It was warm, but not in the bundled up in blankets way. It was more like the sun's heat beaming down a summer's day. You opened your eyes to see a dry dirt ground. Your hand gently brushed against the soil before lifting yourself up. You looked around, eyes squinting as they met with the rising sun over the horizon.
The... savanna?
You laid next to a giant rock that stretched out into a cliff before you gasped and pushed yourself closer into the rocky wall. Hundreds of different animals ranging from cheetahs to zebras, all gathered around to form a crowd. However, none of them seemed to be fighting despite predator and prey right next to each other.
Peering out from behind the shadows, you looked up to the edge of the cliff the animals seemed to be focused on. Somebody walked... no. It was animal. A mandrill walked out, holding a small ball of yellow fluff.
Once the mandrill had reached the end of the cliff, he held whatever was in his hand in the air. You looked up, trying to see what was in his hands. A baby. Well, a cub actually. It was a small with some type of fruit juice on his head. His yellow fur seemed to become even brighter in the sun's rays.
The crowd of animals went wild, stamping their feet and paws on the ground to cheer. Clouds of dirt began to rise, littering the air. Small specks of dust flew in your face causing you to turn away from them, now facing in the other direction.
What you saw surprised you.
Instead of the bright, blue sky of the savanna, was a dark, stormy array of storm clouds and rocks. When looking closer to the ground, you could see skeletons across the ledge that seemingly split the two differing lands. Elephants maybe.
As more dirt began to crowd around you, you could see just the slightest glint in the far off distance between the large rocks. Two small, piercing orbs of neon green staring at the cub8s presentation before shafting it's gaze to you.
Who...?
Eventually the cloud of dust fully engulfed you, your airway being clogged and completely deprived of clean air. Each particle that had entered left a burning sensation. You coughed, desperately trying to allow yourself air. You waved your hands, falling to your knees as the animals continued to cheer for the cub.
You brought your hands up to cover your face in a lame attempt to mimic a mask. Suddenly, black spots fill your vision, but your airway gradually began to fill with fresh air.
"Myaaah! Meeeooow! Y/N!?" A voice next to you questioned. Your hands lurching up to grab at your throat as air rushed down it. You coughed, sitting up while trying to caught your breath. "Y/N?" Grim questioned again, concern lacing into his voice.
You wiped your mouth, letting out a sigh. "Y-Yeah, I'm sorry, Grim. I, uhh... must have accidentally choked on my spit." You said while letting out a nervous laugh. Though no traces of dirt stayed with you, it was hard to tell if those... dreams were real or not. But it seemed so real. Those eyes seemed so real. And so... familiar.
Grim pursed his lips before shrugging. "Ah, whatever. Aw, man! And I was dreaming that I was trouncing Riddle with my magic. You shoulda seen his face..." He mumbled before hopping off the bed. You gave him a small, humoring smile. "I'm sure he must have been petrified." Grim let out a pleased sound. "You bet."
Chuckling to yourself, you stood up and readied your clothes for the day, not realizing the fallen rose petal gliding it's way to the floor.
The cat let out a loud sigh. "All right, lemme just fix my bedhead. Then it's off to class! I've got magic to master!" He declared before licking his paw and sliding it across his head.
After prepping yourself and meeting up your fellow freshman, you, Grim, Ace, and Deuce all headed to class and then to the lunchroom. "Ugh. Professor Trein must have cast a sleepin' spell on me. I fought to stay awake, but he was sooo boring!" Grim complained from in your arms.
Deuce scoffed and raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, 'fought,' sure. I heard you snoring five minutes in." He said from your side causing you to let out a small laugh. Ace stretched out his arms in front of him, cracking his fingers. "Grub time! What's it gonna be today? Huh, wait? What's going on? Why's it so crowded in here?" He questioned while looking over to the crowd of people in a line. The NRC boys seemed to look over each other, grabbing food from the buffet in front of them.
A cafeteria ghost flow by, stopping in front of you three. "That famous bakery from out of town is serving up their goods. It only happens once a month! Their stock sells out fast, so you'd better hurry!" He warned before flying off to serve the ravenous boys.
"Gimme three of those chocolate croissants!"
"Woo-hoo, I actually snagged an egg sandwich this month! These things are AMAZING!" The boys shouted.
Heh. Like you need a that stuff. You've got Trey.
And though you haven't realized it yet, you've got him and four other boys wrapped around your finger.
