Dreamland...
A formation of rocks comes into view. The sun is shining and there are a few clouds in the sky.
I can hear the wind...
A lion can be seen walking on the formation of rocks towards the cliff. A mandrill appears behind the lion, following behind him. Once getting to the cliff of the mandrill takes the lion's cub into its arms and moves closer to the end of the cliff and raises the cub to the air. Underneath the cliff were all of the animals that were under the care of the lion. They all had celebrated the birth of the cub.
∙∙·▫▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫▫·∙∙
Your pov...
Italics- thoughts
❚█══A few days later══█❚
I awake to the sound of Grim flailing and making noise on the bed. I groggily open my eyes to look at Grim. What the heck is he dreaming about? Grim goes on making some weird noises and I decide to ignore him. Guess it's time to get up, I wonder what that dream was about. I get up out of the bed to get ready for the day.
"That's right! Cower before me, teapot tyrant," Grim startles himself awake and falls off the bed. I look over at him and giggle.
"How was your sleep," I asked him.
"I was dreaming that I was trouncing Riddle with my magic," Grim answered. "You shoulda seen his face..."
"That whole day was exhausting," I sigh. "I'm still covered in bandages. At least I'm healing alright. I think it's weird that Julieta's arepas aren't healing me the way they are supposed to. Anyways, Grim, clean yourself up for class."
"Right, I'll fix my bedhead," Grim started to lick his fur down. "I've got magic to master in class!" After Grim got his fur ready, he and I went to our first class.
⦕Small time skip...⦖
"Ugh. Professor Trein must have cast a sleepin' spell on me," Grim complained as we entered the cafeteria. "I fought to stay awake, but he was sooo boring!"
"Yeah, fought, sure," Deuce sarcastically agreed. "I heard you snoring five minutes in."
"Grub time," Ace said as he was walking further into the cafeteria. "What's it gonna be today. Huh, wait? What's going on? Why's it so crowded in here?"
"That famous bakery from out of town is serving up their goods", a ghost appears and answers Ace. The ghost was wearing a chef's hat. "It only happens once a month! Their stock sells out fast, 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!"
"Egg sandwiches are now sold out," another chef ghost announced. "Only one deluxe ham and cheese left!"
"Oh,man,everything looks amazing," Ace smiles as he makes it to the front of the line. Deuce, Grim, and I were following Ace. "I'm gonna see if I can grab somethin'."
"Wow, they really do seem popular! Y/n, Grim, what do you—" Deuce was interrupted. "Huh?"
"What," I looked around. "Mierda! Where did Grim go?!"
"Hey! Outta my way, losers," Grim's voice could be heard in the crowd of people. "That grilled cheese is mine!"
"Hey, No cutting!"
"A freshman, cutting in front of an upperclassman? Time to teach you some manners."
"He's got such a one-track mind when it comes to food," Deuce sighs. Ace sighs as well.
"Dímelo a mí," I growl under my breath. "Lo juro por la abuela Alma, ¡detente ahí!"
"AH," Grim shrieks as he heard my voice. I squeeze through the crowd and grab him. He looks down in shame and I sigh. I found a spot in line with Deuce and Ace despite the voices of disagreement about cutting the line, but I silenced the voices with a glare and flick of my tail.
"That was a mess," I frowned as we found a table to sit at.
"Ha! Guess who scored the last deluxe grilled cheese sandwich?" Grim brags. "This guy. That's why they call me Grim the Great! I also snagged a bear claw AND a cronut!"
"Grim, you really need to learn some restraint," Deuce chastises Grim.
"This roast beef is really good," Ace grins.
"You shouldn't even have that since you cut in line," Deuce glares at Ace. Ace shrugs and continues to eat.
"Deuce, you need to chill," I say, placing my check in the palm of my hand while my elbow rests on the table, my tray of food right in front of me.
"You cut the line too," Deuce argued.
"You followed me," I chuckle. "So you cut the line as well. You have no room to talk."
"Rats," a voice enters the cafeteria in a hurry. "Looks like I'm late for the monthly bakery battle royale. And they're sold out of the grilled cheese Leona sent me to buy for him."
"I'm gonna savor the flavor of this victory," Grim cheered.
"You do that," I smile at Grim. I start to eat my own food.
"Pardon me, friend," the voice from the entrance of the cafeteria comes over to our table. "I see you were able to get your hands on the highly- prized deluxe grilled cheese sandwich. Incredible!"
"Who're you and whaddaya want with my meat," Grim frowned, I frowned as well and prepared to insert myself into the conversation. I take a closer look at the student and realize that Grim and I had encountered him in the Botanical Garden along with 'Leona'.
"Oh, I'm just a guy who really, really wanted to buy that sandwich you've got there but arrived a smidge too late," the hyena said. I have a really bad feeling about this. "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?"
