Grim: *sighing while sprawled across the couch* Not even scrolling through all the movies we don't even have and not picking anything is liftin' my spirits.
Yuuken: *playing cards with Yuuta* Probably because we don't even have a TV for you to be doing that with. 🤨
Yuuta: And uh, that's not a remote... 😥
Grim: *yelping for a moment at the realization he's been bapping a dead rat before scooting to the other side of the couch and sadly sighing again*
Yuuka: Is he still moping about the Spelldrive thing? I get you're bummed, but you gotta pick yourself up at some point.
Grim: Grrr... you guys are the whole reason we ain't eligible! 😤 Your magicless butts wrecked my all-star Spelldrive career before it even got off the ground! I hope you jerks are happy!
Yuuka: Yes, Grim, we were all spirited away from our homes to a world in which we have no prospects of escape, no proof of citizenship, and a mild risk of death just to stop you from playing a sport you just learned about three days ago. 😑
Grim: Which is SO RUDE OF YOU!! 😾 *sees a fuzzy giggling blur fly past the window and goes to open it* Hey, henchdemon! Keep it down out there! Some of us are tryin' to brood!
Shriek: *speaking around the disc between her teeth* Sorry, Grim! 😁
Nash: Don't go losing your focus now, little lady!
Shriek: Gotcha! *folding in her wings and weaving around the Ramshackle ghosts before flying through a hula hoop levitating with magic and loop-the-looping in triumph* GOOOAAAL!!! 😄
Ramshackle Ghosts: Good job, kiddo! 🤗🤗🤗
Yuuna: *squeeing as she records on her phone* Let's go, Shrieky, let's go! 😆
Grim: *racing out onto the porch* Wait, are you- are you guys playin' Spelldrive?! 🙀
Shriek: Uh-huh! The ghosts taught me how to play! Nash is super good at it!
Nash: Well, I couldn't let my old title as an NRC Spelldrive captain get too rusty. 😊
Brodie: *playfully shoving Nash* That was ninety years ago, it's already rusted and dusted! 😆
Grim: Unbelievable!! You guys are havin' fun out here and didn't even ask me to tag in! 😾
Bletcher: We DID ask. Quite a lot.
Yuuka: You were just too busy 'brooding' to notice or care.
Yuuna: Aww, don't get all sour-faced, Grimlin. We still got room for more!
Shriek: *landing on Yuuna's shoulders and putting her paws on her head* Yeah, you can be on my team! 😁
Grim: *dashing out onto the field on all fours* You're damn right, I'm gonna be on your team! I'm gonna be leader and bring us to victory!
Crowley: *stepping behind the tree in the yard* My, my, you're all in high spirits. 😊 Playing a spot of Spelldrive?
Grim: *skidding to a stop* Aaand here comes the Fun Police. There goes my good mood, right down the drain. 😒
Shriek: C'mon, we were just about to slaughter the field again! 😤
Yuuna: Uh, kinda tough when the other team is ghosts, girly pop. 🫤
Yuuka: *to Crowley* I take it you're not here on just a friendly visit?
Crowley: Much as I would love to drop by for a leisurely chat with my students, you're quite right, Miss Hirasaka. There are important matters we need to discuss. Truth be told, I wanted to stop by yesterday, but you all seemed a bit, er... preoccupied
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Crowley: *strutting down the road* 🎶Doo-doo-doo Heading to Ramshackle dorm...🎶 😊
[[A wardrobe crashes through the second story window of Ramshackle with a demonic scream of rage as plasma shoots out from the chimney like a geyser]]
Yuuken: SHRIEK, PUT DOWN THAT PIANO RIGHT NOW!!!
Yuuta: Deep breaths, sweetheart! You're gonna pass out!
Yuuka: Grim's already passed out!
Yuuna: SOMEBODY PUT OUT THE FIRES!!
Crowley: *sharply pivoting in the opposite direction* Or maybe not. 😶
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[[Ramshackle Dorm- Lounge]]
Crowley: Which I suppose would explain why it's so... crispy in here.
Shriek: I like it! It smells like burnt toast! 😊
Yuuka: The others went out to go get some detergent and primer. But more to the point, what's this about, Headmage?
Dire Crowley: I have something of a request for you.
Grim: Seriously? MORE requests? I ain't a part of your janitorial staff anymore, y'know! Henchdemon and I are full-fledged students now!
Shriek: Yeah, fuck off. 😤
Crowley: Well I see the littlest among you has yet to clean up her language.... You DO recall that I never promised to cover the living expenses you've been racking up, yes? Hard work can be a beautiful thing. I'm sure you all agree, yes.
Yuuta: Do we really have the option to disagree?😥
Yuuka: *glowering along with Yuuken* Guests or not, we don't appreciate being threatened, sir.