The ghost from before popped out from behind the table, hands cupping over his mouth to shout. "Egg sandwiches are now sold out! Only one deluxe ham and cheese left!" He announced. Ace smiled, eyes scanning over the table of baked goods. "Oh, man, everything looks amazing. I'm gonna see if I can grab somethin'." He said.
Deuce nodded. "Wow, they really do seem popular! Y/N, Grim, what do you- Huh?" You raised an eyebrow, looking over at the navy haired boy in confusion. Then, in a spark of realization, you noticed your arms that had once carried Grim was now empty.
"Grim!" You shouted, looking up to see your stupid cat jumping shoulder to shoulder of the boys with a smirk on his face.
"Hey, no cutting!" A Heartslabyl student yelled. Another one growled, cracking his knuckles. "A freshman, cutting in front of an upperclassman?! Time to learn you some manners." You dashed forwards, hoping to cat him before he did something stupid. Or... stupider in his case.
Deuce blinked in surprise, calling out to you as Ace stood with wide eyes. You grabbed Grim right when he had taken a grilled cheese sandwich from the table. "You, girl! Watch your stupid cat better!" The student yelled in your face causing you to flinch. First of all, how dare they. Only you got to call Grim a stupid cat. Grim glared. "I ain't a cat!" He yelled defensively.
Quickly putting a hand over his mouth, you gave the two angered boys a weak smile. "I-I'm so sorry. He, uhm... he's just a bit... eccentric." You said desperately trying to not get into a fight right now as Ace and Deuce appeared at your sides. One of the Heartslabyul students cracked his neck. "Nuh uh, you're not getting away with this." He said.
Ace and Deuce immediately stepped in front of you, taking out their pens and getting in fighting position. Ace frowned. "Hey! You mess with her, you mess with us. Got it, big shot?" He said. Before the fight could begin, you faked widening your eyes and pointing to the side of the table. "Hey, look! There's one more egg sandwich left. The cafeteria ghost must have missed it." You said while tightening your hold on Grim so there was no possibility of him getting away.
The two boys whipped theirs head around, frantically searching for your alleged egg sandwich. "Huh? Where?" They yelled. Hoisting Grim on your shoulder, you grabbed both Ace and Deuce's arms and pulled them away and into the crowd. "What?! That was a ruse, wasn't it?! Just wait till we find you!" One of the students yelled.
Once you reached a decent distance from the boys, you let go of your fellow freshman's arms and moved Grim back into your hold. The cat held out his sandwich in front of him. "Ha! Guess who scored the last deluxe grilled cheese sandwich? This guy. That's why they call me Grim the Great! Myahahaha! I also snagged a bear claw AND a cronut!" He boasted as you sighed and handed a cafeteria ghost a few madols that Crowley had oh so 'graciously' given you.
Deuce looked over at the cat, eyebrow raised in annoyance. "Grim, you need to learn some restraint!" He scolded. Ace looked over at the table. "Oh, hey! They still got some roast beef sandwiches. Imma see if I can snag myself one." He said before walking straight into the middle of the line. Deuce glared, running over to where Ace was. "Hey! You're cutting in line, too!" He yelled.
A boy suddenly stood next to you, sighing in annoyance. "Rats. Looks like I'm late for the monthly bakery battle royale. And now they're sold out of the grilled cheese Leona sent me to buy for him." He complained quietly. Grim began laughing from in your arms, trying his best to open the plastic wrappings with his tiny paws. "Myahahaha! I'm gonna savor the flavor of this victory!"
The male next to you glanced over to see the grilled cheese in Grim's arms and smirked. Quickly spinning in front of you, he leaned down a bit so he was eye to eye with Grim. He gave the cat a small, yet forced, polite smile. "Pardon me, friend. I see you were able to get your hands on the highly-prized deluxe cheese sandwich. Incredible!" He said enthusiastically causing you to slightly jump back in surprise.
Grim looked up in boredom and an eyebrow raised. "Hm? Who're you and whaddaya want with my meat?" He asked blankly. The dirty blonde sighed and frowned. "Oh, 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..." He discreetly reached behind himself, grabbing a hot dog bun. "Might you be willing to trade your deluxe grilled cheese for this very exciting hot dog bun?" He questioned while wiggling the bread in front of Grim.
