Ash and Liesa had continued to work for the next several hours, though after a certain point Ash had little clue as to what the girl was actually doing. He simply followed orders, trying his best not to stare into the infinite void of possibilities and trigger another existential crisis. That was something he had never expected to worry about, but turned out shockingly easy to avoid. Liesa had simply rerouted the display to her glasses so that only she could see it. Though, the Vintrkind didn’t know if this was a good thing or a bad thing when she let out the occasional gasp or ‘Oh my!’ every so often. 

Seriously, what was she seeing? After a certain point Ash was beginning to get embarrassed about stuff that he didn’t do. It was also around that point he also reached one simple conclusion: The Bifrost could go fuck itself. These two things were most definitely completely unrelated. 

Eventually though, they ran out of time and the two called it a night, scheduling another session for a later day. Despite having done basically nothing for the past several hours, Ash still collapsed onto his bed when he got back at the dorms. 

Attending school as a boy again was a relief, even if he did end up having everyone’s attention focused on him again. Turns out, it was hard to hide when you were once again standing head over shoulders above everyone around you. And his classmates were still coming up to him asking how they looked for some reason. Curse him and his stupid mouth. But it wasn’t until the afternoon that things started to pick up again. 

“This is all the information I managed to collect on the ‘Jade Dragon’ study group,” Magnolia declared, sending the group a text file from her data pad. “How are things going on your end? I do hope you’re not planning to just waltz up to their front door and challenge them to a fight.”

Instead of their usual meeting place at the library, the group had all gathered together at the D-Rank dorms. He hadn’t noticed it before, but there were a lot of Valkyrie trainees who wore the insignia of the Jade Dragon on their uniforms. Talking about their plan to go against the group on campus was just a plain stupid idea. Luckily for them, even with all the commotion that Magnolia’s renovations had caused, the dorms were still tucked away in a small corner of Valhalla. They didn’t need to worry about anyone listening in on them there. Not that there was much of a difference then usual, considering that three fourths of them lived there so it really felt to Ash more like an early dinner than a serious plan of action.

“Pfft, who do you think I am? You?” Scoffed Kyouko. Magnolia bristled at the insinuation, but before she could open her mouth the Midgardain Girl continued, “I’m way subtler than that. Anemone was easy since she proposed the gamble herself, but this isn’t just one dumbass we’re talking about. It’s an entire group of jackasses, backed by the biggest broccoli bitch of all. Trying to break it in one swing is just liable to get our hands broken instead.”

“The history behind this group is quite fascinating once you start to dig into it,” Liesa commented, the frames of her SMART glasses glowing. She paused before turning to him and giving the Vintrkind a look. “Ash, you should really stop eating and read this for yourself.”

“That’d just spoil my appetite.” He took a bite of the chicken in his hands, stopping to savor the taste of Miss Ingen’s cooking before devouring the rest of the thing whole. Perhaps it was because his body had so drastically shifted physiques, but Ash’s stomach had become a bottomless pit. No matter how much he fed it, he never felt full for long. “Sum it up for me. I’m listening.”

“Ash, that’s…” Liesa scratched her cheeks before turning to his handler. “Miss Hale?”

The blonde nodded, giving her charge the ‘serious business’ look and crossing her fingers. “I will be checking to make sure that he reads the entire document in full. After all, I spent oh so much time putting it together. Myself. Personally.”

The young man resisted the urge to sigh into his food. He’d read it, he really would. However, mealtime was sacred, and thinking about unsavory people only made his food taste worse. Unfortunately, when he glanced up to respond, he saw something that made a chill go down his spine. Kyouko was staring directly at him, lips twitching, with a dangerous glint in her crimson eyes.
 

“Stop right there. Vargr, when did you and Liesa get so close? Usually she’s got that weirdly formal way of talking, and yet when she says your name…” Breaker showed her teeth and Ash knew he was in deep shit. “You didn’t do anything when the two of you were by yourselves, right?”

