Chapter Text
It was six in the morning when the first of your many alarms went off on your phone. You rolled over and grabbed it, squinting at the screen with dry eyes.
"I still have an hour and a half before I need to get up. Better go back to that dream," you thought to yourself.
You were just about to return to those delicious, infinite cookies you’d been devouring in your sleep when suddenly, the scenery changed. You found yourself in a strange white space that reminded you of a blank canvas.
“Oh! It’s you! Long time no see, ha-ha!” said a familiar voice behind you—an irritatingly upbeat voice you definitely recognized.
You turned around to see who it was, but before you could make anyone out, you woke up again. This time, for good.
---
You checked your phone for the fifth time in three minutes. It was still 9 a.m.
You were away from home, your last year of college, working as an intern in an old workshop with a carpenter.
You had always loved the idea of creating art of any kind: makeup, music, writing, drawing. It all felt like the only way to live, even if you weren’t good at all of it.
In fact, you were majoring in art. But for some reason, it had started to wear you down. Every single day brought a hundred new assignments due yesterday. Some professors only allowed the most expensive materials, seemingly unaware that students might actually be broke. And the constant drama—almost every class felt like a battlefield. Maybe not every place was like this. Maybe you were just unlucky. Either way, you were exhausted.
You worked here seven hours a day, then went straight to class, staring at the same five paint brands you’d been handling all day, wondering: When did all of this stop being fun?
As usual, you were inmersed in your craft, when something outside caught your eye—a familiar shape. Like a siren, it pulled you out of the workshop, your body moving on its own, as if it needed to confirm that what you'd seen wasn’t real.
You found yourself next to the road, standing in front of a regular gray cat. It stared at you with piercing blue eyes.
For a moment, a strange wave of nostalgia hit you—an intense longing you didn’t quite understand.
You stepped closer, not even kneeling, just standing there, staring at the cat. You hadn’t noticed, but the entire world had gone quiet.
The cat didn’t run. You could’ve sworn it opened its mouth to say something—but on that instant, everything turned black.
Your last memory was the blaring honk of a car and people screaming around you.
“Oh, friend… you should NOT be here…”
---
You opened your eyes slowly, your head pounding with the worst migraine you'd had since someone in your class said they loved Picasso. You tried to sit up, only to shut your eyes again from the dizziness and pain.
There wasn’t much to see. You seemed to be laying in a dark room—on a couch? No, a bed. Definitely a bed.
You got up slowly and walked to a window just beside you, letting the light in.
The room was a mess—dust everywhere, empty tuna cans scattered around. Yet somehow, it felt... familiar.
“What the hell...?”
You tried checking your phone, but it was broken beyond repair.
“Shit.”
You stepped out of the room, only to glance back at it again, your brain scrambling to make connections.
Then it clicked.
You ran down the stairs looking for answers, only to trip on the last step and crash to the floor.
“What was that sound?” you heard a voice say.
“There’s someone there!” another replied.
“HAHAHAHAHA! Sounds like they just got a taste of the floor!” a third voice added, laughing uncontrollably.
You got up and rushed toward the source—and found three familiar faces you hadn’t seen in years.
There was a moment of stunned silence, and then—
“Y/N!?!?”
“Y/N!!!”
A third ghost rushed over to hug you, but went right through you instead.
“WE WERE DEAD WORRIED, Y/N! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING, DISAPPEARING LIKE THAT?” one of them yelled—not angry, just overwhelmed.
“Shut it, can’t you see she’s confused? Look at her face, poor girl looks so disoriented…”
“Hey, Y/N, did you do something to your hair?” the third ghost asked, pointing at you.
And just like that, the weight of the situation crashed down on you.
You were in the Ramshackle Dorm. And your eyes welled up with tears.
You had missed them. So. Much.
“We can’t believe you’ve been gone for months! Crowley spread the word that you’d gone back home, but we knew he was lying!”
The ghosts nodded.
“You wouldn’t leave without saying goodbye,” one of them added.
You looked away awkwardly. That was exactly what had happened.
But… it hadn’t been voluntarily.
---
"Well, I'll be damned," one of the ghosts said, impressed.
