Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

There's a corpse in the basement.

Somehow, discovering such a thing is not the most bizarre thing to happen to you today. 

You have seen a talking, flaming cat. You have seen people with animal ears and hair and eyes worthy of a cosplay convention crowd all in robes fit for a cult. You have been transported to another world, isekaied like the heroes and heroines of mangas and manhwas and animes you've watched too much of, into a land with real magic. 

You stare at the body, and you sigh. 

Did it belong to one of the ghosts? Ramshackle looked unlivable by the living, but the dead seemed to like it plenty. Was this one of their corpses? Was this the spectral equivalent of finding someone in their underwear? They should lock the basement up better, then. This morgue (Mausoleum? Crypt?) was too easy to find, your sleep-deprived steps leading you to it as you paced and pondered your homeless state with immense insomnia. 

You should leave and shut the door behind you. Snuff out the lights that. . .hmm, you can't really remember lighting these torches, but you must have. . . or did they ignite as you stepped in? Magic. How interesting this would all be, if you had it in you to care right now. What you do have energy to care for. . .

Is it rude to look upon someone's corpse? It's rude to drag someone to another world, to scare and attack guests too. . . 

You let yourself look.

There's still a bit of skin, a good patch of hair- it's more mummy than skeleton. You wonder how that happened. Didn't mummifcation requires special conditions? The door didn't seem airtight. The basement isn't wet, but it isn't bone-dry either. You can't smell much, but shouldn't there be some kind of ancient chemical stink? He's not wrapped in anything peculiar, just some strange suit. Maybe you should have listened better to those documentaries on the television, but then, magic might explain it all.

It's gruesome, but you find yourself walking to the head of the stone bed. The altar? With the way the torches flicker, the boy looks almost alive. You can almost see it breathing. You can't help but lean over, to have a closer look-

The corpse looks back.

You scream.

Well, you would have screamed, if the air didn't turn so thick. Some pressure, some power-

You choke on it as though it were smoke. 

Something burns. 

Is it you?
  
You gasp for air, and instead, your lungs give the breaths they lack. You seem to see yourself spitting up something, but your vision swims. Your bones turn to mush and falling should hurt, but everything's so distant and you can only hope that you must have been isekaied into some shitty death-collecting horror game, because at least that might mean you'll live to die and die and die again until you get it right and get home.

The stone floor of a basement isn't as uncomfortable as it could be. You're vaguely aware that you can breathe again and that you're making the most horrendously ragged noises as you do. The torches flicker on, and if they're running on magical gas or other magical fuel, you hope to God Crowley won't make you foot the bill. They are rather warm though, their colors strangely comforting as the world goes dark, especially that swirling amber shade. . .

Chapter Text

You open your eyes in bed. 

It feels wrong. Strange. It's not your bed, but you quickly remember that it's not your house or your world and that you're not even wearing your own clothes. You push whatever panic that thought brings aside to focus on a more pressing matter-

You see, you have somehow woken up with both the driest mouth ever and a breath that tastes like death. You think it tastes like death. You don't dare to swallow find out if you can kill yourself with it, so you carefully roll Grim aside and head for the door. You are not spitting on the ground or out the window and you're sure you saw a bathroom somewhere in this mopforsaken-

"Hello!"

You close the door. 

You stare at the door.

You open the-

"Hello," says the stranger on the other side again, tilting his head down to meet your gaze through the little gap you've opened.

It would be too rude to close the door now, right?

". . .hi ?"

The stranger smiles. Through dark glasses, the corner of his eyes seem to turn up too, and you don't think they're supposed to do that, since you don't know him, even if his face is-

"May I come in?"

You frown. Your eyes drift to what he wears- a fancy uniform-looking fit, because right, you were kidnapped by a school.

"I. . .don't think you're supposed to be here," you say slowly, because this stranger's a big one and you do not have keys or anything in your hand right now but a doorknob you are pretty sure you cannot pry from the door since the door actually looks and feels solid and whole in the dim morning light.

"On the contrary, I think I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be."