Okay he had to speak really fast-

“Oh we did the most wondrous thing yesterday! Ash showed me a whole new world!” A sigh that was far too wistful for Ash to feel comfortable with escaped Liesa’s lips. The Alfheim wing candidate pressed her hands together before seeming to swoon in her seat. “And after that we swore to be together in both body and soul!”

Ash didn’t say anything in response. Instead, he initiated a rapid fire barrage of coughs as he began to choke on his own food. Kyouko immediately doubled over with laughter, clutching her sides while slamming her fist into the table causing it to rattle dangerously. In contrast, Magnolia’s reaction was far more subdued as she reached up to pinch the bridge of her nose. “Stark. It seems I once again have to remind you to watch your words.”

“Watch my words- Goodness no! I didn’t mean for it to come out like that!” Smoke seemingly burst out of the bespectacled girl’s ears as her face flushed burning red. “It was merely a science experiment!”

“You should stop while you’re ahead,” Ash sighed, before turning to glare at his friend who was still taking all the kicks that she could get. “If you don’t give her the opening, then Breaker can’t take advantage of it.”

And every word out of Liesa’s mouth was giving Kyouko more than enough ammunition to make a killing on the black market. Not that Ash spoke that part out loud.

“Aw, that’s cute Vargr. You think I need you to give me the opening.” With that ominous statement, Ash could only breathe a sigh of relief as Kyouko turned towards his handler. “But Maggie’s the more interesting one here. The thought of Vargr taking advantage of sweet Liesa didn’t even cross her mind.”

“What kind of woman do you think I am?” The blonde shot back hotly. “Perhaps if it were another Asgardian man I would agree, but I know full well that Ash is not the sort to do such a thing. We slept in the same room for a week and not once did he make an attempt on my purity.”

Thinking back on those days now with a clear head, sometimes it felt like she was the one in danger of assaulting him and not the other way around. But there was no way that Ash wanted to continue talking about this so he slapped his hands down on the table loudly, drawing everyone’s attention. With a cough, he spoke. “We were going to discuss those Jade Dragon guys?”

Liesa blinked. “I thought you wanted to focus on eating-”

“Someone destroyed my appetite.” The vintrkind growled. Kyouko gave him a wink that they both knew meant ‘no regrets!’. 

“Yes, this conversation should be shelved for a later date. We do have more important matters to get around to.” Magnolia nodded, pushing aside a stray strand of blonde hair before she continued. “To begin with, we’ll have to discuss the history of the Jade Dragon group before Xiao Bai was officially employed as a teacher at VEA. The truth of the matter is that this ‘study group’ has a history dating all the way back to the year 178. Originally it was created as the Muspelheim Junior Regiment, and was created to serve as a way to spread the Realm of Power’s culture throughout Valhalla.”

“Out of all of the realms in Yggdrasil, historically Muspelheim has been the one to focus the most on realm unity, likely stemming from its role as the official Military of Yggdrasil.” Liesa chimed in. “They’ve justified their praxis by saying that their responsibility to maintain Yggdrasil’s main power generators require strict discipline but have often been criticized as harsh and authoritarian by outsiders.  If I’m reading this right then it might have been an attempt by the realm to more thoroughly integrate themselves with the rest of Yggdrasil. A worthy endeavor, if so!”

“It’s the opposite in all likelihood. As far as I can tell, the original purpose of the MJR’s founding wasn’t for promotion but to regulate themselves.” The wing candidate scoffed. “Even to this day, 97% of Valkyrie Trainees from Muspelheim are part of this ‘study group’. Those who aren’t typically become outcasts in their home realm, and face severe pressure if they choose to return. I’ll say what I want about Asgard, but the more I learn the more I find that Realm’s obsession with order and collectivism to be disgusting.”

Ash nodded slowly. That changed things a bit. To call such a gathering a ‘Study Group’ was really underselling it. If Magnolia’s information was correct, Jade Dragon was more a group of junior soldiers. Though he would admit to being ignorant about the specifics of Muspelheim, that didn’t mean Ash was completely oblivious to the realm’s fearsome reputation. It was hard to be when the realm loved to showcase the domineering might of their residents in athletic competitions and mock battles. The display was supposed to show that Yggdrasil was safe, but now the Vintrkind was getting ready to stand right in front of the barrel of that loaded gun.

