It was Monday, and Brie was still there. Not that Derby was terribly afraid her new dark lord roommate would suddenly vanish, but the idea did linger, anxiously spinning about her mind like a string tied to a fan.

Derby got out of bed, not sure how this week would go. As she did her daily pulls in the mobile game Girl Sharkz, she kept sneaking glances to Brie as she slept. One of Derby's three whole classes that semester was her Monday class, so she unfortunately couldn't enjoy Brie's presence all morning. She also didn't want to wake Brie up, so she snuck out of the bedroom and into the kitchen. Class was at eleven, and it was only a bit past nine, so she had some time to kill. Her mom was sipping coffee, leaning on the kitchen's island, strumming her fingers on the black and white marbled stone top. Dani did a double take seeing that it was her eldest daughter.

"You're up early," Dani said. "Hang on, I'll put some waffles on for you."

Derby sat at one of the stools by the island and waited patiently. While Dani cooked, Brie shuffled out as well, hair messy and still appearing to be at least three quarters asleep. Over the last few days, Brie had been up before Derby, so it was a treat to see her so sleepy. Usually she'd been up and raring to go like she hadn't slept at all, while now she sat next to Derby looking like Colby in high school when she had to get up for school, blanket wrapped around her and everything.

"Good morning, Brie," Dani said. "I'm making Derby waffles if you want any."

"Mmmhhm," Brie said.

"I'll pour you a cup, too," Dani said.

Colby had left for her class already, and Aunt Emme had a gig helping a restaurant add a space for concerts, so she was off to that already.

"She says she can have it done in a week, but who knows," Dani said. "Hopefully she doesn't half-ass it, because I do like going to Shamblies. If she does screw it up it'll be so embarrassing to go back."

"Shamblies has really good barbeque burgers," Derby said, though Brie barely processed it.

"I see...shambles...I leave my enemies in shambles, yes..." Brie yawned.

Brie seemed to really like the coffee as soon as she tasted it, downing a whole piping hot cup in moments.

"Maybe let that cool off next time," Dani said.

"Utterly delicious!" Brie said. "I feel power coursing through me, raw power!" She cackled as she stood up, letting the blanket draped around her shoulders fall to the ground like a cloak dropped before battle. Then she realized she didn't have anyone to do battle with nor did she have anywhere to really be, so she sat back down.

"Wow, guess it works fast on Cani folks, maybe?" Dani said.

"Do you have coffee back home?" Derby asked.

"Nothing this good!" Brie said.

"I think it tastes gross," Derby said.

"You say that, yet you chug those awful energy drinks," Dani said.

"Gamer Sluice is amazing, Mom, you just have bad taste," Derby said.

"Uh huh, uh huh," Dani rolled her eyes.

"May I partake of this sluice as well?" Brie asked.

"Not if you're having it with coffee, maybe wait a day, I don't want to have to take you to the hospital for a caffeine overdose," Dani said.

Derby barely noticed how much time had passed as she ate breakfast, but her class crept up on her, and she still had to get ready.

"Where are you going?" Brie asked as Derby got up.

"Um, I have class," Derby said.

Brie de Meaux looked like a sullen, lost puppy at this information.

"Oh...get back soon, then," Brie said.

Derby had never wanted to skip a class as much as she did seeing Brie's needy expression. But she already skipped last week, and the campus had an annoying policy about how many times you could skip in a row.

* * *

Sage was already in the lecture hall by the time Derby got there. Sometimes the spots next to Sage were taken already, so Derby was glad to get to sit by them.

"Hey, Derbs," Sage said as Derby sat down.

Derby's foot accidentally kicked against Sage's gym bag, which was strangely heavy.

"Ow, what the frick?" Derby asked, feeling like she just kicked a bowling ball.

"Oh, dang, sorry!" Sage said. "That's...my gear for tennis."

"Your gear for tennis?" Derby asked. "Why's it so heavy?"

"Haha, I'm trying out some new rackets," Sage said. "I have some artifacts I found in there too."

"Some...artifacts?" Derby asked. Maybe she should have brought an energy drink with, because her mind wasn't computing what Sage was saying.

