Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

‘ Fire….I just had to dream about fire. ‘

It wasn’t exactly an uncommon occurrence. She had lost count of the number of times she had nightmares of her home burning down around her, of losing her sister, of obtaining her eye power. But...none of those nightmares could compete with the sheer strangeness of this dream.

First, she had woken up in a coffin, which wasn’t all too strange of one of her dreams. She had died once before, after all. But everything after that….was strange. Some cat was chasing after her, and setting things on fire all the while. She takes a few deep breaths as she slams closed the large doors she had passed through, hoping to have lost that stupid little cat. Normally, she would think cats were cute, but not that thing. It could talk too, even Kano couldn’t make animals seemingly speak as humans did. His powers relied on being as realistic as possible, after all.

“Now...where the hell am I…?” Tsubomi Kido mumbled, pulling at the hood that was over her head, only to finally catch a glimpse of her sleeves, and then her whole outfit. “Wait...what the hell am I wearing?!” She spun for a moment, staring at herself with wide eyes. She took a moment to look around, finding a glass case. She rushed over to it, looking at her reflection. She wasn’t in her normal purple hoodie, and hell she didn’t even look like her younger self like she normally did in the fire-related nightmares. She was in some fancy black and purple outfit, gold embroidery decorating various parts of it. It was definitely the fanciest looking thing she’s worn since she was a child. Her hair was even neatly pinned back, though thankfully her bangs still covered most of her face, how she normally liked to style them. 

“What the hell…” Where did her mind come up with this crazy outfit? She finally took notice of the contents of the case itself, large tomes, and photographs of people she didn’t recognize. She sighed, pulling herself away from the case and looking around once more. “A library?” She takes a few more steps, only to hear the doors slam open behind her. She yelps, turning around quickly. “Oh great-” She didn’t have enough time to use her power before the creature was upon her once more.

“Did you really think you could get away?! Dumb human!” The cat yelled at her, spreading more of its flames. Far more intimidated by the latter, she took a few steps back only to back up against a table. Shit. “Now if you don’t want to get roasted, hand over-”

A loud crack resounded in the library, making Kido flinch and duck down to the floor, arms over her head and the cat yelled as it was suddenly knocked aside. “Ow! What’s with this rope?!”

“This is no mere rope! It is the whip of love!” A new voice suddenly invades the strange dream, making it even stranger. How did one even describe this guy? He wore a mask and had glowing yellow eyes, an outfit that could easily pay for more than a month's worth of meals for the entirety of the Dan (strange eating habits included), were those feathers on his outfit as well? What did she eat before bed that made her dream up that mess? “Ah, found you at last. Are you one of the new students?”

It took Kido a moment to realize the man was addressing her. She had been too shaken up by what was going on to activate concealing or notice the attention was now on her. “I...that’s- student?” Her soft muttering is drowned out by the man’s voice as he continues. 

“You shouldn’t do things like that. That’s not good. To arbitrarily get out of the gate! Plus, to have a familiar that you have not tamed yet is against the school rules.” The man was now holding the cat by its collar, and it was flailing about and yelling.

“Let me go! I’m not their freakin’ familiar!”

Familiar? Did she read a fantasy novel before going to bed?

“Sure, Sure. The rebellious ones always say things like that. Just quiet down for a moment.” Kido’s almost too lost in her own thoughts to notice how the man has covered the cat's mouth and continues speaking. “My Goodness, it’s unprecedented for a new student to leave the gate on their own. How impatient must you be?”

“I-” Kido stands up, trying to find her words. But before she could even try, the man was trying to push her along. 

“The entrance ceremony is already well underway. Let’s head to the Hall of Mirrors.”

“Gate? New student? Hall of-? I’m sorry, but I think you have the wrong-”

“It’s the room you woke up in with all the doors.” ‘He’s completely ignoring me!’ Kido couldn’t help but think. “Every student that enrolled into this room went through that door to come here. Usually, students don’t wake up until we open the door with a special key, but…-”

“You can thank that thing. He kind of set the coffin on fire.” Kido said, pointing to the limp cat in the man’s arm - did he knock it out?

The man sighed, closing the door to the library behind them. “It seems that in the end, the main culprit is this familiar. If you brought him here, then look after him responsibly.” Kido glares, deciding to give up on trying to explain that she had nothing to do with that cat. Not like this man would listen anyways. “ …Oh my! Now isn’t the time to be long-winded. The entrance ceremony will soon come to a close. Let us move on.” He tries to push her along once again, but Kido quickly shrugs off his hand and steps off to the side, taking a rather defensive stance. 

“Before that -” She states, giving a glare she’s sure Kano would comment was one of her ‘signature ice-cold glares’. “Who are you? And where am I exactly?”

“What’s this? Are you still dazed?” Kido’s eye twitches at the choice of wording. “It appears the teleportation magic has left you disoriented. Well, it’s fine. It happens often enough. I shall give you an explanation as we make our way to the hall. I am kind, after all.” Instead of trying to push her along again, he gestures for her to follow him. She raises an eyebrow, clearly still cautious but followed in step behind the man. He led her to a courtyard, and now that she wasn’t running away from flames, she had a chance to properly take a look around. This wasn’t like any building she had seen before, it was like something out of one of Mary’s storybooks. It definitely didn’t look like any Japanese architecture she had seen. It was more like a western castle.

The bird-like man cleared his throat, causing Kido’s attention to turn to him instead of the surroundings. “This is Night Raven College. Magicians blessed with a unique aptitude for magic gather here from all over the world, here at the most prestigious magical academy in Twisted Wonderland.”

‘ Twisted Wonderland? Could my consciousness not come up with anything better than that? ‘ Kido thought, fighting back the urge to roll her eyes as the man continued. 

“And I am the headmaster, appointed to take care of this academy by the board chairman, Dire Crowley.” 

‘ Well, that’s a mouthful. Stil….that explanation doesn’t make any sense.’ Kido thought before tiling her head towards this ‘Crowley’. “Magician?”

“Only those magicians seen as worthy by the Dark Mirror can attend this school. Chosen ones use the gate and are summoned here from around the world. An ebony Carriage carrying a gate should have gone to meet you as well.”

“What?” Kido blinked, trying to think if there was anything in her memory that reflected that statement. Well, if this was a dream - it was likely she wouldn’t remember such a thing.

And yet...and yet she did.

A black carriage, a terrifying creature pulling it, and the sound of Seto and Kano yelling for her in the distance. That’s right, she had gone back to Mary’s old house. She and the rest of the Dan - hoping to find some answers. Oh they had found their answers alright, too many to recall in the heat of the moment, and so they decided to look around to see if there was anything else in the area surrounding the house - something maybe Mary wouldn’t have known about as she never left the home until leaving to live with them.

She had taken a few more steps into the forest, keeping Kano and Seto within earshot, and Seto volunteering to use his power, for once, so they could find each other if they got lost. She remembers seeing the carriage, screaming, and then….nothing. Nothing after that. 

She holds the side of her head as it all rushes back to her. Fragmented and in pieces that she has to slowly piece together as Crowley continues his explanation

“The ebony carriage goes to welcome new students chosen by the Dark Mirror. They are special carriages that carry the gates to the academy. The market decided long ago that carriages are used to welcome people on special days.”

“So what you’re saying is that carriage just….brought me here? On its own?!”

“Come, Let’s go to the entrance ceremony.” He’s back to pushing her again, and she’s quick to shrug his hands off of her before continuing to walk - neither of them noticing how the cat was now starting to make a fuss.

Kido was much more concerned with the memories that came rushing back to her. If this was a dream, she wouldn’t need such a dramatic setup. Her nightmares involving fire were never this elaborate. So...what, was this supposed to be real? That wasn’t possible, there was a talking cat! A crazy man talking about magicians and self-guiding carriages! Then again, she had just learned of a never-ending world and a real medusa as well. Too lost in her thoughts, she followed the strange man without complaint.

‘ Well, if this is real, it makes my power seem like child’s play ‘ Now that would be a riot, a place where she wasn’t ‘strange’, where she was ‘normal’. Something she wished for, yet she knew was out of reach. ‘ This can’t be real, it can’t be. ‘ She finally convinced herself just as she felt a shove to her shoulder. “H-Huh?”

“You are the only one yet to be assigned to a dormitory. I will watch after the raccoon, please make your way over to the dark mirror.” 

“R….Right…..”

She steps forward, trying to ignore all the eyes on her as she did so. It was situations like this she loathed, situations like this that she was consumed with the want to use her ability. But suddenly disappearing in such a crowd would cause a panic and she just wanted this strange dream to be over. 

She stepped in front of the floating mirror, and couldn’t help but jump as the face appeared on the surface. “Wh-What--” It was haunted, it had to be haunted.

“State thy name.”

It spoke! “I- uh-” She swallowed her nerves, pulling the hood further down as she spoke. “Kido.” There was half a moment where she wondered if the awkward silence that followed after was because she hadn’t given her full name - but if she wasn’t going to give it to Kano or Seto upon meeting them for the first time, there was no way in hell she was going to give it to some strange haunted mirror in her dreams.

“The shape of thy soul is….” There’s another pause as the mask in the mirror squints before its eyes widened. “Nothing.”

The word was like a punch to the gut. Nothing. Before she could start to yell her rebuttal, Crowley spoke up. “Come again?”

“I do not sense a spark of magic from this one.” The mirror explained. “The color, the shape, are all nothing.”

Nothing. She was nothing.

“Therefore,” the mirror continued. “They are suited for no dormitory.”

She had been so close to seeing red she almost forgot that this room was terribly crowded. As soon as the mirror had spoken those words whispers had erupted around her. If she had any less control over her ability, she knows she would have vanished from their sight then and there.

“An ebony carriage would absolutely never go to meet someone who can’t use magic!” She heard Crowley protest behind her. “In 100 years there has not once been a mistake in student selection. So why in the world…” He trails off, only for another more annoying voice to take his place.

“Then I’ll take their place!” Kido turns to see the cat - raccoon - thing, free from Crowley's grasp. “Unlike that dumb human-” “Dumb?!” “-I can use magic! Let me into the school instead! If you need proof I’ll show you right now!”

Flames erupted from the creature once again, and this time she wasn’t the only one frightened by them. Some of the students were starting to panic, some were even licked by the flames and had to work on putting them out, and others appeared unphased and almost annoyed. Kido used this moment to hide. With her eyes glowing red, she activated concealing eyes while none were on her.

There likely wasn’t a way for her to leave the room without someone touching her, which would make her ability drop. This was another reason she hated crowds. But for now, she was able to back away from the flames and get to a safer area, taking the moment to take in her surroundings.

Coffins floating in the air, the floating mirrors, blue flames growing, and two students now chasing after the creature and tossing..something at it. What was that? Couldn’t be magic, right? 

Why hadn’t she woken up from this crazy dream by now? She brought a hand to her chin as she thought, ignoring the noise of the crowded, half on fire, room (or doing her best to do so, it was difficult considering everything else going on). She...She couldn’t be in the Kagerou Daze, could she? They had only just learned of what the other world truly was, and she had only just come up with the name for it (which everyone had agreed they liked, thankfully). There was no way she died and-

No, she couldn’t be dead. She could still use her ability. She waved her hand in front of a nearby student’s face, the brunette with braids kept the bored look on his face as he continued to watch the chase happening. Though his nose twitched, he didn’t seem to notice her - she’ll chalk the nose twitch up to the small layer of smoke in the room (oh thank god, someone opened the doors to make sure it aired out). 

So no, she couldn’t be in the Daze, she likely wouldn’t her ability still. Or at least, she figured that was the case. There was still so much about the Daze they didn’t know. She couldn’t completely mark it off the list for now.

“OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!”

The yell startled her out of her thoughts, elbow bumping into the blond man that had been standing next to the brunette. “When did you get here?” He asked, “What the hell?” The brunette added on. 

“Sorry,” She grumbled and stepped to the side. The flames had stopped and the smoke had somehow filtered from the room at lightning speeds. 

“I’ll burn this collar right up and…! E-Eh?! I can’t use my fire?!”

“Hmph. You won’t be using magic until I remove the collar. You’re just an ordinary cat.”

“What?! I’m not some pet!”

No one would want you as a pet anyways, Kido thinks with an annoyed expression.

“You must do something about this!” Crowley suddenly turns to where Kido had been previously standing, only to not find her there. He looks around frantically for a moment before finally finding her - and she gives a heavy sigh when he does so. “It’s your familiar!” Crowley continued, pointing a claw at Kido.

Kido ground her teeth before taking a few steps forward. “Properly Disip-” Before he could speak further, she reached up and grabbed the front of his fancy clothes, pulling him down to her level. 

Normally she wouldn’t get physical with someone she barely knew. Only the Mekakushi Dan knew the extent of her strength and anger, but that's only because she was comfortable enough around them to not hide her emotions much. She hated to admit it - but in such crowds she was meek, shy, overcome with the feeling that had given her the ability she had to begin with. Overcome with the want to disappear. And yet, after what that mirror had said, about her being nothing - she wasn’t going to let anyone in this room ignore her right now. Plus, if this was a dream, she would forget this part when she woke up.

“I’m only going to say this once.” She said, glaring at the man, who gulped as he stared back at her. “That is not my familiar. I’ve never seen that thing before in my life. If you were as kind as you say you are-  you would listen to people when they speak to you.” 

The room goes eerily quiet, but at this point - she could care less. This place was too creepy, too crazy, she just wanted to go back home. When was she going to wake up anyway?

“Di-Did you mention it before?” The man tried to laugh it off, carefully pulling himself out of Kido’s grip. She allowed it since he appeared to be listening to her.  “Well,” He cleared his throat loudly. “Anyways, let us get it out of the school at any rate. You won’t be cooked into a stew, for I am kind.” He continued as he dragged the cat out. 

“Let me go! Let me go!” The creature screamed. “I’m going to- I’m going to become the greatest magician!”

Famous last words as the doors slammed shut as the headmaster threw the creature out. “Good riddance,” Kido grumbled under her breath. 

“Well, we had a bit of trouble along the way,” Understatement of the century spoke by Crowley as he looked over the room - devastated as it was at least not a lot of the students appeared to be harmed. “but this brings the entrance ceremony to a close. Dormitory heads, please show the new students to their dormitories.” There’s a pause as the headmaster looks over the room once more. “Hm? Now that I think about it, I don’t see the leader of Diasomnia, Draconia, around at all….”

Just as many whispers as before filled the room, if Kido had to guess, this Draconia guy was pretty famous, or rather infamous from the sound of it. But it didn’t stop the group of students that were apparently supposed to be watched over by that guy getting whisked away by someone - their height reminded him of Mary but he spoke like an old man, strange. 

“Now then - Kido was it?” She had been busy watching other people leave, she hadn’t noticed Crowley approach until he spoke. She looked up at him with a bored, and tired, look. “I’m terribly sorry about this, but we must have you leave this school. Those without magic cannot be allowed to attend classes here.”

‘Does this mean I finally get to wake up?’ She thought as Crowley explained that the mirror would send her back home. She glared at the mirror from a distance, not too keen on getting close to it again after what it had said to her.

Nothing. She was nothing.

“Please enter the gate and picture your home in your mind.”

“Gate? You mean the coffin?” She said, pointing to the closest one. Crowley cleared his throat and nodded. Kido rolled her eyes as she pulled the lid back. Ironic, almost, how she was climbing into a coffin so willingly. “Well, that was one crazy dream.” She grumbled to herself, leaning back into the coffin and closing her eyes - picturing the apartment she would wake up to.

“Oh, dark mirror! Guide this one back to where they belong!”

Silence. 

Kido opened her eyes, crossing her arms with a raised eyebrow. Crowley cleared his throat and began to speak again. But the mirror’s eerie voice cut him off. “It is nowhere.”

“Huh?” Kido took a step out of the coffin to look at the mirror properly.

“The place they belong to is nowhere in this world. It is nothing, just as they are.” 

Anger boiled in Kido’s veins again. “Will you stop calling me that?!” She shouted, fully stepping out of the coffin now. Both the mirror and the man appeared to disregard her outburst, which only made her angrier. 

“This is the first time this has happened since I became headmaster. What should…..Where are you from exactly?” Oh, now he wants to pay attention to where she was from. Kido resisted the urge to roll her eyes but she was slowly running out of patience. 

"Kashiwa,” Kido answered simply, pulling on the hood to cover more of her face. Couldn’t she just wake up by now? Why was she still going through this dream?

“I’ve never heard of that place.”

“Seriously?”

Crowley doesn’t answer her as he hums to himself, “I have a general grasp on where all the students are from, but that name is unfamiliar.” There’s a pause before the man suddenly declares. “Let’s do some research in the library.”

Why can’t I dream of anything normal? She internally sighs before following the man out of the coffin and mirror room. 

As they walked along to the library, Crowley scoffed at all the fire damage done to the halls - likely from when that thing was chasing her around. She grumbled some sort of apology, but it wasn’t really her fault, was it? She shivered, remembering the flames chasing her - the second time in her life it felt like that had happened. 

She stops walking suddenly in front of one of the large windows that wasn’t damaged in some way, fully taking in the appearance of the strange robes she was in. If she was dreaming, she had no idea where she got the idea for this. One of Momo’s idol magazines, perhaps?

“Hm? What is it?” Crowley asked, noticing she had stopped.

“S-Sorry just….what’s with these clothes I’m in?”

“Ah, you are wearing the ceremonial robes of Night Raven College, new students are magically changed into them when they are picked up and sleep inside their gate until they arrive and get sorted.” He spoke with an air of pride, and Kido could only nod along to his words. “They’re quite charming, no?”

“Yeah….I like the hood.” She said as she pulled it further down and continued walking - Crowley deciding that she wanted a history lesson on the outfit itself and rambled until they got to the library. Once inside, the lights were magically turned on and the man began to knowingly search the shelves. Kido could only wait for a book or two to be placed in front of her, having been lost in such a labyrinth of books. ‘It’s almost like Mary’s house…’ she recalled as she flipped through the pages of one of the large books. She recalled how one of the last things she remembered was visiting Mary’s house, how the place was practically one big library. The only difference between there and here was the atmosphere. Mary’s house was more comfortable, a home atmosphere even if there was also an air of mystery. Here? Kido wasn’t sure how to describe it. Between the floating books and creepily lit room, it was more like she was in one of Mary’s fantasy books. Was that why she was dreaming of all this? Did she pass out while reading one of Mary's books or something?

“There really isn’t anything…” After what felt like hours of reading through books that didn’t make sense to her in the slightest, they had finally come to this conclusion. “Not only on the world map, but the name of your home isn’t written in our history.”

“That’s…-” That couldn’t be right.

“Are you truly from where you say? You’re not lying to me, are you?” The bird-like man stared her down, and she gave another glare towards the man. His feathers appeared to be ruffled by it and he cleared his throat. “Well...if you’re not lying…” He hummed, going silent for a moment before declaring, “You might have been brought here from another world.”

Another world. 

Kido felt as if a weight on her shoulders was about to crush her. The Kagerou Daze was a hard enough concept to grasp, but it did bring up the possibility of multiple worlds. But Azami’s diary didn’t say anything about her creating more than one world, the daze itself. So where the hell was she? Was she not actually dreaming? If she wasn't, and this was a real-world, then who made it? And why? Were there special conditions to crossover like the Daze had?

“Do you have anything on your person?” Crowley asked suddenly, bringing Kido out of her panicked thoughts. “Any identification? A license of some kind? A name on a shoe, even? You appear to be empty-handed….”

“Uh…” Kido searched her person, but the robe was clean of anything like that. But patting one of the pockets, she quickly pulled something out. She could have cried in relief. “I only have this.” She held a music player and headphones tightly within her hands. Outdated by modern standards, but she had never been happier to see the old thing. 

“Hm, this is concerning…” the man crossed his arms as he thought aloud. “I can’t have someone who can’t use magic to attend the school. But as an educator, I surely can’t toss out a teenager with no form of communication - as I am kind.” Kido shoved the headphones on as the man spoke - even if she wasn’t playing music right now it was a comfort for her. “Oh, that’s right.” She finally looked back up at him as she shoved the music player into her pocket. “There is an unused building on campus. It used to be a dormitory, so if you clean it up you can at least sleep there. For the time being, I will allow you to stay there, and I will look for a way to return you home.” Well, it was as good a plan as any. 

“We had better be on our way-”

“Um-” Kido decided to finally speak up - though for a moment she thought her small voice would get overpowered. Thankfully, he appeared to hear her. This time.

“Hm? What is it?” Crowley said, looking almost disappointed as she interrupted his ‘stroke of genius’.

“Is there going to be a change of clothes there? I can’t exactly always sleep in this.” She said, pulling at the heavy fabric of the ceremonial robes.”Not to mention wearing it every day.”

“Hmmm, good point.” He clasped his chin, thinking for a moment. “First we will stop by Sam’s shop. I am kind, so I will buy out an outfit or two.”

“Thank you.” 

“I am kind, after all.” 

Something told her she was going to hear a lot of that...

Chapter Text

‘ Something is coming ‘

“What?”

‘ Something is coming! ‘

‘ Snake! Slither and bite! ‘
‘ Snake! ‘
‘ Snake! ’
‘ Snake! ’

Sam tilted his head backward, looking as the shadows on the wall danced. No, not danced. Shivered, shuddered, fear radiating off them in waves. It even made him feel scared! “A snake? Surely that isn’t something you all would be afraid of my dear friends-”

The door opening cuts him off. He always kept the shop open on the first night, even if there wasn’t a lot of foot traffic. Sometimes the more serious students would come and buy supplies for their classes, or the dorm leaders would come and buy something they forgot for their feasts. Neither had happened yet, which is why the door opening was so strange -almost as strange as the out of character behavior of his dear friends.

“Ah, good, it’s open.” Crowley’s voice rang throughout the shop, and Sam grinned as he moved around the counter to greet the headmaster. Until something held him back. He grunted, looking back again - his own shadow holding onto him. “Sam? Sam, are you here?”

“What are you doing!” Sam whispered, ducking behind the counter.

‘ Don’t! It’s here! A monster! ‘

“What are you talking about?” He shudders just as his shadow does. What could be scaring it so? “Just stay down here if you’re so scared, in case you forgot we have to keep this business running or else.” He makes a motion with a thumb over his neck, which doesn’t do much to ease his shadow’s concerns. But he managed to swallow the fear that it and his friends in the shadows were trying to overwhelm him with and pop out from behind the counter just in time to scare the headmaster. “In Stock now!”

“Goodness gracious-- Sam! Why didn’t you come out when I called for you?!” The headmaster huffed, clearly trying to regain his composure after having been caught off guard. 

“I was doing a bit of organizing.” He said with a wave of his hand. “What brings you in tonight? I heard there was some trouble at the entrance ceremony-” The smile faded from his lips as a figure stepped out from behind Crowley.

A young man dressed in the ceremonial robes of the college, but there was something strange about him. Something odd. Suddenly he felt it - a wave of malicious intent. He could feel his shadow holding onto his legs underneath the counter, shaking as it clung to him. 

This student was what his friends were so afraid of. For a moment, he understood why. For a moment the air left his lungs and he felt as if he was choking on their mere presence. Their eyes met, and he swore they were glowing red.

“Ah yes, the trouble was part due to young Kido here.” Crowley’s voice cuts through the thick tension. He wasn’t seeing any of this, was he? He wasn’t seeing how this kid’s shadow was practically a snake curled around the body of the student. No, No he was cursed with such a sight - it didn’t even seem as if the kid was aware of it himself. “It is a bit of a long story, of which I’ll appraise the staff later, but they need some clothes. None of their possessions made it to the school.”

“Right this way!” Sam plastered the best smile he could as he walked out from behind the counter, nearly tripping over himself as his shadow tried to pull him back down.

“Are you alright Sam? You’re acting strange.” Crowley asked as he walked by. 

“Of course! I just dropped a heavy box on my foot earlier. Perhaps if you were willing to hire some extra staff I wouldn’t have to do all the heavy lifting myself.”

The headmaster crossed his arms. “I’ll look at the budget.” 

“Excellent!” Sam clapped his hands together before turning his attention to the student. It was even more unbearable up close, but he had dealt with many uncomfortable situations before. “Right this way, little demon-chan~”

“D-Demon-chan?” The green-haired boy mumbled but meekly followed after him. Their aura definitely didn’t match their shy personality, but looks were often deceiving. Sam kept a close eye on them as he led them to the clothing section of the store, watching as the boy looked through the clothes.

“....Do you not have any girl clothes here?” Sam couldn’t help but overhear her mumble. 

“I beg your pardon?” Sam blinked, leaning over one of the clothing racks to look at the student closer. He could practically feel the snake’s fangs on him, but at least he got a better look at the boy - or rather girl. “My apologies! I was sure you were a boy.”

“What?!” Crowley coughed, and Kido looked back at him.

“You didn’t notice either?!” The girl barked before sighing and looking back towards the rack. “Well, I’m used to it - and I normally wear guys' clothes honestly. I just couldn’t help but notice….-”

“Th-This is impossible.” Sam looked over at Crowley as he had his breakdown. The old bird looking at his golden claws in desperation. “Not only did the carriage pick up someone with no magic but also a girl?!”

“Why is that such a big deal?” Kido asked, putting a shirt over her arm.

“Demon-chan,” Sam started, pulling Kido’s attention back towards him. “This is an all boy’s school.”

“....What?”

“But fear not!” He pulls himself off the clothing rack with a laugh. “I have anything you would need in stock! One moment.”

“It-It’s okay! Really! I-”

 He gives a wave before she can finish her excuse, traveling back behind the counter and into the storage room in the back. He had to put a hand over his mouth as soon as he got into the room alone, sliding down to the floor as he shook.

 Something was wrong with that girl. Why did she reek of death? Why was that snake there? It was nothing he had ever seen or sensed before. His shadow and friends surrounded him, a mix of concerned and afraid. Sam takes a few deep breaths before pushing himself back up to his feet to search the extra clothes he had in the room. 

“You weren’t wrong, she is a monster.” He hummed to his shadow as he pulled a box down from a shelf. 

‘ She’s a snake ‘

“Yes I saw one. But she doesn’t seem to notice it.”

‘ The snake is inside her. The snake is her. The snake is nothing yet everything. ‘ 

“I tire of these riddles.” He sighed. “Get the door for me.”

‘ No! The snake-! ‘

“Is a customer! Get the door!” Sam barked at the shadow, it flinched back but eventually nodded, going to open the door for him. “Just stay here - the last thing we need is her noticing you.” Because who knew what this child would notice if she really focused on it. It nodded, closing the door behind him. Sam takes a deep breath before returning to the two by the clothing section.

“In Stock now!” 

“Huh?” Kido asked, already having an outfit over her arm as Sam brought over the box.

“I regrettably don’t have many, but here are some female clothes if you’d like to look through them.” 

“I told you, I wear guys' clothes normally,” Kido said, but sighed softly and came over to the box anyways. “But since you went through the trouble, I guess I’ll have a look. Thank you.”

Sam put the box on the nearest empty counter, letting Kido look through it as he watched her. His friends were right. The snake was inside her. Practically living and breathing just as she was. But it was also vanishing in and out - as if not quite there. Nothing, his shadow had said, yet everything. What exactly was this girl? Was she like him? No...no, she would’ve noticed his magic the second she stepped into the shop if that was the case. Crowley had even mentioned she had no magic. Yet how…..

“Oh….” Kido’s voice derailed his train of thought as she pulled out a large purple hoodie. 

“Huh, I thought there were only female clothes in there, that looks to be one of the hoodies I put out in the winter time. Sorry about that, Demon-chan. The storage room is a bit unorganized.” But he sees her smiling, if only for a moment. For that moment, it was as if all the eerie atmosphere disappeared, coming nothing but a breeze, but it was back the second the smile left her lips and she put it over her arm as well. 

“I’ll take it.” She said before looking back through the clothes, both in the box and on the wrack. Sam watched Crowley grow more irritated the more clothes she grabbed - likely since he had to pay for it all. Sam grinned, sneaking up to the headmaster’s side.

“Say, Headmaster Crowley.”

“Hm?” the bird looked down at the shopkeep, and he gave a wicked smile.

“I’d be willing to offer you a discount on these items today.”

“Really?!” It was almost stupidly easy to get the man’s eyes to sparkle.

“Of course! I am kind as well. Not as much as our dear headmaster, but I can see the situation is complicated.” Sam motioned for Crowley to join him near the register, Crowley hesitated to leave Kido’s side - probably wanting to stop her from grabbing too many items, but eventually joined the shopkeep. “I just require an answer to a question.”

“Really? That is all?”

“Let’s just say my curiosity has been piqued by young Kido-chan,” Sam said, leaning over the counter. “Can I have a moment alone with her? I can simply bill you the cost of the clothes later.”

“Hmmm….” The headmaster crossed his arms and closed his eyes, likely thinking the proposition over. But of course, it didn’t take too long. “How big of a discount are you willing to give me for this?”

“Hmmm, 15%.”

“How about 30%?”

“25%”

“Done.” 

“Pleasure doing business with you!” Sam reached out his hand, and Crowley happily shook it. 

“Kido! I will be waiting outside for you, join me when you’re done, and do try not to buy too much! I am kind, but I also require my pockets to be full for other costs for the school.”

“O-Of course.” Kido barely managed to call back. Her voice is rather soft, isn’t it? Sam thought to himself as he waited for the door to close. Once it did, he felt his shadow join him from the storage room, likely eager to find out the truth for itself. 

Sam grinned and walked around the counter once more, approaching Kido with a smile. “Will you need to try on anything? There’s a changing room right there.” 

“Oh...I didn’t even notice that.” the girl mumbled, looking at the changing room not far off from them. “It’s okay though, I’m pretty sure these will fit me...though, can I use it to change once they’re rung up?”

“Of course! And take all the time you need looking.”

“Thanks, but I think I’m just about done.” She had two arms full of clothes now, holding them close to her chest. Good, she wouldn’t easily be able to strike him if he happened to ask the wrong question.

“Excellent!” Sam said with a clap of his hands. “I’m happy that Sam’s mystery shop could be of service to you.”

“Sam’s….mystery shop? Is that what you call this place?”

“Of course! A shop that has anything and everything you could ever want. Or even things you didn’t know you needed.” He spins, throwing his arms out wide in a grand gesture before pointing at Kido. “I’m sure there’s something else here you would want, why don’t you take a look around?” 

“Th-Thanks...but I probably shouldn’t leave that man waiting too long.”

“Hm, yes,” Sam’s arms fell back to his side before he raised them to his hips. “Headmaster Crowley can be a bit of a stick in the mud, can’t he? Though I wonder why he’s watching after a student so closely, this certainly has never happened before.”

“As...As he said - it’s a long story.”

“I suppose the bigger question is who are you, Demon-chan?” 

“My name is-”

“Kido. I heard. But who are you, really?” Sam leaned to tower over her, and he can feel his shadow growing bigger and bigger, likely trying to seem intimidating. “Or rather, what are you?”

Kido’s eyes go wide as her hood falls back. Bright red reflected back at him. Being this close to her, he was certain. 

This was a dead girl walking.

So similar to him and yet something so entirely different. 

Her glare sends shivers down his back, but he stands firm - just as she does. She grips the clothes in her arms tighter, teeth grinding together as she gave a scowl. Looks like he had touched a nerve of some kind. The snake inside and around her, the snake that is her, seems to bare its fangs towards him.

“That’s none of your business.” 

There are whispers in the shadows, something he can’t quite make out. Is it a warning of some kind? Is it the answer he seeks? Why was the image of the snake growing almost hazy? 

“So you admit you’re not human then?” 

The snake fades in and out, and suddenly her eyes weren’t red anymore. How long had she been pretending to be human to have perfected the act to this degree?

“Are you?”

There’s another staredown before Sam finally breaks it - out of fear or contentment he couldn’t be sure, but he laughs and closes his eyes as he leans back. His shadow follows his lead, going back to its dormant state as Sam wipes a tear from his eye. “You’re something else, Kido-chan!”

“Just Kido is fine.” 

“Yeah, Yeah, now let's ring up those clothes, shall we?”

It takes a moment for the girl to follow him, not surprising considering the confrontation they just had. Though he acts as if none of it had happened. He has a lot to think about, after all. “Don’t worry about payment, I’m just going to bill the headmaster later.” He said, handing the bag of clothes to the teenager. “You wanted to change, right? Feel free to use the changing room.”

“Alright….” She mumbled, taking the bag carefully. She starts to walk a few steps before stopping and turning around. “...Sam, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.” He leans against his palm with a smirk on his face. “What is it, demon-chan?” 

The snake coils around her again, as if preparing to strike, her eyes flash red then back to a dull gray and she shakes her head, shaking the snake off with it. “It’s nothing.” She turns around and heads towards the changing room, the snake’s shadow echoing something as she leaves. 

The shop is quiet as Kido goes in and changes, coming out in black jeans, a black tank top, and the purple hoodie. She zips the hoodie all the way up before saying a short goodbye to the shopkeep and leaving the store. 

The second she leaves the shadows and friends come out in full, chattering in hush whispers as they all processed what they had just encountered. Sam drops his head, chuckling into his hand before taking off his hat. “Well, Well, Well….” He laughs, and laughs, leaning against the wall and sliding down to the floor again.

The snake had whispered something as it vanished from sight. Me...du...sa….

Medusa.

‘Medusa! She has a snake of the medusa!’

‘Thief! A thief!’

‘Thief! Monster! Nothing and everything!’

“This is going to be an interesting year…” Sam said, running a hand down his face. For once, he hoped that a customer would not return to his shop. 

Chapter Text

Kido had hoped when she woke up, she would be back in her room at the Dan’s apartment and she could tell Mary about the fantasy dream she had because of her books. But no, life couldn’t give her that one huh? Instead, she was woken up by ghosts, and a scream ripped from her throat and she’s throwing pillows at them as they laughed at her. “Didn’t you learn your lesson yesterday?! Beat it!” Grim was up too, ready to throw fire in every direction, but at least they had come to the conclusion to not throw fire in her direction after their scuffle with the ghosts the night before. A temporary truce to fight a greater threat. 

“Hehehehe! Are you sure you’re going to be okay living here?” 

“Fuck off!” Kido threw another pillow, it fading through the ghost and hitting the wall behind them. They faded from sight, apparently satisfied with Kido’s dramatic reaction. Or perhaps it was the door opening that made them scarce, either way, that action was too much for the leader who was already on edge and she picked up an item from the nightstand and threw it at the door. There was a yelp that didn’t sound like the ghosts as the item hit the wall next to the door. She hears the clank of the hard wooden coaster.

“Kido!” The headmaster barked. “Why are you attacking me first thing in the morning?!”

She glared at the man, earning a shudder of his in response. She likely didn’t look too great right now, crazed green hair shadowing over her face, piercing eyes, and a scowl on her lips. Yup, she was the epitome of woke up on the wrong side of the bed. 

“Can’t you do something about those ghosts?” She finally straightened up, pushing her hair out of her face and behind her shoulder. She was glad she was wearing baggy men’s pajamas, she didn’t want to imagine the embarrassment of having a full-grown man walking in on her on something more frilly or girly.

“Hm? The ghosts are back?”

“Yeah!” Grim backed her up, “They woke us up and tried to fight us! You’re the headmaster, can’t you do something?!”

“Hmmm….” The man put a hand to his chin as he thought. “I will think about options, but this place is their home and you are just temporarily using it, so we should take their feelings into account as well.”

“Their feelings?!” Grim shouted. “What about our sleep schedule!?”

“Ahem!” Crowley coughed. “I will meet you both downstairs, please come after you have gotten dressed Kido and I will explain what work you will be doing today.” He walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him, leaving her and Grim alone once more. Kido sighed, rubbing at her eyes as she looked at the boarded-up windows. 

‘ Morning already, huh? ‘ She thought to herself, only barely seeing the sunrise from behind the wooden boards. They would have to take care of those first. Or perhaps the leaks. Or…- Ugh, there was so much to fix up around this place. As she dug around the dresser for the clothes she had brought with her last night, she can’t help but think how she would have liked Seto to be here for all the handy work. He was better at it than she could ever hope to be, probably in part to how many odd and part-time jobs he had been taking since they first moved into their hideout.

Her hands stop as she drapes a shirt over her arm. Right, if she woke up here then that meant she really was in another world, and she really was separated from the rest of the Mekakushi Dan. With a soft sigh, she grabbed the rest of her clothes and went into the bathroom, locking Grim out and hearing him complain about it on the other side. ‘Has he not noticed I’m a girl either?’ She couldn’t help but wonder. Was everyone here dense or was the magic going to their heads and making them stupid?

She continues to think about her friends as she gets ready. Seto and Kano were likely freaking out the most internally but trying to keep the group together because Mary and Momo would also be panicking. Shintaro and Ene would probably try to find her over the internet, but even if she wasn’t in another world that would be a stretch - she hardly ever used her phone for that kind of thing, mostly just for texting and music. Konoha would likely just be following instructions from the others….she hopes someone remembers to keep an eye on him. It’ll probably be Hibiya, because, despite his clear dislike for Konoha, they do make a good team together. 

She let out a heavy sigh after she washed her face, wiping it with a towel, and looking at herself in the mirror. She stared at herself as she held the towel to her face, debating whether or not to scream into it. She couldn’t remember the last time she was this frustrated. This…

Lonely. 

She shoves the towel back over a rack before she pulls on the purple hoodie and looks at herself in the mirror once more. Comfortable pants, check. Dark t-shirt, check. Hoodie, check. Comfortable shoes, check. She quickly finds the hair tie that had held her hair up yesterday and ties it back after combing her hands through it for a moment. Despite how long her hair was, it didn’t get too knotted - which was probably the only reason she hadn’t chopped it all off by now. Well, no, there was more to it than that - but her patience grew thinner every time there was a knot in her hair. 

“Kido!” Gim yells for the nth time from the other side of the door. 

“I’m coming.” She grumbled, zipping the hoodie all the way up before exiting the bathroom. “What do you even need in here for?”

“Don’t dare talk down to me, human!” He scoffs before floating into the bathroom himself. She rolled her eyes, deciding to go on ahead of him. It wasn’t either of their faults - they only had enough energy last night to clean up this one room and the bathroom to at least make them livable. There was a lot of work to be done still. She takes a mental note of the state of the dorm as she walks through the hall and down the stairs to the foyer. If she wasn’t completely exhausted after today, or miraculously found a way home, she decided she should start with the leaks. It would be easier to clean everything if the work wasn’t automatically undone every time it rained. 

Soon enough Grim joined her and Crowley down the stairs, not looking too enthusiastic about cleaning duty - but Kido could care less. At least it was painless work. It wasn't like she disliked cleaning, so maybe it would be a simple day.

She just had to think things were going to be painless and easy today, didn’t she?

Kido groans from where she laid on the ground, her bruised body slightly draped over the idiot that had caused this whole mess. The dust settled and Kido found it safe enough to pull herself up, brushing the bits of glass and crystal off of her before glaring at the boy next to her.

“Idiot! What did you think you were doing with that stunt?”

“I-I didn’t think...about the landing…” Nor did Deuce think about how they were standing within the blast radius of the chandelier falling. Had Kido not rushed into action to tackle him out of range, who knows what would have become of him. 

It didn’t take Ace or Grim long enough to emerge from the rubble, the latter of the two caught within the former’s grasp. Ace stomped over to yell at Deuce just as the two of them were standing up, echoing her insult of him being an idiot. To be fair, he deserved it for that stunt. Hell, the three of them were practically giving Kano a run for his money, and that was saying something.

“Just….” The teenagers' freeze as a threatening aura suffocates the cafeteria. “What….exactly...DO YOU ALL THINK YOU’RE DOING?!”

Ace and Deuce jumped, Grim being dropped from Ace’s grip but he appeared to be unconscious, thus not taking in the anger of the headmaster. Kido just groaned and pulled her hood further down her face. 

“You weren’t just satisfied with damaging the statue, so you’ve destroyed the chandelier?!” The man put his hand on his hips, towering over the three. “This is the last straw! I will have you all expelled!” 

Kido wasn’t even a student and she felt her stomach drop. Failure never sit well with her, and she definitely wasn’t living up to the leader ideals she had been trying to uphold with the Mekakushi Dan - but any feeling she had was probably trumped by the way the color drained from Deuce’s face and how broken he sounded when he replied, “Please! Anything but that!”

“You have nothing to blame but your own idiocy.” Well, he had a point. 

“I-I’ll pay for the damages if I have to!”

“This is no normal chandelier.”

‘ Of course, it isn’t…. ‘ Kido couldn’t help but sigh as Crowley explained the magical properties of the now broken piece of lighting in front of them. Candles that would burn for eternity? Yeah, right. That seemed a little far fetched - but then again, wasn’t everything she had witnessed up until this point?

“What am I doing...what am I going to tell mom….” Kido’s gaze shifted to Deuce at his own sorrowful mumbling, and Kido sighed, stepping in front of the two, “Huh?”

“It’s my fault, I wasn’t watching Grim.” Kido said, shoving her hands into the pockets of the hoodie, feeling Ace and Deuce dumbfounded expressions fixated on her. Crowley seemed to have shifted his anger from Deuce to Kido, but she didn’t waver under his stare. Though she did feel small as he towered over them. “Is there anything I can do?”

“Hmmm…” The man thought, taking the signature pose of his hand to his chin as he looked back at the wreckage. “There might be one way…”

“Eh?! Really?” the two behind her spoke up.

“The magic crystal for this chandelier was mined in the Dwarf’s mine. If we have a magic crystal of the same kind, repairs could be possible. But there’s no guarantee that there are any crystals left in the mine, it’s been closed for some time.” The bird-like man dropped his hands and looked at her and the students she sheltered, giving a heavy sigh. “You have one night, bring me a magic crystal or face expulsion. Use the mirror in the Mirror Chamber to go directly there.”

After instructions were given, Crowley turned away from them. Grim awoke to the wreckage, but Kido quickly scooped him up and put her hand over his mouth before he could say anything to worsen the situation. “Let’s go.” She said to Ace and Deuce, and they both nodded before they headed out of the cafeteria. Grim struggled in Kido’s grip, but it was only when the fire from his ears threatened to burn her hair that she finally let him go.

“What was that for-” Before Grim could get too deep into his high and mighty routine, Kido stopped him by putting a fist down onto his head, hard. He yelped and looked on the verge of tears.

“It’s your damn fault we’re in this mess.” Kido scowled.

“Yeah! If you hadn’t-” Ace tried, but Kido is quick to glare back at him. She could practically see both him and Deuce shudder under her gaze. While she never was proud that Kano called her glares ice cold - at this moment she was thankful for it. 

“You aren’t any better! Both of you!” She puts her hands on her hips, looking over the sorrowful looks of the three. Suddenly she felt as if she was back at the hideout, lecturing Kano, Seto, and Mary over something that would be forgotten within a day’s time. The situations couldn’t be more apart, but she hesitated with her words for a moment when she noticed the similarities. She swallowed back the homesickness and continued with her lecture. “Not only were you all just stupid and lazily relying on magic to solve all of your problems - people could have gotten seriously hurt. Especially with that chandelier stunt Deuce, “ The mentioned boy cringed, “I don’t know how Ace made it out of that but you almost didn’t for sure.”

“I...that’s…” He tried to argue, but only ended up sighing and rubbing at the back of his head. “Thank you, for saving me then…. Uh-” 

“Kido.”

“Kido-san-”

“Just Kido.”

“But-” 

“I don’t like being formal. Just Kido is fine.”  She gives them all the first small smile she feels like she’s had since she got here, and they all appeared to relax at least a little bit. “Look, I’m not gonna lecture you guys anymore, I’m sure you’ll get plenty of that from Crowley later, but you need to be more careful.”

“What are you, our dad?” Ace scoffed, raising an eyebrow at him.

Kido could only blink. “You really are an idiot.”

“Hah?!”

“Ace! Focus! We need to go get that crystal!”

“Okay….forget...what I said….about no more lectures….”

Today just kept getting worse.

Kido breathed heavily, trying to catch her breath with the rest of the group back in front of the abandoned house a bit away from the mine. The creepy house and ghosts had been bad enough but….what was that thing?! Kido’s mind raised with possibilities, but in the end, she came up empty. She truly was in another world, and this had only solidified that fact. When she finally pulled herself out of her thoughts, Deuce and Ace were arguing. 

“Then stay right here! Cowering like a spineless coward!” Deuce’s personality had done a complete flip, and he was cracking his knuckles and walking towards Ace, who only seemed to make the situation worse. 

With a huff, Kido walked over and pulled on the back of Deuce’s shirt collar, the boy giving a choked noise before looking back at her. “That’s enough of that,” Kido said calmly, letting go of Deuce and him straightening his blazer and shirt as he stumbled out a reply.

“A-Ahem! My bad, I lost my composure a bit…” He seemed almost embarrassed, and despite the fact Kido felt the need to pick on him in the back of her mind, she let it slide. They had bigger things to worry about here.

“Fighting each other isn’t going to help at all - or did you three forget what REALLY got us into this situation?” The boys (and cat) looked away from one another, and Kido sighed. She was used to working with the Mekakushi Dan, who most had known each other for years. But even the newer members were pretty cooperative. Being shoved into an unfamiliar place with strangers who caused nothing but trouble and arguments was definitely not something Kido liked. But she would have to make due. Her power was useful but in this world…. “Alright, someone give me a rundown.” The three turned to her with confused expressions, “Can magic actually help us in this situation?”

“As the headmaster said earlier, it’s not all-powerful.” Deuce started, and he and Ace continued to explain the basics to her. She hated being talked to as if she was a child, but when it came to this sort of thing she might as well have a children’s understanding of the topic. After all, magic was only in children’s stories, or movies, nothing she really had experience with. There was the medusa, and mary, and Dan’s abilities, but the two weren’t comparable in the slightest. Getting lost in these thoughts allowed Ace and Deuce to launch into another argument. Even Grim was starting to get annoyed by the looks of it.

“Will you two knock it off?!” They did, infact, knock it off at the quiet girl losing her patience. “All of you were useless back there, don’t pretend like any one person was at fault. We need to come up with a plan-”

“A plan?” Ace said, almost biting back a laugh, “Work together with these two? You have no problem saying such lame things with a serious face, huh Kido?”

“Agreed. I am not working with this loser.” Deuce crossed his arms.

“...Isn’t it way lamer to get expelled on the first day of school?” Grim surprisingly was the one to speak up, and Kido could almost laugh at how he stunned the two boys into silence. 

“Fine.” Ace said, finally giving in after a moment’s thought. Kido looked over at Deuce, and he also seemed to resign to his fate. “We’ll just have to do it right this time. So! What’s your plan?” They all look towards Kido expectedly.

At least this kind of look she was used to, she would get it from the Dan all the time. Especially the newer members, who were often blown away by Kano’s exaggerations of her and her leadership skills. Still, she couldn’t let them down after yelling at them like that.

“Do you think we’ll need magic to get the crystal thing out of the cave wall?” 

“Hm? Well….no, I don’t think so. It will be difficult without any other tools, though. Why?” Ace asked with a tilt of his head. 

“I can get in without being spotted, but if getting that thing out would be difficult…” She hummed, fingers tangling into the cord of her headphones as she thought. She couldn’t be certain the monster wouldn’t see through her ability anyways. It appeared to work on the students of the school at least, but there was more in this world than just humans, as she had just been painfully made aware. So she likely couldn’t rely on that in this situation. There was some relief in that, but also unease. 

“Huh?! You were thinking about going in alone?!” Deuce gawked, and Kido only raised an eyebrow.

“Not like you three have been of any help. These two couldn’t even calm down to do something as simple as cleaning.” Kido said, motioning her hand to Ace and Grim, who both looked rather guilty at her comment. “I’m just considering options,” Kido continued, putting her hand down. “If this was an ideal situation, I could get in and out with the crystal in less than five minutes.”

“You...You’re that confident you could do that?”

“In a perfect world, yes.” In her own world, maybe. But in the same breath, she wouldn’t even need to do this sort of thing back home. “First, let’s find some tools. Even if we manage to get that thing away from the crystal, it’s gonna be useless if we can’t get the crystal out in a timely manner.” Kido suggested, pulling her fingers away from the headphone cord. 

She started walking back towards the creepy abandoned house, the boys looked between each other before following her lead. At least most of the troublesome cobwebs were pushed aside when they had wandered in here the first time, so Kido just had to worry about ducking her head and looking around.

“Oh! There’s a pickaxe here,” Kido looked over as Deuce held said pickaxe. “It’s covered in dust but it doesn’t look broken.”

“That’ll do.” Kido took the tool, ignoring how her body shuddered upon touching the cold and dirty wood. “I’ll keep it since I can’t use magic.” The students seemed fine with that decision and they headed outside of the house. They formed a circle in the yard, thinking over their options - and getting into more arguments. 

“All of your suggestions so far have been to just beat the thing up, we should probably just try to lure it away,” Kido said, sticking the pickaxe into the ground to emphasize her tone, which seemed to finally get Grim’s and Ace’s attention, who had gone into another argument. “Grim, Ace, can you two do that?”

“Huh?!” They answered in unison.

“Hey, you all agreed to work together,” Kido said, giving them a pointed glare. “Look…” She can’t believe she’s about to suggest this. “You know that magic you guys were doing earlier? When you burned the statue?”

“You mean Ace blowing my flames away? What about it?”

“Couldn’t you...use that to make a bigger flame or something?” 

There’s a silence that falls over the group before Ace speaks up. “You’re right! We could totally do that!” He seemed more excited about the prospect of a fire tornado than anyone. Kido tensed at the excitement in his and Grim’s tone as they talked it over, but tried to ignore the feeling as she looked towards Deuce. Deuce tensed when he noticed her looking at him.

“And that thing you did, summoning the caldron or whatever?”

“Ah, yes, I could probably manage to do that again.” He said, rubbing at the back of his head.

“Good. I think we can work with this.” 

“You...are awfully calm, Kido,” Deuce said, ignoring the excited chattering from Ace and Grim a moment longer to focus on the green-haired girl. Kido raised an eyebrow at him.

“I’ve faced down terrorists with guns taking a whole mall hostage before,” She said nonchalantly with a wave of her hand. “This is just a bit more extreme than that but not by much.”

“...You what?” 

Now there were three pairs of eyes on her, and she turned the pickaxe over in her hand. “Forget it, look, I got an idea but it’s really going to count on teamwork.”

Frontal assaults weren’t Kido’s thing, she would have much preferred for them not to face that thing directly, hence trying to get it out of the way and sneak into the cave after it was far enough away. But then it had to follow them. They had defeated it, somehow, and dragged themselves back to the school and explained the situation to the headmaster.

Now she was a supervisor? And a student? 

She stares down at the camera that had been given to her, turning it over in her ink-stained hands. Was capturing someone’s soul in a photograph really possible? Then again, after everything that had happened today, did she really have a reason not to believe it?

“Supervisor? Hey, Supervisor?” Someone calls, but she doesn’t quite hear them as she’s staring at the camera. “Kido!” The yell did catch her attention, but not before she ran into a wall. There’s a grunt as she stumbled back, rubbing at her forehead as laughter echoed behind her.

“Are you alright?” At least Deuce appeared to care, meanwhile Ace was still laughing. Kido cast a glare in his direction and he shuts up instantly.

“I’m fine, sorry. Just...distracted.”

“Well, it was probably a lot to take in,” Deuce reassured her.

“Jeez!” Grim sighed, “How are you supposed to attend school when you’re like this?! You can’t ruin this chance for me- Ow!” The cat yelped as Kido brought down a fist onto his head, and he floated down to the ground and rubbed at the newly forming bump.

“Oh, speaking of school-” Ace said, looking Kido up and down. “Don’t you need a uniform?”

The group was silent for a moment as the information processed. “Damn it.” Kido sighed, rubbing a hand down her face. “How come Crowley keeps forgetting something as simple as clothes?” 

“He should still be in his office, you should probably ask him about that-”

“In Stock Now!” The group jumps as from the shadows a man appears. 