You feel lost, but the student before you must be lost. This building's so abandoned that it's haunted by ghosts. Isn't that what the birdman Headmaster said? What you saw? 

. . .but beneath your hand, the doorknob's clean and polished. The room you're in looks pretty tidy despite it definitely being all cloth-covered and dusty when you dumped Grim on the bed last night and you decided you couldn't clean it in the dark. The air is clean. Floral, even and wait a fucking minute who the fuck gave you pajamas? The birdman didn't even give you water. When did you change into pajamas? Why would you change into pajamas in a dusty room and why wasn't the room dusty anymore how much of last night did you hallucinate are you hallucinating now-

"Are you alright, Yuu?"

Not really, no. But you keep your hold on the door and wonder if Grim would run over if you yell or just turn over in the bed and keep sleeping instead. 

"How do you know my name?"

He blinks, and most people would ask what you mean, because your name is a very confusing one. What name, most people would ask, or your name?  then you'd say, My name is Yuu and then whoever asked would crack a joke or two, and you've heard many it's nice to meet Yuu's or meet you's or meet you, Yuu's-

Instead, the stranger's smile returns, and deepens. "You gave it to me, remember?"

He sounds so normal about it. Warm eyes and a warm smile, like he's greeting a friend-

"No," you replied, "I do not. I did not give it to you, I do not remember giving it to you. Please go back to class or wherever you're supposed to go, or else I will scream."

You tried to discretely shut the door as you spoke, but a slender hand with spidery fingers slides through the gap at the last moment and in your hesitation to crush them, he opens the door again-

Just a sliver. Just as much as you did before. 

The glasses have slipped down his nose, and you find yourself looking into pumpkin-orange puppy dog eyes that just look so worried.

"Please don't close the door. You fell last night, you know. I'm afraid you might have hurt yourself."

. . .that stirs up blurry memories of something. You think you did fall, but that doesn't- it can't explain everything looking so different right? Or forgetting a whole person, who you apparently introduced yourself to-

"May I come in? I swear I won't do anything untoward. I only wanted to make sure that you were settling in and recovering alright. I sincerely apologize if I startled you- I was going to knock but you beat me to the door and well-"

"Who are you, exactly?"

He looks at you with those amber eyes, and there's something so terribly sad about them for a moment. Maybe that's why you don't shut the door when his fingers slip away. He steps back, places his hand across his chest, and he bows. 

"Skully J. Graves," he says, then tips his silvery head up to meet your gaze with a smile. 

"Pleasure to meet you again, Yuu."

Chapter Text

How did you end up here?

Seriously. How?

You think you lived a good life. You think you've been a pretty good person. What did you do to get trampled by a carriage and stuck in a coffin? To be accused of owning some cat-thing only to actually be housed with said cat-thing after fighting ghosts together after learning you've been isekai-ed? To now be sitting on the bed beside the cat-thing as some stranger cradles your head and you clutch a letter opener?

You try to breathe normally. You try not to think about the fingers brushing over your head or the very sharp piece of metal in your hands. 

Skully seems nice. Odd, but nice. When his introduction made you only a little less apprehensive about letting him in, he decided the best way to allay your fears was to grab a letter opener from another room and give it to you.

If I do anything you don't like, he said, offering the fancy-looking implement to you handle-first, Feel free to stab me.

You might stab him actually. Not because you want to, but because you're squeezing the letter opener so tight in an effort not to stab him now that you can't help imagining it will jump out of your hands like a bar of soap and make itself home somewhere along his ribs. You are broken from your thoughts of accidental murder (manslaughter?) by him leaning even closer for a bit before letting you go, the checkup apparently done.

"You seem to be alright," he says.

"Cool," you say. "I uh, still don't remember you though."

He doesn't look as sad as he did earlier, but there's still something melancholy about his face. "That's my own fault really. I must have overestimated the impression I left on you."

"Well you've-"

Your hands move sometimes when you speak. You should put the knife- the letter opener- down. You place it beside you on the bed, hand on its hilt, in wielding range but not accidental manslaughter range.

