The front door of Ramshackle Dorm slammed open with enough force to rattle the old windows.

Ace stumbled inside first, breathing hard, one hand furiously rubbing at his face. His eyes were noticeably red, and despite how stubbornly he kept wiping at them, it was obvious he'd been crying.

"I hate Heartslabyul," he muttered, tossing his bag onto the floor with a loud thud. "I seriously hate that stupid dorm."

He kicked the nearest chair out of frustration before collapsing face-first onto the couch with an exaggerated groan.

The others filed in only seconds later.

Sebek looked absolutely livid. His face was flushed, his fists clenched so tightly his gloves creaked, and he was muttering under his breath long before he'd even crossed the doorway.

"Utterly ridiculous..." he hissed. "They treat me as though I am some helpless child! Every time I volunteer for guard duty, General Lilia insists I require supervision. Silver says I should 'take a break,' and Lord Malleus merely smiles and tells me not to overwork myself." He threw his hands into the air dramatically. "I AM HIS GUARD! WHY DOES EVERYONE INSIST ON PROTECTING ME?"

Epel shoved the door shut harder than necessary.

"Oh, quit yellin'," he snapped, glaring at Sebek before throwing his own bag into a corner. "At least they trust ya with something! Vil spent half an hour tellin' me I needed to smile more, stand straighter, stop scowlin', stop sittin' like that, stop talkin' like this..." He threw his arms up in frustration. "I'm sick of everythin' I do bein' wrong just 'cause it ain't elegant enough."

Jack quietly closed the lock after everyone had entered, leaning against the door for a second before letting out a long sigh.

"...Leona skipped another club meeting."

Nobody interrupted him.

"...Ruggie disappeared before cleanup started." Another pause. "...Guess who got blamed for both."

His ears flattened against his head.

"I'm just... tired."

Deuce was the last one inside.

He lingered awkwardly near the entrance instead of joining the others, staring at the floor while absentmindedly rubbing the back of his neck.

"...Riddle thinks I'm failing my tests on purpose."

The room fell noticeably quieter.

"I know he didn't mean it to sound harsh." Deuce forced out a weak laugh that didn't reach his eyes. "He was just asking me an honest question..." He swallowed. "...But I've been trying so hard."

His shoulders slumped.

"...It kinda hurt."

Nobody had an answer for that.

Ace groaned into the couch cushion before turning his head just enough to mumble, "I'm living here now."

Sebek immediately crossed his arms.

"That is an absurd proposal."

"It wasn't a proposal."

"It was."

Epel snorted despite himself.

"...Can I stay too?" Deuce asked quietly.

"If I gotta sit through one more beauty lesson," Epel muttered as he flopped into the nearest armchair, "I'm runnin' away back to Harveston."

Jack simply walked over to the couch, sat down beside Ace, and rested his elbows on his knees.

"...Today sucked."

Silence settled over Ramshackle.

It wasn't an uncomfortable silence.

The old dorm creaked softly around them, afternoon sunlight spilling through dusty windows onto the mismatched furniture they'd slowly gathered over the months. Someone had forgotten an empty snack bag on the coffee table. One of Ace's card decks was scattered across the floor from the night before. It looked messy.

It looked lived in.

It looked like home.