small laugh, "Little Koi-chan's got some guts!" He said.
"Hm. Now, while your interest is duly noted...There's a wee bit of a snag. You see, (Y/n), my understanding is that you have no innate magical power. You're not an heir to any kingdom, but you are gifted with a beautiful voice." He smirked at her, as she blinked at him, "Considering the big ask you're making of me, I would need considerable collateral."
"Such as?" The wolf male said.
"Hm, I don't know..." He looked at the girl, "That power of yours."
(Y/n) blinked at him, "I don't know how to tell you this...but I'm kind of stuck with it." She explained, "In my world, by the time the child turns five, their quirk manifests and are stuck with it till they die. So, I really can't give my quirk to you." She said.
Azul frowned, 'I can't take it? It's embedded into her DNA from the beginning? Her world is very interesting.' He thought, then nodded, "All right....How about the usage rights for Ramshackle Dorm, which is presently under (Y/n)'s supervision?"
"Hey...Was that your whole angle from the—" Jack said, but was suddenly cut off by the door slamming open.
"Sign me up for that!" Grim yelled out.
The girl's eyes widen, "Grim, how long have you been there?"
"I can't take it anymore! My fur ain't for washin' dishes!"
"Ducking out of work to eavesdrop on others is hardly employee-of-the-month behavior, Grim." Jade said, then looked at his twin, "Floyd, eject him."
"Can do!" He said, walking up.
"Now, now. Let's not be hasty, gentlemen." Azul said, making them stop as he looked at the girl, "(Y/n), the lone student at your dorm has weighed in on the matter. What say you? Will you put Ramshackle Dorm up as collateral and make a contract with me?" He smirked, pulling up a golden contract.
"Pleeease, (Y/n), I'm beggin' here..." The feline cried.
"(Y/n), don't do it! You know he's gonna name some unreasonable terms you could never possible meet." Jack exclaimed, holding her arm.
(Y/n) nodded, then looked at the male, "Let's hear the terms first."
"That's the sporting attitude I like to see." Azul said.
"Hey! Are you serious?!" The wolf male said.
"Here's the deal...I bid you pilfer a certain photograph from the Atlantica Memorial Museum in the Coral Sea before the sun sets on the third day from now."
"You want us to steal a piece of art?!"
Jade was shocked to hear the terms.
"No, not a piece of art. A photo. One commemorating a visit to the museum from Prince Rielle, taken ten years ago." The Octavinelle housewarden clarified.
"Gonna need more details than that." Jack said.
"It's a photo panel placed right near the museum entrance. It has no historic value whatsoever. Borrowing it would not cause any particular fuss."
"Then why do you want it at all?" Grim said.
He chuckled, "What's the point of a challenge if it's not challenging? If I were to concoct a trifling errand, I would simply be giving away my end of it, wouldn't I? I'm not running a charity here."
"The Atlantica Memorial Museum is a renowned tourist attraction that houses a good twenty different cultural artifacts. That includes the Silver Hair Comb, a Coral Sea national treasure, and the Mermaid Princess's Prized Cork Openers, among others. We're not asking you to find a speck of gold dust on the seabed here." Jade said.
"Oh, hey, didn't we go there on an elementary school field trip once?" Floyd said.
"Hold on. The nation of the Coral Sea is at the bottom of the ocean, right? It's not exactly hospitable to land mammals like us with no fins or gills. I think you're askin' too much here." The wolf said.
"What he said! I can't breathe underwater, y'know!" The feline exclaimed.
(Y/n) nodded, "Yeah...We would drown. And I'm not exactly like Asui, who has a frog quirk..." She said.
"That sounds like a "you" problem...is what I would normally say, but fear not. I will provide you with our very own magic potions. They'll enable you to breathe underwater." Azul said, putting a bottle on the desk that seemed to glow, "Once, when a poor little mermaid princess fell in love with a human, the Sea Witch was kind enough to grant her legs to walk upon the earth. And really, what are any of us without a sense of charity?" He chuckled, then looked at the girl, in hand a contract, "So, what do you say? Do we have a deal? Will you agree to a contract with me?"