"You've made a pretty nice impression now," you say. "I'll try not to forget you again."

You're not sure how you could to begin with, what with the orange eyes and white hair. You're sure he would have stood out in the sea of candy-colored anime boys you saw last night. Quite literally even, because of his height. 

He- Skully, you should remember his name- smiles, and he doesn't look so big or imposing now, kneeling by the other end of the bed, looking at Grim. You look unimpressedly at the creature. It's a good thing that Skully's friendly, but if he wasn't. . .

"I'm guessing he didn't help much when I fell?"

". . .no, you were alone." Skully frowns. "Grim's looking a little thin. Is he well?"

You don't have a pet. You've never had a pet because you knew you could never take care of one.  

You jump to your feet, whatever annoyance you had towards the beast dissipating. "He got caught in the rain last night. He seemed alright then. . .is there something wrong with him?"

"I would have thought you'd know."

You feel a little like stabbing something as heat flares in your cheeks. "I just got here, I just met him, how would I know how to take care of-!" 

Don't complain. Don't look like a brat. Your nails dig into your palm as you lower your head to the beast. You try to look concerned. You are concerned, you're just also frustrated and panicking but it would be a bad look and just bad, to yell at a sick animal.

"Grim?" you call.

He turns over.

"Grim," you try again, hands slipping under his body. He looks plump, his fur doesn't seem matted like you think a sick animal's should be. He feels warm. Is that bad? Good? "Grim, are you alright? Do you feel sick?" 

He grumbles. It sounds like words.

You lift him to your ear. "What was that?"

 ". . .I'm sick of all yer noise. . ."

You resist the urge to throttle him. "Were you awake this whole time? "

He merely wriggles out of your grip and flops back onto the bed. He makes himself comfy on the plush blanket and closes his eyes. "Lemme sleep, it's too early for this. . .t's not like we got anything to do yet. . ."

You huff at the cat as he begins a rumbly snore. You asked the Headmaster to let him stay and this is what you get: a sleepy cat without an ember of concern for your well-being. Hopefully, when Crowley comes by with work, Grim will actually help. 

"I think he's fine," you say, and Skully chuckles. The guy leans close to Grim and-

Well, you personally wouldn't kiss a stray talking cat, but Skully seems happy and Grim's too out of it to care. Does he know Grim? He knew Grim's name right? Even thought he looked sick. But then he turned to you about the beast-

"Hey uh, Skully?"

"Yes, Yuu?"

"Do you live here?"

He smiles. "I'm part of Ramshackle, yes."

"Then, could you please show me where you got these?" 

You tug at your nightshirt with that last word. You try not to think about how this guy probably changed your clothes. Maybe changed your clothes. Your head's still fuzzy and you don't particularly want to un-fuzz that part, but if someone else lives here, maybe there're toiletries and other spare clothes somewhere. The school seems the expensive kind, if it has cult robes. You have nothing to your name but your name and the possible cooperation of a cat monster and you'd really like to change that.

Skully tilts his head, and you can't tell if he's amused or confused. He stands up and waves his hand and suddenly, you're back in your own set of cult robes. 

"I only changed them into something more comfortable. . .do you not have other clothes, Yuu?"

Well. So much for having pajamas.

"I kind of. . .don't have. . .anything, really?"

Oh. Oh now that's a look of worry, and that worries you too. Shouldn't he know that already? But you didn't see him at the ceremony and you don't remember seeing him last night after Ramshackle. Did you introduce yourself, mention Grim, then slip and fall like an idiot? How selectively amnesic was your concussion?

You swallow your pride and the urge to tell him to forget about it because you are in another fucking world and you would like- you need, every scrap of help you can get. 

"I just got here, last night. The Headmaster's trying to get me home, but we looked through the maps and- and all the countries and continents are wrong and we couldn't find anything from my. . . world, I guess. I'm just, I don't have magic. I shouldn't even be at Night Raven but Headmaster Crowley said I could stay here until he could help me."

