Behavior problems...

Golden Threads...

Leona smirked. "Wouldn't dream of it."

With Rook and Jamil on board, the group was finally complete. Now all that remained was the journey to Briar Valley—and the dangers waiting for them there.

Later that day the sun was barely creeping over the horizon when Ramshackle Dorm transformed into something between a battlefield and a last-minute packing frenzy. Bags were tossed around, complaints were thrown even faster, and Yuu was seconds away from considering whether running off to Briar Valley alone would have been the better option.

"Where the heck is my other shoe?!" Ace yelled, practically diving under the couch.

Deuce, who was already fully dressed and packed like the responsible person he pretended to be, frowned. "How do you lose a shoe when we haven't even left yet?"

"Oh, I don't know, Deuce, maybe it's because someone"—Ace turned to glare at Grim, who was gnawing on something suspiciously fabric-like—"is a little thief with a bad habit of hoarding things that don't belong to him!"

Grim choked slightly before spitting out a piece of shoelace. "Hey! That ain't mine!"

Yuu sighed, rubbing her temples. "I swear, if you two don't pull it together, I'm leaving you behind."

"That's an option?" Leona grumbled from where he was sprawled on the couch, arms crossed and looking absolutely uninterested in the chaos around him.

Ruggie, balancing a bag of snacks and a bundle of extra clothes, snickered. "You wish, Leona. You're stuck with us."

Vil swept into the room like an exasperated storm, his pristine uniform already pressed and his luggage packed hours before everyone else. "This is pathetic. How are any of you expecting to survive Briar Valley when you can't even pack like civilized people?"

"We are civilized," Ace muttered. "Some of us just have a different definition of 'prepared.'"

"Your definition is wrong," Vil deadpanned.

Meanwhile, Epel was struggling to carry a duffel bag nearly twice his size, his face red from exertion. "A lil' help here?! Who packed all this?! Did Grim shove bricks in here or somethin'?"

"I like to be prepared!" Grim huffed, leaping onto the couch with a dramatic flail.

"Okay, let's go over the list one more time," Yuu said, stepping in before someone (Ace) inevitably got thrown out a window. She took a deep breath and counted off with her fingers. "Everyone has their travel bags?"

There was a chorus of half-hearted yeahs and one "Do emotional baggage count?" from Ruggie.

"Everyone has their school excuse slips?"

Deuce patted his pocket. "I made copies, just in case."

"Oh, look at you," Ace teased. "Such a good student."

Deuce glared. "At least I'm not failing Potions."

"That was one time!"

Yuu ignored them and moved on. "Everyone has actual essentials? Food, warm clothes, emergency potions—"

Rook threw an arm around her shoulder, beaming. "Ma chère Yuu, do you doubt my preparation? I have procured not only the necessities but also items that will make our journey très magnifique!"

Yuu squinted at the large, mysterious bundle slung over Rook's back. "...I don't want to know what's in there, do I?"

"Absolutely not."