A/N: Thanks so much for 1.2k reads! I'm so happy! I hope you like the story so far! I'm doing quite a bit of research about pregnancy so I can make this as accurate as I can! Thanks so much for reading!!!
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"Pardon?! You're telling me you actually went to the Dwarfs' Mine in search of a magestone?" Crowley yelped, looking over the students in surprise.
"Yes." What a unanimous answer from the confused teens regarding the absurd question of the Headmage. Yuu nodded when he'd looked over to her.
"I didn't expect that you'd seriously do it." The Headmage stated incredulously. "And never in my wildest imaginings did I think you would actually return with a magestone!" He looked over, wincing at the stern glare on Yuu's face, opting to ignore it.
"And here I spent all evening preparing your expulsion documents." He muttered, earning himself an angry yowl from Grim.
"Are you serious?! While we were fightin' some crazy monster for you, you were expelling us?!"
Those words seemed to freeze the Crow-man in place as he slowly turned to look at the cat. "I beg your pardon... 'Monster'...?" His glowing eyes examined the small cuts across Yuu's face, face contorting into horror.
"Yeah. There was a monster, all right." Ace pushed past her, chest puffed out angrily. "A big, nasty one. It nearly killed us!"
Crowley looked at her one last time before speaking. "Would you kindly relate this story in full?"
.
.
.
To say that they'd stunned Crowley into silence was an understatement. The Headmage stared blankly for a couple minutes, eyes wide in surprise.
"... So a mysterious monster was living in the mines," He began, a bit weary of the subject. "And the four of you worked together to destroy it, and then brought its magestone back to me?"
"I- I don't know that I'd call it 'working together.'" Ace denied, quickly joined by Deuce.
"Yeah! It was more like we just happened to share the same goal at the same time..."
Yuu bit back a smile. However exhausted she was, the awkward responses from the boys was always amusing.
Seemingly out of nowherre, Crowley released a loud wail. "Oh, gracious... Ohhh... Ohhhhhhhh!" He began to sob, surprising Yuu, who rushed to attempt to console the crying man.
She got stopped, however, due to the tug on her pant leg by Grim. "What is this guy's deal?! Burstin' into tears in public? At this age?!"
"Grim." She hissed. "Don't be rude."
"In all the decades I've worked at this school..." Crowley blubbered. "The day has finally come when the students of Night Raven College have joined hands together to defeat a common foe!"
"Whoa! No! No way would I join hands with that guy!" Deuce cried, horrified.
"Okay, one, there was no joining of hands. Gross." Ace retorted, equally as horrified.
"It's a figure of speech boys." She mentioned.
"Yeah, okay. Whatever. I knew that. And two, exactly HOW old are you, headmage?" Ace continued, dismissive of Yuu's earlier comment.
"At this moment, I am moved beyond words." The headmage stated, deliberate of his dismissal of the question. Oof. Age is a touchy subject, it seems...
"This incident has proven my hopes were justified." Crowley preened, turning toward her proudly.
Uh oh.
"Yuu, my doubts are allayed! For you... You possess the talents of a beastmaster!" He announced, looking over her, making sure that she wasn't in danger.
"A beastmaster...? Wait, what was the part before that?"
"My students have all been selected by the Dark Mirror for their exceptional talent and potential. But great talent begets great pride and big egos." Ha! Tell me about it...
"Most are so self-reliant and self-centered that they never even consider cooperating with others." Crowley smiled, noticing how Yuu smirked at Ace and Deuce, both of which found the floor suddenly rather interesting.
"You make it sound like that's a bad thing." Grim snorted.
"But you, my dear, possess no magic. Yet in spite of that - or perhaps because of it - you were able to convince those who CAN use magic to work together for a common goal." Crowley seemed excited.
"The everyday, humdrum mundanity you possess may be exactly what Night Raven College needs!" He smiled at her, ignoring the look of insult.
"I beg your pardon-" She began.
"But... none of those words are good things?" Ace cut her off, completing her sentence.
"Yuu... I am convinced that people like you are necessary for the future of this school. My educator's intuition tells me so." Crowley announces. "Trappola, Spade - I hereby revoke your pending expulsions!"