Your eyes traced the lines between the floor planks as you spoke. You're only being honest, but saying it aloud. . .you breathe. You shouldn't panic yet. You try to meet Skully's eyes and smile.

"Are you the housewarden? I'm not a student so I don't know if I'm allowed to wear a uniform, but if there's even a lost and found box with some old clothes, I'd be really grateful."

He doesn't seem like the kind of person to kick you out. You don't know if he can, since you do have Crowley's blessing to be here, but you've had just awful luck so far.

". . .did Grim also arrive last night?"

"I think so? He was in front of the coffin when I woke up."

"Coffin? Were you wearing that for the entrance ceremony?"

Shouldn't he know that? Did he miss it? Someone said a housewarden was missing last night, but that seemed to be for a different dorm.

You nod, and he looks more alarmed. Did he sleep through it?

"Do you know Sebek Zigvolt?" he asks then. 

". . .should I?" Were there more introductions missing from your memory?

"Epel Felmier?"  

You shake your head. 

"Jamil Viper?"

Another shake. He lists more names. Some sound familiar, but none of them ring a bell except for Riddle Rosehearts. You think that's the redheaded one who collared Grim, but even then, you don't really know the guy. 

"Do you know anyone here, Yuu?" he asks gently, and your teeth bite your cheek as your nails do your palm and you focus on that, before the situation can catch up to you.

"I guess I know the Headmaster. . .and Grim. . ." 

You drag your eyes from the slumbering fuzzball to the fellow looking at you with a face that makes you turn away again.

"And you, I guess. . ."

Don't think about it. You're not staying long. No need to panic. No need to cry. You are too old for tears. You're-

"You poor thing."

You glare when you know you shouldn't because you were doing so well at keeping it in,  but there isn't anything patronizing in Skully's face.

No sneer, no smarmy grin. Just sympathy.

You look away again, and you can feel your cheeks burning at how terrible you must look right now-

There's a clap.

You find Skully's hands on his cheeks. "Where are my manners? You wanted clothes, yes?"

He folds his hands together and smiles. "I'm sure we can find something for you around here. Can you walk?"

You can, and do. You follow him through the halls, and Ramshackle really does look better in the dawning light. 

Skully must have noticed you staring. "I apologize for Ramshackle's poor condition earlier. I didn't mean for it to fall into such disrepair."

"You cleaned it up? By yourself?"

You catch the corner of his smile as he walks ahead of you. "Just some little fixes here and there. Wouldn't do to have you living anywhere in such a deplorable state."

Was he fine with it being like that if you and Grim weren't around then? It seems like a hassle to do, especially when you're not even staying long. . .

Before you can pick the right words to thank him, Skully pushes open a door. He makes a gesture and murmurs something, and as easily as your pajamas bloomed back into robes, the room rights itself before your eyes. Dust vanishes, a mirror pieces itself together, and you follow Skully to a wardrobe that rises to stand up against a wall. You think you saw moths and other creatures flutter out of it because you flinched at the sight and shut your eyes, but when you open them, there's only Skully standing before the open doors, going through the levels.

"You said you're not a student?"

"I'm ah, a handyman? I'm supposed to do odd jobs around the school, whatever that means . . .today's my first day at it."

Skully hums. "Something suitable for activity then. Would you happen to know what month it is?"

It was the middle of summer, but that was back at home, before that stupid carriage ran into you. "I. . .forgot to ask the Head-"

"Entrance ceremonies usually happen in early September. The weather seems about right for that, so the sun shouldn't be too great a concern."

. . .huh. Maybe Skully's also the forgetful type, to forget to attend the ceremony and to not know the month off the top of his head. 

"Will this do?"

He holds up a shirt and a pair of trousers that seem only slightly holey from whatever lived in them. Maybe you didn't hallucinate those creepy-crawlies. 

"Sure," you say, because beggars can't be choosers,  and you try keep the thought of possible bugs waiting to bite you as soon as you put those on from crawling onto your face.