“Wh-Who-” Deuce stutters, cracking his knuckles as if ready to start another fight.

“Easy,” Kido puts her hand over his fists, lowering his raised hands. “Hey, Sam.”

The man laughs, dipping into a dramatic bow. “Pleasure to see you again, demon-chan~” He pulled himself back up with a grin.

“Oh! I know you! You’re the shopkeep.” Ace said, finally recognizing the man. 

“That’s me!” Sam smiles before his gaze falls back onto Kido. Kido stared back, waiting for him to speak first. She felt uneasy around him, likely as he did around her. At least, she assumed that’s how he felt, considering their confrontation in his shop. How did he know something was different about her? What magic could give him that kind of foresight? “I heard you need a uniform, are you officially a student?”

“Yeah….it’s a long story.” Kido shoved her hands into the hoodie’s pockets. “I still don’t have money, you know.” 

“I’ll run it by the headmaster,” He walked over and slung an arm over her shoulders. “Besides! What kind of shopkeep would I be if I didn’t offer my services to the little demons that need it?”

Kido rolled her eyes and pulled his arm off of her. “Fine, I’ll take you up on that.”

“I haven’t been to the shop yet, can I come with you?” Deuce asked. 

“Everyone is welcome at Mr.S’s mystery shop!” Sam said with a laugh, throwing his arms out wide. 

“One more field trip wouldn’t kill me.” Ace said, rubbing at the back of his head. 

Kido lets out a silent sigh of relief, glad she wouldn’t be left alone with Sam again. She didn’t think she could handle another encounter like the one last night. 

The walk over to the shop was uneventful - Grim retelling an overdramatic version of the day’s events to Sam, with corrections from Deuce and Ace. Kido kept a few steps behind the group, reflecting in her own way on the events while alternating between looking at the group and looking down at the camera. She wondered what the Dan would think when she retold them this story. There’s a stifled chuckle, Kano would likely play along with it for a bit before saying Mary was the one who came up with crazy stories. Seto would think she was sick and offer to do chores instead so she didn’t overwork herself. Mary would be fascinated, wanting to hear the story again. Same with Momo probably, though she would be skeptical. Ene would be playing it up and Shintaro would be telling her to be quiet. Hibiya would pretend not to be interested but still be listening in while Konoha stared at her with a blank expression, but just like Mary would be curious about the story. 

“Hey! Kido! You gotta stop spacing out.” Ace called, and Kido looked up.

“So---” She stopped, frozen in her tracks and her words. She knew they weren’t here, she was painfully aware of that, but for a moment she saw Kano and Seto in front of her. Kano’s cat-like eyes and grin, Seto’s blinding smile and carefree composure. 

“Hey!” She blinked, the illusion before her fading as Grim yelled. Next thing she knew the camera was being shoved into her face, covering the vision of her friends.

“Huh-”

“You nearly dropped this!” He shoved the item back into her hands.

“Oh, uh, sorry. Thanks, Grim.”

“You alright Kido? You’re spacing out a lot.” Ace asked, stepping up towards her and leaning over. The closer he got the more she was reminded of Kano, and she shoved a hand in his face and pushed him away. “Hey!”

“I’m just tired.” 

“Not tired enough to push me!”

“That’s your own fault.” Kido ignored the redhead’s retort as she stepped into the shop. 

Chapter Text

Deuce watched as Kido and Ace entered the shop in front of him. He hoped that battle hadn’t taken too much out of Kido. They were all exhausted, sure, but Kido was there without any magic.

‘He’s really amazing’, Deuce couldn’t help but think as he stepped into the shop. He takes a moment to look around - this was his first time being here after all. It really did look like nearly anything that could be in stock was there, from food to electronics, to clothes - which was where Kido was making a beeline to. He decided to follow, glancing around as he did so and making a mental note of some things he would like to take a closer look at later. He could also shop now, but he mostly just wanted to help Kido get what he needed and then go back to the dorm to rest. 

He had followed mostly out of worry but partly out of curiosity. Both for the shop and for Kido. They had known each other for less than a day yet they had been through so much together. Deuce would like to be his friend, if at all possible. 

“Sam...What’s that….” Deuce is brought back to reality when Kido finally speaks, looking up from the clothing rack they had both been looking at and his gaze shifted over to the shopkeep. Who was holding a uniform in his hands, but it…

Was a girl’s uniform.

“What? You said you needed a uniform.” Sam said with a shit-eating grin on his face. 

“That’s...a girl’s uniform, though?” Deuce asked with a confused expression. “Why would you even have that in stock? Night Raven College is an all-boys school.”

“Oh….I see you boys haven’t noticed.” Sam said, giving a laugh. “Well, the headmaster didn’t pick up on her either!”

“Her?” Ace, Deuce, and Grim all spoke in unison. Then their gazes went to Kido, who’s face was red and she was desperately trying to cover it with her hood. “WHAAAAAAAAT?!”

“Could you guys be any louder?!” Kido barked at them, putting a hand over Deuce’s and Ace’s mouth. Now that Kido was this close to them….Deuce could see it, she was definitely a girl. How had he not noticed sooner?!

“And why are you surprised, Grim!? We were literally together in the same dorm last night!” Kido yelled next, pulling her hands away from the teen’s mouths to look at the cat, who was trying to stutter up an excuse. This earned him another bonk on the head, and he promptly fell to the ground from where he had been floating in the air. “Anyways, don’t make a big deal out of it-”

“Don’t make a big deal- You showed up out of nowhere at the entrance ceremony, caused a scene, have no magic, and are a girl accepted to an all-boys school! That’s a string of too many strange occurrences to not be talked about Kido.” Ace rambled while crossing his arms, raising an eyebrow at the green-haired girl. 

“Ace! It’s our fault for not noticing.” Deuce said, shoving the redhead - who was about to turn around and yell at him if Kido hadn’t spoken up.

“Not, it’s fine, it’s a common mistake. I should have corrected you earlier.” She sighed heavily, and in doing so made the others in the group realize that they did not have the energy for this conversation. “Sam, I told you before, I normally wear guys clothes anyways.”

“If you’re sure~,” Sam said in a teasing tone, and Deuce couldn’t see Kido’s face but by the way, Sam scurried off he wondered if she was glaring at him. 

“Is there any reason you prefer guys' clothes, Kido-san?”

“Don’t make me correct you again Deuce.”

“Er- Right, Sorry Kido.” It felt strange not addressing a girl with honorifics, his mother had taught him better than that. But at the same time - she had specifically requested he didn’t, so maybe it was alright to make an exception. 

“They’re cheaper and more comfortable.” Kido did eventually answer his question as she held up a button-up shirt and put it over her arm. 

“That’s it?” Deuce asked with a raised eyebrow.

“That’s it.” Kido put a uniform blazer over her arm. “Plus it didn’t feel right spending all of Seto’s money on expensive clothes.”

“Who’s Seto?” Ace interjects, leaning over Kido’s shoulder. The girl seemed to freeze and the two Heartslabyul students looked at each other. “A boyfriend?” Ace said with a grin even though Deuce was giving him a look that definitely said not to assume such a thing- ugh!

“N-No way!” Kido broke out of Ace’s overbearing posture. “He’s my brother!”

“Brother?” The three outsiders chimed and watched as a shadow fell over Kido’s face. 

By the look on Kido's face, it might not have been the most comfortable subject for Kido. So Deuce what he thought was right, and glared over at the redheaded student. “Ace! You shouldn’t have pried.” Deuce scolded, crossing his arms.

“What? You asked about it just like me and Grim did!” 

Before the two of them could argue anymore, a pain shot through their skulls. Kido had shoved their heads together. They both cursed, rubbing at their heads. “Knock it off. I’m too tired for this.” Kido sighed, going back to the clothing rack. “I have two foster brothers.” 

“Fost-” Ace tried to ask for clarification and Deuce elbowed him before he could pry even further into Kido's life. “Ow!”

“We were at the same orphanage and got adopted by the same family.”

The trio fell silent after she spoke, looking between each other at the new information they were given to digest. An orphanage? So that means she likely didn’t have parents - or at least biological parents. That fact made Deuce’s throat dry, he doesn’t know what he would do without his mother. Some might call him a momma’s boy sure, but he honestly doesn’t know what he would do. It just gave him another reason to respect Kido, she had shown herself to be a strong woman up until now, and she had learned to do so despite having possibly lost her biological family.

“...Sorry Kido.” Ace finally spoke up, rubbing at the back of his head. 

“Don’t be. It’s ancient history now.” She turned back towards them, her arms now full of clothes. Looks like she had at least three sets of the uniform over her arms.

“Here, let me carry that for you.” Deuce offered and pulled them off Kido’s arms before she had a chance to argue.

“I can get it myself-”

“I’m surprised you can still feel your arms, considering how hard you swung that pickaxe.”

Kido’s face appeared to flush just slightly at the mention of the previous battle and their eyes fall to Kido's ink-stained hands and sleeves. Just when Ace, Deuce, and Grim were running low on energy fighting that giant creature, Kido sprang forward out of seemingly nowhere and slammed the pickaxe into the monster’s back. It had howled in pain and fell forward. It had also caused ink to spray everywhere, getting over Kido's arms before she could step away from the monster and it fell forward- giving the three boys enough time to gather themselves and give a final attack. 

“Yeah! That was great.” Ace laughed. “Anyways, anything else you need while we’re here Kido? Looks like you’re going to be here a while, right?”

“Right….” She sighed, looking around the shop. “I guess we can get food from the cafeteria for meals right? In that case...I think I just need a charger.”

“What kind of charger?”

“Oh, it’s for this.” She dug in her hoodie’s pockets and pulled out the old music player. “It was the only thing that came with me from back home.”

“Really? You had a crappy music player but not a phone?” Ace asked while putting a hand on his hip. Kido’s face seemed to flush again as she argued ‘it’s not crappy!’ back at Ace. Looking at her now, how did they mistake her for a boy for so long? She had some rather girlish mannerisms. 

After gathering the charger and some hygiene products Kido had forgotten about the last time she came in, the group made their way over to the counter where Sam took note of the total to charge the headmaster with later. 

“Is the headmaster really going to pay for all of this?” Deuce asked as they stepped out of the shop, he had offered to carry all the bags for Kido as well - though Ace was carrying one too. 

“What is he going to do, charge a girl who doesn’t even have money?” Kido said with a shrug, starting to walk down the path towards the hall of mirrors. Deuce and Ace followed on either side of her, and Grim had taken the chance to sit on Kido’s shoulders for a free ride. Deuce had scolded him, but Kido hadn’t seemed to mind. “What is the money here called anyways?” 

“Madol.”

“Weird.”

“What’s money called where you’re from?”

“Yen.”

“And you think Madol is weird?”

There were such back and forth conversations on the way to the hall, seeing how much in common Kido’s hometown had with their own. It seemed that it was mostly similar, though absent of magic and the great seven, along with a few minor things. Deuce could barely wrap his head around the idea there was a place out there that existed that didn’t know of the great seven - but as Ace and Kido explained, that’s how the fight between Ace and Grim originally started. 

“Uh...Kido?” Ace stopped, as did Deuce, at the path towards the hall of mirrors. “The dorms are this way.”

“Ramshackle is further down this way,” Kido said, pointing down the path they were currently on. 

“Huh….I don’t remember that being a part of the tour.” Deuce mumbled, tilting his head but taking the step back up to Kido’s side. Ace gave an annoyed and tired look, Deuce couldn’t really blame him. Today had been long and exhausting on all of them. The redhead still steps up next to Kido after a moment of complaining, and the group continues on their way. 

“Here it is,” Kido said, gesturing to the broken-down building behind the gate, Deuce and Ace shared a look. It definitely didn’t look like a great place to live, was it even legal for the headmaster to let a student stay in such a broken-down place? “I can take the b--”

“Boo!” A ghastly voice suddenly shouted. Deuce and Ace jumped slightly from the sudden noise, but Kido downright screamed and ducked behind the two Heartslabyul students. There was a cackle of laughter in the air before the culprits showed themselves.

“More ghosts?!” Ace groaned, but still took a fighting stance, Deuce following suit. If their adventures today had taught the two of them anything about Kido - it was that she was scared of ghosts. She denied it when they had been chased by them earlier, even though she had screamed in a similar manner and had run faster than any of them to escape the spirits.

“Oh relax! We were just getting a laugh in!” One of the ghosts said, still chuckling. “Kido is so easy to scare!”

“You’re lucky you’re already dead. Or I’d kill you.” Kido’s voice was surprisingly giving the boys more of a chill down their spines rather than the ghosts. And even the ghosts seemed to be shaken by the ice-cold words. They quickly faded away with apologies and nervous laughter. She waited a moment before stepping out from behind the boys.

“Why are you so scared of ghosts anyways, Kido?” Ace asked, only to have Kido snatch the bag out of his hand as a response. He grinned, as if finding a new toy to play with, and Deuce couldn’t help but roll his eyes and gently handed the bags he was holding over to the girl.

“Sure you don’t need us to carry them in for you?”

“Nah, I got it.” Kido took a moment to readjust the bags in her hands as Grim floated over to open the gate for her. “Thanks for walking me. And..uh...I guess see you tomorrow?”

“Yeah.” Deuce smiled. “You’ll have to tell us what your schedule is when you know, maybe we’ll be in the same classes.”

“See ya.” Ace waved, turning on his heel without a moment being wasted.

“Hey! Ace! Wait up!” Deuce gave a wave to Kido before jogging to catch up with his dormmate. He saw Kido give a small nod out of the corner of his eye as he turned. He hopes she’ll be okay in that big, broken down, dorm...

Chapter Text

Kido really couldn’t catch a break. She pinched the bridge of her nose as Ace and Deuce led the way to the Heartslabyul dorm. She didn’t have time for this, she and Grim still had to go pick up their schedule. Not to mention the long walk from the Ramshackle Dorm to campus in the first place. For a magical school, they really expected you to walk miles huh?

She looks around the hall of mirrors, “You know....” She started, and the boys looked back at her. “This place is kind of cool.”

“Do you not have mirror travel where you’re from, Kido?” Deuce asked as he pointed out the Heartslabyul mirror.

That was like asking if pigs could fly. “No.” She stated plainly, sticking her hands into the pockets of her hoodie. She opted to keep the hoodie as a part of her uniform but wore the blazer with rolled-up sleeves over it. She did a similar thing when she was still going to middle school.

“Well, the first step is a doozy.” Ace grinned as if he had some mischievous plan. Kido started turning around.

“Suddenly I’m not going. Bye.”

“Wait! Wait Kido!” Ace scrambled to pull Kido towards the mirror, and she couldn’t help a chuckle that escaped her lips. How could one boy have so much trouble simply apologizing? Then again a flash of Kano went through her mind. Right. They were both idiots. 

“I’m comin’.” Kido mumbled, pulling her arm out of the redhead’s grasp and stepping up to the mirror. What was with these decorations around it? Cards? Mushrooms? ‘There’s something….nostalgic about this?’ She couldn’t put her finger on it, though, and decided to shake the thought out of her mind. “So I just….step through?”

“Yeah. Here, I’ll go first.” Deuce said before stepping forward. Kido’s eyes widened as he walked through the mirror as if it wasn’t there. There was a short flash before the mirror looked as if it hadn’t been touched. 

“...Wow, okay.” 

“What are you standing around for?! Hurry up!” Grim floated through the mirror next, a flash and he was gone. 

“You’re not scared, are you Supervisor~?” Ace gave a small shove to her shoulder, causing her to stumble forward. Thankfully, she didn’t stumble into the mirror. She glared back at him.

“J-Just give me a second!” She said, looking back at the mirror and taking a deep breath. “So I just….” She mumbled before putting her hand forward first. She flinches when she expects her hand to meet glass, but instead, it passes right through. ‘This is too weird even for me…’ Kido thought, but took a deep breath and stepped forward. 

There was a feeling of weightlessness, if only for a moment. It was as simple as passing through a doorway, yet she found herself dazed when her black converse hit the grass. Wait, grass? How were they outside?

"This place couldn’t be more different than ours!” She hears Grim say and she’s snapped out of her daze and is able to look around the Heartslabyul dorm. It definitely looked like something out of a fairytale. A red, white, and black castle-like building, and bushes full of roses. Kido’s face flushed.

“...It’s so cute.”

“Cute?” Ace chimed in from behind her, causing her to jump slightly. Right. She was standing right in front of the mirror. She took a few steps forward to give him space and to take a better look around. 

“I mean...yeah.” She rubbed at her hair, putting her bangs more into her face to cover the flush. “Anyways. Where do we need to go? We shouldn’t waste too much time.” 

“I’m not sure where the dorm leader would be this early,” Deuce said, humming in thought as he brought a hand up to his chin. “We could check the Rose Maze. I heard him giving tasks to some third years earlier that involved them doing something there.”

“A good place to start as any….but a Rose Maze? Really?” 

“It’s really cool!” Ace grinned. “C’mon, it’s this way.” 

Painting the roses was strange, but not something Kido couldn’t handle. She seemed to be doing a decent job of it - between Deuce making them blue and Grimm setting the bushes on fire. She tightened her ponytail as she finished her batch - listening to Cater’s explanation of why they had to paint the roses, to begin with. Those definitely were a lot of strange traditions. They even played Croquet? She had only vaguely heard of the sport from the internet, and it was mostly a foreign thing. She could understand everyone here as if they were speaking Japanese - but now she wondered if it was because of the magic and not because this place was like her homeworld.

“One must always return what they stole”  Cater’s serious words brought Kido out of her thoughts. “I can’t let you into the dorm. I’ll lose my head too if I knowingly let you in while you’re not obeying the rules. I feel bad but you need to leave before Riddle notices.”

“...What?” Kido blinked, and Ace practically hid behind Deuce. 

“Guys! Help me out!”

“Why do I have to?!” Deuce barked, but his words betrayed his actions and Kido saw him grabbing for his magic pen. 

“I can’t use magic right now!” Ace shook Deuce’s shoulders as Cater pulled out his own magic pen. “Here he comes!”

Kido sighed, pulling her hood over her head. Looks like Cater was focusing on Ace and Deuce, and Grimm was always itching for a fight so he jumped in instantly. All eyes were off of her. Well, that was fine. 

She hid behind the tree she had previously been painting, eyes flashing red just like the roses. “Now then….” She really wishes she could just grab the three and just make a bolt for the door - mirror - whatever. But she couldn’t get close with all that magic being flung back and forth. It was obvious Cater was holding back too. Just toying with them while the first years were throwing everything they could at him. 

Kido eyed the red bucket of red paint next to her and got an idea. If she could manage to dodge the sporadic magic enough then….

Sighing, she picked up the bucket and carefully made her way behind Cater. Deuce’s and Grimm’s magic was truly wild, but thankfully Cater either took the hit or made it obvious which way he was dodging so Kido could follow in his steps. 

“That's enough!” Kido drops the blindfold, and Cater is too slow in turning around.

She throws the paint bucket, red encasing the upperclassman’s vision. Before she could even see the reaction, she’s bolting across the grass to the stunned first years.

“Did you just-” Deuce started, but Kido was grabbing his hand, and Grim by the collar.

“Less talking, more running!” With the blindfold back on, she made sure the three were in her range and started to run, Ace taking the hint easily and following after. They didn’t stop running until they were at the mirror. 

“What was his problem!” Ace was the first to shout when they had all eventually caught their breath.

“No matter how many times we took him down, he kept coming back...I wonder if he was using illusion magic?” Deuce commented, causing Kido to cross her arms as she thought. She had missed part of the battle while she was thinking of her plan and dodging magic to get into position, so she couldn’t be sure if he was or wasn’t using whatever magic Deuce was talking about. Not that she would likely recognize it on sight anyways.

“On top of that, we got turned away at the gate without a tart? We didn’t have anything to begin with. He just wanted us to paint the dam roses!”

“Yeah, likely that was his plan from the second he saw us.” Kido sighed. Maybe she got it wrong, maybe it wasn’t Ace that was like Kano. But that Cater guy. That was definitely a kind of stunt he would pull if he could. 

“Then we can just bring a tart and try again. We can go after…” a pause passed between the group and Deuce and Kido shared a shocked expression.

“Shit.”

“The warning bell already rang! We’re going to be late!” Deuce explained to the other two, but Kido was already grabbing Grimm by the bow and pulling him through the mirror with her. She waited for the other two in the hall, still holding onto the cat.

“Let go of me!” Grimm said, squirming in her grasp.

“No, I don’t need you running off and ruining things before we even get into class.”

“Me? Ruin things?! Says the human with no magic going to a magic school! You’re likely to mess things up before me!”

“Do I need to remind you of literally all of yesterday?” She glared down at the cat, and he wavered under her glare. Yeah, she was finally thankful for this ice-cold glare of hers.

“Hey, Kido….” Grimm started, now looking more curious than furious as he had been a moment before. Deuce and Ace hurried to their sides as Grimm asked his question. “Since when were your eyes red?”

“Huh?” The humans said in unison, but Kido followed with a curse under her breath. She let go of the cat, him nearly falling to the ground but he caught himself and started floating next to her.

“Now that you mentioned it, I noticed that earlier when we were running.” Deuce tilted his head, and Ace leaned forward to try and get a better look.

Kido pulled her hood further down over her eyes. “We really don’t have time for this!”

“Ah! Right!” At least Deuce was easy to convince, and he started pulling Ace along. It gave her a moment to collect herself and pull the blindfold off before she put her hood down. Grimm stared for a moment, possibly trying to find traces of red in her black eyes. She rolled them and pushed him towards the exit as well. 

So she was in the same class as Ace and Deuce, huh. She had thought for sure that the headmaster would want to split them up. But instead he wanted her to keep an eye on the three troublemakers. She glances at Grimm, who is rambling at her side as they make their way to their first class. Potions, huh? Hopefully, it wasn’t too different from a science class. The teachers had been informed of her, how she didn’t have magic, and how she wasn’t even from this world, but she couldn’t be sure how they would act.

“You’re late!” There's a roar and a large crack as they step into the room. Kido jumps, clutching her schedule tightly to her chest. The man, who she can only guess is the teacher, gives her a pointed look while impatiently tapping a pointer in his hand. “Oh, it’s you two.” Did they already have a reputation? Then again, after that kind of first day, how could they not? “I’m aware you had to stop by the headmaster’s office first, but I do not stand for tardiness.”

“Y-Yes sir.” Kido’s shoulders finally relax as she takes steps towards the teacher. There’s a glance given around the room - everyone was already in lab coats with goggles. “We were, um, told to ask you for spare lab coats…?”

“I’ve placed them at your desk.” He used the pointer to direct their attention to a table. Thankfully it looked like she was paired with Deuce. “Now, your names? I need to add you to the attendance sheet.”

“Grimm-sama, the greatest Magician ever!” The cat easily introduced himself, and the girl couldn’t help but roll his eyes. The teacher didn’t seem any more amused than she did and simply wrote down his name, not giving him any attention that he craved. 

“And you?”

“Kido.”

“Is that your last name or first name?”

“Last, I preferred to be called that.”

“I still need your first for the attendance sheet.” He didn’t look too amused with her either. The last thing she needed was to be compared to Grim of all people, cats, ugh. 

Kido sighed, “It’s Tsubomi. Kido Tsubomi.”

She could feel the teacher’s eyes on her. She knew her name wasn’t exactly common, even back home. But it seemed even more strange here, and she quickly diverts her attention to her desk. “Was there anything else, sir?”

“No, take your seat.” 

Kido hurries to her table, mumbling a hello to Deuce before slipping off her blazer and putting on the labcoat.

“Tsubomi? Really?” Grim mumbled behind her at his place next to Ace.

“Shut up!” She gritted back before being cut off by the Teacher’s rant. 

The second period had a similar exchange with the teacher, though she just made sure to give her full name at the start. She eyed the cat, or familiar as the teacher later introduced. She couldn’t help but wonder if the teacher would let her pet him later...he seemed more well behaved than one cat she knew at least. She looked over at Grimm who already was falling asleep. She rolled her eyes and went back to writing notes. Deuce and Ace seemed to have a hard time concentrating as well. Were they all just bad students? Kido wasn’t the best but she knew not to fall asleep in class at least.

The third period was...awkward. Deuce and Ace went to go change right away but not only did Kido not have a gym uniform, but she was not about to go into the boys' locker room. She might be living with boys back home, but they were practically family and they did still keep the girls and boys in different rooms. She went to go find the teacher, finding he was already out on the field. Thankfully, he wasn’t hard to spot, with his large muscles and blinding red jacket.

“Um, excuse me.” Kido started as she walked up to him.

“Why are you- oh, you’re the one the headmaster told me about.” He seemed to be on autopilot to scold her, but stopped when he actually got a good look at her. “Kido, right?”

“Yes. Uh, Tsubomi Kido, if you need to write it down anywhere, but I prefer to be called Kido.”

“No problem!” The coach’s smile was almost blinding. “You need a uniform right? I got one in my office for you.” 

“Thank you. But, um, where should I change?” 

“In the locker room, of course!”

“.....Sir, that won’t work.” Did no one here have eyes?

“Why? Because you’re a girl?” Oh, nevermind. At least someone had been informed. “You can change after all the boys have left, there are stalls in there too so you can close yourself in.”

“...I guess that works. But won’t that make me late to line up with everyone?”

“I can make an exception.” The coach beamed. “Or you can maybe go to the nurse's office, it’s just down the hall from the locker room.”

“I’ll try that,”

“If you’re sure! Now let’s get your uniform. C’mon, don’t fall behind!” He’s jogging towards the building and Kido quickly follows after him. Thankfully she’s not as out of shape as someone like Shintaro, so she’s able to keep up and at least impress the teacher a tiny amount. She takes the uniform and walks towards the nurse’s office. It doesn’t take her long to change, and she’s thankful for the design of the gym uniform. She honestly hated how the girls looked back home in middle school, she didn’t imagine the highschool uniforms being much better. She wouldn’t have known, though - she dropped out a long time ago. 

She sighed, putting her clothes in a bag the nurse provided and leaving it in a cabinet. She thanked the nurse again before rushing back out to the field, redoing her hair from the low ponytail she had been keeping it in during classes to a high one to be more out of her way. 

“Ah, Kido, there you are!” The teacher waved her over, and she really hated how much attention was suddenly on her. “Go ahead, line up.”

“Kido, over here.” Deuce waved to her, and she quickly made her way between him and Ace, a sigh escaping her lips as the attention fell to the teacher’s ramble instead of her running in late. “Aren’t you going to get hot with long sleeves on like that?” She looked down at the gym uniform she wore - she opted to put on the long sleeve shirt the teacher had bundled in with the uniform. There had been a short sleeve one as well as a tank top, likely just giving her options that everyone else had when choosing what they would wear.

“I’m used to it.”

“Hell, I’m surprised you didn’t wear your hoodie.” Ace snickered next to her, and she rolled her eyes before turning back into the teacher’s instructions.

“20 laps? 100 pushups? He’s insane.” Kido sighed. This would be a long period.

Kido’s tired. 

Not even looking after the Mekakushi Dan was this tiring….most days. She shovels some food into her mouth as she listens to the explanation on the dorms and the two upperclassmen pointing out who in the cafeteria was from what dorm. The people with animal ears surprised Kido the most - what, was she reading one of Shintaro’s mangas? She’s questioning the reality of the situation again. 

Though those thoughts are brought to a halt when suddenly there is a new student next to them. And he’s...upside down. Right next to her ear. “Ah!” She flails slightly, silverware flying as she falls backward. There’s a loud thud as she falls off the bench and hits the ground.

“Oh! My apologies.” The student floats down, putting his feet on the ground like a normal person. 

“Kido! You okay?” Deuce stood up and looked over the table.

“Yeah, fine,” Kido grumbles, giving a stare at the short student now towering over her. “What the heck was that?”

“I heard you all talking,” The student offered his hand, and while hesitant, Kido took it and brought herself to her feet. “And simply wanted to inform you that you’re welcome to come and speak to us of Diasomnia. I did not think I would frighten you so in the process.” The third-year chuckled, and Kido’s eye twitched. 

“If you don’t want to frighten people try not sneaking up on them and suddenly hanging upside down. Kind of freaky, don’t you think?” 

“Hey, Kido-chan….” Cater warned.

“I won’t tell you again. Drop the -chan. Do you want another bucket of paint on your head?” Kido turns away from the newcomer, sitting back at the table. “What dorm was yours again?”

“Diasomnia.” the third year practically beams at her despite her rude comments moments earlier. “We will welcome you with open arms if you ever wish to speak with us.”

“Those guys over there don’t look like they’d be very welcoming.” Kido glances to where Deuce is looking to see a silver-haired and green-haired pair of stents staring them down. Well, Kido was the last person to say that looks could be deceiving. 

The third-year chuckles. “Well, apologies for dropping in on your meal. And, Kido, was it?” Kido raised an eyebrow as she looked over at him. “Apologies again for scaring you. Until we meet again.” Kido watches the man leave for a moment as the others at the table whisper about him. It definitely was strange, how he was able to hear what they were saying from so far away. But, of all the things she had experienced since she got here, it definitely wasn’t the weirdest. 

She turned back to her food, hoping to finish it before the lunch period was actually over.

“Dorm leader!” 

Kido choked on her next bite.

She was so tired.

“Ah...I’m sorry, Kido.” 

“For what?” Kido asked, glancing over at Deuce as she adjusted the bags in her hands. Grim had flown ahead of them to let Trey and Ace know they were close, so it was just the two of them walking together on the path.

“I...rambled about my life and my mother and you…”

“It’s no big deal,” Kido answered, a little too quickly, which caused the boy to give her a pitiful look. “Really, it’s fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. It’s not like I hate talking about my family or anything. It’s not all great memories, but they’re not all bad memories either.”

“I see…” Deuce trailed off, the pitiful look becoming something much softer as Kido looked forward. “You’re amazing, Kido.”

“Where did that come from?”

“I don’t think I could ever move on if something happened to my mom.”

“I can tell she means a lot to you.” Kido smiled at him, not catching the look of shock on his face as she did so. “I guess I was lucky, I got to have two mothers.”

“Two? Oh, is one your foster mother?”

“Yeah, she was great.”

“Was-?”

“She died too.”

“Oh...I’m sorry.”

“Me too.” Kido sighed softly. “But it’s in the past now. I had a good time with her and my foster family. I wouldn’t trade those years for anything.” Deuce is silent, and Kido looks over at him before they enter the kitchen once more. “We can talk more later. I would love to hear more about your delinquent days.”

“Don’t make fun of me Kido,” Deuce whined and Kido chuckled as they entered the kitchen. 

At least cooking was something she could do. Baking was a bit different but fundamentally similar. All she needed to do was tie her hair up and get started per Trey’s instructions. “You’re good at this, Kido,” Trey said, taking the bowl from her which she had been stirring ingredients into. “Do you do a lot of baking?”

“Baking no, but I’m in charge of cooking at my house.”

“Ah, I know that feeling. Are you the oldest too?”

“No...but I might as well be.” 

“How many siblings do you have?”

“Technically, two. But one more person lives with us and I feed about four other people on a normal basis.” 

She could practically see Trey’s glasses shift on his face. “That’s quite a group.”

“Yeah, but I’m the leader so I have to take care of them all.”

“Leader huh….So you must be fitting into being a supervisor pretty well.”

“I wouldn’t say that.” Kido glances at Grim, who is starting yet another argument with Ace. For a moment it looked like it was about to turn into a food fight, but Deuce had enough braincells to step in and stop them. She sighed and looked back at Trey who was giving her an apologetic look. “But at least I’m no stranger to chaos. The magic is what’s throwing me off.”

“Are you really from somewhere with no magic? I’ve heard the rumors but…”

“Rumors?” 

“Well, I guess you haven’t heard them, but people are talking about you.”

“.....That’s ironic.” 

“How so?”

How so? How so?! She was practically a ghost all of her life and he’s asking her why people talking about her was ironic? She has to bite back a laugh. “I’m just not the most noteworthy person, is all.”

“Says the one who threw a bucket of paint at an upperclassman. I can confidently say Cater will never forget you.”

“Hey, he deserved it.” Kido pointed the spoon she had been using at him. “If he had just asked us to leave and waited for us to do so instead of pulling out that stupid magic wand or whatever the second he said to leave, he wouldn’t have had paint thrown on him. Does everyone here lack common sense or what?”

Trey laughed, so much so he had to hold his sides. “You’re really something else, Kido.”

Chapter Text

“So what are we going to do about sleeping arrangements?” Deuce was the first to ask as they made their way to the rundown dorm. Though she wasn’t given much of a choice, Ace was glad Kido was letting them stay over. There was no way in hell he was staying at that dorm when this collar was still on his neck. And that dorm leader was going to get a piece of his mind one way or another. He would just figure out how to word it so that he didn’t instantly end up with another collar on.

“What do you mean? We can just sleep in Kido’s room~” Ace grinned, throwing an arm around the green-haired girl’s shoulders. She didn’t look impressed, but that just made it funnier to mess with her.

“D-Don’t joke like that!” Deuce was the one to pull him off of her. “She’s a girl! We can’t stay in her room.”

“I’d kick his ass before he could even try,” Kido said, pushing open the gate leading up to the dorm. “Sadly we haven’t really had time to clean more of the rooms out. I suppose we could clean up the lounge a bit more and just sleep in there.”

“After all that baking you want us to clean? You’re killing me here.” Ace sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets as he continued up to the dorm. He really wasn’t in the mood for that. Hell, he wasn’t in the mood for any of this. The start of his high school life was ruined by that tyrant of a dorm leader. 

“Would you rather sleep outside?”

“Haaaa fine.”

“We don’t have to do it right away. You can rest if you’re that tired.” Kido said, unlocking the front door and pushing it open. Though it takes a bit of force and it squeaks enough to make all who are present cringe. 

“The headmaster is really making you guys live in a dump, huh.” Ace stepped inside, stepping over a pile of debris in the foyer and helping Kido over it as well. She mumbles a thank you before walking on ahead of them.

“Yeah, and here I thought my apartment back home was crappy.” 

“You lived in an apartment?” 

“Yeah, me and my brothers and a friend of ours.” She turned on the lights in the lounge and walked in, the boys and cat following after her.

“This is….alot to clean up,”  Deuce commented offhandedly, getting a better look around now that he had a chance to look more than just in the foyer. Ace rolls his eyes.

“No shit.” He flopped onto the couch, which he had slept the previous night. It wasn’t comfortable at all, but he was glad just to be off of his feet. “Can we at least take a break before cleaning?”

“Sure, I can make us some tea.” Ace shrugged at Kido’s suggestion and watched her walk off towards the kitchen. He leaned his head back against the couch - though it was difficult with the collar still in place. “Ugh, doesn’t he know what a huge inconvenience this is?” He sighed, rubbing his fingers through the small gap of the collar and his neck, rubbing at the skin. At least it didn’t hurt too badly, he’s sure the dorm leader made it so while inconvenient, it didn't actually hurt anyone. Though, he probably could make it hurt if he really wanted. Ace shuddered at the thought.

“Well if all goes right, you’ll have it off tomorrow,” Deuce reassured him, cleaning off a nearby chair so he could sit down on it. He seemed just as relieved to be off of his feet despite his monster-like stamina he displayed earlier in P.E. “Though...how do you even sleep with it?”

“If I lay on my back it’s not too bad. Can’t turn my head at all though.”

“Ouch.” Came Grim’s award-winning sympathy. Ace rolled his eyes.

“Oh shut up you st-”

“Tea’s ready.”

“Ah!” Ace nearly jumped when the sudden voice interrupted him - and standing next to the couch suddenly was Kido, holding a tray with four cups. He blinked up at her while she gave him a blank stare. How long had she been there? “When did you-”

“What?! Are you taking lessons from the ghosts?!” Grim wheezed out, Ace looked over and it seemed that the cat and other student were just as surprised as him about Kido’s sudden appearance.

“Do you want to sleep outside?” Kido all but slammed the tray on the small coffee table in front of the couch, glaring at Grimm. He quickly nodded and gave a mouth full of apologies. “Just drink your tea before I change my mind.” The three of them had the teacups in their hands before another word could be spoken between them. Kido looked satisfied with herself and sat on a patch of clear ground next to the coffee table. The other chairs still weren’t cleaned off, leaving not a lot of options in terms of sitting comfortably.

“You can sit up here you know.” Ace commented between sips.

“Says the one taking up the entire couch.” She rolled her eyes and drank from her cup. “It’s fine, doesn’t bother me.”

They drank their tea in relative silence with only a few disjointed short conversations between sips, topics ranging from the plan for tomorrow to how Kido was adjusting to going to a magic school.

“What was school like where you’re from?” Deuce suddenly asked, and ace raised an eyebrow as he leaned back against the couch after having put his empty cup back on the tray.

“Not too much different, though it was the teachers that switched classrooms and not the students.”

“Boy that would make things easier- no more rushing to the classroom or running into people.” Ace said, crossing his arms over his chest.

“We’d switch classrooms for labs and stuff like that still but that was it. But….” Kido trailed off, looking into her empty cup.

“But?” The three questioned in unison.

“You guys have to stop doing that, it’s creepy.” She said with a pointed look before sighing and putting the cup onto the tray. “I haven’t been to school in a long time. So it’s just been...weird.”

“Why not?” Ace asked, leaning forward as he did so. He was curious, and who could blame him? Everything about Kido was mysterious. 

“....are you done with that?” She pointed to deuce’s cup in his hands and he quickly puts it back on the tray. She stands up without another word and takes the tray back to the kitchen, leaving the boys and cat staring at her back.

“She ignored me!” Ace huffed.

“We shouldn’t go prying into her personal life.” Deuce quickly defends, causing Ace to roll his eyes as deuce continued his scolding. “If she doesn’t want to tell us then she doesn’t want to tell us. It might be hard to talk about.” 

“Don’t you want to know? Ace asked looking over at Deuce. “Not only is she not from this world, but she’s a girl and a non-magical one at that who is attending night raven college of all places! You can’t tell me you’re not interested.” Deuce looks hesitant and Ace knows he called it right. He was just as curious as Ace was.

“What about me huh?!” Grim finally spoke up, floating over to ace with a huff.

“What about you?”

“I’m the greatest magician ever! Grim-sama!! Why aren’t you curious about me?!” 

“If you’re so great then you can clean this place up on your own, yeah?” Kido suddenly appeared as if out of thin air again, but this time only grim jumps.

“Yeah! Thanks for taking care of it Grim-sama.” Ace grins.

“We would be lost without you, Grim-sama.” Deuce added in with a smirk.

Any confidence that Grimm had been trying to display deflated in an instant, “W-Wait—!” The humans laughed at grim’s expense, but sadly Kido still made them all start cleaning - much to Ace’s dismay. Thankfully, at least, with the minimal cleaning he did last night it didn’t take too long to at least make the area around the couch suitable for a sleepover. 

“I think I know where some extra blankets are. Though I’m not sure if they’re clean…”

“Well you have a washing machine here don’t you?” Ace asked, rubbing at the back of his head. 

“Yeah, I just haven’t really used it yet.” Kido said, putting a hand on her hip, “it looks old as shit, not even sure if it’ll still work.”

“Well, if all else fails, I can get some blankets from Heartslabyul and bring them here.” Deuce said, though looked concerned a moment later, “I don’t...think there’s a rule about that.”

“Better not risk it.” Kido quickly decided and Ace and deuce nodded, both giving a heavy sigh. “I’ll go grab them and see if I can get the old thing started.”

“I’ll come with you.” Ace said, pointing a thumb at grim, “if I have to spend one more second with Grim-Sama I am going to break more than just a rule.”

“What was that you puny human?!” Ace turned to shout back at the cat, but felt a tug to the collar. After stumbling back a few feet and coughing all the while, he finally noticed Kido was dragging him away.

“L-let go!” He pleaded, but she didn’t do so until they were up the stairs and around the corner - out of sight of deuce and grim (the former of the two holding the cat back, or at least s that’s what it looked like from the corner of ace’s eye before he lost sight of them). “Gah, did you really have to-“

“Yes.” 

“You didn’t have to answer so quick.”

She only smirks at him and continues down the hall, and he sighs and follows her. While they walked and searched the closets for the blankets, he couldn’t help but let his mind wander. He was still so curious about her. Even if she hadn’t been from another world everything else that he’s learned about her so far only made him more and more curious. His eyes fall to her as she shuts another closet door in frustration, muttering something about how she could have sworn the blankets were in a closet in this hallway. Not even a moment later though-

“You’re staring.”

“Huh.” She didn’t even look at him! “How did you-“

“I’m normally not one people care to look at so when they do, I notice. Stop, it’s creeping me out.”

She continued down the hall and he’s left staring at her retreating form for a moment before he quickly trails after her. “What do you mean by that?”

“Huh?” It was her turn to be confused so he took the opportunity.

“About people not looking at you. I mean, I’m pretty sure people have done nothing but that since you got here.”

“Yeah...it’s weird.” He could almost see her shudder, so he raises an eyebrow and continues his line of questions.

“I don’t think so I mean…” he rubs at the back of his head and looks forward as he feels her eyes on her. “You have this mysterious air about you. And with your reputation, people are curious.”

“Including you.” Busted.

“Guilty as charged. But I’m not as dense as Deuce thinks I am, I know when to stop asking questions. So...you don’t have to tell me anything if you’re not comfortable with it. I’m just trying to get to know you better.”

There’s a moment of silence, that’s a little too awkward for ace’s tastes, before he just barely sees a smile on Kido’s face, “well I appreciate it. But…”

“I get it if you’re uncomfortable—“

“Well there’s that,” she stops walking, and he does too- looking down at her with a confused expression, land if I told you, you’d have to join my secret organization.” She smirks up at him, and he blinks in surprise. That’s definitely not what he had been expecting to hear, “or kill you, I guess. But I think you practically have that covered yourself.” Just to add insult to injury, she tugs tightly on the heart collar, causing Ace to choke and cough for a moment. She chuckles as she walks away, leaving a dumbfounded ace behind.

“H-hey! Kido! What the hell does that mean?!” She could be entirely messing with him but that felt a little too specific- “Kido!” He calls after her before jogging down the hallway. 

She, unfortunately, doesn’t elaborate further. Especially since they manage to find the damn blankets. She shoves a couple into his arms before showing him where the laundry room was. They manage to get the washing machine working, but she was not kidding when she said it was old. It looked like something from his grandparents' place. Once getting it started they headed back downstairs to see Deuce and Grim sitting around the table with a deck of cards. 

“Cards? Where did you find those?” Kido asked, quickly taking a seat on the couch before Ace could take it over again. He rolled his eyes before sitting on the opposite end of the couch.

“I brought them. Figured we could use something to do since your dorm is…”

“Yeah,” Kido said, giving a heavy sigh. “But I’ll warn you, I’m not too good at any kind of card game.”

“Why? Don’t play them a lot?” Ace asked, leaning forward and snatching the deck from Deuce, who argued but let Ace shuffle the deck nonetheless.

“It’s kind of banned in our apartment,” When everyone gave her confused looks, Kido almost looked flustered as she messed with her hair and answered, “too much cheating.”

“Including you?”

“Kano started it.” Ace could just barely hear her grumble under her breath.

“Well, cheating or not, no one has bested me at card games yet!” Well, besides his older brother, but no one needed to know that. “Why don’t we start with something simple, old maid?”

“Sure, I kind of remember how that works.”

“What’s that?” Grim stated and Ace got the largest grin on his face. Oh, this was going to be fun.

Chapter Text

“So you’re really going through with this?” Kido turns around to see Trey closing the door to the library behind him. Ace, Deuce, and Grim are just out of earshot, talking over strategies for the upcoming fight with Riddle. Trey must have waited specifically for them to be just far enough away to ask her specifically. Why he would, she couldn’t be sure. Unless she asked, that is. 

Sighing, she puts her hands into the pockets of the purple hoodie, weighing her words before she spoke. “Yeah. Sorry, we’re probably going to cause trouble for you no matter how this plays out.” Trey’s shoulders rise in a short chuckle, but she can tell it was forced. “Ace put it kind of bluntly, but I kind of agree with him, you know.” Trey stares at her for a moment, and she’s really not used to people looking at her. She pulls the hood over her head, ready to walk away.

“Kido-” Trey chokes out, causing her to stop in her tracks. He seems to be struggling to speak and she sighs.

“Want to not be heard by anyone?” Trey looks down for a moment before nodding. “Okay, I can do that.” 

“What…?” He looks up again and is startled by the sight - so much so he takes a step back, Kido’s eyes were glowing red. 

“No one can hear us now, watch.” She pointed down the hall, he looks to see the trio of students he was just with looking around wildly as if they were looking for something - or someone.

“Kido! Kido?!” Ace yells down the hall, but she was right in his line of sight still, even being down the hall...right? Trey looks between him and her.

“I’m right here!” Kido called, and Trey looked back at Ace and Deuce who was still looking around. “Hellloooooo?” She calls, but it’s obvious she’s not putting much heart into it. “See? They can’t see or hear us.”

“How? I thought you didn’t have magic.” 

Kido chuckled. Magic, if only that’s what it was. “It’s a long story, let’s just say that it’s my own unique magic - but it’s all I can do.” Trey is staring again, but he gives a slow nod, at least willing to accept the answer for right now. “Let’s go somewhere with fewer people, while I can stop us from being seen or heard, if someone knocks into me it’s broken. How about the field? The clubs are over by now right?” 

“Right…” Trey followed closely next to her as they walked out to the flying lessons field. It was silent for a moment while both of them thought of what they wanted to say.

“I do agree with Ace. I do think that you’ve been just enabling Riddle’s bad behavior. But I can also tell there’s a reason behind it. A good, or justified, reason, I can’t say for sure.” Trey looks down and takes off his glasses for a moment, pinching the bridge of his nose as Kido keeps talking. “You’re not friends with Riddle, and you haven’t been for a long time - right?”

“And you said Ace was blunt.” He couldn’t help but grumble under his breath. He puts his glasses back on and looks up to see Kido standing in front of him, her eyes still glowing red. There was something so unsettling about it, but he tried to swallow that back. “I like to think that I am his friend but….”

“But you’re not.” 

 “Yeah.” He runs a hand through his hair, “We grew far apart and while I always watched over him, I am pretty sure we lost trust in each other back then. I still don’t know if it can ever be repaired, but I’ve tried - in small ways.”

“Which also leads you to turn a blind eye?” Kido asked, and Trey didn’t answer, so she continued. “You know, I used to be similar to Riddle. Maybe not in the rule enforcing way, but I was so...angry.” She tugs on her hood, covering her red eyes. “I used to yell at those who were close to me a lot, break out into fits where I would hit them if they so much as looked at me the wrong way. At first, they didn’t say anything, because of the trauma I had gone through. That we had all gone through. We were all angry and upset and lonely until we had each other.” She lets go of the hood, and as she did a gust of wind blew it back and blew her long hair with it. She didn’t notice Trey’s staring this time, but he couldn’t help but think how sad she looked. “But we were finally adopted and got the care we needed - which meant that we were told when what we were doing was wrong, and got proper help for our issues. It wasn’t any single person's fault, but being complacent, lying down and taking it? It doesn’t help anything.”

That’s right. She couldn’t be complacent - how could she forget? How did she go from declaring they were going to fight the Kagerou Daze, to sitting idly while she waited for someone else to find her a way home? She went as far as going to class and trying to be a good student. Maybe because she was wanting to be normal again - even in this crazy situation. Normality was what all of the Mekakushi Dan strived for in one way or another. Momo especially came to mind, having struggled not only with her eye power but with being an idol and wanting to just be a normal girl again. Kido could relate in a way. 

“With that in mind,” Trey snapped out of his daze, blinking as he looked at her. “Want to talk about it?” She tilted her head, “After all if you’re not going to speak for yourself, who is going to?” 

“I….” He’s at a loss for words. Kido walks forward a few steps as his shoulders shake. “I don’t know where I should even start.” He let out a weak laugh as he covered his mouth with his hand. Kido knew this too well. He was trying to stay strong, but he was breaking down now that he was given a moment of peace, away from any prying eyes and ears besides her own. 

“The beginning is normally a good start.” She pulls on his sleeve, and he crumbles, letting her pull him down onto the ground. He didn’t realize how his legs were about to give out under him until he started to move to sit down on the grass with her. Kido watches as Trey takes off his glasses again, this time rubbing at his eyes as if he was pushing the tears back. “I can keep this up for a while, so hell you could scream if you wanted to.”

That gets a genuine laugh from him, even if it was a bit choked. “I-I’m good, thanks.”

“Don’t knock it til you try it. Screaming is very therapeutic.”

“Speaking from experience?”

“Hey, this is about you, not me.” She quickly turned it around on him. Busted. “Now go on, from the beginning.”

He sits up straight, pulling his legs closer as he tries to figure out the words. He takes a deep breath before putting his glasses back on. “Well….it started when we were kids - me and Che’nya, and we met Riddle…”

And so he told Kido his story, and honestly, Kido felt sick to her stomach just listening to it. She had only ever had caring mothers - even if her biological mother was not at her best (from what little Kido remembered of her), even if she had gotten mad at Ayaka many times when she first moved in with her family. Ayano had changed all that, Ayano was the foundation she needed at the time…..

Trey didn’t have that, Riddle didn’t have that. She couldn’t help but feel sorry for them both.

“Hey, Trey….” She called, just as he had gotten up to get back to his dorm after the story had ended. She blinks as he holds out a hand to her, but she takes it gratefully and pulls herself up to her feet. She felt tired for keeping up her ability for so long, but she keeps it going for a few more minutes as she continues to speak. “Promise me something.”

“What’s that?”

“When this fight between the idiots is all over,” That got a small snort from Trey, “talk to Riddle. Everything you felt while retelling that story, tell him. Explain everything.” She holds tightly onto his hand, causing him to look down at their hands before back at her as her eyes finally fade from the bright red and back to their dull black. “You don’t know when someone will be gone from your life, you need to speak up while you have the chance.”

There’s a silence that falls between them again as Trey gives her a sad smile and squeezes her hand once before letting go.

“You’ve been through a lot, haven’t you?”

“You could say that.” She said, running a hand through her bangs. “Maybe one day I’ll tell you about it.”

“I look forward to it.” Trey grins. “And I promise, I’ll talk to Riddle after this is over.”

“Good. Now I better go find Ace and Deuce, they are probably tearing apart the school as we speak.”

“Good luck,” Trey said with a laugh, only to be caught off guard as Kido offered her fist. It took him a moment to realize what she wanted, and he grins and bumped his fist with her own. “Don’t let them know I’m secretly rooting for them.”

“No problem. Your secret is safe with me.”

“As is yours. I won’t tell anyone about your...unique magic.”

“I appreciate it.” She said, shoving her hands into her pockets before starting to walk towards the school again. 

Something about how Riddle was speaking down to Ace and Deuce really rubbed Kido the wrong way. So, what? Just because someone didn’t have magical parents or didn’t get into the best schools, they’re inadequate?

She started to step forward out of the crowd, only to feel a hand on her shoulder. She nearly growled at who held her back, seeing it was Trey. “Let go.”

“No I-”

“SHUT THE HELL UP!” Ace’s voice cut into their whispered conversation, and they both looked up to see Ace punch the dorm leader across the face. Kido used this distraction to pull herself out of Trey’s group and run up to Deuce.

“You okay?” 

“He...He just-” Obviously not hearing her, Kido determined he was fine enough from the short battle, despite being collared. She looked towards Ace.

“I don’t care. About the dorm leader, about the duel, any of it.” He spoke loudly, wanting everyone to hear this speech of his, and Kido didn’t have the heart to interrupt him despite it possibly being the right course of action here. “Kids aren’t their parents’ trophies, and kids’ achievements don’t determine parents’ worth. The reason you’re such a bastard isn’t your parents’ fault, and I finally realize that!” Riddle takes a step back, but Ace steps forward to reduce the distance and make the older hear his words. “You didn’t make a single friend to tell you off for being a tyrant in the past year, this is your own damn fault!”