Ace and Deuce pumped their fists in the air, puffing their chests out proudly as if to play off their joy. Good for them. I'm glad they didn't get expelled.
"Furthermore, Yuu..." Crowley's voice cut through the atmosphere. "I am granting you the qualifications necessary to attend Night Raven College!"
The group's eyes widened in surprise. "WHAT?!" They collectively cried, staring at the headmage.
"Sir?! You do remember my current... condition. Correct?" She asked, her eyes shooting to her abdomen. Sir. I'm pregnant! I can't keep this a secret forever. What are you doing?!
Crowley nodded, giving her a wink as if he were doing her a favor. "Of course. This is extraordinarily kind of me." He's actually insane!
Crowley's smile still remained bright as he mentioned something. "There is one condition, however... Your inability to use magic is, for a mage, unacceptable. You would not be able to adequately pursue the school's curriculum!" The crow-man's eyes trained on Grim, who stood confused before him.
"As for you, Grim... Your actions today have made it clear that you possess sufficient talent to become a mage." He announced, earning the disbelieving stare from Grim.
"In light of the total sum of your respective circumstances, you and Yuu will share a single enrollment at Night Raven College."
Yuu paused for a moment, noticing how Grim's eyes seemed to light up. Ah, so that's your game? Fair enough.
Grim let out a please meow, tail swishing excitedly. "I... I'll get to go to this school...? As an actual student? Not a janitor?!"
Yuu and Crowley both nodded.
"Correct. However!" Crowley looked at Yuu, addressing her as he dumped more responsibility on her shoulders. "There must be no further incidents like the one that occurred today. Are we clear?"
She looked at the cat who bounced with childish delight at the news. "If it'll make Grim happy... then I agree to your terms, Headmage."
"Yuu, I... I finally..." Grim seemed to tear up for a moment before he hopped into her arms.
"Congrats! It'll be a pleasure working with you, oh Great Grim." She smiled as he celebrated.
"I FINALLY DID IT!" He cried. Crowley motioned for Yuu to put the cat monster down. She did as instructed, placing him on the Headmage's desk before stepping back to watch curiously.
"Accordingly, I will now present to Grim the magestone that is issued to every student here."
Grim paused in his celebrations, looking confused as he asked about the magestone.
"It is typically attached to the "magic pen" that each student uses." Crowley informed. "But I suspect your paws cannot handle implements. Therefore, I have a custom solution for you."
Yuu's eyes widened as she saw the purple stone attached to a collar that had materialized when the Headmage had waved his hand over Grim's neck.
"My... Is it possible that I am, in fact, too kind?" Crowley inquired, tapping his golden claw against his chin as he pondered.
Grim looked down, mesmerized by the new collar, admiring its appearance against his chest. "Ah, sweet! I look awesome! A magestone collar, to be worn only by the legendary archmage, Grim!"
Crowley looked at Grim. "... You're not listening to anything I say, are you?"
"Very well... Yuu. As you can plainly see, Grim remains oblivious to the customs of human society."Crowley informed her. I know where you're going with this, and I don't like it...
"You are to keep a tight rein on Grim, and ensure there are no further incidents!" Crowley stated, as Yuu looked at him, stone faced.
"Yes sir."
"Wow, that's quite the promotion. From janitor to student to prefect, all in the span of a day." Ace teased, earning himself a playful punch to the arm.
"Hush." She awkwardly scolding the ginger.
"Oh, I see. So if your dorm is just you two..." Deuce reasoned. "And the headmage himself is putting you in charge of Grim, that makes you... the dorm prefect."
"Well, that's gotta be a Night Raven first! A magic-less prefect? But sure, why not? Whatever works!" Ace smirked at her, poking her side and making her yelp while snickering.
"I'm not really sure I'm cut out for this..." She stated, uncomfortable.
"Good luck to you, Prefect. Let's see that same spirit you showed us in the Dwarfs' Mine!" Deuce stated, holding out his fist for her. She gave him a smile, allowing the boy a fist bump.