You looked down at your tea, the three ghosts sitting across from you like you were being interrogated.
"You know, now I'm confused. It's been four years for you, but here only four months have passed since you left."
"And you don't know how you got back..." the skinnier ghost said, thinking to himself. "A magic-less human can only go so far on their own when it comes to travelling through realms. Something or someone must have decided to bring you here again."
"But why?" You were still processing everything, not believing the situation you were in.
The ghosts shrugged.
"You could go talk to the head mage about this, but I don't think he'll be of any help,"
the bigger ghost said.
You stared at your tea, feeling like you were missing something.
"WAIT—WHERE'S GRIM?!" you shouted. Your annoying, beloved Grim. How could you have forgotten?
The ghosts looked at each other. They didn’t know.
"He was here this morning. He must have skipped class again. He's been getting rounder and rounder since you left," the cunty, enby ghost said. "He's been visiting Scarabia's housewarden for comfort."
"No, for food."
"Yes, exactly."
They all exchanged looks and then looked at you.
"Are you okay? You still look a little off."
You nodded. You did feel like you'd been scrambled and served with avocado on a toast after all of this.
Were you dreaming right now? Wait. That's it!
"I think I need some sleep. This is a lot to process. I'll see you later."
You headed to your room. The ghosts were worried about your well-being but respected your rest.
Once you were lying in bed, you stared at the broken screen of your phone until you fell asleep.
---
"Here you are again, ah-ha!"
There was that familiar voice again.
"Ah. Of course it's you. Who else?" You looked at Mickey, unimpressed. Mickey wasn't a bad guy, but he genuinely creeped you out a bit.
"You keep coming and going—what's up with that? It's been years!"
You widened your eyes at that statement.
"Years?! So for you it's also been—"
He cut you off. "Hey friend... I have to warn you about something."
You were taken aback. Of course the ominous rat had to say some bullshit like that.
"Come here," he said. You stepped closer.
"No, I mean closer. Come here, friend!"
You obliged, not knowing why.
"I think there's someone listening to us right now. Don't be scared, but they may be mean and not so friendly."
Your eyes widened. That fucking rat.
You looked around—again, nothing but white. A blank canvas.
"You can't see them, but I know they're here. Somewhere..." he said.
"So what? It's not like I'm roasting anyone behind their back." You tried to joke to ease the strange situation.
Mickey kept smiling, calm as ever. "Just be careful, friend! You never know who you may upset!"
He turned around, his back facing you.
"Besides, you should wake up. There's someone out there."
You blinked. "What—"
You woke up in a cold sweat. It was nighttime. You had been sleeping the whole day away, skipped your meals—a mess. You decided to go to the kitchen looking for something to eat. Not surprisingly, there were some tuna cans forgotten inside the highest drawers. You took one.
"Maybe I can conjure you like this," you mumbled to yourself.
It was the middle of the night, but Grim was nowhere to be seen.
You went outside, still creeped out by that nightmare. You were sitting on a bench eating the tuna with a spoon straight from the can like the animal you were.
For some minutes, there was only peace, and a darkness that let you, for the first time in years, see the night sky clearly.
Although it wasn't your sky to begin with.
You heard a gasp behind you, followed by a gentle, low laugh.
"If it isn't the child of man... Everyone thinks you're gone forever."
You just looked up to see Malleus towering over you.
"Oh... Tsunotaro."
You didn't really know what to say. It's been three years. It's awkward.
"You were only a week gone and suddenly everyone panicked," he laughed. "May I sit here?" He pointed to the spot next to you. You nodded.
"I mean, it's been four months," you said, considering this realm’s passage of time.
"Same thing. Oh my. How lustrous. Have you changed your hair?"
You took a lock of it and inspected it.
You hadn't changed your hair in over a year, but they wouldn't know.
"Say, tsunotaro. Have you seen Grim anywhere? I haven't seen him since I came back."
"Came back from where, anyways?"
You raised an eyebrow.
"From home. I was home."
"Ah." He seemed pensive. "I thought the head mage was lying. As per usual."
You looked at the stars, the air was chilly.
"It was weird, I didn't exactly come back on my own. I just appeard back home without a warning."
Malleus looked surprised. Then changed the topic.