But Skully gives the clothes a shake that seemed to somehow shake off the holes and loose threads, and then they're on you. The shirt feels a little tight and the pants too long, but Skully snaps, and everything fits just right. They don't itch. They look good as new. They even smell clean. . .and slightly powdery. Was this what those old books meant, by starched collars-

"May I hold onto these?"

"The cu- I mean, the uh, robes?"

"Yes. I think I could use them to adjust some other sets of clothing for-"

"Oh no, I-!" You pull the robes from him and scramble to gather it up before it can fall to the ground. "I uh, I'm really thankful for the help but I can uh, I think I can alter clothes myself! You've done a lot already! I wouldn't want to bother you-"

"It's no trouble. I think I'd be more bothered to know you have nothing to wear-"

"I-I think this is enough! I don't want to waste your time. I don't even know how long I'll be here! I could be gone tomorrow, for all you know." 

". . .or, you could be here a week, or two, or more. . .and wouldn't it be better, to have more clothes, just in case? Did the Headmaster say he'd be providing you with a wardrobe?"

"I erm, he's. .."

Is the Headmaster giving you clothes? He didn't exactly write out the employment contract. . .was child labor even legal in Twisted Wonderland? Wait what was even the legal age to work here-

"I think I'll help you with just a few more," Skully says, and when did he get that robe how did you not notice-

He walks past you, and when you reach out,  the bundle of black fabric's disappeared from his hands, taking your chance to snatch them back with them. 

"Yes, Yuu?" 

. . .there is something almost smug about the way he smiles, but you don't really want to argue with him. Don't argue, don't offend, just live quietly and get home. Orange eyes flicker down and your hand is on his arm. 

"Sorry! I just uh- um. . ." 

You squeeze his arm, to seem intentional about this. Yes. Despite how utterly embarrassed you feel you think you actually manage a pretty sincere smile of your own. 

"Thank you, Skully, for helping me."

His other hand moves to yours, and okay he's gonna peel it off like a bug sure what did you expect-

He lifts your hand, and presses his lips to the back of it. He looks at you after, and his voice is soft and sweet as his smile.

"Glad to, Yuu."

. . .oh. Oh no. 

"Oh dear, are you alright?"

"I-I'm fine, I-"

He's holding your head again. This time though, your head's tilted up. 

"You feel warm," he says, and that's probably bad if he can feel it through gloves. "Were you also caught in the rain?"

"I-it's just a bit stuffy in here-"

"Right. Yes. Air. That's-"

He lets you go and you can finally breathe again. You rub your fist over your chest as though that can smooth out the erratic heart rate that he must have felt through your skin. Cool air kisses your face and oh, Skully's opened the window. That's nice of him. He's too nice. 

"Better now!" you say, and you hope Skully will stay over there at the other side of the room until you are okay again.

Miraculously, Twisted Wonderland answers one of your prayers. Skully stays there, standing by the window, gazing down. 

"Headmaster Crowley, was it? Does he look like a crow?"

"He uh, he has a bird mask and feathers in his cape?"

"I think he's here."

"He's what?"

"He's here. I think that's him, down th- Yuu? "

You run through the hall. You hear Skully call you and you feel bad for ignoring him but Crowley is your boss and you shouldn't leave him wai-

The floor gives way beneath you. You're too surprised to scream, or maybe your voice is just swallowed up by the cacophony of cracking wood. You see the first floor far beneath you and shut your eyes-

"Goodness Yuu, you shouldn't run like that."

You blink. Skully's right behind you, holding you by your arm. He carefully pulls you back and steadies you. The wooden floor beneath your feet is clean and whole, not a hole in sight as you glance about the corridor.

Your heart's still pounding. You can taste the splinters of old, rotten wood. 

"I. . ." The hall wasn't pristine but it was a cozy kind of clean. That wasn't right. You were busy running to the stairs to look much but it wasn't this bright, this tidy. "I think I-"

"You fell," Skully says, and there is a carpet, the green shade of Ramshackle's roof, covering the floor. With a flick of his finger, it smooths itself out, the kink your foot must have caught on disappearing.