"Ah, Yes. I suppose that does make you a prefect." Crowley's mind seemed to be doing flips as he was apparently making a lot of his stuff up. "I just so happen to have a job for you, and that title will make it all the easier to foist... er, I mean, congratulations!"
Yuu narrowed her eyes, the Headmage dismissing his previous slip up. "Now, I have something for you. This is called a ghost camera."
He offered her a strange, polaroid-esque camera. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, examining its vintage features, and the familiar shape of the lens. "... Ghost?"
"Ooh, my grandma's told me about those. Those are, like, super old magic items, right?" Ace chimed, looking at the camera with interest.
"I would hardly consider them 'super old'." Crowley cleared his throat before promptly admitting the age of the camera.
"It enables the user to photograph not just the subject's physical form, but parts of their soul itself." Crowley concluded by including the camera's purpose.
"... Sir, did you just provide me with a soul-eating camera?" Yuu deadpanned.
"Wait, that sounds... sketchy." Deuce agreed.
"No, no! Nothing like that! They're called Memories." He explained. "When the soulbond between photographer and subject deepens... The Memories captured in this magic camera's photos come jumping out!"
"Jumping out?!" She yelped, looking at the camera with sight fear.
"Yes! When the photographer and subject grow closer, their photographs grow animated like videos... And sometimes the photographs take on corporeal form and slip out. " Crowley chirped excitedly. "Is that not what you youths would call 'wicked keen'?"
"Sir, with all due respect, never say that again." She remarked, earning a couple of snickers from the boys.
Deuce chimed in almost immediately. "That almost sounds like ghost photography!"
"Very astute. Hence the name 'ghost camera'."Crowley said slowly as Deuce seemed to state the obvious.
"I understand it was developed as a more vivid way to capture moments in time, in an age before video." Crowley mentioned, earning himself a look from Yuu. "As Spade observed, in days of yore, when people saw Memories jumping out of photos, they would get spooked and yell, 'Ghost!'"
"This tech sounds like way more trouble than it's worth." Ace deadpanned.
Yuu examined the strange camera. "It's basically like a magical polaroid, I guess? Either way, it shouldn't be too hard to use." She remarked, tracing the mouse-like shape on the front.
"My dear." Crowley stated, startling the young woman out of her thoughts. "I would like you to photograph Grim and the other students with this camera, and make a record of your campus life."
Yuu gave a nod, giving into Crowley's antics.
"Sounds like the perfect way to immortalize all my finest moments!" Grim laughed loudly.
Crowley cleared his throat, almost as if to refocus their attention onto him. "Make especially certain to capture the mischief caused by certain students who struggle with impulse control."
"... You want me to catch chaos on camera? Really?" Yuu raised an eyebrow at Crowley, who turned away to avoid her gaze.
"Well... Keeping a photographic journal sounds far less tedious than writing me lengthy reports, wouldn't you agree? As a prefect, consider it your duty to maintain a sharp eye on your surroundings and record them." Crowley took a breath before turning to face her once more.
"Note how generous I'm being in providing a rare magical item that even someone like yourself can use. Is my kindness not beyond all reckoning?"
Yuu resisted the urge to roll her eyes, simply bowing her head slightly. "Yes... Thank you sir."
Crowley's hand was placed gently on her shoulder, Yuu becoming hyper aware of the false metal claws on his fingers.
"The hour has grown late, so further details shall have to wait till the morrow." He informed, as if sensing her fatigue, allowing her to be dismissed. It wasn't like she was going to be able to sleep, but it's the thought that counts.
"You are all dismissed. Return to your dorms."Crowley stated, ushering the group out of his office.
Deuce crowed out a, "Goodnight sir!" Before leaving ahead of her.
Yuu turned to take her leave before the familiar hand stopped her.
"Miss Yuu... I have something to help with your condition." Crowley mentioned softly. Yuu turned to him, her eyes wide with surprise as she saw a glass bottle of what appeared to be a type of fizzy drink.
"It is a lemon-ginger ale. I had read that it would help with the nausea. I do hope this helps you." He chirped.
Yuu's eyes widened before she gave him a small, touched smile. "Thank you sir. Have a good night." She uttered before turning and making her way out of the office.