"I think your familiar is currently at a slumber party with the first years."
You looked relieved. "Ah. Alright."
There was a silence. You really didn't know what to say.
"I mean, I had always wanted to get back but... Not like this." You looked down, fidgeting with your fingers, remembering the nightmare you've had. "Perhaps it was for the better."
"Well you're here now, aren't you? Will you come to class tomorrow?"
"Oh um. I think I'll have a word with Crowley first."
"I understand."
It was so dark outside you couldn't make up each other's features fully.
"What are you doing here this late anyway?"
You looked up at him.
"You know, the usual. I like the tranquility this place brings me, and I had a feeling I'd see you soon."
You smiled at him. He's always been so polite. Did he always seem so young though?
---------
The next day, you woke up early as usual—your body already acostumed to it. You made your way out of the dorm and towards the school, hoping to find some answers.
Soon enough, you arrived at Crowley's office. You knocked over and over, only to realize you’d come earlier than him when his voice spoke up from behind you.
“Oh. Y/n.” He sounded… annoyed? Unimpressed? Definitely not happy to see you.
“I mean, Y/n!!” He quickly corrected himself, switching to a more upbeat, surprised tone.
“My, my! What are you doing here?”
“Well, you tell me.” you replied, already exhausted by his nonsense—and it was only your second day since you came back.
He looked nervous, raising his hands in mock defense. “I really don’t know what you’re talking about.”
You sighed, tired. “Look, I don’t have time for this. You told everyone I had left.”
“Well, you did.”
“I know—but don’t you think it’s a bit suspicious? Don’t you know what happened?”
He paused, searching for a response.
“You want to go back, again?”
“That would be ideal. I’ve got a lot to do.”
He nodded, more serious than you’d ever seen him before.
“I’ll get working on it.”
For the first time, he actually seemed… serious? Like he was actually going to follow through.
“Hey, Y/n. I’m busy today, but come tomorrow—same time—and we’ll figure out what’s going on.”
He closed the door as you left, astonished.
Seems like he might actually be useful for once.
Suddenly, the door opened again. “Wait. You’ll be attending a different class. Go with the third-years.”
You raised an eyebrow. “Huh? Why, exactly?”
He looked confused. “Do you really want to be stuck around kids all day?” He handed you a paper with the class number on it. “Here. I know it’s been a long time—don’t get lost!” And with that, he shut the door right in your face.
As you walked to class, you were left wondering… Did he know? How much time had passed for you? Was he calling you forgetful?
When you arrived at your new class, a wave of anxiety hit you. You were about to walk in—the missing girl from Ramshackle. Embarrassing.
You knocked, waiting. Before long, Mr. Crewel opened the door, looking surprised.
“May I come in? Crowley told me to join this class from now on.”
Crewel simply nodded and let you in.
“Where the hell have you—”
He was cut off.
“MON DIEU!” Rook shouted. “Are my eyes deceiving me? Is that really you, trickster?!”
Almost everyone was already staring at you, but Rook’s outburst was loud enough to even wake up Leona.
Who immediately went back to sleep.
“It’s been… a while?” you said awkwardly.
Crewel, noticing Rook was about to start yelling in French again, decided to move on.
“Alright, everyone. Sit down now. And Y/n… We’ll get you a uniform for tomorrow. Yikes.”
His deep voice didn’t do much to hide his inner diva when he said things like that.
You nodded and made your way to an empty seat.
You had completely forgotten—through all the chaos, you hadn’t noticed you were still wearing yesterday’s clothes. Not exactly academy-appropriate. Covered in paint stains and in dire need of a wash.
The classes continued until the bell finally rang for lunch.
You were happy to be back, but strangely, you were avoiding everyone like the plague. It felt like you didn’t belong here anymore. You sat alone, trying not to draw attention to yourself, when suddenly—
a tray of food came flying toward your head.
Someone caught it just in time.
It was them—the troublemakers. Ace and Deuce were fighting over who-knows-what, with Epel cheering them on and Jack quietly observing the whole mess.
“BE CAREFUL, YOU ALMOST KNOCKED THIS POOR GIRL OUT—” Deuce froze when he realized who you were. “Girl?” Exactly. The only female student at NRC.