“Wh...What are you saying…?!” Riddle asked, clearly confused, and possibly intimidated by the freshman as he takes another step back.

Ace takes another step forward. “Growing up under your obsessive mother was probably some kind of hell, I’ll give you that. But is all you have to say ‘mama this’ ‘mama that’? Try thinking for yourself!” Kido can’t help but think back to the conversation she had with Trey. As promised she didn’t speak a word of their past to Ace or Deuce - but she couldn’t help but be reminded of what she told the upperclassman. If he didn’t think and speak for himself, who would? “You’re no ‘Crimson Ruler’! You’re just a baby that’s good at magic!” Though maybe Ace was taking it too far, she couldn’t help but think.

“Ace-” 

“You don’t know anything….You don’t know anything about me!” Riddle cut her softer voice off, and Ace continued his verbal duel with the other - both of them now standing their ground.

“I’ve got no idea. There’s no way I would! Do you think I’d know, or anyone would, with that attitude!? I’m not letting you off the hook that easily.”

“Enough, Enough, ENOUGH! SHUT UP!” Riddle suddenly shouted out. “My mother was correct! That means I’m correct!” Something about that logic has Kido’s stomach turning in the worst possible way. 

“Riddle, Calm down. The duel is already over!” Trey speaks up, making his way from the crowd along with Crowley. 

“It is as Mr.Clover says.” The headmaster put his hands on his hips, giving a pointed glare to Ace. “The challenger is disqualified for his outburst!” Ace didn’t look the least bit phased by the information. “Continue to escalate this situation and you’ll be going against school regulations!” 

Mummering from the crowd started as the headmaster was trying to break up the two. Some were more worried about what Riddle was going to do next, while others were speaking up in Ace’s favor. Regardless, Kido noticed one thing for sure. No one was speaking in defense of Riddle or his actions up to this point. 

A crack broke through the noise and everyone went silent as they realized what had been done, someone threw an egg at Riddle. While Kido would normally comment on how anti-climatic it all was - right now she couldn’t help but hold her breath with the rest of the crowd. Deuce stiffened by her side, grabbing her arm and pulling her behind him as if to protect her from the tantrum they all knew was coming. Even as Riddle questioned who was responsible, no one spoke, no one barely breathed. The only thing that broke the silence was Riddle’s maddening laugh.

“You can’t handle it? I’m the one who can’t handle it anymore!!” He declared, his face going red with anger. “No matter how many times I say off with your heads, no matter how strict I become, you all keep breaking the rules! This guy, that guy, you’re all selfish idiots! Fine, have it your way. If you won’t come forward, I’ll just punish all of you!” 

“That’s my cue.” 

“Wh- Kido! Wait! Don’t, it’s too dangerous for you!” 

She was pretty sure his ability couldn’t affect her, as she had no real magic to begin with. So it was fine if she was collared. And there was no way she could get this entire crowd. But she aimed for near where Trey was standing and the students around him.

“OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!” 

Kido threw herself in front of some students, activating her power as they all cower behind her. If he couldn’t see them, he couldn’t collar them. Sadly, as her ability doesn’t work for a long distance, most of the students still got collared. Screams erupted from around them and Kido dropped the ability - not used to encasing the full two-meter area with so many people, in such a short amount of time. She staggered a bit, being caught by Trey. Deuce and Grim quickly ran over and took her from Trey.

“What the hell was that?” Grim asked. “It was like one second you were there and the next-”

“Kido…” Trey patted her shoulder, and she shrugged both him and Deuce off.

“I’m fine,” she quickly stated, though they were all giving her worried looks.

“Trey.” Cater shook Trey’s shoulder to get his attention. “This is bad if he keeps casting magic like that….” The two of the upperclassmen seemed to understand the implications, while the students Kido managed to save were hiding behind bushes or groaning about their new collars. 

“Riddle! This is enough!” Trey finally spoke up, taking a few steps towards the dorm leader. 

“Not everything is going to go the way you want!” Ace also chimed in. “Throwing a tantrum when things don’t is what makes you a baby!”

“He really needs to stop saying that.” Kido groaned.

“Agreed,” Deuce said with a sigh

“Why? He’s right!” Grim huffed.

Suddenly Cater’s warning hit their ears, and the rose maze was filled with a heavy sense of dread. Kido gripped onto Deuce’s arm after picking up Grim into her other hand. Suddenly it was dark around them and Deuce was quick to wrap his arms around Kido and hold her to his chest, protecting her from the pieces of ground, hedge, and paint buckets that started flying around. There were a few screams around them before it suddenly died down. Grim climbed up onto Kido’s shoulder as soon as Deuce released them both with a quiet ‘I think it stopped’. But what they were seeing now was….well, she had a hard time placing words for it. It was like they were in the final boss arena in a video game.

“Th-The rose trees are floating around the garden!” Grim pointed out, pointing a paw up above them.

“This is a huge amount of magic! Is he really going to come after us with all of that?!” Deuce panicked, rightfully so Kido thought.

“Ace!” Kido quickly ran forward, ignoring Grim falling off of her shoulders and instead noticing how close Ace was to the line of fire. If she could at least get close maybe she could grab him and pull him out of the way in time! But as she got closer, so did the rose trees, and all Ace could do was brace for impact. “Ace-!” She called again, only for her worry to dissipate as the trees did exactly that.  Where the trees would have been burying Ace alive, there were now floating lights in the shape of card suits. Kido didn’t take a moment to admire the sight and instead grabbed Ace by the back of her jacket and pulled him up to his feet and away from Riddle. 

“W-We’re alive?” Was ace’s first question as they rejoined with Deuce and Grim, the latter climbing back up onto her shoulder. 

“The rose trees have all been turned into card suits. But...how…?” Deuce explained while they all looked around, and Kido’s eyes fell onto someone specifically. 

“Riddle! Stop now!” Trey called out, getting everyone’s attention.

“Trey’s ‘doodle suit’?!  What’s going on…?” Cater sounded just as confused as everyone else. 

“Hey wait!” Grim suddenly exclaimed, getting Kido’s attention, “The magic collar is gone too!” Kido blinked, realizing he was right, looking over at Ace and Deuce as well as the other students who were affected by the magic, they no longer wore the collars.

“I told you,” Trey said, getting their attention again. “My Doodle Suit can overwrite anything for a short period of time. So I overwrote ‘Riddle’s magic’ with ‘my magic’.” 

“You’re kidding…” Cater said, absolutely bewildered by the situation, “That’s possible?! It’s a cheat!”

“A good fucking cheat.” Kido grins.

Trey ignored their comments and approached Riddle, who was furious at how his magic was no longer working as intended. “Riddle, stop this. If you go any further you will lose everything! Look at everyone’s faces!”

As everyone murmured words of fear about Riddle’s actions, the events leading up to this finally started to click in riddle’s mind.

“Huh….? Trey you...overwrote my magic? Does that mean your magic surpasses mine?” His voice was shaking, and not in a way Kido liked.

“There’s no way that’s the case,” Trey said, crossing his arms and speaking with a leveled tone. “Riddle, calm down a bit, and let’s talk this out.”

“So you want to tell me I’m wrong too? Even though we’ve been upholding these strict rules this whole time?!” It was Riddle’s turn to take a step forward, and Kido wouldn’t admit that she took a step back. “I’ve been enduring, and enduring, and enduring this whole time.” Was she looking at a fucking mirror? She couldn’t help but see herself back at the orphanage. Enduring all the loneliness. Even those who were like her, the other ‘monsters’, couldn’t find her on a good day if she didn’t want to be found, or was simply too angry with them, or too angry with herself. “I don’t….I don’t believe you!”

Kido grabbed a hold of Deuce and Ace. They were calling out to her, Crowley and Trey were calling out to Riddle, but their words were muffled in her ears. ‘Get out’. ‘Run’. ‘It’s not safe’. ‘Leave! Leave him!’ These were words being repeated over and over in her mind. Every fiber of her being was telling her to leave. But why? Sure, his magic could be scary but --

Her grip on the two boys tightens as she hears a soft ‘drip, drip, drip’ noise echoing in the back of her mind. Suddenly she feels sick. Before she could turn around and confirm her fears, Ace and Deuce were also grabbing onto her and she could feel Grim’s claws in her shoulder. Then an evil laugh filled the garden, and Kido finally got the courage to look over her shoulder as a cold sweat rolled down the side of her head.

“I am the law in my world. I am the rules! No other response than ‘Yes, Lord Riddle’ is acceptable! It’s off with the heads of any who disobey me!” His voice doesn’t sound like his own, Kido swears there’s an echo with a deeper, more sinister, tone. 

“Ahh, look at this mess!” Crowley cries near the first years, “A student has gone into overblot right in front of me!”

“What the hell is overblot?!” Grim asked before Kido could even get the words out. “That guy’s got a wicked air around him now!” 

“Overblot is a state that wizards must avoid at all cost,” Crowley explains as the teenagers slowly pull away from each other. “He’s being caught up in a storm of negative energy that has made him lose control of his emotions and magic.” 

“I don’t get it,” Grim said.

“Me either!” Deuce rather proudly proclaimed. 

“He’s pretty much become the final boss.” Kido cuts in, holding her head in her hand. It was throbbing, yells of getting as far away from the situation as possible still ringing clearly in her mind. “Gone completely berserk or something, right?” Kido asks for confirmation from one of the upperclassmen or the headmaster.

“That’s a pretty good way of putting it!” Cater quickly said, seeming relieved that someone appeared to get it.

“His life's in danger if he keeps using magic like this.” Trey quickly added on. 

All of the thoughts of running suddenly stop. Kido feels like she couldn’t breathe. No, No not again. She couldn’t hear the headmaster’s orders to evacuate and get help - before she even knew it she was jumping forward with Ace, Deuce, and Grim at her side. She couldn’t fight as they could, but she could give them a bit of protection by hiding them from Riddle’s sight!

Ace, Deuce, and Grim all attacked the berserker in front of them, but Riddle barely seemed phased.

“What do you fools think you’re doing?” Riddle’s tone still causes a shudder to run down Kido’s spine but she wasn’t going to run. Not even if the voice in her head was screaming at her to do so once again.

“Wh-Whoa, whoa whoa!” Cater stuttered out, “What are you all doing?!

“He’s only in danger like this!” Grim said, jumping back onto Kido’s shoulder - likely using the height for emphasis on his point.

“I won’t be able to sleep well with him like this.” Deuce said, cracking his knuckles, “And…”

“He still hasn’t said, ‘I was wrong. I’m so sorry’ yet!” Ace finished and Kido couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

“You all….” Trey looks specifically at her and she shakes her head. She’s not leaving either. “Got it. I can overwrite his magic with my doodle, even if it’s not for too long.” He quickly makes his way over to her side. “Care to give me some cover?” He said, offering his fist out

“I got your back.” Kido grinned and bumped her fist with his.

“Let’s finish this quickly then! Headmaster, please work on evacuating the residents.” It took until now to notice the other students cowering in fear nearby or running towards the mirror. But they were deep in the rose maze, and likely the entire dorm area looked this awful and humming with energy. They were likely scared and getting lost on the way. 

“Hold on a second! All of you! It’s too dangerous! Especially you, Kido! Get over here at once!” The headmaster ordered, but she didn’t budge an inch.

“What’s gotten into you, Trey?” Cater tried to reason. “You know you can’t beat Riddle!”

“This isn’t about just beating him to a pulp, you know!” Kido finally had it, and everyone looks at her. “This is about saving his damn life, so you really shouldn’t be complaining! Either help us or help evacuate everyone, those are your two options.”

“Yeah...I can’t lose him.” Trey steps forward, rolling up his sleeves. “I...still have a lot to tell him.”

“You did promise, after all,” Kido said, pulling up her hood. 

“....ah, shit.” Cater sighed and started to run over. “Understood! But I’m really not cut out for this kind of thing!”

“Says the guy who challenged us to a fight earlier.” Kido huffed but accepted the help nonetheless. 

Crowely didn’t look happy and stared at her for a moment more. But he must have realized the situation and gave an aggravated sigh. “Fine! As soon as I finish evacuating the other students I’ll be back! Hold on until then!” He reluctantly leaves it in the hands of the few who stood up to fight and started gathering those who were hiding nearby to lead them out of the maze. It likely would take a while, despite Crowley’s rush to get back.  

“This guy, that guy, you all have some nerve...I’ll take all your heads off at once!” Riddle screamed, and the ground and air around him shook.

“Riddle’s body can’t keep this up.” Trey points out, “We have to stop him before it’s too late…”

“What’s the plan?!” Cater asked, looking around at the other four students.

“We go in guns blazing, of course!” Grim yelled and Kido put a hand over his mouth.

“First, Trey needs to cast doodle suit again, then I'll keep him out of Riddle’s sight so he can concentrate and not worry about being attacked.”

“Oh good idea,” Ace said, pulling out his magic pen. “But are you going to be okay? You’re the only one here who doesn’t have magic.”

“I’ll be fine.” She threw Grim at him before either of them could say anything else. “Get Ready!” 

They all rush in as if they didn’t make a plan just two seconds ago. Trey takes the front before casting doodle suit. With her eyes now shifting to red, she grabs Trey and pulls him back.

“Shit! Shit! You’re in my way Tr---huh?!” They all look around and Trey was gone, as was Kido herself. 

“Hurry! They can’t hold this for long!” Cater knocked the first years out of their bewildered gaze 

“R-Right!” The three shouted in unison before going in for the attack.

Meanwhile, Kido pulled Trey behind a hedge nearby. “How are you doing?”

“I’m okay, but I can’t go farther than this without being out of range.” He took some deep breaths, and she isn’t sure if he’s just trying to concentrate or calm himself down from the sight of what’s happening. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I can keep this up for a while. But….”

“But?” Trey raised an eyebrow at her.

“It’s a technicality, but since you and Riddle worked so closely together...he might be able to find us.” Trey is obviously giving her a surprised look. “Concentrate, dumbass.” She smacks the back of his head, pushing his hat off.

“Right! Right… is that why you pulled us over here?”

“Yeah. In his crazed state, he might not be able to think straight enough to really look for you. It still takes a while for my friends to find me when I spend every day with them.”

“But they do eventually, right?”

“.....Sometimes.” Before she could get lost in that line of thought she takes a peek around the corner of the hedge, just to see something headed their way. “Get down!” She tackled Trey without a second thought, and just after she did a fire spell zoomed overhead and took out the top half of the head and set fire to the rest of it. “Shit, you okay?”

“It’s hard to concentrate when you’re on top of me Kido.” He coughed, obviously having all the wind knocked out of him.

“So you’re fine,” Kido said with a blank face before helping Trey up. They obviously couldn’t stay here so they moved a bit closer, using one of the few trees still planted in the ground as cover. 

“Any other catches to this magic of yours I should know about?” Trey coughed again, getting the air back in his lungs as he watched magic be thrown around.

“If you touch someone, not in the effect of my….magic, it’ll break. It’s not complete invisibility as it is shifting their perspective, that’s why Riddle could still find you if he really---” As she said that the ground underneath them shakes. “Gah-!” Kido stumbles back into the tree, and Trey away from it as it’s suddenly lifted up. Too late to turn back now, she grabs onto one of the branches.

“Kido!” Trey yells out, and it wasn’t until the tree was brought back to Riddle that anyone noticed he was there.

“Trey?! Where’s Kido?!” Ace quickly called out to him.

“She’s on the tree!”

“WHAT?” They all look up to see the tree. “W...wait - where?”

Kido blinks, right her ability is still up. “Over here.” She called down, dropping the concealment as she hung on tightly to the branch. Her hands are going to be fucked by the end of this. And her bag wasn’t helping things in the slightest, why did she decide to bring it again….? Oh right, the stupid camera. Ace had wanted her to take a picture once he had won the duel. Yeah, that didn’t go as planned.

“Hm?” Riddle looked up upon hearing her voice. “Another rule breaker!”

“Uh oh.” She gulped, then gave a started yelp as he pulled the tree closer with his magic. She had barely noticed the figure behind him until just now - what the hell was that? It looked like one of those statues… 

“You...You did it, didn’t you?” Riddle started, face growing red with anger with every passing second. 

“I don’t know what--”

“You turned them all against me! First Ace and Deuce! Now Trey! You made them all break the rules!”

He’s looking for someone to blame. She could relate. She had always been looking for someone to blame for her loneliness, her sadness, her anger. She reaches a hand down into her bag, glaring at Riddle all the while. 

“Maybe I did, what are you going to do about it?”

“Kido! Don’t provoke him!” Deuce called out, and she could hear footsteps rushing towards them. Hopefully, this would be enough to snap him out of it.

“It’s going to be off with your--”

“Smile.” Kido held up the ghost camera, snapping a picture. The flash went off and blinded the berserker in front of him. He screamed, causing the creature behind him to drop the rose tree. Which was the plan originally - until she realized that she was falling through the air. 

“I got you!” Suddenly she was at least flying with direction, and it took her a moment to realize she was in someone’s arms, on a broom. Cater had caught her.

“N-Nice catch.” She stuttered out, keeping a death grip on him and the camera. She held on until he had them safely on the ground. She stumbled a bit, but was able to get her footing back before looking at Riddle. It looked like everyone had taken the opportunity to attack while the tree was falling and he was temporarily blinded. 

“Was...I wrong? That can’t...be right….” Suddenly the figure behind Riddle dissipated into ink, spreading over the grass behind Riddle like a giant shadow and he fell to the ground. Trey and Cater rushed to Riddle’s sides while the other three celebrated victory. Kido sighed but startled a second later by a soft ‘ding!’ sound. She looked down to see a photograph printed from the camera. She slowly took it out and had a look at it.

“.....”

Crowley returned just after Ace was done making demands of Riddle. Kido thought it was a bit much, but honestly, she was still winded from being thrown around on a tree, so she didn’t have the energy to argue against him in the end. 

“Wait….--” Cater’s voice trailed off, getting everyone’s attention. He had just asked for Trey to bring Riddle to the infirmary, so why was he stopping them? “Are those…?” He points behind where Riddle had been laying down and everyone follows the line of sight.

No one had noticed them appear, they had all been rather focused on making sure Riddle was alive after all. But on the ground where the ink had settled were two coffins - identical to the ones used in the entrance ceremony and that hung in the mirror chamber. “Gates?! What are those doing here?!” Crowley seemed more surprised than any of them and quickly abandoned his task of escorting Riddle and Trey to rush over to the gates. Ace, Deuce, Kido, and Grim followed after him (after Grim had his awful-looking snack).

“Did Riddle summon them?” Deuce asked, looking over at the tired dorm leader currently on Trey’s back. He shook his head weakly, though he admitted he didn’t remember much during or right before the overblot just a few minutes ago.

“No one can just summon these gates, they are specific to Night Raven College and are managed by the Mirror itself!” Crowley exclaimed, attempting to pull one of the coffins open. “And they’re looked, just as the first year coffins would be….” He pulls at the keys on his belt, pulling one key off of the ring. “Back away you four, we don’t know what’s going to happen.” For once they followed instructions and backed up a bit. Very carefully the headmaster inserted the key and turned it. The coffin started opening on its own as soon as he pulled the key out - which Crowley had explained at some point during their first meeting that’s what was supposed to happen if Kido remembered properly. Not seeing any immediate sign of danger, Kido took a few steps forward.

“It’s a young man.” Crowley hummed, looking over who was laying down inside the coffin. “Nothing appears strange about him. Kido, do you recognize him?” Realizing the girl was next to him, he asked the question as he turned to face her.

“Why do you think I know him?” She asked but was still being shuffled closer.

“Well, you’re an anomaly at this school, and this is exactly that as well.”

“It feels more like you’re hiding behind me,” Kido commented with a sigh, and the headmaster didn’t bother denying it as Kido reached into the coffin to pull back the hood of the person laying down.

She gasped as soon as she saw who it was. “So you do know him?” The headmaster asked, but he didn’t get a verbal answer, all he saw was Kido shaking.

“Give me the key.” 

“Excuse me-hey!” The key was snatched out of the headmaster’s hands before he could properly reply, and Kido rushed over to the other coffin to insert and turn the key, not even waiting for it to open on its own before she practically threw the top off the hinges.

“K-Kido? What’s going on?” Deuce asked as he, Ace, and Grim walked closer to the scene.

Again they didn’t get an answer, all they saw was Kido climbing into the second coffin. “Kido?!” Ace called out, rushing over to her. But soon she sat up again, this time gripping the front of the robes of the person in the second coffin, shaking him.

“Damn it! Kano! Wake up!” 

“Kano…? Wait, wasn’t that your foster brother’s name?”

“Yes! It’s Seto and Kano!” Deuce and Ace gasped and quickly went to look in the other coffin.

“Wait, these young men are your brothers, Kido?” Crowley asked, as confused as the three upperclassmen in the distance were.

“Yes! No! It’s complicated.” She dropped Kano’s robes, him falling back into the coffin with a thud. “This isn’t funny Kano! Wake up!”

“Shouldn’t you, I don’t know, be more gentle….?” Deuce attempted but got a bone-chilling glare from Kido in response. “Or not!”

“No, you’re right, Kido - you need to calm down.” Crowley walked over to put a hand on her shoulder, only to instantly have it slapped off. 

“You, of all people, don’t get to tell me to calm down.” She growled at him, causing him to take a step back. “I’ve been stranded in this world for how long?! And you said you would find me a way home! And now I’ve been here so long my friends followed me! Now they’re stuck too! And it’s all my fault because I trusted you to try and do the work for me.” Her voice slowly dies down, and tears are swelling up in her eyes.

Before anyone else can talk though, she hears a voice. “Tsu…..” She looks down, and see’s Kano’s cat-like eyes staring back at her. “Tsubomi…..?”

She can’t help the way she breathes in sharply. How long had it even been since they called each other by their first names? Two years or more, at the least. “Shuuya...Shuuya!” She pulled him up again, but this time to hug him properly. She could tell he was weak, or still groggy from the forced sleep, but he wraps his arms tightly around her. As if confirming she was really there. She did the same with him.

“Tsubomi, Shuuya.” They broke away from each other only for a moment, to see Deuce helping Seto out of the coffin. 

“Kousuke….” Kido quickly pulled herself out of the coffin, rushing over to Seto to give him a hug as well. It was clear he did not need to be on his feet, but he hugged her tightly all the same.

“Thank god we finally found you. We’ve been looking everywhere.”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry I don’t know what happened. I-” She rambles until her tears and sobs cause her to be unable to form words. Ace had helped Kano out of the coffin and helped him over to the two, and then the three of them hugged each other.

“Man Tsubomi…..you’re getting really good at hide and seek.”

She smacked Kano upside the head and Seto busted out laughing. 

“That’s our leader.” Seto grinned, and Kido wiped the last of the tears off of her face. “But uh….do you want to explain where we are?” The two newcomers finally got a chance to look around - seeing the garden in its ruined state. 

“That’s….a long story…”

“Hey! Don’t ignore me!” Grim jumped onto Kido’s shoulders, causing Kano and Seto to jump.

“Kano, you’re not playing tricks on me, are you?”

“I’m flattered you would think so, but I couldn’t do that even if I wanted to.” 

“What is it, Grim?” Kido sighed, looking at the cat with an annoyed glare.

“Just who are these two, huh?!”

“Yes, I require a full explanation as well.” Crowley spoke up, crossing his arms. Kano and Seto’s eyes turned to the headmaster before back at Kido with bewildered looks on their faces. She sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose.

“I’ll explain on the way to the infirmary, these guys probably need to get looked at too.” 

“Right,” Deuce said, stepping up to Seto’s side. “I’m Deuce Spade, you can lean on me.”

“Oh, thanks.” Seto smiled and did just that, offering one arm to put around Deuce’s shoulders.

“Here, I got ya.” Ace did the same with Kano. “Ace Trappola, nice to meetcha.”

“Likewise.” Kano grinned.

Kido couldn’t help but sigh as she watched her new friends help her family, and slowly started walking behind them with Crowley. Catching the hint, Trey started to walk with Riddle too.

“H-Hey! Who is going to help me with cleaning up the garden?!” Cater huffed, stomping a foot on the ground.

“You have three other-selves to help you, figure it out.” Kido glared as she walked past, leaving him to mutter out a ‘yes ma’am’ before they were out of sight and heading through the maze.

“So if I got this straight..” The headmaster started, looking at the three anomalies that now sat on one of the infirmary beds. The boys appeared to be healthy besides a couple of scrapes and bruises of no import, and Kido had to have her scrapped hands bandaged but otherwise, she was fine. “You and your friends have been looking for Kido since she went missing, and when you thought you had a lead you blacked out, and when you came to you were inside the Gate?”

“Gate?” Seto asked with a tilt of his head.

“The coffin.”

“Oh, then yes, that’s exactly it.” Definitely vague but Kido could understand why. They couldn’t go telling everyone about the whole situation behind the Dan - and while she had kind of explained her ability to Trey he was letting it slide as it being ‘magic’ for now. 

“Everyone was freaking out over Kido’s disappearance. I mean, normally she’ll just go off for a couple of hours on her own, but never this long.” Kano added with a shrug. “But in some other world where magic exists and she’s attending school for that? Never would have guessed- ow! I’m sorry I’m sorry!” He’s cut off quickly by Kido pinching his cheek rather hard.

“Just helping you make sure the situation is very much real,” Kido commented before letting him go, him groaning as he rubbed at his face. “So, what happens now.” She said, looking up at Crowley. He was silent for a few moments, closing his eyes while he thought.

“Well, once again I’m put into the position that clearly they were guided here by the mirror and the carriage, as you were. But they don’t appear to possess any magic.” Kido grabs both of their arms to prevent them from making some vague comment. “But I clearly can’t kick them out on the street, for I am kind. So, they will be put in a similar situation to you. They will stand in front of the mirror as per tradition but as they are likely not to be sorted into any of the dorms, they will stay with you at ramshackle. I suppose it is a good thing, you will get more students to proceed over as prefect.”

“What? You’re a prefect Kido?” Seto looked surprised down at Kido and she pulled her hood over her head.

“It’s not a big deal.” She grumbled.

“Of course it is! Once a leader always a leader as they say.” Kano laughed, patting Kido on the back. “Take good care of us, huh?”

“So these noisy guys are gonna be living with us now?” Grim seemed disappointed as he crossed his arms over his chest. Kido looked down at the cat who was sitting in his lap. “Well, at least I’ll have more human servants.”

“You have no right to complain about someone being noisy or do you want to bring up your entire first day of classes?” Kido glared, and Grim gulped an apology out before she looked back up. “I appreciate you taking care of us, Headmaster. I’m sorry for all that I said before.”

“No, you were right. As an adult and headmaster, I need to be taking your situation more seriously.” He puts his hands on his hips. “You three do not belong here, this is now certain. Interworld travel is complex and will take time, time I simply do not have on most days. But I promise you when I get free time I will research into the issue - until then you are free to do any investigation yourself as long as it doesn’t cause a scene or take away from your lessons. Understood?”

“Yes sir.” The three of them said.

“Good, now I suppose I will get the mirror ready for the small ceremony, but as it’s a tradition for all dorm leaders or vice leaders to attend, it will take time to gather them. Not to mention Rosehearts  is…..”

“I will go,” Riddle spoke out hoarsely, and the white curtain cutting him off from the rest of the room was pulled back by Trey. “I was told I should be fine after some rest, I should at least be….able to participate.”

“You should just rest Riddle.” Kido said standing up, pushing Grim off of her, and going over to his bedside. “It’s not a big deal or anything, they’re just gonna end up in my dorm anyways.”

“I...believe I owe you this much, Kido.” She blinks down at him. “These people are important to you...and they somehow came here as a result of my overblot or something similar….they are also my responsibility.”

“That’s….”

“I’ll be there to make sure he doesn’t push himself too hard,” Trey said with a smile, putting his hand on Kido’s shoulder. “Don’t worry about us and go spend some time with your family.”

“R-Right…..” She mumbled a thank you before walking back to Kano and Seto. ”Let’s go, I’ll show you to the dorm.”

“We’ll come too,” Deuce spoke up, followed by Ace who was already holding the door open.

“Ah, Actually...Crowley.” Kido started as soon as she was about to walk through the door.

“Yes? What is it?” 

“....They’re going to need clothes too.”

The man’s face instantly falls, and he lets out a heavy sigh. “I am kind, after all. Please inform Sam of the situation and have him bill me like last time - with the same discount he gave me before.”

“Yes sir.” Kido rolled her eyes before closing the door behind them. She catches up with the boys who are a few steps ahead of her. “Let’s go to the shop first to get these two some clothes.”

“Oh yeah, what’s with this outfit we’re wearing anyway?” Seto asked, pulling at the sleeves.

“I think it’s cool!” Kano laughed, spinning around on the spot. “We never get to wear anything so fancy.”

“Right? I like wearing the ceremony outfit too.” Deuce said with a smile.

“He mentioned something about a ceremony and a mirror?” Seto asked with a confused expression. “That sounds like something out of a fairytale.”

“Trust me, it feels like it too.” Kido shook her head, remembering her encounter with the mirror. “Except I wanted to shatter that thing to pieces.” 

Kano can’t hold back his laughter. “Yeah, that sounds like our Commander!” 

“Shut up.”

“I’ve been meaning to ask. Ace asked, stopping in his tracks, which caused everyone to stop as well. “You keep calling Kido ‘leader’, and ‘commander’, what’s all that about?”

“Ace, we shouldn’t bombard them with questions when this is the first time they’ve seen each other in a while.” Deuce scolds him, but Grim also speaks up saying he wants to know as well which caused the student to sigh.

“I don’t mind answering, Deuce.” He looked up at her with a raised eyebrow, and she shoved her hands in her pockets as Kano and Seto came to stand on either side of her. At that moment, as the sun was going down on the horizon - they truly looked otherworldly. Ace, Deuce, and Grim couldn’t help but stare as Kido proudly proclaimed.

“I’m the leader of the Mekakushi Dan.”

Chapter Text

“This is….a nice place.” Kano tried, giving a small laugh as he stepped over a pile of debris. Kido looked back at him with a glare and he held his hands up in a defensive position. “I mean it! It’s homey.”

“Shut up.” She grumbled before leading them to the lounge, which so far was the cleanest room in the dorm, but things were still pushed off the corners of the room. “Sadly we haven’t had time to clean out more of the rooms, but we have one almost cleaned up so you two can just share a room for the night.”

“No problem,” Seto said with a wave of his hand. “Not like we didn’t share a room back home.” 

“Do you need help cleaning out the rest of the room, Kido?” Deuce spoke up, stepping up next to Kano.

“No, you guys have been through a lot today, maybe you should go back to your dorm and rest.”

“Like Cater-senpai is going to let us rest.” Ace sighed heavily next to the door, leaning against the frame.

“Besides,” Deuce continued, “You probably went through the most today.” He pointed at her hands and she shoved them into her pockets afterward. “You probably shouldn’t pick up anything with your hands like that.”

“Yeah, Kido,” Seto spoke up, pulling one of her hands out of her pocket. She made a grunt of discomfort but didn’t do anything more. “How did your hands get so messed up?”

“Uh….” Her, Ace, Deuce, and the talking cat all answered in unison, sharing a look between each other.

“It’s a long story-”

“We have nothing but time,” Kano argued, putting down the bag he had on his arm - full of extra clothes - on the couch nearby. “How about me and Seto change and then we can talk?”

“Yeah!” the cat suddenly spoke up, jumping onto Kido’s shoulders again. Kano’s eye twitched but no one noticed as it spoke some more. “You have some explaining to do to Kido!”

“Hey, Grim-” Deuce tried to stop the cat from talking but Ace continued.

“Yeah, what was up with you today?”

Kido ducks her head, pulling her hand easily out of Seto’s grip to shove it back in her pocket. There’s a look shared between Kano and Seto. Without saying anything they move to stand in front of Kido. Ace and Deuce looked surprised, and Kano turns to pull the cat off of Kido’s shoulders and throw him at Deuce - who struggles to catch up but manages. 

“Hey! What’s the big idea you stupid human?!” Grim yelled, pointing a paw at Kano.

“Sorry, 20 questions stops here.” Kano grinned, waving a hand. “Like you were just saying, apparently Kido has been through the most today. So try not to make it worse.”

“Ha?” Ace stepped forward, and Deuce had to put his arm out to stop him from completely stomping up to Kano. “You were asking her questions too!”

“And I was also offering to give her a break before she started.” That’s why he suggested that he and Seto change and they could take their sweet time with it. The idea seemed to click across the human’s faces, though the cat still looked angry (could cats even look angry?). “How about you guys make some drinks and clean up the rest of the lounge, me and Seto will change and clean our room, then we can talk - deal?”

There’s a moment of tense silence, but the other three seemed to accept this compromise as Seto and Kano stared them down. “Fine.” Ace threw up his hands. “I’d rather clean this place up than the garden anyway.”

“C’mon Grim, you’re helping too,” Deuce said, carrying the cat - who seemed to not like this idea at all - to the corner of the room where some debris were left. 

Kano smiled and pulled his bag off of the couch and started to push Kido up the stairs. “So where’s our room?” 

“Uh…-” He wasn’t giving her much choice on where to lead him until the three were around the corner and out of sight from the others. “Thanks, guys.”

“I know I said questions can wait but -” Kano eyed Seto, who took the hint and continued with the question they both had on their minds.

“ Did they see you use your power? Is that why they’re so hellbent on getting answers?” Seto spoke softly and calmly, hoping not to stress Kido out more than she obviously already was. Her tense shoulders seemed to drop at the question though and she gave a small nod.

“It….was an emergency. You’ll understand once we explain what happened.” 

“Fair enough,” Kano said with a shrug of his shoulders. “So, the room?”

“Uh, it’s this way, just across from mine.” Kido led them the rest of the way, the air no longer tense. Kano and Seto stepped into their new room and while Kido said it was partly clean, it was also partly a disaster. At least the bed and dresser appeared to be clear, but the closet door was hanging off of its hinges, as was the bathroom door, and there were piles of wood and other debris in the corner.

“The sheets on the bed are clean, but…”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s nothing Mr. Handyman Seto can’t fix.” Kano grinned, slapping Seto on the back. He groaned slightly and took a better inspection of the doors and other areas of the room.

“Yeah, it shouldn’t be too hard. Could take a while but I can do it later.” 

“Thanks, I really appreciate it.” Kido smiled, then gave out a sigh. “I’ll leave you guys alone to change,” She said before leaving the room without another word. That is until they heard a scream from the hall, one they could both easily recognize as Kido’s. Kano rushed to the door and opened it up, to see Kido cowering on the floor. But that wasn’t the surprising thing, what was surprising when he looked up and saw---

“Ghosts?” Kano blurted out, in a state of disbelief.

“Yup! How ya doin’?” One skinny ghost asked, flying over closer to the door. Kido had rushed into the room and was now hiding behind Seto. “We heard that there would be some new blood around here and wanted to meetcha.” 

“I-I told you guys to stop popping out of nowhere!” Kido pointed at the ghosts but was still hiding behind Seto, so it wasn’t very threatening.

“We’re ghosts, fading in and out is our thing!” a smaller ghost said and demonstrated just that by fading in and out. Kido just ended up burying her face in Seto’s back. The two boys shared a look and tried to laugh it off.

“Well, nice to know she hasn’t changed.” Kano grins, looking at the ghosts before contemplating an answer. “And, uh, as much as we would like to give a full introduction - we’re just changing and helping clean up the place a bit. Plus I’m sure you’re aware but, the Commander doesn’t really like spooks if you know what I mean.”

“I’m-I’m not afraid of anything!”

“Uh-huh, we hear you, Kido.” Seto laughed, reaching behind himself to pat her on the arm.

“Alright, we’ll see you kids later then!” The bigger ghost said before disappearing, the other two ghosts followed in suit. Kano waits a second before closing the door.

“They’re gone now, Kido.” He said, putting a hand on his hip as he watched Kido slowly come out from behind Seto. Normally this would be the perfect time to push her buttons, make her jump again and get a good laugh out of it. But...Kano’s heart wasn’t in it right now, he’s just happy to have Kido back - even if it meant he was stranded as well. He’s sure Seto felt similar. “Want to just wait in the bathroom?” Kido stares at the ground for a second before nodding and going to the bathroom, closing the door as best she could. 

Kano and Seto worked to get dressed quicker than planned, mostly because they didn’t want to leave Kido shut up in the bathroom for too long. Kano looks at himself in a dusty mirror that stood in the corner of the room. His outfit wasn’t too different from what he wore back home; black boots and pants, a tan shirt, and a black hoodie. Though he was torn up about not having the hoodie that was given to him - he was sure Kido went through the same withdrawals. He looked over at Seto, who was wearing dark green overalls with one side not strapped, and a white hoodie underneath with white and green shoes. He also had a pair of yellow-tinted goggles around his neck, possibly because he became accustomed to the ones that were on his old outfit.

“You can come out Kido,” Seto said, pulling his hood over his head. “We’re done.”

It took a moment but Kido finally pushed her way out of the bathroom, mumbling something about cleaning in there as well before she took in their new outfits. “Not bad.”

“Thanks!” Kano grinned, sticking his hands into his pockets. “Should we go help those other guys now?” 

“Yeah, we should. But before that - lay off will you two?” Kano blinked at the accusation, “I know we need time to talk, and I’ve missed you guys too, but you don’t have to be so protective. Ace and Deuce are good people, a little hotheaded, but it’s not like that’s not unusual.” Especially with the Dan, Kano felt like it went without saying.

“What about that cat thing? Grim?” Kano asked, making the most cat-like expression possible, Kido glared and he dropped it. “Can we really trust that thing?”

“The jury’s still out on him, in all honesty. But he has been trying, so at least give him a chance.”

Kano and Seto gave each other a look, and Kano stepped over to whisper in Seto’s ear. “I’m not sure about this.” 

Seto leaned down to whisper back. “I trust Kido’s judgment, let’s not try to cause more trouble for now.”

Kano was frowning, but of course, no one ever noticed with his deceiving eyes. Though he had a feeling Kido could sense it or something, as she gave a glare as soon as he turned back to face her with a smile. “Sure thing boss!” 

She glared at them both for a moment before sighing and heading out of the room. Seto said to go on without him so he could clean up the room a bit, and Kano went on ahead with Kido. As they headed down the stairs they saw Deuce and Ace putting some of the debris into large trash bags, and one was already full.

“Here! Let me help you with that!” Kano skipped down the last few steps and trotted over to the two, helping Ace angle a larger piece of wood into the trash bag that Deuce was holding.

“Oh, thanks.” Ace said, blinking in surprise that he was offering to help after practically threatening them earlier. “We got some soda, we couldn’t find the tea.”

“That’s fine, thanks for cleaning up you two, I appreciate it,” Kido said as she got to the bottom of the stairs, looking around. “Where’s Grim?”

“Sulking in the kitchen,” Deuce said, adjusting the trash bag so he could tie it closed. “He was pretty upset.”

Kido rolled her eyes and motioned with her hand for Kano to keep helping the two students. “I’ll go deal with him.”

There was a bit of awkward silence after she left, but Kano didn’t let it stay that way for long. “Hey, thanks for being Kido’s friend.” The two blinked up at him and he stuck his hands in his hoodie pockets and gave a shrug. “It’s hard for her to make friends, and who knows how anxious she was since she had been transported here by herself and all. So, yeah. Thanks.”

Ace and Deuce seemed to share a look before Deuce smiled at Kano. “It’s no problem, if anything being friends with her has saved us on more than one occasion.”

“Oh yeah?” Kano grinned. “I’d love to hear about it later.” 

“Only if we get to hear stuff about Kido.” Ace countered with a similar grin. 

“It’s a deal, but let's not let her know about it.” He put a finger over his mouth with a wink, and the two students nodded.

“What are you scheming now, Kano?” The three turned to see Seto coming down the stairs with a load of junk over his shoulder. Deuce seemed to panic and headed over to help him. “Oh, this? Don’t worry it’s fine. I used to carry stuff like this at one of my jobs.”

“Jobs?” Ace asked before banging his fist into his other palm. “Oh! Right! Kido mentioned you made the money back home.”

Seto laughed and put the items down in the corner of the room with Deuce’s help, “Yeah, I dropped out of school and started working as soon as I was able. It’ll be weird attending classes again. I wonder if I can get a part-time job anywhere…”

“Don’t even think about it,” Kido said, coming into the room with Grim sitting contently on her shoulders. Looks like they worked it out, whatever it was. “We’ll need the extra time to try and find a way home.”

“I guess you’re right….I’m just a little antsy I guess.” Seto said with a nervous laugh, rubbing the back of his head. 

Kano breathes out a small sigh with a smile and Kido just shakes her head. Seto was likely going to find a way to get a job anyway because it was natural for him to take care of them and supply things for the Dan with his paychecks. “Well, since we’re all here now, how about we crack open these soda’s and get to the real topic here!” Kano smiles, doing a dramatic spin before heading to where the sodas were placed on the small table in front of the couch. He hands out the sodas and takes a seat on the left side of the couch. Kido took the middle and Seto took the right side. Grim sits on the table while Deuce and Ace sit in the chairs that were finally cleaned off. 

“So…” Kido was the first to talk, looking at all the boys (and cat) around her. “Where do we want to start?” She asked before taking a sip of her soda, afterward putting it down in her lap.

After a big chug of his soda, Ace speaks up. “I want to know what the hell happened today. What the hell happened with you. And what the hell is the Mekakushi Dan?” Kido and Ace share a look, and she eventually lets out a sigh.

“Great, this conversation again.” She leans back into the couch as if wanting it to swallow her. Kano gives a laugh and a wave.

“At least we have this rehearsed by now!” Kano grins, leaning forward with a half-empty can still between his hands. He gives the three across from him a sharp look and a grin. “So, I take it you’ve seen Kido’s power in play?”

“Power? But she doesn’t have any magic. The mirror said so.” Deuce explained, putting his soda back on the table in front of him.

“No.” Suddenly Kido spoke up. “That damn mirror said I was nothing.”

“Ouch.” Kano winced. “Yeah, I get why you want to smash it now,” Kido grumbled incoherently, so Kano moved the conversation forward. “But you’ve seen weird stuff with Kido right?”

“Yeah. Today she kept disappearing and reappearing everywhere. At first, I thought she was just fast but that was not normal.” Ace explained, following Deuce’s lead to put his drink down on the table.

“Well, then this will be easy.” Kano stands up, putting his drink down before holding out his arms with a large grin. “You all have been blessed to see our Commander’s special power! We call it her Concealing eyes.”

“Stop being so damn dramatic,” Kido grumbled loudly, pulling her hood over her head to cover her eyes.

“Concealing eyes?” Grim tilted his head before exclaiming suddenly. “Ah! When your eyes went red that one time! Were you doing your power thingy?”

“Exactly!” Kano pointed dramatically at the cat, getting the three newcomers to look up at him. “When we use our abilities, our eyes glow red.”

“We?” Deuce echoed, “Does that mean you two have powers as well?”

“But of course, all the members - with one exception - have a single ability we can use. It’s not exactly magic, but I guess it could be considered one spell we can all use.” He walked around the table before sitting on it next to Grim. The cat yelped, nearly spilling the can he had been drinking out of. “For Kido’s - it alters someone’s perception of her. She’s still there but she’s just making you not perceive her and look a different way. You can find her under the right conditions, but man she does not make it easy.” He feels a kick to his back and coughs harshly, leaning forward to get the air back in his lungs.

“Shut up.” 

“Wait…” Deuce looked down at his hands for a moment, processing the information given to him before looking back up at Kido. “When you ran out to those students - you were using your power?”

“...Yeah.” She sighed, finally letting go of her hood and putting her hands around the drink on her lap. “I figured that Riddle’s magic couldn’t reach them if he couldn’t see them. Sadly, my ability has short-range, only 2 meters. So I couldn’t exactly make everyone ‘invisible’ with me. I did save a few from being collared though.”

“Collared?” Seto blinked.

“I’ll explain that later.”

Having recovered from the kick to his back, Kano sits up again with a sigh just to be bombarded with another question. “So what’s your power?” Ace bluntly asked. Kano looks at him with a grin before standing up from the table. 

“My ability is called ‘deceiving eyes’, I can change someone’s perception of me. I can look like someone else, or an animal even.”

“Whoa…..”

“And yours?” Deuce couldn’t help but look at Seto with a curious look, and the latter laughed nervously.

“Mine isn’t that--”

“He can read minds.” Kano cut him off, and Seto gave him a disappointed look.

“Whoa! That’s huge!” Grim said, floating a bit over to Seto. “What am I thinking right now?”

“I don’t like using my power, honestly.” He waved the cat off, and he floated back to the table dejected. “And if I turn it on, I read the minds of everyone around me not just one person, so it can be a bit of a pain.”

“Yeah, that sounds like an instant headache.” Ace said, leaning back into his chair. “But you guys from a place with no magic or anything special, right? How do you have these powers?” That causes the three Dan members to fall silent. Seto looks away, Kido looks down, and Kano makes his way back to the seat and drops down with a heavy sigh. “...Is it that bad?” The redhead added.

After a moment of silence, Kido speaks up. “If you consider death bad, then yes.”

“DEATH?!” The other three yelled, and Seto and Kano looked at Kido.

“You sure you want to explain that part?” Seto whispered, and Kido nodded. “They’re not really involved or anything, we could just leave it at that.”

“No. I’m tired of tiptoeing around this.” Kido waved her hand and Seto backed off, but Kano couldn’t help but frown, if only for a moment before he covered it up.

“Care to explain?” Ace said, leaning forward- obviously more interested now.

“The three of us, and the other Mekakushi Dan members who have powers, have all died at some point in our lives.” She puts her drink down and crosses her legs. “I died in a house fire. Kano in a burglary incident and Seto drowned.” 

“Then how….” Deuce trailed off, but Kido knew what he was asking and continued with her explanation.

“We were all taken to the Kagerou Daze, I guess you can say it’s another world like this one,” Kido explained. “But we weren’t alone, there was someone with us as well. But we came back to life, and the other didn’t. According to something we found right before I was suddenly transported here - the Kagerou Daze gave us our abilities as a way to bring us back to life, it’s our lifeforce I guess you could say. But in exchange, whoever was with us is still in that world.”

“But...why?” Grim asked, and Kido shook her head.

“We don’t know.” She stands up, crossing her arms over her chest and the boys look at her. “But it’s why we have to get home. Not all the Dan members are used to their powers and they could accidentally cause things to spiral out of control. Not only that, but we’re pretty sure we’re being targeted.”

“Any idea who?” Deuce asked.

“Not exactly, it could be someone with a connection to the Kagerou Daze but we’re not completely sure on that.” Kido shook her head. “If anything, our real enemy is the Kagerou daze itself.”

“A whole world is your enemy?!” Ace gasped. 

“Yes. And I’ll do anything to fight back against it.” Kido sounded confident, for once, which causes Kano and Seto to smile before standing up next to her. Kano puts an arm on Kido’s shoulder and hums.

“You know Commander, now that we told them this much, what do we do now?”

“We could kill them.” Seto obviously jokes, but the three still looked nervous.

“I guess we have to let them in.” Kido decided, and Kano shook his head with a laugh. He knew that would be the answer - it was likely why she wanted to tell them everything. She really trusted them that much already, huh….. “It’s not like we don’t already have an exception - and they have real magic so that could be useful.” 

“Well! If our commander says so!” Kano pulled himself off of Kido and threw up his arms. “Welcome to the Mekakushi Dan, newbies!” 

“Wait, what?!” Ace stood up. “Just like that?”

“Just like that!” Kano said with a grin. “You’ll get your own number and everything! So who wants to be number 10--”

“11.” Kido corrected, but Kano and Seto looked back with confused looks on their faces.

“But we only have nine members so far,” Seto said after counting on his fingers.

“Hiyori.” She simply stated

Their eyes got wide before they both nodded. “11 it is,” Kano said looking back towards Ace. He wasn't going to question Kido's logic. Even if they didn't find a way to get Hiyori back, Kano knew she wouldn't budge on this. “Let’s go with you.”

“Huh? Why?” 

“Cause Ace is one and there’s two one’s in eleven. Duh!” Then he turns to Deuce. “And you’re 12.”

“Oh...kay?”

“So I’m 13?!” Grim said, floating up to be at eye level with Kano. “Why am I the last one?!”

“That’s just how it worked out! Don’t worry, 13 is a lucky number.”

“Huh?! Really?” Grim’s eyes widened and Kano reached up to pat his head, careful not to touch the fire on his ears. 

“Of course. And you know, the Mekakushi Dan doesn’t have a mascot. So wanna fill that role?”

“I’m not a mascot!” Grim yelled at first before looking away as he thought about it. “But I guess….it doesn’t sound too bad.”

“Then it’s settled!” Kano laughed, stepping back to Kido’s side.

“You’re so full of shit,” Kido grumbled to him.

“Yeah, but it worked out didn’t it?” He grins towards her and she just rolls her eyes. But he can tell she’s smiling, if only slightly. 

“So...what do we do now that we got numbers?” Ace asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Well first and foremost, Kido is number 1 so you gotta listen to her,” Kano said matter of factly. “For your information, Seto is 2 and I’m 3, so we’re like the second in command.” Seto laughs at that, but Kido continues before Kano has a chance to.

“I’d like you all to help us find a way back home - when you get the time that is.” She moves her arms to shove her hands in her pockets and sighs. “I know you’ll be busy with school work, and putting up with Riddle and the Heartslabyul rules, but….I’d really appreciate the help. We’re clueless here, this isn’t our world and it doesn’t follow the same laws as what we’re used to. We can only rely on our powers for so much, they won’t help us here in the long run.”

Ace, Deuce, and Grim exchange looks. The two humans nod after a moment.

“Of course.” Deuce said, “We want to help you too, Kido.” 

“What about you, Grim?” Kido asked, looking down at the cat who seemed deep in thought.

“I’m only able to go to school here because of you, you know.” He grumbled, and Kano and Seto looked at Kido for an explanation.

“We’re technically counted as one student since I can’t use magic and he isn’t human.” She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “I forgot about that part.” Then she moves to kneel on the ground, being eye level with Grim as he had floated downwards while he spoke. “I’m sure Crowley will still accept you if I manage to find a way home.”

“You have too much faith in that guy.” Grim grumbled.

“We’ll make him see how you can handle yourself at this school and be worthy of a full student status, deal?”

Grim’s ears seemed to perk up as he considered her words. “Ha! Who do you think I am?! I’m going to be the greatest wizard in the world!”

“So let’s show him that.” Kido puts up her fist and Grim happily bumps his paw against it with a ‘Hell Yeah!’ exclaimed.

“Well now that that’s settled.” Kano stretched out his arms before putting them behind his head. “What exactly happened today?”

There was a groan that came from the students and Kido, the latter slowly making her way back to the couch. “You’ll want to sit down for this one.” 

Deuce sighs as he wiped the sweat off of his forehead with his palm. After the explanation of today’s events, he and Ace decided to stick around for a bit longer and help clean up, as it was definitely better than cleaning up the garden, and Cater-senpai would come and get them if he really needed help anyways. But carrying bags back and forth was tiring, and his arms were finally starting to give out. 

“Thanks for all the help, Deuce.” He looked over to see Seto carrying two bags and putting them down on the curb with the ones that Deuce had placed. “Don’t push yourself too far though, feel free to take a break.”

“I’m fine, just needed to take a breath.” He said, shaking his head before looking over Seto. “You seem….to be taking all of this really well.” Deuce crossed his arms over his chest as he commented this. Seto gave a nervous laugh.

“Nah, not really. It’s still way over my head.” He said, pulling at the goggles around his neck. “But I’m just happy to see Kido again, so it calms me down that she was safe this whole time. Well...mostly.” He was obviously referencing the overblot incident that happened earlier that day and Deuce nodded. That would be too much for anyone, but especially someone who hadn’t seen magic before. “But now I’m worried about who we left behind....”