You stare at the rug. Its fibers shift when you drag your foot an inch across it.

"Is something wrong, Yuu?"

You pry your eyes from the apparently-carpeted, apparently-whole floor. 

Skully's looking at you with amber eyes full of concern.

"I uh, um. . ."

Hallucinated falling through the floor. Possibly screamed during it. 

"Do you need more rest, Yuu?"

Maybe you do. You went to bed late and woke up too early. You do feel tired, but you shake your head. 

You turn to the stairs. "I should. . .I should open the door-"

The hands on your shoulders tighten.

"Let me come with you. May I come with you, Yuu? I wouldn't want you to collapse again so soon."

That would be a bad look on your first day. 

"Sure," you say, and for some reason, Skully beams.

"Thank you," he says.

". . .shouldn't I be saying that?"

Skully laughs. You don't get why. 

He takes your hand and pulls you to the stairs. "Let's get to the door then. Slowly, this time."

You find yourself nodding. . .you shouldn't trip. . .

You find yourself nodding off between the steps, and leaning quite a lot on the figure beside you.

"Careful now," Skully says, you think he says, but you wake up, but your foot slips, and he catches you-

You shake your head, but your limbs are starting to feel heavy, your eyelids like lead.

"Oh dear. Shall I talk to the Headmaster for you? You don't seem to be in the state for it, right now."

No. You have to get to the door. You have to, but the stairs won't end and you're finding it hard to breathe again. You have to get to the door. You have to-

"Just close your eyes. I'll take care of it. You shouldn't be dealing with such things anyway."

No. You should be at home. You should be in bed, catching up on the sleep you lost during your all-nighters. You were looking so forward to some rest after the last semester, only to be here-

"Ramshackle's not so terrible, is it? I'll make sure it isn't. So won't you let me get the door?"

You have to be there. You should be there, you can't look bad.

Everything feels fuzzy, like you're wrapped in that carpet, in Grim's fur. You hear words as you drift in and out of consciousness, stubborn and endearing and-

You'll be there. But I need to talk to your Headmaster. Will you let me do that? You can speak with him after, if you still want to.

The door's so close. Just a quick nap then. If Skully needs to talk first, then you can have some shut-eye so you won't fall on your face in front of the birdman. 

"Please don't let me fall," you mumble.

You hear a laugh, feel something press into your hair. . .you remember Grim, how orange eyes looked at him a little like this, when Skully-

"I won't," you hear, feel something wrap around you, keeping you steady even as your knees buckle, and the last of the world slips away.

Chapter Text

The wood was cool beneath your arms, but the spoon in your hand wasn't. If anything, it was warm from what it was in, sweet, fragrant steam rising from the bowl of thick sludge.

. . .you blink.

You move your hand, the carved spoon in it. You let go, look around-

The kitchen? There's a sink. There are cabinets around you, rows of jars peeking from behind the ones with glass. Pots and pans hang from the walls. There is a table in it, that you're sitting at one end of. Grim's across you, happily eating from a plate of tuna. Sunlight streams softly from the window, still tinged orange from the dawn. . .there's humming too.

You're not sure how you didn't notice it sooner. The jaunty little tune fills the air. Skully stands by the stove, jacket gone to leave his upper half in a vest and a dress shirt. The fire flickers out, and he scoops stacks of something from the pan to a plate, and brings them over with a sheepish smile.

"Sorry, I think I burned them a little-"

"Ooh, gimme!"

You hear some quick warning about being careful, because the crumpets are hot, but the Grim just chows on it anyway with a grin.

Skully chuckles. "Well, I suppose he is a fiery sort of beast. . .oh, is there something wrong with the porridge?"

You stare at him. You look down at the bowl. He. . .he made breakfast? Did you even try any? Your mouth feels so dry. Your face feels warm. It's rude to not-

"Don't worry, it's not made of people."

. . .well that douses your embarrassment with a sudden cold chill.

"Why would it be?" you ask carefully, hopefully not too warily, in case you have to run.