She stared at the golden contract, thinking of the decisions.
"I'm afraid I don't have all day, so if you could make your decision now, I'd appreciate it. Chop, chop!"
The girl picked up the pen, "It's a deal..." She said.
"Excellent! Go ahead and sign the scroll, then."
The girl did a so, and the male chuckled.
"There we are. Signature received. The contract is now in effect. Should you successfully steal the photo from the Atlantica Memorial Museum and bring it to me before sunset on the third day from now...I give you my word that I will release the 225 sea anemones currently doing my bidding. Should you fail at your challenge, however..." He smirked, "...Ramshackle Dorm will belong to me, and as a student of that dorm, you will do as I say!"
The dual haired girl sighed, "What did I just sign myself up for..." She mumbled to herself.
"Jade. Floyd. If you could kindly walk out guest home?" He said, looking at the twins then looked at the girl, "I'll see you in three days."
-----
"Oho. So this Ramshackle Dorm. This is my first time inside, and already I'm smitten by its charm." Jade said, as he looked around the Japanese styled dorm, "It's close to school as well. It would be a perfect site for a Mostro Lounge branch café."
"There's ghosts living here, right? That sounds rad." Floyd said, smiling.
"Why're you guys followin' us inside, anyway?" Grim said.
"Uh, 'cause this place is collateral in a deal between (Y/n) and Azul? Duh?"
"Myah?!"
"Unlike the rest of you, (Y/n) has no power to put up for collateral. So we're confiscating the dorm instead." The twin said.
"Say what?!"
"This dorm belongs to Azul until you hold up your end of the bargain. Hence, I'm afraid I must ask you to vacate the premises immediately."
"Don't worry, we'll give you time to pack your stuff. So nice, right?" Floyd said.
"Once this dorm officially enters Azul's possession, we will be disposing of all personal belongings in it. I suggest you prepare accordingly."
The male let out a small laugh, "Don't worry! We'll give it all back if you bring us the photo before the third sunset."
Then the twins chuckled, their creepy aura oozing.
"Mraaah! I gotta save all the tuna!" The feline exclaimed, running to the kitchen.
(Y/n)'s eyes widen, "My hero case..." She mumbled, running up the stairs, but as she got to the top of the steps, her eyes dulled, seeing ink fall, 'Another one? I'm not a therapist. At this point I'm gonna charge them.'
-----
After packing, the two were by the entrance, where they saw the twins.
"Are you two all set?" Jade questioned.
"Peace, Little Koi-chan and Baby Seal! See you around!" Floyd said.
"And if you're in need of lodgings, feel free to come and speak with us. Reservations for guests rooms in Octavinelle Dorm start at 100 thaumarks a night."
"As if that's gonna happen." (Y/n) said, walking out with Grim, making the twins smile and close the door.
"Hey! Wait! Say that to my face!" The feline said looking at the door, "Nobody calls me a baby seal!"
Then the wind picked up.
"Brr...Guess we're roughin' it tonight. This stinks." He said, before his eyes brightened seeing the girl create a flame with her left hand.
"The cold weather doesn't really bother me since I have my fire. But I wouldn't be able to use it for a whole night, since I'm not advanced with it like my ice." The girl said.
Footsteps were then heard coming towards them.
"Hey, (Y/n)! Grim!" Deuce called out, as Jack and Ace were beside him.
"Myah! Are you guys here to help?" Grim said.
"Hm...Not to help you, but it's kind of our fault that (Y/n) is out in the cold. It wouldn't sit right with me if you slept outside and caught a cold or somethin'..." Ace said, his eyes averting.
"What is it with you and posturin'?" He deadpanned.
"We've talked with Housewarden Rosehearts. We can offer you a place safe from the elements if you don't mind sleeping in our four-man freshman dorm room." The blue haired male said.
"You guys are gonna cram another two bodies into a crowded four-man room? What, does Heartslabyul not have any empty rooms?" The wolf male said.