“The rest of the Mekakushi Dan?” Deuce asked. “Truthfully, today was the first time we even heard of that from Kido, she had mentioned she lived with a couple of people but didn’t go into detail.”

“Yeah, that sounds like her.” Seto smiled, but Deuce could tell his heart wasn’t in it. “There’s nine official members of the Mekakushi Dan. Mary, Momo, Ene, Shintaro, Konoha, and Hibuya are the names of the other members.”

“Kido mentioned one more name, Hiyori?” 

Seto’s eyes got sadder. “We’re pretty sure she’s in the Kagerou Daze.” Deuce dropped his arms in surprise. “But we promised Hibuya we would help find her, and Kido hasn’t given up on that promise.”

“.....She really is something else.”

“Hm?” Seto looks at him with a tilt of his head, and Deuce can suddenly feel his face flushing in embarrassment. He didn’t think he said that out loud!

“W-Well-...” How could he talk himself out of this but still get his point across? “Ever since day one, she just seemed like a strong person. She had so much to worry about, like how to get back home, how the Dan was taking her disappearance and this power of hers…..yet she helped me and Ace and Grim on our first day when that mess happened and continued to help us with our studies and then with the overblot incident when she had more important things to do…”

Deuce wondered if the point got across, and that he hadn’t completely made a fool of himself in front of his ‘senior’ in the dan. He hears Seto let out a huff before he feels a hand on his head. “H-Hey!” It took Deuce a moment to realize that Seto was ruffling his hair.

“Kido isn’t as strong as she looks, so keep supporting her how you have been, kay? She appreciates it more than you’ll ever know.” He grinned down at Deuce and the first year found his face flushing more. It was like he was being treated like a little kid - but he wasn’t upset about it, if anything Seto’s presence was strangely comforting. Like an older brother, or something….though Deuce wouldn’t know for sure, being an only child.

“Y-Yes!” He proudly states, puffing his chest out as Seto removes his hand from his hair. “Leave it to me!” He takes a moment to fix his hair while Seto chuckles. “I’m not good at a lot of things but...I’ll do what I can.”

“That’s the spirit.” Seto smiled. “For now, I think the only thing we can do is help make this dorm a little more presentable. Have you ever done any handiwork?”

“Ah….not really.”

“Want to learn?” 

Deuce’s eyes widened before he smiled widely. “Yes! Please, teach me.”

“C’mon, Kido showed me where an old toolbox was. We should fix up some of the doors and windows first.” Seto started walking back to the dorm and Deuce was quick to follow.

The next few hours were spent with the group cleaning up the dorm. Over time Deuce learned a few things about the Dan. One, her habit of hitting them on the back of the head when they were doing something stupid clearly came from her beating up Kano on a normal basis. Suddenly Deuce and Ace didn’t feel too bad about the actions against them, because it’s clear she could have done much worse if she wanted. Two, Seto was really good at handyman work - he explained it had been one of his jobs at some point. He really was a hard worker. Three, Kano liked to crack jokes - and it was fine until he poked fun at Grim, and Grim retaliated by sending a wall of fire his way.

“Hey! That’s enough!” Ace picked up Grim by the scruff of his neck, cutting the fire off - and Deuce quickly made his way over.

“We’re trying to clean this place up, Grim!” He scolded. “Don’t make it worse!”

“That jerk had it coming!” 

“Kido? Kido, it’s alright.” The three looked over at the noise, and Seto was kneeling down next to Kido who was curled up on the ground. It was hard to tell from this distance, but Deuce swore she was shaking. Kano went to Kido’s side as well, apologizing for causing the mess. But soon Kano stood up and walked towards the three.

“Hey.” He said in a serious, lower tone than normal. Deuce swallowed heavily. Four, Kano could be really scary sometimes. “What the hell was that?”

“That was payb--” Before Grim could finish his pompous remark, Kano took the cat from Ace and held him by the collar.

“Did you remember how Kido died?”

“I mean, yeah. It was a house fire ri--” Grim started to reply, then suddenly it hit all three of them. “...oh.”

“Yeah. Oh.” Kano let Grim go and he fell to the floor with a loud thud, “She can handle small fires, like the fire around your ears, or cooking on the stove since she can control that. But knock that bullshit off.”

The three stood (or rather Ace and he were standing, Grim was still laying on the ground)  in silence for a moment before Deuce made up his mind. He walked over to Kido, who was at least now sitting up and acknowledging that the danger had passed. Deuce kneels down next to her, and she also tried to explain to him that she was fine with a shaking tone, but he wasn’t going to have it. “Pardon me.” Was the only warning he gave before he was picking Kido up into his arms and standing up.

“Wh-What the - What are you doing, Deuce?” Kido stuttered out, clearly embarrassed by the princess carry. 

“You need a break,” Deuce said before he started to walk towards the kitchen without another word. He kicked the door open and kicked it closed behind him - leaving everyone else in stunned silence more than likely. But he wasn’t worried about that right now, he’s sure that they could work it out by themselves. 

He puts Kido down on the island’s counter, and she looks at him silently as he moves throughout the Kitchen. He poured her a glass of water and handed it to her. “Here.”

“....thanks.” She mumbled, taking the glass from him and taking a few small sips. “S-Sorry to cause a scene.”

“Don’t apologize, in the end, it was Kano’s and Grim’s fault,” Deuce said, jumping up to sit on the island with her, swinging his legs back and forth. She gave him a glance before looking back at the water. “Do you think you’ll be okay with all of them staying here?”

“....Yeah. There will be some bumps in the road for sure, but I think it’ll work out.” Her hand was still shaking, so she put the glass down on part of the counter currently not taken up and gave a sigh.

“Is there anything you normally do to calm yourself down? Need me to go grab anything from your room?” Deuce asked, and Kido shook her head before digging in her pocket. She pulled out the old music player she always kept on her person and put one of the earbuds in her ear. “You always have that on you, huh? What music do you like to listen to?” without a verbal answer, she instead holds out the opposite earbud to him. He blinks before taking it with a smile and putting it in his ear. It’s quiet for a moment as Kido fiddles with the mp3 before suddenly a loud noise blares in his ear. “Ah!” Deuce almost jumps off of the counter, and Kido quickly paused the music.

“Sorry, I forgot I was listening to it pretty loud last time.”

Deuce puts a hand over his racing heart and takes deep breaths. “Th-That scared me!” He sighs, closing his eyes. He opened them a second later, hearing a laugh from Kido.

“You really were about to take off.”

“Don’t make fun of me please,” Deuce sighed and the music begins again, this time at a reasonable volume. “This is….rock?”

“Yeah, I listen to a lot of Rock. Some alternative stuff too. Maybe a pop song if I found it pleasing but that’s pretty rare.” 

“Huh…”

“What? Did you expect me to be some idol fanatic?” Kido raised an eyebrow and Deuce shook his head.

“No, No, I guess I just wasn’t expecting Rock of all things. Honestly, I like Rock and Punk music too.” He said, focusing on the music for a moment or so before speaking again. “If you want, I can recommend some bands from this world. Since you likely haven’t heard them before.”

Kido looks at him with a surprised look before it fades into a smile. “I almost forgot you were a delinquent,” Deuce grumbled under his breath and Kido chuckled. “Sure, though, I would appreciate it.”

“I’ll show you some after the ceremony tomorrow.”

“Sounds good.” 

The two of them sat on the kitchen island and listened to music in near silence (occasional Deuce would ask for the name of the band or artist and Kido would ramble everything she knew about them) until sundown. Then Ace finally kicked down the door and told him it was time to go.

“Hey! Me and Seto fixed that door, you know! Don’t be so rough with it.” Deuce sighed, handing the earbud back to Kido. She took it and placed it in her other ear before hopping off the counter, Deuce following suit. 

“Yeah yeah, we gotta get going before curfew. Even if that crybaby prefect isn’t at the dorm, I don’t feel like dealing with any consequences after today.” 

“That’s fair. Thanks for helping clean up today.” Kido said, “I’ll walk you guys to the hall of mirrors.”

“You don’t have to go that far.” Deuce protested.

“Yeah, Don’t worry about us,” Ace added with his hands on his hips. “You have your own stuff to deal with.”

“....did they get into another fight?”

“Kind of.” Ace sighed and shook his head. “Grim is definitely a handful, I don’t envy you.”

Kido sighed as well, pulling her hood up. “Well, at least let me walk you down to the gate.”

“That’s acceptable.” Deuce smiled and started to walk out of the kitchen, followed by Ace and Kido. He blinks in surprise at how clean it appeared. “Wow, you guys got a lot done.”

“I think Grim started to take things seriously after that, he did a lot.” Ace commented as they walked through the now mostly clean lounge.

“Really?” Kido asked, eyes wide. “I’m surprised. I didn’t think anything could get through his thick head.”

“Me either!” Ace laughed. 

They walked out of the dorm, which was easier to do since it looked like the debris in the hall had been mostly cleaned up or pushed to the side to allow room for people to walk. They got outside and Kido instantly sighed at the amount of trash bags near the gate.

“I’m...sure the headmaster can call someone to pick all those up.” Deuce tried, giving a nervous laugh.

“One can only hope.” Kido sighed before walking them to the gate as planned. They said their goodbyes and were about to walk away, when Deuce felt a tug to his sleeve. He stopped mid-step and looked back, seeing Kido reach over the gate to stop him. “I, uh….” Now that she had his attention, she seemed to struggle with words. Deuce took a step back so he wasn’t in such an awkward position and so she didn’t have to lean so far.

“What is it, Kido?” Deuce asked with a tilt of his head.

“Thanks, for earlier.” She mumbled, but he had managed to get the message.

“No problem.” He said with a smile. “See you tomorrow. I’ll bring that list of recommended bands too.”

“I look forward to it.” She finally smiled back and gave a wave before turning around and starting to walk back up to the dorm. 

Deuce stared for a moment before Ace called him, and he realized that the other was already almost down the path. “Hey! Wait for me!” He said, suddenly running after Ace. Thankfully it didn’t take him long to catch up, if there was one thing he took pride in it was his running.

“What was that?” Ace asked, putting his hands on his hips. 

“Oh, uh, nothing,” Deuce said with a shake of his head. But Ace didn’t seem convinced and gave him a questioning look. Deuce was going to dismiss it, but suddenly it turned into a grin and Deuce felt the color drain from his face.

“Don’t tell me, were you sweet-talking our new ‘Commander’ ?”

Any color that had previously drained from his face rushed to his head as his cheeks burned with embarrassment. “N-No! Of course not!”

“Sure, Sure, I won’t tell.” Ace laughed and started walking again, and Deuce stomped after him.

“Listen to me for once, will you?!” 

“I don’t need a cane.” Riddle huffed as Trey came to pick him up for the sorting ceremony. He had changed into the robe with the nurse’s help, but this seemed like...a bit much.

“The nurse said you were feeling a bit dizzy and fatigued earlier.” He places the cane next to the dorm leader on the bed before adjusting his own robes. “So it’s just a precaution. Or would you rather hold onto my arm the entire time?”

“This will do.” Riddle sighed in defeat, using the cane to help himself up. He couldn’t help but notice how it matched the ceremonial robe while still seemingly having the Queen of Hearts influence. “Did you make this?” 

“I found it in the dorm and had help cleaning and painting it since it was pretty beaten up.” 

“Hm...I see.” He would have to thank those who helped at a later date. He waited for Trey to back up to give him space before he started walking with the cane. He wouldn’t care to admit that he found it helpful. He was having dizzy spells earlier as Trey said, as his body was still recovering from such stress that much was to be expected. Still, he didn’t want to burden people too much with it. He had put his dorm through enough already… “Let us leave. I will not stand being late.”

“Sure, Sure,” Trey smiled and followed shortly behind Riddle as they exited the infirmary, and then at his side once they were in the hallway and there was room. “How long did the nurse say you need to stay in the infirmary?”

“About another day or so.” He answered, sighing softly. “Though I think I’m fine to go back.”

“Uh-huh,” Riddle gave a glare towards Trey, who seemed not to believe him in the slightest. “Oh look, there are the stars of the hour.” He pointed ahead and sure enough; Kido, Kano, and Seto were all there. 

“Good morning,” Riddle calls out to get their attention, and the three look at him mid-conversation. “Is something the matter-ah.” He saw the problem as he got closer, their robes were a mess. He sighs, gripping the cane tightly. “Honestly….do you not even know how to dress yourself?”

“Hey, we’re not used to wearing fancy things,” Kano whined, adjusting the belt. 

“Here, allow me.” Riddle hands the cane to Trey before taking a step forward. “I’m sure Vil-senpai could do better, but I can help make you all at least presentable.”

“Thanks! Uh…” Kano trailed off, clearly having forgotten his name.

“Riddle Rosehearts. I am in charge of the Dorm Heartslabyul.” He said, adjusting Kano’s hood and next to his belt. “Button up the shirt all the way, or you’re likely going to have Vil-senpai breathing down your neck.”

“He doesn’t seem very nice,” Kano grumbled but did as he was told after Riddle had finished adjusting the belt. Riddle then moved onto Seto and helped him.

“He is just very strict when it comes to fashion. As you likely won’t end up in the Pomefiore dorm, you won’t have to worry about it. But he does take ceremonies and looking presentable at them very seriously.” When he was done with Seto he moved onto Kido. Well, almost. He hesitated and got a raised eyebrow in return.

“What?”

“My apologies,” Riddle said, shaking his head. “I simply didn’t want to touch you without permission. You are a lady, after all.” He watched her face go bright red at the simple fact and could hear Trey chuckle from behind him.

“I-It’s fine. I appreciate all the help I can get.” She finally stuttered out, pulling the hood further down over her face.

“Very well.” Riddle took a step closer, adjusting her hood and belt. At least she had the decency to already have the shirt all the way buttoned, it was just the robe itself that was a little skewed. “There you are.”

“Thanks.” She mumbled out as Riddle stepped away, taking the cane that Trey was offering to him right away.

“So what exactly is this ceremony? Is there anything we need to know beforehand?” Seto asked, tilting his head.

“It’s simple,” Trey explained, adjusting his glasses. “The headmaster will call you up to the mirror and you need to just say your name and the mirror does the rest. You’re likely going to be put into the same dorm as Kido, this is all just a formality really. Night Raven College does take its traditions seriously.”

“That sounds easy enough!” Kano grinned, putting his hands behind his head. “So we’re just waiting for the Headmaster guy right?”

“And the other dorm leaders,” Riddle added. “I only got here so quickly because I was at the infirmary, the others are likely making their way up from their dorms. It shouldn’t be too long now.” 

Sure enough, slowly the dorm leaders started gathering around and introduced themselves to Kido, as she was technically a dorm leader in her own right. Riddle could tell she wasn’t used to all the attention, but she was doing her best to interact with everyone. He wonders if she was always had been like that. From what he remembered of his overblot, she seemed like a more confident leader type. Well, that was something to think on later, as just as the thought crossed his mind, the doors to the mirror chamber opened. 

“Thank you everyone for gathering so early.” The headmaster smiled and gestured for everyone to walk into the room. Riddle waited for the others to go in before walking in himself, not wanting to hold up the line with his slow pace. “Ah, Rosehearts-kun. Are you feeling better?”

“Yes, thank you for your concern.” Riddle smiled. “Just another day in the infirmary, mostly just for rest.”

“Good! Good, I’m glad you’re making a speedy recovery.” The headmaster shut the door behind Riddle and Trey and moved towards the front of the crowd. 

“Now, as I told you all before, we are gathered here for the entrance ceremony of these two new individuals. Shuuya Kano and Kousuke Seto.” The two of them seem to give a wave while standing on either side of Kido.

“We all know they’re going to end up in the same situation as that first year,” Leona complained, crossing his arms. “Was it necessary for us to get up so damn early?”

“Yes!” Crowley argued, giving a huff and putting his hands on his hips. “It is a tradition for all new students to go through this ceremony and the dorm leaders at the very least must be present.” Waiting a moment to make sure no one else had any complaints, “Now then, one of you step before the mirror.”

“Go on Mr. Number 2.” Kano snickered and pushed Seto forward. Seto laughed and brushed Kano off, or Kido pulled him off - it was hard to tell. 

Seto walked up in front of the mirror, Riddle had seen the sight many times before. But something about this one made him...anxious. He couldn’t place why. The mirror comes to life and Seto seems to jump and Riddle thinks he should have warned them about the mirror itself. Seeing a floating face like that was likely surprising to someone not accustomed to magic. 

“State thy name.”

“K-Kousuke Seto.” He finally stuttered out after getting over the shock, standing straight once more.

Riddle held his breath. Surely the mirror would just say the same as he did for Kido, tell the crowd that Seto didn’t have magic and didn’t belong here. Then why….why was the mirror shifting its image like it does when assigning someone to a dorm-?!

“Octavinelle.”

“WHAT?!” The entire room erupts and Seto can’t help but look around confused. 

“That’s….not your dorm, is it Kido?” Seto hesitantly asked while everyone else was frozen in shock.

“No,” Someone coughed, and Riddle turned to see Azul fixing his glasses. “That is my dorm. But….how is this possible? This individual doesn’t have magic, correct?”

“Correct. Mirror of Darkness, please explain.” The headmaster walked up to the mirror, and Seto took the chance to go stand next to Kido and Kano again and they whispered among themselves. One thing Riddle could tell from this distance was that Kido was furious.

“There is a spark in their soul, and that spark takes the shape of Octavinelle.” The mirror states and the room goes quiet. “The soul of a thief, of a helper of the weak, of a guardian, this is a soul for Octavinlle.”

“The soul of a thief?” Azul questioned, looking over at Seto. Riddle did as well, seeing the three grouped together holding each other's hands tightly.

“Does this mean Seto has the potential for magic?” Crowley debated, not seeing what Riddle and Azul were seeing. They looked...terrified. “Kano-kun, please step in front of the mirror.”

Kano didn’t move a muscle until Kido gave the okay, and just like that he suddenly skipped over to the mirror. As if some in the crowd didn’t just catch the terrified look on his face seconds before.

“State thy name.” The mirror repeats.

“Shuuya Kano, at your service.” He does a dramatic bow as the mirror takes a moment before speaking up with another unexpected answer.

“Scarabia.”

“EH?!” Kalim shouted.

“Mirror of Darkness! Explain!” Crowley pleaded as the mask reappeared.

“Thy soul is that of a liar.” The mirror states and Riddle can just barely notice Kano’s shoulders tense. “The soul of a planner, a trickster, a soul for Scarabia.”

“Hold up.” Riddle blinked in surprise as Kido stepped up to the mirror, pushing both Crowley and Kano out of the way. “You can read their souls but not mine?!”

“Thy soul is nothing.”

It almost looked like Kido was going to lunge at the mirror but Kano and Seto managed to catch her arms. 

“Kido! Calm down.” Seto said, helping Kano pull her away from the mirror and off to the side. Though Kido wasn’t having any of it and elbowed both the boys in the stomach with as much force as she could. This knocked the wind out of them and caused them both to loosen their grips on her. She ran towards the door, throwing it open and stomping out. 

“Damn it, Kido, wait up!” Kano quickly hurried after her.

“Uh, we’ll come back to get the details later!” Seto quickly said before starting after Kido and Kano as well.

As soon as the door was shut the conversations between the dorm leaders continued.

“Well, I stand corrected.” Leona chuckled, putting his hands on his hips. “That was interesting enough to wake up early for.”

“This is unprecedented.” Crowley was staring at his hands in despair. “Two humans, who don’t have magic actually being sorted into a dorm? Kido’s case of being brought by the carriage was strange enough but this-!”

“What do you want to do, headmaster?” Riddle spoke up, taking a step forward. “It is tradition, students sorted into the dorm must be taken there. But if Azul and Kalim are willing, you could simply fill out the paperwork for a dorm transfer after the first day or two.”

Crowley took a few deep breaths. “That would be a lot of paperwork, but it’s probably for the best.”

“Aw, really?” Kalim said, crossing his arms. “I was looking forward to Kano being in the dorm, he seems fun!”

“I personally don’t mind another hand to help at the Lounge.” He said, pushing up his glasses. “But if the headmaster says it’s for the best, then we should listen to him, don’t you think?”

“Suck up.” Leona and Idia (via tablet) grumbled.

“Well, now that that’s settled,” Vil spoke up, crossing his arms over his chest. “We should all head to our respective dorms. The school day will soon start, after all.”

“Yes, please continue your day as normal. Kalim, Azul, I apologize for Kido’s outburst and I will bring the two to their respective dorms after classes have ended for the day.”

“No problem at all, Headmaster,” Azul said.

“Okay!” Kalim cheered. 

One by one the dorm leaders started filing out of the room. As they were, Riddle couldn’t help but notice something. “Were we...missing someone?”

“Eh? You didn’t go to the ceremony?” Ace questioned, finding Grim seemingly waiting for them outside the hall of mirrors. 

“What was the point? They’re just gonna end up in our dorm anyways.” Grim pouted tail swishing angrily.

“Or….did Kido ask you not to come?” Grim stiffened at Ace’s question, and he chuckled. “That’s it, isn’t it?”

“Sh-Shut up! It was a waste of time anyway!” Grim huffed, crossing his arms as Deuce caught up with them. “Anyways you’re out early.”

“Well, we normally leave a little early to walk with Kido,” Deuce explained. “And since it’s Seto’s and Kano’s first day we wanted to be here for them.” The three started to walk out to the road, heading to the Ramshackle dorm. “Do you think the ceremony is over by now?”

“It shouldn’t take long for the mirror to announce they have no magic.” Ace shrugged, moving to have his bag over his shoulder. “So if they’re not already back at the dorm, they’re probably headed this way now.”

“Ace! Deuce!” 

“Oh, see, speak of the devils.” the three of them stopped and turned around, seeing Seto and Kano off in the distance running towards them. Wait….where was Kido?

“Grab Kido!” Kano yelled.

“Huh? But she’s not--” Oh right, her power. “We can’t see her!” Ace yelled back.

“She’s running straight towards you! Just focus!” Seto yelled out.

Deuce, Ace, and Grim were looking around wildly, trying to see if they could see her. But was there even some kind of loophole like that? That makes the power kind of less cool if you could see it just by---

Suddenly there’s a flash of green in front of his eyes, and Ace doesn’t have time to finish that thought. 

“Gotcha!” Ace leaped forward, Deuce yelled at him, and there was a surprised gasp from the one who suddenly appeared in front of him. The two of them landed on the ground next to the path and quickly spiraled down the hill. Ace held onto her tight, taking the brunt of the ground until they finally stopped rolling. They were behind the hall of mirrors now. He sighed dramatically, letting her go and laying out on the ground.

“Wh-What the hell was that Ace?!” She yelled, ruffling her hair to shake any extra grass or leaves out. 

“Hey, I caught you. I consider that an accomplishment.” Ace grinned as he sat up. As he did he got a better look at her face. Her eyes were red, and not the glowing red that had been described before. It was almost as if…. “Were you crying?” He asked bluntly.

“No.” She obviously lied, pulling up the hood of her robe before the others finally caught up to them,

“I mean, I said to grab her, but a full-on tackle?” Kano laughed. “That was great!”

“Nice job at finding her.” Seto smiled, offering a hand to both of them to help them up. Ace took it and moved to stand up, but Kido did not, staring at the ground. “Kido, come on…”

“No. I’m not going to class.” She huffed, crossing her arms. 

“Who is gonna show us around then?” Kano said, squatting down next to Kido. 

“That thing knows!” Kido suddenly erupted. “We should just stay away from the school as much as possible, only going up to do research.”

“Wait, Wait, go back.” Ace said, taking his bag from Deuce. He didn’t realize he had dropped it when he tackled Kido. “What knows what?”

“The mirror,” Seto explained, pulling the hood down. “It knows about our powers.”

“Huh?” Grim jumped onto Seto’s shoulders. “How?” 

“It sorted us into different dorms based on our abilities.” Seto continued, which left the three in shock.

“EH?! You’re not going to be Ramshackle?” Ace blurted out, rubbing his free hand behind his head. “That’s crazy. So where did you guys get sorted?”

“I got...Octavinelle?” Seto said hesitantly.

“Scarabia.” Kano answered, raising his hand slightly before going back to trying to get Kido to stand up.

“So what makes you think the mirror knows about your powers?” Deuce asked, crossing his arms. 

“It called me a thief and Kano a trickster, which goes with our abilities,” Seto said, watching Kano finally get Kido to get to her feet. 

“Okay, I can get trickster for Kano, because of his ‘deceiving eyes’ right? But a thief for you? That doesn’t make any sense.” 

“It does,” Kano said with a sigh, holding onto Kido’s arm - clearly trying to keep her from running again. “His ability is technically called ‘stealing eyes’.” 

“Shit.” Ace sighed, dropping his hand. “This really is bad huh? You guys don’t seem keen on letting other people know your powers unless you absolutely have to, right?” Their conversation yesterday only came to light because of the overblot incident and them clearly seeing Kido’s power in action. The other students might have been too terrified to notice with everything going on, but they had noticed, so Kido came clean. But...if they hadn’t….Ace couldn’t be sure that Kido would have ever told them. 

Suddenly something from yesterday came back to Ace, and he gives a concerning look towards Kido. “And the reason you weren’t sorted into a dorm was…”

“My ‘concealing eyes’, apparently it works on magic mirrors too.” She huffed, pulling her arm out of Kano’s grasp, choosing to cross her arms instead. “It keeps saying that it sees nothing when looking at my soul, that I am nothing.”

A silence falls over the group, processing the information. Well, now Ace knows why she had been crying earlier. “So,” Ace speaks up, “What’s the plan here?” 

“As I said, we should just avoid the school-”

“Hey!” Grim shouted, and Ace saw Seto wince, he was likely digging his claws into the poor guy’s shoulder. “You’re not gonna ruin this chance for me! We got to go to class!” 

“Besides, Kano and Seto can just get a dorm transfer.” Ace brings up with a wave of his hand. The three original Dan members looked at him before Kido mumbled ‘i forgot about that’ “So that at least saves you guys from being separated. I’m sure the headmaster is freaking out about this too.”

“Likely.” Kido sighs, dropping his arms. “Alright, let's go get changed.” The bell rang, making nearly everyone jump. “You three go ahead, I’m sure the teachers were informed of the ceremony so we can probably handle being a little late.”

“If you’re sure…” Deuce said, picking up Grim off of Seto’s shoulders, the latter breathing a silent sigh of relief. 

“We’ll try to figure out what to do about that damn mirror after classes today.” Kido decided, “You guys don’t have to come but if you have any ideas by this afternoon, feel free to come and say them.”

“Hey, we’re members of this Dan now too.” Ace huffed. “Don’t just ride us off like that.”

Kido looks at him with surprise while Kano and Seto chuckle. “Alright then, after clubs then. Deuce just joined the Track club right?”

“Right.” Deuce nodded, “I might have to help with cleanup but feel free to start without me.”

“Alright, we’ll meet back at my dorm then,” Kido said. “Now get to class.”

“Yes ma’am!” Ace said with a snicker, though Deuce had said it more seriously. After helping everyone climb the hill back onto the sidewalk, Ace and Deuce sprinted towards the school, Grim floating close behind him.

“Hey, Ace!” Deuce asked while they were still running, and with his crazy stamina was already a few steps ahead of him.

“What….” Ace breathed out heavily. “...Do you want?”

“How did you find Kido?” 

Ace grinned, catching up to Deuce’s side with a few long strides. “It’s a secret!” He said before sprinting past him. He could hear Deuce yelling as he caught up, which only made Ace laugh.

It was a good question though...how was he able to find Kido? All he managed to really see was her hair for a moment. If he concentrated enough, could he find her at any time? Well, that was more questions for the meeting, because the second bell goes off just as they enter the hallway leading to their classes. “Shit.”

Chapter Text

“Well, there go our plans for after school.” Kano sighed heavily next to her as they exited the Headmaster’s office. They were promptly lectured for running off the way they did after the ceremony and told they would report to him after classes ended to get Kano and Seto properly introduced to their dorms. But they were also informed that a dorm switch was in the works, but the dorm leaders had to sign off on it,

“Sorry, it’s my fault. I overreacted..” Kido sighed, pulling her purple hood over her head as she looked back at Kano and Seto. They were wearing a uniform just like her, but they also now had the armbands for their temporary dorms. But not the vests, so Kano was simply wearing his black hoodie instead of a blazer and Seto had on a green hoodie under his like she had the purple one on under hers. 

“For good reason,” Seto said, patting her on the shoulder. “So it’s no problem.” 

“Yeah, don’t worry about it,” Kano said, looking over the paper he had been given with his schedule on it. “Sucks we’re not in the same classes though.”

“Yeah...I thought for sure that he would try to stick us all together.” Kido sighed, crossing her arms. “Anyways, what class are you in?”

“Uhhh….” Kano squints as he tries to find the number on the paper. “1-C.”

“The same for you Seto?”

“Yeah. I guess it’s good that we’re in pairs at least.” Seto said, looking at the paper given to him. “Didn’t the headmaster say he was going to ask a student to come and get us?”

“Oh, right. Do we just wait here, then?” Kano asked, folding up the paper and sticking it into his hoodie’s pocket.

Meanwhile, Kido looked down the halls, no one really appeared to be walking in their direction. Then again, they were the ones who were late, so maybe the student came and then left. But then why did the headmaster say someone would come for them? Oh, wait… Someone just came around the corner. “Think that’s them?” Kido pointed down the hall, Kano and Seto looked in the direction.

“Are those...dog ears?” Kano whispered.

“You’ve been talking to a talking cat, and we live with a medusa back home, is someone with animal ears really that weird?” Kido looked at him with a blank expression, and Kano laughed softly.

“I forgot you’re so into anime that this might be normal to y--” Kano didn’t get a chance to finish that sentence, and Seto just sidestepped out of the way so Kido could punch him in the gut. He coughed, the wind knocked out of him, then wrapped his arms around his middle.

“Um….” The new students look up to see that the student approaching them had arrived. Yeah...the animal ears would be something to get used to. But the student...didn’t look like a first year. He had more muscles than the three of them combined!  “Are you, Kano-kun and Seto-kun?” 

“Seto.” Seto raised his hand with a smile.

“K-Kano….” Kano also raised one hand but was still working on getting his breath back. 

“I’m Jack Howl, I’m in class 1-C. I was told to come get you.” Jack looked towards Kido, and she raised an eyebrow at him. Was he sizing her up or something? “And you’re…Kido-san from the new dorm?”

“Just Kido is fine.” Kido sighed. “I’m in class 1-A, I just wanted to wait with them. So I’ll walk with you until we get to the classes.” He nodded stiffly, what was with him? Was he just a quiet guy? Well, she wasn’t one to judge. She pulled on Kano’s hood to stop him from being overdramatic. “Come on dumbass.” 

“Choking him isn’t gonna help.” Seto laughed, motioning for Jack to lead the way. Jack gave them all a confused and maybe concerned, look before starting to do just that.

It was a little bit awkward on the way, as Jack clearly wasn’t one for small talk. Which was fine since Kano and Seto knew how to fill silence easily. They commented on the large halls, the paintings, anything they could. Jack would occasionally pop in with some facts about the school he knew, which helped a little bit. Kido herself stayed quiet, walking at the back of the group with her headphones in. 

“Huh?” Jack blinked and stopped walking all of a sudden. The three behind him stopped, looking at him confused. “Ah, sorry, I was just under the impression you weren’t in a dorm?” He pointed to the armbands that Seto and Kano both wore. 

Kano laughed, waving his hand. “Turns out that mirror thing decided to play dirty and gave us dorms. Crazy right?” He said, taking a few steps forward and grinning up at Jack, who didn’t seem impressed nor convinced. “Anyways, how much longer to the classroom? I feel like we’ve been walking forever!” Reminded of his duty, Jack lets the question slide with such a vague answer to continue guiding them. Thankfully it was only one more corner. 

“Well, I’ll see you guys at lunch,” Kido said, giving a small wave before taking out her headphones and shoving them in her pocket.

“See you then!” Seto waved before continuing down the hall to where their classroom was. Kido watched them for a moment before entering the classroom in front of her. “Kido-san.” She winced as she entered the classroom only to instantly be called out by the teacher. Trein looked disappointed in her direction or disgusted, it was hard to tell.

“I--”

“I’m aware of what happened. Please take your seat.” 

“Yes sir.” She ducked her head and quickly went to her seat. As soon she was settled and pulling out her notebook, Ace tried to whisper to her from the seat behind her. However, it was cut off by Trein dropping a large book onto his desk. In fact, most of the classroom jumped at the sound - some were likely sleeping. 

“Now, as I was saying…” Trein started before continuing on with his lecture that Kido interrupted by entering the room. She sighed softly and got ready to take notes. Even if there wasn’t a lot left in the first period, she better look like she’s working or else Trein might sick his familiar at her. While she liked cute things (and would never admit it aloud), even she would hate that scenario. 

Kido looks around the lunchroom after having gotten her own food. She was hoping that Seto and Kano would be here by now, but it was too crowded. It was some kind of free for all on some kind of sandwiches and other food. She managed to grab a few, somehow, but she was already socially worn out - and she didn’t even talk! She slams the tray down at an empty table, and Ace and Deuce are quick to follow suit. Grim joined not too long afterward, going straight for her food and she swats his hand away.

“Hey! Aren’t those for me?!” 

“No. It’s for Kano and Seto.” 

“So you’re just going to let me starve?!” He huffed, reaching a paw towards the food only to get it slapped again.

“You can have this one.” She tossed a random wrapped sandwich at him, and while he fumbled with it to catch it she took another look around the room. “Damn it, where are they?”

“Don’t get so antsy boss~” Ace chuckled, causing Kido to glare at him. “It takes a while for all the students to get in here because of the crazy lines.”

“I’m sure they’ll be here soon.” Deuce chimed in, in a more sympathetic manner. Kido just grunted in response and looked down at her tray full of food. She would rather just cook them all lunch, to be honest. But there was no way she could afford that - hell she didn’t even have any money from this world, she was relying on the damn headmaster for that.

‘Maybe we should get part-time jobs….’ she thought, tapping her fingers on the table. ‘I know all of our energy should be going into finding a way home, but we won’t make it far relying on other people. Especially that birdbrain headmaster. I still don’t trust him entirely…’

“Kido! There you are!” Kano’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts and she turned around on the bench, seeing Kano waving from a distance, Seto and Jack not far behind him. “Sorry we’re late, it’s a madhouse in here!” He sighed, shoving his hands into his pockets. 

“No problem, I got you guys food.” Kido tossed a sandwich at both of the Dan members, then stood up to hand one over to Jack. “Here you go.”

“You--...” He’s clearly taken back by the gesture but slowly reaches forward to take the food. “You didn’t have to get me one.”

“Consider it a thank you for watching after these two. I know how much they can be a handful.” She smiled, which seemed to fluster the taller teen. He mumbled a thank you before walking away, by the looks of it he was going to go sit with other dorm members. It didn’t seem like the tables were organized by dorms but most of the dorm members looked to be more closely knit with their dorm. ‘Makes sense…’ She thought before sitting back down at the table. Kano and Seto sat across from her and told her about their first classes. Of course, they were both confused just as she was with the whole magic thing, and pointed out things in their classes that didn’t make sense. But Deuce and Ace were chiming in with how it was normal or what things were used for. To her surprise, Grim seemed just as clueless as she and the two boys were. Now that she thought about it….he didn’t know a lot of basic things for someone who claims to become the best magician ever. Just like Ace had mentioned on the first day.

“Excuse me, Seto-san?” 

Seto wiped some crumbs from his mouth with the back of his hand before looking back to see who had addressed him, the rest of the group took a look as well. It was the guy with glasses from the ceremony this morning, also with a pair of twins standing on each side of him.

“Oh, you’re….” Seto trailed off, and the three that attended the ceremony realized that they never got anyone’s name. 

“Azul Ashengrotto.” The one with glasses speaks, holding out his hand, “We didn’t get properly introduced at the ceremony, but I will be your dorm leader.”

“Oh.” Seto blinked, looking down at Azul’s hand before going to shake it firmly. Azul appeared to wince at the amount of force Seto put behind it though. “Nice to meet you.”

After pulling his hand back and rubbing it for a moment, Azul motioned to the two beside him. “This is Jade and Floyd Lech. Jade is the vice dorm leader.” 

“Hello.” “Hiiiiiii~” The twins answered very differently. Well, that was one way to tell them apart at least. Thankfully, though, their outfits and hair seem to be a tell as well. But...did these guys file their teeth? Why did Floyd look like he has fangs?

“We simply wanted to introduce ourselves,” Azul said, adjusting his glasses. “I look forward to you joining our dorm, even if it might be for a short while.”

“Ah...thank you,” Seto said, bowing his head. “I appreciate it. And...I hope you don’t mind that I might be switching dorms.”

“Not at all,” Azul smiles - but it makes Kido’s stomach turn. It was like when Kano was faking a smile - which granted was a lot of the time, but still. “Your situation is unique, so if you wish to leave the dorm for Kido-san’s I will not stop you. But I do hope you’ll give our dorm a chance.”

“Of course. I’m excited to see it.” Seto said smiling as he rubbed the back of his head. “Truthfully, I haven’t been to school in a long while - let alone inside of a dorm.”

“Is that right?” Azul hummed, crossing his arms. “Well, all the more reason for you to give Octavinelle a chance. I was told you’ll be by after classes have ended?”

“Ah, yes. The headmaster is going to show us the way.” Seto nodded. 

“Well then, I look forward to seeing you there.” Azul bows before walking off with the twins at his side.

Seto turned back to the group with a sigh, his eyes growing wide. “That was terrifying.” 

“What was that about after classes?” Ace said, leaning onto the table. “Does that mean the meeting is canceled?”

“It might just be a little late,” Kido answered, shaking her head. “We weren’t gonna meet until after club time anyways.” She looks over at Kano, who appeared to be staring off after the dorm leader and twins who just left their table. “So?”

Kano blinked, finally turning his attention towards the rest of them. “Huh?”

“What do you think of them? You were watching them the whole time, right?”

“Huh? But he was eating---” Deuce blinked before he suddenly remembered about Kano’s power. “Whoa….I didn’t even realize-”

Kano grins and leans his head against his palm. “You know me too well, boss~” He chuckles and Kido rolls her eyes. When she returned her gaze back to Kano, he looked serious - which honestly, was hardly ever a good sign. “I don’t like them.” He glanced over at Seto. “Watch your back.”

“Okay.” Seto nodded.

“Whoa! The air here sure is tense!” Suddenly a new voice popped up and the group looked over to see two more people have approached their table. One Kido recognized as being someone from the ceremony, so likely a dorm leader - and then there was another student with long hair and a hoodie under his uniform like some of them. At least someone had taste here. 

“Uh...you were at the ceremony, right?” Kido blinked, speaking up first.

“Yup!” The one with white hair grins, putting his hands on his hips. His uniform seemed a bit flashy as well, definitely not standard but it was nice that some had individuality here. “I wanted to introduce myself too! I’m Kalim Al-Asim!” He stuck his hand out to Kano, who blinked at the closeness before grinning and shaking Kalim’s hand enthusiastically. 

“Nice to meetcha! Just call me Kano.” He grinned like a cat before pulling his hand back to the table. “I assume you’re going to be my dorm leader, right?”

“Good guess!” 

“You were literally at the ceremony, of course, he recognized you.” The one with black-haired mumbled, just loud enough to be heard.

“Ohhhhh….” Kalim said, but it didn’t seem to bother him too much. “But yeah! I can’t wait for you to come and stay awhile! I got a party planned and everything!” 

Kano was rarely caught off guard, but for a moment he is simply staring in surprise. “A...party? You didn’t have to do anything like that for little old me!” Kano said with a nervous laugh, waving his hand. 

“I threw a party for all the first years on their first day!” Kalim proudly admits, smiling a near blinding smile. “So it’s only fair you get one too! Jamil convinced me not to do the parade, but we can still do it if you want it!”

There was something about the one with Kalim, which something told Kido that this was the ‘Jamil’ Kalim had just mentioned, that made her feel sorry for the guy. He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed heavily. He obviously did not want to deal with the parade - whatever that entailed. Would it actually be a full parade?

“That’s fine!” Kano smiled, leaning over the table. “I’m excited to see the dorm! I’m coming over sometime after classes end.”

“Cool!” Kalim nearly jumped with excitement. “I’ll see you then!” He’s quick to move on with Jamil quickly trailing after him. The whole table was silent for a moment before Grim was the first one to speak up.

“What the hell just happened?”

“I’m not sure,” Kido admitted honestly. Then she looked at Kano, who was running a hand through his hair, also trying to process the fast interaction. “Well?”

“....Not sure about Kalim yet, that was a little all over the place even for me. But that Jamil guy gave me some bad vibes.” 

“He just looked tired to me.” Ace offered, pushing his tray away. “But a party? I wish Heartslabyul got a party.” 

“Well there was the unbirthday party but….” Deuce trailed off and he, Kido, Grim, and Ace sighed. 

“Yeah I’m good on unbirthdays for a while, but Riddle better keep his promise on throwing one.” Ace grumbled. Not even a second later, the bell rings, notifying the students that their classes would resume soon. Some of the students at the table sighed, while the others worked on cleaning up the table. “Oh….hey, Kido?”

Kido was simply getting up from the table when Ace called out to her. “What?”

“Did you even eat lunch?”

The group of boys look at the empty tray that Kido was about to grab. “I gave mine to Grim.” She simply stated before walking to put her tray away. 

“Huh?!” Grim jumped up in the air in surprise, now hovering and flying over to Kido. “Did ya really?!”

“Yeah, you were throwing a fit.” She said, leaving the tray with the other used ones before sticking her hands in her pockets. “I can go another few hours.”

Grim sniffs, as if he was crying, but Kido knew he was just being overdramatic. “Is-Is this what it means...to be a commander…..” He muses to himself. Kido rolls her eyes and pulls Grim close with her arm. “Urk!” She was practically holding him in a headlock now. 

“We need to go to class.” She then carried him out of the cafeteria, and the boys quickly ran after her to catch up. 

Kido sighed as the last bell rang, closing their book and standing up from her desk. Deuce and Ace were quick to surround her while Grim sits on her shoulder, holding onto her hood that was currently over her head. 

“So you’re going to go with Kano and Seto, right?” Ace asked, putting a hand on the back of his neck.

“Yeah. I don’t trust that birdbrain enough to leave them alone with him.” Ace stifled a laugh while Deuce looked surprised. Probably his wannabe good boy showing a bit. “Anyways, what do you want to do Grim? Wanna hang out with one of these two or do you want to come with me.”

“Hmph. I suppose I’ll grant these two idiots with my presence this afternoon!” Grim said, tail swishing behind him. 

Kido could feel the eyeroll from Ace and Deuce. “I’m honored.” The redhead grumbled sarcastically. She puts the book in her bag before saying goodbye to Ace, Deuce and Grim. They left the classroom for their clubs and Kido started to make a beeline towards Kano and Seto’s classroom, hoping to catch them before they went to the headmaster’s office. Sure enough, they came through the door followed by Jack. Kido quickly pulls on Kano’s sleeve, him giving a bit of a yelp as he suddenly stumbles. “Oh,” He blinked as he finally saw it was her. “Hey, Kido.” 

“Hey.” Seto stepped to the side as well to stand with them. Kido looked at him then over at Jack, who she simply nodded at. He nodded back before going on down the hall, presumably to his club. “Ready to get this over with?”

“Sure am!” Kano grinned, putting his arms behind his head. “We gotta go to the headmaster’s office right?”

“No need.” The three look behind them and Crowley is already there walking up to them. Kido sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of her nose. Here they fucking go... “Let us make our way down to the hall of mirrors and I will show you which ones are for your current dorms.” 

“Yesss sir!” Kano salutes, but Kido smacks his arm to lower it. Then the three teens follow the headmaster through the halls of the school and down the path towards the hall of mirrors. 

Why were the mirrors so far away anyway? It was such a walk to get to them. Plus her dorm was even further beyond that, why didn’t she get a mirror? Well, she honestly was too afraid to ask. Not like she expected a truthful answer, but she would rather not piss off the guy who was giving them somewhere to live for the time being. Once they arrive at the hall of mirrors Kano and Seto take a moment to look around. Right, they haven’t been here before.

“So we step through mirrors?!” Kano laughed. “This really is some kind of weird fairytale place.” 

Seto looked back at Kido and asked, “Which one leads to where Deuce and Ace stay?” 

“Oh, that’s….this one.” Kido took a few steps forward to get a good look at the mirrors before pointing to the one belonging to Heartslabyul. 

“What’s with the card motif?” Kano asked, stepping a little closer. Though before he could get a closer look at it, a hand passes by them and grabs Kano by the hood.

“Now, Now, you can explore other areas on your own time. We shouldn’t leave your current dorm leader’s waiting.” They look back to see Crowley was the one that grabbed Kano, and he tugs Kano back a few steps before finally letting go.

“Which one are we going to first, then?” Kido said, looking at all the mirrors.

“Scarabia’s dorm leader requested more time to prepare for Kano’s arrival,” Crowley explained, stepping towards a mirror. “So we will be going to Octavinelle first.” 

“Great.” Seto tried to sound optimistic, but his nervous expression betrayed his words. Kido gave him a pat on the back before pushing him forward. Seto stumbled forward but eventually got his feet to work and Kido and Kano followed after him. 

“Kido and I will go first since we are used to mirror travel. Simply do as we do.” Kano and Seto nodded but couldn’t help but react in surprise when Crowley made his way through the mirror. Now that they were closer, Kido took a good look at the mirror. There was definitely an underwater theme going on….were those tentacles? Gross. Suddenly she felt her stomach turn, why was she getting a bad feeling from all of this? 

“Go on Kido. We’ll be right behind you.” Kano grinned and waved his hand. She glared back at him before stepping through the mirror, hopefully, her bad feeling wouldn’t amount to anything.

When she landed on the other side of the mirror she couldn’t help but be in awe of what was around her for a moment. Were they….underwater? “Holy shit…” She heard the mirror and the footsteps of the other two following her, and it took that to realize why she was getting a bad feeling.

They were underwater.

Shit! Seto!

“Ah! Welcome to Oc--” Kido barely registered the voice as Azul before she was quickly shouting over him.

“Kano!”

“Already on it!” 

Without listening to the questions they were being asked, the three jumped back through the mirror. Or rather, the two jumped back through the mirror, carrying Seto with them. Once back in the hall of mirrors they put Seto down so he was sitting against one of the main walls to get him away from that mirror. He tried to argue he was fine, but they could both see that he was shaking. “Drop the bullshit.” Kido pulled the yellow goggles up and put them over his eyes, then Kano pulled the green hood over his head. Seto laughed nervously but choked. Instead of speaking any more, he pulled his legs up to his chest and hugged them. “Take care of him, Kano. I’m going to go fry a bird.”

“Roger that.” He said, sitting in front of Seto and putting his hands on Seto’s knees, talking to him in a soft tone to try and calm him down.

Kido then turned and stomped back towards the mirror, which Crowley, Azul, and Jade had come out of behind them at some point. Kido gave them a glare, which apparently got a reaction from all of them but she doesn’t give them time to speak. “Why the hell did you not tell us the dorm was underwater?”

“Is that an issue?” Azul asked, adjusting his glasses.

Kido nearly growled and grabbed him by the coat to pull him closer. “Yes, it’s a damn problem! Do none of you stop to think that maybe some people are afraid of deep water?!” 

“Kido! That’s enough!” Crowley pulled her off of Azul, who was giving her a bewildered look. Jade was giving a similar look though it dissolved into a more contemplative expression. Kido didn’t care though, she wanted to rip these guys apart. “Please explain instead of trying to initiate violence!” 

Crowley still held her arm, which she constantly fought against, but she did take a few deep breaths to calm down. “Seto nearly drowned as a kid.” She explains. It was a slight lie, as he did actually drown. “He doesn’t like deep water as a result.” 

Silence fell over them and Crowley slowly let go of Kido’s arm once she had proved she had calmed down. “If he was at least given a warning, he could mentally prepare himself. But just walking into that place was practically enough to trigger a panic attack.” Kido crossed her arms, glaring at Azul in particular. “Every one of you met with Seto at some point today, and none of you bothered to explain? I’ve only been to the Heartslabyul dorm myself, I didn’t know how drastic the dorm sceneries were from each other.” 

The three she was speaking to seemed surprised by her outburst but also looked to be genuinely considering her words.

“I must apologize,” Azul steps forward and puts a hand over his chest as he bowed slightly. “Truthfully, I forget the fear of the ocean is a concern. I am from the ocean myself, as well as Jade and Floyd.”

Kido blinked, “Come again? What are you? Some kind of mermaid?”

“Ah, so the concept exists in your world, that makes it easier to explain.” Azul straightened up and gave a smile, but somehow it only served to tick Kido off. “Yes, in a manner of speaking. Though instead of a normal fishtail, there are some with a mix of other sea creatures as well. For example, the twins are eels. We take a potion so we can walk on land and attend this school.”

‘I’ve really had it with this fairytale bullshit’ Kido thinks to herself as she pinches the bridge of her nose. She couldn’t exactly blame them in that sense, somewhat. She still thought them responsible for not being considerate of human fears. “And why is your dorm specifically underwater? I assume this is the only dorm that is?”

“Yes, it is. It’s underwater because it takes inspiration from the Sea Witch. I’m sure you’ve seen the statue at the front of the school.”

Kido nods as she drops her hand. ‘The octopus lady….well that explains the mirror motifs.’ She thought as she looked back at Seto and Kano, who was now standing up. It takes a moment, but the two make their way over to the group.

“I’m- really sorry, about all that,” Seto said with a nervous laugh, pulling his goggles up onto his head and pushing the hood off at the same time. “I was just startled, is all.”

“I must apologize, like Kido said, I didn’t consider the fear of deep water.” Azul gave a bow to Seto, and Seto just waved his hand.

“It’s okay, really. I’m….assuming since the whole dorm is down there, there’s no danger of the water flooding the dorm or anything, right?” Seto blinked between Azul and Crowley. 

“Yes, the dorm is magically protected, not to mention built for such an environment. So you will be safe no matter what.”

Seto seemed to breathe a sigh of relief at this, but Kido and Kano exchanged a look. They didn’t appear to trust it in the slightest. But that thought was cut off by Seto grabbing one of their hands. “I’m okay guys, really.” He looked between Kido and Kano with a smile, which made both of them falter a bit. “Now that I know it’s safe, I wish to continue the tour, if that’s okay?” 

“Only if you’re sure,” Azul said, straightening his tie. “If you start to feel uncomfortable again, please let us know.”

“I will, thanks.”

Azul and Jade go first, Crowley looks over the three of them for a moment. “I do apologize for causing you distress, Seto-kun.” Seto simply nods as Crowley turns to go through the mirror as well. 

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Kido asked, looking up at Seto. Seto simply nods and tightens the grip on her hand. “Alright then, I’ll go first.” Still holding Seto’s hand, she steps through the mirror, then slowly Seto and Kano follow. 

Now looking at the area a second time, and not having to worry about instantly exiting, this place really was beautiful. A building underwater? One would never think that was possible, but they weren’t home where things were bound by logic, they were in a land of magic. She couldn’t help but wonder what else could be possible here. 

“Doing okay?” Kano asked, which snapped Kido out of her thoughts. She looked up at Seto and while he seemed a bit uncomfortable, he wasn’t on the verge of a full breakdown. Seto nods and the three quickly follow after Azul, Jade, and the headmaster.

“We’ll start with Monstro Lounge.” Azul gestured to a door to his left. 

“Lounge?” Kido asked but the dorm leader in front of her just smiled and let the three continue inside. She and the other dan members took a moment to look around once they were inside. It….really was a lounge. Kido thought it would be just a fancy seating area inside the dorm but it was a full-blown restaurant. Tables, booths, and dim lighting to set the mood. That might have been a stage in the back, large windows showing the deep sea the dorm was encased in. There was even a bar and a door she assumed led back to a kitchen. 