A heavy groan escaped Kyouko as she closed her eyes. “Great. So they don’t just have numbers, they’re backed by the realm that will throw the biggest hissy fit this side of Yggdrasil if anything happens.”

Silence fell upon the group. Magnolia tapped the table as she mulled over the situation. “Does that mean you’re going to call off whatever you’re planning?”

“Eh, not really. I’ve pissed off the Midgard Enforcers more times than I can count and Muspelheim is just a bigger version of that right?” She replied with a blase shrug of her shoulders. Ash silently didn’t mention the fact that he could count the amount of times the duo had gotten into trouble with the law and just how narrowly they had gotten away. Nor did he mention how his partner was biting her lips in the way she wanted to hide her frustrations. He was the only one who had known Kyouko long enough to pick that up as she continued. “Besides, they’re led by the great garlic granny herself, so trying to avoid conflict is pointless. How the hell did that happen anyways? You’d have to be an idiot to put her in charge of your realm’s representatives.”

“Quite vexingly, that so-called idiot must be enjoying the time of their life right now. Around five years ago, soon after Xiao Bai first became a teacher at VEA, she took charge of the MJR and rebuilt it from the ground up as the Jade Dragons we know.” The Asgardian rubbed her forehead, clearly trying to keep her facial expressions neutral. “Soon after, the performance of trainees in the Jade Dragons began to skyrocket to record highs. As far as Muspelheim is concerned, she’s getting results so she’s doing something right. It’s the reason why even with my mother’s connections and my name as a Hale, I’m still having to fight to get Ash a room at the C-Rank dorms.”

“If only she could bring that attitude into the classroom as well,” Liesa sighed, causing everyone to nod their heads. It was hard to reconcile these facts with the woman who spent most of her class time berating her students. Specifically, Ash. “When it comes to learning, the attitude of one’s teacher is paramount to your education! Were she to apply the same mannerisms she does to her favorite students to the rest of us then she’d surely shine as a remarkable professor!”

“If you’re talking about the Little White that I know, then I assure you it’d be even worse,” commented Miss Ingen as she came down the stairs and into the dining room. Everyone turned to stare at her as she continued to talk in a nostalgic tone. “Little White has always been strict on herself and others, even for Muspelheim standards. Throwing everything aside in order to achieve results… Hmph, those girls are probably being pushed to their limit.”

“And of course the bat is old enough to know about her,” Kyouko snickered, earning her a smack upside the head. “Ow! You hit me! Not even Ash hits me!”

Ash gave his long time friend a flat stare as she pulled out the third trick in her arsenal: her crocodile tears. Of course everyone at the table knew she was exaggerating, but Kyouko could make a scarily good actor sometimes. Still, Kyouko had a point. Miss Ingen had been around long enough that she had to have known Xiao Bai when she was still a student, so perhaps… “You wouldn’t happen to know why she hates me so much, would you?”

The dormitory head paused. Her movements were so stiff that Ash could almost hear the creaking of her joints as she turned to look at him. Or more accurately, look at the white valkyrie gear sitting on her wrist. “Well, I can’t say that it isn’t related to you.”

Heaving a heavy sigh, Miss Ingen continued. “Truthfully there isn’t much for me to say. Or rather, it’s not my place to say. I’ve known Little White since she was a student at VEA herself, back when she was a Muspelheim Wing Candidate. Things were different back then in a lot of ways, but she was still as wound up as she is now. Raised all sorts of hell, but ever since Jotunheim fell, she’s just gotten worse. I understand why, but-”

Magnolia ever so politely coughed and the old woman caught herself. Age showing on her features as she looked away from the table. “Sorry about that. I ended up rambling. Most of it is none of my business. I keep out of the higher politics of VEA and focus on caring for those who stay in my dorm. The past is the past and should be left well alone after all. If Little White wants to hold on to her grudges, that’s her business. Still if you want to keep looking into her Jade Dragons, Ash knows someone who can point you in the right direction.”