You raised an eyebrow, trying to figure out what this guy's game was. Realization suddenly crossed your features. "Oh, Ruggie, right? You're the boy who had to drag Leona to class." You said while snapping your fingers with a smile.
Ruggie looked up, somewhat surprised at how you could remember a dirty little nobody like him. "Huh? Oh, yeah. That's me." He said, a bit of awkwardness lacing into his voice. He cleared his throat. "But anyways, what'd ya say, friend?" He asked, turning back to Grim.
The cat shook his head, bringing the grilled cheese closer to his chest protectively. "Whaaat?! You must be outta your mind, dude!" He yelled while furiously shaking his head. As expected of course. The male pursed his lips before letting out a small smile. "Oh, come now. Let's not be like that. Here, have the hot dog bun. I insist."
Surprisingly, Grim slowly began to hand the grilled cheese over to the boy. "Myah? What in the name of tuna...?! My paws are movin' on their own!" He yelled in shock. Your face also contorted into such emotion, clearly not expecting the Grim to voluntarily hand over his food like this.
Wait, was this another one of your wacky dreams?
Once the two had traded their items, Ruggie smiled. "Sounds like we have ourselves a deal! Shyeheehee!" He laughed. You blinked, not expecting a laugh like that. However, you couldn't say you didn't not like it. It was particular yet adorable in it's special own way. Just like him.
Ruggie continued. "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? Anyway, nice doing business with you. Toodles!" He said with a small wave of his fingers, glancing at you one more time before finally disappearing.
"M... M... Myaaaaaaah!" Grim grabbed his head, discarding his hot dog bun as he sniffed in sadness. "My deluxe grilled cheeeeeeese! Aw, maaan... This is the worst day of my pathetic life! I can barely choke down my lunch!" You sweat dropped as he began eating the hot dog bun while crying rather dramatically.
Ace suddenly appeared at your side, raising an eyebrow at Grim. "Huh? I can't believe you actually traded your grilled cheese." He said. Grim continued. "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..." He babbled in devastation.
Ace sighed and slide onto a bench, you following his lead and Deuce after you. "Like a deer caught in the sandwich-stealing headlights." The strawberry blonde said. Grim shook his head. "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! Deuce, gimme a bite of your pasta." He demanded before reaching over to Deuce's plate.
Deuce grabbed his bowl and pulled it away from him. "No way! You made your 'bread,'now lie in it!" You curled your lips at his pun, forcing away smile. Normally you'd cringe at a dad joke like that, but how could you not smile at a cutie like Deuce.
Ace sat up, snapping his fingers as if he just remembered something. "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." He said with a shrug before turning to his meal. Deuce hummed. "It probably has something to do with what happened to Housewarden Rosehearts a few days ago." He commented.
"When he went all berserker mode on us? Yeah, I bet you're right." Ace said with a nod. Grim smirked before folding his arms. "Maybe he wants to lavish me with a smorgasbord of succulent fish for all of my hard work that day!" He said dreamily. Ace scoffed. "Yeah, dream on, furball."
You laughed at the two before reaching into your satchel and pulling out a small pile of polaroids. "So, did you guys wanna see the pictures I took with the ghost camera at the unbirthday party? I've been meaning to show you guys along with Riddle, Cater, and Trey." You said.
The two boys lit up, each scooting closer to you before Ace leaned his chin on your shoulder to get a closer look. "Of course! You better have gotten a good picture of me." The strawberry blonde said. Deuce smiled. "I'm sure they turned out great." He assured. You smiled and began to go through them, explaining the story behind each.
Grim, sensing an opportunity, quietly climbing onto the table and shoved his face into Deuce's pasta, quietly chuckling at his cleverness.
Concurrently, a lazy lion sat underneath a tree in the botanical garden, green eyes closed and resting. Unfortunately, his nap was disturbed by a certain hyena holding a grilled cheese and cup coming towards him. "Leooona!" He sang. "Lunch is served, my friend!"
Lazily blinking his eyes open, the boy ruffled his hair and looked around. "...Is it noon already?" Leona questioned blankly. Ruggie put his hands on his hips, twisting his lips into a frown. "Don't tell me you've been asleep all morning! You're going to fail more of your core classes!" He shouted.
Leona sniffed the air a bit, ignoring the hyena's words before glancing over. "Smells like you actually got what I asked ya for!" He said with eyebrows raised in slight surprise. Ruggie scoffed. "Barely! Must you always request the most popular item on bakery day? Anyway, here: one deluxe grilled cheese and an iced tea." He said handing over the food.