Crowley: Oh, you misunderstand! I merely wish to motivate you into approaching this new endeavor with the diligence it requires, for it is a grave matter indeed. There has been a rash of students being hurt in suspicious incidents on campus lately.
Grim: Suspicious incidents...? 🤨
Crowley: Yes. Students falling down stairs, getting burns from boiling water, and so forth. The specifics of the incidents differ, but the nurse's office has had a clear spike in patients over the last few days. With yesterday's incident involving a young man falling down the stairs, we now have ten wounded students. We're just fortunate that none of the injuries have been life-threatening...yet.
Shriek: *from where she's playing on the floor* People get hurt all the time. It's a part of life
Grim: Ya sure it ain't just kids bein' clumsy?
Crowley: I'm sure many of our students are too distracted by the upcoming tournament to focus properly. But this is far more accidents than we've had in the past years. Furthermore, all of the wounded students were considered contenders to make their dorms' teams.
Yuuken: Okay, that's suspicious...
Yuuna: I smell a scandal! 🫢
Crowley: An excellent deduction, Miss Oujo. However, we have no evidence of foul play. All of the accidents happened in public spaces, and all of the witnesses said the same thing: "It looked like he was just being careless."
Grim: Well, there ya go. Open and shut case. Glad we could sort that out. Bye!
Bletcher: Oh, come now, Grim! All those kids were looking forward to playing Spelldrive just like you and Shrieky. Doesn't that make you feel sad?
Shriek: *dipping her ears a bit* Kinda...
Grim: This ain't got nothin' to do with me! 😾 We can't even participate in the dumb tournament anyway! So what do I care what happens to those chumps?
Crowley: I'm sorry to hear that—especially after I'd prepared such a magnificent reward for you...
Shriek: *ears perking up* Reward?
Grim: Don't go fallin' for that line again! He's just tryin' to sweet talk us. I wouldn't do it even for a hundred cans of tuna!
Crowley: Ah, But what if I allowed you to participate in the Spelldrive tournament?
Shriek: YOU'RE SHITTIN' ME?! 😱
Crowley: Should you solve the case and apprehend whoever is behind this string of sabotage, I'll generously permit your dorm to enter the Spelldrive tournament.
Yuuka: Hold on. Wouldn't the staff be more equipped to handle something like this? Or aren't there private investigators you can hire? We don't exactly have a lot of detective experience.
Crowley: True, but chances are high that the culprit could catch wind of the staff members snooping around. The same could be said for students of other dorms, assuming they would actually volunteer their services.
Yuuken: And you don't want to shill out for a private investigator or risk bad PR. 😒
Crowley: A-hem! As a newly formed collective, nobody will ever suspect the lot of you so long as you don't raise to much suspicion. All of you know what it's like to be the underdogs, yes? What better way to shake off that title than to use it to your advantage?
Yuuka: *eyes widening as she remembers various faces looking at her with mockery or scorn*
Crowley: *turning back to Grim and Shriek* Surely you're dazzled by my altruism as well, no? As a participant, the whole world will lay eyes upon your majesty. *conjuring an image of people cheering for Grim* Just imagine the cheers echoing from the sold-out stadium seats! "This year's most promising rookie, the mighty Grim, has taken the field! Hurrah!" And so on.
Crowley: *conjuring another image of Shriek terrorizing other Spelldrive players* Just imagine the fear-tinged awe as they see you, Night Raven's first demon student, fight for the disc with all the blood, sweat, and tears in your tiny little horrifying body.
Shriek: It's like I can already taste the BLOOD! 🤩
Crowley: *waving a hand to dispel the magic* Ah, but of course, you have refused my offer. How unfortunate. Let's just forget this ever happened.
Grim and Shriek: No, wait! WAIT! WE'RE IN! We'll do it!
Crowley: Really now? 😀 You're offering your services?
Grim: If you'll let me- er, us into the tournament, you bet! 😸
Yuuna: Huh? You sure, Yuuka?
Yuuka: *tousling Grim and Shriek's heads* Not like I can say no to these little goofballs. Besides, whoever's doing this is clearly a poor sport. I cant just let that stand.
Shriek: *happily flapping over to skitter onto Yuuka's shoulders* When we catch 'em, we'll make 'em beg for a quick and easy death! 😈
Yuuka: Whoa, okay! Let's scale back on the capital punishment. 😧
Yuuken: Hold on a sec. Wouldn't we still be ineligible for Spelldrive if most of us can't use magic?
Yuuta: Oh yeah, that's kind of a big roadblock. 😬
Crowley: As school headmage, I will simply perform a magical miracle to fill out your team somehow.
Yuuka: Well that's reassuringly handwavey. 😐
Grim: We can work out the details later! C'mon, team! We've got a mystery on our paws! 😸
Yuuken: Can he even say that?
Shriek: TO SUBTERFUDGE!!! 😁
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Tune in to @inzendino for the spine-tingling Spelldrive caper underway!