"Yeah, from that new archaeology class," Sage said.

"There's an archaeology class at this school?" Derby asked.

Sage scratched the choker around their neck. "Brand new, we're kind of guinea pigs for the school."

"Huh," Derby said. Archaeology didn't fit Sage's major, but maybe it was just a random elective to try? "What kind of artifacts did you find? Where'd you get them?"

"We go on digs out in the desert," Sage said. "I'd show you some, but I have them packed in a really specific way. And they're kind of fragile, believe it or not."

"Heavy yet fragile," Derby said. "Maybe you can show me later?"

"Yeah, sure!" Sage said. "I've been on a big kick for ancient junk. Do you remember Lacy? She'd always go nuts for that stuff."

Derby squinted again. "Are you doing a joke or something?"

"What do you mean?" Sage asked.

"I dunno...heavy junk...Lacy? Who is Lacy?" Derby asked.

"You seriously don't remember Lacy?" Sage asked. "I guess it was forever ago."

Derby tried to think of a Lacy she knew. "Uh...was she the one that wrote swears on the playground and almost got me in trouble?"

"I don't think so?" Sage said. "She was always at our year one table."

"As in first grade or the high school year one?" Derby asked.

"High school," Sage said. "You and her never shut up about Fantastical Fantasy."

"Dang, I really don't remember," Derby said.

"I didn't mean to make you feel bad," Sage said. "Here, wanna copy my notes from last week?"

"I'm not sad, just confused," Derby said. "But yes, let me copy your notes."

As class went on, Derby tried to piece together that weird conversation. Sage was the coolest person Derby knew, but they could be weird sometimes. Derby supposed everyone could. Still, she couldn't remember any Lacy that she was friends with in high school. It didn't help that the social studies lecture was quite boring, leaving Derby with more time to ruminate. She couldn't figure any of it out, though, so she decided to ask Sage again after class.

"So you're sure that wasn't a prank?" Derby asked.

"I am!" Sage laughed.

"I still don't remember Lacy," Derby said.

"You must think I'm crazy or something. Here." They set their bag down as the two stopped at a bench on campus. Sage loaded a picture on their phone from high school of them and Derby at lunch. They zoomed in on the side, where half a girl's picture could be seen. "That's Lacy!"

Derby stared at the picture.

"Still nothing?" Sage asked.

"Yeah...sorry..." Derby said.

"It's fine, aw, Derbs," Sage said.

"What?" Derby pouted.

"I'm doing the thing again, aren't I?" Sage said.

"Yeah, kinda," Derby said. "Where you get all confusing."

"I don't mean to," Sage said.

It didn't happen too often, but at least Sage was aware of the times where the two couldn't get on the same wavelength in a conversation, and both agreed on ways they could get through it.

"How about this, then?" Sage opened up their bag and pulled out a baggie with an old gold cup in it.

"Whoa..." Derby said, eyes lighting up.

"From archaeology class!" Sage said.

"Is it like a super rare artifact? Are you rich now?" Derby asked.

"We don't know yet, but that'd be cool, wouldn't it?" Sage said. "You should come with next time, I'm sure they'd let you come along for a class."

The idea of going on some archeological dig sounded cool, but Derby politely declined, having had enough adventures in the last week or so. Sage insisted on buying Derby a treat, another go to for when their conversations got weird.

"Anything else I can do to make you feel better?" Sage asked as Derby chomped down on an ice cream sandwich. "Maybe you try to tell me something I won't remember."

"That could work," Derby said. "Remember that zoo trip we went on?"

"The one where that dude almost fell into the tiger enclosure?" Sage asked.

"It's no fair, you have elephant memory!" Derby said.

"Maybe I got good memory after that zoo trip," Sage said. "I did study elephants a lot after it."

"That doesn't make any sense!" Derby laughed. "You don't just get elephant memory from studying them, they have like super brains!"

"Well, I had to get my elephant memory from somewhere, right?" Sage asked.

* * *

After Derby left, Sage remained at the bench, sighing deeply as they leaned their head back, looking up at the bright blue sky.