Speaking of though, as Azul, Jade, and Crowley made their way into the Lounge behind them, there seemed to be a commotion at the bar. “Oh? What’s going on here?” 

“Azul-san!” Someone dressed in a similar outfit to Azul came walking up. He must be a student but, wasn’t that kind of outfit a bit much? Then again, Heartslabyul seemed to have their own uniform too now that Kido thinks about it, but at least theirs were a little more lax. “Sorry for the noise, there’s just a big leak under the sinks of the bar.”

“That’s all?” Azul sighed, almost sounding irritated. “Have you fixed it yet?”

“Well, we tried to use magic on it, but it only seemed to get worse.” The student looked very nervous, bowing as they rubbed the side of their head. “But we’ll fix it! Sorry for the inconvenience.”

“Very well, let me take a--”

“I can take a look.” Cutting Azul off, Kido and Kano were surprised when Seto suddenly let go of their hands to step forward. “I’ve done plumbing work before. Where’s the leak again?”

“Uh-” The student looks between Seto and Azul, and Azul waves his hand as if saying to let Seto look at it. “Right over here.” 

The group moves over to the bar, Kido and Kano sitting in stools and looking over the counter as Seto went around it to where two more students were under part of a counter trying to fix the leak. By the sounds of splashing footsteps, it seemed like there was a lot of water already. Seto put on his goggles and kneeled down. “Let me take a look.” He said to the two, who were confused but eventually moved out of the way. Seto got underneath the counter instead, looking around “You’re going to have to replace this piping.” He stated after not even a minute of inspecting the leak. “I can give you a temporary fix though. Do you guys have a toolbox?” He pulled himself out from underneath the counter, to be handed a small toolbox. The natives watched, almost entranced as Seto explained what tools were needed for this kind of situation.

“I don’t really know magic or anything.” Seto continued as he got back under the counter. “But I imagine that someone put a bit too much behind whatever spell they were gonna use and caused the leak to get worse. Too much water flowed through and expanded the pipes, which could lead to further problems. Either way though, this piping would have lasted a few more months.” 

“I see…” Azul hummed, and Jade at his side chuckled.

“You are very knowledgeable in this kind of thing, Seto-kun.” Jade commented, leaning over the counter as well. 

“I have just worked too many odd jobs.” Seto laughed before pulling himself out from underneath the counter. His back was soaking wet now, as was part of his face but thankfully the goggles helped keep his eyes unaffected. He pushed the goggles up onto his messy hair and smiled as he stood. “There you go, that should do it.”

“Th-Thank you so much!” One of the students said, shaking Seto’s hand even though it was soaking wet. Seto laughed. “We owe you one.”

“It’s no big deal.”

“You can make it up to Seto-kun by starting to clean up this mess,” Jade said, motioning to all the water and towels on the floor. The students groaned but gave a nod, after all, it was their fault the issue had escalated. “I will stay here to make sure that the fix stays and that the area is clean before opening,” Jade said, facing Azul while putting a hand over his chest.

“Thank you Jade. Now then…” Azul looks back to Seto, who had come around the counter and was trying to hug Kido and Kano, probably in an attempt to make them soaking wet as well. “I suppose we could skip to the part of the tour where I show you your room and give you the dorm uniform, just so you’re not stuck in those wet clothes.”

Seto grinned as he managed to grab onto Kano, who was attempting to get out of his hold quickly. “Sounds good to me.”

There was a brief overview of the Lounge given by Azul on their way out, Crowley chiming in here and there with some historical knowledge of the school and dorm as a whole. They passed through the door that connected the lounge to the dorm itself, passing through the dorm’s lounge and through the tunnel-like hallways. Seto seemed to tense again while they were in the tunnels, but at least it was short-lived as they got to the hallways with the rooms. 

“This one will be yours.” Azul gestured to a door, and the group stopped. “I have placed a uniform on the bed for you and there should be some towels for you to dry off with,” Azul explained. “Normally it’s two people to a room, but as we’re unsure if you’re going to be staying I decided to simply put you in this one for now, if that’s alright.”

“That’s fine.” Seto grinned. “I’ll be right back.” He said, walking into the room and shutting the door behind him to change. 

It was….awkward, standing in the hall waiting for Seto to come back out. At least, she figured it was for Kano and her. Crowley and Azul seemed to be making pleasant conversation while they waited, talking about things that were clearly over Kido’s head - something about events and the lounge? Maybe? But one thing was for sure… “He’s such a suckup,” Kido grumbled under her breath to Kano, and he put a hand over his mouth to keep himself from laughing too loudly. 

The door opened not long after Kido made her comment and everyone looked up. Seto stepped out, wearing the uniform that matched Azul’s and the other student’s. He looked...awkward, for lack of a better word.

“So?” Seto looked over at the two Dan members as if asking for their opinion on his new attire. 

“Hmm….” Kido pushed herself off of the wall, taking a step closer to Seto. She walked a circle around him before shaking her head. “This is definitely not your color.” 

Seto laughed, “I figured you would say that. What about you Ka-- hey!” Speaking of the devil, Kano had reached up and taken the hat off of his head with a snicker.

“Look who's all cool now with a fedora and everything!” Kano laughed, keeping the hat out of Seto’s reach, surprising considering Seto was taller than both of them.

“You are allowed to customize your uniform,” Azul coughed, getting the attention of the three playing around, “to some extent, at least.”

“Really?” Seto asked, using the interruption to snatch his hat back from Kano, who merely shrugged. “Hmm…” After putting the hat on his head he undid the tie and undid the top button. Afterward letting out a sigh of relief. “I really don’t like ties.” He puts the tie in the pocket of the jacket, and Azul nods approvingly. 

“Some do not. Now, let’s continue our tour.” 

Kido lost track of how long they had been in the underwater dorm, truthfully. But the more she saw the more she couldn’t help but glare at the back of Crowley’s head. He was really making her and Grim live in a dump while the other dorms looked like this on the inside? Really? Somehow she had a feeling he could sense her glaring, as he didn’t look at her directly for the rest of the tour. Good. He needed to know how upset she was about this - on top of everything else that had already happened today. And they still had to tour another dorm! Ugh. 

“That concludes the tour.” Kido snapped back to reality as they came back to the foyer of the dorm. 

“Thanks, Azul-san.” Seto said with a smile. “It’s a little nerve-wracking but I look forward to staying here for a bit.”

“I’m glad you think that way, and I am truly sorry about what had happened before.” The way he pushed up his glasses made Kido squint. Did he mean it or was he just saving face in front of Crowley?

“It’s in the past, don’t worry about it,” Seto said with a wave of his hand. “Do you mind if I go with Kano to tour his dorm?”

“Of course not.” Azul hummed, walking over to hold the door open for them, “When you get back I’ll give you a more in detail explanation of the Monstro Lounge and the dorm member's duties with it.”

“Sounds good!” Seto grinned, stepping out first followed by Kido and Kano, then Crowley at the end. They all walked back up to the mirror and stepped through. Once on the other side, Seto leaned against a wall. 

“You doing okay?” Kido asked, rubbing his back. 

“Yeah. Just a little...overwhelming.” Seto nodded before straightening up. He looked back down at his new outfit with a frown. “I don’t think this fits me at all.”

“It really doesn’t.” Kido agreed. “But at least you only have to wear it while at your dorm.”

“Speaking of,” Kano rubbed at his chin before looking at Crowley. “How did Azul and Jade change so quickly earlier?”

“Ah,” Crowley stood a little taller, “Magic to change one’s clothing is simple. Some dorms have it set to where students will automatically switch clothes once they reenter the space, but others will just cast the spell as soon as they're back on dorm grounds.”

“Huh.” Kano blinked before shrugging. “Man wouldn’t that be convenient.” He grinned like a cat, and Kido rolled his eyes. He had no right to talk considering he could practically wear whatever he wanted and get away with it, changing other’s perspectives and making it seem like he was wearing what they wanted him to wear. He had done it before when they were kids and had gotten caught. She remembers the lecture afterward a little too. 

Ayano thought it was cool, at least…

Shaking her head of the thought, she stepped back out into the main area of the room before looking around. “So...which one next?”

“Scarabia.” Crowley points with his cane towards a nearby mirror. 

The three looked towards it and saw the motifs around it. Great...snakes. They all give a glance to each other but can’t say anything before Crowley is pushing them along. Right, he was ‘kind’ enough to take time out of his ‘busy’ schedule to make sure the two were properly introduced to their dorm leaders, but they likely wasted a lot of time already. 

Kido stumbles through the mirror after Seto, Kano right behind her. When the three collide on the opposite side of the mirror, Seto manages to keep them upright, but only because he’s standing in shock. “What is it-- oh.” Kido blinked as she finally got a good look at the area they were now in. A desert with the dorm like an oasis in the middle of it. Golds and reds filled the area to an almost blinding extent.

“Kano, I hate you,” Seto muttered under his breath while Kano cheered, throwing his arms up.

“Holy shit! This is great!” Kano laughed, jumping down the carpet covered steps to the fountain courtyard in front of the dorm building. 

Kido looked around some more as she followed after the happy idiot, Seto next to her pulling off his uniform’s jacket and wrapping it around his waist - likely already hot from the desert air. Kido could practically see Kano’s cat-like eyes shining at all that this dorm had to offer. Whether that was how he really felt or something he was just trying to show off with, was the real question. 

As the group walks around the fountain, they see some familiar faces by the door. “Hey, guys!” Kalim waved to them enthusiastically. Somehow the clothes he wore were laxer but also fancier than how he decided to wear his school uniform. Maybe it was because of all the gold and jewels he was also wearing. “Hi, headmaster! Sorry for the wait.” 

“It was us taking so long with the Octavinelle dorm tour. There was...an incident.” He coughed and Seto looked to the side, scratching his cheek sheepishly.

“Well, hey! That uniform looks good on you!” Kalim grinned, stepping down the small set of stairs and standing in front of Seto. Seto mumbled thanks as Kalim pat his shoulder with a laugh. Then he turns to Kano. “Ready for your party?”

“Am I ever?!” Kano practically bounced towards Kalim with his cat-like grin taking over his face. “Do I get a cool outfit like yours too?”

“You bet! Jamil has everything ready in your room.” Kalim said, linking arms with Kano and pulling him up the stairs. Seto and Kido shared a look before Crowley was pushing them along up the stairs as well.

The doors opened dramatically, and for a moment it was too bright and the three had to look away. When their eyes adjusted though, they saw that the inside of the dorm was just as extravagant as the outside. Red carpeting and decorations, open windows with floating lights, gold confetti falling around them as they entered, and rows of exotic food that Kido couldn’t even begin to guess what was contained in them. It took her a moment to realize that other students were the ones to release the confetti at them, and suddenly Kido noticed how crowded this place was. She pulled her hood up as Kalim took Kano to the end of the Carpet, clapping his hands to get everyone’s attention. 

“Alright, everyone! This is Kano! Be sure to be nice to him, okay?” Kalim said, unlinking their arms just to wrap his arm around Kano’s shoulders. The students cheered in agreement and Kano gave enthusiastic waves. Kido couldn’t help but run her hand down her face. Yeah, Kano was going to be fine here for a few days. 

The party seemed to take precedence over the tour itself. Kalim dragged Kano around the room and had him try a bunch of dishes and talk to people. Kido then realized the reason Crowley was in a rush was that he also wanted to take part in the party, sitting happily with a plate full of food. Kido resisted the urge to roll her eyes before looking over at Seto. 

“He’s really in his element, huh?” Seto laughed, watching Kano speak with some of the other students. Kido frowned. 

“Just wait til they get to know him and they’ll turn around soon enough,” Seto choked on his drink and then laughed alongside Kido’s chuckle.

“You’re Kido, right?” A voice suddenly called next to her. She looked over to see the student with long black hair they had met before.

“That’s right.” She said, shoving her hands into her jacket’s pockets. “And you’re...Jamil?”

“That’s right, Jamil Viper. Nice to meet you.” He offered his hand which Kido took and shook quickly.

“Likewise.” She said as she pulled her hand back. 

“I was going to show Kano to his room so he could get changed but…” Jamil sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he looked at the scene of Kalim dragging Kano to yet another table of food. “He always gets carried away.” 

“I know the feeling,” Kido said, giving a blank look towards Kano before looking back at Jamil. “He’s a bit of a handful so sorry in advance.”

“Well, it’s nothing I’m not used to,” Jamil said, shaking his head. “I doubt the actual tour will happen for a while, in the meantime, you can enjoy the buffet.” He offered, but Kido shook her head.

“I…was thinking about heading out,” Kido mumbled, her shoulders tensing a bit as the room got louder.

“Not much of a party person, I take it?” Jamil asked with a raised eyebrow.

“You could say that.” 

Jamil hummed, uncrossing his arms. “Would stepping out to one of the balconies help? No one is over there currently.” He gestured towards one of the balconies nearby. This dorm didn’t seem to care about windows or doors that lead out to places like that, you could just walk straight to it. Kido looked at it then back over to Jamil and nodded. 

“It might help to get some fresh air, thanks,” Kido said, making her way over to the balcony after telling Seto where she was going. 

Once she steps out onto the balcony she breathes a heavy sigh, leaning against the stone railing. What the hell was with this crazy place? First, they were underwater, now they were in a desert? Seto and Kano seem to be taking it well, but it was all too much for Kido. There was nothing she’d rather do right now than to go home and bask in the stupid summer heat. Sure it was hot here, but it was different. At least at home, she could feel comfortable. Here was just...

“Would you like some food?”

“Holy fuck--”

Kido jumped, one hand gripping onto the railing with a white-knuckled grip. Next to her stood Jamil, offering her a plate of food. He blinked, clearly not expecting that reaction from her. She took a moment to catch her breath, her free hand over her chest. Now she knew how people felt when she suddenly appeared, she guessed. It wasn’t a great feeling - but neither was people purposefully ignoring her, she guessed. 

“S-Sorry, you just scared me.”

“Deep in thought?” Jamil questioned, and Kido just responded by taking the plate of food.

“You could say that.” Was her only response as she tried the food. Her eyes widened as she stared down at the plate. “This is really good.”

“Thank you, I did try my best to make a variety of dishes-”

“Wait, you made all of this?” She gestured between the plate and the buffet tables. Jamil seemed to sigh heavily and nodded.

“I did have a few helping hands but the majority of it was me, yes.”

“That’s insane.”

“It is what it is.” He said with a wave of his hand. 

The two stayed out in the balcony in somewhat comfortable silence, occasionally talking about the food Kido was trying. She would have to make a note to probe Jamil’s mind for some recipes later. She already knows a couple of these dishes that the Dan would really like. 

That train of thought gets her back to thinking about home. Momo must be worried sick. She hoped Shintaro was getting enough rest, or that Ene would yell at him until he at least took a nap. Hibiya could use this time to get used to his ability but still….he shouldn’t push himself. Mary was likely depressed, especially now that Seto was here. She made a mental note to check in with Seto later too. She glanced over at the party to find him, he was likely acting find but he was more protective of mary than anyone --

“Wait…” Kido suddenly spoke up, putting her now empty plate down on the stone railing. “Where’s Seto?” Looking around, she couldn’t see where Kano was either.

“Kalim--” Jamil blinked, seeming to have lost someone as well before heavily sighing. “I let him out of my sight for one second-!” Jamil headed back onto the main floor and Kido quickly followed him. He glanced back at her, “They’re likely together, at least. I assume that maybe Kalim went to show Kano his room.”

Kido nodded, continuing to follow after Jamil’s hurried pace. It didn’t take that much effort, her panic propelling her forward through the carpeted hallways. Had that panic not been choking her, she maybe could have observed her surroundings and called it beautiful. Definitely more appealing to her than Octavinelle. But she was in fact, choking on some indescribable feeling. 

As if she had lost them again as if she would be all alone again. 

The two turn a corner, seeing Kalim and Seto talking outside of a closed-door - presumably Kano’s room. Before Jamil even had a chance to call out to Kalim, reprimand him for taking off in the middle of festivities, Kido pushed past him. “Hey-” Jamil blinked, stumbling nearly by the force Kido pushed him aside with.

“Oh! Kido,” Seto noticed her first, giving a wave. But the smile on his face was short-lived as Kido practically rammed into him. He coughed as the wind was knocked out of him but he managed to stay upright. Kalim let out a noise of surprise as Jamil caught up with the group. “Kido?” He looked down with concern at Kido, but she couldn’t see the expression. She was just clinging to him and burying her face into his shoulder. 

“Sorry for the wait!” Kano announced, throwing open the door, now wearing the Scarabia school uniform. It fit him perfectly, in more ways than one. “How do I--huh?” Finally reading the air of the hallway, and looking upon the scene, Kano frowned.

“You look great Kano!” Kalim still commented though it was accompanied by a nervous laugh as he gestured to Kido. “Um--”

“Enough Kalim,” Jamil said, pulling the dorm leader by the arm a few feet away from the three, giving them some space. Kano gave him a grateful look before heading over to Seto. 

“What happened?” He asked.

“I don’t know, she just-” Seto of course had his arms around her, attempting to return some affection or affirmation - whatever it was Kido was seeking with this near bone-crushing hug. Kano patted Kido’s head, which seemed to get her to lift her head just slightly. He couldn’t place the expression on her face. Or rather, it had been so long since he had seen it....that he had almost forgotten what it was.

“Hey, bossman!” Kano smiled, turning to Kalim. “I still got some stuff at Kido’s place, so we’re gonna go over there for a bit, that okay?”

“Sure!” Kalim smiled, putting his hands on his hips. “Take as much time as you want.”

“Sorry to have you throw this party just for me to ditch-” Kano scratched his cheek, and Kalim laughed.

“Don’t worry about it!  It’ll likely still be going by the time you get back anyway!” Kano could see Jamil groan from behind Kalim, but Kano didn’t let his smile drop.

“You’re the best!” Kano pulled Kido off of Seto, letting the latter catch his breath as he wrapped an arm around Kido’s shoulders, pulling her hood up for her. “See ya later.” He waved to Kalim and Jamil as he guided Kido past them, and soon he could hear Seto’s footsteps falling into pace behind him. It wasn’t hard to get out of the dorm and back to the mirror. While he had been the center of attention just a bit ago - now he really blended in as he was wearing the uniform. With the hood up he could easily make his way through. This uniform was going to come in handy.

“Alright, through you go Kido,” Kano said, guiding Kido to the mirror. For once she didn’t argue against him and followed his instructions to step through the mirror. He and Seto shared a glance, something was definitely wrong if she was listening to Kano of all people. They quickly followed after her and the trip back to her dorm was relatively quiet. No, scratch that, it was a little awkward. Kano tried to get some kind of reaction out of her, but the only thing she was doing was holding their hands. They hadn’t done this since they were kids, and even then it was forced by their big sister…-

“Hey! Took you long enough!” Grim’s voice scratches through the tense air or attempts to. Kano looked up to see the cat floating in front of Ace and Deuce, who at least seemed to be able to read the said tense air. Ace reached out and grabbed Grim, wrapping a gloved hand around the cat’s mouth. The cat struggled against his hold, likely mumbling a bunch of obscenities into Ace’s hand.

“Did something happen?” Ace asked with no attention given to the one in his grasp. 

“You...could say that,” Kano said with a nervous laugh. 

“I think the meeting today is canceled,” Seto said, with a wave of his hand. “Sorry to make you guys come all the way out here.” 

Deuce shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. She’s gone through a lot so maybe she’s just still tired.” He took steps towards them, pulling something out of his pocket and holding it out so it would be in Kido’s line of sight. It was a music player - much more high-tech compared to Kido’s old thing. “Here, this has all the music I said I’d show you.”

It takes Kido a moment before she untangles her hands from those beside her to take the device. “Thanks…” She speaks for the first time since they left the Scarabia dorm. Kano and Seto both gave silent sighs of relief. 

“No problem, tell me what you think later,” Deuce said, looking back at Ace and motioning with his hand.

“We’ll keep Grim busy for a few more hours.” Ace said, keeping the grip tight around the cat-creature as he gave a wave with his free hand and started to walk away with Deuce.

 Kano and Seto waved to them before guiding Kido up to the dorm. Seto threw his jacket and hat onto the broken but still functional coat rack near the door, and announced he would go ahead to make some tea and maybe some snacks. Kano thanked him before following after him at a slower pace, holding onto Kido as he guided her to the lounge. She broke out of his grip then, walking slowly towards the couch before flopping onto it. Kano watched her, giving a sigh before he followed after and sat next to her. 

“Alright Kido, what’s up?” Kano asked, watching Kido untangle the earbuds from her own music player so she could plug them into the one that Deuce had given her. She glanced at him, before looking back down at the tangled mess. “C’mon, I can’t read minds like Seto, you’re going to have to tell me.”

“...ed..” She grumbled under her breath, Kano wasn’t able to understand it. He frowned, reaching out to put a hand over her struggling ones, She looked up at him properly this time. He stayed silent, waiting for her to repeat herself. “I got...scared….” She admitted, looking away from him, anywhere in the lounge but him. “I couldn’t...find you two...and…”

“You thought you got separated from us again.” Kano pieced it together, and she could only nod before looking down at their hands. 

“You’re not deceiving right now, are you?” The question shakes him - normally she would just punch him to try and figure that out. It had been like that since they met since he had asked her to punch him because he didn’t have control of his ability yet, and only knowing that pain was the way for him to turn it off. “You’re here...right?” 

Kano lets go of her hands, only to put one on the opposite side of her head and pull her closer. They couldn’t exactly hug from this position, but he was going to hold her as much as he could. “Yeah...Yeah, I’m right here. No deceiving from me today, promise.” 

As Seto came out of the kitchen with some tea and saw the sight, he smiled softly, giving them a few moments before he announced his presence. 

“Tea’s done!” 

Chapter Text

“So...what exactly are these unbirthday parties like?” Kano asks, looking over at Kido as the three of them headed towards the Heartslabyul mirror. It had been a week since the overblot incident, and a week since Kano and Seto appeared in the world with her. They seemed to be adjusting pretty well. While they were supposed to stay in their dorms most of the time, they still got out to spend most afternoons or nights with Kido. It had been so long since the three of them had seen each other and at the very least, the dorm leaders and Crowley understood this and never made a fuss about dorm members staying over in the ‘ramshackle’ dorm as it was coming to be known as. 

“I haven’t been to one either, kind of,”  Kido said, adjusting her hood. “So I don’t know.”

“Well, it’s a party, right? And Ace mentioned a tart so there’s probably lots of sweets. Try not to eat too much you two.” Seto chuckles as the shorter two give him a glare.

“Yes sir, Mr.All vegetables and no fun.” Kano gave a fake salute before practically falling back through the heartslabyul mirror. Kido rolled her eyes. At the very least, the three of them were getting used to mirror travel. Though still amazed by it and the locations of the school and dorms in general. 

The school, they had recently found out, was on an island with another school on the other side of the island and a town in the middle. So, even if they wanted to leave the school there wouldn’t be too many places to go without hopping into a boat - which the three of them discussed was not worth the risk. It was better to stay here where they had food, shelter, and some means of researching how to get home. 

Still…. It almost felt like they were trapped, more often than not. 

But that isn’t the point of today, Kido reminds herself after Seto steps through the mirror ahead of her. Today was supposed to be a good day, she wouldn’t ruin it with her anxious thoughts (or at least...she would try not to ruin it). She steps through the mirror next, standing between Kano and Seto who had waited for her. In front of them, Ace and Deuce were waving as they stood near the front entrance of the dorm.

“Kido!” Deuce calls out before rushing over. “Glad you could make it.”

“Did we become the invisible ones?” Kano looks at Seto, who just gives a laugh before Kido elbows them both in the stomach. Ace laughs in return as the two of them try to recover.

“Thanks for inviting us - is everything in the rose maze like before?”

“Yup! Though Riddle wanted to see you all beforehand. Maybe a personal apology or something?” Ace shrugged. “That’s why we waited up for you. The dorm hallways can be a bit confusing so we didn’t want you three to get lost on the way.”

“Such faith you have in us.” Kido rolls her eyes, “Let’s go.”

“Sure thing, boss.” Ace said with a grin, and surprisingly an unsarcastic tone. 

“They’re really getting used to calling you that, huh.” Grim who was perched on her shoulder gives a grumble and swipe of his tail.

“Jealous?” Kido raises an eyebrow.

“O-Of course not!” Grim huffed, looking away from Kido. The boss laughed and reached up to pat the cat's head.

“Sure, sure.” Kido drops the hand and starts to follow the two in front of her, Kano and Seto following behind her. 

They...were not lying about the hallways being confusing. “How the fuck-” Kido holds the side of her head as it practically spins at the checkered patterns and strangely angled staircases. “We’re practically walking on the wall - how does that work?” She might or might not be clinging to Seto as they do so, and he might or might not be patting her hands to reassure her.

“It’s magic Kido, do we gotta tell you that every time?” Ace laughs, while Deuce shoves him.

“Don’t be rude, Ace! They’re not from our world so they’re probably not used to --”

“LOOK AT ME!” Kano’s voice echos and Kido makes the mistake of looking and seeing him practically standing on the ceiling. “THIS PLACE IS GREAT!”

Kido nearly passes out on the spot. 

She recovers once they’re back in a normal hallway of the dorm, Kido leaning against a wall for a moment, one hand on her head and the other around Kano’s throat as she shakes him violently - then shoves him aside where he stumbles comically and then falls onto his back.

“You made it.” Riddle’s voice interrupts the bursts of laughter and jokes between the group at the moment. Kano looks up and sees Riddle standing over him with a disapproving look, dorm uniform in perfect order and staff in his hand. 

“Hey, Queeny.” Kano grins before he quickly rolls to the side and onto his stomach as Riddle nearly slams the end of the staff onto his face. “Why is everyone out to get me tod--OW.” Before he can even get out the complaint, someone is stepping on his back. Kido, it’s Kido who is stepping - or rather standing now - on his back.

“Sorry if we kept you. You wanted to see us?”

“Well, you specifically Kido, but now I see I must address all three of you.” 

“Hey!”

“Four of you, Apologies Grimm.” The cat huffed but was at least happy to be apologized to for the mistake.

“K--Kido-- can’t- breathe-” With a heavy sigh, Kido finally gets off of Kano and he turns over on his back once more so he can take a deep breath before Seto helps him up to his feet. 

“Deuce, Ace, you two can go on ahead and help with the last of the preparations,” Riddle said with a point of his staff. They look between each other and then at Kido, who gives a wave of her hand as well before they eventually give up and go back the way they came. “Hm...they seem to listen to you more to me.”

“In their defense, you were kind of, you know.” Kido waves her hand in a vague motion and Riddle sighs.

“Fair enough, that is something I want to address as well but first, come in.” Riddle motions to the room behind him, opening the door himself and going through before inviting the four newcomers in.

It was a study, by the looks of things. A very fancy study. Lines of books in heart-shaped bookcases, a long desk with various old-fashioned writing equipment, but with a modern laptop on the opposite end, likely an addition by Riddle himself. The decorations matched those of the dorm, playing cards and hearts and there was even a vase filled with roses. There were also a few plush chairs, which Riddle instructed them to sit in. When they do, Grimm jumps off of Kido’s shoulder and onto her lap. Riddle pulls up the chair from the desk to sit upon it in front of them.

“Firstly,” Riddle says after placing his staff on the table in between them, “I would like to apologize to you, Kido. And you too, Grmm.”

“I’m pretty sure you’ve done that like, a hundred times by now?” Kido said rather bluntly, “It’s fine like I’ve also said a hundred times.”

“That’s-” Riddle clears his throat, “I still wish to do it while I’m more coherent and not laying on the infirmary’s bed. Plus, I was told - in rather specific detail, how I almost hurt you while in that form.” Kano and Seto glance at each other than at Kido. “I could have killed you,” Kido can feel them staring at her, “and I’m sorry."

“To be fair I was dumb enough to blind you and then fall off the tree - if Cater hadn’t caught me I probably would at leave have broken a few bones.” Kano and Seto had heard all of this, but perhaps not in such serious detail. Ace and Deuce’s renditions of the event had it sound so epic like Cater and she had planned it. While hers downplayed a lot of the more serious moments. Then Riddle told the facts.

“You are….very calm, about all of this.” Riddle states, looking a little surprised. Kido shrugs.

“It’s not the first time that kind of thing has happened. Well, the magic and ink were new but, you know.” She once again vaguely gestures with her hand, and Kano and Seto decide to stop staring at her. In that respect, she’s right. They’ve gone through far stranger, and more dangerous, things. Riddle seems to look surprised at them all, and even Grimm is giving her a look, but she starts petting his head and he’s easily content and forgetting about the curiosity. 

“I am not sure if I should be worried or not.” Riddle said, crossing his arms, “But I mean my apology all the same.”

“If it makes you feel better, apology accepted,” Kido said with a soft smile. “Was there something else you wanted to talk to us about?”

“Ah, yes. I was hoping you all would allow me to do some magic on you.” He takes his staff again and stands up straight and proud. Like the Queen that Kano tried to call him earlier. “It is nothing dangerous, of that I assure you, I simply wanted to include you all in a Heartslabyul custom.”

“A custom?” Seto asks with a tilt of his head as Riddle walks around the table.

“Yes. I would like to assign each of you a card suit.”

“Oh! You mean like the things people have on their faces?” Kano asked, pointing to one of his eyes - obviously referring to deuce or ace. “You mean that isn’t just make-up?”

“No, it’s not,” Riddle explained, holding a hand to his chest. “It is the responsibility of the dorm leader to assign other students in the dorm a suit. The spell which I cast will allow me to, hmm…” He trails off for a moment, attempting to find the right words to explain it, “Will allow me to have a peak of your heart, so to speak. Mostly, your emotions and parts of your mind. Based on your emotional or mental state, a card suit will materialize on your face.”

The four of the Dan give a look between each other. Riddle can obviously see their doubt and continues on. “I will not be able to read your minds or anything if that’s what you’re worried about.” He chuckles, dropping his hand from his chest. “It’s difficult to explain to those who are not used to the ways of magic. I suppose you could say the magic, or the staff itself looks into your soul, or into your personality, but nothing is retained or seen by me specifically, I just cast the spell.” 

“Soul huh….” Kido thinks back to the conversation that had occurred after the sorting ceremony for Kano and Seto, how they had discovered how exactly the two of them had been sorted into a dorm and she hadn’t. It still pissed her off. She can almost feel the worried vibes from Seto and Kano, but she looks up at Riddles. “Sure, sounds fun.” She puts grim on the table in front of her and stands up. “Do me first.” 

“Wait! I wanna go first!” Grim huffed, nearly clawing at Riddle. “Do me!”

“This magic will not work for you Grimm,” Riddle said bluntly. 

“What!?! Why not!” Grim crosses his paws and gives a huff.

“The same reason cats are not allowed at an unbirthday party.” Riddle seemed to glare and Grimm jumped back. “I am allowing you to come, of course, but this magic specifically won’t work on animals - cats especially.”

Grimm turns his back towards them and grumbles as he sits down, tail swishing side to side in annoyance. “Don’t mind him, he’ll get over it.” Kido said, shaking her head and looking at Riddle. He nods and steps in front of her. 

”I’m happy that you trust me with this.”

“Hey, it’s a custom, right? We should be thanking you.” Kido nods before looking at the staff in Riddle’s hand. “Do uh… I have to do anything?”

“Just close your eyes and relax,” Riddle instructs, and Kido does just that, taking a deep breath in and out.

Kano and Seto watch as Riddle mumbles something under his breath before tapping Kido’s forehead with the staff. Sparkles and symbols of the card suits spring forth from the end of the staff and fall in front of her face for a moment. When it disappears, Riddle pulls his staff back and looks surprised.

“Ha.” Riddle chuckles. “I did not expect this.”

“Can I open my eyes now?”

“Yes, Yes, sorry.” 

Kido opens her eyes, blinking for a moment before patting at her face. She couldn’t feel the suit exactly so she looked between Kano and Seto. “Which one is it?”

“Spade,” Seto informs her, and Kido blinks back at him. Before looking at Riddle who still looked amused. Grim, already over his initial annoyance, looks back towards the group to likely see which suit they would all be given.

“What about the Spade made you not expect it?” Kido couldn’t help but ask.

“I will tell you, but perhaps I should do the spell on Kano and Seto first, so I can explain all of them at once.”

“Oh! Oh! Me next!” Kano raises his hand while practically jumping to his feet. Kido rolls her eyes as Riddle goes to step in front of him. Kano already has his eyes closed and Riddle performs the spell, letting Kido get a look at what it looks like from an outsider's perspective. While the spell was being performed on her, it almost felt like a mist had come over her face and a spark of...something she couldn’t describe.

Riddle pulls his staff away and Kano looks excitedly at the three other dan members. “Well?” 

“Diamond! Like that Cater guy.” Grimm said with a raised paw.

“Huh.” Kano rubbed at the cheek where he remembers Cater’s diamond symbol is, Now rubbing at his own symbol “Neat.”

“Alright, guess I’m last.” Seto stands up, and the process is repeated. Riddle taps his staff onto Seto’s forehead and pulls away once the spell appears to be done. 

“This one is also a surprise,” Riddle said, bringing his first to his chin in thought. Seto blinks and looks at them.

“Heart,” Kido informs him with a hand coming to her hip. “Like Ace.”

Seto also rubs at where he knows the heart symbol would be and Riddle walks around the table again and addresses them all.

“The red suits,” Riddle starts, getting everyone’s attention, “Are the emotional cards, while black suits are more logical and reserved. But there is more to them than that. The heart for example,” Riddle points the staff to Seto, “is not only about love, but the emotional world. They are extremely complex individuals, who feel with their whole heart - good or bad. As the heart can have both, happiness and glee, but also malice and resentment.” Riddle pulls his staff back, holding the end of it in one hand as eyes turn to Seto. “They feel too deeply, some would say. And it’s true, for Hearts feel more deeply than the average human. Hearts also represent spring; rebirth, renewal, and warmth. Hearts are more easily approachable because of their warmth and loyalty to those close to them. Their near undying loyalty is another aspect people both love and question about them.”

“Huh….” Kido blinks, doing a similar thinking pose to Seto. “Yeah, that’s about right.”

“Really?” Seto asks, messing with the hat of his dorm uniform.

“Totally! 100%” Kano grinned, shoving his hands into the pockets of the dorm uniform’s pants. “So what about diamond then?” He looks at Riddle’s curiously.

Riddle does a more relaxed point towards Kano, “Diamonds are rulers of the material world. They can be viewed as superficial,” Kido nearly laughs but chokes it back behind her hand “But the positive aspect is that they can be lucky with other areas of life. Money, beauty, these things come easily for them - even romance though they seem to have trouble holding onto any of these. Diamonds are also secretive, which could be part of the problem. Masters of disguise, the hardest material on earth which is nearly impossible to break, the diamond.” He holds his staff like before. “They feel deeply, not as much as the heart but still very deep. But somewhere in life, they were forced to not show how they feel, or change how they present their feelings. They are strong and sturdy, and the most valuable. They represent Autumn, because of the calmness they radiate and the chill they give if pushed too far.” Kido gives a glance at Kano now, who seems to still have a smile on his face but Kido can’t help but wonder… “Despite everything though, they enjoy spreading positivity to others, and that’s one of their most valuable aspects.”

“Wow Kano.” Seto can’t help but whistle. “He really just called you out like that, huh.”

Kano laughs, throwing his hands behind his head. “Kinda creepy! Actually!” 

Riddle shakes his head. “This spell has been around for more than 100 years.” He informs them, “Brought by the Queen of Hearts herself when she came to help the others of the great seven build this school. She knew the matters of hearts and souls better than anyone and these were only some of the words written about each of those suits. I am sparing you the full lecture.”

“Thank you for your kindness.” Kano jokes and Riddles rolls his eyes and looks at Kido next. She gulps, “But yeah! What about the Spade huh? I wanna hear Kido’s call out post.”

“Don’t make me throw you out the window,” Kido warns.

“The Spade,” Riddle cuts in, “is a karmic card. Things are constantly changing for them and their future is unknown. They are great at adapting, enduring struggles, and coming out stronger for it. Spades are bound to the tarot card of death,” This seems to put the other three humans on edge, but they relax as Riddle explains, “Which is not a negative card - it simply means coming to the end of a situation - but negativity can be drawn to spades. Sometimes they are trapped by their own mind and mental state which is hard to handle alone. But thankfully - Spades are never alone.” Kido feels Seto grabbing ahold of her hand. Riddle smiles and continues, closing his eyes.

“Spades are meant to go on a journey, whether it’s for better or worse is dependent on the specific spade.” Riddle opens his eyes, looking softly towards Kido “Associated with air and winter - as unpredictable as winds can get and as youthful as winter can be. Walking through a winter wonderland with nature dead around you, you know that winter eventually comes to an end, and so do their personal struggles. They are risk-takers, willing to do whatever it takes. Lastly, Spades are common but also one of the most valuable of the set as a whole. They bring destiny into play, on purpose or not, which leads to them being the most karma card drawn from a deck.”

Riddle watches as Kido takes a deep breath, holding her free hand onto her hood and pulling it over her eyes for a moment before she speaks. “Do you always do this?”

“Do what?”

“Make people…..feel things.”

Riddle laughs softly, “Well, I’m a heart myself, after all.”

“Really?” Seto blinks up at Riddle and he nods in turn.

“The dorm leader is supposed to represent the Queen of hearts, so once one takes this position, your individual card suit disappears. But when I was sorted my first year, I was a heart.”

“Yeah, that fits.” Kido lets go of her hood, seemingly rubbing at her eye for a moment before looking forward. “What about clover, then? I’m curious.”

“Clovers…” there is a silent sigh that only Kido seems to catch because she knows why. “Clovers are the most logical of all the suits. They offer wisdom to the others in the set but carry a heavy burden, for they had to be taught such wisdom through tragedy.” She hears a mumble behind her from Kano, ‘this already sounds like Shintaro’, honestly she had to agree. “Clovers have great intuition, even though it can sometimes be misguided as they tend not to believe in themselves or fear the situation. Their heart is always in the right place but the execution or the end result can be...messy.” 

Riddle closes his eyes, “It is difficult for clovers to learn how to rely on others, as they’re so used to keeping all their emotions internal. They are just as illogical as they are logical because without an outside perspective some of their plans can lead to ruin.” Gray eyes open again and almost look sad, but Kido gives Riddle an encouraging smile, so he continues, “They are great at giving advice, though not taking it themselves. They represent fire and summer. Fire is an essential part of life, and summer helps the world grow. They are all about improving themselves and others but need to be reminded to take care of themselves often. They are very valuable to a set, but also rarer than the other suits.”

Kido, Kano, and Seto look between each other, “Shintaro.” They all decide with a nod.

“Who-?” Riddle tilted his head.

“Ah...one of our friends back home,” Kido said with a wave of her hand. “Within the first few sentences, you already had us convinced that was pretty much him to a T.”

“Is that so…” Riddle chuckles and taps his staff on the ground. “Well, I hope that I never get to sort him, no offense.”

Kido knew what he meant. Riddle hoped that none of her friends were forced to come here - to be stranded as the three of them now were. Kido gave a nod. “Same here. Now was that all? We should probably head out, right?” 

“I am not done quite yet.” He said with a smirk, which honestly worried Kido. “I have one last surprise for you all.” Without waiting for the permission to be given by each of them, he decides to simply wave his staff. The three gasped or let out a sound of surprise as they were suddenly covered in a swirling checkered pattern. It’s over in seconds, and Riddle puts down his staff with a proud look on his face.

“Wow!” Grim said, jumping onto Kido’s shoulder as she opened her eyes from when she had slammed them shut in shock. “You guys look great!”

“What do you-- wow!” Kano was the first to react, then Seto. Kido looks between them.

Kano was still technically wearing his dorm uniform, but aspects of it had changed. The pattern they normally saw on the vests of Ace’s and Deuce’s uniform was on the collar of the small half jacket over the hoodie, which was now the same red as Ace’s vest. The hoodie itself was white along with the pants, which had a checkered pattern on the left leg. The yellow sash they had also seen on their friends' uniform took the place of the sash that had formerly said Scarabia and now had the heartslabyul symbol on it and a striped pattern. The scarab on his shoes also seemed to be replaced with a golden rose. 

Seto’s look was closer to Ace’s and Kano’s in the color scheme. His purple shirt had turned red, his hat looked more like Trey’s with the added striped ribbon and heartslabyul symbol on it to replace the shell that was there previously. The silk that his suspenders were attached to had the same pattern as the vests but unlike Ace’s stayed black. As did his pants but his left leg was given the same checkered treatment as Kano’s. 

“Looking good Kido.” Kano chuckles, pointing at her hair - which now that he pointed it out felt a little different- She reaches up and notices her hair was not in the low ponytail she had it in previously but a high one with a ribbon. 

She blinks, looking down at the rest of her outfit. Her school blazer was changed to resemble the blazers of the normal heartslabyul dorm uniform; white with a checkered pattern on one sleeve, the other sleeve black, and the collar alternate colors of black and red. Her hoodie had been changed from purple to black with the pattern that the vest’s shared. It seemed like Riddle had spared her an all-white outfit, letting the black and yellow pants stay normal but her shoes had been changed to red and white. 

“This--”

“I thought you all might enjoy looking like a proper card, at least for today.” He chuckled softly, waving a hand. “It will all be undone when you leave the dorm grounds and go back to the hall of mirrors. So enjoy it while you can.”

“...Thanks,” Kido said, pushing some of her hair out the way as Grimm was starting to play with it. “You didn’t have to go through the trouble.”

“No trouble at all, I assure you. Now,” He glances at a clock before motioning to the four to leave the room, “We must be going. The rules state that we mustn’t be late for an unbirthday party.”

“I thought you weren’t being strict about the rules anymore?” Kido chuckled, but still started towards the door. 

“I’m nothing if not punctual!” Riddle huffs, and Kido laughs a little louder. 

Riddle feels bad, really, about how the tart turned out. While he had laughed it off, calling himself an idiot, he can’t help but hold a twitch of a frown as he watches Deuce, Ace, and Seto continue to eat it between laughing and tears. Even Cater takes more bites, though he’s mostly recording the moment for magicam, more than likely. At least they found something in it, and the nervous weight he had been keeping on his shoulders about this whole event lifted slightly. 

He then looks around, wondering if Kido had taken a bite and to apologize personally to her. However… “Where did Kido go?”

Kano, who is leaning over Cater’s shoulder observing the event, looks back at Riddle. “This isn’t really her scene, she doesn’t like crowds. She’s nearby, but she’s probably avoiding people.” He said with a wave of his hand before going back to laughing with Cater as Ace is dared to take a large bite along with Grimm. 

Riddle sighed, taking a glance around. He didn’t see her upon scanning the garden, just the other heartslabyul students. Why did she come if she knew it was going to be so crowded? Just for him? For Deuce and Ace? While taking yet another glance around with a frown, his eyes land on someone else. “Trey, have you seen Kido?”

“Hm? No. Kano might be right, she never hit me as someone who likes large events. She even gets overwhelmed while in the hallway between classes.” Trey said with a chuckle. “You wanted to see her?”

“I just wanted to make sure she was having a good time, as dorm leader. I do feel a little guilty that she came if she was uncomfortable.”

“Eh, I wouldn’t worry about it too much,” Trey said, before looking around for a moment. He appears to be squinting even through his glasses. Riddle tilts his head before he sees Trey’s eyes widening. “I think she’s near the tree over there.” He points to one of the lone trees that had survived the original incident. While many trees had been replanted, he and the others working to finish painting the roses on them just minutes ago, he knew this was one of the ones that had stayed in the ground. One could tell as much from the marks deep within the trunk. However…. 

“I don’t see her,” Riddle said, looking over the tree before back at Trey.

“Why don’t you go get a closer look? Maybe you’re too far away.” There’s a familiar look in Trey’s eyes. He knows something Riddle doesn’t but isn’t outright saying it. With a huff, Riddle nods. 

“Very Well, please keep watch over the group while I do so.”

“Of course, Dorm leader.” Trey tipped his hat at Riddle, the latter rolling his eyes slightly before making his way across the garden - keeping distance from most of the crowds himself. He still wasn’t sure how most people felt about him, even if he had made a public apology to the whole dorm and had given his promise to work on changing his ways and being a little less strict. It made the knots in his stomach return as he reached the tree and saw the marks in the trunk in more detail. He runs a gloved hand over the claw-like marks over the trunk. Did he really do that….?

“Riddle?” The dorm leader nearly jumps out of his skin at the call of his name, and he looks around wildly before seeing Kido standing right next to him. “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you.”

“S-Startle is right.” Rose puts a hand over his heart, the one on the tree now using it more as support. “So you were here? I swear I didn’t see you but Trey said you might be over here.”

“Did he? Huh, well, I shouldn’t be surprised.” She said, glancing back over the party tables before back at Riddle. “Sorry, should have said I was stepping away. It’s not….-”

“Kano explained that this isn’t really ‘your scene’,” Riddle said as he calmed down, standing up straight now. “I’m sorry if this is all uncomfortable for you.”

Kido shakes her head, shoving her hands into the pockets of her hoodie. “Don’t worry about it. I like watching everyone have fun, at least.”

“Are they…?” He mumbles, looking out over the tables, lost in the same thoughts as earlier. Unexpectedly, it seems Kido notices his solemn mood. 

“Afraid they still don’t like you?”

“How did you-”

“It’s not that hard. Two plus two equals four, you worry what other people think of you a lot, both are simple things to figure out.” She shrugs, giving a glance back towards the table herself before holding out a hand. “Come with me.”

“Wh-What are you planning?” He looks down at her hand before back at her.

“Trust me.” 

He hesitates. Though the situation is simple enough, it almost seems complicated in light of recent events. He could never trust anyone before. But now….

He takes the chance, grabbing onto Kido’s hand. He looks up at her, asking what this was all about, but is cut off by something. By his breath catching in his throat. Had Kido’s eyes… always been that shade of bright red? Surely not, he’s sure he would have noticed that. No, they were always a dull, almost unreadable, black color. So how-

He doesn’t get a chance to ask, giving a small noise of surprise as Kido now drags him behind her, making her way around the tables and back towards a group of students speaking. “What are you-”

“Listen.” She stops and lets go of his hand, pointing towards the group. He almost doesn’t look, he doesn’t want to hear the insults he knows are coming. But he has to. He has to hear what they are saying. 

“Aren’t we...too close? Surely they won’t want to talk in front of me-”

“So what do you guys think of Riddle, huh?” Riddle blinks and looks towards the group, Kano now standing among them and giving a wide smile. “I don’t really know what happened here, I kind of came in like right after that overblot thing happened, I heard it was a wild ride though.”

“Yeah, it was terrifying!” A freshman diamond said with a sigh. “I can’t believe he lost his temper like that.”

“I can.” A spade student speaks up. “He had been blowing a gasket practically for days leading up to that and it just busted open completely.” He crosses his arms. “I knew Riddle was a lunatic but honestly-”

“A lunatic? Isn’t that going too far?” A heart student speaks next as Riddle winces. 

“No! Haven’t you seen how he has been acting since day one? He’s crazy.”

“I dunno, I mean-” The heart tries, nervously messing with his blazer, Riddle looks over at him. “He’s always super helpful, you know? Sure, he’s strict with those rules but isn’t it amazing that he can even remember them all? Plus if you weren’t aware of the rule, sometimes he’d let you off easy - might be a lecture but I’d rather listen to him talk than get my head taken off, you know?” The heart student laughs, rubbing the back of his head. “Plus Dorm Head Riddle is really good with studying advice.”

“That’s for sure.” A clover spoke up now, “I think he’s the only reason I’m not going insane. I knew NRC was tough but man - these classes are something else.”

“So what, you’re going to forgive him just like that? Because he helps you do something you should already be doing? Studying?” The spade huffs.

“I think it’s like this,” Kano said with a grin, walking around to put an arm around the spade’s shoulder. “They aren’t gonna just leave him for dead because of a temper tantrum. Sure, that whole overblot thing is bad but - he wasn’t exactly in control of himself. His life was on the line too in that whole thing, from what I understand. He could have died because he was taking on too much responsibility.”

“Yeah!” The diamond puts up a finger. “That was super scary for us but man, Riddle must hate himself huh?”

“Yeah.” the heart student put his hands behind his back. “We have a right to be angry, sure, but he deserves a bit of a break.”

“Exactly!” Kano points with his free hand before waving it with a laugh. “That’s how I kind of feel, especially since he hurt my best friend Kido. That’s just one strike you know? He has two left!”

“Three strikes and you’re out, huh?” The spade grumbles, looking down at the ground before shrugging Kano off. “Alright, Alright, I’ll give Riddle another chance.” He huffs, now rubbing at his neck. “.....How did you get him to help you with studying?”

“Oh! It’s easy!” The clover said before the conversation got sidetracked from the subject of Riddle and more towards study tips.

Riddle was staring in shock, mouth agape before looking over at Kido. She only grins and grabs his wrist, leading him to the next group of students. Then the next, and the next. Kano wasn’t a contributor to all of them, but some. The others occasionally had Seto involved. For the third years, Trey was speaking with a lot of them as they were passing by. Eventually, they had heard at least half of the students' opinions on him, which was a feat considering Heartslabyul had the most students out of all the dorms. The opinions were mixed. Some weren’t ready to give Riddle a chance, and he found that fair. More surprisingly were the students so ready to give that chance, or not being mad with him at all. They were more...sad, that Riddle felt so awful to overblot of all things. It had been just a myth they had occasionally heard until they saw it happen before their eyes. They...took pity on Riddle. Pity! For him! Riddle found tears coming to his eyes as the two of them finally stopped their journey around the garden, ending up right back at the tree where they started. Kido finally let go of him once again, looking back towards him as he tried to keep the tears at bay.

“Why….-” He looks back up at her, gray eyes meeting red. He laughs almost breathlessly as he brings up a hand to cover his own eyes, not confident that he could keep them from falling if he looked at her any longer. 

“You needed to hear them. You needed to listen.” Kido’s voice still reaches him, and soon he feels a hand over his own. He doesn’t think he can handle looking at her, but he also doesn’t stop her from pulling his hand down. “Do you feel better now?”

“I...feel something,” He shakes his head with another breathless laugh, dropping his gaze downwards. This only makes it easier for the tears to fall, and he lets them now. His shoulders shake as the tears fall wordlessly for a moment before he speaks again, “Thank you, Kido.” He said, gripping onto her hand tightly. He feels a small squeeze back.

“Anytime.” She smiled as he lifted his gaze back up to her. “For what it’s worth, I think you deserve a second chance too.”

Oh, gods he nearly lost it, “R-Really?”

“Really. We’re a lot alike, actually. The whole card suit thing aside.” She chuckles softly and shakes her head. “I used to have a lot of anger. Hell, I still have a lot of it. But unless you get proper care and help, it consumes you. The difference between us is that you didn’t have anyone to help you deal with it. But me? Well, I guess one thing about the Spade thing was right.” Riddle follows Kido’s gaze over the party tables, His eyes lay on what he knows now that she is looking at; Kano and Seto, laughing as they speak to the rest of her friends. “I was never really alone…not for long at least.” She turns back towards him. “You don’t have to be either if you don’t want to be.”

He reaches up with his free hand, frantically trying to wipe the tears from his face. She lets go of his hand and he instantly starts to do the same with that one. A small sob escapes him as he tries his best to try and calm down - but he can’t. He just can’t. Damn him and his stupid heart-

He could hear a mumble from Kido, but not exactly what she said. A moment later, he feels arms around him. He stiffens. He knows what this is, a hug. So simple yet such a serious action for someone like him. For someone who never really received such affection growing up. Just rules and regulations. Riddle melts into the touch after the realization, hands quickly going around Kido - fingers gripping at the back of her blazer as he cried into her shoulder - sobbing loudly and freely. He couldn’t see her, but Kido was smiling as he finally released his real emotions. 