“I do?” The boy in question blinked. 

“Technically, you all should. Victoria throws out enough complaints about them that she rots my ear off whenever she feels like talking. Something tells me it might be a bit more personal than just passing knowledge. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to leave you kids to finish your meal while I sit down for a bit.”

“Hey, wait a minute!” Shouted Kyouko. She jumped up from her seat just as the woman began to head towards the dormitory exit. “You didn’t answer the question at all!”

“Oh quiet down, will you?” Magnolia scolded, dragging the Midgardian back down into her seat. “She said more than enough. If she doesn’t want to say more then we should let it lie. Honestly, your attitude towards our host is so awfully rude, it’s astonishing. Didn’t your parents teach you to respect your elders?”

At that moment, Ash felt a winter chill go through his body. He was unsure if that was just him or everyone else as the entire room grew tense. To say that was the wrong choice of words was an understatement. Painfully slowly, Kyouko met the Asgardians gaze with Dead, crimson eyes. With a casual bluntness totally unfitting of what she was about to say, Breaker stated the truth. “Dunno. They didn’t get that far before they committed suicide.”

Blood drained from Magnolia’s face. Her eyes widening in shock. In contrast to her usual strong tone, Ash’s handler spoke like she was skating on thin ice. Fragile and about to crack at any moment. “A-Ah. I see…”

 “Oh that’s horrible!” Liesa cried, leaping over the table to grab her charge’s hands. “How come you never said anything?!”

“Because you never asked?” Kyouko leaned back, giving Ash an awkward plea for help. “They trusted someone they shouldn’t have, got pinned for a crime they didn’t commit, and then decided to end themselves rather than keep on living. It’s a common story in Midgard, and happens practically every day. I’m nothing special.”

That much was true at least. Ash had talked to enough people and had seen the victims of the corporations that ruled the realm first hand. Everyone had their own sob story, even he was no exception. Of course you couldn’t live just crying your eyes out. Everyone had to pick themselves out and wipe their tears somehow. Just as he had decided to freeze the painful memories, his partner too had handled it in her own ways. Namely the blase manner that she had to her own parent’s death. Even now Kyouko was just casually brushing it off, as if it didn’t affect her. After years of this he hadn’t bothered to ask anymore, but today the Vintrkind stared at her with uncertain eyes. 

…No. They didn’t have time for this. A wintry breath cooled his mind as he let out a sigh. “The plan?”

“Plan?” His friend replied with a start that sent her chair toppling backwards, crashing into the ground with a thud that echoed through the room. Moments later she jumped back on to her feet, brushing the dirt off her clothes as if nothing had even happened. “Right the plan!”

Everyone’s gaze was drawn to her finger as she held it up in the air. Kyouko clearly basked in the moment, holding it for dramatic effect before she shouted with total confidence. “I don’t have anything!”

“Really now,” Magnolia said flatly. “I’m so glad that we can rely on you in these troubling times. Your genius truly knows no bounds.”

“Hey, quit it! I’m the only one allowed to sass here. Where did you even pick that up?!” Probably from you, Ash thought to himself quietly. “And it’s not my fault that the scale turned out to be way bigger than we thought it would be. This isn’t just one individual conveniently setting the stage I have to plan for, this is an entire organization on the scale of a syndicate operation. It’s going to take time no matter what. We have to poke and prod at the weak links until eventually we find their core and strike.”

“Think of tactics like politics.” Kyouko tapped her fingers against the table before her lips twitched upwards.  “Or maybe that won’t help, since given your track record that didn’t seem to have been a part of your ‘noble’ Asgard training.”

The blonde girl’s eyes flared up, but before she could do anything Ash moved. A wave of frigid air rolled over both girls. The Vintrkind gave them a wintry look as the duo shivered. “Knock it off. Especially you Breaker. That was uncalled for. Apologize.” 