The lion, barely making an effort, took the two items while rolling his eyes. "Are ya braindead? The fact that it's hard to get is exactly what makes me want it so bad!"
Ruggie shrugged in return. "Me, I'll eat anything, so long as it isn't moldy. But as a prince, I doubt you could relate, Your Highness." The hyena mocked. Leona scowled. "Hmph. 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." He said with a hint of resentment.
The dirty blonde tapped in chin in thought. "That reminds me of the time you mistook a picture of my family's home for a doghouse." He said. Leona looked over with an eyebrow raised. "Did I...really do that?" He questioned. Ruggie shrugged nonchalantly. "You really did. I wish my perspective was so warped from a life of luxury."
Leona scoffed and shook his head. "Nah, the royal life stinks, honestly. All that matters is the order of your birth. Hard work and talent basically mean nothin'." The lion said before ripping open the plastic and eating nearly half of the sandwich in a single bite.
Ruggie hummed. "Hmmm... 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." He pleaded with boredom. Leona groaned and rubbed his head in annoyance. "Ugh. What a headache." He complained.
With a frown, Ruggie sighed. "As the housewarden, you get the biggest room in the dorm. You could at least make a token effort to do the corresponding job." Leona clicked his tongue and shut his eyes. "All right already. Fine. Stop whinin'. Ahhh... Now that my belly's full, I'm ready for another snooze. Wake me after lunch break is over." He ordered.
The hyena blinked. "I'm not your alarm clock, Leona! You know I have my own—ah, he's already out."
Meanwhile you, Grim, Ace, and Deuce had made your way to the Headmage's office halfway through lunch to see what he had wanted to talk about. Deuce gently knocked on the door. "Headmage," he called, "may we come in?" Crowley's voice rang from inside the office. "You may."
Upon walking in, Ace peered over at the man seated behind his desk. "How's it going, sir?" He questioned. Crowley looked up and clasped his hands together with a smile. "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 calmly.
Deuce nodded, tilting his head to the side. "You called it 'overblot,' right?" He questioned. Crowley nodded in confirmation. "Yes, that is correct." Ace snapped his fingers. "My brother told me a little about that. He said that could happen to anyone who builds up too much blot. Sounds like Cater was pretty much on the nose with "berserker mode." He said.
Grim leaned forward in your arms. "Yeah, but what is 'blot,' anyway?" He asked. "Ah, indeed. For your sake and Y/N's, it would behoove us to start with the basics. I shall teach you all you need to know. Charity, thy name is Crowley!" He 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." He explained.
Your eyebrows furrowed in concern. "That doesn't sound very good." You mumbled. Crowley nodded. "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."
Ace sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "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." He admitted. Crowley continued. "Power and peril are two sides of the same coin. Even the greatest of mages cannot cast spell after spell without consequence."
Grim's eyes widened. "So you're tellin' me I'm gonna get sick if I keep usin' magic whenever I want?!" He exclaimed. Crowley shook his head. "Not necessarily. Hm. Perhaps a demonstration would prove more efficient than a mere explanation. Ghosts, assemble! I have a job for you!" He called out.
Suddenly two random ghosts flew through the wall behind Crowley's desk, dodging the floating paintings of the great seven. "Huzzah! You summoned us, Headmage?" One cried. Ace slumped with a groan. "Not these guys again?!" He complained.
Crowley clasped his hands and smiled. "Would you be so kind as to help me put these young students through their paces?" He asked the two ghosts. Deuce stuttered. "T-This seems like a bad idea." He mumbled.
The other ghost shrugged at Crowley. "Yeah, okay. We'll go a round or two with 'em." They said. Crowley smiled. "Now, students, ready your magical pens. Prepare to receive a special lesson from your headmage!" What are you going to learn, how to procrastinate?
The man turned to you. "Y/N, I believe you have a notepad in there. Why don't you sit down and watch as these three battle. Oh, and do take notes." You looked at Grim before shrugging and setting him down. "Alright." You said while taking a seat on the velvet purplish-blue couch and pulled out a notepad and pen from your leather satchel.
Crowley smiled. "Wonderful. Now, shall we begin?"
Another chapter out! And in a single day, too.
That means 10 memes in total today. (11 if you count the bonus meme from last chapter)!♥️