There was a thought in the back of his mind that he shouldn’t be wailing so loudly - what if he drew attention to them? But he didn’t care. He wasn’t stupid enough not to notice the students not notice them as they made their way around the garden. Something was happening so they couldn’t be seen or heard. Right now, that was all that he needed to know.

He’s not sure how long they were there. He’s not sure how long he had cried, or how long it had been since doing so (aside from directly after the overblot incident). But he finally calms down and pulls himself off of Kido so he can wipe his face and look more presentable.

“Better?”

“...Yes, much.” He smiles now at her. “I’m sorry I suddenly clung to you like that.”

“Don’t mention it. Though if my jacket gets stained you’re going to have to buy me a new one.”

He chuckles. “Noted.” Suddenly, they both hear his name and look towards the source. It seems like Trey and Cater are calling for him, probably finally getting worried that they hadn’t seen him in a while. Kano is looking directly at them, something Riddle doesn’t think he’s seen someone do in awhile. Kano grins, giving a motion of a finger over his mouth before turning back to Trey and Cater and speaking with them. What was said, he isn’t sure, but Kido seems fine with it. “I should- return to the group.”

“Do you want to?” Kido asked with a raised eyebrow. 

“....No,” Riddle admitted, rubbing at one arm with the opposite hand. The grip around his staff tightens, he had almost forgotten it was also in his hand. “Not really.”

“Hm.” Kido looked towards the group again and saw Trey and Seto heading near them. “Come on, I got an idea.” He almost yells as she grabs his hand and starts dragging him behind her. He stumbles a bit but eventually keeps up with her fast and wider stride.

“What are you-”

“HEY HEARTSLABYUL!” Suddenly everyone is looking at them - the complete opposite of before. And since when was Kano standing on the other side of him?! “WHOEVER FINDS RIDDLE IN THE MAZE GETS ANSWERS TO THE NEXT BIG TEST!” Kido announced, leaving him dumbstruck. 

“What on ear--ah!” Before he can question it, the three of them are rushing into the maze, Kido pulling him from the front and Kano laughing as he pushes from the back. He has no idea what has come over the both of them! But suddenly they’re deep within the maze before they finally stop running. They all take deep breaths, attempting to catch it in their lungs before Riddle finally turns to Kido. 

“What were you thinking?! I can’t just give test answers away!”

“Then we’ll just have to not get caught.” Kido grins, giving a motion of her head to behind him. He tilts his own before looking behind him and nearly jumps out of his skin.

Behind him was….him, like looking into a mirror.

“Keep ‘em busy Kano?”

“Sure thing.” The mirror image brings a hand up to his chest, giving Riddle’s signature grin. It was creepy to see himself look like this- “I’ll have them running around in circles.”

“....I thought you two didn’t have magic,” Riddle said looking back at Kido.

“It’s not magic, technically speaking.” Kido grins before walking forward. “Okay your majesty,” She jokes as she looks over her shoulder at him. “Which way? What’s the best hiding spot?” 

Riddle is hesitant, looking between Kido and ‘Kano’, the mirror image, before back at Kido. Kano has had enough, apparently, and gives Riddle what he thinks is an encouraging push forward as they can hear voices in the distance. “Ah, uh, this way!” Riddle said, acting on instinct and memory as he takes a sharp right turn at a fork. Kido follows him while Kano goes the opposite way, still looking like him.

There was one place in this garden, his favorite place, that rarely anyone visited. Not because they weren’t allowed, but because not many could make it there without giving up. The maze could be complicated even for the older students- but he had mapped it all out in his first week at NRC. There are many twists and turns, and they occasionally have to stop for a break before running again when they hear voices. “How is this maze so damn big?” He hears Kido complain and Riddle laughs.

“This was your idea, do not forget!” He smiles. Actually smiles. Bright and genuine. It feels foreign on his face - had this been Kido’s real plan?

One more turn and they appear at a dead end. “What now?” Kido asked, looking around. 

“Now, you watch.” He said, pointing his staff at the dead end. He moves the end of the staff in a clockwise motion, and says words that sound more like a poem than a spell - but it was both;

“Anon, to sudden silence won,
In fancy they pursue
The dream-child moving through the land
Of wonders wild and new,
In friendly chat with bird or beast -
And half believe it true.”

The hedge in front of them shakes and then opens like doors sliding outwards. Kido stands and stares in shock before Riddle grabs her hand and rushes into the newly unlocked area- just as the hedges start to close behind them.

He sighs contently, letting go of her hand and now walking calmly through the area he was all too familiar with. It was a clearing of sorts, almost like the tea garden though much smaller. It had a statue of the Queen of hearts as a centerpiece for a fountain. Red, White, and even Black roses filled every corner and around the fountain itself, he brushes a hand along one of the black roses as he walks further inside. Next to the fountain, there was a small table with two seats, one he sits down in.

“Where...is this?” Kido asked, still looking around with an awestruck expression.

“This is the Queen’s resting place.”

“The--- like, her grave?”

“Heavens no, that’s in the Rose Kingdom. Though there is a plaque over there to honor her as if it was a grave.” He gestures to the opposite side of the fountain, which Kido quickly walks to. Riddle himself gets up from the seat, walking over to it. 

The plaque was large, clearly displaying that it was there in honor of the great Queen of Hearts, surrounded by bushes of red roses, her favorite. “It is called her resting place both because of this, but also because it is where someone is to rest. Only the dorm leaders get to know of its location - others must find it on their own.”

He watches as Kido kneels down in front of the ‘grave’, “So it’s like a place you can relax….”

“Yes. Though I suppose I wasn’t using it as such until now.” Riddle sighs, kneeling down himself. “I mostly was...coming here just to revel in her presence, to collect my resolve about all the rules, all the customs, and how I had to do them. But I think I realize now….that even she, The great Queen of Hearts, sometimes needed a break from that.”

“Is it alright that I know about this place?” Kido asked, glancing over at him.

“Yes, I was the one who brought you here, after all.” Riddle nodded, giving her a soft smile. “Consider it thanks, I know you only did all of that nonsense for my sake. You wanted me to have fun, and relax, didn’t you?”

She nodded, looking back at the plaque. She settles on her knees before putting her hands together and her head hangs for a moment. He stares for a moment.

“Are you...praying?”

“Mhm.” She is silent for a few moments longer before she raises her head and puts her hands on her lap. “Just paying my respects. Figured it was the least I could do.”

He shakes his head. She was still a mystery, but that was okay. It was okay not to know every little thing, he was realizing now. He does the same, offering a short prayer to the Queen before standing up, offering a hand to Kido. He helps her up to her feet before they both go to sit down at the table. 

“Do we just wait here til everyone gives up?” Kido asks, crossing her arms onto the table and leaning forward slightly. 

“We could, that would definitely infuriate them,” Riddle chuckles, a mischievous glint in his eye. “But I have a feeling at least one person might be able to find us.”

“Really? Even though it’s only known to the dorm leaders?”

“One person knows me a little too well to not figure me out.”

“....Did you and Trey have that talk?” Kido asks suddenly. Riddle was surprised she was able to figure out who he was talking about specifically. But after all of this, perhaps he shouldn't be. She was more perceptive than he had given her credit for. He sighs softly, leaning the staff against the table before mimicking her own posture. It was nice to not have to worry about manners and posture and all that nonsense, at least for a few minutes.

“We are going to, after the party. I told him I wanted to wait until I was officially released from the infirmary and healed, as well as be coherent enough to talk.”

“Fair.” Kido nods, “But you’re having that talk.”

“Yes, whether we like it or not - Trey’s words not mine.” Kido seems to nearly huff out a laugh, “How did you know?”

“I was the one to tell him to talk to.” Riddle’s eyes widened at the information. “I told him that he couldn’t keep his feelings bottled up forever and neither could you. It was just before the overblot bullshit that I told him.” Riddle winces for a second.

“Well, you were certainly right.”

“Sometimes I hate always being right, you know?” She pushed her hair back in a cool motion, and the two of them laughed afterward. “Anyways, are you actually feeling better now?”

“Yes, much.” Riddle does pull himself up and lean back in the chair now. “Thank you Kido, I mean it.”

“You’re welcome.” She doesn't try to deflect it this time, which makes him smile. “Like I said, I know what you’re going through.”

“You seem to know a lot, Kido.” Riddle looks more solemn now. “Like you’ve been through a lot.” 

“...I have.”

“May I ask?” 

There’s a silence between the two of them, just the rushing water and soft calls in the distance from the students in the maze.

“Sorry, but I’m not sure I can talk about it all. It’s...a lot.”

“I will not force you, but,” He leans forward again, offering his hand, “Why don’t we make a promise?”

“Of what?”

“That we talk. That we rest here, we don’t let it become too much for either of us.” 

Kido blinked, looking between him and his hand before she smiled and reached forward to shake his hand. “It’s a deal.”

Just as they’re pulling their hands back, something shakes the hedge walls around them. The two of them jump to their feet as the entrance opens once more - this time only one person is passing through. 

It was Trey.

He whistles, holding onto his hat as he looks around. “Wow, I didn’t expect this back here.”

“Congratulations Trey, you found me,” Riddle said, crossing his arms, and Trey looked down with a wide-eyed blink - it seems that he didn’t even notice the two of them for a moment. 

“Guess I did.” He laughs, dropping his arm and heading over to them. “Do I get test answers?”

“Absolutely not.”

“I should have figured. That was you, wasn’t it Kido?”

Kido shrugged. “Guilty as charged.”

“Well, I’m glad, even if it was a trick. I don’t think the students have had so much fun in ages.”

“Are they having fun? I thought they would have been frustrated.”

“Oh, they are.” Trey said waving a hand as he explained, “But everyone is determined to find you. Especially since Kano was somehow leading us all in circles. Seto was the one to point it out to me. He said he would be a cheater if he found you two, so he gave me a push in the right direction and just stayed with the main group.”

“That’s still cheating,” Kido said, putting his hands in his pockets. “But I guess I can’t get too mad at him for it, considering Kano is tricking them all.”

“Speaking of, can you at least explain how that is possible? And how we could walk around the party with no one noticing us?”

“Oh, is that what was going on?” Trey said, giving a look towards Kido. She shrugs again before looking at Riddle.

“Like I said, it’s not exactly magic. But the closest thing I could relate to is the unique magic people in this world have. It’s something only we can do.” 

“That right….” Riddle crosses his arms and looks over at Trey who gives a nod. He knew about this too then or at least seemed to have an idea of Kido’s skill. “And you...what? Turn us invisible?”

“Kind of.” She shifts on her feet. “I can alter people’s perception. I’m still there, but they just look right past me. If I make physical contact with someone, then they know I’m there and it’s broken. But as long as I keep a distance, then I’m effectively invisible and unheard. Though people who know about it or are close to me - like Kano and Seto - can find me with a little bit of effort.”

“Hey, add me to that list. I at least spotted you well enough to send Riddle over to you.” Trey smirked, messing with his glasses. 

“Yeah, well, you knew about it to an extent but I will give you props for being able to find me so fast. It normally takes a bit before someone can.” 

“And what about Kano?” Riddle asked. “Can he copy one’s appearance?”

“Kind of. Its perception again. He can change how people view him. So he can appear as if he’s a different person, an animal, or something as simple as his expression can come off as something it isn’t.”

Riddle thinks back, “Is that why Seto and Kano said those things when I gave the explanation on Diamonds?” 

“Yup. You really called him out with that. All of us, really.”

“I’m assuming Seto has some kind of magic as well?” Trey asked with an inquisitive look, and Kido nods.

“He can read minds.”

“That’s….simple. At least, compared to you and Kano.”

“Yeah well, it has its upsides and downsides. Like he can even see into people’s memories apparently if he tries hard enough - but generally, he kind of just hears everyone at once and it’s overwhelming. It used to scare him as a kid, he’d run away into the forest a few times to get away from all the people in the city.”

“Wait - you all have had these since you were kids?” Riddle asked, dropping his arms in shock. Sure, he was a prodigy with magic - but he still didn’t develop his own unique magic until a few years ago.

“Yup. That part is...more complicated.” She pulls at her hood. “Rather not talk about it right now. Don’t wanna bring down the mood.”

“That’s...fair. I won’t force you to speak on it. But it is amazing that you have those abilities and can seemingly control them so easily.” Riddle said, and Trey nodded along.

“You should tell the headmaster, maybe the mirror made a mistake when it said you had no magic.”

“No, it didn’t." Trey and Riddle share a glance at the sudden serious tone before Kido looks at them both, "And you guys can’t tell anyone either.” She points at them now, Trey holding up his hands in a defensive stance with a chuckle.

“Alright, Alright, I promise not to tell anyone. Riddle?” Trey looks at him and Riddle picks up his staff.

“Of course not. What happens and what is said here, stays here. You have my word. Besides, it’s the least we can do after dumping all of our problems on you.”

Trey chuckles nervously now. “Yeah, you have a point.” 

Kido relaxes then, shoving her hands into the hoodie’s pockets. “Good. Now, should we head back to the actual maze and give people a break?”

“I suppose…..” Riddle said with a chuckle, “But I still won’t make it easy for them.”

“Oh boy,” Trey laughed. “What do you have up your sleeve now?”

“Nothing really. But I can run in heels,” Riddle makes a dramatic turn while Trey laughed and Kido shook her head.

One thing he didn’t mention was that his endurance was shit, and it didn’t take long after they left the Resting Place for him to be caught - by Deuce no less. Even if Riddle denounced the test answers, Deuce still seemed really happy to have caught Riddle, which made him chuckle softly. 

They all headed back to the tea garden and finished up the ending customs for the party itself, allowing the first years to start cleaning up and the upperclassmen taking the unfinished dishes back to the kitchen. 

“Need us to help?” Seto instantly offered, already trying to grab something, but Riddle smacks his hands with his staff.

“Of course not, we will take care of it. You might be cards now but you are not members of this dorm, but guests.”

“Guess we’ll be heading out.” Kido gave a pull of Seto’s arm, making sure he didn’t try to insert his help again. “See you at the usual place? Maybe tomorrow?”

Riddle nodded with a smile. “Sure, around tea time?”

“Sounds great.” She gave a smile and a wave before pulling Kano and Seto behind her. Riddle can hear them question her about what the ‘usual place’ was, even Ace and deuce - who had joined to walk them back to the mirror, were curious. But she didn’t crack underneath the questions before jumping through the mirror. 

Riddle smiles and looks over the party supplies still out over the garden. 

“...I think this was my favorite unbirthday party.” He says to no one. 

Chapter Text

“Blot is a kind of waste created after using magic.” 

Kido puts her hand on her hip, listening carefully to the explanation. Deuce stood on one side of her and Ace on the other, Grim perched carefully on her shoulder. Kano and Seto weren’t invited to this little meeting, as they weren’t technically there for the overblot, just the after-effects. 

But if blot was a kind of waste….what did it mean that Kano’s and Seto’s coffins rose out of the ink created by overblot? Kido keeps the question in her throat as Crowley continues.

“In the same way that a vehicle creates exhaust as it burns fuel to run. Spells burn magic to manifest and create blot at the same time...That should be easy enough to understand.”  

“That….sounds like too much of a negative to make magic a positive,” Kido admits, giving a worried glance towards the wizards around her.

“Blot has been researched since the dawn of recorded history, but,” The headmaster sighs, “There are still many mysteries to unravel. One thing that is known for sure is that blot is a toxin and building up too much can cause great harm to the mind and body.”

“Oh yeah,” Ace interrupts, “My grandma used to always say, ‘ You’ll build up blot so don’t use magic willy nilly’, “ He does a high pitched voice, which Kido could only assume was an imitation of his grandmother but it honestly just sounded like a young girl or a mouse squeaking, “She went on and on about it.”

“Yet you decided to get into a magic fight on your first day over a cat being angry at you.” She could physically hear Ace and Grim cringe at the memory.

“Way to cut deep Kido.” Ace grumbled. 

“With great power comes risk,” It was Crowley’s turn to interrupt, getting the teenager’s attention back on him. “No matter how great the wizard, they cannot infinitely use magic.”

“So you’re saying that the more we use magic, the unhealthier it becomes?!” Grim's claws dig into the blazer of Kido’s uniform. Thankfully because of the hoodie she wears underneath it, she could barely feel it. She just gives him a small pat on his head, a warning to not ruin her uniform.

“No, that’s not exactly right. Hmm,” Crowley hums and goes silent for a moment before nodding to himself, affirming some unknown question to the rest of them. “It might be faster to just show you rather than just explain.” There’s a smirk on his face, and Kido can feel the color draining from hers. “My dear ghosts! It’s time for work!” 

Suddenly ghosts appear on either side of them, specifically in front of Ace and Deuce. But it’s not them who have a dramatic reaction. There’s a shriek that echoes in the room, and they all look to see Kido suddenly gone, Grim left dumbfounded floating where she previously was. 

“Eh? Where did she….” Crowley looked around, then noticed a tuft of green hair. “When did you get there?!” He lifts his arm to see Kido hiding behind his cloak. 

“I’ve al-always been here wh-what are you talking about--” 

“She’s still trying to act strong huh.” Ace said with his hands on his hips. 

Deuce sighs, “Let’s get them out of here so she can relax.”

The fight goes fast enough, the ghosts are clearly no match for the three magic users. Crowley is about to tell Kido that it’s alright for her to get back in line with the others, but when he turns she’s not there. When he looks back forward, suddenly she’s back where she was looking as neutral as ever. 

“....Are you sure you don’t use magic?”

“Do you want to tell us what the point of all that was?” Kido asks cooly, while Ace, Deuce, and Grim share a look. One that clearly stated ‘how can she act so cool when she had been shaking like a leaf a few seconds ago’ . 

Crowley clears his throat. “Grim, why don’t you take a look at the magic crystal around your neck?”

Grim does so, and Kido turns her head a bit to get a look as well. Sure enough, there were small black dots forming within his crystal, and the cat panics as he tries to rub it off with his paw. Kido reaches over to attempt the same thing with her fingers, no luck.

“There should be black smudges that look like drops of ink on the crystal,” Crowley explains. “Those are the blots created from using magic.”

“If I look close, there are small smudges on my magical pen as well…!” Deuce said, squinting as he held his crystal….rather close to his face. Kido rolled her eyes and grabbed his wrist, pulling the crystal from right in front of his face and closer to her so she could get a look too. Sure enough, he was right. She does the same with Ace, who had been turning over his magical pen in his hand. 

“And is there a way to get rid of it?” Kido asks with a glance back towards Crowley as she drops Ace’s wrist.

“Why yes,” They all seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. “With enough rest, the blots will vanish in a matter of time. Magical crystals don’t only help with performing spells, but they also prevent blots from accumulating directly within the caster. They are truly a wonderful item that can shoulder your burdens.”

“I see…” Deuce trails off, putting his wand back into his blazer pocket. “So you mean that if our crystals start to darken, we probably need rest.” 

“That is right. Eat well, sleep well, and normal blots will disappear on their own.”

“How about that!” Grimm laughs as he throws his little arms out. “Then when I become the greatest wizard ev---” He yelps and falls to the ground suddenly, it takes the rest of the group a moment to realize that Kido had flicked him off of her shoulders mid ramble and he hadn’t caught himself in time before he fell to the ground.  

Crowely barely manages to hold back a chuckle before continuing his explanation. “The amount of mana a person has varies from person to person but aside from very special cases, the difference doesn’t really affect the maximum blot a person can tolerate.”

“And that translates to….?”  Kido motions with her hand, silently asking for him to get to the point. Grim floats back up, rubbing his forehead and grumbling about Kido before resting on her shoulders again.

“That means, people like Rosehearts-kun, who have a lot of mana, have to be exceedingly careful about how much blot they are accumulating.”

“If you aren’t paying attention and just keep using magic, you’re going to get covered in blot.”

“Yes, thank you for that even more dumbed-down explanation Ace,” Kido said jokingly, causing a glare in her direction from the redhead. 

“Well, with the amount of mana all of you possess, or lack thereof,” It’s Kido’s turn to glare and Ace snickers. Only for a second though, as the flick of death is not inflicted on him.”I don’t think there’s any danger of that. Isn’t that great?” The headmaster looks at the four with the biggest smile.

Ace groans and rubs at his head. “That line of yours doesn’t bring me joy! Like, at all!”

“You’re just a first-year student, it’s to be expected.”

“You’re a first-year too!”

“I don’t have magic. It’s different.” 

“So like,” Grim starts, “If you use too much magic, your magical gem gets completely black and you turn into some kind of crazy berserker like Riddle? That huge evil spirit thing was super scary.”

“Don’t remind me.” Kido sighs and puts her hand over her hair, pressing on it to bring her bangs more over her eyes. She didn’t want to think about how that thing almost killed her via tree or falling to her death. But she had seen that thing, or something similar to it, before….but where?

“The amount of blot a person accumulates is greatly influenced by their mental state.” Golden claws tap on the wooden desk as he speaks, all of the teenagers suddenly paying very close attention. “Anger, Sorrow,” He drags his claws over the desk with an almost feather-like touch. “Fear, confusion….” He lifts his hand back up to his chin as he thought for a moment. “Being swallowed in negative energy makes blot all the easier to build up, causing overblot to occur much more easily as a result.”

 “Negative energy…..” She can hear Deuce whisper next to her. It made her think back to the conversation she had with Trey before the overblot, and afterward with Riddle. It could be simple as too much stress, or as complicated as a strained friendship. They only really could use such a broad term for it, considering that. 

“The giant shadow that appeared behind Rosehearts-kun when he was rampaging...they say that appears as the incarnation of negative energy fused with blot. However….The details aren’t understood at this time.” Crowley sighed as his hands came to his hips, claws tapping over fabric as he continued. “There is still so much we don’t know about overblot. Due in part to their being very few cases of it happening.”

“Who would want more cases of that?!” Ace huffed as he crossed his arms over his chest. “I certainly don’t.” He grumbled under his breath.

“It is truly fortunate that Roseheart-kun was brought back to his senses if he hadn’t…..” They await some kind of answer, on the edge of their seats so to speak, but instead of getting something serious, the headmaster breaks down into a childish scream as he looks at his hands. “I DON’T EVEN WANT TO THINK ABOUT IT!”

“Wahh!” Grimm dug his claws into Kido’s blazer again as he was just now getting back onto her shoulder. This time, he didn’t get reprimanded for it as Kido was just as shocked and put a hand over her chest as she tried to calm down her suddenly racing heart... ”Don’t scream like that! Scared the crap out of me.”

Crowley clears his throat, offering an apology. “This has become rather long-winded.” He admitted with another cough, “But I hope you understand there are dangers with using magic as well.” Suddenly, his voice got lower, more serious, as he stared out over the four. “You’d do well to remember that.”

The three magic users answer with a resounding ‘Yes sir!’ , but Kido is silent as she swallows thickly. Something about this….wasn’t sitting right with her. 

“That brings your special lesson with your gracious headmaster to a close! Please return to your classrooms.” His voice was suddenly chipper again as he motions to the door for them to leave. Ace and Deuce start to do just that but Kido takes a step closer to the desk.

“Aren’t you forgetting something?” Kido states bluntly.

A dial-up sound can practically be heard as the ‘gracious’ headmaster processes the words. Suddenly, a lightbulb goes off as he speaks, “Ah, aaahhh, A way to send you back to your world, yes?”

“With two of my friends here, it seems likely there’s something going on. Can’t you look into it?” Kido asks while shoving her hands into her pockets. “I’m trying my best too, but you also said you would help us.”

“I’ve just been so busy lately.” Kido is resisting the urge to roll her eyes. Even Grimm can point out that he’s looking everywhere but her. “I-I’m not lying! Getting ready for the Inter-Dorm Magical Shift Tournament in October has me swamped.” He states, an edge of panic over his words and excuses. “There’s going to be a meeting with the dorm leaders about it--”

“A meeting I don’t know about?” Kido said with a raised eyebrow. Grim also seems to be confused by the words. “What the hell is Magical Shift?”

“What?! Boss, you don’t know Magift?!” Ace sounds so surprised, but gulps as Kido looks back at him.

“Remember the whole thing about me not being from this place?” She motions with her hand before acting as if she was going to flick him again, causing Ace to jump back.

“It’s a famous sport around the world.” Deuce decides to explain before Kido’s wrath can be brought upon him as well. “There’s a pro league and a world cup too.” 

“Magift for short is a sport played by two teams of seven.” Ace decides to add to the explanation to save himself. “In the simplest terms, there’s a disk that you have to throw through the other team’s goal to score points. The team with the most points wins.” 

“So American football, basically. Okay, I can work with that.” 

“American Football? Is that a sport from your home?” Deuce tilted his head.

“Not specifically, America is a different country.” She gives a wave of her hand.

“Hmm. I will have to look it up next time I’m in the library.” Crowley mumbled, intrigued by the concept of a similar sport himself. “It might even turn up a lead.”

“It might be hard for you to take part in a game---” 

“Good. I don’t want to.” 

“What?!” Grim suddenly yelled in her ear.

“Holy fuck, shut up.” Kido groaned, rubbing at her ear. “I’m not a sports person, and I’m guessing this shit uses magic too, right?”

“Yes!” Crowley takes the chance to speak. Looking all too eager to change the subject off of finding her a way home and to something related to the school. She could almost punch him for that alone, but she doesn’t and lets him continue with his explanation. “Making a large spectacle to entertain the crowds is a large part of being a great player as well! Which is why Night Raven College is known as a champion around the world!” He states proudly. “Countless Alumni have gone on to be pro players!” He moves his hands to his hips again, “Our school’s Inter-Dorm Tournament is attended by representatives of pro leagues and those from different magical industries around the world. It also works the whole world into a frenzy thanks to the live broadcast via TV cameras around the arena.”

“A worldwide broadcast?!” Kido is just covering her ear now from Grim’s wild yelling. It didn’t seem to be stopping any time soon - 

“Just another reason not to get involved.” Kido mumbles but Grim is on a hype train that Kido can only sense she’ll be dragged along for.

“So if I play in that tournament, the whole world will be paying attention to me?!” Ah, there it is.

“Oh no, you’re not getting into that tournament if I have anything to say about it.” Kido cuts off any more rambles Grimm had up his sleeve, and the others in the room look on in shock as Kido picks Grimm up by the scruff of his neck and holds him out in front of her.

“WHY NOT?!” He yells, trying to get free of her grasp.

“One, I’m the boss and I say so.” She states simply, which causes Grim to freeze in his attempts to free himself and actually look at her. “Two, it’s an ‘Inter-Dorm’ tournament. If you had a working brain cell between those little bonfires of yours, you’d know that it’s only me and you in the dorm. We’d need seven people. We don’t even meet the base requirements. Even if we did, I. Am. Not. Playing.”  Grim looks on the verge of tears, but Kido hardly looks shaken. She drops the monster and unlike last time, he is able to catch himself moments before hitting the ground and floats there sadly.

“Standing on the field as a player isn’t the only role to fill,” Crowley said hesitantly, trying to clear the tense atmosphere that she had caused. “There’s selling drinks, preparing the field, and other tasks that need to be done.”

“You might have to give up for this year and maybe hope some freshmen are sorted into Ramshackle next year.” Deuce hesitantly adds as well, but it seemed as if his words were unheard as Kido is already turning to leave the office.

“I don’t plan on sticking around for that long.” She bluntly stated, opening the door. She seems to stand there for a moment, as if debating something, “Crowley,”

She could hear the man jump despite the fact she wasn’t completely looking back at him. His leg must have hit his desk or something, “Y-Yes?”

“I’m starting a club. With Myself, Kano, and Seto. A research club, so we have designated time every day to look into how to get home.”

“A-Ah, an excellent idea.”

“Get whatever paperwork I need for that and bring it to the dorm later.” Without wanting to hear the complaint from the headmaster about doing paperwork or being the one to deliver it to her, she steps through the door and slams it behind her. The photos floating near the door shake just as the wall does temporarily. 

A silence falls over the office, the only thing that is heard is a heavy sigh from the headmaster as he flops back into his plush seat. “You all may leave now, I have nothing else to discuss with you.” He eventually breaks the silence once more, giving a wave of his golden talons to the three remaining students. The three muttered a ‘yes headmaster’ under their breath before starting to make their way out of the room. Deuce specifically makes sure not to slam the door a second time as he leaves.

“...Wait.” Deuce suddenly spoke once they were out in the hall, looking between Ace and Grim.

“What is it?” Ace sighed, an annoyed edge to his tone as he rubbed the back of his neck.

“....were her eyes red the entire time we were in there?” Silence falls between the other two as Deuce continues. “I only just noticed it as she was leaving.”

“....But the headmaster could see her,” Ace mumbled, putting a gloved hand over his mouth for a moment before looking at Deuce, “if she wasn’t hiding then who the hell was?”

As she walks down the hall, headphones in her ears, there’s a snicker that sneaks its way past her music and into her ear. “That was kind of harsh, Kido,” Kano said, leisurely walking next to her as he put his hands behind his back.

“Yeah,” Seto adds, putting his hands in his pants pockets as he matches his stride with hers. He had walked up to the opposite side of her as he looked on with concern, “You could have, I don’t know, put him down easily.”

“No way is some cat forcing me to play a sport . Who does he think I am anyway?” Kido grumbles before shaking her head, her high ponytail waving behind her. “Besides, we have a bigger issue to figure out.”

“How to get back home, you mean. Good idea, with the whole club thing.” Kano said, glancing over at Kido. “It’s kind of, like, disturbing that we came out of ink, huh?”

“Ink which was the side effect of that overblot...Yeah, I don’t really like the implications of that either.” Seto also looks at Kido. “What are you thinking, Kido?” 

“Something about that overblot brought you two here. And we need to figure out how and why.”

“What’s the rush?” Kano drops his hands, putting them into his hoodie’s pockets. “I know the Dan is probably worried about us but -”

“The more time we waste the more they will worry. And need I remind you that Kisaragi still doesn’t have control of her eye power? Or Hibiya for that matter? And don’t get me started on Konoha .” She pinches the bridge of her nose. “Besides, I just….have a bad feeling.”

“A bad feeling?” Seto asks, leaning forward a bit.

“Call it leader’s intuition.“ She stops, looking across the courtyard to where the library is. “Someone else is going to overblot.” She states, the two boys staring at her for an explanation. “I can’t explain how I know, but I just do. You heard how important this tournament is. Riddle overblotted with just his stress from school and his homelife . I can’t imagine what kind of stress this kind of thing gives people about their future .”

“.....You have a point.” Kano goes over to the railing between the beams of the walkway, sitting upon it and bringing a leg up that he rests his chin on. “So Commander, what are we going to do about it?”

“Pardon the intrusion.” 

Then Trey’s room filled with first years. Deuce, Ace, Grim, Kido, and Seto came into the upper classman’s room. Cater was already there, and he looked up along with Trey when they entered.

“Yo glasses!” Grim so elegantly stated, “We heard you’re down in the dumps and came to pay our respects!”

“He’s not dead Grim.” Kido added in a grumble. 

“Oh it’s the A-Deuce combo! Plus Grim, Kido, and Seto!” Cater said with a small wave and grin. “Aren’t you missing one?” Cater pointed to Kido's empty left side, noting that it was where Kano normally stood next to her, and he was not there.

“Kano got dragged into helping some of his roommates with something,” Kido explained, Seto nodding along.

“...What’s with that A-deuce thing?” Ace asked, rubbing at the back of his neck.

“It’s cause both of your names end in ‘ -ce ’, so I put them together.” Cater explained with a wink,  which made Kido and Seto chuckle softly.

“Don’t be lazy!” Deuce scolded with a huff.

“Yeah!” Ace added. “Besides shouldn’t you do that for Kido, Kano, and Seto too then? All their names end with ‘ -o ’!” 

“I don’t have a death wish.” Cater states, specifically looking at Kido. Which causes Kido to smirk.

“I’m glad we have an understanding.” She stated simply.

“More importantly,” Ace sighed with a shake of his head, “How is Clover-Senpai's injury?” 

“Ahh,” Trey shifted where he sat, propping up some of the pillows better behind him, Cater walked over to help him with this before he continued. “I misstepped going down the stairs. I did my best to catch myself but my right foot is toast. I’ll be on crutches for a while.”

“Eh?!” Deuce blinked. “That sounds like a pretty bad injury.” Clearly, he hadn’t been told the extent of how Trey was hurt when he rushed to get all of them at the Ramshackle dorm. Kido and Seto glanced at each other.

“I’m probably completely out of this year’s magift games.” Trey said as he adjusted his glasses. 

“I wasn’t gonna do this if it wasn’t a big deal but...Here, a get well can of tuna.” Well, he tried at least. Trey seemed to accept it, perhaps touched that Grim of all creatures would go out of the way to give him something.

“I got something for you too,” Seto said with a smile, stepping forward with a bag in hand. “A couple of sodas and a dessert from the lounge.”

“Woah, thanks a lot Seto.” Trey said, eyes widening a bit. “How much was it? I can cut the cost with you.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Seto said with a wave of his hand. “It’s a gift, you don’t pay back gifts. Besides, I'll be working at the Lounge starting next week so I’ll be able to make it up fast.” Kido grumbles at that, but they had talked about it and she had agreed. They needed to be able to support themselves and not always rely on the headmaster. By sending them on this wild investigation - he was just proving how much things here weren’t under his control. Who knew how much or for how long they could really trust him.

“Ah, I see, good luck then.” Trey smiles. “Don’t let the twins or Azul scare you too much.”

“Heheh.” Seto laughed nervously. “I think we’re past that but thanks for the warning.”

“Ehhhhhhhhhh.” Cater sighed heavily, catching everyone’s attention. “I guess it just hit me how bad this is. With our star player Trey-kun out, we’re going to have to have tryouts again.”

“Tryouts?!” Ace and Deuce seemed to yell in unison. Kido turned her music up louder.

There’s a knock on the door and Kido makes sure to step out of the way before the door can smack her as someone opens it a moment later. It was Riddle. “What are you all doing? Taking over an injured person’s room?”

“Ah!” Grim yelped. “It’s hot-headed Riddle!”

Kido’s facepalm practically echoed through the room as Riddle crossed his arms over his chest, clearly unamused. “Hot-headed, huh…..” There’s a grumble before he continued. “I won’t get angry if you all don’t break the rules.” Then he works his way through the small crowd and to Trey’s bedside. “Trey, how are you doing? Do you want anything to eat or drink?”

“Didn’t I say not to worry about me too much?” Trey chuckled softly. “Besides, Seto just brought me some dessert and sodas. I’ll be set for a while.”

“But….” Riddle weakly refutes. “It’s my fault you got hurt…”

“What does that mean?” Ace asked bluntly.

Riddle recounts the incident that Trey became injured, where Trey saved him from being injured more specifically. Trey seems to play it off, but Kido has long been convinced that this was foul play. It didn’t take a genius to figure that out. Ace whispered to her about it, and she could only nod. 

“It’s about time Trey-kun got some rest!” Cater announced, and started gently pushing everyone out of the room. 

“See ya.” Kido managed a wave before walking out first, before Ace, Deuce, and Grim were pushed out behind her, Seto and Riddle following after, and Cater closing the door behind them.

The lounge isn’t too far away, and that’s where they come to a stop. “What did you not want to speak about in front of Trey, Cater?” Riddle bluntly asks, crossing his arms.

“Yeah, you weren’t exactly subtle,” Kido said, taking out her earbuds and putting them into her pocket with her (borrowed) music player

“Eh?” Deuce seemed to question, he didn’t pick up on the hint and Seto patted his shoulder with a chuckle.

“I expected Riddle to catch on, but you catch on pretty quick too, don’t you?” Cater said with a hint of a grin. “Well, I’ll just cut to the chase then, do you know anything about how Trey-kun got hurt?”

Kido nods and starts to explain. Starting from the beginning, where Crowley had all but threatened them to start this investigation. Promising some kind of way to play magift as a reward. Kido was still against this - but Grim deserved at least some kind of chance, and Seto offered to be a member if it came down to it. Maybe she felt a little guilty about how harsh she had been earlier, but would never admit that out loud. Still, as far as the investigation went, it only took talking to the first person or two to realize foul play was involved. 

“Actually,” Riddle added, “I also thought something was strange, so I had Cater start gathering information for me.” 

“It was pretty obvious from the start that all the people getting injured were star candidates for their teams like Riddle-kun and Trey-kun.” Cater said with a bit of a shrug.

“At the time, I didn’t trip over anything or get pushed from behind. But, how should I put this….” He trails off for a moment, closing his eyes. When he opens them, he speaks again. “It felt as if my body moved on its own.”

“Everyone else was saying something like that too!” Grim said as he hopped onto Kido’s shoulders. 

“I think it’s safe to say that someone is intentionally targeting magift candidates,” Riddle said, and Kido nodded along.

“Yeah, that’s pretty obvious. I guess the real question is the how and who.” 

“Wait Wait,” Despite her saying it was obvious, Ace still had a dumbfounded look on his face.”They’re targeting their rivals to up their chances in the magift tournament?”

“It’s a worldwide broadcasted event, Ace.” Kido said with a wave of her hand. “And Crowley said recruiters would be coming. If your future was riding on that kind of thing, wouldn’t you try to do whatever it took?”

“I mean….I guess but - hurting people?”

“People kill for less.” The rest of the group seems to stare at her at the statement she made. She looks between them all, getting rather on edge to suddenly be the center of attention. “Wh-What? It’s the truth.” 

Cater clears his throat, clearly not appreciating the tense atmosphere. “Still, it’s weird,” Cater twirls a piece of hair around his finger as he looks at Riddle. “You didn’t feel any kind of wind magic coming from behind you, right?” 

“Right,” Riddle nodded, “It didn’t feel like an attack.”

“And apparently some were injured even during class.” Cater sighed, dropping his hand. “What’s going on?”

“We will simply have the culprit tell us when we catch them,” Riddle announced confidently. “To that end, I will assist you in the search.”

“Eh? You’re gonna help us?” Grim doesn’t appear convinced. “What’s your angle, especially you Cater!” 

“Wow, rude much?” Cater said with a laugh. “This is what you do when your fellow dormmates are targeted.”

“If that’s the case, we’ll help out too.” Ace announced happily.

Deuce cracks his knuckles loudly. “We gotta get payback for Clover-senpai!”

“You two just want places on the team, don’t you,” Kido stated bluntly, giving them both a neutral stare.

“Eheh, caught me.” Ace said with a laugh.

“N-Not me!” Deuce waved his hands. “We have to look out for each other!”

“At least one of you has a heart,” Kido said, looking back towards Riddle for his opinion.

“Goodness.” Riddle shook his head. “Well, I’ll take it into consideration depending on your efforts in finding the culprit.” Deuce and Ace both seemed to cheer, Seto laughed at that and Kido simply rolled her eyes. “Now back to the topic on hand, we need to anticipate their next move.”

“How do you expect to do that?” Grim asked, tail swishing behind him.

“For example, we can put a bodyguard on students who are likely targets. When something happens, we promptly get the student to safety, then we hunt down the culprit in the immediate area.”

“Wouldn’t it just be easy for the culprit to get away? You guys can fly on brooms for crying out loud.” Kido pipes in. “We should be split into two teams. The guarding team and the capturing team.”

“You…” Riddle blinked before chuckling. “I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised you’d think this through to that extent, but you are correct. We should have that. So who will be on which team?”

“Deuce should be on the capturing team.” Deuce makes a surprised sound and looks at Kido, who had just volunteered him. “What? You’re on the track team, you’re the best shot for being fast enough to grab whoever it is. For that matter, Seto you’re on the capturing team too.” 

“Got it.” Seto, who had been mostly silent up to this point, speaks with a smile, putting a hand on his hip. 

“I guess I could do that too? I mean I’m on the basketball team so I have decent stamina. Not like this monster,” Ace elbowed Deuce, who gave a soft ‘hey!’ in response,  “But I can make due.” 

“Kano will be on the team too. Right, Kano?” Everyone seemed confused by her statement.

“Eh? Wasn’t Kano busy with something?” Cater said, looking around the lounge. “He’s not- WHEN DID YOU GET THERE?!” 

Everyone turned when Cater shouted, seeing Kano sitting in one of the chairs of the lounge with a water bottle in hand. He nonchalantly gives a wave as he chugs the last bit of water and puts the bottle down on the nearest coffee table. “Sure thing boss.” 

“How long were you…--” Deuce looks between Kido and Kano. 

“I was having Kano collect information on his own, he works better that way.” Kano snickers as he walks between Cater and Riddle, leaning over Cater’s shoulder. 

“Mind showing me what you got? We can cross-reference.” 

“Oh, uh……. Sure?” Cater still seems shaken by the sudden appearance but makes a chatroom with Ace, Deuce, and Riddle in it so they can all see the information. Kido leans over Deuce’s shoulder while Seto over Ace’s. 

“I already checked on that Rook guy,” Kano said, pointing at a name on Cater’s phone. “No one is going to mess with him, trust me.”

“You confident on that?” Kido said with a raised eyebrow.

“After almost getting an arrow through my face? Yeah.” Kano laughs, ignoring the looks he’s getting before scrolling through the list on Cater’s phone. Kido will have to remember to ask about that later. Though she doesn't doubt it was well deserved, it was Kano after all.

“Oh, we shouldn’t have to worry about the twins.” Seto piped up too. 

“Agreed,” Riddle said with a sigh, looking down at his own phone. “While Cater’s information is right, that their combo moves are extremely powerful and probably makes them a high target - they are….how do I put this.”

“Terrifying.” Seto piped in.

“One way to put it,” Riddle explains. “Both of them are simply not to be messed with. Floyd Leech especially….I do not want to have to get involved with him.”

“Then we could check….” Cater continues down his list. “Jack Howl from Savanaclaw.”

“Oh! Jack!” Seto smiles. “Yeah, I can definitely see him being a star player.”

“Hey, can I borrow your phone, Deuce?” Kano suddenly spoke up, working his way through Cater and Riddle and over to their group. Deuce blinks before nodding, handing his phone over. He seems to have forgotten for a moment that the three of them didn’t have phones of their own. Which definitely made things more difficult but like hell they were asking the headmaster for three phones when he would barely buy them clothes and the necessities. 

“See something, Kano?” Kido asked, sliding up next to him. As he does when he gets into these moods, he didn’t answer her. She could only watch as he stared at the screen with a neutral expression and scrolled through all the information gathered by both him and Cater. 

“I’m going to send you all an updated list of all the people I’ve looked into and the risk of them being attacked along with who they hang out with.”

“What- Th-That’s quite a lot.” Cater laughs nervously, twirling the strand of hair by his face once more. “You got all that by yourself?” 

“Kido-” He doesn’t answer Cater, handing the phone back to Deuce after he’s sent what he needed. “Mind if I do some more recon by myself?”

“Are you going to tell me what you’re up to?”

Kano grins. “Not yet, I want to make sure it’s not a wild goose chase. But I’ll meet up with you in a bit! It won’t take long.” 

The two of them have a bit of a staring contest for a while, but Kido was never one to win those. Kano could always make it seem like he was staring without blinking anyways. She wished he would be more honest with them, but right now - they didn’t exactly have a lot of time. 

“Fine.” Kido huffs, motioning with her head towards the door. “Get it over with but be quick will you?” 

“Yes Ma’am!” With a two-finger salute, Kano is out the door before anyone can get another word in. 

“.....I’ve been meaning to ask,” Riddle said, narrowing his eyes a bit as Kano left. “Is he... always like that?”

“Like what?” Kido looks towards Riddle, “Annoying? Barely tolerable? Sarcastic? Enjoys messing with people for the hell of it? Makes you want to punch him repeatedly? Yeah.”

“Harsh.” Ace said, but the chuckle betrayed the tone it was meant to be heard in. 

“I meant secretive. Or I guess, rash.” Riddle put his hand on his hip, “But I suppose you answered that for me.”

“Hey, you’re the one who sorted him as a diamond,” Kido waved her hand, and it was Seto’s turn to chuckle. “C’mon, let’s get this over with.”

In the end, they ended up double-checking with Rook and the twins, the latter ending in a fight much to Kido’s dismay. Thankfully Seto had been there to quell it before it got too far, mentioning the opening for the monstro lounge and ruining Floyd’s mood to fight. It seemed that he already had a good idea of how to handle the two, in which Riddle was relieved to hear. Riddle clearly didn’t know how to handle Floyd, and after the short bit of personality, she did see - Kido couldn’t blame him. 

Riddle had to leave soon after, something about another one of the Queen of Hearts rules. Kido wouldn’t even pretend she remembered half the ones mentioned already, so the group said their goodbyes to the prefect before starting to make their way towards the hall of mirrors once more. 

“Say...can I be the one that talks to Jack?” Seto asks, a hand on the back of his neck as they enter the hall of mirrors building.

“Got an idea?” Kido asks, stopping in her steps and soon the rest also stop. Thankfully, they were alone in the hall, so they could think clearly.

“Just- from what I know of him from class, he’s a lone wolf type. No pun intended.” He chuckles nervously as he brings down his hand, “He’s helped me and Kano alot but he always kept us at a distance, you know? But I still think it would be better for me to talk to him by myself first, rather than a huge group coming at him about it.”

“Good idea Seto-chan!” Seto stammers at the -chan added to the end of his name by Cater, who is just grinning in response. “We should probably still go in with you, but maybe stay towards the mirror. Unless Kido wants to pull whatever she did with Trey during that boss fight.” Cater waves his phone with a smile. She had seen that smile too many times on Kano to not know what he was implying. Fucking Diamonds , she can’t help but think before shrugging. She was intending to ignore it, but someone spoke up for her.

“Oh, you mean h-mhmmm!” Grim, with his loud mouth, had almost spilled everything then and there. But Seto had clasped his hand over the floating cat before she even had a chance to process that. 

Cater just laughed nervously. “I’ll take that as a solid maybe. Come on, let’s go see Jack before it gets too late.” 

Cater points out the mirror to them, and instantly the torches have her a little on edge. Not to mention….bones? Animal or not, that was still really creepy. Kido feels someone grab her hand and looks to see Ace, surprisingly. He was looking ahead, acting as if the action wasn’t happening as he told Deuce and Grim to hurry through so there was room for the rest of them. Kido smiled softly, gripping his hand back, at least for the acknowledgment - if not also for the comfort. He had remembered her fear of fire and acted instantly - yeah, he would make a good Mekakushi Dan member yet. 

Soon all of them are through the mirror, and their hands are dropped as if they had never been together in the first place. Which was fine because Kido instantly felt like she was going to die of heatstroke. She pulls up her hood to give her some shade and to also cover her eyes. She just tries to get a good look around while everyone else mentions their impressions of the dorm. Personally, she just wanted to get in and out of here as soon as possible. Something didn’t feel right. 

“Oh, there he is.” Seto pointed him out after being silent as well. Maybe he felt the same thing she did. But, he wasn’t one to shy away from what he had told others he would do, “Okay, just stay here I’ll be right back.” With a glance towards Kido, he starts walking towards where he sees Jack coming to a stop in front of the dorm. It seemed as if he was running moments before. He could run in this heat? Kido can’t help but wonder. It’s not as hot as it gets back home but still...maybe it’s the whole dry heat thing.

Regardless, she couldn’t let herself get lost in her own thoughts. “Hey Kido- Oh.” She could hear Deuce trying to address her, if only barely, but she had already walked ahead, staying a few steps behind Seto. Eyes red and focused on Jack as the conversation began.

“Hey, Jack!” Seto greets in his normal happy way, giving a large wave and a smile.

“Wh-- Seto, what are you doing here?” Jack seemed to have already gotten the memo of just calling Seto by his last name. Seto’s smile stays as he continues.

“I just wanted to check on you.”

“Check on me?” Jack’s wolf ears twitch in confusion. Kido had to stop herself from just staring at them. They’re so cute, they’re probably really soft-- FOCUS Kido, Focus.

“Yeah! I mean, Kido and I have been asked to help the headmaster look into why suddenly star players for that sports tournament are getting injured. What’s it called again, Magift?”

“That’s right,” Jack crossed his arms. Despite Seto’s classification of him being a lone wolf before, at that moment the two could read him like an open book. He knows something. “And? You came all this way to ‘check on’ me because of that?”

“Well, it’s not like I have a cell phone or your number at that.” Seto chuckles softly. “And I remembered you talking about it in class, I have no doubts you’ll be one of the star players of the tournament!” He gives a thumbs-up, Jack doesn’t seem amused, “So I just wanted to warn you that all was going on in case you hadn’t heard it.” Kido makes a note to give Seto a fucking acting award. Had he been taking lessons from Kano? “Plus, well, if you wanted to help me and Kido out, we’re actually trying to catch this guy in the act. Think you’d be willing to let us hang around you for an afternoon or two just to see if whoever it shows up?” There it is, finally. Kido watches Jack’s reaction carefully.

“You? Protect me?” Jack raises an eyebrow.

“Hey, I’m tougher than I look, even without magic,” Seto laughed, pulling at his own green hood. “So?”

“No thanks,” Jack said sternly, dropping his arms back down to his side. “I can appreciate you being worried, even if it’s for someone you don’t know.” Wow, the edge , Kido shakes her head. “But I can figure something out on my own, there’s no need for you to protect me.”

“WAIT JUST A SECOND.” Kido quickly turns and darts out of the way so she isn’t touched by whoever is coming their way all of a sudden.

It’s Grim. Kido is glad that her ability can hide sounds as well, letting her facepalm loudly in peace.

“G-Grim? What are you-” Seto is flustered and tries to push the cat away but he easily avoids Seto's grasp. Deuce, Ace, and Cater walk over too. Great, so much for that plan. 

“Who are these people, with you I’m guessing?” Jack huffed over to Seto, who nodded with a small sigh. 

“We were being gracious enough to protect you! You should feel honored!” Grim huffs himself, crossing his arms over his chest. Now standing more still, Ace was able to grab him and push him aside.

“Sorry about him,” Deuce says in place of Kido. She is determined to stay hidden, so she’s definitely thankful for it. 

“Can you at least hear us out on this plan?” Cater tries, twisting that strand of hair near his face again.

“I said I don’t need it,” Jack says, seeming annoyed at this point. Which was what Seto was trying to avoid, to begin with. He seems to convey this in a short glare towards Grim. “Besides…” Jack sighs, his voice getting softer as he speaks the rest of his thought, “Me getting targeted….won’t happen. See ya.” With that, Jack grabs his water bottle and a bag nearby and heads back into the dorm. Seto sighs, rubbing at the back of his head. 

“Well, can’t blame us for trying.” He said, looking back at Cater. He takes a second to look around, and his eyes meet hers for just a moment. He’s likely noticed that she hasn’t dropped her ability. 

Not yet. No, there was something more to this, something here. Even if her mind was going crazy with all the warnings. ‘Leave’ , it said ‘we are the prey here’ , it tried. With a shake of her head, Seto turns his attention back to the rest of the group. At least he got the message and was willing to go along with it. Bringing her hands up to hold onto her hood, she thought for a moment, She should probably just try to follow Jack - maybe he would lead her to whoever was behind this, or to whatever he knew about this. Her thoughts are soon covered up by Grim’s loud voice. 

“He sure was a rude jerk!” Grim huffed.

“You’re the one who provoked him!” Ace countered, shaking Grim by the scruff of his neck. 

“ OI , what are you guys doing?” 

The group, including Kido, freeze. 

“Oh, they’re from Heartslabyul.”

“Hehehehe - they’re the red brats grunts!”

They all look up to see a handful of Savanaclaw students. Kido noticed a trend with this dorm from just walking the halls. Normally tall, somewhat bulky, and with a bad attitude. Not that she wanted to label all of them like this, Jack seemed nice enough according to Seto. But these guys were the poster boy stereotype for the dorm.

Seto moves to put himself between the newcomers and his friends, a hand out in front of Ace as if to protect him. But he also moves his fingers slightly, and Kido gets the message. He’s telling her to move, just in case something happens. She does just this, rushing to the side near the giant skeleton in front of the dorm to watch the interaction from afar. She would pull herself out if the situation turned towards getting violent, but right now she would really rather not do that. She’s sure Seto has this...for now.