Kyouko laughed. 

Ash didn’t. 

“Wait are you actually seriou-” The temperature grew several degrees colder. “Alright fine!”

Deflating like a balloon, all the energy left the midgard girl’s body as she picked her chair back up and slumped into the seat. Kyouko let out an annoyed grunt, hand curling into a fist. “Look it’s just, I’m sorry. The problems keep piling up and not having a clear answer on how to even start breaking it down frustrates the hell out of me! But… I shouldn’t have taken it out on you. Especially not like that. I’m painfully aware you’re not like that and yet—”

She paused before sighing and looking Magnolia in the eyes. “I’m not going to say I didn’t mean it. Not because I do, but because I know it still hurt you regardless. Just… I’m sorry.”

There was a heavy silence before the blonde closed her eyes. “Tell me, if you had to take action no matter what, how do you believe things would end?”

“If I was really dedicated? There’s a thousand ways I could handle this like that but they all end the same. Mutually assured destruction.” Kyouko admitted, sitting back down her seat. “We’d hurt Xiao Bai, but we’d probably lose our own careers as Valkyrie in the process. Destroying something is the easy part you know? Finding how to make sure it doesn’t hurt you as well? That’s the tricky part.”

“The same is true of creation as well.” The legacy of the Hale family laughed bitterly to herself. “No matter how grand your ideals may be, however noble your ambition may be, there will always be hard choices. Imperfections and shame you must undergo. None can live without staining their honor, and I would be a hypocrite if I could not understand that.”

“That’s why people compromise is it not?” The Alfheim Wing Candidate chimed in. “Eventually it has to get done after all. One must take action and make a choice regardless if it’s not perfect. Progress isn’t made by the dead as they say in my home realm.”

“I think all realms have some variation of that phrase.” Magnolia chuckled to herself. A soft smile graced her face as she opened her eyes. “But that is correct. Duty can only be completed through action after all. And for a start, Kyouko Hagemu, I shall accept your apology.”

“Yeah…” Nervously, the black haired girl buried her head into her arms. Unwilling to even show her face. Ash couldn’t see it, but he knew that it was probably cherry red right now. “Thanks.”

“Secondly, we shall quit moping around and face our challenges head on.” The Asgardian Wing Candidate turned her gaze towards her charge. “Ash, what do you believe we should do?”

Bringing his hand to his chin, the young man began to think. Ash knew for a fact that he probably couldn’t think of an alternative plan for Breaker to use. Strategy and tactical thinking was very much not his strong suit, so if the real deal couldn’t do it then there was no way he could, no matter how much he tried to emulate his partner. What he could think of, however, was a way to give her the opportunity to come up with something. As Kyouko had said, they needed to poke and prod before they found the Jade Dragon’s weak link. And for that what they needed was two things: resources and information. 

“Just to confirm.” The Vintrkind began. Hesitation boiled in his gut but Ash steeled himself, gritting his teeth to not rely on his vintblod as he began to speak what was on his mind. “Magnolia, your family doesn’t have the resources to go up against the Jade Dragons, correct?”

“Even at our family’s peak, it would’ve posed a challenge. Now? When, not if, Mom finds out about what’s happening she’s sure to scold me harshly.” She pursed her lips, shaking her head before continuing. “Xiao Bai by herself could’ve been written off as a bad actor, but the Jade Dragons are too closely tied to Muspelheim. Making an enemy of an entire realm overtly is not something that the Hale family can endure. However, if there is a weak link that can be exploited then things might perchance be different.”

Magnolia subtly nudged Kyouko with her elbow. “You claim to be ‘subtler than me’ correct?  Then if I give you the opportunity to prove your bold claim you’ll follow through on it?”

The midgard girl perked her head up. “Are you offering to give me your backing? Seriously?”

“The Hale family is currently devoted to a certain cause, and will do its utmost to complete it.” Stretching out her hand, the smile on the Asgardians’ face grew wider. “It would be best if you don’t squander this offer.”