That was way too close. Almost let it all slip. I need to be more careful. I dunno what I thought I was doing bringing everything with today.

It was just a precaution. Things got heated, so I brought everything. I just hate lying to Derbs, though. You'd think I'd get used to it after all these years, but...

Sage's thoughts were interrupted by a whistle. They looked up to see a woman in a suit approaching. Sage's eyes went to their hips, noting that they didn't carry anything with them.

"That convo was so awkward," CC said. "Are you two seriously friends?"

"Do I know you?" Sage asked.

"Cute," CC said. "Pretending like you don't know me after all that."

"Why are you here?" Sage asked.

"I was following Derby of Hope, trying to get the drop on Brie," CC scratched her nose. "I really thought she'd come with to class for some reason. I guess I could just go to their house, but I dunno. Maybe I'm machinating some other things." CC raised her eyebrows.

"Cool, have fun with that," Sage said.

"Hold on, you're not even going to ask how I figured it out?" CC asked.

"Figured what out?" Sage asked, forcing their face to stay neutral.

"You know..." CC said. She patted Sage's gym bag. "You have it all in here, don't you?"

"I have school crap in there," Sage said.

"Uh huh," CC said. She looked around, making sure they were still alone. "School crap and your whole Masked Dark Lord armor, right?"

CC grinned, while Sage bit the inside of their lip. "Dunno what you're talking about."

"Now are you going to ask how I figured it out?" CC asked. "Also, you're so hot under that mask, why wear it? Are you single? If you're not single, are you interested in dark lords who are really good with swords? Ha, just a joke. Unless?" CC said 'unless?' a few more times until Sage responded.

"I don't think you figured out much of anything," Sage said. "And if you did, I wouldn't talk about it here."

"Ugh, the mask is off, but you still have a mask on," CC said. "Whoa. That's really good, right? I should write that down."

"Knock yourself out," Sage said.

"Why are you carrying it around, don't you have conjured armor like Brie and I?" CC asked. "Unless?"

"I'm not going out with you," Sage said.

"Not that unless," CC said. "But aw. But no, I mean, you're carrying your armor because it's busted? Maybe..." CC snapped. "Got it. Derby of Hope broke your thrall spell even with the armor on, and it's got you all loopy. Wondering if your armor's broken, or if that Derby girl's stronger than she looks."

Sage didn't respond.

"Ha, knew it," CC said. "You should confide in me more, I can really help out, I'm a great listener."

"You do a lot of talking for a great listener," Sage said.

Sage hoped they could get out of this without confessing to anything concrete.

"I can tell you're crabby, trying to juggle your secret identity, being weird around your bestie, it's a bummer," CC said. "I'm just saying if you need someone to talk about that with, let me know." CC handed Sage a card.

"You have a business card printed?" Sage asked.

"Just got them, aren't they great?" CC asked.

"What business are you even in?" Sage asked.

"You know, the dark lord one!" CC said.

"They spelled your name wrong," Sage said.

"What? No they didn't," CC scoffed, taking the card back. "Are you serious? It's two letters! I spent a hundred bucks on these!"

As CC ranted about the card making company, Sage took one of the cards back.

"I'm real busy, alright?" Sage said. "But if I do need to talk about anything, I'll call you. So quit stalking me and Derby."

CC held her hands up. "Sure, sure, you're the boss, Masky."

Sage got up, hefting their bag over their shoulder.

"Just, before you go," CC said as Sage sighed. "It'll take just a second, just one question that you'll probably be all 'I dunno what you're talking about'...about."

"What is it?" Sage asked.

"What are you really after?" CC asked. "Are you helping Magie? Fighting against Brie? Taking Skarlax apart, or uniting it? Just fighting for yourself? What are you up to? Just give me that, at least."

"That's a lot more than one question," Sage asked.

"Yeah, but they're all connected, right?" CC asked.

Sage thought it over. They knew they shouldn't say anything, but after how that talk with Derby went they needed to reiterate, maybe more for themselves, what they were working towards.

"I just want what's best for everyone," Sage said. "That's what I'm 'up to.'"