“Sorry to bother you, I just came to talk to Jack. We were just about to leave.” Seto said with that sweet smile.

“Did you really think we’d let you come into our territory just like that?” The first Savanaclaw student to speak up does so again, shifting to stand in front of his group. 

“Ugh, this formation.” Deuce rubs at his temple. It was very clear they were getting ready for a magical fight. Kido is about ready to storm in when another voice cuts through the air.

“Knock it off.”

Just then, two other students show up. One Kido recognizes instantly, at least by face. He was the one who managed to swap sandwiches with Grim during lunch at some point. The other one….seems familiar. Long dark hair, animal ears, and tail, no blazer…..yeah she had seen him before at some point-

Instantly, of course, Grim calls the first one out on stealing his sandwich. “I’ve got a very manly name, it’s Ruggie Bucchi!” Well, a name to match the very smug face, she guessed. 

Slowly, she started to move towards the entrance of the dorm, intending to follow Jack.

“Oh, now I recognize you.” The other student said. “You were with that herbivore that stepped on my tail in the garden.”

Kido freezes, instantly feeling sweat roll down the side of her face. Right. That’s why he seemed so familiar. She could apologize now, and drop her ability, but she really, really didn’t want to --...

“I’m sure she’s very sorry for that-” Seto tries his best to defend her in her stead. 

‘Thank you Seto for my life’, She breathes a sigh of relief.

“Leona-san, Ruggie-san, let’s show them who's boss!” One of the original group suggests loudly, getting back into a fighting position which made all of her friends flinch. 

“Stop barking up a storm, mutts,” Leona said calmly, which got that student to pull back instantly.

“Do they have to keep making animal puns and references?" Kido can’t help but wonder if it’s for dramatic effect, irony, or actually how they spoke here. Still, she starts taking steps back into the dorm, keeping an eye on the altercation in front of her.

“What are you going to do if your little fit of violence interferes with the Magift Tournament?” Leona at least appeared to have some sense.

“You’re saying we should just ignore these trespassers? But they’re such tasty prey….”

That word instantly makes Kido uncomfortable, and even from this distance, she can tell it upsets Seto too.

“No one said anything about ignoring them. We’ll settle this ‘peacefully’, with a game of magift.” Forget what she said about Leona having sense! What was with the people at this school? “We can go crazy with magic during a game without breaking any rules.”

She could hear Ruggie snicker near her, “Leona, you’re such a bully. These guys don’t look like they could handle more than one game.”  Kido glares at the back of Ruggie’s head. So they were just going to use Magift as a way to bully them within the rules and not get in trouble? Yeah, she definitely didn’t like this dorm now. 

“I’m not just going to take that lyin’ down!” Grim flares up, flying over Seto to be in the front of the group.

“What about Seto? He can’t even play magift.” Deuce said, also stepping in front of Seto. “He doesn’t have magic.”

“Well, he can watch,” Leona said with a wave of his hand. “I’m sure these three will make excellent company, yeah?”

“Heheh, right, Leona-san!” One of the students broke through Deuce and Grim’s attempt at a barrier and put an arm around Seto’s shoulder. “Let’s go, herbivore!”

“Actually, I’m an Omnivore, thanks.” Seto doesn’t make a move to get out of the other’s hold, “And is this really how you treat someone who just came to talk to a classmate?” Seto asked, a smile on his face that didn’t seem as bright as before, clearly one that hid some kind of anger behind it. The student who had wrapped an arm around him only moments ago seems to let go just by the aura Seto is giving off. “I didn’t think this dorm, let alone this school, would be so rude.” His eyes eventually glance over to her. He had been keeping track of where she was. He moves his head in a way that might seem just like a head tilt, but Kido gets the message. He wants her to keep going. She mouths a thank you before turning around and dashing into the dorm.

“But, of course, I’m happy to watch!” Seto says loudly, putting his hands in his pockets. “But no need to be so forceful. Let’s just walk over together, yeah?” 

“What the hell is with this guy….” Ruggie mumbles as the brunette is getting the heartslabyul students, and the cat, to follow him and the grunts towards the field. “Can I take him out? He just seems annoying as hell.” He grumbles over to Leona, the two of them not having moved an inch just yet. 

“....No, I want to see what his deal is.” Leona uncrossed his arms, walking slowly to the field himself. Ruggie sighed and followed after him.

At least he could get out some frustration with a ‘nice’ round of Magift. 

Chapter Text

A sigh escaped the wolf’s lips as he finally pulled open the door to his room. Savanaclaw didn’t have nearly as many students as most of the dorms, so somehow he was able to get his own room. But later he realized it wasn’t just that there weren’t as many students in this dorm, simply no one wanted to room with him. He was an outlier when it came to most of the dorm. He definitely shared some views with them, but either his attitude or his actions that didn’t align with them alienated him from the majority of the dorm. No, that wasn’t quite right, the whole dorm was more accurate. 

But that was fine. He didn’t need to have anyone else. 

He stepped into his room, putting his water bottle and bag down on his bed. Seto’s words still echoed through his mind. So the headmaster had caught on too? And was having that girl and her friends investigate? 

Seto didn’t seem like a bad person, if anything he was pretty tolerable, if not a bit overbearing. A big brother figure was a phrase that came to mind. Perhaps as an older brother himself, that’s why he found Seto relatable at times. But in the same breath, he was wary of the human.. Something… isn't quite right with him. Jack couldn’t exactly put his finger on it but he and Kano had this weird smell about them. Kido did too, but hers was fainter for some reason. Occasionally, he couldn’t smell her at all when he had been positive she was there a moment before. 

As if he didn’t need more reasons to be distant from people, but the mystery made him both curious and anxious at the same time. 

He cups water from the sink and splashes his face. It wasn’t something he needed to think about right now. Right now he needs to figure out how to approach Leona and Ruggie. He knows what they’re doing, or he has an inkling at least. That’s one of the reasons he had to turn down Seto. He wipes his face off, debating if he wants to take a shower first before a noise from his bedroom causes his ears to twitch. What the hell…-

He throws the door of the bathroom open but sees nothing wrong. Raising an eyebrow, he walks further into the room. Nothing was out of place from an initial glance, but then he noticed his door was slightly ajar. He approaches carefully, throwing the door open once he’s close enough, but no one is on the other side. 

“Sorry, I should have knocked.” 

Jack jumps, turning around as quickly as he can to see someone suddenly standing in the middle of his room.

“K---Kido-san?”  Jack stumbled over his words, if only due to the shock. There had been no one here, he hadn’t smelled or heard anything. So how- how had she gotten in?

“Yo.” She raised a hand out of her hoodie’s pocket casually before putting it back in. “Got a second?”

“How did you get in here? When did -?”

“Oh, I picked the lock for her.” Jack turns again, seeing an upperclassman peeking his head around the door frame. Jack didn’t remember their name specifically, but he did recognize him as being on the magift team. 

“Sen-Senpai-? Why-?” Jack felt like his head was about to explode. He bared his fangs and whipped his head back to Kido. “You can’t just have an upperclassman break into someone’s room for you! Leave, now.” He crosses his arms, glaring towards the girl, but she seems unphased. Seto and Kano hadn’t been phased either when he did his ‘signature scary look’ according to whispers heard from other first-years around him. 

“Lighten up, Jack-kun!” Suddenly there was a third voice. Jack’s neck couldn’t take much more of this, but he turned it back towards the door and instead of his Senpai being there, it was Kano. The scent of his senpai was gone completely. It should have at least lingered a bit even if he had walked away - but it was like he was never there, to begin with. The anger on his face melted into that of confusion as Kano took the opportunity to step into the room and close the door behind him, casually walking over to Kido to stand next to her. 

Jack watches Kano carefully and stares dumbfounded at the two for a moment. The way they’re looking at him….

It’s as if he’s the prey and they’re the predators. It was a similar look to how Leona looked at most of the dorm. No, that’s not quite it…

Their look was far more intense than Leona’s ever could be. 

Collecting himself, he shakes his head and his tail flicks to show his annoyance. “What do you want?” 

“Ahh, you’re so serious Jack-kun.” Kano laughs, giving a shrug and glancing at Kido. After some silent conversation, she gives him a nod and he looks back towards Jack. The wolf is instantly unsettled again by that grin on Kano’s lips. It’s at that moment he figures out the smell that was so strange about these two. 

They smell like snakes, snakes ready to strike at him at that exact moment. “You know that your dorm leader and his right hand are behind all those injuries, don’t you?”  

There were only so many times he has managed to get caught off guard so completely and utterly, and these two are breaking that record at intense speed. It appears he wasn’t able to hide such a fact either, because Kano glances at Kido. “So my hunch was right.”

Kido elbows him, but not as hard as Jack had seen her do so in passing, it seemed more playful. “Yeah, no shit.” She rolled his eyes. “I honestly figured it out as soon as that Leona guy pulled everyone away for a magift match.”

“He--what?” Jack’s composure seemed to collect itself rather quickly, a glance at Kano showed that he looked more serious now too.

“Yeah, after you left Seto high and dry, some assholes came over saying we were intruding on their territory or something. Then Leona and Ruggie came over and said that instead of fighting them right there, they were going to have a round of magift.” 

“That’s….-” Jack looks away from the two. That couldn’t end well, it seemed that the other two knew this as well. “So why are you here? You weren’t even there earlier, were you?” He still can’t look them in the eye.

He hears footsteps approach him, and suddenly Kido is right in front of him. He takes a step back but is stopped in his movements by Kido grabbing onto the front of his sports uniform and yanking on it. He stumbles forward, forced to lean over to be more eye level with the girl. He stares wide-eyed as Kido glared at him - something he wasn’t used to, others glaring at him instead of the other way around.

“If they get seriously hurt, and you knew that was a possible outcome, I will make you regret it.” The words drip from Kido's mouth like venom, only further confirming the snake presence Jack had felt only moments before. “But I bet it’ll weigh on your conscious more than that, huh?” She pushes him back, letting go of the uniform, and Jack stumbles for a moment. His back hits one of the walls, and as he collects himself, Kido and Kano practically have him cornered. Is this where they strike and kill him?

“What do you want me to do about it exactly?” Jack growled, pulling himself off the wall. He wouldn’t go down without a fight. 

“Man up,” Kano said, a grin still on his face. “C’mon, you’re a smart guy Jack-kun, what do you think we want from you?”

There’s a pause, the air is tense, and Jack sighs, “To stop them? I can’t. Leona-senpai’s word is law here, you know.”

“Oh, because everyone follows what they’re told every second of every day.” Kido rolls her eyes and takes steps away, acting as if she was walking out of the room. 

“Kido?” Kano seems confused by her actions but follows after her regardless. Jack takes a few steps forward as well as Kido pauses at the door. She looks, glares, at him from over her shoulder. 

“The least you could do is stop the match going on right now, it’s your fault that they were caught to begin with.” That seemed like a bit of a stretch, but Jack does feel somewhat responsible without Kido having said anything. “You do know that Leona is likely just going to try to beat them to a pulp, right?”

“...-” Jack doesn’t answer, so Kano does instead. 

“I think we’re wasting our time Kido.” He said with a wave of his hand. “This guy apparently is just another dog under Leona’s control.”

Oh, that made something inside Jack completely snap. There’s a growl that rips out of his throat as he stomps forward. “Ohhhhh, you’re a big bad wolf after all?” Kano puts up his hands in a mock defensive position as Jack stops right in front of him. 

“I’m no one’s dog,” Jack growls, glancing between Kido and Kano.

“Prove it.” Kido throws open the door. “Help us save our friends.”

“What are you doing?” Jack’s low voice cuts through the tension of the field. Leona looks lazily over at him while Kido and Kano rush towards their friends. 

“We’re just messing around with some trespassers,” Leona said with a wave of his hand, looking back towards the group he had just been torturing via magift. “And it looks like there’s two more to punish.”

Jack can’t quite make out Kido’s expression from here, but he can almost feel the same ice and venom that he had experienced not too long ago himself. He crosses his arms, now keeping his glare on his dorm leader. “What’s so fun about kicking newbies around?” 

“What’s this?” Ruggie spoke with a grin, one that could rival even Kano’s, Jack thought, “Jack-kun, you’re so cool. Like a hero of justice or something.” Ruggie snickers, but Jack isn’t phased. If anything, it only affirms the feelings he already had but was now finally able to say them freely thanks to the ‘gentle’ shove of Kido and Kano.

“I just can’t stand by while something heinous is happening in front of me.” He admits, arms going down to be by his sides again as his fists clenched tightly. He was about to say something else, ask for more explanation on the situation, but Leona cuts him off.

“You’re such a buzzkill.” 

A buzzkill? Really? This was fun to him? Hurting other people was fun?!

“Hey, Jack!” Another voice cut in, and Jack glanced in the direction. It was the Senpai that apparently had been at his door earlier. But….no, he hadn’t been there, right? He clearly was enjoying this just as much as Leona and Ruggie were. So...what had that been, exactly? “You’re sure cheeky for a first-year!”

“.....” The glare shifted completely as Jack turned to face him. “I could say the same for you, you’re not doing something befitting of an upperclassman. None of you are.” 

“Come again?!” Another upperclassman yelled. “You wanna join the-- ah!” The student points and everyone glances over to see that the other group was already well on their way out of the field. Looks like they had been using Jack’s speech as a distraction - but that was fine.

That was the plan that Jack had agreed to on the way up. He was not only to speak his piece but also stall so no one would notice them leaving. Though they were found out, Leona’s words seemed to put a stop to any kind of hostility. 

“Whatever, I’m bored.” Leona pushes some of his hair out of his face with a sigh. “There’s no point in going up against all of them again. Let’s go Ruggie.”

“Sure.” Ruggie shrugged, another snicker leaving him before he easily fell into step next to Leona as they left the field. Though instead of going down the large staircase like the group was doing, everyone who was on Leona’s side left by broomstick. Jack sighs heavily, shaking his head before jogging to catch up with the group who were just getting to the stairs. 

“Heyyy Jack.” Seto greeted him first, an arm around Kano’s shoulder to support his weight. Jack squinted towards Seto’s legs, it looked like he was trying to keep weight off of it. Had they really forced someone who had no magic to play a sport that required it?

“Thanks for buying us time.” Jack looked over to see Deuce addressing him. He only vaguely knew Deuce from the track club, but to think he was also mixed up in this mess. Jack sighs and shakes his head.

“It wasn’t like I was out to help you all or anything.” He could see Kido rolling her eyes as she held onto that strange cat creature in one arm and supporting Ace with her other.

“Well regardless, thanks.” Cater said with a smile. “We’re heading out but be careful, alright?”

“You guys really aren’t in a position to worry about me. Go home already.” With thinking those would be his last words, he starts down the staircase before them, eager to just get back to his room and think everything over. Or forget it all in the shower. Whichever was more effective. However, he made it halfway down and sighed, looking back up towards the group behind him. They were still pretty far off huh… “I must be going crazy.” He grumbles and takes out his magic pen, with a simple motion a broomstick came flying towards him, and he didn’t even need it to stop for him to hop on and start flying back up the stairs. In seconds he was in front of the group.

“Seto, hop on.” 

“Huh?” Seto blinked, the entire group looked as confused as he was and Jack rolled his eyes.

“I’ll carry you down, otherwise it’ll take you guys hours to get down and you’ll get into even more trouble.” At the realization of his intent, Seto smiled and pulled himself off of Kano. Jack flew closer, putting one foot on a step to anchor himself as Deuce and Kido helped Seto onto the back of the broom. Once he was on he wrapped his arms around Jack, mumbling a thanks before Jack started to fly them down towards the bottom of the stairs.

Jack tried to convince himself he didn’t care on the way down. He didn’t care how Seto got hurt, he didn’t care if he was forced to play a sport - he just was angry his upperclassmen would take advantage of someone who clearly couldn’t play. Yeah, that was it. With that in mind, a sigh left Jack’s lips. “Did they force you to play?”

“Kind of?” Seto laughed nervously, “Some of them were holding me really close to the sideline, and Ace fell at some point and Leona angled the disc to pretty much hit him in the gut. I broke out of the hold and went to Ace but I wasn’t fast enough to crouch down so it got my leg instead. Then they said since I clearly wanted to play that I had to stay on the field. Thankfully you guys came not long after so I didn’t have to put up with it too much.” They made it to the end of the stairs, and Jack helped Seto get off of the broom. With a flick of his magic pen, the broom was gone and now Jack was the one supporting Seto while they waited for the others to catch up to them. “Thanks, Jack, I mean it.” 

Jack looked down at Seto, but only for a moment before looking away again. “As I said, I wasn’t specifically out to help you or anything.”

“But you did, so thanks.”

“Mhm.” They waited in silence after that. Somewhat awkward but not suffocating. Jack casts glances over at Seto every few seconds. He had the same smell like the other two. A snake. Though he wasn’t poised to attack him at the moment, who knows when he would? Just another reason not to get close to him, Jack decided as the group finally caught up. He handed Seto over to Kano before starting to walk back to the dorm. He could hear them trying to call out to him, trying to reason with him again more than likely, but he ignored it. 

He decided his next course of action. He needed to hear the reasoning right from the lion’s mouth.

Kido couldn’t sleep. 

She had convinced Seto’s dorm leader to let him spend the night with her due to Seto’s injuries. Deuce and Ace also got permission to stay too, with a promise from Kido that she would fully explain what had happened in the morning - though Cater had probably taken care of that already. Kano had gone back to his dorm, he hadn’t been hurt but was simply tired from keeping up his ability for most of the day gathering info - and truthfully the dorm mirrors were closer. Though after an hour he had returned with something - a cell phone. Kido looked off at the purple device where it sat away from her stack of papers, which were messily thrown onto the table and didn’t look like a real stack. There was a green phone right next to it, Seto’s. Apparently, Kalim had been nice enough to buy them phones and was just managing the plans for them. Of course, she tried to refuse, but Kano literally called up Kalim and he was just so…. Good-natured that Kido felt forced to take the devices. At the very least, it has made communication easier. Kano had been texting her on and off through the afternoon and the start of the night to reassure her, though he just went dark saying he had to help Jamil with something. 

Even with that peace of mind though, she couldn’t seem to fall asleep. Perhaps it was the events of earlier that were keeping her up - what had caused Seto to be injured in the first place.

“This place is crazy…” Kido grumbled to herself as she leaned back into the couch. She was currently in the foyer, most of the lights off except for one lamp near the kitchen, and it was rather dim. Still, it wasn’t like she wasn’t used to staying up late in the dark, her eyes adjusted easily. She held up the piece of paper she had in her hands, skimming over the words. It was the paperwork Crowley had dropped off for her making the club. 

“I guess it would be a culture club, technically….” She mumbles, chewing on the cap to her pen before leaning back forward over the coffee table, now pulled forward to act more like a desk, and scribbled down a few things onto the paper. Her mind soon wanders off from the paperwork and back to the events of the day. 

People here were insane. That just about sums up her feelings on the matter. Who would try to beat people up just for trying to leave their dorm?? Some kind of territorial instincts were involved maybe, because of all the animal bullshit, but still. A little common sense never hurts anyone.

Or perhaps this was reminding her of a few years ago when she was still violent. When she tried to scare people away from her just because it was too much of a hassle to have anyone close. 

“.....” She sighs heavily, putting the pen down and crossing her arms over the table, placing her chin on top of them as she stares absentmindedly out of the window. This whole situation has her in a melancholy mood.

She hopes the others are doing alright. Mary was guaranteed to be a mess with Seto here, but Momo would watch after her. Shintaro was also someone who closed himself off but she can only hope that Ene makes sure he doesn’t do that in this situation. Hibiya is a kid but he’s mature…..hopefully, mature enough for both him and Konoha. The more she thinks about it, the more she worries. “Fuck.” She lifts her head with yet another sigh. “Maybe I’ll take a walk.” 

She was still in the sweatpants and hoodie she had changed into after her shower, so she grabs Deuce’s music player and heads outside. There’s a passing thought that she needs to give this back to him tomorrow morning, she’s listened to the songs on a loop since the first day he gave it to her. It was good, and she wanted to listen to more songs by these bands. But the thought fades as she takes a moment after softly shutting the door to take in her surroundings. She shivered slightly and pulled up her hood before slipping in the earbuds and making her way down the stone path. 

The gate surrounding the dorm had spikes on it but the gaps between them were enough for her to slip her arms in and lean against the fencing. She drops her head for a moment, letting the music simply surround her. ‘I wonder if we’ll ever get--- no, I can’t start thinking like that now.’ She steeled herself before pulling her head up. Though when she did, she’s face to face with something - and she nearly screams.

Nearly, but she manages to hold that in - in exchange for flailing and falling backward onto the ground. After blinking rapidly a few times, she realized it was a person, not just a thing. 

A person with horns?

There’s a dark chuckle that makes her hair stand on end, but she brushes that off as she moves to stand.

“You take joy in scaring people half to death?” She brushed off her pants now, giving a cold glare to the man. He doesn’t seem affected by it, strangely enough. 

“I was simply surprised to see a Child of Man, and not one of the ghosts.” Child of man? Well, with horns like those he probably wasn’t human, Kido couldn’t help but mentally note as she shoves her hands into her hoodie’s pockets and steps back up to the fence. He’s wearing a green armband. She’s already forgotten the name of that dorm but she does remember that’s where that one Lilia guy was from who also scared her half to death. Must be a dorm tradition or something. “Do you live here?” His voice pulls her back out of her thoughts. “This building has been abandoned for some time. I’d been quite fond of it, as it is a place where I could be quietly left alone.”

“Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but the building is acting like a dorm again, at least temporarily.” Kido rubbed at the back of her head. She wished she didn’t live here but there was no use complaining about that now, or ever. She just needed to focus on getting back home. “I’m Kido, technically the prefect but please don’t call me that. Kido is fine.” She drops her hand, “What about you?”

“What ab…..” The other seems to be in a state of shock for a moment, stumbling over his words. “You don’t know who I am? Truly?”

“You’re not exactly wearing a nametag.” 

“It is just...exceedingly rare.” He goes silent for a moment before laughter bubbles up from his lips. “I don’t think I’ll tell you my name.” He decided, causing Kido to raise an eyebrow, “Not knowing is for your own benefit.”

“Uh huh……” Well, she couldn’t shame a guy for not wanting to say his name to someone he just met. Though it was a common occurrence, it wasn’t exactly a requirement. 

“The moment you hear it, you’ll feel a frost spread over your skin. For your ignorance, as an exception, I’ll allow you to call me whatever you like.”

‘Way to be dramatic about it….’ Kido thought with a tilt of his head. ‘....but that was actually kind of cool’. 

“I guess I’ll have to think about it.”

“By the way,” He asked, gesturing to the building. “What did you mean, temporarily?” 

“I plan to leave some time in the future, I don’t know how long my stay will be though.”

“Hm, that means this building is no longer abandoned, for the moment, that’s too bad.” He seems genuinely upset for a moment, “I will have to find another place for my nightly strolls. Well then, I bid you--”

“You’re welcome to still come around here, you know.” Kido leaned against the fence again. By the looks of it, she had caught him off guard once again. “What? I don’t own this place, I’m just borrowing it. There’s only me and one other person - cat thing - here on a normal night. Not exactly going to interrupt any walks.”

“Hahahah- You’re truly something else, Child of Man.”

“It’s Kido.” She said with a wave of her hand. ”Child of Man sounds creepy - while I get ‘Man’ represents like, humans and mankind as a whole, it just feels even more creepy cause I’m a girl.”

“You are?”

“I am.” 

“Ha. The surprises never cease with you. You are providing more entertainment in a few minutes than I’ve felt in what feels like years.”

“I’ll...take that as a compliment.” 

“Still, I will find an area to be by myself, but perhaps I will occasionally stop by. I bid you adieu.” Without Kido interrupting him this time, the man vanishes. Kido jumped, almost scratching herself on one of the spikes of the fencing, looking around where he had previously been. Only a few faint sparkles were left. She huffs and turns the music up louder. What the hell had that been about?

“Sorry to drag you into this.” 

Kano yawned and gave a wave of his hand to the vice dorm leader. “It’s no problem!”

“You say that though you just yawned.” Jamil looked at him with a blank look that could rival even Kido’s, so Kano couldn’t help the chuckle that left his lips.

“Hey, I was the one who volunteered! Though I will warn you, I have no idea what I’m doing.” Kano grinned as he pushed open the double doors of the school’s kitchen, holding one open for Jamil to follow through before letting it swing closed as well. Kano looked around, surprised to see a few other students here. Night Owls looking for a snack maybe? Oh, there was a ghost too. In a chef’s outfit. He’s….not going to question that. 

“That’s fine, I mostly need your help cutting a few things. It’ll go by a lot quicker with an extra set of hands.”

“That I can do, Kido has me on chopping duty sometimes too.” Kano grinned, leaning against one of the islands in the kitchen and waiting for Jamil to collect everything they needed. 

“Right...you said you lived together, yes?” Jamil placed a few cutting boards on the island, so Kano pulled himself off of it to make room. The two washed their hands before the setup continued.  Knives were placed in front of him, and he picked one up and looked at his reflection. He actually liked this dorm uniform more and more, but maybe it was just because of the hood. Next Jamil placed the actual food on the cutting board. It seemed like a lot….but then again, this was a Kalim request (trademark). One thing Kano had learned about the dorm leader and vice leader duo, is that Kalim asked a lot of Jamil. Personally, Kano would have gone insane a long time ago, but Jamil seems to be handling it well.

Kano can’t help but wonder how many masks the other is hiding under as well. Perhaps that’s the real reason he volunteered. Jamil was dangerous and mysterious, and in order to make sure that wasn’t a threat,  Kano had to get close to him. 

“This all?” Kano asked with a smile, putting down the knife he had been holding.

“It should be,” Jamil said, arranging the first item on his board to be cut. 

“Seems like you’re making a lot,” Kano said, looking at the long line of cutting boards both of them now had. What exactly had he volunteered for?

“Well, Kalim is likely to eat a lot or invite others in the dorm to eat with him. It’s just a precaution.” Jamil sighed, starting to cut up the item on his board. Kano shrugged with a small laugh and started to do the same. 

“Kind of a cautious guy aren’t you?” Kano started casually, offering a glance before looking carefully at what he was doing. Jamil already seemed like a master of this, cutting with ease and precision. Meanwhile, Kano was much slower in comparison. He helped Kido cook sometimes, sure, but not all the time. He was used to using knives in….a different manner. 

“With Kalim? I have to be.” That earns a little bit of a laugh from Kano, genuinely. He was both dodging the meaning of the question yet speaking it aloud at the same time. Kano knew, from what Kalim had explained to him, that Jamil’s job wasn’t just running errands for Kalim. He was essentially a bodyguard. So truly, with Kalim, he had to be precautious. 

“Touche.” Kano chuckled, just now finishing the first of the food in front of him, moving onto the next cutting board. Looking at it now, Jamil had given him the easier things to cut up, Jamil was still on his first. “You and Kalim are like childhood friends, right? Almost like me, Kido, and Seto.”

“Yes, my family has worked for the Asim’s for some time.” That didn’t exactly point towards friendship, Kano raises an eyebrow before looking down to start cutting again. “How did the three of you meet, if you don’t mind me asking?” Oh, actual conversation now instead of quick jabs at each other? Good. That’s what he was trying for.

“We were in the same orphanage together.” The sound of Jamil’s cutting stopped for a brief second before it continued again. “Seto was there first, poor guy. He used to be such a cry baby too.”

“He doesn’t seem like the type.”

“Right?!” Kano laughs softly. “But I think it was Kido and Mary that toughened him up. Ah, Mary is one of our friends not here, we met her when we were young too but not at the orphanage. Kido was the next one, she was the one that greeted me at the orphanage since I was the last of us to show up.” There’s a pause as he grinned, “She punched me when we first met. Hard.”

Jamil stopped cutting again, now seeming to stifle a chuckle. Kano looked up with a feigned look of betrayal on his face. “Hey! It’s not funny, it hurt, you know!”

“My apologies.” He’s still being formal, but at least the laugh was a good start towards Kano’s goal. “I can just picture it now - seeing how you two act on a normal basis.”

“Yeah, Yeah.” Kano huffed, cheeks puffing out for a moment before he smiled again. “At least she doesn’t hit as hard as she used to.”

“Huh?” Jamil said, giving something akin to a look of surprise, “That is...surprising. She seems to hit you plenty hard already.”

“Yeah, it hurts but nothing will hurt as bad as that first punch.” Kano laughed with a wave of his hand. “Plus, she really has calmed down the last few years. She used to hit so much harder - don’t tell her I said that though, she might take it as a challenge.”

Jamil chuckled freely this time. “Your secret is safe with me.”

With that idle chatter continued, mixing into the idle chatter on the other side of the room. Every now and then, Kano would glance behind him to see who was in the room. He did see that vice leader guy - Ruggie, right? - enter with a couple of people from the savanaclaw dorm. But they seemed to be cooking as well and hadn’t noticed him yet. Thankfully, his hood was still up, so maybe that wouldn’t be an issue as long as he kept up his eyes. Though the problem lied in Jamil being sharp so he couldn’t keep it up the entire time, or else the glow would catch his attention.

Kano was done before Jamil, if only barely. He really had gone out of his way to give Kano the easy stuff. “Want me to do anything with--hey, Jamil!” The idle conversation was quickly halted as Kano took in the scene before him. Jamil was really just about to slam that knife into his hand. A quick flicker of his eyes towards Jamil’s expression shows that he’s well aware it was happening, but the frustration indicated that he wasn’t doing it on purpose - it was like he was fighting against himself. 

He had to think quickly, but there was only one idea that came to mind. Hopefully, it would work, or more injury would be the result, but with only a few seconds to react, he did the best he could.

He grabbed the knife he had just been cutting with, thankfully a little duller compared to the one Jamil was using, and he threw it at Jamil’s face. Truthfully, he would have preferred to throw it directly at Ruggie, but he was too far away for it to be effective in time - not to mention so many obstacles between him and Ruggie. This was the quickest option. 

The flight or fight responses seemed to snap Jamil out of whatever trance was on him, and he pulled his hand holding the knife up to block the knife thrown with practiced ease. This also helped Kano, in a way, he now knew that knife fighting seemed to be a skill of Jamil’s - just by seeing the way he blocked that knife.

“What the hell, Kano?!” Snapped the vice prefect, which in turn made Kano chuckle sheepishly.

“Hey, it worked didn’t it?” Jamil blinked, finally seeming to catch up to the situation. He looked at the knife he was holding and the one on the board. It appeared he had cut himself a little, but it wasn’t anything dangerous like it would have been had his fight or flight responses hadn’t kicked in. Jamil cursed and went to wash his hand in the sink before the small traces of blood could get on the food.

“What is going on here?” The ghost floated over, concern plain on his face as he looked after Jamil. Red eyes looked over at the exit of the kitchen, seeing Ruggie and the others from his dorm departing. Ruggie looked back, as if looking directly at them, and grinned before leaving completely. 

‘So that’s his game, huh?’ Kano thought while he worried over Jamil as well. After a few minutes of uproar in the kitchen, it was decided that the main chef (the ghost, apparently) would help everyone complete their dishes quickly to exit the kitchen. Jamil, now with a bandaged hand, seemed to not like this plan.

“No one else can cook Kalim’s meals, I have to.” He later explained as he instructed Kano how to cut the remainder of the items on the counter. “Or at least I have to watch super closely. Kalim’s food has been poisoned before so he, and his family, only trust me to cook for him.”

“Really? That’s crazy.” Kano blinked, the last of the items finally done so they could actually begin cooking. It was decided at the very least that the head chef would take care of most of the lamb, following Jamil’s instructions exactly and accurately to ensure it was to the quality Kalim would expect, then Kano helped put it in the oven. The other part though….Kano apparently had to do. While he was great at following instructions (so he had been told by that sickening voice over and over again, he could almost shudder at the thought), cooking still proved to be difficult for him. Still, it all came out decently in Kano’s eyes.

Jamil tried a bit of each dish before they moved from the kitchen. Kano couldn’t help but wonder if it was for testing for poison or just seeing if they tasted okay enough to give Kalim, or both. “Kano,” He stiffened at his name being called, cat eyes wide for a moment. “You did well.”

“Huh?!” Genuinely surprised, Kano leaned forward to look over the agemanju he had just helped make, “Really?”

“Yes.” Jamil chuckled as his reaction, “Go on, try one.”

Kano is a bit hesitant, even though it's his own cooking, and takes one of them. He bit into it, letting it sit in his mouth for a moment before his eyes went wide. “Hey, it really isn’t that bad.”

“It’s not quite the quality I make, but you have potential.” Jamil then quickly thanks to the head chef before grabbing the basket of the agemanju. “Can you get the lamb?” 

“Sure thing.” Kano goes to pick up the tray of meat, which smelled surprisingly good. He had never had lamb before, but this almost made him want to try it. “Is your hand going to be okay holding that?”

“I have two hands, Kano.” 

Kano laughed as they exited the kitchen. 

It was a bit of a walk to the dorm, but once they were there, Jamil quickly explained the situation to Kalim after the food was placed down on the mats in the lounge area. Kalim looked horrified and quickly grabbed Jamil's hand. 

“Are you alright?!” 

“Careful!” Jamil winced. 

“Ah, Ah, sorry!” Kalim quickly released the bandaged hand but still looked over Jamil worriedly. “You never do stuff like that though! You haven’t cut yourself on a knife since we were kids!”

‘So he’s been using knives for that long, huh?’ Kano made the mental note before deciding to step in. 

“Well, it happens to everyone, right? Sometimes things just happen.” Jamil seemed somewhat relieved, but also confused, that Kano was trying to take the spotlight off of him for a moment. “I think Jamil can probably use the rest of the night off though, what do you say boss?” 

“Yeah, absolutely.” Kalim nodded, not thinking twice at the boss comment as he handed a few of the sweets to Jamil. “Go ahead and take these and go to your room!”

“But-” 

“I’ll stay with him til he’s done eating and clean up.” Jamil once again had an expression that Kano could only describe as shock, looking over at him. Kano grinned. “What? I can help my prefect and vice prefect out every now and then, right? Go on, off to bed with you.” Kano gave him some ‘gentle’ shoves before Jamil eventually conceded and went to his room. 

“Thanks for helping Jamil, Kano,” Kalim said with a smile, offering the seat across from him. Kano sat down in the blankets and pillow pile, getting himself comfortable before grabbing one of the small plates that had been brought over. He helped himself to a little bit of each as Kalim continued speaking. “He never lets anyone help him, you know? Not just with cooking, he doesn’t let me help him with chores or simple tasks or anything like that.” Kalim sighs softly, grabbing a sweet for himself.

“Well, you’re really important right?” Kano said with a tilt of his head before trying the lamb and holy shit this was good. “I think Jamil is one of those people who just doesn’t trust anyone to get it done the right way so he does it himself. I can understand that, I’m the same way.”

“Really?” Kano nodded and Kalim continued, “Well, tonight was a big step for him! He let you and the head chef finish the meal with his guidance, which is more than what’s happened before.” Kalim grinned brightly and Kano couldn’t help but wonder if it was still nighttime. “So thanks! I hope you and Jamil can be good friends! He kind of is a loner you know? I’m his only real friend so I hope he can find one in you too.”

Kalim pulled out his phone and smiled. “Me too. I’d like to be his friend.” The snake grinned before typing out a message with one hand.

[Kano]: We have a problem.

[Kido]: What happened?

[Kano]: Jamil senpai was attacked while we were in the kitchen. Ruggie was there with some people too.

[Kido]: So it’s definitely Ruggie doing the dirty work?

[Kano]: Yeah. Seems he has to be physically there cause he left as soon as things were starting to calm down.

[Kido]: A unique magic, maybe? It seems like they can do anything.

[Kido]: We’ll talk more tomorrow, and maybe we’ll talk to Jamil senpai to see what he thinks.

[Kano]: Sure thing, Commander.

Chapter Text

Getting Jack onto their side had been…..Surprisingly easy. But perhaps that is what he should have expected. It seems that Jack really does share some Savanaclaw ideologies in his heart - wanting a test of strength along with an admission of one’s motivations. It hadn’t been too much of a shock, but what had been is that Kido went in head first too. She couldn’t use magic, so she was practically fighting Jack hand to hand, one on one, by the end of it. 

He supposes he could ignore a rule or two just this once. If only because it looks like Kido was feeling better. Still, he’d have to ask her about that almost delinquent-like behavior sometime later, it could get her into trouble like it often did with Deuce. 

“Now that that’s all settled,” Riddle said, clearing his throat. They were sitting on the grass now, recovering from the battle that just occurred. Seto had come to join them, as he had taken a step back when the fighting began. His leg was still somewhat injured, but apparently, it wasn’t as bad as everyone had assumed it was. A heavy bruise covered his shin, but it wasn’t like anything was broken. Still, Kano and Kido sat on either side of him rather protectively. “I will continue with what I was explaining earlier. First, since this will be your first tournament, I will explain how it works.” He gestured to the first years, who all nodded in agreement. 

“As far as Diasomnia is concerned since they are the reigning champion they will have a mini-parade of sorts, where the announcer will announce their approach to the stadium and people can come see them on their way inside the main entrance.” 

“It’s not going to be the main entrance.” Seto suddenly piped in. Everyone looked at him rather confused but especially him and Cater.

“That’s how it always is!” Cater said, a hand coming up to the side of his head.

“Leona made a deal or two with Azul.” Of course, the two upperclassmen froze at this.

“Of course he did. Do you know what the deal entails?” Riddle sighs heavily and motions with his hand for Seto to continue. 

“Just that Azul is going to change the entrance where most of the people and the parade are going to go. And that Azule made some magic strength potion for Leona. It’ll only last a few seconds though, apparently.”

“How...do you know all of this?” Jack asked. Of course, he would be skeptical, he didn’t know the information most of the others in the circle were aware of. That he could read minds.

“I stole some information from Azul’s office. I saw Leona come in and out for a bit so I figured it would be useful to know what's going on.” Seto laughed off rather easily and seemingly convinced Jack just as easily. There were some whispers shared between Kano, Kido, and Seto for a moment before Riddle continued.

“If that’s the case, I think I have an idea of what’s going on. They’re going to try to take out Diasomnia, or more specifically Malleus Draconia, before the tournament even starts.” Riddle brings a hand up to his mouth as he thinks.

“Are they crazy?!” Ace suddenly shouted. “No one can take down that guy!”

“Whatever the potion is for, if Azul made it, it’s going to be potent and work extremely well,” Riddle added, bringing his hand back down to his lap. “My plan will still work, though. It’s mainly going to rely on Cater.”

“Eh?” Cater blinked, pointing to himself.

“You’ll use your split card ability to disguise yourself as some of the key diasomnia players. Then during the parade, it won’t matter what happens because your clones will be body doubles in a way. We’ll warn Diasomnia ahead of time and get their cooperation.”

“How do you know they’ll accept our help?” Deuce asked, and Riddle could understand his hesitation. The first years were often intimidated by Diasomnia.

“Oh, Lilia, the vice prefect is in my music club.” Cater gives his classic peace sign as the first years stare at him dumbfounded. “So I’ll just tell him during the next club, no one disturbs us so it’ll be a good time to tell him.” 

“What happens after?” Jack asked arms crossed as he wanted to get straight to the next point.

“If what is going to happen is what I think it is, then Ruggie will be running away from the scene. We will need to lie in wait for him and follow him back to wherever Leona is - as he’ll likely report that their ‘plan’ went off perfectly. After such an event we should be able to convince the headmaster of Ruggie’s transgressions but most importantly - that Leona is behind it.”

“What about the normal people who are going to be involved?” Kido asks, bringing a leg up and putting her arm over her knee. “Should we warn someone ahead of time?”

“We can plan that part with diasomnia, since they’re the target they’ll have to protect themselves while also not hurting anyone. Trust me when I say that dorm is more than capable of doing that.” 

Riddle goes to address the group again, but out of the corner of his eye, he sees the three ‘magic-less’ humans whisper among each other. What were they planning together, he wondered. 

“Any questions?”

“......No, it’s fine,” Jack said with a sigh, uncrossing his arms.

“I see now, this works,” Ace added before he also took notice of the whispering of the three. “Oi, boss, what do you think?”

“Boss?” Jack asked, ears twitching as he looked at Kido, Kano, and Seto. Riddle takes a moment to notice that Jack had specifically sat across from them on the opposite side of the circle. He wonders if that was on purpose - had they gotten into a fight?

“Don’t worry about it.” Kido waved her hand before putting her leg back down, crossing her legs. 

“No, we’re a team right now,” Riddle said with a shake of his head. “We should share any kind of opinion or plan.”

There’s a moment of silence before Kido sighs. “We have an idea, but we can’t tell you.” 

“And why not?” Deuce asked, leaning over to Kido a bit. They had been sitting next to each other. 

“Because we need Leona to be tricked, and if you guys know it then one of you might slip up,” Kano admitted, with brutal honesty that made everyone cringe a bit. Except for-

“Hey! I can keep a secret!” Grim, who instantly got up in Kido’s face. 

“You especially can’t know.” Kido cut him off instantly, flicking his forehead. There’s more whining from Grim before Kido starts petting his head. That seems to be a sure fire way to shut grim up, at least when it’s Kido. “It won’t interfere with the rest of the plan, it’s just some insurance just in case. If anything, we can be the ones to grab the headmaster during the whole thing that way the rest of you can lie in wait for Ruggie without running around and looking suspicious.” 

Silence falls over the group, except for Riddle, for once. He just gives a heavy sigh. “Fine.”

“Fine?!” Deuce, Ace, and Cater all seem surprised by his answer, and he gives them all a pointed look to cut their gasps short. 

“Yes, fine. I trust Kido. Just please, try not to cause a scene before we approach Leona.”

“We’ll do our best.” Kano laughed, giving a mock salute. 

Riddle had a bad feeling about this.

Ace had a bad feeling about this. 

It was the day of the tournament and no one had seen Kido, Kano, or Seto. Grim said that Kido and Seto were gone before he woke up (which wasn’t new but worrying in this context). Who ever knew where Kano was with his freaky power but Ace could only guess that it meant whatever side plan they had started as early as this morning.

“Ace.”

Damn, why couldn’t she trust them with it?

“Oi, Ace.”

 Weren’t they ‘official’ members of the Dan or some shit? 

“ACE.”

“WHAT?!” Ace finally barked back, only to see Deuce and Grim giving him weird looks. “What.” He said quieter this time, raising an eyebrow at them.

“You were tapping your foot really loud, it was annoying.” Blunt as always, Grim crossed his paws over his furry chest. Or, tried to, the ghost camera was in the way, hanging over his neck. Apparently, Kido had asked him to hold onto it for some reason.  “And you’re gonna like, give us away, you know.” 

“Right, sorry.” Ace sighed and was going to leave it at that but Deuce wasn’t going to have it, apparently.

“What’s up?” Deuce leaned against the outer wall of the hall of mirrors, raising an eyebrow. They had decided to wait here mostly because Riddle told them too but partly because they were hoping to see Kido at some point going back to the dorm. Of course, all of them collectively forgot about her ability at the time, and when reminded just groaned and stayed put regardless. The bushes and trees were enough to cover them, so they could simply stand next to the outer walls while keeping an eye on the road nearby for Ruggie to come running this way. If he came running this way. It was just one possibility, to quote the tyrant -and chief.

“Just….Why wouldn’t Kido tell us of her plan?!” He decided to come out and say it, kicking a rock away. “Aren’t we members of the Dan too?”

“Yeah! What he said!” Grim agreed with him. That made him feel somehow worse.

“I just….got a bad feeling.” Ace sighed, crossing his arms. “Like they’re doing something dangerous.”

“Want to go back to the coliseum and look?” Deuce offered, which made Ace stare at him. “I have a bad feeling too, but we all just can't get up and leave. So you can go see if you can find one of them.” Ace still stares at him, raising an eyebrow. “Go before I decide to go and leave you here with this.” Deuce points a thumb to Grim, who is instantly offended and starts yelling at Deuce. With both of them distracted, Ace decides to slip away after all, after climbing back to the main road he takes off in a sprint towards the Coliseum. He tries texting Kido on the way, but no response. Then he tries Kano and Seto. Also no response. Damn it-! What unreliable seniors. 

He could either take the long way or cut through the side street - but either one might take longer than he wanted, considering the amount of people at the side street. Still, that’s around where Riddle said that whatever Ruggie had planned would be taking place so he decides there’s the best bet. As soon as he gets there, he almost has half a mind to turn around and run. Ruggie’s plan was in action, people were running everywhere, booths were being destroyed by the trample of many pairs of feet and people were screaming. Had he not known what was going on, he definitely would have been freaking out more. Now he’s just hoping not to get caught in the crossfire. 

Suddenly there’s a hand on his shoulder, and before he can react he’s pulled back harshly. There’s a yell on his lips, but his mouth was covered for a moment too. So he starts to struggle, elbowing whoever was holding him in the stomach.

“Take it easy! Seto’s still hurt after all.” Kano’s voice cuts through the chaos, and Ace instantly calms down and looks up at the person holding him. It was indeed Seto.

With an annoyed twitch of his eyebrow, he did what a little brother knows to do best. He licked Seto’s hand. With a strangled noise, Seto let go of Ace, freeing Ace from his grasp. “You’re a little brother aren’t you?! Gross.” Seto picked up on the action instantly, giving a laugh and a smile as he wiped his hand on his hoodie.

Ace rolled his eyes. “Maybe don’t grab people out of nowhere!”

“You were going to get trampled, couldn’t exactly help it.” Kido’s voice met his ears next and after a moment of looking around, Ace’s eyes are on her with a glare. She’s glaring back though, and his glare can’t compete with hers in a million years. “Why are you here? Aren’t you supposed to---”

“Oh cut the crap, you know why I'm here.” He said, gesturing to what's happening behind them and then towards the three of them. “I want to know what’s going on with you three! I’m a part of this Dan too or did you give me a number and have been bossing me around for nothing?!” 

There’s a glance given between the three outsiders. Damn them and their telepathy - was that a power one of them had? Ace would have to ask them later. 

“Fine just--- Oh shit.” Kido blinked, “I see him! Quick!” Kido points and Ace turns to see Ruggie running off into the school. Likely trying to avoid the aftermath of the stampede he had just caused. “We’ll run and talk, just come on.” Kano and Seto had already taken off, and Kido grabs his wrist before she’s bolting after them. Ace stumbles for a moment, but is easily in pace with her, pulling his wrist out of her grasp.

“So?!” 

“We wanted to switch Ruggie with Kano.” 

“Wait WHAT? Why would you-?!”

“That’s a longer conversation, but that’s what we’re doing. You’re either helping or leaving!”

“Fine! Fine! Whatever!”

The two of them eventually caught up to Seto and Kano, the latter had Ruggie pinned to the ground. Well, pinned was being a little gracious, the two were still somewhat wrestling on the hallway floor. 

Without thinking, per usual, Ace jumps in to help. Even Seto joined in and finally, they were able to pin Ruggie down.

“What the fuck do you want?!” Ruggie growled, “You still have no proof against me you know! What the hell?! Let me go you bastards!” 

“Ace, do you know a sleeping spell or am I knocking his ass out,” Kido said, stepping up to them, Ruggie looked at her with a questioning look, as if asking if she was serious. 

“Sorry, that’s not really a first-year thing.” He said with a smirk. Sure, there were some he knew and in theory, could perform them - but anything too strong would knock them out too and that wouldn’t end well for their plan. Plus….maybe part of him just thinks Ruggie deserves to get the shit kicked out of him. Okay, not maybe, he definitely deserves it. “All you, boss.” 

“Wait, what th----” Before long, Kido had quite literally punched his lights out. Only took two hits too. When they were sure he was out cold, the boys got off of him.

“Now what?” 

“Now, you keep a lookout while we do our thing,” Kano said, lifting up Ruggie and dragging him a few feet to- the janitor’s closet?

“You planned it this far ahead?” Ace blinked and held the door open for Kano.

“Gotta keep up newbie,” Kano laughed, and Seto followed him into the closet and shut the door - leaving Kido and Ace outside on lookout duty. With her eyes red, he can only guess they’re both concealed so he starts speaking again.

“So what exactly are they doing in there?” 

Kido sighs, still looking around instead of looking at him, but she answers, finally. “Seto is going to read his mind, Kano is going to make himself appear as him. Seto is going to make sure he has enough of Ruggie’s memories and personality traits down to pass as him, then Kano - as Ruggie - is going to report to Leona.”

“Yeah, okay, that part makes sense.” Ace said, fully turning to her and crossing his arms. “But why?”

“We wanted to be able to get close to him in case something bad happens - because it’s going to happen. And when Ruggie wakes up and rushes over, we want him to see how much of an absolute piece of shit Leona is. Plus if he does catch up, then there’s the confusion of suddenly there’s two Ruggie’s and that might be enough of a distraction for us to take Leona down.”

“You...really thought this out huh?”

“Well, yeah, I’m the leader, after all, I have to think things through.” She sighs and looks at him. Ace feels so uncomfortable under that gaze like something is sliding around his neck and choking him. But he keeps her gaze and waits for her to speak up again. “And I shouldn’t have been excluding you - or Deuce or Grim. You’re right, you’re a part of the Dan now. Sorry I was ignoring you guys.”

“Hmmmmm Apology denied.”

“If I apologize with a tart will you accept it then?”

“Yeah.”

“You’re so damn predictable.” Kido chuckles, and Ace lets her have the moment. There was more to say about this whole thing, they both knew it. But they also knew they didn’t have time, as ‘Ruggie’ and Seto finally came out of the closet. (There is a joke Ace so wants to make, but he swallows it back). “Ready?”

‘Ruggie’ lets out his signature snicker, and Ace is more creeped out by Kano than ever. How can he copy someone so perfectly like that? Sure, Seto might have helped him but still. “Ready to go.” Without another word, ‘Ruggie’ takes off sprinting. 

“We’ll give him a head start then go after him,” Kido said, holding out her arm just as Ace was starting to move to follow. He nods and waits. The moments were tense, but as soon as Kido put her arm down, Ace and Seto took off running. 

“Hey, should you even be running right now?” Ace suddenly remembered Seto was injured as they follow after Ruggie. 

“It’s a bruise, not a broken bone. I’m fine.” Seto laughs, and as if to show off - sprints ahead of both Kido and him. Ace rolls his eyes. The chase continues all the way back down to the hall of mirrors. Deuce, Grim, Jack and Riddle were already there

“Did you do whatever you planned to?” Riddle asked right away upon seeing Kido and Seto. There is a glare passed his way, but Ace just gives a grin. He knows he’ll have to help explain later but for now at least they all realized there wasn’t enough time.

“Yup, everything is good to go. So let’s book it.” 

With not another word being said, the group sprinted towards the Savanaclaw mirror. 

But somehow, even though their plan was working so far, Ace still had a bad feeling.

She almost wishes that Kano had become an actor. 

The way he’s reacting as ‘Ruggie’ to Leona’s words is heartbreaking. Seto even seems to be shaking near her - but not with sympathy for Ruggie. No, it’s clearly anger, anger for Leona. How deep did Seto look into Ruggie’s mind anyways? She had told him not to overdo it. 

But it was too late, they were too deep into this act. She hoped for Kano’s sake that his idea was worth it in the end. It was too late, especially when a cloud of dust blew upwards from the ground. Kido coughed for a moment but -- no, this wasn’t dust, it was…. “S-Sand?!” She coughed, pulling the hood of her jacket around to her face to cover her mouth. 

“This is my unique magic, King’s Roar.” 

What the hell was with these unique magics?! They could be anything from changing the taste of something to this?! She really was sick with this world. 

“L-Leo….na….I can’t…-” Ruggie’s voice cuts through the sand and tension, and Kido’s eyes widened as she noticed Ruggie on the ground, one arm held in Leona’s grasp but the other around his throat as he gasped for air. 

“Ruggie’s arm is starting to crack!”