“I typically have to do all of this by myself but… Ack! Fine!” Ash’s partner nodded as she took the hand and shook it with a firm grasp. “I’m not an idiot. Guess I’ll be working closer with you from now on, Maggie.”

“That’s a bit too close.”

“We live right next door.”

Ash suppressed a sigh of relief as the conflict resolved itself. He didn’t want any repeats of the disaster that was their match with Anemone. Now that Kyouko had decided on what she was going to do he couldn’t just sit still. What could he do to help? There was no way that he had any resources that he could provide, even if he wasn’t flat broke anymore he was still on the bottom end of the Valhalla economy. That just meant information but getting that was- Oh, right. Miss Ingen already pointed the way for him. Nodding to himself, the Vintrkind stood up from his chair. “Now that that’s been settled, I’ll check in with Victoria and see what she knows.”

It took Ash a moment to register the moment of silence. All three of the girls were staring at him, each with different expressions on their face. The vintrkind shuffled his feet. “Did I say something wrong?”

Kyouko summed up what the girls were thinking the best. “Who the hell is Victoria?!”

---

It didn’t take for Ash to explain his meeting with the midnight guitarist. Nor did it take long for them to track her down for a meeting. After all, they did live in the same dormitory. 

“So you’re the mysterious resident who I never see around here. Was that pudding in the fridge yours? I thought it was Miss Ingen’s so I ate it.” Kyouko admitted as she admired her fellow resident’s room. Not that there was much to see, other than the fact that it was completely plastered wall to wall with motivational projections. An entire stack of hard drives sat on her deck, clothes scattered all over the place. The only recreational thing that Victoria seemed to own was the guitar bag sitting snugly in the back corner, hidden in the shadows almost as if it had been forgotten. Not that the Midgardian seemed to miss it as she zoomed over to it. “Oh you do play an instrument! Wait, don’t tell me you play pop. I’m sorry but if you’re one of those guys who play the same three chord songs over again we can’t be friends. It’s the law.”

“What-” Victoria spoke only to get interrupted by a hum from Magnolia. 

“I was aware of the presence of another individual inside of the D-Class Dorm but out of respect for your privacy I refrained from looking into your file.” The blonde nodded. “My apologies for not greeting you sooner. I’m Magnolia Hale, and I extend my apologies to any inconvenience I may have caused you during my move.”

“I-”

“I recognize that brand of Data Pad!” Liesa’s SMART glasses flared to life. “That’s the WavePro 1.9! It specializes in audio engineering and sound quality, correct? One of my classmates had a similar device- Oh my! But it was a limited edition run in Alfheim! Could you be from the Realm of Progress as well?!”

Victoria paused before whipping around to pin Ash with a baleful glare, the black bags underneath and her pale face making her look more like a corpse than a living person. Full of spite, she stepped closer before jabbing her finger into his chest. “First of all, why the hell did you wake me up at 4 pm? Secondly, why are you people crowding into my room?!”

“...Sorry.” Ash replied as he reached out to grab his friend and pull her back. Kyouko hissed like a feral cat but she couldn’t escape the grasp of his large frame. “We’ve got a problem and we need your help.”

The redhead gave them a once over before making up her mind. “Yeah, no. Go away. I'm busy.”

“Please at least hear us out!” Liesa clapped her hands. “We promise that this won’t take much of your time!”

Ash’s handler followed the Alfheim Wing Candidate up by pulling out her own data pad. “And I assure you there’ll be a reward if you comply with us.”

“Hey Magnolia! You’re making it sound like we’re threatening her!” Kyouko quickly turned back to the room’s owner in what seemed to be an attempt to placate her. “Don’t worry, this is just bribery. Perfectly normal. If you tell us what we want to know, our rich friend here will be sure to give you some points. See? It’ll be a reward for the both of us.”

What the hell was this good cop bad cop routine? And why was Kyouko the good cop? Wait, no, that made sense. Usually when she pulled this stick his partner made him stand meanincingly in the corner and occasionally flash his ice claws. It made getting people to talk real quick, though at the moment it seemed like Victoria was more at a loss for words than anything. Her jaw was slightly agape and they all waited with anticipation. Ash coughed into his hands as she continued to stare. “Miss Ingen told us to go to you.”