He blinks. "Ah. Yes. That's- . . .sorry, I forget that you're not, that you. . .you're new to this, yes?"

"To. . .not eating people. . .?" 

He laughs, and your face feels hot again. "To Twisted Wonderland. To magic."

"Oh. Yeah. Yeah uh. . .yeah. . ." You want to bash your stupid head against something. 

He sits at the right of the table. Smiles patient and pleasant. "I suppose you're aware of the basics? That Night Raven College is an academy for the magically gifted in Twisted Wonderland, with dormitories founded upon the virtues of great historical figures?"

"I didn't hear the part about the dormitories."

"No? My, that Crowley fellow certainly. . .well, I'll start with Pomefiore then."

He tells you all about the dorms. Of Pomefiore founded upon the Tenacity of the Fairest Queen, Diasomnia upon the nobility of the Fairy of Thorns, Heartslabyul upon the austerity of the Queen of Hearts, Scarabia upon the meticulousness of the Sorceror of the Sands, Savanclaw upon the Peristence of the King of Beasts. He says something about a newer dorm, Ignihyde, that he believes has gone for the Underworld King's diligence, but that the others might know better of that.

Hungry, you took a tentative spoonful of the probably not-people porridge as he spoke. It tasted nice. A little sweet. You listen to him talk about dorms and magic, and you're scraping the bottom of the bowl before you realize it.

"There's plenty more, if you'd like."

Your stomach growls before you can answer, and he's ladling you another bowl from the pot before you can protest. You reach over and grab a crumpet before Grim can stuff his face with the rest of them. It's warm, buttery, and has that roasted, nutty sort of taste the porridge had too.

He sets the filled bowl in front of you. "Sorry about the lack of variety-"

"It's fine!" you say quickly, trying to smile like you mean it, because you do. "Thank you for the food!". . . as long as it's not made of people.

He chuckles. "Don't worry, I won't make you a cannibal."

. . .did you say that out loud? God, you want to die-

"Where was I? Ah yes. Part of being a mage is having what is called Unique Magic. It's a special spell, a signature spell, one might say, and unique, as the name implies, to every magically-gifted individual. Might I borrow you for a moment, Grim?"

"Eh?" He looks up from his pawmade tuna crumpet sandwich. You flinch at the gross glob of damp fish mush that falls out the bottom.

Skully clasps his hands entreatingly. "A great magician such as yourself can surely handle a little spell, yes?"

He gulps, tail twitch. "T-totally!" he says. "Of course the Amazing Grim can-"

Skully waves a hand. There's a blur in your eyes and a shimmering, rustling, crackling sound. When it all clears and settles -

"Hmmh? HUH? W-where are my arms?! Why's it so dark in here? Henchman?!"

Grim's voice comes muffled from the pumpkin now on his seat. 

"You trapped him in a pumpkin?"

"Oh, no, he is the pumpkin. My Unique Magic transforms -"

"I'm a what?! L-lemme out! Turn me back! I don't wanna be a vegetable !!!"

Fingers snap, and Grim's back, curled up and shaking. He cracks an eye open, stops trembling, then glares. "Why you-!"

"Thank you truly for your assistance, Grim! How generous of you to lower your guard to allow me show Yuu such a spell!"

". . .uh, yeah! Yeah!! You're super lucky the Great Grim was feeling generous today!" 

Skully smiles as Grim returns to eating, the little monster trying to look as cool and nonchalant as possible. You look at the rest of the crumpet in your hand, the biscuit a golden shade, at the faintly orange porridge. 

"Pumpkins, huh?"

"Indeed. It was the crop my hometown was best known for. It would be harder to think of a recipe without them. . . .I hope you don't mind-"

"Not at all! Should I like, buy you back a pumpkin or something?"

He looks at you for a moment before trying to stifle his laughter. "No no, that won't be necessary, see-"

He stands and gestures for you to follow. Standing beside him, peering out the kitchen window, you find that unlike the dead grass filling the front yard of Ramshackle, the back of it's a verdant garden bursting with a whole pumpkin patch.