"Whaaat?!" Grim exclaimed in disgust. "You must be outta your mind, dude!"
"Oh, come now. Let's not be like that," the hyena offers Grim the hot dog bun by holding it out. "Here, have the hot dog bun. I insist."
"Myah? What in the name of tuna...?!" Grim was flabbergasted as his arms started to move out by themselves, offering the sandwich to the hyena. I reached over and grabbed the sandwich before the hyena even thought of taking it. "My paws are movin' on their own!"
"Look, I don't know what your deal is, but you need to leave," I told the hyena as he looked at me in shock. He didn't even notice that I snatched the sandwich before he could.
"I was just trading with your furry friend," the hyena smirked as he went for the sandwich he thought was in Grim's hands. When he looked, his face turned to surprise as the sandwich was nowhere in sight.
"Grim had declined your trade, and so you must leave," I demanded.
"Hey, what happened to my sandwich," Grim had looked down at his empty paws.
"Chill out Grim, I got the sandwich," I smile. I look back at the shocked hyena. "I suggest you leave before I get angry"
"Man, this sucks," the hyena mutters as he takes his leave.
"Here, Grim," I hand him back his sandwich back, and he happily takes a bite.
"Whoa, that was intense," Ace says. "I really thought that guy was gonna take the sandwich."
"Yeah, Grim moved like he was giving the guy the sandwich even though he said: no," Deuce agrees.
"My paws were moving on their own," Grim defended himself. They were moving on their own...? Was that the hyena's magic or something because it looked like Grim was copying his movements...
"Oh, by the way guys—the headmage said he had something he wanted to tell us after class," Ace changed the subject.
"Oh, did he specifically say what it was about," I curiously asked.
"Nope, he didn't," Ace shook his head and I sighed.
"It probably has something to do with what happened to Housewarden Rosehearts a few days ago," Deuce suggested.
"When he went all berserker mode on us? Yeah, I bet you're right," Ace agreed.
"Maybe he wants to lavish me with a smorgasbord of succulent fish for all of my hard work that day!" Grim smiled.
"Dream on, furball," Ace laughed.
⦓Headmage's Office⦔
"Headmage, may we come in," Deuce asked after knocking on the door. There wasn't a response so I opened the door and we entered the office.
"How's it going, sir," Ace questioned as the door was fully shut.
"Ah, thank you for coming," Mr. Crowley greets as he looks up from the paper wokr on his desk. "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."
"You called it 'overblot', right?" Deuce tried to recall.
"Yes, that is correct," Mr. Crowley confirms.
"My brother told me a little bit about that," Ace stated. "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'."
"Yeah, but what is 'blot', anyway," Grim asked.
"Ah, indeed. For your sake and Y/n's, it would behoove us to start with the basics," Mr. Crowley smiled. "I shall teach you all you need to know. Charity, thy name is Crowley."
"Aquí vamos de nuevo con esto," I muttered under my breath.
"Now, 'blot' is a form of waste that is created as a byproduct of using magic," Mr. Crowley explains. "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."
"I'm so happy that there are no real consequences to Gifts," I said smugly.
"What do you mean," Deuce asked.
"Gifts are like intertwined with our bodies, so depending on the Gift it's like second nature," I try to explain. "Well, only speaking about myself, using any part of my Gift doesn't make me tired and I'm always able to use it. I mean my Gift even changed part of my physical appearance."
"We know very little about blot, despite researching it for centuries," Mr. Crowley continued. "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," Ace thought out loud. "Here I thought she just didn't want me to break stuff."
"Power and peril are two sides of the same coin," Mr. Crowley states. "Even the greatest of mages cannot cast spell after spell without consequences."
"So you're tellin' me I'm gonna get sick if I keep usin' magic whenever I want," Grim exclaims.
"Not necessarily," Mr. Crowley says. "Perhaps a demonstration would prove more efficient than a mere explanation. Ghosts, assemble! I have a job for you!"
"You summoned us, Headmage," a ghost appeared and asked.
"Not these guys again," Ace exclaimed.
"Would you be so kind as to help me put these young students through their paces," Mr. Crowley asked.
"T-this seems like a bad idea," Deuce stutters as more ghosts appear.
"Yeah, okay," says a ghost that appeared next to Deuce. "We'll go a round or two with 'em."
"How many ghosts does this school have?!" I panicked.
"Now, students, ready your magical pens," Mr. Crowley instructs. "Prepare to receive a special lesson from your headmage!" The ghosts start to attack. Ace and Deuce are fending off ghosts with spells they have learned and Grim was once again shooting fire with his eyes closed.
"Is this really supposed to teach them something," I questioned Mr. Crowley as I moved from the line of fire from one of Ace's spells. My voice was full of doubt.
