Expectations When Expecting

Book 3, Chapter 6

Back at Ramshackle dorm, Yuu paced the floor, anxiously muttering half-formed plans in Spanish, laughing every so often in a very desperate attempt to dispel her anxieties.

Jack, whose ears were pinned against his head and tail wagging anxiously as he watched Yuu pace, took it upon himself to stand up and lead her to the sofa.

"I think it's safe to say that everybody with an anemone stuck on their head..." He muttered, giving Yuu a glass of water. "...gambled on Azul's contract and lost."

Yuu gave a nod, thankful to Jack as she sipped the water.

"The terms of said contract were apparently to place in the top 50." Jack stated. "But with the sheer number of students signin' on most of them never stood a chance of getting in at all. That was Azul's game from the start."

Yuu gave a nod of agreement. "So the overall grade average is skewed right with those in the top 50 being perfect scores..." She gives a sigh of annoyance. "What a mess..."

Jack nodded, annoyed. "I mean, c'mon! If you're gettin' good grades off someone else's work, what does that even prove?"

Yuu gave a nod. "I get that, but study guides are helpful when practicing the necessary skills for a test. The way these were used for a scam, however..."

Jack grumbled. "You're throwin' away a perfectly good opportunity to show others what you're capable of. Frankly, you're cheating yourself."

"If the rest of the student body here were as principled and tedious... I mean, as serious as you, it would spare me such grief!" A voice startled the two students, the 19 year old pregnant woman yelping loudly as she turned to face her surprise visitor.

"Headmage?! You startled me!" Jack gasped, his ears perked.

Yuu took a quiet breath. "Sir, you've got to stop doing that... My heart can't take these scares."

"So transpires another year of me being unable to clamp down on Ashengrotto's little 'side business.'" Crowley caws dramatically, setting a bag of food onto the table.

"Hold up..." Yuu stood, leaving her baggy school jacket on the sofa. "You know about this?"

"Azul Ashengrotto: Sophomore. Housewarden of Octavinelle Dorm." The birdman stated, clearing his throat. "Much like Rosehearts, he is a highly capable student already running a dorm as a sophomore, but... He's a bit-no, I daresay QUITE a bit troublesome."

"... Troublesome in what way?" Yuu muttered.

Jack looked at the Headmage. "Are you talking about him swindling people? Seems to me like one word from the headmage could put a stop to this whole thing." The wolf man grumbled.

Crowley sighed, sitting beside Yuu on the sofa preparing a cup of tea for her. "Ah, but it is precisely BECAUSE I am in a teaching position that I cannot prohibit his actions."

Jack's eyes widened, sitting on the wooden rocking chair as he tilted his head to the side in confusion. "Why not?"

Crowley exhaled through his nose, pouring the tea into the cup. "Here's the thing about those study guides that Ashengrotto handed out to the students. There was no illegitimate activity involved in their production. Nobody snuck a look at test questions or answers beforehand." Crowley turned to Yuu.

"Would you like any sugar, Miss Yuu?"

"Yes please, but nothing too sweet. And a bit of milk would be fine, sir." Yuu responded as Crowley smiled at her before turning back to look at Jack.

"Regardless, it was crafted exhaustively by hand, after researching the past century's worth of Night Raven College exam questions and their patterns. In other words, it's an entirely legitimate study guide."