"Since nobody in out dorm ever drops out or gets held back, it's always at full capacity."
He looked at the girl, before averting his eyes with a small blush, "Then...why don't you come to Savanaclaw Dorm instead?"
"Huh?!" The three exclaimed, as the girl just blinked.
"I acted like I was doin' you a favor by sticking around for those negotiations with Azul, but I didn't actually contribute at all. And considering how much we owe you for everything that went down at the Spelldrive tournament, Leona-senpai and the others won't make a peep about it."
"Oh-hooo..." Deuce said, smirking.
Ace joined in, "Daaang. I never knew you were such a big softie, Jack!"
"You learn something new every day!" The feline said.
The silver haired male blushed, "D-Don't get me wrong, okay?! I want our next round of exams to be on a level playing field. It's in my best interest for (Y/n) to win that best with Azul!"
"Yeah, sure, whatever you say." The orange haired male said.
"(Y/n) and Grim will probably sleep way better there anyway." The blue haired male said.
"Yeah, their options at our dorm would be a spot on the floor or sharin' a bed with me or Deuce..." He smirked, and leaned closer to the girl, "Y'know, that is still on the table. Juuust sayin'..."
(Y/n) looked at Jack, "I'll go with you to Savanaclaw." She said.
"Great, then we'd better get back. It's almost midnight as it is..." Jack said, before yawning.
"Okay, see you tomorrow." Ace said.
"Have a good night." Deuce said.
-----
"Not a chance." Leona said.
"You didn't even pause before answering..." Jack muttered.
"No pets allowed in the dorm. They shed all over the place."
"First of all, I ain't no pet! Second of all, I do not! Aren't you guys, like, a billion times furrier than me?!" Grim exclaimed.
"This is about you, not us." Ruggie said.
"For one thing..." The lion male trailed off, "Out empty rooms haven't been cleaned in months. Dorm students use 'em as a dumping ground for their junk. Where are we supposed to put up two extras freeloaders?"
"Ooh, I know!" He smirked, before grinning at him, "Why don't you just bunk with 'em in your room, Leona-san?"
"What?!" The said male, Jack and Grim exclaimed, while the girl blinked, not minding.
"Ruggie, if you keep flapping your lips, you're about to find 'em sewn shut." Leona said, glaring.
"Think of it this way, Leona-san. You're used to havin' people do everything for ya, right? What if we put 'em in charge of serving you instead of charging for room and board? Seems like a win-win to me."
He growled at him, "Ruggie, you little..."
"Hey, I still ain't fully healed up from the interdorm Spelldrive tournament, y'know? I dunno if it was that major magic I chugged a whole potion to use or what, but hard work's been wearin' me down more than ever lately. And if I remind you, Leona-san, I busted my tail for you. So I'm thinkin' I'd heal a whole a lot faster if I had these guys waiting on you for a while!" He said, wrapping an arm around the girl, who pat his head.
"Tch. You're a regular mercenary sometimes."
"Hey now. I haven't said a single dishonest word!" He laughed.
"Maybe, but I don't let just anyone cozy up to me like that." He then turned his head slightly, "Hey, boys! C'mere a sec!"
"Yes, sir! You called, Housewarden?" A brown haired Savanaclaw student said.
"Oh, hey, it's the schmucks who spied on Savanaclaw before the Spelldrive tournament." The red haired male said.
"Ain't every day an escaped quarry comes back to us!" The silver haired male said, laughing.
"Fight my dorm's students. If you win, I'll let you stick around as gophers." Leona said, smirking, "I don't care if it is just for three days. Savanaclaw's got no use for dead weight, no matter how short or long your stay."
(Y/n) sighed, "All right." She said, and before the three students could take a step, she had already frozen them.
Everyone stared with eyes widen, then turned to the girl, who let out a small icy breath.
"Well, I've defeated them." She bluntly said.
The lion male glared at the frozen students, "How could you lose to some puny little herbivore that fast? You're givin' me a bad name over here."