That got her moving. Suddenly Victoria threw up her hands and plopped back down onto her bed. “Alright, fine. But this better not take long. What do you people want?”

“We need information on the Jade Dragons.” That got Victoria to stiffen up. The Vintrkind pressed onwards. “We’re currently trying to come up with ways on how to handle them since they’ve been following Xiao Bai’s lead and antagonizing us.”

“Yeah, I figured you were the Vintrkind that they were talking about. Not like there’s any others here in Valhalla.” She brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes before sighing. “I don’t know what you did to them, and I don’t really care, but they really hate your guts. Some of them were even planning on pulling a hazing stunt but only stopped because of how close you guys are with Outlaw Justice.”

Magnolia narrowed her eyes. “So you’re in contact with them?”

The repeat trainee didn’t answer the question. Instead, she crossed her legs before starting up at them. “I have two conditions before I tell you anything.”

“As long as it’s within the bounds of my power.” Magnolia spoke right away, crossing her own arms. “Do not ask for something unreasonable like giving you enough points to pass the semester. I have no desire to so blatantly break the rules of VEA.” 

Victoria rolled her eyes. “How long do you think I’ve been here, firstie? I know how this works. Give me some equipment instead. Something that’ll give me an edge during the midterm exams.”

“That can be arranged.” Magnolia nodded slowly. “And the second condition?”

“No matter what, you aren’t allowed to say anything about what I’ll tell you to anyone.” Her eyes flared. “You got that?”

“We’ll keep our silence.” Promised Ash. He made sure that all of his companions nodded before he continued. “So you’re in contact with the Jade Dragons?”

“I wouldn’t put it like that.” She sighed. “It’s more like I work at a place that some of their members frequently visit.”

“A part time job?” The boy guessed before his mind started to connect the dots. A place that employed students that needed to be kept secret… A laugh almost escaped his lips as he reached his conclusion. “You meet them at a hidden delight.”

One of the legally gray establishments for VEA students in Valhalla. Just like the Thousand Nights casino that he and Magnolia had their confrontation with Anemone in. While they technically operated within the rules, they blatantly trampled over the spirit of it in mudcaked boots. The implication sunk into the room as Kyouko began to snicker to herself. “What did I tell you? Poke around enough and you find the weak link. Naughty naughty!”

“My knowledge of the more debauched side of Valhalla is lacking but I imagine if it was one of the more well known ones, there would be a bigger scandal.” The Asgard wing candidate continued Ash’s train of logic. “Tell me, is it exclusive, or is it just relatively unknown?”

“You think I could’ve gotten a job if it was one of the fancy places?” The guitarist got up from her bed and walked over to a drawer, pulling out what appeared to be… a makeup case? “Anyone can show up as long as they know the rules, password, and are qualified. Sadly, I’m sure that doesn’t include any of you.” 

Puffing out her chest, the blonde stood tall. “Whatever this qualification is, tell me and I’ll pass it.”

“You aren’t legal.” Victoria stated bluntly. Magnolia’s stance faltered as the redhead dismissed her with a wave.  “Part of the reason it’s so obscure is that it’s only for VEA Trainees that have reached the legal age. All of you are what, fifteen? No way they’ll serve you.”

“I see.” Liesa’s face fell at the dismissal. “Yes I suppose that would put a damper on things…”

“Now hold up there.” Kyouko cut in, placing her hand on her handler’s shoulder. A scheming grin crossed her face as she stared down at their dorm mate. “You wouldn’t explain things this far if you didn’t have an alternative prepared. So, what is it?”

“...You’re surprisingly sharp.”

“There’s nothing to be surprised about.”

“Well, whatever. There is a way I can think of.” Victoria gave them all a once over before holding up the makeup kit in her hands. “How many of you have worked at a bar before?”

And suddenly Ash’s gut sank deeper than Helheim below.