Deja Vu

Chapter 20: First Day as a Full Student

Notes:

This chapter, I've decided to get a little real. There's gonna be references to the real world and the main character's experiences with it, and so it might not apply for everyone, so I apologize ahead of time if you cannot relate to the subject matter. At this point in the series, I'm starting to characterize the main character as their own person with life experiences, so I hope that you can still enjoy it! They'll still be gender-neutral and everything they've been up to this point, they'll just be talking about life experiences which may not be universal.

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When you tell Grim it's time to leave for school, he doesn't believe you.

"We've been awake for hours already! If we go to school now, we'll only be able to be there for a couple of hours!!"

Solomon snickers as he's walking past the bathroom, hearing Grim gripe loudly from the counter. You're brushing your teeth, so you spit before responding. "Time works differently here, Grim. The days are like.. twice as long as a day in the human realm. We go to school, and then we sleep there, and then we finish our school day and go home and sleep here."

Grim stares at the mirror, unable to come to terms with the news you're giving him. You shake your head, chuckling as you pick him up and set him on the bed. "I'm gonna shower before class."

You take your school uniform into the bathroom so you can get dressed when you're done. Solomon is putting on his shirt, beginning to button it up when Grim flops over on the bed and grumbles about being hungry. The tall sorcerer glances over at the cat-like monster as he's tucking his shirt into his pants. "If you'd like, I can make you some breakfast."

Grim looks at him suspiciously. "... Are you gonna make me work for it?" You've taught him well to never accept food without asking what the cost is going to be. Especially at NRC. Kindness was a trap. Those instincts will serve him well in Devildom.

Solomon laughs. ".. No? You need to eat before school, don't you?"

Grim grins. "So it's free? No strings attached? Yer not gonna make me work for it later?"

"Of course it's free. You won't owe me anything."

"OH YEAH!" Grim jumps up and strikes a pose before leaping up onto Solomon's shoulder once his jacket uniform is on. He stands on his hindlegs and grips Solomon's hair with one front paw, pointing the other dramatically towards the door. "COME, SECOND MINION! FOOD TIME!" Which makes Solomon chuckle.

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You step out of the bathroom and head out of your shared room to go to the kitchen. You see Simeon and Luke standing in the hallway, staring into the kitchen with what can only be described as morbid fascination. You look past them to see Solomon and Grim in the kitchen. Grim's happily eating Solomon's cooking.

You briefly remember that Grim will eat anything if given the chance.

You never expected just how delighted he is to eat it, though. He's delightedly slurping up the soup that looks like a swamp that's been cursed to kill all who enter its domain. Grim spots you and grins. "___!! This is amazing!! And Solomon says humans can eat it! Come on over here!!"

Simeon and Luke give you sympathetic glances, wondering how you'll get out of this mess. You just smile to Grim. "It sounds like it's really yummy, but I don't wanna take food from-" But you're cut off before you can decline.

"Nonsense! I made lots!" Solomon smiles excitedly and holds out a bowl to you.

"You really gotta try this! It's amazing. It tastes like sulfur and salmon and the little bubbles pop when they hit your tongue! Each of them has a juice inside and when they hit your tongue, they've got different effects! One of them made my mouth feel all sparky, and then another gave me chills!" Grim's giggling, already asking for seconds from Solomon who happily serves him up. Solomon looks so happy with Grim's praise.