"Yipe! Sorry, sir!" The brown haired male yelped.
"Okay, a deal's a deal! I want that three-day stay and I want it now!" Grim said, climbing up to the girl's shoulders.
Leona softly growled, "Tch. Just remember, even the slightest bit of trouble from you and you'll be out the door faster than you can say "tuna casserole." You hear me?" He said, looking at them with a glare.
"Yes, Leona-senpai." (Y/n) said, before bowing, "Thank you for letting us stay. We will try not to disturb you as much."
The feline sighed in relief, "At least now we don't gotta sleep outside."
"All right. Jack, bring some spare bedding to Leona-san's room." Ruggie said, looking at the male.
Jack nodded, "Will do."
The male laughed, "Lucky me! I get to coast down easy street for three whole days!" He mumbled to himself.
The lion male glared at him, "I heard that, you know. You're in for it later." He said, before turning to the two, "Okay, herbivores. Get the lead out and follow me."
-----
"Daaang! Now this is a wild man's room!" Grim said, looking around the male's room.
"I forgot that your room is quite the mess, senpai." (Y/n) said, setting down her hero case by his desk, so no one tripped over it.
"Quit yer gawkin'. I'm goin' to bed now, and if you disturb my sleep, I'll turn you into shag carpet." Leona said, growling at the end, as he laid on his bed and was soon out.
"He was out in literally three seconds!" The feline whispered.
The girl put a finger to her lips, "Keep it down, We don't want to wake him." She said, before laying down on the small mattress, and the tanuki laying next to her, cuddling up to her side.
-----
As the girl slept, her mind drifted to another dream. She looked around, "It's so dark..." She mumbled.
"Come in. Come in, my child." Ursula said, waving her hand for the mermaid girl to swim in, "You're here because you have a thing for this human. Now, here's the deal. I will make you a potion that will turn you into a human for three days. Got that? Three days. Before the sun sets on the third day, you've got to get dear ol' princey to fall in love with you." She continued, as two eels swam next to her.
"Oh—and there is one more thing. We haven't discussed the subject of payment." She presented a golden contract that was very similar to the one Azul has, "What I want from you is..." She pointed at the girl's voice box, "your voice. Now go ahead and sign the scroll!"
Ariel did as so, but didn't look as she signed her name.
"I'll help this poor, unfortunate soul!"
The everything went dark and the dual haired girl fluttered her eyes open, seeing the sun shine through the windows, 'Another mermaid dream?' She thought, sitting up.
Grim laid next to her with a smile as he slept.
"Heya, g'morning! Leona-san, it's time to get up." Ruggie said, walking in through the door, before seeing the girl, "Oh, you're up already!"
The girl nodded, "I always wake up early to train..." She said, getting up.
He walked up to her and grabbed her hand, putting it on his head, which made her smile and run her hand through his hair, making him purr, 'I love her pets...' He thought.
"Myah? Morning already?" The feline said, waking up, then looked at the clock, "W-Wait, it's barely six!"
The male looked at him, "We do morning Spelldrive training here at Savanaclaw. Since you're part of the dorm for the next few days, you'll be joining us." He said.
The girl pulled her hand back, much to his disappointment, but he blushed seeing her sparkling eyes, "Morning training?"
"Yup. We've been at is ever since the last Spelldrive tournament."
"Oh. But is it okay if I do my training? I need to work on my quirk more."
"I guess it's fine." He said, smiling.
They then heard a groan, making them look at the sleeping Leona.
"Mrrrgh, lay off..." He said, rolling over and going back to sleep.
The hyena male looked at him angrily, "Leona-san! Don't roll over and go back to sleep!" He exclaimed, grabbing the male's legs and dragging him out the bed.
"Whoa. Ruggie's draggin' his own boss outta bed feet-first." Grim said.
Leona on the hand kept sleeping.
The dual haired girl was impressed, "And he's still not waking up. Wow." She said.