“It can work on people too…?!” Ace sounded more terrified than Deuce, and for good reason. Because he knew it wasn’t Ruggie in front of them, it was Kano. 

“OFF WITH YOUR HEAD.” She hears Riddle scream somewhere through the static, but she can’t catch the conversation afterwards. She knows it didn’t work by the fact that Ruggie was still on the ground, gasping for air.

“Just drop the act, you idiot-!” Kido hissed under her breath, but it was lost in a cough soon afterward. Deuce and Ace were at her side, helping keep her head above the sand cloud, but she couldn’t - she had to keep an eye on Ruggie-

“Just like how Ruggie can’t do anything to me right now….truly pitiful---- huh?!”

Leona jumped back, and so the act was dropped. Kano fell to the ground, dressed clearly in his Scarabia uniform, gasping for air still as he spat sand out of his mouth. 

The next few seconds were full of action. Kido sprinting towards Kano, Jack using his own unique magic to catch Leona off guard, and Riddle managing to put a collar on Leona. Kido knew vaguely what was happening with everyone else but her main focus was kano, who she was pulling up into her lap.

“Kano! Kano!”

“Not…….No...Not s-so ..l….-” He couldn’t even finish his witty comeback, coughing up more sludge and sand. Ace quickly came up to them along with one of the diasomnia members, the one with green hair.

“Let’s get him out of here.” The diasomnia student said, quickly picking up Kano into his arms as if he weighed nothing. Ace helped Kido get quickly back to her feet so they could dash away from Leona. Though collared, he was still dangerous.

“A collar, on a lion like me….?!” Leona tries to pry it off but it was useless. “And that guy- We were told those humans couldn’t use magic! What the hell-?!”

“Well apparently they can and they caught you redhanded.” A familiar, yet new, voice cuts through the crowd. Ruggie stands off to the edge of the field, panting. He had run all the way here, huh? Well, it didn’t matter. Truthfully, Ruggie coming back was something they hadn’t planned for, they were hoping Kano could trick Leona long enough so they could take care of him before Ruggie returned. But, well, the plan was a disaster at this rate, might as well continue the trainwreck as Ruggie stomps further onto the field. “I heard everything, Leona-san. You’re really willing to give up just like that?! And you call yourself a fucking leader!” Well, at least he was able to speak his mind. “And what, you were planning to kill me, just now?! What good would that have done you!” He gestured to Kano, who was still only barely conscious in the diasomnia student’s arms. “If he hadn’t….If I were…---” Ruggie’s words trail off, as if fully accepting the gravity of the situation. 

“I’m taking him to the infirmary.” The green-haired student, Sebek, tells Kido before rushing off with Kano in his arms. Kido manages to get Seto to go with him. Not only does she not trust anyone in this world besides a select few - but she had a bad feeling about this.

“I’d have to agree.” The shorter diasomnia student, Lilia, speaks up. “Men like you are more suited for that collar than a crown. Listening to a royal lion of the savannah talk like this is appalling.” Leona growls in response so Lilia only continues. “You appear to be lamenting how you’ll never be king due to natural skills and order of birth but...You live slothly if aren’t rewarded, if things don’t go to your expectations you become petty and find fault in your retainers. To become king as you are...The thought of you becoming a competitor for our Lord Malleus makes me laugh. Even if you were able to defeat him, as long as you hold that rotten grudge in your heart...You will never become a true king!”

Kido could agree with everything Lilia was saying, but at the same time - this was the worst possible time to say them. That feeling rose up again, that instinct to just run away. She had felt it when Riddle overblotted, her snake speaking to her and telling her to run far, far away. To get away, to survive. The way Ruggie and Jack step back, they both appear to be feeling the same thing - maybe she could understand them after all, animal puns or not. 

“Everyone get back!” Kido manages to yell just as Leona’s magic starts to rise. They all appear to understand the message and the group gets a good amount of distance between them and Leona as he forces the collar off of him, and soon it wasn’t just a sand cloud surrounding them, pieces of the stone bleachers were rising up into the sky too, the ground itself seemed to be bending to Leona’s will.

Or what was left of it, he had officially overblotted. Ink covered his skin, and a large ink lion was behind him. 

“Retreat on your own if you can!” Riddle yelled over the astonished and terrified gasps and mumblings of what was left of the crowd. “Ace, Deuce, help carry the injured outside! Lilia! Please go get the teachers for assistance!”

Another growl escapes Leona as the orders are starting to be carried out. Cater whines about how he’s ‘not made for this kind of stuff’ but Kido fully remembers him saving her in a split second the last time this had happened. He’d be fine. 

Kido looks next to her and sees Ruggie staring wide-eyed, shaking. It was hard to tell if it was fear, or something else, but Kido stomps over to him and shakes him by the shoulder. “Snap out of it!” And he does, turning his head quickly towards Kido. “Are you going to help them carry away people, help us fight off your dorm leader, or stand there like a fucking idiot?!”

“Sh...Shut up! I’m not going to just stand around after that!” Ruggie batted her hand off of him, glaring at her. “Then I’m going to get you back!” She smirks as he pointed to the black eye forming on his right eye.

“Good, now get over here.” Kido grabbed the sleeve of his uniform to his dismay and pulled him over to the rest of the group.

“I don’t understand what’s going on, but we pretty much just need to bring him back to his senses, right Kido?”  Jack asked, cracking his knuckles.

“More or less,” Kido said, and Grim jumped onto her shoulders. She had thought he left with Ace and Deuce but was relieved he hadn’t. He quickly pulls something off of his neck, the ghost camera. She had asked him to carry it while they were lying in wait. “You’re the best, I owe you a couple of tuna cans after this.”

“YEAH, YOU DO!” Grim said, fur standing on end as he almost looked like a cat ready to pounce, tail swishing vigorously. “But let's beat up this guy first!”

“A lowly Hyena? A lone wolf? And a house cat? Are going to defy me?! What a dumb joke! None of you will see the morning sun!” As if commanded by his words, dark clouds covered the sky of the dorm. Beauty blue became a disgusting gray and green mix

“And if we catch him-” Grim said with newfound energy in his voice, “We’ll get to be in the magift tournament!” 

“Of fucking course you would--” Kido doesn’t get a chance to finish her sentence. 

“Move!” Jack quickly orders and they all move to avoid an attack by Leona. 

“Cater! Riddle! Can you distract him?!” Kido calls out as they start to regroup, Jack and Ruggie putting up some defense so they could discuss. 

“Are you crazy?!” Cater gasped, hands on his knees as he caught his breath from the sudden sprinting they had to do.

“I have a plan.”

“Just like your plan to put Kano in danger?!” Riddle glared. “No, we work together on this.”

“We are! I can help take him by surprise with Ruggie and Jack-”

Riddle and Kido glared at each other but it didn’t last long, Jack was knocked back and fell right between them. 

“Take one of them, not both, I don’t think Cater and I could hold him on our own.” Riddle quickly decides, helping Jack up.”

“Okay, I’ll take Ruggie. Jack!” Kido grabs his other arm to help Riddle get him to his feet faster. “Keep Leona distracted with these two okay?”

Jack nods, rolling his shoulders back. “I can do that.” He said before jumping back into the fray.

“Ruggie! Get back over here!” Kido yelled, Cater rushing to take his spot at the defenses so that he could breathe long enough to put down his own magic and rush towards Kido.

“Now what do you want?!” Ruggie growled, but Kido was unaffected. 

“Grim, help them out too.” Kido pushed the cat off of her shoulders but he was all too eager to join the fray anyways. With that, her eyes glowed red as she looked back at Ruggie. His ears went down and his face paled for a moment. A snake staring down a hyena. “We’re going to get this bastard, you with me?” She offered her hand.

He shook his head for a moment, getting the shock out of him before grabbing ahold of her hand tightly. “Fuck yeah.”

And then, they disappeared from sight. 

But not really, as Ruggie soon finds out, but he doesn’t have a chance to question it as Kido starts sprinting. She pulls him towards the back of the giant ink creature, running right next to Leona with no thought given to them. Yes, she had done that on purpose, to make sure Ruggie knew that they were somehow concealed. She skids to a stop and so does he, and he lets go of her hand.

“You’re gonna explain this later, right?”

“Maybe.” She said, looking around for a moment. “We need to get on this things back.”

“What?!”

“I gotta take Leona’s picture with this weird camera. Don’t ask me why, but it worked with Riddle’s overblot so after they weaken Leona it should work on him too. You’re crafty right? Get me up there. Then I can take Leona by surprise.” 

Ruggie isn’t sure what to do with the weird explanation and almost backhanded compliment, but he nods and takes a look around. “Our best bet actually is to fly in close instead of climbing on his back, but you can’t-”

“But you can, can you summon a broom like you did before? I’ll just ride with you. We could also attack from the air and he won’t know where it’s coming from.”

“But the second he smells me-”

“He can’t. Not while I’m here.” She pokes at her temple but really brings the focus to her red eyes. “Tested it with Jack already, even he couldn’t smell me when I snuck into his room.”

“Wha-- Okay, not gonna ask.” Ruggie, deciding to just stop questioning everything (thank god), waved his magic pen. In a flash, a broom appeared before them. He gets on and she’s quick to follow. Once secure, he takes off at crazy speeds, so Kido has to adjust her grip around him. 

“Fuck! Take it easy!”

“Not really the time for that!” Well, at least he was taking this seriously, Kido couldn’t help but think as he waved his wand again, letting a fireball be dropped down on Leona. The berserker roared as he was hit, and growled as he looked for the source. “Wow, he really can’t see us.” Ruggie breathed out, and with a new mischievous grin on his face, started attacking with renewed vigor. 

“Just don’t make it too obvious where we’re coming from! He can still find us if he focuses too much on one spot.”

“Got it - but when should you take that picture?”

“He needs to be weakened first, so for now just keep hitting him, carefully.” 

“If I can’t have the world, I’ll turn it into sand!” Leona roars as he pulls more sand around him and sends it out towards the group in the front. “All of this is meaningless….everything!” 

“Has he been thinking that this whole time….” Ruggie said, bringing the broom to a stop as they floated above the main battle. “I never….he never told me….”

“You guys need to work on communication.” It could almost be taken sarcastically if it wasn’t for Kido’s soft voice and hand coming up to his shoulder. “We’ll bring him back and then you can talk with him - okay? Until then, we have to keep fighting - for his sake as well as our own.”

“....Right.” 

The battle continued, and thankfully it seemed to be working out. Leona was stronger than Riddle was in this strange form, but perhaps that was to be expected. He was the guy who was too strong to care anymore. But as he finally started to weaken, Kido pulled the ghost camera off of her neck. “Bring me down in front of him!”

“Right!” Guiding the broom with ease, Ruggie zoomed down towards Leona, stopping just above the ink creature's head. “I don’t think I can get closer without letting them see us-” Ruggie said before blinking. “Oh! Go upside down, that should work right?”

“Are you insane?!” Kido said, nails digging into Ruggie’s shoulder as she looked down. She did think that could work, then Ruggie could back up a bit and lower himself just right….

“I won’t drop you!” Ruggie snickered, “I want to get you back with a punch, not a drop!”

“That’s so reassuring.” Kido rolled her eyes but decided to go with it. “But how do I…-?”

“Just grip the broom tightly with your legs and lean over, then I’ll tell you when to drop down and snap - sound good?”

“....Fine.”

She didn’t think there would be a time she would trust this guy of all people with something like this. But, at the very least, she trusts his threat to get back at her in a different way. He was crafty but not a complete idiot. So she does as he instructed, and then he starts floating just a little bit further away, then lowering himself down. Jack performs one attack in his wolf form, which completely catches Leona off guard. 

“Now!”

Then, Kido let go. She let go and felt herself swing downwards. At that moment, she dropped her ability, surely surprising everyone behind and infront of her. But in front is all that mattered as she brought the camera up to her face. 

“Smile.” 

A flash goes off.

The next few seconds are a blur. Leona roars again, using the last of his energy to take one final swipe at Ruggie. He manages to move out of the way in time, but Kido slips easily off the broom as a result. There’s a familiar feeling of free falling before she’s caught in someone’s arms for the second time. This time though, it had been Jack. He had quickly shifted back to being in his human form and jumped to catch her. He landed nearby, and Ruggie touched down next to her. 

“N-Nice catch.” She complimented for a second time, not bothering to get out of Jack’s arms. She needed a moment to collect herself.

“King...I’ll be…..” They all look at Leona as he utters madness. But soon, it was quiet, and he fell to the ground. The ink started to dissipate, coming off of him as if washed off by rain. It took a few seconds but she finally noticed it was actually raining. Kido blinked, holding out a hand to catch some of the water. The water was clear, despite the clouds being green and strange. The rain settled things in the arena, the sand clouds melted down into sludge and sand, the extra sand was washed off of all the bleachers and equipment, and the ink washed mostly off of Leona. The rain lasted for only for a few minutes, then the clouds were the last thing to disappear, leaving behind blue skies once more.

“Like a monsoon in the Savannah,” Ruggie mumbled next to them, pushing back his wet bangs. Then his eyes fell onto Leona. He appeared to have an internal struggle, but as Jack was placing Kido on her feet, he was off of his - running towards the dorm leader.

“What now?” Jack asked, looking at the scene of Ruggie pulling Leona out of his own ink of despair. 

“Now,” Kido gave him an encouraging push. “You go help your senpais, we’ll deal with whatever comes after, after.” 

Jack looks between Ruggie and her for a moment, before nodding and rushing off to Leona. Riddle and Cater join in their places. 

“....Nice job.” Riddle said, crossing his arms. All of them were soaked now, but with a wave of his staff, they were dry in a matter of moment. “Sorry that I-”

“No, it was deserved. I have a lot to think about.” Kido said, looking around the arena. The ink was still splashed in many areas despite the rain doing its best to wash it away. “But for now…..” Her eyes settle on something. “We have more to deal with.”

“Is that...another gate?” Cater said, his eyes following her gaze to somewhere on the bleachers. “No way, do you think-?”

“Honestly? I hope not but…”

She really didn't hope she was right on that too.

“Are you all insane?” Kido’s soft yet stern voice cuts through all the chatter. 

The ones who had been injured by Leona’s plan had all gathered, which she could only guess was Seto’s doing as he returned with them, informing her that Kano was being taken care of. But what they wanted was to….still play? To get revenge on this dorm through the tournament.

“Hm? Is something wrong, Kido?” The headmaster asked, bringing a golden claw up to his chin. “I am aware you didn’t want to be in the tournament but this seems suitable if everyone agrees to it--”

“That bastard literally almost killed Kano!” She steps forward, pointing a finger at Leona. He’s confused, she knows. He doesn’t remember anything that happened, or if it’s anything like Riddle’s overblot - it’ll come over time. For now, he doesn’t know what he did, and somehow that makes Kido even more furious.

“I...did?” Leona mumbles, looking to Ruggie for confirmation, but Kido continues instead, 

“Yes! You did! You used your stupid unique magic on a human person! What the fuck?! You literally almost made his arm turn to sand and he’s apparently still coughing up sludge in the infirmary.” Leona stared wide eyed at this and his attention turned to those who weren’t present, who looked just as mortified by the concept. “And you guys just want to hit him with a disc a few times and call it done?! And you-” She points at Crowley, who jumps slightly as she did so, “Want to continue this stupid tournament because of all the media coverage instead of dealing with the real problem here!” 

“N-Now, Now, Kido, let’s talk calmly about-” The headmaster tried, but Kido stomps up to him - students parting the way. Her eyes might as well have been red with the fury that was behind them. 

“No! This isn’t a time to be calm!”

“Kido!” Seto tries, but the hand that ends up on her shoulder isn’t Seto’s like she expected. She looks up at him, the fury still there as she stares up at Jack. 

“I understand how you feel. This doesn’t seem like a proper punishment for all Leona-senpai and Ruggie-senpai have done.” Jack admits, and the tension in her shoulders starts to dissipate. At least someone was seeing sense around here. “It is for them, but not for you, not for me. But let’s give them this.”

“Why the fuck should I?”

“Because you have a place to be, and it isn’t here yelling at the headmaster.”

The fury completely leaves her system at those words. He’s right. She needs to go somewhere else. She needs to go to Kano. She needs to check if those were coffins. She needs to….but oh does she want to do something first. Shrugging off Jack’s hand, everyone is silent as she walks up to the two Savanaclaw members. Knowing her line of thought, possibly, Ruggie takes a step or two back.

“What?” Leona said, crossing his arms. “I’m not going to apologize if that’s what you want from me. I made a plan, Ruggie executed it, we were found out. It would not be taking responsibility if I apologized and tried to blame it on anyone but myself.”

“Well, good to know.” Kido cracked her knuckles which seemed to echo over the arena. But in the next few seconds, there was an even louder crack, as Kido gave a right hook to Leona’s jaw. There were screams behind her - both of her name and general cheering as she practically forced him onto the ground and sat on top of him. “Because I would never forgive you anyways!” She gives him a few more solid punches. To Leona’s effort, he did try to block them. But he was still out of it from his overblot. Jack and Ruggie eventually pulled her off of him and he sat up with a now bloody face. 

“Kido-san! Stop, he gets it.” Jack tried, but it took a few more moments, and Seto coming over, to really get her to calm down. Once she did, she takes a deep breath and wipes her knuckles on Ruggie’s shirt.

“Hey--”

“You still have shit to answer for too, and we’ll have that payback later.” She said, letting go of the now bloody part of his shirt and looking towards the headmaster, who jumped again when her glare was on him. “Give me a key.”

“What-- wait, are you saying--” Finally taking a look around the area, he notices the coffins. “Again?!

“Just hurry it up, Jack is right, I have somewhere to be and it’s not here.”

It takes a moment of fumbling for the key to be given to Kido, then she and Seto take off towards the first coffin while everyone else talks out the details of the tournament. She still isn’t interested in playing this stupid game, even moreso after this whole event. How anyone wanted to play was beyond her - and she was still angry about it. But Jack was right, she needed to focus. And if her hunch was right, maybe having more of them here would help her do so…

But it would also just make her worry more. Why were they here? What was going on with the other members of the dan? Well, those questions could wait.

“Here, I think you should do this one,” Kido said, handing the key over to Seto once they were on either side of the coffin. “It could be Mary.” 

“...Right.” Seto’s eyes soften, and he inserts the key into the coffin. 

Kido hates it when she’s right. 

Laying there in a mass of white hair and black and purple fabric, was Mary.

Chapter Text

She looked to still be asleep.

“Let’s get her out of here before she wakes up. The fewer questions we have to answer the better.” 

“R-Right.” Seto still looked a little shaken, but Kido could hardly blame him. She had been the same when she found him and Kano in the coffins. He carefully starts picking her up out of the Coffin, the hood of the ceremony robes instantly falling back and her mass of white hair spills out over his arms. He sighs, but in more relief than anything else, as he holds her in his arms. Kido smiles, letting him have his moment before looking around.

“Really? It’s on the other set of bleachers? Tch.” The things she did for Momo, honestly.

Or at least, she can only guess it was Momo in the other coffin. They seem to be coming in order, as strange as that was. But considering the world they were in now, strange was the new normal. Kido quickly makes her way down the steps, conversations seem to quiet as she walks by the middle of the field. She can’t help the way her eyes glare towards the group still want to continue with the tournament. She hoped at that moment her eyes had that ice-cold effect Kano always said they had.

Kano….she needs to finish up work here quickly, so she goes back to ignoring the group and makes her way up the bleachers. As she does so, she hears someone else come up behind her, she turns with a glare - but it softens when she sees who it is. “Jack.” She breathes out quietly.

“Let me help.” Is all that he said.

“...Okay.” 

She walks over to the coffin, opening it up with the key, and Jack helps lift the lid off of it. Inside was Momo, sleeping as soundly as ever. Kido let out a similar sigh of relief that Seto had. She’s just relieved to see she’s okay. “Think you can carry her for me? I’m not exactly strong.”

“The punches you gave Leona-senpai beg to differ.”

If that was his attempt at a joke, well, it worked. Kido put a hand over her mouth as she tried not to laugh. “Okay, okay, point taken, but still.” 

“Sure.” 

Jack carefully lifted Momo out of the coffin. Similarly to Mary, her hood fell back and orange hair flowed outwards. “Huh,” Kido mumbled. “She let her hair grow out.” It’s an offhanded comment that she waves off to Jack as not needing to comment. The two of them make their way down to the field where Seto is waiting with Mary still in his arms. 

“So this is….” Deuce starts as soon as they get to the field as well. “Momo-san, right?”

“You remembered.” 

“Of course, she’s my senior after all,” Deuce said with a smile before it faltered. “Um, Kido-”

“Can we walk and talk? We should get these two to the infirmary as well.”

“Ah! Sure.” 

Without even checking what everyone else was doing, the group started to make their way down the steps and towards the mirrors. “I’m surprised they haven’t woke up yet.” Ace is trailing behind them as they make their way down. “Seto and Kano woke up right away.”

“These two have always been heavy sleepers. Kisaragi especially.” Kido said, giving a glance towards Momo. Yup, she was like a rock when she slept. 

“So, Kido…” Deuce started again, picking up his pace to be walking next to her. “I’m sorry. I got so wrapped up in the Magift thing too.”

“....I’m sorry too, Boss.” She could hear Ace comment from behind her.

Kido takes a deep breath. “Apology accepted. But I can’t say what I think about it yet.”

“That’s fair, all things considered…” Deuce trails off. “They’re going ahead with the tournament but with an hour delay. To get the place cleaned up and to inform the staff of what’s happened.”

“An hour huh….are you guys playing?”

“They decided on an exhibition match.” Jack piped up. “Against Savanaclaw, but it’ll likely just be Leona-senpai, Ruggie-senpai, and myself on the team.” 

“You don’t need to get punished with them, Jack.” Deuce insisted.

“I think he does.” Ace countered. “He was ready to just let it all happen.”

“He’s right.” Jack sighed. “If Kido-san and Kano-san hadn't come to me, I might have just left it how it was going.”

“No, you wouldn’t have.” Kido comments and Jack looks down at her. “You’re too much of a softy. You would have come to us eventually anyway, but we just needed to give you an extra push for time’s sake.”

“Wha--”

Kido steps through the mirror before he could respond. 

“Mhm..”

“Hey, she’s waking up!” 

“Mary!”

That voice, could it really be? No, it could have been another dream. Another nightmare. Where he’s right in her grasp and then fades away, or turns to snakes. She never liked that particular ending. But this presence, this hold, it felt so warm….

Eyes fluttered open, showing pink hues. It took a moment for them to focus, and when they did.

“Mary!”

Her savior was staring down at her.

“S...Seto…?”

“I’m happy you’re okay, Mary.”

There was no way she’d mistake that voice or face for anyone else. It was him, it was really him. “Seto!” She easily reached up, wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her head into him. She cries, as they all expected her to. She shows no shame in it. “S-S-Setooooooooo,” She hiccuped. “Where did you go?!”

“It’s okay Mary, I’m here now.” He wraps an arm around her back, and she realizes she’s being carried by him. No wonder she couldn’t feel her feet on the ground, and that she was able to hug him so easily despite his height.

“Uh, you guys go ahead, I’ll explain everything to her here.” 

Water-filled hues look up at that, were there other people around?! How embarrassing! But her eyes only continued to water as someone else came into her view. “Kido!”

“Mary.” She smiled and approached, Mary let go of Seto with one arm to reach out towards the green-haired commander. Kido walks up close next to Seto so she can give Mary a side hug as well. “It’s good to see you.”

“Seto found you! I knew he would.”

“Yeah, Yeah he found me alright.” She chuckled softly, patting her head. “Now stay here and listen to Seto, okay? I’m going to go help Kisaragi and Kano.”

“Are they okay?”

“Yeah, well, Kano is either not fine, or he’s about to be not fine if I have anything to say about it.”

Mary laughs, chokes on her own tears, but laughs. Soon everything would be back to normal! Or whatever strange normal they all had. That’s what she thought. So she gives a nod and lets the other girl go, letting her walk over to the other people present that Mary had only just noticed. 

There were a group of boys, one with Momo asleep in his arms. She’s about to ask what happened when something else came tumbling out of her lips instead. “.....Does that person have dog ears?” 

Said person’s dog ears twitched at the comment and he looked over. Or, more like glaring. She shrunk into Seto’s hold, gripping onto his shirt tightly. Seto laughs. 

“That’s Jack, he’s a friend don’t worry.”

“Mhmm.” Everything was so confusing as it all finally came into focus. There was someone with dog ears. They looked as if they were in a castle overlooking some garden. Seto was wearing some kind of suit? Kido looked to be wearing a school uniform and the boys with her had strange uniforms as well. This prompted her to look at her own clothes, and her eyes - though still filled with tears - sparkled. “What-”

“I’ll explain it all, don't worry.” Seto smiled, waving off the others the best he could and they started to continue down the long corridor. 

“Seto…..” Mary called once they were out of sight. “Where are we?” 

Seto hummed, looking around for a moment before walking over to the open railing near them and placing her to sit down on it. She does as instructed, kicking her feet a little afterwards as she was still too high off of the ground to touch the floor. She wiped her tears with her very pretty sleeve, before looking up at Seto.

“You….look nice.”

“Thanks. So do you.”

“Yeah...what is--”

“Okay so, we’re not even in Japan anymore.” He started. “We’re in a place called twisted wonderland. It’s another world.”

“Another world… Like the Kagerou Daze?”

“That’s kind of what we’re guessing right now.” Seto goes to sit next to her, rubbing at the back of his head. Same old Seto. Good. She was worried something would change with his long absence. But so far the only thing to change was his wardrobe. “Magic exists here. This is a school for magical teenagers to come and learn magic and stuff. There are people like Jack - and he’s a wolf by the way - there are people like Ace and Deuce - the two that were with Kido - who can all use magic.”

“Really?!” More sparkles came to her eyes, it’s like they were a galaxy of their own. 

Seto’s gaze softened. He missed stargazing into that galaxy. 

“Really. There’s even fairies, ghosts, magical talking cats - you name it.”

“Wow.” Mary’s hair waved at the information. This time, she didn’t feel the need to brush it down. It was only the two of them after all. Plus, if what he said was true- “Are there-- people like me?”

“I haven’t seen any other medusa’s, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist. Honestly here, anything is possible.” 

Mary was almost giddy at the prospect. But slowly, she starts coming back down to earth. “Wait…” Seto reached out to grip her hand as if knowing what connection she had just made. “If we’re here then--”

“The rest of the Dan is still back home.”

“We have to go get them! Tell them we’re okay and-!” She stops, looking up at Seto with wide eyes. “We can’t….can we?”

Seto shakes his head with a sad smile. “If we knew how to contact the others, I would’ve called to tell you all we found Kido right away. But...We’re being brought here, seemingly two at a time. First it was Kido, then it was me and Kano, now it’s you and Momo. Ene, Shintaro, Hibuya, and Konoha are still at home.” 

Mary deflates, and Seto puts an arm around her. “Don’t worry, we’re looking for a way back.” 

“...Are we safe here?” Is a question Seto didn’t quite expect. “That guy who was after us...he doesn’t know where this is, right?”

“I’m assuming he doesn’t, we haven’t had any trouble here -- what about you guys? Did he give you trouble back home?”

“Kind of? At least, we think it was him but we’re not sure. Just alot of bad luck.”

It’s silent for a moment before Mary reaches over to hug Seto again. “I missed you.”

“...I missed you too.” The hug is returned, and with a squeak from Mary, she is picked back up into his arms. Now that she is awake and sober enough, her face flushes. Normally he would carry her on his back, that was normal. But - this was different. “Let’s catch up with the others.” 

“O---Okay….” 

“I’m sorry this is -”

“A lot to take in? We know.”

Just as Seto walks into the infirmary with Mary in his arms, Kido was sitting on a bed with Momo as she tried to explain everything to the idol. They were sitting on a bed next to Kano, who looked pale and was sleeping. Wait, no, he’s awake, if only barely.

“Oh, look who it is-” Kano coughed, shifting slightly on the bed, “Hey Mary.” 

“Kano!” She jumps out of Seto’s arms to go over to the bed, the boys from earlier moving out of the way so she could get to the side of the bed. “What happened?! Are you okay?!”

“Oh, I’m perfectly f-INE.” A grunt left him as he tried to speak, and he looked over to see Kido’s fist on his stomach. “Okay. Okay, less than fine but not awful?”

“Close enough. Kido mumbled and sat back down next to Momo. “Now that everyone is here, proper introductions.” She gestures over to the boys from the hallway earlier. “This is Ace, Deuce, and Jack.” 

“Commander.”  Momo leans over to whisper in Kido’s ear. “Are we building a playing card deck?”

Kido had to hold back a laugh. “Be nice Momo, two of those are your juniors.” 

“Eh?” 

“Well, actually, all three of them. Sorry Jack, you don’t get a choice.” 

“Huh? What are you talking about?” Jack crosses his arms over his chest as Kido stands up and walks over to him. He eyes her carefully before she holds out her hand to him.

“Welcome to the Mekakushi Dan, number 14.”  

“The-- what?” 

“Oh! So now you’re our junior.” Ace grins, shoving Jack’s arm playfully. “We’re not the newbies anymore.”

“What are you all talking about?”

“You already know about us, right? The weird stuff with us?” Kido asks, shoving her hand back into her hoodie’s pocket. As Jack processes the question, he looks around the room, at all of those present in this small corner of the infirmary.

“Eh?! He knows?!” Momo spoke up again, pointing to Ace and Deuce. “They do too?!

“Those two have formally been told but I think Jack just figured it out. I kind of showed off in front of him, after all.”

“How you disappear, it’s not normal.” Jack’s eyes fall back onto Kido as he narrows his eyes at her. Even her scent disappeared, not maybe could achieve that level of magic. Same with ….- “Then Kano was shapeshifting, or something. But you two aren’t supposed to have magic, the mirror said so.” 

“Yet here we are,” Kido said with a grin. “So, do you want the details or not? Do you want to help us get home?”

“....Does that mean I have to join this gang or something?”

“Yup.”

“Number 14 you said?”

“14? But we’re only at 9 members.”

“10 is Hiyori,” Kido explained. “11 is Ace, 12 is Deuce, 13 is Grim, and that makes Jack 14.” 

“....I don’t like being behind that furball.” Jack lowered his arms. “But I do want to know what is going on here. So I’ll join, but--”

“Do not try to give me the lone wolf act, not after everything you’ve done.” Kido pokes his chest, and Jack’s face heats up. “You’re just going to have to learn what it means to run in a pack, regardless.” 

“That’s our boss.” Seto chuckles, Deuce and Ace agreeing. 

“Boss.” Jack echoed. “So you’re…-”

“Number 1,” Kido said with a smirk. “Seto is 2, Kano is 3, Mary is 4, Momo is 5.” Momo seemed to beam at the title, but Kido couldn’t blame her. She had only been with them for what - a month? Or at least, a month back home. Who knew how the time difference was. She definitely didn’t want to hurt herself thinking about it. “Anyways, we’ll have an official meeting about it later. Right now, Mary and Momo need to be checked out by the nurses - and Kano needs to recover. Do not try to say you’re fine or I will hurt you.” Jack looked over to see Kano’s mouth open and shut at Kido’s words. Looks like she really was the boss here. 

“Wait!” Momo suddenly jumped to her feet, hands on her face and her eyes full of sparkles. “I’m not an Idol here!”

“Did you just figure that out?” Kido said with a raised eyebrow.

“Wait? Idol?” Ace looked between Kido and Ace, and Kido shook her head.

“Let her have this.”  She said, walking over to Ace and Deuce and slowly started pushing them out of the door. “You guys have a tournament to get to anyways.” 

“Oh! Right! Our extra hour is almost up.” Deuce said, waving over Jack who started towards the door as well. “Sorry, we have to go like this-”

“It’s okay Deuce, I get it. Go on, beat up Leona and Ruggie for me.” She holds out her fist and Deuce and Ace grin as they bump their own against hers. 

“Will do!”

“Don’t go easy on Jack either.”

“Hey--”

“Call it initiation.” She said before shutting the door to the infirmary in all of their faces. Afterward, she sinks to the floor and groans. Seto goes over to her.

“You okay?”

“Yeah, just tired.” 

“At least get in a bed before you pass out Boss.” 

“Yeah Yeah.” She waves off Seto’s hand to help her up before standing up herself. She goes over to where Momo is still rambling on and on about how she isn’t an idol in this world and can be normal again. Kido decides to steal her bed and falls asleep the second her head hits the pillow. 

When Kido finally wakes up, it’s to a child’s cheering. But surely that had to be wrong. Kido rubbed her eyes and pulled herself up - a blanket falling down off of her. Someone must have put it over her. 

“Oh! Commander is awake!” 

“Not so loud Kisaragi,” Kido mumbled, a hand on the side of her head. It hurt like hell, likely just from the stress of everything that had happened just in that one day. 

“Oh! Right! Sorry.” She whispered, helping Kido out of the bed. It was only then that Kido got a good look at the room. Deuce was in an infirmary bed, which somehow seemed unsurprising. Ace, Grim, and Jack were there too likely waiting for Deuce. Kano was still in bed with Seto and Mary sitting on a bed nearby. Mary and Momo were still in the ceremonial robes, so they likely either hadn’t left or hadn’t gone to Sam’s shop yet. There were a variety of other students from other dorms in the infirmary too including….

“Leona. Ruggie. Good to see you.”

“Can’t you say that with a little more feeling behind it?” Ruggie huffed. 

There was also someone else.

“Who’s this Uncle Leona? A friend of yours?” The child asked, poking at Leona’s arm and pointing at Kido. 

Kido would like to pride herself in being able to keep a straight face while Leona stammered with a ‘no we’re not friends!’. “Really? We’re not? And here I thought we were getting along quite well as dorm leaders.”

“Oh! You’re a prefect too?!” The child asked excitedly, crawling off of Leona’s stomach - much to his relief it looked like.

“Yup, I am,” Kido said, kneeling down next to Leona’s bed to be at eye level with the child. “I’m Tsubomi, what’s your name?”

“I’m Cheka!”

“K-Kido-san- he’s-”

“A Prince? I gathered as much.” Jack stared at her dumbfoundedly as Kido continued to be so casual with the child.

“Nice to meet you Cheka. Did you watch your uncle’s game?”

“Yeah! He was super cool!”

“Can you tell me about it? I ended up missing it.”  Kido offered an arm, and Cheka’s eyes practically sparkled as he jumped into Kido’s arms. The entire infirmary, except for the veteran members of the Dan, seem flabbergasted at how Kido was handling the situation. Or even more so, how well she was dealing with it.

“Has she always been so good with kids?” Ace leans over to ask Momo.

“Honestly, I had no idea,” Momo whispers back.

“Prince Cheka! Prince Cheka!” Came calls from the hallway, signaling the bodyguards had finally caught up to the prince’s location. The prince in question only seemed to hug Kido tighter. He clearly didn’t want to go back yet.

“C’mon now, kid. You have to leave sometime.”

“But I wanna stay with Uncle Leona! And Tsubomi!”

“Here….how about this….” She looked around for a moment before finding a notepad on Leona’s temporary nightstand. She walked over, shifted the child in her arms, and began to write something. She tore off the paper and handed it to the child. 

“This is…” Cheka squints at the paper.

“This is how you write my name. And this is my phone number. So you can write me a letter or call me if you feel lonely, okay?”

“Oh!! Thank you, Tsubomi!”

“Now say goodbye to your uncle, okay? He needs to get his rest.” Leona looks up at Kido for the first time since she took Cheka off of his hands. Despite being a rather frazzled mess herself still from the fight earlier, she had a surprisingly soft look on her face. It causes his own to - unconsciously - soften as he gives his nephew a final hug before the child leaps off the bed and runs towards the exit.

“Bye Uncle Leona! Bye Tsubomi!”

“See ya kid.” Kido waves before the prince exits the infirmary. There are sounds of the guards gathering around him and taking him away, then there’s silence.

“Since when were you good with kids?” Ace decides to speak up and ask, pointing towards the direction that Cheka left with his thumb.

“He’s just a kid, it’s not that hard. Ask them questions and you can keep them occupied for hours.” She said with a wave of her hand.

“You make it sound so easy.” Leona groaned, leaning back in his bed. “Now I got a headache.”

“I do too, and you’re the one that gave it to me,” Kido said, flicking Leona’s forehead.

“Ow?!” Leona gawked up at her. “What’s your problem?”

Kido doesn’t answer and circles around his bed and towards Ruggie’s. “Here, give me your phone number.”

“Why would I-” before Ruggie can finish, a phone is shoved into his face and he’s forced to take it. 

“Because you still want that punch right? Well, I’m not letting you have it til you’re healed up so give me your number so you can text me later.” 

“....Fine.” He fiddles with the phone for a moment before handing it back to Kido.

“Nice, thanks.” She puts the phone in her pocket before going over to Deuce’s bed. “You alright?”

“Yeah...Grim just hit me in the head with the disc, I passed out and missed everything.”

“Don’t worry, you weren’t the only one who passed out.” Kido reaches up to finally fix her disheveled hair. “Keep an eye on Kano for me, will you? He’ll try to pull some stupid stunt and say he’s fine but he’s not really.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, Kido.” 

“Everyone else, let’s get out of here. The patients need to rest.” Her eyes fell on grim, who couldn’t seem to keep eye contact on her. “You too, c’mon.” She held out her arm, and his eyes widened before he climbed up her arm and settled in his normal spot on her shoulder. 

“You’re not mad?”

“I’m plenty upset still, but that can wait.” She starts to lead everyone else out, Momo at her side. “For right now, it can wait.” 

The door to the infirmary shuts, and besides idle whispers from other players, it was relatively quiet. “Finally,” Leona grumbled as he tried to get comfortable but with his wounds, every position hurt. As he turned to the side, he blinked as he saw something that wasn’t there before. “That’s…-” He sits up, reaching over to his nightstand.

“What is it?” Ruggie asked, leaning over as much as he could without falling off of his bed. 

“It’s a photo….of me?” No, it was a photo of his overblot, and of him, and of his inner thoughts. A moving photo, much like some in areas of the school - but how?

“Oh, that must have been the photo that Kido took with the ghost camera.” Ruggie straightens up, getting into a comfortable position on his own bed. “Not sure why she insisted she needed to take a photo but in the end I think it helped us knock some sense into you.”

“When did she even leave it?” 

“Probably when she was writing down that stuff for Cheka, that’s the only time she was next to that nightstand, right?”

Leona falls silent, looking at the picture again. A photo of his inner feelings, huh? He didn’t need something like this. With a simple movement, the photo is ripped in half. “H-Hey!” Ruggie stared in surprise. “You sure that’s a good idea?”

“I don’t need something like this,” Leona said, ripping up the photo into pieces before throwing the pieces onto the nightstand and laying back down. “I know myself better than anyone, I don’t need a photo to remind me of that.”

“Yeah...sure…” Ruggie still sounded unsure, but silence followed after, he wasn’t willing to speak on it further. Good, he was too damn tired to talk anymore anyways. Somehow, the action had made him even more tired, and even in his uncomfortable position and the pain, he was able to fall asleep easily. 

“Sorry to ask you to open the shop back up after you were leaving, Sam.”

“Oh, it’s nothing~ anything for you little demons.” Sam chuckles, unlocking the door to his shop. “I assume I’ll be billing the headmaster again?”

“I got some money, I’d like to pay what I can for it, at least.” Seto offered.

“What a kind and generous demon-chan!” Sam exclaimed as he opened the shop and turned on the lights. “Well, take a look around!” 

The shadow man made his way towards his normal counter, watching the students file into his shop. Truthfully, he wanted to stay as far away from these kids as possible but he had a deal to keep and a debt to repay, so here he was practically shaking in his boots as he stood in the back of the store. 

‘She’s coming! She’s coming!’

‘Her majesty! She’s coming!’

He could hear his shadows shriek, They were afraid of these newcomers that Kido had brought with her. More of her friends. He felt sick to his stomach because of their fear. Thankfully, keeping up a brave face was something he was used to doing.

“Hey, Sam? Do you still have that box of female clothing?” Kido called out to him.

“Sure do! One second~” He was blessed to have an excuse to go into the back room. He quickly made his way over, shutting the door behind him and taking a shaking breath in and out. 

“What do you mean she’s coming?” He asked his shadow as he looked for the box with shaking hands. “Her Majesty? Who is that?” 

“The Queen! The medusa! She’s coming!”

Sam dropped the box on his foot. With a whispered string of curses, he knelt down to pick it back up. “The Medusa? I thought Kido and those other kids were..--”

“They are snakes, from the medusa herself. But the queen is coming. She’s here! She’s here!” 

Sam looks at the door, his entire body practically shaking thanks to the shadow’s nerves. He puts the box back down and heads towards the door. He opens it only slightly, enough for him to get a look at all the kids in the store. 

There was Kido, with the snake around her blinking in and out of existence herself.

There was Seto, with his snack docile and small in comparison to Kido’s. It was wrapped around his neck and head and looked as if it was sleeping. But it was still just as dangerous, the shadows informed him.

Kano wasn’t here, and that was a blessing in itself. His snake was….odd. Changing into things that weren’t a snake, looking as if it was crawling closer and closer until it was around Sam’s neck once- and then was gone in the blink of an eye. He hated when Kano came to the store.

That orange-haired girl’s...it wouldn’t stop looking at him. Even now, with only his eye visible, he can feel that snake staring into his soul, and it took so much effort for him to look away. 

The white-haired girl…..---- She saw him. 

Sam slammed the door closed and more objects fell off of shelves behind him.

“Sam? You okay?” Kido called.

“Y-Yes! Just slipped on something back here! I’ll be out in a moment!” He somehow managed to call with a stable voice. After it settled down, he allowed himself to fall to his knees. He was shaking still, but this time out of his own fear. 

That girl, it was her. She was the Queen. She was the Medusa.

She had a crown above her made of snakes and blood, her hair was practically alive, and if the snakes weren’t focusing on him, they were focusing on her.It was like all the life had been sucked out of him the second he made eye contact with those innocent-looking eyes. 

But she was anything but innocent. 

“So that’s the Medusa….” Sam laughed nervously into his hands, trying to calm himself down. He now understands what his shadows were feeling. It wasn’t just fear, but also..some strange form of excitement.

“Things are going to get interesting from here on out, aren’t they, my friends?"

The Next day, the headmaster stopped by the dorm. Unsurprisingly, Kido had expected it and had gotten everyone up a little bit early. Ace and Jack had spent the night too, too tired from the previous day to get back to their own dorms. Riddle had allowed it and Kido didn’t think Leona particularly cared since he was in the infirmary. 

“First of all, I would like to apologize to you, Kido-kun.” Were the first words out of the headmaster’s mouth.

“Apology accepted.”

“I-- I didn’t even get to explain!”

“You don’t have to, context clues and all,” Kido said with a wave of her hand. “Plus we got more important matters to deal with, right?” She said, motioning to Momo and Mary who sat on the couch in the lounge. 

Momo wore an orange hoodie with a white shirt and blue jean shorts, while Mary wore a simple blue dress with a white cardigan over it. It was amazing what they could find in that box that Sam had, and Ace said he would help them look up some clothes online too later. 

“Ahem, yes,” The headmaster cleared his throat. “For those new, allow me to introduce myself. I’m Dire Crowley, the headmaster of Night Raven college.”

“I-It’s - It’s nice to--- to meet you.” Mary stuttered, hiding partially behind Momo who chuckled nervously.

“Yeah….same!” Momo wasn’t helping much either but it was understandable. After the high of everyone reuniting yesterday, more of their true - awkward - personalities shined through once again. If anything, Kido was relieved. It was almost weird not seeing Mary a shy mess upon first meeting someone. 

“Kido-kun, Kano-kun, and Seto-kun have been staying at the school to provide them a place to stay and to research ways to get back to your world. I would ask for you two to attend the school aswell, but this is an all boys school and -”

“Hey, I’m a girl you know,” Kido said with a glare.

“I mean no disrespect, but most of the student population thinks you’re a male.”

“Yeah, I mean, we didn’t know you were a girl at first either.”

“You didn’t?” Jack said, surprising everyone - even Kido herself. “What? She smells like a girl so I knew right away. Most of savanaclaw does really through that logic alone.”

Kido still isn’t sure how to entirely feel about it, but it was strangely comforting.

“Is she even of highschool age?” Crowley points to Mary, who squeaks and decides to hide behind Seto instead, who laughs softly.

“She’s more than highschool age. She’s like...100 or something, right Seto?”

“Yeah, more or less. I think.” Seto looked behind him at Mary, but she just clung to his suit jacket. Her hair was wiggling as it normally did when she was too emotional as well. Kido smiled, Yeah, they had missed this. 

“WHAT?!” All the outsiders seemed to exclaim, but also so did Momo.

“Okay I know they didn’t know but Momo, really? You know everything.”

“I-I just-- didn’t put two and two together! That’s all!” Momo huffed in return. 

“Well, it’s whatever,” Kido looked back over at Crowley. “Anyways, she’s highschool age. But she hasn’t had formal schooling like, ever.”

“I see….she would be similar to some of our more sheltered students….I believe I can speak with the teachers about it.”

“So you’re going to make them students after all?” Ace asked, putting a hand on his hip.

“Well, I can’t very well have them stay for free, and asking young women to do jobs around campus would be unsightly.”

“Yet you rushed to give me and Grim that position,” Kido grumbled quietly under her breath. Either Crowley ignored her or didn’t hear her, as he continued. 

“So I would like them to undergo the ceremony tonight. As you know students are given a few days off after the tournament to recover and celebrate as they want, so having the ceremony tonight would be ideal so they can spend time adjusting to the school afterward before the week begins anew.”

“Wh-Wait Wait wait wait, a c-ceremony?” Momo stuttered, hands out and shaking as she shook her head multiple times. “This-This isn’t some creepy ceremony, right?”

“Relax Kisaragi, I wouldn’t let you do it if that’s the case.” Kido rolled her eyes. “You just have to stand in front of a magic mirror.”

“A magic - mirror?” Momo tilted her head. “Like in fairytales?”

“Yeah, something like that,” Seto confirms. “It’s not scary at all.” 

“Now then, as that has been decided. Kido-kun, may I talk to you for a moment? Alone?” The headmaster seemed serious again, and everyone glanced at Kido. 

“....Sure. Let’s talk outside.” She waved to everyone, signaling that it was fine before she walked outside with the headmaster. 

Once the door was shut, they both seemed to give a sigh for different reasons. “I’ll be forward with this, do you think the two of them will be separated into different dorms like Kano-kun and Seto-kun were?”

“It’s likely.”

“Do you know why this is? I’ve considered all possible options and-” He shakes his head. “None of it adds up.”

“We’re from another world, Headmaster. The laws of the land don’t exactly apply to us.”

“But you should not be given dorms if you don’t have magic! You weren’t! So why are your friends different?”

There’s a heavy silence that lays between them. 

“You have an idea, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Then why won’t you tell me? I am the headmaster and I de--”

“I can’t trust you.”

“You! After everything I’ve done for you?!”

“Forced me into a broken-down home with ghosts, making me be indebted to you, put me in and out of danger, chose media over your own students.” Kido started to list. “And not to mention not lifting a finger to help me return home. You can apologize all you want, Crowley, but actions speak louder than words. Besides….I don’t want to tell you anything unless I’m certain it’s correct.”

Another silence, and for a moment Kido swears she can see his face turning red. Perhaps out of anger or frustration, and she entirely expects to be yelled at, but slowly he seems to relax, shoulders becoming less tense - his feathers not being ruffled, if you will. 

“I understand. I’m sorry to have made such a poor impression on you.”

“That’s…..not what I expected.”

“I am an adult, after all. I’m far older than your friend in there, as well. I can calm my own anger and think rationally, you know.” Kido raises an eyebrow as if she doesn’t believe him before he continues. “I do wish that the second you can trust me, you tell me what is going on. Is that acceptable?”

“Yes,” Kido says with a nod. “The second I’m sure, and the second I’m sure on my own findings, I’ll tell you.” 

“Very well, I accept those terms.” He makes a dramatic turn to leave. “I will see you tonight after dinner, Kido-kun.”

“Okay.” She watches him leave the grounds and walk down the sidewalk. Once he’s out of sight she sighs heavily, sinking down onto the paved stairs with a heavy sigh.

“You okay there, boss?”

“What’s up boss?”

“Need something boss?” 

She looks up to see the ghosts hovering above her. They had taken to calling her boss as well after Kano, Seto, Ace, and occasionally even Grim, have all called her that. They weren’t members of the Dan officially, but she had given them the ‘special’ title of members D, A, and N. Just to make them feel included. It's not like they couldn’t have spoken in the dorm about what was going on and expect them not to hear it, after all.

“I’m okay guys, just talking to adults with authority is terrifying.”

She reaches into her pocket and pulls out her phone. Nothing from Ruggie yet but… “Riddle.” She mumbled. Looks like she had a missed call from him. She calls his number and puts the phone up to her ear while shooing away the ghosts for at least a little bit of privacy.  “Hey,” She started when she heard him pick up, “Sorry I missed your call, the headmaster was over.”

“Oh? What about?”

“Just saying that there was going to be a ceremony tonight but are you all good to make it? Not to beat up from the tournament right?”

“I’m fine, I can’t speak for the other prefects, though.” A pause. “I was wondering if you wish to have tea at the normal place.” Ah yes, the normal place. The Queen’s garden. Kido smiled at that.

“Thanks but….how about you come over here for tea? Cater and Trey too.”

“All of us? What for?”

“Well, I gotta fill Jack in on a few things, and I promised I’d give you the details someday, right?”

There’s silence on the other line before Kido can practically hear him nod. “Okay, we’ll be over soon. Should I have Trey make breakfast for everyone?”

“That would honestly be amazing.” 

“How is Kano? Should we bring something to him as well?”

“You don’t have to go out of your way, but we can bring him something after. I have Deuce texting me updates to make sure Kano doesn’t try to escape the infirmary before he’s ready to be released.”

“That’s good. Well, I’ll see you in around an hour then.”

“Alright, thanks, Riddle.”

“It is nothing, Kido.”

With that, the call ended and Kido leaned against the steps once again. She didn’t think she’d have to explain everything with them so soon, to new people. The Dan was growing quicker and quicker - not that she considered Riddle a member. No, he was more an ally, but the fact remained…..she didn’t think the team would get this big, that they would get allies at all, that they would be able to trust people enough to tell them of their situation. 

She looked up towards the sky. 

“Am I doing a good job as the leader...Ayano?”

Chapter Text

Hello everyone! Sorry this isn’t a story update but it’s been so long I thought I’d pop in to say a few things.

First off, thank you all for all the lovely comments you’ve been leaving despite the story not being active in the last two years - I really appreciate it. Secondly, I do plan to continue this!! I had a huge burnout from TWST but lately I’ve been getting back into it, so I am hoping to have some time and motivation soon to work on a new chapter, or even rewrite some of the older ones, we shall see.

Lastly, I know this might not be the place to advertise it, but I’ve been going through a lot the last two years and have a gofundme set up to help me get out of my bad home situation. I’d appreciate it if you all could donate or share the link around, it would help me a lot !!

https://gofund.me/97f4db93

Thank you all for reading and have an amazing day!!

Chapter Text

I’m going to keep this short: I’m sorry for seemingly abandoning this story - there were alot of factors I don’t bore y’all with. But with Chapter 7 being done in JP and me focusing on that version anyways over the English translation- I decided to give this story another shot. After some planning, I’ve decided I’m going to rewrite abit of the story. I’ve improved as a writer and want to give y’all my best.

I’m also going to be changing a few story elements- mostly which Mekakushi Dan member show up order wise. Kano and Seto will still be the first since I can’t stand to have the trio split up for too long, but the rest will be a surprise !

I’ll delete this update and the last one as soon as I finish updating the previous chapters, and I’ll post a new one when I’m done with the rewrites. I’m not in the best place health wise so it might be abit, but I hope you all will continue to look forward to it!!

Thank you,
Dearembraced.