Seems like avoiding these guys was impossible.
You turned to face them. “Thanks, Deuce. If it weren’t for you, I’d be the fourth ghost haunting Ramshackle.”
The boys all blinked at the same time. And then—chaos.
“HUH?! WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN, YOU DAMN—” Ace yelled.
“STOP SCREAMING, YOU SICKO—AT LEAST SHE’S NOT MISSING ANYMORE!” Deuce shot back.
They kept arguing while Epel approached you. “Hey, Y/n, is it true you went back home?”
Jack moved closer to listen.
“… Yeah, I did.”
Ace and Deuce stopped bickering for a moment.
“You don’t say—we thought Crowley was lying.”
Seems like everyone thought that.
You shook your head and motioned for them to come sit with you.
“It’s a long story. I still don’t get most of it.”
The boys sat around you as you began to explain. It was gonna take long.
Before you knew it, you were walking down the hallway with them.
“four whole years? So now you’re basically a hag,” Ace joked with a deadpan expression.
A lot had happened since you left. You were now a young adult, attending college, and yet here you were again—surrounded by high-school-aged weirdos. Honestly, Ace wasn’t entirely wrong. You were already a little older than them when you first came to this world.
“Hm. Respect your elders, young man!” you protested, matching his energy.
It was time to head to your next class, but Crowley never gave you a schedule.
As the boys walked off, you were left standing there, a little lost. Then, you sensed you weren’t alone anymore. Turning around, you expected to see probably Rook, but instead, you met Lilia.
“Malleus told me you were back, but I wasn’t sure whether to believe it until I saw you walk into class.” The fae floated lazily around you. “Hm. Did you do something to your hair?”
That question was starting to get old.
“Where are we headed now?” you asked, feeling a bit lost.
“We’re going to the lab, little bat. You can be my partner today, if you’d like,” he offered with a cheeky grin.
You didn’t need to think about it. “Sure, but you’ll have to help me. I haven’t touched a potion since forever.”
He chuckled. “Of course, little bat.”
The class went smoothly. You actually remembered a few basics, even though the content was more advanced than what you’d learned before. The potion you were working on was similar to the shapeshifting mix the Octavinelle mobs used.
“Are you following?” Lilia’s voice pulled you from your thoughts.
“Yeah! Sorry, I’m on it.”
Lilia stared at you for a moment.
“Hm?” You finally noticed.
“You seem different from a week ago. Are you fatigued? Ill, perhaps?”
These fae and their weird sense of time.
"It's been four months." According to this place's passage of time though.
“You humans rush through life. You grow and age so quickly.” He just commented.
“Excuse me?” You stopped stirring your potion. This wasn’t about your hair or your eye bags anymore, huh?
“I don’t mean to be rude—it’s just…” He gave you a once-over. “Are you sure you’re not ill? Are you eating properly?”
You blinked, surprised. You didn’t look fifty, but you hadn’t really noticed the subtle changes. Not only that, but life was absolutely kicking your ass back at home, so you didn't exactly look your best either. You've been living in your body every day, but it seems this old fae caught on right away.
You sat in silence, thinking, until you suddenly came to a solution.
“Lilia, are you free tonight?” you asked, changing the subject.
His eyes widened, and he flashed his fangs in a playful smile. “Oh my, a little forward, aren’t we, little bat?”
“Well, you and Malleus… I wouldn’t mind inviting Silver too, but Sebek needs to behave,” you mumbled, mostly to yourself.
He raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “Are you planning some sort of social gathering?”
You nodded. “I should probably invite some first-years too—or maybe even the housewardens and their vices.”
You were planning to gather everyone tonight—so you could finally stop explaining the story over and over.
Lilia nodded in understanding. “Malleus will be delighted. What’s the plan? A serious gathering? Maybe a ball?”
“I was thinking… a tea party.”
“At night? Really?”
“A midnight tea party. Doesn’t that sound perfect?”
You smiled. Needless to say, he loved the idea.
“Count us in. I’ll spread the word.”
So, it’s a plan then!
And with a better mood and mindset (and Lilia's help, of course) the potion turned out perfect.