Scy's cheeks redden as he glances at Michael's softened features. He's pressed back to back with his rather adorable looking friend and can't help but feel slightly excited by the closeness. He can clearly feel the tickle of Michael's lengthened brown hair on his neck.

"Woah... You look weird." Jamie comments suddenly.

Michael's expression twists for a moment before he gives Jamie a lopsided grin. Scy wants to refute Jamie's words, but holds his tongue after reconsidering. Michael is just his very male friend after all, so why should he defend his cuteness?

"Your manifest is way worse!" Michael jabs back.

"How rude!" Jamie replies jokingly.

The skeletal arm and leg Jamie is now sporting gives him a downright ghoulish look while Michael's slight feminization leaves him easier on the eyes. Their conversation is cut short when the dead Demon Bird corpses move aside to reveal Professor Arborl.

"Are you..." Professor Arborl starts.

The three of them glance at each other while waiting for their botany professor to finish his question. Their attention is pulled back toward Prof. Arborl when several huge sturdy roots grow from the ground, ripping apart the tiles and scooping up the dead bodies. The sheer strength and toughness of those tree roots is impressive.

"...alright?" Professor Arborl asks.

"Y-Yes professor!" Michael answers sheepishly.

Michael's voice is a little different from usual, but the change isn't enough for Professor Arborl to find it strange; Professor Arborl was informed of Michael's slightly unique manifestation anyways.

"Good. Go..." Professor Arborl creaks.

Jamie raises his arm to glance at his wrist as if checking an imaginary watch. Michael slaps him on the back as if telling him to behave himself, and Jamie just smiles in return.

"...to your dorms." Professor Arborl orders.

The three of them nod quickly and crawl out from under the table to wade through a mess of broken furniture, dead Demon Birds, and food waste. Michael covers his face with his shirt to ward off the stench.

~

"Sorry. I just don't want to lose anyone." David apologizes quietly.

Kenneth gives him a look of solemn understanding as the two sit in their dorm room. The sudden embrace felt a little shocking in the moment, but considering what he's been through it'd be more surprising if David didn't fear for his only friend's safety.

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"I-It's fine." Kenneth assures him.

The two of them are seated side by side on David's bed. David's frown gives Kenneth pause, but he knows not to push him on things related to the past. Kenneth opts to step off the bed and turn on the magi-television. The screen quickly lights up as the magi-console connected to it boots up, and catchy chiptune music plays as a game's title screen is displayed.

David glances at Kenneth whilst a small smile forms on his usually scowling face. Kenneth hands him a controller and the two sit side by side whilst the game loads. David wipes his slightly sweaty palms on his shirt before readjusting his grip on the controller.

The level opens with cherry blossoms descending across the screen and a low resolution pair of ninja characters running onto the screen.

~

"So do you guys want to play poker?" Jamie asks.

Michael's nose wrinkles a little as he imagines what sort of things Jamie would do to win a game of poker, and the mere thought of playing a game based on bluffing and reading opponents with Jamie makes Michael a little nauseous.

"Sure, why not?" Scy replies.

Scy may be shrugging as he agrees, but Michael isn't about to play a game of poker with a trickster like Jamie.

"I'm not too keen on playing with you, Jamie..." Michael huffs.

"Oh? Do you not trust me or something?" Jamie replies sarcastically.

Michael pouts a little at this, and the expression looks rather cute on Michael's softer rounded features. Scy stares a little too long and clears his throat when Michael glances his way.

"We can just bet snacks or something... Haha..." Scy offers awkwardly.

Michael gives Scy a long look as if trying to figure something out, but doesn't say anything. They arrive at Scy and Michael's dorm room, and Scy opens the door as if trying to run away from Michael's watchful gaze.

~

The soft tapping of Headmaster Locke's finger on his impressive desk is the only sound filling the office for several long moments. Professor Nan clears her throat as if trying to shatter the icy silence, and Headmaster Locke gives her a look with his eyebrow raised.

"...Are you all certain that this was a natural phenomenon?" Headmaster Locke asks sternly.

Professor King has his arm's crossed over his muscled chest, and his lion tail swats around behind him as it would on a rather frustrated lion. His golden eyes glance over at Professor Nan with a look of uncertainty before he locks eyes with Headmaster Locke.

"It's impossible to know for certain, Headmaster." Professor King admits solemnly.

This elicits an irritated scoff from Headmaster Locke as he rests his hand flat on the surface of his desk. Headmaster Locke's cold eyes adorn his currently crow shaped head, and that dark beak of his clicks as he struggles to contain his frustration.

"This was a complete disaster." Headmaster Locke starts.

All the professors turn their attention to him with frowns and somber eyes.

"Our students' safety was put in jeopardy today and yet we have no explanation to give the parents should they come knocking!" Headmaster Locke roars.

The professors look at one another before Professor Thaulmer lets out a rather loud sigh. She purses her pillowy peach hued lips, and looks Headmaster Locke square in the eyes with a determined expression.

"Headmaster we're all aware how dire the situation is, but this is no time to scold ourselves for what happened." Professor Thaulmer says pointedly.

Headmaster Locke manages to frown with that dark crow beak of his somehow, and crosses his arms as if trying to shut out Professor Thaulmer's opinion. She presses on despite his obvious displeasure.

"We should be investigating why our barrier wasn't functioning, not why that swarm of Demon Birds targeted the academy." Professor Thaulmer finishes.

Headmaster Locke tilts his head back a bit before raising his hand as if having an epiphany. He smiles a little with that odd feathered face of his, and points to Professor Thaulmer. He takes a pen from his desk and starts writing something down whilst the professors all look on curiously.

"Everyone else may leave, but Professor Thaulmer." Headmaster Locke announces.