". . .is Ramshackle founded upon eating a daily diet of pumpkins?"

". . .I may have gotten a tad excited," he says mildly.

You look at him. Right. Magic. "You did all that?"

"Yes. There are other plants in there, you know. Nasturtium. Melons. Wheat, corn, herbs. . ."

"Hey Skully!"

"Yes, Grim?"

"What kinda cool guy is Ramshackle made for?"

He hadn't mentioned it at all when talking about the dorms. You think of its dilapidated state, or what was bad enough to make you think it was so ruined, last night-

Skully turns away from window. He smiles softly at Grim. "Ramshackle wasn't really founded upon any such figure. It was made as a sort of. . .in-between place. It was for students who didn't like their dorms, and wanted to change, or wanted to make sure of where they wanted to be. Some staff lived here, once. It's a place for ghosts now, but it was supposed to be a home for anyone who didn't quite fit the mold of a typical Night Raven mage, if only for a while."

He turns that soft, warm smile to you then. "I know it can't quite compare to the other dormitories, but you two are welcome to stay here as long as you like."

It's a nice sentiment. Skully's a nice person. 

You suddenly, deeply feel like a freeloader taking advantage of this poor guy. Making him fix things up just because you're here when you're not even a student, making him make you breakfast and magic up a garden for it. Sure you need help but not this much help-

Excited, he said. There didn't seem to be anyone else here. And you weren't going to stay very long. 

"I'll um, I-I'll pay you back for this," you stammer. "I'll return the favor I mean, so if you need help with anything, please just ask-"

"Think nothing of it! I'd rather you focus on what you have to."

You have to return his consideration, you think, even if you won't be here very long, or you will feel like dirt for the rest of your life. But that reminds you that you do have a job, that you. . .

. . .what was it, that you had to do?

You're dressed in new clothes. Skully helped you find some. Then you- well he saw Crowley, Skully went with you down the stairs, then. . .

"Yuu?"

Skully's closer, looking at you with concern again. God, now you're making him worry about you-

"I uh, Crowley came by earlier, right?"

". . .he did."

. . .you inhale. Exhale. Try not to look like the kind of idiot that forgets people and whole conversations. "I kind of. . .forgot what he told me to do?"

Skully smiles. He pulls a notebook from his pocket and flips through it. Oh. Of course he took notes. Of course you, the one who should have been listening, let your brain go blank on your first day-

He fixes his glasses with one hand as the other holds the notebook. "Well aside from your task for today - which is to sweep the path from here to the school, something simple, he said, to prove you can follow instructions- he went over the terms of your employment. While he looks for a way home for you, you're allowed to stay within NRC. You can claim three meals a day each for yourself and Grim from the cafeteria- the ghosts will have the staff ledger you'll have to sign. You'll be able to pick up some clothes and toiletries from the Mystery Shop- that's the store you'll encounter on the path to the main building. The utilities are free so long as you can get them in working order first, until then, there are showers in the building by the sports field. He'll be paying you and Grim the minimum wage for one person, non-inclusive of the bare necessities. Since you don't quite exist as a legal person, you'll be receiving the money in cash and you'll be expected to handle it yourself. I believe that's all the relevant details."

You stare at him. "Uh, thanks?"

"You're welcome," he replies, still smiling despite having to take care of the dumbest dumbass in Wonderland. 

You try to smile back as you sit down and eat the food someone else had to make for you. 

"That doesn't sound so hard." You try to laugh. "I feel a little stupid for not remembering that."

"Oh don't be! He is quite frustrating to talk to- I wanted to tune him out myself."

But he didn't, because you were too busy doing that. You were probably staring blankly like there was nothing but elevator music in your head, huh? You want to go upstairs, stuff your face into a pillow, and scream.

You stuff your mouth instead, and choke on a crumpet, and Grim snickers at your misfortune and the crumbs coming out of your nose.

As you hack over the sink, Skully offering you water and rubbing your back, you're not sure if it's you or the cat you want to strangle. 

Probably you.