"Trust me Miss Y/n," Mr. Crowley says. "I know what I am doing." I really doubt that...
⦕Small time skip...⦖
"Hey Headmage, what's the deal," Grim asked. "What does fightin' ghosts got to do with blot?"
"Direct your attention to the magestone on your collar, Mr. Grim," Mr. Crowley instructs.
"Myah?!" Grim exclaims. "My magestone looks all grungy now. It won't rub off!"
"Precisely," Mr. Crowley says.
"Alright, what does that mean then," I inquired, moving over to Grim so I could take a look at his magestone.
"That inky black stain is the byproduct of spellcasting known as 'blot'," Mr. Crowley explains.
"There's some grime on my magical pen, too," Deuce observes in shock.
"Ewww! This is capital-G Gross," Grim sweatdropped.
"Will it come off eventually," I asked. "Or do you need to like clean it really thoroughly?"
"It will, eventually," Mr. Crowley answers.
"Phew! Had me worried there," Grim cheered.
"With sufficient rest, blot will vanish from your magestone," Mr. Crowley adds. "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."
"I see," Deuce nods his head. He does not see... "So when our magestones start to get cloudy, that means it's time for us to ease off."
"Correct. Eat well and get plenty of sleep, and most of the blot will clear away," Mr. Crowley smiles.
"Gotcha," Grim smiles as well. "So when I become an even greater mage, I'll be able to fire off spells left and right! After all, I do plenty of sleepin' and eatin'."
"People vary greatly in their capacity for magic," Mr. Crowley states. "However, save for a few key exceptions, there is little variance in most mages' tolerance for blot."
"What's that mean," Grim tilted his head to the side in confusion.
"In essence, it means that those who possess a great capacity for magic must be meticulous in their efforts to avoid accumulating blot," Mr. Crowley explains. "Like Mr. Rosehearts, for instance."
"So folks who know their way around magic gotta lay off once in a while," Ace wonders. "Seems simple enough."
"Correct. That said, it isn't anything that mages at YOUR level need to worry about," Mr. Crowley subtly insulted Ace. "How very fortunate for you!"
"I... guess that's only kind of an insult," Ace frowns.
"Anyway, I think I get it," Grim states. "Use magic, get blot. Blot bad. Sleep and food good. But is that really all it took to make Riddle activate berserker mode?"
"The accumulation of blot is significantly affected by the sorcerer's mental state," Mr. Crowley answers. "Anger, fear, panic, sorrow... Harboring those sorts of negative energies hastens that accumulation of blot by a significant degree. This, in turn, leads to the dreadful state known as 'overblot'."
"'Negative energies', huh? Interesting," Deuce seems to be taking in all the information.
"Do you recall the giant shadow that appeared behind Mr. Rosehearts," Mr. Crowley asked us. "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. There remain many mysteries surrounding overblot. After all, there are not many opportunities for study and observation."
"Let's hope it stays that way," Ace huffs with his arms crossed.
"It is fortunate that we were able to snap Mr. Rosehearts out of it so quickly. If that had been allowed to continue... It is a prospect too terrifying to consider!"
"W-what's your problem," Grim exclaimed. "Yellin' outta the blue like that!"
"Forgive me," Mr. Crowley apologized. "I lost my composure. In summary, the use of magic is always accompanied by a certain degree of risk. And I expect you all to keep that in mind."
"Yes, sir," we all said.
"Thus concludes your special lesson from the headmage himself," Mr. Crowley smiles. "How wonderfully kind of me. Now, Back to your classrooms with you."
"Aren't you forgetting something, headmage," Deuce asks.
"I do not believe so," Mr. Crowley says.
"So you're not looking for a way to get Y/n home," Deuce crosses his arms.
"I'm not going back to that world," I respond to Deuce. "I'm fine here."
"What about your family," Deuce asks.
"What about them?" I frown.
"Well even if I was looking for a way to get Y/n home, the October interdorm Spelldrive tournament is consuming a great deal of my attention at the moment," Mr. Crowley says. "In fact, I've a meeting with the assembled housewardens immediately after this."
"What's a 'Spelldrive tournament'...?" Grim questions.
A/n-
Dímelo a mí- Tell me about it
Lo juro por la abuela Alma, ¡detente ahí!- I swear to grandma Alma, stop right there!
Aquí vamos de nuevo con esto- Here we go with this again
While writing this, I got auto corrected for the word gases. I was being told that I was spelling it wrong, so I looked at it. Gases has two spellings: gases and gasses. Apparently, gasses is the American spelling while gases is the British spelling. Where does the extra 's' come in. The spelling rule for plurals is to add an -s or -es, so with that logic gas plural would be gas(es). Why is it gas(ses) in America. Like my whole life I've spelt gases and no one has said anything! So what spelling do you guys use? Gases or gasses?