Time until Azul's contract expires: Three days
-----
Jack noticed Grim, "Oh, hey. You're joining us for morning practice? And where is (Y/n)?" He said, looking for the girl.
"I coulda used several more winks, but Ruggie wasn't havin' it." The feline said, before pointing in a direction, seeing the girl setting up for her training, "She's having her own training. Something about quirk stamina or whatever."
"I see..."
-----
(Y/n) poured water into the barrel and jumped in, only having a black tanktop and shorts, 'Keep the temperature the same...' She thought, as she pressed her palm against the barrel and let it freeze, which made ice surround the small area around her, then she quickly used her fire quirk, which made the water heat up the water.
She continued to do that while the rest trained their own way.
-----
The dual haired girl panted, already feeling tired, but then saw the others walk up to her.
"Who knew a morning workout could feel so good? I'm alive, I tell ya! Aliiive!" Grim said, happily.
"Right? 'S why I get up an hour earlier than this to get some jogging in." Jack said.
"O-Okay, that might be a little overboard." He then looked at the girl, "How was your training?"
"It went fine. I'm getting there." She said, getting out the barrel, which made the three males blush, seeing her top sticking to her toned stomach, seeing her abs, before averting their eyes.
The silver haired male took off the shirt he had over his yellow shirt and put it around the girl's shoulders, which made her blink at him, "Everyone's staring..." He mumbled.
"So Savanaclaw Dorm's already trainin' hard for next year's interdorms, huh? Looks like we'll have some worthy rivals."
"Oh, I guess you guys haven't heard yet." Ruggie said, before smiling, "Every May, we have an even bigger Spelldrive event than the interdorm tournament."
"Mrah! It gets even bigger than that?!"
Leona nodded, "Yup. It's the interscholastic games."
"Right...I sometimes forget that there are magic schools..." The girl mumbled.
"As the name suggests, it's a Spelldrive event where different schools compete." The hyena male said.
"Our school always plays against Royal Sword Academy." The lion male said.
"Ooh, I've heard of them!" The feline said.
"Twisted Wonderland's got a number of educational institutions of cultivatin' magicians. Night Raven College and Royal Sword Academy are particularly prestigious. We're basically known as the Big Two." Ruggie said.
"So what's the Royal Sword Academy like?"
"It's a school for pampered lordings that's fulla snooty, scrawny wimps." Leona said, smirking.
The hyena male laughed and smirked, "What he said. Their campus 'n uniforms are all shiny and sparkly. Talk about lame! Can you imagine how much a single scuff would stand out on a white uniform? I know they're supposed to be a big deal, but I wouldn't go there even if they begged me."
"Hasn't Night Raven College lost the interscholastics for the past hundred years running, though?" Jack questioned.
"Grk! W-Well...We're only at 99 so far! You can bet your tail we'll win this year. Hundredth time's the charm."
"From what I've seen watching the interscholastics on TV...Royal Sword Academy's roster of player are all individually outstanding, but that's not why they dominate. The real key is their incredible teamwork."
"Hey, wait a minute. If we're talkin' interscholastics here..." Grim began, "Does that mean it'll be more 'n just Savanaclaw? Will other dorms be goin' up against Royal Sword Academy, too?"
"Yeah. Each dorm contributes a player into one big team that represents the school." The lion male said.
"Sounds like personality clashes waiting to happen..." The dual haired girl mumbled.
"Last year, the team broke out into a brawl before the game even started, just from arguing over who got what position."
"Hah! I like their moxie. If you want a position, you gotta fight for it! I'll make sure I get picked as a school rep!" The feline exclaimed.
"If you wanna strut your stuff and make a good case for gettin' picked, the best way to do that is to stick to your daily practice." Jack said, smiling.
"The interscholastics get higher TV ratings than the interdorms, so it's a prime chance to get scouted for the pro leagues!" Ruggie said.
Leona smirked, "You'd better start thinking now about what you're gonna do to beat out the competition and land a team spot."
"The interscholastic games, huh...?" The girl mumbled.